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 Tajik, Kyrgyz and Uzbek presidents sign historical treaty to boost regional cooperation Xinhua) 08:50, April 01, 2025 Tajik President Emomali Rahmon (C), Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov (L) and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hold a trilateral meeting in Khujand, Tajikistan, March 31, 2025. The presidents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a treaty on the junction point of their national borders in Khujand, Tajikistan's second-largest city, on Monday. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua) DUSHANBE, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The presidents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a treaty on the junction point of their national borders in Khujand, Tajikistan's second-largest city, on Monday. According to the Tajik presidential press service, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a trilateral meeting in Khujand to formalize the agreement. Rahmon called the treaty's signing "a highly symbolic" event, highlighting its significance for the three countries. He said that Tajikistan deeply values its relations with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, which are founded on the principles of good neighborliness, equality, mutual respect and the consideration of each other's interests. The comprehensive development of relations among the three countries is one of the priorities in Tajikistan's foreign policy, according to a statement from the Tajik presidential office. The leaders discussed key issues related to regional cooperation, underscoring the need to strengthen neighborly relations, advance joint infrastructure and economic projects, and expand the region's tourism potential, according to a statement from the Kyrgyz presidential office. Japarov said that regional integration is progressing well and that enhancing cooperation across various sectors will be critical to achieving sustainable development and prosperity in Central Asia. Mirziyoyev extended his congratulations to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan for successfully resolving border-related issues and signing the delimitation treaty. He said the agreement would foster regional stability, promote sustainable development, and raise the international standing of the entire region. In addition to the trilateral discussions, Rahmon and Mirziyoyev held a one-on-one meeting, during which they signed a protocol to exchange instruments of ratification for the treaty on allied relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The meeting, conducted in an atmosphere of friendship and brotherhood, concluded with the exchange of these historic documents, officially bringing the treaty into force. The treaty was initially signed during a high-level bilateral summit in Dushanbe on April 18, 2023. Meanwhile, Rahmon and Japarov also signed a protocol to exchange the ratification instruments for the border treaty between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The two leaders engaged in comprehensive discussions on cooperation in trade, economy, energy, culture and humanitarian affairs, culminating in the signing of the protocol, which finalized the agreement. The border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan stretches approximately 970 km, and delimitation talks began in 2002. Since the autumn of 2022, the two countries have conducted intensive negotiations, successfully finalizing the border's delineation in December 2024. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon (C), Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov (L) and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev sign a treaty on the junction point of their national borders in Khujand, Tajikistan, March 31, 2025. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua) Tajik President Emomali Rahmon (R) shakes hands with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Khujand, Tajikistan, March 31, 2025. Rahmon and Mirziyoyev held a one-on-one meeting, during which they signed a protocol to exchange instruments of ratification for the treaty on allied relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua) Tajik President Emomali Rahmon (R) shakes hands with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in Khujand, Tajikistan, March 31, 2025. Rahmon and Japarov signed a protocol to exchange the ratification instruments for the border treaty between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua) (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. 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 Zip Code ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools. In a March 28 letter to state chiefs of education, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated that "the period to liquidate obligations for these Grant Awards expired," and declared that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department's priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion." This impacts nearly $3 billion in unspent ESSER funds, according to reporting by The 74. The original deadline to commit those funds to specific expenses was Sept. 30, 2024, but ED had previously granted states extensions through March 30, 2026. However, McMahon asserted, "Any reliance on a discretionary extension subject to reconsideration by the agency was unreasonable. Accordingly, on reconsideration, the Department amends the period of liquidation to end on March 28, 2025, at 5:00pm ET." The reversal comes less than a month after ED announced a change to its ESSER reimbursement policies, requiring states to pay for ESSER-approved services up front and then submit the expenditures to ED for reimbursement. It's unknown how many states may be left holding the bag for unreimbursed expenses. ESSER funds are used for a variety of purposes intended to address student needs in the aftermath of the pandemic, including academic support, mental health services, staff training, technology and infrastructure, and summer learning programs. According to documentation uncovered by The 74, Texas and Pennsylvania are set to lose more than $200 million in unspent ESSER funds, while Ohio, New York, Tennessee, and others have $100 million in unspent funds. McMahon said the Department will consider new ESSER extensions on "an individual project-specific basis," and states must submit a statement "explaining (1) how a particular project's extension is necessary to mitigate the effects of COVID on American students' education, and (2) why the Department should exercise its discretion to grant your request." (TBTCO) - Trong khi cac thong tin chinh thuc van ang uoc lam ro, tuyen bo moi tu phia My ve chinh sach thue oi voi hang hoa Viet Nam ang uoc gioi chuyen gia va nha au tu theo doi sat sao. Theo anh gia ban au, Viet Nam van co the tiep tuc duy tri loi the canh tranh trong chuoi cung ung va thu hut dong von au tu nuoc ngoai. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. 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). A PRIVATE contractor is dead after an accident in Tobago. Police have identified the victim as Darryl Figaro of Black Rock, Tobago. He died on Wednesday after falling from a ladder while working at a private villa. An autopsy of Figaros body yesterday at the Scarborough Mortuary determined injuries were consistent with a fall, and it ruled out foul play. The body was previously identified by the victims daughter. My wife and I are in our sunset years and have been trying to deal with the many issues of our health, so our doctors have been giving us prescriptions for medication which is needed to try to control our health issues. We would normally go to distributors of the various medications that are prescribed, and purchase two months supply at any one time. Alas, we no longer can do this because of the recent ruling by the respective Government agencies, and now have to purchase these medications from registered pharmacies. I am writing with great sadness and anger after watching the disturbing video that has been circulating on social media. The video shows a frightening road rage incident on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, near the Chaguanas Flyover, where a man believed to be a soldier from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) violently attacked an innocent van driver. This kind of behaviour from someone who is supposed to serve and protect the country is not only disgusting; it is completely unacceptable and must not go unpunished. If youre in the Centennial Hall audience on Wednesday, April 9, please do not suggest that Alton Brown try Tucsons ubiquitous Sonoran hot dog. Seriously; in his two previous Tucson shows with Broadway In Tucson, the renowned Food Network personality has been introduced and reintroduced to what some suggest should be our official Fourth of July hot dog. Frankly, hes Sonoran hot dogged out. All anybody ever wants you to eat is those damn Sonoran hot dogs, which I have to tell you, I just dont freaking care about bacon wrapped around a hot dog, he ranted during a phone call last week. I just dont. Ive tried. Ive tried, really, Ive tried. Ive eaten every damn Sonoran dog thats been put in front of me. And people are like, their eyes are rolling back in their head and theyre frothing at the mouth, and Im like, Im sorry, I dont get it. ... Can I just have the hot dog or the bacon? ... Im being completely open and honest with you, I dont get it, and as far as I know, there is no other food available in the area, because no one will give me anything but Sonoran hot dogs. Sonoran hot dogs wont be on his mind when Brown takes the stage for his Last Bite farewell tour. Hes not quitting his live shows, mind you, just the touring. But for this final road trip, Brown is pulling out all the stops in what he describes as his culinary variety show. The culinary variety show is my invention, said the 62-year-old Atlanta native, who jokes that his entire DNA pool is from the north Georgia mountains. I mean, were trailer trash. Our family crest has a propane tank in it. His show is part stand-up, part sketch comedy with music thrown in and plenty of audience interaction. He also cooks on stage, using contraptions and devices hes invented. To me, innovation and coming up with ways of doing things that other people havent done is kind of like my whole reason for doing things, he explained. If you ever saw his Good Eats show that ran from 1999-2012 on the Food Network, you know that Brown likes to deep-dive into the science behind food. If you want to understand whats going on in food, the answer is almost universally science, he explained. I am not a naturally good cook. Im not one of those people that just can waltz into the kitchen and throw dinner together unless I understand what the food is and what it needs me to do to it. And the answer to that, universally, is science. But science is also the springboard for storytelling, which is central to what Brown, a former cinematographer and video director, truly is: a storyteller. Good Eats was a show about telling stories about food, right? And I find those processes to be fascinating, he said, confessing that he was never good at science in school. I made a D in chemistry in high school. The average Good Eats research book was 300 pages. Last Bite took him eight months to build, including hundreds of hours of scientific research, because we deal with some pretty high concepts, he said. I want the aha moment, said Brown, whose new book, Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations, was released in February. I want people to have the empowerment of the aha moment, and then, if theyre curious enough, theyll go get the rest of it themselves. The premise of Last Bite was inspired by Browns recent habit of waking up at 3 a.m. and going down to his kitchen in his pajamas and robe to ponder things. Ive started carrying around this thing called the Carousel of Concerns, which is this big circular file folder thing, he explained. I decided to make that the whole first act of the show about me down in my kitchen in the middle of the night pondering food things mostly. In the shows second half, Brown will bring out his latest invention for a cooking demonstration. We always build something interesting. This things 27 feet long ... and Im not going to tell you what it does, he said, calling the show the biggest hes ever done. The secret contraption stands 10 feet tall at its highest, and Brown refused to say how it operates or what he will cook with it. Are we talking fruit, meat, vegetable, a starch, anything like that? we pressed him. Youve gotten two correct, he added. Were stumped, but were pretty sure he wont be breaking down the science of the Sonoran dog. Wednesdays show starts at 7:30 p.m. at Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd., on the University of Arizona campus. Tickets, $40-$120, are available through broadwayintucson.com. During those early days of the pandemic when clubs, bars and concert venues shuttered and musicians pivoted to virtual performances on YouTube or Zoom from their living rooms, Tom Walbank checked a biggie off his bucket list. He reached out to some of the worlds best blues players folks like Joe Filisko, a leading pre-World War II harp player; the harmonica virtuoso Phil Wiggins; and Tucsons dynamic young phenom Roman Barten-Sherman and invited them to be part of Hootmatic Blues. The 22-track recording, available as a digital download, was a way for these musicians to make some money at a time when they needed it most. At the time, it was up in the air whether we all had jobs or not, Walbank said. I got together a bunch of guitarists, harmonica players, piano players, and did an album of acoustic instrumental music. That project opened the door the following year to record Low Blows for Ida, to benefit victims of Hurricane Ida in Louisiana. The 47-song album included tracks from Charlie Musselwhite, Wiggins, Aki Kumar, Will Wilde, Steve Barker, Ol Shady Pete, Kim Wilson, Rick Estrin, Carlos del Junco, Terry Harmonica Bean and dozens of the worlds leading blues players. I did a lot of the heavy lifting with those albums. In other words, getting in touch with top musicians in the blues through the agencies, through their managers, through various ways, Walbank explained. There was 50 players on that album, and that raised some decent cash for Hurricane Ida. So when the wildfires engulfed Los Angeles in January, Walbank was back on the phone reaching out to some of those same people. I was just seeing it all unfold, and the usual feeling of helplessness came about. You know, I cant give up my life to go and help people in Los Angeles, but what can I do? he thought. Ive already got a bunch of people. I know how to do it. The result was Harp Love for LA, an ambitious compilation that includes contributions from some of the worlds finest harmonica bluesmen. I got in touch with a lot of players from the last album and said, Hey, you mind if I recycle your tracks and put it on this album? he said. And I also got in touch with people who hadnt been on the last album ... people from Moscow, Catalonia, Spain, Italy, France, and a lot of people from the States. The newcomers recorded themselves and sent the tracks to Walbank, who mastered the album. Youd think that it would get boring if youve got 41 tracks of harmonica music, but its absolutely staggering the variety and just the expertise involved in all of these tracks, he said. These are master players. And it was very exciting for me to get certain players on the same album. You know, a lot of the players on this album have been a huge inspiration to me when I was a young man and even now. Harp Love includes a track from English folk musician Rory McLeod, a legend on the English folk scene whose repertoire spans folk, blues and Mexican folk songs that McLeod picked up when he lived in Texas in the mid-1970s. Shane Sager, who plays harmonica in Brit rocker Stings band, added two tracks, while Kumar, the India-born bluesman played Tucsons House Rockin Blues Review, contributed Uncloudy Day, the same song he offered for Low Blows for Ida. The album also showcases some younger players, including Italian blues player Marco Pandolfi, Adam Sikora from Poland and Nic Clark from Denver. Walbank said it was an easy sell getting his peers to participate. This countrys given them the whole life of the blues, said the England-born bluesman, who has spent more than half his adult life in Tucson. You know, people talk about jazz being Americas classical music. Dont forget about the blues. Its like, no blues, no rock and roll, no modern music scene. Thats where it all comes from. These are all blues players, harmonica players, from Germany, Italy, Moscow, but the the American blues scene and 100 years of blues recordings has given them the passion. Visit tomwalbank.bandcamp.com to listen. An 87-year-old woman injured last month in a crash in front of the entrance to the emergency department at St. Joseph's Hospital has died, Tucson police say. The crash happened about 1:30 p.m. March 4, as Patricia Smith was turning into the hospital driveway from southbound North Wilmot Road, police said in a news release. The 2017 Ford Escape she was driving was struck by a northbound 2005 Toyota Sienna. Smith was taken to a hospital. There was no indication that either Smith or the unidentified 43-year-old driver of the Toyota was impaired, the release said. Police were notified March 29 that Smith died, the release said. Investigators will review the case to determine if any criminal or civil violations occurred, police said. Multiple students were injured Tuesday afternoon when the school bus they were riding flipped on Interstate 10 northwest of Tucson. The crash happened on I-10 near the Tangerine Road exit, and the interstate remained closed in both directions Tuesday afternoon, the state Department of Public Safety said. Details of the injuries were not immediately available, but several students on the school bus were taken to Tucson-area hospitals for evaluation, the state DPS said. The bus was carrying students and three chaperones from Kingman Unified School District. "Thankfully, there are no fatalities, but several students and a staff member have been transported for medical evaluation," the school district posted on its website. The students apparently were headed to a Future Business Leaders of America conference being held at the Tucson Convention Center through Thursday. Meanwhile, the Cochise County Sheriff's Office said earlier Tuesday that there have been multiple crashes east of Tucson due to blowing dust. A portion of I-10 just east of Willcox was closed Tuesday afternoon. According to the Cochise County Sheriffs Office, the interstate was shut down from milepost 352 to milepost 373. Drivers are being warned to be prepared for traffic delays and detours until further notice. The University of Arizona is asking international students, faculty and scholars to carry their passports, I-94s and proof of status with them at all times, and to be prepared to allow immigration officials to inspect their mobile devices, including their social media posts. I-94s are documents issued by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to non-immigrant visitors entering the United States, confirming their legal admission and authorized period of stay. Here are some important reminders to help you stay in compliance with immigration regulations and ensure a smooth stay while youre in the United States, says the email sent Monday by UAs International Student Services and International Faculty and Scholars Services. The email comes in the face of the Trump administrations crackdown on immigration, including on university campuses. The message lists five key pointers on how students and faculty can be vigilant and prepared for immigration enforcement or regulation changes, including: checking their emails regularly for updates; keeping immigration documents accessible and on them; knowing domestic and international travel guidelines; and being aware devices and social media can be inspected. Officers may ask to inspect your devices. This is legally permitted. Refusal could result in delays or your device being held, the email says. It also says to stay alert for possible travel bans. Soon after President Donald Trumps first inauguration in 2017, he issued a ban on immigrants and non-immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries entering the U.S., which affected thousands of students. When asked Tuesday if students have reason to be vigilant or concerned when they are on campus for classes or part-time jobs, UA spokesperson Mitch Zak said international students and scholars are encouraged to contact ISS or IFS with any questions. University staff are available to support their success and compliance, he said, but did not give specifics on how they will do so. The Trump administration, since being sworn in Jan. 20, has pushed out numerous executive orders and notices on immigration, including: combatting anti-Semitism by deporting non-citizen students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests; enhanced vetting or stricter evaluation of visa applicants as well as visa holders already in the country; and much more. Universities have expressed concern about declining international student enrollments due to the immigration crackdown. In recent weeks, immigration agents have visited universities, including Georgetown, Cornell, Tufts and Columbia, to arrest and possibly deport non-citizen international students who took part in the pro-Palestinian protests that broke out on campuses across the country last year during the height of the Israel-Gaza war. UA Chair of the Faculty Leila Hudson said the email is a sobering reminder that the U.S. and its universities in particular are entering uncharted waters, and that the current rapidly-changing policies and practices require information sharing of this kind at the least. Seeing Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia and Rumeysa Ozturk at Tufts apprehended by plainclothes ICE officers and incarcerated in Louisiana without any pretense of due process was the moment for panic, and not just for our international students, said Hudson Tuesday. Now we must use our reason and goodwill to help people make informed decisions, she said. I recently read that international students contribute $44 billion a year to the U.S. economy, but more importantly, when they accepted U.S. visas and educational opportunities, not a single one of them would have expected to find themselves vulnerable to tactics of disappearance and deportation that the U.S. government has historically loudly criticized in Russia, China, or Iran. Adriana Grijalva, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, said the UA email provides a sense of support during uncertain times. While its essential to keep people informed, theres a risk it could cause anxiety, Grijalva said. I want students to know that there is support if they need it and that we are here to help them navigate any challenges that may occur. The emails link to websites, including the IFS announcement page, the ISS announcement page, and the U.S. State Departments federal travel advisories page. The two UA announcement pages are only accessible with university ID. Johann Rafelski, a UA professor of physics and an immigrant from Germany, said the most striking thing about the UA websites is that there arent many messages there besides one before Jan. 22 with a heads-up on forthcoming changes in policies, and another from former UA President Robert C. Robbins on Oct. 9, 2023, expressing compassion and support for students and employees from Israel and Gaza. PHOENIX Republican lawmakers are moving to help insurance companies ensure they get a jury more to their liking when their clients are sued for everything from traffic accidents and contract disputes to malpractice and polluting the environment. But the question of whether they have the constitutional power to do so remains in doubt. On a party-line vote, the Republican-dominated House Appropriations Committee approved a proposal Monday by state Sen. Mark Finchem to reinstate, at least in part, a practice that used to allow attorneys for each side to use peremptory challenges. These challenges allow them to eliminate jurors not for any specific reason like bias but, in essence, because they believe those individuals are less likely to see things the way their clients want. Maybe they dont have probably the intellectual capacity to do a very complex case, so you strike that juror, said Marc Osborn, a lobbyist who represents some of the largest insurers, who is pushing for the change. Osborn also cited a case involving procurement contracts that went to trial about a month ago. We had four furries on the jury that we could not strike, he told lawmakers. These are individuals who dress up like animals and do things. Theyre not the kind of people we wanted on the jury because it reflects in decision-making. And we could not throw them off the jury. As it turned out, the case settled before it went to the jury. But Barry Aarons, who lobbies for the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association attorneys who represent plaintiffs who file suits seeking to recover damages said the insurers raised no concerns when the Arizona Supreme Court eliminated peremptory challenges in 2021. So what changed? All of a sudden, over the last couple of years, they suddenly realized they were losing a lot of cases because there were real people getting on juries, Aarons said. Under the rules adopted four years ago by the states high court, the only way an attorney can eliminate a juror is for cause, such as showing that person is likely to be biased. Finchems Senate Bill 1509 would overrule the Supreme Court rule by spelling out in law that each side in a civil case is entitled to four peremptory challenges. That would be on top of however many prospective jurors attorneys can have struck for cause, such as bias or inability to serve. The Prescott Republican also took a swat at the Supreme Court for eliminating the peremptory challenges in 2021. The court took it upon itself to essentially write law, he told colleagues, saying he found that particularly offensive. That decision, said Finchem, belongs to the policymakers, meaning state legislators. That, however, may not be true. Under our separation of powers, the (Supreme) Court has responsibility for trial court procedures, Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer told Capitol Media Services. That includes how jury trials are conducted, she said. That brought a sharp retort from Finchem. Perhaps she should reread the Arizona Constitution, he said in response. The Legislature handles what the law is, the court handles how the what is implemented. If the chief justice wants to craft policy, perhaps she should run for a legislative office. If Finchems bill becomes law, it is bound to lead to a challenge the first time an attorney in a civil case seeks to eliminate a juror without being able to cite a reason. And any litigation ultimately will wind up back at the Supreme Court. All this is the result of the decision by the justices in 2021 to accept the recommendations of two judges from the State Court of Appeals. Peter Swann and Paul McMurdie argued that the move would go a long way to eliminating a situation where juries often do not reflect the racial and ethnic backgrounds of their communities. The primary tool by which this discrimination is practiced is the peremptory strike, they wrote. All that was addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1986 in the case of Batson v. Kentucky. In that case, James Batson, a Black man, was on trial charged with burglary and receipt of stolen goods. The prosecutor used his peremptory challenges to eliminate all four Black prospective jurors. Batson was then convicted. In a 7-2 ruling, the nations high court said the prosecutors actions unconstitutionally denied the defendant his right to a fair trial and his right to equal treatment under the law. Since that time, any time there is a peremptory challenge to a minority juror, attorneys are supposed to articulate a non-racial reason for their decisions, both in criminal and civil cases. But Swann and McMurdie, in their 2021 report to the Arizona Supreme Court, said the data convinced them that still meant fewer minorities on juries, even with lawyers citing what they claim is a legitimate reason. They had evidence to back that up. Data compiled by the Administrative Office of the Courts in 2021 showed that in criminal cases, the proportion of white jurors seated varied only 3% from their representation in the population. By contrast, Black jurors were underrepresented by 16%. And Hispanics were underrepresented 21% of the time, while there was a 51% gap for Native Americans. That report said the disparities were even more pronounced in civil cases the part of the 2021 rule that Finchem and the insurers want changed. There is some evidence the change has helped make civil juries more reflective of the population. A study in the Arizona State Law Journal published this past winter shows a lesser disparity between the number of whites who were called for jury duty but ultimately not chosen and a similar statistic for minorities. Timmer, in her comments to Capitol Media Services, said the decision to eliminate peremptory challenges was not made lightly. She said the justices looked at various proposals, took comments from the public and attorneys, and relied on the courts own study of the issue. Primarily, we concluded that everyone has the right and privilege to serve on a jury and should not be stricken for any reason other than an inability to be fair in a particular case, Timmer said. As it has turned out, the rule change has allowed more people to serve on juries, has shortened the selection process thereby speeding up trials and has saved valuable resources. Finchems legislation now needs approval of the full GOP-controlled House and would then go to the Republican-led Senate. It also ultimately would need the approval of Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. 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 Kevin Canfield Tulsa World Reporter Follow Kevin Canfield 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 City leaders met in the Mayors Office with Oklahoma Mental Health Commissioner Allie Friesen on Monday morning to discuss the states decision to terminate funding agreements for two key mental health programs provided by Family & Childrens Services. By all accounts, it was a cordial meeting. Some participants even left feeling hopeful that there could be some way to recoup the funding, according to several in attendance. And by the end of the day, there was indeed reason for hope. State Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, and Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, said late Monday that lawmakers are working on a solution to the department's funding woes but first must understand more about why it is canceling the contracts. My sense is that legislators on both sides of the aisle have spent a lot of time in the past week trying to understand what is the shortage and why there is a shortage, Schreiber said. She said lawmakers have heard that the department needs anywhere from $6 million to more than $60 million but that she thinks most find discontinuing what many consider life-saving services unacceptable. Rader, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said figuring out a solution with 60 days left in the current legislative session will be challenging and that he doesn't have enough information to hazard a guess on what it might be. Its one thing to juggle two balls; its another to juggle four or five, he said. The Department of Mental Health informed Family & Childrens Services earlier this month that its sole-source agreement would be terminated effective April 17. The affected programs are COPES, a mobile mental health crisis intervention initiative, which will lose $895,000 a year; and the CrisisCare Center at 1055 S. Houston Ave., which had been receiving nearly $1.7 million annually from the Mental Health Department. Funding agreements for the programs had been in place since 2001. The Mental Health Department said last week that it values the COPES program and hopes to work with Family & Childrens Services to ensure that the program can be funded in the future. The COPES program remains distinct due to its integration with 911 and first-responders in Tulsa, a service we deeply value, Friesen said. Spokeswoman Kelsey Davis said Monday that the Mental Health Department is actively working to make sure that we are able to provide the services that are needed for Oklahomans. Adam Andreassen, president and CEO of Family & Childrens Services, said the funding cuts would not end the COPES and CrisisCare Center programs but would severely hamper the nonprofits ability to keep pace with the growing need for services. As a basic truism of life not just us everything has to be paid for somehow, and there is no world in which this money cut does not have some undesired effect on the range of services we can offer and the access we can offer, Andreassen said. He noted, for example, that last year Family & Childrens Services nearly doubled the size of its COPES program to keep up with demand. That has been extremely well received by law enforcement and people because thats how much the demand has increased, Andreassen said. But the biggest thing I would say is, even if we hold the current lines, demand is up, so that means its going to get harder and harder to keep pace. COPES is embedded into several police and fire department emergency response teams and also assists the citys 911 call center in responding to mental health-related crises. Tulsa City Council Vice Chairwoman Karen Gilbert attended Mondays meeting at City Hall. In February alone we had 475 calls entered into our CAD system for diversion for mental health, Gilbert said. That saves an estimated $23,000 and 619 hours of first responders time on mental health calls to 911. The city of Tulsa and Family & Childrens Services were on the way to having a national model that other cities would follow. These cuts will eliminate the strides we were making. Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler also expressed concern about the impact the cuts would have on the community. "There are far too many people I have communicated with over this issue who have expressed concerns about the safety of the community for me to ignore it," he said. Sheriff Vic Regalado, who also attended Mondays meeting, said that without COPES many residents with mental health issues wont get direct treatment. We are essentially taking steps backwards in how we deal with the mentally ill, Regalado said. As we have seen in the past, the result of this is an increase in the jail population. We hope that collectively we can find an answer to this budgeting problem and avoid this potential funding gap. Mayor Monroe Nichols said he was grateful that Friesen took the time to meet with local officials. The meeting we had went really, really well, Nichols said. I appreciate the commissioners commitment to the work that we have been doing. There is a lot at stake now. World staff writer Randy Krehbiel contributed to this story. The Tulsa World is where your story lives Ginnie Graham Tulsa World Columnist Follow Ginnie Graham 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 A few years ago, Republican Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert experienced what too many working parents face in this state. In the middle of the legislative session, his wife called with a family emergency. She said the day care where our oldest went was going to close on Friday. I said, Well, its OK. Ive got some town halls and stuff, but Ill make it work and take care of her, said the Bristow lawmaker. My wife said, No, you dont understand. Our day care is closing closing on Friday, and we have to figure this out and make it work. Thankfully we were able to find a spot at a local church where they had a kids program. That worked out for us. But we got to the end (of that week) to see the fear of what do you do when you dont have an option. We were fortunate, and not everyone is. Thats what Rep. Suzanne Schreiber has been saying at the Legislature for a couple of years. The Tulsa Democrat is in her second term and has become the legislative leader seeking to expand child care access. It wasnt the mantle she intended to pick up when first elected in 2022. But when knocking on doors and meeting with constituents, Schreiber kept hearing about the frustrations of finding child care, which sometimes take years. For those who did find care, it wasnt unusual for the cost to reach about $1,200 a month more than some mortgage payments. In September 2022, about 55% of Oklahomas population lived in a child care desert, according to the Center for American Progress. Out of the states 77 counties, 34 were considered child care deserts. Some communities had no providers. Oklahoma isnt alone. Access to licensed, quality child care has been a growing national problem that affects the workforce and education. So I thought I would file a couple bills and would be one of about 50 people to file child care bills because that was big in the headlines. I wasnt, so now Im sort of the child care legislator, Schreiber said. For too long, child care was viewed as a womans issue. Its not. Child care is a workforce issue. The Oklahoma State Chamber and Tulsa Regional Chamber include child care access among their legislative priorities. Schreibers proposals have focused on ideas that have worked in other states. Those include offering tax credits to employers that provide a child-care benefit, deregulating providers and creating incentives to attract more providers. House Bill 1848 would provide a tax credit to employers equal to 30% of the cost of a child-care benefit they offer to workers. That could be opening a child-care program themselves, providing money to employees for child care or contracting with a child-care provider to reserve spots for employees children. It would be capped at $30,000 per employer with the overall program capped at $5 million. Considering that the state has approved $250 million in tax credits for private school tuition, this bill is more than reasonable to help working parents of young children. During debate, Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, predictably opposed the bill, arguing that it incentivizes two working parents. He doesnt understand that many families need two working parents to make ends meet and that many children are in single-parent homes. Also, some parents just like to work. The measure passed 63-19. On the issue of deregulation, Schreiber identified possibly unnecessary rules. For example, a required sprinkler system for a small child care home costs a minimum of $16,000. Fire marshals and experts have consulted on how to achieve fire safety with less expensive requirements. To recruit and retain child care providers, Schreiber sponsored House Bill 1849, which would help providers get their own child care costs covered. It passed 83-12. Schreiber and Hilbert spoke in Tulsa recently at a Tulsa Press Club event about several issues, including child care. They were in agreement that this must be addressed as a workforce priority. When asked whats in the way of progress, Schreiber didnt mention names. We still have a few people left in another century who are kind of confused about what it looks like to have two working parents or the need for this, she said. But the overall body is excited about it. They hear from child care providers in their communities. People just think child care is going to work out. Actually, these people are small businesses all over the state, and they have a triple bottom line. They are taking care of our kids; they are paying taxes back in; and they are making sure that we can all go to work. So this is a great investment for us to focus on. Just like mental health, I think the conversation about child care has massively evolved. It has to do with folks coming into the Legislature who are of a generation with two working parents and needing child care. It brings that issue to the forefront. There are some people kind of left behind and dont recognize this as a need, but were bringing them along. Ginnie Graham Show: Checking in with Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols SKY News has landed the first Leaders Debate of the Federal Election campaign. SKY News Chief News Anchor Kieran Gilbert will moderate a SKY News / The Daily Telegraph Peoples Forum between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton live from Western Sydney next Tuesday. Both will answer questions from 100 undecided voters, as independently selected by Q&A Market Research. It will be available to stream on SkyNews.com.au, the SKY News app and to DT subscribers at dailytelegraph.com.au. Results of the Peoples Forum will be revealed during Paul Murray Live. Kieran Gilbert said: Our SKY News / The Daily Telegraph Peoples Forum is the first chance of this election campaign to see the two leaders go head-to-head. This is the first debate of the campaign and as such is a high stakes moment for both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton. The beauty of the SKY News / The Daily Telegraph Peoples Forum is that the power is in the hands of the people its an entirely unscripted and unpredictable event for the two leaders to try and navigate. Chief Executive Officer Paul Whittaker said: Together with The Daily Telegraph we are pleased to be delivering the first debate of the 2025 Federal Election campaign. A staple election event since 2010, the live format of the Peoples Forum tests even the most seasoned politicians, delivering some of the best and most iconic election moments. The Peoples Forum debate is where we see real politics kick in as undecided voters ask the leaders tough and unexpected questions on the issues they care about. This debate will be crucial as the leaders battle it out in a high-pressure debate setting for the first time of the campaign as Australian voters cast a critical eye over their policies and promises. Tuesday 8 April at 7:30pm AEST on SKY News. MasterChef Australia held a lunch for media agencies last Friday at Donna Chang restaurant in Brisbane. 10 News First Queensland Weather Presenter Liz Cantor was MC at the event attended by judges Andy Allen and Jean-Christophe Novelli. More than 120 key clients and partners attended the event hosted by Paramounts Queensland Sales Team including representatives from RACQ, Tourism and Events Queensland, Dentsu, Auto & General, Publicis, Brisbane Economic Development Agency, OMD, RSL, Wavemaker and more. On the menu was a modern Chinese cuisine while four contestants participated in a taste test challenge. Andy Allen said: It was an awesome lunch Friday in Brisbane! A great way for us to head up there, eat some delicious food and show thanks to local advertisers and agencies, not only for their ongoing support of MasterChef, but also Paramounts whole line up. Jean-Christophe Novelli said: The atmosphere, hospitality and cuisine was par excellence in Brisbane and I had a wonderful time sharing the excitement for our next season of MasterChef with everyone at the event. Filming for the Back to Win season continues in Melbourne with a premiere expected on 10 after Easter. 7NEWS Spotlight returns to Seven on Sunday as Liam Bartlett goes undercover at the worlds largest nickel processing facility in Indonesia to report on work conditions. Without nickel, the batteries that power EVs just dont work. The problem is that producing nickel can be far worse for the environment than the benefits gained by using EVs in the first place, said Bartlett. Australia has strict environmental controls on how its nickel is produced. But that was before the Indonesian government threw away the rulebook and let Chinese industry make whats known as dirty nickel at places like Morawali. Indonesias Chinese-owned Morowali Industrial Park and Weda Bay Industrial Park churn out 70% of the worlds nickel the critical component for EV batteries and they appear to be operating with no regard for the environment, or even for human life. 7NEWS Spotlights cameras gain access inside the facility, which is guarded by heavily armed security, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Bartlett speaks exclusively to workers facing deadly conditions, who have lost their colleagues and risk their own lives everyday so that Australians can drive cheaper Chinese-made EVs. In one horrific incident caught on CCTV and mobile phone cameras, a furnace full of molten nickel explodes during maintenance, killing 21 workers. Bartlett sits down with the mother of an 18-year-old man who was killed in the explosion, barely six months on the job. Its what the Indonesian government and EV industry doesnt want Australia to see a mine that pollutes more than all of Australias nickel mines combined, spewing out millions of tonnes of CO2. Its killing the environment, killing the locals, and killing workers in the process. Its also killing our nickel industry back here in Australia. 8:40pm Sunday on Seven. Three now-former Tyler High School employees are accused of abusing a special needs student, including by taping the students hands, according to arrest affidavits. Krystina Rena Haas, 35, Prisicilla Gutierrez, 22, and June Renee Tryon, 57, have all been charged with injury to a disabled person. The women were booked Friday into the Smith County Jail, where they remain as of Monday evening. Tyler ISDs police department began an investigation on March 13 when administrators learned a teacher had taped the hands of a special needs student. The districts police reviewed camera footage which revealed audio and video evidence of the incident that had occurred in the life skills classroom at Tyler High School. Around 11:30 a.m. March 12, the student was told to start walking around the room in circles. Haas was the teacher in the room while Gutierrez and Tryon were working as paraprofessionals. All three are no longer employed with the district, according to Tyler ISD. As the student was walking, Haas can be seen and heard in the footage sometimes speaking to the student, and when they slowed down, she told them to keep going. Haas is also seen rushing across the room to yell and cuss at the student, according to the arrest affidavit. Haas then told Tryon to get the tape, to which she immediately complied, the affidavit read. Tryon used the packing tape to tape up the students hands so their fingers couldnt move. The video shows Gutierrez getting up to get scissors and cutting the tape as Tryon finished wrapping the tape around the students fingers. Tyler police said that the footage shows Tryon making fun of the student walking like a robot after taping their hands, according to the affidavit. Haas said in an interview with police that the tape was used because the student flipped their middle finger at staff multiple times. She told police the student has cussed at staff and been disrespectful. When the student tried to remove the tape, Haas added more to the students left hand to make it tighter and had the student continue walking around the room. At one point, the student was made to stand in a corner but was never able to sit down for four straight hours, according to the affidavit. Haas told police this wasnt unreasonable and, in her opinion, it wouldnt hurt the student to not be able to sit for four hours. The students hands were taped for almost two and half hours, according to the affidavit. It left red marks on the students hands. Haas told police this was the second time taped the students hands in the last year. Haas has been having difficulty with this particular student and has been asking the district for help for almost a year but has not received any, she told police. Investigators asked her if her special education training taught her to restrict a student by taping their hands or punish them by making them walk. She said no but felt she had no other options to relay consequences to the student. Police told her that her training had provided her with ways to de-escalate situations such as this. Haas told police if her children acted the way this student has, she would be OK with teachers punishing them in this way. Haas admitted to police she allowed this student to get under her skin. Although she said she was aware of audio and visual recording in the classroom, Haas said she was not aware that what she did was against the law. When police told her an arrest warrant would be obtained, she asked why. Tryon told police it was common practice for children to be forced to walk in Haas classroom when they dont do their work or are disrespectful. Gutierrez, who can be seen in a video cutting the tape, said she knew it was wrong to tape the childs hands but didnt stop Haas or Tryon or say anything to administrators. A guardian of the student told police that after the incident, the student didnt want to go back to school, something they normally love and want to do. This situation is appalling, disappointing, and disheartening-especially because it concerns our most vulnerable population, Superintendent Marty Crawford said in a statement to our news partners at CBS19. As educators and caretakers, we hold ourselves to the highest standards, and any violation of that trust is completely unacceptable. The district added they are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation. Haas remains jailed on a $300,000 bond, while Tryon and Gutierrez remain in jail on bonds of $150,000 each. Scammers are targeting Smith County residents by posing as law enforcement officers and demanding money, according to local officials. The Smith County Sheriffs Office has received numerous reports of phone scams. Scammers are using the departments phone number and the names of real employees to convince victims they have missed jury duty and now face arrest unless they pay a fee. These are all scam phone calls, said Sgt. Larry Christian, public information officer for the Smith County Sheriffs Office. No law enforcement agency will ever call anyone asking for money concerning any legal matter. The officer had reports of a legal matter scam using the name of Sgt. Terry Brunk. The AI generated caller lists a phone number to call back, when the call is returned an automated response stats they will get back to the caller. Brunk is a deputy constable for the Precinct 1 Constables Office in Tyler and is not making or authorizing these calls. These scammers are likely phishing to see who will call them back, Christian said. These scams are not uncommon. When a rash of scams are reported locally, authorities often reach out to local media outlets to help spread the word to hopefully prevent more residents from losing money and becoming victims. Last week, the Tyler Police Department reported a recent case in which a victim was contacted by someone claiming to be a U.S. Marshal. The caller instructed the victim to withdraw money to clear their name. The victim also received a follow-up call from the Tyler Police Departments non-emergency number, which had been spoofed to appear legitimate. A person identified themselves as an officer and gave a badge number to further the scam, Tyler Police Department Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said. They told her they would arrest her if she didnt pay the money. Erbaugh said no law enforcement agency, including Tyler police, will ever request money from residents to clear their name. Tyler PD will never contact you asking for money, he said. Authorities advise residents to hang up if they receive suspicious calls demanding money. Anyone who has been targeted by a scammer is encouraged to report it to Tyler police at 903- 531-1000 or the Smith County Sheriffs Office and 903-566-6600. From Staff Reports Over the weekend, Tyler Morning Telegraph multimedia journalist Katecey Harrell won two first-place awards from the Fort Worth Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJFW). Harrell was among winners announced Friday at the 22nd annual SPJFW First Amendment Awards and Scholarship Banquet. Two of her 2024 stories were recognized in the print under 100,000 circulation and online digital news outlets under 100,000 reach category. Defending the Disadvantaged Story that illustrates problems of the powerless in society One of the awarded stories, East Texas veterans suicide sparks criticism over VA healthcare, was praised for covering the struggles of a veteran and his family with the Veterans Affairs healthcare system. Judges said the story highlighted problems in the system while also showing efforts to improve care for veterans. When I got the news from my mother about a man, Chris Burroughs, posting on social media about his father, Dan, a Navy veteran, who died by suicide after trying to get help from the VA hospital, I knew I had to tell their story, Harrell said. As the daughter of a Navy veteran myself, I connected immediately with Chris. Every part of the process was emotionally difficult, but Im grateful to have been the person to tell this story. Jordan Green, who writes for the Tyler Papers sister paper the Longview News-Journal, assisted Harrell in compiling information about local veterans resources to include in the story. This story also recently earned Harrell a first-place award in the print category of Texas Veteran Commissions Excellence in Media Awards. These statewide annual awards recognize work that is exemplary in researching, reporting, writing and/or production to foster public understanding on veterans issues. Green earned the same TVC award in 2024 for a four-part series, East Texas veterans adjust to life after military service. Investigative In-depth story or series that uses public records Harrells second story honored by the SPJ, Tyler man faces 99 years for crime he says he didnt commit, was recognized for strong reporting and teamwork. Harrell worked on the story with CBS19s Brennon Gurley, who helped gather information for the investigation. Harrell recalled the moment Daryl Davis, the subject of the story, reached out, sharing his journey with her. When he reached out, he said it was a long shot. He jokes now that no one wanted anything to do with him, until I picked up the office phone and said, Meet me in the lobby. It took some time and effort to pull together all the information, but it was life-changing for him. Daryl tells me, You are the truth. He said his story had been heard in Houston, but no one in East Texas knew about it. Brennon and I changed that, and he says we kept him alive. Its the most impactful piece of journalism Ive written to date. About a month after Harrells story, Davis accepted a plea deal, successfully avoiding a 99-year prison sentence. Both stories demonstrate Harrells dedication to in-depth journalism, earning her well-deserved recognition for her work in 2024. I was thrilled to hear this news, managing editor Santana Wood said. Katecey texted me Friday night, and I stopped in my tracks to read her text with my jaw dropped though I was certainly not surprised to see her work get the win. Katecey is a stellar journalist, and these two stories demonstrate her genuine desire to tell powerful stories that can make a difference. These are the kind of stories that some journalists might shy away from. They are certainly not easy, but man, if sharing stories like those of Daryl Davis and Mr. Burroughs can effect even the slightest change, thats progress. And Im proud to see a journalist like Katecey taking on that challenge with integrity and true passion. Were all really proud of her. Both stories came from tips that turn into stories only because of dedicated journalists who are paying attention and truly care about their communities, Wood said. This type of journalism comes from really listening to the caller on the other end of the phone, sitting down and truly hearing the resident who walked in the office with a concern, and really digging into a social media post instead of scrolling past it, Wood said. Thats what Katecey did in both cases here. Its truly the heart of community journalism. Harrell has been working at the Tyler Morning Telegraph since April 2023. Her main beat is Smith County and Tyler government, but she covers a variety of stories for the newspaper. She also writes for its lifestyle magazine, ETX View. Harrell is a Texas native and an alum of UT-Arlington, where she majored in in Journalism and Womens Studies. She previously worked for The Mexia News, The Groesbeck Journal and The Shorthorn. Donald Trump has formally signed off Sir Keir Starmers deal to hand the Chagos islands over to Mauritius, No 10 has said. The agreement is now being finalised between the UK and Mauritius. A Downing Street spokesperson said: We are now working with the Mauritian government to finalise the deal and sign the treaty. A source added: It's now between us and the Mauritian government to finalise the deal following the discussions with us. We have had the discussions with the US and we are now finalising with the Mauritians. Trump signed off on Chagos when he met Starmer in the White House (Simon Dawson/Downing Street) The revelation comes after the US president strongly indicated that he would back the deal when he met with Sir Keir in the White House in February, despite early indications he was sceptical of the deal. ADVERTISEMENT At the time Mr Trump said: I have a feeling it is going to work out very well. I think we will be inclined to go along with your country. Critics have warned the deal, which reports suggest could cost as much as 18bn, unnecessarily leases back a strategically vital airbase that the UK already owns. The plan follows an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that the archipelago belongs to Mauritius, which critics point out is not binding on the UK. However, UK officials have told the White House that the judgment provided too much legal uncertainty for the crucial airbase and the deal would not cost the US taxpayer anything. The Indian Ocean islands represent an important part of UK-US security plans because of the strategically crucial Diego Garcia airbase. As part of the agreement, the UK and US believe they have secured use of the airbase for at least 99 years, but have so far refused to publish how much they will pay to be allowed to use it. ADVERTISEMENT The sign-off will come as a relief to the PM as he braces for difficult news from Mr Trump later this week. The UK government expects to be hit by tariffs in a move the US president has dubbed Liberation Day. In the wake of the announcement that President Trump had signed off the deal, further concerns were raised about reports that Iran may be contemplating a military strike on the Diego Garcia base , in a point of order in the Commons by Tory shadow defence minister Mark Francois. He asked ministers to update MPs regarding an implied military threat to the Chagos Archipelago, or a legal and diplomatic threat to the Chagos Islands, which are, and should remain, fundamentally British." ENT Masterclass is a specialised training organisation in Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, bringing together leading experts from around the world. It is an international medical organisation that leads in research and training in Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, with a mission to enhance the professional expertise of doctors worldwide. The founding doctors of ENT Masterclass are regarded as pioneers in this speciality, including Professor M. Shahed Quraishi OBE, former President of the Royal Society of Medicine's Otolaryngology section, and Professor Claire Hopkins, former President of the British Rhinological Society. Over 20 years of operation, ENT Masterclass has organised over 100 conferences and training courses in 16 countries, with more than 5,000 doctors participating, contributing to the advancement of medical professionals' expertise. In its inaugural visit to Southeast Asia, ENT Masterclass collaborated with Facing The World, the Hanoi Otorhinolaryngology Association, and Hong Ngoc General Hospital to successfully organise an intensive training programme. The event attracted over 100 participating physicians and featured 33 diverse practical presentations by 14 international experts and 7 Vietnamese doctors. Ms Katrin Kandel, CEO of Facing The World, stated that the ENT Masterclass conference in Vietnam is part of the "Facing The World Series of Conferences," aiming to build a sustainable medical training foundation for developing countries. She emphasised: "Facing The World is committed to developing sustainable medical capacity in Vietnam through high-quality training programmes and promoting global medical cooperation. ENT Masterclass Vietnam aligns perfectly with this mission." An Overview of the ENT Masterclass International Training Programme in Vietnam The ENT Masterclass programme garnered significant attention from the Vietnamese medical community and government leaders. The event was honoured to welcome Dr Ha Anh uc, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management; British Ambassador Iain Frew; Dr Nguyen inh Hung, Deputy Director in charge of the Hanoi Department of Health; and Dr Nguyen inh Phuc, President of the Hanoi and Northern Otorhinolaryngology Association. In his opening speech at the conference, Dr Ha Anh uc, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, shared: "This is a prestigious training programme, particularly significant given that 20% of the population faces issues related to the head and neck, with 10% at risk of developing cancer. Maxillofacial surgery is a challenging field that requires high expertise and skill, both in terms of medical knowledge and aesthetics. This conference brings together many international professors and experts, demonstrating the effective collaboration between Hong Ngoc Hospital, Facing The World, and global healthcare organisations." Recognising the efforts of Hong Ngoc General Hospital and Facing The World in successfully organising ENT Masterclass in Vietnam, British Ambassador Iain Frew stated: "This is a significant event. As the UK Ambassador, I am very proud to witness an event that brings together expertise from the UK and others here in Vietnam, with a focus on ENT medicine. The UK will always support and promote healthcare collaborations with Vietnam to address healthcare challenges for the community together." Also speaking at the event, Dr Nguyen inh Hung, Deputy Director in charge of the Hanoi Department of Health, shared: "International cooperation is the shortest path to global integration, enabling us to learn advanced, high-tech techniques from other countries to serve the people of Vietnam. The goal is to ensure that the Vietnamese people trust the healthcare system in the capital and no longer need to seek treatment abroad. This is the fastest way to achieve that. In Hanoi in general and at Hong Ngoc Hospital in particular, there are frequent international conferences with advanced countries such as Germany, Japan, the UK, France, the USA, and others. As a result, advanced techniques from these countries are quickly disseminated in Vietnam." Following the opening ceremony, Professor M. Shahed Quraishi OBE, former President of the Royal Society of Medicine's Otolaryngology section, recounted the "Global Knowledge Sharing Journey" of ENT Masterclass. He emphasised: "ENT Masterclass has been held in 15 countries across 4 continents. However, we have never organised it in Southeast Asia. After much consideration, we chose Vietnam and held it at Hong Ngoc General Hospital. In this programme, we learn from Vietnamese doctors how to treat patients, and you also learn from us in return. The most important aspect of ENT Masterclass is that we can communicate with each other using the 'medical language.' Although the communication language may be either English or Vietnamese, in medicine, we still share a common language." New Advances in Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology Shared at ENT Masterclass In the first workshop session, a notable focus was on voice preservation in thyroid surgery. Professor Ahmet O. IKIZ from the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies presented on "Nerve Monitoring in Thyroid Surgery," emphasising the application of nerve monitoring devices to enhance precision and reduce the risk of nerve injury. Following this topic, Master of Science and Resident Doctor Nguyen Xuan Quang, Head of the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Hong Ngoc General Hospital, shared the technique of "Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Control in Transoral Vestibular Endoscopic Thyroidectomy." This modern technique offers several advantages, effectively addressing tumours, minimising laryngeal nerve damage, and leaving no scars, thereby ensuring maximum aesthetic outcomes. Dr Quang noted, "Nerve monitoring devices, as well as the transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy approach, have been widely applied in thyroid surgeries at Hong Ngoc, helping to reduce the risk of nerve paralysis complications, especially with large tumours." In addition, the conference featured many in-depth presentations on the topics of the nose, sinuses, and ears. Additionally, Professor Claire Hopkins, former President of the British Rhinological Society, presented a new technique on "Managing Olfactory Disorders," which enhances the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment. Dr Nguyen Hoang Huy, Director of the Training and Direction Centre at the National ENT Hospital, introduced the "Surgical Technique for Treating Chronic Otitis Media with Cholesteatoma," which effectively removes cholesteatoma and prevents recurrence. Dr ao Trung Dung, Deputy Head of the ENT Department at Bach Mai Hospital, shared insights on "Experience and Techniques in Treating Invasive Fungal Sinusitis," improving treatment outcomes. Hosted at Hong Ngoc General Hospitala pioneer in advancing medical training through international collaborationsENT Masterclass introduced a range of valuable topics that doctors can immediately apply in clinical practice, ultimately enhancing comprehensive patient care./. HA NOI Viet Nam's electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast has officially partnered with DHL, a logistics and transportation company headquartered in Germany, to optimise its spare parts network through complete logistics management solutions. Under an agreement announced on March 31, DHL will store spare parts for all VinFast vehicle models in Europe at its Holtum facility in Born, the Netherlands, and manage all processes, including import procedures, packaging, distribution and delivery. In urgent cases, parts can be delivered within 24 hours. The CEO of VinFast Europe, Le Thi Thu Trang, said that the company was honoured to welcome DHL to its network of esteemed partners in Europe. With VinFasts strong commitment and DHLs extensive experience, this partnership would help address common challenges faced by many automakers, she said, adding that by implementing a comprehensive solution package, VinFast aimed to optimise its spare parts supply chain, thus providing consumers with excellent experiences and services. The business development manager of DHL for the Benelux region, Etienne Kennis, said the firm was honoured to partner with VinFast and contribute to its growth in Europe by providing reliable warehousing and transport solutions. Besides its expansion in Europe, with an increasingly diverse product line, VinFast remains committed to its business philosophy of putting customers at the centre, according to the company. DHL's global expertise and capability are key factors that help it become VinFast's logistics partner in Europe. This collaboration also supports VinFasts future expansion plans in the market. The two sides are actively exploring potential locations to best serve demand in new markets. In addition to its main distribution centre in Holtum, DHL also stores all batteries and components for VinFast VF 6 and VF 8 models in the Czech Republic, ensuring readiness to serve VinFast dealers in France, Germany and the Netherlands. VNS This premier trade event will showcase the entire textile and garment industry, bringing together manufacturers, suppliers, and buyers from Viet Nam and across the globe. Spanning approximately 34,000 square metres, SaigonTex - SaigonFabric 2025 will feature around 1,100 exhibitors, a 6 per cent increase from the event 2024. The exhibitors come from around 25 countries and territories, including Bangladesh, Belgium, Cambodia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Turkey, the Netherlands, the US, UK, and Viet Nam. Notable participants in the textile and garment industry include A Nguyen, Asia Pacific Rayon (Indonesia), Baolun Computer, Brother, Canlar Mekatronik (Turkey), Celikhan Yikama (Turkey), China Texmatech, Phenitex (Thailand), Phon Thinh Tae Gwang, Phuc Hung, Thien Hong Phuc, Timtex, and Timing, among others. In the fabric and garment accessories sector, famous brands such as Baihe, Brotex, Dalat Worsted Spinning, Daluen, DH Textile, Eastman, Jay Chemical (India), Junzu, Grand Textile, Hong Viet, Hwajong label, Hyosung, KCC, Morito, Moririn, Marushin, Nhat Quang label, Nice Trims, and Thinh Gia Huy will join in the show. Key highlights of the event: *The second Product Presentation Programme (PPP), which will showcase eight main themes through static product displays, live technology demonstrations, and a dynamic fashion parade featuring professional dancers donned in the latest styles made from exhibitors' materials. *Official pavilions will feature dedicated spaces from Jiangsu Province and Nantong City in China, the Taiwan Textile Federation, and other official representations from Korea and India. *Business matching section organised by the Vietnam Textile and Garment Association (VITAS) will foster crucial connections between exhibitors and potential buyers while providing visitors the opportunity to engage with leading international brands and explore the latest innovations and technologies in textile and garment production. The exhibition is endorsed and co-organised by the Vietnam Textile and Garment Association (VITAS), the Vietnam National Textile & Garment Group (VINATEX), the HCM City Textile and Garment Embroidery Knitting Association (AGTEK), the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), CP Exhibition Ltd (Hong Kong), and CP Vietnam Exhibition Organising Co., Ltd. It is sponsored by Cotton Council International (CCI). SaigonTex - SaigonFabric has solidified its position as Viet Nam's leading textile and garment exhibition over its 35-year history. Held two times annually in HCM City and Ha Noi, the exhibition features a comprehensive display of textile machinery, garment machinery, dyes, chemicals, fabrics, and garment accessories. With the backing of Viet Nam's key industry associations VITAS, VINATEX, and AGTEK, SaigonTex - SaigonFabric is the ultimate must-attend event for professionals looking to stay ahead in the textile and garment sectors. For more information, press inquiries, or to register for the event, please contact: CP Exhibition Ltd - Hong Kong - Email: jason@cpexhibition.com or CP Vietnam Exhibition Organising Co Ltd in HCM City - Email: sales@cpvietnamexpo.com. https://saigontex.com.vn/vi/dang-ki-tham-du HA NOI Northern Europe is emerging as one of the worlds leading regions in organic product consumption, presenting a significant opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises capable of supplying high-quality organic agricultural products, according to the Viet Nam Trade Office in Sweden. With a favourable climate and soil conditions conducive to organic farming, Viet Nam could meet the growing demand for organic products in this region. Viet Nam boasts a variety of organic agricultural products that are already gaining recognition on the international market for their superior quality and distinctive flavours. Key products include tea, coffee, cashews, pepper, coconut, vegetables and herbs, all of which have potential to thrive in the northern market. Items like ginger, lotus and chrysanthemum tea, and a variety of Vietnamese herbs, are particularly popular due to their health benefits, aligning perfectly with the organic consumption trends in this region. While the Nordic region presents a promising market for Vietnamese organic products, there are several challenges to overcome. Nordic countries, along with the broader European Union (EU), have stringent standards for food safety, organic certification and sustainability. To successfully penetrate this market, Vietnamese businesses must ensure their products meet these high standards, including obtaining certifications like EU Organic Certification and complying with environmental and labour safety regulations. Securing international certifications such as EU Organic or Fair Trade can be costly and time-consuming. This presents a significant barrier, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Viet Nam, who may struggle with the resources required to pursue these certifications, according to the trade office in Sweden. Additionally, businesses need to manage a transparent and efficient supply chain that adheres to strict standards for raw material origin, production processes and transportation. A critical step in conquering the Nordic market is developing a strategy that emphasises transparency, sustainability and strict adherence to international organic standards. Establishing a transparent supply chain is essential to build trust with local consumers, who are particularly concerned with the origin and production process of the products they purchase. To meet these expectations, Vietnamese businesses must work closely with farmers, manufacturers and other stakeholders, to ensure that every step of the organic production process, from planting to final delivery, complies with international certifications. Achieving certifications from reputable organisations such as IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) or Fairtrade International will not only improve the credibility of Vietnamese products but also enhance their competitiveness in the Nordic market. This market consists of various customer segments, each with unique preferences and needs. By identifying these segments, businesses can tailor their marketing strategies effectively. Of which, for health-conscious consumers, this group prioritises healthy, organic products, particularly in food, beverages and personal care items. Offering products that align with their values will resonate well with this segment. For environmentally conscious consumers, these customers are interested in sustainable and eco-friendly products, particularly those that are recyclable or biodegradable. Vietnamese businesses can tap into this segment by emphasising the environmental benefits of their products. Regarding to high-end consumers, these customers are willing to pay a premium for high-quality, unique products that offer cultural value. By showcasing the distinctiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products, businesses can appeal to this niche but lucrative market. To stand out in a competitive market, Vietnamese enterprises must build a strong brand that embodies organic, sustainable values. Leveraging popular e-commerce platforms such as Zalando, Etsy, or Amazon will also be crucial for reaching a wide audience and promoting products effectively. Participating in international trade fairs focused on organic products and food provides a valuable opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to showcase their products, find potential partners and stay updated on market trends. Notable events like BioFach in Germany, the Nordic Organic Food Fair in Sweden and Organic in Denmark. VNS HA NOI - Viet Nam's objective to achieve double-digit economic growth in the coming years is driving a sharp rise in electricity demand, heard participants at a forum held on Monday in Ha Noi. Experts speaking at the Vietnam Energy Forum 2025 said that without timely measures to develop power sources - particularly clean and sustainable energy - the country could face electricity shortages between 2026 and 2028. This challenge underscores the urgency of reviewing and refining energy policies to support national development goals. Dr Chu Van Lam, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Economic Science Association, said economic expansion and the increasing reliance on digital platforms require stable and flexible energy sources. Projections indicate that electricity demand must grow by 12 to 16 per cent annually to sustain development, necessitating planning and investment strategy adjustments. The Southeast Asian country has introduced several policies to address this challenge, including the amended Electricity Law (2024) and the revised Power Development Plan VIII. Under the latest adjustments, total domestic power capacity (excluding exports and risk-prone thermal power) is set to reach 183,291 - 236,363 MW by 2030, an increase of up to 80,819 MW. The plan also boosts the sharing of renewable energy, such as onshore wind and solar, and includes biomass, waste-to-energy, geothermal, storage and nuclear power. Notably, nuclear energy is expected to contribute 6,000 - 6,400 MW by 2030 - 2035. Despite policy advancements, renewable energy projects still face significant hurdles. Complex investment procedures, unattractive electricity prices, and high capital and technology requirements for offshore wind energy have slowed progress. Additionally, a lack of regulations for flexible power sources and energy storage presents further challenges. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, governed by Decree No. 56/2025/N-CP, require further incentives to accelerate investment, while nuclear power development depends on refining legal frameworks. To address these issues, Associate Professor Dr Huynh Thanh at stressed the importance of reviewing and improving energy policies. The government is expediting the amendment of the Atomic Energy Law to formalise nuclear power development. Meanwhile, Vietnam Energy Association Vice President and Secretary General Nguyen Anh Tuan proposed revising the Law on Efficient Energy Use to ease investment pressures on power generation and transmission. He also called for flexible pricing policies for pumped-storage hydropower and battery systems and resolving investment bottlenecks in renewable energy projects. Dr ang Huy ong, Director of the Institute for Planning and Development Research, emphasised the need to mobilise large-scale capital from global financial institutions. He warned that unclear financial security and risk-sharing regulations could deter foreign investors. Additionally, ensuring currency convertibility would be critical to maintaining investment flows for essential energy projects, particularly amid forex market constraints. Private sector Vingroups recent proposal to invest tens of billions of US dollars in renewable energy and LNG power projects between 2025 and 2035 is seen as a positive signal, reflecting strong interest from major investors in the sector. Tran Anh Thai, Deputy General Director of ATS Joint Stock Company, noted that attracting sustainable and large-scale investment into Viet Nam's power industry required addressing systemic challenges. He emphasised the need for a well-structured, long-term, and stable regulatory framework, given the industry's capital-intensive nature, long construction timelines, and slow capital recovery. Additionally, developing a highly skilled workforce, securing financial resources, and selecting appropriate technologies would be crucial factors. Thai pointed to international renewable energy projects, such as the 2 GW solar farm in the UAE, which offers a highly competitive electricity price of US$1.32/kWh with integrated battery storage. This raises questions about the key factors behind price competitiveness and provides important insights for shaping the country's renewable energy pricing policies to attract investors effectively. The draft Strategy for Viet Nam's Power Sector Development to 2030, with a Vision to 2050, outlines significant investment needs. Under the baseline scenario, an estimated $136.3 billion will be required for both generation and transmission from 2026 to 2030 - an average of $27.3 billion per year. Higher investment scenarios project annual capital needs of $36.5 billion and $40.7 billion, respectively. Experience from 2017 to 2020 showed that an attractive feed-in tariff (FIT) policy successfully attracted around $13 billion in private investment for renewable energy. However, the current landscape has shifted, with a pricing framework replacing FIT rates. Negotiations over power purchase agreements (PPAs) for transitional projects remain challenging. VNS HA NOI The Ministry of Finance has revealed that more than 300,000 vendor accounts on five major e-commerce platforms Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, Sendo and Grab remain unidentified, despite generating revenue exceeding VN70 trillion (US$2.7 billion). Meanwhile, tax revenue from e-commerce activities continues to lag significantly behind the sectors rapid growth. As of 2024, more than 500,000 organisations and individuals are conducting business across over 400 e-commerce platforms, contributing a total of VN116 trillion in taxes. Among these, 300,000 individuals have collectively paid VN2.5 trillion, however, the large number of unidentified sellers continues to pose challenges for effective tax collection. The ministry noted that if e-commerce platforms were to withhold and pay taxes on behalf of sellers, tax administration would become far more transparent and efficient. At a withholding tax rate of 1.5 per cent (including 1 per cent VAT and 0.5 per cent personal income tax), the potential tax revenue from VN70 trillion in turnover could exceed VN1 trillion. In addition to domestic platforms, many are also active on international digital platforms such as Booking, Agoda, Airbnb, Google, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Netflix, Spotify, and app stores like Apple Store and Google Play. Of particular note is the growing presence of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and livestream sellers, who are not yet subject to strict tax oversight. Under Law No. 56/2024/QH15, which came into effect on April 1, organisations managing e-commerce platforms and digital platforms with payment functions whether based domestically or overseas will be obliged to withhold and remit taxes on behalf of individual and household businesses. They must also declare the amount withheld to the tax authorities. The Ministry of Finance confirmed that major platforms already possess full data on sellers and transactions. Withholding tax at source would simplify procedures for individuals, support tax administration efforts and significantly boost budget revenue from digital business activities. Earlier, the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) proposed postponing the implementation date of this tax requirement from April 1 to July 1. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam and Belarus are set to deepen bilateral cooperation in all fields, particularly in economy-trade and science-technology, through their Intergovernmental Committee mechanism, affirmed Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien. Co-chairing the 16th session of the Viet Nam-Belarus Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Trade, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation with Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Sivak on April 1, Minister Dien highlighted the commitment to strengthening ties across all sectors. Deputy PM Sivak reiterated Belaruss recognition of Viet Nam as a key partner in the region, stressing the need for enhanced collaboration between ministries and businesses to maximise trade and investment opportunities. The session reviewed the progress of previous agreements and acknowledged positive developments in traditional sectors such as diplomacy, trade, industry, agriculture, science, culture, sports, and education. Discussions also explored new areas of cooperation, including construction, health care, and information technology. Despite achieving many positive outcomes, both sides candidly acknowledged that current bilateral cooperation has yet to fully reflect the potential and strengths of both nations. They agreed to accelerate the implementation of high-level agreements reached during the 2023 visit of Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko to Viet Nam, while actively addressing challenges and exploring new trade solutions. They agreed to continue working towards facilitating mutual market access for goods, including agricultural products, seafood, dairy products, transport vehicles, and agricultural machinery Both countries will support and create favourable conditions for businesses to participate in trade fairs and exhibitions, explore trade and investment cooperation opportunities, and fully utilise the benefits provided by the Vietnam-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement. Notably, both sides stressed the need to explore collaboration in emerging sectors where one country has a competitive advantage and the other has demand. These include foundational industries such as processing, manufacturing, mechanics, materials, and chemicals; and high-tech, emerging sectors like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, green transformation, and circular economy, with the aim of building a modern, green, clean, and sustainable industry. The Vietnamese side requested Belarus to provide favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses, including Belarusian entrepreneurs of Vietnamese descent, to operate and invest in Belarus. At the conclusion of the session, Minister Dien and Deputy Prime Minister Sivak signed the minutes of the 16th session, and agreed that the next edition will be held in Belarus at an appropriate time. VNS Thanh Ha Ha Noi is famous worldwide not only for its history and heritage and wonderful parks and buildings, but it is also a paradise of traditional dishes, including skewered grilled pork meat which has become one of the favoured snacks among foodies, particularly youngsters. The skewered grilled pork meat, locally known as thit xien nuong, is available in the citys almost pavement corners, particularly in markets and stalls near schools to serve students. My friend Hoang Kim Oanh, who moved to Denmark several decades ago, recently returned to Ha Noi to visit her relatives and my home. While living abroad, I miss and crave our Vietnamese traditional dishes, such as pho (noodle soup), thit xien nuong and many other dishes so much. When passing by Ham Long Street in the city downtown, the special fragrance from skewered grilled meat comes flying out from a stall and hit me, making my mouth water, my friend told me. Yes, Oanh is right. The dish not only has a great taste, but the smell of the skewers cooking pulls in those passing by, looking for a snack. We decided to go out for the dish at a corner of Ham Long Street. When we arrive, the stall is surrounded by those looking for a snack, most of them students who are regulars, drawn by the tasty value. Despite being so busy, the stall owner, Khuc Thi Loan, gave us a welcoming smile and invited us to take a seat to wait for our turn. Five minutes passed and Loans husband brought us a plate of ten skewers, along with a bowl of chilli sauce. The sizzle from the skewers and the amazing smell was so appealing, we immediately tucked in, took a stick and dipped it in the chilli sauce. Oh, its so amazing. I enjoy it so much, Oanh said. The seller also suggested we try the grilled pork skewers with roasted bread. The aroma and sweet of the meat combined with nutty and crispy bread, created such scrumptious dish, Oanh said that she had missed the taste of her home for such a long time. To make the best quality and tastiest skewers, Loan orders pork blade from regular pig farmers in Ha Nois Ba Vi District. The pork should be cleaned carefully before cutting into thin slices and soaking them in spices, sugar, oyster oil and honey for two hours. The soaked meat is then skewed and grilled to serve eaters on the spot, said Loan, adding that each skewer is alternately arranged between lean and fatter pork so as to avoid it from being too dry or too greasy. Loan told Viet Nam News that she often grilled the blade skewers over wooden charcoal to ensure food safety and hygiene for eaters. Opening every day until 7pm, costing VN5,000 per skewer (twenty cents each) Loan sells more than 1,000 skewers of grilled meat per day. A couple of foodies, Minh Anh and her boyfriend from Hai Ba Trung Street, said they are regulars at the stall and have become 'addicted' to Loans dish because of its scrumptious and savoury elements. The grilled blade is firm but soft, sweet with its own characteristics flavour, Minh Anh said, adding that the dish is more enjoyable when eaten during winter days. Anh added that Loans shop is often crowded with fans of the food, just like her, but she and her boyfriend still patiently wait for their favourite dish to be served up. VNS HCM CITY Well-known music researcher and composer Lu Nhat Vu, a leading artist of the Souths traditional music, died at the age of 89 on March 29 at a hospital in HCM City. He passed away after seven months of treatment at 115 Peoples Hospital. His funeral took place today (March 31) in HCM City. Vu, whose real name was Le Van Gat, was born in Binh Duong Province in 1936. He joined revolutionary movements when he was young. He became a member of the Viet Nam Communist Party in 1976. After the 1954 Geneva Agreement, Vu was sent to the North and worked for the Viet Nam Youth Volunteer Force. The force was established in 1950 and attracted 10,000 university students who lived in Ha Noi. Many of these youngsters gave up their studies and volunteered to the southern battlefields between 1970 and 1974. Only a small number of them returned home after victory day. Vu studied music at the Ha Noi Conservatory of Music. After school, he worked for the Southern Music and Dance Troupe. He played different instruments and researched folk music of the South. After 1975, Vu worked for leading music schools and centres in HCM City. He was the first director of the Institute of Viet Nam Culture and Arts in HCM City. Vu wrote and composed many revolutionary songs, including hits Co Gai Sai Gon i Tai an (Sai Gon Girls Carry Bullets) and Hay Yen Long Me Oi (Be at Peace, Mother). His songs in praise of love, youth and women have been performed by pop stars such as Cam Van and Thanh Thuy. One of his famous works is Bai Ca at Phuong Nam (The Epic of the South), a song that used folk elements written with his wife, Le Giang, a leading female poet in revolutionary literature in the South during the 1960s and 1970s. The song was released in 1997 and featured the history, culture and lifestyle of Southern people. Vu wrote several books and research reports on Southern music that are valuable for students and lecturers at music and arts schools. Luu Nhat Vu played a role in the industrys development, particularly the Souths contemporary music. His research helped people to improve their knowledge and love for the countrys culture and music, said Peoples Artist Nguyen Thig Thanh Thuy, deputy director of the HCM Citys Department of Culture and Sports. For his contribution, Vu received the highest State Awards for Literature and Arts by the Government in 2001. He also received the Phan Chau Trinh Culture and Education Award in 2014. The prize aims to honour domestic and foreign individuals and groups for their contributions to Vietnamese culture, translation, research and Vietnamese studies.VNS HA NOI A special ceremony in Ha Noi recently launched the day for honouring the Vietnamese language in overseas Vietnamese communities and the 2025 Vietnamese language ambassador contest, reaffirming ongoing efforts to preserve and promote the mother tongue among overseas Vietnamese. Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, who is Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, highlighted that with over 6 million Vietnamese people living across 130 countries and territories, the Vietnamese language remains a vital bridge connecting them to the homeland and cultural heritage. In 2022, September 8 was designated as the day for honouring the Vietnamese language among overseas communities, fostering its use as an integral part of daily life. In 2024, the event was celebrated across multiple countries, recognising individuals for outstanding contributions to Vietnamese language education. Additionally, Vietnamese book libraries were established worldwide to encourage young overseas Vietnamese to embrace their linguistic roots. Now in its third edition, the Vietnamese language ambassador contest has already honoured 10 outstanding individuals for their efforts in preserving and promoting Vietnamese abroad. The annual "Beloved Vietnamese" gala, held every September 8, has become a signature event celebrating the language and its cultural significance. The 2025 contest, running from March 29 to July 27, is open to Vietnamese expatriates as well as foreign nationals living abroad who have a passion for Vietnamese culture and possess strong proficiency in the language. Tran Hong Van, a 2023 Vietnamese language ambassador and principal of VietSchool in Sydney, emphasised the crucial role of families, organisations, and both the Vietnamese and Australian governments in supporting Vietnamese language education abroad. Speaking Vietnamese and embracing Vietnamese culture strengthens the connection of overseas Vietnamese with their roots, Van said, adding it also inspires them to contribute to Viet Nams development while providing a solid foundation for success anywhere in the world. VNA/VNS HA NOI The official visit of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to Uzbekistan, where he will attend the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150), is expected to open new opportunities for strengthening political, diplomatic, trade, and investment relations, as well as enhancing cultural exchanges between the two countries. In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), President of the Uzbekistan-Viet Nam Friendship Association Alisher Rustamovich Mukhamedov underscored the significance of the visit, calling it a milestone in bilateral diplomatic ties as it marks the first-ever visit by a top Vietnamese legislator to Uzbekistan. He also emphasised the importance of expanding the legal framework to facilitate cooperation in various fields. Mukhamedov highlighted the Uzbekistan-Viet Nam Intergovernmental Committee on Trade, Economic, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation as a key mechanism for fostering collaboration, stressing the need for both nations to maximise potential. He affirmed that over the past 30 years, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam have always maintained friendship and cooperation. Uzbekistan has been actively promoting economic engagement with Viet Nam, recognising it as a foundation for deepening political ties. Key sectors such as trade, investment, science-technology, and education offer vast potential for growth. Notably, Uzbekistan aims to expand its engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with Viet Nam playing a crucial role in this effort. Reflecting on significant milestones in the two countries relationship, Mukhamedov recalled President Ho Chi Minhs historic visit to Uzbekistan in 1959, noting that the late leaders image remains deeply cherished in the memories of the Uzbek people. He also highlighted the long-standing educational ties between the two nations, with over 3,500 Vietnamese having studied in Uzbekistan. These individuals, he noted, continue to be valuable bridges of friendship and serve as the first and most influential peoples diplomats, strengthening the bond between the two countries. Beyond official diplomatic activities, people-to-people exchanges have played a key role in fostering mutual understanding. Mukhamedov noted that various cultural events and art exchanges have been organised. Friendship associations from both countries have actively participated in international art and cultural events, supported Vietnamese students in Uzbekistan, and facilitated diverse cultural exchange programmes. He emphasised that ample room remains for expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in economy and trade. Viet Nam remains a key traditional partner for Uzbekistan in the Asia-Pacific region. In recent years, bilateral ties have strengthened across multiple levels, with rising trade volumes and an increasing number of joint ventures. Several agriculture and aquaculture projects are also being implemented. Mukhamedov further noted that both nations have great potential to expand bilateral trade in agriculture, oil and gas, textiles, food processing, and tourism. Viet Nam has become a popular destination for Uzbek tourists, while Uzbekistan's renowned historical sites are attracting a growing number of Vietnamese travelers, he continued. With these promising prospects, he expressed confidence that NA Chairman Mans visit will serve as a catalyst for deepening the friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Viet Nam and Uzbekistan in the years ahead. VNA/VNS HA NOI State President Luong Cuong and his spouse chaired a welcome ceremony in Ha Noi on Tuesday for King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, who are paying a state visit to Viet Nam from March 31 to April 4. This is the first state visit in over 50 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations. It serves as an important milestone for bilateral ties to enter a new development stage with stronger political trust and more substantive and effective cooperation. The trip also reflects the King and Queens special sentiments towards Viet Nam as they previously visited the country for multiple times while holding different positions. Following the ceremony, President Luong Cuong and King Philippe engaged in a private meeting and then an official meeting to review cooperation between the two countries and suggest cooperation orientations for the time ahead. They are also expected to witness the handover of cooperation documents. Viet Nam and Belgium officially set up diplomatic ties on March 22, 1973, only two months after the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet Nam was signed. Viet Nam has always kept in mind the Belgian Government and peoples wholehearted assistance for its post-war reconstruction and recovery efforts. For the last more than 50 years, bilateral relations have continuously been reinforced and developing in all aspects, especially politics diplomacy, trade, agriculture, education training, science technology, and development cooperation, at all the federal, regional, and community levels. Belgium always attaches importance to its ties with Viet Nam, highly values the latters economic development, and serves as an international partner considerably contributing to Viet Nam's success via development cooperation programmes. The two sides have also actively worked together at multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the ASEAN EU cooperation framework. Political and diplomatic ties between the two countries have been growing strongly and substantively at the federal, regional, and community levels as seen in many high-level mutual visits. Since 2003, the Belgian Government has supplied about 40 post-graduate scholarships for Vietnamese students in the fields this European country is strong at such as port, environment, and tourism. Besides, arts troupe exchanges, exhibitions, and film weeks have also been organised frequently in both countries. Bilateral economic and trade partnerships have also been flourishing. Belgium is currently the sixth-largest trading partner of Viet Nam in the EU. Their trade turnover has risen sharply, from US$1.8 billion in 2013 to $4.45 billion in 2024. As of January 2025, Belgium had 99 valid investment projects worth $1.06 billion in Viet Nam, ranking 25th among the 149 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation. With the good cooperation foundation, the political will of both countries leaders, as well as the two peoples aspiration, the state visit by the Belgian King and Queen is expected to reap many tangible outcomes, helping to further promote the two countries collaboration and open a new development chapter for bilateral relations, thereby contributing to regional and global peace, stability, and development. VNA/VNS LONDON Politburo member, Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang attended and delivered an important speech at the Organised Immigration Summit held in London, the UK on Monday. Within the framework of the conference, Quang participated in sessions on combating human trafficking and cybercrime, and preventing the financial resources of criminal groups. The minister emphasised that the rapid development of groundbreaking technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, big data, and fast data has profoundly transformed cyberspace and human life in both quality and scale. However, alongside undeniable benefits, these advancements in information technology, along with smart services and applications in cyberspace, have also introduced significant potential risks to national security. In Viet Nam, criminals have been taking full advantage of social media and online platforms to deceive and lure Vietnamese citizens into working abroad with promises of "easy work, high wages" and "stable income." However, upon arrival, victims are coerced into working in casino businesses or engaging in online fraud schemes. In response to this situation, Viet Nam has issued various policies, legal frameworks, programmes, and important action plans to combat human trafficking and illegal immigration. The country has implemented comprehensive preventive and enforcement measures, demonstrating a firm commitment to eliminating this type of crime and contributing to the goal of protecting human security. Local authorities have also intensified efforts to raise public awareness by disseminating legal regulations on immigration and overseas employment, and provided warnings about risks, consequences, and common tactics used by perpetrators to lure individuals into illegal immigration, residency, and employment abroad. These efforts aim to enhance public vigilance and proactive prevention across all social groups. To strengthen international cooperation in law enforcement, the Vietnamese representative stressed that efforts to combat transnational cybercrime, including human trafficking, must be conducted based on the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, and respecting national independence, sovereignty, and non-interference in the internal affairs of each country in cyberspace. Calling for the review and refinement of bilateral and multilateral international agreements to establish a legal foundation for combating these crimes, Quang proposed law enforcement agencies worldwide enhance their cooperation, promptly share information, and coordinate efforts to combat and prevent criminal activities, including disrupting financial sources and dismantling recruitment networks that lure individuals into illegal immigration, particularly those operating through closed online groups. He also highlighted the need for countries to focus on identifying and clarifying the nature, causes, conditions, locations, and trends of cybercrime to implement preventive measures early and from afar. Additionally, law enforcement agencies should strengthen the management of immigration, oversee the residence, study, and employment of foreigners within their territories, promptly address immigration-related issues, and ensure the security and safety of foreign nationals in each other's countries. Countries with experience in combating cybercrime and human trafficking should also provide support in training, capacity building, and organising conferences and workshops to share best practices in developing and implementing prevention programmes and projects. Furthermore, they should offer modern specialised equipment and tools to other nations to ensure timely assistance and narrow gaps in cybercrime prevention and enforcement capabilities, Quang added. VNS HA NOI - Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA)s Defence, Security and Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuan Phong has highlighted three outstanding milestones of the Vietnamese NAs participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). He said since its establishment in 1889, the IPU has increasingly affirmed its important role in the context of a world that continues to witness trends of division and fragmentation, making global challenges more difficult to solve. This requires comprehensive solutions and the cooperation of nations, with the active involvement of parliaments worldwide. The IPU General Assembly serves as the centre for parliamentary diplomacy worldwide, promoting peace and cooperation. It plays an increasingly important role in advancing inter-parliamentary cooperation mechanisms and works alongside the United Nations to discuss solutions for reforming the organisation, strengthening solidarity, building agendas that contribute to maintaining peace, stability and promoting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recognising this importance, since Viet Nam joined the IPU in 1979, the Vietnamese NA has consistently demonstrated active and responsible participation, contributing positively alongside other parliaments in sharing experiences in policy and law-making. The focus has not only been on economic growth but also on ensuring sustainable development, social equity, environmental protection and fostering innovation, with people at the centre of the policy-making process. The first milestone Viet Nam has made is acting as an active and responsible member, proposing a number of initiatives and making substantial contributions to the IPU's activities. Viet Nam is always ready to cooperate with the IPU and parliaments of member countries to implement IPU resolutions and initiatives aimed at building peace and sustainable development for the benefit of people around the world, he said. During its participation in the IPU, Viet Nams has successfully hosted many important IPU events including the 132nd IPU Assembly in 2015 in Ha Noi, where member countries passed the Ha Noi Declaration to promote parliamentary action in SDGs implementation. "This is a significant legacy that demonstrates Viet Nams outstanding contribution to addressing common challenges with the international community," Phong told Vietnam News Agency. In September 2023, also in Ha Noi, Viet Nam successfully hosted the ninth Global Young Parliamentarians Conference themed 'The role of young people in promoting the realisation of sustainable development goals via digital transformation and innovations'. Eight years after the Ha Noi Declaration, Viet Nam made history again by issuing the first declaration at a Global Young Parliamentarians Conference. The Vietnamese NA has also participated in leadership and management mechanisms within the IPU, such as serving as the Chair of the Asia-Pacific Geopolitical Group during the IPU General Assembly in 2006 and 2016, and Chair of the ASEAN+3 Group in November 2021. Representatives of the Vietnamese NA have been trusted twice by the IPU General Assembly to be elected to the IPU Executive Committee for the 2007-11 and 2015-19 terms, and elected as Vice President of the IPU in 2009 and 2019. This reflects the high trust placed in the leadership abilities of the Vietnamese NA by international parliaments, Phong said. Attending the upcoming IPU-150, NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man will deliver an important speech at the plenary session on the parliamentary actions for development and social justice. He is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with IPU Secretariat leaders, parliamentary leaders of other countries and international organisations to discuss measures to further enhance cooperation with the IPU, member countries and partners. VNS HA NOI The upcoming official visit to Armenia by National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man is expected to further deepen the relationship between Viet Nam and Armenia. This marks the first official visit to Armenia by a top Vietnamese legislator since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992. The visit takes place against the backdrop of a well-nurtured traditional friendship that continues to grow stronger. Over three decades of enduring friendship According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia, Uzbekistan and Armenia, ang Minh Khoi, although Viet Nam and Armenia formally established diplomatic relations on 14 July 1992, Armenia was formerly a republic of the Soviet Union, which set up diplomatic ties with Viet Nam on 30 January 1950. In this broader historical context, relations between Viet Nam and Armenia span 75 years. Armenia opened its embassy in Ha Noi in August 2013. Over the past three decades, both countries have made significant strides in nation-building, socio-economic development, and global integration. Bilateral ties have grown steadily across both bilateral and multilateral spheres. Armenia regards Viet Nam as an important partner in Southeast Asia. Over the years, the relationship has been reinforced through high-level visits and regular engagement between senior leaders. The Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Trade, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation held its inaugural session in March 2017 in Ha Noi and is currently preparing for its second session, to be hosted in Armenia. On the multilateral front, the two countries have maintained close and effective coordination, supporting one another in various forums and frameworks, including the United Nations and the Francophone community. Ample room for economic-trade cooperation In terms of economy, Viet Nam signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), comprising Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia, on May 29, 2015. The agreement came into effect on October 5, 2016. Based on this FTA, bilateral economic and trade relations have seen significant positive developments. Bilateral trade has grown rapidly, from US$1.5 million in 2019 to $342 million in 2023 and nearly $500 million in 2024. Armenia has several direct investment projects in Viet Nam, including the electronic components manufacturing plant project by CCI Viet Nam Co., Ltd., with a registered capital of $12.9 million in Quang Nam provinces Chu Lai Industrial Zone, and a research project worth $0.01 million in Ho Chi Minh City. According to Ambassador Khoi, economic and trade cooperation between Viet Nam and Armenia remains modest and has yet to fully tap into its potential. Therefore, in the coming time, Viet Nam will enhance cooperation in the production of mobile phones, electronic components, textiles, agricultural products, and aquatic products, and in other sectors where both countries have strength. Additionally, tourism will be a key focus for both sides, as Armenia boasts stunning landscapes and many ideal destinations to attract Vietnamese tourists, while Viet Nam, with its beautiful beaches and resorts, is an appealing destination for Armenian travellers, he stated. Strengthening Viet Nam-Armenia parliamentary cooperation Regarding parliamentary cooperation, the two National Assemblies have consistently maintained a strong and positive relationship. The Armenian NA has established the Armenia-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentarians Group, while the Vietnamese NA is working toward the early establishment of the Viet Nam-Armenia Friendship Parliamentarians Group to further strengthen ties between lawmakers of both countries. Since the official visit to Viet Nam by President of the Armenian National Assembly Alen Simonyan in November last year, bilateral parliamentary cooperation has deepened. The visit, the first by a head of Armenias legislature since the two countries established diplomatic relations more than 30 years ago, underscored Armenias commitment to its traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Viet Nam across various fields. The Vietnamese top legislators visit to Armenia this time marks an important milestone to maintain and intensify the two countries long-lasting friendship and seek new opportunities to promote bilateral collaboration. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said that the trip holds profound political significance, reflecting Vietnams deep appreciation for its traditional friendship and its desire to strengthen political trust with Armenia to create a foundation to enhance cooperation across various fields and elevate bilateral relations to new heights. According to Ambassador Khoi, during the visit, Man will hold talks with his Armenian counterpart to discuss and strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation, share legislative experience, and enhance collaboration between the friendship parliamentary groups of both countries. Additionally, both sides will focus on discussing major strategic directions and specific measures to further expand bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially in politics, economy, trade, culture, education, and training. VNS LONDON The United Kingdom and Viet Nam on Monday signed a joint action plan on reducing the risks of human trafficking by discouraging dangerous journeys, disrupting trafficking gangs and supporting victims in rebuilding their lives. The agreement was signed at the Organised Immigration Summit in London by the UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Viet Nams Minister for Public Security, General Luong Tam Quang during the latter's trip to the UK. The agreement commits both countries to preventing traffickers from exploiting vulnerable people by discouraging dangerous journeys, enhancing information sharing and coordinating efforts to disrupt trafficking. It builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two countries in 2018. In 2024, over 3,000 Vietnamese nationals made the perilous journey from France in small, often overcrowded boats with insufficient safety equipment. Those who make it face a high risk of exploitation by criminal gangs, as well as increasingly insurmountable debts to their criminal facilitators. Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary, said: Human trafficking is a barbaric crime that exploits and dehumanises its victims. This government is using every lever to identify victims, safeguard survivors, and punish their abusers. Working closely with international partners is vital, and this plan allows us to go after criminals both in the UK and Vietnam who are profiteering from peoples desperation. Together with the Vietnamese Government, we can shut down these vile trafficking gangs and prevent more people from becoming their victims, she said. The delivery of the Joint Action Plan is supporting further projects in Viet Nam funded by the UK Home Office, including up to 1million (VND 33 billion) of funding over the course of 2025 through the Home Office Modern Slavery Fund. Since 2018, the UK has invested over 7million to strengthen Viet Nams anti-trafficking response through the Modern Slavery Fund. This has helped identify and support victims of trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations, reached over seven million people with awareness campaigns, and educated 1,936 aspiring migrants about the risks of human trafficking. VNS HA NOI National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man, his spouse Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, and a high-level NA delegation left Ha Noi on Tuesday afternoon for their upcoming attendance at the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-150) and official visits to Uzbekistan and Armenia. The visits are made at the invitations of IPU President Tulia Ackson, IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong, President of the Senate of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva, and President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan. Man and his spouse are accompanied by NA Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong; Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha; NA General Secretary and Chairman of the NA Office Le Quang Tung; Chairman of the NA Committee for National Defence, Security, and External Affairs Le Tan Toi; Chairman of the NA Committee for Cultural and Social Affairs Nguyen ac Vinh; and Chairman of the NA Committee for People's Aspirations and Supervision Duong Thanh Binh, among others. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said that Man's attendance at the IPU-150 themed, Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice, reflects Viet Nam's renewed vigour and steadfast commitment to this crucial multilateral parliamentary forum. Amid a rapidly evolving global landscape, it is imperative for every nation to come together to discuss, share experiences, and propose solutions to shared challenges. His presence stands as a compelling testament to Viet Nam's strong support for multilateralism and the IPUs pivotal role, marking his first multilateral diplomatic activity this year. It is in line with Viet Nam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations for peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, while actively engaging in comprehensive and extensive global integration as a trusted partner and responsible member of the international community. Bilaterally, his visits to Uzbekistan and Armenia represent a milestone as the first trips by a top Vietnamese legislator and the highest-level visits by Vietnamese leaders since they established diplomatic relations in 1992. These trips show that Viet Nam attaches importance to its longstanding friendship with both nations and its aspiration to deepen mutual trust, paving the way for broader cooperation across multiple fields, added Hang. VNA/VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Monday chaired a Government Steering Committee meeting, focusing on preferential visa policies for certain groups and the process for overseas Vietnamese to regain their citizenship. During the meeting, the Government Steering Committee emphasised that Viet Nam's visa policy still needs further improvements to support economic and social development, promote tourism and attract foreign investors and experts across various fields to Viet Nam. The committee also suggested facilitating the process for overseas Vietnamese who wish to restore their citizenship. This reflects the Party and States commitment to overseas Vietnamese, meets their aspirations and helps harness the significant contributions of the Vietnamese diaspora to national development and defence. In his concluding remarks, PM Chinh stressed the importance of expanding visa exemptions, enhancing visa policies and revising nationality regulations to align with the current situation. He highlighted the need to institutionalise and concretise the Partys directives into state policies and laws. The Prime Minister instructed relevant agencies to gather feedback, conduct research and propose amendments and improvements to the regulations and policies, which will then be submitted to the appropriate authorities for review and decision making. The current Vietnamese Nationality Law clearly outlines the cases in which former Vietnamese nationals may be considered for reinstatement of their Vietnamese citizenship. These cases include applying for repatriation to Viet Nam, having a spouse, biological parent, or child who is a Vietnamese citizen, making significant contributions to the development and defence of Viet Nam, providing benefits to Viet Nam, investing in Viet Nam or having renounced Vietnamese nationality to acquire foreign citizenship, but ultimately failing to obtain it. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam's Ministry of Defence will extend invitations to the defence leaders of China, Laos and Cambodia to attend the 50th anniversary celebration of the National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), a senior Vietnamese military official said on Tuesday. The announcement was made by Deputy Minister of Defence Hoang Xuan Chien, during a meeting with defence attaches from China, Laos and Cambodia in Ha Noi. Speaking to the attaches, Chien said Viet Nam was preparing for the milestone celebration, marking 50 years since the liberation of southern Viet Nam and the country's reunification. He described the event as a significant political occasion for Viet Nam and would be a shared moment of joy for international friends who provided steadfast support to Viet Nam's revolution, particularly China, Laos and Cambodia. "Viet Nam always remembers the immense assistance from China, Laos and Cambodia," Chien said, adding that their participation would contribute greatly to the celebration's success and reflect the solidarity and friendship among the neighbouring countries. The defence attaches from China, Laos, and Cambodia affirmed they would promptly report the invitation to their respective governments and advise relevant agencies to advance the proposals outlined by Chien. During a rehearsal for the parade on March 25 at the National Military Training Centre 4, Minister of Defence Phan Van Giang said armies from countries that stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Viet Nam during its struggle for national unification had expressed their desire to join the Vietnamese Peoples Army in the parade. "This joy is not only for Viet Nam and the Vietnamese Peoples Army, but also for all peace-loving friends globally," Giang said. "We deeply value their contributions, not only during the war when our country was divided, but even now, half a century later, as that sentiment remains as strong as it was during the struggle." VNS HA NOI Party General Secretary To Lam on Tuesday received Belgian King Philippe, who is on a five-day state visit to Viet Nam. Welcoming King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, and the Belgian high-level delegation to Viet Nam, the Party chief highlighted the historic significance of the visit, the first at the head-of-state level between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973. He expressed his belief that this visit, accompanied by senior officials, business leaders, representatives of universities and research institutes, would create new momentum to deepen and enhance the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Viet Nam and Belgium in a practical and effective way, meeting the benefits of their people and contributing responsibly to peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and the world. He praised the significant contributions of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde to Belgium's socio-political life, including maintaining the unity in diversity. He also expressed gratitude for the strong support of the Belgian people for Viet Nam during its struggle for national independence and for the personal contributions of the Belgian royal couple to Viet Nam and bilateral relations. The Party General Secretary said he is pleased with the positive development of the Viet Nam-Belgium relationship, noting that increasing political trust between the two countries has laid a foundation for cooperation across all sectors. To better match their potential and good political relations, Lam stressed that the two countries need to continue deepening cooperation in trade-investment, sustainable agriculture, high-quality human resource training, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. He also called for stronger collaboration in science-technology and innovation, and particularly Belgiums sharing of business development models to help Viet Nam achieve its development goals for 2030 and 2045. Noting the similarities in geographic location, with Belgium at the center of Europe and Viet Nam at the heart of Southeast Asia, King Philippe highlighted that the two countries should strengthen cooperation to serve as gateways for each other in their respective regions. He agreed with his host that the Viet Nam-Belgium relationship has been thriving over the past 50 years, and the two countries should continue close collaboration to address global challenges such as climate change and environmental issues. Lam spoke highly of the contributions of Vietnamese experts trained in Belgium over the years, saying they have played a vital role in Viet Nams state management and economic development. He emphasised the need to facilitate tourism and trade exchanges between the two nations and urged Belgium to promptly ratify the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to help boost investment flows from the EU and Belgium to Viet Nam and vice versa. The Party leader briefed the Belgian King on Viet Nam's oi Moi (Renewal) efforts and achievements, as well as the country's socio-economic development in the past nearly 40 years, highlighting the support from international friends. He noted that Viet Nam has now joined the group of the worlds 35 largest economies and the top 20 globally in trade volume. King Philippe noted Viet Nam's impressive achievements in industrialisation and modernisation, which he has witnessed firsthand during his four visits to Viet Nam, the first of which was in 1994. The King agreed with General Secretary Lams proposal to increase high-level exchanges and engagements, enhance the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and expand collaboration in potential areas such as education-training, defence, security, renewable energy, particularly wind turbine technology, green hydrogen, health care, and the environment. He laid special stress on the mitigation of Agent Orange/dioxin consequences, an area where Belgium has strong expertise. Lam emphasised that Viet Nam is recognised as a responsible member of the international community, particularly in maintaining peace, stability, and cooperation in the region, including the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea). The two sides agreed that Viet Nam and Belgium should work closely at international and regional forums to promote multilateralism, the rule of law, and international responsibility in addressing regional and global challenges. VNA/VNS HA NOI Viet Nam and Belgium should foster deeper cooperation in areas of one's strength and the other's need, such as high technology, circular economy, and strategic infrastructure, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at a meeting with visiting Belgian King Philippe in Ha Noi on Tuesday. The meeting underscored the deepening diplomatic and economic relations between Viet Nam and Belgium, which have strengthened since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1973. The PM expressed gratitude for Belgiums continued development support for Viet Nam and urged further concrete initiatives, including the implementation of the Belgian parliamentary resolution adopted in October 2023, which provides assistance to Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin. He urged Belgium to expedite the ratification of the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and to push the European Commission to lift its yellow card warning on Viet Nams seafood exports. Welcoming the first state visit by the Belgian King and Queen as well as the country's high-level delegation since the two countries set up their diplomatic relations in 1973, PM Chinh noted the positive outcomes of his official visit to Belgium in December 2022. He expressed optimism that the King's visit will provide fresh impetus for strengthening bilateral relations, deepening political trust, and fostering comprehensive cooperation, for the sake of the two countries' people, and for peace and stability in the region and the world. King Philippe highly valued the Vietnamese Government's support to the Viet Nam-Belgian ties, and expressed his impression of Viet Nam's socio-economic growth over the years. He showed his confidence in the countrys ability to meet its ambitious development targets for 2030 and 2045. The two sides shared their delight at the fruitful development of the Viet Nam-Belgium friendship and multifaceted cooperation over the past more than five decades. They agreed on the necessity of expanding cooperation in key areas such as trade, culture, art, tourism, and locality-to-locality cooperation, along with active implementation of the bilateral strategic partnership in agriculture to deal with non-traditional challenges such as climate change, natural disasters and epidemics. King Philippe recognised Viet Nams strategic significance in the region and highlighted Belgiums interest in enhancing cooperation in education, health care, seaport development, renewable energy, science-technology, and innovation. He also underscored Belgiums support for businesses of both sides in bolstering investment and trade activities in respective countries. The two sides concurred to increase delegation exchanges and engagements at all levels across Party, Government, and parliamentary channels. They committed to strengthening inter-ministerial cooperation, maximising the effectiveness of existing bilateral mechanisms, and facilitating greater people-to-people exchanges. They also acknowledged the crucial role of the Vietnamese community in Belgium and the Belgian community in Viet Nam in fostering deeper bilateral ties. They also agreed that Viet Nam and Belgium should work closely together at international and regional forums to promote multilateralism, uphold international law, and address global challenges. Regarding the East Sea issue, they reiterated the importance of maintaining safety, security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the area, and settling disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). PM Chinh took this occasion to send his invitation to Belgian counterpart Bart De Wever to visit Viet Nam to continue promoting bilateral cooperation. VNA/VNS HA NOI National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man had a meeting with visiting King Philippe of Belgium in Ha Noi on Tuesday. Welcoming the King and a high-ranking Belgian delegation on their five-day state visit starting on March 31, Man highlighted the visit as a significant milestone that opens a new chapter in relations between the two countries, and appreciated the sound sentiments of the Belgian King and Queen towards Viet Nam. He praised Belgium for being the first country in the world to pass a parliamentary resolution supporting Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin, helping draw international attention to the issue and calling on EU parliaments to adopt similar resolutions. He expressed his hope that both countries will implement this resolution through concrete projects in Viet Nam. The top Vietnamese legislator noted with pleasure the positive growth of the Viet Nam-Belgium friendship in general and the collaboration between the two legislatures through high-level visits and exchanges of legislators, as well as coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the IPU, ASEP, and APF. He affirmed Viet Nams readiness to act as a bridge to enhance relations between the Belgian Parliament and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). The two sides welcomed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the National Assembly of Viet Nam and the Belgian Parliament and agreed to actively implement it in the coming period. Commending Viet Nam's socio-economic achievements, King Philippe noted that the country is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for Belgian tourists and businesses. He agreed on the need to deepen cooperation in high-tech industries, semiconductors, green energy, precision engineering, sustainable agriculture, education and training, tourism, and locality-to-locality collaboration through bilateral cooperation mechanisms and the strategic partnership framework on agriculture. He highlighted Belgiums expertise and willingness to assist Viet Nam in decontaminating areas affected by Agent Orange/dioxin. To further strengthen Viet Nam-Belgium relations, especially parliamentary cooperation, both sides agreed to enhance delegation exchanges at all levels, particularly between parliamentary committees and friendship groups. They also pledged to share legislative and supervisory experience, coordinate positions in international organisations, support each others candidacies for UN bodies, and effectively implement the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). King Philippe reaffirmed Belgiums support for the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), saying it is beneficial for both nations. He informed that Belgium is in the final stages of ratifying the agreement. He acknowledged the Vietnamese NA Chairmans proposal to urge the European Commission to lift the yellow card warning on Viet Nams seafood exports, given the countrys efforts to implement EC recommendations and develop sustainable fisheries. Man thanked Belgium and called on all-level administrations of the European country to continue facilitating the integration of the Vietnamese community into the host society, promoting their role in strengthening bilateral ties. King Philippe underscored that both nations uphold a global order based on international law. Given todays complex global challenges, he emphasised the need to reinforce cooperation built on over 50 years of strong ties. On the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issue, the chief Vietnamese legislator urged Belgium to continue voicing its support for the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). VNA/VNS TRA VINH Tra Vinh Province is accelerating the restructuring of its agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors to drive growth this year. The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta localilty aims to achieve sectoral growth of 2.59 per cent this year, according to its Department of Agriculture and Environment. Last year the sector achieved production worth VN32.4 trillion (US$1.27 billion), the department reported. Tran Truong Giang, director of the department, stated that his agency would implement various measures to meet the growth target, including restructuring production. Localities would enhance advocacy efforts to raise farmers' awareness, encouraging them to abandon outdated farming practices and establish concentrated farming areas to ensure large outputs, he said. Farmers are being encouraged to join co-operatives and co-operative groups to foster linkages between stakeholders, increase profits and develop agricultural production sustainably. The province has 127 agricultural co-operatives. It is supporting co-operatives in adopting digital technologies for management, operations and production to improve efficiency and adapt to climate change. The Kim Hoa Agricultural Co-operative in Cau Ngang District has successfully implemented organic and low-emission rice cultivation, along with rotating rice-aquatic species farming. Lam Hong Can, director of the co-operative, said: Zoning and organising agricultural production according to each ecological zone have helped farmers increase their income and reduce the risks associated with climate change. The province's 14 rice co-operatives are cultivating more than 728ha of rice during the ongoing winter-spring crop under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment's project to develop one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation linked to green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030. Farmers participating in the project receive support to grow new high-quality rice varieties, apply advanced farming techniques and establish linkages among stakeholders in rice production and trade. Rice field conversion Tra Vinh plans to convert more than 500ha of unproductive rice fields and instead cultivate others crops, breed livestock or rotate rice with aquatic species this year. In previous years this has provided farmers with profits two to four times higher than rice cultivation alone, according to the department. But encouraging rice farmers to switch to higher-value crops has faced challenges, as many are reluctant to change their traditional farming methods, apprehensive about adopting new techniques, and concerned about market demand, the department noted. The department is encouraging farmers to diversify their aquaculture practices to secure a stable income. Nguyen Van Lam, a farmer in Duyen Hai District's Long Khanh Commune, has practised shrimp-forest farming on a 4ha mangrove forest for many years. He breeds shrimp, fish, mud crabs, and other aquatic species in the forest, earning a profit of VN200 million ($7,900) annually. His products are chemical-free, as the aquatic species feed primarily on natural food sources in the mangrove forest. Traders purchase his products at prices 25-30 per cent higher than market rates, he said. Tran Quoc oan, head of the Duyen Hai District Bureau of Agriculture and Environment, said local farmers have been rotating shrimp farming with other aquatic species to adapt to climate change while ensuring high incomes. The model of intercropping blood cockles and shrimp in the same ponds has yielded 4.4 tonnes of the bivalve mollusc per hectare per crop cycle, which lasts 4-4.5 months, he said. This model generates profits of VN145 million ($5,700) per hectare per blood cockle crop, he said. With a 65km coastline, the province has substantial potential for aquaculture development, with brackish-water shrimp farming identified as a key economic sector. Brackish-water shrimp farming has been practised in the province for over 30 years, with a total farming area of 33,300ha, ranking sixth in terms of large brackish-water shrimp farming areas among the Mekong Delta's 12 provinces and Can Tho City. The province is prioritising investment in irrigation, power, and transport infrastructure in key shrimp-farming areas and is restructuring production towards developing value chains for agricultural products. It plans to cultivate 24,000ha of black-tiger shrimp and 8,000ha of white-legged shrimp in brackish-water areas this year. So far this year, coastal farmers have farmed more than 8,000ha of black tiger shrimp and white-legged shrimp, an increase of 1,500ha compared to the same period last year, according to the department. The province aims to produce 200,000 tonnes of seafood in coastal areas this year. Giang, the department director, said the body will enhance the transfer of aquaculture breeding techniques to farmers to improve yield and quality. Besides encouraging farmers to maintain existing forest-aquaculture areas, the province has instructed coastal localities to expand aquaculture to 50,000ha of coastal land and 15,000ha of mudflats and riverine islands to help farmers achieve sustainable income growth. The province is allocating VN35 billion ($1.4 million) to the Farmer Support Fund to provide soft loans for farmers between 2025 and 2029. Quang Thanh Tu, deputy chairman of the provincial Farmers Association, said that with this financial allocation, the fund will have a total capital of VN53.5 billion ($2.1 million) to offer soft loans to farmers associated with the organisation to implement and expand effective farming models. The fund has already provided soft loans to thousands of farmers, helping them develop their production and increase their income by 10-20 per cent, he said. The association has more than 130,000 farmers. VNS HA NOI Cybercriminals in Viet Nam are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to orchestrate highly sophisticated scams, authorities have warned, marking a sharp evolution from traditional fraud tactics. Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Police Department's Criminal Police Division Ly Hoai Nam said that while scams once relied on simple impersonation, perpetrators are now employing advanced techniques. "The methods have become far more intricate," Nam said, highlighting how criminals scour social media platforms, photo-sharing sites and even personal data leaks to harvest victims images. Using deepfake software, fraudsters superimpose victims faces onto explicit or compromising videos, creating highly realistic fakes. These fabricated products are then used to extort money, with demands for payment in exchange for silence. Refusal often leads to escalated threats, including sending the videos to victims friends, family or posting them publicly online. In many cases, even after payments are made, criminals continue to demand more, trapping victims in a cycle of coercion. Nam noted that fear of reputational damage often prevents victims from reporting incidents, emboldening perpetrators. "This reluctance is precisely what allows cybercrime to flourish," he said. In early 2024, HCM City police dismantled a criminal organisation using deepfake technology to blackmail entrepreneurs and celebrities. The group collected images from social media, employed AI to produce sensitive videos, and demanded hundreds of millions of ong (tens of thousands of dollars) to suppress them. One businessman paid VN500 million ($20,000) but faced further threats, prompting him to alert authorities. The swift police response led to the arrest of the suspects and the seizure of related tech equipment. In March 2024, a high school girl in Ha Noi received a message from an anonymous account accompanied by a fabricated explicit video featuring her face. The scammers demanded VN50 million ($2,000) to refrain from sharing it online. Panicked, she borrowed money from friends to comply, but her family discovered the scheme and contacted police, who later apprehended the culprits. These incidents underscore the growing danger of high-tech crime, serving as a stark reminder of the risks tied to unprotected personal data online. Nam urged the public to minimise sharing personal photos, stating: "The less information exposed, the lower the risk of exploitation." He advised against posting private or sensitive content, even in closed groups, and recommended strong passwords and multi-factor authentication for online accounts. Authorities also cautioned against unfamiliar apps requesting access to photos or videos and encouraged awareness of deepfake technology. "If youre threatened with compromising material, stay calm, preserve evidence and report it immediately," Nam said, stressing that paying scammers only fuels the cycle. Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang highlighted the escalating complexity of tech-driven crime, often orchestrated across borders. "Cyberattacks, online fraud and AI-related crimes pose immense challenges," he said, noting their anonymous, organised nature. The ministry is ramping up technological countermeasures, including software to aid investigations and a crime-reporting feature on the VNeID app under Project 06. Ngo Tan Vu Khanh, country director at Kaspersky, called deepfakes "one of the gravest cybersecurity threats today". He explained that criminals exploit AI to craft highly convincing images, videos and voice recordings, often bypassing authentication systems to enable illegal transactions or undermine security protocols. Kasperskys 2024 data revealed that 21 per cent of phishing emails were AI-generated, a sign of the increasing sophistication of these attacks. Khanh warned that deepfake scams are just one facet of a broader threat landscape, citing cases where fraudsters have used stolen biometric data to access bank accounts or create fraudulent identities. Khanh warned that non-technical scams, like impersonating bank staff to trick victims into revealing one-time passwords or biometric data, remain prevalent. Malware disguised as legitimate apps also poses a severe risk, allowing hackers to steal sensitive information remotely. Amid these increasingly sophisticated threats, financial institutions should proactively strengthen their defences and maintain constant vigilance, Khanh said. Authorities are urged to intensify efforts to educate the public about common scams, prevention measures and appropriate responses to fraudulent activities. Network administrators should routinely check systems and install updates to patch security vulnerabilities, while deploying advanced tools capable of flagging email irregularities, he added. Staying informed about the latest threats is critical, enabling cybersecurity professionals to tackle emerging risks. As cybercriminals exploit the speed and anonymity of the internet, Minister Quang called for heightened public vigilance and international cooperation to combat the borderless threat, urging citizens to safeguard their data and report incidents promptly to curb the rising tide of AI-driven fraud. VNS HA NOI The Vietnamese seafood industry is actively adapting to new European Union (EU) regulations on maximum residue levels (MRLs) of inorganic arsenic in fish and other seafood. Recently, Viet Nam's SPS Office (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point), received notification from the SPS Committee Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding a draft amendment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to Regulation (EU) No 2023/915, which sets maximum residue levels (MRLs) for inorganic arsenic in fish and other seafood. According to the Deputy Director of Viet Nams SPS Office, Ngo Xuan Nam, over the past five years, no inorganic arsenic contamination has been detected in Vietnamese seafood. However, in response to the new EU regulations, proactive adaptation is now a key focus for the industry. The EU has increased border inspections on several Vietnamese agricultural products, Nam said. "Although the EU's draft regulation specifically addresses inorganic arsenic and we have not detected its presence in our seafood in recent years, this does not mean we should be complacent," Nam said. Proactively adapting to SPS measures imposed by import markets, especially the EU, is a strategy that regulatory bodies in Viet Nam are actively implementing. To ensure compliance, Viet Nams SPS Office has swiftly updated relevant authorities, agencies and industry associations including the Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development, Directorate of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance, Department of Food Safety (Ministry of Health) and Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Meanwhile, the Directorate of Fisheries and the Department of Fisheries Surveillance (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) has directed monitoring programmes to assess and control inorganic arsenic levels in aquaculture water and sediment. Nam said that arsenic contamination is rarely detected in seafood processing, but is mainly present in farming environments, particularly in the water, therefore, strict water quality control in aquaculture areas is crucial. On the business side, Vietnamese seafood producers and processors are strengthening monitoring of inorganic arsenic levels in raw materials. Companies are also investing in advanced technology and production processes to ensure products meet EU food safety standards. EUs new regulation Under the EU's draft amendment, that is expected to be officially issued and taken effect in July this year, the MRLs for inorganic arsenic in fish and seafood will range from 0.05 to 1.5 ppm. The EU will allow some existing seafood products on the market to remain available until their expiration dates. The draft regulation specifies MRLs based on the wet weight of the product. If fish are exported whole, the MRLs will be calculated based on size of the entire fish. In addition to fish, the EU is also applying MRLs for inorganic arsenic to crustaceans such as crabs and bivalve molluscs like scallops. Previously, the EU had not set specific limits for inorganic arsenic in fish and seafood. This new draft regulation aims to solicit feedback from WTO member countries, while prioritising consumer health protection within the EU and aligning with SPS Agreement requirements. In reality, some aquatic organisms naturally accumulate trace amounts of inorganic arsenic due to its presence in water and sediment. Arsenic enters the food chain via water and sediment pollution, aquatic organisms absorbing arsenic through respiration and contaminated feed sources Additionally, seafood contamination can result from industrial and agricultural activities, such as mining and metallurgy industries, pesticide, dye and textile manufacturing, discharge of arsenic-containing wastewater, fertiliser and pesticide runoff into rivers and lakes, untreated household wastewater and natural arsenic leaching from the surface into groundwater As the EU strengthens its controls on inorganic arsenic in imported seafood, Vietnamese exporters are actively adjusting to maintain market access. Industry players are enhancing quality control measures to ensure compliance. This strategy also reinforces the reputation and brand of Vietnamese seafood. Currently, Vietnamese seafood holds a 3.7 per cent share of the EUs total seafood imports. Viet Nam is the fifth-largest non-EU seafood supplier into the EU market and the second-largest from Asia, after China. Last year, the Vietnamese seafood industry achieved impressive export growth, reaching US$10 billion, a 12 per cent increase from 2023. Of these, exports to the EU amounted to $1 billion. According to VASEP, the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is expected to boost Vietnamese seafood exports by approximately two per cent annually over the period 2020 to 2030. VNS NAYPITAW Despite the darkness, the Viet Nam People's Army quickly deployed forces, demonstrating high responsibility by searching each location for earthquake victims in Myanmar. In the Bala Tidi residential area of Zabu Thiri District, Naypitaw, the Vietnam People's Army engaged in search and rescue operations to assist the Myanmar people in recovering from their losses. Phyo Pa Pa Moe, a resident of building No. 2367 in Zambu Thiri District, was relieved when Vietnamese team 229 from the Engineer Corps recovered many of her possessions. She and her family were fortunate as none were injured or killed in the earthquake. The possessions they had accumulated over the years, which they thought were lost, were found in the rubble. "All my family are safe; thank you," said Phyo Pa Pa Moe. The buildings in the area collapsed uniformly; the entire first floor collapsed under the weight of the three upper floors, complicating the rescue teams' efforts to locate victims. Before Vietnam's involvement, other rescue teams had surveyed and assessed the situation. Captain Yar Zar of the Fire Prevention and Fighting Department under the Myanmar Ministry of Home Affairs noted, "The first country to arrive was Thailand. The Thai forces came to assess the situation and then withdrew, but the Vietnamese team sought practical solutions. Now, both Myanmar and Viet Nam must continue the search for victims, alive or deceased." Due to the lack of heavy machinery, the rescue efforts relied on smaller tools and physical strength, with the engineers' resourcefulness playing a crucial role in the operation. Despite the power outage and reduced visibility, where only flashlights and rechargeable lamps served as observation tools, the commitment of the soldiers remained steadfast. Even under challenging conditions, the rescue forces of the Viet Nam People's Army continued their search, initially identifying areas where victims might be trapped. VNS HCM CITY More than 13,000 people are expected to join a grand military and civilian parade in HCM City on April 30 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 2025). The event will commence at 8am, featuring a military parade organised by the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security, along with a civilian march overseen by the municipal authorities. In addition to 11 marching contingents as per central directives, the city has proposed the inclusion of an overseas Vietnamese group. Earlier, the Ministry of National Defence and the HCM City Peoples Committee conducted a site survey and agreed on a draft commemoration programme. The parade will take place along Le Duan Street in District 1, featuring a 21-gun salute accompanied by the national anthem, an aerial display by the air force, and a ceremonial vehicle procession. Deputy Chairwoman of the municipal People's Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy unveiled that the city would lead the coordination of eight major activities, including a tribute to fallen heroes at the local martyrs cemetery, national and municipal-level scientific conferences, thematic exhibitions in Hanoi and HCM City, and live television broadcasts of cultural, artistic, and sporting events. VNS HA NOI A rescue delegation from Viet Nam's Ministry of Public Security delivered three tonnes of medicine and medical equipment to Myanmar's authorities on Tuesday to support victims following a recent earthquake. Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong, head of the delegation, handed over the supplies to Sa Weli Frag, Director of the Department of Disaster Management under Myanmars Ministry of Social Welfare Relief and Resettlement. The aid package included antibiotics, digestive and flu medicines, essential medical devices such as blood pressure monitors, glucose metres, bandages and disinfectants. Expressing gratitude for Viet Nam's timely support, Sa Weli Frag said that the supplies would be immediately transferred to Myanmar's Ministry of Health for distribution to remote areas where medicine and medical equipment are in short supply. On March 31, the Vietnamese rescue team located a victim, identified as 10-year-old Mg Khant Thuta Nygan. The child was found dead on the first floor of a collapsed four-storey building. The child's body was extricated from the rubble and handed over to local authorities to pass on to the family. The team continues its efforts, deploying search dogs to locate an adult believed to be trapped in the same building. VNS NAYPYIDAW Vietnamese rescue teams have recovered the bodies of three victims from the rubble left by the recent earthquake in Myanmar in the two days of search and rescue operations, authorities said on Tuesday. One of the victims was identified as U Maung Tin, 74, who was inside his home with his wife and a young grandchild when the quake struck. His children were away at work at the time. Rescue teams deployed sniffer dogs, ground-penetrating radar and image-scanning devices to locate and retrieve his body from the debris on Tuesday. The grandchild, who was also trapped in the collapsed apartment, was rescued but lost a leg due to injuries sustained during the collapse. Speaking at the site, U Maung Tins son expressed deep gratitude to Vietnamese rescue teams. "I thought it would be impossible to bring my father out," he said. "But you did it. Im overwhelmed and cant thank you enough." Some rescue forces had previously arrived at the scene but either could not locate the deceased man or could not successfully carry out the rescue. The second victim was identified as Kaung Khant K., 14, who had been on the first floor of a 1,000-bed hospital when the earthquake hit. A rescue team representative said that while clearing the site to reach the boy, they also detected signs of a third victim. However, due to the extent of the destruction, more time will be required to retrieve this body. The retrieval of the two bodies on Tuesday has raised the total number of bodies recovered by Vietnamese rescue teams to three, after the first was brought out on Monday. On the same day, a rescue team from Viet Nam's Ministry of Public Security delivered three tonnes of medicine and medical equipment to Myanmar's authorities to support earthquake victims. Colonel Nguyen Minh Khuong, head of the team, handed over the supplies to Sa Weli Frag, Director of the Department of Disaster Management under Myanmars Ministry of Social Welfare Relief and Resettlement. The aid package included antibiotics, digestive and flu medicines, essential medical devices such as blood pressure monitors, glucose, bandages and disinfectants. VNS HA NOI The Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has sent three staff members to voluntarily join the ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) to assist Myanmar in overcoming consequences of the recent devastating earthquake. They will collaborate with counterparts from other ASEAN countries to help the affected nation in coordinating international aid, making rapid damage assessments, and identifying urgent needs to mobilise resources for its recovery. This marks the first time that the staff members from the department have participated in the ASEAN-ERAT, demonstrating the spirit of One ASEAN, One Response: ASEAN responding to disasters as one in the region as affirmed in the ASEAN Leaders Declaration. Meanwhile, after hours of relentless search and rescue efforts, by 11am on April 1, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defences rescue team successfully recovered three victims' bodies from the rubble in Nay Pyi Taw, and then handed over to the victims family and local authorities. Working alongside the Vietnamese rescue team, Captain Yar Zar from the Fire Services Department of Myanmars Ministry of Home Affairs expressed deep appreciation for their thorough and meticulous efforts. Yar Zar said he was moved by how the Vietnamese soldiers carefully searched every corner of the rubble, determined to recover victims - whether alive or not. He also highly praised the intelligence, creativity, and flexibility of the Vietnamese engineering soldiers, who have had multiple solutions to handle complicated situations, even in the absence of heavy machinery or when equipment could not be used. Local media on March 31 quoted Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, chief of the military government, as saying that the death toll had reached 2,065, along with more than 3,900 others injured and over 270 missing. VNA/VNS JAKARTA President Prabowo Subianto held his first-ever Idul Fitri gathering at the Merdeka Palace on Monday, during which he welcomed officials and the general public who began thronging the palace complex earlier in the morning. The Idul Fitri gathering, usually referred to as an open house, began at 9am and was held after the Presidents Idul Fitri prayers at the Istiqlal Mosque, which he attended with his only son Didit Hediprasetyo, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and former vice president Jusuf Kalla. Several cabinet members and a number of foreign ambassadors also accompanied the Presidents prayers, according to a statement by the State Secretariat. Prabowo, who set the public attendee quota at 1,000 people for his first open house, began greeting the enthused mass shortly after 12pm. Kompas.com reported that the mass had been waiting in line for hours, and were mostly excited to see the President in the flesh for the first time after his inauguration in October last year. Ive been standing in line since 7.30am to have breakfast with Pak Prabowo, one of the attendants, Santi, told the daily. I also really want to see what the inside of the Palace looks like, but most of all Id just like to shake the Presidents hand and receive my holiday bonus, she continued. A slew of online ride-hailing drivers was also conspicuously present during the celebrations, dressed in their full attire. According to various reports, the drivers had been invited and were planning to express their aspirations for improved labor rights to the President. That includes conveying their disappointment over the first ever holiday bonus from ride-hailing platforms, following the governments request to tech firms in mid-March this year. Joined by his son Didit, Prabowo also welcomed National Economic Council chairman Luhut Pandjaitan, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and former commander of the armed forces Wiranto to the stately banquet. Former president Joko Jokowi Widodo was invited for the open house, but he chose to stay in his residence in Surakarta, Central Java. Hundreds more public figures were also reported to have attended the open house at the State Palace, including cabinet officials, foreign representatives, businessmen and media leaders. Former president and Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri was also reportedly invited to the open house, but did not attend the celebration. Several politicians visited Megawatis house on Monday to celebrate Idul Fitri, including Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung and his deputy Rano Karno, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar and Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority chairman Basuki Hadimuljono. THE JAKARTA POST/ANN Ji Da-gyum SEOUL South Korean foreign minister Cho Tae-yul will attend the NATO foreign ministers meeting this week, at a critical moment when Europe seeks deeper defence ties with Seoul amid US pressure on burden-sharing and as US President Donald Trump calls for a swift end to Russia-Ukraine war, backed by North Korea. Cho will participate in the NATO foreign ministers meeting session with the four Indo-Pacific partners, or IP4, on Thursday marking the fourth consecutive year South Korea has been invited to the NATO foreign ministers meeting since 2022, according to the South Korean foreign ministry on Tuesday. The NATO foreign ministers' meeting will be attended by NATO allies as well as Indo-Pacific partner countries such as South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand; and the EU and Ukraine. The South Korean foreign ministry in Seoul said: "Discussions are expected to cover defense industry cooperation and security linkages between Europe and the Indo-Pacific region," adding that Cho's attendance will serve as an "important opportunity to flesh out strategic cooperation with NATO in areas such as the defense industry." South Korea has been actively promoting defense exports to NATO member countries, where demand is growing for rapid arms procurement under Trump's renewed pressure on US NATO allies to boost defense spending. Cho will hold bilateral talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other foreign ministers as well as trilateral talks with US state secretary Marco Rubio and Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya on the margins of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting during his visit to Brussels from Wednesday to Friday. The trilateral meeting is expected to cover the North Korea nuclear issue, the regional situation and economic cooperation among other matters, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. Likely among the key agenda items for discussion are Trumps reciprocal tariffs - expected to be announced on Wednesday - the issue of North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian authorities, whom the South Korean government hopes to repatriate if they express an intent to defect, and a reaffirmation of the shared goal of North Korea's complete denuclearisation. Chos plan to attend the NATO foreign ministers meeting was publicised just before the Constitutional Courts announcement that it would rule on Friday whether to uphold or overturn President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. However, the South Korean foreign ministry has decided not to alter the plan, citing the importance of the previously scheduled diplomatic events, according to diplomatic sources. THE KOREA HERALD/ANN BUV has recently launched the second phase of its campus at Ecopark. Following the EDGE Advanced certification awarded to the first phase in November 2024, BUV is continuing to uphold green values, which are the foundation of all sustainable development. Once again, the university impresses with its resort-style campus featuring modern architecture. The majority of the space is covered by greenery, water features, and open areas, making it ideal for students to explore and create freely. Built-up space accounts for only 20 per cent of the total campus area, highlighting BUVs commitment to open, green spaces and a high-quality setting for learning and student life. This architectural approach is perfectly aligned with the broader vision of Ecopark, recognised as Asias most outstanding sustainable township. Surrounding BUVs five buildings is a distinctive honeycomb-style facade that brings natural light into communal spaces while functioning as a natural ventilation system, ensuring fresh air throughout the campus. These advanced design solutions contribute to an impressive average energy saving of 44.97 per cent across the entire university. All construction materials used in the second phase meet high-quality standards and feature smart, sustainable designs. For example, reflective or tinted insulating glass is used to reduce heat radiation, ceramic floor tiles are kept thin to limit material usage, and the roofing is lightweight with thermal insulation and integrated solar panels. Although this approach involves higher initial investment costs, it results in nearly 50 per cent lower carbon emissions compared to conventional designs while also offering better overall user experience. As the first university in Vietnam to receive EDGE advanced certification in its first phase, BUV is continuing to implement green technologies in Phase 2, including LED lighting and solar energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These efforts have enabled the university to achieve energy savings of around 43.13 per cent compared to a standard university building. This figure far exceeds the minimum requirement of 20 per cent, reflecting BUVs serious investment and strong commitment to sustainable development. To encourage sustainable practices, BUVs Phase 2 campus is designed to maximise natural light in shared spaces such as lobbies, lounges, and corridors. Clean water systems at BUV are carefully designed with precise calculations for flow rate, pressure, and storage capacity to optimise students daily experience, including full residential project weeks on campus. These systems also support landscape irrigation, helping the university save over 29.94 per cent of water compared to conventional buildings. In European culture, water symbolises inner wisdom and depth of thought, while trees represent ancient knowledge, legacy, and continuous growth. These elements are deeply embedded in the design of BUV, not only encouraging a spirit of lifelong learning among students, but also shaping an ideal green space. Blending harmoniously with nature, the campus offers a refreshing environment that inspires creativity in every moment of study and relaxation. Every corner of BUV is thoughtfully designed to create a relaxed learning environment that eases stress and sparks endless creativity. Tree-lined walkways and sunlit courtyards are not just part of the landscape, they serve as sources of inspiration, nurturing creativity and a passion for learning. The campus features a variety of green spaces, from wide open lawns to gently sloped grassy areas, thoughtfully integrated throughout to encourage student interaction and connection. These spaces are not only places to relax or organising discussions but also serve as sources of creative inspiration, offering new perspectives and ideas. From a technical perspective, the sloped green areas also support rainwater collection systems used for landscape irrigation. The use of modern technology at BUV enhances the learning experience and optimises energy efficiency. Classrooms are equipped with advanced interactive boards that automatically adjust brightness levels for optimal energy use, alongside natural ventilation and eco-friendly lighting systems. Together, these features create a green learning environment where knowledge is nurtured and an environmentally conscious lifestyle is encouraged. With a strong commitment to building a sustainable green future, BUV pays close attention to every detail, from selecting environmentally friendly construction materials and furnishing interiors in harmony with nature, to designing spaces that maximise natural light and ventilation. In addition to natural greenery, the campus also makes creative use of colour through painted surfaces and decorative forms to stimulate visual interest, inspire creativity, and enhance aesthetics. Together, these elements shape an open, inspiring learning environment. By pioneering the use of insulated roofing panels, making up 89 per cent of materials used, compared to just 11 per cent of traditional concrete, BUV has made a significant mark in sustainability. This approach has led to an average reduction of 52 per cent in energy use and embodied carbon in construction materials, far exceeding the required 20 per cent benchmark. It represents a major achievement in the universitys ongoing efforts to cut emissions and minimise its environmental impacts. Instead of conventional flat walls, the building adopts a zigzag design of walls and glass panels, with carefully angled surfaces specifically calculated to minimise direct heat absorption and noise from the west, an area exposed to harsh sunlight and a busy road. This subtle yet innovative solution also optimises natural light intake, creating a bright and airy environment for learning and working while giving the building a distinctive and modern aesthetic. At BUV, green spaces are seamlessly integrated as an essential part of its beautiful QS 5-star campus. They enhance the landscape and support the mental wellbeing of the community. These lush areas also carry deeper philosophical messages about knowledge and the sustainable values the university upholds. This forward-thinking approach has earned BUV the EDGE Advanced green building certification for all five buildings, awarded by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group through the assessment and audit of SGS- the worlds leading testing, inspection and certification company. BUV is currently the first university in Vietnam to receive this certification, marking a bold step towards becoming a pioneer in carbon neutrality. A green cooling initiative for net-zero by 2050 Efforts to implement the National Green Cooling Action Plan will contribute to ensuring energy security, promoting Vietnams resilience to the impacts of climate change, and helping Vietnam realise its net-zero goal by 2050, explains DO MANH TOAN, country programme coordinator for the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership, a programme of the United Nations Office for Project Services. Successful M&A strategy for green building projects Speaking at the Vietnam M&A Forum 2024 on November 27, Luu Thi Thanh Mau, CEO of Phuc Khang Corporation, shared insights into the companys M&A journey to develop green building projects that align with international standards. Golden Gate's 2024 audited financial report revealed that on January 8, Golden Gate completed the purchase of 99.98 per cent capital of VN Tea and Coffee Service Trading JSC, the owner of The Coffee House chain, totalling VND 270 billion ($10.5 million). At the end of 2024, Golden Gate made a deposit worth VND54 billion ($2.1 million) for this deal. Following the acquisition, VN Tea and Coffee Service Trading JSC has become a subsidiary of Golden Gate. Tran Viet Trung, chairman of the Board of Directors at Golden Gate, has also become general director of VN Tea and Coffee Service Trading JSC. The Coffee House was valued at more than $50 million, according to ASCO Auditing and Valuation Company Ltd. in April 2021. After four years, this tea and coffee chain has been acquired for only one-fourth of this valuation. In August 2014, The Coffee House coffee chain was officially launched by Nguyen Hai Ninh and continuously impressed with its rapid development. Nikkei Asian Review hailed The Coffee House as the fastest-growing coffee startup in Vietnam in 2018. According to Statista, as of the end of 2022, the chain ranked second in terms of store numbers, boasting 150 nationwide. However, Ninh left The Coffee House in 2021. Despite many changes in leadership and efforts to innovate and restructure, The Coffee House did not report a profit from 2019-2023. According to Vietdata, The Coffee House's revenue experienced fluctuations from 2021 to 2023. In 2022, the chain's revenue surged 67 per cent from the previous year. However, the chain saw its revenue shrink by 11 per cent to VND700 billion ($27.5 million) in 2023. In 2024, The Coffee House closed more than 30 outlets in many major cities such as Can Tho, Danang, Haiphong, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City. The chain now has 93 outlets nationwide. According to the audited financial report, Golden Gate posted a revenue of VND6.6 trillion ($257.4 million) in 2024, up 5.5 per cent on-year. However, after-tax profit decreased by 28 per cent to more than VND100 billion ($3.89 million). It was the second consecutive year that the company reported a decrease in profit. Golden Gate Group eyes expansion with US-based pho chain The US Department of Agricultures Trade Delegation paid a visit to the headquarters of Golden Gate Group in Hanoi on September 13. Golden Gate acquires The Coffee House chain Golden Gate Group JSC, a multi-brand restaurant chain operator in Vietnam, has acquired The Coffee House chain from retail group Seedcom. Senior Chinese official meets with Bridgewater founder Xinhua) 09:06, April 01, 2025 He Lifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs, meets with Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese official He Lifeng met with Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, in Beijing on Monday, and the two sides exchanged views on the macroeconomic situation and China-U.S. economic and trade relations. He, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs, said the Chinese economy has gotten off to a steady start and maintained good development momentum since the beginning of the year, with a unified national market taking shape and the release of consumption potential accelerating. China will further deepen its reform comprehensively and promote high-level opening-up of its capital market, He said, adding that international investors are welcome to participate actively in the construction of China's capital market and share in its development opportunities, He said. Dalio said that China's economic and social development achievements are there for all to see, and he expressed willingness to continue contributing to U.S.-China economic and trade cooperation. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Talking with VIR at the Intel Strategic Parts Supplier Summit on April 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Tran, CEO of Fab-9 Vietnam, an ancillary manufacturer that supplies and repairs circuit boards for Intel Vietnam, said that it took the company nearly 10 years to learn, research, and improve its product quality to become an Intel supplier. Becoming a supplier for Intel is not easy at all, especially for small businesses in Vietnam. Intel is a big company, so sometimes they only want to use companies that already have a relationship with them and rarely consider new companies, said Viet. He said that businesses aiming to become suppliers for Intel must meet very high standards such as human resources, machinery, and materials resources. Currently, Fab-9 has nearly 100 customers, of which Intel's revenue accounts for about 30 per cent. We are running at 100 per cent of our capacity, so we need to increase that capacity to meet customer demand. However, almost all of our workers need to be retrained, said Viet. The Fab-9 facility was built in 2007 in Binh Duong province and specialises in printed circuit boards. It uses proven processes for high-value and reliable products and exports products to major markets such as the United States, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Belgium. Dr. Naga Chandrasekaran, executive vice president and CTO of Intel Foundry. Photo: Le Toan According to Dr. Naga Chandrasekaran, executive vice president and CTO of Intel Foundry, Intel's Vietnam factory will reach the milestone of four billion products shipped this April. We are committed to supporting the development of the semiconductor supply chain in Vietnam. We recognise and appreciate the efforts of the Vietnamese government in developing infrastructure and creating favourable conditions for the semiconductor industry to continue to expand and develop, said Chandrasekaran. He added that since Intel Vietnam was established in 2006, the company has invested in and built a local supply network, and now has 600 partners. Through this conference, we hope to create a platform to continue to open new opportunities for suppliers, support human resource development, and promote innovation, thereby developing a great semiconductor ecosystem in Vietnam, he added. At the conference, many suppliers asked how they can become suppliers for Intel. Dave Bloss, vice president of Intel Corporation in charge of global supply chain, said that Intel has support programmes to help businesses that want to become suppliers. "In addition, Intel also cooperates with partners to train personnel and find talents for the company," Bloss added. One of the highlights of our bilateral relationship is our collaboration in the semiconductor and high-tech industries, said US consul general Susan Burns. The US has a strong commitment to supporting Vietnams semiconductor and high-tech development goals, and US companies in Vietnam, such as Intel, have demonstrated this support. Gathering 40 suppliers, the Strategic Components Supplier Summit further reaffirms Intel and the US' commitment to building a strong local semiconductor supply chain. This is a prime example of how public-private partnerships can accelerate the growth of a local supply chain and support Vietnams high-tech vision, she said. Nguyen Ky Phung, head of Ho Chi Minh City Hi-Tech Park Management Board, said at the event, Today is a testament to Ho Chi Minh Citys strategic vision in promoting international cooperation, and attracting investment in the high-tech sector, contributing to making Vietnam one of the worlds leading centres for manufacturing and exporting high-tech products. With the presence and investment of Intel, we believe in the development potential of the semiconductor industry in Vietnam, said Phung. To further the development of the supply chain in Vietnam, we recommend that Intel Products Vietnam continues to build support programmes, train high-quality human resources, successfully build a network connecting businesses in the supply chain, and strengthen cooperation with state management agencies, he said. The Strategic Components Supplier Summit highlighted the growing economic and technological cooperation between Vietnam and the US, strengthening the bilateral relationship as the two countries celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025. The event played a key role in enhancing the competitiveness of domestic suppliers by connecting Vietnamese enterprises to the global semiconductor and high-tech supply chain. At the same time, the summit aimed to push investment and innovation to help position Vietnam as an important link in the high-tech sector. To date, Intel has invested more than $1.5 billion in Vietnam and continues to expand its investment by upgrading factories and applying new technology. Vietnamese rescueers search for victims in Zabuthari town of Naypyidaw capital city. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Myanmar's State Administration Council on March 31 announced a week-long mourning period following the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28. In recognition of and sympathy for the damage and loss of lives caused by the earthquake, the period from March 31 to April 6 has been declared as national mourning days. During this time, the national flag will be flown at half-mast. Rescue efforts are still being carried out urgently, although the "72 golden hour" mark passed. Three days after the earthquake, rescue teams from countries are rushing to the worst-affected localities such as Mandalay city, the capital of Naypyidaw, and Sagaing city to race with time to search for victims with signs of survival. According to Myanmar's State Administration Council, by the end of March 30, about 1,700 people died, 3,400 were injured, and 300 remained missing in the massive earthquake. On behalf of the VWU, Tran Lan Phuong presented the VWU's merit medal For the Development of Vietnamese Women" to Binu Jacob, CEO of Nestle Vietnam On March 31, at the headquarters of the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU), Tran Lan Phuong, vice president of the VWU, had a working session with Binu Jacob, CEO of Nestle Vietnam, to discuss the results of strategic cooperation between the two sides in the 2020-2024 period and the direction of activities for the 2025-2027 period. Based on a shared commitment and goal to encourage gender equality, Nestle Vietnam and the VWU signed a cooperation agreement to implement the Nestle Accompanies Women initiative in December 2020. The programme aims to encourage gender equality and women's empowerment activities through healthcare, nutrition, and safety for women and children; digital applications; supporting women to start businesses and increasing income; and improving quality of life, contributing to supporting women to develop comprehensively in the digital transformation period. By the end of 2024, the programme had provided knowledge and skills for more than 25,400 members, helping more than two million households access knowledge about nutrition and food safety and hygiene, helping to create and maintain thousands of sustainable livelihood models for women. Phuong said, The VWU highly appreciates Nestle Vietnam's support and cooperation in the union's movements through the "Nestle Accompanies Women" programme. The initiative provides female members with more knowledge and skills to access and apply digital technology, earn more income to improve the quality of family life, and enhance their power and courage. Going forward, the two sides will discuss integrating this cooperation programme into major government projects, such as the women's startup drive, with a view to bringing practical effects to more members." Within the framework of the working session, Phuong, on behalf of the VWU, presented Jacob the VWU's merit medal, For the Development of Vietnamese Women, for the company's positive contribution to the goals of encouraging gender equality and empowering women as well as building Vietnamese women in the new era through the cooperation programme between the two sides. Nestle Vietnam appreciates the recognition of the VWU. We consider this an important motivation to continue effective cooperation activities between the two sides to support female members, especially women in rural areas. Thus, women can have the opportunity to develop themselves to affirm their position in the family as well as at the workplace, ready to adapt and grow with Vietnam in the new era, Jacob said. Established in Vietnam in 1995, throughout its 30-year journey, Nestle Vietnam has always upheld its commitment to join hands to improve the quality of life of Vietnamese people. Through multi-stakeholder engagement to create shared value, Nestle Vietnam has continuously strived to contribute to the realisation of Vietnam's sustainable and inclusive development goals, including encouraging gender equality and empowering women. This commitment is implemented by the company through programmes to empower and develop female leaders, initiatives to support female farmers, and especially through the long-term strategic cooperation programme "Nestle Accompanies Women" in collaboration with the VWU. With specific contributions in gender equality and women's empowerment, Nestle Vietnam was honoured to receive the Certificate of Merit from the VWU for its outstanding achievements in the movement the entire country joins hands to build new rural areas." The company was awarded commemorative medals for contributions to "For the Development of Vietnamese Women" as well as for contributions and companionship with the VWU in the work of preventing and fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and floods. Nestle Vietnam donates over 17,000 products on Lunar New Year In the run up to Lunar New Year, Nestle Vietnam, in collaboration with agencies and organisations, presented thousands of gifts to disadvantaged families, workers, and students across the country, especially in remote and isolated provinces. NESTGEN 2025: Nestle Vietnam empowers youth Nestle Vietnam launched NESTGEN 2025 on March 18, a free, three-day e-learning event to provide knowledge, skills, and career development opportunities to young Vietnamese people. Antlers latest regional initiative, The Theory of Next: Southeast Asia, outlines five frontier opportunities driving the future of tech in the region: AI, enterprise solutions, fintech, sustainability, and next-gen commerce. Among them, Vietnam is an essential player in the next era of global high-tech manufacturing. Vietnam is not only adopting global technologies but building its own AI as infrastructure. As the first country in Southeast Asia to open-source a local-language Large Language Model (LLM), Vietnams strength lies in its adaptability and applied AI capabilities. Another key differentiator is Vietnams localised data, especially in manufacturing and robotics. If startups can find folks deep in AI and leverage locally unique data, they may be able to build something global thats not yet proven anywhere else. The ebook also highlighted the importance of cultural and educational reform. Vietnams traditional education system, while strong for production work, must evolve to better support creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. It is worth noting that more sustainability-minded builders are emerging in Vietnam. A growing cohort of Vietnamese founders is actively exploring green innovationfrom climate-resilient supply chains to decarbonised manufacturing. It is clear that Vietnam stands on the cusp of an economic and technological redefinition. As global markets shift, AI models mature, and geopolitical alignments open new doors for Southeast Asia, the country has an unprecedented opportunity to chart its own innovation narrative. Speaking at a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City last Friday, Erik Jonsson, general partner of Antler Vietnam, highlighted Vietnams record-breaking export growth, increasing visibility in global supply chains, and a rapidly expanding talent base eager to participate in global markets. Weve had more than 1,500 applications to our 2024 fall residency in Vietnam, and 205 ideas have come from pre-formed teams. The challenge? Most ideas werent scalable, said Jonsson. But those who think globally from day onethose are the ones we double-click on. The next generation of changemakers must learn to identify challenges that are both substantial and deeply relevantproblems worth solving not just for Vietnam, but at a global scale. By leveraging regional resources, infrastructure, and increasingly sophisticated talent across Southeast Asia, Vietnamese founders have the opportunity to build larger, more scalable business ideas and operating models. Jonsson also pointed to Vietnams ongoing industrial upgradefrom garments and furniture to semiconductors, electronics, and smart manufacturingas a sign that the country is evolving from a low-cost production hub to a key player in the global digital economy. The very foundation of Vietnam lies in its tech innovation. Binh Tran, general partner of Ascend Vietnam Ventures, said, You can find a retrieval-augmented generation engineer who can fine-tune a large language model for $5,000 a month, and theyre pushing code at 2a.m.versus $250K$300K a year for a US engineer. Vietnam's tech talent is not just notable as affordable options, they also hold a high regard for work ethics and a strong sense of personal accountability." Vietnam doesnt just have raw talent it has raw drive, said Linh Thai, CEO of Skills Bridge. Weve expanded our AI courses, and now weve got 65-year-olds watching AI content. People here want to learn and push forward, regardless of age. Indeed, AI is lowering the cost of launching and scaling startups, unlocking new opportunities for solo entrepreneurs and small teams. A SaaS company used to need 10,000 paying customers to break even. Now with AI, you need 10 paying customers, and you can be profitable, she said. Panellists emphasised that Vietnam should lean into AIs democratising powerbuilding products that serve real users at home and abroad, without waiting for perfection. Antler closes $72 million fund to double-down on Southeast Asia startups The early-stage venture capital firm Antler announced on August 13 the $72 million close of its second Southeast Asia fund, Antler SEA Fund II. Tech startups raised $120 million in 2024 Vietnamese tech startups raised $120 million in funding last year, representing a 38 per cent decline from the $196 million secured in 2023. archives 29 Jun - 6 Jul (2) 22 Jun - 29 Jun (4) 15 Jun - 22 Jun (1) 8 Jun - 15 Jun (3) 1 Jun - 8 Jun (4) 25 May - 1 Jun (5) 18 May - 25 May (2) 11 May - 18 May (3) 4 May - 11 May (2) 27 Apr - 4 May (5) 20 Apr - 27 Apr (1) 13 Apr - 20 Apr (2) 30 Mar - 6 Apr (5) 23 Mar - 30 Mar (2) 9 Mar - 16 Mar (1) 2 Mar - 9 Mar (2) 16 Feb - 23 Feb (3) 9 Feb - 16 Feb (1) 2 Feb - 9 Feb (3) 26 Jan - 2 Feb (2) 12 Jan - 19 Jan (1) 5 Jan - 12 Jan (1) 22 Dec - 29 Dec (1) 15 Dec - 22 Dec (2) 8 Dec - 15 Dec (1) 24 Nov - 1 Dec (1) 17 Nov - 24 Nov (4) 10 Nov - 17 Nov (2) 3 Nov - 10 Nov (1) 27 Oct - 3 Nov (4) 20 Oct - 27 Oct (4) 13 Oct - 20 Oct (1) 6 Oct - 13 Oct (1) 29 Sep - 6 Oct (1) 22 Sep - 29 Sep (1) 15 Sep - 22 Sep (1) 18 Aug - 25 Aug (5) 4 Aug - 11 Aug (2) 21 Jul - 28 Jul (6) 7 Jul - 14 Jul (3) 30 Jun - 7 Jul (2) 23 Jun - 30 Jun (5) 16 Jun - 23 Jun (2) 9 Jun - 16 Jun (3) 2 Jun - 9 Jun (2) 26 May - 2 Jun (3) 19 May - 26 May (2) 12 May - 19 May (3) 5 May - 12 May (3) 28 Apr - 5 May (1) 14 Apr - 21 Apr (1) 7 Apr - 14 Apr (3) 17 Mar - 24 Mar (1) 10 Mar - 17 Mar (1) 3 Mar - 10 Mar (1) 11 Feb - 18 Feb (2) 4 Feb - 11 Feb (1) 21 Jan - 28 Jan (1) 14 Jan - 21 Jan (1) 7 Jan - 14 Jan (3) 10 Dec - 17 Dec (1) 26 Nov - 3 Dec (1) 29 Oct - 5 Nov (1) 3 Sep - 10 Sep (1) 27 Aug - 3 Sep (2) 6 Aug - 13 Aug (1) 30 Jul - 6 Aug (6) 9 Jul - 16 Jul (1) 2 Jul - 9 Jul (6) 18 Jun - 25 Jun (4) 4 Jun - 11 Jun (5) 21 May - 28 May (4) 14 May - 21 May (1) 7 May - 14 May (4) 23 Apr - 30 Apr (2) 26 Mar - 2 Apr (1) 19 Mar - 26 Mar (1) 19 Feb - 26 Feb (3) 12 Feb - 19 Feb (1) 22 Jan - 29 Jan (2) 15 Jan - 22 Jan (1) 25 Dec - 1 Jan (2) 20 Nov - 27 Nov (1) 11 Sep - 18 Sep (1) 14 Aug - 21 Aug (3) 7 Aug - 14 Aug (3) 17 Jul - 24 Jul (3) 10 Jul - 17 Jul (3) 19 Jun - 26 Jun (2) 12 Jun - 19 Jun (4) 22 May - 29 May (1) 15 May - 22 May (5) 1 May - 8 May (2) 17 Apr - 24 Apr (3) 27 Feb - 6 Mar (3) 13 Feb - 20 Feb (1) 30 Jan - 6 Feb (3) 2 Jan - 9 Jan (4) 26 Dec - 2 Jan (1) 5 Dec - 12 Dec (3) 28 Nov - 5 Dec (2) 14 Nov - 21 Nov (1) 7 Nov - 14 Nov (1) 10 Oct - 17 Oct (1) 22 Aug - 29 Aug (3) 15 Aug - 22 Aug (1) 8 Aug - 15 Aug (3) 1 Aug - 8 Aug (1) 25 Jul - 1 Aug (3) 18 Jul - 25 Jul (1) 11 Jul - 18 Jul (1) 27 Jun - 4 Jul (4) 20 Jun - 27 Jun (3) 13 Jun - 20 Jun (1) 30 May - 6 Jun (2) 23 May - 30 May (4) 2 May - 9 May (3) 25 Apr - 2 May (4) 4 Apr - 11 Apr (2) 28 Mar - 4 Apr (4) 28 Feb - 7 Mar (1) 7 Feb - 14 Feb (2) 10 Jan - 17 Jan (2) 27 Dec - 3 Jan (2) 13 Dec - 20 Dec (3) 6 Dec - 13 Dec (1) 29 Nov - 6 Dec (1) 15 Nov - 22 Nov (6) 8 Nov - 15 Nov (1) 25 Oct - 1 Nov (1) 18 Oct - 25 Oct (3) 4 Oct - 11 Oct (1) 27 Sep - 4 Oct (1) 20 Sep - 27 Sep (2) 13 Sep - 20 Sep (4) 6 Sep - 13 Sep (3) 30 Aug - 6 Sep (1) 23 Aug - 30 Aug (1) 16 Aug - 23 Aug (4) 9 Aug - 16 Aug (1) 2 Aug - 9 Aug (3) 26 Jul - 2 Aug (4) 19 Jul - 26 Jul (5) 12 Jul - 19 Jul (2) 5 Jul - 12 Jul (7) 28 Jun - 5 Jul (2) 21 Jun - 28 Jun (7) 14 Jun - 21 Jun (4) 7 Jun - 14 Jun (4) 31 May - 7 Jun (3) 24 May - 31 May (2) 17 May - 24 May (1) 10 May - 17 May (1) 19 Apr - 26 Apr (1) 12 Apr - 19 Apr (1) 15 Mar - 22 Mar (1) 8 Mar - 15 Mar (3) 1 Mar - 8 Mar (2) 23 Feb - 1 Mar (2) 9 Feb - 16 Feb (3) 26 Jan - 2 Feb (1) 19 Jan - 26 Jan (2) 12 Jan - 19 Jan (2) 5 Jan - 12 Jan (1) 29 Dec - 5 Jan (1) 8 Dec - 15 Dec (1) 24 Nov - 1 Dec (2) 17 Nov - 24 Nov (1) 27 Oct - 3 Nov (1) 6 Oct - 13 Oct (1) 1 Sep - 8 Sep (2) 25 Aug - 1 Sep (4) 18 Aug - 25 Aug (1) 11 Aug - 18 Aug (2) 4 Aug - 11 Aug (8) 28 Jul - 4 Aug (5) 14 Jul - 21 Jul (3) 7 Jul - 14 Jul (3) 30 Jun - 7 Jul (4) 23 Jun - 30 Jun (2) 16 Jun - 23 Jun (4) 9 Jun - 16 Jun (1) 2 Jun - 9 Jun (5) 26 May - 2 Jun (1) 19 May - 26 May (6) 12 May - 19 May (1) 21 Apr - 28 Apr (3) 14 Apr - 21 Apr (1) 31 Mar - 7 Apr (3) 24 Mar - 31 Mar (6) 17 Mar - 24 Mar (5) 10 Mar - 17 Mar (1) 3 Mar - 10 Mar (3) 24 Feb - 3 Mar (2) 17 Feb - 24 Feb (5) 10 Feb - 17 Feb (3) 3 Feb - 10 Feb (2) 20 Jan - 27 Jan (3) 13 Jan - 20 Jan (1) 23 Dec - 30 Dec (3) 2 Dec - 9 Dec (1) 25 Nov - 2 Dec (2) 18 Nov - 25 Nov (2) 11 Nov - 18 Nov (2) 4 Nov - 11 Nov (1) 21 Oct - 28 Oct (4) 14 Oct - 21 Oct (5) 7 Oct - 14 Oct (2) 30 Sep - 7 Oct (1) 23 Sep - 30 Sep (1) 9 Sep - 16 Sep (4) 2 Sep - 9 Sep (1) 19 Aug - 26 Aug (1) 12 Aug - 19 Aug (4) 5 Aug - 12 Aug (6) 29 Jul - 5 Aug (2) 22 Jul - 29 Jul (1) 15 Jul - 22 Jul (3) 8 Jul - 15 Jul (4) 1 Jul - 8 Jul (1) 24 Jun - 1 Jul (1) 17 Jun - 24 Jun (3) 10 Jun - 17 Jun (5) 3 Jun - 10 Jun (3) 27 May - 3 Jun (5) 20 May - 27 May (6) 13 May - 20 May (6) 6 May - 13 May (1) 29 Apr - 6 May (5) 22 Apr - 29 Apr (4) 15 Apr - 22 Apr (6) 8 Apr - 15 Apr (4) 1 Apr - 8 Apr (4) 25 Mar - 1 Apr (3) 18 Mar - 25 Mar (3) 11 Mar - 18 Mar (3) 4 Mar - 11 Mar (4) 25 Feb - 4 Mar (3) 18 Feb - 25 Feb (1) 11 Feb - 18 Feb (4) 4 Feb - 11 Feb (5) 28 Jan - 4 Feb (6) 21 Jan - 28 Jan (1) 14 Jan - 21 Jan (4) 7 Jan - 14 Jan (2) 31 Dec - 7 Jan (7) 24 Dec - 31 Dec (2) 17 Dec - 24 Dec (3) 10 Dec - 17 Dec (1) 3 Dec - 10 Dec (4) 26 Nov - 3 Dec (3) 19 Nov - 26 Nov (2) 12 Nov - 19 Nov (1) 5 Nov - 12 Nov (4) 22 Oct - 29 Oct (3) 15 Oct - 22 Oct (4) 8 Oct - 15 Oct (4) 1 Oct - 8 Oct (1) 10 Sep - 17 Sep (2) 3 Sep - 10 Sep (2) 27 Aug - 3 Sep (1) 20 Aug - 27 Aug (6) 6 Aug - 13 Aug (4) 30 Jul - 6 Aug (1) 23 Jul - 30 Jul (5) 16 Jul - 23 Jul (3) 9 Jul - 16 Jul (5) 25 Jun - 2 Jul (5) 18 Jun - 25 Jun (2) 11 Jun - 18 Jun (6) 4 Jun - 11 Jun (1) 28 May - 4 Jun (5) 21 May - 28 May (2) 14 May - 21 May (4) 7 May - 14 May (4) 30 Apr - 7 May (4) 23 Apr - 30 Apr (3) 16 Apr - 23 Apr (3) 9 Apr - 16 Apr (1) 2 Apr - 9 Apr (3) 26 Mar - 2 Apr (2) 19 Mar - 26 Mar (3) 12 Mar - 19 Mar (3) 5 Mar - 12 Mar (2) 26 Feb - 5 Mar (3) 19 Feb - 26 Feb (2) 12 Feb - 19 Feb (2) 5 Feb - 12 Feb (6) 29 Jan - 5 Feb (5) 22 Jan - 29 Jan (1) 15 Jan - 22 Jan (8) 8 Jan - 15 Jan (7) 1 Jan - 8 Jan (4) 25 Dec - 1 Jan (3) 11 Dec - 18 Dec (3) 13 Nov - 20 Nov (4) 6 Nov - 13 Nov (2) 30 Oct - 6 Nov (1) 23 Oct - 30 Oct (1) 16 Oct - 23 Oct (1) 9 Oct - 16 Oct (1) 2 Oct - 9 Oct (2) 25 Sep - 2 Oct (1) 18 Sep - 25 Sep (4) 11 Sep - 18 Sep (2) 4 Sep - 11 Sep (1) 28 Aug - 4 Sep (4) 21 Aug - 28 Aug (1) 14 Aug - 21 Aug (2) 7 Aug - 14 Aug (4) 31 Jul - 7 Aug (6) 24 Jul - 31 Jul (3) 17 Jul - 24 Jul (6) 10 Jul - 17 Jul (3) 3 Jul - 10 Jul (6) 26 Jun - 3 Jul (3) 19 Jun - 26 Jun (4) 5 Jun - 12 Jun (5) 29 May - 5 Jun (1) 22 May - 29 May (1) 15 May - 22 May (1) 8 May - 15 May (5) 1 May - 8 May (5) 24 Apr - 1 May (1) 17 Apr - 24 Apr (2) 10 Apr - 17 Apr (3) 3 Apr - 10 Apr (2) 20 Mar - 27 Mar (2) 13 Mar - 20 Mar (4) 6 Mar - 13 Mar (1) 28 Feb - 6 Mar (2) 21 Feb - 28 Feb (1) 14 Feb - 21 Feb (1) 7 Feb - 14 Feb (3) 24 Jan - 31 Jan (2) 17 Jan - 24 Jan (3) 10 Jan - 17 Jan (2) 3 Jan - 10 Jan (1) 27 Dec - 3 Jan (1) 20 Dec - 27 Dec (1) 13 Dec - 20 Dec (3) 6 Dec - 13 Dec (2) 29 Nov - 6 Dec (2) 22 Nov - 29 Nov (2) 15 Nov - 22 Nov (1) 8 Nov - 15 Nov (5) 1 Nov - 8 Nov (2) 25 Oct - 1 Nov (2) 18 Oct - 25 Oct (1) 11 Oct - 18 Oct (4) 4 Oct - 11 Oct (1) 27 Sep - 4 Oct (3) 20 Sep - 27 Sep (2) 13 Sep - 20 Sep (1) 6 Sep - 13 Sep (3) 30 Aug - 6 Sep (5) 23 Aug - 30 Aug (6) 16 Aug - 23 Aug (1) 9 Aug - 16 Aug (1) 2 Aug - 9 Aug (3) 26 Jul - 2 Aug (2) 19 Jul - 26 Jul (1) 12 Jul - 19 Jul (5) 5 Jul - 12 Jul (6) 28 Jun - 5 Jul (4) 21 Jun - 28 Jun (7) 14 Jun - 21 Jun (5) 7 Jun - 14 Jun (2) 31 May - 7 Jun (5) 24 May - 31 May (3) 17 May - 24 May (5) 10 May - 17 May (3) 3 May - 10 May (1) 26 Apr - 3 May (1) 19 Apr - 26 Apr (5) 12 Apr - 19 Apr (5) 5 Apr - 12 Apr (2) 29 Mar - 5 Apr (1) 22 Mar - 29 Mar (5) 15 Mar - 22 Mar (9) 8 Mar - 15 Mar (6) 1 Mar - 8 Mar (10) 22 Feb - 1 Mar (5) 15 Feb - 22 Feb (5) 1 Feb - 8 Feb (2) 25 Jan - 1 Feb (1) 18 Jan - 25 Jan (4) 11 Jan - 18 Jan (1) 4 Jan - 11 Jan (3) 28 Dec - 4 Jan (3) 21 Dec - 28 Dec (3) 14 Dec - 21 Dec (4) 7 Dec - 14 Dec (2) 30 Nov - 7 Dec (3) 23 Nov - 30 Nov (3) 9 Nov - 16 Nov (3) 2 Nov - 9 Nov (5) 26 Oct - 2 Nov (3) 19 Oct - 26 Oct (8) 12 Oct - 19 Oct (6) 5 Oct - 12 Oct (3) 28 Sep - 5 Oct (5) 21 Sep - 28 Sep (4) 14 Sep - 21 Sep (1) 7 Sep - 14 Sep (4) 31 Aug - 7 Sep (1) 24 Aug - 31 Aug (2) 17 Aug - 24 Aug (2) 10 Aug - 17 Aug (7) 3 Aug - 10 Aug (3) 27 Jul - 3 Aug (3) 20 Jul - 27 Jul (3) 13 Jul - 20 Jul (4) 6 Jul - 13 Jul (1) 29 Jun - 6 Jul (5) 22 Jun - 29 Jun (2) 15 Jun - 22 Jun (4) 8 Jun - 15 Jun (2) 1 Jun - 8 Jun (2) 25 May - 1 Jun (8) 18 May - 25 May (4) 11 May - 18 May (1) 4 May - 11 May (3) 27 Apr - 4 May (4) 20 Apr - 27 Apr (2) 13 Apr - 20 Apr (6) 6 Apr - 13 Apr (2) 23 Mar - 30 Mar (4) 16 Mar - 23 Mar (2) 9 Mar - 16 Mar (2) 2 Mar - 9 Mar (2) 23 Feb - 2 Mar (2) 16 Feb - 23 Feb (1) 9 Feb - 16 Feb (6) 2 Feb - 9 Feb (1) 26 Jan - 2 Feb (2) 19 Jan - 26 Jan (1) 12 Jan - 19 Jan (1) 29 Dec - 5 Jan (1) 22 Dec - 29 Dec (2) 8 Dec - 15 Dec (2) 1 Dec - 8 Dec (1) 24 Nov - 1 Dec (4) 17 Nov - 24 Nov (4) 10 Nov - 17 Nov (1) 3 Nov - 10 Nov (4) 20 Oct - 27 Oct (2) 13 Oct - 20 Oct (4) 29 Sep - 6 Oct (1) 22 Sep - 29 Sep (2) 15 Sep - 22 Sep (3) 8 Sep - 15 Sep (1) 1 Sep - 8 Sep (6) 25 Aug - 1 Sep (7) 18 Aug - 25 Aug (9) 11 Aug - 18 Aug (6) 4 Aug - 11 Aug (4) 28 Jul - 4 Aug (3) 21 Jul - 28 Jul (8) 14 Jul - 21 Jul (4) 7 Jul - 14 Jul (5) 30 Jun - 7 Jul (8) 23 Jun - 30 Jun (8) 16 Jun - 23 Jun (4) 9 Jun - 16 Jun (7) 2 Jun - 9 Jun (7) 26 May - 2 Jun (8) 19 May - 26 May (7) 12 May - 19 May (5) 5 May - 12 May (5) 28 Apr - 5 May (11) 21 Apr - 28 Apr (6) 14 Apr - 21 Apr (5) 7 Apr - 14 Apr (6) 31 Mar - 7 Apr (7) 24 Mar - 31 Mar (4) 17 Mar - 24 Mar (4) 3 Mar - 10 Mar (6) 24 Feb - 3 Mar (3) 17 Feb - 24 Feb (3) 10 Feb - 17 Feb (5) 3 Feb - 10 Feb (3) 27 Jan - 3 Feb (6) 20 Jan - 27 Jan (1) 13 Jan - 20 Jan (6) 6 Jan - 13 Jan (2) 30 Dec - 6 Jan (2) 23 Dec - 30 Dec (1) 16 Dec - 23 Dec (3) 9 Dec - 16 Dec (2) 2 Dec - 9 Dec (1) 25 Nov - 2 Dec (1) 18 Nov - 25 Nov (3) 11 Nov - 18 Nov (5) 4 Nov - 11 Nov (2) 28 Oct - 4 Nov (6) 21 Oct - 28 Oct (9) 14 Oct - 21 Oct (9) 30 Sep - 7 Oct (4) 23 Sep - 30 Sep (2) 16 Sep - 23 Sep (2) 9 Sep - 16 Sep (6) 2 Sep - 9 Sep (3) 26 Aug - 2 Sep (3) 19 Aug - 26 Aug (3) 12 Aug - 19 Aug (7) 5 Aug - 12 Aug (4) 29 Jul - 5 Aug (8) 22 Jul - 29 Jul (7) 15 Jul - 22 Jul (7) 8 Jul - 15 Jul (7) 1 Jul - 8 Jul (7) 24 Jun - 1 Jul (9) 17 Jun - 24 Jun (10) 10 Jun - 17 Jun (7) 3 Jun - 10 Jun (10) 27 May - 3 Jun (6) 20 May - 27 May (8) 13 May - 20 May (8) 6 May - 13 May (11) 29 Apr - 6 May (6) 22 Apr - 29 Apr (8) 15 Apr - 22 Apr (5) 8 Apr - 15 Apr (11) 1 Apr - 8 Apr (5) 25 Mar - 1 Apr (9) 18 Mar - 25 Mar (9) 11 Mar - 18 Mar (8) 4 Mar - 11 Mar (8) 19 Feb - 26 Feb (7) 12 Feb - 19 Feb (7) 5 Feb - 12 Feb (5) 29 Jan - 5 Feb (7) 22 Jan - 29 Jan (4) 15 Jan - 22 Jan (2) 8 Jan - 15 Jan (5) 1 Jan - 8 Jan (5) 25 Dec - 1 Jan (6) 18 Dec - 25 Dec (4) 11 Dec - 18 Dec (5) 4 Dec - 11 Dec (7) 27 Nov - 4 Dec (7) 20 Nov - 27 Nov (7) 13 Nov - 20 Nov (3) 6 Nov - 13 Nov (4) 30 Oct - 6 Nov (5) 23 Oct - 30 Oct (9) 16 Oct - 23 Oct (3) 9 Oct - 16 Oct (8) 2 Oct - 9 Oct (5) 25 Sep - 2 Oct (11) 18 Sep - 25 Sep (4) 11 Sep - 18 Sep (6) 4 Sep - 11 Sep (6) 28 Aug - 4 Sep (7) 21 Aug - 28 Aug (3) 14 Aug - 21 Aug (9) 7 Aug - 14 Aug (4) 31 Jul - 7 Aug (8) 24 Jul - 31 Jul (11) 17 Jul - 24 Jul (8) 10 Jul - 17 Jul (9) 3 Jul - 10 Jul (11) 26 Jun - 3 Jul (9) 19 Jun - 26 Jun (9) 12 Jun - 19 Jun (7) 5 Jun - 12 Jun (9) 29 May - 5 Jun (5) 22 May - 29 May (8) 15 May - 22 May (9) 8 May - 15 May (4) 1 May - 8 May (6) 24 Apr - 1 May (6) 17 Apr - 24 Apr (10) 10 Apr - 17 Apr (8) 3 Apr - 10 Apr (8) 27 Mar - 3 Apr (8) 20 Mar - 27 Mar (8) 13 Mar - 20 Mar (12) 6 Mar - 13 Mar (7) 27 Feb - 6 Mar (7) 20 Feb - 27 Feb (11) 13 Feb - 20 Feb (7) 6 Feb - 13 Feb (5) 30 Jan - 6 Feb (8) 23 Jan - 30 Jan (10) 16 Jan - 23 Jan (10) 9 Jan - 16 Jan (9) 2 Jan - 9 Jan (11) 26 Dec - 2 Jan (6) 19 Dec - 26 Dec (7) 12 Dec - 19 Dec (6) 5 Dec - 12 Dec (7) 28 Nov - 5 Dec (5) 21 Nov - 28 Nov (4) 14 Nov - 21 Nov (7) 7 Nov - 14 Nov (6) 31 Oct - 7 Nov (6) 24 Oct - 31 Oct (5) 17 Oct - 24 Oct (5) 10 Oct - 17 Oct (7) 3 Oct - 10 Oct (2) 26 Sep - 3 Oct (4) 19 Sep - 26 Sep (6) 12 Sep - 19 Sep (7) 5 Sep - 12 Sep (10) 29 Aug - 5 Sep (8) 22 Aug - 29 Aug (5) 15 Aug - 22 Aug (6) 8 Aug - 15 Aug (6) 1 Aug - 8 Aug (4) 25 Jul - 1 Aug (13) 18 Jul - 25 Jul (9) 11 Jul - 18 Jul (9) 4 Jul - 11 Jul (8) 27 Jun - 4 Jul (9) 20 Jun - 27 Jun (11) 13 Jun - 20 Jun (11) 6 Jun - 13 Jun (11) 30 May - 6 Jun (9) 23 May - 30 May (23) 16 May - 23 May (12) 9 May - 16 May (12) 2 May - 9 May (10) 25 Apr - 2 May (7) 18 Apr - 25 Apr (9) 11 Apr - 18 Apr (10) 4 Apr - 11 Apr (11) 28 Mar - 4 Apr (9) 21 Mar - 28 Mar (6) 14 Mar - 21 Mar (9) 7 Mar - 14 Mar (2) 28 Feb - 7 Mar (9) 21 Feb - 28 Feb (7) 14 Feb - 21 Feb (9) 7 Feb - 14 Feb (9) 31 Jan - 7 Feb (6) 24 Jan - 31 Jan (14) 17 Jan - 24 Jan (9) 10 Jan - 17 Jan (11) 3 Jan - 10 Jan (10) 27 Dec - 3 Jan (10) 20 Dec - 27 Dec (8) 13 Dec - 20 Dec (6) 6 Dec - 13 Dec (9) 29 Nov - 6 Dec (13) 22 Nov - 29 Nov (10) 15 Nov - 22 Nov (14) 8 Nov - 15 Nov (11) 1 Nov - 8 Nov (16) 25 Oct - 1 Nov (13) 18 Oct - 25 Oct (12) 11 Oct - 18 Oct (9) 4 Oct - 11 Oct (11) 27 Sep - 4 Oct (14) 20 Sep - 27 Sep (19) 13 Sep - 20 Sep (13) 6 Sep - 13 Sep (12) 30 Aug - 6 Sep (15) 23 Aug - 30 Aug (15) 16 Aug - 23 Aug (16) 9 Aug - 16 Aug (14) 2 Aug - 9 Aug (15) 26 Jul - 2 Aug (20) 19 Jul - 26 Jul (10) 12 Jul - 19 Jul (13) 5 Jul - 12 Jul (21) 28 Jun - 5 Jul (15) 21 Jun - 28 Jun (20) 14 Jun - 21 Jun (10) 7 Jun - 14 Jun (13) 31 May - 7 Jun (13) 24 May - 31 May (13) 17 May - 24 May (15) 10 May - 17 May (16) 3 May - 10 May (11) 26 Apr - 3 May (21) 19 Apr - 26 Apr (17) 12 Apr - 19 Apr (20) 5 Apr - 12 Apr (16) 29 Mar - 5 Apr (19) 22 Mar - 29 Mar (17) 15 Mar - 22 Mar (23) 8 Mar - 15 Mar (22) 1 Mar - 8 Mar (21) 22 Feb - 1 Mar (22) 15 Feb - 22 Feb (25) 8 Feb - 15 Feb (25) 1 Feb - 8 Feb (21) 25 Jan - 1 Feb (23) 18 Jan - 25 Jan (19) 11 Jan - 18 Jan (35) 4 Jan - 11 Jan (23) 28 Dec - 4 Jan (27) 21 Dec - 28 Dec (28) 14 Dec - 21 Dec (23) 7 Dec - 14 Dec (22) 30 Nov - 7 Dec (19) 23 Nov - 30 Nov (22) 16 Nov - 23 Nov (19) 9 Nov - 16 Nov (15) 2 Nov - 9 Nov (17) 26 Oct - 2 Nov (10) 19 Oct - 26 Oct (12) 12 Oct - 19 Oct (13) 5 Oct - 12 Oct (19) 28 Sep - 5 Oct (14) 21 Sep - 28 Sep (17) 14 Sep - 21 Sep (19) 7 Sep - 14 Sep (22) 31 Aug - 7 Sep (15) 24 Aug - 31 Aug (14) 17 Aug - 24 Aug (9) 10 Aug - 17 Aug (5) Archives Monthly Archives Monthly Select Month July 2025 (8) June 2025 (72) May 2025 (68) April 2025 (64) March 2025 (60) February 2025 (55) January 2025 (79) December 2024 (70) November 2024 (77) October 2024 (102) September 2024 (85) August 2024 (93) July 2024 (114) June 2024 (133) May 2024 (121) April 2024 (166) March 2024 (164) February 2024 (167) January 2024 (159) December 2023 (133) November 2023 (116) October 2023 (141) September 2023 (108) August 2023 (109) July 2023 (128) June 2023 (150) May 2023 (152) April 2023 (202) March 2023 (158) February 2023 (104) January 2023 (88) December 2022 (127) November 2022 (157) October 2022 (233) September 2022 (160) August 2022 (146) July 2022 (118) June 2022 (222) May 2022 (428) April 2022 (235) March 2022 (95) February 2022 (58) January 2022 (48) December 2021 (56) November 2021 (38) October 2021 (58) September 2021 (44) August 2021 (40) July 2021 (36) June 2021 (38) May 2021 (35) April 2021 (40) March 2021 (59) February 2021 (50) January 2021 (47) December 2020 (43) November 2020 (42) October 2020 (47) September 2020 (26) August 2020 (40) July 2020 (34) June 2020 (40) May 2020 (39) April 2020 (48) March 2020 (55) February 2020 (43) January 2020 (56) December 2019 (36) November 2019 (39) October 2019 (31) September 2019 (37) August 2019 (22) July 2019 (23) June 2019 (37) May 2019 (36) April 2019 (61) March 2019 (51) February 2019 (45) January 2019 (49) December 2018 (46) November 2018 (46) October 2018 (25) September 2018 (37) August 2018 (37) July 2018 (46) June 2018 (45) May 2018 (77) April 2018 (70) March 2018 (55) February 2018 (52) January 2018 (68) December 2017 (65) November 2017 (51) October 2017 (42) September 2017 (53) August 2017 (53) July 2017 (45) June 2017 (36) May 2017 (48) April 2017 (42) March 2017 (27) February 2017 (33) January 2017 (36) December 2016 (37) November 2016 (38) October 2016 (36) September 2016 (35) August 2016 (42) July 2016 (48) June 2016 (39) May 2016 (33) April 2016 (47) March 2016 (42) February 2016 (43) January 2016 (52) December 2015 (45) November 2015 (42) October 2015 (30) September 2015 (47) August 2015 (53) July 2015 (48) June 2015 (49) May 2015 (47) April 2015 (36) March 2015 (43) February 2015 (41) January 2015 (38) December 2014 (47) November 2014 (39) October 2014 (26) September 2014 (52) August 2014 (50) July 2014 (52) June 2014 (35) May 2014 (33) April 2014 (38) March 2014 (45) February 2014 (32) January 2014 (35) December 2013 (39) November 2013 (25) October 2013 (13) September 2013 (26) August 2013 (31) July 2013 (29) June 2013 (48) May 2013 (41) April 2013 (53) March 2013 (43) February 2013 (38) January 2013 (47) December 2012 (44) November 2012 (26) October 2012 (21) September 2012 (47) August 2012 (52) July 2012 (47) June 2012 (41) May 2012 (63) April 2012 (41) March 2012 (52) February 2012 (63) January 2012 (60) December 2011 (61) November 2011 (53) October 2011 (57) September 2011 (71) August 2011 (57) July 2011 (42) June 2011 (82) May 2011 (68) April 2011 (93) March 2011 (158) February 2011 (53) January 2011 (58) December 2010 (85) November 2010 (60) October 2010 (51) September 2010 (79) August 2010 (84) July 2010 (88) June 2010 (85) May 2010 (30) April 2010 (52) March 2010 (63) February 2010 (48) January 2010 (33) December 2009 (62) November 2009 (26) October 2009 (64) September 2009 (47) August 2009 (42) July 2009 (45) June 2009 (47) May 2009 (58) April 2009 (44) March 2009 (58) February 2009 (42) January 2009 (45) December 2008 (50) November 2008 (56) October 2008 (17) September 2008 (57) August 2008 (119) July 2008 (55) June 2008 (38) May 2008 (60) April 2008 (17) March 2008 (43) February 2008 (42) January 2008 (37) December 2007 (39) November 2007 (39) October 2007 (1) September 2007 (18) August 2007 (25) July 2007 (28) June 2007 (19) May 2007 (6) April 2007 (1) March 2007 (1) February 2007 (1) January 2007 (1) December 2006 (1) November 2006 (2) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (2) August 2006 (1) July 2006 (1) June 2006 (6) May 2006 (4) April 2006 (3) March 2006 (1) February 2006 (11) January 2006 (2) or Grab a Year 2025 (406) 2024 (1451) 2023 (1589) 2022 (2027) 2021 (541) 2020 (513) 2019 (467) 2018 (604) 2017 (531) 2016 (492) 2015 (519) 2014 (484) 2013 (433) 2012 (557) 2011 (853) 2010 (758) 2009 (580) 2008 (591) 2007 (179) 2006 (35) Compassionate new strategy to reduce suicide deaths and improve self-harm support in Wales This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Apr 1st, 2025 An ambitious new drive to create a more compassionate approach to understanding the causes of and responding to suicide and self-harm will help to save lives in Wales. The Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Sarah Murphy has today launched Wales new 10-year strategy, which focuses on tackling the issues which lead people to suicidal thoughts and improving support for people experiencing self-harm. It will draw directly on peoples lived experience and target stigma around suicide and self-harm to create a culture where people are able to seek support without fear or judgement. The Welsh Government is also investing more than 2m in the National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-harm at Swansea University through Health and Care Research Wales, marking a significant advance in understanding these complex issues. The new Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Strategy sets out six main aims: Listening and learning developing a robust evidence base and hearing from people with lived experience Preventing addressing risk factors Empowering removing stigma, helping everyone to talk and listen to each other about suicide and self-harm and to help find support when needed Supporting improving services for people with self-harm and suicidal thoughts Equipping making sure services which support people at higher risk across Wales identify people in need and work together to provide support Responding providing timely, compassionate and person-centred support to those affected following suspected suicides The strategy recognises that suicide and self-harm can affect anyone at any age. However, the groups with the highest prevalence rates are different for suicide than they are for self-harm. Suicide is most prevalent among men aged 30 to 55, while self-harm is more common among young women aged 15 to 19. The Welsh Government say that this distinction will help inform tailored approaches within the strategy. The strategy also emphasises that self-harm is a significant risk factor for suicide. It urges everyone to take all incidents of self-harm seriously and treat the person in distress with kindness and compassion. Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Sarah Murphy said: This ambitious strategy focuses on building understanding, prevention, and compassionate support for everyone affected by suicide and self-harm. By working across government departments and with our partners, were tackling the root causes while ensuring immediate help is available to those who need it. Its through supporting and working with third sector organisations like the Samaritans that we will achieve the ambitions set out in our Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Strategy. Joshua, who has received support from the Samaritans after having suicidal thoughts, said: I see a generational issue where older men dont speak about their mental health because they grew up in a time when it wasnt discussed. Nowadays, people are much more aware and open about mental health, which is very positive. However, there is still a demographic of boys and men my age who feel its too wimpy or embarrassing to speak about it. Ive noticed that even though the conversation is improving, this issue persists. The new strategy will build on progress made in developing new services and support in Wales. Last year, the Welsh Government launched a national advice service aimed at supporting all those affected by suicide, and new guidance for agencies and organisations working with those affected by bereavement. Key service improvements to date include single points of contact for child and adolescent mental health services and the national rollout of the 111 press 2 phone service for urgent mental health support. Information from The Real Time Suspected Suicide Surveillance (RTSSS), which collects data directly from police forces, will be used alongside a lived experience framework drawing the experiences from those who have been directly affected to help shape policies and support services. The National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-harm has been appointed as an advisory body to the Welsh Government. A National Suicide and Self-harm team has also been established within the NHS Executive to drive change across Wales. The Reno Police Department Traffic Division carried out pedestrian and school zone safety operations during school hours in March using funding from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety. Six officers carried out enforcement actions during that period, either in an active school zone or within the downtown areas' authorized pedestrian safety zones. Based on community feedback on unsafe driving in particular areas, school zones were chosen. To improve pedestrian safety, the Reno Police Department said they concentrated their efforts on drivers and pedestrians who were breaking those regulations. Officers issued 28 warnings and 65 traffic citations throughout these operations. Reno Police say, according to Nevada state law, pedestrians must abide by all traffic-control signs and signals and use sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian bridges. In the event that there is no sidewalk, pedestrians must face traffic on the left side of the street. Drivers are required to yield to pedestrians and avoid passing cars that have stopped for pedestrians. Police say the "Look Up, Look Out" is a good general rule for everyone. The Office of Traffic Safety, Nevada Department of Public Safety, and the Reno Police Department would like to remind drivers and pedestrians to share the road, be vigilant and mindful of their surroundings, and follow the regulations that are intended to protect all users of the road. For more information the Zero Fatalities website has additional information regarding the law and safe driving and pedestrian practices French expats Florent Thomas and Simon Mounier are the duo behind Cache, the new Inner Sunset restaurant that is equal parts neighborhood hotspot and hidden gem. Thomas, the restaurant's director of operations, and Mounier, its chef, first connected over their shared love of San Francisco while working at Le Grande Maison de Bernard Magrez, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bordeaux, France. Each had dreams of someday moving to the City by the Bay. This March, that dream became a reality when they opened a bistro on 9th Avenue, just a stones throw from Golden Gate Park. The bar at Cache serves espresso drinks, low-ABV cocktails, mocktails, and natural wines. (Joseph Weaver) The decor is warm and playful with a retro flair. Earthy tones dominate the space, accented by potted plants and whimsical artwork. A narrow, elongated layout enhances the hideaway feel, with a terracotta-tiled bar upfront and a protected outdoor space in back. Cache's menu features shared plates, light bites, entrees, and desserts inspired by seasonal ingredients, local flavors, and treasured memoriesor souvenirs in French. Thomas has created a beverage program to match, with a selection of natural wines from California and Europe, along with non-alcoholic and low-ABV cocktails, including a classic cappelletti spritz and a booze-free sour. I took the kitchen's advice and tried the signature sea bream sashimi and the surf and turf crudo. The sea breamfirst served at a Nightbird pop-upis a fresh, impressive riff on a whole-fish dish in which the flesh is cut into strips, marinated in orange and lime, then carefully rolled and set back into the body. It's light and elegant with nuanced flavors and a delicate texture. Surf and Turf Crudo (Joseph Weaver) While the sea bream pays homage to the ocean, the surf and turf crudo draws inspiration from Mounier's mentor, Pierre Gagnaire. In it, both beef and oysters are meticulously chopped to better absorb a savory soy marinade. In contrast to the sea bream, the flavors are bold and pronounced. The vegan quinoa green curry offers a taste of Mouniers travels in Thailand and his memories of Bangkok's Chatuchak Market. Flavorful without the aggressive heat of a traditional curry, the dish is both interesting and approachable. Other signatures included a perfectly pan-fried wing of skate with brown butter sauce and an Iberico pork dish inspired by the chef's many trips to Spain. The dessert menu features fun and fanciful items, including a warm cookie topped with salted caramel and sweet almond gelato. I tried the maple buckwheat tart, even though it's a dish that typically wouldn't catch my eye. When Mounier shared that its flavors were inspired by his home in Brittany, I grew curious. The tart is reminiscent of a traditional French galette, filled with maple cream and topped with maple gelato. Surprisingly subtle and not overly sweet, it has a crisp crust that breaks easily into its silky filling and pairs well with a decaf espresso. Vegan Quinoa Curry (Joseph Weaver) I'm a sucker for anything French or French-inspired so, for me, a new bistro is an easy sell. What isn't so easy is getting me to come back again. Yet even before I'd left Cache, I was already planning my returnfor more than one reason: they were out of the haddock croquettes, I had no room left to sample the cheese plate, and I heard whispers of a pistachio creme brulee in the works. There's a difference between creating a menu that's a collection of a chef's favorite dishes and one that has an air of artistry. Cache's is the latter. Like good jazz, the bistro is alive and laid-backunafraid of trying something new while drawing inspiration from the best of what came before. // Cache is open for lunch Thursday, Friday, and Monday from 11am to 2pm, brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm, and dinner Wednesday through Monday starting at 5pm ; 1235 9th Ave (Inner Sunset),cache-sf.com Innovation thrives at Mosaic, San Francisco's new gathering and collaboration space. With a sprawling indoor-outdoor layout, the next-gen conference center offers plenty of room to connect, work, and unwindplus, the added bonus of state-of-the-art technology and concierge-level services. A dynamic calendar of monthly event programmingfrom seminars and workshops to social events like movie nights and wine tastingsprovides guests with a number of ways to get to know one another. On April 17th, for example, Mosaic will host a leadership workshop that teaches managers strategies to energize their teams and elevate their skills, followed by a cocktail hour for networking and unwinding. This May they'll focus on career development, helping professionals refine their pitches, gain industry insights, and expand their networks. Located in the iconic Embarcadero Center in SFs Financial District, Mosaic is just steps away from more than 50 shops and restaurants, including Rosalind Bakery , Devils Teeth Baking Co. , Embarc Wines , and Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Harborview Restaurant & Bar . Getting there is easy, too. Public transportation is ultra-accessible, and Embarcadero Center has parking right on site. For out-of-town visitors, Mosaic is just a short trip from SFO and literally steps away from a variety of high-end hotels. Its been more than 50 years since Paul Reiser, 69, first took the stage to perform stand-up. The actor/comedian, who kicks off his latest comedy tour April 17 in Hermosa Beach, California, doesnt take that lightly. I was in college the first time I went on stage, he says, reminiscing. There arent a lot of things that you can do in your 60s that feel like you do when youre 20. In fact, Reiser, whose sitcom Mad About You made him a household name in the 90s, says aging is an asset. Ive come to trust the process that some fun things will come out of the blue, he says. But I never get bored because Im OK being bored. When theres nothing happening, its like, Oh, I got a stack of books Id love to sit and read, and theres an ocean Id like to stare at. Im easily contented. Members only Reiser recently spoke with AARP about being the new kid on the set of Stranger Things; which comedians he thinks are funny; and why his retirement plan actually looks very much like the life hes living now. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. How has stand-up changed compared to when you first started? I had taken a long time off when Mad About You started, until well after it was over [1992-1999]. I meant to get back. I just hadnt. When I finally did, I just sort of started from scratch, and I would drop into the local comedy club. It was interesting to see how exactly the same it was as when I started at 18. ... It was the same excitement, the same challenge, the same frustration, the same moving goalposts. And theres nothing you can do that will accelerate it or get better other than getting up every night, or as often as possible, and doing it. Whats different about doing stand-up from making movies or TV? Part of what I love about stand-up is its very simple not easy, but its uncomplicated. Think of something, make it as funny as you can, see if anybody else laughs. Thats the rule. There are no executives. You dont have to test it for six months and wait two years to see if it does well. You know at 8:30 if the joke you wrote at 4:30 works. So I love that old-school nature of it. (From left) Paul Reiser, Anne Ramsay and Helen Hunt in "Mad About You," which ran on NBC from 1992 to 1999. Danny Feld/NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection Did you enjoy rebooting Mad About You in 2019 on the streaming service Spectrum Originals? I did, to my surprise, only because Helen Hunt [61] and I we had stayed friends and we were very clear we were never gonna revisit the show because we loved it so much and we ended it so well. High Grades of up to 93.2g/t Gold From Maiden Hole at Myrtleford Sydney, April 1, 2025 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Advance Metals Limited ( ASX:AVM ) is pleased to provide initial assay results for its maiden drilling program at the Myrtleford Project in the Victorian Goldfields, Australia. Advance recently entered into a binding agreement with Serra Energy Metals Corp. ( CNSX:SEEM ) ( ESVNF:OTCMKTS ) to acquire an 80% interest via joint venture on the high grade Myrtleford and Beaufort Gold Projects. HIGHLIGHTS - AMD001 returns 8.2m at 22.4g/t gold o Advance has now received the final assay results for the Company's first diamond drill hole at the Happy Valley Prospect in the southeastern portion of the Myrtleford Gold Project in Victoria o Hole AMD001 returned very strong gold mineralisation in multiple down hole zones, including: AMD001 0.9 metres at 19.0g/t Au from 157.8m 2.15 metres at 4.0g/t Au from 177.8m 8.2 metres at 22.4g/t Au from 186.0m incl. 3.4 metres at 52.7g/t Au from 186m o These results place AMD001 amongst the highest-grade holes drilled in the region, with the intersection including individual assays up to 93.2g/t Au. o AMD001 passes approximately 20 metres up-dip from previous diamond hole HVD003 (11.5m at 160.4g/t Au), with the latest results defining a coherent ultra-high grade zone with potential extensions down-plunge and along strike o Results for subsequent diamond holes AMD002 and AMD003 remain pending, with both also previously reported to contain visible gold in multiple down-hole zones akin to AMD0012 o Drilling is also continuing on the fourth drill hole (AMD004) in the initial program at Happy Valley, targeting continuity of the system down plunge o Results to date highlight the immense potential of the broader 13km-long Happy Valley trend, with less than 1% of the total strike tested by drilling so far Commenting on the high grade gold results from AMD001, Managing Director Adam McKinnon said: "These initial assay results are exactly what we were hoping for, demonstrating the presence of exceptional gold mineralisation across significant widths at Myrtleford. In combination with previous drilling, these results now define a coherent ultra-high grade zone at the Happy Valley Project with potential extensions down-plunge and along strike. With subsequent holes AMD002 and AMD003 also showing similar zones with visible gold mineralisation, there is every indication this high grade corridor is set to expand even further." "Given the exceptional tenor of the gold in AMD001 and the proximity to historic high grade workings, it's hard not to draw comparisons with early exploration success at Southern Cross Gold's Sunday Creek, which has turned into the most significant discovery in Victoria in recent years. Our technical team are continuing to evaluate the geometry and controls on the mineralisation and now firmly believe multiple prospects including Happy Valley across the Myrtleford Project area have similar potential." First assays from Advance's initial Myrtleford diamond program received In mid-March the Company noted drilling within the Happy Valley Prospect at its Myrtleford Gold Project had intersected encouraging visual gold results from all three of the initial diamond holes completed (AMD001 to AMD003). Preliminary logging of these holes showed each contained multiple down-hole zones with strong quartz veining hosting minor sulphides and variable visible gold mineralisation (Figures 1-3*). Analytical results for AMD001 have now been returned (Table 2*), showing strong gold mineralisation in a number of down hole zones: AMD001 0.9 metres at 19.0g/t Au from 157.8m 2.15 metres at 4.0g/t Au from 177.8m 8.2 metres at 22.4g/t Au from 186.0m incl. 3.4 metres at 52.7g/t Au from 186m The lower high grade interval in AMD001 is interpreted to correlate with the "Old Happy Valley Lode", which was historically mined higher in the system (Figures 2 & 3*). Individual assay samples within this interval were consistently high grade, including 1.2 metres at 93.2g/t Au from 186m, 0.7 metres at 27.2g/t Au from 187.2m, 0.4 metres at 69.2g/t Au from 188.4 metres, 0.6 metres 32.1g/t Au from 188.6m. AMD001 was drilled approximately 20 metres above previous hole Serra drill hole HVD003, which graded 11.5 metres at 160.4g/t Au. These two holes define a coherent ultra-high grade zone with potential extensions down-plunge and along strike. Below HVD003, results are currently pending for Advance's second drill hole (AMD002), which was also noted to host visible gold mineralisation in multiple down hole locations (Figure 3*), presenting a strong potential to extend this high grade zone even further. Equally as encouraging, the strongest visual gold mineralisation to date was observed in hole AMD0032 (Figure 4*), which was drilled immediately along strike to the northwest of AMD001 (Figure 2*). Next Steps for Advance at Myrtleford - Logging and processing of holes AMD002 and AMD003 are now complete, with full assays expected mid-April 2025 - Drilling is currently continuing on Advance's fourth and deepest hole to date at Happy Valley (AMD004), which is expected to test the down-plunge potential approximately 50 metres below and slightly along strike to the southeast of AMD002 - Following completion of hole AMD004 at Happy Valley, the diamond rig will move to the Twist Creek area in the northern portion of the Myrtleford Project, where a number of shallow targets will be tested over the coming month - A program of mapping and rock chip sampling is continuing in multiple target areas across the Myrtleford project, with a particular focus along strike from the current drilling at Happy Valley - Advance's technical team are currently designing a potential follow-up drilling program for the immediate Happy Valley prospect area, with targets to be fully defined once remaining assays are received for holes AMD002, AMD003 and AMD004 *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/L3M87KV6 About Advance Metals Ltd Advance Metals Limited (ASX:AVM) is focused on the discovery of major copper deposits in brownfield mining districts in Arizona and Idaho, as well as other western US states. Our strategy is to develop a portfolio of low-cost, high-grade deposits with a potential 100Mt of copper resources. Related Companies By Clive Booth, Board Member of The ESG Foundation Global ESG Trends: Varied Reactions Across Industries Companies Scaling Back on ESG Efforts: 1. Disney: Facing growing political pressure, Disney has re-assessed its focus on social aspects of ESG. While environmental sustainability initiatives persist, their social and governance commitments have been scrutinized and partially scaled back. This shift could influence long-term corporate valuations, with implications for asset managers considering their stock in pension fund portfolios. 2. ExxonMobil: Speculation emerged in 2023 that ExxonMobil, along with other large oil and gas firms, was revising its ESG commitments, especially amid soaring energy prices. This has raised concerns around the transparency of ESG-related initiatives, potentially influencing the risk profiles for pension funds invested in energy sectors. 3. BlackRock: As one of the largest asset managers globally, BlackRocks ESG approach has encountered significant pushback, especially from U.S. Republican lawmakers. While BlackRock still emphasizes ESG, its public statements and integration strategies have become more cautious. For actuaries, this could suggest a shift in how ESG is integrated into investment strategies, influencing fund performance assessments. Companies Expanding ESG Efforts: 1. Patagonia: Patagonia remains a leader in sustainability, emphasizing carbon footprint reduction and ethical sourcing. As ESG reporting becomes increasingly crucial for attracting ethical investors, pension funds looking for long-term stability may view companies like Patagonia as valuable assets. 2. Unilever: Unilevers robust ESG strategy, particularly around sustainability and equity, makes it a standout in the consumer goods sector. With the launch of its Climate Transition Action Plan, Unilever is actively enhancing its ESG reporting. For pension actuaries, this demonstrates the potential for strong, long-term returns linked to companies investing in comprehensive sustainability. 3. Tesla: Tesla's focus on renewable energy through electric vehicles, solar products, and energy storage still positions it as a leading ESG company. While CEO Elon Musks statements sometimes contradict the companys corporate actions, Teslas commitment to Sustainability may still align with the growing demand for ESG-conscious investments. (Although, admittedly in May 2022 Tesla fell out of the S&P 500 ESG Index over discrimination, safety and governance concerns.) 4. Microsoft and SAP: Both tech giants are highly active in ESG, notably their pledges to become carbon negative by 2030. Their proactive approach to ESG not only mitigates potential risks but also appeals to investors, which could be pivotal in determining asset allocation for pension funds. The Growing Importance of ESG Reports As regulators push for more transparency, the volume of ESG reports continues to grow. In 2023, ESG reporting surged, especially following the implementation of the EUs Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the SECs climate disclosure requirements in the U.S. For actuaries, these reports provide critical data for assessing the sustainability and long-term viability of companies within pension portfolios. Looking ahead, the number of ESG reports is set to increase further in 2025, as regulations tighten and stakeholders demand more transparency. This will have direct implications for the pension sector, as companies with strong ESG performance are more likely to attract investment from institutional investors focused on sustainability. Whilst the ESG Foundations ESG Reports Showcase now has some 250+ ESG reports to view, a comprehensive list of all ESG reports ever published requires a deeper dive. However, you can typically find specific reports on the corporate websites of individual companies or platforms that specialize in aggregating corporate sustainability reports, such as: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) Sustainability reports on company websites (e.g., Patagonia, Microsoft, Unilever) Conclusions for Actuaries in the Pensions Sector Despite political opposition, particularly from figures like Donald Trump, ESG principles continue to gain traction worldwide. While some industries and companies may be scaling back on ESG initiatives, the long-term value of sustainability practices remains clear. For actuaries managing pension funds, the growing importance of ESG cannot be ignored. As companies continue to align their operations with ESG principles, the ability to integrate these considerations into investment strategies will become increasingly crucial. Understanding these trends and their impact on long-term returns will be key to navigating the evolving landscape of pension fund management. Dyna, a premium beauty soap brand from the house of Anchor Consumer Products, known for its superior skincare formulations, has announced acclaimed actress Mrunal Thakur as its new brand ambassador. With her elegance, confidence, and natural beauty, Mrunal perfectly embodies the essence of Dyna, making her the ideal face for the brands latest campaign, Pehli Jhalak Kare Khoobsurat Asar. The announcement marks a strategic move by Dyna to strengthen its position in the premium beauty soap segment, catering to consumers who seek an indulgent skincare experience without compromising on value. As an aspirational icon, Mrunal resonates deeply with modern women who prioritize beauty, confidence, and self-care. Mrunal Thakurs association with Dyna comes at a time when the brand is expanding its footprint in the premium beauty segment, offering a Grade 1 soap with 76% TFM (Total Fatty Matter) and 0% fillersa hallmark of superior purity and effectiveness. Infused with real ingredients, Dyna ensures deep nourishment, long-lasting freshness, and radiant skin, making it the preferred choice for women who aspire for luxurious self-care. "Mrunal Thakur represents everything Dyna stands forgrace, poise, and timeless beauty. Her journey from television to Bollywood mirrors our brands evolution, making her the perfect ambassador. We are excited about this collaboration and believe it will elevate Dynas appeal among beauty-conscious consumers," said Karan Shah, Director of Anchor Consumer Products. "I am thrilled to partner with Dyna, a brand that truly understands the essence of beauty and confidence. The new campaign beautifully captures the magic of first impressions, and I love how Dyna empowers women to feel their best every day. Its an exciting journey, and Im looking forward to being a part of it, said Mrunal Thakur. Dynas latest TVC, directed by Uzer Khan and produced by 30Sec of Fame, showcases Mrunal as a confident, radiant woman whose presence leaves an unforgettable impact. The visual storytelling emphasizes how Dyna enhances beauty and confidence, aligning seamlessly with its tagline Pehli Jhalak Kare Khoobsurat Asar. Kunal Shah, Creative Director at Anchor adds "Dynas new packaging blends premium elegance with sustainability, crafted from recyclable materials for a greener future. With the ever-radiant Mrunal Thakur as the face of Dyna, it perfectly embodies beauty, confidence and conscious living The campaign will be amplified across multiple platforms, including television, digital media (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and OTT platforms), and in-store branding, ensuring widespread reach and engagement. With the growing demand for premium beauty soaps that offer skincare benefits, Dynas strategic partnership with Mrunal Thakur is set to elevate the brands presence in the market. This collaboration aims to strengthen brand affinity and enhance consumer engagement while driving greater awareness and preference for Dyna as a trusted beauty soap. Additionally, the brand seeks to expand its market reach through modern trade, general trade, and e-commerce platforms, ensuring accessibility to a wider audience. Through this partnership, Dyna reaffirms its commitment to quality, innovation, and self-care, reinforcing its position as a leading choice for beauty-conscious consumers. Apart from being the face of the TVC and digital promotions, Mrunal will also be featured on Dynas product packaging and offline communication, further solidifying her association with the brand. Influencer collaborations, social media contests, and engagement-driven activities will also be a key part of the brands marketing strategy, ensuring greater consumer interaction. As Dyna continues to innovate and cater to evolving beauty trends, its partnership with Mrunal Thakur signals a new era of premium skincare that blends luxury with accessibility. The campaign is expected to make a significant impact on digital and traditional media, reinforcing Dynas position as a leading beauty soap in the Indian market. Indias beer industry has witnessed steady growth, driven by evolving consumer preferences, rising disposable incomes, and an increasing affinity for premium and craft beer options. With a growing young population and expanding urban markets, beer brands are focusing on innovation and unique positioning to stand out. Medusa Beverages, founded in 2017 by Avneet Singh, is one such emerging player making its mark. Known for its bold flavours and distinctive branding, Medusa has expanded its presence across Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Himachal Pradesh. In an exclusive interaction with Adgully, Gaurav Sehgal, Head of Marketing, Medusa Beverages, discusses the factors driving the growing momentum of regional and local beer brands in India. He delves into the psychology of beer branding and its influence on consumer choices, sharing key insights into how Medusa applies these principles to its packaging, advertising, and retail strategies. Sehgal also highlights emerging trends in beer consumption, including the rise of health-conscious consumers and the growing demand for low-alcohol or non-alcoholic options. As Medusa continues to expand its footprint across multiple states, he addresses the challenges of scaling a beer brand in such a diverse market and outlines future plans for geographical expansion and product diversification. Regional and local beer brands are gaining significant momentum in India. What key factors do you think are driving this shift? Indian consumers are increasingly gravitating towards beers with unique and innovative flavours, moving beyond traditional lagers. Regional and local beer brands are gaining significant traction in India, challenging the dominance of global players. Consumers are showing a strong preference for homegrown brands that cater to their taste preferences and cultural identity. They appreciate brands that understand regional palettes, offering flavours that align with traditional Indian spices, fruits, and brewing techniques. This shift is particularly evident in urban areas, where beer consumption is significantly higher. In 2022, urban residents, who make up 34.9% of Indias population, accounted for 70% of total beer consumption. The urban lifestyle, with its social drinking culture, greater exposure to global trends, and higher disposable incomes, has played a crucial role in driving this growth. The rise of regional and local beer brands in India is a reflection of a more mature and adventurous consumer base that values quality, variety, and authenticity. As this trend continues, local players are likely to carve out a significant share of the market, challenging international giants and reshaping the landscape of the Indian beer industry. The psychology of beer branding plays a big role in influencing consumer choices. What are some key insights that Medusa applies to its packaging, advertising, and retail strategies? First impressions are very important, and Medusa ensures it leaves a lasting one with its bold and unforgettable branding. Inspired by the Greek gorgon Medusa, our brand incorporates power, allure, and untamed spirit elements that resonate with todays young and adventurous consumers. Just as Medusas gaze was legendary, our packaging is designed to be visually striking and unconventional, demanding attention from the first glance. With quirky design, bold colours, and edgy typography, we create a distinct brand experience that is impossible to ignore. Taking our vision beyond packaging, we make sure that every touchpoint of Medusa reflects our distinctive brand identity. Our campaigns are designed to be visually striking, and engaging, positioning Medusa as more than just a beer, its a lifestyle choice. From partnering with Warner Brothers for the exclusive House of the Dragon edition beers to launching immersive campaigns that captivate todays youth, we continuously push the boundaries to keep our brand dynamic and exciting. Our retail strategy is built on accessibility, strategic partnerships, and a strong presence across key markets. We have established a vast distribution network across North India, including Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh. With over 7,000 points of sale, we make it easier for consumers to find and enjoy Medusa at their favourite retail stores, bars, and cafes. Our presence in 400 Horeca accounts further strengthens our visibility in high-traffic locations, where we can engage directly with consumers. By combining retail expansion with strategic on-premise partnerships, we ensure that Medusa remains a top choice for beer lovers, whether they are out socializing or enjoying a drink at home. What are some emerging trends in consumer behaviour when it comes to beer consumption in India? The social acceptance of beer is rising, with approximately 40% of urban millennials considering beer their preferred alcoholic beverage for casual and social gatherings. There has also been a noticeable shift in consumer drinking habits, with at-home consumption becoming more common. Younger generations are increasingly favouring beer over traditional spirits due to its lighter nature, lower alcohol content, and social appeal. Unlike spirits, beer is perceived as a more casual and sessionable drink, making it the top choice for social gatherings, music festivals, and nightlife experiences. With increasing health-consciousness, how is Medusa responding to the demand for low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beer options? The Indian beer market is evolving, and while there is growing awareness around health-conscious consumption, beer remains a beverage deeply rooted in social and cultural experiences. Data shows that the premium beer segment in India is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 8.8% between 2023 and 2028 , driven by urban consumers seeking quality brews with better ingredients. This indicates that rather than moving away from alcohol, consumers are opting for well-crafted, moderate-alcohol options. At Medusa, we recognize this shift and are committed to offering high-quality, refreshing beers that align with evolving consumer preferences. Our flagship beers, including Medusa Premium and Medusa Air, are crafted to provide a smooth, enjoyable drinking experience while maintaining a balanced alcohol content suited for responsible consumption. While the non-alcoholic segment is gaining traction globally, the Indian consumer base still strongly favours real beer experiences. We believe that the future of beer consumption is about balanceresponsible drinking, quality ingredients, and a great social experiencerather than eliminating alcohol entirely. Medusa Beverages will continue innovating within the alcoholic beer space, bringing new flavours, formats, and brewing techniques that cater to the modern, discerning beer enthusiast. Medusa has expanded its footprint across multiple states in India. What are the key challenges in scaling a beer brand in such a diverse market? Are there plans for further geographical expansion or product diversification in the near future? Scaling a beer brand in Indias diverse market is a complex journey that requires navigating a mix of regulatory, cultural, and logistical challenges. Each state operates with its own liquor licensing laws, taxation policies, and distribution regulations, making expansion a highly strategic process. Establishing presence in a new state needs meticulous planning, from acquiring permits to aligning with local supply chain facilities. Additionally, marketing restrictions on alcoholic beverages add another layer of complexity, requiring innovative strategies to build brand visibility and consumer engagement. Medusa had to adapt to these varied frameworks while ensuring compliance and maintaining competitive pricing in each region. We raised Rs 56 crore in Series A round to expand our presence beyond the Northern parts, and strategically enter markets in the North-East, West, and South regions. Beer festivals and tasting events are becoming popular worldwide. Is Medusa planning to engage in such experiential marketing? Beer consumption has evolved beyond just a drink, its now deeply tied to social experiences, with microbreweries and pubs redefining the way consumers engage with beer. The rise of fusion flavours, interactive tasting sessions, and themed beer festivals has transformed beer drinking into an immersive activity rather than just a casual indulgence. Consumers today seek unique experiences, whether its discovering new craft flavours, participating in beer-pairing events, or engaging in brewery-led storytelling sessions. Recognizing this shift, we have actively participated in numerous events like Delhi & Lucknow Times Fashion shows, and numerous music concerts like Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Echoes of Prelude and also regional artists featuring Gurdaas Maan, Lakhwinder Wadali and Bismal to connect with our audience in an experiential way. From exclusive beer-tasting festivals and music concerts to nightlife experiences, we have ensured that Medusa remains an integral part of social occasions. Whats next for Medusa Beverages are there any upcoming product launches or market expansions we should look out for? Medusa plans to expand its presence into Assam, Andhra Pradesh, and Haryana, where the brand is about to get launched this summer. Also, we are exploring more sports-related categories and new product launches and will soon reveal more concrete beans. Goafest, South Asias premier festival celebrating creativity and advertising excellence in India, is thrilled to announce the opening of delegate registrations for its highly anticipated 18th edition. Delegates can secure their spots at the Super Early Bird rates until 07th April, 2025 with significantly discounted fees. Scheduled to take place from May 21st to 23rd at Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage and Horizon, Goa, Goafest 2025, promises to be a landmark industry event, fostering innovation, collaboration, and inspiration. As an annual gathering, it brings together professionals from across the advertising, media, and marketing landscape to exchange ideas, learn from industry leaders, and celebrate groundbreaking work. With Amazon MX Player as the title sponsor, Goafest 2025 introduces the captivating theme Ignite ______, encouraging attendees to push the boundaries of creativity and embrace innovation. The newly introduced Goafest Village concept will offer an immersive, experiential environment designed to spark inspiration and facilitate networking, further enhancing the delegate experience. With an exciting line-up of keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities, this years festival is set to provide delegates with valuable insights and the inspiration needed to ignite their creativity and drive success. To make the festival even more accessible, Goafest 2025 has introduced a Super Early Bird registration slab with significantly reduced fees for those who register by 07th April, 2025. A special category has also been introduced for advertiser delegates who are members of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), offering them a flat fee of 10,000 for registrations before April 7th and 15,000 thereafter. Furthermore, students from up to 10 selected institutes will be invited with early bird delegate fee of 10,800 till 7th April, and a regular fee of 14,500 post 8th April. To garner significant delegate registrations from the agency-side, agencies sending more than 50 delegates and more than 100 delegates will also be eligible for exclusive discounts. Sam Balsara, Chairman of the Delegates Committee - Goafest 2025, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming event, stating, Goafest has had a fantastic journey so far. I dont think any event of our industry or perhaps of any other industry, has grown in stature and influence, the way Goafest has. It has, today, become the most important landmark event of the year in this part of the world. Last year, we were thrilled to welcome 2,893 delegates, and our vision is to see 10,000 delegates benefit directly from this vibrant platform. With a larger venue and the unwavering support of our media partners, we have kept delegate fees in check, ensuring greater accessibility. The additional concessions that we have introduced this year will help us move closer to our long-term vision. I eagerly look forward to connecting with all our delegates in Goa, celebrating creativity, and sharing in the energy that makes Goafest truly special." Registrations are now open, and super early bird rates are available until April 7th , offering delegates significant savings on their attendance fees. To register and secure your spot at Goafest 2025, visit the Goafest official website at goafest.com South Asias premiere festival, Goafest 2025 is co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC). Samsung Electronics announced the appointment of Mauro Porcini as its President and Chief Design Officer (CDO). Having previously held key leadership roles at PepsiCo and 3M, Porcini brings his extensive expertise to Samsung Electronics further enhancing its user-centered approach to design innovation. Porcini was born in Italy and holds a bachelors and masters degree in Industrial Design from Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy. At PepsiCo, he was credited with outstanding leadership of the companys design teams and was recognized as a leader in design innovation, contributing to product designs as well as the entire companys design process and maximizing the brand experience. With the addition of Porcini, Samsung Electronics plans to further strengthen its design capabilities across all business areas, including mobile, TV and home appliances. Also Read: Abinash Panda joins Zydus Wellness as Strategic Marketing Manager - Digital WPP, a global giant in marketing services, has released its 2024 Annual Report, detailing its strategic progress, financial performance, and future direction. The report emphasizes WPP's commitment to leading the industry through artificial intelligence (AI), data, and technology, while also focusing on simplifying its structure and maximizing efficiency. AI as a Core Strategy A central theme of the report is WPP's focus on AI. The company's AI-powered marketing operating system, WPP Open, is highlighted as a key driver of creative transformation for major global brands. WPP is increasing its investment in WPP Open, with spending rising from 250 million in 2024 to 300 million in 2025, demonstrating the company's commitment to maintaining its leadership in AI. According to the report, WPP Open has seen significant adoption, with monthly active users reaching 33,000 by the end of 2024. CEO Mark Read emphasized the platform's importance, stating, "WPP Open was central to our biggest pitch successes in 2024 as it becomes increasingly embedded at the heart of our offer and ways of working". WPP Open was crucial in major client wins, including Amazon and Unilever. Structural Simplification WPP has also undertaken significant structural changes to streamline its operations. In 2024, the company formed two new agencies: Burson, created from the merger of BCW and Hill & Knowlton, and VML, which combined VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson. These mergers aim to provide clients with more integrated services and a simplified agency network. As Read explains, "As a result of the changes we have made, today we serve clients primarily through six agency networks - AKQA, Burson, GroupM, Hogarth, Ogilvy and VML - that represent more than 90% of our revenue." Financial Performance The report indicates that while WPP faced challenging trading conditions that impacted top-line performance, the company made strides in other financial areas. Reported revenue was 14.7 billion (2023: 14.8 billion). Revenue less pass-through costs was 11.4 billion. Headline operating margin increased to 15.0% (2023: 14.8%). Adjusted operating cash flow conversion reached 86% (2023: 73%). Diluted earnings per share rose to 49.4p (2023: 10.1p). However, like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs fell by 1.0% for the year. Strategic Priorities and Outlook WPP has outlined its key priorities for 2025, which include: Maximizing the potential of WPP Open. Strengthening GroupM for stronger growth. Winning more pitches through its integrated client proposition. The company acknowledges ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty and anticipates 2025 to be a "year of transition" for GroupM. Despite these challenges, WPP expresses confidence in its medium-term targets and its strategy to deliver stronger growth and shareholder value. Also Read: WPP selected as global shopper marketing & commerce partner for Heineken An Alabama poultry processing company is laying off 165 employees at its largest plant, according to a recent notice filed with the state. AlaTrade Foods is laying off employees at its Phenix City facility located at 6 Downing Drive. The layoff, which the notice said started on March 27, was reported the following day on March 28, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce website. Representatives for the company did not respond to requests for comment from AL.com. Last September, AlaTrade launched a new $2.8 million project at its Phenix City plant that uses technology to treat chicken paws a special cut of meat from the feet and export the product to China. AlaTrade was founded in 2000 and is the largest 100% employee-owned company in Alabama, according to its LinkedIn page. AlaTrade Foods processes more than 400 million pounds of chicken annually at its three locations in the state. AlaTrade Foods also has plants in Albertville and Boaz. Federal law requires large employers to file a public WARN notice with the state in advance of mass layoffs or plant closures. Those WARN notices are published by the Alabama Department of Commerce. The expected job cuts bring Alabamas tally of employees impacted by mass layoffs in 2025 to nearly 2,300 already surpassing the count for last year. GameStop has announced its move into cryptocurrency. It will use proceeds from $1.3 billion in notes for Bitcoin acquisition. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, file) David Zalubowski/AP GameStop closed over 1,000 locations in 2023 and plans to close even more in the future. The specialty gaming and electronics retailer revealed that it expects to close a significant number of shops, according to a report from CNN. While Gamestop hasnt identified the locations on the chopping block, it has announced plans for its next chapter. The company says it plans to make a significant investment into bitcoin. Axios reports GameStop currently has more than 3,000 locations, including 2,325 in the U.S. GameStop has more than 15 locations in Alabama, including retailers in Tuscaloosa, Cullman, and the Birmingham metro area. What other retailers are closing locations? JOANN Fabrics, which filed for bankruptcy in February, is closing 500 of its 800 stores. Forever 21s US retail operator has filed for bankruptcy twice and will close all of its stores in the United States. Kohls is closing 27 underperforming stores in over a dozen states. The search continues for the suspects in the weekend shooting at busy Pier Park in Panama City Beach that left three people injured. Police Chief J.R. Talamantez in a Monday press conference said the majority of four persons of interest taken into custody shortly after Saturdays shooting have been released without charges. However, Talamantez said hes confident the investigation with end in the arrests of the shooters. The chief said the gunfire erupted between two groups of people at 9:19 p.m. and said police officers were just 50 feet away when the shots rang out. Theyre idiots. Theyre so stupid they think they can pull out a gun and start shooting and think there is no consequence for that, Talamantez said. That might be the case where theyre from. Thats not going to happen here. Im confident well be holding these people accountable. Talamantez said the majority of those involved are believed to be juveniles. Theres a lot of concern about the identity of these individuals, he said. Our suspects are believed to be from out of state and theres no current threat that theyre still here. The shooting happened in the area adjacent to Dave and Busters. Well over 50 police officers were stationed in the area, as well as the departments mobile command center. Up until that point, the crowds were manageable, said Talamantez, adding that the majority of people in the area at the time were between the ages of 14 and 19. We knew we were going to have a large influx of students at Pier Park. Of the shooting, the chief said there was more than one person with a gun, and more than one person shooting. It was a very chaotic incident, as you can imagine, he said. We responded in matter of seconds. Our officers that night were heroic, ran towards the gunfire, immediately rendered first aid, helped these individuals in their time of need and immediately started looking for suspects, he said. Theyre good at their job. All three victims who were shot, he said, were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and have since been released from the hospital. Talamantez said investigators the four people initially detained and said the majority of them have been ruled out as suspects. He did not elaborate. After those interviews, however, I am confident this case will be resolved with an arrest of the individuals firing these weapons, he said. If the shooters are out there listening to this, just turn yourselves in, Talamantez said. Its going to save us a drive to come and get you because its going to happen. Talamantez said his department will continue to aggressively police spring break, and that entails. Its an enforcement challenge when we have thousands and thousands of underaged kids here, he said. Theres only so much we can do with them. Make no mistake, he said. This police department will not let the actions of criminals to essentially make us perform unconstitutional things. Since the spring break season started, the chief said his officers have conducted more than 3,500 traffic stops, pulled more than 6,000 case numbers and made more than 600 arrests. Youre not going to come to Panama City Beach and walk all over us, but the reality is the challenges were facing are the challenges that everybody is facing - trying to police a community a youth group that does not listen to authority, that does not care if a police officer is 50 feet from them, he said. Nobodys going to come here and scare this community as long as this police department is here, he said. Talamantez said he cant promise a similar situation wont happen again in the next few weeks. I dont have a crystal ball, he said. We are planning and prepared. He urged those in the hospitality business to make sure they are renting to adults, and he urged parents to not allow their children to go to Panama City Beach unsupervised. Youre making a mistake, he said. Were not babysitters. Were police officers. The sad part is every year we have to call someone and say their loved one has been hurt in Panama City Beach, he said. I want to stop doing that. Talamantez said authorities are in the planning stages of increased restrictions. He did not say what those additional restrictions would entail. Were not done with spring break, he said. Were not going to take our foot off the gas. The number of homicides in Birmingham for the first three months of 2025 are down nearly 50 percent over the same time period in 2024 a year that saw the citys number of violent deaths reach record highs. As of Monday, there had been 19 homicides since New Years Day, down from 36 in the first quarter of 2024. That is a drop of more than 47 percent, and comes after Birmingham ended 2024 with 152 homicides, the highest number of killings in the city since 1933. Historically, the first quarter of any year sees fewer homicides. [Cant see the chart? Click here.] However, the number of homicides from January through the end of March 2025 is the lowest the city has recorded in a three-month period since the second quarter of 2017, according to an AL.com analysis of the homicide tallies. Not only have homicides dropped, but the departments clearance rate in killings this year is at an all-time high. In the 19 homicides so far, arrests have been made in 15 of those cases. Some good police work is going on,said Birmingham Interim Police Chief Michael Pickett. I think were seeing a decrease because of the intentionality of all of our police in Birmingham, Pickett said. Thats the intentional, and quite frankly aggressive, nature of how were pursuing our most violent offenders, how were swiftly taking them to jail when theyve committed a crime and getting them in custody. The year got off to a violent start, with three men killed countywide in the first 24 hours of 2025, one of those in Birmingham. Derek Marcus Burpo, 51, was a Dominos deliveryman killed during a robbery in the 400 block of Roebuck Drive on Birminghams east side. Birmingham police on the scene of a homicide in the 400 block of Roebuck Drive on Jan. 1, 2025. Carol Robinson The deadly shooting happened about 9 p.m. on New Years Day, and his slaying remains unsolved. The city would go on to have a total of eight homicides in January, and eight in February, the last one taking place on Feb. 15 when 21-year-old TreVon Douglas was fatally shot months before the birth of his son. Following Douglass death, there was a lull in the bloodshed. The city went one month from Feb. 15 through March 15 without anyone slain. In late 2009 and early 2010, Birmingham went 39 days without a homicide. In 2014, the city went 31 days without a homicide. Three people were then killed in March, down from 15 in March of 2024. A lot of our most violent offenders are off the street Pickett earlier this year unveiled the departments eight-point crime reduction strategy which includes the Special Enforcement Team. The SET is made up of officers selected from throughout the department who dont respond to calls but instead patrol crime hot spots. Those officers target the most dangerous criminals based on intelligence from multiple sources including BPD Intel, precinct commander reports, and ShotSpotter data. Pickett put the team together in the summer of 2024, and made it permanent in December when he became the interim chief. Our patrol officers are patrolling more intentionally. I feel morale has increased, and were seeing a reflection of that, Pickett said. And our Special Enforcement Teams are focused more intently on our violent offenders. I think taking them off the street, intercepting them before they have the opportunity to shoot someone or take someones life is having an impact, he said. I also think what is having an impact is some of the significant arrests that weve made. In addition to making arrests in all but four of the homicides so far this year, detectives in the first quarter of 2025 also made an arrest in a 2023 murder the shooting death of Birmingham Firefighter Jordan Melton as well as 12 homicides cases from last year. Of those 13 cases, we have made 24 arrests for either capital murder or murder, because some cases have multiple suspects, Pickett said. This first quarter we have really leaned into anyone who has committed a homicide or violent crime, this year as well as 2024, he said. Pickett thinks the trigger-pullers or would-be trigger-pullers are taking notice. I think criminals are seeing it. Maybe theyre realizing I want to rethink doing this, he said. I think some of them are behind bars. A lot of our most violent offenders are off the street instead of continuing to reoffend. By the end of 2024, homicide detectives had made arrests in 57% of the killings, a dramatic increase over the 38% clearance rate in 2023. The national average is around 57.8%. As of Monday, the 2025 clearance rate was at nearly 79 percent. Whats different is, I really feel, is the intentionality behind the investigations, Pickett said. Im not saying it wasnt occurring before, but I like to focus on being very thorough and moving at a bit of a faster pace not at a pace that discredits the investigation but at a pace to where we turn over every rock, and we walk down every lead in as timely manner as possible until weve exhausted every lead. Pickett said it is important that detectives have the tools they need to do the job, and said hes tried to make that happen. He also tracks each homicide investigation through the departments shooting review process. We have discussions about it. We talk about everything the detective has done on it, and I try to suggest maybe things they havent considered, he said. They can discuss with leadership what roadblocks theyve run into, and we figure out how we can help them. We try to work with them to give them everything they need to investigate that case. Im going to be honest, he said. I set high expectations. I want 2025 to be one of the best years weve had Picketts passion is enforcement. He spent six years on BPDs Crime Reduction Team, working with the U.S. Marshals and has a strong background in fugitive apprehension. That was one of my most absolute favorite jobs, he said. We worked so closely with homicide, it gave me a good understanding of what homicide was looking for, the evidence and everything, he said. I had to understand the totality of the investigation to be able to assist them with the apprehension. One man is dead and another detained after a minor traffic crash on an I-59 off-ramp Saturday led to gunfire. (Contributed) When a 55-year-old man was shot to death on an Interstate 59 off-ramp following a dispute over a fender bend in February, it was Pickett who led officers to the suspect in Pleasant Grove. I went out and rode the area that I believed he was in and located the car, he said. That was what I used to do. That was a good way for me to show them when a crime happens, go to where the evidence is taking you, and look around and see what you can find. Sometimes you just happen to be in the right place. Pickett said he doesnt advocate rushing an investigation. But some things need to be walked down in a timely manner because the preservation of evidence is important when youre trying to put that case together, he said. Were still solving cases from 2024 so clearly it takes time sometimes, but you have to triage it. Pickett said its hard for police to prevent a homicide. When someone has the intent of killing someone, more likely than not theyre going to wait for the opportunity, theyre going to plan it, he said. Sometimes things are in the moment. Sometimes its an argument or confrontation that they didnt plan to get themselves into, and nine times out of 10 police arent there to intervene and deescalate. Making swift arrests helps to prevent more violence. First, it cuts down on retaliation homicides, which often plays a role in Birmingham killings. Weve taken the person off the streets, so weve neutralized the ability for retaliation, he said. The chief also believes it serves as a deterrent. If people see homicides going unchecked, they feel empowered and emboldened to either continue to do it or to enjoin whoever is doing it, he said. So, in that manner, I think we can reduce or prevent homicides. Is the current success sustainable? That is definitely my goal, Pickett said. I know that crime changes, I know that the nature of the way a criminals mind works is they see things and they adjust, and police have to do that as well and we have to do it as swiftly as they do it. Its always going to be a cat and mouse game between the good guys and the bad guys, he said. My full intention is to try to stay ahead of the curve, try to study the trends of whats popping up and think ahead of how they may try to shift, what they may do next to try to outsmart us and just be ahead of the curve. Pickett said its important that the community know that aggressive policing, or focused deterrence, is aimed at criminals, not the public at large. I know people are seeing a lot of our enforcement side right now, he said. We dont want to alienate and target an entire community. Theres so many good law-abiding citizens in Birmingham and Im talking about all over the entire city, he said. So, we never say were going to focus on a particular area were focused on violent individuals who want to break the law in our city. Pickett said hes proud of the men and the women in the department. They have really been showing up. Theyve always shown up but in this first quarter, I challenged them to be locked in in 2025 and with the decrease that I have seen in crime, they are, he said. When I go out in the community, people are constantly saying, we feel a difference, we see a difference. The chief said he passes that on to the officers and detectives who might not hear it otherwise. I just want to keep this going, he said. I want 2025 to be one of the best years weve had in a very long time. An Alabama judge ruled on Monday that a police officer did not prove that he was acting in self-defense when he shot an armed Black man who was standing in his own front yard, after body camera footage revealed the officer firing 18 bullets less than two seconds after identifying himself as law enforcement. Mac Marquette, 25, is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Steve Perkins shortly before 2 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2023, while accompanying a tow-truck driver to repossess Perkins pickup truck at his home in Decatur. Morgan County circuit judge Charles Elliott denied Marquettes motion to dismiss the case in a self-defense immunity hearing. The new trial date is set for June, but the defense can appeal Elliotts decision with the state appellate court. Alabamas stand your ground law grants immunity from prosecution to any individual who uses deadly force as long as they are in a place they have a right to be and reasonably believe they are in danger. Elliott wrote that the jury will have to consider whether Marquette was acting in his capacity as a police officer when he shot Perkins. It is on this hinge that the door of this case swings, he said. Tow-truck driver Caleb Combs was authorized by Perkins creditor to repossess the truck because Perkins was months behind on his payments, according to lien documents entered into evidence. But the ruling said that Marquette wasnt authorized to assist Combs based on an Alabama law that requires a court order for law enforcement to be involved in a repossession, which the officers didnt have. The judge heard conflicting testimony in an earlier hearing about why Marquette and the two other officers, Joey Williams and Christopher Mukadam, were at Perkins house in the first place. Marquette, Mukadam and Williams were dispatched to help Combs after Perkins pointed a gun at his chest when the tow-truck driver first tried to take Perkins vehicle, according to testimony from Williams and Mukadam. Combs met the officers at a nearby tow-yard. Combs waited for the three officers to set up covertly around Perkins house before Combs returned to repossess Perkins vehicle for a second time. All three officers were intentionally hidden from Perkins front door when Combs returned and Perkins again emerged from his house with his gun, pointing it at Combs. Body camera footage revealed that Marquette unloaded all the bullets in his gun less than two seconds after he emerged from where he was hiding on the side of Perkins house. Even then, the judge wrote, Marquette was partially obstructed by the bed of Perkins truck. Perkins turned to face Marquette, and briefly tried to move his gun away from the officer before Marquette started shooting, according to Elliott. Before Combs returned to Perkins house, the order said that the officers should have told Combs that he could take whoever he wanted with him to assist with the repossession, but it could not be law enforcement without judicial process. Both officers who were with Marquette testified that they were there to keep the peace and to investigate Perkins for pulling a gun on Combs, which could be a misdemeanor charge of menacing if Combs had decided to press charges. The state agent who investigated the case testified that it was standard practice for officers to accompany people to help maintain order. But he also said that typically visibility is required to keep the peace, and that the way that the officers set up was unusual for investigating menacing because it is a method typically used for an active crime scene. Because there was no active crime scene when the officers arrived, Elliott ruled that Marquette was acting outside of the scope of his authority to investigate a menacing allegation and was therefore a trespasser when he waited outside of Perkins house. Elliott said that the jury will have to decide whether Marquette was at Perkins house to keep the peace. Based on that determination, the ruling read, the jury will have to decide both whether that means Marquette was acting within the scope of his responsibilities as a police officer, and whether a reasonable officer would have killed Perkins in the same situation. Photo of Nolan McDavid, student killed in Nov. 2024 traffic accident Facebook of Randi Jones A Mobile County teen previously charged with manslaughter now faces a murder charge after allegedly driving drunk during a fatal crash in November. The upgraded charges for the 17-year-old were confirmed by the Mobile County District Attorneys Office. We presented all of the evidence to a Mobile County Grand Jury and they chose to indict as murder, the district attorneys office said. The fatal accident occurred Nov. 23 when Nolan McDavid, 19, collided head on with the 17-year-old, officials say. McDavid was pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck. At the time of his passing McDavid was attending college at the University of South Alabama. According to Fox10 News, an Alabama Law Enforcement Agency state trooper testified that the teen was allegedly drunk at the time of the accident. The 17-year-old allegedly had a blood alcohol content level of .111 and was driving 100 miles per hour, according to court testimony. Unclaimed Baggage has been a Scottsboro staple for decades. (Courtesy of Unclaimed Baggage) For more than 50 years, Unclaimed Baggage has been attracting visitors from all over the country interested in what could be deemed a modern-day treasure hunt to the small town of Scottsboro. The facility, which sells items found inside orphaned suitcases for discount prices, has become known as the kind of place where you never know what youre going to find, but if youre lucky, youll get it at a bargain. Of course, with so many years in business, Unclaimed Baggage has accrued a long, and not-so-surprisingly interesting, history. You can read about some of it below. Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro. bn Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #1 Unclaimed Baggage got its start in 1970, when entrepreneur Doyle Owens used a borrowed pickup truck and a $300 loan to pick up his first load of unclaimed baggage from Trailways Bus Line in Washington, D.C. They were all sold in a day, and the business was born. Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #2 Today, Unclaimed Baggage is a 50,000-square-foot facility and adds around 7,000 new items to its sales floor daily. Read more: You never know what youll find at Unclaimed Baggage The welcome sign at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro. Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #3 Unclaimed Baggage buys orphaned suitcases from all over the country, sight unseen, that are left unclaimed after the industry-standard allotment of 90 days. Thats less than 0.03 percent of bags, but it still leaves them with plenty to work with. Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #4 Unclaimed Baggage hosts more than one million store visitors each year from every state and more than 40 countries, making it one of Alabamas top tourist attractions. A rattlesnake at the Unclaimed Baggage Museum in Scottsboro. Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #5 A lot of unusual items have been found at Unclaimed Baggage over the years, including an aluminized fire suit, an Egyptian burial mask, a unicycle, a cowboy hat signed by Gary Sinese, a jar full of shark teeth, shrunken head and even a live rattlesnake. Read more: Unclaimed Baggage Museum: The five coolest things we found there Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #6 Whats the most frequently found item at Unclaimed Baggage though? Thatd be underwear. In the 2023 Found Report published by the business, undies were listed as the item they found the most of (along with a promise that they only sell the brand new ones). A restored Hoggle from David Bowie's "Labyrinth" at the Unclaimed Baggage Museum in Scottsboro. Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #7 The most famous find at Unclaimed Baggage is the four-foot puppet of Hoggle from David Bowies 1986 film Labyrinth, which was found in 1997. After being restored, the puppet is now on display for visitors to see at the Unclaimed Baggage museum. Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #8 Meanwhile, the most expensive item ever found at Unclaimed Baggage was a 14-karat gold diamond ring appraised at $37,050. Read more: Unclaimed Baggages most odd and opulent finds: Saw body parts to $37,000 diamond ring People visit Unclaimed Baggage from every U.S. state. Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #9 At 2 p.m. daily, the center hosts a surprise bag opening where a customer gets to open an unprocessed, orphaned piece of luggage for the very first time. Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #10 Cant make it to Scottsboro? You dont have to miss out. While rummaging through the store and visiting the museum is a big part of the fun, Unclaimed Baggage also has an online store where it sells clothing, electronics, books, jewelry and more found in its orphaned suitcases as well. A history of Unclaimed Baggage in the entranceway. Unclaimed Baggage Fun Fact #11 Unclaimed Baggage is the countrys only lost luggage store. Crowds at Alabamas public beaches were modest this Memorial Day afternoon, with strong winds, overcast skies and single red flags keeping people away. In a state where the boundaries have barely budged for more than a century, a bold question has emerged: What would it take for Alabama to create a 68th county? Alabamas 67 counties have remained unchanged since 1903, a time when Theodore Roosevelt was president, and the New York Yankees were just beginning their storied franchise. But in fast-growing Baldwin County, a question is being asked of state officials about the requirements for creating a split and potentially carving out a new county in South Baldwin that would include Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and Foley. While no formal political movement is pushing for the change, state Sen. Chris Elliott has raised the question, prompting curiosity and frustration over longstanding disputes about taxes, schools, and funding. While an interesting academic adventure, I think the likelihood of this happening is slim, Elliott said last week about the creation of a new county. He made it clear he wasnt advocating for the split, but added, However, a mere discussion of this should be a warning indicating the level of discourse associated with taking funding from some areas and not sharing with all areas. Sonny Brasfield, executive director with the Association of County Commissions of Alabama (ACCA), said he cannot recall a bill introduced in Montgomery to consider a new county since he started with the organization over 40 years ago. He has taken calls from frustrated lawmakers before on what it takes to create a new county. The couple of times weve had those calls, we go through (the process) of what it would take to create a new county, Brasfield said. Thats been the end of it. Brasfield said the call he received last week about creating a new county in South Baldwin County was the first he has gotten in about 25 years. Weve never had a question about Baldwin before, to my knowledge, he said. Alabama State Sens. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston; and Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, on the floor of the Alabama State Senate on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the State House in Montgomery, Ala. John Sharp Elliott said a question was forwarded to him from a constituent amid concerns over the ongoing battles between the beach cities and the county over the distribution of 1 percentage point of the county sales tax. Elliott is sponsoring a bill that would allow the sales tax revenues to be split among the school districts, but hes faced opposition from other state lawmakers who represent other areas of Baldwin County. The concern has to do with the fate of the sales tax adopted in 1983, which provides revenues to the Baldwin County School System, but not to the newly formed city schools. Representatives with the city schools in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach want some of the revenue to support their districts, while Baldwin County Schools want to maintain the tax as it was originally crafted 42 years ago. I dont think its likely, but its more indicative of the amount of friction, if you will, between the different areas of the county be it the county school system or the city schools, Elliott said. Thats just the level of discourse right now. Constitutional requirements What would it take to form a new county? The Alabama Constitution spells it out: Support in Montgomery, the geographic size to make it happen, enough population in the two counties to support additional legislative representation, and a future county courthouse that is far removed from its former county. The formation of a county can be done without a referendum. The Alabama Constitution provides the Legislature with the ability to designate Alabamas county boundaries as well as creating a new county -- with two-thirds of support in each house along with the signature of the governor. In the Alabama House that would mean 70 of the 105 lawmakers would need to support it. In the Senate, it would require 24 of the chambers 35 members to vote Yes. The state constitution also requires that no new county can be less than 600 square miles, and no existing county can be reduced to 600 square miles. In theory that might not be an issue in Baldwin County, which at 1,600 square miles is the states largest county and is larger than Rhode Island. Sonny Brasfield, the executive director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama (ACCA), speaks before the Alabama House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday, March 7, 2019, at the State Capitol in Montgomery, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Baldwin County can be easily divided in half to reach that part of the requirement, Brasfield said. The Constitution also restricts a county from being formed unless it can contain a large enough population to entitle it to one representative under the ratio of representation existing at the time of its formation. The requirement also requires the county that is being split to have enough of a population to maintain separate representation. Alabamas Constitution, in other words, would prevent a similar situation that occurred in Nevada in 1987, when Bullfrog County was created by the state legislature despite having no inhabitants. The county was created in opposition to a nuclear waste site, and lasted for only two years, dissolving in 1989. The Alabama Constitution also has one more requirement for a new county: The new countys courthouse would have to be at least seven miles away of the old county line. The last time Alabama created a new county was two years after the adoption of the 1901 Constitution. Houston County was carved out of Henry, Dale and Geneva counties in the Wiregrass region of southeastern Alabama. Brasfield said a constitutional amendment had to be approved to create Houston County because Henry, Dale and Geneva were less than 600 square miles. It took a constitutional amendment because of the size issue, Brasfield said. In theory, a new county can be created by statute as long as you comply by the 600 square mile (requirement), and you can get the votes in the legislature, which is a different issue. Beach reaction Gulf Shores city officials said on Friday they were unaware of the issue and declined comment. Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich said there have been no conversations about the matter, and believes they are likely driven on the disagreement over the sales tax distribution. Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon said he was aware of the issue, and believed it was just one of those things out of frustration over the tax dispute. Kennon said he has been frustrated by others in the county labeling the beach cities as wealthy and able to afford the operations of a city school system. Other lawmakers in the county have said it would be problematic to remove revenue from the Baldwin County School System, which oversees the rest of the schools throughout the county including in rural areas. Gulf Shores began its city school system in 2020, following contentious negotiations with the Baldwin County School System over a split approved by city leaders in 2017. Orange Beach followed up with splitting away in 2022. I greatly understand why people would feel this way, Kennon said. We could put three-to-four cities together, they are economic machines and dont need anyone else. There is merit to the idea, but whether its good for everyone, I dont know. Orange Beach and Gulf Shores are building new schools and have ample revenue at a time when some lawmakers like Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, say the northern regions of the state struggle. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, for instance, are bolstered with hefty lodging tax revenues from hotel and vacation rental stays, benefitting from being the biggest tourism draw in Alabama. Any talk about creating a new county comes as Orange Beach is also considering shrinking the city limits through a de-annexation. Related: Alabama beach towns growth spurt leads to unprecedented action Secession movement The creation of new counties is rare in the U.S. The last one created was in 2001 in Colorado. Discussions about creating new states through secession are more common, often stemming from political disputes surrounding large metropolitan areas or arguments from urban lawmakers that their cities generate enough money to go it alone. According to Newsweek, secessionist campaigns were active in a dozen states, including all or parts of Oregon, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Louisiana, California, Washington, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania. In Illinois, 33 counties have held referendums to discuss seceding from the state largely over political disputes between heavily Democratic Chicago and the Republican counties south of the Windy City. Indiana state lawmakers recently advanced legislation that would create a commission of residents in both states to study the possibility of annexing the 33 counties into the Hoosier State. New York has also long been the host of similar issues where fiscal grievances often are behind secessionist efforts in New York City. There have been considerations for decades over Long Island splitting from New York and becoming the 51st state, as proponents argue that there is a large population and enough financial ability for the metropolitan region to do so. But those efforts are always defeated by state officials. Say it once. Say it twice. Free Doroudi. No more ICE! Those were some of the chants heard as more than 100 people marched and chanted in front of Tuscaloosas Richard Shelby Federal Courthouse on Monday to protest the detainment of an Iranian doctoral student from the University of Alabama. Organizations including UAs College Democrats, Tuscaloosa County Democratic Party and Grace Presbyterian Church gathered to speak about Alireza Doroudis detainment. Doroudi, a mechanical engineering student, was detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement at about 3 a.m. on March 25 in an apartment he shared with his fiancee, Sama Bajgani. We decided to put boots on the ground and get ready, because we knew something like this would have to happen, said Braden Vick, a senior studying political science and president of UAs College Democrats. He said the ultimate goal is to free Doroudi and get him back to his fiance. He said the most terrifying part is they dont know why a respected researcher like Doroudi is in custody. We can only speculate that this was a fundamentally racist and bigoted act by ICE, Vick said. A mathematics and computer science senior heard about the protest in the student newspaper, The Crimson White. I have been wanting to get more politically active for a while, and (because of school) its something Ive kind of pushed aside, he said. So Ive decided to come out. Doroudi was sent to Pickens County Jail then transferred to a federal detention center in Jena, La. ICE HSI made this arrest in accordance with the State Departments revocation of Doroudis student visa. This individual posed significant national security concerns, a DHS spokesperson has said. Doroudis attorney, David Rozas also said he is legally present in the U.S., pursuing his American dream by working towards his doctorate in mechanical engineering." Bajgani organized a GoFundMe fundraiser for her fiancees legal fees and raised more than $25,000. In an update to donors, she said Doroudi had an F-1 visa unexpectedly revoked six months after he came to the United States. As soon as he got the revocation email, he inquired with the university officials, who assured him that his student status would remain valid, allowing him to continue his studies at the University of Alabama legally, Bajgani said. While several students from college campuses nationwide have been detained for supporting pro-Palestinian causes, a student organization said Doroudi wasnt involved in their protests. Students for Justice in Palestine said in a statement on Instagram that they were outraged to learn about Doroudis detainment but wanted to express that Doroudi was not involved, nor has he ever been involved, in any organizing or protest related to our organization. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, with a photo of herself as a teen, when she says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew, among others. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/TNS) TNS Virginia Giuffre whose story about being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein as a teenager put her at the center of one of the biggest sex scandals in history is fighting for her life following a car accident in Australia. Giuffre, 41, on Sunday posted a graphic photo of herself from her hospital bed covered in bruises on Instagram, where she wrote doctors said she has four days to live, according to the post, which was first published by the British media. Ive gone into kidney renal failure, she said. They have given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist in urology. Im ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time She said she was struck by a speeding bus after she tried to swerve her car to avoid the collision. She did not say when or where the crash happened. Giuffre was among the first and most outspoken victims of Jeffrey Epstein to speak out about her abuse by Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Prince Andrew and several other prominent men. She later formed a non-profit to educate and advocate for sex trafficking victims. EVERYTHING CHANGED Born in Sacramento, California, Giuffre had been sexually abused since she was a child. She is the daughter of Lynn Trude Cabell and Sky William Roberts, who wrote on social media that he was praying for his daughters recovery. When she was in grade school, the family moved to Loxahatchee, Florida. At age 7, she was first molested by a family friend. The abuse, she said, turned my entire life around. Everything changed. She began running away from home, at one point, hitching a ride to San Francisco. She was 14 when she was picked up on the streets of Miami by the owner of a modeling agency who began trafficking her. After his arrest, she returned home to Loxahatchee, and began working at Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach country club owned by President Donald Trump where her father was a maintenance supervisor. In 2000, when she was 16, she met Maxwell, Epsteins partner, while working as a spa attendant at the club. Giuffre, who uses the nickname Jenna, was introduced by Maxwell to Epstein, who sexually abused and trafficked her for years. Among the people she said she was forced to have sex with was Prince Andrew, whom she later sued. The suit was settled in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, said to be in the millions, though Andrew denied that he was ever involved with Giuffre. He was later stripped of his military titles and royal patronages. She fled Epsteins control in 2002, married an Australian martial arts instructor, Robert Giuffre, and moved to Australia. The couple has three children who are now teenagers. PALM BEACH INVESTIGATION While she was getting settled in Australia, police in Palm Beach began investigating Epstein in 2005. Several girls reported that they had been recruited to give him massages at his Palm Beach mansion and instead were sexually abused. The case grew as more high school girls told investigators that they had been abused by Epstein as teenagers. But Barry Krischer, the Palm Beach State Attorney at the time, didnt want to prosecute Epstein, who had a long list of powerful friends, including former president Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. The case was referred to the FBI in 2007. But Epstein escaped federal charges when a secret plea deal was reached between his high-powered lawyers and the U.S. Attorney in Miami, Alex Acosta. Acosta allowed Epstein to plead guilty to less serious state charges, and Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in the Palm Beach County jail in 2008. During that time, however, he was allowed to come and go almost freely, spending most days at his office or his home in Palm Beach. Giuffre was initially reluctant to cooperate with the FBI probe. But in 2010, after the birth of her daughter, she reached out to the Justice Department again in the hopes that she would get justice. In 2011, Giuffre told the British tabloid Mail on Sunday that she was a victim of a vast sex trafficking operation run by Epstein and Maxwell in which she traveled to and from Epsteins various homes in Manhattan, New Mexico, Palm Beach, France and to his island off of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands where she had sex with multiple men, including Prince Andrew. Maxwell denied the allegations and sued Giuffre for defamation. Giuffre countersued in federal court in New York. EPSTEIN GETS SWEETHEART DEAL The 2015 defamation case was settled two years later and most of the evidence was sealed. The Miami Herald sued that same year to unseal the entire case file as part of its investigative series Perversion of Justice, published in 2018. Giuffre was interviewed as part of the series, along with three other victims. The story caught the attention of the U.S. Attorneys office in the Southern District of New York, which opened a new probe into Epsteins sex trafficking. Epstein was subsequently arrested in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges brought in New York. But he was found dead in his jail cell a month later, just one day after some of the evidence in the defamation case was unsealed. His death was ruled a suicide, although his brother and a private forensic pathologist who was at the autopsy remain convinced his death was not a suicide. Maxwell was arrested in July 2020 and convicted of child sex trafficking a few years later. Now 63, she is serving a 20-year jail sentence. In recent years, Giuffre has advocated the release of the Epstein case files, which the FBI has kept mostly sealed for almost 20 years. Trump, elected to a second term as president in 2024, has promised to unseal the files, but his attorney general, Pam Bondi, was widely ridiculed in March when she led the public to believe she was releasing substantial evidence, then only released a binder of dated material that was already public. TRAUMA, HEALTH ISSUES In recent years, Giuffre has focused on her non-profit and leading a quiet life in Australia. She has been estranged from her husband and children, posting on Instagram a week ago: My beautiful babies have no clue how much I love them and theyre being poisoned with lies, she wrote. Giuffre has also spoken a lot about how trauma has affected her well being. She has been ill off and on over the years, and frequently posts about her mental and physical health struggles on social media. Dini von Mueffling, Giuffres representative, confirmed Virginias accident in a statement. Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending. _____ 2025 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Gun arrests at Redstone When the states permitless-carry law went into effect, it meant that Alabamians, in Alabama, no longer need a permit to carry a concealed weapon or take their legal firearm in a vehicle. It did not mean, however, that people can bring their guns to military bases. AL.coms Finn Lincoln reports that since that law took effect at the beginning of 2023, 99 people have been arrested for allegedly illegally taking guns to Redstone Arsenal. The frequency of the arrests is higher than at even the larger military bases in Alabama, and its been going up. There have been 37 already this year. Why thats the case is up for debate, but Redstone Deputy Police Chief Dennis Brown points to Redstones high percentage of non-military commuters and the bases aggressive approach on the issue. Brown said most of the cases involve external contractors who dont work on the base, and even people who are lost. Its a federal misdemeanor to bring an unapproved firearm onto the base, but in some cases the charges get a lot more serious when you also mix in possession of narcotics, drunk driving or outstanding tickets and warrants. Finn spoke with a couple of people who said they mistakenly ended up at Redstone Arsenal with a firearm and spent hours or even days in jail while their cases were investigated and sorted out. CHOOSE Act deadline Parents of school-age children whod like to use the states new school-choice option: You have one more week to apply for an education savings account, reports AL.coms Rebecca Griesbach. As you may recall, the CHOOSE Act provides students up to $7,000 in tax credits to be used for tuition to a private school, with lesser amounts available for home-schooled students. The application process closes April 7 for next school year. There are criteria that will give some students priority. The first 500 ESAs will go to students with disabilities. Others with some advantage in the distribution are some children of active-duty military members, siblings of other students in the program and low-income students. Out-of-state abortions U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled that the Alabama attorney general cant prosecute people or groups who help women travel outside the state in order to have an abortion, reports The Associated Press. There havent been any such criminal cases, but state AG Steve Marshall had said he would be looking at whether helping an out-of-state abortion take place would violate the states criminal conspiracy laws. The Yellowhammer Fund, which assists those seeking abortions, and some medical providers then sued Marshall over the issue. In his ruling, Thompson said that prosecuting those cases would violate the First Amendment and the right to travel. Storm injuries Two students were injured at Dothan Preparatory Academy as Mondays storms rolled through, reports AL.coms Carol Robinson. The storm did include a tornado warning. The National Weather Service will investigate the effects of the storm to decide whether to confirm that it was a tornado that hit the school, damaged a roof and caused debris to fall. The students were treated on the scene by paramedics. More Alabama News Born on This Date In 1853 or 1854, self-taught artist Bill Traylor of Dallas County. Born into slavery, he moved at a young age to a Lowndes County plantation, where he stayed on after the war to work as a sharecropper. Late in his life he moved to Montgomery and started drawing and painting, developing a style that, along with a life experience thats extremely rare among prolific artists, caused his legacy to take off decades after his death in 1949. The podcast A Birmingham nonprofit is launching a program aimed at combatting food insecurity among low- to moderate-income residents. The Daniel Payne Legacy Village Foundation will kick-off the new approach, called Daniels Meal Subscription Service, with an event April 5, 2025. The program targets a known need - food insecurity, defined as the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways, as noted on the United States Department of Agriculture website. According to FeedingAmerica.org, 1 in six people in Alabama are facing hunger. The program will select 100 families through a lottery system. The families selected will receive 32 to 36 free, freshly prepared meals per week, for a full year. The foundation, a charitable organization of the African Methodist Episcopal church, makes the lottery open to anyone living within the footprint of AME District 9, which covers the state of Alabama, according to the foundation website. There is no cost to apply to this program, but the families chosen will have to pay a $50 activation fee. They will need to pick up the meals from the Daniel Payne Village Plaza weekly. To apply you must enter the online lottery by April 2, 2025, or sign up in person at the launch event April 5. Low Income Relief, a site connecting individuals and families in crisis, described The Daniel Payne Legacy Village Foundation as a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through education, economic development, and wellness. The foundation said that the meal service was made possible by a $255,000 grant from the city of Birmingham. Visit DanielPayne.org for more details on foundation programs. The city of Birmingham will spend $400,000 to create a new plan to address infrastructure, environmental and economic challenges, if Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin gets his way. Woodfins office calls the Birmingham Sustainability Plan a strategic roadmap for building a stronger city, but critics say the city has other needs. Work on Woodfins plan would begin this spring, if approved by the Birmingham City Council. As stewards of our city, we must do all we can to help remove the barriers in creating a healthier, more sustainable community for all, Woodfin said in a statement announcing the initiative. I am excited that the citys experts in sustainability and planning will join with our residents and stakeholders in developing a path for a more resilient future. The project will be led by the city along with Colorado-based planning consultant Lotus Engineering & Sustainability, and Hummingbird, an Atlanta-based community engagement firm. Woodfins office said the goal is to have a plan completed by April 2026. Still, a veteran council member said the other side of City Hall remains unaware of the details. Valerie Abbott, the city councils most senior member and longtime chair of its planning and zoning committee said the latest initiative is a surprise to her. I guess Ill find out more about it when he shares the information with the council, Abbott told AL.com. He just didnt do it before he made the press release. Abbott has long criticized Woodfins communication style and what she described as a lack of advance notice to the council regarding major initiatives. The council is usually the last to know whats going on, and that sometimes has a tendency to frustrate the city council because we feel like we are partners except when we are not, she said. Woodfins staff said the funding was included in the citys planning, engineering, and permits budget which was approved by the City Council during the citys budgeting process. They said a request for proposals was issued and a committee selected the consultant team. Abbott said she is unsure how the new initiative will integrate into existing efforts to complete the city-wide comprehensive plan. This is a problem that the city council has that when it comes to fleshing things out, we are not included, then we have to play catchup, she said. Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, chief resilience and sustainability officer in Woodfins office of Resilience and Sustainability, said the initiative is an extension of the citys comprehensive plan that includes green systems. It also addresses other aspects of city business where sustainability can be applied such as transportation and land use policy, she said. Abbott said she supports efforts to address long-standing infrastructure needs throughout the city but not before details are presented about the objectives, the consultants and the money. At this point all the city council knows is what weve seen in the press release, she said. Abbott sent a text message to Woodfin with her list of questions seeking specifics on the project. She said Woodfin responded back with a simple, Yes Maam. The council wants to do things to clean up the air and the water because were the ones who get the complaints. But how is this going to help? Abbott said. I grow weary of just giving money to consultants who dont actually accomplish things. Anna Brown, a longtime Birmingham resident, said she wants the city to focus more on implementing past plans and fulfilling old promises rather than spending resources on new initiatives and concepts. Weve been made promises in the city before and none of those have materialized, said Brown, who is secretary of the North Birmingham Neighborhood and co-chair of the North Birmingham Community Framework Plan. Why do we keep spending money to bring other people in with new promises and you have not given any action to the promises that have been made already? For example, Brown said her neighborhood is still waiting on action on the long-promised transformation of the former North Birmingham School into a community resource hub, in addition to city help to revitalize the historic yet, largely dormant North Birmingham Business District. Im quite sure were not the only neighborhood thats been promised something, Brown said. Lets honor the promises that have already been made. While Huntsvilles population has grown by more than 20% since 2019 to an estimated 246,000, its violent crime rate is heading in the opposite direction. The Huntsville Police Department reported last week that its violent crime rate has dropped almost 39% during the same time span. That includes murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. City Councilman David Little said the police department deserves a lot of credit keeping us safe. Violent crime reports dropped from 1,787 incidents in 2019 to just 1,092 in 2024, the department reported. According to its annual report for 2024, police officers investigated 18 homicides, 124 rape reports, 127 robberies and 823 aggrevated assault cases last year. Officers responded to almost 175,500 calls for service. The homicide rate has gone up and down since 2019. In 2019, there were 19 homicides. It dropped to 14 in 2020, but shot back up to 25 in 2021, but then dropped to 21 in 2022 and 19 in 2023. The work is never done, Police Chief Kirk Giles said in a news release. Were focused on proactive policing strategies that prevent crime before it happens. Deputy Chief Charles Brooks said the citys success is due to the dedication and collaboration between law enforcement, prosecutors and community organizations. By working together, we are able to share resources, intelligence and strategies that disrupt criminal activity and bring offenders to justice, Brooks said. The department also credits its crime reduction efforts to a mix of officer presence/response time, collaboration, economic environment and technology. That is a challenge for a city growing not only growing in population but in area as well. Now the nations 27th largest city geographically, officers now patrol an area the size of Chicago. The police have done an admirable job in the surface area were asking them to patrol, City Council President John Meredith said during a recent town hall in west Huntsville. He addressed concerns about the lack of a precinct headquarters for that part of town. The headquarters for the sprawling 5th district he represents is on Clinton Street. Knowing what I know now after interacting with the police and being shown some of the technologies that they use, you may not see a patrol car going down there, but they know whats going on. Initiatives such as foot and bicycle patrols, the Citizens Police Academy and the Security Camera Share Program have strengthened relationships between officers and residents while deterring criminal activity, police officials said. The department also utilizes advanced crime analysis tools through the North Alabama Multi-Agency Crime Center (NAMACC) to track trends and respond effectively. The application of technology helps our investigators find the needle in the haystack, Deputy Chief Michael Johnson said. Were committed to leveraging these tools to stay ahead of crime and ensure our communitys safety. In addition, police officials said continual community involvement is essential to keeping the crime rate low. Our journey toward a safer city is ongoing, Captain Jeff Rice, Sr. said. We continuously adapt our strategies and work with the community to ensure every resident feels protected. Chief Giles said that lasting crime reduction relies on partnership with residents. We cant do this alone, he said. When residents stay informed, report suspicious activity, and engage with their police department, we all win. President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing in ceremony for Alina Habba as interim US Attorney General for New Jersey, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Pool via AP) AP President Donald Trump continued his attacks Tuesday against media outlets NPR and PBS, calling on Republicans in Congress to defund the radical left monsters. Republicans must defund and totally disassociate themselves from NPR & PBS, Trump posted to his Truth Social media platform Tuesday, the radical left monsters that so badly hurt our country. NPR and CBS have found themselves in the crosshairs of congressional Republicans who claim the outlets should not receive federal funding due to what the lawmakers perceive as left-learning biases. We believe that you all can hate us on your own dime, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told the heads of the broadcasters during a House hearing last week. During the hearing, NPR Chief Executive Officer Katherine Maher apologized for tweets she posted calling Trump a deranged racist and a fascist. The posts were made before Maher became CEO. I regret those tweets, the NPR chief executive said. I would not tweet them again today. They represented a time where I was reflecting on something that I believe the president had said, rather than who he is. I dont presume that anyone is a racist. The hearings were held a day after Trump said he would love for the Department of Government Efficiency to defund NPR and PBS. Well, I would love to do that, Trump said. I think its very unfair. Its been very biased the whole group, I mean, the whole group of them. And frankly, theres plenty of the media you have right now. Theres plenty of coverage...So the kind of money thats being wasted, and its a very biased view, you know that better than anybody, and Id be honored to see it. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., rolled out the announcement he was reintroducing his bill allowing Americans to hold cryptocurrency in retirement accounts by tweeting his portrait with the glowing/laser eyes meme Tommy Tuberville U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., reintroduced a pair of bills Tuesday aimed at bolstering cryptocurrency, including one to reverse Biden administration-era guidance dissuading Americans from holding crypto in their retirement accounts. Alabamas senior senator rolled out the announcement by tweeting his portrait with glowing/laser eyes -- a popular meme among the crypto community: Ironically, the meme gained popularity when then-President Joe Biden gave himself red laser eyes after referencing the 2024 Super Bowl in a tweet that came to known as Dark Brandon. Just like we drew it up. pic.twitter.com/9NBvc5nVZE Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) February 12, 2024 The glowing red eyes were also used in Donald Trumps mugshot Elon Musk also participated in the trend last year while championing cryptocurrency Initially introduced in 2022, the Financial Freedom Act was filed again by Tuberville on Tuesday. It would reverse a Biden-era memo from the U.S. Department of Labor that limits options for where Americans can invest their retirement earnings, the senators office said in a press release. The Financial Freedom Act would allow Americans to choose how they want to invest their money, including in crypto. The Biden administration was hellbent on controlling every aspect of Americans lives, Tuberville said. Meddling in 401(k) investments through overregulation restrains financial growth and restricts personal liberty. The federal government, which is $36 trillion debt, shouldnt be telling anyone how to invest their money. My bill ensures that hardworking Americans have the financial freedom to make decisions about how to invest their retirement savings. Also on Tuesday, the senator reintroduced the Prohibiting Foreign Adversary Interference in Cryptocurrency Markets Act, which would prohibit the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) from registering a digital commodity platform that is owned in whole or in part by an entity organized or established in China. The bill also requires the CFTC to revoke the registration of any digital commodity platform in the event an entity with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) acquires all or any part of the ownership of the entity. Digital commodity platforms collect and store personally identifiable information including Social Security numbers, mailing addresses, and sensitive financial account data of their users, according to the senators office. Allowing entities based in the PRC to access this information raises serious concerns related to investor protection, data privacy, national security, sanctions compliance, and anti-money laundering efforts. Companies based in the PRC all ultimately answer to the CCP. For four years, the Biden administration put America last bowing to China at every turn and allowing our adversaries to get ahead, Tuberville said. Thanks to President Trump, those days are over. Crypto is the future and we have to make sure our markets are protected from bad actors like China who want to destroy us. This critical bill will protect our markets and make Americans safer. Premier of Alberta Danielle Smith, accompanied by other Council of the Federation members, speaks to reporters at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) AP A prominent Canadian politician told conservatives in Florida that if President Trump succeeds in making Canada the United States 51st state, voters up north would make sure no Republican ever lives in the White House again. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith shared her theory with conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro during a Florida fundraising event. That would be like adding another California to your electoral system, and [you] would never have a Republican president in the White House again, the United Conservative Party leader said in a private speech delivered last week, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Smith reportedly said Canadians have hurt feelings after Trump insulted their former leader by referring to him as a governor and slapped tariffs on goods coming over the United States borders. She also suggested that compared to Americans, Canadians tend to lean liberal, which may not work out well for the GOP when elections roll around. With its population of just under 40 million people, California is represented by 52 lawmakers in the House of Representatives 43 of whom are Democrats. Both of the states Senators sit on the same side of the aisle. Canada, which is home to roughly 41 million citizens, would presumably be represented by at least that many members of Congress if it became a U.S. state. Considering that nations relatively progressive sensibilities, getting Canadians to support the Republican party would appear to be a heavy lift. So I would just caution you that its probably best for us to just stay friends, and friends should never move in together, Smith told Republicans in Florida. Shapiro reportedly agreed that conservatives in Canada would probably have a stronger showing in Aprils Canadian elections if Trump scaled back a looming trade war. ________ 2025 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, director of UAB's Division of Infectious Diseases, speaks at an online press conference on Sept. 3, 2020. UAB Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, a former director at University of Alabama at Birmingham, was put on leave today from her position at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, according to reports, as part of the Trump administrations mass layoffs of federal health workers. Marrazzo, who succeeded Dr. Anthony Fauci at the agency in 2023, was told she should not report to work, according to reports by Bloomberg and The New York Times. She was instead asked to join The Indian Health Service, which provides medical and public health services to members of federally recognized tribes on or near reservations. According to Bloomberg, Marrazzo was told on Monday by Thomas Nagy, the deputy assistant secretary for human resources at the Department of Health and Human Services, that she was being placed on paid administrative leave. Marrazzo and other directors were given until Wednesday to decide whether theyll accept the move to the Indian Health Service, the New York Times reported. Marrazzo became the first openly gay director at NIAID when she left UAB to replace Fauci. Before that, she led the division of infectious diseases at UAB for seven years. She became a media fixture in Alabama during the COVID pandemic, frequently appearing on local and national news outlets to update the public on the latest developments with the virus. Before COVID-19, Marrazzo was already prominent in the field of infectious diseases, with much of her work focusing on women, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. At the time of her appointment in 2023, Dr. Monica Gandhi, director of the Center for AIDS Research at the University of California at San Francisco, praised Marrazzos leadership. Her leadership style has really brought the division together at UAB and I have every confidence she can do this as head of NIAID, she said. Director Oliver Stone poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Nuclear' during the 79th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Friday, Sept. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis) AP U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., confused an Oscar-winning director with one of President Donald Trumps closest supporters during a House hearing Thursday on records connecting to the John F. Kennedy assassination. JFK director Oliver Stone testified before the House Oversight Committees Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets when Boebert mixed him up with Roger Stone, the former lobbyist and member of Trumps inner circle. Mr. Stone, you wrote a book accusing LBJ [President Lyndon B. Johnson] of being involved in the killing of President Kennedy, Boebert asked the director. Do these recent releases confirm or negate your initial charge? Being involved in the assassination of President Kennedy? Apparently confused, Stone then consulted with Jefferson Morley, author of CIA & JFK: The Secret Assassination Files, who also testified at Tuesdays hearing. No, I didnt -- If you look closely at the film, Stone said, it accuses President Johnson of being part of and complicit in a coverup of the case but not in the assassination itself, which I dont know. Stone then went on to detail why he believed Johnson covered up who was responsible for the assassination as Morley figured out why Boebert asked Stone that question. I think youre confusing Mr. Oliver Stone with Mr. Roger Stone, Morley told the congresswoman. Its Roger Stone who implicated LBJ in the assassination. Its not my friend, Oliver Stone. I may have misinterpreted that, Boebert responded, and I apologize for that. As part of his testimony, Oliver Stone urged Congress to reopen the investigation into Kennedys assassination. Stones JFK was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, and won two. It grossed more than $200 million but was also dogged by questions about its factuality. The last formal congressional investigation of Kennedys assassination ended in 1978, when a House committee issued a report concluding that the Soviet Union, Cuba, organized crime, the CIA and the FBI werent involved, but Kennedy probably was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. In 1976, a Senate committee said it had not uncovered enough evidence to justify a conclusion that there was a conspiracy. The Warren Commission, appointed by Kennedys successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, concluded that Oswald fired on Kennedys motorcade from a snipers perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, where Oswald worked. Police arrested Oswald within 90 minutes, and two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast on live television. For Tuesdays hearing, the task force also invited Morley and James DiEugenio, who both have written books arguing for conspiracies behind the assassination. Morley is editor of the JFK Facts blog and vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination. Mark Cuban takes part in the 'On with Kara Swisher' Live Featuring Mark Cuban podcast during the South by Southwest Interactive Festival on Sunday, March 10, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP) Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban predicted economic disaster for Alabama and other southern states if the Department of Government Efficiency continues on its trajectory of slashing federal workers and cutting spending that bleeds into the private sector. I think there is going to be a Red Rural Recession and soon if all the cuts continue as is, Cuban posted to the Bluesky social media platform on Wednesday. All the firings, cancelling of grants and contracts with companies, the closing of offices, disproportionately impact small towns, cities and states, Cuban continued. Their finances will be turned upside. I think there is going to be a Red Rural Recession and soon if all the cuts continue as is All the firings, cancelling of grants and contracts with companies , the closing of offices, disproportionately impact small towns, cities and states. Their finances will be turned upside Mark Cuban (@mcuban.bsky.social) March 27, 2025 at 10:14 PM Cubans prediction was issued as several reports of Donald Trump voters impacted by the DOGE cuts began telling their stories. Among them was Jennifer Piggott, a self-described MAGA Junkie from West Virginia who was fired from her Treasury Department job. To cut the knees off the working class Americans, it doesnt make sense to me, she told CNN in a video posted Thursday. Piggott, who said she was harassed and had eggs thrown at her home, said she regretted her vote. Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Tesla, is the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, where he has gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending. DOGEs cuts fueled protests at Tesla dealerships across the country and beyond. Violent incidents were also reported, including fires set at car dealerships. In this photo provided by El Salvador's presidential press office, a prison guard transfers deportees from the U.S., alleged to be Venezuelan gang members, to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (El Salvador presidential press office via AP) AP The Trump administrations deportation of a Maryland father to a dangerous El Salvadoran prison due to what a federal agent said was an administrative error incensed Democrats on social media who argued the case with Vice President JD Vance. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was arrested March 12 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Agents due to his prominent role in MS-13, stated Robert L. Cerna, acting field office director for enforcement and removal operations at ICEs Harlingen, Texas, field office in an affidavit in Maryland federal court Monday. In 2019, according to Cernas affidavit, an immigration judge ordered Abrego Garcia to be removed from the United States, but not to El Salvador, citing a provision of immigration law that Abrego Garcias life or freedom would be threatened in that country because of the aliens race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The immigration judges ruling meant Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador who has a 5-year-old disabled son with his U.S. citizen wife, had protected status in the United States, according to the Atlantic, which first reported the story. The outlet also said Abrego Garcia was not charged with a crime following his 2019 arrest. On March 15, 2025, Abrego Garcia was on one of the three U.S. flights that deported migrants to a dangerous El Salvadoran prison. This removal was an error, Cerna stated. But the Trump administration claimed it lacked jurisdiction to get Abrego Garcia out of the El Salvadoran prison and returned to the United States, according to the Atlantic. Abrego Garcias case outraged Democrats who took to social media to express their frustration. Jon Favreau, former head speechwriter for Barack Obama and co-host of the podcast Pod Save America, called out Trump administration officials and Elon Musk on X. Any comment on this, @marcorubio ? How about you, @JDVance? @elonmusk? You just admitted to accidentally sending an innocent father from Maryland to a torture dungeon in El Salvador. And you refuse to do anything about it," Favreau tweeted. Any comment on this, @marcorubio? How about you, @JDVance? @elonmusk? You just admitted to accidentally sending an innocent father from Maryland to a torture dungeon in El Salvador. And you refuse to do anything about it. https://t.co/TCykWFQH4Z Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) April 1, 2025 Anyone else who supports this administration have anything to say about this? Any of you Republicans? Any of you Fox News hosts or podcasters or other assorted sycophants? This is f-----monstrous, Favreau added. Vance responded to Favreau, saying it was gross that the podcaster was defending gang members. My comment is that according to the court document you apparently didnt read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here, the vice president tweeted. My further comment is that its gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize. My comment is that according to the court document you apparently didnt read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here. My further comment is that its gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize. https://t.co/cPnloeyXYk JD Vance (@JDVance) April 1, 2025 Favreau and others pointed out to Vance that the MS-13 affiliation allegations have yet to be proven. I read the filings, @JDVance - did you? 1) This man has never been charged or convicted of anything, in any country: https://t.co/eHw3Bl43yQ pic.twitter.com/BhAIspMUiF Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) April 1, 2025 Conor Lamb, a former Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, accused Vance of lying about the case: The VP is lying about a building trades union member who: -a judge ordered not to be removed -never committed a crime in 14 years -has a 5 year old -is now trapped in a Salvadoran prison no one gets out of. Catholics, union members, believers in the Constitution, take note. https://t.co/PuzRhmhLO0 Conor Lamb (@ConorLambPA) April 1, 2025 Other Democrats and Never Trumpers, including Tim Miller of the Bulwark, expressed their outrage over the case. Im going to lose my f------ mind, he said. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) speaks at a press conference with members of Senate Republican leadership in Washington, DC on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images) Anadolu via Getty Images U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., introduced a bill Tuesday to stop woke activist judges from delaying President Donald Trumps agenda in what the senator claimed was judicial overreach. President Trump has exposed the fact that our courts are full of woke activist judges who think they were elected President. But they were not, Tuberville said in a statement Tuesday announcing the Judicial Relief Clarification Act of 2025 (JRCA). More than 77 million Americans voted for President Trump and his agenda and liberal judges should not be allowed to issue injunctions on policies they do not agree with," Alabamas senior senator continued. We need our justice system to focus on upholding the Constitution, not pushing an agenda. If judges have a problem with that, they can run for political office. The bill would require parties seeking nationwide relief to file a class action lawsuit. The bill would also amend the Administrative Procedure Act and the Declaratory Judgment Act to limit courts decisions to the parties before them, and make temporary restraining orders (TROs) immediately appealable. Tuberville is co-sponsoring the bill with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. Three times in the past week, and six since Trump took office a little more than two months ago, the Justice Department has asked the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court to step into cases involving lower courts much earlier than usual. The administrations use of the emergency appeals, or shadow docket, comes as it faces more than 130 lawsuits over the Republican presidents flurry of executive orders. Many of the lawsuits have been filed in liberal-leaning parts of the country as the court system becomes ground zero for pushback to his policies. Federal judges have ruled against the administration more than 40 times, issuing temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, the Justice Department said Friday in a Supreme Court filing. The issues include birthright citizenship changes, federal spending, transgender rights and deportations under a rarely used 18th-century law. The administration is increasingly asking the Supreme Court, which Trump helped shape by nominating three justices, to step in, not only to rule in its favor but also to send a message to federal judges, who Trump and his allies claim are overstepping their authority. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Trump administration invokes state secrets privilege in case over deportations under wartime law. (El Salvador presidential press office via AP) AP An administrative error that led to a Maryland man being deported to a brutal prison in El Salvador as part of Donald Trumps immigration policy has thrust Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia into the national spotlight. Abrego Garcias plight was the subject of a story published Tuesday in the Atlantic, which reported that Trump administration officials claimed they could not bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States because it lacks jurisdiction to do so. The El Salvadoran national was arrested March 12 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. He was flown three days later to El Salvadors harsh Terrorism Confinement Center despite an immigration judge in 2019 blocking Abrego Garcia from being deported to his native country amid fears for his safety. This removal was an error, an ICE official stated in an affidavit filed Monday in Maryland federal court. The filing claimed Abrego Garcias arrest last month was due to his prominent role in MS-13, but court records did not explain the evidence against him. On Tuesday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said there were multiple pieces of proof of Abrego Garcias ties to the brutal El Salvadoran gang. Theres a lot of evidence, and the Department of Homeland Security and ICE have that evidence, and I saw it this morning, she told reporters. The Atlantic story said Abrego Garcia shares a 5-year-old disabled son with his American wife and works as a union sheetmetal apprentice. Leavitt criticized the outlets portrayal of Abrego Garcia while omitting that he illegally entered the United States. This individual was an MS-13 ringleader. This individual was also engaged in human trafficking, she said. If you just saw the headline from the insane, failing Atlantic magazine this morning, youd think this individual was the Father of the Year living in Maryland, leaving a peaceful life, when that couldnt be further from the truth. Abrego Garcias case incensed Democrats on social media who argued the case with Vice President JD Vance. Jon Favreau, former head speechwriter for Barack Obama and co-host of the podcast Pod Save America, called out Trump administration officials and Elon Musk on X. Any comment on this, @marcorubio ? How about you, @JDVance? @elonmusk? You just admitted to accidentally sending an innocent father from Maryland to a torture dungeon in El Salvador. And you refuse to do anything about it," Favreau tweeted. Anyone else who supports this administration have anything to say about this? Any of you Republicans? Any of you Fox News hosts or podcasters or other assorted sycophants? This is f-----monstrous, Favreau added. Vance responded to Favreau, saying it was gross that the podcaster was defending gang members. My comment is that according to the court document you apparently didnt read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here, the vice president tweeted. My further comment is that its gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize. Conor Lamb, a former Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, accused Vance of lying about the case. The VP is lying about a building trades union member who: a judge ordered not to be removed; never committed a crime in 14 years; has a 5 year old; is now trapped in a Salvadoran prison no one gets out of. Catholics, union members, believers in the Constitution, take note, he tweeted Tuesday. A round of severe storms left damage in several areas in Alabama on Monday. The National Weather Service looked at storm damage on Tuesday and determined one tornado touched down in the Dothan area in southeast Alabama. Storm Prediction Center An EF-1 tornado hit the Dothan area on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. It was the only tornado confirmed from a round of severe storms that rolled through the state late Sunday and Monday. The weather service also looked at damage in Lamar and Marion counties and determined it was caused by straight-line winds and not a tornado. That wasnt the case in Houston County, where a school was damaged and several students injured when a tornado-warned storm moved through the area. The National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Fla., whose area of responsibility includes five southeast Alabama counties, said a storm survey on Tuesday confirmed a tornado hit the school and gave it a preliminary rating of EF-1. Two students were injured when a storm hit Dothan Preparatory Academy early Monday afternoon, March 31, 2025. (Special to AL.com) The tornado had top winds estimated at 105 mph, according to the weather service. It had a path length of 3.11 miles and was 200 yards wide at its peak. It touched down at 12:31 p.m. on Monday in Dothan near Rimson Road and tracked to the northeast, lifting near Southeast Alabama Medical Center. Heres the path: Here's the path of the EF-1 tornado that passed through the Dothan area on Monday afternoon. NWS Along the way the storm did substantial damage to the Dothan Preparatory Academy, where five students were injured. Several sections of the roof were ripped off and several windows broken. The students were injured when part of the gym roof was removed. The tornado also uprooted numerous trees trees, some of which fell on houses, and one crushed a car. Heres what to know, insisted the New York Times's Adam Nagourney in a lead editorial the day the JFK files dropped. Oswald still did it. If there was such a thing as a Confirmation Bias Olympics, Nagourney would have earned the right to represent the U.S. Reviewing and dismissing 64,000 pages of National Archives material in fewer than 24 hours is no small accomplishment even by the standards of the New York Times. As opinion writer David Wallace-Wells reminded his readers a week later, the Times decides what is a valid conspiracy theory and what is not. Apparently, JFK theories are not. Wrote the supercilious Wallace-Wells, the JFK files turned out to be, by the standards of conspiracy hype, a total dud. Although Wikipedia describes me as an American author, blogger and conspiracy theorist, I remain agnostic on the JFK assassination. If the files turn out to be a total dud, so be it. Similarly, if they indict LBJ and a rogue crew of CIA contractors, I would not be surprised. In either case, what is eerily true is that Wallace-Wells used the same Alinskyite strategy to ridicule conservative investigators that the Times used nearly 30 years ago to defame JFKs legendary press secretary Pierre Salinger. Salingers sin was to reveal the truth behind the 1996 shootdown of TWA Flight 800, a genuine conspiracy in which the Times played a critical role. According to Wallace-Wells, we are living in a golden age for conspiracy theory. By way of example, he wrote, It is now perfectly reasonable, for instance, to believe that a novel virus that killed more than 20 million people worldwide and upended for years the daily life of billions was engineered by scientists and then released by accident, with a global cover-up improvised in the months that followed. Coy with his language, Wallace-Wells refused to acknowledge that this conspiracy theory proved to be true and that the Times played a critical role in suppressing the truth, a truth he has a hard time swallowing. Last month, Wallace-Wells headlined an opinion piece, The Covid Alarmists Were Closer to the Truth Than Anyone Else. If there were an Olympics for Jesuitical reasoning, Wallace-Wells would be a gold medalist. To make this argument, he ignored all contrary evidence and elevated a few floating, unverifiable numbers to the gotcha level. The people he mocked, the Covid minimizers and vaccine skeptics, were the ones paying attention in 2020, the ones least susceptible to the hysteria ginned up by the Times. As tangible proof of the same, I would refer Wallace-Wells to a survey done by Franklin Templeton-Gallup during the last six months of 2020. In the survey, some 35,000 Americans were asked a series of questions, the most revealing: What percentage of people who have been infected by the coronavirus needed to be hospitalized? Democrats proved particularly vulnerable to major media propaganda. Some 41 percent believed that 50 percent or more of those who contracted COVID would end up in the hospital. Another 28 percent answered 20-50 percent. The correct answer was 1-5 percent. In sum, 69 percent of Democrats were deeply misinformed, and they translated their unfounded alarm into public policy. These policies often bordered on tyranny and ruined more lives, especially young lives, than COVID did. Making the age of conspiracies so golden is the one technology that the major media still resent, what Wallace-Wells described as a network of infinite wormholes, some opening up into full-on alternate realities like QAnon and sudden vaccine death. Ah, yes, the internet, forever condemned for costing the major media their monopoly on information. Reading Wallace-Wellss internet bash recalled the Times's treatment of Salinger. By way of background, TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 747 en route from New York to Paris on July 17, 1996, crashed off the coast of Long Island, killing all 230 people on board. At the time, Salinger worked in Paris, where the interest in TWA 800 was understandably high. Some 36 French citizens were killed in the crash. With a likely assist from French intelligence, Salinger was put in touch with retired United Airline pilot and accident investigator Dick Russell. Having gathered information through his own network of aviation insiders, Russell sent a summary e-mail to his associates with the message, TWA Flight 800 was shot down by a U.S. Navy guided missile ship which was in area W-105. It has been a cover-up from the word go. Salinger remained a loyal enough Democrat to sit on his information until it lost its political punch. He broke his silence at an aviation conference in the French resort city of Cannes two days after Bill Clintons reelection on November 4, 1996. There, Salinger told the assembled executives that he had very important details that show the plane was brought down by a U.S. Navy missile. He added the obvious: If the news came out that an American naval ship shot down that plane it would be something that would make the public very very unhappy and could have an effect on the election. Without making a direct accusation, Salinger offered a plausible motive for the cover-up by the Clinton White House, namely to assure reelection. The U.S. Navy would not have, and could not have, concealed this disaster on its own. To execute the cover-up, the White House had the FBI illegally seize the investigation from the NTSB and the CIA shadow the FBI. When Salinger went public with his missile intel, the FBI was still a year away from closing the case. That uncertainty did not stop the Times from going full Alinsky on Salinger -- "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it -- for challenging the shifting party line. In 1996, the Times pushed back hard against Salingers reliance on the internet. In the month of November alone, the Times ran four articles with headlines that mocked him. On November 24, 1996, for instance, just four months after the crash, the Times ran an all-too-typical article headlined Pierre, Is That a Masonic Flag on the Moon? In the first sentence, reporter George Johnson ridiculed the internet with its throbbing, fevered brain. Johnson directed his contempt at those ordinary Americans whose Internet use threatened the Times hegemony on the news. Electrified by the Internet, Johnson complained, suspicions about the crash of T.W.A. Flight 800 were almost instantly transmuted into convictions that it was the result of friendly fire. It was all linked to Whitewater, Johnson scoffed, unless the missile was meant for a visiting U.F.O.? Johnsons reference to Whitewater was not uncommon. He made slighting allusions as well to Waco, Ruby Ridge, Arkansas state troopers, Vincent Foster, and other sources of amusement in Clinton-era newsrooms. A generation later, Wallace-Wells was doing the same with alternate realities like QAnon and sudden vaccine death. What Johnson was attempting to do was to paint TWA 800 as one wacky anti-Clinton conspiracy out of many. What he did not do -- no one at the Times did -- was speak to any of the 258 FBI witnesses to a likely missile strike, an unconscionable act of journalistic malpractice. Nearly 30 years after the TWA 800 disaster, the Times is still suppressing information and mocking those who resist. As Wallace-Wells assured us, The new age of political paranoia obviously reflects a toxic efflorescence of grass-roots distrust, not to mention the structural pathologies of a new information environment. Huh? For more information about Jack Cashill, please check is account at Substack.com. Image: Nationaal Archief President Donald J. Trumps Special Envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly stopped in Baku, Azerbaijan, after taking off from Moscow on March 14th, just hours after Armenia and Azerbaijan announced an agreement on key terms for a peace treaty to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute and normalize relations between the two countries. Details of Witkoffs discussions remain unknown at the time of this writing. However, this may signal that Washington is attuned to the potential strategic benefits of engaging more closely with the Azerbaijanis in the fast-changing international environment. Today, the adversaries of the United States are increasingly united. The CRINK (an acronym for the alliance of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea) has transformed from an irritant to a dire threat to the international order. This is happening while the Western alliance and the globes status quo powers are pulling apart, especially considering the recent avoidable rupture between America and Europe. Navigating the choppy international waters requires deft diplomacy and cooperation with credible actors opposed to the CRINK. For the past thirty years, Israel and Azerbaijan, the Jewish state and a Shia Muslim-majority secular country, have been strengthening their ties, spurred on not just by shared animosity towards Iran but also a shared cooperative vision. YouTube screen grab. A group of prominent rabbis has recently appealed to President Trump to include Azerbaijan in the Abraham Accords framework. At the same time, Israel has advocated for Azerbaijan by proposing the end of all sanctions against it. The Trump administration should support these developments, which can contribute to more unity amongst Americas allies, weaken Iran, and, crucially, ease tensions in the Greater Middle East. On March 1, Iran Daily published a front-page article titled Israels Growing Footprint In Azerbaijan Raises Red Alert, calling on all Iranian state actors to pay attention to a the report by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA), an Israeli think-tank, concerning the trilateral alliance between Washington, Jerusalem, and Baku. Iran Daily serves as the Iranian regimes mouthpiece. Clearly, the Iranian authorities are concerned about BESAs recommendations to the Trump administration, Israels growing presence in the South Caucasus, and the administrations plans to expand the Abraham Accords. Tehran views these as threatening its national security and regional ambitions. Tehrans rulers, who have long maintained close ties with Armenia, cannot be happy about the announced peace terms between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Iran has continued to provide political and economic support to Yerevan, considering it a counterbalance to Azerbaijan and Turkey. Meanwhile, Irans relationship with Azerbaijan is complex. Despite economic cooperation, Bakus ties with Israel are viewed as a serious challenge. In response, Tehran seeks to increase its influence through various diplomatic channels and military cooperation with other regional players, such as Russia. Now, with the prospects of a peace treaty coming soon, Tehran likely fears that Washington may lift sanctions under Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which could expand military support for Azerbaijan. There is also deep concern about U.S. efforts to involve Azerbaijan in regional security programs to contain Iran. Azerbaijans strategic partnership with Israel dates back to the formers independence after the breakup of the Soviet Union. The groundwork was laid during a high-level summit between Israeli and Azeri leaders in 1997. Israel has been a major importer of Azerbaijans energy since the 1990s. Azerbaijan provides more than 50 percent of the gasoline consumed by Israel, and Jerusalem is Bakus sixth-largest market for oil exports. Azerbaijan also imports weapons from Israel. In the 2010s, Baku imported 27 percent of its arms from Israel, which grew to 69 percent by the 2016-2020 period. Azerbaijan and Israel have begun expanding their cooperation in recent weeks. On March 17, a delegation from the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) will visit Israel to sign an agreement on buying a 10 percent stake in Israels Tamar gas field and to announce further energy deals on Israels Mediterranean coast. Israels Minister of National Missions, Orit Strock, recently said that Israel-Azerbaijan relations are built on a unique partnership founded on mutual interests and a long-standing friendship. Israel will continue to enhance its cooperation with Azerbaijan and the United States. The partnership with Baku has shown that Israel recognizes the importance of the South Caucasus and sees Azerbaijan as a key ally in the region. As a result of the escalation of violence across the Middle East since October 2023, Israel needs allies more than ever. It would benefit from strengthening the Abraham Accords and furthering its cooperation with Azerbaijan. Iran, meanwhile, is seeking to counteract these developments by intensifying its diplomacy with China, Russia, and North Korea. Amid this geopolitical competition, the Trump administration must develop a comprehensive strategy to strengthen its allies and counter hostile actions from Iran. By bringing Baku and Jerusalem closer together and expanding the Abraham Accords, Washington would contribute to further weakening its CRINK adversaries, while easing Muslim-Jewish tensions in the Middle East and globally. Trump has a rare opportunity to promote sustainable peace and advance Americas interests. Zoltan Feher is a diplomat-scholar and a geostrategist. He worked as a professional diplomat for Hungary for 12 years, serving as a Foreign Policy Analyst in Washington DC and as Acting Ambassador in Ankara, Turkey. He is currently based in Washington DC, working as a Nonresident Fellow at the Atlantic Councils Global China Hub as well as a Visiting Scholar and Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University. He has taught International Relations at Harvard, MIT, Tufts, and leading Hungarian universities. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University) and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University. Fox News's Bret Baier recently interviewed Elon Musk and other Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) executives, outlining their plans for the program while sharing some harrowing realities about our federal government. Tom Krause, a member of DOGE tasked with overhauling the Treasury Department, revealed, "The Federal Government could not pass an audit." This remark raises questions about accountability within government regulatory agencies. Bureaucracies that provide oversight to corporations expect a high standard of accountability, compliance, and quality, but do they offer a comparable level of excellence and culpability in their practices? Government regulations continuously pressure corporations and small businesses. Extensive regulations span environmental policies, guidelines for handling sensitive materials, data management protocols, and manufacturing rules, to name a few. The scope and stringency of these requirements vary by industry, with sectors such as pharmaceuticals, commerce, energy, and real estate often facing the most burdensome mandates. In addition, companies remain persistently threatened with unannounced audits and regulatory appraisals. Pharmaceutical companies must navigate a complex regulatory framework. They adhere to protocols from bench to bedside, such as Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Good Tissue Practices (GTP), current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), and Good Documentation Practices (GDP), among others. Employees are burdened with superfluous and monotonous training requirements. Minor deviations or documentation errors trigger rigorous investigations that can incur substantial costs and delay product releases. Moreover, any changes to manufacturing specifications require additional FDA approval. Should a drug later exhibit a secondary benefit, it must undergo a separate approval process to avoid legal issues related to "off-label use." Every procedure -- from ensuring sterility and proper cleaning to managing recalls -- must be traceable and subject to strict, documented guidelines. The FDA has unilateral power to approve and disapprove drugs going to market. It can also pause drug development at any stage for any infraction it deems appropriate. Companies must promptly address any observations the FDA makes during an audit; failure to do so will inevitably result in further consequences. The major findings and observations during audits are publicly disclosed, theoretically promoting accountability. But with such power, what forces are at bay to ensure the FDA itself is running effectively? Intuitively, we expect the FDA to face scrutiny if it approves a drug that later exhibits dangerous, unforeseen, or unwarranted side effects -- this is not the case. Sovereign immunity shields the FDA from lawsuits unless Congress explicitly waives that protection. Although many link this safeguard to the Eleventh Amendment, it was traditionally meant to apply to state governments rather than federal entities like the FDA. This legal shield raises significant liability concerns, limiting recourse for those potentially responsible for regulatory failures. Multiple organizations have the authority to audit the FDA. But these mainly include branches within the government, such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, internal audits, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Private entities like Public Citizen and the Competitive Enterprise Institute exist but make trivial contributions to external auditing efforts. Considerable conflicts of interest arise when government bodies primarily oversee their agencies -- a concern elucidated by a couple of examples. For instance, the GAO exposed the FDA's reliance on legacy IT systems. These outdated systems jeopardize data integrity, leading to potential entry errors and financial management inefficiencies. The FDA's centralized role in approving drugs paints a stark picture; these antiquated systems may impact patients' ability to receive medicines. Flow and organization of data are essential for streamlining approval processes. The FDA requires thorough audit trails of data and information from private companies when they conduct investigations and audits; it appears they do not hold the same standard for themselves. The 2023 case involving Public Citizen illustrates more challenges. Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to issue adequate warnings about the risk of tendon injuries associated with fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The FDA lagged public demand for more information. Again, the faulty systems, slow response times, and inefficiency plagued the FDA's ability to respond. This petition did not result in court rulings or legal action against the bureaucratic body. The FDA eventually expedited its review of the safety concerns due to pressure, demonstrating the agency's incapability to address problems urgently. Regulators would not extend the same mercies to a pharmaceutical or food company; they would demand an explanation for the discrepancies and a timely plan to address them. Scrutiny persists regarding the FDA's capacity to promptly execute recalls, evaluate food safety, and address public health concerns. Inefficient systems, outdated software, and poor data management have left food items on the shelves that should have been long recalled. The agency's handling of clinical trial data during COVID-19 vaccine studies further exposed data management and public communication deficiencies. Even their lackluster drug approval process was probed and criticized. Perhaps the FDA should be put on a disciplinary pause. Government regulators would impose marked consequences on a private enterprise if it were responsible for such failures. The company's mistakes would be publicly displayed; the FDA would demand accountability and halt all manufacturing until issues were resolved. Unfortunately, the same criterion is not applied to the FDA. Federal entities often take little to no action for their mistakes. When action is taken, other regulatory or government bodies impose the disciplinary measures, resulting in institutional self-regulation. The FDA's shortcomings are often obscured, and large corporations and pharmaceutical companies become scapegoats in narratives portrayed by the media. Unlike the FDA, these entities face costly lawsuits and regulatory penalties because they are not shielded by sovereign immunity. Yet, the agency with unilateral power over drug approvals and enforcement remains largely unaccountable for its failures. This raises a critical question: Who watches the Watchmen? While initiatives like DOGE aim to modernize government systems, true reform requires more than technological upgrades. These efforts must include meaningful accountability and independent oversight to ensure that institutions responsible for safeguarding public health adhere to the same standards they impose on private industry. Without such measures, organizations like the FDA may continue to operate in a regulatory vacuum where its authority is unchecked and its deficiencies remain unchallenged. Matthew Williams is a compliance and technical investigator for pharma and is a freelance writer focusing on healthcare and pharma reform. Follow him on X @Back2TheCenter Image: FDA I've never heard anything good about the United States Institute for Peace. It's been in bed with neocons, coupmeisters, and the Soros color revolution crowd for years. The quasi-government agency that runs like a private NGO is always sneaky and non-transparent. So it didn't surprise me a bit to learn that USIP showed unusual resistance to anyone poking into their spending from DOGE. Did you hear how the staff as USIP acted when DOGE showed up? They literally BARRICADED themselves in their offices, cut the phone lines and power to elevators, sabotaged office equipment and the Head of USIP had to be arrested & removed. pic.twitter.com/Ay8xLdt2nU DuaneCates001 (@THEDuaneCates) March 30, 2025 They even called the cops on DOGE, only to get arrested and hauled off themselves: USIP officials attempted a petty little coup against Trump and Doge. Heres the twistMetro PD were called in by USIP, but when they arrived, they removed the USIP officials instead. To the Leftists eager for an uprising: The police and military arent on your side. pic.twitter.com/qjvVOKfT0a Mirthful Moments (@moment_mirthful) April 1, 2025 And they seem to have had a siphoning game going on: USIP UNDER FIRE: $13M FUNNELED TO PRIVATE ENDOWMENT, TALIBAN-LINKED PAYMENTS UNCOVERED Each year, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) receives $55M in taxpayer funding. But over the past decade, $13M was quietly transferred to its private Endowmentoutside congressional https://t.co/vBxrmZgYg1 pic.twitter.com/tRkOZvYSp5 DOGE Tracker (@Tracking_DOGE) March 31, 2025 According to a hostile, biased report from Newsweek: Elon Musk has accused the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) of deleting a terabyte of financial data to "cover their crimes." Musk reposted a claim from the Conservative page 'amuse' on X (formerly Twitter) which stated that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had found USIP contracts going to Afghanistan's former chief of protocol, who had been a member of the Taliban, and to the Iraqi League for Youth. Musk wrote on X: "They deleted a terabyte of financial data to cover their crimes, but they don't understand technology, so we recovered it." Any government institution is most likely to be the opposite of its name https://t.co/hUfinp5Ujm Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 1, 2025 Nothing they did ever had the slightest relationship to promoting "peace." They were bribing the Afghan Taliban warlords to keep the drugs flowing. Thats what the US Institute of Peace payments were for. https://t.co/2dwhkISdLY pic.twitter.com/WFf0lyU2Zp Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) April 1, 2025 They had an opaque structure that was an invitation to corruption: DOGE: The agency called USIP has/had a structure that should never been allowed in a democracy - they were allowed to operate as a private corporation (non-profit) and a federal agency at the same time. They didn't have to follow any rules.https://t.co/X0L0jgXhNU @amuse (@amuse) April 1, 2025 Each year, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) receives $55M in congressional (taxpayer) funds. - Prior management would sweep excess funds into its private Endowment (zero congressional oversight). -In the past 10 years, USIP has transferred ~$13M to its private Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) March 31, 2025 The most vivid and satisfying aspect of this story is that the USIP characters tried to destroy data to hide their acts -- and ran into BigBalls, or someone like him at DOGE, who quietly recovered the data they tried to destroy. DOGE & of course, Big Balls found over a TERABYTE of deleted information from the US funded "US Institute of Peace". Fraud waste & abuse will start dropping a lot of people in jail. I hope they're prepared for what's coming to them. https://t.co/ZsumrlJWnO Jeri Lynn Simpson (@DreamerJeri) April 1, 2025 Hilarious that Big Balls undeleted the terabyte the dude thought was gone forever! Busted! Weve got Big Balls!! https://t.co/9RknO3UlTX Degisi (@LCDRJobie) April 1, 2025 Sometimes, the good guys really do win, and for the most embarrassing of reasons for the bad guys -- they didn't know tech like Elon's team knows tech. Now their chief may be facing criminal charges based on this bid to avoid accountability. DOJ considers criminal charges for directors of U.S. Institute for Peace. Timeline of USIP malfeasance, blockade of Doge.https://t.co/q2ViXx9EeT pic.twitter.com/d6MAxUF4dw Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) March 24, 2025 What were they hiding? It must have been something pretty big. But whatever it was, it's satisfying to know that they need to respect the will of the people who pay their paychecks and bankroll their slush funds, and like any NGO, need to provide a minimum of accountability with no record destruction. One can only hope that they will be made an example of, if for nothing else, to deter the others. Image: Grok, AI-generated image, via X. Marine Le Pen, the de facto leader of Frances far-right National Rally (R.N.) party, was convicted on March 31 of embezzling over 4 million in European Parliament funds between 2004 and 2016. The ruling, delivered by presiding judge Benedicte de Perthuis in a Paris court, imposes a five-year ban from public office effective immediately along with a four-year prison sentence (two years under house arrest with an electronic tag and two years suspended) and a 100,000 fine (approximately USD 105,000). The verdict threatens to derail Le Pens political ambitions, including her anticipated run in the 2027 French presidential election, where she would most likely be a frontrunner to succeed Emmanuel Macron. Le Pen has vowed to appeal, but the process could extend beyond the 2027 election timeline. The charges stem from what is being called a fake jobs system in which Le Pen and 24 co-defendants including eight former EU lawmakers and 12 parliamentary assistants allegedly misused funds allocated for European Parliament assistants. The court found that these assistants, paid with E.U. money, performed little to no work for the Parliament and instead served R.N. party roles in France. The court found evidence of a deliberate system allegedly orchestrated by Le Pen to reduce the partys operational costs, with beneficiaries that included R.N. insiders like her father, the founder of the party, Jean-Marie Le Pen. The elder Le Pen died at the age of 96 on January 7. Judge de Perthuis rejected claims from Le Pen that such practices have been widespread. Patrick Maisonneuve, the European Parliaments lawyer, praised the decision as a clear demonstration of a structured system to divert funds. The BBC reports that the judge opined, It was established that all these people were actually working for the party, that their (EU) lawmaker had not given them any tasks[.] ... The investigations also showed that these were not administrative errors ... but embezzlement within the framework of a system put in place to reduce the partys costs. The investigation began in 2015 after thenEuropean Parliament president Martin Schulz flagged irregularities to Frances anti-corruption agency, the Office Europeen de Lutte Antifraude (OLAF). The ruling marks the culmination of a decade-long probe, bolstered by Frances stricter anti-corruption laws enacted since 2016. Reporting from Le Figaro shows that Le Pens co-defendants received varying penalties, with the court holding the R.N. collectively accountable for repaying 4.3 million to the European Parliament. Le Pen herself was not found to have personally profited, but the judge ruled the scheme benefited her partys finances and inner circle. The courts 300-page ruling, however, seems to detail a systematic misuse of funds, supported by financial records, witness testimony, and correspondence uncovered since 2015. According to reporting from Le Monde on Monday, The judicial investigation indeed brought to light several testimonies and documents damning for the far-right party and its former leader. These include a letter sent by Wallerand de Saint-Just to Le Pen in June 2014. At a time when the FN was heavily in debt, its treasurer Saint-Just wrote: Well only get out of this if we make significant savings thanks to the European Parliament. Another email exchange, dated to 2014, between Saint-Just and MEP Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, was also troubling: What Marine is asking of us is tantamount [to] signing up for fictitious jobs. ... I understand Marines reasons, but were going to get screwed. The testimonies of former FN MEPs Aymeric Chauprade and Sophie Montel also pointed in this direction. According to Montel, Le Pen asked MEPs to hire just one assistant and leave the rest of their parliamentary allowance to the FN. To investigators, Montel stated that, in her view, there was little doubt of the existence of a system of employment of fictitious parliamentary assistants paid from European Parliament funds but actually working for the Front National party. Le Journal du Dimanche identified Charles Van Houtte, Le Pens accountant, as a key figure in executing the scheme. Van Houtte told police in 2017 that Le Pen communicated her instructions regarding the identity of the staff to be allocated from the budgetary envelopes of the FN MEPs, by having him come to her office in Brussels or Strasbourg, and that her instructions were always verbal. Reporting from Marianne.net further states that records for the sums of money and the assistants attached to them were displayed in the courtroom. Although he was seen as the kingpin of fraud for Le Pen, he denied any fraudulent intent. Although there is evidence to support the courts ruling, the severity of the sentence is unprecedented for a French political figure of Le Pens stature. Thus, the courts ruling has fueled speculation of political targeting. Critics note the timing, with Macrons centrist coalition weakening and Le Pens R.N. gaining ground in recent polls. As has been the case with Trumps legal battles in the United States and Jair Bolsonaros trial in Brazil, some believe that the French judiciary system is also being influenced by the political establishment in France, arguably seeking to neutralize a populist threat with lawfare. Le Pen and her allies swiftly decried the verdict as politically motivated. This is an attempt at my political death, she declared outside the courthouse, likening her situation to former U.S. President Donald Trumps legal battles. Her lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, called it a blow to democracy, while R.N. president Jordan Bardella stated in a March 31 X post, It is not only Marine Le Pen who is unjustly condemned but it is also the French democracy that has been executed. The defense argued that the funds were used legitimately and that the courts narrow definition of an E.U. assistants role unfairly targeted the R.N. In a BBC interview on Monday, Le Pen asserted her intention to appeal and confirmed the belief that her case has been politicized by a corrupted judicial system. This evening, there are millions of French people who are outraged seeing that in France, the country of human rights, judges have implemented measures that are reserved to authoritarian regimes. Image: Marine Le Pen. Credit: Remi Noyon via Flickr, CC BY 2.0. In a shocking (or maybe not so much?) turn of events, a government corruption case filed by a Dodd-Frank whistleblower has raised serious concerns about judicial misconduct. The whistleblower, whose case alleges significant wrongdoing within the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, has accused two judges of corruption within the federal court system. To make matters worse, the Federal District Court of Central California has assigned the case (5:25-cv-00773-JWH-SP) to the same two judges who are now being accused of misconduct. The case, which revolves around a corruption complaint filed by a whistleblower under the Dodd-Frank Act, was abruptly dismissed by the same judges the plaintiff claims are involved in the misconduct. This decision has sparked outrage and raised significant concerns about the impartiality of the judiciary in high-stakes corruption cases. While it may seem like an April Fools joke, this is no prank. The whistleblowers legal team argues that assigning the case to the very judges accused of misconduct is a clear conflict of interest, calling into question the integrity of the courts handling of this critical case. Judicial misconduct is a grave matter, and when allegations involve sitting judges, it undermines public confidence in the fairness and accountability of the legal system. Experts warn that such conflicts of interest create a dangerous precedent for future cases, particularly those involving whistleblowers or corruption. The plaintiff has vowed to pursue further legal action, calling for an independent investigation into the actions of the judges involved. Legal observers are now calling on the higher courts to intervene and ensure a fair and unbiased hearing of the case, in light of the serious allegations and the apparent conflict of interest at play. As this case develops, it raises broader questions about the safeguards in place to prevent judicial corruption and the potential consequences of a judiciary that is perceived as compromised. For now, the spotlight is on the legal system to address these claims with the transparency and accountability they demand. The war on whistleblowers continues. Image from Grok. A French court recently sentenced National Rally leader Marine Le Pen to prison and banned her from running in national elections for five years, ostensibly for embezzling European Union funds. Even the court admitted that Le Pen did not personally profit. This is almost certainly a ruse, as French courts clearly do not care where or how non-conservative politicians and public servants get their money. Jordan Bardella, president of National Rally and Le Pens presumptive successor in the presidential run, strongly condemned the ruling stating, Today, it is not only Marine Le Pen who is being unjustly condemned: it is French democracy that is being executed. Well, France has a long history of executing out-of-favor politicians, allegedly in defense of democracy. Remember the Jacobins? But, hey, when in doubt about your election chances, and, to save your beloved "democracy," its always a good thing to jail your political opponents, right? Corollary: if somehow they are still able to run and win just declare the election null and void! Its easy and brilliant! Eat, sleep, repeat, right? Keep doing so until your guy/gal/they is elected! The Soviets did this almost flawlessly, as did the Nazis. Bridging the East and West, left and right, in a touching display of totalitarian inclusiveness, Brussels has now fully embraced these totally tyrannical tenets. Woe to the wayward, formerly independent nation that has the temerity to favor a conservative non-globalist to head their country. Hell hath no fury like Brussels scorned! So, screw you, Romania! Get ready to be corrected, Germans! The French government has proactively screwed its own citizens. And, you English well, never mind, you are obviously gloriously intent on your own submission, anyway. Well done! Glad to hear Canada is on board with the Great Submission, as well! Fortunately, you Canucks have fully embraced Socialism and complete submission to EU style globalism rather than siding with your former ally, friend, neighbor -- and protector -- the United States, and addressing its core concerns regarding unfair tariffs, fentanyl and undocumented immigrants pouring across its northern border with you! Bravo! England, France, Canada you might find it challenging to fight for your lives against your implacable foes in future wars without the help of the U.S. like you had in World Wars I and II. Good luck with Russia, China, Iran, North Korea. Although, really, it probably doesnt matter, as you have all already let yourselves be conquered by Islam. Tolerance. Inclusion. Totalitarianism. Allahu Akbar. Image: The Russian Presidential Press and Information Office, Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons // CCO 4.0 Deed So last week, Vlad Putin ticks off Donald Trump by mucking around with his peace negotiations, leading to a very angry President. Then somebody blows up one of his limos in Moscow. Keep in mind, lots of people have tried to kill Putin over the years. The interesting thing is, these were various internal rivals and a few Ukrainian attempts. But up until now, I dont think the U.S. has been involved. That could change. Putin may still not realize this, but Pres. Trump is plenty ruthless when it comes to national defense. Far more than the Europeans, and the equal of any Israeli, including Bibi Netanyahu. He didnt lose any sleep over killing Irans Number 2, Qassem Soleimani, and it sounds like the Ayatollah is the next target. There is already a fairly effective Ukraine commando force operating in Moscow. They are the ones who killed Igor Kirillov in December. If they got intel help from the CIA, no doubt, they could eventually find Putin and eliminate him. If Trump loses patience with the Russian dictator, he also has other powerful options, apart from killing the guy. The most obvious is simply impounding the Russian ghost fleet of oil tankers. These are the 600 or so mystery ships that evade oil sanctions and provide the hard cash to keep Russias economy going. If Biden and the Europeans had been serious, Western navies would have simply seized these ships, and Putins cash reserve would be gone in year. Along with the artillery shells and conscript soldiers from North Korea. Theres no Russian navy left to protect these ships and when hauled into any port, they become subject to forfeiture. In fact, that happened last week when one of them broke down and had to be seized by the Germans as a navigation hazard. NATO should just scoop up the rest, if Putin wont agree to a ceasefire. In fact, for all the squawking from the Europeans about the war, they are still buying gas from Russia and they have not touched the billions in frozen Russian assets they hold. In the end, it's going to have to be Pres. Trump forcing a peace on the Russians. Lets hope when Putin speaks to our President on the phone this week, he is suitably chastened and ready to wind down the war. As Pres. Trump famously explained to Mr. Zelensky, you dont have the cards, but America does. If they havent all quit yet, what remains of Putins motorcade chauffeurs may be telling him the same thing. Image: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office Alberta would make a great 51st state. It has a population of 4.8 million and had a gross domestic product of $244.3 billion in 2024. (All numbers here are in U.S. dollars.) This would rank us 27th among the 50 states, just behind South Carolina at $246.3 billion. Over 90% of our economic output is from oil & gas extraction, refining, distribution, and servicing. Alberta has over 37 billion tons of mostly readily accessible coal reserves, the worlds third-largest proven oil reserves, and among the worlds top ten largest natural gas reserves. In short, Alberta has tremendous ability to supply cheap and abundant coal, oil, and natural gas to meet President Trumps Agenda47 goals for the United States. Also, rural and blue-collar Albertans are hardworking, honest people. Our cities unfortunately like many U.S. cities attract socialists, but this problem can be fixed. Canada is currently undergoing an election for prime minister following the resignation of Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal party. All the socialist, globalist babble pushed by the WEF and Davos crowd climate change, DIE disease, etc. were front and center with his government over the past decade. If we have learned anything, it is not to trust Liberals to look out for the interests of Alberta. On the contrary, they have impeded development of our energy resources in the name of fake climate change. One estimate is that Canada has seen $466 billion in canceled oil, gas, LNG, and pipeline projects since 2015, when Trudeau became prime minister. Our premier, Danielle Smith, is not afraid to stick up for Albertans. She would make a capable Republican governor. She has let it be known that whoever skids into the new prime ministers role must agree to a specific list of demands within the first six months of his term. Some of these include guaranteeing Alberta full access to oil and gas corridors to the north, east, and west; halting federal censorship of energy companies (incredible but true); and lifting a tanker ban off the British Columbia coast and eliminating oil and gas emissions caps brought in to address fake climate change. In short, set our energy industry free. The current, unelected Liberal candidate for running for prime minister, Mark Carney, is a globalist and elitist with a dubious record. A firm he used to manage, Brookfield Asset Management, set up $17.4 billions worth of funds in a Caribbean tax haven. His solution to President Trumps tariffs includes an export tax on Canadian oil and gas, which would ravage Alberta. He has already admitted potential conflicts in his role as prime minister from his past work life. Hes facing questions over a past role with the global elitist Bilderberg Group, a secretive meeting of global elites that has sparked theories about controlling world events. Hes behind a corruption-plagued South American toll road scheme, submerged in litigation over bribes paid to a mayor who issued the contract. Hes even facing plagiarism accusations for a 1995 Oxford doctoral thesis. Why the focus on Carney? He is a net-zero zealot, an enemy of capitalism, and an enemy of Alberta and the U.S. He fits in perfectly with the eastern Canadian Laurentian elites (the old-school wealthy, socially connected ruling class). Carney and the Liberals are currently leading the election polls. If they win, it will spell the demise of Albertas energy industry all that world-class oil and gas left in the ground to address fake climate change. If, on the other hand, we became the 51st state, we could help President Trump achieve the cornerstone of the American advantage providing efficient, reliable, and affordable energy as the key to American security. Warren Kindzierski is a retired college professor and a concerned father and grandfather in St Albert, Alberta. Image: Richard Ricciardi via Flickr, CC BY 2.0. If you like American Thinkers content, please consider subscribing here for access to an exclusive, weekly newsletter offering insight from the editorial staff. Yvette Clarke, a representative from New Yorkwho is also the chair of the Congressional Black Caucusjust claimed the village idiot dunce cap as her own, dethroning Ketanji Brown Jackson, who, by my estimation, has been in possession of the conical accessory since she came onto my radar in 2022 with her inability to define a woman as well as her even greater inability to understand the very law that shes supposed to know and uphold. As Ian Hatchett at Breitbart News reported, Clarke appeared on an MSNBC broadcast yesterday, during which she took aim at the work of Trump, Elon, and DOGE, and essentially said this: Dont fire the bureaucrats, theyre the efficiency experts! When asked by the shows anchor where do you draw the line in efficiency, Clarke stated that the answer is a scalpel and not a chainsaw, arguing that you dont fire the workforce if youre trying to find efficiencies because its the bureaucrats who know where the efficiencies can be made. Im sorrywhat?! The bureaucrats who sent American tax dollars to fund the studying of menstrual cycles in so-called transgender men? The bureaucrats who sent American tax dollars to a non-profit for a program titled inclusive teen pregnancy prevention program for transgender boys? The bureaucrats who have been leasing empty office buildings for years and spending billions of American tax dollars to do so? The bureaucrats who paid American tax dollars to media outlets to propagandize the West with progressive ideology? The bureaucrats who sponsored drag shows around the worldwith American tax dollars? The bureaucrats who are behind the most notoriously inefficient aspect of government...the DMV? The bureaucrats who get $8 billion dollars to build hundreds of electric vehicle chargers...but only build seven or eight after three years? The bureaucrats who have only approved a whopping four permits for new construction in a post-fire Los Angeles? The bureaucrats who come after the Amish for actually building functioning homes in the South after Hurricane Helene? Like I said, shes an idiot. Id dare say that its not even a chainsaw but matchesthat will yield the most bang for our tax buck. Burning it down and starting over, following the Constitution exactly, is the only real solution. Otherwise, were just living on borrowed time, slowing the bleed. Reminder for Clarke: Every single one of those government positions is subsidized by someone with a real job, one that actually produces wealth in the private sector. And not just the jobs, but all of the health insurance plans, retirement packages, maternity and paternity leave pays, and bonuses and perks are also propped up by legitimate employment. And remember, the federal government is the nations largest employer. If I didnt know any better, Id think that Clarke was playing an April Fools prank on usbut shes really just that stupid. Image: Public domain. Sometime in the summer of 1791, or perhaps even earlier, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart fell ill. His biographer, Franz Niemetschek, described him as pale and melancholy. Despite his declining health, Mozart remained dedicated to his work, focusing on completing his Requiem. He even conducted the premiere of The Magic Flute on 30 September. However, by late November, his condition worsened dramatically. He became bedridden, suffering from swelling, pain, and persistent vomiting. Around two weeks later, on 5 December, he died at his home in Vienna. The cause of Mozarts death has been the subject of much speculation and debate. With few eyewitness accounts and no thorough medical examination, researchers have proposed various possibilities, including streptococcal infection, rheumatic fever, kidney failure, and even poisoning. Mozart himself was deeply troubled by his deteriorating health and feared he was being poisoned. I feel definitely, he confided to his wife, Constanze, that I will not last much longer; I am sure I have been poisoned. I cannot rid myself of this idea. Death Comes to the Banquet Table by Giovanni Martinelli, circa 1635. Constanze later told the musician Vincent Novello and his wife, Mary, that Mozart believed the poison was Aqua Tofana, a colourless, tasteless, and odourless liquid that could be mixed with the victim's food without detection. When administered gradually, it mimicked symptoms of common illnesses such as cholera or influenza, slowly debilitating the victim until the final, fatal dose was given. This poison, whose principal active ingredient was arsenic, is believed to have been invented by an Italian woman named Thofania d'Adamo in the 17th century. According to contemporary accounts, Aqua Tofana was first formulated around 1630 and quickly gained notoriety in southern Italy, particularly among women seeking to rid themselves of their husbands and claim their inheritances. Thofania d'Adamo and her assistant, Francesca la Sarda, who initially produced and distributed the poison, were soon caught and executed for their crimes in 1633. Di Adamo was reportedly hanged, drawn, and quartered, though another account claims she was "closed and bound, alive, in a canvas sack [and] thrown from the roofs of the bishops palace into the street in the presence of the populace." While dAdamo and la Sarda met their fate, several other women involved in the operation fled to Rome, where they continued manufacturing and selling Aqua Tofana. This group was led by Giulia Tofana, who may have been dAdamos daughter. In Rome, Tofana expanded the operation, recruiting more women and establishing a clandestine poisoning ring that catered to desperate and scheming clients alike. The group reportedly obtained arsenic through a priest, whose brother was an apothecary. They combined it with lead and possibly belladonna, creating a colourless, tasteless liquid that could be easily mixed with water or wine and discreetly administered during meals. To conceal its true purpose, the poison was often sold in glass jars labelled as Manna of St. Nicholasa popular healing oil supposedly collected from the bones of the saint in a church in Bari. It was also marketed as a cosmetic product, purportedly used to remove facial blemishes, allowing it to be discreetly kept in a household without arousing suspicion. A glass bottle containing Manna di San Nicola. Aqua Tofana was sold, disguised as Manna, in bottles like this. The poisons greatest asset was undetectability. Administered in wine or tea or some other liquid by the flattering traitress, [it] produced but a scarcely noticeable effect; the husband became a little out of sorts, felt weak and languid, so little indisposed that he would scarcely call in a medical man, wrote Chambers Journal. The key to its effectiveness lay in careful, controlled dosing. When given gradually, Aqua Tofana mimicked the progression of a natural illness, making the victims decline appear as the onset of a lingering disease rather than deliberate poisoning. After the second dose of poison, this weakness and languor became more pronounced, continued the Chambers Journal. The beautiful Medea who expressed so much anxiety for her husbands indisposition would scarcely be an object of suspicion, and perhaps would prepare her husbands food, as prescribed by the doctor, with her own fair hands. In this way the third drop would be administered, and would prostrate even the most vigorous man. The doctor would be completely puzzled to see that the apparently simple ailment did not surrender to his drugs, and while he would be still in the dark as to its nature, other doses would be given, until at length death would claim the victim for its own Giulia Tofana died in 1651, but her network continued to operate under the leadership of Girolama Spara until authorities caught the group in 1658. Aqua Tofana is believed to have claimed at least 600 victims. Spara herself reportedly boasted, Ive given this liquid to more people than Ive got hairs on my head. In July 1659, five members of the gang were hanged before an unusually large crowd. One of their clients was also executed, while more than forty otherswomen who had purchased the poisonwere sentenced to life in prison. But how much truth is there to the story of Aqua Tofana and its makers? Historian Mike Dash, who has written extensively on the subject, states that there is evidence confirming the existence and executions of both Teofania di Adamo in 1633 and Girolama Spara in 1659 for crimes of poisoning. Information about Giulia Tofana, however, is sparse, though she is believed to have been active in the 1650s. Jeanne III of Navarre Buying Poisoned Gloves from Catherine de Medici's Parfumeur, Rene by Pierre-Charles Comte, 1858 Dash argues that while arsenic-based poisons were widely used in Italy during the 17th and 18th centuries, Aqua Tofanas reputation as a precise and insidious poison was largely a product of later embellishments. In 1709, the French traveller Jean-Baptiste Labat described the capture and execution of an elderly woman in Naples who sold bottles of clear poison disguised as saints manna. Around the same time, Pius Nikolaus von Garelli, physician to Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, claimed to have seen legal documents attributing 600 deaths to the use of Aqua Tofana. In 1730, Johann Keysler, a Fellow of the Royal Society, wrote of an aged female poisoner known as "Tophana" who had allegedly murdered hundreds and was imprisoned in Naples. This elaboration of claims resulted in belief in a poison that was very widely feared, but never actually existed, Dash wrote. He further suggests that many deaths attributed to Aqua Tofana were likely due to natural causes and that its notorious reputation was largely the result of a moral panic. Also read: Marie Lafarge: The Arsenic Poisoner The Angel Makers of Nagyrev Whether Aqua Tofana was truly the perfect undetectable poison or merely the product of myth and exaggeration, its legend endured. The fear of secret poisoning, often associated with women, became deeply ingrained in European society. The 17th and 18th centuries saw a series of high-profile poisoning scandals, reinforcing the idea that deadly substances could be wielded with cunning and discretion. One of the most notorious cases was the Affair of the Poisons in France (16771682), in which a network of fortune tellers, alchemists, and poisoners was accused of supplying toxic potions to members of the aristocracyincluding some linked to King Louis XIVs court. The scandal led to arrests, executions, and lingering paranoia about clandestine poisoners operating in elite circles. Similarly, the infamous Marquise de Brinvilliers, executed in 1676, was said to have tested poisons on the poor before using them to eliminate her own family members. These cases, like Aqua Tofana, fed into the broader fear that poison was the weapon of choice for those who sought to kill without detection. Whether real or exaggerated, such stories shaped perceptions of crime, justice, and treachery in early modern Europe. Even today, the name Aqua Tofana lingers in popular culture as a symbol of subtle, insidious murdera whisper of death hidden in a glass of wine. Summary: MSI has just launched its first crop of gaming laptops featuring RTX 50-series GPUs, including the RTX 5090. Boasting powerful specs and high price tags, each of these laptops promises to boost your gaming performance to new heights. MSI just launched its first RTX 50-series gaming laptops with availability starting today on some RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 models, but if youre looking to upgrade, be prepared to spend some money. MSI is offering a range of different models, and its most powerful option retails for a whopping $5,399.99. The good news is that MSI has several other models and the prices drop considerably depending on which model you go with. Everything MSI has listed also comes powered by the RTX 5090 so they all come with the most powerful laptop GPU on the market. After initially announcing these laptops during CES 2025, MSI is now confirming availability. Youll be able to find these laptops at major retailers across the US, including Amazon, Newegg, B&H, and Microcenter. You can also pick them up from MSIs direct online store if you prefer to buy straight from the brand. One thing to keep in mind is given the difference between the RTX 5090 laptop GPU and its desktop counterpart, you might want to opt for a less expensive option. For instance, MSIs new Stealth and Vector laptops. These start at under $2,900 and under $2,200, respectively, and they both come with an RTX 5090. MSI RTX 5090 laptops are available at major US retailers MSI has several laptops available across four different model families. These include the MSI Vector series which starts at $2,199, the MSI Stealth series which starts at $2,899, the MSI Raider series which starts at $4,099, and then the Titan series which starts at $4,999. MSI also has a special edition Titan 18 HX, the Dragon Norse Myth model. This will set you back a whopping $5,199. With a range of options, theres something for every gamer who prefers a laptop setup. If youre going for the big boy, its important to know what youre getting. The MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Norse Myth. It houses a hefty 64GB of RAM and an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX. Its worth noting that this CPU is part of the Arrow Lake family. Intel recently showed this off at an event in China, harnessing the power of AI to assist you in games. Additionally, you get a 4TB SSD. Thats plenty of storage for all of your games. Its also worth mentioning that Amazon doesnt appear to have the RTX 5090 model. Just the one with the RTX 5080. So at that price, youre probably better off with a different model. In fact, Amazon only shows the Raider series with an RTX 5090 in stock. That being said, the Raider 18 HX with the RTX 5090 retails for $5,399.99. Many of these models arent in stock yet While MSI is announcing US availability of these laptops, most of them dont appear in stock. MSIs own store merely lists notify me badges across most models. Although it does have the Raider 18 HX and the Vector 16 HX in stock. Newegg appears to have several options, though. So if youre planning to get one of these new laptops, you can pre-order most of them through Newegg. Summary: Several British authors are calling on UK Secretary of State Lisa Nandy to hold Meta accountable for possible copyright infringement. Meta, allegedly, used LibGen, a database of 7.5 million books to train models, and the authors are heavily against that. This is an argument thats been going on for a couple of years, but it feels like an ages-old struggle. Content creators are at war with AI companies that steal their content for use in their AI models. Right now, several British authors want the UK to government to hold Meta accountable for allegedly using a database of stolen books. Several creators are battling against AI companies for the same reason. Many of them came to the realizations that their content had been secretly scraped to train their AI models. Not only that, but these AI models can create content that can put these creators out of business. Theres the ongoing legal battle between The New York Times and OpenAI over this. Were not sure when well have some clear-cut laws regarding copyright and AI, but we know that the results from this case will set the precedent for cases going forward. British authors want Meta to be held accountable for training its AI model on stolen books A group of successful authors are now targeting Facebook owner Meta for possibly using pirated books to train its Llama 3 model. This is the companys latest and most capable model at the moment. The pirated books live on a dataset called LibGen, and it consists of more than 7.5 million books. If Meta used this dataset, then it might be liable to sue for copyright infringement. The Society of Authors, which includes authors such as Richard Osman, Kazuo Ishiguro, Val McDermid, and Sarah Waters, signed letter to the UK Secretary of State Lisa Nandy, urging her to go after the company. The goal is to push Meta senior executives to commit to respecting copyright law. As put forth by the society, These cases are shining a light on the unscrupulous behaviour exhibited by global tech companies which seemingly exploit copyright-protected material, safe in the knowledge that they will not be held to account. This is not inaccurate. At this point, theres no telling what the outcome to this will be. Hopefully, if Meta did train its model on stolen data, it will face some sort of consequences for its actions. Summary: OpenAI, the most popular artificial intelligence company, has raised up to 40 billion dollars in a funding round. However, part of the funding depends on the company becoming for-profit this year. OpenAI continues to work hard to stay at the top of the artificial intelligence industry. If all goes as planned, the company will transition to a for-profit business model this year. This will allow them to raise more capital to continue developing advanced AI-powered features. Meanwhile, OpenAI conducts funding rounds, raising 40 billion dollars in the most recent. OpenAI just raised 40 billion dollars via funding round OpenAI conducted a new funding round recently, reaching a total company valuation of $300 billion. The latest $40 billion in funding represents the largest funding round ever raised by a private US company. According to a CNBC report, SoftBank led the funding round. The Japanese investment giant will pay $10 billion upfront, of which $2.5 billion will come from an investor syndicate. OpenAI will receive the remaining $30 billion by the end of 2025. That said, a quarter of the funding obtained is contingent on OpenAI meeting one condition: that it has already become a for-profit company by the end of the year. OpenAI aims for enormous growth in the coming years. The United States has already launched the Stargate project, which will establish massive data centers to support the development of artificial intelligence in the country. This is a monumental undertaking with a total investment of around $500 billion. The project is expected to be completed in the next four years. In the last few hours, OpenAI has made some major announcements. First, the popularity of ChatGPT, its most popular service, continues to grow exponentially. The company even received one million registrations in just one hour. The viral trend of Ghiblified images, which ChatGPT can now generate, drove this wave of popularity. OpenAI also confirmed that the company will launch an open AI model this year. This model will have reasoning capabilities comparable to those of OpenAIs o3-mini. Lastly, the firm revealed that ChatGPT boasts 500 million weekly users. It seems that OpenAI will be making a change in its approach to developing AI models. ChatGPT models have traditionally been closed for years. However, AI platforms that use an open approach, such as DeepSeek and Meta, have shown notable growth and adoption. So, OpenAI will be betting more on open-source by releasing its first open AI model since GPT-2. A new open AI model from OpenAI will arrive in the coming months OpenAI recently shared a survey on its website. The form seeks feedback from developers and the community at large regarding the release of an open AI model. It includes questions such as What would you like to see in an open-weight model from OpenAI? and What open models have you used in the past? as reported by TechCrunch. This model will not replace the main GPT closed lineup but will be an alternative. The website says, Were excited to collaborate with developers, researchers, and the broader community to gather input and make this model as useful as possible. Theres no specific date for the models arrival. However, we know it will happen in the coming months. According to the report, OpenAIs new open AI model will have reasoning capabilities similar to those of OpenAIs o3-mini. So, while it wont offer the most powerful features available, it will be quite capable and fast. As usual, the company is expected to release demo prototypes of the model before a wide rollout. OpenAI will hold a developer event in San Francisco in the coming weeks. Its quite likely the company will reveal more information about this open AI model there. Similar events will also be held in Europe and Asia-Pacific later. A change of plans OpenAIs move appears to mark a change in the companys planning. In February, Altman had said that they would focus even more on developing closed-source tools. However, now OpenAI could maintain an open and a closed branch of its GPT models starting this year. [B]efore release, we will evaluate this model according [to] our preparedness framework, like we would for any other model, Altman stated. [A]nd we will do extra work given that we know this model will be modified post-release [] [W]ere excited to see what developers build and how large companies and governments use it where they prefer to run a model themselves, he added. Summary: OPPO has announced that a Lumo imaging brand will be announced ahead of its new flagship phone. The launch event is scheduled for tomorrow (April 2) evening in China, as it will kick off at 7:30 local time. Lumo will be focused on portrait photography and aims to excel in low-light portrait photography. OPPO has confirmed that a Lumo imaging brand is coming tomorrow, April 2. As a reminder, the OPPO Find X8s, Find X8s+, and Find X8 Ultra are all launching on April 10. So, this new imaging branding will be announced a bit earlier. The OPPO Lumo imaging brand will seemingly launch tomorrow This new brand will be announced at the OPPO 2025 Imaging Technology Event. It will take place on April 2 at 7:30 PM China time / 1:30 PM CET / 12:30 PM BST / 7:30 AM EST / 4:30 AM PST. OPPO said that this brand will be focused on portrait shots and that it will leverage advanced optical design and computational capabilities of the companys upcoming devices. OPPOs Chief Product Offer, Liu Zhou, went to social media to say that Lumo is designed specifically for portrait photography. He also said that it aims to offer the very best mobile imaging system for capturing people. The OPPO Find X8 Ultra is the first phone expected to support Lumo The OPPO Find X8 Ultra is said to be the very first phone to offer Lumo. Lumos features include a new ultra-light-sensitive optical system, Danyan original color lenses, and ProXDR technology for accurate color rendering. OPPO already shared some OPPO Find X8 Ultra camera samples, as the company tried to prove how it excels in low light. OPPO did put focus on portrait photography in low light, and decided to shame the iPhone 16 Pro Max while at it. Considering that this announcement comes on April 1, we do advise caution. However, there seems to be nothing wrong here. OPPO has been teasing great low-light portrait photography for a while now, and this fits. Its far from an obvious joke, in fact, it doesnt look like a joke at all. Well find out tomorrow, but the announcement seems legit, perfectly normal. Summary: Qualcomm has acquired (MovianAI), the generative AI division of VinAI for an undisclosed amount. The founder and CEO of VinAI, will also join Qualcomm. Qualcomm will launch a new mobile processor in China on April 2nd. The exact processor name is not yet confirmed. As per rumours, it could be called the Snapdragon 8s Elite or Snapdragon 8s Gen 4. While the processor is yet to go official, ahead of its release, the brand has made an important acquisition announcement. The US chipmaker has acquired the generative AI division of VinAI to reinforce its AI capabilities. Qualcomm acquires MovianAI to strengthen its generative AI capabilities In a press note, Qualcomm has shared details about the acquisition of MovianAI. VinAI is known for its research-related work in machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing. The VinAI division is a former part of the Vingroup ecosystem. Vingroup is one of the largest private conglomerates in Vietnam. Qualcomm has been working with VinAI for more than 20 years. It previously partnered with VinAI in the areas of 5G, AI, IoT, and automotive. The press release notes that Qualcomm has played an instrumental role in the growth and success of Vietnams information and communication technology (ICT) industry and assisted the entry of Vietnamese companies. VinAI founder Dr. Hung Bui joins Qualcomm Dr. Hung Bui, founder and CEO of VinAI, will also join Qualcomm. He is a former expert at Google DeepMind. Bui has played a key role in VinAIs development. The team of MovianAI is renowned for world-class research and engineering. Hung Bui expressed his thoughts about the acquisition, saying, We are ready to contribute to Qualcomms mission of making breakthroughs in fundamental AI research and scale them across industries, including smartphones, PCs, software-defined vehicles, and more. Qualcomm plans to ensure widespread AI adoption. Neither Qualcomm nor MovianAI disclosed the acquisition cost. With AI being the current trend, the US tech giant is looking to strengthen its AI leadership while Vietnam is the key player in innovation. Qualcomms AI strategy spans smartphones, automotive, IoT, and personal computing, ensuring widespread adoption of AI-powered solutions. With this acquisition we can expect the technology industry to have more AI-driven innovations that will benefit consumers and businesses worldwide. Last year, Huawei surprised everyone when it launched the Mate XT, the worlds first tri-fold smartphone. Following the footsteps of the Chinese tech giant, many other brands like Samsung are also working on similar devices. Samsung has been in the foldable smartphone market for nearly seven years. The company is now working on a double-folding/tri-fold offering. That said, Samsung could launch its first tri-fold handset later this year, but only in select markets. Samsungs first double-folding or tri-fold smartphone appears in GSMAs database A Samsung phone with the model number SM-F968 recently appeared in the database of the GSM Association. The supporting documents reveal that Samsung is internally calling the device Q7M. Two variants of the phone have appeared in the databaseSM-F9680 and SM-968N. These are reportedly likely for Samsungs first dual-folding or tri-fold phone, featuring three different parts of a foldable screen supported by two hinges. Furthermore, the source suggests that the SM-F9680 model number is likely the Chinese version of Samsungs first tri-fold smartphone. The variant bearing the SM-F968N model number could be the South Korean counterpart of the device. This indicates that Samsung might not launch this smartphone globally, and it could only release the phone in China and South Korea. What can we expect from Samsungs first tri-fold handset? Samsungs recently unearthed patent filings suggest that its first tri-fold phone could be a compact offering when folded. The patent hints that the device will feature a dual-inner folding form factor, allowing both side pieces to fold inward. In comparison, Huaweis Mate XT takes a zigzag shape when you fold/unfold it. Huaweis approach allows it to use the same large foldable display as an external screen on the Mate XT. However, Samsungs approach requires a separate secondary display, but the design certainly increases the durability of the inner foldable screen. Furthermore, the patent filings indicated that Samsungs first tri-fold phone could support the S Pen. The sketches attached to the patent showed a slot for the accessory. That said, phone brands like Samsung file many design patents from time to time. Not all the designs in the patent filings make it to the commercial products. Samsung could surprise us all by using a entirely different design than rivals for its first dual-folding phone; only time will tell. The deadline for the TikTok ban is approaching. US President Donald Trump previously extended the deadline by 75 days, which means that on the 5th of April, times up. Were only a few days away, and theres no deal in sight, but Trump is optimistic. Speaking with reporters, Trump says that a deal to buy TikTok will be struck before its deadline this Saturday. Last minute deal According to Trump, We have a lot of potential buyers. Theres tremendous interest in Tiktok, adding, Id like to see Tiktok remain alive. Trump had previously stated that there were at least four bidders lined up to buy TikTok. However, he did not provide any names. Last we heard, Oracle was in the lead to buy TikTok, but the company has remained silent on the matter. Private equity giant Blackstone is reportedly eyeing a small minority stake in TikToks US operationsbut its unclear if thatll be enough to dodge the ban. Right now, the US government basically wants to control TikToks US operations. The government claims that it is concerned about national security. This is because ByteDance, a Chinese company, owns TikTok. The US government believes that TikTok is sending data on US citizens back to China, something that the app has refuted many times. Trumps eagerness In a way, its interesting. The whole idea of banning TikTok actually originated from Trump during his first term as the President of the United States. His wishes were carried out by the Biden administration, which introduced legislation that would ban TikTok if it were not sold to a US company or at least give the US a controlling stake in it. However, Trump has credited TikTok in part for helping him win a second term as President. It might explain why Trump is willing to find ways to allow TikTok to escape the ban. Several names have already entered the ring as potential bidders. Oracle is one of them. We also previously heard Elon Musks name mentioned, but he later denied his interest. This includes a group of investors led by YouTuber MrBeast. Reddits co-founder Alexis Ohanian is reportedly interested. But so far, nothing concrete has surfaced, making a deal before the deadline seem unlikely. Trump has said hes open to extending the deadline if talks fall through. Every senior dog needs a loving home, so its particularly sad when one of these puppers is surrendered in what should be their golden years. Who would do such a thing?! Little Jiffy is one of the many older dogs that was tossed by the wayside by her humans. And now the Louisiana SPCA is hoping to use the internet to find the Chihuahua mix a new home! Who could give up Jiffy? With her scruffy fur and sweet face, shes absolutely irresistible. Sadly the 13-year-old Chihuahua still ended up at the Louisiana SPCA, where she now has to wait and hope that someone will find her, fall in love with her, and then bring her home. For many senior dogs this is a tall order. But something tells us that the right person will see the rescues video and bring this good girl home! Dont let Jiffys age stop you from adopting her, the rescue pleaded in the caption. Related: Senior Chihuahuas Growing Old TogetherAre Too Precious for Words Its honestly so heartbreaking. No senior dog should struggle to find a loving home. But unfortunately so many do. Commenters were just as distraught. People who surrender their senior dogs or their pets in general, were never pet parents. They were just people who had a pet. Theres a difference, wrote one commenter. I literally would do anything to have my senior dog back Idk why people are so mean, chimed in someone else. I adopted my soul dog at 13. Whoever adopts her will know the incredible love they give, even for a short time, one person pointed out. While another commenter put it bluntly: Someone save this baby! they wrote. Adopting From the Louisiana SPCA Today can be the day that you change Jiffys life! There are so many animals at the Louisiana SPCA that need a loving home. If youre ready to bring one home, head to the shelters website and fill out an application. Every animal thats adopted through a shelter or rescue saves them and gives them a loving home. But it also alleviates the pressure on overcrowded shelters who care for so many animals. Theres still time to save Jiffy! Head to the shelters website and apply today. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. The Syrian defence ministry dispatches convoys of military vehicles to the border with Lebanon on 17 March after the killing of three Syrian soldiers. Photograph: Omar Albam/AP Hidden trails snake through the mountains in Lebanons eastern Bekaa valley, the furrowed earthen paths veering off before entirely disappearing into the mountainside scrub. Thats Syria, said Haidar, a smuggler using a pseudonym, tracing with his finger the contours of a route that if followed for about half a mile would cross the borders of Syria and Lebanon with authorities being none the wiser. In the remote Lebanese village of Qasr, borders are just a suggestion. The town sits a stones throw from Syria and save for three soldiers manning an army checkpoint at the entry to the village, the presence of the Lebanese state is minimal. The people of Qasr and the villages that straddle both sides of the nearly 248 mile-long (400km) Syria-Lebanon border were for decades in business together. Authorities in Assads Syria profited from the flow of weapons, drugs and fuel over the border, and its ally in Lebanon, the Iran-backed Shia militia Hezbollah, relied on routes used by smugglers to receive weapons coming from Iran. But after the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was ousted by Syrian rebels on 8 December and a war-battered Hezbollah lost its grip over the Lebanese state, authorities in both countries have sought to reassert control over their borders and crack down on smuggling. The attempt to seal the porous border has disrupted the decades long smuggling trade between Syria and Lebanon and has turned local tensions into deadly international military incidents. On 16 March, three Syrian soldiers were killed in Lebanese territory, prompting the Syrian army to begin to pummel Qasr and surrounding villages with artillery. Smuggling tribes in the villages returned fire and the Lebanese army also responded to Syrian rockets, with a ceasefire agreed a day later. In all, three Syrians and seven Lebanese were killed on both sides, while another 52 were wounded in Lebanon. It was the second time in a month that clashes had erupted between Syria and Lebanon. Syrian authorities blamed Lebanons Hezbollah for the skirmishes, claiming it had infiltrated Syrian territory, kidnapped three Syrian soldiers and killed them. Hezbollah denied any involvement. Lebanese people painted a very different story, of a new Syrian army that did not yet know the lay of the land, and of a local dispute that escalated quickly. A member of the Lebanese Jaafar tribe, an influential smuggling clan that controls many of the routes in the area, said: Three Syrian soldiers [were] walking, and stepped on Lebanese land by accident. They ran across a shepherd who got scared and called his relatives, who killed the soldiers immediately. He described how tensions have been running high between the people of Lebanese border villages and the new Syrian authorities. Smugglers are scared to go to Syria now, they dont feel theres security, he said. Many Lebanese living in towns on the Syrian side of the border for decades fled after the fall of Assad for fear of the new authorities. One 68-year-old farmer who was born and raised in Syria said his land had been taken from him in December, so he fled to Qasr. Arms have poured into Lebanese border towns after Assads troops abandoned their posts, leaving weapons ranging from rifles to light artillery by the roadside. The Jaafar family member said it was now common to find Kornets, a Russian anti-tank guided missile, in Qasr and that they were quite cheap, too. When Syrian artillery fire started on Qasr and the surrounding area, tribes such as the Jaafar family took up arms to defend the town and arms they had aplenty. A video of an al-Arabiya correspondent inside Syria during the clashes captured the moment a rocket was shot from the Lebanese side, slightly injuring the reporter. Many people in Qasr are members of Hezbollah the group announced four of its fighters were killed in the clashes although residents insisted the militia did not direct the battle, but rather fighters participated as members of the town. Experts say the relationship between smugglers and Hezbollah is more of a partnership, rather than the tribes that engage in smuggling being under the Lebanese groups control. Joseph Daher, the author of Hezbollah: The political economy of the party of God, said: Most of these clans are politically covered and have connections with Hezbollah. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) [the Islamist authority that rules Syria] is trying to strengthen its controls at the border, especially targeting clans affiliated with Hezbollah. The Lebanese state has also been keen to strengthen its control over the Syria-Lebanese border, eager to show western powers it is preventing weapons from reaching Hezbollah. Before the fall of the Assad regime, the Lebanese group would receive weapons shipments via Syria through the Bekaa valley. Despite the clashes, business is business. Smugglers say the flow of illicit goods has continued after the fall of Assad. Publicly, [HTS] is saying they want smuggling to stop, but they need our goods. Business doesnt have an identity, said a second member of the Jaafar family. The new Syrian authorities have regularised and decreased the fees they charge smugglers, he said, as Syria desperately needs Lebanese fuel and diesel as western-led sanctions have throttled its ability to import them. The only goods smugglers can no longer traffic are drugs. The factories that used to produce the popular amphetamine captagon were run by the now deposed Assad regime and smuggled through the Bekaa valley to be exported via Lebanons ports. Syrias new authorities have cracked down on the narcotics trade. Lebanons smugglers and Syrian officials are still getting to know one another. Gone are the fourth armoured division soldiers under the control of Maher al-Assad, the brother of Syrias ousted president, which used to control the Syrian side of the smuggling routes. The introduction is off to a rocky start. As the Jaafar clan member was speaking, bursts of machine-gun fire erupted, followed by the dull thuds of rocket-propelled grenades fired by the Syrian authorities at a neighbouring village. If the ceasefire continues then we wont attack them and they wont attack us. But it seems we are entering a cycle of violence and revenge, he said. A British tourist is really shocked, sad and distraught after charges against the five Israeli men she accused of gang-raping her in a hotel were dropped by a court in Cyprus, her lawyer has said. On Monday, a three-member Assize court, sitting as a district court in Paralimni, ruled the testimony of the 20-year-old had not been credible as it lacked coherence and contained numerous substantial contradictions, The Guardian reported. Police said she had picked the men out of a line-up as having raped her during a hotel pool party in the coastal resort town of Ayia Napa on September 3 2023. The defendants, who were then aged 19 and 20, had pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The woman is really sad and really upset about the acquittals which saw all of the men walk free from court, according to her lawyer Michael Polak. He said: She is openly gay, not interested in men at all and the defence was that she consented to group sex with these Arab Israeli men who do not speak English. So she is really shocked by the verdict. The woman, who cannot be legally identified, was highly distressed as she told police that she was taken by force during a party and was then sexually assaulted in a hotel room, it was reported. Mr Polak, who is director of the Justice Abroad organisation, added he is not surprised by the ruling. It comes after the European Court of Human Rights ruling earlier this year that Cyprus law enforcement authorities failed to live up to their obligation to thoroughly and effectively investigate a British teenagers claims. Mr Polak has written to the Attorney General in Cyprus to appeal against the verdict in this weeks case. He said: We think one of the higher courts should look at it and look at it properly, before adding: Well see what happens but we dont have great hope. Mr Polak said it is very difficult to assess the criticisms that have been made about the 20-year-olds testimony, saying he has yet to see the full judgment. He added: But I do know that she has no interest in men or entering into a group sex act people she did not know or speak the same language none of that has been mentioned. David Walliams said Simon Cowell was not happy when the comedian won Best TV Judge at the National Television Awards. Walliams, 53, was speaking at Advertising Week Europe 2025 alongside long-standing comedy partner Matt Lucas. Speaking about winning the prize, which he has won four times, Walliams joked: Simon Cowell never won. And thats all he does, judges. Judging is just a tiny part (of what I do). He wasnt happy with you was he? said host Melanie Rockcliffe. No, Walliams said. It was a fun show to do. David Walliams and Simon Cowell judged Britains Got Talent together (Jonathan Brady/PA) Walliams judged the show for 10 years but left in 2022 after he apologised for making disrespectful comments about auditioning contestants during filming breaks in January 2020 at the London Palladium. He and Lucas, 51, spoke at the event in central London on Tuesday about the success of their sketch shows Little Britain and Come Fly With Me and how they met in the 1990s at National Youth Theatre. Matt and I were the funny ones in our groups, and we were brought together, Walliams said. We both did impressions. I did an impression of Frankie Howerd and you (Lucas) did an impression of Jim Bowen who hosted Bullseye. Walliams, who has also had a successful career as a childrens author, added: The next year, we were a play together, it was a Shakespeare play. I was starring. In fact, what were you doing? Lucas replied: Yeah, all right, I was bringing props on and off. The pair discussed their famous characters including Carol Beer who says the catchphrase Computer Says No. Walliams claimed the phrase is now used colloquially in Iceland. Lucas, who stepped down from his role as a co-host on The Great British Bake Off after presenting three series alongside fellow comedian and actor Noel Fielding, told of how people still mix his character Vicky Pollard up with Catherine Tate. Matt Lucas had a minor role in Gladiator II (Ian West/PA) Sometimes I get Am I bothered? and I go no, thats Catherine Tate, Lucas said. The duo also discussed their new podcast Making A Scene, which is their first joint project in 15 years. In the show, the pair have a celebrity guest on who is asked to talk about the hypothetical film of their life including who would play them and the key scenes. Asked who should play each other, Lucas, who appeared in the Gladiator sequel starring Irish actor Paul Mescal, said Walliams should be played by Christopher Biggins. Walliams jibed: A white chocolate egg. The UK will pay to maintain a joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago. Photograph: AP Donald Trump has signed off the UKs handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, Downing Street has indicated, paving the way for the UK to cede sovereignty over its last African colony after a six-month standoff. Under the terms of the deal, the UK will give up control of the Chagos archipelago while paying to maintain control of a joint US-UK military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia, under a 99-year lease. The agreement came under fire from senior Republicans in the US last year, and more recently some inside the UK government who questioned why the UK was spending billions on it amid cost pressures. The prime ministers spokesperson said on Tuesday that the deal was being finalised after receiving the green light from Trump. My understanding is its now between us and the Mauritian government to finalise the deal, following the discussions with the US, he said. Trump told Keir Starmer during his visit to the White House in February that he was inclined to go with your country over the Chagos deal and that he had a feeling its going to work out very well. The plan to cede control over the islands was announced in October, before a change of administration in Mauritius and Trumps return to the White House threw it in doubt. Senior figures in Trumps administration including Marco Rubio, his secretary of state, criticised the proposals, and Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, spent months openly lobbying the president and his advisers to reject the deal, creating embarrassment for the Labour government. Critics have argued that the handover will compromise the security of the joint military base because of Mauritiuss relationship with China. UK officials claim the links between Mauritius and China are overstated, however, and that India is the more influential regional power. Mauritius is one of the few countries in the region that has refused to take part in Chinas belt and road initiative. Ministers have also argued that the UK has to give up the territory due to international legal rulings in favour of Mauritius, and that legal uncertainty over the legitimacy of the military base could compromise its security. The UK government revealed it would spare China from facing stronger rules as part of its register of foreign lobbyists coming into force on 1 July. Russia and Iran would both be included in the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme once it was launched this summer, Dan Jarvis, the security minister, told the Commons. The enhanced tier of the scheme is reserved for countries that pose a risk to UK national security. Anyone who is directed by Russia or Iran to carry out activities in the UK must declare it or face five years in prison. Jarvis declined to comment on Chinas status in the scheme or to speculate on which countries may or may not be specified in the future. Should ministers decide to impose stricter rules on China or any other countries such as North Korea, they will need to give three months notice of the change. Announcing greater restrictions on Russian activity, Jarvis said Moscow presents an acute threat to UK national security and that its hostile acts have ranged from the use of a deadly nerve agent in Salisbury, espionage, arson and cyber-attacks, including the targeting of UK parliamentarians through spear-phishing campaigns. In response Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, described China as the elephant in the room and said the country engages in industrial-scale espionage, seeking to steal technology from government, universities and from industries. They repress Chinese citizens here and have sought to infiltrate our political system. The foreign influence registration scheme was expected to come into force last year but the new Labour government delayed its implementation. Ministers said on Tuesday that they would work with business and academia to help them prepare for the schemes launch, and that there would be a three-month grace period to register existing ties with foreign states. The woman who settled a sexual assault lawsuit against the Duke of York is in hospital after a serious accident, according to her spokeswoman. Virginia Giuffre, who reportedly lives in Australia, said on Instagram that doctors had given her four days to live after her car was hit by a school bus. Her spokeswoman Dini von Mueffling said: Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending. Neither woman has given any details about where or when the collision took place. Ms Giuffre has been living near Perth in Western Australia and posted a picture on Instagram from the city on March 2. Western Australia Police said they received one report of a minor crash between a school bus and a car in Neergabby, about 12 miles north of Perth, on March 24. The collision was reported by the bus driver the following day, said a police spokeswoman. There were no reported injuries as a result of the crash. A spokesperson for the East Metropolitan Health Service, which runs Royal Perth Hospital, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that Ms Giuffre was not at any of their facilities. A Western Australia Public Transport Authority spokesperson also told the ABC they were unaware of any such bus crashes. Ms Giuffre, 41, is reported to have separated from her husband and posted pictures of her children on Instagram on March 22, saying she was missing them. In Mondays post about the accident, she said it had been the worst start to a new year. Im ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, she said. The duke paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre who he claimed never to have met. She sued him for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked by paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew denied the claims. Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, whose 1991 film JFK portrayed President John F Kennedys assassination as the work of a shadowy government conspiracy, is set to testify to Congress on Tuesday about thousands of newly released government documents surrounding the killing. Experts say the files that President Donald Trump ordered to be released showed nothing undercutting the conclusion that a lone gunman killed Kennedy. Many documents were previously released but contained newly removed redactions, including social security numbers, angering people whose personal information was disclosed. The first hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets comes five decades after the Warren Commission investigation concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy as his motorcade finished a parade route in downtown Dallas on November 22 1963. The limousine carrying mortally wounded President John F Kennedy races toward the hospital seconds after he was shot in Dallas (Justin Newman/AP) Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who chairs the task force, said last month that she wants to work with writers and researchers to help solve one of the biggest cold case files in US history. Experts and historians have not viewed the assassination as a cold case, viewing the evidence for Oswald as a lone gunman as strong. Stones JFK was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, and won two. It grossed more than 200 million US dollars (155 million) but was also dogged by questions about its factuality. The last formal congressional investigation of Kennedys assassination ended in 1978, when a House committee issued a report concluding that the Soviet Union, Cuba, organised crime, the CIA and the FBI were not involved, but Kennedy probably was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. In 1976, a Senate committee said it had not uncovered enough evidence to justify a conclusion that there was a conspiracy. The Warren Commission, appointed by Kennedys successor, President Lyndon B Johnson, concluded that Oswald fired on Kennedys motorcade from a snipers perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, where Oswald worked. Police arrested Oswald within 90 minutes, and two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast on live television. For Tuesdays hearing, the task force also invited Jefferson Morley and James DiEugenio, who both have written books arguing for conspiracies behind the assassination. Morley is editor of the JFK Facts blog and vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination. He has praised Luna as being open to new information surrounding the killing. The Government has been warned not to sacrifice British agriculture to seal a US trade deal amid growing concerns over biosecurity. Farming and food sector leaders said they were very concerned about the concessions ministers could make while trying to secure an exemption from Donald Trumps tariffs. Lord Rooker, former Food Standards Agency chairman; Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers Union; and Rob Mutimer, National Pig Association chair, were among the sector leaders who spoke about biosecurity at a briefing on Tuesday. The group called for the Government to step up disease prevention measures as Europe grapples with the threat of African swine fever and foot and mouth disease. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds (Stefan Rousseau/PA) It came after Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Times Radio that food standards were a red line in trade talks for the UK, suggesting the country would not accept US hormone-treated beef and chlorine-washed chicken a major sticking point in previous negotiations. However, the Government could compromise in other areas, like eliminating tariffs of up to 12% on US beef, chicken, and pork, the Times reported. This would give US producers who have lower standards and a competitive advantage greater access to the UK market, putting struggling British farmers under further pressure. Mr Bradshaw said: I think were very very concerned. Mr Bradshaw said the sector has an absolute expectation that (ministers) cannot sacrifice agriculture at this moment in time to the benefit of other sectors. He added: Taking our food security for granted in an increasingly volatile world, an increasingly insecure world, is something which is a risk too far for 70 million consumers living on this island and the Government has got to stand up for agriculture at this moment in these trade deals. Of the lower standards of production seen in the US, Mr Bradshaw argued: If we dont want them in this country, we shouldnt import food produced to those standards, because it should be a barrier. It should be a red line which cannot be crossed. And so this is a moment of reckoning here for what (it is that) the UK stands for in global trade. As a major exporter to the US, he acknowledged the UKs dairy sectors exposure to tariff. But he added: That really doesnt mean that we can afford to do a deal at all costs. Lord Rooker (Matt Crossick/PA) Lord Rooker, former chairman of the Food Standards Agency and a former environment minister, also said he is concerned about the trade talks. He added: I dont think we should go anywhere near in terms of trade deals with America imports of so-called fresh foods. He said the US has to douse chickens in chlorine and anti-microbial washes because of the appalling way it produces them, before citing official figures that show one in 25 packs sold at American supermarkets are contaminated with salmonella. This idea that we can import from America safely is simply not true, he added. Elsewhere, the group said the lack of funding, basic biosecurity measures and resources for research centres is putting the UK at risk of disease outbreaks. Mr Bradshaw said taking the issue for granted is absolute folly, adding: I think that its very easy to forget about the level of investment that is required, but we have significant threats at our borders already. It comes amid fears over the rise of foot and mouth disease and African swine fever in Europe, as well as illegal imports of meat from Romania, which are coming through ports like Dover and Holyhead without being thoroughly checked. An outbreak of either disease would require complete eradication and the country would risk losing its ability to export produce abroad for years. The estimated cost of the 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth for the UK public and private sector was around 8 billion, equivalent to 14.7 billion today, according to the National Audit Office. The cost of that is simply unthinkable with the finances of the country as they are today, Mr Bradshaw said. As a long-time pig farmer, Mr Mutimer also said the animal welfare and mental health impact of mass slaughter would be massive. Thats worth having some insurance for that, he said. The group declined to put a figure on the amount of Government investment needed to boost biosecurity, recognising the scale of the challenge on the Environment Departments (Defra) budget. Mr Bradshaw said: What we are doing is saying to wider Government and Defra, you cant overlook this. The Department for Business and Trade referred to Mr Reynolds interview on Times Radio, in which he also said he wanted goods to be as cheap as possible for UK consumers. The regime that we put in place in the UK, what we call our SPS regime, which is our food standards regime, thats the red line for us, he said. Thats a really important area that we wouldnt be able to negotiate on. And the US understands that position, as do other countries. So of course, the set of things you talk about and some things that you cant, I absolutely believe agreement is possible with the US. Irelands Finance Minister has laid bare the potential effect of US tariffs on the Irish economy, describing the looming announcement as a significant day in the history of the world. Paschal Donohoe said Ireland is facing a possible slump in employment growth and job creation, a decline in tax revenue, possible tax income increases, an impact on some 80,000 current jobs and he refused to rule out a recession. Ireland and European leaders are braced for US President Donald Trumps Liberation Day for the US economy, when he is expected to announce a range of tariffs on imports from other countries. He is expected to target EU countries, including Ireland, with tariffs of about 20% on imports into the US. Tariffs on all Irish exports will lead to higher costs, particularly in the pharma sector. Speaking in Dublin on Tuesday, the Fine Gael minister said: I know its difficult to make the case for progress on the eve of such a significant day in the history of the world, but if I was to make the case for things that are, despite the challenges that are going to be imposed on us, that are still positive, Id point to three things. He pointed to record levels of employment across the EU, and a growing appreciation of predictability by companies across the world. He said the EUs response to the announcement by the US will be thought-out, predictable and communicated. Mr Donohoe also refused to rule out a recession, saying it is difficult to exactly identify what could be the scenario were facing into after Wednesday. All I, in truth, can say at the moment, is on the basis of what President Trump has already said, I do believe it is very likely that we will experience an economic challenge in the next number of years, he said. On the basis of what I currently know, I believe its most likely that will lead to a lower level of economic growth, with a risk in relation to how many new jobs could be created or some lost, and that will happen over the next two to four years. Once we know exactly what is going to happen, I think at that point Ill be better able to answer whats the scenario we are conducting. Government ministers have been briefed on the effect on employment levels, but as the details of the tariffs are not yet clear, Mr Donohoe said the best forecast he can make is one of lower job creation and unemployment levels slowly down or slightly rising. Mr Donohoe also described a possible decline in tax revenue, which will take place over a number of years. The exact magnitude of that change in tax revenue, we hope will be in a position to better model once the scale and duration of tariffs become clear, he added. At the moment were not clear on that, that will become clearer at least beginning tomorrow. But I should emphasise, we are confronting all of this with our public finances in surplus, which will be a significant help in dealing with the costs that may be coming our way due to a decline in tax revenue. He said the Government will also consider increasing income tax over the coming years, but the decision will be based on what the tariffs will be, how long they will be in place, and the EUs response. The deputy Irish premier has also warned that the export of pharmaceutical products from Ireland to the US could reduce by about half in the face of US tariffs. Simon Harris said that over a five-year period there could be a very significant reduction of pharmaceutical products, but he does not want to be in the space of the EU applying 20% tariffs. Speaking in Dublin, Mr Harris said the trade relationship between the EU and the US is worth 1.6 trillion euro every year. Mr Harris set out to Cabinet on Tuesday the potential economic impact on Ireland. About 45,000 people are employed in Irelands pharmaceutical companies, while some 58 billion euro in pharma and chemicals is exported from Ireland to the US every year. Mr Harris said Ireland and the EU are facing one of the biggest economic challenges, which will have a generational impact. As soon as tomorrow, were highly likely to see a series of announcements from President Donald Trump in relation to trade and tariffs, Mr Harris said. I think this will seek to fundamentally alter the trade relationship between the European Union and the United States of America, and I think it is regrettable, in advance of even seeing the detail, because tariffs are bad for consumers. They push up the cost of doing business, they push up the cost of goods, and we have built successful economies on both sides of the Atlantic on the basis of trading in goods and services. I think it is really important in the days ahead though, that the response from Ireland and the European Union is calm, is measured and is strategic. Crucially, though, this has to be about getting to a point of negotiation. Every disagreement ultimately has to end in an agreement, has to end with people getting around the table, and I certainly hope that what the EU response will do is allow time for meaningful engagement to find a way forward that is good for Europe, good for Ireland and good for the United States. Pharma companies and companies are here because they do very well. In fact, about 60% of what theyre exporting is going into the European Union. In other words, they need a presence in Europe. We have a significant presence of pharma companies here. Of that, theres no doubt, employing around 45,000 people. But were not completely isolated in relation to this, and thats why, over the last number of days and again, today, Ive been talking to colleagues in the European Union, who also have large pharma industries. Irish premier Micheal Martin said that Ireland and the EU must try to avoid worst case scenarios. What is clear is there will be, even after negotiation, there will be some level of tariffs still in place. The issue now, because its then how high? Then its a matter for the Irish economy and the European economy to adapt to that, diversify our markets, look at our competitiveness, both within Ireland and within the European Union, there are a lot of measures we can take, but fundamentally, the old order is changing in terms of the economic model. He added: I think the entire tariff initiative is, as I said, it would be damaging to the entire world economy, to the US economy, in my view, and to the European economy and to Ireland. So weve got to try and mitigate it as much as we possibly can, limit the damage and avoid worst case scenarios. There will be a lot of consultation within the European Union on this issue, to endeavour to get to a strategic response that doesnt bring more damage. Economists are fairly strongly of the view that it needs a calm, collective sort of measured response to make sure we dont feel damage to ourselves in the process. Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney said we do not want to see a tit for tat war. This is being compared by some to Brexit but we appreciate that this is much more complex. Its much more sudden than Brexit but also it has all EU member states affected by it, whereas Ireland was obviously uniquely impacted by the economic fallout from Brexit. So its really important that we use that influence as best we can. Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, whose 1991 film JFK portrayed President John F Kennedys assassination as the work of a shadowy government conspiracy, has called for a new congressional investigation of the killing during a hearing that aired conspiracy theories about it. The freewheeling hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, where partisan grievances were aired, followed last months release of thousands of pages of government documents related to the assassination. The task forces Republican chairwoman opened the proceedings by questioning the Warren Commission investigations conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy as his motorcade finished a parade route in central Dallas on November 22 1963. President John F Kennedy riding in a motorcade with first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, in 1963 (AP) Scholars say the files that President Donald Trump ordered to be released showed nothing undercutting the conclusion that a lone gunman killed Kennedy. Many documents were previously released but contained newly removed redactions, including Social Security numbers, angering people whose personal information was disclosed. Stones JFK was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, and won two. It grossed more than 200 million dollars but was also dogged by questions about its historical accuracy. Stone told the committee that he believes decades of delays in releasing unredacted records had prevented clarity about who killed JFK. He also said a new investigation outside all political considerations should begin at the scene of the crime and re-examine all of the evidence from the day of the assassination. Scholars and historians have concluded that there is strong evidence that Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in killing Kennedy. Can we return to a world where we can trust our government to level with us, the people for which this government exists? Stone said. Director Oliver Stone listens during a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets on Capitol Hill in Washington (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) This is our democracy. This is our presidency. It belongs to us. The task forces chairwoman, Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, said she thinks the federal government under previous administrations had engaged in stonewalling. The task force also heard from a witness called by Democrats who criticised the Trump administrations handling of the recent JFK document release. John Davisson, senior counsel for the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Centre, called it hurried and suggested that the National Archives and Records Administration simply ignored procedures for protecting peoples privacy. The task forces Democrats followed up on his comments by criticising the Trump administration over a variety of other issues. What I find funny about this hearing is that the Republicans are here relitigating whether CIA agents lied 60 years ago, said Representative Jasmine Crockett, whose Texas district includes part of Dallas. Ms Crockett suggested that Congress should instead delve deeper into revelations that top national security officials discussed sensitive attack plans over a messaging app and mistakenly added a journalist to the group chat. The last formal congressional investigation of Kennedys assassination took three years and ended in 1978, when a House committee issued a report concluding that the Soviet Union, Cuba, organised crime, the CIA and the FBI were not involved, but Kennedy probably was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. Director Oliver Stone, right, talks with author Jefferson Morley before a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets on Capitol Hill in Washington (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) In 1976, a Senate committee said it had not uncovered enough evidence to justify a conclusion that there was a conspiracy. The Warren Commission, appointed by Kennedys successor, President Lyndon B Johnson, concluded that Oswald fired on Kennedys motorcade from a snipers perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, where Oswald worked. Police arrested Oswald within 90 minutes, and two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast on live television. For Tuesdays hearing, the task force also invited Jefferson Morley and James DiEugenio, who have written books arguing for conspiracies behind the assassination. Morley is editor of the JFK Facts blog and vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination. As the election campaign heats up, Jason Clare (right) has accused Peter Dutton (left) of having a dangerous agenda similar to Donald Trump, who has pledged to cull the US education department. Composite: Jono Searle/Dan Himbrechts/AAP Peter Dutton has left the door open to slashing the federal education department as part of his pledge to sack 41,000 public servants. Responding to questions about a woke agenda in curriculums, the opposition leader suggested students were being indoctrinated at school a move Labor has described as being pulled from the Doge playbook. The opposition leader has refused to say exactly where or how he would cut the public service, but on Tuesday indicated cuts could fall on back-office operations, and that he could put conditions on federal education funding. This prompted a stinging response from the education union and the federal education minister. Jason Clare accused Dutton of an extreme and dangerous agenda reminiscent of Donald Trump, who signed an executive order last month ordering the US education department be dismantled. That should put the fear of God into any Australian that cares about our kids, Clare said. The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, echoed him, saying Dutton threatened cuts to school funding, which was right from the Doge [Elon Musks so-called department of government efficiency] playbook. We also know that he wants to Americanise Medicare as well, Chalmers told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. This is Doge-y Dutton, taking his cues and policies straight from the US. On ABCs Afternoon Briefing, Labor MP Josh Burns agreed that Dutton sounded like our friends in America and accused him of playing culture wars. Related: Are our politicians on the right track? | Fiona Katauskas At a Sky News forum on Monday night in his electorate of Dickson, Dutton was asked what the Coalition would do to combat the woke agenda in education. The Liberal party leader did not use the word woke, as the questioner did, but responded that the federal government could influence state governments about what schools taught. We do provide funding to the state governments and we can condition that funding, Dutton said. We should be saying to the states that we want our kids to be taught the curriculum not be guided into some sort of an agenda thats come out of universities, he said. Thats a debate that we need to hear more from parents on. I think there is a silent majority on this issue right across the community. The Greens accused Dutton who has previously hinted the education department could be reduced if he was elected of seeking to hold education funding to ransom. Dutton began his answer on Monday night by saying the federal education department employs thousands and thousands of people but doesnt own or run a school. Which is why people ask: Why is there is a department of thousands and thousands of people in Canberra called the education department if we dont have a school or employ a teacher? he said. Dutton doubled down on the topic on Tuesday. He did not provide specific examples of lessons or subjects he viewed as woke, but raised examples of university lecturers joining political protests and said the Coalitions curriculum would reflect community standards. He did not deny that he would look to cut the education department when asked, answering: We have said we want to take waste out of the federal budget and put back into frontline services. He said, however, that the current Labor budget funding to health and education was our commitment. I want to make sure that we are spending money on frontline services, not back-office operations, Dutton said when asked, separately, if he would pledge not to make cuts to health, education, ABC or SBS. I support young Australians being able to think freely, being able to assess what is before them, and not being told and indoctrinated by something that is the agenda of others. Asked on ABCs Afternoon Briefing on Tuesday if he thought children were being indoctrinated in schools, Liberal MP Keith Wolahan said it was loaded language. But he argued teachers should not bring radical politics into the classroom. If you are telling your students there is only one particular view or only one is acceptable, thats not fair on the students and its not fair on the parents paying taxes for that to be put into schools, he said. Clare highlighted that the current curriculum was the curriculum that the Scott Morrison government put in place. Related: Coalition cuts to public service jobs could push out social service payment wait times by months, Labor says Peter Dutton has no ideas of his own, no plan for Australia, just half-baked ideas imported from the US, the education minister claimed. In a press conference, he pointed to recent Albanese government funding deals with states on education agreements and said he was focused on more children finishing high school. Peter Dutton isnt focused on the fundamentals. I think [it] shows that hes distracted by these culture wars, Clare said. The Australian Education Union president, Correna Haythorpe, accused Dutton of copying Trump a comparison Dutton has previously rejected as a sledge. Now he is taking a leaf from the Trump playbook by going for the Department of Education by threatening to cut thousands of jobs, control what teachers teach and pull funding if they dont comply with his ideology, Haythorpe said. Peter Duttons proposed control of the school curriculum is chilling, when we see what is happening in the US with book banning and the destruction of teachers professional autonomy. Dutton had briefly touched on the topic in his budget reply speech last Thursday, saying the Coalition would restore a curriculum that teaches the core fundamentals in our classrooms. Peter and Barbie Reynolds were captured by the Taliban when returning to their home in central Afghanistan - Rebuild The family of an elderly British couple detained in Afghanistan have urged David Lammy to publicly condemn the Taliban and demand the couples release. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his 75-year-old wife Barbie, were captured by the Taliban while returning to their home in Bamiyan, central Afghanistan, in February. Faye Hall, an American citizen who was detained alongside them, was released last week in a deal cut with senior US officials. Sarah Entwistle, the Reynoldss daughter, told The Telegraph that if American officials were able to free Ms Hall, the Government should be able to free her parents. We understand that there have been reasons for caution over previous weeks, but now that America has Faye back, we are desperately hoping there is more the British Government can do. We are asking the Foreign Secretary to make a public statement condemning the Taliban for detaining Mum and Dad without any evidence of wrongdoing, she added. When asked by The Telegraph if Mr Lammy would condemn the Taliban, a spokesman said: We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan. Victims of deepening internal power struggle Peter and Barbie were detained by the Talibans interior ministry on Feb 1 for allegedly travelling on fake passports. The Telegraph has subsequently learnt, however, that they are victims of a deepening internal power struggle within the Islamist regime. Their arrest was ordered by a commander linked to the Haqqani network, a powerful Taliban faction led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister. All of them [Ms Hall and the Reynolds] were arrested by the Haqqani network to extract concessions from their respective governments and put pressure on the supreme Mulla, a senior Taliban official said They are now satisfied after the [Americans] lifted sanctions on Sirajuddin [Haqqani] and are waiting to see what they can get from the British. The couple, who married in Kabul in 1970, have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and have joint UK-Afghan citizenship The pair set up Rebuild, a company that provides education and training programmes for government and non-government organisations. They remained in the country when the Taliban took power in 2021. The couple were taken to court separately last month in Kabul but did not appear before a judge. Ms Entwistle said her mother is suffering from malnutrition, receiving only one meal per day compared with three meals provided to male detainees. Ms Entwistle said, We are delighted that Faye has been released and will be able to return to America in time for the birth of her granddaughter. We continue to hope that the Taliban will embrace all that is decent and just by granting clemency during this meaningful time of Eid. Marine Le Pen in Frances national assembly on Tuesday. Photograph: Blondet Eliot/ABACA/Rex/Shutterstock After a nine-week trial, the French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was this week found guilty of the embezzlement of European parliamentary funds through a fake jobs scam of an unprecedented scale and duration. She was banned from running for office for five years with immediate effect, which could prevent her making a fourth bid for the French presidency in 2027. She has said she will appeal against the verdict and sentence, which also included a four-year prison term with two years suspended and two to be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet and 100,000 (84,000) fine. What was Marine Le Pen found guilty of? Le Pen was at the heart of a carefully organised system of embezzlement of European parliamentary funds, according to the ruling by Benedicte de Perthuis, a judge specialising in financial crimes. Related: French ministers condemn threats to judges in Marine Le Pen case From 2004 to 2016, taxpayer money allocated to members of the European parliament to pay their assistants based in Strasbourg or Brussels was instead siphoned off by the far-right National Rally (RN) party, then called Front National, in order to pay its own party workers in France. The staff in France had no connection to work undertaken at the European parliament. The court found there was no doubt about the existence of the scheme which under cover of fictitious contracts served to remunerate people who actually worked for the party or the party leaders in France. This was estimated to have caused a loss to European funds of 4.8m (4m). Le Pen, who was a member of the European parliament from 2004, as well as head of the party from 2011, was found guilty of directly organising eight fictitious contracts worth about 474,000. But the court said she was also at the centre of instigating the wider fake jobs scheme which she undertook with authority and determination. Who else was convicted? Eight other European parliament members for RN were found guilty of being part of the scheme, alongside 12 people found to have had fictitious contracts as parliamentary assistants. Two accountants and the party treasurer were also convicted. Those found to have been paid for party work under fictitious European parliament assistant contracts included the full-time bodyguard of Le Pens late father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, as well as his personal secretary. Also convicted was Marine Le Pens sister, Yann Le Pen, who in fact worked on events for the partys central office in France. What did they do with the money? Le Pen and those convicted did not gain any personal financial benefit. The judge ruled there was no personal enrichment, but rather enrichment of the party. The embezzlement scheme channelled money to fund Front National, which was in financial difficulty, the judges found. The party made large savings by paying its centralised staff in France with European funds. Among documents cited in evidence by the judges was an email sent in June 2014 from the party treasurer to Le Pen outlining the partys financial troubles, saying: Well only get through if we make big savings thanks to the European parliament The court said the salaries paid from European parliamentary funds to party workers were comfortable amounts which the party could otherwise not have paid. The system had allowed a comfortable working life for party leaders, such as the party founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who had a secretary and bodyguard. He had been accused of being part of the scheme but did not stand trial due to ill health. He died, aged 96, in January. On what evidence did the court reach its verdict? The judges said a broad range of evidence showed the contracts were fictitious and work was not carried out for the European parliament, but instead for the party. The judges cited a 2014 email from one member of the European parliament, who had previously been a lawyer, to the party treasurer: What Marine is asking is equivalent to us signing for fictitious jobs He warned this was likely to be spotted. I think Marine knows all that the treasurer replied. During the trial, the court heard that one party worker wrote in an email: Id like to see the European parliament and that would also allow me to meet the member of the European parliament Im attached to. He had apparently never been to the European parliament where he was supposed to have been working for four months. Did Le Pen admit guilt? No. During the trial Le Pen, like the others accused, told the court she was innocent. She said: I have absolutely no sense of having committed the slightest irregularity, or the slightest illegal act. After the verdict she repeated she was innocent and said she would appeal. The judges noted in their verdict that the accused had not expressed any conscience of their violation of the law nor the importance of integrity. China to send 100 athletes for ISF U15 Gymnasiade Xinhua) 09:18, April 01, 2025 BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- China will send a 154-member delegation, including 100 athletes, to the International School Sport Federation (ISF) U15 Gymnasiade as the biennial event returns to its birthplace Serbia for the 2025 edition. The inaugural event was held in Belgrade in 2021, and the 2025 edition will take place in Zlatibor from April 4 to 14, drawing an estimated 4,000 participants from more than 50 countries and regions. As announced on Monday, China's 42 male and 58 female athletes will compete in 125 events across 16 sports. 13-year-old swimmer Cheng Zirui, who took up the sport at age six, expressed excitement about her debut at the ISF U15 Gymnasiade. "I'm thrilled to participate in these games, and I expect to show my best and stand on the top podium," she said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Russia will be placed on the top level of a government scheme aimed at protecting the UK from malign foreign influence, the security minister Dan Jarvis has announced. The state will be added to the enhanced tier of the forthcoming foreign influence registration scheme (Firs), a status reserved for nations that pose a risk to the safety of the UKs interests. It means anyone who is directed by Russia to carry out activities in the UK must declare it or face five years in prison. Mr Jarvis said: Russia presents an acute threat to UK national security. In recent years, its hostile acts have ranged from the use of a deadly nerve agent in Salisbury, espionage, arson and cyber attacks, including the targeting of UK parliamentarians through spear phishing campaigns, and clearly Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine has highlighted its intent to undermine European and global security. He added that the enhanced tier of the scheme will ensure transparency of a broad range of activities and will provide an important tool for detecting and disrupting harmful activity against our country. Mr Jarvis said anyone carrying out activity as part of any arrangement with a number of Russian state bodies, including the head of state, armed forces and intelligence services, will have to register with Firs. We also intend to specify several political parties which are controlled by Russia, including the United Russia party, he added. Firs was initially expected to come into force in 2024 but, in August, the new Labour Government confirmed a delay to its implementation. The registration scheme will go live on July 1, Mr Jarvis told MPs on Tuesday. The Government will work with those affected such as in the business and academia sectors before Firs comes into force to help them prepare, as well as a three-month grace period to register existing ties. The announcement comes after Iran was the first regime to be listed under Firs earlier this month, while ministers have faced pressure to also designate China. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp welcomed the inclusion of Russia in the top level of the scheme before questioning why China has yet to be added. He described China as the elephant in the room before telling the Commons: We know China engages in industrial-scale espionage, seeking to steal technology from government, universities and from industries. They repress Chinese citizens here and have sought to infiltrate our political system. He said: There is no question, in my mind, China should be in that enhanced tier. Mr Jarvis said he was not going to speculate on which countries may or may not be specified in the future, adding on wider policy: The Government is taking a consistent long-term and strategic approach to managing the UKs relationship with China. A monk walks past a damaged building in Mandalay on Tuesday. The military junta has been accused of blocking aid in areas it does not control, and continuing its airstrikes. Photograph: Sai Aung Mainsai Aung Main/AFP/Getty Images Myanmars military is facing criticism over continued airstrikes and claims it is blocking aid to earthquake survivors, as international agencies urged unfettered access to humanitarian aid in the conflict-riven nation. The 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit central Myanmar on Friday has caused widespread destruction, killing more than 2,700 people and leaving affected areas in dire need of basic necessities such as food and water. Related: Its beyond description: Bodies pile up in mass graves as Myanmar grapples with quake toll Two Australia-based doctors helping coordinate the emergency response at the epicentre in Mandalay and Sagaing have accused the junta of blocking emergency aid. Some of the supplies of aid, well most of it, was not given to the people who need it. In some areas in Mandalay the aid did not arrive. The aid was confiscated by the military junta, said Dr Nang Win. Since the earthquake, Nang has been communicating with colleagues in Mandalay, where she says aid has been scarce and makeshift clinics are being set up in lieu of a proper emergency response system. She said one medical colleague in the city had signed paperwork to receive $1,000 in aid but received only about $100 of it, claiming the skimmed supplies would probably end up in a disaster black market. Then there is a market that happens and they have to go around and buy their own, she said. Since Myanmars military seized power in a February 2021 coup, an armed resistance movement comprising various groups that formed to oppose the junta, as well as older, ethnic armed groups has been locked in a chaotic and deadly civil war with the junta. Over the past year the junta has been consistently losing ground, controlling less than 30% of the countrys territory, though it retains control of the biggest cities. The military had been blocking aid and rescuers from areas where it does not have full control, said Dr Nang. If a group of rescuers comes and say we want to enter, especially in Sagaing, they will not let you, they will say you need a permit and once you get a permit it is too late, she said. A spokesperson for the junta did not immediately respond to the claims. Dr Tun Aung Shwe, a medical doctor and Australian representative of Myanmars exiled opposition National Unity Government (NUG), said the military was leveraging control of checkpoints to block medicine flowing to areas controlled by the NUG and ethnic resistance groups. Outside of the major cities, the military already checks and then tries to block the flow of aid, he said, adding that local communities were forced to seek alternative routes. Theyre finding other ways. So its getting there, but its taking longer. Emergency aid had been being blocked to areas such as Sagaing as well as Mogwe, he said. A member of a rescue team in Sagaing said they faced restrictions and blockades. When we try to transport supplies from Mandalay, the military council doesnt permit it. Even yesterday, when food supplies were being transported from Mandalay, they confiscated half of everything, they said. The military inspects the rescue teams, they said, suspicious of weapons being brought into the areas under the guise of aid supplies. They scrutinise even the helping teams thoroughly, prioritising only their [own] security. They dont prioritise rescuing civilians. They also investigate food distribution teams, asking where theyre from and checking everything. If supplies are transported across the river from other cities, food supplies are confiscated and dont reach their destination adequately, the rescue worker said. On Tuesday, a major rebel alliance declared a unilateral ceasefire to support the humanitarian response to the earthquake. The Three Brotherhood Alliance, which comprises the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Taang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army, said it would not initiate offensive operations for one month to allow the rescue effort, and would engage in combat only in self-defence. The NUG previously announced that groups affiliated with it would observe a two-week ceasefire in earthquake-affected areas, with an exception for defensive actions. The junta also faces criticism for conducting airstrikes on villages. The Karen National Union, one of Myanmars oldest ethnic armies, said in a statement the junta continues to carry out airstrikes targeting civilian areas, even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake. Related: Myanmar earthquake death toll tops 2,000, as health system overwhelmed Tom Andrews, the UNs special rapporteur on Myanmar, said confirming what was happening on the ground was challenging due to communication outages but that there were consistent reports of aid being blocked and that airstrikes were continuing. Instead of focusing every ounce of energy, attention and resources on saving lives the junta is taking lives. Thats the first thing. Secondly, yesterday there have been consistent reports of aid being blocked, of aid workers being denied access at checkpoints, he said. These reports were emerging from areas that were under opposition control or contested, he said, adding that the military should stop killing people and focus on saving people. On Monday night, airstrikes were reported in Singu township, Mandalay region, and Nawnghkio township, Shan state. Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said: Myanmars military junta still invokes fear, even in the wake of a horrific natural disaster that killed and injured thousands. The junta needs to break from its appalling past practice and ensure that humanitarian aid quickly reaches those whose lives are at risk in earthquake-affected areas. Scot Marciel, a retired US diplomat and ambassador to Myanmar from 2016 to 2020, said the military had a bad track record when it came to providing assistance to its citizens in need. Myanmar has very poor infrastructure, and where the military government, where to the extent it controls things, [it] is not really going to lift much of a finger to help, he said. Its a really bad place for it to happen. During the Covid pandemic, he said, the military heavily restricted aid, providing oxygen mostly only to its supporters. During cyclone Nargis in 2008, a disaster that claimed almost 140,000 lives, the military leaders initially rejected all international aid. Their history shows that they basically are willing to stand by and let lots of suffering and even death happen, if not inflicting it themselves, rather than do anything that might risk their power position, Marciel said. Aid agencies warned of an urgent need for clean water and food in affected areas, and said there is a lack of sanitation systems. Kanni Wignaraja, the UN assistant secretary general and regional director for Asia and the Pacific at UNDP, said the magnitude of the devastation was unimaginable. If you look at basic infrastructure were already seeing that more than 80% of Sagaing towns infrastructure is either destroyed or unsafe, Wignaraja said. A lot of these urban centres are going to have to be razed. [It is] really important that the UN disaster assessment and response teams that are ready in Bangkok are allowed in fast, she said, adding that a total ceasefire was needed so that relief work could be conducted. Myanmars junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, said in a televised address that the death toll was expected to surpass 3,000, having reached 2,719 on Tuesday, with 441 missing. In neighbouring Thailand, teams continued to search the site of a tower block that collapsed while under construction, trapping dozens of workers. The death toll in Thailand rose to 20. Murdo Fraser said the ruling by the Police Investigation and Review Commissioner was a devastating rebuff to Police Scotland - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Police Scotland falsely dismissed a Tory MSPs complaints about the force logging a non-crime hate incident against him after he compared non-binary people with those who identify as cats. The Police Investigation and Review Commissioner (PIRC) said the force failed to rebut Murdo Frasers claim that he had been treated differently to JK Rowling and Humza Yousaf, the former first minister. A 17-page ruling issued by the watchdog, and seen by The Telegraph, found that Police Scotland also failed to acknowledge that Mr Frasers personal data had been recorded on police systems. It said the force had not addressed the crux of the MSPs allegation that its guidance to officers on how to investigate and record hate crimes was unlawful. The review concluded that Police Scotland did not handle the complaints to a reasonable standard, and ordered the force to carry out a further inquiry within two months. A jubilant Mr Fraser said the ruling was a devastating rebuff to Police Scotland and the force had been sent homewards to think again about its use of non crime hate incidents (NCHIs). He said the force had been operating an unlawful policy that stifled free speech, and was being given one last chance to explain why he had been treated differently from a former SNP first minister. Mr Fraser, a Mid Scotland and Fife MSP, was reported to the police by a member of the public in November 2023 after he shared a post on social media about the Scottish Governments transgender policies. He wrote: Choosing to identify as 'non-binary' is as valid as choosing to identify as a cat. I'm not sure Governments should be spending time on action plans for either. https://t.co/inYHH2iPkq Murdo Fraser (@murdo_fraser) November 18, 2023 Police Scotland judged that the post was not a crime, but still logged it as a NCHI, without telling him. After finding out, he tried unsuccessfully to get the force to withdraw the NCHI, but the force refused, saying it adopted a victim centred approach. The MSPs lawyers wrote to PIRC in November last year, stating that Police Scotland had broken down his complaint into three allegations, all of which had been rejected without foundation. They argued that the decision breached his right to freedom of expression, and the force could not explain why he had been targeted when no NCHIs were recorded against Mr Yousaf or Ms Rowling for other controversial statements. Only hours after the SNPs controversial hate crime laws came into force a year ago, Ms Rowling posted pictures of 10 high-profile trans people and ridiculed their claims to be women. She then challenged police to arrest her. The police also received multiple complaints about a speech by Mr Yousaf in a 2020 Holyrood debate challenging racism in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in May that year. He said, 99 per cent of the time, he was the only non-white person in the room during government meetings. The footage has since been used to claim he is bigoted, which he has vigorously denied. Murdo Fraser complained that he had been treated differently to Humza Yousaf, the former first minister, when investigated by police over a non-crime hate incident - Robert Perry/PA The PIRC report also follows a public backlash against NCHIs, incidents that fall short of being criminal but are perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person with a particular characteristic. Campaigners have warned of their chilling effect on free speech and in November, Allison Pearson, the Telegraph columnist, was visited at her home by officers from Essex Police following a complaint over a social media post. Pearson initially believed that she was being investigated for an NCHI, and the incident resulted in a public debate about their use. Welcoming PIRCs ruling, Mr Fraser said: This is a devastating rebuff to Police Scotland from PIRC, and a vindication of the stance I have taken in complaining about their policy on recording NCHIs. On all three of my complaints data handling, the lawfulness of the policy, and its inconsistent application Police Scotland have been sent homewards to think again. It has always been clear to me that the police have been operating a policy which is unlawful and a breach of human rights in that it stifles free speech. Moreover, they have treated me as an opposition MSP differently from a SNP First Minister, with no credible explanation. Now they have one last chance to try and justify their stance. Three complaints PIRC reviewed Police Scotlands handling of three complaints lodged by Mr Fraser, the first of which stated that an NCHI should not have been logged about his social media post. The second argued that the forces decision to log an NCHI was contrary to law, and the third alleged that the police did not consistently apply their policy on the recording of such incidents. A senior officer titled Chief Inspector D in the PIRC report wrote to Mr Fraser dismissing his claim that his NCHI breached the Human Rights Act, and that it represented unlawful interference with his right to freedom of expression. The officer referred to the forces Hate Crime National Guidance (HCNG), which states that for recording purposes, the perception of the victim or any other person is the defining factor in determining whether an incident is a hate incident. Chief Inspector D also told Mr Fraser that his personal details had not been recorded in the forces Interim Vulnerable Persons Database (IVPD) and there was no evidence they had been inappropriately stored. However, PIRC found that Police Scotland had logged the case on a separate, inextricably linked database and it had been categorised as a hate incident. Data recorded on police systems Concluding Mr Frasers first complaint was not handled correctly, PIRC said Chief Inspector D ought to have acknowledged that the applicants personal data was recorded on police systems as a result of the report about the social media post; assessed whether he was satisfied that the police had followed the correct process, and whether this was consistent with the relevant guidance. PIRC said the chief inspector had made inquiries with the forces legal services department on whether the forces hate crime guidance was lawful. However, the review said: It does not appear that this assessment was carried out. Instead the senior officer decided his response to Mr Frasers complaint would provide enough explanation as to why policy is not contrary to law, but will not provide every reason. Chief Inspector D said this would allow PS (Police Scotland) to retain their arguments in case Mr Fraser pursued legal action against the force. However, PIRC found this was not in the spirit of the complaint process. Concluding Mr Frasers second complaint was not handled correctly, the commissioner said Chief Inspector D did not directly address the crux of the complaint. Significant shortcoming Chief Inspector D also told the Tory MSP that he had found no evidence there has been any bias or inconsistency in the way in which his hate incident had been logged. The PIRC report found that an officer dealing with Mr Frasers complaint had requested clarification about whether a policy decision had been made not to record hate incidents in relation to Ms Rowling and Mr Yousaf. However, no response was received to this request, with PIRC concluding: This is a significant shortcoming in the complaint inquiry in establishing the material facts. Concluding Mr Frasers third complaint was not handled correctly, the commissioner said the police response did not explain what incidents were considered when deciding there was no bias. PIRC concluded: We have found that Police Scotland did not handle the complaints to a reasonable standard. Consequently, we have issued three reconsideration directions to address the shortcomings in Police Scotlands handling of the complaints. In reconsidering the complaints, Police Scotland should carry out further inquiry and provide the applicant with a further response. Our reconsideration directions should be completed by Police Scotland within two months. A Police Scotland spokesman said: Following recent receipt of the complaint handling review from the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC), we will consider the recommendations and a full update will be provided to the complainer in due course. Police have been told to use facial recognition searches in every criminal investigation Police have been told to use facial recognition searches in every criminal investigation, The Telegraph can reveal. The independent police inspectorate has urged forces to fully exploit the technology after finding that some were using it more than others. It comes as a Telegraph investigation reveals the true scale of police use of facial recognition, with forces conducting searches on the public every two minutes. Officers are encouraged to obtain pictures of their targets, including witnesses and victims, from social media, doorbell footage and CCTV, and search them against the vast police national database (PND). Police could be able to check driving licence photographs in future under plans to give police access to DVLA information, although the Home Office says it is not changing the law for that purpose. Facial recognition technology is not subject to national guidance from either the Home Office or the College of Policing, which provides advice to police on conducting investigations. The technology, introduced to catch serious and violent offenders, is now most often used for low-level investigations. The reliance on digital technology has increased as police forces across the country cut officer numbers to reduce costs. His Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMIFRS) praised those forces that carried out the most searches in a recent report, and recommended that no investigation should be closed until all images had been cross-checked against available databases. The inspectors most recent report said that by June, forces should introduce a new rule stating that when an image exists, investigators should search it against the PND and any other relevant databases before their force closes an investigation. Forces can adopt the recommendations at their discretion. The unprecedented use of facial recognition will be welcomed by some as a way of reducing time-consuming investigations, but privacy concerns have prompted MPs, regulators and civil liberties campaigners to urge the Government to impose new rules regulating its use by police. The Telegraph found that one force, Essex Police, used the technology for 16 investigations into what were later determined to be non-crime. The force said it had used facial recognition for investigations that concluded that no crime had been committed. Essex Police was criticised last year over its investigation into Allison Pearson, a Telegraph columnist, for remarks she posted online. The investigation was later dropped. Last year, officers ran more than a quarter of a million retrospective facial recognition searches in the UK, including 30,000 by the Metropolitan Police alone more than ten times the Mets figure for 2019. Retrospective facial recognition can use images obtained from a range of sources, including CCTV, mobile phone footage, dashcam or doorbell cameras or social media. Police obtain the images during their investigations and then run them against a vast police database to look for a possible match. Billions of records available to police They can then approach the individual, without revealing that their image has been searched to find a biometric match. Home Office officials describe facial recognition as a key tool for the police to identify suspects more quickly and accurately. A search can cut the length of an identification from around two weeks to just minutes. The main resource available to forces is the PND, which collates records from 55 different agencies and holds 6.2 billion searchable records as well as millions of photographs and images. Police are already allowed to search the passport database, but are required to ask for permission from the Government each time. While live facial recognition cameras on British high streets have generated controversy, retrospective searches are far more commonplace and useful to police. Some forces, including the Met, have bought private facial recognition software from the US to run more accurate searches. Although facial recognition was first billed as a tool to catch serious offenders, including murderers and terrorists, data obtained under freedom of information laws by The Telegraph and Big Brother Watch shows it is now used to track anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and mail theft. Two forces Humberside and Dyfed-Powys said they had used the technology for level one intelligence gathering by local policing. Most forces refused to reveal a detailed breakdown of how they had used the tool. The Telegraph can also reveal that the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is investigating how police are using the software amid concerns that large amounts of sensitive personal data have not been processed responsibly and appropriately. An ICO spokesman said: People must be able to trust that technology is being used responsibly, and we are committed to ensuring appropriate use and improving public confidence about the safeguards surrounding its use. The controversial expansion of facial recognition has also prompted fresh privacy concerns from MPs and civil society groups. The technology was backed by the previous Conservative government, but Chris Philp, the former policing minister, said he was now concerned about how it was being used. There are clear guidelines about how facial recognition should be deployed, he said. Reports of misuse are deeply concerning and it should certainly never be used for non-crime investigations in fact, non-crimes should not be investigated at all. Where used appropriately, new technology like this will be transformational for police forces suffering severe cuts under Labour. Unlike most other investigatory tools used by police, there are no national guidelines or policies that officers must follow. The Home Office said that police were required to follow laws that govern personal data and privacy, including the Data Protection Act, Equality Act and Human Rights Act 1998. But Big Brother Watch, the civil liberties campaign group, said the unfettered expansion of facial recognition was a scandal. Police use of facial recognition scanning to identify people in a non-crime investigation is deeply Orwellian and demonstrates how police use of this technology is dangerously off the leash, said Madeleine Stone, a spokesman for the group. We urgently need a democratic, lawful approach to the role of retrospective facial recognition in the UK. Without this, police forces should not be using this intrusive technology at all. Sir Keir Starmer called for a wider deployment of facial recognition technology after riots across the UK last year, when it was used to identify protesters. There is currently no statutory oversight of the tools available to police because the Governments independent biometric and surveillance commissioner position is vacant. Prof Fraser Sampson, a former holder of that role, warned in an article for The Telegraph that unlimited expansion of facial recognition could see it deployed to monitor protests and industrial disputes where no crime had been committed. Surveillance is no longer about where the police put their cameras; it is about what the state does with the images from everyones cameras, he said. Uploaded selfies, pictures from dashcams, doorbells and social media posts generate incalculable numbers of facial images, all of which are accessible in perpetuity and can be searched against retrospectively. Grant Shapps, a former home and defence secretary, called for national guidance on facial recognition to prevent misuse by police. He said: Deploying [facial recognition] for minor non-crime incidents risks undermining public trust and eroding civil liberties. Right to privacy is a cornerstone The right to privacy is a cornerstone of our democracy, and we must never allow convenience or expediency to trump fundamental freedoms. I would support clear national guidelines to prevent the misuse of this powerful technology. A Home Office spokesman said: Facial recognition is an important tool in modern policing that can identify offenders more quickly and accurately, with many serious criminals having been brought to justice through its use. All police forces using this technology are required to comply with existing legislation that protects peoples right to privacy, but we will continue to work with experts in this field, and other interested stakeholders, to ensure that appropriate safeguards are always in place. We will set out our plans for the future use of facial recognition technology, alongside broader policing reforms, in the coming months. A National Police Chiefs Council spokesperson said: We welcome the recommendation from HMICFRS. Retrospective facial recognition is an extremely accurate and invaluable tool that has been used by police for a number of years to great effect. Where there are reasonable lines of enquiry and a clear policing purpose, we encourage officers to use every tool at their disposal to assist in their investigations, including retrospective facial recognition. Why we should care about retrospective facial recognition By Fraser Sampson When I was preparing my annual report to parliament as Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner in 2022, an official said to me, why do we care about retrospective facial recognition? Everyones concerned about live. There are many reasons why we should care, and the freedom of information requests published this week reveal several. The first reason is that police use of any facial recognition technology (FRT) retrospective, live or predictive is an extension of biometrics and that demands close and consistent attention. In all its uses of intrusive biometric technology, the state must be accountable. A second reason is that the placement of live facial recognition cameras has dominated the public space surveillance debate, but surveillance is no longer about where the police put their cameras; it is about what the state does with the images from everyones cameras. Uploaded selfies, pictures from dashcams, doorbells and social media posts generate incalculable numbers of facial images, all of which are accessible in perpetuity and can be searched against retrospectively. When it needed a human to do it, comparing even a handful of images was a resourcing decision, balancing effort and expense against likely outcome. With AI-enabled technology, mass matching has become cheap, quick and easy, and the discretion has evaporated. The old adage about looking for needles in haystacks will make no sense to the next surveillance generation. The search is a mouse click and the principal risk to the police and the public lies in not doing it. There are further reasons why we should care about retrospective recognition. Photographs of convicted people are an obvious source of images for matching, but the state has other large collections of our faces. The UK drivers licence and passport databases have millions of high-quality images that can be used for retrospective matching, but we submitted them because we wanted to drive on a road or leave the country, rather than for a criminal justice purpose. More interconnected state databases exist and new ones will emerge, sometimes shared with other countries. Another reason to care is that, without the signage, visible cameras and auto-deletion of live FRT, retrospective matching is invisible to the citizen. While the UKs regulation of covert surveillance is the gold standard, retrospective recognition takes place outside any formal framework, which seems at odds with the safeguards for surveillance generally. Is live FRT really the conjurors left hand, distracting our attention while intrusive retrospective matching takes place on an industrial scale out of view? Opponents of the technology might suggest so: rebutting their claims will rely on police chiefs providing the data needed to allow proper challenge, as some have done. But surely the lawful, proportionate and justified use of police biometrics is too important to be left to individual statutory requests? The police also need to be better at making their case. Freedom of information responses from Police Scotland show that they do not even collect the data needed to assure themselves of its legitimate use. Increasingly, there will be cases where the public expect the police to use retrospective facial capabilities identifying victims and offenders in child sexual abuse image cases for example and the police will find themselves explaining any decisions not to use the technology. That will also need reliable and consistent performance data. I have heard some surprisingly poor arguments against the need for scrutiny of this technology from some policing leaders: if youve done nothing wrong, youve nothing to worry about (a stunningly misconceived observation), its just photography (presumably in the same way that DNA profiling is just chemistry). This simply reinforces the need for greater prescription. Unlimited expansion of the technology also provides a compelling reason to care about it. Finding suspects is one thing but the technology is clearly being used in non-criminal incidents, raising questions around its boundaries and scope. How will it be used for monitoring public gatherings, attendance at protests, industrial disputes or during pandemic lockdowns? What contribution will it make to predictive policing? These are not hypothetical questions: when the College of Policing says the technology can be legitimately used to find potential witnesses, its reach is unconstrained I cannot think of a living individual to whom that definition would not apply right now. Policing is about connecting the dots and, as Steve Jobs said, you can only do that by looking backwards. That is precisely what retrospective facial recognition does, making it an indispensable crime-fighting tool. Enabling the police to use it with the trust and support of the public is perhaps the overriding reason why we should care about retrospective facial recognition. Prof Fraser Sampson is a former biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner Virginia Giuffre posted a picture of herself lying in a hospital bed, with her face covered in bruises, - Instagram Police say there were no injuries reported in a car crash believed to have involved Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epsteins victims, who claimed an accident left her with only days to live. Ms Giuffre, who also accused the Duke of York of sexually assaulting her as a teenager, said on Sunday that she was dying from kidney renal failure after being hit by a school bus travelling at nearly 70mph. Police in Western Australia, where Ms Giuffre lives, confirmed to The Telegraph a minor crash occurred between a bus and car in the farming locality of Neergabby, located about 12 miles north of Perth, on March 24, just after 3pm local time. However, Kylie Whiteley, acting Western Australia police commissioner, told reporters: There were no reported injuries as a result of the crash. The collision was reported by the bus driver the following day and the car sustained approximately $2,000 AUD (968) worth of damage, police said. It has not been officially confirmed that this is the crash Ms Giuffre claims she was involved in. After the incident, posting a picture of herself lying in a hospital bed, with her face covered in bruises, the 41-year-old expressed a deep wish to see her three children, from whom she is believed to be estranged. Ive gone into kidney renal failure, theyve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology, she wrote on Instagram. Im ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes. Shes depressed because she misses her kids Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffres father, told The Telegraph on Monday that his daughter was depressed and wanted to be reunited with her children. Shes not doing good. Shes depressed because she misses her kids, the Florida-based retired engineer added. Shes got four days unless she gets another opinion from another doctor. It could be that she could pass away in four days, like she said. But if she gets another doctor, they could probably do other things for her. So thats all Im waiting to hear. Mr Roberts said he was trying to stay strong for his daughter, whose last known address was with her husband whom she is now separated from in Western Australia. Ms Giuffre recently separated from Robert Giuffre, her husband of 22 years. She is believed to have been living in a small town north of Perth since 2020. A spokesman for Ms Giuffre on Monday said: Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending. Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell posing for a photograph - AFP Ms Giuffre spent decades speaking out about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein. In 2021, she filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew accusing him of raping her when she was 17 after Epstein and his long-time accomplice and lover Ghislane Maxwell trafficked her to London. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years for sex trafficking in 2021. A year later, Ms Giuffre agreed to an out-of-court settlement with Prince Andrew, understood to be worth millions of pounds. The joint statement contained no admission of liability. The Duke has always denied the allegations, insisting he has no recollection of meeting Ms Giuffre and questioning the authenticity of an infamous picture of them together in 2001. After the settlement, Ms Giuffre retreated from public life and was reported to be briefly under a one-year gag order. A week ago, Ms Giuffre posted online about how much she missed her children. My beautiful babies have no clue how much I love them and theyre being poisoned with lies, she wrote. I miss them so very much. I have been through hell & back in my 41 years, but this is incredibly hurting me worse than anything else. Overwhelmed with gratitude According to MailOnline, a spokesperson for Ms Guiffre said on Tuesday: Virginia thanks everyone for the outpouring of love and support. She is overwhelmed with gratitude. Today she remains in serious condition while receiving medical care. On March 24, in rural Western Australia, a school bus hit the car in which she was riding. The police were called but said that there was no one available to come to the scene. They asked if anyone was injured and suggested that if they were, they should make their way to the hospital. The statement continued: The school bus driver had a bus full of distraught children and left the scene to get them back, saying he would file a police report, which he did later. Virginia was banged up and bruised and returned home. Virginias condition worsened and she was admitted to the hospital. Concerning her Instagram post, Virginia thought that she had posted on her private Facebook page. Virginia and her family thank everyone for their concern. Trevor Lock, the policeman who became a hero of the Iranian Embassy siege, has died at the age of 85. Mr Lock was guarding the Iranian embassy in South Kensington when he and 25 others were taken hostage after terrorists burst into the building on April 30, 1980. It led to a six-day stand-off that was ended when the Special Air Service (SAS) stormed the building, and saw Mr Lock receive the George Medal in recognition of his outstanding bravery. Pc Trevor Lock with his wife Doreen and his George Medal at Buckingham Palace (PA) He put himself on self-appointed duty with limited sleep, food and drink throughout the siege, where he remained calm and built up a rapport with the hostage takers but then shoulder-charged the terrorist leader as the rescue operation was under way. Mr Lock had managed to hide a handgun that was strapped to his body until the final day of the siege. Photographs taken during the siege showed him speaking to police negotiators from a window at the embassy as a man of Middle Eastern appearance buries his head in his hands. On Tuesday, a Police Federation spokesman said: Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. Pc Trevor Lock, speaking to police negotiators from a window at the embassy (PA) Pc Lock is remembered for calming his fellow hostages during the siege, acting as an intermediary between the terrorists and the security forces that ringed the building and as the embassy was stormed tackling the leading gunman. Pc Lock was awarded the George Medal for his outstanding courage, sustained bravery, calmness and devotion to duty. We could not have said it any better. The hostage takers were Iranian-Arabs campaigning for the sovereignty of Khuzestan, a province in the south west of the country. They demanded the release of prisoners held in Iran, as well as their own safe passage out of the UK. Pc Trevor Lock reporting back for duty after the siege (PA) Mr Lock shied away from publicity and the label of being called a hero. In an interview with The Independent in 2010, he said Id like to have helped one of the hostages (press attache Abbas Lavasani) who had said if they were going to kill a hostage, he wanted it to be him. The SAS was given the go-ahead to enter after Mr Lavasani was murdered. He told the newspaper: The other hostages have a reunion; it used to be every year. I dont enjoy that stuff. I dont enjoy glorifying it, basically. Mr Lock was speaking in his retirement from his home in Essex which was filled with photographs of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and he donated his George Medal to the police museum, after storing it in his wifes knitting basket for years. He added: The grandchildren used to come home and say that theyd learnt about me in history. It is history now. Export of pharmaceutical products from Ireland to the US could reduce by around a half if the US President imposes a 20% tariff and the EU responds by applying the same tariff, the deputy Irish premier has said. Simon Harris warned that over a five-year period there could be a very significant reduction of pharmaceutical products, but said he does not want to be in the space of the EU applying 20% tariffs. Speaking in Dublin on Tuesday, Mr Harris said the trade relationship between the EU and the US is worth 1.6 trillion euro every year. Mr Harris is bringing a memo to Cabinet setting out the potential economic impact on Ireland, ahead of Donald Trumps announcement to introduce tariffs on EU countries. Around 45,000 people are employed in Irelands pharmaceutical companies, while some 58 billion euro in pharma and chemicals is exported from Ireland to the US every year. Mr Harris warned that Ireland and the EU is facing one of the biggest economic challenges, which will have a generational impact. As soon as tomorrow, were highly likely to see a series of announcements from President Donald Trump in relation to trade and tariffs, Mr Harris said. I think this will seek to fundamentally alter the trade relationship between the European Union and the United States of America, and I think it is regrettable, in advance of even seeing the detail, because tariffs are bad for consumers. They push up the cost of doing business, they push up the cost of goods, and we have built successful economies on both sides of the Atlantic on the basis of trading in goods and services. I think it is really important in the days ahead, though, that the response from Ireland and the European Union is calm, is measured and is strategic. Crucially, though, this has to be about getting to a point of negotiation. Every disagreement ultimately has to end in an agreement, has to end with people getting around the table, and I certainly hope that what the EU response will do is allow time for meaningful engagement to find a way forward that is good for Europe, good for Ireland and good for the United States. Pharma companies and companies are here because they do very well. In fact, about 60% of what theyre exporting is going into the European Union. In other words, they need a presence in Europe. We have a significant presence of pharma companies here. Of that, theres no doubt, employing around 45,000 people. But were not completely isolated in relation to this, and thats why, over the last number of days and again, today, Ive been talking to colleagues in the European Union, who also have a large pharma industries. He added: In theory, over a five-year period, if the EU imposed a tariff of around 20% and the US imposed a tariff around 20% you could, over a five-year period see a very significant reduction up to around half in the amount of pharmaceutical products were exporting. But again, I want to emphasise the point. We dont want to be in that space. We dont want to be in a space where were seeing 20% tariffs in the EU. We dont want to be in a space where we see tariffs to the US. We want to be in a space as a European Union, where we can sit down with the United States of America, our economies are interdependent. Its a trade relationship worth 1.6 trillion euro between the EU and the US every year. No president of any political persuasion can ignore that reality. Its a huge, huge, huge impact on both sides of the Atlantic. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he wanted to avoid worst case scenarios (Niall Carson/PA) Were about to face one of the biggest economic challenges, and how we steer our country through these challenges in the days, weeks and months ahead wont just impact us for the next few years, will impact us for the next generation in terms of our economic model. Meanwhile, Irish premier Micheal Martin said that Ireland and the EU must try to avoid worst case scenarios. What is clear is there will be, even after negotiation, there will be some level of tariffs still in place. The issue now because its then how high? Then its matter for the Irish economy and the European economy to adapt to that, diversify our markets, look at our competitiveness, both within Ireland and within the European Union, there are a lot of measures we can take, but fundamentally, the old order is changing in terms of the economic model. He added: I think the entire tariff initiative is, as I said, it would be damaging to the entire world economy, to the US economy, in my view, and to the European economy and to Ireland. So weve got to try and mitigate it as much as we possibly can limit the damage and avoid worst case scenarios. There will be a lot of consultation within the European Union on this issue, to endeavour to get to a strategic response that doesnt bring more damage. Economists are fairly strongly of the view that it needs a calm, collective sort of measured response to make sure we dont feel damage to ourselves in the process. There is a lot of uncertainty being created. Theres a lot of instability being created in the financial markets, which in itself, can have damaging impact on investments. Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney said we do not want to see a tit for tat war. This is being compared by some to Brexit but we appreciate that this is much more complex. Its much more sudden than Brexit but also it has all EU member states affected by it, whereas Ireland was obviously uniquely impacted by the economic fallout from Brexit. So its really important that we use that influence as best we can. Winnies story is so heartbreaking. The blind and deaf pup was surrendered because of her special needs. We don't know how anyone could do this to an animal. But sadly that means the dogs remaining years will be spent in a shelter unless she gets some help. Video of the dog shared by the Maryville/Alcoa Animal Rescue Center in East Tennessee shows Winnie looking so sad and lost in her new home. It can be so painful to see dogs end up back in the shelter. And sadly for Winnie, she was surrendered to the rescue center for the worst reasons possible. Winnies owners gave up on her because shes deaf and blind, the videos text overlay reads. Its truly astounding to believe that anyone could turn Winnie away for any reason. She needs to find someone to come and take care of her in her senior years STAT. Dont let Winnies last years be in the shelter, adopt her now. Help find her a loving home, the rescue begged in the caption. Related: Update on Blind and Deaf Senior Dog Found 'Buried' in Sidewalk Has People in Tears People in the comments section were so sad for Winnie. They hoped her humans would see the video and find her soon. Poor sweet baby, praying she finds her forever home and gets all of the love she deserves, wrote one person. People are so cruel, they use them for their best years and then abandon them. Mine was deaf/blind for 5 years before she passed at 19 and it was hard sometimes but I wouldn't trade that time for anything, chimed in someone else. Winnie, a new and better chapter in life is coming your way. Hope you get adopted soon, added another commenter. She is so sweet but very confused and scared at the shelter! one person pointed out. Adopting From Maryville/Alcoa Animal Rescue Center If Winnie has caught your eye dont wait! Today could be the day that you change this sweet puppers life forever. Just head over to the MAARC website and fill out an application. Life can be different for Winnie, you can make a difference! Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. Rap group Public Enemy and Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir will be returning to London after a long absence to perform at the Royal Albert Hall this summer. Public Enemy, which was founded in Long Island, New York, in the 1980s with Flavor Flav and Chuck D, will perform at the venue near Hyde Park in their first UK performance in more than half a decade. The one-night-only event will be held on June 27 2025, and see the group perform their biggest hits which have included Fight The Power, Rebel Without A Pause and Dont Believe The Hype. They previously toured in 2019 as the Gods Of Rap along with the Wu-Tang Clan, De La Soul, and DJ Premier. Weir is playing his first London show in more than two decades as he heads to the 5,272-capacity Royal Albert Hall to perform with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and his band, the Wolf Bros, on June 21. He will be joined by his Wolf Bros bandmates: Don Was on bass, Jeff Chimenti on piano and Jay Lane on drums. The latter two were also part of his band, Dead And Company. The evening will feature Grateful Dead classics, and Weirs solo catalogue as they perform with a full 68-piece orchestra. This orchestral project debuted in the US in 2022 with a four-night run at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, where the band performed with the National Symphony Orchestra. For their first UK performance in almost a decade, hip-hop legends @PublicEnemyFTP join us for a once in a lifetime evening in June. Priority booking for Friends & Patrons open at 9am on Thu 3 April. General sale starts at 9am on Fri 4 April: https://t.co/6mAk3uVfwI pic.twitter.com/bKSBPHFfhn Royal Albert Hall (@RoyalAlbertHall) April 1, 2025 One of Weirs last performances in London was in the early 2000s at the Astoria with his band RatDog. Weir has been honoured as a Kennedy Centre Honours recipient, with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and as an inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Grateful Dead became known for its fusion of genres including rock, jazz and folk which contributed to the countercultural generation of the 1960s, and released the songs Uncle Johns Band, Casey Jones and Touch Of Grey. The speaker of the Irish parliament faces a confidence motion on Tuesday over her handling of a vote that cut opposition speaking rights. Irelands main opposition parties tabled an unprecedented motion of no confidence in Verona Murphy after Government proposals for rule changes sparked a bitter row and chaotic scenes in the Dail, the lower house in the Irish parliament. Ms Murphy, who holds the position of Ceann Comhairle in the Dail, will be backed by the Government in a confidence motion it is bringing instead of the opposition wording. However, there is some uncertainty as to whether the vote will settle a long-running dispute on opposition speaking rights, which has seen breaks in parliamentary norms of procedure and decorum. Ms Murphy became the Ceann Comhairle in December in a move seen as among the first steps of an agreement with a group of independent MPs, known as TDs in Ireland, to support the formation of a Government with the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties. Backlash to that coalitions proposals which would have allowed some of those independent TDs to be directly given opposition speaking time led to a delay in the nomination of a Taoiseach in January. The speaking rights row delayed Micheal Martins nomination as Taoiseach (Brian Lawless/PA) The Government has since moved to change parliamentary rules to create a new other members speaking slot for TDs in that independent bloc who were not given ministerial positions, as well as backbenchers in the Government parties. The controversial changes to standing orders also include a reduction of time for contributions on debating the order of business and a halving of slots for Taoiseachs Questions. The Government said the moves reflect the changing make-up of the Dail. However, the opposition has vehemently opposed the reforms, characterising them as an attempt to dilute their ability to hold the Government to account and to blur the relationship of the independents who have supported the formation of the coalition. They argue that the other members questions slot does not tally with their position that a TD cannot be in Government and opposition at the same time. The row has hindered legislative work and has prevented parliamentary committees from being established. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said Ms Murphy acted in a partisan way (Gareth Chaney/PA) Opposition parties have further argued that the process in which the changes were approved was itself flawed. It comes amid a dispute on whether Ms Murphy carried out her duties correctly and followed proper procedures in carrying out the vote to implement the changes, which were backed by the Governments majority. During a lengthy standoff ahead of the vote, Ms Murphy said the actions of opposition TDs were an absolute disgrace and they were making a holy show of yourselves. There was widespread disruption from the opposition benches as the motion was brought forward and the Dail was ultimately adjourned for the remainder of the day after the vote was approved by the Ceann Comhairle amid further objections. Opposition parties chanted shame, shame, shame as the Government filed out of the chamber. Michael Lowrys gesture following the vote (People Before Profit) At the same time, Michael Lowry a key figure in the independent grouping that supported Government formation and put Ms Murphy forward for Ceann Comhairle was filmed sticking up two fingers to People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy while still in the chamber. Mr Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister that was previously found by a tribunal to have behaved in a manner that was profoundly corrupt, later described his move as an errant gesture under provocation. The leader of Irelands largest opposition party, Sinn Fein, said Ms Murphys stewardship of the vote was demonstrably partisan. Mary Lou McDonald: You cant be a fair, independent chair of the Dail if you throw out the rule book to force through whatever Fianna Fail/Fine Gael wants. She added: All of this goes back to their grubby deal with Michael Lowry. He might give two fingers to the Irish people but were not going to let his Ceann Chomhairle do the same. Were voting no confidence. Ms Murphy has categorically rejected accusations of partiality and collusion and said she fully intends to continue in her role. The Government has backed the Ceann Comhairle while criticising the opposition tactics. Irish premier Micheal Martin commented: New precedents have been set. I do not believe this Dail will ever be the same again because of what has transpired over the past few weeks. It will never be the same again. Donald Trump has already announced tariffs on cars, which could affect factories like this Nissan plant in Sunderland. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA Big US technology companies have been offered a significant tax cut by Keir Starmer in return for lower tariffs from Donald Trumps administration as the UK braces itself for a global trade war. The Guardian understands the UK government is willing to reduce the headline rate of its digital services tax (DST) in an attempt to placate the US president, while at the same time applying the levy to companies from other countries. The move, which would represent a significant concession to US tech firms, comes after the prime minister decided not to ditch the tax entirely as it currently raises 800m a year and government finances are already stretched. As the White House prepares to impose global trade barriers that could throw Labours tax and spending plans into chaos, experts warned that Trumps 25% levy on car imports alone could put 25,000 UK jobs at risk. The president signalled the punitive 25% tariff on all cars imported to the US last week, as part of the buildup to a historic statement in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday. When he addresses the nation on what the White House is calling liberation day, Trump is expected to slap tariffs on imports from scores of rival economies though it remains unclear whether these will be uniform, or vary by country. Related: Trumps liberation day tariffs: what to expect and will the UK be spared? Leading economies including the EU are then expected to retaliate with their own tariffs while simultaneously negotiating in the hope of winning exemptions. The UK has not so far threatened to hit back, though Starmer has said he is keeping all options on the table. Downing Street sources confirmed the UK had reached broad agreement with US counterparts on a trade deal, focusing on technology, which it hopes will help the UK secure a carve-out from tariffs. Talks between officials will continue. The UKs trade deal offer is understood to include a proposal to broaden the DST to bring smaller companies within scope, meaning they would contribute to a tax take which is forecast to increase to 1.2bn a year by the end of the decade. As a result the 2% levy on the UK revenues of the big US tech companies could fall. Five have publicly said they pay the tax Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, eBay and Apple and some have lobbied the government to pay less, arguing that it discriminates against larger firms and should apply to profits rather than revenues. Tax experts say that Elon Musks X is also likely to have paid the tax in recent years but the company has not said so publicly. Tech businesses that generate more than 500m in worldwide revenues and more than 25m from UK users are liable. Government sources suggested that broadening the scope of the tax would mean some tech firms from other countries would now be expected to pay, helping to address the fairness argument made by the White House. Trump has complained about the impact that DSTs around the world are having on US firms. In February he issued an executive order entitled Defending American Companies and Innovators From Overseas Extortion and Unfair Fines and Penalties threatening tariffs in retaliation. No 10 remains confident it can secure exemptions once a trade deal is signed, but believes that Trumps focus on a big bang of announcements means the UK should initially brace itself for 20% tariffs on all goods entering the US. The business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said the UK was in the best possible position of any country to reach an agreement on duties getting lifted, while officials cited the US presidents pledge to be nice to countries that had balanced trade with the US. But with Trumps car tariffs due to come into force on Thursday, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) thinktank warned that 25,000 jobs at UK-based auto-manufacturers were heavily dependent on exporting to the US, and could be under threat. One in eight cars built in the UK is sold to US buyers. The IPPRs research fellow Pranesh Narayanan said: Trumps tariffs have huge potential to completely destabilise the UK car manufacturing industry, affecting tens of thousands of jobs and putting the governments growth plans at jeopardy. The UK is also understood to have made concessions on agriculture, with tariffs on imports of US beef, chicken and other meat to the UK to be lowered. The move is likely to further infuriate farmers, who have already attacked the government over its changes to inheritance tax rules for agriculture. However, sources said that animal welfare and hygiene standards were an absolute red line, meaning the ban on importing hormone-treated beef and chlorine-washed chicken will remain in place. As ministers braced themselves for the impact of Trumps trade war, however, economists warned that the UK economy is likely to be hit, even if it dodges direct tariffs. John Springford, of the Centre for European Reform, said: At a minimum, Trumps trade wars make it even more likely that further spending cuts or tax rises are coming in the autumn budget we just dont know how much at this stage. He added that even if the UK is not hit with tariffs, the far bigger costs would arise from an escalating global trade war, even if a deal is done or the UK does not retaliate. Higher trade barriers would hurt demand in the EU and the US, with knock-on effects for British exports. Analysts at Goldman Sachs revised down their forecast for the UK economy this year from 0.9% to 0.8% on Tuesday, warning of the spillovers from wider trade tensions, even if Reynolds succeeds in having direct tariffs lifted. Emily Fry, a senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: Even if the UKs sensible strategy of avoiding tit-for-tat tariffs pays off, as a small, open economy it wont be immune to the impacts of supply chain disruptions and global growth headwinds as a result of US tariffs and possible retaliation. When the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) delivered its forecasts alongside Rachel Reevess spring statement last week, it warned that a tit-for-tat trade war could upend its projections. The OBR committee member David Miles underscored that prediction on Tuesday, stressing that 20-25% tariffs on the UK, maintained for five years, would eliminate the 10bn of headroom the chancellor left herself against her self-imposed fiscal rules though he stressed that this would be in some ways a very extreme assumption. Government insiders rejected suggestions that any economic deal would be contingent on the UKs approach to free speech, saying they were completely unlinked. Reynolds said the issue had not been a material factor in the trade negotiations. John Swinney will fly to New York to celebrate citys Tartan Week - and hopes to strengthen trade and investment ties between Scotland and the US - Andrew Milligan/PA John Swinney will arrive in New York on Friday to take part in the citys annual Tartan Week. The Scottish Government confirmed that the First Minister would travel later this week as he seeks to strengthen trade and investment ties between Scotland and the US, which he described as a priority trade partner. Mr Swinney pointed out that in 2023, Scotland exported nearly 4 billion of goods to the US, with roughly the same amount flowing in the other direction. He also described the country as the top investor in Scotland, saying more than 700 US companies employed upwards of 115,000 people in Scotland. But Mr Swinneys visit will follow Donald Trumps unveiling of sweeping import taxes on goods from countries around the world on Wednesday. Scottish firms look set to be hit by the US presidents tariffs after Downing Street acknowledged the UK was unlikely to be spared. Mr Swinney has said he will take every opportunity to discuss the issue during his visit. The First Ministers trip is coming after Donald Trump unveils his new sweeping tariffs - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Scottish culture is celebrated the world over it brings people together and it shares Scotland with the world. Tartan Week in New York is a wonderful example of that, Mr Swinney said. I want to attend Tartan Week to maintain, and further grow, these important links links which have for centuries been at the heart of our relationship with the USA. Full details of Mr Swinneys itinerary have yet to be released, but as well as attending the annual Tartan Day parade on April 5, he is expected to appear at an event featuring Scottish artists at the citys Carnegie Hall. He will also lead a Q&A on Scotlands progressive and international outlook at the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr Swinneys publicly funded trip has attracted criticism as a jolly and comes just weeks after the SNP leader called for president Trumps invitation for a second state visit to be scrapped due to his on-air bust-up with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Amid claims Mr Trump was not a reliable ally for Europe, Mr Swinney said it was simply unimaginable for the US president to be welcomed by the monarch. A deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is being finalised after winning approval from Donald Trumps US, Downing Street said. The plan will see the UK give up sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory but pay to lease back the strategically important Diego Garcia military base, which is used by the US. Discussions are ongoing between the UK and the Mauritian government over the terms of the deal. The finalisation of the deal is ongoing, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said. US President Donald Trump meeting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Carl Court/PA) US President Mr Trump indicated his backing for the deal during Sir Keir Starmers visit to Washington in February, saying: I have a feeling its going to work out very well. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: You will have seen from the president that he recognised the strength of the deal. I think we are now working with the Mauritian government to finalise the deal and sign the treaty. My understanding is its now between us and the Mauritian government to finalise the deal, following the discussions with the US. A deal was initially announced last year, but a change of administration in Mauritius and the return of Mr Trump to the White House put an agreement in doubt. The Government has argued that it has to give up sovereignty over the territory due to international legal rulings in favour of Mauritius. Reports have suggested the deal could cost 90 million a year to secure the use of Diego Garcia, with payments front-loaded to win the support of the Mauritian government. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: Labour should have the courage to come to the House of Commons and face scrutiny over their deal to surrender the Chagos Islands and pay for the privilege. This remains a very bad deal for British taxpayers and we now know money is going to be frontloaded to Mauritius, at a time when Labour is stripping vulnerable pensioners of their winter fuel payments and whacking family farms and businesses with punishing taxes. US president Donald Trumps proposed tariff hikes due to be announced this Wednesday could wipe out UK chancellor Rachel Reevess fiscal headroom, a member of the budget watchdogs committee has warned. David Miles, a member of the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) Budget Responsibility Committee, told MPs: If tariffs at 20%, 25% were put on the UK and maintained for five years, our assessment of what that does is that it will knock out all the headroom that the government currently has. Had we made that a central forecast, and had the government not changed policy at all knowing that we were going to take that as our central forecast, then the headroom would have pretty much all gone. Of course that would have been in some ways, a very extreme assumption. Because not only would that be as bad as people might expect in the very near term, but it would have been maintained for five years, which is beyond the next presidential election in the US. Chancellor Reeves said she had restored her 9.9bn headroom during the spring statement last Wednesday. The head of the budget watchdog said that uncertainty over tariffs expected from Trump were among the things that contributed to a hit in business and consumer confidence. Read more: Eurozone inflation falls to 2.2%, bolstering case for interest rate cuts Richard Hughes, chairperson of the OBR, was asked by the Treasury committee whether business and consumer confidence took a bigger hit after Octobers budget than they had predicted in their forecast. He said that confidence didnt behave the way we expected it to in the second half of 2024, and said it fell over. He said: There were a mix of factors that contributed to it, some of which were global including just the uncertainty about what the new Trump administration was going to do to things like tariffs. Youve seen falls in business confidence around advanced economies not just in the UK. He said there were other factors such as increases in energy prices which have had an impact on inflation. Despite these challenges, there are some scenarios in which the UK could see a modest boost. Miles argued that in the event of a very limited tariff war one in which the UK avoids direct confrontation the country might benefit slightly from redirected trade flows. US president Donald Trumps proposed tariff hikes due to be announced this Wednesday could wipe out UK chancellor Rachel Reevess fiscal headroom. (WPA Pool via Getty Images) Theres a bit of trade that will get diverted to the UK, Miles said, pointing to Chinese exports that could shift away from the US. So there is one, not central scenario at all, which is very, very mildly potentially positive to the UK, he said. However, he underscored that most tariff-related scenarios were negative for the UK, with varying degrees of adverse impact. The White House has reportedly drafted a proposal for the US to impose tariffs of about 20% on most imports to the worlds largest economy. Trump will announce on Wednesday the details of his planned levies on trading partners on what he has called liberation day, 2 April. Trumps tariff plans have led to heightened concerns about the economic outlook, with economists at Moodys recently doubling the likelihood of a US recession. These tariffs could have ripple effects on the global economy, including the UK, with Goldman Sachs (GS) downgrading its growth forecasts for the UK economy. Goldman now predicts that Britain's GDP will grow by just 0.8% this year, down from a previous forecast of 0.9%, and by 1.2% in 2026, down from 1.3%. Read more: FTSE 100 LIVE: Stocks head higher despite tariff anxieties Goldmans chief European economist, Sven Jari Stehn, said that while the direct impact of reduced exports to the US might be modest, the larger drag on UK growth from trade fragmentation would be more significant. The bank warned that the "larger US tariffs on other economies" could also exacerbate negative spillovers to the UK. Reeves has spoken to her US counterpart ahead of the expected tariffs on imported goods ordered by Trump. The Cabinet heard on Tuesday morning that the chancellor spoke to US treasury secretary Scott Bessent on Monday, according to a Number 10 readout of the meeting. Keir Starmer also updated ministers on reciprocal global tariffs that are expected this week in response to any decision from the White House. The EU is preparing to retaliate against Trumps tariff plans. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the bloc has a strong plan to retaliate against any reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US. In remarks to the European Parliament, she acknowledged US concerns over trade imbalances and unfair subsidies but made it clear that Europe is open to negotiations from a position of strength. We have everything we need to protect our people and our prosperity, von der Leyen said, adding that Europe is prepared to take firm countermeasures if necessary. Read more: Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Two young people were killed and one was seriously injured when masked knifemen launched a five-minute raid on a music video shoot, a court has heard. Leonardo Reid, 15 and Klevi Shekaj, 23, were fatally stabbed and 28-year-old Abdullah Abdullahi survived, but was seriously injured, during the attack in Archway, north London, on the night of June 29 2023. Lorik Lupqi, 21; Jason Furtado, 28; Abel Chunda, 29; Xavier Poponne, 22; and Eden Clark, 30, are on trial at the Old Bailey accused of double murder and attempted murder. Opening the case on Tuesday, Jacob Hallam KC said all of them bore responsibility for the stabbings. That evening, a large group had gathered on the Elthorne Estate to record a music video for an artist called Tight Road Baby. Mr Hallam told jurors: The atmosphere was described as being happy, although at times the volume became irritating for some of those who lived nearby and police attended at about 10.20pm. After a while, many of those who had been there left the area, although a number of young local people remained in the vicinity. Lupqi and Furtado had allegedly called on the attack and enlisted Chunda, Clark and Poponne to help. Lupqi booked a taxi to pick up the three men from the area of Furtados home address in Canonbury, north London, telling the firm: Im in a little bit of a rush, jurors heard. They had donned masks and were armed as they travelled to the Elthorne Estate where they met Lupqi, the court was told. A domed roof in the Grand Hall of the Old Bailey, central London (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Leonardo and his brother had been watching the music video being filmed with friends, jurors heard. The alarm was raised as a black-clad figure wearing a balaclava was spotted crouching down and moving towards them with a large knife. The friend shouted Man on! as a warning as three more males in black stood up from where they had been hiding behind cars to get close to the group, the court was told. Leonardos brother ran away but later looped back and saw someone lying motionless on the ground. It was only then that he realised it was his brother, the court heard. Leonardo had been stabbed in the chest, the wound cutting through his left lung and one of the major blood vessels in his body causing fatal blood loss. Mr Shekaj had been stabbed in the back with the wound cutting through his left lung and deep into his body. He was driven to Whittington Hospital by members of the public but he died on arrival. Earlier, Mr Abdullahi had walked past the scene of the recording but did not pay much attention, the court was told. He described to police being attacked by three of four people wearing face coverings when he returned to the area. He ran away but he slipped and fell and was set upon by three attackers who had chased him with machetes, jurors heard. As he tried to get up, he was struck with a machete twice to the right side of his body, to the head and right knee, the court was told. Mr Hallam said: He thought he was going to die. He cannot say how long the attack lasted. He then heard one of the group say, leave him. Mr Abdullahi struggled home and collapsed outside his front door. He had suffered two stab wounds to the right side of the abdomen, a punctured lung, two broken ribs and a fractured diaphragm as well as stab wounds to his head and knee. After the murderous attack, the taxi took Chunda, Poponne, Clark and Lupqi away from the scene to Chundas home address, the court was told. Jurors were told of lyrics recovered from Poppones phones in which he allegedly glorified the killings and bragged that he got me a trio. The court heard that Furtado and Lupqi were wearing electronic tags at the time of the attack. Four of the defendants were picked up by police on dates between July 2023 and May 2024. Lupqi, from Archway, cut off his tag and fled to Kosovo. He extradited back to the United Kingdom last November 12 when he too was arrested, the court heard. The defendants have denied two charges of murder and one of attempted murder. Furtado, of Islington, Chunda, of Highgate Hill, and Clark, of no fixed address have also denied a charge of possession of an offensive weapon. Poppone, of Islington, is also charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. The Old Bailey trial continues. A very limited tariff war that the UK stays out of could be mildly positive for the UK, according to a member of the budget watchdog. Professor David Miles, a member of the Office for Budget Responsibilitys (OBR) responsibility committee, told MPs that there could be a scenario where some things become cheaper in the UK, but warned that most possible outcomes are still negative when it comes to tariffs. He also warned that tariffs from the US at 20% or 25% could knock out the Governments financial headroom if maintained for five years. It comes as Donald Trump is set to unveil sweeping tariffs on goods from around the world on Wednesday, with the UK expecting to be impacted by the event the president has dubbed liberation day. Speaking to the Treasury Committee on Tuesday, Professor Miles said: Lets suppose theres a very limited tariff war. So its China, Mexico, Canada, countries that are already, its pretty clear what Trump is going to do, and thats it, and the UK stays out of it, so does most of the rest of the world. It wouldnt be unreasonable to think that could be, if anything, very mildly positive for the UK. Because theres a bit of trade that will get diverted to the UK, and some of the exports from China, for example, that would have gone to the US, theyll be looking for a home for them in the rest of the world. He said that in that scenario stuff will be available in the UK a bit cheaper than it otherwise would have been. Prof Miles added: So there is one, not central scenario at all, which is very, very mildly potentially positive to the UK. All the other ones which involve the UK facing tariffs are negative, and theyre negative to very different extents. The UK has been seeking to negotiate an exemption from the tariffs, but Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds was reluctant to put a time frame on that. Mr Trump has already announced a 25% import tax will be introduced on all cars imported to the US. The levy is on top of a series of tariffs set to come into effect on April 2, which could include a general 20% tax on UK products in response to the rate of VAT, which Mr Trump deems to be discriminatory against the US. Taking questions as part of an evidence session on the spring statement, Prof Miles told the cross-party committee: If tariffs at 20, 25% were put on the UK and maintained for five years, our assessment of what that does is that it will knock out all the headroom that the Government currently has. He said that had they made that a central forecast in their documents and had the Government not changed policy at all, knowing that we were going to take that as our central forecast, then the headroom would have pretty much all gone. In their forecast, which accompanied last weeks spring statement, the OBR had warned that the impact of imposing reciprocal tariffs on the US would be worse for the UK than allowing the levy to go ahead unimpeded. They said the most severe scenario, in which the UK and other nations retaliated to the imposition of tariffs, would see GDP 0.6% lower than forecast this year and 1% lower next year. This scenario would also almost entirely eliminate the Chancellors 9.9 billion headroom against her fiscal rules, potentially forcing her to implement further spending cuts or tax rises. An alternative scenario, in which the UK does not retaliate, would see a smaller reduction in growth, with GDP 0.4% lower than expected this year and 0.6% lower next year. Being a flight attendant can be extremely exhausting and overwhelming, especially if youre overworked and not compensated accordingly. The experience goes way beyond passport stamps and layovers in Paris. In fact, it isnt always on the brighter side. Behind the service smiles, many crews face long shifts with unpredictable schedules. And when the pay doesnt always match the pressure, it gets even worse. Here are a few airlines where flight crews say the job takes more than it gives. Mesa Airlines Credit: Facebook Mesa Airlines flight attendants have faced prolonged periods without significant contract improvements. This has led to dissatisfaction over stagnant wages and demanding schedules. As of February 2025, the average hourly wage for a Mesa flight attendant is approximately 34% below the national average. Employee reviews highlight concerns about low pay and long hours. Alaska Airlines Credit: Facebook In August 2024, Alaska crews turned down a contract offering a raise. Why? It still didnt include pay for boarding timesomething most passengers assume theyre already getting because that unpaid time adds up fast. Flight attendants say respect starts with getting paid for all their work. United Airlines Credit: Facebook As of November 2024, United Airlines' entry-level flight attendant salary starts at approximately $28.88 per hour, with experienced attendants earning up to $67.11 per hour. In August 2024, United Airlines flight attendants voted with 99.99% approval to authorize a labor strike, which shows the extent of the ongoing negotiations and dissatisfaction. Delta Air Lines Credit: flickr Delta made headlines in 2022 by introducing boarding pay. It was a step forward, but attendants say its not the leap they need. Without a union, Delta crews have limited power at the table. Many say they need stronger protections and a compensation structure that reflects reality. Southwest Airlines Credit: Facebook Southwest Airlines has experienced internal changes, including a reduction in corporate staff affecting departments responsible for maintaining company culture. This has heavily impacted their employee morale. Frontier Airlines Credit: Facebook Frontiers low fares come with a cost, and flight attendants say theyre the ones paying it. Crews are currently pushing for a contract that includes better rest rules and more realistic compensation. Many even claim that the current pay doesnt reflect the physical and emotional labor required for high-volume flights. PSA Airlines Credit: Facebook PSA is a regional airline under Americans umbrella, but flight attendants say their schedules are just as intense as the big leagues. Crews have demanded contract improvements for years to close the gap between regional and mainline conditions. Virgin Australia Credit: Facebook Virgins crew members often speak up about long shifts and tough passenger interactions. Despite the demands, pay rates havent caught up. Attendants say sleep deprivation and stress are constant, especially on overnight routes with minimal layover time. It's a job that requires resilience and a raise. Spirit Airlines Credit: Facebook Spirit attendants face packed flights and minimal downtime. Theyve raised concerns about low base pay and intense pressure to stay on schedule. Even as the airline expands, crew members claim that their compensation and support systems havent kept up with the companys pace. JetBlue Airways Credit: Facebook JetBlue attendants voted to unionize in 2018. Years later, they still dont have a contract. Crews deal with long shifts, low pay for time on the ground, and frequent scheduling changes. Morale has taken a hit, and many just want the basics: stability and rest. Ryanair Credit: Facebook Ryanairs crews across Europe have walked out multiple times while demanding fair pay and reliable scheduling. Some attendants pay out-of-pocket for uniforms and training, which eats into already low earnings. The airlines ultra-low-cost model may work for passengersbut for crews, it often comes with real sacrifices. easyJet Credit: Facebook easyJet has exploded across Europes skies, but crew conditions havent kept pace. Attendants report constant back-to-back shifts and minimal layovers. Many say theyre pushed to move fast with little time to rest or recover. Pay structures havent evolved much either, despite growing demands on the job. Norwegian Air Shuttle Credit: Facebook Norwegian promised affordable long-haul flights and sleek service. But when finances crumbled, so did crew conditions. Layoffs, reduced pay, and unpredictable schedules became the norm. Even now, flight attendants say the job feels uncertain. Many remain hopeful, but the path to better conditions has been long and rocky. Qantas Airways Credit: Facebook For years, Qantas used labor hire firms to staff short-haul routes. Those crews did the same work as in-house staffbut earned much less. In 2024, over 750 of them secured raises. Its a major correction after years of pay inequality and public pressure. Your closet might be more battle-tested than it looks. Trench coats, cargo pants, bomber jacketsthese icons didnt start on catwalks. They were born out of necessity, built for toughness, function, and fast movement long before becoming your everyday go-tos. Lets take a look at the fashion staples that went from military-issued to street-approved. Trench Coat Credit: Reddit The trench coat first appeared during World War I and was tailored for British officers slogging through rain-soaked trenches. It was functional down to the smallest detailstorm flaps, shoulder straps, and water-resistant gabardine fabric, all courtesy of Thomas Burberry. When the war ended, soldiers brought them home, and before long, Hollywood had its hands on them. Cargo Pants Credit: Instagram All those baggy pockets didn't appear for fashion's sakethey were made for paratroopers. Cargo pants had oversized flaps to hold maps, ammunition, and rations mid-air. The British military introduced this in the 1930s. By World War II, the U.S. had its own version, and soldiers returning home weren't ready to give them up. Camouflage Print Credit: flickr French snipers in World War I were among the first to use camo for sneaking through battle zones unseen. The word "camouflage" literally comes from the French "camoufler," meaning "to disguise." Each patternwoodland, desert, urbanserved a specific environment. In the '80s and '90s, it marched into streetwear and never left. Bomber Jacket Credit: flickr Bomber jackets were initially built for pilots flying open-air cockpits during World War I and II. They needed warmth at 25,000 feet, so designers created snug, waist-length leather jackets with sheepskin lining and knit cuffs. The U.S. Army Air Corps' MA-1 became the blueprint for modern bombers. Hollywood gave it wings post-warJames Dean, Tom Cruise, you name it. Combat Boots Credit: iStockphoto When they first hit the ground, combat boots didn't care about fashion. They were issued during the Civil War and evolved through two World Wars to prioritize ankle support and all-terrain durability. Once civilians caught on, these tough-as-nails boots became punk staples in the '70s and hit the grunge scene hard in the '90s. Peacoat Credit: iStockphoto You've probably worn one without realizing it once belonged to sailors. The peacoat dates back to the 18th-century Dutch navy, where "pij" referred to the coarse wool used. British and American navies later adopted the styledouble-breasted with wide lapels and vertical pockets. After military service, it followed veterans home and into civilian closets. Chinos Credit: Facebook Chinos were originally made for British troops stationed in India during the mid-1800s. The lightweight cotton twill kept soldiers cool in the scorching heat. The name comes from the Spanish word for China"chino"where the fabric was first produced. American soldiers wore them during the Spanish-American War, and post-deployment, they also wore them everywhere. Double-Breasted Blazers Credit: Facebook The crisp, square-shouldered, double-breasted blazer once meant serious naval business. Originally worn by British Royal Navy officers, the blazer's wide lapels and overlapping front were designed to block wind and water while standing tall on deck. After the blazer left the ship, it became the uniform of the elite and tricked into business wear and casual menswear. Epaulets Credit: iStockphoto Epaulets were once directions. These shoulder flourishes began in the 18th century as rank identifiers and helped soldiers instantly recognize command on chaotic battlefields. The bigger the epaulet, the more important you were. They were eventually formalized in most military uniforms, with fringe and metalwork. Civilian fashion later turned them into stylish accents. T-Shirts Credit: Amazon Before it was a billboard for brands, the T-shirt was standard-issue underwear for U.S. Navy men around 1913. Its lightweight, breathable, and easy-to-wash properties make it the crewneck tee that became essential for hot conditions. Soldiers returning from war kept wearing them, and by the 1950s, Marlon Brando and James Dean turned them into rebellion-ready fashion. Wool V-Neck Sweaters Credit: Instagram The cozy V-neck has a proper military past. Wool V-neck sweaters kept soldiers warm without bulk under heavy gear during World War I. The British and American forces relied on them for warmth and smart presentation. When the war ended, the look caught on with athletes and academics, eventually becoming a mainstay of Ivy League style. Berets Credit: flickr Long before fashion editors and French cafes claimed the beret, it topped the heads of elite military forces. The British Army's Royal Tank Regiment adopted black berets in 1924, while the U.S. Army assigned different colorsgreen for Special Forces, maroon for airborne units, and so on. Duffle Coats Credit: flickr Duffle coats were originally standard British Royal Navy gear. It was made from thick, coarse wool called "duffel"named after the Belgian town that made themand were designed for harsh sea conditions. The wooden toggles allowed sailors to fasten their coats even while wearing gloves. After WWII, surplus duffle coats hit civilian markets, and people loved the warmth and no-fuss closures. Dog Tags Credit: iStockphoto Those metal tags hanging on a chain were once lifesavers. The U.S. military began using "identification tags" during the Civil War for identification, but it wasn't standardized until World War I. Each tag includes vital info like name, blood type, and religious preference. Soldiers wore two: one stayed with the body, and the other returned to base. Aviator Sunglasses Credit: Reddit Aviator sunglasses were created in 1936 by Bausch & Lomb for U.S. Air Force pilots to block blinding glare at 33,000 feet. They replaced bulky goggles with sleek, teardrop lenses that shielded eyes without restricting peripheral vision. They hit the civilian market soon after and exploded in popularity. The shape hasn't changed much, which is part of the appeal. All four U.S. soldiers who had been at the center of a recovery mission in Lithuania for a week after their armored vehicle sank in a peat bog near the border with Belarus have been found dead, the Army said. The fourth missing soldier's body was recovered Tuesday, a day after the three other soldiers were found, the Army's Europe and Africa Command said in a statement. All of the soldiers were assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart in Georgia. The four soldiers were identified by the military as Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr. 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam; and Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan. "This loss is simply devastating," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, the 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, in a statement. "These men were honored Soldiers of the Marne Division. We are wrapping our arms around the families and loved ones of our Soldiers during incredibly difficult time." The soldiers went missing last Tuesday, March 25, while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle. Their submerged armored recovery vehicle was located by the Army and Lithuanian authorities the following day. People with flowers and candles pay their respects for the U.S. soldiers who died at a Pabrade training ground, outside the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 1, 2025. / Credit: PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP via Getty Images The incident is being investigated by the Army and Lithuanian authorities. The command said the vehicle was removed from a peat bog early Monday morning. In an update from over the weekend, the command said the vehicle was under at least 15 feet of water, clay-like mud and silt. The discovery came after recovery dogs from Lithuania and the nearby country of Estonia joined the search effort, the command said earlier Tuesday. The dogs were placed in a U.S. Navy inflatable boat with the hope of picking up any trace scents from below the surface of the bog. Hundreds of service members from the Army, Navy and the militaries of Lithuania and Poland helped in the effort to bring the 63-ton M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle to the surface, the command said. Lithuanian civilian agencies also contributed to the effort, with the command calling the unstable ground conditions around the submerged vehicle an "engineering challenge." "I can't say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us," Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, said in Tuesday's statement. "We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies and our own Sailors, Airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers have enabled us to find and bring home our Soldiers. This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends." Excavators, pumps and several hundred tons of gravel and earth were moved to the search area near Pabrade, close to the Lithuania-Belarus border, to pull up the vehicle. A devastating loss Norrie said that the soldiers who died in the incident were family. "This loss is simply devastating," said Norrie Tuesday in a statement. "...No words can capture the depth of sorrow or gratitude we feel for their service." Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr. 25, of Joliet, Illinois / Credit: U.S. Army The soldiers identified were among 3,500 who deployed in January to various locations across Poland and the Baltic states for a nine-month rotation as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve in support of NATO. Duenez was an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer with over seven years in the Army. He arrived at Fort Stewart in February 2022. Duenez had previously been deployed to Poland in 2021 and Germany in 2022. Capt. Madyson K. Wellens, Diesel Forward Support Troop commander, said in a statement that Duenez greeted "every challenge with a smile and a readiness to support anyone who required assistance." Franco, 25, was an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer who served in the Army for over six years. He arrived at Fort Stewart in 2019. He had been deployed to Korea in 2020 and Germany in 2022. "Edvin was a friend whose influence touched so many," said Wellens. Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California / Credit: U.S. Army Taitano, 21, was a M1 Abrams tank system maintainer on his first deployment. He served in the Army for nearly two years. He arrived at Fort Stewart in October 2023, following his entry training. Taitano "constantly brought the team together with his charisma and laughter," said Cpt. Matthew Lund, Darkhorse Troop commander, in a statement. Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam. / Credit: U.S. Army The final soldier to be identified, Troy S. Knutson-Collins, was an artillery mechanic with over seven years in the Army who had been awarded multiple commendation medals. "Words cannot express how deeply this loss is felt by everyone in our unit," said Capt. Jackson Patillo, commander of Foxtrot Company, 1st Bn., 41st FAR. "Staff Sgt. Troy Collins was an exceptional friend to all of us and an irreplaceable member to our entire Fox family that we will truly miss." Knutson-Collins, Duenez and Franco were all posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant, the Army said in a statement. Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda expressed his condolences to President Trump and the U.S. on social media. "@realDonaldTrump, Lithuania mourns together with the American nation," Nauseda said on social platform X. "Please accept my heartfelt condolences, as well as those of the Lithuanian people, to you, the loved ones of those who lost their lives, and all the people of the United States of America. During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with you." Where is Lithuania located? Lithuania is located northwest of Belarus, the country led by Alexander Lukashenko, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Lithuania, like its northern neighbor Latvia, joined NATO in 2004. Southwest of Lithuania are the Russian province of Kaliningrad and Poland, another NATO member. The Baltic Sea is located to the west of Lithuania. Lithuania is highlighted on a map of northern Europe. / Credit: Encyclopaedia Britannica/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Democratic-backed candidate wins record-breaking Wisconsin Supreme Court seat Wife of man mistakenly deported to El Salvador describes moment she realized he was detained U.S. and the rest of the world prepare for Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs Lafayette Police A California man is facing a life sentence after a jury found him guilty of holding a family hostage in their apartment for over five hours and threatening to kill the parents. Kenneth McIsaac, 34, followed a family from the community pool into their apartment complex, the Contra Costa County District Attorneys Office said. McIsaac, who also was a resident at the apartment complex, followed the family into their unit, shut the door, and said he was there to rob them. According to authorities, he lifted his shirt to show the family that he had a firearm, which later was found to be a replica. The mother called for her husband, who entered the living room, after which McIsaac forced the family to sit on the floor at gunpoint. He then retrieved kitchen knives and handed the mother duct tape to bind her husband and the children before doing it to herself, according to a press release from the district attorneys office. For over five hours, McIsaac held the family captive and threatened to kill the parents in front of the children. Through will and determination, the husband was able to free himself from his bindings, the district attorneys office said in the release. When McIsaac returned to the living room, the husband fought back, ultimately subduing the intruder long enough for the rest of the family to escape and seek help. 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. In August 2023, McIsaac was referred to the Mental Health Court for diversion, despite objections from the District Attorneys Office, they wrote in their news release. He was accepted and released to a treatment facility - which he fled. McIsaac was convicted by a jury of two counts of kidnap to commit robbery, two counts of kidnapping for ransom, multiple counts of first-degree residential robbery, felony child abuse, false imprisonment and criminal threats, the district attorneys office said. District Attorney Diana Becton said the verdict holds McIsaac accountable for the harm he caused the family he held hostage. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. Read the original article on People The efforts to find survivors in the rubble of the March 28 earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand are winding down, as the death toll surpasses 3,600. The Myanmar Fires Services Department told the Associated Press that international rescue teams from countries like Singapore, Malaysia and India have returned to their countries. A spokesperson for the military government said rescue operations included personnel from 20 countries, and that about 160 people remain missing, with 5,017 injured. The focus is now turning to those who survived and are in need of help. The U.N. Office For The Coordination Of Humanitarian Affairs issued a report on Monday that said more than 17.2 million people are living in areas impacted by the devastating quake, and they urgently need food, water, shelter and more. Safe shelter will become an even bigger concern when the monsoon season sets in, usually in June. The report notes, People left homeless by the earthquakes are exposed to extreme heat during the countrys hottest and driest month of the year, and rains have already started in Mandalay posing an additional threat to those sheltering in the open. (MORE: Iceland Volcano Erupts Again, Prompting Evacuations) The Associated Press reported via the World Health Organization that more than 10,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed in central and northwestern Myanmar. Residents who lost their homes or were fearful of ongoing aftershocks were sleeping outside, and rescue crews endured triple-digit heat during the daytime. The earthquake struck around midday local time on Friday, March 28 and was quickly followed by a powerful 6.4 magnitude aftershock, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Amid the search, there was a glimmer of good news when a 26-year-old man was pulled from underneath a destroyed building alive in the Myanmar capital of Naypyitaw. The Associated Press identified the man as Naing Lin Tun, and added that it took upward of nine hours to remove the man from the spot where he was trapped for nearly 108 hours. (WATCH: Strong Tornado Leaves Serious Damage In Louisiana) Myanmar, one of the poorest countries in the world, is in the midst of a civil war and information there is tightly controlled. Video shared to social media showed a massive crack reported to have opened up not far from the quake's epicenter. The military government says the quake has officially been named the "Big Mandalay Earthquake." Previous significant earthquakes also received names A map shows the location of the earthquake. In Bangkok, a high-rise that was under construction collapsed amid the violent shaking and hundreds of thousands fled their homes and offices to get outside, fearing additional building collapses. "All of a sudden the whole building began to move. Immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic," Fraser Morton, who is visiting Bangkok from Scotland, told the AP. Rooftop pools shook amid the tremors, sending waterfalls cascading down to the streets below. Damage and injuries were also reported in China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, the AP said. Myanmar was hit by at least two weather disasters last year. Typhoon Yagi triggered flooding and landslides in September that aid groups say left a reported 200 people dead. More than 320,000 people were displaced from their homes. Flooding in July reportedly killed more than 300 people. Uniformed emergency personnel stand amid massive piles of building rubble. Weather.com senior writer Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between. This screenshot from a video of the drills released on April 1, 2025 by China's military shows a Type 054A frigate of the People's Liberation Army Navy. - PLA Eastern Theatre Command/Weibo The Chinese military said Tuesday it had launched joint exercises involving its army, navy, air force and rocket force around Taiwan as a stern warning, days after US defense chief Pete Hegseth vowed to counter Chinas aggression on his first visit to Asia. Chinas armed forces will close in on the self-governing island from multiple directions in the drills and practice maneuvers including assault on maritime and ground targets and blockade on key areas and sea lanes to test joint operations capabilities of the troops, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)s Eastern Theater Command said in a statement on social media. It is a stern warning and forceful deterrence against Taiwan Independence separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard Chinas sovereignty and national unity, the statement added. Chinas latest military exercises come as Taiwan is looking on nervously as US President Donald Trump transforms Washingtons global relationships with his mercantilist America First foreign policy, discarding decades-old guarantees towards Europe and pushing long-standing Asian allies and partners to pay more for US protection. Meanwhile, officials close to Trump have repeatedly emphasized the need for the US to focus its attention and resources on countering Chinas ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. For Taiwan, a democracy of some 23 million people that sits just 80 miles from China at its nearest point, the drills are the latest reminder of the threat that comes from its giant Communist Party-run neighbor, which claims the island as its own and has vowed to seize it by force if necessary. Taiwan officials have condemned the drills as reckless and irresponsible. It came without justification, violates international laws and is totally unacceptable. Democracies need to condemn China for being a troublemaker, Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwans National Security Council, said in a post on social platform X. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said it detected 71 Chinese military aircraft and 13 PLA navy vessels near Taiwan, as well as a group of warships led by Chinas first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, in the West Pacific. The ministry added that its troops are on high vigilance to respond to the situation. Taiwans military dispatched its own aircraft and ships, and deployed land-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation and respond appropriately, the islands Defense Ministry said in a statement about the Shandong aircraft carrier group. The Eastern Theater Command released a video of the PLA taking part in the drills on Tuesday, showing Chinese frigates sailing, military aircraft taking off and missiles being erected into launch position. Later in the day, it said it organized naval and air force formations to conduct exercises in the northern, southern and eastern waters surrounding Taiwan, in coordination with conventional missiles and long-range rocket artillery. It did not say how long the exercises would last. The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong is seen in a screenshot taken from a video eleased by the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army on Tuesday, April 1. - Eastern Theatre Command/Handout/Reuters Hegseths Asia trip In Taiwan, government officials and experts view the Chinese drills as a signal to the Trump administration, where several key cabinet officials are hawkish on China, in particular Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During his first trip to Asia as US defense secretary last week, Hegseth vowed to enhance Americas military alliance with the Philippines to reestablish deterrence to counter Chinas aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, and called Japan an indispensable partner in deterring communist Chinese military aggression, including across the Taiwan Strait. An internal analysis by the Taiwan government cited Hegseths visit as among the external reasons for Chinas latest drills. They have reaffirmed the importance of security and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and confirmed that the US is shifting its security focus to the Indo-Pacific region. This has put great pressure on Beijings intentions, according to the analysis, shared with CNN by a senior Taiwanese national security official. Faced with upcoming US-China trade talks and the expected measures against China, Beijing has opted for restraint to avoid actions that could be seen as directly confronting the US. Taiwan serves as the perfect pretext, prompting Beijing to launch these military drills immediately after the US Secretary of Defense left Asia, the analysis added. Su Tzu-yun, a director at the Institute for National Defense Security Research in Taiwan, said unlike the two Joint Sword-2024 military drills China conducted last year, the latest exercises came as a surprise on Tuesday morning. I think Beijing is trying to show its signal to Washington, Su said. On Tuesday, Chinas coast guard said it also launched law-enforcement patrols in waters surrounding Taiwan, carrying out drills including interception and detention of unwarranted vessels. Rising tensions The Chinese military has ramped up regular patrols as well as military exercises in the air and waters around Taiwan, part of a broader assertiveness of Chinas territorial claims under Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Major exercises often serve as means for Beijing to express displeasure with the island as well as to better understand how Taiwan monitors and responds to military pressure from China. Chinas military has in recent years launched drills encircling Taiwan and simulating a blockade of the island one of the strategies that experts say could be used if Beijing ultimately decides to move to take control using military might. Zhang Chi, a professor at the PLAs National Defense University in Beijing, said Tuesdays drills dont have a specific codename because such military exercises have increasingly become routine. This largely indicates that the exercises we see today have become a new normal for the PLA and the Eastern Theater Command its routine for them, he told Chinas state broadcaster CCTV. Beijing has repeatedly accused Taiwans leaders of seeking independence, and views Taiwans President Lai Ching-te as a separatist, launching large-scale drills days after Lais inauguration last year. On Tuesday, the PLAs Eastern Theater Command released a series of propaganda videos after announcing the latest drills, including one that depicts Lai as a green cartoon bug and calls him a parasite hollowing out the island. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office, called the military exercises a resolute warning to the Lai Ching-te administrations rampant provocations for independence. Lai, who has long been a champion of Taiwans sovereignty, has called on China to cease its intimidation, but he has also spoken frequently of the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Polls consistently show people in Taiwan, a thriving and outspoken democracy, have no desire to be ruled by China, an authoritarian one-party state. The latest drills follow a series of incidents that have ratcheted up tensions across the Taiwan Strait, including Taipeis detention in late February of a cargo ship crewed by Chinese nationals it was investigating for allegedly cutting an undersea internet cable in the second such incident in a period of months. Last month, Lai called China a foreign hostile force and ramped up national security measures to combat Chinese espionage and infiltration. Days later, Taiwan deported a Chinese influencer for backing a military takeover of the island democracy by Beijing. Taiwan has long been seen as a potential flashpoint that could spark hot conflict between China and the United States. The US maintains unofficial relations with Taipei and is bound by law to provide Taiwan with weapons for its defense. Washington has long maintained a policy of strategic ambiguity on whether it would come to Taiwans defense in the event of an incursion from China. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Gracie Piscopo/Instagram; LinkedIn Andre Zachary Rebelo; Colleen Rebelo An Australian man who was found guilty of killing his mother in order to claim her more than $1 million life insurance policies will spend the next two decades in prison, according to reports. Andre Zachary Rebelo, a cryptocurrency investor, was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison by the Perth Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 1, according to local media outlets The Australian, WA Today and the Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC). According to The Australian, Andre was sentenced on his 29th birthday after he was found guilty during a seven-week trial last year. Andres mother, 58-year-old Colleen Rebelo, was found dead under the running shower in her home in Perth, Australia, in May 2020, according to ABC. While her death had not been treated as suspicious at first and an autopsy was unable to determine how she died, Andre became a suspect after reportedly attempting to claim life insurance against his mother. An investigation by police determined that he had taken out three life insurance policies against his mother the week prior to her death and made himself the sole beneficiary, through which he would have pocketed over $1 million, per The Australian. Gracie Piscopo/Instagram Andre Zachary Rebelo According to the outlet, Andre had been dating social media influencer and model Grace Piscopo at the time, and the pair had been over $100,000 in debt. The pair reportedly tried to fund luxurious trips and a seemingly glamorous lifestyle with credit cards and personal loans. Piscopo has not been charged in connection with the crime. While handing down the sentence, Justice Bruno Fiannaca reportedly told Rebelo in court, per ABC, The persona you had created alongside Ms Piscopo was more important to you than your familial connection to your mother. 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. It was a premeditated offense, a monstrous act that was integral to a fraudulent scheme, Fiannaca added, per the outlet. The judge also honed in on the specifics of Colleen's death, saying, per The Australian, This is a crime that right minded people would regard with horror, murdering your mother was the ultimate betrayal of her trust and everything she gave. His motive shows it was a very calculated and cold blooded killing, he added. LinkedIn Colleen Rebelo In court, Andre denied killing his mother but pleaded guilty to fraud charges and admitted that he had forged documents including his mothers will and a coroners report, according to ABC. He admitted forging the fake documents to gain a $500,000 payout from one of the policies, per The Australian. Andres sentence was back dated until November 22, 2022, when he was taken into custody by police, The Australian reported. Following the sentencing, Andres father Antonio told reporters outside the court, per ABC, "We don't really know what happened to his mother and we still don't know what happened. It's sad for everyone, for all the families involved." Read the original article on People Amber Ruffin appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers on 4 March 2025. Photograph: Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images A comedian whose skit for White House reporters was canceled for fear of upsetting Donald Trump skewered the journalists who dropped her in a biting late-night talk show routine mocking their perceived subservience to the president. I thought when people take away your rights, erase your history and deport your friends, youre supposed to call it out. But I was wrong, Amber Ruffin said during a brief appearance Monday on NBCs Late Night With Seth Meyers. Glad to find that out now, because if they had let me give that speech, ooh baby I would have been so terrifically mean. Ruffin was dropped at the weekend from the 26 April White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) dinner when the group decided its focus is not on the politics of division. As a comedy writer for Meyers and host of her own chat show on Peacock, Ruffin has frequently mocked or criticized Trump and his actions. Talking with Meyers, she ridiculed the advice she said she had received from the WHCA ahead of the dinner, which she relayed on a Daily Beast podcast Friday, to be, you know, equal and make sure that you give it to both sides and blah blah blah Her invitation to be the dinners headline act was revoked Saturday after she said there was no freaking way she would acquiesce. If theres one thing I learned from this weekend, its you have to be fair to both sides, Ruffin told Meyers, who replied that: When people are objectively terrible, we should be able to point it out on television. I thought that too on Friday, Ruffin said. But today is Monday. And Mondays Amber Ruffin knows that when bad people do bad things, you have to treat them fairly and respectfully. When you watch The Sound of Music, you have to root for the singing children and the other people. You mean the Nazis? Meyers said, referring to Trumps comment that there were good people on both sides at a 2017 white supremacist rally in Virginia in which a civil rights activist was killed. I mean, its just the whole reason we have a free press is so we can report stories, you know, as they actually happen. No, Ruffin replied. We have a free press so that we can be nice to Republicans at fancy dinners. Thats what it says in the first amendment. The exchange began when Meyers introduced a story about a burglar who raided a New York convenience store, and Ruffin stepped in claiming she needed to stop him delivering a punchline making fun of the offender because it would be divisive. But that doesnt make sense in this case. You know, theres an innocent bodega owner. Theres a burglar, Meyers said. Hear me out, there are very fine people on both sides, Ruffin said, claiming that the burglar was providing an innovative ventilation system when he shattered a glass door, and received a micro loan when he stole money from the register. The sketch ended with Ruffin, a host of the satirical game show Have I Got News for You on CNN, declaring she needed to return the dress she had rented for the WHCA dinner. I already took the tags off, but Im a just say they blew off in the wind, she said. But thats lying, Amber. Thats wrong, Meyers said. Ruffin replied: You cant say that. Thats journalism. A man who ran a sanctuary for rescued and abused cats "died a hero" Monday after a fire broke out at a safe haven he ran for felines in New York State. The blaze took place Monday morning at Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford on Long Island, the Suffolk County Police Department reported. Officials and friends confirmed Chris Arsenault, 65, was killed in the blaze at the single-family home along with "numerous" cats. "In excess of 100 deceased and living cats were found," William Doherty, police chief of detectives told reporters during a press conference Monday. At the time, officials were still working to locate the exact number of dead animals. "Chris died a hero," said Amanda Rumble, founder of Community Cat Care in Michigan, adding she knew Arsenault through the rescue industry. "Chris was an amazing guy with a heart of gold. He dedicated his life to saving cats. He was in the middle of building an amazing new location to (move) the sanctuary to. The whole situation is absolutely heart wrenching." Homicide and arson detectives investigating cause of fire Officers responded to the sanctuary in Medford about 7:15 a.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls, police commissioner Kevin Catalina said. After the fire was put out, police said they found Arsenault dead in the home as well as a large number of dead cats. Doherty said the victim was found in the rear of the home on the first floor. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy to determine the victim's official cause of death, Doherty said during a press conference. The department's homicide and arson squads detectives are investigating the cause and origin of the blaze, police told USA TODAY. Christopher J. Mehrman, chief fire marshal for the Town of Brookhaven. told reporters said there were district court actions pending against the cats and sanctuary shelter. He said he could not elaborate due to the active investigation. 'We need fosters ASAP' Lisa Jaeger, with Jaeger's Run Animal Rescue Inc., a non-profit organization heading recovery efforts for the surviving cats, said her friend sacrificed his life trying to save all the animals. "He came out and tried to put the fire out and he went back in and he kept taking cats out until he went back in and he didn't come out," Jaeger said in a video posted on the Port Jefferson, New York-based organization's Facebook page. "We are securing the area right now to try to save as many cats as we can," Jaeger said. "We lost the best man on the face of the planet and we're just going to need everyone's support now to continue his dream." The rescued cats were fed and given water Monday night and Strong Island Animal Rescue League is caring for the animals, Jaeger said. "We need fosters (ASAP)," Strong Island Animal Rescue League posted on its Facebook page. "Our team is on the ground there trying to find survivors. Please pray for these cats and for Chris. This is a horrific tragedy." According to its website, more than 200 cats lived at Happy Cat Sanctuary, some "victims of hoarding situations, shot at, targeted by gangs for use as bait in dog fighting rings, blind cats, cats with FIV, and cats of abusive and neglectful owners." The facility offered an indoor and outdoor shelter, as well as areas to roam, scratch, lounge, and climb. Cats and kittens all spayed or neutered and under vet care were available for adoption. Latest wildfire: Fast-moving California fire burns over 1,500 acres and prompts evacuations Who was Chris Arsenault? According to his bio on Happy Cat Sanctuary's website, Arsenault "dedicated his life to the rescue and care of hundreds of cats following the 2006 death of his 24-year-old son Eric, who died in a motorcycle crash. "After this devastating loss, Chris accidentally came across a cat colony of 30 sick kittens," the bio continues. "He removed the kittens from the colony and nursed them back to health. It was at that point that Chris knew saving cats was his calling, and he opened Happy Cat Sanctuary." As of Tuesday morning, an online fundraiser created by Jaeger to help the cats had raised nearly $150,000. "We have over 200 cats that are still being secured and will need vetting, vaccinating, and rescues to step up and help us secure them," Jaeger wrote on the page. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cat sanctuary owner, 100 cats die in fire Families torn apart by killer dad reflect on years they believed he was a hero The "Web of Lies" episode of ABC News' "20/20" limited true crime series "Bad Romance," airing April 1 at 10 p.m. and streaming the next day on Hulu, features a case previously covered in a 2021 episode of "20/20." After the brutal murder of his first wife, Mark Winger moved on. After all, he was seen as the hero who tried to save her, subsequently killing her supposed murderer with his handgun moments later. Police quickly concluded the 1995 killing of Donnah Winger was a tragic incident, committed at the hands of a seemingly mentally unwell driver who'd once driven her home from the airport. It was an earth-shattering tragedy for Donnah's family and Winger went on to marry the beautiful young nanny that he'd hired to care for his and his late wife's recently adopted newborn. He then had three more children with her in the following years. It wasn't until 1999, more than three years after Donnah's murder, when her best friend DeAnn Schultz came forward to say that she'd had an affair with Winger before her friend's killing that police began to look deeper into the case. MORE: How a Texas woman was slain a week before her wedding At the time, Schultz told police that Winger had made several incriminating comments, including, "It would be easier for us to be together if Donnah just died," and, "All you'd have to do is come in and find the body." Schultz said she felt at the time that the comments were just "crazy talk." Donnah's family and Winger's ex-wife, Rebecca Simic, spoke to "20/20" about the horrific realization that Mark Winger was a manipulative killer hiding beneath the mask of a brilliant engineer and a kind, loving husband and father. Donnah and Mark Winger fall in love "He was smart, Jewish. He was attractive and he was fun," Donnah Winger's sister, Jenny Levin, told "20/20." "[Donnah] just felt like she had found her person." Donnah was the eldest of three sisters in what they described as an incredibly close-knit family. The Dreschers grew to love Winger too. PHOTO: After Mark and Donnah Winger were married in 1989, he was offered a job and the newlyweds settled in Springfield, Illinois. (Drescher Family) "We always joked about that when one sister marries, that husband marries three sisters," Levin said. "We shared our lives with Mark." After Mark and Donnah Winger were married in 1989, he was offered a job and the newlyweds settled in Springfield, Illinois. Donnah was working as an operating room technician and he was a nuclear engineer. "Donnah couldn't have been happier. The only thing was she would have liked to have had a child," her step-father, Ira Drescher, said. PHOTO: We always joked about that when one sister marries, that husband marries three sisters, Jenny Levin said. We shared our lives with Mark. (ABC) Donnah's mother, Sara Jane Drescher, said her daughter was overwhelmed when she learned that she could not get pregnant. But then, one day while working at the hospital, a doctor told Donnah that a teenager was looking to put her baby up for adoption. Adopting the child was an easy decision for her. MORE: How investigators solved the love triangle murder case of Sabrina and Robert Limon "She looked at me with tears and she said, 'Michelle, I knew it the minute they put that baby into my arms, she has always been mine,'" Donnah's sister Michelle Hansen told "20/20." The Wingers welcomed baby Bailey into their home on June 1, 1995. Donnah's family said the couple loved their new roles as parents. They seemed to have all the makings of a long and happy life together. PHOTO: Donnah's sister Michelle Hansen. (ABC) "Mark was just as excited to become a dad as Donnah was to become a mom," Hansen said. Donnah had met the woman who would eventually become her best friend, DeAnn Schultz, at the hospital and with the arrival of Bailey the two bonded over motherhood. August 29, 1995: The day of the murders People were just returning home from work the day Mark Winger called 911 to report that he'd shot a man who "was killing" his wife. When former Springfield police Det. Charlie Cox arrived at the Winger's home, he remembered they could see the victims from the front door. PHOTO: Donnah with her mom and step-dad Sara Jane and Ira Drescher and her two sisters Jenny and Michelle. (Drescher Family) "Donnah was clinging to life," former Sangamon County assistant state attorney Steve Weinhoeft said. "She had been hit no less than seven times in the head with a hammer." MORE: Cold cases that once baffled investigators are getting solved with help of cutting-edge DNA technology The second victim, a white man, had suffered two gunshot wounds to the head but still had a pulse when police arrived, Weinhoeft said. "It was quite chaotic," Cox said. "I knew that they were probably gonna be transporting the victims soon, so I wanted to try and get identification on the male subject." Cox found the man's wallet and was able to identify him as Roger Harrington. PHOTO: When former Springfield police Det. Charlie Cox arrived at the Wingers home, he remembered they could see the victims from the front door. (ABC) Police recovered a bloodied hammer near the two bodies and found Winger's .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun, a yellow mug and a pack of cigarettes on the same dining table. They also noticed that Harrington's car had been parked against traffic, facing the wrong direction. At the crime scene, Cox said Winger was "very upset [and] very emotional," and that he repeatedly asked who the man he'd killed was. Cox avoided identifying Harrington and tried to calm Winger down. Winger told police he was on the treadmill in the basement when he heard a noise upstairs, former Springfield police Detective Jim Graham said. Winger went to investigate, first going to the master bedroom in the house, where he found Bailey on the bed, Cox said. Then, he heard more noises and grabbed his handgun from the nightstand before heading to the dining room. PHOTO: Donnah was the eldest of three sisters in what they described as an incredibly close-knit family. (Drescher Family) Winger told police that as he walked down the hallway, he saw Harrington with a hammer swinging at his wife, Graham said. Winger said he shot Harrington, then immediately shot him a second time after he began to sit up, Cox said. As police combed through the scene, Winger asked police if the intruder's name was Roger. Cox confirmed that it was. "Mark was shocked and he said, 'Oh my god! That's the man who has been harassing my wife this week,'" Cox said. MORE: Former preacher admits to cheating on his wife but denies killing her 19 years later Just days prior, Donnah had gone to see her parents in Hollywood, Florida. Her mother had dropped her off at the airport and hired a driver to pick her up in St. Louis, Missouri, and drive her back to Springfield. That driver was Harrington. "It was about a two-hour drive and there was a lot of time to talk," Levin said. "This gentleman started opening up to Donnah about issues he was having. He had a voice in his head named Dahm. ... Dahm would tell him to do bad things. Recently, Dahm was telling him to hurt people." PHOTO: Donnah's parents and sisters grew to love Winger as well. (ABC) Cox said the driver started flirting with her, telling her he liked older women and even inviting her to attend what he described as one of his "sex parties." Donnah had told her family the ride was terrifying and that he was driving erratically at 75 miles per hour. "After the harrowing ride, Donnah had been the victim of some strange phone calls," Weinhoeft said. "They had believed that the driver had been stalking her and was a danger." Winger called the limousine company to file a complaint and Harrington was suspended. Winger urged his wife to write the story down in case they might need it, Hansen said. Police later found the note describing Donnah's harrowing car ride in her handwriting at the crime scene. Cox, who was familiar with Harrington after he'd lived in a trailer park owned by Cox, believed it was possible that Harrington had "snapped." MORE: Montana woman reflects on her miraculous survival after getting shot several times "I knew him as a very volatile-type subject. ... Him and his wife rented a trailer from me," Cox said. "Knowing what I knew about Mr. Harrington in the past, how quick he was to anger, I thought that he very well could have went over there to try to get his job back ... there's a hammer layin' right there on the table. He picks it up and goes into a rage then the husband shoots the bad guy." PHOTO: After Mark and Donnah Winger were married in 1989, he was offered a job and the newlyweds settled in Springfield, Illinois. Donnah was working as an operating room technician and he was a nuclear engineer. (Drescher Family) After police examined the scene and listened to Winger's story, detectives concluded that he had acted in self-defense. The case was closed in about 48 hours, Weinhoeft said. Harrington's family insisted from the beginning that their son was harmless. "He was no troublemaker. He was a good kid. He wouldn't even strike at anybody," his mother, Helen Harrington said. "I don't think he would hurt anybody and I don't think he was crazy." Donnah's mother spoke to "20/20" about the evening that the family received the news of her daughter's murder. "It was 4 [o'clock] in the morning ... and I said, 'Jenny, it's mom. Something terrible has happened,'" Sara Jane Drescher said of her call to Levin. "We sat there in my room ... just crying at this unimaginable loss," Levin said. PHOTO: I loved [Mark] because he loved Donnah and thats what was important to me, Donnah's mother Sara Jane Drescher said. (ABC) In the following months, Donnah's mother and sister took turns traveling to Illinois to help take care of Bailey. "I loved [Mark] because he loved Donnah and that's what was important to me," Sara Jane Drescher said. "But I had to be very careful, because I did not want to ruin my relationship with him, because I did not want to ruin my relationship with the baby. I wanted to be a grandma and [Bailey] made me a grandma." Over time, they realized it would be too difficult to continue traveling to take care of the baby so they suggested that Winger hire a nanny. January 1996: Rebecca Simic becomes Bailey's nanny and then something more Rebecca Simic was a young and beautiful nanny with a "heart of gold" who wanted to help the family, Hansen said. "I didn't want to like Rebecca, but it was hard to not like her," Levin said. "Seeing her with Bailey, there was really nothing bad we could say about her." Simic told "20/20" she was "blown away" by what the infant had been through in such a short time. PHOTO: Mark made me feel like I was like an angel sent to him from God or Donnah, and it was my purpose to make this family whole again,' Simic said. (ABC) "She lost two mothers by the time she was 3 months old, and she was so smiley," Simic said. "I wanted to get in there and say, 'I'm gonna help and I'm gonna make this little girl's life better.'" But as Simic adjusted to her new role, Donnah's friend, DeAnn Schultz, began to make her feel uncomfortable and seemed to be pushing to stay involved in Bailey's life, Simic said. In January 1996 Winger stopped by the police station to get his gun back. He asked Cox about the status of the case and if it was still open, Cox said. "I just had an uneasy feeling about it," Cox recalled. Meanwhile, Simic's role at Winger's home had begun to evolve. "When you live with someone and you're taking care of a child together, it's very easy to kind of play 'house.' You're already put in those roles," Simic said. "Mark made me feel like I was like an angel sent to him from God or Donnah, and it was my purpose to make this family whole again." PHOTO: Rebecca Simic and Mark Winger eloped in Hawaii. (Rebecca Simic) She said she saw Winger as a hero in the family's tragic story of Donnah's murder, and that she believed he'd tried his best to save her. MORE: How a Colorado man pushing his wife off a cliff exposed decades of lies "I remember asking him how he could move on so quickly, and he explained to me that when you have a good marriage it's natural for you just to want that again," Simic told "20/20." Simic said Winger had told her he wasn't able to have children. So, she said she was "very surprised" when she found out she was pregnant with his child only months after moving in. "Obviously, I wasn't careful ... It was just kind of a shock," she said. Winger, on the other hand, was "thrilled," Simic recalled. "I felt like it was a victory to him," she said. "Mark put pressure on me to marry him and have children with him." PHOTO: Rebecca Simic and Mark Winger eloped in Hawaii. (Rebecca Simic) Simic said that Winger, who was Jewish when they met, even started going to church with her. She said he told her they could raise a family in a Christian home. "'I would be honored to be your husband and blessed if you were my wife,'" Winger wrote in a letter to Simic. Winger's rabbi Michael Datz asked him about his change in faith, and he says that Winger explained, "Judaism is just too difficult and unforgiving." Rabbi Datz didn't understand, asking, "Mark, I don't know what you're talking about. What do you need forgiveness for?" He said Winger didn't respond. The couple eloped in Hawaii. December 1996: Mark Winger and his growing family drift apart from Donnah's relatives Sixteen months after his wife's death, Winger told Sara Jane Drescher that he was going to sell the house where Donnah Winger had died and buy another one just outside of town. He and Rebecca had started a family of their own and he started cutting ties with Donnah's parents. "I received a letter from Mark one day saying to me I could not be called grandma," Sara Jane Drescher said. "I wrote him back and I begged him, 'Please let her call me grandma.' And he said, 'I'm sorry. There's no way that I am going to allow her to call you grandma, and that's the way it is.'" She said she mourned that loss for "a long time." Bailey Simic, now 25, told "20/20" that her grandmother and grandfather, Ira Drescher, would send a birthday card to her every year. "I always remember asking my mom, 'Who's Sara Jane and Ira?'" she said. "My mom would always explain, like, 'Those are Donnah's parents and they just wanna let you know that, like, they love you and that they remember you.'" February 1999: DeAnn Schultz comes forward to police Three-and-a-half years after the murders of Donnah Winger and Roger Harrington, Schultz came forward to police about the affair she'd had with Winger before his wife's death. "Mark was having a romantic relationship with DeAnn -- one of our sisters, as we considered her -- and that was something that we never, ever suspected," Levin said. Schultz told police about the incriminating statements Winger had made to her before the murders. "DeAnn stated that she declined to participate in that," Weinhoeft said, referring to potentially finding Donnah's body. "After Mark learned about the trip that Donnah took with Roger Harrington, he told DeAnn, 'I've gotta get that driver in my house.'" After the murders, Schultz's life went into a downward spiral as investigators claimed she struggled to make sense of the information she knew. She revealed to investigators that she had attempted suicide several times. Once Schultz came forward, investigators decided to reexamine the evidence on the case, but to their surprise, it was gone. The evidence they'd once held from Harrington and Donnah Winger's case had been released to Winger's attorney, who was working on a civil lawsuit against BART Transportation. Winger filed the suit in an attempt to hold the company accountable for his wife's death, presumably committed by Harrington, who was the company's employee at the time. Police reexamined certain aspects of the incident, such as why there weren't signs of forced entry into the home and why Harrrington might've left potential murder weapons inside his car, including a tire iron and a knife, and instead used a hammer belonging to the Wingers, which happened to be on the kitchen table. PHOTO: Former Sangamon County assistant state attorney Steve Weinhoeft worked on the Winger case. (ABC) Harrington's car had also been conspicuously parked the wrong way, appearing to indicate Harrington did not try to hide that he was at the Winger's home. Detectives also discovered Polaroid photos that had been taken by one of the officers first to arrive at the scene on that day in 1995. The three photos revealed the positions of the bodies before they were rushed to the hospital. The images did not fit the story Winger told. "Mark Winger had stated that Roger Harrington was kneeling down right next to Donnah Winger's head, and he was beating her with a hammer," Weinhoeft said. "He stated that he shot him and that the man fell backwards, so that his feet remained near Donnah's head. In reality, the Polaroids photographs show the exact opposite." Cox said the photos showed that Harrington and Donnah Winger were laying in the same direction. "As such, there's no way this murder could've happened the way Mark Winger described," Weinhoeft said. "Mark Winger had concluded that he wanted to kill his wife," Weinhoeft said. "Then, Roger Harrington happened to be the one who drove Donnah Winger. ... Mark saw this as a golden opportunity. And he told DeAnn that he needed to get that man into his house , and that's exactly what he did." December 1999: Mark Winger seen as a suspect in wife's murder In December 1999, more than four years after the murders, the Springfield State Journal Register ran an article based on allegations in the civil lawsuit that Winger had arranged the murder himself and killed both his wife and Harrington. The allegations were based on a blood spatter expert hired by BART Transportation in the case. "Everything came to a head ... It changed everything," Simic said of the article. "I mean, it went from Winger as the hero who was defending his wife -- this noble, stand-up guy -- that every man wanted to pat on the back, to manipulative, deviant murderer." As the detectives continued their reinvestigation, they learned that Harrington's roommate, Susan Collins, had initially told police that someone asked to meet with Harrington on the day of the murders, and that she'd seen Harrington on the phone arranging that meeting. Inside Harrington's car, they found a note written on a bank deposit slip with Mark Winger's name, his address and the time to be there. "Roger Harrington was not an intruder but rather he was lured into that home by Mark Winger," Weinhoeft said. DeAnn Schultz's cooperation with police and evidence that raised questions about Mark Winger's story prompted the voluntary dismissal of the civil suit against BART Transportation. "I didn't see it coming," Simic said. "I didn't know that this whole investigation was brewing. I never thought the whole time that they thought my husband was a diabolical murderer." Aug. 23, 2001: A grand jury indicts Mark Winger A grand jury quickly returned an indictment against Winger for the murders of Harrington and Donnah Winger. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was taken into custody while at work. "I had made plans to go to McDonald's Playland," Simic said. "We were there and I got a phone call. And it was Mark's secretary, and she told me that Mark had just been arrested -- I just was sick. Like, my whole body just kind of went numb, and I just couldn't believe it. ... I was shaking so badly and I just remember feeling so scared." Hansen, Donnah's sister, said she didn't feel relieved following Winger's arrest. "I still wanted to believe he was innocent," she said. "Here's this person that I know ... in handcuffs, and what's gonna happen?" PHOTO: On Aug. 1, 2002, Mark Winger was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for the murder of his wife and Harrington. (Illinois Dept. of Corrections) Simic said when she learned about Winger's arrest, she was "feeling so scared" and didn't feel like "anybody really cared about the kids and I because we were a part of him." "I felt that I owed it to him and to my kids to just stand by him," she said. Bailey was just 6 years old at the time of Winger's arrest. She said no longer having her father home was scary. "I just remember everyone just trying to remain calm and kind of, at the time, being like 'Dad's just going away for a while and that he'll be back soon,'" she said. While he was detained, Winger wrote letters to his children. Bailey remembered how excited she was when they arrived in the mail. PHOTO: Rebecca Simic and Mark Winger had three biological children and one adopted daughter from his previous marriage. (Rebecca Simic) "He would always draw the circle at the end of his letter and then he said that he would kiss it, and then we would kiss it and it was like he was giving us a kiss," she told "20/20." May 20, 2002: Mark Winger's trial begins "The first time I saw Rebecca was at the trial. I wanted to love Rebecca. She adored Bailey," Hansen said. "But, I also wanted to hate Rebecca, because Rebecca took my sister's husband, married him, adopted her child, and then had three more children that my sister wasn't able to do." Levin also said she felt their bond with Simic "was no longer there." One of the key points the prosecution had to prove was that Harrington had gone to the house to meet with the Wingers, not to commit a murder. They presented the cigarettes and coffee mug that he'd brought inside as well as the weapons he'd left in his car and the note with Mark Winger's name and address. Winger's attorney argued that Harrison was mentally ill, that he behaved erratically and that these traits indicated he was capable of murder. PHOTO: The Wingers welcomed baby Bailey into their home on June 1, 1995. (ABC) When prosecutors presented the Polaroids showing the position of the bodies before they were removed from the scene, Winger's attorney argued throughout the trial that first responders could have moved the bodies. "It's our belief that Roger comes to the house, he's allowed into the home," retired Detective Jim Graham said. "There was no signs of forced entry and he was executed at that time. Hearing the gunshot, Donnah Winger then comes from the bedroom to investigate. He then beats his wife to death with a hammer. Mark then calls 911." In the 911 call, Harrington can be heard moaning in the background when Winger tells the operator he can hear his baby crying and hangs up. He had told the operator there was "a bullet in [Harrison's] head," but when police arrived, Harrington had been shot twice. Schultz also gave damning testimony at the trial, saying that Winger told her that "it would be easier if Donnah just died." "I thought it was ... crazy talk," she said during her cross-examination. After a chance meeting years later, Schultz testified she confronted Winger in the hopes of gathering information and asked him how he lived with himself and that he'd replied that he had found Jesus Christ and was forgiven. She said he warned her that if she ever said anything, they would both be in trouble. PHOTO: Rebecca Simic was hired to be a nanny for Bailey but ended up in a romantic relationship with Mark Winger. (ABC) "I didn't think that anybody would believe her," Simic said. "I just thought if Mark truly did that, she would have come forward right away." Winger's defense argued that Schultz was emotionally unstable and just a woman who'd been scorned. "DeAnn Schultz's testimony was able to demonstrate that, in reality, Mark was obviously unhappy, unfaithful and had specifically talked about wanting to kill his wife," Weinhoeft said. "Schultz was granted immunity for her testimony," he added. "There was no direct evidence that directly linked DeAnn to actively participating in this crime. At the end, she was such a valuable witness as it relates to presenting the motive." June 5, 2002: Jury returns verdict on Winger case After a trial that lasted three weeks, the jury found Winger guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. Simic said she believed he would have been going home with them. After hearing the verdict, she said the words "guilty" rang through her head and that she wanted "the earth to open up and swallow me." Sara Jane Drescher said her daughters, Donnah's sisters, were with her when they heard the verdict. "The three of us just embraced and cried," she said. Helen Harrington was relieved and grateful her son had been vindicated of Donnah's murder. "We knew that Roger was innocent, and it finally got proven," she said. "He was branded a murderer at the time, but then all this came to an end." PHOTO: He was no troublemaker. He was a good kid. He wouldn't even strike at anybody, Roger's mother, Helen Harrington said. I dont think he would hurt anybody and I dont think he was crazy. (ABC) The police had to come to terms with the faulty initial investigation. "I was ashamed of the way the investigation went," Cox said. "I hurt Roger Harrington's family. I ran his name through hell for no reason. I mean, he was an innocent victim." "The police department had too hastily closed the case and turned a blind eye to some red flags, and to right such a wrong, it felt great," Graham added. Simic said there wasn't any closure for her or her family. "When we lose someone, you know, we gather. We have a funeral," Simic said. "But when someone goes to prison, well, what do you do? You're just kind of left with this emptiness and this hole that, you can't really-- have closure with that." PHOTO: On Aug. 1, 2002, Mark Winger was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for the murder of his wife and Harrington. (Illinois Dept. of Corrections) On Aug. 1, 2002, Mark Winger was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for the murder of his wife and Harrington. To this day, Winger maintains his innocence. "It wasn't just him being sentenced to life," Simic said. "We were sentenced to a life of a father in prison." A lifetime of consequences following Mark Winger's murders Bailey Simic says she missed having her father around while growing up. "It was really hard being in school seeing all the other kids have their dads and that relationship," she said. "And now, suddenly, I couldn't just go to my dad's room or have him pick us up from school or anything like that." Ben Simic was only a year old when his dad went to prison. PHOTO: Donnah was the eldest of three sisters in what they described as an incredibly close-knit family. (Drescher Family) "I can look at the pictures and look at myself and say, 'That kid had no idea. He was way too young to know anything that was going on,'" he said. Rebecca Simic moved out of Springfield with her kids and the home that she'd bought with Mark Winger was foreclosed. Simic, who had been a stay-at-home mom for seven years, filed for bankruptcy. "I didn't have anything to give my kids. Everything had been taken away. All I had was love," she said. The family changed their surname from Winger to Simic. In 2005, Mark Winger was implicated in a murder-for-hire plot where he allegedly tried to put a hit on DeAnn Schultz and a childhood friend who refused to pay his bail. He was tried and convicted again, this time of solicitation of murder. He was sentenced to an additional 35 years in prison. PHOTO: The family changed their surname from Winger to Simic. (ABC) Bailey has since reunited with Donnah's family. "It was so incredible to see that there's this whole big family that loves me and Sara Jane still has my baby picture on her kitchen counter with all of her other grandkids, even though we've been gone for so long," she said. "We'd been hurt a lot by the same person. But it didn't break us," Rebecca Simic said. Although Sara Jane Drescher says there will never be closure for the murder of her daughter, the family has worked together to set up Donnah's Fund, which is a part of Women in Distress, an organization that works to provide shelter for women trying to escape abuse. "I think her legacy will live on through the people that we help," Levin said. "and through the beautiful memories that we have of her." Families torn apart by killer dad reflect on years they believed he was a hero originally appeared on abcnews.go.com As Trump escalates his protectionist trade agenda, consumers in other countries are taking matters into their own hands by boycotting US products and limiting tourism a trend that could impact US economic growth. In a note published on Monday, Goldman Sachs estimated that foreign boycotts could shave 0.1% to 0.3% off domestic GDP in 2025, registering a hit between $28 billion and $83 billion based on current growth estimates of $27.7 trillion. "Most reports of boycotts of consumer goods have focused on Canada, where 53% of consumers claim to have started some form of boycott," Goldman Sachs' economics team led by Jan Hatzius said, citing a recent YouGov survey. "We expect a particularly large pullback in sales of American alcohol in Canada, since most of the provincial alcohol monopolies have removed US products from their shelves." Last month, Lawson Whiting, the CEO of Jack Daniel's maker Brown-Forman (BF-A, BF-B), said Canada's decision to pull American-made spirits off its shelves was "worse than a tariff because its literally taking your sales away." The executive categorized the move as a "disproportionate response" to the 25% duties imposed by the Trump administration. US tariff announcements have escalated in recent weeks, and more are coming. President Trump promised reciprocal levies on all US trade partners as soon as Wednesday, which he's referred to as "Liberation Day." Trump also plans to impose 25% tariffs on all foreign-made vehicles this week. Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet Goldman Sachs said those announcements, coupled with a more aggressive stance toward historic allies, have damaged global opinions of US-based companies and the country as a whole. The firm added certain brands closely tied to Trump, like Tesla (TSLA), have suffered the largest declines in favorability and purchase intentions. But the bigger issue is a pullback in tourist visits to the US, which account for 0.7% of domestic GDP, as visitors from the European Union and Canada, in particular, spend about $50 billion annually on US visits. According to an analysis of Customs and Border Protection data through March 25, Goldman said foreign arrivals to the 12 largest US airports have declined by 11% year over year compared to 5% growth for US returnees over that same time period. And as the overarching data unravels, some companies are beginning to flash certain warnings. Airliner Air Canada (AC.TO), which flies to the US more than any other Canadian competitor, said during its annual shareholder meeting on Monday that travel demand between the US and Canada is particularly weak, echoing broader industry trends that show a 70% yearly drop in passenger bookings on Canada-US routes. Air Canada said bookings for transborder flights between April and September are down 10% compared to the same period last year, as of mid-March. "Am I concerned? Yes," Air Canada chair Vagn Srensen said in response to a question at the meeting. "Definitely, I'm concerned." Products on the shelves are labeled with the Canadian flag tags at a supermarket on March 28, 2025, in Vancouver, Canada. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images) (VCG via Getty Images) Meanwhile, the CEO of European-based hotel company Accor, which operates the Plaza in New York, told Bloomberg TV on Tuesday that travelers are "deciding to change the destination, to go to Canada instead of going to America, to go to South America or Egypt." He added that bookings from Europe to the US this summer are down 25%, a pretty strong deceleration." Overall, this projected drag on US growth "provides another reason in addition to the more direct negative impacts of tariffs and drag on exports from foreign retaliation that are already built into our US GDP forecast why US GDP growth will likely underperform consensus expectations in 2025," Goldman said. In recent weeks, Goldman has joined a number of Wall Street firms, including JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, in reducing their respective growth targets, referencing the anticipated effects of restrictive trade policies. Goldman anticipates US GDP growth of 1.7% in 2025, down from its prior 2.4% projection. As of Wednesday, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's GDPNow tracker, which analyzes incoming data points, signaled negative growth of 3.7% in Q1, an escalation of the prior negative 2.8% reading. Alexandra Canal is a Senior Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X @allie_canal, LinkedIn, and email her at alexandra.canal@yahoofinance.com. Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance In response to a reporter's question Monday night, President Donald Trump entertained the idea of a 2028 campaign against former President Barack Obama. The constitution bans both men from seeking a third term. Id love that, boy, Id love that, Trump said, before switching to whether hed try to stay in office beyond 2028. I never looked into it. They do say theres a way you can do it, but I dont know about that. Trump spoke to reporters after signing an executive order related to ticket scalping. It was the the second time in two days that Trump refused to rule out running again, despite constitutional prohibitions barring a president from seeking a third term. Trump on Sunday told NBC News that there are methods for circumventing the 22nd Amendment, insisting that he wasnt joking. 22nd Amendment The Constitutions 22nd Amendment prohibits presidents from being elected a third time, mandating that no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice. There are no any exceptions for presidents, like Trump, who serve non-consecutive terms. Nonetheless, Trump has repeatedly toyed with the idea, encouraged by MAGA allies, including Steve Bannon, who have suggested Trump could bypass the Constitution. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Peter Doocy after signing an executive order related to the U.S. live entertainment ticketing industry in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis In the Oval Office Monday, Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked if Trump ran a third time it would clear a path for Democrats to have Obama run again. Trump appeared enthused by the idea. That would be a good one, he said. Id like that. Representatives for Obama's post presidency office declined to comment. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump muses over idea of unconstitutional 2028 election against Obama FILE - Barricade tape set up by authorities cordons off parts of Izaguirre Ranch during a tour for the press, days after skeletal remains were discovered on the premises, in Teuchitlan, Jalisco state, Mexico, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alfredo Moya, File) MEXICO CITY (AP) Online recruiting techniques and complicit local authorities have been among the details revealed by the renewed investigation of a ranch in western Mexico where authorities say the Jalisco New Generation Cartel trained its recruits. Lured by fake job offers, those who resisted risked death. One of Mexico's most powerful cartels, which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says has some 19,000 in its ranks, developed rapidly into an extremely violent and capable force after it split from the Sinaloa cartel following the 2010 killing of Sinaloa cartel capo Ignacio Nacho Coronel Villarreal by the military. The Jalisco cartel is led by Nemesio Ruben el Mencho Oseguera Cervantes, for whom the U.S. government has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture. Oseguera drew renewed attention this week after his image was projected as a band played at a music festival in Jalisco over the weekend. The Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels have battled for control of various parts of Mexico, including Mexicos southern border with Guatemala. Both are among six Mexican organized crime groups recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the U.S. government. One of authorities recent advances against Jalisco was the arrest of Jose Gregorio Lastra, allegedly in charge of the cartels recruitment. How the Jalisco cartel recruits The Jalisco cartel employs three recruiting methods: there are volunteers drawn by the pay and imagined lifestyle, which experts say make up the bulk of their number; theres targeted recruitment of ex-military and police forces, who because of their professional training enter the cartel as trainers and leaders of squads of gunmen. Finally, there's the kind of forced recruitment that investigators say happened at the Jalisco ranch. For that last category, authorities say the cartel uses social platforms theyve identified at least 60 pages to offer fake job opportunities, especially as security guards, with weekly salaries of $600, well above the average for such positions. Once they have the applicants, they force them to join the cartel. One recruit who reportedly survived the ranch has said that the cartel picked up recruits at bus stations under false pretenses and took them to the ranch where they were trained for a month in the use of weapons in addition to fitness training, Mexicos Public Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said. Those who refused or tried to escape were beaten, tortured and killed. The cartels structure Security analyst David Saucedo said Jaliscos structure is vertical, with Oseguera at the top. Last weekend, pictures of Oseguera were projected as a band started playing at a regional music festival in Jalisco. Some in the crowd cheered and on Monday President Claudia Sheinbaum, as well as Jalisco's governor, condemned the act. The Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office said it was opening an investigation. Such displays of respect for cartel leaders are not uncommon. Below Oseguera are regional commands, as well as areas responsible for drug production and sales, Saucedo said. The DEA says the cartel has a presence in 21 of Mexicos 32 states, exceeding the Sinaloa cartels 19. Some analysts believe Jalisco is actually in as many as 25 states, including its home base in the state of the same name. It also maintains a presence in some 100 countries, according to the DEA. How the cartel expanded In less than two decades, Jalisco became one of Mexicos most powerful criminal organizations and even managed to take control of some traditional strongholds of the Sinaloa cartel. Sinaloa has been weakened more recently by infighting among its factions following arrests of key leaders, including Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the U.S., and Ismael El Mayo Zambada, who was arrested last July along with one of Guzmans sons and is awaiting trial in the U.S. Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology researcher Carlos Flores said Jaliscos capacity for violent action and style of irregular warfare aided its speedy rise, which coincided with the emergence of fentanyl as a highly profitable revenue stream. Saucedo says that Jalisco has also successfully allied itself with other criminal groups, allowing it to penetrate some territories with a sort of franchise model as in the central state of Aguascalientes and the key border city of Tijuana. Ties to authorities and security forces The case of the ranch also serves as an example of how the Jalisco cartel is able to operate with impunity in territory it controls thanks to the complicity of local authorities, Flores said. Despite being discovered in September 2024 and 10 people being arrested, the ranchs investigation stalled until family members searching for their relatives went there themselves in March and raised the alarm about hundreds of clothing items they found, as well as apparent bone fragments. Since then, authorities have detained three local police officers who were allegedly tied to disappearances at the ranch. There are signs that show publicly how those kinds of deals have allowed the Jalisco cartel to establish itself in certain states, while they go about eliminating their rivals, sometimes with the help of public safety forces, Flores said. The Japanese fast-food chain Sukiya is temporarily shutting down its nearly 2,000 locations after a rat was found in a soup dish earlier this year. A rat was reportedly found in a bowl of miso soup in January but the company had not confirmed the instance until a statement Saturday referring to the situation as a "foreign object contamination" but not clarifying that it was a rodent. The company also confirmed a pest was found inside a meal sold to a customer on Friday at a different location. The store manager directly apologized directly to the customer and refunded the meal. The store proceeded to close that day for extermination of any pests in the building on Monday and commenced an investigation into what caused the contamination, Sukiya said. Sukiya said it is taking both situations as seriously as possible by closing every location to prevent internal infestation of pests and vermin. The restaurants will remain close between Monday, March 31 to Friday, April 4 with the exception of some stores inside shopping malls, the company said. "We would like to offer our deepest apologies to the customer who contacted us for the great pain and inconvenience caused. We would also like to apologize again for the great inconvenience and concern caused to our customers and related parties who regularly use Sukiya," the statement reads in Japanese. What is Sukiya? Sukiya is a major fast-food chain in Japan known for its Gyudon beef-on-rice bowls and curry. A subsidiary to restaurant giant Zensho Holdings, the chain has a total of 1,970 restaurants across Japan and around 650 international locations in countries like Singapore, China and Mexico. The chain also sells Miso soups, salads, tuna bowls and seat meal combinations known as Teishoku in Japanese. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Japanese chain Sukiya closing locations after rat found in soup SEOUL, South Korea Korean Airlines was named Airline of the Year for 2025 by AirlineRatings.com earlier this year, and got top marks for its economy class service. A few weeks after the awards came out, I had a chance to fly Korean Air in business and first class as a guest of the airline, and explore its new award-winning economy class at its corporate headquarters. And while it can be difficult for airlines to distinguish themselves in economy, where most carriers have similar seats and onboard experiences, I can see why Korean Air got the nod. International airlines are often known for having higher quality inflight experiences than their American counterparts, and although Korean is going through a transition right now, the road ahead looks bright. What flying Korean Air is like Airlines will all get you from point A to point B, so at the very basic level, they all offer the same service. Still, they often set themselves apart with the little touches, and that was certainly true on Korean. My favorite thing about the experience, that let you know what airline you were flying on and set the tone for the whole cabin service experience, was that, just after the boarding door closed, the cabin crew lined up in the aisle and bowed to officially welcome us aboard. That warm, hospitable feeling extended throughout the cabin service where flight attendants in business and first class were extremely attentive, remembering my drink order and careful not to wake me up if I requested more time to sleep during upcoming meal services. Older-style Korean Air business class seats on an Airbus A380 from New York to Seoul. Korean Air is progressively updating its fleet with newer seats and has already introduced an all-new onboard service concept. Kenneth Chang, Korean Airs executive vice president and chief marketing officer, told me that Korean has always seen itself as a service-first airline. After we won, I did sit down and really thought about what changes being made in the past couple of years. I think it's paying attention to details, he said, adding that all flight attendants go through the same training and start their careers serving the main cabin, which sets the foundation for the service across the plane. One example Chang mentioned is a sticker set Korean air offers on some flights in economy, with do not disturb and wake for meals options that passengers can affix to their seats The basis of our DNA in terms of service thinking, the mindset is always going to be the same for everyone, Chang said. New Korean Air business class seat on a Boeing 787. Of course, business and first class passengers benefit from even more elevated service, with more personal touches and nicer amenities. In fact, Korean Air recently overhauled its amenity kits and menus as part of its new corporate identity. On my flight home from Seoul in first class, which featured the new service, I dined on a multi-course feast that included so much food I had to skip the second meal altogether. Still, my octopus over rice was amazing and an open-face smoked salmon sandwich right before landing was a great way to start my day back in New York. How Korean is planning to evolve Korean isnt prepared to rest on its laurels, even with the new accolades. In addition to the new livery it unveiled in March, the airline rolled out a whole new corporate identity, the KE Way. According to Chang, its a value statement for the airlines future, as it prepares to merge with Asiana, another major Korean carrier. We're just very proud of what the future of Korean Air looks like, he said. The airline plans to redouble its focuses on safety, customer service and sustainability. Cruising Altitude: What Korean Air's new livery says about the airline As one example, Chang said, the airline tweaked the meal service on some of its shorter flights, moving from hot food to pre-prepared meals on some inter-Asia services, so that passengers and crews wouldnt feel as rushed. While that may sound like a step back, Chang said customer satisfaction scores actually improved after the change, because flight attendants were able to interact with customers more personally when they had easier-to-serve meals. Korean Air economy class Although I didnt sit in economy class on either of my Korean Air flights, I did have a chance to test out the seats and cabin on one of the airlines newest planes, and I can see why its award-winning. The seats themselves are spacious Korean prides itself on having the most legroom among its competitors and the service plan seemed on-par for other major international carriers. Chang said Korean put more thought than ever into its latest generation economy seats, and has been tweaking the design now that its in service in response to customer feedback. Korean Air's award-winning economy class on a Boeing 787. I actually went and I took a trip to Vancouver sitting in 57D, Chang said, to evaluate some comments about seat padding himself on the nearly 10-hour flight. The result: he agreed with customers that the economy seats on Koreans newest planes were too firm, and the airline re-engineered them to be more comfortable as more get added to the fleet. He acknowledged it will take time to retrofit seats that are already flying. Its everyones job to come up with ways to improve, he said. Korean Air's award-winning economy class on a Boeing 787. The reporter on this story received access from Korean Air. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Experience: Flying 2025's airline of the year, Korean Air People protest outside of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 after layoffs were announced. (AP Photo/Ben Gray) Employees across the massive U.S. Health and Human Services Department received notices Tuesday that their jobs were being eliminated, part of a sweeping overhaul designed to vastly shrink the agencies responsible for protecting and promoting Americans health. The cuts include researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff and senior leaders, leaving the federal government without many of the key experts who have long guided U.S. decisions on medical research, drug approvals and other issues. The revolution begins today! Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote on social media as he celebrated the swearing-in of his latest hires: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the new director of the National Institutes of Health and Martin Makary, the new Food and Drug Administration commissioner. Kennedy's post came just hours after employees began receiving emailed layoff notices. He later wrote, Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs, but said that the department needs to be recalibrated" to emphasize disease prevention. Kennedy announced a plan last week to remake the department, which, through its agencies, is responsible for tracking health trends and disease outbreaks, conducting and funding medical research, and monitoring the safety of food and medicine, as well as for administering health insurance programs for nearly half the country. The plan would consolidate agencies that oversee billions of dollars for addiction services and community health centers under a new office called the Administration for a Healthy America. HHS said layoffs are expected to save $1.8 billion annually about 0.1% from the departments $1.7 trillion budget, most of which is spent on Medicare and Medicaid health insurance coverage for millions of Americans. The layoffs are expected to shrink HHS to 62,000 positions, lopping off nearly a quarter of its staff 10,000 jobs through layoffs and another 10,000 workers who took early retirement and voluntary separation offers. Many of the jobs are based in the Washington area, but also in Atlanta, where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is based, and in smaller offices throughout the country. Some staffers began getting termination notices in their work inboxes at 5 a.m., while others found out their jobs had been eliminated after standing in long lines outside offices in Washington, Maryland and Atlanta to see if their badges still worked. Some gathered at local coffee shops and lunch spots after being turned away, finding out they had been eliminated after decades of service. One wondered aloud if it was a cruel April Fools' Day joke. Adding to the confusion, some layoff notices included instructions to file equal employment complaints to a person who had died in November. At the NIH, cuts included at least four directors of the NIHs 27 institutes and centers who were put on administrative leave, and nearly entire communications staffs were terminated, according to an agency senior leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution. An email viewed by The Associated Press shows that some senior-level employees of the Bethesda, Maryland, campus who were placed on leave were offered a possible transfer to the Indian Health Service in locations including Alaska and given until the end of Wednesday to respond. At least nine high-level CDC directors were placed on leave and were also offered reassignments to the Indian Health Service. Some public health experts outside the agency saw it as a bid to get veteran agency leaders to resign. At CDC, union officials said programs were eliminated because of the layoffs focused on smoking, lead poisoning, gun violence, asthma and air quality, and occupational safety and health. The entire office that handles Freedom of Information Act requests was shuttered. Infectious disease programs took a hit, too, including programs that fight outbreaks in other countries and labs focused on HIV and hepatitis in the U.S. and staff trying to eliminate tuberculosis. At the FDA, dozens of staffers who regulate drugs, food, medical devices and tobacco products received notices, including the entire office responsible for drafting new regulations for electronic cigarettes and other tobacco products. The notices came as the FDAs tobacco chief was removed from his position. Elsewhere at the agency, more than a dozen press officers and communications supervisors were notified that their jobs would be eliminated. The FDA as weve known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed," said former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf in an online post. Califf stepped down at the end of the Biden administration. The layoff notices came just days after President Donald Trump moved to strip workers of their collective bargaining rights at HHS and other agencies throughout the government. Congress and citizens must join us in pushing back, said Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees. Our health, safety, and security depend on a strong, fully staffed public health system. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington predicted the cuts will have ramifications when natural disasters strike or infectious diseases, like the ongoing measles outbreak, spread. They may as well be renaming it the Department of Disease because their plan is putting lives in serious jeopardy, Murray said Friday. The intent of cuts to the CDC seems to be to create a much smaller, infectious disease agency, but it is destroying a wide array of work and collaborations that have enabled local and national governments to be able to prevent deaths and respond to emergencies, said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. Cuts were less drastic at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where Trump's Republican administration wants to avoid the appearance of debilitating the health insurance programs that cover roughly half of Americans, many of them poor, disabled and elderly. However, the impact will still be felt, with the department slashing much of the workforce at the Office of Minority Health. Jeffrey Grant, a former CMS deputy director, said the office is not part of a diversity, equity and inclusion program, the kind Trump's Republican administration has sought to end. This is not a DEI initiative. This is meeting people where they are and meeting their specific health needs, said Grant, who resigned last month and now helps place laid-off CMS employees into new jobs. Beyond layoffs at federal health agencies, cuts are beginning at state and local health departments as a result of an HHS move last week to pull back more than $11 billion in COVID-19-related money. Some health departments have identified hundreds of jobs that stand to be eliminated, some of them overnight, some of them are already gone, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. A coalition of state attorneys general sued the Trump administration on Tuesday, arguing the cuts are illegal, would reverse progress on the opioid crisis and would throw mental health systems into chaos. HHS has not provided additional details or comments about Tuesdays mass firings, but on Thursday, it provided a breakdown of some of the cuts: __3,500 jobs at the FDA, which inspects and sets safety standards for medications, medical devices and foods. __2,400 jobs at the CDC, which monitors for infectious disease outbreaks and works with public health agencies nationwide. __1,200 jobs at the NIH, the worlds leading medical research agency. __300 jobs at the CMS, which oversees the Affordable Care Act marketplace, Medicare and Medicaid. ___ Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard, Amanda Seitz and Matthew Perrone in Washington and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt suffered a devastating loss with the death of his father, Wellesley Bolt, at 68. On Monday, March 31, The Gleaner reported that Wellesley died after he was rushed to a medical facility in Kingston, Jamaica. Usain's father reportedly suffered from a "lengthy illness," according to the Jamaica Observer. As of writing, Usain has not publicly commented on his father's death. Jamaica's prime minister, Andrew Holness, however, took to X with a touching tribute. "Mr. Bolt was the father of a global icon, and a strong, quiet force behind one of Jamaicas greatest sons, he wrote. His presence, support, and guidance helped to shape a legacy that continues to inspire the world. I join with every Jamaican in extending my deepest and most sincere condolences to @usainbolt, his beloved mother Mrs. Jennifer Bolt, and the entire Bolt family, following the passing of their patriarch, Mr. Wellesley Bolt. Mr. Bolt was the father of a global icon, and a strong, pic.twitter.com/LmjTjXZfXV Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) April 1, 2025 Holness continued his update by addressing the retired pro runner directly. "Usain, we have all witnessed the deep love and respect youve always shown for your family," he wrote. "You celebrated them with pride, and in doing so, you reminded us of the importance of family in our own lives." The prime minister concluded, As you grieve this great loss, the prayers and support of an entire nation are with you. We mourn with you, we stand with you, and we honor the memory of your father alongside you." In addition to his wife, Jennifer Bolt, and Usain, Wellesley is survived by two other children, Sadiki and Christine Bolt-Hylton. Courtesy of Popeyes Pickles are absolutely everywhere in 2025. And you know what? Nobody is mad about it. In fact, the more pickles, the better, which is why this announcement from Popeyes is welcome news. On Tuesday, April 1, Popeyes announced that it's introducing an all-new Pickle Menu. And we know what you're thinking: No, this isn't an April Fools' joke. It's very, very real. Importantly, it's not just some food with pickles. As Popeyes explained, "Its a whole pickle takeover." Were pickle people, so we understand that there truly can never be enough pickles," chef Amy Alarcon, the vice president of culinary at Popeyes, shared in a statement provided to Food & Wine. "This pickle-packed lineup was created to ensure the perfect balance of crisp texture, vibrant acidity, and our world-famous Louisiana flavors with every bite. If you love that chicken, youre going to love that pickle." Related: Can Someone Please Tell Me What Is Going on With Glitter Pickles? The pickle-centric menu features the Pickle Glaze Sandwich, which Popeyes describes as "a briny twist on the iconic Popeyes Chicken Sandwich," featuring battered chicken coated in a "zesty pickle-flavored glaze," topped with thick-cut pickles and served on a toasted brioche bun. Additionally, there are the Pickle Glaze Bone-In Wings, which deliver "the perfect balance of savory heat and briny goodness in every bite," along with the Pickle Glaze Boneless Wings, which come with "all the crunch, all the flavor none of the bones." Naturally, Fried Pickles are also on the menu, battered in Popeyes' signature seasoning and fried to perfection, served with a side of creamy ranch dipping sauce. You can wash it all down with a Pickle Lemonade, which the company describes as a sweet-yet-savory lemonade infused with real pickle juice. For those in New York City, there's one more surprise: the brand has pickled its flagship location in Times Square, turning it green and even adding an ASMR booth so you can listen to and record that signature Popeyes crunch. Related: Yes, You Can Replace Sandwich Bread with Pickles Heres How What started as a playful social tease has now become a full-fledged culinary reality a Pickled Popeyes," Bart LaCount, the chief marketing officer at Popeyes US and Canada, added. From pickling our flagship restaurant, social channels, to our menu, it's true that nobody pickles like Popeyes." Naturally, this will all only be available for a limited time, so if you want all the tangy menu items, you better act fast. Popeyes Pickle Menu 2025 Pickle Glaze Sandwich: Crispy, hand-battered chicken coated in a pickle-flavored glaze, topped with thick-cut pickles, and served on a toasted brioche bun. Pickle Glaze Bone-In Wings: Signature bone-in wings tossed in a pickle-flavored glaze. Pickle Glaze Boneless Wings: Hand-battered boneless wings drenched in pickle-flavored glaze. Fried Pickles: Fried pickles battered in Popeyes signature seasoning, served with a side of ranch dipping sauce. Pickle Lemonade: Lemonade infused with real pickle juice. Read the original article on Food & Wine Sep 3, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; A fan approaches Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) as personal security guard Yassine Cheuko intervenes during the game against LAFC at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images) A bodyguard for Lionel Messi said he has been barred from protecting the Inter Miami star during MLS matches. "They don't allow me to be on the field anymore," said Yassine Cheuko, who has been working with Messi since the Argentine forward joined the league in 2023, in a recent interview with the YouTube channel "House of Highlights." Fans had grown accustomed to seeing Cheuko patrolling the sidelines during Messi's games in order to help protect the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner from pitch invaders. Cheuko confirmed that MLS and CONCACAF officials decided to take full control of their gameday security, which he suggested has not been sufficient. "I was in Europe for seven years, working for Ligue 1 and the Champions League, and only six people invaded the pitch. I came to the USA and in just 20 months, 16 people have already done so. "There's a huge problem here. I'm not the problem. Let me help Messi." Cheuko said he will continue to work on Messi's personal security team outside of the stadiums. --Field Level Media Hunter Abrams "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." On Saturday night, activists, actors, stylists, designers, and other creatives gathered to watch a runway show in Midtown Manhattan. The space was One for One, a new private events venue and underground arts center, and the initiative was called Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit. The show was the first piece of a three-part fundraiser for Trans Justice Funding Project, which provides financial support to grassroots movements like this one, co-founded by Bobbi Salvor Menuez and John Mollett. Soft-launched with the release of artist-designed t-shirts last week, Mother was the runway show, while Daughter will be a special sale of the items featured in the show, curated by designers and labels like Willie Norris, Willy Chavarria, Connor Ives, Diotima, Vaquera, Miss Claire Sullivan, and many more. The likes of Chloe Sevigny, Pedro Pascal, Julia Fox, and Francesco Risso donated items from their own closets as well. The online sale will take place via a series of drops throughout the month of April, and Holy Spirit, will be a closing party for the initiative. Hunter Abrams The show was styled by Julie Ragolia, who works with actor Pedro Pascal, and is a member of the Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit community, and starred models like Richie Shazam, Alex Consani, Colin Jones, and Gia Love. Actor Cynthia Nixon made a cameo on the runway, as did Mia Khalifa. Inside the narrow, cozy One of One space, the mood felt warm and hopefully a far cry from the devastation being done to the trans community in America right now. Designer Andre Walker sat in his front-row seat waiting patiently for the show to begin, as did actress Tessa Thompson. Madonna, wearing a suit by Chavarria, whisked into the space with an entourage, as she does. It took a while for everyone to get situated, not only because of Madges fabulous grand entrance in the teeny space, but mostly because everyone wanted to hang out, hug, just be, together. Hunter Abrams Then, the lights dimmed and the musician Zsela appeared, dressed in a Jean Paul Gaultier jacket from 1994. Soft music began to play and in a near whisper, she asked the audience to take long, deep breaths together. We did, and it felt great. Then she began her beautiful rendition of Goodbye Horses, as models began to saunter and slink through the tiny space. It felt like a fashion show that doesnt exist anymore, one that is genuinely intimate and emotional, playful and filled with creative energy. There was Gia Love in a spectacularly poufy confection by Miss Claire Sullivan; NYC nightlife legend Connie Fleming in Pascals custom 2023 Oscars suit; and Shazam in a Womens History Month dress printed with the Empire State Building across the front. Nixon wore a neon printed trouser and top, while other models of all genders (and non-binary), ableness, and age, looked incredible in whatever they wore, clearly filled with unabashed pride and unbreakable joy. Hunter Abrams Hunter Abrams Being a part of this show was incredibly emotional, Ragolia said. My job here was not to style beautiful looks in order to sell a fashion collection but rather, to express the soul and style around a group of people that our current administration is trying so hard to erase. When asked how, specifically, she approached styling the show, Ragolia replied that it was as if she was watching the city in motion. She added, Im a born and raised New Yorker, and take immense pride in its diversity. I love that we live alongside and on top of one another; we all share space, and thats precisely what makes us more curious, more open, and more appreciative of our differences. I styled this show in support of trans justice precisely to celebrate and reflect that sense of shared space between us all. Hunter Abrams Today, as we celebrate Trans Visibility Day, the Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit runway show and initiative serve as reminders of how vital it is to continue to support human rights. It is also vital to keep coming together, to find moments of hope in communities like this one, and to work, in Ragolias words, entirely from love. Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock Photo credit: Kohl Murdock You Might Also Like Montgomery County Department of Police; DC News Now/Youtube Spencer Dillon Hamilton allegedly killed his grandmother at her Potomac, Md., home, police say A 27-year-old Maryland man is in custody after allegedly admitting he hid in his grandmothers bedroom for hours before emerging from a closet and killing her, authorities said. At about 8 a.m. on Sunday, March 30, Spencer Dillon Hamilton of Potomac walked into the Rockville City Police Station and told police that he had just killed a family member, the Montgomery County Police Department said in a statement. Officers and fire rescue personnel rushed to Titus-Dillons home, where they found Dr. Pauline Yvonne Titus-Dillon, 87, a retired internal medicine doctor at Howard University Hospital, unresponsive in the bathroom. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Hamilton was arrested at the Rockville City Police Station and charged with first-degree murder. According to the charging documents reviewed by People, Hamilton allegedly admitted he was lying in wait inside the victims bedroom closet before attacking his grandmother between 4 and 4:30 a.m. He said he stabbed her in the back, punched her in the face and head with his hand and then strangled her with his hands, the charging documents allege. 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. Afterward, Hamilton said he tried to move his grandmothers body, according to the charging documents. After trying to clean up the scene, he said he took her credit cards, cell phone and laptop, the charging documents allege. The motive for the alleged slaying is unclear. When Hamilton appeared in Montgomery County District Court on Monday, March 31, he was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, NBC 4 Washington reports. Titus-Dillon was a 1964 graduate of Howard Medical School and later became an associate dean there, according to the Howard University Medical Alumni Association, The Washington Post reports. She was a brilliant woman. Just a great, great person, family friend Nicole Cutts told The Washington Post. She came up at a time when there were not a lot of women in medical schools. Her grandson remains held in Montgomery County Correctional Facility, according to online records. He is scheduled for his next court hearing on April 7. It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney to speak on his behalf. Read the original article on People By James Davey LONDON (Reuters) - European visitors to Britain will have to purchase an electronic permit in advance for trips from Wednesday, as the UK government follows other countries in seeking to strengthen immigration security by screening people before they cross its borders. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme requires all visitors who do not need a visa to enter Britain to purchase pre-travel authorisation online at a cost of 10 pounds (12 euros), rising to 16 pounds from April 9. Irish citizens are excluded. The regime was initially rolled out to non-European nationals last year, including visitors from the United States, Canada and Australia. "Expanding ETA worldwide cements our commitment to enhance security through technology and innovation," migration minister Seema Malhotra said last month. Britain's Home Office, or interior ministry, said applying for an ETA should be simple through the UK ETA app, with the vast majority of applicants receiving a decision automatically in minutes. Applicants provide a photo and biographic details and answer questions on suitability and criminality. Once an applicant has successfully applied, their ETA is digitally linked to their passport. An ETA allows multiple visits to the UK of up to six months over a two-year period. Airlines, ferry and train companies will be responsible for verifying the ETA status of travellers before they board. Budget airline easyJet said on Tuesday it did not expect the new permit requirement to dent demand for Europe to UK travel. The United Kingdom received 22.5 million visitors from the European Union in 2023, up from 19.0 million in 2022, according to official data. The EU's much delayed post-Brexit border security checks for UK nationals entering the bloc are slated to be introduced in October. Britain left the EU in 2020. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) will remove the requirement to manually stamp passports at the EUs external borders and instead create digital records that link a travel document to a persons identity using biometrics. EES will be a precursor to an enhanced system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which will also require non-Schengen area citizens to pay a fee before they travel. Britons currently pay about 17 pounds for a similar permit to enter the U.S. ($1 = 0.7744 pounds) (1 euro = 0.8366 pounds) (Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) A police van carrying the five Israelis who were accused of rape (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) A criminal court in Cyprus has acquitted five Israeli men accused of gang-raping a British woman after ruling her testimony was not credible. The acquittal means the defendants cannot be brought to trial again on the same charges that included sexual assault and abduction. The court found, during closed-doors proceedings, that most of the contradictions in the womans testimony concerned the identification of the perpetrators. The court said the womans initial statement to investigators following the alleged rape presented a number of weaknesses, which under the circumstances werent out of the ordinary. But investigators doubts regarding the womans credibility grew when she offered entirely incomprehensible and inconsistent explanations regarding the contradictions in her testimony specifically the identification of the perpetrators which also included a line-up. The announcement also noted contradictions in the womans statements to police regarding who and how many of the five defendants had committed rape. A relative of one the Israeli men covers their face as they leave the court (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) According to the court, the woman initially accused three men of rape while in a subsequent statement she accused five, two of whom werent in the room where the rape occurred. The court also referred to witness testimony disproving the womans claim that she had screamed for help and that someone had opened the door to the hotel room to let others inside. The court said the woman who was 20 at the time of the alleged rape was under the influence of a significant amount of alcohol and the hallucinogens MDA and MDMA. popularly known as Sally and Molly. But it found the quantities in her system werent enough to remove her ability for consent since she testified that she only felt a little dizzy after consuming the alcohol and drugs. All five of the Israeli men had pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Police had said the British woman picked the five Israelis out of a line-up as having raped her during a hotel pool party in the coastal resort town of Ayia Napa. The ruling came after the European Court of Human Rights ruled last month that Cyprus law enforcement authorities failed to live up to their obligation to thoroughly and effectively investigate a British teenagers claims that she had been gang-raped by a group of Israelis while on a 2019 vacation in Ayia Napa. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell on Tuesday urged the Federal Aviation Administration to address critical concerns before deciding whether to extend a program that allows Boeing to perform FAA-delegated tasks like inspections and approving repairs. The FAA in May 2022 opted to renew Boeing's Organization Designation Authorization program -- known as ODA -- for three years, rather than the standard five years, to ensure the planemaker implemented "required improvements." Boeing's quality and safety efforts have faced harsh criticism since a January 2024 mid-air emergency involving a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 missing four key bolts. Cantwell told Reuters that the deadline for renewal was important for the FAA. "They have a great opportunity to basically build a kind of collaboration and focus on safety," Cantwell said. The FAA said it would respond directly to Cantwell. Boeing did not immediately comment. CEO Kelly Ortberg is set to testify on Wednesday before Congress. Then FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker in February 2024 ordered Boeing to implement a safety and quality improvement plan and acknowledged prior oversight "was too hands off." Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last month Boeing needs strict oversight. After the incident, the FAA took the unprecedented step of imposing a production cap of 38 planes per month on the 737 MAX. The FAA said in 2022 one requirement before a new extension was that ODA employees can "act without interference by company officials." Congress passed sweeping reforms in December 2020 on how the FAA certifies new airplanes after two fatal 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people and led to the plane's 20-month grounding. The FAA continues to inspect all Boeing 737 MAXs and 787 Dreamliners before issuing airworthiness certificates for individual planes, rather than delegating the tasks to Boeing. The Office of Inspector General said FAA oversight officials in 2023 sought to allow Boeings ODA to resume issuing final airworthiness certificates for 737 and 787s. Before FAA senior officials could approve the request, the Alaska mid-air emergency occurred. "The FAAs attempt to re-delegate final airworthiness certificate approvals back to Boeing is all the more troubling given that it occurred the exact same month as the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 fuselage with damaged rivets was shipped from Wichita to Renton," Cantwell wrote to the FAA. The OIG report said FAA data demonstrated a decline in Boeing production quality and that the FAA oversight was not effective. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Deepa Babington) Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers Wisconsin.gov (The Center Square) Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is headed to Germany for the Hannover Messe trade show, which runs through Friday. The cost of the taxpayer-funded trade trip in coordination with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. was not disclosed nor was the states traveling parting for the event, though WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes is also at the event, meeting with Ontarios Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and Chair of Cabinet Victor Fedeli. Hughes was joined by WEDC Vice President of Global Trade and Investments Micah Oge as well as other WEDC staff. Evers met with Baden-Wurttemberg Minister-President Winifried Kretschmann on Tuesday. Evers trip includes visits to Hannover, Hessen and Berlin in Germany along with the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region in France. Hannover Messe is the worlds largest industrial trade show with Evers staff saying he is promoting state exports and international investment in Wisconsin. He will then attend DMEA, a digital health trade show from April 8-10 in Berlin. Evers previously went to Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg in 2023 and Japan in 2019 on trace visits. During a time of global trade uncertainty and chaos and trade wars out of Washington, maintaining our strong relationships with our global partners has never been more important to ensure continuity and certainty for our local businesses, regional economies, and communities, Evers said in a statement. I am excited to continue building and growing these critical connections and relationships with our partners to ensure the continued growth of Wisconsin's economy. By Alexandra Valencia BOGOTA (Reuters) -Leftist Luisa Gonzalez is narrowly leading incumbent President Daniel Noboa in two polls ahead of an April 13 run-off race for the presidency of Ecuador, surveys showed on Monday, after Noboa barely notched a win in the first round. Gonzalez, a protege of former President Rafael Correa, had 51.4% of voting intention in a Negocios & Estrategias poll of some 3,000 voters conducted between March 24 and March 26 with a margin of error of 1.8%. She was followed by Noboa with 48.6%, putting the two in a technical tie. She was also leading a poll by Pedro Cango, conducted between March 25 and March 30, with 51.9% of voting intention compared to Noboa's 48.1%. That poll surveyed over 5,400 Ecuadoreans and had a margin of error of 1.5%. Noboa, the 37-year-old heir to a family banana business, took office in November 2023 to finish the truncated term of predecessor Guillermo Lasso, who had dissolved Congress in order to avoid a vote to remove him from office. Noboa beat Gonzalez, 47, by less than 1% - under 17,000 votes - in February's first round presidential vote. "Every little bit counts and it wouldn't be surprising if we get to election day with a quite narrow gap," Negocios & Estrategias director Ivan Sierra told Reuters. "There is still room for what candidates may have in store, and there is also room for mistakes." Both polls were authorized by the Andean country's National Electoral Council (CNE). (Reporting by Alexandra ValenciaWriting by Julia Symmes Cobb Editing by Sandra Maler) By Lidia Kelly (Reuters) -China and Russia are "friends forever, never enemies," Chinese's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in remarks published on Tuesday during a visit to Moscow in which he also welcomed signs of normalising ties between Washington and Moscow. "The principle of 'friends forever, never enemies' ... serves as a solid legal basis for advancing strategic cooperation at a higher level," Wang told Russia's RIA state news agency in an interview. Wang is on a three-day visit to Moscow for strategic cooperation talks, a trip overshadowed by uncertainty around talks to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. China and Russia declared a "no limits" strategic partnership days before Russian President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Putin over 40 times in the past decade and the two leaders have since agreed to deepen ties and cooperate on issues such as Taiwan, Ukraine and mutual rival the United States. The Kremlin said on Monday that Putin would receive Wang, who will also hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Wang said current global conditions obliged big powers to act as stabilising factors, so it was encouraging that Russia and the United States had moved to improve relations. The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia and the United States were working on ideas for a possible peace settlement in Ukraine and on building bilateral ties. Since taking office in January, Trump has shifted the U.S. to a more conciliatory stance towards Russia. "(This) is good for stabilizing the balance of power between major powers and inspires optimism in a disappointing international situation," RIA cited Wang as saying. Wang also dismissed the notion that Trump is trying to support Russia in order to set it against China, condemning such ideas as a "relapse of obsolete confrontational and bloc thinking". PEACE IN UKRAINE Wang said recent Ukraine ceasefire talks had already brought some results and should continue, despite diverging views and the difficult situation on the battlefield. "The step towards peace, although not that big, is constructive - it's worth building on it," Wang said. "With peace, it is no pain no gain. You need to work hard to achieve it." He added that a peace deal must be binding and acceptable for all parties and reiterated that Beijing is ready to play a role in settling the conflict in Ukraine. Xi has been pushing for a greater involvement of China in peace talks since the early days of the war, which marked its third anniversary in February. Beijing has proposed on its own, and together with Brazil, general principles to end the conflict, but its ideas have received a tepid reception. "We advocate eradicating the causes of the crisis through dialogue and negotiations, ultimately achieving a fair, long-term, binding peace agreement acceptable to all parties," Wang said. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly and Ronald Popeski; Writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Chris Reese and Stephen Coates) Donald Trump must not be misled by Vladimir Putins stalling tactics to delay peace in Ukraine, outgoing German minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv. The US president showed the first signs of frustration with his Russian counterpart over the weekend, telling NBC News he was p***** off and very angry with Putin over the failure to reach an agreement with a ceasefire - before threatening to unleash oil tariffs on Moscow. Paying a final visit to Kyiv as Germanys foreign minister - before a new government takes office with CDU leader Friedrich Merz at the helm - Ms Baerbock said she would raise the issue with US secretary of state Marco Rubio during a meeting of Nato foreign ministers this week. "At the upcoming meeting of NATO foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin's stalling tactics," the 44-year-old Greens leader said in a statement released after her arrival in the Ukrainian capital. The outgoing foreign minister is on a farewell visit in Kyiv (AFP via Getty Images) Putin is "feigning readiness to negotiate but is not moving one millimetre from his position", she added. Ms Baerbock said it was all the more crucial to back Kyiv unconditionally now that talks between Russia and the US had reached a deadlock. Moscow has repeatedly said that ceasefire proposals cannot be accepted in their current form, calling for Russian demands to be heard before a complete halt to fighting can go ahead. In quotes published by Russian magazine International Affairs on Tuesday, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Moscow cant accept Washingtons proposal to end the war in its current form. He added: "As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict. It is completely absent, and that must be overcome. Vladimir Putin met with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Tuesday (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Meanwhile, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha - who welcomed Ms Baerbock to Kyiv on Tuesday - told reporters that Ukraine would continue working with Washington towards a mutually acceptable minerals deal. A round of consultations has already taken place on a new draft of the minerals deal, Mr Sybiha said, coming one month after the deal temporarily collapsed after Volodymyr Zelensky was booted out of the White House on a visit which intended to finalise a framework agreement. Mr Sybihas statement came after Mr Trump said on Sunday that Mr Zelensky wants to back out of the deal - warning the Ukrainian leader that he would face big problems if he did. Washington sent a revised proposal after the February meeting, which would require Kyiv to send Washington all profit from a fund controlling Ukrainian resources until Ukraine had repaid all American wartime aid, plus interest, according to a summary reviewed by Reuters. Ms Baerbock, left, has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since becoming foreign minister in 2021 (REUTERS) On Friday, Mr Zelensky said Kyiv would not accept any mineral rights deal which threatened its integration with the EU, but did not pass judgement on the revised deal. Ms Baerbock said on Tuesday that any minerals agreement must be compatible with European law, adding that Europe had already reached a deal with Ukraine. "After all, this is our European continent... we are of course also in dialogue with all stakeholders accordingly," she said. In Moscow, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi met with Putin and Russian minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss a strategic partnership between Beijing and Russia. The former top judge in the UKs Supreme Court has accused the Trump administration of unjustifiable interference after pressure was exerted on the UK over free speech. Lord Sumptions intervention came after the US State Department made a rare intervention in British politics, warning of its concerns about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. The department, responsible for US foreign policy, put a statement on X, highlighting fears about the prosecution of anti-abortion campaigner Livia Tossici-Bolt. The row has come after The Independent revealed that vice president J.D. Vance is intending to use spurious claims over free speech being attacked in the UK to force Keir Starmer to ditch his online safety bill and digital services tax as part of a deal on a free trade agreement. The State Department alleged Ms Tossici-Bolt faces criminal charges for offering conversation with patients seeking abortions within a legally prohibited buffer zone outside a clinic. We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression, the State Department's dedicated democracy, human rights and labour (DRL) account posted. US Vice-President JD Vance recently criticised abortion buffer zones in Scotland (Matthias Schrader/AP) (AP) It added: US-UK relations share a mutual respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, as Vice President Vance has said, we are concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. The account has previously criticised police in Scotland over a similar incident in a restricted buffer zone near an abortion clinic. Other countries criticised by the arm of the State Department include Bangladesh, Iran and Russia. It comes after the departments senior DRL advisor visited the UK in March and met with Ms Tossici-Bolt, who leads an anti-abortion group called 40 Days for Life Bournemouth. Lord Sumption told PM on BBC Radio 4: It's a completely unjustifiable interference in the internal affairs of another country. I do not think that the United States has jurisdiction over the world's laws. The fact is that all civilised countries place some limitations on free speech, even the United States. I don't believe it's any business of the United States to criticise this. The principal offender against free speech at the moment, outside obvious totalitarian states like Russia or China, is in fact the United States of America, which makes it extremely ironic that they've taken to lecturing other people on the subject. Ms Tossici-Bolt was on trial at Poole Magistrates Court in February having been accused of breaching the Public Spaces Protection Order on two days in March 2023. A verdict on her case is due on Friday. (PA Wire) She was prosecuted for holding a sign near a Bournemouth abortion reading: Here to talk if you want to. Buffer zones are in place within 150 metres of clinics to prevent women seeking abortions from being harassed by protesters. They make it an offence to do anything that intentionally or recklessly influences someones decision to use abortion services, obstructs them, or causes harassment, alarm or distress to someone using or working at the premises. And Ms Tossici-Bolt, a retired medical scientist living in Bournemouth, Dorset, welcomed the high-profile US intervention in her case. She said: "I am grateful to the US State Department for taking note of my case. "Great Britain is supposed to be a free country, yet I've been dragged through court merely for offering consensual conversation. I'm thankful to ADF International for supporting my legal defence. "Peaceful expression is a fundamental right - no one should be criminalised for harmless offers to converse." She added: "It is tragic to see that the increase of censorship in this country has made the US feel it has to remind us of our shared values and basic civil liberties. "I'm grateful to the US administration for prioritising the preservation and promotion of freedom of expression and for engaging in robust diplomacy to that end. "It deeply saddens me that the UK is seen as an international embarrassment when it comes to free speech. "My case, involving only a mere invitation to speak, is but one example of the extreme and undeniable state of censorship in Great Britain today. "It is important that the government actually does respect freedom of expression, as it claims to." Fears were raised that Ms Tossici-Bolts case was responsible for the UKs failure to strike a trade deal with the US and avoid Donald Trumps tariffs, with one source telling the Daily Telegraph there should be no free trade without free speech. But, asked about the claim, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Times Radio: No, I can say as someone who is very closely part of the issues that are currently being discussed, obviously there are things from different people in the administration that they've said in the past about this, but it's not been part of the trade negotiations that I've been part of." By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court examined on Tuesday the legality of a 2019 statute passed by Congress to facilitate lawsuits against Palestinian authorities by Americans killed or injured in attacks abroad as plaintiffs pursue monetary damages for violence years ago in Israel and the West Bank. The nine justices heard arguments in appeals by the U.S. government and a group of American victims and their families of a lower court's ruling that the law at issue violated the rights of the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization to due process under the U.S. Constitution. The ongoing violence involving Israel and the Palestinians served as a backdrop to the arguments. Many of the questions posed by the justices seemed to suggest they would rule in favor of the plaintiffs. Some of the questions explored the authority of Congress and the president to empower U.S. federal courts to hear civil suits over allegedly wrongful conduct experienced by Americans overseas, and what type of connection defendants must have to the United States before they must face such legal proceedings. U.S. courts for years have grappled over whether they have jurisdiction in cases involving the Palestinian Authority and PLO for actions taken abroad. Under the language at issue in the 2019 law - called the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act - the PLO and Palestinian Authority would automatically "consent" to jurisdiction if they conduct certain activities in the United States or make payments to people who attack Americans. "Congress' judgment on these issues, as in all issues of national security and foreign policy, are entitled to great deference," Deputy Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler, who argued on behalf of the Trump administration, told the justices. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with Kneedler on that point. "Congress and the president are the ones who make fairness judgments when we're talking about the national security and foreign policy of the United States," Kavanaugh said. "Unless it crosses some other textually or historically rooted constitutional principle, courts shouldn't be coming in." Liberal Justice Elena Kagan pressed Kneedler on the possibility of giving Congress too much leeway in subjecting people around the globe to general jurisdiction in U.S. courts, raising potential pitfalls such as retaliation against Americans on foreign soil. "I could understand an argument which would say... it could have foreign policy consequences, it could encourage other nations to retaliate and treat U.S. citizens in the same way," Kagan said. "There could well be problems, other countries' reactions to that, and retaliation perhaps," Kneedler responded. A New York-based federal judge in 2022 ruled that the law violated the due process rights of the PLO and Palestinian Authorities guaranteed under the Constitution. The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling. President Joe Biden's administration initiated the government's appeal, which subsequently was taken up by President Donald Trump's administration. Mitchell Berger, arguing on behalf of the Palestinian authorities, emphasized the need for U.S. courts to enforce jurisdictional limits on what they can adjudicate, using pirates as an example. "Nobody likes pirates, right," Berger said. "The United States can define piracy as an offense, but the United States does not try pirates in absentia because there's a delta between what Congress can prescribe as laws and what courts can do." Among the plaintiffs are families who in 2015 won a $655 million judgment in a civil case alleging that the Palestinian organizations were responsible for a series of shootings and bombings around Jerusalem from 2002 to 2004. They also include relatives of Ari Fuld, a Jewish settler in the Israel-occupied West Bank who was fatally stabbed by a Palestinian in 2018. "These defendants directed their activity at U.S. citizens who are within the protection of the United States," said Kent Yalowitz, arguing on behalf of the plaintiffs. Yalowitz added that "wherever in the world you travel, the protection of the United States travels with you." A ruling is expected by the end of June. (Reporting by John Kruzel and Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham) A Rhode Island couple who welcomed rare identical quadruplets is opening up after bringing their four new babies home. When Rachel Vargas went in for an ultrasound for her third child, she received what she described as a "complete shock." "She said, 'Right now, there are four of them.' And I just kind of went blank. I don't know. I think I was in shock," the mom of six recalled. PHOTO: Rachel and Marco Vargas, who welcomed identical quadruplets in Arizona three months ago, are now back home in Rhode Island with their six kids. (University Medical Center Phoenix) Rachel Vargas and her husband Marco Vargas learned they were going to have not just one, but four daughters spontaneously, without the help of fertility treatments or any interventions -- a situation medical experts say can happen only in about 1 in 11 million cases, according to a news release from Banner Health, where Rachel Vargas received care. The couple faced an uphill pregnancy journey and traveled from their home in Rhode Island to Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, for specialized care. PHOTO: Marco Vargas and Rachel Vargas hold their newborn identical quadruplets Sofia, Philomena, Veronica, and Isabel. (University Medical Center Phoenix) "This was something that could have cost her, you know, [her] life, [her] health," Marco Vargas said. "We looked into seeking a specialist who was not just a maternal fetal medicine specialist, but who was also a specialist in high order multiples," Rachel Vargas explained. Family grows to 7 after welcoming quadruplets: 'A dream come true' They met Dr. John Elliott, a world-renowned physician at Valley Perinatal Services who has delivered more than 100 sets of quadruplets in his career, but who said he had never seen anything like the Vargases' case. "Rachel's pregnancy was one I had never seen before. Marco and Rachel -- they never wavered," said Elliott, a founding partner at Valley Perinatal Services. Identical quadruplet sisters meet their brothers for the 1st time Despite multiple risk factors, Rachel Vargas successfully gave birth via cesarean section on Jan. 24 at Banner University Medical Center Phoenix. The family welcomed Sofia, Philomena, Veronica and Isabel at 30 weeks and three days gestation. PHOTO: The Vargas family, who are from Rhode Island, traveled to Arizona for specialized maternal fetal medicine care. (University Medical Center Phoenix) "It was glorious seeing these girls being triumphantly being pulled out," Marco Vargas said. "I felt a huge sense of relief because I felt like they had made it, they were going to be OK," Rachel Vargas added. The family of eight is now settling into their new life back home on the East Coast, and the Vargases say their older children are adjusting to life with their new siblings. According to the couple, their 3-year-old son Walter has already assumed the role of big brother, helping with diaper changes, while 1-year-old Stella is still getting used to the idea of four younger sisters. Parents speak out after welcoming identical quadruplets originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Virginia Roberts Giuffre holds a photo of herself as a teen, when she says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew, among others. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) - Emily Michot/Miami Herald/TNS/Getty Images/File Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Jeffrey Epstein accuser who alleged Prince Andrew abused her, is in serious condition in hospital after a school bus hit a car she was driving in rural Australia, her spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday after police appeared to contradict her initial account. In an Instagram post Sunday, Giuffre shared a photo of herself lying in a hospital bed with her face covered in bruises. Ive gone into kidney renal failure, theyve given me four days to live, she wrote. But authorities later indicated to CNN that no injuries had been reported following the crash, and Giuffres family said in a statement through their representation on Tuesday: Virginia thought that she had posted (the message) on her private Facebook page. Giuffre was one of the most prominent accusers of the wealthy sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and in 2019, she publicly alleged Epstein trafficked her and forced her to have sex with his friends, including Prince Andrew, when she was 17 years old. She also claimed the prince was aware she was underage in the US at the time. The Duke of York repeatedly denied the claims. Guiffre said in her initial Instagram post that a school bus driving 110km (68 mph) hit her car as it was slowing for a turn. Western Australia Police referred CNN to a report of a minor collision between a car and a bus near Perth on March 24, stating The car sustained approximately $2,000 ($1,250) worth of damage. There were no reported injuries as a result of the crash. A source with knowledge of the situation told CNN Tuesday that Giuffre was a current inpatient at a hospital in Perth, but was not in a life-threatening condition. Giuffre does have the bruising shown in the social picture, according to the source, but has not at this stage told the hospital what caused those injuries. Giuffres spokesperson, after being contacted by CNN for further comment, said in a statement attributed to Giuffres family that she remains in serious condition while receiving medical care. In an Instagram post on Sunday, March 30, Giuffre shared a photo of herself lying in a hospital bed with her face covered in bruises. - From Virginia Giuffre/Instagram On March 24, in rural Western Australia, a school bus hit the car in which she was riding, her spokesperson said. The police were called but said that there was no one available to come to the scene. They asked if anyone was injured and suggested that if they were, they should make their way to the hospital. The school bus driver had a bus full of distraught children and left the scene to get them back, saying he would file a police report, which he did later. Virginia was banged up and bruised and returned home, her spokesperson continued. Virginias condition worsened and she was admitted to the hospital. Concerning her Instagram post, Virginia thought that she had posted on her private Facebook page, they said. In 2021, Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew for alleged sexual abuse. The following year, she reached an out-of-court settlement with the prince for an undisclosed amount. Andrew later paid the settlement and attorneys for both parties filed a stipulation for the lawsuit to be dismissed. Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffres charity in support of victims rights. Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffres character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks, according to a letter filed to the court announcing the settlement. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state prostitution charges and in July 2019 was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges. Prosecutors accused him of carrying out a decades-long scheme of sexual abuse of underage girls, flying them on private planes to his properties in Florida, New York, New Mexico and the US Virgin Islands. He died by suicide in prison before he could face trial. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com FILE - New York Mets relief pitcher Adam Ottavino throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sept. 18, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) NEW YORK (AP) Right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino is returning to the New York Yankees, agreeing Tuesday to a one-year contract. Ottavino gets $1 million while in the major leagues and $150,000 while in the minors. A 39-year-old sidearmer, Ottavino agreed to a minor league contract with Boston on Feb. 18 and exercised his right to be released on March 23 after compiling a 10.80 ERA in five spring training appearances. I felt like I was kind in a little bit of no mans land for the last week or so, but it all came together pretty quickly, Ottavino said before the Yankees opened a three-game series with the Diamondbacks. Obviously Im grateful for the opportunity. Im very lucky for it. He was 2-2 with one save and a 4.34 ERA in 60 relief appearances for the New York Mets last year, stranding 15 of 20 inherited runners. Ottavino pitched for the Yankees in 2019 and '20, going 8-8 with a 2.76 ERA in 97 relief appearances. He is 41-43 with 46 saves and a 3.49 ERA in 14 big league seasons with St. Louis, Colorado (2012-18), the Yankees (2019-20), Boston (2021) and the Mets (2022-24). Hes kind of on our board a little bit, manager Aaron Boone said. I know the front office has been talking about him the last couple of weeks but felt like what he was doing at the back end of spring training was in line with who Otto is. The Yankees transferred right-hander JT Brubaker to the 60-day injured list and placed closer Devin Williams on the paternity list. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb Saghar Setareh for Serious Eats Dissecting the food culture of a city as ancient and eternal as Rome is like conducting an archaeological digonly the site is still bustling with the daily rhythms of modern life. Very few cities have such distinct cuisines that stand so strongly on their own, says Serious Eats editorial director Daniel Gritzer. How many cities could support dozens of cookbooks dedicated to their local dishes alone? Rome is one of them. Saghar Setareh for Serious Eats Carciofi alla Romana at Sora Margherita Romes storied, deeply rooted cuisine is fiercely protected by the citys culinary traditionalists, who are wary of anything they deem un-Roman. At the same time, it draws waves of starry-eyed visitors on a mission to eat their way through the canon of classic dishes. Saghar Setareh for Serious Eats Trapizzinos in Rome You have these two monolithic entities that are exerting a major gravitational force on the food scene: One is the tourists, who want all the things theyve read about, like pasta alla gricia, amatriciana, carbonara, and pizza al taglio, and the other is the traditionalistsand Italians are largely pretty conservative when it comes to food, says Peter Barrett, a food writer and former Rome resident who we turned to for insight into the city's food scene. So for the new generation of chefs, the challenge is threading the needlepushing the envelope while still maintaining a deep respect for the ingredients and traditions. Luckily, a new wave of Roman chefs is striking that balance admirablyserving dishes that nod to tradition without being confined by it. Theyre not throwing out the classics, but theyre refusing to stop there. The result is that Romeseat of emperors and popes, home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, and shaped by generations of cooks, butchers, and bakers from across its layered historyremains one of the worlds great food cities, still thriving as a 21st-century crossroads of cultures. And the ultimate beneficiary of all of this? You, the visitor to Rome, who can eat incredible meals, whether tried-and-true classics, pitch-perfect modern innovations, or both. Getty Images / Alexander Spatari The Roman skyline For our second round of Global Eatsa food lover's guide to the culinary capitals of the worldwe asked Barrett, the author of the Things on Bread Substack and a Roman resident for two years, and Sara Levi, a native Roman and chef at the Rome Sustainable Food Project at the American Academy at Rome, to share their insight into whatand whereto eat in the Capital of the World. (You'll find the first Global Eats series here.) Where to Eat in Rome Sora Margherita Piazza delle Cinque Scole, 30 Related: https://www.soramargherita.com/ Both our experts started off their tours of Roman dishes by delving into carciofi alla Romana, Roman-style braised artichokes, a highly seasonal spring dish requiring someone in the kitchen who knows how to prepare them properly. In the right hands, the result is meticulously cleaned hearts braised with white wine, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Saghar Setareh for Serious Eats Sora Margherita I think of this as a really iconic Roman dish, Levi says. People coming from the United States, where people eat artichokes much more rarely, tend to think of them as a vehicle for dips, but here they're unadorned, so you get the purity of this perfectly cooked artichoke that is literally put on a plate with a little bit of braising liquid and oil and nothing else. Arguably the best thing about the Roman style of serving artichokes? They eliminate all the work for you, unlike, say, the French style, where theyre typically served with the leaves on for dipping into melted butter or vinaigrette. If youre used to French-style artichokes, you have to work till you get to the heart, Barrett says. In the Roman artichoke, you dont have to wade through a thicket of leaves to get to the good stuff. What ends up on the plate is entirely edibleyou can fork-and-knife the whole thing. Its still kind of al dente with a little resistance, and the olive oil and artichokes have this grassy green kind of simpaticothey really have something to say to each other, and its fantastic. Its one of my favorite vegetable dishes. Barrett is still a fan of the first place he ever had the dish in Rome, Sora Margherita. I went there when I was 19, 20 years old as a student and it was just the local place, he recalls. It didnt even have a sign, it just had newsprint tablecloths, and you went in and looked at the piece of paper with the five things they were making that day. Wed usually get an artichoke to start if it was in season, and then a pasta, and at that time you could get all of that plus a liter of wine for 10 bucks apiece. Still under the same ownership, Sora Margherita hasnt changed that much since, even though words gotten out about the great food there. Saghar Setareh for Serious Eats Carciofi alla Romana at Sora Margherita Now the walls are covered with newspaper clippings about the restaurant, postcards from customers, and the service is brusque but congenial, he says. Think of tumblers of fruit water and wine and communal seating where if you cant fill a table you sit next to strangers in almost school-desk chairs of chunky wood. Piatto Romano Via Giovanni Battista Bodoni, 62 Related: https://piattoromano.superbexperience.com/ Levi is a fan of the carciofi alla Romanaand almost anything else in seasonat Piatto Romano. The thing that stands out about that restaurant is that the owner, Andrea, really goes out of his way to source fruits or wild foraged greens that are hard to find these days, she says. When you enter his restaurant, you see Andreas foraged bounty of the day in baskets laid out on a table right in front of the kitchen. Hell find things like these crazy lemons where you can eat the whole thing, and people will walk in and say, What is this? Whered you find them? Whered they come from? And its always from some town not far away, and hell put whatever hes found that day in one of his dishes that day. Barretts also a fan. Very unostentatious, no pretense whatsoever, paper tablecloths, the whole thing, he says. Just reliable bangers across the board on the menu. Testaccio Market Via Aldo Manuzio, 66b Not surprisingly, Piatto Romanos Andrea seems to find many of his hard-to-source foraged treasures at Testaccio Market nearby. Its a sprawling, covered marketplace of over 100 vendors thats geared toward local food lovers rather than tourists. Saghar Setareh for Serious Eats A sandwich being made at Mordi e Vai in Testaccio Market My advice, if its not your first time in Rome, is to rent a place with a kitchen and get the fixings for breakfast every morning and then make yourself lunch or dinner based on what youre finding at the market, Barrett says. It helps you feel like more of a local because you have to visit six or seven stalls for each meal, youre meeting people and youre getting what Romans are eating right then and there, seeing whats in season. If youre interested in food, theres no better way to understand the city, even if its just making a bowl of pasta and salad. Between all the grocery shopping, stop by Mordi e Vai, a grab-and-go, glass-countered panini stall inside the market, for a classic Roman offal sandwich, which is absolutely as O.G. Roman as it gets, Barrett says of the excellently made tripe or tongue or brain on white bread (though a brisket sandwich is usually available if youre too queasy for tripe or spleen). Armando al Pantheon Salita de' Crescenzi, 31 Related: https://www.armandoalpantheon.it/ Many Americans have a fantasy of indulging in classic Roman dishes in the shadow of one of its many beautiful, historic monuments, and theres no shame in it. But if you do so, make sure you go to a restaurant with worthy food as well as spectacular views. One of my glib rules is never eat within sight of a major monument, Barrett says. The one exception to that is Armando al Pantheon. Both locals and foreigners crowd under the exposed wooden beams of this tiny, 14-table place with booth seats, big Art Deco windows, and wood-paneled walls to take in perfectly executed renditions of the classics. Its absolutely one of the great go-tos for straight-down-the-middle, fastball-after-fastball of classic Roman fare, especially pasta. I would go for the classics, like carbonara, cacio e pepe, as well as the offal, like the oxtail stew and chicken liversits a great place for quinto quarto fare, Barrett says, using the Roman termliterally the fifth quarterfor offal-based dishes, a tradition rooted in the citys historic slaughterhouse district. This is where to go to find perfect examples of the simplest but hardest to make dishes. They can serve as models on which to base your home cooking for, say, cacio e pepe: that creamy, perfectly emulsified sauce of finely grated Pecorino Romano that coats each spaghetti strand with just the right amount of rich, cheesy, peppery flavor. Trapizzino Multiple locations Like the beautiful, brilliant love child of a pizza and a sandwich, the trapizzino has taken Rome by storm and won over even those normally suspicious of culinary innovations. Saghar Setareh for Serious Eats Trapizzino and a glass of wine I always find it an immensely satisfying foodyou eat one and its a snack, you eat two and its a meal, Levi says. Theyre kind of saucy, and when you stuff them into these triangular pizza pockets, the bread soaks up the sauces. The cacciatores my favorite because the chicken is braised in this garlic, rosemary, and vinegar combo, and the whole thing just pops in your mouth along with the texture of the beautiful bread with a nice, crispy exterior and soft interior. Barrett, also a fan of the chicken cacciatore, likes to sometimes squeeze into the narrow Trapizzino in Trastevere, where throngs of fans line up for their turn at the counter before taking their trapizzini on the go or to the small, functional tables along the opposite wall or scattered on the sidewalk outside. Its great for people-watching in the evening, he says. Trastevere is the hip nightlife neighborhood, and you have a lot of young, beautiful people spilling out onto the streets when the weathers nice. SantoPalato Piazza Tarquinia, 4 a/b Related: https://www.santopalatoroma.it/ Just as Pablo Picasso mastered classical painting before moving onto his experimental phases, Romes best modern cooks demonstrate a command of the Roman classics while moving the needle of the 21st-century Roman table. Take Sarah Cicolini at SantoPalato, which serves super hip, elevated trattoria fare in an elegantly simplified setting of ochre walls and 1920s Italian cubist posters in a working-class district outside the tourist-filled city center. She makes one of the best carbonaras in the city and has unimpeachable cred, Barrett says. But then she'll take the famous Roman oxtail stew and turn it into fried meatballs dusted with dark chocolate and set it on a peanut-and-mustard puree. She manages to do this in a way that doesnt outrage Roman traditionalistsshes really admirably threading the needle, and part of the way she gets to do that is because her carbonara is ridiculous and shes one hell of a cook. According to Barrett, the perfection of her carbonara begins with the visuals. It starts with the incredible red-orange color of the yolks, almost fluorescent yellow. Its cooked until custardy enough to cling to the noodle but not so overdone that its congealed. Shes got it dialed in and understands that because Italian food is so simple and uses so few ingredients, the ingredients have to be perfect. Miraggio Trastevere Via della Lungara, 16A Related: https://il-miraggio-a-trastevere.eatbu.com An iconic winter dish (and traditional Christmas Eve first course) in Rome is minestra di broccoli e arzilla, a soup of skate, Romanesco broccoli, and pasta that follows the tradition of la cocina povera, thrifty dishes made from anything people could get their hands on while being extremely nutritious, Levi says. She recently enjoyed the dish at Miraggio Trastevere, an unassuming place near the Tiber that serves hearty plates on red-checked tablecloths in an unadorned, almost homey yellow-walled setting. We had it with a carafe of red wine, and it was aromaticmaybe a little bit of garlic and anchovy paste and tomato, she says. And when you eat it, its satisfying, chewing on skate and vegetables, with everything soft. Retrobottega (& Retrovino) Via d'Ascanio, 26A Related: https://www.retro-bottega.com/ Despite its industrial lookexposed ductwork, stark white walls, and dining rooms split by arches reminiscent of the Ponte Cestio spanning the TiberRetrobottega is considered one of the most exciting restaurants in Romes contemporary food scene. You sit next to strangers but by the end of the night youre friends, Barrett says. Truly elegant, really imaginative, deeply talented, and they go foraging every week. Its a terrific stop to see the state of the people pushing the envelope. Hes a fan of their sweetbread ravioli in a creamy sauce"absolutely, perfectly tender pillows of meaty goodness in this foamy, frothy, decadent sauce"and says the risottos are creamy and profound. Forno Campo de' Fiori Campo de' Fiori, 22 Related: http://www.fornocampodefiori.com/ Though its primarily a utilitarian bakery where locals order their daily bread, Forno Campo de' Fiori is also a renowned pizzeria, and is beloved by locals and tourists alike despite its perfunctory, matter-of-fact service, long lines, and the fact that there arent any tables or seats, just counters to order the pizza in the standard Roman style from along with a long glass case full of the regular bakery items (Barrett especially likes the zucchini bread). They make these very long, super thin pizzas that are about a foot and a half by five feet long, take them out with these peels that are five or six feet long, spread them on a big cutting board, Barrett says. You order them by weight: Ask for 200 grams of rosso, and they cut you a square, wrap it in brown paper and hand it to you. Its glistening with oil, its piping hot, and it puts a smile on your faceits the ultimate to-go snack. Sinosteria Viale Guglielmo Marconi 586 Related: https://sinosteria.superbexperience.com/ Rome has always been a city with a complicated relationship to its immigrants, but now the native-born generations of the more recent waves are making their marks in the Roman culinary scene, including the Chinese, who began forming increasingly significant communities there starting in the 1980s. At Sinosteria, the menu meshes Chinese and traditional Roman cooking sensibilities to form a new genre in a sparingly decorated place thats the brainchild of a father-son restaurateur duo. Think kung pao chicken made with friggitelli peppers; coconut-milk risotto with Pettorano broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and crispy leek; or a giant, fried coconut dessert raviolo atop a sweet red wine glaze. Sinosteria points the way toward the future and continues to evolve, Barrett says. Its a really bright light to me. Bar Gelateria, Alberto Pica Via della Seggiola, 12, Centro Storico Unprepossessing but renowned among fans of gelato, Alberto Pica is a beloved place in the Jewish ghetto that churns out exquisite traditional flavors such as pistachio as well as more unusual ones that are equally good, such as a crunchy, cinnamon-y rice pudding and candied rose petals. Though the interior features the standard format that anyone who has ever stepped foot in a gelateria will instantly recognizeglass freezers with huge trays loaded with pastel-colored treats, each with a classic paddle-scoop stuck in ityou can take your laden cone outside to the small tables on the cobblestone street and gobble them up as passing Romans look on with envy. All Meals Lead to Rome Though its no longer the center of a continents-spanning empire, Rome has never given up its role as one of the worlds most important cities when it comes to sustaining food traditions, while also forging new gustatory identities in the 21st century. On your next trip to the Eternal City, make sure you take a nibble of the new along with the old, with the help of our Roman experts, then recreate your experiences at home with our recipes. Read the original article on Serious Eats A woman holds a photo of Dillon Taylor at the Fleet Block Murals, a series of murals depicting people killed by police, in Salt Lake City in 2020. When the walls of a vacant public building in Salt Lake City became a canvas to commemorate victims of police violence, the 8.5-acre area of town known as Fleet Block gave a sense of cultural inclusion to the city, which is predominantly white. Its for the wrong reason death at the hands of officers but it was a place for us to mourn and show respect for the lives lost, said Mona Robinson, who lives in a Salt Lake City suburb. That space for respect is gone now, she said, as Fleet Block and its 26 red and magenta murals including likenesses of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were demolished over the course of several weeks to make way for housing, small businesses and open public spaces. The demolition of the murals is not related to President Donald Trumps executive order to roll back what he calls divisive documentations of American history in public parks and museums, but this action, in some ways, shows what matters to us doesnt matter to them whether here or anywhere else in America, Robinson said. Following Floyds murder almost five years ago at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer, that part of town became a rallying point for social justice demonstrations. Memorial services were held there, and soon an anonymous group of artists began painting the faces of people who were killed during interactions with police. The building was situated on city-owned land where its fleet of transportation operations once existed. And now its gone. Thats sad, Robinson said. The cost of preserving the murals had become too expensive, the city said, and other factors like asbestos in the decaying buildings made it potentially hazardous. In a statement last week on Instagram, Salt Lake City Council Member Darin Mano acknowledged the importance of Fleet Block as a hallowed place for residents and a place of mourning for families and a powerful call for police reform. I understand how difficult it is to see this space change. But I am hopeful that its transformation will preserve it as a place for reflection, connection and community. Jovany Mercado-Bedolla, whose brother was shot and killed by police in August 2019, told The Salt Lake Tribune that he was devastated by the destruction of the wall that carried an image of his fallen sibling. We hoped that the mural would be the change, Mercado said. To see them come down, [were] feeling defeated. Now were just hoping the city stays true to their word. City officials had communicated plans to demolish the site to residents for years. The city owns all but one portion of the block, with one corner building that is privately owned. After plans to raise the site were announced by the city council in 2022, family members of the victims asked the city to preserve the spirit of the murals in a respectful, appropriate manner. In the new plans, officials vow to commit three acres for public open space and feature commissioned artists work to honor social justice. But to the local families of those who were memorialized, what has been lost was irreplaceable. This was a protest wall, Rae Duckworth, the chair of the citys Black Lives Matter chapter said to the Tribune. Her cousin, Bobby Ray Duckworth, 26, was killed by an officer in Utah in 2019. The space was designed out of love. Everybody in Utah should know a name and a face here and their story. Emilee Calametti | The Center Square (The Center Square) Louisianas 2024 single audit requires the attention of the state government as 35 findings were reported with 16 of those being repeat findings from previous audits. The total amount questioned relating to federal programs is $260.6 million. According to the LLA, some of the 35 findings need attention from the state government as some concern compliance reports, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements. Of that amount, the Louisiana Department of Health constitutes more than $260.1 million of the questioned costs. The 35 findings were throughout several federal agencies, including the Department of Children and Family Services, Louisiana Workforce Commission, LSU at Shreveport, LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans, Southern University in Baton Rouge, University of Louisiana in Monroe, Louisiana Department of Health, Louisiana Tech University, and the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. The Department of Children and Family Services had $4,685 in questioned costs for overbilling of different programs as well as underbilling SNAP programs. There were also instances reported of unauthorized employee fuel transactions by a former DCFS employee that totaled $97,500 in the fiscal year 2024. The employee under investigation resigned as of March 31, 2024. Due to misappropriation, there is an additional $37,746 in question for the DCFS. The department has $42,431 in total questioned costs. In a response to the LLA, DCFS said, "DCFS concurs with the finding and has zero tolerance for unauthorized use of state or federal funds. They stated the department has developed procedures to monitor transactions every month. "Any DCFS employee engaged in such an unauthorized use of state and federal funds would be terminated." The Louisiana Department of Health also has $87 million in question for medical assistance programs. The audit found inadequate documentation for billed services totaling $17,402 in federal funds. For Medicaid, there is $28,793 in questioned costs, and CHIP programs have $6,042. Both of these instances concern beneficiaries invalidly enrolled. There is $172,802 in question for ineligible maternity kick payments. The LDH also exceeded the allocated amount for DSH payments by $4,225,716 and $168 million in questioned federal costs for Medicaid expenditures. In response to the DSH payments, the department stated, "LLA has identified $4,225,716 of total computable payments made in excess of the global DSH allotment for FFY 2016. The department will recoup funds from the facility that was overpaid and return the FFP portion of that overpayment to CMS." LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport has $2,686 in questioned costs. This is the sixth consecutive year the LSUHSC-S did not ensure proper documentation. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has $18,707 in questioned costs relating to Geosciences, Mental Health Research Grants, and Allergy and Infectious diseases research. The university also has $63,790 in separate questioned costs for the Office of STEM Management and Fossil Energy Research Development. The university has $82,497 in total questioned costs. Louisiana State University at Shreveport has $101,159 in questioned costs for Federal Pell Grant Programs and Federal Direct Student Loans. The university did not return Title IV funds to the U.S. Department of Education in the required timeframe. There were $101,159 in outstanding checks to students and parents as of January. These were issued between September 2014 to May 2024, and not returned to the USDOE. Southern University at Baton Rouge has $39,555 in questioned costs relating to Federal Pell Grant Programs and Federal Direct Student Loans not returned to the USDOE per the guidelines of Title IV funds. Louisiana Tech University has $206,451 in questioned costs for misappropriating research and development cluster funds. Nine electronic fund transfer payments were made to an out-of-state university that were fraudulently diverted to unknown individuals. Many of the agencies released responses to the findings and questioned costs in the auditor's report. Canada vowed to respond with retaliatory tariffs if President Donald Trump slaps additional levies on Canadian goods as part of an expected announcement of sweeping new tariffs on Wednesday. "We will respond to additional measures," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters on Tuesday. "We will put in place retaliatory measures if there are additional measures put against Canada tomorrow." Speaking to reporters minutes later, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated Trump's plan to announce wide-ranging new tariffs on April 2, which Trump has dubbed "liberation day." "Our country has been one of the most open economies in the world and we have the best consumer base," Leavitt said. "But too many foreign countries have their markets closed to our exports." The Trump administration is weighing policy options ahead of the announcement, sources told ABC News. One proposal would impose a 20% flat tariff rate on all imports, while another would put in place different tariff levels for each country to match the barriers they impose on U.S. products, the sources said. Administration officials have also publicly spoken about focusing on imposing tariffs on about 15% of countries with the largest trade imbalances with the U.S. The final details still arent set in stone, the sources said. Leavitt told reporters Tuesday afternoon Trump was perfecting the policy to "make sure this is a perfect deal for the American people and the American worker. MORE: Trump's tariffs could cause a recession, experts say. Here's how When asked whether Trump would be open to negotiations with target countries about the tariffs, Leavitt said, "The president is always open to taking calls." PHOTO: Liberal leader Mark Carney speaks during a campaign stop, April 1, 2025, in Winnipeg, Canada. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP) While Canada readies potential tit-for-tat levies, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on a bill that could undo the emergency declaration Trump declared as a basis for tariffs on Canada. The bill put forward by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., could effectively reverse Trump's tariffs on Canada. If Kaine's measure passes the Senate, it would then need to receive a majority vote in the Republican-controlled U.S. House. Trump sharply criticized the measure on Tuesday, urging Senators to vote against it. "We are making progress to end this terrible Fentanyl Crisis, but Republicans in the Senate MUST vote to keep the National Emergency in place," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Since September, nearly all fentanyl seized by the U.S. came through the Southern border with Mexico, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, or CBP. Less than 1% of fentanyl was seized at the Northern border with Canada, CBP found. The Trump administration last month imposed 25% tariffs on some goods from Canada. Initially, the tariffs applied to all Canadian goods, but a day later Trump issued a carve-out for goods compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, a free trade agreement. In response to U.S. tariffs, Canada slapped a 25% retaliatory duty on $30 billion worth of goods and pledged additional measures. Despite the trade turbulence, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed higher on Tuesday. The S&P 500 climbed 0.3%, while the Nasdaq jumped 0.8%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average barely budged. The index ticked down 11 points, or 0.03%. MORE: 'Much more expensive': What do Trump's auto tariffs mean for car prices? Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on Monday that he had settled on a course of action for the fresh round of tariffs set to take effect on April 2, though he declined to offer details. Additional U.S. tariffs could elicit countermeasures from trade partners, exacerbating global trade tensions that erupted in response to a previous set of tariffs issued by the Trump administration last month. Europe has a "strong plan" to retaliate against Trump's planned tariffs, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in a speech on Tuesday. PHOTO: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks as part of a plenary session at the European Parliament on April 1, 2025, in Strasbourg, eastern France. (Frederick Florin/AFP via Getty Images) "We will approach these negotiations from a position of strength. Europe holds a lot of cards, from trade to technology to the size of our market," von der Leyen said. Days earlier, Trump told reporters over the weekend that his tariffs could affect "all the countries." "The tariffs will be far more generous than those countries were to us, meaning they will be kinder than those countries were to the United States of America," he said. ABC News' Selina Wang contributed to this report. Canada vows retaliatory tariffs if Trump escalates trade war: 'We will respond' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Jacob Beacher, 24, faces federal hate crime charges - From Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University Editors note (April 1, 2025): Since this story was published, Beacher was sentenced to six months in prison and a year of supervised release, and ordered to pay more than $19,000 in restitution, after pleading guilty to the charge of damage to religious property. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed not to pursue additional charges for making false statements, which they initially filed against him. A suspect has been charged with a federal hate crime after allegedly breaking into and destroying property at Rutgers Universitys Center for Islamic Life. The incident took place during Eid al-Fitr, the three-day Islamic religious celebration marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Jacob Beacher, 24, was arrested Monday morning and charged with one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities, according to a news release from the US Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey. Beacher is not affiliated with Rutgers University, according to a university spokesperson. CNN has reached out to his defense attorney for comment. Beacher broke into the Islamic center around 2:41 a.m. on April 10, the release said, where he damaged property including several religious artifacts, such as Turbah prayer stones, which are clay stones on which Muslims prostrate during prayer, and numerous other items that contained holy language from the Quran, Islams sacred scripture. He also allegedly stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box from the center, the release said. The current estimate of the damage is approximately $40,000, court documents show. Beacher was captured on a video surveillance camera near the center, according to court documents. A donation box belonging to the center was later found at a park about a half mile away and lawfully-collected historical cell-site data showed Beachers phone was located at the same park shortly after the break-in, the complaint said. Beacher will have his initial appearance in court Monday afternoon, the US Attorneys Office said. Atiya Aftab, chair of the Islamic center, said, We express a sense of relief and safety knowing that the suspect is in custody in a news release Monday. This act of terror will not intimidate or break our community. We stand in firm faith and with resolve to redouble our efforts to the mission of our center. This incident did not occur in a vacuum, Aftab said. In a statement, Rutgers University said the school condemns this act of violence against the RutgersNew Brunswick Muslim community and the desecration of a religious and community space. Such acts of hatred and bigotry against anyone in our community have no place at Rutgers, the school said. We abhor all forms of intolerance based on religion, national origin, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or political views. The break-in came after months of escalating tension following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people, and the resulting Israeli attacks on Gaza, which have killed more than 34,000 people. In the US, tensions have manifested in attacks on Muslims and Arab Americans. In 2023, the Council on American-Islamic Relations received 8,061 complaints of anti-Muslim bias, CNN previously reported, which marked a 56% increase over the previous year. In October, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy in Chicago was stabbed to death by his familys landlord because he was Muslim, according to local police. And in November, three Palestinian college students were shot while on a walk in Vermont, leaving one of them facing paralysis. CNNs Zoe Sottile contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Ashley Vaia/Facebook Ashley Vaia A teenager in Florida came home in the early morning hours of Monday, March 31, to discover her mother dead from a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said at a press conference that Samuel Vaia killed his ex, 38-year-old Ashley Vaia, by shooting her in the head. Samuel later took his own life after leading authorities on a cross-county chase, said Sheriff Michael Chitwood of the VCSO. Police also revealed that Samuel had been arrested one week earlier after attacking Ashley inside her home. "During last Sundays incident, Ashley told deputies that Samuel grabbed her, pushed her into a bathroom, closed the door and continued accusing her of infidelity. She said she tried to yell at her phone to call 911 but was unsuccessful, and Samuel covered her mouth," Chitwood said. Volusia Sheriff's Department Samuel Vaia Ashley grew even more fearful when she noticed that Samuel had a gun on him, said police. The daughter who later discovered Ashley's body rushed in to rescue her mother from Samuel, at which point he fled the scene, according to authorities. Body camera footage taken the night shows that police confiscated a weapon that Samuel had tucked into his waistband. 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. "Deputies arrested Samuel on a charge of battery, and he was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail early Sunday morning. He later posted $2,000 bond and was released Monday evening," the VCSO said in a statement. Samuel had been ordered to turn over all firearms following the incident; Chitwood said that he returned three in the days after his arrest, but kept at least one. After identifying Samuel as the suspect, police used stop sticks to prevent his car from continuing to lead police on a high-speed chase, according to the VCSO. Volusia Sheriff's Department Samuel Vaia car crash He was then extricated from the vehicle by a SWAT team after drones were used to assess the situation, according to police. Once police removed Samuel, he was rushed to the hospital where he later died after suffering injuries including "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," said police. Chitwood addressed the victim's children, saying, "Our hearts go out to Ashleys children, and all her family and friends who have to deal with losing her to such a senseless act of violence. Time and time again, we see that domestic violence situations can escalate quickly and dangerously, with tragic consequences. If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People Attorneys representing at least one of 17 alleged Venezuelan gang members who were deported Sunday to El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison say the men were sent there two days after a federal judge issued an order prohibiting such deportations. A federal judge on Friday blocked a Trump administration policy allowing the deportation of migrants to countries other than their own without giving them a chance to argue their removal in immigration court -- although it's unclear whether those deported on Sunday would have been protected by the order. In his ruling on Friday, U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy blocked the removal of any individual subject to a final order of removal from the United States to a third country other than the country designated for removal in immigration proceedings unless they are given written notice and the opportunity to "submit an application for protection." MORE: El Salvador prison holding alleged Venezuelan gang members has been criticized for alleged abuses The ruling was issued two days before the Trump administration sent 17 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to El Salvador's CECOT prison. Among the 17 alleged gang members sent to El Salvador was Maiker Espinoza Escalona, who was being held in the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo after being deported from the U.S. Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the ACLU, told ABC News he has serious concerns about what he called the government's "sudden allegations" against Escalona that precipitated Escalona's being sent to CECOT. "He and others being sent to the Salvadoran prison must be given due process to test the government's assertions," Gelernt said. PHOTO: Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center prison, in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, obtained Mar. 16, 2025. (Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia via Reuters) A White House official told ABC News that the 17 alleged gang members who were deported to El Salvador were not deported under the Alien Enemies Act that was used to send more than 200 alleged gang members to El Salvador last this month, but under different authorities, including Title 8. The announcement of the "counter-terrorism operation" from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, included no mention of the authority the administration used to deport the 17 individuals. "DHS' routine failure to provide meaningful notice and opportunity to present a fear-based claim prior to deportation to a third country has led to hundreds of unlawful deportations, placing individuals at serious risk of persecution, torture, and/or death," attorneys for the detainees said in a complaint last week. Escalona, who entered the U.S. on May 14 and requested asylum, filed a sworn declaration in early March in which he stated that he was not a gang member and asked the government not to send him to Guantanamo. "I believe that I am at risk of being transferred because I have a final order of deportation and am from Venezuela," Escalona said in the sworn declaration. "I also believe that I am going to be transferred to Guantanamo because of my tattoos, even though they have nothing to do with gangs. I have twenty tattoos." Authorities have said they use tattoos to help identify gang members. Escalona, who said in his declaration that he had been in immigration detention in El Paso, Texas, since May 22, listed his tattoos that he said include a cross, a crown, the ghost icon for the social media app Snapchat, his niece's name, and the word "Faith" in Spanish. PHOTO: The exterior of the Terrorist Confinement Center as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrives, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Mar. 26, 2025. (Alex Brandon/AP) "I do not want to be transferred to or detained at Guantanamo. I am afraid of what will happen to me when I get there," Escalona said in the declaration. "I want access to an attorney to help me get out of detention and figure out what options I have in my immigration case." "If I am transferred to Guantanamo, I will be separated from my family," he said. The government opposed Escalona's request for a temporary restraining order prohibiting his deportation to Guantanano, Gelernt told ABC News. "The government opposed our request for TRO on the ground that he was not in imminent danger of being sent from the U.S. to Guantanamo, but told the Court they would alert it within 2 business days if he or other Plaintiffs were transferred to Guantanamo," Gelernt said. "The government has apparently chosen to use a loophole and transfer him on a Friday night, thereby avoiding notice to the Court at this point. He has apparently now been transferred to the notorious Salvadoran prison." According to Escalona's sworn declaration and the ACLU, his partner is currently detained in El Paso and his 2-year-old daughter is under the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. This story has been updated. Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador despite order barring removal to third countries originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Left: A young Virginia Giuffre. Right: A photo posted to Instagram by Giuffre on March 30 - Virginia Giuffre/Instagram After more than a decade in the spotlight, she was supposedly leading a quiet life with her family in a small beach town in north Perth, Australia. But this week, Virginia Giuffres story took a shocking twist, when she claimed she had just days to live after being hit by a school bus. On March 30, the 41-year-old, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault and Jeffrey Epstein of sex trafficking, wrote on Instagram that she had been involved in a car accident which had allegedly left her with renal failure. This year has been the worst start to a new year, Giuffre wrote under a photo of herself seemingly covered in bruises. I wont bore anyone with the details but I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km [per hour]... that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can. Ive gone into kidney renal failure, theyve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology, she wrote. Im ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes.... Thank you all for being the wonderful people of the world and for being a great part of my life. Giuffre holding a photo of herself as a teenager - Getty Yet her critics have doubted the veracity of her claims, after Western Australia Police said they had only one recent record of a minor bus and car collision with no reported injuries in the state, which occurred in Neergabby, 20km north of Perth, on the afternoon of March 24. The collision was reported by the bus driver the following day. The car sustained approximately $2,000 [968] worth of damage, police said in a statement. Acting police commissioner Kylie Whitely confirmed during a press conference on April 1 that the incident involved a 71-year-old woman at the wheel of the car and a 41-year-old woman in the passenger seat. Brad Edwards, a US lawyer who represented Giuffre in her previous legal cases, said it was a very bad situation and we are hoping for better news in the coming days. But Prince Andrews ex-girlfriend, Lady Victoria Hervey, was one of many who took to Instagram to pour scorn on Giuffres claims. The aristocrat and model posted a series of messages to Instagram, including one stating that Giuffre was the Queen of the fake photo seeming to allude to the now-infamous photograph of a teenage Giuffre with Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell. In another Instagram story, she added: How is this diagnosis from a car crash? A further post continued: Generally when youre dying youre not thinking about posting a selfie, youre actually dying. A photo of Prince Andrew and a teenage Giuffre which Lady Victoria Hervey claimed, without evidence, to be false - US Department of Justice Lady Victoria, who dated Prince Andrew in 1999, also wrote the word karma over the selfie supposedly taken by Giuffre in hospital, adding the soundtrack of the 1986 hit The Final Countdown. Hervey also wrote: I dont believe it though, the FBI are on her right now and arrest warrants are coming. Shes conveniently dying to evade jail. I think its time that Robert Giuffre, who has custody of their teenage children, to speak [sic]. I know he knows the truth of the fake photo and all her con jobs. But she gave no evidence for this claim. Giuffres last known address was a $1.9 million (1m) home in the small Perth community of Ocean Reef with her husband of 22 years, Robert Giuffre. The California-born Virginia Roberts met Giuffre, a martial arts teacher, in Thailand when she was 19, and married him 10 days later, moving to his home in Australia to start a family. When she delivered the news of her marriage and move to Epstein he reportedly responded, have a nice life and hung up. The Giuffres have now reportedly split up, and Virginia is living further up the coast with her French bulldog, Juno, who she describes as the love of my life. Robert and Virginia have three children two sons in their mid to late teens, and a daughter aged 14. A week before she shared news of her car crash, Giuffre wrote on Instagram: My beautiful babies have no clue how much I love them and theyre being poisoned with lies. I miss them so very much. I have been through hell and back in my 41 years but this is incredibly hurting me worse than anything else. Hurt me, abuse me but dont take my babies. My heart is shattered and every day that passes my sadness only deepen. Is she unravelling or is she really on her deathbed? If its the latter, it will be the latest tragic development in a life marred by trauma. She spent her childhood in and out of foster care, being trafficked and sexually assaulted on the streets of Florida. She first came forward about her experience with Epstein in 2011, alleging that she had been recruited by Maxwell in 2000 when she was just 16, while working at Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort, and spent the next few years being abused by Epstein and others while caught up in his sex-trafficking circle. In 2009, she settled a $500,000 (387,000) sexual-abuse lawsuit against Epstein, which at the time was confidential, but details of which emerged in 2022. She also sued Maxwell who is currently serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted of child sex trafficking for defamation in 2015 and settled in 2017. In 2021, Giuffre filed a civil claim against Prince Andrew, who she says sexually assaulted her while she was being trafficked by Epstein and his associates. Prince Andrew has denied the allegations and claims never to have met Giuffre, but he too settled his case with her in 2022. The financial terms have not been made public, but legal experts have estimated it was somewhere around 12 million. Giuffre holding a news conference in Aug 2019 following the death of Jeffrey Epstein - AP In the wake of the scandal, in 2022, the Royal family removed Prince Andrews military titles and royal patronages, and he stepped down from public life. Epstein died in a New York jail cell in August 2019, and although the autopsy concluded it was a suicide by hanging, his death fuelled widespread controversy and conspiracy theories. Maxwell, now 63, failed to apologise to her victims in a recent interview, saying they should take their disappointment and upset out on the US authorities who allowed Epstein to be murdered. She also claimed she had no memory of her dear friend Prince Andrew ever meeting Giuffre. According to sources, one year after settling her lawsuit with Prince Andrew, Giuffre reportedly signed a multi-million dollar deal with an unknown publisher to write her memoir. She also settled her defamation lawsuit against former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, saying she might have made a mistake when she accused him of sexually assaulting her as a teenager. I have long believed that I was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to Alan Dershowitz, Giuffre said in a statement. However, I was very young at the time, it was a very stressful and traumatic environment. This week, Giuffres father, Sky Roberts, said: Shes not doing good. Shes depressed because she misses her kids. Shes got four days [to live] unless she gets another opinion from another doctor. He is reportedly estranged from his daughter and says he has not seen her since the car crash, but her brother has. Her father also wrote under her Instagram post: Virginia my daughter, I love you and praying you get the correct treatment to live a long and healthy life. If there is anything in the world, I can do to help you, please let me know. My spirit is with you now and holding your hand. In a statement, Giuffres spokesman, Dini von Mueffling, said: Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending. The coming days will prove whether Giuffre was correct in her terminal diagnosis. But for Prince Andrew, Giuffre being in the headlines again is yet more embarrassment after he let the side down and shows that despite many millions of pounds its a case that simply wont go away. 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. I've had fun moments in every country I have visited, but some I don't plan to go back to at the moment. Allie Hubers I've been to 64 countries before turning 30, but not all destinations were worth the hype for me. South Africa and Morocco were beautiful, but I didn't always feel safe on my travels there. Japan and Greece were wonderful but felt crowded I'm in no rush to visit them again. I've been traveling internationally since I was young. Years of family cruises eventually transformed into a fiery passion for global travel in college and throughout my 20s. Studying abroad with Semester at Sea only fueled that passion, allowing me to visit 10 countries while living aboard a cruise ship for 100 days. I never had a specific goal of how many countries I wanted to visit before turning 30. Instead, I set my sights on traveling as often as my work schedule and budget allowed. Between family vacations, girls trips, and getaways with my husband, I've visited 64 countries across six continents before the age of 30. Some of these destinations lived up to their hype, but there were a few countries that fell short of my expectations when I traveled to them. Here are a few places I don't have plans to visit again. South Africa I loved going on safari in South Africa, but not every part of my trip was perfect. Allie Hubers Many rave about South Africa as one of the best countries they've ever visited, so the destination was high on my bucket list for a while. I finally visited last year when I cruised along South Africa's coast on a safari adventure with a friend. I was awestruck by the country's scenery and rich culture. Nothing could compare to the thrill of looking for the "Big Five" on game drives. I also loved exploring the country's coastal gems, from charming Mossel Bay to the breathtaking Addo Elephant Park near Gqeberha. When we got to Cape Town, however, our local guides frequently warned us to be cautious and watch out for theft, robbery, and street crime. They emphasized the city's high crime rate, which created lingering stress during our visit, especially as two women traveling alone. At times, I found it hard to enjoy the beauty of Table Mountain and Cape Peninsula when worrying about safety was always in the back of my mind. Out of an abundance of caution, we also avoided visiting anywhere at night. Of course, it's important to be cautious no matter where you travel. But I'm still in no rush to return to South Africa especially since I was able to check a safari off of my bucket list. Greece Greece is undoubtedly beautiful, but I found it to be too crowded. Allie Hubers I've traveled to Greece four times, including Athens, Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, and Corfu. Each visit has felt increasingly more crowded, especially in tourist hot spots like Santorini. For instance, catching Santorini's famous sunset in Oia meant I had to battle hundreds of other tourists in the village's tiny alleyways. Greece's weather was also miserably hot during the summer and fall months, creating an uncomfortable climate for exploring. Though I can't deny the country has beautiful beaches and impressive ancient ruins and landmarks, I can't see myself going back. For those looking to visit, I'd suggest planning to visit Greece during the offseason so you may get cooler weather and fewer crowds. Or, I'd suggest going to nearby Croatia instead. It's just as beautiful and typically sees millions of fewer visitors a year. Spain Spain is beautiful, but it wasn't my favorite place to visit. Allie Hubers From its sunny weather to its beautiful landmarks and landscapes, Spain is a magical destination for many but I'm not in a rush to return. As a cruise fanatic, I have visited many regions throughout Spain, including Barcelona, Vigo, Malaga, Cadiz, and Valencia. Though I especially appreciated quieter, less touristy cities like A Coruna and Vigo in northern Spain, I'd rather visit a new destination in the future, such as Malta or the Azores. In some ways, I also found it tough to adjust to the country. Local siesta culture also meant many businesses were closed for most of the afternoon, and dinner was typically served at night. As an American, I struggled to plan my schedule and adjust to business hours and meal times I wasn't used to back home. Not to mention, recent protests against overtourism in Spain leave me hesitant to plan a return trip to the country anytime soon. Morocco I've never visited anywhere else in the world like Morocco. Allie Hubers I was eager to visit Morocco during my semester abroad, as it marked my first visit to Africa. The popular country is known for its colorful cities, bustling medinas, mosaic architecture, and sandy dunes of the Sahara. I crave authentic experiences when traveling, especially when immersing myself in a culture that's new to me. So, I tried to embrace haggling with vendors at Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fnaa market, navigating the maze-like alleys and tasting the bold, unfamiliar cuisine. Unfortunately, my trip felt overshadowed by some of the extra-persistent vendors' sale tactics and the unwelcome advances of some locals, which left me overwhelmed. For instance, one vendor grabbed my arm and applied henna tattoos to it, unprompted, only to demand money afterward. At one point, two men also tried to steal my purse, which further dampened my visit. Looking back, I wish I'd set more realistic expectations and better prepared myself to safely and confidently navigate the busy markets. Even though parts of my visit to Morocco caught me off guard, it was also the backdrop to unforgettable memories with my now-husband, such as riding camels together at sunset. I've never visited anywhere else in the world like it, which is really cool even if I'm not planning to return. Japan Japan is beautiful, but I'm not in a huge rush to return. Allie Hubers It's easy to see why Japan is one of the most popular travel destinations in Asia I've been there twice, to visit Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. The country is also considered to be fairly safe, which I especially appreciate as a female traveler. But dining and accommodations felt surprisingly expensive in bigger cities such as Tokyo. In some cases, we struggled to find value in our trip. Both my husband and I are tall, and we felt cramped in our tiny budget hotel room that felt reminiscent of a college dorm. For the same $150 nightly cost, we could stay at the upscale Le Meridien in Phuket, Thailand, one of our favorite destinations in Asia. We struggled to find sit-down restaurants within our budget during our trips and relied on a lot of fast food and quick bites. I also ended up feeling more overwhelmed by the crowds in the city than I expected. Though it was my choice to stay in more popular areas and extra planning could've helped improve our experience, I'm not in a rush to go on another trip to Japan. If I'm able to return to Asia, I would rather head to Thailand, where I know firsthand my accommodations and dining will be significantly more affordable. Read the original article on Business Insider Getty Couple opening wedding invitation (stock image) A wedding guest is airing their grievances online after a bride and groom changed their wedding plans and "downgraded" their invite "multiple times" ahead of the ceremony and are now expecting the guest and their partner to arrive at the wedding six hours apart. In a post on Reddit's "Wedding Shaming" forum, the Cambridge, England-based guest wrote that the ordeal first began when they were invited to the wedding of their partner's cousin. As the guest explained, they were initially told it would be a three-day affair located a six-hour drive away and that "accommodation would be sorted for us at the estate" with "no children" allowed. As the parents of two kids, the guest and their partner made sure to plan ahead. "Fine, we got that covered over a year ago in anticipation and they gave plenty of notice, so plans could be made. No worries," the guest wrote. But then, "a few months before" the ceremony on the "official invite," the couple discovered that the bride and groom had "reduced" them from three days to just one with "no accommodation." While "a bit sad" about it, that wasn't an issue either, as the two guests then planned to instead visit friends in Bristol and book a hotel or Airbnb for the other two days, making "a little break" of their time away from the children. Last week, however, plans changed yet again. Related: Dad Says He Is 'Devastated' His Daughter Is Having Her Stepfather Walk Her Down the Aisle at Her Wedding Getty Wedding reception dinner (stock image) After getting a "request to RSVP within 3 days," the couple did just that before receiving an email informing them that the Reddit user was invited for a 7:30 p.m. start, while their partner could attend the festivities at 1:30 p.m. Basically, the bride and groom required the pair to arrive six hours apart. "My partner doesnt drive, so I would be driving us six hours there, six hours back. Wed be spending a fair amount of money on the [gas] and the accommodation and drinks," the Reddit user wrote. "And now Im told Im only going to be there from 7:30 p.m. onwards?" "Were both annoyed.. maybe because its fresh," they added. "But both me and my partner are like, Ermmm, why has this not been mentioned before now, at the least? The place is fairly remote, in the countryside am I just going to sit by myself for six hours, after spending an arm (and potentially a leg) to come to the wedding?" Related: Bride Feels 'Slighted' After Not Receiving a Gift from 'Well-Off' Guest Despite Going All-Out on Wedding The Reddit user added that the area around the venue was "not cheap so accommodation is expensive" with rates around 170 (or $220) and above for a night's stay, as well as roughly 160 (or $207) being spent on gas for a wedding that, for the Reddit user, will only last around four hours. Getty Person holding a wedding invitation (stock image) 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. In the comments, many people took the side of the couple, with most encouraging them to simply skip the wedding given the hassle. "I wouldn't go. I mean, go somewhere while you've got childcare, have fun with it, but don't go to the wedding," the most-upvoted comment read. "Those people suck." "WOW, I mean just WOW! This couple just have no manners and are beyond thoughtless," another user chimed in. "I agree with others change your RSVP, dump them and their wedding (which is likely to be a bit dodgy based on their [behavior] towards you as guests), go do something much more fun just the two of you, and when they get back from honeymoon consider banishing them from your social circle." Yet another commenter also encouraged the pair to avoid the ceremony altogether. "Thats a piss take," they wrote. "You dont invite part of a married couple to the entire wedding and the other to only the evening do. Especially if its 6 hours away from home. Have a nice weekend away together." Read the original article on People This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox. During a closeddoor meeting last week, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise gave his fellow Republicans an ice-cold dose of reality: Tuesdays special elections in Florida, and maybe even the super-pricey Supreme Court race in Wisconsin, were poised to be bad for the GOP brand. In a Florida House district that went Republican by 30 points in November, the Democrat is polling just a few points behind and out-raising his rival by a 10-to-1 margin. In the other House race in that state, a 40-point GOP advantage is registering at about half that rate in early vote numbers. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin race, where Elon Musk is handing out $1 million checks, is a true jump ball. Thats why Scalise was meeting privately with Republicans last Tuesday to issue this warning: even in a GOP sweep, the election results are going to raise inevitable questions about the fragile GOP standing and the fading power of Trumps endorsement. Scaliselike leadership-aligned Democrats, speaking candidlyexpects the Florida seats to stay red, but the slide is going to be tough to ignore. Here are the players and stakes for all three races. Floridas 6th District: Randy Fine vs. Josh Weil Back in November, Republican Mike Waltz won re-election in Floridas Sixth district by 33 points. When he resigned to become Trumps National Security Adviser, the assumption was the seat was still a safe Republican hold. But a March private poll from a firm close to the Trump White House showed Republican state Sen. Randy Fine ahead by just 3 points, according to Hill aides who have dug into the crosstabs. That was much closer than the 12-point spread in February. Its a clear sign that the Democrat, Orlando teacher Josh Weil, has effectively tapped into national frustrations with the second Trump term. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been sniping his fellow Republican in recent weeks for running a campaign as though Fine had already won. Trump this past weekend held an eleventh-hour telephone rally to remind his MAGA faithful of his preference, and Musk is rushing in with tens of thousands in new ads. GOP leaders in Washington are well aware that Fine was incredibly late to get his own first ads on airwaves. I would have preferred if our candidate had raised money at a faster rate and gotten on TV quicker, Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, House Republicans campaign chief, told reporters last week. But hes doing what he needs to do. Hes on TV now. The seat should have been a safe Republican holdand probably still is, if folks are being honestbut the fact that Democrats are running up the score here is going to raise more grumbling about Trumps gut-based endorsements, and whether this race is a sign of a bigger problem for the party nationally. Floridas 1st District: Jimmy Patronis vs. Gay Valimont Before he resigned from his House seat in hopes of becoming Trumps attorney general, Republican Matt Gaetz won re-election in Floridas First by 32 points. Most strategists describe the First District, which covers the western Panhandle, as the most Republican in the statea place where Democrats have little hope of tipping the race blue. Yet some Democratic donors are clearly buying the hype that an enormous Trump backlash is in the offing. Gay Valimont, a gun-safety activist who is running for the seat again after getting creamed by Gaetz last year, hauled in more than $6 million through mid-Marcha lapping of Republican Jimmy Patronis, by a factor of five. Just as Weil has tried to nationalize his racewins in both districts could potentially turn the House blue and give Hakeem Jeffries the title of SpeakerValimont is trying to make her contest as a referendum on checking Trumps power. Where Weil is still making the race about his opponent, Valimont is very much running directly against Trump and racing right past Patronis, the states CFO. Still, both Democrats are hoping to ride the national mood on opposite sides of the state. Democratic donor-advisers have taken the pair of races as symptoms of what happens when activists are taken in with races that carry plenty of symbolism but no viable path to victory. But here is the surest signal that these races are not priorities for anyone with real power in the Democratic Party: House Democrats official campaign arm is not playing in either race in Florida. While some, like Jeffries, have cut checks as signs of support, the major spigot of cash has remained closed. Wisconsin Supreme Court seat: Susan Crawford vs. Brad Schimel State judicial races rarely draw big spending. Yet some estimate the money to decide who gets a single seat on Wisconsins highest court will top $100 million, with $20 million alone coming from Musk. To put that in perspective, the average cost per winning U.S. House campaign in the last midterm elections was roughly $2.8 million. Wisconsin has emerged this century as the most unlikely of high court battlegrounds. The states politics, perhaps as much as any of its neighbors, has had a massive reset of alignment. What was once a safe GOP harbor for the likes of former Gov. Scott Walker gave way for a rising union machine, but it still allowed GOP Sen. Ron Johnson to win re-election over one of the 2022 cycles rockstar candidates, Mandela Barnes. Put simply: a bet on Wisconsins political DNA in the coming years is a gamble that only fools would take. Thats why, just Sunday night, Musk was on Wisconsin stage tossing an autographed cheesehead hat into the crowd. The race is rocketing to new levels of spending, putting it on par with marquee Senate races and surpassing what even some presidential bids collect. The stakes include workers rights, voting rights, and abortion rights as the winner will decide which team prevails on a 4-3 state Supreme Court. The plum political prize, of course, will be deciding how congressional districts are drawn, perhaps giving this parochial court a major say in which partyand its preferred Speakergets to run the U.S. House. Madison politics has been drawing outsized attention for more than a decade now, starting with a string of union-testing efforts and a recall-palooza that set back a progressive march. The national glare, to those working there, is getting old. More recently, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and a Republican legislature have been riding a tense tightrope of governing frailty. The courts have been hanging back, awaiting the results of Tuesdays balloting. Theres no party ID on the ballots, but its clear the party affiliation of the two candidates as they each chase a promotion and a 10-year term. Brad Schimel, a former state Attorney General and currently a Waukesha County judge, is carrying an endorsement from Trump. Dane County Judge Susan Crawford snagged the support of former President Barack Obama. And both candidates have their share of billionaire buddies in their back pockets. Think of the typical boogeymen: George Soros, Dick Uihlein, Musk. Even actor Kevin Bacon has found his way into this tangle of out-of-state donors. But its Musk who is topping the ranks and making the race all the more divisive with his visit that passed out $1 million checks like candy and his other efforts to use his money to encourage rank-and-file voters to cast ballots. In a twist, the legality of those moves have made their way to the court currently in play. Tuesdays election in Wisconsin is the lone statewide contest before voters this year, making it a tempting test case for political nerds. By all accounts, the whole Democratic playbook is making the election a referendum on Musk, the biggest cash source in the race. But its also a warning; if the courts are so transparently for sale, can they actually be trusted to be neutral umpires for whats right and wrong? State Legislative Races Trending Blue All three of these races are coming on the heels of a few legislative races with results that may hint at a larger Trump backlash, or may just be a lot of noise. Observers are prone to over-interpret the results of special elections, to be sure. Often, were looking at just thousands of votes cast, when most voters are unaware there is even an election happening. But they can be useful in diagnosing a mood. For instance, after the Supreme Court ended the federal right to abortion with the Dobbs decision, the backlash in special elections was immediate and Democrats cruised to a strong showing in the 2022 midterms. This time, it seems the MAGA reboot has been sufficient for Democrats to carry around optimism. Take an eastern Iowa legislative district that Trump carried by 21 points in November; in January, the Democrat flipped the seat. So far this year, Democrats obsessing over state legislatureswhich actually have more day-to-day impact on most voters than any ramblings from Washingtonhave tracked a nine-point over-performance for their candidates from the voter-registration numbers. Republicans surveying the 2026 map were already seeing a rough road ahead. The Trump factor is only adding a rumble strip. Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the D.C. Brief newsletter. Write to Philip Elliott at philip.elliott@time.com. ABC 7 Chicago/YouTube A judge sentenced an 84-year old Minnesota man to life last week for a murder he committed over 50 years ago. Jon Miller pleaded no contest to one count of first-degree murder for the killing of Mary K. Schlais on Thursday. He will serve a life sentence and was ordered to pay $2,200 in restitution, CBS News reported. Schlais, 25, was found dead near a wooded intersection in Wisconsin on Feb. 15, 1974, according to the Dunn County Sheriffs Office in Wisconsin. Police believe she was hitchhiking from her home in Minneapolis to Chicago for an art show when she met Miller, Though investigators looked into several tips and leads," conducted interviews and examined evidence, the case went cold. But later, investigators were able to use genetic evidence from a stocking cap found near Schlais body to arrest Miller more than 50 years later. Related: Man, 84, Arrested in Connection with 50-Year-Old Cold-Case Murder in Wisconsin: A 'Huge Victory' Miller was initially hard to track down because he was adopted, according to investigators. When authorities initially interviewed Miller, they say he denied knowing about Schlais killing, according to CBS. When they told him about the DNA evidence they found, Miller admitted to picking her up while she was hitchhiking and asking for sexual contact. According to a criminal complaint, when Schlais denied his advances, Miller grabbed a knife he had in his car and stabbed her in the back. An autopsy revealed that she had been stabbed more than a dozen times, according to the outlet. Miller also told police that he pulled off the highway and tried to hide Schlais body in a snowbank, but got scared off when a car drove by. He admitted to investigators that the stocking cap found near her body was his, according to a criminal complaint obtained by CBS. Mary Schlais was more than a victim. She was a brilliant, independent woman, a gifted artist, an equestrian, a world traveler and a scholar, Nina Mary Schlais, Mary Schlais niece, said to the outlet. This case is a reminder that justice has no time limit," she continued. "And to families still searching for the truth, let Marys story be a testament that persistence, science and dedication can bring a long-awaited closure. Read the original article on People Five Australian partners have received top honours at Rapid7s global Partner of the Year awards for 2025. The annual awards program, now in its fifth year, recognise private and public sector partners for exceptional collaboration as well as their positive influence on customers security postures, according to the vendor. The global Rapid7 partner community is essential in furthering our mission to give customers command of their attack surface with the most adaptive, predictive and responsive cyber security platform, said Rapid7 vice president of global channel and emerging technology sales Alex Page. Through the annual Partner of the Year Awards, we acknowledge the various ways our partners excel in specialisation, collaboration and, most importantly, customer outcomes. At the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) level, Partner of the Year went to DGplex, with its CEO and founder, Jordan Del-Grande, saying the company was incredibly honoured to receive the award. This award is a testament to our teams dedication and expertise in delivering innovative cyber security solutions, he said. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Rapid7 to drive excellence and provide unparalleled value to our clients across the region. Today's news: Burmese military junta has calls for a week of mourning, while the Government of National Unity in exile tries alternative ways to send aid; South Korea's Constitutional Court to issue verdict on President Yoon Suk-yeol at the end of the week; Israel bombs Beirut; Uttarakhand renames places of Islamic origin. CHINA TAIWAN China has launched military exercises around Taiwan, calling President Lai Ching-te a parasite. In response, Taiwan has sent warships to prevent the Chinese Navy from approaching its shores. The exercises took place after the US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, left the region following visits to Japan and the Philippines, where he criticised China and stated that Japan is indispensable in countering Chinese aggression. SOUTH KOREA The Constitutional Court of South Korea has announced that it will issue its verdict on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday 4th April, as tensions mount between those for and against Yoon. The conservative president was impeached after declaring martial law in December. If he is removed from office the sentence must be voted by at least six judges out of eight elections must be held within two months. MYANMAR The junta in power in Myanmar has announced a week of national mourning, while the leaders of the National Unity Government in exile are pressuring for humanitarian aid not to fall into the hands of the military for fear that it will be used as a weapon against the population. The NUG representatives are working with civil society groups. Even before the earthquake, 20 million people needed healthcare. NEPAL The Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oil has declared that legal action will be taken against King Gyanendra Shah and the pro-monarchy demonstrators who in recent days have clashed with the police in the Tinkune area of Kathmandu. Last week at least two people died during the protests calling for a return to the monarchy. INDIA The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, has renamed a series of places in four districts in accordance with popular sentiment and Indian culture and heritage, a move that comes a few days after sectarian tensions between Hindus and Muslims in Maharashtra. These are in fact names of Islamic tradition that have been changed to be dedicated to important Hindu personalities: for example, Aurangzebpur in the district of Haridwar, has become Shivaji Nagar, Ghaziwali has been transformed into Arya Nagar, Khanpur into Shri Krishnapur and Khanpur Kursali into Ambedkar Nagar. MIDDLE EAST This morning Israel bombed a building in Beirut, killing at least three people, in an attack aimed at Hezbollah, according to the Israeli army, but which once again puts the ceasefire at risk. In Gaza, on the other hand, the IDF has issued orders for the evacuation of Rafah and the surrounding areas, indicating that it could soon launch another major ground operation in the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip. GEORGIA IRAN Economic relations between Georgia and Iran have recently been developing with increasing intensity, considering the good relations that have existed since the founding of the Georgian Dream party in 2012, and there are already over 9 thousand new Iranian companies active in Georgia. In 2024, tourists from Iran grew to almost 150 thousand people. TURKMENISTAN The International Labour Organization has published the results of a survey conducted by 40 specialists, starting in autumn 2024, on hiring conditions and work performance in all 5 velayats of Turkmenistan, especially with regard to cotton harvesting, noting how widespread the practice of forced labour still is, also considering that 27 farms and 17 state organisations refused to allow the audits. by Nirmala Carvalho Bishop Valan Arasu reports the incident to AsiaNews. The faithful, a group of 50 tribal people, a priest and two nuns were visiting some parishes in the diocese. The extremists attacked them twice and tried to denounce the priest for forced conversion. The intervention of the agents to protect the pilgrims. Delhi (AsiaNews) - Hindu fundamentalists have attacked a group of Christians visiting churches as part of a pilgrimage organised by the diocese as one of the initiatives promoted in 2025 to coincide with the Jubilee Year. Msgr. Valan Arasu, bishop of Jabalpur, in Madhya Pradesh: Yesterday, 31 March, Fr John Quadros, parish priest of Mandla, and his parishioners, a total of 50 tribal adults accompanied by two nuns, travelled by bus on a pilgrimage to various diocesan churches, as part of the events planned for the 2025 Jubilee. Mandla and Jabalpur - explains the prelate - are about 90 km apart. During the first stop at the Holy Trinity Church in Jabalpur, the prelate continues, extremist groups approached them, verbally accusing them of false conversions and took them to the Omti police station. After conducting the necessary investigations, the police found nothing against the parish priest, as all the pilgrims had come voluntarily, so they released them and allowed them to resume their journey. The group is made up of tribal Christians, whose ancestors converted to Catholicism more than a century ago. According to the reconstruction of the events, the attack was carried out by people linked to the radical Hindu movement Bajrang Dal, a militant organisation that forms the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), whose ideology is based on the nationalist Hindutva movement and a general intolerant approach towards other religions. The group was released by the police and continued on their way to the church of St Thomas in Ranchi. However, Bajrang Dal activists followed them to the place of worship, calling on other local members of the movement to support them, creating a crowd that surrounded the pilgrims and forcibly took them to the town's police station. Despite the complaints and intimidation, the police once again found no irregularity or offence against the priest and the pilgrims. The request to file a complaint and open a file (First Information Report, FIR) regarding Fr Quadros was also rejected. To guarantee the safety of the pilgrims, the police - the bishop explained - kept them inside the station, while outside the crowd of extremists was growing. Yesterday at around 2 p.m., Father Davis George, vicar general (and cathedral priest) together with Father George Thomas, diocesan procurator, went to the barracks to meet the group. However, some Bajrang Dal members approached the priests, physically attacking them and verbally abusing them. Fortunately, said the bishop, the officers protected the priest and the pilgrims, keeping them inside the station for their safety and security. Around 4:30 p.m., the police allowed the priests and pilgrims to leave the station and took them back to Mandla. Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal is trying to file a complaint against the Mandla priests under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Every good thing the Catholic Church does is welcomed and exploited by the opposition. Everything is seen through the lens of conversion. We are here to serve humanity, conversion - he concludes - is only God's work. 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. 1 April 2025 18:55 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Serious confusion has once again arisen regarding Germany's policy towards the South Caucasus. Whether it is coincidence or unprofessionalism is still unclear, but the important thing is that they still have not found the right path. Unfortunately, German media outlets and intellectuals try to follow the path of Russia and France without learning any lessons from them. It seems that the Germans believed they could succeed in the Armenian issue, where Russia and France reached dead ends. It would be better to remind them that the Armenian issue cost Russia so much that even the most pro-Armenian journalists and intellectuals ended up calling Armenia a suitcase without a handle. Even France lost the plot after inheriting the torn-down suitcase from Russia. Most probably, Germany is volunteering to own the suitcase. To illustrate this, the famous German TV channel DW, funded by the government, released a so-called documentary film on Armenia and the Garabagh conflict. Remaining true to Armenian propaganda, the film begins by extolling the Armenian spirit and Stalins decision to hand over Garabagh to Azerbaijan in order to cajole Turkiye into allying with the USSR. Later, the film suggests that Azerbaijanis kill Armenians in Sumgait, and the poor Armenians flee Azerbaijan with great difficulty. It continues by claiming that Azerbaijan, with the help of Russia and Turkiye, brutally attacks Garabagh, while a handful of courageous Armenian Spartans defend themselves against Azerbaijan and its backers. The film then asserts that Russia gains authority in Yerevan through Kocharian and Sarkisian, hollowing out Armenia through them. In the end, Pashinyan ascends to power to save Armenia, but the Azerbaijani armycontrolled by Turkish generals and drone operators, with help from Syriansattacks the brave Armenians. The film then claims that the Azerbaijani president visits Russia, finds common ground, and divides the former Soviet republics. In short, Azerbaijan takes Garabagh, and Russia attacks Ukraine. Watching the film, one could suggest that either DW lost the plot or has a remarkable ability to craft fantasy. Needless to say, the film is rife with misinformation. First of all, no country in the world, including Armenialet alone Germanyhas ever recognized Garabagh as an independent country. Moreover, Garabagh has no connection to Stalin. To be honest, unfortunately, the former Soviet republics have used Stalin as a scapegoat for all their disputes, taking advantage of his negative image. Its also worth reminding that British General Thomas appointed Azerbaijani Khosrov bay Sultanov as the General Governor of Garabagh in 1919. Yes, it is true that before the USSR, some Armenian gangs attempted to seize Garabagh from the nascent Azerbaijani state, but Khosrov bay Sultanov eliminated those gangs As for the Garabagh conflict in the post-Soviet period, it is important to emphasize that it was not the Sumgait pogrom that paved the way for the conflict. On the contrary, the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Gafan and Zangazur led to the Sumgait pogrom, which the Armenian side later used as an excuse to justify the conflict. To put this into perspective, thousands of Azerbaijanis and Muslim Kurds were forcefully uprooted from their homes in 1987 and expelled to Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, the film did not address this issue. The most ridiculous and disgusting part of the film was that when the film spoke about how Armenians fled Sumgait, they showed the footage of the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Kalbajar in 1993. In other words, DW tries to pass the tragedy of Azerbaijanis off as Armenian. As for Azerbaijan being the ally of Russia, it is well known that Armenian borders are under Russian control. Besides, Armenia is a member of the Customs Union of the Eurasian Economic Union and Collective Security Treaty Organization. So, it is not Azerbaijan but Armenia that is an ally of Russia. Linking a terror operation allegedly conducted by Azerbaijan in 2023 to the war in Ukraine is nonsense. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not visit Moscow but rather Kyiv a few days before the war. Moreover, Kyiv has always supported Azerbaijans territorial integrity, just as Azerbaijan has supported Ukraines. Since Azerbaijans independence, Kyiv has supplied Azerbaijan with weapons. To top it all off, the Crimean Peninsula was home to Turkic Crimean Tatars, whom Russia expelled to Central Asia. Given all these facts, why would Azerbaijan support Russia? Like all the so-called 'facts' mentioned above, the claims about Syrian mercenaries and Turkish generals are baseless. Azerbaijans population is three times larger than Armenias. Why would it need mercenaries? As for the Turkish generals, Azerbaijan possesses far superior and more modern weapons, such as medium and heavy-class helicopters, tactical bombers, supersonic interceptors, close-air support aircraft, and MLRS systems launching quasi-ballistic missilesnone of which Turkiye has ever had. Why would Azerbaijan need Turkish generals? The film could be dismissed as ordinary Armenian propaganda if the German president had not shared the flag of the so-called Garabagh Republic just a day later during his visit to Armenia. Despite apologizing and deleting the post, these events confirm that Germany was swayed by Armenian lies. For over a century, Armenia has tried to convince the world that Turkiye seeks territorial expansion and that Azerbaijan is merely a pawn in this strategy. According to this narrative, Armenia can stop them - if Russia, Europe, and China provide it with weapons, money, and soldiers. Russia was the first victim of this propaganda. Moscow spent billions of dollars to build a strong Armenia. However, it later became clear that Armenia had embezzled these funds, and its population continued to decline. Armenia is a failed state that cannot defend itself without Russia. Eventually, Moscow abandoned Yerevan. Today, France and Germany are competing with each other over Armenia. The problem is that their fate will be no different from Russias. 1 April 2025 12:04 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Israels Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, through its Plant Protection and Inspection Service, has announced that Azerbaijan has granted permission for the import of fresh fruits from Israel, Azernews reports. The Ministry noted that mangoes, avocados, and peppers will be among the products exported to Azerbaijan. The approval follows a proactive request from the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. It enables the structured and organized export of fruits from Israel to Azerbaijan. However, each shipment must comply with Azerbaijans phytosanitary regulations, including mandatory health certification and adherence to specific conditions for each fruit type. 1 April 2025 15:08 (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. In January-March 2025, Russias Perm region supplied 60,300 cubic meters of timber products to Azerbaijan, marking a 20% increase compared to the same period last year, Azernews reports, citing Rosselkhoznadzor. 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! 1 April 2025 11:48 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan National Library has organized a book exhibition titled "March 31-Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis," aimed at raising awareness about the atrocities committed against Azerbaijanis during the genocide committed by Armenians in March 1918, Azernews reports. This exhibition features a comprehensive array of materials detailing the genocide perpetrated by Armenians against the Turkic-Muslim population and highlights the tragic aftermath of these events. Included are a variety of documents, archival resources, and scholarly research that delve into the genocide and the early phases of deportations. Visitors will find an assortment of publications from that era, memoirs of individuals who resisted the occupiers, and accounts from witnesses who experienced these harrowing events firsthand. Additionally, literature available in both Azerbaijani and foreign languages sheds light on the systematic killings of Azerbaijanis by Armenians that occurred throughout history. The exhibition is set to run for one week, providing a significant platform for education and reflection on this somber chapter of history. 1 April 2025 14:07 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more At the invitation of Tashkent State Pedagogical University named after Nizami Ganjavi, a delegation of the Azerbaijani Cultural Center under the Azerbaijani Embassy in Uzbekistan has visited this higher education institution, Azernews reports. Representatives of the Azerbaijani Cultural Center laid flowers in front of the monument to the Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi, learned about the history of the university, and got acquainted with its activities. During the meeting between Akif Marifli, Director of the Azerbaijani Cultural Center, and Abdugaffar Kirghizbayev, Rector of Tashkent State Pedagogical University named after Nizami, the expanding cultural and humanitarian relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan were discussed. It was also emphasized that the sincere and friendly dialogue of the leaders of the two countries gives a great impetus to the strengthening of cooperation. 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. 31 March 2025 23:57 (UTC+04:00) On March 31, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to our country, Ralf Horlemann, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the Ministry, during the meeting, a strong protest was expressed regarding a post on the official Instagram page of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who shared the flag of the illegitimate regime established in Azerbaijans formerly occupied territories during his visit to Armenia. This act was seen as a violation of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty. It was emphasized that during his visit to the region, this overt political provocation was unacceptable, and the German side must publicly apologize for the post. It was pointed out that this action by the German President contradicts the statements supporting Azerbaijans territorial integrity and sovereignty and the ongoing peace process. Additionally, it was noted that when discussing the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region, the disregard for the rights of more than one million Azerbaijanis forcibly displaced from Azerbaijans previously occupied territories and Armenia was another indicator of a biased attitude toward our country. It was reminded that Azerbaijan had resolved the nearly 30-year-long conflict through military and political means, restored its territorial integrity and historical justice, and that the conflict is a thing of the past. The German side was also reminded that there is no administrative entity called Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. It was stressed that when referring to our territories, it is necessary to avoid using non-existent, politically biased, and fictitious names. 31 March 2025 19:45 (UTC+04:00) On March 31, at approximately 11:10, the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire from their positions located in the direction of the Bazarcay settlement in the Qaragils region on the positions of our Army. In recent days, the Armenian side has regularly shelled the positions of the Azerbaijani Army, and has also attempted to conduct reconnaissance flights over our positions using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones. To cover up its provocations, Armenia is spreading disinformation, according to Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry. We would like to state that the information spread by Armenia regarding the alleged shelling of the Xanazakh settlement by Azerbaijani forces has no factual basis, is completely false, and is characterized as disinformation. By spreading such lies and unfounded information, the opposing side is trying to form a false perception in the international community and conceal its provocations. 1 April 2025 10:00 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Azerbaijani military positions came under fire from multiple directions overnight, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry. According to the statement, between 5:00 PM on March 31 and 4:45 AM on April 1, units of the Armenian armed forces intermittently opened fire using small arms. The attacks originated from positions in Armenias Basarkechar and Gorus regions, specifically from the settlements of Zarkand, Zod, Ashagi Shorja, Yukhari Shorja, Istisu, Khanazakh, and Khaznavar, targeting Azerbaijani military positions. No casualties or significant damage have been reported as of now. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces took necessary defensive measures in response to the attacks. 1 April 2025 17:49 (UTC+04:00) Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, met with Mehdi Sanaei, Political Advisor to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. During the meeting, in accordance with the instructions of the two countries' heads of state, we held an extensive exchange of views on bilateral political relations between Azerbaijan and Iran. International and regional issues of mutual interest were also discussed as a continuation of the talks held during the visit to Iran in February 2025, the Assistant to the President said on X. 1 April 2025 19:02 (UTC+04:00) Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on the occasion of the Ramadan holiday, Azernews reports. "Excellency Mr. President, I have the honor to extend to Your Excellency, in my own personal name and on behalf of the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its Organs and Institutions, our sincere wishes and heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr Almubarak. We pray to Allah the Almighty for the continuous progress and prosperity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and for the peace, security, and well-being of the Islamic Ummah. Please accept, Excellency Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration," reads the letter. 1 April 2025 19:00 (UTC+04:00) President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on the occasion of the Ramadan holiday, Azernews reports. "Mr. President, Dear Brother, On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, it is with great pleasure that I send you my best greetings, filled with friendship and brotherhood. May Allah, the Almighty and Merciful, bless our fast and accept our prayers for an Islamic Ummah that is peaceful, prosperous, and united in solidarity and shared happiness! Please accept, Mr. President and Dear Brother, the expression of my highest consideration," the letter reads. 1 April 2025 18:55 (UTC+04:00) President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, has sent a congratulatory message to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on the occasion of the Ramadan holiday, Azernews reports. "Excellency, On the auspicious occasion of the holy month of Ramadan 1446H, the government and the people of the Maldives join me in extending our warmest felicitations to Your Excellency, the government, and the people of Azerbaijan. Ramadan is a time of spiritual renewal, reflection, and unitya month that inspires faith, compassion, and generosity. As we embrace this sacred time, may it strengthen our bonds of friendship, deepen our commitment to service, and bring peace and prosperity to our nations. I pray that Almighty Allah bestows His infinite blessings upon Your Excellency and the people of Azerbaijan, and may this Ramadan bring harmony, good health, and continued success. I also take this opportunity to call upon the Muslim Ummah to mobilize our efforts to ease the suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza this Ramadan and ensure a just and lasting solution for the cause of the Palestinian people in their fight for self-determination and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital," the letter reads. 1 April 2025 09:00 (UTC+04:00) The president of Finland is urging President Trump to set a firm deadline of April 20 for Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. In an interview with Fox News in London, following a weekend meeting with Trump in Florida, Alexander Stubb praised Trump's negotiation skills, stating that Trump is "probably the only person in the world who can mediate peace." However, Stubb emphasized that the ceasefire negotiations should not be indefinite. "We need a ceasefire, and we need a clear date for it," Stubb explained. "That date should be April 20." April 20 will mark three months since Trump's inauguration and coincides with Orthodox Easter. "If President Putin the only one refusing the ceasefire despite support from the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine doesn't comply, we should impose substantial sanctions from both the U.S. and Europe," Stubb added. Although Trump has previously mentioned a "psychological deadline" for Russia to agree to a ceasefire, he has not provided an exact date. 1 April 2025 08:00 (UTC+04:00) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that the country's ministers voted overnight to escalate military pressure on Hamas, emphasizing that these attacks were working to compel Hamas to lay down its weapons. He also confirmed that Israel would assume responsibility for security in the Gaza Strip while facilitating the implementation of the Trump plan, which includes a voluntary immigration plan. The security cabinet had voted on Saturday night to intensify military operations against Hamas. Netanyahu described the approach as aiming to both dismantle Hamas's military and governmental capabilities while simultaneously creating conditions for the release of Israeli hostages. He refuted three claims made by Hamas regarding Israel's negotiating tactics. According to Netanyahu, Israel is continuing negotiations, and that conducting talks under fire enhances their effectiveness. He also mentioned that cracks were beginning to appear within Hamass stance. On Saturday, regional media reported that Hamas had accepted an Egyptian proposal for a 50-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of five living hostages. However, Israel insisted that it would not resume the truce unless 10 or 11 living hostages were returned, based on a previous proposal from U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. 1 April 2025 18:36 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The Armed Forces of the People's Republic of China have begun conducting extensive military exercises around the island of Taiwan, Azernews reports. Shi Yi, the official spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), announced this on the WeChat social media platform. It is noted that the exercises involve ground and missile forces, the Navy, and the Air Force. "This is a serious warning and a powerful deterrent to separatist forces advocating for Taiwan's independence," Shi Yi stated. These exercises are part of Chinas ongoing efforts to demonstrate military strength and assert its territorial claims over Taiwan. They also come amid rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, with increasing international attention on the region's security. The drills include a variety of simulated combat scenarios, including amphibious landings, missile launches, and aerial operations. Taiwan, which has its own democratically elected government, views such military actions as provocative and an infringement on its sovereignty. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, with calls for de-escalation from countries such as the United States and Japan. 1 April 2025 19:48 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva Sweden will allocate 100 million kronor (9.3 million euros) for the inspection, control, and modernization of anti-nuclear shelters, Azernews reports. Since 2024, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has increased inspections of the country's bunkers, which number up to 64,000 in total. According to an MSB statement, Sweden, which became a member of NATO in March 2024, is also investing in the development of emergency services, strengthening cybersecurity, and replenishing medical supplies. The modernization of the bunkers is expected to take two to three years. So far, work has begun on 25 of the 80 large shelters, which are capable of accommodating thousands of people. In 2025, MSB will continue to replace filters designed to protect against chemical and radiological weapons. Earlier, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that the country "is not at war, but also not in a state of peace." Stockholm has been increasing its defense capabilities since 2014, and since 2022, it has activated its "total defense" program, which involves the mobilization of all societal resources in times of crisis. The modernization of Sweden's nuclear shelters comes amid growing geopolitical tensions and security concerns in Europe, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Sweden's membership in NATO further strengthens its commitment to collective defense, and the country is taking proactive steps to ensure its preparedness in case of emergencies. The focus on "total defense" emphasizes Sweden's commitment to maintaining a high level of readiness, with both military and civilian resources integrated into national security planning. This initiative is also a reminder of the broader European efforts to enhance resilience against emerging threats, from cyberattacks to conventional military conflicts. China's medical reform fasttracks innovation: U.S. pharma giant Xinhua) 09:27, April 01, 2025 BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- China's reform efforts to promote research and development on medical innovation and shorten the review and approval time for the launch of related drugs have provided innovation-driven pharmaceutical firms with greater opportunities, a senior executive with U.S. medicine giant Eli Lilly and Company said. "Related reforms have stimulated innovation in the pharmaceutical sector, accelerating the pace at which new and effective drugs enter the Chinese market and prompting China to become a significant source of global pharmaceutical innovation," Wang Li, Lilly's senior vice president and head of Lilly China Drug Development and Medical Affairs Center, told Xinhua. The reforms enabled Lilly's Kisunla (donanemab), an innovative treatment seeking to slow the progression in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), to secure Chinese regulator's approval in December 2024 -- just five months after its first global market approval. The treatment was launched in the Chinese market on Saturday. "This underscores the regulatory authorities' support for the expedited review and approval of breakthrough therapeutic drugs, marking a significant step forward in delivering innovative treatment options for AD patients," Wang said. Wang credited China's establishment of four expedited approval channels to facilitate the development and launch of certain drugs. These reforms helped propel a total of 48 Class 1 innovative drug approvals in 2024, up 20 percent year on year, and most of their approval were fast-tracked, according to a report from China's National Medical Products Administration. "China, as a leading global healthcare market, also serves as a hub for emerging biotechnology research and development, creating an ideal environment for scientific breakthroughs," Wang added. Earlier this month, Lilly opened its innovation accelerator Lilly Gateway Laboratory in Beijing, the company's fourth facility of its kind and the first to open outside the United States. The Beijing lab is also Lilly's first innovation platform to provide data analytics facilities, offering robust support for businesses focused on advanced technologies and machine learning, according to Wang. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Appling County football has been on the cusp of something great for a very long time. The Pirates have made it to the Final Four 3 out of the last The Biden regime gave an open door to the homeland of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang by giving anyone from there, including gang members, "temporary protected status". That allowed them to give and work here as long as that status lasted. The Trump administration has cancelled that status but politically corrupt Obama and Biden judges are working overtime to absue power to protect Tren de Aragua gangsters and other Venezuelans. One case has already been disposed of when an Obama district court judge tried to block the cancellation of that status. In that case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that courts had no jurisdiction to consider or rule on Temporary Protected Status matters, which are wholly the perogative of the president. Now another crooked Obama judge, Edward Chen of the San Francisco district court has defied the Court of Appeals ruling by issuing his own order pausing the change in status for illegal aliens from Venezuela. He is not only defying statutory law adopted by Congress but also the controlled case law from a higher federal court. This arrogant Obama judge is full of himself in trying to abuse power for political purposes. He even goes further by making policy decisions on no evidence that are beyond his purview and trying to hold the executive branch to standards he makes up that are not in the law passed by Congress. https://redstate.com/bonchie/2025/04/01/san-francisco-judge-blocks-removal-of-tps-for-venezuelans-and-it-sure-looks-like-he-violated-the-law-n2187365 These arrogant Democrat political judges are out of control and need to be rieined in. https://redstate.com/mike_miller/2025/04/01/do-federal-district-judges-have-the-authority-to-issue-nationwide-injunctions-sen-kennedy-weighs-in-n2187366 Boss explains new 'signature yellow canopy' on Belfast to Dublin road: 'We do it all over Europe' Margaret Canning talks to Tom Hurst of electric charging company Fastned about its new sites in NI and the firms hopes and plans for more openings here Tom Hurst (inset) is country director at Fastned, which recently opened its first EV charging station on the island Margaret Canning Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 09:00 Its got all the regular road users of the A1 between Belfast and Newry talking, thanks in part to what Fastned calls the signature yellow canopy catching the eye as you pass shopping spot the Boulevard outside Banbridge. Inside luxury apartment where NI suspect hid out before arrest over the murder of John George Prison phone call allegedly captures Jonny Smyth rant about case he faces Inside luxury apartment where NI suspect hid out before arrest over the murder of John George Allison Morris Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 07:15 This is the luxury apartment where Jonny Smyth was arrested last month after being tracked down by the father of the man he is alleged to have murdered. Abrao Soares Raul received a six-month prison term after being convicted of attacking the victim. Stock court image A man has been jailed for sexually assaulting a woman as they danced together in a Belfast bar. Abrao Soares Raul received a six-month prison term after being convicted of attacking the victim. The 31-year-old, of Scotch Street in Dungannon, was also handed a five-year sexual offences prevention order and put on the sex offenders register for seven years. The judge stated that his available sentencing powers were inadequate for dealing with the crime. Belfast Magistrates Court heard Raul was arrested by police called to a bar on Botanic Avenue on August 4 last year. Door staff had detained him after a woman reported the sexual assault to them. Abrao Soares Raul received a six-month prison term after being convicted of attacking the victim. Stock court image News Catch Up - Tuesday 1 April The injured party alleged that while dancing with the defendant he placed his hand down her trousers inside her underwear, touching her genitals, a prosecution lawyer said. It was also alleged that he put his hands inside her top and touched her breasts. During his initial dealings with police at the scene Raul repeatedly said sorry and asked them to apologise to the woman, the court was told. But the defendant, believed to be a native of East Timor, then contested the charge only to be convicted in his absence. A defence lawyer told the court Raul moved to Northern Ireland in 2015 to work as a factory welder. Stressing his previous clear record, she added: He has expressed a willingness to engage with community service. However, District Judge Steven Keown held that he ultimately took no personal responsibility for what happened and continued to deny the offence. Mr Keown also questioned why the case was not prosecuted in the Crown court where tougher prison terms can be handed down. The maximum sentence I can impose is one of six months, which I have no hesitation (in doing) for a case taken to a contested hearing and which I feel is inadequate for the circumstances of this offence, the judge said. Raul was also made subject of a sexual offences prevention order which prohibits him from entering relationships without disclosing details to a designated risk manager. Music and Gigs Review: This is the best Oasis have been since 96 some might say better... a rock reunion to end them all An MLA has queried whether the DUP is manufacturing another crocodile moment after the unionist party toughened its stance against Irish language signs in Belfasts Grand Central Station. The SDLP's Sinead McLaughlin was referring to a controversial statement by Arlene Foster in 2017, after DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said yesterday that questions about the decision to install the signs are legitimate. The Department of Health was notified of concerns around unnecessary child surgeries more than seven months after a protected disclosure was made within Childrens Health Ireland, the Taoiseach has said. The Dail heard on Tuesday that an audit of paediatric hip dysplasia surgeries at Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals found that hundreds of children operated on between 2021 and 2023 did not meet the threshold for the procedure. It had previously heard that 79% of those operated on at National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh and 60% of those at Temple Street did not meet the threshold for surgery in that time frame. Taoiseach Micheal Martin told the Dail that concerns were raised under a protected disclosure to CHI, which is primarily funded by the HSE, in September 2023. The Department of Health was informed months later on May 9, 2024. The Department said the then-Minister Stephen Donnelly was informed on May 16. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has questioned why it took almost a year from then for parents to be formally notified that an audit into the matter is taking place. She told the Dail the audit recommends that 561 children be recalled for an independent assessment, adding that parents have started to receive letters about the audit. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (Gareth Chaney/PA) These parents were provided with an email address in the letter, but many tell us theyre emailing and getting no response. Theyre also ringing but getting no answer. Its heaping stress on top of stress. The Dail heard that one mother received two letters as her twin daughters both had surgery in 2023, with Ms McDonald adding: It took them months to recover, to learn to walk again, not to mention the agonising pain each of them are in the sleepless nights, crying in pain. During Leaders Questions, she also told the Taoiseach of a girl who had operations on both hips and another mother who was heartbroken to think she may have put her child through surgery days before her third birthday if there was never any need for it. Ms McDonald said Sinn Fein was aware of cases sought second opinions where they were told that not only did their child not need the operation, but they did not have hip dysplasia at all. She said there was now a genuine fear that the problem dates back to years before 2021, as she had heard of parents of children receiving letters about operations from a decade ago. Ms McDonald said parents have lost confidence in Childrens Health Ireland, which she said was mired in scandal. She said: Government sits on the sidelines, incapable of getting a handle on things. A report has uncovered that unnecessary hip surgeries were carried out on hundreds of young children at two Dublin hospitals, the Dail has been told. Mr Martin acknowledged that the clinical audit compounds the original trauma of the surgery which was felt by children and parents. He said the audit is close to final stage and said it makes sense to wait for its completion and presentation to parents. Mr Martin told Ms McDonald that it was deeply worrying for parents. He added: Remember that this is first and foremost, a clinical issue, insofar as these are clinical decisions to take the step of surgery. Thats pre-determined, should be done through multidisciplinary teams who decide that a child needs surgery for a specific condition. So this is an extremely serious situation that the assertion now is that quite a number of operations were carried out unnecessarily. The Taoiseach said it was his understanding that concerns over unnecessary hip surgeries were initially raised internally within CHI under a protected disclosure in September 2023 relating to different thresholds for surgery being applied in different hospitals. He added: The Department of Health was notified about this matter on the ninth of May 2024. Mr Martin said he expected the details of the audit to be published and called for full transparency into the matter. Irish parliamentary committees may not be formed until May, Sinn Fein has warned, amid a bitter dispute which has left Irelands main opposition parties completely at odds with Government. An ongoing row over speaking rights in the Dail has led to a lack of co-operation to establish the committees, which are vital for the legislative duties of the parliament. Both the Government and opposition parties have stressed the need for the resumption of the work of the committees amid the heated division in the Dail, which delayed the nomination of a Taoiseach and resulted in the suspension of the House amid widespread disruption last week. However, Sinn Fein has raised concern that the Dail Reform Committee involving Government and opposition whips is not due to meet on Wednesday, and has cast doubt on when when committees will be formed. On Tuesday, the opposition parties were defeated as a Government motion expressing confidence in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy was passed. That motion was brought in response to opposition complaints that Ms Murphy had been biased in her role in implementing the changes to Dail rules brought forward by Government. After the vote, Sinn Fein chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn said: On February 4 last, the Ceann Comhairle acted on independent legal advice and ruled that the Michael Lowry Regional Independent group were government TDs and could not therefore form a group in opposition. At the point, the DHondt process should have commenced and Oireachtas Committees should have been formed. By their actions since, this government have delayed the formation of Oireachtas Committees and the latest estimates are that it will be May before they are up and running. Thats three months lost. It is outrageous. A spokesman for the Government chief whip said: The commitment at the Business Committee last week was that a meeting would be held as soon as possible after the confidence motion. The scheduling of the meeting is a matter for all members and the secretariat. The necessary preparation work by government to initiate the establishment of committees is ongoing. A spokesman for the Social Democrats said it has been calling for the formation of committees for months. Now that the vote is over, it is incumbent on the Government to immediately set up Dail committees and finally get down to work, he added. The Dail Business Committee is due to meet on Thursday. The opposition have behaved in a juvenile and despicable manner, according to an independent TD at the centre of a dispute on speaking rights. Michael Lowry acted as a key negotiator for a bloc of independent TDs that agreed to support the formation of a Government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. He also supported the successful nomination of Verona Murphy, a former colleague in the regional independents, to take up office as Ceann Comhairle. That nomination was seen as part of the agreement between the Government parties and the independents. However, a dispute over speaking rights proposals put forward by the Government and Ms Murphys involvement in implementing a vote to pass the changes has put Mr Lowry in the spotlight. Mr Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister, was previously found by a tribunal to have behaved in a manner that was profoundly corrupt. Last week, he was criticised after being filmed sticking two fingers up to a member of the opposition while still in the chamber amid a chaotic row on the speaking rights dispute. He later described his move as an errant gesture under provocation. In a statement on Tuesday after a confidence motion in Ms Murphy passed, Mr Lowry said: Todays proceedings in the Dail marked a significant victory for democracy. The past three months have been crippled with venom and spite from the opposition parties. Their actions have been both juvenile and despicable. It has been a very difficult time for the Regional Independent Group, simply because we had the courage to step up to form a strong and stable Government. In the blinkered eyes of the Opposition, that was our sin. Today, the Opposition took a trouncing. Their actions were condemned for what they are orchestrated obstruction. Ultimately, all they succeeded in doing is strengthening the position of the Ceann Comhairle. With 96 votes in her favour, Verona Murphys credibility is not only secured, it has been endorsed. The Regional Group has secured its justified speaking rights we are fully recognised. Government must now be permitted to get on with their work in the face of the unprecedented challenges that lie ahead for Ireland and Europe. Democracy has prevailed. The Taoiseach has been accused of victim blaming and gaslighting after saying it was not necessary for a Dublin principal to write to parents about her schools financial difficulties. Last month, the principal of Sacred Heart Junior School in the Killinarden area of Tallaght said it was facing closure because it could no longer afford to pay basic bills. Principal Orla McLoughlin said the school has suffered massive underfunding for many years due to cuts from the Department of Education. In a letter to parents, she outlined what she described as the schools major financial crisis and said it would have to close and teach remotely from todays date if it did not receive emergency funding. In the interim, the Department of Education committed to an early payment of capitation grant which was due in June. Micheal Martin said it was his experience that the Department of Education always comes to help when schools are in difficulty (Niall Carson/PA) On Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin told the Dail that no school should have been in that position but he did not believe there was a necessity to write that letter to the parents at that time. Mr Martin, a former teacher, said it was his experience that the Department of Education always comes to help when schools are in difficulty. He said: My understanding is the department engaged with the school, with Sacred Heart, in December. Its my understanding, sought information the department did but didnt get any response in terms of information provision. Mr Martin said the department will continue to engage with the school and that it was unaware of any letter being sent out to the parents at the time. He was responding to People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy who described his comments as incredible. Mr Murphy told Mr Martin: The Taoiseach blaming a school put in a position by your government, by the Department of Education, blaming them for being in a situation where they felt no alternative but to say weve got to close our doors. Incredible. Victim blaming and gaslighting these principals across the country. Mr Murphy said the advance on the capitation grant was kicking the can down the road where the school will face a bigger debt in September. Mr Murphy said the departments Financial Support Services Unit letter to Sacred Heart JNS in December advised the principal to reach out to her community to help fund the school. He said: Shameful. These are not charities, Taoiseach. These principals shouldnt be running around having to fundraise based on how much money is in their area, based on how much population is served by their school. This is a basic public service which the state needs to provide. Mr Martin said he was not victim blaming anybody and questioned Mr Murphys sincerity on the matter. He said he had no doubt that the department would solve the schools issues in a sensible way. The Taoiseach added that the children at Sacred Heart there now had free primary school books and hot school meals. Mr Murphy was raising the issue of Sacred Heart JNS during Leaders Questions as an example of the canary in the coal mine of chronic underfunding of schools around the country. He said he was contacted by the principal of Holy Spirit Junior Primary School in Greenhills on Friday about the very real possibility of closure over financial pressures there. He called for a doubling of the capitation grant for primary schools and increasing the minor works grant and ancillary services grant. Mr Martin said the capitation grant has increased significantly over the last number of years. Charity Commission investigating claims made against K9 K9 Search and Rescue from Northern Ireland search for missing man John George in Alicante A search and rescue charity has said it is deeply dismayed" after being denied entry into a register that would enable the PSNI to task it with finding missing people for a second time. K9 Search and Rescue NI provide victim recovery dogs in Northern Ireland and further afield. Over the last few years, the group has been unofficially involved in searches after the 2023 earthquake in southern Turkey, and after an explosion at a service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal in October 2022, when 10 people died More recently the group decided to send a team to the search for Belfast man John George, while he was missing in Spain. The charity was recently notified that its application for entry into Northern Ireland Search and Rescue (NISAR) register has been denied for a second time. Groups which are not on the register are not insured and as a result cannot be tasked by the PSNI to searches for missing persons. It previously applied to join the register at the end of last year but was rejected because they did not meet the agreed criteria. The process of joining the register is governed by the Department of Justice. Last year, a spokesperson for the department said: The decision to decline the application from K9 Search and Rescue Northern Ireland for membership in the NISAR practitioners group was based on the agreed criteria set out in the application process. Based on this process, an assessment of current service provisions, it was determined that there are already established canine search and rescue services in place, and no service gap in this area was identified that would necessitate additional resources. In a statement posted on social media on Tuesday afternoon a spokesperson for K9 Search and Rescue NI said they were both baffled and deeply dismayed by the departments decision to reject their application. They added: This decision not only undermines the vital work of trained search professionals but also represents a serious injustice to the people of Northern Ireland. K9 Search and Rescue NI is a dedicated team of highly skilled volunteers who work alongside emergency services to provide critical search capabilities, particularly in high-risk missing person cases. "The refusal to recognise or support our expertise is a significant setback in ensuring the best possible response to those in need. They added the decision meant that statutory authorities could not officially task the group to search operations. We cannot understand why the DoJ NI would turn down a team that is trained, professional, and committed to saving lives, the statement continued. This decision does not serve the public interest, and we will be appealing directly to the Justice Minister to reconsider this matter. They added: The team remains committed to its mission of helping families and communities across Northern Ireland and urges the DoJ NI to rethink this decision in the best interests of public safety. The Department of Justice was approached for comment regarding their most recent decision. Some members of NISAR, SARDA IN and the Community Rescue Service, released a joint statement in reaction to K9s most recent rejection into the register, emphasising that membership is about working in collaboration with one another. The statement said: "Membership of NISAR is not an entitlement and the membership is solely focused on safeguarding the public by working in collaboration and partnership with our NISAR members to ensure a positive outcome for those in need. The NISAR membership has the capacity and the resilience to ensure a time critical response in any eventuality and this response is always to the highest national standards. Applications to join NISAR are decided on a needs and standards basis, recent applications have failed to meet these requirements. A spokesperson for Mountain Rescue Ireland also supported the DoJs decision. They added: We are in agreement with the DoJ stance on it and are comfortable that they have followed due process in this appeal. Separately, the Belfast Telegraph understands that the Charity Commission is investigating concerns raised about K9 Search and Rescue. As the case is ongoing, they are unable to comment on specific concerns, but a spokesperson said: The Commission has received one concern about the charity. This concern has highlighted six, alleged, issues. K9 Search and Rescue NI was approached for comment regarding the outcome of their most recently application. The group was also asked about the concerns being investigated by the Charity Commission. At the time of publication no response has been received. Tanesha Melbourne-Blake was shot on the evening of Easter Monday in 2018 (Family handout/PA) A 17-year-old girl was shot dead in the street during a gang ride-out carried out in retaliation to a social media humiliation, a court has heard. Tanesha Melbourne-Blake was standing with friends on Chalgrove Road in Tottenham, north London, on the evening of Easter Monday in 2018, when a car pulled up and an occupant opened fire, the court heard. Despite the efforts of neighbours and emergency services, she died at the scene from internal injuries. Tanesha Melbourne-Blake was killed just weeks before her 18th birthday (Family Handout/PA) The court heard she was struck in the chest and collapsed as she told her friend: Jace, Ive been shot. Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC said the shooting was the result of a long-standing enmity between rival gangs in Wood Green and Northumberland Park. The court that Tanesha who died of internal blood loss may not have been the intended target. Marcus La Croix, 37, and Michael Clarke, 35, are accused of being among a group of men who travelled from Wood Green into rival territory that night, before fatal shots were fired. Opening the trial at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, Ms Ledward said the shooting followed a violent attack on La Croix by men linked to the Northumberland Park gang Sin Squad in the early hours of April 1. She said: The ride-out was intended to result in death or serious injury through the use of a self-loading pistol. Although Tanesha may not have been the intended target. Jurors were told La Croix, known to friends as Bobby Slater, from Hackney, had suffered a very public humiliation days earlier, when he was attacked by rival gang members inside a restaurant. The jury was shown CCTV footage of the assault on La Croix and his girlfriend which was shared widely across social media. Ms Ledward told jurors he and Clarke, known as Da Gaffa, from Luton, sought revenge the following day. Both men deny murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The Old Bailey trial continues. Josiah, Stephen White and Joy protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London over the private school fees VAT policy (Aaron Chown/PA) Putting VAT on private school fees is a wrong tax, one of the parents taking legal action against the Government has said. Several private schools, children who attend them and their parents are bringing legal action against the Treasury, claiming the policy of applying VAT to fees is discriminatory and unlawful. This includes children and families at faith-based schools, and families who have sent their children with special educational needs (SEN) to private school. The Treasury is defending the challenges, with HMRC and the Department for Education (DfE) also taking part. Father of six Stephen White, whose eldest four children are at Bradford Christian School, a private Christian school in West Yorkshire, is one of the people bringing the challenge at the High Court in London. Speaking outside of the Royal Courts of Justice, Mr White said the policy was a wrong tax. He said: I would think that this is morally wrong whether I was affected by it or not. I think it is wrong to tax the education of children, full stop, so I would disagree with it, but it does affect us personally. The High Court in London was told that Mr White and his family have made great sacrifices to move close to the school and meet the fees. Teachers, parents and pupils protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London over the private school fees VAT policy(Aaron Chown/PA) Outside the court, the self-employed father said that everyone makes sacrifices at the school his children attend. He continued: Every single teacher at our school would make more money at the poorest job in a state school, or they make a sacrifice to teach there. We all make a sacrifice to send them there, and its wrong, because were actually saving the state a load of money. Every child that we send to our private school means this government doesnt have to pay anything for their education. We pay it all and were happy to pay it, we just dont think we should pay extra taxation on top of the good things were already doing. Mr Whites 14-year-old son Josiah, who is also part of the legal challenge, is due to take his GCSEs next year but may need to drop some subjects if he has to leave his school due to the VAT policy, the court was also told. Mr White said: If we cant afford to send them to Bradford Christian School next year, we will have to home educate, because my convictions dont allow me to send them to a state school, and so that would have an effect on his education, which is why hes a named claimant in this case, because hes going to be directly affected if this law carries on. Sir James Eadie KC, representing the Treasury, HMRC and the DfE, said in written submissions for the three-day hearing that parents who opt out of the state education system are free to choose any private education for their child that they can afford, or to educate their child at home. Sir James later said that the obligation to respect the religious convictions of parents is not impacted by the VAT policy. He continued: The existence of such convictions does not require the state to finance an education system to comply with such convictions, still less to refrain from taxing the provision of that or any private education. The hearing before Dame Victoria Sharp, Lord Justice Newey and Mr Justice Chamberlain is due to conclude on Thursday with a decision expected at a later date. Director Oliver Stone stands to be sworn in during a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets on Capitol Hill in Washington (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, whose 1991 film JFK portrayed President John F Kennedys assassination as the work of a shadowy government conspiracy, has called for a new congressional investigation of the killing during a hearing that aired conspiracy theories about it. The freewheeling hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, where partisan grievances were aired, followed last months release of thousands of pages of government documents related to the assassination. The task forces Republican chairwoman opened the proceedings by questioning the Warren Commission investigations conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy as his motorcade finished a parade route in central Dallas on November 22 1963. President John F Kennedy riding in a motorcade with first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, in 1963 (AP) Scholars say the files that President Donald Trump ordered to be released showed nothing undercutting the conclusion that a lone gunman killed Kennedy. Many documents were previously released but contained newly removed redactions, including Social Security numbers, angering people whose personal information was disclosed. Stones JFK was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, and won two. It grossed more than 200 million dollars but was also dogged by questions about its historical accuracy. Stone told the committee that he believes decades of delays in releasing unredacted records had prevented clarity about who killed JFK. He also said a new investigation outside all political considerations should begin at the scene of the crime and re-examine all of the evidence from the day of the assassination. Scholars and historians have concluded that there is strong evidence that Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in killing Kennedy. Can we return to a world where we can trust our government to level with us, the people for which this government exists? Stone said. Director Oliver Stone listens during a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets on Capitol Hill in Washington (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) This is our democracy. This is our presidency. It belongs to us. The task forces chairwoman, Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, said she thinks the federal government under previous administrations had engaged in stonewalling. The task force also heard from a witness called by Democrats who criticised the Trump administrations handling of the recent JFK document release. John Davisson, senior counsel for the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Centre, called it hurried and suggested that the National Archives and Records Administration simply ignored procedures for protecting peoples privacy. The task forces Democrats followed up on his comments by criticising the Trump administration over a variety of other issues. What I find funny about this hearing is that the Republicans are here relitigating whether CIA agents lied 60 years ago, said Representative Jasmine Crockett, whose Texas district includes part of Dallas. Ms Crockett suggested that Congress should instead delve deeper into revelations that top national security officials discussed sensitive attack plans over a messaging app and mistakenly added a journalist to the group chat. The last formal congressional investigation of Kennedys assassination took three years and ended in 1978, when a House committee issued a report concluding that the Soviet Union, Cuba, organised crime, the CIA and the FBI were not involved, but Kennedy probably was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. Director Oliver Stone, right, talks with author Jefferson Morley before a hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets on Capitol Hill in Washington (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) In 1976, a Senate committee said it had not uncovered enough evidence to justify a conclusion that there was a conspiracy. The Warren Commission, appointed by Kennedys successor, President Lyndon B Johnson, concluded that Oswald fired on Kennedys motorcade from a snipers perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, where Oswald worked. Police arrested Oswald within 90 minutes, and two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast on live television. For Tuesdays hearing, the task force also invited Jefferson Morley and James DiEugenio, who have written books arguing for conspiracies behind the assassination. Morley is editor of the JFK Facts blog and vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination. An ex-girlfriend of Prince Andrew has mocked his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, after she claimed to have just days to live following a brutal car crash. Giuffre, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein who made headlines around the world when she sued the British royal for sexual assault in 2021, posted on Instagram on Sunday that she had been given "four days to live" due to kidney failure following the wreck. Prince Andrew has always denied those allegations and settled out of court with Giuffre in 2022 for an unknown amount of money. On Monday morning, Victoria Hervey a British aristocrat, model, cryptocurrency promoter, sometime Covid-19 conspiracy theorist, and Donald Trump fan who briefly dated Prince Andrew in 1999 offered her thoughts on Instagram. "KARMA," wrote the 48-year-old over Giuffre's hospital selfie, adding the mocking soundtrack of Europe's 1986 glam rock smash 'The Final Countdown'. "If Virginia Giuffre really does have days to live, then a complete confession is needed. I don't believe it though. The FBI are on her right now and arrest warrants are incoming: she's conveniently dying to evade jail." Hervey, who is the eldest child of the 6th Marquess of Bristol and the product of more than two centuries of aristocratic breeding, gave no evidence to support that claim just as she offered none in 2022 when she accused Giuffre of using an "Irish body double" to fake a famous photo that shows Giuffre with Prince Andrew. She has previously claimed that Epstein did not traffic anyone, and that all his accusers were "fame-hungry drug addict prostitutes". In her 2021 lawsuit, Giuffre alleged that Jeffrey Epstein had forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, on at least three occasions when she was 17 years old and he was 41. Andrew has vehemently denied that, and claimed in 2019 to have "no recollection of ever meeting this lady". Nevertheless, the scandal led to Andrew being stripped of his military roles and the title "His Royal Highness". He later said he regretted his association with Epstein, and that he would make a "substantial donation" to Giuffre's charity. Virginia Giuffre claimed she was paid $15,000 to have sex with Prince Andrew. Photo: US Department of Justice/PA Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, claimed she had four days to live after a brutal car crash. Giuffre posted a photo of her bruised face lying on a hospital bed on Instagram, explaining that doctors told her she had four days to live due to kidney failure after a car crash. This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I wont bore anyone with the details but I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can, she wrote in a post on Sunday. Ive gone into kidney renal failure, theyve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology, she continued. Im ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes. S*** in one hand and wish in the other & I guarantee its still going to be s*** at the end of the day, she wrote. Virginia Giuffre claimed she was paid $15,000 to have sex with Prince Andrew. Photo: US Department of Justice/PA In 2021, Giuffre alleged in a civil suit that Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with the late Queen Elizabeths second son on multiple occasions when she was 17 and he was 41. He has vehemently denied these claims. She filed the suit against Prince Andrew in New York in 2021, which they settled in February 2022 for an undisclosed amount. She previously accused Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell of grooming her and has claimed the pair had introduced her to Prince Andrew in 2001; Giuffre and Epstein settled in 2009 for $500,000. Despite the fact that photos of Giuffre, Prince Andrew, and Maxwell had already surfaced, in 2019, he told the BBC: I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady. In response to her post, Giuffres father Sky Roberts commented: "Virginia my daughter, I love you and praying for you to get the correct treatment to live a long and healthy life. If there is anything in this world I can do to help you, please let me know. My spirit with you now and holding your hand." Publican Willie Jack opens up on welcoming King and Queen: He said they were only here for the whiskey Top businessman on his turn as royal tour guide, his pride in Cathedral Quarter, and why he might yet add to his pub empire Willie leads the royals on a tour of Commercial Court Maxie Swain Mon 31 Mar 2025 at 20:00 For Willie Jack, it was fitting the King chose one of our cultural crown jewels as his first port of call in the royals whistlestop walkabout in Belfast last week. Adobe Stock The Hartford Institute says there are roughly 370,000 churches in the United States. According to its data, about 1,650 of those churches qualify to be classified as "megachurches." What Defines a Megachurch? For clarification, a megachurch refers to the number of congregants in a church, not the physical size of the building. To be classified as a megachurch, the church must have a minimum weekly attendance of 2,000 people. Gateway Church is considered the largest megachurch in the United States, with over 100,000 people attending weekly. If only 1,650 of the churches out of 370,000 are classified as "megachurches," what does that say about the rest? The average church in America has a weekly attendance of 60 people. So, most of the churches in America do not fall into the category and the microscope of the question pertinent to this article. However, all churches need to practice holiness and reflect the character of Jesus Christ, the One they represent. The Rise of Scandals in Megachurches Since 2017, the "megachurch" has been in the news often. It would appear that a network of pastors, especially high-profile megachurch pastors, have been experiencing moral failure or scandal in their churches. It is important to remember in this discussion that "megachurches" have more than one "pastor" on their staff. The average megachurch has between 20 and 100 pastoral staff. This means the average megachurch potentially has more pastoral staff than the average church in America, which has people attending its congregation. So, the dynamics of the inner workings of a megachurch are comparable to the entire size of the average church in America. This certainly poses many internal challenges and obstacles to overcome and address for the health of the leadership to maintain proper balance and accountability. Leadership Structures in Megachurches It appears that many megachurches have a leadership model with a single Lead or Senior Pastor who is focused on vision and teaching to the congregation. Within megachurch models, there are a myriad of models that manifest themselves, from multi-site with online teaching to multi-teachers at multiple locations to single-location megachurches with massive media presence. Regardless of how these megachurches execute their vision and teaching, it does appear that many of them follow a model that involves an elder board and overseers who are responsible for the Senior or Lead Pastor of the megachurch regardless of its structure or organizational chart. Gateway Church, the largest megachurch in the United States, seems to mirror a model that churches like Lakewood Church in Houston, Potters House Church in Dallas, Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama seem to model. Megachurches have elder boards usually constructed with the Senior Pastor, other high-level pastors on the church staff, and a mixture of business and spiritual advisors, with lay or volunteer participation from a few of the board members. These boards generally do not have ultimate authority or control over the Senior or Lead Pastor of the church. These megachurch models usually implore what is often referred to as an "Overseer Board." This board is usually made up of senior or Lead Pastors of other churches or CEOs of para-church organizations. The flow of meetings, the accountability process, and the pathway for communication to these "Overseer Boards" are often cryptic and cloaked. Supposedly, the Oversight board is responsible for hiring and firing the Senior Pastor, ensuring discipline, salary and benefits, and maintaining this leader's moral and character accountability. Now, it is important to realize that the generalities of the megachurch leadership model are the focus here and that there are always exceptions to every general model. But for the sake of this discussion, the generalities will remain the focus. The Accountability Gap In the general megachurch leadership model, the Senior Pastor is usually sovereign over the church. The Elders rarely have the authority to remove the Senior Pastor. The Overseer board is usually responsible for the conduct, character, salary, and benefits of the Senior leader. This detached model from the church organizational chart certainly gives the Senior Pastor the authority to lead the church, but it creates an unfortunate vacuum between the elder board and the Overseer board. A vacuum that often the Senior Pastor lives in by themselves. Rarely is there written evidence of the overseer board meetings, and rarely, if ever, is there evidence of it occurring. The communication between the elder board and overseer board is often boiled down to the Senior Pastor's communication to each. This does not mean that the model can't work, but what it does mean is the Senior Leader is forced to create a measure of accountability that will not and does not exist apart from them intentionally making it happen on an ongoing basis. The Bible says that wisdom is found in a multitude of counselors. If the Senior Pastor pushes themselves to seek and interface with the counsel between these two boards, it seems to work, but the moment the Senior Leader has a weak moral moment, this model creates flexibility to hide the truth about themselves, their decisions, and, sadly, their moral downfall. The Role of NDAs in Church Culture This model, in conjunction with the acceptable norms of using nondisclosure agreements like Gateway Church, New Life Church in Colorado Springs, whose pastor came from Gateway, and other churches like Hillsong in Australia to silence objectionable conduct of senior leaders, tends to lend itself to a culture of secrecy that isn't discovered for many years that leads to massive scandal and incredible destruction to the mass number of churches in proximity to their practices. This tends to inflate the view that "all megachurches are corrupt" and creates a sense of association of guilt for those in proximity to them. Possible Solutions Is there a potential solution or principle that could govern megachurches that could stem the tide and reverse the perception and, sadly, sometimes the reality of megachurches being seen as corrupt? It begins with a willingness to function not with NDAs but with a desire to have appropriate full disclosure from the Overseer board and elder board to the entire congregation who associates with the church as members regardless of how membership is determined. When a leadership knows that its congregation is going to be brought into this process at some point, it changes how the organization functions at the top. Secondly, when megachurches refuse to use NDAs to silence sex abuse victims and those who have been harmed by the leadership of the church in whatever capacity, true healing occurs. A Biblical Approach to Church Leadership Scripture emphasizes confession, accountability, and transparencyqualities often lacking in megachurch leadership structures today. James 5:16 says, Confess your faults one to another and experience healing. Churches heal when leadership confesses to them the failures of their leadership. Paul told Timothy how to handle leaders who had sinned. In 1 Timothy 5:20, Paul said, Rebuke them in the presence of all, so the rest may stand in fear. Sadly, during these seven-plus years of massive megachurch pastors falling, there is evidence of churches and elder boards that still refuse to acknowledge or admit the sins committed by their leaders for fear of destroying the organization and the success of that church. This grieves the heart of God and the Holy Spirit who oversees the church, Jesus Bride. Pastors are charged to teach that God has not given His people a spirit of fear, but it appears the spirit of fear governs a lot of the megachurch models and leadership today. The True Measure of Church Success In the book of Joshua, God differentiated between "success" and good success. Success in the world's eyes has more to do with the size of the budget, buildings, and sadly butts in the seats. But good success, the kind of success the God of the Bible calls churches to have, is born out of confession, character development, and obedience to Christ's commands. Probably one of the saddest things to come out of the scandals of this megachurch movement will be the pastors and elders who must give an account for stewarding God's church in unholy ways to maintain the "success" of their churches. See, when God builds His kingdom, faith governs it, not fear. And when faith governs it, secrecy and NDAs to suppress criminal activities are not needed, ever! Corruption is a deceptive seed planted in secrecy and sadly exposed in public. As God said to King David 2 Samuel 12:12, "What you did in secret, I will do in front of all." Final Thoughts: A Call For Integrity Megachurches do not have to be corrupt any more than smaller churches, but the temptation to hide the truth to save the success will sadly create massive examples of corruption that will lend themselves to the perception that megachurches are more corrupt. But it doesn't have to be this way; the issue is not the size of the church but the inner workings of the leadership. If the leadership has nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear. May megachurches live with true accountability and full disclosure instead of nondisclosures! Pastor Kelly Williams founded and has served as the senior pastor for Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs for 27 years. During this time, he has spoken for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and authored several books, including Real Marriage: Where Fantasy Meets Reality, co-written with his wife Tosha, Friend of Sinners: Taking Risks To Reach The Lost, The Mystery of 23: God Speaks, and The Good Pastor. He also contributes regularly to Patheos, Christianity Today, Dallas Theological Seminary, The Christian Post, Church Leaders, and Outreach Magazine. shutterstock.com Many of us take our religion very seriously. We have learned our lessons over time and practice in good faith the teachings that help us live a good and moral life. But what if things are taken too far and religious devotion goes beyond an honest living and faithful practices? Is it possible to take your religion too seriously, to the point where it causes problems? The answer is yes, its possible. People for whom religion takes over their lives to the point of causing stress and unhappiness may suffer from scrupulosity, or religious obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Those dealing with scrupulosity often experience extreme and intrusive thoughts and feelings about their own behaviors as they relate to their religious beliefs. This can create a number of very serious problems in a persons life that affect their quality of life and actually make it harder for them to honor their religion and their God they way they want to. What is Scrupulosity? Its important to understand that scrupulosity isnt the same as being devout. There is nothing wrong with being devoted to God and practicing your religion faithfully. And theres nothing wrong with living your life serving God if thats your choice. But an unhealthy focus on the repercussions of every thought and action and worry over divine retribution is something different. Suffers of scrupulosity are actually dealing with a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that create persistent, uncomfortable, and unwanted thoughts and worries. Theyre consumed with guilt, concern with Gods vengeance, and the fear that their actions will ultimately lead to damnation. A person suffering with scrupulosity may fret constantly about sins they feel theyve committed, sins they worry they may someday commit, and even just their thoughts about them. In their minds the thought of something that could be perceived as a sin will result in punishment. They are certain that no matter how faithful and devout they are, its not enough. Their devotion to serving God becomes obsessive, uber-controlling, and unhealthy. Becoming consumed with worry that they are somehow disappointing God and will be punished. This obsession will lead to desperate, disruptive, and compulsive behavior. A person may seek relief by focusing on certain elaborate rituals that demonstrate their devotion, or repetitive patterns of behavior like requesting forgiveness and absolution, constant praying or recitation of scripture, or consulting religious leaders with inappropriate frequency. Recognizing scrupulosity can be tricky as you want to avoid passing judgement on the way someone practices their faith and honors God. Generally, those things are personal and a matter of preference. Scrupulosity goes far beyond these boundaries, however, and can actually cause problems for the sufferer in their lives and relationships. Its also a psychological problem more than a religious one. Some of the more common signs that faithful practices may have crossed the line into religious OCD include the following. Incessant fears about sins in their past or sins that have yet to be committed. Concern about being unworthy or that their soul cant be salvaged. Seeing evil and the devils handiwork in nearly everything. Obsession over dress, speech, and personal interactions that may somehow displease God. Persistent and unshakable shame. Magical thinking related to rituals, prayers, or activities that will lead to a greater acceptance by God, or repercussions if they arent performed correctly, at specific times, or in a specific location. Rejection of people and relationships because of worry that God will be displeased. Irrational fears related to morality and behavior and the belief that any slip will lead their soul being damned to Hell. This is by no means a complete list of the potential symptoms of scrupulosity. Behaviors related to this particular form of OCD can vary from individual to individual.If, however, you or someone you know is suffering from any of the above, you should be concerned. What to Do if Someone is Suffering From Religious Scrupulosity Its crucial to remember that someone dealing with this form of obsessive-compulsive behavior is suffering. In all likelihood they feel helpless to control their thoughts and behaviors. They may feel like they are going crazy and need constant reassurances from those around them that they arent. This is something that can feel difficult to do if their behaviors are extreme. And, although the focus is centered around religion, their thoughts and behaviors arent necessarily a true reflection of their beliefs, nor are they indicative of what that person truly needs from his or her religious leaders and community. Effectively supporting someone suffering from scrupulosity means understanding they need help. What that help looks like and who provides it will depend upon the person and the severity of their behaviors. They may need the assistance of a qualified counselor and/or the support of a religious leader whos familiar with the condition. Fortunately, there are a number of resources available to both families and clergy to assist with guiding someone into the proper treatment. Its also important to understand that it isnt religion itself or even likely the teachings theyve received that are at the root of their behavior. Friends and family members need to recognize this and be careful not to blame religion or the religious community. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a psychological and behavioral issue that requires treatment. This means that without help people dealing with this are at high risk of developing further issues with depression and are in need of the help and love of a support system. People suffering with scrupulosity typically see God as punishing rather than forgiving. This is an opportunity to remind them of Gods love and that they are worthy of it. These reminders and your support likely will not be all they need to recover, but they can play a big part. The help they need wont be effective overnight either, so practicing patience is crucial. With your love and support, the guidance of religious leaders and the help of a qualified counselor, recovery and a healthy relationship with God and religion is certainly possible. 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. One of our children refused to eat tomatoes until we vacationed in Maine one summer. We rented a small house on Mount Desert Island. Days were spent hiking in Acadia National Park. We would hit local markets for lunch ingredients and make big sandwiches with thick slices of local tomatoes. These are Maine tomatoes, we would explain when we stopped for lunch on a rock in the sun. Theyre different than other tomatoes. Try the sandwich. And the child ate with gusto, reveling in the sweet morsel that tasted of summer sun. Then we would scour local markets on our way back for supper ingredients. One evening, a salad contained many cut-up fresh Maine tomatoes. The recalcitrant daughter pronounced them delicious, and vowed never to eat any tomato other than a Maine tomato. For years following, as I presented a salad at the table in Concord or Philadelphia, I would remark, fully aware of the fib, that it contained the childs favorite: Maine tomatoes. Most were from local farm markets, others were of dubious origin. Each was devoured with a soliloquy from the child on why Maine tomatoes were the best. I might have kept the fingers of one hand tightly crossed in my lap throughout dinner. At least, I should have. Recently, this grown daughter, with children of her own, sent me a picture of a tomato she bought recently. Its proud label defined it as a Maine tomato. Cooks know that sometimes harmless culinary phantoms help people try things they ordinarily wouldnt entertain, but with the right table setting, will come to love. Another sort of phantom is a recipe for Graham Cracker Brownies I received many years ago from Lesley Herzberg, the executive director of the Berkshire County Historical Society. Its her mothers recipe for brownies. The recipe uses half a box of graham crackers ground up, and a bag of chocolate chips with a few other things. There is no sugar in it. Through kitchen magic, the grahams somehow take on the characteristics of chocolate and create an irresistible bar that you would swear was just chocolate, cocoa and sugar, the traditional mix. The winner of cooking fake-outs, however, is a recipe I received from a colleague at the New Jersey State Council on the Arts some years ago. Since we were an arts council, and the employees were artistic types, most recipes exchanged were headed by elaborate hand-drawn illustrations, sometimes watercolor, sometimes colored with gouache. The careful printing on the cards or sheets of art-quality paper was close to calligrapher precise. The culinary phantom is for a corn casserole. There is no corn in it. The author told me this was a family recipe, developed because two members of the family refused to eat fish. The cooks mother called it corn casserole, and the fish-averse people lapped it up for 28 years before the secret was revealed. The revelation apparently did not dampen their enjoyment. It is an easy and inexpensive recipe to make. Enjoy, and see if one of your non-fish eaters goes for it. You can serve sliced Maine tomatoes on the side. This scone recipe will transport you to the English countryside This ultra-buttery Irish scone recipe brings back the magic of peaceful country lanes, bustling market towns, and the unforgettable taste of clotted cream. CORN CASSEROLE Serves: 4 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes to 1 hour INGREDIENTS 4 cups coarsely crushed saltine crackers 2 cups whole milk 2 cans minced clams with their juice 1 stick unsalted butter, melted 4 eggs, slightly beaten Salt and pepper to taste Breadcrumbs or a little grated Parmesan (optional) DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 F. Crush the saltines in a large bowl. Add the milk and mix with a spatula to moisten all the crackers. Let the mixture sit until all the milk is absorbed. Add the clams with their juices, salt and pepper, butter and eggs. Mix well and turn into an oven-safe casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, until the top is puffy and the mixture is set. Remove from oven and sprinkle crumbs or grated cheese, if using. The Hill 78 and Building 71 landfills near Allendale Elementary School, to the right, in Pittsfield contain PCBs from the cleanup of the Housatonic River. Several current or former Allendale residents have sued General Electric Co. and Monsanto for PCB pollution that they allege directly led to their children's cancers. PITTSFIELD When the School Committee agreed on Dec. 30 to move ahead with an independent investigation of allegations against several educators at Pittsfield High School, residents and officials said they wanted the results to be made public. The committee agreed. But that was before investigators had asked a single question, or their interview subjects had answered. What those investigators have since gathered has convinced School Committee Chairman William Cameron, on the advice of the schools' legal counsel, not to make the full report public. In an interview with Northeast Public Radio published Friday, Cameron said the report, compiled by a Springfield law firm paid with city dollars, will not be released, on the advice of legal counsel. The information that we have based on the first report that we received has unedited comments by people who were interviewed, Cameron told WAMC. There would be no good purpose served by seeing what people think about other people, or anything of that sort. I think it would be an invitation to further conflict and controversy. So, we are not going to release the reports, but the outcomes, where there is an outcome to be released will, in fact, be made known. Cameron did not respond to messages seeking comment as of press time. City councilors who supported the investigation say they don't need a full airing of what could possibly include defamatory statements. But they want to see a redacted version or an executive summary, arguing that's required to rebuild trust and understand what might need to be corrected. The investigation was chartered after the arrest of PHS Dean of Students Lavante Wiggins on federal drug conspiracy charges. A flurry of allegations of improper behavior followed against current and former PHS educators and administrators, including Wiggins, Dean of Students Molly West and Vice Principal Alison Shepard. All were placed on paid administrative leave. The investigation has already returned a finding that the allegations against West are "unsupported," and she is back at work. Shepard and Wiggins are still on paid leave. Amid those allegations, the School Committee retained Bulkley Richardson & Gelinas through the end of March, with retired Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup leading the effort. That retainer, since extended through April, pays the firm $275 an hour, $110 per hour for paralegal services, and reimbursement of mileage and expenses. Councilor Rhonda Serre, who was among councilors who filed a petition in December supporting a full investigation, feels the body should at least see an "executive summary" of the findings "an unbiased summation of the events that happened, so that we can learn from it." "We and the public deserve some type of information on what happened," added Councilor Patrick Kavey. "How do you build trust if you don't have some level of transparency?" Committee Vice Chairman Daniel Elias said he trusts Cameron's instincts. "He would know what we can and cannot make public," Elias said, noting Cameron's experience as a Pittsfield school administrator and superintendent in the Central Berkshire Regional School District and Lenox schools. "Originally I would have liked to have as much as possible to be released," Elias said. But when Cameron reviewed the findings with the school districts' counsel, "the lawyer stated we should release the findings, and not the report itself, for a lot of reasons." When the School Committee approved the investigation, Mayor Peter Marchetti asked for full transparency. And Cameron committed to that but with the caveat that there could be sensitive content that would not be appropriate for public release. On Monday, Marchetti said he is still getting up to speed on the situation and he doesn't yet know what's in the report. "I will work with legal counsel to understand this better, then make a decision of what we should or shouldn't do," he said. "If whats in the document could cause additional lawsuits, first and foremost I need to protect the city." But Marchetti understands, from hearing from council members and constituents, that they want to know. "I think it's important that if we can share facts, that we should," he said. "Hopefully sharing the facts would quell anxiety or fears." City resident Valerie Andersen, who worked as a lawyer in California, is among those who have publicly called for transparency. But she also understands the potential for defamation may lurk within its pages, and suggested redacting the report, or summarizing what witnesses said with their names removed. "And it would be interesting to know who they interviewed. I think thats really important," she said. "But we should get some details. Substantive details. Without defamatory content." Serre agreed. "I don't need to see transcripts of private interviews and the like," she said. "But I want to know we are making the right decisions and doing the right things, and that we truly understand what happened." Councilor Earl Persip III said he was disappointed in the decision, saying it confirmed doubts voiced by naysayers from the start. "If you do not release the information, people will continue to question the information," he said. "There's no reason for people to trust the process if the process isn't open. That's what people's fears were in beginning and it's playing out like people thought it would." Councilor Kathy Amuso, a former School Committee member, called the decision of what to release "a delicate balance." She also cautioned that a full release could reopen wounds at PHS, where students, families and faculty have begun healing after months of unsettling allegations and harsh social media commentary. "I think we need to get what we can get," she said, "but I understand where [Cameron] is coming from." Detours for the MassDOT project began on Monday and will continue for at least the next two months. The hope is by the end of the major reconfiguration that the sections of North and First streets will be safer for pedestrians and drivers. STOCKBRIDGE Every April 1, a huge, eye-catching banner is unfurled and attached above the Red Lion Inn porch. But not this year. The annual April Fools' Day prank a keenly awaited Fitzpatrick family tradition dating back more than 20 years is whimsical at least, and laugh-out-loud funny at best. "Today's special: Our famous Chicken POT Pie," read the 2019 banner, with "POT" superimposed on a cannabis leaf. Or, from 2013, Now with cell service! just kidding. But this year, the Red Lion Inn owners feel these times are no laughing matter, so theres no banner. Instead, as a barbed comment on the country's fraught political scene, the third-generation Fitzpatrick ownership group vetoed the inn teams prank proposals in favor of a large poster-sized replica of the U.S. Constitution placed at the entrance to the Red Lion porch. The more we got into it, a week or so ago, I just said that I cant imagine putting something on the front of the Red Lion that even remotely pokes fun at whats going on, said Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street Hospitality and the granddaughter of the late inn owners Jack and Jane Fitzpatrick. The company operates the Stockbridge hotel and restaurant, which dates from 1773, as well as nine other properties for the family, including Porches Inn at Mass MoCA in North Adams, and Island House in Newport, R.I. A humorous banner prank just didnt feel right because of the real suffering, anxiety and fear that people are feeling, said Eustis. It just felt out of step. Were protesting the disregard for the rule of law and the Constitution of the United States of America. Were just saying that whats going on is not something were willing to joke about right now. She stressed that when ICE is picking up people with no due process off the streets of the Berkshires, Ive got a problem with that. But theres no intention to mount a bully pulpit around the business because we do have guests from all over, and their political beliefs do not keep them from being able to stay at the Red Lion Inn. Eustis noting that her grandfather, Jack, was a Republican state senator representing the Berkshires from 1973 to 1980 asserted that our family is very progressive and open-minded. I think he would be appalled. She emphasized that the family is not overtly taking a political position to represent its hospitality business. But theres no question that the gravity of whats going on will affect us all, one way or the other, she said. So, to take a break from the banner, the idea of displaying the Constitution emerged. People can come and read it, even me, and refresh ourselves about what our fundamental beliefs and rights around the formation of the country really are, Eustis said. Its not meant to be preachy or holier-than-thou, she emphasized. Our family comes from a time when discourse and the exchange of ideas and the ability to govern by Republicans and Democrats together was the way the framers of the Constitution actually envisioned us to work. Noting the role Stockbridge and the region played in the American Revolution, autocracy is what we fought against, Eustis said. Im doing it to show people that were not OK with whats going on, because our communities are one way or another going to be affected some people think its for the better, but whatever. However, banner fans can be reassured this is just a one-time break from a fun tradition, Eustis said. We will keep going with it in the future. You might see a banner when you least expect it. In West Texas, a measles outbreak that began in late January has grown to 327 cases, including 325 unvaccinated children and adults. At least 40 people have been hospitalized and an unvaccinated child has died the first such death in the United States in a decade. The Bible is the most famous and bestselling book of all time no other book comes anywhere close. With such popularity, our culture has certain ideas about Scripture, both factual and not. Most people have a copy of the Bible in their home, but fewer read and study it. We are more likely to be influenced by the popular culture and media than actual personal experience with the text. As people begin to engage with the Scripture, they might have to combat a modern assumption (sometimes explicitly expressed) that a bunch of old European guys sat in a room and wrote the Bible, making it up for religious control or some other corrupt reason. Many wonder who wrote the Bible and when, one question of legitimacy. We cant go into all the details in one article, but lets take a deeper look into when and how the Bible was written and compiled to give us a more complex and inspiring view of the collection of books written by dozens of diverse authors over 1,500 years. When Was the Old Testament Written? The whole Bible isnt one book; its a library of 66 books written by authors over 1,500 years, most of them men of color and a Middle Eastern culture, not European. Writing and canonization didnt happen at once but as a result of an amazing process over time. For the Old Testament, the writing began as early as 1400 BC and finished around 400 BC. The process varied. Much of the earlier works began as oral tradition (as most ancient books did), developing from different genres and purposes. The earliest books include Job and the first five books, what we call the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Many scholars believe Job is the oldest book, probably written during the time of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph). The poetic dialogue about suffering and Gods love shows an ancient worldview before Israels development but consistent with Gods revelation about himself. The first five books, traditionally attributed to Moses, were probably written after Israels exodus from Egypt and before they entered the Promised Land (1440 BC). These books give account of Gods creation through to his covenants with Abraham and Israel. These first five books became the foundation of all Jewish religious life. Next, historical books of Joshua, Judges, and Samuel were written, going over Israels battles for the promised land, the period of deliverers known as judges, and the first kings. During the time of Israels kings, different genres like poetry and wisdom literature emerged. David and Solomon wrote much of Psalms and Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon expressed wisdom around love and the meaning of life. Psalms ended up spanning centuries, including songs of worship from Moses and Asaph. Israel and Judah split, and peoples and kings rebelled against God and his covenant. From the 8th to the 5th centuries BC, the prophetic literature became more pronounced. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and others wrote Gods messages down, warning Israel, Judah, and other nations of Gods judgment for their sin and oppression. They also offered hope and the promise of restoration from Gods love. These writings dominated the latter time of Israel and Judah, although Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah also cover some history. 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles were probably compiled later (perhaps during the Babylonian exile) from ancient texts, royal scribes and prophets, to cover the broad history of the monarchs to the exile to Babylon. The final Old Testament book, Malachi, was written around 430 BC. While Jewish history and some writing continued, no other true prophetic messages happened before the New Testament. Malachi becomes the final book in the canon of what we call the Old Testament. The Old Testament contains a revelation of Gods plan, preserved through Gods protection and careful diligence by Jewish scribes and prophets. When Was the Old Testament Canon Established? While the books of the Old Testament are God-inspired, the full idea of canonization came much later, a necessary adaptation to the Jewish historical context. The writings began around 1500 BC, but the final canonization didnt happen until around 200 BC. The first real canonization occurred with what the Jews called the Torah, the first five books of Moses. Containing the covenants and details of the Law all Israel was to follow, this became the initial form of absolute written authority. Moses wrote the first five books to be a treatise and foundation of sorts, so Israel treated it as such. By the time of Joshua, Moses writings were already considered Scripture (Joshua 1:8). As Israels history continued, more writings happened, as detailed above. Many were written for various purposes. They wrote down history and Gods messages through the prophets. However, by the time of Josiah, Judah recognized some collection of Scripture (2 Kings 22). The prophetic books, beginning with Isaiah, gained recognition as Gods messages to Israel and Judah. While the words were resisted originally, much of what they said regarding Gods judgment to Assyrian and Babylonian exiles actually happened, legitimizing their ministries. During this period, Jewish religious leaders also started regarding wisdom and poetic literature as authoritative due to their connection with David as a model king and basis for a growing Messianic prophecy. By the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (5th century BC), the Law and Prophets had authoritative status as Scripture. Many scholars believe a reshaping and collection of Hebrew Scriptures happened along with a renewed hope as the Jews returned to Jerusalem and their Promised Land, reestablishing a scribe and priest class to preserve the original texts and Gods messages. Still, while many texts were considered essential, the development of the Septuagint finalized the canonization of the Old Testament. As most Jews no longer spoke or read Hebrew primarily by the 2nd century BC, and a majority of Gods people were dispersed throughout the Greek and Roman empires, a group of scholars in Alexandria decided to translate the Hebrew texts into Greek, the common language even through the days of the early church. In addition, a majority of Jews didnt worship at Jerusalem but in synagogues in major cities thousands of miles apart. Having a Greek translation in a set collection made logical sense, necessary for the Jews to continue to keep the commandments and be a holy people. The Septuagint canon remained in flux over time, but by the first century AD, in Jesus and the apostolic time, most Jewish communities recognized this fixed canon of Scripture containing the Law, the Prophets, and the writings, what we would consider the Old Testament. The Jewish council of Jamnia affirmed this collection in AD 90, although discussions and arguments regarding extra and other books continue to this day. The first century Jews and Jesus would have considered the Septuagint the complete revelation of God, and an idea of canon accepted as normal. This Septuagint, however, was in some ways incomplete. It promised a future king-priest, a supernatural Messiah. In this context, Jesus arrived. When Was the New Testament Written? With the Septuagint and a Hebrew canon in place, Jesus came, died, and was resurrected. Thus, the church was birthed. The New Testament writings, like much of the Hebrew Scriptures, were written to people for encouragement and explanation, to fulfill the Great Commission, to make disciples and teach them all Jesus said (Matthew 28:19-20). Since the Jews were fairly literate, and the Roman world allowed for safe and easy written communication, the apostles started recording and teaching through letters and books. The earliest New Testament writings were letters from leaders to churches. Around AD 50, Paul wrote Galatians, addressing controversies. Over the next 15 years, he wrote more to the churches he planted and other believers, from Corinth to Rome, repeating his doctrine, encouraging believers, and correcting church behavior. In some cases, he wrote so they could read apostolic doctrine publicly and repeatedly. He also wrote to church leaders like Titus and Timothy. At the same time, apostles spoke the Gospel the life and work of Jesus. They began writing down these stories about Christ with Mark, a companion of Peter, around AD 55. Matthew and Luke followed a few years later. Luke, one of Pauls traveling companions, wrote his Gospel and Acts as a two-part record and documentation of Jesus and the growing church. Johns Gospel came later, around AD 90, which gave a more theological perspective, likely filling in details not present in the previous three. John and Peter also wrote letters to churches. Finally, John wrote a prophetic book, the apocalyptic Revelation, from a vivid vision from Jesus about his future return. John wrote this around AD 95 while on exile on Patmos, persecuted for sharing the Gospel. By the end of the first century, all New Testament books had been written, and the early church started sharing these documents to disciple and teach Christians how to live the new covenant life. Not long after, the second century church discussed a new canonization. When Was the New Testament Canon Established? The early church had an example of canonization, the Hebrew Septuagint, which Christians already believed was a spiritually authoritative text. Jesus and the apostles taught from those Hebrew texts as Gods Word. As the apostles died, the next generation started talking about canonizing a New Testament for two connected reasons. First, it was to pass down what they considered apostolic doctrine from Jesus, the founder and finisher of the faith. Second, it was to guard against all the heresies and divisions during the development of Christian doctrine. The canonization process began early, in the second century, and had three main criteria for inclusion: apostolic doctrine, apostolic authorship or connection, and universal use by the church. Apostolic doctrine meant how the original, main disciples passed on Jesus teaching, anointed by the Spirit to do so. That meant it must be written by an apostle or someone associated with one (like Mark and Luke). Finally, the testimony of the diverse and far-reaching church was crucial. Did every church from every corner of the world agree this writing was God-breathed and essential for doctrine and discipleship? Then it was considered for canonization. By the late first century, all four Gospels held authority across Christian communities. Soon after, Pauls letters also gained immediate acceptance, beginning with the churches he planted and then the broader church. Peter even referred to Pauls letters as Scripture in 2 Peter 3:15-16, an early sign these writings were considered spiritual authority. In the second century, church leaders like Irenaeus and Clement confirmed and listed a core group of books, including the Gospels, Acts, and most of what we now consider the New Testament. By AD 200, the Muratorian Fragment listed 22 of our modern 27 books as canon. There was some debate regarding Hebrews and James, specifically, but the church widely accepted the books we now have as the New Testament. The church rejected many writings like the Gnostic texts and books claiming to be written by an apostle that werent. By AD 367, Athanasius listed all 27 books in his Easter letter, regarding their universal acceptance as canon, which was a time before Rome adopted Christianity as the state religion and developed Catholicism. Later councils of Hippo (AD 393) and Carthage (AD 397) confirmed this list as well. While some Bibles contain more books, whether the Apocrypha or others, those 66 books remain universally accepted across the worlds Christians as Spirit-inspired, authoritative writings useful for producing Jesus disciples and guarding against heresy. Peace. Photo credit: Unsplash/Clark Young Britt Mooney lives and tells great stories. As an author of fiction and non-fiction, he is passionate about teaching ministries and nonprofits the power of storytelling to inspire and spread truth. Mooney has a podcast called Kingdom Over Coffee and is a published author of We Were Reborn for This: The Jesus Model for Living Heaven on Earth as well as Say Yes: How God-Sized Dreams Take Flight. Scripture tells us that God gave us the law to make us aware of our sin and our need for Him. As the Apostle Paul explained, he would never have known what sin was if not for the righteous law given by the Lord (Romans 7:7). The point is that we could never live up to the perfection of the Lord That is why He sent His Son. Jesus did what we could not do. He perfectly followed the law and committed no sin. The sinless One took our sin upon Himself to pay the penalty for our wrongdoing (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because of His death and resurrection, we are washed clean and made new. As Titus 3:5 tells us, He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Whenever the Father looks at believers, He sees Christ whose blood covers us. For in Jesus, we are declared righteous. When we consider the role of sin in our lives and the message of the gospel, our neediness is revealed. We are helpless to change our condition and could never wash away our sins on our own. The gift of grace is so much more powerful because of our need for help. None of us deserve the salvation that Jesus died to give us, but He gives it to us freely when we place faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9). The perfect Lord met us in our need and lovingly provided a way for us to be in a relationship with Him. Our need for grace and forgiveness does not stop the moment we place faith in Jesus. As we live in this world, we will continue to struggle with sin. We will hurt people, even those we care about, and they will inevitably hurt us. Everyday there is a need to be aware of our own sinfulness so that we can forgive and be forgiven. To think that we will always act perfectly is to ignore the very reason Jesus came to die for us. Nobody is perfect, yet we do serve a holy and flawless Lord who loved us and gave Himself for us. In Him, we are declared righteous and empowered to walk in godliness. Photo credit: Getty Images/Christin Lola First Name First Name should not be empty! Last Name Last Name should not be empty! E-mail Email address should not be empty! Password Show Password should not be empty! Confirm Password Show Confirm Password should not be empty! Newsletter E-magazine Biospectrum Infomercial Bio Resource I accept the terms & conditions & Privacy policy Ankura Hospitals secures Rs 165 Cr funding from Asian Development Bank April 01, 2025 | Tuesday | News To establish new state-of-the-art facilities in key cities across India image credit- shutterstock Hyderabad-based Ankura Hospitals, a leading healthcare provider specialising in super-specialty tertiary and quaternary care services for women and children, has secured Rs 165 crore in funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This strategic investment will support Ankura's ambitious expansion plans and is aligned with its long-term vision to strengthen its market presence and enhance healthcare accessibility across India. As part of its expansion strategy, Ankura Hospitals is focused on establishing new state-of-the-art facilities in key cities across India. Ankura Hospitals specialises in providing world-class care in maternity and gynecology, offering services such as normal deliveries, cesarean sections, fertility treatments, high-risk obstetrics, and comprehensive prenatal and postnatal care. The hospital also features advanced surgical solutions in gynecology, including laparoscopic surgeries and treatment for various gynecological conditions. Also, Ankura Hospitals is providing world-class services, including advanced neonatal intensive care, all paediatric subspecialties, pediatric surgery, child development, and behavioral health for children. With the support from ADB, Ankura Hospitals is poised to enhance its facilities, broaden its impact, and continue delivering exceptional care across India. Andhra Pradesh seeks greater collaboration with Centre to boost biotechnology April 01, 2025 | Tuesday | News Centre to extend full support for Andhra Pradeshs biotechnology push: Dr Jitendra Singh image credit- pib Andhra Pradeshs Health Minister, Y. Satya Kumar, called on Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh in the national capital, seeking greater collaboration in the field of biotechnology. During their discussion, the two leaders explored ways to upscale biotechnology-related projects in the state and enhance ongoing initiatives with central support. Satya Kumar highlighted Andhra Pradeshs commitment to leveraging biotechnology for healthcare advancements and industrial applications. He stressed the need for increased cooperation to bring cutting-edge innovations to the state. Dr Jitendra Singh assured full support from the Centre, reaffirming that biotechnology remains a priority sector under the present government. He emphasised the transformative potential of biotechnology in sectors like healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and sustainable StartUps, noting that Andhra Pradesh could play a crucial role in driving such advancements. Dr Jitendra Singh noted that, over the years, Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a key player in Indias biotechnology sector, in areas such as biopharmaceutical research, marine biotechnology, and agricultural biotech solutions. The State hosts several biotech incubators and research institutions that have been instrumental in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. With initiatives like the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) funding and national biotech missions, Andhra Pradesh has witnessed significant growth in biotech startups and industry partnerships, the Minister said. The renewed push for collaboration aims to further integrate the state into Indias broader biotechnology roadmap, he added. Madhav Netralaya Eye Hospital & Research Centre to open in Nagpur April 01, 2025 | Tuesday | News HOSMAC to lead turn-key design consultancy for Central Indias premier eye care centre The foundation stone for Madhav Netralaya Eye Hospital & Research Centre was laid recently in a distinguished ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Planned to be a pioneering institution in ophthalmic care, the facility is being designed by HOSMAC, Asias leading hospital planning, management, and design consultancy, overseeing the turn-key design consultancy services. Madhav Netralayas architectural vision seamlessly integrates functionality with aesthetics, prioritising patient-centric care. Its elliptical eye-shaped architecture is strategically aligned along the east-west axis to maximize natural light towards the north while reducing heat exposure. The building's rooftop solar panels have an installed capacity of 550 kWp, showcasing HOSMACs commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency in healthcare architecture. The hospitals facade is an eyelid which features curved sandstone walls, protecting the interior clinical spaces from noise and dust pollution. The stone is richly coloured, adding visual depth and textures that are contrasted with panoramic windows. Spread across 5.8 acres, this 250-bed super-specialty eye hospital will offer world-class yet affordable eye care services. With a built-up area of approximately 4 lakh sq. ft., the institute will feature 10 specialised OPDs, 2 dedicated OPDs for community services (Samudayik Sewa), 14 cutting-edge modular operation theatres (OTs), including a dedicated Lasik Surgery Unit, an Eye Bank, and a comprehensive Research Centre. The BARN OT features an open-plan surgical area, where multiple patients are treated in dedicated spaces alongside one another, with each station equipped with an ultra-clean air canopy to minimize the risk of infection. To advance ophthalmic research and treatment, the hospital is benchmarked against leading global institutions and will incorporate advanced facilities such as a Gene Therapy Unit, Biorepository, Genetic Lab, Clinical Trials Centre, Outreach Camp Office, Simulation Lab, and Vision Research Centre. The facility will also include a conference hall, learning centre, and an AYUSH department to ensure a holistic approach to eye care. 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 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 US president Donald Trump said on Sunday he was not joking about seeking a third term but did not explain how he would get around the US Constitution's prohibition against anyone serving more than two terms as president. Here is a look at the legal barriers Mr Trump faces. Advertisement What does the US Constitution say? The 22nd Amendment states in part: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice. The amendment was ratified in 1951 after president Franklin D Roosevelt broke with a self-imposed two-term limit set by presidents since George Washington, the nations first. Roosevelt, a Democrat who was president during the Great Depression and World War Two, served a third term and then died months into his fourth term in 1945. Wayne Unger, a law professor at Quinnipiac University, said the Constitution was clear that presidents are limited to two terms of four years each. He said that while that had not been tested in court, any challenge by Mr Trump would likely be unsuccessful. Advertisement "I would predict the Supreme Court to say nope, it's clear, two terms of four years each, Donald Trump, you cannot run for a third," said Prof Unger, who teaches constitutional law. Can Trump's allies change the Constitution? Yes, but that is highly unlikely in an era of intense political polarisation between Democrats and Mr Trumps Republican Party. Any constitutional amendment would require two-thirds support in the House and Senate or a convention called by two-thirds of the states, and then ratification by 38 of the 50 state legislatures. Republicans hold a razor-thin 218-213 majority in the House and a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Republicans control 28 state legislatures. Advertisement Andy Ogles, a Republican US representative from Tennessee and a strong Trump supporter, in January proposed amending the 22nd Amendment to allow people to serve three non-consecutive terms as president. Since Mr Trump's terms beginning in 2017 and in 2025 were non-consecutive, the amendment if passed would allow him to serve a third term starting in 2029. Could Trump run as vice president? In an interview with NBC, Mr Trump said one possibility would be for his vice president, JD Vance, to run for president in 2028 with Mr Trump as his vice presidential candidate. Mr Vance would then resign as president if he wins, paving the way for Mr Trump to return to the White House. But Mr Trump is barred from running for vice president because he is not eligible to be president. The 12th Amendment to the US Constitution reads, "No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States." The Department of Health was notified of concerns around unnecessary child surgeries more than seven months after a protected disclosure was made within Childrens Health Ireland, the Taoiseach has said. The Dail heard on Tuesday that an audit of paediatric hip dysplasia surgeries at Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals found that hundreds of children operated on between 2021 and 2023 did not meet the threshold for the procedure. Advertisement It had previously heard that 79 per cent of those operated on at National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh and 60% per cent of those at Temple Street did not meet the threshold for surgery in that time frame. Taoiseach Micheal Martin told the Dail that concerns were raised under a protected disclosure to CHI, which is primarily funded by the HSE, in September 2023. He said the Department of Health was informed months later, in May 2024. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has questioned why it took almost a year from then for parents to be formally notified that an audit into the matter is taking place. Advertisement She told the Dail the audit recommends that 561 children be recalled for an independent assessment, adding that parents have started to receive letters about the audit. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (Gareth Chaney/PA) These parents were provided with an email address in the letter, but many tell us theyre emailing and getting no response. Theyre also ringing but getting no answer. Its heaping stress on top of stress. The aail heard that one mother received two letters as her twin daughters both had surgery in 2023, with Ms McDonald adding: It took them months to recover, to learn to walk again, not to mention the agonising pain each of them are in the sleepless nights, crying in pain. During Leaders Questions, she also told the Taoiseach of a girl who had operations on both hips and another mother who was heartbroken to think she may have put her child through surgery days before her third birthday if there was never any need for it. Advertisement Ms McDonald said Sinn Fein was aware of cases sought second opinions where they were told that not only did their child not need the operation, but they did not have hip dysplasia at all. She said there was now a genuine fear that the problem dates back to years before 2021, as she had heard of parents of children receiving letters about operations from a decade ago. Ms McDonald said parents have lost confidence in Childrens Health Ireland, which she said was mired in scandal. She said: Government sits on the sidelines, incapable of getting a handle on things. Advertisement A report has uncovered that unnecessary hip surgeries were carried out on hundreds of young children at two Dublin hospitals, the Dail has been told. Mr Martin acknowledged that the clinical audit compounds the original trauma of the surgery which was felt by children and parents. He said the audit is close to final stage and said it makes sense to wait for its completion and presentation to parents. Mr Martin told Ms McDonald that it was deeply worrying for parents. Advertisement He added: Remember that this is first and foremost, a clinical issue, insofar as these are clinical decisions to take the step of surgery. Thats pre-determined, should be done through multidisciplinary teams who decide that a child needs surgery for a specific condition. So this is an extremely serious situation that the assertion now is that quite a number of operations were carried out unnecessarily. Ireland Hundreds of children put through unnecessary hip s... Read More The Taoiseach said it was his understanding that concerns over unnecessary hip surgeries were initially raised internally within CHI under a protected disclosure in September 2023 relating to different thresholds for surgery being applied in different hospitals. He added: The Department of Health was notified about this matter on the 9th of May 2024. Mr Martin said he expected the details of the audit to be published and called for full transparency into the matter. Design work on Irish language signs at Belfasts Grand Central Station has stopped due to potential legal action, Translink has said. Stormont Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins gave the go-ahead for the signage last week, but it has led to a row among Stormont Executive ministers. Advertisement Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said Ms Kimmins had a legal duty to bring the decision to the Executive. DUP ministers have written to the Infrastructure Minister asking how the decision was made. They have also said they will bring up the row at Thursdays Executive meeting. Jamie Bryson, a loyalist activist is seeking a judicial review of the ministers decision (Liam McBurney/PA) Meanwhile, loyalist activist Jamie Bryson from the Unionist Voice Policy Studies (UVPS) group is attempting to secure a judicial review in the High Court in Belfast against the Department for Infrastructure, stating the decision was taken without Executive approval. Advertisement Ms Kimmins has said the inclusion of Irish on signs at the station would be a hugely positive development. A Translink spokesperson said: Design work to include the Irish language on physical signage and on ticket vending machines at Belfast Grand Central Station has now stopped pending potential legal action. The options to include Irish language on ticket vending machines would need to be further explored with the supplier. The options could include adding this to the current offering or making a substitute. Advertisement Stormont Infrastructure minister Liz Kimmins announced last week that Irish language signs will be installed at the new transport hub in Belfast (David Young/PA) The Department for Infrastructure said the decision to install the signs was taken directly by Ms Kimmins, and not by Translink, the publicly funded transport operator which owns the 340 million (405 million) station. Under Stormont rules, ministerial decisions that are deemed significant or controversial should be considered collectively by the powersharing coalition, rather than by an individual minister. However, within the Executive it is ultimately the responsibility of Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle ONeill and DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly to jointly decide what issues are significant or controversial and should be subject to a wider vote. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said there was a legal obligation to bring the station decision to the Executive (Liam McBurney/PA) Ms Little-Pengelly told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme that her concern was the cost of replacing signs that are virtually new. Advertisement She added: The minister appears to have announced over the course of the last week that she is going to pull those out and replace those at a cost to the taxpayer of 120,000. I think there is genuine concern. This is a legitimate question to ask, why on earth would we be doing this at this time? The deputy First Minister continued: Any controversial or significant issue ought to be brought to the Executive. The minister has not done that so we have asked questions about what is the nature of this decision, we will be asking those questions as to why she has not brought that to the Executive. Advertisement The key issue is to get that information and to ask the minister what she is doing. If it is an issue which is controversial or significant she has that legal duty under the legislation to bring that matter to the Executive. First of all it is about making that absolutely clear to the minister. The minister then has a decision to make about bringing that. That decision is not rightfully taken, it is not a decision that she can take alone, she would need to bring that to the Executive, that is the stage we are at. All controversial and significant matters have to be brought to the Executive for Executive agreement. That is the law. The minister should want to abide by the law. Ms Little-Pengelly added: To be putting new signs into a building and then ripping them out a few months later to replace them on a particular agenda to me does not constitute value for money, it doesnt constitute good decision-making. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt raised concerns over the cost of the decision to install Irish language signs (Liam McBurney/PA) Ulster Unionist minister Mike Nesbitt said the cost of replacing the signage was an issue for him. He said: Could you imagine if I decided I wanted tri-lingual language on every building that delivered healthcare, whether it was hospitals, GP surgeries, social care venues? That would cost, I would imagine, tens and tens of millions of pounds while people are stuck on waiting lists for year after year. I am looking forward to discussing it with Executive colleagues on Thursday morning. He added: One of the first questions I want to ask is why has this issue come to the fore so late in the day? Why did a previous minister not sort it out during the construction phase of Grand Central Station? Grand Central Station has been billed as the largest integrated transport hub on the island of Ireland, with services including trains between Belfast and Dublin. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn said all languages and cultures should be respected (Niall Carson/PA) When the station opened last year disappointment was expressed by the Irish language community that the signage did not incorporate Irish. Ireland DUP intends to put marker down at Executive on I... Read More Speaking at Westminster, Hilary Benn said: That is a matter for the minister and the department in discussion with Translink, but look my view is we should celebrate and respect all languages and all traditions in Northern Ireland. Its a matter in the end for the Infrastructure department and the Executive to sort out. But I repeat, we should respect all the languages and all traditions, because thats the way in which Northern Ireland will continue to progress. The Minister for Finance has laid bare the potential effect of US tariffs on the Irish economy, describing the looming announcement as a significant day in the history of the world. Paschal Donohoe said Ireland is facing a possible slump in employment growth and job creation, a decline in tax revenue, possible tax income increases, an impact on some 80,000 current jobs and he refused to rule out a recession. Advertisement Ireland and European leaders are braced for US president Donald Trumps Liberation Day for the US economy, when he is expected to announce a range of tariffs on imports from other countries. He is expected to target EU countries, including Ireland, with tariffs of about 20 per cent on imports into the US. Tariffs on all Irish exports will lead to higher costs, particularly in the pharma sector. Speaking in Dublin on Tuesday, the Fine Gael Minister said: I know its difficult to make the case for progress on the eve of such a significant day in the history of the world, but if I was to make the case for things that are, despite the challenges that are going to be imposed on us, that are still positive, Id point to three things. Advertisement He pointed to record levels of employment across the EU, and a growing appreciation of predictability by companies across the world. He said the EUs response to the announcement by the US will be thought-out, predictable and communicated. Mr Donohoe also refused to rule out a recession, saying it is difficult to exactly identify what could be the scenario were facing into after Wednesday. All I, in truth, can say at the moment, is on the basis of what president Trump has already said, I do believe it is very likely that we will experience an economic challenge in the next number of years, he said. Advertisement On the basis of what I currently know, I believe its most likely that will lead to a lower level of economic growth, with a risk in relation to how many new jobs could be created or some lost, and that will happen over the next two to four years. Once we know exactly what is going to happen, I think at that point Ill be better able to answer whats the scenario we are conducting. Government Ministers have been briefed on the effect on employment levels, but as the details of the tariffs are not yet clear, Mr Donohoe said the best forecast he can make is one of lower job creation and unemployment levels slowly down or slightly rising. Mr Donohoe also described a possible decline in tax revenue, which will take place over a number of years. Advertisement The exact magnitude of that change in tax revenue, we hope will be in a position to better model once the scale and duration of tariffs become clear, he added. At the moment were not clear on that, that will become clearer at least beginning tomorrow. But I should emphasise, we are confronting all of this with our public finances in surplus, which will be a significant help in dealing with the costs that may be coming our way due to a decline in tax revenue. He said the Government will also consider increasing income tax over the coming years, but the decision will be based on what the tariffs will be, how long they will be in place, and the EUs response. Advertisement The Tanaiste has also warned that the export of pharmaceutical products from Ireland to the US could reduce by about half in the face of US tariffs. Simon Harris said that over a five-year period there could be a very significant reduction of pharmaceutical products, but he does not want to be in the space of the EU applying 20 per cent tariffs. Speaking in Dublin, Mr Harris said the trade relationship between the EU and the US is worth 1.6 trillion every year. Mr Harris set out to Cabinet on Tuesday the potential economic impact on Ireland. About 45,000 people are employed in Irelands pharmaceutical companies, while some 58 billion in pharma and chemicals is exported from Ireland to the US every year. Mr Harris said Ireland and the EU are facing one of the biggest economic challenges, which will have a generational impact. As soon as tomorrow, were highly likely to see a series of announcements from President Donald Trump in relation to trade and tariffs, Mr Harris said. I think this will seek to fundamentally alter the trade relationship between the European Union and the United States of America, and I think it is regrettable, in advance of even seeing the detail, because tariffs are bad for consumers. They push up the cost of doing business, they push up the cost of goods, and we have built successful economies on both sides of the Atlantic on the basis of trading in goods and services. I think it is really important in the days ahead though, that the response from Ireland and the European Union is calm, is measured and is strategic. Crucially, though, this has to be about getting to a point of negotiation. Every disagreement ultimately has to end in an agreement, has to end with people getting around the table, and I certainly hope that what the EU response will do is allow time for meaningful engagement to find a way forward that is good for Europe, good for Ireland and good for the United States. Pharma companies and companies are here because they do very well. In fact, about 60 per cent of what theyre exporting is going into the European Union. In other words, they need a presence in Europe. We have a significant presence of pharma companies here. Of that, theres no doubt, employing around 45,000 people. But were not completely isolated in relation to this, and thats why, over the last number of days and again, today, Ive been talking to colleagues in the European Union, who also have large pharma industries. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said Ireland and the EU must try to avoid worst case scenarios. What is clear is there will be, even after negotiation, there will be some level of tariffs still in place. The issue now, because its then how high? Then its a matter for the Irish economy and the European economy to adapt to that, diversify our markets, look at our competitiveness, both within Ireland and within the European Union, there are a lot of measures we can take, but fundamentally, the old order is changing in terms of the economic model. He added: I think the entire tariff initiative is, as I said, it would be damaging to the entire world economy, to the US economy, in my view, and to the European economy and to Ireland. So weve got to try and mitigate it as much as we possibly can, limit the damage and avoid worst case scenarios. There will be a lot of consultation within the European Union on this issue, to endeavour to get to a strategic response that doesnt bring more damage. Economists are fairly strongly of the view that it needs a calm, collective sort of measured response to make sure we dont feel damage to ourselves in the process. Ireland How exposed is Ireland to the US economy and Trump... Read More Social Democrats TD Sinead Gibney said we do not want to see a tit for tat war. This is being compared by some to Brexit but we appreciate that this is much more complex. Its much more sudden than Brexit but also it has all EU member states affected by it, whereas Ireland was obviously uniquely impacted by the economic fallout from Brexit. So its really important that we use that influence as best we can. Nine out 10 students who took part in a programme to promote third-level participation and tackle early school leaving have progressed to further education, a report has revealed. Some north Dublin suburbs have historically had one of the lowest third-level participation rates in Ireland but 90 per cent of students who joined the Challenger initiative are continuing education beyond second-level. Advertisement However, an assessment of the project coinciding with its 30th anniversary on Tuesday has raised concerns about its long-term future. Challenger, developed in 1995 by primary school teachers Dermot Boyle in Priorswood, and Noel Kelly in Darndale, is delivered by local development company Northside Partnership to 200 young people yearly across Darndale, Bonnybrook, Priorswood, Coolock and Kilmore West, working in partnership with DEIS schools. It provides educational and social support to children with the aim of boosting numbers progressing to further education. The programmes latest evaluation, by Dr Maria Quinlan of Pink Flower Research, warns that Challenger is restrained in long-term planning and development by a vulnerable funding model. Advertisement It is currently co-funded by Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme under the Department of Rural and Community Development, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science through the Higher Education Equity of Access initiative, and the Community Foundation of Ireland. Dr Quinlan said: As is common in the sector of community development, the Challenger programme is reliant on funding support from Government agencies and public donations. She added: While funding is currently secured for the next four to five years, longer term the programme remains at the whim of funding decisions beyond the control of Northside Partnership. This insecure funding model makes long-term planning or programme expansion challenging. Advertisement Offering structured support to young people from sixth class to sixth year, Challenger works with parents and schools, with 40 sixth class pupils joining each year. Challenger provides back up to children transitioning from sixth class to secondary school and through their Junior and Leaving Certificates and aids progression to further education. It aims to challenge young people to reach their full academic, personal, and social potential. Supports include extracurricular tuition and access to the Gaeltacht, and five-year evaluations of the programme have highlighted significant academic improvement, coupled with emotional growth. Advertisement Paul Rogers, chief executive of Northside Partnership, said children from the communities it serves have as much talent and potential as those from more affluent areas, but often lack the chance to fully develop their potential. He said: As well as retaining children in full-time education and seeking to ensure they fulfil their potential, it seeks to build a positive education culture within communities, ensuring further education is viewed as attainable and achievable. He added: Often, what drives families to join Challenger are the success stories of students who have thrived through the programme. According to Dr Jack Nolan, chairman of the Darndale Economic and Social Plan implementation group, a Dublin City Council initiative for the area, introducing children to the concept of further education is a key component of the Challenger programme. Advertisement Challenger introduces children from areas with complex needs to the idea of further education at an early age, he said. It supports them to aim high and guides them along the way. The programmes latest evaluation was scheduled to be unveiled on Tuesday at an event to mark its 30th anniversary in the Hilton Hotel, Northern Cross, by educational inclusion specialist Professor Katriona OSullivan of NUI Maynooth. A man with mental health difficulties who punched an e-scooter rider in the face has had his jail sentence overturned on appeal, after a judge noted the victim had written an extremely generous impact statement. Brian McCann (41), of Georgian Hamlet Baldoyle, Dublin 13, pleaded guilty in the District Court to assault under Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 and received a three-month custodial sentence in April last year. Advertisement The victim of the attack was riding an e-scooter on Belcamp Lane, Coolock, Dublin on February 24th, 2022 when Mr McCann approached him on the street. Mr McCann spoke aggressively to the man and then punched him once in the nose. The victim started to bleed but did not seek medical attention. Defence counsel for Mr McCann, Adrian McDonagh BL, told the District Court Appeals Court on Tuesday that the victim impact statement was remarkably benign and kind to the appellant. Mr McDonagh said that Mr McCann was appealing the case on the severity of sentence only. Advertisement Ireland Former Limerick hurler awarded more than 940,000... Read More He submitted that the attack fell into the low to mid scale of sentencing for assault under Section 2 and reminded the judge that Mr McCann pleaded guilty to the charge in both courts. He said Mr McCann is a paranoid schizophrenic who had a troubled upbringing and that the three-month custodial sentence was too harsh and ought to be overturned. Judge Fiona OSullivan on Tuesday said the parties were known to each other and the victim impact statement was extremely generous. She acknowledged Mr McCanns medical difficulties and the fact that he apologised to the victim. Judge OSullivan agreed to suspend Mr McCanns three-month sentence in its entirety for 12 months on condition that he would maintain good behaviour and keep the peace. A judge has directed that a secondary school student who assaulted a man in his 60s at a protest against a rumoured new accommodation centre for asylum seekers bring his forthcoming Leaving Cert results to court. At Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett has directed that Ross Culligan (20) bring his June Leaving Cert results to court in September before finalising the case. Advertisement Judge Gabbett told Mr Culligan: If you come in here with your Leaving Cert that might be the final icing on the cake on what is a very positive Probation Report. Judge Gabbett said: I will put this back to September and see how the Leaving Cert goes - that is key. Solicitor for Mr Culligan, Tara Godfrey commented: No pressure. Judge Gabbett said: There is no need for pressure because he will do fine in the Leaving Cert. Advertisement Ms Godfrey agreed, stating that her client is studying at an Ennis secondary school and is studying Irish and history. Mr Culligan of Connolly Villas, Ennis has pleaded guilty to the assault causing harm of local man, Michael Neylon at Scool, Corofin contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act on May 22nd 2023. Judge Gabbett told Mr Culligan: Put this behind you - you have the capacity to do that. Ms Godfrey said that there is a social media link in the case and there is this world that people become involved in with that doesnt reflect who they are Advertisement She said: I cant help thinking about Netflixs Adolescence and also radicalising. Ms Godfrey said that Mr Culligan is now apolitical - he deeply regrets involving himself with this group. Under any other circumstances, he would not be coming into this court." She said: My client is ashamed of any part he had. He is in any other way non-criminal and I would ask you not to criminalise him here today. Judge Gabbett said that the Probation Report is very positive which shows Mr Culligan expressing regret and remorse, he has taken responsibility for his actions and is genuinely motivated to not reoffend for the future. Advertisement Previously outlining the State case against Mr Culligan, Sgt John Burke stated that a blockade was mounted against a rumoured centre for asylum seekers and Mr Culligan was one of those protesting. Sgt Burke said that the alleged injured party, Mr Neylon, engaged with people in the blockade at the location "and there were verbals back and forth. Sgt Burke said that during the course of this, Mr Neylon was allegedly assaulted by Mr Culligan. Mr Neylon suffered a facial injury as a result of the alleged assault. Advertisement Sgt Burke stated that the blockade was mounted over false reports and there were no plans to establish accommodation for asylum seekers at that location. The protest in Scool, Corofin, Co Clare took place after it was organised via social media, in response to, as it turned out, false claims asylum seekers were going to be housed in the area. These came about after a video was circulated online in which men toured a house containing multiple beds in each bedroom, claiming that it was going to house asylum seekers in the locality. At the time, the Minister for Integration, Roderic OGorman ruled out the use of the Scool property for asylum seekers. On RTE radio, Minister OGorman said at the time there had been detailed misinformation about the property being put into use. He said: This is entirely as the result of misinformation thats been circulated on social media detailed misinformation, setting out indicative numbers, indicative genders. He added: We are not using the site that has been identified in Corofin. Its never been offered to us and I suppose I cant be clearer than that. Judge Gabbett adjourned the case to September. A man who attacked a 15-year-old boy after the teenager refused to hand over his backpack has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Conor Stevenson (26), of Abbot Court, Cualanor, Dun Laoghaire, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery in Glenageary, Co Dublin on March 30th, 2021. He has 72 previous convictions including criminal damage and minor assault. Advertisement Detective Garda Aoife Lewis told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that the teenager and a friend had been walking to the Dart station when two men approached them and said give me the bag lads. The victim grabbed his backpack and told Stevenson and the other man to f*** off but he was grabbed by the neck and pushed to the ground. The teenager hit back in self-defence but he was dragged into nearby bushes where Stevenson continued to assault him. The teenager gave in telling Stevenson fine you can take the bag before the robbers fled the scene. The boy immediately reported the mugging to a nearby Garda station. Det Gda Lewis said gardai analysed CCTV footage from the local area and nominated Stevenson as a suspect. He was arrested and questioned but nothing of evidential value came out of that interview. Advertisement Det Gda Lewis agreed with Oisin Clarke BL, defending, that it was an impulsive robbery and was not pre-meditated. Ireland Man jailed for sexually abusing his stepdaughter i... Read More Mr Clarke said his client has no family support and was living in homeless accommodation as a child. He said Stevenson has a heroin addiction that he has since attempted to deal with. Counsel accepted it would have been a terrifying experience for the teenager and said his client had written a letter of remorse. Judge Martin Nolan said Stevenson spotted an opportunity but the teenager did not want to hand over his property and for his trouble he was attacked. The judge said it was a violent robbery before he jailed Stevenson for three-and-a-half years. A jury has taken just three hours to convict a man who denied murdering his partner, despite evidence that he had beat her, threatened her parents that he would kill her and told gardai: I am guilty, I killed her. Please lock me up. The trial of Daniel Blanaru (37) ran for seven weeks with an enlarged panel of 15 jurors. The 12 who began their deliberations on Tuesday morning accepted the prosecution case that young mother Larisa Serban (26) died as a result of a sustained and brutal attack at the hands of her controlling and jealous partner Blanaru, who murdered her in cold blood. Advertisement Eilis Brennan SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, suggested that Blanaru's lawyers were throwing the kitchen sink at everything without having any particular plausible defence to put before the jury. The jury of ten men and two women at the Central Criminal Court deliberated for just three hours and two minutes before returning the unanimous murder verdict on Tuesday against Blanaru. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the jury for their attention to detail in this matter and exempted them from further duty for 10 years. Ireland Man accused of murdering partner told gardai: 'I k... Read More Blanaru made no reaction as the foreman of the jury delivered the verdict. Ms Serbans body was found in the early hours of the morning on the floor between the bedroom and the hallway of her home, having died from a stab wound to the chest. Blanaru, from Rathmore, Athboy, Co Meath, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Serban (26) at that address on or about August 12th, 2022. The jury heard Ms Serban sustained two stab wounds, one to her chest measuring 12cm which punctured the heart, lung and aorta proving fatal, and a second to her arm, the force of which fractured a bone. A man who sexually abused his stepdaughter has been jailed for seven years. The Central Criminal Court heard that the man threatened to kill the girl with a knife when she confronted him about his behaviour when she was a teenager. Advertisement The 54-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect his victim's identity, was convicted following a trial earlier this year of attempted rape, sexual assault and threatening to kill or cause the child serious harm at the family home in Co Limerick on dates between 2011 and 2019. The child was aged between eight and 10 years old at the time of the attempted rape, between 14 and 15 at the time of the sexual assault and between 13 and 16 years old at the time of the threat, which followed an argument relating to his behaviour towards her. The man has no previous convictions. On Tuesday, Ms Justice Melanie Greally handed down a sentence of eight years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. Advertisement She directed the man to place himself under the supervision of the Probation Services for two years following his release and further imposed a two-year post-release supervision order. The judge told the man that as part of the conditions of this post-release supervision order, he must not engage in any occupation or pastime which may bring him into contact with children, and that he is to have no contact with the victim, her mother or family. Ms Justice Greally expressed the court's appreciation of the victim's courage in coming forward to pursue her complaint. She said the victim came across as a young woman with a bright future and the court was heartened to hear she is now on a path that will take her far from her childhood experiences. A prosecuting garda told Karl Finnegan SC, prosecuting, that the girl recalled the first incident happening around the time she was eight or nine. She said he attempted to rape her while they were lying on a bed but he stopped when she screamed. He told her to pull up her pants and left. Advertisement She said inappropriate behaviour continued after this time, such as coming into the bathroom when she was having a shower or trying to look at her when she was changing her uniform. She said if there was no one in the house, he would expose himself to her. She said the sexual assault occurred when she was sitting on the couch wearing her pyjamas and the accused reached from behind and grabbed her breasts. The final incident occurred on a night when her mother was working late. She was in the kitchen, and the accused man made a sexual gesture towards her. This irritated her, and she told him she would tell her mother if he did not stop. The man said if she did, he would kill her with a knife. The victims mother got a barring order against the accused man in 2020, and after he left the house, the girl told her mother what had been happening. Advertisement They went to the gardai and made a statement of complaint in 2021 when she was less overwhelmed. The man was interviewed and said the victim and her mother were trying to destroy him. In her victim impact statement, the woman said she had been left feeling unsafe and uncomfortable in her own home. She said he had taken advantage of a young, vulnerable girl, hurt her and other family members. She said she had been full of fear and afraid to stand up for herself. She said her mind had been corrupted to think any man might similarly hurt her. Advertisement She said she had stood in court and spoken out, doing the one thing she did not think she had the courage to do. She told the man she now had more life to live, which did not include him. She said she refused to give up on herself, will continue to move on and be the bravest girl she could be. Lorcan Connolly SC, defending, asked the court to take into account his client had co-operated with the investigation and complied with all parts of the barring order since 2020. Ireland Former Limerick hurler awarded more than 940,000... Read More He said his client maintains his innocence. He said he has a strong work history, and these events have had a profound effect on his family life. He submitted that as a foreign national, incarceration in an Irish prison will be hard for him. Counsel said the accused has been assessed as at low risk of re-offending and had engaged well with the probation assessment. He said he had lived a relatively uneventful life prior to the barring order and has not come to any garda attention since. He said his client was asking for mercy on his first time before a court in his life. A leading scientist has said Ireland needs to invest more in science and innovation to attract European research funding and talent. Luke O'Neill, a professor of biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin, said while Ireland had been successful in securing European Research Council (ERC) grants, indicating the presence of strong talent, the country's underinvestment in science and research compared to the European average was a concern. Advertisement Prof ONeill told RTE radios Today with Claire Byrne show that there should be long-term, stable funding for scientific research, not budget to budget. His comments come amid concern over Ireland's exposure to US president Donald Trump's tariffs on imported goods. About 45,000 people are employed in Irelands pharmaceutical companies, while some 58 billion in pharma and chemicals is exported from Ireland to the US every year. Prof ONeill said Ireland and Europe needed to work together to create a more competitive and collaborative research environment to keep pace with the US and China. Advertisement Ireland had great talent, which was one of the reasons why Big Pharma had located here, Prof O'Neill said. Why can't we get young people now innovating, discovering the new things for the future, that will build Ireland up then as a really successful country. The trouble is it's a five, 10, 15 years' time frame. We're under-investing massively, and this is one of the sad parts of this. Ireland has not been investing in science effectively for the last 20, 30 years. We're half the European average. Now, for me, that's a shameful statistic, given that Ireland has a [budget] surplus. Ireland Pharmaceutical exports could be cut by half if tar... Read More Now, I know many countries or many people are looking for access to the money. I used to go to the Brussels in the 90s in the EU, and they would say to me, oh, there's poor Ireland, we're going to give you money. I go now, and they go, you guys are loaded. Why aren't you investing yourselves in science? Advertisement And the ERC, remember, is not meant to replace that national fund. The ERC is an add-on to your national budget. And if you don't have sufficient national funding, it's harder to get the ERC money. So if we invest ourselves, we'll get more ERC money from Brussels. That's how it works. Scientists need stability. Now, the Americans are worrying that if you're a great scientist, you want to do great science anywhere. It doesn't really matter what country you're in, in a sense. If you're not getting sufficient support, you will move somewhere else. and American scientists are contacting us going, we can't be guaranteed anymore. They're cutting our funding. You know, there's uncertainty there. And that's bad because you can't build up your team, you can recruit people. So you need five-, 10-year timeframes really here, which for politicians sadly is a bit too long. Here, we have look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come. Ceann Comhairle confidence vote The Ceann Comhairle faces a confidence motion on Tuesday over her handling of a vote that cut opposition speaking rights. Advertisement The main opposition parties tabled an unprecedented motion of no confidence in Verona Murphy after Government proposals for rule changes sparked a bitter row and chaotic scenes in the Dail. Ms Murphy, who holds the position of Ceann Comhairle in the Dail, will be backed by the Government in a confidence motion it is bringing instead of the opposition wording. It remains uncertain whether unruly scenes will once again break out in the Dail before or during the vote. The Governments majority meant it was able to push through significant changes to speaking rules in the Dail last week, even without the usual opposition teller agreeing to sign off on the results of the vote. Advertisement The announcement that the changes had passed caused such a level of objection from the Opposition that the Ceann Comhairle adjourned all further proceedings until Wednesday morning. The real story was the Dail once again erupting into chaos, as it did when the Taoiseach's nomination was blocked in January. Many of the Opposition stood up and shouted, with Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy accusing them of "misogyny" and "making a holy show of yourselves". People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy took out his phone to film the unrest, and Michael Lowry made a two-finger gesture at him which Opposition TDs have claimed showed a lack of respect to the Irish public. Advertisement The Government is proposing that the four TDs from the originally proposed Regional Independents technical group would be considered others. This essentially means they would not be considered part of the Government or Opposition. They would get speaking time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, along with Government backbenchers. Opposition parties say this is "blurring the lines" by Government. Advertisement It would also mean written questions to be answered by the Taoiseach on Wednesdays would no longer take place. Ireland a target of US tariffs ahead of 'Liberation Day' Government ministers will hear today how chemical and pharmaceutical exports from Ireland to the US could halve in the coming years. That's in the event of US tariffs being reciprocated by the EU. Donald Trump is hoping a 25 per cent tariff on foreign goods arriving into America will lead to a US manufacturing boom. The White House says the charges will be applied from tomorrow, to any country which has "treated the US unfairly". Mr Trump has dubbed April 2nd 'Liberation Day'. Advertisement Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers is to give an update on the National Development Plan and will stress the importance of investment in capital projects in this year's budget. Last night, Enterprise Minister Peter Burke briefed party leaders on Ireland's competitiveness, ahead of the tariff announcements. Speaking in the White House last week, Mr Trump said he would attempt to get US pharmaceutical companies back from Ireland. It comes after the US president signed an executive order to impose a 25 per cent tariff on cars imported into the United States. He sees tariffs as a tool to raise revenue, to offset his promised tax cuts, and to revive a long-declining US industrial base. Mr Trump has his sights set on getting other companies back as well. He said: Were going to be doing tariffs on pharmaceuticals in order to bring our pharmaceuticals back. "We don't make anything here, in terms of medical drugs... it's [made in] another country. It's largely made in China, a lot of it made in Ireland. "Ireland was very smart, we love Ireland, but we're going to have that." In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Fianna Fail MEP Barry Cowen said the EU's decision to delay counter-tariffs was a positive move. Ireland Delay on counter-tariffs a positive amid 'severe t... Read More "The US administration's proposed 200 per cent tariff on EU alcohol imports poses a severe threat to European business, particularly Ireland's whiskey industry. "And the proposed 50 per cent counter-tariff on US bourbon does not help our case for the US to never implement it. The EU has agreed to delay any counter-tariffs until mid-April. In the meantime, it'll consult with member states and MEPs on what form they should take in relation to the counter proposal. "I've written to the trade commissioner and our own commissioner Michael McGrath, calling on them and the Commission to remove bourbon from the EU countermeasures. "Maintaining a a zero for zero tariff status between the EU and US on alcohol is essential I think for industry stability, especially when you consider Irish whiskey exports." A number of innovation projects are to receive a share of 64,999,270 (54,372,539) of funding to boost productivity and competitiveness on either side of the Irish border. The Peaceplus funding will support 96 enterprises, resulting in 82 SMEs introducing product or process innovation and 36 research organisations participating in the joint projects. Advertisement Peaceplus is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and represents a funding partnership between the European Union, the UK and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland Executive. The funding has been awarded across eight projects: Clibeef (5,773,940.70) Lead partner AFBI and partners QUB, Teagasc and Agri Search will engage with a core cohort of 12 farms (six in Northern Ireland and six in the border counties of Ireland) to develop innovative feeding strategies for the beef cattle industry, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. DATUM (8,223,630.47) The Digital Manufacturing Transformation Platform, led by Queens University Belfast, will aim to develop 20 digital manufacturing transformation plans for SMEs. Advertisement HF-TIC (9,130,024.92) Led by Ulster University along with 20 partners in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland, the Health FrontiersTechnology Innovation Centre will establish a consortium focusing on next generation medical device technologies, new digital and AI technologies to support health clinic systems, and digital transformation in health. NWCAM2 (9,981,033.15) Led by Catalyst, the project will aim to develop environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes and products enabling them to innovate and reduce emissions. ONEHEALTH (9,852,752.84) The project will create a cross-border AI driven ecosystem addressing health and agrifood challenges. The project will be led by Catalyst, in partnership with ATU, Queens University Belfast (QUB), Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland, TNI Cork and the University of Galway. PRISM (7,678,718.60) Led by South West College, it brings together six research organisations, 24 enterprises and six associate partners to establish three manufacturing clusters. These will focus on concrete production and sustainable manufacturing processes, hydrogen and rotational storage, and food innovation and manufacturing. Advertisement SPEAR Centre (8,460,763.86) The Semiconductor Photonics Education and Research Centre aims to deliver socio-economic regeneration and transformation to the North-West region. -TRACE (5,898,405.66) Led by Ulster University with partners in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the project will establish a cross-border innovation hub focusing on the agri-food industry.. Enterprise Minister Peter Burke said the projects would bring huge benefits on both sides of the Irish border (Cillian Sherlock/PA) Stormont economy minister Caoimhe Archibald said: These projects will strengthen collaboration among SMEs and research organisations across the island, driving skills development and expanding expertise in emerging fields such as photonics, digital manufacturing, agri-feeding solutions, medical technologies and AI. This investment will support SMEs in developing innovative new products and processes, fostering lasting economic, environmental and social benefits. Advertisement Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke said: These eight projects to be funded will bring huge benefits to Northern Ireland and the Irish border counties and beyond. I wish all the projects and participants every success and I look forward to hearing about their progress in the months and years ahead. Chief executive of the Special EU Programmes Body Gina McIntyre (Liam McBurney/PA) SEUPB chief executive Gina McIntyre said: By investing in collaborative innovation through these eight projects, we will see the development of strong and entrepreneurial, innovation-led ecosystems that drive sustainable growth, increased productivity and competitive advantage. We very much look forward to supporting the research organisations, enterprises and SMEs involved in the coming years to realise a wide range of economic benefits for Northern Ireland, the border counties of Ireland and beyond. The Government has won a vote of confidence in the Ceann Comhairle on Tuesday evening. They brought the motion after opposition parties initially proposed a no confidence motion in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy amid a heated row based on speaking rights and the circumstances of the formation of the coalition. Advertisement The Government motion expressing that the Dail has confidence in the Ceann Comhairle passed by 96 votes to 71, with two abstentions. It came after the defeat of an opposition amendment stating that the Ceann Comhairle did not have the confidence of opposition parties. The motion came amid opposition criticism of Ms Murphys role in approving a vote last week which allowed the Government to make changes to speaking time in the lower house of the parliament, the Dail. There were chaotic scenes in the chamber last week over the rule changes, which resulted in the suspension of the House and prompted the main opposition parties to express a lack of confidence in Ms Murphy. Advertisement Before Tuesdays vote, Taoiseach Micheal Martin accused opposition parties of engaging in cynical strategies of aggression and disruption. Mr Martin said it was profoundly regrettable the vote was being held, adding there was no justification for the motion. Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaks to the media on Tuesday (Niall Carson/PA) He told the opposition on Tuesday afternoon: We will not stay silent as you try to intimidate this house and its chairperson, and you will not succeed in opposing rule by minority. You will not block the democratic business of this house, roaring and chanting, and then blaming everyone else for your behaviour. Advertisement Mr Martin said the Dail does does not have time to waste on cynical strategies of aggression and disruption, adding that the country is facing enormous threats over US tariffs. He accused opposition parties of breaking every single rule of the Dail and claimed parties had manufactured a claim that Ms Murphy had behaved inappropriately. The main opposition parties tabled an unprecedented motion of no confidence in Ms Murphy after Government proposals for rule changes sparked a bitter row. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald accused Ms Murphy of showing an unprecedented and frankly breathtaking display of bias. Advertisement She claimed her position is untenable. Ms McDonald said the Ceann Comhairle made three decisions exposing bias last week; failing to hold a vote on Dail business when one was called; cancelling questions on promised legislation; and failing to put the Government motion to a vote. The latter allegation is part of Sinn Feins contention that the Dail actually voted on the opposition amendment to the motion and thus the rules on speaking rights have not actually been changed. She said there had been shameless co-ordination and co-operation between the Ceann Comhairle and the Government. Advertisement The actions of the Ceann Comhairle have been neither impartial nor independent, quite the opposite. Tanaiaste Simon Harris called on all parties to pull together as the country faces a potential global trade war. It is my firm conviction that the message of the people from the last election, and the message of people right across Ireland in the last week, is Stop shouting, roaring and hollering at each other, turn up for work and get on with the job. The speaking rights row delayed Micheal Martins nomination as Taoiseach (Brian Lawless/PA) Ms Murphy became the Ceann Comhairle in December in a move seen as among the first steps of an agreement with a group of independent MPs, known as TDs in Ireland, to support the formation of a government with the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties. Backlash to that coalitions proposals, which would have allowed some of those independent TDs to be directly given opposition speaking time, led to a delay in the nomination of a taoiseach in January. The Government has since moved to change parliamentary rules to create a new other members speaking slot for TDs in that independent bloc who were not given ministerial positions, as well as backbenchers in the Government parties. The controversial changes to standing orders also include a reduction of time for contributions on debating the order of business and a halving of slots for Taoiseachs Questions. The Government said the moves reflect the changing make-up of the Dail. However, the opposition has vehemently opposed the reforms, characterising them as an attempt to dilute their ability to hold the Government to account and to blur the relationship of the independents who have supported the formation of the coalition. They argue that the other members questions slot does not tally with their position that a TD cannot be in Government and opposition at the same time. Labour leader Ivana Bacik criticised the changes to the rules as allowing government-affiliated independents to be on both sides of the fence. She suggested that the new Dail speaking slot will be used by backbenchers to tell the Taoiseach how great he is. Were going to see it tomorrow, a new Other Members Questions slot, a sort of theatrical government TDs parliamentary party meeting in public, Ms Bacik said. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said Ms Murphy acted in a partisan way (Gareth Chaney/PA) The deputy leader of the Social Democrats said government is intent on bulldozing democratic norms to get a grubby deal with a corrupt politician over the line. Ciann OCallaghan said Government politicians clearly prefer to forget the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal, which said former Fine Gael minister Michael Lowry had behaved in a manner that was profoundly corrupt. Now an independent TD, Mr Lowry acted as a negotiator for other independents to support the formation of a Government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Mr OCallaghan said: Last Tuesday, as the Dail descended into chaos, one person sat there smiling and laughing. Michael Lowry was triumphant, and why wouldnt he be? He got exactly what he wanted. He got one of his group elected as Ceann Comhairle. He got another four appointed as junior ministers, including two super juniors. He secured the opposition leader's speaking rights, and he got influence over how public money in the national development plan and the HSE capital plan will be allocated. All of this for a politician who was found to be that Moriarty tribunal to be, and I quote, profoundly corrupt to a degree that nothing was short of breathtaking. Social Democrats TDs Rory Hearne and Sinead Gibney speaking to the media outside Leinster House as Verona Murphy faces a confidence motion (Niall Carson/PA) Ireland Parents of girl (17) who died under care of Kerry... Read More The row over speaking time has hindered legislative work and has prevented parliamentary committees from being established. They have disputed whether Ms Murphy carried out her duties correctly and followed proper procedures in carrying out the vote to implement the changes, which were backed by the Governments majority. There is some uncertainty as to whether the vote will settle the long-running dispute on opposition speaking rights, which has seen breaks in the norms of procedure and decorum. The Taoiseach has been accused of victim blaming and gaslighting after saying it was not necessary for a Dublin principal to write to parents about her schools financial difficulties. Last month, the principal of Sacred Heart Junior School in the Killinarden area of Tallaght said it was facing closure because it could no longer afford to pay basic bills. Advertisement Principal Orla McLoughlin said the school has suffered massive underfunding for many years due to cuts from the Department of Education. In a letter to parents, she outlined what she described as the schools major financial crisis and said it would have to close and teach remotely from todays date if it did not receive emergency funding. In the interim, the Department of Education committed to an early payment of capitation grant which was due in June. Micheal Martin said it was his experience that the Department of Education always comes to help when schools are in difficulty (Niall Carson/PA) On Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin told the Dail that no school should have been in that position, but he did not believe there was a necessity to write that letter to the parents at that time. Advertisement Mr Martin, a former teacher, said it was his experience that the Department of Education always comes to help when schools are in difficulty. He said: My understanding is the department engaged with the school, with Sacred Heart, in December. Its my understanding, sought information the department did but didnt get any response in terms of information provision. Mr Martin said the department will continue to engage with the school and that it was unaware of any letter being sent out to the parents at the time. He was responding to People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, who described his comments as incredible. Advertisement Mr Murphy told Mr Martin: The Taoiseach is blaming a school put in a position by your government, by the Department of Education, blaming them for being in a situation where they felt no alternative but to say weve got to close our doors. Incredible. Victim blaming and gaslighting these principals across the country. Mr Murphy said the advance on the capitation grant was kicking the can down the road, where the school will face a bigger debt in September. Mr Murphy said the departments Financial Support Services Unit letter to Sacred Heart JNS in December advised the principal to reach out to her community to help fund the school. Advertisement He said: Shameful. These are not charities, Taoiseach. These principals shouldnt be running around having to fundraise based on how much money is in their area, based on how much population is served by their school. This is a basic public service which the state needs to provide. Mr Martin said he was not victim blaming anybody and questioned Mr Murphys sincerity on the matter. He said he did not doubt that the department would solve the schools issues in a sensible way. The Taoiseach added that the children at Sacred Heart there now had free primary school books and hot school meals. Advertisement Mr Murphy was raising the issue of Sacred Heart JNS during Leaders Questions as an example of the canary in the coal mine of chronic underfunding of schools around the country. Ireland Barry Heneghan moves Dail seat away from Michael L... Read More He said he was contacted by the principal of Holy Spirit Junior Primary School in Greenhills on Friday about the very real possibility of closure over financial pressures there. He called for a doubling of the capitation grant for primary schools, and for increasing the minor works grant and ancillary services grant. Mr Martin said the capitation grant has increased significantly over the last number of years. Opposition parties have been accused of engaging in cynical strategies of aggression and disruption by Taoiseach Micheal Martin as the confidence motion gets underway. The Dail is debating a confidence motion in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy over her role in approving a vote which allowed the Government to make changes to speaking time in the Dail. Advertisement There were chaotic scenes in the Dail last week over the rule changes which resulted in the suspension of the House and prompted the main opposition parties to express a lack of confidence in Ms Murphy. Mr Martin, the Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fail, said it was profoundly regrettable the debate is being held, adding there was no justification for the motion. Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaks to the media on Tuesday (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Martin told the opposition on Tuesday afternoon: We will not stay silent as you try to intimidate this house and its chairperson, and you will not succeed in opposing rule by minority. You will not block the democratic business of this house, roaring and chanting, and then blaming everyone else for your behaviour. Advertisement The motion of confidence in Ms Murphy is expected to pass with the Governments majority. Mr Martin said the Dail does do not have time to waste on cynical strategies of aggression and disruption, adding that the country is facing enormous threats over US tariffs. He accused opposition parties of breaking every single rule of the Dail and claimed parties had manufactured a claim that Ms Murphy had behaved inappropriately. The main opposition parties tabled an unprecedented motion of no confidence in Ms Murphy after Government proposals for rule changes sparked a bitter row. Advertisement Ms Murphy will be backed by the Government on Tuesday afternoon in a confidence motion it is bringing instead of the opposition wording. Mary Lou McDonald accused Ms Murphy of showing an unprecedented and frankly breathtaking display of bias. She claimed her position is untenable. Ms McDonald said the Ceann Comhairle made three decisions exposing bias last week; failing to hold a vote on Dail business when one was called; cancelling questions on promised legislation; and failing to put the Government motion to a vote. Advertisement The latter allegation is part of Sinn Feins contention that the Dail actually voted on the opposition amendment to the motion and thus the rules on speaking rights have not actually been changed. Ms McDonald said: Dail business was dispensed with to achieve the Governments desired outcome. She said there had been shameless co-ordination and co-operation between the Ceann Comhairle and the Government. The actions of the Ceann Comhairle have been neither impartial nor independent, quite the opposite. Advertisement The credibility of the Ceann Comhairle now lies in tatters, having lost the confidence of the opposition. For the Ceann Comhairle to fulfil their duties, they must enjoy the confidence of both Government and opposition. Teachta Murphy does not and must go. Tanaiste Simon Harris called on all parties to pull together as the country faces a potential global trade war. It is my firm conviction that the message of the people from the last election, and the message of people right across Ireland in the last week, is Stop shouting, roaring and hollering at each other, turn up for work and get on with the job. The context we now face is a potential global trade war, which will not be without consequence for Ireland. Ive every confidence that this country will work its way through it, but it will require a co-ordinated and sustained effort in the vein of our response to Brexit. We need to pull together as this is a moment, the hard reality is dawning. The time for shouting, whooping and hollering is over. We need to put our shoulder to the wheel and we need to push in one direction. The speaking rights row delayed Micheal Martins nomination as Taoiseach (Brian Lawless/PA) Labour leader Ivana Bacik suggested that the new Dail speaking slot will be used by backbenchers to tell the Taoiseach how great he is. She criticised the changes to the Dail rules as allowing government-affiliated independents on both sides of the fence. She called the new eight-minute Other Members Questions slot on Wednesdays a sham setpiece. Were going to see it tomorrow, a new Other Members Questions slot, a sort of theatrical government TDs parliamentary party meeting in public, Ms Bacik said. But the reality is, government backbenchers will lose out. Other Members Questions are being introduced to the expense of Taoiseachs Questions on Wednesday, a slot which, is now we saw today, being used by backbenchers lobbying for junior ministries, queuing up to tell the Taoiseach how great he is and what a great job hes doing. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said Ms Murphy acted in a partisan way (Gareth Chaney/PA) The deputy leader of the Social Democrats said government is intent on bulldozing democratic norms to get a grubby deal with a corrupt politician over the line. Ciann OCallaghan said Government politicians clearly prefer to forget the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal, which said former Fine Gael minister Michael Lowry had behaved in a manner that was profoundly corrupt. Now an independent TD, Mr Lowry acted as a negotiator for other independents to support the formation of a Government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Mr OCallaghan said: Last Tuesday, as the Dail descended into chaos, one person sat there smiling and laughing. Michael Lowry was triumphant, and why wouldnt he be? He got exactly what he wanted. He got one of his group elected as Ceann Comhairle. He got another four appointed as junior ministers, including two super juniors. He secured the opposition leader's speaking rights, and he got influence over how public money in the national development plan and the HSE capital plan will be allocated. All of this for a politician who was found to be what the Moriarty tribunal to be, and I quote, profoundly corrupt to a degree that nothing was short of breathtaking. There is some uncertainty as to whether the vote will settle a long-running dispute on opposition speaking rights, which has seen breaks in parliamentary norms of procedure and decorum. Sinn Fein, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit said they would discuss with other opposition parties how they would respond after the vote. Social Democrats TDs Rory Hearne and Sinead Gibney speaking to the media outside Leinster House as Verona Murphy faces a confidence motion (Niall Carson/PA) Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said his party was abstaining from the confidence vote in Ms Murphy. Mr Toibin said that they absolutely oppose the change to Dail speaking rules made last week, but said Ms Murphy should not be shown the door at this moment in time. Theres no doubt that the actions of Verona last Tuesday were procedurally incorrect, but its very hard to see how anybody would be able to deliver procedure properly under that kind of abuse for so long. Ms Murphy became the Ceann Comhairle in December in a move seen as among the first steps of an agreement with a group of independent MPs, known as TDs in Ireland, to support the formation of a government with the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties. Backlash to that coalitions proposals, which would have allowed some of those independent TDs to be directly given opposition speaking time, led to a delay in the nomination of a taoiseach in January. The Government has since moved to change parliamentary rules to create a new other members speaking slot for TDs in that independent bloc who were not given ministerial positions, as well as backbenchers in the Government parties. The controversial changes to standing orders also include a reduction of time for contributions on debating the order of business and a halving of slots for Taoiseachs Questions. The Government said the moves reflect the changing make-up of the Dail. Peadar Toibin (left) and Paul Lawless of the Aontu party, speaking to the media outside Leinster House, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) However, the opposition has vehemently opposed the reforms, characterising them as an attempt to dilute their ability to hold the Government to account and to blur the relationship of the independents who have supported the formation of the coalition. They argue that the other members questions slot does not tally with their position that a TD cannot be in Government and opposition at the same time. The row has hindered legislative work and has prevented parliamentary committees from being established. Opposition parties have further argued that the process in which the changes were approved was itself flawed. It comes amid a dispute on whether Ms Murphy carried out her duties correctly and followed proper procedures in carrying out the vote to implement the changes, which were backed by the Governments majority. During a lengthy standoff ahead of the vote, Ms Murphy said the actions of opposition TDs were an absolute disgrace and they were making a holy show of themselves. There was widespread disruption from the opposition benches as the motion was brought forward and the Dail was ultimately adjourned for the remainder of the day after the vote was approved by the Ceann Comhairle amid further objections. Opposition parties chanted shame, shame, shame as the Government filed out of the chamber. Michael Lowrys gesture following the vote (People Before Profit/PA) Ireland Ireland must not repeat austerity mistakes after U... Read More At the same time, Mr Lowry, a key figure in the independent grouping that supported Government formation and put Ms Murphy forward for Ceann Comhairle, was filmed sticking up two fingers to People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy while still in the chamber. Mr Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister who was previously found by a tribunal to have behaved in a manner that was profoundly corrupt, later described his move as an errant gesture under provocation. The Government has backed the Ceann Comhairle while criticising the opposition tactics. US president Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' and the impact it could have on Ireland features prominently on Tuesday's front pages, along with the conviction of French politician Marine Le Pen. The Irish Times leads with the conviction of Ms Le Pen. The Irish Examiner leads with a story on how US tariffs could impact Ireland ahead of US president Donald Trump's April 2nd 'Liberation Day'. Advertisement Energy and property taxes are set to be 'frozen', the Irish Independent reports. The Irish Sun leads with a story on a man who murdered his two sons bidding for parole. Today's front page of The Irish Sun. pic.twitter.com/BGOvvUuWLv The Irish Sun (@IrishSunOnline) April 1, 2025 The Echo leads with a Garda raid in Co Cork that led to 10 arrests. The Irish Daily Mail leads with an ESRI report that found access to benefits should be easier. You'd be a fool to miss your fantastic Good Health supplement in the Irish Daily Mail today. pic.twitter.com/Ug4b7z1xmJ The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) April 1, 2025 The Herald leads with a story on a crime gang taunting gardai with graffiti in Ballyfermot, Co Dublin. Clients of a controversial brand building company in Northern Ireland have spoken to the Belfast Telegraph out about their experiences after owner Darren Campbell yesterday announced that the business would be closing. Advertisement The 'Brand Builder' story also features on the front page of The Irish News. The front page of todays Irish News. pic.twitter.com/N5wgQzyopJ The Irish News (@irish_news) April 1, 2025 The spectre of US tariffs and the conviction of French politician Marine Le Pen feature heavily on Tuesdays UK front pages. Sir Keir Starmer has admitted the UK is likely to face president Donald Trumps tariffs with no exemption on the cards, according to The Times, with The Independent saying they will take hold this week. THE TIMES: Trump's tariffs will hit Britain, admits PM #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/VX9Z651etr Alfie Tobutt (@AlfieTobutt) March 31, 2025 The Independents front page on 1 April 2025 warns of Trump tariffs hitting the UK this week, with Starmer admitting the impact. It also covers Le Pens ban from the next election after embezzling EU funds. #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/jVgz44RBaF The Sentinel Current (@sentinelcurrent) March 31, 2025 The Daily Telegraph says any free trade deal is being hindered by US concerns over freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. The front page of Monday's Daily Telegraph: 'Ethnic minorities prioritised for bail'#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/BYYv070yJk The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 30, 2025 Ms Le Pen criticised her conviction for embezzling EU parliament funds, which bars her from competing for the French presidency in 2027 as a political decision, according to The Guardian. Advertisement THE GUARDIAN: Furious Le Pen rails against ban on running for French presidency #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/MK0rxj2qcY Alfie Tobutt (@AlfieTobutt) March 31, 2025 The Financial Times says her five-year ban from standing for office along with a four-year jail sentence once legal proceedings have finished has shattered her presidential hopes. Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Tuesday April 1 https://t.co/EVBr15hpLD pic.twitter.com/KWFlbuEajW Financial Times (@FT) March 31, 2025 The i Paper returns to UK politics, labelling deputy prime minister Angela Rayner defiant as she insists her Employment Rights Bill will help the economy. THE i PAPER: Defiant Rayner tells UK firms: my new rights for workers will help economy #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/P749tuM6qa Alfie Tobutt (@AlfieTobutt) March 31, 2025 The Daily Mail reports that a fresh row has broken out over two-tier policing following a report on racial equity. Taking us for fools is the April 1st headline in The Sun, which focuses on migrants posting on social media about being put up in hotels, while the Daily Express says the UK is heading for a record number of arrivals. On tomorrow's front page: Taking Us For Fools Dinghy migrants' free hotel room brag while Brits' bills 'rocket by 4,500' https://t.co/IFDNTeuOWG pic.twitter.com/mgasRv7xIi The Sun (@TheSun) March 31, 2025 Former pop star and convicted paedophile Gary Glitter faces financial ruin after losing a court case, according to the Daily Mirror. Advertisement The Metro concentrates on Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain's Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her, who posted on Instagram that she is seriously ill in hospital after her car was hit by a bus. Lastly, the Daily Star looks back across the pond for its front, with the headline: Madness of King Don. The Daily Star on 1 April 2025 headlines Madness of King Don, claiming Trump will defy law to remain US President until 2033. It also reports on world markets tumbling over tariff threats and ongoing support for Trump. #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/YuUt0Hsnl8 The Sentinel Current (@sentinelcurrent) March 31, 2025 The New York Times leads with stories on Russia resisting the US in Ukraine peace talks, and how Donald Trump's tariffs will impact Americans. At least four people are dead and a further seven have been left injured in the wake of airstrikes on Beiruts southern suburbs, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) confirmed on Tuesday. The IDF said the targeted attack, which took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning, were focused on a building in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, with the military targeting a member of the Hezbollah militant group in the attack. Advertisement The Israeli military had warned residents in the crowded suburbs before the attack after two projectiles were launched from southern Lebanon, which Hezbollah denied firing. The airstrike came without warning days after Israel launched an attack on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Friday for the first time since a ceasefire ended fighting between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah militant group in November. A damaged apartment is seen after being hit by an Israeli targeted strike in Dahiyeh (Hussein Malla/AP) The Israeli military said in a statement that the latest strike targeted a Hezbollah member who had been helping the Palestinian Hamas group in the Gaza Strip in attacks against Israel. It said the attack was under the direction of the Shin Bet, Israels domestic intelligence agency. Advertisement At least seven other people were wounded in Tuesdays airstrike, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the airstrike. We must prevent any violation of sovereignty from abroad, or from infiltrators within who provide an additional pretext for aggression, Mr Aoun wrote in a statement posted on X. The former military chief vowed after his election in January that all weapons would be at the hands of the Lebanese state, indirectly referring to Hezbollahs arms. Advertisement Photos and videos widely shared on local and social media showed the top three floors of an apartment building damaged following the strike. Piles of debris on cars below the building can be seen. A man inspects debris that fell onto a car at the site where an apartment building was struck by an Israeli attack (Hussein Malla/AP) Jets were heard in parts of the Lebanese capital before the strike near the Hay Madi neighbourhood. We were at home. It was Eid al-Fitr, said Hussein Nour El-Din, a resident in the neighbourhood, referring to the Islamic holiday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. We didnt know where it happened, but once the smoke cleared, we saw it was the building facing us. Advertisement During Israels last war with Hezbollah, Israeli drones and jets regularly pounded the southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has wide influence and support. Israel sees the area as a militant stronghold and accuses the group of storing weapons there. The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah group, Sheikh Naim Kassem, warned on Saturday that if Israels attacks on Lebanon continued and if Lebanons government did not act to stop them, the group would eventually resort to other alternatives. Civil defence and Lebanese army soldiers work at the site of an Israeli targeted strike on an building in Dahiyeh (Hussein Malla/AP) Under the US-brokered ceasefire that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January, while Hezbollah had to end its armed presence south of the Litani River along the border with Israel. Advertisement Israel has launched daily strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon since the US-brokered ceasefire went into effect, saying it targets Hezbollah officials and infrastructure. The Lebanese military has gradually deployed in the countrys southern region, and Beirut has urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop attacks and withdraw its forces still present on five hilltops in Lebanese territory. The death toll from the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar has surpassed 2,700, with thousands more injured, Myanmar media reported on Tuesday. The head of Myanmars military government, senior general Min Aung Hlaing, told a forum in the capital, Naypyitaw, that 2,719 people have now been found dead, with 4,521 others injured and 441 missing, the Western News online portal reported. Advertisement With many areas hit by Fridays earthquake still not reached by rescue crews, those numbers are still expected to rise. The earthquakes epicentre was near the countrys second-largest city, Mandalay. A man walks through a damaged building following Fridays earthquake in Naypyitaw (AP Photo) Most of the reports of casualties so far have come from Mandalay and the capital, Naypyitaw. The needs are massive, and they are rising by the hour, said Julia Rees, Unicefs deputy representative for Myanmar. Advertisement The window for lifesaving response is closing. Across the affected areas, families are facing acute shortages of clean water, food, and medical supplies. Myanmars fire department said that 403 people have been rescued in Mandalay and 259 bodies have been found so far. In one incident alone, 50 Buddhist monks who were taking a religious exam in a monastery were killed when the building collapsed and 150 more are thought to be buried in the rubble. The World Health Organisation said that more than 10,000 buildings overall are known to have collapsed or been severely damaged in central and northwest Myanmar. The earthquake also rocked neighbouring Thailand, causing a high-rise building under construction to collapse and burying many workers. Advertisement Two bodies were pulled from the rubble on Monday but dozens were still missing. Overall, there were 20 people killed and 34 injured in Bangkok, primarily at the construction site. Foreign aid workers have been arriving slowly to help in the rescue efforts, but progress was still slow with a lack of heavy machinery in many places. Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, whose 1991 film JFK portrayed President John F Kennedys assassination as the work of a shadowy government conspiracy, is set to testify to Congress on Tuesday about thousands of newly released government documents surrounding the killing. Experts say the files that President Donald Trump ordered to be released showed nothing undercutting the conclusion that a lone gunman killed Kennedy. Advertisement Many documents were previously released but contained newly removed redactions, including social security numbers, angering people whose personal information was disclosed. The first hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets comes five decades after the Warren Commission investigation concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy as his motorcade finished a parade route in downtown Dallas on November 22 1963. The limousine carrying mortally wounded President John F Kennedy races toward the hospital seconds after he was shot in Dallas (Justin Newman/AP) Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who chairs the task force, said last month that she wants to work with writers and researchers to help solve one of the biggest cold case files in US history. Experts and historians have not viewed the assassination as a cold case, viewing the evidence for Oswald as a lone gunman as strong. Advertisement Stones JFK was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, and won two. It grossed more than 200 million US dollars (155 million) but was also dogged by questions about its factuality. The last formal congressional investigation of Kennedys assassination ended in 1978, when a House committee issued a report concluding that the Soviet Union, Cuba, organised crime, the CIA and the FBI were not involved, but Kennedy probably was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. In 1976, a Senate committee said it had not uncovered enough evidence to justify a conclusion that there was a conspiracy. The Warren Commission, appointed by Kennedys successor, President Lyndon B Johnson, concluded that Oswald fired on Kennedys motorcade from a snipers perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, where Oswald worked. Advertisement Police arrested Oswald within 90 minutes, and two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast on live television. For Tuesdays hearing, the task force also invited Jefferson Morley and James DiEugenio, who both have written books arguing for conspiracies behind the assassination. Morley is editor of the JFK Facts blog and vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination. He has praised Luna as being open to new information surrounding the killing. Venezuela is set to have its first female saint following approval from Pope Francis. On Monday, he paved the way for the canonisation of Blessed Maria Carmen Rendiles by authorising a decree recognising a miracle attributed to her, the founder of the Congregation of the Handmaids of Jesus. Advertisement A date for her canonisation has not been set. Carmen Rendiles was born on August 11 1903 in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and died there on May 9 1977. A cardboard cutout of Blessed Maria Carmen Rendiles stands at the entrance of her museum in Caracas (Ariana Cubillos/AP) From a young age, following her fathers death, Sister Rendiles helped her mother support the family and worked at a local parish. She joined a French congregation in Venezuela in 1927 and became a novice at age 24. In 1961, supported by the local Catholic hierarchy, she founded an autonomous congregation. Advertisement The Catholic bishops conference of Venezuela said in a news release on Monday that she struggled with the loss of an arm, but her physical deficiency did not prevent her from developing an exemplary Christian life. Catholic leaders in Venezuela requested her canonisation in 1995. She was beatified in 2018. According to the Vatican, Sister Rendiles miraculously cured a young woman diagnosed with a type of hydrocephalus, a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid builds up within the brain. Her condition had worsened until a Mass was celebrated before Sister Rendiles grave. Advertisement Loved ones prayed for her recovery. And after the sick woman touched Sister Rendiles portrait, her health improved. The young womans recovery was complete, stable and long-lasting, and the event was deemed scientifically inexplicable, the Holy See said in a written statement. Earlier this year, Pope Francis approved the canonisation of Blessed Jose Gregorio Hernandez, born in October 1864, known as the poors doctor, the first Venezuelan layperson to be beatified. Scientists at the worlds largest atom smasher have released a blueprint for a much bigger successor that could help solve some of the remaining enigmas of physics. The plans for the Future Circular Collider: a nearly 57-mile loop along the French-Swiss border and even below Lake Geneva, published late on Monday put the finishing details on a project roughly a decade in the making at Cern, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research. Advertisement The study lays out features like the proposed path, environmental impact, scientific ambitions and cost of the project. Independent experts will take a look before Cerns two-dozen member countries all European except for Israel decide in 2028 whether to go forward, starting in the mid-2040s at a cost of some 14 billion Swiss francs (about 12.5 billion). Cern officials have touted the promise of scientific discoveries that could drive innovation in areas like cryogenics, superconducting magnets and vacuum technologies that could benefit humankind. Outside experts pointed to the promise of learning more about the Higgs boson, the elusive particle that helped explain how matter formed after the Big Bang. Advertisement This set of reports represents an important milestone in the process, but a full sense of the likelihood of it being brought to fruition will only be known through careful studies by scientists, engineers and others, including politicians who must make difficult decisions at time when uncertainty rules the day, said Dave Toback, a professor of physics and astronomy at Texas A&M University, in an email. The new collider provides and exciting opportunity for the particle physics community, and indeed all of physics, on the world stage, said Prof Toback, who was not affiliated with the study, and who worked for years at the Fermilab Tevatron collider in the United States that was shut down in 2011. For roughly a decade, top minds at Cern have been cooking up plans for a successor to the Large Hadron Collider, a network of magnets that accelerate particles through a 17-mile underground tunnel and slams them together at velocities approaching the speed of light. Work at the particle collider confirmed in 2013 the existence of the Higgs boson the central piece in a puzzle known as the standard model that helps explains some fundamental forces in the universe. Advertisement Cern scientists, engineers and partners behind the study considered at least 100 different scenarios for the new collider before coming up with the proposed circumference at an average depth of 200 metres. The tunnel would be about five metres in diameter, Cern said. Ultimately what we would like to do is a collider which will come up with 10 times more energy than what we have today, said Arnaud Marsollier, a CERN spokesman. When you have more energy, then you can create particles that are heavier. Advertisement A bigger collider would also offer greater precision to help plumb particularities of the Higgs boson, which we have kind of a blurry image of now, he added. The best intercept recorded at site was 101 metres grading 2.12 per cent zinc and lead equivalent starting at 18m depth. Almost 15 kilometres to the southwest, the Driehoek prospect has historical trenching records of outcropping sulphides at surface. Best results at Driehoek include a 103m trench grading 5.96 per cent zinc equivalent and containing 4.5 per cent zinc, 1.46 per cent lead and 5.85g/t silver. Another trench measured a massive 201m and ran at 2.71 per cent zinc equivalent. Neighbouring Driehoek, the Kaskara prospect is a vanadium-rich breccia target with punchy intervals, including 2.7m grading 4.31 per cent vanadium, 10.45 per cent lead, 3.4 per cent zinc and 0.69 per cent copper together with germanium grades peaking at 333g/t. An IP survey conducted previously at Kaskara has also identified deeper sulphides, which the company says are begging to be drilled. Golden Deeps chief executive officer Jon Dugdale said: The acquisition of the Central Otavi critical metals project provides the company with exciting opportunities ranging from near-term resource expansion and development options to multiple targets for copper-lead-zinc-silver discovery with antimony, germanium and gallium potential. The acquisition of a majority stake in the Central Otavi project increases Golden Deeps land holding in the Otavi Mountain Land area by almost 800 per cent to 440 square kilometres and gives the company a massive footprint in the world-class Otavi Belt. Notably, the new grounds are endowed with large areas of Otavi Group carbonate rocks that host some of the biggest polymetallic deposits in the world. Often regarded as elephant country, the Otavi Belt is probably best known for the Kombat mine that contains a 12.5Mt copper resource grading at 2.6 per cent. It is also home to the massive Tsumeb mine, 40km to the west of Golden Deeps grounds. Tsumeb famously churned out 27Mt at a mouth-watering 4.3 per cent copper, 10 per cent lead, 3.5 per cent zinc, silver grading at 95g/t and 50g/t germanium. The legendary site, discovered in 1907, is a true geological treasure trove. It is rich in copper, lead, zinc and silver as well as an astonishing 240 different minerals, including 55 never found anywhere else on Earth. Golden Deeps existing portfolio in Namibias Otavi Mountain Land includes the high-grade Khusib Springs copper-silver mine, which has a silver equivalent resource of 1.9M ounces grading at 116g/t. The company is additionally working to expand its Nosibs copper-vanadium-lead-silver resource where it has had sniffs of highly prized gallium. The project has a current resource of 707,660t grading at 1.06 per cent copper equivalent for 7500t of contained metal. Golden Deeps says it will not waste any time getting stuck into its new grounds. An exploration program will kick off immediately to hunt for Tsumeb-style copper-lead-zinc-silver deposits with the added bonus of gallium and germanium upside. Initial work will include rock chip and channel sampling, followed by a geophysical survey to refine targets ahead of drilling. Its strategic acquisition appears to position Golden Deeps as a serious contender in the global critical metals game just as the demand starts to heat up for copper, vanadium and exotic metals, such as gallium and germanium. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au Trump, of course, has touted the deal as a personal victory, while Chinas response characterises it as its loss. That raises question marks for both countries. Loading BlackRock and its co-investors, Global Infrastructure Partners (recently acquired by BlackRock) and Terminal Investment, a Swiss-based company owned by the Aponte shipping billionaire family, are Western, privately owned companies. Hutchison, a conglomerate with interests in ports, infrastructure (including gas pipeline networks in Australia), telecommunications (including a 25 per cent stake in TPG Telecom) and property around the world, is also, ostensibly, a privately owned, commercially driven group. Its regarded as the most successful company Hong Kong has produced. If the deal is a win for Trump and the US, is the US president implying as Beijing might believe that the consortium will prioritise the management of the ports in the economic and national security interests of the US over those of its investors? If the deal is contrary to Chinas national economic and security interests, as its response implies, does that mean it sees Hutchisons ownership or control of the ports as supportive of its strategic ambitions? For the US and the other 22 countries that will need to consider the implications of the deal from their own perspectives the BlackRock consortium can be expected to be driven by its own commercial considerations. Is Donald Trump suggesting that the buyers of the Panama Canal will manage its ports in the economic and national security interests of the US? Credit: AP Trump might want to attack Chinas dominance of global commercial shipping with massive increases in port fees and the rebuilding of a nearly non-existent US shipbuilding industry, but the consortium will be more interested in maximising the returns on a massive investment than in geopolitics. Even in Trumps America, businesses (other than, perhaps, Elon Musks) prioritise profits above all else. For China, blocking or trying to block the deal could suggest that it does see ownership of ports around the world as an important component of its geopolitical strategy and that even its private sector operators (Chinese state-owned companies are also major port operators) have been co-opted, or at least can be coerced to co-operate, with Beijings ambitions. It would confirm Western suspicions. Ownership of ports and infrastructure around the world particularly within the Global South countries, with which China has been steadily building relations and dependence via its Belt and Road initiative is clearly an important part of Chinas strategy of gaining influence or control over critical points within global supply chains and its longer-term ambition of undermining Americas global dominance. Opposing the Hutchison sale does, moreover, present some domestic risks for Beijing and Chinas economy. As Chinas economic growth has slowed and deflationary threats have emerged, Xi Jinping has shifted its stance on the private sector, which had previously been subjected to waves of crackdowns, regulation and intimidation. In February, Xi met Chinas leading entrepreneurs as a sign that they were back in favour and that he needed them to help re-energise Chinas faltering economic growth rate. Frustrating the Hutchison sale would signal to those entrepreneurs that the state support and the freedoms he was dangling before them to be entrepreneurial and profit-driven come with a caveat. They, and their fortunes, would still be subject to the whims of the state. More particularly, even after the handover of Hong Kong by the UK to China in 1997, China has tried to maintain a level of commercial independence for Hong Kong and its status as one of the worlds key centres for finance and trade although its response to the 2019 pro-democracy demonstrations, the controversial national security laws, placed a question mark over the extent of its tolerance. Loading Ordering or coercing Li and his family into abandoning the sale would send a chilling message to other Hong Kong entrepreneurs, privately held companies, and prospective investors in Hong Kong and that at a time when foreign investors have, despite a concerted effort by the authorities, been fleeing mainland China. If Hong Kong is to remain a key global finance and trade hub, it cant send a signal that it will intervene in the affairs of multinationals, even those built by Hong Kong entrepreneurs. There is some doubt whether China has much ability to intervene, other than through coercion. Hutchison has diplomatically retained ownership of its ports on the mainland and in Hong Kong, and while its property arm does have investments on the mainland, it has steadily reduced its exposure to Greater China over the decades. Only about 12 per cent of its revenue is generated within China and Hong Kong, with most of the rest flowing from Europe, North America and Australia. The $US19 billion of net cash it would get from the sale would be useful, given that it has announced a 7 billion ($14.5 billion) bid for the UKs Thames Water and has also indicated it will return significant amounts to shareholders. It would also be timely. With Trump about to ramp up his trade war with the rest of the world with a new round of tariffs and having made it clear that China will face punitive port and shipping rates for its exports to America, global growth and global seaborne trade are likely to be adversely impacted. Australias sacked Venice Biennale representative Khaled Sabsabi says the controversy has plagued him with sleepless nights, anxiety and nightmares, and vowed to keep fighting for his reinstatement. The Lebanese-born western Sydney artist said his cancellation was triggered by a fundamental misunderstanding that two of his historical works celebrated terrorism, which he called a ridiculous accusation when both critiqued war and media representations of ideology. Artist Khaled Sabsabi, who had his invitation to participate in the Venice Biennale revoked by Creative Australia, with his work at Barangaroo Metro Station in Sydney. Credit: Janie Barrett Anyone who knows me or my work understands what I stand for, he said when asked if he had ever promoted terrorism through his work. I do not stand for terrorism, racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, or any form of hate. Advertisement Eating outFood Comedian Matt Okine opens a cosy wine spot in Brisbanes south Locals (and their dogs) are flocking to this former post office for rare and precious but affordably priced bottles from Australia, France, the Czech Republic, Canada and beyond. Matt Shea April 1, 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 As featured in Brisbanes most exciting restaurant openings of 2025 so far. See all stories . Readers who follow Australian comedy might most readily associate Matt Okine and wine with his role in a sketch on Nazeem Hussains series Legally Brown. Called White Person Dancing Lessons, it was one of the best moments in the shows 2013 run. In it, Okine arrives at a secret location to learn from Hussain and Ronny Chieng the art of dancing like a white person that is, with no rhythm or grace. Matt Okine and Dan Wilson at their newly opened LPO wine store in Tarragindi. Markus Ravik Its not until Hussain and Chieng make him guzzle a few glasses of red wine that he gets the hang of it. But it turns out Okine has a more sophisticated relationship to wine at least in 2025. Hes one of the owners of LPO, which opened in Tarragindi last week. Partnering with him in the business is Dan Wilson, a seasoned chef who, pre-pandemic, ran kitchens and opened his own venue, Dandy, in London. Advertisement Related Article A Hectors Deli founder is behind one of Brisbanes tastiest sandwiches Matt and I are old friends from university [in Brisbane], Wilson says. I had dated someone who was studying law, who then was in a close relationship for a couple of years with Matts closest friend, Paul. So Matt, Paul and I would spend a lot of time together in our mid-20s, I suppose, before everyone started working properly and trying to have a career. LPO occupies a former post office on Windmill Street in Tarragindi. Markus Ravik The original idea of LPO was born out of a Christmas party at Dandy that Okine happened to attend. Advertisement He rocks up and its a room full of hotshot chefs from Copenhagen and all over London, France, Wilson says. He was saying, How can we do something like this, where we can sit and drink and meet people? When he moved back to Brisbane a couple of years ago, it was that kind of thing he was missing in the neighbourhood: a nice place to go and drink wine and be treated like a human being. Inside, find drops from the Loire Valley, Canada and Czechia. Markus Ravik LPO is short for Local Post Office after Okine and his wife, Belinda Rabe, found an old post office for rent on Windmill Street. Brisbane has suffered in recent decades from a relative lack of small tenancies for food and beverage venues. But there can be rich pickings in the old hubs of shops in fringing suburbs such as Tarragindi, which are now being populated by young professionals and families seeking communal spots to eat and drink. Advertisement Related Article The Reuben thats not a Reuben, but you need to eat ASAP anyway Thats exactly it, Wilson says. Thats the beauty of this space. The build is simple, the rents affordable, the landlords are great and the neighbours are really friendly. Rabe took care of much of the design, adding a teal timber-panelled frontage that captures the feel of a French wine bar or cafe. Inside, its ply walls, timber shelves for the 160 vintages currently on display (Wilson and Okine are hoping to soon push it up to 300), polished concrete floors, and potted plants to add a bucolic touch. In the middle of the space, theres a communal table designed to let guests interact with each other. Okines wife, Belinda Rabe, took care of much of the design. Markus Ravik The other day we had people our age or younger, in their 30s, having an engaged conversation with some couples in their late 50s, Wilson says. Everyones dogs are bouncing around, and theyre all connecting over the weirdness of the wine, and their shared excitement of where they come from and who they are. Thats a really lovely thing. Advertisement As for the wine, the focus is on minimum intervention drops with a roughly 60-40 split between international and Australian producers. The licence allows for a rotating selection of four white wines and four reds by the glass. Markus Ravik Wilson has leant on his deep connections both in Australia and abroad to source some heady drops. You might grab a bottle of an earthy, funky Julien Courtois Originel orbois-romorantin blend from the Loire Valley, a herbaceous, amphora-aged rosato from A & C Ainsworth Wines in Daylesford, or a textural, vibrant Gazzetta Rosso Trilli from Australian Trish Nelsons winery in the Lazio region of Italy. We also have wines from Canada theyre making extraordinary pinots up there and some stuff from the Czech Republic, Wilson says. Just lots of stuff from winemaking regions that often arent really considered as being relevant or accessible. On the shelves, its a roughly 60-40 split between international and Australian producers. Markus Ravik Advertisement LPOs licence means there will be a rotating selection of four white wines and four reds by the glass. And theres a focus on keeping things affordable, with some bottles going for less than $20 all the better to make this a neighbourhood destination that locals will return to. Everyones walked in and said, Wow, fk, things are really affordable here, which is maybe a little concerning, Wilson says, laughing. But its not only about making money, but also having a good time. Related Article What would Brisbane look like on TV? Matt Okine has ideas cooking In future, Wilson and Okine will apply for a change-of-use of their licence, allowing them to convert a back room into a tasting room with a small kitchen. At which point, we can extend out front as well and start making other drinks, as you can with those ancillary licences. Advertisement Open Wed-Sun 12pm-8pm 100 Windmill Street, Tarragindi lpowine.com.au American arcade game champion Billy Mitchell has been awarded $350,000 in damages after winning a defamation lawsuit against a Queensland-based YouTuber. Karl Jobst posted a YouTube video online for a total of 15 days that claimed Mitchells lawsuit against another online creator had left the young man deeply in debt. The American claimed Jobsts video had implied Mitchells actions had contributed to YouTuber Benjamin Smith, who went by the screen name Apollo Legend, taking his own life. American computer video game champion Billy Mitchell is seen outside the Brisbane District Court. Credit: AAPIMAGE Judge Ken Barlow handed down his judgment on Tuesday following a trial in September and October. Popular Margaret River curry canteen Dahl Daddys arguably the best thing to happen to skate parks since the introduction of skateboarding to the Olympics will finish its Margaret River skate park residency at the end of May. Or to put it in more direct terms: you, me and anyone else who appreciates full-throttle Burmese and southern Asian cooking have just two months (or 36 more services) to get their hit of nourishing red-lentil dahl, flaky parathas cradling local fish, and all the warm and fuzzies that come from eating nourishing food in an alfresco, community setting. Popular Australian cooking personality Andy Hearnden (aka Andy Cooks) recently told his 4 million Instagram followers Dahl Daddys was one of the most interesting meals of my life. Dahl Daddys Margaret River. Credit: Zaneta Van Zyl Dahl Daddys owners Corey Rozario and Imogin Mitchell were told that the space was no longer available for them to lease after June. While the decision caught the couple off-guard, they are taking a reflective approach. If youre employed in these sectors Dutton has earmarked as priorities, its great news. But whats the plan for women? Does Dutton expect us all to marry a tradie or sign up for the next season of Farmer Wants a Wife if we want to get ahead? Loading Even before Thursdays speech, Duttons so-called me too election strategy of agreeing to most of what Labor has proposed sent a clear message to women: 50.7 per cent of the population appear to be an afterthought to him. Labors pledge to boost Medicare by $8.5 billion to improve bulk-billing? All right, says Dutton, put me down for that too. What about cutting the cost of PBS medications? Go on, me too. Rebates for power bills? Sure, might as well. To their credit, the Coalition has committed to spending $573 million on womens healthcare a policy wholly dedicated to the fairer sex. But wouldnt you know it, this too is a Labor plan that Dutton has simply agreed to honour. As for childcare, who knows? The Coalitions policy is yet to be released. How about reducing higher education debt, where 60 per cent of current students and graduates are women, as Labor is proposing? Nice try. What about reducing the income tax rate so that low-income earners (who are predominantly women) can have some extra cash come pay day? Dream on. Clearly, hes aware of our existence to some extent. The Coalition has gone quiet on its nuclear plans of late, presumably because polling has shown it to be hugely unpopular with women. But rather than drop the plan or come up with policies that actually appeal to female voters, it seems the Coalitions strategy is to talk about other things and hope women either fail to notice or forget about nuclear. (Spoiler: we wont. Women remember everything.) Loading The Coalitions proposed petrol excise will certainly help women, but no more than it will help men. And the partys largely derided business lunch tax special might appeal to small business owners, but unluckily for Dutton, the majority of those too (58.4 per cent) are men. The promise to offer businesses $12,000 to take on new apprentices is good, but with women making up just 19.1 per cent of trade trainees and roughly 3 per cent of the qualified sector, that too looks like one for the boys. Discussing Labors proposed tax cut with the ABC last week, Dutton said dropping the bottom tax rate to 15 per cent in 2026 and 14 per cent in 2027 would not serve the country well over the next five years, adding, its not actually about providing support in a tangible way. Hes not wrong in saying Labors tax cut isnt offering much. At roughly $268 a year in 2026 and $536 in 2027, its relief is minimal. But the proposed petrol excise will save Australians only around $325 over the 12 months its slated for. I think any country that has treated the American people unfairly should expect to receive a tariff in return on Wednesday, she said. The federal government denies any unfair treatment of American companies under the three policies, which were the subject of behind-the-scenes negotiations for weeks before being confirmed in this weeks report from the US Trade Representative. On Sunday, on board Air Force One, Trump said the tariffs would apply widely. Youd start with all countries, he said. The imminent threat presents a challenge for Albanese and Dutton when the government is in caretaker mode during the election campaign, making it difficult to decide any policy response because it would normally require bipartisan consultation. Senior government figures cautioned that the outcome was impossible to forecast, given the unpredictability of the president and his team, but played down the prospect of a formal trade policy response. Albanese and Dutton have both ruled out using retaliatory tariffs against the United States, given this would increase prices for Australian consumers, and both have rejected the key demands from the White House. Loading Agriculture industry sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the risk of drawing adverse attention, told this masthead they had been advised that the Trump administration would likely impose lower tariffs on agriculture than on steel and aluminium imports, which were set at 25 per cent in February. Sources stress that while a 10 per cent tariff is the best guess, they are wary of the Trump administrations unpredictability and are bracing for tariffs as high as the first round. Last month, Trump put global agriculture on notice with a message to US farmers: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Australia exported goods worth $US16.7 billion ($26.69 billion) to the US last year, according to the US International Trade Administration, while the US sent $US34.6 billion here confirming the US had a trade surplus with Australia. The United States Trade Representative report on foreign trade barriers heightened expectations for tariffs on Australia because it identified so-called non-tariff barriers on the US including restrictions on uncooked American beef, pork and poultry, as well as apples and pears. One Australian government source said it would be untenable to relax the biosecurity checks on imported pork due to the risk of disease spreading to Australian pigs, or foot-and-mouth and mad cow disease spreading to livestock. Australian farmers exported $7.1 billion in agricultural produce to the US, second behind China as the most important overseas market. A 10 per cent tariff, depending on how much is absorbed by suppliers, would add more than $600 million to the price of Australian produce, to be paid by American consumers. Loading Red meat makes up most of the exports, with beef sales to the US worth more than $3.3 billion last year and sheep meat at $1.2 billion. We would defend Australias interests, Albanese said on Tuesday when asked about the US trade report. The idea that we would weaken biosecurity laws is, as my mum would say, cutting off your nose to spite your face. Dutton echoed Albaneses position on biosecurity. I agree with the prime ministers position, he said. I will stand up for our countrys interest. American drug companies are also urging the Trump administration to impose tariffs on Australia because the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme uses the Commonwealths bargaining power to bind companies on price, delivering benefits for consumers but curbing company profits. The Trump administrations tariff plans are making life more difficult for the Reserve Bank, which held official interest rates steady at 4.1 per cent on Tuesday while noting increasing uncertainty about the global outlook. Governor Michele Bullock said the bank was war gaming the fallout from the Trump tariff war as it tried to determine its impact on domestic and global economic growth and inflation. A trade war with escalating tariffs and reciprocal tariffs is going to slow down growth in world trade, she said. And Australia, as a small, open economy, has benefited massively from open trade. So, its not good for us, a world trading system that is fragmenting. Thats not good for us. Credit: Matt Golding Bullock said the Reserve Bank could respond to the tariffs, but argued much would depend on China Australias largest trading partner and whether it sought to protect its economy by lifting government spending. There will be a bit of an impact on us in terms of growth, but its not going to be as big as some other countries might suffer, she said. Follow our live coverage of the 2025 federal election here. A teal candidate on Sydneys north shore has apologised for making a sexual joke to a 19-year-old female hairdresser, which she has admitted was a poor attempt at humour. Independent Nicolette Boele, who is hoping to seize the blue-ribbon seat of Bradfield from the Liberals, has been banned from local hairdressing salon Envy Room after she allegedly told the hairdresser that her hair wash was so good and I didnt even have sex with you. Teal candidate for Bradfield Nicolette Boele has apologised. Credit: Edwina Pickles The incident, first reported by Ben Fordham on Nines 2GB Sydney radio station, risks disrupting Boeles campaign in her second attempt, after she came close to unseating long-term Liberal MP and frontbencher Paul Fletcher at the last election. Itll leave regional passengers stranded because building Sunshine is all about making sure regional communities can connect into Airport Rail, and it sends a very loud message to the Melton community that you can forget about electrification under a Peter Dutton government because of his cuts to the Sunshine station project. Loading State Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams said Dutton did not understand the significance of the Sunshine hub. It is stage 1 of Airport Rail, and what he is proposing puts all of its benefits at risk, she said. Williams said the Melbourne Airport Rail and Suburban Rail Loop were not an either/or proposition. Allan would not say how much it would cost to cancel contracts on SRL East if it could not be progressed, while SRL Minister Harriet Shing refused to rule out signing any more contracts before the May 3 federal election, adding that negotiations on further packages continued. However, further contracts are not imminent. The Victorian government is still relying on the federal government to hand over another $9 billion towards the $35 billion SRL East connecting Cheltenham to Box Hill by 2035, the first stage of the orbital Suburban Rail Link. An artists impression of a proposed above-ground station at Melbourne Airport. Infrastructure Australia last month warned the Albanese government against putting more Commonwealth cash towards SRL East until it was re-costed and more information was provided about how the state proposed to fund it. The Victorian government says one-third would be funded through unspecified value capture. Federal Labors $2.2 billion commitment to the SRL has been restricted to funding tangible elements that could provide benefits even if the project does not go ahead. Dutton and federal Coalition infrastructure spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said SRL East was a cruel hoax, and that a Coalition government would prioritise Airport Rail instead. It will bring Melbourne up to the same status as many of the great airports across the world, including here in Australia, that already have a rail link project. And we know they work effectively, Dutton said on Tuesday. He said all federal funding he would pull from the SRL East and Sunshine hub if elected would stay in Victoria, suggesting any surplus could be used to extend the Frankston train line, duplicate Donnybrook Road or for planning work to extend the Upfield line in Melbournes north. A Brad Battin-led Victorian government, if elected in 2026, would also put another $1.5 billion into the Airport Rail link. The state opposition has called on the Victorian government to cancel the SRL now but has not committed to scrapping the project if it continues into 2026, depending on how progressed major works is and what the exit clauses say. Credit: Matt Golding Brimbank Mayor Thuy Dang welcomed Duttons support for Airport Rail but said the intertwined redevelopment of Sunshine station was crucial to supporting jobs and housing to develop the west. This bipartisan support is what the west needs to assure us that Melbourne Airport Rail will be delivered regardless of who wins the election, Dang said. However ... the redevelopment of Sunshine station and complete delivery of the Sunshine station precinct masterplan are critical to the success of the Melbourne Airport Rail. We simply cannot have one without the other. Federal Transport Minister Catherine King warned Victorian voters to not let Peter Dutton short-change Victoria again. Federal and state Labor have committed a combined $12 billion to Airport Rail, $7 billion from the Commonwealth and $5 billion from Victoria, following the extra $2 billion pledged in February to the Sunshine hub. The governments and private owners of the airport signed a peace deal last month, committing to progress the link, which was due to be finished in 2029 but was delayed four years because of a since-settled dispute over whether the airport station should be above or below ground. Loading The project was estimated at $10 billion to $13 billion in 2021. Since then, the government estimates that construction costs have risen by about 22 per cent. But Williams said on Tuesday that the cost estimates stood. Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has accused federal Labor of corrupting non-partisan citizenship ceremonies by rescinding an invitation to speak at a City of Rockingham ceremony on Monday night. Hastie was invited to speak at the ceremony but was contacted by the city earlier that same day to tell him that the invitation had been rescinded on the basis of election caretaker provisions on the advice of a circular sent by the Department of Home Affairs. Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie at the waterfront of Mandurah,. Credit: Trevor Collens Labor Member for Brand Madeleine King was still allowed to speak at the event, which was also attended by Hasties opponent Jarrad Goold. The department denied sending a circular to the city that made any suggestion that Hastie couldnt speak at the event. China to help quake-stricken Myanmar to overcome difficulties: FM spokesperson Xinhua) 09:30, April 01, 2025 BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- China will carry forward "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship and work with Myanmar to overcome difficulties after a massive earthquake hit the neighboring country on March 28, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Guo Jiakun, the spokesperson for the ministry, on Monday briefed the media on China's disaster relief assistance for Myanmar, where the 7.9-magnitude quake had left 2,056 people dead, 3,900 injured, and 270 missing as of Monday noon, while causing heavy property losses. Guo noted that China attaches great importance to the disaster situation in Myanmar. In a message to Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing, Chinese President Xi Jinping mourned the deaths and extended sincere condolences to the bereaved families, the injured and the people affected by the disaster. "A rescue team from southwest China's Yunnan Province was the first international rescue team to reach the quake zone of Myanmar 18 hours after the earthquake. They successfully rescued one person in collaboration with local rescue forces," Guo said, adding that a number of governmental and non-governmental rescue teams from all over China have entered or will soon enter Myanmar. Up to now, about 400 Chinese earthquake experts, rescue and medical workers have joined in rescue and relief efforts across Myanmar, and Chinese rescuers have successfully rescued six people, Guo said. China has decided to provide Myanmar with 100 million yuan (about 14 million U.S. dollars) of emergency humanitarian aid. The first batch of urgently needed supplies such as tents, first aid kits and blankets has already arrived in Myanmar, Guo said. The Red Cross Society of China has also provided disaster relief materials, he added. China will continue to work with Myanmar to search for survivors, treat the injured, and deliver aid supplies to those affected by the disaster, said the spokesperson. "We believe that with the support of the international community, the government and people of Myanmar will surely unite to overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes," he added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Blake Lively may have the stronger case in her legal battle against Justin Baldoni. Blake Lively may have the stronger case in her legal battle against Justin Baldoni Attorney Dina Doll, has weighed in on the actress bitter harassment fight with the director in the new documentary Dispute: Lively vs. Baldoni, which aired on Monday (31.03.25) night and streams on Max with the show conducting a deep-dive into the legal drama between the co-stars of It Ends With Us. It was billed as offering a detailed examination through interviews with reporters, intimacy coordinators, public relations professionals and legal analysts. Neither partys lawyers participated in the documentary but Dina Doll, a legal expert featured in Dispute, shared her opinion on the case on the show. She said: My professional opinion, Blake Lively has the stronger case because all of Justin Baldonis arguments about fame and control dont really refute her claim of sexual harassment. Ms Doll pointed to specific allegations in Blakes lawsuit, such as the improvising of kissing, the describing his genitalia, talking about pornography, which she believes provide a solid foundation for a claim of sexual harassment, regardless of the setting. She added: Those seem to be pretty strong basis for a claim of sexual harassment. The documentary also touches on the conflicting accounts of the two parties. While Blake claims sexual harassment occurred on the set of It Ends With Us, Justin has countered the encounters were more consensual. According to Ms Doll, Justins defence does not dispute the events but argues they were not as one-sided as Blake suggests. In December 2024, the actress allegations against Justin were made public through a New York Times report, which led to a strong response from the filmmakers legal team. His lawyer, Bryan Freedman, called the allegations completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious. Blake was also accused of attempting to harm Justins reputation. He has filed a $400 million lawsuit against Blake and her actor husband, Ryan Reynolds, for defamation and extortion alleging the couple used their influence to derail his career. Blakes legal team has labelled the lawsuit baseless. This month, Justins lawyer continued to respond aggressively on the case, stating Blakes claims would be debunked during discovery. He said: Her fantastical claims will be swiftly debunked as discovery moves forward. Mr Freedman added Blake would be held accountable for her actions of pure malice. Superman may prefer flying to get wherever hes going, but if he needs something much more grounded, he can rely on BYD. Teaming up with War... James Cox Government ministers will hear today how chemical and pharmaceutical exports from Ireland to the US could halve in the coming years. That's in the event of US tariffs being reciprocated by the EU. Donald Trump is hoping a 25 per cent tariff on foreign goods arriving into America will lead to a US manufacturing boom. The White House says the charges will be applied from tomorrow, to any country which has "treated the US unfairly". Mr Trump has dubbed April 2nd 'Liberation Day'. Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers is to give an update on the National Development Plan and will stress the importance of investment in capital projects in this year's budget. Last night, Enterprise Minister Peter Burke briefed party leaders on Ireland's competitiveness, ahead of the tariff announcements. In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Fianna Fail MEP Barry Cowen said the EU's decision to delay counter-tariffs was a positive move. "The US administration's proposed 200 per cent tariff on EU alcohol imports poses a severe threat to European business, particularly Ireland's whiskey industry. "And the proposed 50 per cent counter-tariff on US bourbon does not help our case for the US to never implement it. The EU has agreed to delay any counter-tariffs until mid-April. In the meantime, it'll consult with member states and MEPs on what form they should take in relation to the counter proposal. "I've written to the trade commissioner and our own commissioner Michael McGrath, calling on them and the Commission to remove bourbon from the EU countermeasures. "Maintaining a a zero for zero tariff status between the EU and US on alcohol is essential I think for industry stability, especially when you consider Irish whiskey exports." Christopher Walken is focused on living in the moment as he hits 82. Christopher Walken is focused on living in the moment as he hits 82 The Deer Hunter actor, who celebrated the milestone on Monday (31.03.25), reflected on his decades-long career and what lies ahead in a chat with People. He declared to the publication about how he was handling the age: Im doing what Ive always done. Christopher, who has starred in an array of acclaimed films and television series, also stressed he doesn't overthink his future. He added: People think that actors make a lot of choices. Im not sure that they do. I certainly dont. I take the job, the next best thing, because thats what I do. I go to work. When asked about his future plans, the actor added, So what comes next? I have no idea, but I never have. Generally, when I finish a job, I dont know whats coming next. But he chuckled he was looking forward to being healthy and staying alive in 2025. Despite his age, the stars career is still thriving with recent roles in Dune: Part Two and the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance. The show sees Christopher portrays Burt Goodman, a former employee of Lumon Industries, who develops a complex relationship with Irving Bailiff, played by John Turturro. Fans have applauded the chemistry between the two actors, and Christopher attributes their connection to the decades of friendship they share. He said: I think that the fact that we know each other very well for a long time was very useful. We didnt have to struggle to make our relationship real or believable. I think you look at it and you see that John and I know each other, that we like each other. Apple TV+ recently renewed Severance for a third season, and Christopher is also set to reunite with his Pulp Fiction co-star John Travolta in the upcoming romantic comedy Thats Amore! When not acting, he said he spends his free time watching films from the past. Christopher added: I tend to watch a lot of old movies. Maybe its just because thats pretty much all I get on my technology, but yeah, I watch a lot of old movies. 7/1/2025 New vehicle sales in Hamilton County dropped in June from May to 1,364, and used vehicle sales dropped to 4,308, according to figures from the County Clerk's office. That compares to 1,045 ... more The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors on Monday selected Don Moul to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the nations largest public power utility, effective April 9. Mr. Moul is the fourth CEO of the historic agency, succeeding Jeff Lyash, who announced his intent to retire in January. Officials said, "Mr. Moul brings more than 38 years of experience across all facets of power generation and operations with a proven track record of improving operational performance and teamwork. He is recognized across the industry as a strong, versatile leader." Since June 2021, he has served as TVAs executive vice president and chief operating officer, where he held primary responsibility for power generation, transmission, and power supply functions. Under his leadership, TVA is a national leader in driving advanced nuclear technologies forward. In addition, TVA twice set records for meeting all-time peak power demands during severe weather and consistently delivered the strongest safety performance years in TVA history, it was stated. Don is the right choice to lead TVA forward as we work to build an energy system to power the next generation of American jobs, said Mr. Lyash, president and CEO of TVA. Don is ready to be the hand guiding TVA in a time of rapid change and growth, and he will continue to propel TVAs nuclear leadership. In his role as COO, he has led the development of next generation nuclear technologies and has a deep knowledge and appreciation for nuclear power the most reliable power the worlds ever known. His extensive knowledge and experience make him one of the top leaders in the industry. Over the past several years, we have been intentional about developing and growing our leadership bench strength. We brought Don to TVA four years ago with succession planning in mind." Dons vision, depth of industry knowledge and favorability among TVA employees position him well to unleash TVAs potential from Day One, with little to no learning curve, said Joe Ritch, TVAs Board Chairman. Mr. Moul has helped lead the effort to accelerate and drive a buildout of generation and infrastructure to meet an ever-growing demand for electricity across TVAs seven-state region, now and in the future. Transitioning into the CEO role is a natural fit, it was stated. When you think about the strength of our economy, it's going to be determined by the strength of our energy and infrastructure. And I think TVA is leading that charge, said Mr. Moul. We're in a period of growth like we've not seen before, and, to meet that growth, we are making one of the largest capital investments in our history. I've had four years here. I've seen the competitive advantage that public power brings to our region working in partnership with local power companies and direct serve customers to serve 10 million people across seven states. I am excited about this opportunity, and the transition is going to be seamless. TVA needs a steady hand right now. I will build on the momentum that Jeff and our team have created making sure we continue to invest in new generation, strengthen our grid and enhance system reliability. As we look to the future, the growth and prosperity across our seven-state region depends on our ability to deliver affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy. We will accomplish this through continued excellence in operations, financial discipline, and a commitment to the fundamentals of our mission of service. Similar to Mr. Lyash, Mr. Moul has extensive nuclear experience and expertise, including serving as a licensed senior reactor operator at multiple nuclear stations across the U.S. At FirstEnergy, he served as president and Chief Nuclear Officer, leading the nuclear fleet to its best performance year in history in 2018. At NextEra, he helped transform the companys nuclear culture, leading to fleet-wide operational efficiencies and more efficient work processes. He was also appointed by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to serve on the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council focused on nuclear innovation and driving continued investment to create a nuclear energy ecosystem for the future of Tennessee. Officials said Mr. Moul, executive vice president and chief operating officer, "has over 38 years of experience in all areas of power generation and operations. He possesses a strong track record of enhancing operational performance and teamwork through a disciplined and collaborative leadership approach. "With primary responsibility for TVAs power generation, transmission, and power supply functions, Don serves in a key leadership role at TVA. With one of the nations most resilient, diverse generation portfolios, he will lead TVAs industry-leading efforts to provide increasingly reliable, resilient and cleaner energy. "Don oversees a number of other mission-critical areas of TVAs business, including Integrated River System Management; Natural Resources; Environment and Sustainability; and Major Projects. Dons responsibilities also include exploring the viability of deploying small modular reactor technology at TVAs Clinch River Site. "In his role, Don is focused on delivering high reliability, low cost, and operational excellence with safety as the highest priority. He is leading operationalizing TVAs asset strategy and directing TVAs state-of-the-art grid modernization to creating the energy system of the future that will be ideally positioned to meet emerging customer demands. In addition, Don oversees TVAs coal, gas, and hydro fleet and the River Forecast Center, which balances the 49-dam, integrated river system to provide flood damage reduction, navigation, hydroelectric power, water quality, water supply, and recreation. Don also is responsible for efforts to protect historical, cultural, and environmental resources, as well as 293,000 acres of public land and 11,000 miles of shoreline. "Throughout his career, Don has held a variety of leadership positions, primarily in nuclear divisions, with American Electric Power, Duquesne Light Company, FirstEnergy Corporation, GPU Nuclear Corporation and Public Service Electric & Gas. "Before joining TVA in June 2021, Don was executive vice president and chief nuclear officer at NextEra Energy where he was responsible for the safe and reliable operation of NextEras nuclear fleet, which includes seven operating units at five plant sites. He also oversaw decommissioning activities at Duane Arnold Energy Center. "From 2004 to 2019, Don served in a variety of leadership roles at FirstEnergy Corporation, including leading the nuclear and fossil generation, transmission and distribution, commodity operations and environmental compliance functions. Under his leadership, the First Energy nuclear fleet achieved its best-ever outage and total-cost performance, while maintaining exemplary INPO continuous monitoring ratings in 2018. "Don also previously served as vice president for FirstEnergy Commodity Operations, focused on power production and retail supply in the PJM Markets. He also served as president of Ohio Edison and Penn Power two of FirstEnergys operating companies. "Don earned a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He also has been a senior reactor operator at multiple nuclear stations." Gabrielle Union felt like her beauty wasnt wanted in Hollywood. Gabrielle Union felt like her beauty wasnt wanted in Hollywood The actress, renowned for refusing to shy away from uncomfortable subjects, opens up about being a black actress in the new documentary Number One on the Call Sheet, and addresses a major issue that has long plagued stars of colour in Tinseltown the unrealistic and unfair beauty standards they are often held to. Gabrielle, 52, discussed her experiences in the show alongside other prominent black stars, including Angela Bassett, Halle Berry and Viola Davis, in the documentary's second episode Black Leading Women in Hollywood. Directed by Shola Lynch, the episode delves into the barriers that have made it difficult for black actresses to secure leading roles. It sees Gabrielle speak candidly about how black women with coarse hair, melanin, thicker nose, wider nose, wider lips are often excluded from the narrow definition of beauty in Hollywood. She added about her battle with reaching stardom in Hollywood: I started feeling invisible, like my beauty wasnt wanted. As a romantic lead? No. Despite being widely regarded as one of Hollywoods most beautiful stars, Gabrielle says her talent didnt provide the same career opportunities her white contemporaries such as Amy Adams, Jennifer Garner and Gwyneth Paltrow, especially at the start of her career. She added: My look was appealing enough. But not so overpowering that it overshadows the white lead. Her early roles, such as in the 1999 teen rom-com Shes All That, were often relegated to sidekick or supporting parts. Gabrielle also highlighted a line from the 10 Things I Hate About You script, which describes her character, Chastity Church, as the less extraordinary, but still cute friend to Larisa Oleyniks Bianca Stratford. She said: And so I was the perfect person to be the friend, just left of centre of this white girl. As Gabrielles career progressed, she often found herself cast in supporting roles, playing the b*****, sassy friend. But her breakout role as the title character in the 20142017 BET TV series Being Mary Jane marked a turning point, where she finally took the lead. Shola spoke highly of the actresses featured in her documentary, saying, These women represent a singular generation of Black leading actresses some of the best of the best. I had the great opportunity and responsibility of capturing all of their greatness into one documentary talk about pressure. William "Bill" Alfred Johnson, 80, passed away at his home on Thursday, March 13. Bill will be remembered as a wonderful husband, father, and friend to many. He touched so many lives and cared deeply for people. Bill is survived by his wife, Michele Rene (Wright) Johnson; his brother Chip Johnson; his daughter Ali and her husband Jeff Riehl; his stepson Jack and his wife Janene Burdick, with their four children, John, Joy, Joshua, and Jillian Burdick; his stepson Steve and his wife Malissa Burdick, and their two children, William and Sarah Grace Burdick; and his brother-in-law, Michael Patrick Wright. Bill was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 24, 1944, to Alfred M.E. Johnson of Michigan and Ruth Arnold of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He graduated saluatorian from East Ridge High School in 1962 and enrolled in Sewanee, the University of the South as a chemistry major. Bill loved the All Saints Chapel, especially the Lessons and Carols, and would in subsequent years take his family to the chapel for Christmas services. Bill enlisted in the Army in 1967 and served in Vietnam from 1967 through 1968. He was a member of Delta company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry and walked point with an M-79, then later became the radio operator until he was injured jumping from a chopper during heavy fire from enemy combatants. Unable to return to the field, he then became the liaison between the field hospital in La Trang and the 4th Infantry. Bill returned home to Chattanooga shortly before Thanksgiving in 1968. Bill made many close friends during his service and still had contact with his fellow veterans until his death. Bill graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a few years later met his first wife, Sherry Winter. They relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas, where they were bond brokers. Several years later, they moved back to Knoxville, Tennessee, with Sherrys two sons and worked in the investment industry until Sherry passed away in 1998 from cancer. Bill married Michele in 2005 in a beautiful ceremony at their home on Lookout Mountain, Georgia, with his childhood friend, Albert Baker officiating. Bill was a lifetime member of both the American Legion and the Vietnam Veterans of America. Bill understood the enormous challenges combat veterans faced when returning home from overseas. He worked tirelessly to help returning combat veterans open dialog to talk about their experiences in an effort to help prevent veteran suicide. In 2017, Bill participated in the Veterans History Project, where he was interviewed by Joe Galloway. He talked about his memories of his service in Vietnam and the various challenges that faced servicemen during that war. Bill was also active in the Vietnam Veterans Reunion held each year in Townsend, Tennessee. This reunion was an incredible way for Vietnam veterans to openly talk about their experiences without fear of reprisal, such as they were treated when returning home from Vietnam. He will be missed by everyone who loved him. Covenant Logistics Group, Inc announces that Astin Robertson, senior director of Enterprise Talent Acquisition, has been honored as a 2025 "Top Woman to Watch in Transportation" by Redefining the Road, the official magazine of the Women In Trucking Association. This award recognizes women making significant contributions to the transportation industry through leadership, innovation, and business impact. Ms. Robertson has played a pivotal role in shaping Covenants workforce strategies. Under her leadership, the companys team driver count reached industry-leading levels, while maintaining an unseated dedicated truck percentage of approximately 1 percent. Additionally, she was instrumental in doubling the truck count at one of Covenants DOTs and spearheading efforts that led to the lowest driver and non-driver turnover numbers in company history. Her contributions extend beyond talent acquisition. Ms. Robertson chaired and launched the first-ever Women of Covenant Conference, a week-long internal event designed to empower employees and emphasize work-life harmony. She has also been a driving force in new hire orientation improvements, ensuring that team members feel a sense of belonging from day one. Through her leadership in Women of Covenant, she has helped support local Veterans Centers, Blood Assurance, the Mary Ellen Locher Foundation, and YoungLives, while also implementing expectant mother parking for Covenant team members. Astin has an unwavering commitment to empowering others in the trucking industry," said Matt Duncan, vice president, Enterprise Driver Recruiting and Talent Acquisition. "She brings passion, creative problem-solving, and a heart for people to all that she does. "Astin's dedication and leadership have been instrumental in driving progress within our organization and the broader transportation community," said Joey Ballard, EVP, People and Safety. "We are thrilled to see her contributions acknowledged on such a prestigious platform." As part of this honor, Ms. Robertson will be featured in the upcoming Edition 1 of Redefining the Road magazine and online at www.womenintrucking.org/top-women-to-watch. She will also be celebrated alongside fellow honorees at the 2025 WIT Accelerate! Conference & Expo, scheduled for Nov. 9-12 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Tx. Dr. Nancy Fell and Dr. Stephanie Eton of UTC have been recognized with top statewide honors from the Tennessee chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association. Dr. Fell, a UC Foundation professor and head of the UTC Department of Physical Therapy, was named recipient of the 2025 Carol Likens AwardAPTA Tennessees highest honor. According to the organization, the award is presented to a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant whose work has significantly impacted and enhanced physical therapy in Tennessee. Dr. Fell, who joined the UTC faculty in 1994, is a longtime educator, mentor and advocate for improving health outcomes through interdisciplinary collaboration and community-based care. The Carol Likens Award is her second significant honor over the past year after previously being selected as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association. The FAPTA designation, APTAs highest honor, recognizes individuals whose efforts have had a lasting impact on the advancement of the physical therapy profession. Dr. Eton, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Physical Therapy and director of residency education, received APTA Tennessees 2025 Outstanding Physical Therapist Educator Award. The award recognizes exceptional contributions to physical therapy education in the areas of teaching, mentorship and professional development. A member of the UTC faculty since 2020, Dr. Eton is a practicing physical therapist with more than a decade of clinical experience. She is board-certified in geriatric physical therapy and specializes in outpatient neurology and geriatric care. Dr. Fell and Dr. Eton were honored during APTA Tennessees Spring Meeting held Saturday in Murfreesboro. Hamilton Zanze announced it has sponsored the purchase of 1400 Chestnut Apartments, a 200-home midrise apartment community. Mission Rock Residential, an affiliate of Hamilton Zanze, has assumed management of the property, which sits just south of the vibrant City Center neighborhood and approximately one mile from UTC. "We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of 1400 Chestnut, our third property in the city," said David Nelson, president and chief investment officer at Hamilton Zanze. "This acquisition presents an opportunity to secure a high-quality community in a submarket with limited incoming supply. The property's prime location, near the transformative developments of The Bend, a 120-acre mixed-use community, and the new stadium for the Chattanooga Lookouts, further enhances its appeal." Located near the intersection of W. Main Street and Broad Street, 1400 Chestnut was built in 2017 and offers one- and two-bedroom apartment homes. Homes range in size from 672 to 1,202 square feet and include stainless steel appliances, hardwood-style flooring, quartz countertops, shaker-style cabinetry, modern lighting fixtures, tall ceilings, air conditioning, in-home washers and dryers, walk-in closets, extra storage space and brushed-nickel bathroom hardware. Select homes feature private patios or balconies. Common-area amenities at the pet-friendly community include a saltwater pool with sundeck, fire pits and grills, resident clubhouse, business center, private office space, media lounge, coffee bar, pet spa and an onsite fitness center. Residents also have access to garage parking, bike storage and a bike repair station. 1400 Chestnut sits within a short walk or commute from City Center, which serves as the commercial heart of downtown and offers an array of retail, dining, nightlife and cultural attractions. The community also sits near the Chattanooga Farmers Market, a Whole Foods Market and the Chattanooga Convention Center. The immediate area also features a variety of transit options that connect to the greater metropolitan area. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Jeffrey Dean Morgan cant bear to watch the heart-wrenching Greys Anatomy scene that shows his character Denny Duquette dying. Jeffrey Dean Morgan cant bear to watch the heart-wrenching Greys Anatomy scene that shows his character Denny Duquette dying The actor, 58, played the role in 2006 during a season two finale of the hit medical drama, and has now revealed its lasting impact on his emotions and life. He told People about the emotionally charged moment: It makes me cry... one, because it was so awesome, and two, it was f****** incredibly sad to watch. The death scene in question remains one of the most iconic and tear-jerking moments in Greys Anatomy history. It features the tragic death of Jeffreys Denny after his relationship with Katherine Heigls Dr. Izzie Stevens captivated audiences. The two actors reconnected virtually for the 20th anniversary of the show, discussing the scene in which Denny dies, with People reporting on the exchange. Jeffrey added in the chat: I dont see myself in there, which I take is a good sign, if I can watch myself acting and not see myself. He added working with Katherine and under the direction of series creator Shonda Rhimes was pretty special. Katherine, 46, opened up about the emotional depth required for the scene, revealing how personal experiences shaped her performance. She said: I remember that scene when Denny died, how stressed out I was to perform that and just wanting to give it my absolute best. I was sitting alone a lot, listening to really sad music, thinking about my dead brother, which was fun. Despite the heavy emotional toll, Katherine admitted she put immense pressure on herself to capture the grief of the moment authentically. Jeffrey said: I remember having so much empathy for what you were going through because it was rough. Reflecting on the doomed romance between Denny and Izzie, Katherine added: One of my favourite things about Shonda as a writer is how beautifully she does these tortured love stories... it was doomed from the start. It wasnt like I had some big lead-up to, This is coming for Izzie. Its always secretive there and they dont want to spill the beans too soon. So youre finding out as its going. Now in its 21st season, Greys Anatomy remains American TVs longest-running primetime medical drama. On March 16, 2025, Doreen Nairuba, who was six months pregnant, was poisoned to death by a Muslim woman. | Photo Credit: Morning Star News A Muslim woman in eastern Uganda has killed a Christian couple and, in the process, accidentally took her own daughter's life. Doreen Nairuba, who was six months pregnant, died on March 16 after consuming poisoned food prepared by her Muslim neighbor, Hanifa Hamiyat, in Nabiganda town, Butaleja District, as reported by the Morning Star News. Hamiyat's 18-year-old daughter, Marriam Kapisa, also died the same day after unknowingly eating the poisoned food intended for Nairuba and her husband, Jackson Wampula, who succumbed to the poisoning the following day, March 17. Nairuba had been sharing her Christian faith with Kapisa, who had recently finished her high school exams and was awaiting college acceptance results. According to an area source, Hamiyat was angered that the couple had invited her daughter to a church service on March 17. A neighbor observed the Christian couple leaving for church with Kapisa and later informed Hamiyat. The neighbor then intercepted Kapisa around 5:30 p.m., and she confirmed to him that she had attended the church service. Afterward, he returned with her home where Hamiyat prepared a poisoned meal and sent Kapisa to share it with the couple at around 7 p.m. The source reported, The daughter didnt know that her mother had put some poison in the food. When the daughter reached Doreens home, the three participated in sharing the food, and immediately afterward, she left. Upon returning home, Kapisa began complaining of stomach pain and vomiting. Her mother inquired about the delay, and when Kapisa explained she had eaten with Doreens family, Hamiyat shouted, Allah Karim [Generous Allah], I have killed myself, according to the source, who visited the family upon hearing of their distress. Kapisa was rushed to a nearby hospital but later died. After approximately an hour, Nairuba and Wampula began experiencing stomach pain and diarrhea, prompting an emergency call to a neighbor. When I arrived at the house, the two were in bad shape, and I took them to a nearby clinic, where they received first aid before being referred to the main hospital, said the neighbor, who remains anonymous for security reasons. Tragically, Nairuba died before reaching the hospital, while Wampula passed away the next day. Tests conducted on the remaining food samples revealed a poisonous substance that caused the deaths of both Nairuba and Wampula, according to the neighbor. Local leaders detained and questioned Hamiyat, who confessed to poisoning the food. She stated, I never intended to kill my daughter, but my plan was to kill the neighbors because of taking my daughter to church during this holy month of Ramadan. The source added that Hamiyat believed, Our imam had assured us that when you kill a kafir [infidel], Allah rewards one with a Jannah [paradise] called Firdausi, so I wanted to get that Jannah. Hamiyat is currently in police custody, with a hearing scheduled for April 2. Elon Musk received a prayer from a pastor who is an attendee's father during a large town hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on March 30, 2025. The event was part of his campaign in support of Brad Schimel, the conservative candidate in a critical Wisconsin Supreme Court election scheduled for Tuesday. | Screenshot: YouTube/ C-SPAN Elon Musk recently expressed gratitude to a pastor who publicly prayed for him during a large town hall event in Wisconsin on Sunday. SpaceX and Tesla CEO, the Department of Government Efficiency(DOGE) chief Musk was speaking to a crowd of around 2,000 supporters in Green Bay while campaigning in favor of Brad Schimel, the conservative candidate in a Wisconsin Supreme Court election set for Tuesday. During the event, as Musk took questions from the audience, a man asked if his father, a pastor, could offer a prayer for him, to which Musk agreed. The pastor, who remains unidentified, thanked Musk for his contributions to the United States, emphasizing, It's something evil that has come against our country, our morals, our families, et cetera. And then you and the president and others getting attacked with this outrage and this hate. He noted that God has blessed America with a great history, adding, "Although we've gone through many rough times, you're still very present and active with us." The pastor continued, We ask that you envelop and protect all of those who are fighting for justice, for freedom, for order, for dignity, and to reward people according to merit," praying for protection over Musk. Especially put your hedge of protection around Elon Musk, around his children, around his whole entire family, and all of his team members; that all would do good and just by our country and freedom, truly and [that] justice would reign once again, he prayed. The pastor concluded the prayer, saying, We ask this in the name of the blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, who we remember during this time of year, who suffered and died for our sins. May you wash away all that is wrong with our country and start with us. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. In response, Musk thanked the pastor, remarking, That was beautiful. I think were going to need divine protection, frankly. On the same day, evangelist and Samaritan's Purse CEO Franklin Graham also encouraged his followers on social media to pray for Musk amid the hatred he has been facing. Graham stated, Elon Musk is taking a lot of heat for leading the efforts to cut waste in our government, and noted the negative headlines surrounding Tesla takedowns and violence against Musk's brands. He urged, We need to lift [Musk] up in prayer. Even though he is a very smart and gifted man, he still needs wisdom from God. Lets ask God to lead him, protect him, and give him wisdom. No question, there is power in prayer, Graham added. Musk, who has described himself as a cultural Christian, has acknowledged Christianity's foundational role in shaping Western civilization. In an interview with Jordan Peterson for The Daily Wire last year, Musk disclosed, While I'm not a particularly religious person, I do believe that the teachings of Jesus are good and wise, and that there's tremendous wisdom in turning the other cheek. He also praised Christianity's cultural impact, declaring that Western civilization would be absolutely screwed if it loses Christianity. Home News Andrew Tate's ex says he nearly choked her unconscious, labeled her his 'property': lawsuit Editor's note: This article contains descriptions of abuse that some readers may find disturbing. Andrew Tate's former girlfriend has accused the online influencer of beating and choking her while they were in a relationship, alleging in a lawsuit that Tate also labeled her his "property" and threatened to kill her if she crossed him. Brianna Stern, a model, filed the lawsuit on Thursday in the Los Angeles County Superior Court against Tate, a self-proclaimed "misogynist." The filing alleges that Tate lured Stern into a relationship by behaving lovingly toward her, The Associated Press reported Sunday. 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 lawsuit comes as the former professional boxer and his brother, Tristan Tate, are under investigation by British and Romanian authorities on allegations of human trafficking, money laundering and sex crimes. The pair has denied all of the accusations against them. Stern says she met Tate in January 2024 because the brothers were looking for models to help promote their cryptocurrency meme coin. The model traveled to Romania, where she eventually began a relationship with the elder Tate brother, who convinced her that the media stories about him were untrue. Stern alleges that Tate forced her to get a tattoo that reads "Property of Tate," something that the lawsuit states he had required of several former girlfriends. Tate's messages to Stern became threatening after the model returned to the United States, writing that he wanted to beat and impregnate her. During a March stay at The Beverly Hills Hotel, Stern said that the influencer choked and beat her until she nearly lost consciousness, according to the lawsuit. "While doing so, Tate told her repeatedly that if she ever crossed him, he was going to kill her," the document reads. After their stay at the hotel, Stern said that she sought medical attention and was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. According to the complaint, the model reported the assault after the Tate brothers left the U.S. due to fear of retaliation. Dani Pinter, senior vice president and director of the Law Center for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, noticed similarities between Stern's accusations and testimonies from other alleged victims of Tate. "Many victims have come forward and have described similar patterns of abuse. We stand with all victims of sexual abuse and exploitation and hope their voices are heard," Pinter told The Christian Post. Tate's attorney, Joseph McBride, said that his client denies all of the allegations, as quoted by AP. McBride claimed Stern and her legal team are attempting to take advantage of the media attention surrounding the Tate brothers to earn money. "This is a money grab," McBride claimed in a phone interview. "This is the weaponization of the court system against an innocent man." In a statement posted to her social media last week, Stern described the entire situation as "very traumatic and extremely difficult." The Los Angeles woman wrote that she remained silent at first out of fear and an unwillingness to admit that she had been abused. "I know I can't be silent; I have to make my voice heard, no matter how difficult that road may be," Stern stated. "I also know there are many women out there who are in the same position as me terrified and scared, who are being hurt by the person who is supposed to love them most." "To those women I say, you are much stronger than you know," she added. Earlier this year, another woman filed a lawsuit against the Tate brothers in a Florida court after the pair sued her in 2023. The Tates accused the young woman of providing fabricated evidence to the Romanian authorities that resulted in their arrests in 2022. Identified as Jane Doe in the suit, she claims to have met Tristan Tate in November 2021 through an online platform. The young girl met up with Tristan Tate several times, and at some point, after he persuaded her to join him in Romania, she said she realized he lured her into a sex trafficking operation. After Florida's attorney general announced last month that his office had opened a criminal investigation into the Tates, the elder brother challenged state authorities during an interview with right-wing commentator Candace Owens. "Come get me, arrest me, perp walk me, put me on the news, tell everyone I'm a human trafficker," Andrew Tate declared during the interview. "You think I'm not versed? You think I'm not ready? I'm a Navy SEAL in this sh. Fing come get me, raid my house, take my stuff," he added. "You think I sleep with a phone full of evidence? You don't think I wipe my phone every night? You think I'm dumb?" Home News Authorities in Indonesia reject church construction despite meeting all permit requirements SURABAYA, Indonesia Local officials in East Borneo Province, Indonesia, refused to approve construction of a church building even though the congregation had met all requirements for a permit, sources said. In Samarinda, capital of East Borneo Province, the Samarinda Ministry of Religious Affairs Office refused to provide a letter of recommendation for Toraja Christian Church in Sungai Keledang, Samarinda Seberang Sub-District, even though the church completed all administrative requirements for a license permit, according to the Indonesian Movement for All (Pergerakan Indonesia untuk Semua, PIS). The church has sought the permit for 10 years. Oh my God. How can people worship when we make it difficult?, PIS stated on its website. What other reason does the Ministry of Religious Affairs office have for refusing to provide a letter of recommendation? Sounds cowardly, isnt it? This injustice should not be tolerated. 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 congregation has spent 10 years on the application, obtaining names and ID cards of 90 people approved by local officials, approval of 60 local people and village heads and last September winning recommendations of the local Interfaith Forum, according to PIS. Hendra Kusuma, chairman of the East Kalimantan Alliance for Advocacy for Freedom of Religion and Belief, accused the government of fearing Muslim groups that are religiously intolerant rather than enforcing rules, PIS stated. They are more afraid of a handful of people who reject the churchs existence, even though the state guarantees freedom of religion and worship, Hendra told kaltimtoday.com. Hendra said officials were shifting responsibility, as happens in many areas in Indonesia. We have visited all related parties, even the Ministry of Religious Affairs, but they still let the sub-district head decide, Hendra said. Not a single party is brave and firm enough to resolve the problem. The church also has received a letter of recommendation for construction from the Samarinda Branch of the Interfaith Forum (Forum Kerja Sama Umat Beragama, or FKUB), a mandatary interfaith ad-hoc body, to issue a recommendation for the construction, Hendra said. A congregation member who goes by the single name of Elizabeth said she regretted that the churchs rights had been violated. We just want to build a church for worship, Elizabeth told viva.co.id. We all have the right to embrace our respective religions and worship in our respective places of worship. Our rights should still be given according to the law. An official of the Samarinda Ministry of Religious Affairs office who goes by the single name of Rahmi said that a handful of people are blocking construction of the church building, especially as officials wish to avoid conflict during Ramadan, according to Kaltimviva.co.id We dont want there to be any problems, Rahami reportedly said. Especially in the month of Ramadan, it is feared that it can trigger unwanted things, but it doesnt mean we dont want to issue it. Hendra, while visiting the Samarinda Ministry of Religion Office on March 5, told radar.samarinda.com that his group was disappointed and that, after the issuing of the FKUB recommendation letter, the Ministry of Religion must issue a recommendation letter within 30 days. The East Kalimantan Alliance for Advocacy for Freedom of Religion and Belief then appealed to the Samarinda municipal government with the deputy of the Samarinda mayor, according to Kaltimtoday.com. Besides promising to approach relevant officials at all levels, including those blocking construction, the idea of relocating the worship building to another location surfaced, which the Christians rejected. There was a discourse to relocate the church we reject the discourse even if it happens, Hendra said. The lot for the would-be church has a certificate of ownership of the Toraja Church. Peter Selestinus, a Jakarta-based attorney, said the state and/or Samarinda officials aren't providing equal guarantees to all religious communities in this case. It is against Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution that says the state guarantees the freedom of each resident to embrace their respective religions and to worship according to their religion and beliefs, Selestinus told Morning Star News in a text. On one, a legal team of one of Indonesias biggest parties, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, or PDI-P), Selestinus said freedom to embrace religion and worship must be upheld. However, it is unfortunate that our country still adopts a discriminatory attitude in making real the provisions of our Constitution that guarantees each resident the right to embrace a religion, Selestinus said. People need a place to hold worship, but it is made difficult. Here the state, the Samarinda City Government in particular, is not honest with its residents, and this is unjustified because it violates the Constitution and human rights. Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to Christian support group Open Doors. This article was originally published at Morning Star News Home News Church cancels Sunday service after robbers stole equipment, $800 raised for Easter egg hunt A church in Holland, New York, with a congregation of about 40 people, was forced to cancel its worship service on Sunday after robbers stole several thousand dollars worth of equipment and $800 they had raised for an upcoming Easter egg hunt. The Eerie County church, which sits on about 40 acres of land, is led by Lynne Hill, who co-pastored with her late husband, Mark Hill, until he died in 2018, the East Aurora Bee reported. Lynne Hill told the publication that she wasn't in town when the robbery happened, but another of the churchs pastors, Richard Clarkson, recounted to WGRZ how he sensed something was amiss when he arrived at the church to start preparing for service on Sunday. 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 Walking into God's house, I can kind of tell when something's a little off or something's missing, and that was certainly the case this morning, he told the news outlet. A couple computers that I normally depend on were missing. There were blinds on one side of the building that were all closed. Clarkson said a preliminary audit of the losses show the church lost key equipment such as computers, speakers and microphones, along with the cash he says was a lot for the small church. Well, its a lot of money, $10 is a lot for a small church. It definitely hit us hard, Clarkson said. This is sad, Lynne Hill told the East Aurora Bee. Were a family community church. Despite their small congregation, Hope on the Hill opens up their sprawling campus for use by homeschool groups and other churches from Buffalo and nearby suburbs. While investigators from the Erie County Sheriffs Office dont yet have any suspects, Pastor Lynne Hill said she's speaking out to help the community stay on alert following a string of break-ins along Route 16. We want to make people and other churches aware that these incidents happen, she said. We took two steps backward but we will move forward. Even though he doesnt know who robbed the church, Clarkson told WGRZ that he would offer them grace. Clearly, there's an element of like, why would you rob a church? he said. I'm not in a place to ask those questions. I'm in a place to forgive them for what they did and just provide them love and offer them an opportunity to let them know there's something better. Laney Hill, the daughter-in-law of Pastor Lynne Hill, has launched a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of the church to recover from the losses suffered in the robbery. This is a small church whose congregation have blessed our community and local families in a multitude of ways, regardless of their size. They have big dreams of serving the community and even bigger hearts as theyre determined to do so regardless of setbacks. They could really use their community now, she wrote. My mother-in-law Lynne has faithfully pastored this church following her husbands passing due to cancer 7 years ago this July, she added. She has weathered countless obstacles and still she is doing Gods work! Your hard-earned funds would be put to incredible use if you were to donate. Home News Episcopal diocese to hold 3rd bishop vote after 2 unfair elections An Episcopal Church diocese that twice failed to elect a new bishop due to various controversies is slated to hold a third election to determine their new leader. The Standing Committee for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida announced Monday that a special meeting of the diocesan convention was scheduled for June 14 at the Camp Weed & Cerveny Conference Center to Adopt Rules and Procedures for the Election of a Bishop Diocesan. The election will likely occur in the late summer or early fall of 2026, with consecration projected to take place in early 2027, wrote the Rev. Sarah Minton, standing committee president, in the announcement. 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 As we enter this pivotal time for our diocese, may we be united in spirit and steadfast in prayer. We humbly ask that you join us in lifting up this initiative to the Lord, believing that He will lead us with wisdom and bless our work for His glory. The standing committee also said they will post a draft of the proposed procedures and rules for the meeting online by May 15, which can be edited and reposted through June 7. In May 2022, the Rev. Charlie Holt was elected bishop of the Florida diocese. It was expected that he'd replace Bishop Samuel J. Howard who was retiring. However, several clergy and lay leaders claimed that Holt's election had been tainted. Additionally, there were concerns over Holts theologically conservative views on LGBT issues. In response, The Episcopal Church's Court of Review filed a report in August 2022 that concluded there had been "irregularities" that created "seeds of uncertainty that call into question the integrity of the process." The diocese held a second bishop election in November 2022, with Holt defeating two other candidates. He received the votes of 56 clergy and 79 laity; the minimum needed was 56 clergy and 67 laity. However, a group of 29 clergy and lay delegates disputed the results of the second election, arguing that it was "fundamentally unfair" and excluded certain delegates. The 29 delegates passed the 25-delegate minimum required to file a formal objection. In July 2023, the standing committee announced that Holt had failed to receive the necessary support from The Episcopal Church officials to be installed as bishop. "We know this news will evoke many responses, especially among the delegates who voted for Charlie Holt, those who have worked hard to obtain consent to the election and those who objected to it," stated the committee. "Upon Bishop Howard's retirement, the Standing Committee will be the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese, as prescribed in Article IV of the Constitution of The Episcopal Church." In a statement to Episcopal News Service last September, the standing committee said they still were without a diocesan bishop nearly a year after Howard's retirement. The committee also told ENS that it was "continuing to lead a very productive process of healing and strengthening of our diocesan body" and that while some delegates supported calling for a new bishop, "the larger body of delegates sees the opportunity for further healing and strengthening." Home News Little girl discovers 3,800-year-old Canaanite seal on family trip near Beit Shemesh, Israel One Israeli family got the surprise of a lifetime when their 3.5-year-old daughter discovered an ancient treasure while on a trip to Tel Azekah, near Beit Shemesh, in central Israel. Ziv Nitzan from Moshav Ramot Meir found an ancient seal in the form of a scarab, dated to about 3,800 years old. Scarab seals are small, intricately crafted objects that originated in ancient Egypt and shaped like a dung beetle. Zivs sister, Omer, described the discovery of the ancient find. 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 were walking along the path when Ziv bent down. Out of all the stones around her, she picked up this particular one, she recalled. When she rubbed it and removed the sand, we noticed something different about it. I called my parents over to see the beautiful stone, and thats when we realized we had stumbled upon an archaeological find! We immediately reported it to the Israel Antiquities Authority. The Nitzan family took the proper steps, as it is illegal in Israel to keep items like the scarab without reporting them to the Antiquities Authority even keeping small shards of pottery is prohibited. Semyon Gendler, the Judah Region District Archaeologist representing the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), commended Ziv and her family for promptly reporting the discovery and presented the young girl with a certificate of appreciation for good citizenship. Passover is right around the corner, and there is an exhibition planned at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel. Nitzans special find will be displayed alongside other artifacts from the eras of Egypt and Canaan, many of which will be presented to the public for the first time. Dr. Daphna Ben-Tor, a specialist in ancient amulets and seals, identified the item discovered by Ziv as a Canaanite scarab from the Middle Bronze Age, roughly 3,800 years old. She explained, During this period, scarabs served both as seals and as amulets. They were commonly found in graves, public buildings, and private homes. Some feature symbols or inscriptions that reflect religious beliefs or social status. The dung beetle was regarded as sacred by the ancient Egyptians, as the tiny insect crafts a ball from a dung pile, lays its eggs inside, and life comes forth from it. Its name in Egyptian derives from the verb to come into being, or to be created. This is because the Egyptians saw the scarab as a symbol of the incarnation of God the Creator. Tel Azekah is a treasure trove of hidden artifacts as well as a place of revelation and stories from ancient times that reveal ancient cultures and findings from the Judahite Kingdom, including city walls and agricultural installations. The site is also recognized as a significant location in the biblical account of the battle between David and Goliath, which happened in the nearby Elah Valley, as mentioned in the Book of Samuel (I Samuel 17:1). Prof. Oded Lipschitz, director of the Tel Aviv University archaeological dig, came to meet Ziv and her family at the Tel. He and his team have been excavating that area for nearly 15 years. He told them that Tel Azekah had once been a part of a thriving city during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages. The scarab found by Ziv joins a long list of Egyptian and Canaanite finds discovered here, which attest to the close ties and cultural influences between Canaan and Egypt during that period, Lipschitz explained. The IAA said that Israeli Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu reminds the public that even children can be a part of discovering history. The seal that little Ziv found during a family trip to Tel Azekah connects us to a grand story, that of the ancient civilizations that lived in this land thousands of years ago, he added. Ziv and her family deserve praise for handing over the find to the National Treasures of the state of Israel, says Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority. In our public tours, we will present impressive items for the first time, including seals of the pharaohs, Egyptian statues, ritual vessels, and evidence of the Egyptian cultural influence in the Land of Israel and everyone is invited! For more details, please visit the Israel Antiquities Authority website. This article was originally published by All Israel News. Home News Idaho will require schools to teach fetal development, show ultrasound video to students Idaho's Republican Gov. Brad Little has signed a law requiring schools to teach about fetal development, a move proponents believe will enable children in the state to learn that life begins at conception. Little signed Senate Bill 1046 into law last week, following its approval by the Republican-controlled Idaho Senate in a 27-8 vote on Feb. 27 and the Republican-controlled Idaho House of Representatives in a 63-6 vote on March 18. The votes fell mainly along party lines, with most Republicans supporting the measure and most opposition coming from Democrats. Three Democrats in the Idaho House joined Republicans in supporting the legislation, while two Senate Republicans joined Democrats in opposing it. 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 Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, Senate Bill 1046 declares that each school district serving students in grades five through 12 "shall include instruction on human growth and development" in the curriculum. The "human growth and development" lessons must include "A high-definition ultrasound video, at least three (3) minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development." The other requirement for the new curriculum involves the presentation of "a high-quality, computer-generated rendering or animation showing the process of fertilization and every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ development for every week of pregnancy until birth." The curriculum must be included in any course "that discusses or provides instruction concerning human biology, discusses or provides instruction concerning contraception, or discusses or provides instruction concerning sexually transmitted diseases or sexually transmitted infections." Lila Rose, pro-life activist and founder of the advocacy group Live Action, said in a statement that the "study of human development is a fundamental aspect of science education." "I am thrilled that with the passage and signing of SB1046, students in the great state of Idaho will gain a deeper understanding of the incredible process of how human life begins," she said. "This is a significant step toward equipping Idaho's students with accurate, necessary, and scientifically accurate information regarding human life in the womb," Rose added. "Idaho is now one of the pioneering states to ensure state-of-the-art education explaining and illustrating human development, like Live Action's Baby Olivia video, is included in state education standards. Through vivid, life-like animation, students can now witness the beauty and reality of life in the womb from the moment of fertilization." Critics of the bill have argued that it could limit what teachers can include in their instruction on the topic. The Idaho Freedom Foundation contends, however, that "harmful myths" are being advanced by Democrats that human life does not begin at conception as a justification for more expansive legalized abortion. Idaho joins North Dakota and Tennessee as the states that require education on fetal development. "Every American student deserves access to the truth about when life begins and how it develops," Rose said. "These truths inform minds and foster a culture that respects human life at every stage of development." The "Baby Olivia" video, shared by Rose in an X post published as Tennessee implemented a similar law to Idaho's Senate Bill 1046 last year, shows unborn babies at various stages of development as part of an effort to make the point that life begins at fertilization. Identifying conception as "the moment that life begins," the narrator asserts that "At fertilization, her gender, ethnicity, hair color, eye color and countless traits are already determined." The video also details how the baby "begins to implant in the uterus about one week after fertilization." "Her cells organize into what we call an embryo. At three weeks and one day, just 22 days after fertilization, Olivia's heartbeat can be detected," the video continues. "The buds of her arms and legs appear by four weeks. She begins to move between five and six weeks, with both spontaneous and reflexive movements. At six weeks from fertilization, her brain activity can be recorded and bone formation begins." Additional development milestones highlighted in the video include the emergence of fingers and toes as well as the ability to hiccup at around seven-and-a-half weeks gestation, the ability to suck her thumb, swallow, grasp an object, touch her face, sigh and stretch nine weeks into the pregnancy, the maturation of taste buds by week 12, the ability to sense her mother's movements 14-18 weeks into the pregnancy and the development of speaking movements in her voice box at 18 weeks gestation. Insisting that "babies have survived outside the womb" as early as about 20 weeks into pregnancy, the video notes that "at 27 weeks, her eyes are responding to light, she can recognize her parents' voices and will even recognize lullabies and stories." The video concludes by labeling childbirth as the end point of Olivia's nine-month "journey." Home News Federal judge dismisses all but 1 count of Johnny Hunts defamation suit against SBC A federal judge stopped short on Monday of completely dismissing a defamation lawsuit filed by former Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt against the SBC and the SBC Executive Committee because of a tweet from former SBC President Bart Barber. While he dismissed all the claims against investigative firm Guidepost Solutions and dismissed most of the claims against the SBC and its Executive Committee, Chief U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee's Nashville Division William L. Campbell said Hunt's defamation claim based on a tweet from former SBC President Bart Barber couldn't be dismissed. "Guidepost's motion is GRANTED as to all claims," Campbell wrote. "The motions by the Southern Baptist Convention ('SBC') and the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention ('Executive Committee') are GRANTED as to the claims for false light (Count III), public disclosure of embarrassing private facts (Count VI), negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress (Counts IV and V), and the defamation claim (Count I) arising out of the Report and the Letter," he added before noting, "SBC and the Executive Committee's motion are DENIED as to the defamation claim (Count I) based on the Tweet." 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 Hunt filed his six-count, 330-page lawsuit in March 2023, naming the SBC, the SBC Executive Committee and Guidepost Solutions after he was accused of sexual assault by a young minister's wife in an independent report produced by Guidepost Solutions in 2022. Hunt previously admitted to engaging in "kissing and some awkward fondling" with the younger minister's wife, who accused him of sexual assault while on a beach vacation with his family in Panama City, Florida, in 2010. The longtime former pastor of Woodstock Baptist Church north of Atlanta has since argued that he was stalked and seduced by the woman in a 368-page deposition on April 18, 2024, conducted as a part of the federal defamation lawsuit. Guidepost Solutions was hired by the SBC in 2021 after it was alleged that America's largest Protestant denomination had for decades "condoned and covered up sexual abuse on the part of its clergy and leadership," according to a motion to dismiss Hunt's lawsuit filed by the New York City-based investigative firm, which was reviewed by The Christian Post. Hunt accused the defendants of: defamation/libel, defamation/libel per se, invasion of privacy or false light, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and public disclosure of private embarrassing facts. The "Tweet" referenced by Campbell is a post from Barber published on Dec. 5, 2022, which Hunt's attorneys argue "intentionally and maliciously created the false impression that Pastor Johnny is a sex criminal." "On December 5, 2022, the then-current President of the SBC, Bart Barber, publicly tweeted: 'Hunt was the subject of a third-party investigation in response to allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman half his age in ways that would, to my knowledge, constitute a felony in any jurisdiction in the US,'" Hunt's complaint noted. "Mr. Barber's tweet was demonstrably false. Even if the factual accusations against Pastor Johnny contained in the Report were factually true, they would not amount to a felony in Florida (where the incident occurred) or Texas (where Mr. Barber resides). Mr. Barber made his contrary statement knowing it was false, particularly given that Pastor Johnny's counsel had previously sent a letter to the SBC pointing out the specifics of Florida law," he added. In their successful motion for dismissal of Hunt's lawsuit, lawyers for Guidepost Solutions raised several arguments, including the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine. The filing noted that the company was "acting as agent of the EC and the SBC Task Force." "Because Hunt's allegations of defamation and the related torts are inextricably intertwined with the SBC's investigation into its internal ecclesiastical affairs, the court should refrain from exercising jurisdiction over this matter," they noted. Guidepost's attorneys also argued for the dismissal of his claims of libel because "Hunt is a public figure for all purposes and the Complaint fails to plead facts plausibly supporting an inference that Guidepost published the Report with actual malice." The Guidepost Solutions report detailed allegations SBC's leadership mishandled sexual abuse allegations, mistreated victims and advocates, engaged in an abusive pattern of intimidation and repeatedly resisted reforms aimed at making associated churches safer, largely to avoid legal liability. Last September, current SBC President Clint Pressley squashed speculation that the denomination was possibly settling Hunt's case despite spending a significant amount on legal bills. "Despite what you may be hearing, there is no settlement with Dr Johnny Hunt," said Pressley in a response on X to the speculation cited in reports made by news outlets such as Baptist News Global. The SBC had asked the court to make a summary judgment on Hunt's lawsuit to avoid a trial. Sean Diddy Combs has had one of the sexual assault lawsuits against him dismissed after the anonymous plaintiff failed to re-file her complaint under her real name. Sean Diddy Combs has had one of the sexual assault lawsuits against him dismissed after the anonymous plaintiff failed to re-file her complaint under her real name The 55-year-old music mogul, who is awaiting trail on charges including sex trafficking, had been sued in the Southern District of New York in October 2024 by a woman using the pseudonym Jane Doe. She accused him of assaulting her at a party in 1995 but on Monday (01.04.25) a federal judge dismissed the case after the plaintiff did not submit a revised complaint under her real identity. U.S. district judge Lewis Liman wrote in a ruling obtained by People magazine: On March 6, 2025, the Court denied Plaintiffs motion to proceed anonymously and ordered her to file a complaint in her own name by March 20, 2025, or the case would be dismissed. As of (31 March), Plaintiff has not filed a complaint in her own name, nor has she sought an extension of time to do so. Accordingly, the case is dismissed. Combs legal team welcomed the decision, claiming it was part of a pattern of baseless accusations. They said in a statement: For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by attorneys more focused on media headlines than legal merit. The other claims, like the one dismissed today, also will not hold up in a court of law. The woman had been represented by Tony Buzbee, a high-profile Houston-based attorney who had previously announced that he was representing hundreds of people making allegations against Combs. Combs legal representatives also criticised Mr Buzbee following Mondays dismissal. They added: This is now the second case brought by these attorneys against Mr Combs that has been dismissed in its entirety. It will not be the last. Despite the ruling, Combs remains a defendant in several other lawsuits accusing him of misconduct. He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. In addition to a mass of civil cases against the rapper, alleging offences including rape, Combs is also facing criminal charges stemming from a September indictment on federal sex crimes, including sex trafficking and racketeering. He has pleaded not guilty. His criminal trial is scheduled to begin in May and he remains in custody in Brooklyn after being denied bail. Home News Man pleads guilty to cheating Ga. church out of millions in hurricane repairs A Texas man has pleaded guilty to cheating a Georgia church out of millions of dollars in hurricane repairs, having allegedly done similar to other people and congregations. Andrew Mitchell, a 45-year-old resident of Kemeh, who also goes by the name Andrew Aga, pled guilty last week to one count of mail fraud before U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands. Mitchell could be sentenced to as much as 30 years in prison, followed by a minimum of three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. A sentencing date is pending. 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 Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker said in a press release issued last Friday by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia that Mitchell was brought to justice through a coordinated effort of federal prosecutors and investigators from the Georgia Insurance Commissioners Office who thoroughly examined years of fraud. It is disheartening to see someone willing to defraud a place of worship in the wake of a major natural disaster, especially when its congregation trusted the defendant and all those involved to act lawfully and help them repair their historic downtown facility after Hurricane Michael, stated Booker. According to court documents, Mitchell targeted Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Albany, which was insured by Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana. After Friendship Missionary Baptist sustained considerable damage due to Hurricane Michael in 2018, Mitchell reached out to Brotherhood Mutual, presenting himself as a public adjuster on behalf of the church. From 2018 to 2021, Mitchell reached out to Brotherhood Mutual on multiple occasions to receive substantial insurance payouts, with him falsifying documents to get the money. For example, in November 2020, Mitchell submitted an invoice supposedly coming from a heating and air company for $950,000 for work that wasn't performed at the church. On another occasion in January 2021, Brotherhood Mutual issued a check jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC for $544,512.80 that was mailed to Mitchell, who had forged the churchs endorsement. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, church representatives met with Mitchell in 2022 to voice concern over the incomplete repairs, with Mitchell falsely claiming that Brotherhood Mutual was withholding additional payments. The insurance company had issued over $6.86 million in payments that were intended exclusively for the churchs hurricane repairs. This is not the only time that Mitchell has faced charges stemming from allegedly pocketing money meant to cover insurance claims for churches and individuals. In January 2023, Louisiana police arrested Mitchell for allegedly stealing $592,000 from settlement checks meant for seven former clients, in which he forged their signatures. The seven victims were homeowners living in the Louisiana parishes of St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, Orleans and Tangipahoa, who had suffered property damage as a result of Hurricane Ida, reported the Claims Journal. I am very pleased to see the prompt action by Louisiana insurance regulators in first revoking (Mitchells) license and now charging him with felony crimes, stated insurance defense attorney Steven Badger, as quoted by Claims Journal. Hopefully we will soon see similar charges in Texas and Georgia where he has similar alleged victims. Mitchell was also accused of taking multiple insurer checks totaling over $322,000 that were meant for a church in Minnesota. However, he reportedly returned the money minus a fee after the congregation filed a police complaint against him. Home News Samaritans Purse airlifting field hospital to Myanmar as earthquake death toll nears 3K The North Carolina-based Evangelical humanitarian aid charity Samaritan's Purse is dispatching an emergency field hospital to Myanmar following a catastrophic 7.7-magnitude earthquake that has claimed over 2,700 lives. The DC-8 aircraft departed from Greensboro, North Carolina, on Monday, and traveled to Calgary, where it was loaded with a field hospital from Samaritan's Purse's Canada office. The plane is also carrying medical supplies and disaster response specialists to aid those affected by the disaster. The charity also deployed team members from its Vietnam and Cambodia offices to make preparations for the emergency field hospital. The earthquake, which struck Myanmar and parts of Thailand on Friday, caused widespread devastation, including collapsed infrastructure and thousands of injuries. 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 Myanmar alone, the official death toll rose to 2,719 on Tuesday, with 441 people still missing and over 4,000 injured, Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing said, as quoted by Reuters. The death toll is expected to surpass 3,000. In Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, the stench of decaying bodies filled the streets on Sunday as residents frantically cleared rubble by hand, searching for survivors, The Associated Press reports. Rescue efforts have been hampered by damaged roads, unstable bridges and poor communication networks, with the World Health Organization stating that the devastation has overwhelmed healthcare systems in affected areas. "Now, families are grieving the loss of loved ones and many are left with nothing sleeping outside in the elements as aftershocks continue," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, in a statement sent to The Christian Post. "Samaritan's Purse is responding in Jesus' Name to bring relief to those who are hurting." Graham urged Christians to "pray for all those affected and for our teams as they serve." Samaritan's Purse's Disaster Assistance Response Team will provide critical medical care in the hardest-hit areas. The fully equipped emergency field hospital includes two operating theaters, an emergency room, inpatient wards, a pharmacy and a laboratory. The Evangelical relief agency's facility is designed to handle a high volume of trauma cases, addressing the urgent need for surgical care, blood transfusions and essential medicine. The DC-8 aircraft also transports 28 disaster response specialists, including doctors and nurses, to support relief efforts on the ground. Myanmar's Ministry of Health has requested international assistance, as healthcare facilities in central regions have been left incapacitated. At least three hospitals were destroyed, and 22 others sustained partial damage, forcing patients to be treated outdoors, according to the World Health Organization. In Mandalay, thousands of residents have spent three nights camping in the streets, fearing aftershocks. The city's 1,000-bed general hospital was evacuated after sustaining significant damage, leaving hundreds of patients reliant on makeshift treatment centers. At a monastery in Mandalay, where 270 monks were taking an exam when the earthquake struck, rescue workers reported that 50 had been found dead, 150 were still unaccounted for and 70 had managed to escape. In neighboring Thailand, which also experienced significant tremors, the earthquake caused the collapse of a construction site in Bangkok, killing at least 12 people. Authorities have launched investigations into the collapse, while criticism of the government's emergency response has prompted calls for improved public alert systems. The earthquake has compounded an already dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar, which has been grappling with political instability and armed conflict since a military coup in 2021. According to a United Nations representative, nearly 20 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance even before this disaster. The U.N. has issued a flash appeal for $8 million to support emergency operations in the country. China, Russia, India, Thailand and Malaysia have dispatched aid and personnel, while local authorities and church partners are working to coordinate relief efforts. Shipments of emergency supplies from Samaritan's Purse, including water filtration systems, shelter materials, hygiene kits and flashlights, are expected in the coming days. Meanwhile, an armed resistance movement against the military-led government criticized the junta on Sunday for carrying out airstrikes on villages despite the country's ongoing struggle to recover from the earthquake. The Karen National Union, one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic armies, many of whose members are Christians, stated that the junta "continues to carry out airstrikes targeting civilian areas, even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake." Home News Pastor who tried to kill his family weeps, reads Psalm 51 in court; hopes to recover like David At an emotional hearing where he was sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison for attempting to murder his wife and children in their Kansas home, a sobbing former Crossroads Christian Church children's pastor, Matthew Lee Richards, repented of his actions. While reading from Psalm 51, he pledged to be like its writer, King David, in his recovery. In the past 18 months while incarcerated, I've been given time to look back and admit my failures to myself and to God but no one else and I sought change to improve myself, the 43-year-old said in a prepared statement read before District Judge Jason B. Billam. Because of that, it's hard to put into words, but the words of David in Psalm 51 [have] repeatedly been my prayer. So I wish to read them today because David put it into words my repentant heart, better than I ever could have, he said last Wednesday as he proceeded to read the entire chapter. 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 Richards, who initially faced four charges of attempted first-degree murder, one charge of attempted capital murder and one charge of aggravated arson, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder last month. Investigators said they were called along with the local fire department to the familys home about a report of a disturbance and a house fire at 3:47 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2023. They later discovered that the pastor's children and wife suffered "laceration injuries of varying degrees." Richards wife and two of his children were hospitalized at the time. His 19-year-old son and two of his other children were treated and released. Police statements cited in an affidavit said they received several 911 calls about Richards attack. The family had lived in their four-bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home in Shawnee since it was purchased in December 2016. Civil court records cited by the Kansas City Star show that in November 2022, a foreclosure petition was filed for the home. Richards had been working as a seventh-grade English teacher at Christ Preparatory Academy since 2020, according to his staff biography. His wife, Stephanie, was the director of Crossroads Christian Preschool and Parents Day Out. They owed $155,429 on their mortgage at the time. Public records indicate the home was sold in June 2023. Richards could not bring himself to tell his family about the foreclosure or that he was struggling with an undiagnosed mental illness, according to his sister who called him a good guy who did a bad thing. This is not one where a bad guy did a bad thing, Richards sister told the court, according to a recording of the hearing by Law & Crime. Hes a good guy that did a bad thing. There are consequences to this and no one is denying this situation. Nobody. We all know theres consequences. Richards sister argued that her brother should not be without their father for nearly 30 years. She also blamed his actions on mental illness. Honestly, he was a present father. He didn't have a present father and he was a present father. He's a wonderful man who helped everybody that he could. He just didn't know how to help himself, she said. Mental illness is a real thing. Now that we know what it is, we know how to go about fixing things and treating things, she added. In a short statement to her son, Richards mother assured him that she would always love him. My little boy yesterday, my friend today, my friend forever, she said through tears. Never forget that I am so proud of you and I love you more than anything in this world. Richards asked for forgiveness from the people who looked up to him, including his family. I stand here today to address the court, my community kids and their parents who relied on me. Most importantly, my family, to ask for forgiveness and grace which is something I know I don't deserve again, he said. I will live every day with that disgrace, but I hope to be like David. I choose to try and use my failures to continue to improve myself, and then help those I have disgraced recover along with me. Home News Supreme Court skeptical of Wisconsin denying religious exemption to Catholic Charities The United States Supreme Court appeared skeptical of Wisconsin state officials refusing to grant a religious exemption to a Catholic charity group because they think its work is too secular. The high court heard oral arguments in the case of Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor Review Commission et al., which centered on whether a Christian charity group can be exempted from an unemployment insurance program even though its services were deemed nonreligious. Colin Roth, a lawyer representing the state of Wisconsin, warned that allowing the Catholic Charities Bureau to gain the exemption even though its work is secular in nature would have unintended consequences. 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 Exemption is limited to the employers most likely to draw the state into doctrinal disputes, Roth said. Petitioners motive-only test has no such limits. It would leave, potentially, over 1 million employees nationwide without unemployment coverage, like nurses and janitors at religiously-affiliated hospitals, even though the state can virtually always determine their benefit eligibility without confronting religious doctrine. However, Justice Elena Kagan was critical of the states argument, stating, I thought it was pretty fundamental that we dont treat some religions better than other religions. Kagan asked Roth if Wisconsin could pass a law stating that, well give a religious tax exemption to religious groups that proselytize but to no others? When Roth said it was unlikely, Kagan replied, I dont understand why its not the exact same thing. I mean, the way this statute has been interpreted by the Wisconsin courts, its basically saying were giving the tax exemption to religious organizations that proselytize, but not to religious organizations that dont. Justice Amy Coney Barrett pointed out that Judaism doesn't have evangelism as a key part of its faith, asking Roth if that meant that Jewish nonprofits could never qualify for the exemption. Roth clarified that proselytization is one of multiple possibilities to qualify for the exemption, with worship and religious education being two other options to consider a group exempted. A motive alone is not enough to qualify for this exemption, he added. Catholic Charities here relied entirely on their motive. Justice Neil Gorsuch interjected, arguing that it has to come down to proselytization, and asked what the difference was between a Christian charity that requires recipients to attend worship before getting a bowl of soup and one that says worship attendance is optional. Is Wisconsin going to go around and [say], This soup kitchen, you have to go to the service before you get your soup, theyre good to go. But that one, they just invite you to the service after the soup, theyre bad, Gorsuch stated. Catholic Charities Bureau is an umbrella organization comprised of multiple charitable groups within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior, which is based in Superior, Wisconsin. In 2016, the Catholic Charities Bureau asked the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development to exempt it from having to pay into the state unemployment insurance program because of its religious nature. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development declined the request, arguing that Catholic Charities was not primarily religious in nature. The charity appealed to an administrative law judge, who reversed the earlier ruling. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development petitioned the Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, which ruled against Catholic Charities, arguing that they did not qualify for a religious exemption. In March of last year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that Catholic Charities Bureau did not fit the definition of a religious entity and, because of this, was ineligible for the religious exemption. Justice Ann Walsh Bradley authored the majority opinion, ruling that the charity was not operated primarily for religious purposes and must pay into the unemployment insurance program. CCB and the sub-entities, which are organized as separate corporations apart from the church itself, neither attempt to imbue program participants with the Catholic faith nor supply any religious materials to program participants or employees, Bradley wrote. An objective examination of the actual activities of CCB and the sub-entities reveals that their activities are secular in nature. In August, CCB filed a petition to the Supreme Court, which argued that being forced to pay into the program hindered the charitys support for the poor and meant that they cannot participate in their churchs own unemployment compensation system along with Wisconsin dioceses, including the Diocese of Superior itself. Last December, the Supreme Court issued a miscellaneous order agreeing to hear oral arguments in the case. Home News Texas Gov. Greg Abbott orders criminal investigation into mosque behind proposed Islamic community Christians, residents speak out on fears of Muslim call to prayer 'five times a day' in rural community MCKINNEY, Texas The governor of Texas has directed the state to launch an investigation into potential criminal activities of a Dallas-area mosque behind a proposed 400-acre Islamic compound. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement Monday directing the Texas Rangers, the states primary criminal investigative branch, to fully investigate the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) and any of the mosques affiliates for potentially violating criminal law. EPIC, located about 20 miles north of Dallas, is the mosque behind the ambitious EPIC City and EPIC Ranches project that aims to establish a self-sustaining neighborhood with over 1,000 homes, a mosque, Islamic schools, clinics, stores, parks and a nursing home on a 402-acre site spanning Collin and Hunt Counties. 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 Abbott said any charges will be brought to the appropriate prosecutorial authorities for further action once the investigation is completed. Texas is a law-and-order state, and those scheming to evade law enforcement scrutiny must know justice is awaiting them, said Abbott. That is why I directed the Texas Rangers to fully investigate the group behind the proposed EPIC compound for potentially violating criminal law. Texas will ensure that anyone affiliated with EPIC who is breaking the law is brought to justice. The latest investigation into EPIC comes amid a flurry of state investigations into potential violations, including by the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas State Securities Board, the Texas Funeral Service Commission and Attorney General Ken Paxtons office. Last week, Abbott announced that a dozen state agencies are investigating potential illegal activities conducted by EPIC and its affiliated entities. Meanwhile, county officials held a public hearing Monday where residents expressed frustration, concern and even some support for the proposed EPIC development in Josephine, located about 20 miles northeast of Dallas. The turnout for the hearing at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney quickly grew beyond capacity and forced officials to open an overflow room where attendees could watch the proceedings. Collin County Judge Chris Hill chaired the commission hearing, which was initially said to include a presentation by Community Capital Partners (CCP), the investment group behind the EPIC project. However, Hill later said the board had not heard back from CCP and they would not be making a presentation. Officials told attendees at the hearing that as of Monday, the county has not received any applications for development of the proposed site, nor has CCP given any indication when an application will be submitted. However, the board clarified that CCP has finalized its acquisition of the land and the group is studying the project without any timeline for further action. Upon inviting the public to weigh in on the project, Hill urged attendees to deliver their remarks in a civil manner. We are a community that lives together, and today, were a community thats working through issues together, Hill told attendees. Brandon Burden, pastor of Kingdom Life in Frisco, said he had very grave concerns about the EPIC project, including potential violations of the Texas Fair Housing Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1965. Resident Sasha Scoto said she believes others are afraid to speak out for being labeled racist or against inclusion, when, in fact, she accused the group behind EPIC of being exclusive, not inclusive. Why else would they want their own community? What is the purpose of them having their own community? A woman from neighboring Denton County said, Were very compassionate people and were very kind, but at some point, we gotta draw the line and say, This nation and this state was built and founded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and there is only one God and one Father in this country. A longtime Josephine resident said her quiet rural community could be subjected to loud and repeated calls to Islamic prayer throughout the day. One of my concerns is the loudspeakers, which, as I understood, have been approved for a call of prayer, she said. This will be five times a day, at sunset it will be two hours continuous. Another resident who said she lives just a couple miles from the proposed mosque site also shared concerns about the Islamic call to prayer posing a disturbance to the peace. Our neighborhood has been listening to their videos trying to recruit people to purchase and invest for quite a while now, many, many months, she said. One of the first videos we heard was that they wanted to install a loud system, a speaker system, that would blast their music to call them to prayer and they could do it as loud as they wanted to because they specifically chose this site outside of the city so they could do that. My question is, why do they have to build a compound? Why not just build a mosque? Why not become our neighbors, go to our schools? Those fears, resident Jeremy Sutka, who is the Collin County Democratic Party Chair, told commissioners, are unfounded. When a mosque is opposed for reasons never raised against a megachurch, its not about logistics, its about bias. Others, like resident Darryl Evans, said the backlash against EPIC was part of a troubling pattern in the state of Texas, and took aim at the faith of many who attended the hearing. Its disappointing that these so-called Christians with American values are so quick to abandon those values and the Constitution, Evans said. My hope is that this commission will remember that they represent all residents, not just folks with Christo-fascist ideologies. Since development plans have yet to be submitted, the county commission could not provide its final decision on the project. Just days earlier, Yasir Qadhi, a Houston-based Islamic scholar and the public face behind EPIC City, delivered a Ramadan message in which he claimed Muslims, not Christians, are the true followers of Jesus. They claim that they're following the prophets of God and Jesus, but we are the true followers of Jesus and Muhammad. [] We will show them what it means to be the followers of the prophets, and we will do so through our dignity, through our courage, through our manners, through our honesty, he said in a March 28 message. We will demonstrate for them what it means to be believers in God, and when we do so [] everybody of pure conscience will see who is spreading lies and who is speaking the truth. Well known among the Muslim community and with millions of followers on social media, Qadhi, who also studied at the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia and Yale University, has played a key role in the promotion of the EPIC project: hes said the latest offering, EPIC Ranches, is a limited time opportunity that aims to change the entire dawah scene by showing the world what it means to be a Muslim living in the West. Home News Toddler reportedly suspended from nursery school for transphobia: 'Totalitarian insanity' A toddler in the United Kingdom was reportedly suspended from a nursery school for allegedly exhibiting transphobia. Data from the country's Department of Education show that the student, who was 3 or 4 years old, was among 94 students who were suspended or expelled from similar primary schools for "abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity" during the 2022-2023 academic year, according to The Telegraph. Of the 94 suspended pupils that year, 10 were aged 7 or younger and one was 4 or younger, though the government data did not provide details of the children's identities. The data also reportedly show that the number of students suspended or expelled from all state primary schools for homophobic or transphobic behavior increased from 164 in 2021-22 to 178 in 2022-23. 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 Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters, criticized what she believes is the absurdity of the situation. "Every once in a while, the extremes of gender ideology throw up a story that seems too crazy to believe, and a toddler being suspended from nursery for so-called 'transphobia' or homophobia is one such example," she told The Telegraph. "Teachers and school leaders involved in this insanity should be ashamed of themselves for projecting adult concepts and beliefs on to such young children," she continued, adding that this isn't an isolated case. British author J.K. Rowling, who has been outspoken against the issue of transgenderism and men in women's sports, torched the story Monday as "totalitarian insanity." "If you think small children should be punished for being able to [recognize] sex, you are a dangerous zealot who should be nowhere near kids or in any position of authority over them," the "Harry Potter" creator wrote on X. This is totalitarian insanity. If you think small children should be punished for being able to recognise sex, you are a dangerous zealot who should be nowhere near kids or in any position of authority over them. https://t.co/IZI0sP58ss J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 31, 2025 The case echoes that of Nigel and Sally Rowe, parents from the Isle of Wight who took legal action in 2021 when a Church of England school labeled their 6-year-old son as potentially "transphobic." They had complained upon learning their son and his classmates were expected to accept that one of them had transitioned from a girl to a boy. The Rowes were ultimately awarded more than $23,900 in legal costs and a commitment from the British government to reform trans-affirming policies in schools, though Nigel Rowe told Fox News Digital in 2022 that representatives from the affiliated Church of England opposed them in their fight. "They still don't support us," he said at the time. "It's a bizarre world we live in." "The Bible says we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against spiritual principalities," Nigel said, referencing Ephesians 6:12. "As a Christian, I believe that there is a demonic realm bent on the destruction of everything that is of God." "Destroy the family, and you'll destroy society. ... Destroy the family and then the culture will collapse. I very much see [transgender ideology] as that, and it's very much a movement throughout the world," he added. A spokesperson for the U.K. Department of Education gave a statement to The Telegraph without addressing the allegedly transphobic toddler. "All pupils and staff should feel safe and protected at school and should never face violence or abuse," the spokesperson said. "The Education Secretary has been clear that she expects school leaders to enforce good behavior and we are committed to a comprehensive program of behavior support for schools." "Our Plan for Change sets out our relentless focus on making sure every child gets the best life chances, no matter their background, including establishing free breakfast clubs in every primary school, providing access to mental health support and making attendance one of the four core priorities of our school improvement teams," the statement added. Home News Catholic university in Oregon offers students 'queer theologies' in place of 'biblical texts' 'Faithful Catholics have been dispossessed of their own institutions' A private Roman Catholic university in Oregon is reorganizing its theology department next fall, enabling students to substitute a mandatory upper-level biblical texts course with classes that explore subjects such as "queer theologies." The University of Portland, which was founded in 1901 and is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross, is expanding its department of theology to include "religious studies," allowing students the "autonomy" to align their studies with their faith traditions, according to The College Fix. The Beacon, the university's student newspaper, explained earlier this year that theology students must still take a 100-level theology course or THE 105 that includes biblical text study as a core requirement. 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 Starting next academic year, the previously requisite "THE 205: Biblical Texts in Global Context" can be swapped out from a catalog that allows students to "pick from a variety of upper-division courses to fulfill their second theology requirement," according to the Beacon. One such offering includes "THE 362: Queer Theologies," which "introduces, explores, and evaluates queer Christian theologies," according to the course description. "Examining sources and methods within this burgeoning theological sub-field, it traces developments of queer(ing) theologiesfrom early turns to Scripture/doctrine affirming same-sex relationships, to efforts revising theologies in light of queer livesand considers key themes, future possibilities, and impacts on ecclesial and public contexts," the description adds. "THE 400: God Our Mother" aims to use The Catechism of the Catholic Church to "affirm that 'God transcends the human distinction between the sexes' and explore various ways of envisioning God that go beyond the image of a male God." Other courses include one about "the intersectionality of gender discrimination with other forms of discrimination" and another on "intercultural feminist theology." David Turnbloom, Ph.D., an associate professor who serves as the department's interim chair, told the Beacon that religious studies "helps us equip and prepare our students to be better global citizens." After UP students cried when a priest objected to the display of an LGBT flag on campus in 2022, Turnbloom penned an op-ed on Good Friday likening those who oppose the "Queer community" to the centurions who nailed Jesus to the cross, as noted by The College Fix. "The anger of the Queer community is a grace-filled, divine instrument," he wrote at the time. "The question for Catholics is: do we have the competence to see our sin? Without this competence, any courageous acts of ministry run the risk of simply continuing the crucifixion." Turnbloom also exhorted his presumably Catholic readers to "stop trying to unite our suffering to Jesus suffering and instead be willing to recognize that our violence is united to the violence of the centurion." "Perhaps then, like the centurion, we can begin to recognize the presence of Christ in the Queer community where we have been so consistently denying it," he continued. "Perhaps then, we will have the competence to see the beauty and dignity of the queer love that we have been crucifying. We can instead unite our voice with the centurions voice and say, 'Truly, these are the children of God.'" Turnbloom did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. C.J. Doyle, who serves as executive director of the Catholic Action League, blasted the course offerings from the ostensibly Catholic institution as "functional apostasy" that exemplifies "how faithful Catholics have been dispossessed of their own institutions by modernist heretics." "Courses in 'Queer Theologies,' 'God our Mother' and 'Trickery, Gender, Power and Politics in the Bible' represent a radical rejection of Catholic Faith and Morals, the institutionalization of heterodoxy," Doyle continued in a statement to The College Fix. "And the arrogant conviction that Catholic higher education belongs not to the Church nor to the Catholic community, but to an entitled class of culturally conforming academics who believe themselves unconstrained by any fidelity to the Catholic truth, or to ecclesiastical authority," he added. Home News Utah bans overtly political flags from classrooms, government buildings Utah has banned the display of overtly political flags at government buildings and public schools, prompting concerns from both sides of the aisle. House Bill 77 became law in Utah Thursday without the signature of Republican Gov. Spencer Cox. The measure passed the Republican-controlled Utah House of Representatives in a 49-20 vote on Feb. 21, while the Republican-controlled Utah Senate passed its bill in a 21-8 vote on March 6. The votes in both chambers fell along party lines, with all support coming from Republicans and most opposition coming from Democrats. Two Republicans joined Democrats to oppose the legislation in the Senate while seven House Republicans did the same. 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 Scheduled to take effect on May 7, House Bill 77 prohibits a "government entity, or an employee of a school district or school within the public education system acting within the employee's official duties" from displaying "a flag in or on the grounds of government property." The measure contains a long list of exceptions to this requirement, including the United States flag, the Utah state flag, and flags representing other countries, states, municipalities, Native American tribes, colleges or universities. The legislation tasks the state auditor with investigating alleged violations of the law and gives violators a 30-day window to comply with the measure. Failure to comply with the measure will subject violators to fines of $500 per day. Cox expressed support for the bill's intention while outlining the reservations that prevented him from signing it in a letter to the leaders of the state legislature published Thursday. "I deeply believe that our classrooms need to be a place where everyone feels welcome free from the politics that are fracturing our country. Parents are rightly upset when they bring their kids to publicly funded schools and see culture-war symbols in a place that should be apolitical," he wrote. "In an attempt to make some kids feel more welcome, other kids feel less welcome. I appreciate that the bill is neutral on the types of flags in question (and I find it strange that no headline reads 'MAGA flags banned from classrooms')," he added. "I agree with the underlying intent of those legislators who supported this bill in an attempt to bring political neutrality to the classroom. Unfortunately, this bill does not do that." However, Cox believes that requiring the removal of "flags only" does little to prevent other political displays like posters, signs, drawings and furniture from entering the classroom. "Furthermore, the bill is overly prescriptive on flags themselves," Cox stressed. "To those legislators who supported this bill, I'm sure it will not fix what you are trying to fix." In a letter following Utah Senate's approval of House Bill 77, the ACLU of Utah urged Cox to veto and condemned the legislation as an attempt to ban LGBT pride flags. "HB77 would ban the display of Pride flags in public schools and on public property, restricting free expression and sending a clear message that some students and community members are not welcome or protected," the ACLU letter reads. "The government should not be in the business of banning symbols that help people feel seen and welcomed." "Beyond stoking fear among LGBTQ+ Utahns, this bill sets a dangerous precedent that threatens free speech for everyone," the letter warned. "The bill sponsor's comments at the Capitol and public events make the intent clear: this isn't about flags but about othering and erasing LGBTQ+ people from public life." The ACLU of Utah argues that such a law could open the door for "broader restrictions on speech, education, or expression for even more Utahns." Cox responded to some of these arguments in his letter to lawmakers. "The idea that kids can only feel welcome in a school if a teacher puts up a rainbow flag is just wrong," he wrote. "Let's do everything possible to make our classrooms one of the last remaining politically neutral places in our state." Utah's House Bill 77 comes amid concerns about promoting progressive political ideologies in public school classrooms. In 2023, the Central Bucks School District in Pennsylvania voted to ban public school employees from discussing their political views in addition to displaying "any flag, banner, poster, sign, sticker, pin, button, insignia, paraphernalia, photograph, or other similar material that advocates concerning any partisan, political, or social issue." The implementation of Utah's House Bill 77 also occurs in the context of backlash to the promotion of progressive political ideology in American culture as a whole. Outrage over LGBT advocacy as well as diversity, equity and inclusion has prompted several major companies in the U.S. to scale back such activism over the past year. Home News Animated film The King of Kings shares Gospel through Charles Dickens' perspective When Angel Studios The King of Kings opens in theaters on April 11, audiences will see something rarely attempted in animation: the life of Jesus Christ, retold through the eyes of a child and inspired by the prose of Charles Dickens. For South Korean director Jang Seong-Ho and cinematographer-producer Woo-hyung Kim, the project is an attempt to deliver a message of Jesus love to a global, increasingly secular audience. I was a big fan of films and animation, Jang told The Christian Post through a translator. And at the same time, I read all of Charles Dickens books. Later on, I found out that theres this book, The Life of Our Lord, and I read it. After reading it, I thought it would be very unique to talk about Jesus story through Charles Dickens. 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 That inspiration led Jang, a first-time feature director, to take on the challenge of adapting the Gospel narrative for animation using Dickens literary voice to guide the story. Theres a lot of content talking about Jesus story, but delivering those messages through the perspective of Charles Dickens I thought that will be meaningful, and also it will bring uniqueness, he said. The animated film, set against the backdrop of Victorian England, follows Dickens as he tells the story of Jesus to his child. It features a star-studded voice cast that includes Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Roman Griffin Davis, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac. Kristin Chenoweth both co-wrote and sings the films closing song, Live Like That. Jang, a professing Christian, said his personal faith journey played a significant role in his decision to direct the film. As a Christian myself, I was a little bit surprised that there arent any feature film animations that talk about Jesus story, he said. So there was big motivation for me. Jang said the film was also born out of concern for his own country; South Korea has one of the largest Christian populations in Asia, but attendance among young people is in decline, according to the Pew Research Center. There are a lot of Christians in Korea, he said. But at the same time, sadly, there are a lot of people who are opposed to the Korean Christian population. And nowadays, not many young people [] are going to church. He saw The King of Kings as a way to offer a message of hope and truth. I thought, theres a need for someone to deliver the message of Jesus in the right way [] to all the people there, he said. Jang said that while faith served as a foundation for the project, it also had to be balanced with the practical demands of the production. There are a lot of aspects to producing animation, and I know that it cannot only be fulfilled [] with faith, he said. Theres a lot of aspects that I have to consider, including the technical aspects and the business aspects. To bring the world of The King of Kings to life, the production relied heavily on advanced motion capture and virtual cinematography. Kim, who handled both producing and cinematography, described a layered and time-consuming process. We hired the actors first, and then we captured the motions, he said. And then once it completes, I go into the virtual world with my virtual camera, and I do the camera movements there, again and again. Voice acting and facial expressions were recorded separately and added to the animation. Its not like live-action films. It just happens gradually, step by step, he said. Basically, its not a simple process. The goal, Kim said, was to make the film feel like more than just animation. He wanted the audience [to] feel this film, obviously as an animation, but also as a conventional cinema, Jang added. While working on a film about Jesus brings its own pressure, both Jang and Kim pointed to specific scenes that presented creative and technical challenges. For Kim, a scene depicting a storm stood out. Technically [it was] hard because we did it for the first time, he said. We made it like five, six years ago seven years ago. At that time, the team didnt have access to the virtual production tools they would later use. Everything had to be done digitally all the camera movement, acting and voice, he said. They later rebuilt the scene with improved tools but had to stay true to the earlier version. That was technically quite challenging, he said. Jang pointed to a quieter moment a scene in which Charles Dickens walks up the stairs at home to tell his child a story. People may be surprised to hear about this, he said. The scene [] needed to establish the relationship between Charles Dickens and his wife. [] And at the same time, [] Dickens must have been persuaded to tell the story to his child. It was very important to express that emotional [] establishment within the short scene. The challenge, he said, was explaining the nuance to animators. It was quite challenging for me as a director. For Kim, the hope is simple. I always want this film to be shown by as many audiences as possible, he said. Jang added that he hopes viewers leave with an understanding of the Gospel message. This entire project began with my thinking that I wanted to extract just one word from the entire Bible, he said. I thought that was love. Jesus is love. I want them to feel that the reason for His sacrifice is His love for us, he added. That is the message that I want the audience to bring back home after they watch this. Jazz FM have announced that internationally renowned US vocalist Melody Gardot will be honoured with the Gold Award at this years Jazz FM Awards with PPL and PRS for Music. Gardot will collect the award at the ceremony at KOKO in London this year hosted by musician, actor and comedian Ben Bailey Smith (AKA Doc Brown) - Thursday April 24th 2025. Melody Gardot image credit Denis Boulz The Gold Award is one of the events highest honours, celebrating extraordinary and sustained contributions to the world of music. It recognises artists who have demonstrated unparalleled artistic excellence, a deep passion for composition, improvisation and performance, and an enduring impact on the global music landscape. The accolade has previously been awarded to some of the most influential figures in music, including Charlie Watts, Courtney Pine, Ramsey Lewis, Jacob Collier and Pat Metheny. With a career spanning nearly two decades, Gardot has captivated audiences worldwide with a distinctive blend of jazz, blues, and cinematic storytelling. Hailed by The Guardian as a remarkable artist, she has released a string of acclaimed albums which have established her as one of the most compelling and sophisticated jazz musicians of her generation. Melody Gardot: "It is a tremendous privilege to be recognized by Jazz FM, an institution that has long supported and celebrated the artistry of jazz. The genre has always been about innovation, connection, and emotion, and I am truly grateful to be part of this extraordinary tradition." Nick Pitts, Content Director of Jazz FM and Magic Classical: "Melody Gardot is a true artist in every sense of the word. Her music transcends borders and genres and connects with audiences across the globe. We are thrilled to present her with the Gold Award in recognition of her remarkable contribution to jazz and her unwavering dedication to the craft." The 2025 Jazz FM Awards will celebrate a dynamic mix of pioneering artists and rising stars nominated across multiple categories including Ezra Collective, Michael Kiwanuka, Nubya Garcia, Samara Joy, corto.alto, Emma Rawicz and Meshell Ndegeocello. The ceremony will be hosted by musician, actor and comedian Ben Bailey Smith (AKA Doc Brown) who has also recently been confirmed to present a second Jazz FM series of his Vinyl Hour, which celebrates his thousand-strong LP collection of jazz and soul. by Natalie key for www.femalefirst.co.uk The promised land of AI transformation poses a dilemma for security teams as the new technology brings both opportunities and yet more threat. Threat actors are already using AI to write malware, to find vulnerabilities, and to breach defences faster than ever. At the same time, machine learning is playing an ever-more important role in helping enterprises combat hackers and similar. According to Palo Alto Networks, its systems are detecting 11.3bn alerts every day, including 2.3m new and unique attacks.[1] It is beyond human capabilities to monitor and respond to these attacks; it is also putting immense stress on security teams. How, then, can CISOs and CSOs build resilient security teams that can defend their organisations, and continue to innovate? CIOs interview with Nick Calver of Palo Alto Networks Arms race Cybersecurity teams are in an arms race with attackers, as threat groups use AI to increase both the volume and speed of attacks. AI has created a powerful toolkit for threat actors, and it has changed the way that were seeing attacks, warns Nick Calver, VP for Financial Services at Palo Alto Networks. Two or three years ago a ransomware attack would typically take 44 days before they could extract data or cause your systems a problem. Now were seeing that exact same attack happening in a number of hours, he says. This acceleration is happening even as businesses struggle with visibility of how AI is being used in their own organisations, and as regulators struggle to keep up with a fast-changing landscape. Everybody needs to be aware of AI, says Calver. Threat-based assessment is incredibly powerful, and Ive seen it put to good use. Its immediately helped improve organisations protection, says Calver. Threat assessment is just one area where AI can also play a positive role in security. AI has been in use in cyber defence for over 10 years. When you consider those attack volumes, it is not possible for humans to actually keep up and respond effectively, says Calver. Security technicians need to harness the power of AI. Resilience, and human factors However, there is also a different side to an increasingly hostile security environment. Increasing threats are challenging organisations abilities to recover from attacks. This is changing how security leaders think. Focus remains on preventing a breach, but increasing attention is being given to how to respond and recover from attacks. Regulations are helping ensure consistency in this area with DORA being just one example. Historically, wed try to build a moat around the technology, and just stop anybody crossing in. But people do come in, says Calver. How do we actually segment and protect systems and provide a level of resilience? Architectures such as zero trust will also play a role in building resilience, he says. But it is people who will ultimately secure an organisation. Even with automation and AI tools, businesses will only survive cyber attacks if their security teams can function under pressure. This means bringing together technical tools, training, testing and above all support for those in the front line. Without people, we are nothing, warns Calver. Ultimately, the team, the people, thats what actually makes an organisation successful, and thats what protects the organisation too. Watch the full interview with Nick Calver on increasing resilience. For more information, please visit Palo Alto Networks Precision AI page. [1] Foundry Interview with PANs Nick Calver Several major UK aid charities have launched emergency appeals for fundraising as they respond to what has been described as the most powerful earthquake to strike Myanmar in over 100 years. The 7.7 magnitude earthquake, which struck on 28 March around 1pm local time, is so far thought to have killed more than 2,700 people, making it the second deadliest earthquake in the Asian countrys history. The tremors caused significant damage in multiple cities across the country and in neighbouring Thailand and China, leading to the collapse of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure. Myanmar has declared a state of emergency and has appealed for international aid. Millions of people are thought to have no or limited access to food, clean water, or shelter, and many have lost their livelihoods as a result of the disaster. The effects of the earthquake have been significantly exacerbated by the ongoing Myanmar civil war, which has already left almost 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Emergency appeals launch Human Appeal has launched an emergency appeal to raise funds to distribute essential food supplies, clean water and emergency sleeping kits to people in need. The emergency relief packages will contain rice, cooking oil, salt, noodles, canned fish, cereal, biscuits, drinking water, blankets and sleeping mats. British Red Cross has teams from the Myanmar Red Cross Society already on the ground responding to the disaster. Its emergency appeal is raising funds to support search and rescue efforts, and to provide emergency healthcare to those in need. Its workers on the ground are also working to connect hospitals and clinics with emergency blood donations to support people who have been severely injured. Christian Aid is working with partners with teams on the ground to offer food parcels, water kits, shelters, and cash for essential supplies to those affected. Oxfam is working with local partners with teams on the ground to provide food supplies, clean water, and shelter to people in need. Its CEO, Halima Begum, has since criticised the cuts to the aid budget in an interview with Sky News , saying that it will now be harder for aid charities and agencies to provide assistance in places like Myanmar. Catholic overseas aid charity CAFOD has also launched an appeal to provide those affected with emergency food, water and shelter, although has otherwise provided little additional information. Plan International , which supports women and girls around the world to achieve gender equality, launched an appeal to raise funds to support those affected by the earthquake while its teams are on the groundwork to assess needs and stand ready to provide support. CARE International, which also focuses on supporting women and girls around the world, has teams on the ground working with partners to support those who have been injured or lost their homes due to the earthquake. It also is fundraising to provide cash to cover essential needs; food and water; shelter, and health and medical services. Christian charity Tearfund has also launched an appeal to support its local partners on the ground who are providing immediate cash assistance to enable people to buy food and other essentials, and has also been involved in search and rescue efforts. No DEC appeal yet The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has not yet launched an appeal but is closely monitoring the earthquakes impact. Its online monitoring website reads: The full scale of destruction and loss is not yet clear, but we are deeply concerned for the safety and wellbeing of all those impacted. We are working closely with the DEC member charities to monitor the situation and assess it against our criteria for launching a national fundraising appeal in the UK. 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, The Charity Commission has given its formal permission for a charitable gift worth around 1bn to the British Museum to go ahead. The collection of Chinese ceramics, which numbers around 1,700 pieces, is estimated to be the most valuable donation ever given to a museum in the UK. Trustees of the Sir Percival David Foundation announced plans to make the donation in November last year, but this was not explicitly allowed for in the charitys governing document. The regulator has now authorised a change to the document to enable the collection to be permanently transferred to the British Museum. Transfer meets philanthropic intentions of founder The collection, which includes ceramics gathered by late British businessman Sir Percival David, has been on loan to the British Museum since 2009. The Sir Percival David Foundation was keen to manage the charitys resources by transferring the costs of maintaining the collection to the museum. Sir Percival David Foundation chair Colin Sheaf said: Sir Percival was motivated by three principal concerns. These were to preserve the whole collection together for posterity, to display it publicly and safely in its entirety, and to ensure that his superb porcelain should not only be admired by connoisseurs for its beauty but should also educate the widest possible audience about Chinas historic culture which he greatly admired. With the valued support of the Charity Commission, the foundation trustees have taken this major decision because they believe that this transfer entirely meets the philanthropic intentions and long-term wishes of the founder almost a century ago. Christine Barker, head of regulatory authority at the Charity Commission, said: We are pleased to have given authority for this remarkable transfer to go ahead. The foundations trustees are clear that ensuring the safe and accessible display of their founders collection is fully aligned with their charitable objects. Our team are dedicated to considering such applications carefully, balancing the need to reflect changing circumstances against the importance of ensuring trustees safeguard their assets to pursue their charitable aims. Museum humbled by generosity of gift The collection includes the Doucai chicken cup used to serve wine for the Chenghua emperor and Ru wares made for the Northern Song dynasty court around 1086. Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, said: I am humbled by the generosity of the trustees of the Sir Percival David Foundation in permanently entrusting their incomparable private collection to the British Museum and thank the Charity Commission for their support in now approving the transfer. These celebrated objects add a special dimension to our own collection and together offer scholars, researchers and visitors around the world the incredible opportunity to study and enjoy the very best examples of Chinese craftsmanship anywhere in existence. According to its most recently filed accounts, the British Museum Trust, the charity which advances the charitable objects of the trustees of the museum, had an annual income of 4.5m. 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. I first met John Thornton in March of 2019 at a conference hosted by Facebook in Denver for backers of local journalism. This was during the first Trump administration, a time when Facebook still evinced modest interest in supporting news publishers in service to democracy. The event, Accelerate: Local News, was sponsored with the Online News Association and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Weeks earlier, Thornton had launched the American Journalism Project (AJP), an effort to take what had worked at the Texas Tribune, which he founded in 2008, and seed newsrooms in communities across America where newspapers had disappeared or deteriorated beyond recognition. Thornton told me that total charitable giving to local news was only about a tenth of what Americans give each year to the performing arts. Journalism, he said, needs at least as much philanthropic commitment. I had been skeptical about whether nonprofit journalism could ever achieve the reach and scale of legacy media. But at the time, I was working at the Los Angeles Times, where I observed how difficult it was for traditional papers to become digital-first and reach new audiences. The next time we spoke was in July of 2021, near his house in Montecito, California, where he helped persuade me to take on the editorship of the Texas Tribune. He was dressed in shorts and flip-flopsnot something I expected of a venture capitalistand we got burgers and tacos from a roadside shack in Carpinteria. We sat on plastic chairs and talked for hours. I was hooked. Thornton died on Saturday near his primary residence, in Austin, eleven days before he was to have turned sixty. The cause was suicide, according to his wife, Erin Driscoll Thornton. She said that he had suffered from depression for most of his life, and that three years ago, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Thornton died weeks after one of his crowning achievements. On February 18, the Knight Foundation announced a twenty-five-million-dollar investment in AJP, on top of twenty million in seed funding it had given in 2019. The grant, which was announced at this years Knight Media Forum, in Miami, was a massive vote of confidence from the nations leading funder of journalism. As of today, AJP has raised more than two-hundred-and-twenty-five million to fund local news, and now supports a portfolio of fifty nonprofit newsrooms in thirty-six states. These range from Block Club Chicago to the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to MLK: Justice Through Journalism in Memphis to Sahan Journal in Minnesota. The Knight grant will allow AJP to expand to ten more newsrooms and create a Knight Resiliency Lab to strengthen the financial and operational resilience of nonprofit newsrooms. John was on cloud nine, his wife recalled. Alberto Ibarguen, the president of the Knight Foundation until his retirement last year, told me the foundation was privileged to be Thorntons first institutional, nonprofit donor and, subsequently, a major supporter of the Tribune. He employed the best journalists, quality businesspeople and super technologists to put together an operation that could withstand economic and political pressures, journalism that was quality in writing and in reliability, and that produced a product people wanted to read, not just should read, Ibarguen said. Sarabeth Berman, the chief executive of AJP, met Thornton in December of 2019 when he was recruiting her to join his nonprofit startup. They both had busy travel schedules, and wound up meeting in a terminal at Reagan Washington National Airport. My immediate impression was that he was a surprising champion of local news, Berman told me. He had this Texas swagger, seemed like an accomplished financier, and used swashbuckling metaphors. It was exceedingly clear that he was committed to the mission of revitalizing local news around the country and that it was essential to saving democracy. He was so clear-eyed about the problem and also clear-eyed that, given market failure, it was obvious our society was struggling because of the lack of local news, and that there was an opportunity here for philanthropy, she added. My immediate reaction was: I can learn so much from this guy. Sign up for CJRs daily email At the most recent AJP board meeting, in February, Thornton exhorted fellow board members to build local-news philanthropy into a national movement, one that would draw Americans to the side of ensuring a public goodreliable news and informationin communities across the country. (Jelani Cobb, the dean of Columbia Journalism School and the publisher of CJR, serves on the AJP board.) He loved the AJP as though it was family, and he treated us like family, Berman said. Those of us close to him did know he was struggling. I hoped the demons wouldnt win. John Douglas Thornton was born on April 9, 1965, in Wichita, Kansas. He had a difficult childhood: his father, after losing a job in accounting, never found his footing, and drank heavily. John was a bright student who enrolled at Trinity University in San Antonio. He received an MBA at Stanford and began his career at McKinsey & Company. He then moved into venture capital: he joined Austin Ventures in 1991, leading investments in software startups. He ultimately served as managing partner, overseeing four billion dollars in assets under management. Later, he cofounded Elsewhere Partners, a private equity firm investing in software companies outside of traditional financial hubs. In 2006, as the news business was starting to crater, Thornton and colleagues at Austin Ventures began looking into investing in newspapers, including his hometown paper, the Austin American-Statesman, which was then owned by Cox Enterprises. (Cox initially put the paper on the market in 2008, then sold it to Gannett in 2017. It was recently acquired by Hearst.) Thornton sought out a fellow AustiniteEvan Smith, the publisher and former editor of Texas Monthlyfor advice. The two men had known each other sociallySmith is fifty-eight, and a fellow graduate of a liberal arts school, Hamilton College. John and I ran in circles that overlapped, but we never did any business together, nor was that something I ever imagined would happen, Smith said. By late 2007, he began to talk to me about this idea. He was concerned about the decline of journalism in Texas, so he came out of the process of looking at the Statesman concluding two things: one, there is not a good business model for a for-profit newspaper, and two, capital-J journalism needs to be saved. I was basically his thought partner. He wanted to create a new news organization, and he thought that nonprofit was the way to go. Thornton recruited Smith from Texas Monthly, where he had worked for seventeen years, to be the founding CEO and editor in chief of the Texas Tribune. We were jumping into this abyss, Smith recalled. I described us as Thelma and Louise driving off the cliff, but without the kiss. The pair recruited a veteran reporterRoss Ramsey, who was running a successful email newsletter on Texas politicsas a third founder. There is no question it was a risk and there was no guarantee it would work, Smith said. Thornton committed two million dollars of an initial four million in seed fundinga million dollars at launch and a gift of a million (which had to be matched) in the second year. From the outset, Thornton insisted on revenue promiscuitythe new entity couldnt be solely reliant on major donors. It had to get grants from foundations, support from individual members, sponsorships from corporations and universities, and revenue from live events. Either it was going to be sustainable, or it was not going to happen, Smith recalled. Before long, other journalism entrepreneurs started coming to the Tribune for advice, and founded new nonprofit newsrooms based on the Tribune model, among them the Nevada Independent (founded in 2010), CalMatters (2015), and Mississippi Today (2016). Emily Ramshaw, who had joined the Tribune from the Dallas Morning News and rose to the rank of editor in chief, left the Tribune in 2019 to cofound her own nonprofit newsroom, The 19th News, which focuses on gender and public policy. (Ramshaw and I serve on the board of the Pulitzer Prizes.) When for-profit news organizations started failing right and left, John focused on finding not-for-profit models that would provide financial independence by including a broader range of income, commercial as well as philanthropic, all in service of the function assigned to the press in the Constitution: informing the citizenry, Ibarguen told me. Thornton knew how to proselytize: In a 2010 article in CJR, he called public-service journalism a public good just like national defense, clean air, clean water. As with Smith, Thornton sought out a partner when he co-founded AJP: Elizabeth Greenthe founder of the education news site Chalkbeat, which, like the Tribune, was founded in 2008. They were introduced in June of 2017 by Jennifer Preston, who oversaw journalism grantmaking at the Knight Foundation, and Peter Lattman, who plays a similar role at the Emerson Collective, the philanthropic arm of Laurene Powell Jobs. Green was living in DC, Thornton in Austin; her background was journalistic, his financial; she was wearing sneakers, he Louis Vuitton loafers. It was so powerful to have this person, who didnt need to make his lifes work local news in any way, devote his lifes work to this, she said. We became business partners and friends. Wed talk at all hours of the night. Hed recruit any contact he had, for donations or talent. John was a man who used the power and privilege he had for good, she added. People would return his phone calls, and he is great at building relationships and building a fund. I recruited the talent, and I was able to close because I was the living example of the value proposition that we were making. We had a shared vision for what the country needed. I knew how that worked in the social sector, and he knew the private sector. In Texas, Thornton and Smith had strong opinions and strong personalitiesas I witnessed during my three years as editor of the Tribuneand their relationship was tested in March of 2021, when the Tribunes editorial director, Stacy-Marie Ishmael, and chief product officer, Millie Tran, resigned after a year on the job, amid the exhaustion and turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic. When I started at the Tribune, in October of that year, the environment was still fragile. During my tenure, I built on the journalistic foundation that Ramshaw and Ishmael had laid and helped the Tribune transition from Smith to the new CEO, Sonal Shah. In 2022, all three cofounders of the Tribune passed the torch. Ramsey retired in May. Thornton stepped down from the Tribunes board. Smith moved on to a new role as a senior adviser to both the Tribune and Emerson Collective at the end of that year. John did not suffer fools, and he did not suffer impostors, Smith told me. There is no one who cut through the day-to-day bullshit of relationships better than J.T. You never hung up from a call or left a meeting with John Thornton wondering what he really thought. Thornton was a lifelong Democrat. As a child, he had a teddy bear named Muskie, named after the Maine senator and later secretary of state, Edmund S. Muskie. After Trumps first presidential election, he was devastatedand it was that feeling, in large part, that drove him to seek impact at a national scale. He and Green recruited Michael Ouimette, now its chief investment officer, and later Berman to serve as CEO. For J.T., journalism was synonymous with public service, his wife told me. He had so much faith, belief, and respect in Sarabeth and Michael. He let them call the plays and recognized that theyre the ones operating it. Along with his wife, Thornton is survived by two stepsons, Wyatt Driscoll and Wade Driscoll. His first marriage, to Julie Blakeslee, ended in divorce. John was a visionary with a practical streak, Ibarguen said. He was tenacious and unafraid, open-minded and opinionated. He was loyal and generous to his friends and a great promoter of his collaborators. Evan Smith said: People who will never know John Thorntons name will owe him a debt because they have reliable, credible, independent news in their communities. Their communities are smarter, better, and healthier. If you or someone you know is struggling, please know that you are not alone. Call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources. Sign up for The Media Today, CJRs daily newsletter. Yesterday, a court in France handed down a bombshell verdict with huge ramifications for the countrys politics, finding Marine Le Pen, the figurehead of the far-right Rassemblement National party and two-time presidential runner-up, guilty of embezzlement. The charges stemmed from a system that the party was accused of putting in place to divert staffing budgets for its members of the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union, to pay people to work for the party itself; alongside Le Pen, nearly two dozen other officials and staffers were convicted, as was the party itself. (Jesus Christ also was found guilty, and he was innocent, one of the other defendants said of the verdict.) Le Pen was handed a hefty fine, a four-year prison sentence (though she likely wont see jail)and, crucially, a ban on running for public office for five years, effectively ruling her out of the next presidential contest, in 2027, for which she was considered the front-runner. The ban is effective immediately; Le Pen can appeal, but that process is likely to be slow. Le Pen walked out of court, which was stuffed with journalists, before her fate had fully been revealed; later, she was filmed exiting the headquarters of her party without speaking to the media hordes assembled outside. She would soon have her say, however, sitting for an interview on TF1, traditionally Frances biggest privately owned network, during which she decried a political decision, a disastrous day for our democracy, and practices that we thought were the preserve of authoritarian regimes while dismissing the charges against her as stemming from an administrative disagreement with the European Parliament. (Fact checkers at Le Monde quickly pointed out that this claim was fallacious.) This morning, allies from her party launched what the same paper described as a wider media riposte, fanning out across the airwaves. Jordan Bardella, a Le Pen protege who serves as the partys president, went on CNews and Europe 1, a pair of properties owned by the company of the right-wing billionaire Vincent Bollore, and took aim at supposed judicial tyranny. He also likened the verdict against Le Pen to the recent move by authorities in Romania to ban Calin Georgescua little-known populist who came from nowhere to win the first round of an election last year, thanks to TikTok or Russian meddling or both, depending on who you believefrom standing in a do-over of that election after the first vote was annulled. As I wrote recently, Georgescus treatment has become a cause celebre for the global populist right and its media, not least in the US; Alex Jones interviewed him, Elon Musk defended him, and Vice President J.D. Vance mentioned him in a broader speech haranguing European leaders for their supposed backsliding on democracy and free speech. Unsurprisingly, the conviction of Le Penwho is a much better-known global figure than Georgescuhas already triggered the same sorts of dynamics. Far-right foreign leaders including Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, expressed solidarity by tweeting Je suis Marine! In the US, Musktaking time out from donning a cheesehead and doling out million-dollar checks to voters in Wisconsin ahead of a state Supreme Court election that he has cast as existential for the future of civilizationcharacterized the conviction as part of a standard left-wing playbook to rig elections by jailing opponents, while Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokesperson, pointed both to Vances speech and to what she called aggressive and corrupt lawfare against Donald Trump; later, a reporter asked Trump himself about the verdict during an Oval Office signing ceremony with a flamboyantly clad Kid Rock, and he called it a big deal. (I know all about it, he added, unconvincingly.) Laura Ingraham, of Fox News, said that the globalists had come for Le Pen, and raised the case on her show. Beyond this global context, Bardella also invoked decidedly French parallels to Le Pens conviction, which were by turns lesser-known abroad and downright obscure. One of these involved an ongoing case involving the former president Nicolas Sarkozy, who has been accused (among other things) of illicitly using cash from the Gaddhafi regime in Libya to finance a campaign. (I wrote about Sarkozy as a kind of parable for Trump in this regard after the latter was charged in the New York hush money case in 2023.) The other involved a decision by a French media regulator to decline to renew the terrestrial broadcast rights of C8, a channel that, like CNews, is owned by Bollores group. Indeed, Bardella wasnt the only one to invoke C8 yesterday; other far-right politicians did so, too, as did various commentatorsnot least on CNews. A bad wind is blowing in this country, one political journalist at the network said on air. The French people are no longer masters of their destiny. Certain judges, magistrates, and high officials make choices in their place, telling them what they mustnt watch on television and for whom they mustnt vote. (He then also mentioned Romania and Vance, calling the latters speech prophetic.) I mentioned the broader license-renewal process in a couple of newsletters last year, including one on the growing influence of the Bollore media empire in advancing the themes of the political right; various critics of CNews and C8which between them had been rapped many times for breaking well-established rules around media pluralism and other things, with the latter alone racking up more than seven million euros in fines in recent yearshoped that the regulator might take the opportunity, in light of these infractions against the public interest, to block the networks from broadcasting on publicly owned frequencies, but one told me at the time that he didnt expect this to actually happen. A few months later, as C8 applied for its renewal, it made some promises that seemed designed to mollify its critics, including that it would broadcast the show of Cyril Hanounaa highly controversial star host and fine-magneton a time delay so as better to control his output. But the regulator evidently was not convinced, ultimately deciding not to renew C8. (Another channel was also denied a renewal, but on grounds that had more to do with a lack of originality in its programming; the two channels would be replaced by new entrants spearheaded, respectively, by the owners of Ouest-France, a regional newspaper, and Daniel Kretinsky, a controversial Czech media mogul who I wrote about in 2020.) The C8 decision was a sharp blow to the network, to be sure, but it would still have the option of moving online or to a cable platform, and Hanouna could simply take his show to a different terrestrial network (something that is, indeed, now in the process of happening). Observers like Reporters Without Bordershardly an advocate of muzzling the mediapraised the regulators decision as a victory for pluralism over Bollores growing influence, and as accountability for C8s own misconduct. Others criticized the regulator for not going far enough; Aurelien Santoul, a left-wing lawmaker who had served on a legislative panel examining the frequencies process, questioned how CNews had been granted a renewal if C8 wasnt. (News networks receiving renewals were required to commit to conditions guaranteeing respect for the rules, at least on paper.) But figures on the rightnot least at outlets owned by Bollorewere up in arms, at the time of the initial decision and then again a few weeks ago, after it was confirmed that C8 would lose its frequency at the end of February. Le Pens party circulated a petition opposing ideological censorship. Le Pen herself described the decision as a victory for the ayatollahs of singular thought, who want only the voice of the system to be heard. Observers in mainstream media precincts dismantled this sort of claim: Le Mondes Aude Dassonville noted in an analysis that the frequencies process was executed on a set schedule and in accordance with applicable laws; the same papers editorial board called talk of censorship insidious, and the outgrowth of a broader right-wing campaign, turbocharged by Trumps victory in the US, to challenge the rule of law under the pretext of a threat to free expression. Fast-forward a few weeks, and liberal reactions to yesterdays verdict against Le Pen, and the attendant right-wing narrative that it reflects the onset of totalitarianism, have been similar. This morning, Le Monde wrote in an editorial that the judges in her case merely applied penalties that politicians had themselves legislated in the name of strengthening democracy, and noted that other politicians have been similarly punished. Fabrice Arfi, a journalist at the independent outlet Mediapart (think: a French ProPublica) who has investigated various scandals involving Sarkozy, wrote, of both the latters case and Le Pens, that there is not a Republic of judges, but judges of the Republic. C8, Sarkozy, Le Pen, Sebastien Tronche, a political journalist at Liberation, added: When you dont respect the rules, youre punished. Simple. Basic. Sign up for CJRs daily email The idea that hard-right perspectives are being systematically censored in France belies realitynot least in the media space, where, as Ive written repeatedly, such ideas have, in recent years, been increasingly mainstreamed, in no small part due to the growing footprint of the Bollore universe but by no means exclusively because of that, in a political climate that has tilted in a rightward direction more broadly. This all came to a head last summer, when Le Pens party came out on top in the first round of snap legislative elections, and Bollores support was credited with helping her get there. (Among other things, the leader of a traditionally mainstream right-wing bloc reportedly called on him in private before deciding to controversially ally with Le Pens partythough the wider narrative here is not without nuance; Bollore is reported to have looked unfavorably on Le Pen in the past.) In the end, Le Pens party was beaten into a surprise third place in the second round of those elections, a result of candidates opposed to it coalescing in a so-called republican front. And yet, as I noted at the time, the party still made significant gains in those electionsand the broader cultural impulse to block it from institutional power, which once held sway across large parts of the media, as elsewhere, appears to have significantly eroded. Le Pen and her allies going on major news networks to condemn the verdict against her hardly screams censorship. Nor does the wave of outraged right-wing coverage that has taken aim at the justice system in the cases of both Le Pen and Sarkozy, as Le Mondes Francoise Fressoz detailed this morning. (Yesterday, CNews played a string of viewer-submitted videos all condemning Le Pens treatment. Saintoul, the left-wing lawmaker, quickly asked the media regulator to investigate the segment, accusing Bollores empire of spreading propaganda on Le Pens behalf.) Nor has Le Pens party been banished from the electoral scene: it can still stand a candidate in 2027, even if, at present, it looks unlikely to be her. Bardella, her protege, is considered to be next in lineeven though he is only twenty-nine years old. As I wrote after Trump was reelected last year, Bardella represents how the RN has sought to mainstream itself in traditional French mediahe is a regular on the networks, where he presents a highly polished imagebut is also deft at navigating and leveraging the alternative media currents that are currently signal-boosting right-wing populism globally. (Though again, there are nuances to Bardellas place in this global populist alt-media picture: he recently canceled a speech at CPAC, the festival of US conservatism, after Steve Bannon appeared to give a Nazi salute from the stage, leading Bannon to dismiss Bardella as a little boy.) He has proven particularly adept at using TikTok, where he has gained a sizable following by, for example, eating candy and engaging slyly with romantic political fan fiction. Since the Le Pen verdict came down, he has only posted once to the platform: a screenshot of a tweet that he put up yesterday. Today, its not only Marine Le Pen whos been unjustly convicted, he wrote. Its French democracy that has been executed. Other notable stories: CJRs Sewell Chan reports that the Center for Public Integrity, a thirty-six-year-old nonprofit newsroom that won acclaim for its investigations but has endured financial and organizational turmoil for much of the past decade, has ceased publishing and is in talks to hand off its archives to the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group focused on corruption. Over the past year, CPI has essentially collapsed, Chan writes, with budget goals being missed, top editors leaving, and a possible merger with another news nonprofit falling through. During this period, the board chair, Wesley Lowerya prominent journalist who recently left a different job following allegations, which we reported on, about his personal conductwas effectively overseeing the newsroom, but he has now resigned, Chan reports. In yesterdays newsletter, we noted reports that the White House was planning to begin dictating who sits where in its press briefing room, in what would be its latest attempt to wrest power away from the White House Correspondents Association, which has traditionally controlled seating assignments. Yesterday, Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, confirmed that such plans are being considered. And the WHCA pushed back, accusing officials of trying to exert pressure on journalists over coverage they disagree with. Per Semafor, WHCA members have discussed holding a sit-in in protest, leading Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, to respond, Hahahahahahahaha..hahahahahahahahaha. On the subject of Cheung, The Atlantics Elaine Godfrey is out with a profile dubbing him the voice of Trump and detailing his strategy of relentless aggression, bringing all that is authentically vulgar, unflinching, and cruel about his boss to official White House statements. The paradox of Cheung is that behind the scenes, many reporters view him as a uniquely pleasant and straightforward aide in Trumps mostly toxic orbit, Godfrey writes. He will engage journalists in pleasant chitchat, argue good-naturedly about the finer points of a story, and then fire off a public insult. By all accounts, Godfrey reports, Trump loves him. On Substack, Matt Pearce jumped off the recent media discourse surrounding abundancethe idea, pushed by writers including Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, that Democrats should embrace an agenda defined by building and inventing thingsand asked whether an equivalent agenda could be defined for the news business. Journalisms problem isnt that it needs to build more news printing plants or physical newsrooms, Pearce writes, but rather the emergence of a vast informational wasteland that needs more public and private news production. And Nieman Labs Neel Dhanesha reports on ProPublicas decision to station a truck outside federal office buildings in DC with LED billboard displays informing workers affected by Trump and Musks massive cuts as to how they might become sources for its journalists. The operation drew in people from across the newsroom, from interactive designers who usually work on the ProPublica website to copy editors who commented on how theyd never been asked to proofread a truck before. Fuji Media should apologize to victims of a sexual assault scandal and set up a mechanism to address human rights-related grievances involving the company, according to a report commissioned by the Japanese broadcaster and released on Monday. The probe followed allegations in the Japanese media of sexual misconduct by Masahiro Nakai, a TV host and leader of the former boy band SMAP, which arose in December. The scandal led to an exodus of advertisers and the resignations in January of the companys chairman and the head of its TV unit. Fuji Media also announced last week that Hisashi Hieda, a long-time director at the company, would step down from his post. Related: Fuji Media, Rocked by Sexual Misconduct Allegations, Says Executives to Resign The report, prepared by an independent team led by three lawyers and stretching to more than 300 pages, determined there had been an instance of sexual violence that occurred as an extension of work duties and that the company had not adequately addressed the need of victims for care and redress. In a press release accompanying the committees report, Fuji Media said: We apologize to all our stakeholders for any concern and inconvenience caused. Nakai, 52, has apologized for causing trouble and announced his retirement from show business. He has acknowledged reaching a settlement with one party but has not addressed the allegations directly. (Reporting by Swift, Sugiyama and Okasaka; Editing by Edmund Klamann) An anti-corruption watchdog had flagged to authorities irregularities it found in the construction of a Bangkok skyscraper before it collapsed in an earthquake last week, killing at least 12 people, the head of the group told Reuters. Initial tests of materials gathered at the site, meanwhile, indicated the presence of substandard steel among the wreckage of the 30-story structure, according to industry ministry officials, who added that further analysis was required. Rescuers were continuing search and rescue efforts on Monday for around 75 people feared still trapped under the rubble of the unfinished tower, which was being built for Thailands State Audit Office by a Chinese company and a Thai construction firm. The government has announced an investigation into the cause of the collapse of the skyscraper, the only Bangkok building to completely crumble when a 7.7 magnitude quake struck central Myanmar on Friday and rattled neighboring countries. Mana Nimitmongkol, president of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand, told Reuters on Sunday it had informed the audit office about its concerns regarding the project. The government had threatened to cancel the project in January due to delays, he said. The audit office, which has said that it will investigate the cause of the building collapse, did not answer e-mailed questions from Reuters, including whether it had considered canceling the contract. Construction of the building began in 2020 and is being carried out by a joint venture between Italian Thai Development PCL and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd, a local unit of Chinas state-owned China Railway Group. Italian Thai Development and China Railway Group did not immediately comment on either the watchdogs comments or the industry ministrys steel tests when contacted by Reuters. The tower was originally slated for completion by 2026 but was behind schedule. The deputy auditor general, Sutthipong Boonnithi, told reporters on Saturday that construction was only 30% completed before it collapsed. Site visits to the project during construction by the anti-corruption group had raised concerns about delays, worker shortages and possible corner-cutting, Mana said, whose organization scrutinizes some 170 government projects around Thailand. Sometimes the number of workers on site were much fewer than there should be, causing delays, he said. Potentially there was a rush to complete the project towards the end, which could cause a drop in the standard of work. Share prices of ITD closed 27% lower on Monday against a benchmark .SETI drop of 1.48%. No Other Building Collapsed Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra ordered government agencies on Saturday to investigate the root cause of the building collapse within one week. The official Thai investigation is looking into the construction plan, the standard of the material used as well as possible unsafe actions during the construction of the building. Han Zhinqiang, Chinas ambassador to Thailand, said on Sunday that China would cooperate in the investigation. At the site on Sunday leading a team collecting samples from the rubble, Thai Industry Minister Akanat Promphan told Reuters that he was concerned substandard steel may have been used in the construction of the building. The ministry has shut down seven factories for producing substandard steel in the past six months, seizing 360 million baht (about $10 million) worth of assets, he said. Many of these factories used an old production process and equipment relocated from China, Akanat said. In response to huge public interest in the disaster, the ministry decided to open testing of the samples to the media on Monday with some outlets streaming it live via Facebook. Following the tests, which detected some substandard steel in a minority of samples, officials emphasized that it was too early to say if the materials played a role in the buildings collapse. We will have to collect more samples to conduct more tests once we can (get access), one of the officials, Nontichai Likitaporn, told a press conference held at the ministry. Experts from the council of engineers that is assisting the government in surveying buildings around the Thai capital for earthquake damage speculated that the skyscraper could have collapsed due to unsafe material or poor construction planning. It is strange that no other buildings suffered like this, Anek Siripanichgorn, a board member of the Council of Engineers Thailand told Reuters. Even other tall buildings under construction, they did not collapse. (Additional reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Beijing Bureau; Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Joe Bavier) Frances antitrust regulator fined Apple Inc. 150 million ($162 million) after a lengthy probe into how the technology company asks to collect iOS users data and the impact on advertisers. Apples ATT system is not allowing app publishers to comply with Europes GDPR privacy rules, the authority said, forcing these apps to display multiple pop-ups and making their use excessively complex. The regulator, the Autorite de la Concurrence, said that Apples app tracking transparency framework was neither necessary nor proportionate in a text of its decision, published on Monday. It said the framework in itself was not problematic. However, the way it was implemented is abusive within the meaning of competition law. The outcome could attract the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has warned hed strike back with heavy tariffs following any disproportionate penalties against American tech firms. French competition officials investigating the case examined whether Apple applied less stringent rules to itself than to other services. The case was opened after a group of advertisers brought a complaint to the regulator, claiming the changes, which came into effect in 2021, would harm their revenues. Apple has previously stated that the rules give users more control by requiring all apps to ask permission before tracking them. The Cupertino, California-based company said it also complies with EU rules. Top photo: An Apple Inc. store in Paris. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Johnson & Johnson shares fell the most in five years after the companys plan to settle thousands of talc-related lawsuits through bankruptcy was shot down in court. The ruling means J&J will have to fight roughly 60,000 claims brought by women who say the companys hallmark baby powder caused ovarian cancer and other, similar gynecological diseases in courts across the country. It may also have to set aside far more than the $9 billion it had earmarked for victims. J&Js shares dropped as much as 5.6% in New York on Tuesday, marking the biggest intraday loss since March 2020. Related: J&J Spars With Foes of $9 Billion Talc Cancer Plan as Trial Ends Nobody saw this coming, said Samir Parikh, a law professor at Wake Forest University who has been tracking J&Js baby powder litigation. This is not good news for the company and its investors. The number of outstanding claims could balloon to more than 90,000, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Holly Froum wrote. About 70% of the plaintiffs are likely to settle, according to Froum, which could cost J&J about $11 billion, she said. The issue is that its difficult today to really draw a line in the sand as to what the downside in dollars is, Mizuho Securities analyst Jared Holz said. And the fact that this now is going to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis means its just a huge distraction for the company, if nothing else. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez on Monday dismissed the bankruptcy of a small J&J unit called Red River Talc following a two-week trial in Houston, finding that a vote of cancer victims on the proposal was flawed. Related: J&J Talc Deal Should Be Rejected in Bankruptcy, Holdouts Say J&J was trying for the third time to use a small unit to resolve all talc-related lawsuits at once instead of facing trials around the country in different courts. Voting on the settlement included irregularities, among them was an unreasonably short voting time for thousands of creditors, was all done to get to 75% at any cost, Lopez said. Erik Haas, the companys worldwide vice president of litigation, said in a statement that J&J will return to fighting talc cancer claims in trials. As we have repeatedly stated, in the absence of plan confirmation, we will vigorously present our case in the tort system, he said. In view of the learnings from the bankruptcy case, we are more confident than ever in our position in the tort system. Since J&J launched its strategy in 2021, critics have complained that the company, one of the most profitable in the world, is trying to use special federal rules only available to bankrupt businesses to shield itself from the lawsuits. The companys first two attempts to pay claims through a bankruptcy trust were dismissed by a federal appeals court in Philadelphia. By moving the case to Texas, the company came under the jurisdiction of the appeals court in New Orleans, which has issued decisions more in line with J&Js legal arguments. J&J could now ask the appeals court to review the case. While most of the prominent personal-injury lawyers handling tens of thousands of baby powder cases favor the deal offered by the health care giant, a handful wanted Lopez to reject it. The Justice Departments bankruptcy watchdog also opposed it. Opponents have said J&J shouldnt be allowed to use Chapter 11 to resolve the cases and questioned the companys tactics in rounding up pre-bankruptcy support from victims. This decision affirms what we have argued all along J&Js bankruptcy strategy was nothing more than a bad-faith maneuver to avoid full accountability, said Andy Birchfield of the Beasley Allen law firm, a lead attorney for talc plaintiffs objecting to the bankruptcy. With this ruling, we are now moving forward without delay to trial, where our clients will finally have the chance to present their cases before a jury and obtain the justice they deserve. The women who sued allege J&J sold baby powder and similar products made from talc contaminated with the cancerous substance asbestos. The company denies that the powder is harmful, but it stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the U.S. in 2020. At the trial, which took place in February in Houston, Lopez was asked to navigate the intricacies of bankruptcy law, including whether J&J manipulated a vote on the settlement among 93,000 claimants. If a company with asbestos liabilities obtains 75% approval from plaintiffs voting on a bankruptcy settlement plan, the firm is allowed to resolve all current and future liabilities via a trust, according to the ruling. Under the rejected proposal, a bankrupt unit of J&J would have established a trust to determine how much each cancer victim would get based on a set of detailed criteria. All lawsuits related to allegations that baby powder causes ovarian cancer and other gynecological diseases would have been halted and instead resolved by the trust. For its latest bankruptcy, J&J organized a vote of claimants before filing the Chapter 11 case. After the company increased its settlement offer, more claimants were in favor of a deal, giving the company enough support to meet a 75% threshold set by the bankruptcy code. Red River has denied that voting was flawed and contends that lawyers opposed to the bankruptcy settlement were motivated by their own financial interests to defeat the deal. The bankruptcy case is Red River Talc LLC, 24-90505, US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (Houston). Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Phoenix, AZ. April 1, 2025 CRS, the trusted leader in temporary housing solutions, is proud to introduce its enhanced Managed Repair Program (MRP)designed to provide seamless, high-quality repair services for Policyholders nationwide. With 36 years of expertise in the home insurance industry, CRS has assisted more than 250,000 families, consistently setting new benchmarks in property restoration and customer satisfaction. The CRS Managed Repair Program streamlines the entire restoration process, ensuring Policyholders remain safe and comfortable while CRS oversees every phase of the repair. Through a nationwide network of vetted, licensed, and bonded contractors, CRS guarantees efficient, high-quality rebuilds that meet strict insurance guidelines and real-world pricing. The CRS Managed Repair Program reflects our unwavering commitment to restoring more than just propertieswe help rebuild lives, said Reed Bastian, Director of Restoration Services. From the foundation to the roof, we deliver efficiency, accuracy, and care, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum peace of mind for Policyholders. Key Benefits of the CRS Managed Repair Program Rapid Response: On-site personnel within 2448 hours in most metropolitan areas. Nationwide Coverage: Access to licensed, bonded contractors across the U.S. Verified Accuracy: Claims reviewed for accurate pricing and compliance with carrier specifications. Proactive Communication: Regular updates keep Adjusters, Carriers, and Policyholders informed throughout the process. Comprehensive Repairs: Expertise across roofing, interiors, exteriors, and more to ensure a full restoration. Work Guaranteed: Warranty on materials and workmanship Our dedicated team ensures a seamless claims experience, prioritizing professionalism, efficiency, and care at every step, adds Bastian Submitting a Claim is Simple Filing a claim with CRS is quick and hassle-free. Adjusters and Policyholders can reach CRS via: Phone: 800.968.0848 Email: request@crsth.com Online Submission: crsth.com/mrp-claim-submission CRSs dedicated team ensures a seamless claims experience, prioritizing professionalism, efficiency, and care at every step. About CRS Founded in 1989, CRS has been a trusted partner in the insurance industry, specializing in temporary housing and property restoration. Having helped over 250,000 families, CRS continues to redefine service excellence by delivering high-quality repairs and unmatched customer support through its industry-leading Managed Repair Program. For more information, visit crsth.com. MONROE COUNTY, Georgia A 67-year-old woman who was reported missing following a car crash was later found dead inside a deep well in what authorities are calling a tragic accident. Shirley Obert was involved in the crash Saturday morning, according to a news release from the Monroe County Sheriffs Office. A worker at Chick-fil-A, she was wearing her uniform when she disappeared, authorities say. She was found in the well Sunday morning. The sheriffs office says it appears Obert tried to seek help after the crash but fell down the well, which was surrounded by very thick brush near where her car was found. It is not the outcome that we were hoping for, the sheriffs office says in a statement. This appears to be a tragic accident. Please keep her family and her co-workers in your thoughts and prayers. Authorities did not release details on what might have caused Obert to crash. President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine on Truth Social for the Virginia senator's attempt to roll back tariffs Trump has imposed on Canada under an emergency declaration. AP WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Sen. Tim Kaine for the Virginia Democrats resolution that would undercut the basis for tariffs on Canada and urged Republicans to vote against it. Kaines resolution, which could face a vote as soon as Wednesday, April 2, would end an emergency declaration Trump declared to impose tariffs on Canada, citing the flow of fentanyl into the United States. But even though the amount of fentanyl coming into the country from Canada is low, Trump stuck to his guns. Senator Tim Kaine, who ran against me with Crooked Hillary in 2016, is trying to halt our critical Tariffs on deadly Fentanyl coming in from Canada, Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social. We are making progress to end this terrible Fentanyl Crisis, but Republicans in the Senate MUST vote to keep the National Emergency in place, so we can finish the job, and end the scourge. By their weakness, the Democrats have allowed Fentanyl to get out of hand. The Republicans and I have reversed that course, strongly and quickly. Major additional progress is being made, Trump wrote. Dont let the Democrats have a Victory. It would be devastating for the Republican Party and, far more importantly, for the United States. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! A small fraction of the fentanyl that comes into the United States enters from Canada, The Associated Press said. Customs and Border Protection seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the northern border during the 2024 fiscal year, and since January, authorities have seized less than 1.5 pounds, according to federal data. Meanwhile, at the southern border, authorities seized over 21,000 pounds last year. Kaine, who was Hillary Clintons running mate in 2016, has argued that tariffs on Canadian goods would ripple through the economy, making it more expensive to build homes and military ships. Were going to pay more for our food products. Were going to pay more for building supplies, Kaine told the AP. So people are already complaining about grocery prices and housing costing too much. So you raise the cost of building supplies and products. Its a big deal. The resolution is seen as a test of Republican resolve to stand firm with Trump, although some have watched uneasily as the presidents attempts to remake global trade have sent the stock market downward, AP said. Kaines resolution could provide some with an off ramp. I really relish giving my Republican colleagues the chance to not just say theyre concerned, but actually take an action to stop these tariffs, Kaine told the AP last week. WASHINGTON, D. C. - Congressional Republicans led by Ohios Jim Jordan are leading a multi-pronged attack on federal judges who are blocking some of the more than 100 executive orders Donald Trump has issued since becoming president in January. On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee that Jordan chairs held a joint subcommittee hearing on judicial overreach, teeing up a later vote in the full House of Representatives on a measure that would block courts from issuing nationwide injunctions. Its expected to pass the GOP-controlled U.S. House of Representatives but run aground in the U.S. Senate, where 60 votes are typically needed to pass legislation. Republicans only have 53 Senate seats. Who decides? Thats the fundamental question, Champaign Countys Jordan said at Tuesdays hearing. Is it the guy who got 77 million votes, or some district judge? Judges have put dozens of holds on Trumps executive orders, stalling his efforts to cancel federal grants and foreign aid, fire probationary government workers, end birthright citizenship and eject transgender people who are serving in the military, and more. Since Republicans control Congress, courts have been the main check on Trump, so far. Former Republican U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich described their judgements as a potential constitutional crisis in testimony at the hearing. Fifteen district judges effectively seized control of various executive branch duties in the first six weeks of the current presidency through nationwide injunctions, said the retired Georgia Republican. This is potentially a judicial coup detat. A Democratic witness at the hearing, University of Pennsylvania law professor Kate Shaw, disputed the idea that the the courts have transcended the limits of their authority. She said the Trump administration has been on a losing streak in the federal courts, citing a recent analysis finding that of the 151 cases brought against the Trump administration since Jan. 20, 46 have resulted in some sort of preliminary relief. She said the judges at issue were from courts around the country, and were appointed by judges of both parties. This broad consensus makes clear that, despite the claims of some critics, these rulings do not grow out of substantive disagreements with President Trumps policy choices, said Shaw. The lawsuits have been brought and have overwhelmingly succeeded, because many of the challenged actions have been taken without regard for and often with outright contempt for both statutes and the Constitution. Jordan criticized judges for thinking theyre better equipped to determine military readiness than the Commander in Chief, for thinking they should get to decide how many probationary employees work in the executive branch, or that they should decide how long illegal gang member terrorists stay in our country. He called the legislation that would block nationwide injunctions absolutely whats needed, saying the American people know who they elected, and they want him to make decisions that affect the executive branch, that affect our country. The author of the legislation, California Republican Darrell Issa, said at the hearing that Trump has already faced more nationwide injunctions during his first nine weeks in office than Democrat Joe Biden did during his entire four years in office. The federal judiciary isnt interpreting the law, said Issa, a Cleveland-area native who became a multimillionaire by running a company that makes anti-theft devices for cars. It is impeding the presidency. Jordan has praised past injunctions that blocked actions by Democratic presidents. When a federal judge issued a 2023 injunction that blocked Biden administration officials from communicating and meeting with social media companies amid claims of improper censorship, Jordan posted on X: Big win for FREE SPEECH. Big loss for the censorship industrial complex. When a federal judge issued a 2015 temporary injunction blocking President Barack Obamas executive actions on immigration that Jordan disagreed with, the House Freedom Caucus that he chaired issued an approving statement. President Obama said himself 22 times that he could not unilaterally change Americas immigration policy without congressional approval, said the statement posted on Jordans congressional website. Thankfully a judge today stood up for the Constitution and temporarily stopped his unfair and unlawful executive actions. Colorado Democrat Joe Neguse said that 14 Republican-appointed federal judges issued injunctions against policies Biden pursued via executive order without Republicans complaining of a judicial coup detat. Washington Democrat Pramila Jayapal said that when Democrats disliked rulings against their presidents, they didnt try to restrict the judges who issued them. She said an independent judiciary is supposed to uphold civil rights and liberties. If you try to eliminate birthright citizenship, jail people for free speech, slash funding and fire people and eliminate departments that are actually established by Congress, if you try to use Cold War era regulations to do mass deportations, then, yeah, youre going to get nationwide injunctions, said Jayapal. So maybe, if you dont like the injunctions, stop doing the illegal stuff. Cincinnati Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman issued a social media statement that called it insane to pass legislation that would limit rulings from a federal judge to only affecting the local area in which the court is located. For as long as I can remember, no one messed with judges, and all of a sudden, because these judges are ruling in a way that the majority doesnt like, theyre messing with judges, said the statement from Landsman. On Monday, Jordan asked the House Appropriations Committee, which controls government spending, to put language in upcoming funding bills that would limit the ability of judges to misuse nationwide injunctions. We urge you to consider language prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars and federal resources to issue or enforce these overbroad injunctions beyond the specific parties in front of an issuing court in a particular case, said a letter Jordan sent to the chair of the full committee, Oklahomas Tom Cole, and the chair its subcommittee that funds the federal judiciary, South Russell Republican Dave Joyce. A statement from Joyce, a former Geauga County Prosecutor, thanked Jordan for the letter and said hes looking forward to working closely with him on issues pertaining to the nations judicial system. I agree that the security of our justice system must remain a top priority throughout the appropriations process, said Joyce. As a former prosecutor, I know firsthand how important it is to have a fair system that upholds the separation of powers. As the FY26 appropriations cycle gets underway, we will continue to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and effectively. Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Authorities have issued an AMBER Alert for a 10-month-old baby allegedly kidnapped by the child's mother, Chelsea Daniels, in the Fallon area early Monday morning. The emergency alert was sent out at approximately 2:15 p.m. on March 31 via the Washoe County emergency system, warning that Daniels is considered armed and that the incident is classified as a non-custodial parental abduction. Daniels was last seen driving a black 2006 Ford Explorer with Nevada license plate 714-S57. Authorities urge the public not to approach her but to immediately report any sightings by calling 911. The investigation remains ongoing as law enforcement continues efforts to locate Daniels and the child. This is a developing story. Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman at the 2024 State of the State address in Columbus. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com COLUMBUS, Ohio -- House Republicans unveiled a leaner state budget Tuesday, stripping out tax hikes, scaling back several of Gov. Mike DeWines proposed spending increases and reworking how the state funds education. The revised $218 billion, two-year plan rejected new taxes on sports gambling companies, cigarettes and marijuana while limiting funding boosts for new programs. It also scrapped DeWines proposed child tax credit and cuts back on initiatives like the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which sends monthly books to children up until age 5. The Cleveland Browns have released this image showing what their proposed domed stadium in Brook Park would look like. Courtesy Cleveland Browns COLUMBUS, OhioRepublican state lawmakers said Tuesday they are stripping Gov. Mike DeWines proposed tax increases on cigarettes, marijuana, and sports gambling from the states budget bill, as well as changing the game plan to help the Cleveland Browns pay for a $2.4 billion covered stadium in Brook Park. House Speaker Matt Huffman and House Finance Committee Chair Brian Stewart told reporters Tuesday that, as expected, their initial round of budget changes includes dropping the proposed tax hikes, which would have doubled the state tax rate on sports-betting companies and recreational marijuana, as well as almost doubled the tax rate on cigarettes. COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio States Ohio Against The World has reached the countrys fastest sport. After NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin won Sundays Cook Out 400 in Martinsville, he celebrated with a flag that read: 11 Against The World. Hamlin drives the No. 11 car for Joe Gibbs Racing. Billionaire Tesla CEO and MAGA ally Elon Musk is being lambasted by social media users after he accused an audience member who heckled him of being an "operative" affiliated with investor George Soros. Musk held a rally in Wisconsin on Sunday, less than a week before the Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, advocating for the Republican candidate, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel. Musk stated that it is "very important to vote Republican for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to prevent voting fraud." During the event, Musk was interrupted by a heckler whom he promptly accused of being a paid operative. "It was inevitable that at least a few Soros operatives would be in the audience! Give my regards to George. Say hi to George for me," Musk responded. Musk responds to being heckled: it was inevitable at least a few Soros operatives would be in the audience. Give my regards to George. Say hi to George for me. pic.twitter.com/2sGiaDfwTm Acyn (@Acyn) March 31, 2025 Social media users quickly took to online platforms to ridicule Musk for the allegation as he failed to provide any evidence to support it. "The irony is that you're the [bogeyman] that you claim Soros to be," wrote one user. The irony is that youre the boogeyman that you claim Soros to be. R. Saoirse (@razzli_) March 31, 2025 "Does anyone else see the irony that he claims Soros pays everyone to oppose him all the while he is literally bribing people to come to his rally's?" another user said, referring to Musk's promise to randomly select two Wisconsin voters pay $1 million each to. Does anyone else see the irony that he claims Soros pays everyone to oppose him all the while he is literally bribing people to come to his rallys? Brian Zero Fs (@BrianZeroFs) March 31, 2025 "I promise people hate you for free," another user wrote. I promise people hate you for free https://t.co/XnS4vlTCqw Sade Lindsay (@SadeLindsay_) March 31, 2025 "Elon is illegally cutting $1 million checks to people because he's actually convinced himself that George Soros has been doing that. He can't conceive of the idea that anyone would organically disagree with him about anything," one user said. Elon is illegally cutting $1 million checks to people because he's actually convinced himself that George Soros has been doing that. He can't conceive of the idea that anyone would organically disagree with him about anything. Mark Raymond (@markraymond) March 31, 2025 Many users pointed out the apparent hypocrisy of Musk accusing Soros, a fellow billionaire, of paying people to disrupt his events and sway opinion in favor of the Democratic Party when Musk himself recently brought back his lotteries for voters ahead of Wisconsin's Supreme Court election, awarding two Wisconsin voters $1 million each on Sunday. Soros got nothing on him, musk is literally the richest man alive paying people for votes in the open. Victorious (@punclizme) March 31, 2025 This idiot thinks every one out there is paid for Just like he gets people to gather only for giant bribes and lottery incentives He cannot understand that people actually do what they feel out of principles CanadaFirst (@CanadianFir) March 31, 2025 At the event, Musk continued to bring up how the state's Supreme Court would likely hear cases on redistricting, and that a liberal majority could give Democrats a chance at winning seats in the House of Representatives. "And if the [Wisconsin] Supreme Court is able to redraw the districts, they will gerrymander the district and deprive Wisconsin of two seats on the Republican side," Musk said. "Then they will try to stop all the government reforms we are getting done, for you the American people." The Wisconsin election is set to take place Tuesday. Originally published on Latin Times Foreign patients receive hassle-free medical services in east China Xinhua) 09:50, April 01, 2025 HANGZHOU, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Yiwu resident Sufyan Marwan Sufyan Mohanmmed, from Yemen, no longer finds himself envying the ease with which Chinese parents are able to keep track of their children's vaccinations. On March 25, Yiwu, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, introduced the country's first digital vaccine record system for foreigners. Marwan's 1-year-old daughter became the first beneficiary. "When I used to take my child for vaccinations, I had to apply for a paper certificate," the father told Xinhua. "Watching Chinese parents scan their phones while I had to wait anxiously only made me feel envious." The provision of digital vaccine records for foreigners was made possible thanks to the efforts of the provincial and city-level centers for disease control and prevention in Zhejiang. By overcoming various technical and linguistic difficulties, the province has broadened the service coverage of its digital vaccine records to include foreigners. The move has enhanced the convenience and efficiency of vaccination services for foreigners living in Zhejiang, said Lou Xiaoming, deputy director of the provincial center for disease control and prevention. For some, the country's medical advancements mean more than just increased convenience -- they mean survival. Recently, a Facebook post captured one moment of pure relief: Haithan, a Jordanian patient in China, had just received the news that his surgery had been successful, and that he was ready to be discharged from hospital. Haithan's medical journey had been full of twists and turns. Earlier this year, he experienced severe abdominal pain and initially returned home to seek treatment from familiar doctors. However, after two failed surgeries in Jordan, he decided to try his luck in China. Accompanied by his family, Haithan returned to China, where Lou Yanbo at the Fourth Hospital Affiliated to School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, performed a minimally invasive surgery that saw minimal blood loss. The surgery was challenging but proved a success. "I'm a businessman, but this trip to China was not just for business -- it's a life-saving journey," he said. "Yiwu is not only a hub for business opportunities -- it also has top-tier health care, providing support for foreigners like me," he noted. The hospital provides medical services to foreign patients from 188 countries and regions, with foreign outpatient visits totaling 16,000 in 2023 -- the highest number in the province. In recent years, with the continued expansion of medical openness and strengthened international cooperation, the demand for high-quality health care services in China has grown significantly. Yiwu, known as the "world's supermarket," has a large expatriate population and has raised the bar for diversified, international medical services. Increasing numbers of foreigners in Yiwu are benefiting from more efficient and convenient medical services, reflecting the city's rapid advancements in health care, as well as China's commitment to opening up and people-centered development. "Many foreigners like me choose to fly here for treatment. When it comes to our health, we want the best care possible," said Haithan. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) A bank executive is among those feared dead in a plane crash that took place in Minnesota during the weekend, the institution said in a statement. Concretely, U.S. Bank said its vice chair and chief administration officer, Terry Dolan, could be among the fatalities as the plane that crashed was registered to his name. "The medical examiner's office has not been able to confirm whether he was on board, but we believe he was," reads a statement by the bank given to The National News Desk. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and friends, and anyone who may have been affected by yesterday's tragic incident," the document adds. BREAKING: Another horrific plane crash. This plane crashed into a home in Minnesota today.pic.twitter.com/GKsR9hVTOl Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) March 29, 2025 The Federal Aviation Administration has not confirmed how many people were aboard the plane that crashed. The aircraft in question crashed into a home, setting it on fire. The plane had left Des Moines International Airport in Iowa and was headed to Anoka County-Blaine Airport in Minneapolis when it crashed in Brooklyn Park. The crash happened around 12:20 p.m. Saturday. Brooklyn Park Fire Chief Shawn Conway told CNN there were no survivors in the small plane and at least one person died in the crash. The small plane was capable of carrying up to six people total. One person inside the home managed to escape unharmed. Originally published on Latin Times More than 5,000 North Korean soldiers have likely been killed or wounded while fighting for Russia in Ukraine, according to a new assessment by the British Ministry of Defense. The casualty figure accounts for as much as one-third to nearly half of North Korea's total deployment, highlighting the heavy losses its forces have sustained on the front lines. "As of March 2025, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) forces had highly likely sustained over 5,000 casualties in offensive combat operations against Ukrainian forces in the Russian oblast of Kursk," the ministry stated in an intelligence update posted on March 28 via social media platform X. The ministry further estimated that "approximately a third of the casualties" were killed in action. Heavy Losses on the Battlefield South Korean military and intelligence officials believe North Korea initially sent around 11,000 troops to Russia last year and dispatched an additional 3,000 between January and February of this year. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed on March 27 that approximately 4,000 North Korean troops had become casualties, with the UK's latest estimate suggesting the actual number could be even higher. The significant losses reflect the dangerous role North Korean troops are playing on the battlefieldleading high-risk, front-line assault operations. Ukrainian Senior Sergeant Petro Haidashchuk told local media in January that North Korean forces are being used as assault troops, charging forward while Russian soldiers follow behind to secure captured areas. He cited Russian prisoners of war who described these tactics, which have left North Korean troops highly vulnerable to Ukrainian artillery and drone strikes. These methods have been widely referred to as "meat grinder" tactics. South Korean lawmaker Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party, who recently visited Ukraine, described the North Korean troops as being used as cannon fodder. "Ukrainian officials told me they can't understand why North Korean troops are attempting such aggressive breakthroughs despite the high number of casualties," Yoo said. "They asked, 'Why are they so desperate?'" Putin Relies on North Korean Support Despite these staggering losses, analysts suggest North Korea's high-risk operations in Ukraine are unlikely to stop. Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no intention of making territorial concessions in ongoing ceasefire talks. The Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces recently launched a surprise incursion into Russia's southwest, remains strategically important to the Kremlin. Regaining lost ground would strengthen Russia's negotiation position, making North Korean troops a valuable asset for Putin. North Korea Expanding Role in Space Warfare Even as North Korea suffers heavy losses on the ground, it is reportedly increasing its efforts in space warfare. U.S. Secretary of the Air Force nominee Troy Meink told the Senate Armed Services Committee that North Korea has "already demonstrated the ability to jam satellite communications and GPS." In written testimony submitted last Thursday, Meink warned that both North Korea and Iran are developing independent space programs. While they may not rival those of major powers, he noted that they could still "exploit the domain to their own ends" and potentially "employ counterspace technologies" against the United States. Amazon has restarted drone deliveries in two states after a months-long pause, the company confirmed. In January, Amazon halted Prime Air deliveries in College Station, Texas, and Tolleson, Arizona, the two U.S. markets where it's testing the service, as the company rolled out a software update to its drone fleet. Amazon discovered an abnormality with the drone's altitude sensor, caused by dust in the air, that could have caused its system to produce an inaccurate reading of its position relative to the ground, the company said. Amazon "never experienced an actual safety issue," but said it opted to suspend deliveries while it corrected the issue. The company brought drone deliveries back online last week after it completed the software update and received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, Amazon spokesperson Av Zammit said in a statement. "Safety underscores everything we do at Prime Air, which is why we paused our operations to conduct a software update on the MK30 drone," Zammit said. "The updates are now complete and were approved by the FAA, allowing us to resume deliveries." An FAA spokesperson didn't immediately provide a comment. Zammit said Prime Air has seen "unprecedented levels of demand" since it resumed service. David Carbon, an executive who oversees Amazon's drone program, wrote in a LinkedIn post last week that the company dropped a bottle of ZzzQuil sleep medicine at an Arizona customer's home in "31 minutes and 30 seconds." Carbon didn't say how far the drone had to fly and Zammit declined to provide details. For over a decade, Amazon has been working to bring to life founder Jeff Bezos' vision of drones whizzing toothpaste, books and batteries to customers' doorsteps in 30 minutes or less. But progress has been slow, as Prime Air has only been made available in the U.S. in College Station and Tolleson. A test site in Lockeford, California, was shuttered last April. The program was also hit with layoffs in 2023 as Amazon CEO Andy Jassy cut costs across the company. Amazon has set a goal to deliver 500 million packages by drone per year by the end of the decade. The company last year notched a critical regulatory milestone that could enable it to accelerate deliveries. It's eyed international expansion to the U.K., and recently welcomed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a visit to a Prime Air facility. The company also introduced a new version of its delivery drone, called the MK30, which is designed to be quieter than previous models and can fly in light rain. Customers in College Station, a quiet suburban town that's about 100 miles northwest of Houston, had previously complained about the drones' noise levels. After rolling out the MK30, the company is also taking steps to relocate its drone hub farther away from residents' homes later this year. Before Amazon suspended drone deliveries, the MK30 crashed in two separate incidents during test flights at the company's facility in Pendleton, Oregon. Last December, a software issue caused two drones to crash, according to Bloomberg. And in September, a pilot mistakenly caused a "mid-air collision" between two drones after he tested how the MK30 would perform when faced with a failed propeller, according to a federal crash report. Another crash occurred on Feb. 21 during tests at the Pendleton site, which resulted in a drone sustaining substantial damage, according to a report compiled by the National Transportation Safety Board. Amazon said the crashes were unrelated to its decision to halt drone operations. The company has said these kinds of incidents, which have also occurred with other models in previous years, are part of the testing process, as it pushes drone systems "up to the limits and beyond." WATCH: Amazon, Alphabet's Wing and Zipline race to roll out drone delivery Airline stocks slid further on Tuesday as Wall Street's concerns about weaker-than-expected travel demand amid looming tariffs and a sharp drop in consumer confidence continue to weigh on the sector. Shares of Delta Air Lines fell more than 2% in trading Thursday after Jefferies downgraded the carrier, the most profitable in the U.S., to a hold rating from buy, and nearly halved its price target to $46, several weeks after the airline cut its first-quarter guidance. The bank said Delta would "likely" reduce its 2025 forecasts. While concerns have grown, particularly about more price-sensitive travelers, Delta executives have said the airline has been growing its share of revenue from its higher-end cabins like first class, as well as its lucrative credit card partnership with American Express . Delta kicks off U.S. airlines' earnings season when it reports results next Wednesday morning. Taiwanese Coast Guard personnel work on a vessel off the coast of Nangan Township, in the Matsu Islands on Oct. 15, 2024, a day after China conducted the "Joint Sword-2024B" military drills around Taiwan. China's military said Tuesday its army, navy and rocket forces launched a joint exercise off the coast of Taiwan in what it described as a "stern warning" against forces looking to undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait. The military drills, designed to "close in on Taiwan from multiple directions," are a "resolute punishment" for the island's President Lai Ching-te administration's "provocations for independence," said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. "'Taiwan independence' means war and pursuing that agenda means pushing Taiwanese people into the danger of war," the spokesperson said. The drills focused on practicing assaults on maritime and ground targets, and blockades of key areas and sea lanes to test the joint operation capabilities of its troops, Senior Colonel Shi Yi said in a statement released by the People's Liberation Army. "Elements of the announcement suggest this will be large exercise," said Lyle Morris, a senior fellow for foreign policy and national security at Asia Society. He expects the actions could be a response to Lai's remarks made earlier this month, where the Taiwanese president called the mainland "foreign hostile forces," drawing harsh criticism from Beijing. China has vowed to reclaim the island, which it views as its own territory, and by force if necessary. The democratically governed island rejects Beijing's claims. The military exercise follows U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's pledges to strengthen military ties with Japan, the Philippines, to counter China in the region and deter Beijing's seizure of Taiwan. During his trips to the Asian countries last week, Hegseth pledged missile systems, troops and other military resources to build up defense in the region against China. Washington would provide "credible deterrence" in the Indo-Pacific region, including across the Taiwan Strait, he said. Hsiao Kuang-wei, a spokesperson for Taiwan's foreign affairs ministry, said Monday that the ministry "welcomes and appreciates" the continued support from like-minded countries for maintaining the Strait's peace and stability. Beijing has held several rounds of military drills around Taiwan and sent fighter jets to enter its airspace since President Lai took office nearly a year ago. Taiwan officials, led by President Lai, were often characterized by Beijing as "troublemakers." Taiwan's defense ministry said in a post on X Tuesday that it detected 19 ships operating around the island as of 6 a.m. It has set up a response center to monitor Chinese military activities and dispatched military aircraft, ships and activated land-based missile systems in response, the defense ministry said. The sales results come ahead of tariffs ordered by Trump taking effect this week, including 25% levies on imported vehicles starting Thursday. The auto industry is also awaiting announcements of potential additional "reciprocal" tariffs that could affect automakers on Wednesday. Outliers for first quarter sales included Chrysler parent Stellantis , down roughly 12% amid a company turnaround plan, and Ford Motor , which reported a 1.3% sales decline largely due to the discontinuation last year of its Ford Edge SUV. South Korean automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors also reported double-digit sales gains of roughly 10% and 11%, respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2024. Nissan Motor, meanwhile, reported a 5.7% increase during the first quarter, followed by a 5.3% jump for Honda Motor and roughly 1% quarterly year-over-year gain for Toyota Motor . The Detroit automaker is expected to have significantly outpaced overall industry sales for the first quarter, which appear to be more robust than expected. Auto analysts originally had forecast roughly 1% or less year-over-year sales growth. GM on Tuesday reported a 16.7% jump in new vehicle sales compared with the first quarter of 2024, led by incremental gains in sales of new all-electric vehicles such as the Cadillac Escalade IQ and Cadillac Optiq , as well as notable increases in entry-level crossovers and full-size SUVs. General Motors and other automakers reported notable increases in their first-quarter U.S. vehicle sales, as the automotive industry braces for the impacts of President Donald Trump 's auto tariffs that are set to take effect this week. J.D. Power last week forecast robust industry sales for March as consumers flocked to dealerships to purchase a new vehicle to avoid any potential increase in prices due to tariffs. "The 13% year-over-year retail sales increase is particularly strong, enabled by consumers accelerating purchases to avoid potential tariff-related price increases," Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Power, said in a release. "While the tariff situation remains both fluid and uncertain, the prospect of tariffs is already beginning to affect the industry." Hyundai Motor North America CEO Randy Parker said the South Korean automaker's Hyundai and Genesis brands experienced a significant increase in dealership traffic and sales at the end of the month, amid Trump's confirmation last week that widespread 25% tariffs would be taking effect for vehicles assembled outside of the U.S. "The last week, and including this past weekend, was by far the best weekend that I've seen in a very long time," he said Tuesday during a media call. "I've been doing this now for a very, very long time. So lots of people, I think, rushed in this weekend, especially, to try and beat the tariffs." It was a similar experience at other automakers such as Ford. While the Detroit automaker's overall sales experienced a slight decline in the quarter, the automaker reports its retail sales, which exclude its fleet business, were up 5% year over year. The retail sales were driven by a 19% increase in March, Ford said. Ford's move to end production of the Edge, which was produced in Canada, was unrelated to Trump's tariffs. The 25% tariffs, set to take effect Thursday, are expected to include all vehicles that are not made in the U.S. The White House last week said the tariffs, which will be paid by companies, are expected to result in more than $100 billion of new annual revenue to the U.S. There are major concerns regarding the tariffs when it comes to companies' earnings, as well as the potential of higher prices on new vehicles, which are already hovering around $48,000, according to Cox Automotive. Hyundai's Parker said the company has not yet decided if it will raise vehicle prices due to tariffs, but he alluded to now being a great time to purchase a vehicle ahead of any potential changes. "We continue to evaluate all of the scenarios," Parker said. "But what I would say to our customers is that, just like all things in life, tomorrow is never guaranteed. And if you're interested in buying a car, right now is a great time to buy a car, because as of today, we haven't rose prices." Hyundai, like most major automakers, produces vehicles in the U.S. but also imports a substantial amount from outside of the country. Hyundai, including its sibling Kia carmaker, is currently ramping up vehicle production at a new multibillion-dollar assembly plant in Georgia. The automaker said Tuesday about 40% of its Hyundai and Genesis vehicles sold in the U.S. were built at its manufacturing facility in Alabama. That number, the company said, will increase this year with the addition of the Metaplant in Savannah, Georgia. S&P Global Mobility expects U.S. light-vehicle sales could migrate to between 14.5 million and 15 million units annually in the coming years, if the tariffs remain in effect. That compares with roughly 16 million vehicles sold in 2024. A top Russian official issued a stark warning should the Trump administration strike Iran's nuclear infrastructure, saying that such a decision would have "catastrophic" consequences at the global level. Speaking to Russian journal "International Affairs," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow considers "such methods inappropriate." "We condemn them, we consider them a way for (the U.S.) to impose its own will on the Iranian side." The statement comes after President Donald Trump issued new warnings against Tehran following Tehran's rejection of talks. Speaking to NBC News over the weekend, Trump said Iran could be bombed and hit with secondary tariffs if a deal regarding its nuclear program is not made. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," Trump said. "It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before." Ryabkov said the comments only "complicate the situation," saying "the consequences of this, especially if the strikes are on nuclear infrastructure, could be catastrophic for the entire region." The Iranian president said on Sunday that the country was leaving the door open for indirect negotiations, but talks have failed to make progress since Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement in his first term in 2018. "We don't avoid talks; it's the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far," said Masoud Pezeshkian in a televised statement. "They must prove that they can build trust." In this context, Russia has offered to mediate between Washington D.C. and Tehran, saying that "while there is still time and the 'train has not left', we need to redouble our efforts to try to reach an agreement on a reasonable basis." "Russia is ready to offer its good services to Washington, Tehran and everyone who is interested in this, he added. Originally published on Latin Times Ulta Beauty can be a strong addition to investor portfolios as tariff and economic risks abound, according to Goldman Sachs. Analyst Kate McShane upgraded shares of the beauty products company to buy from neutral. She also raised her price target to $423 from $384, implying shares could gain 15.4% from Monday's close. "We note tariff risk is low for Ulta, while the stock has seen pressure but proved resilient during recessionary periods," McShane wrote in a note on Tuesday. "Only ~1% of ULTA's shipments over the last 12 months were direct imports, so while the company does not know the exact exposure its brand partners have upstream, its exposure is relatively limited." Investors are bracing for tariff announcements coming Wednesday, with the Trump administration expected to unveil reciprocal duties on products from other countries. ULTA YTD mountain ULTA year to date "From a merchandising perspective, ULTA called out its Ulta Beauty Collection brand, and beyond that, ULTA has some exposure from a store perspective (i.e., fixtures, lighting, supplies)," she said. The analyst also noted the stock is attractively valued. McShane said shares trade at around 15.8 times forward earnings, below a three-year average of 17.9. McShane also believes Ulta will outperform the broader beauty industry in 2026. A recent uptick in sales and a 9% year-over-year rise in app downloads support improving momentum for the company, while Google search trends also point to Ulta trending higher than Sephora, per McShane. "Looking at ULTA vs. Sephora, searches for ULTA continue to track above Sephora, with the gap between the two for March-to-date the widest it has been so far in 2025," McShane wrote. Shares advanced 2.5% Tuesday in the premarket following the upgrade. However, the stock is still down more than 15% year to date. Join us at the New York Stock Exchange! Uncertain markets? Gain an edge with CNBC Pro LIVE , an exclusive, inaugural event at the historic New York Stock Exchange. In today's dynamic financial landscape, access to expert insights is paramount. As a CNBC Pro subscriber, we invite you to join us for our first exclusive, in-person CNBC Pro LIVE event at the iconic NYSE on Thursday, June 12. Get Your Ticket to Pro LIVE Join interactive Pro clinics led by our Pros Carter Worth, Dan Niles, and Dan Ives, with a special edition of Pro Talks with Tom Lee. You'll also get the opportunity to network with CNBC experts, talent and other Pro subscribers during an exciting cocktail hour on the legendary trading floor. Tickets are limited! Signage at the AstraZeneca facility in Gaithersburg, Maryland, US, on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. A version of this article first appeared in CNBC's Healthy Returns newsletter, which brings the latest health-care news straight to your inbox. Subscribe here to receive future editions. The race to develop more convenient versions of drugs that lower cholesterol is heating up after AstraZeneca released encouraging new data on an experimental pill. AstraZeneca and Merck are the main drugmakers testing oral versions of so-called PCSK9 Inhibitors, which reduce levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or what is known as "bad" cholesterol. Those medications, such as Amgen's Repatha, are typically injections. High LDL cholesterol is the top driver of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. Still, more than 70% of patients taking statins aren't reaching the target level for cholesterol, according to Mina Makar, who heads AstraZeneca's global cardiovascular, renal and metabolism biopharmaceuticals business. He said that leads to 4 million to 5 million deaths worldwide due to elevated cholesterol. While PCSK9 injections have helped treatment reach more patients, their use has still been "very limited," Makar said. That's due to several factors, such as challenges related to cost and access and hesitancy among some cardiologists and primary care physicians. "That's why we're really excited about our oral PCSK9," Makar said. "I think it has the chance to really democratize access to what these patients really need, which is something to get the majority of them" to their target cholesterol levels. In a note last week, Goldman Sachs analysts said oral treatments could drive growth of the PCSK9 class to around $12 billion in sales by 2034, up from about $4 billion currently. The analysts expect AstraZeneca's oral PCSK9 to be "well-placed in the class," and they forecast peak sales of the drug to be around $4 billion by 2037. Now, let's dive into the new mid-stage trial data. It was presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session in Chicago. After 12 weeks, the experimental pill lowered LDL cholesterol by nearly 51% when taken once a day on top of a standard statin therapy, according to AstraZeneca. The pill helped 84% of patients meet the recommended cholesterol level, compared to just 13% of those who took statins alone. Patients in the trial tolerated the pill well, and adverse side effects were comparable between those who took AstraZeneca's drug and people who received a placebo. Those results show promise against Merck's treatment, though it is difficult to compare data without head-to-head clinical trials. Merck's oral PCSK9 is also much further along in development, with late-stage trial data expected this year. Early data also suggests Merck's drug could be more effective than AstraZeneca's treatment, according to Goldman Sachs analysts. But they still see "significant opportunity" for AstraZeneca's pill given the size of the market for PCSK9s and the "potential for differentiation on convenience." Merck's drug is what's known as a macrocyclic peptide, which requires patients to fast before taking it to allow for proper absorption. That "could be burdensome and exacerbate compliance issues in an asymptomatic disease area where there is reluctance to intensify therapy," the Goldman Sachs analysts wrote. But AstraZeneca's pill is a small-molecule drug, so it does not have any food restrictions or fasting requirements. Makar said another advantage of having a small molecule drug is that it is easy to combine with other therapies in the company's pipeline. For example, AstraZeneca is considering combining it with its statin, its GLP-1 drug for weight loss or its treatment ezetimibe, which is a cholesterol medicine for patients who can't tolerate statins, he said. Merck has similarly discussed the potential of combining its oral PCSK9 with other treatments, calling it a "pipeline in a product." We'll continue to follow the ongoing race to develop oral PCSK9s, so keep track of our coverage! Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Annika at annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com. Investors seeking a portfolio hedge against ongoing tariff volatility should look no further than Alibaba, according to Joule Financial's Quint Tatro. The firm's founder and president joined CNBC's " Power Lunch " on Tuesday to share his thoughts on the Chinese e-commerce giant, alongside a pair of other market movers. Here's what he had to say. Alibaba Shares of Alibaba have surged more than 56% this year. Still, this recent rally doesn't deter Tatro, who highlighted the name as a buy for its tariff-proof attributes. "Despite the runup that we've seen in Alibaba of late, we're still a buyer here, and it's a great way to avoid the tariff tantrum that we're seeing in other sectors," Tatro said. "If you want to avoid the tariffs, you can avoid them very easily by just going abroad. And this is a great example of that. This is a company where 80% to 90% of the revenue comes from within China it's estimated that less than 5% comes from the United States. So they'll really be isolated from any tariff talk." What's more, Alibaba still looks "unbelievable" from a fundamental perspective, the investor added. As proof, Tatro pointed to Alibaba's cash holdings of $67 billion and its plans to invest more than $50 billion in artificial intelligence over the next three years. Exxon Mobil Shares of Exxon Mobil have popped 10% year to date, but Tatro sees more room to rally. "Even though the administration is going for lower energy prices, we think that deregulation will offset that," he said. And like Alibaba, Exxon Mobil is also a "fundamental champ," Tatro added. "The earnings estimates are for 18% growth next year, very little debt, $20 billion in cash, and you get a 3.4% dividend [yield] while you wait," he said. "The stock hasn't really done anything in the last two years, and it's just starting to get traction. We think it goes higher here." Snowflake Finally, Tatro highlighted cloud data storage stock Snowflake as another hedge against tariff headwinds as its business strategy is strong enough to compete in an environment that might squeeze others. "There's no issues with tariffs here," he said. "They deal with data in the cloud maybe some opportunity for tariffs if their customers get hit and see rising prices." Shares of Snowflake are down 3% so far this year, but the stock looks pricey, Tatro warned. "From a fundamental perspective, it does not look cheap. It's trading at a rich valuation, but we feel the estimates are very low," he said. "This stock we believe is a great buying opportunity on this pullback." Get Your Ticket to Pro LIVE Join us at the New York Stock Exchange! Uncertain markets? Gain an edge with CNBC Pro LIVE , an exclusive, inaugural event at the historic New York Stock Exchange. In today's dynamic financial landscape, access to expert insights is paramount. As a CNBC Pro subscriber, we invite you to join us for our first exclusive, in-person CNBC Pro LIVE event at the iconic NYSE on Thursday, June 12. Join interactive Pro clinics led by our Pros Carter Worth, Dan Niles, and Dan Ives, with a special edition of Pro Talks with Tom Lee. You'll also get the opportunity to network with CNBC experts, talent and other Pro subscribers during an exciting cocktail hour on the legendary trading floor. Tickets are limited! Workers seen unloading gas tanks from a lorry at Chow Kit market, Kuala Lumpur on November 5, 2024. A fire at a gas pipeline operated by Malaysia state energy firm Petronas injured 33 people on Tuesday on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur, authorities said. Six of the injured were sent to hospital, Selangor fire department director Wan Md Razali Wan Ismail told broadcaster Astro Awani. Operations to try to tackle the blaze are ongoing. There are people trapped in houses in Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru and rescue efforts are ongoing, Selangor Disaster Management Committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi told state news agency Bernama. Petronas in a statement said the pipeline had been isolated. The Selangor fire department said the blaze has affected homes. Images carried by news outlets and footage shared on social media showed a massive fire and a huge orange flame on the horizon with smoke billowing out. A large flame rose from a leak in a pipeline that is about 500 m (1,640 feet) long in the town of Puchong, the department said in a statement, adding Petronas has closed the valve on the burning pipeline. The fire department said it was still investigating the extent of the fire in the residential area. President Donald Trump is expected to impose a new round of broad tariffs on Wednesday, and that may provide a compelling entry point for investors in certain stocks, according to Eric Jackson of EMJ Capital. Heading into what Trump has called "Liberation Day," Jackson the firm's founder told CNBC's " Closing Bell: Overtime " that Peloton and Chinese tech stocks such as Alibaba are particularly attractive. Peloton announced in 2022 that it was planning to outsource its manufacturing and expand its partnership with Taiwanese manufacturer Rexon Industrial. While shares of the company have fallen more than 28% in the past three months, the stock is still ahead more than 43% in the past six months. "It's just a valuation story with them," he said. "They really have been assumed to be kind of dead. They have this sort of steady state 2 million subscribers though that just love the service and are sticking with it. Any growth that they see, tariff or not, is sort of a bonus." PTON 6M mountain PTON, 6-month Jackson also highlighted Peloton's new chief executive, Peter Stern, a former Ford executive and the co-founder of Apple Fitness+ who took the helm at the exercise equipment and media company earlier this year. "There's a lot of fat that they could potentially still cut out of this company," Jackson continued. "I think they're going to surprise people with some profits as we go through this year." Jackson said he recently bought shares in Alibaba, which he believes is "still very undervalued." U.S. shares in the the Chinese e-commerce platform have soared more than 56% in 2025 alone. "I think actually Alibaba is a better [artificial intelligence] play than Nvidia for at least Q2 and perhaps the rest of the year," Jackson said. " They can surprise people with DeepSeek-type announcements of their own, and maybe an Alipay or Ant Financial kind of announcement as we go throughout the year, too." BABA YTD mountain BABA, year-to-date Jackson also called cryptocurrency-related stocks including DeFi Technologies and quantum computing companies such as BTQ Technologies , which he owns, attractive. The two have risen 18% and 664%, respectively, over the past six months. Lebanese soldiers gather at the site of an Israeli strike in southern Beirut on March 28, 2025. The Israeli military said early on Tuesday that it attacked a Hezbollah militant in Beirut's southern suburbs, a few days after it had carried out a strike there, further testing a shaky four-month ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-aligned group. "The strike targeted a Hezbollah terrorist who had recently directed Hamas operatives and assisted them in planning a significant and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians," the army added in a statement. Witnesses said airplanes were heard flying low over the Lebanese capital and loud blasts were heard across the city. The November U.S.-brokered truce halted the year-long conflict and mandated that southern Lebanon be free of Hezbollah fighters and weapons, that Lebanese troops deploy to the area and that Israeli ground troops withdraw from the zone. But each side accuses the other of not entirely living up to those terms. The ceasefire has looked increasingly flimsy lately. Israel delayed a promised troop withdrawal in January and said in March that it had intercepted rockets fired from Lebanon, which led it to bombard targets in Beirut's southern suburbs and southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the rocket firings. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue to attack anywhere in Lebanon to counter threats and enforce a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. FILE PHOTO: Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth Group chief executive Brian Thompson, appears in Manhattan Supreme Court on New York state murder and terrorism charges in New York City, U.S., February 21, 2025. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday said she had ordered federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, who is charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City in December. "Luigi Mangione's murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America," Bondi said in a statement issued by the Department of Justice. "After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump's agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again," the attorney general said. Karen Agnifilo, Mangione's lawyer, condemned Bondi's decision. "By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric," Agnifilo said in a statement. "Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent," the attorney said. "While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi," Agnifilo said. "By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people." Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg holds a smartphone as he makes a keynote speech at the Meta Connect annual event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 25, 2024. Meta's head of artificial intelligence research announced Tuesday that she will be leaving the company. Joelle Pineau, the company's vice president of AI research, announced her departure in a LinkedIn post, saying her last day at the social media company will be May 30. Her departure comes at a challenging time for Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made AI a top priority, investing billions of dollars in an effort to become the market leader ahead of rivals like OpenAI and Google . Zuckerberg has said that it is his goal for Meta to build an AI assistant with more than 1 billion users and artificial general intelligence, which is a term used to describe computers that can think and take actions comparable to humans. "As the world undergoes significant change, as the race for AI accelerates, and as Meta prepares for its next chapter, it is time to create space for others to pursue the work," Pineau wrote. "I will be cheering from the sidelines, knowing that you have all the ingredients needed to build the best AI systems in the world, and to responsibly bring them into the lives of billions of people." Myanmar's military chief Min Aung Hlaing gestures as earthquake survivors gather in the compound of a hospital in Naypyidaw on March 28, 2025, after an earthquake in central Myanmar. Aid groups in the worst-hit areas of Myanmar said there was an urgent need for shelter, food and water after an earthquake that killed more than 2,700 people, but said the country's civil war could prevent help from reaching those in need. The death toll had reached 2,719 and is expected to rise to more than 3,000, Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised address on Tuesday. He said 4,521 people were injured, and 441 were missing. The 7.7 magnitude quake, which hit around lunchtime on Friday, was the strongest to hit the Southeast Asian country in more than a century, toppling ancient pagodas and modern buildings alike. In neighboring Thailand, rescuers pressed on searching for life in the rubble of a collapsed skyscraper in the capital, Bangkok, but acknowledged time was against them. In Myanmar's Mandalay area, 50 children and two teachers were killed when their preschool collapsed, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. "In the hardest-hit areas ...communities struggle to meet their basic needs, such as access to clean water and sanitation, while emergency teams work tirelessly to locate survivors and provide life-saving aid," the UN body said in a report. The International Rescue Committee said shelter, food, water and medical help were all needed in places such as Mandalay, near the epicenter of the quake. "Having lived through the terror of the earthquake, people now fear aftershocks and are sleeping outside on roads or in open fields," an IRC worker in Mandalay said in a report. The civil war in Myanmar, where the junta seized power in a coup in 2021, has complicated efforts to reach those injured and made homeless by the Southeast Asian nation's biggest quake in a century. Amnesty International said the junta needed to allow aid to reach areas of the country not under its control. Rebel groups say the junta has conducted airstrikes after the quake. "Myanmar's military has a longstanding practice of denying aid to areas where groups who resist it are active," Amnesty's Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman said. "It must immediately allow unimpeded access to all humanitarian organizations and remove administrative barriers delaying needs assessments." The junta's tight control over communication networks and the damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure caused by the quakes have intensified the challenges for aid workers. Thai officials said a meeting of regional leaders in Bangkok later this week would go ahead as planned, although the junta's Min Aung Hlaing may attend by teleconference. Before the quake struck, sources said the junta chief had been expected to make a rare foreign trip to attend the summit in Bangkok on April 3-4. With President Donald Trump's key tariff announcement looming, Morgan Stanley has ideas for how investors can better position their portfolios. Trump is expected to make major announcements related to trade policy on Wednesday. While the policy has not been officially unveiled as of Tuesday afternoon, the Washington Post reported that the president is considering a roughly 20% tariff on most imports. Uncertainty around the levies has sent markets into a tailspin. The S & P 500 dropped 4.6% in the first three months of 2025, marking its worst quarterly performance since 2022. Given this environment, Morgan Stanley screened for names that can mitigate the impact of tariffs through strategies like pricing power, foreign exchange hedging, stockpiling inventory or altering supply chains. Here's 10 names the firm found can handle the shift in policy: McDonald's is one name that made the list. The company is one of the internationally diverse and mainly franchised quick service chains that will be less impacted, given that they have global revenue and local suppliers. Shares of the Chicago-based company have jumped more than 8% in 2025, reversing course after falling in the prior year. The average analyst polled by LSEG has a buy rating and price target implying shares can rise more than 5% over the next year. While Yeti has manufacturing exposure to Mexico, it was still able to make the cut due to its ability to employ pricing power. The outdoor products maker has hit a rough patch, with shares dropping around 13% this year after tumbling more than 25% in 2025. While most Wall Street analysts have a hold, the typical analyst expects a rebound ahead, per LSEG. The average price target suggests more than 31% in upside. Martin Marietta is one industrial name that got a spot on the list. That's because the firm said it has pricing power, which it called the "easiest and cheapest" way to alleviate tariff pressures. The stock has slid nearly 7% in 2025. Despite that slide, most analysts polled by LSEG have a buy rating and price target projecting more than 28% in upside. Get Your Ticket to Pro LIVE Join us at the New York Stock Exchange! Uncertain markets? Gain an edge with CNBC Pro LIVE , an exclusive, inaugural event at the historic New York Stock Exchange. In today's dynamic financial landscape, access to expert insights is paramount. As a CNBC Pro subscriber, we invite you to join us for our first exclusive, in-person CNBC Pro LIVE event at the iconic NYSE on Thursday, June 12. Join interactive Pro clinics led by our Pros Carter Worth, Dan Niles, and Dan Ives, with a special edition of Pro Talks with Tom Lee. You'll also get the opportunity to network with CNBC experts, talent and other Pro subscribers during an exciting cocktail hour on the legendary trading floor. Tickets are limited! Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Tuesday that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan last December. Bondi stated that she will direct interim U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York to seek the death penalty if Mangione is convicted on capital murder charges. Mangione faces both state and federal charges in connection with the killing. While he pleaded not guilty to state charges, he was charged in a federal criminal complaint but has yet to be indicted. His attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, has previously stated she was in discussions with the Justice Department regarding the case. This decision is among the Trump administration's first major actions on the federal death penalty. President Donald Trump has made clear his intent for the Justice Department to aggressively pursue capital punishment where applicable. Shortly after taking office in January, Trump issued an executive order instructing the attorney general to "pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use." Mangione's federal charges include murder through the use of a firearm, two counts of stalking, and a firearms offense. In February, he expanded his defense team by adding Avraham Moskowitz, a lawyer with extensive experience in death penalty cases. Court records indicate that Moskowitz has represented over 50 defendants in death penalty-eligible cases in New York. Currently detained in federal custody in Brooklyn, Mangione will first stand trial in New York state court. A Manhattan grand jury indicted him on 11 charges, including first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and additional weapons and forgery offenses. If convicted on the state charges, he faces life imprisonment without parole. Prosecutors allege that the first-degree murder charge qualifies as an act of terrorism, legally defined as an intent to intimidate or coerce the civilian population or government institutions. One of the second-degree murder counts also classifies the crime as terrorism. In addition to the New York case, Mangione faces state charges in Pennsylvania, where he was apprehended following a weeklong manhunt. Authorities arrested him at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania, recovering a "ghost gun" and a notebook that allegedly contained writings outlining a premeditated homicide plan and the stalking of his alleged victim. Despite the severity of the allegations, Mangione has gained notable public support, with backers raising over $700,000 to help cover his legal fees. During his first term, Trump's administration oversaw the first federal executions in nearly two decades, carrying out 13 executions in the final months of his presidency. In his 2024 campaign, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to reinstating federal executions. Upon assuming office in February, Bondi signaled a sharp departure from former president Biden's policies, issuing a memorandum condemning his commutations. She stated they had "severely undermined the rule of law" and "betrayed our sacred duty and broke our promise to achieve justice." "This shameful era ends today," Bondi declared, announcing the Justice Department's decision to lift the federal execution moratorium imposed under the Biden administration. "Going forward, the Department of Justice will once again act as the law demandsincluding by seeking death sentences in appropriate cases and swiftly implementing those sentences in accordance with the law." President Donald Trump speaks before signing executive orders in the Oval Office on March 6, 2025. Alex Wong | Getty Images President Donald Trump says that tariffs will make the U.S. "rich." But those riches will likely be far less than the White House expects, economists said. The ultimate sum could have big ramifications for the U.S. economy, the nation's debt and legislative negotiations over a tax-cut package, economists said. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday estimated tariffs would raise about $600 billion a year and $6 trillion over a decade. Auto tariffs would add another $100 billion a year, he said on "Fox News Sunday." Navarro made the projection as the U.S. plans to announce more tariffs against U.S. trading partners on Wednesday. Economists expect the Trump administration's tariff policy would generate a much lower amount of revenue than Navarro claims. Some project the total revenue would be less than half. Roughly $600 billion to $700 billion a year "is not even in the realm of possibility," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's. "If you get to $100 billion to $200 billion, you'll be pretty lucky." The White House declined to respond to a request for comment from CNBC about tariff revenue. The 'mental math' behind tariff revenue There are big question marks over the scope of the tariffs, including details like amount, duration, and products and countries affected all of which have a significant bearing on the revenue total. The White House is considering a 20% tariff on most imports, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday. President Trump floated this idea on the campaign trail. The Trump administration may ultimately opt for a different policy, like country-by-country tariffs based on each nation's respective trade and non-trade barriers. But a 20% tariff rate seems to align with Navarro's revenue projections, economists said. The U.S. imported about $3.3 trillion of goods in 2024. Applying a 20% tariff rate to all these imports would yield about $660 billion of annual revenue. "That is almost certainly the mental math Peter Navarro is doing and that mental math skips some crucial steps," said Ernie Tedeschi, director of economics at the Yale Budget Lab and former chief economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Biden administration. Peter Navarro, White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. Francis Chung | Bloomberg | Getty Images That's because an accurate revenue estimate must account for the many economic impacts of tariffs in the U.S. and around the world, economists said. Those effects combine to reduce revenue, they said. A 20% broad tariff would raise about $250 billion a year (or $2.5 trillion over a decade) when taking those effects into account, according to Tedeschi, citing a Yale Budget Lab analysis published Monday. There are ways to raise larger sums but they would involve higher tariff rates, economists said. For example, a 50% across-the-board tariff would raise about $780 billion per year, according to economists at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Even that is an optimistic assessment: It doesn't account for lower U.S. economic growth due to retaliation or the negative growth effects from the tariffs themselves, they wrote. Why revenue would be lower than expected Tariffs generally raise prices for consumers. A 20% broad tariff would cost the average consumer $3,400 to $4,200 a year, according to the Yale Budget Lab. Consumers would naturally buy fewer imported goods if they cost more, economists said. Lower demand means fewer imports and less tariff revenue from those imports, they said. Tariffs are also expected to trigger "reduced economic activity," said Robert McClelland, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. More from Personal Finance: Economists say 'value-added taxes' aren't a trade barrier Tariffs are 'lose-lose' for U.S. jobs and industry Why uncertainty makes the stock market go haywire For example, U.S. companies that don't pass tariff costs on to consumers via higher prices would likely see profits suffer (and their income taxes fall), economists said. Consumers might pull back on spending, further denting company profits and tax revenues, economists said. Companies that take a financial hit might lay off workers, they said. Foreign nations are also expected to retaliate with their own tariffs on U.S. products, which would hurt companies that export products abroad. Other nations may experience an economic downturn, further reducing demand for U.S. products. watch now "If you get a 20% tariff rate, you're going to get a rip-roaring recession, and that will undermine your fiscal situation," Zandi said. There's also likely to be a certain level of non-compliance with tariff policy, and carve-outs for certain countries, industries or products, economists said. For instance, when the White House levied tariffs on China in February, it indefinitely exempted "de minimis" imports valued at $800 or less. The Trump administration might also funnel some tariff revenue to paying certain parties aggrieved by a trade war, economists said. President Trump did that in his first term: The government sent $61 billion in "relief" payments to American farmers who faced retaliatory tariffs, which was nearly all (92%) of the tariff revenue on Chinese goods from 2018 to 2020, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The tariffs will also likely have a short life span, diluting their potential revenue impact, economists said. They're being issued by executive order and could be undone easily, whether by President Trump or a future president, they said. "There's zero probability these tariffs will last for 10 years," Zandi said. "If they last until next year I'd be very surprised." Why this matters President Donald Trump is set to announce widespread tariffs on Wednesday, and Wall Street is scrambling to figure out what sectors will be hit, and which stocks may have already taken their lumps. Trump is expected to release the details of his new global tariff plan on April 2. The policy is being pitched as broader and more permanent than the levies already announced, which have been altered on a rolling basis over the past two months. However, it still isn't clear how the new levies will work or if they are subject to negotiation. "Trump has said there may be 'flexibility' after April 2. Markets should read flexibility as uncertainty, in our view," Barclays public policy analyst Michael McLean said in a note to clients on March 28. Morgan Stanley strategist Michael Wilson said in a March 31 note to clients that the most tariff-sensitive sectors are consumer discretionary, tech hardware and capital goods. If the tariffs are big enough to cause economic damage, the cyclical stocks within those groups could be hit from multiple angles. "We've consistently been of the view that among these 3 tariff-exposed cohorts, Capital Goods is the best positioned given its stronger pricing power. While this continues to be the case in relative terms, Capital Goods' cost structure faces risks from tariffs and earnings revisions have turned decidedly negative for Industrials ... we think this is an opportune time to take profits in Industrials and move from overweight to equal weight," Wilson said. Whether the tariffs will be equal across countries is also up in the air. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that White House aides were preparing for potential levies of about 20% on most imports . Trump and his allies have also talked about "reciprocal" tariffs that could vary from country to country . The second approach could lead to a more complicated impact for different industries. "A quarter of Packaged Food originates from Canada, while Beverages are highly exposed to Mexico (Soft Drinks, Beer and Distilled Liquors) and Europe (Wine and Bottled Water)," Evercore ISI strategist Julian Emanuel said in a March 30 note. "Health Care products, especially Pharmaceuticals are highly exposed to European supply (60%+ from Europe), as are Personal Care/Cleaning goods." In terms of individual companies, Morgan Stanley published a list of stocks with unfavorable exposure to tariffs. That list includes industrial stocks like 3M and Honeywell . Shares of 3M have outperformed in 2025, rising more than 13%, but Honeywell's stock is down 6.3%. 3M has largely completed its restructuring while Honeywell is in the midst of one. Other stocks in the Morgan Stanley exposure list include retailers Best Buy and Five Below and automaker Stellantis . All three are down sharply for the year already. Stellantis isn't the only auto stock that 's struggling. Ford and General Motors both dropped sharply in late March after Trump announced tariffs targeted specifically at cars and trucks. Investors will look to see how Wednesday's tariff plan interacts with existing levies to get a clearer picture of the road ahead for automakers. Of course, the fact that some stocks have already taken a beating may mean that they have priced in some or all of Wednesday's announcement. That means that some of the more exposed stocks could see limited selling after the announcement or even enjoy a relief rally if the tariffs are not as high as feared. Barclays analyst Seth Sigman said in a March 31 note to clients that the tariff risk may already be reflected in Five Below's share price but agreed with Morgan Stanley that Best Buy is an at-risk stock. "On paper, [Best Buy, Floor & Decor Holdings , Arhaus and Target ] seem to have the most incremental risk," Sigman said in a March 31 note to clients. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting. Brand new Toyota cars are displayed on the sales lot at Hanlees Hilltop Toyota on March 4, 2025 in Richmond, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Newly announced U.S. tariffs on auto imports have rattled Asian automakers, pressuring companies ahead of the implementation of the duties later in the week. U.S. President Donald Trump last Wednesday announced sweeping 25% tariffs on cars "not made in the U.S.," sending shockwaves through global automakers. watch now Shares of Toyota fell 9.4% in the three sessions following the announcement, while Nissan dropped 9.3%. South Korea's Hyundai lost 11.2%. Japanese carmakers are particularly in dire straits, with Toyota likely to be the worst hit due to its huge U.S. sales, according to Vivek Vaidya, global client leader for mobility at research firm Frost & Sullivan. According to U.S. car marketplace Carpro, Asian automakers made up six of the top eight automakers in the U.S. by sales volume in 2024. Toyota took the top spot with 1.98 million vehicles sold during the year, beating domestic heavyweights Ford and Chevrolet. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Japan's Honda and Nissan were at fourth and fifth places, respectively, while South Korean brands Hyundai and Kia took the next two spots. Subaru came eighth. The companies' most recent financial statements reveal that they generate a major chunk of their revenue from North America, which means that any tariff impact is unlikely to be easily compensated. Toyota and Nissan told CNBC that they had no immediate views to share, while the remaining four did not respond to requests for comment. The U.S. imported $474 billion worth of automotive products in 2024, including passenger cars worth $220 billion, according to Reuters. A March 27 S&P Global Mobility report revealed South Korea was the second largest exporter of automobiles to the U.S. in 2024 with 1.4 million vehicles shipped, behind Mexico's 2.5 million, while Japan exported 1.3 million. "In a nutshell, the USA is an irreplaceable market for Asian automakers. Market leaders from Japan and Korea would be hugely impacted by this [tariff] announcement," Vaidya said. Even if automakers wanted to shift production to the U.S. to avoid tariffs, moving factories is not an "overnight proposition," and will take billions of dollars, said Joe McCabe, president and CEO at AutoForecast Solutions. Richard Kaye, portfolio manager at asset management group Comgest told CNBC that while heavyweights such as Toyota and Nissan have a large production facility in the U.S., they will not be able to increase it enough to offset the tariffs. watch now "The idea they can remove any Mexican, [and] to a certain extent, Canadian supply from their supply chain is ridiculous. They will face higher prices in the U.S. because of tariffs. And the big question for them is, do I swallow it or do I ask the consumer to swallow it? Presumably, they will swallow it, and that's going to be very tough," Kaye said. But Kaye has a slightly different view from Frost and Sullivan's Vaidya. He said that Toyota being the biggest player is probably best-placed to weather the tariffs. "But there is no way that they can take this impact with no effect on the bottom line. It's going to hurt," he added. He does identify a bright spot in the Asian automaker space Japanese automaker Suzuki. Kaye points out that the company, which does not sell cars in the U.S., has seen its shares fare better than those of its peers. Suzuki had seen an year-to-date gain of over 1% as of Monday, compared with a 16.45% loss for Toyota and nearly 21% drop in Nissan. Hyundai and Kia have seen losses of nearly 7% and 8%, respectively. As Suzuki doesn't sell cars to the U.S., the tariff impact on the company is "zero," Kaye said. "Suzuki is an India play, and that's a very exceptional company in this space." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Tuesday: Bernstein initiates Cameco at outperform Bernstein says the uranium miner is a nuclear beneficiary. "We initiate coverage on Cameco (CCJ) at Outperform with a $52/sh price target (27% potential upside)." DA Davidson initiates Blackline at buy DA sees a "strong opportunity" to own shares of the enterprise software company. "We are initiating coverage of Blackline with a BUY rating, arguing that its recent product, pricing and partner initiatives all align in support of greater value capture where Blackline has the strongest competitive edge complex accounting processes at the world's largest organizations." Melius downgrades Kroger to sell from hold Melius downgraded the grocer, citing rising competition. " KR was once within spitting distance of meaningfully negating WMT U.S. as a presence in the U.S. grocery landscape." Morgan Stanley upgrades Keurig Dr. Pepper to overweight Morgan Stanley sees an "opportune" entry point in the beverage stock. "Upgrade to OW Underappreciated Growth Potential Building vs Peers, with KDP Potentially Poised to Break Out of Its Trading Range." Goldman Sachs upgrades Ulta to buy from neutral Goldman says the beauty stock has a hit a "bottom." "We are upgrading ULTA to Buy from Neutral with an updated 12-month price target of $423. We have been on the sidelines with this name since December 2022 given our concerns around the normalization of beauty industry sales and prestige market share loss." Goldman Sachs upgrades AutoZone to neutral from sell Goldman says the auto parts company has pricing power. "We are upgrading AZO to Neutral from Sell to reflect the attractiveness of the company's defensive business in the current macro environment and that 1) the trajectory of the company's "do it for me" (DIFM) business appears to be improving..." Stephens initiates CrowdStrike at overweight The firm says the cyber company is a top idea. " CRWD: large, broad cyber platform play + at-scale 20% grower + confident in net new [annual recurring revenue] acceleration in 2H + strong profitability." Citi reiterates Apple as buy Citi says it's sticking with Apple following Monday's release of an iOS update. "We think Apple will likely reset Siri software expectations on the next earnings call before heading into [Worldwide Developers Conference] on June 9th. AAPL stock price is getting closer to our bear case following the Siri delay sell-off and the risk reward looks attractive. Maintain Buy." Deutsche Bank initiates Trex at buy Deutsche said in its initiation of Trex that the wood decking manufacturer is a top idea. "Dominant market share in growing composite decking driven by material conversion." Loop upgrades Shake Shack to buy from hold Loop says the stock's pullback is "unwarranted." "We are upgrading SHAK to BUY this morning with PT of $127, based on ~25x our 2025 EV/EBITDA estimate." Raymond James reiterates Nvidia as strong buy Raymond James says it's sticking with its strong buy rating on Nvidia following an Asia tech tour. "We continue to view GenAI as a multi-year tailwind and believe that the stocks are already discounting a material slowdown in AI spending in 2026." Wells Fargo adds Tesla to tactical underweight second quarter list The firm says it's sticking with its underweight rating heading into the second quarter with too many negative catalysts. "We have an Underweight rating on TSLA. We continue to see delivery growth declines & diminished return on price cuts driving a ~280bps y/y decline in 2025 auto [gross margin] ex credits. We remain skeptical on the CyberCab Deployment in Austin." TD Cowen upgrades First Watch to buy from hold TD Cowen said in its upgrade of First Watch that it sees an attractive risk/reward for the breakfast and brunch company. "We see a favorable risk/reward as we expect 2025 to be an improved year of [same-store sales] from more effective and higher levels of marketing, while there are signs 2024 headwinds are dissipating." Bank of America reiterates Amazon as buy The firm is bullish on Amazon's AI Agent, Nova , saying it could help with "aspects of retail shopping." "Amazon launched several new features of its foundational model Nova, including a new website for exploring models, and Amazon Nova Act, an agentic AI model that can perform and automate actions within a web browser." Jefferies cuts American and Delta to hold from buy and Southwest to underperform from hold The bank downgraded American, Delta and Southwest , saying it's concerned about slowing travel. "We lower Q1/Q2 ests w/ March exit rates pressuring summer (avg Q2 EPS -14% vs Street) as corporate & consumer sentiment to remain soft on swelling macro uncertainty + Q1 GDP flattish." Morgan Stanley raises American Tower to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said in its upgrade of American Tower that the cell phone tower company is a data center beneficiary. "We also expect double digit revenue growth in its Data Center segment over the next few years. Finally, we believe management is open to monetizing non-core assets over time should opportunities present themselves." Citi reiterates Micron as buy The firm says it's sticking with shares of the semiconductor maker. "We reiterate our Buy rating on Micron and maintain our target price of $120, or 10X F26E EPS, in line with its historical average but below AI peers." A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Monday rejected Johnson & Johnson's $10 billion proposal to end tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging that its baby powder and other talc products cause ovarian cancer, marking the third time the company's bankruptcy strategy has failed in court. J&J has been attempting to resolve the lawsuits through a subsidiary company's bankruptcy, after two previous bankruptcy attempts failed in other courts. But the judge overseeing its case, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston, said that the company did not belong in bankruptcy. "While the Court's decision is not an easy one, it is the right one," Lopez wrote. Lopez said J&J's proposed settlement did not have sufficient support from women who alleged J&J products caused their cancer. It also went too far in releasing legal claims against entities that had not filed for bankruptcy themselves, including retailers that sold J&J products and Kenvue, a consumer health business that J&J spun off in 2023. The proposal had too many problems to be fixed in bankruptcy, Lopez wrote. J&J said in a statement that it would not appeal, but also that it had no intention of settling the claims and would instead "return to the tort system to litigate and defeat these meritless talc claims." Andy Birchfield, an attorney who represents plaintiffs opposed to the bankruptcy settlement, said that J&J's bankruptcy strategy was "nothing more than a bad-faith maneuver to avoid full accountability." "With this ruling, we are now moving forward without delay to trial, where our clients will finally have the chance to present their cases before a jury and obtain the justice they deserve," Birchfield said. J&J had argued that the third proposal, in Texas bankruptcy court, should succeed because there was more money on the table and the deal was supported by a majority of cancer victims who voted on it. Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here's a recap of Tuesday 's key moments. 1 . Markets are higher Tuesday after a nice late-day rally on Monday. The White House is considering a roughly 20% tariff on most U.S. imports, according to a report in The Washington Post. But advisors cautioned that there were several options lined up, the Post reported. President Donald Trump will make a formal announcement of his plans on Wednesday. "I think that we got the worst case scenario," said Jim Cramer, who argues the blanket tariffs are worse than the reciprocal ones. In other words, Cramer says if tariffs end up being reciprocal or targeted (and not 20% across the board), the market could rebound because the outcome would not be as bad as feared. Get Your Ticket for the Annual Meeting! Secure your ticket today for the CNBC Investing Club's upcoming 3rd Annual Meeting on May 2nd in Orlando, Florida! 2. Wells Fargo analyst named Capital One as one of its tactical buy ideas. Wells Fargo is basing its decision on the approval of the bank's pending deal with Discover . Analysts said concerns are excessive and says that Capital One will benefit from the multiple expansion and earnings-per-share accretion. The Investing Club is monitoring pending approvals by the Fed and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, along with the Trump organization's lawsuit against Capital One. However, Marks says he would recommend buying it at current trading levels in the $170's. 3. Club stock Eli Lilly was also on Wells Fargo's list. Analysts focused on orforglipron Phase 3 diabetes data slated to be released in May or June. The market wants Ozempic-like efficacy with solid tolerability, according to analysts. Wells Fargo analysts see potential upside of up to 15% if the drug shows greater weight loss at high doses, and a downside of up to 20% if there are safety issues. The health-care sector was down on Tuesday, which could be due to tariff concerns concerns on pharmaceuticals. While tariffs are a risk, Eli Lilly been aggressively investing to build out their manufacturing stateside, which would lessen the impact, Marks said. 4. Stocks covered in Tuesday's rapid fire at the end of the video were: Johnson & Johnson , American Airlines , Delta Airlines , Southwest Airlines , Keurig Dr. Pepper, and Shake Shack . (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long COF, DD, LLY, . 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. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the statement by Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus as "offensive and strongly condemnable". He and called prioritisation of exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to the rest of India, effectively bypassing the 'Chicken's Neck'.This remark underscores the "persistent vulnerability narrative associated with the strategic 'Chicken's Neck' corridor", he said."Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically. Therefore, it is imperative to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chickens Neck corridor. Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," he said.Yunus apparently made the comment during his recent four-day visit to China. A video of it surfaced on social media on Monday.Yunus has urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that India's northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity.Yunus, who met President Xi Jinping and signed nine agreements with Beijing during the trip, said, "The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean."Calling Bangladesh as the "only guardian of the ocean" in the region, he said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy.Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh asked Yunus to not make reckless comments about India as its is "not only unwise but also lead to consequences". "Let it be made absolutely clear, India's unity and territorial integrity are non-negotiable and cannot be challenged by anyone. Md Yunus must exercise restraint; making reckless comments about a nation like India is not only unwise but also lead to consequences he may come to regret," he added. I never like telling people theyre wrong about what they think. But sometimes, when I hear people say things, it seems like theyre not telling you what they think at all. Theyre repeating observations theyve heard but havent really thought much about. Spend a few minutes digging through those thoughts, and suddenly they no longer make sense. 3 Why Cant Hollywood Cast Actual Teenagers to Play Teenagers? Youve heard it before: Actors who play teenagers are too old, and thats stupid. It was silly decades ago with kids on 90210 sporting receding hairlines, and its silly now with that one student on Stranger Things hiding deep wrinkles. How about you try casting a real teen for once? Not only will they look more convincing, theyll act more convincingly because theyre authentically playing someone like themselves. EMI Films Angela Lansbury was 53 when Grease came out! She wasnt in Grease, but still. But productions cast adults to play teens because acting is work, and work is for adults. Kids should be in school, or should be playing with friends. Also, they cast adults instead of teens because adults act better than teens and look better than teens and are a whole lot more fun to be around than teens. The only reason to ever hire a teen when you can hire an adult is because you can probably pay the teen less, and even thats not a very good reason. There are laws restricting hiring children as actors. These may limit hours, make you leave room for schooling and (yes) also control how you pay them. These are arguably more lax than the laws for any other industry, since other industries are more likely to ban child labor altogether, but the laws are there, and youd rather not be weighed down by them. HBO They got a 19-year-old to play this 14-year-old, and it worked out pretty great, actually. I said adults act better than real teens do, which is true, and if you can name some teen actors who really can act well, they are rare gems. Close resemblance to the character you portray isnt the most important factor when judging how well you can act. When were looking for someone to play a customer shopping in a deli, filming an actual customer in a deli might do the job, but when we want them to learn lines, emote or portray being in an imaginary situation, we want someone who has honed their skills for a few years. Advertisement Of course, there are limits to what the audience will accept. They may be unwilling to accept John Malkovich as a six-year-old girl, because theyre philistines. But if they might accept an adult in the role, you cast an adult in the role and sometimes, audiences discover they accept this choice surprisingly readily. FX This guy played an abused child in 2020 and an abusive dad in 2021. He made it work, both times. I also said adults look better than teenagers. Sometimes, this doesnt matter, such as The Last of Us above, where youre supposed to feel like a parent to the character. In these cases, the makeup team will likely play down the actors real looks and make them look as young as possible. But other times, such as in the teen soaps that offer the most famous examples of geriatric adolescents, it does matter. These are supposed to be shows about pretty people and their drama, including relationship drama, and if that sounds superficial, your issue isnt the casting your issue is with the shows whole premise. Advertisement When two of these characters lock eyes and feel attracted to each other, youre supposed to relate by feeling attracted as well. You, in that situation, refers not just to teens who watch the show but to the adults who do as well. If the actor looked like an actual teenager, that would feel less truthful to the story, because you wouldnt be able to see them the way other characters do. And, of course, this all goes double if characters have sex or get naked, in which case we probably dont want to make teen actors do that. HBO If we replaced this cast with real teens, everyone would go to jail, starting with you. Some of this stuff about actors portraying characters different from themselves sounds reminiscent of the debate about playing outside your race, or acting disabled, but a lot of the issues people have there dont apply here. Those advocates say getting cast would be a good opportunity for the actor, but when were talking about kids, becoming a child star is more likely to ruin their life. Ideally, no child would have a Hollywood career, for their sake. Theyd be better off acting in school plays then not going pro till their childhood is done. Advertisement People are also concerned about representation for the sake of audience members wanting to see themselves onscreen, and out of fear that other kinds of actors cant understand those characters. Well, all adults were once children, so everyone can understand kids if their memory works. And we neednt think of children at home as a voiceless group. They will inherit the earth from us and will live to dance on our graves. 2 I Take in Movies Much Better When I Turn On Subtitles Advertisement When Parasite won at the 2020 Oscars, director Bong Joon Ho urged everyone to seek out more foreign movies. Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, he said, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films. Those words come off very different now, because a few years later, many viewers now report enabling subtitles on everything they watch, whether foreign or not. They have a good reason for this often, the sound is mixed so poorly that they need subtitles to understand what people are saying. In that sense, its similar to watching foreign movies, in that theyre unintelligible without subtitles. But if you can understand dialogue using your ears, subtitles dont help you take in the movie more, despite what some people insist. Instead, you take in the movie less. Advertisement The reason comes down to the mechanics of the eye. The light-sensitive cells in your eye are concentrated in a tiny region called the fovea. The fovea laser-focuses on a spot in front of you and on nothing else, while your few remaining cells elsewhere in the eye see everything else far less sharply. The only reason you feel like you have a wide field of clear vision is because your eyes constantly move, focusing your fovea on new spots and because your imagination fills in everything your fovea doesnt capture. Advertisement American Academy of Ophthalmology If those fovea cells were spread over a wider field, you wouldnt see anything very sharply. To demonstrate this, set aside your instincts and purposely keep your eyes totally still. Focus on one single word in this sentence. Now, try reading the rest of this article without moving your eye at all. You cant do it. Everything other than the closest text looks too blurry. Advertisement When you watch a movie, your eyes constantly dance to different parts of the screen, much like when you look at any scene in the real world. But when you read the subtitles, your fovea fixates at the bottom of the screen throughout your time reading those lines. You think youre picking up everything else on the screen, but youre really picking up a blur like that blurry text I just asked you to try to read. Pyramide Films You see this, and then your brain upscales it using the power of B.S. Think of all you miss. Resolution might be the most obvious you may have sought out the best Blu-ray or 4K, but none of that clarity reaches your eye if youre staring only at the bottom text. You miss so many details in the scene. You even miss the expressions characters are making. While youre reading that line, youre almost taking the movie in as a second-screen experience. Though, at least it ensures you arent actually taking the movie in as a second-screen experience, which I suppose is otherwise an option. Advertisement When the general public looks back on The X-Files, they picture a dark and serious 1990s show about aliens and government conspiracies. But die-hard fans know that some of the series best episodes were a laugh riot. The show began to churn out a few episodes per season with a comic bent, beginning with the circus freaks episode Humbug in Season Two. And Humbug writer Darin Morgan, who also wrote a few funny episodes in Season Three, is generally credited with the comedic relief of the early seasons. Morgan, however, only wrote for the show for two seasons (although he returned in 2016 when the show was briefly revived). The writer responsible for the later funny episodes was Vince Gilligan. Don't Miss Gilligans first largely comedic episode was Small Potatoes, a caper in which a pathetic man with a tail named Eddie Van Blundht impregnates several women in town by morphing into exact duplicates of their husbands. He also wrote the Cops parody X-Cops, the Rashomon-style vampire adventure Bad Blood and the episode in which Mulder switches bodies with an obnoxious Man in Black played by Michael McKean. Today, of course, Gilligan is much better known for his more recent work: He is the creator of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. But I recently spoke with him about his time as a writer for The X-Files, including keeping The X-Files funny flame alive and when Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny really got to flex their comedy muscles. When you came onto The X-Files in Season Two, was the humor there yet? Darin Morgan showed everybody that The X-Files could, indeed, be funny, but I tend to think that Glen Morgan and Jim Wong dont get enough credit. Really, the first little whiffs of humor, as I recall, were in episodes written by them. They had some killer lines between Mulder and Scully in certain early episodes. Glenn brought in his younger brother Darin, who paved the way for the comedy in the show. If it hadnt been for Darin, I dont know that I could have sold Fox or (showrunner) Chris Carter on the idea, but Darin made it happen and Im eternally grateful to him, as are legions of X-Files fans. I tend naturally toward wanting to write comedy or, at least, have plenty of humor in otherwise dramatic episodes. So, it was definitely something I was attracted to doing. How comfortable were David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson with doing comedy? Advertisement Its a funny thing, I never really got to know either David or Gillian as well as I perhaps mightve hoped to because they were busy on the set 14, 15 hours a day, and I was busy in my little cubbyhole, writing and rewriting episodes. But, from my casual observation of it, I think they enjoyed the comedic episodes. I certainly never heard otherwise. Theyre both very funny. They both have excellent comic timing. The other thing about it is that they were working really hard, and as great as The X-Files is, a lot of times they had to slog through a lot of scientific dialogue and when youre working 14 hours a day and doing the heavy stuff and doing autopsies and looking at gory remains, and then you get some humor, its probably like a breath of fresh air. Do you think the seeds were there from the start for the show to have some levity? Advertisement It could have gone the other way for sure. We had a sister show for a few years called Millennium that starred Lance Hendrickson and it was very well made, but the trouble with Millennium was it didnt really have any humor. Thinking back to the first episode of The X-Files, that episode was written by Chris Carter, my boss and, now that I think back on it, that first episode had some fun lines and funny moments. With Mulder and Scully, you love them both from the first moment you see them because Mulder doesnt take himself too seriously he knows how crazy some of his more out-there ideas are. And Scully, you got to root for her heart. You love these two characters. Advertisement So, to answer your question, I think the seeds were planted from the first episode for the show to have humor in it. The funny was amplified then later by Glen Morgan and Jim Wong, and then it went full bore funny with Darin Morgan, and the show benefited from that. Your first turn at a more comedic episode was Small Potatoes. Was there anything about that episode in particular where you felt like you preferred to amplify the humor? Advertisement I really enjoyed that one. I got to work for the first time with a director named Cliff Bole he also directed Bad Blood and I just loved him. David and Gillian also seemed to enjoy stretching their comedic muscles in that one. I got to be on the set the whole time up in Vancouver, and I had the best time. One of the most fun facts about "Small Potatoes" is the fact that Darin Morgan plays the bad guy, Eddie Van Blundht. The bad guy, so to speak. Hes not that bad Hes a little bad. Hes a little date-rapey. But we had a lot worse bad guys on The X-Files. Anyway, Darin Morgan, who isnt really an actor and wouldnt define himself as such, did a fantastic job in that role and it was just a pleasure writing dialogue for him. One thing you do in that episode, and you do it also in Dreamland, was you have David Duchovny playing another guy in Mulders skin, pretending to be Mulder. Advertisement All the credit for that goes to David Duchovny because he really enjoyed sinking his teeth into both those episodes. For Small Potatoes, he really liked Darin, and he got to play Darin, essentially. He got to play the Eddie Van Blundht character looking like hes Fox Mulder. He had so much fun doing that, and it was a similar deal with him playing Michael McKeans character in Dreamland, Morris Fletcher. And, of course, in Dreamland we did an homage to the Marx Brothers Duck Soup. I dont think I was on the set as much on that one because at that point in my career on the show I was sort of locked in my office writing and rewriting scripts 14 hours a day. That was a bummer for me, but I know they had a good time on the set of Dreamland doing the Duck Soup mirror gag and that was so much fun to watch. For lack of a better word, you also got to do some classic comedy shtick with the Rashomon episode Bad Blood. Advertisement Advertisement Thats one of my favorites I ever did, and its hard to pick a favorite because they all feel like your children. With Bad Blood, I got to be on the set the whole time and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I already knew David was funny because of Small Potatoes and whatnot, but in Small Potatoes, I had Gillian kind of playing it straight. In Bad Blood, for me, that was a revelation. Gillian got to be funny. She wasnt just the straight man, so to speak. In that one, she got to play funny as well. I learned in that episode how spot-on her comedic timing is. She is hilarious in that episode as is David. And it was an absolute pleasure having Luke Wilson. Some of my favorite dialogue in Bad Blood is stuff I didnt write. My favorite scene in Bad Blood is when David Duchovny and Luke Wilson were sitting in the cop car out by the cemetery and they just start riffing. Luke Wilsons character is saying, So the guy youre looking for is kind of like Rain Man? And David says, No, not really. And Luke goes, Well that ol boy could count all those toothpicks. All that dialogue in that sequence there, it was just David and Luke who came up with that. It makes me laugh so hard. I didnt write a word of that. Advertisement Can we talk about X-Cops before I let you go? Advertisement X-Cops was a fun one, too. For David and Gillian, I think that was one of their favorite episodes, and Im not tooting my own horn. I think it was one of their favorites because that was the shortest shooting time of any episode of The X-Files. The X-Files typically took between 13 and 21 days to shoot an episode. But X-Cops was shot on video, and it was done in these long oners. That episode was shot in five or six days. Thats not what I set out to do, but that was a nice fringe benefit. I was just a big fan of Cops when it first went on the air on Fox back in the early 1990s, and I wanted to do a crossover. It took me a while to talk Chris Carter into it, but, God bless him, he finally said yes, and I was very appreciative. About 70 residents attended the recent special meeting held by Valer's town council. Some came armed with grievances, others wanted their questions answered. Before the meeting began, a resident passed out copies of his list of grievances, naming residents with unsightly lots he wanted to see addressed. Mayor Glenn Wunderlich opened the meeting, then turned it over to Alderman Janelle Nelson. Nelson began with an apology for not giving Justice of the Peace Cody Shaw an opportunity to explain his position on Valier's ordinance violations at the last meeting. She explained that she had spoken with Shaw at length and found out that no tickets for ordinance violations had been sent to the Justice of the Peace. He had received junk vehicle tickets regarding Montana Code violations, but nothing on Valier's ordinances. Montana law is specific about which meetings a judge can attend and a town council meeting is not one of them. Although he was not able to attend, Judge Shaw spoke with Alderman Janelle Nelson and explained how the judicial system works. She said that Judge Shaw gives the offender every opportunity to fix the problem. A resident asked how a ticket is issued and the process it goes through to get to the judge. Nelson gave a brief summary. The biggest concerns for meeting attendees were junk vehicles, trailers full of garbage and unsightly lots. A resident stood and read from his list of grievances and said that he had expected to get some guidance by the judge, the commissioners and sheriff on how to proceed. He said he used to see sheriff's cars around Valier, but hadn't seen any recently. Then he listed the duties of the mayor, and told Mayor Wunderlich that it's the mayor's job to enforce ordinances. Nelson said that having a town marshal is an option for ordinance enforcement, but the council would have to look at the insurance requirements. The question was asked if the town could go straight to Shari Lennon, the County Attorney to prosecute. Nelson asked the commissioners to weigh in on that and if it would require an interlocal agreement that the commissioners would have to sign. Commissioner Tom Kuka addressed the question, saying that he didn't think the commissioners should speak for the county attorney. He went on to explain that the commissioners would not force anyone into a contract, but they are the only ones who can sign that interlocal agreement. Someone wanted to know if a person was issued a number of misdemeanors, could those be turned into a felony. The answer given at the meeting was 'no.' Another person said, "People here causing problems are the transplants. It's not that we don't want people from California moving here, but we don't want people from California moving here." Everyone laughed. Someone else wanted to know if a person could be put in jail for violating a town ordinance. The question was asked if a lien could be put on someone's property if they didn't pay a fine. The answer was, "Yes, but that's a whole other process." Nelson asked the sheriff, to comment, saying that she understood that they have a large county to cover. Sheriff Robert Skorupa spoke about the problems of retaining deputies. "It's hard to keep guys hired. We get them trained, spend time and investment on them and they go to a bigger department for more pay and benefits. The hardest thing to deal with is turnover." He went on to say that five people had applied for the deputy position, but none of them showed up for the interview. Undersheriff Robert Bender stated that had just received two more applicants. Skorupa said "We don't have a problem writing citations. Once we write a ticket, we are out of the process." He said that if the deputies are going to enforce ordinances, then they can't pick and choose which ones to enforce. They have to enforce all of them. The problem is that some of the ordinances are outdated. "For instance, if you carry a concealed weapon, it's against your ordinance. You can have a concealed permit, but you can't carry a concealed weapon." Skorupa turned to address Alderman Rick Tomsheck. "Alderman Tomsheck, you have a concealed carry permit, and your ordinance says you can't conceal carry in Valier." Mayor Wunderlich agreed that there is no doubt that there are problems with the ordinances. He said he had searched for a law office that could update the town's ordinances but could not find one. He explained it takes three months to change an ordinance. The council has to hold two public hearings, each reading the ordinance and then it takes another thirty days to have it codified. It was suggested that a committee be formed to go over the ordinances to identify the outdated ones. Mayor Wunderlich said that was a good idea and asked for volunteers. When no one volunteered, he explained that he had never been elected and everyone on the council except Steve Nelson had been appointed because no one filed to run for office. "In Valier nobody files." Corrine Mae Kroon, 92, formerly of Belgrade, Mont., passed away on March 23, 2025, in Bellevue, Wash. A funeral service was held at Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 10 a.m., with graveside service following at Sunset Hills Cemetery. Corrine was born on April 14, 1932, to Herbert and Sigrid (Engstrom) Sorum in Conrad, Mont. She graduated from Shelby High School before going on to attend Seattle Pacific University. On Aug. 8, 1958, she married Ralph Kroon and together they were blessed with three daughters, Sheila, Arlys, and Cheri. Corrine and Ralph made many places throughout Montana home, including Shelby, Valier, Rudyard, Grass Range, Wilsall, and Belgrade. While in Shelby, Corrine worked for the Courthouse doing clerical work. Corrine also lived in Redmond, Woodinville and Bellevue, Wash., more recently. While living in the Gallatin Valley, she attended Grace Bible Church and Peace Lutheran. For over 70 years, her passion and talent was serving as a piano teacher. She first began teaching piano in her high school years until she was in her 80's. She was an extremely accomplished musician and played in her church while also serving as a vocalist. Corrine even sang on KSEN radio in Shelby. Above all, her family and her faith were foremost in her life. She loved to tell stories about her daughters and grandchildren; she was so proud of each of them and loved them dearly. Corrine especially enjoyed watching her grandchildren participate in activities and attending musical performances such as the symphony and opera. She will be missed by all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ralph; and brother, Larry Sorum. Corrine is survived by her daughters, Sheila (Marvin) Williams, Arlys (Jim) Kruse, Cheri Kroon (Ken Beer); grandchildren, Kelsey and Beau Berg, Kyndal and Jonno Daly, and Satchel and Nora Beer; along with great-grandchildren, Micah and Amelia Daly. In lieu of flowers, Corrine's family would love for you to make a contribution to your favorite children's music program in honor of her love for music. Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. http://www.dokkennelson.com The Life of Jessica Lee Stevens Jessica Lee Stevens came into this world on Aug. 27, 1975. Her untimely passing occurred on Feb. 22, 2025. Funeral Service was held Feb. 27, 2025, at Dahl Chapel in Billings. An ash spreading ceremony will take place Aug. 27, 2025 at Stevens-Nation residence, Badger Creek, MT -more details closer to the date on social media. She is survived by her three sons, Lane St. Goddard, Donnie Archambault and Davis Archambault and her cat, Ed, a treasured companion and roommate. Lane was born to Jessie and her first love Ray St. Goddard. Donnie and Davis, she considered her "Miracle Babies" born to her and longtime friend and former classmate, Sam Archambault. An enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Jessie includes in her relations the Brady, Shoulder Blade and Ewing families. She grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation where she considered numerous people to be her sister, brother, cousin, auntie, and uncle. A cancer survivor, she struggled with ongoing health concerns. Her sudden passing after a brief period of serious illness was shocking for everyone. Despite her premature passing, Jessie's life was filled with diversity and purpose, her journey reflecting incredible personal strength and constant optimism, traits that were apparent from birth. Her middle name Lee was a tribute to her maternal grandmother Susan Lee Yancey, a strong woman from a lineage of such. Jessie was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful babies to grace the world. Her smile and laughter were infectious. She would light up the room. As the youngest of five, she would share to all that she was spoiled rotten! Jessie was truly the baby sister, and as soon as she could walk was resiliently trudging along behind her siblings, happy to be included with the "big kids" exploring her childhood homeland. She spent her early life on Badger Creek near Heart Butte, MT. Her parents are David (Dell) and Jacky Stevens (Jacque Farnsworth) with siblings Rachael (Gordon) Nation, Justin Stevens, Aaron Stevens and Germaine Prairie Chicken Shoe Stevens. The kids spent lots of time outdoors, playing in river, riding horses, building forts, picking wildflowers, singing songs by the campfire, sleeping under the stars a life strongly connected with the natural world. Neighbor kids Mona, Patty and Marla "Poo" Hall were her cuzin' sisters. Summer would find the entire bunch of "Crik Kids" splashing in the waters of Big Badger. Jessie always had a fishing pole. She was the kid of the family who loved fishing and was forever bringing home a trout for dinner. Living in Stevens' household was unique, the kids enjoying virtually unsupervised freedom to explore their natural surroundings while living in a home of strict daily regimens with structured meals, always a salad before dinner, good literature, lots of reading, no television, and lots of music. Her mom Jacky was an accomplished musician and contributed her talents to church, school, weddings and funerals. Jessie joined the band in Junior High and became accomplished on the trumpet. Her teen years were spent in East Glacier Park with a school semester in Perth, Australia. This change of residence after the divorce of her parents, and her dad remarrying Dell Schlaht who worked abroad, expanded her world beyond Badger Creek. Living with her mom in East Glacier, Jessie was embraced by many others who became her sisters and close confidants including Cheryl Little Dog, Heather Stewart, Sunshine Gaither and the Barden family with two girls her age. Her high school classmates remember her as a loyal friend, always there to support others and empathize with any troubles they were experiencing. In her adult life, she went on to add to the multitude of special people in her life, friends in Polson and later in Billings where she reconnected with an old friend Nicole Reid who along with her cherished sister Cheryl Little Dog supported her return to college. Jessie was always a spiritual and religious person. She loved attending the Catholic Church and was strong in her faith. She was adopted as a teen by the Drinks Tea Alone Clan in a traditional Blackfeet ceremony where the name Pretty Woman, Akii Niistsitapi, was bestowed upon her by Mrs. Rita Spotted Eagle. Throughout her life she derived strength and guidance when faced with difficulties through traditional cleansing and prayer ceremonies under the guidance of her lifelong mentor and dear friend, Mrs. Darnell Rides at the Door. Jessie's early adult residence in Blackfeet country included life on the beautiful St. Goddard Ranch in the foothills of the Rockies. She developed close friendships with many of her in-laws, Ray's family members, including his mother Verna and father Archie "Sapoo" St. Goddard. She loved country life, riding horses, working with cattle and being in the mountains. After their separation and the development of her life with Sam, his family became her own with the Archambault family embracing the arrival of two grandsons and a new daughter in Jessie. Their life in the Browning area included the boys being able to spend time playing in the old swimming hole on Badger Creek and riding horses with their cousins, Alexandra, Gillian, Logan and Quinn. Over the years of the boys' childhood, they moved from Browning first to Polson, MT and finally to Billings, MT as Jessie transitioned through jobs. Moving away from this place she always called home was a big adjustment. One of her earliest occupations was service in the army. Jessie was proud of her status as a veteran. Her civilian life occupations were primarily in both law enforcement and the health services. These jobs were dependent on her being physically capable of employment as her health declined. She loved working with people, especially those struggling with difficult life events. She had a knack for making special personal connections with people she met which enabled her to become a guide to those suffering from past trauma or working through serious issues. When she passed away, she was finishing the final semester of a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at MSU Eastern with an emphasis on social services. She was recently honored to be chosen to lead a project involved with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement. She was looking forward with great excitement to graduating where she hoped to find employment helping native people who were struggling to overcome past life trauma. As she struggled each day to work through physical pain with long-term health conditions while focusing on her studies, she spoke more often of how much she missed her dad, David Kennedy Stevens, who passed away suddenly in 2003. All who knew her had listened to the stories of time they had spent together and his role in her life as mentor, counselor and friend. She regularly shared that he would be in Heaven to meet her when she arrived as though she sensed her time was near. Though she left this world too soon, leaving behind children who need their mom, relatives whose relationships with her had only just begun to blossom, and the many people who relied on her for true friendship and support, we know that they are together now, laughing and teasing and enjoying her dad's great cooking. The impact of her absence here on Earth cannot be described, but we can be comforted by the knowledge that this amazing woman is most certainly one of God's fiercest angels, her strength and beauty filling the Heavens forever watching over those she loves. It is with deep sorrow and loving remembrance that we announce the passing of Kenneth Slater Galbreath, Jr., a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. Kenneth passed away at the age of 90 years and 8 months on Dec. 6, 2024, at home in his sleep, leaving behind a legacy of courage and faith and a life well-lived. Cremation has taken place, and his beloved family will release his ashes in a private ceremony at the Ranch at a later date. A celebration of Kenneth's life will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Browning, Mont. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Rifle Association (NRA) in his memory. Condolences can be made to www.asperfh.com. 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. The Government is considering using emergency powers to renationalise British Steel and save the Scunthorpe works from closure. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds wants to invoke the Civil Contingencies Act which was designed for wartime, invasion by a foreign power or an act of terrorism to take the company back into public ownership. It is a measure of Labours desperation after Scunthorpes Chinese owners announced plans to close two remaining blast furnaces, with the loss of 2,700 jobs. The first could be decommissioned within weeks. This would leave Britain as the only G7 country without the ability to produce high-grade virgin steel, essential for the manufacture of everything from weapons to railway tracks. It would also come on top of the closure of the blast furnaces at what was formerly the UKs largest steelworks in Port Talbot, South Wales, when the Indian owners pulled the plug last September. Surkeir Starmer talks grandly about increasing defence spending and re-arming in the face of the Russian threat, while our ability to manufacture military hardware and munitions is being seriously depleted. In pursuit of reducing carbon emissions, traditional steelworks are being replaced by eco-friendly electric arc furnaces, which are incapable of producing metal strong enough to make tanks, shells and other kit. So while the Prime Minister puts the country on a war footing, his Net Zero nutjob Energy Secretary Ed Miliband rushes ahead with his drive to turn Britain into a post-industrial basket case. While the Prime Minister puts the country on a war footing, his Net Zero nutjob Energy Secretary Ed Miliband rushes ahead with his drive to turn Britain into a post-industrial basket case British Steel's potential closure of the two furnaces puts up to 2,700 jobs at risk Steel isnt the only casualty. Manufacturers in every sector are being forced out of business by the highest electricity prices in the developed world, caused by sustainable subsidies, Labours ban on fracking and refusal to license new North Sea oil and gas development. Since the national steel strike in 1980, which I covered in my previous incarnation as an industrial correspondent, the number of people employed in steelmaking has fallen from 100,000 to three men and a dog. Former sites have been bulldozed and turned into housing estates or shopping malls. If and when Scunthorpe shuts, we will be utterly dependent on foreign imports of high-grade steel. We wont even be able to build railway tracks for HS2. Well have to go cap in hand to countries like India and China, where steel is produced using coal-fired blast furnaces which pump out far more planet-destroying pollution than Milibands War Of The Worlds windmills are designed to eliminate. And you can bet your bottom Yuan that, in the event of a looming World War III, the Chinese would cut us off immediately, leaving us up the proverbial without a paddle. How the hell did we end up at the mercy of potentially hostile foreign powers? Wed have to fall back on buying arms from an increasingly isolationist America. Thats if they agreed to sell under the new world order. Only yesterday it was revealed that the Pentagon has ruled out America coming to the aid of Europe with ground troops in the event of a Russian invasion. We also learned that, despite Starmers fighting talk, Britain hasnt built a single attack drone since Labour came to office last June. Ukraine, under daily bombardment, has turned out 200,000. The truth is that, despite a relatively healthy aerospace sector, Britain no longer has the capacity to manufacture arms on a viable scale. In the run-up to and during World War II, car factories and other heavy industry were switched to manufacturing tanks, planes and other weapons. For instance, Fords Manchester plant supplied 34,000 Rolls-Royce aero engines, including for the Spitfire. Vauxhall at Luton built the Churchill tanks. British Steel was hoping for a 1billion injection of government money to keep the business going, but was offered 500million The Midlands motor industry manufactured everything from Mosquito aircraft to tanks and armoured cars. Before the U.S. entered the war, the West Midlands corridor and the giant Ford plant at Dagenham were the arsenals of democracy. All of these factories are long gone. Vauxhalls commercial vehicle plant in Luton was the most recent casualty of the tough zero emissions mandate which Labour refuses to relax. Britains biggest car factory is Nissan in Sunderland. Would the Government be prepared to nationalise that, too, if the Japanese owners refused to switch production to aircraft engines, drones and military vehicles? As I wrote recently, while Surkeir poses as the wartime leader of a coalition of the willing, his paltry percentage increase in defence spending which amounts to a post-dated IOU and a few coins found down the back of the Treasurys sofa wont even scratch the surface. To be fair, governments of all stripes Tory, Labour, Coalition have conspired in the shameful neglect of our Armed Forces over decades. They all are guilty of dereliction of duty when it comes to defence of the realm. The Army was promised a new 5.5billion fleet of Ajax armoured vehicles from 2018. They still havent been delivered. We learned recently that Britains ageing rifles are the laughing stock of Europe. Now the Government has belatedly woken up to the threat from Russia, it is reduced to considering invoking emergency powers to prevent our ability to produce adequate steel supplies from disappearing for good. It would be a start but nowhere near enough. Never mind ploughshares into swords. Where are the factories which will turn nationalised steel into tanks and other weapons vital to the defence of our realm? If Mister Eds astronomical electricity bills dont force them to shut down or relocate to a more economically friendly country, then a combination of Rachel From Complaints tax rises and Ginge Rayners workers rights reforms might deliver the coup de grace for whats left of British industry. As for the prospect of a newly nationalised British Steel, I suppose they could always have asked the Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, a long-term UK resident, to run it. Unfortunately, though, hes getting out after being stripped of non-dom status. Hes not alone. Will the last factory worker in Britain please turn out the lights? The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming. Dont panic! Its always amazed me that Left-wing eco-loonies who claim to care about the planet dont appear to give a stuff about nature. Take the hypocrites currently torching and dumping Teslas in America and across Europe. A couple of months ago they loved these zero-emissions electric cars. Now, because of Elon Musks association with Donald Trump, they are targeting anyone who owns a Tesla and want to destroy his company, regardless of how many polar bears die as a result. At home, environmentalists are quite happy to carpet our green and pleasant with hideous windmills, solar panels and electricity pylons, even if it menaces wildlife and trashes the landscape. In Scotland, scientists warn that plans for giant wind farms and battery storage facilities in the Highlands and elsewhere could pollute wetlands and rivers. They pose a clear and present danger to rare species such as the Freshwater Pearl Mussel, whose numbers are in steep decline and could now face extinction. The Freshwater Pearl Mussel is a distant cousin of one of this columns old favourites, the Depressed River Mussel. If these schemes go ahead, Freshwater Pearl wont only be depressed, shell be positively suicidal. Pearls a goner... The Ministry of Justice has prioritised bail for ethnic minorities, in line with the out-of-touch, unelected Sentencing Council recommending lenient sentences for the same vulnerable groups. Along with the daily decisions by judges to let illegal migrants, convicted foreign rapists, child molesters and drug dealers remain in Britain, our self-righteous Left-wing legal establishment is the best recruiting sergeant the fabled far-Right could wish for. If we want to avoid Trumps trade war we could start by scrapping tariffs on imported American cars and trucks. It would be a goodwill gesture which would cost us next to nothing, since virtually no one here buys them anyway. The famous figure of Lady Justice has long been depicted in a blindfold because justice must be immune to such extraneous things as race, sex and religion. But that vital British principle is under threat as never before. Today, the Mail reveals that the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) has issued guidance to rank-and-file officers that demands an end to the ethnic disparity in the likelihood of people being criminalised. This suggests arrest rates should be artificially engineered to ensure they are uniform across racial groups. Of course, given crime rates are wildly different across ethnicities and nationalities, this is deeply unfair to groups with low crime rates and risks the safety of the British public. What makes this announcement even worse is that it follows news that guidelines published by the Sentencing Council last month were suspended last night after widespread uproar. The guidelines ordered judges to request a pre-sentence report, the first step to a non-custodial sentence, for all women, transgender people, neurodiverse individuals, ethnic minorities and those from faith minority communities. It turned out that a guilty offender would receive a pre-sentence report if there was a mere possibility they were from a minority group. Little wonder the Sentencing Council was warned that its measures would be used as a get-out-of-jail-free card. The British justice system is under threat as never before, writes Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick (above) Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been under pressure over the 'two-tier' sentencing plans Supporters of a Pro-UK rally endorsed by Tommy Robinson march from Victoria Station to Parliament Square in central London -- October 26, 2024 I personally initiated legal proceedings for a judicial review of this guidance on the grounds that it was discriminatory against white people and Christians. Staring down the barrel of my legal challenge and under huge pressure from the public, the Sentencing Council suspended its advice. This is an important victory for common sense and one that no doubt Labour will shamefully try to take credit for. At the 11th hour, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood vowed to introduce emergency legislation to halt the new measures. This is despite the fact Labour refused to back my Bill weeks ago that would have over-ruled the Sentencing Council and fixed this. The British public have been equal before the law for centuries, but Labour seems hell-bent on tearing that principle to shreds. Indeed, Labour MP after Labour MP stood up in the House of Commons to support the Sentencing Councils ludicrous guidance arguing the justice system is already two-tier, with minority groups treated more harshly. Just yesterday, it was revealed that Mahmoods own department has told judges and magistrates that they should prioritise the cases of ethnic minorities, women and transgender suspects for considering bail because they may be at disproportionately higher risk of being remanded into custody. It advised judges to take account of trauma suffered by suspects whose relatives experienced racism or discrimination, and cites important historical events which may have had a greater impact on those from specific cultures. Of course, many race campaigners would claim that black ancestors of slaves suffer trauma as a result of their relatives suffering generations ago. At the 11th hour, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (above) vowed to introduce emergency legislation to halt the new measures Labour MP after Labour MP stood up in the House of Commons (above) to support the Sentencing Councils ludicrous guidance arguing the justice system is already two-tier, with minority groups treated more harshly But lets look at the facts. There is no body of academic research showing that minority groups are being wrongfully convicted. In the absence of proof of direct discrimination, then, proponents of the new two-tier sentencing rules resort to data showing that minority groups are generally over-represented in prison. The criminal justice system, they argue, should be re-engineered. This is obviously ridiculous. Certain minority groups, for instance British Hindus and Sikhs, are less likely to go to jail than their white British counterparts but nobody sensible is suggested treating them more harshly. What the fair-minded British public want is equality of treatment before the law, not equality in outcomes. But Starmers government will not deliver this. It is in thrall to the Sentencing Council, a powerful but little-known organisation that was created in the final breaths of the last Labour government. Since its creation, it has watered down legislation passed by Parliament time and again. Last week, I revealed how their new draft guidelines for immigration offences water down sentences and mean hundreds of foreign offenders and illegal migrants a year will miss the threshold for automatic deportation. This would blow a hole in border enforcement and help dangerous foreign criminals stay in the country. This activism must end. The open-borders campaigners on the council must be sacked by the Justice Secretary. If legal quangos step into the political arena, they should expect a political response and democratically elected politicians to reassert authority. But as I have said, the problems within our judiciary go far beyond the Sentencing Council. We have reached a high-water mark of activism in our courts, where the principle of the rule of law has been misused and hijacked in favour of the rule of lawyers. Starmers government will not deliver equality of treatment before the law, says Robert Jenrick Our immigration tribunals have become a sick joke. Even the most ludicrous excuses now stop deportations. A judge recently displayed huge over-reach by essentially turning a scheme for Ukrainian refugees into one that could apply to would-be migrants around the world. The limits that our elected politicians had purposely placed on the legislation were deliberately removed. When Keir Starmer and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticised this, they were reprimanded by the judiciary and told their statements were unacceptable. This is dangerous: politicians must always be allowed to discuss matters of crucial public importance in Parliament. And doing so cannot be held to compromise the independence of the courts. The fabric of our country is fraying thanks to unprecedented levels of mass migration and the denigration of British culture that seems to come with it. A two-tier legal system that is biased is not only deeply unfair, but also a recipe for further social unrest. Growing up in the Midlands in the 1980s, I saw discrimination and the pain it caused. Despite the progress made, there is more to do. But the way to correct this injustice is to treat people with equal dignity, not to ladle on yet more discrimination. Two wrongs dont make a right. We must rebuild our nation and our sense of national togetherness as one country under one flag. And that begins by every citizen being equal under the law. Before her sentence was announced, a furious Marine Le Pen stormed out of the courtroom after being found guilty of embezzling EU funds, dashing her political ambition and infuriating 13 million voters who supported her party at the last national elections. Shortly afterwards, the Paris criminal court delivered a verdict more severe than anyone anticipated. Though Le Pen has avoided the indignity of a custodial sentence, she will be forced to wear an ankle tag for two years. (Theyre quite the fashion among senior French politicians: former president Nicolas Sarkozy has one, too.) But the most stinging punishment is the decision to bar her for five years from running for public office, which excludes her from the presidential election in 2027. Its a political earthquake for France: until yesterday, Le Pen was their strongest candidate, ahead in all polls. Corruption is a serious matter, but the word embezzlement exaggerates the crime here. The conviction comes after a wildly contorted saga in which Le Pen, 56, was accused of putting party staff on the payroll of the European Parliament. She didnt profit personally and the dividing line between political and parliamentary work is gossamer-thin, of course. Yet the French legal system, which is deeply political and unashamedly Leftist (so much so that its main magistrates union had a Wall of Jerks in their office with pictures of Right-wingers) made it their mission to take down the nationalist Le Pen. Marine Le Pen leaves the headquarters of the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party, after a French court sentenced her to a five-year ban on running for office and a prison term in a trial on charges of embezzlement of European public funds, in Paris on March 31, 2025 Jean-Marie Le Pen, left, and his daughter French far-right leader Marine Le Pen in Marseille, southern France, March 4, 2012 President Emmanuel Macron during arrival at Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on 31 March 2025 As she licked her wounds in the Paris apartment she shares with her three children and six bengal cats, her conviction was gloatingly welcomed by the establishment Le Monde newspaper and the Paris commentariat as a death knell for her party, the National Rally. But it is the opposite. This ugly fiasco is a gift for the National Rally. Already the French justice system is being accused of lawfare, interfering in an election and destroying the right of voters to make a democratic choice. Is France still a democracy? was the question being circulated on social media after the verdict. The populist Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban posted his expression of solidarity on X: Je suis Marine. So what now? Just as Donald Trump turned multiple mostly spurious criminal cases against him into a compelling argument that the Deep State was out to get him, Le Pen will take the same line. Giving up is not in her character: she has failed three times to be elected president and has never been closer to the office. In the face of accusations that National Rally was extreme or hard right, Le Pen has worked hard to detoxify the movement, expelling her late father Jean-Marie an anti-Semite who championed Nazi collaborator Marshal Petain from the party. It is now considered so increasingly centrist that some base supporters are abandoning it. Shes a sell-out, a local hunter in my village in Occitanie, once a firm voter, told me. Le Pen is certain to appeal, though there is no guarantee the court will hear it in time to overturn or reduce the verdict. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, member of parliament from the Rassemblement National leaves the courthouse on the day of the verdict of her trial in Paris, France, March 31, 2025 The leader of France's National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella, attends the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Israel, Thursday, March 27, 202 This court sketch created on March 31, 2025, shows President of the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) parliamentary group, Marine Le Pen, attending the verdict and sentencing in her and co-defendant's trial on charges of embezzlement of European public funds, at the Tribunal de Paris courthouse in Paris, on March 31, 2025 She could also proceed to the countrys Constitutional Council, arguing that the ruling undermines the electorates freedom. Or she could demand a presidential pardon from Emmanuel Macron which he may be forced to grant out of magnanimity. If the appeal fails and Le Pen really has been barred from winning the Elysee Palace herself, the man of the hour is her dauphin: square-jawed, 29-year-old Jordan Bardella. The son of Italian immigrants who grew up in a gang-ridden Banlieue, hes TikTok-savvy, proudly of the Right and attracts young voters and women of all ages who find him easy on the eye. But its far too soon to write off Madame Le Pen. Like the bengal cats she breeds, she has many lives. In the final part of the Mails exclusive serialisation of On Democracies And Death Cults, renowned author Douglas Murray explains why Israel is seen as the bad guy the world over and details how pervasive anti-Semitism still is. It always puzzles me why the citizens of Israel seem so unique among victims. Why they seem to be the only people on Earth who, when savagely attacked, either dont gain the worlds sympathy or gain it only for a matter of hours, if that. Almost a year went by after the vicious terrorist raid from Gaza and the cold-blooded slaughter of more than a thousand innocent civilians on October 7, 2023 before a point was made that was so searing nobody else had dared raise it. The massacres, said Ruth Wisse, a professor at Harvard University, had been the worst atrocity carried out against Jews since the Holocaust yet almost nobody had the courage to address who the people who had carried it out were. Why did no one want to dwell on just who the anti-Semites and Nazis were this time? Why was there so little concentration on the ideology that drives Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic government in Iran, and on the fanaticism and the willingness to die and kill mercilessly in its pursuit? Were people not interested? Or was there some sort of collective anti-Semitism going on overt or underlying that meant Israel had to be the bad guy whatever? You have to see casual anti-Semitism in action to understand how entrenched it can be and how deep it can go, especially in the Middle East. Whenever I travel in the Arab and Muslim worlds I am struck by this obsession with Israel and the Jews. I remember being in Egypt and searching the bookshops to see what the locals were offered for reading material. The book selections were always the same Mein Kampf, The Protocols Of The Learned Elders Of Zion and a range of other conspiracy tracts focusing on Israel and the Jews. The October 7 attacks had been the worst atrocity carried out against Jews since the Holocaust yet almost nobody had the courage to address who the people who had carried it out were It always puzzles me why the citizens of Israel seem so unique among victims, Douglas Murray asks You have to see casual anti-Semitism in action to understand how entrenched it can be and how deep it can go, especially in the Middle East, Murray (pictured) says If you wanted a mystery novel to read on the train, there were slim pickings in English or Arabic. But if you wanted a pile of anti-Semitic reading material for the journey your needs could always be met. Why is it so prevalent? Why is it that the Jews have been singled out and hated by so many people throughout history? Why are they still hated by so many people today? It is an eternal question and the answer is elusive. But anti-Semitism, it seems, can pop up anywhere at any time. There is an old line that all Jews know: wherever you are, keep a bag packed in case you have to leave in a hurry. History showed them why. The expulsions of Jews from England in the 13th century and from Spain in the 15th century left a long memory, as did the countless persecutions and pogroms ever since. This was supposed to change when, in 1948, as a response to the millions of Jews slaughtered in the genocidal Nazi Holocaust, the State of Israel was created, re-establishing the Jewish people in their ancestral Middle Eastern homeland. As embattled as this new country might have been, and as hated as it often seemed to be from every side, at least this was a place where Jews could be safe and protect themselves. But when October 7 happened, a doubt spread among Jews in Israel and around the world. What if we arent safe in Israel either? Their fears seemed even more justified when much of the outside world seemed to turn its wrath not on the Hamas perpetrators of the atrocity, but on the victim, Israel and Jewish people in general. Anti-Semitism, it seemed, was back with a vengeance. Not that it had ever really gone away. But when October 7 happened, a doubt spread among Jews in Israel and around the world. What if we arent safe in Israel either? Israeli civilians in the street following damage caused by a rocket launched into Ashkelon Palestinian protesters wave flags and wear yellow stars at the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the 'March of the Living' in memory of the victims of the Holocaust For anti-Semites the history of anti-Semitism is itself a justification for anti-Semitism. Their rationale is that the fact that the Jewish people have been so hated and so persecuted so often is proof that there is something wrong with them. Among all bigotries and prejudices, one especially distinctive feature of anti-Semitism is that it is a shapeshifter. It was the late rabbi Jonathan Sacks who pointed out that Jews were once hated because of their religion. Both Christian anti-Semitism and Islamic anti-Semitism originated in hostility to the Jews for rejecting their new faiths; for sticking with Moses rather than Jesus or Mohammed. Then, sometime after the 18th-century Enlightenment, it became unacceptable to hate people on religious grounds, so non-Jews chose to hate Jews because of their race. But after the 20th century it became unacceptable to hate people because of their race. So, in the 21st century, when civilised people cannot hate the Jews for their religion or their race, they can hate them for having a state and for defending it. This seems now to have become an acceptable form of anti-Semitism. For Jews, anti-Semitism locks them into an unresolvable set of challenges. They are condemned if they try to integrate into society and equally condemned if they dont integrate. They are hated for being rich and also for being poor. Jews could be hated for being religious and for being atheistic. And, though they were the victims who were made to flee to different countries, they were hated for being stateless and rootless and therefore likely to destabilise any country they were in. But if anti-Semitism is a perpetual conundrum for Jews, it is also a challenge for non-Jews for what it says about a society that indulges in it. In his masterpiece Life And Fate, the Soviet writer Vasily Grossman writes perceptively: Anti-Semitism can take many forms, from a mocking, contemptuous ill-will to murderous pogroms. Even a genius like Dostoyevsky could fall prey to this virus-like hatred. Grossman went on: It is always a means rather than an end; it is a measure of contradictions yet to be resolved. It is a mirror for the failings of individuals, social structures and state systems. Tell me what you accuse the Jews of and Ill tell you what you yourself are guilty of. It was the late rabbi Jonathan Sacks (pictured) who pointed out that Jews were once hated because of their religion When the October 7 attack happened Hamza Yousaf condemned it and then spent the succeeding months campaigning against Israel Today the government most responsible for making these accusations against Israel is the Islamic government in Iran, which has spent years assiduously expanding and colonising everywhere they can reach in the region (pictured: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) Thus when the Nazis accused the Jews of being racist and of having a desire for world domination, they were simply describing their own features. As Grossman writes: States look to the imaginary intrigues of World Jewry for explanations of their own failure. His analysis of anti-Semitism his mirror theory gives us a powerful insight into everything that is happening in the Middle East. The Arab countries that repeatedly invaded Israel and sought to steal its land accuse Israel of stealing land. Muslim countries accuse Israel of colonialism, yet the whole history of Islam has been one of colonialism. Today the government most responsible for making these accusations against Israel is the Islamic government in Iran, which has spent years assiduously expanding and colonising everywhere they can reach in the region. What was Gaza but a colony of Iran? Or Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein? Or Yemen? Or Syria? Or Lebanon, where Hezbollah rule by terror? Everywhere the same mirror rule holds. Groups like Hamas that delight in their bloodlust accuse the Israelis of being insatiable killers. Palestinian groups and their supporters claim that the Jews are bloodthirsty child-killers while they encourage their own youth to view death through martyrdom as the highest form of valour. People who use rape as a weapon of war accuse the Israelis of raping prisoners. The same goes for the critics of Israel in the West. The people who march down the streets in protest are the same generation who, according to polls, seem to think Britain was founded on racism and remains structurally racist today. A generation has been taught that, by dint of being born into the West, they have been born into countries built on ethnic cleansing and genocide, and founded by people who are settler-colonialist racists. They believe their societies perpetuate these evils right to this very day. Hamas terrorists killed around 1,200 people as they invaded Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023 The aftermath of the attack on the music festival near Re'im, southern Israel, on October 8 - a day after the massacre Perhaps the vast rise in antagonism toward Israel is a manifestation of what psychologists would call projection. These protesters rant against Israels supposed racism and see it as the oppressor because they feel guilty about what they perceive wrongly to be their own heritage. They see Hamas and the people of Gaza as the victims and, in this mindset, the victims are always, always in the right. Yet no one was actually raising, let alone analysing in depth, the question of exactly why there was such large-scale support in the West not for the people who had suffered the massacre, but for those who had perpetrated it. What did it really mean that, on the streets of every major Western city, people who must have known what had been done on October 7 publicly took the side of the aggressors? Perhaps the question wasnt raised because nobody wanted to face the fact that this time the Nazis were among us. To even notice why a pro-death cult movement had emerged and spread was to notice a fact that remains unmentionable in most Western democracies. There were patterns, to be sure. But nobody was meant to notice them, because they opened up questions too difficult to even ask. As a result, often the response was deliberately ambiguous as leaders tried to have it both ways. This was demonstrated in Britains Labour Party, then in opposition, which was in a quandary in the aftermath of October 7. Having been racked by years of scandal over anti-Semitism in the party, the new leadership had to tread carefully. Show no support for Israel and the partys anti-Semitism scandal risked being reignited, with Labour regaining its reputation for pandering to Islamic extremism. But show too much or perhaps any support for Israel, and the party risked losing the support of many members. On the streets of every major Western city, people who must have known what had been done on October 7 publicly took the side of the aggressors The partys internal debate resulted in an argument on whether it should call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza which had been demanded just moments after Hamas had finished its massacre. But so intense was the internal party pressure that Labour representatives started to resign on the grounds that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was not being sufficiently condemnatory of Israel. In Scotland the first minister seemed to divert all his attention from independence fights, or tackling poverty and drug overdoses in the East End of Glasgow, to campaigning against the war in Gaza. Humza Yousaf had been much praised when he became the countrys first Muslim first minister. In the campaign to become Scottish National Party leader, his main rival was Kate Forbes. The fact that she was a believing Christian and a member of the Free Church of Scotland was widely used against her. The Free Church of Scotland holds some socially conservative views, and Forbes was hounded repeatedly by the media over whether these were really compatible with being first minister of a progressive, tolerant and diverse Scotland. But when Yousaf won the election he immediately led an Islamic prayer ceremony at the first ministers residence and this was praised by the media as yet another demonstration of diversity in Scotland. When the October 7 attack happened he condemned it and then spent the succeeding months campaigning against Israel. It pains me that when 250 Israeli hostages were taken there was no organised campaign to pressure Hamas to release the hostages, Murray writes He even held an off-the-record private meeting with Turkish president Recep Erdogan, receiving a rebuke from the then British foreign secretary David Cameron, who reminded him that Scotland is not meant to have a separate foreign policy from the rest of the UK. But nothing seemed to deter Yousaf perhaps because he is married to a Scottish-Palestinian and his in-laws were in Gaza at the start of the war. He also held private meetings with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency that was handling aid for Gaza, and gave them a 250,000 donation from Scottish government funds. When asked about this, and whether it had anything to do with his in-laws getting out of Gaza through the Rafah crossing, he attacked the questions as a smear and Islamophobic. It pains me that when 250 Israeli hostages were taken there was no organised campaign to pressure Hamas to release the hostages. The abductees included American, British, French and German citizens. Yet in each of these countries there was minimal political, diplomatic or social pressure for their release. Why the silence? asked a distraught Moran Aloni, whose sister and her twin girls, aged three, had been kidnapped. It makes me feel that theres something very wrong in the world today. Adapted from On Democracies And Death Cults by Douglas Murray (HarperCollins, 25), to be published April 10. Douglas Murray 2025. To order a copy for 22.50 (offer valid to 12/4/25; UK P&P free on orders over 25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. 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 It can be stressful devising the perfect outfit to wear on a first date, which is why experts say it's best to have a 'uniform' ready to go. Some women search endlessly for the perfect outfit to wear, while others seek out advice from men online. But it works best when women have an outfit they always reach for in their closet that they feel most confident in, that's just trendy enough. Said ensemble has to be comfortable whether they're going for drinks at a dive bar or cocktails at a mixologist-approved restaurant. To find out the best possible choices to have in their closet, FEMAIL reached out to experts, including matchmakers, fashion designers, and an attraction specialist. Luxury womenswear designer Nadine Merabi stressed the importance of a first date uniform, saying it's 'already slightly daunting to most people, so you don't want your outfit to be an added extra stress or worry.' Luckily, there are options for the most formal ladies - whether they want the perfect little black dress or the scientifically proven slinky red dress sure to attract their suitor - and more casual offerings. From a laid-back but still trendy denim ensemble to the chunky black heels you'll grab every time, these are the best first date options. Little Black Dress One slinky little black dress option is the $595 Valentina corset dress from Nadine Merabi Nadine suggested her brand's luxe Simone dress ($495) with pearl and chain detailing for 'that day-to-night feel' There's a reason every woman needs to have the perfect little black dress in their closet - it's a classic for a reason, and the perfect go-to for most date nights. British-Lebanese designer Nadine, 43, suggested her brand's luxe Simone dress ($495) with pearl and chain detailing for 'that day-to-night feel.' 'It's so easy to throw on and pair with heels, and you're good to go,' Nadine guaranteed. In cooler months, she suggests pairing the dress with sheer black tights and black heels and for spring, she's a fan of mixing it up with the pink version. A slinkier option is the $595 Valentina corset dress from the designer. When Nadine was dating, she had her own go-to All Saints black dress 'that was ruched at the side and showed a bit of leg but was also high-neck, so it wasn't showing too much.' She and her roommate used to share the LBD and called it the 'first date dress.' 'A dress is so easy to change into, and you don't have to think about what top or jacket to match it with,' Nadine said. 'I also think you look like you've made the effort for the date, and like they say you don't get a second chance to make a first impression.' New York City based matchmaker Janis Spindel agreed that an LBD is the way to go, telling DailyMail.com, 'Men want women to look like they put "effort" into the date.' 'It can be the little black dress for every first date if she feels confident and fabulous in it,' Janis said, adding that 'she can change up the accessories so she doesn't get bored.' The LBD is also a perfect choice if the date venue ends up being more upscale, in which case jeans just won't work. 'We tell women it is always better to be over dressed then underdressed as long as they look amazing and feel great in what they have on,' Janis said. Little Red Dress Celebrity-beloved brand Fleur Du Mal makes a slinky $495 red dress that's perfect for date night, pictured above ShowPo offers a more affordable and casual $79 red dress option - the shade is scientifically proven to make women more attractive lastic surgeon , an expert in the science of attraction. If you're searching for a bolder go-to, there's actually a scientifically proven option that's going to work on your next first date according to p She says Snapchat is the most lucrative social media app right now One of the industry's top influencers has revealed the most lucrative social media app for making money in 2025 - and it's not TikTok or Instagram. Entrepreneur and Netflix star Julieanna Goddard - best know as YesJulz to her millions of followers online - told DailyMail.com that Snapchat is the place to be right now for people who want to monetize their fanbase. 'It's definitely more relevant now that it was in 2020 or 2022,' she said. 'Snapchat is having a huge resurgence thanks to people like JT from the City Girls and Catherine Paiz,' she continued. 'I've made $5,000 in total from Instagram subscriptions but I make way more than that every month on Snap.' Goddard said that it was Snapchat's advertising model, which blasts ads at users between content that they watch on the platform, that makes it so lucrative. 'People don't even have to subscribe to me. They're watching me for free because the advertisers pay,' she said. Influencer Julieanna Goddard - best know as YesJulz to her millions of followers online - told DailyMail.com that Snapchat is the place to be right now for people who want to monetize their fanbase 'Snapchat has just figured out a way for creators on the platform to truly make a living.' Back in December, Goddard revealed that she was clearing upwards of $10,000 a month on Snapchat - even though she has has less views on the app than on Instagram. When asked why her earnings fluctuate so dramatically month to month, the Miami-based Snapchat star explained that it was all down to how often she posts. 'I'm moody. Sometimes I go weeks without posting,' she explained. 'I post 10 to 15 days out of the month. When I'm active, I'm very active, otherwise I'm offline all together.' In addition to Goddard, Snapchat's biggest influencers include OnlyFans model Sophie Rain, reality stars Heidi Montag and Khloe Kardashian, YouTuber Katie Feeney, comedian Brittany Furlan, and social media star David Dobrik. The rules to become a monetized creator on Snapchat are currently quite strict. Back in December, Goddard revealed that she was clearing upwards of $10,000 a month on Snapchat , even though she has has less views on the app than on Instagram Users must have at least 50,000 followers on their public profile, and must post at least 25 times to their Saved Stories or Spotlight. They also need to achieve one of the following in 28 days: 10 million Snap views, one million Spotlight views, or 12,000 hours of view time. Spotlight is Snapchat's answer to TikTok, with Spotlight having a very similar feel to TikTok's main feed. According to a statement from Snapchat last year, total viewing time on the app is up 25 percent year-over-year, and the app now reaches 500 million active monthly users. Goddard was one of Snapchat's early stars and was dubbed the 'Queen of Snapchat' by the New York Times. She went on to work with brands like Beats by Dre and artists including Kanye West. Most recently, she starred in Netflix's reality series W.A.G.S. to Riches and is now focused on launching her own music career. 'People don't even have to subscribe to me. They're watching me for free because the advertisers pay,' she said She also has her own clothing line called Never Not Working aimed at empowering female entrepreneurs. 'As women, we innately feel like we need to be well behaved and take up less space and earn our spot at the table, but we have our spot from the moment we open our eyes and are born into this world,' she said. 'So I think just embodying that and knowing that and being proud to be who you are and be authentically yourself at all times despite what societal standards or norms might be like,' she continued. 'Don't ever feel like you should wait to speak your mind or be shy to claim an idea or work as yours,' she added. Consumers have been raving about one item that's been flying off the shelves - and it might just be the comfiest garment to complete your capsule winter wardrobe. Say hello (again) to the iconic early 2000s staple, Jeggings. If these weren't on your style bingo card you're not alone, with fans shocked that this controversial trend is making such a big comeback and it's thanks to cult Japanese retailer Uniqlo. 'So jeggings are back, cool,' a style-watcher noted on Instagram. 'Is it 2017 again?' Another fan joked. Aptly named the EZY Ultra Stretch Jeans, they're described as 'timeless denim sweatpants that are sleek, comfy, and effortless.' And if you're wondering who can wear these, the answer is everyone thanks to their flattering, slouchy fit listed as unisex. 'Welcome to jeggings, boys!' an Instagram stylist commented. Uniqlo's EZY's are described as 'timeless denim sweatpants that are sleek, comfy, and effortless.' A millennial's dream, the jeggings trend originally emerged alongside the resurgence of skinny jeans in the late 2000s, as people sought a more comfortable style of pant. Particularly popular around 2010, the title 'jeggings' entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011 thanks to the look of skinny jeans but with all the comfort of leggings. When it comes to great quality clothing at affordable prices, Uniqlo is the brand that stands out among a sea of other high street alternatives as a reliable destination for all our wardrobe staples. Known for their perfect signature white T-shirts, cashmere sweaters, 3D Knits and Heattech thermals, Uniqlo's timeless pieces can be worn for years and years. At the forefront of the store's ethos is great quality garments but so is inventing specialty fabrics we never knew we needed, until now. Take AIRism for example - Uniqlo's range of breathable bras, shirts, shorts and face masks that have become some of their best sellers to date. The new EZY's are indeed following suit as consumers crave comfort as well as style and craftmanship with one garment fulfilling multiple needs. Luckily, there are five colours to choose from in the new range, all featuring elasticated waist bands and a pile lining that mimics the soft comfort of sweatpants. Available in five colours these must-have jeggings feature elasticated waist bands and a pile lining that feels as comfy as sweatpants. This launch marks the second retro jeans comeback in as many weeks with 2000s iconic fashion brand G-Star also making a grand return to Australia this year. Once a staple in Aussie streetwear, European brand G-Star was everywhere in the 2000s and 2010s, worn by everyone from hip-hop heads to fashion-conscious tradies. G-Star is now bringing back its signature structured 'Raw' denim with a fresh, modern twist. Their expansion will roll out across Australia and New Zealand and currently includes major retailers like David Jones, The Iconic, Glue Store, and Culture Kings. This marks the second retro jeans comeback in as many weeks with 2000s iconic fashion brand G-Star also making a grand return to Australia this year. G-Star is also set to open dedicated retail stores across Oceania later in 2025. Their iconic comeback is more than just nostalgia - it's proof that well-made, high quality denim never goes out of style. Over the past few years, the brand has been seen on model and actress Victoria Jancke and even hosted an afterparty with Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck at Paris Fashion Week in 2024. Helder Borges, Managing Director of Good Products & Co. said: 'For nearly 40 years, G-Star has redefined denim, pushing boundaries and challenging an industry rooted in tradition. But the real question is what ones do we buy first!? PrettyLittleThing shoppers have fumed at the brand for allegedly making them wait 'weeks' and 'months' for refunds. Fed up customers have verbally attacked the company on X and Trustpilot, saying they are 'disgusted' with the label after it failed to stick to deadlines despite asking customer services for help. The online fashion house, which operates out of a warehouse in Manchester, has been in hot water as of late - including heavy criticism of their dramatic new rebrand which some have called 'ugly' and 'not inclusive'. The fast fashion site is known for its high turnover of colourful, trendy and cheap clothing, becoming so popular in recent times, its yearly revenue is estimated at more than 500 million. But according to many of its UK customers, the brand is unable to keep up with the massive influx of returns and process the corresponding refund payments within a timely manner. PrettyLittleThing states 'it can take up to 28 days' from the date a customer returns a parcel until their refund is 'processed'. It further adds that those who paid for their purchases with a credit or debit card can expect their refund to be processed 'within 14 days' of PrettyLittleThing receiving the package. The money for the refunded items 'should appear on your bank statement around seven working days thereafter' it claimed on its website. PrettyLittleThing shoppers are fuming at the brand for allegedly making them wait 'weeks' and 'months' for refunds. Content creator, Dyana (pictured), in Florida, shared a video on TikTok querying PrettyLittleThing over allegedly deleting comments about the refunds The issue with this wording is that customers claim to have received emails from the brand confirming receipt of their returned items that clearly stipulates the exact date they will receive the refund. The brand has now come under fire for allegedly failing to refund the money by this date or even afterwards, leaving shoppers frustrated and asking the pertinent question 'where is my money?' 'Is anyone else still waiting on their PLT refund. Ive waited nearly a month for mine' one woman lamented on X. 'I sent my clothes back to PLT three weeks ago tomorrow and Im still waiting for them to refund me like?' claimed another. One shopper said they were going to 'lose it' because PrettyLittleThing was taking '4000 years to process a refund these days'. Responding to this comment, someone else piped in: 'Im on three weeks today and just received an email saying its going to be another two weeks, five weeks for a refund. It's a joke!!' Salon owner, Leah Jade (pictured), from Derbyshire, said she was left at a loss after an attempt to return her PrettyLittleThing haul two days after the 14-day deadline was rejected And referencing PrettyLittleThing's recent rebrand which includes a change from their famous baby pink packaging to a more mature maroon-coloured wrapper, someone else wrote: 'PLT [are] using our refund money for rebrand.. where is my money?' Meanwhile customer review website, Trustpilot, has been inundated with scathing remarks and zero stars aimed at the fashion brand. Titling their review, 'PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. PRETTY LITTLE FRAUDS', one person accused PrettyLittleThing of deleting complaints on Instagram. 'Today is the date you set for my refund (SECOND DATE) and still NOTHING' they wrote. 'DELETING COMMENTS ON YOUR INSTAGRAM ISN'T DOING YOU ANY GOOD. 'I see youre only responding to influencerstypical. Im actually done with you lot. Give us all our refunds. Its only a matter of time before this goes viral on TikTok. Its FRAUD. Im contacting my bank for a chargeback. PRETTY LITTLE FRAUDS.' Similarly, content creator, Dyana, in Florida, shared a video on TikTok also querying the brand over whether it had removed various comments from its Instagram page. Back on Trustpilot, someone said that they'd returned part of an order on March 17 and claimed PrettyLittleThing told them to expect a refund by March 26. 'Date came and went and I contacted customer services who advised to now wait until 6 April' they continued. 'Today I've received another message to wait until 13 April. Will PLT actually refund me my money as I ordered and returned the items within two weeks. Not happy with the refund process at all'. British shopper Hannah Elizabeth (pictured) said she was 'annoyed, furious and let down' after her returns label was rendered invalid because she tried to use it after 14 days, causing her to lose '100 worth of clothes' One shopper said they had finally received a refund after three weeks, albeit after a 'back and forth'. 'I recently returned an item and it took forever to get my refund. I received an email on 7th March to say they had received my return and I would get my refund by 16th March' they explained. 'A few messages with them back and forth and [I] ended up getting my refund on 28th March. Im guessing this delay was something to do with their rebrand and maybe things are just a bit slow right now but just something to be aware of if youre returning anything'. Someone else wrote: 'As other reviewers have mentioned, I was given a refund date of 27 March. I contacted customer service and was told the refund will be in my account on 7 April. This is just not acceptable. I will not be purchasing any further items from PLT if they are unable to issue refunds in a timely manner. They cannot just fob customers off. It's a disgrace'. According to a subsection on the PrettyLittleThing website, customers are to wait nearly a month - or 28 days - before receiving a refund. It reads: 'It can take up to 28 days from the date of your return for your parcel to be delivered back to our warehouse and your refund processed. 'On receiving your return the next step is for us to check the Product(s). Once our checks are complete, well refund you for the accepted Products returned unless there are any issues with the Product(s). 'If you paid using a credit or debit card, we will process your refund within 14 days of us receiving the Product from you, and the funds should appear on your bank statement around seven working days thereafter (exact timing will depend on your card issuer'. Fed up customers have verbally attacked PrettyLittleThing, and say they are 'disgusted' with the label after they failed to stick to refund deadlines despite contacting customer services for help It adds that 'different refund processing times may apply' depending on whether you shopped using a gift voucher, store credit or a buy now, pay later service provider'. 'Finally, well make sure to keep you in the loop and send you an email as soon as your parcel arrives back at our warehouse, and again when we have processed your refund' it concluded. Customers have hit out at PrettyLittleThing once more - this time for changing the refund policy itself. People have taken to TikTok to say they are not feeling the recent change, which stipulates that shoppers now have 14 days as opposed to the former 28 days to change their mind about an order and return it. British shopper Hannah Elizabeth said she was 'annoyed, furious and let down' after her returns label was rendered invalid because she tried to use it after 14 days, causing her to lose '100 worth of clothes'. 'I was literally in my coat ready to go to the parcel shop - I packed up my PrettyLittleThing return with things that don't fit me [and] put in the order number at the returns portal,' they said. '[I got a message back saying] "Sorry invalid" What?!... Turns out that PrettyLittleThing with this glamourous rebrand that they're having have kindly shortened the returns period to 14 days without letting any of the customers know'. The creator claimed that the time period had reached 16 days but customer services refused to accept the return and has since vowed to never shop with the retailer again. People have slammed PLT for upping its prices despite using mainly plastic in some garments, with some even accusing the brand of using Molly-Mae's company, Maebe, as inspiration. Pictured: Mary Mandefield on TikTok The products on offer at the PrettyLittleThing website in January 2025, before the rebrand The PrettyLittleThing website on Wednesday, two days after the rebrand was revealed Similarly 26-year-old salon owner, Leah Jade, from Derbyshire, said she was left at a loss after an attempt to return her PrettyLittleThing haul two days after the 14-day deadline was rejected. Also speaking on TikTok, she said she reached out to PrettyLittleThing, and this was their response: 'They're like "oh no it's a new policy it's on the website so we are not going to let you return it". 'So I've now got loads of clothes that don't fit me and I don't know what to do with them' she lamented. She then accused them of failing to 'post' about the 'massive change' while they continued to advertise their rebrand. According to PrettyLittleThing, the change to their return policy was effective from February 6 2025. They also claim to offer longer return periods 'at their sole discretion'. 'If you are a customer in the UK or the European Union (EU), ordering on or after 6th February 2025, you get 14 calendar days under law to cancel your order if you change your mind' the website reads. 'However, we may, in our sole discretion, offer you a longer period for returns from time to time. This cancellation period starts from the day after you receive your order. 'If your order is split into more than one delivery, then the cancellation period will start on the day after you have received all of the products in your order.' PrettyLittleThing has been at the receiving end of shoppers' uproar for weeks now, apparently stemming from a total rebrand which began earlier this month. The creative team seem to have embarked on a huge U-turn, as the garments on display are now all in neutral colours and 'conservative' styles, consisting of turtleneck tops, pleated skirts and ruched dresses that fall to just below the knee. The brand has also updated its logo from eye-catching pink unicorns to a more understated burgundy with PLT lettering in cursive handwriting. But not everyone has been left convinced by the creative changes, with some fans even declaring that the brand is 'entering its flop era'. Others criticised the business for upping its prices despite using the same materials, while mimicking other brands such as Zara and the ventures of former creative director Molly Mae Hague in Maebe. The price increases, combined with sizes only going up to 16, have led people to accuse the brand of not taking an 'inclusive' approach. British content creator Leah Tezila said the 'Zarafication of fashion brands has to stop', and criticised PLT for stating that it's for 'every type of It-girl' when they only go up to a size 16 in their main range. She said: 'The price point has increased making it less accessible to its main consumer. The plus size range is insulting in comparison to the normal range. 'I'm also of the opinion that we don't need to have a separate plus size range it's 2025, you can literally just have the increase in sizes shown on [other products]. 'It's getting harder to buy because it's getting harder to live. More bad fabric, with some of us such as bigger people or less able bodied people being able to have the privilege to shop elsewhere means consuming more fabric and other environmentally unfriendly materials.' Harriet Wright added that PrettyLittleThing have 'completely abandoned their core customer' by switching to 'beige and boring' clothes. She said: 'Who at PLT thought they could go dark on social media for a couple of days, bring out the most beige and boring clothes, hike their prices and give us clothes that nobody asked for and think it was going to be a hit?' 'I think they're going to have to go back to the drawing board because I don't think this is going to be enough to take them out of their flop era.' Others likened the revamp to Molly Mae Hague's brand, Maebe, which launched in September last year uses signature neutral shades of brown, nude, black and white hues in all its clothing. MailOnline has approached a PrettyLittleThing representative for comment. Anna Paul and Mikaela Testa, both 25, rose to fame on OnlyFans They're two of Australia's most famous OnlyFans stars and, until recently, the best of friends. However, Anna Paul's once-close friendship with Mikaela Testa, both 25, is now the opposite since the latter made a string of cutting claims about her former BFF. Mikaela made a series of shocking accusations regarding Anna's behaviour, including that she has made mean-spirited comments about her fans' appearances and exploits them for money. She has also made claims about Anna's brother, Atis Paul, 24, whom she dated for several years until 2022 - a relationship she has since branded 'hell'. The allegations don't stop there; Mikaela has also told her followers that Anna has deceived fans about her upbringing, spreading false claims that she grew up impoverished. Anna, who has lost almost half a million followers since the video, has responded in an emotionally charged TikTok, breaking down as she branded her former best friend's claims inaccurate. The feud is so scandalous that it's attracted some of the world's biggest stars, and even Drake weighed in on the spat by wearing a t-shirt with a quote from Anna's response to Mikaela's claims. Here, Femail explores Mikaela's accusations against the OnlyFans model and founder of the skincare brand, Paullie Skin. They're known as Australia's biggest OnlyFans stars, but Anna Paul (pictured left) and Mikaela Testa's (pictured right) friendship appears to be in ruins One of many claims Mikaela made against Anna on TikTok is that she exploits young fans for money via social media cash giveaways. Taking to TikTok, the 25-year-old gave her thoughts on what she dubbed a 'twisted scheme', 'Anna's performative generosity, like... dishing out giveaways behind a paywall reek of superiority. 'Watching her fans scramble over scraps, fighting each other because they need funds while she films, flaunts her designer labels, endless holidays... This is dystopian and out of touch. 'Anna is preying on the vulnerability and desperation of impressionable young fans for her profit under the disguise of self-love, empowerment, and giving back. 'Anna may give back to the odd few people who she posts on her Instagram story for more promotion, but everyone else falls short.' She added: 'Anna, if you truly wanted to give back to your fans, you would use a free platform, such as your giant Instagram page with over 2.4 million followers, or, if you truly wanted to give back to your OnlyFans subscribers, you would do it privately within that platform. The pair, both 25, were once best friends, until Mikaela made a series of cutting claims regarding Anna on TikTok The 25-year-old previously dated Anna's younger brother, Atlas Paul (pictured), 24, for several years 25-year-old Anna responded to Mikaela's claims on TikTok, claiming her allegations are inaccurate 'By posting Instagram stories advertising that you're sending money to subscribers, you are directly trying to lure new customers over to your page, a page that costs $16 to access. This $16 is essentially a lottery ticket.' She added that the giveaways are merely a 'plot for profit' and not an authentic 'giveaway situation'. In the same TikTok, Mikaela also claimed that Anna's personality in real life does not align with how she presents herself on social media. 'You don't know her,' she said, adding, 'These people that watch her don't know the Anna that I know. They know the other Anna, the one she wears when the cameras start rolling.' Mikaela claimed that Anna's posts on body positivity are a front and recalled a memory where she allegedly fat-shamed a fan at an event in 2021 - a claim that Anna denies. 'A plus-sized fan came to you and asked for a hug and a picture. You smiled at her, and you told her that you loved her. She told you how your words online have helped her be more comfortable in her body. 'The moment she walked away, you told Atis that she was annoying and gross and that you didn't want to agree to the hug because she was fat and sweaty. Atis laughed. Mikaela gained over 26 million views on the TikTok where she made the cutting claims against her former best friend In an Unsaid podcast episode, Mikaela claimed that Anna made unkind remarks about her former boyfriend, Glen Thompson (pictured) Mikaela made claims against her ex-boyfriend Atis (pictured), who made his fortune in cryptocurrency 'These were your words Anna, I heard them,' she said, adding, 'things like this were a common occurrence. Seeing your fakeness in the flesh was such a disturbing experience.' Speaking in the Unsaid podcast via Pedestrian, Mikaela also claimed that Anna made unkind comments about her former boyfriend Glenn Thompson. She said: 'Anna, behind Glen's back to me and my entire friend group, would call Glen fat on the daily. She'd call him fat every single day. She'd fat-shame him with her mum'. The 25-year-old OnlyFans star also addressed her former relationship with Anna's younger brother Atis. She first broke her silence on the topic in June 2023, one year after they broke off their relationship of several years. 'It was seriously hell like I had never been through something so bad ever,' the TikTok star said in an interview with White Fox After Hours. 'No one's allowed to say anything because it will open up a wound, but it's healed.' At the time, Mikaela said she managed to work through the pain of the split, but it was difficult because she had become close with his family. 25-year-old Mikaela alleged that Anna exploits her fans via cash giveaways on social media In an Instagram Q&A with fans, she added that the pair will never stop loving each other. 'Will always be in love with each other, we never stopped,' she said. Atis, an influencer who made his fortune as a cryptocurrency investor, first revealed the split in June 2022 after much fan speculation. 'I've been getting asked so much if Mik and I are still together. We love each other so much and decided to be friends now,' he said. 'Everything is perfect between us. We both agree it's better that way.' However, in her most recent TikTok, Mikaela offered a different version of the events behind their breakup. 'I have never spoken truth to the internet because it isn't pretty,' she said before making a series of claims. Mikaela further alleged that Atis would take 'large percentages' of her income, up to 50 per cent, to manage her, but claimed that 'there was no managing,' she said. He is yet to respond to her claims. In her response video on TikTok, Anna warned her followers against making nasty comments online She also combatted her former best friend's claims of growing up impoverished, which Mikaela considers false. In the TikTok, Mikaela continued: 'They were raised by amazing parents who provided a lot for them, [with] their dad making triple the average Australian income per week, had them living in a beautiful house on the water with a built-in pool. 'I've seen the house in person. It's beautiful. Being upper middle class is not being poor, Anna. Your exaggerated stories for the internet have always made your dad upset and me, well, just angry. 'I was a real victim of the system and poverty like you portrayed yourself online. Remember that time when he called you out in the living room? 'He didn't understand why you would post such things, and he called them lies. But you need the story, faking the poverty, so people excuse your schemes.' Anna later addressed the claims in a TikTok that gained over 21 million views. She explained that she never responds to accusations, but she was this time because the claims received lots of traction. 'The reason why I've taken so long is because this all took me by surprise, and it was a very big shock to me because this is somebody who I thought was my friend, and that I was close with.' The influencer and OnlyFans star said that she is 'lucky enough to have an incredible support system' to help guide her through the controversy She first addressed the claim that she called a fan 'so fat and sweaty' after a meet and greet. Countering the claim, she said: 'Now, I do not call my fans fat. That is not who I am, that is not what I stand for, that is not what I have ever stood for.' 'However, I may have called her sweaty because when somebody is wet when they touch you and then leave, and when you're with your best friend, and you are now wet because of them, you may say, 'I am now wet'. 'Again, this was four years ago, but that may have happened. I also know that people would have hugged me, walked away, and said 'Anna Paul was sweaty', that does not make them a bad person.' She added that, because she hugs thousands, her shoulders often 'smell like sweat' because they enter people's armpits, but, she added, that it's 'just a human thing, and people can twist it and make it sound bad in a video.' Next, the OnlyFans star addressed Mikaela's claim that she did not 'grow up broke' but upper middle class. 'Now, I do not lie about the fact that I grew up broke; when I say I grew up broke, that is my experience; that is how I felt. 'When I can hear my parents talking in the kitchen that the budget for the groceries that week is $30, it made me feel broke; when we can't afford school uniforms, it made me feel broke.' The influencer went on to list more instances that made her 'feel broke' during her childhood. She said: 'That does not mean that I was the most broke person on earth; there are definitely people in way worse situations than me, but that does not mean that I'm lying about the fact that I felt broke during those times.' Discussing photographs online showing her childhood home and cars that do not match the description of her childhood, she said: 'Social media is fake, Instagram is fake, it's all fake, and it can be faked, and this is just the perfect example.' Her response on the topic gained the attention of rapper Drake, who donned a t-shirt with the writing, 'It made me feel broke', during a Brisbane concert last month. Following his gig, Drake was spotted entering an after-party at TAMA Supper Club wearing a second T-shirt. The God's Plan hitmaker changed into an 'Anna vs. Mikaela' shirt, which Testa posted to her Instagram Stories. 'He's so funny this is iconic,' she wrote. It's unclear whether Testa attended the after-party herself or re-shared the image from another source. Meanwhile, Paul did not comment on the situation. Anna concluded her response video by sending a stark warning to those engaging in online hate: 'Bullying like this kills people,' she said. She added: 'Fortunately, I'm lucky to have a very strong support system... My DMs have kept me through this. They are so incredibly sweet. 'What I can't imagine is going through something like this alone. There are children that go through this kind of stuff alone, and... I cannot even imagine how they go through that, survive that.' 'This is not behaviour that we can encourage and engage in. If you feel the need to make a hateful, negative video, lock your phone before you do that. 'I promise you someone's life is not worth the views. People die of this every day, and in saying that, I do not want a single nasty or mean comment in my defence.' 'It's all internet fun until someone dies. I'm not joking, it is dangerous, so do not send any hate, not even on my behalf, I do not stand behind that comment.' 'I love you so much. Be nice, be kind, and if you feel the need to be mean, lock your phone and go outside, I promise you will have a nicer day and feel nicer afterwards.' Victoria, from Kent, went to court to try and get her children back in bandages A woman who has been trolled for having a 'mummy makeover' ten days before appearing in court to ask for custody of her children has hit out at critics. Victoria, from Kent, who has racked up more than 260,000 followers with her posts about being a recovering drug addict, underwent various cosmetic surgeries days before heading to court. She filmed herself getting ready for her court hearing, however, due to her 'mummy makeover', she rocked up with several bandages across her chest and under her eyes, along with a compression corset. A mummy makeover is often referred to as a tummy tuck and a breast lift. Victoria also went on to have a face lift and neck lift. Victoria has successfully battled a drug addiction and was trying to get custody of her children again. She said: 'Not me about to rock up to my court hearing looking like this. 'Hi judge, can I have my child? I promise, I'm normal.' 'I really hope he doesn't judge me. I mean he's going to judge me, he's a judge, but judge me for the right reasons. Having a facelift doesn't make me a terrible mother.' Victoria - who had the surgeries in Turkey free of charge as she collaborated with a clinic there - tried on a navy suit set along with an oversized black roll neck jumper, which covered most of her bandages, bar the ones on her face. Victoria has successfully battled a drug addiction and was trying to get custody of her children again She then got her husband Al to cut a section of her bandages off on her face as they came undone. '[It made] absolutely no difference but whatever. It is what it is,' she said. Victoria was then filmed driving to the court in a car sporting black oversized sunglasses while holding a notebook that said 'You look better than Beyonce today.' She said: 'Notebook is gaslighting me, but I'm here for it, I'll take it.' However, she received some hateful comments on the clip, with some users accusing Victoria of prioritising surgery over getting her children back. One wrote: 'I'm afraid to say I would have waited till after the court date to do this. Another penned: 'Wondering if money would be better saved up for the child in preparation for them returning home rather than on hardcore cosmetic surgery.. just first impression.' However, a fan hit back at the trolls and said: 'Didn't realise treating yourself to make you more comfortable in your own skin can have an impact on you in court, It's her actions towards her kids they're looking at not her face or body.' Victoria had the surgeries in Turkey free of charge as she collaborated with a clinic there Victoria received some hateful comments on the clip, with some users accusing Victoria of prioritising surgery over getting her children back Victoria - who has since managed to get contact with her children 'finalised' by the court - agreed with the comment and simply wrote: 'Exactly.' She has since spoken to The Sun about the criticism and revealed that her surgery was actually pencilled in before she was meant to appear before a judge. However, it had to be postponed because she had a low blood count. 'Had it been at the original intended date, the plasters would not have been visible,' Victoria said. 'I refused to let my pride get in the way of fighting for my children and still showed up at court despite having had the surgery on my body just 10 days prior. 'Nothing was going to stop me from fighting for my kids.' She added that the judge had 'no concern' about her bandaged appearance and said she knew it wouldn't have affected the court's decision. Victoria added that people can be 'so naive' when it comes to matters dealt with in the family court. Nat Rothschild upset his parents in the mid-1990s when he eloped with socialite Annabelle Neilson and embarked on a short-lived marriage. Nor did he invite his father Lord (Jacob) Rothschild, who died last year, to his 2016 wedding to former glamour model Loretta Basey. Nat has, though, not been left out of the will of Jacob, who used to speak to his friend King Charles every day. Newly published probate documents disclose that Lord Rothschild left a fortune of 400million. It will be shared among family members including Nat, 53, who is now the 5th Lord Rothschild. The Rothschilds' banking empire was founded in Frankfurt in the 18th century. During the Victorian age, they became the richest people in the world. Nat Rothschild (pictured) upset his parents in the mid-1990s when he eloped with socialite Annabelle Neilson and embarked on a short-lived marriage Annabelle Neilson pictured at Claridge's Christmas Tree Party in London in November 2016 Nor did he invite his father Lord (Jacob) Rothschild, who died last year, to his 2016 wedding to former glamour model Loretta Basey (Pictured: Nat and Loretta) Nat has, though, not been left out of the will of Jacob, who used to speak to his friend King Charles every day (Pictured: Jacob Rothschild) Model royalty in the court of Donatella Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace, unceremoniously dethroned from her family brand last month, has found solace in London. She made her first public appearance following her departure as Versace's creative director at a party given in her honour at Tramp nightclub in St James's, London. Donatella, 69, was surrounded by her model pals Kate Moss, 51, Amber Valletta, also 51, and Claudia Schiffer, 54. 'Queens of London,' writes Donatella next to this picture online. She will now take on a role as Versace's chief brand ambassador. Donatella (centre right), 69, was surrounded by her model pals Kate Moss (left), 51, Amber Valletta (centre left), also 51, and Claudia Schiffer (right), 54 Canny Kate Moss is making a second fortune as a modelling agent. Newly published accounts disclose that the top model has run up 5.1 million worth of profits at Kate Moss Agency, whose clients include her daughter, Lila. The agency's takings, in the year to last July, include an 800,000 profit, with Moss holding 6 million in her company before bills including 2.3 million in cash. Moss set up the agency in 2018 and is on its books herself. Meet Britain's youngest YBA... Damien Hirst was 26 when his first major art work a pickled shark sold for 50,000 heralding the advent of the Young British Artist phenomenon, but has he already been outshone by his youngest child? For Hirst's girlfriend Sophie Cannell, 31, has shared a photograph of the Mother's Day card painted by their son, who is only ten months old. Artist Damien Hirst, 59, pictured with his girlfriend Sophie Cannell, 31, in March 2019 Sophie shared a photograph of the Mother's Day card painted by their son, who is only ten months old 'My boy is a painter already,' proudly declares the former ballerina, who has been going out with Hirst, 59, since 2018. The card features what appear to be handprints by their son, whose name has not been made public. They live together in Hirst's 36 million home in Regent's Park, London. Confined to the kitchen on Downton Abbey, Lesley Nicol is enjoying life on the ocean wave. The actress, 71, who plays the cook Mrs Patmore in the period drama which returns to cinema screens in September, says: 'I've taken to working on cruise ships.' Speaking at The Tabard Theatre in Chiswick, west London, Nicol says: 'I go as a speaker. It's quite good fun. They're very nice, they look after you.' She adds: 'It's a good way of paying for a few extra bills.' Actress Lesley Nicol, 71, plays the cook Mrs Patmore in Downton Abbey which returns to cinema screens in September Fergie's reasons to be cheerful Sarah, Duchess of York has had a challenging couple of years, having undergone a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in 2023 following a breast cancer diagnosis. Yet Prince Andrew's ex-wife remains determined to look on the bright side of life. She has launched an online 'Gratitude Group', explaining: 'One of the daily practices that has changed my life is a daily gratitude list it helps me focus on the good things in life even on the days that don't feel so good. 'It's much easier to start a new habit together. So I thought we could start practising gratitude together.' Queen Mary of Denmark channelled her inner Parisian chic when she arrived arm-in-arm with husband King Frederik X at the official welcoming ceremony for their three-day state visit of France . The royal couple were warmly greeted by their hosts, French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, whom they met outside the Hotel des Invalides. But as the foursome walked towards the Elysee Palace, it became clear that Mary, 53, hadnt accounted for the famous Parisian cobblestones. Queen Mary, who had accessorised her sophisticated Dior cream skirt suit with a pair of sky-high Gianvito Rossi pumps, struggled to navigate the uneven and rocky footpaths. But fortunately for the Australian-born royal, her husband of over 20 years was ready to lend a helping hand. Chivalrously offering his elbow in support, Mary linked arms with Frederik, 56, leaning on her husband as they traversed the historic streets. The royal mother-of-four continued to warmly cling to Frederik while teetering along in her pointed heels. Even later as they stood side-by-side on the red carpet, Queen Mary continued to hold King Frederiks hand as they observed the pomp and splendour of the welcome ceremony. Queen Mary of Denmark held on tightly to her husband King Frederik X in an attempt to avoid tripping over the uneven Parisian streets during their three-day state visit of France. Queen Mary clung tightly to King Frederik while chatting with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron during the official state visit welcoming ceremony. The official Danish royals Instagram page also shared pictures of their grand arrival, with royal fans responding in delight at the King and Queens cosy interaction. 'They are such a lovely natural relaxed King and Queen,' a fan gushed. The loved-up display comes after a tumultuous recent period that saw Frederik ascend the throne in January 2024 after his mother Queen Margrethe II abdicated in favour of her son. The historic decision made by Margrethe, 84, came amid rumours of marriage troubles involving the Kings personal life. But Queen Mary and King Frederik's unified appearance during their latest state visit appears to have put any doubts to bed. The first day concluded with the royal couple putting on a dashing display at a state dinner held in their honour at France's presidential Elysee Palace . For the formal event, Mary donned a see-through chiffon blouse with cuffed sleeves and floral detailing, matched with a sophisticated pale blue skirt featuring multi-coloured floral detailing. Frederik looked equally dapper in a three-piece suit, white shirt, and navy tie for the occasion. French First Lady Brigitte Macron and French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark (pictured from L to R) to the presidential Elysee Palace to attend a state dinner on Monday evening Queen Mary and King Frederiks strong and united front in France comes just days after the royal couple made a tradition-breaking change at the Danish embassy. In place of solo pictures of the King and Queen in the buildings entranceway, the modern royal couple instead opted to display a joint portrait in the one smoked Danish oak frame. Although the Danish Royal House didnt offer an official explanation for the change in tradition, royal pundits theorised that it cements King Frederik's goal of being a co-leader with his wife and highlights the equality in their partnership. Fie West Madsen, a royal editor at Danish tabloid BT, reflected that King Frederik wrote in his book, the 'The King's Word': '[H]e and Mary want to be a royal couple and do things together - and he really meant it.' 'Even though King Frederik is the regent, such a combined portrait really signals that we have two equal partners in the royal couple.' In the book, Frederik also described Mary as his partner and wing woman and praised their super dynamic. Peirce Brosnan has seen generations of women swoon over him over the years - from everything including his role as the macho, handsome James Bond to the kind, silver foxed Sam in the Mama Mia! films. But despite his decades in the spotlight in an industry renowned for bitter divorce rows and public relationship drama, the Irish actor, 71, has enjoyed an enduring romance with his wife. The A-lister that had Halle Berry claiming he 'restored her faith in men' has been with 61-year-old philanthropist Keely Shaye Smith since 1994 - and seven years later, they wed in 2001. The couple have two children together and fans have been won over by the film legend's ardent public admiration of his life partner - who he has dubbed his 'North Star'. After starring in a few small roles in TV and film throughout the 1980s, Keely transitioned to journalism and documentary filmmaking as she joined the crusade for protecting marine wildlife and saving the oceans. The campaigner - who recently showed off an incredible weight loss, estimated to be around 100lbs - grew up in Oahu, Hawaii, and has dedicated much of her work to protecting the oceans surrounding the pacific island as well as in Mexico. Upon meeting Pierce in Mexico in 1994, Keely told People that she immediately found the Bond actor 'captivating' and that he had a 'mischievous sparkle in his eyes'. In the same interview, the actor said of his wife: 'I found a great woman in Keely Shaye. Not if I searched a million times over would I find one as good.' The A-lister that had Halle Berry claiming he 'restored her faith in men' has been with 61-year-old philanthropist Keely Shaye Smith since 1994 - and seven years later, they wed in 2001. Both pictured on Monday Upon meeting Pierce in Mexico in 1994, Keely told People that she immediately found the Bond actor 'captivating' and that he had a 'mischievous sparkle in his eyes'. Pictured in 19996 The campaigner - who recently showed off an incredible weight loss , estimated to be around 100lbs - grew up in Oahu, Hawaii , and has dedicated much of her work to protecting the oceans surrounding the pacific island as well as in Mexico. Pictured in 1995 But despite his decades in the spotlight in an industry renowned for bitter divorce rows and public relationship drama, the Irish actor, 71, has enjoyed an enduring romance with his wife. Both pictured in 1996 The A-lister that had Halle Berry claiming he 'restored her faith in men' has been with 61-year-old philanthropist Keely Shaye Smith since 1994 - and seven years later, they wed in 2001. Keely and Pierce in 2018 As fans became captivated by the couple's love story, they have been particularly touched by how Keely, who shares sons Paris and Dylan with the actor, has supported her husband as he continued to grieve over his first wife. Cassandra Harris, whom he wed in 1980, tragically died in 1991, a day after their 11th wedding anniversary, from ovarian cancer at the age of 39. The Australian-born actress, known as Cassie to friends and family, already had a daughter named Charlotte and a son called Christopher when she met Pierce. After their biological father Dermot Harris died in 1986, Pierce officially adopted the children. In 1983, the couple also welcomed their son, Sean William Brosnan. After Cassandra's tragic death when Charlotte was 20, Christopher was 19 and Sean was just eight years old, Pierce spoke of how her memory lived on. He told People in 1992: 'She has made me the man I am, the actor I am, the father I am. She's forever embedded in every fibre of my being. She's there with me every day. I was so blessed to have met someone like that.' In September 2023, as Keely turned 60, Pierce posted a sweet snap of himself and his wife in front of a huge bouquet of flowers He also spoke of the 'incredible cruelty' of losing someone so close to him and with whom he shared so much. 'This is the first time in my life I've ever experienced bereavement, and it's overwhelming,' he said. As he spoke about Cassandra's 18 month-long battle with the aggressive cancer in raw detail, he revealed how their youngest son Sean would 'play doctor' and would nurse his mother after chemotherapy sessions when she was feeling nauseous and fatigued. He also recalled the heartbreaking moment his wife of 14 years died in his arms while Charlotte, who was studying at RADA in London at the time, was on the phone and Christopher joined him in the room. 'We were all together. And that's how she went to God,' he said. And speaking to the Irish Times in 2013, Pierce has praised Keely and how she has supported him in grieving past tragedies. 'Keely has always been kind and compassionate and encouraged me to mourn Cassie,' he explained. 'I suppose Keely is my North Star, always looking out for me.' And she also supported her husband through more immeasurable grief, when his eldest daughter Charlotte died in 2013 from ovarian cancer, the same disease which claimed her mother's life 21 years earlier. She was just 42 years old. The actor pictured in 2006 alongside children Christopher (far left), Charlotte (centre left), and Sean (far right) as well as his mother Mary May (centre right) Charlotte passed away at the age of just 42 on June 28, 2013 after a battle with ovarian cancer (Pierce and Charlotte pictured together in 2006) Announcing her death in a statement, Pierce said: 'On June 28 my darling daughter Charlotte Emily passed on to eternal life, having succumbed to ovarian cancer. 'She was surrounded by her husband Alex, children Isabella and Lucas and brothers Christopher and Sean. 'Charlotte fought her cancer with grace and humanity, courage and dignity. Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our beautiful dear girl. 'We pray for her and that the cure for this wretched disease will be close at hand soon. We thank everyone for their heartfelt condolences.' The Irish actor reportedly flew back from Eastern Europe, where he had been filming spy thriller November Man, to the UK to be at his daughter's bedside. Later that year, he told the Irish Mirror how his wife had helped him through yet more grief for Charlotte. 'Love is just the most beautiful, joyous feeling. It can come from many places. Hopefully the one who is beside you, the one who is there on the pillow beside you in the morning my wife,' he said. He added: 'We seem to do well at being together and being in love and, more importantly, liking each other. The like factor is a great thing. Love cannot burn constantly. Pierce Brosnan marked the seventh anniversary of his daughter Charlotte's death with a touching post on Instagram in 2020 'It's very hard for it to be so intense. But it's wonderful. I tell her I love her everyday. It's important to say that.' Pierce and Keely's love has endured despite his star continuing to rise, while she has taken a quieter path in her career in more recent years. And while, at every corner of the internet (and no doubt, the real world), Pierce has admirers aplenty, his head has never turned. He often shares his love for and devotion to Keely on Instagram where the couple celebrate milestones including anniversaries and birthdays. In September 2023, as Keely turned 60, Pierce posted a sweet snap of himself and his wife in front of a huge bouquet of flowers. Pierce wrote: 'Sixty roses for my brown eyed girl on her 60th birthday. Forever happy and blessed was I to be sitting there when you walked around the corner early one morning in Cabo San Lucas.' In August, celebrating his 23rd wedding anniversary with his wife, Pierce shared a collage of the couple over the years. 'Happy 23rd anniversary my darling Keely my beautiful brown eyed girl, my north, my south, my east and west,' he penned. 'All my love, should I fall behind wait for me.' Keely and Pierce share two sons, Dylan and Paris (pictured at his graduation) Although he has admitted that long term relationships will always have ups and downs, Pierce and his wife Keely are more in love than ever 30 years after they first met The couple, who split their time between Malibu in California and Hawaii, often post tributes to each other on social media The pair recently enjoyed an outing on Monday night - for the MobLand premiere in New York City. The 71-year-old actor - who was recently supported by granddaughter Isabella - looked dapper in a blue suit, white shirt, and silver tie with his short, white-gray hair slicked back. Meanwhile Keely showed off her svelte silhouette in a lace mini dress with three-quarter sleeves. The mother-of-two wore her long, straight, brunette locks loose and teased in a subtle pompadour. His new drama series premiered on Paramount+ on March 30 and also stars Helen Mirren and Tom Hardy. 'Power is up for grabs as two warring crime families clash in a battle that threatens to topple empires,' reads a synopsis on IMDb. It continues, 'In the crossfire stands Harry Da Souza, a street-smart 'fixer' who knows too well where loyalties lie when opposing forces collide.' Meghan Markle has finally announced that her As Ever lifestyle products will be released later this week - but fans spotted an awkward typo in her latest newsletter announcing the 'pivotal moment'. The Duchess of Sussex told potential buyers that she hopes the items can 'mimic the magic of Montecito in a way you can recreate at home' - suggesting her crepe mix will transform breakfasts into a 'chance to reminisce' because they remind her of 'backpacking through France as a student'. Her raspberry jam - which is made in a factory - will be 'presented in keepsake packaging,' and she advised fans to 'repurpose' the jars 'to tuck away love notes or special treasures, and to remember this pivotal moment with me', adding: 'Think of it as our time capsule'. Meghan, 43, continued: 'And by the way, once you've enjoyed every spoonful of this fruit spread, you may want to do what I do: rinse the jar and use it as a small bud vase for flowers on your nightstand, or to hold your pens on your desk.' The advice came in the newsletter which excitedly announced the roll out of her collection, with other products including a lemon ginger tea blend. At the bottom of the email, Meghan provided links for fans so they could 'follow the As Ever story'. But fans noticed that the link to the As Ever Instagram account contained a spelling error - reading @aseveroffical, instead of @aseverofficial. When the link was clicked, it still took fans to the correct page - as did the accompanying link to the Duchess's Instagram account, @meghan, but fans were surprised by the lack of attention to detail. Yesterday, Meghan greeted her subscribers with the latest iteration of her newsletter, as she raved about her line of products and the joy of the simple things in life. Meghan Markle finally announced that her As Ever lifestyle products will be released later this week in a customised letter - but fans soon spotted an awkward typo. Pictured in With Love, Meghan Fans were quick to notice that the link to the As Ever Instagram account contained a spelling error - reading @aseveroffical, instead of @aseverofficial The website features jam, along with other California-inspired products, including Wildflower Honey, Hibiscus Tea and Shortbread Cookies - all listed as being 'available Spring 2025' 'Ever since I can remember, I've been dreaming up easy ways to elevate the everyday into the exceptional,' the banner read. She then wrote: 'I always knew that I wanted to turn these ideas into something real, and to make beautiful items that spark connection and celebrate quiet, meaningful moments. Maybe mimic the magic of Montecito in a way you can recreate at home.' She explained that her lemon ginger tea and crepe products were prime examples of this. 'I'm so excited to introduce the As Ever collection to you this week. Every item is inspired by the ways I show care to the people in my life, like the lemon ginger tea blend which is a fuss-free spin on the warm drink I make at home using fresh lemons from the garden,' Meghan typed. 'Or the crepe mix that transforms a typical weekend breakfast into a chance to reminisce. Crepes remind me of my time backpacking through France as a student. 'Biting into these streetside thin pancakes - filled with chocolate, fruit, fresh lemon and powdered sugar, or made savory with ham and cheese - they truly are a canvas for flavor. I wanted to bring that memory and experience to you at home. (Also, they're so easy to make!)' The Duchess then gave a shoutout to her raspberry jam, which she debuted to her famous friends last year when she was still under the name American Riviera Orchard. Meghan only made 50 jars of the product, and sent it to Kris Jenner, Mindy Kaling and Chrissy Teigen, among others. She said: 'Of course, you'll find the Raspberry Spread that started it all, presented in keepsake packaging that you can repurpose to tuck away love notes or special treasures, and to remember this pivotal moment with me. Think of it as our time capsule. 'And by the way, once you've enjoyed every spoonful of this fruit spread, you may want to do what I do: rinse the jar and use it as a small bud vase for flowers on your nightstand, or to hold your pens on your desk,' the message continued. 'I hope when you see what I've worked so hard to create, you're encouraged to know that whatever life brings, you can do it too. Your value, your creativity, your joy - that is you, as it's always been and always will be. You are - As ever, and forever.' Meghan concluded the message by teasing viewers that the launch would be here before they knew it - along with an inspirational quote. 'Someone once told me the biggest risk you can take is deciding not to take one at all,' she explained. 'Now, after careful planning and preparing (while also parenting!), it's time to bring As ever from my home to your so you can make the everyday exceptional in an easy yet meaningful way.' But fans noticed the typo at the bottom of the email relating to the link, with one writing: 'Her freakish attention to detail is amazing. Truly. Astonishing. SMH'. Another added: 'This can't be real.' And a third added: 'I still don't understand the capitalization choices.' A fourth wrote: 'Her capitalization and fonts are wonky.' The email also features a recreation of the spread on buttery pancakes, served up on an ornately decorated dinner table Meghan is ramping up publicity efforts for her lifestyle brand, As Ever - starting off the week by sharing emails and photos from behind-the-scenes with fans Last year, sources claimed Meghan has a 'freakish attention to detail' in the wake of the Princess of Wales's Mother's Day photo controversy, alleging the Duchess would never make such a mistake. Meghan has faced a series of hurdles while seeking to launch her lifestyle brand. Due to trademarking issues, she made a decision at the 11th hour to rebrand her business from its original name, American Riviera Orchard. Her trademark for As Ever is still pending, while the Instagram handles @asever and @asevermeghan were quickly snapped up following her rebranding announcement. Following her announcement, it was revealed her business awkwardly had the same name as a New York-based clothing brand, as well as a photography business. Meanwhile her Netflix cookery show, With Love, Meghan, was postponed from January to March due to the devastating impact of the LA wildfires . The email sent out to those on the As Ever mailing list yesterday features a recreation of the spread on buttery pancakes, served up on an ornately decorated dinner table. The website now features the berry jelly, along with other California-inspired products, including Wildflower Honey, Hibiscus Tea and Shortbread Cookies - all listed as being 'available Spring 2025'. Last week, fans were baffled when Meghan unveiled the packaging for her jams - after revamping her American Riviera Orchard brand. The pots are embellished with white labels and gold detailing, including the logo and metal lid. Shoppers will receive their long-awaited pots in a very elaborate white case - which is almost twice the size of the product itself. On social media, people were left confused by the design, expecting it to contain a 'perfume' or a 'candle' instead. Others expressed environmental concerns over the amount of packaging used. One person wrote: 'Meghan!!!!!!! It's just jam! It doesn't require an entire presentation. This packaging is as pretentious as she is.' Others said: 'How much does the cost of the packaging add to the spread ? It's not jam.' 'That's a perfume box,' a third quipped. Meghan Markle has revealed that those hoping to get their hands on her raspberry jam will finally be able to do so this week - as she hopes buyers will be able to 'mimic the magic of Montecito in a way you can recreate at home' Another wrote: 'Seems like a lot of extra packaging for a company that wants to be environmentally aware.' One comment read: 'I was like, no it can't be, she wouldn't do that for jam, it must be a nice candle, maybe a bracelet, no, it's f-kin jam, brilliant.' Others noted that the actual jar of jam was quite small compared to the sizeable white box. 'How much is that teeny tiny jar of spread?' one person wondered. Taking to Instagram, Meghan's brand shared a glimpse into the production line, which showed workers donning plastic gloves shovelling raspberries into pots before the jars underwent a series of machinery processes. The post, captioned, 'Here we go!', racked up likes from some of the duchess's nearest and dearest, including her former Suits co-star, Abigail Spencer. Meghan has shared a string of posts from her nearest and dearest on Instagram, who are promoting her upcoming As Ever products, including raspberry jam. Among them was celebrity hairdresser Ben Skervin, who enjoyed the sweet red jam on crumpets alongside a chai latte. Shoppers will receive their long-awaited pots in a very elaborate white case. Pictured being shared by Meghan's pals While the mother-of-two may have helped develop the recipe, her raspberry spread is made in a factory He wrote: 'Delicious afternoon treat crumpets with butter and @asever raspberry spread. It really is addictive. Thank you @meghan'. Meghan's former Suits co-star and close friend Abigail also raved about As Ever products to her 845 thousand followers, holding up the jam, which will soon be available for the public to purchase, in its 'Keepsake Packaging'. Meghan also reposted a snap from the owner of Pilates Platinum, Heather Dorak, who shared footage of her son enjoying the jam on toast. She wrote alongside the sweet clip: 'Current nighttime snack obsession @aseverofficial @meghan'. Meghan originally teased her new jam last year, when she sent jars to 50 of her closest friends and influencers when she soft-launched her lifestyle brand last April, including The Office star Mindy Kaling. The mystery of the ranked jars was finally solved earlier this month, when she released her Netflix cookery show, With Love, Meghan. 'When I received that in the mail, a box of your preserves, it was probably one of the most glamourous moments of my life,' Mindy gushed. However, she continued, the TV actress was thrown by the labelling on it that said '50' because 'I'm a very hierarchical person'. The As Ever Raspberry Spread will soon be available for the public to purchase, and mega Meghan fans can get their jar in a keepsake packaging (pictured) Pictured: The jam that Meghan shared with celebrity pal under the previous name for her lifestyle brand Staff donned plastic gloves and arranged the jars, which will soon be available for the public to purchase, on shelves 'Does having a lower number make me more special? Does having...' she trailed off before Meghan replied: 'I did not think about it. It was not a ranking.' 'It was just let me share them and then, people started to take it very personally,' she continued. However, the first one was reserved for Meghan's mother Doria Ragland, the duchess added. The other recipients - including Chrissy Teigen, Kris Jenner, Tracee Ellis Ross, and fellow polo wife Delfina Blaquier - were all on equal footing, Meghan reassured Mindy. 'Anyone who got one of those 50 jars that I was making on my stove, in my actual kitchen, at my house, I hope they all felt like 'No, I want to share this with you',' the mother-of-two said. It comes after Meghan launched an Instagram shop selling products she endorses in a commercial tie-up that is sure to be lucrative - as the world anticipates her long-awaited merchandise line As Ever. The products being promoted by Meghan include a sleeveless gown costing more than 1,000, 600 Saint Laurent sandals and earrings which will set buyers back 200 - while other handpicked pieces included brands such as Heidi Merrick, Reformation and J Crew. It comes as the wife of Prince Harry this weekend shared a sweet tribute for Mother's Day in the form of a lemon tart insisting it is a 'family tradition' to mark the annual UK holiday with the delicacy. In a photo uploaded to Instagram - with the comments turned off - the Duchess of Sussex showcased the latest creation complete with a lemon emoji. A smaller hand can be seen clinging onto the plate which holds the dessert, covered in halved slices of lemon and topped by a red rose. It is the most recent creation to grace the American royal's social media profile, as three days ago she uploaded a video captioned 'daydreaming about the rose cupcakes' in reference to a 'never before seen' moment of her new show With Love, Meghan. The series aired on Netflix earlier this month, and has already been renewed for a second season. Say Yes to the Dress star Randy Fenoli has revealed that Martha Stewart once slapped him at a bridal salon while appearing on the show in 2016. Stewart, 83, made a special guest appearance during the show's Season 14 premiere, as she tagged along to help Bailey, an employee of her publicist, pick out the perfect wedding dress at Kleinfeld in New York. However, according to Fenoli, there was one moment that the cameras didn't capture between him and his longtime friend. 'By the way, it wasn't on the show, everybody missed it, because the camera missed it,' Fenoli told People in a recent interview reflecting on his most memorable moments from the show. 'Martha Stewart slapped me,' he revealed. But it's not as bad as it sounds - Fenoli clarified that the homemaking mogul only laid hands on him in a playful way, and it wasn't an act of violence. 'Martha and I are friends, okay? She knows me, I know her, I've been on her show many times. I've known her for many years,' he explained to the outlet. 'So, we worked an appointment with the bride, and the bride said, "You know, I don't like these bones of mine." And I said, "Well, I think that's one of the most beautiful parts of a woman," and Martha's like, "Don't touch her there,"' the designer recalled. Say Yes to the Dress star Randy Fenoli has revealed that Martha Stewart once slapped him at a bridal salon while appearing on the show in 2016 Stewart, 83, made a special guest appearance during the show's Season 14 premiere, as she tagged along to help Bailey, an employee of her publicist, pick out the perfect wedding dress at Kleinfeld in New York 'Martha and I are friends, okay? She knows me, I know her, I've been on her show many times. I've known her for many years,' he explained to the outlet Stewart then gave him a playful slap. 'And I said, "Martha, I think she knows she's safe with me,"' Fenoli shared of the moment. He even remembers being 'very disappointed' that the cameraman did not capture the funny moment for TV. DailyMail.com reached out to Stewart's reps for comment. Fenoli's reveal about Stewart comes just a few weeks after the Martha Stewart CBD founder teased that her next magazine cover would be in a bikini. She made history when she became the oldest woman to ever grace the cover of a Swimsuit Issue in 2023, when she was 81 years old. In an interview with ELLE recently, the domestic goddess teased: 'The next [magazine] cover will be in a bikini!' And it turns out the former Martha Stewart Living star has been working out over the last few months in preparation for her swimsuit follow-up. 'And I said, "Martha, I think she knows she's safe with me,"' Fenoli shared of the moment In an interview with ELLE recently, the domestic goddess teased: 'The next [magazine] cover will be in a bikini!' 'I'm working on the bikini body now,' she confessed to People in late November, before revealing that her 'new objective' is to showcase her figure in a bikini the next time she does a swimsuit shoot. The home and hospitality icon posed for her history-making SI cover in January 2023 in a white swimsuit with a plunging neckline and an orange cover-up. The publication would use four covers stars in all for the May 2023 SI issue, which included Martha, along with Megan Fox, Kim Petras, and Brooks Nader. The Martha Stewart Show host confessed 'every day' on set in the Dominican Republic 'was fun,' while speaking to People. 'I tried on all the bathing suits and outfits the night before the shoot, and there were so many things to try on,' she said. 'You have to throw modesty out the window because they're prodding you and pulling and straightening so I had to grin and bear it.' 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 British shoppers have gone into a frenzy over the launch of Dubai chocolate at UK supermarkets, with some queuing up to get their hands on the sweet treat. The milk chocolate bar is filled with crispy knafeh, pistachio cream and tahini spread. Last year, influencers flew across the world to get their hands on it when it was created by Dubai-based Fix Dessert Chocolatier. Now, dozens of confectioners have created their own versions, with Lidl and Waitrose among the supermarkets flogging the chocolate bar in the UK. Supermarkets are now seeing a rush on Brits trying to get their hands on the bar, and even limiting customers to only buying two bars each. Bingbing, an influencer from London, revealed she headed to her local Lidl at 7.30am on a Saturday morning, to discover a queue outside. Once inside, she said she couldn't find the chocolate, and had to ask for it from a worker who kept it behind the till. 'I can't believe we woke up at 7:30 on a Saturday to queue, but it seems like other people had the same idea,' she explained. 'We arrived around 7.55 and there were about 30 people outside already for the 8am opening.' British shoppers have gone into a frenzy over the launch of Dubai chocolate at UK supermarkets Angelina Perello Javar, an influencer from west London , revealed she headed to her local Lidl at 7.30am on a Saturday morning, to discover a queue outside the budget retailer to get their hands on a bar J.D.Gross Dubai Style Chocolate Lidl UK is releasing its own version of the Dubai-style chocolate that has been sending foodies into a spin. It will hit the shelves on Saturday, March 29 and cost only 3.99 Bingbing headed to her local Lidl where she saw 'a rush on the chocolate'. 'As soon as the doors opened, everyone just rushed in and no one knew where the chocolate was. 'It retails for 4.99 per bar but if you have the Lidl plus card, it's 3.99 and it's limited to two per person. 'People went crazy for the chocolate bars, they were arguing with staff about the limits. We managed to get two each,' she added. Elsewhere, Waitrose added the popular Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate to selected stores on Sunday, and are now limiting the amount of sales each customer can get. The chocolate has become the store's fastest-selling confectionery product. The flavour has proven popular with chocolate lovers in the UK after videos were share of it on TikTok, with stores such as M&S, Lidl and Morrisons also selling the delicious treat. The bar, filled with pistachio cream and crispy kataifi - shredded phyllo dough - and is inspired by a Middle Eastern dessert called knafeh, was first created by Dubai-based Sarah Hamouda. Hamouda created the bar during her pregnancy as a tribute to one of her favourite childhood deserts. Steve Dresser, CEO of Grocery Insight, posted a photo of new signage in a Waitrose store on LinkedIn. Bing Bing, another London-based influencer, headed to her local Lidl where she saw 'a rush on the chocolate' 'As soon as the doors opened, everyone just rushed in and no one knew where the chocolate was,' Bing Bing said The bar, filled with pistachio cream and crispy kataifi - shredded phyllo dough - and is inspired by a Middle Eastern dessert called knafeh, was first created by Dubai-based Sarah Hamouda. Hamouda created the bar during her pregnancy as a tribute to one of her favourite childhood deserts 'No more than 2 bars per person please because we want everyone to have the chance to enjoy our delicious chocolate. Thank for your understanding,' the sign read. A spokesman for Waitrose told The Grocer that the limit was introduced to regulate stock levels of the 10 bars. A representative said: 'Due to the incredible popularity of this product, we want to make sure that as many customers as possible have the opportunity to try it.' The chocolate bar has also landed in Selfridges, shoppers can purchase four different versions, including a bar made in Dubai by Bateel (5) in pistachio and hazelnut flavours, larger bars from Godiva (25), Vivel (25), or Laderach's FrischSchoggi (10.50). Discussing the release, Andrew Bird, Selfridges Head of Food, said: 'Dubai Chocolate is the sweet-treat must-have for 2025; it's flying off shelves. 'It's been hugely popular across social media and understandably, our customers have been desperate to try it and find out what the fuss is all about. We can't wait to see what they think of our new range!' Meanwhile, TikTok users have taken to the platform to show the variations they've purchased at different UK supermarkets. UK-based Kieran Slade located Lindt's version in Sainsburys, writing: 'I've been trying to find the Lindt Dubai chocolate bar in UK for ages but it's finally available in Sainsbury's, so be quick before it sells out!' Elsewhere, a user who goes by @vogue_of_phoenix, managed to snag a bar of Lidl's version in Switzerland - and told her followers there's a chance it's available in the UK. Waitrose added the popular Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate to selected stores on March 23, and it's become the store's fastest-selling confectionery product Waitrose have promised to restock on March 31, however the chain advised customers to 'be quick as once they're gone, they're gone' She told her followers: 'Run don't walk to Lidl.' Anni Olivia Tukeva from Stockholm also shared Lidl's version with her followers - and appeared impressed with the taste. Another TikTok user called Niky, who goes by @zazarich1, spotted a Dubai-style chocolate bar in Morrisons. Niky wrote alongside the caption: 'Guys, run to Morrisons [for] 5 chocolates'. Lindt released its 'Dubai style' chocolate bar inspired by the viral treat back in December. Stefan Bruderer, Master Chocolatier at Lindt & Sprungli said: 'We're always tapped into consumer trends. 'After we saw how well the Dubai chocolate craze went down on social media, we knew we had to get involved and put our very own twist on it.' Lindt's Dubai Style Chocolate is available in select stores across the UK, including Bicester Village, Leeds Trinity, McArthurGlen (Cheshire Oaks) and Bluewater, Dartford. TikTok users would have to be living under a rock to not have witnessed celebrities and influencers taste testing the premium pistachio-filled chocolate bar, with #dubaichocolate currently having over 11 billion views on the platform. In November, hundreds of shoppers queued up in the rain for hours in the western German city of Aachen to get their hands on the bar - with only 100 on offer. The most dedicated chocoholics said they travelled over 4,000 miles to get their hands on the sweet treat. With their camping chairs and waterproof jackets in hand, customers entering the store were greeted with staff members in white chef outfits and offered a sample of the Dubai style chocolate. They were then ushered over to buy a single bar bearing a unique number to add an element of exclusivity. Speaking to the Independent after leaving the Lindt store in Aachen with the bar in hand, Zi Cheng Lai, 23, from Malaysia, said: 'It's a hype, a trend on social media, with people waiting in long lines. 'We want to try it out here and be part of it.' Elsewhere in Stuttgart, Leon Faehnle said: 'I waited 10 hours. I've been here since midnight just to taste this chocolate.' Tasting the viral bar in New York, Angelina told her followers on TikTok that it was a 'dream'. The London-based creator said the chocolate featured a swirl design that looked like 'a piece of art painted by Vincent Van Gogh' and was 'creamy milky perfection' that melted in her mouth. But Lindt can't take all the credit as the Dubai style chocolate was created in 2021 by British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda. The Dubai-based businesswoman founded Fix Dessert Chocolate as a response to her pregnancy cravings and love of dessert, with 'Fix' standing for 'freaking incredible experience'. 'To be honest, not at any point did I think this was going to become global,' Sarah told CNN. 'It's insane what's been happening,' she added in response to the demand for the 'Can't Get Knafeh of it' bar from people all over the world. This is certainly apparent over on X, where people are issuing shout-outs to Dubai residents to help them source a bar. 'Whoever is travelling back from Dubai to London could you get me a fix dessert chocolatier chocolate bar cause I'm dying to try it,' wrote one fan. While another said: 'I need to go to Dubai and try Fix Dessert chocolates immediately.' And a third wrote: 'I'm gonna buy that fix dessert knafeh flavored chocolate bar once I get back to Dubai.' For Hamouda, creating Fix has been a labour of love. She said: 'We take a lot of time and effort, and put a lot of love into our bars.' A controversial glamour model, who was born white, has revealed she liked her summer tan so much that she 'turned herself' into a black woman. Growing up in west Germany, Martina Big, now 36, had a pale complexion and bleach-blonde hair. Today, she is completely unrecognisable from her past self after Martina used melanotan - a synthetic hormone that darkens the skin - injections to change her skin colour in 2017. Her dramatically altered appearance has also left many confused about her age - especially after it was alleged Martina had lied about her age in 2018. The former air hostess first made headlines when she declared 'it's better to be black' as she showed off her jaw-dropping transformation - that has been widely criticised - during an appearance on The Maury Show. Standing before a horrified studio audience, Martina explained that both she and her husband, Michael Eurwen, had injected themselves with melanotan with different results. While Michael came away with a 'medium' tan, Martina claimed that three jabs of the 'special medicine' had turned her skin black. 'In the beginning, I only wanted to have a little bit more of a summer tan,' she told FEMAIL. 'But then I noticed this is more than a summer tan, this is special.' A controversial glamour model, who was born white, has revealed she liked her summer tan so much that she 'turned herself' into a Black woman. Pictured above: Martina Big Growing up in west Germany, Martina Big, now 36, had a pale complexion and bleach-blonde hair. She is photographed here prior to 2017, when she deepened her skin tone with the help of tanning injections, with her partner Michael Today, she is completely unrecognisable from her past self after Martina used melanotan - a synthetic hormone that darkens the skin - injections to change her colouring. She used to work as an air hostess before Michael convinced her to start modelling Speaking from her living room, which was decorated with 890 owl figurines Martina and Michael have collected during their travels, Martina recalled how the injections changed everything from her skin colour and the colour of her eyes, to her peroxide-blonde hair and her eyebrows. As she began documenting her transformation on social media, Martina was criticised fiercely for cosplaying being black and doing blackface - but the model felt she was being guided to her destiny. I thought you have to change your mindset and so I learned, step-by-step, how to match my mindset to being black and learning more about the culture,' Martina, who has spent nearly 67,000 on altering her appearance, said. Body modification is one step, but being [one] in your mind with your look is very important,' she continued. Eight years later, Martina believes her transformation into an 'exotic barbie' is complete and that her physical features align with her new 'racial identity' - amid fierce criticism from those who insist she will 'never be black'. She has also been challenged about her age, after German newspaper Bild unearthed photographs of Martina that were purportedly taken during her school years. Other children in the snaps, obtained by The Sun, are believed to have been born in 1977 or 1978 - which would make Martina 40-years-old when the article was published in 2018. At the time, however, she reportedly claimed she was 29. MailOnline has contacted Martina for comment. The former air hostess first made headlines when she declared 'it's better to be black' as she showed off her jaw-dropping transformation - that has been widely criticised - during an appearance on The Maury Show eight years ago Standing before a horrified studio audience, Martina explained that both she and her husband, Michael Eurwen, had injected themselves with melanotan with different results. She is photographed here prior to her transformation into 'a black woman' as she claims Elsewhere, Martina told FEMAIL that she wants to 'build bridges' between races after being baptised in Africa. Speaking from her home in Germany, Martina Big, 36, told FEMAIL she was christened Malaika Kubwa - meaning 'Big Angel' in Swahili - during the religious ceremony at a Kenyan church in 2019. 'This little church was close to a very dangerous river,' Martina said, in a clipped German accent, during our Zoom call. Since the river was experiencing high tide, the pastor advised Martina, who claims to have the biggest breasts in Europe, against a traditional immersion baptism. Instead, he collected the water in a bottle and poured it over her head. 'The pastor said, "You are very special and I want to baptise you, but it's too dangerous to go to this river. Let's do it a little bit differently,"' she recalled the day she received her new identity - one that 'matched' her body. After three trips to the continent, Martina introduces herself as black - and sees herself as something of a 'bridge' between races. 'I'm proud that I changed myself in total, and so I try to be a bridge [between white and black people],' she said. When asked whether she worries about offending people who wore born black, Martina simply said she receives a lot of emails from people who feel uncomfortable in my colour and want her help to achieve a different appearance. Martina during her baptism ceremony during a visit to Kenya While Michael came away with a 'medium' tan, Martina claimed that three jabs of the 'special medicine' had turned her skin black 'I know that I'm black,' she said. 'And I know how to live my life and I know how to build bridges between this. 'But I need people who are a little bit interested in what's going on. If they are very, very angry, nobody can help them. 'I'm not attacking you,' she continued. 'You can have your place, I will have my place.' Martina, who has 32T breasts after operations to enhance them, also recently claimed she and her husband have 'received invitations from fans in many African countries' to settle among them. 'Currently, we have Kenya and Namibia on our shortlist,' Martina recently shared the couple's emigration plans, adding it 'hasn't been easy to choose'. She expressed her desire to 'widen her nose' via surgery and undergo a butt augmentation before relocating to Africa from west Germany. 'Since I want my surgeries very extreme, I don't know any surgeons in Africa who can do those,' Martina said at the time. 'I am hoping that we can resolve the remaining issues soon and realise our dream of emigrating as soon as possible.' Since 2012, Martina has gone under the knife several times to fulfill her fantasy of looking like a Barbie - including a rhinoplasty to make her nose smaller, liposuction to get 'long legs' like the Mattel doll, veneers for a 'super smile', lip fillers, and implants. When asked whether she worries about offending people who wore born black, Martina simply said she receives a lot of emails from people who feel uncomfortable in my colour and want her help to achieve a different appearance Martina, who has 32T breasts after operations to enhance them, also recently claimed she and her husband have 'received invitations from fans in may African countries' to settle among them Now, she has shared her plans to pump her breasts until they each hold 20,000 cc (or 20 litres) of saline liquid in custom-made implants so that 'when they're filled they will be double the size of the actual record-holder'. It appears Martina has undergone a transaxillary breast augmentation or scarless breast augmentation where saline implants are inserted through a small incision in the armpit. I can watch my boobs growing, she said, proudly. I like the extremes, she added, referring to her 32T chest size and narrow waist. The controversial German model has previously said she will 'pump' her breasts until they are 'as big as the Titanic' in a Facebook post. 'Sometimes I am amazed by my self how much my breasts have grown in the last time,' said Martina, who was a natural 32D bra size but now has 32T breasts after multiple operations to enhance them. 'But that's not enough for me! I will pump my breasts even bigger, Biggger and BIGGGGER until they are as big as the Titanic.' The normal range of breast implant sizes can range from 125 cc (or cubic centimetres) up to 600 cc, with anything larger than this requiring a custom-made implant. Martina's dramatic skin colour change has been well documented in recent years. Now, she has shared her plans to pump her breasts until they each hold 20,000 cc (or 20 litres) of saline liquid in custom-made implants so that 'when they're filled they will be double the size of the actual record-holder' In 2019, she shocked This Morning viewers when she revealed that she expected her future children to be born with dark skin, despite her and husband Michael both being born white In 2019, she shocked This Morning viewers when she revealed that she expected her future children to be born with dark skin, despite her and husband Michael both being born white. Then presenter Holly Willoughby asked: 'Doctors have told you that your baby will be be black?' Martina replied: 'Yep, they said they will be black. We have also discussed about breast feeding and if it is safe for me to have a baby.' She later clarified on Facebook, saying: 'Doctors say that I am physically now a black woman and my future children will be black. And I believe the doctors!' However, viewers on social media questioned her logic: 'I'm so sorry, but no amount of cosmetic changes will affect your genetics. If you were born white, your children will be white. I think Martina needs to find a new doctor.' On the show, the couple who married in Hawaii in 2018, said they identified as black. 'I can clearly feel that I am black but its hard to find the right words to describe it,' Martina said at the time. Coles shoppers are being asked by employees to scan heavy items first Coles shoppers are walking away confused as staff continue to push them to scan heavy items before lighter ones at the self-serve checkouts. Shoppers are flooding Reddit and TikTok with their 'awkward' encounters, claiming staff 'rush over' when they have heavy items and 'urge them' to scan them before any others. 'I was buying a few bits and pieces yesterday at Coles, including a 10 pack of canned bubbly water. At the self checkout, I scanned the smaller items first while I cradled the water and one of the helpers came to me a bit panicky,' one recalled this week. 'She asked if she could void the transaction so the waters would scan first. I said "it's okay, it's already scanned" and I was ready to pay, but she pleaded with me to let her or she'd get in trouble. 'I was a bit confused, but she seemed genuinely worried so I let her. Can anyone explain why she needed to make sure the waters were scanned first?' Many theorised the staff do so so shoppers don't 'leave it in their cart and "forget" to scan them', but Coles insists it's solely to do with their commitment to 'good customer service'. 'Coles is always always looking for ways to improve how we serve our customers and provide exceptional customer service,' a Coles spokesperson told FEMAIL when the first report arose. 'Our team members are always encouraged to help our customers where possible. Where a customer has certain items, this may include bulky or heavy items, our team will offer to assist them in scanning the items when checking out. Coles shoppers are still walking away confused as staff continue to push them to scan heavy items before lighter ones at the self-serve checkouts 'This is all about providing great service to our customers and helping them get through the checkouts quickly and efficiently.' This 'rule' first made headlines earlier this year when a shopper claimed she was asked to scan a carton of mineral water before the rest of her shopping. Teya, who runs the maternity store Me Mama I in Victoria, described the encounter as 'really weird' and 'awkward' after heading out for her weekly shop. And when she shared a TikTok video asking for advice, other supermarket workers jumped in to reveal they are told to ask shoppers to scan heavy products first because they are the 'most stolen items'. 'I was using the self-service checkout, the one with the conveyor belt,' Teya said in the video. 'I was going to purchase a carton of mineral water, and the lady that was overseeing the area was very insistent on helping me. This 'rule' first made headlines earlier this year when a shopper claimed she was asked to scan a carton of mineral water before the rest of her shopping 'And I was like, "No, it's fine - I'm in the self-checkout. I'll just do it myself." 'She was like, "OK, but can you scan it first?" And I'm like, "OK, that's a bit weird. I don't know why." 'But she was very adamant that I had to scan the carton first. I [didn't] know I had to do that.' Teya then asked for advice as to why groceries need to be scanned in a 'certain order' at the self-serve checkout. One TikTok user responded in the comments: 'As an ex-Coles service employee, it's because bulk items are their highest stolen item. 'Even at the normal registers they'll ask you if you have any bulk items first. It's hard on workers.' Another person added: 'As a Woolies worker I don't often shop at Coles but to be honest bulk items are monitored due to theft. Not saying that all customers would thieve - but loss of bulk items add up daily. Same as fruit and vegetables.' 'I work at Coles and we carry barcodes for bulk items to ensure we scan them for people in self service,' a third said. Antidepressants taken by millions of Britons could increase the risk of sudden cardiac death up to five-fold, a study suggests. Danish experts found patients taking the medications for between one to five years had a 50 per cent higher risk of dying from an unexpected heart issue. Taking the mood-boosting drugs for six years or more was found to increase the risk by slightly more than 100 per cent. It comes as figures show an estimated 8.7million people in England take antidepressants, about one in seven people, with numbers increasing annually. World-renowned psychiatrists told MailOnline the findings were a 'shocking' example of the hazards of giving the drugs to millions, adding that 'patients need to be warned'. But other experts have urged caution, with patients urged not to quit taking their medication without talking to the medical professional responsible for their care first. In the study, a sudden cardiac death was defined as the unexpected fatality of a person from a heart-related issue, between one and 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. Danish experts, who analysed all deaths recorded in the country in 2010, found 6,002 cases of sudden cardiac death, one-third of which were among patients taking antidepressants. Health service figures show a record 8.7million people in England, about 15 per cent of the total population, are on the mood-boosting drugs Overall, the researchers found individuals prescribed antidepressants had a far higher chance of dying this way compared to non-users, with the risk increasing the longer the patients took the drugs. But the increased risk was higher in certain age groups. The highest increased risk was seen among 30-to-39-year-olds, who had triple the risk of sudden cardiac death if they took antidepressants for one to five years, and a five-fold increased risk if they took them for six years or more. Study co-author Dr Jasmin Mujkanovic said the reason behind this increased risk of dying remained unclear. 'The increased risk of sudden cardiac death may be attributed to the potential adverse effects of the antidepressants,' she said. 'However, the exposure time to antidepressants might also serve as a marker for more severe underlying illness. 'Additionally, the increase could be influenced by behavioural or lifestyle factors associated with depression, such as delayed healthcare seeking and poor cardiovascular health. Further research is warranted.' World-renowned University College London psychiatrist Professor Joanna Moncrieff told MailOnline that medics had known antidepressants were 'cardiotoxic', meaning they damage the heart, for years. Your browser does not support iframes. She added the study was the strongest evidence yet that this was leading to deaths. 'It's another shocking example of an adverse effect that's taken too long to come out even though we had good reason to suspect that these drugs are cardiotoxic,' she said. 'We know they affect the heart, they change the way the heart beats, the heart's rhythm. 'It's an adverse effect that doctors and patients haven't been aware of enough in the past, so people need to be warned about it.' Professor Moncrieff highlighted that while the overall risk of sudden cardiac death was low in the study, about one per 1,000 each year, the scale at which medics were dishing out antidepressants meant thousands of patients could be at risk. 'The risk of sudden cardiac death is low, it's not a common phenomena, so even with those increased risks, it's still not going to be common,' she said. 'But there are so many people on these drugs that even if sudden cardiac death is rare, that's still going to be a significant number of people who are affected.' Other experts have urged caution of the study's findings, arguing that the increased risk of sudden cardiac death could be due to the depression the drugs are designed to treat rather than the medication. This NHS data shows the number of Britons taking each type of antidepressant over the past eight years. The line with the green triangles indicates the the total number of patients Dr Paul Keedwell, psychiatrist and fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: 'Depression is associated with high levels of heart disease, including sudden cardiac death, 60 per cent higher than non-depressed, life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm, 50-90 per cent increase in risk, and heart attack, roughly double the risk.' He added that patients with depression also tended to be in poorer physical health in general, a factor that could increase their risk of serious heart problems. 'Depressed individuals have an unhealthy lifestyle they are more inactive and lack the motivation to cook healthy meals because of their illness,' he added. Dr Keedwell also highlighted that even if the risk of cardiac deaths from the drugs was real, the risk of suicide among these patients would still be greater, meaning the drugs would still be recommended. What are antidepressants? Antidepressants are medicines that treat depression symptoms. There are around 30 different types that can be prescribed. The NHS says that most people who have moderate or severe depression notice improvement when they take antidepressants. But it notes that this isn't the case for everyone. Side effects vary between different people and antidepressants but can include nausea, headaches, a dry mouth and problems having sex. Antidepressants aren't addictive but patients may have withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking them suddenly or miss a dose. These can include an upset stomach, flu-like symptoms, anxiety, dizziness and vivid dreams. Advertisement 'Sudden cardiac death is a relatively rare event in the total population of depressed people, especially below 40, while the absolute risk of early death from suicide and other physical health problems is likely to be much higher,' he said. 'More research is needed to directly compare the life expectancy in treated and untreated depression, but, as things stand, the weight of evidence supports the conclusion that the risk of early death is much higher when depression is left untreated than when it is treated.' Professor Moncrieff also added there were unanswered questions on the link between cardiac health risks and antidepressants that needed further research. This included unpicking how much of this increased risk could be linked to the drugs themselves or depression as a condition, as well as whether different types of antidepressants carried different levels of risk. Uptake of antidepressants has soared in recent years, despite growing unease among experts about the effectiveness of the drugs in treating depression. However, plenty of patients taking them insist they work. NHS figures show a record 8.7million people in England, about 15 per cent of the total population, are now on the mood-boosting drugs. Previous studies have linked their use to health issues including heart problems in young people alongside long-term and even permanent sexual dysfunction. Psychiatrists advise patients concerned about the side effects of antidepressants to talk to their medical professional about their options. Clinicians can sometimes offer an alternative dose, a different drug, or prescribe another medication to combat the side effects. They urge patients who are taking them not to quit without talking to the medical professional responsible for their care first to ensure they are adequately supported. The Danish study was presented at the annual congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association in Vienna, Austria. In a statement, Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said: 'We continuously monitor the safety of all licensed medicines in the UK and ensure the product information reflects the risks. 'We will review the full study in detail once it is published and consider its findings as part of our ongoing safety monitoring. 'It is important to note that some antidepressants are known to be associated with effects on cardiac rhythm in some individuals, and these risks are outlined in the product information. Anyone who has questions about suspected side effects related to antidepressants should talk to a healthcare professional.' Its reputed to improve gut health, be easier to digest and be better for the waistline, which is why so many are prepared to pay more than 4 for a sourdough loaf. But could that costly bread be a con? Dubbing it sourfaux or pseudough, the team behind the Real Bread Campaign claim that supermarkets and commercial bakeries are cashing in on the breads popularity by producing inferior loaves that lack these supposed health benefits. Here, with the help of Darshna Yagnik, a senior lecturer in immunology at Middlesex University, we explain how to tell if your loaf is the real deal and other faux health foods, from honey to kimchi, to watch out for. SOURDOUGH The slow fermentation process five to seven days required to make sourdough is key to producing its health benefits. This involves a live sourdough starter culture, a mixture of flour and water thats slowly fermented at room temperature and regularly fed. The process produces enzymes that naturally break down gluten in flour into smaller molecules, making the bread easier to digest. Fermentation also produces vitamin B12 and amino acids, molecules that combine to form protein, the building block of tissue and bone. Protein can also improve the bodys ability to metabolise glucose. Real sourdough bread can take up to a week to make But some supermarkets are speeding up the process, cutting fermentation to just 3.5 hours by adding yeast and additives and losing some benefits. The longer you ferment, the more the beneficial bacteria increases, explains Dr Yagnik. To tell if its the real deal, look for air bubbles in the bread, the result of carbon dioxide released during long fermentation, she says and check the ingredients. Proper sourdough contains only water, flour, salt and the sourdough starter. If it contains yeast or additives, its sourfaux. MANUKA HONEY Its potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits make this popular for everything from warding off bugs to soothing burns. Made from the nectar of the native antipodean Manuka tree, its rich in a natural compound methylglyoxal (MGO), which reduces the ability of bacteria to spread and grow. Manuka honey is highly prized for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties The higher the MGO rating number on the pot, the higher the strength, says Dr Yagnik. Studies have also shown that Manuka honey activates white blood cells to kill bacteria, helping clear wound infections, and has antioxidant properties (meaning it helps prevent cell damage). With some pots costing up to 50, its no wonder other makers have jumped on the Manuka bandwagon. The main risk is the product being diluted with cheaper honeys when packed by third parties overseas, says Dr Yagnik. All honey contains MGO but non-Manuka varieties have considerably less, so health benefits will also be fewer. Look for pots that say theyve been packed in New Zealand and carry a gold Tested Certified Manuka symbol, advises Dr Yagnik. For Australian Manuka honey look for AMHA (Australian Manuka Honey Association) labelling. In addition, pure Manuka honey will have been made from the nectar of a single flower if labelled multifloral, its not pure. KOMBUCHA Said to help boost immunity and maintain a healthy digestive system, this vinegary fermented health drink is traditionally made from tea, sugar and a culture called SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). These ingredients are left for ten to 20 days to ferment, producing probiotics (the gut microbes that play a vital role in digestion and our immune system). The live product needs to be stored in the fridge to prevent carbonisation where the live probiotic cultures continue to feed on the sugar and produce carbon dioxide, and ultimately decreasing in numbers when the food runs out, says Dr Yagnik. As well as reducing the benefits, it makes it vinegary. Kombucha tea is said to boost immunity and keep your gut healthy However, some manufacturers pasteurise their products to make them easy to store at room temperature this involves heating the kombucha to kill bacteria that could spoil the product, says Dr Yagnik. But this also inevitably kills vast amounts of healthy, friendly bacteria too, cancelling out their health benefits. To get the real deal, make sure its in the chilled section and check the label: it shouldnt have a long shelf life (it typically lasts five to eight months, compared to many more months with some soft drinks). It should also say its raw and unpasteurised. BROWN BREAD This is one of the cheekiest fakes. Weve been told that brown bread is healthier than white but while this is true of wholemeal bread, you should pay attention to what youre really getting if you pick up a loaf of brown bread, warns Dr Yagnik. Wholemeal bread made with the whole wheat kernel contains important insoluble fibre (good for bowel movements) plus B-vitamins, proteins, minerals and antioxidants which help boost our immune system. Wholemeal bread is healthy - but not all 'brown bread' is as good Meanwhile, the flour used to make white bread is more refined and lacks essential B vitamins, iron and roughage. However, some loaves made this way are marketed as brown after manufacturers add a caramel colouring and top up B vitamins, she explains. Although you might assume theyve been made with wholewheat flour, they are actually made with refined white flour (commonly listed as simply wheat flour), says Dr Yagnik. Check the label to ensure it says wholewheat or wholemeal. If it simply says brown make sure wholemeal is the first ingredient on the list. KIMCHI/SAUERKRAUT Kimchi and sauerkraut are both types of pickled cabbage, popular because theyre a good source of probiotics. But while some brands or recipes potentially offer billions of good bugs in every serving, others may provide barely any. So how can you tell the difference? When prepared, both sauerkraut [generally just cabbage and salt] and kimchi [often also including carrots, radishes, garlic and chilli] are packed tightly into a jar and left for weeks even months to ferment, says Dr Yagnik. Kimchi is a type of picked cabbage, but look for versions in the chilled section of the supermarket which have 'live' on the label This fermentation process creates carbon dioxide as the vegetables break down which in turn helps to produce those powerful probiotics. However the carbon dioxide produced can, once again, mean shelf life is an issue so some manufacturers may choose to pasteurise the product, says Dr Yagnik. With pasteurisation you will still get the fibre benefit both typically containing around 2g of fibre per serving but the process kills off both good and bad bacteria, leaving substantially fewer, she adds. Anything canned will also have lost probiotic benefits high temperatures used in canning kill all microorganisms and their spores which could spoil the product. For proper raw sauerkraut or kimchi, look for products kept in the chilled section that say live on the label. If the label says it contains vinegar or preservatives this also means it wont be live as these change the pH balance, killing the probiotics, adds Dr Yagnik. If it bubbles slightly when opened, this also shows bacteria are live and fermenting. We all know to worry about fat around our waists or clogging our arteries. But now there is a new place to potentially be concerned about secret stashes of fat accumulating in your muscles. A growing body of international research is finding that people with these hidden pockets of fat known as intermuscular fat could be at higher risk of some health conditions, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. And potentially even those without a very high BMI may be affected. Muscles were generally thought to mainly be made up of lean tissue in long, cylindrical, closely packed strands. But researchers at Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, US, have found there is a wide variety in how much fat people have in-between these lean fibres. These small bits of fat are like the marbling of fine lines of white fat you see on beef steaks that add succulence. But while this might be desirable in meat, in human bodies it is less welcome. Professor Viviany Taqueti, director of the cardiac stress laboratory, who led the Boston research published earlier this year in the European Heart Journal found the more fat someone had in their muscles, the higher their chance of dying or being admitted to hospital for a heart attack or heart failure (where the heart cannot pump blood effectively around the body). These small bits of fat are like the 'marbling' of fine lines of white fat you see on beef steaks and bacon, that add succulence Her research looked at 669 people with an average age of 63 who had chest pain or shortness of breath, but no blockages in the arteries (the common cause of these symptoms). The patients hearts were scanned to check their function and measure the amount and location of fat in muscles in their chest. Those with the highest levels were more likely to have damage to the tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen to the heart. For every 1 per cent increase of fat in muscle, there was a 2 per cent increase in the risk of having damage to the tiny blood vessels and a 7 per cent increased risk of developing heart disease. Those whod had lower amounts of muscle fat had about a 50 per cent lower risk of heart problems and death. Interestingly, the level of fatty muscles someone has could not be predicted by their weight. Professor Taqueti suggested this may demonstrate a flaw in BMI. There was a wide range in the proportion of fat in muscles, says Professor Taqueti. Some people had less than 5 per cent while others with the identical BMI had over 25 per cent. These patients might look totally similar you couldnt be sure of their level of intermuscular fat by their appearance. Its the latest study adding to the evidence of potential harm of fat in muscles, including a US study in 2003 of almost 3,000 adults which found levels of such fat in muscle were higher in people with type 2 diabetes. Doctors already know that where fat is in the body can have a significant impact on health. Its well established that storing fat around the middle is more harmful than on the thighs and bottom. It suggests fat has built up around internal organs and means someone is more likely to have high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease or dementia. Professor Viviany Taqueti, director of the cardiac stress laboratory, who led the Boston research Meanwhile, fat in the arteries can lead to them becoming narrower, and is the most common cause of heart attacks and stroke. The Boston study found that fat in the muscles suggested a higher chance of heart disease than levels of fat elsewhere, including around the heart or liver. Intermuscular fat seems to be particularly harmful to the heart due to a powerful effect on metabolism, leading to more glucose being left in the blood which is then laid down in arteries, narrowing them and making it hard for sufficient blood to be pumped through. Fat stored under the skin [the cuddly fat] is less likely to be associated with risk of heart disease, says Professor Taqueti. It is quite benign and doesnt seem to do much. While fat around or inside organs tends to be much more active: it can secrete hormones and chemical messengers into the blood that impacts how well the body can use up energy, which can have a major impact on health. Healthy muscles play a key role in how efficiently the body uses energy, by mopping up glucose from the blood. This glucose is turned into fuel for the muscles. One theory is that if the body becomes less good at moving glucose into cells (which occurs from the age of 45, or if you are obese or have type 2 diabetes), some of this may be laid down as fat in the muscles. This then becomes a vicious circle, as fatty muscles make it harder to use glucose as fuel, as Francis Stephens, a professor of exercise metabolism and physiology at the University of Exeter, explains: Muscles are large and a major place for the body to store glucose, but the fat seems to stop this happening so well, he says. The fat within muscles appears to release a shower of chemical messengers [called cytokines] and toxic substances that disrupt the ability of insulin molecules the hormone which helps glucose move from the blood to dock with the walls of muscle cells, he says. As a result, glucose stays in the blood, pushing up blood sugar levels raising the risk of type 2. Higher levels of fat in muscles may also reduce their strength, says Professor Stephens. Having fat may actually impair the ability of the muscle fibres to contract. Fat in muscles increases with age, and a number of studies have found people with higher levels are more likely to have falls and find moving and walking harder when older, he adds. Currently you cant find out your level of fatty muscle, as it can only be calculated by researchers using CT or other scans. But the usual healthy lifestyle advice exercising and maintaining a healthy weight, including losing weight if needed will reduce the fat in your muscles. People who are obese or have type 2 diabetes and go on weight loss and exercise programmes shed muscle fat, along with fat elsewhere, says Dr Bret Goodpaster, scientific director at the Advent Health Translational Research Institute, which leads hundreds of clinical trials a year, in Florida. We took two groups of older people between 70 and 89, one started a walking exercise programme, which they were encouraged to build up to five times a week, and the other group didnt, he says. After a year, those who exercised had not increased the fat levels in their thigh muscles while those who didnt had. Currently, the evidence suggests any exercise, including lifting weights or aerobic exercise (swimming, running or walking) has a positive impact on reducing fat in muscles, he says. This is possibly because muscles can take more glucose from the blood when youre moving, and having lower blood sugar levels may prevent intermuscular fat accumulating or lead to it being used to create energy, says Dr Goodpaster. One area that doctors are interested to know more about is what impact new weight-loss injections have on this fat. Theres been some concern about the loss of muscle with these jabs, with up to 60 per cent of the weight lost potentially being lean tissue, according to a paper looking at the issue in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism journal last June. This raises concerns about losing both strength and the calorie-burning power of muscle tissue which is more likely to help people maintain weight loss in the long term. But, in fact, it could be that some of what is being lost from the muscles is actually this harmful fat, rather than just lean muscle, suggests Professor Taqueti. Professor Stephens adds: This would be a good thing. But it is too early to say. Those studies are ongoing. READ MORE: Doctors sound the alarm over cancers linked to risky sexual act A Texas woman's never-ending migraine was actually a sign of stage four cancer. Beth Riehle, 35, was at the height of her career as a bartender and cocktail designer in Austin when she was hit with a migraine in December 2023. The excruciating pain quickly worsened and spread to her ear and jaw. She was also hit with fatigue, and her tongue became slightly discolored. 'I always felt like I wasn't feeling good but wasn't necessarily sick,' she said. Doctors at first assumed Ms Riehle's symptoms were due to issues with her temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which connects the jaw to the skull. However, a biopsy in March 2024 revealed stage four squamous cell carcinoma in her tongue, which kills nearly 13,000 Americans a year and usually strikes men over 65 who use tobacco. Doctors are unsure what may have caused Ms Riehle's 'unusual' cancer at such a young age, but her diagnosis came as head and neck cancers have surged in the US. Experts blame rising infections like human papillomavirus (HPV), alcohol use, and obesity for the increase. Beth Riehle of Texas (pictured here) was diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer at age 35 after suffering a never-ending migraine Ms Riehle, pictured here in the hospital, had to have 80 percent of her tongue removed when her stage four tongue cancer returned Ms Riehle, now 36, told TODAY.com: 'It [feels] extremely lonely having a cancer most people my age don't get.' Along with chemotherapy and radiation, Ms Riehle had to have 80 percent of her tongue removed and is relearning how to speak and swallow. '[Your tongue] is such an integral part of life - food air, communication,' she said. 'I've had to relearn how to do just about everything your mouth functions for.' Oral and oropharyngeal (throat) cancers are estimated to strike about 60,000 Americans this year and kill nearly 13,000, according to the American Cancer Society. These usually affect the tongue, tonsils, oropharynx - the part of the throat behind the mouth - gums, lips and salivary glands on the roof of the mouth. Symptoms usually include mouth ulcers, red or white patches in the mouth, teeth becoming loose, and lumps in the mouth. While migraines, like in Ms Riehle's case, have not directly been linked to tongue cancer, later stages of disease can cause head pain that radiates down to the mouth. The average age of diagnosis is 64, and only one in five of these cancers are found in people under 55. Your browser does not support iframes. Dr Karen Choi, as head and neck surgeon at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas and one of Ms Riehle's physicians, told TODAY.com: 'It is unusual for someone whos young, less than 40 years of age without the traditional risk factors to develop a tongue cancer like this. 'Although oral cavity cancer typically affects the older male population, we are actually seeing a rise of this type of cancer in young patients.' The rise in head and neck cancers has largely been associated with higher rates of HPV, which is spread through oral or penetrative sex. About 42million people in the US have been infected with HPV and an estimated 98 percent have been exposed to it. However, most infections go away on their own. Dr Choi confirmed HPV did not cause Ms Riehle's cancer. Tobacco use is one of the strongest risk factors for head and neck cancers, as the chemicals in cigarettes and cigars damages DNA in the tongue and gums, increasing the risk of cancerous tumors forming. After her diagnosis, Ms Riehle underwent radiation 35 sessions of radiation five days a week and chemotherapy once a week for seven weeks. But two months finishing the treatment, a new symptom appeared. Ms Riehle said: 'I started having terrible shooting pains across my forehead and neck. I assumed they were delayed reactions to the radiation.' But in September 2024, a CT scan revealed her cancer had returned, and there was now a second tumor. In December, she underwent a near-total glossectomy, a surgery to remove all or part of the tongue. Doctors removed 80 percent of her tongue and 75 lymph nodes in a 12-hour operation, and she was given a 50-50 chance of speaking again. Ms Riehle is now cancer free but has to do speech therapy to improve her ability to speak and swallow after having most of her tongue removed Mouth ulcers that don't heal, a hoarse voice and unexplained lumps in the mouth are all warning signs of mouth cancer The same day Ms Riehle found out she needed surgery, her fiance, Donald, proposed. She said: 'He made what was the worst day of my life also one of the most memorable.' Ms Riehle underwent another 30 sessions of radiation after her glossectomy. She is now cancer free, though the disease has taken a toll on her body. She struggles to open her mouth fully due to tightness in her jaw and has painful sores in her mouth. Ms Riehle also attends speech therapy to improve her speech and ability to swallow. She hopes to eventually have get a mouth prosthetic to make her speech clearer. Her family is raising money on GoFundMe for her medical expenses. As she works to regain her voice, Ms Riehle is also advocating for oral cancer awareness. She also joined a group called Young Tongues, which offers support to young people with tongue cancer, and posts TikTok videos about her diagnosis. She said: 'Ive had people who have undergone the same surgery as me find me and show appreciation for giving a voice to a group of people who arent necessarily represented. 'Its been a powerful experience and an important reminder of vulnerabilitys place in our lives.' Sainsbury's has urgently recalled a popular chocolate bar over fears it may contain 'fragments of metal'. The major supermarket has warned customers not to eat its Belgian Milk Chocolate Honeycomb Pretzel 150g bar, 2.50, and to return any bar bought to their nearest store. The recall affects products with best before dates before the end of April. Those who have already bought the treat will be granted a full refund after returning the confectionery. A Sainsbury's representative said: If you have purchased the above product with the affected batch code, please do not consume this product and instead return it to any Sainsburys store for a refund.' The urgent 'do not eat' order was issued when metal fragments were discovered in some of the products. But the supermarket said that no other products have been affected by this issue. For any further information, shoppers have been asked to contact Sainsburys Careline team on 0800 636 262. Only products with a best before date for the end of April are affected It comes days after another supermarket giant issued an urgent 'do not eat' warning over a popular savoury snack due to fears it could be laced with potentially lethal salmonella. Lidl urgently recalled its Sol & Mar Chicharricos BBQ Pork Scratchings as 'they may be contaminated with salmonella', the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said. Specifically, the warning applies to 100g packets of the meaty snack with best before dates from August 5 to 12, 2025 inclusive. Shoppers who bought the scratchings have been instructed not to eat them and instead return them to store for a full refund. No receipt is needed. Salmonella bacteria are a common cause of food poisoning and are most often found in raw meat, undercooked poultry, eggs and unpasteurised milk. 'The potential presence' of the nasty bacteria in the affected batch of scratchings could cause 'severe gastrointestinal symptoms', the FSA warned. The government body added: 'Symptoms caused by salmonella usually include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.' Lidl has posted notices in its stores to alert customers to the urgent recall. Young children, people aged 65 and over and those whose immune systems are not working properly are at greater risk of becoming 'severely ill' with food poisoning by salmonella, according to FSA guidance. A mother who traveled to Miami for plastic surgery has died following her procedure. Ahmonique Miller, 28, traveled to the city from Nevada on March 5 with her sister who also got cosmetic work. The surgery reportedly went well, and they were discharged to a recovery home to be monitored for complications. But the next day, the sister Kiera Barnes woke up to find Ms Miller's body cold and still in the same position as when they fell asleep. Social media posts suggest Ms Miller received a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), a procedure that involves transferring fat from the abdomen, thighs and hips to the buttocks to increase its size. The procedure is notorious because of the risk of a fat embolism, where fat cells pass into the bloodstream and travel to the lungs, heart or other organs causing a serious clot and death. Ms Barnes says she believes her sister died from an adverse reaction to a medication given to her at the recovery home. Ms Barnes and Ms Miller received their procedures at Avana Plastic Surgery in Miami. BBLs are a popular procedure in the US, with more than 29,300 carried out in 2023 alone up three percent from the year before. Ahmonique Miller, 28, died after traveling from Nevada to Miami to receive a cosmetic procedure. She was a new mother to a one-year-old Ms Barnes has said online that both sisters were initially scheduled to be operated on by the same surgeon. But beforehand, Ms Miller reportedly switched to a different surgeon. The pair received cosmetic surgery on March 6, and were then discharged to a recovery house called Keyla's Recovery House and also in Miami. It is alleged that on March 7, the center gave Ms Miller medication that she had not been prescribed. She was found dead several hours later. It is not clear what medication she received, but typically patients are given strong painkillers. The family is now awaiting a toxicology report to help determine Ms Miller's cause of death. The family's lawyer, Frantz 'Jahra' McLawrence, told DailyMail.com: 'It is alleged that on March 7, 2025, [staff at the recovery home] provided our client with un-prescribed pain medication that caused her death. 'The police claim to be investigating this matter, but communication with the Miami Police Department has been sparse and almost non-existent.' Ms Miller died in the recovery home that is used after surgery to monitor for any complications He added: 'Recovering from post operation should not equal a death sentence. 'Ahmonique Miller should be alive with her one-year-old daughter, running her business. Instead, she is dead due to being provided un-prescribed medication while at [the recovery house].' Posts online before Ms Miller's death show the pair arriving in Miami in a video tagged, 'BBL round 2'. Ms Miller also operated two small businesses in Las Vegas with multiple employees and was an aspiring music artist. Your browser does not support iframes. Her mother Wakeelah Miller said on Facebook: 'My daughter, Ahmonique, has passed away. 'She was my firstborn, my ladybug, my whole life. Please allow me time to process this loss and begin to heal.' A vigil was held for Ahmonique at home, and there has also been a balloon release. A spokeswoman for Avana Plastic Surgery told DailyMail.com it had 'no comment' and added that 'we need to respect the family's privacy at this time'. In response to an inquiry from the Miami Herald, the recovery house's attorney Bob Pardo said: 'It would be improper for us to comment at this time; Our condolences to the family of the deceased.' A White House press briefing took a surprising turn when Karoline Leavitt called out a reporter who questioned the Trump administration's sweeping deportations. In a dramatic exchange, Leavitt lambasted The Independent's Andrew Feinberg after he cited a court document suggesting that tattoos, hand signs, or even certain clothing brands could be used to classify someone as a member of Tren de Aragua (TdA). The gang are a Venezuelan criminal syndicate that the administration has labeled a 'foreign terrorist organization.' 'You can get classified by simply having certain symbols in your tattoos and wearing certain streetwear brands,' Feinberg began. 'That alone is enough to get someone classified as TdA and sent to El Salvador.' That assertion, detailed in the so-called Alien Enemy Validation Guide filed in federal court over the weekend, drew an instant rebuke from Leavitt. 'That's not true, actually, Andrew,' she shot back. 'According to this document, it is,' Feinberg responded. 'No,' Leavitt insisted. 'According to the Department of Homeland Security and the agents - have you talked to the agents who have been putting their lives on the line to detain these foreign terrorists who have been terrorizing our communities? Karoline Leavitt unleashed a minute-long tirade on a reporter who questioned the Trump administration's sweeping deportations of alleged gang members under the Alien Enemies Act Leavitt blasted a reporter who cited a court document suggesting tattoos, hand signs, or even certain clothing brands could be used to classify someone as a member of Tren de Aragua Salvadoran prison guards escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the MS-13 gang recently deported by the US government to be imprisoned in El Salvador 'TDA is a vicious gang that has taken the lives of American women,' Leavitt continued, her voice rising. 'And our agents on the front lines take deporting these people with the utmost seriousness. There is a litany of criteria that they use to ensure that these individuals qualify as foreign terrorists and to ensure they qualify for deportation,' she continued. 'And shame on you, and shame on the mainstream media, for trying to cover for these individuals. 'This is a vicious gang, Andrew. This is a vicious gang that has taken the lives of American women.' Feinberg remained silent during the tense exchange. His question appeared to reflect some concerns in the legal community about how the administration is determining gang membership. Trump's mass deportation campaign has accelerated under wartime powers not used since World War II. TdA is a transnational criminal enterprise that originated in Venezuela but has now spread across Latin America and, according to US officials, has begun operating in American cities. The group is known for a brutal cocktail of extortion, drug trafficking, and human smuggling. 'Shame on you, and shame on the mainstream media, for trying to cover for these individuals,' Leavitt said during her open-air press briefing on Monday US military personnel escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador There are concerns in the legal community about how the administration is determining gang membership In a Sunday night deportation operation, seventeen alleged gang members, including individuals tied to both TdA and MS-13, were flown to El Salvador aboard a US military aircraft. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the group included convicted murderers and rapists, and emphasized the administration's resolve to remove 'every foreign national who poses a threat to our communities.' But the legal underpinnings of the action have come under intense scrutiny. President Trump's March 15 invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime law designed to allow detention or removal of nationals from hostile nations, was the first time in modern history that it had been applied to a non-state gang and used for mass immigration enforcement. The ACLU immediately sued, and a federal judge issued a temporary block on the policy. A list of the latest deportees, confirmed by the White House, shows 12 had criminal convictions, one self-identified as a gang member, and three were facing charges. But civil rights attorneys argue the criteria used remain dangerously vague. Central to the legal controversy is a court-filed document outlining the administration's rubric for determining if someone is affiliated with TdA. Leavitt forcefully defended the methodology as to who alleged gang members were being deported A list of the latest deportees, confirmed by the White House, shows 12 had criminal convictions, one self-identified as a gang member, and three were facing charges Salvadoran prison guards escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador It includes high-priority criteria such as prior convictions, communications with known gang members, or self-admitted affiliation. But lower-tier indicators such as specific tattoos, hand gestures, or streetwear brands, have triggered alarm. Experts called by the ACLU say those markers are not reliable indicators of criminal activity, let alone of gang affiliation. Nonetheless, Leavitt forcefully defended the methodology. 'There is a litany of criteria that they use to ensure that these individuals qualify as foreign terrorists and to ensure that they qualify for deportation,' Leavitt said. 'The president made it incredibly clear to the American public that there would be a mass deportation campaign - not just of foreign terrorists, but also illegal criminal aliens who have been wreaking havoc on American communities,' she added. 'They finally have a president who is allowing them to do their jobs - and God bless them for doing it.' The administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act was blocked by a federal judge, but Trump's legal team has already appealed to the US Supreme Court to reinstate it. In the meantime, deportations continue either under the contested wartime law or under standard immigration authorities. On Capitol Hill, Democrats have accused the administration of racial profiling and unconstitutional behavior while Republicans have closed ranks around Trump's deportation blitz, arguing how dangerous foreign criminals must be quickly removed. Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokesperson, declined to say under what authority the latest Venezuelans and Salvadorans were deported. Good Morning America's megastar hosts have all turned down the chance to host the troubled GMA3 slot amid fears the slot is 'toxic'. Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan have cited issues with pay, prestige and reputation, an insider close to ABC told the Daily Mail. The popular trio are said to want more money than what they've been offered to host GMA's embattled third hour. They also worry that the affair involving former hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach has tainted GMA3's image. The pair, who were both married to other people, were ousted from the slot after the Daily Mail published pictures of them cozying up on a weekend getaway in 2022. Holmes and Robach have since gone public with their romance, but Good Morning America's family-friendly brand suffered a significant blow. More than two years later, our source said the stink of the scandal along with a round of layoffs last month is scaring off stars. Stephanopoulos, Roberts and Strahan are now hesitant to pick up the 'slack'. Good Morning America hosts Michael Strahan, Robin Roberts, and George Stephanopoulos have all turned down the chance to host the GMA3 slot Previous hosts T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach were ousted after the Daily Mail exposed their affair in 2022 The high-level insider added: 'Michael, Robin, and George were all asked to take over the third hour - they said no. 'After TJ and Amy, it's a toxic hour they want no part of. 'They have just fired all the staff of GMA3, including its executive producer. 'They are going to want a lot more money to do any extra work. 'It's not just Robin and George being asked to do more work [after the layoffs] - it's the entire ABC team.' In a statement, a rep shot down the claims, saying, the trio 'were never asked to take over the third hour.' 'What we have said from the beginning is that we are unifying all day parts under the GMA umbrella and team and that includes seeing all members of the extended GMA family in the third hour,' the ABC News spokesperson explained. 'The third hour is a valued part of the GMA franchise. Robin, George and Michael have been on before and they will continue to be featured.' The account, meanwhile, marks the latest daytime TV drama in the industry, coming just a day after the Daily Mail revealed singer Kelly Clarkson is set to take over from Hoda Kotb on NBC rival Today, and after layoffs at other networks like CNN. On March 5, 200 ABC staffers - including GMA3 executive producer Catherine McKenzie - were laid off as part of a restructuring which will see Good Morning America's production team take over the slot. However its hosts DeMarco Morgan and Eva Pilgrim were spared, sparking speculation about the show's fate. GMA's lighter third hour is currently hosted by DeMarco Morgan and Eva Pilgrim, who survived a round of layoffs last month Some 200 staffers, including GMA3's executive producer Catherine McKenzie, were made redundant But ABC News boss Almin Karamehmedovic insisted that GMA3's format would stay as it is At a town hall less than two weeks later, ABC News boss Almin Karamehmedovic said that GMA3's format would stay as it is. A second source told the Daily Mail how the boss had 'laid out his plans for the future', announcing that ABC news would be split into three divisions: Live and Breaking News, Signature Shows and Longform Storytelling. 'The mood is hopeful, this is a fresh start,' the source added. But Roberts, Stephanopoulos and Strahan are not willing to play ball, according to our source. The account was corroborated by sources who spoke with Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice Substack, who said that Roberts, Stephanopoulos, and Strahan are all in a tense standoff with ABC after being asked to step in and help the hour. Last month's layoffs, meanwhile, came after ABC News shed 40 employees in October. Then, in February, the network relocated from its longtime studio in Manhattan to a new space downtown. Staffers in the Big Apple represented the 'vast majority' of the firings, sources have said 'Its all about doing more with less,' one ABC staffer told the media outlet Status last month. 'Thats what this is.' Staffers were provided severance that included normal pay for 60 days as well as an additional week per year served. The Daily Mail's exclusive photo, which showed Holmes cozying up to Robach on a weekend getaway in 2022 The pair, who were both married to other people at the time, on the set of Good Morning America with Stephanopoulos in 2021 But sources said there was 'some frustration' with those packages, due to staffers being given 'two weeks per year served' in previous firings. The daytime spin-off was launched in 2018 as GMA3: What You Need to Know, and was hosted by The View presenter Sara Haines and Strahan. It has since undergone four name changes, several formats, and a parade of hosts - including Robach and Holmes who presented the slot from 2020 until 2023. Pic story: former serf embraces new life in China's Xizang Xinhua) 09:53, April 01, 2025 Sonam Tashi (C) chats with family members in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Sonam Tashi, a 92-year-old residing in Chubzang Village of Doilungdeqen District, Lhasa, bears witness to the 1959 democratic reform and the transformative liberation of millions of serfs in Xizang. Under the feudal serfdom that once enslaved old Xizang, all land and resources were possessed by the serf owners who subjected the serfs to hereditary bondage devoid of basic humanity. "While we toiled in fields, every grain went to the serf owners," recalled Sonam Tashi. "Any perceived lapse in work would see us beaten with iron rods or horsewhips." The bitter cold nights were also hard to bear. "Back then, I had only a tattered quilt to keep warm during the night. Having any shelter from the wind and rain would count as being lucky. Many people had no shelter at all. They had to endure the harsh conditions." After Xizang's democratic reform, Sonam Tashi, as one of the many liberated serfs, was granted land and livestock by the government to start a new life. From 1959 to 1998, Sonam Tashi served as Party chief of Chubzang Village and later the township head. He traveled to villages and towns to disseminate the Party's major policies and pro-people initiatives. In 1974, he joined an agricultural delegation from the Xizang Autonomous Region on an observation tour. He cherishes the group photo taken with delegation members in Beijing. "Life today is truly idyllic!" smiled Sonam Tashi, clinking beer steins with neighbors. "We now enjoy abundant food and clothing, and we are freed from the backbreaking toil that once shackled us like beasts of burden. Such blessings were unimaginable in the old days." Now benefiting from social welfare programs including the pension and medical insurance, Sonam Tashi lives in comfort surrounded by his children and grandchildren. Sonam Tashi poses for a portrait in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025.(Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Sonam Tashi (L) enjoys food with a family member in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Sonam Tashi (2nd L) shares his story with family members in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Tenzin Nyida) Sonam Tashi looks at a commemorative medal awarded to him after 50 years of Communist Party of China membership in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje) Sonam Tashi (C) sits with his family members in Chubzang village of Doilungdeqen District in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, March 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Tenzin Nyida) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Donald Trump's dinner with comedian and critic Bill Maher 'could not have been better,' Kid Rock has claimed. Kid Rock organized the meeting between the President Trump and his liberal critic Maher in an effort to 'have a little more civility in this country and try and bring people together,' the rocker explained on Fox & Friends on Tuesday morning. The dinner was attended by being Kid Rock, who also appeared in the Oval Office as Trump signed a ticket scalping executive order, Trump, Maher and UFC CEO Dana White. 'Everyone was so surprised, so pleasant,' Kid Rock gushed. 'And the president was so gracious. He took us up to the private residence. 'We saw the Gettysburg address in the Lincoln Bedroom.' Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, said he was surprised that Maher had never received a White House tour despite donating millions to Democrat politicians. 'And I was like, 'How about this, President Trump, you know, extending this olive branch?'' Ritchie said. 'And we talked about things we had in common ... wokeness, securing the border,' he continued. 'The president was asking him what he thought about policy, you know, going on with Iran and Israel and things.' Kid Rock (left) appeared with President Donald Trump (right) in the Oval Office Monday afternoon as the president signed an executive order dealing with ticket scalping 'It blew my mind. It was, I was, you know, very, very proud,' Kid Rock said. Trump and Maher's beef goes back more than a decade. In 2013, Trump sued Maher for $5 million after the comedian said on The Tonight Show that the only thing in nature to match Trump's hair was the fur of an orangutan. The Politically Incorrect and Real Time host offered $5 million to the charity of Trump's choice, which he said was 'Hair Club for Men,' if Trump was able to produce a birth certificate proving that he wasn't half-ape. This came after Trump had publicly spread the so-called 'birther' conspiracy theory, which pushed that President Barack Obama, the nation's first black president, was born in Kenya and not his native Hawaii. Maher told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo on Friday that he had the 'credentials' to have this kind of meeting with Trump because while he's been extremely critical of the current president, he's mocked the left too. 'There was nobody who was harder on Trump or more prescient about the fact that he wasn't going to leave office voluntarily than I was,' Maher said. 'I feel like I have the credentials.' 'But they also respect me because I'm honest about the woke train to crazytown,' Maher said of the MAGA movement. Kid Rock appeared on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning to talk about how President Donald Trump's dinner at the White House went with comedian and critic Bill Maher Bill Maher, a longtime liberal critic of President Donald Trump, dined with him at the White House Monday night alongside Kid Rock and UFC CEO Dana White Maher's publicist did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for details on the Monday night dinner. Kid Rock said '100 percent' Maher walked away from the dinner liking Trump. 'Me and Dana both said there was like - there's never been anybody who's ever met the president in any scenario that's walked away without saying, wow what a great guy. He's so funny, he's so engaging, he's so smart,' the rocker said. Kid Rock said Maher was wowed by the meeting and that Trump called him 'late night' to debrief. 'We're just trying to show people that even if we've been pretty hard on each other, that when you get face to face, maybe we can have a little more civility in this country and try and bring people together,' Kid Rock said. 'That was my whole intention.' For the millions of households stuck with a broken smart meter, last week's announcement that they could soon be eligible for compensation looks at first like a huge victory. As the Mail and This is Money revealed last week on broken smart meter payouts, the energy regulator Ofgem has proposed that any household with a smart meter that does not operate correctly should be paid 40 compensation if their energy supplier doesn't fix it within 90 days. If the rules were introduced today, households would rake in a mammoth 143 million in compensation. And that was just one of four proposals put forward by Ofgem to give households greater protection when something goes wrong with their smart meter. The announcement came after Money Mail reported that soaring numbers of households are stuck with 'dumb' smart meters that no longer work properly. We warned for months that suppliers need to be forced to fix the broken devices or else risk undermining the nationwide rollout. Infuriating: Soaring numbers of households are stuck with 'dumb' smart meters that no longer work properly The scale of the problem is so bad that as many as one in ten smart meters are not working correctly more than 3.5 million, according to the latest official figures. But study the proposals more closely and all is not what it at first seems. Here, Money Mail digs into the detail to find out what help you can really expect if you have a broken smart meter 'My meter hasn't worked properly for FOUR years!' Abandoned: Raymond Green's smart meter stopped working in October 2020 - and it's still not been fixed Raymond Green, 80, had smart meters fitted in October 2020 so that he no longer had to bend down to kneel on the floor to take meter readings every month. But the meters worked for all of four months before they went into 'dumb' mode when the retired civil engineer switched his supplier from British Gas to Shell. The widower was told that Shell couldn't pick up a signal from his smart meters. Shell told Raymond, who lives in Folkestone, Kent, that it was waiting on the technology to be able to fix it. That was four years ago. He says: 'When Shell was acquired by Octopus Energy more than a year ago, I informed it that my smart meters were not working. 'I even applied for a new smart meter when I went online to put in my readings, but it has never done anything about it. 'When they worked it saved me the problem of having to bend down and get into the cupboard to read the meters. 'The gas one is outside so I have to kneel on a mat when I read the figures. I could do without that it's not getting any easier.' Raymond has never been visited by an engineer from his original supplier, Shell or Octopus Energy. 'I quite agree with the idea of compensation. It's time somebody did something about it,' he says. 'I think the amount of compensation should depend on how long you have had to wait for the smart meter to work.' Octopus Energy says it can't see that Raymond has contacted it about his smart meter problem but is arranging for an engineer to sort this out. Stephen Farrell, 66, meanwhile, had smart meters installed at the North Lanarkshire home he shares with his wife Angela three years ago. But the gas one has never worked. He agreed to have the meters installed because he had a really good deal with his previous provider and may have needed to be switched to a different tariff if he didn't get the devices. Stephen, who worked for Glasgow City Council before retiring, says: 'Even the engineer who installed it said it didn't work at the time. 'It means I still have to do gas readings myself every month.' He says that his supplier sends him emails with instructions on how to fix it, such as resetting it, but he struggles with this as the meter is outside the back of the house. He has now switched to EDF and informed the firm that his gas smart meter had gone dumb, but to no avail. The grandfather of two adds: 'When I switched I did tell EDF but nobody ever bothered. Smart meters are a complete waste of time. Compensation of 40 probably isn't enough. 'I have to get down on my hands and knees every month to read the gas meter.' EDF says the gas meter has never communicated, even with Stephen's old supplier. This can happen if there are connectivity problems in the area or blocked or low signal strength in the home. It has made several attempts to establish a connection with the smart gas meter, with the last attempt made in March, but this wasn't successful. It is investigating further and will offer a goodwill gesture. What is the smart meter problem now? The Government has a grand plan to switch all the traditional energy meters in Great Britain to smart ones, which automatically tell your supplier how much gas and electricity you have used. The idea is that it should eliminate the need to take meter readings and allow you to take greater control of your consumption once you can see how much you're spending in real time. Energy suppliers have been tasked with getting smart meters into 75 pc of homes by the end of the year. The initial plan was that everyone should have one by 2019, but the rollout has been so riddled with complications, delays and incompetence that the target has been pushed back further and further. Energy suppliers face fines if they do not install enough, so they have been deploying every tactic they can think of to hit their targets from telling households they must have one installed (they don't) to telling them their old one has 'expired' (even when they haven't). What they are not incentivised to do is fix meters that have been installed and are now broken. So it is perhaps no surprise that energy suppliers are steamrolling ahead trying to get new smart meters into as many homes as possible while frequently ignoring customers who complain that their existing one does not work. Money Mail has heard from scores of readers in this position many of whom have received incorrect bills caused by faulty smart meters or been left for months with meters that do not work. The problems are also putting off households considering switching to a smart meter. After all, it doesn't exactly fill you with confidence to know there are some 3.5 million broken ones out there. So how will this smart meter problem be fixed? Last week, the regulator Ofgem came out fighting, finally promising to stand up for households with smart meter problems that have been dismissed and ignored. 'We're drawing the line on excuses,' said Tim Jarvis, director general for markets at Ofgem. 'Suppliers will need to follow our new rules or compensate their customers.' Strong words and about time. After all, Ofgem has fined six of the UK's biggest energy firms 10.8 million for missing smart meter installation targets. But it has not issued so much as a slap on the wrist to suppliers that take months to fix broken ones. Is it all talk or backed up by strong action? Let's unpick Ofgem's four proposed improvements. 1. Compensation for smart meters not operating in smart mode if not fixed within 90 days. The compensation would amount to 40 or 80 if both their gas and electricity meters did not work. The good news is that households would not have to apply for the compensation. There is already a mechanism through which energy firms automatically make payouts if they fail their customers in other ways, such as if they do not keep an appointment or if they take longer than five days to action a household's request to switch supplier. This system, called the Guaranteed Standards of Performance, would be rolled out to cover problems with smart meters as well. Once your supplier has agreed to pay you compensation, it would have ten days to do so or else face another 40 fine. That should light the fire under sluggish ones. Now for the bad news. Firstly, it could be months until the rules come into force. They are part of an 'initial consultation'. Ofgem is asking for views from interested parties on the proposals. And no doubt energy suppliers will have a thing or two to say about them. The regulator says households are welcome to respond as well but that the more feedback it gets, the longer it may take to evaluate it. That consultation closes on May 9. Next comes the 'statutory consultation'. After that, there will be a decision and then implementation. Ofgem says it does not know how long all this will take. As an example, a recent consultation into increasing levels of compensation paid from 30 to 40 took as long as eight months and that was a considerably more straightforward proposal than these smart meter ones. Ofgem says it is likely the clock will start ticking on the 90 days when the new rules are introduced which would mean households that already have broken meters may have to wait a further three months to get compensation. However, households may wish to keep hold of any evidence that shows they have had a broken smart meter for more than three months already in case allowances are made for them in the new rules. All told, it looks very unlikely that anyone would see a penny of compensation before 2026. Secondly, the compensation applies only to smart meters that have gone 'dumb'. In other words, ones that are no longer communicating with the energy supplier. It does not cover complications such as if your smart meter display is no longer working. 2. Customers requesting a new meter should be offered an appointment within six weeks. This may sound promising but, in reality, it's solving a problem that is practically non-existent. Suppliers are champing at the bit to install smart meters to reduce their risk of getting a fine for missing their target. If households actually want and request one, few are likely to be left waiting for long. 3. Quicker fixes if a customer reports a problem with their smart meter, requiring suppliers to provide a resolution plan within five working days of the report. A quick fix sounds great, but all that suppliers are required to do within five days is provide a 'resolution plan'. In other words, set out what they plan to do to fix it. But no deadline is being promised for them to actually sort the problem. Ofgem says it is considering issuing guidance on what constitutes appropriate action. 4. Compensation for a failed smart meter installation because of a fault within the supplier's control. In theory, this looks like a strong guarantee. Ofgem says it would expect suppliers to pay compensation within ten days of the failed installation. The question is whether suppliers find ways to wriggle out of paying by suggesting failures were out of their control. Payouts: Ofgem has proposed that any household with a broken smart meter should be paid 40 compensation if their supplier doesn't fix it within 90 days What is missing from the meter plan? Even if these four measures are introduced in full and soon, critics suggest they still won't fix the problem of broken smart meters. Consumer charity Citizens Advice says Ofgem must also reduce back-billing times for smart meter holders. At the moment, if you underpay for your energy because a fault with your smart meter means you are undercharged, your supplier can issue you with a 'catch-up' bill for the shortfall going back a maximum of 12 months. Debts older than this must be written off. Citizens Advice is among those calling for the period to be reduced for smart meter holders. Alex Belsham-Harris, head of energy policy at Citizens Advice, says: 'Ofgem's proposed new rules are welcome. 'They should reduce the number of people having issues with their smart meter, with automatic compensation if standards aren't met. It must now reduce the period smart meter users can be charged retrospectively, to help guarantee more accurate bills.' A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: 'We are working closely with Ofgem and energy suppliers to upgrade meters and ensure the transition is as smooth as possible for consumers. 'There are now 38 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses across Great Britain, making up two-thirds of all meters. These are helping give consumers more control over their energy and save money on their bills.' How to get your meter sorted out If your smart meter isn't working, talk to your supplier it is responsible for fixing it. If your smart meter is not communicating properly with your supplier, your bill may be based on estimates rather than correct figures for how much you have used. Citizens Advice suggests that you look for the letter 'E' on your latest bill, which indicates that an estimate has been used. If your supplier tries to back-bill you for energy you used over a year ago, don't put up with it. It can't do this if it is at fault for not sending accurate bills. Ask your supplier to wipe the debt. If your dispute is not resolved, you may be able to seek help from the Energy Ombudsman. Go to energyombudsman.org. moneymail@dailymail.co.uk The thought of Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds making a deal with the billionaire hyenas in Donald Trumps trade and economic team will not fill anyone with confidence. The Labour apparatchik tried to explain, on Radio 4, why the country should be grateful for an increase in the minimum wage. His narrative was risible when council taxes, energy bills, water rates, the TV licence, mobile subscriptions and the cost of first and second-class stamps are surging. The best cheer Reynolds could offer was three reductions in the bank rate since July 2024. He neglected to say the Bank of England is independent of government and that UK rates at 4.5 per cent greatly lag the 2.5 per cent policy rate in the European Union. Reynoldss track record on negotiations with the rich and powerful is not reassuring. He faces ongoing difficulties with financially driven foreign ownership at Thames Water and British Steel. Tariff master: Britain's approach to US President Donald Trump's trade war is to argue we are not much of a threat Despite this, the Business Secretary signed off the 3.6billion sale of the Royal Mail to Czech Sphinx Daniel Kretinsky. Keir Starmer and Reynolds have been confident that they can extract a trade deal from Donald Trump. Britain calculated that humouring Trump is preferable to a fight it cannot win. The UKs approach is in sharp contrast to newly installed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the former Bank of England governor, who has chosen to make anti-Trump rhetoric the centre piece of his election campaign. His rejection of American imperialism is very different to Britains grovelling. The UKs approach to Trump is to argue that we are not much of a threat. Statistical differences mean the US claims a goods trade surplus with Britain. UK Trade and Investment data shows the opposite. Moreover, Britain ran a substantial services surplus of 67.5billion in the year to June 2024. One imagines that, by now, the Trump trade team will be aware of what will be perceived as unfair competition. Reynolds argues that the framework of an agreement is in place. The UK may suffer on Trumps Liberation Day. Yet there is surprising optimism that the 25 per cent tariff on cars and 20 per cent steel tariff will be swept aside rapidly. The price for Britains suffering high streets and retail parks of a tariff peace will be severe. The proposed accord envisages sweeping away the digital services tax on firms such as Amazon. At present, the levy raises up to 800million a year and is an attempt to rebalance the way that big tech avoids other UK charges, notably business rates. A second undertaking being made by Labour is light touch regulation of AI. That is a blank cheque for the moguls of Silicon Valley to use artificial intelligence to override the copyright, TV, film and music rights of Britains great creative industries. Reynolds and Trump have taken to calling this negotiation an economic deal. They carefully sought to keep contentious items, such as the export of American chlorinated chickens, off the agenda. Britains supine approach means that, for the moment, reciprocal tariffs as proposed by Brussels are off the table. Brexit has given the UK power to carve out its own approach. But as other nations around the world are learning, to count on the good nature or logic of Trump and his mercurial acolytes is high-risk. Sauerkraut conquest Some years ago, a boss of Sainsburys confidently told me that the German no-frills grocers Aldi and Lidl offered no long-term threat to UK incumbents. Like other upstarts such as Kwik Save they would not be able to withstand the competition. He could not have been more wrong. Together, Aldi and Lidl have grabbed 18.8 per cent of the UK food market and, if they were one company, would be second to Tesco leaving Sainsburys et al in the dust, according to Kantar research data. One factor encouraging explosive German growth are the struggles of Asda and Morrisons under indebted private equity ownership. Despite aggressive price cutting, Asdas market share has dropped 5.6 per cent to 12.5 per cent over the last year. Morrison, with its farm-to-fork supply chain, is holding its own. Quality and innovation still are appreciated, and M&S grocery sales soared 13.1 per cent last month. That doesnt include online Ocado baskets. Impressive. Peel Hunts boss has warned that Britain is losing companies hand over fist as he called for action to revive the UKs stock market and wider economy. Steven Fine, the City brokers chief executive, said tax breaks for entrepreneurs and investors could help deliver growth but that Britain first needs to learn to celebrate success and people earning a few bob. Peel Hunt also warned in a report that the scale of takeovers by foreign companies and lack of new initial public offerings (IPOs) was depleting the London market. Fine said: Youre losing companies hand over fist, you are losing companies at an alarming rate from the public markets. He said there had also been anxiety ahead of the autumn Budget and frustration and angst after it was delivered. Britain had a great history of bashing entrepreneurs, he said, adding: But if you want to stimulate growth, were going to have to celebrate success and people earning a few bob. Growth drive: Peel Hunt boss Steven Fine (pictured) said tax breaks for entrepreneurs and investors could help deliver growth but that Britain first needs to learn to celebrate success' Fine called for a revival of entrepreneurs relief, which allowed founders to pay a lower rate of capital gains tax when selling their business but has since been scaled back, but only if they carry out an IPO. He said Britain had a great history of bashing entrepreneurs and success, adding: But if you want to stimulate growth and you want to get things going, were going to have to celebrate success and people earning a few bob. He also called for the restoration of dividend tax credits for pension funds that were abolished by then chancellor Gordon Brown in 1997. For a cost of just a few hundred million pounds it will encourage retirement schemes to increase they have allocated to UK equities. A relative of the late Queen Mother has scooped almost 40million after selling his deodorant brand Wild. Unilever bought the company in a deal reportedly worth 230million, valuing the 17 per cent stake held by Charlie Bowes-Lyon at 39.1million. Bowes-Lyon, 35 a first cousin three times removed of the Queen Mother set up Wild in April 2020 with his best friend Freddy Ward, 36, who he went to school with in Dunbar, Scotland. Ward, who previously worked for meal delivery firm Hello Fresh, netted some 62million from the sale for his 26.9 per cent stake. Wild claims its plant-based products are better for you than typical brands using aluminium. The deodorants, which cost from 12, come in plastic-free cases that need refills. Wild, which is sold in Boots, Tesco, Sainsburys and Ocado, made 47million sales and 509,000 profits in 2023, according to its most recently filed accounts. Shares in British chip designer Alphawave soared yesterday after a takeover approach from a US rival. The stock jumped 46.5 per cent to value it at 1billion after Qualcomm said it was considering making an offer. A takeover would be a bitter setback for London as it struggles to attract hi-tech companies and others to the stock market, with many flocking to New York. Questions have been asked about the Citys status as a financial centre of the future since Cambridge-based chip designer Arm opted to list in the US rather than the UK three years ago. Arm is now valued at some 90billion which would make it the fifth biggest company in the FTSE 100 behind AstraZeneca, Shell, HSBC and Unilever had it listed in London. The approach by Qualcomm comes after Arm also looked at making a bid for Alphawave underlining its value to major players in the industry. Takeover talk: Uk chipmaker Alphawave jumped 46.5% to value it at 1n after Qualcomm said it was considering making an offer But the company has proved far less loved at home, however, with its shares tumbling 80 per cent from its peak in 2021 soon after it listed to yesterday before the Qualcomm approach. Alphawave designs and licenses semiconductor technology for data centres, networking and storage. Its serdes technology determines how fast information can be processed by chips crucial for AI development. Under UK takeover rules, San Diego-based Qualcomm now has until April 29 to make a firm offer or walk away. A spokesman for the US giant said: There can be no certainty that any firm offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which any firm offer might be made. With a Union Flag fluttering in the breeze alongside an EU banner, this crime boss is hardly secretive about where he makes his money. The emblems decorate a garage that is allegedly used by an Iraqi Kurdish people smuggler as a hub to house migrants seeking to make the journey west, and then across the Channel, to the UK. Just down the road stands his luxury villa - its ornate marble facade and floor-to-ceiling doorway standing testament to the vast profits generated by his brutal trade. The properties in the small, impoverished city of Said Sadiq in Iraqi Kurdistan also point to the changing nature of cross-Channel people smuggling and the crime bosses behind it. With the number of migrants arriving in the UK via this dangerous route reaching record levels, understanding who they are and how they operate is a task of the utmost importance for British police. At first, the question of who they are may seem obvious. After all, the stranglehold exerted by Albanian gangsters over organised crime in the UK, particularly the drugs trade, has been well documented. But while these groups are active in northern France, specialists such as the UK's National Crime Agency have found that even they now have to pay homage to kingpins from Iraqi Kurdistan (such as this burgeoning property magnate). Your browser does not support iframes. Amanj Hasan Zada, 33, was handed a 17-year prison sentence for people smuggling last year. While he is an Iranian Kurd, their counterparts in Iraqi now dominate the cross-Channel trade Zada was feted in a bizarre music video as 'the best smuggler' before he was busted by the NCA The house and garage were identified in a 2024 study on small boat smuggling by The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime. They cited reports from locals but did not give the man's name. If the properties were indeed funded by smuggling, they serve as proof of the power that criminals from Iraqi Kurdistan now exert over the coastline of northern France. For while they now appear to be dominant, they were not actually the first to start smuggling by migrants by boat. This grim accolade goes to their fellow Kurds originating in Iran, who are now said to have been muscled off their pedestal and pushed away to a relatively small area of territory to the west of Calais. While Albanians are still actively involved in smuggling, they are described as working as 'clients and middlemen' for the Iraqi Kurds. Much of this success has been earned through violence, with gangs known to wage wars against rivals with the help of hired thugs armed with AK-47s, grenades and revolvers. They have even turned their fire on police - resulting last month in the death of one man in a shootout near Dijon between a gang of smugglers and officers targeting a ring bringing migrants to the UK. Yet just as significant as their ability to cower and intimidate are their organisational abilities, with traffickers employing slick sales tactics and modern marketing to grease the wheels of their deadly business. A lavish villa in Iraqi Kurdistan that allegedly belongs to a major local people smuggler A Union Flag and an EU banner flutter above a garage that is said to also be owned by the man Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. According to Dr Peter William Walsh, Senior Researcher at the Migration Observatory, the enticing profit margins on offer to smugglers made it inevitable the industry would become 'organised and industrialised'. 'We know there are a lot of people who are willing to pay a lot of money for the services that smugglers provide so the crossings are big business,' he told MailOnline. 'They are charging 2,000 Euros per person and cramming the boat with more than 50 people, so that's 100,000 or more per boat. The cost of arranging for the crossing is far less, so the profit margin is significant.' The number of Channel migrants arriving in the UK has set a new record for the first three months of the year - loading more pressure to find a solution to the crisis. There have been 5,847 arrivals so far in 2025, including 335 yesterday, according to provisional Home Office figures. Tony Smith, the former head of Border Force, said that police action against gangs was like a game of 'whack-a-mole', with another group popping up as soon as one had been suppressed. The fact that smuggling was taking place abroad posed an additional challenge to British law enforcement, he explained. 'There's quite a lot of work going on internationally but the problem we've got is that because the mischief is taking place outside of UK jurisdiction we are reliant on local enforcement to act. 'And we already know that the French police only do so much, so getting them to start rounding up the gang leaders and extraditing them to the UK to face trial is a big ask. 'Migrants from the likes of Iran and Afghanistan also know that if they get to the UK they will probably get asylum. 'We don't have return deals with those countries, so unless you can send them to a third country - like Rwanda - then the problem will continue.' Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 42, ran a people smuggling empire from a Welsh car wash The pair used the Fast Track Hand Car Wash in Caerphilly as a front of their illegal activities How the Hawala system helps pay for crossings 1 - Smuggler gives migrant in one country, such as Iraq, a list of trusted money transfer agents (Hawaladars). They give cash to them alongside the smuggler's details and a code. 2 - When a UK-based smuggler wants their money, they contact a linked hawaladar in Britain and give them a secret code to release the funds. 3 - When someone wants to send money from the UK to Iraq, the debt balances out - meaning no actual money has to be sent across borders. Advertisement Mr Smith believes the dominance of Kurdish gangs can be partly explained by their presence along the smuggling route stretching back from Europe to the Middle East. 'They are part of a network that goes all the way back to the Kurdish regions in Iraq and Iran,' he said. 'And with the money flowing through their own banking system it's really hard to penetrate. 'The Iraqis groups are sophisticated and lots of money is being made. The Albanians are still involved though and there have been turf wars between them and the Kurds.' An insight into how these gangs operate came late last year with the prosecution of two Kurds - Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40 - for organising a global people smuggling operation from an apparently ordinary car wash in South Wales. Posing as legitimate businessmen, Shamo, who was born in Iraq, and Khdir, originally from Iran, transported migrants across Europe in cars, lorries and boats in a major conspiracy coordinated via WhatsApp. Central to their operations was the hawala system, an ancient banking method which is used to transfer money across borders through the use of trusted agents, known as hawaladars. Rather than carrying out real cash transfers, hawala works through balanced debt. While Albanians are still involved in smuggling, they are described as working as 'middlemen' for the Iraqi Kurds. Pictured is 49-year-old Arsen Feci, who was jailed earlier this year Someone wishing to send money from one country to the UK can leave the cash with a local hawaladar, with the pair agreeing a password. The recipient of the funds will then collect them from a linked hawaladar in Britain. When someone wants to send the same amount from the UK to Iraq the debt evens out - meaning no actual money ever has to be sent. For Shamo and Khdir, hawala gave them a way to transfer money without leaving an official record, with hawaladars in Iraq and Istanbul receiving cash from migrants making their way to Europe. Once a deposit was obtained, they would receive an OK for migrants to be moved by a specified route or within a timeframe - often as part of a full service package covering transportation to the UK from the migrants' countries or origin. The pair were eventually found out when the NCA uncovered their roles in a much larger organised crime group and were able to source messages exposing their exploitation of the hawala system. And in a more modern twist, they also used social media to share videos of people who had already made the journey in order to promote their services. In one video, one family says: 'We are very happy... this is the visa, may god bless him, we are really happy'. This map shows the areas were migrants are typically held by smugglers before being brought to the coast when a boat is available. This technique is used to evade police This blending of modern business practices with old school brutality is characteristic of the Iraqi Kurdish gangs operating along the coast of northern France. According to the The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, the territories they oversee are controlled not by one all-powerful kingpin but a series of disparate groups based on their home regions. Each network is said to consist of between eight and twelve people, with the boss usually living abroad alongside a consigliere. In France, the other group members oversee different functions, from guiding the migrants to their departure points to organising logistics and looking out for rival criminal networks. While violence between gangs is common, they cooperate with each other in some circumstances, such as when there are too many migrants arriving at one time for one of them to handle alone. Another tactic is to hold migrants away from the coast to avoid police before quickly transporting them to the boats when they are ready to depart - reducing the likelihood of being arrested. While it is often these lesser criminals who are picked up by police, a number of kingpins have been successfully brought to justice. Kurdish areas of Iraq and Iran lie on the route towards continental Europe and the UK - a fact that has helped them tighten their grip over the trade They include 33-year-old Amanj Hasan Zada, who was handed a 17-year prison sentence last year. One video, found on YouTube by the NCA and thought to have been recorded in Iraq in 2021, showed him at a party with musicians singing a song in Kurdish feting him as 'the best smuggler' while he throws cash at them and fires a gun in the air in celebration. Analysis found the Iranian's phone was linked to several social media accounts that were used to promote his smuggling services. He was also secretly recorded threatening to cut a man's leg off after one migrant was allowed to pay half price. More successful prosecutions may soon follow, with two suspected smugglers and a Hawala banker arrested by the NCA in January. But with some gangs estimated to be earning more than a million 920,000 (770,000) a month, many more will surely replace them. Advertisement Taxpayers are pumping millions into 'virtue-signalling' projects instead of genuine 'humanitarian relief', critics of Britain's foreign aid spending claim. In the second-part of MailOnline's damning investigation laying bare the extraordinary scale of the UK's 'wasted' budget, we have built a search tool listing all 3,250 programmes where Government aid projects are still classified as 'active'. It also reveals hundreds of schemes have seemingly overspent, with some listed as being almost 15,000 per cent over budget. One example which has irritated MPs and experts alike is a four-year medical study investigating ways to 'prevent diabetic foot ulcers in Peru'. That scheme, originally budgeted 175,000, has already racked up nearly half a million pounds in costs. Another scheme that has sparked outrage is the Education, Justice and Memory Network (EdJAM), which ran for four years between 2020-24 in Pakistan. It aimed to educate the people of Pakistan on the country's violent past through 'innovative practices for teaching and learning'. The scheme ran 3.6m over its 1.8m budget. William Yarwood, media campaign manager at the TaxPayer's Alliance, told MailOnline: 'Brits are sick of ministers throwing their money at foreign aid projects that do nothing but tick trendy boxes. 'More often than not, what's being funded isn't humanitarian relief but a taxpayer-funded exercise in virtue signalling. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. 'The government needs to stop this madness and use this money at home where it's most needed.' In total, Britain gave 15.3bn towards foreign aid 2023/24. But MailOnline's analysis only looks at 2.1bn of the UK's official development assistance (ODA) otherwise known as our foreign aid budget. This is because the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) only publishes a fraction of the nation-specific programmes the UK funds. It means exactly where the other billions went will remain a mystery until the receipts for 2024/25 are counted up and published this autumn. There is no shortage of questionable, taxpayer-bankrolled aid projects in recent years. Some, such as a quarter of a million pound tranche for 'culturally sensitive mental health and wellbeing services' for the Kankuamo people of Colombia ran 50,000 over budget. Others continue to overshoot by a lot more. The 'Country and Regional Grants and Fellowships Programme' for the Fleming Fund dedicated to fighting drug resistance is the most over-budget project under the whole FCDO banner. Launched in 2016, and due to end on March 31, 2025, the initial 67million pricetag has run up to 211.2million. The project seeks to explore antimcrobial resistance across West, East and Southern Africa and is being run exclusively by Croydon-based management consultancy firm, Mott Macdonald. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Elsewhere, Malaysia, a country whose GDP per capita is higher than over 100 UK local authorities, is the recipient of a renewable energy grant from the UK's self-described innovation agency, Innovate UK. Despite a project budget of 0 between May 2024 and April 2026, the scheme has already run up 131,291 in costs and is less than half way to completion. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a whopping 15million from British taxpayers will go towards improving the facilities and crossing protocol at the country's border with Uganda. A handful of projects ran by the Met Office Newton Fund, originally budgeted to be just over 140,000, have since racked up bills exceeding 21m. It comes after MailOnline revealed how nearly a third of the budget is being swallowed by hosting asylum seekers and refugees in Britain. Close to 4.3bn was spent on so-called 'in donor refugee costs' in 2023 a nine-fold rise since before Covid, reflecting the soaring toll of small boat crossings. Up to 8.2m per day goes towards accommodation for asylum seekers, with the rest of the pot divided towards education, health and other social needs. Sarah Champion, Labour MP for Rotherham, said the spend on in-house migrants represented one of the worst fiscal judgements from the Home Office. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) watchdog, which scrutinises the UK's official development assistance (ODA) or overseas aid budget, warns vital projects will inevitably be canned unless the government slashes the bill. The UK allocated just 2.7bn directly to specific countries in bilateral aid in 2023 down from 5.9bn in 2019. The ICAI said the cut was 'heavily impacted by budget reductions and rising in-donor refugee costs'. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Labour has vowed to slash the ODA pot to just 0.3 per cent of GNI by 2027, under plans to save in excess of 6bn that year alone. This will all instead be pumped into defence spending to bolster Britain's military might should tensions with Russia boil over into a full-blown conflict. An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are committed to modernising our approach with less money: working with our partners in new ways to maximise our impact. 'These latest changes to the ODA budget will give greater certainty and stability, helping us provide the best value for money for taxpayers. 'The UK ODA budget will be gradually reduced from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent GNI by 2027/28, in order to fund a necessary increase in defence spending. 'To enable us to deliver this change effectively, we are maximising our flexibility by focusing on meeting legally binding commitments and delivering work already underway, while continuing to play a key humanitarian role in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan. 'Our development spending is a strategic investment that contributes to a safer, more prosperous UK. Global challenges like conflict, the climate crisis and poverty directly affect British lives, through irregular migration pressures, reduced trading opportunities and threats to our national security.' The mother of a law student mistakenly gunned down in a botched drive-by shooting has told how she screamed and fell to the floor upon being told she had been killed. Aya Hachem, 19, who dreamed of becoming a solicitor, had fled from violence in her native Lebanon as a child to settle with her family in Blackburn, Lancashire. Miss Hachem was shot on May 17, 2020 while on a trip to a nearby supermarket to buy food for when her family would break their Ramadan fast that evening. The Salford University international law student died in hospital after a bullet entered her left shoulder, passed through her body and embedded itself in a telegraph pole. Tyre firm boss Feroz Suleman had arranged the execution of a rival businessman in broad daylight but the gunman he hired instead shot dead innocent Miss Hachem. The case features in the first episode of a new four-part series of the documentary 'Murder Scene: The Incident Room' which airs on 5 tomorrow evening at 8pm. Speaking in the programme, Miss Hachem's mother Samar Salame told how the family fled Lebanon because of the threat of violence - but it followed them to the UK. She said: 'From 2011 we were living there in Blackburn. It looked like a safe place and we came here to the UK because it's safe. Our country is not a safe place to us. Aya Hachem's mother Samar Salame (left) and brother Ibrahim Hachem (right) spoke about the 19-year-old student in a new episode of 5's documentary 'Murder Scene: The Incident Room' Aya Hachem, 19, had fled from violence in her native Lebanon as a child to settle in Blackburn Tyre firm boss Feroz Suleman (pictured) had arranged the execution of a rival businessman in broad daylight but the gunman he hired instead shot dead innocent Miss Hachem 'We never thought like, shooting and gun will be in the UK. But there is no safe, no safety there or anywhere.' Speaking about the final time she saw Miss Hachem, Ms Salame added: 'I was at home, it was during Ramadan. I called her from her room - she woke up early 'Can you please go to bring me some stuff?' And she said 'Yes, I will go'. 'She sat on the stairs, wore her shoes and shut the door and went to Lidl. She didn't come back.' Then, emotionally recalling the moment a police officer broke the news of her death, Ms Salame said: 'They told us what happened. I started to scream. 'I fell down on the floor. We didn't believe what's happened. Only took five minutes and she left us.' Miss Hachem's father, Ismail Hachem, who does not appear in the documentary, fled violence in Lebanon in 2010 after he was persecuted for being a member of the army. His family joined him in the UK the following year amid fears for their lives and moved around the country before they finally settled in Blackburn. Ms Salame said that Miss Hachem wanted to be a lawyer to 'help others', adding that she studied 'very hard through the years, especially the last year of her life'. The gunman, Zamir Raja (left), 33, of Stretford, was jailed for a minimum of 34 years and his driver, Anthony Ennis (right), 31, of Partington, for at least 33 years Accomplices Ayaz Hussain (left), 36, and Abubakr Satia (right), 32, both of Blackburn; were handed minimum terms of 32 years and 28 years respectively Uthman Satia (left), 29, of Great Harwood; and Kashif Manzoor, 26, of Blackburn, were jailed for 28 years and 27 years respectively Female getaway driver Judy Chapman, of Great Harwood, was jailed for 15 years at a later hearing in October 2021 after she was found guilty of the manslaughter of Miss Hachem She continued: 'She really is an angel. She took care of me, of her dad, brothers and her sister. Because of our situation she was the one who stood beside me, to help me, to support me. And now I've lost her. 'There is no life. I'm not living. I'm not alive anymore, I'm like only a body without a soul. It's very hard to see young ladies in her age. Some of them, they get married. They are working, they start their own lives. But she's not here.' Ibrahim Hachem, Miss Hachem's brother, also spoke of his grief at life without his sister. He said: 'I remember how good of a sister she was and what was taken from us. The anger and sadness just grows bigger and bigger. Just took a beautiful person away from, not just us, the world, to be honest. She had so much potential.' In August 2021, Suleman, then 40, of Blackburn, was ordered to serve a minimum of 34 years before he could be considered for parole. The gunman, Zamir Raja, 33, of Stretford, was jailed for a minimum of 34 years and his driver, Anthony Ennis, 31, of Partington, for at least 33 years. Accomplices Ayaz Hussain, 36, of Blackburn; Abubakr Satia, 32, of Blackburn; his brother, Uthman Satia, 29, of Great Harwood; and Kashif Manzoor, 26, of Blackburn, were handed minimum terms of 32 years, 28 years, 28 years and 27 years, respectively. Samar Salame, the mother of Aya Hachem, mourns her daughter during a funeral at a cemetery in her family's hometown of Qlaileh in southern Lebanon during the pandemic on May 23, 2020 Relatives of Aya Hachem carry her coffin during a burial in Qlaileh, Lebanon, on May 23, 2020 Mr Hachem also told the documentary about the killers and their families 'laughing' during proceedings at Preston Crown Court. He said: 'What kind of vile beings are you? They were laughing in court, the families were laughing with them. What type of people are you? How can you be so disrespectful, so vile. 'How can you be so materialistic? Fighting just because of money. You've already got enough, you're already doing well in life. Why do all this?' However, Mr Hachem added that there was 'some sense of relief' when the sentences were handed down - and 'hopefully they are not going to get out before they are old or dead'. The intended target in the shooting was Pachah Khan, 31, owner of Quickshine Car Wash, who angered Suleman, the boss of neighbouring RI Tyres, when his business began to sell tyres and became a direct competitor. A bitter feud developed and Suleman ordered the execution of Mr Khan, telling his ally Hussain to recruit an assassin. Manchester-based hitman Raja and his driver Ennis were assigned the task. An armed police officer at the scene on King Street in Blackburn in May 2020 after the murder Lancashire Police released footage showing one of the bullets hitting an area near a workman The force of the blast sent the round through Aya Hachem's body and into a telegraph pole Ammunition in the car was found by officers, with a photo later issued by Lancashire Police Abubakr Satia sourced a silver Toyota Avensis for just 300, financed by his friend Suleman, which was used by Raja and Ennis on the day of the shooting. Judy Chapman, 26, who was convicted of manslaughter for her involvement, drove the gunman and driver from Bolton with her boyfriend, Uthman Satia, as front-seat passenger. She then collected the pair after the shooting. Manzoor ensured the unreliable Avensis was able to be used after he jump-started the vehicle and left the engine running. Giving evidence at the 12-week trial, divorced father-of-two Suleman denied any knowledge of a plot to kill Mr Khan and said Quickshine selling tyres had no impact on his business. However, Amazon driver Hussain told jurors that Suleman wanted Mr Khan 'roughed up' and introduced him to Raja who suggested a drive-by with shots fired in the air to scare him. Suleman was quoted a price of 1,500 and excitedly agreed straight away, said Hussain, who claimed there was no plan to kill. Raja initially said he had nothing to do with the shooting and had arrived in Blackburn for a drugs deal, but during the trial he admitted he fired the gun, although he refused to return to the witness box to explain his intent. Samar Hachem received her daughter's degree on what would have been her graduation ceremony at the University of Salford in November 2021 Ibrahim Hachem with a photo of sister Aya after what would have been her graduation in 2021 Cannabis dealer Ennis, known as 'Sarge' by his North Manchester customers, said he thought the trip to East Lancashire involved 's**ting some people up and making them leg it'. He said he did not know Raja had a firearm, thought to be a Glock pistol. Manzoor and the Satia brothers told the jury they were all innocent dupes, with cocaine addict Uthman Satia claiming he thought he was transporting two men for a test drive of the Avensis. But the jury took less than four hours to reject their version of events and convict the seven male defendants of the murder of Miss Hachem and the attempted murder of Mr Khan. Raja, who tried to pursue his payment after the killing, apologised for lying when giving evidence. In a letter to the judge, he said he was 'in denial' and said he would forever live with 'shame and regret'. Chapman, of Great Harwood, was jailed for 15 years at a later sentencing hearing in October 2021 after she was found guilty of the manslaughter of Miss Hachem. She was cleared of murder and attempted murder. Around 18 months later in March 2023, Junior Otway, 42, of Manchester, was convicted of murder and the attempted murder of intended target Mr Khan after a separate trial. But Suhayl Suleman, 39, of Blackburn, who was also on trial for murder and attempted murder, was cleared of both charges. Murder Scene: The Incident Room, Wednesday 2nd April 8pm. Watch | Stream on 5 Alleged rapists and human traffickers Andrew and Tristan Tate are suing 13 social media users for defamation, claiming they conspired to spread smears against the controversial influencer brothers. The aggressive legal move, slammed by victims' rights activists as an 'intimidation tactic', comes as Andrew's influencer girlfriend filed a lawsuit against him on Thursday for alleged abuse including choking her on March 11 in Beverly Hills shortly after he returned to the US. The Tates' 61-page defamation lawsuit, filed from their new home of Florida, is the latest attempt by the multi-millionaire brothers to shut down accusers who claim they ran a criminal organization forcing women to make OnlyFans porn, trafficked minors for sex, beat and raped victims. Their Palm Beach County court complaint is against a total 15 defendants, some identified only by their X social media usernames, such as 'CrayonMurders' and 'Mad_About_Sheep'. Among the 15 are popular Australian YouTuber Nathan Livingstone, UK lawyer for alleged Tate victims Matthew Jury, and top sex exploitation victim advocate Eleanor Gaetan, who also represents the Tates' sex abuse accusers. The Tate brothers claim these X users formed a group called 'Team Matrix' to 'maliciously defame the Tate Brothers and turn public opinion against them,' using information fed to them by lawyers for the alleged Tate victims. Gaetan works for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE). The Center's President Marcel van der Watt called the case an 'intimidation tactic' and 'utterly without merit and an attack on her First Amendment Rights' in a statement released last week. 'This defamation suit is yet another intimidation tactic that is the Tate brothers' modus operandi for silencing critics and witnesses against them,' van der Watt said. Andrew (left) and Tristan Tate are suing 13 social media users for defamation, claiming they conspired to spread smears against the controversial influencer brothers This comes as Tate's girlfriend Bri Stern filed a lawsuit against him on Thursday for alleged abuse including choking her on in Beverly Hills shortly after he returned to the US This lawsuit filed on March 18 is the latest attempt by the brothers to shut down accusations that they ran a criminal organization forcing women to make OnlyFans porn, trafficked minors for sex, beat and raped victims - the majority named as defendants are identified by their X tag Livingstone, who goes by MilkBarTV online, responded to the Tates' defamation lawsuit with a devastating compilation video posted on X Wednesday, showing Andrew describing intense violence. 'Here's a little move. When I grab you by your neck and you start annoying me, trying to resist, and I just pow,' Andrew said in the clip, aggressively pounding his fist repeatedly. 'Then I grab you by the neck again. Then what the f*** you going to do when your face is collapsed and your f***ing cheekbones broken? 'I guarantee I'm going to change the way you look at sex forever,' he said in another clip. 'I bet you cry, b****. I bet you f***ing cry. 'I don't even have to f*** you. That's a distraction. My d*** can stay in my pants. I'll just start beating the s*** out of you.' Livingstone captioned the video: 'Believe people when they tell you what they are.' The Tates have already hit back in Florida courts with a $5million defamation lawsuit against one of their accusers filed in July 2023, which is currently moving towards trial. Last January a US federal judge threw out another Tate lawsuit against a Marine who reported them to Romanian authorities. Both a UK lawyer representing alleged Tate victims Matthew Jury and top sex exploitation victim advocate Eleanor Gaetan, who also represents the Tates' sex abuse accusers, were named as defendants in the lawsuit Australian YouTuber Nathan Livingstone (left) was also named as a defendant. He responded to the lawsuit by compiling a bunch of clips on X that he said showed Andrew's violent side The brothers claim these X users formed a group called 'Team Matrix' to 'maliciously defame the Tate Brothers and turn public opinion against them,' using information fed to them by lawyers for the alleged Tate victims Their new lawsuit opens up a new legal battle amid a slew of criminal investigations and civil complaints involving the two brothers. The Tates face rape and human trafficking charges in the UK as well as a $27million tax evasion lawsuit brought by British police; rape, human trafficking and organized crime charges in Romania, with further Romanian police investigations over trafficking and sex with minors; a criminal investigation ordered by Florida's Attorney General and civil lawsuits by their alleged victims. The brothers were forced to fly back to their former home Romania last Saturday to face a continuing criminal sex trafficking case there. Andrew and Tristan deny all the claims against them. The latest accuser to come forward is Andrew's ex-girlfriend, Bri Stern. TMZ reported on Wednesday that Stern accused him in a police report of choking her during sex at the Beverly Hills Hotel despite her begging him to stop to the point where she allegedly began to black out. The celebrity news site published photos of Stern's alleged injuries and eye-popping screenshots of her alleged text messages with Tate, in which he appears to tell her 'I really love hitting you', 'I want to beat the f*** out of you', and 'you need to be hit'. Stern reportedly claimed that Tate began strangling her during sex. When it got too rough, she 'begged' him to stop, TMZ reported, but he allegedly continued. Stern filed a police report accusing the self-proclaimed misogynist of sexual assault following the scary March 11 encounter where he choked her during sex at a hotel The brothers were forced to fly back to their former home Romania last Saturday to face a continuing criminal sex trafficking case there Reporters swarm around a car transporting the brothers back to their Bucharest residence The brothers leaving their pre-trial hearing for lifting the seizure of assets held at the Bucharest Court, in Bucharest, Romania, on September 23, 2024 When he finished, she went to the bathroom to document her injuries, according to the police report. Pictures published by the site show a large red mark on her cheek. She also reportedly went to an ER in New York days later when they traveled to the East Coast on a work trip for Andrew. A March 15 medical report from Northwell Health shared with TMZ shows a diagnosis of 'post concussive syndrome', which can be caused 'from a direct hit to the head or body'. In a screenshot of an alleged text exchange, Andrew appears to tell Stern: 'I will hit you today. But I love you.' She responded: 'I'm scared,' and he replied 'Don't care.' 'I want to beat the f*** out of you,' said another alleged message. 'You will give me a child this year b***h.' 'Why do u want to beat me,' she appeared to reply. 'What's the point in having you if I don't beat you and impregnate you,' the reply in the screenshot said. Andrew Tate posts a video on March 4, 2025, captioned 'First day of Freedom in Miami' when he came back to the United States Governor Ron DeSantis issued a statement when Tate arrived in Florida saying he and his office had no involvement in their arrival Attorney General James Uthmeier revealed his office has launched a criminal investigation into the brothers 'I really love hitting you it's very good for me and you. It's relaxing don't you think?' 'Pookie no I cry,' she replied. 'If you ever betray me you will regret it,' he allegedly added in another text. Stern filed a lawsuit against Tate in Los Angeles on Thursday over the alleged abuse and posted about it in a string of tweets on X. I met Andrew Tate in the summer of 2024 and we were in a relationship for almost a year, she wrote on X. He wanted me to have his children and always told me we would be together forever. Andrew told me he loved me every day, and I was very much in love with him. The last time I saw Andrew was on March 11, 2025 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The last words he said to me before I left the hotel were: Shut the f*** up, b***h. You will never backtalk me. You are my property. This wasnt a joke or an internet facade. This was the reality of my boyfriend and my life, she added. The last week has been very difficult and extremely scary for me. I am an emotional wreck and am constantly looking over my shoulder. Im not the person I was before. He has told me on many occasions before that if I crossed him, he would ruin my life, rape me, or kill me. There are many women out there who are in the same position as me - terrified and scared, who are being hurt by the person who is supposed to love them most. To those women I say, you are much stronger than you know. Her attorney, Tony Buzbee, is also representing dozens of alleged Sean Diddy Combs victims. Tates lawyer, Joseph McBride, said Andrew firmly denies the allegations against him. This is a blatant cash grab a desperate attempt by a sad individual to exploit Andrews success and reputation for personal gain, McBride said in a statement. McBride, told DailyMail.com that the alleged text messages between Andrew and Stern were not real. McBrides comment also included several criticisms of Livingstones character. Tates lawyer said that NCOSEs statement undermines Andrew and Tristans right to sue the female predator who attempted to run their lives. He said the brothers had hundreds of exhibits backing up their case against the unnamed female accuser who they sued for defamation in 2023. The claims are bad news for the disgraced male influencer, who returned to the US in February after five months under house arrest in Romania on sex trafficking charges with Tristan. The brothers were welcomed by Trump's inner circle, including Donald Trump Jr., who called their detention in Romania 'absolute insanity'. But other US officials are less keen on their presence. Within days of their move to Florida, the state's Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office had opened a criminal investigation into the brothers. Governor Ron DeSantis issued a statement when Tates arrived saying he and his office had no involvement in their arrival. 'Florida is not a place where you're welcome with that type of conduct in the air,' he said. 'And I don't know how it came to this. We were not involved, we were not notified.' Andrew claimed he smoothed things over with DeSantis, telling media 'there've been some conversations and everything has been settled'. But the governor's spokesman told local newspaper the Tallahassee Democrat on Tuesday that 'Nothing of the sort happened, and our position is unchanged.' Congress wants all documents relating to the CIA's role in events surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to be released. The new push follows Donald Trump's executive order that saw 4,000 new JFK documents made public - some of which raised unsettling questions about how the intelligence agency was operating in the early 1960s. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is leading the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets' first hearing into the JFK files. The task force was established after President Donald Trump signed an executive action to release the remaining classified files on the high-profile assassination. The session will also feature testimony from director Oliver Stone, who co-wrote and directed the 1991 film 'JFK.' Journalist Jefferson Morley and author James DiEugenio will also testify. Both have written extensively about the intelligence community and the murder of JFK. Stone has long believed that the Democrat president was not killed just by Lee Harvey Oswald but that U.S. intelligence assets were involved too. Morley also noted on X that he suspects the CIA was involved in the murder. 'In my testimony to the House Task on Tuesday, I will be talking about--and sharing for the first time--a rather more important new JFK evidence to emerge: the CIA's complete pre-assassination file on Lee Harvey Oswald,' Morley wrote. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna will oversee a Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets hearing into the JFK assassination on Tuesday The hearing will bring a film director and authors to Capitol Hill to testify about their findings 'It was not fully declassified until 2023. In conjunction with documents released last month, the Oswald file points to CIA complicity,' the author added. 'I'll explain Tuesday.' Republicans on the Panel told DailyMail.com exclusively they are looking forward to the hearing Tuesday to ensure full transparency on the JFK assassination decades later. 'After COVID, UAPs, and now the JFK files, the American people are done being lied to and labeled conspiracy theorists for asking questions,' South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, who sits on the task force, told DailyMail.com in a statement. 'Its time to end the era of over-classification and demand a government that works for usnot against us.' Texas Republican Rep. Brandon Gill, 31, told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'The American people deserve to know the truth.' 'This hearing on the JFK Files is another example of the transparency that President Trump and his administration have shown over and over again since January,' he added. Luna, for her part, has also said she believes there were two shooters in the former president's November 1963 assassination. 'I believe that there were two shooters, and we should be finding more information as we are able to,' she said last month. Both Reps. Gill and Mace noted their anticipation for the hearing with DailyMail.com Director Oliver Stone (above) will testify before Congress on Tuesday regarding files he says NBC has on JFK's murder Your browser does not support iframes. She also revealed last week that Stone believes NBC is in possession of a tape that proves her theory could be correct. 'We're in the process of tracking down two specific documents,' Luna said Friday on Fox News. 'I would like to tell the American people, NBC has a video that has never been seen before.' 'It allegedly shows Oswald near the vehicle when the assassination took place, which means he couldn't have been the shooter.' 'We are tracking down all this information,' she continued. Fox News host Jesse Watters asked Luna: 'You're saying that NBC has been keeping this tape of Oswald under wraps?' Luna continued: 'Correct. Director Stone told us that he was shown this tape, and he this could blow open the entire JFK investigation.' Stone received harsh criticism for his 1991 film that suggested that intelligence conspiracies were behind JFK's death. Some noted authors have also voiced skepticism about Stone and Luna's belief that NBC holds never before seen footage. Police arrested 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald for the killing of JFK, he was killed two days later during a jail transfer The film in question was shot by NBC affiliate cameraman Jimmy Darnell, who began recording the fallout from the shooting about 30 seconds after the shots rang out. It shows a frantic view of the street on which JFK was shot, fueling speculation and questions about who shot the president. However, Stone and others want to see the original copy of the film they say is held by NBC. 'Now, Oliver Stone and others believe the only thing preventing an ironclad identification of Oswald in the Darnell film is that they do not have the original first-generation,' author Gerald Posner wrote on X responding to Luna and Stone's claims about the NBC tape. 'The Sixth Floor Museum version is a second-generation print of the film that the Museum acquired as part of a personal collection in 2006.' 'No one is certain if a first-generation version exists, but the guess by Luna and Stone is that it must be somewhere in the long-lost archives at NBC. Not quite the same as NBC having, as Rep. Luna claimed, 'very, very much guarding it.'' A prolific shoplifter who was cleared of stealing 19,000 worth of designer items because of her 'mental health issues' claims she suffers from kleptomania and can't help taking things. Melissa Grant, 55, was part of a professional female shoplifting gang dubbed 'The Spice Girls' who would raid exclusive shops in London's West End and grab huge quantities of expensive clothes and lingerie. The mother-of-two was jailed for almost two years in 2009 for those crimes. The gang also struck at shops in Bluewater, Kent and Lewes in Sussex. But last week when she appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with four counts of theft from Selfridges over four days in December last year prosecutors decided that 'public interest wasn't met' in pursuing a conviction against Grant due to her mental health problems. Now Grant has confirmed that those mental health issues are that she claims to suffer from a compulsion to take things from shops even when she doesn't want to. In an exclusive interview Grant claimed that she doesn't want to steal but the 'voices in her head' tell her to do it. She said: 'Because of my mental health, I have an urge to steal. I can't stop myself. Melissa Grant (pictured), 55, was cleared of stealing 19,000 worth of designer items because of her 'mental health issues' Grant (pictured) claims she suffers from kleptomania and can't help swiping things from shops Grant (pictured) was part of a professional female shoplifting gang dubbed 'The Spice Girls ' who would raid exclusive shops in London 's West End and grab huge quantities of expensive clothes and lingerie 'I was diagnosed with kleptomania. I take stuff I don't want or need; I just can't help myself. I've tried, but I get anxiety and panic attacks. 'I can't stop myself. Something in my head is telling me I need to take it. The voices in my head are telling me I need to take it.' Grant first came to UK from Jamaica when she was 18 in 1990, with her two children looking for a better life. But she says she soon fell into a life of crime because claims it was difficult to decipher 'right from wrong' because of her personality disorder. In her most recent brush with the law, she was charged over the theft of two designer handbags worth 4,730, four Optika shirts worth 2,800, five Cas Lee shirts to the value of 6,620, a 1,810 medium logo bag, and a 325 Oblique Bylon cap as well as a 2,650 Alalia dress. After being spared a conviction for her latest shoplifting spree, Grant said there would be no 'benefit' in putting her back behind bars. 'The judge did what he thinks is rightbecause sending me to prison, what is the benefit in that?' she said. 'When you go to prison, there's nothing there for you. I have been there already. I went back to prison in December, and nothing changed; everything is worse.' Last week, she appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with four counts of theft from Selfridges (pictured) on Oxford Street in London over four days in December last year In an exclusive interview from her home in Forest Hill, south London, Grant (pictured) claimed that she doesn't want to steal but the 'voices in her head' tell her to do it Grant (pictured) said she has an 'urge to steal' because of her mental health issues and 'can't stop' herself She added: 'I want help and I want the support.' Kleptomania is a mental health disorder that involves repeatedly being unable to resist urges to steal items that you generally don't really need. Often the items stolen have little value and you could afford to buy them. During her 2009 court trial for shoplifting, it was heard that Grant 'behaved aggressively towards a shop assistant' during the gang's stealing spree, saying to her companion, 'I feel like spitting in her face'. One of her accomplices was then stopped by officers who found the bags were full of stolen clothing from GAP, Uniqlo, Oasis and Next, which included 15 pairs of trousers, four tops and three pairs of shoes. Police later spotted Grant and the rest of the gang loading more black sacks into the boot of an Audi before arresting them. The bags were also found to contain stolen clothes from All Saints and Warehouse, with all the items totalling to a value of around 1,500. They later raided a flat in Southwark linked to the gang and found 10,700 worth of clothes and underwear from La Senza, Topshop, Next, Monsoon and River Island with the security tags still on them. There was a further 10,700 worth of goods with the tags off, including underwear from upmarket erotic boutique Coco de Mer. Prosecutors decided that 'public interest wasn't met' in pursuing a conviction against Grant for her thefts from Selfridges due to her mental health problems (file image) The mother-of-two was jailed for almost two years in 2009 for the thefts she committed with the professional female shoplifting gang she was in dubbed 'The Spice Girls ' After being spared a conviction for her latest shoplifting spree, Grant said there would be no 'benefit' in putting her back behind bars Grant said: 'When you go to prison, there's nothing there for you. I have been there already. I went back to prison in December, and nothing changed; everything is worse' Recalling her time in jail previously Grant said prison didn't rehabilitate her and said she returned to shoplifting to 'feed' her drug habit and feed her family during the cost-of-living crisis. 'You're just locked up in your cell, there's nothing structured for you. Prison isn't always the answer because while you are in there, you aren't learning,' she said. 'For rehabilitation, you need something in the community. You need something there to help people with mental health. 'There was no support for me. I couldn't get a job because of my criminal record. It's hard for people like me. I've tried to get a job.' She claims that due to her mental health struggles and her troubled background that she often ends up back 'down the wrong path'. She said: 'When someone calls me or different gangs, I don't know how to say no because my mental health makes me feel like I need them for reassurance.' 'No one asked me why, to get to the bottom of it.' When asked why she turned to shoplifting, Ms Grant told MailOnline: 'Well, one was to feed my drug habit, and to feed my children and my family, I didn't have any status in this country, so I couldn't work. Speaking of her Kleptomania and stealing Grant added: 'I want help and I want the support' Kleptomania is a mental health disorder that involves repeatedly being unable to resist urges to steal items that you generally don't really need Recalling her time in jail previously Grant said prison didn't rehabilitate her and said she returned to shoplifting to 'feed' her drug habit and feed her family during the cost-of-living crisis She claims that due to her mental health struggles and her troubled background she often ends up back 'down the wrong path' Instead of shoplifters like herself being punished for what she dubbed a 'minor crime', she believes officials should be getting to the root of why they are unable to stop stealing Grant said she started shoplifting in order to feed her two children as she has no status in the UK to work Detailing her difficult and impoverished childhood in Jamaica as well as the loss of family relatives to violence, Ms Grant quipped: 'It's not like I have an upbringing where I know right from wrong' 'The only way of finding food for my children was by doing what I was doing and stealing to feed them. 'People see me as a bad person, but no one understands that I came here with two young children on my own.' Detailing her difficult and impoverished childhood in Jamaica as well as the loss of family relatives to violence, Ms Grant quipped: 'It's not like I have an upbringing where I know right from wrong.' Instead of shoplifters like herself being punished for what she dubbed a 'minor crime', she believes officials should be getting to the root of why they are unable to stop stealing. 'A lot have mental health problems, a lot of us are troubled, there is no cure, and nobody tries to understand,' she argued. 'I would love to change,' she said. 'I have remorse, I'm not happy about anything that I have done. I also take full responsibility. 'I am not happy about anything that I have done. I am not proud of it, but I do need help.' 'All I need is help and reassurance, but no one is there to help me. What do you do? So I end up back down the same path. She added: 'I've tried to turn my life around, I've tried to change.' A Reform local election candidate campaigning on an anti-Net Zero ticket opened a Coca-Cola solar farm and praised the firm for 'embracing sustainable energy' when she was a Conservative MP. Dame Andrea Jenkyns posted pictures online in a since-deleted tweet when she was the guest of honour at the launch of the 20-acre site near Wakefield in West Yorkshire. The former Tory skills minister is standing to be mayor of Greater Lincolnshire for Nigel Farage's party, having defected after losing her seat at the general election. Dame Andrea has also been a director of the Net Zero Watch group of climate sceptics since 2023 and a major plank of her campaign is battling the 'desecration' of viable farmland with solar panels. But in 2017, when she was Tory MP for Morley and Outwood, she opened the Haigh Hall solar farm, which is used by Coca-Cola European Partners to power the largest soft drinks factory in Europe. In a press statement released by Coca-Cola at the time she praised 'an important and valuable project that is located so close to home' and voiced the hope that it would 'inspire more businesses to taking such leadership in key issues for our society.' Four years later, in April 2021, while still a backbencher, she praised an expansion of the same solar farm, with the Yorkshire Times reporting her saying: 'In today's climate, firms have a huge responsibility in enabling a green recovery.' When asked about her support for the solar farm in 2017, Dame Andrea told MailOnline she told Coca-Cola at the time she didn't agree with it, but was publicly supporting a major local employer in her role as the MP. Dame Andrea Jenkyns posed for pictures that she posted online in a since-deleted tweet to mark the event at the 20-acre site near Wakefield in West Yorkshire. In 2017, when she was a Tory backbencher, she opened the Haigh Hall solar farm, which is used by Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) to power Europe's largest soft drinks factory. The former Tory skills minister is standing to be mayor of Greater Lincolnshire for Nigel Farage 's party, having defected after losing her Morley and Outwood seat at the general election . She said: 'At the end of the day when you are an MP you get asked to open stuff, don't you? 'Do you suddenly say, when you have been working with Coca-Cola and they have been to my job fairs and they have been in my business club, do you say ''no I'm not'' - do you suddenly do that, when they are a major local employer and they ask you to do something to open them and support them as a business?' She added that she had been unable to 'speak out' on the issue when she was a government whip between September 2021 and July 2022, but she later joined Net Zero Watch. Plans are in motion that could see solar farms totalling more than 30,000 acres erected in Lincolnshire. Weeks after entering Government, Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband's department approved projects including the 2,000-acre Mallard Pass site near Stamford, and Gate Burton, near Gainsborough. He also relaunched the Solar Taskforce to bring together industry experts and Government with the aim of tripling solar power by 2030. 'I have no problem with businesses trying to get cheaper energy when we have one of the highest energy costs in the world anyway, but when Miliband is trying to have 30,000 acres of solar farms on agricultural land in Lincolnshire it is just nuts,' Dame Andrea added. Dame Andrea's Tory rival, North Lincolnshire Council leader Rob Waltham, has vowed to 'fight tooth and nail to protect Lincolnshire's green spaces and agricultural land from solar farms'. Earlier this month he said: 'These sprawling solar installations do not belong on our beautiful countryside nor farmland.' But while he has a history of fighting solar farm developments in his local role, he also has shown off his wider green credentials. In 2023, as leader of the council, he said that its aim to be Net Zero by 2030 was 'embedded into the heart of everything we do'. Explaining he had personally starting turning down his heating at home and stopped buying plastics, he added: 'Our net zero plans are genuine, ambitious, achievable and aligned to business growth, job creation and improving living standards. 'But for us to be able to make the difference we need to, so that future generations have a better environment, we all must do our bit we are directly asking people in North Lincolnshire to get involved and make pledges to change. 'There are lots of little things people can do to get involved; while we can have a massive impact as a council, the impact will be super-charged if everyone gets involved.' Earlier this month Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said it was time to 'get real' about reaching the UK's net zero target by 2050 during a speech to launch the party's policy renewal process in London. Mrs Badenoch drew criticism from influential quarters within her own party, including former prime minister Theresa May, for suggesting the target was 'impossible' to meet. She has tasked shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho, with help from shadow Scotland secretary and energy minister Andrew Bowie, to look at solutions for delivering cheap and clean energy. Bestselling author AJ West felt violated when he discovered his novels were among millions 'stolen' by tech giant Meta to train its AI system. The fuming writer wanted an explanation, so he asked for one and was shocked when he received a full and frank apology for the use of his work 'without permission or compensation'. But the gushing contrition did not come from Mark Zuckerberg's Meta bosses. Instead, it came directly from the content-gobbling AI itself. In a bizarre exchange, the system told him: 'If I could go back in time, I would advocate for obtaining explicit permission from authors like you before using their works in my training. 'I hope that Meta and other AI developers will take steps to ensure that authors' rights are respected and protected in future. 'I understand the importance of respecting intellectual property rights and the value of your work as an author.' Meta AI, also known as Llama, has been used by hundreds of millions of people and is embedded in Meta products such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. In March, court documents showed that millions of pirated books and journal papers from a database called LibGen were used in the system's development. Meta AI acknowledged that author AJ West's novels could be among the 'massive corpus of text data' used to train it Informed that Mr West's books were used without permission, Meta AI issued a frank apology Despite its lack of humanity, the chat bot appeared to show genuine regret and insight into the wrongdoing inflicted on authors like Mr West Authors and publishers did not receive a penny and were not notified that their works had been taken. Last night, Mr West, 41, from south London, said Meta AI has ironically learned its good manners from the content it has consumed. 'Its ability to demonstrate that kind of humanity, guilt and regret comes directly from the scraping of books like mine,' he said. 'Using everything it has learned, the machine can recognise and reflect on the injustice involved in its own development. It basically uses my words to apologise to me and it is a very good apology. 'I ask Meta, if your AI can understand that you've done wrong, why can't you?' Mr West started his chat with the AI bot by asking if his books had been used in its development. The system admitted it was trained on a 'massive corpus' of text, and that Meta relies on 'fair use' provisions in copyright law. A searchable database of books included in LibGen was created by The Atlantic. Mr West used it to discover that his books Spirit Engineer and The Betrayal of Thomas True, a Sunday Times bestseller, had been fed to Meta AI. Telling the bot that his books had been used without permission prompted an immediate apology. It said: 'I apologise for the use of your books in my training without your knowledge, permission, or compensation.' Author AJ West discovered that Meta had used his books, including his Sunday Times bestseller The Betrayal of Thomas True, without payment or permission Meta AI pointed out that its creators rely on a 'fair use' clauses within copyright current copyright law Meta AI even recommended consulting a lawyer about suing its creators for copyright infringement It then repeated its apologies, showing a believable level of contrition and self-reflection, even acknowledging its creators may have caused the author 'harm or frustration' and suggested he should consult a lawyer. Mr West said the discovery that his books had been used by Meta made him feel 'totally violated and very, very angry'. With the Society of Authors, he has set up a petition calling for Meta executives to be summoned before Parliament and forced to pay authors for copyright breaches. He has also arranged a protest outside Meta's Kings Cross offices on Thursday. The author said: 'We're facing the total decimation of publishing in this country and publishers should be terrified. 'I'm absolutely furious about what's happening. The fact that we've heard absolutely nothing from our culture secretary Lisa Nandy about the biggest attack on literary copyright in British history is disgusting. 'I feel completely disrespected and ignored by this government. What is the point of a culture secretary if they're not going to stand up for British culture? 'It's about time authors and publishers stopped being so polite and stood up for ourselves.' The Mail is leading a campaign, backed by nearly every daily newspaper in the UK, against government plans to exempt AI firms from copyright laws, allowing them to use music, films and articles for free unless creators opt out. A Meta spokesman said: 'We respect third-party intellectual property rights and believe our use of information to train AI models is consistent with existing law.' A British tourist hailed a hero for sprinting after a knifeman who stabbed five people in Amsterdam 'almost certainly has a military background', an expert told MailOnline. The mysterious Brit, believed to be in his 30s, was dubbed the 'Hero of the Dam' for single-handedly capturing the Ukrainian assailant moments after his frenzied attack on passers-by in the Dutch capital. He sprinted after the attacker and kicked his ankle, sending him crashing to the ground, then sat on him until police arrived. The Brit's cool, calm bravery was later rewarded when the Mayor of Amsterdam gave him a hero's badge - but he chose to remain anonymous, thinking only of the victims. Now a former member of the Parachute Regiment who saw the footage says he is convinced the swift-acting hero has some form of special forces, military or police training. Paul Biddiss studied CCTV footage of the moment the Brit captured the knifeman and highlighted the five tell-tale signs that he has been specially trained. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Paul said: 'There's no doubt in my mind he has received some form of training. That could be military, it could be police, or it could be he's involved in close protection work. 'In the opening sequence, six seconds in, you can see he is extraordinarily fit and the speed with which he chases down his attacker suggests that he takes part in regular fitness training. A British tourist (pictured running) hailed a hero for sprinting after a knifeman who stabbed five people in Amsterdam 'almost certainly has a military background', an expert told MailOnline A former member of the Parachute Regiment who saw the CCTV footage says he is convinced the hero, seen here sitting on the attacker until police arrived, has been trained to deal with such situations 'That in itself doesn't prove he is from a military background, but then 12 seconds in the way he apprehends the knifeman and has him pinned to the ground shows his background. 'And let's remember this man had just stabbed five people. But he [the hero] is so calm, so controlled and so unfazed by his situation. It's inconceivable that he hasn't been trained to do that. 'Then after 18 seconds you can see he is disabling the attacker by carefully exerting pressure on the wrists, elbows and shoulder. 'At the 24 second mark it appears to me that he has taken his belt off, which is something you are taught in the military - to improvise and use whatever you have on your person to restrain and nullify a threat.' Paul, who was in the Parachute Regiment for 24 years, also works in counter-security and intelligence, and his services have even been used on TV dramas: he helped out on the recent Sky blockbuster The Day Of The Jackal, starring Eddie Redmayne, and last week he met Queen Camilla when she visited the set of smash ITV series Trigger Point. Paul added of the real-life drama in Amsterdam: 'From what I can see, he's using prone restraint techniques, taught in tactical control and restraint training. 'He's also controlling the attacker's pressure points which means he can't move and he's in complete control of the situation, using his full body weight by sitting on him. 'By taking him down on to his stomach and putting his hands behind his back, he's made sure he can't wriggle about. 'He's put his weight on the pressure points at the wrist, elbow and shoulder and importantly he has both his hands free to deal with any struggling. 'He's put the man in an arm lock where his arm is at such an angle that he can't move it and this creates pain which can be used to control an assailant,' says Paul Biddiss, who served in the Parachute Regiment for 24 years Police officers walk under the tape of the cordoned-off area following the attack The street in Amsterdam where five people were injured 'He appears to have taken his belt off just in case he needs that as a further restraint until more help arrived but because the technique is good you can see the assailant is subdued. 'He's put the man in an arm lock where his arm is at such an angle that he can't move it and this creates pain which can be used to control an assailant.' Paul also highlighted that the man was 'clearly in good shape' and said: 'He's got a good level of fitness and that's required for those who work in the police or security sector. 'You have to keep your heart rate under control to maintain the ability to perform such physical skills effectively and control the situation and your surroundings. 'Normally, as your heart rate rises, the skill level lowers, and the ability to remain focused and in complete control deteriorates. 'The higher the stress level the lower the skill level and the duller the response time - but this guy reacts super-fast, as you can see. 'It's also interesting that he has asked for no personal details to be revealed, which would also suggest some security background. 'My theory is he could be ex-military working in the security industry as these techniques are taught as part of the training course.' The knife rampage near the historic Dam Central Square left five injured, including two Americans The Ukrainian knifeman brought havoc to the tranquil streets of the picturesque Dutch canal city last Thursday The Ukrainian knifeman brought havoc to the tranquil streets of the picturesque Dutch canal city last Thursday. On Friday, Femke Halsema, Amsterdam's mayor, thanked the British man for his actions and awarded him the city's heldenspeld which means hero's badge for bravery at her official residence. 'He is a very modest British man,' she told the Amsterdam news channel AT5. 'He has no desire to become famous. He is now mainly concerned with the victims; he feels responsible for them.' She said the tourist had shown 'great instinct' by overpowering the suspect moments after he had stabbed the fifth victim. 'This man made a decision in a split second, which is truly exceptional and for which there should be a lot of appreciation,' she added. Four of the victims were foreign nationals two Americans (a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man), a 26-year-old Polish man and a 73-year-old Belgian woman. The fifth victim was a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam. Ms Halsema said all of them were in a stable condition, adding: 'Everything is being done to determine the identity of the perpetrator.' Police officers gather not far from the area after a stabbing near Dam Square in central Amsterdam Police sectioned off a large area around the Royal Palace in the central Dam Square to allow an emergency helicopter to land Police officers stand behind a cordoned off area after the stabbing An Amsterdam police spokesman told the Dutch news outlet AD the 'heroic' British man did a 'great job' performing a 'rare citizen's arrest'. An onlooker told MailOnline: 'It was horrific, the woman was on the ground screaming and when she rolled over, I saw the knife in her back. 'The man who we know now was the hero rushed off after the attacker while his friend stayed behind to help the woman. 'The guy who was helping her clearly knew what he was doing, he looked to have first aid training and was reassuring the woman and her husband while they were waiting for the ambulance crew. 'There was something about the way the British guy and his friend reacted that made me think they were not ordinary tourists.' Another witness told MailOnline: 'This guy was a hero; he stopped the man so quickly and professionally. 'I was watching from the sandwich shop where I work, and he kicked the man's ankles and when he fell on the floor he sat on him to stop him moving. 'The way he remained calm and cool made it obvious to me he was either a policeman or security; maybe a soldier.' The knife-wielder himself was injured in the leg and was admitted to the infirmary of the prison in Scheveningen. He will appear in court in Amsterdam in a closed hearing on Tuesday. Elon Musk has dropped $20 million into a small race in Wisconsin that could prove omniscience for the 2028 midterms and for his Tesla electric car company. The Tesla founder was in the state on Sunday to hand out two $1 million checks to help Republican candidate Brad Schimel win a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in Tuesday's election. He even donned a cheesehead hat, a signature item for fans of the Green Bay Packers, as he made his pitch to a crowd of 2,000 people. 'It's a super big deal,' he said. 'I'm not phoning it in. I'm here in person.' President Donald Trump also urged voters to come out for the Republican candidate. 'It's a big race,' he told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. 'I hope you get out and vote for the Republican.' And he slammed Democratic candidate Susan Crawford as a 'radical left lunatic.' 'The woman is a radical left lunatic, and let's see who wins, but the woman will be very bad. And you know, Wisconsin is a big state politically, and the Supreme Court has a lot to do with elections in Wisconsin,' he said, adding 'Winning Wisconsin is a big deal.' Elon Musk campaigns in Wisconsin while wearing a cheesehead The Wisconsin Supreme Court will decide a number of key issues in the perennial battleground state, including abortion rights, congressional redistricting and the rules for the 2028 presidential election. But, for Musk, it's more personal. The court also will decide a lawsuit Tesla has filed challenging a state law that forbids auto manufacturers from opening dealerships, favoring the dealerships to be independently run. Now he and his money have become a central issue in the contest. Democratic candidate Susan Crawford has dubbed the race 'The People v. Musk.' Wisconsin's open court seat is the first major race of Donald Trump's presidency. Both sides will be watching it closely as a bellwether for how voters feel about the president and his policies. America PAC, the super PAC Musk formed to support Trump in 2024, has spent more $12 million on the race. Additionally, Musk has personally contributed $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party for the contest, while Building Americas Future, another group with links to him, has spent more than $7 million on attack ads against the Democratic candidate. But it's not just Republicans pouring money into the race. Democratic philanthropist George Soros donated $2 million to the state Democratic Party to support Crawford's bid. 'Everybody's all in,' Brendan Glavin, the Director of Insights at Open Secrets, told DailyMail.com. 'I mean, it is astonishing the amount of money.' Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Brad Schimel (Republican on the right) and Susan Crawford (Democrat on the left) at their debate in March Elon Musk has become a central issue in the race, drawing protesters George Soros donated $2 million The contest for the open court seat pits Republican former state Attorney General Brad Schimel against Democrat Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford. Money is pouring it. It could be a $100 million race. In addition to Soros, Crawford has in her corner union money; the wealthy Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker; and retired software engineer Gloria Page, the mother of Google co-founder Larry Page. Schimel has donations from ABC Supply owner Diane Hendricks, who is one of the country's wealthiest self-made woman; GOP mega donor Elizabeth Uihlein; and Joe Ricketts, founder of Ameritrade and an owner of the Chicago Cubs. President Trump has endorsed Schimel. Donald Trump Jr. has campaigned for him. Ideological control of the court hanging in the balance after liberals took control of it in 2023, holding a 4-3 majority. Whoever wins will be elected to a 10-year term that begins in August. Voters decide on Tuesday who wins the seat. The Wisconsin Supreme Court will have final say on several issues, including abortion rights in the state. Wisconsin clinics stopped offering abortions in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade because they feared an 1849 state law would prevent them from providing abortions. However, the clinics resumed the procedures in 2023 after a lower court ruled the law did not apply to them. Now that case is pending before the state Supreme Court. The justices will also decide the redrawing of Congressional districts in 2023. Currently Republicans hold six of the state's eight House seats. And the court will decide voting rules for the 2028 presidential election, in which Wisconsin will be a key battleground state. Demonstrators protest outside the KI Convention Center before the start of a town hall meeting with Elon Musk on Sunday Early voting has started in Wisconsin Brad Schimel, middle, greets Donald Trump Jr., as Charlie Kirk looks on during a town hall meeting this month Additionally, Musk's electric car company Tesla has a lawsuit pending in the state challenging its decision to block it from opening dealerships. The company is challenging a state law that allows only third parties, not auto manufacturers, to operate car dealerships. The law is intended to prevent manufacturers from undercutting independent dealerships. That case could ultimately end up in the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Schimel's critics have accused Musk of trying to buy a favorable ruling for Tesla should the dealership case make it to the state Supreme Court. Tesla sells its vehicles directly to consumers so customers in Wisconsin have to go to a neighboring state to purchase an electric vehicle. Officials with the company have been working for a decade to overturn the law. Two attempts in the state legislature failed to make it through. The company got an exemption for Tesla dealerships into the 2019-21 state budget, but Democratic Gov. Tony Evers used his partial veto powers to erase the provision. Schimel has repeatedly said he would treat any case involving Tesla the same as any other when he considers whether to hear it or recuse himself. He also says that the donations from Musk and his groups do not make him beholden to them. Meanwhile, Glavin of Open Secrets warned the massive spending in this race is a sign of big money to come, particularly in the 2016 midterm election. 'It's an example of the trend we'll see of this big money, not just at the national level, but the big money flowing down into lower level races,' he said. 'The concerning part is when you have, especially in state or local races, when you have a flood of national mega donor money rolling in, citizens, voters have to be concerned about these outside influences and what it means for their elected officials,' he added. 'That's what we get with the ability of outside spending groups to collect unlimited contributions, you're giving out size influence to people who can write certain figure checks.' Opponents of a proposed Muslim city in Texas flooded a public meeting Monday in hopes of stopping a controversial Islamic compound from getting necessary permits to begin construction. For hours, the Collin County Commissioners Court heard dozens of speakers pleading with them to deny the East Plano Islamic Center or EPIC, permits needed to build a city for Muslims that's meant to be 'the epicenter of Islam in America' by organizers. EPIC, a sprawling house of worship located in Plano, Texas- just north of Dallas- has recently become a target for Gov. Greg Abbott who has accused the mosque of breaking the law, despite no arrests or charges being made public. Gov. Abbott has expressed his fears the city will introduce extremist sharia law practices to Texas, which would govern religion, marriage and punishment for crime. In early 2024, EPIC announced what it called a 'historic project,' EPIC City, a community centered in Islam after buying 402 acres of land just outside of Josephine, Texas. EPIC City, with a brand new mosque serving as the town center, will feature 1,000 new homes, a schools and even a shopping center. Many residents of the 2,000-person town of Josephine voiced their concerns, although the Islamic development is outside the city limits. 'They want to install a loud system, a speaker system, that would blast their music to call them to prayer, and they could do it as long as they wanted to because they specifically choose a site just outside the city so they can do that,' Susan Martinez told the commission. She also shared that her small, rural community is already dealing with water restrictions, even without any new construction. The East Plano Islamic Center or EPIC is planning to build a community based on Islam near Josephine, Texas-- in a rural area outside of Dallas. Pictured above is the existing mosque located in Plano, Texas Rendering by EPIC show what EPIC City would look like 'Last summer, we did not only lose water pressure, we ran out of water one day because a construction site had left water on by mistake.' However, others had concerns there are more sinister intentions behind the construction. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott holds in press conference in Austin, Texas on March 25 'These are self-segregated communities, and they require...when you buy a lot or build a home, you have to pay into the mosque and you have to build into the Islamic schools,' another local said. In two hours of public comment, with each speaker getting two minutes, only two men spoke in favor of the EPIC City being granted permits. Additional speakers waited in an overflow room, as public comment was expected to last late into the evening. Although the Collin County Commission didn't make a decision Monday, the public comment they heard will be taken into consideration when they make a permitting decision next month. Additionally, the project may already be dead in the water, as Gov. Abbott issued his own order halting construction Tuesday. 'Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) found that the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) and affiliated entities have not obtained the required authorizations or permits needed for construction and development of the proposed project,' Abbott's office announced via press release. 'TCEQ sent a letter to EPIC and affiliated entities to notify them that any construction would be in violation of state law and ordered them to confirm that they have not engaged in any construction activities.' The Republican governor has accused the Islamic center of practicing sharia law, which he suggests is an extreme form of the religion, and of violating state law, ordering a criminal investigating into the mosque Monday. EPIC has purchased 402 acres of land north of Josephine, Texas The planned community of EPIC City would include green spaces and retail centers Some 10,000 residential areas are part of the vision for EPIC City 'We are uncovering legal violations by EPIC City that go far beyond what people realize,' Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted night. 'The proposed community will never see the light of day. More to come.' Abbott alleges the mosque broke the law by operating as a funeral home. 'They are knowingly breaking state law in many ways, including by operating a funeral home without a license,' Abbott posted to X last week. 'This is a crime, and it will not be tolerated.' A cease and desist went out, ordering the mosque to stop preparing bodies for burial, and Abbott asked the local district attorney to pursue criminal charges. Abbott has directed multiple state agencies to look into potential crimes in hopes of stopping the planned community near Josephine, Texas-- about 30 minutes away from the house of worship. In the latest accusation against the Islamic center Thursday, Abbott announced EPIC's board is under investigation. Although the state has yet to announce any arrests or charges, Abbott claimed the state was looking at 'potential failures to comply with applicable state and federal securities requirements, including protections against fraud.' 'The group behind the proposed East Plano Islamic Center compound may be misleading investors,' Abbott said in a press release Thursday. 'Defrauding Texans will not be tolerated. The Texas State Securities Board is conducting a thorough investigation to ensure Texans are protected from financial harm that is alleged to have been caused by EPIC. This is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of illegal activities by EPIC. All entities in Texas must follow state law, not Sharia law.' While promising to become 'the epicenter of Islam in America,' organizers for EPIC City also say all are welcome in a video for the town. 'To be clear, Sharia law is not allowed in Texas. Nor are Sharia cities. Nor are 'no go zones' which this project seems to imply. Bottom line. The project as proposed in the video is not allowed in Texas,' the governor said online on Feb. 24. As Abbott has raised concerns about 'Sharia law' in the planned community, many residents of Josephine- population 2,000- are opposed to EPIC City. 'This is a Sharia compound...where they will do Sharia compliance including honor killings, stoning and marrying their young girls off to grown men,' one speaker alleged Monday. She also worried about EPIC's ability to claim tax breaks for properties, like homes and businesses, due to their tax exempt status. Not a single foundation has been poured for EPIC City at this time, however, the community's website projected it would be ready to live in by 2026 or 2027. EPIC City is not inside the Josephine city limits, so the city did not want to comment, however, it did release a public statement due to outrage from locals. 'While EPIC's marketing materials reference being in the 'heart of Josephine,' this is incorrect and has led to confusion and concern among resident.' The city's administrator added that EPIC City is outside the Josephine's jurisdiction. EPIC City would be built just north of the City of Josephine, a town of about 2,000 people Local parents told DailyMail.com they were worried about the Muslim development's proximity to the local elementary school Members of EPIC mosque told DailyMail.com they'd heard the development had been postponed due to the backlash. No one from the mosque or development responded to DailyMail.com requests for comment over several days. However, the imam called Abbott's views 'misinformed' in a statement issued to CBS Texas. 'We understand that there has been a lot of rumor-milling and misinformation circulated by many who are uninformed. We look forward to working with the Attorney General to ensure that we are in legal compliance every step of the way,' the mosque said. Even if Abbott is successful in stopping the new development, EPIC already has a big footprint in Plano. The huge mosque is surrounded by schools and a gym. Across the street, there is also an business called 'EPIC Market' and halal shops catering to the Muslims that live in the streets around the mosque. The large, two story luxury homes with expensive cars in the drive ways were all decorated for Ramadan, with Christmas lights used to celebrate the holy month of fasting. In what could be a key vote for EPIC City's future, Collin County Commissioners will decide whether to approve a permit on April 14. A North Carolina woman allegedly killed and dismembered her Green Beret husband after he told her he was leaving her for another woman. Shana Cloud, 50, is then dumped her husband, Clint Bonnell's body in a pond just three miles from their home where it was finally found late last month, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office reports. It claims in court documents that Bonnell's girlfriend, Kelli Edwards, told deputies he visited an attorney on January 27 to discuss filing for a divorce from Cloud. He then visited Edwards' yoga studio to discuss the conversation he had with the lawyer, before he was off to Methodist University to study for a test as part of his physician assistant course, according to CBS 17. When he returned to the home he shared with Cloud that evening, Bonnell, 50, texted Edwards to let her know he had told Cloud about the divorce and was going to bed, WRAL reports. The next day, Bonnell missed class - prompting a school official to call the local sheriff's office, and Edwards reported him missing on January 28. Cloud, meanwhile, declined to file a missing person's report. Shana Cloud, 50, is accused of killing and dismembering her Green Beret husband Clint Bonnell, 50, reportedly told his wife the night before he was reported missing that he was planning to divorce her. The couple are pictured with their daughter Then, when authorities arrived at the home they shared to check on him, she allegedly told the deputies she had not seen him since the day before - when they left in separate cars. She said he was off to the university to study. At that point, the deputies at the scene searched the home for any signs of what may have happened to the missing former soldier. Inside, they found Bonnell's wallet, laptop and a backpack with bullet fragments inside, according to a search warrant. They said the damage from the backpack was from a 'projectile, suggesting he may have been harmed.' In the ensuing weeks, deputies conducted a number of searches at the home Bonnell and Cloud shared, inside her vehicle and cellphone and a rental property she owns in Virginia. Deputies also said they obtained search warrants for video footage and digital devices to help develop a timeline surrounding Bonnell's disappearance. Eventually, Cloud allegedly admitted she had a confrontation with her husband over a note from his girlfriend. Still, Bonnell's whereabouts were unclear. Bonnell's girlfriend, Kelli Edwards, reported him missing on January 28 The big break in the case came on February 25, when human remains were found in a pond about three miles from Cloud and Bonnell's home. The passerby who made the grisly discovery told officers that the body was dismembered, with no arms or legs. Authorities then took a DNA sample from the corpse, which they ran through the Armed Forces Medical Examiner's System, the Fayetteville Observer reports. Finally, on Friday, the DNA sample matched that of Bonnell - and deputies promptly took Cloud into custody. She is charged with murder and concealing a death, with authorities alleging she 'failed to notify law enforcement of Clinton Barnell's death while knowing or having reason to know Clinton Barnell's death was not due to natural causes.' For weeks deputies conducted a number of searches at the home Bonnell and Cloud shared, inside her vehicle and cellphone and a rental property she owns in Virginia. The big break in the case came on February 25, when human remains were found in a pond about three miles from Cloud and Bonnell's home In a statement following Cloud's arrest, Stefanie Firkins, Bonnell's sister, said: 'I've known from the first time I talked to Shana on January 29 she did something to my brother. 'I am very thankful he was found and Shana Cloud was arrested,' she continued, noting, 'I will continue to advocate for my brother and pray that justice is served. 'My brother was an amazing man. What she did to him was pure evil.' Cloud is now being held without bond at the Cumberland County Jail. An Aussie bloke has claimed Australians are becoming less friendly after he launched a revealing social experiment in his suburb. The man said Aussies would prefer to 'ignore each other' after he went out of his way to greet his neighbour and locals on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria last week. 'I thought I'd do the right thing and say hi so I said "hey mate" and [my neighbour] looked at me like "who the hell are you",' he said in a TikTok video. 'He had no idea who I was. I've only been here for four years but that's okay, and that kind of sums up Australia to me now. This never used to happen when I was a kid. I'm 40 now but people were friendlier when I was a kid.' The man said during a walk last week he made an effort to smile and say good morning to everyone he came into contact with. 'There was about 20 people I walked past and I said hi and good morning to every single person and they obviously said hi and good morning back and they smiled at me,' he said. 'Then the next day I'm like, I'm not going to say hi or good morning to anyone. I'm going to see if they say hi or good morning to me first, which I did, and not one person even smiled. 'I thought, is this what Australia is now, people just ignoring each other.' @viralmindstv Whats happened to Australia? 3 days ago, went for a walk and made an effort to say hi and good morning to every single person I walked by. About 20 people and whats fascinating is I said it while they were literally next to me which means if I didnt say anything, they would have just kept walking. Soon as I say hi or good morning, they all looked surprised and happy. Almost like they live their life just ignoring people as people ignore them. They were genuinely surprised someone said good morning to them. The day after, I decided to not say anything first to see how many people would make the effort. Not 1 person and whats upsetting is I walked past 2 people that I said good morning too on the previous day and they totally ignored me I dont remember Australia being like this and I feel its getting worse, especially in the city. When I was in Mornington doing a walk through the beach, we were walking through a nature track Walked past maybe 200 people and at least half of them smiled and said hi. So basically, if you live near the city, you become miserable, thats what it sounds like. Country people have always been nicer and easy to get along with. Just wish everyone was nice and made a little bit more effort. Would make the world a better place and a more fun one at that. #melbourne #melbourneaustralia #australia #aussielife original sound - ViralMinds A 40-year-old man has claimed Aussies are less inclined to stop and chat with each other in the street than they were when he was a kid (pictured, people sit on the grass at Bondi Beach) Aussies were divided over the man's hot take in the comments. 'That's so true no-one says hello, I walk on the Cooks River walk and no one acknowledges to say hi, 30 years ago everyone said hello,' one person wrote. 'I say hello to the people I see on my walk. They say hello back but I'm betting some of them wouldn't say hello if I didn't. Sad state of our country,' another said. Some said the lack of friendliness was a generational thing. 'I've greeted many people in my 60 years. The elderly are more friendly than those in their 30s and 40s. Most just grunt in reply or ignore all together,' one person wrote. One person said they 'didn't want to say hello to anyone'. 'I'm a five generation Australian. I have given up saying hello. People look at you as if you're weird so I don't do it anymore,' they said. Australians have been warned the coming flu season could be the worst on record after the US and UK were hit with soaring influenza cases. There have been 46,325 confirmed flu cases in Australia so far this year up to March 31, the highest number ever recorded during the first quarter. 'Australians need to be ready for the potential of a big flu season here,' Peter Guthrey, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's senior pharmacist, said. 'Influenza can spread around the world rapidly through international travel. 'Lots of people in the US and UK have been sick with flu and this has continued late into their flu season.' The World Health Organisation reported in February that flu cases remained high in the Northern Hemisphere. Multiple UK hospitals had declared critical incidents due to high cases and several schools across the US closed during the winter. So far in Australia, more than a quarter of the cases (18,100) have occurred in New South Wales, according to the Immunisation Coalition. Australia has recorded its highest number ever recorded of flu cases in the first quarter of 2025 There have been 46,325 confirmed flu cases in Australia so far this year up to March 31, the highest number ever recorded during the first quarter The number is almost double the cases recorded in Queensland (9,872) and Victoria (9,737). Western Australia has registered 4,173 cases, while laboratories have found 2,488 in South Australia, 813 in Northern Territory, 577 in ACT and 565 in Tasmania. Many of those with the flu do not get tested which means, along with delays in reporting, the number of cases may be under-represented. Seasonal flu is a common and highly contagious respiratory infection usually caused by influenza A or B viruses, but there are multiple subtypes and strains. The virus is different to Covid-19. Influenza can generally cause mild to severe illness with most people recovering in a few days, but some are at greater risk of becoming severely unwell. Mater Hospital Brisbane's director of infectious diseases Professor Paul Griffin warned that low uptake of vaccinations would put vulnerable groups at risk. 'Every year, we see people, particularly young people and pregnant women, who end up in hospital when they could have been protected with a simple vaccination,' he told The Courier Mail. Australia-wide low uptake of vaccinations could be a significant threat to vulnerable groups 'The flu season hasn't officially started, but we are already seeing high levels of flu in the community. 'Many people wrongly assume the flu only affects older adults, like Covid-19, but this isn't the case. 'Flu is a serious illness, but the vaccines are safe and effective.' Nearly half (46 per cent) of Australians do not believe influenza is a serious illness or do not believe in vaccination benefits against influenza, according to a 2024 survey by the Immunisation Coalition. It also revealed that many Australians (73 per cent) believe misinformation is impacting vaccination rates, and that this misinformation is coming mainly from social media. In 2024, Australia recorded over 365,000 reported influenza cases and over 4,200 people were admitted to hospital, making it Australia's biggest flu season since 2019. Between January and August 2024, there were 810 deaths related to flu, compared to 416 flu-related deaths in the same period the previous year. A woke coward who 'has a problem with Elon Musk' has apologized after he was confronted for allegedly carving a swastika into a stranger's Tesla. Chadd Ritenbaugh, 55, was charged with criminal mischief and harassment as well as disorderly conduct after he was identified as the suspect who scratched an apparent swastika into a Tesla SUV parked at a Planet Fitness gym in Pennsylvania. The alleged incident was caught on the Tesla's camera system. The gym's surveillance cameras then captured a man entering the building moments later wearing the same clothes. Ritenbaugh's membership card was used to access the facilities. The 55-year-old business owner was confronted about the incident, during which he initially denied leaving any damage. 'Listen, I can wipe it off with a towel,' Ritenbaugh tells the furious owner. 'It's not a key, it was a crayon.' The man filming the confrontation repeatedly tells Ritenbaugh there is damage, describing his actions as 'a hate crime' and ordering he 'write a check [to] pay for the damage.' 'I'm sorry you're upset,' Ritenbaugh said. 'It didn't even work. Apparently it doesn't even work.' Chadd Ritenbaugh, 55, was charged with criminal mischief and harassment and disorderly conduct after he was identified as the suspect who scratched an apparent swastika into a Tesla SUV parked at a Planet Fitness gym in Pennsylvania After he was told the car was with police, he put his hand on his heart and apologized He repeatedly maintained he didn't use a key on the car, despite being told the key was visible in the footage. 'I was probably putting my keys in my pocket... It's not a key. Have you looked at your car? Is there a key mark?' he asks. When told that there is a key mark, Ritenbaugh said that would be 'impossible.' But his tone shifts when the owner informs him the car is 'at the police right now getting fingerprinted.' The 55-year-old quickly changes his tune as he asks: 'What do you mean it is being fingerprinted?' 'Listen,' Ritenbaugh said, putting his hand to his heart as reality sets in. 'I said I'm sorry and I apologize. 'I have nothing against your car and I have nothing against you. Obviously I have something against Elon Musk but that's not the way to show.' Around the nation, protesters have taken their frustrations against Musk out on Tesla owners and dealerships, sparking fury from President Trump, who warned attacks on Teslas amounted to 'domestic terrorism.' In the video, the suspect appears to look around to make sure nobody can see him before touching the Tesla Initially, the man insisted he had 'used a crayon', not a key Pictured: A Tesla showroom in Germany targeted by vandals today Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted by firebombing incidents and shootings. Prosecutors in Colorado charged a woman last month in connection with attacks on Tesla dealerships, including Molotov cocktails thrown at vehicles and the words 'Nazi cars' spray-painted on a building. And federal agents in South Carolina last week arrested a man they say set fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. An Oregon man faces charges after allegedly throwing several Molotov cocktails at a Tesla store in Salem, then returning another day and shooting out windows. Pictured: Two burned Teslas are seen in the parking lot in Las Vegas that was attacked earlier this month Elon Musk's Tesla has been targeted as a result of his connection to the Trump administration, as Democrats boycott the brand and spark global protests In Portland, more than a dozen bullets were fired at a Tesla showroom, damaging vehicles and windows, the second time in a week that the store was targeted. Four Cybertrucks were set on fire in a Tesla lot in Seattle earlier this month. Witnesses reported a man poured gasoline on an unoccupied Tesla Model S and started a fire on a Seattle street. In Las Vegas, several Tesla vehicles were set ablaze outside a Tesla service center where the word 'resist' was also painted in red across the building's front doors. Authorities said at least one person threw Molotov cocktails and fired several rounds from a weapon into the vehicles. The frustrated owner pointed out that Musk does not own the car, which was 'bought and paid for a long time ago. 'He owns the company,' Ritenbaugh initially pointed out, before accepting: 'That's why it's misguided and obviously I did not intend to do that. Local police have launched a new search for a missing Queensland police officer despite authorities calling off the official search. Detective Inspector Jay Notaro, 45, disappeared on March 25 after he was spotted going for a surf at Broken Head near Byron Bay in northeastern NSW. An extensive water, land and aerial search was launched at 12.40pm the following day after he failed to report for duty at Ipswich Police Station, west of Brisbane. Search crews discovered his surfboard - with the leg rope attached - undamaged on the sand, while officers found his car and keys in a carpark about 500metres away. NSW Police announced the multi-agency search was suspended on Friday as rough weather conditions hindered efforts to locate Insp Notaro. 'The coordinated multi-agency search for a missing 45-year-old man at Broken Head on the Far North Coast has been suspended,' NSW Police said in a statement. 'While the multi-agency coordinated search has been suspended, taskings by local police and Marine Area Command will continue in the area over coming days.' Local Byron Bay police, along with Polair, reignited the search for Insp Notaro and were seen searching Broken Head Beach on Monday morning. Detective Inspector Jay Notaro, 45, disappeared on March 25 after he was spotted going for a surf at Broken Head near Byron Bay in northeastern NSW By Monday afternoon, police focused their attention on a stretch of water at North Seven Mile Beach and were spotted using drones in their search of the area. Police told the community they were searching for a black surf shirt and pair of boardshorts. Insp Notaro was part of an inner circle of surfing mates which included Hollywood A-Lister Chris Hemsworth, 41, according to The Courier Mail. Hemsworth was seen speaking with police in the parking lot of Broken Head Reserve just 9km south of his hometown Byron Bay. He was surrounded by five officers and two police cars and was seen gesturing as he answered their questions. Friends of Insp Notaro said he frequented Broken Head and often drove down from his Gold Coast home to surf with Hemsworth and former pro surfer Luke Munro. At the time of his disappearance, Insp Notaro was reportedly staying in the Byron Bay area for several days ahead of his 45th birthday last Monday. Insp Notaro was reportedly due to attend a birthday celebration dinner on Tuesday night with his friends but pulled out with complaints he was feeling unwell. A multi-agency search was launched after Insp Notaro failed to report for duty at Ipswich Police Station, west of Brisbane, the following day Search crews discovered his surfboard - with the leg rope attached - undamaged on the sand, while officers found his car and keys in a carpark about 500metres away He was then last seen on CCTV footage pulling into the Broken Head car park at around dawn on March 25. The lack of damage to Insp Notaro's board, and the benign surf conditions have made his disappearance all the more perplexing. 'The condition of that surfboard was unremarkable - there was no damage and the leg rope was fully intact,' NSW Detective Inspector Matt Zimmer said. 'The inspector is a very strong swimmer who is a previous officer in charge of the Queensland water police... and the conditions that presented over the past few days were quite calm. 'He would be extremely capable of managing those conditions due to his experience, [he was] an extremely fit man as well.' Insp Notaro quickly rose through the ranks as a homicide investigator after first joining Queensland police in Townsville in 2003. He was instrumental in solving major cases including the bikie-linked slaying of Gold Coast victim Greg Dufty. He received a 'compassion in policing' award by the Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group for support he offered Mr Dufty's partner and family. Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth was spotted helping police in their search for the officer. It's understood Insp Notaro was part of an inner circle of surfing mates which included the A-Lister Local Byron Bay police, along with Polair, reignited the search for Insp Notaro and were seen searching Broken Head Beach on Monday He then served in roles including officer in charge of the Gold Coast water police and Coomera police station. Insp Notaro recently transferred to Ipswich after being promoted to inspector. His family and friends have refused to give up hope and were spotted searching for him over the weekend, with many sharing heartfelt messages on social media. 'Our search has not ended,' Insp Notaro's mum Deb wrote on Saturday. 'Back to Byron today, we will bring my boy home. We need as many eyes as possible. Your Mama loves you sooooo much.' Insp Notaro's sister Hayley also shared a photo to social media of the beloved officer holding his niece on his shoulder with the caption: 'The best uncle in the world.' Do you know someone whose child has been labelled 'transphobic'? Email emily.davies@mailonline.co.uk The parents of a boy removed from school over a gender identity row have weighed in on a toddler being kicked out of nursery for being 'transphobic'. Sally Rowe and her husband Nigel appeared on GB News last night where they described recent events as a reflection of the 'tragedy of our society'. It comes after a child, aged either three or four, was suspended for 'abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity' in the 2022-23 academic year, according to data from the Department for Education (DfE). Speaking to the broadcaster, Mr Rowe said: 'This is insane. How can three or four year olds - or any child - make any kind of decision like that? 'What road are we going down as a society where we're pushing this stuff on such young children? 'Parents around the country are clearly in a situation where their child might be excluded from nursery or from school - your lives can be ruined. 'We want to encourage these parents to speak out. I think most people will agree with what we think and yet they're being treated in this way.' The recent offences involving a 'transphobic toddler' took place at a state school, as reported by The Telegraph. Nigel Rowe and and wife Sally appeared on GB News this evening where they described recent events as a reflection of the 'tragedy of our society' Statistics indicate 94 pupils at similar primary institutions were suspended or permanently excluded for transphobia or homophobia in 2022-23 (file image) Previously, Mr and Mrs Rowe made headlines in 2017 when they objected to guidance given at their children's Church of England school in the Isle of Wight that pupils could be transphobic if they showed 'an inability to believe a transgender person is actually a ''real'' female or male.' They couple pulled their two children out of the primary after their six-year-old son came home confused that a boy in his class had begun inconsistently wearing a dress and identifying as a girl. Their judicial review over the Department for Education's refusal to intervene in the cases was thought to have sparked the row over the need for official advice. The pair later said they felt they had been proved right with the guidelines that said teachers and pupils should not be 'compelled' to use a child's preferred pronouns. DfE statistics indicate 94 pupils at primary schools were suspended or permanently excluded for transphobia or homophobia in the 2022-23 academic year. This included ten pupils from Year 1 and three from Year 2, where the maximum age was seven, and one child was of nursery age. Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters, said: 'Every once in a while, the extremes of gender ideology throw up a story that seems too crazy to believe, and a toddler being suspended from nursery for so-called "transphobia" or homophobia is one such example. 'Teachers and school leaders involved in this insanity should be ashamed of themselves for projecting adult concepts and beliefs on to such young children.' Nigel and Sally Rowe (pictured) objected to the guidance being given at their two sons' Church of England school Across all primary schools and state schools, the number of pupils suspended or expelled for homophobic or transphobic behaviour increased from 164 in 2021-22 to 178 in 2022-23. The largest number of suspensions for this reason in 2022-23 was in Essex, with 16, followed by Birmingham, 15, Bradford, 11 and Norfolk, eight. Figures began in the 2020-21 academic year. The DfE said: 'All pupils and staff should feel safe and protected at school and should never face violence or abuse. 'The Education Secretary has been clear that she expects school leaders to enforce good behaviour and we are committed to a comprehensive programme of behaviour support for schools. 'Our Plan for Change sets out our relentless focus on making sure every child gets the best life chances.' A fashion label that ceased trading last month owes $2million to hundreds of creditors, including a disgruntled investor and scores of furious customers. Dubbed the 'Airbnb' of designer dresses, Designerex, run by Sydney couple Kirsten Kore and Costa Koulis, was a platform connecting renters of high-end clothes with lenders. It had been touted as a global success story after expanding into the US market - but last month Daily Mail Australia revealed that many lenders on the site were owed money. Last month the company collapsed and ceased trading. The full extent of its debts have been revealed in a report to creditors by administrator Liam Bailey, managing partner at O'Brien Palmer. The March 18 report showed that Designerex Group, which owns the intellectual property, and Designerex Services, which trades as a business, owe a combined $1.8million to 737 creditors. They include local app developer Pixelforce (owed $200,000), the Australian Taxation Office (owed more than $335,000) and Australia Post (owed $33,600). Mr Bailey said in the report that he intended to 'sell the business of the companies or at the very least, sell the assets of the business'. The potential sale might be structured by way of a Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA), he said. Dubbed the 'Airbnb' of designer dresses, Designerex was run by Sydney couple Kirsten Kore and Costa Koulis Dozens of small business owners who had lent clothes through the site were also owed thousands of dollars. Brittany Courtney, 21, who runs the Brisbane hire business ABC Dress Hire, was owed $4,000. 'They just don't pay us,' Ms Courtney told Daily Mail Australia last month. 'I don't know if I'm ever going to see this money. We're just giving out our services for free. The founders are living a life of luxury and they really couldn't care less.' Ms Kore and Mr Koulis have insisted that a legal dispute with Pixelforce is to blame for the missing payments. 'The dispute with Pixelforce has impacted Designerex and its users,' Mr Koulis said last month. 'Pixelforce had contacted and pursued Designerex to become their technology partner. 'The issue arose, following on-boarding of all our sensitive data with Pixelforce, when a few months later they advised Designerex that they intended to build a direct competitor to Designerex. Brittany Courtney, 21, who runs the Brisbane hire business ABC Dress Hire, is owed $4,000 'Designerex was also asked to increase its retainer with Pixelforce, from $10,000 to $60,000 per month immediately and then to $120,000 monthly in 6 months' time, if it did not agree to Pixelforce building a competitor, which as a startup Designerex could not do. 'The flow on impact to Designerex has been extensive. It disrupted its technology development and Pixelforce subsequently also caused Designerex to enter into a lengthy and costly legal dispute.' Pixelforce CEO Hinney Lo denied that he ever intended to build a competitor. 'We informed them in 2022 - out of respect and courtesy - that we had received a similar inquiry about developing a dress rental marketplace,' he said. 'This inquiry never materialised into a project, and from our founding in 2013 to the present day, we have never developed a direct competitor to Designerex. 'Moreover, PixelForce has invested $200k in cash in Designerex under the same terms as other investors. 'It is unreasonable to attribute Designerexs financial disruptions to PixelForce. On the contrary, it is in our best interest for Designerex, like all our startup clients, to succeed.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Kore and Mr Koulis for further comment. The judge who sentenced Marine Le Pen to prison and banned her from standing to become the new French President was under armed police guard last night following clearly expressed personal threats. Far-Right supporters of the 56-year-old National Rally politician were on Monday believed to have targeted anti-corruption magistrate Benedicte de Perthuis, 63. A police source told Le Parisien that Judge De Perthuis had received a large number of messages containing clearly expressed personal threats. The news outlet added: As a result, the police presence has been increased near her home. The two other judges who made up the professional jury at the Paris Correctional Court have also been threatened, said the source. Meanwhile, Le Pen was last night dining in a private room upstairs at Laurent restaurant in Paris - scene of Kate Mosss infamous 50th birthday celebrations a couple of years ago. The politician and more than 20 other party officials were on Monday found guilty of stealing millions of pounds worth of tax payers money from the European taxpayer. They did this over at least a decade while they were MEPs working in the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg. Rather than spend the money on their European roles, they used it to fund the National Rally (NR) in Paris. The judge who sentenced Marine Le Pen (pictured) to prison and banned her from standing to become the new French President was under armed police guard tonight Le Pen and more than 20 other party officials were on Monday found guilty of stealing millions of pounds worth of tax payers money from the European taxpayer Judge Petrius handed down the controversial judgement against Le Pen following a trial last year for embezzlement of public funds. Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison, with two suspended, and also barred from running in elections for the next five years. Although Le Pen is now appealing, she is unlikely to stand to become President of France in 2027, despite being a favourite to replace Emmanuel Macron, who has to stand down after serving the maxium two terms allowed. Le Pen appeared on French TV on Monday night and said the judgement was a political decision and that she would fight it. She accused Judge De Perthuis of wanting to prevent me from running and being elected in the presidential election, and violating the law. But in a statement released on Monday, Jacques Boulard, the First President of the Paris Court of Appeal, called for respect for the judicial system. Judge Boulard deplored numerous comments but also, particularly on social media, personal attacks against the three judges who make up the collegial body. He expressed his deep concern and said that in a democratic state governed by the rule of law, criticism of a court decision can under no circumstances be expressed through threats against judges. Frances Justice Minister, Gerald Darmanin, also said the threats were worrying for the independence of the judicial authority. Matteo Salvini, Italy's hard-right deputy prime minister likened Le Pen's exclusion from political life to similar situations occurring in other countries such as Romania Eric Ciotti, the former president of centre-right republicans said: 'The democratic destiny of our nation confiscated by an outrageous judicial cabal' The leader of France's National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella, attends the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Israel, Thursday, March 27, 202 Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the barring of the National Rally leader from public office as a 'trend' National Rally president Jordan Bardella is among those who have called for demonstrations against the court decision. He wrote on Twitter X on Monday: Today it is not only Marine Le Pen who was unjustly condemned - it was French democracy that was killed. Even some of Le Pens political opponents attacked the decision, with former presidential candidate Eric Zemmour writing: It is not for judges to decide who the people must vote for. Whatever our disagreements, Marine Le Pen is legitimate to present herself for the vote.' Internationally, those who have attacked the judgement include U.S. presidential adviser Elon Musk. He said on Monday: When the radical left cant win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents.This is their standard playbook throughout the world. Mr Musk, one of President Donald Trumps closest aides, has backed Far-Right causes across the world, while the White House has become increasingly critical of European democracy. Marie Le Pen was last night dining in a private room upstairs at Laurent restaurant in Paris - scene of Kate Mosss infamous 50th birthday celebrations a couple of years ago. The leader is spending the evening with supporters and friends. Donald Trump successfully outmaneuvered an Obama-appointed judge to send even more criminal migrants to a notorious El Salvadoran prison over the weekend. District Court Judge James Boasberg issued a ruling earlier this month blocking the Trump administration's mass deportations of suspected Tren de Aragua gang members - arguing that the president wrongfully invoked the wartime Alien Enemies Act to justify the removals. But on Sunday, officials sent another plane carrying 17 alleged gang members to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center under Title 8 of US immigration law - and not under the Alien Enemies Act, according to Fox News. The title deals with 'Aliens and Nationality,' and states that the federal government has broad authority to deport migrants present in the United States illegally if they have been given deportation orders through the immigration courts. White House officials have since confirmed to Fox News that all of the suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang and MS-13 who were sent to the prison on Sunday had deportation orders or final orders of removal. Among the deportees were 12 with criminal convictions, one who was a self-admitted gang member and three who are still facing criminal charges. They were all originally from either Venezuela or El Salvador, and had entered the United States illegally. Prior to their plane ride to El Salvador on Sunday, they were being held at the United States' new migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay. President Donald Trump sent another plane of suspected gang members to a notorious El Salvadoran prison over the weekend He went around District Court Judge James Boasberg's court order halting the flights by sending it under Title 8 of US immigration law - and not the controversial Alien Enemies Act The plane touched down at the Terrorism Confinement Center on Sunday Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the successful deportation effort in a post on Monday. 'Last night, in a successful counterterrorism operation with our allies in El Salvador, the United States military transferred a group of 17 violent criminals from the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 operations, including murderers and rapists,' he posted on X. Rubio went on to note that Trump declared the two gangs to be Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and said they 'will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens. 'Once again, we extend our gratitude to Nayib Bukele and the government of El Salvador for their unparalleled partnership in making our countries safe against transnational crime and terrorism.' Bukele, the president of El Salvador who came to power vowing to fight rampant crime, also shared a minute-long video showing the suspected gangsters arriving at the Terrorism Confinement Center. It shows troops escorting the prisoners from a huge plane on the runway at night, forcing them to run in handcuffs before loading them into a car. Officials at the jail facility then roughly push their heads forward and shave their scalps before grabbing them by the neck and leading them to their cells. The prisoners can be seen wearing all-white with their arms chained behind their backs as they're crammed together in a tiny jail cell. White House officials have said that the 17 people who were deported to El Salvador over the weekend were members of either the Tren de Aragua or MS-13 Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador who came to power vowing to fight rampant crime, shared a minute-long video showing the suspected gangsters arriving at the Terrorism Confinement Center 'All individuals are confirmed murderers and high-profile offenders, including six child rapists,' Bukele wrote in a caption beside the video. 'This operation is another step in the fight against terrorism and organized crime.' President Trump later shared the video on his Truth Social platform, thanking Bukele 'for taking the criminals that were so stupidly allowed, by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, to enter our Country, and giving them such a wonderful place to live!' It appears the US president was being facetious in his remarks, as the sprawling mega-prison has been accused of human rights violations. Cristosal reported last year that at least 261 people had died in El Salvadors prisons during the gang crackdown. The group and others have cited cases of abuse, torture and lack of medical attention. The facility, which can hold up to 40,000 inmates, are also crammed into cells that are not equipped with enough beds for everyone. Under the United States' agreement with Bukele, it will pay the El Salvadoran government $6 million for one year of services at the facility. The minute-long video shows troops escorting the prisoners from a huge plane on the runway at night, forcing them to run in handcuffs before loading them into a car Officials at the jail facility then roughly push their heads forward and shave their scalps before grabbing them by the neck and leading them to their cells The sprawling mega-prison has been accused of human rights violations But back home, the Trump administration is facing multiple legal battles over its deportation efforts. It failed to get a federal appeals court to lift Boasberg's order putting a pause on deportations last week, and in fact, the District Court judge extended his restraining order against the use of the Alien Enemies Act on Friday. At the same time, he is also seeking more information about the Trump administration's deportation flights on March 15 to determine whether the administration defied his orders to block the flights, according to NewsNation. The planes were already in the air when Boasberg's order came down, and administration officials argue that he only verbally ordered the plane to return to the United States, but never included it in his written order. Administration officials are now reportedly also refusing to hand over any information about the planes' takeoff times, citing 'state secret privilege.' Meanwhile, lawyers for several of the people who have been deported have denied gang associations and pushed back on claims that their tattoos established their membership. Boasberg has said the five plaintiffs are entitled to due process and that deportees must have the chance to argue why they are not subject to Trump's actions taken under the Alien Enemies Act. The Supreme Court has now asked the attorneys for all five Venezuelans to respond to the Department of Justice by Tuesday morning, while Boasberg set a hearing for Thursday to determine whether the Trump administration violated his court order. Still, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt vowed on Monday that the Trump administration will continue to go after criminals living in the United States illegally. 'Every day, America becomes safer thanks to the leadership of President Trump,' she said before warning: 'If you're an illegal terrorist or criminal - the Trump administration is coming for you.' Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to make fitness standards for all combat jobs gender neutral, angering many women who see the move as unfair. In a new memo, the defense secretary told leaders of the military services to distinguish which jobs are considered combat arms - such as special operations or infantry, and require 'heightened entry level and sustained physical fitness' - and which are not. The memo released Monday said all physical fitness requirements for those combat arms positions must be gender neutral, 'based solely on the operational demands of the occupation and the readiness needed to confront any adversary.' Hegseth introduced the new standards in an X post, writing: 'For far too long, we have allowed standards to slip. We've had different standards for men/women serving in combat arms MOS's and jobs. That's not acceptable, and it changes right now!' On social media, the response from many women was extremely negative. Maria Cardona wrote: 'Your appointment and confirmation is the lowest the standards have slipped in the history of our republic!' Heather Thomas added: 'Dude, you are the Slipped Standards poster child.' 'Wait until folks find out there are different standards for age, too,' said Casey Lohrenz. 'Are we eliminating all age standards?' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to make fitness standards for all combat jobs gender neutral In a new memo, Hegseth told leaders of the military services to distinguish which jobs are considered combat arms - such as special operations or infantry, and require 'heightened entry level and sustained physical fitness' - and which are not The reaction wasn't entirely negative, with some suggesting that this was always inevitable once women were allowed to have combat arms. 'I predicted it would lead to unequal (and lowered) standards which would undermine readiness and lethality. Finally we have a [Defense Secretary] who gets that and will right the ship,' wrote third-generation army veteran Virginia Kruta. The new order expands on a memo Hegseth put out March 12 that said the undersecretary for personnel must gather information on military standards 'pertaining to physical fitness, body composition, and grooming, which includes but is not limited to beards.' Both reflect Hegseth's public complaints about fitness standards well before he took on the Pentagon job. While working as a Fox News commentator, Hegseth spoke about his opposition to women in combat jobs and his belief that standards were lowered to accommodate women. Hegseth's opposition stated in his book and interviews was simple and direct before his nomination on Nov. 12. But, in the face of questions from Congress, he appears to have altered his stance. 'I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn't made us more effective. Hasn't made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated,' he said in a podcast hosted by Shawn Ryan on Nov. 7. Women have a place in the military, he said, just not in special operations, artillery, infantry and armor units. Hegseth introduced the new standards in an X post, writing: 'For far too long, we have allowed standards to slip. We've had different standards for men/women serving in combat arms MOS's and jobs. That's not acceptable, and it changes right now!' In his book, he said women have performed well in dangerous support roles during war, but 'women in the infantry women in combat on purpose is another story.' He adds, 'women cannot physically meet the same standards as men.' The secretary added, 'Dads push us to take risks. Moms put the training wheels on our bikes. We need moms. But not in the military, especially in combat units.' His views riled some members of Congress. Asked about the issue on the 'Megyn Kelly Show' in early December, Hegseth said he cares only that military standards are maintained. Women serve in combat, he said, and, 'if we have the right standard and women meet that standard, roger. Let's go.' Questioned aggressively about his stance on women in combat by senators Tuesday, Hegseth said he supports women in the military but wants to review military standards to make sure they are not lowered to accommodate women. He explained the change between his previous comments and his new statements by saying that 'writing a book is different than being secretary of defense.' The order, however, could require some complicated assessments as all the services go through their jobs and determine which should be considered combat arms. For example, which sailors on a Navy warship deployed to the Middle East and being fired on by the Houthi rebels should be considered in a combat post. On smaller ships, it's not unusual for sailors to perform a number of different tasks, including firing weapons. The military has long had what is largely a two-part system for physical fitness standards. One is routine annual fitness tests with different requirements based on gender and age The other is more grueling standards for specific combat, special operations, infantry, armor, pararescue jumpers and other jobs that are the same for everyone in that occupation, and are not adjusted for age or gender. Hegseth's memo appears to focus on the second grouping - arguing that combat jobs require more stringent fitness standards. Already, however, specific military jobs like special operations, infantry, armor and pararescue require different, higher-level physical - and often mental and psychological - tests, requirements and qualification courses. In his book, Hegseth said women have performed well in dangerous support roles during war, but 'women in the infantry women in combat on purpose is another story' Questioned aggressively about his stance on women in combat by senators Tuesday, Hegseth said he supports women in the military but wants to review military standards to make sure they are not lowered to accommodate women Those standards require everyone to meet the same requirements, regardless of their age or gender. For example, an Army soldier who wants to be a Green Beret or a Ranger, or a sailor who wants to be a Navy SEAL, must pass grueling monthslong qualification courses. Also, after the Pentagon allowed women to be in all combat jobs, the Army set specific fitness standards for each military occupation that are the same regardless of age or gender. Recruits who want to serve in an infantry or armor job must pass a specific physical assessment that has higher, more significant demands in order to sign a contract for that specialty. Similarly, Marines also require more extensive fitness standards for their special operations forces and combat jobs. Hegseth's memo mentions higher fitness requirements for special operations forces - which already exist. And it says Navy divers and explosive ordnance disposal technicians also should be required to have proficiency in tasks such as water rescue and demolition, which they already do. The order gives service leaders 60 days to provide their proposed changes. They have 30 days to provide an interim report. 'As the nature of warfare evolves and the demands on our service members grow more complex, it is imperative that we assess and refine the physical fitness standards that enable our readiness and lethality,' Hegseth said in the memo. Elon Musk claims he has forked out at least $2.5 million in payments to Ashley St Clair but maintains he does not know if he is the father of her child. It comes after DailyMail.com spoke to St. Clair, who sold her $100,000 Model S Tesla, outside her Manhattan apartment on Saturday. 'I need to make up for the 60% cut that Elon made to our son's child support,' she told a DailyMail.com reporter who witnessed her handing the $100,000 car over to a representative from the online auto sales giant Carvana. DOGE chief Musk - who is currently entangled in a custody lawsuit with St. Clair - addressed the rumors on X, the social media platform he owns, on Monday. 'I dont know if the child is mine or not, but am not against finding out. No court order is needed, he said. He then spelled out the amount of money he has provided the conservative influencer. 'Despite not knowing for sure, I have given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year.' St. Clair immediately clapped back, calling Musk a 'petulant man-child' who needed to take responsibility. Elon Musk (pictured) claimed 'I don't know' if the child alleged baby mama Ashley St. Clair gave birth to is his but said he has already given her $2.5million whether it is or not St. Clair (pictured) immediately clapped back, calling Musk a 'petulant man-child' who needed to take responsibility 'Elon, we asked you to confirm paternity through a test before our child (who you named) was even born. You refused,' she said. She also clarified that it wasn't sending her money but 'sending support for your child that you thought was necessary until you withdrew most of it to maintain control and punish me for disobedience. But youre really only punishing your son.' St. Clair then referenced his most recent move in court, an attempt to silence her, while he posts on X. 'Its ironic that your last effort in court was to try to gag me while you use a social media channel you literally own to distribute derogatory messages about me and our child to the entire world. Its all about control with you, and everyone can see it.' She dropped one last insult to the CEO of multiple companies and Donald Trump's closest ally in Washington: 'America needs you to grow up, you petulant man-child.' Musk has yet to respond directly to St. Clair on social media. St. Clair went public in a bombshell post on Musk's social media site X last month, sensationally revealing the Tesla and SpaceX owner to be the father of her baby boy, born in September last year. She says Musk 'slid into my DMs' in May 2023, and that the child, who has been named publicly only by his initials 'R.S.C.', was conceived early January 2024 on a trip to the island of Saint Barthelemy in the Caribbean. The DOGE head's representatives did not immediately return a call asking for comment. Musk, 53, has not publicly acknowledged the child as his own, but has responded with cryptic emojis to posts on X about St. Clair's claims. St. Clair filed a paternity and a custody lawsuit in a New York court on February 21, claiming Musk told her to keep the baby secret, then ghosted her and their son in the middle of child support negotiations, forcing her to go public and take legal action. A source close to the case told DailyMail.com that since going public, Musk 'retaliated' by slashing her payments in half 'unilaterally', leaving St. Clair struggling to make ends meet. The source described the billionaire's actions as 'shocking and shameful' but did not acknowledge the alleged payments admitted by Musk on Monday. 'Ever since she got pregnant and then had the baby, Elon's been providing support money to her,' the source said. 'But he had a fairly specific list of requirements, including not acknowledging he's the father. 'Since the moment she objected to the level of control he demanded, he's withdrawn from her completely. When she went public with the fact that the baby was his, he's never spoken to her again. 'When this thing went into court for custody and paternity, he cut the support payments way back. He cut it by more than half. Elon Musk's alleged baby mama Ashley St. Clair says she's been forced to sell her Tesla after the world's richest man cut her child support in half 'It's a substantial reduction, and he obviously did it as a form of retaliation for her going into court,' the source claimed. St. Clair also has a three-year-old son from a previous partner, New York chiropractor Johnny Alexander. She has been raising the toddler and baby with the help of a full-time nanny at her rented three-bed apartment in downtown Manhattan. 'She bought a Tesla so she'd have a car to transport both the children in. Now she's selling it because she needs to raise money to cover the expenses she has that Elon has simply not paid. 'She's been living on her own. She gets no logistics assistance from Elon. And all of a sudden, she's punitively given much less money to raise this child than she's ever had.' The alleged behavior has given some close to St. Clair a low opinion of Musk. 'The richest guy in the world, to treat a woman that he made a baby with this way, is shocking and shameful,' the close source told DailyMail.com. Musk's lawyers successfully petitioned the New York judge to seal the case on March 14, keeping its details secret and limiting St. Clair's ability to speak out. St. Clair has been raising the toddler and baby with the help of a full-time nanny at her rented three-bed apartment in downtown Manhattan Sources told DailyMail.com that Musk's behavior toward St. Clair has been 'shocking and shameful' after he cut her child support payments in half 'This guy, who is supposedly dedicated to transparency and accountability in government, the first thing he did when he went into court was to try to gag Ashley so that she couldn't say anything, even as he was unilaterally cutting her support,' the source said. St. Clair's custody petition, obtained by DailyMail.com before the case was sealed, made damning claims against the confirmed father of 12 by three women. She stated she was ready to go all-in on the relationship, agreeing to 'relocate to Austin, Texas upon the child's birth', then switching to remaining in New York at his request from July last year. But the court documents paint a callous picture of Musk, claiming he chose not to be present at his son's birth, that he has only met him three times, and 'has had no involvement in his care and upbringing'. She claimed Musk 'first met R.S.C. on September 21, 2024 in New York City for two hours. He then spent one hour visiting R.S.C. and me the next day, September 22, 2024.' 'The next, and last time that Respondent saw our child was on November 30, 2024 in Austin, Texas, for only thirty minutes,' the February 21, 2025 filing said. 'Respondent has never asked to see our child on any other occasion, he has never communicated to me about our child without my prompting, he has never asked for photos of our child or checked in after doctor's appointments.' Though filings are now sealed, the case dockets are still visible and contain hints that the judge is sympathetic to St. Clair's case. Her attorney Karen Rosenthal filed a proposed 'order to show cause' in St. Clair's custody case on March 20, likely asking the judge to order Musk to provide responses and engage in the case or face a default judgment, along with 12 exhibits. Eight days later, Judge Jeffrey Pearlman appears to have acquiesced, issuing the order. The only filings from Musk's lawyers in the case, Alyssa Rower and Jennifer Isaacman of Rower LLC, are about having it sealed. When asked if she felt Musk was being 'vindictive' toward her, St. Clair, responded: 'Well, that's his modus operandi, when women speak out. 'You can check the stocks, I'm not the only one who is cleaning up after his messes. She said of anti-Tesla protests: 'The markets are catching up to what I have known for a long time. St. Clair said the last time she tried to speak to Musk was February 13, but he did not respond. A driver who claimed she was wrongly handed a $494 fine for running a red light has won a battle to overturn the penalty because of a technicality. Dalrene Pompeus, 79, checked her mailbox in February and discovered a letter that claimed she had run a red light at Parkville, in Melbourne's north, on November 22. Ms Pompeus said the light was green at the intersection of Cemetery Road West and Royal Parade, rubbishing claims she crossed 1.8 seconds after the light turned red. Her dashboard camera had automatically wiped and rewritten the footage as too much time had elapsed since the date in question. Ms Pompeus attempted to fight the fine after she was provided with a photo from the incident - which appeared to show a green light and not a red light. Her initial attempts to overturn the fine were rejected before they were finally dropped because of a technicality surrounding the evidence provided to her. Victoria Police revealed the issue stemmed from a reflection of the sun. 'Victoria Police is aware of an issue affecting some fixed road safety camera images, including the fixed camera at the intersection of Cemetery Road West and Royal Parade, Parkville,' a spokesman said. A 'sun reflection issue' in the evidence supplied to a pensioner meant authorities had to retract a red light fine 'The issue relates to sun reflection at particular times of the day, which may affect the image provided,' Victoria Police said. Ms Pompeus initially penned a letter pleading for her fine to be overturned, Yahoo reported. 'Having had no previous infringements or penalties, I would be grateful if you reconsider and revoke this fine,' she wrote. 'I am a pensioner and this fine is almost equal to my pension.' Her letter was rejected and Ms Pompeus was forced to start paying off the fine in instalments. 'I have reviewed the decision to serve an Infringement Notice,' a letter from Victoria Police read. 'I am satisfied that the alleged offence was committed and confirm that the issue of the issue of the Infringement Notice was justified. 'Your circumstances have been considered, and in this instance, this offence is considered to be a serious safety related matter. The fine notice was retracted after authorities initially rejected the pensioner's contest 'As a result, the issue of an Official Waning Notice would not be appropriate.' Ms Pompeus said she only complied to pay the fine under a state of bureaucratic 'duress'. However, the fine was later rescinded following media attention. Authorities indicated they were operating with the Department of Justice and Community Safety responsible for the management of road safety cameras in Victoria in order to resolve the sunlight issue. In the 2023-24 financial year, more than 1.3million red light tickets and speeding fines were issued in the state. Daily Mail Australia contacted Victoria Police for comment. A manhunt for three men accused of dumping materials containing cancer-causing asbestos outside two medical centres has resumed. The group were captured on CCTV dumping the waste between the two offices on Warrigal Road in Hughesdale, in Melbourne's southeast, on July 8 2023. The truck had no number plates and was carrying the toxic materials in tightly wrapped plastic. The vehicle's occupants appeared to check to see they were alone, before getting out of the truck and standing in the driveway. The truck was positioned between the two medical clinics before its tray was tipped back to dispose of the toxic waste. An Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they were appealing to the community for help in identifying the culprits. 'We've been investigating this for a while and we're trying to get some more information,' the spokesperson said. 'It's been hard to come by the evidence that we need. It looks pretty targeted.' The truck with asbestos material is seen dumping the waste outside a medical centre The waste is dumped before the truck, with three men in it, drives off Two of the men wore hoodies and have proved difficult to identify. The other man appeared to be in his 40s or 50s and was balding. Dr Billy Stoupas, a GP who practices at one of the medical centres, told A Current Affair at the time that 60 patients' appointments had to be cancelled because it was too risky to be anywhere near the clinics due to the asbestos exposure. 'There's three blokes that get out of the car, prepare it and then just dump a whole bunch of stuff in the middle of the driveway,' Dr Stoupas said. 'Little did we know at the time it was a truckload of asbestos.' The local council were powerless to help because the rubbish was left on private property, so it cost the owners $2,500 to have the asbestos taken away. EPA Victoria CEO Lee Miezis said he was determined to identify the three men. 'It's shocking, is the way I'd describe it, and we will throw all our resources into catching these people,' he said. The fines for dumping asbestos are up to $800,000 for an individual and $4million for a company. The truck is seen leaving the GP offices after dumping the toxic materials The EPA said the men avoided $2,000 in costs by illegally ditching the waste. The fines for dumping asbestos are up to $800,000 for an individual and $4million for a company. 'It's shocking, is the way I'd describe it, and we will throw all our resources into catching these people,' he said. 'It is expensive but I think those costs are absorbed by prices and margins built in by builders and removalists,' Dr Stoupas said. 'When you're dealing with a product that's so harmful and risky from a medical point of view, it should be done correctly.' If anyone has information about the illegal dumping they can call the EPA's 24 hour hotline on 1300 372 842. A Brisbane mosque has made it very clear Peter Dutton is not welcome to visit due to his perceived 'deeply hurtful' rhetoric, as a growing number of Muslim organisations distance themselves from federal election campaigning. Ali Kadri, a spokesperson for Holland Park Mosque and a Labor member, said the Opposition leader's language about the Muslim community was behind the ban. 'His presence would be deeply concerning to our congregation,' Mr Kadri told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. 'Generally we open our doors to all politicians, [but] Mr Dutton has used deeply hurtful words when it comes to migrants, particularly the Muslim community.' When asked which language he was referring to, Mr Kadri said Mr Dutton had blamed the housing shortage on migrants and made 'comments around downplaying of Islamophobia'. 'In the housing debate, the focus is squarely on migrants, especially from Mr Dutton. It makes us feel targeted,' he said. 'Give us equal respect like any other Australian, consider us equal citizens. 'In his rhetoric, unfortunately, [this] doesn't come across.' Spokesperson for Holland Park Mosque Ali Kadri (pictured) said a visit from opposition leader Peter Dutton would be deeply concerning to the community Mr Kadri had told the Courier Mail on Monday that the Opposition leader's 'divisive rhetoric' made a visit to the mosque 'inconsistent' with the community's values. The comments followed a statement released by leaders of Al Madinah Masjid in western Sydney after a visit from Mr Dutton on Sunday, clarifying that the meeting was not an endorsement of the Liberal Party. Members had hoped Mr Dutton would address previous critical remarks about some Muslim Australians made during his time as Immigration Minister in 2016. Mr Dutton said that the Fraser government 'did make mistakes by bringing some people in' to Australia during the 1970s. When pressed on who he was referring to during a Question Time debate, Mr Dutton pointed the finger at Lebanese-Muslim immigrants. 'The advice I have is that out of the last 33 people who have been charged with terrorist-related offences in this country, 22 of those people are from second and third generation Lebanese-Muslim background,' he said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Dutton's office for comment. On Monday, reporters asked the Opposition leader for his response to concerns about his rhetoric and whether he had plans to publicly apologise. Leaders of Al Madinah Masjid in western Sydney released a statement after a visit from Peter Dutton on Sunday (pictured) clarifying that the meeting was not an endorsement 'People should be able to live in our country, in our society, particularly in the 21st century, peaceful and with freedom,' he said. 'I don't tolerate attacks on mosques, not on churches, not on temples, not on any place of worship. 'People might have differences of opinion about religion, but in our country we respect the points of difference and we need to make sure that people, when they're going to a place of worship, that they're able to do so freely.' When asked again whether he would apologise, Mr Dutton said his comments were consistent regardless of religion. 'I've never discriminated against any criminal. I'm opposed to all of them,' he said. 'If somebody is committing an act of violence against somebody, and it's religiously based, I'm dead against that. I've been consistent about that my entire career.' The hostility toward Liberal campaigning at mosques was not just aimed at Mr Dutton. Worshippers at an Eid prayer event at Dandenong Showgrounds in Melbourne's southeast heckled Liberal frontbencher Jason Wood during his visit on Monday On Monday, Liberal frontbencher Jason Wood beat a hasty retreat from an Eid prayer event at the Dandenong Showgrounds in Melbourne's southwest after he was heckled by worshippers. As Mr Wood left the venue, he was abused by some who filmed the exchange. 'You're not welcome here brother, get out of here,' the man behind the camera said. The Lebanese Muslim Association has also refused any visit from a politician to mosques in Sydney, Adelaide or Queensland. 'We feel very much dissatisfied with the lack of attention Gaza has received from politicians,' secretary Gamel Kheir told the Courier Mail. '[Not allowing them to our institutions is the] only way we can make it clear to politicians that we feel our voices are not being heard.' Iran's military has called for preemptive strikes on a military based on the British-controlled Chagos Islands in an attempt to prevent the US from using it. The Chagos Islands, which are due to be handed over to Mauritius, are home to Diego Garcia military base which houses American and British assets. A senior Iranian military official told the Telegraph that military commanders have been asked to target the UK-US base in an attempt to stop Donald Trump from attacking Iran. He said: 'Top commanders are being urged to launch preemptive strikes on the island and its base if Trump's threats have become more serious.' The official continued: 'Discussions about the island have intensified since the Americans deployed bombers there.' He added that the missiles may not necessarily hit the base itself, but would act as a warning to America. 'Some are suggesting that missiles be fired towards the island, not with the intent to hit anything, but to fall into the water to send a clear message to the Americans that we are serious', said the official. Trump sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month urging Tehran to reach a new nuclear deal. The US President warned: 'There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal.' A senior Iranian military official told the Telegraph that military commanders have been asked to target the UK-US base (File image of Iranian missiles) The Chagos Islands, which are due to be handed over to Mauritius, are home to Diego Garcia military base which houses American and British assets In response, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf said on Friday: 'If the Americans attack the sanctity of Iran, the entire region will blow up like a spark in an ammunition dump.' 'Their bases and those of their allies will not be safe,' Qalibaf said in a live speech at the annual Al-Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, that marks the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. This comes after Iranian state media reported this week that Tehran would strike the base on Diego Garcia with ballistic missiles and suicide drones if Donald Trump follows through on his warning of military action. It warned that Iran had weapons capable of reaching the base - like the Khorramshahr ballistic missile and the Shahed 136B drone -. The base on Diego Garcia island moved into Tehran's focus due to a strategic bomber force there that can hit underground facilities in the Middle Eastern country. The US has seemingly issued another warning to Iran and its rebel proxies by deploying at least three B-2 stealth bombers to Diego Garcia island. Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC showed three B-2s parked at Camp Thunder Cove on Diego Garcia on Wednesday. America is believed to be bringing additional firepower to the military base, as radio transmissions and flight-tracking data suggested the US Air Force is moving several aircraft to Diego Garcia. At least four more jets are reportedly on their way, The Telegraph reports, citing unconfirmed Open Source Intelligence. Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC showed three B-2s (circled) parked at Camp Thunder Cove on Diego Garcia on Wednesday. America is believed to be bringing additional firepower to the military base Iran has threatened to target British forces if Donald Trump attacks the Middle Eastern nation in the absence of a new nuclear deal (pictured: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) Trump (pictured) sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month urging Tehran to reach a new nuclear deal. The US President warned: 'There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal' Seven C17 aircraft - which are typically used for rapid deployment of troops, cargo and supplies - have also landed at the base in recent days, according to Sky News. The B-2 Spirit, or B-2 bomber, is a highly advanced, stealth bomber capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons. The plane, designed by the US Air Force, is known for its ability to penetrate enemy defences. The B-2's design incorporates advanced stealth technology to make it difficult to detect by radar, allowing it to penetrate heavily defended airspace. Iranian state media said: 'The B-2 Spirit, a bomber with long range, payload, and advanced stealth features, is often cited as an ideal platform for delivering heavy bombs to Iranian underground facilities.' Khamenei has called Trump's message deceptive and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday talks were impossible unless Washington changed its 'maximum pressure' policy. Araqchi on Friday was reported by state media as saying that while Trump's letter contained threats, it also left the door open to diplomacy. He did not elaborate. The UK has condemned the threats 'in the strongest terms' in a statement, with a government spokesperson saying that Britain was working with regional partners to de-escalate the situation. Diego Garcia island is a strategic hub, as it puts both Yemen and Iran in range of British and American planes and 'plays a crucial role in maintaining regional and international security', according to the government spokesperson. It also provides a closer location for the long-range bombers to launch that's still far outside of the range of the rebels - and avoids using allies' Mideast bases. There are believed to be around 4,000 British and US forces stationed on Diego Garcia. A dog washer has confessed to mistreating animals after a video emerged of him hitting three dachshunds he was grooming. Alan Turner from Dapto, in NSW's Illawarra region, told the owner of the dogs one of them had bit him, which prompted the owner to check footage from a security camera on their verandah. The video showed Turner appearing to lift the dogs up by their leashes and then hold them down and hit them as he tried to take off their collars. Turner had been working as a franchisee for Aussie Pooch Mobile, and the company owners said they were 'sickened' and 'angered' by his behaviour. 'We were just shocked that someone could do that to a dog, let alone someone in our business,' boss Paul Walter said in a post to Facebook. He said he was 'sorry this happened to the pets' and that Turner's actions did not align with their values or those of the business. Mr Walter confirmed Turner has been stood down and they are in discussions with lawyers about his franchise contract. A reporter for WIN News confronted Turner in a front yard and the former dog groomer hid behind a large white sheet as he answered questions. Dog washer Alan Turner (pictured) from Dapto was allegedly caught on CCTV holding three small dachshund dogs from their collars and appearing to hit them Aussie Pooch Mobile owners Paul and Megan Walters said they were 'appalled' by his actions Turner before he ducked behind the sheet (pictured) during an interview with a news reporter Turner admitted he had treated the dogs 'poorly' and that he was 'very much ashamed of that' but 'wasn't thinking clearly at the time'. He added his career as a groomer was over and that he would apologise to the client. The RSPCA is investigating the incident. Mr Walter said the Shell Harbour police are also looking into the matter after Turner's dog wash trailer was allegedly set on fire in an arson attack. Co-owner Megan Walters said the company has other franchisees in the Illawarra area who had been concerned for their safety. 'This has got nothing to do with them,' she said. Mr Walters asked the people of Woollongong and Shell Harbour to let the authorities handle the matter and thanked those who have sent messages of support. 'Our franchise family is grateful of your support and we know our Illawarra franchisees feel safer, which is all we want,' he said. Anthony Albanese has hit back at the Trump administration, saying Australia's trade policies are 'not up for negotiation' even under the threat of tariffs. The key issues the US is attempting to influence with the threat of imposing tariffs include pharmaceutical subsidies, biosecurity restrictions on imports, and the news media bargaining code which makes social media sites pay for the news content they use. Mr Albanese said on the election campaign trail in South Australia on Tuesday morning that 'those issues are not up for negotiation from the Australian government'. 'We will defend Australia's interests. The idea that we would weaken biosecurity laws is like cutting off your nose to spite your face,' he said. 'In order to defend the exports that total less than 5 per cent of Australia's exports, you would undermine our biosecurity system. Not on my watch. 'I have very clearly indicated Australia is not negotiating over the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. We are not negotiating over the news bargaining code. We will not undermine our biosecurity.' New 25 per cent tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium exported to the US came into effect on March 12 - but Trump is set to impose additional tariffs of up to 25 per cent on agriculture and pharmaceutical imports into the US on Wednesday. It has sparked a new round of negotiations with the Albanese government, which is trying to secure an exemption, having failed to do so on those metal exports. Anthony Albanese has hit back at the Trump administration, saying its concerns about Australia are 'not up for negotiation' The Australian policies that Trump is attempting to influence with the threat of tariffs include pharmaceuticals, biosecurity and the news media bargaining code American drug manufacturers have expressed concern about the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) capping the prices they would have otherwise been able to charge chemists. Trump may try to force Australia to review the scheme, which would threaten the future of cheap point-of-sale medicines. But Mr Albanese made clear on Tuesday that the PBS would be off the table in any talks. He has also refused to budge on Australia's biosecurity system, as American meat producers bemoan the cost it imposes on selling to Australia, and a news bargaining code requiring digital platforms to pay for the news stories they post on their sites. The Prime Minister suggested he had yet to speak to Trump on the phone again because the two countries had yet to reach an agreement. The PBS is one of the pillars of Labor's election campaign, with Mr Albanese promising to slash the maximum cost of prescription medicine under the scheme to a maximum of $25 for non-concession customers. Joe Rogan has sensationally split with Trump on his key mass migration policy, slamming the possibility that innocent people could be languishing in a 'hell on earth' prison due to an administration error. The Trump administration's decision to invoke the wartime Alien Enemies Act in order to send hundreds of suspected gang members to a notorious El Salvadorian prison has sparked lawsuits and protests. But Rogan's condemnation of the decision amid reports innocent civilians were wrongly mixed up with criminals could be the biggest blow to the administration yet. 'It's horrific,' he said. 'You got to get scared that people who are not criminals are getting, like, lassoed up and deported and sent to, like, El Salvador prisons. 'This is kind of crazy that that could be possible. That's horrific. And that's, again, that's bad for the cause. 'The cause is: Let's get the gang members out. Everybody agrees. But let's not, innocent gay hairdressers, get lumped up with the gangs.' Rogan's wildly successful podcast is credited with attracting young male voters to the MAGA movement, after Trump appeared in an episode during his presidential election campaign. Joe Rogan has sensationally split with Trump on his key mass migration policy, slamming the possibility that innocent people could be languishing in a 'hell on earth' prison due to an administration error The Trump administration's decision to invoke the wartime Alien Enemies Act in order to send hundreds of suspected gang members to a notorious El Salvadorian prison has sparked lawsuits and protests As such, his opinion on the administration's policies has huge sway with his fanbase. He has largely supported Trump's sweeping acts in his first two months back in the White House, but Rogan drew the line during his Saturday episode with Konstantin Kisin. There have been reports that some of the 238 immigrants who were swept up in the mass raids were wrongly identified. One such case allegedly involves a gay man working as a barber, who arrived in the United States legally. A Time Magazine report from the prison noted: 'One young man sobbed when a guard pushed him to the floor. He said, 'I'm not a gang member. I'm gay. I'm a barber.'' The reporter said: 'I believed him. But maybe it's only because he didn't look like what I had expected - he wasn't a tattooed monster.' Referencing the article, Rogan said: 'How long before that guy can get out? Can we figure out how to get them out? Is there any plan in place to alert the authorities that they've made a horrible mistake and correct it?' Rogan said he was disappointed in the current political climate, which appeared to be a case of: 'never admit your fault. Never admit you're wrong.' Andrys Hernandez, 31, a makeup artist seeking asylum in the US after fleeing Venezuela, was wrongly identified as a gang member and sent to a hellhole prison in El Salvador But Rogan's condemnation of the decision amid reports innocent civilians were wrongly mixed up with criminals could be the biggest blow to the administration yet He has largely supported Trump's sweeping acts in his first two months back in the White House, but Rogan drew the line during his Saturday episode 'And this is the thing we're seeing with the Signal thing, and this is the thing we're seeing with this,' Rogan said, referring to the now infamous debacle involving senior US officials adding a journalist to a group chat discussing sensitive plans to attack Yemen. In that case, Trump and senior officials refused to admit fault, lashing out instead at the journalist and accusing him of exaggerating what he was exposed to in the chat. 'What is his life like in there man, what the f**k?' Rogan said of the allegedly innocent barber. A makeup artist seeking asylum in the US after fleeing Venezuela claims he was also wrongly identified as a gang member and sent to the hellhole prison. Andrys Hernandez, 31, crossed the border into California from Tijuana last year to escape persecution for his homosexuality, his lawyers said. He waited months in detention for an immigration court hearing on March 13, but instead was put one of three planes with 237 other migrants and deported. Rogan said in situations like this mistakes are '100 percent' going to be made, but there has to be an avenue to correct them, 'and it can't be bury your head in the sand.' 'If you want reasonable people to be on board with you... compassionate people to be on board with you, you can't deport gay hairdressers seeking asylum. That's f**king crazy. That's nuts.' Hernandez waited months in detention for an immigration court hearing on March 13, but instead was put one of three planes with 237 other migrants and deported Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (left), looks at prisoners during a tour of the Terrorist Confinement Center in El Salvador Rogan said in situations like this mistakes are '100 percent' going to be made, but there has to be an avenue to correct them, 'and it can't be bury your head in the sand' The prisoners' hair was shaved upon arrival in the El Salvador prison The Trump administration is also in a back-and-forth with the courts over the deportation. Trump claimed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is invading the United States and invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime authority that allows the president broader leeway on policy and executive action to speed up mass deportations. But Judge James Boasberg barred further deportations under the act's authority and ordered flights in the air to return to the United States, which the administration failed to comply with. The administration is now asking the Supreme Court to allow it to resume those deportations. On Monday, the administration revealed it has deported 17 more 'violent criminals' from the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs to El Salvador. The State Department said the immigrants were removed Sunday night. The statement said murderers and rapists were among them but didn't give details of the nationalities or alleged crimes of those removed. The office of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, however, said Salvadorans and Venezuelans were among the prisoners. 'These criminals will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the statement. Salvadoran prison guards escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the MS-13 gang recently deported by the U.S. government Rogan's wildly successful podcast is credited with attracting young male voters to the MAGA movement, after Trump appeared in an episode during his presidential election campaign 'Once again, we extend our gratitude to President Bukele and the government of El Salvador for their unparalleled partnership.' The men were flown to El Salvador by the U.S. military, the State Department said. As seen in video from the Salvadoran government, they were transported by bus to El Salvador's maximum security prison, changed into the prison's standard white T-shirts and shorts and had their heads shaven. They were walked by guards into a cell block, the video shows, and some were made to kneel upon the floor with their wrists cuffed behind their backs and ankles shackled. At the prison, the suspected gang members spend 23 and a half hours locked in overcrowded cells, with just 30 minutes to stretch - chained in the middle of the hallway. Jail cells with steel bars are split among the eight cell blocks and can hold up to 100 detainees. Each cell comes equipped with 80 bare iron bunks - mattresses are not included - along with two toilets and two sinks. Within the cells, the temperature can reach a staggering 95 degree during the day, and there is no other source of ventilation. Dubbed a 'black hole of human rights' and a 'hellhole' by critics, the facility has drawn widespread condemnation for allegedly ignoring international prisoner rights. Elon Musk has reinstated a former White House tech aide who resigned amid scandal - and has now quietly regained access to some of the federal government's most sensitive databases. Marko Elez, a 25-year-old software engineer with deep ties to Musk's empire, including stints at X, SpaceX, and Starlink was forced to resign in early February after the resurfacing of vile social media posts. In them he declared, among other things, that he was 'racist before it was cool,' urged followers to 'normalize Indian hate,' and mused about repealing the Civil Rights Act. He was revealed to have posted comments saying 'you could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity.' Despite the firestorm, Elez didn't stay gone for long. Musk, who has spearheaded the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), promptly vowed to bring him back. 'To err is human, to forgive divine,' Musk wrote on X, echoing sentiments from Vice President J.D. Vance, who said 'stupid social media activity' should not 'ruin a kid's life.' Far from being sidelined, Elez has been embedded across multiple federal agencies, with access to troves of personal, medical, and employment data. According to a bombshell court filing submitted on Saturday, Elez now works within the Department of Labor and has also been detailed to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with four other agencies reportedly involved. Elon Musk has reinstated a former White House tech aide who resigned amid scandal - and has now quietly regained access to some of the federal government's most sensitive databases Marko Elez resigned after racist social media posts were revealed where he said 'normalize Indian hate' and 'I was racist before it was cool.' He has now been reinstated Initially a judge blocked DOGE and Elez from Treasury systems over concerns that federal privacy laws had already been violated. Pictured, The Treasury Department building He was granted read-only access to three Labor Department systems on February 25 - just four days after a judge blocked DOGE from Treasury systems over concerns that federal privacy laws had already been violated. Then in early March, Elez was quietly authorized to access HHS databases, including those tied to Medicare, Medicaid, and a national database used to enforce child support. He was later stripped of some permissions at HHS, but not before accessing high-stakes data platforms that hold information on millions of Americans. President Trump's executive order tasking DOGE with identifying 'waste, fraud, and abuse' in federal systems and modernizing government software was used as the justification to reinstate the Elez. The executive order was issued on January 20 just moments after Trump retook the oath of office and gave Musk sweeping authority to embed tech operatives inside the federal bureaucracy. Since then, his team has moved with breathtaking speed, installing dozens of under-30 engineers inside agencies like HHS, the Department of Education, and even the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). US District Judge Jeannette Vargas already raised alarm bells in February, barring DOGE from accessing Treasury databases after finding there was 'a real possibility' that Elez and others had improperly shared sensitive data. Specifically, Elez had transmitted a spreadsheet containing personally identifiable information to two General Services Administration officials who lacked the clearance to receive it - an apparent violation of federal privacy protocols. Trump and billionaire ally Musk, who oversees the DOGE cost-cutting initiative, have been gutting agencies as part of an effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy and budget Musk conducted a poll about bringing back a DOGE staffer he said made 'inappropriate statements' Tens of thousands of workers have been targeted for dismissal at federal agencies leading to drastic cuts at departments that provide critical social services. Protestors are seen at the Department of Education earlier this month Supporters cheers the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) workers, as they carry their personal belongings after retrieving them from the USAID's HQ last month At the time, Musk's team downplayed the incident, noting that the information was 'low risk.' But court filings show this was only the beginning. The Saturday filing, submitted as part of ongoing litigation brought by federal labor unions and nonprofit watchdogs sheds light on the true scope of DOGE's reach. In response to mounting evidence, US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued a sweeping injunction on Friday, temporarily freezing DOGE operations at the CFPB and warning of imminent, irreparable damage: 'Absent an injunction freezing the status quo there is a substantial risk that the defendants will complete the destruction of the agency completely in violation of law,' she wrote. Multiple federal lawsuits are now pending an Congressional Democrats have demanded Musk testify about his dual role as head of DOGE and CEO of six private companies. So far, those demands have been stonewalled by Republicans, who control both chambers and appear to support the DOGE agenda. 'This is not some roving band running around doing things,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said to Bloomberg. 'This is methodical, and it is going to yield big savings.' Trump and billionaire ally Musk, who oversees the DOGE cost-cutting initiative, have been gutting agencies as part of an effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy and budget. In practice, some say DOGE has mostly pursued long-time Republican policy objectives Musk has been proudly documenting the work of DOGE on X, sparking protests on the streets as furious lefties chant 'Deport Musk,' 'Down with Trump' and 'Do your Job Congress!' Musk's involvement has led to protests at virtually all of his Tesla car showrooms nationwide The aim is to root out waste, fraud and abuse, slash government spending and purge the federal workforce of low-performing, disloyal and unnecessary workers. Trump has said he is 'very proud' of what he describes as a vital initiative to turn off the spigot of wasteful spending. Earlier this month Trump ordered all federal agencies to draw up plans for a second wave of mass layoffs, and the White House began reviewing the plans last week alongside Musk's DOGE. In practice, some say DOGE has mostly pursued long-time Republican policy objectives, shuttering agencies such as USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which provide a lifeline to the world's needy and protect Americans from unscrupulous lender respectively. Tens of thousands of workers have been targeted for dismissal at federal agencies leading to drastic cuts at departments that provide critical social services including the Department of Veterans Affairs, which administers healthcare for veterans, and the Social Security Administration, which sends out checks to retired, disabled and widowed Americans. Workers have also been targeted for dismissal including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which provides weather forecasting and climate data. A mother who attempted to kidnap her child and take them to a 'sovereign state' has been sentenced to two years behind bars for her bizarre plot. The woman, who cannot be named to protect her child's identity, was found guilty in September of abducting the child from a Wollongong park, 80km south of Sydney. During sentencing on Monday, Judge Andrew Haesler told Wollongong District Court the inexcusable abduction had been premeditated, the ABC reported. 'Her real intention was to remove [the child] and take [them] to a sovereign state in NSW where she could live with [the child]... and not be subject to the laws of NSW,' he said. 'The offender's various motives cannot excuse what she did. If it was a protest, she used her child for political ends it was a criminal act of some seriousness.' The court heard the woman organised to rent a van the day before the Department of Communities and Justice organised for her to meet with her child in December 2022. It's understood the woman handed a worker a 'statement of notice' which said she did not recognise the court's authority and included her thumb print for identification. The woman's notice said she was 'a living being sovereign to this land' who 'hereby renounce(s) and reject(s) my former engagement with the courts and their kronies (sic) and disregard(s) all orders as null and void'. A woman, who cannot be named to not to identify her child, was found guilty of abducting the child from a Wollongong park (stock image) The court heard that she drove away with her unrestrained child in the van before police intercepted them north of Sydney three hours later. On Monday, the woman, who appeared via video link from Dillwynia Women's Correctional Centre, was sentenced to a two-year prison term. In a fiery judgement, Judge Haesler told the court the woman's decision to represent herself during the trial 'did herself no favours'. '[She] does not accept the jurisdiction of this court,' he said. '[She] does not believe the laws of NSW apply to her; she was wrong.' Judge Haesler also criticised the woman's behaviour during the trial, including regular interruptions which led him to find her in contempt of court. '[She] repeatedly interjected, directed personal insults to me and others, harassed witnesses (including her own [children]), refused my directions and orders and talked over me excessively,' he said. '[She] was deliberately trying to undermine the trial process in order to the secure a discharge of the jury and a delay in hearing the serious allegation made against her.' Judge Andrew Haesler criticised the woman's behaviour during the trial, including regular interruptions which led him to find her in contempt of court (stock image) On the first day of the trial, the woman refused to enter a plea. The court also heard she was a long-time public housing resident. 'The irony of someone who wants to divorce themselves from the state while benefiting from the state in terms of social housing,' Judge Haesler said. 'But people aren't consistent in their lives.' The judge issued a non-parole period of 11 months for abducting the child, backdated to May 4, 2024, meaning she will be eligible for parole on April 4. A Liberal frontbencher beat a hasty retreat from a mosque after he was heckled and abused by worshippers despite pledging $6.5million to upgrade the Islamic centre. Jason Wood, the Coalition's shadow minister for Multicultural Affairs, donned a turban and a striped robe to attend an Eid prayer event at the Afghan Islamic Centre in Melbourne's southwest with the local Liberal candidate for the seat of Bruce on Monday evening. Mr Wood was there to pledge $6.5million in funding to upgrade the facilities but he was met with hostility. Videos circulating on social media showed worshippers standing up and shouting at Mr Wood, while one video even showed a scuffle breaking out among the crowd. As Mr Wood left the venue, he was abused by a man filming the exchange. 'You're not welcome here brother, get out of here,' the man said. As one of Mr Wood's entourage tries to intervene, the man added: 'I'll break your face, bro. Get out of here.' But the ignominy for the Liberal frontbencher did not end there, with his religious costume likened on social media to the Harry Potter character Quirinus Quirrel, a turban-wearing teacher in the first book of JK Rowling's franchise. Liberal frontbencher Jason Wood (pictured) donned a turban and a striped robe to attend an Eid prayer event in Melbourne's Dandenong Showground on Monday Videos circulating on social media showed worshippers standing up and shouting at Mr Wood, while one even showed a scuffle breaking out among the crowd 'Jason Wood MP has been announced as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for the upcoming school year,' one person quipped on X. John Macgowan, Bruce Lehrmann's one-time media guru and a former Liberal staffer, said the footage was 'an absolute classic in the 'Liberal MP ethnic cosplay' genre'. 'He looks like he's about to declare the annual hunger games open,' he added. A video posted by the Stand for Palestine group, which lobbies mosques not to welcome politicians who do not support its cause, was accompanied with the caption: 'May Allah reward those who stood up'. 'Shoutout to our Afghan brothers and those who took a noble stance to make it clear that genocide-supporters are NOT welcome in our spaces,' another post stated. 'Reportedly, Jason Wood ended by 'thanking the Afghans who helped the ADF in Afghanistan' - what a horrendous and insensitive statement from a vile person who SHOULD NEVER have been welcomed by any of our masajid and imams!' A spokesperson for Mr Wood's office said the event was 'gate crashed by pro Palestinian supporters from other Mosques'. 'There were pro Palestinian supporters, and they started heckling and raising against our presence at the event,' they said. Mr Wood's religious get-up was likened on social media to the Harry Potter character Quirinus Quirrel, a turban-wearing teacher in the first book of JK Rowling's franchise (pictured) 'Jason made the announcement and received applause from the crowd. 'Nearing the end of Jason's speech, there was some commotion at the back of the crowd. 'While Jason and Zahid were leaving, there were some fights among groups of people in the crowd, not related or targeted at Jason. The spokesperson added: 'Jason and Zahid have been receiving numerous messages of thanks and gratitude from the Afghan community. 'The Afghan community members are also angry and feel embarrassed by the incident as Jason and Zahid were guests of them.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was 'not concerned about the politics of this' when asked about Mr Wood at a press conference on Tuesday morning. 'What I am concerned about is social cohesion, and social cohesion is really important,' Mr Albanese said. 'Elections come and go, do you know what stays? Our commitment to multiculturalism.' The episode comes after leaders of a mosque visited by Peter Dutton sought to distance themselves from the Opposition Leader. On Sunday, Mr Dutton visited the Al Madinah Mosque in the outer Sydney suburb of Leppington, where he pledged $25,000 for CCTV cameras to improve security. But the mosques leaders put out a statement clarifying that his visit should not be regarded as support for the Liberal Party or its leader. 'Please do not see this visit here as an endorsement of any sort, rather, we seek to share with you the views and challenges that many Australian Muslims are facing today, so that may help you formulate policies and provide support that is of significant importance to all Australians,' the statement said, according to the Daily Telegraph. On Sunday, Mr Dutton visited the Al Madinah Mosque in the outer Sydney suburb of Leppington, where he pledged $25,000 for CCTV cameras to improve security (pictured) But the mosques leaders have clarified the visit was 'not an endorsement of any sort' The statement also demanded a public apology from Mr Dutton about past comments he has made about Lebanese Muslims. In 2016, Mr Dutton said: 'The advice I have is that out of the last 33 people who have been charged with terrorist-related offences in this country, 22 of those people are from second and third generation Lebanese-Muslim background'. The leaders said the comments were of 'deep concern'. 'Whilst we who are here today are mainly Australian Pakistanis, we strongly condemn these comments about our Australian Lebanese brothers and sisters, and would do the same if any migrant group from any other religion were the subject to similar comments,' the statement added. 'Whilst we understand you have apologised, we understand this was not a public apology and we ask that this be rectified.' Meanwhile, a Labor-aligned leader of a mosque in the Greens-held seat of Griffith in Brisbane has said Mr Dutton would not be welcome. 'Mr Dutton's history of divisive rhetoric, particularly towards migrants and the Muslim community, as well as his support for policies that could disproportionately affect our community, make his visit inconsistent with our values,' Holland Park Mosque spokesman Ali Kadri, a Labor member who volunteered for Jim Chalmers at the 2022 election, told the publication. A famous beachside suburb has been left divided over plans to install a mermaid themed public artwork after complaints about the 'representation of women's bodies'. Waverley Council revealed plans in 2023 to pay homage to two well-known mermaid sculptures and erect an artwork at Bondi's South Park, in Sydney's eastern suburbs. The fibreglass mermaid sculptures once stood on the rocks on the northern end of the beach after they were installed without permission in the 1960s. The pair were modelled on local women Jan Carmody, who was crowned Miss Australia Surf in 1959, and Lynette Whillier, who was a champion swimmer. One statue lasted 14 years before it was stolen, replaced and then washed away with council refusing to replace it for a second time. The other statue lasted 16 years until bits and pieces were stolen and council eventually decided to remove what was left of it. Waverley Council had planned to honour the history, with studio Pink Cactus' design re-imagining the statues in a single 2.5m tall stainless steel and Corten steel piece. A report written for Waverley Council suggested it risked 'reputational harm' if it green-lit the initiative following community backlash. Councillors in Bondi are considering axing a public art project after locals aired concerns over how it 'represented the female form' The council originally intended to pay homage to the fibreglass mermaid saga of the 60s and 70s in the ritzy eastern suburb The mermaid's torso was to be constructed by layered steel segments which could be 'seen through' from certain angles. The design was, however, labelled 'not actually good enough' and the 'least bad' option in community consultation, according to the report. 'Community consultation feedback clearly demonstrates that no artwork design is supported by the public,' the report read. 'Commentary regarding the waste of public funds is already a feature of the public consultation and is likely to become an ongoing message should an artwork continue. 'Continuing to spend funds on this project would create a risk of reputational harm.' The internal council committee report also made a vague mention of feedback relating to the sculpture's 'representation of the female form'. If the project is scrapped, funding would be reallocated to other public art initiatives including a memorial artwork to recognise the stabbing tragedy at Westfield Bondi Junction. 'If Council chooses to progress this artwork in the absence of community consensus for it to proceed, it would risk over-extending Councils allocated spending on public art projects, and would jeopardise the delivery of more recent public art projects prioritised by Council including the Campbell Parade mosaic restoration works, the Westfield tragedy memorial artwork and joint Waverley-Woollahra artwork,' the report read. The original sculptures outraged pearl-clutchers at the time and were the subject of a number of pranks Pink Cactus studio's design was to be placed on a rock on the Bondi foreshore's south end The council's Arts, Culture and Creativity Advisory Committee convened in response to the report last month, before unanimously recommending against awarding the commission to any of the previously exhibited concepts. A community meeting this week will decide whether the project will be formally scrapped. Waverley councillor Michelle Stephenson said she could understand residents' frustration. 'The concept designs weren't great and they weren't representative of the original mermaids,' she told the Daily Telegraph. 'They also weren't in the original location so I don't think people really saw the link.' Former mayor Paula Masselos said the artwork should be a re-imagination of the suburb's history for future generations. She later admitted subsequent feedback on the sculptures had been almost universally opposed to the project. She said the council had an obligation to listen to the public. Thousands of federal employees who were forced to return to their offices in recent weeks have made some disgusting discoveries - including a lack of toilet paper and rodents. Donald Trump promptly ended work from home options for federal workers upon taking office, saying anyone who does not 'show up to the office on time and on schedule' will be fired. Ever since, federal employees across the country have found themselves in cramped offices where they have been forced to clean toilets and take out the trash, according to the New York Times. One Bureau of Land Management employee even detailed to NPR how 'we have to go to the agency head to ask if we can buy toilet paper' because the government-issued pay cards they used to use have been capped at $1 under Trump's spending freeze. Together, the unidentified employees have said the Trump administration's efforts to bring back federal workers has been marred by a lack of planning and coordination, leading to confusion and even more inefficiency. At times, the federal workers are even forced to share office space with people from other agencies - creating chaos as they all try to video conference at different times. Some have said they were not even fortunate enough to get a desk at the offices, with shortages of anywhere to 80 to 100 desks, according to a Federal News Network survey. The lack of space has left some working out of conference rooms, cafeterias, hallways and even storage closets. President Donald Trump promptly ended work from home options for federal workers upon taking office At the Food and Drug Administration, employees who flocked to the Maryland office on March 17 also found that parking was scarce, and a line snaked around the neighborhood as workers tried to get through security. Once inside, they told the Times, they found the cafeteria had not stocked up enough food and there were not enough office supplies to go around. A scientist with the agency, who was hired for a remote position, also said she now has to share office space while she works on sensitive and proprietary projects - creating ethical and practical concerns. Meanwhile, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, employees were told to brace for limited parking at the two campuses. One employee there said it can now take up to an hour and a half just to leave the campus because the parking lot is so full and there are choke points at every turn. Part of the problem, the employee said, is that the campus was never designed for all employees to work in the office. He explained that over the past decade, the federal government implemented a long-term plan to reduce the number of leased properties the agency used - which led to an increase in remote work. At the Food and Drug Administration, employees who flocked to the Maryland office on March 17 also found that parking was scarce, and a line snaked around the neighborhood as workers tried to get through security At some federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, managers wound up defying Trump's order as they told staff to continue to work remotely. That left at least one employee having to choose between following the Trump administration's rules and return to the office knowing there was not enough space, or continuing to work from home in violation of the executive order. Some employees who work directly with Americans on their tax filings, though, did show up at the office on the first day they were set to return, March 10, only to be sent home. 'So instead of working that day, they spent time hanging out in the office and were eventually sent back home to do the work that they would have been doing the whole day,' Jeff Eppler, a retired manager at the agency, told the Times. Another IRS employee who works at an office in Texas also said those without a desk assignment 'were told to go to the cafeteria and wait for an email, but there's no WiFi in the cafeteria.' But the IRS was not the only agency experiencing inefficiencies due to Trump's order, with a doctor at the Department of Veterans Affairs saying she returned to the office after working remotely for the past two years - only to spend her days sorting out seating charts, setting office hours and finding equipment for herself and her colleagues. A security member stands outside the headquarters of the Office of Personnel Management The Office of Personnel Management houses the Department of Government Efficiency - which has been working to downsize the federal government Other employees have detailed how they were left scrambling to find a place to work, with a Forest Service worker saying she was hired into a remote position without a physical office. In fact, her onboarding forms stated that her 'duty location' would be her home address. The department did not have any physical building leased by the Department of Agriculture - and workers were therefore asked to look for any federal building to work in within 50 miles of their home. That left employees of different agencies all working together in the same office, trying to be productive as their colleagues conduct virtual meetings. 'It doesn't make sense,' one respondent to Federal News Network's survey said. 'I'm not with my team and this does not promote cohesion.' 'I'm literally remote working form an office instead of at home,' added an employee at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, whose supervisor and colleagues are in different states. The influx in employees has also led to weaker WiFi signals, leaving some employees unable to receive messages or log into video conferences. Meanwhile, another Department of Agriculture employee said they were given a list of possible locations for their upcoming return to office deadline. One location on the list was described as a 'storage unit,' and when the employee asked about the option, they were told the federal government rents a unit to store a US Fish and Wildlife Service boat. It did not include heat, windows or electricity. Many federal employees now see the return to office mandate as a thinly-veiled ploy to get them to quit under Trump and DOGE chief Musk's efforts to rein in the federal government Many federal employees now see the return to office mandate as a thinly-veiled ploy to get them to quit under Trump and DOGE chief Elon Musk's efforts to downsize the government - something both the president and Tesla CEO have hinted at. After signing the executive order, Trump said he believes 'a substantial number of people will not show up to work, and therefore our government will get smaller and more efficient.' Similarly, Musk wrote in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal last fall that 'If federal employees don't want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn't ay them for the COVID-era privilege of staying home.' Yet at least one employee said they are remaining vigilant amid the uncertainties of layoffs and location changes. 'It's completely unnecessary and we recognize the reason for it: To make us so miserable that we quit,' the employee wrote in the Federal News Network's survey. 'But most of us won't out of sheer spite.' As of the end of March, the Treasury Department said 85 percent of its employees were back in the office. Many workers have also returned to the Small Business Administration, and an official from the Environmental Protection Agency said that 68 percent of its employees who were based in DC returned to office full time. Nearly 10,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs have also gone back to work in-person since January 20, with more set to come back in the coming weeks, and at the Department of Defense, 120,000 civilian employees have returned to in-person work since January 20. Virginia Giuffre's lawyer says her loved ones are desperately waiting for an update after the sex trafficking victim said she has just days to live. Ms Giuffre, nee Roberts, 41, on Sunday shared a photograph to Instagram of herself from a hospital bed, covered in bruises she claimed were caused by a school bus ploughing into her vehicle. The mother - who was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and claims she was sexually assaulted as a teenager by Prince Andrew - said she is now suffering from kidney failure. She also begged to see her children 'one last time' before she dies after claiming doctors said she had just four days to live. Brad Edwards, a US lawyer who represented Ms Giuffre in her previous legal cases, said it was a 'very bad situation'. He told MailOnline they were 'hoping for better news in the coming days' and that he hoped Ms Giuffre would pull through with good medical care. In her Instagram post on Sunday Ms Giuffre wrote: 'They've given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology,' she captioned the photograph. 'This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I won't bore anyone with the details. On Sunday, Ms Giuffre, nee Roberts, 41, shared a photograph to Instagram of herself from her hospital bed, covered in bruises Virgina Giuffre, nee Roberts, claimed she was sexually assaulted as a teenager by Prince Andrew after being recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell (all three pictured together) Without evidence, Andrew's ex Lady Victoria Hervey (pictured, right) wrote: 'I don't believe it though, the FBI are on her right now and arrest warrants are coming' 'But I think it's important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110kmh as we were slowing down for a turn, that no matter what your car is made of, it might as well be a tin can.' In the wake of the news, Lady Victoria Hervey, who dated the disgraced Prince Andrew in 1999, took to Instagram to claim 'karma' had reached Giuffre. She added: 'If Virginia Giuffre really does have days to live then a complete confession is needed.' Without evidence, the socialite wrote: 'I don't believe it though, the FBI are on her right now and arrest warrants are coming. She's conveniently dying to evade jail. She added, again, without anything to back up her claims: 'I think it's time that Robert Giuffre who has custody of their teenage children to speak [sic]. I know he knows the truth of the fake photo and all her con jobs.' '[Giuffre] is the Queen of the fake photo after all. Hence I'm such a sceptic and don't believe in jumping to any conclusions right away from a visual.' Ms Giuffre's spokesperson Dini von Mueffing seemed to ignore such claims, telling MailOnline: 'Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending.' Ms Giuffre found herself at the centre of one of the world's biggest scandals when she launched legal action against billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2015. Virginia Giuffre (pictured with her now-estranged husband Robert Giuffre) found herself at the centre of one of the world's biggest scandals after first launching legal action against billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2015 Prince Andrew's ex shared Ms Giuffre's post to Instagram and wrote 'karma' Commenting on the post, her father Sky Roberts offered help from America Due to the shocking nature of the claims, Prince Andrew lost military titles and royal patronages as well as the use of the title His Royal Highness (pictured December 2022) She alleged she was trafficked for sex at age 16 after his associate and ex-lover, Ghislaine Maxwell recruited her from her job as a locker room attendant at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Ms Giuffre and Maxwell eventually reached an undisclosed settlement over a defamation case in 2017. Epstein took his own life in a jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, while Maxwell was jailed for 20 years in 2022 for conspiring with him to sexually abuse minors. Ms Giuffre alleges Epstein forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew on at least three occasions when she was 17 and that she spent two days alone with the royal in New Mexico. In 2022 she received an out-of-court settlement reported to be worth millions from the Duke of York. The settlement accepted no liability and Andrew has always strongly rejected claims. But he agreed to pay the unspecified amount to Ms Giuffre and her charity for victims' rights. In the wake of the scandal, Andrew lost his military titles and royal patronages as well as the use of His Royal Highness title. Her father has previously spoken of his torment knowing he helped his daughter get a job alongside him at the Trump resort, before she was recruited as a masseuse by Maxwell. 'As a parent you kind of ask the question, "How do you not know your children are doing this?",' Mr Roberts said previously. 'But she's a very good actress. When she would come home from these trips she said nothing about it. It must have been killing her inside. 'But for powerful people like that, they can threaten a young girl like that.' Even Ms Giuffre's father, Sky Roberts, was shocked by his daughter's late night Instagram post and also appeared to be in the dark about the incident. 'Virginia my daughter, I love you and praying you get the correct treatment to live a long and healthy life,' he wrote. 'If there is anything in the world, I can do to help you, please let me know. My spirit is with you now and holding your hand.' He told DailyMail.com that he is sick to my stomach and would do anything to be able to fly from his home in Florida to be by his daughters hospital bedside in Australia following a horrific car crash. Im sick to my stomach. I feel like crying because I love my daughter more than life, he said. Ms Roberts Giuffre's bizarre late night social media post quickly caused concern amongst her loved ones Epstein took his own life in a jail cell in 2019 while awaiting his sex trafficking trial Her father has previously spoken of his torment knowing he helped his daughter get a job alongside him at Donald Trump-owned Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida (pictured) If theres anything I could do, Id do it. Ms Giuffre's last known address was with her estranged husband, Robert Giuffre, and their three children at a $1.9million beachfront property in Ocean Reef, North Perth in Western Australia. American-born Ms Giuffre met her Australian martial arts instructor husband when she was 19 during a trip to Thailand. The pair married 10 days later and later moved to Australia, eventually settling in West Australia in December 2020. Eight months later, she filed court paperwork suing Prince Andrew for sexual assault. But the couple, who had been married for 22 years, recently parted ways, with Ms Giuffre claiming she is now estranged from their three teenage children. 'I'm ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time,' she added in her Instagram post. 'But you know what they say about wishes. S*** in one hand and wish in the other and I guarantee it's still going to be s*** at the end of the day.' She ended the post, on an account which uses her maiden name, by saying goodbye and thanking her followers for being a 'great part' of her life. Mokbel was one of Melbourne's most feared crime lords The moment Victoria Police chiefs have feared for more than a decade is upon them. On Tuesday, feared crime lord Tony Mokbel stood on the cusp of finally being released from jail on the back of the long running Lawyer X scandal. He will learn his fate at 10am on Friday when the Supreme Court of Appeal hands down its decision. Mokbel could not contain his joy as he entered in front of a packed courtroom. The man once dubbed 'Fat Tony' was seen embracing loved ones from the prison dock within the centre of the courtroom. Dressed in a black suit, Mokbel was surrounded by no less than five burly Security and Emergency Services Group guards, who sat beside and behind the notorious inmate. He had arrived at the courthouse in the back of a high-security BearCat police vehicle, surrounded by more than a dozen security officers. A large media pack remains positioned inside and outside the court, ready to pounce on Mokbel should he be granted bail on the spot. Mokbel is appearing before Justices Karin Emerton, Robert Osborn and Jane Dixon, who will decide whether to release Mokbel back into the community while he prepares an appeal against his conviction on drug trafficking offences. Crime lord Tony Mokbel enters the Supreme Court of Melbourne during a hearing in November A court sketch of how Tony Mokbel appeared on Tuesday His bail and appeal hinges on the actions of disgraced former criminal barrister Nicola Gobbo, who was acting for him while working as a double agent and informer for Victoria Police. He has not tasted freedom for 6511 days when he was detained in Greece in 2007 after making a run for it. Mokbel's arrest became national news due largely to the comical shabby wig he was caught wearing when Victorian detectives finally pounced. He was handed a 30-year prison sentence, with a non-parole of 22 years, in 2012 after pleading guilty to being the kingpin behind an elaborate drug syndicate. But now Mokbel has applied to have his entire conviction quashed because of the Lawyer X scandal. On Tuesday, the court heard he enjoyed support from his family and a mystery 'long-term de facto partner'. Mokbel had been in a relationship with glamorous Danielle McGuire while on the run. She is the mother of his daughter, Renate, who was born in 2006. Gawy Saad, sister of Tony Mokbel (centre) arrives to the Court of Appeal in Melbourne on Tuesday. She has put up $850,000 to secure his release Renate Mokbel ended up in jail after Mokbel fled and left her carrying the can of his $1million surety It remains unclear who Mokbel is now in a relationship with while caged behind bars since 2007. The court heard Mokbel's bail hinged on nine factors, including his poor health, the strength of his appeal case and his circumstances in custody. The court heard Mokbel would submit to GPS monitoring via an ankle bracelet and provide a $850,000 surety as conditions of bail. If released, he will live at a unit in Viewbank - north-east of Melbourne's CBD - with his sister Gawy Saad. Her sister-in-law Renate Mokbel made the same pledge in 2006, posting a $1million surety for her brother before he fled overseas. That same year the Victorian Supreme Court ordered she pay the $1million or face two years in jail. She was subsequently locked up when she failed to cough up the money. Ms Gawy said she held no such fears her brother would do to her as he did to Renate. Mokbel and disgraced lawyer Nicola Gobbo pictured together when the gangster was still free Tony Mokbel in 2000 outside the very court where he hopes to walk free from on Tuesday 'I assure you it won't happen,' she told the court. 'He's been punished for it and he's done his time.' The court heard Mokbel would live with her and her husband and adhere to a strict curfew between 11pm and 6am should he be released. Ms Saad pledged to turn Mokbel in should he breach any of the bail conditions imposed upon him. Little has been seen of Mokbel since he was jailed in 2012 on drug charges. But he left the court on Tuesday as he had arrived - smiling and shaking hands with well-wishers like a celebrity. Two of those well wishers were seen later leaving the court in a Lamborghini. Mokbel has been imprisoned within the walls of Barwon Prison - a maximum security jail that houses some of Australia's worst villains. Mokbel is escorted by police officers after appearing in court, on June 8, 2007 in Athens, Greece. He had fled Australia after being tipped off he was about to be charged with murder A grainy image of him was released publicly in 2019 after he was stabbed in a shocking jailhouse attack there. That image showed the critically-injured Mokbel splayed flat out on the concrete floor as paramedics worked to save his life. Mokbel's barrister Julie Condon, KC, told the court her client had 'exceptional circumstances' for being released on bail, describing his case as 'very rare'. Its uniqueness hinges on a 489-page judgement by New South Wales judge Elizabeth Fullerton in December. Justice Fullerton found Victoria Polices use of Ms Gobbo was part of a 'joint criminal enterprise'. Ms Condon urged the Court of Appeal to use Justice Fullerton's assessment of Ms Gobbo as an informant to help them make a decision on granting Mokbel bail. 'The court is well placed to make that assessment,' she said. Ms Condon said Justice Fullerton's findings combined with the strength of his case was at the 'heart' of Mokbel's bail application. Mokbel was guarded by elite prison guards on his escort from Barwon Prison to court on Tuesday similar to this image captured in November Mokbel appeared otherwise healthy despite years behind bars and the savage 2019 attempt on his life that saw him repeatedly stabbed by jailhouse rivals with a makeshift 'shank' knife. During a hearing last year, it was revealed Mokbel continued to suffer a traumatic brain injury stemming from the stabbing and had been hospitalised for heart attacks. Another hearing in February last year heard Mokbel claimed he fled Australia in 2006 after receiving advice from Gobbo that he was about to be hit with three murder charges. Mokbel was already facing a lengthy jail sentence at the time after being charged with serious drug trafficking offences. Victoria Police's Purana taskforce - targeting Melbourne's gangland war - had already contained his criminal empire by restricting his access to $15million in cash and assets. The court heard police seized real estate across Victoria and Queensland, including multiple properties in Brunswick, Noosa and the Red Lion Hotel in Kilmore. Cops also took Mokbel's Ferrari roadster and froze cash he held in the NAB and ANZ banks. This photo of Mokbel after he was stabbed in prison was released by a court in 2019. Little has been seen of him in public since Mokbel was known for his snappy dressing during his years in the spotlight outside Melbourne courts in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Iconic images show him strutting along Lonsdale Street outside the Supreme Court dressed in a well-tailored suit and red tie. Mokbel was known to be courteous to reporters outside court during his many appearances. Gobbo was exposed as police informer superstar Lawyer X in March 2019. She had acted for many of Melbourne's crooks, including Mokbel and the now-deceased gangster Carl Williams. Williams was bludgeoned to death in jail before he even got a chance to see his former lawyer implicated in the scandal. Mokbel has already enjoyed several legal wins over Gobbo's involvement in his affairs. A 2006 conviction for cocaine importation was quashed in 2020 due to the Lawyer X scandal. Tony Mokbel was a real life Tony Soprano back when the show first aired in 1999 In 2023, his 2012 sentence for drug trafficking was slashed from 30 years' jail with a minimum term of 22 years to a total of 26 years with a non-parole period of 20 years. Gobbo had first met Mokbel in Melbourne Magistrates' Court in 1998 when she was acting as a junior for barrister Alex Lewenberg. Mokbel claimed she had been acting on behalf of his brother. In 2002, Mokbel said Gobbo visited him in jail while he was on remand for drug charges. She had been acting as barrister Con Heliotis' junior and asked if she could come onboard. 'I honestly didn't realise she was a barrister. I thought she was just a clerk at Lewenberg's office,' he said. Mokbel claimed Gobbo gave him the hard sell, assuring him she would work hard for him. 'She was an extremely hard working barrister compared to others,' Mokbel said. Tony Mokbel and his infamous wig, which he was caught wearing during his arrest in Greece after fleeing Australia 'She did all the administration stuff that a lawyer would do, which you don't see from barristers. She was constantly telling me to ring her, she was constantly coming into see me. 'She just put me on a pedestal ... which was great for me because it was a big case.' Mokbel claimed the pair would often discuss his legal matters on the outside over coffee and dinners. The gangster claims he only fled in 2006 - mid-trial - because Gobbo warned him police were looking to charge him with murder. 'She told me that Im going to be charged with three murders and I should seriously think about absconding,' he told the court. Police later charged him with the murders of Lewis Moran and Michael Marshall at the height of Melbourne's underworld war. Mokbel said he trusted Gobbo fully, describing her as 'the engine' to his legal defences. On Tuesday, his barrister said Mokbel would never have pleaded guilty to the charges he was jailed for had cops and prosecutors disclosed Gobbo had been turning his mates against him in secret. It was an argument that appeared to carry significant weight with the judges, whom suggested Mokbel might well have been eligible for parole now had he not pleaded up to at least two of the three convictions under scrutiny. Mokbel is currently eligible for parole in June 2031. Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre's traffic incident that left her severely injured and with just 'four days' to live has been described as a 'minor crash' by Australian police. In an Instagram post on Monday, Ms Giuffre appeared battered and bruised and revealed she was about to die after a school bus ploughed into her car, leaving her with kidney renal failure. The 41-year-old - who was sex trafficked by late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her as a teen - wrote that she is 'ready to go' but wants to see her children one final time. Ms Giuffre has been based in Western Australia and Queensland in recent years. Police forces in both states first told Daily Mail Australia they had no record of a bus crash exactly matching her description occurring in their jurisdiction recently. But a Western Australia Police Force spokesperson later said they had become aware of a 'minor crash' between a bus and a car in Neergabby, north of Perth, on March 24. The collision was reported by the bus driver the following day. The car sustained about $2,000 worth of damage but there were no injuries reported, the spokesperson said. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Ms Giuffre made the incident up or exaggerated it. Police in other states, Victoria and NSW, said privacy restrictions prevented them from identifying any matching incidents based on the limited information available. In a gut-wrenching Instagram post late Sunday night, Giuffre announced that she had been given just four days to live The now-infamous photo of Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell in Maxwell's London townhouse Ms Giuffre's heartbroken father, Sky Roberts, told DailyMail.com that he is 'sick to my stomach' and would do anything to be able to fly from his home in Florida to be by his daughter's hospital bedside in Australia. 'I'm sick to my stomach. I feel like crying because I love my daughter more than life,' he said. 'If there's anything I could do, I'd do it.' Mr Roberts said that the crash unfolded a couple of days ago. While he has not spoken with his daughter since the crash, his son - Ms Giuffre's brother - has been in regular contact with her over the past couple of days and has kept him updated as to her condition. 'She's in really bad shape,' he said. 'She's very depressed there's everything else she's been going through with the divorce and not being able to see her kids.' Mr Roberts said that his son is 'trying to get her spirits up so she doesn't just give up.' In the late night social media post, she said she had been in a horror crash involving a school bus Virginia Giuffre with her father Sky Roberts. He told DailyMail.com that he is 'sick to my stomach' following her shocking announcement 'I'm hoping she can hang on,' he said. 'She's only 41. She's got a lot of life to live. She's got a lot of things left to do - she's helping people and helping other girls.' Mr Roberts revealed how helpless he felt being stuck at home in Florida, without the money to be able to hop on a plane to Australia to be with her in this time of need. 'There's nothing I can do from here,' he said. 'I'm on Social Security so I can't fly out. I'd love to be by her side and support her.' As well as begging his daughter not to give up, Mr Roberts made a public plea for her to get a second medical opinion from doctors. 'She needs to get a second opinion,' he said. 'When someone tells you, you're going to die in four days, you don't want to hear from just that person. You need to get a second opinion. You need a third opinion.' Mr Roberts said he used to be 'really close' with his daughter but their relationship had become strained in recent years. That said, he only has good memories. Prince Andrew seen taking a stroll through New York's Central Park with Jeffrey Epstein in December 2010 - after the financier had been in prison for sex offences 'I remember all the great times I've had with her here - her growing up and putting her in horse shows and all the fun things we used to do,' he said. 'All you can do when someone is in a bad way is think of the good times. You don't want to think of any bad times.' Mr Roberts said that his daughter has also become recently estranged from her three children as she is in the middle of a messy divorce with her husband of two decades, Robert Giuffre. He said he hopes that her wish to be able to see her children again comes true. Since December 2020, Ms Guiffre has lived in Australia with her now-estranged husband and their three children. In her Instagram post, Giuffre shared a shocking image of herself lying in hospital covered in bruises. 'They've given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology,' she wrote. 'This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I won't bore anyone with the details.' Virginia Giuffre with her attorneys David Boies and Brad Edwards during a press conference in New York in 2019 She said: 'But I think it's important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110kmh as we were slowing down for a turn, that no matter what your car is made of, it might as well be a tin can.' She continued: 'I'm ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time. 'But you know what they say about wishes. S*** in one hand and wish in the other and I guarantee it's still going to be s*** at the end of the day.' Further details about the crash and her condition are currently unclear. Ms Giuffre's representative Dini von Mueffling confirmed to DailyMail.com that 'Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital.' 'She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending,' she added. Ms Giuffre was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell from the age of 16 after first meeting the sex offenders when she worked at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. In 2015, she came forward with her allegations and pursued legal action. Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein (together) sex trafficked young women and girls Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein (seen in mugshot left) was found dead in his jail cell in New York in 2019. Maxwell (seen in a court sketch from her trial) was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison As part of her allegations, she accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was just 17. Ms Guiffre claimed that Epstein and Maxwell had trafficked her to Prince Andrew for sex on at least three separate occasions. In a civil complaint, she claimed that one of the alleged incidents took place at Maxwell's London townhouse, once at Epstein's private island Little St James, and the other at Epstein's mansion in Manhattan. A now-infamous photo captured the duke with his arm around Ms Giuffre's waist, with Maxwell stood in the background inside her London home. Prince Andrew long denied the allegations and was not charged with any crime. In a car-crash interview with BBC's Newsnight, he claimed he had no recollection of ever meeting Ms Giuffre. He also bizarrely claimed her account could not be true because of his inability to sweat. Prince Andrew ultimately reached a settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, including a donation to a charity in support of victims' rights. Sky Roberts said his 41-year-old daughter is in 'really bad shape' following the crash Ms Giuffre's father has previously spoken of his regret that he helped his teenage daughter get a job alongside him at Mar-a-Lago, where she went on to meet her abusers. 'As a parent you kind of ask the question, "How do you not know your children are doing this?",' he said previously. 'But she's a very good actress. When she would come home from these trips she said nothing about it. It must have been killing her inside. 'But for powerful people like that, they can threaten a young girl like that.' Epstein was found dead in his cell in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled as suicide. Maxwell was convicted in 2022 of conspiring with Epstein to sex traffic minors. She is currently behind bars serving a 20-year prison sentence. She is appealing the sentence. The shine is starting to come off the teals, as the realities of life in the political big leagues hits home. Today it was their candidate for the traditionally safe Liberal held seat of Bradfield, banned from a local hair dressing salon for a sexually charged comment - to a teenager of all things. The teal, Nicolette Boele, has since apologised, but the salon's ban on Ms Boele remains in place. It comes one week after teal MP Monique Ryans husband was caught on camera removing a poster of the Liberal candidate his wife is facing off against at the looming election. He also apologised, but that didnt stop Ryan from being filmed trying to evade a journalists questions in the halls of Parliament House in budget week. As a collective the teals are refusing to say which major party they might support in the event of a hung parliament. That's despite independent South Australian MP Rebekha Sharkie announcing that she would support Peter Dutton in such circumstances. So much for transparency. Teals have instead taken a vow of silence, feeding speculation that despite representing traditionally safe Liberal seats they are more likely to support an Albanese Labor minority government than any government Dutton might prospectively lead. Dr Monique Ryan, the Teal MP for the seat of Kooyong, learned in recent days that asking a reporter to leave her alone does not mean they will actually do so Dr Ryan is followed through Parliament House by a Seven News reporter Thats hardly surprising, given teals have used climate change as their defining policy issue. They also dont see nuclear power as fitting within that world view, despite its potential to cut emissions (despite other challenges with the policy). Just the other week teal MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender boldly announced that they arent receiving Climate 200 funding from Simon Holmes a Courts organisation, in a bid to stave off criticism that the teals are, for all intents and purposes, a political party by stealth. Their argument seems to be that because Climate 200 funnels its money into other teal seats that rebuts the accusation of quasi party status. Am I missing something? Isnt this exactly how the major parties function? Head office focuses resources on the marginal seats and MPs in safer seats are left to run their own campaigns, including organising their own fundraising. Major party MPs in safe seats just dont have the gall to claim it as a virtue and proof of their independence the way these teals do. In fact there is even academic literature on the evolution of party systems identifying precisely the sort of delineation of responsibilities between central and local arms of political organisations that mirrors the teal separation of roles. Its known as the franchise party model and it was developed by Dr Ken Carty from the University of British Columbia in Canada. It was during this term of parliament that Holmes a Court sought to have himself removed from a newspaper's 'Power List' which suggested he pulls the teal strings behind the scenes. A sex joke made by Nicolette Boele, the teal candidate for Bradfield, went down the wrong way at her local salon - resulting in a permanent ban Ironically two teal MPs and their offices made attempts to have him removed on behalf of Holmes a Court, unwittingly proving the validity of the power list in the process. While the Greens are in the box seat to command the balance of power in a hung parliament, having already said that they would only support a Labor minority administration, there is little doubt that Albo would prefer the optics of being supported by the teals instead. Or a gaggle of crossbenchers, if not just the Greens. Perhaps including other left leaning independents such as Andrew Wilkie from Tasmania. It is appropriate that teals receive greater scrutiny at this election than they have in the past, given the likelihood that they will almost certainly be closer to power on the other side of polling day. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is telling that they think its OK to stay quiet on which major party is likely to get their support in the event of a hung parliament. Its hard to imagine teals accepting such silence from the major parties on other matters they expect transparency on. And herein lies the reason for major party frustrations with the teals. The teals' virtuous approach to holding others to account is rarely matched by their own actions. On the occasions teals fall short of whats expected of them, they either wont admit the failure or expect any apology to be the end of the matter. But they rarely if ever show such good graces when it comes to major party MPs. If indeed the next parliament is hung, and whichever side of politics governs at the whim of teals or any other crossbenchers, then they will finally learn what its like to be in the full glare of the public eye. Just as Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott did following the 2010 election. A former federal police officer has been charged with running an illegal weapons factory operation churning out machine guns for the criminal underworld. Police arrested Stephen James Martin on Monday in the Illawarra region, south of Sydney, where he was allegedly in possession of two privately-manufactured machine guns, ammunition, balaclavas and cable ties. Police also allege four loaded revolvers, three ballistic vests, a 3D printer and firearm parts including slides, barrels, triggers and magazines were found during a search of the 45-year-old's Gerroa home. In another raid, detectives arrested a 16-year-old boy at his Farmborough Heights home. Police allege they found thousands of rounds of ammunition for various weapons, electronic devices, mobile phones and paperwork. Firearms manufacturing stations were allegedly set up in Martin's home. He was charged with 19 firearms and ammunition manufacture, supply and possession-related offences as well as knowingly or recklessly directing a criminal group assisting crime. He was refused police bail to appear in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday. A 45-year-old ex-police officer was arrested after allegedly manufacturing machine guns Police allege they found thousands of rounds of ammunition for various weapons One of the handguns seized by police after a raid on a home in the Illawarra region Machine guns were also found at the home of an ex police officer The 16-year-old was charged with 16 offences including participating in a criminal group and offences related to firearm manufacture and supply. He was refused police bail to appear in a children's court on Tuesday. A 43-year-old Queensland man was also arrested at Burleigh Beach on Monday and is expected to be extradited to New South Wales to face charges. Op shop The Salvation Army has been accused of charging unfairly high prices in its stores after a mum shared a clip online from a recent shopping trip. The make-up artist, based in Western Australia, shared her frustration at her local charity shop in February in a TikTok video. Several household items are pointed out in the clip including second hand bed linen ranging from $11 to $20. In the video, the mum exclaimed 'you're joking' as she discovered a table was priced at $400 before branding the $240 price tag of a cream couch 'wild'. Courtney Leigh Hollins captioned the video: 'Imagine struggling in this bulls*** economy and coming to the Salvos for help. 'I'm so done with huge corporations like the Salvos who make millions per year and we still have families on the streets. Charity is just a big business.' Other items in the op shop included a $25 single duvet, a $250 wooden cabinet and another $600 piece of furniture. Angry customers agreed with the make-up influencer as one commented: 'WTF it's cheaper to shop at Kmart. And the bonus says you're getting brand-new.' @courtneyleighholl Imagine struggling in this bullshit economy and coming to the Salvos for help. I'm so done with huge corporations like the Salvos who make millions per year and we still have families on the streets. Charity is just a big business. original sound - Courtney Leigh Holli A make-up artist and mum was left furious over the prices of second hand bed linen found in a Salvos store Salvos Stores' profits in their entirety support The Salvation Army's community programs (stock image) Another wrote: 'So funny how it's all donated items and suppose to help those in need but for those prices it's ridiculous.' 'The big three Salvos, Lifeline and Vinnies are out of touch with helping the poor. I only support small independent op shops now,' a third added. 'You go to Kmart if struggling not op shops it's been like this for years unfortunately,' someone else commented as Courtney replied: 'I know and it needs to stop.' Salvos Stores state on their website that 100 per cent of their profits support The Salvation Army's community programs. The charity 'relies on donated goods to support programs that help people in need across Australia'. Daily Mail Australia contacted The Salvation Army for comment. A video showing a car park filled with hundreds of brand new Teslas has highlighted a slump in sales by the Elon Musk-owned company across Australia. The footage shows a lot next to Perth Airport where rows of unsold electric vehicles can be seen gathering dust. Car industry expert Paul Maric shared the footage on social media while attending an event nearby, and told Yahoo News it showed demand for Teslas had 'dropped off'. He noted the cars sitting in the lot were older models, with the new 2025 Model 3 set to be released in Australia in May. 'Tesla is in a position now that people are losing interest in electric cars. Sales are plateauing,' he said. 'They were Australia's best selling electric car but now there are so many others coming onto the market that offer the same tech and features but are more affordable.' Maric said Tesla was also suffering due to recent price reductions that were 'burning' customers. The founder of CarExpert.com gave the example of his own Model Y, purchased in 2022 for $72,000, which was now selling for around $55,000. Hundreds of unsold Teslas were seen sitting in a car park near Perth Airport 'On the secondhand market, people are thinking "why would I buy your two-year-old Tesla when I could buy a new one for the same price?"' he said. 'For me personally, I look at Tesla and think "You've burned me $20,000". Now, instead of people going back and buying another Tesla, they'll go and buy a Chinese brand.' The industry expert's comments come as sales for electric vehicles plummet across the country. In February 2024, a record 10,111 battery-powered cars flew off dealership lots, thanks largely to Tesla's dominance, which alone accounted for 5,665 sales. But fast forward to this February, and the electric dream is fading fast, with just 5,684 EVs sold and Tesla's numbers crashing to 1,592. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's controversial work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the administration of President Donald Trump has also been blamed for the sales slump. Violent protests and actions have taken place outside Tesla dealerships in the US, with critics of Trump and Musk calling on consumers to boycott the vehicles. Tesla's share price has taken a major hit, falling around 40% since reaching a record high last December, in another hit to the electric vehicle giant. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's work with Donald Trump has also been blamed for the sales slump Protests outside Tesla dealerships have been seen across the United States Associate professor of marketing at Bond University's Business School Dr Rajat Roy said Tesla was losing brand power due to Musk's personal image. 'It's become polarised and controversial, and the customer base is dwindling as a result,' he told news.com.au. 'Its position as a cutting-edge, environmentally friendly and luxury brand has changed very quickly, in large part due to Elon Musk's actions.' Dr Roy said this was due to Tesla's traditional customer base being out of step with the company owner's political activities. 'All of a sudden, those consumers are in an identity conflict,' he said. Daily Mail Australia contacted for Tesla for comment. The Trump administration's plan to ban people from 43 countries from travelling to the US is delayed indefinitely. Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the US to detect national security threats. The White House then put out a dramatic memo in mid-March that showed the nations broken down into different categories, with particular sanctions set for allies of Russia. Trump's ban has now been delayed because the State Department continues to miss deadlines to submit a report detailing recommendations for restrictions. They were originally due on March 21 but department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Monday that it's still being worked on. 'I can tell you that were working on what the executive order asked for, which is not travel bans of course but the nature of restrictions from other countries if whether or not they meet the standard of security and vetting thats required for entry into the United States,' she said. A new deadline for the report to reach Trump's desk does not currently exist but Bruce confirmed it is still in the works. 'Again, because theres not a date, it doesnt mean that its not being worked on. So we are all working to implement what President Trump has ordered,' she said. Donald Trump's plan to ban people from 43 countries from travelling to the US is delayed indefinitely as staffers continue to work on a report that would explain the full rules of the ban The White House put out a dramatic memo in mid-March that sees key allies of Russia placed under heavy sanctions as people from several other nations could see their dreams of travelling to America slashed When the DailyMail.com reached out for comment, the State Department reiterated their commitment to fulfilling Trump's executive order. 'The Department is undertaking a full review of all visa programs as directed under E.O. 14161 and executing on administration priorities. The Department does not comment on internal deliberations or communications. We have nothing to announce at this time. Alongside Russia, several nations from across the globe have been told their governments have 60 days to address deficiencies or they will remain on the list. A memo showed countries divided into three separate groups - including full visa suspensions and partial suspensions. Many are from the Middle East and Africa, with Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran and North Korea among the 11 who face the most drastic measures. In the second group, 10 countries would face partial suspensions that would impact tourist and student visas as well as other immigrant visas, with some exceptions. And in a third group, a total of 22 countries would be considered for a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments 'do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days', the memo said. A US official cautioned there could be changes on the list and that it was yet to be approved by the administration, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after it was reported on by the New York Times. Your browser does not support iframes. The ban has been delayed because the State Department continues to miss deadlines to submit a report to Donald Trump giving detailed recommendations for restrictions For many in America, the policy will hark back to Trump's explosive 'Muslim ban' during his first term in office. Some of the countries in the new proposal were also on the 2017 list, but many more are new. Some of the new additions share similar characteristics with the previous list, in that they are Muslim-majority or nonwhite, poor and are considered to be corrupt, the American newspaper adds. Trump's directive is part of an immigration crackdown that he launched at the start of his second term. He previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and 'anywhere else that threatens our security.' The list is said to have been drawn up by the State Department and had already been reviewed by embassies and regional bureaus. Their advice is said to include whether the attitudes towards the countries on the memo are based in fact and whether there are policy reasons for not restricting immigration from any. Rich businessmen or people on immigrant and tourist visas could still be allowed to enter the US on the 'orange' list, where visas are restricted. But they would first be made to attend mandatory in-person interviews to obtain a travel pass, the New York Times reports. A new deadline for the report to reach Trump's (pictured with Kid Rock in the Oval Office on Monday) desk does not currently exist but Bruce confirmed it is still in the works. Alongside Russia, several nations from across the globe have been told their governments have 60 days to address deficiencies or they will remain on the banned list It is not clear whether people with existing visas or green cards would be exempt from the ban. The further category includes 22 nations who would be given 60 days to address their supposed deficiencies, before potentially being moved onto the other lists. These issues are said to include not having enough security in issuing passports, failing to give enough information about travelers or selling citizenships to people from banned countries. The dramatic new plans come as Trump escalated global tensions as he warned World War III could 'very easily' erupt and would prove to be 'a war like no other' with catastrophic nuclear weapons if peace talks over Ukraine failed. Claiming much of the progress had been made since he became president, Trump went on to say that he had been speaking with the Russian premier 'to get the war over'. A young girl has been found dead in a neighbour's pool in Brisbane after she was reported missing. Police began investigating the four-year-old's disappearance in the southwestern suburb of Forest Lake about 9.40am on Monday. An extensive search was launched on the ground with the assistance of a police helicopter. The girl was found deceased in the pool at a neighbouring property just under three hours later. The investigation into the circumstances of the death remain ongoing. Police will prepare a report for the coroner. Amber Ruffin doubled down on her criticism of the Trump administration, comparing them to 'the Nazis' in The Sound of Music after she was fired from the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner. Ruffin was set to perform at the famed event next month but the association's board have unanimously voted to remove her after she said the Trump White House was full of 'murderers.' Eugene Daniels, president of the WHCA, said that he wanted to ensure 'the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues'. Appearing on Seth Meyers' NBC show - where she has worked as a writer and occasional actor since its 2014 debut - the liberal host allowed Ruffin to vent on her firing. Ruffin interrupted Meyers as he was about to make a joke attacking the WHCA before she interrupted and said: 'If there's one thing I learned from this weekend, it's you have to be fair to both sides.' Meyers - whose infamous 2011 set mocking Trump to his face is rumored to have fueled his desire to win the White House - replied: 'Amber, when people are objectively terrible, we should be able to point it out on television.' Ruffin said that 'on Friday' she felt the same way but 'today is Monday, and Monday's Amber Ruffin knows that when bad people do bad things, you have to treat them fairly and respectfully.' That's when she went all in on her anger toward the Trump White House and the WHCA: 'When you watch Sound of Music, you have to root for the singing children and the other people.' Amber Ruffin doubled down on her criticism of the Trump administration and the, comparing them to 'the Nazis' in The Sound of Music after she was fired from the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner Ruffin was set to perform at the famed event next month but the association's board have unanimously voted to remove her after she said the Trump White House was full of 'murderers' Meyers asked: 'You mean the Nazis?' Ruffin didn't correct him but instead joked: 'Calling them that is so one-sided!' The NBC host then explained the stated goal of the White House Correspondents Association. 'I mean, the whole reason we have a free press is so we can report stories, you know, as they actually happen,' he said. Ruffin sarcastically retorted: 'No, we have a free press so that we can be nice to Republicans at fancy dinners.' She then continued to ironically slam the Trump administration for its policies on reversing DEI and immigration. 'I thought, when people take away your rights, erase your history, and deport your friends, you're supposed to call it out. But I was wrong,' she said. Ruffin then offered a preview of what would have been a critical, left-leaning monologue at the dinner. She then made a joke saying that 'you have to root for the singing children and the other people' in the movie The Sound of Music. When Meyers asked: 'you mean the Nazis?' she replied sarcastically: 'Calling them that is so one-sided!' 'Glad to find that out now, because if they had let me give that speech, ooh, baby! I would have been so terrifically mean.' She left with one more slap at the WHCA, telling Meyers that she was going to return the dress she bought to wear for the dinner despite having removed the tags. 'I'm just going to say they blew off in the wind,' she cracked. Meyers replied: 'But that's lying, Amber, that's wrong.' However, with a wink at the camera, she quipped: 'Ah, ah, ah, you can't say that, that's journalism.' Before Ruffin interrupted, Meyers was defending his employee after her firing. 'I just want to take a moment to say that I'm a big fan of Amber Ruffin and I would have loved to hear what she had to say,' he said. WHCA President Daniels did not mention Ruffin by name in the memo and said that the board is planning a 're-envisioning of our dinner'. Ruffin offered a preview of what would have been a 'so mean,' critical, left-leaning monologue at the dinner Trump's last appearance at the WHCA dinner was in 2015 as a private citizen, when he and Melania Trump were photographed at the glitzy event The move to dismiss Ruffin comes after she spoke about the dinner in a podcast this week with the Daily Beast. She said on it that the Trump White House is staffed with 'murderers' and described the administration as 'not human beings'. Taylor Budowich, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, shared a clip of Ruffin on the podcast to his X account and slammed the comic on Friday. In it, he said: 'This year's WHCA dinner will be hosted by a 2nd rate comedian who is previewing the event by calling this administration "murderers."' Budowich continued to quote Ruffin saying the Trump admin shouldn't get to feel like human beings 'because you're not.' 'What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this? More importantly, what kind of company would sponsor such as hate-filled and violence-inspiring event?' When Daniels had originally announced Ruffin as the main feature, he said in a statement that her 'unique talents are the ideal fit for this current political and cultural climate.' He added: 'Her perspective will fit right in with the dinners tradition of honoring the freedom of the press while roasting the most powerful people on all sides of the aisle and the journalists who cover them.' Ruffin was set to perform at the famed event next month but the association's board have unanimously voted to oust her from the dinner White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has announced she will boycott the dinner next month The annual dinner has taken place since 1921 and is known for entertainers performing who poke fun at politics, often about key players who are in attendance. President Trump has never actually attended the dinner in office, and he and his staffers have frequently criticized the event and past comedians who performed. It is unclear if the president will attend, while his press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she would not be in attendance. Speaking on 'The Sean Spicer Show', she said: 'This is a group of journalists whove been covering the White House for decades. 'They started this organization because the presidents at the time were not doing enough press conferences. 'I dont think we have that problem anymore under this president.' Every US president since Calvin Coolidge in 1924 has attended the event at least once, except for Trump. Presidents from FDR to Obama have used the evening to poke fun at themselves, even as journalists sharpen their critiques. But Trump's refusal to attend during his first term shattered that precedent, and now Leavitt is following suit, taking a step further to publicly rebuke the WHCA as a 'monetized monopoly.' She went on to accuse the WHCA of being an 'exclusive group' that has 'not really welcomed other people, new media, independent journalists, with open arms.' Last Week Tonight host John Oliver is being sued over comments he made about a former Medicaid medical director. Dr. Brian Morley, once a medical director at AmeriHealth Caritas, is suing Oliver and his production company, alleging that the Emmy-winning comedian took his words grotesquely out of context, irreparably harming his career and reputation. At the center of the lawsuit is Oliver's claim made in an episode broadcast in 2024 that Morley 'thinks it's okay if people have s*** on them for days.' The line was aired during a blistering segment on Medicaid cost-cutting and managed care abuses, and was followed by Oliver's response: 'F*** that doctor with a rusty canoe. I hope he gets tetanus of the balls.' Like many others comments on Oliver's HBO show it was laced with sarcasm and but according to Morley's legal team, it crossed a line and ignored the truth. Morley's defamation suit that was filed in federal court on Friday argues Oliver and his team intentionally twisted his testimony to paint him as a cold, negligent villain willing to let disabled patients rot in their own waste, the Independent reported. The legal filing goes on to state that Morley never claimed it was 'okay' or medically appropriate for people wearing diapers or who are otherwise immobile 'to have s*** on them for days,' and calls Oliver's characterization a malicious distortion of what Morley actually said in a 2017 administrative hearing in Iowa. During the episode, Oliver presented the story of Louis Facenda Jr., a 25-year-old Iowan with cerebral palsy who lost access to crucial Medicaid services. Last Week Tonight host John Oliver is being sued over comments he made about a former Medicaid medical director - and one that involved accusations of neglect, bodily waste, and a wish for the doctor to contract 'tetanus of the balls' At the center of the lawsuit is Oliver's claim made in an episode broadcast in 2024 that Dr Brian Morley made. The comments were first reported by the Des Moines Register The cuts saw Facenda lose nursing visits to help him bathe and change diapers after AmeriHealth Caritas slashed payments. For six weeks, he went without medication and regular care. Oliver contrasted this with Morley's 2017 testimony about another patient, Nathan McDonald, whose in-home visits had also been cut from twice a day to five times a week. 'People have bowel movements every day where they don't completely clean themselves, and we don't fuss over [them] too much,' Morley testified, according to the Des Moines Register. Audio of Morley's testimony was played by Oliver on the show. 'People are allowed to be dirty You know, I would allow him to be a little dirty for a couple of days.' Court documents state how Morley 'did not equate wiping poorly with leaving anyone sitting in their own feces for days,' and actually 'testified to the opposite,' the lawsuit says. Oliver seemed to want to use the clip to capture the cold logic of corporate cost-cutting at the expense of human dignity, but Morley insists the statement he made was grossly misinterpreted. In a meticulous breakdown, the lawsuit claims that Morley's comments were about ambulatory individuals who are not bedridden or dependent on in-home care. Morley's suit insists he was referring to 'the average individual who is independently mobile but may not wipe perfectly - not someone who is wearing diapers or otherwise laying in their own bowel movements.' Like many others comments on Oliver's HBO show it was laced with sarcasm and wit but according to Morley's legal team, it also crossed a line and ignored the truth Morley was not referring to wheelchair-bound or incontinent patients, his legal team insists. The episode in question, titled 'Medicaid,' aired in April 2024 and delivered one of Oliver's most passionate attacks on corporate health care in recent years. Citing reports of a '900 percent increase in members being illegally denied services,' Oliver railed against private insurers contracted to manage Medicaid services in states like Iowa. The segment was widely praised by advocates for drawing attention to managed care abuses - but Morley claims the price of that exposure was his personal and professional ruin. He says he received threats, harassment, and reputational damage, and is now demanding a full retraction, removal of the episode from all streaming platforms, and monetary damages to be determined by a jury. Attorney's for both Morley and John Oliver and his production team have been contacted by DailyMail.com for comment. The nuclear scientist wife of a renowned doctor who allegedly tried to push her off a scenic Hawaiian hiking trail has claimed he had been sexually abusing her. When Arielle Konig, 36, applied for a restraining order against her husband, Dr. Gerhardt Konig, 46, on Thursday she noted that he 'has sexually abused and assaulted me over the last few months,' according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com. She did not specify when Gerhardt, a well-known anesthesiologist, started abusing her or what he allegedly did. But she claimed he accused her of cheating on him in December - and ever since had become prone to 'extreme jealousy' and even 'attempted to control and monitor all of my communications.' They tried to settle their differences at couple's therapy, the petition says, and things were looking up when Gerhardt planned a weekend getaway to Oahu for Arielle's 36th birthday. That trip, though, ended with Arielle with 'multiple lacerations to her face and neck' and a broken thumb, and Gerhardt behind bars for her alleged attempted murder. He had even allegedly called one of his adult children from a previous marriage on FaceTime while still covered in blood. The doctor then told his son, "I just tried to kill Ari, but she got away,"' according to the petition. Dr. Gerhardt Konig, 46, has been accused of trying to push his wife off a scenic Hawaiian hiking trail (picture credit: Honalulu Police Department) In a petition for a restraining order against her husband, Arielle Konig, 36, claimed he had been sexually abusing her for months Now, Arielle said she is afraid for herself, their children and their dog if Gerhardt was to be released on bail. She described how she and her husband arrived on the island on March 23, while their children stayed at their $1.5million home in Kahului on the island of Maui with family members. The next day, Arielle says her husband suggested they hike a trail near Pali Lookout, which she described as having 'narrow ridge sections with steep drop-offs on both sides.' At one point during the hike, Arielle said she became 'uneasy' and said she did not want to go any further. She instead decided to climb a nearby tree so her husband could take a photo of her - but he suggested they instead take a selfie near the edge of the cliff. Arielle said she then asked her husband to move away from the edge 'because I was feeling dizzy,' and he obliged. But when she then approached the doctor, he 'grabbed me by my upper arms and started pushing me back towards the cliff edge.' At the same time, 'he was yelling something to the effect of "Get back over there, I'm so f***ing sick of you,"' Arielle wrote. She said she thought he was joking at first, then 'quickly realized he was seriously trying to make me fall off the cliff.' The doctor had suggested they hike a trail near Pali Lookout, which she described as having 'narrow ridge sections with steep drop-offs on both sides' Gerhardt had planned the weekend getaway to Oahu for Arielle's 36th birthday Arielle recounted that she quickly threw herself onto the ground away from the edge, but her husband climbed on top of her. Desperate, Arielle said she pleaded with him to think about their two young children, ages 2 and 5. Still, they continued to tussle - and at one point Arielle said Gerhardt grabbed his bag and took out a syringe, which he tried to inject her with. 'I do not know what was in the syringe, but Gerhardt is an anesthesiologist and has access to several potentially lethal medications as part of his employment,' Arielle noted in her petition for a restraining order. Thinking on her feet, Arielle said she grabbed the syringe and threw it as her husband combed through his bag for what she thought was another syringe, TribLive reports. But before he could grab it, Arielle said she bit his forearm. That seemed to calm him down for a moment 'but then grabbed a nearby rock and began bashing me repeatedly on the head with it.' He also grabbed her by the hair and smashed her face into the ground, she claims. Arielle, a nuclear scientist, said she is afraid for herself, their children and their dog if Gerhardt was to be released on bail Fortunately two women further down the path heard Arielle screaming for help. One then ran ahead and told police she saw a man hitting a woman in the head with a rock, as the woman cried out: 'He is trying to kill me.' The women then warned Gerhardt they were calling 911, at which point he fled the scene, while the women helped Arielle down the trail, where first responders transported her to a local hospital in critical condition. Despite her condition, she was able to tell police that her husband had attacked her, and he was arrested following a six-hour long manhunt. Many who knew the couple were shocked by the news. 'I just did not see this coming,' Christina Ferguson, 53, who has been working for the couple as a cleaner for the last six months, told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview. 'Nobody saw this coming. People are saying things like, "she probably had an affair, or she was cheating", but she's not like that at all. 'She's the kindest, most caring, patient, generous, loving person. I mean, every perfect attribute you could think of for a person, and that's her,' the cleaner said. 'She worked from home, so she was not running around. And they just came back from a family vacation, just last month.' Many who knew the couple were shocked by the news of Konig's arrest The cleaner went on to describe the doctor as 'nice and kind.' 'Usually, he was quiet when he was home because typically, he'd be at work when I was there,' Ferguson said. 'But the couple times that he was there, he was quiet, polite, and carried a conversation.' She added: 'The way that they talked to each other was admirable. They were loving and so this just came completely out of nowhere. 'Typically, especially here in Hawaii where domestic violence is very common, you can see the signs there's controlling behavior and whatnot. 'There was none of that here.' Gerhardt was previously married to sex worker Jessica Patella; The two married when they they were both just 20 and stayed married for over 15 years, sharing two children. Konig's first wife is a sex worker who goes by Jessie Sage. She shares two children with him Konig has a trans son Kieren, with whom he had a fraught relationship One of their children, a trans man who goes by Kieren, shared details from his difficult childhood in an essay published online and written in second person. 'You dont remember much of your childhood except for that one Christmas morning your brother came into your room and you hid under the covers for an hour, waiting for your parents to stop fighting. They got a divorce the next year.' Kieren wrote about being admitted to psychiatrist hospitals and seeing his mother 'losing blood like trees lose leaves in the fall' as she went through two miscarriages. He also mentioned his stepmother Arielle positively, writing: 'She calls you by the name you want to be called by.' Kieren said that he started talking to his dad again after a period of no contact. 'Hes not screaming at you. Hes calm,' Kieren wrote about Konig. The doctor was officially indicted on second-degree attempted murder charges on Friday In 2017, Konig shared a picture with Kieran alongside the band Evanescence, writing: 'Evanescence Synthesis Orchestral Tour 2017. What an amazing night with my son!' By then Konig was already in a relationship with Arielle; the two seem to have moved from the Pittsburgh area to Hawaii sometime after 2020. The doctor is now being held without bail at the Oahu Community Correctional Center in Honolulu after being formally indicted on second-degree attempted murder charges on Friday. That day, a judge also granted Arielle's petition for a temporary restraining order, forbidding Gerhardt from having any contact with his wife or their children and from entering their Maui home. Meanwhile, Arielle is 'focusing on her recovery at home in Maui with the support of her family,' her attorney said. A Facebook Marketplace thief accused of stealing a van and a scooter has been arrested after leading police on a dramatic chase. Nicholas Joseph Davis, 37, was intercepted by police officers outside a Bunnings in Springfield Central in Ipswich, in Brisbane's west, about 11.40am on Monday. Police allege Davis stole a 2019 Toyota Hiace in the southern suburb of Slacks Creek after he inquired about the vehicle listed at $28,000 on Facebook Marketplace. Davis told Mr Walia he was happy to pay the asking price if he could have a test drive and the van ran smoothly, and the pair were captured on CCTV meeting up at a petrol station at 2pm on March 30. In the footage, Davis was seen getting into the driver's seat and taking off in the van, almost hitting Mr Walia, who was standing in front of the vehicle trying to prevent the theft. Queensland Police were called and they discovered the allegedly stolen white van in a carpark and waited for the 37-year-old Davis to return. Davis noticed the officers and allegedly tried to flee on foot but was arrested following a dramatic chase across busy roads. Two weeks earlier, Davis had tried the same thing with a separate Marketplace meetup after inquiring about a 2012 Piaggio Zip 50 scooter. Nicholas Joseph Davis, 37, was arrested in southwest Brisbane after he allegedly stole two vehicles from sellers after organising meet-ups through Facebook Marketplace Davis arrived at Kaz Miyazaki's house and asked to inspect the $3,000 scooter and take it for a test ride but allegedly never returned. Davis texted the seller claiming he had fallen off the scooter and injured himself. He agreed to pay for the scooter, but the promised funds never arrived in Mr Miyazaki's account. Fortunately for Mr Miyazaki, he had taken photos of Davis' licence plate which police used to track the thief down to the carpark on Monday. Police allegedly found stolen number plates, war medals, power tools and a machete inside the stolen white van. The vehicle has since been taken for forensic testing. Davis has been charged with five counts of enter premises and commit and two counts each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and stealing. He is due to appear before Ipswich Magistrates Court on Tuesday. China has sent its army, navy, air and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for large-scale drills that Beijing said were aimed at practising a blockade of the island. As many as 19 warships surrounded the self-ruled island in a space of just 24 hours, including the Shandong aircraft carrier group, Taiwan's defence ministry said. Taiwan dispatched its own aircraft and ships, and deployed land-based missile systems, in response to the exercises and accused Beijing of being the world's 'biggest troublemaker'. The drills come after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday in Japan that the United States would ensure 'credible deterrence' across the Taiwan Strait. China insists democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. Beijing has increased the deployment of fighter jets and naval vessels around Taiwan in recent years to press its claim of sovereignty, which Taipei rejects. As many as 19 warships surrounded the self-ruled island in a space of just 24 hours, including the Shandong aircraft carrier group (Shandong pictured) An image of Taiwan from a video titled 'Subdue Demons and Vanquish Evils', released by the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on April 1, 2025 Tuesday saw the most Chinese warships recorded around Taiwan since May last year when 27 navy vessels were reported, according to an AFP tally of the ministry's daily figures. Tensions across the 180-kilometre (112-mile) Taiwan Strait have escalated since Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te took office in May 2024. Chinese leaders loathe Lai, who has been more outspoken than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen in defending Taiwan's sovereignty. Lai last month called China a 'foreign hostile force' and proposed measures to combat growing Chinese espionage and infiltration. Tuesday's exercises were aimed at sending a 'stern warning and forceful deterrence' to alleged separatists in Taiwan, Beijing said. They involved 'sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade on key areas and sea lanes', said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman of the Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command. Beijing's armed forces 'close in on Taiwan Island from multiple directions', he said. The Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command - which oversees operations along the Taiwan Strait - shared a graphic with the title 'closing in'. Another graphic shared by the military depicted Lai as an insect being roasted over an open fire. And a video shared by the military on X-like Weibo showed footage of weapons interspersed with animations of Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King from the classic Chinese novel 'Journey to the West'. Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong sailing in waters off Taiwan on March 31, released April 1 China on April 1 sent its army, navy, air and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for drills Beijing said were aimed at practising a blockade of the self-ruled island (Pictured March 31) The video climaxes with Chinese forces appearing to use satellites to mark targets across Taiwan, before ending with a flurry of rocket explosions while multiple Monkey Kings attack a giant frog monster. China's coast guard said it also conducted 'law enforcement patrols' around the island. 'Pursuing 'Taiwan independence' means pushing the people of Taiwan into a dangerous situation of war,' Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, said. Taiwan's Presidential Office condemned 'China's escalatory behaviour', and Premier Cho Jung-tai said 'resorting to displays of military force is not what modern, progressive societies should pursue'. China has carried out multiple large-scale exercises around the island in recent years, often described as rehearsals for a blockade and seizure of the territory. Analysts have speculated that China was more likely to attempt a blockade of Taiwan than launch an all-out invasion, which was riskier and would require a huge military deployment. Taipei military expert Su Tzu-yun told AFP the drills appeared to be of similar size to the 'Joint Sword' exercises in May and October. Holding drills straight after Hegseth's visit to the region showed China was testing the Trump administration, said Lin Ying-yu of Tamkang University. 'China wants to test the US's bottom line ahead of a Trump-Xi summit through military exercises,' Lin told AFP. Taiwan - a powerhouse in semiconductor chip manufacturing - is a potential flashpoint for conflict between China and the United States, which is the island's most important security partner. While the United States is legally bound to provide arms to Taiwan, Washington has long maintained 'strategic ambiguity' when it comes to whether it would deploy its military to defend the island from a Chinese attack. A Taiwanese military warship is seen at a harbour in Keelung on April 1, 2025 Taiwanese military warships are seen at a harbour in Keelung on April 1, 2025 There have been concerns about US President Donald Trump's willingness to protect Taiwan. Trump said last month that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be 'catastrophic', as the island's chipmaking titan TSMC announced a $100 billion investment in the United States. The dispute between China and Taiwan dates back to 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang nationalist forces fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war with Mao Zedong's communist fighters. Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign country, but has stopped short of declaring formal independence, which is a red line for Beijing. Only 11 countries and the Vatican recognise Taiwan's claim to statehood. Albanian migrants have taken to TikTok to boast about being put up in luxury taxpayer-funded hotels in posts sure to embarrass Keir Starmer and Labour. One video posted on social media show men bragging about making it to the UK after paying 3,000 to cross the Channel. The caption, in Albanian, advertises the route as '100 per cent guaranteed' as the two gloat about their hotel room having a flat-screen TV. One man is seen declaring: 'Respects. They did bring us to London.' In another clip, a caption claims: 'Every day journey on small boats. Security 100 per cent. 'Payment 3000, when you arrive in the UK. Brothers who wants to go get in touch and we sent you directly.' It comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir admitted the UK was seen as a 'soft touch'. Last year Government spending surged by more than a third in a year to nearly 5.4billion on asylum seeker accommodation and support - hitting the highest figure since records began The number of migrants living in hotels at the expense of taxpayers has also risen by 8,500 under Labour. Videos posted on TikTok show men bragging about making it to the UK after paying 3,000 to cross the Channel The caption, in Albanian, claims the route as 100 per cent guaranteed and in the video, one man said: 'Respects. They did bring us to London' It comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer admitted the UK was seen as a 'soft touch' The increase comes despite their election manifesto pledge to 'end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds'. Opening a two-day illegal migration conference in London yesterday, the Prime Minister said: 'Illegal migration is a massive driver of global insecurity. It undermines our ability to control who comes here, and that makes people angry. 'It makes me angry, frankly, because it's unfair on ordinary working people who pay the price from the cost of hotels, to our public services struggling under the strain. 'And it's unfair on the illegal migrants themselves, because these are vulnerable people being ruthlessly exploited by vile gangs.' Some 6,642 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year in 119 boats, including more than 4,000 this month alone. Countries including Albania, Vietnam and Iraq from where migrants have travelled the UK joined the talks, the first of their kind, alongside representatives from France, the US and China. The PM called on the 40 countries that gathered in London yesterday and today to work together to stop people-smuggling gangs in the same way they would terrorists. Writing in yesterday's Mail, the Prime Minister insisted international co-operation was the 'foundation' of securing Britain's borders. Some 30 million of funding was earmarked to tackle supply chains, illicit finances and trafficking routes across Europe, the Balkans, Asia and Africa. The PM called on the 40 countries that gathered in London yesterday and today to work together to stop people-smuggling gangs in the same way they would terrorists An extra 3 million will boost the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) capacity to prosecute smugglers and expand its international footprint. Smuggling gangs have been known to use social media platforms to advertise Channel crossing packages and make contact with migrants before moving to encrypted messaging services. Leaders from tech firms including Meta, X, and TikTok attended yesterday's summit to discuss tackling online adverts. During the summit, the Prime Minister said: 'We've seized hundreds of boats and engines, driving up the costs of smugglers. We've taken out 18,000 social media accounts, 10,000 more than last year, disrupting the way smugglers promote their services.' He added: 'This Government is taking back control, doing the hard graft needed to deliver results, working with our international allies to smash these gangs and secure our borders. 'For too long, the UK was a soft touch. That ends now. No more gimmicks, no empty promises, just serious action for British security.' The PM also announced that the Home Office has returned more than 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK since Labour took power. There were 24,103 returns between July 5 and March 22 - the highest number for eight years - including 3,594 foreign criminals. Some 6,642 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year in 119 boats, including more than 4,000 this month alone Your browser does not support iframes. However the number of people reaching the UK in dinghies across the Channel is also at record levels with close to 6,000 arriving so far this year. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp asked in the Commons: 'Will the minister now accept the Government's plan to 'smash the gangs' lies in tatters? Crossings are up by 31 per cent since the election, they're about to break 30,000 and the first three months of this year have been the worst on record. 'Does she now accept it was a catastrophic mistake to cancel the Rwanda deterrent before it even started?' Immigration minister Dame Angela Eagle admitted on Times Radio: 'Of course, we're disappointed. Some of that is about having more people per boat, which is also more dangerous and more reckless. 'But what we've got to do - we've been in government for eight months - these people smuggling gangs have been allowed to establish themselves across the Channel and be very sophisticated with their global networks for six years.' A father was threatened with arrest after a row with a councillor over their daughter's female-only fundraiser which trans women weren't allowed to attend. Two police officers turned up to the home of Dave and Viv Boardman, both 67, in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, saying they had been accused of harassment. Rebecca Boden, their then Labour councillor, reported them after Mr Boardman emailed her several times over his daughter Cathy's fundraiser at a volunteer-run theatre. It was a 'women-only' event arranged for Cathy to raise money for the legal costs of an employment tribunal she was bringing against a music college. She claimed she had been unfairly dismissed after students complained that she was transphobic for asking them to debate whether drag acts were sexist. The fundraising event was temporarily cancelled after complaints that it was not 'trans-inclusive' because invitations were only extended to women who are biologically female. Mr Boardman then sent several emails to Cllr Boden because he believed she was encouraging a campaign to get it cancelled. Cllr Boden said she didn't know the fundraiser was for his daughter and said that it was a breach of equality laws for an event to be held at a publicly funded venue that excluded trans people. Two police officers turned up to the home of Dave and Viv Boardman, both 67, (pictured) in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, saying they had been accused of harassment Rebecca Boden (pictured), their then Labour councillor, reported them after Mr Boardman emailed her over his daughter Cathy's fundraiser She accused him of having an aggressive tone and said that emails he had sent to her were defamatory, libellous and could be harassment. Mr Boardman said his emails weren't aggressive and that it was 'completely reasonable' to question a Cllr about why they would be against a women-only event. The police officers - who were wearing bodycams - showed up at his house and questioned the couple for 20 minutes at 7.30pm on February 5, 2023. One was heard telling the Boardmans: 'We don't intend to get into the argument and why you're to-ing and fro-ing between the two of you. The reason why we've come to speak to you is to say please don't contact her again. She has been told the same, not to contact you about this issue.' The officer advised that Mr Boardman should contact his other two councillors if he needed to address any concerns, for his 'own protection'. Mr Boardman was told that if he kept emailing Cllr Boden 'we could be inviting you down to the police station' to which he said he was 'absolutely disgusted'. He told The Times: 'The whole thing is ridiculous, but sadly it's a sign of the times of what's happening to our democracy. It's scary that they could even contemplate coming to tell someone not to contact your elected official.' Cllr Boden told MailOnline she is instructing solicitors to issue proceedings against Mr Boardman for harassment and stalking. Mr Boardman said his emails weren't aggressive and that it was 'completely reasonable' to question a Cllr about why they would be against a women-only event The officer advised that Mr Boardman should contact his other two councillors if he needed to address any concerns, for his 'own protection' Cllr Boden is now an independent councillor and is no longer part of the Labour Party She said: 'In January 2023 Dave Boardman sent me a series of angry and aggressive emails, which I advised him were factually inaccurate and that I found harassing. I requested he desist from writing to me. He persisted. 'He wrote to me on my council email; he has been repeatedly advised that the lead legal officer for Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (responsible for my regulation as a councillor) has determined that I was acting in a private capacity in this matter, not as a councillor. 'The legal officer also determined that it was entirely appropriate for me to reply to Dave Boardman on my council email as this meant I did not have to give this individual my private email address, which would have been a gross intrusion into my privacy. 'The legal officer also determined that I was perfectly within my rights to block Dave Boardman from that email account (which I did) in view of the contents and tone of the emails. Dave Boardman was advised that he had two other ward councillors who he could contact with any council issues. 'Since then, Dave Boardman has been conducting a campaign of letter-writing and social media posts about me. My solicitor sent him a cease and desist letter in 2023. He has been advised that I will now be commencing legal proceedings against him for harassment and stalking. I will be seeking a restraining order, costs and exemplary damages. 'Throughout, I have found Dave Boardman to be irrational, terrifying and obsessive.' Cathy Boardman was a lecturer in cultural studies and had asked her class to reflect on 'womanface' a critical term for female impersonation and whether or not it was demeaning Cllr Boden is now an independent councillor and is no longer part of the Labour Party. West Yorkshire Police said: 'Police received a report of a harassment from a complainant in Hebden Bridge in February 2023. 'An offence was recorded as per recording practices, but following investigation it was found the information supplied did not support a crime having being committed and the matter was finalised. The complainant was made aware of the outcome of the investigation in 2023. 'The footage has been fully reviewed and it is deemed our officers acted and advised appropriately to prevent any further issues or any crimes occurring.' Russia did not launch a mass drone strike on civilian targets in Ukraine for the first time in months last night - after Donald Trump said he was 'pi**ed off' with the Russian President and threatened to impose damning secondary tariffs. It was the first time since October that Ukraine did not mention Shaded long distance drone attacks in its overnight reports. 'We'll keep monitoring; so far, it doesn't mean anything,' National Security and Defense Council official Andrii Kovalenko said on his Telegram channel. Ukraine did claim to have shot down two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight to attack southeastern Ukraine. And officials in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast did report drone attacks against the region overnight, claiming limited damage. The felt absence of drones, which have devastated civilian areas and ports throughout the three-year war, came just days after Trump threatened Russia with tariffs to hit countries buying oil from Russia. In an interview aired on Sunday, Trump said he was 'very angry' with Putin after the latter criticised the leadership of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump said Putin's comments were 'not going in the right direction' after the Russian President called for Ukraine to be put under temporary UN control until a 'competent' government was elected. Trump assessed this would mean no deal 'for a long time' and said: 'If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia's fault... I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia.' 'That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can't do business in the United States. There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50- point tariff on all oil.' Smoke rises following a Russian strike with Shahed drones, which targeted civilian areas, including the Bartolomeo restaurant and hotel in the city center in Dnipro, Ukraine on March 29 ladimir Putin seen while visiting a military base of nuclear fleet, March 26, 2025, in Murmansk, Russia Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on March 28, 2025 Ukraine also showed restraint in its strikes on Russia, with reports of just three drones being downed over Bryansk region. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged caution in dealing with Trump, and suggested that an effective maritime ceasefire announced last week would be a test of good faith. 'If the Russians violate this, then I have a direct question for President Trump,' he said. 'If they violate, here is the evidence - we ask for sanctions, we ask for weapons, etc.' Continuing the thought later on Tuesday, he wrote on X: 'How Russia behaves in the coming days will reveal a lotif not everything. Zelenskyy then said late on Sunday that there has been no letup in Russia's attacks as it drives on with its invasion of its neighbor that began in February 2022. He said the attacks demonstrated Russia's unwillingness to forge a settlement. 'The geography and brutality of Russian strikes, not just occasionally, but literally every day and night, show that Putin couldn't care less about diplomacy,' Zelenskyy said in his daily address. 'And almost every day, in response to this proposal, there are Russian drones, bombs, artillery shelling, and ballistic strikes,' he said. A view of Pokrovsk, the site of heavy battles with Russian troops, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 25, 2025 Servicemen of 24th Mechanized Brigade train in an undisclosed location in the east of Ukraine March 29, 2025 Nurse Kateryna, 24, an internally displaced person evacuated from the eastern frontline city of Kostyantynivka, comforts her cat Abu at a transit center, in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine March 31, 2025 He urged further international pressure on Moscow to compel Russia to negotiate, including new sanctions. Zelenskyy had accused Putin of 'openly mocking' US attempts to seal a ceasefire 'with constant new drone strikes, constant brutal shelling. 'This must be stopped only by pressure and Russia must be forced to peace.' Institute for the Study of War (ISW) analysts reported earlier this month that Russia appeared to be ramping up its use of Shahed drones and missiles in an effort to overload Ukraine's air defence systems. The ISW assessed this showed there was no shortage of UAV components. However, a business survey released today showed that Russia's manufacturing sector has experienced its sharpest contraction in nearly three years in March, as output and new orders fell in the face of weak domestic and foreign demand. The S&P Global Russia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dropped to 48.2 in March from 50.2 in February, sliding below the 50 level that separates expansion from contraction. The downturn marked the first deterioration since September and the most significant since April 2022, a month when international sanctions imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine two months earlier were having a serious impact. A Ukrainian serviceman of the 108th Territorial Defence Forces Brigade fires a D-44 field artillery gun towards Russian troops, at a frontline position, in Zaporizhzhia region, March 31 A firefighter works to put out a fire following an aerial attack in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, March 31 Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky looks after a phone call with Britain's Prime Minister at his office in Kyiv, on March 31 Output levels fell in March at their sharpest level since July 2022. New orders decreased for the first time since October, and at the fastest pace in nearly three years, as both domestic and export demand weakened. Russia's significant spending on military equipment and weapons to sustain its war in Ukraine has buoyed a manufacturing sector that otherwise may have suffered more as some countries shunned Moscow. 'Logistics challenges and delays to rail transportation reportedly led to longer lead times for inputs,' S&P Global said. 'The extent to which supplier quality worsened was the least marked since last May, however.' More than 2,000 people are confirmed dead in Myanmar following last week's devastating earthquake as hopes fade of finding any more survivors. The epicentre of the quake, which struck at midday on Friday, was near the country's second-largest city Mandalay. Myanmar's military-run government has reported 2,065 people killed, more than 3,900 injured and 270 missing, but most of the reports so far have come from Mandalay and the capital Naypyitaw. The earthquake hit large swathes of the country, damaging roads and bridges while leaving several areas without power or communications - effectively cutting off several towns and villages from the rest of the world. Myanmar's ruling military junta has been accused of suppressing the scale of national disasters, leading the BBC to speculate the death toll could be far higher, as the UN warned the quake had compounded 'an already dire crisis' amid a four-year civil war. Four days after the earthquake struck, many people are still sleeping outdoors without any aid, either unable to return to ruined homes or afraid of further aftershocks. Meanwhile, the US Geological Survey's predictive modelling estimated that the number of casualties could top 10,000 and economic losses could exceed the country's annual economic output. The earthquake also rocked neighbouring Thailand, causing a high-rise building under construction to collapse, burying dozens of people alive. Two bodies were pulled from the rubble on Monday but dozens were still missing and at least 20 have been confirmed dead. Shocking footage emerged of the moment the skyscraper trembled as the quake hit. A crane atop the building quivered, but it looked for a moment as though the building would survive - until the left flank of the structure began to crumble. Moments later, the entire building imploded, folding in on itself and crashing to the ground. Rescuers carry out search and rescue on the damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar A man donates money to an injured novice at Mandalay General Hospital following a strong earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 1, 2025 Rescue officials observe a minute of silence near the Sky Villa condominium building, one of the sites most affected by the March 28 earthquake, in Mandalay on April 1, 2025 A woman rides her bicycle past a collapsed building in Mandalay on April 1, 2025, a few days after the deadly Myanmar earthquake Chinese rescue workers work at the site of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 31, 2025 The earthquake also rocked neighbouring Thailand , causing a high-rise building under construction to collapse, burying dozens of people alive Horrified onlookers see the cloud of dust rising moments after the building collapsed Rescue personnel operate following a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 31, 2025 Myanmar held a minute's silence today in tribute to quake victims, just one moment of remembrance in a week of national mourning declared by the military junta. Flags will fly at half-mast on official buildings until April 6 'in sympathy for the loss of life and damages', officials said. Still, four days on from the quake, rescue workers are still finding people who have somehow managed to survive. Earlier today, emergency services saved a 63-year-old woman from the rubble of a building in Myanmar's capital 91 hours after she was buried under the remnants of her building. Her rescue followed more than 24 hours after workers miraculously pulled a pregnant woman out of the rubble three days on from the disaster. Incredible footage captured the moment that rescuers, having clambered atop a mountain of debris to rig up an intricate pulley system, cleared the last pieces of rubble to reach the pregnant victim sealed inside the remains of an apartment. They carefully extracted her from the makeshift capsule, strapped her to a stretcher to stabilise her spine, and attached the stretcher to a rope. She was then painstakingly winched down to a second team of rescuers who stood two storeys below, arms outstretched to receive their charge. But officials in Myanmar are now discovering more corpses than live victims among the debris, with residents complaining that the air was thick with 'the smell of death'. Bodies stuck beneath the remnants of Mandalay's buildings are rapidly decomposing as temperatures in Myanmar soar above 40 degrees Celsius. The smell was 'very high', one Indian officer said, as crematoriums began burning bodies en masse. Meanwhile, hundreds of Mandalay residents spent a fourth night sleeping in the open, with their homes destroyed or fearing aftershocks would cause more damage. 'I don't feel safe. There are six or seven-floor buildings beside my house leaning, and they can collapse anytime,' Soe Tint, a watchmaker, told AFP after sleeping outside. Some have tents but many - including babies and children - have been bedding down on blankets in the middle of roads, staying as far away as possible from damaged buildings. People take shelter in a makeshift tent camp, following a strong earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, April 1, 2025 Members of the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team work at a collapsed residential building following the earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar March 31, 2025 Rescuers in the earthquake-devastated city of Mandalay in Myanmar have miraculously pulled a pregnant woman out of the rubble Incredible footage captured the moment that rescuers, having clambered atop a mountain of debris to rig up an intricate pulley system, cleared the last pieces of rubble to reach the pregnant victim The woman was painstakingly winched down from atop the pile of debris The woman is received by a group of rescuers and rushed away as shocked onlookers snap photos Search and rescue operations continue in the wreckage of a collapsed building where dozens of people are still trapped, following earthquakes that struck neighbouring country Myanmar, in Bangkok Rescue workers carry the body of a victim at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on March 31, 2025 Women react after hearing of the death of a relative at the site of an under-construction building collapse in Bangkok on March 30, 2025 The earthquake, centred near Mandalay - a city of some 1.5 million - brought down buildings and damaged other infrastructure like the city's airport. Large swathes of land in Myanmar have been damaged, while a skyscraper under construction in neighbouring Thailand collapsed. The 7.7 magnitude quake was felt as far as China and India. The earthquake struck at the time of Friday prayers for Myanmar's Muslim minority during the holy month of Ramadan, and some 700 worshippers were killed when mosques collapsed, said Tun Kyi, a member of the steering committee of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network. It was not clear whether they were already included in the official count of casualties. Tun Kyi said some 60 mosques were damaged or destroyed when the earthquake struck, and videos posted on The Irrawaddy online news site showed several mosques toppling during the quake, and people fleeing from the areas. In Mandalay, 270 monks were taking a religious exam at the U Hla Thein monastery when the quake hit, crumpling the building. Rescue workers at the scene Monday said 70 were able to escape, but 50 have already been found dead and 150 are still unaccounted for. 'We're really not clear on the scale of the destruction at this stage,' said Lauren Ellery, deputy director of programs in Myanmar for the International Rescue Committee. There is a state of emergency in six regions, and Ellery said her teams on the ground and their local partners are currently assessing where needs are the greatest while providing emergency medical care, humanitarian supplies and other assistance. 'They were talking about a town near Mandalay where 80% of the buildings were reportedly collapsed, but it wasn't in the news because telecommunications have been slow,' she said. 'Even in areas where there isn't so much impact, our partner reported to us on Saturday that there were landslides stopping them from reaching one of the villages.' Rescuers search for survivors at the site of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, 31 March 2025 A Buddhist monk walks near a collapsed pagoda after an earthquake in Mandalay, central Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025 Commuters drive past a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 202 Astonishing footage shows the moment a man who was trapped under rubble for 40 hours after the devastating earthquake in Myanmar was rescued alive The man was pulled out from under the rubble of a collapsed building in the capital Naypyidaw by rescue teams from Singapore and Myanmar on Sunday, the country's army-run TV reported Rescuers work with a K9 dog at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand A lack of heavy machinery has slowed search and rescue operations, forcing many to slowly search for survivors by hand in the relentless heat, with daily temperatures above 40 degrees C. International rescue teams from several countries are now on the scene, including from Russia, China, India and several Southeast Asian countries. 'It doesn't matter how long we work. The most important thing is that we can bring hope to the local people,' said Yue Xin, head of the first detachment of the China Search and Rescue Team, according to China's Xinhua news agency. On Sunday, an Indian team jackhammered through slabs of fallen concrete at one site in Mandalay, cutting rebar reinforcement with an angle grinder powered by a portable generator as they sought to reach lower levels. They could be seen bringing out one covered body and loading it into an ambulance. The European Union, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and others have announced millions of dollars in aid, either directly or through local partners and international organisations. A small number of American military personnel were sent to assist in Bangkok, where the earthquake shook the Thai capital and killed at least 20 people, many at a construction site where a partially built high-rise collapsed. Emergency crews using cranes and dog sniffers on Monday continued a desperate search for people believed buried under the remnants of the partially-constructed skyscraper. Besides the 20 people already confirmed dead, another 33 have been reported injured and 78 remain missing in Thailand. Most are believed to be at the construction site near the popular Chatuchak market. Heavy equipment was shut down and authorities urged onlookers to be silent as they used machines to try and detect any signs of life from under the rubble. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said yesterday that rescuers were not giving up even as the conventional wisdom 72-hour window for finding people alive closed, referencing survival stories from the brutal earthquakes in Turkey in 2023. 'The search will continue even after 72 hours because in Turkey, people who have been trapped for a week have survived. The search has not been cancelled,' Chadchart said. 'Even if one life is saved, it is worth all the effort,' he said. Relatives and friends of missing workers are comforted by mental health crisis officials during a search operation at the site of a building that collapsed following an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, 31 March 2025 Myanmar and Indian rescuers search for victims at the U Hla Thein Buddhist monastery after an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, 31 March 2025 Thai rescue teams work to rescue and recover those trapped in the rubble of a collapsed construction building on March 31, 2025 in Bangkok Relatives wait for the recovery of their loved ones as search and rescue operations continue in the wreckage of a collapsed high-ride building, following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck neighbouring country Myanmar, in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 30, 2025 Myanmar, also known as Burma, sits on the Sagaing Fault, a major north-south fault that separates the India plate and the Sunda plate. The earthquake occurred when a 200-kilometre (125-mile) section of the fault ruptured, causing widespread damage along a wide swath of territory down the middle of the country, including Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway and Bago regions and Shan State. Beyond the earthquake damage, rescue efforts are complicated by the bloody civil war roiling much of the country, including in quake-affected areas. In 2021, the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has since turned into significant armed resistance. Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places are dangerous or impossible for aid groups to reach. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need, according to the United Nations. Ellery, of the International Rescue Committee, noted that the area worst hit by the earthquake was already seriously damaged by flooding last year in which many lost homes, and is also where many of the country's internally displaced people have sought refuge. Since the earthquake, many people have been sleeping outside, either because their homes have been destroyed or because they are worried that the continuing aftershocks might bring them down. With the monsoon rains starting in May, finding people shelter was going to be a major challenge going ahead, she said. 'But right now we're focused on the immediate response,' she said. A public primary school will allow its students to 'opt out' of an Anzac Day service, sparking outrage among parents and veterans. Sherwood Ridge Public School principal Jody Sullivan sent an email to parents last week asking them to advise if they did not want their children to attend a special commemorative assembly and service at the school on April 10. The aim was to accommodate a small number of Christian students at the school in Sydney's north-west who don't 'commemorate war'. The email has since been condemned by veterans, who say that all students should be educated about the sacrifices of Australia's service people past and present, regardless of their beliefs. 'Anzac Day is one of the most significant days on the national calendar. It's an opportunity for all Australians to honour the unique sacrifice of our current and former serving Defence Force personnel since 1915,' former commando and RSL NSW president Mick Bainbridge told Daily Mail Australia. 'Our young people learn about Australia's proud military past.' Daily Mail Australia understands the school received requests from a small number of parents for their children not to attend the commemoration assembly in line with their faith. Less than a dozen students belonging to Christian faith communities will undertake supervised activities while next week's assembly takes place. Sherwood Ridge Public School principal Jody Sullivan sent an email to parents last week asking them to advise if they did not want their children to attend a special commemorative assembly and service at the school on April 10 Veterans say that Anzac Day is an important day of reflection for Australian students. Pictured: Army cadets march in 2023 in Sydney NSW Department of Education secretary Murat Dizdar told Daily Mail Australia: 'Our public schools have a long and proud history of commemorating ANZAC Day.' 'I expect all our schools to commemorate ANZAC Day with memorial ceremonies each year, recognising the brave men and women who fought for the freedoms we all enjoy.' Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance of the first major military action of Australian and New Zealand soldiers in the First World War. More than 8,000 Australian soldiers died during the Gallipoli campaign launched on April 25, 1915. This year's commemorations mark the 110th anniversary. RSL NSW encourages 'all schools' to commemorate the day for students to pay respect to the sacrifice of current and former veterans. 'It's important to understand that Anzac Day is not a celebration of war; in fact, Anzac Day commemorates the horrors of war and ensures the sacrifices of those who served and died are never forgotten,' Mr Bainbridge said. 'The democratic freedoms we, as a nation, hold dear today are largely built on their service and sacrifice. 'That includes the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief, which, ironically, some parents are relying on to deny their children the opportunity to learn about the importance of Anzac Day.' Anzac Day is one of the most significant days on the national calendar. Pictured are spectators at the 2024 Anzac Day march in Sydney Veteran Advocacy Australia branded the email as 'disgusting' as it called on NSW Premier Chris Minns to 'intervene immediately'. Former NSW veterans affairs minister David Elliott was also shocked by the school's move. 'It really is an insult to the families of the 100,000 who died for this country,' he told the Daily Telegraph. 'They can't opt out of their mourning, so I don't know why anyone would want to opt out of this.' Parents also took to social media to express their outrage about the email. 'So wrong,' one mother wrote. 'Honouring and remembering those that have fought and lost their lives to keep us safe and four current service men and women and the sacrifices they make for all of us has nothing to do with religion. 'Teaching our kids to respect the country they live in and those that made it this way is important. This is going too far.' Another parent added: 'This is not commemorating war it is remembering those that gave their all to keep this country free'. The vast majority of Sherwood Ridge PS students are expected to attend the April 10 Anzac Day assembly Mr Dizdar said the education requires students to 'learn about the importance of Anzac Day and the sacrifice our service men and women made, and continue to make, as part of their regular day-to-day lessons. Around 1500 students from more than 100 schools will gather at the war memorial in Sydney's Hyde Park this Thursday for the annual RSL and Schools Remember Anzac Commemoration Service. The long-running event has been held since 1953. Several Greek holiday islands have been devastated by floods after severe rainstorms turned roads into raging rivers and swept vehicles away. Two of Greece's most popular tourist destinations, Paros and Mykonos, have been left submerged in murky waters after what has been described as 'biblical disaster' rainfall lashed through the islands on Monday. Dark skies loomed overhead and heavy rain quickly turned the streets into torrents, with footage showing cars being swept away in the deluge. According to local reports, for several hours, driving through main roads in Paros was impossible as streams swelled and floodwater surged through the streets. The extreme weather conditions made it difficult for rescue teams to access hard-hit areas, prompting authorities to advise residents to stay indoors as the rain was described as 'dangerous' and 'out of control'. Schools have been closed throughout the island, and officials on Paros yesterday said 13 people stranded in the storm were taken by firefighters to their homes, adding that no-one has been reported injured or missing. A few hours later, Mykonos was hit with the same 'extreme' rainfall and hail, causing similar chaos to the scenes in Paros. Footage from the island has shown roads flooded in brown water as cars and debris float past buildings also submerged in the torrents. Cars have been left submerged in floodwaters in Paros and Mykonos after heavy rain fell on Monday The country's National Meteorological Service has issued an updated Emergency Weather Bulletin, forecasting locally severe rain and thunderstorms from Monday afternoon through until Wednesday morning According to local reports, for several hours, driving through main roads in Paros was impossible as streams swelled and floodwater surged through the streets Dark skies loomed overhead in Paros and Mykonos and heavy rain quickly turned the streets into torrents Footage captured water cascading down a building as heavy rains lashed the islands An emergency weather warning from the Hellenic Meteorological Service was put in place Monday, but remains in effect as the horror weather is set to continue throughout the day with the Ionian Islands, mainland regions, Macedonia, Thrace, the Aegean Sea, and Attica all set to be pummelled. According to the meteorological service, the heavy rain and flooding will also move towards the Sporades, Thessaly, the Dodecanese and Crete. The country's National Meteorological Service has issued an updated Emergency Weather Bulletin, forecasting locally severe rain and thunderstorms from Tuesday through until Wednesday morning. Meteorologist George Tsatraphyllias told Protothema: 'In a few hours, approximately the entire months water fell on Paros and twice the amount of water that falls in the whole of March on Mykonos'. He warned that the weather is so severe that sending notifications to residents via 112 would not be enough to effectively protect the population. '112 alone is not enough when people are untrained in dealing with natural disasters, especially when there is no appropriate infrastructure adapted to the new reality,' he told the Greek newspaper. Video footage from the islands have shown masses of water coursing through the streets of once-idyllic holiday towns and completely sweeping over cars, dragging them away from where they were parked. In one clip, cars were seen wading through inches of muddy rainwater that had flooded streets. Heavy rainfall in the island's holiday towns of Parikia and Naousa caused floodwaters that surged through streets Video footage from the island showed a mass of water coursing through the streets of once-idyllic holiday towns and completely sweep over cars, dragging them away from where they were parked Several wrecked cars were seen tossed asunder by the raging waters, with massive frontal damage on many of them Fast-flowing water coursed through the streets, with horrified onlookers watching from vantage points. Several wrecked cars were seen tossed aside by the raging waters, with massive frontal damage on many of them. Emergency workers were seen struggling to get the vehicles from the flooded streets, using large tractors to pull them from low, water-filled points. Paros Mayor Kostas Bizas, speaking on local media yesterday, confirmed the severity of the situation: 'The rain started around 3 p.m. and hasn't let up. We've had drivers trapped on roads near Lefkes and the Parikia-Naoussa axis.' On Mykonos, where the flooding was less intense, excavators were used to clear a path for floodwater and it gushed past seafront cafes and restaurants. Municipal crews and private contractors worked to clear roads blocked by fallen rocks, while emergency services rescued stranded motorists. Other nearby islands in the Cyclades group, which is south east of the mainland in the Aegean Sea, remain under severe weather warnings. Western holidaymakers locked up by US border guards have described spending weeks in an 'insane psychological, social experiment' while being detained in detention centres. Tourists - some of whom claim to have held valid visas - say they were shackled and jailed for weeks, before being taken to the airport in 'leg chains, waist chains and handcuffs' for deportation and allowed to fly home at their own expense. Canadian actress Jasmine Mooney was denied entry into the country while trying to make her way from Mexico to San Diego, California after her work visa was revoked back in November while travelling from Vancouver to Los Angeles. She was hurled into jail on March 3 and spent 12 days in detention, claiming it felt like she had been 'kidnapped' and trapped in an experiment. She told ABC10 'what is happening is so unjust and I know that there's a better way to do this'. Lucas Sielaff, 25, was driving into the US from Mexico with his American fiancee when he claims that Border Patrol agents accused of him violating the rules of his 90-day US tourist permit. Sielaff, who alleges he held a valid visa and had visited the US several times before, was handcuffed, shackled and sent to a crowded immigration detention centre where he spent 16 days locked up before being allowed to fly home to Germany. 'I still have nightmares and I'm not yet back to normal,' Sielaff told the Financial Times of the horrific experience. 'I'm trying to process everything properly. It'll take a while.' The incidents are fuelling anxiety amongst travellers the Trump Administration's illegal migrant crackdown sees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents take 'more aggressive enforcement' approach at the border. The Administration had planned to issue a so-called travel ban that barred entry to foreign nationals from 43 countries that allegedly do not meet America's vetting standards, but the proposal has been indefinitely delayed. Canadian actress Jasmine Mooney described ICE detention as spending weeks in an 'insane psychological, social experiment' Lucas Sielaff, who alleges he held a valid visa and had visited the US several times before, was handcuffed, shackled and sent to a crowded immigration detention centre where he spent 16 days locked up before being allowed to fly home to Germany. He says 'I still have nightmares' from the experience Since President Donald Trump took office, there have been several incidents of tourists being stopped at US border crossings and held for weeks at immigration detention facilities. Sielaff and his fiancee Lennon Tyler say they often took road trips to Mexico when he vacationed in the US since it was only a day's drive from her home in Las Vegas. But things went terribly wrong when the couple drove back from their four-day trip to Tijuana in February. Sielaff arrived in the US on January 27. The couple travelled to Mexico on February 14 and tried to return on February 18, just 22 days into his 90-day tourist permit. When they pulled up to the crossing, the US border agent asked Sielaff aggressively, 'Where are you going? Where do you live?' Tyler said. Noting that English is not Sielaff's first language, Tyler said he answered: 'We're going to Las Vegas.' 'Oh, we caught you. You live in Las Vegas. You can't do that,' the agent replied, according to Tyler. Sielaff was taken away for more questioning. Tyler said she asked to go with him or if he could get a translator and was told to be quiet, then taken out of her car and handcuffed and chained to a bench. Her dog, who had undergone surgery in Mexico and was recovering, was left in the car. A member of the military looks on in front of newly-installed concertina wire lining one of two border walls separating Mexico from the United States during a news conference on joint operations involving the military and the Border Patrol Friday, March 21, 2025 After four hours, Tyler was allowed to leave but said she was given no information about her fiance's whereabouts. Sielaff said that during questioning he told authorities he never lived in the US and had no criminal history. He said he was given a full-body search and ordered to hand over his cellphone and belongings. He was put in a holding cell where he slept on a bench for two days before being transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego. There, he said, he shared a cell with eight others. 'You are angry, you are sad, you don't know when you can get out,' Sielaff said. 'You just dont get any answers from anybody.' He was finally told to get a direct flight to Germany and submit a confirmation number. In a frantic call from Sielaff, Tyler bought it for $2,744. He flew back March 5. Becky Burke, a Welsh backpacker travelling across North America, was stopped at the US-Canada border on February 26 and held for nearly three weeks at a detention facility in Washington state, her father Paul Burke posted on Facebook. Her father said she was accused of travelling on the wrong visa. After being held in custody for 19 days she was allegedly transported to the airport 'in leg chains, waist chains and handcuffs'. The tourists said it was never made clear why they were taken into custody even after they offered to go home voluntarily. Becky Burke, 28, was handcuffed and taken to a detention cell in Tacoma, Washington, on February 26 and is now back in the UK German tattoo artist Jessica Brosche, 26, says she was left i solitary confinement with over a week after being arrested while trying to legally cross the US-Mexico border Jessica Brosche, 26, spent over six weeks locked up, including over a week in solitary confinement, after she was stopped at the Tijuana crossing on January 25. The German tattoo artist was arrested by US Customs and Border Protection while trying to walk through a checkpoint in San Diego. Brosche was travelling with her American friend Nikita Lofving as a tourist under the ESTA visa waiver program. The two had met in Tijuana and were carrying tattooing equipment. Immigration officials reportedly accused Brosche of working in the US the last time she entered the country with the ESTA program, an electronic system that determines whether someone is eligible to enter the US without a visa. ESTAs are only intended for tourists and people are not allowed to work in the US while visiting on one. Lofving told the outlet she asked officials if Brosche could be sent back to Mexico, but they said she would be deported to Germany in three to five days because she could not offer proof of residence in the Latin American country. But Brosche says she spent days in a cell at the San Diego border before she was taken into ICE custody and brought to the the Otay Mesa Detention Center, where she was held for over a month. The German national flew home March 11. 'She's happy to be home,' said Ashley Paschen, who learned about Brosche's situation on TikTok and visited her several times while she was in detention. 'She seems very relieved if anything but shes not coming back here anytime soon.' The German tattoo artist was held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center for over a month An US Customs and Border Protection officer checks a passenger arriving on an international flight (file photo) Both German tourists were allowed into the US under a program offered to a select group of countries, mostly in Europe and Asia, whose citizens are allowed to travel to the US for business or leisure for up to 90 days without getting a visa in advance. Applicants register online with the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. But even if they are authorised to travel under that system, US authorities have wide discretion to still deny entry. Following the detentions, Britain and Germany updated their travel advisories to alert people about the strict US border enforcement. The United Kingdom warned 'you may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.' The detentions come amid legal fights over the Trump administration's arrests and deportations of other foreigners with valid visas and green card holders, including a Palestinian activist who helped organise campus protests of the war in Gaza. ICE said in an email to the AP that Sielaff and Brosche, who was held for 45 days, 'were deemed inadmissible' by Customs and Border Protection. That agency said it cannot discuss specifics but 'if statutes or visa terms are violated, travellers may be subject to detention and removal.' The agencies did not comment on the other cases. Sielaff said he and Tyler are now rethinking plans to hold their wedding in Las Vegas. He suffers nightmares and is considering therapy to cope with the trauma. 'Nobody is safe there anymore to come to America as a tourist,' he said. Tyler says she plans to sue the US government. Before Mooney's release, British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed concern, saying: 'It certainly reinforces anxiety that ... many Canadians have about our relationship with the US right now, and the unpredictability of this administration and its actions.' Donald Trump's plan to ban people from 43 countries from travelling to the US is delayed indefinitely as staffers continue to work on a report that would explain the full rules of the ban The White House put out a dramatic memo in mid-March that sees key allies of Russia placed under heavy sanctions as people from several other nations could see their dreams of travelling to America slashed It comes as the Trump administration's plan to ban people from 43 countries from travelling to the US has been delayed indefinitely. Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the US to detect national security threats. The White House then put out a dramatic memo in mid-March that showed the nations broken down into different categories, with particular sanctions set for allies of Russia. Trump's ban has now been delayed because the State Department continues to miss deadlines to submit a report detailing recommendations for restrictions. They were originally due on March 21 but department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Monday that it's still being worked on. 'I can tell you that were working on what the executive order asked for, which is not travel bans of course but the nature of restrictions from other countries if whether or not they meet the standard of security and vetting thats required for entry into the United States,' she said. A new deadline for the report to reach Trump's desk does not currently exist but Bruce confirmed it is still in the works. 'Again, because theres not a date, it doesnt mean that its not being worked on. So we are all working to implement what President Trump has ordered,' she said. Greenland 'will never be a part of America', the new Prime Minister of the Arctic island has vowed in the face of Donald Trump's threats to take over the island. Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who was sworn into office on Friday, said he wanted a 'strong relationship' with the US but that his nation would 'never be for sale'. The 33-year-old, now leading a four-party coalition government, also suggested his goal was to turn the semi-autonomous Danish territory into an independent nation. 'Greenland will never be a part of America,' he said. 'We want to trade. We want a strong partnership on national security, of course, but we want it in mutual respect. 'We will never be for sale and we will never be Americans.' But his first major task in office will be responding to threats of annexation from the Trump administration. The US President repeated his desire to take control of Greenland in an interview with NBC News on Saturday, telling his host: 'We'll get Greenland. Yeah, 100 per cent' and argued that there's a good possibility the US could take the island 'without military force.' Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who was sworn into office on Friday, said his nation would 'never be for sale' in light of Donald Trump 's pledge to take over Greenland The 33-year-old, now leading a four-party coalition government, also suggested his ultimate goal was independence from Denmark Trump said on Saturday that the US will '100 per cent' take control of Greenland 'I don't take anything off the table,' he added. Trump also claimed he 'absolutely' had real conversations with officials about seizing the island. His Vice President JD Vance sparked fury the day before Trump's comments by accusing Denmark of failing to keep the territory safe and claiming the US would do a better job. During a visit to a US military base in northern Greenland, he said: 'Our message to Denmark is very simple. 'You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have under-invested in the people of Greenland and you have under-invested in the security of this incredible, beautiful landmass. 'We think we're going to be able to cut a deal, Donald Trump-style, to ensure the security of this territory. 'We hope that they choose to partner with the United States, because we're the only nation on Earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security. 'Their security is very much our security.' US Vice President JD Vance accused Denmark of failing to keep the territory safe and claiming the US would do a better job Both Greenlanders and Danes are furious with the Trump administration's rhetoric on the Arctic Island Demonstrators hold Greenland flags as they protest in front of the US embassy in Copenhagen Asked about Vance's inflammatory comments, Nielsen said last night: 'Right now we are in a phase where they are building up, and we need to find solutions together.' 'President Trump says that the United States 'will get Greenland.' Let me be clear: The United States will not get it. We do not belong to anyone else. We decide our own future,' Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post over the weekend. Lars Lkke Rasmussen, the Danish foreign minister, condemned Trump and Vance's delivery 'tone,' declaring: 'This is not how you speak to your close allies, and I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.' This week Rasmussen will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the first high-level talks between Washington and Copenhagen since Trump took office in January. The meeting is planned for the sidelines of a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, according to the Financial Times. Tomorrow Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will pay a visit to Greenland for talks with the new Nielsen administration. Nielsen talked up the importance of the relationship last night, but reaffirmed his government's desire to seek independence in the long term. 'We are in the Kingdom of Denmark right now, and as long as we are in this construction, we need to build our relationship and build our partnership to get it stronger until the day we can be a sovereign nation,' he said. 'We have a strong partnership with Denmark, and that's what we're going to build on until the day we can be sovereign.' 'President Trump says that the United States 'will get Greenland.' Let me be clear: The United States will not get it. We do not belong to anyone else. We decide our own future,' Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post over the weekend Lars Lkke Rasmussen, the Danish foreign minister, said: 'This is not how you speak to your close allies' The US flag flies outside the consulate in Nuuk, Greenland Denmark controlled Greenland for 300 years before it became a formal territory in 1953. Greenland gained home rule in 1979, although Denmark still controls its foreign and defence policy. This longstanding relationship between Copenhagen and Nuuk has sparked anger amongst Danes. Consumers have started to boycott American products and services over the Trump administration's rhetoric. Facebook groups have been set up offering Danes advice on how to work out where their purchases originate from. Bo Albertus, who helps administrate the 93,000-strong 'Boycott goods from the USA' group, told NBC News: 'We love the US and the culture, but we just dislike the president.' Elon Musks Tesla appears to have been one of the companies hit by the boycott, with sales of the companys vehicles in Denmark were down by almost half compared with last year. A remorseless killer who was jailed for murdering a 'kind vulnerable old man' is suing the government claiming it was 'inhumane' to lock him up in a cell by himself during the Covid-19 pandemic. Stephen Kidd was jailed in 2009 for his part in the brutal murder of 60-year-old Darren Presley, who was attacked with knives and a frying pan, covered in paint and stamped on in his flat in Blackpool a year earlier. The killer, who continues to profess his innocence, was released on licence this year but is now suing for up to 10,000 damages, claiming his 'solitary confinement' during Covid was a breach of his human rights. Kidd, now 53 and disabled after suffering a stroke in prison, complains that he was routinely allowed out of his cell for only 20 minutes a day and that for extended periods of days he was not allowed out at all. Claiming that the time under lockdown was a breach of the prohibition on 'inhuman treatment' and that his 'solitary confinement' amounted to a breach of his right to a private life, he is now suing for up to 10,000 compensation. However, the Ministry of Justice is fighting the claim and last week took the case to Mayor's and City County Court in London in a bid to have his case thrown out. Kidd was jailed for life with accomplice Lea Mason in 2009 for the murder of Mr Presley, who was described by police at the time as a 'vulnerable, kind old man.' Preston Crown Court heard Mr Presley was set upon, stamped on repeatedly, attacked with knives and a frying pan, and covered in paint at his Blackpool flat in January 2008. Stephen Kidd, 53, (pictured) was jailed in 2009 for his part in the brutal murder of 60-year-old Darren Presley Kidd (pictured), who continues to profess his innocence, was released on licence this year but is now suing for up to 10,000 damages claiming his 'solitary confinement' during Covid was a breach of his human rights Before his release, Kidd served the latter part of his jail term at HMP Berwyn, a Category B and C prison in Wrexham, north Wales (pictured) Kidd, released on life licence earlier this year and back in the north west, continues to claim he is innocent of the crime. Before his release, Kidd served the latter part of his jail term at HMP Berwyn, a Category B and C prison in Wrexham, north Wales. His barrister, Jack Holborn, told the judge, Recorder Barnet, that his damages claim relates to the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, but in particular April to June that year. 'The claimant says there were extended periods of time when he was either not allowed out of his cell for more than 20 minutes a day, or not at all,' he said. The incarceration had a particularly bad impact on Kidd, claimed the barrister, because he is now disabled and a wheelchair user, who needs a carer's help for everyday tasks. 'He was accommodated in a single cell,' he told the judge. 'As a result, if he was not let out of his cell he did not have any contact with other prisoners, or assistance from his appointed carer with certain daily living tasks. 'The extended periods of time without being unlocked amount to what would generally be defined as "solitary confinement" - being substantially in excess of the 22 hours or more per day used as a definition for the expression. 'Whilst the claimant accepts that the pandemic would have caused significant pressure upon prison staffing and his regime would inevitably change, no explanation is given as to why such lengthy periods without either association or time out of cell were required.' He said the solitary confinement had led to 'increased symptoms of pre-existing PTSD,' adding that he had suffered 'additional anxiety, flashbacks and nightmares' during the period. Mr Holborn claims that the treatment was in breach of Kidd's rights under Article 3, which guarantees protection from 'inhuman and degrading treatment,' and Article 8, which guarantees 'respect for private life,' of the European Convention on Human Rights. He also alleges breaches of the Equality Act 2010, given Kidd's disability, and said the MoJ is unable to justify the treatment. 'It is no answer that others within the general population may have suffered similar isolation due to Covid restrictions,' he told the judge. 'The defendant plainly intended to confine the claimant above and beyond any restrictions in law or guidance and the claimant's position is that it did so to an unreasonable degree; his treatment was no accident.' Pictured: Prisoners congregate in a cell area at HMP Berwyn on March 15, 2017 in Wrexham, Wales The case reached court on a MoJ application to have the claim struck out because it is bound to fail. MoJ barrister Saara Idelbi told the judge the sprawling prison at the time housed 1,800 prisoners in cells with toilets and showers, which made them 'self-contained living spaces.' 'The treatment or conditions in HMP Berwyn did not generate more humiliation, distress or other suffering than is inherent in a prison sentence or in a pandemic,' she said. 'The increased restriction in HMP Berwyn correlated with the increase in restrictions on the community at large, taking into account the confined environment of a prison.' Arguing that Kidd's claims should be struck out, she said his treatment did not amount to breaches of his human rights, given the 'high degree of uncertainty' at the time about virus transmission. 'Authorities had the obligation to implement measures aimed at avoiding infection, limiting the spread once it reached the prison, and providing adequate medical care in the case of contamination,' she said. 'Preventative measures had to be proportionate to the risk, but the consideration of which should not pose an excessive burden on the authorities in view of the practical demands of imprisonment. 'The conditions at the time...was a global emergency of unprecedented scale.. The approach to combating the threat posed cannot be viewed with hindsight. 'The defendant avers that it is clear that the restrictions imposed at HMP Berwyn were a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. 'The restrictions corresponded with a real need, namely to stop the spread of infection. The measures reflected legal restrictions. 'The measures were proportionate with a view to protecting the prison population and prison staff when considering the uncertainty and threat of the trajectory of the pandemic.' Kidd's barrister labelled the MoJ strikeout application 'hopeless'. After a day in court, Recorder Barnet reserved his decision on the MoJ application until a later date. If it succeeds, then Kidd's claim will end before going to a full trial. Judge sentenced both to several years in prison A husband and wife who raped a 15-year-old girl following a party at their home will remain behind bars. Christopher Luke Hili and Lee Kathleen Hili had pleaded not guilty in 2024 in the Queensland Supreme Court to two counts of rape, one count of exposing a child to an indecent act and one of exposing a child to an indecent film. Christopher Hili also pleaded not guilty to two counts of supplying cannabis to a child. They held each other in the dock when the jury found them guilty on all counts in April 2024 after deliberating for about two hours following a five-day trial. The couple was sentenced at the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Monday after spending nearly a year in custody following the guilty verdicts. Justice Paul Freeburn sentenced Christopher Hili to seven years' imprisonment and Lee Hili to six years. During the trial, the victim's testimony was pre-recorded and shown in closed court and no forensic medical or DNA evidence was presented. Crown prosecutor Melissa Wilson said during the trial the girl had attended an evening party at the Hilis' 12-hectare property in the Gold Coast region in December 2021. Christopher Luke Hili and Lee Kathleen Hili had pleaded not guilty to rape allegations in 2024 Justice Paul Freeburn on sentenced Christopher Hili to seven years' imprisonment and Lee Hili to six years on Tuesday 'Christopher Hili rolled a joint of cannabis and offered it to (the girls) and they smoked it,' Ms Wilson said. She said the girl also consumed alcohol, causing her to vomit and be taken downstairs to lie down. The prosecutor said the girl was taken downstairs by the Hilis and thought she was being taken to her friend but was instead taken to the couple's bedroom. The girl said she passed out when Christopher Hili started touching her and then woke up naked while being sexually assaulted by the couple as a pornographic movie was playing on a TV in the bedroom. Lee Hili will be eligible for parole from September 30 this year while her husband will be eligible from March 31 2026 Lee Hili chose to take the witness stand in her defence and denied assaulting the girl or being present while she was assaulted. She will be eligible for parole from September 30 this year while her husband will be eligible in 12 months time. Both spent 346 days in pre-sentence custody. US President Donald Trump and right-wing leaders in Europe have railed against a court's decision to ban French hard-right leader Marine Le Pen from running for the presidency. Le Pen on Monday was convicted of creating fake jobs at the EU parliament, taking advantage of expenses to employ assistants who were actually working for her party in France. The matriarch of the hard-right National Rally (RN) party was barred from running for office for five years and given a four-year prison sentence, although she will not go to jail as half of it was suspended and the rest will be served with an electronic tag. The verdict was seen as a hammer blow to Le Pen's long-held hopes of ascending to the presidency in 2027. She was also ordered to pay a 100,000 fine and her party was docked 2 million - half of which must be paid definitively, while the other half would be demanded in the event of a repeat offence. Twenty-four people, including Le Pen, were convicted - all of them RN party officials or assistants. Only one defendant was acquitted of any wrongdoing. RN President Jordan Bardella declared: 'Everything will be done to prevent us from coming to power,' in an interview with French media yesterday. 'Today it is not only Marine Le Pen who was unjustly condemned: It was French democracy that was killed.' He went on to blast the 'tyranny of the judges' and declared the RN and its supporters would hold a peaceful protest this weekend as Le Pen retreated from the media to dine in a private room at Laurent restaurant in Paris - scene of Kate Moss' infamous 50th birthday celebrations. Trump said that the Le Pen conviction was a 'very important matter' and drew parallels with his own legal battles in the US that blighted his presidential campaign. Speaking at the White House Yesterday, the US President said: '[Le Pen] was banned for five years and she was the leading candidate. 'That sounds like this country, that sounds very much like this country.' US presidential adviser Elon Musk also slammed the decision, declaring on Monday: 'When the radical left can't win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents. This is their standard playbook throughout the world.' Jordan Bardella, president of the French National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) political party, arrives at the RN party headquarters, a day after French leader Marine Le Pen was found guilty of embezzlement of EU funds and barred from running for office for five years, in Paris, France, April 1, 2025 President of Rassemblement National parliamentary group Marine Le Pen (L) speaks to French Rassemblement National (National Rally) RN party's President and lead MEP Jordan Bardella The veteran politician was convicted of creating fake jobs at the EU parliament to channel funds to her party to employ people in France on March 31, 2025 Trump said that the Le Pen conviction was a 'very important matter' and drew parallels with his own legal battles in the US that blighted his presidential campaign Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the ruling against Le Pen disenfranchised millions of voters in France and the EU. 'I don't know the merits of the accusations against Marine Le Pen, or the reasons for such a strong decision,' Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy party, told Il Messaggero. 'But I think that no one who cares about democracy can rejoice at a sentence that targets the leader of a major party and deprives millions of citizens of representation.' Meloni's deputy prime minister, League leader Matteo Salvini, had on Monday called the sentence a 'declaration of war by Brussels'. 'In Paris they condemned Marine Le Pen and would like to exclude her from political life. A bad film that we are also seeing in other countries like Romania,' wrote Salvini on social media. He called it a 'declaration of war by Brussels, at a time when the war instincts of Von der Leyen and Macron are frightening. We don't let ourselves be intimidated, we don't stop: full speed ahead my friend!' The eurosceptic Salvini often rails against EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron. His League is part of the same European Parliament bloc as Le Pen's party, Patriots for Europe, and the two leaders are closely allied. Elsewhere, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban posted in French 'Je suis Marine' ('I am Marine') - a play on a social media campaign 'Je suis Charlie' when people showed solidarity with the victims of the terror attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2015. Russia also waded in, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters: 'More and more European capitals are going down the path of trampling over democratic norms. 'Of course, we do not want to interfere in France's internal affairs, we have never done so... But in general, our observations of European capitals show that they are not at all reluctant to go beyond democracy during the political process.' In the face of widespread criticism from Trump and European right wing leaders, one of France's top two public prosecutors denied that there was a political element to Monday's decision. 'Justice is not political, this is not a political decision but a legal one, delivered by three independent, impartial judges,' Remy Heitz told RTL radio station. But anti-corruption judge Benedicte de Perthuis, who presided over the case, was placed under armed guard after she received death threats. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her deputy Matteo Salvini said the ruling against Le Pen disenfranchised millions of voters in France and the EU Several right-wing politicians came out in support of Le Pen Le Pen and more than 20 other party officials were on Monday found guilty of stealing millions of pounds worth of tax payers' money from the European taxpayer President of the French party Rassemblement National (RN) and MEP Jordan Bardella (L) and President of the parliamentary group of the French Rassemblement National (RN) party, Marine Le Pen The judge said in closing comments after delivering the verdict: 'The court took into consideration, in addition to the risk of reoffending, the major disturbance of public order if a person already convicted was a candidate in the presidential election.' Le Pen has already pledged to fight the court-imposed prohibition that appeared to exclude her goal of seeking and potentially winning the French presidency in 2027, with her lawyer set to request the appeal take place before those elections. She said the court should not have made her ineligible to run for office until all her chances at appeal had been exhausted, and that by doing so it was clear the court was aiming 'specifically to prevent' her from being elected president. 'If that's not a political decision, I don't know what is,' Le Pen said in the TF1 interview. She said the ruling marked a 'fateful day for our democracy' but vowed to keep pursuing what she called the now 'admittedly narrow' path to the presidency. 'There are millions of French people who believe in me, millions of French people who trust me,' she added. 'For 30 years I've been fighting for you, and for 30 years I've been fighting against injustice, so I'm going to continue fighting.' In a statement released on Monday, Jacques Boulard, the First President of the Paris Court of Appeal, called for 'respect for the judicial system'. Judge Boulard deplored 'numerous comments but also, particularly on social media, personal attacks against the three judges who make up the collegial body.' He expressed his 'deep concern' and said that in a democratic state governed by the rule of law, criticism of a court decision can under no circumstances be expressed through threats against judges.' France's Justice Minister, Gerald Darmanin, also said the threats were 'worrying for the independence of the judicial authority.' Monday's ruling came amid record ratings in opinion polls for Le Pen, who hoped her decade-long efforts to steer her party towards the mainstream would finally deliver at the next presidential election. Since she inherited the leadership of the National Front party from her father in 2011, she has worked to crack the wall of fear of the far right that so far has barred their path to the presidency. She changed the party name and booted her embarrassing father out in 2015, part of her effort to rid the renamed National Rally of the taint of racism and antisemitism that clung to the far right for decades. A wily politician, Le Pen also transformed her own image from that of an aggressive, anti-system proponent to a mild-mannered spokeswoman for France's forgotten. The normalisation strategy has paid off and the party has become the main political group in the lower house of the Parliament, developing a strong network of officials across France. Since 2011, Le Pen has been the leading figure of the National Rally. Ten years later, Jordan Bardella, 29, succeeded her as party president so that she could focus on the upcoming presidential election. Last year, Bardella led the party's campaign for the European elections while Le Pen took the helm of the group of RN lawmakers at the French National Assembly. Under Monday's ruling, Le Pen is allowed to keep her mandate as a member of Parliament. A British tourist died while snorkeling off an island in Indonesia. The pensioner, 81, was found floating lifeless just 15ft from the coast of Gili Trawangan island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. Police said the man had been sailing around the island with a group of tourists onboard the Gili Bahari 07 boat on March 26. Iptu Mahardika, the police chief of the Gili islands, said: 'After arriving at a spot off the Wah Resort, the tourists dived at the location only five metres (around 15 feet) from the shoreline. 'They were there for around 10 minutes when the victim was discovered floating motionless in the waters.' The Brit was believed to have been separated from the group before horrified holidaymakers found his body drifting on the surface of the water. Lifeguards rushed to drag him back to the beach for first aid. When there was no response, he was then taken to the Warna Clinic. However, he could not be revived. A British tourist died while snorkeling off an island in Indonesia . The pensioner, 81, was found floating lifeless just 15ft from the coast of Gili Trawangan island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. (stock image of the Gili islands) The cause of the tourist's death has not yet been confirmed. Authorities said they were investigating if he was suffering from pre-existing medical conditions. They said there was no indication of an accident caused by sea currents or external factors. Authorities have coordinated with the British Embassy in Indonesia to contact the victims family and arrange for the repatriation of the body. Gili Trawangan is the largest of the Gili Islands - an trio of small islands off the northwest coast of the Lombok Regency. It is known for its white sandy beaches, clear waters, and beautiful coral reefs that make it a popular diving spot among tourists. But, despite being a hit with most holidaymakers, in 2023 one Australian couple had a terrifying experience on the island. Ian Cragg and his girlfriend Natalie boarded a ferry departing Gili Trawangan island off the northwest coast of Lombok in 2023. Gili Trawangan is the largest of the Gili Islands - an trio of small islands off the northwest coast of the Lombok Regency. It is known for its white sandy beaches, clear waters, and beautiful coral reefs that make it a popular diving spot among tourists (stock image of Gili Air) The Gold Coast tourists spent three nights on 'Gili T' and called the booking company in the morning to confirm their trip back to the port of Sanur, near Denpasar. A friend of his had caught the same ferry the day before and said they had been 'floating at sea for one hour' with choppy waters making it impossible to keep moving without taking on water. After being told the first ferry of the day had been cancelled, he arrived at the port at 11am, only to wait another three hours for the boat to arrive. 'It's mayhem and confusing as hell down at the jetty, with no one taking control,' Mr Cragg said, describing the hundreds of people piling onto the tiny jetty. 'An absolute sh*t show.' He said when the boat finally arrived, its passengers looked 'gaunt and pale' with one Australian saying as they disembarked: 'That boat should never have gone.' But with no option to get back to the mainland, Mr Cragg boarded the ferry with around 60 other passengers - many of whom were Australians. 'It was fine at first, until we got to the main passageway - that's when things really started to get hairy,' he said. 'This big wave hit the side of the boat and the windows blew in, drenching the tourists. 'The windows must have been plastic because thankfully they didn't smash.' Mr Cragg said people were panicking and moving to the back of the boat as two crew members rushed to the window and began busily working to fit a piece of plywood in the window. I definitely felt in danger, but we were close enough to land to know that if the worst were to happen, hopefully help wouldn't be too far away,' he said. Mr Cragg said when they were back safe on the mainland, his taxi driver told him that 'it happens all the time' during the wet season. 'For most of the year, the water is fine, but it gets bad between December and February during the wet season,' Mr Cragg said. A stalker who made Strictly Come Dancing star Shirley Ballas' life hell during a horror six-year ordeal has been spared jail today after a court heard he believed she was his aunt. Kyle Shaw, 37, from Wirral, was told by his own mother that his father was the former dancer and choreographer's brother David Rich, who killed himself aged 44 in December 2003. Liverpool Crown Court heard he became obsessed with Ms Ballas, bombarding her with messages on social media and suggesting she was responsible for her brother's death during the 'distressing' campaign. In one message, posted on Instagram, in October 2020, Shaw wrote: 'You ruined my life, I will ruin yours and everyone around you.' Ballas, 64, was so fearful she boosted security at her home and work, stopped taking public transport or staying in hotels and was even forced to relocate her 86-year-old mother, Audrey Rich, to a new home away from Wirral after Shaw approached her in a supermarket. But Shaw was today allowed to walk free after being handed a 20-month jail term suspended for 20 months - and a lifetime restraining order banning him from contacting the Strictly judge, her partner, mother or niece. Judhe Woodhall told Shaw: 'This is obviously not a case where immediate imprisonment will significantly impact others. It's clear given your mental health conditions that incarceration will impact you more greatly than many others. 'Offences of this type are ordinarily of such seriousness that appropriate punishment can only be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence. Your bail conditions appear to have had some success. Kyle Shaw, 37, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to stalking Shirley Ballas , 64, between August 31, 2017, and November 29, 2023 in February His conduct was said to have left Ballas, who has been head judge on the BBC show since 2017, 'seriously alarmed and distressed' Shirley Ballas pays sweet tribute to late brother on anniversary of his death Ms Ballas paid an emotional tribute to her brother on the 21st anniversary of his death last year. Alongside several photographs of them together, she wrote on Instagram: 'I miss you more and more every day. Losing you was like losing everything. You were my brother, my protector, my teacher and my best friend all in one. 'I'll never really know why you left us but I'd do anything to have you back by my side. I know you'd be there with me fighting my corner, just like you did on the housing estate all those years ago. I wouldn't be the person I am if I hadn't have had you as my brother David. I'm truly lucky to be able to call you my brother.' Advertisement 'Further protective measures can work to avoid further offending. There are reasons to believe there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.' Shaw burst into tears as he learned his fate, and was heard remarking to a family member: 'I thought I was going down'. As part of his sentence he will also be required to complete rehabilitation activity of up to 20 days and a 12-month drug rehabilitation programme. The judge previously heard Shaw had been diagnosed with 'complex mental health' issues that had affected him since the age of seven. He had been a victim of 'serious offending' as a child and had made repeated attempts at suicide from a young age. Shaw has been diagnosed with several conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorder and emotionally unstable personality disorder. Judge Woodhall said Shaw's case did not involve delusional behaviour, physical attraction or obsession with a celebrity. Rather, he 'genuinely believed' he was related to Ms Ballas, although proving whether that was the case was 'difficult, if not impossible to determine.' However, the judge said that once Ms Ballas and her relatives made it clear they did not want to speak to Shaw, he mounted a 'persistent, unwanted and unpleasant' campaign 'involving implicit threats' against them. Judge Woodhall told Shaw: 'Your comments and constant threats all caused serious alarm and distress she (Ballas) lives in fear of what you might do.' Shaw first admitted stalking Ballas between August 31, 2017, and November 29, 2023 in February. He also admitted possession of cannabis, and was given conditional bail ahead of today's sentencing hearing. Shaw was pictured arriving at Liverpool Crown Court this morning wearing a face covering, sunglasses and hat, and was seen smoking a cigarette. The stalker, who was dressed in a white shirt and black tie, broke down in tears as details of his offending was outlined. The 37-year-old from Wirral also admitted possession of cannabis (Pictured: Shaw arriving at Liverpool Crown Court today) Shaw believed Ballas' late brother, David Rich (pictured), was his father, the judge was told In February, a court heard Shaw made continued unwanted attempts to contact Ballas and left her 'seriously alarmed and distressed' Shaw posted on social media about the star, including uploading the image of her house, attempted to contact her family, friends and work colleagues, monitored her online and TV presence and made arrangements to attend her book tour. The court heard Shaw first sent 'upsetting' messages to the TV judge in 2017. Initially, the messages were sent via his own social media accounts, but later he also set up accounts in Mr Rich's name, which added to Ms Ballas' distress. By 2019 his unwanted attention was having a 'substantial adverse effect' on Ms Ballas' life, Ms Daley said. 'She recalls the constant contact at that time accusing her of being responsible for her brother's death because he took his own life,' she added. Referring to an image of her home, which was posted on X by Shaw, Nicola Daley, prosecuting, said: 'Ms Ballas was understandably frightened by that, she became more worried for her own safety because of the likelihood of him turning up at her home. 'Around that time messages continued in a menacing manner. As a consequence, she increased security at work and home. By that point she was constantly worrying and looking over her shoulder.' Ms Ballas also described having sleepless nights, the barrister added. In relation to Ballas' mother, the court heard Shaw approached Ms Rich in a supermarket and told her she was his grandmother - before continuing to pursue her around the shop when she did not want to speak to him. He also sent her messages, saying: 'Where's my dad? Where's my dad?' Shaw also sent messages to her niece Mary Assall, former partner Daniel Taylor and to work colleagues from Loose Women and Strictly Come Dancing. The court heard when Ballas had book signings planned in Wirral Shaw messaged her saying: 'I can't wait to meet you for the first time Aunty Shirley. Hopefully I can get an autograph.' Shaw (right) was seen leaving court a free man after being handed a suspended sentence today In other messages sent to Ms Ballas in October 2020 Shaw threatened to harm himself, saying: 'Do you want me to kill myself Shirley?' The court heard Ms Ballas was concerned for Shaw's mental health but also frightened for her own safety if he was 'unstable.' Contact then stopped for several years, but, the court heard, the messages resumed again in October 2023. A month later, in November, Shaw also managed to obtain Ballas' former partner Mr Taylor's telephone number. The court heard at first Mr Taylor did not realise who was calling, but Shaw appeared to know details of Ms Ballas' movements and her book signings, which prompted her to call police again. He also contacted her niece, Ms Assall, who had been signed off work and suffered panic attacks as a consequence. In a victim impact statement Ms Assall told the court that, even if it was later discovered that he was related to her family, she wanted nothing to do with him because of the way he had behaved. It was said there was evidence that Shaw's mother had told him when he was a teenager that she had had a relationship with Mr Rich and fallen pregnant, but Judge Gary Woodhall added: 'There is equally limited evidence that it's correct.' His conduct was said to have left Ballas, who has been head judge on the BBC show since 2017, 'seriously alarmed and distressed' and unable to continue her usual day-to-day activities. Senior Crown Prosecutor Natassia McAdam said: 'Kyle Shaw's attempts to contact Ms Ballas were clearly stalking. 'They were persistent and became abusive and caused anxiety and distress over a prolonged period of time. 'His behaviour became increasingly erratic, and she feared he would become violent. He knew what he was doing would cause her alarm and distress.' It comes months after Shirley phoned the police when an alleged stalker 'lunged at her and took photos of her house and car'. It isn't known if the incident was linked to Shaw. Ballas previously thanked the BBC's 'fantastic' duty of care dubbing it as being 'one thousand percent'. The dancer had a successful Latin dance career before joining the Strictly Come Dancing panel in 2017 as she replaced head judge Len Goodman. Shirley's ordeal comes after Gavin Plumb was convicted over his attempts to kidnap and murder former This Morning host, Holly Willoughby. Shirley previously told how she is much more aware of her safety ever since Holly's ordeal was made public. She said: 'I am a very vigilant person. When I go out, I'm careful not to go alone. If it's at night, I'm always a little bit nervous. 'There's what you read on social media, (and then) particularly with Holly - her experiences. So, yeah, I don't take anything lightly. 'There are many amazing people, but there are a few strange people out there. It's quite hard, and makes you always a little bit more precautious.' She continued: 'I always have George, the guy who's driven me for the last five years, get out of the car first, always scanning. 'I wouldn't say it's the healthiest thing. You know, I like to be kind of like a free bird, but we're coming into times now where you have to be more vigilant of yourself.' Convicted paedophiles in Cyprus could undergo chemical castration as an alternative to serving life sentences under a new bill. If the proposed regulations are given the green light, child sex offenders would apply to be released early from prison if they agree to be sterilised. The plan, put forward by Cypriot MP Michalis Yiacoumi of the Democratic Alignment party to tackle a rise in child abuse cases, builds on the 2014 law that mandated life sentences for convicted paedophiles. But as it stands, a child sex offender serving time behind bars can apply for early release after serving 12 years. The proposed bill would increase the minimum sentence to 18 years, with release conditional on chemical castration. 'Parliamentary studies show that child rapists often re-offend. If life imprisonment is not imposed, this additional penalty is necessary to prevent further crimes and the devastation of another child's life', Yiacoumi said last month. 'It's unacceptable for them to serve such short sentences and be released without strict restrictions'. Chemical castration is a medical treatment that reduces someone's libido by administering anti-androgen drugs. Convicted paedophiles in Cyprus could undergo chemical castration under a new bill Parliament building in Nicosia, Republic of Cyprus, where a new bill proposing chemical castration for convicted paedophiles will be discussed The procedure is already used in 12 European countries, and is voluntary. The process is thought to be most successful when done in conjunction with psychotherapy, however this option is not always considered. While chemical castration is thought to reduce libido, it is controversial because it does not guarantee a convict will not reoffend and it can have long-term impacts on the person's health. The bill is yet to be approved in Cyprus, and will be discussed in parliament at a later date. But the proposal is expected to raise a range of complex issues, in particular around human rights. The proposal comes months after Kazakhstan announced the mass chemical castration of 11 paedophiles amid a campaign for the worst offenders to have their genitals surgically removed. All the men reportedly 'committed crimes against the sexual inviolability of minors' in the Kostanay region in the north of the country. Details were not given of the cases, but the child sex offenders were starting to forcibly receive libido-sapping injections. Approval was given for the paedophiles to be jabbed 24 times a year at an annual cost of 278 each. Kazakhstan has some of the toughest laws in the world on paedophiles. Official information is published on their addresses after release from prison so parents can understand where potential danger is lurking. Yet there are claims that the laws are not sufficiently tough. A high street fashion brand has gone bust after closing 35 stores earlier this month as staff were told they won't get redundancy pay or wages. It is understood that insolvency firm Moorfields has launched a wind down of Select Fashion after a creditors' meeting was held last Friday to approve a voluntary liquidation. None of the 40 staff members at the stores will be given a redundancy package or be paid for the time they worked before the stores closed, the Sun reports. Employees at the remaining 48 shops have also reportedly been warned their wage payments will be delayed. Some staff have been advised to apply for support via the Government's Redundancy Payment Service. An internal email reveals how employees were told the chain had gone bust and there would be a 'delay' in their wages. The letter reads: 'Please be assured that your wages will be processed and paid out next week. 'We are doing everything we can to resolve this matter as swiftly as possible and appreciate your understanding during this difficult time.' Workers have been unable to make contact since. The liquidation process of Select Fashion has been started by advisers from insolvency firm Moorfields following a creditors' meeting on Friday afternoon None of the 40 staff members at the affected stores will be given a redundancy package or be paid for the time they worked before the stores closed More than 13,000 shops closed their doors for good in 2024 an increase of 28 per cent on the year before Some workers were reportedly expected to receive a payment to see them through the weekend but this was never made. A source close to the liquidation process said staff were told in a meeting last week that the chain's bank accounts were instructed to be frozen. The brand filed a notice last week confirming it had appointed Moorfields to carry out the liquidation. Directors at the company recommended that it should enter into a Creditor's Voluntary Liquidation, the process where both directors and shareholders agree to wind up a business that is unable to repay its debts. The chain's liquidation was made official following a creditors' vote at a meeting held last week. The brand closed 35 of its 83 stores a few weeks ago, in a move which impacted 40 staff members. At its peak, Select Fashion operated 169 stores. However, 48 Select Fashion stores will remain trading after being bought by an unknown business. Essence Fashion Limited entered into a licence trade agreement with Select Fashion, filings last month detail. The brand closed 35 of its 83 stores a few weeks ago, in a move which impacted 40 staff members. At its peak, Select Fashion operated 169 shops A director's report reveals how Select Fashion entered into a license to trade with Essence Fashion on February 28. This allows the company to use the Select Fashion name and other assets, such as its property. Not much is known about Essence Fashion but documents on Companies House reveal it was first created in February 2024. The two companies also have the same director and shareholder, Emre Gonc. It comes after Select Fashion fell into administration in 2019, with the retailer blaming tough economic conditions on the high street. Select Fashion, owned by Turkish entrepreneur Cafer Mahiroglu, was later bought out of administration by Genus UK Limited. The company reported a pre-tax loss of 1.1million for the year to the end of February 2023, according to its most recently-filed accounts. It previously flagged it was being squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis, wage pressure and higher taxes, on top of a tough economic climate. Select Fashion entered into a Company Voluntary Arrangement last summer, with other retailers having followed this route - including New Look The chain entered into a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) last summer, according to recent filings on Companies House. A CVA is a way of restructuring that allows a company to negotiate with its creditors to pay off its debts, such as reducing rent costs with landlords. Other fashion retailers that have entered into a CVA in recent years include New Look, Jigsaw and Hotter Shoes, as well as Caffe Nero and Body Shop. Rival fashion chain Quiz shut 23 stores in February after falling into administration, with the retailer also citing the higher cost of living squeezing spending among its customers. The last year has also seen major retailers across the sector that have struggled financially or been forced to close stores, including Ted Baker, Matches, Muji and Farfetch. The latest troubles for Select Fashion follow new data that more than 13,000 shops closed their doors for good in 2024 an increase of 28 per cent on the year before, MailOnline reported in January. Industry experts say there is worse to come, with a predicted 17,350 shops shutting in 2025. It is the highest figure since the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), which compiled the report, began collecting the data in 2015 and follows the closure of 13,479 stores last year. The vast majority of closed shops in 2024 11,341 were independent retailers, a 45.5 per cent jump against the previous year. MailOnline has approached Select Fashion and Moorfields for comment. More than 200 passengers on board a luxury Britain-bound cruise ship have been sickened by a norovirus outbreak. At least 224 passengers and 17 crew members have fallen ill on board Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2, which is expected to dock in Southampton on Sunday. The Queen Mary 2 departed from Southampton on March 8 for a 29-night voyage visiting ports in the eastern Caribbean and New York City. But 10 days into the journey a norovirus outbreak was reported to the US Center for Disease Control's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), the government agency reports. Nearly nine per cent of the 2,538 passengers onboard the ship have fallen ill, as well as 1.4 per cent of the vessel's 1,232-person crew. The CDC says that affected travellers are predominantly displaying symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting, which are common to norovirus infection. Norovirus, commonly referred to as the 'stomach bug', is a 'very contagious virus' that is spread through contaminated food and water and person-to-person contact. Most people infected with norovirus will get better within one to three days, but can remain contagious for up to 14 days, according to the CDC. The infection can cause gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines, and dehydration. At least 224 passengers and 17 crew members on board Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 have by sickened by a norovirus outbreak. The Queen Mary 2 is pictured off of North Queensferry, Scotland in September last year The CDC says that affected travellers are predominantly displaying symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting, which are common to norovirus infection (file photo) In response to the norovirus outbreak, the Queen Mary 2 crew has 'increased cleaning and disinfection procedures' on the ship in accordance to the vessel's outbreak prevention and response plan. Officials have placed ill passengers and crew in isolation and 'collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing', the CDC reports. Crew have also been in coordination with the VSP about 'sanitation cleaning procedures' and 'reporting ill cases'. The CDC notes that reported cases include totals for an entire voyage and does not indicate that all passengers were ill at the same time. The Queen Mary 2 is set to return to England on Sunday after 29 nights at sea, according to the itinerary detailed on Cunard Line's website. The ship docked at ports in Sint Maarten, St Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Dominica, St Kitts, the UK Virgin Islands and New York City during the voyage - which cost passengers a minimum of 2,249 per person. Staterooms range from 2,799 per person for an interior cabin and up to 8,549 for a suite, according quotes outlined on travel agency websites. Your browser does not support iframes. The Queen Mary 2 (pictured) departed from Southampton on March 8 for a 29-night voyage visiting ports in the eastern Caribbean and New York City. It will return to England on Sunday People infected with norovirus typically develop symptoms within 12 to 48 hours of exposure to the virus. The most common symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain, although some patients report having fevers, headaches, and body aches. The infection is known to cause dehydration, the CDC warns, especially in young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses. MailOnline has approached Cunard Line for comment. A vintage railway engineer who restored carriages for the iconic Orient Express has successfully sued his former employer over claims he contracted incurable cancer after being exposed to deadly asbestos. Malcolm Gelsthorpe, 68, restored vintage carriages for the luxury sleeper train made famous by Agatha Christie at the Steamtown Railway Museum, in Carnforth, Lancashire, in the early 1980s. He was later diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, and launched a High Court claim for 495,000 compensation against his final employer St Hoggs Property Investments Ltd. The former railway worker, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, blamed being exposed to asbestos while 'restoring period railway carriages' for the deluxe long-distance train for his terminal illness. High Court judge Master Roger Eastman ruled in his favour and he is now in line for up to 495,000 in damages. A vintage railway engineer who restored carriages for the Orient Express has sued his former employer over claims he contracted incurable cancer after being exposed to deadly asbestos Malcolm Gelsthorpe, 68, restored vintage carriages for the luxury sleeper train made famous by Agatha Christie at the Steamtown Railway Museum, in Carnforth, Lancashire, in the 1980s Electrician Mr Gelsthorpe was employed at the specialist vintage railway restoration works between 1979 and 2023, first as an electrical engineer, then in quality assurance and health and safety. At a short pre-trial hearing last month, his lawyers said his asbestos exposure occurred while working on plywood fittings as he restored 'period 1920s-style railway carriages' which 'became part of the Orient Express.' In papers submitted to the court, his barrister Peter Cowan said the exposure happened during his early years there, while working for Steamtown Railway Museum Ltd. 'The inside shell of most of these carriages had been sprayed with asbestos,' he said. 'Heaters were mounted on asbestos boards. There was asbestos dust and debris in electrical cupboards. These asbestos-based materials were in poor condition. 'When heaters were worked on and/or removed for repair, significant quantities of respirable asbestos fibres and dust were released from the asbestos boards and rose up into the claimant's breathing zone. 'The claimant did not use respiratory protective equipment when performing these tasks. He was not instructed or advised to do so. 'The claimant's work overalls became contaminated with asbestos dust, as did the overalls of other workers.' The former railway worker, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, blamed being exposed to asbestos while 'restoring period railway carriages' for his terminal illness High Court judge Master Roger Eastman ruled in his favour and he is now in line for up to 495,000 in damages The lawyer said Mr Gelsthorpe had developed malignant mesothelioma and also 'asbestos-induced diffuse pleural thickening,' a condition which occurs when the lining of the lungs becomes scarred. 'The claimant continues to experience distressing symptoms. His mood is low,' Mr Cowan added. 'The prognosis is for increasing breathlessness, chest pain, debility and dependence on others until his death as a result of the disease.' Mr Gelsthorpe had worked for Steamtown Railway Museum Ltd at the time of the Orient Express work, with his job later transferred to St Hoggs Property Investments Ltd, which inherited Steamtown's liability for his employment. St Hoggs argued that his former bosses could not be blamed for his illness, having brought in specialist asbestos removal teams and provided PPE. But in a short 'show cause' hearing last month, Master Eastman ruled against the company, with damages to be assessed. The case will now return to court for an assessment of the amount due in compensation at a later date, if not agreed. Outside court, Mr Gelsthorpe's solicitor Sarah Kennerley-Fawcett said: 'Steamtown Railway Museum Limited won a contract to rebuild one of the Orient Express trains which was based at that depot. 'Mr Gelsthorpe and others had to restore and rebuild Pullman carriages which unfortunately contained asbestos.' The Daily Mail has been campaigning for asbestos to be removed from hospitals and more than 21,000 schools where it's known to be present. It has also called for ministers to create a national online database of non-domestic buildings that contain it, so it can also be removed. The Orient Express service featured in Agatha Christie's famed Hercule Poirot novel 'Murder on the Orient Express,' first published in 1934. Prince Harry has hailed the work of his sustainable tourism initiative in a new video released today, as the row over his charity Sentebale continues to escalate. The Duke of Sussex set up Travalyst in 2019 with the stated aim of helping travellers cut their carbon emissions, prevent over-tourism and develop local economies. A 'Five Year Milestone Report' was released today along with a video in which Harry claimed not enough progress was being made towards sustainable goals. But the Duke who has previously faced criticism for his use of private jets while campaigning on environmental matters made no mention of the Sentebale crisis. During the two-minute clip, filmed at Harry's 12million mansion in Montecito, he said: 'These realities leave us with a choice find practical solutions to climate change, or accept the massive financial and human losses that it's causing. Harry added that there was a simple goal for Travalyst, which is backed by major global companies including Google, Booking.com, TripAdvisor and Expedia. He said: 'I wanted to harness travel's power and potential to help create a more resilient world, and I'm proud of what we've accomplished. 'We're bringing sustainable solutions to the mainstream, providing travellers with clear information that helps them make better and more informed choices, which is what we know consumers want.' Prince Harry hails the work of his sustainable tourism initiative Travalyst in a new video today A 'Five Year Milestone Report' was released by Travalyst today along with the video by Harry In a foreword to the report, Harry also highlighted tourists' power to drive change, saying: 'Last year saw a staggering 1.4billion international tourist arrivals globally. 'As more people travel, they have huge potential to drive inclusive growth in the destinations they visit. 'But they must be empowered with the information they need to make those trips count, ensuring that their travel plans and spending - contribute to creating thriving ecosystems and prospering communities.' Travalyst said research it commissioned from YouGov demonstrated that travellers are not yet taking action at a level needed to 'deliver impact at scale'. Of those who have travel plans for this year, 30 per cent of UK travellers and 42 per cent of American travellers considered accommodation providers' sustainability efforts. However, only 13 per cent of UK travellers and 18 per cent of American travellers factored this into their decisions. Sally Davey, chief executive of Travalyst, said: 'The vast majority of people are aware of the impact travel has and want to know how they can continue to explore the world in ways that don't destroy the environment. 'We have an opportunity to rise to this moment and demonstrate what it looks like when an entire industry joins together to do things differently.' Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso arrive for a visit in Matlameng in the Leribe region with Sentebale in October last year Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and Prince Harry at a children's centre in Lesotho in October 2024 Dr Sophie Chandauka stands between Nacho Figueras and Prince Harry, with Sentebale chief executive Richard Miller on the right after a charity polo tournament in Florida in April 2024 However, the report's release has been overshadowed by a dispute between Sentebale chairwoman Sophie Chandauka and the charity's co-founder Harry, who quit as its patron last week amid a boardroom battle. The Duke has been accused of sending an 'unpleasant' and 'imperious' message to Dr Chandauka after she failed to publicly quash rumours of a rift with his wife Meghan Markle. Ms Chandauka has also alleged Harry tried to 'eject' her through 'bullying' and 'harassment', while a source close to former trustees and patrons of Sentebale dismissed her comments at the weekend as a 'publicity stunt'. During the prize-giving ceremony at a Sentebale fundraising polo match in Florida last April, Meghan appeared to choreograph who stood next to Harry, and in an awkward moment Dr Chandauka moved from beside the duke to Meghan's side ducking under the trophy. A member of Harry's team allegedly asked Ms Chandauka to issue a statement to quash any rumours about tensions with Meghan, but when she refused the duke reportedly contacted her directly. It was claimed that Harry demanded she 'explain herself', with sources suggesting the note was 'unpleasant' in tone and used 'imperious' language. Prince Harry at a fifth anniversary event for Travalyst in New York on September 24, 2024 Prince Harry launches the Travalyst scheme at A'dam Tower in Amsterdam in September 2019 Prince Harry founded Sentebale in honour of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help children and young people in southern Africa, particularly those living with HIV and Aids. But several trustees have left the organisation in a dispute with Dr Chandauka, having requested her resignation. According to The Times, the dispute arose over a decision to focus fundraising in Africa although a source close to Harry has denied this. Former trustees Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer a mentor and close friend to Harry Audrey Kgosidintsi, Kelello Lerotholi and Damian West said their decision to resign was 'devastating' but was the 'result of our loss in trust and confidence in the chair of the board'. A source close to the trustees and patrons described Ms Chandauka's interviews as a 'publicity stunt', adding: 'They remain firm in their resignation, for the good of the charity, and look forward to the adjudication of the truth.' In a joint statement issued last week Harry and Prince Seeiso backed the departing trustees and stepped back as patrons until further notice, saying it was 'devastating' that the relationship between Sentebale's trustees and chairwoman of the board 'broke down beyond repair'. The mother of a suspected MS-13 gang leader claimed she had no idea about her son's alleged antics following his dramatic arrest at her upscale Virginia home. The mom, who refused to emerge from behind her front door, snapped at reporters from WUSA9 when they approached her at the Dale City property. She claimed she was unable to speak English - but was filmed speaking the language fluently. Prosecutors say her son Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, 24, is one of three US leaders of the bloodthirsty El Salvadorian street gang MS-13. The FBI said it recovered multiple firearms, ammo and silencers after it raided his mom's house on Thursday. But Santos' mother claimed to have no idea about the allegations against her son but categorically denied that he was a gang member when asked by WUSA9's Katie Lusso. 'He is my son, but I don't know anything,' the woman said. When Lusso asked if she believed he might be a gang member, she shouted: 'No!' Last summer she reported a burglary at a home in Dale City. The FBI placed the residence under surveillance and agents noted they had 'routinely observed' Santos coming and going. He was picked up following a dawn raid which stunned the residents of the leafy suburb. The mother of suspected MS-13 gang leader Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos claimed she had no idea about her son's alleged antics following his dramatic arrest at her upscale Virginia home Santos was apprehended following a dawn raid at his mom's home in Dale City, Virginia, last week The FBI says they found a total of four guns, ammo, and suppressors inside his room Images of the firearms the FBI and DOJ said they recovered from Santos mom's residence Santos was discovered cowering in an alcove leading to a garage at his mom's house, authorities said. The Maine Wire reports that SWAT teams stormed the premises and had to deploy stun grenades to drag him out. He was taken into custody in northern Virginia on an outstanding administrative immigration warrant, according to court papers, and was charged with illegal gun possession. Court documents obtained by NGO Virginians 4 Safe Communities reveal that Santos has a length rap sheet for drugs and driving offences. In 2018 he was arrested for marijuana possession and driving without a license. The next year he was arrested again for marijuana possession and again in 2023 for driving an uninspected, uninsured car without a license. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Santos had been living in the US illegally. She said Santos was 'very dangerous' and had been recruited by MS-13 when he was 'very young' before rising through the ranks. Santos, 24, was discovered cowering in an alcove leading to a garage at his mom's home, authorities said The arrest stunned neighbors in the leafy suburb who said their neighborhood is usually quiet Attorney general Pam Bondi said Santos was 'extremely dangerous' and had been recruited by MS-13 at a young age. Pictured: Bondi at the site of the raid The administration promoted the arrest as part of its effort to fulfill campaign promises to quash illegal immigration and eliminate gangs. The MS-13 gang, or Mara Salvatrucha, was one of eight Latin American criminal organizations declared foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration last month. In the past decade, the U.S. Justice Department has intensified its focus on MS-13, which originated as a neighborhood street gang in Los Angeles, but grew into a transnational gang based in El Salvador. Trump has branded it one of the key threats to domestic security and safety and made deporting its members a priority. A Miami prep school student who died suddenly following a water polo game may have suffered from a hidden genetic heart defect. Lucas Osuna, 15, died on Friday moments after the end of a game he played for his $23,000-per-year school Belen Jesuit Prep School in Miami, Florida. Officials said Osuna was in the cool down pool when his aorta malfunctioned, and despite life-saving efforts the 15-year-old passed away shortly after. Osuna's devastated family said they were unaware of his heart issues, according to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a family friend who is acting as their spokesperson. 'Obviously theyre devastated by this tragedy, but at the same time theyre also overwhelmed by the messages of support,' Suarez told NBC6. 'This is not anything that is comprehendible, comprehensible, its a parents worst nightmare, but they are people of faith and they are rallying around each other to process this the best way that they can.' As the family deals with the sudden loss, the teen's father Mike Osuna took to Facebook to pay tribute to his son and dispel 'the rumors or misinformation circulating online' over the tragedy. 'He embodied perseverance, determination and overcoming all the obstacles life threw his way,' the stricken father wrote online. 'We ask that you take a moment to hug your loved ones a little tighter and keep us in your thoughts.' Miami high school student Lucas Osuna, 15, died suddenly following a water polo game on Friday after suffering what his family believe was an unknown heart defect Osuna's devastated family said he 'embodied perseverance, determination and overcoming all the obstacles life threw his way' News of Osuna's passing was first shared by his father on social media, where he described his son's sudden death as an 'unfathomable loss.' He said his son's nickname was 'Thor', and added: 'In true Superhero fashion, he embodied perseverance, determination and overcoming all the obstacles life threw his way. 'In moments of tragedy, our 8N Family has proven to unite in prayer, compassion, faith, and above all, Love.' Belen Jesuit Prep School, where Osuna attended, said his death was 'unexpected' and said the school was hit with 'unimaginable grief.' The school reportedly held a day of prayer on Saturday to remember Osuna, and students said the community was stunned by the teen's passing. 'Youre going to school with that kid one day and the next, hes not here,' student Justin Otero told NBC6. 'It just makes you want to hold everyone you love a little longer.' Osuna's family shared their grief over his sudden passing, describing it as an 'unfathomable loss' As the family deals with the sudden loss, the teen's father Mike Osuna took to Facebook to pay tribute to his son and dispel 'the rumors or misinformation circulating online' over the tragedy Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said he is longtime family friends with the Osuna's, and said this week as a spokesperson for the family they were 'navigating this tragedy with grace, faith, and resilience' Jose Ballesteros, a senior at the school, added that the school day was 'very quiet' and 'very somber' in the days after. 'I feel like a lot of people forget at this age that death can effect anybody and even people like me that are younger, you usually think you have your life ahead of you and youre not worried about that,' he said. Suarez explained that he was good friends with Osuna's father, and said he had been asked to serve as their spokesperson 'during this difficult time.' 'The Osuna family is mourning the loss of their eldest son while navigating this tragedy with grace, faith, and resilience,' he said. 'We ask that the public respect the family's privacy as they grieve this unimaginable loss.' A volcano eruption near a populated area in Iceland could be 'much larger' than previous events, officials warned as defences were quickly overrun this morning. The Icelandic Civil Defence warned that the eruption on the Sundhnuksgigar Crater Row could continue to swell given the huge amount of magma built up underground. Astonishing footage seen on afarTV monitoring cameras showed a long curtain of lava fountains spanning the fissure during the dramatic eruption. Dr Agust Gudmundsson, from the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London, told MailOnline that the eruption is expected to be 'bigger than before' as magma has been accumulating underground for several months. 'There was a large volume moving up in the subsurface, indicating there is a lot of magma available... so we expect this to be a bigger one than before,' he said. While the fissure - so far only around 700 metres long - is still quite small, concern remains for the village at the base of the site. 'The eruption came up relatively far to the south and unfortunately a tiny part of the fissure came up inside, south of the protection barrier,' Dr Gudmundsson explained. 'Lava is, at the moment, flowing towards the town. It has not reached the town.' Lava flows from a large fissure in the ground on the Sundhnuksgigar Crater Row An aerial view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, Tuesday, April 1, 2025 The volcanic eruption is seen in the background near the town of Grindavik Smoke billows from the fissure, expected to be around 700m long The eruption followed an 'earthquake swarm' recorded early this morning The fissure emerged after an 'earthquake swarm' of more than 200 tremors rocked the region, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office. Fortunately, it appears to have followed the same path as previous events, making it more predictable, with authorities believed to be already preparing water pumps to manage the flow. 'If the fissure propagates further to the south, closer to the town, then of course it would be very, very grave,' Dr Gudmundsson warned. 'But we hope it doesn't go so far.' Efforts were underway earlier this morning to evacuate the fishing village of Grindavik. The five-star Blue Lagoon hotel, at the base of the volcano, was evacuated and all guests moved to other hotels as the eruption began. Helga Arnadottir, a hotel manager, said guests had to be woken up as soon as it became apparent a 'magma shower' was underway. The region is susceptible to occasional eruption, and this latest one marks the eighth to hit the area since the end of 2023. The Reykjanes Peninsula was devastated by a series of major eruptions between December 2023 and December 2024, following intense quakes in November 2023. But having not erupted since November last year, monitoring geologists suspect a significant magma build up under the surface. Dr Gudmundsson told MailOnline that the eruption had been anticipated, and appeared to be following a 2,300-year-old path. This might make it easier for responders to anticipate the course of the flow. He said it was 'difficult to say' for how long the eruption might continue. Some in the past have lasted from a few days to a few weeks and some 'longer than that', he said. 'The thing we know is that there is a lot of magma there... It's a question of how much of it is going to go to the surface.' It is also unlikely that earthquakes will continue on the same scale, with the fissure having already emerged. An aerial view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula The volcanic eruption is seen in the background near the town of Grindavik A curtain of lava at the site of the eruption at the Sundhnuk crater Stunning footage shows the eruption just after 11am GMT Astonishing scenes this morning followed a Met Office warning last week that an eruption 'remains likely', citing the accumulating magma. 'The most likely scenario is that this period of magma buildup will end with a magma intrusion and/or an eruption, likely emerging first in the area between Sundhnukur and Stora-Skogfell,' it reported on March 25. 'Emergency responders in Grindavik have reported that earthquakes can be felt in the town, and signs of deformation are also visible there, suggesting that fault movements could occur within the town itself,' it said. Benedikt Ofeigsson, director of deformation measurements, said that signs of eruption had been recorded after seismic activity began underground. The earthquake swarm was followed by deformations and pressure changes in boreholes operated by energy company HS Orka. 'Both independent measurements were a clear sign of the onset of a magma intrusion,' the IMO said. An eruption last rocked the region in November, which in turn was the seventh eruption in a year. Most of Grindavik's 4,000 residents were evacuated in late 2023, shortly before the first volcanic eruption in the area. Since then, almost all the houses have been sold to the state, and most of the residents departed. Iceland's Svartsengi volcano, neighbouring the Blue Lagoon and restaurants at its base Lava flows from the Sundhnukur volcano in Iceland on May 30, 2024, near Grindavik A volcanic eruption that started on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, November 20, 2024 The skyline of Reykjavik against the backdrop of orange coloured sky due to molten lava flowing out from a fissure on the Reykjanes Peninsula, on March 16, 2024 RUV said the region's police commissioner, Ulfar Ludviksson, reported that recently, around 40 houses in Grindavik were occupied by residents. Volcanoes on the peninsula had not erupted for eight centuries until March 2021, when a period of heightened seismic activity began. Volcanologists warned that volcanic activity in the region had entered a new era. Iceland is home to 33 active volcanic systems, more than any other European country. It is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a fault in the ocean floor that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates and causes earthquakes and eruptions. Tesco has confirmed its website and app have been hit by an issue which have left some customers unable to order groceries online. The supermarket said its IT teams were working to fix the issue, which began just before 10am on Tuesday morning. Tech blip reporting website DownDetector said it received hundreds of reports, largely from customers in England. Customers took to social media to report being unable to complete their online shopping via the grocer's app or website. 'It's not you, it's us,' read an error message on Tesco's website as presented to one shopper on X. 'There's a problem at our end, but we're trying to fix it right now. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please come back later and try again.' Hundreds of Tesco customers have reported issues with its website and app (file picture) Hundreds of reports of issues were reported throughout this morning from shortly before 10am Tesco said it was 'working hard' to have the website and app fixed as soon as possible Responding to customer complaints on X, Tesco said: 'We are aware of issues with our app and website, I'm sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. 'Our I.T teams are working hard to have this fixed as soon as possible, please keep checking back periodically and hopefully they will be working shortly.' The supermarket has not said what has caused the issue, or if it is affecting deliveries. The number of DownDetector reports fell sharply after 12pm, suggesting the fault was being repaired. A Tesco spokesperson said this afternoon: 'We have fixed a technical issue that temporarily impacted customers using our website and app. We're sorry for the inconvenience.' In February the firm was hit by an online shopping glitch which caused items to be removed from customer baskets, or marked as unavailable, as they tried to complete an online shop. Tesco said it had been caused by a 'technical issue' with some customer baskets. Dog owners have been given a stark warning after a family's Jack Russell died after being attacked by a venomous snake in the UK. The family dog, Donnie, was out being walked by Logan Mathers, 17, last week on Wednesday in Thetford Forest, Suffolk. Suddenly, an adder shot out and bit the two-year-old Jack Russell on the face and was taken straight to a vet for treatment while slipping in and out of consciousness. Logan's 19 year-old-sister, Molly, rushed to meet her brother who was left 'traumatised', and little Donnie's health deteriorated despite being given anti-venom medication and antibiotics. Sadly, the beloved family pet died in the early hours of Saturday morning, mother Ali said. She said: 'The whole family went over on Saturday morning to say goodbye to our beautiful boy. 'He really was so full of life. 'We are absolutely heartbroken and just can't believe it. We want to stop another dog being hurt. The family dog, Donnie, was out being walked by Logan Mathers, 17, last week on Wednesday in Thetford Forest, Suffolk Suddenly, an adder shot out and bit the two-year-old Jack Russell on the face and was taken straight to a vets for treatment while slipping in and out of consciousness. Picture: Stock image Sadly, the beloved family pet died in the early hours of Saturday morning Mother Ali said: 'The whole family went over on Saturday morning to say goodbye to our beautiful boy' 'Donnie is going to be cremated so he can be with us always.' The family have now been left with a 4,000 bill for their dog's treatment due to complications that led to him becoming brain dead and having to be euthanised. Adders - which are Britain's only venomous snakes - are emerging from hibernation at this time of year. The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) advise that swelling can cause serious problems to dogs if bitten on the face or neck - and the venom can cause severe illness and death. A spokeswoman for Norfolk Wildlife Trust said: 'Adders will rarely bite unless provoked, but of course, this can be accidental. 'Dogs, unfortunately, can be at risk as they are naturally inquisitive and can inadvertently find themselves in the adders' preferred habitat. 'It's wise for dog owners to keep their pets to the path or under close control in areas where adders are likely to be found during March to October.' Sweden has announced a 100 million krona (7.7 million) investment to renovate its civil defence bunkers after warning its citizens they should prepare for the risk of war amid Russia's ongoing conflict with Ukraine. With 64,000 sites spread across the country, Sweden already has more shelters than almost every other nation with space for around seven million people - more than two-thirds of its population. But since Sweden joined NATO in March 2024, its Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has stepped up inspections of the shelters, some of which are large enough to accommodate thousands of people at a time. The bunkers are designed to provide protection against shockwaves and bomb fragments, the blast and heatwaves from a nuclear weapon, radioactive fallout, gas from chemical weapons and biological weapons. MSB said on Monday it had begun a huge project to modernise the nuclear shelters - a task it expected to take 'two to three years' - which includes efforts to upgrade filters which help protect occupants from chemical and radiological weapons. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in January that Sweden was 'not at war... but there is not peace either'. The announcement is the latest sign that Europe is preparing for a major conflict in the coming years as Finland announced it would follow the Baltic States and Poland in withdrawing from a treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel mines. Meanwhile, the European Union last week instructed every household in the 27-nation bloc to have a three-day survival kit ready in case of war or natural disasters, and a top German general warned his nation would have to introduce conscription to ensure it could defend itself. Sweden's civil defence organisation shows some of the underground shelters in Stockholm A Cold War bunker in the remote Swedish village of Ljungby With 64,000 sites spread across the country, Sweden already has more shelters than almost every other nation with space for around seven million people - more than two-thirds of its population A Russian Navy frigate fires a Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic anti-ship missile during drills Swedish soldiers of the Finnish-Swedish Division ride the Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) during a demonstration of border crossing by Swedish and Finnish troops as part of the NATO Nordic Response 24 military exercise Paramedics carry an injured Ukrainian serviceman who stepped on an anti-personnel land mine Stockholm slashed military spending after the end of the Cold War but began increasing it again when Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea in 2014. The authorities reactivated Sweden's 'total defence' strategy - combining both military and civil defence activities - in 2015. But efforts to modernise the military and increase civil preparedness for war ramped up dramatically after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Among other things, the government has created the post of minister for civil defence to work alongside the armed forces minister, so civilians can be mobilised as well as the military. In November, Sweden's MSB distributed five million pamphlets to residents urging them to prepare for the possibility of war. The booklet named 'If Crisis or War Comes' contained information about how to prepare for emergencies such as war, natural disasters, cyber attacks and terrorism. 'An insecure world requires preparedness. The military threat to Sweden has increased and we must prepare for the worst - an armed attack,' its new introduction states. In one of the more worrying excerpts, which harks back to advice given by governments during the darkest days of the Cold War, it informs people of the risk of nuclear weapons. 'The global security situation increases the risks that nuclear weapons could be used. In the event of an attack with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, take cover in the same way as in an air attack,' the pamphlet instructs readers. 'Shelter provides the best protection. After a couple of days, the radiation has decreased significantly,' it advises, adding that people will be warned of attacks over the radio and should go to basements or subways if there is no better option. Another message, which has been brought forward from the middle of the booklet in the updated version, reads: 'If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false.' The government is also investing in improving the emergency services' capacity to operate during conflicts, strengthening cybersecurity and replenishing medicine stocks. France is now preparing to follow suit, drawing up a survival manual to all households advising how to defend the republic in case of an invasion. And earlier this month, the EU told every citizen in the bloc to stock up on a dozen key items, including matches, ID documents in a waterproof punch, bottled water, energy bars and a flashlight, as part of a 'resilience' kit. A JAS 39 Gripen C/D takes off during military exercise Nordic Response in Sweden Sweden's Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin presents the new version of the booklet 'If Crisis or War Comes' in Stockholm, Sweden 'High alert': The pamphlet states that 'if there is war or danger of war' the government can place the country in a state of 'heightened preparedness' and mobilise the whole of society France is preparing to issue a 20-page survival booklet instructing households on how to prepare for war French soldiers stand in line in front of their military vehicles following a combat simulation during the ''Scorpion Days'' manuevers at the French army Canjuers camp, in the Var department, south-eastern France on March 4, 2025 In a more consequential move, Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo declared today that his nation would prepare to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel mines. 'Finland and Europe need to evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defence capabilities, individually and in NATO,' Orpo said at a press conference, adding that the country would boost its defence spending to three percent of GDP by 2029. 'We also propose that Finland starts to prepare withdrawal from the Ottawa Agreement.' By quitting the 1997 treaty, Finland, which guards NATO's longest border with Russia, could start stockpiling landmines again to have them at hand should a need arise. Orpo's statement comes weeks after Poland and the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all announced last month they will withdraw from the convention due to the military threat from neighbouring Russia. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk sought to justify his government's proposed withdrawal, telling parliament 'anything that can strengthen Poland's defence will be implemented.' Poland's defence minister subsequently confirmed the government intends to restart production of antipersonnel mines as part of a broader European push to rearm. Human Rights Watch condemned the decision in a statement which read: 'There's nothing sophisticated about the antipersonnel mines used in today's armed conflicts. They are indiscriminate weapons that predominately harm civilians, violate human rights, and have long-term societal impact. 'Embracing antipersonnel mines undermines international humanitarian law and long-standing civilian protections.' Meanwhile, Germany will have to bring back conscription to be able to defend itself in the event of a future war with Russia, the country's top general warned yesterday. Carsten Breuer, the German Chief of Defence, told Radio 4 that an additional 100,000 soldiers would be needed to bolster defensive capabilities. Defence chiefs have been looking to increase the size of the armed forces since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but have fallen short of even an initial target of 20,000. Warning that Russia could attack NATO territory in as little as four years, Breuer is calling for five times that target - achievable, he says, only through conscription. 'We won't get this additional 100,000 soldiers without having one or the other, a model of conscription,' he told the programme. Asked whether 'some form' of conscription was 'necessary' for Germany to defend itself, he concurred: 'Absolutely. Absolutely.' A view shows the frontline city of Pokrovsk, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region Finland, Poland and the Baltic states have said they will withdraw from a treaty banning the use of anti-personnel mines File photo shows German troops at the Julius Leber Barracks in Berlin, April 24, 2024 A Leopard 2 main battle tank of the German armed forces Bundeswehr shoots during a training exercise in Ostenholz, Germany on October 17, 2022 Carsten Breuer (L) addresses the media during a water crossing military exercise, March 18, 2024 Defence Minister Boris Pistorius had suggested in December that Germany could increase the size of its armed forces by 50,000 to 230,000 in total. But the sense of urgency has been ramped up by comments from the Trump administration telling Europe to do more for its own defence. Two weeks ago, lawmakers voted to allow a huge increase in defence and infrastructure spending, exempting spending in those areas from strict debt rules. But after years of cuts and spending lows, Germany finds itself in a desperate recruitment drive, struggling to attract new recruits. 'We are threatened by Russia,' Breuer acknowledged in his comments to Radio 4. 'We are threatened by Putin, and we have to do whatever is needed to do to deter, and by building up a strong defence line then you deter best.' Asked how much time and money was needed to achieve Germany's defence goals, he said it was 'more about how much time Putin gives us to be prepared'. 'The sooner we are prepared, the better it is.' Breuer acknowledged the Trump administration's pivot away from Europe, with senior officials urging NATO allies to do more to protect themselves. 'We have to step up,' Breuer said. 'We have to do more to really get to the point where we have enough money to defend ourselves and being able to deter any enemy who's trying to do [any] harm against NATO or Germany.' Russia has issued a stark warning over US threats to strike Iran's nuclear facilities, saying such an attack could have 'catastrophic' consequences for the region. The Kremlin's concerns come after Donald Trump vowed to bomb Iran unless it agrees to a new nuclear deal with Washington. The former US president, in an explosive interview with NBC News, warned that Tehran would face military action and severe economic sanctions if it refused to negotiate. 'If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing,' Trump declared. 'It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.' Moscow, which has been strengthening ties with Iran, condemned Trump's threats. 'Threats are indeed being heard, ultimatums are also being heard,' Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Russian journal 'International Affairs' in an interview, extracts of which were published on Tuesday. 'We consider such methods inappropriate, we condemn them, we consider them a way for (the US) to impose its own will on the Iranian side.' The warning signals growing tensions between Russia and the US despite the Kremlin's careful approach to Trump, with whom President Vladimir Putin has sought to rebuild relations. Donald Trump vowed to bomb Iran unless it agrees to a new nuclear deal with Washington The warning signals growing tensions between Russia and the US despite the Kremlin's careful approach to Trump, with whom President Vladimir Putin has sought to rebuild relations Pictured: An Iranian nuclear power plant stands March 30, 2005 some 322 km south of Tehran, in Natanz, Iran Russia has positioned itself as a potential mediator, having signed a strategic partnership with Iran earlier in January. But Ryabkov made it clear that Moscow views Trump's rhetoric as a dangerous escalation. 'The consequences of this, especially if the strikes are on nuclear infrastructure, could be catastrophic for the entire region,' he cautioned. Trump's hardline stance follows his withdrawal from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief - a move that led to increased tensions and fears of conflict. While Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, and denies it is seeking to build an atomic bomb, Washington remains unconvinced. Ryabkov said Trump's recent comments only served to 'complicate the situation' in regards to Iran. 'The consequences of this, especially if the strikes are on nuclear infrastructure, could be catastrophic for the entire region,' Ryabkov said. 'While there is still time and the 'train has not left', we need to redouble our efforts to try to reach an agreement on a reasonable basis. Russia is ready to offer its good services to Washington, Tehran and everyone who is interested in this,' he said. It comes after Iran threatened to target British forces if Donald Trump attacks the Middle Eastern nation in the absence of a new nuclear deal. Trump sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month urging Tehran to reach a new nuclear deal. The US President warned: 'There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal.' In response, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf said on Friday: 'If the Americans attack the sanctity of Iran, the entire region will blow up like a spark in an ammunition dump.' 'Their bases and those of their allies will not be safe,' Qalibaf said in a live speech at the annual Al-Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, that marks the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. Iran has threatened to strike American bases and 'blow up' the entire Middle East if Donald Trump follows through on his warning of military action in the absence of a new nuclear deal. The image shows an Iranian rocket launched during a drill earlier last year Iran threatened to target British forces if Donald Trump attacks the Middle Eastern nation in the absence of a new nuclear deal (pictured: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) A senior Iranian military official has now said that Tehran would strike the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands should Trump attack Iran. 'There will be no distinction in targeting British or American forces if Iran is attacked from any base in the region or within the range of Iranian missiles,' he told the Telegraph on Saturday. The military official added: 'When the time comes, it won't matter whether you're an American, British, or Turkish soldier you will be targeted if your base is used by Americans.' 'And if they are thinking of causing sedition inside the country as in past years, the Iranian people themselves will deal with them,' he added. Over the weekend Donald Trump lashed out at Vladimir Putin after the Russian leader dismissed US efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine, calling Kyiv's government 'illegitimate' and effectively rejecting negotiations. In a fiery outburst, Trump admitted he was 'p***** off' over Putin's remarks, which undermine Washington's attempts to bring an end to the bloody conflict. Trump warned that if he failed to reach a peace deal with Moscow - and if he deemed Russia responsible - he would slap massive secondary tariffs on Russian oil. If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia's fault I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,' Trump said, noting that tariffs could be as high as 50 per cent. Despite his anger, Trump suggested that tensions with the Kremlin could ease if Putin 'does the right thing,' and once again emphasised his close ties with the Russian president, saying he has 'a very good relationship with [Putin]'. However, the Kremlin has remained tight-lipped, with Putin yet to respond directly to Trump's heated remarks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia is committed to 'restoring' relations with Washington, which he claimed had been 'damaged by the Biden administration' following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. He also confirmed that Putin remains in 'open contact' with Trump, with another call reportedly scheduled between the two this week. Epstein accuser claims she had 'four days to live' Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre admitted herself to hospital with a pre-existing injury following a crash that she said left her with just 'four days' to live. In an Instagram post on Monday, Ms Giuffre appeared battered and bruised and claimed she was about to die after a school bus ploughed into her car, leaving her with kidney renal failure. She is understood to have admitted herself to Perth's Joondalup Health Campus after last week's crash where tests revealed she had a kidney problem. After being released, Ms Giuffre then turned up at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital about 3am on Tuesday for an unknown reason. A Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday night there was no patient under Ms Giuffre's name at the time, but was unable to confirm whether such a patient had previously been discharged. The latest development comes after Western Australian Police confirmed she was involved in a 'minor' crash between a bus and a car in Neergabby, north of Perth, on March 24. The collision was reported by the bus driver the following day. The car sustained about $2,000 worth of damage. 'We have no report of any serious injuries,' Acting Western Australian Police Commissioner Kylie Whiteley told reporters. In a gut-wrenching Instagram post late Sunday night, Giuffre announced that she had been given just four days to live The now-infamous photo of Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell in Maxwell's London townhouse 'But that is all that we have in relation to that matter.' Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Ms Giuffre made the incident up or exaggerated it. Ms Giuffre has been based in Western Australia and Queensland in recent years. Police forces in both states initially told Daily Mail Australia earlier on Tuesday they had no record of a bus crash exactly matching her description occurring in their jurisdiction recently. Western Australia Police Force spokesperson later confirmed had become aware of a 'minor crash' between a bus and a car on March 24. Police in Victoria and NSW, said privacy restrictions prevented them from identifying any matching incidents based on the limited information available. Ms Giuffre - who was sex trafficked by late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her as a teen - wrote that she is 'ready to go' but wants to see her children one final time. Ms Giuffre's heartbroken father, Sky Roberts, told DailyMail.com that he is 'sick to my stomach' and would do anything to be able to fly from his home in Florida to be by his daughter's hospital bedside in Australia. Ms Giuffre is believed to have admitted herself to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (pictured ) on Tuesday morning after being discharged from Joondalup Health Campus in recent days In the late night social media post, she said she had been in a horror crash involving a school bus 'I'm sick to my stomach. I feel like crying because I love my daughter more than life,' he said. 'If there's anything I could do, I'd do it.' Mr Roberts said that the crash unfolded a couple of days ago. While he has not spoken with his daughter since the crash, his son - Ms Giuffre's brother - has been in regular contact with her over the past couple of days and has kept him updated as to her condition. 'She's in really bad shape,' he said. 'She's very depressed there's everything else she's been going through with the divorce and not being able to see her kids.' Mr Roberts said that his son is 'trying to get her spirits up so she doesn't just give up.' 'I'm hoping she can hang on,' he said. 'She's only 41. She's got a lot of life to live. She's got a lot of things left to do - she's helping people and helping other girls.' Mr Roberts revealed how helpless he felt being stuck at home in Florida, without the money to be able to hop on a plane to Australia to be with her in this time of need. Ms Giuffre was admitted to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital early Tuesday morning for an unknown reason Virginia Giuffre with her father Sky Roberts. He told DailyMail.com that he is 'sick to my stomach' following her shocking announcement 'There's nothing I can do from here,' he said. 'I'm on Social Security so I can't fly out. I'd love to be by her side and support her.' As well as begging his daughter not to give up, Mr Roberts made a public plea for her to get a second medical opinion from doctors. 'She needs to get a second opinion,' he said. 'When someone tells you, you're going to die in four days, you don't want to hear from just that person. You need to get a second opinion. You need a third opinion.' Mr Roberts said he used to be 'really close' with his daughter but their relationship had become strained in recent years. That said, he only has good memories. 'I remember all the great times I've had with her here - her growing up and putting her in horse shows and all the fun things we used to do,' he said. Prince Andrew seen taking a stroll through New York's Central Park with Jeffrey Epstein in December 2010 - after the financier had been in prison for sex offences 'All you can do when someone is in a bad way is think of the good times. You don't want to think of any bad times.' Mr Roberts said that his daughter has also become recently estranged from her three children as she is in the middle of a messy divorce with her husband of two decades, Robert Giuffre. He said he hopes that her wish to be able to see her children again comes true. Since December 2020, Ms Guiffre has lived in Australia with her now-estranged husband and their three children. In her Instagram post, Giuffre shared a shocking image of herself lying in hospital covered in bruises. 'They've given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology,' she wrote. 'This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I won't bore anyone with the details.' She said: 'But I think it's important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110kmh as we were slowing down for a turn, that no matter what your car is made of, it might as well be a tin can.' Virginia Giuffre with her attorneys David Boies and Brad Edwards during a press conference in New York in 2019 She continued: 'I'm ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time. 'But you know what they say about wishes. S*** in one hand and wish in the other and I guarantee it's still going to be s*** at the end of the day.' Further details about the crash and her condition are currently unclear. Ms Giuffre's representative Dini von Mueffling confirmed to DailyMail.com that 'Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital.' 'She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending,' she added. Ms Giuffre was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell from the age of 16 after first meeting the sex offenders when she worked at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. In 2015, she came forward with her allegations and pursued legal action. As part of her allegations, she accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was just 17. Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein (together) sex trafficked young women and girls Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein (seen in mugshot left) was found dead in his jail cell in New York in 2019. Maxwell (seen in a court sketch from her trial) was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison Ms Guiffre claimed that Epstein and Maxwell had trafficked her to Prince Andrew for sex on at least three separate occasions. In a civil complaint, she claimed that one of the alleged incidents took place at Maxwell's London townhouse, once at Epstein's private island Little St James, and the other at Epstein's mansion in Manhattan. A now-infamous photo captured the duke with his arm around Ms Giuffre's waist, with Maxwell stood in the background inside her London home. Prince Andrew long denied the allegations and was not charged with any crime. In a car-crash interview with BBC's Newsnight, he claimed he had no recollection of ever meeting Ms Giuffre. He also bizarrely claimed her account could not be true because of his inability to sweat. Prince Andrew ultimately reached a settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, including a donation to a charity in support of victims' rights. Ms Giuffre's father has previously spoken of his regret that he helped his teenage daughter get a job alongside him at Mar-a-Lago, where she went on to meet her abusers. Sky Roberts said his 41-year-old daughter is in 'really bad shape' following the crash 'As a parent you kind of ask the question, 'How do you not know your children are doing this?',' he said previously. 'But she's a very good actress. When she would come home from these trips she said nothing about it. It must have been killing her inside. 'But for powerful people like that, they can threaten a young girl like that.' Epstein was found dead in his cell in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled as suicide. Maxwell was convicted in 2022 of conspiring with Epstein to sex traffic minors. She is currently behind bars serving a 20-year prison sentence. She is appealing the sentence. Prince Andrew sexual abuse accuser Virginia Guiffre's claims that a car crash has left her in hospital with just four days to live will raise uncomfortable questions around her credibility - if it transpires that she has exaggerated her injuries - friends of the duke have told MailOnline. Ms Giuffre posted a photo of her bruised face lying on a hospital bed on Instagram and said doctors told her she is going to die due to kidney failure following the wreck. 'This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I won't bore anyone with the details but I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can,' the 42-year-old wrote in a post on Sunday. Her claims have prompted a chorus of questions surrounding the circumstances of the crash and whether she is exaggerating the extent of her injuries. The prince's former girlfriend socialite Victoria Hervey has called Ms Guiffre a 'fantasist' and suggested that she was lying over the extent of the crash. Lady Victoria, 48, has been slammed as 'nasty' and 'vile' by many social media users since she posted Giuffre's selfie of herself in a hospital bed with the word 'Karma' added to it. But the socialite aristocrat who briefly dated Andrew in 1999 refused to back down from her brutal Instagram post today. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, she said she was continuing to doubt Ms Giuffre's claims that she had been seriously hurt in a crash with a school bus in Australia and having only days to live due to her injuries including kidney failure. She said: 'Virginia Guiffre is a fantasist. It's been a long drawn out process these last few years, but it's unravelling. Her lies are being exposed. Let's see in three days, but I bet she will still be alive' She spoke out as police in Australia appeared to confirm that Ms Giuffre had only been involved in what had been described as a 'minor' crash with a bus with no initial reports of anyone being injured Virginia Giuffre, 41, shared a photo of herself from her hospital bed covered in bruises she had apparently sustained from a speeding bus crash Virgina Giuffre (centre), nee Roberts, claimed she was sexually assaulted as a teenager by Prince Andrew (left) after being recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell (pictured right) But the claims by Ms Giuffre prompted a chorus of questions from Prince Andrew's allies - including his former, socialite Victoria Hervey (pictured) who called Ms Guiffre a 'fantasist' Lady Victoria insisted she had no regrets about re-posting the 'Karma' message accompanied by the rocking soundtrack of Europe's 1986 glam rock smash 'The Final Countdown' after it was originally posted by a friend. She said: 'I re-posted the Karma (post) because I felt, well you know, she deserves it. But I also knew in my head that she was lying.' She spoke out as police in Australia appeared to confirm that Ms Giuffre had only been involved in what had been described as a minor crash with a bus with no initial reports of anyone being injured. A Western Australia Police Force spokesperson later said they were aware of a 'minor crash' between a bus and a car in Neergabby, north of Perth, on March 24. The collision was reported by the bus driver the following day. The car sustained about $2,000 worth of damage but there were no injuries reported, the spokesperson said. Ms Giuffre's spokesperson Dini von Mueffing, said: 'Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending.' Prince Andrew's ex shared Ms Giuffre's post to Instagram and wrote 'karma' (pictured) and said she had no regrets, as she accused Ms Giuffre of lying about the crash Pictured is Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital where Ms Giuffre was taken to after her crash Prince Andrew and Lady Victoria (right) are seen together in January 2002 at a New Year's party inside the Reform Club in London Ms Giuffre found herself at the centre of one of the world's biggest scandals when she launched legal action against billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2015. She alleged she was trafficked for sex at age 16 after his associate and ex-lover, Ghislaine Maxwell recruited her from her job as a locker room attendant at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Ms Giuffre and Maxwell eventually reached an undisclosed settlement over a defamation case in 2017. Epstein took his own life in a jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, while Maxwell was jailed for 20 years in 2022 for conspiring with him to sexually abuse minors. Ms Giuffre alleges Epstein forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew on at least three occasions when she was 17 and that she spent two days alone with the royal in New Mexico. In 2022 she received an out-of-court settlement reported to be worth millions from the Duke of York. The settlement accepted no liability and Andrew has always strongly rejected claims. But he agreed to pay the unspecified amount to Ms Giuffre and her charity for victims' rights. In the wake of the scandal, Andrew lost his military titles and royal patronages as well as the use of His Royal Highness title. Her father Sky Roberts has previously spoken of his torment knowing he helped his daughter get a job alongside him at the Trump resort, before she was recruited as a masseuse by Maxwell. Virginia Giuffre (pictured with her now-estranged husband Robert Giuffre) found herself at the centre of one of the world's biggest scandals after first launching legal action against billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2015 'As a parent you kind of ask the question, 'How do you not know your children are doing this?',' Mr Roberts said previously. 'But she's a very good actress. When she would come home from these trips she said nothing about it. It must have been killing her inside. 'But for powerful people like that, they can threaten a young girl like that.' But Mr Roberts was shocked by his daughter's late night Instagram post and also appeared to be in the dark about the incident. 'Virginia my daughter, I love you and praying you get the correct treatment to live a long and healthy life,' he wrote. 'If there is anything in the world, I can do to help you, please let me know. My spirit is with you now and holding your hand.' He told DailyMail.com that he is 'sick to my stomach' and would do anything to be able to fly from his home in Florida to be by his daughter's hospital bedside in Australia following a horrific car crash. 'I'm sick to my stomach. I feel like crying because I love my daughter more than life,' he said. 'If there's anything I could do, I'd do it.' Virginia Giuffre with her father Sky Roberts. He told DailyMail.com that he is 'sick to my stomach' following her shocking announcement Pictured is Ms Giuffre's late night social media post, in which she said she had been in a horror crash involving a school bus Ms Giuffre's last known address was with her estranged husband, Robert Giuffre, and their three children at a $1.9million beachfront property in Ocean Reef, North Perth in Western Australia. American-born Ms Giuffre met her Australian martial arts instructor husband when she was 19 during a trip to Thailand. The pair married 10 days later and later moved to Australia, eventually settling in West Australia in December 2020. Eight months later, she filed court paperwork suing Prince Andrew for sexual assault. But the couple, who had been married for 22 years, recently parted ways, with Ms Giuffre claiming she is now estranged from their three teenage children. 'I'm ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time,' she added in her Instagram post. 'But you know what they say about wishes. S*** in one hand and wish in the other and I guarantee it's still going to be s*** at the end of the day.' She ended the post, on an account which uses her maiden name, by saying goodbye and thanking her followers for being a 'great part' of her life. Due to the shocking nature of the claims, Prince Andrew lost military titles and royal patronages as well as the use of the title His Royal Highness. Following the news, royal author Robert Jobson said: 'If she truly is at death's door, it's a tragic and awful turn of events. 'But if not, this raises troubling questions about her credibility - ones that Prince Andrew and his defenders have been asking for years. 'Giuffre has long been a controversial figure. While no one disputes she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, inconsistencies in her statements have been scrutinised. 'A US judge dismissed parts of her testimony in past legal proceedings, and some of her claims have been questioned or struck from the record. 'She has previously misidentified individuals in her allegations, raising doubts about the reliability of her evidence. 'In 2015, in another case Judge Kenneth A. Marra ruled that her claims against Prince Andrew and others were not relevant to a lawsuit under the U.S. Crime Victims' Rights Act and ordered her affidavit to be struck from the record. 'The judge did not rule on the truth of her allegations but deemed them legally inadmissible in that particular case. Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein (pictured in May 2005) took his own life in a jail cell in 2019 while awaiting his sex trafficking trial 'She settled her case against Prince Andrew out of court for millions he, of course, has always denied the allegations but the settlement meant her claims were never tested fully in court. 'Now, in what may or may not be her final moments, she makes an extraordinary claim. 'If true, it deserves every ounce of sympathy and support. 'But if not, it further muddies an already complicated narrative.' 'The world - and Prince Andrew now a royal outcast - watches, waiting for clarity - but clarity has never been Giuffre's strong suit.' Donald Trump has cleared the UK's plan to 'surrender' the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, Downing Street said today. Hopes has been high among opponents of Sir Keir Starmer's plan to hand over the strategically important archipelago - and 9billion - that the US president might veto it. But No10 today said that all talks now would be 'between us and the Mauritian government' to finalise the handover of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The islands are home to the Diego Garcia airbase, which is used by the United States, and senior Republicans had questioned the decision to hand them over in exchange for a 99-year lease. However, when Sir Keir met Trump at the White House last month he stunned the Tories and other critics by saying: 'We're going to have some discussions about that very soon, and I have a feeling it's going to work out very well,' Mr Trump said. 'I think we'll be inclined to go along with your country.' This afternoon the Prime Minister's official spokesman said that the president 'recognises the strength of the deal.' 'My understanding is that it is now between us and the Mauritian government to finalise the deal following the discussions with the US,' he added. The US president suggested he could ignore Republican and Tory fury at the government's plan to hand over the Indian Ocean archipelago, as he met with Sir Keir Starmer in the White House. The deal can only go ahead with the approval of the United States, which has an airbase at Diego Garcia. Labour sparked shock in October by announcing that it was going to cede sovereignty of the Islands, which have been a British overseas territory for more than 200 years. The former leader of Mauritius who agreed it, Pravind Jugnauth, was ousted in a recent election and the deal was delayed. Under the plan, the UK is expected to lease Diego Garcia for 99 years, with an option for a 40-year extension. Britain is thought to be ready to hand Mauritius about 90million a year to keep control of Diego Garcia. The UK offered Trump an effective veto on the deal because of its implications for US security, and allies of the president criticised the plan. Labour has insisted it had to strike a deal to protect the Diego Garcia base after the International Court of Justice ruled the UK's administration of the islands was 'unlawful'. Chagossians were forced to leave the central Indian Ocean territory by 1973 to make way for the military base. Russia says it is giving serious consideration to US proposals on ending the war in Ukraine, but 'cannot accept' President Donald Trump's current peace deal and has issued a fresh set of demands. Moscow wants the US to take into account what it regards as the root causes of the conflict, a Russian diplomat was quoted by state media as saying on Tuesday. 'We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we can't accept it all in its current form,' Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying. 'As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict,' he was cited as telling the magazine 'International Affairs' in an interview. 'It is completely absent, and that must be overcome,' he was quoted as saying. Trump scolded Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, expressing frustration at the continued fighting in a war that he had pledged to swiftly stop. Trump insisted progress was being made in the negotiations, but said that he would consider imposing further sanctions to put pressure on Moscow. Russia says it is giving serious consideration to US proposals on ending the war in Ukraine, but 'cannot accept' the deal in its 'current form'. Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured at the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday, March 31, 2025 Moscow wants the US to take into account what it regards as the root causes of the conflict, a Russian diplomat was quoted by state media as saying on Tuesday. Pictured: A Ukrainian serviceman of the 108th Territorial Defence Forces Brigade fires a D-44 field artillery gun towards Russian troops in Zaporizhzhia region on March 31 A firefighter mans a hose as they work to extinguish a fire following an aerial guided bomb in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine on Monday, March 31, 2025 He also accused Zelensky of trying to back out of a deal with the US on access to Ukraine's mineral resources. Ukraine has conducted a first round of consultations with the US on what he said was the latest version of the mineral deal, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Tuesday. Putin has effectively refused a US proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting, despite Trump's prodding. Also, a partial ceasefire in the Black Sea that could allow safer shipments has fallen foul of conditions imposed by Kremlin negotiators. Russia is holding out on a Black Sea deal in order to 'stall efforts toward a general ceasefire and extract additional concessions from the West,' according to an assessment late Monday by the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank. Zelensky was blunt in his analysis of developments in an address late Sunday. 'Moscow blatantly makes a mockery of our partners' efforts to advance a peace agenda,' he said. Putin previously has ruled out a temporary break in hostilities, saying that it would only benefit Ukraine and its Western allies by letting them replenish their arsenals. He has insisted that Moscow wants a comprehensive agreement that would ensure a lasting settlement. US President Donald Trump (pictured Monday) scolded Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, expressing frustration at the continued fighting in a war that he had pledged to swiftly stop A Ukrainian serviceman of the 108th Territorial Defence Forces Brigade carries an artillery shell at a frontline position, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region Zelensky was blunt in his analysis of developments in an address late Sunday. 'Moscow blatantly makes a mockery of our partners' efforts to advance a peace agenda,' he said Trump has signalled that he could consider new oil sanctions on Russia. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated Tuesday that a breakthrough in negotiations isn't imminent. 'The issues that we are discussing in connection with the Ukrainian settlement are quite complex and they require a lot of additional efforts,' Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. Meanwhile, deadly attacks by both Russia and Ukraine have continued, and they are gearing up for spring campaigns in their war of attrition along the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line. Overnight, Russia fired no Shahed drones at Ukraine for the first time in more than five months, according to authorities. But Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation branch of Ukraine's Security Council, detected no change in Russian strategy. 'For now, this means nothing,' he said on Telegram. Ukraine did claim to have shot down two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight to attack southeastern Ukraine. And officials in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast did report drone attacks against the region overnight, claiming limited damage. Ukraine also showed restraint in its strikes on Russia, with reports of just three drones being downed over Bryansk region. Pictured: A destroyed residential building following an aerial guided bomb (KAB) in Zaporizhzhia region on March 31 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (pictured), on a visit to Moscow, was quoted as saying Tuesday that 'certain results have been achieved' in Washington's attempt to stop the war as U.S.-Russia relations have improved under Trump Russia's Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of launching new drone attacks on energy facilities in Russia's Belgorod region and in the Russia-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region. Ukraine's European backers say they will keep supporting Kyiv's efforts to defeat Russia's invasion. Putin is getting military help from North Korea and Iran. China, too, has given diplomatic support to Russia and has provided economic help through trade in energy and consumer goods. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on a visit to Moscow, was quoted as saying Tuesday that 'certain results have been achieved' in Washington's attempt to stop the war as U.S.-Russia relations have improved under Trump. He said in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that Beijing supports the goal of 'a fair, long-term, binding peace agreement acceptable to all parties involved.' Wang was to meet Tuesday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. He was also expected to meet later Tuesday with Putin, Peskov said. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. A family-run home builder has become the latest construction company to collapse. Perth based Inspired Property Group went into administration on Tuesday, leaving 70 unfinished construction projects. Rob Kirman and Rob Brauer from McGrathNicol were appointed as the administrators and have already started inspecting the company's books. The administrators have pledged to work with staff, suppliers and customers to come up with 'the best outcome for all parties'. Inspired Property Group initially reported major delays in 2023, while many customers have been waiting up to four years for their houses completed. Western Australian Premier Roger Cook recently met with impacted customers and vowed that resolving the company's unfinished constructions was a top priority for the state government. He previously wrote to the corporate regulator requesting a review of the company's finances. The claims will allow homeowners to seek other services to complete unfinished building work. Inspired Property Group is the latest construction company to collapse. Pictured is one of its completed projects The Perth based company went into administration on Tuesday David Daff was 'absolutely elated' that the construction of his new home would finally be able to continue. 'Words can't describe the feeling,' he told The West Australian. 'Tears, joy, the entire group (of customers) . . . just feels relief. 'It feels like we're finally out of this prison.' Premier Cook had previously wrote to the corporate regulator requesting a review of the company's finances. The administration will be 'a step towards a resolution', a spokesman for the WA Government told the publication. 'Our priority continues to be getting customers into their new homes as soon as possible,' he said. Impacted homeowners were urged by the administrator to seek independent legal advice Inspired Property Group director Vas Spaseski (right) vowed to work with the administrators to secure the best outcomes for all affected stakeholders Inspired Property Group director Vas Spaseski has accepted the decision with 'deep sadness'. He added the family owned business had strived to continue building homes but were hampered that rising costs of sub-contractors and material shortages. Mr Spaseski vowed to work with the administrators to secure the best outcomes for all affected stakeholders. A New Orleans judge has been slammed after admitting several vicious ads she ran during her successful election four years ago were not true. Jennifer Medley, a civil district judge, conceded during a grilling from the Louisiana Judiciary Commission this week to 'lapses' during her campaign. This included labelling her opponent - former Judge Chris Bruno - a 'deadbeat dad' over allegations he had failed to pay child support for 13 years, which was false. Although Bruno won a court order to stop the ad ever airing, this week the commission found Medley pushed for it to be released while 'knowing her commercial was false or at the very least acted with reckless disregard.' In another, Medley used testimony from a woman who had gone before Bruno during a sexual assault case, describing her as an 'actual rape victim.' Bruno decided in that case the woman was not a rape victim, and in Medley's advert she claimed he 'called me a scorned woman and didn't find me credible', which the committee decided was not true. Medley said she pulled the commercial from the air after receiving a letter from the committee, and insisted it was 'an opinion piece that dealt with temperament.' The judge faces punishment for judicial misconduct up to a yearlong unpaid suspension from the bench, with the committee set to make a decision on Medley's future in the coming weeks as she gears up for a re-election campaign. Jennifer Medley, a Civil District Judge on the New Orleans Parish Division F court, has come under scrutiny after admitting several spiteful ads she ran during her successful election campaign four years ago were not true Medley conceded that she regretted several adverts she ran against her opponent four years ago, Judge Chris Bruno (pictured), who she defeated Medley's conduct was condemned by the commission members this week as it decided her fate, with Assistant Special Counsel John Keeling berating her for running a spiteful campaign. 'Here today we have a judge who is only a judge... based upon a campaign that involved repeated deceptive or false claims,' he said. 'Win at all costs, win by deception, win by bending or breaking any rule you need to, cannot be tolerated in our judicial campaigns.' One of the adverts from her 2020 election campaign that landed Medley is hot water this week called Bruno a 'deadbeat dad' over allegations he failed to pay child support for 13 years. Court records cited by NOLA.com found that Bruno was in arrears for a span of two years during a previous custody battle, not the 13 years claimed in Medley's ad. She admitted to the commission this week that 'part of the ad was in error', and said she regretted the video, which never ran as Bruno received a court order preventing its release at the time. Although the ad never ran, the commission alleged that Medley's social media page violated the order as it shared a Facebook post making the same allegations that Bruno 'didn't pay child support for more than a decade.' Although the ad never ran, Medley's social media page also shared a Facebook post making allegations that Bruno 'didn't pay child support for more than a decade' Asked about the ad this week, Medley conceded that part of it was 'in error' but maintained that Bruno had missed child support payments in the past. 'You need to pay your child support, whatever it is,' she said, before adding that she regretted using the word 'deadbeat', because it is an 'ugly word.' Sandra Wilson, a state appeals court judge who co-chairs the commission, said in response that she was not satisfied with Medley's explanation. 'When you say for the public at large, for 13 years Judge Bruno avoided the obligation for caring for his child, I find that extremely misleading,' she said. 'We want to understand the Jennifer Medley who thought this was a good idea.' Medley is facing potential disciplinary action from the Louisiana Supreme Court, and is being recommended for a yearlong unpaid suspension from the bench Medley is facing potential disciplinary action from the Louisiana Supreme Court, which will make a decision after the commission's hearings. The Office of Special Counsel asked the commission to punish her with a yearlong unpaid suspension. The judge is up for re-election next year, and her attorney Steve Sheckman argued this week that she had been an 'excellent judge' since she was elected four years ago, per NOLA.com. It is unclear when the commission will make any decisions on Medley's potential punishment. Video footage showed the moment a woman in Pennsylvania sped the wrong way on a freeway before a group of motorcyclists were tragically struck. A 24-year-old woman from New Jersey was filmed speeding southbound on the I-476 northbound around 9am on Sunday moments before she struck two motorcyclists. Pennsylvania State Police reported to the scene of the crash at mile marker 67 in Washington Township. One of the cyclists, 50-year-old John Joseph Sweeney, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a press release. Sweeney was driving a Harley Davidson motorcycle at the time of the crash among the group of six motorcyclists. Tributes poured in for Sweeney on Facebook, as those who knew him created a GoFundMe to help his two sons, Colin and Tyler. 'John Sweeney was a devoted father, brother and son. An all around good guy,' said the fundraiser's organizer Dawn Kaufmann, who is Sweeney's soon-to-be mother-in-law. 'This tragedy took place because an irresponsible woman drove the wrong way on the turnpike causing not only the death of John but for his son Colin to witness it and be injured because of a careless driver.' A 24-year-old woman from New Jersey was videoed speeding southbound on the I-476 northbound around 9am on Sunday moments before she struck two motorcyclists 'This tragedy took place because an irresponsible woman drove the wrong way on the turnpike causing not only the death of John but for his son Colin to witness it and be injured because of a careless driver,' said the GoFundMe for one of the motorcyclists One of the cyclists, 50-year-old John Joseph Sweeney (pictured), was pronounced dead at the scene A 24-year-old man, who had also been riding with the group, was injured and transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest. According to the fundraiser, Sweeney was also soon to become a grandparent. 'I have no words just all numb. You will be missed so much. You had a heart of gold,' said a friend of Sweeney's. 'My thoughts and prayers and love go out to your family.' The woman, driving a Honda HRV, had sped past another driver, Jack Carroll, who's friend driving ahead attempted to warn him of the car driving the wrong way. 'We were on the phone talking and I was around mile marker 67.5 when he said, "That woman is driving the wrong direction. I got to go. I'm going to call the police",' Carroll told WFMZ. Carroll recalled how his friend rounded the bend, and he became faced with a set of headlights and began recording. 'And she blew by me. It's not like she was doing 30. She was doing 70,80, 90 miles per hour. I was doing 65,' Carroll said. Carroll told the outlet they heard someone had been killed hours later. Jack Carroll (pictured) managed to catch the driver speeding past him on video just moments before the crash. '...she blew by me. It's not like she was doing 30. She was doing 70,80, 90 miles per hour. I was doing 65,' he said 'We learned about that when we ate lunch in the middle of our wheeling trip, that she actually did end up killing someone and it was really sobering because that very easily could've been either one of us,' he recalled. 'I was infuriated. She's potentially putting lives at risk and making it so a father, a mother, doesn't go home to their wife or husband or their daughter, you know their child and that's what happened. She took out a motorcyclist who had nothing to do with this,' Carroll continued. The driver sustained minor injuries, according to the press release. Pennsylvania State Police did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Shocking video footage has surfaced of dirt bike and ATV riders circling the World War II Memorial in crime-ridden Washington, DC, on early Sunday morning. The video showed multiple people riding through the empty memorial with one of the disrespecting riders performing a wheelie. Social media users slammed the dirt bike riders for making a mockery of the sacrosanct memorial, with one user writing, 'Your forefathers went overseas to die for this.' 'Essentially they are enabling destruction and THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT,' another comment read. The WWII Memorial is free and open to the public at all hours; however, park rangers only monitor the site from 9:30 am to 10 pm. The memorial honors the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, including the more than 400,000 service members who died during the war. The National Park Service said they were reviewing the security footage and 'strongly condemned' the activities seen in the video. Friends of the National WWII Memorial, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the site, released a statement on X slamming the riders in the video. Joyriders were seen on ATVs and dirt bikes riding through the World War II Memorial in the middle of the night One rider could be seen popping a wheelie as the others circled inside the empty memorial The WWII Memorial honors the 16 million Americans who served in the war and commemorates the over 400,000 service members who lost their lives 'We are aware of the disturbing video showing four-wheelers & dirt bikes inside the WWII Memorial. Out of respect, we will not repost it,' the post read. 'This Memorial honors over 400,000 Americans who gave their lives. It deserves reverence, not recklessness.' Veterans echoed a similar sentiment, slamming the reckless individuals for disrespecting the memorial. Veteran David Fields told local Fox affiliate, WTTG News, that the video was 'disgraceful'. 'This is just as sacred as Arlington National Cemetery. And to have people riding motorcycles around there, was just a lack of respect,' he added. Alex Kershaw, a historian with Friends of the WWII Memorial, told local NBC affiliate, WRC-TV, that the memorial was erected to commemorate lives lost during the war. 'It's here because of the over 400,000 Americans who gave their lives in World War II and the many millions around the globe who were involved in that amazing fight for freedom and the defeat of genocidal evil,' he said. It is illegal to ride ATVs on DC streets and through the National Mall, and the Metropolitan Police Department has been overcome with related crimes in recent months. Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a bill last year called Secure DC, which was an effort to curb the city's high-crime numbers Veterans slammed the riders as 'disrespectful' for driving through the 'sacred' memorial as Park Police announced they were investigating the video surveillance footage A nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the memorial slammed the video as 'disturbing' and said the monument deserved 'reverence, not recklessness' Your forefathers went overseas to die for this. pic.twitter.com/ZGXX0yu9e4 (@MAalcofribas) March 30, 2025 Back in February, an ATV rider using the sidewalk struck a pedestrian from behind, who was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. On St. Patrick's Day weekend, another suspect riding an ATV struck officers who were attempting to stop them. Two officers were hit by the ATV and suffered serious injuries from the hit-and-run. Both officers have since been released from the hospital. DC residents have been left confused and outraged following the persistence of the problem. After two police officers were victims of a hit-and-run, a resident in the area told WTTG that the incident was 'not unexpected.' 'I've seen how the ATVs tear in and out of there with pedestrians on the sidewalks and it's dangerous,' Bo Billups said. 'The question I have is my understanding is that the ATVs are illegal and so why are they here with such frequency and riding up and down U Street, joyriding in both lanes stopping traffic?' Billups added. Another resident told the outlet that their neighborhood has suffered 'terrible problems' with ATV riders putting pedestrians in danger. Even though ATVs and dirt bikes are illegal on DC streets and the National Mall, DC police have been plagued with illegal riders since a law prohibited officers from chasing vehicles unless there is imminent danger Operating ATVs, minibikes, and dirt bikes on the streets of DC is against the law, however, the city's 'no chase' policy prevents officers from going after the vehicles. The law was passed in 2022 under Mayor Muriel Bowser, and made it illegal for law enforcement to pursue vehicles unless they believed the suspect posed an imminent threat of death or serious injury. The law was intended to restrict high-speed police chases to protect officers, suspects, and the general public, however, it does make it more difficult to pursue suspects who flee in a vehicle. DC has been plagued with violent crime for years, with homicides and robberies increasing in 2023, forcing residents to move out of the nation's capital. Crime numbers pushed Mayor Bowser to sign a bill called Secure DC into law last year, which expanded the definition of carjacking, increased penalties for gun crimes, and implemented 'drug free' zones. In another effort to curb crime in the city, President Trump signed an executive order establishing a 'D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.' The order targets cleanliness, safety, reducing crime, combatting homelessness and deporting undocumented migrants. Washington DC's Metro system is also attempting to clean up the city, cracking down on sex crime violators on public transit. Those who have committed sex crimes assaulted Metro employees, or harmed passengers will have their SmarTrip cards deactivated. DC officials and the Trump administration are attempting to stop crime in the nation's capital with new laws cleaning up the city Criminals will be banned from public transit for a year, which was approved unanimously by the Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board of Directors. DailyMail.com reached out to DC Park Police for more information on the viral ATV video but didn't immediately hear back. An elderly MAGA woman has been arrested after she sped her car through a Tesla protest while flipping off demonstrators in Washington state over the weekend. Louise Powell, 68, was cited on suspicion of reckless driving and driving without a license after the bizarre incident outside one of Elon Musk's dealerships in Spokane Valley on Saturday. Photographs show the moment police handcuffed Powell, who was wearing a gray t-shirt baring the words 'TRUMP 47' and 'YOU'RE FIRED', in reference to Donald Trump's pledge to slim down the number of employees in the federal government. A Spokane Police officer said he saw Powell's blue Volkswagen Beetle speeding through the Tesla parking lot at 1805 N. Pepper Lane in Liberty Lake where a crowd was holding a protest against the DOGE leader. The officer followed Powell until she sped into another parking lot across the street. He turned on his blue lights and sirens to pull her over, but she continued ahead into the main roadway without slowing down. Another officer said they witnessed Powell speeding and weaving between the lanes on the highway, screaming out of her window at protesters and flipping them off. She then 'nearly caused what would have been a significant accident' by making a sharp right turn onto North Bitterroot Street and a wide, illegal U-turn, according to the police report. MAGA woman Louise Powell was arrested after she sped her car through a Tesla protest while flipping off demonstrators in Washington state over the weekend Powell was cited on suspicion of reckless driving and driving without a license after the bizarre incident outside one of Elon Musk 's dealerships in Spokane Valley on Saturday As Powell's vehicle hurtled back, she allegedly steered towards the sidewalk at a high speed while continuing to make gestures at protesters. Liberty Lake Police Chief Damon Simmons eventually managed to block her, before asking her to exit her vehicle. She was arrested at the scene. 'I am certainly glad that no one was hurt and that the Liberty Lake police were present and able to take her into custody,' one anti-Tesla protester wrote in their Facebook group following Saturday's incident. 'Thanks to the Liberty Lake police for taking our safety seriously. Her behavior is reckless and could have seriously injured someone.' The protest was one of the many 'Tesla Takedown' demos which have surged across the country in response to DOGE policies. Demonstrations against Musk and Tesla have ramped up since the billionaire and DOGE began firing thousands of federal workers, including veterans, as it pushes to downsize the government. Photographs show the moment police handcuffed Louise Powell, 68, who was wearing a gray t-shirt baring the words 'TRUMP 47' and 'YOU'RE FIRED', in reference to Donald Trump's pledge to slim down the number of employees in the federal government Demonstrations against Musk and Tesla have ramped up since the billionaire and DOGE began firing thousands of federal workers as it pushes to downsize the government Photographs show the moment police handcuffed Louise Powell, 68, who was wearing a gray t-shirt baring the words 'TRUMP 47' and 'YOU'RE FIRED', in reference to Donald Trump's pledge to slim down the number of employees in the federal government A Spokane Police officer said he saw Powell's blue Volkswagen Beetle speeding through the Tesla parking lot at 1805 N. Pepper Lane in Liberty Lake where a crowd was holding a protest Musk's political postures also appear to be coming at a price for Tesla, whose sales in Europe tumbled 45 percent in January from a year earlier - while its rivals' sales rose by over 37 percent. Tesla's market capitalization has dropped 45 percent 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. In an effort to turn that around, Trump showcased the electric vehicles from the White House last week - and even purchased one of his own. Speaking alongside his 'First Buddy' at a press conference, Trump also said anyone enacting violence against Teslas and the dealerships would be labeled 'domestic terrorists'. A 'vibrant and lovely' businesswoman died after 'woeful' care following weight loss surgery, an inquest heard. Beauty industry boss Nicola Fisher, 54, died from multi-organ failure after she went under the knife at the Spire Washington Hospital, Tyne and Wear. The managing director of French Beauty Expert, based in Sunderland, had gone in for a gastric sleeve operation at the private hospital in June 2023. Sunderland Coroner's Court heard that the procedure involved the removal up to 85 per cent of Mrs Fisher's stomach to restrict her appetite and food consumption. Mrs Fisher had a gastric band fitted in 2009 but it had not delivered the results she was hoping for. The surgery, on June 12, 2023, had the added complication of the removal of the existing gastric band but Mrs Fisher was deemed fit to be discharged on the early evening of June 13. However, after experiencing vomiting and shortness of breath the following day, she ended up being taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital by ambulance where she underwent surgery after developing a severe abdominal infection. The surgeon identified evidence of a leak which he attempted to close and left a drain in, expecting the leak to continue as it did. Beauty industry boss Nicola Fisher, 54, died from multi-organ failure after she underwent weight loss surgery at Spire Washington Hospital, Tyne and Wear in June 2023 Assistant Coroner Karin Welsh identified the medical situation as 'challenging'. Further surgery took place at the hospital on August 18, 2023. Again the surgery was described in the report as challenging, but appeared successful and Mrs Fisher was well enough to be discharged on August 24. However, in November another leak was found. This was drained on November 28 and attempts were then made to 'build her up nutritionally'. However, Mrs Fisher's condition deteriorated due to another infection and she died on 11 January, last year, in Sunderland Royal Hospital. The coroner's focus during the inquest was on the initial surgery at Spire Washington Hospital, her aftercare, and whether any leak should have been identified before she was discharged from the hospital. The coroner's report stated the surgeon had visually checked the area and 'no leak was detected' and the coroner agreed in her report that being discharged the following day 'would be appropriate in the absence of any contra indications'. In her report the coroner stated: 'No leak test was done after the conclusion of the procedure. This would be done at Sunderland Royal Hospital, but not at other trusts.' Medical staff at the Spire had failed to carry out appropriate observations or record them before Mrs Fisher's discharge, the inquest heard. Medical staff at Spire Washington Hospital failed to carry out appropriate observations or or record them before Nicola Fisher's discharge following weight loss surgery, the inquest heard. Medications were not given as expected, and Mrs Fisher's pre-discharge blood test results were also not checked prior. The coroner stated in her report: 'There are a number of matters that cause concern about Nicola's experience at Spire on June 13. 'Medications were not given as expected and prescribed fluids were not given. There may well have been a clinical reason why the administration of fluid was not given but this was not documented. 'I have nothing to assure me that observations were done on Nicola after 10am on June 13 and indeed there is very little documented about Nicola in for example the progress and evaluation documentation that assists. 'The blood test results were not considered before discharge. Although a discharge summary was completed indicating a score of 0, I do not know if this means that an assessment was done or if it was merely taken from observations done earlier that day.' The coroner highlighted how the lack of documented observations 'hampered me in having a clear understanding of Nicola's condition at the time of discharge so as to enable me to make findings one way or another as to the appropriateness of Nicola's discharge'. She added: 'This is woeful. It also means Nicola's family do not have the assurance of knowing that Nicola's care after 10am on June 13 was as it should have been.' On the ultimate cause of the leak which led to complications, the coroner identified two 'equally plausible' explanations; one, the leak was as a direct result of something done during surgery and another, the leak was an indirect consequence of the surgery and it may be that the leak occurred sometime after the operation. On the first possible reason the coroner said. 'In this situation I would be of the mind that given that Nicola had had direct fluid and pureed food prior to her discharge, that this would most likely have begun to have an impact on her before discharge and that this is something that would have been apparent from observations.' On the second scenario she added: 'I note the leak was not apparent to the surgeon during the procedure and in this situation then I would be of the mind that this would not necessarily be apparent prior to discharge.' Ultimately the coroner could not make a definitive decision. She said: 'I must base findings on evidence and I cannot make assumptions. I therefore find myself in the position that I cannot make a finding one way or another on this point and I am sorry that I am not able to give Nicola's family clarity on this aspect of my investigation.' The coroner was, however, damning in her criticism of the aftercare Nicola experienced at Washington Spire Hospital and the recording and documentation of information. She said: 'I rather suspect there is a perception in the general public that paying for treatment at a private hospital results in a quicker and better standard of care. As indicated, this was not the case for Nicola, certainly after 10am on June 13 when the basics were either not done or not documented.' Following the inquest, her widower Peter Fisher said: 'I know Nicola would never have gone ahead with this procedure, particularly if she had any idea the aftercare would be so woeful, as it was quite rightly described, and the most basic of checks would not be performed prior to her discharge. 'Nicola and I were so happy together. She was so vibrant and such a lovely person. I miss her dreadfully every day.' Lawyer John Lowther, of Slater and Gordon, who was representing the family at the inquest, added: 'The loss of Nicola is felt acutely by Peter, who had to witness his wife's slow and painful decline over the course of several months after what she hoped would be life-enhancing weight loss surgery at Spire Washington Hospital. 'The inquest has led to the identification of a series of basic failures on the part of Spire Washington Hospital, which may have presented missed opportunities to avoid her suffering and death. 'We continue to fight for Peter and will support him in finding answers.' The inquest did acknowledge that a leak following surgery of this nature is 'a recognised risk' and that Mrs Fisher had signed the necessary consent form and had made an informed decision to go ahead with the surgery. The medical cause of death listed on the coroner's record of inquest is multi-organ failure, but she references complications of bariatric surgery and obesity. A Spire Washington Hospital spokesperson said: 'The safety of all our patients is our highest priority, and we offer our very sincere condolences to Mrs Fisher's family for their loss. 'Spire carried out a thorough investigation into Mrs Fisher's care at Spire Washington, at the time the initial complication arose, and completed an action plan to strengthen its processes in relation to the issues identified.' President Donald Trump compared himself to convicted French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, calling her ban from elective office a 'very big deal.' 'That's a big deal. That's a very big deal,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He expressed sympathy for Le Pen and said her situation 'sounds very much like this country.' 'I know all about it, and a lot of people thought she wasn't going to be convicted of anything and I don't know that it means conviction but she was banned for running for five years and she's the leading candidate. That sounds like this country. That sounds very much like this country,' he added. Le Pen, 56, on Monday was convicted of creating fake jobs at the EU parliament and taking advantage of expenses to employ assistants who were actually working for her party in France. The matriarch of the hard-right National Rally (RN) party was barred from running for office for five years and given a four-year prison sentence, although she will not go to jail as half of it was suspended and the rest will be served with an electronic tag. Trump has long portrayed himself the victim of a government 'witch hunt' and politically motivated prosecutions. President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for France's Marine Le Pen Trump has been subject to many lawsuits from state and federal governments: The state of New York convicted him in 2024 of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels but his sentencing was indefinitely postponed following his second election to the presidency Before the November 2024, a federal judge dismissed the federal charges relating to Trump's handling of classified documents After Trump's election, the special counsel decided to abandon the federal charges related to the 2020 election, citing the Justice Department policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents A case against in Georgia is on pause while the courts decide whether a state-level prosecutor can prosecute a sitting president He denied wrongdoing in all the cases. Other officials in the Trump administration have echoed the president's stance on Le Pen. Trump's DOGE adviser Elon Musk also slammed the French court's decision, saying: 'When the radical left can't win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents. This is their standard playbook throughout the world.' And State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the department was 'aware' of Le Pen's sentencing. 'Exclusion of people from the political process is particularly concerning given the aggressive and corrupt lawfare waged against President [Donald] Trump here in the United States,' Bruce said. But she declined to comment specifically on Le Pen's case. Marine Le Pen in French Parliament on Tuesday Marine Le Pen, president of the far-right National Rally (RN) parliamentary group, leaves the National Rally headquarters after the verdict Monday's verdict was seen as a hammer blow to Le Pen's long-held hopes of ascending to the presidency in 2027. She was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine and her party was docked $2 million - half of which must be paid definitively, while the other half would be demanded in the event of a repeat offence. Le Pen could appeal her sentence. If her bid fails, she will get a four-year prison sentence - two of which were suspended and two to be served under house arrest. Twenty-four people, including Le Pen, were convicted - all of them RN party officials or assistants. Only one defendant was acquitted of any wrongdoing. Le Pen said she will appeal. She argued the court should not have made her ineligible to run for office until all her chances at appeal had been exhausted, and that by doing so it was clear the court was aiming 'specifically to prevent' her from being elected president. 'If that's not a political decision, I don't know what is,' Le Pen said in the TF1 interview. She said the ruling marked a 'fateful day for our democracy' but vowed to keep pursuing what she called the now 'admittedly narrow' path to the presidency. 'There are millions of French people who believe in me, millions of French people who trust me,' she added. 'For 30 years I've been fighting for you, and for 30 years I've been fighting against injustice, so I'm going to continue fighting.' She is allowed to keep her seat in the French Parliament. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also blasted the verdict against Le Pen In the face of the widespread criticism of the verdict, one of France's top two public prosecutors denied there was a political element to Monday's decision. 'Justice is not political, this is not a political decision but a legal one, delivered by three independent, impartial judges,' Remy Heitz told RTL radio station. It wasn't just Trump who was critical of the verdict. Other conservative leaders in Europe blasted it. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the ruling against Le Pen disenfranchised millions of voters in France and the EU. 'I don't know the merits of the accusations against Marine Le Pen, or the reasons for such a strong decision,' Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy party, told Il Messaggero. 'But I think that no one who cares about democracy can rejoice at a sentence that targets the leader of a major party and deprives millions of citizens of representation.' Russia also waded in. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters: 'More and more European capitals are going down the path of trampling over democratic norms. 'Of course, we do not want to interfere in France's internal affairs, we have never done so... But in general, our observations of European capitals show that they are not at all reluctant to go beyond democracy during the political process.' Blog Archive: Jul 2025 (20) Jun 2025 (150) May 2025 (155) Apr 2025 (9) Mar 2025 (149) Feb 2025 (139) Jan 2025 (155) Dec 2024 (144) Nov 2024 (143) Oct 2024 (155) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (155) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) The 'two-tier justice' row descended into farce today as it emerged judges were only told controversial guidelines had been postponed after court hearings began. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick told MPs there was a very real prospect that offenders were handled under the discredited Sentencing Council rules this morning. An email from the Sentencing Council pausing the guidelines went out at noon, two hours after courts began sitting, he told the House of Commons. Mr Jenrick asked for an assurance from Labour that no criminals were sentenced under the postponed rules. It came as Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged for first time that the Councils measures were more likely to discourage a judge from sentencing an offender to jail. She told MPs the Government is to publish emergency legislation which will block the Council from making similar guidelines in the future. She said the new Bill will 'prohibit the Council from making guidelines about pre sentence reports with specific reference to the offender's personal characteristics, such as their race, religion or belief or cultural background'. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has warned of a 'two-tier justice' system and told MPs there was a 'very real prospect' that courts went ahead under discredited guidelines Mr Jenrick told the Commons Ms Mahmood had 'completely lost control of the justice system' 'She sat her hands for weeks, took seven days to gather her thoughts and put her views in writing to the Sentencing Council,' he said. 'Her incompetence took this down to the wire. 'Magistrates and judges were only updated by the press office of the Sentencing Council at midday today that the guidelines that were due to come into effect had been suspended. 'That raises the very real prospect that magistrates and judges, sitting from 10am this morning, were unaware of this chaotic, last-minute change, and did sentence people under guidelines that the Justice Secretary concedes are two-tier.' Ms Mahmood replied: 'The pause in the guideline was communicated. That is a matter for the Sentencing Council.' It is understood the Council sent out an email at 11.57am today advising judges that the guideline had been put on hold. However, most magistrates' courts start hearings at 10am and most Crown courts sit from 10.30am in most cases. The controversial measures, published last month, recommended all ethnic minorities and transgender people convicted of a crime should be treated differently by judges and magistrates after being convicted of a crime. They said it must normally be considered necessary for the courts to commission a pre-sentence report about criminals if they come from an ethnic minority, cultural minority, and/or faith minority community. They also included a long list of other minority criminals to be covered by the measures, including transgender people, young adults and addicts. It should also apply to all women offenders, they added. Labour's Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is unveiling emergency legislation to prevent the Sentencing Council bringing in guidelines based on a criminal's 'personal characteristics' Pre-sentence reports often set out reasons why a jail sentence would be detrimental for an offender. Ms Mahmood's attempts to have the guidelines reviewed were initially rebuffed by the Council. However, on Monday it was revealed their implementation was being delayed. A No10 spokesman last week said Ms Mahmood was considering a range of options, and that includes reviewing the roles and responsibility of the Sentencing Council. The head of the Sentencing Council Lord Justice William Davis initially refused to back down Labour has already blocked new legislation drawn up by Mr Jenrick last month which would have solved the problem by granting ministers a veto over the Councils guidelines. Last week it was warned separate guidelines by the Council risk blowing a hole in Britains border controls by watering down punishments for illegal immigration offences. Mr Jenrick said the proposals will lead to hundreds of illegal immigrants a year being handed far weaker punishments than those approved by Parliament. The Shadow Justice Minister called on Ms Mahmood to sack Lord Justice William Davis, the head of the Sentencing Council. The Tory MP accused Sir William, an Appeal Court judge, of an 'astonishing departure from the expected standards of judicial conduct' after he gave a media interview calling for the abolition of short jail sentences, including those for 'hyper-prolific offenders'. 'It's time for him to go,' said Mr Jenrick. 'If she wont sack him for this, what will it take?' The Justice Secretary did not comment directly on whether she still had confidence in Sir William. The Justice Secretary said Labour's new legislation, the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill, published today, would ensure 'no race or religion should receive preferential treatment before the law'. However, the narrowly-drawn text of the Bill applies only to 'sentencing guidelines about pre-sentence reports', saying they must not be framed by an offender's 'personal characteristics' such as their race. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood inspects a prison cell at the new HMP Millsike, at Full Sutton near York, last week It appears to leave the Council with the opportunity to include such criteria in guidelines relating to other aspects of the justice system. Mr Jenrick said: This Bill doesnt fix the problem. Unless ministerial oversight is established, and members of the Sentencing Council are sacked, we will see more nonsensical guidelines in the future. 'For instance, there is nothing in the Bill that would stop the Councils draft immigration guidelines that water down sentences - and mean hundreds of foreign offenders will avoid deportation - from being blocked. Shabana Mahmood, who is Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, during a visit to Yorkshire's new jail, HMP Millsike, last week 'This is too little, too late. In the wake of calls for the Council to be scrapped or reformed, Ms Mahmood told MPs further measures could be introduced at a later date. 'The proper role of the Sentencing Council and the process for making guidelines of this type must be considered further,' she said. 'I will do so in the coming months. It is right that this question is considered in greater depth and should further legislation be required, I shall propose it as part of the upcoming Sentencing Bill.' A British tourist has died from his injuries after a suspected gas explosion destroyed his B&B in Rome. 54-year-old Grant Paterson, from East Kilbride, was fighting for his life at Sant'Eugenio Hospital in the Italian capital after blast on March 22. He was pulled from the rubble by mercy crews but suffered burns to 75 per cent of his body, according to reports. His family, including his daughter, joined him in Italy last Monday before he underwent his first operation to remove burnt debris from his body, according to the Daily Record. Doctors were scheduled to perform surgery to replace his damaged skin with that of a donor last week. However, it was today confirmed that he has now passed away. Paterson, who arrived in Rome a few days before the building collapsed, was described as a 'true gentleman' by former colleagues at ferry operator CalMac. Diane Burke, the company's Chief Operating Officer, said: 'Everyone at CalMac is distraught that Grant has passed away. He was a true gentleman and a credit to MV Clansman, the vessel he served aboard. Facebook picture of Grant Paterson in Rome Emergency workers at the building after the suspected gas leak Workers spent nearly an hour trying to free Paterson before rushing him to hospital 'During a distinguished 12-year career with us, he embodied the very best of CalMac and, with his larger-than-life character, he was much-loved by colleagues and passengers alike. 'Our thoughts are with Grant's friends and family at this extremely difficult time.' The Glasgow Shipping Branch of the RMT union said on social media: 'The thoughts and prayers of all at the Glasgow Shipping Branch are with the family and friends of our branch member Grant Paterson who has tragically passed away following an accident on holiday. 'Fair winds and following seas.' Chris Gibson, another CalMac employee, said: 'Devastated at the news today that Grant Paterson has lost his battle for survival. RIP and fair winds. You will be sorely missed big guy.' A fundraiser to support Paterson's family while they are in Rome has raised over 11,000, despite the initial target being 1,000. One donor, who called themselves Loraine Foy, said: 'So sorry to hear what happened. I saw you two weeks ago after not seeing you for many years, we had a lovely chat and you said how much you were looking forward to the trip. Thinking of you.' Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri has ordered a probe into the building's collapse, which saw emergency crews scramble to the scene after the alarm was raised. He said: 'Initial findings seem to indicate that it was a gas leak, perhaps from a cylinder that exploded, causing very significant damage. 'There is one injured person. He is reportedly a guest of an accommodation facility, and investigations are under way into the B&B.' The State Attorney's Office in Rome has opened a probe against 'unknown persons' as well as seizing the building, according to Italian media. The B&B, named Mamma Roma, was situated in busy neighbourhood of Monteverde, in southwest Rome Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri has ordered a probe into the building's collapse Gualtieri visiting the scene of the devastation The B&B, named Mamma Roma, was situated in busy neighbourhood of Monteverde, in southwest Rome. It was believed to be a former stables which had been converted into a guest house. Posts on his Facebook page showed he had previously visited the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain on his solo trip. He had been due to return on March 24. In a written post, he said: 'Arrived in Rome, trains planes, buses and foot... Accommodation is beautiful. This should be a good week... if I don't get killed in some ungodly way...' Emergency workers reported hearing cries coming from the rubble of the property and spent nearly an hour trying to free him before rushing him to hospital. A witness told Rai television news: 'I was stopped at the traffic lights at the intersection when I heard an explosion. It was like a bomb, a terrifying bomb.' Another witness, who lives on the same street, compared the blast to a bomb going off as all her windows started to shake. Police set up an exclusion zone round the blast site following the explosion as a precaution. The wall of a nearby villa was also damaged in the incident. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) told MailOnline: 'We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Italy and are in touch with the local authorities.' A grandmother's wise advice saved the life of her 12-year-old granddaughter dragged into the ocean by an 'extremely powerful and unforgiving' wave while swimming in Oregon. In what was described as a 'miracle', the pre-teen girl survived after being swept into the water at Seaside Beach, about 80 miles north west of Portland, just after 6pm on Saturday. She was missing for a terrifying 30 minutes as a rough rip current swept her out to sea beyond the sight or reach of family. Fortunately the unnamed girl from Salem knew exactly what to do thanks to her sage-like grandmother, who taught her to float on her back and let the water take her if she ever found herself in the frightening situation. The little girl did exactly that until she spotted land and swam to the shore about 10 blocks from where she was initially pulled under, a Seaside spokesperson told Oregon Live. Emergency crews, who brought in a helicopter to survey the area to find the girl, quickly examined her before bringing her to Providence Seaside Hospital. She was conscious and alert and only had a little bit of water in her left lung. The rescue team also warmed her up to avoid hypothermia after she got out of the 50 degree water, the grandmother, who wished to remain anonymous, told the outlet. Wendi Monroe, who witnessed the frantic search and rescue while spending time down the shore with her fiance, said the water was very rough that day. 'You just couldnt see because the waves were so bad that day,' Monroe said. A 12-year-old girl used her grandmother's advice after she was pulled into rough water at Seaside Beach in Oregon on Saturday evening. (Pictured: A crowd of onlookers stand on the sand while emergency personnel search for the girl) Wendi Monroe, who witnessed the frantic search and rescue while spending time down the shore with her fiance, said the water was very rough that day Seaside officials echoed Monroe's statement, saying that the water was 'extremely powerful and unforgiving,' but the situation ended in 'a really good outcome.' The girl was at the beach that day with her best friend and family, the grandmother said. Both girls were knee-deep in the ocean water just before a massive wave hit them, causing her granddaughter to lose her balance and fall. She was quickly pulled into the water while her friend managed to stay standing. After about 30 minutes of searching for the girl, she thankfully pulled herself to safety. Monroe posted dramatic photos of the scene as emergency personnel and locals came together to find the girl that evening. Many people were seen gathered on the sand as police cars and ambulances parked nearby. A helicopter was also seen in the sky trying to locate the girl in the rough water. After floating on her back and letting the water take her, like her grandmother told her to do, the girl was pulled to safety after 20-30 minutes in the 50 degree water She was conscious and alert and only had a little bit of water in her left lung. The rescue team also warmed her up to avoid hypothermia One image showed what appeared to be an emergency crew pushing a gurney on the sand as the treacherous waves continued on in the background. 'So this was pretty intense and heartbreaking to watch,' Monroe captioned the post. 'To watch the 1st responders and Search and Rescue do everything they could to find this little girl was extremely impressive. There is no way in the world that I could do that line of work. Much respect to all of you, that do.' Paul Johnson, the father of the girl's friend, praised the rescue team for their 'amazing job' in helping locate and save the young girl. The grandmother said the girl was only in the hospital for about two hours before being released after the terrifying incident. Monroe said it was a 'miracle' that the girl got out of the water safely. 'For that little girl, I hope she knows how much of a miracle that is that she did survive,' she said. A friend of a schoolgirl who has gone missing in the River Thames reportedly tried to pull her out of the water before she went under. The 11-year-old was reportedly down at the river with her friends near Woolwich yesterday when she slipped and fell into the strong current. A major search operation was launched by the authorities who raced down to the waterway at around 1.15pm to Barge House Causeway. However in the hours that ensued they were unable to locate her. According to witnesses, the youngster had been 'playing in the water' with a young boy and girl before she went under and did not come back up. Mother-of-two Eva, 33 who saw the girl slip, said: 'I shouted at the kids to get away from the water when I saw them playing but they didn't listen. 'Then about five minutes later I went back onto the balcony because I heard screaming and a little boy was holding onto her hand and she was in the water. 'I don't know if she lent in to get a shoe or if she just slipped. Then she slipped under the water and the boy just started screaming.' A police rib scours the Thames as the search for an 11-year-old girl who fell into the river yesterday afternoon continues Thames Police boat Nina Mackay 3 searches the Thames after the schoolgirl fell into the water on Monday Eva continued: 'I have to say the emergency services came very quickly but by the time they did she was under the water. 'The water was so high yesterday, and it is attractive to kids to play here when it's sunny.' The mother added: 'I am just heartbroken, I couldn't sleep last night. 'I have two kids and I can't imagine losing one of them.' Leanne Mitchell, 31, who lives near the causeway: 'Apparently she was paddling trying to get a trainer or coat or something belonging to a little boy which had gone into the river. 'She had gone in to try and retrieve it but she must have slipped on the moss, because the tide was really high as well. 'From what I heard she was from Beckton and was visiting some friends here. 'I think her grandmother was here last night.' She added: 'I've lived here for years and I never see anyone playing on there, some people feed the birds but that's it.' RNLI boats scour the Thames as part of a major search and rescue operation on Monday Another neighbour, aged 50, who did not want to be named, said: 'I asked my son why they were off school and he said it was Eid yesterday so a load of schools were closed.' She added: 'Last night at about 1am my son said there were people letting off fireworks, I heard the explosions.' The mother added: 'When she was younger my daughter went and paddled, I was so furious I ran over there and grabbed her and told her 'that river will eat you' the currents are so strong even a good adult swimmer would get eaten. 'There was a little boy a few years ago who got stuck in the mud at the side of the river, he got really lucky because a boat saw him and got him, but it could have been much worse. 'When my granddaughter comes sometimes I'll take her to feed the ducks down there, and I only go so far because it's dangerous, and she slipped, so that just shows you how dangerous it is. 'It's one of the last points you can launch a boat into the Thames before central London so they keep it open but there needs to be a gate or something.' The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to reports that the girl had entered the river close to Barge House Causeway, near London City Airport, at about 1.15pm on Monday. Emergency services launched a 'large-scale response' to the incident, the force said, but the search was later scaled down, with London Ambulance Service (LAS), London Fire Brigade (LFB) and the RNLI saying crews had been stood down. A fire boat and a boat from the RNLI search the Thames in East London after an 11-year-old girl fell into the river on Monday The girl's next of kin have been made aware and are being supported by officers. LAS was called at a similar time to police after receiving a report of a person in the water at Lowestoft Mews, close to the airport. 'We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team,' a spokesperson said. 'Our crews assisted our emergency services partners at the scene but were later stood down.' LFB deputy assistant commissioner Joseph Kenny said: 'Firefighters responded to reports of a person in the River Thames near Lowestoft Mews, Newham. 'Crews from East Ham, Barking, Ilford and Bexley fire stations were sent to the scene alongside crews from the HM Coastguard, RNLI, London Ambulance Service and the Metropolitan Police Service. 'The brigade also deployed its drone team and fire boat as part of its response, with crews carrying out a systematic search of the area. 'The brigade was first called about the incident at 13:23. Search operations for firefighters were concluded at 15:49 when responsibility for the incident was left with the police.' A spokesperson for the RNLI said: 'Tower RNLI was requested to launch this afternoon (March 31) to an incident near Woolwich. 'The lifeboat was later stood down.' At least one man has been illegally deported from the US to a hellhole prison in El Salvador by mistake, the Trump administration admitted in legal paperwork filed in court Monday. Maryland resident Kilmer Armado Abrego-Garcia, married to a U.S. citizen who he shares a five-year-old child with, is suing the Trump Administration over his illegal removal from the US. 'Through administrative error, Abrego-Garcia was removed from the United States to El Salvador,' the legal paperwork filed by Trump's team said. 'This was an oversight, and the removal was carried out in good faith based on the existence of a final order of removal and Abrego-Garcias purported membership in MS-13.' Abrego-Garcia arrived at the notorious supermax prison CECOT in El Salvador March 15 on one of three planes from the US. His removal also contradicts what the Trump White House originally said about the deportations to El Salvador-- when officials claimed some 300 men who were on those planes were all Venezuelans who belong to the global criminal organization Tren de Argua or TdA. However, Abrego-Garcia is a native of El Salvador, and his attorney has denied he belongs to MS-13, TdA or any other criminal group. Abrego-Garcia's lawyers are demanding he be returned to the US, however the Trump administration is outrageously claiming that since he isn't in US custody, the court cannot order him to be returned to the US nor can the court order El Salvador to return him. Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, as part of an agreement with the Salvadoran government, in Tecoluca, El Salvador Outrage spread over the chaotic deportation of a man from the US to Salvador among current and former elected officials 'Another mistake by the Trump administrationtheyre deporting people they know should not be deported under law and then playing dumb about it. Due process would help prevent this,' tweeted former Obama administration cabinet member Julian Castro Tuesday. During Trump's first term in office in 2019, Abrego-Garcia was flagged as a criminal by a confidential informant who "had advised that Abrego Garcia was an active member" of the gang MS-13, his lawyers told ABC News. No evidence was ever presented proving he was a member of the gang, and he was allowed to file an application for asylum. A judge went even further and granted Abrego-Garcia, whose photo has not been made public, withholding of removal to his home country. According to his lawyers, ICE officials detained Abrego-Garcia in March, informing him that 'immigration status had changed.' He was taken to a detention center in Texas before being flown to El Salvador. The legality on the Trump fights to El Salvador has been challenged in court, as Pres. Donald Trump invoked a law meant to be used during only times of war to suspend the legal process for Venezuelans accused of being TdA members. That's how the government was able to remove the men as quickly as they did, since they never had a day in court, and many of the Venezuelans removed now claim they are not TdA members. Bukele, in a meeting last month with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio , offered to house prisoners from the United States in his country The arrival of alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal organisation Tren de Aragua at the Terrorism Confinement Centre The gang has been linked to kidnapping, extortion, organised crime and contract killings Despite admitting wrong-doing, Vice President JD Vance doubled down, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to defend the action, and later editing posts. 'In 2019, an Immigration Judge (under the first Trump administration) determined that the deported man was, in fact, a member of the MS-13 gang,' Vance tweeted, although Abrego-Garcia's lawyer maintain that he was never ruled a gangster. 'He also apparently had multiple traffic violations for which he failed to appear in court,' Vance continued. 'A real winner. It is telling that the entire American media is going to run a propaganda operation today making you think an innocent "father of 3" was apprehended by a gulag.' However, several judges have ruled that the flights to Venezuela violated the deportees rights, even if they are Venezuelan TdA members-- neither of which Abrego-Garcia is. Vice President JD Vance took on former aides for President Obama 'pod bros' as they tried to generate sympathy for an illegal alien deported to El Salvador who was identified as a member of MS-13. Pod Save America co-host Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for Obama, taunted Vance on social media, asking him to respond to a story about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant who was deported to El Salvador. You just admitted to accidentally sending an innocent father from Maryland to a torture dungeon in El Salvador. And you refuse to do anything about it, Favreau wrote on X, sharing an article from The Atlantic magazine about the incident. Vance took the bait, responding to Favreau and other critics on X. My comment is that according to the court document you apparently didnt read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here, Vance replied referring to Garcia. My further comment is that its gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize. Vances assertion drew additional scrutiny as reporters pointed out that Garcia was not a convicted MS-13 gang member, but identified as a member of the gang by an informant, which led to a judge denying him bond in 2019. The court filing does not say that, wrote Politico legal reporter Kyle Cheney. It says he was denied bond in 2019 over an informants claim he was in MS-13. Thats not a conviction. U.S. Vice President JD Vance defended the administration's deportations of MS-13 gang members Salvadoran prison guards escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the MS-13 gang Cheneys details prompted other Pod Save America hosts and Trump opponents to get involved. JD are you stupid or just a liar? asked former Obama national security advisor Tommy Vietor, who serves as a co-host of the podcast. But Vance was not impressed by the specifics, mocking Cheney for being apparently unable or unwilling to look at the facts here. In 2019, an Immigration Judge (under the first Trump administration) determined that the deported man was, in fact, a member of the MS-13 gang, Vance replied. He also apparently had multiple traffic violations for which he failed to appear in court. A real winner. Vance also skewered reporters for spending more time running propaganda stories against the Trump administration without acknowledging the facts. Jon Favreau, former chief speechwriter for President Barack Obama and co-host of Pod Save America Obama meets with his speechwriters who are working at the White House It is telling that the entire American media is going to run a propaganda operation today making you think an innocent father of 3 was apprehended by a gulag, he wrote. Vance asserted that Garcia was an illegal immigrant with no right to be in our country and that an immigration judge determined he was a member of the MS-13 gang. The vice president again pointed to Garcias status the reason he was deported. Because he is not a citizen, he does not get a full jury trial by peers. In other words, whatever due process he was entitled to, he received, he said. Garcia, however, had protected legal status from a previous court ruling, a detail that the Trump administration acknowledged in a court filing. But the government explained they lacked jurisdiction in El Salvador to order his return. On Monday, the Trump administration revealed that 17 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs were transferred to El Salvador on Monday by the United States military. More than 200 Venezuelan immigrants facing deportation were sent to El Salvador in the month of March. Russia will be placed on the top level of a government scheme aimed at protecting the UK from malign foreign influence, security minister Dan Jarvis has announced. Vladimir Putin's dictatorship will be placed in the 'enhanced' tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (Firs), which makes it easier to tackle spies and thugs operating in Britain. It joins Islamist Iran in the top level of the scheme, under which anyone directed by a designated foreign state to carry out activities in the UK, such as criminal proxies, must register it or face five years in prison. Individuals and businesses will be required to register on the Government website, like applying for a passport or driving licence, and will be given a three-month notice and grace period from when the scheme comes into force. But for those who do not register, it will allow intelligence services to prosecute them under a lower threshold than for more complex offences such as espionage. Mr Jarvis told the Commons this afternoon: 'Russia presents an acute threat to UK national security. 'In recent years, its hostile acts have ranged from the use of a deadly nerve agent in Salisbury, espionage, arson and cyber attacks, including the targeting of UK parliamentarians through spear phishing campaigns. 'And clearly Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine has highlighted its intent to undermine European and global security.' Mr Jarvis told the Commons this afternoon: 'Russia presents an acute threat to UK national security.' Vladimir Putin's dictatorship will be placed in the 'enhanced' tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (Firs), which makes it easier to tackle spies and thugs operating in Britain. He added: 'The enhanced tier of the scheme has been specifically designed to shed light on activities directed by those foreign powers or entities whose activities pose a threat to the safety and interests of the UK. 'It enables the Government to specify those foreign powers who pose the greatest threat to our society to ensure transparency of a much broader range of activities than just the political tier. It will provide an important tool for the detection and disruption of harmful activity against our country.' The registration scheme will go live on July 1, Mr Jarvis told MPs. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp welcomed the inclusion of Russia in the top level of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (Firs), before questioning why China has yet to be added. He described China as the 'elephant in the room' before telling the Commons: 'We know China engages in industrial-scale espionage, seeking to steal technology from government, universities and from industries. They repress Chinese citizens here and have sought to infiltrate our political system.' He said: 'There is no question in my mind, China should be in that enhanced tier.' Mr Philp said it was 'astonishing' that China has not been listed as such, adding: 'Isn't the truth this in their desperation to get economic growth going, after the Chancellor's rather unfortunate autumn budget, the Government seems to be prioritising economic links over national security when it comes to China?' Security minister Dan Jarvis said he was 'not going to speculate on which countries may or may not be specified in the future', adding on wider policy: 'The Government is taking a consistent long-term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relationship with China. 'I didn't agree to the way in which he characterised the nature of the relationship with that country. The Government's policy is clear we will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to and challenge where we must, including on issues of national security.' They may be vain creatures, but a properly balanced woman makes for a better spy because men are too conceited, according to an MI5 operations guide going on show for the first time. Legendary MI5 spymaster Charles Henry Maxwell Knight, codenamed M, who was said to have been the inspiration for James Bonds boss, secretly called for the recruitment of more women in 1945, suggesting MI5 could do with their amazingly helpful intuition. In a spy operations guide being made public as part an exhibition at the National Archives exploring the 115-year history of the Security Service, he wrote that women should be prized as agents, as long as they arent over-emotional and neither markedly over-sexed nor under-sexed. Contrary to the portrayal in James Bond novels where Ian Fleming once wrote of blithering women who thought they could do a man's work, in real-life a very high percentage of the greatest coups have been brought off by women in espionage, Knight wrote in 1945. The spy chief believed men were more likely to blow operations due to their conceit and loose talk. Now there is a very long longstanding and ill-founded prejudice against the employment of women as agents; yet it is curious that in the history of espionage and counter-espionage a very high percentage of the greatest coups have been brought off by women, Knight wrote. It is frequently alleged that women are less discreet than men; that they are ruled by their emotions, and not by their brains: that they rely on intuition rather than on reason: and that sex will play an unsettling and dangerous role in their work. My own experience has been very much to the contrary. Legendary MI5 spymaster Charles Henry Maxwell Knight, codenamed M, who was said to have been the inspiration for James Bonds boss Double agent Olga Gray was recruited by Maxwell Knight During the present war, M.S (a section of MI5) has investigated probably hundreds of loose talk, in by far the greater proportion of these cases the offenders were men. In my submission this is due to one principle factor: it is that indiscretions are committed from conceit. Taking him generally, Man is a conceited creature, while Woman is a vain creature. Conceit and vanity are not the same. A mans conceit will often lead him to indiscretion in an endeavour to build himself up amongst his fellow men, or even to impress a woman. Women, being vain rather than conceited, find their outlook for this form of self-expression in their personal appearance, dress etc. Knight ran one of the most successful networks of agents in MI5 history, with recruits including Olga Gray, who helped uncover a Soviet spy ring within the Woolwich Arsenal in 1938. Known as 'Miss X', the daughter of a Daily Mail Night Editor was recruited in 1931 to infiltrate British communist groups. Another recruit was Joan Miller, his secretary and second wife who broke up a German spy ring. Director General of MI5 Sir Ken McCallum speaking during a preview for the MI5: Official Secrets exhibition at the National Archives in Kew, west London. Maxwell Knight's 1945 Operations Guide MI5: OFFICIAL SECRETS EXHIBITION Other MI5 exhibits revealed for the first time include a 110-year-old lemon which was used as evidence against wartime German spy Karl Muller. Muller used lemon juice as invisible ink to inform on British troop movements. A warm iron was passed over a letter to reveal the secret messages. When he was arrested, the lemon was found in his overcoat. He was executed by firing squad at the Tower of London in 1915. In total, 20 items have been loaned from MI5's archives, including surveillance equipment. The exhibition includes modern-day artefacts such as a Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) mortar bomb fired on Downing Street in 1991. The lemon used for writing in invisible ink, produced in evidence at Karl Muller's trial Advertisement Knight suggested recruiters should avoid overemotional or over-sexed women adding: If over-sexed, it is clear that this will play an overriding part in their mental processes and if under-sexed they will not be mentally alert and their other faculties will suffer accordingly. It is difficult to imagine anything more terrifying than for an officer to become landed with a woman agent who suffers from an overdose of sex, but as it is to be hoped that no such person would be chosen for the work. It is true, however, that a clever woman who can use her personal attraction wisely has in her armoury a very formidable weapon. His memo continued: The emotional make-up of a properly balanced woman can very often be utilised in investigation, and it is a fact that womens intuition is a direct result of her rather complex emotions. That a womans intuition is sometimes amazingly helpful and amazingly correct has been well established; and given the right guiding hand, this ability can at times save an Intelligence Officer an enormous amount of trouble. Yesterday at the launch of the exhibition, which will open to the public on April 5, MI5 Director General Sir Ken McCallum said it marked a new chapter for the organisation: We'll never be able to talk about everything we do. To do so would give away information that would be useful to the UK's adversaries. However, you've also seen that we are much more open than MI5 was in the past. This exhibition is an example of that openness. A knifeman who was tackled by a hero British tourist in Amsterdam acted with terrorist intent and likely would have stabbed more victims, Dutch public prosecutors have said. Thursday's knife rampage sparked panic in the the Dutch capital after a 30-year-old from Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, carried out a seemingly random knifing attack around the streets of Dam Square. The attacker will remain in custody for at least two more weeks, suspected of 'five counts of attempted murder or manslaughter with a terrorist intent', prosecutors said in a statement. Carrying multiple knives, the man attacked people around the square before being overpowered by a mysterious British man, believed to be in his 30s, who has since been dubbed the 'Hero of Dam'. The victims were a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man, both from the United States, a 26-year-old man from Poland, a 73-year-old Belgian woman and a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam. Four of the victims remain in hospital but their condition is stable, the prosecutors said. Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema thanked the British tourist, who has remained anonymous, for his 'heroic act' that likely prevented more people being attacked. The attacker was himself wounded in the leg and transferred to the medical wing of a detention unit in The Hague, where he is now being held in solitary confinement. A knifeman who was tackled by a hero British tourist in Amsterdam acted with terrorist intent and likely would have stabbed more victims, Dutch public prosecutors have said Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema thanked the British tourist (pictured), who has remained anonymous, for his 'heroic act' that likely prevented more people being attacked He has not told authorities anything about his motives for the attack although local media reported that he has confessed to the stabbings. It comes after an expert told the MailOnline that the British man who sprinted after the knifeman 'almost certainly has a military background'. He impressively single-handedly captured the Ukrainian assailant moments after his frenzied attack on passers-by in the Dutch capital. He sprinted after the attacker and kicked his ankle, sending him crashing to the ground, then sat on him until police arrived. The Brit's cool, calm bravery was later rewarded when the Mayor of Amsterdam gave him a hero's badge - but he chose to remain anonymous, thinking only of the victims. Now a former member of the Parachute Regiment who saw the footage says he is convinced the swift-acting hero has some form of special forces, military or police training. Paul Biddiss studied CCTV footage of the moment the Brit captured the knifeman and highlighted the five tell-tale signs that he has been specially trained. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Paul said: 'There's no doubt in my mind he has received some form of training. That could be military, it could be police, or it could be he's involved in close protection work. 'In the opening sequence, six seconds in, you can see he is extraordinarily fit and the speed with which he chases down his attacker suggests that he takes part in regular fitness training. 'That in itself doesn't prove he is from a military background, but then 12 seconds in the way he apprehends the knifeman and has him pinned to the ground shows his background. 'And let's remember this man had just stabbed five people. But he [the hero] is so calm, so controlled and so unfazed by his situation. It's inconceivable that he hasn't been trained to do that. 'Then after 18 seconds you can see he is disabling the attacker by carefully exerting pressure on the wrists, elbows and shoulder. 'At the 24 second mark it appears to me that he has taken his belt off, which is something you are taught in the military - to improvise and use whatever you have on your person to restrain and nullify a threat.' A former member of the Parachute Regiment who saw the CCTV footage says he is convinced the hero, seen here sitting on the attacker until police arrived, has been trained to deal with such situations Police officers walk under the tape of the cordoned-off area following the attack The street in Amsterdam where five people were injured Paul, who was in the Parachute Regiment for 24 years, also works in counter-security and intelligence, and his services have even been used on TV dramas: he helped out on the recent Sky blockbuster The Day Of The Jackal, starring Eddie Redmayne, and last week he met Queen Camilla when she visited the set of smash ITV series Trigger Point. Paul added of the real-life drama in Amsterdam: 'From what I can see, he's using prone restraint techniques, taught in tactical control and restraint training. 'He's also controlling the attacker's pressure points which means he can't move and he's in complete control of the situation, using his full body weight by sitting on him. 'By taking him down on to his stomach and putting his hands behind his back, he's made sure he can't wriggle about. 'He's put his weight on the pressure points at the wrist, elbow and shoulder and importantly he has both his hands free to deal with any struggling. 'He appears to have taken his belt off just in case he needs that as a further restraint until more help arrived but because the technique is good you can see the assailant is subdued. 'He's put the man in an arm lock where his arm is at such an angle that he can't move it and this creates pain which can be used to control an assailant.' Paul also highlighted that the man was 'clearly in good shape' and said: 'He's got a good level of fitness and that's required for those who work in the police or security sector. 'You have to keep your heart rate under control to maintain the ability to perform such physical skills effectively and control the situation and your surroundings. 'Normally, as your heart rate rises, the skill level lowers, and the ability to remain focused and in complete control deteriorates. The knife rampage near the historic Dam Central Square left five injured, including two Americans The Ukrainian knifeman brought havoc to the tranquil streets of the picturesque Dutch canal city last Thursday 'The higher the stress level the lower the skill level and the duller the response time - but this guy reacts super-fast, as you can see. 'It's also interesting that he has asked for no personal details to be revealed, which would also suggest some security background. 'My theory is he could be ex-military working in the security industry as these techniques are taught as part of the training course.' The Ukrainian knifeman brought havoc to the tranquil streets of the picturesque Dutch canal city last Thursday. On Friday, Femke Halsema, Amsterdam's mayor, thanked the British man for his actions and awarded him the city's heldenspeld which means hero's badge for bravery at her official residence. 'He is a very modest British man,' she told the Amsterdam news channel AT5. 'He has no desire to become famous. He is now mainly concerned with the victims; he feels responsible for them.' She said the tourist had shown 'great instinct' by overpowering the suspect moments after he had stabbed the fifth victim. 'This man made a decision in a split second, which is truly exceptional and for which there should be a lot of appreciation,' she added. Ms Halsema said all of them were in a stable condition, adding: 'Everything is being done to determine the identity of the perpetrator.' Police officers gather not far from the area after a stabbing near Dam Square in central Amsterdam Police sectioned off a large area around the Royal Palace in the central Dam Square to allow an emergency helicopter to land Police officers stand behind a cordoned off area after the stabbing An Amsterdam police spokesman told the Dutch news outlet AD the 'heroic' British man did a 'great job' performing a 'rare citizen's arrest'. An onlooker told MailOnline: 'It was horrific, the woman was on the ground screaming and when she rolled over, I saw the knife in her back. 'The man who we know now was the hero rushed off after the attacker while his friend stayed behind to help the woman. 'The guy who was helping her clearly knew what he was doing, he looked to have first aid training and was reassuring the woman and her husband while they were waiting for the ambulance crew. 'There was something about the way the British guy and his friend reacted that made me think they were not ordinary tourists.' Another witness told MailOnline: 'This guy was a hero; he stopped the man so quickly and professionally. 'I was watching from the sandwich shop where I work, and he kicked the man's ankles and when he fell on the floor he sat on him to stop him moving. 'The way he remained calm and cool made it obvious to me he was either a policeman or security; maybe a soldier.' The knife-wielder himself was injured in the leg and was admitted to the infirmary of the prison in Scheveningen. He will appear in court in Amsterdam in a closed hearing on Tuesday. A Nantucket church has denied claims it sold a parcel of land for $4million to a local tycoon who has generously supported them. The Diocese of Fall River in Massachusetts announced earlier this month it was selling six acres of undeveloped land for the hefty sum, which had been owned by them since the 1980s. The properties were sold last month to a company registered to local businessman Jeff Cappo, who runs more than 50 car dealerships through his firm Victory Automotive Group. Cappo has been a staunch supporter and donor of the church in the Fall River community, including donating vehicles for the church to use. After it emerged that the six acres Cappo purchased were never publicly listed for sale, the church was forced to release a statement this week denying impropriety. '(Cappo) had no inside information or any special treatment,' John Kearns, a church spokesperson, told Nantucket Current. He explained that prior to their listing, the diocese 'was approached by the interested buyer who made a competitive offer for the parcels. Negotiations began, and an agreement was reached for the sale of the land.' 'Not having to list the property or utilize the services of a broker realized savings for the Diocese and the parish,' he said. The Diocese of Fall River's St. Mary Our Lady Church (pictured) insisted that Cappo did not receive any 'special treatment' as he gave millions for the plot of land Local businessman Jeff Cappo (pictured), who runs more than 50 car dealerships through his firm Victory Automotive Group, bought six acres from the church before the plot of land was ever publicly advertised Kearns continued: 'The buyer received no inside information or any special treatment throughout the process, and no other would-be buyer reached out to the Diocese with interest in the property.' Kearns said the 'bulk of the proceeds' would go towards the St. Mary's Our Lady of the Isle church, with funds also going toward maintaining other parish properties, including the Father Griffin Hall. 'Those decisions will be made by Father John Murray, who is pastor of the parish, in consultation with parish advisory groups and the Diocese of Fall River,' he added. The Diocese of Fall River church in Nantucket, Massachusetts has denied claims that it sold a parcel of land (pictured) for $4 million to a local tycoon who has generously supported the church The church said it had looked into using some of the funds for affordable housing, and has previously worked to build properties in the area. However, it was found that much of the area under the LUG-3 zoning district is under conservation restrictions. 'Consideration was given to how the land might be used to help address the islands housing crisis; however, it was learned that a good portion of the land is not buildable as part of one parcel is protected under conservation restrictions,' Kearns said. Cappo is known for his philanthropic giving in the area, including providing vehicles from his dealerships to the church. Church officials said the 'bulk of the proceeds' would go towards the St. Mary's Our Lady of the Isle church, with funds also going toward maintaining other parish properties, including the Father Griffin Hall (pictured) According to the Nantucket Current, Cappo may have plans to turn the plot of land into a home. One month before he bought the lot, plans were submitted to develop a new house and guest house, and although it was still owned by the Diocese at the time, the plans were listed as 'Cappo residence.' Kearns explained that those plans 'were submitted in January 2025 - before the sale was finalized - by a representative of the prospective buyer.' 'It is standard for a prospective buyer to file plans and an application for approval prior to closing on the property, especially if a local historical commission would be involved in any approval process,' he said. Foreign experts laud the future of humanoid robots, confident of Chinas robot industry growth prospects at Beijing forum 10:02, April 01, 2025 By Li Xundian, Tu Lei ( Global Times A machinist debugs humanoid robots at Zhongguancun International Innovation Center, venue for the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) Annual Conference, in Beijing, capital of China, March 27, 2025. (Photo/Xinhua) Under the theme of "New Quality Productivity and Global Science and Technology Cooperation," the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum, held from Thursday to Monday in capital city of Beijing, featured nearly 100 humanoid robots from top Chinese tech companies offering services such as greeting guests, conversing, and stage performing. The event attracted experts and scholars from all over the world to jointly explore the vast possibilities of humanoid robots in the future. "I have been paying attention to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) recently. I think robotics and AI are closely linked," Paolo Dario, chief scientist at the Italian National Competence Center for Robotics ARTES 4.0, told the Global Times. He explained that machine learning can collect data, and AI makes it usable. The fusion of the two technologies has become a truly intelligent robot. In the past few years, the development of robots has been slow, and there has been incredible progress after the introduction of AI, "so I think the fusion of the two is successful and is developing rapidly," he said. Improvements in perception and interaction technology enable robots to better understand and adapt to the environment. With the help of advanced sensors such as high-resolution cameras, lidar, and tactile sensors, humanoid robots can perceive the world around them in real time. AI algorithms help process the data, enabling natural communication with humans. In manufacturing, humanoid robots can effectively improve production efficiency and flexibility through precise trajectory planning and motion control capability. Through the application of algorithm processing technology and big data, the development of humanoid robots has achieved significant efficiency improvement, Kim JongMoon, chief representative of Korea Innovation Center in China (KIC China) told the Global Times in a recent interview. "If robots are to become part of daily life, we need to integrate and upgrade humanoid robots through AI," said Lee DongJun, professor from Seoul National University Future Mobile Technology Center. Today's intelligent robots can carry out sophisticated tasks. For example, a robotic arm can accurately grasp a smooth plate and put it in a designated position. Although it looks simple, it is difficult for machine operation, but now it has been realized, he noted. Localization of the robotics industry The rapid advancement of AI has unlocked significant potential for the humanoid robot market. China has issued guidelines for the development of humanoid robots with strategic plans set for 2025 and 2027. The guidance, issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), aims to establish a preliminary innovation system for humanoid robots by 2025, and achieve breakthroughs in key technologies like the "brain, cerebellum and limbs" of robots. "As the editor-in-chief of an international scientific journal, I receive papers from all over the world every day. The number of papers submitted by Chinese researchers is increasing dramatically, and the quality is improving significantly too," said Dario. He added that he has cooperated with China since 1983 and witnessed China's "impressive" progress in robotics and related fields. "I have seen China's continuous improvement in the quality of scientific and technological results in the past few years. I believe that China is currently one of the world-class leaders in the field of robotics, with my understanding of AI robots," he added. China's Deepseek has gained worldwide popularity, and China's AI technology has reached the world's leading level and has strong competitiveness, said Lee Jinsoo, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. Looking at China's robotics industry and government policies, he said that South Korea can learn a lot from it. The dancing robots at the Chinese Spring Festival Gala brought great shock and repercussions to the world, he said. In recent years, China's robotics industry has emerged as a global technology leader. From manufacturing to services, healthcare to home applications, Chinese robots have made notable progress. In industrial manufacturing, robots now operate efficiently on production lines in sectors like automotive and electronics, and accurately complete complex tasks such as welding and assembly, greatly improving production efficiency and product quality. In the service industry, food delivery robots, welcoming robots, and surgical assistance robots also did impressively well. Kim from KIC China told the Global Times he agrees with the rise of China's robot technology. He said that China currently has a very complete robot industry supply chain and talent pool, as well as the world's largest application market and a good policy environment. Against this background, China's robot development potential and innovation capabilities are massive. International cooperation Dario expressed optimism about future China-Italy cooperation in robotics. In his view, Italy has a unique unity in cooperation with China. Italy is the seventh largest industrial country in the world and is very strong in robotics technology and information science. "I believe this is a good entry point for cooperation between China and Italy," he said, adding that the two countries can have in-depth discussions on different disciplines, cultures, and a better understanding of user needs. Because making an intelligent robot requires very cautious technology and precise design, China and Italy both have the ability of this cutting-edge technology, so I am very optimistic and look forward to the cooperation between China and Italy in the field of robotics, he said. Despite growing international cooperation in humanoid robotics, major challenges remain. Key issues include improving robot safety, reliability in complex environments, and advancing intelligence levels to meet diverse demands. Kim from KIC China stressed the need to improve the hardware performance and the maturity and further optimization of core hardware technology, and the integration method of AI large models needs to be improved. The support of government policies and the capital support from relevant industries and the cultivation of technical talents are also important, he said. Kim expressed optimism about future China-South Korea cooperation in robotics. He believes that although the robot industry chain is relatively complex, it is mainly composed of basic fields, computing fields and application fields. The cooperation between China and South Korea can start from one specific area of the robot industry chain. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) A children's clown accused of a drunken sexual assault on a young girl has been burned alive and beaten to death by an angry mob of vigilantes. Cayetano San Juan, known as El Payaso Soldadin or The Clown Soldier to his fans, had been a favourite at children's parties and events in Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. But the 50-year-old clown was reportedly surrounded by a furious mob last week and beaten unconscious after he was accused of groping a schoolgirl. He was tied up, sprayed with alcohol, set on fire and left for dead in the streets of the town of San Juan Bautista, local media reports. Witnesses allege San Juan laid on the ground for several hours without receiving any help from emergency responders. A municipal police officer reportedly responded to the scene and called for medical assistance, but the request was denied because he did not have authorisation from a family member, according to CB Television. The angry vigilantes, who are understood to have attacked San Juan without verifying the allegations against him, also reportedly threatened the officer for trying to help the clown. San Juan was rescued by his sister and taken to a nearby regional hospital for treatment, but his injuries were too severe for doctors to save him. He was released from the facility and died at his home later that day. Cayetano San Juan, known as El Payaso Soldadin or The Clown Soldier (pictured) to his fans, was reportedly surrounded by a furious mob last week and beaten unconscious after he was accused of groping a schoolgirl The clown (pictured) was tied up, sprayed with alcohol, set on fire and left for dead in the streets of the town of San Juan Bautista, local media reports The popular children's performer was beaten, kicked and lynched by a crowd of vigilantes in the n the El Esfuerzo neighbourhood of Tuxtepec on March 24. Footage of the attack circulating online shows how the mob of locals, some of whom were masked behind balaclavas, tied San Juan up with rope and then mercilessly kicked and beat him until he became unconscious. They then poured alcohol on him and lit him on fire. He reportedly suffered burns on his back and shoulders. San Juan was taken to hospital in critical condition and died from the agonising injuries at his home roughly 10 hours later. The Papaloapan Basin Regional Deputy Prosecutor's Office and the State Investigation Agency have opened an investigation into San Juan's death. The Mexican Constitution prohibits individuals from taking justice into their own hands and states that crimes committed during a lynching - defined as public execution by a mob without due process - are punishable under federal law. Police have not confirmed any formal complaint filed against the clown prior to the attack, CB Television reports. The Papaloapan Basin clown community, which confirmed his identity to local media,i is outraged over the attack and demanded a 'thorough investigation' to identify those responsible. Police have not confirmed any formal complaint filed against San Juan (pictured) prior to the attack. The Papaloapan Basin Regional Deputy Prosecutor's Office and the State Investigation Agency have opened an investigation into San Juan's death Fellow clown Nito Payasito took to social media to condemn the killing, saying: 'It's not fair that he hasn't been given a chance to defend himself. 'I hope that they will act against those who deprived Soldadin of his life and get punished themselves.' Payasito also alleged that he shared a similar experience months earlier in which he and his partner were falsely accused of kidnapping a child while performing at a local party. The pair were 'detained for more than six hours' as they were 'questioned and threatened', he claimed. Fortunately, they were able to prove their innocence thanks to the assistance of family and friends. Payasito added: 'It's a very difficult and stressful situation.' San Juan's loved ones have also said he will be remembered as a 'respectful person' and for using his his magic show and comedy to bring 'smiles to children' at parties. Luigi Mangione will face the death penalty if convicted over the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged on Tuesday. Bondi said in a statement that her office would push for the ultimate punishment, describing Thompson's assassination in December as 'premeditated and cold-blooded'. 'After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump's agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again,' Bondi said. Mangione remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, and is housed in the same unit as other famous faces including Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried. He is being charged in federal court, allowing prosecutors to seek the death penalty as it is outlawed in New York, where Mangione allegedly shot and killed Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4 last year. Mangione was met with an outpouring of support after his arrest as morbid fans vented their fury with the healthcare system, and Bondi said in her statement that she believes Thompson's murder was 'an act of political violence'. 'Mangione's actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons,' Bondi said. It comes days after MailOnline obtained court records showing how Mangione reacted to his arrest in a Pennsylvania McDonald's restaurant eight days after Thompson's assassination. Luigi Mangione will face the death penalty if convicted of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that her office would push for the death penalty against Mangione, describing Thompson's death in December as a 'premeditated, cold-blooded assassination' The court records detailed how Mangione expressed concern for the McDonald's worker who called 911 on him amid a national manhunt for Thompson's killer. 'They aren't going to put the cashier from McDonald's information out there are they?' Mangione said, according to court documents. 'It wouldn't be good for her. A lot of people will be upset I was arrested.' Immediately after his arrest at the Pennsylvania fast food restaurant on December 9, 2024, Mangione apologized for 'the inconvenience of the day,' according to court documents obtained by MailOnline. The 'first words out of Mr. Mangione's mouth [were] an apology and a concern for the McDonald's employee' who is now apparently receiving threats, the docs stated. Mangione had been accused of being responsible for 'harassment, backlash, and death threats,' to certain people, including the McDonalds worker who reported him. 'However, there is simply no evidence that Mr. Mangione is responsible for any of these threats, directly, indirectly or in any manner,' Mangione's legal defence said in a letter to Judge Gregory Carro, according to court filings. 'Mr. Mangione has been nothing but cooperative, peaceful and has shown concern for others,' his counsel continued. 'This is the very opposite of someone who is seeking to terrorise anyone or wishing harm or violence to anyone.' Mangione seen during his dramatic perp-walk in New York City following his arrest When Mangione was arrested, he was allegedly found with a 9-millimeter pistol and silencer, clothing that matched the apparel worn by the shooter in surveillance footage of Thompson's murder (pictured) Mangione is accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (pictured) outside a New York City hotel on December 4, 2024 Mangione is facing a slew of charges in the Big Apple and is also facing lesser charges of false identification and weapons charges in Pennsylvania. He is set to stand trial in New York for Thompson's assassination, and his pre-trial hearings have brought droves of supporters. Ahead of his trial, Mangione's attorney Karen Agnifilo argued that police leaked writings they said belonged to the now 26-year-old and labeled them a 'manifesto' - thereby spreading fear in an effort to justify prosecutors' terrorism charge. The writings were released shortly after Mangione was arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonald's following a five-day search for the masked man who gunned down Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel. He was allegedly found with a 9-millimeter pistol and silencer, clothing that matched the apparel worn by the shooter in surveillance footage, and a notebook describing an intent to 'whack' an insurance company CEO, according to court filings. But Agnifilo now says there is 'absolutely no evidence' to suggest her client wrote the so-called manifesto as she called out prosecutors for sharing the message. A stunning newly built home in Louisiana has proved to be the bane of a family's existence and has seemingly caused so much stress, its elderly homeowner died from a heart attack. Karl Molden moved into a new home in Walker, a city in Livingston Parish, outside of Baton Rouge, with his wife and his elderly parents in December 2024. Soon after they moved in, Molden said his family was met with sewage backup in their toilets, sinks and shower drains. They were plagued with stress from the home's deterioration, and Molden's father, Henry, died in early March after a heart attack following tension. 'I need justice for my father,' Molden told local ABC affiliate, WBRZ-TV. The house immediately became a headache for the family when sewage began overflowing and coming out of the floor just hours after they moved in. The family bought the home last August and completed several renovations before moving in. Molden told WBRZ in early February that they changed the flooring, paint colors and shutters but didn't alter the structural foundation of the home. A stunning newly-built home in Walker, Louisiana was revealed to have extreme sewage issues and a crumbling back porch immediately after a family moved in last December Karl Molden told local news that he moved into the home with his elderly parents (pictured) last year, and his father (right) died of a heart attack shortly after induced by stress Molden is seeking justice after his family has been plagued with the home's issues and is trying to find someone to accept responsibility The city inspected the plumbing and foundation in 2023, and the house passed, receiving a certificate of occupancy in August of last year. However, the toilets still frequently overflow, and the family never knows when the sewage will come back up. 'It's very unhealthy, unsanitary, unsightly,' Molden told the outlet. As if the sewage wasn't a headache enough for the family, Molden said he also began to notice that the back patio was crumbling. The patio appeared to have no footings underneath and now that it's cracked, it's beginning to sink, causing a hazard. Molden added that the roof isn't solid and the HVAC system doesn't cool the upstairs floor of the home. 'It's been a nightmare, and I call it the house from hell,' he said. The family has been in a brutal back-and-forth as no one has accepted blame for the home's many faults. Molden said the sewage problems would cost almost $50,000 to fix, which he refuses to pay for as he just moved into the new home Sewage has come up from the toilets, sinks, shower drains, and even the floor which has created a disgusting living environment Molden said the sewage problems have made living in the new home 'unhealthy, unsanitary, and unsightly' Molden contacted the seller after the family initially noticed the sewage problems, but they instructed him to contact the plumbing company, Saucier's Plumbing. Saucier's installed a camera in the pipes to get to the bottom of the issue, and even though they did find the problem, it was estimated to cost a whopping $48,000. To fix the sewage problems, the company would have to demolish the concrete over the sewer, remove it and replumb the home. Molden said he was shocked to see the price tag and refused to accept responsibility for the home's problems. He told WBRZ that the builder or the subcontractor should take care of the problems since they occurred as soon as his family moved in. The family tried to find someone to accept responsibility, but the builder and the plumbing company said the home had passed inspections the year before Even though the home's modern exterior offered a promising outlook for the family's new living space, it proved to be a 'nightmare' The house passed inspections in 2024, so Molden said the building company wouldn't accept responsibility for the issues. 'Even though they passed my house, they failed me. They failed my family and if I were a resident of Walker I would be concerned if my home is up to code,' he said. The builder, Chad Robinson, told WBRZ that he plans to address the footing issue causing the back patio to crumble, but hasn't started work to fix the sewage problem. Saucier's Plumbing stood by their work, pointing to the inspections that the house had previously passed. DailyMail.com reached out to the City of Walker, Saucier's Plumbing, and Robinson Construction for more information but didn't immediately hear back. A British tourist who disappeared at Alicante airport after a stag do in Benidorm has been found. Jason Taylor, 36, vanished as he waited for a flight back to Birmingham on Saturday morning. He was last seen leaving the queue for the easyJet flight after a problem with his boarding pass. His disappearance was reported to Spanish police by worried relatives who flew to Spain to try to find the Welsh engineer. Jason's aunt Robbie Fitzgerald, who was among loved ones and friends who asked for the public's help in tracking him down, said this afternoon in a short message on social media: 'Jason has been found and is currently with his family. 'Thank you all for sharing and caring.' She gave no extra details about how or where he had been found. Jason's friend Gaz Edwards had written online yesterday: 'We arrived at the Alicante airport together on Saturday morning March 29 at about 8:30am. A British tourist who disappeared at Alicante airport after a stag do in Benidorm has been found. Jason Taylor (pictured) vanished as he waited for a flight back to Birmingham on Saturday morning Jason's aunt Robbie Fitzgerald, who was among loved ones and friends who asked for the public's help in tracking him down, said this afternoon in a short message on social media: 'Jason has been found and is currently with his family. Thank you all for sharing and caring' Your browser does not support iframes. File photo. Spanish policemen walk at Alicante-Elche airport on January 15, 2020 in Alicante 'Our easyJet flight to Birmingham was due to depart at 10:30am, with the gates closing at 10:00am. 'Jason Taylor had lost his phone so had to access his boarding pass from someone else in the group assisting who had already passed the gate. 'We tried several times to scan his boarding pass but it was not accepted and the gate would not open, an error message came up saying to contact the airline so Jason went to go and ask for assistance. 'One member of the group waited behind the gate for him to return but this was the last we saw or heard from him. It is very unlike Jason and the family is worried sick. 'Jason was not ill, or drunk or incapable. We have several people flying back out today to try to find him and understand what has happened. 'UK police have been informed and it has been passed up to Interpol, who now have an alert on his passport so we would be made aware if it has been used. We are also in contact with the Uk consulate. 'Please only contact me with serious information if you know of anything.' In an update he added: 'We now know that Jason left the airport around 9am on Saturday morning on foot as we have been able to access the airport CCTV. 'Please can everyone look out for him and any information however small please update us. 'He was wearing dark shorts and a collared T-shirt which was white and white trainers with a black wheeled suitcase.' Spanish National Police in Alicante confirmed earlier today they were aware of Jason's disappearance and were searching for him. They couldn't be immediately reached this afternoon after the Brit's family said he had been located for any further comment. Attorney General Pam Bondi is warning those thinking of destroying Tesla dealerships and properties that they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. In a less than one-minute video posted to X on Monday, Bondi doubled-down that any vandals and attackers who target Teslas and their dealerships will be treated as 'domestic terrorists.' 'I've made it clear if you take part in the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, we will find you, arrest you, and put you behind bars,' Bondi said. She warned: 'Justice is coming.' Bondi announced that the DOJ unsealed its federal charges against Cooper Frederick, 24, for 'firebombing' a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado on March 7. The FBI tracked Frederick down and arrested him in Plano, Texas. 'Let this be a warning you can run, but you cannot hide,' Bondi said of the cross-country chase to find and arrest the perpetrator. 'All of these cases are a serious threat to public safety. Therefore, there will be no negotiating,' Bondi said. Attorney General Pam Bondi warned those thinking of attacking Tesla dealerships: 'Justice is coming.' She is seeking 20 years for the 'domestic terrorists' she claims carried out these attacks Worldwide attacks at dealerships selling Teslas has ensued as Democrats rail against its CEO Elon Musk for efforts in the Trump administration to slash the federal workforce and spending. Pictured: Tesla vehicles were destroyed in a fire attack at a dealership in Rome, Italy 'We are seeking 20 years in prison,' she said of the charges being brought against Frederick. The electric vehicles that were once the proud sign for Democrats to drive around showing how pro-green energy they were is now a badge of dishonor for those on the left. President Donald Trump brought Tesla's CEO Elon Musk into his inner circle last year. The two have been nearly inseparable for months and Trump even put his 'first buddy' in charge of making widespread federal government cuts at the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Teslas are often targeted by angry activists who deface and destroy the cars and the dealerships that sell them. Violence and hostility is also on the rise against Tesla owners. The first to face charges for attacking Teslas was named as Adam Matthew Lansky, 41. He is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon on January 20. He was apparently armed with a suppressed AR-15 at the time of the attack. A week after the Oregon firebombing, 42-year-old Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, was taken into custody in Loveland, Colorado on January 29 after allegedly being caught attempting to light Molotov cocktails near a dealership. The latest is Cooper Frederick, 24, who attacked a dealership in Loveland, Colorado and was arrested in Plano, Texas this month Prosecutors said Nelson was found to have been in possession of a container of gasoline, bottles and wicks, which were allegedly intended to be used to create incendiary weapons. On March 7, Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, allegedly vandalized a dealership in Charleston, South Carolina, by spray-painting messages reading 'f*** Trump' and 'Long Live Ukraine ' before lighting three charging stations on fire. Lanksy and Nelson are charged with arson of property in interstate commerce and possession of unregistered destructive device, while Clarke-Pounder was charged with arson of property in interstate commerce. All three suspects face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, the DOJ said. A Chinese student unmasked as one of Britains worst rapists may have targeted more than 80 victims, police have revealed. PhD student Zhenhao Zou, 28, faces years being bars after being convicted of drugging and raping 10 women during his time studying at University College, London. Following his conviction last month detectives revealed they had evidence relating to suspected attacks on another 50 women in the UK and China after uncovering a sickening collection of trophy videos kept by the predator as a souvenir. Now another 23 victims have come forward saying they were raped by Zou while he was studying in the UK. Yesterday officers acknowledged that Zou may have claimed in excess of 80 victims during a five-year reign of terror. The son of a wealthy Chinese Communist Party official and industrialist, Zou stalked student bars, accommodation and online dating apps looking for victims, plying unsuspecting women with drinks laced with drugs. He lured the women back to his lavish student apartment in East London with the promise of a party or help with studies, before stupefying them with drink and drugs until they fell unconscious, enabling him to film his sickening attacks on hidden bedroom spy cameras. Disturbingly, many of the women targeted may not realise they had been raped as some of Zous home videos showed his captives so incapacitated that he was able to slap one victim around the face without them rousing. Zhenhao Zou, the Chinese PhD student detectives believe may be one of the UKs most prolific sex offenders. Serial rapist Zhenhao Zou posted images of himself on dating profiles Zhenhao Zou pictured in police custody after his arrest Zou unwittingly left a treasure trove of evidence for officers by recording the attacks for his own twisted gratification and hoarding personal items stolen from victims, ranging from underwear and lipstick to a Chanel earring. By the time of his trial, only two of the 10 rape victims had been identified by police, but now detectives have traced a third victim. Detectives have established from the video clips seized that there are at least another 50 unknown women attacked. Officers are now trying to establish whether those videos include evidence relating to the 23 new claimants or if there are further videos recorded by Zou which have not yet been found. Victims living in Britain, China, Australia, the Middle East and Europe have come forward. Yesterday Metropolitan Police Commander Kevin Southworth said: Given how prolific Zou seems to have been, there is every potential he could be one of the most prolific offenders that we've ever seen in this space. Work is now underway to see if the 23 new cases could result in further charges. He added: Given how active and prolific Zou appears to have been with his awful offending, there is every prospect that he could have offended anywhere in the world. The student apartment where Zhenhao Zou drugged and raped women Victims' belongings collected by Zou Secret cameras found in his bedroom Mr Southworth said: Ultimately, now it's the investigation team's job to professionally pick our way through those individual pieces of evidence, those individual victims' stories, to see if we can identify who may have been a victim, when and where, so then we can bring Zou to justice for the full extent of his crimes. Scotland Yard began investigating Zou in November 2023 after a woman reported him for rape. When officers examined his digital devices, they uncovered more than 1,600 hours of videos. Chillingly, Zou said the victims in his videos were only pretending to be asleep as he enjoyed time-stop pornography. But officers believe the sexual deviant is one of Britains most prolific sex offenders after Reynhard Sinaga and Black cab rapist John Worboys. Sinaga, 42, was convicted of 159 sex attacks on 48 heterosexual men in Manchester between 2015 and 2017. Worboys, 67, was convicted of 19 sex attacks against 12 women between 2006 and 2008. Zou is due to be sentenced on June 19 for raping three women in London and seven victims in China between September 2019 and May 2023. He was convicted of 11 counts of rape, three counts of voyeurism, 10 of possession of an extreme pornographic image, one of false imprisonment and three of possession of a controlled drug with intent to commit a sexual offence, namely butanediol. The Metropolitan Police is appealing to anyone who thinks they may have been targeted by Zou to contact the force either by emailing survivors@met.police.uk, or via the major incident public portal on the force's website. The grandfather of tragic Emile Soleil had previously slapped and punched his children, according to reports of wiretapped conversations. Last week, Philippe Vedovini, his wife Anne and his two adult children were arrested in connection with the two-year-old boy's disappearance from the sleepy French hamlet of Haut Vernet, but were later released. Local media reported that the family had been under suspicion for months, and had wiretapped them looking for signs that they may have abused Emile. During these wiretapped conversations, the Vedovini children discussed how Philippe would beat and physically abuse them. The children reportedly talked about being punched, slapped and having their hair pulled. But there is no evidence that Philippe treated Emile in the same way. Investigators are still analysing all the evidence, including a set of bones found near the village that they believe indicated Emile's remains were likely preserved in a protected, almost sterile environment like a freezer before being moved and found. Analyses of bones found near a river early last year suggest they had moved before they were discovered, which experts believe could suggest a deliberate staging. During wiretapped conversations, the Vedovini children discussed how their father Philippe (pictured) would beat and physically abuse them Emile Soleil disappeared from the sleepy French hamlet of Haut Vernet A gendarme stands outside the house of the grandparents of Emile Soleil, a French toddler who was found dead after going missing in 2023 Your browser does not support iframes. Based on the decomposition of the remains, they believe they had been carefully preserved before being exposed to the open air, where they were found. The analyses also suggested that the two-year-old's skull, recovered late last March, was deposited only just before it was stumbled upon by a walker less than a mile from his grandparents' house, from which he disappeared on July 8, 2023. Police said they had already scoured the area during intensive searches. According to the investigation, clothes found near the remains last April were not in a state of decomposition - which they believe suggests he did not get lost alone and did not die where his bones and clothes were found. 'The expert reports suggest the likelihood of third-party involvement in the disappearance and death of Emile Soleil,' prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon told a press conference late last week. The skull was found with signs of 'violent facial trauma' on one side, Mr Bachon said at the press conference on Thursday. They are yet to establish whether the blow was carried out by an object or a fist, according to Le Parisien, but suggestion of third party involvement has become a major line of inquiry. Investigators have already carried out 287 witness interviews, combed 285 hectares of land and pulled together more than 60 expert missions to analyse the findings, it was revealed last week. Colonel Christophe Berthelin assured some 15 investigators have been working every day since the July 2023 disappearance to understand what happened to the child. Anne Vedovini, 59, was arrested with her husband on Tuesday. Emile Soleil had been staying with his grandparents at the time of his disappearance Investigators haul off a horse trailer from the property of the grandparents of Emile Soleil on March 25 But they have not yet conclusively established what happened to little Emile Soleil, or why he was killed. Mr Bachon also revealed a setback in the investigation, as a blood-coated planter found near the Saint Martin chapel the Sunday prior 'did not contain any evidence likely to advance the investigations'. Investigators were looking to determine whether the blood was human, and whether it might shed any more light on Emile's story. The mystery deepened as it emerged last week that the family's Roman Catholic priest who baptised Emile before he went missing had 'taken his own life', according to reports. Father Claude Gilliot, 85, is said to have died from a 'massive overdose' at his home in Aix-en-Provence, French media reports. Claims have been made that he fell out with the Vedovinis before his death. Father Gilliot had frequently expressed his emotional angst during the saga. The priest was once very close to Emile's grandparents, along with two of their 10 adult children. The Vedovini family are all devout Roman Catholics, and at one stage relied on Father Gilliot for their spiritual guidance, including celebrating Mass and hearing Confessions. But they fell out after Father Gilliot provided a photo of Emile to the media, in an attempt try and find the little boy. A wealthy family has built one of the biggest and most expensive houseboats ever to enter the waters of popular Tennessee lake for $2.5 million. When Cindy Cooper and her husband wanted to upgrade her houseboat on Dale Hollow Lake, she wanted it to go big... and go home. '[Cindy's husband] came in and said: "How wide can I build it?" 22 foot? "How long?" I said: "120 foot." And he said: "That's what we are building",' Kevin Warner, the home's designer, told News Channel 5. Last week, the behemoth floating house that took three years to build finally hit the water. 'We spend most of the time on the lake, so let's build the house on the lake,' Cindy told the outlet. 'It's a dream home. It has everything you can put on a houseboat.' The stunning new home is 2,700 square feet, has a living room, a huge kitchen - which the boat was built around - a laundry room, a 'party top,' and five king-sized bedrooms, the entrepreneur told News Channel 5. 'It's a mansion boat,' she said of the vessel that weighs up to 70 tons. The couple bought their first houseboat in 2004, which pales in comparison to their brand-new one when it comes to size, Cindy told The Herald-Citizen. When Cindy Cooper and her husband (both pictured) wanted to upgrade her houseboat on Dale Hollow Lake, she wanted it to be the biggest they were legally allowed to go. Last week, the behemoth floating house that cost $2.5 million and three years to build finally hit the water 'We spend most of the time on the lake, so let's build the house on the lake,' Cindy told the outlet. 'It's a dream home. It has everything you can put on a houseboat' The stunning new home is 2,700 square feet, has a living room, huge kitchen - which the boat was built around - a laundry room, a 'party top,' and five king-sized bedrooms 'We'd always said we'd build a big boat, and so we did,' she said. The new ship is now the largest one of the lake and is named Knot 2 Scrappy. For Cindy, the kitchen was the most important part of the boat, and after seeing a finding inspiration with another kitchen she admires, she decided to build the boat's floor plan around the room she envisioned. 'I love to cook. I love to entertain. That's where you entertain is in the kitchen,' she told The Herald-Citizen. She also wanted to make sure the home had plenty of space to house their large extended families. And everything is full-sized, meaning its appliances and dimensions are the same size as you'd find in a regular home. The home is powered by two engines, which allows the vessel to move up to 20mph, according to News Channel 5. The boat can also run for several weeks without refueling, according to The Herald-Citizen. 'It's a mansion boat,' she said. The vessel weighs up to 70 tons The home is powered by two engines, which allows the vessel to move up to 20mph (pictured: the boat being transported to the lake) The launch of the boat into the water on March 28 didn't come without some problems. It took more than three hours to get the boat into the lake and parts of the boat did take on water, which was to be expected. The ramp broke mid-launch and the steel trailer than gave way before breaking. This caused engineers to spend hours gently lifting the boat and nudging it into the water. Eventually, the home glided into the waves, and the couple never plan on taking the boat out. Good Morning America meteorologist Ginger Zee was onboard a Dallas-bound Delta flight that had to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff. Delta Flight 856 departed from LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in Queens, New York on Tuesday at 10:26 am and was headed to Texas' Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). But a mechanical issue related to the Airbus A220's hydraulic pressure forced the aircraft to divert to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in Queens, New York. After Air Traffic Control was alerted of the situation, the plane carrying 102 passengers and five crew members safely landed at around noon, according to Delta's flight tracker. Among those onboard was GMA star Zee, who shared the news of the unanticipated landing on her X account. 'Not an April fools joke,' she cheekily began the post that was shared at 11:54 am. 'Our plane took off from LGA but just turned around and had an emergency landing at JFK because of a hydraulics system failure. 'Fire trucks all around, thankfully just precaution. Many thanks to these heroes who are always ready. Grateful to be safe.' Good Morning America meteorologist Ginger Zee was onboard a Dallas-bound Delta flight that had to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff Zee broke the news of the emergency landing on her X account. In her post, she thanked the firemen who aided the situation LGA and JFK are about 11 miles apart from one another, but the Delta flight crew opted to land at JFK because it had a longer available runway, a Delta spokesperson explained to DailyMail.com. 'The flight crew followed procedures to divert to New York-JFK for a more optimal runway after indication of a mechanical issue after departure from New York - LaGuardia,' the spokesperson wrote in an email. 'The aircraft landed safely, and we apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people.' The airline representative said all of the passengers are being put on new flights to get to Dallas. If Flight 856 had gone as planned, passengers would have arrived in Dallas at around 1:45 pm. Tuesday's landing debacle comes as authorities investigate what caused a Delta aircraft to flip over on a Toronto runway on February 17. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada released a preliminary report detailing the current 'focus areas' of the investigation and the information that has been garnered so far. Landing techniques offered in pilot training, as well as training for flight attendants are being probed, along with the landing gear and wing structure. Authorities are also examining cabin obstructions and impediments once inverted, as well as 'coordination in emergencies' and 'organizational and management factors.' The Dallas-bound Delta flight was carrying 102 passengers and five crew members, who were all safely removed from the aircraft (stock image) Tuesday's emergency landing comes after a Delta plane flipped over on a Toronto runway on February 17 (pictured: the flight aircraft from the February 17 incident) The report determined that the plane suffered a right-side landing gear collapse as it made contact with the runway as challenging wind gusts hampered efforts to land. There were 76 passengers onboard the flight from Minnesota that slid belly-up across the tarmac. After the horrifying landing, 21 people were taken to the hospital. They have all been released since then. Nine Canadian passengers, including one minor, filed six separate lawsuits in Minnesota last week blaming the airline for a 'woeful violation' of aviation standards. They claimed they suffered 'extreme bodily and mental injuries and economic losses' as a result of the crash. They also alleged the crew were 'inadequately trained and supervised' during the crisis, failing to follow procedures or monitor flight conditions. Sen. Cory Booker's longtime staffer was arrested at the Capitol on Monday for carrying a gun. The Democratic hill worker, Kevin Batts, 59, is a special assistant to the New Jersey senator and retired law enforcement officer. U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement on Tuesday their arrest of Batts the day prior was for carrying a firearm without a license. 'All weapons are prohibited from Capitol Grounds, even if you are a retired law enforcement officer, or have a permit to carry in another state or the District of Columbia,' USCP said in a statement. According to NOTUS, the arrest took place around 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Batts was handcuffed and put into a USCP car outside the Capitol. The arrest was made just minutes before Booker took the floor of the Senate to begin a marathon overnight speech, which is still ongoing. A staffer for Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) was arrested at the Capitol for bringing a gun onto the campus. Pictured: Booker on the floor of the Senate delivering a 16-hour plus speech against President Donald Trump and 'first buddy' Elon Musk Kevin A. Batts, 59, is a special assistant to Sen. Booker and has been on his staff since 2006. He was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police for carrying a firearm without a license on Capitol grounds on Monday, March 30, 2025 Booker vowed to keep speaking long as he possibly could and was still going more than 16 hours later as his colleagues returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday morning and got back to work. The all-nighter though not technically a filibuster was a way to get unlimited time to speak out against President Donald Trump and billionaire 'first buddy' Elon Musk. A filibuster is a Senate practice meant to delay and block a particular vote. This only appears to be an act of protest of the current administration's policies specifically in cutting the federal government workforce. MAGA loyalists decried the overnight symbolic speech as a waste of time as it serves as a performative delay. The incident involving his staffer happened minutes before he took the floor but Booker still chugged forward with the stunt. USCP detailed the incident that led to his arrest in a statement obtained by DailyMail.com. 'Yesterday afternoon a Member of Congress led an IDed staff member around security screening at the Hart Senate Office Building,' the statement recalls the chain of events. 'Later that evening, outside the Senate Galleries, the IDed staff member -- who is a retired law enforcement officer -- told our officers he was armed.' 'The staff member, 59-year-old Kevin A. Batts of New Jersey, was arrested for Carrying a Pistol Without a License.' Batts has been on Booker's staff since 2006. 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 ... Melania Trump revealed on Tuesday that 'love' has helped her during challenging times in her life. 'Throughout my life, I have harnessed the power of love as a source of strength during challenging times. Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy, and exhibit bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles,' she said at the State Department's International Women of Courage Awards. 'Today, we celebrate courage a strength that is based in love,' she told the female heavy crowd. Dressed in a belted-leopard print trench coat and her signature stiletto heels, the first lady made her first public appearance in almost a month. She even flashed a rare smile, applauding the women as they were honored for the work. She did not mention any personal troubles that she has experience, but, in the past, has spoken of her terror when there was an assassination attempt against President Donald Trump and her anger at prosecutions against her husband. 'Today, we celebrate courage a strength that is based in love,' Melania Trump said But, on Tuesday, the focus was on celebrating international women. Melania herself is an international woman. She born in Slovenia and became an American citizen in July 2006. She and Secretary of State Marco Rubio honored eight women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership. 'Their remarkable stories a testament to the power of love in practice for family, community and our world,' the first lady said. Several female members of the president's Cabinet and his supporters were on hand to mark the occasion: Rubio's wife Jeanette Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez de remer. Rubio joked: 'We're missing Tulsi Gabbard. She's probably spying somewhere.' He commended the awardees for their courage and thanked them for their work 'securing a more just world.' First lady Melania Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend the 19th annual International Women of Courage Award ceremony at the Department of State Attorney General Pam Bondi (center) and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler (right) attend the International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony It was the fifth year Melania Trump attended the ceremony. She also attended each year during her first tenure as first lady. This year's group of honorees included Amit Soussana of Israel, who was held hostage after the October 7th attacks; Namini Wijedasa, a journalist chronicling atrocities in Sri Lanka; and Major Velena Iga, who has been a key figure in combating violence against women, sorcery accusation-related violence, and trafficking in persons in Papua New Guinea. Melania Trump praised their work. 'This truth is illustrated through our honorees, who prove that love can inspire extraordinary valor even in the face of vulnerability,' she said. Melania Trump and Marco Rubio with Amit Soussana of Israel Melania Trump praised the women 'who prove that love can inspire extraordinary valor even in the face of vulnerability' Soussana, who became known for her candid account of the acts of terror she endured in captivity in Gaza, was the only honoree who spoke. 'I was taken hostage by Hamas and held captive for 55 days, 55 days of fear, of pain and of being stripped of every freedom I once took for granted. In captivity, I had no control over my body, no control over my life. I resisted as best as I could, but it was not enough to stop what happened to me,' she said. She thanked President Trump for his work in releasing hostages. 'I accept this award, not for myself, but in the name of all the brave women of Israel,' she said. The policeman who became a hero of the infamous Iranian embassy siege of 1980 has died aged 85. PC Trevor Lock became the de facto leader of the 26 hostages, an intermediary between the terrorists and the authorities and went on to rugby tackle the lead gunman in a room full of gas as the SAS stormed the building. The diplomatic protection officer had a concealed revolver throughout the entire six-day siege and refused to go to the toilet because he feared the gunmen would see the gun if he unbuckled his belt. Bravery comes in different forms, historian Ben Macintyre wrote in his account of the siege, and in Locks case it came in the form of a heroic feat of self-constipation. Born into a working class family in east London, Lock was posted to Tripoli, Libya, during his National Service before working at Dagenhams Ford Factory and eventually joining the police at age 26. He and his second wife, Doreen, had six children between them three each from their previous relationships. After 15 years patrolling east London, Lock, described by Macintyre as portly, placid and patient, requested a transfer to the diplomatic protection group because of the improved wages in January 1980. Three months later, he was sipping a cup of coffee while guarding the entrance to the Iranian embassy when a bullet flew past him, shattering the security door and sending shards of glass into Locks face. PC Trevor Lock shouts instructions down to police officers below from the Embassy balcony as he stands with another hostage and one of the terrorists on the fifth day of the siege PC Lock with his wife Doreen after receiving the George Medal for his bravery Lock had the presence of mind to press the emergency button on his lapel radio as the gunmen shoved him inside the building, meaning the police were outside within minutes. The policeman had been planning to take Doreen to a West End musical that evening for his birthday but instead found himself at the heart of a terrifying six-day hostage drama that gripped the world. He would become the policeman who discovered accidental courage without looking for it, wanting it or knowing what it was,' Macintyre wrote. Miraculously, the terrorists failed to notice Locks revolver when they searched him and he would spend the siege eating as little as possible so as to avoid having to go to the toilet and removing his belt. Lock became popular with both the hostages and the gunmen, who he amused with Arab swear words he had learnt in Libya. He was often chosen to communicate with the outside world on behalf of the gunmen through a small window at the front of the building, and during one of these exchanges when asked if he had a message for his wife simply replied: Keep your chin up. Lock would remain awake upright in a chair while the other hostages slept, made constant efforts to dissuade his captors from violence and tried to convince the terrorists that the squeaking sound made by police drilling listening devices into the walls was made by mice. Such was the respect that the lead terrorist, Towfiq Ibrahim al-Rashidi, had for the policeman that the gunman considered asking for Lock to drive them to the airport himself if they were offered free passage. PC Lock on the balcony with BBC technician Sim Harris, another of the hostages on the final day of the siege Lock had been standing next to Towfiq at 7.23pm on the sixth day of the siege, when a huge blast rocked the foundations of the building and debris dropped from the ceiling around them. The SAS were mounting their assault, and Lock seized an opportunity to disarm the gunman smashing him into a neighbouring office and sending his submachine gun clattering across the floor. Lock pinned Towfiq down and withdrew his long-concealed revolver, shouting: You caused this, you bastard. I f***ing begged you to surrender and you wouldnt. He refrained from shooting the terrorist and when two gas canisters exploded nearby he rolled off Towfiq as two SAS soldiers shot the Arab hostage-taker dead. Lock rarely spoke of the siege and gave few interviews. Three years ago, Barking and Dagenham Council unveiled a plaque on his modest family home not for Locks heroism in 1980 but for the contributions made by him and Doreen in the years since. Lock died in his sleep on March 30, a year after his beloved wife. The Metropolitan Police Federation last night said its members were saddened to hear of PC Lock's death. A spokesman said: 'Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. 'PC Lock is remembered for calming his fellow hostages during the siege, acting as an intermediary between the terrorists and the security forces that ringed the building and - as the embassy was stormed - tackling the leading gunman. 'PC Lock was awarded the George Medal for his outstanding courage, sustained bravery, calmness and devotion to duty. We could not have said it any better. 'It almost seems fitting that this week we host the first ever London Police Bravery Awards, where we will be sure to remember PC Lock and his incredible courage.' Labour's private school VAT raid is ill thought-out and damages children, a landmark High Court case has heard. The Government has misunderstood how badly the new 20 per cent tax on fees will affect children with special needs, lawyers said. In addition, ministers ploughed on with the policy despite being warned straight after the General Election that a quarter of those affected were from poorer families, they revealed. Dozens of angry families crowded outside the court today to protest against the tax, with placards reading Education Not Taxation. Three groups of families most of whom are anonymous are joining private schools to bring a judicial review claim. They say the tax is in breach of their right to education under the European Convention of Human Rights and is discriminatory. Bruno Quintavalle, representing some of the families, said in written submissions: The governments ill-thought-out proposal introduced in haste, with no adequate notice and without the possibility of exemptions, puts the parents in difficult or impossible positions. Other written submissions on behalf of families suggest the Government has a very significant misunderstanding of the reality facing children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Claimants Stephen White and son Josiah, 14, who have chosen not to be anonymous, attended the High Court with sister Joy Dozens of parent protesters stood outside the High Court to support the claimants Children not directly involved in the case joined the protest outside the High Court They say the Government wrongly seems to assume that all children with SEND can get an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which would entitle them to a higher level of state-backed care. In reality only a small proportion can get this help leading many parents to pay for it themselves by choosing private schools. And the court heard the Government was warned 25 per cent of those hit by the tax will fall in the bottom half of the household income distribution. This warning was delivered by officials to James Murray, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, on July 6 2024 two days after the General Election, documents show. But despite knowing the tax would impact a large number of poorer families, the Government doubled down on the tax, which came into effect in January. Lord David Pannick KC, also representing families, said: The application of the law does have a damaging effect on individual children and their families. One claimant family is paying for their child with autism to attend a private school using disability living allowance but will have to pull them out due to the VAT. More than 10 per cent of families using the 1,400 private schools affiliated with the Independent Schools Council (ISC) have annual gross household income of less than 50,000, the court was told. Children not directly involved in the case joined the protest outside the High Court Protesters gathered outside the High Court with placards to protest against the new tax Charlie Gunns, 12, who has transverse myelitis, and his mother Leanne, came from their home in Norwich to support the claimants Lawyers say a significant cohort of children with SEND may be displaced from their schools because their parents can no longer afford the fees. Lord Pannick pointed out the Government has publicly admitted the state SEND system isnt working and outcomes are just not good enough. Among the other claimants are also Jewish pupils at specialist religious private schools who fear anti-Semitic attacks if they go into the state sector. There is also a girl who had to attend a single-sex private school the only all-girls school in her area due to harassment by boys at her co-educational state school. And there are also claimants using Christian private schools because they cannot obtain the same religious education in the state system. One is Stephen White, who has chosen not to be anonymous, and whose eldest four children are at Bradford Christian School, a private Christian school in West Yorkshire. However, Sir James Eadie KC, representing the Treasury, HMRC and the DfE, said abolishing the VAT exemption is expected to yield between 1.5 and 1.7 billion per year. He said the tax does not make those measures an interference with freedom to offer or receive private education. A Government spokesman said: We do not comment on ongoing litigation. A woman in Florida who allegedly held two boys at gunpoint and threatened to 'blow their heads off' because they were fishing behind her home has been arrested. Donna Elkins, 59, had called 911 reporting the two boys fishing in a pond behind her home and told the dispatcher that she had 'stopped them and they were laying on the ground.' Brayden, 15, told Fox 13: 'She said she was going to blow our brains out and that if we didn't listen to her, she would shoot - that she was going to blow our heads off.' The boys were found to have been fishing on a peninsula near the pond, roughly 30 feet from Elkins' property line, according to the outlet. Elkins pointed a gun, which was later identified as a long black pellet gun, at the boys. 'In my head, it was a real gun,' Brayden continued. 'That she was going to shoot us and kill us and the fact that she was saying she was going to blow our heads off, you can't do that with a pellet gun. I really thought it was real.' Elkins told the dispatcher she had 'petrified them' and ordered them to the ground before she threatened to 'blow their heads off,' investigators said. The boys lay on the ground, fearing for their lives, for around five minutes before Elkins' husband came out of the home and disarmed her, according to the report obtained by the outlet. Donna Elkins, 59, had called 911 reporting the two boys fishing in a pond behind her home and told the dispatcher that she had 'stopped them and they were laying on the ground' 'Because if someone goes in your backyard, you can blow their f***ing heads off. I have a right to protect my property and my house,' Elkins yelled at the boys, as they repeatedly responded, 'yes ma'am,' and apologized Brayden's friend managed to film the interaction, hiding his phone from Elkins as the pair lay on the ground. 'Do you get people in your backyard?' Elkins asked the boys as they lay on the ground. 'Sometimes ma'am,' one of the boys responded. 'Because if someone goes in your backyard, you can blow their f***ing heads off. I have a right to protect my property and my house,' she yelled at them, as they repeatedly responded, 'yes ma'am,' and apologized. According to Brayden's father, his son was forced to lie on the ground with a broken arm and he is now experiencing back and shoulder pain from the interaction with Elkins. 'They told him the back pain was from the jerking motion of going to the ground and rolling around and that we have to see our pediatric surgery team this week to check for any setback with the arm to see why he's in pain,' he wrote. Brayden's mother wrote on Facebook: 'I could never say enough how proud I am of my sweet boy. There aren't words for how broken my heart is to watch him go through this or how disgusted I am that it happened at all.' 'The amount of damage one person can do in a matter of minutes is appalling. But my boy... He's strong, brave, resilient... even more so than I could have imagined. This isn't going to be an easy journey for him but he has so many people behind him.' According to Brayden's father, his son was forced to lie on the ground with a broken arm and he is now experiencing back and shoulder pain from the interaction with Elkins 'In my head, it was a real gun,' 15-year-old Brayden said. 'That she was going to shoot us and kill us and the fact that she was saying she was going to blow our heads off, you can't do that with a pellet gun. I really thought it was real' Two other children reportedly saw the interaction and gave similar accounts of the events. Elkins was arrested and booked into the Brevard County Jail on two charges of aggravated assault and two charges of false imprisonment. The boys were not physically harmed by Elkins. Brayden hopes his story will help stop it from happening again. 'What she did was wrong,' he said. 'We aren't letting this go. He deserves to see justice served and we can't imagine letting this happen to another child,' his mother wrote. President Donald Trump is coming under increasing pressure to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a move backed by some of his most high-profile supporters. A new ad campaign wants to make sure the White House is aware of the economic benefits of rescheduling it to a section 3 drug, allowing it to be studied for potential health benefits. The American Rights and Reform PAC has launched an investment of over $1 million in the next month to run ads on Fox News, streaming, and digital markets in the Washington DC and West Palm Beach markets. One ad notes that millions of American patients rely on medical marijuana, noting that 'Joe Biden and Democrats classify their medication as a dangerous narcotic like heroin.' The campaign is backed by marijuana business interests who argue that reclassifying marijuana would allow scientists to study it for potential health and treatment benefits. 'President Trump has the opportunity to do something that would be historic and remembered forever if he decides to move forward with re-scheduling cannabis,' a person involved with the campaign told DailyMail.com. A second ad, featuring former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, warns that Canada is 'attacking' American cannabis companies and 'cashing in' on the product while America falls behind. 'This is an America first fight,' the ad notes, urging the president to 'reschedule cannabis and put America first.' The idea behind the campaign is to convince government regulators to shift marijuana from a schedule 1 drug, which has been determined to have no medical value and have a high potential for abuse, to a schedule 3 drug, which allows some medical value despite it's potential for abuse. US President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House Ad content from American Rights And Reform PAC Ad content from American Rights And Reform PAC Advocates argue that marijuana and psilocybin no longer rank with other deadly drugs like heroin and should be reclassified, allowing it to be studied. Even if they were rescheduled as schedule 3 drugs, they would not be legal for recreational use. The pair of ads demonstrates the delicate balance of the Trump administration's political stance on the issue. Traditional conservatives are generally not supportive of legalizing marijuana, but a growing number of influential podcasters and new media figures support the idea. Podcaster Joe Rogan routinely mentions the benefits of rescheduling marijuana and psychedelic psilocybin for medical research, citing successful anecdotal testimonies and treatments for veterans. During the 2024 campaign, Rogan spent a significant amount of time speaking with JD Vance about the issue during their October 31 interview. 'I know a bunch of different guys that have gone down to Mexico and had psilocybin journeys and all these different things where they've encountered these experiences that have made them sort of rethink who they are,' said Rogan. '(It) alleviated them of a lot of the stress and a lot of the trauma that they've experienced and given them peace,' Rogan said, making the case for more attention to the issue. Vance indicated he was open to the idea, noting that he was generally fine with people using marijuana at home but 'I don't like smelling it when I take my kids to the park.' 'What I'd like to get is, is some sort of legal regime that, you know, again, it's not like criminally prosecuting or prosecuting at all people for smoking a joint, but also where we can actually ensure that it's kept out of public spaces,' he said. Vance admitted during the interview he largely unaware of the argument to reclassify some recreational drugs, but indicated that as a veteran he was open to the idea of alternative treatments. President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Joe Rogan during the UFC 309 event Ad content from American Rights And Reform PAC Advocates are hopeful that Trump will act to make a change on the issue, citing his position during the presidential campaign. Trump announced on social media in September that he would support Amendment 3 in Florida which would have legalized recreational use of marijuana in the state, but called for 'smart regulations' and research. 'As President, we will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including SAFE banking for state authorized companies, and supporting states rights to pass marijuana laws, like in Florida, that work so well for their citizens,' he wrote. Joe Rogan on the Joe Rogan Experience JD Vance discusses with Joe Rogan the idea of rescheduling drugs to make them available for research The Amendment failed to reach the 60 percent threshold required to pass, but 55 percent of Florida voters supported it. In some ways, Trumps shift on the issue is remarkable as his first Attorney General Jeff Sessions, appointed in 2015, had a famously hardline stance against marijuana, especially on the issue of legalization or loosening restrictions for medical use. The American Rights and Reform PAC believes that reclassifying the recreational drug to a schedule 3 drug would be a good first step to open up a future economic industry. Biden indicated he was open to the idea, after his Justice Department asked the Drug Enforcement Administration to 'consider' rescheduling the drug, but failed to act definitively before he left office. Now cannabis advocates are trying to convince Trump to act as a 'bold change agent' to finish what Biden could not complete. 'Not only would it be hugely popular with Americans across the political spectrum, but it would allow vital medical research to move forward and would benefit our economy and create more American jobs,' a person involved with the ad campaign told DailyMail.com. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the government's stunning admission that ICE deported a migrant to a notorious El Salvadoran prison despite a judge's standing order due to an 'administrative error.' Leavitt was about the incident Tuesday, hours after the government admitted the mistake in a court filing. She accused the deportee, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, of being involved in human trafficking and made plain he would not be getting any second chances. 'The error that you are referring to was a clerical error. It was an administrative error. The administration maintains the position that this individual who was deported to El Salvador and will not be returning to our country was a member of the brutal and vicious MS-13 gang,' Leavitt said. Then she raised a series of claims about the man, Maryland resident Kilmer Armado Abrego Garcia, whose wife spotted him in video clips posted by El Salvador's president after the administration deported more than 200 alleged members of Venezuelan and Salvadoran gangs. 'We also have credible intelligence proving that this individual was involved in human trafficking ... This individual was a member actually a leader of the brutal MS-13 gang, which this president has designated as a foreign terrorist organization,' she said. She said the president maintained the authority and power 'to deport these heinous individuals from American communities.' Leavitt doubled down when asked about Vice President JD Vance calling Abrego Garcia a 'convicted' gang member and what evidence she had, although there is no U.S. conviction on the books. 'There's a lot of evidence, and the Department of Homeland Security and ICE have that evidence, and I saw it this morning,' she said. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said a Maryland resident who was deported to a notorioius El Salvadoran prison would not be coming back to the U.S., while admitting he was sent out the country due to a 'clerical error' 'My further comment is that its gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize,' wrote Vance. The government did not furnish that evidence in its court filing, where it was opposing a motion to hold up $6 million in payments to El Salvador for accepting the prisoners, who the White House has repeatedly accused of membership in the violent gang. Vance also tangled online with Politico reporter Kyle Cheney who disputed his claim of a 'conviction. 'The court filing does not say that, Cheney wrote. It says he was denied bond in 2019 over an informants claim he was in MS-13. Thats not a conviction. Abrego Garcia was in the U.S. under a 'holding of removal' order by an immigration judge. According to a story in the Atlantic which Leavitt trashed, based on information from Garcia's lawyer, he got the gang label in 2019 after being detained in a Home Depot parking lot with three other men in Prince George's County, Maryland. One man told police he was a gang member but didn't offer proof, and police did not identify him as being in MS-13 and didn't charge him with a crime. He got handed over to ICE, and the government subsequently 'claimed that a reliable informant had identified him as a ranking member of MS-13,' according to the report. Leavitt said 'we also have credible intelligence proving that this individual was involved in human trafficking.' Abrego Garcia, who is married to a U.S. citizen who he shares a five-year-old child with, is suing the Trump Administration over his illegal removal from the US. 'Through administrative error, Abrego-Garcia was removed from the United States to El Salvador,' the legal paperwork filed by Trump's team said. 'This was an oversight, and the removal was carried out in good faith based on the existence of a final order of removal and Abrego-Garcias purported membership in MS-13.' Abrego-Garcia arrived at the notorious supermax prison CECOT in El Salvador March 15 on one of three planes from the US. His removal also contradicts what the Trump White House originally said about the deportations to El Salvador-- when officials claimed some 300 men who were on those planes were all Venezuelans who belong to the global criminal organization Tren de Argua or TdA. However, Abrego-Garcia is a native of El Salvador, and his attorney has denied he belongs to MS-13, TdA or any other criminal group. Abrego-Garcia's lawyers are demanding he be returned to the US, however the Trump administration is outrageously claiming that since he isn't in US custody, the court cannot order him to be returned to the US nor can the court order El Salvador to return him. Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, as part of an agreement with the Salvadoran government, in Tecoluca, El Salvador Outrage spread over the chaotic deportation of a man from the US to Salvador among current and former elected officials US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (C) tours the prison in El Salvador where Venezuelan migrants are being housed after being deported from the United States 'Another mistake by the Trump administrationtheyre deporting people they know should not be deported under law and then playing dumb about it. Due process would help prevent this,' tweeted former Obama administration cabinet member Julian Castro Tuesday. During Trump's first term in office in 2019, Abrego-Garcia was flagged as a criminal by a confidential informant who "had advised that Abrego Garcia was an active member" of the gang MS-13, his lawyers told ABC News. No evidence was ever presented proving he was a member of the gang, and he was allowed to file an application for asylum. A judge went even further and granted Abrego-Garcia, whose photo has not been made public, withholding of removal to his home country. According to his lawyers, ICE officials detained Abrego-Garcia in March, informing him that 'immigration status had changed.' He was taken to a detention center in Texas before being flown to El Salvador. The legality on the Trump fights to El Salvador has been challenged in court, as Pres. Donald Trump invoked a law meant to be used during only times of war to suspend the legal process for Venezuelans accused of being TdA members. That's how the government was able to remove the men as quickly as they did, since they never had a day in court, and many of the Venezuelans removed now claim they are not TdA members. Bukele, in a meeting last month with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio , offered to house prisoners from the United States in his country The arrival of alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal organisation Tren de Aragua at the Terrorism Confinement Centre The gang has been linked to kidnapping, extortion, organised crime and contract killings Despite admitting wrong-doing, Vice President JD Vance doubled down, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to defend the action, and later editing posts. 'In 2019, an Immigration Judge (under the first Trump administration) determined that the deported man was, in fact, a member of the MS-13 gang,' Vance tweeted, although Abrego-Garcia's lawyer maintain that he was never ruled a gangster. 'He also apparently had multiple traffic violations for which he failed to appear in court,' Vance continued. 'A real winner. It is telling that the entire American media is going to run a propaganda operation today making you think an innocent "father of 3" was apprehended by a gulag.' However, several judges have ruled that the flights to Venezuela violated the deportees rights, even if they are Venezuelan TdA members-- neither of which Abrego-Garcia is. A Haitian man who was sponsored by a Missouri pastor and has become part of his family has been ordered to leave the United States within just 30 days after changes to immigration policy under the Trump administration. Wendy (Wendsy) Desrivieres, who lost both his parents at a young age, arrived in the US in April 2024 under a parole program that originally granted him a two-year stay. Now, the Department of Homeland Security has terminated certain parole programs for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela - leaving Desrivieres with only until April 24 to leave the country. 'We've done everything legally,' Pastor Ralph Morris of VCU Church in Ray County told WDAF-TV. 'We don't understand what we've done wrong.' Desrivieres entered the country legally through the Refugee Parole Program - the only option available since the US Embassy in Haiti closed in August 2023. 'He has appeared twice within the Immigration Service,' Morris, who has sponsored Desrivieres for over a decade, told the outlet. 'He's been interviewed. He's been fingerprinted. He has a permanent residence. They know where he is. They know what he is doing.' Morris added that Desrivieres has a Social Security card and full-time employment in the US. A Haitian man who was sponsored by a Missouri pastor and has become part of his family, has been ordered to leave the United States within just 30 days after changes to immigration policy under the Trump administration Morris, who has been with VCU Church for 34 years, is also a board member for a mission group that has established seven churches and four schools in Haiti with approximately 2,000 children enrolled. It was through this program that he met Desrivieres and his younger brother The family has also applied for a green card but has received little information about its status. 'We've had people write letters, notarize them. We have affidavits, people verifying his character. We just want somebody to listen-somebody to hear us and answer some questions,' Morris said. 'In my mind, I'm thinking, "We've got everything processed Why is he getting a letter of deportation?"' If deported, Desrivieres faces dire circumstances and could end up homeless. 'If he is returned to Haiti on April 24, when he walks off that plane, he is immediately homeless, because he has already surrendered his apartment,' Morris said. 'He has given up his transportation, his motorcycle that he owned. He has no job [in Haiti], no source of income whatsoever. We've been given 30 days to do this; it's just not enough time, and we don't understand what we've done wrong.' The Homeland Security document obtained by WDAF-TV stated: 'If you have not obtained a lawful basis to remain in the United States and do not depart the United States by the date your parole terminates, you will begin to accrue unlawful presence in the United States unless you are otherwise protected from such accrual.' Morris, who has been with VCU Church for 34 years, is also a board member for a mission group that has established seven churches and four schools in Haiti with approximately 2,000 children enrolled. It was through this program that he met Desrivieres and his younger brother. 'He needed the support, and Diana and I chose to support him,' Morris said. Born and raised in Haiti, Desrivieres fled his homeland due to rampant gang violence. Wendy (Wendsy) Desrivieres, who lost both his parents at a young age, arrived in the US in April 2024 under a parole program that originally granted him a two-year stay Now, the Department of Homeland Security has terminated certain parole programs for nationals of Cuba , Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela - leaving Desrivieres with only until April 24 to leave the country Desrivieres entered the country legally through the Refugee Parole Program - the only option available since the US Embassy in Haiti closed in August 2023. Morris added that Desrivieres has a Social Security card and full-time employment in the US 'We are not safe by the gangs,' Desrivieres told WDAF-TV. The orphaned man met the Morris family more than 10 years ago and quickly formed a deep bond. 'They replaced my family, my mom and dad. I lost my mom when I was 11. I lost my dad when I was 8,' he explained. 'I don't know what can I say to let them know how much I love them.' Despite his uncertain future, Desrivieres is turning to his faith. 'I follow Him,' he told the outlet. 'This is the only thing I can do.' Desrivieres is not the only one dealing with this issue, Morris emphasized. 'There are 530,000 people that have received this notification. They have to be gone. They have to leave our country within the next 30 days,' he said. An identical twin who covered for her sister by lying about driving a car that killed two Amish children has been sentenced to three months in jail. Sarah Beth Petersen, 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal vehicular operation connected with the 2023 Minnesota crash. The horror smash killed sisters Wilma Miller, seven, and Irma Miller, 11, while older sister Rose, then 13, and their brother Allan, then nine, survived their injuries. Samantha was high behind the wheel at the time of the crash, so the twins schemed to make it look like Sarah was driving to reduce a possible jail sentence, local police said. When the cops arrived at the scene, both sisters were present along with two vehicles both in Samantha's name including the silver SUV which struck the kids. Sarah gave a statement to the police, who soon became suspicious after noting that her clothing did not match the description given by eyewitnesses. She was then unwittingly caught on a deputy's pocket recorder openly bragging about the plot as she sat in the back of the squad car. 'I think one of the guys is onto me, but I don't really care,' she was recorded as saying according to the charges obtained by the Star Tribune. Sarah Beth Petersen (left) , an identical twin who covered for her sister by lying about driving a car that killed two Amish children, has been sentenced to three months in jail Wilma, 7, (second from right) and Irma, 11 (right) were killed in the collision in September 2023 which also injured their brother Allan, 9, (back left) and older sister Rose, 13 (not pictured) 'There's no way they would ever know the difference between the two of us, so they can't tell.' The crash took place on September 25, 2023, along southbound County Road 1 as Samantha was leaving work at Hy-Vee. Investigators said her silver SUV was travelling at up to 71mph in a 55mph zone when it slammed into the children. One witness also told police he saw one blonde woman at the crash site, then shortly later another woman who liked similar arrive, and embrace the first woman. Hy-vee staff told the cops that she had used the company's work messaging platform and said she was high on methamphetamines at the time of the crash. A blood test revealed she had methamphetamine, amphetamine and THC, the active ingredient in marijuana in her system. Sarah was sentenced Monday to jail time and four months of supervised probation. In court, Sarah's defense attorney Daniel McIntosh offered his 'apologies and condolences' to the Miller family on behalf of his client. Sarah Petersen (pictured) agreed to confess to the accident to save her sister potential prison time Samantha Petersen (pictured) allegedly hit a horse drawn buggy on a road outside the small town of Spring Valley on September 25 2023 while under the influence of meth 'She still has such a heavy heart for the Millers' loss,' McIntosh said. Samantha is due to stand trial on July 14. Both sisters have a colorful rap sheet, including two DWI convictions for Samantha, one for alcohol and one for a controlled substance. Sarah was convicted in January 2022 on a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and is currently on parole. While Sarah was in prison on the drug charge, Samantha cared for her two children, a potential motive for Sarah offering to cover for her in return, according to the criminal complaint. It is also not the first time the twins have attempted to change places to evade law enforcement. Sarah was convicted of giving law-enforcement her sister's name in 2017 and giving a false name earlier that same year, according to court records. Samantha was convicted of giving a false name in 2007. One witness also told police he saw one blonde woman at the crash site, then shortly later another woman who liked similar arrive, and embrace the first woman Menno Miller, the heartbroken father of the two girls who died, Wilma, 7, and Irma, 11 told the Wall Street Journal his community does not believe in the criminal-justice system. 'It was not a good scene, I'll tell you that, when you see your kids scattered along the road,' he said. 'They were thinking about themselves,' he said of the twins, and said he has accepted the authorities decision to bring charges. A haunting video captured the moment a woman was horrifically mauled by a pit bull on a beach in the Dominican Republic. Luisa Encarnacion, 53, was seen being bitten by the feral dog on the shore of Palenque Beach in the southern city of Sabana Grande de Palenque on Sunday. Bystanders took turns hitting the dog with a stick in an attempt to stop its attack, while others kept their distance wondering where the animal's owner was. The frightening footage showed the dog trying to drag the screaming woman by her hair as she tried to crawl away. However, a brave man managed to pull the beast off the woman and delivered three punched it over the head, while another person tended to Encarnacion. According to Dominican television news channel Noticias SIN, the woman was rushed to a medical facility and underwent an emergency operation. Encarnacion, who suffered head, neck and face injuries, survived the ordeal. National Police investigators launched a search for the dog owner, who could be held liable for the attack. A woman suffered head, face and neck injuries after she was mauled by a pit bull on Palenque Beach in the southern Dominican Republic city of Sabana Grande de Palenque on Sunday A bystander delivered multiple punches after pulling it away from the woman it was attacking A male bystander (center) pinned the pit bull to the sand on the shore of Palenque Beach while another person helped out Luisa Encarnacion (top right) In response to the incident, Sabana Grande de Palenque Mayor, Miguel Valera, met with agents of the Central Directorate of Tourism Police and banned the presence of dogs on the beach. Concerned residents took to social media to call for legislation against dog owners to protect beach and park visitors from future attacks. 'In my opinion, a law should be passed that when one of those dogs bites someone, the owner should be sentenced to five years or more in prison and be subject to psychological damages,' one person said. 'Bet they are going to start to take care of the dogs?' 'There is no law,' another chimed, 'In parks it is normal to see large breed dogs let loose by their owners. 'The dog's owners had to have control of that animal,' another person said. 'You can't have that animal where there are people, much less on a beach.' One resident called on elected officials to take a tougher stance against the owners of pit bulls. 'Here they have to establish a plan with the owners of that breed of dog,' they wrote. '[The owners] walk around the street as if it [the pit bull] were an ornament, without knowing the danger they represent.' Tributes have been paid to a 'fondly remembered' British-born woman and her two young daughters who were killed after a car smashed into the family as they crossed the road in New York on Saturday afternoon. Natasha Saada, 34, who grew up in Mill Hill, north London, and her daughters Diana, eight, and Deborah, five, who were members of the Orthodox Jewish community in the city, were mown down in Brooklyn as they walked home from attending synagogue, just after 1pm. All three were pronounced dead at the scene, while the family's four-year-old son was also critically injured in the crash. Motorist Miriam Yarimi, 32, who runs a wig making business, was allegedly behind the wheel of an Audi sedan which slammed into a Toyota Camry Uber vehicle moments before colliding with the family and flipping upside down amid horrific scenes on Ocean Parkway in Midwood. The NYPD told DailyMail.com on Sunday that Yarimi, of Midwood, has now been hit with a slew of charges including three counts of manslaughter in the second degree. Yarimi, who was allegedly driving with a suspended license, is additionally accused of three counts of criminally negligent homicide, four counts of assault in the second degree, reckless driving and speeding, the department said. The three were buried on Monday night in Jerusalem, Israel. Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet of Mill Hill Synagogue, north London, travelled to the funeral and supported Mrs Saada's grieving parents, who are among his congregants, as well as her husband, Sidney. Natasha Saada, 34, who grew up in Mill Hill, north London, was tragically killed alongside her two young daughters as they walked home in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday The Audi sedan is said to have slammed into a Toyota Camry Uber vehicle moments before colliding with the family and flipping upside down amid horrific scenes Diana, eight, and Deborah, five, were mown down in the horror crash in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday afternoon He told Jewish News: 'The whole community is grief-stricken. Natasha grew up in Mill Hill and is fondly remembered by many. 'They are a beautiful family and we are all mourning along with them.' Devastating images from the scene showed Yarimi's Audi completely upturned in the middle of the road. Yarimi had to be removed from the vehicle by firefighters and was reportedly in a stable condition following the smash. According to online records, the Audi had accrued over 93 traffic violations, which included 20 speeding tickets and over $10,000 in fines. The violations include tickets for speeding through a school zone, failing to stop at a red light, and parking over a fire hydrant. Speaking at the crash site, Mayor Eric Adams described the crash as 'a tragic accident of Shakesperean proportions' and added: 'A mother going for a simple stroll on a sunny day was struck and killed. The city mourns with this community.' Motorist Miriam Yarimi, 32, has been hit with a slew of charges including three counts of manslaughter in the second degree Yarimi (pictured) who was allegedly driving with a suspended license, is additionally accused of three counts of criminally negligent homicide, reckless driving, and speeding Yarimi had to be removed from the vehicle by firefighters and was reportedly in a stable condition following the smash One man who lives nearby told The Daily News that the noise of the crash sounded like an 'earthquake'. He said: 'I quickly ran, called 911, reported it in there. There was emergency Hatzalah [ambulance] there on the scene within two minutes of that phone call, they came in there. 'They performed CPR on the lady. There was another kid right next to thatand they did CPR on them. 'There was a little boy did the CPR, and hopefully they got a pulse on him. Just really ugly scene.' The NYPD said Yarimi's charges also include failure to yield right at a red light, and driving over the speed limit. The Uber driver involved was also taken to the Kings County Hospital in a stable condition for treatment, along with their three passengers - two children and an adult. A police investigation into the crash is ongoing. A Massachusetts school board was caught on a hot mic referring to a student's dad as a 'pain in the a**' as he advocated for his disabled child's rights. Gaurav Jashnani stood up for his child's needs earlier this year to advocate for his disabled child, only to find that the board had made rude comments about him after the meeting was over. As he read the transcript comments weeks later on March 13 at another School Committee meeting, he shocked listeners with what was said. 'After the meeting had ended, this was then transcribed and submitted to the state and to me,' he said. Jashnani said that in the transcript the board 'insulted him' and compared him to a family member who is a 'pain in the a**.' He continued that the board seemed to have tried to look up his social media and referred to him as 'one of those "Save Our Schools" people.' 'Concerningly indicating their prejudice toward my possible political affiliations during a meeting about services for my child,' he continued. 'One of them... casually admits general and systematic non-compliance with IEPs as a norm in our school district.' Gaurav Jashnani stood up for his child's needs earlier this year to advocate for his disabled son, only to find that the board had allegedly called him a 'pain in the a**' in the meeting transcript Jashnani said that in the transcript the board 'insulted him' and compared him to a family member who is a 'pain in the a**.' He continued that the board seemed to have tried to look up his social media and referred to him as 'one of those "Save Our Schools" people' Jashnani read comments from one speaker who allegedly admitted that the school doesn't 'always give kids everything they should get on their IEP.' '"And I think in some way, and this is not a good thing, but in some ways I do think its kind of understood. That sometimes there isn't coverage or sometimes there isn't staffing or whatever," 'the speaker allegedly said, Jashnani read. '"But then there are some people who, like this, come from a different community so he kind of doesn't get it,"' Jashnani continued to read out, interjecting that the board was referring to him. The student's father also claimed that in the transcript, the board admitted to 'preying on a lack of information' to 'underserve' the families of the school district. '"We have so many, so many families of kids who need so much more, so much more than we give them. And they don't know that they can come in and make a fuss,"' Jashnani read. 'This is how our administrators talk about us,' he declared. 'Administrators admitting systematic violations of state and federal disability law and then submitting it to the state.' 'This is what we have in our schools right now,' he said. 'Administrators saying out loud they don't give kids what they need,' he said. 'This makes me sick, I feel ill.' 'I hear students say they are being harmed in this meeting, I hear teachers say they are being literally attacked - there's not enough staff,' Jashnani said. 'I'm a parent telling you this district is failing and harming my child... I expect better' Yet, despite the comments, Jashnani said he didn't blame those individuals but instead made a point that they made in their comments about him; this is about funding. The comments stemmed from a meeting earlier this year, where Jashnani advocated for his child not receiving the proper attention required. According to the transcript, obtained by the Boston Globe, the school officials continued to discuss the matter once Jashnani had left the room. Superintendent Portia Bonner said in a statement to the outlet: 'Please know that the district is investigation this matter fully in consultation with our legal counsel. We will apprise the community when we have further information.' Jashnani requested a copy of the recording of the comments, but Bonner told him it did not exist, according to a letter obtained by the Globe. In a Feburary 13, 2025, meeting with the school board, Jashnani's first attendance, he advocated for the needs of all children who require better services from their school. 'I moved to Northampton in part because I heard good things about the schools here,' he began. 'My [child] is a beautiful and brilliant person.' Jashnani claimed that when his child got to the school, their needs didn't go away but the help they needed did. In late March, Jashnani heard back from the state about his complaint against the district. It was ruled that Northampton failed to follow state special education law, and denied Jashnani's child the right to a free and appropriate public education as a consequence Superintendent Portia Bonner said in a statement: 'Please know that the district is investigation this matter fully in consultation with our legal counsel. We will apprise the community when we have further information' 'Why would [they] need a para-educator in [their] class three days a week and not the other two?' he asked. 'You can imagine my surprise when last month I found out they had been violating the IEP, a legally binding document as you know, every week and possibly every day this year.' He believed the issue was fixed when a para-educator was assigned to his child for five days a week, but after one week, Jashnani claimed she was reassigned with no communication to his family. She's since allegedly been replaced with a rotating cast of about five different people, which Jashani described as the 'opposite' of his child's needs of consistency and routine. 'I've learned that my [child's] experience is common here,' he said. 'I hear students say they are being harmed in this meeting, I hear teachers say they are being literally attacked - there's not enough staff,' he said. 'I'm a parent telling you this district is failing and harming my child... I expect better.' In late March, Jashnani heard back from the state about his complaint against the district. It was ruled that Northampton failed to follow state special education law, and denied Jashnani's child the right to a free and appropriate public education as a consequence. The state ordered corrective action be made, requiring a student schedule to the education department be submitted by April 18, the Globe reported. Jashnani told the outlet he has also spoken to an attorney with plans to file a new complaint regarding the comments made, alleging systemic noncompliance. 'What I want to happen is not [for] those people to be scapegoated, and then everybody pretends there's not a bigger problem,' he told the outlet. A pioneering black female doctor, 87, who once taught at Howard University, was found dead in her home on Sunday after her grandson allegedly confessed to killing her. The disturbing sequence of events began early on Sunday morning when Spencer Dillon Hamilton, 27, walked into the Rockville City Police Station in Maryland, some 16 miles outside Washington, DC. He had allegedly confessed to killing his grandmother, Pauline Yvonne Titus-Dillon, before Montgomery County police officers rushed to the mansion. Medics responded to the home, found Titus-Dillon's body and pronounced the pioneering doctor dead at the scene. Hamilton had allegedly waited in a closet before punching, strangling and stabbing his grandmother around 4 am. Detectives believed that he had the murder weapon with him when he allegedly confessed, according to court papers. Hamilton was then accused of moving his grandmother's body to her bathroom and cleaning the scene of the crime. He allegedly stole her credit card, cellphone and laptop before leaving the home with her dead body. A pioneering black female doctor, 81, was allegedly killed in her Maryland mansion by her grandson, 27, on Sunday morning Spencer Dillon Hamilton, 27, was arrested and charged with murder in the first degree for the death of his beloved grandmother Pauline Yvonne Titus-Dillon graduated from Howard Medical School in 1964 and was a trailblazer for black women in medicine Court records detailed that Hamilton had lived in the home with his grandmother before her death. Detectives charged Hamilton with first-degree murder, and he is being held without bond. Police said Hamilton 'feloniously, willfully and with deliberately premeditated malice aforethought' murdered his grandmother, according to court documents. Hamilton was assigned a public defender, but he told Judge Patrick Mays that he wanted to represent himself during a bail hearing on Monday. A public defender followed up if Hamilton was sure he wanted to waive his right to an attorney, prompting the judge to order a psychiatric evaluation. Hamilton, who has not entered a formal plea at this time, has two upcoming court dates scheduled for April 7 and a preliminary hearing for April 25. Titus-Dillon had an impressive resume, breaking down barriers for people of color and women before her death. She graduated from Howard Medical School in 1964 and later worked at the university as an associate dean. Family members were pictured leaving the courthouse but declined to speak about the horrific incident Hamilton was accused of punching, strangling, and stabbing his grandmother to death. He chose to represent himself in court and is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation Hamilton was a graduate at Howard Medical School in 1964 and later became an associate dean at the university Titus-Dillon represented a minority of women in medical school at a time when it was rare for a woman - let alone a woman of color - to attend college to become a doctor. In 1960, women made up just 6 percent of incoming medical students, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. A family friend told the Washington Post that Titus-Dillon started her medical career at a time when not many women were practicing in the field. 'She was a brilliant woman. Just a great, great person,' Nicole Cutts, a psychologist and friend said. 'She was funny. She had a unique sense of humor,' Cutts added. She said her friend was a brilliant doctor but also loved her family, her Jamaican heritage and sewing. The family has not spoken out since the tragic incident, however, Hamilton's mother was present for his hearing, attorneys told the Washington Post. A man who transported nearly 1million worth of cocaine in an electric wheelchair has been apprehended by airport security. The discovery was made at Manchester Airport on Sunday in relation to a passenger who flew in from Bridgetown, Barbados. Border Force officers scanned the wheelchair, which contained 11 packages, weighing 12kg, concealed in the seat and backrest, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. NCA senior investigating officer Charles Lee, added: 'The concealment shows the ingenuity crime groups employ to smuggle cocaine. 'The NCA works with partners at home and abroad to combat the threat of Class A drugs and protect the UK public.' Portuguese national Casimiro De Lemos-Francisco, 56, has been charged with drug smuggling and will appear at Manchester Crown Court on May 6. The man transported nearly 1million worth of cocaine in an electric wheelchair before being apprehended by airport security The discovery was made at Manchester Airport on Sunday in relation to a passenger who flew in from Bridgetown, Barbados NCA senior investigating officer Charles Lee, said: 'The concealment shows the ingenuity crime groups employ to smuggle cocaine' Border Force officers scanned the wheelchair, which contained 11 packages, weighing 12kg, concealed in the seat and backrest, said the National Crime Agency (NCA) In February this year, a gang of American drug runners were also charged for smuggling cocaine at Manchester Airport - this time while hiding in the toilet. The couriers - five women and two men - had been recruited by drug barons in the US and offered between 3,000 and 4,000 to fly to the UK and pick up the 12 bags. Inside was more than 300kg of the Class A drug. But the plan fell apart after a member of staff at an X-ray machine became suspicious of the rectangular-shaped blocks in the cases, and border officials swooped in. The recruited members - all US nationals - were split into 'teams' and travelled to Manchester on different flights, Manchester Crown Court was told. Brian Marealle, 32, and Laquesa Greer, 50, flew in from JFK Airport in New York. Charles Mass, 29, and his girlfriend Brianna Hunt, 22, came to the UK from Orlando. And Yulibeth Gonzalez, 26, Leandra Royer, 26, and Chloe Sandoval, 24, flew from Los Angeles via Dusseldorf. Three members of the group were arrested on the spot, four others were detained in rooms at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, opposite the airport - and Mass and Hunt - who were in a relationship - were found naked in bed when officers burst in. One case was not found. The rest contained cocaine with a wholesale value of around 700,000. The NHS board which allowed a transgender doctor to use a female hospital changing room could be taken to court and face unlimited fines. NHS Fife is at the centre of a row over its controversial trans policies amid an ongoing landmark employment tribunal. The board accused nurse Sandie Peggie of misconduct after she challenged Dr Beth Upton, who was born male but identifies as a woman, in female facilities at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy. Bosses at the Fife board have now told the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) they will not consider altering their trans guidelines until after the conclusion of the case. But the EHRC the UKs equalities watchdog - has said it is looking at whether to take enforcement action against the board to protect womens safe spaces - which could lead to the watchdog directly intervening in the tribunal. Last night there was anger that the board could be prepared to risk taxpayers money on legal fees, if the case came to court, while a fine would also be paid for from the public purse. Campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS) accused the board of deliberately flouting the law. A failure to comply with an EHRC order could lead to an unlimited fine, while the watchdog also has power to carry out investigations and apply for interdicts in the Scottish courts, if it believes organisations are not complying with the law. Nurse Sandie Peggie was suspended after complaining about trans doctor using a female changing room Dr Beth Upton, who was born male, leaving the employment tribunal in Dundee earlier this year Glasgow University public law lecturer Dr Michael Foran said the EHRC could also potentially apply to intervene in Peggie v NHS Fife to set out its understanding of the applicable equality and human rights law in this case. Carol Potter, the boards chief executive, told the EHRC any recommendations that resulted from the case brought by Ms Peggie would be considered in partnership with the Scottish Government and trade unions. The EHRC had earlier sought to remind the health board of its obligations under equalities legislation. It said assessments of new policies and practices which affect equalities legislation must be published. The Daily Telegraph reported an exchange of letters between the EHRC and NHS Fife. One of these was a March 27 letter from NHS Fife chief executive Ms Potter to EHRC chief executive John Kirkpatrick. She said: We recognise the significant media attention and public discussion this issue has generated. However, as with any complex legal and organisational matter, not all facts or considerations may be fully reflected in external reporting. She said the health board recognises its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010, saying that the current legal process must conclude before any potential changes to practices can be considered. NHS Fife claimed it was committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and non-discriminatory environment for all staff and patients. Ms Potter also said NHS Fife is awaiting the publication of a national gender transitioning guide from NHS Scotland which will inform policy. Last night an EHRC spokesman said: The policies and practices of all Scottish health boards must comply with the Equality Act 2010, as it relates to the provision of single-sex services and spaces. We wrote to NHS Fife to remind them of their obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty, and request that they provide information relevant to the provision of changing facilities for their staff and the rights of different groups in the application of these policies. We are currently reviewing the response NHS Fife provided and will be writing to them again shortly. As Britains equality regulator, we will consider any appropriate next steps, including the use of our enforcement powers. NHS Fife said the board had not directly received earlier correspondence from the EHRC. A spokesman said: NHS Fife did not receive a letter from the EHRC and subsequently requested a formal copy from the Commission, following its publication on the EHRC website on February 21. The EHRC announced that they had written to NHS Fife and Scottish Government regarding access to single-sex changing facilities for NHS staff; but no such letter was received directly by NHS Fife, and we had expected to see that correspondence before responding. Following NHS Fifes request, the letter from the EHRC was subsequently received on March 20 via email and the board responded directly on March 27. Writing on social media platform X, former civil servant Lucy Hunter Blackburn of gender-critical think-tank Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, said: NHS Fifes management dont emerge very flatteringly from this set of exchanges. Last week the Mail revealed that police chiefs are asking the EHRC for advice about whether they should allow rapists to self-identify as women - and provide single-sex changing rooms for staff. A schoolgirl whose leg was seriously injured on a fairground ride has been handed a 27,000 payout. The horror unfolded in 2022 when the youngster was on the Crazy Fun House ride in the Barry Island Pleasure Park, Wales. Formal legal proceedings were sparked but the dispute took three years to be settled, the 16-year-old's solicitors said. They claimed the pleasure park had denied responsibility for the girl's injuries and initially continually offered her low sums of money from their legal team and insurers. It is understood Barry Island Pleasure Park paid the settlement figure to the girl and her family along with legal costs but did not officially accept liability for what happened. Andrew Collingbourne, lawyer for the family, of Robertsons Solicitors, said: 'This case highlights the necessity for stringent health and safety measures in public spaces. 'Had the appropriate precautions been in place this accident might have been prevented. We believe it is essential to bring public attention to these concerns so that similar incidents can be avoided in the future.' A family representative added: 'This was not just a minor accident it had lasting impacts. We hope that by bringing this issue to light other families will be aware of the risks and fairground operators will take their responsibilities more seriously.' The accident took place in 2022 on the Crazy Fun House ride in the Barry Island Pleasure Park (pictured), Wales The Barry Island Pleasure Park is a family-owned funfair established in 1897. It is run by the Danter Family who operate and contribute to many other fairgrounds and festivals across the UK Andrew Collingbourne, the solicitor for the family, of Robertsons Solicitors, said: 'This case highlights the necessity for stringent health and safety measures in public spaces' (file image) The Barry Island Pleasure Park is a family-owned funfair established in 1897. It is run by the Danter Family who operate and contribute to many other fairgrounds and festivals across the UK. Family patriarch, Henry Danter, 81, owns the pleasure park at Barry Island. News of the settlement comes after the City Starflyer ride in Birmingham city centre at Christmas, also owned by the Danter family, prompted two people to be hospitalised. West Midlands Fire Service stated the ride had 'dropped to ground level whilst in operation'. Mr Danter also recently had his name in the headlines over his plan for a Butlin's-style site beside a children's hospice in Sully near Barry Island. A British couple have been found dead in a New Zealand home, after a concerned family member grew worried. The couple, who have not yet been named but were described by neighbours as in their late 30s or early 40s, were found in a residential property in Roseneath, the shore-front region of Wellington, on Monday. It is not currently known how the British couple died, but Detective Inspector Haley Ryan from New Zealand Police said: 'I want to provide assurance that there is no ongoing risk to the Roseneath community.' In the wake of their deaths, the couple were described by their landlord as 'passionate about being in NZ and giving their family the experience of living here.' 'He was a clever, caring, charming man. She was vibrant, kind, intelligent and both of them made friends wherever they went. They were both absolutely wonderful human beings,' the unnamed landlord told the New Zealand Herald. 'Both they and their family lived life to the absolute full and were always planning or doing amazing adventures,' the owner said. 'They were both such positive and incredible parents, friends, and members of many communities. 'We send our love and condolences to their [family] and friends.' Police are still conducting inquiries, and have told local residents to expect an increased presence in the area (File image of New Zealand police) Neighbour Paul Prestidge told the newspaper that the couple were 'very friendly people', with whom he would have dinner parties. He said that the couple had a son who did not live with them. Prestidge said he believed the woman may have been a teacher, though this has not been officially confirmed. Paul said he remembered seeing the couple the week before last, but did not recall if he had seen them more recently. Police are still conducting inquiries, and have told local residents to expect an increased presence in the area. A FCDO spokesperson said: 'We have not been approached for consular assistance in this case, but our staff stand ready to support British Nationals overseas 24/7.' Long before he was a much-ridiculed legal adviser to Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani was a hero to many Americans who now hold him in contempt. Mayor of New York on 9/11, he was feted by establishment liberals for the way in which he united the city in the aftermath of the al-Qaeda attacks that brought down the twin towers of the World Trade Center. According to chat-show megastar Oprah Winfrey, Mr Giuliani was 'Americas Mayor'. History now tells a different story about the lawyer and politician but, for a time, he was regarded as an exemplar of wise leadership. Mr Giuliani, a Republican, had managed to win the support of Democrat voters long before September 2001. The first representative of his party to become Mayor of New York in more than two decades, he was seen as liberal on many social issues yet tough and uncompromising on the crime and vandalism for which the Big Apple had become internationally notorious. Mr Giuliani adhered to what criminologists call the broken windows theory which proposes that signs of crime and anti-social behaviour create an environment that encourages even greater disorder. The solution, say supporters of the theory, is that you fix the small things and they wont grow to become big things. Under New Yorks then police chief, William Bratton, this meant a crackdown on petty crime and anti-social behaviour which, although controversial, appeared to work. This broken windows theory doesnt, I think, apply only to crime. Any organisation or community which looks after the smaller things can expect to be more successful: companies with happy, respected staff are better placed to thrive; political parties with competent, driven members are more likely to make good governments. That latter idea is one that appears never to have crossed the mind of a senior SNP politician. In fact, the nationalists instinct is to concentrate power at the top of the party - and, by extension, the country - at the expense of local services. The majority of Scots think public services have got worse under the control of the SNP, led by John Swinney The consequences of this approach are everywhere to be seen. And new polling shows voters have noticed. A new survey by Ipsos found the majority of Scots think (quite rightly) public services have got worse under the control of the SNP. To compound First Minister John Swinneys misery, Scots are more negative about issues like education and the NHS than those living elsewhere in the UK. The failure comes from the top but the rot begins at the root. Since coming to power at Holyrood, the SNP has slashed council budgets and concentrated its efforts on agitating for the break-up of the UK. Of course, one can hardy criticise a nationalist party for doing nationalist things but in focussing on the constitution, the Scottish government has ignored smaller things the length and breadth of the country. As Mr Swinney prepares for next years Holyrood election, he faces huge dissatisfaction from voters. More than half of Scots are unhappy with the quality of service provided by local GPs and hospitals while on education, there is a roughly even split between those who are satisfied with standards and those who are not. And Scotland is also top of the table when it comes to those unhappy with public transport provision. For years, the SNPs 'get out of jail free' card has been the behaviour of the UK Government. Dont blame us when things go wrong, say senior nationalists, blame 'Westminster' (the current dog-whistle for 'the English'). Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon frequently blamed Westminster for Scotland's problems But that tired old ploy is fast losing its potency. Asked who they blamed for the decline in standards across public services, almost two thirds of respondents pointed to the Scottish Government. When the SNP moved from the fringes of Scottish politics into the centre ground two decades ago, it told a story of energetic, positive change. Crucially, this transformation would come about by handing more power to local communities. But rather than devolving further authority to councils, the SNP hoarded power at Holyrood. In doing so, successive nationalist First Ministers have grown more distant from the communities they claim to serve. Perhaps Scotlands shameful record as the drug deaths capital of Europe best illustrates the effect when the SNPs pathological need for control collides with the demands of local communities. While investing valuable time - and high sums of money - on preparing papers on independence and agitating against UK Governments, regardless of party, the SNP blithely slashed budgets for services aimed at helping the most vulnerable. Social work departments have been decimated while funding for addiction support services has been sliced wafer-thin. These budget cuts have not merely impacted those working on the frontline with the most vulnerable, they have hit every aspect of local services, from bin collections to road maintenance. But, then, theres nothing glamorous about these things, is there? Why would an ambitious young SNP politician waste their time with such piddling matters when there are press releases about democracy denial to be issued and protests against feminists who dont want men in the changing rooms to attend? In the run up to the last Scottish Parliament Elections in 2021, education and health were the two big issues, after independence, that Scots said would help them decide which party to back. The importance of the constitutional question did a lot of heavy lifting on behalf the SNP, which had clearly failed to improve standards in schools or hospitals. Now, the prospect of a second independence referendum grows weaker by the minute. John Swinney will not be able to go in to next years election campaign promising nationalists another vote on breaking-up the UK. He knows thats off the table for years to come. Instead, he will have to rely on the SNPs track record in other areas. How unfortunate for him. The truth is that public services are in utter disarray and the nationalists are entirely to blame. There are broken windows across Scotland, today. Each of them was shattered by a government whose promises about localising power and lifting up communities have been exposed as absolutely worthless. A 'fascism' expert is leaving the US for Canada over fears Donald Trump is implementing the ideology. Jason Stanley, a philosopher and professor at Yale, made the announcement Monday, in an interview with MSNBC. Speaking to host Ana Cabrera, the academic who frequently appears on the network pointed to the administration's mass deportation effort as proof - as well as what many framed as ideological attacks on Americas colleges and universities. Singling out the arrest of a Tufts University student who recently participated in pro-Palestinian protests in particular, Stanley called it evidence the far-right, authoritarian ideals are already being pedaled. Stanley, an American citizen who's at no risk of deportation, explained how he's accepted a job offer at a Canadian college as a result, eager to escape with his family. The Ivy League processor went on to chide rival schools like Columbia, for what he billed as bowing to Trump's crackdown. On Friday, the school's interim president resigned from her role just one week, seemingly in protest of its decision to change several policies to satisfy Trump administration demands. On Monday, Trump moved to suspend dozens of federal grants to Princeton as part of a bid to combat antisemitism - spurring some strong words from Stanley, a lifelong citizen born in New York, in working-class Syracuse. Scroll down for video: Jason Stanley, a philosopher and professor at Yale, said Monday is leaving the US based on his belief that Donald Trump is engaging in fascism by arresting foreign students engaged in activism. Singling out the arrest of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk in particular, Stanley called it evidence the far-right, authoritarian ideals are already being pedaled. Ozturk, seen here being arrested off-campus outside Boston, participated in pro-Palestinian protests 'This crackdown, Columbias capitulation to this, is a grave sign about the future of academic freedom,' he told Cabrera on the set of her eponymous show. 'Hauling people off the street and sending them to Louisiana prisons like they did at Tufts University for co-authoring op-eds in the student newspaper' is another sign, he continued. Stanley had been referring to recently arrested Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk, who was detained last Tuesday by ICE officials outside Boston, off-campus. Footage of masked, plain-clothes officers handcuffing and arresting the young woman - a legal resident here on a student visa - before bringing her to a detention center in Louisiana has since circulated. Attorneys retained by Ozturk believe the move was direct retaliation to a pro-Palestinian essay she co-authored last year. Stanley, an expert on authoritarian regimes and the author of seven books on the subject, said more of the same. He claimed he seeks to 'send a warning to Americans' by relocating, while making a poignant point. 'The message is that theyre going to do a kind of stochastic terrorism against our country,' Stanley said, framing the campaign as 'a brutal attack' on free speech. 'This crackdown, Columbias capitulation to this, is a grave sign about the future of academic freedom,' Stanley said of the ongoing effort - one Trump has said is to combat antisemitism 'The message is that theyre going to do a kind of stochastic terrorism against our country,' Stanley said, framing the campaign as 'a brutal attack' on free speech 'Theyre going to target people one by one so that those who are in fear will shut up, essentially,' the author of How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, said. 'Universities are filled with fear already. Theyre ceasing to make public statements,' he continued. 'Theyre not banding together. Right now theyre targeting non-citizens for, you know, writing in student newspapers,' he went on. 'Im sure, or I suspect, theyll start pulling peoples passports, targeting U.S. citizens for various reasons, and exploiting Americans ignorance.' Aside from the deportations, Trump has sought to ban school-led diversity initiatives, as well as policies supporting transgender athletes. Stanley, fresh from accepting a position at the far less prestigious University of Toronto, did not bring up the case surrounding Yunseo Chung, a 21-year-old permanent resident who participated in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia. The Trump Administration is trying to deport her as well - an effort that earned a stern rebuke from Democrat Bernie Sanders. 'Trump is trying to deport a Columbia Univ. student who has been a permanent resident in the U.S. since she was 7,' the Vermont senator said last week. Stanley, fresh after accepting a position at the far less prestigious University of Toronto, did not bring up the case surrounding Yunseo Chung, a 21-year-old permanent resident who participated in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia 'No, Mr. President. This is a democracy. You cant exile political dissidents,' he said, speaking to Trump directly. 'Not in the United States.' So far, just days into the bid, the administration has said it has revoked at least 300 student visas over pro-Palestinian demonstrations. ' 'We do it every day,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week at an official press conference. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,' 'I hope at some point we run out because we have gotten rid of all of them,' he went on. 'But were looking every day for these lunatics that are tearing things up.' Speaking to Cabrera Monday, Stanley concluded his decision is consistent with all of his scholarly works on fascism. Aside from his kids, he's also relocating with wife Njeri Thande, a Connecticut cardiologist. In a separate interview with the Daily Nous, he compared their move to that of his family in the early 1930s, when they fled Germany amid Adolf Hitler's rise to power. 'Part of it is youre leaving because ultimately, it is like leaving Germany in 1932, 33, 34,' he said. Aside from his kids, he's also relocating with wife Njeri Thande, he told MSNBC's Ana Cabrera, on the set of her eponymous show So far, just days in, the administration has said it has revoked at least 300 student visas over pro-Palestinian demonstrations.' Pictured, a recent procession at Columbia last week where participants ripped their diplomas in protest of a fellow student who was detained by ICE 'Theres resonance: my grandmother left Berlin with my father in 1939. So its a family tradition,' he said. As for a prospective solution to the oppression, he told the philosophy website: 'Youve got to just band together and say an attack on one university is an attack on all universities. 'And maybe you lose that fight, but youre certainly going to lose this one if you give up before you fight.' 'I dont see it as fleeing at all,' he concluded. 'I see it as joining Canada, which is a target of Trump, just like Yale is a target of Trump.' The first publicly known arrest occurred last month, when federal agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and graduate Student at Columbia. Last week, several of his fellow students staged their own procession, tearing their diplomas in protest of his arrest. Khalil has since surfaced as the face of the opposition, being a legal U.S. resident with a green card. He is currently being held in a federal detention complex in Louisiana, where he has been for nearly three weeks. Attorneys are fighting to free him in both immigration court in Louisiana and federal court in New Jersey. If an immigration judge grants bond, the government could appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals. If so, he could remain there so several more months, Chris Kinnison, a Louisiana-based lawyer, told the Wall Street Journal. The turmoil in the upper echelons of one of the country's biggest police forces continues after its acting chief commissioner quit. Victoria Police Acting Chief Commissioner Rick Nugent has reportedly told the state government he wants out as soon as possible. Mr Nugent made the announcement just 41 days after he was appointed by the Allan government in February. Victoria Police revealed two weeks earlier the state is in the throes of a crime wave surge with offences in 2024 at their highest in nearly a decade. Mr Nugent's decision comes after he was accused in March - along with Premier Jacinta Allan, Police Minister Anthony Carbines, and department secretary Jeremi Moule - of 'corruption and misconduct'. Victoria's former deputy police commissioner Neil Paterson made the accusations and asked the state's anti-corruption commission to investigate. Ms Allan last month dismissed his allegations, saying Mr Paterson was politicising the role of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission. Mr Nugent rejected the allegations as completely untrue. Victoria Police Acting Chief Commissioner Rick Nugent has reportedly told the state Labor government he wants out as soon as possible Mr Paterson's allegations revolve around how and when the government approached Mr Nugent to take on the police chief role previously held by Shane Patton. He has claimed this happened weeks before a no confidence vote by rank and file officers. 'There was absolutely no discussion between myself and the government about me stepping into the acting chief commissioner role prior to the weekend of 15-16 February,' Mr Nugent said at the time. 'This was after the vote of no confidence result on 14 February. 'There was no condition Deputy Commissioner Paterson be removed for me to return to Victoria Police,' Mr Nugent added. Mr Nugent took up the role of acting chief commissioner in February. The government has been contacted for comment. White House national security advisor Michael Waltz is under fire again for reportedly using his personal Gmail account to conduct government business. One of Waltz's senior aides also used Gmail to correspond with government colleagues, according to documents reviewed by the Washington Post and conversations with officials. Using his Gmail account, the Waltz aide conducted 'highly technical conversations' with other agencies 'involving sensitive military positions' and 'powerful weapons systems' the Post reported. A commercial Gmail account is not considered secure for government business, even worse than using the private encrypted Signal app. Waltz himself also received emails to his Gmail account, the officials told the Post, although the information was less sensitive. White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes pushed back against the report by noting he had seen no evidence of Waltz using his personal email. Hughes added that when 'legacy contacts' emailed him on his private account Waltz cc-d his government email address to comply with federal law. 'Waltz didn't and wouldn't send classified information on an open account,' Hughes told the Post. U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz looks on next to U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Waltz (R), takes a question from a reporter Waltz's use of Signal previously drew widespread condemnation from Democrats after journalist Jeffery Goldberg of The Atlantic magazine was mistakenly added to a group chat about a bombing operation of Houthi rebels in Syria. The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that Waltz also used Signal chats to discuss issues pertaining to Somalia and the Russian war in Ukraine, according to sources. Hughes did not return a DailyMail.com request for comment. Trump reportedly considered firing Waltz after the incident blew up in the media, but ultimately decided against it, unwilling to give Goldberg the satisfaction of successfully derailing his administration's agenda, according to reports. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz responds to a question during a cabinet meeting White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Monday the White House considered the Signal incident 'closed' The White House team has tried to move on after the incident triggered a week of bad press for Trump. 'This case has been closed here at the White House as far as we are concerned,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday. The use of personal email is a longstanding prohibited practice for government officials in the executive branch, particularly on issues of national security. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was famously excoriated by Republicans for using a private email server to conduct government business and then deleted and erased copies of her emails. During Trump's first administration, his daughter Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were criticized by Democrats for using private messaging services like WhatsApp or private emails for official White House business. President Trump is putting his wheeler-dealer skills to the test, as he seeks to line up potential buyers with a deadline he set for the sale approaches. In an extraordinary flex of executive authority, Trump is finalizing plans for investor groups that include Blackrock and Oracle, Bloomberg News reported, bringing them in for a planned White House meeting on Wednesday. Such a group could save the company from a legal deadline to shutdown barring a sale after Trump extended the statutory date. Also expected at the meeting are Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick who has been a key figure in tariffs Trump is preparing to impose DNI Tulsi Gabbard and national security advisor Mike Waltz. The list of investors also includes major private equity and venture capital firms and big investors. Trump hosted Oracle CEO Larry Ellison at the White House just days after he took office while talking up AI investments. The president signed an executive order pausing the TikTok ban on his first day in office, putting a 75 day stop to a directive passed by Congress and signed by former President Joe Biden. President Donald Trump is hosting a meeting with top staff and investors who could potentially buy Tiktok and allow it to avoid a legal ban in the U.S. Lawmakers had pushed through the ban by citing national security concerns due to its Chinese origins. Trump said in the Oval Office Monday he had the ability to extend the deadline again, as he seeks to finalize an ownership group. 'I can extend if I want,' Trump said. 'But we have a lot of enthusiasm for Tiktok, for buying it. I think Tiktok is good. I used it I was a great Tiktok guy,' Trump said. Trump also hyped the deal on Saturday. 'We have a lot of potential buyers. There's tremendous interest in Tiktok. I'd like to see Tiktok remain alive,' he said. The company is owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance. Aides to Vance reached out to potential buyers, according to the AP. Vance said days ago there 'will almost certainly be a high-level agreement that I think satisfies our national security concerns, allows there to be a distinct American TikTok enterprise.' Perplexity AI has presented one proposal. Other identified bidders include billionaire Frank McCourt and Jesse Tinsley, the founder of Employer.com, who said a consortium that includes the CEO of Roblox is offering more than $30 billion. The Met Office has issued an amber wildfire warning across most of the UK as temperatures are set to soar up to 22C this week. The warning is in place for most of England, including London, Dover in Kent and Wiltshire and will extend into Northern Ireland and southern Scotland on Wednesday. It comes after a period of warm weather which will continue this week, with temperatures expected to peak at 22C on Friday. Fire crews are urging people to act responsibly to prevent the risk of wildfires. Kathryn Chalk, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'With strong winds and ongoing dry/warm weather this brings a continued likelihood for wildfire conditions through the period. 'There is currently an amber fire danger rating across England extending into Northern Ireland and the rest of southern Scotland on Wednesday.' She added: 'However, showers moving into the far South West will bring some relief to these parts. Then dry weather continues Friday and Saturday extending further north across western Scotland. 'It's a large England warning, covering most of England. 'We can't be specific on locations due to the nature of wildfires though, and best to stick with the weather conditions with the dry air, breezy and warm conditions, hence the warning, with slightly cooler conditions with the onshore breeze along eastern coasts.' The Met Office has issued an amber wildfire warning across most of the UK as temperatures are set to soar up to 22C this week Members of the public enjoy the warm weather at Glasgow Green in Scotland on the first day of April A couple enjoy the warm weather on the beach in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset today People set up picnic blankets to relax in the sun today on Glasgow Green in Scotland The London Fire Brigade said that while London may not be experiencing the same high temperatures as the summer months, wildfires can still occur, especially because of the drier start to spring this year than usual. The fire service urged people to refrain from using disposable barbecues and to properly dispose of cigarettes, matches and litter, to prevent fire hazards. London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Paul McCourt said: 'We want everyone to enjoy the sunshine but we urge people to take the necessary precautions to stay safe and help prevent a grass fire from starting. 'Recent events in Los Angeles and South Korea have demonstrated how rapidly fires can spread outdoors, even when temperatures are not at their highest. 'The Met Office has issued an amber wildfire warning, covering London, and this will be in place for the rest of the week. 'As the weather warms up and we head towards Friday and the weekend, we would urge Londoners not to have barbecues in open spaces or on balconies, including disposable barbecues, to throw rubbish away, and to dispose of cigarettes carefully to avoid inadvertently starting a fire. 'We're also working closely with partners, such as local authorities, to help manage the risks in outdoor spaces and ensure the public are following the safety advice.' South Wales and Somerset could reach 20C and may be hotter than Athens and Barcelona on Thursday, where highs of 17C and 16C are forecast respectively. Your browser does not support iframes. Women basking in the sun on deck chairs in St James' Park in London on Sunday Regent Park in London was in bloom with many gathering to enjoy the warm weather and pretty flowers While some rain and cloudiness hit Northern Ireland and north-west Scotland on Monday morning, the weather is generally expected to remain dry and sunny across the country throughout the rest of the week and into the weekend. As high pressure moves north-eastwards during Monday and Tuesday the wind direction will change - from westerly to south-easterly. This will bring a feed of dry and warm air from continental Europe which should gradually clear most of the cloud, allowing for more blue sky and sunshine. It comes after England enjoyed its sunniest March on record last month, along with its sixth driest, as persistent high pressure brought long spells of clear weather. Some 185.8 hours of sunshine were measured across England - 59 per cent more than the long-term average - according to provisional figures from the Met Office. This beats the previous record of 171.7 hours set in 1929. Wales saw its second sunniest March, with 53 per cent more hours than average. Scotland and Northern Ireland also saw an above average amount of sunshine, at 20 per cent more and 13 per cent more respectively, though neither nation came close to record levels. A family queued up for ice cream in Windsor, Berkshire this weekend, to enjoy a special treat in the sunshine A man taking a break in the sunshine in St James's Park, London, on March 20 - the spring equinox People enjoying the warmer weather on Bournemouth beach on Sunday A photograph taken in Cambridge during a sunny start to last week, where visitors can be seen enjoying a boat ride on a balmy day Some 185.8 hours of sunshine were measured across England - 59 per cent more than the long-term average Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said: 'Persistent high pressure, along with a lack of fronts arriving from the west, has meant that many have enjoyed a warm, dry and very sunny March. 'At the beginning of the month, some areas of Cumbria reached 19C for example and although temperatures have dipped at times, many have continued to enjoy some warm spring sunshine.' Across the UK as a whole there were 158.1 hours of sunshine, the third highest total recorded for March since records began in 1910. The sunniest March for the UK so far was in 2022, when 165.5 hours were recorded, followed by 166.9 hours in 1929. Last month was also very dry, with the UK seeing just 43 per cent of its average rainfall for March. Most of the southern half of England and parts of South Wales recorded only a fifth of their long-term average. Wales experienced its fourth driest March on record, England its sixth and Northern Ireland its ninth, based on Met Office data for rainfall beginning in 1836. By contrast, Scotland saw nearly two-thirds (64%) of its average rainfall for the month. The Met Office said the average temperature for March was also above average for the UK, up 1.3C compared to usual. A mother and son have been left stranded in their regional NSW home after their driveway was sold without their knowledge. When Dale and Micah Phillips bought their property in Tarana, northwest of Sydney, 17 years ago, they had access to two 'paper' or 'Crown roads' - roads that exist only on maps. But Ms Phillips said the NSW Government has since sold one of the roads to a neighbour. The other route was in a bad state and would cost $250,000 to make it safe, according to Lithgow City Council. 'I even got a bulldozer to do it myself, but got a hard no (from Crown Lands),' Ms Phillips told A Current Affair. The council refuses to fix the road - and Crown Lands won't allow Ms Phillips to do it privately. As a compromise, Dale and Micah have been accessing their property by driving across a neighbour's cow paddock. 'If it's raining, the paddock becomes too slippery and we don't go out', Ms Phillips said. Dale and Micah Phillips bought their property in Tarana, northwest of Sydney, 17 years ago At one time, the property was legally accessed by two paper roads owned by the Crown In one instance, Ms Phillips had to call the SES for help when her son blacked out from a medical condition, because the ambulance could not access their property. 'It was so scary that day,' she said. 'Please get here and solve the problem.' Now even the neighbour has decided to cut off access, leaving the pair with no alternative. Dale, who is vision impaired, has been lobbying state Lands and Property Minister Stephen Kamper to make the council acquire the unsafe track and fix it. The minister's department will transfer the access track from being state Crown land to coming under the auspices of the local council so they can upgrade it. 'Crown Lands has been working with Ms Phillips, her solicitor and Lithgow City Council to find alternative solutions for her to legally and practically access her property,' the department said in a statement. 'Crown Lands will initiate transfer of the Crown road corridor to Lithgow City Council to provide a solution for Ms Phillips.' Dale and Micah have been accessing their property by driving across a neighbour's private cow paddock But the council has argued it should not foot the bill for the upgrade, and instead has written to Crown Lands asking them to allow Ms Phillips to repair the road at her own expense. 'If this is approved, we will work with the resident to discuss the scope of work and how this might be funded,' Lithgow City Council said in a statement. 'We do not want to see this resident left behind.' The council argued it does not have the budget and that it had a 'substantial backlog of maintenance and renewal works'. Ms Phillips conceded it would be easier if she sold her house, but doubted anyone would purchase the property. 'Who'd buy a home without a driveway?' In response to questions, Mr Kamper told Daily Mail Australia that his department had 'heard the concerns of Ms Phillips'. 'I have instructed the department to initiate the transfer of land to Lithgow City Council to deliver a solution, as the relevant roads authority in the area,' he said. A video has captured the astonishingly camp antics of a car thief who skipped away from the scene of a crash after stealing the vehicle. The man stole a 2024 Dodge Charger, estimated to be worth at least $57,000, from a suburban home in Friendswood, Texas, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Doorbell camera footage captured the man rummaging through the car, which was parked on the street, before speeding away in it. By 7am, the car had crashed into a ditch on the side of a road, alerting nearby resident Brad Reynolds, who approached the car and the motorist in an effort to get a picture of the number plate. In bizarre video of the interaction obtained by ABC13, the unnamed man uses a high pitched, singsong voice to boast about his crime. 'Too bad you didn't get my face, it's stolen. Ha ha, ha ha,' he said as he skipped away. 'It's a stolen vehicle.' The camp response from the thief initially infuriated the owners, law enforcement officers who did not want to be publicly identified. A car thief skipped away from the scene of a crash while taunting a neighbor for not getting a clear picture of his face to alert authorities But they had the last laugh after Reynolds revealed he did, in fact, get a photo of the thief's face. 'That's quite a blooper there. I did get his face,' Reynolds said. The man was wearing an orange sweater, light-colored shorts, gloves and had a hat which he also used as a face covering. In the video of him jumping and skipping around, he repeatedly lifted the face covering before swiftly pulling it down again. The thief threatened to 'come back', telling Reynolds 'I know where you came from', but the neighbor warned 'it would be unwise' for the thief to return. Authorities are still investigating the incident and trying to track down the suspect. The man stole a 2024 Dodge Charger, estimated to be worth at least $57,000, from a suburban home in Friendswood, Texas , in the early hours of Sunday morning Doorbell camera footage captured the man rummaging through the car, which was parked on the street, before speeding away in it They urge anybody with information to come forward. The Dodge Charger was severely damaged in the crash and could be a total write-off. Both the owners and neighbor Reynolds hope justice will be served. 'The only way you're going to deter crime is to punish it. If you let people steal cars and get away with it, get a slap on the hand, they'll keep doing it. I hope charges are brought,' Reynolds said. The handful of hardened Albanian criminals deported from the UK under a much-vaunted Government scheme to serve prison sentences in their native country can be exposed today. Some 200 of the most serious offenders including murderers, sex predators and gangsters were meant to be returned to jails in the Balkan nation under the 4.3million programme introduced two years ago. But just eight have been sent packing so far, as the Mail revealed last week with six pictured here for the first time leaving at least 1,200 Albanian criminals in UK prisons. Today we can disclose the identities of the 'Albanian Eight', which includes a rapist who attacked a 15-year-old at a shopping centre, a violent thug who committed grievous bodily harm in his teenage years and drug kingpins operating across the UK. The transfer agreement, signed off by the previous Tory Government and continued by Labour, has been bedevilled by court backlogs in Albania, which insists on approving the sentence given to each criminal in the UK before permitting the handover. The Government paid Albania 4.3million to modernise its prisons in exchange for accepting the deportees meaning each of the criminals returned has cost British taxpayers 537,500. A fleet of 15 new prison service electric cars and 22 minibuses was also bought as part of the deal. The scheme came into force in May 2023, authorising the removal of all Albanian offenders serving more than four years. Nearly two years on, however, many of the country's worst criminals are still languishing in overcrowded British prisons. Erald Mema (pictured), a drugs gang chief, was sentenced to 25 years after 560,000 in cash was found following his distribution of cocaine across the Midlands and Oxford Klodjan Copja (pictured) is a kingpin of a cocaine supply network smuggling 60million-worth of drugs into the UK Gentjan Dervishaj (pictured) was jailed for his part in distributing 11million of narcotics to drug users in the North East in one of the region's largest ever drugs rackets One still in the UK is Koci Selamaj, who was sentenced to a minimum of 36 years in Broadmoor psychiatric hospital for murdering schoolteacher Sabina Nessa, 28, with a metal traffic triangle before strangling her in a London park in 2021. Selamaj has since been handed a further four and a half years for stabbing a prison officer with a piece of broken toilet in his cell. One of the eight Albanian criminals returned is Klodjan Copja, 30, a kingpin of a cocaine supply network smuggling 60million-worth of drugs into the UK. Another is Erald Mema, 40, a drugs gang chief who was sentenced to 25 years after 560,000 in cash was found following his distribution of cocaine across the Midlands and Oxford. Gentjan Dervishaj (pictured) was jailed for his part in distributing 11million of narcotics to drug users in the North East in one of the region's largest ever drugs rackets. Elion Gllava, 29, has also been deported a drug runner found guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and conspiracy to possess a firearm to endanger life during a car-ramming incident in Oldham, Greater Manchester, in 2021. One person was shot in the mayhem. Also involved in the same incident and sent home was Andon Bita, 49. He was handed a 17-year sentence for grievous bodily harm with intent, possessing a firearm to endanger life and supplying illegal drugs. The sixth man now back in Albania is Dardan Dollapaj, 25. He was charged with attempted murder after a stabbing on Hounslow High Street, west London, in 2019. Elion Gllava (pictured) has also been deported a drug runner found guilty of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and conspiracy to possess a firearm to endanger life during a car-ramming incident Rufat Kasamaj (pictured) was sent back after being sentenced to ten and a half years for raping a 15-year-old girl at a bar in the capital's Westfield shopping centre Andon Bita (pictured) was handed a 17-year sentence for grievous bodily harm with intent, possessing a firearm to endanger life and supplying illegal drugs Rufat Kasamaj, of Leyton, east London, a 38-year-old sex predator, was sent back after being sentenced to ten and a half years for raping a 15-year-old girl at a bar in the capital's Westfield shopping centre. The eighth and final criminal so far deported is Dolimar Sejdiu, 24. He was found guilty of grievous bodily harm and wounding in west London five years ago. All are now in Albanian prisons, which permit a wife or girlfriend to stay over one night each week a privilege not allowed in British institutions. Authorities in the capital Tirana claim another 59 criminals are still in the UK waiting for a decision to be made by the Albanian courts. The Mail has been told they include at least one murderer, two rapists and drug trafficking and firearm offenders. A source for the Albanian justice system said: 'The process... takes time due to a backlog here.' They are two royal women with a shared interest in both the environment and fashion. Princess Beatrice and Queen Rania will work together as global chairs of the World Economic Forum's climate change initiative, Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA). In their new roles, they will be involved in GAEA's new programme to protect the environment. Beatrice has also recently opened up about her daughter Athenas premature birth and how it inspired her to support Borne as a patron, a charity dedicated to preventing preterm births. Meanwhile, Queen Rania has been a force for change in Jordan, where she has worked tirelessly to improve maternal and infant healthcare. Back in 2007, she inaugurated the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in Sahab, ensuring newborns and mothers receive the best possible care. But their similarities go even further than their shared values - the two women have complimentary wardrobes. Queen Rania has featured on many best-dressed lists. She is known for her sleek tailoring and pairing of traditional Jordanian elements with contemporary designs. Meanwhile, Princess Beatrice has undergone a drastic change in style in recent years, shedding her earlier, quirkier choices in favour of sophisticated and elegant pieces. Both royal ladies had a big bouncy blow dry when they attended Fashion for Relief during the 70th Annual Cannes Film Festival in 2017 Queen Rania attended an event at Buckingham Palace in 2022 wearing a Roksanda colour block dress. Princess Beatrice had worn the dress at the same location in 2016 Princess Beatrice's custom Alberta Ferretti dress that she wore to the Met Gala in 2018 was similar Queen Rania's Andrew Gn gown that she wore in 2022 Both women are sustainable in their choices, both by re-wearing outfits and championing eco-conscious brands. The pair are also known for their voluminous, bouncy blow-dried locks that have become a signature part of their looks. Both have also built impressive collections of designer handbags. Princess Beatrice's tuxedo dress at the Blenheim Ball in 2024 was reminiscent of the outfit Queen Rania chose to tour an exhibition at Japan's National Museum of Modern Art in 2023 Princess Beatrice's bright magenta dress worn to King Charles' coronation in 2023 was a style choice seen back in 2019 on Queen Rania when she was bringing her own royal glamour to Buckingham Palace when meeting Queen Elizabeth The two royal ladies are rarely seen without a statement handbag From Louis Vuitton to Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta, these royal ladies have a shared love for high-end brands, often choosing similar styles. Under the GAEA initiative, Beatrice will be promoting the leadership of more women in technology to create diverse solutions to climate change. It is not the first time the pair have worked together. In 2015, Beatrice and Rania attended the Women in the World summit, where global leaders meet to offer solutions for a better future for women and girls. Queen Rania and Princess Beatrice have proven theres much more to them than their enviable closets. Together they represent a new wave of royals, being both approachable, relatable, and invested in leaving a meaningful legacy. Since symbolism is one of the Royal Family's most important roles, over the years the institution has mastered the art of always making sure its optics are on point. And when it comes to event planning, no one is better at making sure everything is presented perfectly for outside eyes. So when the Queen decided not to have a photo of Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle and their newborn son Archie in the background of her Christmas broadcast in 2019, experts knew it was anything but a simple oversight. For millions around the world, the monarch's 3pm speech is just as integral to Christmas Day as roast turkey, mince pies or exchanging presents. Since it was televised for the first time in 1957, each one had been meticulously planned, including, of course, the curation of family photographs strategically placed on the desk at her side or on tables close at hand. Their purpose, however, does not change to indicate her thoughts on things which have special meaning, and 2019 was no exception. The subtext of the Sussexes evaporation was clear, with royal expert Tina Brown claiming their image had been 'excised as skillfully as Stalin would have done to an apparatchik out of favour'. Although a wedding photo of Prince Harry and Meghan had been in the Queen's background the year before, in December 2019 only those in the direct line of succession made the cut. The Queen's Christmas Speech in 2019 featured no image of Prince Harry, instead her photographs were of Charles and Camilla (1), Prince Philip (2), the Cambridges' Christmas card picture (3), and her father George VI (4) Prince Harry reportedly felt the removal of his family's picture was a 'turning point' in his relationship with The Royal Family Charles and Camilla appeared in a photo which marked the 50th anniversary of his investiture as Prince of Wales, and there was a group photo of Prince William's family. There was even a photograph of King George VI from 1944 as well as one of the Duke of Edinburgh from the Queen's private collection - but no room for 'the Spare'. Royal author Christopher Andersen wrote in his December 2021 book Brothers and Wives: Inside The Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan, that the Queen herself had specifically asked for the Sussexes' picture to be removed. He claimed a framed photo of them was initially on a desk alongside other family images. But ahead of recording, she ordered the director of the broadcast to remove the photo, which featured Harry and Meghan holding their then seven-month-old son Archie. A source told him the Queen 'looked over the tables where the photographs she had so lovingly selected were arranged' and pointed at the framed image of the Sussexes and said: 'That one, I suppose we don't need that one.' And although the Sussex omission was later played off in the press as 'perfectly logical' as the Queen focused the selection to represent the idea of a 'slimmed-down monarchy' - those in the know knew it was a serious sign things were not well. Mr Andersen, who said his book was based on 'solid' sources he has been cultivating 'for decades', later claimed in an interview the picture removal was a 'turning point' in Harry's relationship with The Firm. The Queen's Christmas broadcast in 2019 was the penultimate one she ever made Royal author Christopher Andersen wrote in his December 2021 book Brothers and Wives that the Queen herself had specifically asked for the Sussexes' picture to be removed At the 2018 Christmas Speech, Prince Harry and Meghan were visible in two framed photographs (circled) At that time, relations between Harry and his family were already bad. The Sussexes had been making rumblings about their unhappiness for a while, and after splitting their household from William's in March 2019 they continued to express a desire to do things differently. In October, Meghan did a headline-grabbing interview with ITV in South Africa where she confessed things had 'really been a struggle'. Behind the scenes, there were fraught negotiations about their wish for a new, autonomous place in royal life. But perhaps the move that wounded the Queen most was when they decided to spend Christmas in 2019 in Canada, rather than with the rest of the family at the traditional gathering at Sandringham. However as Queen, Elizabeth II was bound by the long-lasting royal mantra of 'never complain, never explain' and therefore had no ability to speak on family matters to the public. It seems the rearrangement of the family photographs that adorn her desk for the Christmas broadcast, was her way of communicating her displeasure in her grandson's behaviour. The 2019 speech was one of the most high profile in years, as alongside Prince Harry's public dissatisfaction with the Royal Family, The Firm was still reeling from Prince Andrew's public shaming after his bombshell interview about Jeffrey Epstein. Alongside Harry, the disgraced Andrew also never made the cut in that year's photo display. Despite Harry and Meghan having Archie, their first child, born earlier that year, the Queen decided she did not want a picture of them behind her for her Christmas broadcast Prince Harry and Meghan with their son Archie during a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Cape Town, September 2019 The Queen's son Prince Andrew also never featured in her background photos following his disastrous interview with the BBC about Jeffrey Epstein After so many broadcasts the Queen, of course, is comfortably familiar in front of the camera, but that year commentators said it was her most 'difficult and painful' one. As well as her family, the Queen also had to acknowledge it had been a turbulent time for Britain, as there had been a general election earlier that month where old Brexit wounds were reopened yet again. Filmed in the Music Room at Windsor Castle, it was one of the more theatrically staged of her seasonal broadcasts with a tastefully opulent background of gilded mirrors, oil paintings candelabras and a twinkling, perfectly proportioned Christmas tree with light and golden baubles. She said: 'Small steps taken in faith and in hope can overcome long-held differences and deep-seated divisions to bring harmony and understanding. 'The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference.' The comments were her first public reference to the turmoil faced by her family that year. As author Robert Lacey noted in his best-selling book Battle of Brothers: 'There would be no sign of Harry and Meghan in 2019, nor any mention of the name Sussex since that name was, apparently, now to be used to sell merchandise for which permission had not been asked from the Queen. The Sussexes had been making rumblings about their unhappiness for a while. Pictured: Meghan's headline-grabbing interview with ITV in South Africa in October 2019 where she said things had 'really been a struggle' Robert Lacey (left) in his 2020 book Battle Of Brothers: William, Harry And The Inside Story Of A Family In Tumult (right), told the story of the Queen's Christmas broadcast in 2019 As Lacey pointed out, The Queen acknowledged the arrival of Harry and Meghan's first child, but avoided the word Sussex, preferring to say that, 'Prince Philip and I have been delighted to welcome our eighth great-grandchild into our family.' The Sussexes, wrote Lacey, 'had been 'non-personed as effectively as the Soviets non-personed Trotsky and Khrushchev'. So how did Harry feel when he sat down to watch the speech from Canada early on Christmas morning to see he had been snuffed out? Not good, apparently. According to the book Finding Freedom, which was written by Sussex-friendly authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the snub made him feel as though it was 'yet another sign that they needed to consider their own path'. Mr Andersen wrote in his book that even Prince William was 'shocked' when he realised the photo had been removed, allegedly telling his wife that Harry would be devastated by the gesture. The author told Today in 2021: 'Harry did feel as if he was being, according to a friend of his, erased slowly from the family. That was quite the signal that the Queen was sending.' In a separate interview with US Weekly, Mr Andersen said: 'It seems very subtle, but when you think about it, when somebody cuts you out of the family album, so to speak, it's a pretty strong message.' Royal expert Tina Brown wrote in her book: 'William was said to have been appalled when he saw the Sussexes had been edited out. He knew his brother well enough to predict a Category Five tantrum brewing' The ex-editor of Tatler and Vanity Fair, Tina Brown, who had lunch with Princess Diana weeks before her death, also believes the Christmas photo snub was the final nail in the coffin for Prince Harry Prince Harry and Meghan at Canada House on January 7, 2020. The following day they released a bombshell statement announcing their intention Megxit The ex-editor of Tatler and Vanity Fair, Tina Brown, who had lunch with Princess Diana weeks before her death, also believes the Christmas photo snub was the final nail in the coffin for Prince Harry. She wrote in 2022: 'If the Sussexes had any residual misgivings about whether they wanted out, those doubts vanished when they viewed the Queen's 2019 televised Christmas message. 'With their own eyes, they saw that they had been kicked to the margins of the monarchy. 'Her Majesty eloquently made the point in her speech by saying nothing.' The author continued: 'William was said to have been appalled when he saw the Sussexes had been edited out. He knew his brother well enough to predict a Category Five tantrum brewing.' And sure enough, it looks like Prince Harry did indeed have a tantrum. In early January, he and Meghan returned to the UK from Canada where they had spent Christmas - but left their infant son and two dogs behind. After the Sussexes announced their Megxit statement, the Queen summoned Harry and her heirs, Charles and William, for a round table discussion to the future of the monarchy at Sandringham (pictured) on January 13. The summit grabbed headlines from all across the world, with reporters pictured camping outside the estate. Although to those paying attention, the decision had seemingly already been made by the Queen weeks prior Perhaps it was a sign their mind had already been made up, as the following day they released a bombshell statement announcing their intention to relinquish their senior position within the Firm and carve out a progressive new role for themselves. Their bold move forced the Queen to summon him and her heirs, Charles and William, for a round table discussion to discuss the future of the monarchy on January 13. As the eyes of the world turned on the event, it was grandly dubbed 'The Sandringham Summit' by the press, as a slew of media vans and satellite dishes descended on the area to cover the monumental moment. It was there that it was officially announced Harry and Meghan would be stepping down. But to those paying attention, the decision had seemingly already been made by the Queen weeks prior, visible to anyone who picked up on the clue she left at the Christmas broadcast. Virginia Giuffre has claimed she is dying. In a dramatic hospital-bed post shared to Instagram, the woman whose sexual assault allegations helped sink Prince Andrews royal standing says a school bus smashed into her car, that shes now in kidney failure, and may not live to see her children again. A gut-wrenching image accompanies her anguished words. On the surface, it seems a cruel final chapter in an undeniably tragic life a girl abused and trafficked by Andrews evil friend and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, silenced, then scorned when she spoke out. But as with so much surrounding Giuffre formerly Virginia Roberts something doesnt seem to stack up. Australian police describe the crash as minor. No significant injuries were reported. No confirmation was offered of any critical condition. It raises questions not just for public understanding, but for the credibility of a woman whose testimony has long been the cornerstone of a devastating royal scandal. Yesterday, after understandable public concern following her claim, she said she had mistakenly posted it to her Instagram account. Perhaps so, but Giuffre has never been an easy witness. Her history with Epstein is not in doubt. But her account of events involving the Duke of York has shifted over time, raising legitimate questions. Prince Andrew's sex assault accuser, Virginia Giuffre, says she has been given just four days to live after a bus smashed into her car and she was dealing with kidney problems Virginia Giuffre, with a photo of herself as a teen, when she says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew, among others Some of her claims were previously thrown out of US court filings not necessarily because they were false, but because they didnt meet the legal threshold of relevance or accuracy. And accuracy, or the lack of it, has been crucial. Over time Ms Giuffre has misidentified alleged abusers, so much so that a US judge struck her affidavit from the record altogether. None of this exonerates Andrew. His friendship with the late Epstein and Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, now serving 20 years for sex trafficking, remains deeply troubling. His BBC Newsnight interview was a self-inflicted disaster that rightly sealed his fate as a working royal. He is a man forever synonymous now with Woking Pizza Express and not being able to sweat (even when photos show he does). What is more, his failure to cooperate fully with US authorities has not helped his cause; leading some to say there is no smoke without fire. Surely, we should look to the evidence. And in this case, it all hinges on his accuser being a credible witness; if she isnt his claims of innocence might not ring quite so hollow. Prince Andrew resigned from public roles in 2020 following the revelations of his association with convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell Virginia Giuffre pictured with Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell Jeffrey Epstein and his long-term girlfriend and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell After all, he was never found guilty. He wanted to fight in court but given that the late Queens Jubilee would have been ruined if he did so, he was ordered not to by the powers that be. Andrew settled out of court reportedly for 12million but has always denied wrongdoing. The lucrative settlement meant that Ms Giuffres claims, the ones that destroyed his public life, were never tested in cross-examination. For Prince Andrew, this could be the first moment in years where public opinion begins to shift. Not towards redemption the Epstein stain is indelible but perhaps towards a reassessment. A possibility, however faint, that he wasnt lying. This isnt about exoneration. Far from it. Its about the weight of credibility. And in the court of public opinion, that counts for everything. If Ms Giuffres medical issues are as grave as she says, she deserves empathy, privacy, and peace. But if the story of the crash has been embellished or is untrue, the damage will be not only to herself it will also reverberate across every effort to hold the powerful to account. And yes, it may give Prince Andrew something hes not had in a very long time: the benefit of the doubt. Its an eradication that feels Stalinesque. From online evidence at least, it seems Prince Harry is now too toxic for his wife Meghans must-always-be-smelling-of-lavender new brand, As Ever. A scroll through the brands Instagram page, which now features 13 different posts, reveals lots of raspberries, Prince Archie and Princess Lilli (albeit faces obscured) but not a single appearance by Harry. Not even a fuzzy-haired elbow. The narrative for the past five years since Megxit, when Harry and Meghan resigned as working royals, has been that it is Meghan who is the wasp in the compote. Harry, once the cheeky chappie, the hero who saw active service, founded the Invictus games as well as his Lesotho-based childrens charity Sentebale, who dared to marry out for love, was seen to have been kidnapped, led astray, Americanised. He was the supposed victim of a forceful, ambitious woman who squeezed emotion and imagined hurt from him like one of her home-grown, wax-free lemons. We all felt sorry for him. But now, with the public spats surrounding the charity he co-founded with Lesothos Prince Seeiso 20 years ago in memory of his mother - initially to help children whose parents died of Aids and now focusing on poverty and the effects of climate change - it is Harry who is threatening to splash Megs pristine linen with his own toxicity as the charity faces accusations of misogynoir and harassment and bullying. Dr Sophie Chandauka, chair of the charity whom Harry and the trustees tried to oust, says that since the Sussexes left the UK, donations have plummeted (despite a 1.2million donation from the prince upon the publication of his memoir, Spare). Harry is nowhere to be seen on Meghan's Instagram, as she continues the launch of products from her lifestyle brand As Ever And one of Harrys old Etonian friends put a size 10 in it by telling the Mail today that Dr Chandauka is jealous of Meghan. As if! I imagine that all of the above puts Meghan in a confusing, conflicting position, just as shes about to start selling some stuff Hibiscus Tea, Shortbread Cookies and, of course, her famous raspberry jam. She accused our royal family of racism, but her own husband is now being accused of another sort of bias: that black people always need to be saved, and not by themselves. When Harry threw himself into good works perhaps as penance for the ill-judged sporting of a Swastika on a fancy-dress outfit when he was 20 it really was a different age. It all puts Meghan in a confusing and conflicting position, just as shes about to start selling her famous raspberry jam Today, I expect hes thinking hes damned if he does help people of colour and damned if he doesnt. He must tread gingerly, if youll pardon the pun. But poor Harry should have predicted this might happen, given the negative reception the Prince and Princess of Wales received on their visit to Jamaica in 2022, when protesters gathered in Kingston to demand an apology for colonialism and reparations for slavery. Perhaps Harry felt being married to a woman of colour would render him immune to criticism. And it might have worked, had Meghan not suddenly dead-headed him. Now, Im not one to condemn a woman for her husbands actions. But whats troubling here is that Meghan hasnt so far done anything publicly to show shes standing by Harry over the last few days, when she is perfectly poised to do so with this new launch. However silly the brand might seem, at least its a platform. Remember, Harry devoted pages in his own memoir, Spare, to defend her honour, and seems to have severed all ties with his family to give Meghan her dream life in Montecito. Perhaps Harry asked not to be included in Meghans latest endeavour, though he did appear in her most recent Netflix series, albeit fleetingly in the last episode, in his latest, diminished role: The Influencers Husband. Harry is threatening to splash Megs pristine linen with his own toxicity as the charity faces accusations of misogynoir and harassment and bullying from chair Dr Sophie Chandauka Hes not only forced to carry the weight of the turmoil swirling around his beloved charity, which gave him dignity and gravitas, but also, it appears, the position of Meghans personal Instagram photographer. Its probably too much for one man to bear. Meghans brand is built on perfectionism, escapism. Now an influencer, any slights can easily be dismissed with an Instagram video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow and a shrug. Trouble is, she cant eradicate a label, the headlines or an impending investigation simply by pouring Harry into a clear compostable bag and tying a ribbon round it. Although Im pretty sure she might want to wring his neck for the distraction its caused from her next venture. Four Texas couples who have been best friends for decades wanted to live simply, save energy, and most importantly be closer to each other as they grow old. So, in 2016, they pooled their money and built a small 'town' of tiny homes for their retirement along the Llano River near Austin, TX. They hired local architect Matt Garcia to design the group of homes four tiny ones plus a larger shared house and dubbed the project the 'Llano Exit Strategy.' Each cost $40,000 and they moved in the same year. 'They talked about doing this thing together and I always thought they were kind of joking, but then they said: 'We bought a property, we're doing it,'' Garcia told the Daily Mail. 'And they wanted to be really budget efficient and things hadn't gotten so crazy yet with pricing that we were able to do something very affordable.' Each 400-square-foot cabin has a slanted roof that collects rainwater, a reflective steel exterior to beat the Texas heat, and durable plywood interiors. Inside, there's room for a queen-sized bed, a couch, a bathroom, and a bit of space to relax. But in a twist, they no longer live there though not because they fell out. In 2024, after the homes attracted waves of interest from potential buyers, the couples retirement dream took a turn they accepted a $3 million offer from a buyer who plans to turn the compound into a cluster of Airbnbs. The couples are all best friends and ended up turning a huge profit after selling Four couples pooled their money and built a small 'town' just for themselves on the Llano River Local architect Matt Garcia designed the homes and made them eco-friendly The property also has a main house, a converted barn and bunkhouse and an outdoor area with a firepit and a pool. The 1,500-square-foot main house features a state-of-the-art kitchen where the friends would cook and dine together. It's filled with high-end appliances, a commercial-style range, an oversize refrigerator, sleek cabinetry, and a spacious island. The pool and adjacent deck are surrounded by manicured landscaping and views of the surrounding nature. The barn can be used to watch movies or paint. Each tiny home has its own private bathroom with working plumbing. The 'town,' which Texas resident Jodie Zipp and her husband Fred Zipp led the search for, is situated on the Llano River, where kayaking and fishing are both popular. The grounds around the homes are excellent for hiking in the Texas Hill Country. Garcia says while the four tiny homes have the same blueprint, each was personalized with the color of tiles and different furniture. 'They were all very sophisticated and understood that we couldn't do four custom things, we need to do one thing and then kind of give each one it's own character,' he says. Matt Garcia built four eco-friendly tiny houses, each of which cost roughly $40,000 Each tiny home fits a queen bed and a couch and has its own private bathroom The state-of-the-art kitchen where the friends would cook and dine together in the main house Reflective walls keep out the Texas heat in summer and slanted roofs help collect rainwater Each tiny home has its own private bathroom and there is a shared main house A converted 'barn' serves as a gathering place for watching movies, reading or painting Each tiny home has its own reflective steel exterior that keeps the inside cool on hot days Garcia was surprised when the couples actually hired him to build the homes, saying no one he'd ever been approached by for this type of project had ever followed through. 'Thousands of people have reached out about doing these, but no one's ever actually pulled the trigger,' he says. He doesn't know what the couples plan to do next, but says they couldn't turn down a $3 million payday from a local company that has multiple places like this around Texas that they've turned into Airbnbs. Tiny homes have taken off across the US in recent years, with Amazon even releasing a luxury tiny home for sale. The retail giant is selling the one-bedroom Expandable Container Villa for $49,899. The prefab house comes with a fully equipped bathroom, plumbing, a water heater, electricity and a kitchen as well as a free bed. Experts have suggested that soaring mortgage rates and rising property prices are causing some Americans to turn to housing alternatives like tiny homes, granny flats, in-law suites, casitas and guesthouses. It is a cheaper alternative for some Americans priced out of the housing market. NASA's astronauts shocked the world with their frail and gaunt appearance, after returning from their unexpected nine-month stay in space. But now, just two weeks later, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have once again stunned observers. Appearing publicly for the first time since their landing, Williams, 59, and Wilmore, 62, looked noticeably healthier. Williams, who once sparked health concerns with her apparent weight loss, even said she had been able to start running after just days in Earth's gravity. Speaking at a press conference, Williams said: 'It's pretty much a miracle to see how your human body can adapt.' The speedy recovery comes as somewhat of a surprise, after scientists revealed the gruelling impact that months in microgravity has on the human body. From 'chicken legs' and 'baby feet' to an increased risk of cancer, experts warned that the stranded astronauts could face years of health complications. However, the astronauts say that NASA's rigorous exercise programme kept them in good health while in orbit and allowed them to adjust quickly to life on Earth. NASA's astronauts have stunned the world with their rapid recovery and noticeably healthier appearance. Suni Williams had sparked concern with her gaunt appearance on landing (left) but now appears largely recovered (right) Butch Wilmore says that he was stronger than he had ever been while on the space station thanks to NASA's scientific approach to recovery and preparation for return to Earth Despite struggling to walk after landing two weeks ago (left), Williams told reporters she had already been on a run Your browser does not support iframes. Williams and Wilmore returned to Earth on March 19 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule which splashed down off the coast of Florida. The pair had left Earth in June last year, planning to undertake an eight-day test flight of the new Boeing Starliner capsule. However, after the Starliner capsule developed numerous technical issues during the flight, the astronauts were forced to wait until the next crew rotation to return to Earth. In total, the pair spent 286 days in space - 278 days more than they had initially planned. During time in microgravity, astronauts face a serious risk of muscle atrophy and bone loss which often makes it difficult to walk back on Earth. After landing, the pair had to be helped out of their capsules onto stretchers to be carried away for medical examination. Concerns for their health were heightened when images of Williams arriving at the Johnson Space Centre revealed an IV drip in her wrist. Williams said: 'I mean, in the first day we got back when all of us came down the ladder and greeted everybody, we were all a little bit wobbly at that time.' Butch Wilmore (pictured) said that the rapid pace of his colleague Suni William's recovery was 'not even conceivable' Suni Williams (pictured) said that she had been 'wobbly' after returning to Earth but was now able to lift weights and train under NASA's supervision At yesterday's press conference, Suni Williams (pictured) appeared noticeably healthier than she had during the later months of her stay on the ISS However, the pair now say they have made an almost inconceivably rapid recovery thanks to NASA's scientific knowledge. Williams told reporters that she 'sneakily went for a run yesterday', adding that she hopes to 'do a couple of races in the springtime.' To which Wilmore added: 'Who would even imagine that you'd come back from 10 months in space and within a week you run 2 miles at an 8-minute pace. 'That's not even conceivable that the body could handle that.' Both say that this is possible due to the rigorous exercise programme all astronauts follow while on the space station and once they return to Earth. Wilmore said: 'We have a group of individuals, astronaut strength, conditioning, and rehabilitation specialists, and we are directly integrated with them day in, day out. 'They send us protocols to work out and I can tell you, I'm not as young as I used to be, but I was stronger on the space station, doing more weight and more reps on exercises than I have in my entire life.' Using specialised exercise equipment, NASA astronauts exercise twice per day to stave off the progress of muscle and bone loss which could cause complications back in Earth's gravity. During the pair's time in space, doctors had raised concerns that Williams (pictured) and Wilmore were losing too much weight. Their appearance at the press conference suggests they may be recovering well Wilmore says that he was actually stronger than ever before while in space, after working out every single day for over ten months NASA's experts ensure that astronauts follow a strict program to avoid losing too much muscle mass. This may be why Wilmore was able to stand and walk shortly after landing (left) and has recovered well since then (right) How 9 months in space can damage the body Gaunt face Shifting fluids in the body causes the appearance to change. 'Chicken legs' and 'baby feet' As fluid moves to the head, the legs and feet appear to wither. Vision loss Increased pressure in the brain presses on eyes, causing blurry vision. Increased risk of cancer Exposure to ionising space radiation increases the cancer risk. Cognitive decline Astronauts show slower reasoning and weakened working memory. Advertisement Wilmore says he did not miss a single day of exercise starting from the moment he entered quarantine on April 22 last year. This echoes earlier remarks made by Williams amid concerns over her 'gaunt' appearance, who claimed that she had actually gained muscle mass while in space. Once the astronauts return, NASA also puts them on a bespoke 45-day rehabilitation schedule to help restore lost strength and balance. Williams said: 'The agility and the weightlifting that occurs in the next week that makes you feel good enough to actually go out and run, to actually lift weights to get in there and do squats and deadlifts and stuff already, that's pretty incredible.' She added: 'It's an adjustment when we get back and they're here right with us from day one when we landed.' The pair's apparent recovery may also be partly due to their return to a more natural sleep schedule, better food, and significantly reduced stress. Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist and Air Force veteran, told MailOnline that Williams' face looked fuller, and less sunken when she and Wilmore gave their first interview on Fox News yesterday. Dr Gupta said: 'It looks like she just has gotten better sleep. She's back on level ground. Her metabolism is normalizing to sort of normal gravity.' After landing, Suni Williams appeared frail and had an IV drip visible in her wrist (left). Speaking yesterday (right), she said that her recovery had been 'pretty much a miracle' While in space fluid, microgravity causes fluids to build up in astronauts' heads which can cause an unusual appearance. After returning to Earth, these fluids settle and the astronaut's face returns to normal Wilmore's red and puffy appearance while on the ISS (left) was likely a product of fluid shift. After two weeks on Earth (right) this effect has now abated 'She's probably just eating healthier and is able to sort of modulate and gain back some weight. 'I think two weeks has probably been sufficient to look just healthier.' Speaking at the press conference, Williams said that the first food she had after returning to her family was a 'good grilled cheese'. 'Food, that's just like for me, something that reminds you of home. My father was a vegetarian, so I had a good grilled cheese sandwich when I got home. So that reminded me of him,' Williams said. If anything was going to clear up the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster, it's this. A camera trap, lowered to the bottom of the Loch more than 50 years ago, has been discovered by scientists. The device is thought to be one of six cameras placed 180 metres (590ft) below the surface in 1970 by Professor Roy Mackal, of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau, and the University of Chicago. It is likely one of the earliest attempts to catch the famous monster on film and, remarkably, remained dry within its clear waterproof plastic container. It was unearthed during trials of a National Oceanographic Centre (NOC) submersible vessel commonly known as Boaty McBoatface. During the test, part of the mooring that was holding the camera system in place became caught on its propeller. Thankfully, a NOC engineer was able to develop the film, which was still in a good condition. So, can you spot any signs of the legendary beast? Film recovered from the camera - can you see any hint of the mythical beast lurking in the depths of Loch Ness? Another image captured by the device, which had been lowered to a depth of 180 metres (590ft) Remarkably, the camera has remained dry despite being submerged for more than 50 years - meaning its film could be developed Close analysis of images of the loch's murky depths unfortunately showed no evidence of its most famous inhabitant. Adrian Shine, who founded the Loch Ness Project in the mid-1970s, helped to identify the camera as one of those placed in the water by Professor Mackal. 'It was an ingenious camera trap consisting of a clockwork Instamatic camera with an inbuilt flash cube, enabling four pictures to be taken when a bait line was taken,' he said. 'It is remarkable that the housing has kept the camera dry for the past 55 years, lying around 180 metres deep in Loch Ness.' Sam Smith, of NOC's marine autonomous robotics systems group, said: 'At 230 metres deep, Loch Ness is an ideal location to test our robotics, their sensors and systems, before they're deployed in the deep ocean to help answer the big questions we have. 'While this wasn't a find we expected to make, we're happy that this piece of Nessie-hunting history can be shared and perhaps at least the mystery of who left it in the loch can be solved.' The camera, it's housing and the film have been given to the Loch Ness centre in Drumnadrochit so that it can be displayed as part of Nessie's history. Nagina Ishaq, manager of the centre, said she hoped people would be inspired by what could be hidden in the loch. Adrian Shine, who founded the Loch Ness Project in the mid-1970s, holding the camera within its protective housing 'It's been over 90 years since the first sighting of Nessie, since then there have been many expeditions to find the elusive beast,' she said. 'We are guardians of this unique story and, as well as investing in creating an unforgettable experience for visitors, we are committed to helping continue the search and unveil the mysteries that lie underneath the waters of the famous loch. 'We want to say a big thank you to Noc for handing over the film and camera, that we believe has been hidden for over 50 years, for everyone to come and discover and be inspired by what could be hidden in the mysterious loch.' NOC is currently testing two Autosub vehicles in the loch one used for mapping seabed habitats and another used for long-range autonomous operations. The vehicles can descend to 6,000 metres (19,685ft), collecting a vast amount of ocean data that would be 'extremely difficult' to gather using other means. From simple smiley faces and love hearts to high heels and rainbows, it seems like there is already an emoji for every possible situation. Now, iPhone users have even more designs to use. As part of Apple's iOS 18.4 update, iPhone users will have access to eight new emoji. And there is one face that everyone is already saying will be their favourite. The new emoji list includes some items that some iPhone users might find helpful including a harp, a shovel, a leafless tree and a root vegetable. The update also includes a few stranger choices, such as the purple 'splatter', a bright blue fingerprint, and the flag of Sark a small Channel Island with a population of just 500. But it is the exhausted-looking 'face with bags under eyes' emoji that has Apple fans most excited. On X one excited iPhone user wrote: 'I've never related to an emoji so much in my life'. Apple has unveiled the eight new emojis that are available on iPhone in iOS 18.4 Of the eight new emoji, the exhausted-looking 'face with bags under eyes' emoji has Apple fans most excited Another commenter wrote: 'I'm still saying that this will be the most used emoji of the year.' 'Definitely this emoji is going to take off,' one Apple user chimed in. While one added: 'The new iPhone 2025 emoji is accurate af'. These have been selected from the September 2024 recommendations list created by the Unicode Consortium, the body responsible for deciding the standard set of emojis. Tech giants such as Samsung, Apple and Meta apply stylised versions of the new emoji designs to their own operating systems. And they are now available on iPhone to use as part of the iOS 18.4 update which was launched yesterday. Keith Broni, editor-in-chief of Emojipedia, which is part of the Unicode Consortium, revealed the new Apple designs in a blog post. Mr Broni writes: 'Today Apple has officially debuted eight new emoji designs within iOS 18.4, bringing the likes of a paint splatter, a harp and a face with bags under its eyes to iPhones, iPads and all other Apple devices across the world.' Many Apple fans commented on how accurate the tired emoji was, saying that it captured how they felt One commenter predicted that the tired emoji would be the 'most used emoji of the year' What are the new emoji on iPhone? Face with Bags Under Eyes Fingerprint Splatter Root Vegetable Leafless Tree Harp Shovel cq Flag: Sark Advertisement The most surprising inclusion in this update is the new emoji for the flag of Sark. The inclusion of Flag for Sark is a surprise because, as Unicode Consortium admits, it stopped the inclusion of any new flag emoji back in March 2022. At the time, Emojipedia cited the 'transient nature' of many pride flags, and the 'challenges including some identities while excluding others'. While Mr Broni says the policy 'remains in force' Sark was permitted a new emoji because it has its own official 'ISO' country code just like the island's geographical neighbours Jersey and Guernsey which have their own. Yet that didn't stop many social media commenters expressing their surprise and confusion over the choice. 'Sark flag is crazy maybe a grand total of 3 people will ever use that', one commenter complained. Another added: 'Im obsessed with the Sark emoji Why Sark'. Social media users also welcomed the arrival of the harp emoji, particularly for its similarity to the Guinness logo. The emoji for the flag of Sark was one of the most surprising editions, considering that Sark is a tiny Channel Island with a population of just 500 One commenter joked that the Sark flag emoji would be used by 'a grand total of 3 people' Many iPhone fans celebrated the arrival of the harp emoji. This was mainly due to its similarity with the Guinness logo One enthusiastic commenter wrote: 'Harp emoji is going to change my life (and my friends being aware of my Guinness consumption) forever.' 'Updating my iPhone for the first time in 3 years to get the little Guinness harp emoji,' one commenter wrote. However, the most divisive emoji among iPhone users is the purple 'splatter', which was loved by some and loathed by others. One confused Apple fan wrote: 'What makes them think we need a purple splat?!?' 'What the heck is the purple splat', asked another. Another joked: 'Oh good what would I do without the purple blob'. While one commenter added: 'They implemented the purple splat emoji oh my god I thought it was a joke'. Yet the strange purple splat has garnered a few dedicated fans since its release. Of all the new emoji, the purple splat has proven to be the most divisive with one commenter asking 'what makes them think we need a purple splat?!?' Many commenters struggled to understand why the purple splat emoji had been added One commenter sarcastically asked 'what would I do without the purple blob' An excited commenter wrote: 'Splatter is goated'. While one chipped in: 'I need the purple splat emoji so bad'. If you want to try out these new emoji for yourself, you will need to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS 18. iOS 18.4 is compatible with all iPhones currently able to run iOS 18, which includes models from the iPhone X up to the latest iPhone 16 lineup. To install the update, open the Settings app on your iPhone. If you have automatic downloads enabled, the update will have been installed overnight provided your iPhone was charging and connected to Wi-Fi. But, if that isn't the case, you should see a notification reading 'Software Update Available' from the Settings homepage. Tapping this notification will bring you to the Software Update page, where you can see any new updates as they are released. The purple splatter has gathered a few die-hard fans among iPhone users, with one user calling it 'goated' - standing for 'greatest of all time' (GOAT) One iPhone user wrote that they 'need the purple splat emoji so bad' If iOS 18.4 is available, simply select 'Install Now' to begin. If the option reads 'Download and Install', tap it to download the update, enter your passcode, and then tap Install Now. To find the Software Update page when there is no notification, select the tab marked 'General' and tap on 'Software Update'. In addition to these new emoji the update includes a number of new features, including bringing the Genmoji option to European devices. This allows iPhone users to automatically generate new emoji from simple word prompts using AI. Other updates for Apple Intelligence, Apple's suite of AI features, include the rollout of priority notifications and some minor changes to Image Playground. iPhone users will also be getting a new dedicated feature for playing ambient music from the Control Centre, in a similar manner to the Shazam music recognition feature. The feature gives users access to four playlists titled Sleep, Chill, Productivity and Wellbeing. It's a treat that millions of people have almost every day. But a new study might make you think twice before reaching for the chewing gum. Scientists from Queen's University Belfast have issued an urgent warning about the sheer number of microplastics released from the treat. In their study, the team used a technique called 'automated Raman spectroscopy' to assess just how many particles enter your saliva through chewing. Their analysis revealed that within just one hour, a whopping 250,000 microplastics are released. Worryingly, the long-term effects of these microplastics on human health remain unclear. 'This study contributes to addressing micro and nano plastic pollution, which is a global concern, by introducing an effective and accessible method to detect these plastics, whilst uncovering overlooked sources of exposure, such as chewing gum,' said Dr Cuong Cao, an author of the study. 'Our findings fill gaps in micro and nano plastic detection and underscore the importance of raising awareness and highlighting chewing gum as an unrecognised source of plastic exposure.' It's a treat that millions of people have almost every day. But a new study might make you think twice before reaching for the chewing gum (stock image) Their analysis revealed that within just one hour, a whopping 250,000 microplastics are released Chewing gum is predominantly made from long molecules called polymers. Some brands of gum contain natural polymers, while others use synthetic polymers similar to plastics. Wrigley's explains on its website: 'Gum base puts the "chew in chewing gum, binding all the ingredients together for a smooth, soft texture. 'We use synthetic gum base materials for a consistent and safe base that provides longer-lasting flavour, improved texture, and reduced tackiness.' While this sounds harmless, David Jones, a Sessional Teaching Fellow at the University of Portsmouth, warned that this isn't necessarily the case. 'Chemical analysis shows that gum contains styrene-butadiene (the durable synthetic chemical used to make car tyres), polyethylene (the plastic used to make carrier bags and bottles) and polyvinyl acetate (woodglue) as well as some sweetener and flavouring,' he explained in an article for The Conversation. In their new study, the researchers set out to understand the transfer of microplastics from chewing gum into the human body. A middle-aged male volunteer took part in the study, by first rinsing his mouth out with water and providing a reference saliva sample. Worryingly, the long-term impacts of these microplastics on the human body remain a mystery (stock image) He was then given a piece of chewing gum to chew for one hour, with saliva samples taken every two minutes. The results revealed that over the course of the one-hour study, a total of 251,244 microplastic pieces were released into the volunteer's saliva - the majority of which were released during the first 20 minutes. Worryingly, the long-term impacts of these microplastics on the human body remain a mystery. 'The microplastics that are liberated by the chewing of gum are relatively huge, and we know nothing about the effects if any of such large particles in the human body,' said Professor Michael Richardson and Dr Meiru Wang, scientists at Leiden University, in an article for The Conversation. There is a growing body of evidence that plastics could play a key role in early-onset cancer genesis, where healthy cells turn cancerous. Earlier this year, a study found cancer cells in the gut spread at an accelerated rate after contact with microplastics. Experts have also raised the alarm about a potential between microplastics and reproductive health. For example, scientists warned last June that they found tiny plastic particles in men's sperm. 'Some commentators think that the potential health risks of microplastics have been exaggerated, while others criticise the quality of some of the scientific studies on microplastics,' Professor Richardson and Dr Wang added. 'We are inclined to agree with these criticisms. 'Hopefully, it will not be too long before we truly understand whether the microplastic scare will turn out to be justified or just hype.' A massive storm is set to bring life-threatening tornadoes and potentially historic flooding to several states throughout the US starting today. Meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) warn that 11 states in the South and Midwest are already under a flood warning Tuesday. This includes Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas, and portions of West Virginia, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Severe thunderstorms are expected to barrel through the central US starting Tuesday afternoon, bringing hail, wind gusts up to 70 mph, and a chance for tornadoes in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and northern Texas. The worst of the storm system is set to hit on Wednesday, with the danger for deadly twisters and flooding reaching 'extreme levels' throughout the Midwest. Forecasters predict that there could be up to 18 inches of rainfall in parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky between Wednesday and Saturday. AccuWeather senior storm warning meteorologist William Clark warned that this week-long storm could bring four to five months' worth of rain to a 1,000-mile-long swath of the country in just four days. 'Should the amount of rain occur that we anticipate over the middle of the nation, it would exceed the 500 to 1,000-year average,' Clark said. 'Truly, the potential is there for a historic flash flooding event.' Portions of the South and Midwestern US could see between 8 and 18 inches of rain this week, delivering historic levels of flash flooding Meteorologists warn that this week's storm could bring the equivalent of 4 to 5 months of rain to the South and Midwest in just 4 or 5 day (Stock) Along with extreme levels of flash flooding, meteorologists say there's a high risk of tornadoes developing Wednesday - and the area they could land in is continuing to grow. AccuWeather now says that their high tornado risk zone includes parts of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and northern Louisiana. Overall, there will be a chance of flash flooding, hail, and tornadoes developing in 16 states, from Texas to Michigan. This newest tornado threat comes less than three weeks after a 'mega storm' ripped through this same part of the US in March. Over 40 people died due to the extreme weather event, which dropped more than 70 tornadoes on communities throughout the South and Midwest. However, that storm did not come close to delivering the amount of rain and potential for historic flooding meteorologists are warning this new storm could bring. AccuWeather Severe Weather Expert Guy Pearson said: 'Many components for severe weather, including heat, moisture surge and a strong jet stream, will come together on Wednesday over the middle Mississippi Valley.' Pearson added that most of the people who were in the path of the megastorm in March should be prepared for a 'significant threat' starting tonight. There is also a severe threat of tornadoes touching down in several states starting Wednesday (Stock) Forecasters say several areas face a high likelihood of seeing a tornado develop on Wednesday, including Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky As the storm moves into the following day, AccuWeather warns that the period from Wednesday into Wednesday night will likely carry the greatest threat of severe weather the US has seen this year. It's already been a chaotic first three months of 2025, with waves of winter storms, tornadoes, and floods pummeling most of the country. In February, a 'polar vortex collapse' left a mess across much of the US, bringing feet of snow, landslides, and cancelled flights to millions of Americans. A 'polar vortex collapse' basically means the big, cold swirl of air that constantly spins tightly around the North Pole begins to wobble or break apart, letting frigid Arctic air spill down into places like the US or Europe. Meteorologists noted that the jet stream bringing cold air from the north was locked in an almost perfectly straight line over America, moving from west to east that entire month. This nonstop weather system continued to fuel winter storms, which developed in the Plains and Midwest and swept up into the Northeast and New England. Things didn't get any better in March, as another polar vortex collapse in the middle of the month had forecasters predicting a late start to spring. Recent floods in Texas brought rainfall totals that exceeded records that go back over 100 years, killing at least 3 people on March 27 On March 14, the weekend mega storm demolished communities throughout the South, from Oklahoma to Missouri to Mississippi. Roughly a quarter-million people were left without power in Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Michigan on March 16 alone. On March 27, at least three people were killed in Texas as floods overwhelmed roadways and forced many drivers to leave their cars behind. Between six and 12 inches of rain fell in parts of South Texas over a 24-hour period, according to the National Weather Service. This week's downpour throughout the country could bring similarly deadly conditions, with the AccuWeather team projecting that intense rainfall will bring flooding risks as far south as Texas and Louisiana and as far north as Michigan and Pennsylvania. Thunderstorms are expected to still be intense moving into Friday and Saturday, bringing more hail and wind gusts between 60 and 70 mph. An earthquake was detected just miles away from a massive volcano in Alaska that scientists have warned could erupt in the next few weeks. The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected a 3.7 magnitude quake at 11:44am ET near Petersville, which sits about 30 miles northwest of Mount Spurr. Mount Spurr, an 11,000-foot-tall volcano, has experienced increased seismic activity and ground surface displacement, which are signs of an eruption that scientists believe could happen in the next few weeks or months. The USGS has detected hundreds of smaller tremors in the past few days within the 30-mile radius of the volcano that sits around 80 miles from Anchorage the state's largest city, home to nearly 300,000 people. Seismic activity near Mount Spurr kicked off in April 2024, and the rate of events has increased from an average of 30 per week to an average of 125 per week by early October. Tuesday's earthquake hit 65 miles below the surface, which would typically be related to tectonic plate movement. But since Mount Spurr is showing signs of unrest, the quake may be linked to magma rising from deeper in the mantle. Scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) have warned that Mount Spurr is 'moving closer to an eruption' that could happen in 'weeks to months.' An earthquake was detected just miles away from a massive volcano in Alaska that scientists have warned could erupt in the next few weeks Your browser does not support iframes. The USGS received only two reports of shaking felt in the region, but that was likely due to it being sparsely populated. The 3.7 magnitude quake struck seven hours after a 2. 5 magnitude quake hit in the same area. These were preceded by a 3.0 magnitude detected on Monday at 6:56pm a few miles away. But the USGS only reflects 2.5 magnitude or higher quakes on the main dashboard. On March 7, the volcano began releasing elevated levels of gas from its summit and a side vent that last erupted more than 30 years ago. The emissions combined with the increased seismic activity and ground deformation has put science on red alert. Anchorage officials raised the emergency planning level to Level 2 last week, which means that they will ramp up communication with the public about the threat and public safety agencies will prepare to launch into eruption response protocols. The eruption would most likely occur at the Crater Peak side vent, and 'it would be explosive,' Matt Haney, scientist-in-charge at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) at US Geological Survey (USGS) told DailyMail.com. This event would spew multiple plumes of ash rising as high as 50,000 feet into the air, Haney said. The last time Mount Spurr erupted was in 1992 (pictured), which scientists said would likely mirror what is expected to occur in the near future Tuesday's earthquake hit 65 miles below the surface, which would typically be related to tectonic plate movement. But since Mount Spurr is showing signs of unrest, the quake may be linked to magma rising from deeper in the mantle Each ash-producing explosive episode would last three to four hours, and the resulting cloud could blanket the city of Anchorage and other nearby communities in a thick layer of dust. The eruption would also produce destructive mudslides and avalanches volcanic debris racing down the volcano's side at over 200 miles per hour, 'but fortunately, there are not any communities in that radius that would be affected,' Haney said. The USGS has the volcano under 'advisory,' meaning it 'is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest.' The last time Mount Spurr erupted was in 1992, and scientists said the imminent explosion would likely mirror that. More than 30 years ago, the volcano covered the entire city of Anchorage in an eighth of an inch of ash. The skies darkened in the middle of the day due to the enormous cloud of dust and gas, and the city's airport was forced to shut down for 20 hours. Crater Peak then erupted two more times, once in August and again in September. The Municipality of Anchorage reported nearly $2 million in damages, office closures and cleanup costs from the August eruption, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). No one was killed by these events directly. But two heart attacks, one fatal, from shoveling ashfall were reported in Anchorage. Breathing in ash also poses a health hazards. The tiny particles can work their way deep into the lungs, worsening symptoms for people with respiratory conditions such as asthma or bronchitis. If Mount Spurr's activity continues to ramp up, the next sign of an eruption will be a volcanic tremor, Haney warned. With its glittering cities, gorgeous coastlines and swoon-worthy landscapes, the USA is the perfect backdrop to adventure. And those adventures are all the better if they're by road. After all, this is the land of the road trip. Whether you want to criss-cross the country, following in the tracks of the Beatniks or cruise through California. The sheer vastness of its landscapes and the diversity you can find in one easy trip make jumping in a car and exploring all the more appealing. With its glittering cities, gorgeous coastlines and swoon-worthy landscapes, the US is the perfect backdrop to adventure But where to begin? With so much to see and do, tracing out your journey can feel like an overwhelming experience. Flight Centre Travel Experts know exactly the right places to pique your interest, from tourist hotspots to little-known local secrets. And from 13 March to 23 April 2025, Flight Centre is showcasing its hottest American offers, designed to get you dreaming and put your road trip on the map. Perhaps you'll take Route 66 or the Great River Road to follow the course of the Mississippi. Follow Highway 1 down the California coastline, or head west on the cowboy trail. When it comes to incredible scenery, America's 429 national parks make for dazzling stop-offs along the way, whether you want to see Yellowstone's bubbling mud pots and steaming geysers, or hike among the crisp meadows and granite peaks of Yosemite. Feeling inspired? These are the routes the Flight Centre Experts love for epic scenery and great drives... California dreaming Two separate Flight Centre road trips take in the spectacular landscapes of the Golden State. The 11-night California's National Parks trip starts in picturesque San Francisco and heads to the lakes, waterfalls and rivers of Yosemite National Park. You'll also take in the giant redwoods of Sequoia, and alpine Lake Tahoe, with its crystal blue waters and pine trees, stunning in all seasons. Finish up in Palm Springs and San Diego, offering laid-back West Coast culture and glorious beaches on the Pacific coast. Prepare for breath-taking sunsets, like this one over Cape Royal, North Rim, Arizona If inland is more to your liking, the 14-night California and Canyons itinerary will send you east from the extraordinary scenery of Yosemite into Death Valley with its arid, otherworldly atmosphere and uniquely odd geological curiosities. Keep right on going to enjoy the bright lights of Las Vegas before heading on to Arizona and the truly astonishing Grand Canyon, one mile deep and over 277 miles long. Head back west along iconic American highways in the desert to the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles. Otherworldly Utah Extraordinary arched rock formations frame the landscape of Arches National Park America doesn't lack for spectacular national parks, but the sheer range and variety in Utah makes linking them together in one trip tempting. There is Zion National Park with its towering sandstone cliffs in rosy hues, Mesa Verde National Park with its cliff dwellings, dating back to 550AD. TOP TIP Flight Centre Travel Expert Alex Cronin 'If you're exploring multiple national parks particularly around Utah where you can tick off the likes of Bryce Canyon, Zion and Arches in a matter of days it's worth buying an America the Beautiful National Parks Pass to cover multiple entrance fees, saving you valuable time and money.' Arches National Park is named for those precarious arched rock formations that frame the landscape and Bryce Canyon National Park combines impressive hoodoo monoliths with slot canyons and old Western movie sets. Take them all in on Flight Centre's 14-night Utah's Mighty Five & Beyond itinerary. You'll combine the national parks of Zion, Mesa Verde, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Arches with the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell, all in one route. Along the way, rust-hued scenery will combine with raging rivers, Native American sites and wildlife, ranging from bighorn sheep to grizzly bears. The Mother Road Route 66 is at the heart of America's road trip culture, extending 2,500 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, via eight different states. On Flight Centre's 18-night trip Roaming Route 66, you'll take it all in. Head west from foodie city Chicago and you'll pass by St Louis, where the Mississippi and Missouri rivers meet, and Springfield, which is alive with Route 66 culture. Gazing out across the Grand Canyon is just one of the bucket-list moments on offer on Flight Centre's 18-night trip Roaming Route 66 Venture from Oklahoma City to Amarillo, in Texas, where you can hike among the hoodoos of Palo Duro Canyon. Then it's on to Albuquerque and the Sandia Mountains, the vast, 50,000-year-old meteor crater at Holbrook and the Grand Canyon before the neon wonders of Las Vegas and a final flourish in Los Angeles, California. Cowboy country TOP TIP Flight Centre Travel Expert Rachel Mason-Smith 'Follow the advice I was given by a fellow adventurer on a Harley Davidson: take only memories and leave only tyre tracks the journey is the destination, soak it up.' Yellowstone was the world's first national park, founded in 1872 and sprawling across Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Its extraordinary landscapes are traced by boardwalks, allowing you to see roaming buffalo, spouting geysers, and steaming mud pools. It is also the highlight of Flight Centre's 13-night Cowboy Country trip. As you follow the trails of the cowboys through Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska, you'll also visit the old Western towns of Deadwood and Laramie. More striking scenery comes in the shape of the imposing Mount Rushmore monument and the mountains and valleys of Grand Teton National Park, and you'll explore Native American culture and history at the Wind River Reservation of the Shoshone and Arapahoe Indian tribes. The sheer diversity of the USA makes it one of the most extraordinary countries to explore by road. Flight Centre can help you map out your perfect route, taking in those incredible national parks and linking them with small-town charm and big-city wonders. The Flight Centre Travel Experts can take care of everything, so all you have to do is hit the open road on your American adventure. Find out more and book your road trip at flightcentre.co.uk Find out where to find the world's most popular naturist beaches with our map... It might not be everyone's cup of tea but naturism is popular in many countries around the globe. Tourists can even book a holiday at a naturist resort where they won't required to wear clothes anywhere. However, nudism isn't tolerated everywhere and rules on public nudity vary greatly around the world. It's completely banned in some popular tourist destinations, such as Indonesia and Sri Lanka. But regulations are much more lax in parts of Europe, Australia and North and South America which all have designated naturist beaches. So, where are the world's best nudist beaches? Scroll down to find the answer in this MailOnline Travel map which reveals the locations of some of the world's most popular spots for naturism. And if you want to know where you can join the naturism movement in the UK, check out MailOnline's map of all the country's nudist beaches. Your browser does not support iframes. Naturism is popular in many countries around the world. Check out MailOnline Travel's map to find the best beaches for nudism Europe Masapalomas Beach, Gran Canaria In the south of Gran Canaria island, Masapalomas Beach is known for its golden sand dunes. Nudism is practiced in some of the beach's more isolated areas. Praia da Adica, Portugal Not far from Lisbon, sandy Praia da Adica stretches for 1.5km/0.9 miles and has been an official nude beach since 2015. Playas de Vera, Spain Located on Spain's sunny Costa de Almeria, Vera Playa is 'arguably the largest and most popular naturist beach in Europe', according to nudebeachmap.com. The beach tends to get very busy during peak season. Platja des Cavallet, Spain An official nudist beach in Ibiza, Platja des Cavallet is backed by sand dunes and located about 10 minutes drive from Ibiza Town. The main nudist area is located in the middle section of the beach. El Torn Beach, Spain Just south of Tarragona, El Torn Beach is another of Spain's top beaches for nudism. The entire length of the 1.5km/0.9km beach is designated for nude bathing. Playa de Torimbia, Spain This crescent-shaped beach on the northern Spanish coast is backed by rolling green hills. It's a clothing optional beach and bathers have to walk to reach the beach, as it's not accessible by car. Cap D'Agde, France Described as the 'leading naturist destination in the Mediterranean Basin' by the region's tourism board, Cap D'Agde is a naturist village. The village's sandy beach is 2km and guests will need to comply with Cap D'Agde's 'Naturist village charter' which includes the rule that 'full nudity must be practised in the company of other naturist residents'. Plage de Tahiti, France Located just outside St-Tropez, Plage de Tahiti is a sandy beach that has 'clothing optional' status. Hotels.com says this means there are usually a mix of clothed and nude bathers. Bagheera Beach, Corsica One of France's biggest naturist beaches, Bagheera is 5km/3.1 miles long. Backed by mountains, the beach is considered 'unspoiled' and attracts families and couples. Is Benas Beach, Italy Located in Sardinia, Is Benas beach became an official nudist beach in 2022 and the local authorities are even considering allowing nude weddings to take place there. In 2024, the town's mayor said: 'If people want to marry nude, they can.' Clothing-optional beaches are often marked by signs but this won't always be the case Filaki Beach, Greece A rocky stretch on the island of Crete, Filaki Beach is the area's only official nudist-friendly beach. The beach is close to a naturist bar. Nugal Beach, Croatia Nugal Beach on Croatia's Dalmatian coast is a popular spot for naturists. The beach can only be accessed on foot or by boat and is backed by a pine tree forest. Sahara Beach, Croatia Located on the island of Rab, Sahara Beach is a sandy beach surrounded by pine trees. The beach is popular with naturists but doesn't have any facilities so holidaymakers will need to pack their own supplies. Callantsoog Beach, Netherlands The first official nudist beach in the Netherlands, Callantsoog gained its status in 1973. Naturism is permitted in designated areas which are marked by signs. Sonderstrand, Denmark A sandy beach, Sonderstrand is 'one of the few places in Denmark where nudist bathing is practiced', says the region's tourism board. The beach is known for its natural and unspoiled environment. Huk Beach, Norway Located just a 10 minute ride outside of Oslo, Huk Beach is one of Norway's most popular spots for nude bathing. The beach is divided into naturist and non-naturist sections. Agesta Beach, Sweden Just 15km south of Stockholm, Agesta Beach is one of Sweden's best-known naturist beaches. It's an officially designated nudist beach and holidaymakers will need to strip off entirely for their visit. Only sun hats and footwear are permitted on its shores. Leba Plaza Naturystyscna, Poland An official nudist beach on Poland's Baltic coast, naturists might need to be brave to take a dip in the water at this chilly spot. The beach was inaugurated as nudist on National Naturist Day. Sventoji, Lithuania Sventoji nudist beach is located next to the Sventoji Lifeguard Station and stretches for 10km along the Baltic Sea coastline. It's a sandy beach. Vecaki Beach, Latvia Not far from Riga, Vecaki Beach is a sandy beach backed by pine trees. It's a popular spot with naturists with a section designated for nude sunbathing and swimming. Only sunhats and footwear are permitted at Agesta Beach in Sweden North, Central and South America Wreck Beach, Canada One of the continent's largest nude beaches, Wreck Beach is located just 15 minutes drive from central Vancouver. The beach even attracts naturist bathers in winter and regularly hosts drum circles. Hanlan's Point Beach, Canada A nude beach in Toronto, Hanlan's Point was Canada's second officially recognised clothing-optional beach. The beach is very popular with naturist bathers although it's not required to be naked to use it. UFO Beach, USA An unofficial nude beach on South Padre Island, UFO Beach is popular with naturist bathers. It earned its name after an emergency evacuation pod washed up on shore. Beachgoers decorated it with the slogans 'Nude Beach' and 'No Tan Lines'. Black's Beach, USA Located in San Diego, Black's Beach is popular with naturists and was the USA's first nudist beach. The beach has a specified clothing-optional section. Gunnison Beach, USA New Jersey's only legal clothing-optional beach, Gunnison Beach is extremely popular with naturists. The beach is fairly secluded but still attracts thousands of visitors at the weekend. Haulover Park, USA Haulover Park in Florida is the USA's largest public nudist beach and became officially clothing-optional in 1993. The nudist area is marked by signs and has lifeguards as well as food outlets. Playa Zipolite, Mexico Stretching for 1.5km, Playa Zipolite is a huge beach that's famed for nude bathing. It was Mexico's first legally designated nude beach. Clothing is optional at the sandy spot. Playa Mermejita, Mexico A small and wild beach, Playa Mermejita is an unofficial nudist bathing spot. It's a wild and secluded beach so holidaymakers should carry their own supplies as there are no facilities at Mermejita. Cayo Largo, Cuba Nudism is officially allowed at the west and east ends of Cayo Largo and the naturist areas are marked with signs. It's a sandy beach and has lots of private spots for nude bathing. Eden Beach, Antigua Eden Beach is Antigua's only established nude beach and it's managed by the Hawksbill Beach Resort. Guests will need to walk for 10 minutes through the resort to reach the clothing-optional beach. Orient Bay Beach, St Martin's Orient Bay Beach is the only clothing-optional beach on the Caribbean island of St Martin. It's located on the French side of the island and the nude area is towards the south end of the beach. Anse Tarare, Guadeloupe Anse Tarare is a popular white-sand beach on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. The beach attracts plenty of naturists and is the island's main spot for nude bathing. Playa de las Suecas, Panama Panama's only nudist beach, Playa de las Suecas is actually located off the mainland on an island called Contadora. The island is managed by the Hotel Contadora Resort and Playa de las Suecas is its one nude beach. Puerto Bonito, Peru Lima's Nudist Naturist Association (ANNLI) designated Puerto Bonito as an official nude beach in 2003. The beach is under the care of the association who work to make sure it's a safe place for naturism. Puerto Bonito can be reached on foot or via a boat from neighbouring beaches. Praia de Tambaba, Brazil Praia de Tambaba is an official nudist beach, 71 miles/114km north of Recife. The beach is backed by cliffs and is divided into two sections - clothing required and clothing free. Men who want to enter the naturist area can only do so if they are part of a couple or have an official 'naturist' passport. Praia de Abrico, Brazil A nude beach in the western part of Rio de Janeiro, Praia de Abrico is the city's only beach where naturism is officially practiced. It's affiliated with the Brazilian Federation of Naturism and has been used for the practice since the 1940s. La Sirena Beach, Uruguay One of Uruguay's official nudist beaches, La Sirena Beach is surrounded by dunes, pines forests and acacias. The beach is known for its unspoiled beauty. Chihuahua Beach, Uruguay Chihuahua Beach has been a popular nudist beach since the 1960s but gained official status in 1991. Nudity is optional at the beach but it's very popular in the summer months. Playa Escondida, Argentina Located in Buenos Aires province, Playa Escondida is situated away from urban areas and surrounded by meadows and woods. The official naturist beach has a bar and restaurant as well as lifeguards. Clothing-optional beaches can be official or unofficial but tourists should make to check the rules on nudity in their destination before stripping off Australia and New Zealand North Swanbourne Beach, Australia Just 20 minutes outside Perth, North Swanbourne Beach is one of the area's only two legal nude beaches. The naturist areas are designated by 'Clothing Optional' signs and tourists will need to wear clothes in other areas of the beach. Maslin Beach, Australia Maslin Beach was Australia's first ever naturist beach and is one of South Australia's 'prettiest beaches', according to Fleurieu Peninsula. The nudist area is at the southern end of the 3km long beach. The beach has a long history with naturists as it even used to host the Nude Games, a sporting competition. Point Impossible Beach, Australia Point Impossible Beach is a clothing-optional beach in the state of Victoria. It has legal status as a nude beach and has a designated area that's about 1km long. Nudity is only allowed on the beach and not in the surrounding dunes. Little Jibbon Beach, Australia Little Jibbon Beach is a quiet bay located in the south of Sydney. While it's not officially a naturist beach, it is popular with nudists. Lady Bay Beach, Australia 'Cozzies are optional' at this popular naturist beach in New South Wales, says the national park website. Lady Bay Beach is a small spot but has scenic harbour views and plenty of space for nude bathing. Samurai Beach, Australia A designated nude-bathing beach in Tomaree National Park, Samurai Beach is also a popular surfing and swimming spot. The clothing-optional beach can be reached by walking trails or using a 4WD vehicle. Tyagarah Beach, Australia Another New South Wales beach, Tyagarah stretches for 7km between Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads. There's a designated clothing optional beach which is marked by signs. Uretiti Beach, New Zealand A clothing-optional beach on Bream Bay, Uretiti is popular with naturists who tend to use the southern area of the beach. Naturists can access the beach via a Department of Conservation campground but must wait till they reach the beach to strip off. Karekare Beach, New Zealand A sandy beach, Karekare Beach is considered to be one of Auckland's prettiest beaches. As it's quite a secluded beach, Karekare is popular with naturists with plenty of private spots to sunbathe. Pohutukawa Bay Beach, New Zealand Just outside Auckland city centre, Pohutukawa Bay Beach is popular with both nude and non-nude bathers. Its name hails from the colourful Pohutukawa trees with red flowers that bloom during the summer. The beach is located further along the sand from Long Bay Beach. Ladies Bay, New Zealand Ladies Bay Beach is one of Auckland's most famous naturist beaches and is sheltered by lush trees. Although it's an official nudist beach, there are no signs to mark the area. Waitata Bay Beach, New Zealand Waitata Bay Beach, which is sometimes known as Donkey Bay, has official signs marking it as a naturist beach. Nude bathers can access the beach via Long Beach and it's known for being a fairly quiet spot. Breaker Bay, New Zealand Located near Wellington, Breaker Bay has a nudist area on the east end of the beach. The beach has views of ships exiting Wellington Harbour and the surrounding coastal mountains. A new ETA electronic permit for Europeans entering the UK is set to be introduced tomorrow in a major shake up of travel rules. The government claims the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will strengthen the country's border security. Visitors from some 30 European countries, including all the members of the EU with the exception of Ireland, will need to carry the electronic permit to enter Britain. The ETA, which has already been in use for US, Canadian and other visa-exempt nationals since January, can be bought online using a smartphone app or through the government website. It will cost applicants 10 but that is set to rise to 16 from April 9. Despite the sharp and quick increase in the cost of the permit, successful applicants will be allowed visits of up to six months and it will be valid for two years. In order to apply, tourists will need to provide a photo of their passport and their face. It will take around 10 minutes with most applications receiving a decision in minutes but some might take up to three working days. The ETA is then digitally linked to the holder's passport. The UK border at Heathrow Airport. Visitors from some 30 European countries, including all the members of the EU with the exception of Ireland, will need to carry the electronic permit to enter Britain from tomorrow The ETA, which has already been in use for US, Canadian and other visa-exempt nationals since January, can be bought online using a smartphone app or through the government website Migration Minister Seema Malhotra, in words reported by France24, said: 'By digitising the immigration system we are paving the way for a contactless UK border.' Following pressure from Heathrow, airport passengers changing flights without crossing the border will be exempt from the scheme. ETAs were first launched in 2023 for Qatar and five other Gulf states before it was expanded to include 50 other countries. By the end of 2024 almost 1.1 million ETAs were issued. The expansion of the scheme comes as the EU prepares to launch its ETIAS scheme for visa-exempt countries including the UK and the US by 2026. An ETIAS applications will be made using an official EU website and will cost 7 euros Applicants should receive a decision within four days. Once a traveller holds an ETIAS it will be valid for three years of travel into the bloc. This is the terrifying moment a cruise liner is plunged into darkness as passengers are warned of the potential threat of piracy in the area. The frightening ordeal took place on the Queen Anne cruise ship as it traveled through the Sulu sea, an area notorious for pirates, on its voyage from Darwin to Manila. A passenger onboard the vessel has documented the safety precautions taken during this particularly perilous part of the journey. In her first video the TikTok user named 'Lilydapink' showed a warning being issued over the soundsystem from a crew member telling guests about the 'heightened level of security' due to the threat of piracy in the area. This included closing the external promenade deck overnight and switching off all but the essential lights to reduce the visibility of the ship. Guests are also requested to switch of lights on their balconies. The announcer then goes on to tell passengers what will happen in the 'unlikely event of an emergency'. Which would see guests kept in their rooms or told to vacate to the corridor if they have balconies. In another video she showcases the full extent of the safety precautions being taken to prevent any acts of piracy this includes high-pressure hoses running across the deck. These are installed as a non-lethal deterrent to prevent pirates from boarding a boat in the event of an attack. They are designed to knock any invaders off their feet and make the deck slippery making it harder to board. To protect the ship from pirates, the Queen Anne switched off all but its essential lights. The lack of light pollution means the moon shining down on the ocean in now fully visible In another video the TikTok user showcases the full extent of the safety precautions being taken to prevent any acts of piracy this includes high-pressure hoses running across the deck The Queen Anne cruise ship (file image). The frightening ordeal took place on the ship as it traveled through the Sulu sea, an area notorious for pirates, on its voyage from Darwin to Manila Finally, the passenger reveals what the Queen Anne looks like at night when the ship is plunged into darkness. In one particularly spectacular shot, the lack of light pollution means the moon shining down on the ocean in now fully visible. She then shows the eerily quiet interior of the ship with no guests enjoying a meal in the restaurant and instead heeding the warning to stay inside their rooms. The history of piracy in the region dates back as far as the 17th century and the high rate of attacks means the area is often considered the most dangerous body of water in the world. Pirates in the area are not the swashbuckling characters akin to those seen in films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, they are instead opportunistic sea thieves who board ships to steal valuables. Whilst the likelihood of pirates attacking a cruise liner remains low, there has been some incidents. In 2005, the Seabourne Spirit was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia who bombarded the ship with machine guns and RPGs. The attackers were only disarmed when US Navy ship arrived at the scene. The Queen Anne is currently on its maiden world voyage. The 111-night trip began in Hamburg, Germany, on January 7 and has made stops in England, New York, Hawaii, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia. It will return to Hamburg on April 29, after making subsequent stops in Vietnam, South Africa, Singapore and Malaysia. This European theme park is stealing the top spot from Disneyland Paris for its short queues - and is also home to Europe's tallest and fastest roller coaster. PortAventura, in Salou, Spain, is the country's most popular theme park, attracting around 5.3 million visitors a year. That's less than a third of Disneyland's 16.1 million guests - and, for that reason, has been dubbed a 'better' place to go to avoid the famously long lines. Transporting parkgoers to different worlds, PortAventura is themed around five regions: the Mediterranean, the Far West, Polynesia, Mexico and China. It also has SesamoAdventura, a dedicated kids' area centred around Sesame Street. Some of PortAventura's most thrill-seeking rides include Shambhala - one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in Europe, soaring to a height of 76 metres and reaching up to 134 km/h - and Hurakan Condor, a free-fall tower that plunges riders from a height of 100 metres. PortAventura also has a water park, Caribe Aquatic Park, full of water slides. And Ferrari Land, an area of the park dedicated to the car brand, is home to Europe's tallest and fastest rollercoaster, the mighty Red Force. PortAventura in Salou, Spain is stealing the top spot from Disneyland for its short queues The theme park has SesamoAdventura, a dedicated kids' area centred around Sesame Street The Furious Baco ride at the PortAventura's Western-themed park It is an impressive 112 metres tall and goes at the speed of 112 miles per hour. To put this into perspective, the UK's tallest roller coaster, Hyperia, which opened in Thorpe Park last year, is 72 metres high and 80 miles per hour. On Tripadvisor, some guests say PortAventura is 'Spain's Disney', with commenters saying it's 'more immersive than Disney' thanks to its themes. One person from Sydney, Australia, said on Tripadvisor: 'The queue times were very acceptable - the maximum wait time that we experienced was about 30 minutes - and well worth it, it's better than Disneyland.' A visitor from County Durham said: 'This is much better than Disneyland Paris, the rides were super fun with short bearable queues (15-30mins). 'This park is well laid out and features many rides suited for all types of thrill seeker.' Another said: 'The end of night show was like Disney or Olympics opening very impressed.' It even was more enjoyable than UK theme parks for some: 'I found that this park was better than some of the Disney and British theme parks I had been to.' PortAventura also offers Ferrari Land which is home to Europe's tallest and fastest rollercoaster, the mighty Red Force Entry to the park starts at 33.45 for adults or 29.27 for children. Meanwhile, budget-friendly flights to Barcelona can be found in the UK, with East Midlands Airport currently offering fares for under 15. A brazen business-class passenger was caught on camera vaping on a flight - with footage showing the premium flyer sneakily tucking the device beneath a cushion between each inhale. The incident, which involved a male passenger seated in executive class, took place on a Garuda Indonesia flight from Jakarta to Medan, Indonesia, on 27 March. A shocking clip shows the passenger, who had been filmed by a fellow flyer, subtly lifting the e-cigarettes to his lips from under a red cushion placed on his lap. The man can be seen carefully exhaling the smoke through his nostrils, before repeating the process. As the clip comes to an end, the passenger is shown being confronted by airport security and police officers in the jet bridge near the plane's front doors. According to the airline, the passenger had received two verbal warnings from cabin crew to stop vaping on flight GA1904, but he continued anyway. The cabin crew then informed aviation security at Kualanamu International Airport, and the suspect was detained upon landing. Garuda Indonesia CEO Wamildan Tsani, 44, told local media, as reported by NeedToKnow: 'Previously, the flight crew had carried out the applicable procedures related to the initial handling of passengers caught using e-cigarettes. A brazen business-class passenger was caught on camera vaping on a Garuda Indonesia flight from Jakarta to Medan, Indonesia, on 27 March A shocking clip shows the passenger, who had been filmed by a fellow flyer, subtly lifting the e-cigarettes to his lips from under a red cushion placed on his lap 'The procedure was in the form of a verbal warning which was carried out twice referring to the provisions on disruptive passengers. 'The passengers concerned were immediately picked up by the aviation security team upon arrival at Kualanamu Airport for further investigation procedures.' Tsani said that smoking in the cabin, including the use of e-cigarettes and vapes, is a 'serious violation of aviation regulations, both nationally and internationally.' He said the airline operates a zero tolerance policy to such behaviour, as well as confirming that its plans to take 'firm action' against the passenger. Tsani added: 'We deeply regret the incident, Garuda Indonesia confirms that we are fully committed to upholding all aspects of flight safety, security, and comfort in accordance with applicable civil aviation regulations.' Vaping, as well as smoking, is strictly prohibited in airports and on commercial flights, and passengers caught vaping on a plane can face significant fines, potential bans from flying with certain airlines, and even criminal charges. Airlines across the globe have faced an increasing number of incidents involving passengers vaping on flights in recent years. A 'drunk' airline passenger was removed from a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Ibiza by two armed officers after vaping on board in 2022. The man can be seen carefully exhaling the smoke through his nostrils, before repeating the process As the clip comes to an end, the passenger is shown being confronted by airport security and police officers in the jet bridge near the plane's front doors Witnesses say the man, who they say appeared to be 'hammered', was removed from the plane ahead of take-off from Manchester airport. In June 2024, an unruly passenger forced an American Airlines flight to be re-routed after chasing after a flight attendant who asked him to stop vaping. The Dallas, Texas-bound flight took off from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was diverted to Tulsa, Oklahoma due to the disruptive passenger, the airline said without providing further details. Earlier that year, an Edinburgh to Tenerife flight was forced to make a diversion to Portugal after a 'disgraceful' passenger was seen vaping onboard and acting disruptively. The Jet2 flight, LS727, had taken off from Edinburgh Airport at 8.15am on Friday and was due to travel directly to Tenerife South Airport. However, flightradar24 showed the budget airline was forced to divert to Porto Santo airport in Madeira, over 330 miles away, so the passenger could be removed by police. Bill Murray is sending his best to Bruce Willis as he continues his battle against dementia with his family. Murray, 74, was promoting his new movie The Friend, in theaters this Friday, with his co-star Naomi Watts on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live. The beloved funnyman was asked by host Andy Cohen which of his nine films with writer-director Wes Anderson was his favorite. While he didn't necessarily answer the question directly, he did speak briefly about his 2012 film Moonrise Kingdom, where he shared the screen with Willis. 'Moonrise Kingdom was a really beautiful, lovely film, and I got to work with and have a wonderful time with Bruce Willis,' Murray said, adding, 'we should remember today, he just had a birthday.' Willis did in fact celebrate his 70th birthday earlier this month, with Murray adding, 'Yeah Bruce Willis is a good guy, a good f***ing guy.' Bill Murray is sending his best to Bruce Willis as he continues his battle against dementia with his family . Willis did in fact celebrate his 70th birthday earlier this month, with Murray adding, ' Yeah Bruce Willis is a good guy, a good f***ing guy' Murray added Willis, 'was a good friend and and really always understood,' before revealing how he first met the young actor in New York City decades earlier. 'Bruce Willis was a page at NBC, when I was on Saturday Night Live. Yeah, he was a page,' Murray recalled. 'And his job was to come in to refill... this sounds like insane s**t, but his job was to come and go to the dressing rooms and refill the M&M's and pretzels kind of thing in the actors rooms,' Murray continued. He then added, 'And I remember when I met him after he was already a successful guy, he said, you and Gilda were nice to me,' referring to beloved original SNL cast member Gilda Radner, with Cohen and Watts clearly touched by the story. 'And I thought, OK. And that's you know, I always thought, OK, I'm good with this guy. But he was a he was a good guy,' Murray said. Along with Moonrise Kingdom, Murray and Willis also shared the screen in 2015's Rock the Kasbah from director Barry Levinson. Willis' family announced his retirement from acting in March 2022 after he was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that affects language comprehension and expression. Less than a year later in February 2023, he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which involves the degeneration of the brain's frontal and temporal lobes. Murray added Willis, 'was a good friend and and really always understood,' before revealing how he first met the young actor in New York City decades earlier 'Bruce Willis was a page at NBC, when I was on Saturday Night Live. Yeah, he was a page,' Murray recalled. He then added, 'And I remember when I met him after he was already a successful guy, he said, you and Gilda were nice to me,' referring to beloved original SNL cast member Gilda Radner, with Cohen and Watts clearly touched by the story 'And I thought, OK. And that's you know, I always thought, OK, I'm good with this guy. But he was a he was a good guy,' Murray said Willis' loving wife Emma posted a sweet tribute earlier this month on their 16th wedding anniversary. 'Today marks 16 years with the love of a lifetime. Weve shared monumental highs and devastating lows, and through it all, weve built something timeless,' she said. 'Im so deeply grateful for every chapter Ive had with him - and all the ones well continue to write, in our language of unconditional love,' she added. Bruce and Emma married in Turks and Caicos on March 21, 2009, and share two daughters: Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10. Emmerdale icon Joe Tate quit the village in heart-stopping scenes a whopping 30 years on from his soap debut. The key character has been at the centre of a series of significant storylines during his on-and-off run on the programme. Ned Porteous made a shock return as Joe at Christmas six years after he was believed to have been murdered, having taken over the role in 2017. Prior to that, Oliver Young portrayed the figure in the Yorkshire village from 1995 until 2005 when he left the area with Zoe Tate and her daughter Jean. But now after three decades on our screens, Joe has made another surprise exit from the soap during Monday's episode Joe Facetimes Caleb, after committing a terrible crime against another character. On his return to Emmerdale over the festive period, everyone was shocked to discover he was still alive after it seemed he had been killed by Cain Dingle in 2018. Emmerdale icon Joe Tate, currently played by Ned Porteous (pictured), has quit the village in heart-stopping scenes a whopping 30 years on from his soap debut Needing a kidney, he tried to take Noah Dingle's (right) before attacking Caleb and taking his in a shocking plot development He revealed he had been living abroad and working with Will Taylor, but it turned out he had another giant secret - he was receiving dialysis treatment and needed a kidney. After attempting to take half-brother Noah Dingle's kidney, Joe turned to Caleb as his next victim, even more sinister given he is a member of his family. On Monday night, Emmerdale dealt with the fallout of the attack on Caleb, with Joe revealing to him his reason for disappearing. He told the victim over the phone: 'It's a work trip. Illinois this time of year is all just wind and rain. After Caleb asked him how he is feeling, Joe added: 'Yeah, late night. How are they treating you?' From his hospital bed, Caleb said: 'Doctors are giving me a load of meds. I feel like a right druggie.' Discussing a police investigation into the attack, he added: 'They found the car; they're dusting it for prints. 'I want to talk to you when you get back though.' Ned made a shock return as Joe at Christmas six years after he was believed to have been murdered (pictured) The key character (pictured, in 2018) has been at the centre of a series of significant storylines during his on-and-off run on the programme In a bid to throw Caleb off the scent, Joe said: 'Sure! I'm not sure how much help I can be. When I got there, whoever did that to you had gone... I've got to go for a meeting, but you take care of yourself, okay?' It turned out Dr Crowley was in the room with Joe for the call and the assailant justified his contact with his victim, saying: 'I think it would be odd to not check up on Caleb.' The doctor responded: 'He's not your problem anymore. Shaun's been released this morning pending an investigation and now we're flying him to Thailand as requested. It's not cheap.' Joe said, 'Money well spent. And my car?', to which Dr Crowley replied, 'Discreetly delivered back to Home Farm.' After hearing Joe's plan to flee for god, the doctor said: 'You've just had your op. You shouldn't be travelling and not without trained medical staff.' But the iconic character was hellbent on leaving the area, adding: 'I'm aware of the risks. I can't stay here. I've got medics waiting for me when I arrive in Dubai. Time to move on.' A car was then shown driving Joe away from the village in what seemed to be the villain's final exit from the soap. A look back at a recent interview with actor Ned might suggest otherwise, however, with the star saying: 'Well, as we've started to see, there are other things in the village that are keeping Joe's attention. It comes after it was revealed that Cathy Hope, played by Gabrielle Dowling, 19, (pictured) was going to go on a 'temporary' break' from the soap after 18 years A source told The Sun: 'Gabrielle has been working solidly on the show for her entire life but with her A levels coming up thought it was best to take a break to focus on them' 'So if he should ever realise that he's healthy again, what's next, you know, everything which is going on with Dawn, if it does seem legitimate and if it is legitimate, then that will obviously be something to keep him around. 'Also he's also very low on family members, so potentially being just near and around Noah, that could be enough to stay. Family is important to him and so he may want to stick around.' It comes after it was revealed that Cathy Hope, played by Gabrielle Dowling, 19, was going to go on a 'temporary' break' from the soap after 18 years. A source told The Sun: 'Gabrielle has been working solidly on the show for her entire life but with her A levels coming up thought it was best to take a break to focus on them. 'She will be gone for a matter of months and will return later in the year once exam season is over. 'Her exit storyline is being kept quiet until it plays out on screen but its only going to be a temporary one.' Emmerdale airs on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX. A 'hugely compelling' crime drama is making a return to the BBC in just a matter of days after it was previously hailed as 'a breath of fresh air'. Black Snow offered viewers a gripping opening season in 2023, introducing Vikings' Travis Fimmel as murder detective James Cormack in the fictional Australian town of Ashford. Fans were left enthralled by the first offering, set in 2019, as Detective Cormack struggled to get to the bottom of the death of 17-year-old Isabel Barker, a cold case since 1994. All the while, the complicated character dealt with a host of family demons threatening to hinder his ability to solve the mystery. It was initially released on Australian streaming service Stan 1, but British viewers were soon able to binge the heavily-nominated drama once it arrived on iPlayer in August 2023. Mere weeks after it returned for a second season, the tense series is set to come back to British screens in news which will be celebrated by its legions of fans, if its Rotten Tomatoes reviews are anything to go by. Black Snow offered viewers a gripping opening season in 2023, introducing Vikings' Travis Fimmel as murder detective James Cormack in the fictional Australian town of Ashford Fans were left enthralled by the first offering, set in 2019, as Detective Cormack struggled to get to the bottom of the death of 17-year-old Isabel Barker, a cold case since 1994 Mere weeks after it returned for a second season (pictured), the tense series is set to come back to British screens in news which will be celebrated by its legions of fans Boasting an impressive 84 per cent rating on the website, the show has been praised for its detailed characters and an eye-catching performance by Travis. One impressed viewer wrote: 'Excellent Murder Mystery! Binge it today! Loved it!! Travis is awesome!' Another added: 'Fimmel is outstanding. The cast is also superb... it took me a minute to absorb the vibe of this series and the location and culture, but once I did, it grabbed me.' A third said: 'It's slow moving, with lots of character development and not a whole lot of action, which I assume is the reason that some people don't like it. But I was completely sucked in; I cared about the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. 'If you enjoy Shetland, you'll love this. The plot is complex, but it hangs together, and the ending (which I did not predict) makes sense and ties up all the loose ends. 'I thought the acting was very good and the dialogue was realistic, particularly the scenes showing the murder victim's interactions with other high school kids prior to the murder. Highly recommended.' Another stunned fan posted: 'I was mesmerized. Such compelling characters. The mood was gripping.' One viewer added: 'My friend had me watch the show. I absolutely loved it and I need a season two please come out with a season two.' Boasting an impressive 84 per cent rating on the website, the show has been praised for its detailed characters and an eye-catching performance by Travis Despite it being out for a matter of weeks, fans are already raving about the heavily-awaited follow-up series, with more viewers posting on Rotten Tomatoes And a sixth said: 'Great show that develops over time. The end of the show has a good payoff and everything is wrapped up well.' Fans will be delighted at the arrival of season two, which sees the detective take on another tricky case, this time a missing persons mystery dating back to 2003. Zoe Jacobs disappeared in the fictional town of Moorevale and Travis' character is determined to get to the bottom of it, while also investigating the disappearance of his younger brother in 1994. Despite it being out for a matter of weeks, fans are already raving about the heavily-awaited follow-up series, with one posting on Rotten Tomatoes: 'Strong story with credible twists and well acted. One of the best Australian dramas in recent times.' While another said: 'This was by far one of the best shows I've seen in a while, I binge watched the whole first season and then binge watched the first half of season 2 and had to wait each week for the remaining episodes. 'The cast were perfect in all of their roles. Each episode kept you on the edge of your seat. This was a perfectly made show, and I'm eager for more.' Black Snow is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Advertisement A couple were left 'dumbstruck' and broke down in tears after viewing a 'mind-blowing' property on BBC One's Escape To The Country. During Friday's instalment of the daytime programme, viewers were introduced to couple Sarah and Dominic. The duo were hoping to leave their home in South London for a fresh start in the countryside, ideally in the High Weald. Before their search began, the pair had a strict list of requirements for Alistair Appleton, 55, to adhere to. Sarah and Dominic wanted a detached home with four to five bedrooms and at least one acre of land. They were also keen to have an annexe for Sarah's parents, or at least enough space to build one. A couple were left 'dumbstruck' and broke down in tears after viewing a 'mind-blowing' property on BBC One's Escape To The Country During Friday's instalment of the daytime programme, viewers were introduced to couple Sarah and Dominic, who were blown away by a property in the Kent village of Biddenden The couple had an impressive budget of 1.1 million and were shown two gorgeous houses during their property search. However, it was the mystery house in the Kent village of Biddenden which left them both blown away. Before even stepping foot inside, the couple immediately commented on how beautiful the unique home was. Calling the house 'mind-blowing', Alistair explained: 'Its been beautifully restored, this is an oast house, of which there are hundreds in Kent.' He continued: 'This is it! The actual oast at the top moves with the wind, so its still working in that sense.' Alistair also revealed that the home came with 10 acres, five of which are private fields and had their own giant orchid, so the couple were keen to explore the inside. However, after exploring inside, it seemed as though emotions got the better of Sarah when they gave their overall thoughts on the property. Alistair said: 'You've gone a bit, sort of, dumbstruck!' The couple had an impressive budget of 1.1 million and before even stepping foot inside, they immediately commented on how beautiful the unique home was During the episode, Alistair revealed that the home came with 10 acres, five of which are private fields and their own giant orchid However, after exploring inside, it seemed as though emotions got the better of Sarah when they gave their overall thoughts on the property, revealing they absolutely loved it When asked if they could imagine themselves living there, Dominic confessed he could before getting teary himself Fighting back tears and struggling to speak, she replied: 'Im literally speech- Im quite emotional, actually. Sorry! It just looks amazing.' When asked if they could imagine themselves living there, Dominic confessed he could, before getting teary himself. But the couple were even more delighted when they learnt the house was on the market for 950,000, which was below their budget. As the episode came to an end, BBC viewers learnt they had taken their family back to visit the house and it was a huge success. Alistair added: 'Theyre now in the process of doing all the checks before they can put an offer in.' Escape To The Country airs weekdays on BBC one and is available to stream on iPlayer. Advertisement Loose Men's Craig Doyle shocked the panel after revealing the bleak six-word warning Alison Hammond once gave him about friendship in the TV industry. During Tuesday's instalment of the ITV programme, Craig, 54, returned alongside Loose Men regulars Jeff Brazier, 45, Jordan Banjo, 32, and Iain Stirling, 37 for a special spin-off show. The show mainly centered around the topical Netflix drama Adolescence and the impact it has had on teens today. However, towards the end of the show, the conversation shifted to a discussion about how most men are now living their lives friendship-free. Craig said: 'We touched earlier on about the number of young boys not being open about their feelings. But is it a problem later in life, too?' He continued: 'This lady has written an article about what she calls her friendless husband and how she's noticed more older men are living their lives friendship-free.' Loose Men's Craig Doyle shocked the panel after revealing the bleak six-word warning Alison Hammond once made to him about mixing friends During Tuesday's instalment of the ITV programme, Craig, 54, returned alongside Loose Men regulars Jeff Brazier, 45, Jordan Banjo, 32, and Iain Stirling, 37 for a special spin-off show 'In fact, stats show, this is incredible, 27 per cent of men now have no close friends. They're calling it a friendship recession.' The men on the panel proceeded to share their stories and told how once you get to a certain age you 'stop making friends'. However, when the panel asked Craig his opinion, he jokingly revealed that he has many friends and shared the one warning his co-star Alison, 50, once made to him. He enthusiastically said: 'You know, you give me a drive to Manchester from London, like "Yes, 4.5 hours. That's at least 12 phone calls" I'm gonna work my way around the boys.' He continued: 'Well, I went to school with the same lads from the age of like, six and a half, seven. 'We're all out last Friday from about 12:45pm to nine at night. I was a right old state, but it was great fun.' Next he recounted Alison's surprising advice about keeping colleagues entirely separate from one's other circles. 'My pal Alison Hammond said to me, "Don't mix friends with TV friends", but I think everybody's my friend.' The show mainly centered around the topical Netflix drama Adolescence and the impact it has had on young children today However, towards the end of the show, the conversation shifted to a discussion about how most men are now living their lives friendship-free He joked: 'I've been ringing Jeff constantly. He doesn't pick up the phone. Do you know what I mean?' Appearing shocked at Craig's revelation, Iain then joked: 'Can I just say, imagine being told you're too friendly by Alison Hammond. That is absolute madness,' before the panel and audience erupted in laughter. Before the end of the special episode, Craig, Jeff, Iain and Jordan shared letters they had written to their younger selves and Jeff emotionally told himself 'you are enough' and his 'two incredible boys' that 'its safe for them to express their vulnerabilities too'. Between his trademark jokes, Iain included the advice: 'Do what makes you happy and don't put your energy into fitting in' before crediting his wife and daughter. However, when the panel asked Craig his opinion, he jokingly revealed that he has many friends and shared the one warning his co-star Alison, 50, once made to him (both pictured 2023) He said: 'My pal Alison Hammond said to me, "Don't mix friends with TV friends", but I think everybody's my friend' In Jordan's letter to himself, he shared: 'It will take you a long time to realise this but it's okay to just be, you don't always have to be the centre of attention in order to make people like you or feel something.' Meanwhile, Craig said: 'Keep smiling even when others try to stop you!' Discussing why opening up, particularly about their children, makes them feel emotional, Jeff said: 'Were daring to be a little bit vulnerable, in front of cameras, in front of other people and thats something that we should be doing as much as we can. 'It's almost like responsibility for us in the public eye but just by doing that, I think that's the best thing we can ever do.' Loose Women airs on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm and is available to stream on ITVX. Live with Kelly and Mark is finally moving to a new studio after 37 years at their current location - and not a moment too soon. During Monday's episode of the show, as hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos encouraged viewers to tune into their last show at the studio, a monitor fell off the camera. What viewers saw was a shaky screen and two amused hosts laughing at the perfectly-timed mishap. Both Kelly, 54, and Mark, 54, joked it was indeed time to relocate. 'This studio is breaking down. The monitor just fell off the camera,' Kelly said, laughing. 'Its time to go, everybody!' Mark - who recently suffered a wardrobe malfunction on the show - added in a ghost-like hush, 'Get out!' A monitor fell off a camera during a taping of Live with Kelly and Mark ahead of their move to a new studio The show is preparing to relocate to a new studio following 37 years at their current location Following nearly four decades at 7 Lincoln Square, the Live With Kelly and Mark team are now moving to 7 Hudson Square, the home of Walt Disney Company's new New York City headquarters. The long-running program is one of the last ABC shows to finally make the move, according to People. Not only did Kelly, her husband, and numerous other co-hosts grace the studio, but it was also home to the legendary Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which debuted back in 1988. The studio is of great sentimental value to Kelly and Mark, who rekindled their romance following an appearance on Regis and Kathie in promotion of All My Children in 1996. The then-castmates had recently split up - but Mark realized Kelly was the one for him after seeing her on stage. 'We both tried to get out of it, but we both ended up being here on this stage,' Mark told People. 'Obviously, seeing her it was like, This is the worst decision of my life. I have to be with her forever,' " the actor added. 'And I asked her to marry me and we flew to Vegas the next day.' 'Isn't that wild?' Ripa chimed in. 'So we owe a lot to this place. And it's going to be hard to replicate.' The pair laughed in amusement to the well-timed mishap Live With Regis and Kathie Lee debuted in 1988; Regis, Kathie, and guest Hugh Grant Ripa joined the show in 2001, hosting alongside legendary Regis Philbin; pictured 2001 She co-hosted alongside Michael Strahan following Regis' retirement; pictured 2013 Ryan Seacrest also served as co-host before stepping down in 2023 Years later, the duo ended up co-hosting the show that they once appeared on as guests. Even Kelly and Mark's children were a frequent presence at the studio. 'Our kids grew up here,' Mark told People. 'They'd come visit mom here a lot they were always backstage, even when they were babies.' 'They came to work with me every day until they went to school,' Ripa added. 'They would go to All My Children with me, they would come here with me... we meant when we say they grew up in this building, in these four walls.' Following Seacrest's departure, her husband Mark Consuelos joined on as co-host Kelly landed the job in 2001, replacing Kathie Lee Gifford following her departure and joining host Regis Philbin as co-host. She has had several co-hosts since the late Regis retired in 2011, gracing TV screens over the years with Michael Strahan followed by Ryan Seacrest. Seacrest departed in 2023, and her husband Mark has since joined on as co-host. Kelly and Mark have been married since 1996 after meeting as co-stars on All My Children and now have three children together - daughter Lola, 23, and sons Michael, 27, and Joaquin, 22. Gene Hackman's surviving dogs were emotionally damaged by witnessing the deaths of the Oscar-winning actor, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and the couple's third dog at their New Mexico mansion, according to the family vet. In the wake of the tragedy, certified animal chiropractor Dr. Sherry Gaber visited her longtime patients, Bear and Nikita, in Santa Fe, and could immediately sense a change in demeanor, she told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview. 'Bear put his head on my chest. He put his head down and kept it there for the longest time, like he was saying, "You have no idea of what I've been through. It's so good to see you",' Gaber said. 'Then he rolled on his back and let me rub his tummy,' she said of the German Shepherd that Arakawa, her client and friend for almost 20 years, rescued from a freeway. 'Of course I cried my eyes out.' Seven-year-old Bear and Nikita, an Akita-shepherd mix believed to be five or six in age, were both taken in by Santa Fe Tails, a local doggie daycare, after their owners were found dead in late February. Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's surviving dogs are emotionally scarred by the deaths of their owner and fellow doggie companion. Pictured above is Betsy with Zin, who tragically died with its owners, and surviving German Shepherd, Bear in 2014 The couple, who died within days of each other in February, had developed a love for German Shepherds that saw the couple adopt several dogs over the years One of the caretakers at the facility looked on in amazement, confessing it was the first time he had seen Bear let anyone rub his belly. Gaber, who previously had a practice in Santa Fe, made the trip from Central California to Hackman's home to check on her two longtime patients just days before the dogs were sent to their new homes. DailyMail.com last month revealed that the two orphaned dogs have since been split up following their ordeal. One has been fostered in the New Mexican capital while the other has gone out of state. The pair were found roaming the property when police discovered the bodies of Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, on February 26. They are believed to have died several days earlier. A medical examiner's report says Arakawa, 65, died of hantavirus about a week before Hackman, 95, who was suffering from Alzheimer's, succumbed to heart complications. Their Australian kelpie mix, Zin short for Zinfandel died from dehydration and starvation in the home. Betsy is pictured above with Nikita, who was found roaming the property with Bear when police discovered the couple's bodies Recently released police bodycam footage briefly showed Nikita on the hillside of the Hackman property before escaping Officers were seen surveying the home and looking into the windows on the day the actor and his wife were found dead at their home Nikita, who was affectionately called 'Nikki' by Betsy, was also relieved to see a familiar face after the human she most loved disappeared from her life. 'Nikki is just a shy girl. Even when Betsy would bring her in for a treatment, Nikki would lean against her. She would never leave her side,' Gaber said. 'When Betsy would bring the other dogs in, I would hug Nikki, but she would always be looking at the door like when's mom coming back?' 'You know, missing Betsy, it's a tremendous loss,' she added. 'I just prayed to her to find the dogs the right home.' The right home for Bear and Nikita will actually be two different homes. Acknowledging the sadness in separating them, Gaber explained why rehoming them individually is probably the best thing. Certified animal chiropractor Dr. Sherry Gaber, who previously had a practice in Santa Fe, had continued treating her longtime patients when she moved to Central California, after Betsy went above and beyond to retain her services, she said The couple's dog trainer and friend Joey Padilla, 42, was the one who set the dogs up with a new home. He said the actor provided financial support to Padilla's daycare Santa Fe Tails and invested in his bowling center, The Alley, that he owned with his late wife Hannah The two orphaned dogs were taken in by Padilla's doggie daycare center, Santa Fe Tails, before being placed in new homes 'I have known these dogs for years and years, and what I can tell you is that they are very independent of each other. They both have very distinct personalities,' she said. 'They were both loved hugely, spoiled hugely by both Gene and Betsy, and the fact that they will be in separate homes means they will each be receiving 100% attention.' Kathy Gonsey, co-founder of the German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Central New Mexico, agreed about the benefits of placing the dogs in different environments. 'Instead of relying on each other at their new home, they will rely on their new people,' she explained. 'This helps them make the bond more quickly. They will quickly adapt. 'Remember they are not people. They have a different outlook on life. They will make new pack members.' News of Gene and Betsy's deaths had left friends, fans, and the local community baffled after it was revealed they were found dead in separate rooms along with one of their German Shepherds at their home Their bodies were discovered in a state of partial mummification at their $3.3million home (pictured) Padilla got called to the house on February 26 after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found in their home, along with Zinna, a 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mixed breed German Shepherds and Akitas are all about their people, explained Gonsey who has 30 years experience in dog rescue. 'If you have a German Shepherd, you never take a shower by yourself or go to the bathroom by yourself. As Gonsey tells it, Leslie Hackman, Gene's daughter from an earlier marriage, reached out to her nonprofit upon learning of his death and asked if she could help. 'She was very concerned. She didn't know what was going on, but wanted to make sure the dogs had somewhere safe to go.' In the meantime, Santa Fe Tails owner Joey Padilla, who had trained, boarded, and cared for the couple's three dogs for a decade, was among the first to arrive on the scene and took Bear and Nikita back to his facility. Gaber has also worked adjusting the dogs' alignment for years, and continued doing so after she moved from New Mexico to Central California when she says Arakawa went above and beyond to retain her services. The couple previously adopted German Shepherds Maisie and Roscoe from the SW German Shepherd Rescue in 2005 and 2007 (pictured meeting for the first time) Santa Fe County deputies were seen outside of Betsy and Gene's home in Santa Fe after their bodies were discovered 'Betsy was extremely generous and thoughtful,' she says. 'For the first year, (she) gave me first class tickets to fly back and forth to treat her dogs and the other animals in the community. 'That's the kind of person she was. A first-class person all around.' Gaber said she last saw Arakawa in October of last year when she gave Bear and Zin adjustments in their hind legs to keep them strong. Gaber knew that Arakawa would have wanted her to fly back to treat and visit the surviving dogs after her passing. 'Both of them were out of alignment, especially Bear who has had two hip surgeries,' she said, noting she could feel her friend's presence around him and Nikita. 'I was considering taking Bear, if he hadn't already been placed with another person. 'I was even crying on the plane when I left because I was missing him so much,' she added. But she is convinced that Padilla found the best homes possible for both dogs. 'Joey would only put Bear and Nikki in very good hands,' she said. 'He would only give them to very competent, caring people, people that he trusted 100%.' Joshua Jackson shared one storyline that he still doesn't like, 22 years after Dawson's Creek went off the air. 'I don't think Pacey ever needed to be a stockbroker,' he said. 'I don't really think we needed to go there.' When asked to explain, Jackson, 46, said, 'I don't know where that came from. I don't know what the point of that was. 'Didn't really feel like that's something that Pacey would've got up to. Off the top of my head, that's the one I don't think we needed.' The Doctor Odyssey actor explained that the goatee that went along with the plot point still bothers him as he thought it was out of character for Pacey. 'I don't think we needed a goatee. Maybe that's it: it's goatee Pacey. It doesn't work for me,' he told People on the red carpet of the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Joshua Jackson , who will always be Team Pacey for what it's worth, shared one storyline that he still doesn't like, 22 years after Dawson's Creek went off the air. Seen here in 2025 Joshua starred as Pacey Witter in the popular WB drama for six seasons from 1998 to 2003. The show was set in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts and followed best friends Pacey, Dawson Leary (James Van Der Beek), Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) and Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams). In an earlier interview with the outlet, Joshua stated that he's 'way too petty' to ever not be Team Pacey. He was asked if he'd changed his mind over the past more than two decades since Dawson's Creek went off the air. 'No. I'm way too petty for that. I'll go to my grave Team Pacey,' he said. In January, Joshua was one of the thousands of residents of Los Angeles who lost their homes in the LA fires. 'Sadly my beautiful home did not survive the fires. But today, I feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by the people I love,' the Dawson's Creek star shared. Joshua spent his early childhood years in the Topanga Canyon home, before he and his family moved back to Canada after his parents divorced when he was eight. 'I don't think Pacey ever needed to be a stockbroker,' he said. 'I don't really think we needed to go there.' Pictured here in 1999 When asked to explain, Jackson, 46, said, 'I don't know where that came from. I don't know what the point of that was.' Seen here in 2025 'Didn't really feel like that's something that Pacey would've got up to. Off the top of my head, that's the one I don't think we needed.' Seen with his Dawson's Creek co-stars in 1999 In 2001, the star purchased the property and reflected during an interview with Mr. Porter in 2021 that it had been a place 'where everything felt simple.' He purchased the home more than two decades ago and was living there with his four-year-old daughter Juno Rose Diana, whom he shares with his ex-wife Jodie Turner-Smith. He spoke about purchasing the property where he previously lived as a young child in a sentimental, full circle moment. 'My father unfortunately was not a good father or a husband and exited the scene,' he told Mr Porter in July 2021. He continued: 'But that house in Topanga was where everything felt simple, so it was a very healing thing for me to do.' He also revealed that after he and his then-wife Turner-Smith welcomed Juno, his childhood bedroom became their daughter's room. 'There was a mural of a dragon on the wall in that room that I couldn't believe was still there, years later,' he said. 'The [previous] owner said, "I knew it meant a lot to somebody and that they were going to come back for it someday,' he added. Joshua starred as Pacey Witter in the popular WB drama for six seasons from 1998 to 2003. Seen here with his co-stars in 1997 And while talking to E! News in 2023, Jackson also opened up about living in his former childhood home - and raising a family of his own there. 'The most surprising thing is that it's a lot more homey than it looks like from the outside,' the star expressed. 'It's very, very baby-oriented and family-oriented inside the house.' The Fringe star revealed the secret to his youthful appearance at age 46. 'I think it's chasing around a 4-year-old. I think that it keeps you young,' the 46-year-old Hollywood hunk told People, referring to his daughter Juno. The longtime actor then joked, 'The gray hair might tell you a little different.' On a more serious note, he mentioned that his smooth, beardless face might be the actual reason he looks strikingly young these days. 'I think it's just that I shaved, really,' Jackson remarked, adding, 'I mean, I am happy. I'm very happy, but I think it's that I shaved. I think I look a lot younger without a full COVID beard.' Advertisement It appears that Married At First Sight's Carina Mirabile is more than ready to move on. Carina, 31, broke her groom Paul Antoine's heart on Monday when she unceremoniously dumped the wellness advisor during the couple's Final Vows ceremony. Carina cut a casual-cool figure when she stepped out with her mum Carmel in Sydney following filming her final scenes. The reality star was also spotted happily Facetiming with groom Billy Belcher, who was partnered with Sierah Swepstone during the Channel Nine experiment. Carina cut a breezy figure in an Oxford blue cotton shirt that she wore unbuttoned to her decolletage. The sleeves of her oversized shirt finished past Carina's wrists threatening to completely cover her hands. MAFS star Carina Mirabile cut a casual-cool figure when she stepped out with her mum Carmel in Sydney following filming her final scenes. Both pictured She matched this with a crisp white maxi skirt that she augmented with a black leather belt. Finishing her smart causal look, Carina wore a pair of plain white heels. The fashionista also flaunted her penchant for luxe accessories, sporting a $7,000 Balenciaga x Gucci canvas bag. Carina also tied her hair back for the occasion, leaving a long ponytail to fall down her back. Carmel, meanwhile, looked similarly smart in a plain white linen blouse that she matched with a pair of linen pants. She accessorised with a beige-coloured cross body bag. The Mirabile matriarch finished her summery look with a pair of beige heels and a pair of dark sunglasses. The mum-and-daughter duo looked happy in each other's company, strolling hand-in-hand after stopping at a cafe for a quick pick-me-up. Carina cut a breezy figure in an Oxford blue cotton shirt that she wore unbuttoned to her decolletage She matched this with a crisp white maxi skirt that she augmented with a black leather belt. Finishing her smart causal look, Carina wore a pair of plain white heels The fashionista also flaunted her penchant for luxe accessories, sporting a $7,000 Balenciaga x Gucci canvas bag However the duo did appear slightly harangued by the lare of the paparazzi with both Carina and Carmel covering their faces as they strolled. Carina also seemed chuffed when she and Carmel were joined by a third - MAFS groom Billy Belcher. The digital marketing manager was spotted Facetiming with Billy and what appeared to be one of his pals. Despite rumours of a relationship between Billy and Awhina Rutene swirling, the pair looked chuffed to be catching up. Carmel, too, got in on the fun, happily chatting to Billy as Carina held her phone aloft. The outing comes after Carina jilted groom Paul Antoine during an emotionally charged Final Vows ceremony on Monday. And the wellness advisor, 31, did not take the loss gracefully, as he was seen begging producers to intervene just moments after Carina left him. Sobbing as he ran off to break down away from the cameras, producers managed to pull him aside for a vox pop where he asked them to help get his wife back. Carmel, meanwhile, looked similarly smart in a plain white linen blouse that she matched with a pair of linen pants The mum-and-daughter duo looked happy in each other's company, strolling hand-in-hand after stopping at a cafe for a quick pick-me-up However the duo did appear slightly harangued by the glare of the paparazzi with both Carina and Carmel covering their faces as they strolled 'I'm f***ing heartbroken right now. Can't believe it's over,' he said. 'Did you have any inkling it was going to go like this today?' one of the producers asked. 'No. Literally none. I just want to go and give her the biggest hug. I feel like asking you to maybe... [get her to] try a little harder to move past it,' he replied. 'I just want to convince her. I'd like to think she's going to regret her decision. 'Part of me is still hoping she will regret the decision and she'll reach out and decide to continue. If she does, I'll be here with open arms.' Surrounded by hundreds of blooming blossoms on the grounds of a luxury estate, Carina and Paul's love story ended in the most brutal break-up the show has seen. The ceremony began like many others on MAFS, with Paul going first, reading his vows with optimism. He gushed about their early connection, reminiscing about their honeymoon in Vanuatu, the laughs they shared, and the passion they had during Intimacy Week. The reality star was also spotted happily Facetiming with groom Billy Belcher, who was partnered with Sierah Swepstone during the Channel Nine experiment Despite rumours of a relationship between Billy and Awhina Rutene swirling , the pair looked chuffed to be catching up Carmel, too, got in on the fun, happily chatting to Billy as Carina held her phone aloft Paul admitted to making mistakes but said he was committed to becoming a better man for Carina. Then it was Carina's turn. What started as a soft and loving recount of their journey quickly turned into an emotionally charged speech which left Paul reeling. 'You had me. I was yours,' she said, holding back tears. 'I gave you all of me. I showed you parts of myself I'd hidden for so long. I let you in... I let myself believe in you again.' 'But then You made me feel small. You made me feel unsafe. You made me feel like I was not enough,' she said in un-aired footage of her vows. Carina went on to recount, one by one, the incidents which broke her. There were no second takes. No staged reactions. What happened next was as raw and unscripted as reality TV gets. Paul froze. He stared at her, lips trembling, blinking rapidly as the truth of her words settled in. She cried. He cried. They hugged it out briefly, and Paul clung to her like a man on the edge of a cliff, whispering something into her ear. Carina gently pushed him away. As she turned and began walking away, clutching her vows in one hand, Paul was left standing alone in a sea of roses, his dreams shattered. Jeremy Kyle has recalled how he broke down crying into the arms of a doctor during his battle with testicular cancer in 2012. The presenter, 59, is set to make his return to ITV after six years on Tuesday night, as he appears on Kate Garraway's Life Stories. The interview recaps Jeremy's rise to fame, the challenges he faced behind the scenes and how the collapse of his show affected both his career and personal life. And the father-of-six also revealed a more vulnerable side, rarely seen on screen, as he opened up on his 'terrifying' cancer ordeal. After cancelling his first appointment with a doctor, Jeremy was later diagnosed with testicular cancer just before Christmas in 2012, undergoing surgery the following day to remove one of his testicles. Becoming visibly emotional, he recalled how he had cried in a doctor's arms at the hospital ahead of going under the knife. Jeremy Kyle has recalled how he broke down crying into the arms of a doctor during his battle with testicular cancer in 2012 The presenter, 59, is set to make his return to ITV after six years on Tuesday night, as he appears on Kate Garraway's Life Stories (pictured) And the father-of-six also revealed a more vulnerable side, rarely seen on screen, as he opened up on his 'terrifying' cancer ordeal In quotes obtained by The Sun, he said: 'I got to the hospital and I was on my own. I remember walking down this corridor and this huge bloke opened the door. 'He was an anaesthetist, he was about 11ft tall. I collapsed into his arms and started crying. I remember thinking, "Im dead".' Jeremy explained how he panicked after waking up and was comforted by a kind nurse, before having to wait to discover if his cancer had spread. He said: 'I remember waking up to this amazing nurse, who stayed with me all night and held my hand. I was terrified. I thought if she went out of the door and the light went out, that was it. I thought I was dead.' Fortunately, the doctors informed him they had narrowly removed the cancer just before it spread, with the daytime TV host admitting: 'I was very lucky.' After going through several rounds of chemotherapy, Jeremy was thankfully later given the all-clear. Elsewhere in the interview, the star revealed to Kate how he feels about the controversial cancellation of The Jeremy Kyle Show. Known for its confrontational style, the show featured guests resolving personal conflicts, often through lie detector tests and heated arguments. Elsewhere in the interview, the star revealed to Kate how he feels about the controversial cancellation of The Jeremy Kyle Show (pictured on the show) In May 2019, the programme was abruptly pulled off air following the death of Steve Dymond (seen), who took his own life a week after failing a lie detector test about his faithfulness to his partner It ran for 14 years, with over 3,300 episodes and viewing figures of up to one million per episode. However, in May 2019, the programme was abruptly pulled off air following the death of Steve Dymond, who took his own life a week after failing a lie detector test about his faithfulness to his partner. An inquest last year found it was 'speculative' to suggest the show played a role in Mr Dymond's death. The coroner noted that although Jeremy could be 'quite critical,' there was 'insufficient evidence' that his comments 'contributed to Mr Dymond's distress'. The Winchester inquest previously heard how Mr Dymond was 'booed' by the audience during the filming after the test suggested he had been lying about having not cheated on his partner. He was also slammed by Jeremy, who said: 'Grow a pair of balls and tell her the God-damn truth.' The backlash over the incident led to tighter rules within the TV industry and revised welfare measures, particularly in reality series. Since then, Jeremy has been off ITV airwaves, with his broadcast appearances mostly limited to his role hosting on Talk TV. The coroner noted that although Jeremy could be 'quite critical,' there was 'insufficient evidence' that his comments 'contributed to Mr Dymond's distress' (pictured on show with his partner Jane Callaghan) Jeremy insisted that he 'genuinely helped' people and that he was proud of the show, though admitted it would never get the green light in today's television landscape Reflecting on the show's cancellation, he told Kate: 'I understand entirely that the Kyle Show had to fall on its sword as a result of that. 'You can be the king of the castle one day and the next day not allowed in the castle grounds.' However, he insisted that he 'genuinely helped' people and that he was proud of the show, though admitted it would never get the green light in today's television landscape. Jeremy declared: 'It was a juggernaut. You'd look now and think that was a bygone era. We launched in 2005, just before the advent of social media. I think that changed everything. 'People would watch it because it would help them, they'd feel better about their own lives. Many people were invested in it. The world has changed dramatically. 'You can't say boo to a goose now, can you? But I'm immensely proud of those numbers of episodes, taking it to America, and the people that we genuinely helped.' Kate Garraway's Life Stories featuring Jeremy Kyle airs Tuesday at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player. Hollywood movie star Sullivan Stapleton - the former Aussie child actor best known for roles in Animal Kingdom and Blindspot - is being sued by his actress girlfriend for alleged assault, sexual battery, false imprisonment and stalking. A civil complaint for damages filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles claims he repeatedly assaulted former longtime lover Alexis Kelley, threatened to kill her and shot a guest at their home with a pellet gun. Kelley alleges in the complaint that Stapleton, 47, demanded sex and told her on different occasions, 'It's survival of the fittest. I could kill you, but I don't', 'If I needed to kill you ... I'd just use my hands' and 'I have to train you just like I train the dog'. Kelley, aka Kelley Stanley, is being represented in the civil suit by high profile US attorney Gloria Allred, who has represented women alleging sexual abuse against people including Donald Trump, actor Bill Cosby and musicians R. Kelly and Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Ms Allred confirmed to Daily Mail Australia she has carriage of the case which is due back at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown LA for its next hearing on June 13. In the civil suit, Kelley claims the Secret Life of Us, Underbelly Files and Strike Back star subjected her to 'threats of violence and intimidation' from the early stages of their relationship which began in 2018 and ended last year. It is not suggested that the claims made by Alexis Kelley are true, only that they have been made in the court filing. Aussie Hollywood star Sullivan Stapleton (right) is being sued by his former longtime girlfriend Alexis Kelley for alleged sexual battery, false imprisonment, gender violence and stalking Sullivan Stapleton is seen above starring as Craig Cody in the hit 2010 Australian film Animal Kingdom Alexis Kelley dated Sullivan Stapleton from 2018 until last year but is now suing him in a Californian court for alleged battery, stalking and gender violence The claims include alleged unconsented sexual contact, choking, shoving and grabbing Kelley, forcefully pinning her against hard surfaces, throwing her against the ground, and striking her. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Stapleton, via agent United Management, for comment. The claims allege incidents at a Californian hotel, a residence in a beachside suburb, a Santa Monica bar, a film premiere and remote surveillance of Kelley by Stapleton from Australia. Filed on March 4, the Complaint for Damages cites ten claims for alleged crimes including assault, battery, sexual battery, false imprisonment, gender violence, stalking and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Viceroy Hotel In mid-2022 the couple moved into the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica while looking for a place to live in Los Angeles. On June 27, 2022, Kelley claims in the damages complaint that Stapleton demanded she have sex. She claims that, when she was unwilling, he became 'enraged, grabbed her cellphone and struck her repeatedly on the arm with it while he trapped her on the bed'. Alexis Kelley alleges that while she was staying at Santa Monica's Viceroy Hotel he pinned her down in the bathroom and used physical force to cause her pain Alexis began dating Sullivan Stapleton in 2018 but has alleged that during their relationship he assaulted her and at one point monitored her from Australia via a security system at their Californian home When she fled to the bathroom, he allegedly 'pinned her by her arms, shoulders and neck against a glass shower door' and then he 'continued to use physical force and the infliction of pain until she returned, under compulsion, to the bedroom. 'She submitted herself, under compulsion, to sexual intercourse with him.' Venice, LA Kelley and Stapleton moved into a home in the beachside LA suburb of Venice where on October 29, 2002, the male half of a couple Kelley had invited over was allegedly seized by Stapleton and 'aggressively placed ... in a headlock', the complaint said. When Kelley and the other woman tried to free the male from the headlock, Stapleton threw them all 'onto the floor forcefully', according to the damages complaint. When the couple left the house, Kelley in tow apologising, Stapleton 'followed them onto the street ... aggressively to seek a physical fight' and thereafter 'his display of irrational fury and violence stayed in' her mind, according to the complaint. The pellet gun The complaint states that in early 2023, Stapleton told Kelley he had bought two heavy pellet guns from a gun shop, and then on March 4, shot a guest in the leg with one of the pellet guns. That day 'was a factor in the fear' that caused Kelley 'to be subjected to domination by the defendant, and to subsequent unwanted touching and contact', the complaint said. In mid-2023, before Stapleton left to spend three months in Australia, he installed surveillance cameras at their home which the damages claims allege he used 'to monitor, track, stalk, harass, and control' Kelley and follow her when she came and went from the house. He could also speak to her via the system. Kelley began turning off the cameras 'during daytime hours because she did not want to be spied on', but Stapleton reactivated the cameras remotely from Australia, the complaint said. Kelley only learnt of this when Stapleton called to ask her questions about what he had observed via the cameras. Kelley alleges that Stapleton told her on different occasions, it's survival of the fittest. I could kill you, but I don't' and 'if I needed to kill you ... I'd just use my hands' Sullivan Stapleton in the TV series Blindspot in which he played FBI agent Kurt Weller in the show which ran over five seasons from 2015 to 2020 Kelley is being represented in the civil suit by high profile US attorney Gloria Allred (above), who has represented women alleging sexual abuse against people including Donald Trump , actor Bill Cosby and musicians R. Kelly and Sean ' Diddy ' Combs The 'interrogations became so stressful and intimidating', the complaint says, that Kelley 'limited activities outside the house, stayed home, suffered severe anxiety ... avoided making plans with friends, decided not to attend certain events and decided not to invite friends over to the house'. Santa Monica bar In August 2023 after Stapleton returned to the US, he and Kelley met friends at a bar-restaurant in Santa Monica where he allegedly grabbed her in full view of patrons and 'aggressively put his hands around her neck in a choking move', the complaint said. On September 23, 2023, Stapleton told her to vacate their home and as she did so allegedly hurled items at her and 'shoved her several times while laughing at her helplessness'. The court complaint alleges that 'he then pushed her onto the bed, grabbed her arms roughly and prevented her from moving or leaving' saying to her 'are you scared' and blocking the doorway to prevent her from leaving. Movie premiere The couple remained living together. But on November 2, when they drove to a movie premiere, Stapleton allegedly became enraged when Kelley did not know the location of the entrance to the car park. The complaint alleges Stapleton continued to be angry and forcefully grabbed and pinched her, and then after the premiere when she wanted to leave in a taxi, 'menacingly told her to get into the car'. The complaint for damages alleges that Sullivan Stapleton (above in 2020 film A Sunburnt Christmas) drove 'at excessive speed, running stop signs, and otherwise driving erratically ... terrifying' Kelley Sullivan Stapleton and Alexis Kelley were a couple for six years before she filed a civil suit for damages alleging unconsented sexual contact, choking, shoving and stalking He then allegedly 'drove them home, and intentionally began driving at excessive speed, running stop signs, and otherwise driving erratically ... terrifying (Kelley)' who pleaded with him 'to stop the car so she could get out'. 'Good luck with the scar' On December 5, 2023, when they dined out at a LA restaurant, and Stapleton berated and swore at her, then abruptly left, she called a female friend, K, who accompanied her back home that evening, according to the complain. When K entered the residence, Stapleton called out 'who the f*** is in my house?' and on learning it was K, allegedly 'went into a rage ... and physically attacked' Kelley. The damages complaint alleges that he inflicted 'a cut on her shoulder, facial bruising, swelling and a deep laceration on her cheek', and said, 'your face is bleeding. Good luck with that scar.' Kelley was treated that evening for the alleged injuries, and prescribed anti-anxiety medication. The complaint says Kelley 'has suffered and will continue to suffer personal injury, pain and suffering, anguish and severe emotional distress' and seeks general and compensatory damages in an amount in excess of the jurisdictional minimum of the court. Kelley is seeking an unspecified amount 'according to proof at trial'. The court document describes Stapleton's alleged conduct as 'outrageous' and says it was 'performed with malice, oppression, conscious disregard ... with the intent, design and purpose of injuring her'. The case continues. The rapper Young Scooter's tragic death in Atlanta, Georgia, is starting to come into focus following the release of the 911 call that led to a charged confrontation with police. The performer allegedly fled from police officers and sustained a gruesome leg injury in the process, before dying at a local hospital later that night. Young Scooter had turned 39 on the same day he later died. On Monday, the Atlanta Police Department released audio of a woman's 911 call in which she claimed to have seen a nude woman engaged in a fight related to drugs who was dragged from a house. The woman who is heard on the 911 call alleged that the woman was bleeding severely from a head wound sustained in the fight, and she urged police to arrive as quickly as possible. The call which police say was a complete fabrication appears to be an instance of 'swatting,' in which someone falsely reports a crime to police in hopes of getting them to respond in ways that are embarrassing at best to the victims and potentially deadly at worst. It's unclear if a swat team or regular police officers responded to the call, but Young Scooter (real name: Kenneth Bailey) appears to have died while fleeing from police who responded to the scene as a result of the 911 call. The Atlanta Police Department released a 911 call Monday that suggests the rapper Young Scooter may have been targeted by a 'swatting' hoax that led to his death; seen in 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia Audio of the call obtained by TMZ features a woman who claims to be part of the 'neighborhood watch' telling the 911 dispatcher that one house has men coming in and out for alleged drug deals. She also claimed they were armed and were brandishing their 'guns in the air.' According to the woman on the call, a naked woman was dragged from the house by a man who then fought her outdoors, before the naked woman allegedly brought back other men who shot at the house. The woman calling police claimed that the naked woman was 'bleeding profusely from her head' and needed help. The story didn't make much sense, as the caller later claimed that the injured woman was being 'held hostage' by the men in the house after she was beaten up, despite previously claiming that she had left to bring other men to shoot at the house. The caller also alleged that there was a 'child in danger,' as the injured woman had a 'baby' in the house, though she didn't mention what made her think that. She also speculated that the men in the house might have been running some kind of sex trafficking operation. At the end of the call, the woman repeated urged police to arrive as soon as possible over concerns that the woman and her child would be hurt. A woman on the 911 call claims a naked woman escaped from a house after being assaulted by men living there. She allegedly brought over other men who opened fire on the house; pictured in 2014 in Atlanta The woman, who allegedly had a baby in the house, was said to be 'bleeding profusely,' but police found no evidence of anything from the call when they arrived; pictured in October 2024 in Atlanta But none of what the caller warned about appears to have been true, as police say there were no signs of the alleged confrontation with the woman, her child, or recent gunfire directed toward the house. The APD did say that someone who answered the front door slammed it shut in their face, and Young Scooter appears to have fled the home from the back while police were still at the front. According to police, he reportedly injured himself while trying to jump a fence, severing his femoral artery in the process. The large artery supplies blood to the legs and thighs, and injury to it can lead to dangerous blood loss. Authorities have emphasized that no shots were fired by officers during the incident. The rapper, known for his collaborations with Future and Gucci Mane, was rushed to Grady Marcus Trauma Center in Atlanta, where he was pronounced dead on Friday. Late Friday night, Atlanta Police Lt. Andrew Smith held a press conference to provide further details about the tragic incident. Late Friday night, Atlanta Police Lt. Andrew Smith held a news conference to provide details regarding Scooter's death. Smith stated that officers responded to a call about a dispute with a weapon at a residence, and after a man closed the door on them, they established a perimeter. Two men then fled the rear of the house; one returned, while the other jumped two fences. Young Scooter allegedly fled when police arrived and severed his femoral artery while climbing a fence. He died at Grady Marcus Trauma Center in Atlanta later that night; seen with Future (L) in 2018 According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Scooter was the man who jumped the fences. Smith said, 'When officers located him on the other side of the fence, he appeared to have suffered an injury to his leg.' Smith denied rumors that Scooter had been fatally shot by Atlanta PD officers. 'Just to be very clear, the injury that was sustained was not via the officers on scene. It was when the male was fleeing.' Young Scooter's career gained momentum in 2012 when he signed with Future's Freebandz label. The following year, he released the Free Bricks 2 mixtape with Gucci Mane, and a separate mixtape featuring guest appearances from Gucci, Future, WG, and Lil Boosie. Hours before the news broke, Scooter's Instagram account was actively reposting birthday wishes from friends and fans to his Stories. Playboi Carti honored the late rapper on Instagram, writing, 'I GREW UP ON DIS SH*T SMH RIP.' Migos rapper Quavo shared two heartbroken emojis writing 'ion understand.' The Medical Examiner's Office stated that Young Scooter's cause and manner of death are under investigation, and an autopsy will be conducted; seen in 2017 with T.I. The hospitalization may have been prompted by a leg wound sustained during a police chase, according to Billboard. Atlanta Police Lt. Andrew Smith denied rumors that Scooter had been fatally shot by Atlanta PD officers; he is seen in 2020 Playboi Carti honored the late rapper on Instagram Migos rapper Quavo also shared a post in honor of Scooter DJ Akademiks also used X to share the news, posting a 'rest in peace' tribute Hours before the news broke, Scooter's Instagram account was actively reposting birthday wishes from friends and fans to his Stories Young Scooter's career gained momentum in 2012 when he signed with Future's Freebandz label The following year, he released the Free Bricks 2 mixtape with Gucci Mane, and a separate mixtape featuring guest appearances from Gucci, Future, WG, and Lil Boosie Lloyd Banks wrote 'Rest in Peace Young Scooter' on X. DJ Akademiks also used X to share the news, posting a 'rest in peace' tribute. In 2018, Scooter contributed to 'Jet Lag' with Future and Juice Wrld, a song that charted in the Billboard Top 100. Scooter was born in Walterboro, South Carolina, on March 28, 1986. When he was nine, his family relocated to Atlanta, where he befriended rapper Future. Like Gucci Mane, Scooter was known for his freestyle rapping style, delivering lyrics without writing them down. Married At First Sight's Ryan Donnelly has applied for an apprehended violence order against his on-screen wife Jacqui Burfoot. Ryan applied for the AVO at Campbelltown Courthouse and it is due for a mention on April 23. It comes just days after Jacqui was granted an interim restraining order in a Tasmanian court against Ryan. The order prevents Ryan from commenting on social media about Jacqui, after the pair exchanged barbs on Instagram and in the press for months. While the battles between exes are par for the course on MAFS, Jacqui argued to Launceston magistrate Sharon Cure that Ryan's conduct had escalated. In addition to citing Ryan's social media posts, she read aloud an interview Daily Mail Australia had conducted with Ryan last month. Married At First Sight's Ryan Donnelly has applied for an apprehended violence order against his on-screen wife Jacqui Burfoot She described the article to the magistrate as Ryan 'accus[ing] me of accusing him of a lack of consent'. Ms Cure, who acknowledged she did not watch MAFS or reality TV in general, was satisfied Jacqui had been harmed by Ryan's public posts - but also warned her that misleading a court was a very serious matter. Jacqui had told the magistrate she wanted an order to prevent Ryan, who lives in NSW, from publishing material about her. But she was advised that if he were ordered 'not to say or do anything', the final episodes of MAFS would not be allowed to air. 'I'm happy for the show to go ahead,' Jacqui responded, per the Canberra Times. Instead Ms Cure granted an interim order that Ryan not directly or indirectly threaten, harass, abuse or publish denigrating material on social media. Jacqui, who was accompanied by her boyfriend and MAFS co-star Clint Rice at court, was advised against using social media herself, but was not the subject of an order. The Final Vows segment with Jacqui and Ryan on Monday night featured some of the most bizarre scenes the Nine series has ever seen, with Jacqui accusing Ryan of organising 'a gang attack' on her. She then tore the groom down with several pages of lengthy vows before leaving him cussing her out at the altar while she promised to return with a new man. 'There has been a lack of romance, a lack of effort from you, poor communication, no compromise, and dominance,' Jacqui said in her speech. Ryan applied for the AVO at Campbelltown Courthouse and it is due for mention on April 23 'You crossed a majority of my boundaries and your conduct fell well below the standard I'm willing to accept. 'If this experiment taught me anything, it's that you shouldn't try and fix your husband. He needs to do the work on his own. I'm not a rehabilitation centre.' At this point, Ryan burst out laughing: 'That's ridiculous, but go on,' he said. Jacqui, sporting a smirk as she watched her now ex-husband talk down on her vows, said: 'Don't call my final vows ridiculous, not nice.' She continued with, 'I don't want to be spoken over when I try to speak,' to which of course Ryan responded by immediately speaking over her with snide comments. 'You've allowed your friends to scold me - yelling at and scolding adults is disgusting. You planned a gang attack on me.' Ryan laughed at this comment, saying: 'Good lord, a gang attack.' Jacqui finished her vows: 'As a man, you're not perfect. It's not the 1920s any more. I don't want to be the wife to a man. I want to be a wife to a husband. The Final Vows with Jacqui and Ryan on Monday featured some of the most bizarre scenes the Nine series has ever seen, with Jacqui accusing Ryan of organising 'a gang attack' on her 'So, today, I choose peace and walk away from this relationship. Ryan, in a world of red flags, you are the red carpet.' As Jacqui left Ryan at the altar, he called out to her: 'Thanks for all the criticism. You really haven't grown. Not one bit. Be gone with you, you horrible woman.' But as producers pulled Ryan aside to listen to him trash talk his former TV wife, Jacqui was telling producers she had a feeling a new partner would come her way. In a shocking 'couple swap' moment, Jacqui recently shacked up with co-star Clint Rice, who was originally paired up with Lauren Hall. Cindy Crawford has revealed that her model daughter Kaia Gerber grew up 'raiding her closet' as the pair spoke as part of a new joint fashion project on Monday. The fashion icon, 59, and the model, 23, have returned for a second series of the ZaraStreaming service where they picked their 'perfect edit' wardrobe. As they showed off a series of chic looks they chatted about being influenced by each other's style but admitted they have different approached when it comes to fashion. Nepo baby Kaia said as they tried on the Zara clothes: 'I think I've been so influenced by her be that consciously or subconsciously but we are also different in a lot of ways. 'But we have a lot of the same classic pieces but how we put things together differs.' Cindy then chipped in saying: 'I grew up in Illinois and my mum didn't care about fashion and then Kaia grew up with her and her friends raiding my closet!' Cindy Crawford has revealed that her model daughter Kaia Gerber grew up 'raiding her closet' as the pair spoke as part of a new joint fashion project on Monday The fashion icon, 59, and the model, 23, have returned for a second series of the ZaraStreaming service where they picked their 'perfect edit' wardrobe Kaia responded saying: 'Now I mainly steal stuff from her I don't think I have anything she wants!' As she showed off one look - a tight black bodysuit and gorgeous flowing trousers Kaia said: 'Catwalking in front of you is like playing guitar in front of Jimmy Hendrix!' The Zara edit featured a curated selection of pieces essential to their own personal style or, as they called it, their 'dream closet'. Re-styling photographs from the previous day's photo shoot while sharing stories about their lives and careers, it offered an insight into the lives and wardrobes of the two fashion icons. They modelled all manner of pieces from a tuxedo jacket to seventies-spirited sunglasses. It comes after this past weekend Kaia was seen with a handsome mystery man in Los Angeles on Sunday. The Vogue model had her arm around a dark-haired fellow who was smiling from ear to ear. The boyish-looking pal resembled her ex-boyfriend Jacob Elordi of Euphoria and Kissing Booth fame. Kaia and Jacob were together from 2020 until 2021. As they showed off a series of chic looks they chatted about being influenced by each other's style but admitted they have different approached when it comes to fashion Nepo baby Kaia said as they tried on the Zara clothes: 'I think I've been so influenced by her be that consciously or subconsciously but we are also different in a lot of ways' Cindy then chipped in saying: 'I grew up in Illinois and my mum didn't care about fashion and then Kaia grew up with her and her friends raiding my closet!' Kaia then responded saying: 'I mainly steal stuff from her I don't think I have anything she wants!' The Zara edit featured a curated selection of pieces essential to their own personal style or, as they called it, their 'dream closet' Kaia has been in the company of several men since splitting from Elvis actor Austin Butler late last year. Last month she was spotted leaving the Vanity Fair Oscars Party with Charlie Walker. The Chanel model was also seen with comedian Alex Edelman, 35; he was by her side after a performance in Evanston Salt Costs Climbing. The star is thought to be in a romance with Bill Pullman's dashing 32-year-old son Lewis Pullman. The Saturday Night actress has been seen in the company of the Outer Range star Lewis many times and they have been affectionate. However, Gerber and Pullman have made a determined effort to keep their romance 'under wraps.' She started dating Lewis in December after she split from movie star Austin Butler. A source told Us Weekly: 'Kaia and Lewis have actually been together for a while now. 'They started dating in early December. 'They kept it under wraps until the news of her and Austin's split came out. Kaia and Austin have been broken up since October.' Kaia and Lewis enjoyed a series of dates around Los Angeles in December, but the brunette beauty has tried to keep a low profile in recent weeks. The insider explained: 'In early December, Kaia and Lewis started seriously hanging out and were seen all around Los Angeles, but mostly on the east side. 'Kaia would make sure to be in a hat to try and be unnoticed, but they would be at their favorite restaurants, bars and clubs, holding hands and showing PDA,' it was added. 'They were just frequenting crowds that didn't really know them.' Kaia followed her supermodel icon mother Cindy into the fashion world and has carved out her own impressive career Kaia and Lewis' relationship has been 'very natural and relaxed' so far, the source also shared. The runway star - who has previously dated comedian Pete Davidson - likes that their romance is more low-key than her previous relationships. The source added: 'They run in the same circle and have similar friend groups, and that's how they were introduced. Kaia likes that this relationship feels low-pressure and that Lewis is a very low-key guy.' ZaraStreaming: Perfect Edit is live now. We shall find out soon enough if the enormously-hyped return of Oasis actually lives up to its billing - and if those expensive tickets deliver anything more than just a blast of nostalgia. Doctor Who star Millie Gibson let her hair down with her co-stars on Monday as she headed to the swanky premiere after party at Kettner's in London. The actress, 20, who has reprised her role as companion Ruby Sunday for the upcoming second series, stunned in a black strapless dress as she departed the celebrations. Earlier in the evening, Millie posed for snaps alongside The Doctor himself Ncuti Gatwa, and new companion Varada Sethu, who plays Belinda Chandra. And as she headed to the afterparty, Millie was joined by one of the series' guest stars Rose Ayling-Ellis, who put on a leggy display in a black mini dress and tights. Many of this year's guest stars were also in attendance, including Charlie Condou, Ariyon Bakare and Michelle Greenidge. The second season is said to feature more dangers to planet Earth, with the trailer suggesting that the whole of reality is also at risk, as The Doctor begins a lengthy quest to get Belinda back home to Earth. Doctor Who star Millie Gibson let her hair down with her co-stars on Monday as she headed to the swanky premiere after party at Kettner's in London And as she headed to the afterparty, Millie was joined by one of the series' guest stars Rose Ayling-Ellis , who put on a leggy display in a black mini dress and tights Rose has joined a slew of big names who are set to guest star in Doctor Who's new series The star-studded premiere comes amid rumours that the show, which has been an on-and-off staple of British TV since 1963, could soon be shelved. Rumours circulated claiming that Ncuti, who rose to fame in Netflix's Sex Education, was planning a move stateside to focus on other acting projects. A source told The Sun: 'Ncuti doesn't want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles with several Hollywood projects standing by for him. 'His team also see a lot of fan backlash from the series, and don't want the perception of him still being The Doctor to get in the way of any future work.' They continued: 'The show has been poorly managed in recent years. 'There's a lot of people who've been working on this show for years and now being cast aside due to poor leadership. 'People warned some episodes were getting too caught up on an agenda rather than telling a story and those people got shouted down, ignored.' This prompted the BBC to issue a statement denying the possibility that Doctor Who could once again be shelved, as it was between 1989 and 2005. The actress opted for a stylish black mini dress as she joined the cast for the party after attending the premiere earlier in the evening Charlie Condou, who isalso set to guest star on the new series, cut a casual figure as he arrived for the party Showrunner Russell T Davies was in high spirits as he made his way into the premiere party The writer, who was also the mastermind behind the show's revival back in 2005, was joined by Michelle Greenidge, who plays Ruby's adopted mother Mandy Steven Moffat, who was previously Doctor Who showrunner from 2010 to 2017, was also in attendance for the party Juno Dawson, who penned an episode for Who's new series, was also spotted heading into the star-studded bash A spokeswoman for Doctor said: 'Doctor Who has not been shelved. 'As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs. 'The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes and exactly half of those still have to transmit.' Disney+ bought the show's international distribution rights from the BBC in 2022 for a reported 80 million. The deal is said to have massively increased Doctor Who's budget at a time when many popular British shows such as Coronation Street are struggling financially. He's one of the biggest stars to come out of Ireland after his time as James Bond sent him into dizzying heights of fame. After achieving worldwide success as the secret agent in four films for the franchise, Pierce Brosnan went on to star as the lead in Dante's Peak before securing other roles in The Ghost Writer and Mamma Mia! as well as the latter's sequel and more recently Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga. The actor, 71, is currently on the press tour for the Guy Ritchie's upcoming organised crime drama MobLand. However away from the flashing cameras, dramatic sets and glitzy red carpet events, Pierce has endured a tragic personal life. The star lost his first wife Cassandra Harris to ovarian cancer in 1991 when she was just 43 years-old - just a day after their 11th wedding anniversary. Tying the knot in 1980, the Australian-born actress, known as Cassie to friends and family, already had a daughter named Charlotte and a son called Christopher when she met Pierce. Behind the scenes of his successful career, Pierce Brosnan's life has been full of tragedy after he lost both first wife Cassandra (pictured in 1985) and daughter to ovarian cancer Yet tragedy struck again in 2013 after his eldest daughter Charlotte died from ovarian cancer, the same disease which claimed her mother's life 21 years earlier (pictured 2006) After their biological father Dermot Harris died in 1986, Pierce officially adopted the children. In 1983, the couple also welcomed their son, Sean William Brosnan. Speaking about how her memory lives on a year after her death he told People: 'She has made me the man I am, the actor I am, the father I am. 'She's forever embedded in every fibre of my being. She's there with me every day. I was so blessed to have met someone like that.' He also spoke of the 'incredible cruelty' of losing someone so close to him and with whom he shared so much. 'This is the first time in my life I've ever experienced bereavement, and it's overwhelming,' he said. As he spoke about Cassandra's 18 month-long battle with the aggressive cancer in raw detail, he revealed how their youngest son Sean would 'play doctor' and would nurse his mother after chemotherapy sessions when she was feeling nauseous and fatigued. He also recalled the heartbreaking moment his wife of 14 years died in his arms while Charlotte, who was studying at RADA in London at the time, was on the phone and Christopher joined him in the room. Tying the knot in 1980, the Australian-born actress already had daughter Charlotte and son Christopher when she met Pierce. They went on to welcome son Sean (pictured 1985) Pierce said of her passing: 'She's forever embedded in every fibre of my being. She's there with me every day. I was so blessed to have met someone like that' 'We were all together. And that's how she went to God,' he said. After Cassie's passing, Pierce later found love again with American journalist, author, actress and model, Keely Shaye Smith. Over the year's fans have been particularly touched by how Keely, who shares sons Paris and Dylan with the actor, has supported her husband as he continued to grieve over his first wife. Speaking to the Irish Times in 2013, Pierce said: 'Keely has always been kind and compassionate and encouraged me to mourn Cassie. I suppose Keely is my North Star, always looking out for me.' Yet tragedy struck again in 2013 after his eldest daughter Charlotte died from ovarian cancer, the same disease which claimed her mother's life 21 years earlier. She was just 42 years old. Announcing her death in a statement, he said: 'On June 28 my darling daughter Charlotte Emily passed on to eternal life, having succumbed to ovarian cancer. 'She was surrounded by her husband Alex, children Isabella and Lucas and brothers Christopher and Sean. 'Charlotte fought her cancer with grace and humanity, courage and dignity. Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our beautiful dear girl. 'We pray for her and that the cure for this wretched disease will be close at hand soon. We thank everyone for their heartfelt condolences.' The Irish actor reportedly flew back from Eastern Europe, where he had been filming spy thriller November Man, to the UK to be at his daughter's bedside. In 2014, Pierce opened up on Stand Up For Cancer's LA telethon about the profound loss Cassandra and Charlotte had left after they lost their battles. The Irish born star said on The Dolby Theatre stage: 'To watch someone you love have his or her life eaten away bit by bit by this insidious disease, that kind of sorrow becomes an indelible part of your psyche. 'I held the generous, strong, beautiful hand of my first wife Cassie as ovarian cancer took her life much too soon. 'And just last year, I held the hand of my funny, wonderful daughter Charlotte before she too died from this wretched, inherited disease.' After Cassie's passing, Pierce later found love again with American journalist, author, actress and model, Keely Shaye Smith (pictured in 1996) His second wife Keely has also supported him through the loss of his daughter, after he told the Irish Mirror: 'Love is just the most beautiful, joyous feeling. It can come from many places' Later speaking to Esquire Magazine in 2017 he discussed how his life has forever been effected after losing the women dear to him. He explained: 'I dont look at the cup as half full, believe me. The dark, melancholy Irish black dog sits beside me from time to time.' Pierce also spoke out about how he found strength in his faith to help him 'survive the pain' following Charlotte's death. He explained to German newspaper Bild at the time: 'That's all you have left when your heart is just a dark hole at four in the morning and you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. 'No one can escape life's pain. That's life.' His second wife Keely has also supported him through the loss of his daughter, after he told the Irish Mirror: 'Love is just the most beautiful, joyous feeling. It can come from many places. 'Hopefully the one who is beside you, the one who is there on the pillow beside you in the morning my wife.' He added: 'We seem to do well at being together and being in love and, more importantly, liking each other. The like factor is a great thing. Love cannot burn constantly. 'It's very hard for it to be so intense. But it's wonderful. I tell her I love her everyday. It's important to say that.' In a statement announcing Charlotte's death he said: 'We pray for her and that the cure for this wretched disease will be close at hand soon' On the profound loss of Cassandra and Charlotte he said: 'To watch someone you love have his or her life eaten away bit by bit by this insidious disease, that kind of sorrow becomes an indelible part of your psyche' (pictured in 1980) As well as suffering multiple losses, Pierce also grew up without a father figure after his dad Tom abandoned the family shortly after he was born. He recalled that he only met Tom once as he filmed Remington Steele in Ireland in 1984. Speaking to Esquire, he added: 'My fatherly instincts are purely my own. They relate back to no one, because there was no one.' 'I only met Tom the once, I had a Sunday afternoon with him. A story about this and that, had a few pints of Guinness, and we said goodbye. I would have loved to have known him. He was a good whistler and he had a good walkThats as much as I know about him.' Minnie Driver and James Nesbitt put on a cosy display as they were spotted filming as husband and wife for a new Harlan Coben thriller on Netflix. Run Away is set to be author Coben's 12th adaptation for Netflix, with series produced in English, Polish, Spanish and French all available on the streamer. His latest eight-episode series, based on the bestselling book, follows Simon Greene (played by Nesbitt) as he searches for his daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange). And on Monday, Nesbitt was seen filming with his co-star Driver - who plays his character's wife Ingrid - as the pair strolled through a park in Liverpool. The duo sported similarly muted attire consisting of dark denim as they filmed the scenes for the highly-anticipated thriller. Nesbitt and Driver were also seen sported casual ensembles consisting of tracksuit bottoms and a long padded jacket as they read over lines together in what appeared to be a rehearsal. Minnie Driver and James Nesbitt put on a cosy display as they were spotted filming in Liverpool on Monday as husband and wife for a new Harlan Coben thriller on Netflix Run Away is set to be author Coben's 12th adaptation for Netflix, with series produced in English, Polish, Spanish and French already available on the streamer With more than 80 million books sold and everything that comes off his smoking-hot keyboard optioned for TV by Netflix, Coben is taking the world by storm. And with Gavin and Stacey writer and star Ruth Jones also joining the cast, the new twist-filled crime thriller is set to be another huge hit. Also starring in the show alongside Minnie, James and Ruth are Alfred Enoch, Ellie de Lange and Lucian Msamati. Coben said he knew Nesbitt would be right for the role, telling Netflix's Tudum: 'Jimmy just has so much range. 'He's so natural and authentic at all times. He's an empathetic actor in the sense that he feels, and then you feel for him.' Ruth will star as private investigator Elena Ravenscroft who is looking for a missing young man. Coben said: 'Run Away is about family - about what we will do to keep our family intact, what secrets we keep within our family, and what secrets we keep as a family.' He added: 'Every time you walk past the house, there's a whole universe that goes on behind that door and none of us have a clue what it is.' His latest eight-episode series, based on the bestselling book, follows Simon Greene (played by Nesbitt) as he searches for his daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) Nesbitt and Driver were seen sported casual ensembles consisting of tracksuit bottoms and a long padded jacket as they read over lines together in what appeared to be a rehearsal Nesbitt was seen filming with his co-star Driver - who plays his character's wife Ingrid in the Netflix thriller The duo sported similarly muted attire consisting of dark denim as they filmed the scenes for the highly-anticipated thriller With more than 80 million books sold and everything that comes off his smoking-hot keyboard optioned for TV by Netflix , Coben is taking the world by storm Coben said: 'Run Away is about family - about what we will do to keep our family intact, what secrets we keep within our family, and what secrets we keep as a family' Also starring in the show alongside Minnie, James and Ruth are Alfred Enoch, Ellie de Lange and Lucian Msamati It comes after it was revealed Driver was scheduled to be shooting another movie - but it halted production due to unpaid wages for the crew. Simon Pegg's new film Angels in the Asylum was reportedly forced to stop amid claims production had run out of money. The 5million project has allegedly been stopped for weeks amid a payment dispute, with crew reportedly owed 600,000 in unpaid wages. Minnie was set to star in the upcoming drama alongside an all-star cast, with the film being the directorial debut of British director Rob Sorrenti. The film, which is produced by Stephen Daldry, is also set to star Simon, who is also said to have been owed money. Filming is thought to have been halted just 15 days into a month-long shoot amid the money issues. A source told The Sun: 'They were told they would be paid. But this has gone on for weeks now and there is no pay. 'It's chaos. Patience is wearing thin now, but really for most of the crew it wore out weeks ago.' Coben said he knew Nesbitt would be right for the role, telling Netflix's Tudum : 'Jimmy just has so much range' It comes after it was revealed Driver was scheduled to be shooting another movie - but it halted production due to unpaid wages for the crew Minnie was set to star in the upcoming drama alongside an all-star cast, with the film being the directorial debut of British director Rob Sorrenti A spokeswoman said Minnie is still committed to appearing in the film - despite production being halted. Keal Productions are behind the project, while UK-based Parkland Productions are thought to be the the distribution company for the film. MailOnline contacted representatives of Keal Productions and Parkland Pictures for comment. The film is inspired by a BBC report on 50 women who were deemed to be typhoid carriers who were kept locked away in isolation at a psychiatric hospital in Surrey in the 1930s. Angels in the Asylum's stellar cast also includes Katherine Waterston, Rose Williams and Miriam Margolyes. A statement released to The Sun by the Managing Director of Keal Productions suggests that producers have desperately been attempting to raise the cash needed to pay the crew and get the film back on track. It is said that up to 70 crew members have been affected by payment issues. Cyndi Lauper is proving she just wants to have fun in Melbourne. The musical icon, 71, who is in Australia for her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour, posted a picture on Instagram after stumbling upon a mural of herself in her younger years. In the post, Cyndi could be seen posing next to the graffiti picture of herself rocking bright red hair, her signature brightly coloured makeup and iconic 80s apparel. Cyndi looked chic during the Melbourne outing, donning a trendy maroon blazer, contrast wash jeans, silver sneakers and a newsboy cap. 'Hey! I know her!' Cyndi captioned the picture, before thanking the graffiti artist who painted the mural. 'Thank you @lingerid,' she wrote, adding: 'What a great way to kick off my arrival in #Melbourne.' Cyndi Lauper has posted a picture on Instagram after stumbling upon a mural of herself in her younger years in Melbourne The Time After Time hitmaker is set to play at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday before playing a slew of shows in Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. Ahead of her trip Down Under, the American pop superstar appeared on The Project in March and reflected on her biggest hit, Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Cyndi said that the track, originally written and performed by Robert Hazard, was given to her to make it a 'female anthem' and she was up to the task thanks to her feminist roots. Lauper, who was looking decades younger than her years as she appeared on the show, famously changed the lyrics from their original meaning, flipping the script to put girls on top. 'They kept telling me make it a female anthem, and, you know, I was thinking, "Okay. I can do that. That would be good,"' she said. 'But I guess they didn't realise who they were talking to because I burnt my training bra at the first woman's demonstration. You know, in '69, I was there. 'With my friend, she burnt the rollers, I burnt the bra. And so when people would say to me, "What are you some kind of bra burner?" You know, I still laugh and say, "Well, actually, yeah, my training bra at the time absolutely'. 'The song came together, and, you know, the rest is history I guess.' Ahead of her trip Down Under, the American pop superstar appeared on The Project in March and reflected on her biggest hit, Girls Just Want to Have Fun The Time After Time hitmaker is set to play at the Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday before playing a slew of shows in Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth Cyndi's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour began in Montreal, Canada, on October 18, 2024. During her Australian leg of shows, Aussie sisters The Veronicas will be joining her tour as an opening act. The pop star expressed a desire to host a farewell tour while she was still in good shape, allowing her to properly thank her fans for their support. Lauper - who gets 25.7M monthly listeners on Spotify - has sold over 50M records worldwide during her four-decade career with Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits like Time After Time, She Bop, and True Colors. The superstar has released eleven studio albums. Advertisement Katie Holmes looked stunning as she joined Kieran Culkin at the opening night of Glengarry Glen Ross at Palace Theatre on Broadway on Monday. The actress, 46, looked incredible as she went bra-free in a very sheer black, fitted gown that featured a high neck and cut-out panels at the sides by AFLALO. She teamed the fine knit number with a pair of black heels, accessorized with a Metiers Parallel 22 in Glossy Calfskin Classic Red clutch purse and styled her hair into a chic updo. Kieran, 42, opted for a more relaxed look and teamed a striped cardigan with a plain black T-shirt. He topped his look off by adding a pair of smart trousers and bright blue, leather trainers. Kieran stars in Glengarry Glen Ross as salesman Ricky Roma in the dark-comedy, alongside Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr. Katie Holmes looked stunning as she was bra-free in a sheer dress at the opening night of Glengarry Glen Ross on Broadway in NYC on Monday The actress, 46, looked incredible in a black, fitted gown that featured a highneck and cut-out panels at the sides The play, which made its first Broadway debut in 1984, follows foul-mouthed real-estate salesmen flogging duff plots of land in Florida. It comes following Kieran's recent Oscar's win where he won best supporting actor for the comedy-drama A Real Pain, written and directed by his co-star Jesse Eisenberg. His bleeped remarks during his speech have bow been revealed, after his X-rated remarks were censored during the broadcast. One of the nominees he beat out was his old Succession co-star Jeremy Strong, who was up for his role as Roy Cohn in the Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice. At the beginning of his speech, Kieran paid a sweet tribute to Strong - only for part of his remarks to be muted because of profanity. Now, however, a video has surfaced on social media that shows the full comment Kieran made on Strong's acclaimed performance, via Deadline. Robert Downey Jr., who presented the award, had praised Jeremy's turn as Roy, and Kieran agreed, saying: 'He's right, by the way, Jeremy, you're amazing in The Apprentice. I love your work. It's f***ing great.' Kieran then realized he had made a mistake by swearing on camera, and quickly covered his mouth in an apologetic gesture. Attending the event she joined Kieran Culkin Kieran stars in Glengarry Glen Ross as salesman Ricky Roma in the dark-comedy, alongside Bill Burr (L) and Bob Odenkirk (R) John Pirruccello was also in attendance at the opening night The play, which made its first Broadway debut in 1984, follows foul-mouthed real-estate salesmen flogging duff plots of land in Florida 'I'm not supposed to single anyone out. It's favoritism. Anyway, but you were great,' he added to Strong, who had played his character's brother on Succession. During his Oscars speech, Kieran also reminded his wife of the wholesome promise she made to him years ago if he ever won the coveted Oscar trophy. While accepting the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in A Real Pain, he admitted that his wife, Jazz Charton, agreed to give him a fourth child if he ever won an Academy Award. 'About a year ago, I was on a stage like this and I very stupidly, publicly said that I want a third kid from her because she said if I won the award she would give me the kid,' he said. 'Turns out she said that because she didn't think I was gonna win. 'She goes, "Oh god, I did say that. I guess I owe you a third kid." And I turned to her and I said, "Really, I want four,"' Kieran recounted to the audience. It comes following Kieran's recent Oscar's win where he won best supporting actor for the comedy-drama A Real Pain, written and directed by his co-star Jesse Eisenberg At that moment, he recalled Jazz saying: 'I will give you four when you win an Oscar.' Kieran then took the opportunity to remind Jazz of her promise, pointing out that he has 'not brought it up once until just now.' 'But I just have this to say to you Jazz, love of my life, ye of little faith,' he joked. 'No pressure, I love you, I'm really sorry I did this again and let's get cracking on those kids. What do you say?' The camera cut to Jazz in the crowd, as she was seen laughing at her husband's candid acceptance speech and seemingly agreed to follow through on her promise. Advertisement Kourtney Kardashian could ban her son Reign from social media after he joined his stepsister Alabama Barkers boyfriend on an Instagram live and addressed wild, longstanding rumors that his real father is Justin Bieber. Following years of speculation over his true paternity, the 10-year-old, whose father is Scott Disick, shut down the claims in a live stream with Scooter Jackson this week. The move infuriated a 'livid' Kourtney, 45, who is wary of her childrens presence on social media and fears what they could make public about the famous reality TV family. Kourtney doesn't like when Reign is online and would rather him not talk about anything that happens with the family or answer random rumors, an insider told DailyMail.com. If he continues to do it, it is only a matter of time before he says something damaging. Kourtney wants to act on this now before it is too late. She has talked to him about her concerns. She knows he doesnt realize the impact he has and people will be watching his every move. He could get in trouble.' They finished: Kourtney will ban him from social media if he continues to act up. Kourtney Kardashian's son Reign addressed the longstanding conspiracy theory that his real father is Justin Bieber during a live stream with Scooter Jackson The 10-year-old, whose father is Scott Disick (pictured), declared: 'No, he's not. Bro, I swear, Justin Bieber is not my dad. Scotty...Scotty...Scotty is my dad' Reign shocked fans when he responded to a viewer who had asked if Justin, 31, was his dad. 'No, he's not. Bro, I swear, Justin Bieber is not my dad. Scotty...Scotty...Scotty is my dad,' he declared. 'I don't know how old my mom was, but I think Justin Bieber was 16 when I got born. I don't think my mom would do that.' Kourtney also has son Mason, 15, and daughter Penelope, 12, with Scott, who was said to be upset at Reign referring to him as Scotty on the live stream. Another insider added: Kourtney has never talked to Reign about the rumors and she would imagine this was the first time he had ever heard them. 'Kourtney was livid. She told him that there are so many silly rumors about the family and that he is not to believe anything. She tries to keep her kids away from this stuff but as they get older she is unable to as easily. Kourtney and Scott dated on and off for close to a decade from 2006 before finally calling time in 2015. Rumours of a relationship with Justin soon circulated with sources at the time telling Us Weekly that he had been showing her a good time. Justin has been friendly with the Kardashian family for years since posing for a Mrs. Robinsoninspired Elle shoot with Kim Kardashian in 2010. Kourtney doesn't like when Reign is online,' said a source. '[She] wants to act on this now before it is too late. She has talked to him about her concerns' Rumours of a relationship with Justin circulated in 2016, one year after she split from Scott, with sources at the time telling Us Weekly that he had been showing her a good time For years, fans have insisted that Reign bares a resemblance to a young Justin Justin shut down any talk of romance in 2016 during an appearance on The Bert Show, simply referring to Kourtney as great. The Poosh founder later hooked up with Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, 49, who she married in May 2022. In November 2024, they welcomed their first child together, son Rocky Thirteen. Travis was already a father to Landon, 21, and Alabama, 19. Reigns appearance on the Instagram Live is not the first time Kourtney has had issues with Alabamas influence over her children. Last month she issued a warning to her stepdaughter to stand down from her messy feud with Bhad Bhabie after her one-year-old son Rocky was dragged into the back-and-forth. Bhabies mom Barbara claimed if Alabama 'comes for my granddaughter I come for your little one!!!' In a separate post, Barbara called Alabama, 19, a 'little dirty a** h**' that was 'still talking about my granddaughter yet her daddy has a whole new family. Rocky rules while you're just on your knees.' An insider told DailyMail.com: 'Kourtney and Travis want nothing to do with Bhad Bhabie and have told Alabama to live her life but cool it down when it comes to this feud. They don't want to get mixed up in it.' Kourtney and Travis with Mason, 15, Penelope, 12, and Reign alongside their stepbrother Landon and his half sister Atiana De La Hoya Last month, Kourtney spoke out to slam theories that her eldest child Mason had quietly welcomed a daughter, named Piper, last year They don't want to pour gasoline on a fire. They have told Alabama to stand down and not be triggered, but it's proving to be easier said than done.' Despite her children growing up on Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kourtney rarely shows them on social media and has never shared a picture of Rocky's face. Last month, she spoke out to slam theories that her eldest child Mason had quietly welcomed a daughter, named Piper, last year. 'I rarely address rumors or conspiracies regarding myself or my family, but this is about my child and it feels wrong to let anyone think for a second that these lies are remotely true. They are not,' she wrote on her Instagram Story. 'Mason does not have a child... My son really values his privacy, and I am asking all media to please be respectful: he is a kid with feelings and a beautiful life ahead of him.' She went on to ask that people 'please stop and leave [her children] alone.' Miranda Hart has confessed that she 'couldn't get out of bed' at the height of her three-decade battle with Lyme disease. The actress, 51, previously shared that she had struggled with a mystery health condition for three decades which forced her to take a lengthy break from the spotlight, before she finally received an official diagnosis. It took medics 33 years to discover Miranda had been battling with the bacterial infection Lyme Disease, after initially mislabelling her as being agoraphobic - an anxiety disorder characterised by symptoms of anxiety in situations. The star then shared that she was also diagnosed with ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. In an extract from her book I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You, which she shared in her monthly newsletter, Miranda offered an insight into the height of her health struggles while doctors failed to find the cause of her symptoms. The comedian, who also shared in her book she had married surveyor Richard Fairs, admitted that she felt increasingly 'alone' as it no one seemed to understand the height of her struggles. Miranda Hart, 51, has confessed that she 'couldn't get out of bed' at the height of her three-decade battle with Lyme disease Miranda wrote: 'As I continued to study the scientists on this matter, another phrase stood out. They would say, ''There's nothing wrong here right now.'' What?! 'Oh, it seemed not only implausible, but downright mean. Frankly, I would have punched someone in the face had they coolly said this to me when I was collapsed with exhaustion. I would have shouted, um, excuse me, but EVERYTHING is wrong. 'I can't get out of bed. I'm alone. No one understands. My dreams and hopes for my life are fading away. Nothing is right, right now. It's wrong. And that's why it's also blooming awful. I'm all full of wrong, so, and I mean this with no disrespect at all, go away, thank you to you!' She went onto add: 'I'm welling up thinking of the myriad stories of people hit with ghastly events, but who heroically keep taking the next breath. Please applaud yourself, and whatever you feel like a warrior about right now. 'The scientists even suggest it's possible to get to, to get to 'okay, this is what is meant to be happening in this moment, so I can accept it and live it'. 'I mean, that's ninja level supernatural calmery, and I'm still amazed when I get anywhere near close to it. All I know for sure is that through acceptance, a lot of suffering can be eased. 'Or rather, suffering about the suffering. I knew that physical and emotional pain, darkness of all kinds, was an uncontrollable part of life. 'And now came the notion that much of that pain is actually caused by the resistance to pain. Focusing on pain, fear of the pain, judging the pain. The actress, 51, previously shared that she had struggled with a mystery health condition for three decades which forced her to take a lengthy break from the spotlight 'They were not telling me to deny my situation and illness, but instead saying that if I confronted it compassionately, instead of furiously wanting it to go away, perhaps I could bend towards finding a way to accept it. The alternative wasn't working. 'Every time I wished my symptoms to be different, every time I protested being bed or housebound, I was only adding fuel to an already stressful situation. 'I was frightening myself, like I was constantly watching a bad newsreel. OK, I concede. The theory makes sense.' Miranda, who announced last year that she had recently married, teased a return to her comedy career in October, admitting she has missed 'laughter and silliness'. The star also explained how her chronic illness has left her housebound for years, putting a hiatus on her incredible career. Speaking on Radio 4's Young Again with Kirsty Young, Miranda explained how 'the hardest thing' of her health issues was not being able to work. She said: 'You know that the hardest thing I found was letting go of work and the pain of not being able to work. 'So, no, I couldn't work because I became ill and I tried to keep going before the diagnosis and it didn't go well, and, I feel like I want to say thank you to all those dear producers and directors that had to work with me when we didn't know what was going on and I was so unwell, but I hated having to stop work.' She continued: 'I hated giving up work The phone completely stopped ringing and no one texted me, nothing, absolutely nothing. Just a few very kindly people who'd occasionally touch in and go, 'Just come back when you're ready'.' However, Miranda explained that her mystery husband had helped her heal following her years of 'deep deep aloneness' and gushed he was a 'brilliant best friend of a man'. She said: 'I've been married twice on screen, but third time in real life. It's very, very lovely. I mean, I pinch myself every day. 'That longing I felt and that deep deep aloneness - I think if I hadn't longed, if I hadn't felt what I felt, then I wouldn't have found him and I wouldn't be here. 'It led me to grieve for what I needed and to become the person I needed to be to connect, and so I now have this brilliant best friend of a man and we laugh every day. 'He's practically more ridiculous than I, which I never thought possible to find in a human being. He's been part of healing. He's helped me find my joy and meaning. It's just wonderful. And he says the same for me, I should rather proudly add. It's lovely.' Describing their first date, Miranda recalled how the pair had bonded over pizza and fallen for each other. She said: 'I was determined on going on a date. [I thought] right, if I'm learning about how to be honest about who I am and love myself, then when a pizza delivery comes and it's all, you know, shunted towards one end in the delivery. 'It's very upsetting... I thought, well no, I'm going to practice what I'm preaching and learning, so I just launched into this: 'I'm really pissed off. Look at the pizza. Now it looks like a calzone, I hate calzones! They're just pizzas folded. What is a calzone? This is really upsetting'. 'And then you could see his sort of wide eyes and I thought, in the past I would have gone, 'I'm so sorry, I'm an absolute idiot. Don't look at me, I'm so silly ha ha.' 'But I carried on about the pizza but it led to a very true and funny connection and brilliant date.' In her new memoir, released earlier this month, Miranda talks about her plight and the moment she 'collapsed' from ill health, leading to her taking a near decade break out of the spotlight. While fans know the comedian as Chummy in Call The Midwife and for her cheery self-titled sitcom, she admitted behind closed doors she was desperately telling doctors: 'I feel toxic and poisoned.' It took medics 33 years to discover Miranda had been battling with the bacterial infection Lyme disease, after initially mislabelling her as being agoraphobic - an anxiety disorder characterised by symptoms of anxiety in situations. She recalls running out a doctor's appointment in floods of tears after they told her she was 'TATT' - 'Tired All The Time' and said: 'I just don't know what to do with you.' The comic finally received the diagnosis in lockdown and believes she contracted Lyme disease when she 14 after battling nasty flu-like symptoms in Virginia. She wrote: 'For me it was the unnerving neurological symptoms that I had got initially, aged fourteen, from Lyme, which I always found particularly hard to deal with. And they got considerably worse as I headed into my forties. As did the fatigue from the cell depletion. Yup, all delightful.' Of the moment she got her diagnosis, she added: 'I got off that Zoom call, pulled my laptop shut and sat there, still and aghast. So many emotions, I was shocked, but I also immediately felt a deep well of sadness and disappointment - for over three decades I'd KNOWN there was something wrong. 'I recalled all the times I'd told different doctors, 'I feel toxic and poisoned, or, It's like I have flu every day but I don't have a temperature.' '(It's amazing how the body can sometimes literally tell us what's going on.) I felt anger rising at the times l'd been told I must have agoraphobia. In an extract from her book I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You, Miranda offered insight into the height of her health struggles while doctors failed to find the cause of her symptoms 'I would try and treat it as such, when, as it turned out, it was the lack of energy and the extreme light and sound sensitivity that made my body crash when going out to be in any kind of activity or stimulating environment.' Miranda says she struggled to know how to share the news of her diagnosis with her followers, fearing she would be perceived as 'complaining' or 'just tired all the time'. But Lyme disease was causing havoc for her body and she ended up with 'endless diagnoses' and also, fans soon noticed her absence from TV screens. She also spoke about her husband for the first time, confessing that she and the building surveyor 'briefly' split before realising the depth of their feelings for one another. In her book, Miranda recalled that she was 'spending more and more time' with 'The Boy From Bristol,' as she calls him, and 'feelings were deepening. And then. We had to take a break.' 'There were a few reasons why, we didn't know whether the timing was right to become an 'us.' It was hard. It hurt my heart. A lot. I didn't know whether it was the end or whether circumstances might eventually mean we could continue getting to know each other.' Gaby Roslin has shared details of her previous cancer scare, after watching her father Clive battle bowel cancer. The TV presenter, 60, has been raising awareness of bowel cancer for three decades, alongside her late friend Dame Deborah James, who died of the disease age 40 in 2022. Gaby revealed she previously had a scare after finding blood in her poo in 2001. She went to the GP but was relieved when told it was piles from after childbirth. She said: 'I was like, "Oh my God, I need to find out about it", because I obviously had a history of bowel cancer in my family.' Gaby shared her experience during the launch of Toilet Talk - a social media series to raise awareness - and in collaboration with Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK. She told The Sun: 'If this series helps even one person catch their bowel cancer early, it's worth it. Gaby Roslin has shared details of her previous cancer scare, after watching her father Clive battle bowel cancer Her father Clive, a former BBC radio announcer, was diagnosed with the disease in the late Nineties 'If there's blood or changes in your poo, don't sit on it see a doctor!' Her father Clive, a former BBC radio announcer, was diagnosed with the disease in the late Nineties. She reveled the language surrounding bowel cancer was too taboo for TV at the time: 'We wanted to publicise and we were being interviewed, and the journalist who was interviewing us said, "Sorry Clive, you just can't say poo". 'Dad said, "But that's what I'm talking about - bowel cancer". Recalling her dad's diagnosis, Gaby explained: 'He came back from a holiday with mum and told us he'd started pooing himself. 'Then he found some blood in his poo and told his brother. Thank goodness he did, for his brother - a doctor - urged him to seek help immediately. 'It was caught early. Twenty-nine years later my dad is still alive.' There are more than 44,000 new bowel cancer diagnoses in the UK each year, and almost 142,000 in the US. The TV presenter, 60, has been raising awareness of bowel cancer for three decades, alongside her late friend Dame Deborah James (pictured), who died of the disease age 40 in 2022 Gaby revealed she previously had a scare after finding blood in her poo in 2001. She went to the GP but was relieved when told it was piles from after childbirth Bowel cancer can cause you to have blood in your poo, a change in bowel habit, a lump inside your bowel which can cause an obstructions. Some people also suffer with weight loss a s a result of these symptoms Although the vast majority affect those aged over 50, rates in older age-groups has either declined or held stable while diagnoses in younger adults have risen by 50 per cent over the last 30 years. Gaby previously opened up about her grief following the death of her mother when she was in her early thirties. The BBC Radio DJ's mother Jackie died in 19997 aged 62 from smoking-related lung cancer. Gaby said that almost three decades after the tragedy, she still feels the heartbreak, which she described as being 'hit in my tummy'. The mother-of-two said she is heartbroken that Jackie never got to meet her daughters - Libbi-Jack, 23, from her first marriage to musician Colin Peel, and Amelie, 17, who she shares with her husband of 12 years, David Osman. 'There was something on the radio this morning, and they read out something about somebody saying their kids never got a chance to meet their grandmother,' she recalled to OK! magazine. 'My mum died 28 years ago, and it just got me in my stomach. I always say to people when they lose someone, 'Just remember, there are no rules to grief.' And now here I am 28 years later, like somebody had hit me in my tummy.' Gaby revealed she keeps Jackie's memory alive by talking about her to her children and keeping photos of her around the house. The TV presenter said she 'wishes' Jackie could have met her grandchildren, recalling her mother's promises to look after them once a week so she could go on a date night. 'But you carry them in your hearts and every so often they come to the front of your mind when you least expect it,' she said. Gaby - who now hosts her own Magic Radio show on Saturdays - previously spoke about her mother's 'harrowing' death during an emotional interview in 2023. 'When my mum died, I said, 'You know what? I'm never apologising about being happy again, because life is so precious,'' she told The Sun . 'Mum died of lung cancer the day that my dad Clive, 89, got the all-clear from bowel cancer. It was a harrowing time.' She shares Libbi-Jack, 23, with her ex-husband Colin Peel, and Amelie, 17, with her husband of 12 years, David Osman (pictured together) Gaby said one of the biggest lessons she took away from the dark period was the importance of self-care and 'making the most' of life. 'We don't know when it's going to end and I just want to make the most of every moment. But I also want other people to feel that as well, I really do.' Gaby is a presenter and broadcaster who first hit our screens in 1992 on Channel 4 series The Big Breakfast. The Big Breakfast originally ran from 1992 to 2002, with Gaby presenting the show alongside Chris Evans from the show's inception until 1996. In 1993, the programme was the highest rated breakfast show in the UK, with around two million viewers tuning in per episode. Gaby remained on the show until 1996 when Zoe Ball took her place, other famous names to present the programme include Kelly Brook and Denise Van Outen. As a girl, Gaby used to sit alongside the screen during broadcasts of Blue Peter, taking on the role of an imagined fourth presenter, getting her father -former BBC newsreader Clive Roslin- to pretend to film her. Reflecting on finally getting to live her childhood dream she added: 'I can still remember that moment when I heard in my earpiece 'Ten seconds to live' the first time. It was everything I hoped it would be. I've loved every moment since.' Jameela Jamil has revealed she was driven to multiple attempts on her own life due to her decades-long struggle with the debilitating sleep disorder insomnia. The actress and presenter, 39, admitted she would trade everything she has to be a good sleeper because of the 'despair' it has brought her over the years. Jameela opened up about how lack of sleep has affected her sex drive, left her feeling hopeless and occasionally driven her to 'madness'. The Good Place star admitted that 'every suicide attempt' she has ever made was due to going several days in a row 'without a wink of sleep'. Sharing her thoughts on Substack, Jameela wrote: 'I would, without flinching, trade in all the success, money and adventures I've had to just be a good sleeper. Insomnia is the absolute ghetto of the mind, body and soul. 'It is years of the loneliest, darkest and most despairing hours in the middle of the night... It's a lower sex drive. It's nihilism and hopelessness. It's being desperate for donuts all f****** day because you need some respite and consolation.' Jameela Jamil has revealed she was driven to multiple attempts on her own life due to her decades-long struggle with the debilitating sleep disorder insomnia The actress and presenter, 39, admitted she would trade everything she has to be a good sleeper because of the 'despair' it has brought her over the years 'Every suicide attempt I have ever made was a result of just that few too many days in a row without a wink of sleep,' she adds. 'You lose your mind. You fully lose your grip on reality. Hopelessness and bitterness takes hold of you and sinks into your marrow. Death feels undramatic, it just sounds like a nice big slumber. Your empathy reserves switch off. 'You don't have the capability of thinking about how your actions will affect others. You convince yourself that it's the only sensible option. 'Nothing has ever felt more rational or clear in the moment. It's not sad. It's not angry. It's quiet and it feels like autonomy. It is a liar. It is a thief. 'This devastating act of chaos comes to you disguised as peace and tranquility. It's terrifying. Insomnia is corrosive in every way.' Jameela, who was born in London and now lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend, James Blake, has been outspoken about her physical and mental health battles. This includes experiences with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and an eating disorder. In 2019 to honour World Mental Health Day, Jameela said she survived a suicide attempt six years earlier. Jameela, who was born in London and now lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend, James Blake (pictured), has been outspoken about her physical and mental health battles. In an episode of the talkshow Red Table Talk the following year, she said she had also attempted suicide eight years earlier due to a nervous breakdown. Jameela went on to reveal that she's now found a way to tackle her insomnia. 'After three decades, having started valium at the age of f***** ten I am finally clean off all sleeping pills,' she says. 'I didn't take them every single night, but maybe four times a week (I would stay awake the other nights.) 'In the past year and a half my short term memory has started to go, and I've learned that they can cause early onset dementia (I was calling it Jamentia) so I've finally thrown in the towel and flushed them down the loo. 'Doing so is dangerous without medical observation, so please make this decision with the help of a professional. 'The drugs are designed to keep you dependent, because pharma is pure evil so the insomnia is the worst you have ever known it to be in the weeks after, but I promise it starts to relent within time. 'I've given up caffeine. I've given up carbs after 2pm as they're too energising at night at my old age. I eat a light, easily digestible dinner, as your stomach can keep you up all night if you give it cause to be too busy. 'Nothing raw. No red meat. Soup/stew is fantastic. Get all your fun in by lunch. Dinner is to be monastic and medicinal. 'I'm walking 10k steps a day and ensuring daylight and nature are a daily practice. 'In February, out of nowhere, the upper part of my digestive system slipped and is squishing an important artery from the heart to my digestive system' the actress (pictured, in 2024) said 'I'm boiling 6 cloves for 20 minutes, to make tea, every night. (Even if this does nothing, my brain registers the practice, as a consistent night time ceremony, that means I'm winding down.) 'I'm still struggling with this, but I'm trying to not be on my phone after 10 and I remove the blue light from it all day and have it on that night time mode constantly, so everything I see on it, is infused with the hue of dehydrated piss. 'I have a heavy weighted blanket, I sleep in a cold room, I stop drinking liquids 2 hours before bed, just little sips, I use the world's softest and most joyous (and affordable) sleep mask, called a Snoozy. 'I pound magnesium glycerinate about two hours before bed. I take lion's mane, and vitamin D3 and K2 with it.' Her decision to detail her insomnia battle comes just weeks after she revealed that she's been left at 'death's door' by a rare health disorder. She said: 'In February, out of nowhere, the upper part of my digestive system slipped and is squishing an important artery from the heart to my digestive system, and it is also crushing down on the blood supply to my kidney.' 'This has made me so violently ill that I have developed a hiatal hernia in my oesophagus. I can barely eat. I'm in so much pain. I'm so tired and I can't breathe properly for hours.' It's been a tough few months for Jameela, who is pals with Meghan Markle and even appeared on her podcast Archetypes, with the star revealing in October that her 'body is broken forever' by societal beauty standards. It's been a tough few months for Jameela, who is pals with Meghan Markle (pictured, in February) and even appeared on her podcast Archetypes Collecting Glamour's Game Changing Voice Of The Year, she expressed her sadness at the return of 'heroin chic' as she gave an impassioned speech on how women are once again 'suffering and risking our lives' in the pursuit of the 'same Snapchat face'. Urging women and girls to be kinder to themselves, she said: 'I beg of you, as I stand here with a body broken forever because of what I put it through for our societys beauty standards... to not sell your old lady self short.' Jameela began her speech by speaking about the optimism of the 2010s, before sharing her concern that there had been a back track. The Good Place star said: 'Boys are encouraged to build their bodies, and build their futures and legacies. 'While women and girls are starving, injecting and hurting and sometimes literally dying for the fastest possible route to the ever-changing, fickle beauty standard.' 'Why is women's discomfort and harm still so hyper normalised?' the actress asked. The star revealed in October that her 'body is broken forever' by societal beauty standards as she was named Glamour's Game Changing Voice Of The Year (pictured) In May, Jameela explained how she had undergone a bone graft before suffering 'horrendous' Gastritis after taking post-op antibiotics and pain killers She wrote on Instagram: 'Guess who had a lil emergency operation and a bone graft and took antibiotics and pain killers and woke up with gastritis?!' In May, Jameela explained how she had undergone a bone graft before suffering 'horrendous' Gastritis after taking post-op antibiotics and pain killers. She wrote on Instagram: 'Guess who had a lil emergency operation and a bone graft and took antibiotics and pain killers and woke up with gastritis?!' The star then asked her followers: 'Please send me funny animal videos at this horrendous time. Fork everything.' She captioned the post: 'Pls send what works for you with gastritis. I have a long haul FLIGHT TODAY.' 'I'm gonna be Kristen Wiig in bridesmaids,' she added in reference to the 2011 comedy's iconic vomiting and diarrhoea scenes. The Mail's Richard Eden reported in April that, during a photoshoot for Vogue magazine, celebrated photographer David Bailey allegedly treated Jameela so unkindly that she starved herself for almost a month afterwards. 'I was told I was "too fat" to wear the size-zero clothes and had to just hold the dress over me as I stood almost naked in a room full of strangers,' she said. 'David Bailey literally shouted, cheerfully, "She's too fat for the dresses we'll shoot her naked".' Jameela, who lives in Los Angeles with her musician boyfriend James Blake, 36, added: 'I don't think I ate for about three weeks after that.' The model later shared a snap of herself on following a long plane journey with her beloved dog Barold Jon Richardson has revealed the truth behind his decision to quit comedy for an unlikely career path, after leaving fans in disbelief with the job move. The stand-up star, 42, has revealed that his new role is actually as a teacher on Waterloo Road, having joined the cast for the BBC series. Jon surprised fans on social media with the revelation that he was retiring from the comedy circuit to pursue teaching in a video on Monday. But there was more to the news than Jon first revealed, and it's been revealed on the show's Instagram account that he is set to make his debut on Waterloo Road in its next series later this year. Viewers will have to wait to see exactly who Jon will play, and what lies in store for him at the famous school. Jon said: 'I would say that joining Waterloo Road is a dream come true, but in truth most of my dreams about school revolve around not having done my homework or put on my uniform. Jon Richardson has revealed the truth behind his decision to quit comedy to become a teacher, sharing he's actually joined the cast of Waterloo Road 'I wanted to be a teacher growing up so hopefully this role will put all those ambitions to bed, and I can stop telling my friends and family that I will be testing them on what I've been saying or telling audiences on tour that it's their own time they're wasting.' Cameron Roach, Founder of Rope Ladder Fiction and Exec Producer for Waterloo Road says: 'Waterloo Road always strives to strike the right balance between big emotion and comedy, and we feel we've struck gold in casting Jon Richardson as a new media studies teacher at Waterloo Road. 'Not only does Jon have brilliant comic timing, his dramatic performance will surprise and delight his fans in equal measure. Next term promises laughter, tears and whole lot of mayhem.' Jon joins Lindsey Coulson, who will continue in her role as Dame Stella Drake, Waterloo Road's new head, and Jason Merrells, who reprised his role as Jack Rimmer as a guest in the most recent series and will return as a regular main cast member in the next series. On Monday, Jon surprised fans when he announced that he was giving up comedy to start a new role as a teacher, having taken a break from stand-up following his split from wife Lucy Beaumont. In a video shared on social media, Jon explained: 'I just thought I'd give you a little update. I don't really social media updates and I'll tell you why, because I don't think anyone cares. 'But I have a little bit of news. I've obviously been taking a little bit of a break from stand-up and it's really made me want to carry on taking a break from stand-up. The comedian surprised fans on social media with the revelation that he was retiring from the circuit to pursue teaching in a video on Monday Jon has taken a break from stand-up comedy after splitting from his wife Lucy Beaumont in April 2024 (pictured in May 2023) 'I've been thinking a lot about a diary entry that I found from 1997.' The handwritten note, which he wrote when he was 14, read: 'Although I would love to be a stand-up comedian, I'll probably end up being a teacher.' He added: 'I've been thinking a lot about that and I loved being a comedian, it was absolutely the right choice, I have decided it would have been nice to try the other option.' Jon then shared he has carried out his teacher training and has already landed a job within the profession. Fans are shocked by the announcement - and some have even questioned whether it is an April Fool's joke. One wrote: 'Please tell me this is an early April fools? but those kids will be incredibly lucky' Another said: 'This can't be true! It's April fools tomorrow so I am guessing you're having us on But if there is any part of it that's true, I'm heading back to school just so you can be my teacher.' During one of Jon's last stand-up routine's last year, he gave an update on his love life following his split from Lucy. The former couple announced their decision to divorce in April 2024 after nine years of marriage in a move that surprised their fans. And speaking on stage during a special comedy gig Absolute Radio at the London Palladium, Jon made a huge admission about being single. Jon explained: 'I have a little bit of news. I've obviously been taking a little bit of a break from stand-up and it's really made me want to carry on taking a break from stand-up' Fans were shocked by the announcement - and some were quick to question whether it was an April Fool's joke Responding to Judi Love's stand-up routine in which she talked about the challenges of dating, Jon reflected on his own love life, as he remarked: 'It makes me think I'm so happy being single.' Later in the show, the 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown star also allegedly discussed his joy at no longer having to run the tap in bathroom when he used the toilet in a hotel room now that he's a single man, reports The Sun . The evening, which was held to raise funds for The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity, saw Jon joined by a host of comedians including Judi, Dara O'Briain and Josh Widdicombe. Prior to this, Lucy was joined by a mystery man as she left the Lowry Theatre in Manchester - six months after confirming the end of her marriage to comedian Jon Richardson. The gentleman in question was later revealed as sound engineer Martin Wallace. While it is not known when Beaumont and Wallace first met - he previously worked as a sound engineer on her ex's 2014 stand up special, Jon Richardson Live: Nidiot. Lucy and Jon met in 2013 through friends before tying the knot in April 2015 (pictured in 2017) Wallace is an experienced sound tech who has worked closely with a range of comedy stars including Rob Beckett and Dara O Briain. He is also a talented multi-instrumentalist, being self-taught on guitar, piano and bass. The nature of their relationship is unknown. MailOnline contacted Lucy Beaumont's representatives for comment at the time. Her evening out came just six months after she split from her comedian husband Jon. They share a daughter and tied the knot in April 2015, after they started dating in 2013. Beaumont and Richardson first met through friend Roisin Conaty and went on to work together on a number of shows including Meet The Richardsons. But in a joint statement in April, they said: 'After 9 years of marriage, we would like to announce that we have separated. We have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go our separate ways.' Richardson handed over 1.625 million Beaumont when they called time on their nine year marriage. Lucy and Jon announced their decision to divorce in April after nine years of marriage in a move that surprised their fans And the comedian has since spoken out about their split in an interview with OK! Magazine. She told the publication: 'People might think I should talk about it because we were so public and everyone knew us as a couple, but I won't, and not because there's any animosity. 'We both agreed that while it might be weird for other people not hearing anything about it, we wouldn't talk about anything to do with the marriage or each other.' She added of a recent new approach to life now she's in her forties: 'I don't feel any different really, just a bit angrier and not willing to take any s**t from anyone.' Actress Sian Barbara Allen, a staple of 1970s television, has died at the age of 78. The actress, who starred in popular shows such as The Waltons, died of Alzheimer's disease on Monday in Chapel Hill, NC, according to an online obituary. Her sister confirmed her death via a post on Facebook, writing, 'My wonderful sister, actress Sian Barbara Allen died peacefully today after a long illness. This loss is too hard.' Allen, was born in Reading, PA on July 12, 1946, studied her craft at the Pasadena Playhouse beginning in 1964. The versatile actress was a well-known face on television beginning in 1971 with her appearance on Alias Smith and Jones. She later had appearances on Gunsmoke, The F.B.I. and the popular Love, American Style. Actress Sian Barbara Allen has died at age 78 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease Her performance as a mentally challenged young woman in 1972's You'll Like My Mother earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 1973 for Most Promising New Actress. While working on that film, she fell in love with her co-star, Richard Thomas and they were together for several years, according to IMDB. She was on two episodes of The Waltons in 1973, playing Jenny Pendleton, a young woman who shared a sweet love story with Thomas' John-boy in two episodes of the family drama. That same year Allen starred with the legendary Bette Davis in the made for TV thriller Scream, Peggy Scream, as a young woman hired by sculptor Ted Bessell to look after Davis, unaware that the previous caretaker has been murdered. The brunette beauty was the lead actress opposite Gregory Peck and Jack Warden in the movie Billy Two Hats. In 1976, she portrayed Anne Morrow Lindbergh in the fact-based TV movie The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case. She appeared several times on Marcus Welby, MD over the years, as a different character in each episode. Allen also had guest appearances in staples such as The Rockford Files with James Garner, on Hawaii 5-0 with Jack Lord and James MacArthur, and made several guest appearances on Ironside with Raymond Burr. Allen's performance as a mentally challenged young woman in 1972's You'll Like My Mother earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 1973 for Most Promising New Actress The actress appeared on several episodes of Marcus Welby MD; seen in 1972 In an episode of The Waltons in 1973, Allen starred at Jenny Pendleton, a young woman who shares a romance with Richard Thomas's John-boy. The pair men on the set of 1972's You'll Like My Mother and were a couple for several years Allen starred with the legendary Bette Davis in the made for 1973 TV thriller Scream, Peggy Scream, as a young woman hired to look after Davis, unaware that the previous caretaker has been murdered Ted Bessell starred in the thriller as Davis' son, a sculptor With so much experience being on crime shows, Allen tried her hand at writing and was hired to create an episode of Baretta, starring Robert Blake, which was shot in 1978. Allen starred in the episode as well, as Baretta's cousin Ellen. Allen's final part was in 1990 on the popular L.A. Law, before trading in her job as an actress for that of wife and mother. She married fellow actor Peter Gelblum in 1979 and they shared their daughter Emily, who was named after the lead character Allen played on-stage in a 1976 production of Our Town. The couple divorced in 2001. Allen is survived by her daughter, Gelblum, her sisters, Hannah Davie and flash fiction author Meg Pokrass, grandson Arlo Fonseca and nephew Miles Bond. Jennifer Lawrence has welcomed her second child with husband Cooke Maroney. On Tuesday, a source confirmed the exciting news to People after weeks of speculation that the Oscar winner, 34, quietly gave birth. At this time, no further details about the infants sex, name or birth date have been made public. DailyMail.com has reached out to Lawrence's rep for comment, but have not heard back, at this time. The Joy star and her husband, 40, who wed in October 2019, are also parents to their three-year-son, Cy. The No Hard Feelings actress first announced her second pregnancy publicly when her representative confirmed the news to Vogue in an article published in October 2024. Jennifer Lawrence has welcomed her second child with husband Cooke Maroney; seen in November 2024 The Indian Hills, Kentucky native and Cooke married in October 2019 at the Belcourt mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. Maroney has worked as the art gallery director for Gladstone Gallery in New York City since 2022. Jennifer's due date was rumored to be due in early spring. A source close to the actress dropped a clue as to when the Golden Globe award winner may become a mother again. In October, an insider teased to People magazine that JLaw's son Cy 'will be 3 when the new baby arrives.' Cy was born in February 2022, which means he turned three last month. 'She loves being a mom. Shes thrilled to be pregnant again. It feels like the perfect timing to her. Her son will 3 when the new baby arrives,' they added. In a 2022 interview with Vogue, Lawrence opened up about the joy of becoming a first-time mother, sharing that the birth of her son Cy 'felt like my whole life had started over.' Lawrence and Maroney seen out together in New York City earlier this week amid the exciting news At this time, no further details about the infants sex, name or birth date have been made public The star announced her second pregnancy when her representative confirmed the news to Vogue in October 2024. Her due date was rumored to be in early spring; seen November 2024 'I just stared. I was just so in love. I also fell in love with all babies everywhere. Newborns are just so amazing,' she gushed. Elsewhere in the conversation, she described, 'I mean the euphoria of Cy is just Jesus, it's impossible. My heart has stretched to a capacity that I didn't know about. I include my husband in that.' Aside from being a busy mom, Lawrence has also been gearing up to promote her new film Die My Love. Co-starring Robert Pattinson, the film comes from acclaimed Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay and deals with the subject of postpartum depression. Director Lynne Ramsay said the storyline of the upcoming film is really 'hardcore' and JLaw responded eagerly to it. The thriller is based on Ariana Harwiczs 2019 novel of the same name and marks Ramsay's first film since 2017s You Were Never Really Here. The actress and the art dealer are already parents to son Cy, three; Pictured in New York City in 2023 In October, an insider teased to People magazine that JLaw's son Cy 'will be 3 when the new baby arrives' (seen in December 2024) 'Lawrence just really responded to the material, which is hardcore in some ways, because its about postnatal depression and bipolar [disorder],' the director told IndieWire. 'But its funny as well. Well, Ive made it funny. I think Ive made it funny. I hope Ive made it funny.' The movie is set in rural America where Lawrence's character is gripped by the sort of symptoms that often accompany postpartum depression and bipolar disorder. In addition to dealing with her infant, the protagonist is torn between her husband, played by Pattinson, and her lover, played by LaKeith Stanfield. Bruce Willis doted on his daughter Mabel Ray in a sweet throwback video shared by his wife Emma Heming Willis amid his battle with dementia. The video was taken when Mabel was still a baby and shared in honor of her 13th birthday. It began with a heartwarming clip of the action star, 70, playing with his little girl and kissing her finger. Both dad and his baby girl looked as happy as can be enjoying a sweet moment together. 'In the blink of an eye, shes thirteen -our bright, beautiful Mabel Ray,' Emma, 46, captioned the video. 'Im grateful for the joy and color she brings to our world. She moves through life with kindness and heart, and we love her more than words can hold. Happy Birthday to our sweet girl!' It then showed a slew of other photos and videos of Mabel nowadays, from her in the snow, in Paris, and on stage. Bruce Willis doted on his baby daughter Mabel Ray in a sweet throwback video shared by his wife Emma Heming amid his battle with dementia Her elder half-sisters, Scout and Tallulah Willis, sent their birthday wishes to Mable in the comments. 'I love our sweet mabes!!! Happy happy birthday to the best teenager in the world,' Tallulah posted. 'Happy happy happy birthday to our mischievous, angelic, gorgeous, tender hilarious creative beyond measure Mabel Ray!' Scout gushed. Emma also shared the video to her Instagram Stories, where she noted of the milestone birthday, 'We have a teenager in the house!' In addition to Mabel, Emma and Bruce also share daughter Evelyn, 10, together. The action star wed Emma in Turks and Caicos on March 21, 2009, and the couple recently celebrated 16 years of marriage. 'Today marks 16 years with the love of a lifetime. Weve shared monumental highs and devastating lows, and through it all, weve built something timeless,' Emma posted as she marked the milestone. 'Im so deeply grateful for every chapter Ive had with him - and all the ones well continue to write, in our language of unconditional love,' she added. The adorable video showed Bruce playing with his baby daughter It was shared in honor of Mabel's 13th birthday 'In the blink of an eye, shes thirteen -our bright, beautiful Mabel Ray,' Emma, 46, captioned the video It then continued to show a slew of other photos and videos of Mabel nowadays, from her in the snow, in Paris, and on stage She struck a playful pose at the Louvre in Paris The birthday girl was also shown petting a dog in a bookstore Bruce was previously married to actress Demi Moore, whom he shares daughters Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 31, with. The anniversary came just days after Bruce celebrated his 70th birthday. Emma, Demi, and his daughters all gave him shout-outs on their Instagram as they marked his special day. 'Its Bruces birthday, and if theres one thing I know, its that theres no greater fan than a Bruce fan,' Emma wrote, posting a photo of him on an ATV. 'So flood him with all the love today, he will feel it, I swear he will. You are one powerful bunch. I love how you rally for him, and Im so grateful that he has you.' Willis' family announced his retirement from acting in March 2022 after he was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that affects language comprehension and expression. Less than a year later in February 2023, he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which involves the degeneration of the brain's frontal and temporal lobes. Mabel's elder half-sisters, Scout and Tallulah, wished her a happy birthday on Instagram Bruce and Emma recently celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary; pictured 2009 Last month in February, Rumer gave rare insight into how her father was doing during an interview with ITV and expressed that the family has 'rallied around each other.' She shared, 'He's doing great. I think, obviously as many people in California, the thing we're all kind of the most scared, dealing with is just fires and wanting to make sure everything is okay. 'Because my family, we're all so close, I think what's so beautiful is the way that we rally around each other, [it's] so lovely, because we really are a unit.' Rumer then applauded Bruce and Demi's relationship even after they divorced after 13 years of marriage. 'I think the thing I'm most grateful for is that even when they split up, they created such a beautiful foundation of prioritizing my sisters and I, that I never felt like I had to choose or like, they never played against each other.' She further expressed that, 'We were a family, and we still are very much a family no matter what 'And not only did I feel like that has set me up in my life to have such a beautiful foundation of my own family, but now, as I'm working through co-parenting as well, I feel deep gratitude for the example they've set.' Vincent Cassel's ex wife Tina Kunakey shared cosy photos with her makeup artist after her split from the Ocean's Twelve star. Sharing an update to Instagram on Monday, the model, 27, posed for a series of fun photos with makeup artist Harold James. Tina split from Vincent in 2023 after five years together, with a source telling DailyMail.com at the time that she was left 'heartbroken.' After attending a Tiffany and Co. event this week, she flashed a smile while holding hands with Harold in the back of a car. She looked incredible in a grey, fitted long sleeve dress, that showed off her model figure. Tina teamed it with a pair of heels and styled her hair into a sleek, straight look with a blunt fringe. Vincent Cassel's ex wife Tina Kunakey shared cosy photos with her makeup artist after her split from the Ocean's Twelve star Sharing an update to Instagram on Monday, the model, 27, posed for a series of fun photos with makeup artist Harold James Vincent abruptly deleted all images of his model wife Tina from his Instagram in April 2023 - amid furious speculation that the pair has split after five years of marriage. The actor - who is best known for his roles in Ocean's Twelve and Black Swan - tied the knot with Tina in 2018, two years after they were first linked, and they welcomed a daughter, Amazonie, in April 2019. However, a source told DailyMail.com exclusively at the time that the couple is headed for divorce, saying: 'They separated weeks ago. Tina is heartbroken.' While representatives for Vincent and Tina did not respond to requests for comment, the actor's social media accounts speak volumes about the pair's relationship - with the on-screen star removing all traces of his wife from his Instagram account. Loved up pictures of the duo, which previously littered Vincent's account, vanished without a trace. What's more, Vincent failed to post anything marking Tina's birthday yesterday - despite the model re-posting multiple well wishes from her friends on her own account. The last time the actor liked one of his wife's stunning Instagram images was on February 17 - while Tina has failed to share any photos of herself with Vincent in weeks, prompting several of her followers to question: 'Where is your husband?' Neither Tina or Vincent have publicly addressed the mounting speculation among their followers about the status of their marriage - however both have continued sharing regular work updates to their accounts in the past few weeks. Vincent abruptly deleted all images of his model wife Tina from his Instagram in April 2023 - amid furious speculation that the pair has split after five years of marriage The couple tied the knot in a low-key ceremony in France in 2018, two years after they went public with their 30-year age gap romance While Tina shared several images from photoshoots, Vincent was touting two new movies, The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan, and Liaison, an Apple TV+ film he features in alongside fellow French superstar Eva Green. Vincent has shared several images of himself with Eva whom he praised as a 'wonderful co-star'. And while he failed to post anything about Tina's birthday, the actor did share a tribute to his daughter Deva, whom he shares with his first wife, Monica Bellucci. Vincent and Monica wed in 1999 after meeting on the set of their 1996 movie, The Apartment. The couple welcomed two daughters - Deva and Leonie, 12 - before divorcing in 2013 after 14 years of marriage. In 2016, Vincent then went 'Instagram Official,' with Tina, who was just 19 at the time, and their relationship sparked headlines the world over as a result of their 30-year age gap. Indeed, Tina is closer in age to Vincent's daughter, Deva, however the couple didn't seem to let the age gap affect their union which, until recently, appeared rock solid. While representatives for Vincent and Tina did not respond to requests for comment, the actor's social media accounts speak volumes about the pair's relationship Vincent - who shares a daughter with Tina - has deleted all of the loved-up images he has previously posted with his wife from his Instagram Vincent addressed the 30-year age gap in an interview with the New York Times shortly before their wedding, saying: 'Its not always fair. Im 52 and Im getting married with a 21-year-old girl. 'Im very much in love and sure we are going to make babies.' The couple tied the knot two years after their relationship was made public, marrying in a low-key ceremony at Bidart City Hall in the South of France, near Tina's hometown of Biarritz. Tina opened up about the couple's relationship in an interview with Vogue France, happily recalling their first date together. 'The first time I went on a date with my husband I had on jeans and a T-shirt and he was with his cousin so it wasn't really a first date,' she said. 'He really wanted to see me again and his cousin was leaving the next day so I played the simple and efficient card.' Lila Moss and her boyfriend Yoni Helbitz looked smitten in loved-up Instagram snaps during their sun-soaked getaway in Brazil. The model, 22, daughter of supermodel Kate Moss, 51, showcased her sun-kissed skin as she watched the sunset with a cocktail in hand. In the sweet snap her friend Stella Jones shared on Tuesday, Lila laid on top of Yoni on the sand in the shade. Yoni, 23, works at the studio of British fashion designer Kim Jones. The lovebirds were joined by a small group of friends including Lila's best pal, H&M campaign star Stella - daughter of The Clash guitarist Mick Jones. The pair have been dating for nearly two years, with MailOnline revealing in 2023 that they were an item after being spotted out in London frequently together. Lila Moss, 22, and her boyfriend Yoni Helbitz, 23, looked smitten in loved-up Instagram snaps during their sun-soaked getaway in Brazil The model, daughter of supermodel Kate Moss, 51, showcased her sun-kissed skin as she watched the sunset with a cocktail in hand Lila's father is fashion magazine supremo Jefferson Hack, 53, who Kate was in a relationship with in the early 2000s. He is expecting his first child with his model wife, Anna Cleveland, who confirmed the happy news last month. Their baby will be the half-sibling of Lila, who grew up as an only child. Jefferson, CEO of Dazed Media, tied the knot with Anna in a romantic ceremony at Oakley Court in Windsor in 2023. Taking to Instagram, Anna revealed she is expecting a baby with the book editor as she shared professional snaps. Since launching her modelling career and signing up to her mum's eponymous talent agency, Lila has graced the cover of multiple Vogue covers across the globe. She modelled for Marc Jacobs Beauty in 2018, had her first solo magazine cover for Dazed that year, and was featured in Miu Miu's SS20 campaign. Lila also made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week in 2021 for Miu Miu and has modelled for a number of other high end brands since. Lila's father Jefferson Hack is expecting his first child with his wife Anna Cleveland, with the model announcing the news on Instagram last week Displaying her growing baby bump, Anna wrote: '36 years today and 36 weeks pregnant. "How you love is who you are" ' Jefferson started dating supermodel Kate in 2001 after interviewing her for Dazed (Seen together in 2001) Jefferson and Kate welcomed their daughter Lila in 2002 but split two years later (Seen are Jefferson and Lila in May) 'I dont know that my mum expected me to go into fashion, really Im quite shy, like her but shes fully supported every decision Ive made,' Lila told British Vogue in 2023. 'She hasnt helped me with my walk, though. Shes like, You just have to feel it. I dont know what I do. I just do it! Im like, Cool off to practise some more, then Thats typical of us'. 'Shes more carefree where Im more organised. Shes intuitive, Im disciplined. I know what Im doing on a Wednesday afternoon a month from now, whereas she has a more lax approach to timekeeping. 'Its a good balance. Even now that Im based in New York, we still FaceTime every day. 'Shes the first person that I turn to for advice... And the second I touch down, Ill call her and ask, Can you put a roast chicken in the oven? Even after all of these years, its my favourite.' Advertisement Sydney Sweeney has made her first public appearance since calling off her wedding to fiance Jonathan Davino amid claims she felt 'overwhelmed' by their relationship. Despite recently making the tough decision to end her seven-year romance, the Euphoria star, 27, looking nothing short of sensational as she attended CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday. For the occasion, she wowed in a strapless, off-white gown with a corset-style bodice. Her four-carat diamond engagement ring, which was rumored to cost between $50,000 to $150,000, was notably absent from her left hand. As she walked the red carpet, Sweeney posed for photos with Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar. The trio are all set to star in the upcoming 2025 American psychological thriller, The Housemaid, based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Freida McFadden. Sydney Sweeney has made her first public appearance since calling off her wedding to fiance Jonathan Davino amid claims she felt 'overwhelmed' by their relationship The actress managed to put on a happy face as she returned to work amid her recent heartbreak while mingling with her costars and smiling for photographers. Last month, Sweeney and Sklenar, who is dating Courtney Salviolo, sent the internet into a frenzy after she posted a flirty video of them together on Instagram. In the clip, he can be seen picking her up and hoisting her onto his shoulders with ease as they took a break on set. Under the video, one of her followers joked that her 'fiance is gods strongest soldier.' Another quipped: 'Her fiance is fighting for his life.' 'Is her marketing strategy just flirt with her co star? Bc slay but we see right through it. Also girl youre engaged,' a third wrote. It was reported last week that the actress and film producer, 41, scrapped their wedding plans due to 'major issues.' The former couple started dating in 2018 and got engaged in 2022, but for the most part kept their relationship assiduously private. As she walked the red carpet, Sweeney posed for photos with Brandon Sklenar and Amanda Seyfried Despite recently making the tough decision to end her seven-year romance, the Euphoria star, 27, looking nothing short of sensational as she attended CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday For the occasion, she wowed in a strapless, off-white gown with a corset-style bodice On Monday, a source told People that Sweeney and Davino's relationship had been 'rocky for a long time.' At this time, the insider noted that Sweeney has been focusing on her career and is 'exactly where she wants to be.' 'Most people would feel overwhelmed by her working schedule this year, but not Syd. She's all about working right now and very excited about all her projects," the source says of Sweeney,' they explained. The source explained that the performer did, however, feel 'overwhelmed' by her 'relationship and her wedding.' Ultimately, she 'didn't feel right about' walking down the aisle and wants to focus on her 'magical career that she could only dream of a few years ago.' Despite her recent heartbreak, Sweeney put on a happy face as she smiled at photographers Her four-carat round brilliant-cut diamond engagement ring, which was rumored to cost between $50,000 to $150,000, was notably absent from her left hand As she walked the red carpet, Sweeney posed for photos with Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar 'She's not ready to settle down,' the source explained. 'They only lasted for this long because it was hard for her to break it off. They didn't split because there is no love. They split because she just wants to focus on her career right now.' Following news of her and Davino's split, Sweeney had a friendly reunion with her former costar, Glen Powell, at his sister Leslie's wedding. Amid headline speculating if she had already moved on, a source told Us Weekly that there was 'nothing going on romantically between Glen and Sydney.' The source said that Sydney met up with Glen because his sister Leslie invited her to her wedding in Texas over the weekend. The day after the ceremony on Saturday, the Anyone But You co-stars grabbed a bite together at a local Dallas restaurant, as seen in photos shared by gossip site DeuxMoi on Instagram. Last month, Sweeney and Sklenar sent the internet into a frenzy after she posted a flirty video of them together on Instagram It was reported last week that the actress and film producer, 41, scrapped their wedding plans due to 'major issues' (seen with Davino in 2018) 'Sydney is close with the entire family,' the source said before adding that Sweeney and Powell's sister have 'been close friends for a long time.' The star responded to the wedding invitation 'months ago' with plans to attend with a plus-one. 'Sydney brought one of her girlfriends to the wedding as a guest and she RSVP'd months ago,' the insider told the outlet. Back in 2023, the two stars were notably embroiled in romance speculation while they promoted their romantic comedy Anyone But You. During a past interview with Business Insider, the actor opened up about using their 'authentic chemistry' when it came to promoting Anyone But You. Following news of her and Davino's split, Sweeney had a friendly reunion with her former costar, Glen Powell, at his sister Leslie's wedding; seen in 2024 'I don't have the mental capacity to pull anything like this off, but she's very smart. She's very smart. I had such a wonderful journey with her on this thing. But in terms of actual dating and actually being together? [Laughs.].' Also in 2023, Powell split from his girlfriend Gigi Paris and expressed, 'Well, look, the only reason it made things harder for me to lean into that stuff was that I was going through a very real breakup amidst a promotional tour. 'I was with someone that I really loved and cared about and was trying to kind of make sense of a lot of stuff.' In late 2023 on the Today show, Powell denied that there was anything romantic between the two but said, 'No, but we do love each other. And, honestly, this is one of the most spectacular humans I've ever met. She's really great.' Advertisement Denise Richards has opened up about her relationship with ex-husband Charlie Sheen. The actress, who was promoting her show Denise Richards & Her Wild Things on the Whine Down with Jenna Kramer podcast shared the two former spouses do not communicate much. The former couple, who were married from 2002 to 2006, had their own ideas about how to bring up their girls, Sami, 21, and Lola, 19. 'Truthfully, it wasn't co-parenting,' the 54-year-old actress explained to the One Tree Hill alum. 'I parent my way. He parents his way, and there was no co-parenting.' Struggling to describe the dynamic with the Two and a Half Men star, 59, she said, 'I have kids with him, and I'm not really I'm friendly with Charlie, but I wish we were friends,' she said. The Paper Empire star revealed she also wished 'that we could talk all the time and be able to be there really for each other with our girls. But that's just not the relationship we have.' Denise Richards, 54, has opened up about how she and ex Charlie Sheen, 59 have brought up their two children. 'I parent my way. He parents his way, and there was no co-parenting,' she said 'Maybe one day. But, I mean right now, there's nothing. There's no discord between he and I, which is great.' 'I was always an advocate of wanting everything to be great and be friends and blend the family because he had two boys with his wife after me,' The Bold and The Beautiful star maintained, adding, 'I just didn't want the girls to feel like they had to choose sides.' Richards is also mom to 13-year-old Eloise, whom she adopted. When the girls were little, Richards said she put up a good front for her children, in spite of their father's struggle with drugs and the law, including charges of domestic assault. 'I never talked bad about him in front of the kids, and that's hard to do to hold your tongue and not say certain things at times,' the World Is Not Enough actress said. 'I don't know if I did a disservice to them with that as well because now that they're older, they're discovering things that they didn't know.' The Bookie actor revealed in 2015 that he had been diagnosed with HIV several years before, but thanks to retroviral drugs, the virus is undetectable. The Mad Families star has been sober since 2017, revealing that being too drunk to drive one of his daughters to an appointment was the final straw for him. Sheen credits that decision with making him a better father to all of his children. The famous pair were married from 2002-2006; Pictured in Los Angeles in January 2004 'I have kids with him, and I'm not really I'm friendly with Charlie, but I wish we were friends,' Richards said on the Whine Down with Jenna Kramer podcast while promoting their reality show Denise Richards & Her Wild Things; Pictured in New York City in February When the girls were little, Richards said she put up a good front for her children. . 'I never talked bad about him in front of the kids, and that's hard to do to hold your tongue and not say certain things at times'; Pictured in Los Angeles in June 2010 Richards and Sheen have mended their fences enough for Sheen to appear on the latest episode of Denise Richards and her Wild Things, which debuted Tuesday on Bravo 'I have a very consistent lifestyle now. Its all about single dad stuff, and raising my... twin boys Max and Bob,' he said of the now 16-year-olds he shares with ex Brooke Mueller to People in December 2023. Richards and Sheen have mended their fences enough for Sheen to appear on the latest episode of her reality show, which debuted Tuesday on Bravo. In the episode, the exes get together for a dinner with their daughters, and Sheen gives advice to Lola about how to deal with fame. 'Don't read anything,' the Emmy nominee advised. 'Don't read anything about it. Because if you don't read it, it doesn't exist.' Jack Black shared a bit more than he was planning during his appearance on a late night talk show on Monday. And it was not a gag. The actor, 55, thrilled the audience at The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon when he pretended to shred a guitar while walking through the crowd to promote the upcoming A Minecraft Movie. That is when he suffered a wardrobe malfunction. As Black approached the stage, his black pants began to slowly but surely slide off his hips, revealing a black-and-red boxer brief, which clashed with his green print shirt. After being greeted by Fallon, 50, with a hug, the Kung Fu Panda star quickly pulled his pants up, but pushed away any embarrassment by swiveling his hips and waving to the cheering crowd. 'That is Jack Black. That's how you make an entrance!' Fallon exclaimed. 'You bring the heat. You bring the energy,' he continued. 'I didn't bring a belt,' Black quickly quipped. Jack Black, 55, revealed a little more than he intended when his pants fell down as he stepped on the stage for an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Monday night While talking about the Golden Globe nominee's latest project, which is based on a popular video game, Fallon took a walk down memory lane saying 'I think your career started as a video game commercial.' 'My first job was for a game called Pitfall on Atari,' Black affirmed, reminding the audience it was 'the very first video game' for the Atari home system, as way of introduction for a brief look at the spot. The Tenacious D frontman revealed he also used his musical talents in the film. 'I've got some little nuggets, a sprinkling of musical nuggets and a big showstopper,' he said. 'They wanted a song at the end of the movie that wraps up the whole... and they got the guys that wrote I'm Just Ken from Barbie, and I was like Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt? And so we jammed on it and wrote it together and it's really...' 'It's so good!' Fallon said finishing his friend's sentence. The versatile star revealed it was his sons, Sammy, 18, and Tommy, 16, who introduced him to the video game. 'They were on to Minecraft 10 year ago, way before the movie was even talked about. And I learned how to play Minecraft just because I wanted to be able to speak-a their language' he said with a fake Italian accent. 'I didn't bring a belt,' Black quipped, brushing away any embarrassment by swiveling his hips and waving to the cheering crowd The actor was promoting A Minecraft Movie, with Jason Momoa and Sebastian Hansen, which opens Friday The actor and musician thrilled the audience while 'shredding' a guitar for his intro The Tenacious D frontman shared that he also contributed to the film's soundtrack, including the end song, which he wrote with Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt 'I'm a gamer, and it still took me a few days before I could crack the code,' he said, explaining he turned to YouTube tutorials for help. 'It's kind of like Legos where you build structures and you mine for materials, and I started building a castle on top of a mountain,' he said, adding it was, 'Really fun, cool stuff.' Black will also be hosting Saturday Night Live at the end of the week for the fourth time, getting one step closer to getting the coveted fifth hosting gig. 'I've hosted thrice,' the funnyman said, 'I don't want to toot my own horn - thrice,' he said again rolling his Rs. A Minecraft Movie opens in theaters Friday. Rapper Young Scooter died after he cut his right thigh on a wooden fence, leading to 'marked' blood loss, the Fulton County Medical Examiner said Tuesday. The Atlanta star, real name Kenneth Bailey, was originally believed to have been killed by a gunshot wound on Friday - his 39th birthday. 'This injury was not a gunshot wound,' the medical examiner said, according to Rolling Stone. The large artery in the leg supplies blood to the legs and thighs, and injury to it can lead to dangerous blood loss. 'Mr. Bailey injured himself on organic (wooden) fencing material and/or woody debris after vaulting at least one fence,' they added. The Atlanta Police Department initially said he suffered a gruesome leg injury after allegedly fleeing from them. Rumors quickly spread that the cops involved in the incident shot the performer. On Monday, police released audio of a woman's 911 call in which she claimed to have seen a nude, 'beaten and bloody' woman engaged in a fight related to drugs who was dragged from a home in the Lakewood Heights neighborhood. The woman on the 911 call alleged that the woman was bleeding severely from a head wound sustained in the fight, and she urged police to arrive as quickly as possible. Rapper Young Scooter died after he cut his right thigh on a wooden fence, leading to 'marked' blood loss The Atlanta Police Department initially said he suffered a gruesome leg injury after allegedly fleeing from them. Rumors quickly spread that cops shot the rapper. (Pictured: Young Scooter and T.I in 2017) The call - which police say was a complete fabrication - appeared to be an instance of 'swatting,' in which someone falsely reports a crime to police in hopes of getting them to respond in ways that are embarrassing at best to the victims and potentially deadly at worst. Audio of the call obtained by TMZ features a woman who claims to be part of the 'neighborhood watch' telling the 911 dispatcher that one house has men coming in and out for alleged drug deals. She also claimed they were armed and were brandishing their 'guns in the air.' According to the woman on the call, a naked woman was dragged from the house by a man who then fought her outdoors, before the naked woman allegedly brought back other men who shot at the house. The woman calling police then claimed that the naked woman was 'bleeding profusely from her head' and needed help. The story didn't make much sense, as the caller later claimed that the injured woman was being 'held hostage' by the men in the house after she was beaten up, despite previously claiming that she had left to bring other men to shoot at the house. The caller also alleged that there was a 'child in danger,' as the injured woman had a 'baby' in the house, though she didn't mention what made her think that. She also speculated that the men in the house might have been running some kind of sex trafficking operation. The performer (pictured in 2018) died on Friday - his 39th birthday At the end of the call, the woman repeatedly urged police to arrive as soon as possible over concerns that the woman and her child would be hurt. But none of what the caller warned about appeared to have been true, as police say there were no signs of the alleged confrontation with the woman, her child, or recent gunfire directed toward the house. The APD did say that a man answered the door when they arrived, but quickly slammed it in their face. They also said that Young Scooter appeared to have fled the home from the back while police were still at the front. Authorities have emphasized that no shots were fired by officers during the incident. The rapper, known for his collaborations with Future and Gucci Mane, was rushed to Grady Marcus Trauma Center in Atlanta, where he was pronounced dead. Late Friday night, Atlanta Police Lt. Andrew Smith held a press conference to provide further details about the tragic incident. Smith stated that officers responded to a call about a dispute with a weapon at a residence, and after a man closed the door on them, they established a perimeter. Two men then fled the rear of the house; one returned, while the other jumped two fences. The rapper, known for his collaborations with Future and Gucci Mane, was rushed to Grady Marcus Trauma Center in Atlanta, where he was pronounced dead According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Scooter was the man who jumped the fences. Smith said, 'When officers located him on the other side of the fence, he appeared to have suffered an injury to his leg.' Smith denied rumors that Scooter had been fatally shot by Atlanta PD officers. 'Just to be very clear, the injury that was sustained was not via the officers on scene. It was when the male was fleeing.' Young Scooter's career gained momentum in 2012 when he signed with Future's Freebandz label. The following year, he released the Free Bricks 2 mixtape with Gucci Mane, and a separate mixtape featuring guest appearances from Gucci, Future, WG, and Lil Boosie. Hours before the news broke, Scooter's Instagram account was actively reposting birthday wishes from friends and fans to his Stories. Playboi Carti honored the late rapper on Instagram, writing, 'I GREW UP ON DIS SH*T SMH RIP.' Migos rapper Quavo shared two heartbroken emojis writing 'ion understand.' Forget the slot machine-loving retirees Las Vegas is attracting a new wave of high-rollers. A surprising group is flocking to the neon-lit desert: millionaires from Seattle. Their rush to Nevada comes as Washington state lawmakers debate whats being called the nations first wealth tax. The proposed capital gains tax, currently under review in the state Senate, aims to help close a $13 billion budget deficit over the next four years. If passed, the measure would impose an additional 1 percent tax on stocks and bonds for those with more than $50 million in such assets. It would also raise property taxes and introduce a payroll tax for large employers. Many of those eyeing an escape have built their fortunes at Washingtons biggest companies, including Microsoft and Amazon. One early mover was businessman Michael Fraser-Vuur, who left Seattle for Nevada in 2021. Sin City is preparing to welcome an influx of millionaires fleeing the Evergreen state Fraser-Vuur, who made his fortune founding software company Refactr, told Bloomberg he wanted to make the move before selling his company and potentially facing a large tax bill in Washington. 'We wanted to make sure we were absolutely Nevada residents before the transaction happened,' he told the publication. 'It's the best state from a tax perspective.' Even before the current proposals individuals in Washington have face a 7 percent tax on capital gains over $270,000 since 2023. By contrast Nevada has no capital-gains tax and no estate tax making it an increasingly attractive option for wealthy Washingtonians. The properties being snapped up by these wealthy home shoppers can cost in the region of $20 million, as one property recently sold by realtor Ryan Tsui did last year. Another wealthy Washington resident, Rahul Sood left the state for Nevada in 2021 following the tax changes and ahead of the proposed increases. 'We have to make a choice on where we invest our money,' said Sood, who worked for Microsoft and then founded his own esports betting company. As well as its iconic skyline Las Vegas has some premium real estate Washington millionaires can spend around $20 million on exclusive properties in Nevada 'We have to make a choice on where we invest our money,' Sood told Bloomberg. 'Do we invest our money in more government spending, or do we invest it in the people and the technology that we're trying to build?' Despite the fierce debate and departing millionaires the current capital gains tax in Washington affects less than 4,000 people. In 2023, the first year the tax was collected, the extra tax on those returns brought in $848 million. Las Vegas is keen to welcome the fleeing millionaire's and their business acumen as a way of diversifying its tourism dependent economy. Nevada has even offered to use the state's venture capital fund to march private investment in startup businesses. Sine the pandemic La Vegas has lost a series of iconic hotels, monuments and businesses as it struggles to maintain its reputation and attract enough visitors. Trader Joe's shoppers have spoken. The winners of the grocery chains 16th Annual Customer Choice Awards are in. The retailer announced the fan-favorite products after a customer vote earlier this year. Each year, the California-based grocery chain calls on its shoppers to vote for their favorite Trader Joe's products across various categories. All 11 category winners are available at every Trader Joe's location, with several repeat champions from last year including the overall top product. But a few new favorites made the list, taking the top spots in the new product and produce categories. So, which items came out on top this year? Find out below! Trader Joe's announced the winners of its 16th Annual Customer Choice Awards on January 27 The winning products were selected based on votes from Trader Joe's shoppers Favorite Overall This year's overall winner at the 16th Annual Customer Choice Awards was once again the Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips Fans voted the Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips the number one overall product for the third year in a row. The chips, which were also dubbed the top snack, are described as 'spicy, ire-zest-tible little scrolls made from stone ground corn masa.' Customers interested in purchasing a bag can do so at any neighboring Trader Joe's for $2.99. Other items considered for the top overall product were the Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings, Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, Kimbap, and Vegetable Fried Rice. Favorite New Product Trader Joe's Cashel-brand blue cheese potato chips was voted the favorite new product Shoppers instantly loved the limited-time potato chips after they hit store shelves last year. 'Of the many extraordinary culinary exports that Ireland is famed for, two of our absolute favorites are its hearty, homey potatoes and creamy, full-flavored cheeses,' the product description read. 'So when one of our buyers happened upon the both of them combined into one superbly savory snack, you can imagine how excited we were.' The chips, which were $2.99 a bag, are reportedly no longer available in stores, according to customers. Other items named runners up were the French Onion Popcorn, Garlic Gondolas, Strawberry Hold the Cone!, and Crispy Potato & Poblano Pepper Tacos. Favorite Beverage Trader Joe's Spiced Cider was voted the top beverage. Oher drinks considered were French Market Sparking Lemonade and Triple Ginger Brew The Spiced Cider beverage has once again been named the favorite drink amongst Trader Joe's shoppers. The limited-time drink is a 'fall-season tradition' at its stores that cost $3.99. The drink, which hit shelves for the first time over 20 years ago, is still available to purchase in stores. The Spiced Cider beat out French Market Sparkling Lemonade, Sparkling Honeycrisp Apple Juice Beverage, Triple Ginger Brew, and Villa Italia Italian Blood Orange Soda. Favorite Cheese All variations of Trader Joe's Goat cheese was awarded as top cheese For the second year in a row, customers crowned Trader Joe's goat cheese the best cheese. Some of the options available include the Chevre-brand goat cheese, crumbled goat cheese, and sliced Dutch goat's milk cheese. More than one of the cheeses costs $2.99 per container and are permanent items. The products this cheese beat were the English Farmhouse Cheddar with Caramelized Onions, Syrah Soaked Toscano Cheese Spread & Dip, Burrata, and Saint Andre Triple Creme Brie. Favorite Produce Teeny Tiny Avocados took over bananas in this year's top spot for produce products at Trader Joe's Trader Joe's Teeny Tiny Avocados took over this year's top produce product spot from bananas. 'We like to say they're where-have-you-been-all-my-life-sized,' Trader Joe's said about the $4.99 snacks. 'No more letting unused avo-halves brown in the fridge, folks!.' This year's runners-up were bananas, honeycrisp apples, organic Persian cucumbers, and blueberries. Favorite Appetizer The Spinach & Artichoke Dip was named the Best Appetizer and was recommended to eat with crackers, baguette slices, and tortilla chips The Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip is the perfect blend of ''chokes and spinach' with Swiss and parmesan cheese and hits of spices. It also came out on top for customers' favorite appetizer after winning the coveted award last year. The item, which costs $3.79, beat out Jalapeno & Cream Cheese Crispy Wontons, Parmesan Pastry Pups, Greek Spanakopita, and Vegetable Bird's Nests with Soy Dipping Sauce. Favorite Breakfast & Brunch Trader Joe's heat & eat hash browns were named the grocery store chain's top breakfast or brunch The retailer's hashbrowns also won for the second year in a row after winning top breakfast last year. The shredded potato hashbrowns come fully cooked and cost $2.99. This year's runners-up were 4 Chocolate Croissants, 4 Almond Croissants, Dutch Griddle Cakes, and Chicken Sausage Breakfast Patties. Favorite Lunch & Dinner The buttered chicken entre was awarded the favorite lunch & dinner option for the second year in a row The fan-favorite Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice clinched this year's victory after debuting on last year's list. '#Cookinghacks that's how the original recipe for butter chicken is said to have been created,' according to Trader Joe's. Customers can score a box of this beloved lunch and dinner meal for $4.99. Other contenders for this award were the Chicken Tikka Masala, Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings, Kimbap, and Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. Favorite Sweet Treat The sublime ice cream sandwiches features chocolate chip cookies sandwiching creamy vanilla ice cream and chocolate chips The sweet treat fans raved about last year has once again been crowned the top Trader Joe's dessert. The Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches were created years ago after the retailer had an 'ice cream epiphany' and realized they could make 'way better' treats compared to other chains. The beloved treats are available in Trader Joe's freezers everywhere for $4.99. The other desserts close to beating the ice cream sandwiches were the Almond Kringle, Hold the Cone! Chocolate Chip, Jingle Jangle, and the Dark Chocolate Covered Almond. Favorite Bath, Body & Home This winning body butter with a salted-caramel & pistachio scent is exclusively available in summertime The salted-caramel & pistachio scented Brazil Nut Body Butter, claimed victory in the bath, body & home category. The product is exclusively available during the summer time for $5.99. This year's runners-up were the Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40, Coconut Body Butter, Leave In Conditioner, and the Lavender Spray Hand Sanitizer. Trader Joe's was in the news last year after it raised the price of its bananas for the first time in more than two decades. Last March, it increased the price of a banana from 19 to 23 cents. It may only be an extra 4 cents - but it works out at a 21 per cent increase. In terms of numbers sold, bananas are typically the best-selling item at supermarkets - so it is a change Trader Joe's value-focussed customers will notice. The 19 cents banana is such a well-known deal at Trader Joe's that its customers have voted it their favorite item of produce in its annual awards a total of five times, including in 2024. Two of President Trump's sons have invested in a bitcoin mining venture as the family further strengthens its ties to the industry. Don Jr. and Eric Trump announced on Monday the launch of American Bitcoin, which will join forces with the already established Bitcoin mining company Hut 8. Eric will become the chief strategy officer of the new firm, which will focus on mining bitcoin and aims to ultimately become publicly listed, a statement said. Bitcoin mining is the process of validating transactions and using mathematical equations to add to the blockchain. It requires immense computer power and Hut 8 runs sprawling data centers with high-powered servers to get the job done. 'From the start, we've backed our conviction in Bitcoin, personally and through our businesses,' Don Jr. said in a statement. 'But simply buying Bitcoin is only half the story. Mining it on favorable economics opens an even bigger opportunity.' Trump has been transparent about his desire to make America the 'crypto capital of the planet.' He promised to be the 'crypto president,' who will popularize its mainstream use in America, despite once being a crypto skeptic himself who described bitcoin as a 'scam.' Don Jr. and Eric Trump announced on Monday the launch of American Bitcoin, which will join forces with the already established Bitcoin mining company Hut 8 Two of President Trump's sons have invested in a bitcoin mining venture as the family further strengthens its ties to the industry Eric will become the chief strategy officer of the new firm, which will focus on mining bitcoin and aims to ultimately become publicly listed, a statement said He has said he backs crypto because it can improve the banking system and increase the dominance of the US dollar. At the same time the Trump family, long known for skyscrapers and country clubs, rapidly gained hundreds of millions of dollars through their crypto investments. Eric and Don Jr. outlaid their bold vision for the future of their new venture in a statement on Hut 8. 'American Bitcoin aims to become the worlds largest, most efficient pure-play miner while building a robust strategic Bitcoin reserve,' the statement read. 'Initially, American Bitcoins results will be consolidated within the Companys financial statements for reporting purposes. Hut 8 will serve as American Bitcoins exclusive infrastructure and operations partner. The partnership 'combines Hut 8s proven mining operations, cost-efficient infrastructure development capabilities, and disciplined approach to capital allocation with Eric Trumps commercial acumen, capital markets expertise, and commitment to the advancement of decentralized financial systems,' the statement added. Proving the family's commitment to the sector, Trump and Melania even launched two separate meme coins on Inauguration day. Trump's $Trump earned more than $100million in January alone before it crashed. Similarly, early takers of Melania's meme coin stood to make millions before it plummeted. Bitcoin mining is the process of validating transactions and using mathematical equations to add to the blockchain. It requires immense computer power and Hut 8 runs sprawling data centers (pictured) with high-powered servers to get the job done Donald Trump launched his Trump meme coin on Inauguration day A representation of TrumpCoin cryptocurrency Meme coins are a strange and highly volatile corner of the crypto industry that often start as a joke with no real value but can surge in price if enough people are willing to buy them. And during the election campaign, Trump and his sons launched World Liberty Financial, a crypto company which offers two digital currencies, including a 'stablecoin' which Eric and Don Jr. launched last week. World Liberty's goal is to allow people to access financial services using cryptocurrencies and without intermediaries like banks. World Liberty disclosed in January that the Trump family had taken control of the business, a review of changes in the fine print on the website shows. Two of its co-founders, crypto entrepreneurs Zak Folkman and Chase Herro, were replaced as the controlling parties of World Liberty by an entity in which the Trump family holds a 60 percent stake. It was during his campaign that Trump promised to make America the 'crypto capital of the planet' by enacting new laws to pave the way for financial institutions and pension funds to invest in these controversial and risky assets The Trump Organization announced in January that the president's investments, assets and business interests would be held in a trust managed by his children and he would play no role in day-to-day operations or decision-making. The family's business also retained an attorney to serve as an ethics adviser to 'avoid any perceived conflicts of interest.' The political situation in Nepal is in flux. King Gyanendra, deposed in 2008, is rallying supporters to reclaim the throne, while Nepalas Left-led republicans fight to uphold the 2015 secular, democratic Constitution I am in Tikapur, Kailali District, on the India-Nepal border, having been in Nepal since March 11, when I arrived in Kathmandu. I have travelled to Pokhara, Nepalganj, Salyan, Rolpa and Ghorai a virtually all of central and far Western Nepal, studying the Movement for the Restoration of Monarchy (MRM). The battle between David and Goliath has begun. No one is quite sure who is David and who is Goliath, though one thing is clear: the contest will not end anytime soon. King Gyanendra Shah sounded the clarion call on February 19 (Democracy Day), urging his aprajaa to help him return to the throne, then on March 9 made the triumphant return from temple tour to Kathmandu, followed by March 19as symbolic demonstration by his supporters outside Narayanhiti Durbar Kathmandu, these signals of an impending skirmish were available. The timing for the assault was provided by Republican Left parties which had earlier announced March 28 for a protest meeting against MRM. The royalists decided to checkmate the republicans. Gyanendra feels robbed of his crown and entitlements after he was dethroned in 2008 after the declaration (sanctified by the 2015 constitution) by the Maoist Government led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda that Nepal was a secular, democratic and inclusive republic, the culmination of the 10-year long peopleas war. This was preceded by the 12-point Delhi Agreement at Shangrila Hotel in 2005 between seven political parties and Maoists that was followed by the Peopleas third Andolan in 2006 when India, the principal mediator, could not save for Gyanendra even constitutional monarchy. Had Gyanendra not executed the Palace coup by dismissing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in 2005 and deleting democracy (as demonstrated on his laptop to KV Rajan, former ambassador to Nepal), he might have saved the Shah dynasty. He is a man in a hurry. GP Koirala was considering offering ababy monarchya which has a precedent in Nepal in which Gyanendra himself fulfilled that role. Even the Maoists at one stage were flexible and willing to consider a agenuinea constitutional monarchy. But the 1990 Constitution authorised constitutional monarchy in which King Birendra held de facto, even de jure powers including and especially control of the Royal Nepal Army had set a dangerous precedent. The Maoistsa key demand was civilian political control of RNA following the Holleri horror. On March 28, two protest rallies were held in Kathmandu in separate locations allotted by the police a the royalists at Tinkune and the republicans at Bhrikuti Mandap. Unfortunately for the royalists, Gyanendra divided his forces inadvertently or advertently, creating a split within the royalist Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). The 87-year-old Navraj Subedi, the new political driver of MRM, accompanied by Durga Parsai a prominent royalist and bete noire of the establishment, especially Prime Minister KP Oli, met Gyanendra on March 28 for blessings before the battle. Parsai was appointed commander of the rally. RPP leaders Rajindra Lingden, Kamal Thapa and Pashupati Rana had distanced themselves from the royalist protest meeting that was designed to be provocative. Parsai-led hawks intended to catalyse MRM and challenged the police which according to royalists, fired teargas shells to disperse their rally. Royalistas targets were all Left party offices. They set ablaze the Unified Socialists (former PM Madhav Nepal) office and parts of the Maoists office too. Parsai was captured on camera driving his car like a man possessed breaking police barricades. Mayhem followed a burning Government property, cars, Avenue Television, looting of Bhat Bhateni, and the departmental store (Nepalas Marks and Spencer). The Avenue TV journalist Suresh Rajak could not be extricated from the inferno. Altogether, two persons were killed and hundreds injured including police personnel. Parsai was declared the designated leader of organised violence. The Army was called out. Not since the 2005 Palace coup had the Nepal Army taken to the streets ostensibly to protect Kathmandu airport which was temporarily shut down. An emergency cabinet meeting was held where Home Minister Ram Lekhak was asked to investigate the skirmish between royalists and police and fix responsibility for the violence. Meanwhile, the Left Front rally was held peacefully. Prachanda condemned the violence perpetrated by the royalists, attributing it to the misgovernance of the Oli-led alliance. He said he sometimes wondered whether Oli was sympathetic to Gyanendra and the monarchy. According to official sources, some 35,000 people attended the peaceful republican rally whereas four to 5000 royalists went on a rampage. While Parsai is on the run (not for the first time), Subedi was put under house arrest and RPP leaders Dawal Shamsher Rana and Rabindra Misra (former BBC Nepali chief) were taken into custody. Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah has slammed a penalty of NPR seven lakh against Gyanendra for damages caused to municipal property. In Parliament, on March 29, the ruling coalition demanded the arrest of Gyanendra and republican parliamentarians also called for his arrest or house confinement. Some even demanded the revocation of his passport and the withdrawal of his privileges. On March 31, Oli warned Gyanendra of severe action blaming him for violence. Security provided to Gyanendraas Nirmal Niwas by Armed Police Force was reduced from 25 personnel to 16 soldiers. Neither India nor China has issued any official statement though Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had stated in response to a question during the Raisina Dialogue in Delhi (March 17 to 19) that India had no links with MRM. Nepalas political analyst, Kalyan Sharma, has said there is no evidence of either India or Chinaas interference at the micro level in domestic affairs. Gyanendraas precipitate action plan resulting in a breach of law and order and violence including looting has harmed his MRM. While he had provided space and a platform for people to express their discontentment over political misrule and unmet expectations, the opposite has happened among sections of society. According to a Himalayan poll in 2006, 48 per cent of people had opted for republicans and 42 per cent for royalists. A new poll is needed. Gyanendra has lost the momentum for prospects for any constitutional and revolutionary change. Temple touring alone will not help to create the surge that Gyanendra seeks. (The writer, a retired Major General, was Commander, IPKF South, Sri Lanka and founder member of the Defence Planning Staff, currently the Integrated Defence Staff. Views expressed are personal) Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that India's northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity. The remark, apparently made during Yunus' recent four-day visit to China, surfaced on social media on Monday. Yunus, who met President Xi Jinping and signed nine agreements with Beijing during the trip, said, aThe seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean.a Calling Bangladesh as the aonly guardian of the oceana in the region, he said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy. Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economy advisory council, posted the video on X and questioned why Yunus mentioned India's northeastern region. aInteresting that Yunus is making a public appeal to the Chinese on the basis that 7 states in India are land-locked. China is welcome to invest in Bangladesh, but what exactly is the significance of 7 Indian states being landlocked?a he said. Yunus, while embarking on his return journey on Saturday, said in China that it is aimportanta for his country to see Beijing as a good friend. aIt's very important that we see China as our good friend,a Yunus said, projecting Beijing as a balancing factor against New Delhi. He expects bilateral relations to enter a new stage, Yunus told Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency in an interview. After reaching China on March 26, Yunus spoke at Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan and on March 27 joined several events on the sidelines. On Saturday, Yunus received an honorary doctorate degree from Peking University (PKU) and also delivered a lecture on the occasion, the state-run news agency BSS said. China and Bangladesh on Friday signed nine agreements after Yunus' meeting with President Xi Jinping during which the Bangladesh chief adviser highlighted student protests that led to regime change in Dhaka and urged Beijing to play a agreater rolea in establishing peace and stability. Additionally, Bangladesh secured a commitment of USD 2.1 billion in investments, loans and grants from the Chinese government and its companies. Bangladesh welcomed Chinese companies to participate in the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP), according to a joint statement issued after the meeting between Yunus and Xi. India and Chile on Tuesday announced starting negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership pact as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font here held wide-ranging talks focusing on boosting the ties in areas of trade, defence, critical minerals and health. Describing Chile as an important afriend and partnera for India in Latin America, Modi said several new initiatives were identified to enhance overall cooperation in the coming decade. Boric, accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, members of Parliament, senior officials and business leaders, is on a five-day state visit to India. aIndia and Chile may be at different ends of the world map, there may be vast oceans separating us, but nature has linked us with unique similarities,a Modi said in his media statement. He further said: aThe waves of the Indian Ocean flow with the same energy in India as the waves of the Pacific Ocean touch the shores of Chile.a The prime minister said India is ready to share its positive experience with Chile in the areas of digital public infrastructure, renewable energy, railways, space and others. aWe welcome the growth in mutual trade and investment. We agree that there is also untapped potential for further cooperation in this,a he said. aToday we have instructed our teams to begin discussions on a mutually beneficial comprehensive economic partnership agreement.a Modi further said the India-Chile partnership will be strengthened in the field of critical minerals and work will be done to establish resilient supply and value chains. In the field of agriculture, cooperation will be done to ensure food security by combining each otheras capabilities, he said. aThe growing cooperation in the field of defence is a symbol of our deep mutual trust. We will move forward to create defense industrial manufacturing and supply chains in this area according to each otheras needs,a Modi said. aWe will increase cooperation between the agencies of both the countries to face common challenges like organised crime, drug trafficking, terrorism,a he said. aAt the global level, India and Chile agree that all tensions and disputes should be resolved through dialogue,a he noted. The prime minister also noted that India and Chile are aunanimous that reform of the United Nations Security Council and other institutions is essential to face global challengesa. Together we will continue to contribute to global peace and stability, he said. Both sides also inked an agreement on the cultural exchange. aWe also considered simplifying the visa process between the two countries. We will also continue to make efforts to increase student exchange between India and Chile,a Modi said. The prime minister said the Chilean presidentas visit to India has created a anew energy and enthusiasma in the relations. aThis energy will give new momentum and direction to our bilateral relations as well as our cooperation in the entire Latin America region,a he said. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday described as "offensive and strongly condemnable" the interim Bangladesh government calling itself the "only guardian of the ocean" in the region. Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to his country, mentioning that India's northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity. The remark, apparently made during Yunus' recent four-day visit to China, surfaced on social media on Monday. "The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh, the so-called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable," Sarma posted on X. "Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," he added. Calling Bangladesh the "only guardian of the ocean" in the region, Yunus said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy. "The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean," he said. Sarma pointed out that this remark underscores the "persistent vulnerability narrative associated with India's strategic 'Chicken's Neck' corridor". "Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically. Therefore, it is imperative to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chicken's Neck corridor," he said. Sarma also called for the prioritisation of exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to the rest of India, effectively bypassing the 'Chicken's Neck'. He said that this may pose significant engineering challenges, but it can be achieved with "determination and innovation". First batch of disaster-relief material by Chinese government arrives in Myanmar Xinhua) 10:09, April 01, 2025 Staff members prepare to transport the first batch of disaster-relief material offered by the Chinese government at the Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, March 31, 2025. (Photo by Haymhan Aung/Xinhua) YANGON, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of disaster-relief material provided by the Chinese government arrived here on Monday. The supplies were welcomed by Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Ma Jia and Yangon Region Chief Minister U Soe Thein, among others. The supplies included 1,200 tents, 8,000 blankets and more than 40,000 first aid kits, Ma said, adding that more supplies were being prepared and will soon arrive in Myanmar. She noted that China is willing to assist in Myanmar's earthquake relief and post-disaster reconstruction, and wished the people of Myanmar an early victory over the disaster and reconstruction of their homeland. Thein said the supplies demonstrated a profound friendship of the Chinese government and people toward the Myanmar people. A Chinese rescue team arrived first after the earthquake, Thein said, noting that multiple Chinese teams were sent later. Expressing gratitude to China for its sincere help, Thein said the supplies would be sent to disaster-hit areas soon. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Design work on Irish language signs at Belfasts Grand Central Station has stopped due to potential legal action, Translink has said., Stormont Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins gave the go-ahead for the signage last week, but it has led to a row among Stormont Executive ministers. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said Ms Kimmins had a legal duty to bring the decision to the Executive. DUP ministers have written to the Infrastructure Minister asking how the decision was made. They have also said they will bring up the row at Thursdays Executive meeting. Meanwhile, loyalist activist Jamie Bryson from the Unionist Voice Policy Studies (UVPS) group is attempting to secure a judicial review in the High Court in Belfast against the Department for Infrastructure, stating the decision was taken without Executive approval. Ms Kimmins has said the inclusion of Irish on signs at the station would be a hugely positive development. A Translink spokesperson said: Design work to include the Irish language on physical signage and on ticket vending machines at Belfast Grand Central Station has now stopped pending potential legal action. The options to include Irish language on ticket vending machines would need to be further explored with the supplier. The options could include adding this to the current offering or making a substitute. Mr Bryson said he had informed the Department for Infrastructure on Tuesday that he would seek an emergency court injunction after Translink said the work had commenced. He added: In consequence, this mornings statement has now been withdrawn and our legal action has halted the commencement of the work. A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said: Given the potential legal proceedings, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage. The Department for Infrastructure said the decision to install the signs was taken directly by Ms Kimmins, and not by Translink, the publicly funded transport operator which owns the 340 million station. Under Stormont rules, ministerial decisions that are deemed significant or controversial should be considered collectively by the powersharing coalition, rather than by an individual minister. However, within the Executive it is ultimately the responsibility of Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle ONeill and DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly to jointly decide what issues are significant or controversial and should be subject to a wider vote. Ms Little-Pengelly told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme that her concern was the cost of replacing signs that are virtually new. She added: The minister appears to have announced over the course of the last week that she is going to pull those out and replace those at a cost to the taxpayer of 120,000. I think there is genuine concern. This is a legitimate question to ask, why on earth would we be doing this at this time? The deputy First Minister continued: Any controversial or significant issue ought to be brought to the Executive. The minister has not done that so we have asked questions about what is the nature of this decision, we will be asking those questions as to why she has not brought that to the Executive. The key issue is to get that information and to ask the minister what she is doing. If it is an issue which is controversial or significant she has that legal duty under the legislation to bring that matter to the Executive. First of all it is about making that absolutely clear to the minister. The minister then has a decision to make about bringing that. That decision is not rightfully taken, it is not a decision that she can take alone, she would need to bring that to the Executive, that is the stage we are at. All controversial and significant matters have to be brought to the Executive for Executive agreement. That is the law. The minister should want to abide by the law. Ms Little-Pengelly added: To be putting new signs into a building and then ripping them out a few months later to replace them on a particular agenda to me does not constitute value for money, it doesnt constitute good decision-making. Ulster Unionist minister Mike Nesbitt said the cost of replacing the signage was an issue for him. He said: Could you imagine if I decided I wanted tri-lingual language on every building that delivered healthcare, whether it was hospitals, GP surgeries, social care venues? That would cost, I would imagine, tens and tens of millions of pounds while people are stuck on waiting lists for year after year. I am looking forward to discussing it with Executive colleagues on Thursday morning. He added: One of the first questions I want to ask is why has this issue come to the fore so late in the day? Why did a previous minister not sort it out during the construction phase of Grand Central Station? Grand Central Station has been billed as the largest integrated transport hub on the island of Ireland, with services including trains between Belfast and Dublin. When the station opened last year disappointment was expressed by the Irish language community that the signage did not incorporate Irish. Speaking at Westminster, Hilary Benn said: That is a matter for the minister and the department in discussion with Translink, but look my view is we should celebrate and respect all languages and all traditions in Northern Ireland. Its a matter in the end for the Infrastructure department and the Executive to sort out. But I repeat, we should respect all the languages and all traditions, because thats the way in which Northern Ireland will continue to progress. Samsung looks to salvage chip fortunes as chairman Lee Jae-yong courts China's AI and EV powerhouses Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently made a high-profile visit to China, meeting with leading Chinese automaker executives and President Xi Jinping. South Korean analysts suggest the trip was more than diplomatic opticsit reflects Samsung's bid to capitalize on China's surging artificial intelligence (AI) demand and revive its faltering semiconductor division. Samsung's HBM3 tapped for China-only Nvidia H20 AI chip Samsung's fourth-generation high bandwidth memory (HBM3) is seeing a spike in shipments, driven by its integration in Nvidia's H20 chipan AI processor tailored for China to sidestep US export controls. South Korean media, including Business Post, Chosun Biz, and Nate, reported surging demand for Nvidia's H20, with shortages emerging as Chinese buyers snap up supplies. Samsung, seen as the primary HBM3 supplier for the chip, is benefiting directly from the boom. Developed to sidestep US export sanctions, Nvidia's H20 has become a must-have as China's AI sector surgesspurred by new models like DeepSeek. Tech giants such as Tencent, Alibaba, and ByteDance are reportedly buying H20 units in bulk to scale up AI infrastructure. Insiders say Tencent has nearly exhausted H20 chip inventory, fueling shortages. Samsung, supplying HBM3 for H20 since July 2024, is riding the demand wave. Meanwhile, SK Hynix is prioritizing production of the next-gen HBM3E and pulling back on older HBM lines. SK hynix is expected to have HBM3E comprise 89% of its HBM production by 2025. In contrast, Micron continues to trail both South Korean firms in manufacturing capacity. Samsung is projected to begin supplying HBM3E to Nvidia in the second quarter of 2025, pending certification, positioning it for another potential boost in memory chip revenue. Lee meets Xiaomi, BYD to drive automotive memory sales Lee is also targeting growth in China's electric vehicle (EV) sector, making in-person visits to Xiaomi and BYD to explore opportunities in automotive memory supply. During his trip, Lee attended the China Development Forum (CDF) in Beijing, toured Xiaomi's EV factory with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, and met with Xiaomi Chairman Lei Jun and Vice Chairman Lin Bin. Lee then traveled to Shenzhen to meet BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu at BYD's headquarters. He returned to Beijing on March 28 to join a business roundtable led by President Xi, alongside other top executives. Industry sources suggest Samsung is in talks with firms like Xiaomi on automotive memory deals. Already collaborating with Qualcomm on vehicle semiconductors, Samsung is viewed as a strong contender in the auto memory market. China may hold the key to Samsung's recovery. Its 2024 business report shows China revenue surged 54% year-over-year to KRW64.9 trillion (approx. US$44.2 billion), with analysts estimating that memory chips accounted for roughly 60% of that figure. Article edited by Jack Wu The Taoiseach has been accused of victim blaming and gaslighting after saying it was not necessary for a Dublin principal to write to parents about her schools financial difficulties. Last month, the principal of Sacred Heart Junior School in the Killinarden area of Tallaght said it was facing closure because it could no longer afford to pay basic bills. Principal Orla McLoughlin said the school has suffered massive underfunding for many years due to cuts from the Department of Education. In a letter to parents, she outlined what she described as the schools major financial crisis and said it would have to close and teach remotely from todays date if it did not receive emergency funding. In the interim, the Department of Education committed to an early payment of capitation grant which was due in June. On Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin told the Dail that no school should have been in that position but he did not believe there was a necessity to write that letter to the parents at that time. Mr Martin, a former teacher, said it was his experience that the Department of Education always comes to help when schools are in difficulty. He said: My understanding is the department engaged with the school, with Sacred Heart, in December. Its my understanding, sought information the department did but didnt get any response in terms of information provision. Mr Martin said the department will continue to engage with the school and that it was unaware of any letter being sent out to the parents at the time. He was responding to People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy who described his comments as incredible. Mr Murphy told Mr Martin: The Taoiseach blaming a school put in a position by your government, by the Department of Education, blaming them for being in a situation where they felt no alternative but to say weve got to close our doors. Incredible. Victim blaming and gaslighting these principals across the country. Mr Murphy said the advance on the capitation grant was kicking the can down the road where the school will face a bigger debt in September. Mr Murphy said the departments Financial Support Services Unit letter to Sacred Heart JNS in December advised the principal to reach out to her community to help fund the school. He said: Shameful. These are not charities, Taoiseach. These principals shouldnt be running around having to fundraise based on how much money is in their area, based on how much population is served by their school. This is a basic public service which the state needs to provide. Mr Martin said he was not victim blaming anybody and questioned Mr Murphys sincerity on the matter. He said he had no doubt that the department would solve the schools issues in a sensible way. The Taoiseach added that the children at Sacred Heart there now had free primary school books and hot school meals. Mr Murphy was raising the issue of Sacred Heart JNS during Leaders Questions as an example of the canary in the coal mine of chronic underfunding of schools around the country. He said he was contacted by the principal of Holy Spirit Junior Primary School in Greenhills on Friday about the very real possibility of closure over financial pressures there. He called for a doubling of the capitation grant for primary schools and increasing the minor works grant and ancillary services grant. Mr Martin said the capitation grant has increased significantly over the last number of years. Louth Volunteer Centre says it is excited to announce the return of the annual Louth Volunteer Fair, taking place at The Barbican Centre, Drogheda, on Saturday 10 May, from 1-3 pm. The centre says that this is a wonderful opportunity for Louth community, voluntary, not-for-profit, and charity organisations to showcase their work, connect in-person with the public, and find new, enthusiastic volunteers to join their team. It encourages those interested to reserve a free spot for their stand now, while there is still space. Louth Volunteer Centre says that if your organisation involves volunteers and is looking to recruit, expand, or strengthen its team, this event is purpose designed for you. It says that the Louth Volunteer Fair offers a unique platform to raise awareness about your cause, engage directly with people passionate about giving back, and highlight the benefits of joining your organisation as a volunteer. Read next: Friends of the Earth Dundalk receive funding to support their work Online recruitment is a fantastic tool, but you cant beat the strength of making personal connections in engaging new potential volunteers. Louth Volunteer Centre will be on hand to provide experienced guidance on best practices in volunteer engagement, including training, crafting role descriptions, Garda vetting, and volunteer engagement strategies. Among the reasons an organisation should take part, Louth Volunteer Centre says it can: Attract New Volunteers: Meet: people face-to-face who are actively looking for meaningful ways to get involved. Boost Awareness & Visibility: Showcase your organisations mission, impact, and the vital work you do. Network with Other Organisations: Strengthen relationships within the voluntary sector and share valuable insights with like-minded groups. Access Support: Learn how to improve volunteer retention, structure effective volunteer roles, and develop your team effectively. On the day, Louth Volunteer Centre says organisations can gain exposure, connect with potential volunteers, and access support on volunteer engagement. It says that whether youre a grassroots initiative or established charity, this fair can help you find new supporters. It adds that attendees can learn about the Louth Community Volunteer Program, which provides flexible volunteering options and event-based support for local initiatives. Interested organisations can reserve a free stand by contacting info@volunteerlouth.ie or calling Drogheda: 041 9809008 | Dundalk: 042 9392934 / 086 0431379. Volunteers wishing to get involved are encouraged to simply drop by on the day to explore the wide range of opportunities available. Louth Volunteer Centre adds that it is committed to helping organisations build strong, sustainable volunteer programs that benefit both the volunteers and the wider community. A Cork TD has said a zero tolerance approach must be taken toward cases of animal cruelty, with new figures showing an eight-fold increase in cases of animal neglect over a five year period. Department of Agriculture statistics also showed a five-year high in animal ownership bans last year. According to figures released to Padraig OSullivan, Fianna Fail TD for Cork North Central, 24 people received fines in 2024 under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. Those fines were for 5,000 or less, and represent an eightfold increase on 2020, when three people were fined under the Act. Since then, each successive year has shown a steady increase in the number of fines given under the Act, with nine in 2021, 11 in 2022, and 17 in 2023. The number of people receiving animal owner disqualifications for life or for more than 20 years in 2024 was 13, up from 10 the previous year. Five people received 10-year bans, up from one in 2023, seven people received bans of between five and 10 years, up from three in 2023, and two received bans of under five years. Mr OSullivan said it was clear that Ireland had a serious animal welfare issue which, he said, largely went undocumented. The instances that I come across in Cork city bears that out, and I believe the Department of Agriculture and local authorities need to treat this matter with all the seriousness it deserves, he said. A zero tolerance policy in relation to animal cruelty must inform the decisions that they make in the cases that they take against offenders. The dedicated e-mail address for reporting suspected cases of animal welfare is: animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie. Public representatives have criticised a lack of progress around reopening the Before 5 childcare facility in Churchfield, as it has yet to go to tender for the work necessary to return it to use. Over 100 children lost their preschool place when the facility suddenly closed in August of 2023. In mid-October last year, Northside Community Enterprise (NCE) confirmed that the Department of Children had approved funding to carry out refurbishment works required to reopen the facility, which was welcomed by numerous TDs and councillors. Sinn Fein TDs and councillors have criticised the lack of progress on the project, saying that construction has not yet begun and it is looking unlikely that the facility will be open by September. However, Fianna Fail councillor for the north west ward, Tony Fitzgerald, stated that while timelines are frustrating there are regulations that must be adhered to in the best interest of the children and service users. He told The Echo: Im in regular contact with NCE and their attention to detail relating to implementation of the project is to be admired. There is progress at administration level and a process has to be followed after money is secured, and NCE are preparing and working very closely with Pobal to prepare the tender and go to tender as quickly as possible. This is a normal process when funding of such nature is being provided, and I am very confident that NCE will deliver the project. The detail of putting a business plan together for funding applications has been successful, and now the next stage is to go to tender and get the best value for money for the local community. Sinn Fein needs to realise that when a project like this is being administered, theres processes to be adhered to and public procurement, you cant just build straight away. I am confident that NCE are going through the right channels, and when all the paperwork is done, they will deliver a state of the art facility for the children and the whole community. Sinn Fein councillor Michelle Gould said that the facility was a vital service, and the buildings closure is a constant reminder of the ongoing neglect of the Northside. Everyone was quick to jump on the bandwagon when the announcement was made but where are they now? Why has no work commenced on the building to date? TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, explained: I contacted Pobal and NCE seeking an update. It appears that no construction has commenced on the building and instead it is tied up in red tape and bureaucracy. The Echo contacted NCE for comment. A 35m ferris wheel at Fota Wildlife Park, that will provide visitors with an aerial perspective of the 100-acre park and its surroundings, was officially opened yesterday. The opening was attended by Aileen Tennant, director of Fota Wildlife Park; Rob Horgan, president of Cork Chamber; Seamus Heaney, Head of Visit Cork, and Toddy Stafford, president of Cobh and Harbour Chamber. Ms Tennant said that the wheel will offer fantastic views of the park, which attracts more the 430,000 visitors each year, and the surrounding area. The Panoramic Wheel is another tool in showcasing Fota Wildlife Parks commitment to animal care, conservation, and sustainability while creating memorable experiences for visitors, Ms Tennant said. This stunning attraction not only offers guests a breathtaking view of the parks wildlife and their vast habitats, but it also showcases the historic beauty of Fota Island, the Great Island, and Cork Harbour. Since its installation, the wheel has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response, significantly boosting the experience of a family day out at the park and the number of people visiting us. This success helps us to continue delivering on our essential work in conservation, education, and research, she added. In recent years we have committed to a process of decarbonising our operations, and the Panoramic Wheel provides a clear view of the recently installed solar panels on the administration and education buildings, and the refurbished giraffe house, a project co-funded by the Government via the Office of Public Works. Rob Horgan, president of Cork Chamber, described the parks commitment to conservation and sustainability as inspiring. From solar-powered facilities and rainwater harvesting to energy-efficient habitats like the giraffe house, Fota Wildlife Park is leading the way in responsible operations to ensure they are doing the very best for the environment and wildlife, said Mr Horgan. Available until June 8, the Panoramic Wheel is an optional, ticketed experience, with admission priced from 5 per person. Tickets can be purchased at a separate ticketing booth within the park. A player in County Cork has become the latest millionaire in Ireland after winning the top prize of 1,000,000 in the National Lottery Daily Million draw on Saturday night. The National Lottery have now officially confirmed that last Saturdays Daily Million winning ticket worth 1,000,000 was sold at Healys SuperValu in Dunmanway, Co Cork. Shop owners, Andrew and Martina Healy, were thrilled to hear that one of their customers now has a ticket worth a life-changing amount. Believe it or not, weve had a couple of big wins in this store over the years, and this isnt our first time selling a ticket worth 1,000,000! We were delighted to get the news after a busy weekend. "Our shop is in the heart of the town here in Dunmanway, so theres a lot of footfall with people coming and going. Its great news for the community, and we are all delighted here in the store it brings a lot of excitement to the area! National Lottery spokesperson, Emma Monaghan added: What an incredible week it's been for our Daily Million players! We are thrilled for our latest Lottery millionaire the 9th of the year. The winner has already reached out to our Prize Claims team, and arrangements are underway for them to claim their fantastic prize. We can't wait to hear the amazing plans they have with their winnings! And no, this isn't an April Fools' joke, it's all very real! A spokesperson from the National Lottery Press Office confirmed that the Cork winner purchased a Quick Pick ticket on the day of the draw. The winning numbers for the Saturday March 29, 9pm Daily Million draw were: 4, 6, 8, 11, 14, 19 and the bonus was 16. The National Lottery are urging all players who purchased a ticket in the Dunmanway store on Saturday to check their tickets carefully and if someone is holding the winning ticket, to contact the National Lottery prize claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims@lottery.ie to arrange the prize collection. Time will tell all and the time in Shandon will be telling the truth in the future after a quarter of a million euro was secured to restore Corks most recognisable timepiece. Government funding of 250,000 has been secured toward repairs of Corks historic Shandon clock. The funding is part of an allocation of more than 3.5m awarded for the repair of 28 heritage buildings across the country under the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritages Historic Structures Fund (HSF). However, a local TD has said it should herald the beginning of a revitalisation of the wider Shandon area. Cork North Central TD Ken OFlynn, of Independent Ireland, said other issues need to be addressed in the area such as the reopening of the Shandon craft centre and strong backing for the recently announced Shandon Integrated Urban Strategy being led by Cork City Council through the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme. This funding is essential for restoring the iconic four-faced clock tower, a cherished symbol of our citys heritage and a stellar feature of the Cork skyline, Mr OFlynn said. Many of you may remember my recent discussions in the Dail with the Taoiseach regarding the urgent need for investment to repair the facade of Shandon. I appreciate his commitment to addressing this issue, and today we see that promise come to life. While I am pleased with the funding now secured, it is important to recognise that this may only be the first step in a more extensive restoration process. This is indeed a moment to celebrate. The work will ensure that the clock mechanism is restored and the structure is made safe, breathing new life into this historic landmark. "However, we must remain vigilant about the future needs of Shandon. I am committed to advocating for further investments and support to assure we fully restore this vital area. As we stand on the brink of revitalisation for Shandon, I am dedicated to working hand-in-hand with the community to explore every available opportunity for growth and development, Mr OFlynn said. This is not just about a clock tower; its about reigniting the heart of Shandon and ensuring our city flourishes. Alongside the restoration work, we must secure a government commitment to the reopening of the craft centre and the realisation of the Shandon plan established by Cork City Council. The Shandon Integrated Urban Strategy was developed in partnership with the Shandon Neighbourhood Team through a consultation process. Cultural connections at Quay Co-op Shandon Studios (based on Shandon St) organised the Unite exhibition in the Quay Co-op Gallery running until April 26 in association with the Lebanese cultural foundation. The exhibition was opened by Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Dan Boyle, above with some of the exhibiting artists. Back row from left: Arthur Leahy, founding member of the Quay Co-op; Alison OShea, Chris OConnor, Det Schlich, Guy Joner, Irish Lebanese Cultural association; Lord Mayor Dan Boyle, Suzy OMullane, and Harry Moore; front row from left: Gwen Kennedy, John Adams, Mary P OConnor, co-founder of Shandon Studios; Jason Butler, and Jess Sweetnam, co-founder of Shandon Studios. Picture: Martin Duggan Delanys seeks sponsors Delanys GAA Club is looking for sponsors to assist with the rapid growth of the club in Kilbarry. A spokesperson for the Dublin Hill-based club said: With the club growing every year we are looking for sponsors to get on board to help us modernise the club. We have some great opportunities for businesses to promote their business. We have plenty of activities from the underage to the junior teams to Cork LGFA using the facilities and there is great exposure. At the moment we are upgrading our pitch lighting to LED and looking to add solar panels, a scoreboard and dug outs on the underage pitch. If there is anyone out there that would like to get involved then please contact Ger on 086 8243300. Access to Blackpool Library Would you like to have the option to use Blackpool Library in the evenings and at weekends? Well there is now a way to do just that and its free. My Open Library (MOL) allows registered members to access library services from 8am until 10pm, 365 days a year. All you need to do is attend a 30-minute induction course in the library. During MOL hours, patrons can borrow or return books, print, use the library Wi-Fi or PCs, or if you would just like a quiet environment to work, read, or study at weekends and in the evenings. There is no charge for this service, or for regular library membership. To register for an MOL induction course in Blackpool Library, please call the lending desk at 021-4924933 or email: blackpool_library@corkcity.ie. For a full list of opening hours visit: www.corkcitylibraries.ie/en/locations/blackpool-library/. The library is based at Redforge Road, Blackpool, Cork, T23 AP11. Computer and tech classes Corks Further Education and Training Service and Blackpool Community Centre are offering computer study programmes including Get smart with technology on Fridays from 10.30am to 12.30pm. The course includes using mobile phones, tablets, apps, and email. The beginners computers class takes place from 12.30 to 2.30pm. This includes basic computer skills, keyboard, Word, internet, and email. The classes are free of charge. Contact Blackpool Community Centre on 021 4501787 or Majella on 085 1558591. Cork Community Art Link Cork Community Art Link (CCAL) has thanked all those who helped them with their multi-coloured display at the St Patricks Day parade. CCAL said on Facebook: What a wonderful way to kick off 2025 with a celebration of collaboration and inspiration! St Patricks Day Parade this year featured some fantastic community groups, Brothers of Charity Blackpool Community Access Programme, National Learning Network, Ballyvolane Hub, Cope Foundation, Cork Simon Community, CCAL Drama Troupe, The Quinn Family, and our amazing crew, volunteers and performers. The post continued: As always, were straight into the design process for our next project so keep an eye out for ways to participate. The group featured members of a wide variety of local organisations including Ballyvolane Hub, Horizons (formerly Cope Foundation), National Learning Network, Simon Community, Headway, and the Cork Volunteer Centre. Noel Dempsey with his Shandon creation at model show in aid of the East Cork Community first responders. Picture: David Keane Parish assemblies Parish assemblies of the Cathedral, SS Peter & Pauls, Blackpool, The Glen, and Ballyvolane, will meet at the Cathedral Visitor Centre at 7pm on April 3, April 9, and April 30 for prayer, listening and discernment. Cathedral Cafe opening hours The Cathedral Cafes opening hours are 9am to 3pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and from 9am to 1pm on Sunday. Due to popular demand after their sellout show in 2024, The Bold Ensemble return to Cork Arts Theatre for one night only with their improv Thingimabob on May 6. Their last show at CAT featured hundreds of totally original madcap scenes that The Bold Ensemble have been delighting Cork audiences with for over 10 years. Dave Ramseyer, Orla Burke, Mark Cosgrave, Micheal Roche, Sheila Kelleher, Ivy Favier, and Aiden OBrien are The Bold Ensemble. Not suitable for under 16s. Call 021 4505624 or see www.corkartstheatre.com for ticket details. Parish lotto draw The parish lotto jackpot has reached the sum of 15,000, with a 1,375 consolation prize also up for grabs. You can watch the draw today on facebook.com/corkcathedral. Have Blackpool, Ballyvolane and Shandon news to share? Contact robert.mcnamara@theecho.ie People making a difference in their communities in Cork are set to be recognised at the 2025 Cork City Lord Mayor Community and Voluntary Awards, with nominations for the forthcoming edition of the awards closing this coming Friday April 4. Since 2004, the Lord Mayor Community and Voluntary Awards have recognised over 130 voluntary and community groups across Cork City for their contribution to life in the city. Iris House Cork Cancer Care Centre won the Lord Mayor Community Volunteer Award for 2024 in the recreation, sport, health and wellbeing category. Rebranded in mid-2024 , the organisation was formerly known as the Cork Cancer Care Centre. The group provide comprehensive support to individuals and families affected by cancer. Linda Goggin-James, the CEO of Iris House, discussed with The Echo the significance of winning the award. What we felt with the recognition that we got was that it raises awareness of the services that we provide, so that anyone knows where we are for them. It also reinforces cancer community support. Community support is at the heart of what we do. It shines the journey that they are on and the need for compassion in cancer support. It is all about highlighting all of the hard work of our volunteers and staff. It just means so much. It gave us a lot of press in what we do. So we were really proud to recieve the award. Among the services provided by the centre include counselling , psychotherapy, holistic treatments, wig and scarf bank, group activities, and meditation and wellness programmes. The primary focus at Iris House is on mental health and well-being, which is why the group does not limit the number of sessions to each client. The same is true for the holistic therapies they offer. The idea for the centre was conceived by Ann Dowley Spillane who, following her diagnosis and whilst undergoing treatment, became aware of the need to support each other with ideas, advice, and most importantly, a shoulder to lean on. Ms Goggin-James added: Having cancer, it is a very scary place to be in. People feel very low because they dont want to upset anyone at home. This is the place where they can come to speak to a counsellor. Or where have peer support groups, where there are other people going through cancer can sit and meet. A lot of the services are very important for people going through cancer. Iris House is reliant on the generosity of public donations and fundraising efforts, as the group does not receive funding from the Health Service Executive or from the Government. The categories for the 2025 Cork City Lord Mayor Community and Voluntary Awards are: Arts, Culture, Recreation & Heritage Climate Action, Active Travel & Sustainable Development Community Development & Lifelong Learning Recreation, Sport, Heath & Wellbeing Social Inclusion, Advocacy & Integration Social Services, Charities & Environment The Echo will be sharing the stories of the nominees and the award winners over the next few weeks and months ahead. The closing date for nominations is Friday April 4. The winners will then be announced at a Civic Ceremony in Cork City Hall on Wednesday May 7. Members of the public are invited to nominate community and voluntary groups they would like to see recognised for the good work in which they do. Applications for the 2025 Cork City Lord Mayor Community and Voluntary Awards can be made online at corkcity.ie/lordmayorawards. News of 250,000 in Government funding to restore Corks historic Shandon clock and tower has lifted the spirits of members of a group dedicated to realising the potential of one of the northsides most famous areas. The funding, awarded under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritages Historic Structures Fund (HSF), will be used to repair the clock, which was installed in 1847 by the then Cork Corporation, and is the responsibility of Cork City Council. The clock, known to generations as the four-faced liar, has been telling the wrong time on three faces since last May, while its eastern face has been stopped on six oclock for as long. Great News Shandon St butcher James Nolan, a third-generation trader and a member of Shandon Area Renewal Association, said news of the grant was most welcome. Its great news, and theres an application in for funding for the Butter Market and the Weighmasters House as well. So hopefully it will snowball rejuvenation for the Shandon area, and I know St Annes Shandon are doing a lot of work to restore and refurbish the church as well, said Mr Nolan. Hopefully it will all be good news for Shandon, but we wont know until later in the year whether the other application is successful, but theres a definite sense of positivity in the area. Important heritage asset Independent councillor and former lord mayor Kieran McCarthy said the investment by the Government in St Annes Shandon was very welcome. I am glad that the movement on such an important heritage asset was quick through the national Historic Structure Fund, he said. It will be great to see the clock dial mechanism revamped and the clock faces moving again. Sinn Fein councillor Kenneth Collins said he was delighted the grant had been awarded, having raised the issue of funding for Shandon several times at council level. *Some readers may find this content distressing* Three teenaged boys on trial at the Central Criminal Court for what allegedly happened to a girl in a car at Limerick Races were described by the prosecution as cackling, laughing and encouraging each other as they acted as a group. Prosecution senior counsel Dean Kelly made his closing speech to Mr Justice Paul McDermott and the eleven-member jury of nine women and two men at the trial which is taking place in Cork. While two defendants are charged with rape and sexual assault, and the third teenager is charged with false imprisonment and aiding and abetting, the prosecution senior said: These boys acted as a group, each of them taking what they wanted from her physically and sexually in the way they went, whether she wanted to or not. From the time those three boys are in the car they are acting as a single unit. (name) moves the car he says he just wanted to go for a drive. That is inherent nonsense. It was so that whatever was going on in the car was going to be done away from prying eyes. This is a group working together. (name of driver) is an enthusiastic member of the group who achieves his own sexual gratification." Narratives Mr Kelly said that while there were some inconsistencies and contradictions between the accounts given by the three accused in garda interviews, there were essentially two broad narratives in the case one from the complainant and the other from the three accused. He said that on her account the complainant goes to the races with her friends at the age of 16, goes drinking, gets significantly drunk, ends up in the company of the three boys and that as an ordinary part of teenage life she consensually kisses the 13-year-old and consents but that her consent is only up to a very certain point. Mr Kelly said that is her narrative: And then there is what they have to say what they tell the gardai in lurid technicolour in almost pornographic terms. (In their account) within moments of entering the car she is in total control of an orgy, she is portrayed as actively, sexually voracious, insatiable, controlling, demanding at every turn. That is what you are asked to consider as quite reasonably true. Those are the narratives in broad outline a young girl consenting to low level intimacy, and on the other hand she is described as sexually voracious. If what they say is true (the complainant) is not just a liar but a monstrous liar Defence counsel say the idea that something terrible happened to her came later from her friends and her family, Mr Kelly said, adding that her central motif I said no, I said no, was something she said before this. Each boy has asked you to believe that she is a nasty, evil, mendacious liar. Is it possible to believe that by the time she reached the car she was an almost transformed human being that she chose to lose her virginity in a dirty car with an audience of shouting and sniggering boys? One defendant, who was 13 at the time and is 15 now, and a co-accused who was 15 at the time and is now 17 are both charged with raping and sexually assaulting the teenager at a St. Stephens Day 2022 race meeting at Limerick racecourse. A third boy is accused of aiding and abetting the first two defendants in carrying out these offences and he is also charged with falsely imprisoning the girl. It is alleged that the contested incidents occurred in a car in a field car park at Limerick racecourse at Patrickswell, County Limerick, on December 26, 2022. All three accused have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. The Government has won a vote of confidence in Cean Comhairle Verona Murphy, with an Independent Cork TD saying it is now time move on from the ongoing debate over speaking time, but calling it a sad day for politics. The Government brought the motion after opposition parties initially proposed a no confidence motion in Ms Murphy amid a heated row based on speaking rights and the circumstances of the formation of the coalition. The Government motion expressing that the Dail has confidence in the Ceann Comhairle passed by 96 votes to 71, with two abstentions. It came after the defeat of an opposition amendment stating that the Ceann Comhairle did not have the confidence of opposition parties. The motion came amid opposition criticism of Ms Murphys role in approving a vote last week, which allowed the Government to make changes to speaking time in the Dail, which lead to chaotic scenes in the chamber. Regrettable Taoiseach Micheal Martin said it was profoundly regrettable the vote was being held. We will not stay silent as you try to intimidate this house and its chairperson, and you will not succeed in opposing rule by minority," he told the opposition. You will not block the democratic business of this house roaring and chanting, and then blaming everyone else for your behaviour. Mr Martin said the Dail does do not have time to waste on cynical strategies of aggression and disruption, adding that the country is facing enormous threats over US tariffs. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald accused Ms Murphy of showing an unprecedented and frankly breathtaking display of bias, and claimed her position is untenable. Ms Murphy became the Ceann Comhairle in December in a move seen as among the first steps of an agreement with a group of independent TDs to support the formation of a government with the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties. Criticised Opposition leaders have criticised the kingmaker role of Independent TD Michael Lowry in these government formation and negotiations. The ongoing row over speaking time has hindered legislative work and has prevented parliamentary committees from being established. There is some uncertainty as to whether the vote will settle the long-running dispute on opposition speaking rights, with opposition parties set to discuss with each other how they would respond after the vote. Move on Independent Ireland TD for Cork North Central, Ken OFlynn, told The Echo he was planning to move on. The vote is done, we have to accept democracy and move on. The Ceann Comhairle has been damaged by this, I am hoping she rebuilds her reputation and trust with the opposition," said Mr O'Flynn. "But for me, I have to move on for this and do the job I was elected to do. That job is holding the government to account, getting on committees, bringing up the real issues affecting people in my constituency," he added. Mr O'Flynn said he was disappointed the Government did not listen to the opposition. This could have been avoided if the government were willing to play ball and listen to peoples concerns," he said. I think its a sad say for politics when Michael Lowry wins out. James Cox Here, we have look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come. Ceann Comhairle confidence vote The Ceann Comhairle faces a confidence motion on Tuesday over her handling of a vote that cut opposition speaking rights. The main opposition parties tabled an unprecedented motion of no confidence in Verona Murphy after Government proposals for rule changes sparked a bitter row and chaotic scenes in the Dail. Ms Murphy, who holds the position of Ceann Comhairle in the Dail, will be backed by the Government in a confidence motion it is bringing instead of the opposition wording. It remains uncertain whether unruly scenes will once again break out in the Dail before or during the vote. The Governments majority meant it was able to push through significant changes to speaking rules in the Dail last week, even without the usual opposition teller agreeing to sign off on the results of the vote. The announcement that the changes had passed caused such a level of objection from the Opposition that the Ceann Comhairle adjourned all further proceedings until Wednesday morning. The real story was the Dail once again erupting into chaos, as it did when the Taoiseach's nomination was blocked in January. Many of the Opposition stood up and shouted, with Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy accusing them of "misogyny" and "making a holy show of yourselves". People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy took out his phone to film the unrest, and Michael Lowry made a two-finger gesture at him which Opposition TDs have claimed showed a lack of respect to the Irish public. The Government is proposing that the four TDs from the originally proposed Regional Independents technical group would be considered others. This essentially means they would not be considered part of the Government or Opposition. They would get speaking time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, along with Government backbenchers. Opposition parties say this is "blurring the lines" by Government. It would also mean written questions to be answered by the Taoiseach on Wednesdays would no longer take place. Ireland a target of US tariffs ahead of 'Liberation Day' Government ministers will hear today how chemical and pharmaceutical exports from Ireland to the US could halve in the coming years. That's in the event of US tariffs being reciprocated by the EU. Donald Trump is hoping a 25 per cent tariff on foreign goods arriving into America will lead to a US manufacturing boom. The White House says the charges will be applied from tomorrow, to any country which has "treated the US unfairly". Mr Trump has dubbed April 2nd 'Liberation Day'. Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers is to give an update on the National Development Plan and will stress the importance of investment in capital projects in this year's budget. Last night, Enterprise Minister Peter Burke briefed party leaders on Ireland's competitiveness, ahead of the tariff announcements. Speaking in the White House last week, Mr Trump said he would attempt to get US pharmaceutical companies back from Ireland. It comes after the US president signed an executive order to impose a 25 per cent tariff on cars imported into the United States. He sees tariffs as a tool to raise revenue, to offset his promised tax cuts, and to revive a long-declining US industrial base. Mr Trump has his sights set on getting other companies back as well. He said: Were going to be doing tariffs on pharmaceuticals in order to bring our pharmaceuticals back. "We don't make anything here, in terms of medical drugs... it's [made in] another country. It's largely made in China, a lot of it made in Ireland. "Ireland was very smart, we love Ireland, but we're going to have that." In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Fianna Fail MEP Barry Cowen said the EU's decision to delay counter-tariffs was a positive move. "The US administration's proposed 200 per cent tariff on EU alcohol imports poses a severe threat to European business, particularly Ireland's whiskey industry. "And the proposed 50 per cent counter-tariff on US bourbon does not help our case for the US to never implement it. The EU has agreed to delay any counter-tariffs until mid-April. In the meantime, it'll consult with member states and MEPs on what form they should take in relation to the counter proposal. "I've written to the trade commissioner and our own commissioner Michael McGrath, calling on them and the Commission to remove bourbon from the EU countermeasures. "Maintaining a a zero for zero tariff status between the EU and US on alcohol is essential I think for industry stability, especially when you consider Irish whiskey exports." High Court reporters Kerry TD Pa Dalys High Court action claiming the appointment of super junior ministers is unconstitutional has been adjourned to allow for the filing of sworn statements to the court. On Tuesday, Feichin McDonagh SC, appearing with Brendan Hennessy BL for the Sinn Fein TD, told Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty his side had received opposition papers from respondents the Taoiseach, the Attorney General and Ireland. Mr McDonagh said his side would file replying affidavits before the end of the month, and said that both parties were seeking a hearing date. Mr Daly, who brought his judicial review proceedings earlier this year, points to Article 28 of the Constitution, which limits the number of Cabinet members to 15, including the Taoiseach. The Co Kerry TD's case claims that in facilitating more non-government ministers of state at Cabinet, the Government is acting contrary to the 15-person limit and to the expressed wish of the people of Ireland. Ms Justice Gearty on Tuesday noted similar proceedings brought by People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy were listed for case management purposes before High Court president Mr Justice David Barniville. The judge suggested adjourning Mr Dalys case and listing it before the president to be mentioned alongside Mr Murphys proceedings on April 28th. Both parties agreed. Mr McDonagh noted that the Attorney General previously raised the possibility of having the case heard by a special divisional court, which would see it heard by not just one High Court judge but by three sitting together. Ms Gearty said that she did not have an update on the prospect of a divisional court hearing the case. David Fennelly SC, appearing for the State parties, said that he may need to file further affidavits in due course. On the last occasion the case was before the court, the Attorney General making a rare in-person appearance at the High Court said Mr Dalys case was based on simplistic but false claims. Rossa Fanning said prompt determination of Mr Dalys case was in the public interest, given the nature of the constitutional issues arising. Mr Fanning said it was necessary for more than 15 people to attend meetings of Government. The super junior ministers subject to the proceedings are Fine Gaels Hildegarde Naughton and Regional Independent Group members Sean Canney and Noel Grealish. Fianna Fails Mary Butler is also a Minister of State attending Cabinet in addition to being the Governments chief whip. Senior Government ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the Taoiseach and with the prior approval of Dail Eireann. Ministers of state attending Cabinet, who are colloquially known as super juniors, are appointed by the Government on the nomination of the Taoiseach. They participate at Government meetings but do not vote. Government members are bound by constitutional obligations of confidentiality at Government meetings, while, Mr Daly alleges, ministers of state who are not members of the Government are not so bound and the Constitution does not contemplate their attendance on a regular basis or at all. Mr Daly also claims the use of public funds to provide an allowance to ministers of state is inconsistent with the Constitution. He is asking the High Court to declare that the super juniors attendance at Government meetings is unconstitutional. 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. Fossil fuels are responsible for roughly 90% of all human-caused carbon emissions that are causing global heating, ocean acidification and fueling unparalleled climate disasters. Michal Krakowiak / E+ / Getty Images In a new review published in the journal Oxford Open Climate Change, scientists have issued an urgent warning that the fossil fuel industry and its products are driving intertwined crises threatening humans, wildlife and our shared future on this planet. The collaborative review by scientists from the Center for Biological Diversity and several universities synthesizes scientific evidence that shows fossil fuels and the industry are behind many harms to public health, biodiversity and environmental justice, while contributing to the agrochemical pollution, plastics and climate crises, a press release from the Center for Biological Diversity said. The science cant be any clearer that fossil fuels are killing us, said lead author of the report Shaye Wolf, the Center for Biological Diversitys climate science director, in the press release. Oil, gas and coal will continue to condemn us to more deaths, wildlife extinctions and extreme weather disasters unless we make dirty fossil fuels a thing of the past. Clean, renewable energy is here, its affordable, and it will save millions of lives and trillions of dollars once we make it the centerpiece of our economy. The reviews focus is on the United States the largest producer of oil and gas in the world and the biggest contributor to the fossil fuel crises. The study provides solutions that are already available for the phaseout of fossil fuel use and extraction while transitioning quickly and fairly to affordable renewable, clean energy and materials throughout the economy. Fossil fuel pollution impacts health at every stage of life, with elevated risks for conditions ranging from premature births to childhood leukemia and severe depression, said co-author of the review David J.X. Gonzalez, an assistant environmental health sciences professor at University of California, Berkeleys School of Public Health, in the press release. Weve got to work fast to end fossil fuel operations near our homes, schools and hospitals and trade fossil fuel infrastructure for healthy, clean energy. Fossil fuels are responsible for roughly 90 percent of all human-caused carbon emissions that are causing global heating, ocean acidification and fueling unparalleled climate disasters. To limit damages caused by the climate crisis, the authors encouraged governments to immediately cease the expansion of fossil fuels and to phase out current fossil fuel development. The review also detailed the disproportionate harms fossil fuel use, extraction and processing inflict upon low-income communities and communities of color. Decades of discriminatory policies, such as redlining, have concentrated fossil fuel development in Black, Brown, Indigenous and poor white communities, resulting in devastating consequences, said Robin Saha, an associate professor of environmental studies at the University of Montana, in the press release. For far too long, these fenceline communities have been treated as sacrifice zones by greedy, callous industries. The most polluted communities should be prioritized for clean energy investments and removal and cleanup of dirty fossil fuel infrastructure. Climate change and pollution caused by fossil fuel use are also accelerating animals risk of extinction. As much as a third of plants and animals could become extinct over the next half-century if fossil fuel use continues unabated. The review emphasized the need for increased protection of essential carbon-storing ecosystems and the incorporation of renewable energy infrastructure into the built environment, among other measures. It also stressed the increased production of plastics by the fossil fuel industry, which creates pervasive pollution that contaminates our water, air, soil and food systems. The scientists recommended ambitious targets to reduce the production of primary plastics and accompanying chemicals of concern, while at the same time incentivizing sustainable and safe plastics alternatives and substitutes, along with sustainable agricultural practices that limit petrochemical pollution from fertilizers and pesticides fueled by fossil fuels. The review discussed a major barrier to the transition to clean energy: the longstanding, multibillion-dollar disinformation campaign by the fossil fuel industry to cover up the hazards of its products while blocking policies that support the phasing out of fossil fuels. The fossil fuel industry has spent decades misleading us about the harms of their products and working to prevent meaningful climate action, said Naomi Oreskes, a Harvard University professor of the history of science, in the press release. Perversely, our governments continue to give out hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to this damaging industry. It is past time that stops. Creatives in the UK are once again speaking out against AI developers accessing copyrighted material. The Society of Authors have published an open letter calling for UK Secretary of State Lisa Nandy to hold Meta accountable for possible copyright infringement regarding its LLM, Llama 3. Signatories of the letter include successful British authors Richard Osman, Kazuo Ishiguro, Val McDermid and Sarah Waters. A March 20 article in The Atlantic served as the letter's impetus. It reported that Meta had used LibGen, a pirated collection of over 7.5 million books, to train its AI models. Anyone on the internet over the last few weeks has likely seen videos of distraught authors learning that their work is available on the database (and potentially used by Meta without their permission). A lawsuit in the US alleges Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg approved the use of LibGen's data to train its AI. The lawsuit's plaintiffs include writers Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates. "These cases are shining a light on the unscrupulous behaviour exhibited by global tech companies which seemingly exploit copyright-protected material, safe in the knowledge that they will not be held to account," the Society of Authors' letter stated. "This must change, and global tech companies must now be held accountable and pay for the use they make of authors works." The authors implore Nandy to bring Meta senior executives before Parliament and make them commit to respecting copyrights and compensating authors for any previous infringements. "Authors are almost powerless given the enormous cost and complexities of pursuing litigation against corporate defendants with such deep pockets," the letter continued. "We call upon you and the UK Government to take all action available to ensure that the rights, interests and livelihoods of authors are adequately protected. Failure to act without further delay will unquestionably have a catastrophic and irreversible impact on all UK authors given that from development through to output, creators rights are being systematically and repeatedly ignored." Artists across the creative industries have also recently protested the UK government's December 2024 proposal to change copyright law. The shift would provide AI developers with a copyright exemption and require creatives to "opt out" or allow access to their materials. In February, over 1,000 musicians released an album called Is This What We Want?, with 12 songs spelling out, "The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies." It coincided with the UK News Media Association's Make It Fair campaign calling on the government to support creative industries and compensate those individuals if allowing AI to train on their work. That same week creatives, from Paul McCartney to Helen Fielding, also shared an open letter against the proposal. Published in The Times, it stated, "There is no moral or economic argument for stealing our copyright. Taking it away will devastate the industry and steal the future of the next generation." The Washington Post reports that members of the White House's National Security Council have used personal Gmail accounts to conduct government business. National security advisor Michael Waltz and a senior aide of his both used their own accounts to discuss sensitive information with colleagues, according to the Post's review and interviews with government officials who spoke to the newspaper anonymously. Email is not the best approach for sharing information meant to be kept private. That covers sensitive data for individuals such as social security numbers or passwords, much less confidential or classified government documents. It simply has too many potential paths for a bad actor to access information they shouldn't. Government departments typically use business-grade email services, rather than relying on consumer email services. The federal government also has its own internal communications systems with additional layers of security, making it all the more baffling that current officials are being so cavalier with how they handle important information. Unless you are using GPG, email is not end-to-end encrypted, and the contents of a message can be intercepted and read at many points, including on Googles email servers," Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation told the Post. Additionally, there are regulations requiring that certain official government communications be preserved and archived. Using a personal account could allow some messages to slip through the cracks, accidentally or intentionally. This latest instance of dubious software use from the executive branch follows the discovery that several high-ranking national security leaders used Signal to discuss planned military actions in Yemen, then added a journalist from The Atlantic to the group chat. And while Signal is a more secure option than a public email client, even the encrypted messaging platform can be exploited, as the Pentagon warned its own team last week. As with last week's Signal debacle, there have been no repercussions thus far for any federal employees taking risky data privacy actions. NSC spokesman Brian Hughes told the Post he hasn't seen evidence of Waltz using a personal account for government correspondence. TikTok's deadline to sell off or cede its US operations is once again approaching. The 75-day extension delaying the enforcement of a nationwide TikTok ban is set to run out Saturday, April 5, unless the company finally reaches an agreement to find a new owner. Who might buy it, and what happens if no deal is reached? Here's the shape of things right now: Potential buyers President Donald Trump has suggested that a deal is imminent and could be reached before that deadline. What such an agreement will look like is still extremely unclear. A number of interested buyers have come forward, including YouTuber MrBeast, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian and Perplexity AI. Oracle, which almost bought TikTok in 2020 and was a key part of TikToks earlier negotiations to address national security concerns, is also in the running. Depending on which bid wins out, TikTok could end up looking very different. ByteDance, TikToks Chinese owner, wont allow another company to take control of the apps coveted recommendation algorithm. That means a new owner would have to rebuild TikToks central feature. Perplexity AI, for example, has said it would take on this task of reverse-engineering the app's For You feed, making it open source and implementing some kind of Community Notes-style fact checking feature. Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, who joined a group of investors known as Project Liberty, has hinted at a vision for TikTok that somehow ties in with blockchain technology. Option 2 Theres also another, potentially less disruptive option on the table. The White House is also considering a deal that would allow TikToks existing US investors to roll over their stakes into a new independent global TikTok company, according to The New York Times. Under this arrangement, Oracle could also end up overseeing TikToks US data while ByteDance hangs onto its algorithm, as the Financial Times reported in March. This would likely be a smoother transition than a full-on sale that would require a new owner to rebuild a significant part of the app. Aspects of it are also very similar to terms TikTok already agreed to under a previous agreement with Oracle known as Project Texas . However, this sort of deal may also not be entirely legal, as Politico recently pointed out . The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the law passed by Congress and signed by former President Joe Biden last year, calls for a divestment of TikTok and its algorithm. Its also not clear whether Chinese officials would be willing to sign off on such an arrangement, though Trump has suggested he could use the threat of tariffs as negotiating leverage . Were dealing with China also on it because they may have something to do with it. And well see how that goes, Trump told reporters over the weekend. No deal 3 Ucrania acusa a Rusia de enviar militares a Corea del Norte para labores de entrenamiento en el uso de drones Key Takeaways More than 300 vaccine-related research grants have been canceled this year Experts say the cuts come at a time when vaccine hesitancy is rising They warn the moves could worsen future disease outbreaks TUESDAY, April 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Hundreds of U.S. research projects aimed at boosting vaccine confidence have been shut down -- just as preventable diseases like measles and flu are on the rise. Since Jan. 20, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has canceled more than 1,600 research grants. Around 300 of those were for vaccine-related projects, making it one of the biggest areas affected by the cuts. In a viewpoint published Monday in the medical journal JAMA, three pediatricians warn the cuts could have dangerous consequences. "The lives of individuals in the U.S. are at stake," Dr. Douglas Opel, Dr. Sean O'Leary and Dr. Melissa Stockwell wrote. Opel, a pediatrician at the University of Washington, had been studying ways to build vaccine confidence in Native American and Alaska Native communities, according to CNN. But, the viewpoint noted that a letter from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stated: It is the policy of NIH not to prioritize research activities that focuses gaining scientific knowledge on why individuals are hesitant to be vaccinated and/or explore ways to improve vaccine interest and commitment. Opel told CNN: This was a broad swath of work that was terminated, all focused on trying to understand the needs of individuals and communities regarding vaccines. Stockwell, chief of child and adolescent health at Columbia University, was leading a study on using text messages to increase flu and COVID vaccine rates in kids. Her team had already spent nearly $1 million setting up the project. Now, Stockwell said, they wont be able to see the results. What made it particularly devastating was that it wasnt only my grant, but it was this community of researchers across the country It was all happening to us simultaneously, she added. The researchers say the timing couldnt be worse. One recent study published in the journal Vaccine found that 1 in 5 U.S. parents are hesitant about vaccines. Meanwhile, cases of measles, flu and whooping cough are on the rise. It really makes no logical sense, O'Leary, a pediatrician at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, told CNN. We think of measles as the canary in the coal mine of vaccine-preventable diseases, because its so contagious that its the first one when you see immunization coverage in general drop. Its the first one youre going to see pop up. A growing measles outbreak is causing concern. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently wrote that parents should talk to their doctors about the MMR vaccine. He didn't recommend it but acknowledged it can help protect both individuals and communities, CNN reported. The grant termination letters said that the NIH is obligated to carefully steward grant awards to ensure taxpayer dollars are used in ways that benefit the American people. Every dollar spent on childhood vaccines saves about $10 in future health costs, according to the group Vaccinate Your Family, which was co-founded by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. For the NIH to no longer be supporting them is chilling, Opel said. Its just absolutely unequivocal how important and beneficial vaccines are to the American public. More information There's more about vaccines at John Hopkins' Institute for Vaccine Safety. SOURCE: CNN, March 31, 2025 What This Means For You With less research on vaccine education, it may become harder to address vaccine fears -- putting more people at risk during future outbreaks, experts warn. Fairfield, MT (59436) Today Rain ending this evening. Partial clearing overnight. Low 49F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Rain ending this evening. Partial clearing overnight. Low 49F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. The European Union is telling its close to 450 million residents to put together 72-hour survival kits in case of a crisis or emergency situation. Hadja Lahbi, the EUs commissioner for preparedness and crisis management, said in a video post the survival kit should include water, a flashlight, matches, lighters, phone chargers, power banks, cash, important documents in waterproof holders, a portable radio, food and a Swiss Army knife. European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said the short-term survival kits are part of a wider, new preparedness push that includes stockpiling key materials, education campaigns and more regional military and security operations. New realities demand new preparedness, she said. European countries face new realities of President Donald Trump in power in the U.S. Trump could potentially pull the U.S. out of NATO or might not come to the defense of European allies who have not met his thresholds for defense spending. NATO was established after World War II to counteract the Soviet Union. It is now focused on Russia. Trump has voiced trust and some fraternity with Putin. The U.S. voted with Russia and against Europe and Ukraine on United Nations resolutions regarding Moscows 2022 invasion. The Kremlin has said Trump and Putin trust each other and the U.S. is more on the same page with Russia. Trump and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance have also scolded Denmark over Greenland (which Trump wants to take over) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the war with Russia. Zelenskyy has pushed back on Trumps trust in Putin, has declined to sign a minerals deal with the U.S. that has lacked security assurances and doesnt want to treat previous U.S. war aid as debt. Trump says the U.S. has sent $350 billion in war aid to Ukraine. Other estimates put that figures at $123 billion to $203 billion. European powers have promised to step up their support for Ukraine and have pushed back against Putins demand for war sanctions relief as part of a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea. Trump is also imposing automotive, steel and aluminum tariffs that are poised to hit the European Union and has threatened 200% tariffs on French Champagnes and European wines. The EU is promising its own tariffs against the U.S. in retaliation for the tariffs. Tariffs are taxes bad for businesses, worse for consumers, in the U.S. and the EU, von der Leyen said. European countries are worried about Putin's aggression toward other NATO members if he prevails in Ukraine and Trump backs out of the alliance. Putin has been upset with NATO's adding Eastern European members. They also face continued challenges of extreme weather/climate change, post-pandemic as well climate and conflict induced migrations and violence involving migrants, including radical Islamists. Vance has scolded Europeans over free speech issues as well as climate change since taking office with Trump in January. He also criticized Denmark (a NATO ally) over security concerns in Greenland. Trump wants American control of the Arctic island, which is currently part of Denmark. The EU has 27 members while NATO has 32 members (including the U.S. Canada, the United Kingdom and European nations.). The EU includes France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Finland, Czechia, Belgium and other European countries. They are also NATO members. Trump and Putin oppose Ukraine joining NATO. Zelenskyy also want to join the EU. A view of the Ten Lakes Wilderness Study Area in northwest Montana. (Micah Drew/ Daily Montanan) A Senate joint resolution urging Congress to release over a million acres of wilderness study area in Montana from consideration of inclusion into the National Wilderness Preservation System brought significant opposition this week. Montana lawmakers can only urge federal action on these parcels of land since only Congress has the authority to classify the land. The National Wilderness Preservation System protects about 111 million acres of land across the country. No action has been taken yet on the measure, Senate Resolution 14, which was brought by Sen. Tony Tezak, R-Ennis. Proponents of the resolution said it would open up the areas to more uses, like ranching and logging. Opponents argued the resolution was a full-fledged assault on public lands. The resolution would involve a little more than a million acres. The Wilderness Study Area Act was passed in 1977, and none of the land under consideration has been formally designated as wilderness. Tezak believes the land should be, returned into public lands management decisions of our local forest service and Bureau of Land Management districts, rather than their current state of being managed as a wilderness study area dictated by Washington, D.C. The 1977 law requires a review of potential wilderness areas within five years. The resolution addresses this specifically, as well as a 2000 law that created more study areas on Bureau of Land Management land. The vast majority of Montana lands identified in the Montana Wilderness Study Act have never been formally recommended by the Secretary of Agriculture for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System and no law has been signed by the President to designate these lands as wilderness, the bill reads. Opponents of the bill included Wild Montana, Montana Chapter of Back Country Hunters and Anglers, Trout Unlimited, and many individual residents. The Blackfeet Tribe, Fort Belknap Indian Community and the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy also opposed the resolution. We see this as a destructive attempt to undermine the hard work the localized community, including the Blackfeet Tribe, has done to protect these areas, said Patrick Yawakie, who was representing multiple tribal communities. Proponents for the bill included the Montana Stock Growers Association as well as several ranchers. We are supporters of multiple use of public lands, and know that management of WSAs can curtail livestock grazing, something our organization cares deeply about, said Ellie Brighton, who was representing the Montana Stock Growers Association. Many existing WSAs did not have substantial support from livestock producers, and we support a collaborative approach. Opponents of the bill pointed to the slow pace of the federal government for not resolving the issue. The problem with creating lasting solutions for WSAs is not with the locally developed collaboratives or the balanced proposals that theyve developed, said Noah Marion, representing Wild Montana. The problem is with Washington, D.C., and their inability to pass legislation in a timely manner. There have been many bills in DC to resolve the status of WSAs, including one in the late 80s that resolved many of them. That was pocket vetoed. A number of growers have confirmed that they are leaving milling wheat in their stores as part of a UK-wide 'strike' against government policy. The action, which started on Tuesday (1 April) and will last two weeks, is in response to the growing discontent within the industry of Labour's policies toward farming. Merseyside farmer Olly Harrison, one of the strike organisers who also organised protests in London, confirmed that farmers growing milling wheat had gone on strike. You may be wondering why bread and hot cross buns are being short at the moment. Ill tell you why: because milling wheat is staying on farms," he said on a social media post. Farmers who are growing milling wheat have gone on strike. From 1 April, they wont be loading any trucks with milling wheat, and were probably going to run out of flour. Milling wheat strike in Uk ? Will we see #rationing ? Food security needs to be taken seriously will MPs listen ? Apr and bpr has united farmers in uk more than ever to stick together & show just how important home grown food is ! pic.twitter.com/JVqGFp9R7W Olly harrison ??????AccidentalYoutuber (@agricontract) March 31, 2025 If you dont want your shelves empty, get on to your local MP and say, You need to help these farmers out; you cant carry on putting them out of business; its not good. Farmers have repeatedly criticised the Labour government due to its controversial inheritance tax proposals, rises to employer National Insurance contributions and a new fertiliser levy. Just last month, the government confirmed it will be stopping new applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme, a move which sparked further fury. The developments have led to the lowest levels of confidence ever recorded within the UK farming industry. Staffordshire farmer Clive Bailye, also one of the strike organisers, said: It may be April fools day but Britain's food security is no joke. We are organising farming first strike farmers will refuse to load bread making wheat from their stores from 1 April, no hot cross buns for Easter, no BBQ baps." On a video posted on social media, Lincolnshire farmer Andrew Ward said food shortages and empty shelves were "no joke". It might be April fools day but food shortages are no joke. Empty shelves will be appearing so better pop to your local supermarket and grab a loaf of bread and packet of hot cross buns for Easter before they run out. But dont panic buy pic.twitter.com/EQvlM50h4D Andrew Ward ?????? (@wheat_daddy) April 1, 2025 Responding to the action, Harriet Cross, Scottish Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan, said it was a "direct consequence" of the Labour governments farming policies. She said: Farmers have been pushed into a corner by Keir Starmer and now feel they have no choice other than to take this action, which could be replicated across the UK. This action should send a warning to Keir Starmer that our farmers are not going to accept this governments attack on their livelihoods lying down. Its imperative he reverses his reckless policies to prevent further strikes and to safeguard farming, rural communities and the nations food security before its too late. A new cross-government biosecurity plan and sufficient border investment is needed to counter the biosecurity risks that British farmers now face, the NFU says. The union is today (1 April) calling for a comprehensive biosecurity plan established between Defra, the Department for Business and Trade and the Home Office. This would help to prevent potentially crippling costs down the line and to protect UK food production in the event of a major disease outbreak, the NFU says. The call comes amid a growing number of animal and plant disease outbreaks around the world, including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and African swine fever (ASF). According to the governments 2025 National Risk Register, both diseases are now two of the biggest threats to biosecurity, mostly due to illegal meat imports. Nearly 100 tons of illegal meat was confiscated at Dover last year a rise of more than 75 percent on 2023. Concerns were also recently raised after Northern Irish port authorities seized around 600kg of illegal meat that was smuggled into port on the Stranraer ferry. In the same month, Germany reported an outbreak of FMD and there have now been several more confirmed cases in Hungary and Slovakia. This comes when UK farm businesses are already under huge pressure from rising cases of bird flu and bluetongue virus. The National Audit Office estimated the cost of the devastating 2001 FMD outbreak to be over 8 billion, while the government says an ASF outbreak could cost up to 100m. Disease outbreaks are not only a threat to the national economy, but also the UKs ability to trade. For example, the UK exported nearly 6 billion of animal and plant products in 2024 which relied on the UKs biological security reputation. Speaking about the NFU's warning, the union's president Tom Bradshaw said that outbreaks of plant or animal disease posed a significant risk to the UKs food security He said: As an island nation we have a natural advantage, but this means nothing without fit for purpose import controls which address the needs and concerns of different sectors. "The recent outbreaks of FMD a disease which still haunts the memories of so many in our sector across Europe is hugely worrying for British farmers and we must do everything to prevent it crossing the Channel. "And FMD is not the only risk. New breakouts of ASF and known plant diseases like Xylella and tomato brown rugose fruit virus continue to be reported across Europe. "The risks are high and new threats are emerging all the time," Mr Bradshaw warned. In order to counter the biosecurity risks identified in the governments own National Risk Register, a cross-government biosecurity plan is needed alongside adequate investment, the NFU says. This should cover animal and plant disease threats such as FMD, xylella, African swine fever, bluetongue and avian influenza. It should also include sufficient investment for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and veterinary surveillance visits. Lord Rooker, who was Defra Minister during the 2007 FMD outbreak and former chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), has added his voice to the NFU's calls. Food is the UKs biggest manufacturing sector and if one part of the sector is damaged by a disease outbreak, it can destroy the publics confidence in the rest of it," he said. This government has a habit of ignoring countryside issues, but this is not a countryside issue, its an economic one. "If our food manufacturing sector is damaged, then the effect on the rest of the economy is enormous. It must be taken seriously. If not, were in real trouble. NFU Cymru has voiced "frustration" over the Welsh governments failure to deliver "urgent changes" to agricultural pollution regulations. The comments follow the publication of the statutory four-yearly review of the controversial regulations, which have been rolled out gradually since 2021. Led by Dr Sussanah Bolton, the new independent review examined the effectiveness of the measures designed to reduce water pollution from agricultural sources. It found that while the current regulatory approach was "sound", there were "significant opportunities to make improvements to benefit the environment and farmers". These include improved targeting, reducing burdens on low-risk farming activities, increasing clarity for farmers and addressing regulatory gaps. Following the review, the Welsh government issued a written statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies. "Water quality in Wales is still being detrimentally impacted and improvements must continue to be made," Mr Irranca-Davies said. "Whilst the causes of pollution are not limited to any one sector, agriculture remains one of the main contributors." NFU Cymru called the Welsh government's response to the review "very frustrating" as it failed to "reflect the sheer desperation of farmers in Wales". The union has had long-running concerns about the Control of Agricultural Pollution Regulations, accusing them of being costly, inefficient and bureaucratic. NFU Cymru Water Quality Group Chairman, Martin Griffiths said: "Farming families are facing staggering costs and an unworkable regulatory burden that is challenging farm business viability. NFU Cymru would welcome better targeting of the regulations and reducing burdens on low-risk farming." The review makes recommendations in key areas such as better targeting regulations at polluting activities while reducing burdens on low-risk farming. It also explores alternative measures, particularly regarding closed periods and the 170kg nitrogen per hectare manure limit. But Mr Griffiths said the review suggested that farmers could wait up to three years to see changes happen. "Farmers cannot wait another three years," he said. He went on to say: Farmers will have little confidence in recommendations to only consider the possibility and explore alternative measures for closed periods and the 170kg nitrogen per hectare limit. "The reality is that this work has already been undertaken and submitted to Welsh government in line with the legislative requirements two-and-a-half years ago." NFU Cymru said it would consider the report in more detail, reviewing the recommendations against NFU Cymrus evidence submission last December. Dr Susannah Bolton, who led the review, said: The engagement I have conducted for this review has demonstrated that there are strongly shared aspirations for improving water quality in Wales. "I am genuinely optimistic that the recommended changes to the regulation will enable a greater degree of common agency and shared responsibility to address the challenges. Greater investment is needed in monitoring crop diseases and the insects that spread them, alongside support for growers facing losses, a new report says. It makes 24 recommendations to mitigate the impact of viral and bacterial epidemics, strengthen UK crop resilience and protect food production. Numerous key areas are covered, such as early disease detection, containment, mitigation strategies, and funding for recovery efforts. Proposals include increased funding for disease surveillance and response, as well as a review of the Plant Health Risk Register to provide a more comprehensive overview of grower threats. The Keele University report also calls for greater investment in AI-based prediction tools to assess disease risk at specific sites. The research focused specifically on sugar beet and its vulnerability to diseases like Virus Yellows and Syndrome Basses Richesses (SBR). Virus Yellows last reached epidemic levels in the UK in 2020, with the virus incidence rising to 100% in parts of Cambridgeshire during that year. The economic cost to sugar beet growers was estimated to be 67 million in losses. However, Professor James Bell of Keele University emphasised that the report's recommendations apply broadly to agriculture and horticulture across the UK. He said: A combined disease threat could seriously compromise our domestic sugar supply, as it has done on the continent. "I am delighted that the E-Prep report is published because it will assist the sugar beet industry in its preparedness. Andrew Dear, of British Sugar, welcomed the "timely" report: "The findings will undoubtedly help improve understanding of the threat of SBR," he said. "It is now for us, as an industry, to review the recommendations and work with experts, including the authors of the report, to develop mitigation strategies to combat the increasing threat of SBR. The report was prepared as part of a project led by Professor Bell, funded through UK Research and Innovations (UKRI) work to tackle infections around the world. April 1, 2025: Mirage-2000 fighters finally arrived in Ukraine during February of this year. Ukrainian pilots had earlier been trained in France to fly the Mirage aircraft. France only has about 40 Mirage-2000 fighters available and most of these are apparently going to Ukraine. The 17-t0n Mirage-2000 is a single engine, single and two-seat delta-wing fighter/fighter-bomber with a max speed of 2,336 kilometers and top altitude of 17 kilometers. Max range is 1,500 kilometers and the aircraft can carry up to 6.3 tons of weapons. Including Ukraine, the Mirage-2000 is operated by ten countries. Ukraine is going to use them to deliver the Anglo-French Scalp air-to-ground guided missile. The Scalp is NATO-standard capable and has been used a lot by Ukraine, delivered by their MiG and Sukhoi aircraft. Also used are several other types of missiles and guided bombs. The Mirage-2000 can also be useful in shooting down Russian cruise missiles and drones. Meanwhile Ukraine continues to receive former European F-16 jets. As of March, Ukraine has received 85 F-16s contributed by the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. France has sent over a dozen Mirage 2000 fighters. Most of the required Ukrainian F-16 pilots have completed their training and most of these F-16s will be operational before the end of the year. Ukraine will use these fighters to seize control of the air near the Russian border. Currently, Russian warplanes launch attacks from inside Russia using guided bombs and missiles. Ukrainian air defenses, using American and European air-defense systems plus F-16s, prevent Russian aircraft from entering Ukrainian airspace and intercept most of the Russian missiles launched from inside Russia. Ukraine has lost most of its Soviet era Russian warplanes in combat since the 2022 Russian invasion. Eastern European nations which had been members of the old Soviet Unions Warsaw Pact Alliance still had some Russian-designed fighters, including Mig-29s, and sent those to Ukraine. Those were mostly lost too. After that NATO was the only source of replacement aircraft and the first of 128 F-16s began arriving earlier in 2024. The United States backed their European allies in sending F-16s to Ukraine. These countries have received new F-35s recently to replace the older F-16s. There are several hundred European and American F-16s available for shipment to Ukraine and Ukraine is eager to get as many F-16s as they can. The current Ukrainian goal is to have at least 128 F-16s. The Americans are also sending current models of missiles and bombs F-16s are equipped to use. The American F-16 fighter is the most widely used combat aircraft in the 21st Century. An F-16 first flew fifty years ago, and the Americans didnt realize how many F-16 fans were pilots in the Ukrainian Air Force. A growing number of Ukrainian pilots have completed their training in F-16s and deliveries of dozens of F-16s have begun. F-16s have been the worlds most popular post-Cold War combat aircraft. Communist governments and the Soviet Union collapsed by 1991 and eastern European nations, recently under communist rule, wanted to join NATO so the Russians, Communist or not, would be less likely to return. Since the 1990s these former Communist controlled nations joined NATO and have been replacing their Russian weapons with Western models. The F-16 is one of the most modified jet fighters in service. While most are still called the F-16C, there are actually seven major mods, identified by block number like 32, 40, 42, 50, 52, 60, 70 and 72, plus the Israeli F-16I, which is a major modification of the Block 52. The F-16D is a two seat trainer version of F-16Cs. The various block mods included a large variety of new components and can choose from five different engines, four sets of avionics, five generations of electronic warfare gear, five radars and many other mechanical, software, cockpit and electrical mods. Until Block 70 came along, the most advanced F-16 was the F-16 Block 60. The best example of this is a special version of the Block 60 developed for the UAE (United Arab Emirates). The UAE bought 80 Desert Falcons, the F-16Es which are optimized for air combat. It is a 22 ton aircraft based on the Block 52 model, which the KF-16 was originally, but with an AESA radar and lots of other additional useful accessories. Block 70 goes beyond Block 60, especially in terms of electronics and airframe enhancement to extend flight life. The most successful F-16 user is Israel which set a number of combat records with its F-16s. Israel plans to keep some of its late model F-16s flying until 2030 as it retires the oldest ones. At the end of 2016, Israel retired the last of its 125 F-16A fighters. The first 70 were acquired in 1980 and 1981 and included 8 two-seater F-16B trainers. One of the F-16As achieved a record by being the single F-16 with the most air-to-air kills, 6.5, all achieved in 1982 using three different pilots. Israel received 50 used F-16As in 1994 including 14 B models and used these mainly as trainers. The Ukrainians are well aware of the F-16s track record, especially when compared to the MiG-29. Thats why Ukraine keeps asking for F-16s and equivalents like the Mirage-2000. A lack of product diversity has resulted in Bangladesh not being able to fully utilise the generous zero-duty trade benefits offered by China, whereas Chinese imports have steadily increased, given the country's increasing reliance on a single sourcing destination. Despite China being the single largest trading partner of Bangladesh for years, imports from there have far outweighed exports, with shipments from Bangladesh failing to cross even the $1-billion mark. A lack of product diversity has resulted in Bangladesh not being able to fully utilise China's zero-duty trade benefits, whereas Chinese imports have risen, given Dhaka's rising reliance on a single sourcing destination. Despite China being the single largest trading partner of Bangladesh, imports from there have far outweighed exports. Bangladesh's scope to export more garments to China is low. Bangladesh heavily relies on China for textile raw materials like yarn and fabrics, which account for over two-fifths of total Chinese imports by Bangladesh. Capital machinery makes up nearly a quarter of imports, accounting for 24 per cent. Other imports include cotton. On the other hand, Bangladesh's main export items to China are garments, although the latter itself is the largest apparel exporter in the world. As China annually imports merely $10 billion worth garments, Bangladesh's scope to export more garments to China is quite low, as the South Asian nation lacks a range of diversified products, a Bangladesh media outlet reported. Efforts should also be made to try and allure Chinese entrepreneurs to relocate their factories to Bangladesh and Dhaka should lobby to get large Chinese banks to open branches in the country, an expert said. Chinese investment in Bangladesh now is mainly confined to infrastructure projects., which would bolster financing and the supply of foreign currencies, he added. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Abir Gulaal, featuring Pakistani star Fawad Khan and Bollywood actress Vaani Kapoor, is a long-awaited film. The romantic comedy now has an official teaser and release date. The makers have given us the closest look yet into the upcoming film which is directed by Aarti S. Bagdi.The teaser of Abir Gulaal opens with a slate that reads When was the last time you fell in love before introducing Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoors characters sitting in a car. Fawad sings Kuchh Na Kaho from 1942 A Love Story as it rains outside. As he gazes into Vaanis eyes, she asks him if hes flirting with her. To this, he responds, Do you want me to?Its enough to send ones heart racing. Watch the full teaser here:The teaser came with a release date, which is set for May 9, 2025. This marks Fawad Khans return to Indian cinema after almost 9 years. The film was initially expected to arrive in 2022, but it reportedly faced production delays since then. There has been an unofficial ban on Pakistani stars working in Indian projects since 2016. However, the Bombay High Court dismissed a petition for an official ban in a ruling in 2023.Filmfare had exclusively revealed the film's title last year. We also shared casting details about Fawad and Vaani coming together for the first time. More recently, we shared a production update when the cast and crew wrapped a 40-day filming for Abir Gulaal in London back in December last year. Our source shared, The makers plan to market the film internationally and show it at various festivals for starters."The official synopsis of Abir Gulaal reads, This heartwarming tale unfolds in the picturesque streets of London, weaving a love story filled with unexpected turns, tender moments, and pure magic. Audiences can expect a delightful blend of laughter, tender moments, and the undeniable chemistry between Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor.Abir Gulaal also features Lisa Haydon, Riddhi Dogra, Farida Jalal, Soni Razdan, Parmeet Sethi, Rahul Vora, Amrit Sandhu, Sujoy De and Dev Agrawal in key roles.See Also: Fawad Khan, Vaani Kapoors Abir Gulaal wraps up shoot in London - Exclusive At Filmfare, weve had a front-row seat to the rise of some of Indian cinemas brightest stars. And every now and then, someone comes along who reminds us why we tell stories, celebrate journeys, and keep our eyes on the horizon. Atiya Tara Nayak is one such name.Her debut in Amazon Prime Videos Ziddi Girls is not just a promising start. It is a performance that makes you pause and take notice. She doesnt enter with noise or declarations. Instead, there is a quiet fire, a natural ease, and an emotional honesty that stays with you.Ziddi Girls, directed by Shonali Bose, Vasant Nath, and Neha Veena Sharma, explores the lives of young students navigating identity, rebellion, ambition, and belonging in a modern-day Delhi college. The ensemble is fresh and energetic, but it is Atiya Tara Nayaks stillness and subtlety that give the show a steady emotional core. Her portrayal is layered without being loud, and relatable without feeling rehearsed. It is the kind of performance that connects, especially with Gen Z viewers who see in her a reflection of their own experiences.The response since the shows release has been immediate and enthusiastic. Alia Bhatt was among the first to share the trailer, writing, Cant wait to see you shine, Atiya. What followed was an outpouring of support that included names like Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar, Anil Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Shilpa Shetty, Farah Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Dia Mirza, Faye DSouza, Anupam Kher, Soni Razdan, Maniesh Paul, Kanika Kapoor, Shankar Mahadevan, Sonali Bendre, Mini Mathur, Boman Irani, Suniel Shetty, Neha Dhupia, Sophie Choudry and many others. For a newcomer, that kind of welcome is significant. It reflects not just encouragement but genuine recognition.The show also sparked discussion. A few students and faculty from Delhis Miranda House raised concerns about the portrayal of campus life. The creators clarified that the series is entirely fictional. Atiya Tara Nayak addressed the conversation with grace, saying, Art is meant to reflect and provoke thought. If it gets people talking, that in itself is part of the purpose. It is a thoughtful response from someone still new to the screen but clearly grounded in her intent.Atiyas journey began in Mumbai, at Avabai Petit Girls School in Bandra. Later, she moved to Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Grade 6, where she pursued the IGCSE and IB programmes. It was there that her exposure to global perspectives and the creative arts began to take shape. That curiosity eventually took her to New York, where she trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. It taught me to trust the moment and to bring truth to whatever I do, she shares.What also stands out is her deep sense of gratitude. Atiya Tara Nayak is quick to credit director Shonali Bose for believing in her, as well as casting director Mukesh Chhabra for opening the door. She also expresses her heartfelt thanks to Rangita and Ishita and the team at Pritish Nandy Communications for giving her this opportunity. And she doesnt forget to acknowledge co-directors Neha Veena Sharma and Vasant Nath, who made her feel comfortable on set and guided her patiently through her first shoot. For a newcomer, having that kind of support made all the difference, and shes clearly carried that humility forward.Now, according to reliable sources, she has already begun shooting for her next project, an Indian adaptation of Killing, a psychological drama that promises to show a very different side of her. The details are under wraps, but there is already interest in seeing how she evolves in her next role.At Filmfare, weve seen talent emerge in many forms. Some arrive with fanfare. Others, like Atiya Tara Nayak, let their work do the talking. There is something quietly compelling about her journey so far. No performance, no pretense. Just an honest beginning.And from where were watching, this is one debut we are truly excited to follow.See Also: EXCLUSIVE: Ziddi Girls Atiya Nayak On Getting Appreciation From Alia Bhatt Govinda's son Yashvardhan is gearing up to make his debut this year. The actor waiting for nine years and honed his skills to become better at the craft. He credits Ranbir Kapoor for his dedication. During an interview with Times Of India, Yashvardhan mentioned that it was important for him to stay outside of Bollywood for some time to discover himself. While talking about his career and ambitions, Yashvardhan noted that Ranbir Kapoor convinced him to go abroad and learn the art of filmmaking. "He said it's important to live outside the Bollywood bubble and helped me discover my own likes and dislikes, my identity, choices and in a way, my own voice," the actor noted. Praising Ranbir, Yashvardhan quipped that he has the "vision of a storyteller." "I also went to acting school in London for a year. I attended acting workshops in Mumbai as well, which I continue to do even today. It's like an endless thing. you can never say you it all," he added. Despite being an actor's son, Yashvardhan opened up on going through a difficult path to reach his goals. He mentioned that his father advised him to learn along the way. The actor also shared that he wishes to have perfect screen timing like Govinda. "I never saw him learning his lines and yet his timing has always been perfect. He has a photographic memory. No one can beat him in dancing or comic timing. Just observing him has taugh me alot," Harshvardhan added. Details about Yashvardhan's movie have not been revealed yet. Neither Govinda, nor other members of the Ahuja family have opened up on Yashvardhan's debut. The untitled film is set to hit the theatres later this year. The budding actor has assisted in movies like Dishoom, Baaghi and Salman Khan's upcoming film Kick 2. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Spider-Man (@spidermanmovie) The title for the next Spider-Man film is out. The fourth installment featuring Tom Hollands Spidey is titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Director Destin Daniel Cretton also dropped hints about the project at CinemaCon in Las Vegas earlier today.In a video announcement at CinemaCon, Tom Holland, who couldnt attend in person, shared, I am so sorry I cant be with you. I am halfway around the world shooting a movie. I know we left you with a massive cliffhanger at the end of No Way Home, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a fresh start. It is exactly that. Thats all I can say.The actor who is busy filming for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey added, Thats all Ive been allowed to say. And Im well over the hump of giving away spoilers, so dont be worried. Im not going to do that today. Cretton shared, Im spending my time exploring the next stage of this amazing character with a team of the most incredible artists in the world. Were all just daily nerding out over the suit, how to swing, how to create an event, an emotional story, and a ride that we havent really seen before.Towards the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker erases his identity from the world. The emotional ending hints at a loaded next chapter.Apart from Tom Hollands Peter Parker, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, who play MJ and Ned, are expected to reprise their roles in the fourquel. More recently, Sadie Sink was announced as a cast member for the upcoming superhero film. The Stranger Things stars character has not been unveiled. However, fans think she might play a younger Jean Grey after Famke Janssen and Sophie Turners iterations. So far, Sony hasnt revealed the official cast list.Spider-Man: Brand New Day will arrive in cinemas on July 31, 2026.See Also: Stranger Things Star Sadie Sink Joins Tom Holland In Spider-Man 4? South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun has broken his silence amidst allegations of dating the late actress Kim Sae Ron when she was underage. This comes after the accusations made by Sae Rons family and details of his past emerging on social media. The 37-year-old actor appeared in a press conference where he shared his side of the story through tears. His statements have garnered widespread backlash.Speaking at the press conference on Monday, Kim Soo Hyun apologised to his fans and his ex-girlfriends family. He said, Im sorry. It seems that too many people are suffering because of me alone. And I feel heartbroken because even the deceased may not be able to rest in peace.He shared, I think of myself as a coward. I was always too focused on protecting what I had. I couldnt even trust the kindness I received, and was always afraid of losing something or getting hurt. I was busy running away and denying things out of fear. Thats why it took me a long time to stand here today. I kept thinking, What if I had just talked about everything from the beginning? If I had, maybe the fans who love me and the company staff who worked so hard to make this press conference happen wouldnt have had to suffer so much.Kim Soo Hyun revealed that he dated Kim Sae Ron for a year, about five years ago before the release of Queen of Tears. But at the time, I denied our relationship. I think its only natural for people to criticize my choices. So, to be honest, I was afraid every single day. I kept thinking, what if all the choices I made to protect Kim Soo Hyun, the star ended up backfiring on me? I was scared of everything.Addressing accusations, Kim Soo Hyun shared, I did not date the deceased when she was a minor. And it is not true that she made a tragic choice because I turned my back on her, or because my agency pressured her over her debts. But now, the deceaseds family is claiming that because I was her ex-boyfriend, I drove her to her death. They are demanding that I confess to something I didnt do. They say: You manipulated her since she was a minor. You pressured her financially and caused her death.I am willing to admit to any wrongdoing on my part. If there is something I must take responsibility for, I believe it is only right to do so. But I cannot admit to things I did not do. If people call my choice cowardly or selfish, I will accept that criticism without hesitation. And to everyone who has cared for me, I sincerely apologise, he concluded.Kim Sae Ron passed away at the age of 24. She was found dead in a suspected suicide. Since then, details about actor Kim Soo Hyuns relationship with her have surfaced, with the late actresss family alleging that he dated Sae Ron while she was still a minor. They also shared alleged text messages from 2016.Read more here: Dating Scandal, Leaked Photo, Lawsuit & More: Timeline Of Kim Sae Ron-Kim Soo Hyuns Controversy Not for dissemination in the United States or for release to US news wire services VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / March 31, 2025 / Sceptre Ventures Inc. ("Sceptre" or the "Company") (TSXV:NEX)(TSXV:SVP.H) announces that it has completed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"), as described in its press releases of February 11, 2025 and February 28, 2025, pursuant to which it has issued an aggregate of 12,008,200 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.01 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $120,082.00. Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Share") and one transferable share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional Share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") for a period of 12 months from the closing date at an exercise price of $0.05. Proceeds of the Private Placement will be used for identifying and evaluating a proposed Qualifying Transaction (as defined in Policy 2.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange")) and for general working capital purposes. No finder's fees were paid in connection with the Private Placement. One insider of the Company subscribed for a total of 2,408,200 Units under the Private Placement, which is a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The issuance to the insider is exempt from the valuation requirement of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption contained in section 5.5(b) as the Company's shares are not listed on a specified market and from the minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption contained in section 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 in that the fair market value of the consideration of the securities issued to the related party did not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The securities issued under the Private Placement, and the Warrant Shares that may be issuable on exercise of the Warrants, are subject to a statutory hold period expiring on July 29, 2025. None of the securities sold in connection with the Private Placement will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and no such securities may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news 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 Sceptre Ventures Inc. Sceptre Ventures Inc. is a Capital Pool Company ("CPC") within the meaning of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange and has not commenced commercial operations and has no assets other than cash. Sceptre is currently engaged in identifying and evaluating businesses and assets with a view to completing a Qualifying Transaction under the TSXV's CPC policy. For Further Information: Kevin Bottomley, Chief Executive Officer Suite 1450-789 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC, V6C 1H2, Canada Tel: 604-681-1568 Email: Kevin@corvidiancap.com FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical, and consist primarily of projections - statements regarding future plans, expectations and developments. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "potential", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import tend to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements about the Private Placement and its terms, and the anticipated use of proceeds. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied, including, without limitation, that the Company may not use the gross proceeds as initially contemplated. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. The Company cannot assure that actual events, performance or results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. These forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. 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 SOURCE: Sceptre Ventures Inc. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 31, 2025) - GT Resources Inc. (TSXV: GT) (OTCQB: CGTRF) (FSE: 7N1) (the "Company" or "GT") announces that the board of directors have approved for grant the following annual equity incentives to directors, officers, employees, advisors and consultants 875,000 restricted share units ("RSUs") to certain employees, advisors and consultants which vest 3-years from the date of issue and have a term of 5-years; 3,000,000 deferred shares units ("DSUs") to certain officers and directors, which are exercisable upon departure from the Company and which vest 1-year from the date of issue; 5,400,000 stock options to certain officers and directors, which are exercisable for five years at a price of $0.025 per common share with 1/3rd vesting immediately and 1/3rd every 6-months thereafter; and 700,000 stock options to certain employees, advisors and consultants, which are exercisable for five years at a price of $0.025 per common share with 1/3rd vesting immediately and 1/3rd every 6-months thereafter. About GT Resources GT Resources Inc. (TSXV: GT) is a mineral exploration and development company with a strategy to advance magmatic sulphide copper, nickel & PGE mining projects in Europe and North America. Existing projects are located in Finland and Canada and are comprised of district scale opportunities that have attracted strategic investment from a major mining company. Follow GT Resources on LinkedIn, Twitter, and at www.gtresourcesinc.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Derrick Weyrauch" President & CEO, Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (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 is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States of America. The common shares of GT Resources Inc. have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. Information set forth in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, 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 statements. Such factors include, among others, risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in mineral and commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume; and the impact of governmental entities. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246851 SOURCE: GT Resources Inc. April 1, 2025: The Northern Fleet, based in northwest Russias Murmansk region and the Kola Peninsula, has a problem. Lacking enough resources to both maintain and operate its ships, the fleet has fallen into disrepair. Commercial satellite photos show ships in disarray and idle. In effect, the Northern Fleet has ceased to function. The best example of this is the continued failure to get aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and the battle cruiser Admiral Nakhimov operational. The nuclear-powered Nakhimov is a 28,000-ton battlecruiser that entered service in 1988. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the naval budget was slashed to a subsistence level. The Nakhimov was scheduled to start a five year refit and upgrade in 1997. As of 2025 the rehab is still not finished and may not be for a few more years, or even never. Since 2022 the war in Ukraine has been absorbing most of Russias military budget. Worse, the Ukrainians destroyed the Black Sea fleet with airborne and naval drones. The few surviving ships fled to the Sea of Azov, a branch of the Black Sea in the northeast, 1,300 kilometers from Crimea, where a few Russian ports and garrisons held out against the encroaching Ukrainian forces. The Russians are under fire from cruise missiles and drones, and escape by sea is difficult because of the Ukrainian drones patrolling the air and able to direct naval drones against any Russian ships trying to reach or escape Crimean ports. Another problem is the Kerch Straits, the three kilometer wide entrance to the Sea of Azov. There used to be a bridge across the Kerch Straits but the bridge is currently down, making it impossible to get from Crimea to Russia save by sea. That is difficult because Ukrainian drones spot the ships and call in missiles or naval drones. Russians keep trying to repair the Kerch bridge but Ukrainian missiles and drones keep disrupting that work. While Russia has given up on the Black Sea, it still seeks to maintain control of the Northern Fleet bases in the northwestern Russian White Sea where the Sevmash shipyards are located. This is where the Nakhimov and two or three of its sister ships are based. The shipyards are currently preparing the Nakhimov for a return to service by 2026. That may be optimistic because repairs have missed their deadlines several times already. Since the Cold War ended, Russian warship construction and refurbishment capabilities have declined considerably. Examples are the extended and problem-plagued efforts to refurbish the lone carrier and four nuclear powered battle cruisers. For example, in 2022 a Russian shipyard announced it was ready to deliver the refurbished battlecruiser Nakhimov to the fleet. Work on the Admiral Nakhimov began in 2014 and was supposed to be completed by 2018. As usual, there were technical, economic and political problems that delayed delivery until 2022. To get this done, the plans to refurbish the two oldest Kirovs, Admiral Ushakov and Admiral Lazarev, were canceled after it was discovered that these ships were in worse condition than expected and in 2021, they were officially retired and scrapped. The Russian navy never recovered from the end of the Cold War and its sharp, continuing reductions in the navy budget. Efforts to replace the aging Cold War era ships failed. At the end of the Cold War in 1991, Russia had the second-largest fleet in the world. Now it is in third place, behind the United States and China. While China is now the most prolific builder of warships. Russian ship building capabilities continue to decline. This was particularly obvious in the case of major surface ships like carriers, battlecruisers and destroyers. There are only 29 large surface ships including a carrier, four cruisers, 13 destroyers and eleven frigates. The subs and large surface ships only account for 36 percent of the vessels in the fleet. The rest are smaller craft, including some amphibious warfare boats and ships. A third of the subs are diesel-electric boats. The carrier and four large cruisers are not much of a surface strike force. That task is assigned to the eleven guided missile armed nuclear subs. Only 16 of the 40 attack subs are nuclear, the rest are diesel electric. There are eleven special purpose subs carrying a wide variety of exotic weapons. The Chinese and Western fleets keep it simple, using nuclear and diesel-electric subs with very few special purpose subs. Long-range bombers based at the complex of naval and air bases in northwestern Russias Kola Peninsula around Murmansk province regularly take off and fly south to launch long range missiles at targets in Ukraine. The distance from Murmansk to Ukraine is about 2,600 kilometers. The Russian Tu-22M3 bombers or MiG-31K fighter bombers can fly most of the distance and then release their long range air-to-ground missiles at targets in Ukraine. These flights are over Russian territory so there is no risk of losing aircraft to Ukrainian air defense systems. Nearby Norway, Finland and Sweden are another story. These three nations are NATO members and all are upgrading their military facilities adjacent to Russian territory in Murmansk province. In this area the borders of Norway, Finland and Sweden are all adjacent to each other as well as Russia. The increased activity at Russian air, naval and land bases to support the Russian forces in Ukraine is very visible. The Russian Northern Fleet is based in this region and infantry units assigned to provide its security have disappeared since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russian ground forces suffered heavy losses and most of the Northern Fleet security forces were sent to Ukraine and most were killed or wounded. The departed Northern Fleet ground security force troops have not been replaced. The Northern Fleet had to improvise a security force from naval personnel and some local civilian watchmen. Norway, Finland and Sweden are not threatening Russian forces but are increasing air, land and naval forces based in the area. This means more F-35 fighters, P-8 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and ground based air defense systems like the Norwegian made NASAMS. NATO forces fly air patrols off their coasts and send naval patrol vessels to coastal waters near Russia. All this surveillance of Russian operations around the Kola Peninsula is seen as assistance for Ukraine by local NATO members who provide military support for Ukraine. Heineken Silver is taking its smoothness beyond beer with the launch of The Heineken Smootheriser ; a skin cream as silky as its brew This new, limited-edition drop blurs the lines between beer and beauty, taking the signature ultra-smooth taste of Heineken Silver and turning it into an unexpected creation The Heineken Smootheriser will launch in Cambodia and Taiwan region, bringing a refreshing twist to skincare and redefining what smoothness means SINGAPORE, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Heineken Silver, the beer renowned for its ultra-refreshing smoothness, today unveils TheHeineken Smootheriser, a "skin-smoothing" beauty cream. Blurring the boundaries between beer and beauty, the cream draws inspiration from Heineken Silver's crisp, easy-drinking formula, taking its smoothness beyond just beer. At a time when consumers are engaging with brands in more unexpected ways, Heineken Silver is leaning into cultural trends, stepping beyond traditional marketing to create something playful and disruptive. Launched in Asia, this unexpected creation taps into skincare's popularity surge and the rise of self-care to engage a broader audience with something playful and disruptive. Disrupting Expectations, One Smooth Move at a Time Pushing category boundaries is in Heineken Silver's DNA. Brewed at -1C for a refreshingly crisp taste, the beer has always redefined smoothness. Now, in true Heineken Silver fashion, the brand is making waves with its unconventional approach to brand engagement and sparking curiosity and conversation. What started as a joke was just too smooth not to make real. "The Heineken Smootheriser is not just about jumping on the latest trends. It's about Heineken's move to blend humour, innovation and cultural relevance to create a memorable crossover that gets people talking whether they're into beer, skincare, or both. After all, when something is as smooth as Heineken Silver, why stop at beer?" says Nabil Nasser, Global Head of the Heineken Brand. A Cultural Conversation in the Making While it makes its debut on April 1, The Heineken Smootheriser is no April Fool's joke. The product actually exists, blurring the line between parody and possibility. Infused with the same quality barley and hops that give Heineken Silver its signature crisp taste, The Heineken Smootheriser is exquisitely packaged with a premium formulation that's designed to hydrate and nourish the skin. Over 1,000 limited-edition boxes are now available exclusively through select activations and giveaways. The Heineken Smootheriser will launch in Taiwan region and Cambodia, coinciding with Heineken Silver's official launch in the latter market. Fans eager to witness the exciting blend of beer and beauty can follow @heineken_tw and @heineken_kh on Instagram for more updates on The Heineken Smootheriser. About HEINEKEN HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium and non-alcoholic beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 340 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. With HEINEKEN's over 85,000 employees, we brew the joy of true togetherness to inspire a better world. Our dream is to shape the future of beer and beyond to win the hearts of consumers. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brew a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Most recent information is available on our Company's website and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2652709/The_smoothest_beer_creates_the_smoothest_skin_cream__Heineken__Silver_blurs_boundaries_with_the_Hein.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2652707/Heineken__Silver_is_taking_its_smoothness_beyond_beer_with_the_launch_of_The_Heineken__Smootheriser.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2652708/The_Heineken__Smootheriser_will_launch_in_Cambodia_and_Taiwan__bringing_a_refreshing_twist_to_skinca.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2652710/Heineken_Silver__Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-smoothest-beer-creates-the-smoothest-skin-cream-heineken-silver-blurs-boundaries-with-the-heineken-smootheriser-302415125.html New micro credentials course will give students access to Fujitsu's AutoML technology, allowing them to generate AI models more rapidly KAWASAKI, Japan, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Faster and highly accurate AI models will be available and accessible to students through a strategic partnership between global digital transformation leader, Fujitsu, and Macquarie University. The collaboration, formed through an established strategic partnership, will offer university-developed AI micro credentials via Macquarie University's online learning platforms as well as popular platforms including LinkedIn Learning and Udemy, allowing students, researchers and industry professionals around the world access to Fujitsu's proprietary AutoML technology while developing valuable knowledge and skills in automated machine learning. The new four-week online course, "Fujitsu AutoML: Mastering Automated Machine Learning" will open for registrations. The course is tailored to bridge the gap in AI education and will teach basic theory with practical exercises on topics including automated machine learning, models and algorithms using the Fujitsu AutoML tool. Accelerating AI implementation process with Fujitsu AutoML technology The Fujitsu AutoML technology speeds up analysis by evaluating the most promising machine learning pipelines, rather than all combinations of possible outcomes. The technology also enhances transparency for data-driven decision-making by showing users how the AI model is built. Fujitsu AutoML is an integral component of Fujitsu's cloud-based AI Platform, Fujitsu Kozuchi, which enables rapid development, testing, and implementation of AI across seven areas: Generative AI, AutoML, predictive analytics, text, vision, AI trust, explainable AI. For full release click here View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/fujitsu-and-macquarie-university-partner-to-help-address-critical-shortage-of-machine-learning-engineers-302416383.html Empress Royalty Corp. (TSXV:EMPR)(OTCQX:EMPYF) ("Empress Royalty" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on one of it's key investments, the Tahuehueto Mine ("Tahuehueto") owned by Luca Mining Corp. ("Luca"), where Empress has a 100% silver stream (please refer to Empress press release dated July 22, 2021. On March 31, 2025, Luca announced Tahuehueto successfully achieved commercial production in March, consistently operating at a throughput rate above 800 tonnes per day (tpd). The processing plant at Tahuehueto has an installed capacity of 1,000 tpd, with demonstrated instantaneous production rates of up to 1,200 tpd. Currently, plant availability is at 82% as part of the transition to stable commercial production, with plans to systematically increase availability to 85% to 90% as operations continue to perform well. For futher information, please refer to the Luca press release dated March 31, 2025. "Achieving commercial production at Tahuehueto is an important milestone for Luca and a testament to the hard work and dedication of their team", stated Alexandra Woodyer Sherron, CEO and President of Empress Royalty. "We acknowledge the commitment demonstrated throughout the optimization process, which has enabled this sustained production level. This accomplishment is significant not only for Luca but also for Empress, as it represents the realization of substantial value from our silver stream on the project. We look forward to the continued success of Tahuehueto." Luca announced it continues to focus on enhancing the infrastructure at Tahuehueto, including the construction of a spare parts warehouse to minimize downtime and increase operational resilience. Additionally, Luca is prioritizing mill throughput increases while undertaking exploration efforts to evaluate near-mine and regional targets within the property's extensive epithermal vein system. These initiatives are part of Luca's strategy to maximize operational efficiency and extend the mine's life. ABOUT EMPRESS ROYALTY CORP. Empress is a global royalty and streaming creation company providing investors with a diversified portfolio of gold and silver investments. Empress has built a portfolio of precious metal investments and is actively investing in mining companies with development and production stage projects who require additional non-dilutive capital. The Company has strategic partnerships with Endeavour Financial and Terra Capital which allow Empress to not only access global investment opportunities but also bring unique mining finance expertise, deal structuring and access to capital markets. Empress is looking forward to continuously creating value for its shareholders through the proven royalty and streaming models. ON BEHALF OF EMPRESS ROYALTY CORP. Per: Alexandra Woodyer Sherron, CEO and President For further information, please visit our website at www.empressroyalty.com or contact Investor Relations, by email at info@empressroyalty.com or by phone at +1.604.331.2080. 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. The information contained herein includes "forward-looking statements" and "forward looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of terms such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate" ,"continue", "believe", "plans", "anticipate" or similar terms. Forward-looking information and statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that Empress Royalty Corp. ("Empress" or the "Company") expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including those regarding future growth and ability to create new streams or royalties, the development and focus of the Company , its acquisition strategy, the plans and expectations of the operators of the projects underlying its interests, including the proposed advancement and expansion of such projects; the results of exploration, development and production activities of the operators of such projects; and the Company's expectations regarding future revenues. Forward-looking information and statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about Empress's business and the industry and markets in which it operates. Forward-looking information and statements are made based upon numerous assumptions and although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information and statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performances and achievements of Empress to differ materially from any projections of results, performances and achievements of Empress including, without limitation, any inability of the operators of the properties underlying the Company's royalty and stream interests to execute proposed plans for such properties or to achieve planned development and production estimates and goals, risks related to the operators of the projects in which the Company holds interests, including the successful continuation of operations at such projects by those operators, risks related to exploration, development, permitting, infrastructure, operating or technical difficulties on any such projects, risks related to international operations, government relations and environmental regulation, uncertainty relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future and the Company's ability to carry out its growth plans as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other related risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of important factors which could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements, refer to the annual information form of Empress for the year ended December 31, 2024 and its other publicly filed documents under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information and statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information and statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws. Disclosure relating to properties in which Empress holds royalty or stream interests is based on information publicly disclosed by the owners or operators of such properties. The Company generally has limited or no access to the properties underlying its interests and is largely dependent on the disclosure of the operators of its interests and other publicly available information. The Company generally has limited or no ability to verify such information. Although the Company does not have any knowledge that such information may not be accurate, there can be no assurance that such third-party information is complete or accurate. In addition, certain information publicly reported by operators may relate to a larger property than the area covered by the Company's interest, which often may only apply to a portion of the overall project area or applicable mineral resources or reserves. SOURCE: Empress Royalty Corp. EQS Newswire / 01/04/2025 / 11:02 UTC+8 Hong Kong - April 01, 2025 - SeaPRwire , a leading Public Relations Communication Platform in Asia, has announced the introduction of an AI-supported multilingual news translation tool. This innovative tool, developed in collaboration with Asia Presswire ( https://www.asiapresswire.com ), aims to expand the reach of press releases by enabling instant translation into multiple languages, allowing companies to effectively connect with a broader global audience. The new multilingual news translation tool leverages advanced machine translation technology to quickly and accurately translate news content into a variety of languages. This feature ensures that press releases can be easily distributed across different linguistic regions, enhancing global communication efforts and improving brand visibility. "With the growing demand for effective communication across borders, our new AI-powered translation tool allows our clients to seamlessly reach audiences in multiple languages," said Grace Martin, Media Director at SeaPRwire. "This solution is designed to simplify the process of multilingual press release distribution, ensuring that companies can communicate their messages clearly and efficiently to a wider, international audience." The integration of this translation tool is expected to significantly benefit businesses looking to expand their presence beyond regional markets. By providing fast and accurate translations, SeaPRwire's new tool eliminates the barriers that often hinder global communications, such as language differences and delays in manual translation processes. With the increasing globalization of media and the rapid pace at which information spreads, having a multilingual press release distribution capability has become crucial for companies aiming to maintain a strong, consistent global presence. The new tool allows press releases to be translated into multiple languages, including but not limited to English, Chinese, French, Spanish, and German, ensuring that brands can effectively target media outlets and audiences worldwide. SeaPRwire's multilingual news translation tool also supports real-time updates, ensuring that the latest news content is translated and distributed as soon as it is released. This feature further enhances the platform's ability to provide up-to-date information to a diverse range of media outlets and audiences. The collaboration with Asia Presswire strengthens SeaPRwire's service offering, bringing cutting-edge AI and machine translation technology to the forefront of global communications. This partnership solidifies SeaPRwire's position as a leader in earned media communications management across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. "As we continue to innovate and refine our services, we are committed to providing our clients with the most advanced tools available for managing their communications efforts," Martin added. "This new translation tool is just one example of how we are using technology to help our clients amplify their message and reach audiences worldwide with ease." SeaPRwire's new multilingual news translation tool is now available to clients across Asia, providing them with an enhanced ability to reach diverse audiences in various regions and languages. This AI-powered solution is poised to become a game-changer in the global press release distribution landscape, enabling businesses to strengthen their international communications and expand their global footprint. About Asia Presswire Asia Presswire is a press release distribution service that provides tailored solutions for public relations firms, agencies, organizations, and corporations worldwide. They specialize in delivering customized press release distribution, including direct-to-editor email delivery to targeted media editors at newspapers, magazines, and broadcast outlets. Their extensive network spans 172 countries, connecting with over 230,000 media outlets and 3.6 million self-media platforms. Supporting over 46 languages, including English, Chinese, French, German, and Japanese, Asia Presswire ensures effective communication across diverse linguistic regions. Their services are designed to enhance brands' online visibility and reputation, enabling effective connection with target audiences. About SeaPRwire SeaPRwire is a leading earned media communications management platform in Asia, designed to empower PR and communications professionals. Its Branding-Insight Program streamlines communication management by connecting clients with a network of over 80,000 journalists, editors, magazines, and online media outlets, along with 300 million followers of key opinion leaders (KOLs). Leveraging AI-driven technology, SeaPRwire enables users to identify relevant media and KOLs, personalize pitches, and measure the impact of their communications efforts. Operating across regions including Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, SeaPRwire enhances brand awareness and educates audiences effectively. Media Contact Brand: SeaPRwire Contact: Media team Email: cs@seaprwire.com Website: https://seaprwire.com 01/04/2025 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 Life of Mine (LOM) plans at Pilar demonstrate five years of production starting in 2025, while the MTL complex LOM, with the inclusion of the Oncas de Pitangui reserves and resources, demonstrates gold production well past 2030. Vern Baker, CEO of Jaguar Mining stated, "This year's Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource update further advances our organic growth strategy. With the initial disclosure of probable Mineral Reserves at our Oncas de Pitangui project, we increased our reserve base by 63%. While we have challenges to overcome following the incident at our MTL Complex which resulted in the suspension of operations at our Turmalina mine, once we are able to return to work at this mine, we see a direct road to increase the ounce production across the Company. Increasing Mineral Reserves, especially with new orebodies, is the key to having new mining areas that can take our production to a new level." Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves and Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources figures are reported for the Company's two operating mining and production complexes, MTL and Caete, and for the Paciencia complex (currently on care and maintenance) in the Iron Quadrangle Gold Province, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The MTL complex (currently suspended) is comprised of the Turmalina mine (orebodies A, B and C), the Faina zone, the Oncas de Pitangui project as well as the Zona Basal and Pontal deposits. The Caete complex is comprised of the Pilar mine (orebodies BA, BF, SW, LPA and TORRE), the Roca Grande mine (on care and maintenance) and the Corrego Brandao open-pit deposit. The Paciencia complex is comprised of the Santa Isabel and Margazao mines (both on care and maintenance) and the Bahu deposit. 2024 MINERAL RESERVES AND MINERAL RESOURCES The Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves reported herein and respective changes in inventory were consolidated based on estimates sourced from the technical reports listed in Table 3. CIM (2014) definitions were followed for Mineral Reserves estimates. The location map in Figure 1 indicates the location of the Company's production complexes and respective mines and deposits. The Mineral Rights are situated inside a 60 km radius from Belo Horizonte, the state capital of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Figure 1. Schematic location map showing Jaguar's mineral rights and production complexes associated to the Rio das Velhas greenschists of the Iron Quadrangle Gold Province Figure 2. Bar chart of the consolidated 2024 Proven & Probable Mineral Reserves by operation Mineral Reserves The Company's Proven and Probable Mineral Reservesas at December 31, 2024, increased by 63% to 764 koz, net of mining depletion, mainly due to the addition of 284 koz of Mineral Reserves from the Oncas de Pitangui project (see bar chart in Figure 2). Detailed information of the Company's current consolidated Mineral Reserves inventory, as at December 31, 2024, is shown in Table 1 at the end of this release. MTL Complex Mineral Reserves A total of 572 koz of Mineral Reserves are attributed to the MTL complex Mineral Reserves, distributed among the Turmalina mine Orebodies A, B, & C, the Faina zone and the Oncas de Pitangui project. Longitudinal sections shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the spatial distribution of the Mineral Reserves and actual or planned development associated to the Turmalina mine, the Faina zone and the Oncas de Pitangui project. The current Mineral Reserves inventory resulted from the following add-ons and depletions in 2024: Mineral Reserves were estimated by Jaguar staff, reviewed and validated by SLR's Qualified Persons. Turmalina mine The current Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves of 128 koz (1,255 kt @ 3.26 g/t Au) for Orebodies A, B, & C represent a net decrease of 16 koz from the Mineral Reserves established in December 2023 resulting from: The depletion of 29 koz resulting from mining activities in 2024; The subtraction of 5 koz resulting from a risk analysis performed in 2024 and, The re-categorization of Mineral Resources into18 koz of Mineral Reserves resulting from in-fill / step-out drilling and geological model reinterpretation. The Turmalina mine 2P Mineral Reserves are distributed among the following orebodies: Orebody A (29 koz, 226 kt @ 3.95 g/t Au); Orebody B (30 koz, 304 kt @ 3.04 g/t Au); and Orebody C (70 koz, 695 kt @ 3.12 g/t Au). Faina zone The Faina zone hosts a total of 160 koz (1,019 kt @ 4.87 g/t Au) of Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves. The Mineral Reserve addition of 27 koz attributed to the re-categorization of Mineral Resources exposed by the underground development and infill drilling that took place in 2024. The addition was offset by the production of 4 koz in 2024, resulting in a net increase of 22 koz compared to the prior year. Oncas de Pitangui project NI 43-101 Technical Report - Turmalina Mining Complex, Minas Gerais, Brazil, by SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. (SLR), includes an update of Probable Mineral Reserves totalling 284 koz (2,122kt @ 4.16 g/t Au) at the Oncas de Pitangui project. Figure 3. Long Sections showing year-over-year changes in Turmalina mine Mineral Reserves 2024 vs 2023 Figure 4. Long Sections showing year-over-year changes of the Faina zone Mineral Reserves 2024 vs 2023 Figure 5. Cross Section showing the Oncas de Pitangui project Reserves as at December 31, 2024 Caete Complex Mineral Reserves Pilar mine Infill and step-out drilling and geological model reinterpretation executed in 2024 at the Pilar mine resulted in the addition of 43 koz to the Pilar mine mineral inventory. This addition was offset by the extraction of 45 koz in 2024. As a result, the updated estimates of the Pilar mine Mineral Reserves total an amount of 192 koz (1536 kt @ 3.89 g/t Au), a 2 koz net decrease in the 2P Mineral Reserve categories if compared to the 194 koz (1,906 Kt @ 3.17 g/t Au) of 2P Mineral Reserves. Mineral Reserves at the Pilar mine are divided between Orebody BA (38 koz, 259 kt @ 4.53 g/t Au), Orebodies BFs (106 koz, 850 kt @ 3.89 g/t Au), Orebody SW (28 koz, 250 kt @ 3.48 g/t Au), Orebody Torre (13 koz, 114 kt @ 3.61 g/t Au) and others (7 koz, 63 kt @ 3.38 g/t Au). The Longitudinal sections shown in Figure 6 illustrate the spatial distribution of the Mineral Reserves and actual development at the Pilar mine. Figure 6. Long Section showing year-over-year changes in Pilar mine Mineral Reserves 2024 vs 2023 Mineral Resources The Company's consolidated Mineral Resources as at December 31, 2024, include both the updated Mineral Resources for the Pilar and Turmalina mines, Faina zone, as well as for the Oncas de Pitangui project, along with the unchanged Mineral Resources from previous disclosures for the Pontal and Zona Basal deposits, the Roca Grande, Santa Isabel and Marzagao mines, and the Corrego Brandao and Bahu deposits. Consolidated Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources decreased by 1% to 1,659 koz (12,325 kt @ 4.19 g/t Au), net of mining depletion. Inferred Mineral Resources increased by 3% to 1,676 koz (14,621 kt @ 3.56 g/t Au) which is a 48 koz net increase over the prior year. Mineral Resources were estimated by Jaguar staff, reviewed and validated by SLR's Qualified Persons. Detailed information of the Company's current consolidated Mineral Resources inventory as at December 23, 2024, is shown in Table 2 at the end of this release. Figure 7. Graph showing the changes in M&I + I Resource Inventory in 2024 according to the estimation's updates and respective material sources. MTL Complex Consolidated MTL complex (Measured and Indicated) Mineral Resources underground are reported as 1,104koz (8,219 kt @ 4.18 g/t Au) and Inferred Mineral Resources underground are reported as 906 koz (7,371 kt @ 3.82 g/t Au). Open pit Inferred Mineral Resources are reported as 32kozs (781 kt @ 1.28 g/t Au). The consolidated Mineral Resources are subdivided as follows: Underground Mineral Resources Turmalina mine Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources are reported as 360 koz, (2,875 kt @ 3.90 g/t Au). Turmalina mine Inferred Mineral Resources are reported as 117 koz, (1214 kt @ 3.00 g/t Au). Faina zone Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 258 koz, (1,532 kt @ 5.23 g/t Au). Faina zone Inferred Mineral Resources are reported as 193 koz, (1,145 kt @ 5.25 g/t Au). Pontal deposit Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources are reported as 29 koz, (266 kt @ 3.44 g/t Au) unchanged from 2023 disclosure. Pontal deposit Inferred Mineral Resources are reported as 24 koz, (159 kt @ 4.72 g/t Au) unchanged from 2023 disclosure. Pontal South deposit Inferred Mineral Resources are reported as 81 koz, (669 kt @ 3.76 g/t Au) unchanged from 2023 disclosure. Oncas de Pitangui project Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 457 koz, (3,547 kt @ 4.01 g/t Au). Oncas de Pitangui project Inferred Mineral Inferred Resources are reported as 490 koz, (4,184 kt @ 3.64 g/t Au). The year-over-year changes in the Mineral Resources distribution at the Turmalina mine are illustrated in the longitudinal sections shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10. Open Pit Mineral Resources Zona Basal deposit Inferred Mineral Resources (Open Pit) are reported as 32 koz, (781 kt @ 1.28 g/t Au), unchanged since the initial estimates prepared by SLR reported in Technical Report on the Turmalina Complex, Minas Gerais, Brazil with effective date of November 30, 2023. Figure 8. Long Section of the Turmalina mine's Mineral Resources year-over-year changes (2024 vs. 2023). Figure 9. Long Section of the Faina zone Mineral Resources year-over-year changes (2024 vs. 2023). Figure 10. Cross Section of the Oncas de Pitangui project Mineral Resources year-over-year changes (2024 vs. 2023). Caete Complex The Pilar mine was the only source of Mineral Resources inventory changes at the Caete Complex. The Mineral Resources estimates of the Pilar mine were prepared by Jaguar on site mine geology department under the coordination of the corporate geologists and mining engineers. The database and procedures were revised by the SLR qualified persons. The year-over-year changes in the Mineral Resources distribution at the Pilar mine are illustrated in the longitudinal section shown in Figure 11. Consolidated Caete complex (Measured and Indicated) Mineral Resources Underground are reported as 556koz (4,106 kt @ 4.21 g/t Au) and Inferred Mineral Resources Underground are reported as 452 koz (3,597 kt @ 3.91 g/t Au) and Open Pit are reported as 51kozs (1,072 kt @ 1.48 g/t Au) subdivided as follows: Underground Mineral Resources Pilar mine Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources are reported as 435 koz, (3,144 kt @ 4.30 g/t Au). Pilar mine Inferred Mineral Resources are reported as 335 koz, (2,708 kt @ 3.85 g/t Au). Roca Grande mine Measure and Indicated Mineral Resources are reported as 121 koz, (962 kt @ 3.90 g/t Au). Roca Grande mine Inferred Mineral Resources are reported as 117 koz, (889 kt @ 4.08 g/t Au). Open Pit Mineral Resources Corrego Brandao deposit Inferred Mineral Resources are reported as 51 koz, (1,072 kt @ 1.48 g/t Au) unchanged from 2021 disclosure. Figure 11. Long Section showing year-over-year changes of the Pilar mine Mineral Resources 2024 vs. 2023. GEOLOGICAL AND OPERATIONAL CONTEXT MTL Complex The MTL Complex underground operations consist of several geological structures grouped into three orebodies - Orebodies A, B, C (the Turmalina mine) - and the Faina zone, where production began in 2024 through underground development. Orebody A, responsible for the bulk of the Turmalina mine accumulated production estimated in 870 recovered koz, is folded and steeply east dipping, with a strike length of approximately 250 m to 300 m, and average thickness of six metres. Underground development has exposed approximately 1,100 vertical metres of Orebodies A and B mineralization along a robust down-plunge continuity. Orebody B includes three narrow, lower grade lenses positioned in the foot-wall, parallel to Orebody A. Orebody B mineralization has been outlined along a strike length of approximately 350 m to 400 m and to the same depths of Orebody A. Orebody C is a series of northwest striking, lenses generally of lower grade located to the southwest in the structural footwall of Orebody A. Orebody C has replaced Orebody A as the Complex's principal production source. Mineralization has been outlined along a strike length of approximately 800 m to 850 m, to depths of 750?m below surface. Orebodies A, B and C from Turmalina mine and the Pilar mine (Caete Complex) share similar strong structural controls of the mineralization with the major gold mines known in the Iron Quadrangle Gold Province, well known for their reduced strike length compared to very deep, continuous down-plunge continuities. Explored in the past through diamond drilling, the Faina zone is an orebody currently under development constituted by a series of offset striking parallel structures extending from surface to depth. The focus of mining at Turmalina is shifting from Orebodies A and B to Orebody C and Faina zone. Orebody C continues to grow with successful conversion of Resources to Reserves. In addition to the development initiated at the Faina zone in 2024, the recent re-categorization of the Oncas de Pitangui project Mineral Resources that resulted in 284 koz of Probable reserves will contribute to the MTL complex production growth. The Pontal and Zona Basal deposits are unchanged from the previous year's estimates. Caete Complex The Pilar Mineral Reserve 2024 inventory remained almost the same if compared to 2023 due to the gradual reduction in drilling activities and the depletion of 26 koz attributed to Orebody SW, located in the opposed limb of the major structure that hosts the Pilar mine mineralization resulting from geological modelling parameters. No changes of the Mineral Resources inventories were reported in 2025 in the Roca Grande mine and the Corrego Brandao deposit. Paciencia Complex No changes in Mineral Resources inventories were reported in 2024 in the Santa Isabel and Marzagao mines, and the Bahu deposit. Table 1. Consolidated Mineral Reserves as at December 31, 2024 Notes 1. CIM (2014) definitions were followed for Mineral Reserves. 2. The released underground Mineral Reserves estimations include the Turmalina and Pilar mines the Faina zone, and Oncas de Pitangui project. 3. Cut-off grades and constraints employed in the estimate such as minimum width and eventual minimum height for underground development and stopping are indicated in Table 4 4. Bulk density is 2.85 t/m3. 5. The Exchange rate of R$5.20 / US$1.00 was applied to all the estimates. 6. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. 7. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Table 2. Consolidated Mineral Resources as at December 31, 2024 Notes: 1. CIM (2014) definitions were followed for the classification of Mineral Resources. 2. The released Mineral Resources estimations include the Turmalina, Pilar, Roca Grande, Santa Isabel and Marzagao mines, the Faina zone, Pontal deposit, and Oncas de Pitangui project underground Mineral Resources and the Zona Basal deposit, the Bahu and Corrego Brandao open-pit zones Mineral Resources. 3. Mineral Resources are inclusive of the Mineral Reserves at the Turmalina and Pilar mines, the Faina zone and Oncas de Pitangui project. 4. Drill hole and channel samples assay results freeze dates are indicated in Table 5. 5. Freeze dates for depletion purposes relative to mining and forecast production volumes are shown in Table 5. 6. Long-term gold price applied to the Mineral Resources estimations are informed in Table 5. 7. Cut-off grades and constraints employed in the estimate such as minimum width and eventual minimum height for underground Mineral Resources and pit optimizations using Lerchs-Grossmann algorithm for open pit Mineral Resources estimations are indicated in Table 5. 8. The Exchange rate of R$5.20 / US$1.00 was applied to all the estimates. 9. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Table 3. List of NI 43-101 Technical Reports and Internal Reports Employed to Support the Mineral Reserves and Resources Figures Table 4. Development Parameters and Economic Premises Employed in the Mineral Reserves Estimates Gurit Holding AG / Key word(s): Personnel GURIT ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF DR. TOBIAS LUHRIG AS NEW CEO 01-Apr-2025 / 06:45 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Zurich, April 1, 2025 - Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Gurit (SIX Swiss Exchange: GURN) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Tobias Luhrig, a German national, as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Javier Perez-Freije, CFO and current acting CEO ad interim, will continue to lead the company until Tobias Luhrig officially starts, after which Javier Perez-Freije will return to the sole role as Chief Financial Officer. With over 20 years of leadership experience in family-owned and private equity-backed companies, Tobias Luhrig has a proven track record in operational efficiency, strategic realignment, and margin enhancement. His expertise in right-sizing, fostering resilience during transitions, and aligning global operations makes him the ideal leader for Gurit's ongoing realignment. Tobias Luhrig holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and an Executive MBA from Harvard Business School. Currently serving as CEO of Bischof+Klein International SE, he combines his engineering, financial, and consulting expertise with a commitment to continuous improvement and corporate culture transformation, which will help to position Gurit for future excellence and growth. The Board of Directors extends its gratitude to Javier Perez-Freije for his commitment and leadership and looks forward to his ongoing contribution as CFO. The Board wishes Tobias Luhrig a strong start and great success in his new role. About Gurit The subsidiaries of Gurit Holding AG, Wattwil/Switzerland, (SIX Swiss Exchange: GURN) are specialized in the development and manufacture of advanced composite materials, composite tooling equipment and core kitting services. The product range comprises structural core materials, structural profiles, prepregs, formulated products such as adhesives and resins as well as structural composite engineering. Gurit supplies global growth markets such as the wind turbine industry, marine, building and many more. Gurit operates production sites and offices in Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Ecuador, India, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. www.gurit.com Gurit Group Communications Phone: +41 44 316 15 50, e-mail: investor (at) gurit.com All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law. Forward-looking statements: To the extent that this announcement contains forward-looking statements, such statements are based on assumptions, planning and forecasts at the time of publication of this announcement. Forward-looking statements always involve uncertainties. Business and economic risks and developments, the conduct of competitors, political decisions and other factors may cause the actual results to be materially different from the assumptions, planning and forecasts at the time of publication of this announcement. Therefore, Gurit Holding AG does not assume any responsibility relating to forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is working with Schaeffler AG to reinvent industrial automation with physical AI and robotics. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331854959/en/ Agility Robotics' Digit performs material handling, such as tote handling and transport to kitting and commissioning areas, in a digital twin of a Schaeffler facility. At Hannover Messe 2025, the companies show how to optimize various work scenarios, from human-centric to human/robot collaboration and full automation, with the latest simulation, AI and data technologies from NVIDIA and Microsoft. These scenarios include industrial automation systems, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), Schaeffler's mobile manipulator cobot EMMA, and general-purpose humanoid robots such as Agility Robotics' Digit and Sanctuary AI's Phoenix. "As a leading motion technology company, Schaeffler leverages disruptive innovations such as physical AI, digital twins, and humanoid robots to enhance operational excellence across our global manufacturing network," said Andreas Schick, Chief Operating Officer at Schaeffler AG. "In collaboration with strong partners like Accenture, we constantly explore how disruptive technologies from NVIDIA and Microsoft can increase our flexibility and efficiency. This is how we want to jointly shape the production of the future." "Physical AI is reinventing industrial automation as it offers efficient ways to train and control entire fleets of AMRs, mobile adaptive manipulators and general-purpose humanoid robots," said Patrick Vollmer, Global Industry Group Lead, Industrials, Accenture. "Our collaboration with Schaeffler, Microsoft and NVIDIA shows how clients and strategic partners can co-innovate on turning emerging technologies into solutions to help manufacturers tackle flexibility, productivity and workforce challenges." The companies developed a proof-of-concept (PoC) demonstrating the benefits AI-powered simulations can bring to Schaeffler's factories and distribution centers on three levels: Planning the ideal facility: Accenture's capability to build digital twins of factories and warehouses on the NVIDIA Omniverse development platform allows Schaeffler to simulate and identify the best layout for facilities up-front and thus reduce commissioning times. This includes virtually positioning production lines and kitting stations for dynamic material flow and seamless collaboration between humans and robots. Virtual commissioning can also help Schaeffler determine the right degree of automation for each facility. The PoC covers scenarios with different types and sophistication of physical AI: primarily manual work; AMRs supporting transport tasks; and adaptive manipulators such as EMMA and general-purpose humanoid robots in highly automated facilities. Half of the factory managers of industrial companies (49%) expect AMRs to be a key element of future factories and 43% believe humanoid robots will become a standard component of assembly processes, according to a recent Accenture research report. Paving the way for physical AI and general-purpose humanoid robots: Accenture and Schaeffler are starting to adopt Mega, an NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint, to test robot fleets, including general-purpose humanoid robots, in industrial digital twins of factories and warehouses. The PoC shows Agility Robotics' Digit performing material handling, such as tote handling and transport to kitting and commissioning areas. It also demonstrates how Sanctuary AI's multi-dexterous humanoid robot, Phoenix, learns real-world tasks in Omniverse by observing simulations (Accenture made a strategic investment in Sanctuary AI in March 2024). An example is compiling spare part kits for individual orders in one of Schaeffler's spare part centers. The imitation learning technique is supported by vision AI applications such as NVIDIA Metropolis, which captures the movements of human workers and humanoid robots in the real world and translates them back into simulations in Omniverse. As Accenture found in its 2025 Technology Vision, humanoids are appealing because of their versatility. They will fit quickly and easily into a human-centric world, accessing physical spaces and participating in workflows initially designed for people. "Tomorrow's factories require complex collaboration between humans, industrial automation systems and multi-robot fleets," said Mike Geyer, head of digital twins at NVIDIA. "By using Mega and NVIDIA Omniverse to simulate and test various types of robots at scale in industrial digital twins, Accenture and Schaeffler are reinventing their industrial operations with physical AI." Optimizing live robotics operations: Accenture and Avanade, its joint venture with Microsoft, are collaborating with Schaeffler to use simulated data from Omniverse to optimize the physical performance of robots in the warehouse and on the shopfloor for example, to avoid congestion. Data from various simulated scenarios is fed into Microsoft Fabric, a unified, AI-powered data platform. Site managers and workers responsible for operations can then compare key performance indicators, such as availability, utilization and overall equipment effectiveness for these scenarios to identify potential issues in time to act. Accenture and Avanade developed a solution for Schaeffler's production site Schweinfurt, Germany, that uses MS Fabric in combination with a generative AI-powered factory operations agent. It helps staff gain production insights and solve issues faster by letting them ask questions in natural language. Moving forward, virtual factories can be onboarded, allowing engineers and planners to interact intuitively with simulation data of robots and production systems, for example, by pulling up dashboards and changing simulation parameters using voice commands. * Schaeffler and Accenture are presenting the industrial automation showcase at Accenture's Hannover Messe presence in Hall 17, booth E32. Members of the press can contact Jens Derksen (jens.derksen@accenture.com, +49 175 5761393) to receive a demonstration. About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world's leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services-creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 801,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world's leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. Our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360 value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360 value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com About Schaeffler Schaeffler Group We pioneer motion The Schaeffler Group has been driving forward groundbreaking inventions and developments in the field of motion technology for over 75 years. With innovative technologies, products, and services for electric mobility, CO2-efficient drives, chassis solutions and renewable energies, the company is a reliable partner for making motion more efficient, intelligent, and sustainable over the entire life cycle. Schaeffler describes its comprehensive range of products and services in the mobility ecosystem by means of eight product families: From bearing solutions and all types of linear guidance systems through to repair and monitoring services. Schaeffler is with around 120,000 employees and more than 250 locations in 55 countries, one of the world's largest family-owned companies and one of Germany's most innovative companies. This document makes descriptive reference to trademarks that may be owned by others. The use of such trademarks herein is not an assertion of ownership of such trademarks by Accenture and is not intended to represent or imply the existence of an association between Accenture and the lawful owners of such trademarks. Copyright 2025 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and its logo are registered trademarks of Accenture. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331854959/en/ Contacts: Jens R. Derksen Accenture Global Media Relations +49 17557161393 jens.derksen@accenture.com Rebecca Schum Schaeffler AG Head of Communications Digitalization, IT Advanced Technologies +49 151 5267 8948 presse@schaeffler.com A work of revolution! Stunning release of PD45R ACE multi-mode tactical flashlight: unlock new lighting experiences with this all-scenario flashlight On March 25th, 2025, the renowned lighting brand Fenix officially launched its new flagship flashlight, the PD45R ACE. This flashlight is positioned as a "Multi-mode Tactical Flashlight" that features an innovative control system, military-grade protection, and customizable modes tailored for various scenarios, which redefine portable professional flashlights. Fenix PD45R ACE The PD45R ACE is redefining the concept of flashlights with groundbreaking technology. This is not just an upgrade of lighting tools; it's a significant leap in humankind's mastery of light! 6-in-1 high efficiency: a disruptive innovation of flashlight Fenix has successfully developed the pioneering [SET Customization] technology, which has been granted patents in many countries around the world. By utilizing sophisticated hardware and circuit architectures, a system of output matrices has been built for this flashlight that allows users to easily customize their required combination of outputs for lighting needs on different complex occasions, such as outdoor adventures or tactical operations. Efficient operations with a tactical tail switch plus a mode selector ring The PD45R ACE requires only a tail tactical switch and a mode selector ring to implement its revolutionary design. The tactical tail switch controls all lighting functions independently, allowing for momentary-on, constant-on, output selection, and strobe mode. Meanwhile, the mode selector ring lets users switch among three different modes: General mode, Lock mode, and SET mode. The SET mode offers six output combinations, enabling one versatile flashlight to function as six different flashlights. As a result, the PD45R ACE can be flexibly used according to various scenarios or personal habits and effectively handle a variety of complex outdoor lighting situations. Scenario-based lighting solutions: from outdoor activities to professional fields Tactical operations: Instant Strobe and the quick response of the tactical tail switch effectively meet the lighting requirements for high-intensity missions such as law enforcement and security operations. Daily duties: Ideal for patrols and inspections. Its intelligent overheat protection ensures stable light output for extended periods. Outdoor activities: With a brightness level ranging from 30-lumen Eco output to 3200-lumen Turbo output and a maximum beam distance of 410 meters, the PD45R ACE can effortlessly handle lighting needs in complex terrains during trekking, camping, or caving. Emergencies: Various outputs including low-power 30-lumen Eco output combined with high-output Strobe provide multiple protections in dangerous moments. The physical lockout function significantly lowers the risk of accidental activation. Customized scenarios: Innovative [SET Customization] technology enables users to select their preferred combination of outputs based on varied occasions and usage habits to adapt to ever-changing surroundings. The PD45R ACE is redefining the concept of flashlights with groundbreaking technology. This is not just an upgrade of lighting tools; it's a significant leap in humankind's mastery of light! SOURCE: Fenixlight Limited Lonza Group AG / Key word(s): Share Buyback Lonza Completes its Share Buyback Program 01.04.2025 / 07:00 CET/CEST Basel, Switzerland, 1 April 2025 - Lonza today announced the successful completion of its share buyback program of up to CHF 2 billion which was launched on 3 April 2023. Through the program, Lonza repurchased 4,239,731 of its shares on a second trading line on the SIX Swiss Exchange for an average purchase price of CHF 471.7279 per share. The Board of Directors intends to use the capital band to cancel the shares repurchased under the share buyback program. More information about the completed share buyback program can be found here . About Lonza Lonza is one of the world's largest contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) dedicated to serving the healthcare industry. Working across five continents, our global team of around 18,500 colleagues works alongside pharma and biotech companies to turn their breakthrough innovations into viable therapies. We support our customers in bringing life-saving and life-enhancing treatments to patients worldwide with a combination of cutting-edge science, smart technology and lean manufacturing. Our company generated sales of CHF 6.6 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 1.9 billion in Full-Year 2024. Find out more at www.lonza.com . Lonza Contact Details Victoria Morgan Head of External Communications Lonza Group Ltd Tel +41 61 316 2283 victoria.morgan@lonza.com Daniel Buchta Head of Investor Relations Lonza Group Ltd Tel +41 61 316 2985 daniel.buchta@lonza.com Additional Information and Disclaimer Lonza Group Ltd has its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. It has a secondary listing on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited ("SGX-ST"). Lonza Group Ltd is not subject to the SGX-ST's continuing listing requirements but remains subject to Rules 217 and 751 of the SGX-ST Listing Manual. Certain matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this news release. All trademarks belong to Lonza and are registered in CH, US and/or EU, or belong to their respective third-party owners and are used only for informational purposes. Privacy Policy link To immediately delete all the data End of Media Release AEP Cloud helps deliver perfect and unique tagging for enhanced business efficiencies SATO Europe GmbH announces the official launch of AEP Cloud, a powerful, cloud-based aPaaS1 solution designed to revolutionize labelling and identification processes within SATO's strategic positioning as a provider of "Perfect and Unique Tagging." With a robust set of features tailored for seamless implementation, AEP Cloud helps businesses simplify complex workflows, boost operational accuracy and achieve new levels of efficiency. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331068816/en/ Perfect and unique tagging is a key driver of the SATO Group's 2024-2028 medium term management plan. By uniquely identifying items, SATO seeks to further automate identification processes for inventory tracking without manual scans and reads. In today's fast-paced, data-driven world, businesses face increasing challenges managing intricate labelling processes while navigating regulatory complexity and addressing new compliance standards such as the Digital Product Passport (DPP). AEP Cloud addresses these needs directly, providing an innovative, no-code solution that can be swiftly implemented without extensive technical resources or disruptions to current IT infrastructure. AEP Cloud's unique benefits include its simplicity, speed of deployment, and holistic approach to process management around labelling and identification. Unlike traditional labelling solutions, AEP Cloud's flexibility and scalability allow businesses of all sizes to effortlessly adapt and expand their tagging and labelling capabilities in line with evolving regulatory demands and market dynamics. The platform introduces several advanced features to enhance operational control and efficiency: Interactive Price List: Enables dynamic, real-time pricing updates, improving accuracy and responsiveness to market fluctuations. Enables dynamic, real-time pricing updates, improving accuracy and responsiveness to market fluctuations. Pay-Per-Print Application: Provides a cost-efficient and flexible printing model that significantly reduces upfront investments, ideal for both small businesses and large-scale operations. Provides a cost-efficient and flexible printing model that significantly reduces upfront investments, ideal for both small businesses and large-scale operations. Comprehensive Event Management System: Offers precise tracking and identification of events, improving visibility, compliance, and reducing human error. Businesses implementing AEP Cloud can seamlessly integrate it with their existing ERP2 and WMS3 via a standardized API, ensuring data consistency and maximizing the value of their current technological investments. To further accelerate adoption and demonstrate the value of AEP Cloud, SATO Europe has introduced a transparent subscription model featuring a flexible freemium option. As an additional benefit, the first ten customers adopting the solution will receive an exclusive 20% discount on monthly subscription fees for the first year. Laurent Lassus, Managing Director of SATO Europe, emphasized the importance of this launch, stating, "AEP Cloud is built to tackle the real-world pain points our customers face every day-complex integration, operational inefficiencies, and evolving compliance demands. This solution platform enables businesses to achieve immediate improvements in accuracy, efficiency, and cost management, establishing a foundation for sustainable, long-term growth." By placing customer-centric innovation at the forefront, SATO Europe continues to affirm its commitment to industry leadership and technological advancement, delivering robust, intuitive solutions that directly address market challenges. To experience AEP Cloud firsthand, businesses are encouraged to contact SATO Europe for demonstrations, personalized consultations, and detailed information on subscription packages. Application Platform as a Service, a platform allowing users to develop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure associated with developing and launching an app Enterprise Resource Planning, an enterprise software platform that integrates core business processes. Warehouse Management Systems, which optimize inventory and operations About SATO Europe SATO Europe is a global leader providing innovative auto-ID and labelling solutions, driving operational efficiency, accuracy, and sustainability. With decades of experience, SATO Europe helps businesses across various industries streamline processes, ensure compliance, and enhance overall performance. About SATO SATO (TOKYO:6287) designs and manufactures hardware, labels and tags and develops software to integrate with third party offerings as automatic identification solutions. These solutions streamline workflows, enabling data capture and visualization for a connected world of productivity, safety, reassurance and sustainability. By giving things a digital identity, SATO helps businesses in retail, manufacturing, food, health care and transport logistics run smoothly. Founded in 1940, SATO has a presence in 26 countries with a workforce of over 5,700. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, it reported revenues of 143,446 million yen ($992 million*) More information about SATO can be found at www.sato-global.com. *Based on an average exchange rate of 1 USD 144.58 JPY View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331068816/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Daniely Amancio daniely.amancio[at]sato-global.com Bologna book fair offers global platform for Chinese literature for young readers Xinhua) 10:21, April 01, 2025 BOLOGNA, Italy, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The 62nd Bologna International Children's Book Fair opened on Monday in the Italian city of Bologna, with China hosting a series of events to promote its literature for young readers on the global stage. A delegation of more than 40 Chinese publishing houses, led by the China National Publications Import & Export (Group) Corporation (CNPIEC), is participating under the theme "Reading China." The delegation has brought over 2,500 titles, including more than 1,100 foreign-language editions, and is organizing a range of cultural exchange activities to showcase the creativity and international reach of Chinese children's publishing. For the first time, the Chinese delegation has also set up a "Comprehensive Exhibition Area" at BolognaBookPlus, the professional summit and exhibition held alongside the fair. This section, connected to the children's book area, features a broad selection of publications spanning politics, economics, culture, philosophy, social sciences, natural sciences, literature, and geography. Also on display are works by emerging Chinese illustrators, many inspired by traditional cultural motifs. The initiative is aimed at expanding copyright cooperation and fostering academic and cultural exchange between China and the international community. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Bologna Children's Book Fair Director Elena Pasoli highlighted the significance of the Chinese exhibition area, calling it a vital part of the fair. She noted that children's books offer a powerful way for the world to better understand China's traditional culture. Recognized as one of the world's largest and most influential children's book fairs, this year's edition has drawn more than 1,500 exhibitors from over 90 countries and regions. The fair is expected to welcome more than 20,000 visitors. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) New Space Supports Continued Growth and Showcases Innovative Product Portfolio Neat, the pioneering video technology company, today opens its new Neat Experience Center at its expanded Oslo headquarters. Connected to its existing headquarters space at Technopolis, the new 433 square meter space is designed to showcase the full breadth of Neat's innovative portfolio in a welcoming and open office environment. The Oslo Neat Experience Center features five meeting rooms designed to highlight Neat's devices in a variety of meeting space settings. It also has an open space that will be used to host events and showcase Neat's flexible solutions for larger, more complex spaces. The experience center will be used to welcome customers and partners from across Europe, giving them the opportunity to explore Neat's product portfolio firsthand. Neat continues to experience strong growth on all fronts. In its last quarter, Q4 CY2024, Neat's sales grew by over 40%. Neat has sold more than 400,000 devices to over 17,000 customers across over 75 countries. The company also continues to expand its team. In December 2024, Tormod Ree joined as Neat's Chief Product Engineering Officer, based in Oslo, and since the start of 2025 the company has grown its employee base in Norway nearly 20%. "I am thrilled to open our newest Neat Experience Center at our Oslo headquarters. This beautiful new space provides the perfect canvas to showcase Neat's product portfolio and allow our customers and partners to experience firsthand how we can support their unique use cases today and into the future," said Janine Pelosi, CEO of Neat. "Our Norwegian heritage is key to who we are as a company, so it is particularly fitting that we opened our first European Neat Experience Center in Oslo, where we can welcome guests to our headquarters and showcase our continued innovation and growth." This expansion follows the September 2024 opening of Neat's first Neat Experience Center in San Jose, California. Neat continues to expand its global footprint and is adding office spaces and demonstration capabilities to locations around the world. About Neat Neat brings people together with beautifully simple video collaboration devices and experiences, enabling more natural, equitable, and engaging video meetings. Neat's pioneering portfolio provides superior audio and video quality for Zoom and Microsoft Teams meeting spaces in various sizes and scenarios, uniquely addressing the needs of today's ever-evolving, dynamic workforce. Our Neat Pulse service gives you complete control of your device deployment, premium support care, and extended warranty coverage from anywhere. It also connects you to a range of popular business apps. Neat is based in Oslo and has a passionate team around the globe. Explore more at neat.no. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331172502/en/ Contacts: Amy Martin amy.martin@neat.no +1-408-391-5194 Press Release dsm-firmenich announces share repurchase program to cover share plans and reduce capital Kaiseraugst (Switzerland), Maastricht (Netherlands), April 1, 2025 dsm-firmenich, innovators in nutrition, health, and beauty announced on February 13, 2025 its intention to repurchase ordinary shares with an aggregate market value of 1 billion and reduce its issued capital. This share repurchase program will start for an initial 500 million and will be increased to 1 billion upon the completion of the previously announced sale of dsm-firmenich's stake in the Feed Enzymes Alliance. As of today, April 1, 2025, the company intends to begin repurchasing ordinary shares for a total amount of 580 million, of which 80 million to cover commitments under the Group's share-based compensation plans and 500 million to reduce its issued capital. Based on the closing price of the dsm-firmenich ordinary share on Euronext Amsterdam on March 31, 2025, the total number of ordinary shares to be repurchased under this first program amounts to approximately 6.3 million shares, or 2.4% of ordinary shares issued. The share repurchase mandate will be executed in accordance with the Market Abuse Regulation and within the limitations of the authority granted to the Board of Directors by the Annual General Meeting. dsm-firmenich has signed a discretionary buyback contract with a bank to commence the execution of the 580 million share repurchase program on its behalf and to make trading decisions under the Agreement independently of dsm-firmenich. In accordance with regulations, dsm-firmenich will inform the market about the progress made in the execution of this program through weekly press releases. This 580 million share repurchase program will be completed no later than six months from the start date, and thereafter an additional 500 million share repurchase program is intended upon the completion of the sale of dsm-firmenich's stake in the Feed Enzymes Alliance. For more information, please contact: dsm-firmenich investor relations enquiries: Email: investors@dsm-firmenich.com dsm-firmenich media enquiries: Email: media@dsm-firmenich.com About dsm-firmenich As innovators in nutrition, health, and beauty, dsm-firmenich reinvents, manufactures, and combines vital nutrients, flavors, and fragrances for the world's growing population to thrive. With our comprehensive range of solutions, with natural and renewable ingredients and renowned science and technology capabilities, we work to create what is essential for life, desirable for consumers, and more sustainable for the planet. dsm-firmenich is a Swiss company with dual headquarters in Kaiseraugst, Switzerland and Maastricht, Netherlands, listed on the Euronext Amsterdam, with operations in almost 60 countries and revenues of more than 12 billion. With a diverse, worldwide team of nearly 30,000 employees, we bring progress to life every day, everywhere, for billions of people. www.dsm-firmenich.com Disclaimer This press release does not constitute or form part of, an offer or any solicitation of an offer for securities in any jurisdiction. This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to dsm-firmenich's future. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections of dsm-firmenich and information currently available to the company. dsm-firmenich cautions readers that such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and therefore it should be understood that many factors can cause actual performance and position to differ materially from these statements. dsm-firmenich has no obligation to update the statements contained in this press release, unless required by law. This communication contains information that qualifies as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The English language version of this press release prevails over other language versions. Attachment Dublin, Ireland--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. (SIX: COPN) (FSE: C43) ("Cosmo") today announced the appointment of Federico Sommariva ad Chief Legal Counsel. Federico reports to the CEO and is member of the management team. Federico Sommariva has many years of legal and management experience in the Lifesciences industry. Since June 2013, he has worked for Gilead Sciences based in Milan (Italy), with increasing responsibilities. Most recently, he acted as Director and Global Legal Business Partner Oncology. He also served for 1.5 years as interim Head of Legal and Compliance for Gilead Sciences Romania. Federico studied law at the University of Milan and started his professional career as Legal Counsel Secondee at H&M in Rome (Italy). Giovanni Di Napoli, CEO of Cosmo, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Federico as our new Chief Legal Counsel. With his expertise in corporate law and industry knowledge, he will play a crucial role in guiding our Company through an evolving regulatory landscape and supporting our long-term growth. Federico's proven track record and commitment make him an invaluable addition to our leadership team." Federico Sommariva, Chief Legal Counsel, added: "I am honored to join Cosmo as Chief Legal Counsel and look forward to contributing to its continued success. Cosmo has built a strong reputation for innovation and excellence, and I look forward to working with the management team to navigate the legal and regulatory landscape, thus supporting the Company's strategic ambitions and objectives." About Cosmo Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. is committed to revolutionizing healthcare and transforming people's lives by researching and developing innovative products that tackle unfulfilled healthcare demands. As a pharmaceutical company, Cosmo is active in the areas of Healthtech/AI, dermatology, gastroenterology and contract manufacturing & development. For the commercialization and distribution of its products, Cosmo collaborates with leading partners worldwide, including Medtronic and Sun Pharma. Founded in 1997, Cosmo is headquartered in Dublin (Ireland) and has offices also in San Diego (USA), and Lainate/Rome/Catania (Italy). The Company has approximately 330 employees at the end of 2024, all dedicated to making a significant impact in the field of healthcare. For more information, please visit www.cosmopharma.com. Upcoming Events Life Sciences Conference, Amsterdam Ordinary Annual General Meeting of Shareholders Investor Day, Zurich April 2-3, 2025 May 30, 2025 July 1, 2025 2025 Half-Year Results and Report July 23, 2025 Attachments 250401_Cosmo Pharma_Media Release_Chief Legal Counsel_EN_final To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246892 SOURCE: Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. ICCS is pleased to welcome MANE as a new partner, further strengthening the commitment to advancing animal-free safety assessments in the cosmetic and personal care industry. This collaboration highlights MANE's dedication to innovative, ethical testing methods. "By joining forces with ICCS, MANE reaffirms its commitment to developing and promoting non-animal safety approaches. Together, alongside our global network of ICCS members, we will continue driving progress toward a future free from animal testing," said Erin Hill, CEO of ICCS. "At MANE, the protection of animal welfare and the environment is not just a priority it is a cornerstone of our identity. This unwavering commitment is reflected in our strict policy of not conducting animal tests on our flavor or fragrance compositions," said Eric Angelini, Vice President, Global Regulatory Affairs Product Safety, MANE. "Furthermore, no animal tests are conducted or commissioned for our manufactured ingredients, except where specifically required by national or regional regulations. Our proactive stance extends beyond compliance. We are determined pioneers in the search for alternative methods, investing in cutting-edge research and collaboration to drive the future of ethical testing," Angelini continued. Since 2007, MANE has been a shareholder in ImmunoSearch, a research company dedicated to the development of in vitro toxicological testing. Since 2008, MANE has incorporated alternative methods for skin irritation screening in MANE laboratories, using the EPISKIN model. In addition, MANE has collaborated, partnered with and invested in R&D companies specializing in non-animal testing methodologies, including QSAR modeling (in silico approaches). MANE was established in 1871 and is a leading innovative fragrance and flavoring company. They are known for their independence and entrepreneurial spirit. Their ethical values are respected throughout the globe. ICCS was formed in early 2023 with the mission to advance the adoption of animal-free assessments of cosmetics, and their ingredients, for human and environmental safety. The organization is comprised of international members from market leaders in the cosmetic product and ingredient manufacturers sector, notable trade and research associations, and influential animal protection organizations. ICCS continues to work with all stakeholders across the world to accelerate the transition to global use and acceptance of animal-free safety assessments for human and environmental health. About ICCS The International Collaboration on Cosmetics Safety (ICCS) is a global initiative focused on advancing the adoption of animal-free safety assessment approaches for cosmetics, personal care products and their ingredients. ICCS is comprised of 42 international members including cosmetic product manufacturers and their suppliers, industry associations, and animal protection organizations all working together to drive greater global awareness to accelerate widespread use of animal-free assessments through research, education, and regulatory engagement. For more details on ICCS and its members, visit www.iccs-cosmetics.org. About the MANE Group A one-hundred percent independent, family-owned group, MANE is number one in France and in the top five worldwide in the flavours and fragrances sector. The MANE Group has 50 R&D centres and 29 production sites around the world and employs more than 8,000 people in 39 countries. The group's family adventure kicked off over 150 years ago, when Victor Mane decided to transform the flowers and plants he grew in the Grasse region into fragrant raw materials. What started out as a small local distillery is now an international company renowned for its innovation and corporate sustainability, with products that combine tradition, expertise, and modernity. Minimising environmental impact has been a priority for MANE since its inception. In 2003, MANE was the first Flavour and Fragrance company to sign the United Nations Global Compact. The group is involved in several climate protection initiatives, including the Science Based Targets Initiative. Its head office is located in Bar-sur-Loup, in the south-east of France. www.mane.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331065345/en/ Contacts: Kelly Semrau ksemrau@iccs-cosmetics.org Capita Plc - Contract extension PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, April 01 Capita secures 107m contract extension with Education Authority of Northern Ireland 1 April 2025 Capita plc ('Capita') announces today it has been awarded a contract extension with the Education Authority of Northern Ireland (EANI). The contract is valued at a total of 107 million, and runs from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2027, with an option to extend for two years on a 1 + 1 basis. It will see Capita continue to deliver the managed IT service and application services to all 1,104 schools across Northern Ireland, including primary, secondary (post primary), special educational needs, and nursery. Capita's partnership with the EANI spans 13 years, and this contract extension includes the supply of a broad range of computer and related services, information technology consultancy services and the supply of computer hardware, software and associated products. Richard Holroyd, CEO, Capita Public Service, commented: "We look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with the Education Authority of Northern Ireland, and remain incredibly proud to be delivering essential services that support learning and education across Northern Ireland." This contract aligns with Capita's strategy to combine people, processes and technology to significantly improve delivery of complex processes at scale for customers, and to create a better experience for their end-users, in this instance the staff and pupils of Northern Ireland's schools. Notes to editors: The total IFRS 15 transaction price (order book) for the contract is 107 million. For more information, please contact: Investor enquiries Helen Parris Director of Investor Relations Tel: 07720 169269 Email: IRteam@capita.co.uk Stephanie Little Deputy Head of Investor Relations Tel: 07541 622838 Email: IRteam@capita.co.uk Media enquiries Tel: 020 7654 2399 Email: media@capita.co.uk About Capita plc Capita is a modern outsourcer, helping clients across the public and private sectors run complex business processes more efficiently, creating better consumer experiences. Operating across eight countries, Capita's 34,000 colleagues support primarily UK and European clients with people-based services underpinned by market-leading technology. We play an integral role in society - our work matters to the lives of the millions of people who rely on us every day. Paris, April 1, 2025 - During the International Cybersecurity Forum (FIC), Cosmian, a French deeptech specializing in securing sensitive data, announces a strategic partnership with Eviden (Atos Group), a European leader in cybersecurity and advanced digital technologies. This partnership gives rise to a joint offering integrating the power of Eviden's sovereign HSMs (hardware security modules) with Cosmian's high-performance, crypto-agile KMS (key management system). A sovereign, agile response to the most critical security challenges This new solution guarantees total control of encryption keys thanks to a 100% sovereign infrastructure, while offering enhanced security in line with the highest standards, for cloud, hybrid or on-premises environments. Native integration between certified HSM and crypto-agile KMS enables organizations, particularly those subject to stringent regulatory obligations, to benefit from an unrivalled level of security, without compromising scalability and operational flexibility. "This partnership with Eviden marks a key milestone in our mission to enable French and European companies to retain control over their most sensitive data, whatever their deployment environment, thanks to Cosmian's cutting-edge cryptography," said Sandrine Murcia, CEO and co-founder of Cosmian. "This fully sovereign encryption solution demonstrates our commitment to providing enterprises with maximum security while meeting their need for agility. This partnership combines the best of both worlds: our fortress-like Trustway Proteccio HSM and the advanced performance of Cosmian KMS" highlighted Antoine Schweitzer-Chaput, Director of the Trustway range at Eviden, Atos Group. "In this way, we ensure that companies operating in highly regulated sectors have maximum security for their encryption keys and complete control over their data, while optimizing their performance and growth potential," he added. *** About Cosmian Since 2018, Cosmian has been at the forefront of next-generation cryptography, delivering cutting-edge solutions for securing the public cloud and confidential AI. Our suite of data protection solutions suite, including massive on-the-fly encryption/decryption, confidential virtual machines in the cloud, confidential computing, confidential AI, searchable encryption, empowers organizations to take full control of their data security across both on-premises and cloud environments. For more information, visit cosmian.com Media contact - Raoul Agency Sibylle de Villeneuve - sibylle@agenceraoul.com- +33 (0)6 45 29 58 57 About Eviden Evidenis a next-gen technology leader in data-driven, trusted and sustainable digital transformation with a strong portfolio of patented technologies. With worldwide leading positions in advanced computing, security, AI, cloud and digital platforms, it provides deep expertise for all industries in more than 47 countries. Bringing together 41,000 world-class talents, Eviden expands the possibilities of data and technology across the digital continuum, now and for generations to come. Eviden is an Atos Group company with an annual revenue of c. 5 billion. Attachment GECI International strengthens its presence in Brazil with the strategic renewal of a major contract with a global leader in digital technologies and Smart Cities GECI International (FR001400M1R1 - ALGEC), a Group specializing in Digital and Technology, announces the strategic renewal of the contract between its subsidiary AS+ DO Brasil and a global leader in the information and communication technology sector for the deployment and commissioning of mobile networks and technologies in Brazil. This renewal, building on a partnership established five years ago, underscores the strength of the relationship between AS+ DO Brasil and this key player in the deployment and maintenance of critical telecom infrastructures. The contract, effective for 18 months starting from April 1, 2025, covers several key regions of the country, including the Northeast, Rio de Janeiro/Espirito Santo, Minas Gerais, Parana/Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Paulo, and the Center-West. With an estimated value of 35.6 million Brazilian reals (approximately 5.7 million euros), this project encompasses a wide range of complex services across several technical domains: mobile infrastructures, transmissions, infrastructure equipment, and metallic installations. By renewing its trust in AS+ DO Brasil, this global leader reaffirms the quality of the services provided by the Group and its recognized expertise in supporting telecom operators through their digital transformation. This contract strengthens GECI International's presence in Brazil, a strategic market where its subsidiary is actively contributing to the evolution of next-generation mobile networks and the development of Smart Cities. This agreement is fully in line with GECI International's strategy to consolidate its position in the digital technologies market in Latin America. ABOUT GECI INTERNATIONAL __________ Smart Solutions for a Smart World GECI International is a key player in Digital and Technology. Since its founding in 1980, the Group has been committed to designing and developing smart solutions that transform the Research, Industry, and Services sectors. With recognized expertise and a strategic ecosystem of partnerships, GECI International offers tailor-made solutions focused on digital transformation, High-Performance Computing (HPC), smart cities, and emerging technologies. The Group stands out for its ability to support clients in optimizing their processes and accelerating their competitiveness in rapidly growing markets such as Big Data, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and smart city solutions. Operating in Europe and Brazil, GECI International employs over 500 highly skilled professionals dedicated to helping businesses and organizations enhance efficiency and performance. GECI International is listed on the Euronext Growth Paris market. ISIN code (share): FR001400M1R1 - ALGEC. CONTACTS __________ GECI International - Investors Relations Tel.: +33 (0)1 46 12 00 00 / relation.investisseurs@geci.net CALYPTUS - Cyril Combe Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 65 68 68 / geci@calyptus.net ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: l5tyZpWYZG6UyZ5rYsibapNnnGmUm2WZbpWWk2pvlMicb2xjxmdiaJ3LZnJhnGdp - 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-0-90723-geci-cp-repeat-order-brazil-042025-ve.pdf Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Quimbaya Gold Inc. (CSE: QIM) (OTCQB: QIMGF) (FSE: K05) ("Quimbaya Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that shareholders voted to approve all items of business put forth to shareholders at the Company's Annual General and Special Meeting ("AGSM") held on March 28, 2025, including the election of directors, fixing the number of directors, appointment of the Company's auditor, approval of the equity incentive plan, and the continuation of the Company under the British Columbia Business Corporations Act. The board of directors and the Company would like to thank Mr. Bayona, who did not run for re-election, for his service to the Company and would like to wish him well in his future endeavors. Additionally, at the AGSM, Sebastian Wahl was elected as new independent director of the Company. Sebastian Wahl brings over 15 years of experience in the mining industry, specializing in precious metals trading and corporate development. As a co-founder and former Vice President of Corporate Development at Silver X Mining Corp., he played a pivotal role in consolidating assets and advancing projects in South America. Mr. Wahl holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business Administration in Zurich and a Financial Modelling certification from the Corporate Finance Institute. Fluent in Spanish, he possesses extensive expertise in South American mining operations and capital markets. Mr. Alexandre P. Boivin, President & CEO stated, "We are excited to bring Sebastian on as an independent board member. His strong experience in South America and European connections will complement the Company as we strive to become an established player in the Colombian mining exploration space." About Quimbaya Quimbaya aims to discover gold resources through exploration and acquisition of mining properties in the prolific mining districts of Colombia. Managed by an experienced team in the mining sector, Quimbaya is focused on three projects in the regions of Segovia (Tahami Project), Puerto Berrio (Berrio Project), and Abejorral (Maitamac Project), all located in Antioquia Province, Colombia. Contact Information Quimbaya Gold Inc. Follow on X @quimbayagoldinc Follow on LinkedIn @quimbayagold Follow on Instagram @quimbayagoldinc Follow on Facebook @quimbayagoldinc Cautionary Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as that term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. 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 "occur". Forward-looking information by its nature is based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Quimbaya to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Although Quimbaya's management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of Quimbaya as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Except as required by law, Quimbaya does not expect to update forward-looking statements and information continually as conditions change. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider 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/246745 SOURCE: Quimbaya Gold Inc. ABRYSVO is the first and only RSV vaccine approved in the European Union (EU) for non-pregnant adults aged 18-49 Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced today that the European Commission (EC) has issued a decision amending the marketing authorization for ABRYSVO, the company's bivalent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prefusion F (RSVpreF) vaccine, to extend the indication to include prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by RSV in individuals 18 through 59 years of age. This expands the previous authorization for individuals aged 60 and older, and ABRYSVO now offers in the EU the broadest RSV vaccine indication, which includes: Active immunization of individuals 18 years of age and older for the prevention of LRTD caused by RSV Passive protection against lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by RSV in infants from birth through 6 months of age following maternal immunization during pregnancy "We are thrilled that ABRYSVO is now approved in the EU to help prevent RSV in adults aged 18 and older, which causes approximately 158,000 adult hospital admissions annually from RSV disease, a common respiratory virus with symptoms that can be severe or even life-threatening," said Alexandre de Germay, Chief International Commercial Officer, Executive Vice President, Pfizer. "With an indication that also includes pregnant individuals between weeks 24 and 36 gestation to help protect infants from birth up to 6 months of age, ABRYSVO's expanded authorization for adults aged 18 to 59 in the EU signifies another step for public health by offering the potential to substantially reduce the burden of RSV in future seasons." The amended marketing authorization follows the recent positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). The authorization is valid in all 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The approval is based on results from the pivotal phase 3 clinical trial (NCT05842967) MONeT (RSV IMmunizatiON Study for AdulTs at Higher Risk of Severe Illness), which investigated the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of ABRYSVO in adults 18 through 59 years of age at risk of RSV-associated LRTD due to certain chronic medical conditions. It was also supported by the thousands of persons vaccinated in clinical trials involving ABRYSVO in this age group.1,2,3,4 The results of MONeT and other studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals. ABOUT RSV Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a contagious virus and a common cause of respiratory illness worldwide.5 The virus can affect the lungs and breathing passages of an infected individual, potentially causing severe illness or death.6,7,8 There are two major subgroups of RSV: RSV-A and RSV-B.9 Both subgroups cause disease and can co-circulate or alternate predominance from season to season. In total, RSV causes approximately 158,000 hospital admissions annually among adults aged 18 and older across the EU, with an estimated 13,000 hospitalizations in those aged 18 to 64 years.10 ABOUT ABRYSVO ABRYSVO is an unadjuvanted, bivalent vaccine that was designed to provide protection against RSV-LRTD, regardless of the virus subgroup. In the prefusion state, the RSV fusion protein (F) is a major target of neutralizing antibodies, serving as the basis of Pfizer's RSV vaccine. Variations in the F protein sequence among RSV-A and RSV-B subgroups are clustered in a key antigenic site, a target for potent neutralizing antibodies. In August 2023, Pfizer announced that the European Commission granted marketing authorization for ABRYSVO for both adults aged 60 years and older and maternal immunization to help protect infants. In the U.S in October 2024, the FDA approved ABRYSVO for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in individuals 18 through 59 years of age who are at increased risk for LRTD caused by RSV. Prior, in May 2023, the FDA approved ABRYSVO for the prevention of LRTD caused by RSV in individuals 60 years of age and older. In August 2023, the FDA approved ABRYSVO for the prevention of LRTD and severe LRTD caused by RSV in infants from birth up to 6 months of age by active immunization of pregnant individuals at 32 through 36 weeks gestational age. In addition to the most recent EU approval, ABRYSVO has received approvals for both indications in multiple countries worldwide. U.S. INDICATIONS FOR ABRYSVO ABRYSVO is a vaccine indicated in the U.S. for: the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in people 60 years of age and older the prevention of LRTD caused by RSV in people 18 through 59 years of age who are at increased risk for LRTD caused by RSV pregnant individuals at 32 through 36 weeks gestational age for the prevention of LRTD and severe LRTD caused by RSV in infants from birth through 6 months of age IMPORTANT U.S. SAFETY INFORMATION FOR ABRYSVO ABRYSVO should not be given to anyone with a history of severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any of its components An increased risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome (severe muscle weakness) was observed after vaccination with ABRYSVO For pregnant individuals: to avoid the potential risk of preterm birth, ABRYSVO should be given during 32 through 36 weeks gestational age Fainting can happen after getting injectable vaccines, including ABRYSVO. Precautions should be taken to avoid falling and injury during fainting Adults with weakened immune systems, including those receiving medicines that suppress the immune system, may have a reduced immune response to ABRYSVO Vaccination with ABRYSVO may not protect all people In adults 60 years of age and older, the most common side effects (=10%) were fatigue, headache, pain at the injection site, and muscle pain In adults 18 through 59 years of age, the most common side effects (=10%) were pain at the injection site, muscle pain, joint pain, and nausea In pregnant individuals, the most common side effects (=10%) were pain at the injection site, headache, muscle pain, and nausea In clinical trials where ABRYSVO was compared to placebo, infants born to pregnant individuals experienced low birth weight (5.1% ABRYSVO versus 4.4% placebo) and jaundice (7.2% ABRYSVO versus 6.7% placebo) View the full ABRYSVO Prescribing Information About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients' Lives At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety, and value in the discovery, development, and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments, and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments, and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For 175 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.Pfizer.com. In addition, to learn more, please visit us on www.Pfizer.com and follow us on X at @Pfizer and @Pfizer News, LinkedIn, YouTube, and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Pfizer. DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information contained in this release is as of April 1, 2025. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments. This release contains forward-looking information about ABRYSVO, including its potential benefits and an approval in the EU to extend the indication to include prevention of LRTD caused by RSV in individuals 18 through 59 years of age, that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, uncertainties regarding the commercial success of ABRYSVO; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for our clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; risks associated with interim data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from our clinical studies; whether and when biologic license applications may be filed in particular jurisdictions for ABRYSVO for any potential indications; whether and when any applications that may be pending or filed for ABRYSVO may be approved by regulatory authorities, which will depend on myriad factors, including making a determination as to whether the product's benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the product's efficacy and, if approved, whether ABRYSVO for any such indications will be commercially successful; intellectual property and other litigation; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of ABRYSVO; uncertainties regarding the ability to obtain or maintain recommendations from vaccine advisory or technical committees and other public health authorities regarding ABRYSVO and uncertainties regarding the commercial impact of any such recommendations; uncertainties regarding the impact of COVID-19 on our business, operations and financial results; and competitive developments. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results", as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov and www.pfizer.com 1 Walsh EE, Falsey AR, Scott DA, et al. A Randomized Phase 1/2 Study of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F Vaccine. J Infect Dis. 2022 Apr 19;225(8):1357-1366. 2 Schmoele-Thoma B, Zareba AM, Jiang Q, et al. Vaccine Efficacy in Adults in a Respiratory Syncytial Virus Challenge Study. N Engl J Med. 2022 Jun 23;386(25):2377-2386. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2116154. 3 Baker J, Aliabadi N, Munjal I, et al. Equivalent immunogenicity across three RSVpreF vaccine lots in healthy adults 18-49 years of age: Results of a randomized phase 3 study. Vaccine. 2024 May 10;42(13):3172-3179. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.03.070. Epub 2024 Apr 16. 4 Peterson JT, Zareba AM, Fitz-Patrick D, et al. Safety and Immunogenicity of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F Vaccine When Coadministered With a Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine. J Infect Dis. 2022 Jun 15;225(12):2077-2086. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab505. 5 World Health Organization. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) disease. https://www.who.int/teams/health-product-policy-and-standards/standards-and-specifications/vaccine-standardization/respiratory-syncytial-virus-disease 6 World Health Organization. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/respiratory-syncytial-virus-(rsv) 7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) Older Adults are at High Risk for Severe RSV Infection Fact Sheet. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/factsheet-older-adults.pdf 8 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RSV in Infants and Young Children. https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/high-risk/infants-young-children.html 9 Nuttens C, Moyersoen J, Curcio D, et al. Differences Between RSV A and RSV B Subgroups and Implications for Pharmaceutical Preventive Measures. Infect Dis Ther. 2024;13(8):1725-1742. doi:10.1007/s40121-024-01012-2 10 Del Riccio M, Spreeuwenberg P, Osei-Yeboah R, et al. Estimation of the Number of Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospitalizations in Adults in the European Union. J Infect Dis 2023 May 29;228(11):1539-1548. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiad189. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331970714/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: PfizerMediaRelations@Pfizer.com +1 (212) 733-1226 Investor Contact: IR@Pfizer.com +1 (212) 733-4848 KALMAR CORPORATION, PRESS RELEASE, 1 APRIL 2025 AT 10.00 AM (EEST) Kalmar hybrid straddle carriers to help Forth Ports to take concrete steps towards equipment decarbonisation Kalmar has concluded a deal to supply Forth Ports Group with a total of sixKalmar hybrid straddle carriersfor its UK operations. Three of the machines will be deployed at the Port of Tilbury's London Container Terminal in Tilbury and three at Forth Ports Grangemouth. The large order was booked in Kalmar's Q1 2025 order intake, and delivery of the machines is scheduled to be completed during Q1 2026. The Port of Tilbury is the largest of the eight ports owned by Forth Ports and the largest multimodal port terminal on the south-east coast of the UK, with an annual throughput of 16 million tonnes per annum. The port offers services for a variety of cargo, such as ro-ro, containers, forest products, grain and automotive as well as cruises and real estate solutions. Forth Ports Grangemouth is Scotland's largest port, handling nine million tonnes of cargo each year - including fine food and drink, machinery, fuel, steel products, timber, paper and equipment for the oil and gas industry - through specialist container, liquid and general cargo terminals. The new Kalmar hybrid straddle carriers will help Forth Ports to significantly reduce both the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of their straddle carrier operations compared to traditional diesel-powered machines. Hybrid machines also generate much less noise. Stuart Wallace, Chief Executive Officer, Forth Ports: "We have been very happy with the reliability of our current fleet of Kalmar straddle carriers and the local support provided by Kalmar. We have set out ambitious net zero targets across our business and we are investing in greener technology to ensure that our operations are sustainable, and the new hybrid machines will play a key role in supporting this commitment by helping us to reduce local emissions." Peter McCance, Country Director, UK & Ireland, Kalmar: "We are delighted to continue our long-standing and successful partnership with Forth Ports, which began two decades ago in 2005. Our proven hybrid solution, which can cut fuel consumption by up to 40% compared to equivalent diesel-powered machines, will help Forth Ports take concrete steps towards decarbonising their operations without compromising on productivity." Further information for the press: Peter McCance, Country Director, UK & Ireland, Kalmar, tel. +441691623100, peter.mccance@kalmarglobal.com Maija Eklof, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Dealer Management and Customer Insight, Kalmar, tel. +358 20 777 4096, maija.eklof@kalmarglobal.com Kalmar Attachment Coincidental copper-silver-molybdenum soil, rock grab, magnetics and 3D induced polarization anomaly form the basis of the high priority drill targets ZEUS NORTH AMERICA MINING CORP. (CSE:ZEUS)(OTCQB:ZUUZF)(FRANKFURT:O92) (THE "COMPANY" OR "ZEUS") is pleased to announce high-priority drill targets at Cuddy Mountain (the "Project" or "Cuddy Mountain") in Idaho. Cuddy Mountain is located approximately 3 kilometres ("km") to the northeast of Hercules Metals Corp.'s high-grade "Hercules" copper-moly-silver Leviathan porphyry discovery announced in October 2023. Highlights of the High-Priority Drill Targets at Cuddy Mountain: Zeus is permitting 5 spatially separate drill pads at Cuddy Mountain. The drill pads are designed to test the strongest portion of the coincidental anomalies. The results highlight the potential for both skarn and porphyry copper mineralization across the mapped prospective Seven Devils Volcanics. More specifically the coincidental anomalies consist of: Broad, continuous zones of moderate to strong chargeability, (>20ms up to 60ms) trending NE-SW, indicative of extensive sulphide mineralization potential. The top of the chargeability anomaly is approximately 100-150 metres depth from the planned drill collars; Magnetic highs which could indicate potassic core of a porphyry system or adjacent magnetic lows reflecting alteration halos; Magnetic highs occurring adjacent to and beneath the chargeability feature highlight a prominent interface along the Columbia River Flood Basalts paralleling with the chargeable body. Integration of these overlapping geophysical signatures helps outline the compelling exploration target for skarn and/or porphyry copper mineralization within the Cuddy Mountain Property; Coincidental rock grab samples: 35 samples contain 0.1 percent ("%") copper ("Cu") or more; 16 samples contain greater than 1.1 % Cu, up to and including 3.8% Cu ; 29 samples contain 10 grams per tonne silver ("g/t Ag") or more; 9 samples contain more than 129 g/t Ag, with values up to and including 307 g/t Ag ; 26 samples contain 10 g/t molybdenum ("Mo") or more; 5 samples contain more than 40 g/t Mo, with values up to and including 182 g/t Mo (with 0.37g/t Au). Soils delineate a broad 3 kilometer ("km") by 3 km copper Cu and molybdenum Mo in soil circular anomaly underlain by the Seven Devils Volcanics (~741 acres): The newly identified copper-molybdenum soil anomaly contains individual soil samples up to 0.38% copper and 28.5 parts per million ("ppm") molybdenum (31 samples contain 212 ppm Cu or more; 5 samples contain percent level copper up to and including 0.38% Cu; 116 samples contain 2 ppm Mo or more; 6 samples contain more than 10 ppm Mo, with values up to and including 28.5 ppm Mo). Dean Besserer, President and CEO, stated, "This coincidental set of anomalies in conjunction with the March, 2025 Executive Order to accelerate critical mineral production, including copper, in the USA, make Cuddy mountain more compelling than ever. These anomalies form the basis of our high-priority drill targets and/or drill pads which have similarities to the neighboring Leviathan porphyry discovery". About the Cuddy Mountain Copper Property (Idaho, USA) The Cuddy Mountain Property is adjacent to Hercules Metals Corp.'s recently discovered Leviathan Copper Porphyry (Cnd$167Million Market Capitalization).* The discovery resulted in Barrick injecting Cnd$23Million in equity while staking a substantial land position in the district along with Rio Tinto. The Cuddy Mountain Property consists of 101 lode mining claims respectively and cover a cumulative area of approximately 2020 acres. Historical Drilling at Cuddy Mountain consisted of 7 shallow drill holes in 1977 intersecting anomalous lead and silver. Drill hole Mun 8 contained 90 feet of 2.02 ounces per tonne ("oz/t") Ag (Taylor, 1977). Further historical exploration on Zeus's Cuddy Mountain Project occurred at the Edna May Mine: Mineralized vein with chip samples containing 750 ppm lead ("Pb"), 7.7% zinc ("Zn") and 252 ppm Ag over 4 feet. Underground drilling in 1979 intersected 1.38 oz/t Ag over 7 feet in a breccia zone (Burmeister, 1980). Additional exploration (By Taylor, 1977) at the Rockslide area encountered Malachite-stained outcrops with a grab sample containing 760 ppm Pb, 0.67 % Zn and 36 grams per tonne Silver (Taylor, 1977). *Adjacent Property (www.herculesmetals.com) *All information is derived solely from management of Zeus Mining and otherwise publicly available third-party information which are believed to be reliable, but which have not been independently verified by the Company and as a result are not guaranteed as to accuracy and completeness. Zeus's management cautions that past results or discoveries on properties in proximity to Zeus may not necessarily be indicative of the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, P.Geo., the President & CEO for the company and Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. On behalf of the board of directors. "Dean Besserer" President and CEO For more information, please contact the Company at info@zeusminingcorp.com FOR INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT: Kin Communications Inc. Ph: 604-684-6730 ZEUS@kincommunications.com About Zeus North America Mining Corp. The Company is in the business of mineral exploration. The Company is focused on its exploration properties in the state of Idaho known as the: Cuddy Mountain; Selway; and Great Western properties, respectively. The Idaho properties consist of 101 (Cuddy Mountain), 57 (Selway) and 38 (Great Western) lode mining claims respectively and cover a cumulative area of approximately 4,200 acres. The Company's flagship Cuddy Mountain Property is adjacent to Hercules Metal Corp's Leviathan Copper Porphyry discovery. Forward-Looking Statements When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of their respective 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. The forward-looking statements and information in this news release include, amongst others, the Company's exploration plans. 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. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements or implied by such forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others: currency fluctuations; limited business history of the parties; disruptions or changes in the credit or security markets; results of operation activities and development of projects; project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; and general development, market and industry conditions. The Company undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of its securities or its financial or operating results (as applicable). The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The Company has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraph will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. The Company does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: Zeus North America Mining Corp. Commerzbank AG - Pre-Stabilisation notice PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, April 01 Pre-Stabilisation notice 1 April 2025 Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW) EUR 3 billion Tap of 2.75 January 2035 Pre-Stabilisation Notice Commerzbank AG (contact: Daniela Olt-Farrelly; telephone: +49 69 136-20) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014). The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW) Guarantor (if any): The Federal Republic of Germany Aggregate nominal amount: EUR 3,000,000,000 (wng) Description: Tap of 2.75% bond due 2035 Offer price: tbc Other offer terms: RegS bearer Notes due 17 January 2035 Stabilisation: Stabilisation Coordinator: Stabilising Managers: Commerzbank AG Barclays Bank DZ Bank UBS Stabilisation period expected to start on: 1 April 2025 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Luxembourg SE regulated market In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilising Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules. This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction. This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. END The Company also confirms that it is pursuing licensing discussions in other therapeutic areas The protective framework of the safeguard proceedings enables Mauna Kea Technologies to intensify discussions on financing options with long-term investors Regulatory News: Mauna Kea Technologies (Euronext Growth: ALMKT), inventor of Cellvizio, the multidisciplinary probe and needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (p/nCLE) platform, today announces entering into exclusive negotiations for a licensing agreement for its Cellvizio technology in an important therapeutic area with a major industry player. As part of its strategic process launched a few months ago, the Company is also pursuing several licensing discussions covering other therapeutic areas, reflecting a growing interest in the Cellvizio technology across multiple medical specialties. In parallel, and following the opening of the safeguard procedure announced on March 31, 2025, the Company intends to intensify its discussions regarding financing options with long-term investors in order to consolidate its financial position and support its future growth. "This exclusive negotiation agreement is a concrete example of the implementation of our strategy to monetize technological assets, and demonstrates the growing attractiveness of our Cellvizio platform to major players in the industry," said Sacha Loiseau, Chairman and CEO of Mauna Kea Technologies. "The safeguard proceedings now provide us with a structured framework to accelerate this strategy and enter into long-term discussions with industry and financial partners." About Mauna Kea Technologies Mauna Kea Technologies is a global medical device company that manufactures and sells Cellvizio, the real-time in vivo cellular imaging platform. This technology uniquely delivers in vivo cellular visualization which enables physicians to monitor the progression of disease over time, assess point-in-time reactions as they happen in real time, classify indeterminate areas of concern, and guide surgical interventions. The Cellvizio platform is used globally across a wide range of medical specialties and is making a transformative change in the way physicians diagnose and treat patients. For more information, visit www.maunakeatech.com. Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements about Mauna Kea Technologies and its business. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Mauna Kea Technologies' financial condition, business, strategies, plans and objectives for future operations are forward-looking statements. Mauna Kea Technologies believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions. However, no assurance can be given that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements will be achieved. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described in Chapter 2 of Mauna Kea Technologies' 2023 Annual Report filed with the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) on April 30, 2024, which is available on the Company's website (www.maunakeatech.fr), as well as the risks associated with changes in economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Mauna Kea Technologies operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks that are unknown to Mauna Kea Technologies or that Mauna Kea Technologies does not currently consider material. The occurrence of some or all of these risks could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Mauna Kea Technologies to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or the solicitation of an order to buy or subscribe for, shares of Mauna Kea Technologies in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The distribution of this press release may be restricted in certain jurisdictions by local law. Persons into whose possession this document comes are required to comply with all local regulations applicable to this document. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250401781370/en/ Contacts: Mauna Kea Technologies investors@maunakeatech.com NewCap Investor Relations Aurelie Manavarere Thomas Grojean +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 maunakea@newcap.eu DUBAI, UAE, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bybit , the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, released the latest weekly crypto derivatives analytics report in collaboration with Block Scholes. The report provides insights into macroeconomic developments, the state of crypto spot and derivatives markets, and emerging trading signals. Key insights Since bottoming out on March 11, crypto asset prices have climbed steadily over a two-week period, with BTC briefly surpassing $87,000 and ETH recovering above $2,000. XRP has remained relatively stable, while BTC, ETH, and SOL continue to trade below their year-opening levels. SOL, which hit an all-time high in January following Cboe's Solana Spot ETF filing, also remains down year-to-date. While the broader market has shown signs of recovery, derivatives activity reflects lingering caution. Demand for BTC and ETH put options remains elevated, signaling ongoing hedging behavior. Cautious rebound in perpetuals Perpetual open interest stayed flat for most of the week, underscoring a cautious, risk-off tone. A brief market rebound saw BTC rise to $88,000 - a two-week high - triggering modest increases in perpetual trade volume, primarily driven by BTC. Still, volumes remain significantly below those recorded earlier this month, when U.S. President Donald Trump proposed a national crypto reserve centered on the four largest tokens. Funding rates suggest persistent bearish sentiment Despite lower realized volatility and positive price movement among major assets, BTC and ETH perpetual contracts continued to post negative funding rates. This indicates that short sellers are still paying long positions, an ongoing sign of bearish sentiment. In contrast, large-cap altcoins showed more mixed positioning, with funding rates fluctuating between positive and negative without a clear directional bias. Volatility retreats to yearly lows Implied volatility declined by 3 to 5 points over the past week, with 30-day options now trading at their lowest levels since the beginning of the year. Realized volatility is also nearing the 30% floor last seen in February. As typically observed in low-volatility periods, options market activity has slowed, with open interest remaining low and relatively balanced between puts and calls. Around $40 million in options expired during the week. Access the full report For detailed insights, readers may download the full report. Bybit / TheCryptoArk /BybitResearch 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: media@bybit.com For updates, please follow: Bybit's Communities and Social Media Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Reddit | Telegram | TikTok | X | Youtube Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2654983/Sources_Bybit_Block_Scholes.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2267288/Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bybit-x-block-scholes-btc-fell-after-touching-88k-but-bearish-derivatives-trend-holds-302416731.html EQS Post-admission Duties announcement: Adtran Holdings, Inc. / Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] Adtran Holdings, Inc.: Release according to Article 50 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] with the objective of Europe-wide distribution 01.04.2025 / 09:33 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. On 31 March 2025, Adtran Holdings, Inc. filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a form DEF 14A report; available on the SEC website https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0000926282/000095017025047713/adtn-20250328.htm , a form DEFA 14A report; available on the SEC website https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0000926282/000095017025047718/adtn-20250327.htm and the ARS for the period ended December 31, 2024; available on the SEC website https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/926282/000095017025047726/adtn_2024_annual_report_.pdf . All documents are also available on the Adtran Holdings, Inc. website at https://investors.adtran.com/sec-filings/default.aspx . 01.04.2025 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com In recent years, the PULS system has been selected by multiple countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and other European nations, highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing defense capabilities in the modern battlefield HAIFA, Israel, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Elbit Systems Ltd has been awarded an approximately $130 million contract by a European customer for the supply of rockets for the Precise and Universal Launching System (PULS). The contract will be executed over a period of three years. Under the contract, Elbit Systems will supply a variety of advanced rocket systems, including training rockets, the ACCULAR (range of up to 35 km), EXTRA (range of up to 150 km), and the Predator Hawk (range of up to 300 km). These systems are designed to significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the customer's defense forces, providing a substantial boost in their strategic and tactical operations. The PULS system is an advanced and versatile artillery rocket system capable of launching a wide range of ammunition types from a single platform. It offers precision strike capabilities with an effective range of up to 300 kilometers, making it a highly effective solution for modern battlefield environments. Yehuda (Udi) Vered, General Manager of Elbit Systems Land: "We are proud to have been awarded this contract to deliver training rockets and operational precision guided rockets to an additional European customer for its PULS launchers. This achievement underscores the increased demand both in Europe and globally for the PULS system, its state-of-the-art capabilities and broad range of rocket munitions". He added: "As European nations continue to enhance their defense capabilities, the selection of PULS reaffirms its strategic value in modern battlefield scenarios." About Elbit Systems Elbit Systems is a leading global defense technology company, delivering advanced solutions for a secure and safer world. Elbit Systems develops, manufactures, integrates and sustains a range of next-generation solutions across multiple domains. Driven by its agile, collaborative culture, and leveraging Israel's technology ecosystem, Elbit Systems enables customers to address rapidly evolving battlefield challenges and overcome threats. For additional information, visit: https://elbitsystems.com, follow us on Twitter or visit our official Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn Channels. Company Contact: Dalia Bodinger, VP, Communication & Brand Tel: 972-77-2947602 dalia.bodinger@elbitsystems.com Nimrod Karmi, Global Media Manager Tel: 972-54-999-1921 Nimrod.Karmi@elbitsystems.com This press release may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Israeli Securities Law, 1968) regarding Elbit Systems Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries (collectively the Company), to the extent such statements do not relate to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions about future events. Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions about the Company, which are difficult to predict, including projections of the Company's future financial results, its anticipated growth strategies and anticipated trends in its business. Therefore, actual future results, performance and trends may differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: scope and length of customer contracts; governmental regulations and approvals; changes in governmental budgeting priorities; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates or sells, including Israel and the United States, among others, including the duration and scope of the current war in Israel, and the potential impact on our operations; changes in global health and macro-economic conditions; differences in anticipated and actual program performance, including the ability to perform under long-term fixed-price contracts; changes in the competitive environment; and the outcome of legal and/or regulatory proceedings. The factors listed above are not all-inclusive, and further information is contained in Elbit Systems Ltd.'s latest annual report on Form 20-F, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. Elbit Systems Ltd., its logo, brand, product, service and process names appearing in this release are the trademarks or service marks of Elbit Systems Ltd. or its affiliated companies. All other brand, product, service and process names appearing are the trademarks of their respective holders. Reference to or use of a product, service or process other than those of Elbit Systems Ltd. does not imply recommendation, approval, affiliation or sponsorship of that product, service or process by Elbit Systems Ltd. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppel or otherwise any license or right under any patent, copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right of Elbit Systems Ltd. or any third party, except as expressly granted herein. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2655004/Elbit_PULS.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2017806/Elbit_Systems_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/elbit-systems-secures-130-million-contract-to-supply-puls-advanced-rocket-munitions-to-a-european-customer-302416753.html Experienced R&D leader and biotech entrepreneur, Stuart Hughes, appointed as Chief Executive Officer Life sciences executive and healthcare investor, Vanessa Malier, appointed as Chair of the Board of Directors Nuage Therapeutics applying its proprietary technology to advance a pipeline of novel agents targeting oncogenic transcription factors Nuage Therapeutics S.L. ("Nuage"), a biotech company focused on creating transformational precision therapies by targeting established oncogenic transcription factors, today announced the appointment of Stuart Hughes as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Vanessa Malier as Chair of the Board. Dr. Hughes will succeed outgoing and founding CEO, Judit Anido, who is assisting with the leadership transition. Nuage has developed a set of tools that enables the reconstitution of intrinsically-disordered proteins (IDPs) in a secondary-structured form that renders them amenable to small molecule drug discovery. This has enabled the Company to unlock a wide range of previously intractable but important drug targets with a robust human biological basis for therapeutic intervention. Dr. Stuart Hughes has broad R&D leadership experience in a range of settings having worked in drug discovery across multiple therapeutic areas. He joins Nuage from Pathios Therapeutics, an immuno-oncology company where he served as CEO and where he built the company from an initial seed investment to a clinical-stage organisation. During this period, he led the completion of a 25m Series B first close, that included the addition of Bristol Myers Squibb as a strategic investor, to support ongoing Phase 1 studies. Previously, he was a Senior Director at the global biotech, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and before then, he was a Principal Research Scientist in CNS disorders at Eli Lilly. He has a MSc in Electrical Electronic Engineering and a PhD in Neuroscience from Cardiff University. Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Hughes, new CEO of Nuage, said: "Nuage possesses a highly differentiated suite of technologies that enables the capture of 'disordered' proteins in a form that is amenable to small molecule screening and profiling. I believe Nuage represents a game-changing advance in drug discovery and precision medicine, especially where targets have previously been considered undruggable. Allied to a highly skilled team and the support of top-tier investors, Nuage is ideally positioned for growth and success. I look forward to getting started." Vanessa Malier is board member and advisor to biotechs, venture capital and private equity firms. She previously spent 10 years as Managing Partner at Kurma Partners and was instrumental in the scale-up of the firm, fund raising Biofund III and the growth fund, completing the deal with Eurazeo and investing in portfolio companies. Prior to Kurma, Vanessa spent 10 years at Ipsen, in a variety of strategic and operational roles including Chief of Staff to the CEO, Adenuric Lead, VP R&D Strategic Planning and BD. Vanessa is a non-executive director of Sygnature Discovery. She graduated from Pasteur Institute in Immunology and Ecole Normale Superieure in Biology and Biochemistry. Maina Bhaman, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, said, "Welcome to Stuart and Vanessa to the respective roles of CEO and Chair of the Board at Nuage. Vanessa has already been helping to shape Nuage over the last year, and now that Stuart has joined, together they can combine their broad and complementary scope of leadership, biotech and VC experience to moving the Company forward. Their appointments are happening at an exciting time for the Company as it looks to usher in a new wave of transformational precision therapies for a range of cancers that currently have limited treatment options." Clara Campas, Managing Partner and co-founder of Asabys Partners, said, "I would also like to warmly welcome Stuart and Vanessa to Nuage, and on behalf of the Board, say thank you to the outgoing CEO, Dr. Anido, for her stewardship to date and her assistance in a smooth transition to Stuart and the team. We have been long term supporters of the Company and its technology since its inception and believe strongly in its truly differentiated approach. Nuage is located within the thriving, rapidly growing biotech and pharma ecosystem in Barcelona and we believe it has all of the ingredients to deliver on its immense promise." Notes to Editors About Nuage Therapeutics Nuage Therapeutics is a spin-off from the IRB Barcelona and ICREA, that was founded by the researchers Prof. Xavier Salvatella, Prof. Denes Hnisz and Dr. Mateusz Biesaga. Based at the Barcelona Science Park, Nuage deploys a suite of proprietary tools for screening and profiling small molecules against intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), a group of proteins that to date have been notoriously difficult to drug. With an initial focus on oncogenic transcription factors, Nuage is developing an internal pipeline of first-in-class programs. The Company is also seeking to establish collaborations and partnerships with key parties with a shared interest in drugging transcription factors and related high-value targets in other disease areas. The Company's investors are Sofinnova Partners, Asabys Partners and Innvierte, an investment program of CDTI. For more information, please visit www.nuagetx.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250401541596/en/ Contacts: Nuage Therapeutics Via Vigo Consulting Vanessa Malier, Chair Stuart Hughes, CEO Vigo Consulting (media) Melanie Toyne-Sewell Rozi Morris +44 (0) 7890 022 814 +44 (0)7740 859962 Nuage@vigoconsulting.com Featuring new EUDRtrace platform developed to meet the latest EUDR requirements for supply chain management Intertek, a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, is pleased to announce the launch of a comprehensive suite of solutions to help companies comply with the new EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This regulation affects the import and export of seven key commodities-wood, rubber, cocoa, coffee, cattle, soy, and palm oil-within the European market. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately 420 million hectares of forest, equivalent to 10% of global forest cover, were lost between 1990 and 2020. In response, the new EUDR legislation will become effective from 30 December 2025, requiring companies to submit a due diligence statement confirming that their products are deforestation-free before they can be marketed. Non-compliance could result in fines of up to 4% of EU revenue and market exclusion. As the need to comply with new regulations and meet rising consumer expectations grows, demand for risk-based assurance services is increasing among operators and traders placing commodities and products on the EU market. Intertek's EUDR solutions provide end-to-end compliance support, including regulatory assistance, training, commodity and product mapping, and on-the-ground verification. The solutions include EUDRtrace, a new cutting-edge blockchain platform, which provides expert guidance and traceability technology to give customers complete confidence in the transparency of their supply chains. This unique combination of services and technology makes Intertek's EUDR solutions one of the most comprehensive offerings on the market for ensuring full compliance with EUDR and fostering a sustainable and transparent supply chain. By equipping companies with the tools they need to operate sustainably, Intertek's EUDR solutions help them to avoid fines and secure continued access to the EU market. Mark Thomas, Executive Vice President Assurance, Sustainability, AgriWorld and Food, commented: "Intertek's EUDR solutions are not only a response to customer demand but also a testament to our commitment to leadership in Total Quality Assurance, underpinned by our passion for sustainability and dedication to compliance with critical environmental regulations. The new EU regulation is a crucial step towards halting deforestation and helping companies safeguard their market position while protecting our natural resources. Compliance isn't just about avoiding penalties it's about leading the way towards a sustainable, deforestation-free future." Lois Haighton, Senior Director, Consumer Assurance, Food and Nutrition, said: "In an era where compliance with new regulations and rising consumer expectations is no longer optional, brands and traders face a critical choice: adapt or risk falling behind. Our team of regulatory experts takes great pride in working with companies that not only strive to meet compliance requirements but work to lead with transparency, integrity and a forward-thinking approach. These businesses understand that beyond simply following the rules, they have the chance to set new standards in ethical trade, positioning themselves as leaders in their industries." Darrin Harkness, President, Intertek Assuris, added: "With comprehensive support-covering every stage from farmer to consumer-we ensure our customers' journey to compliance is seamless, impactful, and future-focused. Our solutions protect their market position, guide them through the complexities of regulatory demands with precision, and provide confidence in their supply chain transparency." Don't miss the opportunity to attend Intertek's complimentary EUDR webinar on April 24. Gain valuable insights on the upcoming regulation and more about how Intertek's end-to-end compliance and supply chain traceability solutions can help reduce risk and improve marketability. To register, please visit: https://www.intertek.com/resources/webinars/2025/navigating-eudr-compliance-and-solutions/ For more information about Intertek's EUDR solutions, please visit: https://www.intertek.com/assuris/food/regulatory/eu-deforestation-regulation-eudr/ ABOUT INTERTEK Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers' operations and supply chains. Intertek is a purpose-led company to Bring Quality, Safety and Sustainability to Life. We provide 24/7 mission-critical quality assurance solutions to our clients to ensure that they can operate with well-functioning supply chains in each of their operations. Our Customer Promise is: Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently, with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely. intertek.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250401951389/en/ Contacts: FOR MEDIA INFORMATION: Please contact Tracy Veale Global Director, Marketing and Communications, Intertek Assuris tracy.veale@intertek.com FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Lois Haighton Senior Director, Tox Project Operations, Intertek Assuris lois.haighton@intertek.com BIRMINGHAM, England, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- X-Sense, a leading global smart home safety brand, is showcasing its latest solutions at the Fire Safety Event (FSE) 2025, April 8-10 at NEC Birmingham. At Booth 4/C112, the company is featuring two key products: a smart smoke alarm with voice alerts and a hybrid interlinked model with a detachable RF module. X-Sense will also present a broader portfolio, including CO detectors, home security systems, and other smart sensors. These solutions are trusted by users and certified by TUV, BSI, CE, and UKCA. "We are committed to continuous innovation in the home safety space, striving to lead the industry with smart, breakthrough technologies that make protection simpler for everyone." - the CEO of X-Sense Wireless Smoke Alarm with Voice Alerts: X-Sense XS0B-MR X-Sense XS0B-MR speeds emergency response with clear voice prompts like "Smoke detected in the bedroom," helping children and the elderly react faster than they might to traditional sirens. Retailing at 29.99, it supports wireless interconnection across multiple units and integrates with the X-Sense Home Security App through the SBS50 gateway, enabling remote monitoring and alert sharing. Hybrid Interlinked Smoke Alarm with RF Module: X-Sense XS0F Exclusively sold in brick-and-mortar stores, the XS0F is ideal for both new installations and retrofit projects. It supports hybrid interconnection using existing mains wiring and its removable RF module-offering expanded coverage and greater flexibility for complex environments. Both devices are backed by X-Sense's growing local infrastructure to better serve customers across Europe. European Local Support X-Sense has opened a new regional office and warehouses in Germany, ensuring faster delivery, local technical support, and better service for European distributors and installers-strengthening its long-term commitment to the market. About X-Sense Founded in 2013, X-Sense is a leader in smart home safety, offering advanced smoke alarms, CO detectors, and safety sensors. With over 15 million units sold, the company continues to innovate through enhanced R&D to deliver smarter, simpler protection. All products undergo rigorous third-party testing by TUV and BSI, underscoring X-Sense's commitment to making reliable home safety accessible worldwide. www.x-sense.com Distributor Partnership Join X-Sense's distributor partnership for innovative safety solutions and strong incentives: https://www.x-sense.com/pages/partnerships Contact Information Distribution Partnerships Richard, Sales Executive partners@x-sense.com Media Relations May Young, PR Manager may@x-sense.us Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2654009/X_Sense_Smart_Home_Safety_Solution_at_FSE_2025.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/x-sense-spotlights-smart-smoke-alarm-tech-at-fse-2025-voice-alerts--hybrid-interconnectivity-302416737.html LONDON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With cyber-attacks rising and security teams under increasing pressure, the industry needs a clear way to distinguish between providers who claim to offer advanced security and those who can prove it. That's exactly what CREST's newly developed, SOC Accreditation delivers-a rigorous test of an organisation's ability to detect, investigate, and respond to modern cyber threats. Stripe OLT has officially become the first company in the world to pass the newly developed, CREST SOC Accreditation, reinforcing its position as a leader in Security Operations Centre (SOC) services and proving that its SOC is built to tackle today's most sophisticated threats. Why This Matters Right Now The timing couldn't be more critical. Ransomware is at an all-time high, supply chain attacks are disrupting industries, and regulatory expectations are tightening. Organisations are no longer able to simply claim they have strong security-they must prove it. That's where independently verified accreditations like CREST's Accreditation come in, ensuring providers meet the highest standards. A New Benchmark for Security Operations Ryan Pullen, Director at Stripe OLT, explains: "SOC providers must be held to a higher standard. Businesses rely on us as their frontline defenders-their eyes and ears against cyber threats. This accreditation isn't just a box-ticking exercise; it's proof that we're delivering the level of security today's threat landscape demands. For any SOC considering this certification, the CREST SOC 2.0 framework provides a clear, structured roadmap for building a mature and resilient security practice. Even the process of aligning with its standards strengthens operations, ensuring providers can offer clients a higher level of protection. We're incredibly proud to be the first global provider to achieve this certification-it's a testament to our team's commitment to excellence and always leading from the front." What This Means for Businesses CREST's accreditation process is designed to push SOC providers to the highest industry standards, ensuring they can effectively detect and respond to modern cyber threats. For businesses looking to outsource their security operations, working with a CREST-accredited SOC provider means one thing: confidence that their environment is being proactively monitored and protected to globally recognised standards. Jonathan Armstrong, Head of Accreditation at CREST commented: " The introduction of the new SOC Accreditation represents a significant enhancement in setting standards for Security Operations Centres globally. Stripe OLT's achievement as the first organisation to attain this accreditation demonstrates their commitment to operational excellence and their ability to respond effectively to modern cyber threats. This accreditation is more than a benchmark, it reflects a dedication to delivering measurable security outcomes for clients operating in an increasingly complex threat landscape. We recognise Stripe OLT for their leadership and for playing a key role in shaping our new industry accreditation standard. " Delivering Elite Security Operations, Designed with SMEs in Mind For too long, SMEs have had to choose between affordability and high-quality security. Stripe OLT's achievement proves that they don't have to compromise. As specialists in securing mid-sized businesses, Stripe OLT understands the unique challenges SMEs face-limited resources, increasing compliance demands, and an ever-evolving threat landscape. By becoming the first provider to pass the newly developed, CREST SOC accreditation, Stripe OLT reinforces its commitment to delivering enterprise-grade security that is accessible, practical, and built specifically for SMEs. For more on how Stripe OLT's Managed Cyber Security Services can help businesses strengthen their security, visit stripeolt.com. About Stripe OLT From its offices in London, Bristol and Manchester, Stripe OLT provide 24/7 Managed Cyber Security services, Managed IT Support services and cutting-edge Microsoft solutions, actively supporting and protecting critical infrastructures in established organisations. With specialities across the Finance, Legal, Transport, Public Sector and Healthcare markets, Stripe OLT's technology clients include The NHS Confederation, Rail Delivery Group (National Rail), Hargreaves Lansdown and MoneySuperMarket Group. NOTES TO THE EDITOR Any comments regarding this press release to be sent to Hannah Evenden-Morley, Head of Marketing, hannah.morley@stripeolt.com Headquarters: Stripe OLT, 18 Hotwell Rd, Bristol, BS8 4UD London office: STRIPE OLT, 29 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6AZ Manchester office: Stripe OLT, 3 Hardman Square, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3EB Website: www.stripeolt.com Stripe OLT specialise in secure, cloud Microsoft technology, providing Managed Cyber Security, Managed IT and Digital Transformation Services, throughout the UK. Their accreditations include: Microsoft Modern Work & Security Solutions Partner, CREST and ISO 27001. Stripe OLT's technology clients include: Hargreaves Lansdown, MoneySuperMarket Group, Bristol Airport, Rail Delivery Group & The NHS Confederation. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2654526/CREST_SOC.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/stripe-olt-leads-the-way-as-first-organisation-globally-to-meet-updated-crest-soc-standards-302416179.html YOTEL ANNOUNCES PLAN TO DOUBLE PORTFOLIO IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS LONDON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- YOTEL, the global hotel brand challenging the status quo of the hospitality industry, ('YOTEL' or 'the Company'), announces today that its majority shareholder the Al-Bahar Group ('the Group') has acquired an additional 30% stake in the Company. The stake was previously held by a controlled affiliate of Starwood Capital Group ("Starwood Capital"), a global investment firm focused on real estate. The investment increases the Group's holding in YOTEL to more than 95%. Talal Al Bahar, Chairman, YOTEL and Al-Bahar Group comments: "I am delighted with the YOTEL team's incredible achievements over the last 15 years. From humble beginnings, YOTEL is now a global company with an expansive portfolio of properties in prime locations. We are profitable, financially self-sustaining and growing rapidly. I am truly grateful to Starwood Capital for their contribution to this success and for eight years of strong partnership. Our investment today underscores our confidence in the future of YOTEL. Going forward, we will be looking for new and diverse opportunities to develop YOTEL's brand awareness, franchise model and distribution, to support our ambitious growth plans. We are also making additional capital available for exceptional development opportunities. We are building YOTEL's exciting future on very strong foundations." Hubert Viriot, CEO, YOTEL comments: "Talal's vision made YOTEL the success we are today. His additional investment is not just an endorsement of our potential, it also makes us more competitive and agile, simplifying our structure and giving us access to additional growth capital. YOTEL is now one of very few independent, global asset-light hotel brands. Independence and financial stability give us a unique edge: enabling us to focus on delivering an exceptional guest experience and on long-term portfolio development. In recent years we have significantly strengthened our senior team and built-out a sophisticated operating platform, to support our portfolio and accelerate future growth. YOTEL has an exciting future ahead with a strong development pipeline and, as announced in Berlin today at IHIF 2025, a plan to double the YOTEL portfolio to 15,000 rooms globally by 2030." Tim Abram, Managing Director, Global Co-Head of Hotels, Starwood Capital, comments: "We would like to thank the Al-Bahar Group along with the rest of the Board, the Management team, and all the employees at YOTEL for their partnership and hard work over the last eight years. YOTEL has achieved tremendous growth over this time period, which is something everyone can be proud of. We wish the company the best of luck on the next exciting chapter of growth and meanwhile remain an enthusiastic partner of YOTEL as owners of two YOTEL properties." Starwood Capital, through its controlled affiliates, has been a powerful development partner, providing capital and expertise, helping to institutionalise the Company and grow the YOTEL portfolio from six to 34 properties (see appendix) in prime locations around the world. About YOTEL YOTEL is a global hospitality brand based in London, with regional offices in the US and Asia. It has a portfolio of three brands: YOTEL (city centre hotels), YOTELPAD (extended stay option) and YOTELAIR (airport hotels). The Company has 23 operating hotels across 16 buzzing cities and airports around the world including New York, Boston, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Miami, Tokyo, Singapore, Edinburgh, London, Amsterdam, Porto, Geneva, Glasgow, Manchester, Paris, and Istanbul. In addition, it has 11 hotels in the pipeline due to open over the next 24 months in Lisbon, London, Belfast, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, New York, NEOM (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Perth. NOTE: The Al-Bahar Group's stake is held through three different entities: United Investment Portugal, Kuwait Real Estate Company (Aqarat) and Med Al-Bahar International Limited. The Al-Bahar Group has been invested in YOTEL since inception in 2005 and the Company's major shareholder since 2013. www.yotel.com About Al-Bahar Group Al-Bahar Group is a diversified conglomerate comprising listed and unlisted companies across multiple sectors in the Gulf and beyond. Under the leadership of Talal Al-Bahar, the group maintains a strong presence in financial services, real estate, insurance and food, while expanding its footprint through strategic investments and subsidiaries. In Kuwait's public market, Al-Bahar Group includes leading financial institutions such as Arzan Financial Group for Finance and Investment, Aldeera Holding, and International Financial Advisors Holding; real estate companies Kuwait Real Estate Company (AQARAT) and IFA Hotels and Resorts; and First Takaful Insurance Company providing Sharia-compliant insurance solutions. Talal Al-Bahar also represents the group's interests in Boursa Kuwait, Kuwait's national stock exchange and in MIAX, a U.S.-based operator of global financial exchanges and execution services. Al-Bahar Group's companies also include EFS Facilities Services, United Hospitality Management (UHM), Strive Services Group, and Domus Managed Housing. EFS is a regional powerhouse in integrated facilities management, operating across 25 countries while managing over 75 million square meters of real estate and a contract backlog exceeding $2.5 billion. UHM brings +30 years of luxury hospitality expertise as a global management company, partnering with world-class brands including Marriott's Luxury Collection, IHG's Vignette Collection, Hyatt, Wyndham, Sheraton, YOTEL, Accor, Movenpick, Bespoke Hotels, and voco Hotels. Strive Services Group delivers an integrated facilities management solution for real estate asset owners across the UAE and beyond. Domus Managed Housing, a division of Strive Services Group, specializes in purpose-built corporate housing solutions for clients including Wyndham, Movenpick, and Millennium Hotels. Currently, Al-Bahar Group operates in over 25 countries, developed and invested in more than 80 projects, +21,000 keys, +3,000 commercial units, and +46 hotels under +10 international brands. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1861362/Yotel_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/al-bahar-group-increases-investment-in-yotel-302416227.html Securing Critical Minerals and Supporting National Security Initiatives: Focus Graphite Aligns with Military and Carbon Industry Leaders in the United States Focus Graphite Advanced Materials Inc. (TSXV:FMS)(OTCQB:FCSMF)(FSE:FKC) ("Focus" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its membership in the Military Power Sources Consortium and the American Carbon Society, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening North America's critical mineral supply chain. As a longstanding member of the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), Focus continues to invest in strategic initiatives that support the onshoring of high-quality natural flake graphite for defense, energy storage, and advanced technology applications. With the U.S. government prioritizing domestic graphite supply and committing substantial funding to North American projects, Focus Graphite's 100% owned high-purity Lac Knife and Lac Tetepisca projects ("Projects"), located in Quebec, Canada, are well-positioned to play a pivotal role in securing this essential material for military and industrial use. The Military Power Sources Consortium ("MPSC") is a non-profit dedicated to representing the needs of the entire life cycle of the domestic military power production base. The mission of the MPSC is to provide a forum for members to share information and develop a collective voice on issues related to preserving and enhancing the domestic design, development, and manufacture of energy generation and storage systems, both renewable and none-renewable, and their components for the Department of Defence ("DoD"). The MSPC provides a unified voice for the issues and challenges of the domestic military production base to DoD, Department of Energy ("DoE"), and other industry groups, recommends solution to the issues and challenges, ensure industry representation from traditional and non-traditional defence contractors, and bring together academia, industry, and the DoD. Critical Metals, including natural flake graphite, are considered essential for the U.S. defense industrial base, and the U.S. Government is engaged in strategic planning, initiatives, and funding to ensure it can access and onshore domestic capabilities and supply. Benchmark Minerals analysis shows that the U.S. will fall short of meeting most of its critical mineral needs, even if all announced projects come online as planned. One of the largest areas for concern is flake graphite, for which there is no domestic source forecast for 2030 (1). Over the past two years, the Department of Defense ("DoD") has awarded a combined total of US$45.85 million to advance North American natural flake graphite projects (2)(3) . The Company has engaged with the DoD in connection with advancing its two 100% owned high-purity graphite Projects in Quebec, Canada, and exploring potential non-dilutive financing awards. Graphite is classified as a critical mineral by the U.S. government, owing to its use in military, batteries, EVs and long duration energy storage. Graphite is also used in semiconductors and nuclear applications. Focus is prioritizing the qualification of high-value advanced materials where high-quality natural flake graphite is required due to its unique and superior graphite quality. The American Carbon Society, formerly the American Carbon Committee, was established in 1957 with the express purpose of organizing U.S. conference on carbon. Today, the aims and scope of the American Carbon Society are considerably more diverse than those envisioned by its founders. The Society promotes interdisciplinary research on the fundamentals and applications of carbon materials. Moreover, the Society organizes and/or sponsors the triennial International Conference on Carbon, the world's most important meeting of researchers in all areas of carbon science and technology. "Joining the Military Power Sources Consortium and the American Carbon Society underscores our commitment to securing North America's critical mineral supply chain," said Dean Hanisch, Chief Executive Officer of Fosus Graphite Advanced Materials. "As a longstanding member of the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium, we recognize the urgency of onshoring high-quality natural flake graphite to support national security and advanced technologies. With our high-purity Lac Knife project already through the feasibility process and the significant scale potential of Tetepisca project, we are strategically positioned to contribute to this effort. We look forward to collaborating with industry leaders and government agencies to drive innovation and strengthen domestic supply resilience." Appointment of Vice President, Corporate Development The Company is also pleased to report the appointment of Jason Latkowcer, MBA, as Vice President of Corporate Development. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Mr. Latkowcer is an accomplished executive with over 14 years of experience in corporate and business development, capital markets, and strategic partnerships. He has played a key role in facilitating multiple transactions and strategic expansions, from private to public markets, and has been directly involved in raising tens of millions in financing. Additionally, he has successfully secured multi-million-dollar government grants to support corporate growth and innovation. Mr. Latkowcer has extensive experience in capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance, with a strong network that includes institutional investors, private equity firms, and high-net-worth individuals. His expertise spans across corporate strategy, sales, and marketing, where he has successfully implemented tactical approaches at local, regional, and international levels. With significant experience in chemical distribution, he has developed expertise in adhering to strict product specifications and managing unique applications, skills that are directly aligned with Focus Graphite Advanced Materials' strategic focus on the commercialization of specialized material for innovative uses. Jason is an alumnus of the University of Ottawa (2010) and holds an Executive MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology (2023). He has also earned graduate certificates from the Yale School of Management in Sustainable Finance and Investment, and from Harvard Business School in Finance. Jason Latkowcer, commented, "I'm excited to join Focus at such a transformative time for the company and the North American critical minerals sector. The urgency to secure domestic supply chains has never been greater. I look forward to immediately applying my expertise to accelerate our momentum and drive key partnerships forward. The industry's trajectory is undeniable, and Focus is leading the charge in this critical transformation." About The Military Power Sources Consortium For more information on the MPSC, please visit https://milpwr.org About the American Carbon Society For more information on the American Carbon Society, please visit https://www.americancarbonsociety.org About Focus Graphite Inc. Focus Graphite Advanced Materials is redefining the future of critical minerals with two 100% owned world-class graphite projects and cutting-edge battery technology. Our flagship Lac Knife project stands as one of the most advanced high-purity graphite deposits in North America, with a fully completed feasibility study. Lac Knife is set to become a key supplier for the battery, defense, and advanced materials industries. Our Lac Tetepisca project further strengthens our portfolio, with the potential to be one of the largest and highest-purity graphite deposits in North America. At Focus, we go beyond mining - we are pioneering environmentally sustainable processing solutions and cutting-edge battery technologies, including our patent pending proprietary silicone-enhanced spheroidized graphite technology, designed to enhance battery performance and efficiency. Our commitment to innovation ensures a chemical-free, eco-friendly supply chain from mine to market. Collaboration is at the core of our vision. We actively partner with industry leaders, research institutions, and government agencies to accelerate the commercialization of next-generation graphite materials. As a North American company, we are dedicated to securing a resilient, locally sourced supply of critical minerals - reducing dependence on foreign-controlled markets and driving the transition to a sustainable future. For more information on Focus Graphite Inc. please visit http://www.focusgraphite.com Investors Contact: Dean Hanisch Jason Latkowcer CEO, Focus Graphite Inc. VP Corporate Development dhanisch@focusgraphite.comjlatkowcer@focusgraphite.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could," "intend," "expect," "believe," "will," "projected," "estimated," and similar expressions, as well as statements relating to matters that are not historical facts, are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. In particular, this press release includes forward-looking information regarding the validation testing of Focus Graphite's proprietary anode materials, the expected performance and commercial viability of these materials, the Company's positioning as a potential supplier for Gigafactory projects worldwide, the expected timeline for advancing the Lac Knife graphite project through the final stages of permitting and into production, and the Company's engagement with industry and defense-related organizations, including the Military Power Sources Consortium and the American Carbon Society, to support the onshoring of critical minerals for North American supply chains. Forward-looking 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 by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to market conditions, regulatory approvals, changes in economic conditions, the ability to raise sufficient funds on acceptable terms or at all, operational risks associated with mineral exploration and development, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's public disclosure documents available under its profile on SEDAR+. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties, and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/chart-can-the-us-meet-its-critical-mineral-needs-domestically https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3777044/department-of-defense-awards-147-million-to-enhance-north-american-cobalt-and-g/ https://www.graphiteoneinc.com/graphite-one-awarded-37-5-million-department-of-defense-grant-under-the-defense-production-act/ SOURCE: Focus Graphite, Inc. EQS-Media / 01.04.2025 / 11:02 CET/CEST Aareal Bank provides 567 million refinancing for pan-European hotel portfolio for Archer Hotel Capital Wiesbaden, 1 April 2025 - Aareal Bank AG is pleased to announce the successful closing of a 567 million, cross-collateralised pan-European facility to refinance a portfolio of seven hotels in four different European countries for Archer Hotel Capital. This landmark transaction highlights Aareal Bank's expertise in hospitality financing and cross border transactions as well as its commitment to observing ambitious ESG standards. Archer Hotel Capital is the joint investment vehicle of Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC and APG, a subsidiary of Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP, the Dutch pension fund. Archer has been a valued partner of Aareal Bank since the inception of Archer in 2018. Over the years, Aareal Bank has financed various assets for Archer through multiple facilities. The loan refinances seven premier hotel properties across Europe: Royal Saint-Honore Paris and Renaissance Paris Vendome; Renaissance La Defense Paris; Renaissance Amsterdam; Hilton Schiphol Airport; Conrad Dublin; and Sheraton Stockholm. Together, these properties constitute a well-diversified portfolio of over 2,000 rooms in prime locations within their respective markets. Archer Hotel Capital self manages most of the assets in the portfolio under Marriott franchises and two assets are managed by Hilton International. Archer is committed to building a high quality, environmentally and socially responsible hotel portfolio in Europe. This financing will fund ESG-focused capital expenditures dedicated to achieving the highest possible sustainability accreditations for the majority of the assets in the portfolio. This milestone further solidifies Aareal Bank's leadership in ESG-driven financing solutions for the luxury hospitality sector. Bettina Graef-Parker, Managing Director Special Property Finance at Aareal Bank, commented: "We are proud to strengthen our long-term partnership with Archer Hotel Capital with this complex transaction. We are particularly pleased to support our valued client in unlocking lasting value by carrying out asset improvements with a strong focus on ESG considerations. By integrating ESG criteria into the financing structure, we support the sustainable development of prime hotel assets in major European cities." Matt Tanner, CFO of Archer Hotel Capital, noted: "Our long-standing partnership with Aareal Bank is built on trust, expertise, and a shared vision for the future of hospitality. Their deep understanding of the sector across multiple European markets has been instrumental in supporting our commitment to sustainable growth and long-term value creation. This milestone deal will enhance our capability to operate hospitality assets at high ESG standards." Aareal Bank acted as the arranger, facility agent, and security agent for this transaction. Legal and valuation advisors included DLA Piper UK LLP, DLA Piper Ireland LLP, Van Doorne, Cirio Advokatbyra AB, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei, Allez & Associes, and HVS. Contact for the media: Thomas Rutzki Phone: +49 611 348 2947 Mobile: +49 170 5431458 thomas.rutzki@aareal-bank.com Hans Feiner Phone: +49 611 348 3025 Mobile: +49 171 8667891 hans.feiner@aareal-bank.com Aareal Bank Aareal Bank, headquartered in Wiesbaden, is a leading international property specialist. The Bank uses its expertise to identify trends, challenges and opportunities at an early stage, and to exploit them for the benefit of its stakeholders. Aareal Bank provides financings, banking services and payments solutions for the property sector and related industries, and is present across three continents: Europe, North America and the Asia/Pacific region. Aareal Bank's business strategy focuses on sustainable business success, with environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects as an integral part of this strategy. Aareal Bank comprises the business segments Structured Property Financing and Banking & Digital Solutions. The Structured Property Financing segment encompasses all of Aareal Bank Group's property financing and funding activities. Here, the Bank supports its clients in making large-volume commercial property investments. The investment properties mostly comprise office buildings, hotels, shopping centres, logistics and residential property, as well as student apartments. In the Banking & Digital Solutions segment, Aareal Bank Group supports businesses from the housing, property management and energy industries as a digitalisation partner - combining extensive advisory services and product solutions with traditional corporate banking services and deposit-taking. 01.04.2025 CET/CEST Veroffentlichung einer Pressemitteilung, ubermittelt durch EQS News - ein Service der EQS Group. Fur den Inhalt der Mitteilung ist der Emittent / Herausgeber verantwortlich. Die EQS Distributionsservices umfassen gesetzliche Meldepflichten, Corporate News/Finanznachrichten und Pressemitteilungen. Medienarchiv unter https://eqs-news.com US$5 million payment completes balance of the purchase price for MDN MDN purchase price consideration totals US$47 million Over ~200,000 Gold Equivalent Ounces ("GEO's") produced at MDN since its acquisition in 2020 to year end 2024 Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSXV:CERT)(OTCQX:CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") has paid the final US$5 million instalment of the purchase price to the vendors of the Minera Don Nicolas ("MDN") gold mine in Argentina (see news release dated March 17, 2020). In aggregate, the purchase price for the acquisition of MDN totalled US$47 million. Mark Brennan, Chairman & CEO commented: "We are very pleased to have satisfied the payment terms for the acquisition of MDN. MDN's growing production along with record high gold prices continues to support the deleveraging of Cerrado's balance sheet and building a healthy financial position. MDN's cashflow generation will enable Cerrado to pursue a rigorous exploration program to expand its resources. We are convinced that MDN continues to be at the early stages of its development cycle, and we are optimistic that MDN has the potential to rival the long established operations on the Deseado Massif." Since closing the acquisition of MDN in April 2020, Cerrado has significantly grown the production profile from approximately 22,000 ounces to 55,000 ounces per annum and has produced more than 200,000 cumulative GEO's to year end 2024 with All-In Sustaining Costs in-line or below many of the larger operations in the Deseado Massif. Las Calandrias, MDN's Heap Leach operation continues to perform well, and is anticipated to further support Cerrado's production base through the development of an underground operation at Paloma anticipated to begin production in Q3 2025. The Company is currently preparing a robust exploration campaign for the balance of the year, targeting mine life extension from open-pit, underground and heap leach resource expansion. Assuming the completion of the acquisition of Ascendant Resources Inc., which is anticipated to close on or about May 12, 2025, and is subject to certain closing conditions, the Company's healthy financial position is expected to support development of the Lagoa Salgada Project in Portugal which anticipates a construction decision by the end of 2025. IR Services and Marketing Agreement The Company has entered into an engagement with The Korelin Economics Report (the "KE Report") for strategic marketing and investor relations services to raise Cerrado's investor profile. The KE Report will assist with investor awareness as a third-party content creator through podcasts, management interviews and news amplification through their platform and YouTube channel as well as and investor presentations. The KE Report engagement is for a term of 6 months with the opportunity to extend based on a successful outcome for a fee of C$15,000 for the six-month term. No bonus fees or stock options will be paid to any of the Consultants. The KE Report is arm's length to the Company. About Cerrado Cerrado Gold is a Toronto-based gold production, development, and exploration company focused on gold projects in South America. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas and Las Calandrias mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. In Canada, Cerrado Gold is developing it's 100% owned Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project located outside of Chibougamou, Quebec. In Argentina, Cerrado is maximizing asset value at its Minera Don Nicolas operation through continued operational optimization and is growing production through its operations at the Las Calandrias Heap Leach project. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package in the heart of the Deseado Masiff. In Canada, Cerrado holds a 100% interest in the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project, which has the potential to produce a premium iron ore concentrate over a long mine life at low operating costs and low capital intensity. Furthermore, its high grade and high purity product facilitates the migration of steel producers from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces, contributing to the decarbonization of the industry and the achievement of SDG goals. For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com. Mark Brennan CEO and Chairman Mike McAllister Vice President, Investor Relations Tel: +1-647-805-5662 mmcallister@cerradogold.com Disclaimer 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. This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. 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 discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado, the anticipated closing of the acquisition of Ascendant Resources Inc., the Company's cash position and anticipated future cash flows and debt levels, the production rate and costs at MDN, the exploration potential and mine life at MDN, and the potential impact of the KE Report in raising investor awareness of the Company. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. 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 statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise. SOURCE: Cerrado Gold Inc. "The Ring and the Mountain," the poignant documentary produced by Abby Boretto, continues to captivate audiences nationwide, earning widespread media attention and forging significant collaborations within the veteran community.? The film, which chronicles Boretto's journey to connect with her late father-a U.S. Marine whose Annapolis class ring was discovered atop a mountain north of the Arctic Circle-has been featured across various esteemed platforms: ?CBS 8+1YouTube+1 SOFREP Radio : In Episode 710, Boretto delves into her personal narrative and the documentary's creation, highlighting her dedication to storytelling and community engagement. ? SOFREP CBS 8 San Diego : The station spotlighted Boretto's transformative discovery and the film's premiere at the USS Midway Museum, emphasizing its local significance. ? YouTube The Hartford Courant : Connecticut's leading newspaper featured an in-depth article on Boretto's roots and the documentary's impact on understanding familial legacies.? WTNH News 8: The Connecticut-based news outlet covered Boretto's story, shedding light on her journey and the broader implications of her father's legacy.? In addition to media coverage, "The Ring and the Mountain" has garnered the attention of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a renowned nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans and first responders. Discussions are underway to explore collaborative initiatives that align with both parties' missions of honoring and assisting those who serve.? Abby Boretto expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support:? "The journey of creating this documentary has been profoundly personal. Witnessing its resonance with audiences and organizations like Tunnel to Towers reaffirms the universal themes of sacrifice, discovery, and connection that the film embodies."? "The Ring and the Mountain" continues to be showcased at various venues and film festivals nationwide, furthering conversations about legacy, service, and the enduring bonds between generations. Media Contact: Rob Garcia Phone: 619-316-1856 Email: editor@shiftlifedesign.com About "The Ring and the Mountain": "The Ring and the Mountain" is a documentary that follows Abby Boretto's quest to understand her late father's life and service after his Annapolis class ring was discovered on a remote mountain. The film explores themes of legacy, identity, and the enduring connections between family members separated by time and circumstance.?YouTube About Tunnel to Towers Foundation: Established in honor of firefighter Stephen Siller, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation supports first responders, veterans, and their families by providing mortgage-free homes and other assistance programs. The foundation is committed to ensuring that the sacrifices of those who serve are never forgotten. SOURCE: Shift Magazine EQS Newswire / 01/04/2025 / 18:16 UTC+8 [Hong Kong-1, April 2025] The reputable international inspection and testing company, China Leon Inspection Holding Limited ("Leon Inspection" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, the "Group")(Stock code: 1586.HK) is pleased to announce that, benefiting from the robust development of the global energy and TIC industries, along with the Group's sound strategic guidance, the Group fully leveraged its leadership in niche markets in 2024. Seizing business opportunities, the Group continued to expand its scale, with employee numbers exceeding 3,300 and networks spanning 19 countries worldwide. The Group has deepened its brand credibility, consistently enhanced operational efficiency and core competitive strengths, and steadily advanced high-quality development. Steady growth in performance with robust overseas revenue increased In 2024, the Company recorded revenue of HK$1,263.1 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 12.9%; profit for the Year reached HK$126.0 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.2%; profit attributable to owners of the Company amounted to HK$82.7 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.4%, further consolidating its industry-leading position. The Group continued to deepen the globalized layout, while expanding its service network from major trading ports and hub cities in the Asia-Pacific region to multiple emerging markets. The Group operates 78 branches and professional laboratories worldwide, spanning 19 countries. The Group strategically seizes development opportunities in emerging markets, proactively expanding into regions such as Africa and the Middle East with its superior global service capabilities. The Group's business presence has flourished across multiple regions. The Group achieved outstanding results in overseas market expansion, with overseas revenue increasing by 21.3% to HK$567.6 million in 2024, accounting for 44.9% of total Group revenue, injecting strong momentum into the Group's performance growth. The commodity business achieved remarkable success, with professional service capabilities and brand credibility gaining market recognition Supported by its robust overall capabilities, exceptional technical expertise, and outstanding talent pool, the Group has become a designated inspection institution for multiple exchanges. In 2024, the Group continued to secure qualifications as a designated quality inspection institution for futures exchanges, further reinforcing its extensive experience and brand credibility in bulk commodity inspection. On 22 January 2024, the Shanghai Futures Exchange authorized the Group as its designated inspection institution for alumina futures. Having already been designated as the inspection institution for the Shanghai Futures Exchange's key non-ferrous metals-copper, aluminum, and zinc, the Group became its designated inspection institution for alumina futures as well, further enhancing its brand recognition with non-ferrous metal clients. On 14 June 2024, the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange designated the Group as its inspection institution for ferroalloy futures, reflecting its high recognition of the Group's extensive experience and brand credibility in bulk commodity inspection. The Group's testing and inspection product line continues to expand, and it has now become the leading quality inspection institution for lithium carbonate, ferroalloys, and industrial silicon. Below is the list of futures inspection qualifications obtained by the Group and its subsidiaries from major exchanges to date: Exchange Futures products Shanghai Futures Exchange Copper, aluminum, zinc, alumina, aluminum alloy Dalian Commodity Exchange Coking coal, coke, iron ore Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange Thermal coal, ferrosilicon, manganese-silicon Guangzhou Futures Exchange Industrial silicon, lithium carbonate Shanghai International Energy Exchange Bonded copper Focus on AI-driven innovative technological advancements to intelligently usher in a new era for the TIC industry The Group is accelerating its integration into the wave of intelligent development, leveraging Al to drive technological innovation and upgrades, and leading industry advancement. The Group has taken the lead in deploying A I application technologies across its business lines, including coal, commodity services, integrated refining and chemicals, new energy, and environmental sectors. It has introduced automated spectral analysis pre-processing systems and Al-powered visual inspection devices, significantly improving automation rates in key processes and data verification efficiency. With the support of its partners, the Group has established the "Smart Testing Laboratory 3.0" and developed a blockchain-based platform for certifying testing data. Through the in-house smart test system, customers can track testing progress in real time and independently authorize report circulation, greatly enhancing service response speed. By leveraging technological innovations such as Al applications to optimize and upgrade service capabilities, the Group continuously strengthens its ability to serve top-tier clients, enhances customer loyalty and market competitiveness, and solidifies its leading position in the industry. The Group plans to complete the global deployment of its Al system by 2025, while achieving continuous breakthroughs in areas such as establishing a cross-border AI inspection mutual recognition system, developing an Al-powered carbon emission accounting module, and creating a quality prediction model for bulk energy commodities. In the medium to long term, the Group will bolster its support for R&D innovation, continuously driving the deep integration of technologies like Al, digital twins, and blockchain into testing technologies, equipment, and laboratory management. This will facilitate the development of AI-powered unmanned testing and laboratory platforms, ultimately establishing a new paradigm of "Al-driven, human-machine collaboration" in testing and inspection. The climate change business continued to forge ahead actively, supporting the green and low-carbon transition of the energy industry chain As one of the leading carbon asset traders in the Beijing carbon market, the Group significantly expanded its carbon asset trading volume in collaboration with clients this year, enabling more customers to meet their annual compliance obligations cost-effectively. The Group also strengthened its global operational capabilities, securing several overseas carbon asset projects during the Year to support the industry and clients in achieving sustainable lowcarbon transitions. With the progressive rollout and clarification of new global carbon market regulations, the market is poised for substantial growth. The Group is well-positioned to seize these opportunities, leveraging its internal experts, recognized a s specialists in emerging global carbon market mechanisms, and its strong brand credibility and influence among clients and governments. Mr Li Xiangli, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of China Leon Inspection Holding Limited stated that: " This year, we published a Letter to Shareholders in our 2024 annual results for the first time. We fully recognized that the Group's steady growth relies on the unwavering support of all shareholders. Through this letter, we hope to express our sincere gratitude to all investors who have steadfastly stood by the company. Guided by the core principle of long-term sustainable development, the Company remains committed to safeguarding shareholders' interests, sharing the benefits of its economic achievements, and creating long-term value for all stakeholders. Additionally, the rapid advancement of Artificial intelligence (Al) technology is reshaping the global economic landscape in the medium to long term. In 2025, the Group designates AI as key application of the new technologies, firmly seizing the opportunities presented by the AI industry's growth. The Group is fully embracing the AI era by cultivating AI capabilities, integrating AI resources, and continuously advancing AI progress through rapid iteration, ongoing improvement, and relentless innovation. Leveraging AI and robotics, the Group is accelerating technological innovation and upgrades, accelerating AI empowerment in business scenarios and establishing a blueprint for corporate development. The Group strives to achieve industry innovation, scale new heights, and deliver sustained, high-quality returns to shareholders." -END- About China Leon Inspection Holding Limited China Leon Inspection Holding Limited (stock code: 1586. HK) was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange in 2016. The Company is China's first international leading inspection and testing company listed in Hong Kong, focusing on integrated solutions for climate change and green and low-carbon sustainable development. The Company provides global industry leaders with a wide range of one-stop services in testing, and inspection, as well as technical and consulting services around the clock, focusing on four key areas, namely commodity services, clean energy, environmental protection and climate change, empowering global industry leaders to achieve ecofriendly and low-carbon transformation. The Company continues to strengthen its global network layout, expanding its presence from major trading ports and hub cities in the Asia Pacific region to emerging markets in South America and Africa serves, and comprises 78 branches and professional laboratories globally. ESG-oriented development is a key priority for the Company's "3+X" development strategy. Through the three main implementation dimensions of (1) ESG-Friendly+; (2) ESG+; and (3)ESG+-Focused , we have achieved our ESG development strategies, fulfilled our corporate social responsibility, and contributed to the green and low-carbon transition of the industry. 01/04/2025 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 Concrete in Life Photo of the Year from Venice Beach wins $10,000 top prize 20,000+ entries from all around the world from professionals and smartphone amateurs Concrete is the world's most used substance after water A stunning image of a skateboarder at Venice Beach, California, USA has been named Concrete in Life Photo of the Year 2024/25. It was selected from more than 20,000 entries to the annual global competition, run by the GCCA, which highlights the beauty and essential role that concrete plays around the world. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331880604/en/ OVERALL WINNER Venice Beach Skating by Henrik Hagerup Venice Beach, Los Angeles, USA The image, which wins a top prize of $10,000 (ten thousand US dollars) was taken by Henrik Hagerup, at Venice Beach Skate Park, Los Angeles, USA. The park's concrete bowls were inspired by LA's abandoned swimming pool skating scene of the 1970's.Henrik's photo was announced as this year's winner along with 4 category winners and a people's vote champion. Thomas Guillot, GCCA Chief Executive who helped to judge this year's competition said: "The stunning images highlight concrete's positive impact on our lives right across the planet. Whether it's the vital infrastructure such a bridges, railways and roads that we travel along or the homes, offices and schools we inhabit, concrete is a truly versatile material. Our competition gives anyone with a smartphone as well as professional photographers, the chance to show just how essential concrete is to our lives, as well as how beautiful it can be." Henrik Hagerup, whose overall winning photo captured a sublime moment at Venice Beach, USA said: "My image is a tribute to the way concrete, when embraced by creativity and passion, fosters connection, dreams, and boundless potential not just in skate parks, but in communities across the world. It's a great honour to win the Concrete in Life 2024/25 competition." Entries were submitted from every continent and included images of skyscrapers and the modern urban world, as well as key infrastructure such as transport networks, including railways, bridges and roads, and other important structures such as sea defences and dams. The photos also show more intimate human interactions in villages and playgrounds, as well as exquisitely designed architecture and much more. Diane Hoskins, Global Co-Chair of Gensler, one the world's leading design and architecture companies, and competition judge said, "These winning images highlight the importance of concrete in the breadth of our lives and they reinforce the importance of decarbonising concrete. Great design of our buildings and infrastructure is enabled by the important properties of concrete." As well as the overall winner, four other category winners were also announced, each receiving a prize of $2,500 USD. Anvar Sadath TA was named category winner in the Urban Concrete category, for his photo called 'Urban Flow' set in Dubai, UAE, which includes the iconic Burj Khalifa. A photo of a Washington, D.C. subway station by Wentao Guo called 'Structure as Aesthetics' won the Concrete Infrastructure category. Wellington Kuswanto won the Concrete in Daily Life category for his picture of Bedok Jetty, Singapore. The Beauty and Design category was won by Artemio Layno for their photo 'Broken Building' set in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The People's Vote prize, chosen by the public with a $5,000 USD prize, was won by Mohamed Rafi for his picture 'Fluttering Through Life' set in Pondicherry, India. Chris George, Content Director at Digital Camera World, who also judged this year's competition said "Concrete is all around us and has a beauty that might not always be obvious to some people. The Concrete in Life global photography competition continues to prove it is possible to take stunning shots of architecture and the manmade environment that show off the beauty of this universal building material." All the winners and shortlisted pictures as well as an online version of the gallery can be viewed at https://gccassociation.org/concreteinlife2425/ Notes to editors: Winning images can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZZqviAV_vSTcv_YF1hYyAnWO3IACuOSj?usp=drive_link The full shortlist is available to download on our website: https://gccassociation.org/concreteinlife2425/ You can view our winners video here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MZm7snv0bBMMUX_JHLRAJEgBRSwfPSwT?usp=drive_link Additional quotes from winners: Henrik Hagerup, Overall winner Venice Beach Skating, said: "I am truly honoured, overjoyed, and deeply humbled that you have chosen my image to represent GCCA as the Overall Winner of the Concrete in Life 2024/25 Competition. I captured my picture at Venice Beach in Los Angeles, a vibrant destination where people from all over the world come to enjoy the sun, the ocean and not least, the iconic skate park, this vibrant space is a magnet for creativity, where something exciting is always unfolding. When in L.A. I often spend hours here, camera in hand, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to emerge. My image is a tribute to the way concrete, when embraced by creativity and passion, fosters connection, dreams, and boundless potential not just in skate parks, but in communities across the world." Anvar Sadath TA, Urban Concrete category winner Urban Flow set in Dubai, said: "I am honoured to be the winner of the Concrete in Life 2024/25 competition in the Urban Concrete category! My winning photograph captures the dynamic relationship between concrete structures and the vibrant cityscape, reflecting how concrete shapes our urban experiences. Wellington Kuswanto Concrete in Daily Life category winner Bedok Jetty in Singapore, said: "I'm truly thrilled that the judges selected my photo as the winner in the daily life category. Bedok Jetty holds a special place for me, as I cycle and hang out there every weekend. It inspired me to submit the image of this particular place for the competition, as it showcases a public space made of concrete structure that is actively used by many people engaging in various activities as part of their daily lives" Wentao Guo winner of Concrete Infrastructure category Structure as Aesthetics set in Washington, D.C. USA said: "I took this photo at one of the Washington, D.C. subway stations designed by Harry Weese. I was captivated by the moment when the transience of transportation runs into the permanence of concrete. I am very honored to be a winner of the Concrete in Life 24/25 competition, having a valuable opportunity to reveal the essence of concrete in our built environment through my lens." Artemio Layno, Concrete Beauty and Design category winner Broken Building set in Amsterdam, Netherlands said:"I am really happy and grateful that my photo is chosen to be a winner of the Concrete in Life 24/25 competition. I took the photo in Amsterdam, Netherlands and I was amazed how creative and modern the design of the building is, it looks like it was cut-out and separated in the middle of the main structure, the design is created by a large number of terraces. Concrete is not just used as a necessity in creating structures, but it can also be used to showcase artistic works that are amazingly beautiful." Mohamed Rafi, Peoples Vote winner Fluttering Through Life set in Pondicherry, India, said: "I am truly honoured to win the People's Vote Category of the Concrete in Life 2024/25 competition. This photograph, taken in Pondicherry India, captures an everyday moment transformed by art: an elderly woman walking past a mural, unknowingly aligning with its butterfly wings painted in a wall. To me, it symbolizes resilience, unseen beauty, and how our surroundings shape us in ways we don't always realise. Street photography is about finding meaning in fleeting moments, and I'm thrilled that this image resonated with so many people." Judges Diane Hoskins, Global Co-Chair of Gensler Chris George, Content Director at Digital Camera World Thomas Guillot, CEO of the GCCA View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331880604/en/ Contacts: Paul Adeleke Paul.Adeleke@gccassocation.org EQS Post-admission Duties announcement: Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd. / Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd.: Announcement on the Shareholdings of the Top Ten Shareholders and the Top Ten Shareholders without Selling Restrictions in the Share Repurchase 01.04.2025 / 12:54 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Announcement on the Shareholdings of the Top Ten Shareholders and the Top Ten Shareholders without Selling Restrictions in the Share Repurchase Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt / Hongkong, 1 April 2025 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Haier Smart Home", D-share 690D.DE, A-share 600690.SH, H-share 06690.HK) today published an announcement in accordance with applicable trading rules of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and applicable PRC laws in relation to the Shareholdings of the Top Ten Shareholders and the Top Ten Shareholders without Selling Restrictions in the Share Repurchase. The full announcement is available at: https://smart-home.haier.com/en/dggg/P020250401638818256013.pdf?appdesc=Announcement%20on%20the%20Shareholdings%20of%20the%20Top%20Ten%20Shareholders%20and%20the%20Top%20Ten%20Shareholders%20without%20Selling%20Restrictions%20in%20the%20Share%20Repurchase IR Contact: Haier Smart Home Hong Kong T: +852 2169 0000 Email: ir@haier.hk Press Contact: CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH Sara Pinto pi@crossalliance.de T: +49 89 1250903 35 About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.: Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as small household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud in the Chinese market, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience. 01.04.2025 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com Healthcare pioneer Laura Shawver, Ph.D. appointed Chair of the Board and industry veteran Roy Baynes M.D., Ph.D. appointed as independent, non-executive Director Fang Z. Ni, Pharm.D. named Chief Financial Officer Company expands global footprint by establishing U.S. operation COPENHAGEN, Denmark, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Adcendo, a biotech company pioneering the development of first- and potential best-in-class antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancers with a high unmet medical need, today announced two important Board changes and a key addition to the executive leadership team. Laura Shawver, Ph.D. will join as Chair of the Board of Directors, Roy Baynes, M.D., Ph.D. was appointed as an independent, non-executive director and Fang Z. Ni, Pharm.D. was named Chief Financial Officer. Dr. Shawver will replace John Haurum, M.D., D.Phil., who is stepping down from the Board. "We are very grateful to John for his leadership and dedication in building Adcendo as a leading ADC company. Following the successful completion of our recent Series B financing, we continue to build a world-class team to turbocharge our operations and accelerate the advancement of our first-in-class ADC pipeline," said Michael Pehl, Chief Executive Officer of Adcendo. "Laura's visionary outlook and strategic acumen, combined with Roy's wealth of clinical development experience and strong track record, and Fang's financial and operations expertise, will be invaluable as we execute on all our corporate and clinical objectives. On behalf of the entire management team, it is a great privilege to work alongside all these high caliber individuals as we pursue our mission to transform the lives of patients with high unmet need cancers." As part of its global expansion strategy, Adcendo has established Adcendo U.S. Inc., and plans to open a Boston, MA office, reinforcing the company's commitment to becoming a leading international ADC company and advancing clinical trials globally. More About Dr. Laura Shawver Laura is a pioneer in healthcare who brings over two decades of leadership experience in biotechnology and patient advocacy, creating new paradigms in research and treatment for cancer and other serious diseases. As a scientist, she conducted research in the field of oncogenes, growth factors and signal transduction pathways that paved the way for her early drug development career focused on angiogenesis inhibitors and precision medicine, alongside a passion for providing cancer patients with treatments that were based on their tumor alterations. Following her own diagnosis and treatment for ovarian cancer in 2006, she founded the non-profit organization The Clearity Foundation (merged with OCRA in 2025), to help revolutionize ovarian cancer treatment and create a community of support for women living with the disease. Laura currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Capstan Therapeutics, a company developing in vivo mRNA medicines using targeted lipid nanoparticles, and her prior leadership roles include positions at Silverback Therapeutics (acquired by ARS Pharmaceuticals), Synthorx (acquired by Sanofi), Cleave Biosciences, Phenomix Corporation and SUGEN, Inc. Laura holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Iowa. Dr. Shawver commented: "As someone who has gone through traditional chemotherapy, I know we need to do better for patients. Adcendo is an ambitious and innovative company bringing new ADC medicines forward which have the potential to change the treatment paradigm and outcomes for people living with cancer. They have a talented and dedicated leadership team, and I am honored to serve as the Chair of the Board." More About Dr. Roy Baynes Roy is Chief Medical Officer at Eikon Therapeutics, and was previously Chief Medical Officer and head of clinical development at Merck (known as Merck Sharp & Dohme outside of the United States), where he supervised the entire clinical portfolio in Merck Research Laboratories and was the architect of the development strategy for dozens of important new medicines including Keytruda, a drug that has revolutionized cancer treatment globally. Prior to Merck, Roy held clinical development leadership positions for oncology, respiratory and inflammation at Gilead Sciences and hematology/oncology at Amgen. Prior to industry, Roy held academic positions at South African and American Universities in hematology and oncology, in addition to leading the bone marrow transplantation service at the Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University in Detroit, where he was Professor of Medicine and Oncology, and the Charles Martin Professor of Cancer Research. Roy received his degree in medicine and surgery (MB, BCh) from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he also received an MMed (specialist registration) and completed a Ph.D. exploring human iron metabolism. Roy is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the College of Physicians of South Africa. Dr. Baynes stated: "ADCs have already become standard of care in many cancer types and bear the potential to replace chemotherapy as therapeutic backbone during the coming years. I am looking forward to collaborating with the Adcendo team to develop tailored strategies for their unique first-in-class ADC pipeline assets." More About Fang Ni Fang brings nearly 20 years of experience and a proven track record in finance, business development and corporate strategy to Adcendo. He joins Adcendo from Black Diamond Therapeutics where he served as Chief Business and Financial Officer. Prior to Black Diamond, Fang served as a Principal at Versant Ventures, where he also served as Interim Chief Business Officer for several new ventures, including Monte Rosa Therapeutics and Bright Peak Therapeutics. Prior to Versant, Fang served as Global Business Development & Licensing director within Roche's Partnering organization, where he was responsible for leading transactions across oncology, immunology, and infectious and rare diseases. Fang earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Purdue University and then completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Rutgers University. Dr. Ni said: "I am delighted to join Adcendo's leadership team at this pivotal stage of the company's growth. As the company's first U.S. based executive, I look forward to helping build our global presence and contributing to Adcendo's mission. I'm excited to support the company's strategic and financial initiatives as we advance through key milestones in the years ahead." About Adcendo ApS: Adcendo ApS is a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with operations in Boston, Massachusetts. The company is developing a pipeline of first- and potential best-in-class antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting cancers with high unmet medical needs. Led by a team of industry veterans with a track record of advancing multiple ADCs to approval, Adcendo integrates novel targets, optimized linker-payload combinations, and a rationally designed development strategy to drive next-generation cancer therapies. For further information, please visit www.adcendo.com or follow us on LinkedIn. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2565778/Adcendo_Logo_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/adcendo-aps-announces-changes-in-board-of-directors-and-strengthens-executive-leadership-team-302416200.html Black Iron Inc. ("Black Iron" or the "Company") (TSX:BKI) is please to announce the appointment of Stephen Woodhead as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective immediately. Mr. Woodhead is a graduate of the University of Cape Town and a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. Mr. Woodhead has over 30 years of experience in the resource sector, having worked for Trans Hex Group, a South African diamond producer, before relocating to Canada in 1997 as Chief Financial Officer of Trans Hex International. Mr. Woodhead is a director of Lipari Mining, and has worked as Chief Financial Officer / VP Finance with various public companies, including Desert Sun Mining, from 2003 until it was acquired by Yamana Gold in 2006, developer and operator of the Jacobina gold mine in Brazil, Homeland Energy (developer of a coal mine in South Africa), Crocodile Gold (developer, operator and acquiror of gold mines in Australia), Trigon Metals (developer of a copper mine in Namibia), and Gratomic (focused on graphite exploration and development in Namibia and Brazil). Mr. Woodhead also served as a director of Apogee Minerals (silver) and Vaaldiam Mining (diamonds). Mr. Woodhead's appointment follows the resignation of Paul Bozoki as the former Chief Financial Officer of the Company. The Company's management and board of directors thank Paul for his years of dedication to the Company, and wishes him the best in his future endeavours. Matt Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, "it has been a real pleasure working with Paul, as in addition to being a highly competent CFO, he took on a number of important tasks outside of his core role with strong leadership and follow-through, plus shared extensive experience in land-transfer related matters. On behalf of the Board and myself, we welcome Stephen Woodhead to our team and look forward to leveraging his international experience." About Black Iron Black Iron is an iron ore exploration and development company, advancing its 100% owned Shymanivske Iron Ore Project located in Kryviy Rih, Ukraine. Full mineral resource details and projected project economics can be found in the NI 43-101 technical report entitled "(Amended) Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Re-scoped Shymanivske Iron Ore Deposit" published in March 2020 with an effective date of November 21, 2017 under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Project is surrounded by five other operating mines, including Metinvest's YuGOK and ArcelorMittal's iron ore complex. Please visit the Company's website at www.blackiron.com for more information For more information, please contact: Matt Simpson Chief Executive Officer Black Iron Inc. info@blackiron.com Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, opinions and estimates of the date such statements are made based on information available to them at that time. Forward-looking information may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the appointment of officers. Generally, forward looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or 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". Forward-looking information is 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 information, including but not limited to: the war in Ukraine; general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; other risks of the mining industry and the risks described in the annual information form of the Company. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in 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 information 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 information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Company notes that mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. SOURCE: Black Iron 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! Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Tenet Fintech Group Inc. (CSE: PKK) (OTCQB: PKKFF) ("Tenet" or the "Company"), an innovative analytics service provider, owner and operator of the Cubeler Business Hub, today announced that it has incorporated a new wholly-owned subsidiary to conduct business in the U.S. ahead of the Company's planned expansion of the Business Hub to that market in the second quarter of 2025. The new entity, incorporated in the state of Delaware, will be conducting business under the name Cubeler Inc. (U.S.) and will have legal and operational rights related to the Business Hub in the United States. The creation of Cubeler U.S. is part of Tenet's ongoing preparation of the Hub's expansion, which includes recruiting U.S. based bookkeeping and accounting service partners, U.S. financial institutions and commercial credit partners, and adapting the platform to begin welcoming and servicing U.S. based SMEs as quickly as possible. The Company has made a concerted effort to accelerate its entry into the U.S. market given the prevailing North American economic climate, which Tenet believes could help fuel demand for its product offering. "There's a great deal of anxiety among small and medium-sized business owners on both sides of the border these days," commented Tenet CEO Johnson Joseph. "It's never been more important for SMEs to have access to the services that the Business Hub offers them, including the ability to potentially find new clients and explore new business opportunities, whether domestically or abroad. That's why we believe that with the right messaging, the timing could be right for the Hub to have a successful launch in the U.S. market. On the other side of our product offering equation, we believe that having the ability to gauge what impact the current economic uncertainty is having on SMEs on a daily basis, particularly on U.S. SMEs, could drive demand for our ie-Pulse macroeconomic data indexes once we begin providing insights into the U.S. economy," concluded Mr. Joseph. About Tenet Fintech Group Inc.: Tenet Fintech Group Inc. is the parent company of a group of innovative financial technology (Fintech) and artificial intelligence (AI) companies. All references to Tenet in this news release, unless explicitly specified, include Tenet and all its subsidiaries. Tenet's subsidiaries offer various analytics and AI-based products and services to businesses, capital markets professionals, government agencies and financial institutions either through or leveraging data gathered by the Cubeler Business Hub, a global ecosystem where analytics and AI are used to create opportunities and facilitate B2B transactions among its members. Please visit our website at: https://www.tenetfintech.com/. Follow Tenet Fintech Group Inc. on social media: X: @Tenet_Fintech Facebook: @Tenet LinkedIn: Tenet YouTube: Tenet Fintech Forward-Looking information Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-Looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-Looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tenet to be materially different from the outlook or any future results, performance or achievements implied by such statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, holding company with significant operations in China; general economic and business conditions, including factors impacting the Company's business in China such as pandemics and COVID-19; legislative and/or regulatory developments; Global Financial conditions, repatriation of profits or transfer of funds from China to Canada, operations in foreign jurisdictions and possible exposure to corruption, bribery or civil unrest; actions by regulators; uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types of claims and litigation; timing and completion of capital programs; liquidity and capital resources, negative operating cash flow and additional funding, dilution from further financing; financial performance and timing of capital; and other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed by Tenet with securities regulators in Canada. Reference should also be made to Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) in Tenet's annual and interim reports, Annual Information Form, filed with Canadian securities regulators and available via the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) under Tenet's profile at www.sedarplus.ca, for a description of major risk factors relating to Tenet. Although Tenet has attempted to identify certain factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-Looking statements reflect information as of the date on which they are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable securities laws. In the event the Company does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that the Company will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statement. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of the Canadian Securities 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/246887 SOURCE: Tenet Fintech Group Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Scottie Resources Corp. (TSXV: SCOT) (OTCQB: SCTSF) (FSE: SR8) ("Scottie" or the "Company") is pleased to announce positive results from ABH Engineering Inc.'s Phase I ore sorting study conducted on sample material extracted from the Company's Scottie Gold Mine Project. The results support the establishment of a high-margin direct ship ore ("DSO") operation to deliver a gold concentrate to Asian copper/precious metals smelters. DSO Operation Attributes: Using XRF ore sorting technology, the operation will eliminate the need for a gold processing plant and tailings facility, thereby significantly reducing the capital required and resulting in a minimal environmental footprint The operation will be the one of the world's closest gold projects to a deep-sea shipping terminal, and positioned in one of North America's cheapest commercial shipping lanes to Asia The mine operation is planned to commence initially with an open pit that will reduce startup and operational risk and further reducing capital costs All critical external infrastructure such as power lines and hauling roads exist right to site The Asian copper smelter market is in a structural supply deficit allowing mines such as Scottie Resources to benefit from extremely low treatment charges for the foreseeable future Existing mine permit provides pathway to near term production Dr. Thomas Mumford, VP Exploration commented: "The unique characteristics of Scottie Gold Mine Project make it ideally positioned to take advantage of the advancements in ore sorting. This study confirms that the mineralogy of our deposits makes them excellent candidates for ore sorting with both XRF and XRT. The ability to substantially increase grade while reducing the volume of material to be shipped has significant positive economic implications for Scottie as we continue to explore low-risk, low-capital pathways to production, namely direct-shipping ore and toll milling." Brent Hilcher, VP of Mineral Processing at ABH Engineering, stated, "The Scottie Gold Mine Project results are extremely promising. Both XRF and XRT have been shown to be able to very effectively sort high-grade gold-bearing rocks from waste rocks." The DSO project envisions initially mining the Blueberry open pit and the concurrent ramp-up of the Scottie Mine underground to an annual site production of 80,000 to 100,000 ounces of gold. This operation would be a low-capital, high-margin project with low operating costs, due to the variable cost nature (mine contracting, hauling, shipping, and third-party processing charges). Adding gold ounces through continued exploration success on the project would further enhance the economics, as the project is intrinsically scalable to meet higher production levels due to its simplicity of processing infrastructure at site. Ore Sorting Objective and Methodology The objective of the Phase I ore sorting study was to determine whether the mineralized material could be pre-concentrated into commercially attractive products (Table 1) for shipping to copper/precious metals smelters. Sets of representative samples were collected from three different zones in the deposit to evaluate the potential effectiveness of XRF (X-ray fluorescence) and XRT (X-ray transmission) sensor-based sorting. Highlights: Mineralogical work indicates strong associations between gold zones and sulphide minerals pyrrhotite and pyrite, making the deposits amenable to multiple types of sensors Phase I demonstrates that XRF and XRT are both highly effective technologies for discriminating between ore and waste on the Scottie Gold Mine Project, with a slight advantage to XRF The XRF sorting technology of the Scottie samples produced a significant increase from the conceptual* mine grade to produce three commercially viable products attracting a range of payable terms. Results from the XRF and other samples produced comparable results (Figure 1) Further improvements will be investigated in Phase II such as three-way sorting, blending of DSO products, and dense media separation treatment of the fines material Table 1: Selected Recovery-Mass Pull XRT results for the three modelled deposit zones. Recoveries factor in 25% fines from crushing, where the grade of the fines is assumed to be equal to the pre-sort feed grade. Test Parameters Blueberry Open Pit Blueberry Underground Scottie Gold Mine Underground Pre-sort Conceptual* Feed Grade (g/t gold) 3.5 6.5 10 Mass Pull 44% 62% 48% Recoveries 90% 98% 93% Post-Sort Feed Grade (g/t gold) 7.2 10.4 19.7 Upgrade Ratio 2.1 1.6 2.0 Phase I Ore Sorting Study The study consisted of a total of 210 individual rock samples, 70 from each of the following zones: Blueberry Open Pit (BBOP), Blueberry Underground (BBUG), and Scottie Gold Mine Underground (SGMUG). Individual samples were composed of diamond sawn quarter core pieces, 5-8 cm in length. The test program consisted of an XRF scan and an XRT scan followed by assays of the individual rock samples. Scans for XRF were performed in-house by ABH Engineering, and scans for XRT were performed using TOMRA's XRT Tertiary sorter by Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC). Figure 1: Comparison charts and associated tables for the mass pull and recoveries of XRF results from BBOP, BBUG, and SMUG. Fines generated from crushing are not considered in these mass pull - recovery curves or adjacent accompanying tables. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11118/246803_a74189a5f4831b80_004full.jpg The average grades from the BBUG (7.6 g/t Au) and SGMUG (6.9 g/t Au) zones were close enough to the conceptual grades* considered for those zones of 6.5 g/t Au and 10 g/t Au respectively, so no grade correction to compensate for the difference was applied. The average grade of the samples from the BBOP zone that were sent for testing was 8.9 g/t Au, which is higher than the conceptual average grade of the deposit of 3.5 g/t Au. Grade correction was applied to the samples to estimate sorter performance on similar-grade material that would be mined. *The conceptual grades used for the deposits do not comply with CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves as required by NI43-101 and have no comparable classification. The company is not treating these as actual grades for the deposits and is only using them to illustrate the potential viability and magnitude of the impact of ore sorting on the gold-bearing rocks in the Scottie Gold Mine Project. Results show that both XRF and XRT technologies would be applicable to the deposit, with XRF showing an edge over XRT for all tested zones in terms of mass pull - to - recovery ratio (Figure 1), with the added benefit of being able to conduct a three-way sort and create a low-grade stockpile utilizing a single system. The recovery curves from all three zones show significant metal recovery over the first 25-50% of mass pull. Scottie considers these results to be particularly advantageous when considering production models where the metal recovery process occurs offsite, i.e. toll milling, direct-shipping ore to smelters. In these models, shipping and treatment charges are done on a per ton basis, thus greatly favouring low-volume, higher-grade DSO products. In addition, higher-grade products also command higher percentage payable terms. With the recovery curves as steep as they, ore sorting offers a measure of control over the final grade of the DSO product that can be tuned to maximize the economic potential of the project. These ore sorting results are planned to be part of an upcoming PEA following the release of Scottie's maiden mineral resource estimate. Planned - Phase II Ore Sorting Study The proposed Phase II ore sorting test will use the preliminary results from the Phase I study to select the sorting parameters for a large three-stage cascade ore sorting test. This creates multiple products and algorithms to determine the optimal sorting conditions suitable for production and achieving the highest increase to the economic value of the project with a better representativity of the sample than the Phase I study. This next testing stage will utilize full-scale equipment allowing direct comparison to full scale production projections, evaluate various available ore sorting technologies, evaluate performance under economic conditions, and include capital and operating expenditure estimates. The company is preparing to proceed with a Phase II ore sorting study but is awaiting its initial mineral resource estimate for the Scottie Gold Mine Project in order to confirm representative grades for the study. Scottie plans to initiate Phase II prior to the commencement of drilling in 2025 and release the results before year end. About the Scottie Gold Mine Project Mineralization on the project consists of east-west to northwest trending, steeply dipping, shear veins, that are comprised of pyrrhotite > pyrite quartz calcite. The veins are primarily hosted in a package of andesitic volcanic rocks from the Hazelton Unuk River Formation that are situated adjacent to the contact with the Summit Lake stock, part of the Texas Creek Plutonic Suite. While 13+ distinct gold-bearing vein zones have been identified on the Scottie Gold Mine Project, mine production was primarily from one vein (the M-zone). Exploration of the Scottie Gold Mine Project over the past 6 years has produced exceptional drill results through the discovery of high-grade gold in five new zones (Blueberry Contact Zone, Domino, D-Zone, P-Zone, Wolf) and the expansion of previously drill confirmed targets (Scottie Gold Mine, C-Zone, Bend Vein, Stockwork). There is a clear spatial relation between the outcropping and drill-confirmed high-grade gold targets and the contact with the Jurassic aged, Texas Creek Plutonic suite intrusion. Geological work in the area has established strong connections between the various deposits. The chemical, mineralogical, structural, and age relationships of the deposits and host rocks support a genetic model whereby all deposits are linked to the same mineralizing event. Quality Assurance and Control Results from assayed samples taken during the 2025 Phase I ore sorting study were analyzed at SGS Minerals in Burnaby, BC. The sampling program was undertaken under the direction of Dr. Thomas Mumford. A secure chain of custody is maintained in transporting and storing of all samples. Gold was assayed using a fire assay with atomic absorption spectrometry and gravimetric finish when required (+9 g/t gold). Analysis by four acid digestion with multi-element ICP-AES analysis was conducted on all samples with silver over-limits being re-analyzed by emission spectrometry. Dr. Thomas Mumford, P.Geo., a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the technical information contained in this news release on behalf of the Company. ABOUT SCOTTIE RESOURCES CORP. Scottie owns a 100% interest in the Scottie Gold Mine Property which includes the Blueberry Contact Zone and the high-grade, past-producing Scottie Gold Mine. Scottie also owns 100% interest in the Georgia Project which contains the high-grade past-producing Georgia River Mine, as well as the Cambria Project properties and the Sulu and Tide North properties. Altogether Scottie Resources holds approximately 58,500 hectares of mineral claims in the Stewart Mining Camp in the Golden Triangle. The Company's focus is on expanding the known mineralization around the past-producing mines while advancing near mine high-grade gold targets, with the purpose of delivering a potential resource. All of the Company's properties are located in the area known as the Golden Triangle of British Columbia which is among the world's most prolific mineralized districts. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain 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 forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date such statements were made. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246803 SOURCE: Scottie Resources Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Gold Hunter Resources Inc. (CSE: HUNT) (OTCQB: HNTRF) (FSE: 6RH) ("Gold Hunter" or the "Company" or "HUNT 2.0") is pleased to provide an update on its Great Northern Project in Newfoundland, where historic mining, near-surface mineralization, and both current and historic resources converge to create an exciting, high-grade exploration story in one of Canada's most dynamic mining districts. Alongside this, the Company is expanding its marketing and investor relations initiatives to share this compelling opportunity with a global audience, positioning Gold Hunter for accelerated growth in 2025. Key Highlights +40% Oversubscribed Financing (March 11th, 2025), reflecting strong investor confidence and enabling the Company to ramp up both exploration and marketing efforts. Advancement of the Great Northern Project in Newfoundland, now covering an impressive 40-kilometre strike length - comparable to the scale of the Valentine deposit district. Uplisting to the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States, boosting visibility and accessibility for U.S. investors. Securing DTC Eligibility, simplifying share clearing and settlement for U.S. shareholders. Enhanced Global Marketing and Investor Relations Initiatives, designed to communicate the Company's near-term growth potential, aggressive 2025 exploration plans, and overall vision to a broader audience. "The Great Northern Project is focused on a distinct orogenic gold system with multiple known resource areas, up to 18 gold mineralized trends, and along a +40 km fault structure. We are excited that our project comprises both current and historic resources, as well as a past-producing mine in conjunction with surface anomalies that have yet to be drilled. All of which point to a larger, more continuous mineralized system akin to the Valentine Lake Gold Deposit. Historically, exploration at Great Northern was limited in scope and centred near existing roads and power infrastructure, yet these smaller-scale programs still yielded encouraging results. Now, with a more aggressive 2025 plan, we intend to systematically expand beyond those initial targets and unlock the full potential of this extensive structural corridor. The Great Northern is poised for meaningful discovery, which may yield resource growth as we proceed with our next phases of drilling and data-driven exploration." - Sean A. Kingsley, President & CEO Oversubscribed Financing Demonstrates Strong Market Support Gold Hunter recently closed a financing round that was +40% oversubscribed, reflecting the market's enthusiasm for the Company's exploration strategy and near-term potential at its Great Northern Gold Project. Proceeds will help drive an aggressive 2025 exploration campaign and expanded marketing to increase global visibility. Amendment to Private Placement The Company wishes to amend the previously announced private placement. The Company originally reported paying a finder's fee of $25,695 and issued 428,250 non-transferable finder's warrants. In fact, the Company paid a finder's fee of $35,695 and issued 594,917 non-transferable finder's warrants. Great Northern Project: Preparing for 2025 Exploration Success Gold Hunter's Great Northern Project spans 40 kilometres of strike length, achieved through a first-time consolidation of several fragmented projects and a 64% expansion of the core landholding in 2024. Newfoundland's thriving gold landscape-supported by active mining communities and recent high-profile discoveries-provides an ideal setting for Gold Hunter's data-driven exploration approach. The Company plans an up-to 20,000-metre drilling campaign focusing on expanding known mineralized areas, leveraging historical data from a past-producing mine, current and historic resources, and surface showings that remain underexplored. An expedited VTEM airborne survey by Geotech will refine additional high-priority targets, guiding the Company's drilling strategy and unlocking further value. Gold Hunter's track record includes the successful divestiture of a consolidated district to FireFly Metals Ltd. (ASX: FFM) (TSX: FFM). As part of this transaction, 25 million FireFly Metals shares were issued as a dividend to Gold Hunter's shareholders, while an additional 5 million shares were retained by the Company and later sold to FireFly's institutional shareholders for $3.7 million in non-dilutive capital. Gold Hunter now sets its sights on near-term exploration catalysts at Great Northern, aiming to capture the momentum in Newfoundland's gold sector. Strengthening Market Awareness: Comprehensive Investor Relations & Marketing Efforts To better position the Company, its asset, and its aggressive exploration plans, Gold Hunter has launched multiple strategic marketing and investor relations initiatives designed to: Highlight the Company's exploration roadmap and near-term catalysts to a global audience seeking compelling gold exploration stories. Expand retail and institutional investor engagement through targeted campaigns across digital, print, and traditional media. Amplify awareness of Gold Hunter's long-term vision, underscoring how near-surface high-grade mineralization and a proven team set the stage for significant discovery potential. Appoints Investor Relations Manager The Company is pleased to announce it has entered into an investor relations consulting agreement with 1526184 B.C. Ltd., a company controlled by Mr. Colton Welgan. Mr. Welgan will collaborate with management to amplify corporate communications and shareholder engagement. He will be paid a monthly fee of $4,000 plus GST and will be eligible to receive stock options. The agreement may be terminated at any time by either party by providing 30 days' written notice, after an initial six-month period. Marketing & Promotional Activity Disclosure 865381 B.C. Ltd. DBA Volume Hunters ("Volume") Volume is an arm's-length service provider engaged to provide digital marketing and investor engagement services. Located at 300-1055 West Hastings St., Vancouver, BC, Canada, Volume can be reached at dan@volumehunters.com or 778-233-0293, and will focus on outreach via social media, blogs, newsletters, and a network of over 500,000 double opted-in investors. Volume will be paid a fee of $66,000 in advance for a 12-month term commencing April 1, 2025. Volume owned shares of the Company at the time of engagement. Departures Capital Inc. ("Departures") Departures is an arm's-length service provider engaged by the Company to provide a comprehensive media package, including both long-form and short-form video content (e.g., interviews and TikTok-style posts), distribution on the Departures network, newsletter coverage, and dedicated landing page design. Located at 1500-409 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Departures can be reached at contact@departurescapital.com or 519-590-6985. Departures will be paid $20,000 in advance for a six-month term commencing April 1, 2025. Departures' principal, Mr. Aaron Missere, owned shares of the Company at the time of engagement. Jemini1 Finance Inc. ("Jemini1") Jemini1 is an arm's-length service provider retained to conduct investor relations and shareholder communications. Located at 102-6333 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Jemini1 can be reached at info@jeminicapital.com or 647-725-3888x701, and will focus on both digital and traditional marketing. Jemini1 will be paid $2,500 per month in advance for a four-month term commencing April 1, 2025, will be eligible to receive stock options, and owned shares of the Company at the time of engagement. Simone Capital Corp. ("Simone") Simone is an arm's-length service provider retained for investor relations and shareholder communications. Located at 1179-77 King Street West, Toronto, ON, Canada, Simone can be reached at asimone@simonecapital.ca or 416-881-5154. Simone will focus on email campaigns and other promotional initiatives across digital platforms. Simone will be paid $2,000 per month in advance for a six-month term commencing April 1, 2025, will be eligible to receive stock options, and owned shares of the Company at the time of engagement. Winning Media LLC ("Winning") Winning is an arm's-length service provider retained to conduct omni-channel programmatic advertising, SMS and email marketing, influencer outreach, retargeting, and other multi-platform ad placements. Located at 1415 S Voss Road Suite 110-431, Houston, TX, United States, Winning can be reached at dan@winning.media or 281-804-7972. Winning will be paid USD $100,000 in advance for a three-month term commencing April 1, 2025, allocated primarily to digital advertising, with no stock options granted. Winning owned no shares of the Company at the time of engagement. WTS Capital Corp. ("WTS") WTS is an arm's-length service provider offering media and communications services. Located at 405 Ridge Rd, Ridgeway, ON, Canada, WTS can be reached at josh@walkthestreetcapital.com or 905-321-1470, and will focus on media content strategy, creation, and dissemination through various channels. WTS will be paid $30,000 in advance for a six-month term commencing April 1, 2025, will be eligible to receive stock options, and owned shares of the Company at the time of engagement. "Securing an oversubscribed financing so quickly speaks volumes about our shareholders' confidence in both our team and our Newfoundland project. We see a world-class opportunity in Newfoundland, where proven geology, supportive mining communities, and recent mergers and acquisitions have propelled the province into a hotspot for metals exploration. Our 'HUNT 2.0' vision merges data-driven exploration, strategic partnerships, and an experienced technical team to accelerate our efforts in 2025 and beyond. The recent merger agreement (pending shareholder approval) between Calibre (owner of the Valentine deposit) and Equinox Gold (founded by Ross Beaty) underscores ongoing M&A interest in this prolific province, and we intend to remain at the forefront by methodically advancing Great Northern. Expanding our reach through strategic marketing is also essential for capitalizing on the project's potential. Each of the groups we have engaged has a proven track record, having contributed to successful awareness campaigns for companies such as Calibre Mining Corp. and Goliath Resources Ltd., among others. By leveraging their expertise and targeted strategies, we aim to connect with a wider investor audience, generate additional market awareness, and unlock the full value of our Newfoundland asset." - Sean A. Kingsley, President & CEO About Gold Hunter Resources Inc. Gold Hunter Resources Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on acquiring and advancing high-potential precious and base metal projects. The Company employs data-driven exploration strategies to unlock value in Newfoundland's emerging mining districts. Following the successful divestiture of its first consolidated district to FireFly Metals, Gold Hunter assembled the Great Northern Project, expanding its strike length by 64% to 40 kilometres. Positioned in one of Newfoundland's most prospective gold regions, the Company is committed to responsible exploration and maximizing shareholder value. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, GOLD HUNTER RESOURCES INC. Sean A. Kingsley President, CEO, and Director Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. These statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance and reflect management's current expectations and beliefs based on information currently available. Forward-Looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "intends," "potential," "estimates," "could," "may," and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will," "may," or "could" occur or be achieved. Forward-Looking statements in this release may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's exploration plans at the Great Northern Project, its ability to unlock value through data-driven and systematic exploration, the expansion and advancement of known mineralized zones, the completion and results of the planned VTEM airborne survey, the impact and reach of newly launched marketing and investor relations campaigns, and expectations regarding market awareness, investor engagement, and shareholder value creation. These statements also include any references to comparable projects, peer company activity, and potential strategic transactions in Newfoundland's mining sector. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to significant business, economic, operational, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. They involve known and unknown risks, assumptions, and uncertainties that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, risks related to fluctuations in gold and other commodity prices; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; uncertainties related to interpretation of historical exploration results and resource estimates; operational and technical risks; changes in general economic, financial, market, and political conditions; delays in regulatory approvals and permitting; challenges associated with financing activities; and risks related to the performance of third-party contractors, consultants, and service providers, including those retained for investor relations and marketing initiatives. The Company has engaged multiple third-party marketing and investor relations firms, and while these initiatives are intended to increase awareness and engagement, there can be no assurance they will lead to increased market visibility, trading liquidity, or appreciation in the Company's share price. Additionally, any references to mergers, acquisitions, or corporate activity involving peer companies are based on publicly available information and are not indicative of future outcomes or intentions by Gold Hunter. Forward-Looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, unless required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update them to reflect new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are encouraged to consult the Company's public filings available under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca for further information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246872 SOURCE: Gold Hunter Resources Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Myriad Uranium Corp. (CSE: M) (OTCQB: MYRUF) (FSE: C3Q) ("Myriad" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Eduards Smirnovs has been appointed external Industry Advisor to the Company. Mr. Smirnovs is a highly regarded uranium sector specialist with extensive experience in mine-to-port uranium operations and uranium exploration. He has held senior management positions with leading uranium companies, including Uranium One Inc. and Lotus Resources, where he ultimately served as Chief Executive Officer of both organizations. Mr. Smirnovs' career includes a five-year tenure at Uranium One Inc., a major uranium producer operating six producing mines, three construction-ready projects, and a global exploration portfolio. He also led Lotus Resources, an emerging uranium producer focused on refurbishing and restarting a past-producing mine. Most recently, Mr. Smirnovs has provided advisory services as subject matter specialist to executive teams operating mining, private equity and commodity trading businesses. Myriad CEO Thomas Lamb commented: "We are delighted to welcome Mr. Smirnovs to Myriad as an external Industry Advisor. His deep operational and commercial expertise aligns well with our strategic growth plans and represents a strong endorsement of our Company's potential. This appointment reinforces our commitment to advancing Myriad's U.S. uranium projects in light of the anticipated resurgence in the uranium sector, following President Trump's March 20, 2025, Executive Order designating uranium as a critical mineral and various federal and state initiatives. Mr. Smirnovs' prior experience overseeing Uranium One Americas Inc. operations, including the Shootaring Canyon Uranium Mill in Utah and the Irigaray Central Processing Plant in Wyoming with associated portfolios of uranium projects, provides invaluable insight as we position Myriad for future growth. Both of these past-producing operations with significant historical resources, which were subsequently acquired by Anfield Resources and Uranium Energy, have in recent years advanced their development and reached commercial production decisions." Mr. Smirnovs commented: "Myriad's uranium projects in the U.S. are well-positioned for continued development, with large historical resources and significant upside potential in key uranium jurisdictions such as Wyoming and New Mexico. The U.S. government's increasing emphasis on securing domestic uranium supply has created strong incentives for the restart of past-producing mines and the advancement of exploration projects. This support provides a solid foundation for Myriad to advance its projects and potentially contribute to the growth of domestic uranium resources. I look forward to working with Myriad's management team and assisting in shaping the Company's commercial strategy as it advances its U.S. uranium projects." Stock Options Grant In connection with this appointment, the Company has granted 150,000 stock options to Mr. Smirnovs. Each option is exercisable for one common share at $0.26 for five years. 50,000 options vest immediately, 50,000 options vest on September 30, 2025, and the remaining 50,000 options vest on March 31, 2026. About Myriad Uranium Corp. Myriad Uranium Corp. is a uranium exploration company with an earnable 75% interest in the Copper Mountain Uranium Project in Wyoming, USA. Copper Mountain hosts several known uranium deposits and historic uranium mines, including the Arrowhead Mine which produced 500,000 lbs of U3O8. Copper Mountain saw extensive drilling and development by Union Pacific during the late 1970s including the development of a mine plan to fuel a planned fleet of California Edison reactors. Operations ceased in 1980 before mining could commence due to falling uranium prices. Approximately 2,000 boreholes have been drilled at Copper Mountain and the Project Area has significant exploration upside. Union Pacific is estimated to have spent C$117 million (2024 dollars) exploring and developing Copper Mountain, generating significant historical resource estimates which are detailed here. The results of Myriad's 2024 drill campaign at Copper Mountain are detailed here and here. The Company also recently acquired, subject to completing a geophysical survey this year, a 100% interest in the Red Basin Uranium Project in New Mexico, which has a near-surface historical resource (non-43-101) of 0.5 Mlbs indicated and 1.5 to 6.5 Mlbs inferred at grades from 1,700 to 3,100 ppm with significant upside potential. The announcement can be viewed here. Our Crux Investor overview page including recent interviews can be viewed here. The Company's presentation can be viewed here. News releases regarding historical drilling can be viewed here and here. Myriad also has a 50% interest in the Millen Mountain Property in Nova Scotia, Canada, with the other 50% held by Probe Gold Inc. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, the Company's business, plans, outlook and business strategy. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "estimate", "plan", "forecast", "project" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect, including with respect to the Company's business plans respecting the exploration and development of the Company's mineral properties, the proposed work program on the Company's mineral properties and the potential and economic viability of the Company's mineral properties. Forward-Looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and technological or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. 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/246885 SOURCE: Myriad Uranium Corp. On March 21, 2025, the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood hosted the highly anticipated Heart to Heart Gala, dedicated to advancing inclusion and social equity for children with disabilities. The event was a resounding success, with Valencia-Taghavi Family Law , co-founded by Benjamin Valencia and Roxana Taghavi, proudly attending as the main sponsor of the evening. Joining them in support of the cause were their spouses, Lymari and Tad, who helped celebrate this meaningful initiative. The evening began with a cocktail reception, where guests enjoyed a red carpet welcome, hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, and a wine and spirits pull. Following the reception, a three-course dinner was served, and guests were treated to an inspiring awards program honoring Chelsie Hill, the founder of the Rollettes. The gala also featured captivating performances by choreographer Paul Barris and violinist Niv Ashkenazi, adding to the dynamic atmosphere of the event. As proud sponsors, the Valencia-Taghavi co-founders were deeply moved by the evening's success and the opportunity to contribute to a cause they care about. "It was an honor to be part of such a powerful event that aligns perfectly with our values of compassion and inclusion," said Benjamin Valencia. "We are grateful to support the work of Inclusion Matters by Shane's Inspiration, which plays such a vital role in creating inclusive spaces for children of all abilities." Roxana Taghavi also shared her thoughts on the event, saying, "Being a part of this gala was truly inspiring. It's incredible to see so many people come together to support inclusion, and we are proud to be a part of a community that champions the rights and opportunities of all children." The funds raised during the gala will directly benefit Inclusion Matters by Shane's Inspiration's mission to ensure that every child has the opportunity to experience the joy of play and connection, regardless of ability. About Valencia-Taghavi Family Law Valencia-Taghavi Family Law is a leading Los Angeles-based firm specializing in high-asset, high-conflict family law matters. Founded by Benjamin Valencia and Roxana Taghavi, the firm is committed to providing exceptional, results-driven legal representation with integrity and compassion. With a combined experience of over 50 years, the firm continues to serve clients through complex family law issues with personalized solutions. About Inclusion Matters by Shane's Inspiration Inclusion Matters by Shane's Inspiration is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering inclusion and social equity for children with disabilities. Through its programs and inclusive playgrounds, the organization works to create an environment where children of all abilities can come together to play, learn, and grow. For more information about Valencia-Taghavi Family Law, visit vtfamlaw.com . For more information about Inclusion Matters by Shane's Inspiration, visit inclusionmatters.org Media Contact Valencia-Taghavi Family Law assistant@vtfamlaw.com SOURCE: Valencia-Taghavi Family Law LLP Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Versamet Royalties Corporation ("Versamet") announces that it has entered into an agreement (the "Agreement") with Endeavour Silver Corp. and certain of its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively "Endeavour Silver"), to support the proposed acquisition of Compania Minera Kolpa, the owner of the polymetallic Huachocolpa Uno mine located in the district of Huachocolpa within the province and department of Huancavelica, Peru (collectively "Kolpa"). Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Versamet will acquire a copper stream on Kolpa for total up-front cash consideration of US$35 million. "We are very happy to announce this transaction to support Endeavour Silver's acquisition of Compania Minera Kolpa," said Dan O'Flaherty, CEO of Versamet. "Kolpa has been in continuous production for more than 25 years and we believe that under the ownership of Endeavour Silver, it will continue to produce for many years to come. Adding this copper stream will have a meaningful and immediate positive impact on our already robust free-cash flow generating royalty and streaming business." Transaction Highlights Immediate Cash Flow from a Producing Mine in Peru: Kolpa has been in continuous operation for more than 25 years and has a long history of reserve replacement and resource expansion. Kolpa has been in continuous operation for more than 25 years and has a long history of reserve replacement and resource expansion. High-Quality Partner: Endeavour Silver is an emerging senior silver producer that, post-acquisition, will produce nearly 20 million silver equivalent ounces annually. Endeavour Silver has the technical, operational, and financial capability to invest in and deliver on the full potential of Kolpa. Endeavour Silver is an emerging senior silver producer that, post-acquisition, will produce nearly 20 million silver equivalent ounces annually. Endeavour Silver has the technical, operational, and financial capability to invest in and deliver on the full potential of Kolpa. Complementary and Timely Exposure to Copper Prices: Addition of a producing copper stream to our current gold-centric royalty and streaming portfolio diversifies overall business at an opportune time in copper markets. Addition of a producing copper stream to our current gold-centric royalty and streaming portfolio diversifies overall business at an opportune time in copper markets. Bolsters Already Strong Cash Flowing Portfolio: In each of 2023 and 2024, Kolpa produced approximately 1.1Mlbs of copper in concentrate. At a copper price of US$4.50/lb., under the terms of the Agreement, Versamet would have generated revenue of US$5 million per annum, representing an approximate 40% increase over Versamet's actual 2024 revenues. In each of 2023 and 2024, Kolpa produced approximately 1.1Mlbs of copper in concentrate. At a copper price of US$4.50/lb., under the terms of the Agreement, Versamet would have generated revenue of US$5 million per annum, representing an approximate 40% increase over Versamet's actual 2024 revenues. Significant Upside Potential: Kolpa has successfully undergone numerous expansions to reach its currently installed capacity of 2,000tpd, with permitting in progress for an additional expansion to 2,500tpd, which has the potential to increase production levels and amounts delivered under the stream. Additionally, the overall land package at Kolpa remains significantly underexplored. Transaction Key Terms Versamet will acquire the right to initially purchase refined copper equal to the greater of i) 95.8% of produced copper (irrespective of the copper payable under the relevant offtake agreement) and ii) 0.03 pounds of copper per pound of produced lead from Kolpa. Once 6,000 tonnes of refined copper have been delivered, Versamet will have the right to purchase 71.85% of produced copper. Once 10,500 tonnes of refined copper have been delivered, Versamet will have the right to purchase 47.9% of produced copper. Versamet will make ongoing cash payments of 10% of the spot copper price for each tonne of refined copper delivered. Endeavour has provided Versamet with a right of first refusal in respect of the sale or transfer of any royalty, stream or similar interest in respect of Kolpa. In addition, Versamet shall have the right to purchase an additional stream interest equivalent to up to 2.2% of the total revenue in future discoveries of mineral deposits at Kolpa that are processed through a new mineral processing facility with nameplate capacity of not less than 15,000 tonnes per day. At closing, Versamet intends to fund the US$35 million purchase price with its existing revolving credit facility, which is currently undrawn. Closing of the transaction is expected within the next 60 days. Compania Minera Kolpa Overview Kolpa is a silver-focused polymetallic mining company located in the district of Huachocolpa within the province and department of Huancavelica, approximately 490 km southeast of Lima, Peru and holds 143 mining concessions 25,177 hectares and 1 beneficiation concession covering 366 hectares. Mineralization occurs mainly as polymetallic epithermal deposits rich in silver, lead, zinc and copper. Mineralized material is mined using underground mining methods (sublevel stoping and cut and fill), followed by a 2,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") (installed capacity) concentrator plant using a conventional selective flotation process designed to obtain a bulk concentrate with a subsequent separation of lead-silver, copper-silver and zinc concentrates. In 2024, Kolpa produced around 2.0 million ounces ("oz") of silver, 19,820 tonnes of lead, 12,554 tonnes of zinc and 518 tonnes of copper (5.1 million silver equivalent ounces ("AgEq oz")). In 2024, the operating cost was approximately $133 per tonne, resulting in cash costs on a by-product basis of $12.58/oz Ag and all-in sustaining costs of $22.80/oz Ag. The land package remains underexplored with approximately 10% of the claims worked to date with multiple targets identified by the Kolpa exploration geologists. For additional information on Kolpa, please see Endeavour Silver's press release at https://edrsilver.com/news-media/news/. The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Diego Airo, P.Eng, Vice President of Evaluations for Versamet Royalties and a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the Province of British Columbia. Mr. Airo is a Qualified Person as defined in the National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Versamet uses certain performance measures in its analysis. These non-GAAP performance measures are included in this document because these statistics are key performance measures that management uses to monitor performance to assess how Versamet is performing. These performance measures do not have a standard meaning within IFRS and, therefore, amounts presented may not be comparable to similar data presented by other companies. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding: the timing and payments under the Agreement; anticipated timing of closing; the ability of Kolpa to produce for many years; anticipated draw on our existing revolving credit facility; and other statements regarding future plans, expectations, exploration potential, guidance, projections, objectives, estimates and forecasts as well as our expectations with respect to such matters. These forward-looking statements are provided as of the date of this news release, or the effective date of the documents referred to in this news release, as applicable, and reflect predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events based on our beliefs at the time the statements were made, as well as various assumptions made by and information currently available to them. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, Versamet has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to: Versamet's activities will be conducted in accordance with Versamet's public statements and stated goals; there will be no material adverse change affecting Versamet; and Versamet's ability to meet current and future obligations and other assumptions. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions on which they are based do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the expectations expressed in them. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions expressed above do not occur, but specifically include, without limitation, risks relating to general market conditions. The foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. Readers should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Versamet does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Versamet or on behalf of Versamet, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246897 SOURCE: Versamet Royalties Corporation Strategic investment accelerates innovative heating solutions to support global net-zero goals Copeland, a global provider of sustainable climate solutions, has announced a strategic investment in BlueHeart Energy, a Netherlands-based startup developing a promising innovative heat pump technology. This investment demonstrates Copeland's focus on driving and enabling innovation that helps combat climate change and achieve net-zero emissions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250401497539/en/ BlueHeart Energy technology inside a client's heat pump application To meet the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, as outlined in the Paris agreement, the International Energy Agency (EIA) projects that clean heat technologies like heat pumps must more than double to comprise 50% of global sales by 2030. Heat pumps alone have the potential to cut global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by at least 500 million tonnes by 2030. Copeland's investment reflects its commitment to exploring and investing in cutting-edge technologies that address climate change and the challenges of heating and cooling in residential, commercial, cold chain and industrial environments. BlueHeart's novel thermo-acoustic-based heating technology has the potential to complement current compressor technologies with a compact design and quiet operation particularly suitable for smaller sized residences. "We're pleased to announce our strategic investment in BlueHeart, whose innovative thermo-acoustic based heat pump technology complements our best-in-class scroll compressor portfolio," said Ross B. Shuster, CEO for Copeland. "This investment will assist BlueHeart in taking their novel technology to commercial readiness and reinforces Copeland's dedication to driving the global energy transition and delivering efficient, sustainable heating solutions worldwide." "We're proud to announce this important strategic step together with Copeland. As a result, BlueHeart can take a major leap forward in bringing the BlueHeart system to market complemented and supported by a leading global partner," said Michiel Hartman, CEO for Blue Heart Energy. "This investment reinforces BlueHeart's dedication to scaling, industrialising and addressing its clients' application needs through our technology, delivering future-proof heating and cooling solutions worldwide." Leveraging its decades of industry experience and technical expertise, Copeland will support BlueHeart's product development and market readiness efforts. This support will include assistance in design for manufacturing at scale, market insights, customer engagement strategies and access to established sales channels. These resources are aimed at accelerating technology development and commercial viability. This investment aligns with Copeland's broader strategy to deliver sustainable and efficient heating solutions for diverse housing environments globally and underscores Copeland's dedication and mission to driving innovative solutions that contribute to the global energy transition. The European Innovation Council Fund has also joined as a strategic investor, reaffirming the significant value and transformative potential of BlueHeart's technology. About Copeland Copeland is a global leader in sustainable heating, cooling, cold chain and industrial solutions. We help commercial, industrial, refrigeration and residential customers reduce their carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency. We address issues like climate change, growing populations, electricity demands and complex global supply chains with innovations that advance the energy transition, accelerate the adoption of climate friendly low GWP (Global Warming Potential) and natural refrigerants, and safeguard the world's most critical goods through an efficient and sustainable cold chain. We have over 18,000 employees, with feet on the ground in more than 40 countries a global presence that makes it possible to serve customers wherever they are in the world and meet challenges with scale and speed. Our industry-leading brands and diversified portfolio deliver innovation and technology proven in over 200 million installations worldwide. Together, we create sustainable solutions that improve lives and protect the planet today and for future generations. For more information, visit copeland.com. About BlueHeart BlueHeart Energy is a deep tech company which has developed and is currently bringing to market a thermos acoustic engine, named ''BlueHeart''. The system is climate friendly, safe and a future proof solution with some unique features such as low noise, no refrigerants and a large- and flexible operating window for residential space heating-, air-conditioning- and industrial applications. We have over 45 employees based in The Netherlands. For more information, visit blueheartenergy.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250401497539/en/ Contacts: Copeland Jenna Petroff Jenna.petroff@copeland.com BlueHeart Michiel Hartman mhartman@blueheartenergy.com Traders can now enjoy a 50% boost in BMEX staking rewards, up to 70% in trading fee discounts, yield-generating airdrops, and more MAHE, Seychelles, April 01, 2025, the OG crypto derivatives exchange, today announced significant enhancements to its BMEX Token ecosystem, introducing higher staking rewards, reduced trading fees, and expanded token utility. These improvements were designed to provide greater value and flexibility for traders on the platform. The latest updates to BMEX include: Increased staking rewards - Users can now earn up to 7.5% yield by staking BMEX, a 50% increase from previous rates. - Users can now earn up to 7.5% yield by staking BMEX, a 50% increase from previous rates. Lower trading fees - BMEX holders can unlock trading fee discounts of up to 70%. - BMEX holders can unlock trading fee discounts of up to 70%. Easier access to competitive fee tiers - More traders can now qualify for reduced fees and enhanced benefits. "The BMEX Token is a cornerstone of our ecosystem and the expansion of BMEX's utility reflects our ongoing commitment to rewarding our users," said Stephan Lutz, CEO of BitMEX. "By increasing staking rewards, lowering access to competitive fee tiers, and introducing new token incentives, we are empowering traders with more opportunities to optimise their trading experience on our platform." BMEX, the native utility of the BitMEX exchange, is designed to fuel traders' financial growth through staking rewards, trading fee discounts, withdrawal fee refunds, and exclusive privileges. The token's benefits are further enhanced by BitMEX's monthly token burn programme, which drives long-term demand and ecosystem growth. For more details on the revamped BMEX structure, visit here . Additionally, new and returning traders on BitMEX can enjoy up to $5,000 in BMEX airdrops within their first 30 days. You can sign up here . About BitMEX BitMEX is the OG crypto derivatives exchange, providing professional crypto traders with a platform that caters to their needs through low latency, deep crypto native liquidity and unmatched reliability. Since its founding, no cryptocurrency has been lost through intrusion or hacking, allowing BitMEX users to trade safely in the knowledge that their funds are secure. So too that they have access to the products and tools they require to be profitable. BitMEX was also one of the first exchanges to publish their on-chain Proof of Reserves and Proof of Liabilities data. The exchange continues to publish this data twice a week - proving assurance that they safely store and segregate the funds they are entrusted with. For more information on BitMEX, please visit the BitMEX Blog or www.bitmex.com , and follow Telegram , Twitte r , Discord , and its online communities . For further inquiries, please contact press@bitmex.com . A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ca560c62-a114-45d8-9b4b-3a7eff9d6070 Vancouver, BC, April 01, 2025) ("Skyharbour" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that partner company Terra Clean Energy Corp. ("Terra", previously Tisdale Clean Energy) announced the completion of the winter drill program at the South Falcon East Uranium Project (the "Property") which hosts the Fraser Lakes B Uranium Deposit. The Property lies 18 km outside the edge of the Athabasca Basin, approximately 50 km east of the Key Lake Uranium Mill and former mine. Skyharbour optioned the Project to Terra and under the Option Agreement assuming the 75% interest is earned, Terra will fund exploration expenditures totaling CAD $10,500,000, as well as pay Skyharbour CAD $11,100,000 in cash of which $6,500,000 can be settled for shares in the capital of Terra ("Shares") over the earn-in period. Map of South Falcon East Project Claims: https://skyharbourltd.com/_resources/maps/Sky_SouthFalconEast_20250109.jpg?v=1 Highlights: Six holes intercepted uranium mineralization Continuity across the deposit confirmed Drilling expands mineralized footprint Terra conducted a helicopter supported drill program at the Property with seven diamond drill holes completed for a total of 1,927m. The first three drill holes were reported in the press release dated March 10th, 2025. "With uranium present in six of seven holes drilled this winter, and the east and west of the property now tied together with mineralization, this was a very successful program, and we believe we have added significant value to the Property," said Greg Cameron CEO of Terra Clean Energy. "We are seeing wider intervals of mineralization up to 75 metres and more consistent spikes of higher-grade uranium with 0.16% reported in Hole SF0065. The Fraser Lakes Uranium Deposit is shallow in nature making it ideal for an open pit scenario being only 150 metres below surface and not far from a powerline and Cameco's Key Lake Uranium Mill, making it a unique opportunity, especially in a rising uranium price environment. As we continue to add pounds of uranium and higher grades, this deposit becomes more and more valuable." Hole SF0065 was drilled to follow up the results of SF0063, reported in the March 10th release. It was targeted to intersect the same mineralized pegmatites 60m to the northeast. The hole was completed to a depth of 282m and intersected a 75m wide zone of variably mineralized granitic pegmatites and zones within altered and graphitic pelitic gneiss. A summary of the major zones within this mineralization are shown in Table 1 with the main highlight being an equivalent grade of 0.02% eU 3 O 8 over 17.5m from 204.9m to 222.4m, including 0.16% eU 3 O 8 over 0.3m. A zone of clay alteration and bleaching was intersected from 59m to 68m. The presence of this alteration is a good indication that hydrothermal fluids suitable for deposition of higher-grade uranium deposits moved through the rocks. 2025 Drill Target Areas at the South Falcon East Uranium Project: https://www.skyharbourltd.com/_resources/images/2025-Drill-Target-areas-at-the-south-Falcon-East-Uranium-Project.png Hole SF0066 was drilled to a depth of 302m, to follow the clay alteration and mineralized pegmatites to the northwest and assist in characterizing orientation of the clay alteration and associated structure. Drilling intersected a 50m interval containing multiple mineralized granitic pegmatites and zones within altered and graphitic pelitic gneiss. The most notable zone returned an equivalent grade of 0.03% eU 3 O 8 over 3.4m from 214.4m to 217.8m, including 0.1% eU 3 O 8 over 0.1m. The zone of strong clay alteration and bleaching was intersected from 57.5m to 67.5m. Based on oriented core data and intersections on three holes, this alteration package appears to be dipping to the north. Completed Drill Holes at South Falcon East Uranium Project: https://skyharbourltd.com/_resources/images/2025-Completed-drill-holes-at-South-Falcon-East-Uranium-Project.png Hole SF0067 was drilled to a depth of 302m, to extend the mineralized pegmatite package to the north and confirm the interpreted north dipping orientation of the clay alteration. Drilling intersected a 70m interval containing multiple mineralized granitic pegmatites and zones within the altered and graphitic pelitic gneiss package. This interval is noted for the larger number of higher-grade spikes at or above 0.1% eU 3 O 8 intersected compared to the previous drilling in this program. Down-hole gamma logging returned equivalent grades of 0.03% eU 3 O 8 over 4.0m from 219.8m to 223.8m, including 0.13% eU 3 O 8 over 0.2m and 0.01% eU 3 O 8 over 5.5m from 233.7m to 239.2m, including 0.06% eU 3 O 8 over 0.2m in the two widest intervals. The zone of strong clay alteration and bleaching was intersected from 66.5m to 73.5m. Drilling has now extended the deposit to the north and northeast and is still open in this direction. It is interpreted that the clay altered structural zone identified in SF0063, SF0065, SF0066 and SF067 is dipping to the north and will intersect the mineralized and hematite altered graphitic pelitic gneiss and pegmatites approximately 120m to 150m north of the current drilling. A follow-up drill program is currently being planned to test this upgraded target area for a higher-grade unconformity related basement-hosted uranium deposit and additional mineralized pegmatites where these structures and alteration all intersect. "I'm very excited to announce we will be conducting a summer drilling program to follow up on the significant results received. We believe we have started to define a new structure on the northeast side of the Property and are hopeful a basement-hosted unconformity uranium deposit, similar to Eagle Point and Rough Rider, is present. Our strategy moving forward is to both increase the size and grade of the Fraser Lakes B deposit and to add additional discoveries to this historical resource," said Mr. Cameron. "The results from this drilling program are very encouraging. Drilling has shown that the deposit is still open down dip to the northwest, north and northeast," commented Trevor Perkins, Vice President of Exploration for Terra. "The presence of clay alteration within a structure on the northeast side has upgraded this area. Where this clay alteration intersects the mineralized conductive package is an exciting target as this can bring together many of the key features associated with the known basement-hosted unconformity deposits in the Basin," continued Mr. Perkins. One hole, SF0064, was completed to 239m in the T-Bone Lake area to examine the conductive package and alteration intersected in the area in historical drilling. An extensive package of graphitic metasediments was intersected in this area, characterizing the conductive package. Weak alteration was noted, however no elevated radioactivity was identified. The optimal target in the T-Bone Lake area was not intersected. Table 1: Mineralized Intersections in Final Three Holes at South Falcon East Project: https://skyharbourltd.com/_resources/images/Table-1-Mineralized-intersections-in-final-three-holes-at-South-Falcon-East-Uranium-Project.png Samples of the mineralized intervals within the drill core have been collected and shipped for analysis at the Geoanalytical Laboratory at the Saskatchewan Research Council in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Terra will provide more detailed results once geochemical analysis of the collected core samples is completed, reviewed and confirmed. South Falcon East Project Summary: The South Falcon East Project is a uranium exploration project in the southeast Athabasca Basin and covers approximately 12,464 hectares. It lies 18 km outside the Athabasca Basin, approximately 50 km east of the Key Lake Mine. Historical exploration at the South Falcon East Project identified an area of U-Th-REE mineralization at the Fraser Lakes Zone B over an area comprising 1.5 km by 0.5 km along an antiformal fold nose cut by an east-west dextral ductile-brittle cross-structure adjacent to a 65 km long EM conductor. QA/QC, Radiometric Equivalent Grades and Spectrometer Readings: All drill intervals above are downhole length and sampling procedures and QA/QC protocols for geochemical results as well as a description of downhole gamma probe grade calculations and protocols are below. All drill core samples are shipped to the Saskatchewan Research Council Geoanalytical Laboratories ("SRC") in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan under the care of Terra personnel for preparation, processing, and multi-element analysis by ICP-MS and ICP-OES using total (HF:NHO3:HClO4) and partial digestion (HNO3:HCl), boron by fusion, and U3O8 wt% assay by ICP-OES using higher grade standards. Assay samples are chosen based on visual inspection, downhole probing radiometric equivalent uranium grades, and scintillometer (Radiation Solutions RS-125) peaks. Assay sample intervals comprise 0.5 to 1.0 m continuous half-core split samples over the mineralized interval. These samples may also be selected for density determination using the lost wax method. With all assay samples, one half of the split sample is retained and the other sent to the SRC for analysis. SRC is an ISO/IEC 17025/2005 and Standards Council of Canada certified analytical laboratory. Blanks, standard reference materials, and repeats are inserted into the sample stream at regular intervals by Terra and SRC in accordance with Terra's quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures. Geochemical assay data are subject to verification procedures by qualified persons employed by Terra prior to disclosure. During active exploration programs, drillholes are radiometrically logged using calibrated downhole Mount Sopris 40TGU or 2GHF probes of varying sensitivities which collect continuous readings along the length of the drillhole. Preliminary radiometric equivalent uranium grades ("eU 3 O 8 ") are then calculated from the downhole radiometric results. The probe is calibrated using an algorithm calculated from the calibration of the probe at the SRC facility in Saskatoon and from the comparison of probe results against geochemical analyses. In the case where core recovery within a mineralized intersection is poor or non-existent, radiometric grades are considered to be more representative of the mineralized intersection and may be reported in the place of assay grades. Radiometric equivalent probe results are subject to verification procedures by qualified persons employed by Terra prior to disclosure. Qualified Person: The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Serdar Donmez, P.Geo., VP of Exploration for Skyharbour as well as a Qualified Person. About Terra Clean Energy Corp.: Terra Clean Energy (formerly Tisdale Clean Energy Corp) is a Canadian-based uranium exploration and development company. The Company is currently developing the South Falcon East uranium project, which hosts an inferred uranium resource within the Fraser Lakes B uranium/thorium deposit, located in the Athabasca Basin region, Saskatchewan, Canada. About Skyharbour Resources Ltd.: Skyharbour holds an extensive portfolio of uranium exploration projects in Canada's Athabasca Basin and is well positioned to benefit from improving uranium market fundamentals with interest in thirty-six projects covering over 614,000 hectares (over 1.5 million acres) of land. Skyharbour has acquired from Denison Mines, a large strategic shareholder of the Company, a 100% interest in the Moore Uranium Project, which is located 15 kilometres east of Denison's Wheeler River project and 39 kilometres south of Cameco's McArthur River uranium mine. Moore is an advanced-stage uranium exploration property with high-grade uranium mineralization in several zones at the Maverick Corridor. Adjacent to the Moore Project is the Russell Lake Uranium Project, in which Skyharbour is operator with joint-venture partner RTEC. The project hosts widespread uranium mineralization in drill intercepts over a large property area with exploration upside potential. The Company is actively advancing these projects through exploration and drilling programs. Skyharbour also has joint ventures with industry leader Orano Canada Inc., Azincourt Energy, and Thunderbird Resources at the Preston, East Preston, and Hook Lake Projects, respectively. The Company also has several active earn-in option partners, including CSE-listed Basin Uranium Corp. at the Mann Lake Uranium Project; TSX-V listed North Shore Uranium at the Falcon Project; UraEx Resources at the South Dufferin and Bolt Projects; Hatchet Uranium at the Highway Project; CSE-listed Mustang Energy at the 914W Project; and TSX-V listed Terra Clean Energy at the South Falcon East Project. In aggregate, Skyharbour has now signed earn-in option agreements with partners that total to over $36 million in partner-funded exploration expenditures, over $20 million worth of shares being issued, and $14 million in cash payments coming into Skyharbour, assuming that these partner companies complete their entire earn-ins at the respective projects. Skyharbour's goal is to maximize shareholder value through new mineral discoveries, committed long-term partnerships, and the advancement of exploration projects in geopolitically favourable jurisdictions. Skyharbour's Uranium Project Map in the Athabasca Basin: https://www.skyharbourltd.com/_resources/images/SKY_SaskProject_Locator_2024-11-21_v1.jpg To find out more about Skyharbour Resources Ltd.. SKYHARBOUR RESOURCES LTD. "Jordan Trimble" __________________________________ Jordan Trimble President and CEO For further information contact myself or: Nicholas Coltura Investor Relations Manager ?Skyharbour Resources Ltd. ?Telephone: 604-558-5847 ?Toll Free: 800-567-8181 ?Facsimile: 604-687-3119 ?Email: info@skyharbourltd.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. The securities offered 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 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 an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction. NEW YORK, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM, TSX: BAM) ("Brookfield") and Angel Oak Companies ("Angel Oak"), a leading asset manager delivering innovative mortgage and consumer products, today announced that they have entered into an agreement in which Brookfield will acquire a majority ownership stake in Angel Oak and offer its investors access to the firm's residential mortgage credit strategies. Angel Oak joins Brookfield as part of the firm's $317 billion credit business, aligning with Brookfield's broader strategy to partner with best-in-class credit managers alongside its direct investment platform. Craig Noble, CEO of Brookfield Credit said, "We are pleased to announce our partnership with Angel Oak. Their origination and investment capabilities will be a strong complement to Brookfield's overall credit offering as we grow our platform. We believe Brookfield can add significant value as Angel Oak looks to build upon its success by both broadening and deepening its relationships with institutional investors." Since its founding in 2008, Angel Oak has grown into a premier alternative asset manager with over $18 billion in assets under management, serving both institutional and individual investors. The firm provides differentiated access to U.S. non-agency residential mortgages through a vertically integrated platform that combines its leading non-bank wholesale mortgage originator, Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions, with its asset management business, Angel Oak Capital Advisors. This integrated model, supported by deep market expertise, has resulted in a strong track record of delivering high-quality credit investments. Over the past decade, Angel Oak has originated more than $30 billion in residential mortgage loans and issued over 60 securitizations-a pace expected to accelerate given the growth in borrower segments that are underserved by traditional lenders. In discussing the partnership, Sreeni Prabhu and Mike Fierman, co-founders and Co-CEOs of Angel Oak, stated, "We are thrilled to partner with Brookfield, whose disciplined investment approach, proven track record of achieving robust long-term growth, and global presence aligns perfectly with our vision. We are particularly impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit that has remained intact at Brookfield as they have become one of the largest alternative asset managers globally. This partnership validates Angel Oak's proven model and past success, while opening new avenues for growth and innovation in providing clients access to residential mortgage credit. With Brookfield as our partner, we see significant opportunities to scale our integrated asset management and mortgage operations to better serve our clients". Angel Oak will continue to operate its business independently, retaining its current leadership, including Prabhu and Fierman as Co-CEOs. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted as Brookfield's legal counsel. KingsRock Securities LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of KingsRock Advisors LLC, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Angel Oak, and UBS Investment Bank advised the management team of Angel Oak on this transaction. Paul Hastings LLP acted as legal counsel to Angel Oak. About Brookfield Asset Management Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE: BAM, TSX: BAM) is a leading global alternative asset manager, headquartered in New York, with over $1 trillion of assets under management across renewable power and transition, infrastructure, private equity, real estate, and credit. We invest client capital for the long-term with a focus on real assets and essential service businesses that form the backbone of the global economy. We offer a range of alternative investment products to investors around the world - including public and private pension plans, endowments and foundations, sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions, insurance companies and private wealth investors. We draw on Brookfield's heritage as an owner and operator to invest for value and generate strong returns for our clients, across economic cycles. Brookfield Credit manages approximately $317 billion of assets globally, focused on a broad range of private credit investment strategies, including infrastructure, renewables, real estate, asset backed, and corporate credit. Return profiles span investment grade, sub-investment grade, and opportunistic. The business combines Brookfield's substantial direct investment platform which has been developed over several decades, with strategic partners, including Oaktree Capital Management, Castlelake, LCM Partners, 17Capital, and Primary Wave Music. As one of the world's largest and most experienced credit managers globally, Brookfield Credit delivers flexible, specialized capital solutions to borrowers, and seeks to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns for our clients. For more information, please visit our website at www.bam.brookfield.com. About Angel Oak Capital Advisors LLC Angel Oak Capital Advisors specializes in mortgage credit, structured credit and financials credit, managing approximately $18 billion in assets. Backed by a value-driven approach, Angel Oak seeks to deliver attractive, risk-adjusted returns through a combination of stable current income and price appreciation. About Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions LLC Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions LLC (NMLS ID #1160240), a leader in alternative lending solutions, is the top nonbank wholesale and correspondent lender of non-QM loans in the nation. Its team of mortgage experts has pioneered a commonsense approach to overcoming today's mortgage lending challenges. The team, which operates in 46 states and the District of Columbia, offers a breadth of non-QM products that expand the pool of borrowers, giving partners more opportunities to grow their businesses and better serve their customers. Closes Transaction with T&T Power Group Camber Energy, Inc. (OTCQB:CEIN) ("Camber" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of a strategic transaction involving T&T Power Group, Inc. ("T&T") and Simson-Maxwell Ltd. ("Simson-Maxwell"), two industry leaders in power generation, electrical distribution and energy solutions. The deal, which closed effective April 1, 2025, results in T&T and Viking Energy Group, Inc. (Camber's wholly-owned subsidiary) being co-owners of Simson-Maxwell. James Doris, Camber's President & CEO, commented, "With T&T's support, expertise and decades-long track record, Simson-Maxwell is well positioned for growth and to deliver an unmatched experience for industrial and commercial power solutions' customers across Canada." For more information visit www.lp-camberenergy.com. About T&T Power Group For over 40 years, T&T Power Group has been a leading provider of power generation, electrical distribution, and energy solutions across Canada. Known for its engineering expertise and customer-first approach, T&T Power Group delivers custom-built power systems designed to meet the needs of industrial, commercial, and municipal clients. With a national presence and 11 locations across Canada, the company offers a full spectrum of power solutions, including standby, prime and continuous power generators, switchgear, and electrical distribution equipment. T&T Power Group is recognized for its ability to design and manufacture tailor-made energy solutions, supporting industries that require mission-critical reliability. Beyond delivering industry-leading products, T&T Power Group provides full-service maintenance, 24/7 emergency support, remote monitoring, and turnkey project management, ensuring customers have a trusted partner in power. With a foundation built on innovation, reliability, and long-term commitment, the company continues to evolve, helping businesses and communities across Canada power their future. About Simson-Maxwell Simson Maxwell has been a trusted name in power generation, industrial engines, and electrical control solutions for over 80 years. With a strong reputation as both a manufacturer and distributor, the company has worked with some of the world's leading engine and power generation brands, delivering custom-engineered solutions to industrial and commercial clients across Canada. Operating from seven locations across Western Canada, Simson Maxwell serves a diverse customer base with standby and prime power generator systems, industrial engines, and comprehensive service solutions. The Simmax brand is recognized for its high-quality power generation and electrical control equipment, designed to meet the rigorous demands of industrial applications. Beyond products, Simson Maxwell provides ongoing maintenance, remote monitoring, and technical support, ensuring customers have reliable power when they need it most. With a legacy of expertise and innovation, the company has remained a key player in Canada's power industry, evolving to meet the growing demands of its customers. Additional Details Viking did not purchase or sell any shares of Simson-Maxwell in connection with the aforementioned transaction, rather T&T subscribed for shares directly from Simson-Maxwell and purchased shares directly from other shareholders. Additional details regarding the transaction will be included in, and the foregoing description and description above is qualified in its entirety by, Camber's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which, once filed, will be available under "investors" - "SEC filings" at www.camber.energy. About Camber Energy, Inc. Camber Energy, Inc. ("Camber") is a growth-oriented diversified energy company. Through subsidiaries, Camber provides custom energy & power solutions to commercial and industrial clients in North America and has a majority interest in: (i) an entity with intellectual property rights to a patented, proprietary Medical & Bio-Hazard Waste Treatment system using Ozone Technology; and (ii) entities with the intellectual property rights to patented and patent pending, proprietary Electric Transmission and Distribution Broken Conductor Protection Systems. Camber also holds, through a subsidiary, an exclusive license in Canada to a patented clean energy & carbon-capture system. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.camber.energy. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Any statements that are not historical facts contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements", which statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, involve known and unknown risks, a reliance on third parties for information, transactions that may be cancelled, and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in our industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results include risks and uncertainties related to the fluctuation of global economic conditions or economic conditions with respect to the oil and gas industry, the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance of management, actions of government regulators, vendors, and suppliers, our cash flows and ability to obtain financing, competition, general economic conditions and other factors that are detailed in Camber's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We intend that all forward-looking statements be subject to the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Camber cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not complete, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and Camber does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that it may make, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Camber or any person acting its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements referenced above. Contact Information Investors and Media: Tel. 281.404.4387 SOURCE: Camber Energy, Inc. With a workforce of almost 50,000 employees, leading apparel manufacturer Gildan is no stranger to the immense talent that it hosts - from employees on the factory floor, to leadership. In celebration of Women's History Month, we interviewed one such leader - Andrea Pirie Woodbridge, Chief Financial Officer of Manufacturing, located in Honduras. In her role, Andrea leads the finance function for the manufacturing group at Gildan, driving business performance while balancing costs and output in Gildan's various facilities around the world. With a dynamic career spanning over 25 years and 5 countries, Andrea's contributions to Gildan have been influential, both for the business and for its people. What led you to pursue a career in finance? I would describe my pursuit of finance as a combination of hard work and serendipity. I graduated from university with a Bachelor's degree in business, and then acquired a Master's of Business Administration. As a young professional with a business background, I landed my first ever internship in finance, and from then, there was no looking back. I went on to work with a large manufacturing company, where I had the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from people from all around the world and support various business functions including marketing, innovation, IT, and manufacturing. As I experienced and learned more, the scope of my role grew, and eventually, I was ready to take on higher level leadership roles. Can you talk about some of the opportunities and challenges you've encountered working in the fields of finance and manufacturing? Even from very early on in my career, I realized that finance, especially in positions above the managerial level, was a field dominated by men. In my experience, most women would either slow down or completely drop out of the workforce after a certain point due to conflicting priorities and lack of proper accommodations of these priorities. Moreover, in manufacturing and finance specifically, there are often limited opportunities for flexible work, adding even more barriers to women's development. To circumvent these barriers, I sought out opportunities to reach the potential I knew I had. I fondly remember when, as a junior employee reporting to a leader, I offered to take responsibility of a task intended for someone at a much higher level. This simple act of asking for an opportunity and then delivering helped accelerate my career. To this day, I continue to employ this strategy of taking ownership and encourage my team to do the same. Can you tell us more about your experience leading the finance function in Honduras? In my five years leading finance for the manufacturing group at Gildan, I have constantly been impressed by the sheer amount of talent that our Company attracts, and with my role as a leader, I strive to strengthen the pathways that can allow this diversity of talent to collaborate and thrive. I create an atmosphere in my teams where employees can bring their true selves to work, where diversity can interact to bring the best out of each individual. In fact, one of the most rewarding parts of being a leader is seeing my teams come up with creative solutions to overcome challenges, something which I believe is possible largely due to our diverse talent. What does Women's History Month mean to you, and why do you think it is important to celebrate? In addition to celebrating the contributions of women across different industries and areas, Women's History Month is a chance to bring to the forefront gender parity and equity issues that still exist in today's society and workplace. One size does not fit all, and this celebration allows us to participate in the larger conversation, as well as take collective action to accommodate talent and diversity of all types. After all, diversity encourages innovation and makes groups stronger. In your opinion, how can we create a workplace that's more inclusive towards women? In my experience, inclusivity begins with good leadership, and in this regard, Gildan is impressively ahead of the curve. We have strong female employees at all levels, and it is our role as leaders to nurture this talent by levelling the playing field. For instance, one of my most effectivities strategies is encouraging candidates, right from the interview stage, to be outspoken and take credit for their work, shedding expectations that society often has from women, and instead creating an environment where they may be their true selves. Small steps such as these can make large differences in fostering inclusive and transparent environments, where employees really thrive on their merit. To meet more of Gildan's employees, visit the Careers page. Women's History Month Spotlight: Q&A with Andrea Pirie Woodbridge, Chief Financial Officer of Manufacturing at Gildan View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Gildan Activewear on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Gildan Activewear Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/gildan Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Gildan Activewear Toronto Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - From irresistible bounce to "va-va-voom" volume that keeps hair hydrated, having your hair in the clouds has never been more fun. NEXXUS is taking flight with its new Hy-Volume Collection, a line designed to elevate hair volume to stylish new heights, while keeping hair health a top priority. Drawing inspiration from skincare and cosmetics to deliver healthy, bouncy volume, the brand has completely revolutionized what it means to achieve a voluminous style. Anchored by cutting-edge protein science and technology, the Hy-Volume Collection introduces Hyaluronic Tubing and Air-Lift technologies meant to deliver dramatic, weightless volume that lasts up to 48 hours and delivers up to 2 inches of root lift and 3X more weightless, healthy volume versus untreated hair. With a simple, three-step system - shampoo, conditioner, and volumizing cloud foam - salon-quality body and bounce is just one "wash day" away. The brand has tapped Academy Award-nominated actress, multi-platinum recording artist, and producer, Hailee Steinfeld as the face of its dynamic "Get Hy with NEXXUS" campaign, showcasing the star as she navigates all the ways "HY" hair can give you the power to totally transform your vibe, from officiating a bestie's wedding to looking badass in the boardroom. Between new roles, personal milestones, and creative opportunities, Hailee is stepping into a new era on cloud nine. And more than anyone, she knows that the key to feeling like you're "flying HY" is more than how your hair looks - it's about how your hair makes you feel. It's about the styles that lift you up and empower you to be your best self. "I've had a lot of fun experimenting with different lengths and styles over the years, but the one look that always makes me feel my best is a big, voluminous blowout. That's why it's been such an incredible experience teaming up NEXXUS on this campaign," shared Hailee. "When I use the Hy-Volume Collection, I know I can get that bold and bouncy texture, while still keeping my hair's natural look and feel. As someone who's careful about the products I incorporate into my beauty routine, it's so nice to partner with a brand that cares so deeply about hair health and prioritizes best-in-class science and technology to make it happen." The secret behind the Hy-Volume Collection? Hyaluronic acid, which puts the "HY" in Hy-Volume. No need for damaging backcombing or skipping conditioner in the name of volume - this science-backed formula delivers lift without compromising hair health. The shampoo and conditioner leverage the brand's first-ever Hyaluronic Tubing Technology, wrapping every strand in plumping polymers to create gravity-defying volume that lasts up to 48 hours. NEXXUS has taken inspiration from your favourite mascara's tubing technology - which helps to lift lashes - and brought it into the haircare space, to deliver the same instant volume and lift to your hair. And, because NEXXUS is all about taking hair to bold new heights, the brand's revolutionary Air-Lift Technology powers the Hy-Volume Cloud Foam. The breakthrough new formula creates space between strands that lifts hair from root to tip for extreme volume and weightless bounce, while shielding hair from heat and humidity. "At NEXXUS, we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in hair care," added Jessica Engelhardt, Head of NEXXUS Hair Care, North America. "With our deep expertise in protein science, we're constantly innovating to help people achieve their ultimate hair goals - without sacrificing hair health. For us, it's all about the hair long game. That's why we're so excited to have Hailee join us in this journey, inspiring others to embrace bold, voluminous styles while keeping their hair strong, healthy, and full of life." A sky-"HY" product line requires a sky-"HY" debut. Get ready for takeoff, because Hailee is set to host a launch event for the NEXXUS Hy-Volume Collection on March 20 in Los Angeles, with additional buzz around the line continuing through a series of influencer and media activations. "Volumizing products can be harsh and damaging to hair, which is why it was so important for us to create a line that delivers big results without compromising hydration or overall hair health," explained Beth Labrecque, Nexxus Scientist. "The Hy-Volume Collection is revolutionary, offering a unique combination of science and style. We applied the approach of hyaluronic acid-based skin care products and tubing mascaras on the market to create a truly unique hair care line that volumizes hair without weighing it down." The Hy-Volume collection is now available on amazon.ca. To check out the "Get Hy with NEXXUS" video and learn more, visit nexxus.com or follow along with @nexxushaircare on TikTok and Instagram. Nexxus Haircare To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10927/245010_nexxus1en.jpg Nexxus Haircare To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10927/245010_0ec7999604134bc2_002full.jpg About Unilever in North America Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 128,000 employees and generated sales of 60.8 billion in 2024. Our leading brands in North America include Dove, Hellmann's, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, TRESemme, Knorr, Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., Paula's Choice, and Dermalogica. For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com. For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca. ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/245010 SOURCE: Nexxus Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Xigem Technologies Corporation (CSE: XIGM) (FSE: VZ6) ("Xigem" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that on March 31, 2025, it entered into a tripartite loan agreement (the "TLA Facility") to provide up to $500,000 in capital to support its EchoDigital business unit through an arrangement that provides funding to a significant customer of the Company (as described below). The parties to the TLA Facility include: the Company, Carnance Inc. ("Carnance") and Physiomed Health Inc. (the "Lender"). The Lender is an entity controlled by Dr. Scott Wilson, a Director of the Company. The sole purpose of of the TLA Facility is to provide Carnance with the further ability to purchase non-commercial passenger cars, light trucks and sport utility/activity vehicles ("Vehicles") inventory for re-sale into the nearly USD18 Billion Canadian used car market, as estimated by Mordor Intelligence (the "Purpose"). Carnance is a customer of the Company which, pursuant to a previously disclosed exclusive ten year royalty and service based management agreement, has been and continues to be obligated to use the Company's EchoDigital asset in all of its sales efforts. EchoDigital is the Company's proprietary Saas-based, AI employing platform which assists in seamlessly capturing and converting used car consumer leads from traditional sources. EchoDigital can then assess and qualify the leads in part to determine their aptitude, and subsequently match them with a used car dealer's most suitable customer sales representative. EchoDigital has been solely responsible for the Company's growth in its most recent three fiscal quarters. In addition to the funds being made available to Carnance through the TLA Facility, Brian Kalish, the Company's CEO and a Director arranged for and personally guaranteed a line of credit for Carnance from a financial institution (the " Carnance Line of Credit") in August 2024. The Carnance Line of Credit as with the TLA Facility was arranged with the goal of increasing the Vehicle inventory available to Carnance, as it exclusively employs the Company's EchoDigital asset in line with the Purpose described in this press release. Management expects that the combination of funds from the Carnance Line of Credit and the TLA facility may have a positive impact on Carnance's business and then as a result, on that of the Company. Xigem has no obligations with respect to the Carnance Line of Credit. The provisions of the TLA include but are not limited to the following: The Lender agreeing to lend funds to the Company, which shall in turn lend such funds to Carnance for the Purpose described in this press release (and more fully described in the TLA Facility). The Lender receiving fees paid by the Company as follows: (i) $50,000 satisfied through the issuance of common shares in the capital of the Company, priced at $0.05 per common share and (ii) $50,000 satisfied through the issuance of common share purchase warrants entitling the Lender to acquire additional common shares in the capital of the Company valued at an aggregate of $50,000 at an exercise price of $0.05 per common share, for a 24 month period (collectively, the " Fee Based Shares "). A fee equal to 12.5% of the total value of the loan, paid in cash, in advance, by Carnance. The Lender receiving a senior ranking security over all of the assets of the Company. "Our EchoDigital asset has proven itself to be of considerable value to our business and its shareholders. This tripartite loan agreement supported by one of our directors, coupled with my own pledge is anticipated to reinforce Xigem and our ability to support our partners" said Brian Kalish, CEO of Xigem. All Fee Based Shares will be subject to a four-month and one-day hold period. No new control person of the Company will be created pursuant to the TLA transaction. All shares issued in connection with the TLA will be issued in accordance with the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). Completion of the TLA is subject to customary closing conditions associated with a transaction of its type. It is currently anticipated that closing will take place on or before April 11, 2025. Brian Kalish may be eligible to receive an arrangement fee paid for exclusively by Carnance. Issuance of the Fee Based Shares would constitute a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Carnance, an entity controlled by an insider of the Company, is anticipated to receive an aggregate of 1,000,000 common shares of the Company due to the issuance of the Fee Based Shares. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the 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, as the fair market value of the participation in the TLA by insiders does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. About Xigem Technologies Corporation With software capable of improving capacity, productivity, and overall operations for businesses, consumers, and organizations Xigem aims to position itself to become a leading technology provider for the near trillion-dollar remote digital economy. iAgent, the Company's patented technology and EchoDigital, its SaaS automotive shopping platform are intended to provide organizations, businesses, and consumers with the tools necessary to thrive in a vast array of digital working, learning, shopping and treatment environments while the Company continually looks to aggregate a portfolio of innovative technologies capable of disrupting traditional business models. www.xigemtechnologies.com Instagram: @xigemtechnologies Twitter: @XigemTech Facebook: @xigemtechnologies LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/xigem-technologies Source: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/canada-used-car-market Further Information 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 these securities, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "appears to be", "likely, "plans", "looks to", "possible", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the closing of the transactions specified in the TLA, including but not limited to the share issaunces contemplated by the Company; potential increases by Carnance of its inventory; the future market data for the global automotive industry; the future products and performance of the Company; and the ability of the Company to continue adding innovative technologies to its portfolio. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the satisfaction of the closing conditions in the TLA and receipt of all necessary approvals in order to complete the transactions contemplated therein; the ability of Carnance to increase its inventory as currenty contemplated or at all; customer interest at a level to drive future sales as currently contemplated or at all; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the commercial viability and growth in popularity of the Company's applications; the Company's ability to continue to develop and acquire revenue-generating applications; continued approval of the Company's activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; the continued development of the Company's technologies; the Company having sufficient funds to continue operations as planned; growth of the global automobile industry as currently anticipated or at all; the impact of growth of the global automotive industry on the Company's operations; and the continued growth of the Company in general. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: uncertainty with respect to the future growth of the global automobile industry and/or any other industry group or subset relevant to the Company's operations; uncertainty to predict the Company's ability to compete with other participants in the industries in which it operates; the potential inability of the Company to continue as a going concern; the risks associated with Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS") and technology industries in general; increased competition in the SaaS and technology markets in general; the potential future unviability of the Company's product offerings; risks associated with potential governmental and/or regulatory action with respect to the Company's activities; risks associated with a potential collapse in the value of SaaS services and the SaaS market; risks associated with the Company's ability to generate a profit; the inability of the Company to add innovative technologies to its portfolio; the Company not having adequate resources, financial and otherwise, as required to continue its operations as planned; and risks with respect to market demand for the Company's products. Furthermore, any market data presented in this press release is not indicative of the Company's future performance and in no way should be interpreted as such. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. 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. SOURCE: Xigem Technologies Corporation On behalf of the Company: Brian Kalish, Chief Executive Officer To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246792 SOURCE: Xigem Technologies Corporation Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Stardust Solar Energy Inc. (TSXV: SUN) proudly announces the significant territory expansion of its Edmonton, Alberta franchise. Stardust Solar Edmonton has expanded from its original single territory to four territories, significantly increasing the franchise's market reach throughout central Alberta. Each additional territory encompasses approximately 500,000 people, positioning the franchise to effectively meet growing demand for renewable energy solutions. Established as Stardust Solar's first-ever franchise in 2021, Stardust Solar Edmonton has consistently been one of the Company's top-performing franchises, contributing substantially to Stardust Solar's overall growth and market leadership. This latest expansion reflects a broader trend of growth and strategic development across Stardust Solar's franchise network. Key recent milestones include: International Expansion : Stardust Solar recently sold its first international franchise in Antigua & Barbuda, marking the Company's entry into the Caribbean market with a $50,000 USD investment. U.S. Market Penetration : The Company expanded significantly in the United States with new franchises in Houston, TX; Dallas-Fort Worth, TX; and Columbia, SC, following the acquisition of Solar Grids Development LLC. Master Franchisor Permits : Stardust Solar applied for master franchisor permits in 42 U.S. states in late 2024, targeting substantial annual franchise additions and projecting to surpass 100 franchise territories by the end of 2025. Backlog Growth : Stardust Solar currently holds a project backlog exceeding $2 million in signed contracts for solar and energy storage installations set to commence in spring 2025 across the Company's franchise network. In 2024 alone, the Company successfully installed 1,200 kilowatts of solar capacity and 189 kilowatt-hours of energy storage systems. Strategic Partnerships: Expanded agreements, including a notable distribution partnership with Tesla for the Powerwall across the U.S., have significantly enhanced the Company's product offerings and strengthened market reach. "We are thrilled to support Stardust Solar Edmonton's recent growth," said Mark Tadros, Founder and CEO. "This expansion is a testament to the success of our franchise model and our continued dedication to providing effective renewable energy solutions. We believe that Edmonton's growth illustrates the potential for significant and sustainable impact in the Alberta market and beyond." "We're excited about this expansion and grateful for the ongoing support from Stardust Solar's corporate team," said Jordan Walsh, the Edmonton franchise owner. "We believe that the renewable energy market in central Alberta has tremendous potential, and we're looking forward to serving even more communities with innovative solar solutions." Territories Include: The City of Edmonton, Yellowhead County, Woodlands County, Brazeau County, Barrhead County, Lac Ste. Anne County, Parkland County, Leduc County, Wetaskiwin County, Westlock County, Sturgeon County, Athabasca County, Thorhild County, Strathcona County, Smoky Lake County, Lamont County, Camrose County, Beaver County, Two Hills County, Minburn County, St Paul County, Bonnyville County, Vermilion River County, and Wainwright County. About Stardust Solar: Stardust Solar is a North American franchisor of renewable energy installation services, specializing in solar panels (PV), energy storage systems, and electric vehicle supply equipment. The Company equips entrepreneurs with branded business management services, cutting-edge equipment, and comprehensive support, including marketing, sales, engineering, and project management. With franchises across Canada and the United States, Stardust Solar drives the adoption of clean energy solutions that boost economic development and create a more sustainable future. About Stardust Solar: Stardust Solar is a North American franchisor of renewable energy installation services, specializing in solar panels (PV), energy storage systems, and electric vehicle supply equipment. The Company equips entrepreneurs with branded business management services, cutting-edge equipment, and comprehensive support, including marketing, sales, engineering, and project management. With franchises across Canada and the United States, Stardust Solar drives the adoption of clean energy solutions that boost economic development and create a more sustainable future. Disclaimer: 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. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements, including statements relating to the Company's business plans and expected future growth, expected franchise expansions, the outlook of future operations, revenue growth, new opportunities and the demand for the Company's products. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward looking statements. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention. It assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246843 SOURCE: Stardust Solar Energy Inc. Strategic partnership will supply GPUs to top AI labs across Europe Fluidstack, the AI cloud platform trusted by the world's leading AI companies, and Macquarie Group (Macquarie), via its Specialised and Asset Finance division within Commodities and Global Markets, today announced a strategic GPU financing deal to supply GPUs to premier AI research labs across Europe. "This partnership with Macquarie marks an important step forward for Fluidstack and the broader AI ecosystem," said Cesar Maklary, Co-Founder and President of Fluidstack. "By combining Macquarie's expertise in asset-backed financing with our high-performance AI cloud platform, we're enabling leading AI labs to access cutting-edge compute without typical multi-year contracts. It's a powerful model that aligns with the pace and scale of AI innovation." The financing structure, secured by the GPUs themselves, allows Fluidstack to provide AI compute to customers like Mistral, Character.AI, and Poolside without the burden of long-term commitments. This flexibility is critical as AI labs scale their infrastructure for training and deploying next-generation models. "Fluidstack's dedication to supporting AI research aligns with our vision for innovative financing solutions," said Lou Tricarico, Managing Director in Macquarie's Specialised and Asset Finance division. "Together, we're setting a new standard for how AI infrastructure can be funded and deployed." Fluidstack and Macquarie's Specialised and Asset Finance team plan to expand their collaboration, with a focus on developing new financing models tailored to the unique needs of AI companies. Both organisations see Europe as a significant opportunity for future investments in AI infrastructure, particularly as the region accelerates its adoption of advanced AI technologies. About Fluidstack Fluidstack is the AI Cloud Platform built for the world's leading AI companies. Founded in 2017 at Oxford University, the company powers leading AI labs, including Mistral, Character.AI, Poolside, and Black Forest Labs. With over 100,000 GPUs under management, Fluidstack delivers rapid access to exascale compute within days-enabling seamless multi-thousand GPU training and inference workloads. To learn more, visit www.fluidstack.io. About Macquarie Group Macquarie Group (Macquarie) is a global financial services group providing clients with asset management, retail and business banking, wealth management, leasing and asset financing, market access, commodity trading, renewables development, specialist advice and access to capital and principal investment Macquarie Specialised and Asset Finance, a division within Macquarie Group's Commodities and Global Markets (CGM) business, is a global provider of specialist finance and asset management solutions. Our expertise enables us to develop innovative finance solutions across a range of industries around the globe. CGM has more than 40 years of partnering with our clients to provide capital and financing, risk management, market access, and physical execution and logistics solutions across commodities, financial markets and asset finance sectors. For further information, visit www.macquarie.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250401482782/en/ Contacts: For media inquiries, please contact: press@fluidstack.io 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! Santen is Sydnexis' Licensing Partner to Commercialize SYD-101 within the EMEA Region upon issuance of a Marketing Authorization by the European Commission Sydnexis, Inc. (www.sydnexis.com), a pre-commercial stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has granted a positive opinion for its proprietary low-dose atropine formulation, SYD-101, for slowing the progression of pediatric myopia. Santen SA licensed the rights from Sydnexis to commercialize SYD-101 under the brand name Ryjuneain the regions of Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Santen SA is the Switzerland-based affiliate of Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a Japan-based company specialized in eye health, offering innovative products and services in over 60 countries worldwide. "This is an incredible milestone for Sydnexis and comes on the heels of the FDA accepting our NDA for SYD-101 and assigning a PDUFA date of October 23, 2025," said Perry Sternberg, Chief Executive Officer of Sydnexis. "The CHMP positive opinion provides further validation of both the significant unmet need and critical importance of early intervention and endorses the potential benefit SYD-101 can provide to millions of pediatric patients with progressive myopia." The CHMP positive opinion was primarily supported by data from the STAR study, Sydnexis' pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating its proprietary low-dose atropine formulation to slow the progression of pediatric myopia and the risk of associated co-morbidities. Santen reported Ryjunea met its EMA primary endpoint demonstrating efficacy in slowing the annual progression rate of myopia in pediatric patients ages 3 to 14 years-old at 24 months. "Santen recognized early on that SYD-101's novel, proprietary formulation was unique in its ability to deliver superior drug activity, maximum stability, and optimal comfort," said Patrick Johnson, Ph.D., President of Sydnexis. "They have been a great partner, and we are excited for Santen to bring SYD-101 to market across multiple continents." Myopia is the most common eye disease in children, impacting approximately one-third of children and adolescents worldwide. By 2050, global prevalence is projected to increase and affect more than 740 million children and adolescents and 5 billion people in total. Once considered a benign refractive condition, even at low levels, myopia is now associated with many serious irreversible sight-threatening co-morbidities later in life. "I am thrilled about the progress to bring SYD-101 to market for the millions of pediatric patients impacted by this growing epidemic," said Professor Mark Bullimore, OD, Ph.D. "The news of CHMP's positive opinion should have a huge impact in Europe, where low-dose atropine has been largely unavailable." About Sydnexis, Inc.: Founded in 2014, Sydnexis, Inc. (www.sydnexis.com) is a privately held, pre-commercial stage biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California. Sydnexis recently completed its three-year primary endpoint in the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating its proprietary low-dose atropine formulation to slow progression of pediatric myopia and the risk of associated co-morbidities. The Phase 3 clinical trial is now completing the fourth-year randomized withdrawal for exploratory endpoints and third year results will be announced upon completion of the fourth year of the study. The company is venture-backed by four major investors: Visionary Ventures, RA Capital, Longitude Capital, and Bluestem Capital. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250401700218/en/ Contacts: For media inquiries, please contact: media@launchlabpartners.com KALMAR CORPORATION, TRADE PRESS RELEASE, 1 APRIL 2025 AT 4:15 PM (EEST) Kalmar has signed a large order for electric forklift trucks and reachstackers with Vestas Manufacturing Spain to further remove their CO2 emissions Kalmar has signed an agreement with Vestas Manufacturing Spain SL to supply a range of electric forklift trucks and electric reachstackers. The machines will be deployed at Vestas' blade factory in Daimiel, Spain. The large order comprises one Kalmar light electric forklift truck, three Kalmar medium electric forklift trucks, two Kalmar heavy electric forklift trucksand two Kalmar electric reachstackers,with all machines covered by a Kalmar Complete Care service agreement. The order was booked in Kalmar's Q4 2024 order intake, with one of the two heavy forklift trucks scheduled for delivery during December 2024 and the rest of the equipment during Q2 and Q3 2025. All of the forklift trucks and reachstackers supplied to Vestas will be powered by the latest lithium-ion battery technology. Roberto Meirino, Head of Vestas Blades Daimiel: "To eliminate the CO2 emissions from our manufacturing process, we are replacing our fleet of diesel-powered machines with electrically powered equipment at our blade factory in Daimiel. After a successful trial with a heavy-duty electric forklift from Kalmar, we determined that their technology and offerings were the right choice for our needs. The new electric fleet follows the replacement of the factory's natural gas heating system with three biomass boilers fired with olive pits. It enables us to reach carbon neutrality at the factory and contributes to Vestas' goal of a science-based decarbonisation of our operations and supply chain by 2030." Eduardo Fernandez, Solutions Sales Representative, Kalmar Spain: "We are delighted that, after careful consideration and evaluation of our fully electric powered offering, Vestas has chosen to partner with Kalmar. Our electrically powered forklift trucks and reachstackers will help Vestas decarbonise their operations while maintaining the highest levels of productivity and safety." Further information for the press: Eduardo Fernandez, Solution Sales Representative, Kalmar Spain, tel. +34 916270165, eduardo.fernandez@kalmarglobal.com Maija Eklof, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Dealer Management and Customer Insight, Kalmar, tel. +358 20 777 4096, maija.eklof@kalmarglobal.com Kalmar How to rapidly implement bi-directional 800V to 48V/12V DC-DC conversion using high-density power modules ANDOVER, Mass., April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the automotive industry migrates to 800V batteries and a 48V zonal architecture, power system designers are looking for rapidly deployable solutions that also optimize performance, minimize size, weight and system cost. Converting from high voltage to 48V and 12V, presents a variety of complex power design challenges. The new Vicor automotive grade power modules are designed to help power engineers solve these high voltage power conversion problems using industry-leading power density and scalability, via parallel operation, for a wide range of power levels. Vicor will be presenting at World Congress Experience (WCX) 2025 in Detroit, April 8-10. The presentation will highlight the newest high power density DC-DC converter power modules that are designed to solve today's toughest automotive electrification challenges.This year on April 8th at 3:30pm Patrick Kowalyk, Automotive Principal Field Application Engineer, North America will present how to "Optimize High Voltage to SELV Performance While Eliminating a 48V Battery and Super Caps." Patrick will address easy-to-implement modular solutions for converting high voltage battery voltages direct-to-load (48V and 12V). He will explain how bidirectional, high power density DC-DC converter power modules, using soft switching topology at frequencies > 1.4 MHz can downsize the power delivery network, enhance efficiency and improve overall system performance. Vicor will be presenting at World Congress Experience (WCX) 2025 in Detroit on April 8th at 3:30pm. Patrick Kowalyk, Automotive, Principal Field Application Engineer will explain how to optimize high voltage to point of load conversion in today's power-hungry, electrified vehicles, using new automotive grade DC-DC converter power modules (Download high res image) (https://vicorpower.box.com/s/gw17txojb29fx3az9378cckpw9ehdppv) Visit us at WCX 2025 and learn more about the Vicor presentations (https://www.vicorpower.com/resource-library/events/wcx-2025) About WCX The WCX World Congress Experience is where the engineering community convenes on mobility's biggest hurdles from mass deployment of electric vehicles to developmental timelines for autonomous vehicles to understating of global supply chain constraints impacting the automotive industry. World Congress Experience is an event of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). About Vicor Corporation Vicor Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and markets modular power components and complete power systems based upon a portfolio of patented technologies. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, Vicor sells its products to the power systems market, including enterprise and high-performance computing, industrial equipment and automation, telecommunications and network infrastructure, vehicles and transportation, aerospace and defense. www.vicorpower.com (http://www.vicorpower.com) Contact: Stephen Germino, Media Relations & PR, Director Vicor Corporation 978 749.8243 sgermino@vicorpower.com (mailto:sgermino@vicorpower.com) A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef91e8f8-0d99-4bca-8a7d-3551adc50187 (https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef91e8f8-0d99-4bca-8a7d-3551adc50187) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Vertiqal Studios Corp. (TSX: VRTS) (OTC Pink: VERTF) (FSE: 9PY0) ("the Company") - Vertiqal Studios, a leading digital-channel network and video-production studio, as well as the owners of North America's largest gaming and lifestyle network on social media, is pleased to announce its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024, highlighting a major turnaround in financial performance. In light of stable revenue of $4.86 million, the Company achieved a 95% reduction in net loss, reflecting strategic cost-cutting efforts and operational efficiencies. Key Financial Highlights (Year over Year) Below is a summary of the financial results for the years ended December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023. Year ended December 31, 2024 Year ended December 31, 2023 Variance (%) Revenues $4,861,413 $4,845,926 0.32% Gross Profit $3,374,894 $3,439,770 -1% Total Expenses $5,756,723 $56,693,814 -90% Net Loss ($2,365,124) ($49,018,797) -95% EBITDA ($1,523,544) ($2,923,020) -47% Financial Highlights of Fiscal 2024: Revenue Composition and Growth: Vertiqal Studios reported a 0.32% increase in revenue compared to fiscal 2023, highlighting the shift in revenue share. Furthermore, direct media saw an impressive increase of 48% in revenues year over year. This is a testament to the strategic focus and the strength of the offerings in the market. Vertiqal Studios reported a 0.32% increase in revenue compared to fiscal 2023, highlighting the shift in revenue share. Furthermore, direct media saw an impressive increase of 48% in revenues year over year. This is a testament to the strategic focus and the strength of the offerings in the market. Gross Margin: For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company saw a healthy gross margin of 69%. This demonstrates continued operational efficiency within the Company as it sees a shift in its revenue mix. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company saw a healthy gross margin of 69%. This demonstrates continued operational efficiency within the Company as it sees a shift in its revenue mix. EBITDA Improvement: Additionally, Vertiqal Studios has dramatically improved its EBITDA, reporting a loss of $1.5M for the year, a significant improvement from a loss of $2.9M in 2023. The 47% improvement in EBITDA loss is a result of cost efficiencies, operational discipline, and improved revenue mix, reinforcing the Company's path toward profitability. The Company has made significant strides in strengthening its financial position in 2024. The substantial reduction in expenses and net loss demonstrates the commitment to sustainable growth and long-term value creation for the shareholders. The ability to reduce EBITDA loss by 47% underscores the effectiveness of the strategic initiatives. With continued revenue growth and disciplined cost management, the Company is building a stronger financial foundation for the future. Fiscal 2025 Outlook Looking ahead, Vertiqal Studios anticipates continued growth driven by the ongoing expansion of its direct media business. This growth is expected to be fueled by key, multi-year strategic partnerships, deeper penetration into the U.S. market, and strengthening relationships with media agencies. In addition, the Company is actively exploring further acquisitive opportunities that will allow it to round out its service offering, increase high-margin revenue, and diversify its income streams in a more holistic and sustainable way. Jon Dwyer, Chairman and CEO of Vertiqal Studios, commented, "in 2024 we built a rubric for scale that saw us focus our long-term business in the US media market, landing our first deal with Coca Cola US, WhiteCastle and other iconic American brands. Strategic relationships such as our recently signed partnership with CrossMedia, are pivotal for Vertiqal's increased presence in the United States. We produce video assets for the US market, free of tariffs, providing quality jobs to the creator economy in Toronto, New York, and LA." About Vertiqal Studios Vertiqal Studios, owners of North America's largest gaming and lifestyle network on social media, is a leading digital-channel network and video-production studio. The company specializes in the creation and distribution of viral videos for brands and advertisers to create always-on digital strategies that live authentically in Gen Z and Millennial culture. Vertiqal Studios partners with leading brands to develop strategic solutions, creative ideation, and content production, while also providing distribution and amplification through its Owned & Operated channels - all delivered with boutique, white-glove service. Its expertise lies with managing over 130 channels across TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, while producing over 100+ pieces of content a day for a growing audience of 52 million-plus followers. For more information and to join our email subscriber list for direct press releases and newsletters, visit https://vertiqalstudios.com/. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given 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 forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246913 SOURCE: Vertiqal Studios It is the seventh consecutive year the company has been named to the list, which honors organizations committed to business integrity through robust ethics, compliance, and governance programs. Kimberly-Clark 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. This marks the seventh consecutive year that Kimberly-Clark has been named to this prestigious list and ten times overall. The company is one of only two honorees in the Consumer Products industry. In 2025, 136 honorees were recognized spanning 19 countries and 44 industries. "This long-standing recognition by Ethisphere reflects the deep commitment of our global teams to lead with integrity and uphold our values every day," said Grant McGee, General Counsel at Kimberly-Clark. "It is an honor to receive this award, which powerfully affirms the high standards by which Kimberly-Clark fulfills our purpose of providing Better Care for a Better World." "Kimberly-Clark's inclusion on the World's Most Ethical Companies list for seven consecutive years underscores the company's steadfast dedication to corporate compliance and ethical culture," said Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere's Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair. "The company's long-standing, deep-rooted commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and integrity is a powerful example of leadership in business." Methodology & Scoring The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in 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. That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by our panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year's group of applicants. This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify best-in-class ethics and compliance practices from organizations across industries and from around the world. Honorees To view the full list of this year's honorees, please visit the World's Most Ethical Companies website, at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees. About Kimberly-Clark Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people's most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what's important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 70 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for the seventh year in a row and one of Fortune's Most Innovative Companies in America in 2024. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company's more than 150-year history of innovation, visit the Kimberly-Clark website. About Ethisphere Ethisphere is the 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. Companies turn ethics, compliance, and culture into a business advantage by leveraging Ethisphere's data-driven program and culture assessments featuring the latest guidance and the practices of hundreds of global organizations across the 8 pillars of an ethical culture, and 240+ ethics, compliance, social, and governance data points delivered through a proprietary software platform. Ethisphere also honors superior integrity programs through World's Most Ethical Companies recognition, brings together a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and advances ethical business practices through the Global Ethics Summit, Ethisphere Magazine and the Ethicast podcast. For more information, visit https://ethisphere.com. View original content here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Kimberly-Clark Corporation on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Kimberly-Clark Corporation Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/kimberly-clark-corporation Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Kimberly-Clark Corporation Verified Market Research, a leading provider of business intelligence and market analysis is thrilled to announce the release of its comprehensive and authoritative report on the DNA Data Storage Market. The DNA Data Storage Market is gaining traction due to rising demand for sustainable, high-density data storage solutions. Market growth is driven by increasing global data volumes and the need for long-term archiving. However, high synthesis and retrieval costs, along with technological challenges, pose significant restraints to widespread adoption. LEWES, Del., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global DNA Data Storage Market Size is projected to grow at a CAGR of 74.48% from 2026 to 2032, according to a new report published by Verified Market Research. The report reveals that the market was valued at USD 126.76 Million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 6,241.39 Million by the end of the forecast period. Key Highlights of the Market Report: The global DNA Data Storage Market is projected to grow at a substantial CAGR in the coming years. Rising demand for high-density, long-term data storage is fueling market expansion. Key players are focusing on improving DNA synthesis and sequencing efficiency. North America leads market adoption, driven by advanced R&D activities and strategic investments. High costs and slow read/write speeds remain primary challenges for market scalability. Why This Report Matters? This report provides an in-depth analysis of market trends, competitive landscapes, and technological advancements shaping the DNA Data Storage Market. It offers valuable insights into investment opportunities, key industry players, and strategic developments that will drive the future of data storage. Who Should Read This Report? Market Research Professionals seeking to understand emerging trends in data storage. B2B Clients & Industrialists looking for sustainable data archiving solutions. Tech & IT Companies exploring next-generation storage technologies. Government & Research Institutions interested in ultra-long-term data preservation methods. For more information or to purchase the report, please contact us at: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/download-sample?rid=478861 Browse in-depth TOC on "Global DNA Data Storage Market Size" 202 - Pages 126 - Tables 37 - Figures Report Scope REPORT ATTRIBUTES DETAILS STUDY PERIOD 2021-2032 BASE YEAR 2024 FORECAST PERIOD 2026-2032 HISTORICAL PERIOD 2021-2023 UNIT Value (USD Million) KEY COMPANIES PROFILED Microsoft Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Agilent Technologies Inc., Illumina Inc., GenScript Biotech Corporation, Twist Bioscience Corporation, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Evonetix Ltd., Iridia Inc., Catalog Technologies Inc., Kilobaser GmbH SEGMENTS COVERED By Type, By Application, By End-User And By Geography CUSTOMIZATION SCOPE Free report customization (equivalent to up to 4 analysts' working days) with purchase. Addition or alteration to country, regional & segment scope. Global DNA Data Storage Market Overview Key Market Drivers Exponential Growth in Global Data Generation: The swift proliferation of digital data across sectors is propelling the need for advanced storage solutions. The emergence of IoT, AI, and cloud computing presents challenges to traditional storage medium regarding scalability and durability. DNA data storage has exceptional density and longevity, rendering it a feasible option for long-term data preservation. As organisations pursue economical and ecological storage solutions, investments in DNA data storage technologies are increasing. Increasing Investments in Synthetic Biology and DNA Synthesis: Progress in synthetic biology and DNA sequencing technology is expediting the advancement of DNA-based storage systems. Industry leaders and academic institutes are investing in enhancing DNA synthesis, sequencing precision, and data retrieval velocities. The decreasing expense of DNA synthesis and the advent of automation in DNA writing procedures are further accelerating market adoption. This technical advancement is promoting partnerships between storage providers and biotechnology companies. Rising Demand for Sustainable and Long-Term Storage Solutions: Conventional data storage mediums, like magnetic tapes and SSDs, possess finite lifespans and exacerbate technological waste. DNA data storage offers an ecologically sustainable option characterised by markedly reduced energy usage and nearly limitless data preservation potential. Due to escalating regulatory demands for carbon footprint reduction and the necessity for ultra-long-term archival storage, organisations in the finance, healthcare, and government sectors are investigating DNA as a feasible data preservation solution. To Purchase a Comprehensive Report Analysis: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/select-licence?rid=478861 Market Restraints Hindering the Market Growth High Cost of DNA Synthesis and Data Retrieval: Notwithstanding its promise, DNA data storage is excessively costly due to elevated synthesis and sequencing expenses. The transformation of binary data into DNA sequences and their subsequent retrieval using sequencing techniques entails intricate and expensive biological procedures. The present storage expenses per terabyte far above those of traditional data storage methods, constraining economic scalability. Widespread market use will remain limited to research institutes and high-value archiving applications until substantial cost reductions are realised. Slow Read/Write Speeds Limiting Commercial Viability: Although DNA storage is exceptionally durable, it does not provide the requisite speed for real-time data retrieval. The procedure of encoding data into DNA, storing it, and subsequently recovering it by sequencing is considerably more time-consuming than traditional solid-state and cloud storage techniques. This technological constraint restricts DNA data storage applications to archival purposes instead of real-time or frequently accessed data scenarios. Advancements in sequencing velocity and retrieval techniques are essential for surmounting this constraint. Lack of Standardization and Regulatory Frameworks: The DNA data storage sector is nascent, devoid of globally recognised standards and standardisation frameworks. The lack of defined legislative frameworks presents obstacles to wider adoption, especially in sectors like healthcare, banking, and defence, where data integrity and security are paramount. Lack of explicit data encoding standards perpetuates interoperability issues, hindering business investments. Regulatory authorities and industry participants must cooperate to develop standardised solutions for wider market acceptance. Geographical Dominance: North America leads the DNA Data Storage Market, driven by strong R&D investments, government funding, and collaborations between biotech firms and tech giants. The U.S. is at the forefront, with major players advancing DNA synthesis and sequencing technologies. Growing demand for sustainable data storage in sectors like healthcare and finance further fuels regional adoption. Europe follows closely, with increasing academic research and regulatory support for next-gen storage solutions. Key Players The "Global DNA Data Storage Market" study report will provide a valuable insight with an emphasis on the global market. The major players in the market are Microsoft Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Agilent Technologies Inc., Illumina Inc., GenScript Biotech Corporation, Twist Bioscience Corporation, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Evonetix Ltd., Iridia Inc., Catalog Technologies Inc., Kilobaser GmbH. DNA Data Storage Market Segment Analysis Based on the research, Verified Market Research has segmented the market into Type, Application, End-User, and Geography. DNA Data Storage Market, by Type Synthetic DNA-Based Storage Natural DNA-Based Storage DNA Data Storage Market, by Application Archival Storage Data Backup & Recovery Cloud Storage Solutions DNA Data Storage Market, by End-User Healthcare & Biotechnology Government & Defense Academic & Research Institutes Others DNA Data Storage Market, by Geography North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany France U.K. Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India Rest of Asia Pacific ROW Middle East & Africa Latin America Browse Related Reports: Global Biotech Market Size By Product Type (Instruments, Reagents & Services, Software), By Technology (Nanotechnology, Tissue Engineering, DNA Sequencing, Cell-Based Assay, Fermentation, PCR, Chromatography), By Application (Healthcare, Food & Beverage, Agriculture, Industrial Processing), By End User (Healthcare Providers, Research Institutes, Pharmaceutical Companies), By Geography, And Forecast Global DNA Diagnostics Market Size By Product Type (Instruments, Reagents), By Technology (PCR, Microarray, In-situ Hybridization), By Applications (Oncology, Myogenic Disorder), By End-Users (Point of Care, Diagnostic Center, Self- Testing/OTC), By Geography, And Forecast Global Base Editing Market Size By Type (DNA, RNA), By Product (Consumable, Service), By Application (Human Therapeutics, Livestock, Plant Breeding), By End-User (Academic & Research Institutes, Contract Research Organizations, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies), By Geography, And Forecast Global DNA Sequencing Market Size By Type (Instruments, Consumables, Services), By Technology (Next-generation Sequencing (NGS), Sanger Sequencing, Third-Generation Sequencing), By Application (Clinical Diagnostics, Oncology, Personalized Medicine, Agriculture & Food Science, Forensic Science Academic Research), By Geography, And Forecast 7 Best Viral Vectors And Plasmid DNA Manufacturers researching with proprietary technology Visualize DNA Data Storage Market using Verified Market Intelligence -: Verified Market Intelligence is our BI Enabled Platform for narrative storytelling in this market. VMI offers in-depth forecasted trends and accurate Insights on over 20,000+ emerging & niche markets, helping you make critical revenue-impacting decisions for a brilliant future. VMI provides a holistic overview and global competitive landscape with respect to Region, Country, Segment, and Key players of your market. Present your Market Report & findings with an inbuilt presentation feature saving over 70% of your time and resources for Investor, Sales & Marketing, R&D, and Product Development pitches. VMI enables data delivery In Excel and Interactive PDF formats with over 15+ Key Market Indicators for your market. About Us Verified Market Research stands at the forefront as a global leader in Research and Consulting, offering unparalleled analytical research solutions that empower organizations with the insights needed for critical business decisions. Celebrating 10+ years of service, VMR has been instrumental in providing founders and companies with precise, up-to-date research data. With a team of 500+ Analysts and subject matter experts, VMR leverages internationally recognized research methodologies for data collection and analyses, covering over 15,000 high impact and niche markets. This robust team ensures data integrity and offers insights that are both informative and actionable, tailored to the strategic needs of businesses across various industries. VMR's domain expertise is recognized across 14 key industries, including Semiconductor & Electronics, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Energy, Technology, Automobiles, Defense, Mining, Manufacturing, Retail, and Agriculture & Food. In-depth market analysis covers over 52 countries, with advanced data collection methods and sophisticated research techniques being utilized. This approach allows for actionable insights to be furnished by seasoned analysts, equipping clients with the essential knowledge necessary for critical revenue decisions across these varied and vital industries. Verified Market Research is also a member of ESOMAR, an organization renowned for setting the benchmark in ethical and professional standards in market research. This affiliation highlights VMR's dedication to conducting research with integrity and reliability, ensuring that the insights offered are not only valuable but also ethically sourced and respected worldwide. Contact Us Mr. Edwyne Fernandes Verified Market Research US: +1 (650)-781-4080 US Toll Free: +1 (800)-782-1768 Email: sales@verifiedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/ Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter | Threads | Instagram | Facebook Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2015407/VMR_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dna-data-storage-market-is-expected-to-generate-a-revenue-of-usd-6-241-39-million-by-2032--globally-at-74-48-cagr-verified-market-research-302416905.html Companies on the Inc. Regionals: Pacific list had a median growth rate of 124 percent. Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today revealed that Ascend Agency is No. 21 on its fifth annual Inc. Regionals: Pacific list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the Pacific, which includes California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and Alaska. An extension of the national Inc. 5000 list, the Regionals offer a unique look at the most successful companies within the Pacific economy's most dynamic segment-its independent small businesses. "At Ascend, we aim to be more than just a traditional PR agency," said CEO Jonathan Jadali. "We employ varied public relations strategies and content marketing plans to redefine the essence of public relations." Ascend is at the forefront of branded content and continues to innovate the space with partners Jonathan Jadali, Brauch Owens, Amir Bakian, and George Nellist. The companies on this list show a remarkable growth rate across all industries in the Pacific. Between 2021 and 2023, these 142 private companies had a median growth rate of 124 percent; by 2023, they'd added 7,947 jobs and $5.6 billion to the region's economy. The Inc. Regionals: Pacific results, including company profiles, will be available at https://www.inc.com/regionals/pacific starting April 1. The interactive database can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria. "The honorees on this year's Inc. Regionals list are true trailblazers driving economic growth in their respective regions, industries, and beyond. This list celebrates their achievements and tells the stories of remarkable companies that are fueling growth and adding jobs in local economies throughout the country," said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. More About Ascend Agency Ascend Agency is a PR agency that prides itself on client retention and yearly growth. With a unique B2B business model, Ascend was founded to help others and has worked to forge global partnerships with major media and communication companies to support its clients across diverse markets. More about Inc. and the Inc. Regionals. Methodology The 2025 Inc. Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth over two years. Companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2021, to qualify. They had to be US-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent-not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies-as of December 31, 2023. (Since then, several companies on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue for 2021 is $100,000; the minimum for 2023 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for 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, innovators, and ultra-driven go-getters 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 . Ascend Agency Los Angeles, CA contact@ascendagency.com 949 300 8288 18300 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 880, Irvine, California, 92612 SOURCE: Ascend Agency Action Against Hunger: Forecasting Potential Hunger Crises Originally published by Action Against Hunger. One in 11 people are dealing with severe levels of food insecurity, which the United Nations reports poses "grave risks to their health and well-being." But how can we prepare for - or better, prevent - further deteriorations in communities facing this chronic problem? Monitoring situations and forecasting where things are set to get worse is crucial to saving lives. That is why Action Against Hunger is working to identify the early warning signs of rising hunger and malnutrition. By forecasting hazards and predicting likely emergencies, we can work with our partners to pinpoint when and where to focus our resources for the greatest impact. Predicting hunger and malnutrition In Eastern Africa, Modeling Early Risk Indicators to Anticipate Malnutrition (MERIAM) is Action Against Hunger's latest early warning tool under development. It aims to forecast elevated malnutrition prevalence rates and caseloads up to 12 months in advance, significantly longer than the 3-4 months projection horizons offered by existing systems. It complements other analytical processes by zooming in on the condition of children under five, who are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, and enabling more frequent updates of how the situation is set to evolve. Pilots are currently under development in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan. In Central America, Action Against Hunger's PREDISAN tool is monitoring and nowcasting food security across Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. The platform utilizes advanced machine learning tools, satellite imagery and remote sensing to identify the most vulnerable areas and estimate the number of people at various levels of food insecurity. Together with DATAface, it helps to better understand which populations are most affected by food insecurity so we can take targeted action. Developing early warning systems Early warning systems are crucial tools that integrate hazard monitoring, disaster risk assessments, forecasting and communication to enable individuals, communities, governments, businesses and others to take timely actions to reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events (see e.g. REAP, 2022). In South Asia, Action Against Hunger is focusing on new prediction capabilities in places most at risk. For example, an estimated 23.6 million people are food insecure in Bangladesh. Hunger is made worse by the country's vulnerability to climate shocks. Cyclones and floods are a recurring threat to agriculture and livelihoods - and one that is growing worse due to climate change. By leveraging machine learning and predictive modeling, AI can detect early warning signs of potential hunger crises, such as those caused by extreme weather events in Bangladesh. While significant progress has been made on early warning systems for cyclones via The STEP Project, tidal surges can be equally destructive and lack warning systems. That is the focus of promising projects like SURF-It (Support for Spatial Surge Forecasting Using Artificial Intelligence and Community Knowledge for Inclusive and Transformative Early Actions). This project will use AI to anticipate tidal surges, which are responsible for coastal flooding. AI monitors are installed along vulnerable coastline communities to sense water velocity, height of the tidal surfs, and other key indicators. The system sends all of this data to a central server. Action Against Hunger monitors the real-time data and notifies people of potential threats through text messages. The idea of SURF-It is to understand the scope of the loss and damage to be expected from tidal surges "so people can better anticipate that tidal surge event and then they take some action in advance to save their standing crops," said Tapan Kumar Chakraborty, Action Against Hunger's Deputy Country Director for Bangladesh. "[Communities] will get this information so they will have two or three days to save their productive assets, to harvest their crops a bit earlier, and to take their livestock to safer places." These early-warning measures can make a meaningful difference for marginalized communities. For example, when cyclone Remal made landfall, it was the worst storm to hit Bangladesh in over a decade. While it caused widespread damage, people were prepared. Action Against Hunger had sent out early warning messages to those living in at-risk areas and provided guidance on how to stay safe and protect assets from homes to animals. With help from the European Union, Action Against Hunger also provided approximately $40 in cash advance to 2,000 of the most vulnerable people so they could buy whatever they needed most urgently to prepare before the storm made landfall. Cash assistance is one of the most effective ways to help families in need. One recipient, whose house is made of wood and corrugated metal on a dirt floor, used the funding to secure their home by tying parts of it to a nearby tree. They also bought mesh to protect their small fishpond so the fish wouldn't be washed away and bought dried food to eat. These small steps made a big difference in helping the family weather the storm while lowering the risk that they would go hungry once the skies cleared. With a continued focus on predicting hunger hotspots and providing early warning to those most impacted, we can intervene early to stop hunger in its tracks. Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 59 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Action Against Hunger on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Action Against Hunger Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/action-against-hunger Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Action Against Hunger Select Lending Services, a joint venture between CMG Financial, the sixth top-producing retail lender in the nation, and Peerage Capital, a leading North American business services and private investment firm, is pleased to announce the hire of Christian Hartung, Divisional Sales Manager (NMLS ID# 483527) in the Mid-Atlantic region. With over 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry, Hartung brings a wealth of expertise and leadership to Select Lending Services. Renowned for his dedication to his team, he actively champions their success by providing the tools, support, and strategic guidance needed to excel. His steadfast commitment to cultivating a collaborative and high-performing environment has been instrumental in driving both individual and team growth. "We are thrilled to welcome Christian Hartung as the leader of Select Lending Services Mid Atlantic Division," said Chris Harris, Executive Vice President at CMG Financial. "His industry experience and track record immediately stood out to us, but what truly sets him apart is his infectious character and strong leadership. His dedication is evidenced by his team's loyalty and his glowing reviews. He is the perfect person to continue Select Lending Services' growth in the DMV area." As Divisional Sales Executive, Hartung will oversee all aspects of operations, business development, and customer engagement strategies. He will play a key role in strengthening Select Lending Services' position as a trusted provider of mortgage solutions, ensuring clients receive exceptional service and strategic financing options. "I am thrilled to join Select Lending Services as a Divisional Sales Executive," said Hartung. "I was drawn to their innovative technology platforms, commitment to exceptional customer experiences, and proprietary loan programs like the All In One Loan. As a leader in the industry, their cutting-edge solutions empower clients to achieve their homeownership dreams more efficiently." Select Lending Services is growing, and we're looking for top mortgage professionals ready to advance their careers. Led by Christian Hartung, this opportunity backed by a highly invested partner sets you up for success from the start. Reach out to Christian for more information at chartung@hartungteam.com or (202) 360-8773. About Select Lending Services Select Lending Services (NMLS# 2027853) is a joint venture of the well-capitalized and privately held mortgage lender, CMG Financial (NMLS# 1820), which was founded in 1993. Founder and CEO of CMG, Christopher M. George, was Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association in 2019. CMG makes its products and services available to the market through three distinct origination channels including retail lending, wholesale lending, and correspondent lending. CMG is widely known through the mortgage lending and housing markets for responsible lending practices, industry and consumer advocacy, product innovation, and operational efficiency. SLS currently has physical branches in Oregon, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, and Florida, and holds approvals with FNMA, FHLMC, and GNMA. For more information about Select Lending Services and its mortgage solutions, please visit https://www.selectlendingservices.com/ or contact Stefanie Bittinger. SOURCE: Select Lending Services GOTHENBURG, Sweden, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annual General Meeting of Aktiebolaget SKF was held on Tuesday, 1 April 2025. The income statements and the balance sheets were adopted, together with the Board's proposal for distribution of dividend. A dividend of SEK 7.75 per share was approved. To be entitled to receive the dividend, shareholders must be recorded in the share register on Thursday, 3 April 2025. The Board members and the CEO were discharged from liability for their administration of the company for the financial year 2024. Hans Straberg, Hock Goh, Geert Follens, Hakan Buskhe, Susanna Schneeberger, Rickard Gustafson, Beth Ferreira, Therese Friberg, Richard Nilsson and Niko Pakalen were reelected as Board members. Mats Rahmstrom was newly elected as a Board member. Hans Straberg was elected Chair of the Board. The Board has appointed Hakan Buskhe and Mats Rahmstrom as Vice Chairs of the Board. The Board has also decided to establish two Board Committees; an Audit and Sustainability Committee as well as a People Committee. The Annual General Meeting resolved that the Board fee for 2025 shall be: a. SEK 3,025,000 to the Chair of the Board of Directors, SEK 1,515,000 to the Vice Chair(s) of the Board of Directors, and SEK 990,000 to each of the other Board members; and b. SEK 385,000 to the Chair of the Audit Committee, SEK 275,000 to each of the other members of the Audit Committee, SEK 220,000 to each of the Chairs of the other Committees, and SEK 165,000 to each of the other members of the other Committees; 30 percent of the Board fee (excluding the Committee fees) should be converted and consist of a variable Board fee (so-called synthetic shares). Complete terms for the variable Board fee (synthetic shares) are available on www.skf.com among the Board's compete proposals. A special meeting fee of EUR 2,000 for travel within Europe and EUR 5,000 for intercontinental travel to a physical Board meeting in Sweden shall be paid to Board members residing outside of Sweden, and to Board members residing in Sweden for travel to a physical Board meeting outside of Sweden. A prerequisite for obtaining remuneration is that the Board member is elected by the General Meeting and is not employed by the company. The Annual General Meeting approved the Board's proposal to amend the Articles of Association to foremost adjust the term of office for the appointed auditor. Deloitte AB was elected auditor of the company for a period of one year until the end of the annual general meeting held during 2026. The Annual General Meeting approved the Board's remuneration report and the Board's proposal for a resolution on SKF's Performance Share Programme 2025. The programme is proposed to cover senior managers and key employees in the SKF Group with an opportunity to be allotted, free of charge, SKF B shares. Under the programme, not more than in total 1,000,000 SKF B shares may be allotted. The allotment of shares shall be related to the level of achievement of the Total Value Added (TVA) target, as defined by the Board, and the SKF Group's CDP Climate Change score performance measure during the three-year programme period. The programme does not entail any dilution of the company's shares. The principal terms and guidelines of the programme can be found in the Board's proposal at www.skf.com. Aktiebolaget SKF (publ) For further information, please contact: Press Relations: Carl Bjernstam, +46 31-337 2517; +46 722 201 893; carl.bjernstam@skf.com Investor Relations: Sophie Arnius, +46 31-337 8072; +46 705 908072; sophie.arnius@skf.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/skf/r/annual-general-meeting-of-ab-skf,c4128549 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/637/4128549/3361127.pdf 20250401 Annual General Meeting of AB SKF https://news.cision.com/skf/i/tidal-turbine,c3393781 Tidal turbine View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/annual-general-meeting-of-ab-skf-302417163.html Dr. Kahen's Hollywood-Proven Hair Growth Innovations Go Mainstream with Smart Restoration Leading Beverly Hills hair restoration surgeon, Dr. John Kahen, MD., one of Southern California's most sought-after hair restoration experts, is making his exclusive line of proprietary products, Smart Restoration, available to the general public for the first time. Smart Restoration is a premium line of scientifically formulated products designed to stimulate hair growth, prevent thinning, and restore the full, luxurious hair once reserved for A-listers. "As a renowned expert in hair restoration, I've spent years perfecting formulas that not only stop hair loss but actively reverse it-solutions trusted by my most high-profile clients," says Dr. John Kahen, MD, founder and medical director at Smart Restoration. "Up until now, these products have only been available to my patients, and I am thrilled to make these breakthrough products available to anyone facing hair loss - both men and women - to regain their confidence, and to help them look and feel their best," says Dr. Kahen. The RENEW+ Difference: Cutting-Edge Formulas for Real Results Dr. Kahen's RENEW+ collection consists of five clinically-backed products designed to support stronger, fuller hair at every stage: RENEW+ Hair Growth Supplement - An advanced oral supplement featuring Keranat, a plant-based compound first discovered in France that promotes hair growth while preventing loss. Safe for nearly all users, including pregnant women. RENEW+ Revitalizing Shampoo - Infused with marine collagen, biotin liposomes, and apple stem cell extract, this shampoo nourishes hair while fortifying each strand against damage. RENEW+ Revitalizing Conditioner - A daily essential enriched with DL Panthenol B5 and HairSpa. This conditioner replenishes nutrients and boosts volume in thinning or weakened hair. RENEW+ Hair Serum - Featuring Transcutol CG for deep scalp absorption. This powerhouse formula rebuilds and revitalizes damaged hair follicles at the root. Smart Restoration Rx Hair Spray - A prescription-strength treatment containing powerful ingredients like Finasteride and Minoxidil, designed to stimulate hair regrowth with pinpoint precision. For years, these formulations were reserved for Dr. Kahen's celebrity clientele-now, anyone experiencing hair loss can benefit from science-backed, results-driven, tried and tested, hair restoration. The RENEW+ collection is available now exclusively through Smart Restoration. Visit www.smartrestoration.com or call (310) 904-6181 to learn more and shop the collection. For media inquiries, press samples, or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kahen, please contact: Beverly Hills Public Relations 310.904.6181 info@beverlyhillspr.com About Smart Restoration Smart Restoration is a cutting-edge hair loss solution brand dedicated to helping individuals restore confidence through scientifically advanced, effective hair care products. Designed to combat thinning hair and promote healthy regrowth, our innovative formulations combine proven ingredients with the latest advancements in hair restoration technology. Whether you're looking to prevent hair loss, strengthen existing strands, or revitalize your scalp, Smart Restoration provides powerful, results-driven solutions tailored to your needs. Learn more at www.smartrestoration.com. Contact Information Media Beverly Hills PR johnkahen@gmail.com SOURCE: Beverly Hills Public Relations The company consolidates its technology-oriented business strategy with artificial intelligence solutions that already address real business challenges for nearly 100 clients across different industries Through its ecosystem of solutions and its proprietary AI Studio platform, Atento puts innovation at the service of customers and employees MADRID, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Atento Luxco 1 ("Atento" or the "Company"), one of the largest global providers of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing services (CRM/BTO) and industry leader in Latin America, consolidates its transformative role in the Business Transformation Outsourcing sector. Through its innovative solution offering aimed at enhancing Customer Experience (CX) and Employee Experience (EX), Atento redefines how brands interact with their customers, democratizing access to advanced high-impact technologies across various industries. Since implementing its strategy based on proprietary technology, artificial intelligence, and intelligent automation, Atento transforms key processes in customer service. This evolution translates into hyper-personalized experiences, more intuitive interactions, and more efficient operations for nearly 100 clients currently, and continues to be expanded to many others across all regions. Thanks to the development of Atento's technological ecosystem, the company has achieved notable results that reflect its ability to scale innovation: Advanced Insights: With over 125 thousand hours of processes analyzed - this solution facilitates strategic decision-making through advanced data analysis. With over 125 thousand hours of processes analyzed - this solution facilitates strategic decision-making through advanced data analysis. Knowledge Assistant: Virtual assistants that have completed 125,000 interactions with customers and employees. Virtual assistants that have completed 125,000 interactions with customers and employees. Smart Recruiter: Recruitment process automation with nearly 250 defined profiles and approximately 150,000 interviews conducted, optimizing candidate experience and accelerating talent selection. Recruitment process automation with nearly 250 defined profiles and approximately 150,000 interviews conducted, optimizing candidate experience and accelerating talent selection. Atento Conversations: Generative conversational platform with over 32 million interactions and various advanced conversational AI concept tests in development for client base. Generative conversational platform with over 32 million interactions and various advanced conversational AI concept tests in development for client base. Corporate Chat: Internal corporate chat that has managed more than 675,000 questions and answers for almost 8,000 users, improving productivity and employee experience. Internal corporate chat that has managed more than 675,000 questions and answers for almost 8,000 users, improving productivity and employee experience. Dynamic Automation Platform: Platform with 5,500 active users to date, facilitating intelligent automation of repetitive tasks and business processes. Platform with 5,500 active users to date, facilitating intelligent automation of repetitive tasks and business processes. Qualistore: Real-time quality tool with more than 25,000 users in 4 countries, focused on continuous improvement of CX processes. One of its most striking features is gamification, which includes elements like points and rankings, encouraging employees to actively participate in training, creating a competitive and fun environment where users can track their progress and engage more in learning activities. This approach not only increases employee motivation but also contributes to a more dynamic and collaborative environment, promoting continuous team development. Real-time quality tool with more than 25,000 users in 4 countries, focused on continuous improvement of CX processes. One of its most striking features is gamification, which includes elements like points and rankings, encouraging employees to actively participate in training, creating a competitive and fun environment where users can track their progress and engage more in learning activities. This approach not only increases employee motivation but also contributes to a more dynamic and collaborative environment, promoting continuous team development. Integrated Login: Intelligent authentication solution already implemented for several clients and thousands of users, strengthening security and access experience in digital environments. "At Atento, we integrate Artificial Intelligence at the heart of our solutions so that any company, regardless of its size or digital maturity, can benefit from it," highlights Dimitrius Oliveira, CEO of Atento. "With over 100,000 people, we are truly focused on developing, scaling, and democratizing AI advances. Our objective is clear: democratize access to advanced technologies and turn innovation into concrete results for customer and employee experience," he concludes. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2400541/4677794/Atento_logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/atento-democratizes-the-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-customer-and-employee-experience-302417032.html One of the most effective ways to significantly boost the impact of an NGO is by supporting training programs that enhance their capacity to reach and assist more people. These programs empower NGO staff and local partners, ultimately leading to a broader and more sustainable impact. The Power of Training Programs Take International Medical Corps, a relief agency we've collaborated with for many years, as a prime example. By supporting their training initiatives, we help them expand their ability to educate and empower doctors, nurses, hospital administrative staff, and community health workers. Training health professionals yields immediate benefits. It broadens their knowledge base and hones their skills, enabling them to address a wider range of needs and treat more individuals affected by various disasters. The impact multiplies exponentially when an NGO implements train-the-trainer programs. Each newly trained individual can, in turn, train others, thereby magnifying the overall reach and effectiveness of the initial training. Real-World Examples: Lebanon and Jamaica Lebanon (May 2023): In Lebanon, International Medical Corps trained 135 individuals, including 79 people on Primary Trauma Care and 56 on Stop the Bleed. Participants included their country mission staff and officials from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Out of these trainees, 22 took part in an intensive 5-day Train-the-Trainer session. Additionally, International Medical Corps conducted a 30-person workshop for their Lebanon country mission to discuss their Emergency Preparedness and Response Program (EPRP). This program is crucial for each country office as it helps anticipate and organize effective responses to likely emergencies. The workshop covered hazard mapping, risk analysis, supply prepositioning, and the organizational process for activating a response. After the workshop, the team in Lebanon reported feeling significantly better prepared to handle future emergencies. Jamaica (April 2025): Looking ahead, International Medical Corps will implement a comprehensive training program in Jamaica. This program will target healthcare personnel from regional hospitals affected by Hurricane Beryl in July 2024. The training will cover critical topics such as Stop the Bleed, Basic Emergency Care, and Mass Casualty Management. Participants will work together to develop triage and evacuation plans, assign roles for an incident command team, and simulate a mass casualty event. Over the course of nine sessions-three per topic-234 doctors, nurses, hospital administrative staff, and community health workers will be trained. This includes an estimated 14 individuals who will also participate in the Train-the-Trainer courses, further multiplying the program's impact. Why Support Training Programs? The next time you collaborate with an NGO to enhance their capacity, consider funding training programs for their staff and partners. Investing in these initiatives not only strengthens the NGO's immediate response capabilities but also ensures a multiplied return on investment through train-the-trainer programs. This approach will help you achieve your goal of amplifying their capacity by tenfold, creating a far-reaching and lasting impact. By supporting training programs, you contribute to building a more resilient and capable global community, ready to tackle future challenges with confidence and expertise. Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from FedEx on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: FedEx Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/fedex Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: FedEx Regulatory News: Spartoo (ISIN code: FR00140043Y1 mnemonique: ALSPT), one of Europe's leading online retailers of fashion items, is proud to once again top the 2024 Best Online Retailers ranking, in the multi-brand footwear category, for the fifth year in a row, with an improved score of 8.5/10. Across all categories, Spartoo also ranks first overall, out of nearly 500 brands evaluated. Boris Saragaglia, co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Spartoo, said: "This fifth consecutive recognition from Capital magazine rewards our unwavering commitment to delivering the best possible shopping experience. This result reflects the trust of our customers and the dedication of our teams, who work every day to provide outstanding service and uphold our customer-centric approach." The ranking is based on an independent survey conducted with over 3,000 online shoppers, evaluating 50 key criteria, including site usability, security, payment options, customer service quality, shopping experience, and delivery. Spartoo's top score highlights the following key strengths: An unmatched fashion offering: With more than 9,000 brands and 1.6 million items available in over 30 countries, Spartoo provides one of the widest fashion selections in Europe, covering all segments: footwear, ready-to-wear, sportswear, luxury, accessories, leather goods, home decoration, second-hand items, and more. With more than 9,000 brands and 1.6 million items available in over 30 countries, Spartoo provides one of the widest fashion selections in Europe, covering all segments: footwear, ready-to-wear, sportswear, luxury, accessories, leather goods, home decoration, second-hand items, and more. A lowest price guarantee : Spartoo is committed to offering the most competitive prices on the market, and refunds twice the difference if a product is found cheaper elsewhere. : Spartoo is committed to offering the most competitive prices on the market, and refunds twice the difference if a product is found cheaper elsewhere. A high-performance integrated logistics platform : Spartoo's warehouse, located in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier (France) and equipped with RFID technology, ensures optimal stock management, error-free order preparation, and fast delivery times. : Spartoo's warehouse, located in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier (France) and equipped with RFID technology, ensures optimal stock management, error-free order preparation, and fast delivery times. An internal customer service team available 7 days a week : Based at the Grenoble headquarters, Spartoo's multilingual call center includes 70 employees representing 20 nationalities, delivering personalized, high-quality and responsive support. : Based at the Grenoble headquarters, Spartoo's multilingual call center includes 70 employees representing 20 nationalities, delivering personalized, high-quality and responsive support. Fully in-house developed e-commerce technology: All Spartoo's digital and operational solutions are developed internally, ensuring agility, innovation, and operational excellence. Spartoo is also among the highest-rated players on Trustpilot, further cementing its status as a benchmark in the e-commerce industry in both France and Europe. To receive next press releases from SPARTOO, please contact us at newcap@spartoo.com Upcoming events Half-yearly turnover and results 2025, Monday, September 29, 2025 after market close About Spartoo With more than 9,000 brands and more than 1.6 million items, Spartoo offers one of the widest selections of fashion items (footwear, ready-to-wear, bags) in more than 30 countries in Europe, thanks to its team of more than 400 employees of nearly 30 different nationalities. In 2024, the Group achieved a GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) of 184.7 million, of which almost 38% was generated internationally. With an integrated logistics platform and after-sales service, Spartoo stands out for its customer-centric approach, as demonstrated by its very high customer satisfaction rate. The strategy is based on the strong synergies between the online sales model and the advantages of physical stores, which support brand loyalty and brand awareness. Capitalizing on its e-commerce expertise, Spartoo has also developed a full range of services for professionals. Visit the Group's websites: www.spartoo.com www.spartoo-finance.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250401077873/en/ Contacts: Spartoo 04 58 00 16 84 investors@spartoo.com NewCap Louis-Victor Delouvrier Jeremy Digel Investor Relations newcap@spartoo.com 01 44 71 94 94 NewCap Nicolas Merigeau Media Relations newcap@spartoo.com 01 44 71 98 52 BH Macro Limited - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, April 01 BH Macro Limited (the "Company") (a closed-ended collective investment scheme established as a company with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registered number 46235) Transaction in Own Shares 01 April 2025 BH Macro Limited (the Company) announces today it has purchased the following number of its ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange from J.P. Morgan Securities plc: Ordinary Shares: - Share Class Sterling Date of purchase: 01 April 2025 Number of ordinary shares purchased: 116,430 Lowest price per share (pence) 377.00 Highest price per share (pence) 378.50 Trading venue London Aggregate volume per date per trading venue: 116,430 Weighted average price per day per trading venue (pence): 377.7946 The Company intends to hold the purchased shares in treasury. Following the above share transactions of the relevant US Dollar and Sterling Shares, the total number of shares in issue in each share class of the Company will be as follows: Ordinary Shares in issue (excluding Treasury) Ordinary Shares held in Treasury 336,880,906 Sterling Shares 38,859,805 Sterling Shares 27,132,086 Dollar Shares Nil Dollar Shares From 01 April 2025, the total number of voting rights in the Company (rounded up to the whole number) is 516,188,478. Enquiries: Company website: www.bhmacro.com William Simmonds JPMorgan Cazenove Tel: 020 7588 2828 The Company Secretary Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited Tel: 01481 745001 Press release Chassieu (France), 1st April 2025 - 6 pm - Amoeba (FR0011051598 - ALMIB), industrial greentech specialized in the development of natural microbiological solutions based on the patented use of amoebae, is proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Metron Technology, a subsidiary of the Chinese Oriental Beauty Valley group (OBV group), with a view to signing an agreement for the registration of its own natural cosmetic ingredient in China, and for its commercial distribution on the local market in a second phase. Only a few months after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Koppert, world leader in biocontrol[1], this signature with a strategic player in the cosmetics industry in China demonstrates once again the interest of major global groups in the solutions developed by Amoeba and their promising prospects. Based in Shanghai, the Oriental Beauty Valley group is an industrial centre of excellence officially supported by the Chinese authorities as part of their national development strategy for the cosmetics sector. Recognised as a pilot area by the Chinese government, this hub embodies the Chinese government's desire to accelerate innovation, raise quality standards and strengthen the attractiveness of the Chinese market in the field of beauty and well-being. It brings together more than 1,000 companies (including L'Oreal, Shiseido, etc.), laboratories, research centers and specialist bodies, forming a unique ecosystem that fosters synergies between innovation, production and regulation. As a veritable strategic hub, Oriental Beauty Valley offers a structured and secure environment to support innovative projects, from formulation to regulatory compliance, while meeting growing demands in terms of safety, efficacy and sustainable development. Oriental Beauty Valley therefore appears to be the ideal partner for Amoeba to boost the development of its cosmetic ingredient, whose potential and efficacy on skin ageing markers and in mitigating the harmful effects of oxidative stress have already been demonstrated[2]. As a remainder, a study carried out in the 1st half of 2024 by the Institut d'Expertise Clinique (France) also confirmed the benefits of using the cosmetic ingredient developed by Amoeba for its anti-ageing effect and skin care, with "statistically significant" results measured for various claims (in particular the repairing effect on the superficial dermis)[3]. This Memorandum of Understanding will enable Amoeba and the Oriental Beauty Valley group to open a period of negotiations in order to reach an agreement covering both the regulatory aspects and the marketing of Amoeba's ingredient on Chinese territory. In particular, it includes: Support and advice from the Oriental Beauty Valley group to obtain registration for Amoeba's cosmetic ingredient in China; A distribution agreement for Amoeba's cosmetic ingredient with Chinese cosmetics groups, once registration has been obtained. Another major step forward in the development of Amoeba While Amoeba's cosmetic ingredient was already registered on the INCI (International Nomenclature for Cosmetic Ingredients) list in 2024, making it possible to market it without further authorisation throughout the world with the exception of China, this Memorandum of Understanding now enables Amoeba to prepare for its arrival on the Chinese market, the world's second-largest cosmetics market, estimated at nearly $85 billion, after that of the United States. Once registered in China, Amoeba's cosmetic ingredient can be used worldwide, paving the way for future collaborations with international groups wishing to use the same formulas throughout the world. Amoeba is therefore preparing to considerably accelerate the development of its cosmetics business, which complements its biocontrol segment, since it is characterised by lower ingredient volumes but sold at very high margins. Lastly, the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding once again demonstrates the interest shown by major global players in Amoeba, which has unique expertise in the world, from the patented use of amoebae, in the development of substances and ingredients that are both innovative and environmentally friendly. Benoit VILLERS, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amoeba, said: "After signing an MoU with Koppert, world leader in biocontrol, at the end of 2024, we are delighted to sign an MoU for our cosmetics business with the Oriental Beauty Valley (OBV) group, a major and leading player in China. This is a key step for Amoeba, as we will not only be able to benefit from all the OBV group's expertise, at both regulatory and commercial levels, but also join a veritable hub made up of several hundred world-renowned players in the cosmetics industry. This Memorandum of Understanding aims to significantly accelerate our presence in this industry, and we are very proud to have been selected by OBV. We are thus actively pursuing Amoeba's development plan, whose unique expertise is once again recognised by a leading global player". M. Yuecheng ZHU, CEO of Metron (Shanghai) Technology Co., said: "OBV, which enjoys the title of Cosmetics Capital of China and is a leader in the Chinese cosmetics industry, will offer Amoeba its full range of services which, in time, may extend beyond the registration and distribution process. The scientific results already obtained have convinced us that Amoeba can provide innovative and unique solutions in China. We are convinced that this cooperation will be a great success for both companies". About Oriental Beauty Valley Group : Oriental Beauty Valley Group is a state-owned company under the jurisdiction of Fengxian District (Shanghai region), with registered capital of 600 million yuan. It focuses on promoting the beauty and health industry, as well as creating a "Silicon Valley" for the cosmetics industry. Thee Group actively plays the role of a market entity to enrich industrial resources, accelerate industrial development, carry out mergers and acquisitions and acquire stakes in high-quality enterprises in the entire beauty and health industry chain, consolidate industrial ecology, and promote the agglomeration and development of the beauty and health industry cluster in Fengxian District. About Metron Technology (Oriental Beauty Valley Group) : Metron Technology is a strategic subsidiary of Oriental Beauty Valley, specialising in regulatory, scientific and technological support for innovative cosmetics projects. Created with the support of the local authorities and as part of the development of the beauty ecosystem in Shanghai, Metron Technology's mission is to facilitate the integration of international innovations on the Chinese market, by ensuring their compliance with local standards. Positioned at the interface between research, industry and government, Metron Technology offers cutting-edge expertise in regulatory approval, safety assessment and validation of cosmetic ingredients, working directly with the relevant authorities. Thanks to its partner laboratories, scientific teams and consultancy services, it supports foreign companies throughout the registration and marketing process. Contacts: Anson ZHU Eunice YANG CEO Assistant of CEO Tel: +86 130 5222 2798 Tel: +86 1350 171 6703 zhuyuecheng@obvmt.cn qingyi@obvmt.cn Adress: The Orient Beauty Valley Group Metron (shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd. 2F, Building 21, 6055# Jinhai Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai About AMOEBA: Founded in 2010, Amoeba is a greentech company based in Chassieu (Lyon, France) whose ambition is to become a major player in the treatment of microbiological risk based on the patented use of amoebae in the plant protection and cosmetics sectors. With know-how that is unique in the world and protected by numerous patents, Amoeba is currently the only company capable of exploiting the full potential of the Willaertia amoeba on an industrial scale and growing it in sufficient volumes to offer biological solutions that constitute a viable alternative to the chemical products widely used today. Amoeba is currently focusing on the global biocontrol market for plant protection and the cosmetics market. As the marketing of plant protection products is subject to obtaining local regulatory approvals, the Company has taken the necessary regulatory steps and in 2022 obtained approval for its active substance in the USA as well as the recommendation for approval in Europe issued by the Austrian authority. Cosmetic applications do not require prior approval from a competent authority in Europe or the United States. Amoeba is listed on Euronext Growth (ALMIB). The company is a member of the Bpifrance Excellence network and is eligible for the PEA-PME scheme. For more information, visit https://amoeba-nature.com/en/. Contacts: Amoeba ACTUS finance & communication Droit Devant Agency Chief Executive Officer Jean-Francois DOUCET 04 26 69 16 00 jf.doucet@amoeba-nature.com Investor relations Pierre JACQUEMIN-GUILLAUME 01 53 67 36 79 amoeba@actus.fr Financial press relations Serena BONI 04 72 18 04 92 sboni@actus.fr Trade and general public press relations Laetitia PINTO 07 64 83 39 85 pinto@droitdevant.fr Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements about Amoeba that are based on our current estimates and assumptions and on information currently available to us. Amoebadoes not, however, give any assurance that the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements will be achieved. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, including those described in Amoeba's Document Universel d'Enregistrement filed with the Autorite des marches financiers on 29 April 2024 under number D.24-0352 and available on Amoeba's website (www.amoeba-nature.com). The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks unknown to Amoeba or that Amoeba does not currently consider material. The occurrence of some or all of these risks could cause Amoeba's actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. [1] See the press release dated 12 December 2024. [2] See the press release dated 21 November 2024. [3] See the press release dated 10 June 2024. ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: mGiaYcaYaJrKmmudY8pomZSZamhnxGadm2qaxWWda8yYbGxlnW9haMiaZnJhnG1q - 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-0-90784-amoeba-cp-mou-2025-obv-vdef-eng.pdf Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Sun Residential Real Estate Investment Trust (TSXV: SRES) ("Sun") announces today that it has entered into separate purchase agreements (the "Purchase Agreements") in connection with the sale of its interests in its two properties (the "Properties"), being a 51% interest in Evergreen at Southwood ("Evergreen at Southwood"), a "Class A" multi-family residential property located in Tallahassee, Florida comprising 12 buildings with 288 rental units, and 4815 Tudor Drive ("Tudor"), an 8-unit multi-family property located in Cape Coral, Florida which is currently being renovated by Sun (collectively, the "Sale Transactions"). The Properties represent substantially all of Sun's assets. Following completion of the Sale Transactions, if approved by, among others, the holders ("Unitholders") of trust units ("Units") of Sun, Sun will be wound-up and terminated (the "Termination"). Sun intends to distribute the net proceeds of the Sale Transactions and Sun's remaining cash (after payment of all liabilities and obligations of Sun) to Unitholders. Sun will provide Unitholders with further details on the Sale Transactions, the Termination and the distribution of remaining proceeds in the Circular (as defined below). Details of Sale Transactions Evergreen at Southwood is being sold to Westdale Galesi Partners, LLC, the current owner of the remaining 49% interest in Evergreen at Southwood. Under the Purchase Agreement for Evergreen at Southwood, signed April 1, 2025, Westdale Galesi Partners, LLC has agreed to acquire Sun's 51% of the interests in Westdale Evergreen Southwood LLC, the owner of Evergreen at Southwood, for US$14,055,600, an amount in excess of the fair market value of Sun's interest in Evergreen at Southwood as included in the audited consolidated financial statements of Sun for the year ended December 31, 2024. The mortgage loan for Evergreen at Southwood will remain with Westdale Evergreen Southwood LLC. Tudor is being sold to 4815 Tudor Drive, LLC. Under the Purchase Agreement for Tudor, signed April 1, 2025, 4815 Tudor Drive, LLC has agreed to acquire Tudor for US$1,250,000, an amount consistent with recent broker opinions of value obtained by Sun. Tudor is mortgage free and its renovation is expected to be completed before its sale closes. 4815 Tudor Drive, LLC is a company controlled by Robert C. Wetenhall Jr., a trustee and the Chief Executive Officer of Sun. Accordingly, the Tudor portion of the Sale Transactions is a "related party transaction" under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), as adopted by TSXV Policy 5.9 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. As Sun is not listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, in accordance with Section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101, the Tudor portion of the Sale Transactions is exempt from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101. As neither the fair market value of Tudor, nor the fair market value of the consideration for Tudor, exceeds 25% of Sun's market capitalization, as determined under Section 5.5(a) of MI 61-101, Sun is also exempt from the requirement to obtain approval of a majority of the minority Unitholders for the Tudor portion of the Sale Transactions. Benefits of the Sale Transactions Over the last few years, the trustees of Sun (the "Board") have reviewed the strategic alternatives available versus continuing with the status quo. In doing so, the Board considered and canvassed the ability of Sun to attract the public equity capital necessary to execute its growth-oriented business plan of acquiring and operating additional multi-family residential properties located in the Sunbelt region of the United States. The Board determined that Sun will face challenges as the conditions in Canada for raising public equity capital remain challenging in the foreseeable future for small growth-oriented issuers such as Sun. Given Sun's small existing asset base and market capitalization, the Board determined that Sun would continue to suffer from diseconomies of scale (the fixed costs of Sun, including, among others, the costs of management, maintaining a listing on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") and complying with disclosure obligations under securities laws, are allocated over the small asset base of Sun), which would continue to severely limit the ability of Sun to explore any other growth initiatives. As a result of the foregoing, the Board proceeded to seek alternatives to dispose of the Properties. In the event that the Sale Transactions are completed according to the terms of the Purchase Agreements and approvals received, Sun will not have any active business operations or material assets other than cash. Sun expects to be delisted from the TSXV and to proceed with the Termination following the completion of the Sale Transactions. Sun intends to distribute the net proceeds of the Sale Transactions and Sun's remaining cash (after payment of Sale Transactions costs, Termination costs, severance and cessation costs, and payment of all other liabilities and obligations of Sun) to Unitholders in one or more installments. Sun will provide Unitholders with further updates with respect to the proposed distribution(s) in the Circular (as defined below) and upon completion of the Sale Transactions. Upon completion of the Sale Transactions and at or about the time of the Termination, the employment of each of the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Controller of Sun will be terminated. Accordingly, Sun will be responsible for severance obligations with respect to those employees. Furthermore, upon completion of the Sale Transactions and at or about the time of the Termination, the service of each of the members of the Board will cease. To date, no compensation has been provided to the trustees for acting as a member of the Board, and each will receive a cessation payment. Certain of the foregoing payments will qualify as a "collateral benefit" under MI 61-101. As Sun is not listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, in accordance with Section 4.4(1)(a) of MI 61-101, such payments are exempt from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101. In accordance with Section 4.5 of MI 61-101, Sun will be required to obtain approval of a majority of the minority Unitholders for the Termination as result of the "collateral benefits" arising thereunder. Completion of the Sale Transactions, Unitholder Meeting and Termination Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreements, the policies of the TSXV and the second amended and restated declaration of trust of Sun dated November 4, 2020, the Sale Transactions and the Termination are, among other things, subject to the approval of the Unitholders and the TSXV. The Sale Transactions are subject to customary closing conditions for transactions of this nature, including the receipt of the approval of the TSXV, receipt of any lender approval and the approval of the Sale Transactions by not less than 662/3% of votes cast by Unitholders in person or by proxy at an annual and special meeting of Unitholders (the "Meeting"). If the Sale Transactions are approved by Unitholders at the Meeting, Unitholders will also vote to approve the Termination, including the proposed delisting of the Units from the TSXV. The Termination must be approved at the Meeting by not less than 662/3% of the votes cast by Unitholders in person or by proxy, as well as a majority of the votes cast by the Unitholders, excluding those votes cast by persons whose votes are to be excluded pursuant to MI 61-101 and any TSXV policy. The Meeting will be held on May 28, 2025 in Toronto. In the event that the Sale Transactions and the Termination are approved by the Unitholders, it is expected that Sun will complete the Sale Transactions as soon as possible following the Meeting and then proceed with the Termination. Further details will be provided by Sun following the Meeting. Details of the Sale Transactions and the Termination process will be set out in greater detail in the proxy materials, comprised of the notice of meeting, management information circular (the "Circular") and instrument of proxy, which will be mailed out on or about May 1, 2025. Unitholders are encouraged to read the Circular as well as the Purchase Agreements. Copies of the Circular and the Purchase Agreements will be available under Sun's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The Board has unanimously determined (with Mr. Wetenhall abstaining in relation to the sale of Tudor), based upon such factors considered by the Board to be relevant as will be set out in the Circular, to approve each Purchase Agreement and to recommend that Unitholders vote in favour of the resolutions approving the Sale Transactions and the Termination, as outlined above, at the Meeting. About Sun Residential Real Estate Investment Trust Sun Residential Real Estate Investment Trust is an unincorporated open-ended real estate investment trust established pursuant to a declaration of trust dated January 22, 2019, as amended and restated on March 22, 2019 and November 4, 2020. The business of Sun is to acquire multi-family residential properties in the Sunbelt region of the United States. Caution regarding forward-looking statements Forward-looking statements in this news release, including, among others, statements associated with the ability to satisfy regulatory, stock exchange and commercial closing conditions of the Sale Transactions and the Termination and the expected timing of the Meeting and the completion of the Sale Transactions and the Termination, reflect Sun's current assumptions, expectations, and projections. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "planned," "expects," "expecting," "anticipated," or "believes," or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events, or results "may," "could," "would," "might," "should," or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Sun's actual results or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this news release relate only to events or information as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect. Furthermore, forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances surrounding future expectations that are difficult to predict and mostly beyond the control of Sun. Except as specifically required by Canadian securities law, Sun undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Many factors will cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from results in the forward-looking statements: for a description of such factors please refer to the Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2024 available at www.sedarplus.ca or at www.sunresreit.com. 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. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. This news release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons (as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act")), absent registration or an exemption from registration. The securities offered have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws and, therefore, may not be offered for sale in the United States, except in transactions exempt from registration under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This news 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 state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246945 SOURCE: Sun Residential Real Estate Investment Trust The "Turkey Existing Upcoming Data Center Portfolio" database has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Istanbul dominates the upcoming data center market in Turkey with almost 80% of the total power capacity. The existing data center capacity in Turkey is around 120 MW, while the upcoming capacity in the region is expected to be around 40 MW. Around $100 Million in new investments is expected to flow into upcoming data centers in Turkey in 2025. This database product covers the Turkey data center market portfolio analysis, which will provide the following information on the colocation data centers: Detailed Analysis of 32 existing data centers Detailed Analysis of 2 upcoming data centers Locations covered: Ankara, Bursa, Denizli, Istanbul, Izmir and Tekirdag. Upcoming white-floor space (square feet) Current IT load capacity (2024) Future capacity additions (2024-2028) Retail Colocation Pricing Quarter Rack (1/4) Half Rack Cabinets (1/2) Full Rack Cabinet (42U/45U/47U/etc.) Wholesale colocation (per kW) pricing The data points covered in the database across each facility are mentioned below: Existing Data Centers (32 Facilities) Market Snapshot Location (Region/Country/City) Facility Address Operator/Owner Name Data Center Name i.e., (IL2 or Alastyr Data Center) Core Shell Area (White-Floor Area) Core Shell Power Capacity (IT Load Capacity) Rack Capacity Year of Operations Design Standards (Tier I IV) Power/Cooling Redundancy Upcoming Data Centers (2 Facilities) Investment Snapshot Location (Region/Country/City) Investor Name Area (White-Floor Area) Power Capacity (IT Load Capacity) Investment ($ Million) Electrical Infrastructure Investment ($ Million) Mechanical Infrastructure Investment ($ Million) General Construction Services Investment ($ Million) Announcement Year Project Status (Opened/Under Construction/Announced Planned) Active or Expected Year of Opening The major operators/investors covered in this Turkey data center database include: Alastyr Telecommunication Borsa Istanbul Cizgi Telekom Comnet Data Center Compass Data Centre Datatelekom Telekomunikasyon Hizmetleri Ltd Sti Datema Bilisim DGN Teknoloji EdgeConneX Edgenex Damac Vodafone Turkey Equinix GarantiServer Isttelkom Koc Sistem Marka Netdirekt Netinternet NGN Bilgi ve Iletisim Hizmetleri Ticaret PenDC PlusLayer Radore Hosting SadeceHosting (Sh) SC3 Electronic Industry Trade Inc. Telecom Italia Sparkle Telehouse Turk Telekom Turkcell VeriTeknik Vital Technology Vodafone Key Topics Covered: About the Database Scope Assumptions Definitions Snapshot: Existing Upcoming Data Center Facility Existing Data Center Database Upcoming Data Center Facility Existing vs. Upcoming Capacity (Infographics) Colocation Pricing For more information about this database visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/q4tei5 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/20250401218079/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 Every 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The Mary Kay Ash Foundation is committed to changing this reality by supporting initiatives that help women break free from abuse. This year, the Foundation awarded $100,000 in grants to four North Texas domestic violence shelters, furthering its mission to create a safe and healthy world for women. Genesis Women's Shelter & Support will utilize the funds to provide programming supplies and occupancy expenses at three local facilities, allowing them to continue providing lifesaving services and support to the over 2,800 women and children who will seek shelter in 2025. They continue to make great strides in not only providing life-changing services for women and children but also prevent and reduce future patterns of abuse. The Family Place is the largest family violence service provider in Texas - providing shelter to 700 children, 616 women, 35 men, and 46 pets for a combined 42,140 nights of shelter in 2024. The Family Place provides comprehensive programs including two medical clinics, an animal shelter, counseling, and extensive community education. Funds will be used to further their mission and dedication to ending family violence through their work in prevention, intervention, and advocacy. Denton County Friends of the Family is the sole provider of free, comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Denton County, serving 5,527 clients in 2024 and providing advocacy services for 15,121 individuals. They will use the grant to expand their outreach efforts and enhance services such as emergency housing and counseling. They are deeply committed to helping victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse on their path to safety. Hope's Door New Beginning Center continues to serve Collin County with their 24-hour emergency hotline, two emergency shelters, individual counseling, legal support, and Battering Intervention and Prevention Program among other services. In addition, HDNBC educated over 7 million community members through education and training. They remain committed to creating safer families and healthier communities. Through these grants, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation is helping ensure that women in need have access to vital resources like trauma counseling, emergency shelter, child and medical care, mental health support, and legal aid. With over $58 million donated to domestic violence initiatives across the U.S. to date, the Foundation continues to lead the charge in creating a safer world for women free from abuse. Photos courtesy of The Family Place and Genesis Women's Shelter & Support 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 Kidoz Inc. (TSXV:KIDZ) (the "Company" or "Kidoz"), mobile AdTech developer and owner of the market-leading Kidoz Contextual Ad Network (www.kidoz.net), the Kidoz Publisher SDK and Kidoz COPPA Shield, commented on the new age-gating regulations and announces the adoption by the board of directors (the "Board") of a new fixed 10% security-based compensation plan (the "Equity Awards Plan"). New U.S. Child Safety Laws New legislation and tech platform updates are set to reshape digital advertising to children - creating significant opportunities for Kidoz, the leading safe ad network for kids. As new child safety laws and age-verification requirements sweep across U.S. states, Kidoz Inc. is uniquely positioned to become the default monetization solution for app publishers targeting users under 13. With Utah's landmark App Store Accountability Act now signed into law and at least 16 other states, including California, Texas, and South Carolina, considering similar legislation, the age of generic, data-driven ad networks blending children into general audience traffic is quickly ending. Simultaneously, Apple has announced a rollout of enhanced child account protections and age-range APIs, allowing developers to identify and provide age-appropriate experiences with parental input, shifting the landscape in favor of dedicated safe ad ecosystems like Kidoz. "This moment represents a seismic shift for the kids digital media ecosystem," said Jason Williams, CEO at Kidoz and Co-Chairman of IAB Canada Gaming Committee. "As developers are required to gate their apps and separate under-13 users from general traffic, they need a monetization partner that is purpose-built for child audiences. That's Kidoz." Kidoz is already fully compliant with COPPA guidelines, and its privacy-by-design platform ensures no personal data is collected or used for targeting children. As proposed federal updates in COPPA 2.0 aim to ban targeted ads for both kids and teens and introduce strict data minimization requirements, ad networks that depend on behavioural targeting will increasingly be restricted from reaching young audiences. With over 500 million monthly active users, Kidoz enables brands to connect with children in a fully compliant, engaging, and responsible way. The platform's extensive app SDK integrations already support thousands of apps in providing safe, high-performing ad experiences for kids. "We're already seeing widespread adoption of our platform by major general-audience app publishers who are implementing age gates to properly separate their younger users and ensure they're monetized exclusively through safe, kid-focused ad networks like Kidoz." Kidoz remains committed to supporting developers, advertisers, and parents in navigating the fast-evolving regulatory environment and ensuring digital spaces remain safe, private, and enriching for children. Equity Awards Plan Additionally, on April 1, 2025, the Board adopted the Equity Awards Plan, a new security-based compensation plan. The purpose of the Equity Awards Plan is to provide the Company with the means to encourage, attract, retain and motivate eligible participants by granting rights to receive, for no additional consideration, cash or common shares in the capital of Kidoz ("Common Shares") upon specified vesting criteria being satisfied. Under the terms of the Equity Awards Plan, the Company may grant Restricted Share Units, Deferred Share Units and/or Performance Share Units up to a fixed maximum limit of 13,130,450 Common Shares, being 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares as of April 1, 2025. The Equity Awards Plan is intended to complement the Company's 2024 Stock Option Plan (the "Option Plan"). No stock options may be issued under the Equity Awards Plan. The Equity Awards Plan, together with the Company's Option Plan constitute "rolling up to 10% and fixed up to 10%" plans for purposes of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). The Equity Awards Plan and all grants thereunder are subject to approval by the TSXV following shareholder approval and ratification at the Company's next annual general meeting. For full details of the Company's operations, please refer to the Securities and Exchange Commission website at www.sec.gov or the Kidoz Inc. corporate website at https://investor.kidoz.net or on the https://www.sedarplus.ca website. About Kidoz Inc. Kidoz Inc. (TSXV:KIDZ) (www.kidoz.net) is a global AdTech software company and the developer of the Kidoz Safe Ad Network, delivering privacy-first, high-performance mobile advertising for children, teens, and families, whose mission is to keep children safe in the complex digital advertising ecosystem. Through its proprietary Kidoz SDK, Privacy Shield, and advanced contextual targeting tools, Kidoz enables safe, compliant ad experiences that adhere to COPPA, GDPR-K, and global standards, without using location or personally identifiable information data tracking commonly used in digital advertising. The Kidoz platform helps app developers monetize their apps with safe and relevant ads, while uniting brands and families in a compliant mobile ecosystem. Google-certified and Apple-approved, the Kidoz network reaches hundreds of millions of users monthly, and is trusted by leading brands including Mattel, LEGO, Disney, and Kraft. Kidoz offers both managed and programmatic media solutions, including SSP, DSP, and Ad Exchange capabilities and provides a platform for mobile app publishers to monetize their active users through display, rich media, and video ads. Trusted by top brands and developers, Kidoz runs campaigns in over 60 countries and generates the majority of its revenue from AdTech advertising. The Company also operates Prado, its wholly owned over-13 division. For brands, Prado enables scaled access with high quality inventory and audience engagement across teens, families, and general audiences. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this press release (as well as information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by the company) contains statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to anticipated future success of the company. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly, such results may differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the company. For a description of additional risks and uncertainties, please refer to the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Specifically, readers should read the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the SEC and the Annual Financial Statements and Management Discussion & Analysis filed on SEDAR on April 19, 2023, and the prospectus filed under Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act on March 9, 2005 and the SB2 filed July 17, 2007, and the TSX Venture Exchange Listing Application for Common Shares filed on June 29, 2015 on SEDAR, for a more thorough discussion of the Company's financial position and results of operations, together with a detailed discussion of the risk factors involved in an investment in Kidoz Inc. For more information contact: Henry Bromley CFO ir@kidoz.net (888) 374-2163 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Kidoz Inc. Viromed Medical AG ("Viromed", ticker:VMED; ISIN:DE000A3MQR65), a medical technology company and pioneer of cold plasma technology for applications in air disinfection, wound healing and intensive care medicine, has today signed an exclusive distribution agreement worth a total of EUR 152.5 million with UMECO Group ("Umeco") a leading Asian distributor of medical devices in cosmetics and medicine based in Korea, for the commercialization of the novel cold plasma medical devices ViroCAP and PulmoPlas in ten Asian countries. Umeco acquires the exclusive marketing and distribution rights for ViroCAP and PulmoPlas in the treatment of dermatological and pneumological infections for both medical and cosmetic use. The rights cover Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Shanghai, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. Viromed will receive a one-time license fee of USD 5 million upon conclusion of the agreement as well as purchase commitments of EUR 32.5 million in 2026 and EUR 60 million in each of the years 2027 and 2028. The agreement was concluded for a term of five years. "By partnering with a leading distribution company for medical technology, we are opening up the Asian market for our innovative cold plasma products for use in cosmetics, wound healing and intensive care medicine," explains Uwe Perbandt, CEO of Viromed Medical AG. "Thanks to its many years of experience and excellent sales network, the UMECO Group is our ideal partner for implementing Viromed's international sales strategy in Asia." "ViroCAP and PulmoPlas perfectly complement our broad portfolio of highly innovative products in medical technology and aesthetics," adds Mark Kim, Chairman & President of UMECO Group. "We are very pleased to provide Asian patients and cosmetic users with access to Viromed's revolutionary cold plasma products, which have been shown in previous studies to be both highly effective and easy and painless to use. About ViroCAP ViroCAP is a portable medical device for the treatment of skin diseases using cold atmospheric plasma (KAP). ViroCAP is expected to be certified as a medical device in 2025. ViroCAP inactivates viruses, bacteria, multi-resistant pathogens and fungi and therefore the cause of many skin diseases. At the same time, the cold plasma stimulates cell biological mechanisms, thereby activating cell division, blood circulation and cell metabolism. About PulmoPlas PulmoPlas is a medical device for the prevention and treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in mechanically ventilated patients using cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). The first promising results of an ongoing study with the Hannover Medical School on the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) using PulmoPlas were announced in March 2025. The detailed results of the clinical trial are expected to be published in early summer 2025. About Ventilator Associated Pneumonia and the use of cold plasma Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is a frequent, avoidable and serious complication in mechanically ventilated patients. It occurs in patients who are invasively mechanically ventilated for at least 48 hours. Study results show that VAP occurs in 23-36% of mechanically ventilated patients, and is associated with prolonged ventilation time, longer stays in the intensive care unit and hospital, as well as increased cost. The estimated mortality rate is 10-13%. In Germany alone, there were around 486,000 mechanically ventilated intensive care patients in 2023 and many thousands of deaths, with a strong upward trend. Worldwide, many millions of patients are mechanically ventilated every year. Cold atmospheric plasma is an innovative physical, completely painless treatment method, that destroys viruses and bacteria in the respiratory tract in 30-90 seconds. Cold plasma is a groundbreaking innovation, particularly effective against antibiotic-resistant MRSA bacteria, as it destroys them. Antibiotics can take several hours or even days to reach the source of an infection and are becoming increasingly ineffective due to the growing problem of multi-resistant germs. The use of cold plasma against VAP has the potential to reduce infections, accelerate healing, decrease antibiotic usage and, above all, save hundreds of thousands of lives every year. About Viromed Medical AG: Viromed Medical AG specializes in the development, manufacture and distribution of medical products. The operating business of the company, which has been listed on the stock exchange since October 2022, focuses on the distribution of the innovative cold plasma technology for medical applications through its wholly owned subsidiary Viromed Medical GmbH. In doing so, Viromed can draw on a broad customer base in the DACH region. Viromed Medical AG aims to further advance the use of CAP in medicine in the coming years and to realize corresponding growth potential. About the UMECO GROUP UMECO GROUP is a full-service trading company specializing in the import, export, sales and maintenance of medical and cosmetic equipment and products. Since its establishment in 1988, UMECO GROUP has been identifying high quality equipment and products for the medical and aesthetic industry to meet the needs of the Asia-Pacific market and deliver these products in a timely and cost-effective manner. The translation is provided for information purposes only. In the event of any discrepancy between the German and English versions of this press release, the German version shall prevail. Contact Viromed Medical AG Uwe Perbandt Management Board Flensburger Strae 18 25421 Pinneberg E-Mail: kontakt@viromed-medical.de www.viromed-medical-ag.de Media inquiries MC Services AG Anne Hennecke / Dr. Kai Schmitz E-Mail: Viromed.news@mc-services.eu Phone: 0211-529252-104 SOURCE: Viromed Medical AG 1xMM is a gamified DeFi mini-app that educates users on finance, simplifies trading, and fosters engagement, paving the way for a Metabank. Asagaia Europe Ltd officially announces the launch of 1xMM, on their X account, an innovative gamified DeFi mini-app designed to simplify trading, educate users on financial concepts, and introduce next-generation trading tools. Set for release by the end of April 2025, this app working as an MVP for the coming exchange, aims to bridge the gap between traditional finance and decentralized markets, paving the way for a Decentralized Order Book Metabank that will redefine how users interact with decentralized markets and liquidity networks. In addition, Asagaia, has launched its 1xMM Blockchain Token on Ethereum to support this new Ecosystem and is planning on a series of NFT's by the end of the year. Addressing the Complexity of DeFi The decentralized finance (DeFi) market is experiencing rapid growth, with projections estimating an increase from $90 billion today to $350 billion by 2030. However, many users face barriers to entry due to the complexity of DeFi platforms. 1xMM seeks to lower these barriers by providing an interactive and engaging educational environment for users to explore DeFi trading safely and effectively. The app provides a structured onboarding process that allows users to familiarize themselves with DeFi mechanics before transitioning to real-world trading. 1xMM is the first project of Asagaia that will eventually create a real order book same as we find in traditional finance. Key Features of the 1xMM game Simulated Trading Platform: Users can trade assets in a safe, practice-based environment, gaining real-world trading experience and test strategies without financial risk. Gamified Learning Experience: Interactive tutorials guide users through essential DeFi concepts like staking, liquidity provision, and decentralized exchanges. This simplifies DeFI's concepts through those learning modules. Reward-Based Progression: Completing trading challenges unlocks incentives, making learning both fun and rewarding while easing the onboarding process. Integrated DeFi Tools: The app serves as an entry point for new users while also introducing experienced traders to innovative trading strategies and tools. Beyond its educational and engagement functions, 1xMM serves as the foundation for future developments in decentralized finance. The platform aims to facilitate the evolution of decentralized order books and perpetual staking pools. As DeFi adoption continues to expand, Asagaia Europe Ltd anticipates that 1xMM will play a key role in shaping the next generation of decentralized trading platforms. The platform aligns with a growing trend of bridging traditional financial tools with DeFi innovations, similar to developments seen with platforms such as dYdX and GMX. By integrating familiar trading mechanisms with blockchain technology, 1xMM seeks to make decentralized finance more accessible to a broader audience. About Asagaia Europe Ltd Asagaia Europe Ltd is a financial technology company dedicated to advancing decentralized financial solutions. With a mission to enhance accessibility and innovation in DeFi, Asagaia Europe Ltd develops products that empower users to engage with blockchain-based financial ecosystems. Media Contact Organization: Asagaia Europe Ltd Contact Person Name: Frederic DeLaroche Website: https://asagaia.com Email: marketing@asagaia.com City: London State: London Country: United Kingdom SOURCE: Asagaia Europe Ltd Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. (TSXV: LPC) ("LPCP" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Bellwether Investment Management Inc. ("Bellwether"), closed an acquisition of 100% of the outstanding securities of W.H. Shutt & Associates Inc. (the "Acquiree"), an Ontario corporation that holds approximately $190 million in assets under management, all of which are currently being managed by Bellwether (the "Transaction"). The Acquiree was owned in part by William Shutt, a financial advisor who has been with Bellwether for over five years. Mr. Shutt and his team will become employees of Bellwether and will continue the high standards of service and dedication their clients expect. Bellwether acquired all of the outstanding securities of the Acquiree in exchange for consideration of $6,500,000, to be paid by Bellwether as follows: $4,000,000 on closing, and $833,333 in each of the following 3 years, subject to adjustment based on the trailing 12-month revenue. The Transaction is at arm's length and no securities are being issued by LPCP in connection with the Transaction. About Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. LPCP was created to bring together boutique investment management and wealth advisory firms in order to deliver robust, cost-effective investment solutions to affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts. LPCP's unique strategy creates better alignment between investment managers and wealth advisors while providing them with additional resources to accelerate their growth. About Bellwether Investment Management Inc. Bellwether is a boutique investment manager that offers tailored investment solutions for affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts utilizing its proprietary "Disciplined Dividend Growth" Investment Process. Bellwether provides discretionary investment management focused on North American Dividend Growth investing and is dedicated to serving the distinct needs of affluent families. Bellwether's suite of investment solutions includes Canadian, US and global equity and fixed income strategies. Bellwether is a subsidiary of LPCP, and is registered as a portfolio manager in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, an exempt market dealer in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, and an investment fund manager in Ontario and Quebec. Cautionary Notes 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 statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", "plan", and other similar expressions. Forward looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, LPCP's objectives, goals and future plans. Forward-looking information addresses possible future events, conditions and financial performance based upon management's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. In particular, the forward-looking information contained in this news release reflects assumptions about the timing and results of the amalgamation and regulatory approvals. Management of LPCP considers the assumptions on which the forward-looking information contained herein are based to be reasonable. However, by its very nature, forward-looking information inherently involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such information. Such risks include, without limitation, changes in economic conditions, applicable laws or regulations. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. LPCP disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246561 SOURCE: Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Syntheia Corp. (CSE: SYAI) ("Syntheia" or the "Company") (syntheia.ai), a leading provider of conversational AI solutions for inbound telephone call management is pleased to report subscriptions to our Assistant NLP have surpassed 13,000 meeting management's expectations for phase one of our marketing strategy. Phase one focused on a broad marketing effort targeting the global small-to-medium business (SMB) market segment. As previously reported, the majority of our subscribers come from regions where English is a second language. Today, management reaffirms its revised growth target of 100,000 subscribers by the end of 2025. Syntheia has developed an industry-specific solution for the medical industry tailored to the needs of doctors' offices and wellness clinics. This solution is designed to enhance patient interactions by facilitating inquiries, scheduling appointments, and providing responses based on patient needs detected in conversation. In consultation with industry professionals, AssistantNLP has been optimized around three core pillars: Smart Answers - Industry-specific answers to common patient questions. Intelligent Interactions - On-going conversational knowledge learning. Answer Calls 24/7 - Active around the clock - maximizing patient communications. Furthermore, we are actively developing industry-specific solutions tailored to the needs of: Law Firms Investment Advisors and Financial Planners Real Estate Offices Mortgage Brokers Restaurants By aligning our platform's capabilities with the unique demands of these industries, we aim to drive continued growth and reinforce our market position. "We continue to commercialize and grow the platform and this is where the power of Syntheia's AI capabilities come into play for scalability, adoption, and marketability," commented Paul Di Benedetto, Chief Technology Officer. "Our focus on system automations and artificial intelligence allows us to streamline our operations, drive down operational costs and maximize brand awareness and sales growth." About Syntheia Syntheia is an artificial intelligence technology company which is developing and commercializing proprietary algorithms to deliver human-like conversations. Our SaaS platform offers conversational AI solutions for both enterprise and small-medium business customers globally. Cautionary Statement Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. 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. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to the Company's mission and business objectives, the Company's efforts to grow brand awareness, customer base and sales and the development of new features for the Company's services. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects the Company's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning the business of the Company's future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements. Please refer to the Company's listing statement available on SEDAR+ for a list of risks and key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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. The securities of the Company 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 an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. 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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246930 SOURCE: Syntheia Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Kyle Murray, Dean of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University, current students, alumni, and professors, joined John McKenzie, Chief Executive Officer, TMX Group, to close the market to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Student Investment Fund. Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK2NYaInCmE The Student Investment Fund is a real-money course for undergraduate students interested in the theory and practice of equity valuation. With mentorship from alumni, students engage in a week-by-week study of key aspects of the valuation of a public company. Based on research from hundreds of student analysts over the years, the fund has grown from $125,000 in 2001 to $1.82 million in March 2025. A leader in experiential learning, the Lazaridis School offers Canada's largest business school co-op program. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/247014 SOURCE: Toronto Stock Exchange Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Waraba Gold Limited (CSE: WBGD) (FSE: ZE0) (OTC Pink: WARAF) (the "Company" or "Waraba") would like to make a correction to its release dated March 25, 2025 (the "Release"). It has been noted that the Release erroneously makes reference to a licence known as the "Tiegba" license; this reference is not correct and should be disregarded. Accordingly the relevant section of the Release (titled "Ivory Coast Earn In Details") should therefore be read as follows, in substitution for the original wording. All other details remain the same as previously announced. Ivory Coast Earn In Details - Corrected Under the terms of the Earn-In Term Sheet, between the Company, Somaco and the shareholders of Somaco (the "Vendors"), the Company will be able to earn-in up to 80% of Somaco over the next 4 years. The initial consideration to be paid to the Vendors is US$500,000 and payment will be made within the next two months; an additional US$1.5 million will be paid to the Vendors over the following 2 years. In addition, in order to earn the full 80% of Somaco, the Company is required to fulfil exploration commitments of US$5 million over the next 4 years. Finally, the Company will issue the Vendors in aggregate 6,000,0000 common shares of the Company (which will be subject to a statutory 4-month and one day hold) upon entering into a definitive joint venture agreement (the "JVA Signing"). Somaco holds two prospective gold licence applications, awaiting ministerial approval, in northern Ivory Coast, known as the Sirasso License and the Tengrela License. The Sirasso License, covering 369.34 km, lies along the prolific Senoufou greenstone belt, approximately 70 km south of Barrick Gold's 4.5Moz Tongon mine, and this Sirasso License was initially held in joint venture with Barrick Gold. The Tengrela License covering 398.7 km, is located between the Sissengue and Mahale permits, within a region structurally connected to the Syama mineralized shear zone. Pursuant to the the Earn-In Term Sheet, the Vendors will be granted a 2% net smelter return royalty on the Licenses. About Waraba Gold Limited The Company is a resource exploration company that is acquiring and exploring mineral properties. The Company is a reporting issuer in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The Company's common shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the trading symbol "WBGD" and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "ZE0". For more information about the Company, please refer to the Company's profile available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). On Behalf of the Board of Directors Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking information in this press release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions, or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward- looking information, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/247010 SOURCE: Waraba Gold Limited CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), a Montreal, Quebec-based independent IT and business consulting services firm, acquired Apside, a Boulogne-Billancourt, France-based digital and engineering services firm. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. The proposed transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, as well as the prior information and consultation of the relevant employee representative bodies. Subject to receiving all required regulatory approvals and completion of the consultation procedures, the deal is expected to close in June 2025. The agreement was signed with Apsides main shareholders, Siparex and investments companies of Credit Agricole Group. With the acquisition, CGI will expand its offerings. Led by Valerie Lafdal, Apside is a digital and engineering services firm that specializes in manufacturing, financial services, insurance and mutual health insurance services and public sector. With a broad technology expertise in areas such as data, AI, cloud and cybersecurity, the firm serves more than 300 clients worldwide and has operations across 28 offices in six countries. Upon closing, more than 2,500 professionals would join CGI, deepening the companys local presence in France as well as in Canada, Portugal, Belgium, Morocco and Switzerland. Founded in 1976, CGI is a large independent IT and business consulting services firm with 91,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2024 reported revenue is CA$14.68 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). FinSMEs 01/04/2025 Marvel Fusion, a Munich, Germany-based fusion energy company, extended its Series B funding round by 50M. The round, which brought the total amount to $113M, included EQT Ventures, Siemens Energy Ventures, and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund. Existing investors Tengelmann Ventures and Bayern Kapital also participated. The company intends to use the funds to build a prototype facility by 2032 and aims to have a commercial fusion power plant operational by 2036. Founded in 2019 by CEO Moritz von der Linden, Marvel Fusion is a technology company providing laser-based nuclear fusion to provide clean, safe, and reliable energy. Their approach utilises inertial confinement fusion, where ultra-short pulse lasers target nano-structured fuel capsules to initiate fusion reactions. FinSMEs 01/04/2025 ReliaQuest, a Tampa, FL-based AI-powered security operations company, raised over $500M in funding, at $3.4 Billion valuation. The round, which valued US-based ReliaQuest at USD 3.4 billion, was led by EQT, KKR and FTV Capital, with participation from Ten Eleven Ventures and Finback Investment Partners. The company intends to use the funds for continued growth, and ongoing international expansion. Led by CEO and Founder Brian Murphy, ReliaQuest provides a technology platform, GreyMatter, that integrates with over 200 different cybersecurity tools, allowing security teams to leverage their current or future technology stack to drive visibility and AI-driven automation. This enables security teams to detect, contain, investigate and respond to cyber threats across a variety of cyber solutions within minutes, all while eliminating mundane cybersecurity works and delivering more value from existing investments. Since the companys last funding round in 2020, it has grown Annual Recurring Revenue more than 4x recently surpassing USD 300 million and is currently growing more than 30 percent year-over-year while operating profitably. FinSMEs 01/04/2025 Sikandar raked in Rs 63.42 crore in two days, which doesnt justify the star power of Salman Khan read more Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna starrer Sikandar, which released amid humongous expectations, unfortunately didnt perform as per expectations. The massy actioner raked in Rs 63.42 crore in two days, which doesnt justify the star power of Salman Khan. Now, the shocking news is that Sikandars shows are getting cancelled due to low demand. We didnt find any instance of the show getting cancelled in Mumbai. There were shows where the number of viewers was in single digits but on the first two days, no show got cancelled due to no audience. However, the same happened in Surat, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Indore etc., especially in areas where there was little or no Eid effect, said a trade source to Bollywood Hungama. Advertisement Kiritbhai T Vaghasia, who runs The Friday Cinema multiplex in Surat, told the website, Not a single ticket was sold for the 9:00 am and 10:00 am shows on Monday. I was hoping there would be more audience for this film on Eid. Instead, we sold more tickets on Sunday, the day of the release. I guess the word of mouth spread faster, resulting in such dismal numbers on Monday. I replaced two-night shows with All The Best Pandya and Umbarro. Both these Gujarati films are getting decent footfalls. Surprisingly, Umbarro is in its ninth week and is still attracting an audience, he added. Sikandars 9:30 pm show has been replaced from April 1 with All The Best Pandya in Inox Raghuleela Kandivali in Mumbai, and from tomorrow, the 5:30 pm show of the Salman Khan starrer will be replaced by Umbarro. In Cinepolis Seawoods and PVR Orion Mall Panvel, the 9:40 pm and 5:30 pm shows of Sikandar are replaced by Mohanlals L2: Empuraan. On the other hand, Inox Nariman Point and Metro Inox will play John Abrahams Diplomat at 8:00 pm and 8:30 pm, respectively, instead of AR Murugadoss directorial Advertisement However, Gaiety-Galaxy or G7, the iconic multiplex, turns a big exception as two of the biggest cinema halls the 991-seater (Gaiety) and the 818-seater (Galaxy) are playing the shows of Sikandar. While the 105-seater Gossip and the 255-seater Gemini were playing L2: Empuraan, the former will now play the Salman Khan starrer. The 45-year-old director was apprehended by the Delhi Police following intelligence gathering and technical surveillance read more Filmmaker Sanoj Mishra, who offered a film to Mahakumbh viral girl Monalisa, has been arrested in a rape case. The 45-year-old director was apprehended by the Delhi Police following intelligence gathering and technical surveillance. A police statement said, An FIR was registered against Mishra at Nabi Karim police station in central Delhi, based on the complaint of a 28-year-old woman, who alleged abuse, forced abortions and threatening by the accused. It said the complainant was in a live-in relationship with Mishra in Mumbai for the last four years. Mishra, who promised to marry her, coerced her into undergoing three abortions during this time, the woman alleged in her complaint. Advertisement He later backed out of the commitment, prompting her to approach the police. During the investigation, medical records supporting her claims were retrieved from Muzaffarnagar, the statement said, adding that the Delhi High Court also rejected his bail application. Mishra was subsequently arrested from Ghaziabad on March 30, police said. They confirmed that he is married and has a family in Mumbai. Who is Sanoj Mishra? Sanoj Mishra, who has directed films like Gandhigiri, Ram Ki Janmabhoomi and The Diary of West Bengal among others, was born and raised in Haidergarh, Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh. He holds a Masters degree in Sociology from Shia PG College, Lucknow, as per his official website. While signing Monalisa, Sanoj spoke about the film and said that it is a love story and Bhonsle will essay the role of one of the female leads. I met Monalisa and her family at their home. They have agreed to let Monalisa work in my film. Bhonsle, who lives in Maheshwar, about 100 km from Indore, became an internet sensation during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, where she had gone to sell Rudraksha garlands. With inputs from PTI Bangladeshi interim leader Muhammad Yunus is facing backlash in India over his comments on the Northeast during his four-day visit to China last month. Pointing out that Northeast India is landlocked, he said Bangladesh is the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. Heres why it has sparked a row read more Bangladeshs interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has sparked a row with his controversial remarks on Indias northeast. He made the comments during his four-day visit to China from March 26 to 29. Yunus remarks come at a time when Indias relations are already fraught with Bangladesh. Amid the strained diplomatic relationship between New Delhi and Dhaka, China has been making overtures to Bangladesh. Lets take a closer look. What did Muhammad Yunus say? During his four-day trip to China, Bangladeshs Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus said Northeast India is landlocked, with no way to reach out to the ocean. Batting for an extension of the Chinese economy, he said Bangladesh is the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. Advertisement Seven states of India, eastern part of India, called seven sisters they are landlocked country, landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean, Yunus said. We are the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. So this opens up a huge possibility. So this could be an extension of the Chinese economy. Build things, produce things, market things, bring things to China, bring it out to the whole rest of the world, the Bangladesh leader added. Clips of the video where Yunus can be heard making the remarks were shared by the Bangladesh interim government on its social media handles. Yunus remarks spark row in India Muhammad Yunus comments have triggered a backlash in India, with political leaders from the northeast leading the charge against him. Calling his remarks offensive, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote in a long post on X, The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh so called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable. This remark underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with Indias strategic Chickens Neck corridor. In this light, he pitched for enhancing infrastructure in the region, by developing robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chickens Neck corridor. Additionally, exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to mainland India, effectively bypassing the Chickens Neck, should be prioritised," the Assam CM added. The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh so called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable. This remark underscores the Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 1, 2025 Advertisement Noting that this plan could have significant engineering challenges, Sarma said it is achievable with determination and innovation. Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas. Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma reacted strongly to the Bangladesh interim leaders comments. Rather than spending billions on innovative and challenging engineering ideas, we might as well break up Bangladesh and have our own access to the sea, he wrote on X. Rather than spending billions on innovative and challenging engineering ideas we might as well break up Bangladesh and have our own access to the sea . The Chittagong hill tracts were always inhabited by indigenous tribes which always wanted to be part of india since 1947 . There https://t.co/rcjs6msae7 Pradyot_Tripura (@PradyotManikya) April 1, 2025 Advertisement Questioning the Central governments foreign policy, Congress leader Pawan Khera said Bangladesh was inviting China for a siege of India. The Bangladesh governments approach is very dangerous for the safety of our Northeast. The government is not watching Manipur and China has established a village in Arunachal Pradesh. Our foreign policy is in such a deplorable state that the country, for whose creation we played a major role, is now busy trying to surround us, he said. Advertisement Congress MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently wrote to Bangladesh, mentioning strong ties between the two nations. After that Muhammad Yunus recent remarks about Northeast India and China are deeply concerning and unacceptable, as they undermine Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said. Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh also condemned Yunuss remark, saying Bangladeshs interim government was attempting to frame the Northeast as a strategic pawn to serve their geopolitical ambitions. He added, Indias unity and territorial integrity are non-negotiable and cannot be challenged by anyone." It is apparent that Md Yunus and his interim government in Bangladesh are attempting to frame the Northeast as a strategic pawn to serve their geopolitical ambitions. Such provocative and irresponsible statements are unbecoming of a leader, and I condemn his remarks in the N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) April 1, 2025 Advertisement Yunus remarks are a worry for India. The Northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim are connected to the rest of India through a 22 km strip of land in north Bengal called the Siliguri Corridor. Also known as the Chickens Neck, it also links India with Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Any transport, road or rail, to the Northeast via land has to go through the Siliguri corridor. Any blockage on this route will cut off the Northeast from the rest of India. As per Indian Express, as it has been an economic and strategic challenge for India to access the Northeast states through this corridor, New Delhi engaged with the previous Hasina government to transit through Bangladesh over the past ten years or so. Advertisement Yunus comments are concerning as Dhaka appears to be flexing its access to Northeast India. By adding China to the mix which aims for regional influence, it could further complicate India-Bangladesh ties. As Bangladesh gets closer to China, India is watching cautiously. There were previous reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could meet Yunus on the sidelines of the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand. However, New Delhi is yet to confirm. With inputs from agencies A 30-storey skyscraper in Bangkok crumbled like a pack of cards last week when a powerful earthquake struck Thailand and its neighbouring Myanmar. The collapse of the office tower has stirred fear among residents in the Thai capital, which is dotted by tall buildings. So, are high-rises a risk during such disasters? read more Rescuers use heavy machinery to clear the huge slabs of concrete from the site of an under-construction high-rise building that collapsed after an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, April 1, 2025. AP The collapse of a 30-storey skyscraper in an earthquake last week in the Thai capital Bangkok has sparked fears of high-rise buildings in the country. The tower under construction toppled as the powerful 7.7 magnitude quake struck central Myanmar and rattled its neighbouring Thailand. At least 12 people died as the earthquake reduced the skyscraper to rubble in Bangkok. About 75 people are still feared trapped under the debris of the unfinished building. Advertisement This has once again raised the question of the safety of high-rise buildings. Lets take a look at how secure are such structures. Fear in Bangkok after skyscraper collapsed The strong quake on March 28 had forced people to throng the streets of Bangkok as buildings swayed. Dotted by high-rise structures, only a single office tower block under construction near the popular Chatuchak Market in the Thai capital keeled over. Visuals of the structure coming down spread on social media, getting etched in peoples memories. Today, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar caused embarrassment for a Chinese construction company! The only entire building that collapsed in Bangkok was the nearly completed Thailand Audit Office building, constructed by China Railway No. 10 Engineering Group Urban https://t.co/6nPAakngWC pic.twitter.com/pNlUVfshdO Inconvenient Truths by Jennifer Zeng (@jenniferzeng97) March 28, 2025 The building was being constructed by a Chinese state-owned company and a Thai construction firm. Its collapse has spread fear among many in Bangkok, especially those who live or work in high-rises. Speaking to New York Times (NYT), Kanittha Thepasak, whose office is on the 29th floor, said she can hardly imagine returning to work. Im freaked out, Im worried, she said. Thai people have no basic understanding of earthquakes because we never really experience them. Advertisement Somreutal Nilbanjong, 34, told the American newspaper that it scares her to just look at high-rise buildings. Thai authorities have launched an investigation into the collapse of the 30-story tower in Bangkok. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, who visited the construction site on Monday (March 31), said, I think we need to find the root cause so at least we can learn some lessons and improve building regulations. In the end, we will have some results that will improve safety in Bangkok. The building was being constructed for Thailands State Audit Office in a joint venture by a subsidiary of state-run China Railway No. 10 Engineering Group and Italian Thai Development PCL. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra had directed government agencies on Saturday to investigate why the building collapsed within one week. As per Reuters, the Thai probe is looking into the quality of construction material used, the buildings design, and possible unsafe actions during its construction. Advertisement Thai authorities have detained four Chinese nationals for allegedly trying to remove over 30 sensitive documents from the disaster site. Are high-rise buildings safe? The collapse of the skyscraper in Bangkok has led many to wonder about the safety of high-rise buildings in the event of an earthquake. Tall buildings are a staple of urban cities in many countries, including India, China, South Korea and Russia. Those who live in these villages in the sky may have fears of being trapped in a fire or earthquake, or falling from the tower. As T_he Conversation_ noted, high-rise living also evokes threats of communicable diseases such as influenza, as scores of people share a buildings lift buttons and door handles. In the context of earthquakes, the height of the building does not usually make it more vulnerable. Factors such as the design of the building, the quality of construction materials and maintenance ensure the towers safety during a quake. The height of a building does not make it susceptible to collapse. Theres no earthquake-proof building, but quake-resistant ones can be constructed, Moulshri Joshi, an architect, was quoted as saying by Economic Times. There is also not much to lose your sleep over if your high-rise building is constructed following earthquake safety norms. Advertisement If you are on the top floor of a tall tower during a quake, it is recommended to stay put rather than try to reach the ground floor or an open space. Running in panic would only worsen the situation. You should stay in the apartment and move away from glass windows and balconies. It is better to protect yourself under a piece of sturdy furniture and wait for the jolts to get over. With inputs from agencies A longstanding dispute over the control of Bodh Gayas Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar is once again at the forefront. Several Buddhist groups have been protesting against the Bodh Gaya Temple Act (BTA), 1949 since February, demanding its repeal. But why? read more Resident Buddhist monks offer prayers at Mahabodhi Temple on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, in Bodh Gaya, May 07, 2020. File Photo/PTI Bihars Bodh Gaya, one of the holiest places in Buddhism, has been witnessing protests since February. Several Buddhist groups under the umbrella of the All India Buddhist Forum (AIBF) have been protesting to demand the repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act (BTA), 1949. The protests stem from the yearslong demand by Buddhist monks for the sole control of the Bodh Gayas Mahabodhi Temple or Mahavihara, one of the most sacred shrines of Buddhism. Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree on the premises of the Mahabodhi Mahavihara. Advertisement Lets take a closer look. History of Mahabodhi Temple The Mahabodhi Temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in 260 BCE after embracing Buddhism. The shrine was managed by Buddhists for years until the 13th century when Bakhtiyar Khilji invaded India. As per Unesco, which has declared it a World Heritage Site, the temple was mostly abandoned between the 13th and 18th centuries, before the British launched renovations. However, the shrines website says that the Hindu monk Ghamandi Giri visited the temple in 1590 and began living there. He started carrying out rituals and established the Bodh Gaya Math. The temples affairs had since been managed by descendants of Giri. Two years after Indias Independence, the Bihar government enacted the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, transferring the temples management from the head of the Bodh Gaya Math to an eight-member committee. What is Bodh Gaya Temple Act? The Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949, led to the establishment of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) in 1953 for the management of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. The panel has four members from the Buddhist community and four Hindus. As per the Act, the District Magistrate (DM) of Gaya is an ex-officio chairperson of the committee. The previous provision of the legislation stated that only a Hindu DM could be the ex officio chairperson of BMTC. The Act was amended in 2013 to allow the District Magistrate of Gaya, irrespective of their faith, to head the management committee. Why are Buddhist monks protesting? Since February, nearly 100 Buddhist monks have been protesting at the Mahabodhi Temple, which they refer to as Bodh Gaya Mahavihara, calling for rescinding the Bodh Gaya Temple Act. As per the Frontline magazine, many Buddhist groups under AIBF have been on an indefinite relay hunger strike in Bodh Gaya that began on February 12. They can be seen holding posters with slogans such as Buddhists demand justice and All members of BTMC should be Buddhists. Advertisement These protesters were initially demonstrating at the Mahabodhi Temple. However, on February 27, the over two dozen monks who were on hunger strike were removed by the Bihar police from the temple premises. The protesters had to shift their demonstration outside the holy shrine, reported Al Jazeera. The demands of the monks include that all members of BTMC should be Buddhists and dissolve the eight-member committee for the management and control of the Mahabodhi Mahavihara. The protests are reportedly being led by AIBF general secretary Akash Lama and the AIBF president Jambu Lama. Abhishek Bauddh, who travelled from Chhattisgarh to Bodh Gaya to take part in the agitation, told Al Jazeera that all religions in India take care and manage their own religious sites. So why are Hindus involved in the committee of a Buddhist religious place? Several Buddhist organisations have also organised protests in Mumbai, Mysuru, Delhi and even the United States. As per Frontline, the protesting Buddhist monks argue the BTA is against the spirit of the Constitution that guarantees the right to profess and practise religion. Advertisement Protesters also oppose the Vedic rituals which they say are being increasingly performed by Hindu monks at the temple, defying the principles of Buddhism, reported Al Jazeera. The Bodh Gaya Math, a Shaivite monastery, performs the rituals inside the Mahabodhi Temple complex and has been responsible for the upkeep of the shrine for centuries. In a press conference on March 25, the Math dismissed the protests by Buddhist monks as political. Swami Vivekanand Giri, the current head of the Bodh Gaya Math, alleged that some politicised people are trying to create social animosity and finish off the existing harmony in the name of Mahabodhi Mandir Mukti Andolan. Speaking to Al Jazeera, he claimed the agitations were politically motivated, with an eye on the Bihar Assembly elections later this year. Our Maths teachings treat Lord Buddha as the ninth reincarnation of [Hindu] Lord Vishnu and we consider Buddhists our brothers, Giri said. For years, we have hosted Buddhist devotees, from other countries as well, and never disallowed them from praying on the premises. Advertisement Previous protests In 2012, two Buddhist monks filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court to revoke the BTA passed by the Bihar government to resolve the dispute between Buddhist and Hindu heads of the Mahabodhi Temple over its control. The case has not even been listed for hearing yet. In November 2023, Buddhist monks organised a protest in Bodh Gaya, along with submitting a memorandum to the Central and state governments. Last September, several monks held a rally in Patna to press the government for repealing the 1949 law. The AIBF has now reached the Supreme Court and filed an intervention petition, seeking an urgent hearing of the 2012 petition. It has also given a memorandum to the Bihar government with more than 30,000 signatures as well as the support of over 500 international Buddhist organisations. As per Frontline, the AIBF has proposed to set up the Bodhgaya Mahabodhi Mahavihara Chaitya Trust to replace BTMC. With inputs from agencies A leaked UK police report has sparked outrage by alleging links between British Hindu extremists and far-right groups. It also claims political interference and rising community tensions, particularly following the Leicester riots. Hindu organisations have condemned the report as misleading and baseless, demanding transparency read more Police officers operate outside a hotel during an anti-immigration protest, in Rotherham, UK, August 4, 2024. Representational Image/Reuters A confidential report by the UKs National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) has turned heads after it was cited in a news article by The Mail on Sunday. The report alleges that extremist elements within the British Hindu community have formed ties with far-right organisations based on shared hostility toward Muslims. Additionally, it suggests that these groups may be influencing British elections by advising Hindu voters on which political parties to support or avoid. Advertisement The document, reportedly compiled by the National Community Tension Team under the NPCC, warns that the rise of Hindutva a political ideology distinct from mainstream Hinduism could strain interfaith relations in the UK. This concern was previously noted in a Home Office review on extremism, which marked the first time Hindutva had been officially mentioned as an issue in Britain. The NPCC study links Hindutva supporters to the violent clashes that occurred in Leicester in 2022, attributing some of the unrest to the spread of disinformation. What are the allegations? One of the key claims in the report is that certain factions within the Hindutva movement in the UK have aligned themselves with far-right activists, including British extremist Tommy Robinson. According to the document, Robinson has attended meetings with Hindu groups to support anti-Muslim initiatives, and his presence was welcomed by some British Hindus and Indian media outlets. The report also suggests that elements of Hindutva ideology have resonated with European far-right figures, including Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik, who cited Hindutva in his manifesto. Further, the report raises concerns about political interference, citing incidents from the 2019 UK general election. It claims that Hindu voters in the UK were targeted with messages on WhatsApp urging them to vote for the Conservative Party instead of Labour, which was then led by Jeremy Corbyn. Advertisement The report also highlights concerns regarding the use of religious slogans in political and social conflicts. It notes that the phrase Jai Shri Ram (Hail Lord Ram), traditionally a Hindu religious chant, has been weaponised by extremists to assert dominance over other communities, drawing a parallel to how Allahu Akbar (God is Great) has been exploited by Islamist radicals. Another point of contention in the report is the claim that certain Bollywood films have contributed to interfaith tensions in Britain. It points to recent protests by Sikh groups against the film Emergency, which they believe portrays Sikhs in a negative light. How have Hindu organisations responded? British Hindu groups have strongly condemned the report, calling it misleading, baseless, and dangerous. INSIGHT UK, an advocacy organisation, announced plans to file a complaint with The Mail on Sunday and the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). They have also requested access to the report through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. It is baseless and without evidence. This article is making Hindus feel less safe in the UK, an INSIGHT UK spokesperson stated. The Times of India quoted Neeraj Patil, chair of Hindus for Labour, rejected the claims outright, arguing, No credible Hindu organisation in the UK, or major Hindu confederation, has aligned itself with any right-wing British Hindu group. Those making such claims should be asked to provide concrete evidence. These narratives are part of an anti-Hindu agenda promoted by certain elements who resent the growing influence of British Hindus. Advertisement Kuldeep Shekhawat, president of OFBJP-UK, defended the organisations right to campaign in British elections. We are British Hindus, so we can campaign for who we like. How can that be interference? he asked, quoted by The Times of India. Meanwhile, the Hindu Community Organisation Groups Leicester criticised the reports linkage of Hindutva to Breivik, calling it offensive and highly inflammatory. What has the political response been? Conservative MP Bob Blackman has called for the government to release the full NPCC report, stating that it must be scrutinised publicly. He pointed out that, despite the report blaming Hindu extremism for the Leicester riots, Hindu homes and temples suffered disproportionate attacks compared to Muslim homes and places of worship. I asked the Govt to release the full report so we can scrutinise it, Blackman stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter). I raised the NPCC's report which blamed Hindu extremism for the Leicester riots in 2022. This is despite the fact that; 105 Hindu homes were attacked, 0 Muslim homes. 2 Hindu temples were attacked, 0 Mosques. I asked the Govt to release the full report so we can scrutinise it. pic.twitter.com/xHTjmPy1qu Bob Blackman (@BobBlackman) March 31, 2025 Advertisement The reports claims have fuelled a broader discussion on how different ideological movements are classified as extremism in the UK, with critics questioning whether Hindutva is being unfairly equated with far-right radicalism. Daily Mail quoted Hadiya Masieh, founder of the counter-extremism group Groundswell, who stated that most Hindus do not support Hindutva and warned against misrepresenting the community. Hindutva is not supported by most mainstream Hindus, who will always say it is not representative of Hinduism, she said. She also highlighted that the Leicester riots were driven by both Hindu and Muslim extremists rather than one-sided aggression. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies Law enforcement officials in Pakistans twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been instructed to arrest and deport Afghan nationals involved in criminal activities, along with their families, starting today (April 1). Heres what else to expect read more People stand next to parked trucks loaded with supplies at the Torkham border crossing following the closure of the border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, March 3, 2025. Reuters Its Tuesday, and a lot is expected today. The Trump administrations trade, commerce and treasury chiefs are set to release a trade report after thoroughly reviewing the countrys trade policy. Law enforcement officials in Pakistans twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been instructed to arrest and deport Afghan nationals involved in criminal activities, along with their families. Several banking rule changes are going to come into effect on Tuesday, impacting account holders, credit card users, and UPI consumers across India. Advertisement Heres how the day will unfold. Pakistan to detain illegal Afghans Law enforcement officials in Pakistans twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been instructed to arrest and deport Afghan nationals involved in criminal activities, along with their families, from today. The Pakistan governments deadline for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders to leave the country expired on Monday. The neighbouring country currently hosts 1.52 million registered Afghan refugees, around 800,000 Afghan citizens and many others without official status. US Trade report by federal agencies The Trump administrations trade, Commerce and Treasury chiefs are set to release a trade report after thoroughly reviewing the countrys trade policy. US President Donald Trump after his inauguration had reportedly ordered federal agencies to report back to him on wide range of issues, such as the causes of the countrys annual trade deficits in goods, unlawful migration, unfair trade practices by other countries, changes to US export control systems in light of developments involving strategic adversaries and geopolitical risks and more. US President Donald Trump speaks as he participates in the White House Iftar dinner at the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 27, 2025. Reuters Banking rules to change Several banking rule changes are going to come into effect from Tuesday, impacting account holders, credit card users, and UPI consumers across India. With effect from April 1, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has mandate that banks, Payment Service Providers (PSPs), and third-party UPI service providers like PhonePe, GPay, and Paytm take specific actions concerning numeric UPI IDs. Credit card holders will also experience new changes to reward points and benefits. The minimum balance requirements of banks such as SBI, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, and others are being revised, as per News18. FM Sitharaman to launch States Economic Forum portal Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will launch the States Economic Forum portal today. NITI Aayog, in partnership with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), has developed a comprehensive digital repository that consolidates crucial data on social, economic, and fiscal parameters. Advertisement Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will launch the States Economic Forum portal today. PTI File This initiative aims to enhance data accessibility and provide valuable insights into Indias economic landscape at the state level, NITI Aayog said in a press release. Donatella Versace steps down as Versaces creative head Donatella Versace is stepping down as the creative director of Versace on April 1. She will transition to a role as chief brand ambassador, focusing on Versaces philanthropic and charitable endeavors and advocating for the brand globally. She will be replaced by Dario Vitale, formerly of Miu Miu, as the new chief creative officer. SC to hear plea concerning 1991 Places of Worship Act The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a plea challenging the validity of a provision of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which mandates maintaining the religious character of a place as it existed on August 15, 1947. As per the cause list of April 1, the plea is slated to come up for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar. Odia Pakhya to be celebrated In a bid to promote the Odia language, literature, and culture, the state government has decided to celebrate Odia Pakhya for a fortnight from April 1 (Odia Day) to April 14 (Odia New Year), with pomp and grandeur. In a bid to promote the Odia language, literature, and culture, the state government has decided to celebrate Odia Pakhya for a fortnight from April 1 (Odia Day) to April 14 (Odia New Year), with pomp and grandeur. IPL: LSG vs PBKS The Ekana Stadium will be hosting its first game of the IPL 2025 season today. The battle will see Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) go against each other in the upcoming match AI-generated images in the Ghibli art style are taking over social media, thanks to OpenAIs latest image-generation tool on ChatGPT. While the trend has opened debates on copyright infringement and the ethical use of artificial intelligence, it shows no signs of slowing down. But how and where did it all begin? read more This person launched what would become a massive social media trend across platforms. X/@GrantSlatton By now, the Ghibli-style AI art trend needs no introduction. Its everywhere on social media. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Amitabh Bachchan to Elon Musk, several personalities have participated in it. Amid the craze, OpenAIs ChatGPT has also come under fire from fans of legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, who criticise the trend and have opened discussions about the ethical concerns surrounding AI tools trained on copyrighted creative works. ALSO READ | What is Japans famous Ghibli art? How did ChatGPT make it a viral trend? Advertisement But do you know who started it? This person launched what would become a massive social media trend across platforms, leading to debates about copyright infringement and the ethical use of artificial intelligence. Lets find out: The man who started the Ghibli-style AI art trend Grant Slatton, a software engineer based in Seattle, played a major role in popularising this trend. On Tuesday afternoon, shortly after OpenAI introduced its upgraded image-generation tools, he posted a photo on X featuring his family and dog at the beach, transformed into an animated style. He captioned it: tremendous alpha right now in sending your wife photos of yall converted to studio ghibli anime. tremendous alpha right now in sending your wife photos of yall converted to studio ghibli anime pic.twitter.com/FROszdFSfN Grant Slatton (@GrantSlatton) March 25, 2025 While AI-generated anime-style images are not new, Slattons post appears to have sparked the latest surge in interest. His tweet quickly gained traction, with retweets and replies pouring in as others experimented with the feature. As of writing, it has received 45,000 likes and nearly 49 million views. Speaking to Business Insider, Slatton said he has been flooded with messages from X users sharing their own attempts. Its the single most net-positive day Ive ever seen on Twitter. Advertisement I got hundreds of DMs and replies telling me their spouse or kids or grandparents loved the pictures, he told the publication. Slatton had previously created an animation-style image of his family in December 2023, but at the time, OpenAIs DALL-E model required a highly detailed prompt to achieve the desired look. ALSO READ | Do ChatGPTs Ghibli-style images violate copyright? However, ChatGPT generated the new image with a quick and easy prompt of convert to studio ghibli please, he told BI. He described the response as overwhelmingly positive, stating that even some critics of AI-generated art were posting their own Ghiblified images. Users unable to access the feature also reached out with heartwarming requests for their family photos to be transformed, he said, adding that he had processed over 100 images. It's been 24 hours since OpenAI unexpectedly shook the AI image world with 4o image generation. Here are the 14 most mindblowing examples so far (100% AI-generated): 1. Studio ghibli style memespic.twitter.com/E38mBnPnQh Barsee (@heyBarsee) March 26, 2025 Advertisement What is Ghibli? If you are still confused about what Ghibli art is, we will break it down for you. Founded in 1985 by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli is an animation studio known for its stunning visuals and compelling storytelling. The studio has built a global fanbase with its signature hand-drawn animation, meticulous attention to detail, and deeply emotional narratives. Some of its most iconic films include My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle, Kikis Delivery Service, and Princess Mononoke. The name Ghibli originates from a Libyan Arabic word meaning a hot desert wind. It was also the name of the Italian aircraft Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli, used during World War II. A Ghibli-style portrait captures the essence of Studio Ghiblis distinctive aesthetic. It features hand-drawn characters, soft pastel or muted colour tones, intricate details in both foreground and background and an overarching sense of magic or wonder. Advertisement ALSO READ | Is your data at risk when you use ChatGPTs Ghibli art generator? Do ChatGPTs Ghibli-style images violate copyright? Concerns have been raised over the ethical and copyright issues surrounding the replication of a particular artist or studios style - an ongoing debate in the artificial intelligence industry. A clip from a 2016 documentary featuring Hayao Miyazaki has also resurfaced, showing the directors reaction to an unsettling AI-generated zombie-like animation. Legal experts state that OpenAIs actions fall into a legal grey area. A Thread of our famous memes in Studio Ghibli style. pic.twitter.com/neP2bz7vNS (@GidiGambino) April 1, 2025 Evan Brown, an intellectual property lawyer from the US-based firm Neal & McDevitt, told TechCrunch that artistic style is not explicitly safeguarded under copyright laws. This suggests that OpenAI is not legally infringing on any rights by creating images resembling Studio Ghiblis work. Advertisement However, courts are still deliberating whether AI developers should be held accountable for training their models using copyrighted content. In a technical paper published last week, OpenAI stated that its latest 4o tool follows a conservative approach when recreating the artistic styles of individuals, according to the Associated Press (AP). We added a refusal which triggers when a user attempts to generate an image in the style of a living artist, the company said. Googles co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin launched a limited beta mail service, Gmail, on April 1, 2004. But, this launch was not taken seriously by their colleagues as the two had a reputation for pulling off some of the wildest jokes on April Fools Day. Also, on this day in 2001, The Netherlands became the first nation in the world to grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples read more When Gmail launched on April 1, 2004, a lot of people thought it was an April Fool's Day hoax. Illustration: Santan Is it another joke? This was peoples reaction when Google launched its new mail service, Gmail, on April 1, 2004. Many people thought it to be another one of the April Fools Day jokes that Google co-founders Paul Buchheit and Sergey Brin pulled on the people. 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 In 2001, The Netherlands became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage on this day, granting equal marriage rights to same-sex couples. Here is all that took place across the world. Google launched Gmail Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin loved to pull pranks, not just on each other but on the rest of the people as well. The two made it a ritual to roll out outlandish ideas every April Fools Day. Once Google posted a job opening for a Copernicus Research Centre on the moon while another year they said that the company was planning to roll out a scratch and sniff feature on the search engine. Since the jokes were so over the top, people began to take them lightly and brush them off as another example of the mischief by Google creators. But, breaking a tradition since the company was established in 1998, Page and Brin decided to launch one of the most unbelievable things. Google launched its email service on April Fools Day in 2004. Pixabay On April 1, 2004, the two launched Gmail, a limited beta service, boasting one gigabyte of storage per account. While this amount may sound menial in todays day and age when one terabyte phones are available in the market, it was a big deal 21 years ago. Compared to the webmail service provided by Yahoo and Microsoft which provided space for just 30 to 60 mails, Gmail could store up to provide 13,500 emails at a time. Another key innovation was Googles powerful search capabilities within Gmail, enabling users to find emails quickly instead of sorting them into folders manually. Gmail also introduced threaded conversations, grouping related emails together for easy navigation a feature that became widely adopted across email platforms. After its public release in 2007, Gmail rapidly gained popularity, eventually surpassing its competitors to become the worlds most widely used email service. Today, with over 1.8 billion users, Gmail remains an essential part of digital communication, offering seamless integration with Google services like Drive, Meet, and Calendar. The Netherlands became the first country to grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples It was on this day in 2001, when the mayor of Amsterdam Job Cohen officiated the marriage of four couples in City Hall as the Netherlands became the first country in the world with legalised same-sex marriages. While there are 28 countries in the world today that have allowed same-sex marriages, 14 years ago when the Dutch legalised it they were the first ones. This landmark decision positioned the Netherlands as a global leader in LGBTQ+ rights and set a precedent for other nations to follow. Advertisement Three out of the four same-sex couples cut the cake after exchanging wedding vows in Amsterdams City Hall on April 1, 2001. File image/AP In December 2000, the Dutch Parliament passed the same-sex marriage law, with strong support from Prime Minister Wim Koks government. The law allowed same-sex couples to marry, adopt children and enjoy full legal protections equal to those of opposite-sex marriages. The Netherlands decision to legalise same-sex marriage was rooted in its long-standing values of tolerance, human rights and inclusivity. The move was widely supported by Dutch society, reflecting the countrys progressive stance on LGBTQ+ issues. According to Statistics Netherlands, there have been 20,000 same-sex couples who have exchanged vows in the Netherlands. This Day, That Year In 2001, a midair collision between a US spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet took place. Ruhollah Khomeini declared Iran an Islamic republic on this day in 1979. In 1924, Adolf Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch. St Pauls Goes to the Wild West! Following the success of last years St Pauls Goes Camping!, on Friday 28th March St Pauls School hosted their whole-school themed day event, St Pauls Goes to the Wild West, for their children to enjoy. With a view to promote outdoor learning, collaboration and social communication skills, this initiative focused on providing children with a wide range of wild west themed learning activities to participate in. To help bring learning to life and support this theme, the children were invited to come to school wearing wild west themed clothes and were set a challenge to return a missing mascot to the schools Sheriff Andy. The school gates were transformed into saloon-style entrances with plants generously provided by Eden Botanics. Upon arrival, each child had to pan for a gold coin before entering the St Pauls Creek. The children thoroughly enjoyed this event and participated in a number of active learning tasks to develop motor skills which included rodeo and sack races, apple bobbing and target shooting games. The children also sang country songs such as Take Me Home, Country Roads around their base camp in the schools Outdoor Forest Zone and were visited by Chica the Pony who was kindly brought into the school by staff from St Theresa's Nursery and pre-school. The Year 2 children also took part in a Line Dancing session led by the New Line Dancers. St Pauls School would like to thank everyone who assisted in making this initiative such a successful one, especially the pupils loved ones for their continuous support in helping the school to make learning a fun and memorable experience for their children. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been barred from holding office for five years after she was found guilty of embezzlement. The courts decision ended her political dreams of running for the next French presidents post in 2027. But what does the courts ruling mean for her party, the National Rally? read more French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, member of parliament from the Rassemblement National (National Rally - RN) party, has been found guilty of embezzling funds and barred from running for office. Reuters Its a fatal day for our democracy, said Marine Le Pen, the leader of Frances far-right National Rally, after she was convicted of embezzlement, which resulted in her being barred from seeking public office for five years. This ruling effectively dashes her 2027 presidential hopes. Speaking to French TV channel TF1 in her first reaction to the verdict, Le Pen called the ruling a political decision aimed at preventing her from running in the 2027 presidential election and said that millions of French people are outraged. Advertisement The question that many are now asking is whats the future of her party and far-right politics in France? We try to get an answer to this. Marine Le Pen convicted and banned from public office On March 31, 56-year-old Marine Le Pen, daughter of the late far-right totemic figure Jean-Marie Le Pen, faced her worst-case scenario when a court sentenced her to two years under house arrest while wearing an electronic ankle bracelet, and an additional two-year suspended sentence. Worse than all of that was the five years ineligibility for public office with immediate effect. The ruling came as Le Pen and other National Rally party officials stood trial for having used money intended for European Union parliamentary aides instead to pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, violating the 27-nation blocs regulations. The National Rally was called the National Front at the time. French far-right leader Marine Le Pens conviction end her ambitions for the 2027 presidential election and throws her far-right party into chaos. Reuters The judge said Le Pen had been at the heart of a system that her party used to siphon off EU parliament money. Le Pen, who denied wrongdoing, has also been fined 100,000 (Rs 92 lakh). While Le Pen has said she will appeal the verdict, which she and her supporters have deemed as a political decision, she will be ruled out of the 2027 French presidential election. Speaking outside the court after the verdict was delivered, Le Pen said, There are millions of French people who believe in me. For 30 years I have been fighting against injustice. It is what I shall continue to do right to the end. Advertisement Support for Le Pen Reactions to the verdict from her camp were swift. Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old RNs president, spoke of Le Pen as if she was a martyr. Today it is not only Marine Le Pen who was unjustly condemned, he declared. It is French democracy that was killed. Eric Zemmour, another firebrand of the nationalist right and a former French presidential contender himself, struck a similar note. It is not for judges to decide who the people must vote for, he said, casting the verdict as a blow not just to Le Pen, but to the democratic process itself. Supporters of Le Pen decried the verdict as a brazen assault on democracy. File image/AP But support for Le Pen didnt only come from the far-right corridors of France. Across Europe from Madrid to Budapest far-right leaders condemned the verdict, almost making it seem that she had been wronged. Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban wrote on X, Je suis Marine, (I am Marine). I back Marine, was the message in French of Italys League leader, Matteo Salvini, posted on a picture with the French politician. I am shocked by the incredibly tough verdict against Marine Le Pen, said Dutch firebrand Geert Wilders. I support and believe in her 100 per cent and I trust she will win the appeal and become president of France. Advertisement In Belgium, far-right Vlaams Belang leader Tom Van Grieken called the courts decision an attack on democracy and pledged, Le Pen can continue to count on our support. While Spains Santiago Abascal, head of the hard-right Vox party, warned: They will not succeed in silencing the voice of the French people. Elon Musk, US First Buddy, also echoed similar sentiments about Le Pens conviction. He said the move would backfire, like the legal attacks against President Trump. Trump, the US president, himself reacted too to the news, comparing it to his many legal battles. She was banned from running for five years and she was the leading candidate. That sounds like this country. An uncertain future Many believe that Le Pens conviction marks the end of her political career though she differs. However, the reality as of now is that she and her party, the RN, face an unclear future. Some believe that the conviction is a personal dent to Le Pens image. The far-right leader, who took over in 2011, has over the years worked hard to make the National Rally more palatable for mainstream voters. She also presented the party as being honest and the alternative to old-school politicians with their hands in the till. Advertisement However, being found guilty of embezzlement goes against her own image as an anti-corruption crusader, who said in a TV debate in 2004, Everyone has taken money from the till except the Front National The French are sick of seeing politicians embezzling money. Its scandalous. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her protege, the President of the French far-right National Rally Jordan Bardella. Its unclear if Bardella can fill Le Pens shoes. File image/Reuters But other poll pundits note that Le Pens conviction will help, not hurt, her party. Thats because the hue and cry from her supporters almost paint her like a martyr and the narrative that is spinning that she has become the victim of the system. As CNN wrote in one report, for RN supporters the verdict plays into a belief that the system is rigged against them. Some see this as an assault on democracy with Le Pen framing the ruling as an attack on the will of the people. This was also amplified by Elon Musk, who wrote on X, When the radical left cant win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents. Advertisement The BBC also echoed similar sentiments in its analysis. It wrote, Her draconian punishment being banned from standing for the presidency will be interpreted as a badge of honour: proof that she alone is standing up to the powers-that-be. However, the worry is that can the RN perform at the ballot without Le Pen. The 56-year-old is loved by her supporters and Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old, can hardly fill her shoes. If Marine Le Pen is indeed unable to run in 2027, the RN loses much of its appeal. Moreover, Le Pens exit from the presidential race could bolster other politicians to enter the race, such as her niece Marion Marechal or conservative heavyweights like current interior minister Bruno Retailleau, who boasts far more experience than Bardella. Theres also a concern over the financial condition of the RN after Le Pens conviction. The court has fined Le Pens party 2 million (Rs 18.5 crore) 1 million (Rs 9.25 crore) has to be paid while the other half would have to be paid in case of a repeat offence. Moreover, the party will also relinquish another million euros which were confiscated during the investigation. This could have an impact on the partys accounts. An Associated Press report revealed that between 2013 and 2016 it was running a deficit of 9.1 million by the end of 2016. Advertisement We will have to wait and watch for what comes next, but one thing is certain: 2025 hasnt been kind to Le Pen first, her fathers passing and now her conviction. With inputs from agencies Momodou Taal, a Cornell University doctoral student in Africana Studies and a dual citizen of the UK and The Gambia, had his US student visa revoked due to his participation in pro-Palestinian protests. After a judge denied his legal bid to halt deportation, he left the US, citing safety concerns read more Momodou Taal, a British-Gambian student at Cornell University in New York left the US after being asked by immigration officials to turn himself in. X via The Cornell Daily Sun Momodou Taal, a student at Cornell University in the United States was informed that his student visa had been revoked due to his involvement in campus protests, which officials described as disruptive and hostile to Jewish students. His legal team contested this, arguing that his participation in demonstrations was an exercise of free speech and not grounds for deportation. Despite filing a lawsuit in mid-March to block his removal, a federal judge denied his request, effectively allowing the government to proceed with his deportation. Advertisement Taal later announced his decision to leave the US voluntarily, citing concerns for his safety and a lack of faith in the judicial system. Who is Momodou Taal? Momodou Taal is a doctoral candidate in Africana Studies at Cornell University who has been at the centre of a legal and political battle over student activism in the United States. A dual citizen of the United Kingdom and The Gambia, Taal became known for his vocal support of Palestinian resistance and criticism of Israels actions in Gaza. His activism led to disciplinary action from Cornell University and, ultimately, the revocation of his student visa by the US government. Taals case gained national attention as part of the Trump administrations crackdown on international students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Following the ruling, Taal took to social media, writing, Given what we have seen across the United States, I have lost faith that a favourable ruling from the courts would guarantee my personal safety and ability to express my beliefs. He further stated, I have lost faith I could walk the streets without being abducted. Weighing up these options, I took the decision to leave on my own terms. Advertisement His attorney also voiced concerns, stating on X, I feel like a stranger in my country. What is America if people like Momodou are not welcome here? Onward to the next fight. Why Taal may have been targeted Taal had been previously suspended twice by Cornell University for his protest activities. One of the incidents that contributed to his suspension was his involvement in disrupting a campus career fair that featured weapons manufacturers. As a result, he was ordered to study remotely. His social media activity also came under scrutiny. On the same day that Hamas launched an attack on Israel in October 2023, Taal posted, Glory to the Resistance. He later reiterated his stance at a demonstration, stating, We are in solidarity with the armed resistance in Palestine from the river to the sea. His statements drew sharp criticism from US officials, who argued that his activism posed a threat to national security and contradicted American foreign policy interests. In a November 2023 interview with CNN, Taal dismissed the backlash against his statements, saying, I think its quite racist, Islamophobic that before Im allowed to have a view on genocide, I have to condemn a terrorist organisation. He added, I can say clearly categorically I abhor the killing of all civilians no matter where they are and who does it. Advertisement How Trumps crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters is faring Taals situation is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to take action against international students participating in pro-Palestinian activism. The administration has argued that such protests align with support for Hamas and threaten US national security. In January, Trump signed an executive order reinforcing the deportation of non-citizens who are considered adversarial to American foreign policy interests. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that at least 300 student visas had been revoked as a result of these policies. Taals case was one of the most high-profile, but several other international students have also faced deportation orders, detentions, or legal battles over their right to remain in the US. Among them, Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil was arrested in early March and is now legally challenging his detention. Trump publicly accused Khalil of supporting Hamas, though no direct evidence was provided. Similarly, Badar Khan Suri, an Indian student at Georgetown University, was detained but later had his deportation temporarily halted by a federal judge. Another high-profile case involves Yunseo Chung, a Korean American student at Columbia University, whose legal team recently revealed that her lawful permanent resident status was being revoked. Meanwhile, Turkish doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk of Tufts University, who co-authored an opinion piece about the Palestinian genocide, was taken into custody but later had her deportation temporarily blocked by a judge. Advertisement Critics argue that the administrations actions are an attack on free speech and a violation of students rights to express dissenting political opinions. Supporters, however, contend that the measures are necessary to combat antisemitism and prevent foreign nationals from engaging in activities that could threaten US interests. A voluntary departure or forced self-deportation? While the US government framed Taals exit as a self-deportation, critics argue that the administrations policies left him with no real choice. The term self-deportation has been used by officials to describe cases where international students voluntarily leave the country after their visas are revoked rather than face formal removal proceedings. Another international student, Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian scholar who also left the US under similar circumstances, told CNN, Im not a terrorist sympathiser. Im literally just a random student. She expressed her hope of re-enrolling at Columbia University and finishing her PhD programme. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies A new report has shed light on how Ratan Tatas estate will be divided between his heirs. While most of it has been given to charity, Tata has also included his family, friends, staff and pets in his will. The document also has a fascinating clause that may result in one of the beneficiaries potentially being cut out of it entirely. Lets take a closer look read more In October 2024, industrialist Ratan Tata passed away. Since then, details of his will have been making the headlines sporadically. Now, a report has revealed how Tatas estate will be divided between his heirs. While most of it has been given to charity, Tata has also included his family, friends, staff and pets. Tata had no children. The will also has a fascinating clause that may result in one of the beneficiaries potentially being cut out of it entirely. Advertisement But what do we know? Who gets what? Lets take a closer look: What do we know? As per New Indian Express, Tatas wealth is estimated at Rs 10,000 crore. As per Fortune, Tata wrote the will with the help of a number of top legal experts. The will has 24 beneficiaries, as per The Times of India. According to a report in Economic Times, Tatas two half-sisters Shireen Jejeebhoy and Deanna Jejeebhoy and Tata Trusts trustee Darius Khambata are among the executors of the will. His friend Mehli Mistry is also said to be an executor of the will. Tata has left most of his wealth to his philanthropic organisations the Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation (RTEF) and the Ratan Tata Endowment Trust (RTET). This share, valued at Rs 3,800 crore, comprises ordinary and preference shares of Tata Sons. Tata also had shares in in TCS (Rs 826 crore), Tata Motors (Rs 101 crore), Tata Technologies ( Rs 64 crore), and Tata Capital ( Rs 36 crore) and non-Tata firms such as like Urbanclap, Mapmygenome, and Alcoa Corporation. RTEF will get 70 per cent of the shares while the RTET will get the other 30 per cent. Advertisement According to his will, these shares cannot be sold or transferred except to an existing Tata Sons shareholder. Tata has given a third of his wealth bank FDs, financial instruments, watches, and paintings to his half-sisters. This is estimated at Rs 800 crore. Mohini M Dutta, an ex-Tata Group employee, has also been given a third of Tata assets. As per The Times of India, Ratan Tatas half-brother Jimmy will inherit his share in their property in Juhu estimated to be worth around Rs 16 crore. The rest of it will be divided between Noel Tata and Simone Tata. Noel Tata, half-brother of Ratan Tata, Image courtesy: CNN-News18 If any of the three chooses to take over any of my other assets like car, painting etc., its value to be determined by three values and taken out of public auction, and such value will be part of each ones one-third share respectively, the will states. The newspaper reported that Tatas Alibaug property worth Rs 6.16 crore and three guns including a .25 bore pistol would go to Mistry. Advertisement The will states that Mistry was instrumental in making this property possible. As per New Indian Express, Tatas cook Rajan Shaw and butler Subbiah have also been included in the will. As has his dog Tito, a German Shepherd Tata adopted seven years ago. Tito, who will be cared for by Tatas long-time cook Shaw, will receive unlimited care. As per Moneycontrol, Tata also left a corpus of a corpus of Rs 12 lakh for beloved pets with Rs 30,000 to be doled out every three months. Tata has also waived off any loans he had given. This includes a loan to his Tatas executive assistant Shantanu Naidu and an interest-free education loan to his neighbour Jake Malite. Ratan Tata with his beloved dog Tito.. Image Courtesy: Ratan Tata/instagram Tatas foreign assets include Rs 40 crore worth of property in Seychelles, along with bank accounts at Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley, and shares in Alcoa Corp and Howmet Aerospace. The asset list also includes 65 luxury watches from brands such as Bvlgari, Patek Philippe, Tissot and Audemars Piguet. Advertisement Tatas land holdings in Seychelles are to be transferred to RNT Associates Singapore, with instructions to protect the interests of shareholders R Venkatraman and Patrick McGoldrick in RNT Associates India and Singapore. No-contest clause As per The Times of India, Tatas will contains a no-contest clause. It states that anyone who challenges the will shall forego all the rights or benefits under it. I hereby direct that whosoever, contests or challenges this last will of mine in any manner, shall forego all the rights or benefits under my will and shall not get any legacy that I may have bequeathed to that person and he or she shall have no right whatsoever over any part of my estate, the will states. Tata signed the will on February 23, 2022. According to the newspaper, Dutta has been locked in a quarrel with the executors of the will over the value of his inheritance. Challenging a will, that is questioning its validity, is different from seeking its interpretation, with the former triggering forfeiture, a lawyer told the newspaper. As per the newspaper, the executors of the will last month submitted a plea in the Bombay High Court asking that the will be probated. Advertisement According to the report, this could take up to six months. With inputs from agencies Four private astronauts were sent into orbit on March 31 aboard SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft as part of the historic Fram2 mission, the first human spaceflight over the Earths polar regions. Notably, none of the crew members have been to space before. The mission is led and funded by cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang, who is joined by Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway, Eric Philips from Australia, and Rabea Rogge from Germany read more This mission is unique because no human has ever flown directly over both of Earths poles. X/SpaceX Elon Musks SpaceX sent four private astronauts into orbit on March 31 as part of the historic Fram2 mission. A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carried by a Falcon 9 rocket, launched from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:46 pm local time. Notably, none of the crew members have been to space before. ALSO READ: In Graphics | How does the human body change in space? But what are the missions objectives? Who are the private astronauts on board? Advertisement We will answer these questions: Explained: What is the Fram2 mission? Simply put, the mission aims to achieve something never attempted by professional astronauts - orbiting Earth from pole to pole. Over the course of three to five days, the autonomous Dragon spacecraft will repeatedly fly from the North Pole to the South Pole at an altitude of 267 miles, completing each orbit in about 46 minutes. Fram2s objective is to carry out a mission inspired by the crews passion for polar exploration. It follows in the footsteps of previous space tourism ventures, such as SpaceXs Inspiration4 mission in 2021. This mission is unique because no human has ever flown directly over both of Earths poles. The flight path demands quite more fuel compared to traditional orbits closer to the equator. The icy polar caps remain out of view for astronauts aboard the International Space Station, which orbits near Earths equatorial line. The closest any crewed mission has come to the poles was the Soviet-era Vostok 6 flight in 1963. Advertisement During the mission, the astronauts will take part in research, allowing scientists to study how their bodies respond to weightlessness and adapt to motion sickness, a common challenge for space travellers. The mission is led and funded by cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang. My own journey has been shaped by lifelong curiosity and the fascination with pushing boundaries, Chun said during an audio-only Spaces session on X. The crew will carry out several activities, including: Growing oyster mushrooms in microgravity as part of an experiment called Mission MushVroom Conducting 22 research studies Examining exercise routines to counter muscle loss and bone density reduction in microgravity Performing the first-ever X-ray imaging in space Gathering new data on Earths polar regions, which play a crucial role in climate change research Testing unassisted egress from the Dragon capsule to assess astronauts physical readiness post-mission ALSO READ | Can astronauts cut hair in space? Why is the mission named Fram2? The mission takes its name from the famous Norwegian ship Fram, which played a key role in early 20th-century polar exploration, helping adventurers reach Earths Arctic and Antarctic regions. Built in Norway specifically for polar research, the Fram was the first vessel of its kind. To honour the ship, the astronauts on the spaceflight are carrying a small piece of it with them to orbit. Named in honor of Fram, the first exploration ship to complete voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica in the late 1800s, the @framonauts are carrying a small piece of that ship with them to orbit pic.twitter.com/dDTJNiT7lc SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 1, 2025 Advertisement The Fram2 mission aims to honour its namesake by undertaking a groundbreaking polar voyage of its own. According to the Fram Museum in Oslo, where the ship is now kept and exhibited, it was part of three major expeditions: Fridtjof Nansens drift across the Arctic Ocean from 1893 to 1896, Otto Sverdrups journey to the Arctic archipelago west of Greenland, now Canadas Nunavut region, from 1898 to 1902, and Roald Amundsens expedition to Antarctica for his South Pole mission between 1910 and 1912. If successful, Wang and his three fellow astronauts could make history by becoming the first crew to observe and film Earths polar regions from low-Earth orbit during their three-to-five-day journey. Who are the crew members on board? Malta-based entrepreneur Chun Wang is leading the Fram2 mission as its commander, alongside a crew of three fellow spacefarers. Advertisement Joining him on the journey are Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway, Eric Philips from Australia, and Rabea Rogge from Germany. Chun Wang Originally from China, Wang is now based in Malta and helped fund the Fram2 mission. He is a co-founder of F2Pool, a global bitcoin mining network. Chun Wang. (Image credit: SpaceX) Wang met his fellow crew members while living in Svalbard. Having travelled to over 100 countries in recent years, he describes himself as nomadic, according to CNBC. Ive been interested in space from a very young age and for the first time, a private person can plan and design their own very personal mission, he told the media outlet last year. Jannicke Mikkelsen Mikkelsen is a Norwegian filmmaker who will serve as the missions vehicle commander. She specialises in working in extreme environments such as the Arctic and open ocean and is known for her use of advanced filmmaking technology. Jannicke Mikkelsen (Image credit: SpaceX) Mikkelsen has collaborated with English broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough to produce 360-degree underwater documentaries. She was also the payload specialist for the One More Orbit mission, which orbited the Earth via the North and South Poles to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Advertisement As a filmmaker, I have long dreamed of these possibilities in fiction. Now, step by step, commercial mission by commercial mission, we are turning those dreams into reality, Mikkelsen said in a statement on the Fram2 website. ALSO READ | Fly me to the moon: How do women handle their period in space? Rabea Rogge Serving as the missions pilot, Rabea Rogge is a German engineer and scientist specialising in robotics and polar research. She is currently pursuing a PhD in marine technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Rabea Rogge (Image credit: SpaceX) Notably, Rogge is the first female German astronaut to head into space. She has always been fascinated by extreme environments, studying them to understand the limits of our world - and to push beyond them. Her work includes leading a satellite mission and researching ocean robotics in the Arctic, her mission bio reads. Eric Philips Australian polar explorer Eric Philips will take on the role of mission specialist and medical officer. An experienced adventurer and guide, he has led numerous ski expeditions to both the North and South Poles. Eric Phillips (Image credit: SpaceX) Philips co-founded and previously served as president of the International Polar Guides Association. He also co-created the Polar Expeditions Classification Scheme, which categorises and grades extended polar journeys. Advertisement Having spent much of my adult life in the polar regions, this is an incredible opportunity to view the Arctic and Antarctica from space - in particular Antarctica, which will be fully lit at this time of year, Phillips said in a statement on the mission website. With inputs from agencies US President Donald Trump is set to announce sweeping tariffs targeting nations with large trade imbalances with America. Branded the Dirty 15, these countries account for the bulk of Americas deficits. While the complete list remains undisclosed, India is expected to be on it. China and the EU are will also face steep duties read more US President Donald Trump speaks as Crypto czar David Sacks, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Executive Director of the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets Bo Hines attend the White House Crypto Summit at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 7, 2025. File Image/Reuters United States President Donald Trump is preparing to announce what is expected to be the most expansive set of tariffs yet under his administration, with April 2 being labelled as Americas Liberation Day. This initiative is designed to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that maintain high tariffs on US goods or implement other restrictive trade policies deemed unfair by the White House. While the administration has not disclosed all details of the plan, it is clear that certain nations will face a harsher impact than others. Advertisement The announcement comes amid Trumps long-standing criticism of global trade policies, which he argues have allowed other countries to take unfair advantage of the United States. Youd start with all countries, so lets see what happens, Trump told reporters, pointing out that there is no predetermined limit on the number of affected nations. However, administration officials have hinted that the primary targets will be a select group of countries with significant trade imbalances with the US. Who are the Dirty 15? US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has referenced a group of nations termed the Dirty 15, describing them as the 15 percent of US trading partners that impose steep tariffs and other trade barriers on American goods. While Bessent did not specify which countries fall into this category, economic data provides insight into the most likely candidates. The US Commerce Departments 2024 trade deficit data shows that America had the highest goods trade deficits with China, followed by the European Union, Mexico, Vietnam, Ireland, Germany, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Canada, India, Thailand, Italy, Switzerland, Malaysia and Indonesia. These countries collectively account for the majority of the US trade imbalance and are therefore widely believed to be at the forefront of the new tariff measures. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has also identified 21 nations that warrant particular attention in reviewing unfair trade practices. This expanded list includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. Advertisement While the Dirty 15 designation has been widely discussed, Trumps recent comments suggest that a broader range of nations could be affected. How are nations planning to respond? The prospect of widespread tariffs has already triggered responses from key trading partners. Canada and China have indicated they will impose retaliatory tariffs if affected, while the European Union has announced plans to introduce countermeasures by mid-April. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde commented on the situation, telling France Inter radio, He calls it Liberation Day in the United States. I see it as a moment when we must collectively decide to take greater control of our destiny. Meanwhile, Indian officials have reportedly discussed lowering certain tariffs in an attempt to mitigate the impact of the new measures. Other nations, including Mexico and South Korea, are also weighing their options as they prepare for potential economic consequences. What tariffs will be imposed? The specific tariffs will vary by country and industry. Trump has previously implemented blanket tariffs on steel and aluminium, levies on foreign automobile imports, and sector-specific tariffs on Chinese goods. The new measures could include additional sector-specific duties, particularly in industries such as pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. Auto tariffs are also expected to increase, with the administration set to introduce new levies on foreign cars and automotive parts starting April 4. White House officials have suggested that each countrys tariff rate will be determined based on its existing trade practices. This means that nations with particularly high tariffs or stringent non-tariff barriers on US goods may face the steepest penalties. Advertisement Administration officials have reportedly been working to tailor the tariffs to account for factors such as domestic tax policies, product safety regulations, and other trade restrictions. What concerns do businesses have? While Trumps tariffs have been framed as a measure to revitalise American industry, they have sparked concern among various business sectors. Domestic steel manufacturers and labour unions have largely supported previous tariff hikes, viewing them as a means to protect American jobs. However, the automotive industry has warned that higher tariffs could lead to increased costs and supply chain disruptions. The American Automotive Policy Council, which represents major US carmakers such as Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, has cautioned that additional tariffs could drive up vehicle prices and negatively impact production. A report by economist Arthur Laffer noted that 25 percent auto tariffs could significantly raise US vehicle costs and disrupt supply chains. The council has urged for a fair and predictable trade environment. Also Watch: Similarly, agricultural producers have voiced concerns over retaliatory measures that could affect US exports. The International Fresh Produce Association issued a letter warning that both the proposed tariffs and expected counter-tariffs could destabilise American farmers and agribusinesses. Advertisement Economists argue that trade deficits are not inherently detrimental to an economy, as they often reflect strong consumer demand. The US Chamber of Commerce has maintained that persuading other countries to lower their tariffs is a more effective approach than imposing reciprocal duties. The overall US trade deficit is not the result of foreign trade barriers, the Chamber stated in written comments to the USTR. Why only the Dirty 15? Trumps focus on eliminating trade deficits was a central theme of his 2024 campaign, and his administration has worked aggressively to implement measures that reflect this goal. Initially, Trump had proposed imposing tariffs on all US imports, but practical and legal concerns led to a more targeted approach. According to sources familiar with internal White House discussions, officials worried that imposing duties on all imports simultaneously would be logistically unfeasible, reported The Washington Post. As a result, the administration opted to concentrate on a specific subset of trade partners, leading to the Dirty 15 strategy. Also Watch: Foreign governments are now bracing for the impact of the new tariffs, with some seeking to negotiate exemptions or reductions. The European Union has already delayed implementing its retaliatory tariffs until mid-April, suggesting that diplomatic efforts may still influence the final outcome. Advertisement Meanwhile, China is expected to respond forcefully, having previously countered Trumps trade policies with its own measures on American goods. With inputs from agencies Donald Trump has declared April 2 (Wednesday) as Liberation Day; it is the day he has promised to roll out reciprocal tariffs on imports from other countries. This move, experts believe, could significantly impact Indian exports. Heres how read more US President Donald Trump displays a signed executive order in the Oval Office about tariff increase. The US president has said that reciprocal tariffs will make trade fair for America. File image/AFP Not D-Day, but L-Day is almost here. We are talking about Donald Trumps Liberation Day when he plans to roll out a set of tariffs that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods. Scheduled for April 2, Trump has vowed reciprocal tariffs on all countries, with the US president saying, Weve been talking about all countries - no cutoffs. And on Monday, speaking to reporters, he once said that the tariffs he is preparing to announce on Wednesday will be nicer than the trade policies of US trading partners. We are going to be very nice by comparison to what they were. The numbers will be lower than what they have been charging us, and in some cases, maybe substantially lower, Trump told reporters at the Oval Office. Relatively speaking, were going to be very kind, Trump said. Advertisement But just how kind will he be with India? What could be the possible impact of Trumps tariffs on New Delhi? We examine. What is Trumps Liberation Day? Before we analyse the likely impact that Trumps tariff plan could have on India, first lets understand what the US president has proposed. As a means to rebalance global trade, US President Donald Trump has said that he would impose reciprocal tariffs on all countries with which the US has a trade deficit. He claims that the US charges low tariffs, while other countries, including India, impose higher duties and trade barriers on American goods. This, he says, leads to a $1 trillion trade deficit that harms American industries and workers. Neither the White House nor Trump himself have explained what tariffs are coming, or how theyll be calculated. The administration also hasnt specified when these new tariffs will take effect. However, on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the president will reveal his plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on all of the US trading partners on Wednesday. She added that whether details of the tariffs be revealed, depends on Trump himself. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds up a chart showing tariffs on American goods as she speaks with reporters in the driveway of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC on March 31, 2025. AFP What does Indias trade with US look like? To understand the possible impact of Trumps tariffs on India, one needs to analyse the trade ties between the two countries. From 2021 to 2024, the US has been the largest trading partner of India. The US, in fact, accounts for 18 per cent of Indias total exports. Data reveals that in 2023-2024, the bilateral trade between the two countries was $119.71 billion $77.51 billion in exports and $42.19 billion in imports, resulting in a trade surplus of $35.31 billion. Further analysis shows that in 2024, Indias key exports to the US were drug formulations and biologicals ($8.1 billion), telecom instruments ($6.5 billion), precious and semi-precious stones ($5.3 billion), petroleum products ($4.1 billion), gold and other precious metal jewellery ($3.2 billion), ready-made cotton garments with accessories ($2.8 billion), and iron and steel products ($2.7 billion). Advertisement Meanwhile, Indias imports from the US included crude oil ($4.5 billion), petroleum products ($3.6 billion), coal and coke ($3.4 billion), cut and polished diamonds ($2.6 billion), electric machinery ($1.4 billion), aircraft, spacecraft, and parts ($1.3 billion), and gold ($1.3 billion). Will Trumps tariffs hurt India? For now, no one can give a definitive answer as it is unclear how the tariffs will be applied will it be at the product level, sector level, or country level. But analysts have provided different answers. For instance, founder of Global Trade Research Initiative, a research group on trade and technology, Ajay Srivastava, told PTI that the impact of the tariffs would depend on the format. It would depend if US imposed a countrywide levy on all products or sector-level tariffs. Meanwhile, a study by Morgan Stanley suggests that India and even Thailand could see their tariffs increase by four to six percentage points if the US moves forward with its plans to reduce the tariff difference. Most experts agree, though, that if tariffs do come into effect, some Indian exports would feel the impact more than others. And most concur that Indias electronic exports would feel the hurt. Electronics, particularly mobile phones, form Indias largest export category to the US, with shipments worth $11.1 billion in FY24. With a sectoral tariff differential of nine per cent, exports to the US would be hurt sharply if this was to be implemented. In agricultural exports, Srivastava, also told PTI that the hardest-hit sector will be fish, meat, and processed seafood, with $2.58 billion in exports facing a 27.83 per cent tariff differential. Moreover, processed food, sugar, and cocoa exports $1.03 billion will also struggle with a 24.99 per cent tariff increase, making Indian snacks and confectionery expensive in the US. Advertisement Most trade analysts note that the gems and jewellery sector will be most vulnerable with the US accounting for 30 per cent of Indias total exports in this category. This is followed up by the textile and apparel sector. New vehicles are parked on the pier in Baltimore, Maryland. Experts note that Indias auto sector will be relatively insulated from Trumps levies. File image/AFP However, the experts have said that Trumps tariffs will most likely have a negligible impact on the automobile industry in India. As the Times of India reported, on automobiles, Indias total exports to the US, at around $10 million are quite insignificant. But if tariffs are imposed on auto components, India could still find opportunities as Mexico, Canada, and China major suppliers to the US face even higher tariffs. In fact, one report by Citi Research estimated that India could lose around $7 billion annually due to these tariffs. Even Devendra Kumar Pant, chief economist at Ind-Ra, told India Today that the new tariffs could reduce Indias GDP growth by 5-10 basis points from the current estimate of 6.6 per cent. Advertisement A billboard displays a message reading tariffs are a tax on your grocery bill in Miramar, Florida. File image/AFP How is India preparing for Trumps Liberation Day? With hope and trepidation. India is hoping that Trump stays true to his word of being kind when it comes to levying tariffs. Moreover, over the weekend, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau held talks with Indias Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during which the two discussed ongoing efforts to reduce barriers as part of trade deal negotiations, per Washington. Washingtons readout noted that the two officials discussed ongoing efforts to reduce barriers to achieve a fair and balanced bilateral trade relationship, referring to the bilateral trade agreement that both sides aim to finalise the first tranche of by autumn this year. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has said that India has agreed to drop the tariffs it imposes on his country very substantially. However, Indias Ministry of External Affairs has not commented on the claims made by Trump. With inputs from agencies Virginia Giuffre, who claimed that she was forced to have sex with Britains Prince Andrew by disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, revealed that she has only four days to live. The 41-year-old says she is ready to go after a car accident left her with a head injury and kidney failure. Giuffre remains a key figure in exposing the infamous sex trafficking scandal involving Epstein read more Giuffres name became widely known after she accused Britains Prince Andrew of being involved in Epsteins trafficking ring. File image/Reuters Virginia Giuffre, a victim of the disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein who once alleged she was sexually trafficked to Britains Prince Andrew, has revealed that she has only four days to live after a car accident left her severely injured. The 41-year-old, known for her efforts to support victims of sexual abuse, shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram. In her post, she expressed that she is ready to go but hopes to see her children one last time. Advertisement Giuffres name became widely known after she accused Britains Prince Andrew of being involved in Epsteins trafficking ring. Her testimony played a crucial role in bringing attention to one of the most shocking criminal cases of our time. But who is Virginia Giuffre? What happened to her? And how did she help expose the Epstein scandal? Heres what we know What happened to Giuffre? On March 31 (Monday), Virginia Giuffre shared a distressing image of herself in a hospital bed, covered in bruises. While she didnt go into much detail, she revealed that the accident involved a school bus travelling at 110 km/h (68 mph). The impact left her critically injured, ultimately leading to renal failure. This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I wont bore anyone with the details, she wrote on Instagram. But I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can, she wrote. Doctors have reportedly told her that she has just four days to live. In her post, Giuffre said she is ready to go but hopes to see her children one last time. She ended her message by expressing gratitude to those who have supported her over the years. Thank you all for being the wonderful people of the world and for being a great part of my life, she wrote. Advertisement Her post has sparked an outpouring of support from around the world, with many sending prayers and well wishes. Among them was her father, Sky Roberts, who responded with an emotional plea. Virginia my daughter, I love you and [am] praying for you to get the correct treatment to live a long and healthy life, he wrote. If there is anything in this world I can do to help you, please let me know. My spirit [is] with you now and holding your hand, he added. Turned my life around, everything changed Virginia Giuffres life has been marked by both trauma and financial struggles. Born in Sacramento, California, her journey took a dark turn at a young age. She has previously spoken about enduring sexual abuse since childhood. When she was in grade school, her family relocated to Loxahatchee, Florida. At just seven years old, she was first molested by a family friendan event that, as she described in her biography Virginia Giuffre by Nigel Cawthorne, turned my entire life around. Everything changed. Virginia Giuffres struggles led her to run away from home several times, including once when she hitched a ride to San Francisco. At just 14 years old, she was picked up on the streets of Miami by the owner of a modelling agency, who then trafficked her. Advertisement Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew, alleging that he had sexually assaulted her multiple times when she was 17. File image/AFP After his arrest, Giuffre returned to her home in Loxahatchee and began working at Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach country club owned by President Trump, where her father worked as a maintenance supervisor. In 2000, when she was 16, she met British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epsteins partner, while working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago. Maxwell is said to have recruited Giuffre, presenting the opportunity as a job as a masseuse for Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire financier who would later become infamous for operating a vast sex trafficking ring. What followed, according to Giuffre, was a nightmare of abuse and exploitation. She has consistently claimed that Epstein and Maxwell not only groomed her but also coerced her into engaging in sexual activities with powerful men, including British Royal Prince Andrewan allegation which the royal has strongly denied. Giuffre then escaped Epsteins control in 2002, marrying Australian martial arts instructor Robert Giuffre and relocating to Australia. The couple now has three children, all of whom are teenagers. Advertisement How Guiffres lawsuits shook the elite In 2021, Virginia Giuffre took legal action against Prince Andrew, filing a civil lawsuit in a New York federal court. She alleged that he had sexually assaulted her multiple times when she was 17, in locations including New York, London, and Jeffrey Epsteins private island. Giuffre claimed that Epstein and his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, trafficked her to London specifically for the purpose of having sex with the royal. An uncropped image showing Andrew, Giuffre and Maxwell, with a blur in the corner. IMage courtesy: Virginia Guiffre During each of the aforementioned incidents, [Giuffre] was compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew, and feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth, and authority, the court filing stated. Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the accusations. In a 2019 BBC interview, he addressed his connection to Epstein and Giuffres claims, stating, I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever. It just never happened. Advertisement The lawsuit drew intense media scrutiny and led to Andrew being stripped of his royal titles and duties. In 2022, he settled the case out of court without admitting any wrongdoing. Giuffres testimony played a key role in shedding light on Epsteins vast network of abuse. When the disgraced financier was found dead in his Manhattan prison cell in 2019, public interest in the powerful figures linked to him only deepened. Prosecutors had accused Epstein of running a decades-long operation involving the sexual abuse of underage girls, flying them on private jets to his estates in Florida, New York, New Mexico, and the US Virgin Islands. Prosecutors had accused Epstein of running a decades-long operation involving the sexual abuse of underage girls, flying them on private jets to his estates in Florida, New York, New Mexico, and the US Virgin Islands. Epstein died in 2019. Reuters/File Photo In 2009, Giuffre settled a lawsuit against Epstein for $500,000, ending her legal claim that he had sexually abused her as a minor. She later sued Maxwell for defamation in 2015, alleging that Maxwell publicly ridiculed her and attempted to discredit her story. That case was also settled in 2017 for an undisclosed amount. Advertisement Determined to help others, Giuffre went on to establish Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR), a non-profit organisation that supports survivors of sexual assault. With input from agencies A number of Australian universities have shuttered Confucius Institutes (CIs) controversial educational centres named after the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. But what do we know about them? read more There are 496 Confucius Institutes in 160 countries around the world. AFP A number of universities in Australia have shuttered Confucius Institutes (CIs). The development comes after concerns that China is using these controversial educational centres to spy on its own students abroad and spread its propaganda. Beijing has insisted that these centres, which teach about the Chinese language and culture, are a bridge reinforcing friendship. The institutes are named after the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BCE). But what happened exactly? What do we know about these centres? Advertisement Lets take a closer look: What happened? According to BBC, six Australian universities have shuttered their CIs. These include the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland (UQ), the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Nearly half of the CIs in Australia have now been shut down. According to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), there are still seven CIs in other educational institutions around the country. The universities blamed disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic for the closure of the CIs. The development comes after Australias federal government in recent years said it would not allow more CIs to open. What do we know about the centers? As per The Diplomat, the programme was launched by China in 2004 under then President Hu Jintao. As per The Conversation, they teach Chinese language and culture. They offer courses ranging from calligraphy to cooking and tai chi. They also offer translating and interpreting services, offer the Chinese language proficiency test, organise language competitions and arrange study tours to the mainland. These centres have ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), according to BBC. As per ICWA, there are 496 Confucius Institutes in 160 countries around the world. This includes, Europe (183), the Americas (84), Asia (143), Africa (67), Oceania (19), and South Asia (14). Chinese President Xi Jinping and former President Hu Jintao attend the closing session of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017. Reuters They are aimed at teaching students Chinese, promoting educational and cultural exchanges, and improving global understanding of China under the tenets of equality, friendly consultation, mutual respect, and mutual benefit. Advertisement They are set up via partnerships between local institutions, Chinese universities, and government agencies. Till July 2020, the CIs were run by the Chinese government agency Hanban (Office of Chinese Language Council International) which gave money and resources. Meanwhile, host universities offered classrooms and office space. Hanban later became the Center for Language Exchange and Cooperation (CLEC). A new non-profit, the Chinese International Education Foundation (CIEF), was established under CLEC to administer the CIs. As per The Diplomat, interestingly, the United States was once home to over 100 CIs. Today, most of them are shut. However, National Association of Scholars reported in June 2022 that the demise of Confucius Institutes has not deterred the Chinese government, which has persuaded American colleges and universities to reopen and rebrand Confucius Institute programs under new names. These institutes have long been the subject of controversy. ABC in 2019 reported that teaching assistants who work at these CIs are required to have good political quality and a love of the motherland. Advertisement China expert professor John Fitzgerald from Swinburne University of Technology explained that good political quality means to accept the Chinese Communist Party politics as your own politics and to express no political views of your own. Politics is the exclusive preserve of the party, Fitzgerald added. Its what the party does. This means, of course, that everything the party touches is political, including education and culture. Chen Yonglin, a former Chinese diplomat who defected to Australia in 2005, added, Good political quality means to always be loyal to the Chinese Communist Party and nothing else. As per the Economist, in 2018 Victoria University cancelled a screening of a film criticising Confucius Institutes after protests from Chinese diplomats. There have been also complaints by professors about free speech being clamped down on. What do experts say? Experts say the CIs are part of Chinas soft power strategy around the world. In South Asia in particular, they are seen as an extension of the Chinese governments foreign policy. The China director of Human Rights Watch in 2019 told ABC, Many fail to see that Confucius institutes are a part of a much bigger Chinese Communist Party agenda. Advertisement Kevin Carrico of Monash University told the Economist, that it is completely inappropriate for universities to host what amount to arms of the Chinese Communist Party on their campuses. Members of the Chinese Confucius Institute take part in a Lunar New Year celebration in Vina del Mar city. Reuters Dr Jeffrey Gill from Flinders University, who studies Confucius Institutes, told the outlet that he wasnt surprised by the development. He said worries around foreign interference were likely to be one factor. Gill is one of those who refute allegations that CIs push Chinese propaganda. Gill, however, added that he not convinced that CIs were promoting Chinese government propaganda and they had very little influence on perceptions of China in Australia and the Western world more broadly. Gil said they employ a selective teaching approach. [The programs] focus on positive aspects of China and try to portray a positive image, he said. This happens by focusing their activities and programs primarily around traditional Chinese culture while ignoring sensitive topics such as the Tiananmen Square massacre, Taiwan and Tibet. In this sense they portray a selective, rather than propagandistic, view. Advertisement If you look at the actual content, they are as innocent as strawberries. They look like the language teaching material for any other language you might want to pick up from a democratic parliamentary state, a CI staff told Gill. But some say a more serious look at CIs is needed. A piece in ICWA noted, The dual role of Confucius Institutes as both educational and political tools in South Asia exemplifies the intricate balance China seeks to maintain between cultural diplomacy and strategic influence. Although these institutes offer cultural exchange opportunities, their impact on sovereignty and academic freedom in the region demands scrutiny. As South Asia continues to navigate its relationship with China, the role of Confucius Institutes will remain a critical analysis point in understanding the broader implications of Chinas soft power strategy. With inputs from agencies Everyones talking about Hollywood actor Parker Posey and her role as Victoria Ratliff in Season 3 of HBOs The White Lotus. But its not her performance but her love for the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam that has piqued interest. Through the episodes, she is seen gulping down the medicine like candy. But what is lorazepam? read more HBOs hit show The White Lotus is back and since its release has served up several memorable watching moments, from robberies to bougie boat rides and poisonous snakes. But beyond the cast and the storyline, theres a scene-stealer the anti-anxiety medication, lorazepam. The drug almost plays a character of its own in the show as kooky Southern mom Victoria Ratliff, played by actor Parker Posey, cant seem to go anywhere not even dinner without popping one of the anti-anxiety pills and stashing the prescription in her purse. She even freely offers some to her husband, Timothy, whos visibly stressed out about being caught in a money laundering scheme. Advertisement At one point in the show, Posey also utters the memorable quote: I dont even have my lorazepam. Im going to have to drink myself to sleep. If the show has got you curious about the drug, youre not alone. In fact, searches for the drug have spiked, reveals Google Trends. So what actually is this drug and whats the right way to use it? What is lorazepam? Sold under the brand name of Ativan, lorazepam belongs to the class of medications called benzodiazepines, which work to calm the central nervous system by slowing activity in the brain. Other famous benzodiazepines in the market are Valium, Xanax and Klonopin. As David Merrill, MD, PhD, board certified psychiatrist at Providence Saint Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, California, told Womens Health Mag, Lorazepam is a nervous system sedative. It takes the edge off or reduces the level of alertness. Lorazepam works by increasing a calming chemical in your brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Low levels of GABA can lead to overactive brain circuitry that contributes to anxiety. So, what is lorazepam used for? As Victoria in The White Lotus suggests lorazepam is used mainly to treat anxiety. It is, however, also helpful for someone who struggles with insomnia, agitation, or to treat or prevent seizures. Ryan Marino, MD, an assistant professor in the departments of emergency medicine and psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, told SELF, Lorazepam is most commonly used in very short-term situations for treatment of things like anxiety, panic attacks, and alcohol withdrawal. Sue Varma, a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, holds a similar view. Speaking to Cosmopolitan, she says, Its accessibility and effectiveness in acute settings makes it a go-to for health care providers looking to alleviate immediate distress. It is most commonly used for short-term treatment, often while the patient works on long-term strategies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or lifestyle changes that address the root causes of anxiety or insomnia. Advertisement Parker Posey in The White Lotus seen with a prescription of lorazepam. Image Courtesy: HBO However, all medical experts and even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) note that lorazepam should only be prescribed for periods of two to four weeks unlike how Victoria keeps popping them in the HBO hit series. Its not something that you should be consistently on, for life, Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Health, tells SELF, adding, Its supposed to be used for situations when youre feeling especially anxious and activated as a bridge medication to help you manage that. Are there any dangers to taking lorazepam? There are certain physical side effects to taking lorazepam. Some people, as doctors note, will complain of dizziness, confusion, memory issues and slowed breathing when they ingest the drug. In addition, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) states that lorazepam could cause amnesia, vivid or disturbing dreams, irritability, or hostility. But besides the physical side effects, lorazepam is highly addictive, contrary to what Victoria claims in The White Lotus when she hands a lorazepam to her husband and says, Take this, theyre not addicting, I just take one when I need it. Medical studies have found that this anti-anxiety drug is very habit-forming. Chelsie Rohrscheib, a neuroscientist and sleep specialist at Wesper in New York in a Fox News report said, This class of drug is extremely habit-forming, which means a patient taking it may become dependent and experience withdrawal symptoms once its discontinued. Advertisement Dr Joseph Squitieri at Northwell Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens, New York, also issued a similar word of caution to the use of lorazepam. If you stop taking it suddenly, you can also develop a withdrawal from the medication, which actually could be very dangerous, could result in high blood pressure, seizures; thats a life-threatening situation. A lot of people dont realise that you cant just stop it if youre taking it regularly for a very long time, he told People magazine. This is the reason that in 2020, the US FDA released a new warning label for benzodiazepine boxes, which addresses the heightened risks of abuse, addiction, physical dependence, and withdrawal reactions that can come with using the drugs. Medical research has also shown that lorazepam can affect an individuals mood and even raise a patients risk of depression. But thats not all; studies have also revealed that long-term use of benzodiazepines such as lorazepam is linked to neurodegenerative disorders, such as dementia. Advertisement Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine that treats anxiety disorder or panic disorder. File image/X Can you consume alcohol with lorazepam? In The White Lotus, Victoria often downs her lorazepam with alcohol; in fact, she consumes copious amounts of liquor while being on the drug. This, experts, note is a huge red flag in the medical world and is indicative of abuse. As Dr Gail Saltz, who serves as a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Centre, said in a CNN report, Alcohol specifically interacts with benzodiazepines. They both affect the GABA system. They both can cause, on their own, respiratory depression and death meaning you stop breathing and die. But together, they are whats called synergistic, meaning it makes each of them have more of that effect than the two of them on their own. So its dangerous. Thats why they tell you not to drink when youre taking lorazepam. Who shouldnt take lorazepam? There are certain individuals who should steer clear of lorazepam, say doctors. These include women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, elderly patients who are more sensitive to sedation, and individuals with certain medical conditions that may react to the medication (like severe liver disease and acute narrow-angle glaucoma). Also, those who have a history of substance abuse shouldnt be prescribed lorazepam. As it is highly addictive, individuals who have struggled with alcohol, prescription drugs, or other substances should generally avoid the anti-anxiety medicine. With inputs from agencies While often marketed as a harmless, chewy sweet, most mass-produced gums, including prominent names like Wrigley, are made using synthetic rubbers and petroleum-based polymers, some of which are also found in products like car tyres read more That stick of chewing gum you reach for after lunch might come with more than just minty freshness. According to a new pilot study, it may also be dosing your mouth with a surprising number of microplastics. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have found that chewing just one piece of gum can release thousands of microscopic plastic particles into saliva a finding that adds to the growing concern over how deeply plastic pollution has embedded itself into daily life. The study, still awaiting peer review, is being presented this week at a meeting of the American Chemical Society. But the authors are quick to point out that their aim is not to spark alarm. Advertisement Our goal is not to alarm anybody, said Sanjay Mohanty, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at UCLA and lead author of the research. Scientists dont know if microplastics are unsafe to us or not. There are no human trials. But we know we are exposed to plastics in everyday life, and thats what we wanted to examine here. The concern is rooted in what modern gum is made from. While often marketed as a harmless, chewy sweet, most mass-produced gums, including prominent names like Wrigley, are made using synthetic rubbers and petroleum-based polymers, some of which are also found in products like car tyres. That has raised eyebrows, especially given how little attention has been paid to gums potential role in microplastic exposure. In an attempt to fill that gap, Mohanty and co-author Lisa Lowe tested saliva samples from one subject who chewed ten different brands of gum five synthetic, five natural for four minutes each. The findings may leave your mouth wide open. Surprisingly, both synthetic and natural gums had similar amounts of microplastics released when we chewed them, said Lowe. On average, chewing gum released up to 600 microplastic shards per gram. Given that a stick of gum typically weighs between one and six grams, the potential exposure can add up quickly. Someone chewing 180 pieces of gum a year, for instance, could be ingesting as many as 30,000 microplastic particles annually. Advertisement So should you worry? While the amount of microplastics in chewing gum sounds alarming, in context, its relatively modest. A litre of bottled water, by comparison, contains an estimated 240,000 microplastic particles. Experts say the jury is still out on whether you should worry. I dont think you have to stop chewing gum just yet, said Oliver Jones, a chemistry professor at RMIT University in Australia who was not involved in the study. Most particles, if swallowed, would likely pass straight through you with no impact, he told AFP. Still, concern is mounting about the health risks posed by microplastics, particularly when particles are small enough to enter the bloodstream. Recent studies have linked microplastic exposure with elevated risks of heart attack, stroke, and even blood clots in the brain. For those looking to err on the side of caution, the researchers offered a simple workaround: chew your gum longer. Most microplastic release, they found, occurs in the first two minutes. So sticking with the same piece for longer might reduce your exposure and its certainly better than spitting it out onto the pavement. Advertisement With inputs from agencies PLA exercises resolute punishment for "Taiwan independence" provocations: spokesperson Xinhua) 10:33, April 01, 2025 BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The military exercises of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command around Taiwan Island serve as a resolute punishment for Lai Ching-te authorities' blatant "Taiwan independence" provocations, said a mainland spokesperson on Tuesday. The exercises are also a stern warning to separatist forces attempting to undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait, and a necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, said Zhu Fenglian, a State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson. "'Taiwan independence' means war, and pursuing 'Taiwan independence' means pushing the people of Taiwan into a perilous situation," Zhu said. Zhu stressed the mainland's rock-solid determination and unshakable capability to resolve the Taiwan question and achieve national reunification. The mainland will neither tolerate nor leave any room for activities seeking "Taiwan independence," she said. The PLA announced earlier on Tuesday that its Eastern Theater Command has started to conduct joint exercises around Taiwan Island, organizing army, navy, air and rocket forces to close in on the island from multiple directions. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) His Majestys Government of Gibraltar Appoints New Media Director to Head Revamped Communications Department His Majestys Government of Gibraltar has announced the appointment of Anton Calderon as its new Media Director and Head of the Government Press Office. The appointment is part of a broader initiative to modernise and expand the Governments communications strategy. A household name in Gibraltars media landscape, Mr Calderon brings nearly two decades of experience in filmmaking and media production to the role. His work is widely known locally through the many series he has produced for the national broadcaster, GBC. These include "The Needle" and "Lives of Our Leaders", both of which blend political and historical analysis with a focused effort to dignify and highlight the value of Gibraltars democratic institutions. Beyond media, Mr Calderon holds a Masters degree in Political Communications and has been closely involved in local politics for over a decade. He served as Communications Director for Together Gibraltar and has previously worked with the Gibraltar Social Democrats and, in particular the current Leader of the Opposition, Hon Keith Azopardi KC MP, on several campaigns and initiatives. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo welcomed the appointment: "Anton is a gifted communications professional whose work for GBC has consistently shown depth, integrity, and a genuine respect for our institutions. I have no doubt that he will bring great value to this role and serve the people of Gibraltar with creativity, thoughtfulness and commitment. I look forward to seeing the impact of his work as we continue to change and strengthen the way Government engages with the public as communication has changed so radically in the past decade. In his new role, Mr Calderon will oversee the transformation of the Government Press Office into a modernised Communications Department. This transition forms part of a new communications plan aimed at improving transparency, accessibility, and citizen engagement. Mr Calderon thanked the Government and, sharing his vision for the role, said: I am honoured to assume this role and grateful for the trust placed in me, stepping into it with full appreciation for the contributions and achievements of those who came before me. I believe, in the world in which we live, communication must be a two-way conversation that is not just about informing, but also about listening. Im committed to bringing the voice of Government closer to the people, and just as importantly, to ensuring that the voices of our citizens are heard clearly and accurately. The new department will focus on strategic planning, digital engagement, and building public trust, ushering in a more modern, responsive, and inclusive approach to government communications in Gibraltar. Further details of the new communications plan will be shared in the coming weeks. The appointment of the Government's Media Director is a direct appointment by the Chief Minister. A growing number of adults are snuggling up with their favourite stuffed toys at night, not just as a quirky habit, but as a real way to unwind, sleep better, and maybe even feel a little less lonely. But this trend isnt just about nostalgia. Theres actual science behind why stuffed animals provide comfort, no matter your age. Heres what it is read more A 2017 survey by Build-A-Bear and Atomik Research found that 40 per cent of American adults still sleep with a stuffed animal. Image for Representation. Pixabay Ever caught yourself eyeing a stuffed animal in a toy shop and feeling a strange sense of comfort? Youre not alone. More and more adults are snuggling up with cuddly toys at nightnot just as a quirky habit, but as a real way to unwind, sleep better, and maybe even feel a little less lonely. But this trend isnt just about nostalgia. Theres actual science behind why stuffed animals provide comfort, no matter your age. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kids love stuffed animals. Its because theyre cosy and just personified enough to provide a bit of social comfort. Thats a great way for kids to self-soothe. We adults can do the same thing. Jennifer Goldschmied, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, told The New York Times. So, whats behind this growing love for plush companions? How do they actually help? And why is their popularity soaring? Lets take a closer look. Stuffed toys are for everyone The idea that stuffed animals are just for children is quickly fading. A 2017 survey by Build-A-Bear and Atomik Research found that 40 per cent of American adults still sleep with a stuffed animal. Plush toy sales surged during the Covid-19 pandemic, and by 2024, 21 per cent of plush purchases were made by adults over 18, according to Juli Lennett, a US toys industry adviser at Circana, a market research firm in Chicago. Its becoming more acceptable, said Brian Benway, a senior tech and gaming analyst at Mintel, in an interview with Business Insider. A lot of people are taking the approach that, well, I dont care if other people think this is dumb, this brings me a little bit of happiness, a little bit of joy, so Im going to keep doing it. Plush toy sales surged during the Covid-19 pandemic, and by 2024, 21 per cent of plush purchases were made by adults over 18. Image for Representation. Pixabay This trend is especially noticeable among Gen Z, who are openly embracing their love for plush toys. Social media platforms like TikTok have played a huge role in normalising this, with millions of videos under the #plushies tag showcasing collectors enthusiasm for brands like Jellycat and Squishmallows. They make me happy when I see them, said Jellycat collector Andrew Elliott, 25, in an interview with The Guardian. We dont live in the most fun and friendly times, so I think surrounding your house with smiley faces is a good thing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to experts, theres absolutely nothing wrong with adults owning stuffed animalsor even using them to sleep better. In fact, there are plenty of benefits. Why cuddling with a soft toy is good for you The comfort of cuddling a soft toy is rooted in solid psychological principles. Psychologists refer to them as transitional objectsitems that help children regulate their emotions, feel secure, and self-soothe during stressful moments. The good news is, these benefits dont vanish when we grow up. A study published in PLOS One revealed that hugging a stuffed animal or a weighted plush toy can lower cortisol levels, reducing anxiety. Dr Jade Wu, a sleep psychologist and founder of Thrive Sleep Clinic in Durham, North Carolina, explained it to CNN: The feeling of it, the smell of it, the sight of it, can be associated with sleep, and so helps to signal that you know sleep is coming. The comfort of cuddling a soft toy is rooted in solid psychological principles. Psychologists refer to them as transitional objectsitems that help regulate their emotions, feel secure, and self-soothe during stressful moments. Image for Representation. Pixabay For some, stuffed animals play an even more therapeutic role. Dr Jessica Lamar, a mental health therapist in Seattle, uses them with adults working through trauma. She takes patients to Build-A-Bear, where they create a bear to represent their inner child or a younger version of themselves, helping them heal childhood trauma. Lamar told CNN that giving these bears the comfort and compassion they may have missed out on as children can be incredibly beneficial. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But stuffed animals arent just for those processing trauma. Many adults sleep with stuffed animals because they provide a sense of comfort and security, reminiscent of their childhood, said Caroline Fenkel, DSW, LCSW, an adolescent mental health expert, in an interview with Well and Good. Interestingly, Dr Wu believes that having a stuffed animal in bed might also meet some evolutionary needs. We evolved to live in tribes and to have a village, she explained. We sleep the best when we feel safe, so when were feeling vulnerable, we want that bodily contact. Social sleeping makes us feel safer and helps us sleep better. So, a stuffed animal may be a good alternative to having someone else sleeping in your bed. With input from agencies With the BIMSTEC Summit 2025 approaching, all eyes are on whether PM Modi will meet Bangladeshs Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Bangkok. Amid ongoing tensions and Yunuss recent comments in China, the potential meeting could play a crucial role in mending the strained ties between the two countries read more After the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed days ago that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand, there was speculation over the prime ministers possible meeting with Bangladesh interim governments Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Dhaka has been trying hard to arrange a standalone meeting between PM Modi and Yunus in Bangkok this week. However, there has been no word yet from New Delhi on the possible engagement, Times of India reported on Monday. Advertisement The signals emerging from Dhaka indicate that the interim regime is extremely keen for the meeting which it claims can put ties back on track. According to a News 18 report, citing highly placed sources, no bilateral meeting has been scheduled between the two leaders. Yunus recently visited China where he sent a message to India by announcing a series of agreements. He went so far as to claim that Bangladesh alone could provide access to the sea for Indias northeastern states. Yunus encouraged Beijing to expand its economic influence in Bangladesh, controversially suggesting that the landlocked status of Indias northeastern states could present an opportunity. His remarks, reportedly made during a four-day visit to China, began circulating on social media on Monday. Yunus, who met President Xi Jinping and signed nine agreements during the trip, said, The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean." Calling Bangladesh as the only guardian of the ocean in the region, he said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy. Amid all this, PM Modi greeted Yunus and the countrys people on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday, seeking stronger friendship between the two countries. May the bonds of friendship among our countries grow stronger, PM Modi said in his message, which was shared by the chief advisers press wing. PM Modi said as the blessed month of Ramzan comes to a close, I take this moment to extend warm greetings and felicitations to you and the people of Bangladesh on the joyous occasion of the festival of Eid al-Fitr. Advertisement According to News 18, the Bangladeshi leader has been seeking a meeting with PM Modi for the past few months but at the eye of the storm has been the issue of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, which the Indian establishment has tried to raise at multiple platforms. Formally, India has not been able to communicate with Bangladesh since the neighbour has a caretaker government and not an elected one. India shares deep historical, cultural, and linguistic ties with Bangladesh, rooted in their collaborative efforts during Bangladeshs liberation. These connections persist even after the caretaker government took office in August last year. Recently, the Indian government informed a parliamentary committee about its engagement with the interim government on state concerns, regional security, rising extremism, attacks on minorities, and economic growth. As recent as March 1, 2025, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council released a press statement that violence against religious and ethnic minorities and indigenous communities has continued. Between August 4 and December 31, 2024, there were 2,184 reported attacks targeting minorities. Advertisement On December 10, 2024, the Bangladeshi government announced the arrest of 70 people in connection with 88 cases of such attacks. India has repeatedly urged Bangladesh to take concrete steps to protect minority rights and promote inclusion and tolerance. However, the Bangladeshi government has not only failed to acknowledge the systematic persecution of minorities but has also downplayed the extent of violence against Hindus since August 2024. Chief Adviser Md. Yunus, along with other advisers, terms the reports of atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh as media exaggeration and have tried to justify them as not communal but as political killings of the Awami Leaguers. On January 12, 2025, the Office of Chief Adviser released a press statement that police investigation has found that over 98 per cent attacks on minorities from a total of 1,415 incidents that were verified between August 4-20, 2024, were politically motivated and did not have any communal colour as being reported in Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a presentation made to the standing committee for external affairs on March 26. Relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5. Following weeks of anti-government protests, Hasina resigned as the prime minister of Bangladesh and fled to India and has been staying here under tight security since. With inputs from agencies The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025 will bring together leaders and experts to discuss Indias growth in AI, start-ups, and infrastructure. This summit will explore the challenges and opportunities shaping Indias future on the global stage. read more Rising Bharat Summit 2025: AI to be in focus as top Indian leaders discuss countrys future. As India is at a crucial moment, with rapid growth in AI, start-ups, and infrastructure transforming its future, the News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025 will bring together leaders and experts to discuss the key issues shaping Indias rise on the global stage. With over 100 cities rapidly transforming and the digital economy set to reach $1 trillion by 2030, now is the time for discussions that will shape Indias future. The country is at a crossroads. The AI revolution is changing industries, with Indias AI market expected to grow by 35% annually, reaching $17 billion by 2027. Advertisement Meanwhile, political shifts, both at home and abroad, are influencing economic policies, trade, and national security. Indias start-up ecosystem, now the third-largest in the world, continues to innovate, though challenges like funding slowdowns and regulations remain. While infrastructure development is transforming cities, issues like traffic, sustainability, and logistics still require creative solutions. At the News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025, discussions on Indias potential and future will take place. As the world recognises Bharats growing influence, the summit will bring together top Indian leaders, global policymakers, industry experts, tech innovators, and start-up pioneers to tackle the key issues shaping our future. The summit will cover everything from AI-led governance and technology to politics, economic policies, innovation, and urban growth. Key discussions will focus on global supply chains, sustainable cities, and the next wave of innovation, driving conversations about Bharats journey to global leadership by 2047. This is not just another event its where Bharats future is being shaped. Battlefield tourism in India offers a unique perspective on the countrys history, culture, and patriotism. Each experience is a journey into the heart and soul of the brave soldier who stood proud, fought and died for the nation read more Indias border areas offer a rich tapestry of cultural experiences and natural beauty. The terrain has so much to offer. The creeks and swamps and the Rann Utsav in the Rann of Kutch slowly give way to the treacherous Thar desert, the railway villages of Gadra and Munabao, the fort of Jaisalmer and the famous battlefield of Longewala. Moving northwards along the western border, the desert turns into lush green fields with numerous canals and riverine terrain. The historic Firozpur with Hussainiwala and Harike water reservoirs. The holy city of Amritsar, or the pool of nectar, vibrant cultural displays at the Wagah Border and the gateway to Kashmir & Jammu. Advertisement The plains turn into hills and mountains and forests and valleys of Kashmir. The mountain desert of Ladakh with Kargil, Galwan, Rezang La, and Demchok. Going clockwise, the mountains continue bordering China, Nathu La in Sikkim, the Dooars, and finally the untouched beauty of Arunachal Pradesh, seen from the serene Buddhist ambience of the Tawang Monastery and the easternmost corner, Walong. The Bay of Bengal and the islands of Andaman & Nicobar each region is remarkable in its own way. Battlefield tourism in India offers a unique perspective on the countrys history, culture, and patriotism. Whether you are witnessing the retreat ceremony, exploring the museums, or visiting border destinations across India, each experience is a journey into the heart and soul of the brave soldier who stood proud, fought and died for the nation. From the battlefields of the past to the peaceful memorials of today, military heritage tourism sheds new light on a rich and enviable history. It is about honouring those who served, understanding the past, and appreciating the heritage that connects us all. The picturesque landscapes, serene beauty, and clean air of these places are a treat to the eye and heart. Military tourism not only opens these hidden gems but also gives an insight into the way of life of the Armed Forces in some of the most remote and challenging places, weather, and terrain in the country. Advertisement Project Shaurya Gatha To showcase the rich military heritage and culture of the Indian armed forces to the citizens of our nation, Project Shaurya Gatha was launched by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on November 8, 2024, during the second edition of the Indian Military Heritage Festival. Battlefield tourism is aligned to the Prime Ministers vision of Dekho Apna Desh, where each citizen has been urged to visit at least two battlefields. This entails shortlisting important pre- and post-Independence battlefields/geographical areas that lend themselves to creating a battlefield experience through visits to war memorials/museums/battlefield trails. The project will create military heritage trails that will connect the battlefields with military museums and memorials so that a holistic understanding of the Indian military legacy of valour and honour can be imparted to visitors. The project will aim to promote military heritage tourism in the country by creating ways and means to facilitate the potential visitors through accurate historical information and practical advice on how to plan their visit. It also has the potential for developing economic activities associated with the project that will range from improvement of infrastructure in the area, viz, accommodation, transportation, tourist guides, and souvenirs, in many parts of the country, especially border areas. Advertisement Bharat Rann Bhoomi Darshan To formulate a mechanism to augment Border Area Development (SurakshitViksit Seeemaein), a conclave on Border Area Development was organised by the Indian Army in collaboration with CLAWS on September 11, 2024, at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was the Chief Guest of the conclave. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism, and Pema Khandu, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, were also invited as special guests. Simultaneously, the Indian Army has taken the lead in border area tourism and unfolded Bharat Rann Bhoomi Darshan on Army Day 2025. This aligns with the larger narrative of the governments Vibrant Village Programme for the development of villages along our northern borders. To boost border tourism and foster development in remote regions, the Indian Army is preparing to open 14 remote border regions of Ladakh, 21 in Arunachal Pradesh, 11 in Jammu and Kashmir, and seven in Sikkim, including the strategically important village of Demchok in Ladakh, to domestic tourists. Demchok, a contested area along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and a point of contention with China, now offers Indian travellers a rare glimpse into previously restricted militarised zones. Advertisement Plans are underway to make the Galwan Memorial accessible to visitors, similar to the Rezang La War Memorial, and open border areas like Trishul and Rangla in Ladakh. This will allow civilians to experience firsthand the challenging terrain and strategic importance of these areas, which have played a crucial role in Indias history. Infrastructure Development The Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, stated that the Indian Army is opening battlefields, including Kargil and Galwan, for tourists to get first-hand experience and see where they laid down their lives for the country. With targeted initiative, we have the potential to double our tourist numbers in the next five years. We have committed to promoting adventure activities and providing support to organisers and tourist operators to enhance footfall in the border area; upskilling locals in mountaineering and associated activities is part of it, he said. The Army Chief said the Army has undertaken eight major projects comprising the Trans-Himalayan trek, the Soul of Steel trek in Uttarakhand (Mountain Skill Survival Challenge), and the opening of the trek to Siachen Glacier for citizens as part of a broader border tourism initiative. Now, you are allowed to climb Tiger Hill and see the battlefield where pitched battles were fought during the Kargil conflict in May-July 1999. He said, The sagas of battles in the Himalayas need to be told, and trekkers are welcome to come and see these areas. Advertisement The Indian Army and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have made significant strides in the improvement and development of border infrastructure in the recent past. Over 8,500 kilometres of roads have been constructed along the borders, with a special focus on the Line of Actual Control. About 400 permanent bridges and the Se La and Shinkun La tunnels have been completed. Beyond infrastructure, the Indian Army continues to play a pivotal role in supporting border communities. It provides medical assistance, rescue operations and relief services, further enhancing the quality of life for residents in these areas. The Armys promotion of border tourism will have a positive impact on the local economy. As more tourists visit these border areas, there will be a direct influx of money that will benefit the local population. Small businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops stand to gain from the increased footfall, providing locals with income and employment opportunities. Advertisement E-Museum Website There are approximately 70-75 museums of the Indian Armed Forces spread across various parts of the country. These museums showcase the rich history of the military, including equipment, uniforms, and artefacts from different periods of history, along with tales of extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by our soldiers, sailors, and airmen alike. Since it is not feasible for the public to visit all these museums, the Indian Armed Forces Museum website has been conceptualised as a comprehensive online platform. Here, curated content from 47 selected museums is showcased, highlighting the rich history and traditions of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. Designed with an engaging user interface, the website provides an immersive experience. The primary objective of the Indian Armed Forces Museum website is to educate and inspire visitors by showcasing the historical narrative and significant achievements of the Indian Armed Forces. The website can be visited here. Border Tourism Web Page Another initiative that has been undertaken is the creation of a dedicated webpage focused on boosting tourism in border areas. The Indian Armys efforts to open new avenues for tourism while ensuring security and development have been widely praised, and this new web page is a direct response to the growing interest in exploring these strategic yet culturally rich areas. For many people, border areas are often seen as off-limits or dangerous. However, the Indian Armys initiative aims to change that perception by providing information on how tourists can visit these areas safely. What makes this webpage so important is the access it provides to information that was previously hard to come by. Tourists who may have been hesitant about visiting border areas due to concerns over safety or logistical challenges can now find all the details they need in one place. The webpage includes information on the best times to visit, the kinds of facilities available, and how to plan a trip. It also highlights the various attractions that are unique to these areas, such as historical forts, mountain treks, and cultural festivals that are held throughout the year. The web page can be visited here. Conclusion The decision to open restricted areas for tourism marks a significant step toward integrating remote border regions into the national mainstream. The Indian Armys involvement in promoting border tourism is particularly significant given its deep connection to these areas. For example, several of the forts and battlefields that tourists can visit are places where the Army has played a pivotal role in defending the country. Visiting them will give tourists a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made by the Army. Beyond the physical beauty and historical significance, border tourism also offers the chance to experience the rich cultures of the people who inhabit these areas. These communities, though often overlooked, have a wealth of traditions, languages, and practices that make them unique. Tourism will help to boost local economies and create new job opportunities for residents. Major General VK Singh, VSM (Retd), was commissioned into The Scinde Horse in December 1983. He is an alumnus of St Columbas School and St Stephens College. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Five Eyes is no longer the cohesive bloc it once was. If current trends persist, the alliance may transform into a more fragmented intelligence-sharing framework, where strategic alignment, rather than institutional commitment, dictates the flow of intelligence read more The Five Eyes alliance, comprising the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, originated from World War II, when British and American cryptographers worked together to break Axis codes. The success of this partnership led to the 1946 UKUSA Agreement, formalising an intelligence-sharing arrangement that would expand to include the other three nations. Over the decades, Five Eyes became the backbone of Western intelligence, providing unparalleled access to intercepted communications, cyber threats, and human intelligence operations. From tracking Soviet movements during the Cold War to dismantling terror networks post-9/11, its reach has shaped global geopolitics. Advertisement Yet, cracks have appeared. Disagreements over China, privacy concerns, and diverging foreign policies have strained trust among members. The biggest uncertainty, however, may come from within. During his first term, Donald Trump dismissed intelligence briefings, clashed with allies, and even declassified sensitive Five Eyes material in a political spat. With Trumps return to the White House, will Five Eyes remain an unshakable pillar of Western intelligence, or will it fracture under the weight of America First realpolitik? Unsurprisingly, fractures within five eyes are already evident. Member states have started pursuing divergent foreign policy objectives and geopolitical priorities. A key source of strain is Australias changing strategic calculus, which includes recalibrating its relationship with China amid rising economic dependencies. In contrast, the United States has doubled down on its containment strategy, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. Similarly, differing positions on military aid to Ukraine highlight the alliances fragmented approach to global security. The shift away from issuing joint Five Eyes statements, seen in the case of the Gaza conflict, toward individual or sub-group communiques signals a growing breakdown in the alliances ability to project collective foreign policy coherence. This divergence aligns with the relative gains problem (Grieco, 1988), wherein states prioritise national interests over collective security, thus undermining alliance cohesion. Unilateral actions by key members, particularly the United States, have exacerbated trust deficits within the alliance, an issue compounded by the unpredictability of U.S. foreign policy. A senior Trump official recently discussed expelling Canada from the alliance over trade disputes. It also exemplifies the potential for leveraging intelligence-sharing mechanisms for non-security-related political objectives. Advertisement Similarly, episodic suspensions of intelligence-sharing, such as the US temporary withholding of intelligence from Ukraine, have introduced strategic uncertainty. From a game-theoretic perspective (Axelrod, 1984), such unilateral policy shifts disrupt the repeated interactions necessary for maintaining cooperative equilibria in intelligence-sharing alliances. In institutionalist terms (Keohane, 1984), the erosion of predictability and binding commitments weakens the alliances long-term viability, as partners may hedge their intelligence-sharing commitments in anticipation of future policy volatility. The US increasingly transactional approach to intelligence-sharing further threatens the foundational principles of the Five Eyes alliance. There is growing concern that Washington views the alliance primarily through a cost-benefit lens, assessing intelligence-sharing not as an intrinsic strategic good but as a mechanism to advance direct U.S. interests. This shift aligns with principal-agent theory (Miller, 2005), where the U.S., as the dominant intelligence producer, may impose conditionalities on allied access to classified intelligence, treating intelligence-sharing as a discretionary privilege rather than an automatic reciprocal obligation. Advertisement The perception that the U.S. disproportionately subsidises the alliance while allies free ride on American intelligence infrastructure has created scepticism among Washingtons security establishment. If this transactional logic intensifies, it could lead to greater intelligence compartmentalisation within the alliance, with selective intelligence-sharing based on political alignment rather than institutional norms. The emergence of AUKUS, the trilateral security agreement between the US, UK, and Australia, has amplified concerns about a two-tiered hierarchy within Five Eyes, where Canada and New Zealand risk being sidelined from privileged intelligence-sharing arrangements. From the perspective of network theory in intelligence-sharing (Zegart, 2011), Five Eyes has traditionally operated as a distributed intelligence network with a high degree of information symmetry. However, AUKUS introduces an asymmetrical intelligence architecture, reinforcing the dominance of the US, UK, and Australia while relegating Canada and New Zealand to a lower tier. This bifurcation further exacerbates relative power disparities within the alliance (Waltz, 1979). It creates strategic insecurity among the excluded members, potentially incentivizing them to seek alternative intelligence partnerships or recalibrate their strategic postures in a manner that weakens Five Eyes as a unified bloc. Advertisement Concerns over the integrity of intelligence-sharing mechanisms have also escalated due to perceived vulnerabilities within the US security apparatus. The nomination of individuals with controversial views on intelligence oversight, coupled with past high-profile intelligence leaks (e.g., Snowden disclosures, WikiLeaks, Pentagon leaks), has heightened fears that classified intelligence shared with Washington may be compromised for political or strategic reasons. According to organisational failure theory (March & Olsen, 1989), intelligence alliances function effectively only when information security protocols remain uncompromised. The potential for insider threats (Anderson, 2008) and the risk of intelligence being selectively leaked for political gains have led to increased wariness among allies, prompting a shift toward selective intelligence-sharing practices that could erode the comprehensiveness and efficiency of Five Eyes intelligence coordination. Finally, the changing threat perception, particularly the rise of China as a strategic competitor, has contributed to shifting intelligence priorities within Five Eyes, further straining internal cohesion. While all members recognize China as a significant challenge, their geographical positions and economic dependencies lead to varied strategic assessments. The U.S. and U.K. favour a containment approach, while Canada, Australia, and New Zealand exhibit greater hesitancy due to trade dependencies and domestic political considerations. Advertisement This divergence from a strategic hedging framework (Medeiros, 2005) suggests that Five Eyes members pursue distinct balancing strategies, which misalign their intelligence priorities and disrupt shared threat assessments. This misalignment leads to capability-trap effects (Posen, 1993), where intelligence-sharing mechanisms become less effective due to varying operational priorities among members. If this trend continues, Five Eyes may transition into a fragmented intelligence-sharing structure characterized by differentiated intelligence flows rather than a unified and coherent security architecture. Five Eyes is no longer the cohesive bloc it once was. If current trends persist, the alliance may transform into a more fragmented intelligence-sharing framework, where strategic alignment, rather than institutional commitment, dictates the flow of intelligence. Whether Five Eyes can adapt to these changing times or succumb to internal rifts remains an open question, but its era of unquestioned unity appears to be fading. Aditya Sinha (X:@adityasinha004) is a public policy professional. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Advertisement The Palestinian Red Crescent says the slain workers and their vehicles were clearly marked as medical and humanitarian personnel and accused Israeli troops of killing them in cold blood read more Mourners react during the funeral of 8 Red Crescent emergency responders, recovered in Rafah a week after an Israeli attack, in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. AP Palestinians held funerals Monday for 15 medics and emergency responders killed by Israeli troops in southern Gaza, after their bodies and mangled ambulances were found buried in an impromptu mass grave, apparently plowed over by Israeli military bulldozers. The Palestinian Red Crescent says the slain workers and their vehicles were clearly marked as medical and humanitarian personnel and accused Israeli troops of killing them in cold blood. The Israeli military says its troops opened fire on vehicles that approached them suspiciously without identification. Advertisement The dead included eight Red Crescent workers, six members of Gazas Civil Defense emergency unit and a staffer from UNRWA, the U.N.s agency for Palestinians. The International Red Cross/Red Crescent said it was the deadliest attack on its personnel in eight years. Since the war in Gaza began 18 months ago, Israel has killed more than 100 Civil Defense workers and more than 1,000 health workers, according to the U.N. Here is what we know about what happened. Missing for days The emergency teams had been missing since March 23, when they went at around noon to retrieve casualties after Israeli forces launched an offensive into the Tel al-Sultan district of the southern city of Rafah. The military had called for an evacuation of the area earlier that day, saying Hamas militants were operating there. Alerts by the Civil Defense at the time said displaced Palestinians sheltering in the area had been hit and a team that went to rescue them was surrounded by Israeli troops. The available information indicates that the first team was killed by Israeli forces on 23 March, the U.N. said in a statement Sunday night. Further emergency teams that went to rescue the first team were struck one after another over several hours, it said. All the teams went out during daylight hours, according to the Civil Defense. Advertisement The Israeli military said Sunday that on March 23, troops opened fire on vehicles that were advancing suspiciously toward them without emergency signals. It said an initial assessment determined that the troops killed a Hamas operative named Mohammed Amin Shobaki and eight other militants. Israel has struck ambulances and other emergency vehicles in the past, accusing Hamas militants of using them for transportation. However, none of the dead staffers from the Red Crescent and Civil Defense had that name, and no other bodies were reported found at the site, raising questions over the militarys suggestion that alleged militants were among the rescue workers. The military did not immediately respond to requests for the names of the other alleged militants killed or for comment on how the emergency workers came to be buried. The United Nations on Monday demanded justice and answers for the Israeli killings of emergency responders. U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher made the demands saying: They were killed by Israeli forces while trying to save lives. Advertisement After a ceasefire that lasted roughly two months, Israel relaunched its military campaign in Gaza on March 18. Since then, bombardment and new ground assaults that have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry. The ministrys count does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but it says over half those killed are women and children. Aid workers say ambulance teams and humanitarian staff have come under fire in the renewed assault. A worker with the charity World Central Kitchen was killed Friday by an Israeli strike that hit next to a kitchen distributing free meals. A March 19 Israeli tank strike on a U.N. compound killed a staffer, the U.N. said, though Israel denies being behind the blast. Mass grave For days, Israeli forces would not allow access to the site where the emergency teams disappeared, the U.N. said. On Wednesday, a U.N. convoy tried to reach the site but encountered Israeli troops opening fire on people. Advertisement The convoy saw a woman who had been shot lying in the road. The dashboard video shows staff talking about retrieving the woman. Then two people are seen walking across the road. Gunfire rings out and they flee. One stumbles, apparently wounded, before he is shot and falls onto his face to the ground. The U.N. said the team retrieved the body of the woman and left. On Sunday, the U.N. said teams were able to reach the site after the Israeli military informed it where it had buried the bodies, in a barren area on the edges of Tel al-Sultan. Footage released by the U.N shows workers from PRCS and Civil Defense, wearing masks and bright orange vests, digging through hills of dirt that appeared to have been piled up by Israeli bulldozers. The footage shows them digging out multiple bodies wearing orange emergency vests. Some of the bodies are found piled on top of each other. At one point, they pull out a body in a Civil Defense vest out of the dirt, and it is revealed to be a torso with no legs. Several ambulances and a U.N. vehicle, all heavily damaged or torn apart, are also buried in the dirt. Advertisement Their bodies were gathered and buried in this mass grave, said Jonathan Whittall, with the U.N. humanitarian office OCHA, speaking at the site in the video. Were digging them out in their uniforms, with their gloves on. They were here to save lives. Its absolute horror what has happened here, he said. Funerals A giant crowd gathered on Monday outside the morgue of Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis as the bodies of the eight slain PRCS workers were brought out for funerals. Their bodies were laid out on stretchers wrapped in white cloth with the Red Crescent logo on it and their photos, as family and others held funeral prayers over them. Funerals for the seven others followed. They were killed in cold blood by the Israeli occupation, despite the clear nature of their humanitarian mission, Raed al-Nimis, the Red Crescent spokesperson in Gaza, told the AP. Israeli troops have killed at least 30 Red Crescent medics over the course of the war. Among them were two killed in February 2024 when they tried to rescue Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old girl who was killed along with six other relatives when they were trapped in their car under Israeli fire in northern Gaza. Advertisement From Geneva, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Jagan Chapagain, said the staffer killed last week wore emblems that should have protected them; their ambulances were clearly marked. All humanitarians must be protected, he said. The sentence, part of a conviction for establishing false jobs in the EU parliament on behalf of her National Rally (RN) party, which she adamantly contested, surprised Le Pen, and the court ordered the ban to take effect immediately read more President of the parliamentary group of the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party, Marine Le Pen leaves the headquarters of the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party, after a French court sentenced her to a five-year ban on running for office and a prison term in a trial on charges of embezzlement of European public funds, in Paris. AFP Marine Le Pen, Frances far-right leader, condemned a political decision on Monday and claimed she had not given up hope of running for president in 2027 after a court imposed a five-year ban. The sentence, part of a conviction for establishing false jobs in the EU parliament on behalf of her National Rally (RN) party, which she adamantly contested, surprised Le Pen, and the court ordered the ban to take effect immediately. Advertisement If it remains, she will be unable to begin a fourth campaign for the Elysee, where pundits feel she has the best chance of becoming president. In a febrile international climate, the verdict was condemned by the Kremlin, billionaire tycoon Elon Musk and hard-right European politicians ranging from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Geert Wilders of the Netherlands. Le Pen was also given a four-year prison term by the Paris court but will not go to jail, with two years of the term suspended and the other two to be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet. She was convicted over a scheme to take advantage of European Parliament expenses to employ assistants who were actually working for her far-right party in France. Twenty-four people including Le Pen were convicted all of them RN party officials or assistants. Reserved for authoritarian regimes Le Pen said she would appeal the political decision, and vowed that in no way would she retire from political life, in a combative interview with the commercial French television network TF1. Advertisement Im not going to let myself be eliminated like this. Im going to pursue whatever legal avenues I can. There is a small path. Its certainly narrow, but it exists, she said. She said that the appeal would be lodged as quickly as possible and said that the judiciary should get a move on so it is heard in time. Describing herself as the favourite to win the 2027 presidential elections, Le Pen characterised the judge who delivered the verdict as saying: I do not want Marine Le Pen elected and lashed out at practices we thought were for authoritarian regimes. I am going to appeal because I am innocent, Le Pen said, while acknowledging that as things stood now I am eliminated from the presidential race. At the ballot box Le Pen dramatically left the courtroom before the judge announced the prison sentence, and a crisis meeting was convened at the partys Paris headquarters. Advertisement With her RN emerging as the single largest party in Frances parliament after the 2024 legislative elections, polls predicted Le Pen would easily top the first round of voting in 2027 and make the second round two-candidate run-off. Incumbent President Emmanuel Macron cannot run in that election because of a constitutional two-term limit. Its disgraceful! Theyve destroyed her, Jacqueline Bossuyt, 78, said in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont, the far-rights stronghold. The reaction from Moscow was swift, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying: More and more European capitals are going down the path of violating democratic norms. Teslas billionaire owner Musk, who has backed a far-right party in Germany and plays a major role in Trumps administration, said the move would backfire, like the legal attacks against President Trump. US President Donald Trump compared Le Pens conviction to his own legal battles, telling reporters Monday: She was banned from running for five years and she was the leading candidate. That sounds like this country. Advertisement There was also unease within the political mainstream in France, with the leader of MPs in parliament of the right-wing Republicans, Laurent Wauquiez, saying political debates should be decided at the ballot box. Prime Minister Francois Bayrou was meanwhile troubled by the verdict, a person close to him told AFP, asking not to be named. Fictitious posts If Le Pen is unable to run in 2027, her backup plan is her 29-year-old protege and RN party leader Jordan Bardella, who is not under investigation in the case. But there are doubts even within the RN over whether Bardella has the experience needed. Le Pen took over the then-National Front (FN) from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2011 and set about de-toxifying its image with voters. Her father, who died in January, was often accused of making racist and anti-Semitic comments. During the court case, prosecutors said the RN used the 21,000-euro ($23,000) monthly EU parliament allowance to pay staff in France, hiding the scheme behind fictitious posts in the European legislatures offices. Advertisement It was established that all these people were actually working for the party, that their MEP had not assigned them any tasks, said the judge. China and Russia declared a no limits strategic partnership days before Russian President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022 read more Russia and the United States have taken the first step toward normalizing relations, which inspire optimism, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Russias RIA state news agency in remarks published on Tuesday. Russia and the United States have taken the first step toward normalizing relations, which is good for stabilizing the balance of power between major powers and inspires optimism in a disappointing international situation, RIA cited Wang as saying. Wang is on a three-day visit to Moscow for strategic cooperation talks, surrounded by uncertainty around the partial ceasefire in Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump striking a critical tone against the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. Advertisement China calls for the peace talks to continue, Wang told RIA in a wide-ranging interview. The step towards peace, although not that big, is constructive - its worth building on it, Wang said. With peace, it is no pain no gain. You need to work hard to achieve it. China and Russia declared a no limits strategic partnership days before Russian President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Putin over 40 times in the past decade and the two leaders agreed in May 2024 to deepen their partnership and cooperate on issues such as Taiwan, Ukraine and mutual rival the United States. The Kremlin said on Monday that Putin will receive Wang, who will also hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Wang reiterated to RIA that Beijing is ready to play a role in settling the conflict in Ukraine, although its peacemaking efforts to date have gone nowhere. China is ready, taking into account the aspirations of the parties involved, to play a constructive role in the settlement together with the international community, primarily with the countries of the Global South, Wang said. Xi has been pushing for a greater involvement of China in peace talks since the early days of the war, which marked its third anniversary in February. Advertisement Beijing has proposed on its own, and together with Brazil, general principles to end the conflict, but its ideas have received a tepid reception. Wang said Russia and China bear a special responsibility to maintain world peace. Our countries, as each others largest neighbouring states, world powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, bear a special responsibility for maintaining peace and development throughout the world, Wang said. Chinas military launched large-scale drills around Taiwan, involving an aircraft carrier battle group, as a warning against the islands push for independence. Taiwans defense ministry reported increased Chinese naval and air activity, calling it a threat to regional stability. read more The Chinese military announced large-scale drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan on Tuesday that include an aircraft carrier battle group, as it again warned the self-ruled island democracy against seeking formal independence. The joint exercises involve navy, air ground and rocket forces and are meant to be a severe warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence, according to Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the Peoples Liberation Armys Eastern Theater Command. No operational name for the drills was announced or previous notice given. Advertisement China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, while most Taiwanese favor their de-facto independence and democratic status. Any conflict could bring in the U.S., which maintains a series of alliances in the region and is legally bound to treat threats to Taiwan as a matter of grave concern. Taiwans Ministry of National Defence said it had tracked 19 Chinese navy vessels in the waters surrounding the island in a 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday. It added that it had been tracking the movement of the Shandong aircraft carrier since Saturday and that its carrier group had entered into Taiwans air defense identification zone, a self-defined area tracked by the military. China regularly dispatches military assets into the zone, which China does not recognize, but Taiwanese officials have recently warned that China could launch a sneak attack under the guise of military exercises. I want to say these actions amply reflect (Chinas) destruction of regional peace and stability, said Taiwans Defense Minister Wellington Koo. Taiwan has set up a central response group to monitor the latest exercises, Koo said. On The streets of Taipei, people said the atmosphere was tense but they were more concerned about the economy and developments surrounding the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Advertisement The Chinese Communists spends so much time and effort on these things but most people dont pay much attention, said Lin Hui-tsung, a noodle seller in the citys Tiananmu district. Chinas Coast Guard also announced it was conducting a law enforcement patrol on Tuesday around Taiwan, its spokesperson Zhu Anqin said. The drills come just two weeks after a large-scale exercise in mid-March, when Beijing sent a large number of drones and ships toward the island. Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office said the exercises were directed at Lai Ching-te, Taiwans strongly pro-independence president. Lai Ching-te stubbornly insists on a Taiwan independence stance, brazenly labeling the mainland as a foreign hostile force, and has put forward a so-called 17-point strategy stirring up anti-China sentiments, said Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office in a statement on Tuesday. We will not tolerate or condone this in any way and must resolutely counter and severely punish these actions. In mid-March, Taiwans Lai put forward a 17-point strategy aimed at shoring up Taiwans national security. The points include allowing espionage cases to be tried by military courts and making immigration rules stricter for Chinese citizens applying for permanent residency. Advertisement Lais words and actions appear to have especially angered Chinese leader Xi Jinping, whose previous attempts at intimidation have had little effect on the Taiwanese public. Those have often been timed in response to expressions of Taiwanese independence, including the visit by then U.S. House leader Nancy Pelosi. Chinas PLA also released a series of videos to publicize their military exercise, including one in which they depict Lai as a green parasite poisoning the island by hatching smaller parasites. The video shows Lais head on the body of a bulbous green worm, with a pair of chopsticks picking him up and roasting him over a flame set over Taiwan. Beijing sends warplanes and navy vessels toward the island on a daily basis, seeking to wear down Taiwanese defenses and morale, although the vast majority of the islands 23 million people reject its claim of sovereignty over Taiwan. In recent years, it has stepped up the scope and scale of these exercises, from sending small numbers of individual fighters and surveillance planes to sending groups of planes, drones and ships. Advertisement The PLA organized naval and air forces to practice subjects such as sea and land strikes, focusing on testing the troops ability to carry out precision strikes on some key targets of the Taiwan authorities from multiple directions, said Zhang Chi, a professor at Chinas National Defense University in an interview with Chinese state television. Taiwan and China split amid civil war 76 years ago, but tensions have risen since 2016, when China cut off almost all contacts with Taipei. Beijing has escalated its deployment of fighter planes and navy vessels around Taiwan in recent years to underline its sovereignty claim, which Taipei denies read more Chinas military claimed on Tuesday that it has dispatched its army, navy, air, and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for manoeuvres intended at practicing a blockade of the self-ruled island, referring to Taiwanese President Lai Ching-Te as a parasite. China maintains that democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to take control of the island. Beijing has escalated its deployment of fighter planes and navy vessels around Taiwan in recent years to underline its sovereignty claim, which Taipei denies. Advertisement The Chinese military claimed Tuesday the drills were intended to convey a stern warning and forceful deterrence to accused separatists in Taiwan. The drills focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade on key areas and sea lanes, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson of the Chinese militarys Eastern Theater Command. Chinas armed forces close in on the Taiwan Island from multiple directions, he said, describing the move as a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard Chinas sovereignty and national unity. A poster accompanying the drills titled Closing In, and showing Chinese warships and fighter jets circling the island, was released shortly after the announcement on the Eastern Theater Commands Weibo. A video titled Shell, and depicting Lai Ching-Te as a cartoon bug held by a pair of chopsticks above a burning Taiwan, was on the Eastern Theater Commands WeChat page. Parasite poisoning Taiwan island. Parasite hollowing Island out. Parasite courting ultimate destruction, the animation said. Last month, President Lai called China a foreign hostile force and proposed measures to combat Chinese espionage and infiltration. The Chinese militarys Eastern Theater Command which oversees operations along the Taiwan Strait shared a graphic with the title closing in. Advertisement It showed ships and fighter jets surrounding the island, warning Taiwan separatists were Courting Disaster Upon Themselves. Another graphic shared by the military depicted Lai as an insect being roasted over an open fire. Potential flashpoint This weeks drills are the biggest since February, when Taipei said that China staged a live-fire combat drill with aircraft and warships in an area about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometres) off the islands south. Taiwans military responded by sending forces to monitor, alert and respond appropriately. Beijing at the time rejected pure hype from Taiwan over what it called routine training. Taiwan is a potential flashpoint for a war between China and the United States, which is the islands most important backer and biggest arms supplier. While the United States is legally bound to provide arms to Taiwan which Beijing opposes Washington has long maintained strategic ambiguity when it comes to whether it would deploy its military to defend it from a Chinese attack. Advertisement Last week, the islands deputy defence minister attended a ceremony in the United States unveiling the first F-16V fighter jet built for the island. The entire production of the aircraft is expected to be completed next year and all jets are scheduled to fly back to Taiwan by the end of 2026. The dispute between China and Taiwan dates back to 1949 when Chiang Kai-sheks Kuomintang nationalist forces fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war with Mao Zedongs communist fighters. Communist China has never ruled Taiwan, where indigenous tribes have lived for thousands of years. The island was partly or totally ruled at various times by the Dutch, Spanish, Chinas Qing dynasty and Japan. The order is the latest judicial setback for Trump, whose flurry of executive orders around immigration have repeatedly encountered pushback from judges in the United States read more A federal judge on Monday put a temporary stay on plans by President Donald Trumps administration to end deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans. The order is the latest judicial setback for Trump, whose flurry of executive orders around immigration have repeatedly encountered pushback from judges in the United States. US District Judge Edward Chen said the administrations plan to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) on April 7 smacks of racism and mischaracterizes Venezuelans as criminals. Advertisement It is evident that (Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem) made sweeping negative generalizations about Venezuelan TPS beneficiaries, Chen wrote, according to the Washington Post, listing examples where Noem had echoed Trumps false claims that the majority of Venezuelans in the United States were criminals. Noems justification for the order, made shortly after she was sworn in, is entirely lacking in evidentiary support. Acting on the basis of a negative group stereotype and generalizing such stereotype to the entire group is the classic example of racism, Chen wrote in a 78-page ruling. The temporary stay issued by the US District Court in the district of Northen California, which sits in San Francisco, prevents Noems Department of Homeland Security from allowing TPS to expire on April 7, and gives recipients time to mount a legal challenge. The ruling comes with Trump pressing ahead with what he has called the largest mass deportation in US history. Although the amount of people deported is not as large as it has been under previous administrations, many deportations have been deliberately public and eye-catching, often involving placing detained people in chains and sending them on military aircraft. Earlier this month, Trump invoked the wartime Alien Enemies Act to send scores of Venezuelans to a notorious prison in El Salvador, despite a judge ordering the planes carrying the men to turn around. The administration has said that the use of such measures is justified, insisting they are members of a brutal crime gang called Tren de Aragua. Advertisement However, relatives of the men say they have simply been swept up by immigration officials and have nothing to do with the gang. Former president Joe Biden had extended Temporary Protected Status for another 18 months just days before Trump returned to the White House. The United States grants TPS to foreign citizens who cannot safely return home because of war, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions. Trumps White House campaign leaned heavily on the supposed criminality of undocumented migrants, although statistically immigrants are less likely to commit crime than native-born Americans. He sought to end the TPS program during his first term but was stymied by legal opposition. According to the Pew Research Center, as of March 2024 there were 1.2 million people eligible for or receiving TPS in the United States, with Venezuelans making up the largest group. The study, published in Environmental Research Letters, modified one of the most widely used economic models by integrating climate change forecasts to assess the broader consequences of extreme weather disruptions on global supply chains. read more Economic models have consistently underestimated the impact of global warming on personal wealth, according to a new study indicating that a 4C temperature increase could reduce the average persons income by 40%nearly four times higher than some prior estimates. Conducted by Australian scientists, the study suggests that even if global warming is limited to 2C above pre-industrial levels, per capita GDP worldwide would still decline by 16%, a steeper drop compared to earlier projections of just 1.4%. Current estimates predict global temperatures will rise by 2.1C even if nations meet their climate commitments in both the short and long term. Advertisement For years, economic models known as integrated assessment models (IAMs), which guide government decisions on climate investment have been criticised for failing to incorporate key risks associated with climate changeespecially extreme weather events. The study, published in Environmental Research Letters, modified one of the most widely used economic models by integrating climate change forecasts to assess the broader consequences of extreme weather disruptions on global supply chains. Last year, a study was published in the journal Nature by researchers at Germanys Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research also stating that Climate change will reduce future global income by about 19% in the next 25 years compared to a fictional world thats not warming, with the poorest areas and those least responsible for heating the atmosphere taking the biggest monetary hit. By 2100, the financial cost could hit twice what previous studies estimate, it said. A German government-backed research last year also advocated damage to farming, infrastructure, productivity, and health from climate change will cost an estimated $38 trillion per year by 2050, a figure almost certain to rise as human activity emits more greenhouse gases. Top leaders from the two countries also exchanged messages Tuesday on the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the development of India-China ties was conducive for a stable and multipolar world, a sentiment echoed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. read more India and China have made promising strides in improving their relationship over the past five months, with a durable base for further rebuilding based on a threefold approach of mutual respect, sensitivity, and interest, said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Tuesday. He emphasised that a stable relationship between the two large neighboring nations would benefit global stability. Misri made these remarks at an event hosted by the Chinese embassy in celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and China. This is the first time a high-level Indian official attended an event at the Chinese embassy since the relationship soured after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020. Advertisement Great pleasure to join Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri and friends from all walks of life to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of #China-India diplomatic relations. I firmly believe that under the strategic guidance of two leaders and with the joint efforts of pic.twitter.com/mLaBUKqiim Xu Feihong (@China_Amb_India) April 1, 2025 On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged messages, both affirming that the development of India-China relations is crucial for a stable and multipolar world. At the event, Misri said, The path forward may be a difficult one, but it is the one that we are prepared to walk and it is based on these steps that we have already taken in the last five months that we have seen promising beginnings, which we should turn into tangible benefit for the people of our two countries. This will make todays celebration even more meaningful for the future, he said. The foreign secretary said a durable base for rebuilding the ties must be based on the threefold formula of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest. Misri said peace and tranquillity on the border areas is critical for the smooth development of the overall bilateral relations. India-China relations plunged to their lowest point since the 1962 war following the Galwan Valley clashes. Advertisement Following a series of diplomatic and military talks, the two sides withdrew their troops from several friction along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. In October last, the two sides firmed up a disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok, the last two friction points in eastern Ladakh. Days after the agreement was finalised, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Kazan and took a number of decisions to improve the ties. Misri also referred to the series of meetings between the two sides in the last few months and said both sides are looking at resuming practical cooperation that included resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra this year. We are also discussing resumption of cooperation on trans-border rivers, on direct air services and several other issues, he said. We are also as is signified by this event this evening, looking at several activities to commemorate the 75th anniversary establishment of diplomatic relations, he said. Advertisement The objective of all of these, first of all this is to enhance people to people ties and restore mutual trust and confidence amongst the public, Misri added. The foreign secretary said the bilateral relationship between India and China is an important one. As two large neighbours in an important part of the world, a stable bilateral relationship between the two of us would contribute to humanity as a whole. It is therefore our wish and desire to use this occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to rebuild India-China relations, he added. Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong said as the only two major developing countries and representatives of emerging economies, India-China ties have become one of the most crucial bilateral relations in the world. We should build a healthy and stable China-India relationship. Both sides should adhere to the strategic judgment made by the two leaders (PM Modi and President Xi) that China and India are partners rather than rivals. Advertisement We should uphold the principles of mutual respect, mutual understanding, mutual trust, mutual accommodation and mutual accomplishment, he said. We should properly handle differences through dialogue, and never allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question, or let specific differences affect the overall picture of bilateral ties, so as to ensure that China-India relations always move forward along the track of sound development, Xu added. The envoy said China and India should develop a mutually beneficial relationship and that both sides are at a critical stage of national development and revitalisation. It is our common goal to develop the economy and improve peoples livelihood, he added. The sound and stable development of bilateral relations serve the fundamental interests of the two nations, meet the common aspiration of regional countries, and are conducive to world peace, stability, development and prosperity, he said. India is committed to realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. We should strengthen the alignment of our development strategies, resume and promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and push forward the modernisation of the two countries, he said. Advertisement Last month, India and China explored ways to rebuild ties and agreed to initiate efforts to promote people-to-people exchanges, including arrangements for resumption of direct flights and resume Kailash Manasarovar Yatra this year. In December, NSA Ajit Doval travelled to Beijing and held talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi under the framework of Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary question. In January, Misri visited Beijing and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong. With inputs from agencies Frances right-wing politician Marine Le Pens conviction on Monday and subsequent five-year ban from political office have sent shockwaves through the country and the continent. As the face of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, Le Pen was seen as the frontrunner for the 2027 presidential elections. However, the Paris criminal courts decision to sentence her to four years in prison (two of them suspended) for embezzling European Parliament funds has upended the French political landscape. While she has vowed to appeal, the immediate enforcement of the ban creates a major roadblock for her political aspirations. Advertisement The ruling has prompted widespread condemnation from Le Pens allies both domestically and internationally. According to France24, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary took to social media, posting Je suis Marine! in a deliberate echo of the solidarity phrase used after the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov framed the ruling as evidence of Europes democratic decline aligning with Russias broader narrative that European institutions are undermining democratic norms. US President Donald Trump said that the French courts decision to ban Le Pen from seeking public office is a very big deal. A Trump moment for Europes Right? Le Pen and her supporters have framed the ruling as an attempt to politically neutralise the French right-wing movement. According to a France24 report, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini decried the verdict as a declaration of war by Brussels while Spanish far-right leader Santiago Abascal insisted that the ruling was an attempt to silence the voice of the French people. This sense of political persecution has parallels with US President Trumps legal battles, which have paradoxically bolstered his popularity among his base. Trump, despite multiple indictments, went on to win the presidential election last year leveraging his legal troubles to reinforce his outsider status and depict himself as a victim of the establishment. Advertisement Similarly, Le Pens conviction may not diminish her appeal among her core supporters but rather strengthen the perception that she is fighting against a rigged system, a report in The Guardian said. Comparing Le Pens predicament to Trumps legal challenges raises compelling questions about the future of populist, far right movements in Europe. Like Trump, Le Pen has built a political career on the claim that she represents the forgotten citizens against a corrupt elite. Like Trump, she now faces legal obstacles that threaten to derail her political ambitions. And like Trump, she could emerge from this crisis with her political movement emboldened rather than diminished. However, there are key differences. Trump remains a dominant figure in US politics which his second presidency has already proved, capable of directing his partys trajectory despite his legal woes. In contrast, Le Pens immediate disqualification means the RN must find an alternative candidatea challenge that could weaken the partys electoral prospects. Advertisement Additionally, the French legal system operates differently from the American judicial and political system. Unlike US, Le Pens ban is enforceable unless overturned on appeal. This legal reality significantly complicates her ability to replicate Trumps strategy of using legal troubles as a rallying cry. The National Rally in crisis Internally, the ruling has thrown the NR into turmoil. Jordan Bardella, Le Pens protegr and RNs current leader, has been left to tackle the fallout of her disqualification. While Bardella is popular, his relative inexperience raises concerns about his ability to step into Le Pens shoes in 2027, The Economist said in a report. His impassioned response to the rulingdescribing it as an execution of French democracyreflects the broader uncertainty within the party, The Guardian said. The RN has historically positioned itself as an anti-establishment force railing against corruption among traditional politicians. However, this verdict directly contradicts that image as it exposes systematic financial misconduct within the party. Advertisement The court found that Le Pen and 24 other party officials had misused over 4 million in European funds employing parliamentary assistants who did not perform their official duties but instead worked for the partys national headquarters. Despite this, many believe the ruling may fuel support for the party rather than diminish it. Le Pens conviction does not suggest personal enrichment, but rather misallocation of fundsa distinction that allows her to maintain her narrative of systemic victimisation, The Guardian said. European right-wing leaders rally in support The backlash against the ruling has not been confined to France. Right-wing leaders across Europe see Le Pens legal troubles as part of a broader pattern of political repression. Belgiums Tom Van Grieken argued that when nationalist politicians gain popularity, the system seeks other, non-democratic ways to silence them, France24 reported. Geert Wilders, the Dutch far-right leader, expressed his shock at the severity of the ruling and voiced confidence that Le Pen would win the appeal and become President of France. Advertisement This international response mirrors the way many right-wing figures rallied around Trump after his legal troubles. Just as Trumps indictments have been framed as evidence of deep-state interference, Le Pens verdict is being positioned as a politically motivated attack by globalist elites. The impact of Le Pens conviction on the French electoral arena remains uncertain. While the verdict is a severe blow to her personal ambitions, it does not necessarily spell the end for the far-right movement in France. If anything, it could reinforce the NRs anti-establishment appeal galvanising its base ahead of the 2027 elections. However, there are risks involved. Unlike Trump, who remains at the helm of his political movement despite legal troubles, Le Pens disqualification raises the question of succession. The RN has never fielded a presidential candidate who was not a Le Peneither Marine or her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen. Without her, can the party maintain its electoral strength? Advertisement Moreover, Frances centrist and left-wing parties may capitalise on this moment to reframe the far right as corrupt and unfit to govern. Already, mainstream French media have highlighted the irony of Le Pens conviction given that the RN has long campaigned on an anti-corruption platform. A turning point for the far right? Le Pens conviction represents a defining moment for the French far right and could have broader implications for Europes nationalist movements. Whether this ruling weakens or strengthens the RN in the long term depends on multiple factors: the outcome of her appeal, the partys ability to find a credible successor and how voters interpret the verdict. What is clear is that Le Pens legal troubles have deepened the sense of persecution among European far-right leaders, fuelling narratives of an establishment crackdown on nationalist movements. If Le Pen manages to maintain political relevance despite her conviction, her story could indeed mirror Trumpsturning legal adversity into a rallying point. But if the RN fails to regroup, the verdict could mark the beginning of a decline rather than a resurgence. For now, Europes right wing leaders are watching closely knowing that the outcome of this case could set a precedent for how nationalist figures handle legal and political challenges in an increasingly polarised environment. Hassan Bdair, who was a member of Hezbollahs Unit 3900 and the Quds Force, was killed in the strike carried out by fighter jets, according to a report, citing the IDF read more The scene of an Israeli strike on south Beirut on Tuesday. AFP The Israeli military, Shin Bet and Mossad in a joint statement said that it killed a member of Hezbollah and the Iranian IRGC Quds Force in Beiruts southern suburbs on Tuesday, further testing a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. According to a Times of Israel report, citing the IDF, Hassan Bdair, who was a member of Hezbollahs Unit 3900 and the Quds Force, was killed in the strike carried out by fighter jets. Advertisement The joint statement, which includes a rare public comment from Mossad, said that Bdair was recently collaborating with Hamas and was directing members of the Palestinian terror group to execute a significant and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians, added the report. The military said that the strike was carried out due to the immediate nature of the attack Bdair was planning. The attack marked Israels second airstrike in the Hezbollah-controlled suburb of Beirut in five days, adding to strains on the US-brokered ceasefire that ended last years devastating conflict. The attacks on Beiruts southern suburbs have resumed at a time of broader escalation in the region, with Israel having restarted Gaza strikes after a two-month truce and the United States hitting the Iran-aligned Houthis of Yemen in a bid to get them to stop attacking Red Sea shipping. Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim Moussawi said the Israeli attack amounted to a major and severe aggression that has escalated the situation to an entirely different level. Speaking in a televised statement after visiting the building that was struck, he called on the Lebanese state to activate the highest level of diplomacy to find solutions. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the eliminated Hezbollah operative posed a real and immediate threat. We expect Lebanon to take action to uproot terrorist organisations acting within its borders against Israel, Reuters quoted him as saying. Israel dealt severe blows to Hezbollah in the war, killing thousands of its fighters, destroying much of it arsenal and eliminating its top leadership including Hassan Nasrallah. Advertisement Hezbollah has denied any role in recent rocket attacks from Lebanon towards Israel, including one that prompted Israel to carry out an airstrike on the southern suburbs last Friday. With inputs from agencies India has rejected a report by The New York Times claiming that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) supplied sensitive technology to a Russian arms agency. The government called the report misleading and emphasised Indias strong commitment to its legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade. read more India has denied a report by The New York Times that claimed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) supplied sensitive technology to a Russian arms agency, calling it misleading, news agency ANI reported. New Delhi emphasised Indias strong commitment to its legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that HAL had followed all international rules on strategic trade controls and end-user commitments, according to ANI. The said report is factually incorrect and misleading. It has tried to frame issues and distort facts to suit a political narrative, the MEA said to news agency ANI. Advertisement The government also urged media outlets to exercise due diligence when publishing such reports. Indias robust legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade continues to guide overseas commercial ventures by its companies. We expect reputed media outlets to undertake basic due diligence while publishing such reports, which was obviously overlooked in this case, a source from the MEA said to ANI. NYTs report on alleged link The New York Times reported that a company from the British aerospace manufacturer, HR Smith Group, sent restricted equipment to an Indian firm between 2023 and 2024. The Indian firm was described as the biggest trading partner of Russias arms agency, Rosoboronexport. NYT says having proof of re-routing of technology The NYT report also mentioned that theres no proof the British aerospace manufacturers products went to Russia. However, it said that after the Indian company received the parts, they were sent to Russia with the same product codes. Meanwhile, the report also noted that the British manufacturer didnt confirm whether they asked HAL for assurance that the products wouldnt end up in Russia The market will be watching for weekly inventory data from US industry group the American Petroleum Institute later on Tuesday, ahead of official statistics from the Energy Information Administration on Wednesday read more Oil prices inched higher on Tuesday after threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose secondary tariffs on Russian crude and attack Iran, though worries about the impact of a trade war on global growth capped gains. Brent futures rose 16 cents, or 0.2%, to $74.93 a barrel at 0330 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $71.61. The contracts settled at five-week highs a day earlier. Advertisement Near-term risks are skewed to the upside, with U.S. threats of secondary tariffs on Russian and Iranian oil leading market participants to price for the risks of tighter oil supplies, said Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG. However, broader themes still revolve around concerns of upcoming tariffs weighing on global demand, along with prospects of increased supply from OPEC+ and the U.S., said Yeap. A Reuters poll of 49 economists and analysts in March projected that oil prices would remain under pressure this year from U.S. tariffs and economic slowdowns in India and China, while OPEC+ increases supply. Slower global growth would dent fuel demand, which might offset any reduction in supply due to Trumps threats. After news of Trumps threats initially boosted prices on Monday, traders told Reuters they viewed the presidents warnings to Russia, at least, as a bluff. Trump, on Sunday, told NBC News that he was very angry with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would impose secondary tariffs of 25% to 50% on Russian oil buyers Moscow tries to block efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Tariffs on buyers of oil from Russia, the worlds second largest oil exporter, would disrupt global supply and hurt Moscows biggest customers, China and India. Advertisement Trump also threatened Iran with similar tariffs and bombings if Tehran did not reach an agreement with the White House over its nuclear program. For now, it appears to be just a threat to Russia and Iran. However, if it becomes a reality, it creates plenty of upside risk to the market given the significant oil export volumes from both countries, said ING commodities strategists on Tuesday. The market will be watching for weekly inventory data from U.S. industry group the American Petroleum Institute later on Tuesday, ahead of official statistics from the Energy Information Administration on Wednesday. Five analysts surveyed by Reuters estimated on average that U.S. crude inventories fell by about 2.1 million barrels in the week to March 28. Meanwhile, a weaker dollar on Tuesday also kept the market buoyed. A softer dollar supports demand for oil as it makes crude less expensive for those holding other currencies. US President Donald Trump is set to announce a new raft of tariffs against multiple countries as early as Tuesday night, in what he has dubbed a Liberation Day to redress supposedly unfair trade imbalances read more EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday the bloc still hopes for a negotiated solution to US tariffs looming this week, but that all instruments are on the table to hit back if necessary. We are open to negotiations, the European Commission chief told a European Parliament session, but we have a strong plan to retaliate if necessary. US President Donald Trump is set to announce a new raft of tariffs against multiple countries as early as Tuesday night, in what he has dubbed a Liberation Day to redress supposedly unfair trade imbalances. We will assess tomorrows announcements carefully to calibrate our response, said von der Leyen, adding she had been consulting with EU leaders on the next steps. Advertisement The commission leads the 27-country blocs trade policy and has been in charge of discussions with the United States to avoid a trade war. Europe has not started this confrontation, said von der Leyen. Our objective is a negotiated solution. But of course, if need be, we will protect our interests, our people and our companies. Europe will respond with unity and determination, she promised. Trumps aggressive tariffs strategy is fuelling fears of a global trade war, risking a chain reaction of retaliation by major trading partners like China, Canada and the European Union. The EU has already been hit by several US tariff announcements since Trump returned to office in January, including a 25-percent levy on auto imports coming into force on Thursday. The blocs producers were also affected by a 25-percent US tariff on steel and aluminium from around the world to which Brussels has already promised countermeasures to begin in mid-April. A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on 25 March, causing widespread devastation and over 2,000 deaths. In response, India has launched Operation Brahma, sending humanitarian aid through naval ships and aircraft. read more After Myanmar was hit by a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake, resulting in more than 2,000 casualties and vast devastation, India has sent 50 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the East Asian nation under Operation Brahma, using naval ships INS Satpura and INS Savitri. The relief materials were handed over in Yangon by Indias Ambassador to Myanmar, Abhay Thakur. According to the Indian Embassy in Yangon, six Indian Air Force planes and five Navy ships have delivered aid to the cities of Yangon, Naypyitaw, and Mandalay. Advertisement The countrys ruling junta has reported that 2,056 people have died, more than 3,900 are injured, and 270 remain missing. The quake was also felt in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and southwest China. India is sending more aid, with three additional Navy shipsINS Karmukh, INS Gharial, and LCU-S2carrying over 500 tonnes of relief materials on their way to Yangon. A JAF C-130 aircraft is also set to land in Mandalay today with 15 tonnes of additional supplies. A devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar near Mandalay on 25 March, resulting in over 2,700 deaths and more than 4,500 injuries. The quake caused widespread destruction, including the collapse of buildings in Mandalay and significant damage to historic sites. Rescue operations are still underway. The disaster has intensified Myanmars existing humanitarian challenges, with international aid being complicated by political tensions and ongoing civil unrest. Neighbouring countries like Thailand also felt the tremors, experiencing structural damage and casualties. This a developing story. US President Donald Trump has signed off the deal between the United Kingdom and Mauritius for the handover of the Chagos Islands and the lease of the Diego Garcia military base read more British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer shakes hands with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on February 27, 2025 in Washington, DC, US (Photo: Reuters) US President Donald Trump has approved the Chagos Islands deal between the United Kingdom and Mauritius, according to the British Prime Ministers Office (PMO). Last year, the UK and Mauritius reached an understanding that the UK would transfer the sovereignty of Chagos Islands, an archipelago of around 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius and secure a 99-year lease for the UK-US military base at Diego Garcia, the largest of those islands. Advertisement Trumps approval was required for that deal as the UK and United States jointly operate the Diego Garcia base. A spokesperson for the PMO told The Independent that Trump has approved the deal and the modalities of the handover are now being finalised by the UK and Mauritius. We are now working with the Mauritian government to finalise the deal and sign the treaty, said the spokesperson. Separately, a source told the newspaper that its now between us and the Mauritian government to finalise the deal following the discussions with us. We have had the discussions with the US and we are now finalising with the Mauritians, the source added. The Chagos Islands deal, which British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reached with the Mauritian government in October 2024, has been controversial in the UK. It has been criticised for ceding sovereign British territory and compromising British and Western security interests in the Indo-Pacific region by ceding sovereignty over the Diego Garcia base. There has also been controversy about the terms of the deal, with reports suggesting that Mauritius has sought more money to seal the deal. ALSO READ: Will UK have to pay more to Mauritius for Chagos deal? While the previous Joe Biden administration of the United States had cleared the deal, it was initially thought that Trump could block the deal. However, in February, Trump signalled he would approve the deal. He said at the time that the deal appeared to be strong and did not sound bad. Advertisement Theyre talking about a very long-term, powerful lease, a very strong lease, about 140 years. Actually, its a long time and I think well be inclined to go along with your country. Yeah, I think its a little bit early. We have to be given the details, but it doesnt sound bad, said Trump. As per some reports, the 99-year lease is extendable to 40 more years. The Conservative Party in the Opposition has consistently criticised the deal. The ministers of the previous Rishi Sunak government have said that they had blocked the deal during their term. Dame Priti Patel, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, has previously called the deal economically illiterate. Patel said, At a time when public spending is under serious pressure, they are also signing up to spend billions of pounds of taxpayers money leasing back a site that is currently under our sovereignty. And to add insult to injury, they are doing all this in secret, with Labour ministers keep refusing to explain the details to Parliament and the British public. They must urgently come clean on what exactly this surrender is going to cost us. Advertisement The Iran-aligned Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on shipping since Israels war with Hamas began in late 2023, The new American operation against the Houthis under Trump appears more extensive than those under former President Joe Biden, as the US moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs in cities. read more A fighter plane takes off, said to be, for an operation against the Yemen's Houthis at an unidentified location in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on March 18, 2025. US CENTCOM via X/Handout via REUTERS Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and US President Donald Trump discussed mediation efforts to restore regional stability, which could positively affect Red Sea navigation and mitigate economic losses for all parties, the Egyptian presidency said on Tuesday. Since Israels war with Hamas began in late 2023, Iran-aligned Houthi forces have launched over 100 attacks on shipping, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. These strikes have disrupted global trade and drawn the US military into a costly missile interception campaign. Advertisement Under Trump, the American operation against the Houthis appears more expansive than during Bidens administration, shifting from targeting missile launch sites to striking senior personnel and conducting air raids on urban areas. The new campaign of airstrikes, which the Houthis say have killed at least 61 people, started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting Israeli ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted. The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none has been hit so far. The attacks greatly raised the Houthis profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemens decadelong stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab worlds poorest nation. President Trump issued a new warning Tuesday to the Houthis and their main benefactor, Iran, describing the group as being decimated by the campaign of strikes that began March 15. Many of their Fighters and Leaders are no longer with us, Trump asserted on his social media website Truth Social. We hit them every day and night Harder and harder. Their capabilities that threaten Shipping and the Region are rapidly being destroyed. Our attacks will continue until they are no longer a threat to Freedom of Navigation. Advertisement He added: The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran. With inputs from agencies PM Starmers attempts to persuade Trump to spare British businesses from the economic impact fell on deaf ears, despite a pledge to sign the accord in three months time read more British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump shake hands at the White House. File image/Reuters UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer requested US President Donald Trump to visit the UK in June to sign a new restricted trade agreement that would avoid additional export tariffs, but was turned down on Sunday evening. According to The Sun, the pairs weekend chat had little results other than Trump pledging to check into the terms of the planned economic accord. PM Starmers attempts to persuade Trump to spare British businesses from the economic impact fell on deaf ears, despite a pledge to sign the accord in three months time. Advertisement According to one well-placed source, Starmer pleaded for additional time for the UK and US to reach an agreement. However, officials at 10 Downing Street disputed the proposal, claiming that an exception was never specifically requested during PM Starmers briefing to Trump on the state of negotiations. According to sources, Trump pledged to look into the contents of the ideas but was not personally involved in the negotiations. On Wednesday, the White House will announce broad import duties on items, dubbed Liberation Day by Trump. However, 10 Downing Street said tonight that Britain is unlikely to be excluded by the time the tariffs go into effect this week, with discussions likely to continue beyond Wednesday. Trump has already indicated that a 25% import tax will be imposed on all automobiles imported into the United States, dealing a significant blow to Britains high-end car industry, including Aston Martin and Range Rovers. Putin earlier this month rejected a US proposal of an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine that Zelenskyy backed and has upped his rhetoric on Moscow wanting to install new leadership in Ukraine read more Donald Trump said Monday that he expects Russian President Vladimir Putin to fulfil his part of an agreement to halt the Ukraine conflict, after the US president expressed reservations about Moscows commitment. I want to make sure that he follows through, Trump told reporters at the White House. I think hes going to live up to what he told me, and I think hes going to fulfil his part of the deal now. Advertisement Trump criticised both Putin and Ukraines Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday as he seeks to end the countrys more than three-year-old war. Trump told NBC he was very angry with Putin for undermining Zelenskyys integrity as a negotiator and pushing for new leadership in Ukraine. Putin earlier this month rejected a US proposal of an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine that Zelenskyy backed and has upped his rhetoric on Moscow wanting to install new leadership in Ukraine. On Sunday, NBC News journalist Kristen Walker said Trump had called her to say he was pissed off with Putin and threatened tariffs on firms dealing with Russian oil. The US leader later turned his ire on Zelenskyy, warning him Ukraine would have big problems if it got cold feet over a deal to sign over mineral rights to the United States. The Kremlin on Monday said that Putin was still open to speaking to Trump. There was no phone call scheduled between the two leaders, but that one could be organized promptly, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. We are working on implementing some ideas, linked to resolving the Ukrainian (conflict), Peskov said. This process is time-consuming. Advertisement Fears of a trade war have left the markets rattled, fuelling concerns about a potential recession in the US. The President has reiterated his commitment to imposing a set of reciprocal tariffs on nations that levy duties on U.S. exports, vowing to match those countries tariffs. read more US President Donald Trumps raft of Liberation Day tariffs will take effect immediately after he unveils them on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. My understanding is that the tariff announcement will come tomorrow; they will be effective immediately, Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday, adding she had just spoken to Trump about the issue. Donald Trumps impending tariff announcement has put the worlds major economies on alert, raising fears of a global trade war. Advertisement Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Briefs Members of the Media, Apr. 1, 2025 https://t.co/xiK0WTIazI The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 1, 2025 He has kept both allies and rivals uncertain about the specificswho will be affected and to what extentbut has assured he will be very kind when unveiling the measures on what he calls Liberation Day this Wednesday. Concerns over a trade war have unsettled markets, with worries mounting about a potential U.S. recession. Trump remains firm on imposing reciprocal tariffs against countries that tax U.S. exports, pledging to match their duties. However, he has offered little clarity on which nations will be targeted or the scale of the measures. Last week, he suggested a possible moderation in his approach, hinting that some tariffs may be set at lower rates than those imposed on U.S. goods by other countries. We are going to be very nice, relatively speaking. We are going to be very kind, the president said, before launching into a strangely intimate digression. He spoke of someone who didnt know him well who offered him a compliment recently. They said You are such a kind person and I said, Say that again. They said, You are a kind person. I said, Ive never heard that before. Advertisement With inputs from agencies President Donald Trumps nominee for the top US military officer will testify before a Senate hearing on Tuesday, where he is expected to face intense scrutiny regarding his qualifications for the role, given his lack of the typical experience required for the position. read more President Donald Trumps nominee to be the top US military officer will testify Tuesday before a Senate hearing, where he will likely be grilled about his readiness for the job given his lack of required experience. Democrats have sharply criticized the dismissal of general CQ Brown the previous chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior officers, accusing Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of seeking to ensure the military is led by people loyal to the president. Advertisement In an unusual move, Trump nominated Dan Caine, a retired lieutenant general, to replace Brown earlier this year. Nominees for chair of the Joint Chiefs must have served as the head of a military branch, as a commander of a combatant command or as vice chair none of which Caine has done but the president may waive that requirement. Caine has served in positions including associate director for military affairs at the CIA as well as in various operational and staff roles, and flew more than 150 hours in combat as an F-16 pilot, an aircraft in which he logged more than 2,800 hours in total. A military official who served with Caine said shortly after Trump announced his nomination that the retired general has never been a partisan actor, always been apolitical and focused on just simply warfighting and whatever the mission success is. - Razin Caine - Trump has described Caine as an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a warfighter with significant interagency and special operations experience. The president apparently became enamored of Caine after meeting him in Iraq during his first term, where the general told Trump that his nickname was Razin. I said, wait a minute, your name is Razin Caine? I love you, Ive been looking for you for five years this is what I want, Trump told an investor forum in February. Trump abruptly fired Brown without explanation, leaving the vice chair to lead the Joint Chiefs in an acting capacity. Advertisement Hegseth said following Browns dismissal that the general is an honorable man but not the right man for the moment. In addition to Brown, top US Navy officer admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Air Force vice chief of staff and three senior military lawyers have also been sacked. Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers including Jack Reed the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee have raised concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally apolitical US military. Mid-May was being considered as the trips timeframe, according to four sources briefed on the subject read more US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he expects to visit Saudi Arabia as early as May to sign an investment pact, his first overseas trip of his second term, with visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. It could be next month, maybe a little later, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Mid-May was being considered as the trips timeframe, according to four sources briefed on the subject. During his first term in 2017, Trump began his maiden international tour with stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel. Advertisement Trump reiterated remarks he made in early March, saying his trip to Saudi Arabia would seal an agreement to invest upwards of $1 trillion in the U.S. economy, including purchases of military equipment. He suggested similar agreements would be signed in Qatar and the UAE. Tremendous jobs will be created in those two or three days, Trump said. The president did not elaborate on the specifics of the deals. Other possible topics for discussion include Russias three-year-old war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza, according to one source. Saudi Arabia has taken an active role in US foreign policy, including sponsoring cease-fire negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. An opportunity for international travel for the president is something that is being looked at. We dont yet have a specific plan, and we will provide that information when it is official, a White House official said ahead of Trumps remarks. Last week, Trump vowed to add more countries to the Abraham Accords, the series of normalization agreements his administration negotiated between Israel and some Gulf countries during his first term. Trump said more countries want to join the accords. While the White House has singled out Saudi Arabia as a possible participant in the accords, the Saudis have qualms about Israel due to the Gaza war. Advertisement In an exclusive conversation with Firstpost, the non-violent Ukrainian resistance group Yellow Ribbon explains how Ukrainians in territories occupied by Russia find creative ways to counter the aggressor read more On the fateful day of February 24, 2022, Russian troops launched a surprise military operation, invading the eastern territory of Ukraine. In three years of active war between the two nations, Russian forces have managed to occupy 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory. As the country struggles to fight the bigger and stronger Russian forces, the Ukrainians in the Russia-occupied land are hoping for reunification. These hopes are being kept alive by non-violent Ukrainian resistance groups. While they dont receive any form of government support, they are standing tall against Russia out of the spirit of nationalism. They kept on reminding the world of their existence and the fact that occupied Russian territories are still Ukraine. Advertisement Yellow Ribbon activist stands strong with Ukraine in Yalta and Simferopol. Image Source: @yellowribbonENG One such resistance group is called Yellow Ribbon. Aligning themselves with the idea of non-violence, the group members try different ways to remind the world that they are still Ukrainians. One of the members of the group sat down with Firstpost to explain how the movement works and what message they want to convey to both Russians and Ukrainians. To keep his identity protected, the Yellow Ribbon representative had his face covered. To maintain the anonymity and safety of the individual, the representative will now be referred to as Ivan instead of his real name. The story of Yellow Ribbon: The birth of the underground movement Ivan told Firstpost that the Yellow Ribbon movement started in late April 2022, when the group came together and organised one of the biggest pro-Ukrainian meetings in Kherson, an eastern European city, which was under the occupation of Russia for eight months. The Yellow Ribbon is a non-violent resistance movement on temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. We started our work in late April 2022, when we organised one of the biggest pro-Ukrainian meetings in Kherson. And since then, we spread our web of activities among the Ukrainians who wanted to join us all around from Luhansk to Crimea, Ivan told Firstpost. Support from occupied Luhansk region. Image Source: @yellowribbonENG The group focusses on taking the creative route to resistance, showing how the authorities can be challenged even without violence. So basically, were focussing on non-violent resistance. Like spreading graffiti, tying yellow ribbons, putting up pro-Ukrainian leaflets and conducting a lot of other activities. Were trying to be creative in different ways and to show different options to people how to do this correctly, how to do this securely and more safely for them, he said. The group functions without any government support When asked if the movement is getting any kind of support from the government back in Kyiv, Ivan made it clear that the Yellow Ribbon gets no support or funds from the Ukrainian government. We do not receive any type of support or fundraising from the government or any governments. We do not feel betrayed because resistance is very thin topic in Ukrainian security, he said. So, any support will look like its funded resistance. Its not from their heart and spirit. So, we do not encourage anybody to help us. An activist holding a yellow ribbon in Melitopol. Image Source: @yellowribbonENG Thats why any type of our activities are organised, planned and conducted by Ukrainians on temporarily occupied territories. Thats the very important part of this process to show even without support, and funds, Ukrainians organise in big groups. Thousands of Ukrainians resist and they do this in very creative ways, he explained. Advertisement The Razom Chatbot While Ivan did not share the groups structure and plans due to security reasons, he spoke about a Ukrainian chatbot called Razom. The word means together in Ukrainian and the chatbot helps in filtering the users who can take part in the resistance movement. " We created a chatbot in Telegram. We have 30,000 users in that chatbot. So, during these three years of occupation, we grew our chatbot and showed people we could teach you to do this thing. You could choose anything you want to do with a big list of non-violent resistance methods and receive instruction on how to prepare and conduct demonstrations, Ivan told Firstpost. Russians could not be verified in this chatbot. Its the big filter in it. So, thats why with this only chatbot, we can cover a bigger territory and bigger users. And they could do this manually when they want to without any support from coordinators, he said. Ivan mentioned that if someone in occupied territory needs some support, the group can help them in coordinating any of the non-violent resistance methods. We do not work face-to-face with the activists. We keep them anonymous. We keep them safe. We do not organise any meetings or evenings where we will sit and talk, he said. We only do the digital part where people could safely communicate, safely receive tasks and prepare them to do some stuff. Advertisement Life under Russian occupation Do the Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territory feel betrayed? Before Russia launched a full-scale invasion into Ukrainian territory, there had been multiple warnings regarding Russias growing aggression on the Ukrainian border. Some experts went on to state that Ukraine just wasnt prepared despite frequent alerts. When asked if people in occupied Russian territory feel betrayed, Ivan shared a different perspective. I guess nobody is fully prepared, there was the strong belief that Russia wouldnt dare launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Yes, some type of ground force activities on the front lines would happen, but they did not calculate that Russia would use their air forces, strategic bombers, and strategic aeroplanes and launch a full-scale invasion in different directions, to Kyiv, Kherson, Odesa, not only focusing on Donbas region. But you cannot be prepared for anything, he said. Resistance in Crimea. Image Source: X / @yellowribbonENG Any country in the world cannot be prepared for a full-scale invasion with an aggressor who is 10 times bigger. But in the first few days, we saw that Ukraine easily organised itself into a few different groups, armed forces, volunteers, and people, and everybody worked on one goal, just to stop Russian aggression, just to stop the Russian movement towards Ukraine, Ivan added. Throughout the war, Ukrainian civilians who wanted to get out of the clutches of Russians did help the countrys military in one way or another. One such example was when some people in then-occupied Kherson provided intelligence to Ukrainian forces while they were planning their counter-offence. This helped the city to be liberated by November 2022. Advertisement Yellow Ribbon, in that case, does not participate in any of these types of activities. We do not use our web of activities just to guide Ukrainian missiles, for example. But we know on temporarily occupied territories, there are a lot of these cases, Ukrainians working on the intelligence, on that information, to entrust them to armed forces, Ivan told Firstpost. Russians see this as a dangerous point for them on the temporary occupied territories. Yeah, they could easily fight on the front lines with a lot of losses, but they do not keep up with everything thats going on their back. And they just could not allocate so many military policemen to check every Ukrainian. They cannot stop any resistance wave in occupied territories and thats why this is so important, he added. But life in Russian occupations comes with challenges While Ivan said that Russia cannot eliminate the Ukrainian resistance movement, he admitted that there are all sorts of restrictions imposed on the occupied territories. He noted that Russians are making the lives of Ukrainians in the region harder and harder with constant psychological pressures to make them get a Russian passport. Russian forces monitoring phones, social media, even private conversation in case finding pro-Ukrainian people who are supporting resistance, who are supporting armed forces just to stop this on occupied territories, because they feel unsafe, Ivan said. Advertisement They know its dangerous for them to see any type of resistance on occupied territories. People are detained for having the Ukrainian flag emerging in their messages or nicknames, phones, documents and tattoos are checked at checkpoints. During the conversation with Firstpost, Ivan also raised logistical challenges Ukrainians face in these regions. There are many areas on occupied territories that lack basic medicines because of problems in logistics and Russians just cannot keep up with the needs of Ukrainians and the needs of people in occupied territories in food, water supply, gas, medicine, drugs, etc. Hope hinges on a ceasefire Shortly after US President Donald Trump returned to the White House, the American, Ukrainian and Russian delegations are engaged in ceasefire talks. With Trumps inclination towards Putin, many believe that Ukraine might end up getting the short end of the stick. When asked about what Ukrainians are hoping from the ceasefire, Ivan said they are hoping that the countrys sovereignty is protected. The ceasefire talks and these diplomatic efforts spark a lot of concerns in Ukraine and among its allies, not only on the people on the occupied territories. These talks and this process may be useful only if the world will stay rooted to Ukraines sovereignty and victory and help Ukraine to win in this war, he told Firstpost. Advertisement 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 If the ceasefire leaves Russia in control of temporarily occupied territories for big periods, so its not peace, thats thats not fine. But any geopolitics, any diplomatic efforts will not stop Ukrainian resistance on occupied territories. When asked what would happen if a truce deal did not entail the occupied land being given back to Ukraine, Ivan reiterated that the resistance would continue. We will go deeper underground. Thats why we keep working on upgrading our counter-surveillance methods, and our chatbot and creating lots of different methods of non-violent resistance in case Russians stop the logistics of blue and yellow paints to temporarily occupied territories. We can use different colours anyway, or we can mix them. We can create a lot of different methods that Russians could just not be aware of. So, we will go deeper. Donetsk and Makiivka continue resistance. Image Source: X / @yellowribbonENG We may even allow different online courses in studying, for example, the Ukrainian language, just keeping it alive on temporarily occupied territories. We will stick to the plan of giving Ukrainians VPN services that will be safe for them and not suspicious, and they will have the fastest and most secure connection with their relatives or friends in control areas of Ukraine, he added. Future of the two presidents Ukrainians still have faith in Zelenskyy When asked about Volodymyr Zelenskyys popularity in temporarily occupied territories, Ivan maintained that people in the region still consider him the voice of Ukrainians. Lets divide occupied territories into the ones that were occupied in 2014 and those that were occupied in 2022. There is a lot of support for Vladimir Zelensky since 2018, when he was chosen to be the president, Ivan recalled. They (Ukrainians) saw him as the first biggest leader of Ukraine, who is willing to say no to a lot of foreign countries, foreign leaders, especially to Vladimir Putin, and encourage them even to do resistance. So they are fine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. File image/AP In todays circumstances, it wont change. He is the voice of Ukrainians and he translates that Ukrainian energy all around the globe. We will not stop resisting. We will not stop working on the liberation of our people, he added. Will Putin be held accountable for his action? When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin will be ever held accountable for the war, Ivan emphasised that justice is not about one country leading the negotiation process. Putins team murdered a lot of people. Ukraine is making sure that the world wont forget this, Ivan said. And our message is just to continue to see how Ukrainians resist every day on occupied territories. Thats why we need your help to liberate our people, he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin. AFP Resistance in the age of social media One of the key aspects of the Yellow Ribbon movement is that it spreads awareness and mostly operates digitally. When asked about how social media has changed the way people can resist repression, Ivan emphasised that it is an important element. The media representation of any type of resistance is very important. So, without it, resistance could not happen easily. More people well see in Ukraine and occupied territories especially, that they are not alone, he told Firstpost. We have reached 3000 followers! Thank you all for being part of this resistance! pic.twitter.com/z6AlDdXXOI Yellow Ribbon (@yellowribbonENG) March 28, 2025 There are thousands and tens of thousands of Ukrainians who are willing to do dangerous activities to show the world that thats why you need to help Ukraine to re-occupy these territories. Because there are people who have been waiting for liberation since 2014. Ukrainian flag sticker near a sign in Crimea. Image Source: X / @yellowribbonENG Ivan insisted that social media is important for these resistance groups to counter Russian propaganda in the global sphere. They will write, like, everything is fine in this territory. We will post, no, its not fine. You are just making the lives of Ukrainians and people in occupied territories worse and worse every day. And were showing them, he added. Challenges that come with it In May 2024, a Russian-controlled court in Simferopol sentenced 35-year-old Mykola Onuk to five years of imprisonment. He was convicted of discrediting Russias use of its armed forces for the defence of Russias interests, and those of its citizens. Multiple reports suggested that Onuk was part of the Yellow Ribbon movement. For safety reasons, Ivan did not give clarity on that. However, when asked about the case, he blamed the Russian propaganda. Just to be clear, Mykola did not use any weapons. He did not attack anyone. He may be not part of any resistance group. We know that maybe he is part of something because Russians say so. Its convenient to them to show that, yeah, well stop any type of resistance, Ivan averred. Mykola, for example, I cannot confirm if he is the activist of our movement or not, just to not make his life worse. But you could be easily detained, and arrested because you are Ukrainian on occupied territories. The story of Mykola shows us, like, people, despite these fears, despite dangerous activity and consciousness, could easily do resistance on everyday basics just to help liberate this territory, he added. Ivan emphasised that while there are challenges, the movement remains resilient. They could easily stop one or two people. But they cannot stop tens and thousands of Ukrainians who do the same work every day, he said. Were trying to liberate peoples minds and hearts Yellow Ribbon to Firstpost. Image Source: X / @yellowribbonENG In his message to the world, the Yellow Ribbon representative emphasised that the purpose of the movement is to liberate peoples minds. Were trying to liberate peoples minds and hearts on occupied territories who are willing to do dangerous activities just to help Ukraine liberate them. Maybe for Russia, its about their politics. Its about territories and resources. For Ukraine, its about people. Thats the important part, he concluded. Maybe the next time you see a yellow ribbon somewhere, it may remind you that there are Ukrainians who are silently but resolutely resisting the invasion of their country by the Russian troops. Since February 4, a total of 395 people have passed through Guantanamo. Of those, 177 Venezuelans were deported via Honduras on February 20, while most others were quietly returned to US-based facilities, often within days of arriving read more A group of five US senators has sharply criticised the Trump administration for spending nearly $40 million in a single month to detain a few hundred migrants at the military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, describing the operation as a misuse of military resources and a deeply flawed immigration policy. The senators Jack Reed, Jeanne Shaheen, Gary Peters, Alex Padilla, and Angus King visited the base on Friday (March 28) and found only around 85 migrants being held in facilities once used to house suspected al-Qaeda detainees. Advertisement Roughly 1,000 US government employees, mainly from the military, have been assigned to the operation. Senators criticise costs, manpower wastage Senator Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, blamed the administration for diverting troops from their primary missions to Guantanamo. Referring to the $40 million estimated cost, he said, All of that is extraordinarily expensive and unnecessary, according to New York Times. The Pentagon confirmed the cost of the operation had reached $39.3 million by mid-March. A single military flight transporting 13 Nicaraguan migrants to Guantanamo took place during the senators visit, followed by another Air Force cargo plane bringing 12 more migrants the next day. Guantanamo remains an unusually costly site due to its remote location, surrounded by a Cuban minefield and reliant on shipments from Florida for basic supplies, energy and water. The senators said that while they do not fault the personnel on the ground, the overall mission reflects poorly on the administrations priorities. This would be better both economically and also in terms of legal clarity if the military were not involved, the senators said in a joint statement, calling the programme unsustainably expensive and lacking in transparency. They also raised concerns over the legal basis for the operation, which is governed by a confidential memorandum of understanding between the Departments of Defence and Homeland Security. The administration has argued that Guantanamo is being used only for migrants linked to transnational criminal organisations, but it has not provided clear evidence to support that claim. Public records for some detainees show their only offences were repeated illegal entries into the US. Advertisement US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since switched to less expensive charter flights, though no explanation has been given for the initial use of military aircraft. A rushed, futile job? Troops were rushed to Guantanamo Bay without notice, leaving their critical day-to-day military missions behind in order to build tents that should never be filled and guard immigrants who should never be held there the senators said. The mission also appears to have borne few results in terms of deportation and detainment. Since the first 10 migrants were flown in on February 4, a total of 395 people have passed through Guantanamo. Of those, 177 Venezuelans were deported via Honduras on February 20, while most others were quietly returned to US-based facilities, often within days of arriving. Despite mounting criticism and legal questions, the Department of Homeland Security has offered little public justification. A US court has ruled that the summons for NSA Ajit Doval, who was with PM Modi in the US on 12-13 February, was not delivered. The courts decision followed a letter from Pannuns lawyer, which revealed that US Secret Service agents guarding the Blair House threatened to arrest the server attempting to deliver the summons. read more A US court has ruled that the summons intended for NSA Ajit Doval, who was with PM Narendra Modi during his visit to the US on 12-13 February, was not delivered during his stay. The court responded to a letter from Gurpatwant Singh Pannuns lawyer, which revealed that US Secret Service agents guarding the Blair House, where the Indian delegation stayed, The Times of India reported. The Secret Service also threatened to arrest Pannuns server when he tried to deliver the notice. Advertisement The server left the summons at a nearby Starbucks, but the court deemed this insufficient. After reviewing the letter, a judge from the Southern District of New York stated that the summons was not delivered to anyone involved with Dovals security or hotel staff, as required by the courts order. This confirms Indias position that Doval was not served the summons. Indias Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, had previously called these allegations unwarranted and baseless. Pannu hires process servers, investigators According to the report from The Times of India, Pannun hired two process servers and one investigator to serve legal documents to Doval during his two-day trip to Washington DC. The first server, Ambiko Wallace, arrived at Blair House on February 12 at 7:22 pm, but found it barricaded with Secret Service agents guarding a single checkpoint. Wallace showed the legal document to an agent, but the agent refused to accept it and ordered Wallace to leave. The next day, a more experienced server, Wayne Engram, tried again at 12:15 pm. The Secret Service again refused to accept the document. Engram then tried to leave the envelope on the ground, a method commonly used for service, but was told he would be arrested if he did so. He decided to leave the documents at a nearby Starbucks, about 100 feet from the checkpoint, and told the agents where they were. However, this attempt was deemed insufficient by the court. Meanwhile, the investigator hired by Pannun contacted Blair House staff and Secret Service, but was told it was impossible to serve the defendant there and they refused to provide an email for the summons. The Pannun case, related to a murder plot, had the potential to create a diplomatic issue between India and the US. The Biden administration, already addressing charges from Canada over the murder of another Khalistan leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, is seeking accountability. India, which designated Pannun a terrorist in 2020, hopes this case will not strain relations further. Pannun is the spokesperson for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a Khalistan group that India wants the US to ban. Advertisement Allegations against Indian agents in Pannu case The summons was issued last September in response to a lawsuit filed by Pannun, who accused Indian agents of plotting to murder him. In October 2024, US federal prosecutors charged Vikash Yadav, a former Indian intelligence official, with orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot targeting Pannun in New York City. The plot was foiled when Yadavs intermediary, Nikhil Gupta, unknowingly contacted an undercover DEA agent to carry out the assassination. The Trump administration on Tuesday warned China after Beijing announced joint military exercises around Taiwan involving its army, navy, air force, and rocket force, with the White House reiterating its opposition to any unilateral efforts to change the status quo through force or coercion. read more Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong is seen in this screenshot taken from a video released by the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday. Reuters The Trump administration on Tuesday warned China after Beijing announced joint military exercises around Taiwan involving its army, navy, air force, and rocket force, with the White House reiterating its opposition to any unilateral efforts to change the status quo through force or coercion. The National Security Council briefed me on this this morning, and they said that the president is emphasising the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, encouraging the peaceful resolution of these cross-strait issues, reiterating our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion, CNN quoted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as telling reporters during Tuesdays press briefing. Advertisement That is directly from the national security adviser, she added. Earlier on Tuesday, CNN reported Chinas recent military exercises have heightened concerns in Taiwan, especially as President Trump reshapes Washingtons global relationships with his America First foreign policy. This approach has led to the abandonment of long-standing commitments to Europe and has pressured Asian allies to contribute more for US protection. China conducted military drills off the north, south, and east coasts of Taiwan on Tuesday, issuing a stern warning against separatism and labeling Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te a parasite. In response, Taiwan deployed warships as Chinas navy approached its shores. These exercises, which China has not officially named, follow increased Chinese rhetoric against Lai and come after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseths visit to Asia, where he criticised Beijing. Hegseth pledged to strengthen military ties with the Philippines to reestablish deterrence against Chinas aggression in the Indo-Pacific. He referred to Japan as an indispensable partner in countering Chinese military threats, including in the Taiwan Strait. Chinas military utilised ships, aircraft, and artillery to practice blockading the island, conducting strikes on ground and maritime targets, and performing air interception maneuvers to test forces coordination in combat, Reuters quoted a statement from Beijings Eastern Theatre Command. Advertisement Last May, shortly after Lais inauguration, Chinese forces held war games simulating control over areas west of the so-called first island chain and conducted live-fire missile exercises. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has labeled Lai a separatist. In a video accompanying its announcement, the Eastern Theatre Command referred to him as a parasite in English, depicting him as a green bug held by chopsticks over a burning Taiwan. Taiwans government condemned the drills, stating that China is widely recognised by the international community as a troublemaker and affirming Taiwans confidence and ability to defend itself. According to Reuters, citing two senior Taiwan officials, more than 10 Chinese military ships had approached close to Taiwans 24-nautical-mile (44 km) contiguous zone and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond. Taiwans defence ministry said it had not detected any live fire by the Chinese military, but that at least 71 Chinese military aircraft and 13 navy ships were involved. It said it did not know when the drills would end. Ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang said Taiwans armed forces had elevated their readiness level to ensure that China does not turn drills into combat and launch a sudden attack on us. Advertisement Chinas foreign ministry said the drills are legitimate and necessary actions to defend national sovereignty and safeguard national unity. Chinas reunification is an unstoppable trend - it will happen and it must happen, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson, said at a regular news conference on Tuesday. With inputs from agencies Vances stance on Europe has raised concerns among some European officials, particularly after he accused leaders on the continent of straying from democratic principles. His approach risks further straining US- Europe relations amid tensions over the war in Ukraine and upcoming tariffs on EU imports. read more U.S. Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance board Air Force Two after touring the U.S. military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. Image- Reuters US Vice President JD Vance is set to visit Italy later this month as European leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni adapt to the foreign policy changes under President Donald Trumps administration. Italy is one of the few countries in Europe that has looked to accommodate President Trump, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently saying she backed Vances scathing attack on European leaders that he made in Germany in February. According to correspondence reviewed by Bloomberg News, the US embassy in Rome informed Italys foreign ministry on Tuesday about Vances planned trip. However, officials noted that the schedule remains tentative and subject to change. Vance is expected to be in Rome from April 18 to April 20, overlapping with Good Friday through Easter Sunday, the letter stated. US diplomats have requested a meeting between Vance and Meloni, who has also expressed her intention to visit the White House, though no date has been confirmed for her trip. Advertisement Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini spoke to Vance by telephone two weeks ago, saying on Instagram afterwards that the call had reaffirmed the strong friendship and cooperation between our two countries. Meloni was the only EU leader to attend Trumps inauguration in January and has carefully steered clear of any criticism of the U.S. president, even as he has hit Europe with tariffs and threatened to abandon Ukraine in its war with Russia. In an interview with the Financial Times last week, Meloni supported Vances hard-hitting speech in Germany, when he accused Europe of censoring free speech, muzzling far-right political opponents and failing to control immigration. I have to say I agree, Meloni was quoted as saying. Ive been saying this for years . . . Europe has a bit lost itself. Vance is a Roman Catholic but would be unlikely to see Pope Francis if he comes at Easter, with the pontiff still recovering from double pneumonia and not yet receiving visitors. Vances stance on Europe has raised concerns among some European officials, particularly after he accused leaders on the continent of straying from democratic principles. His approach risks further straining US- Europe relations amid tensions over the war in Ukraine and upcoming tariffs on EU imports. With inputs from agencies The 59-year-old Nasa astronaut and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore addressed reporters at their first joint press conference days after they returned to Earth as part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, having been stranded in space for over nine months read more India is amazing from space, Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams said and voiced optimism that she will visit her fathers home country and share experiences about space exploration with people there. Williams made these remarks during a press conference on Monday. She was responding to a question on how India looked from space when she was in the International Space Station and on the possibility of her collaborating with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on space exploration. Advertisement India is amazing: Sunita Williams pic.twitter.com/l0LNxGIqwh Sibu Tripathi (@imsktripathi) April 1, 2025 India is amazing. Every time we went over the Himalayas, and Ill tell you, Butch got some incredible pictures of the Himalayas. Just amazing, Williams said. The 59-year-old Nasa astronaut and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore addressed reporters at their first joint press conference days after they returned to Earth as part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, having been stranded in space for over nine months. And you can see, like Ive described it before, just like this ripple that happened, obviously when the plates collided, and then as it flows down into India. Its many, many colours, she said. I think, when you come from the east, going into like Gujarat and Mumbai, the fishing fleet thats off the coast there gives you a little bit of a beacon that here we come, and then all throughout India, I think the impression I had was it was just like this network of lights from the bigger cities going down through the smaller cities. Just incredible to look at at night as well as during the day, highlighted, of course, by the Himalayas, which is just incredible as a forefront going down into India, she said. Advertisement She made those remarks while referring to the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station that will include Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India. Lucknow-born Shukla will be Indias second astronaut after former Indian Air Force officer Rakesh Sharma to go to space in 1984. Theyll have a hometown hero there of their own who will be able to talk about how wonderful the International Space Station is from his perspective. But I hope I can meet up at some point in time. We can share our experiences with as many people in India as possible because its a great country, another wonderful democracy thats trying to put its foot in space countries. Wed love to be part of that and help them along, she said. Williamss father Deepak Pandya hailed from Gujarat and came to the US in 1958 where he did his internship and residency training in Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Advertisement Egypt has deployed forces beyond the permitted quota, expanded port facilities, and extended runways at airports, said a security source, adding that these actions violate the peace agreement between the two countries read more Egyptian army tanks deployed in the northern Sinai Peninsula, along the Gaza border, on July 4, 2024. AFP File Israel has recently noted a military buildup by Egypt in the Sinai Peninsula, according to The Jerusalem Post report, citing a security source on Monday. Egypt has deployed forces beyond the permitted quota, expanded port facilities, and extended runways at airports, The Jerusalem Post quoted the source as saying, adding that these actions violate the peace agreement between the two countries. Regarding the entry of Egyptian forces beyond the permitted quota, security officials emphasised that such actions are reversible it is not a problem to pull tanks back. Advertisement The security source said that Israel is committed to maintaining the peace agreement and will not alter its deployment along the border. However, the source also added, Israel will not accept the situation and will not tolerate violations from Cairo. Israel is currently in discussions with both Cairo and Washington on the matter. Washington is responsible for upholding the peace agreement and must ensure it is implemented as written, the source was quoted as saying. So far, Israel has refrained from commenting on Egypts military buildup, aside from a few rare statements. In February, Israels Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said that Egypts military buildup in Sinai is intolerable. For a long time, this issue was pushed aside, but it is continuing. This will be a topic we are going to put on the table very soon and very firmly, the ambassador had said. With inputs from agencies According to recent investigations by Kan and the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper, the aides are suspected of having orchestrated or been involved in a campaign to improve Qatars image abroad read more The corruption case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might not be his only trouble with the law. Netanyahu, on Monday, cut short his appearance in the court to give testimony to the police in a separate investigation into possible ties between his aides and Qatar, dubbed Qatar Gate. According to a report by public broadcaster Kan, two suspects in the investigation have been arrested on suspicion of having links with Qatar. A source close to Netanyahu confirmed the reports. Kan said Netanyahu was not a suspect and would provide testimony at his office in Jerusalem. Advertisement According to recent investigations by Kan and the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper, the aides are suspected of having orchestrated or been involved in a campaign to improve Qatars image abroad. Whats the case? In February 2025, Israeli media reported allegations that senior aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had received substantial payments from entities linked to Qatar. Eli Feldstein, a member of Netanyahus media team, was accused of providing public relations services to Qatari interests while serving in the Prime Ministers Office. According to reports, Feldstein was paid by an international private company to oversee a public relations campaign aimed at enhancing Qatars image in Israel. His work primarily involved hostage negotiations, during which he allegedly arranged interviews between journalists and Qatari officials, conveyed official statements on Qatars behalf, and promoted narratives about its regional influence. After opening a probe into the investigation, Miara ordered Israels Shin Bet and the police to examine the connections between officials in the Prime Ministers Office and Qatari-linked entities. Netanyahu dismisses reports Netanyahu, who is on trial over a separate series of corruption charges which he denies, has rejected the accusations regarding his aides and Qatar as fake news and a politically motivated campaign against him. Earlier, he had said that he had been targeted in a witch hunt as his Likud party called all the cases against the prime minister fabricated. A Qatari official also dismissed the accusations as part of a smear campaign against Qatar. With inputs from agencies Trump is set to unveil his reciprocal tariffs designed to address trade imbalances on April 2, potentially hitting Chinese goods with additional duties. Since taking office in January, Trump has already levied 20% tariffs on all Chinese imports, citing Beijings failure to stem the outflow of fentanyl precursors. read more As Donald Trumps April 2 Liberation Day for announcing reciprocal tariffs nears, Beijing braces for a potential escalation in its trade tensions with Washington. Five years after Xi Jinping struck his first trade deal with Trump, U.S. officials are set to deliver their assessment of Chinas compliance with the Phase One agreement, a review that could heighten economic friction. By Tuesday, American officials must submit their findings on Chinas fulfillment of its commitment to buy an additional $200 billion in US goodsa target that official data shows was missed. The report will also examine broader trade issues including whether to revoke Chinas normal trade status, a move that economists equate to imposing a 30% tariff. Advertisement Trump has sent mixed signals on trade policy. While he has repeatedly decried the trade deficit and floated tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese imports, he has also hinted at lowering duties as part of a broader negotiation over the sale of Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok. America first trade policy review: Whats at stake for US-China trade The America First trade policy review ordered by Donald Trump on his first day back in office may set the stage for negotiations on the future of the $690 billion US-China trade relationship. However, it remains unclear whether US officials will release their findings publicly or present them privately to the White House, with recommendations influencing future tariff and trade policies. Hell use the review results as a threat to impose more tariffs on China, He Weiwen, a former commercial counsellor at Chinese diplomatic missions in New York and San Francisco told Bloomberg. He warned that revoking Chinas permanent normal trade status would be enough to kill trade. The review is one of several critical decisions on the horizon that could redefine US-China relations. Trump-Xi stalemate: Trade talks stall as tensions rise Trade negotiations between Beijing and Washington remain stalled at lower levels with Chinese President Xi Jinping yet to engage directly with US President Donald Trump. Despite Trumps repeated willingness to talk, tensions have escalated over US accusations that China is failing to curb fentanyl smugglingan issue Trump has cited in past tariff hikes. The standoff extends beyond trade. Beijing is reportedly preparing to block new deals with the family of CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.s founder after US pressure forced the Hong Kong conglomerate to sell its Panama ports, Bloomberg reported. Such a move could challenge Xis efforts to present China as a stable global partnera message he reinforced in a rare meeting with international CEOs last week. Meanwhile, ByteDances TikTok remains another flashpoint. Public bidders include billionaire Frank McCourt and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, but Beijings approval is required, particularly given the platforms prized algorithm. Chinese president has instructed officials to keep calm as trade tensions unfold, opting for a calibrated tariff response to avoid exacerbating economic struggles, including a property crisis and deflation. This contrasts with U.S. allies like Canada and the EU, which have pledged retaliatory measures against Trumps tariffs. Advertisement China Warns US on reciprocal-tariff reprisal Chinese officials warned US trade chief Jamieson Greer in a call last week that Beijing will resolutely retaliate if Trump proceeds with his reciprocal trade measures. This sets the stage for tense discussions when senior Chinese officials travel to Washington for the annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings this month, their first in-person talks with the Trump administration. If the US wants to discuss cooperation with China, mutual respect is a prerequisite, the account Yuyuan Tantian said in a post on Weibo. The US also added dozens of Chinese entities to its export restriction list on Tuesday, further ratcheting up tensions with Beijing. China has responded to US tariffs by targeting some US imports including coal, liquefied natural gas, and agricultural products with up to 15% duties. Asias economic powers join forces to counter US tariffs China, Japan and South Korea agreed to jointly respond to U.S. tariffs, a social media account affiliated with Chinese state media said on Monday, an assertion Seoul called somewhat exaggerated, while Tokyo said there was no such discussion. The state media comments came after the three countries held their first economic dialogue in five years on Sunday, seeking to facilitate regional trade as the Asian export powers brace against U.S. President Donald Trumps tariffs. Japan and South Korea are seeking to import semiconductor raw materials from China, and China is also interested in purchasing chip products from Japan and South Korea, the account, Yuyuan Tantian, linked to China Central Television, said in a post on Weibo. All three sides agreed to strengthen supply chain cooperation and engage in more dialogue on export controls, the post said. Advertisement Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo are major U.S. trading partners, although they have been at loggerheads amongst themselves over issues including territorial disputes and Japans release of wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant. With inputs from agencies Wisconsin voters will choose a new justice for the states top court on Tuesday in a race that offers an early referendum on Donald Trumps presidency, with abortion rights, labour rights and election rules all potentially in the balance. read more U.S. President Donald Trump's adviser Elon Musk gives a check to an audience member during a rally in support of a conservative state Supreme Court candidate of an April 1 election in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. March 30, 2025. Image- Reuters Wisconsin voters will choose a new justice for the states top court on Tuesday in a race that offers an early referendum on Donald Trumps presidency, with abortion rights, labour rights and election rules all potentially in the balance. The campaign is easily the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history. More than $90 million has been spent by the candidates, the state parties and outside groups - including more than $21 million by Trump ally Elon Musk and political groups with ties to him, according to a tally from New York Universitys Brennan Center. Advertisement Wisconsin voters will choose a new justice for the states top court on Tuesday in a race that offers an early referendum on Donald Trumps presidency, with abortion rights, labour rights and election rules all potentially in the balance. The campaign is easily the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history. More than $90 million has been spent by the candidates, the state parties and outside groups - including more than $21 million by Trump ally Elon Musk and political groups with ties to him, according to a tally from New York Universitys Brennan Center. The court is also poised to decide whether abortion rights should remain legal statewide and could revisit a Republican-backed law that stripped most public employee unions of collective bargaining rights. Musk, whose so-called Department of Government Efficiency is overseeing Trumps unprecedented cost-cutting campaign at the federal government, has become a central figure in the race. He held a rally on Sunday night where his main super PAC, or political action committee, handed out $1 million checks to two voters. Wisconsins Democratic attorney general, Josh Kaul, sued to block the payments, arguing that they violated a state anti-bribery law. The state Supreme Court declined to take up the case without comment shortly before Sundays event. Advertisement Musk, who spent more than $250 million to help Trump win the election in November, also promised to pay volunteers $20 for every voter they recruit before Tuesdays election. The Tesla CEO said he is concerned that a liberal court could seek to redraw the states Republican-created congressional lines, which could imperil the partys thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in next years midterm elections. I think this will be important for the future of civilization. Its that significant, Musk said at Sundays rally. Democrats have sought to highlight Musks involvement, with Crawfords supporters emphasizing that Musk may have a personal stake in the outcome - Tesla sued the state in January over a law barring car manufacturers from opening dealerships, a case that could eventually come before the state Supreme Court. Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment about accusations he has a personal interest in the elections outcome. Advertisement Crawfords campaign has gotten a boost from billionaire Democratic megadonors, including philanthropist George Soros and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. Separately, voters in Florida will cast ballots in a pair of special elections to fill U.S. House vacancies created by Trumps cabinet picks. Republicans are expected to easily hold both seats, though Democrats are watching closely to see if their candidates win more than the roughly one-third of the vote they secured in November. Republican state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is running against Democrat Gay Valimont, a gun violence prevention activist, in one district centered on Pensacola. In the other district, which includes Daytona Beach, Republican state Senator Randy Fine faces Democrat Josh Weil, a public school educator. Victories in both would broaden Republicans House majority to 220-213. In a message to mark the 75th anniversary of the India-China diplomatic ties, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that the two countries should get into a Dragon-Elephant tango read more Chinese President Xi Jinping and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia October 23, 2024. China Daily via REUTERS Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said that the India-China relationship should take the form of a Dragon-Elephant tango. In a message to mark the 75th anniversary of the India-China diplomatic ties, Xi said that the two countries should find ways to coexist peacefully and that he was ready to deepen communication and coordination in major international affairs and jointly safeguard peace in border areas, according to Chinese Xinhua news agency. Dragons and elephants are the respective emblematic animals of China and India. India and China are currently in the process of mending ties after Chinese aggression at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto India-China border, in eastern Ladakh in 2020 triggered a yearslong border stand-off that has not yet been fully resolved. The stand-off, which included fatal skirmishes, plunged the India-China relationship to its lowest point since 1962 when the two countries fought a war. Advertisement In his message to President Droupadi Murmu, Xi called upon both countries to view and handle bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective and seek a way that features peaceful coexistence, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and common development. He said that the two countries should get alon with each other and jointly promote a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations. Xi further said that he remains willing to mark the anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties as a moment to enhance strategic mutual trust, strengthen exchanges, and cooperation in various fields, according to Xinhua. Even though India and China have full-fledged bilateral ties and Xi has spoken of expanding those ties, China continues to reject Indias sovereignty over various parts of the country. China continues to occupy parts of Ladakh and claims the part of the region with India as its own. China also claims Arunachal Pradesh as its own and has in recent years disputed the border in Sikkim as well. Alcatel, a mobile technology brand operated by TCL Communication under a trademark license from Nokia, has announced its entry into the Indian smartphone market after a hiatus. The company didnt launch a phone or a tablet in the country after 2018, but it continued to launch devices in some markets till 2022. The company plans to launch devices featuring a stylus, positioning itself to offer premium features to a wider consumer base. Alcatels strategy for India includes local manufacturing, aligning with the Make in India initiative. The brand intends to establish a nationwide service network to support its user base. The companys product line will incorporate patented innovations (pending or granted) and designs influenced by French aesthetics. The companys stated focus is on providing accessible technology to a broad segment of the Indian market, including urban consumers, technology enthusiasts, and those who rely on mobile devices for work and lifestyle purposes. Alcatel aims to leverage its experience in the mobile technology sector to offer a range of smartphones that combine design, functionality, and user experience. Alcatels approach emphasizes localized production and a customer support infrastructure, which are key components of its market strategy. Regarding this, Atul Vivek, CBO (Chief Business Officer), said: At Alcatel, our vision for India is to democratize innovation by making premium features accessible to a broader audience. Our devices seamlessly merge with style and performance, catering to tech enthusiasts, urban aspirants, fashion-conscious consumers, and digital nomads alike. We believe that technology should not only be powerful but also reflect the latest trends, and we are excited to introduce products that embody this philosophy in the Indian market. Ansh Rathi, COO (Chief Operating Officer), said: As we expand our presence in India, from day 1 we have embraced the Made in India initiative by focusing on local manufacturing. By producing our devices within the country, we aim to enhance supply chain efficiency, ensure superior quality, and contribute to Indias growing technology ecosystem. This strategic move not only strengthens our commitment to the Indian market but also reinforces our mission to make cutting-edge technology more accessible and affordable for consumers. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024. The U.S. Department of Justice has reiterated its interest in the case of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters in a response to a filing by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. The document, filed March 25, asks the court to deny Weisers request to strike the Justice Departments statement of interest in the matter, and to give Peters case prompt and careful consideration. Peters was convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, one count of official misconduct and one count of failure to comply with the secretary of state, and sentenced to nine years of incarceration in October. She is currently being held in Larimer County. Peters, has appealed the convictions, according to her habeas corpus request, which names Weiser and Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen as defendants. Habeas corpus is a legal process in which a court orders someone holding someone else in custody to bring the person before the court and release them unless a lawful justification is found for their incarceration. The request asked for Peters to be given bail during the appeal process, a request that was previously denied by the Colorado Court of Appeals. Peters was accused of allowing an unauthorized person to enter a secure area of the Mesa County Elections Division in May 2021 to make copies of computer hard drives in search of election fraud and misleading officials in the process. An investigation was opened into Peters in August 2021 by the Colorado Secretary of States Office. Secretary of State Jena Griswold decertified Mesa Countys election equipment after Peters couldnt show they were not compromised. Peters was later barred from conducting Mesa Countys fall 2021 election. Peters has maintained she was simply performing her duties as Mesa County Clerk. During sentencing, Judge Matthew Barrett told Peters, You are a charlatan and you cannot help but lie as easy as it is for you to breathe. You betrayed your oath for no one other than you. And this is what makes Ms. Peters such a danger to our community. Its the position she held that has provided her the pulpit from which she can preach these lies, the undermining of our democratic process, the undermining of the belief and confidence in our election systems. On March 3, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in Peters federal case, stating, Reasonable concerns have been raised about various aspects of Ms. Peters case. These concerns relate to, among other things, the exceptionally lengthy sentence imposed relative to the conduct at issue, the First Amendment implications of the trial courts October 2024 assertions relating to Ms. Peters and whether Colorados denial of bail pending appeal was arbitrary or unreasonable under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments such that relief is appropriate. Weisers filing in response to the statement of interest stated it is unnecessary, unwarranted and unhelpful for the Justice Department to be heard on the matter, and the Justice Department has singled out this case to wield its power on behalf of someone who has aligned herself politically with the president. The United States 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, the filing stated. Last weeks response from the Justice Department stated, Rather than address the merits of Ms. Peters Application or the concerns noted by the United States regarding whether Ms. Peters was denied bond pending appeal in violation of her constitutional rights, Respondent primarily chose to baselessly assault the integrity of the Executive Branch while repeatedly referencing and denigrating Ms. Peters purported political beliefs in a manner remarkably incongruent with the seriousness of a habeas proceeding. The response argued the U.S. Department of Justice regularly files statements of interests in cases in which the U.S. government may have an interest, in this case determining whether or not Peters constitutional rights have been violated. Consistent with long-held practice, the United States regularly files Statements of Interests in cases to which it is not a party, including in federal courts in Colorado, when the Attorney General determines in her discretion that such a statement is warranted, the document stated. The filing stated the court should not deviate from this practice. Here, Ms. Peters has raised substantial concerns that call for this Court to grant prompt and careful consideration to whether the Colorado trial court arbitrarily denied her request for bond pending appeal based on her political beliefs and personal advocacy, and whether the Colorado Court of Appeals acted arbitrarily in summarily affirming that decision, the document stated. China discovers 100-million-ton oilfield in deep to ultra-deep clastic rock layers in South China Sea for first time Global Times By Liang Rui Published: Mar 31, 2025 05:39 PM China has discovered large-scale integrated clastic oilfield in deep to ultra-deep layers for the first time in South China Sea, marking a breakthrough in China's offshore oil exploration. An expert told the Global Times that it could alleviate the country's oil and gas resource constraints, and holds significant implications for the future production potential of oilfields in China. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced on Monday that it has discovered Huizhou 19-6 oilfield, a major oilfield in the eastern South China Sea, with proven reserves exceeding 100 million tons, according to Xinhua News Agency. Situated about 170 kilometers from Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province, the oilfield sits at an average water depth of 100 meters. Test drilling has yielded a daily production of 413 barrels of crude oil and 68,000 cubic meters of natural gas, demonstrating its potential, according to Xinhua. "The South China Sea is a large marine basin with geological conditions conducive to the formation of such clastic oilfield in deep to ultra-deep layers," Wang Yamin, a professor at the Shandong University's School of Oceanography, told the Global Times. "Historically, China has had relatively limited oilfield reserves. The current global trend is shifting toward the development of shale and clastic rock oilfields. Therefore, the latest discovery holds significant implications for the future distribution and production potential of oilfields in China." "Also, the discovery could alleviate the country's oil and gas resource constraints and reduce China's dependence on foreign oil, though extensive exploration of unknown areas is still required," Wang said. According to CNOOC, offshore oil and gas exploration in deep to ultra-deep layers faces multiple challenges, including high temperatures, high pressures and complex conditions, Xinhua reported. Meanwhile, clastic reservoirs, an important component of deep-sea hydrocarbon deposits, generally have low permeability, making the identification of large oil and gas fields more difficult, reported Xinhua. "China's offshore oil extraction technology has not been under development for very long. While shallow-water oil extraction in the Bohai Sea is already well-established, and multiple extraction sites exist in the South China Sea, with many technical challenges remain unresolved in the deeper regions," Wang added. "This discovery, along with potential future findings, will further drive advancements in deep-sea exploration and extraction technology." According to Xinhua, Peng Guangrong, a geologist at CNOOC's Shenzhen branch, noted that 60 percent of the world's newly discovered oil and gas reserves have come from deep layers. With abundant resources and a low level of exploration, deep to ultra-deep layers are expected to drive future growth in oil and gas reserves and production. China's oil and gas exploration in the eastern South China Sea has seen consecutive breakthroughs, with oilfields exceeding 100 million tons in reserves discovered for two straight years, CNOOC's CEO Zhou Xinhuai told Xinhua. In December 2024, CNOOC released a report about China offshore energy development. The report highlights that China's offshore oil and gas production reached a new record high, with major breakthroughs in exploration and development. Deepwater oil and gas technologies and equipment achieved systematic advancements, while the utilization rate of offshore oil and gas engineering equipment led the world. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas condemns 'sadistic' Israel after bodies of 14 medics are found in Gaza mass grave IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 31, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- The Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas has strongly condemned the "sadistic" Israeli regime after reports emerged that Israel executed 14 medical personnel in the Gaza Strip. In a statement on Sunday, Hamas said the bodies of six members of the Civil Defense force and eight Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics, who had been missing for days, had been discovered "handcuffed and buried" in a mass grave in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan neighborhood. "This crime represents the largest act of mass targeting and deliberate killing of emergency medical personnel, and confirms that we are dealing with a criminal, sadistic enemy who is devoid of all human values," the statement said. It said the episode was part of Israel's broader "brutal genocide" against civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip, while slamming the "disgraceful international silence" and the "political and military cover" provided for the occupying regime by the United States. Hamas called on the international community to condemn the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "fascist government" and to hold Israeli leaders accountable in international courts for "crimes against humanity." A group of 15 paramedics and rescue workers disappeared in southern Gaza on March 22 after Israeli forces fired on their ambulances. In a statement on Sunday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said that it had recovered the bodies of 14 paramedics killed in the Israeli attacks. It explained that eight of the bodies had been identified as PRCS members, five as members of Civil Defense, and one as a U.N. agency employee. "The ninth paramedic is still missing and is believed to have been detained," it added. 4354**4482 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli forces kill nine Palestinians, including children, in southern Gaza IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 31, 2025 Israeli attacks on southern Gaza have killed at least nine Palestinians, including women and children. In the early hours of Monday, Israeli forces attacked a house in Jurat al-Lot in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, killing at least six people and injuring at least ten others, Al Jazeera Arabic reported on Monday morning. The outlet said another Israeli airstrike on a house in the town of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Younis, killed two Palestinians and injured several others. A separate attack on a house in Khan Younis killed one person and injured others. According to reports, Israeli bombardment is ongoing in Khan Younis. Palestinian officials said earlier that Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 64 people, including children, in Gaza on the first day of Eid al-Fitr. The Israeli regime's genocidal war in Gaza, launched in October 2023 after a retaliatory operation against the regime led by Hamas, has so far killed about 17,500 children. 4354**4482 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states will be continued by Polish and Romanian air capabilities Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence 2025-03-31 International cooperation | Security and defense policy On March 31 a Hand Over-Take Over ceremony took place at the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Siauliai. After eight months and four months on duty of patrolling the Baltic airspace Italian and French airmen handed over the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states to Polish colleagues with four F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets and the reinforcement from the Romanian Air Force flying F-16 Fighting Falcon. NATO Allies have been sending fighter aircraft, pilots and service personnel to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states to ensure security and integrity of the Alliance's airspace since the Baltic states joined NATO in March 2004. "The NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states demonstrates clearly that the cornerstone of NATO, the principle of collective defence, works excellently. We are grateful to our Allies for contributing to this vital mission. Your presence is a critical factor of deterrence which strengthens our regional security fundamentally," Vice Minister of National Defence Karolis Aleksa. Poland will be in charge of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states for the thirteenth time. The current rotation will include approx. 140 members: pilots, technicians, medical personnel, support teams, communications and other specialists. The Romanian Air Force will be contributing to the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission for the third time. Their rotation will comprise approx. 110 different specialists. NATO Allies began deploying air assets in protection of the Baltic states' airspace since the first day of NATO membership of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. It was agreed at the NATO Summit in Vilnius to strengthen the air posture by implementing the Rotational Air Defence Model. The Netherlands conducted training with the Patriot air and missile defense system in Lithuania last year, while Italy deployed the SAMP/T long-range ground-based air defence system this year. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ministry of National Defence expressed heartfelt condolences to families of the deceased U.S. servicemen Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence 2025-03-31 International cooperation | Security and defense policy National Defence leadership expresses deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the members of the U.S. Contingent who perished in the lines of duty in Lithuania. Monday before dawn, after six days of gruesome massive search and rescue operation in which Lithuanian and American servicemembers, as well as other Allies who always there ready to help and Lithuanian public institutions, contributed all the strength they had and whatever time was needed, the M88 armored vehicle was pull out of the swamp area in Pabrade training site. A pretrial investigation has been started and conducted by the Lithuanian Armed Forces Military Police under direction of the Regional Prosecutor's Office of Vilnius to determine the incident circumstances. Next of kin have been notified. The 11th U.S. Rotational Battalion began the tour of duty in Pabrade: two battalions of the United States 3rd Infantry Division started the 9-month rotation of readiness activities in Lithuania with local and Allied troops. The United States has been rotating heavy battalions in Lithuania since 2019. NATO and U.S. force presence in Lithuania is a key deterrent. The United States passed a decision on an uninterrupted U.S. rotational force presence in the Baltic region. In its turn, Lithuania is committed to do everything necessary to provide Host Nation Support and infrastructure needed for the hosted U.S. troops. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The President extended condolences for U.S. soldiers who lost their lives during exercises in Lithuania President of the Republic of Lithuania March 31, 2025 President Gitanas Nauseda expressed his condolences over the tragic loss of three United States soldiers during a U.S.-led training exercise in the Svencionys district of Lithuania. The President extended his heartfelt sympathies to U.S. President Donald Trump, the families and friends of those who lost their lives, their fellow service members, and the entire American nation. Gitanas Nauseda stressed that the search and rescue operation will continue until the fourth missing U.S. soldier from the exercise is found. "Until the very last moment, we hoped for a miracle. With deep sadness and sorrow, I received the news of the loss of U.S. soldiers who were found after perishing during a training exercise. Their deaths are a painful blow not only to their American fellow servicemen, but also to the Lithuanian Armed Forces," the President said. According to Gitanas Nauseda, this tragedy has affected everyone. "The armed forces of the United States and Lithuania, with the support of our Polish allies, worked tirelessly for countless hours in this complex search and rescue operation. Lithuanian institutions spared no effort, working day and night to locate the missing soldiers as quickly as possible. The people of Lithuania prayed relentlessly for their fate, as we consider American soldiers our own. In this difficult time, we feel even more committed to one another, and this challenging operation has demonstrated our strength in unity," he stated. President Nauseda emphasized the invaluable contribution of the United States in ensuring the security of Lithuania and NATO's entire eastern flank. "The presence of U.S. military forces in our region is not only a guarantor of Lithuania's security but also of the security of the entire transatlantic community. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing the best and most suitable conditions for allied troops to train and enhance their capabilities," said the President, assuring that Lithuania will continue to allocate all necessary resources to uphold the highest possible standards. The President also expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the search and rescue operation, and emphasized his hope that ongoing efforts would result in finding the fourth missing soldier as soon as possible. The President's Communication Group NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 16 Naxals killed, 2 policemen wounded in gunfight in India's Chhattisgarh People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 11:11, March 31, 2025 NEW DELHI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 Naxals were killed and two policemen wounded Saturday in a fierce gunfight in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said. The gunfights between Naxals and joint contingents of police and paramilitary forces broke out at Keralapal area of Sukma district, about 425 km south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh. According to senior police official P Sundarraj, a large number of arms including assault rifles, and a huge quantity of ammunition were recovered from the possession of slain Naxals. "All 16 bodies of Naxals have been recovered and searches are underway in the area," he said. Last week, 30 Naxals and a policeman were killed in two separate fierce gunfights in the state. Reports said with Saturday's action so far 132 Naxalites have been killed in the state since the beginning of this year. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni forces announce downing of US MQ-9 drone Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 10:20 PM Yemeni Armed Forces have announced the downing of a US MQ-9 drone over Ma'rib Governorate, the 16th drone downed by the country since October 7, 2023. "In retaliation to the American aggression against our country, our air defenses successfully shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone while it was carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Ma'rib Governorate, using a suitable, locally made missile," the Yemeni Armed Forces said in a statement issued on Monday night. "This is the sixteenth drone our air defenses have successfully shot down during the Battle of the Promised Victory and the Holy Jihad in support of Gaza," it added. The statement said the US forces "over the past hours, has launched a number of raids on various areas, resulting in martyrs, injuries, and damage to citizens' properties." The Yemeni Armed Forces affirmed that they "will persist in preventing Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas and will continue to support the Palestinian people until the aggression against Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted." "They will not hesitate, with Allah Almighty's help, to carry out further defensive operations against all enemy warships in the coming days," the statement noted. On Sunday night, the United States carried out more acts of aggression against Yemen to force the Arab country to stop its support for Palestinians in Gaza. American warplanes conducted thirteen intense airstrikes on the Yemeni capital, Sana'a. The Yemeni media reported eight attacks on Sana'a's Al-Malikah area and five strikes on the Sarf area. The attacks followed earlier strikes that left one civilian dead and twelve wounded in two districts of Sana'a. Most of the US attacks target civilian buildings in the Yemeni capital. Yemenis have been hitting Israeli and American targets in support of Palestinians in Gaza since the regime launched its devastating war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, and in response to the American-British aggression on their homeland. The operations have effectively shut down the Eilat port south of the occupied territories, causing significant economic setbacks for the Israelis. The Yemeni Armed Forces have said they will not stop their attacks until Israel's ground and aerial offensives in Gaza end. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Formidable power': Yemen warns 'surprises in store' will astonish enemy Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 6:03 PM Yemen's Defense Minister Major General Mohammed Nasser al-Atifi says the armed forces have become a "formidable power" amid the ongoing aggression by the United States and Britain, asserting that the Yemeni forces are now "difficult to defeat". In a statement released on Monday, Atifi said Yemen "possess vast and significant capabilities and surprises in military manufacturing and war production that will astonish the enemy and reassure our allies." "The armed forces have established a qualitative industrial base and are steadily advancing in this direction, with doors to success wide open." The United States and the UK resorted to heavy offensive naval buildup off Yemen's coastline, and escalated attacks on the Arab Peninsula country to try to stop its pro-Palestinian strikes. Sana'a has been responding to the intensified attacks by targeting American warships, and enhancing its preparedness to take on the naval assets. The Yemeni minister further said the Yemeni forces were now "capable of achieving major victories not only for Yemen but also for the vital causes of the Ummah." The minister affirmed that Yemen's supportive stance toward the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip will remain steadfast despite US-Israeli aggression. "Yemen's steadfast position in support of the Palestinian people will remain unchanged, no matter the risks faced by our steadfast Yemeni people." The statement also denounced Arab stances toward the great injustice against the Palestinian people by the US-backed Israeli regime. Atifi said the Yemeni people "cannot stand silent or neutral" in the face of the destructive chaos and the fires of Zionist ambitions that have spread throughout the region. Elsewhere in the statement, Atifi hailed the role of strong leadership of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in confronting aggression by the US and its allies across the West Asia region. "Yemen, with its armed forces and strong backing from the Leader of the Revolution, now possesses a multi-purpose military arsenal." The leader of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement said in a televised speech on Thursday stated that there is no justification for US strikes against Yemen. Houthi said the US launched the onslaught against our country at the same time as the Gaza genocidal war to support the Zionist regime began. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel kills more Palestinians as Gaza death toll during Eid al-Fitr passes 85 Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 10:28 AM As Palestinians mark the second day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which puts an end to the holy fasting month of Ramadan, new Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip kill more than two dozen people, including children. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that three civilians were killed on Monday after Israeli forces targeted an area at al-Masdar village in central Gaza. Two more people lost their lives and a number of others were injured as Israeli warplanes struck a group of individuals east of Jabalia. A child was also injured when an Israeli remote-controlled quadcopter dropped a bomb in the yard of a United Nations-linked school at the Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip, where forcibly displaced Palestinians are sheltering. Additionally, four people were killed and several others injured when Israeli forces bombed a house belonging to the Maqdad family in Khan Yunis refugee camp at dawn. Another two civilians lost their lives and a number of others, including children, were injured in the bombardment of a family home in the Wadi Saber neighborhood of the town of Abasan al-Kabira in the southern Gaza Strip. Furthermore, Israeli military attacks in central Gaza's Az-Zawayda and Maghazi refugee camps have killed at least two people and injured others, according to local sources. Six citizens were martyred late on Sunday when Israeli occupation forces struck a residential building near the Tahlia roundabout in central Khan Yunis. On Sunday evening, nine citizens, including a couple and their three children, were killed and several others injured when the Israeli military bombed a residential apartment at Hamad City in northwestern Khan Yunis. There are reports of endless artillery shelling in the central parts of the Gaza Strip, in Nuseirat refugee camp, and also in the area very close to the so-called Netzarim Corridor. Explosions have been heard in Deir el-Balah, where three farmers have been killed. According to the Civil Defense teams and paramedics, it is very dangerous to go and retrieve their bodies. This comes as at least 64 Palestinians were killed on the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has strongly condemned Israel's killing of civilians on Eid, including children in their festive clothes. It stated that such an approach reveals Israel's "fascism and its denial of any human or moral values." The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial assault on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing over 920 people, injuring more than 2,000 others, and shattering the ceasefire agreement with Hamas and the deal on the exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 50,200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 114,000 other individuals injured in the brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 7, 2023. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli forces set fire to Nour Shams refugee camp during Eid as West Bank onslaught rages Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 9:58 AM Israeli forces have set fire to homes in Nour Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarm during Eid al-Fitr as the large-scale onslaught in the northern West Bank continues unabated. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Monday that the Zionist war machine besieged the refugee camp, deploying bulldozers in al-Manshiya and al-Maslakh neighborhoods, where they have been carrying out house raids and damaging infrastructure. Numerous Palestinian residents have been displaced due to the attacks, particularly in the areas of Jabal al-Nasr and Jabal al-Salihin on the outskirts of the camp. Eyewitnesses said many of the Palestinian families have been forcibly removed from their homes by the Israeli regime forces as they torched and demolished the Palestinians' shelters. Israeli media quoted military sources as saying that plans are underway to completely wipe out the Tulkarm, Jenin, and Nur Shams refugee camps across the occupied region. The Israeli regime forces' destructive operations are being carried out on a daily basis affecting hundreds of Palestinian families who have been displaced from their homes. Meanwhile, at least seven Palestinian men, one of them a former prisoner identified as Abdullah Alaria have been detained by the Zionist forces in their attack on Tulkarm. Two of them were released at dawn after being beaten. Also, Zionist forces have killed more than a dozen Palestinians, including a child and two women -- one of whom was pregnant -- in Tulkarm and its refugee camps since the beginning of the latest offensive. At least 4,000 families have been displaced as the Israelis totally leveled 396 homes and partially razed 2,573 more. In addition, an estimated 24,000 people have been forced to leave from both the Tulkarm and Nour Shams camps. Numerous families were also forced to flee from the northern neighborhoods of the city. The continued military assault has further resulted in widespread destruction, including the demolition of homes, businesses, and vehicles, many of which have been either completely or partially destroyed, burned, looted, or damaged. The entrances to both refugee camps and their alleyways have been blocked by dirt mounds, further isolating the population. Also, law-breaking Israeli settlers on Sunday evening assaulted Palestinians and torched a barn to the south of Ad-Dhahiriya city, southwest of the southern occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil, according to a resident. Tamer Abu Sharkh said that a group of settlers descended upon their dwellings of Khirbet Umm as-Simsim and attacked his family members. He added that the assailants torched a livestock barn and attempted to set sheep on fire before withdrawing from the area. Israeli settlers' violence against Palestinians and their property regularly talks place in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by regime's judicial authorities. Settlers' violence include torching property and mosques, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, and attacks on vulnerable homes, among others. An estimated 700,000 Israelis permanently occupy illegal settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds in violation of international law. Israel regime forces have occupied the West Bank since 1967, subjecting Palestinians to checkpoints, arbitrary arrests, home demolitions, land seizures, settlement expansion and frequent raids, severely restricting every aspect of their lives. The Palestinian land located west of the Jordan River is home to approximately 3.3 million Palestinians. Al-Khalil is the most populous of its 11 governorates with about 842,000 Palestinian residents. Al-Quds follows with 500,000, Nablus with 440,000, Ramallah and al-Bireh with 377,000 and Jenin with 360,000, respectively. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'A salute to steadfastness': Hamas says Palestinians mark Eid amid Israeli aggression, starvation Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 6:40 AM The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says Palestinians are marking the Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, amid "brutal Zionist aggression, siege, starvation, killing, and destruction." "On the blessed Eid al-Fitr, we remember the steadfastness of our great people and their heroic resistance, and we ask Allah to accept their acts of devotion, their struggle, their steadfastness, and their sacrifices," Hamas said in a statement on Sunday. It added, "This year, Eid al-Fitr arrives as our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and al-Quds face brutal Zionist aggression amidst siege, starvation, killing, and destruction, under a shameful international silence and the unconditional American support for the occupation." The Gaza-based group then urged Arab and Muslim nations to "double down on their efforts to support our people in Gaza, shoulder their responsibilities for escalating popular actions, exert pressure to end the aggression and lift the siege, and champion the just Palestinian cause." Hamas finally reiterated its pledge to remain firmly committed to Palestinians and tread the path of resistance until final victory is achieved and an independent sovereign Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital is established. The Israeli military has continued launching airstrikes on various areas of Gaza since the early hours of Gaza, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza performed Eid al-Fitr prayers over the rubble of destroyed mosques, in displacement shelters, and beside the ruins of their homes amid the relentless Israeli bombardment. The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial attack on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing over 920 people, injuring more than 2,000 others, and shattering the ceasefire agreement with Hamas and the deal on the exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian abductees. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 50,200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 114,000 other individuals injured in the brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 7, 2023. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China claims discovery of 100 million-ton oilfield in South China Sea The announcement comes days after US, Philippines, Japan staged naval drills near a contested shoal. By Taejun Kang for RFA 2025.03.31 TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The China National Offshore Oil Corporation, or CNOOC, has discovered an oilfield in the South China Sea with proven reserves exceeding 100 million tons, Chinese state media said on Monday. The oilfield in the eastern South China Sea - the Huizhou 19-6 oilfield - was about 170 kilometers (106 miles) from the city of Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong Province, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Test drilling of the oilfield, which has yielded a daily production of 413 barrels of crude oil and 68,000 cubic meters of natural gas, it added. RFA could not independently confirm the claims. In a press release, CNOOC said the discovery well was drilled and completed at a depth of 5,415 meters -- what it characterized as "ultra-deep layers" -- facing high temperatures and pressures. Xinhua cited Peng Guangrong, a geologist at CNOOC's Shenzhen branch, as saying that 60% of the world's newly discovered oil and gas reserves have come from deep layers. The South China Sea is reputed to be rich in hydrocarbons but remains mostly underexplored because of territorial disputes. However, most discovered oil and gas reserves are in uncontested areas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. China claims almost all of the South China Sea - through which US$3 trillion in commerce moves annually - overlapping with sovereignty claims by the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Brunei. In a case brought by the Philippines, an international arbitral tribunal in 2016 invalidated the basis of China's expansive territorial claims, but Beijing has ignored the ruling. Military patrol The Chinese announcement on the oil field came days after Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth met his Filipino counterpart Gilberto Teodoro and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Friday in Manila, as part of Hegseth's Asia-Pacific tour that also included Guam and Japan. Hegseth reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad" commitment to its defense treaty with the Philippines, vowing to deploy advanced military capabilities to bolster deterrence against threats, including Chinese "aggression." "Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese," Hegseth said. The same day, the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines conducted joint naval drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea to enhance crisis preparedness. A Chinese military vessel reportedly monitored the exercises from a distance. At one point, a Chinese frigate attempted to approach the area where warships and aircraft from the three allied nations were carrying out maneuvers. However, a Philippine frigate issued a radio warning, prompting the Chinese vessel to keep its distance. For the first time since these joint naval exercises began last year, known as the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity, a select group of Manila-based media was granted access to observe the drills at sea. China said it also conducted a military patrol in the South China Sea on Friday. Edited by Mike Firn. Updated with edits throughout. 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 Vietnamese Politburo member holds rare dialogue with dissidents Meeting may signal softening toward dissent, but too early to tell, attendee says. By RFA Vietnamese 2025.03.31 -- In a rare encounter, a Vietnamese Politburo member met to engage in dialogue with a dozen intellectuals and artists, including several well-known dissidents who are critical of the ruling Communist Party, attendees told Radio Free Asia. Sunday's meeting in Saigon, which had been in the works for several months, had been proactively sought by Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen, said poet Hoang Thuy Hung, one of the attendees. Vietnam's 16-member Political Bureau, or Politburo, is the highest body of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and is the dominant power in the one-party country. "A few months ago, Mr. Nen started asking to invite some intellectuals whose opinions they had not heard from, including some who were known to be critical," said Hung, a member of Van Viet, an independent civil society organization suppressed by the state. The meeting was arranged by the Oriental Development Research Institute, which may be a branch of the state security agency, Hung said. Writer Luu Trong Van confirmed that he also attended the gathering on his Facebook page. Such meetings are exceedingly rare. According to the Hung, the last time the Communist Party agreed to dialogue with independent intellectuals was right after the Doi Moi reforms of 1986. But these reforms quickly ended, and the party returned to a policy of suspicion and suppression of dissenting voices. The development signals that President To Lam, who became the Vietnam's leader last May, may be more open to criticism and dissent, Hung said -- although it was still too early to know if this was a permanent shift. "After To Lam. came to power, I saw that there seemed to be a reversal -- that is, a desire to listen to dissenting voices," he said. Since taking office, Mr. To Lam has also moved toward abandoning the reliance on state-owned enterprises and putting the private sector at the center of the economy. Critical feedback Among those invited to attend were intellectuals who were once Communist Party members but later left the ranks and became rare voices of dissent against state policies. They included Prof. Mac Van Trang, who withdrew from the party in 2018 to protest the decision to expel Prof. Chu Hao from the party, artist Kim Chi, who also withdrew from the party in 2018, and poet Do Trung Quan, a famous dissenting voice on social media. Hung said that Nguyen, the Politburo member, asked intellectuals to give their opinions on two issues, including how to attract talent to Ho Chi Minh City, and implementing more freedom at universities. In response, Hung said he directly criticized the state's policies, especially the way it treated dissent. "The policy towards intellectuals and artists is not good, especially the policy toward those who criticize the state out of their patriotism, it does not create trust. I need to emphasize that INTELLECTUALS MUST BE INDEPENDENT in order to contribute to the country!" he wrote on his Facebook page afterwards, in a summary of what he said at the meeting. Still, Hung also said that it is still too early to conclude whether this is a permanent change in policy. "We should not rush to conclude whether it has achieved anything commendable," Hung said. "Because these are still only initial signs. But in any case, this shows the prospect that the new leader of the Communist Party will have a new way of assessing and handling the country's problems correctly," he concluded. The above reservations are well-founded. While Nguyen had contacted several independent intellectuals and expressed goodwill, the state simultaneously showed hostility towards other famous critics, including Nguyen Quang A and poet Thai Ba Tan. On March 26, Thai Ba Tan said on his personal Facebook page that he "might be arrested" after police visited his home for questioning. and Nguyen Quang A was named and shamed as a "hostile force" in a March 27 news report on the People's Police Television channel. 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 China, Zambia ink macadamia nut export deal Xinhua) 10:38, April 01, 2025 CHILANGA, Zambia, March 31 (Xinhua) -- China and Zambia on Monday signed an agreement on the export of macadamia nuts to the Asian country. The signing ceremony was attended by Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy Wang Sheng and Zambian Agriculture Minister Mtolo Phiri. In his remarks, Wang said the signing of the agreement signifies a major step in opening up the Chinese market to Zambian nuts, which will greatly benefit local farmers in the foreseeable future. According to him, in addition to this protocol and previous agreements on the export of blueberries from Zambia to China, negotiations are also underway for the export of other agricultural products, such as dry paprika and avocados. "I am sure that before long, more high-quality agricultural products from this country will find their way to the Chinese market," he said. The agreement is an important outcome of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Beijing in September last year when China announced its commitment to granting all least developed countries, including Zambia, with which it has diplomatic relations, zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of tariff lines. According to him, as the world's second-largest economy with a population of 1.4 billion, China offers a huge market for any country. For his part, the Zambian minister thanked China for providing Zambia with an open and expansive market for its nut exports. He said the move would help Zambia diversify its agricultural production and improve the quality of its products, as China maintains strict standards for agricultural imports. The signing of the agreement reflected Zambia's commitment to promoting trade and investment, as well as the strategic partnership with China, he added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Three US Soldiers Found Dead In Vehicle Recovered From Lithuanian Bog As Search Continues By RFE/RL March 31, 2025 The US Army said the bodies of three American soldiers have been found in a military vehicle that was submerged in a bog in Lithuania after it went missing during a training exercise several days ago. "The soldiers, whose identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, went missing in the early morning hours of March 25 in their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle," US Army Europe and Africa said in a statement. The armored vehicle was retrieved earlier on March 31, six days after a rescue operation was launched at the Pabrade military training ground near Lithuania's border with Belarus. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said the search continues for a fourth US soldier who was part of the group. US Army Europe and Africa said the soldiers were deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. "...the search isn't finished until everyone is home. Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found," Major General Christopher Norrie said. The missing vehicle and troops triggered a massive recovery effort involving hundreds of Lithuanian, Polish, and US personnel and dozens of vehicles. Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, hosts more than 1,000 US troops stationed in the Baltic nation on a rotational basis. In the early hours of the rescue operation, several conflicting accounts emerged, including comments from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that the soldiers were dead. A NATO spokeswoman later walked back those comments. U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/lithuania-army-soldiers- recovery/33365111.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 On the Release of Faye Hall US Department of State Press Statement Marco Rubio, Secretary of State March 31, 2025 The United States is pleased to welcome home Faye Hall, an American who was released from Afghanistan just this weekend. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Government of Qatar for its support of American citizens in need and we thank the European Union delegation in Kabul for their assistance. President Trump's strength, leadership, and commitment to the American people is clear we will not rest until all Americans detained in Afghanistan, and held hostage around the world, are brought home. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gaza: UN relief chief demands 'answers and justice' following killings of first responders 31 March 2025 - The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher on Monday called for "justice and answers" after Israeli forces killed eight Palestinian medics, six civil defence first responders and a UN staff member in an attack in southern Gaza. The clearly identified humanitarian workers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, Palestinian Civil Defence and the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, had been despatched to collect injured people on 23 March in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, when they came under fire from Israeli forces who were advancing in the area, said the UN aid coordination office's (OCHA) top official in the Palestinian Occupied Territory in a detailed post on X. Jonathan Whittall said that on the day of the attack, five ambulances, a fire truck - and a clearly marked UN vehicle which arrived following the initial assault - were all hit by Israeli fire, after which contact was lost with teams. No access for days "One survivor said Israeli forces had killed both of the crew in his ambulance. For days, OCHA coordinated to reach the site but our access was only granted five days later," Mr. Whittall said. When UN staff then travelled to the area they encountered hundreds of civilians fleeing under Israeli fire. "We witnessed a woman shot in the back of the head. When a young man tried to retrieve her, he too was shot. We were able to recover her body using our UN vehicle," he added. 'Devastating scene' He said aid workers we were finally able to reach the site on Sunday, discovering "a devastating scene: ambulances, the UN vehicle, and fire truck had been crushed and partially buried. After hours of digging, we recovered one body - a civil defence worker beneath his fire truck." The Palestine Red Crescent Society - part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - expressed outrage on Sunday over the deaths, adding that a ninth staff member is still missing. "These dedicated ambulance workers were responding to wounded people...They wore emblems that should have protected them; their ambulances were clearly marked. They should have returned to their families: they did not," said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain. Humanitarian law 'could not be clearer' "Even in the most complex conflict zones, there are rules," he added. "These rules of International Humanitarian Law could not clearer - civilians must be protected; humanitarians must be protected. Health services must be protected." The incident represents the most deadly attack on Red Crescent Red Cross workers since 2017. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on X Monday that another staffer from his agency had died in addition to the colleague's body retrieved on Sunday, bringing the total killed to 280 killed since the violence erupted on 7 October 2023. "Targeting or endangering emergency responders, journalists or humanitarian workers is a flagrant and severe disregard of international law," he added, noting these killings had become "routine" in Gaza. Israeli forces said the emergency responders had been fired on after their vehicles "advanced suspiciously", according to news reports, adding that a Hamas operative had been killed along with "eight other terrorists". The attack occurred following the collapse of the fragile two-month ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas militants on 18 March. On Monday, Israel issued a new mass evacuation order for the whole of the Rafah region. 'This should never have happened' OCHA's Jonathan Whittall reiterated on Sunday that first responders should never be a target. "Today, on the first day of Eid, we returned and recovered the buried bodies...They were killed in their uniforms. Driving their clearly marked vehicles. Wearing their gloves. On their way to save lives. This should never have happened." The UN Humanitarian Affairs chief, Tom Fletcher, on Monday send condolences to the families of all who had been killed. "They were killed by Israeli forces while trying to save lives. We demand answers and justice," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNRWA Commissioner-General: "As if death, diseases, destruction and hunger were not enough for the Palestinians in Gaza" UNRWA 31 Mar 2025 From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter) People are treated like pinballs with constant military orders playing with their fate and lives. The Israeli Authorities issued today more forced displacement orders in Rafah, impacting over 140,000 people. This is causing panic, anxiety and uncertainty on the first day of Eid, a time to be with family and loved ones. Where are people supposed to move? Unlike in other conflicts, where populations can find safety, Gaza is being bombarded all across. It is sealed off like a cage with borders shut and basics not allowed in. Two million people, half of them children, live there. How is this allowed, at the world's watch, with no checks and balances. One of the darkest times for our common humanity we vowed would not happen again. It is time to put an end to this hell on earth, starting with a resumption of the ceasefire. Background Information: UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency's area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on. UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tajik, Kyrgyz and Uzbek presidents sign historical treaty to boost regional cooperation People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:50, April 01, 2025 DUSHANBE, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The presidents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a treaty on the junction point of their national borders in Khujand, Tajikistan's second-largest city, on Monday. According to the Tajik presidential press service, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a trilateral meeting in Khujand to formalize the agreement. Rahmon called the treaty's signing "a highly symbolic" event, highlighting its significance for the three countries. He said that Tajikistan deeply values its relations with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, which are founded on the principles of good neighborliness, equality, mutual respect and the consideration of each other's interests. The comprehensive development of relations among the three countries is one of the priorities in Tajikistan's foreign policy, according to a statement from the Tajik presidential office. The leaders discussed key issues related to regional cooperation, underscoring the need to strengthen neighborly relations, advance joint infrastructure and economic projects, and expand the region's tourism potential, according to a statement from the Kyrgyz presidential office. Japarov said that regional integration is progressing well and that enhancing cooperation across various sectors will be critical to achieving sustainable development and prosperity in Central Asia. Mirziyoyev extended his congratulations to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan for successfully resolving border-related issues and signing the delimitation treaty. He said the agreement would foster regional stability, promote sustainable development, and raise the international standing of the entire region. In addition to the trilateral discussions, Rahmon and Mirziyoyev held a one-on-one meeting, during which they signed a protocol to exchange instruments of ratification for the treaty on allied relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The meeting, conducted in an atmosphere of friendship and brotherhood, concluded with the exchange of these historic documents, officially bringing the treaty into force. The treaty was initially signed during a high-level bilateral summit in Dushanbe on April 18, 2023. Meanwhile, Rahmon and Japarov also signed a protocol to exchange the ratification instruments for the border treaty between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The two leaders engaged in comprehensive discussions on cooperation in trade, economy, energy, culture and humanitarian affairs, culminating in the signing of the protocol, which finalized the agreement. The border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan stretches approximately 970 km, and delimitation talks began in 2002. Since the autumn of 2022, the two countries have conducted intensive negotiations, successfully finalizing the border's delineation in December 2024. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 31 March 2025 - Day 1132 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 Ukrainian defenders continue to decisively give a block to the Russian enemy's attempts to advance deep into Ukrainian territory, giving him an effective fire effect. Since the beginning of this day, there have been 175 combat clashes. The Russian invaders launched one rocket and 73 aviation strikes using one rocket and 118 cab. In addition, the Russians have engaged about 650 kamikaze drones and carried out almost four thousand shells on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. In the Kharkiv direction, Ukrainian troops repelled six Russian attacks in the area of vovchanska. In the Kupyans komu direction, Russian forces conducted nine assaults of the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the direction of Pi any, Nova Kruglyakivka, Petropavlivka and nearby Zagrizovoy, Stepoi Novoselivka. Ukrainian defenders have already stopped seven Russian attacks, two fights are still ongoing. In the Lyman direction during the day, Russian invaders 26 times attacked the positions of Ukrainians near Nadia, Dibrova, Wells, in the direction of Novoy, Serebryanka, Torsky, Green Valley and Novomikhailivka. Six battles remain incomplete so far. In the sivers komu direction, Russian forces made three assaults of the positions of Ukrainian units near bilogorivka and ivano-darivka. Two attacks have already been stopped by Ukrainian defenders. Seven combat clashes have been recorded in the Kramators komu direction, Russian forces attacked in the area of the Time Jar and in the direction of the Predtecinyo. In the Toretsky direction Russians 14 times attacked the positions of defense forces. The main efforts of the attack of the Russian occupiers were concentrated in the area of Toretsk. There is currently one fight. In the Pokrovsky direction, Zagorbnytsky units 56 times tried to break through Ukrainian defense in the areas of settlements Oleksandropil, Elizabeth, Lisivka, Kalinove, Udaachne, Zelene, Shevchenko, Kotline, Sergiyivka, Novosergiyevka, Novooleksandrivka, Uspenivka, Silver, Kotlyarivka, Bogdanivka, Andriyivka, Oleksiyivka and in the directions of Trinity and Gorikhovy. Six clashes are ongoing so far. Aviation strikes suffered pokrovsk, good, zorya, novopidgorne, rajpole, Zaporizhia and novoukrainka. Today in this direction Ukrainian warriors zneskodili 382 Russian occupiers, 233 of them - irrevocably. Three tanks, four cars, three infantry fighting vehicles, two motorcycles, three light-armored multi-purpose tractors were also destroyed, three tanks, a car, an infantry fighting vehicle and a mortar of the Russian Zarbnikov were also significantly damaged. In the Novopavlivs komu direction, Russian forces attacked nine times near Konstantinopol, Burlatsky, Dniproenergy and in the direction of Rozlivu. Ukrainian defenders have already successfully stopped five Russian attacks , fighting is being sharpened in four locations. Air strikes suffered novopavlivka, bagatir, odradne and fun. In the direction of Gulyaipil, Ukrainian defenders repelled nine attacks near Novosilka, Privilny and in the direction of Free Field and Novopol. In addition, Russian forces launched aviation strikes in the areas of populated areas of Temirivka, Velikomikhailivka, Green Field. In the Orihivsky direction, Russian forces attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders nine times, trying to advance in the directions of the settlements of Mali Scherbaky, Lobkove, Scherbaky , Kamianske and Novodanilivka. Malokaterinivka suffered an air strike. In the Pridniprovsk direction, the Russian aggressor carried out one offensive action, unsuccessful. In the operational zone in Kurshchini, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled 26 attacks of Russian invaders within a day, three clashes are ongoing. In addition, Russian forces launched 24 air strikes using 36 guided bombs and carried out 211 artillery shells to positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements, including seven from reactive arson systems. In other directions, the situation has not changed significantly. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Belgorod direction, the Sever Group of Forces hit manpower and hardware of a mechanised brigade, two assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and two territorial defence brigades close to Velikiy Prikol, Miropolye, Ugroyedy, and Turya in Sumy region. In Kharkov direction, formations of a motorised infantry brigade of the AFU and a territorial defence brigade were hit close to Kazachaya Lopan and Volchansk (Kharkov region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 troops, an armoured personnel carrier, and an artillery gun. One electronic warfare station and one fuel depot were neutralised. The Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line. Russian troops hit three mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a territorial defence brigade near Kupyansk, Kamenka, Dvurechnaya, Kondrashovka, Zagoruykovka (Kharkov region) and Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to more than 200 troops, an armoured fighting vehicle, two pick-up trucks, and six field artillery guns, three of them were foreign-made. Four electronic warfare stations and two ammunition depots were eliminated. The Yug Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation. Russian units engaged formations of five mechanised brigades, an airmobile brigade of the AFU, the Azov special forces brigade, and an assault brigade of the Ukrainian national police near Seversk, Markovo, Chasov Yar, Dyleyevka, and Aleksandro-Kalinovo (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy lost up to 275 troops, a U.S.-made armoured personnel carrier M113, five pick-up trucks, and U.S.-made AN/TPQ-36 counter-fire radar. The Tsentr Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. Russian elements damaged manpower and materiel of four mechanised brigades, an assault brigade, an infantry brigade, a jaeger brigade, two drone brigades, an assault regiment of the AFU, and a marine brigade close to Shevchenko, Kotlino, Krasnoarmeysk, Sergeyevka, Novosergeyevka, and Udachnoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 420 troops, a tank, four armoured fighting vehicles including a French-made VAB armoured vehicle, and a U.S.-made HMMWV armoured fighting vehicle. Three pick-up trucks, two field artillery guns, and a mobile electronic warfare station were eliminated. Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defence. The Russian Armed Forces inflicted fire damage on a tank brigade, three mechanised brigades, a jaeger brigade, an airmobile brigade, a mountain assault brigade of the AFU, a marine brigade, and a territorial defence brigade close to Shevchenko, Novopol, Voskresenka, Volnoye Pole, and Yalta (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy's losses amounted to more than 160 troops, a tank, three motor vehicles, and two field artillery guns including a Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery system. The Dnepr Group of Forces engaged units of two mechanised brigades of the AFU and two territorial defence brigades close to Novoandreyevka, Stepovoye (Zaporozhye region), Antonovka, and Yantarnoye (Kherson region). Up to 50 troops, an armoured fighting vehicle, two motor vehicles, an electronic warfare station, two ammunition depots, and a fuel depot have been neutralised. Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged the facilities of the military airfield, workshops, launch sites, ammunition, armament, and supply depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, temporary deployment areas of the Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 147 areas. Air defence systems shot down five U.S.-made JDAM guided bombs and 150 aircraft unmanned aerial vehicles. In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the AFU lost 660 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 49,180 unmanned aerial vehicles, 601 anti-aircraft missile systems, 22,606 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,533 MLRS combat vehicles, 23,130 field artillery guns and mortars, 33,545 units of support military vehicles. 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 hit units of a mechanised brigade, two air assault brigades, and a territorial defence brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Gornal, Guyevo, and Oleshnya. One AFU counter-attack was repelled. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and Artillery strikes engaged manpower and hardware close to Gornal, Guyevo, and Oleshnya as well as Basovka, Belovody, Varachino, Velikaya Rybitsa, Vladimirovka, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Zapselye, Loknya, Miropolye, Mogritsa, Novaya Setch, Sadki, Yunakovka, and Yablonovka (Sumy region). In the past 24 hours, the AFU lost over 190 troops, a tank, an armoured personnel carrier, three armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, two artillery guns, a mortar, three UAV command posts, and an ammunition depot. Two AFU servicemen surrendered. Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 71,240 troops, 403 tanks, 329 infantry fighting vehicles, 291 armoured personnel carriers, 2,238 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,580 motor vehicles, 592 artillery guns, 53 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, 123 EW stations, 18 counter-battery warfare radars, ten air defence radars, 56 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 15 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 Russo-Ukraine War - 01 April 2025 - Day 1133 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 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 since the beginning of this day, there have been 141 combat encounters. Ukrainian defenders continue to decisively interrupt the attempts of the Russian enemy to advance deep into Ukrainian territory, giving him a fiery impression. Russian invaders today launched 72 air strikes, used 122 controlled bombs, engaged 646 kamikaze drones and carried out 3,432 shelling at the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. In the Kharkiv direction, the Defense Forces successfully stopped four Russian attacks towards the settlements of Vovchansk and Krasne Pershe, currently two more clashes are ongoing, in the direction of Kamyanka and Liptsiv. In the Kupyansky direction, the Russian aggressor committed 11 offensive actions in the areas of the settlements of Pietcnia, Stepova Novoselivka, Nova Kruglyakivka and Zagrizove. Defense forces successfully stopped all attacks. In the Lyman direction, Russian invaders 13 times attacked the positions of Defense Forces in the direction of the New, Peaceful and Green Valley, nine attacks have already been repelled, four are ongoing. In the sivers komu direction, Russian forces attacked in the areas of bilogorivka, Ivano-daryivka, towards the verkhnyokamans kogo and serebryanka. In total, since the beginning of the day, there have been 15 fights, 12 of which Ukrainian defenders have successfully stopped, three are still ongoing. In the Kramatorsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled three Russian assaults in the areas of the settlements of Chasiv Yar, Kurdyumivka and towards Predtechiny. In the Toretsky direction today, Ukrainian soldiers repelled ten Russian attacks in the areas of settlements Leonidivka, Dachne, Cherbinivka, Toretsk and towards Diliyivka, two combat clashes are ongoing. In the Pokrovsky direction, since the beginning of this day, Russian forces attacked 45 times in the areas of settlements Kalinove, Tarasivka, Zelene, Kotline, Oleksandropil, Water Second, Elizabethtivka, Lisivka, Udaachne, Novooleksandrivka, Andriyivka, as well as towards Bogdanivka, Novosergiivka, Romanivka, Pokrovsk. Seven brawls are ongoing so far. Today in this direction, according to preliminary data, Ukrainian soldiers have destroyed 228 Russian invaders, of which 131 - irrevocably. Also destroyed four vehicles units, two BMPs, an armored tractor, a satellite terminal, a radio-electronic combat station, and three armored combat cars and the occupiers' motorcycle. In the Novopavliv direction, Russian forces made five attempts to break through Ukrainian defense in the areas of Konstantinopol and Rozlivu. Currently, three fights are being sharpened. In the direction of Gulyaipils komu, the Russian zagarbniki attacked five times near Privilny and towards Novopol. Air strikes were suffered by Green Field, Novodarivka, Gulyajpole and Zaliznycne. In the Orihiv direction, Russian forces tried to advance towards Novodanilivka and Stepovoye, Ukrainians repelled all five Russian attacks. In the pridniprovskomu direction, Ukrainian troops stopped three Russian attacks. In the Kurs komu direction today, there were 12 boezitknen . At the same time, Russian forces launched 16 air strikes, dropped 31 guided bombs in total and carried out 186 artillery shells, including 4 from reactive salvage systems. In the rest of the directions, the operational environment of special changes did not experience. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Belgorod direction, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware concentration areas of one mechanised brigade of the AFU and two territorial defence brigades near Ugroyedy, Turya, and Miropolye (Sumy region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, and four motor vehicles. One field ammunition depot was destroyed. The Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line. Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades of the AFU and one territorial defence brigade near Kamenka, Dvurechnaya, Zagoruykovka, and Kondrashovka (Kharkov region). The AFU losses amounted to more than 210 troops, two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, one armoured fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, and six field artillery guns, including two foreign-made guns. Two electronic warfare stations and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar were destroyed. The Yug Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation. Losses were inflicted on formations of three mechanised brigades, one mountain assault brigade of the AFU, and one special operations brigade near Seversk, Nikolayevka, Pleshcheyevka, Katerinovka, and Novoolenovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 255 troops, two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, two armoured fighting vehicles, three pickup trucks, and one artillery gun. The Tsentr Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, one infantry brigade, and one jaeger brigade of the AFU near Grishino, Shevchenko, Krasnoarmeysk, Novosergeyevka, and Dimitrov (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to more than 430 troops, one tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, and five field artillery guns. As a result of active and decisive operations, units of the Vostok Group of Forces liberated Razliv (Donetsk People's Republic). Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade of the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade near Bogatyr, Yalta, Zaporozhye, and Zelenoye Pole (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to more than 150 troops, one tank, four motor vehicles, and two field artillery guns. Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces took more advantageous positions and inflicted losses on formations of one mechanised brigade and two territorial defence brigades near Pridneprovskoye, Ivanovka, and Antonovka (Kherson region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 75 troops, one tank, four motor vehicles, one artillery gun, one electronic warfare station, and two ammunition depots. Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces struck ammunition depots and production sites of explosives, as well as engaged temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 142 areas. Air defence units shot down 67 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the AFU lost 660 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 49,247 unmanned aerial vehicles, 601 anti-aircraft missile systems, 22,622 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,533 MLRS combat vehicles, 23,152 field artillery guns and mortars, 33,572 units of support military vehicles. 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. In the course of offensive operations, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one mechanised brigade, two air assault brigades, and one territorial defence brigade of the AFU near Gornal, Guyevo, and Oleshnya. Two counter-attacks launched by enemy units were repelled. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and Artillery strikes inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the enemy near Basovka, Belovody, Varachino, Vladimirovka, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Zapselye, Miropolye, Mogritsa, Novaya Sech, Sadki, Shalygino, Yunakovka, and Yablonovka (Sumy region). Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 180 troops, two armoured personnel carriers, four armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, one ATV, and two UAV command posts. Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to over 71,420 troops, 403 tanks, 329 infantry fighting vehicles, 293 armoured personnel carriers, 2,242 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,583 motor vehicles, 592 artillery guns, 53 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, 123 EW stations, 18 counter-fire radars, ten air defence radars, 56 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 15 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 Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador prisons despite court dispute Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 5:22 PM The United States has deported more migrants to El Salvador despite a court order disputing the legality of the move. The administration of President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that it sent 17 alleged "violent criminals" to El Salvador despite a court order to stop the move. "Last night, in a successful counter-terrorism operation with our allies in El Salvador, the United States military transferred a group of 17 violent criminals from the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 organizations, including murderers and rapists," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. Trump has declared the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as foreign terrorist organizations. Rubio said in a statement that, "These criminals will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens." He said the prisoners included "murderers and rapists." "These criminals will no longer instill fear in the country," Rubio reiterated. The top US diplomat thanked Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for accepting the alleged criminals which included what the Latin American leader himself described as suspected "child rapists." Bukele even posted a Hollywood-style video on social media, showing the chained deportees escorted by masked troops exiting a US military aircraft. The prisoners in the video were brought to their knees with their hands tied in the back and their heads forcibly shaven before they are put behind bars. Rubio, who appears to be making pretentious efforts showing the implementation of the new US anti-immigration policy, did not state under which authority the US State Department had deployed the prisoners. The Trump administration has invoked the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify deportations without the usual due process spelled out by the US Constitution. A federal judge on March 15 ordered a halt to deportations under the act, as several planeloads were already in the process of heading to El Salvador. Bukele, an advocate of mass incarceration who has offered to take in inmates from the United States in exchange for money, responded sarcastically on social media that the judge's court order came too late. The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to overturn the lower court's halt, arguing it flagrantly infringes on presidential authority. The federal judge's order left the door open for deportations under other authorities. An initial appeal by the Trump administration was turned down Wednesday with one appeals court judge saying that even "Nazis got better treatment" from the United States during World War II. Trump, during his campaign trail, promised his supporters that he would clamp down on immigration. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More Foreign Gang Terrorists Deported Out of America US Department of State Press Statement Marco Rubio, Secretary of State March 31, 2025 Last night, in a successful counter-terrorism operation with our allies in El Salvador, the United States military transferred a group of 17 violent criminals from the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 organizations, including murderers and rapists. In order to keep the American people safe, President Trump designated the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. These criminals will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens. Once again, we extend our gratitude to President Bukele and the government of El Salvador for their unparalleled partnership in making our countries safe against transnational crime and terrorism. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meeting with Director General of Roscosmos State Corporation Dmitry Bakanov The President had a working meeting with Director General of the Roscosmos State Corporation Dmitry Bakanov. March 31, 2025 13:30 The Kremlin, Moscow President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Bakanov, I know that you have already begun your work, and that you are in contact with Yury Borisov. I have also asked him to assist you in getting up to speed and ensuring a smooth handover. Let us discuss all issues by order of priority. What can you say about the current situation? Director General of the Roscosmos State Corporation Dmitry Bakanov: Mr President, first of all, I would like to thank you and the Government's leadership for the trust placed in me by appointing me to head Roscosmos. I will do everything I can to justify your confidence. For Russia, space is not just a sector - it is a source of national pride, and there is a strong public expectation that we maintain our leading positions on the global stage. One of my top priorities is finetuning the national project in accordance with your instructions, ensuring its comprehensive essence and the integration of all its elements. As instructed by Mr Mishustin and Mr Manturov, I will address the task of commercialising space programmes and attracting private investors to the sector. The national project will certainly include Russia's orbital cluster, which will provide essential services, such as communications, Earth remote sensing and navigation. It will also encompass the space launch programme, covering our entire family of Russian-made rockets, the development of space centres, space research, manned space missions and the nuclear energy space programme. Vladimir Putin: Mr Bakanov, I know that you were born in Baikonur, correct? Dmitry Bakanov: Yes, that is correct, I was born in the city of Leninsk into the family of an engineer. My father graduated from the Mozhaisky Academy and was working at Baikonur when I was born. Vladimir Putin: Your appointment as head of Roscosmos was not because of that, but rather due to your track record, including your work at Gonets. How do you assess the company's performance now? Dmitry Bakanov: The company maintains and operates a satellite cluster for data packet transmission. It is affiliated with the Roscosmos system. We are currently evaluating areas for improvement in its activities. As you know, after that I worked at the Ministry of Transport, where I was actively involved in implementing navigation technologies based on the GLONASS satellite cluster. Over the past two years, we were able to triple the revenue of GLONASS. Vladimir Putin: I hope very much that you will also apply all your best qualities as head of our flagship company, Roscosmos. There is no need to emphasise how crucial space exploration is - not just globally, but especially for our country, which has long taken pride in being a leader and trailblazer in many areas of space research. This is twice as important. I am aware of challenges related to funding various programmes and the overall development of the company. Let us discuss these now. I wish you success. Dmitry Bakanov: Thank you very much. <...> NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Department of Defense Completes Underway Recovery Test 12 with NASA US Navy 31 March 2025 From Expeditionary Strike Group 3 SAN DIEGO -- NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Landing and Recovery team and the Department of Defense successfully completed the third recovery test for the crewed Artemis II mission aboard amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25) off the coast of San Diego, March 31. The primary objectives for Underway Recovery Test 12 were to demonstrate and evaluate the processes, procedures, and hardware for recovery operations for the crewed Artemis II mission around the moon. "The U.S. Navy and NASA have a long history of partnering together to support the recovery of astronauts and equipment used for space exploration and research," said Capt. Andrew Koy, commanding officer, USS Somerset. "The inherent capabilities of our amphibious transport dock ships are the perfect combination to ensuring the Artemis capsule and crew are safely recovered following their mission. The well deck, flight deck, medical facilities, and immense cargo carrying capacity crewed by highlight trained and proficient Sailors, continues the NASA and Department of Defense legacy." Underway Recovery Test 12 allowed NASA and the Department of Defense to practice operational procedures for Artemis II, including timing of crew extraction from the capsule to the ship's medical bay and day-and-night recovery procedures to support certification of personnel and processes for Artemis II mission. Artemis II astronaut U.S. Navy Capt. Victor Glover embarked the ship for Underway Recovery Test 12. "This puts my two loves together, space and the navy. I am really in my happy place here," said Glover. "The partnership between NASA and the U.S. Navy is a testament to a fostered symbiotic relationship built on trust, where our needs are met by their unparalleled expertise and resources. Together, we're not just working side by side; we're one team! As we prepare to send the next group of explorers around the Moon and beyond, we're pushing the boundaries of human achievement, all thanks to the strength of this incredible partnership." Working in support of U.S. Space Command, additional U.S. Navy units included Expeditionary Strike Group 3, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1, and Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, with support from U.S. Air Force's First Air Force, Detachment 3, and U.S. Space Force's 45th Space Launch Delta Weather Squadron. After the 2022 successful recovery of the Orion spacecraft from the Artemis I mission using amphibious transport dock USS Portland (LPD 27), and with the addition of crew for the Artemis II mission, the recovery teams modified their timelines and procedures to ensure the astronauts will be safely on the recovery ship within two hours after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. After a 10-day mission, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will reenter Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 mph, landing approximately 60 miles off the coast of California, where one of the U.S. Navy's amphibious transport dock ships will recover the capsule and crew with NASA and DoD personnel. Once the crew splashes down, a group of Navy divers will approach Orion and ensure it is safe for the astronauts to exit the spacecraft. The divers will then open the spacecraft hatch and help the astronauts exit one by one onto an inflatable "front porch." This raft wraps around the capsule and allows for the crew to be picked up via helicopter and flown back to the recovery ship. Once the astronauts are on board the recovery ship, teams will secure Orion with a series of lines and tow it into the ship's well-deck, just as they did during the Artemis I mission. During the test, the team practiced the Artemis II recovery procedures, including releasing and recovering the crew module test article, a full-scale mock-up of Orion. "As Navy Divers, we are proud members of the URT-12 team and look forward to a successful mission," said Master Chief Navy Diver Ryan Crider, who leads the team of divers from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1 assigned to Underway Recovery Test 12. "We are the Navy's experts in mobile salvage and towing, so the unique task of recovering and transporting a space capsule from the ocean to a well deck is the perfect opportunity to put our skills to the test." The recovery team will capture lessons learned and apply them to future underway tests to make sure they are ready to recover the Artemis II crew and bring them home safely. "Since 1959, First Air Force, Detachment 3 has collaborated with NASA and the US Navy, a partnership that has led to our critical role in preparing for Artemis," said Lt. Col. Mahan, First Air Force, Detachment 3 Artemis Program director. "With US Space Command, backed by the U.S. Navy, spearheading DoD human spaceflight support, and Air Forces Space serving as deputy, URT-12 has built a cohesive team committed to mission success. This landmark joint effort is undoubtedly the pinnacle of our year!" As the Department of Defense's Human Space Flight Support manager, U.S. Space Command is responsible for the terrestrial rescue and recovery of NASA-sponsored astronauts and spacecraft for the Artemis program. Expeditionary Strike Group 3 comprises three amphibious squadrons, 15 amphibious warships, and eight naval support elements including approximately 18,000 active-duty and reserve Sailors and Marines. As the deputy commander for amphibious and littoral warfare, U.S. 3rd Fleet, the Expeditionary Strike Group 3 commander also oversees the 17 littoral combat ships under Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1. Expeditionary Strike Group 3 is postured in support of U.S. 3rd Fleet as a globally responsive and scalable naval command element, capable of generating, deploying, and employing naval forces and formations for crisis and contingency response, forward presence, and major combat operations focusing on amphibious operations, humanitarian and disaster relief and support to defense civil authorities, and expeditionary logistics. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address FM slams Hegseth's remarks calling 'warrior' Japan 'indispensable in deterring China' Global Times By Fan Anqi Published: Mar 31, 2025 11:16 PM The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday slammed the US' use of "China threat" rhetoric as an excuse to provoke ideological confrontation and encourage certain countries to act as "cannon fodder" for US hegemony, after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday during his first Asia trip that "warrior" Japan is "indispensable" in deterring China. Chinese analysts said that Hegseth's visit to Japan essentially represents a strategy of "carrots and sticks" to bind Japan tightly to America's geopolitical agenda. They also cautioned Tokyo to value the hard-won warming momentum in China-Japan ties. Hegseth called Japan on Sunday an "indispensable partner" in deterring "growing Chinese assertiveness" in the region, and he went on to say that the two share "a warrior ethos that defines our forces," according to Reuters and the Associated Press. The Pentagon chief also announced upgrading the US military command in Japan to a new "war-fighting headquarters," per the AP. In response to Hegseth's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated at Monday's press briefing that China always believes that military and security cooperation between the US and Japan should not target any third country, or endanger regional peace and development. By calling China a "threat" and using it as a pretext, the US. has been instigating ideological antagonism, stoking division and confrontation, and even inciting certain countries to be the cannon fodder of US supremacy. Regional countries need to stay on high alert and guard against such practice. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-fascist War. Japan in particular needs to learn from history and be prudent in military and security areas. The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair. Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese ourselves that no one can interfere. Guo urged certain people in the US to give up the illusion of "using Taiwan to contain China", abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques with concrete actions, and honor the commitment made by the US on Taiwan-related issues. Japan committed aggression against Taiwan and exercised colonial rule over the island. It bears serious historical responsibilities to the Chinese people. Japan should abide by the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan, act prudently on the Taiwan question, and refrain from sending wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. "The primary purpose of Hegseth's Asia trip is to advance the so-called Indo-Pacific strategy to form an encirclement around China," Lu Chao, an expert on East Asian studies at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday. However, some of his remarks were "truly baffling," Lu said, referring to his praise of bravery of the Japanese troops during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II - a statement so baffling that even Americans found it unacceptable. "This blatantly reveals his true agenda: to coax and coerce Japan into serving as America's pawn," the expert noted. It also sends a signal of the Trump administration - while it has prioritized addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Middle East crisis after taking office, the US still considers the Asia-Pacific region its strategic focal point and views China as a primary adversary, Lu noted. The US scheme, however, may not be as smoothly received as it expected. Currently, profound changes are happening in the alliance system of the US, with Washington pressurizing allies to serve its strategic interests while exerting tremendous pressure under its "America first" agenda, presenting a typical "carrots and sticks" approach to bind Japan and other allies to America's chariot, the expert said. Hegseth's trip to Japan followed closely after the 11th China-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Meeting on March 22, as well as the sixth China-Japan High-Level Economic Dialogue, which was resumed after a six-year hiatus and concluded with 20 key consensus points as both sides pledged efforts to deepen economic collaboration between the two nations. Lu said the Ishiba administration is now facing a dilemma in balancing its ties between China and the US, with increased constraints from Washington. Meanwhile, it is reluctant to antagonize Beijing, especially given the heavy blow from the US tariffs, which has left Japan anxious to expand cooperation with China for its economic recovery. The expert cautioned Tokyo to value the hard-won warming momentum in China-Japan ties. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese FM rebukes US defense secretary's rhetoric that 'warrior Japan indispensable in deterring China' Global Times By Global Times Published: Mar 31, 2025 05:40 PM In response to question regarding US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's remarks on Sunday that "warrior" Japan is "indispensable" in deterring China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that US-Japan military security cooperation should not target third countries or harm regional peace and development. The US uses the so-called "China threat" rhetoric as an excuse to provoke ideological confrontation, incite division and conflict, and even encourage certain countries to act as cannon fodder for US hegemony. Regional countries should remain vigilant and take precautions against this. Guo noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Japanese side should particularly draw lesson from history and act prudently on military and security matters. The Taiwan question is purely a matter of China's internal affairs, and how to resolve it is a matter for the Chinese people themselves, which brooks no external interference, he noted. Guo urged certain individuals in the US to abandon their fantasies of "using Taiwan question to contain China", and to adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques through concrete actions, fulfilling the commitments made by the US regarding Taiwan question. Japan, which had committed aggression and conducted colonial rule over Taiwan island, bears a serious historical guilt toward the Chinese people. It should adhere to the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan, exercising caution in its words and actions regarding the Taiwan question, rather than sending erroneous signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, according to Guo. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australia urged to view normal maritime activities correctly, not engage in unfounded speculations: Chinese FM on Chinese research vessel off Australia's south coast Global Times By Global Times Published: Mar 31, 2025 05:11 PM In response to a media inquiry about a Chinese research vessel's recent appearance in waters near Australia's southern coast, with some Australian analysts claiming that the vessel has a dual purpose, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday, "For anything specific, I'd refer you to competent Chinese authorities." As a principle, I would like to emphasize that China has always conducted normal maritime activities in relevant sea areas in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, said Guo. It's hoped that Australia can view this situation correctly and refrain from being overly suspicious or making unfounded speculations, said Guo. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that he'd "prefer" the ship wasn't in Australian waters, but suggested China hadn't broken international law, ABC News reported. When asked whether China had considered Australia's upcoming election when dispatching research vessels or military ships and whether more vessels would be sent prior to the election, the spokesperson reiterated that "China has always conducted normal maritime activities in relevant sea areas in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea." "I would like to stress that China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs," said Guo. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China unveils new guideline to improve social credit system Global Times Move to promote orderly market environment, high-quality devt: expert By Feng Fan Published: Mar 31, 2025 10:34 PM China has issued a guideline on improving the social credit system, aiming to promote the deep integration of the system with all aspects of economic and social development, and provide strong support for accelerating the construction of a unified national market, maintaining a fair and orderly competitive market order, and promoting high-quality development, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Monday. The guideline, issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, stressed that the social credit system is a basic system of the market economy. The document outlined 23 policy measures in various aspects, including building a social credit system that covers all types of entities, strengthening the data foundation of the system, improving mechanisms to reward credibility and penalize dishonesty, refining credit-based regulatory and governance mechanisms, and enhancing the marketization of the credit system. Experts said that the document's detailed measures will involve a wide range of entities, including local governments, enterprises and individuals. By enhancing credit evaluation, the measures are expected to address challenges such as debt defaults and liquidity issues, to support the country's high-quality development goals, experts noted. Credibility is the bedrock of market-oriented economic activity, Cao Heping, an economist at Peking University, told the Global Times on Monday, adding that strengthened credit system can significantly help entities to identify economic wrongdoing and prevent entities from engaging in misconduct. The guideline outlined various measures to strengthening credit building at government departments, market entities, social organizations, individuals and the judicial and law enforcement systems. In terms of data, the guideline called for efforts to study and strengthen the application of blockchain and other technologies in credit information management, and improve the sharing of commercial contract information, industrial chain information, transaction information, and other information on the premise of protecting the legitimate rights and interests of entities and individuals and information security. Privacy protection and prevention of social credit abuse feature prominently in the new guideline. It bans unauthorized or excessive use of personal data, including sensitive information and non-credit data, in any credit evaluation process and calls for stricter safeguards for disclosing the credit information of state-owned enterprises under the premise of ensuring data security. With rapid development in digital technology, it is equally important to regulate how personal data is handled during the process of credit verification, Tian Yun, a Beijing-based economist, told the Global Times on Monday. This comprehensive guideline will help maintain trust in the system while addressing new forms of economic activity, Tian added. In an effort to balance rewards and penalties, the guideline sets out mechanisms for entities to restore credit after rectifying misdeeds. Industry regulators are required to clearly define the criteria, procedures and duration for placing and removing entities on the serious misconduct blacklist. The new system stipulates that once those entities fulfill corrective measures, they should be promptly removed from blacklists and freed from related disciplinary actions. Ensuring a channel for credit rehabilitation is essential, Tian said, adding that rewarding good faith while allowing a pathway to rectify missteps encourages broader participation in economic activity and helps sustain the vitality of the market. The document further calls for enhanced credit supervision in platform-based industries, including online streaming services, self-media and multi-channel networks, emphasizing information sharing between public credit bodies and platform operators. This measure aims to guide healthy market behavior in rapidly growing online sectors. Optimizing the social credit system with the support of new technologies can better maintain a fair and orderly competitive market environment and promote high-quality economic development, Cao said, noting that the social credit system also aims to evaluate market behavior in new economic forms. China has been constantly improving its social credit system. In 2024, China's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, released plans to improve the social credit system, focusing on integrating local financing credit service platforms, strengthening privacy and business secret protections, and ensuring safer data management. The new guideline goes a step further by laying out clear and enforceable directives for regulators across different sectors, fueling confidence in China's ongoing market reforms, Tian said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China affirms warm welcome to foreign firms in Chinese market in response to 'charm offensive' comments Global Times By Qi Xijia Published: Mar 31, 2025 04:36 PM Foreign investment can benefit from China's development and vice versa, and together "we can create a win-win future," a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a regular press briefing on Monday when asked to comment on the view that China is rolling out a charm offensive to foreign investors and will bring "warmth" to the world economy, following the Chinese leader's meeting with representatives of the international business community and the successive participation of foreign enterprises' representatives in events like the China Development Forum and the Boao Forum for Asia. Guo said that from putting forward 20 new measures for stabilizing foreign investment to proposing to roll out more policies in the Report on the Work of the Government, China has kept lowering the threshold of market access, aligning with high standards, upgrading efforts to attract foreign investment, and fostering a sound environment, so as to share growth opportunities of our mega-size market with the world. Foreign investment is now found in 20 industrial categories and 115 major sectors in China. A total of 1.24 million companies have been set up and close to $3 trillion has been invested by foreign investors, Guo said. "We welcome more foreign businesses to cultivate the Chinese market, share in China's development opportunities and jointly create a better future," Guo noted. "The key factors drawing foreign investment to China are its economic strengths and opening-up mindset," Cong Yi, a professor at the Tianjin School of Administration, told the Global Times on Monday. On the one hand, China's economy is brimming with growth potential, advancing steadily in transformation and upgrading, providing ample room for industrial collaboration, Cong said. On the other hand, China has always adhered to an open and inclusive mindset. Against the backdrop of global political and economic uncertainty, with its large, stable and promising market, China has become an extremely attractive investment destination. The opening of the Chinese market provides investment opportunities for other economies and enables them to share the dividends of development, Cong added. In an action plan released on February 19 to stabilize foreign investment in 2025, China rolled out measures to further expand opening-up. The plan encouraged pilot regions to explain and implement policies concerning foreign access to value-added telecommunications services, biotechnology and wholly foreign-owned hospitals, and to carry out dedicated services for foreign-related projects to solve their problems in a timely way. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland in actual use reached 171.21 billion yuan ($23.59 billion) in the first two months of 2025, according to the Ministry of Commerce, the Xinhua News Agency reported. In the first two months of this year, 7,574 new foreign-invested enterprises were established nationwide, a year-on-year rise of 5.8 percent, it said. Notably, actual use of FDI in high-tech sectors in the period was 52.49 billion yuan, with FDI in the e-commerce services sector, biopharmaceutical manufacturing sector and smart consumer equipment manufacturing sector growing by 33.5 percent, 22.9 percent and 40.7 percent, respectively, compared with the same period of 2024. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun's Regular Press Conference on March 31, 2025 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: March 31, 2025 19:45 CCTV: We noted that China extended condolences and provided disaster relief assistance to Myanmar right after the country was stricken by an earthquake. Could you share more information? Guo Jiakun: China is closely following the aftermath of the earthquake in Myanmar. President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing, expressing deep condolences over the loss of lives and sympathies to the families who lost their loved ones, those who are injured and people in the quake zone. Immediately after the earthquake, China launched an emergency response with an all-out rescue and consular protection operation. A rescue and medical team from Yunnan Province arrived in Myanmar within 18 hours the first international rescue team to arrive on the scene. Working with local rescuers, the team successfully pulled a survivor from under the rubble. The China Search and Rescue Team (CSAR), the China International Search and Rescue Team (CISAR), a rescue team sent by the Hong Kong SAR and the International Emergency Rescue Team of the Red Cross Society of China traveled to Myanmar overnight. Non-governmental rescue groups from China are also arriving in Myanmar. As we speak, around 400 Chinese experts, rescuers and medical workers are working against the clock on the ground. They have rescued six survivors so far. China has announced 100 million yuan worth of emergency humanitarian aid and urgently needed supplies including tents, first-aid kits, food and drinking water to Myanmar. The first shipment of aid has already arrived. The Red Cross Society of China delivered the relief supplies. A merciless disaster can bring out the best of humanity. China, in the spirit of "pauk-phaw" friendship, will continue to stand with Myanmar and work closely with the country as it emerges from the disaster. The Chinese teams will do everything they can to fully seize the 72-hour golden window for search and rescue, treat the injured and deliver the aid supplies to the people in need. We believe that with the support of the international community, the government and people of Myanmar will stand together, and recover from the disaster and rebuild better. Reuters: Is the Foreign Ministry able to provide an update on the number of Chinese nationals and businesses affected by the Myanmar earthquake? What does the death and injury toll stand at now? Guo Jiakun: So far, it has been found that one Chinese national was killed and 15 injured in the massive earthquake in Myanmar. The Chinese embassy and consulate-general in Myanmar are assisting the family of the deceased in their handling of related matters. Chinese diplomatic missions in Myanmar will continue to do everything we can to assist Chinese nationals who are injured or affected by the disaster. China Daily: We noted that President Xi Jinping met with representatives of the international business community last week, which received high attention and triggered heated discussion. Recently chief executives of foreign businesses have attended events such as the China Development Forum and the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference and had in-depth discussion with people of various sectors in China. Some say that China is rolling out a charm offensive to foreign investors and will bring "warmth" to the world economy. What is China's comment? Guo Jiakun: Foreign businesses can benefit from China's development and vice versa, and together we can create a win-win future. China is committed to deepening reform and advancing high-standard opening up. With an enormous market, stable policy outlook and a sound development environment, China is a favored choice for foreign investment. In the first two months of this year, China's economy has rebounded notably, continuing to unleash the potential of the world's second largest consumer market and foster new quality productive forces at a faster pace. From putting forward 20 new measures for stabilizing foreign investment to proposing to roll out more policies in the Report on the Work of the Government, China has kept lowering the threshold of market access, aligning with high standards, upgrading efforts to attract foreign investment, and fostering a sound environment, so as to share growth opportunities of our mega-size market with the world. Foreign investment is now found in 20 industrial categories and 115 major sectors in China. A total of 1.24 million companies have been set up and close to USD 3 trillion has been invested by foreign investors. As President Xi Jinping noted, embracing China is embracing opportunities, believing in China is believing in a better tomorrow, and investing in China is investing in the future. We welcome more foreign businesses to cultivate the Chinese market, share in China's development opportunities and jointly create a better future. Reuters: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth describes "warrior country" Japan as "indispensable for tackling Chinese aggression" on Sunday. Does the Chinese Foreign Ministry have any comment on his remarks? Guo Jiakun: China always believes that military and security cooperation between the U.S. and Japan should not target any third country, or endanger regional peace and development. By calling China a "threat" and using it as a pretext, the U.S. has been instigating ideological antagonism, stoking division and confrontation, and even inciting certain countries to be the cannon fodder of U.S. supremacy. Regional countries need to stay on high alert and guard against such practice. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-fascist War. Japan in particular needs to learn from history and be prudent in military and security areas. The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair. Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese ourselves that no one can interfere. We urge certain people in the U.S. to give up the illusion of "using Taiwan to contain China", abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques with concrete actions, and honor the commitment made by the U.S. on Taiwan-related issues. Japan committed aggression against Taiwan and exercised colonial rule over the island. It bears serious historical responsibilities to the Chinese people. Japan should abide by the principles of the four political documents between China and Japan, act prudently on the Taiwan question, and refrain from sending wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. AFP: Three Chinese citizens went missing over the weekend off the coast of Ghana after their vessel came under a suspected pirate attack, according to the Ghanaian military. Has China been in touch with Ghanaian authorities regarding this incident and does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have an update on the whereabouts of the three Chinese sailors? Guo Jiakun: After learning about the incident, our embassy in Ghana immediately activated emergency response mechanism and has been in close contact with Ghana since then. The crew members are physically safe now. China will work with Ghana to earnestly protect the safety and security of Chinese nationals and institutions in Ghana. The Australian: Right now there is a Chinese research vessel on the south of the Australian coast. It has caused a bit of controversy in Australia today. There are some Australian defense analysts who say that this Chinese scientific ship also can be used for dual purposes, so it could give information to the PLA navy, for example. And the Australian Prime Minister was asked about the ship today and what the Australian government was doing. He said the Australian government is monitoring the ship and that he would prefer it wasn't there. But he said that it's not breaching any international law. So I wanted to know what do you think of the Australian reaction to the ship? Guo Jiakun: I'd refer you to competent authorities for anything specific. Let me say more broadly that China carries out normal activities at sea in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS. We hope Australia will have a right understanding on this and stop the groundless suspicion and speculations. Shenzhen TV: According to reports, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said it will review CK Hutchison's planned ports sale to BlackRock. What's your response? Guo Jiakun: We noted relevant reports. The State Administration for Market Regulation said it has noted the deal and will review it in accordance with the law to ensure fair market competition and protect public interests. Let me stress again that China firmly opposes using economic coercion and bullying to harm other countries' legitimate rights and interests. The Australian: Just following up on that question about the boat. One of the reasons it's got a lot of attention is because the Australian election is about to begin. I wonder does the Chinese government take into account elections in Australia when ships like this, scientific vessel or maybe future PLA navy ships, come. Australia's elections are gonna be on May 3. Do you think there will be more ships coming around Australia ahead of that date? Guo Jiakun: I just answered your question. Let me stress again that China carries out normal maritime operation in relevant waters in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS. At the same time, China always upholds the principle of non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs. Reuters: Are you able to confirm whether the Chinese leader will visit three countries in Southeast Asia in the middle of April? Guo Jiakun: I have nothing to read out at the moment. Reuters: U.S. President Trump said yesterday he might consider putting secondary tariffs on any country who buys Russian oil. China is a major purchaser. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on this statement? Guo Jiakun: China's position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. We always believe that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis. Cooperation between China and Russia does not target any third party and will not be affected by any factor from any third party. The Australian: Another question on trade. It's some new research by economics professor at Peking University that found last year in the WTO, almost half of all the cases were against China. Quite a number were from developed countries like Europe and Japan, but lots and lots, the most ever, were also from developing countries like India, Turkiye, Pakistan, Brazil. Some say it's evidence of a clear stress that China's huge exports are putting on the rest of the world's economies. So the problems are not just ones America is having with China, but the whole world is having. I wonder what are your responses. Guo Jiakun: The WTO is an international organization based on rules. China stands ready to work with all parties to uphold the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core and build an open world economy. Let me also stress that the formation of the landscape of world trade also needs full market competition. We stand that relevant trade disputes should be settled through the dispute settlement mechanism in the WTO and in accordance with WTO rules. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPRK Premier Inspects Various Sectors in South Phyongan Province of DPRK Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- Pak Thae Song, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and premier of the DPRK Cabinet, inspected various sectors in South Phyongan Province. The premier called upon the farms and raw material base stations in Sukchon and Phyongwon counties to actively introduce various advanced farming methods for increasing the agricultural production while saving farming materials, improve the growth of earlier wheat and barley by manuring and cultivating them in a scientific and technological way and raise the land utility rate in conformity with the characteristics of regions. He stressed the need for the agricultural guidance organs at all levels to give substantial guidance and assistance to consolidating the material and technical foundations of farms and continue to direct big efforts to studying and introducing high-yielding strains of grain seeds. He visited the Mundok County Rural Economy Committee, where he learned about the introduction of the new water management method and called for further perfecting the management information system in the field of agriculture in contact with scientific research institutions to accelerate the work for putting guidance over and management of agriculture on a scientific and IT basis. He said that the Anju City Grain Management Station and the Mundok County Paper Factory should take practical measures in a workable way to raise the proportion of homemade equipment and the rate of cleaned rice output and increase the production of farming materials necessary for mulching cultivation. After acquainting himself in detail with progress made in the construction project for establishing the C-1 chemical industry and the production of the Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory, he called for thoroughly carrying out the project including the manufacture and assembly of equipment according to the stepwise plan and taking proper measures for the supply of raw materials to bring about remarkable progress in the work for increasing fertilizer production. Earlier, the premier discussed the ways for increasing the production of wagons and improving their quality at the Wonsan Rolling-Stock Factory. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address French far-right leader Le Pen barred from presidential race after embezzlement conviction Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 6:54 PM Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right party National Rally (RN), has been found guilty of embezzlement, a verdict that bans her from running for president in 2027. On Monday, Le Pen, the RN and 24 party figures were found guilty of misusing more than 4 million euros ($4.33 million) of European Parliament funds to the benefit of their party. The judge said investigations "showed that these were not administrative errors ... but embezzlement within the framework of a system put in place to reduce the party's costs." Le Pen was sentenced to four year in prison, two years of which are suspended and two years to be served under home detention. She was also fined a 100,000-euro ($108,200) and banned from running for public office for five years with immediate effect. Meanwhile, the RN was ordered to pay a two million euro fine, with half the amount suspended. The ruling was a catastrophic setback for Le Pen, who has been the front-runner in opinion polls for the 2027 contest. She will appeal, according to her lawyer. But appeals in France can take months or even years. "Today it is not only Marine Le Pen who was unjustly convicted: It was French democracy that was killed," said her right-hand man, RN president Jordan Bardella. Centrist lawmaker Sacha Houlie, however, said on X, "At what point do we think that a judge will not apply the law? Is society so sick that it is offended by what is nothing more and nothing less than the rule of law?" Arnaud Benedetti, a political analyst who has written a book on the RN, said the five-year ban on Le Pen was a milestone in French politics. "This is a seismic political event," he said, adding "Inevitably, it's going to reshuffle the pack, particularly on the right." Far-right leaders from European countries, including Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, also condemned the ruling as judicial overreach. "We will not be intimidated, we will not stop: full steam ahead my friend!" Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister and head of the far-right League, told Le Pen in a statement. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, "Je suis Marine!" Anger in the RN, the single biggest party in the National Assembly, could push the hung parliament into deeper disarray. Le Pen supporters accused judges of policing politics, but some opponents hailed the ruling, saying the independence of the judiciary must be respected. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address What's Left For Marine Le Pen And France's Far Right After Embezzlement Sentence? By Rikard Jozwiak March 31, 2025 The French far-right politician Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds over a 12-year-period. In a ruling that will shake both French and European politics, the Paris court ruled that she is ineligible from running for any political office with immediate effect -- meaning she most likely is out of the presidential race that is scheduled to take place in the spring of 2027 at the latest. She left the courtroom without comment. While she can appeal the ruling, any such step could take years -- potentially spelling the end of her political career. Le Pen, who faced a run-off against current President Emmanuel Macron in both the 2017 and 2022 races, was considered the early favorite to become the Fifth Republic's first female president. Already in 2022, she received 41.5 percent in the second round, the best score ever of the French far right in a presidential bid. With Macron barred from running for a third term, Le Pen was set to be the most recognizable face in the upcoming elections, and early polls indicated she would beat any presumptive candidate from the mainstream left or right. Whitewashing The National Front Le Pen took over the National Front from Jean-Marie Le Pen back in 2011, rebranded it National Rally, and tried to whitewash its image by distancing the party and herself from some of her father's more openly racist and antisemitic past. She has remained highly critical of immigration and Islam and wants to take France out of NATO's integrated military command. However, she has backtracked on her previous promises to take the country out of the EU and the eurozone. Her party was granted a much-publicized loan by a Russian bank back in 2014, and while she has been widely supportive of Moscow in the past and criticized the EU's sanctions against the Kremlin, she has been supportive of France accepting Ukrainian refugees. Following the March 31 ruling, the Kremlin said it "deplored the violation of democratic norms." European officials, speaking under condition of anonymity, had hoped she would potentially moderate further in office, following perhaps in the footsteps of right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who largely has been seen as competent and cooperative in Brussels. They did, however, cautioned that the National Rally always has positioned itself farther to the right and is a key founder of the Patriots for Europe political family together with the Hungarian ruling party Fidesz, whose leader, Viktor Orban, immediately voiced his support for Le Pen on X. The question is what will happen to her party now. Eight other former members of the European Parliament from the National Rally were sentenced alongside Le Pen of diverting millions of euros from European Parliament funds to pay France-based staff between 2004 and 2016, prompting the question of whether the movement can survive such a blow. What's Next For France's Far Right? Jordan Bardella -- who took over as the official National Rally leader back in 2021 and has been groomed as Le Pen's natural successor -- remains directly untainted by the scandal. But can Bardella muster the same pulling power as Le Pen? Only 29, he is seen as too young and too inexperienced. While the National Rally managed to finish first in European Parliament elections in last June, the party's failure to repeat that success in national parliamentary elections later that summer raises questions about his standing. It remains to be seen how the electorate will respond to the ruling. Many European politicians were shocked by the stinging criticism from US Vice President JD Vance earlier this year over the cancellation of the first round of Romania's presidential election in December following allegations of Russian interference on behalf of independent candidate Calin Georgescu, who surprisingly finished first. We can expect a similar blowback this time as many on the populist right will brand this "lawfare" against politicians who aren't considered politically mainstream, and Marine Le Pen has just become their "cause celebre par excellence" who can propel them to score even higher grievance votes going forward. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/marine-le-pen-france-national- rally-far-right/33365489.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 French Far-Right Leader Le Pen Convicted Of Graft, Banned From Running For Office By RFE/RL March 31, 2025 A French court has found far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty in an embezzlement case and banned her from running for office for five years, a ruling that may keep her from participating in the 2027 presidential race in which she is currently the front-runner. The court on March 31 also sentenced Le Pen, a member of the National Rally party (RN), to a four-year prison sentence, with two of those years to be spent under house arrest and two years suspended. Eight other current or former RN members -- who, like Le Pen, previously served as European Union parliament members -- as well as 12 assistants for Le Pen and her party were also found guilty of syphoning off EU funds for the benefit of RN, which Le Pen led from 2011 to 2021. The defendants were not accused of pocketing the funds but rather of illegally using the money intended for EU parliamentary aides to pay RN staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016. "The investigations also showed that these were not administrative errors...but embezzlement within the framework of a system put in place to reduce the party's costs," Judge Benedicte de Perthuis said in his ruling. Le Pen, 56, and her co-defendants deny wrongdoing and can appeal the ruling. Her ban on running for office, however, is effective immediately and can only be removed if her appeal is successful. Le Pen, who was runner-up to President Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 and 2022 elections, is one of the most prominent figures of the European far right and a front-runner in polls for France's 2027 contest. She had said 2027 would be her final run for top office. During the trial, Le Pen said the prosecutors were seeking her "political death." She left the court hearing before the sentence was announced. US President Donald Trump called the conviction and prohibition from running in the 2027 a "very big deal." Trump and LePen have drawn comparisons over their views on immigration and charged rhetoric against minorities. "I know all about it, and a lot of people thought she wasn't going to be convicted of anything," Trump said. "But she was banned for running for five years, and she's the leading candidate. That sounds like this country, that sounds very much like this country," Trump said in an apparent reference to legal cases that Trump faced before he took office. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/french-far-right- leader-marine-le-pen-guilty-of-embezzlment/33365365.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 Araqchi: Iran shuns direct talks with Washington due to U.S. threats IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 31, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says that Tehran's decision to avoid direct talks with Washington is a response to U.S.'s bullying and threats against Iran. Araqchi emphasized that Iran would not negotiate under threats, adding that Iran has always been, and continues to be, ready for negotiations based on equal footing. Addressing the answer to the letter from the United States, he said that Oman had informed Iranian officials that the letter had reached its intended recipients. He expressed hope that the outcome would align with Iran's best interests. On March 12, US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Iran via an emissary from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While the content of the letter has not been disclosed, Trump said he urged Iran to open negotiations for a "new deal" and warned of potential military action if Tehran refused. 9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Araqchi: Enemies will regret threatening Iran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 31, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Minister of foreign Affairs, Abbas Araqchi, says any threats against Iran will lead to regret for its enemies. Araqchi said in an interview with Al-Masirah, a Yemeni TV channel, that the claim suggesting that attacking Yemen is a prelude to attacking Iran is nothing new and that Iran has heard similar threats in the past. He went on to say that Iranians would not let anyone speak with them with the language of threat and added that the enemies would regret threatening Iran. Araqchi further explained that the U.S.'s attacks on Yemen are a reaction to Sanaa's success in resisting and prevailing. He noted that, despite being under attacks for 10 years, Yemen has not been defeated. 9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran warns the U.S. through its interest section against any hostile actions IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 31, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- The director general for the Americas at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued an official warning to the United States Interests Section in Tehran to warn Washington against any hostile actions. In the absence of the Swiss ambassador, Issa Kameli summoned the charge d'affaires of the Swiss Embassy, which represents the U.S. in Tehran, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and conveyed Iran's firm resolve to respond decisively and immediately to any threat. The Swiss charge d'affaires was summoned on Monday over recent threats against Iran made by U.S. President Donald Trump. During the meeting, Kameli condemned and rejected the inflammatory remarks, calling them violations of international law and the principles outlined in the United Nations Charter. The Iranian official presented an official note warning against any malicious activity, emphasizing the Islamic Republic of Iran's unwavering resolve to counteract any aggression. The charge d'affaires assured Kameli that the matter would be promptly relayed to the U.S. government. Trump has warned that he might order military strikes against Iran if Tehran fails to reach an agreement with Washington on its nuclear program. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," Trump said in an interview with NBC News. However, he added that he could instead impose "secondary tariffs" on Iran if no deal is reached, as he did during his first term in office. Earlier in the day, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned that if Washington commits any hostile act against Iran, "it will certainly receive a heavy blow in return." 9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran condemns U.S. President Trump's 'bombing' threat IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 31, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran has condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to conduct military strikes against the country, warning Washington of the consequences of any aggression. Trump said on Sunday that he would order military strikes against Iran if Tehran did not strike a new deal with Washington on its nuclear program. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," he said in an interview with NBC News. In a post on X on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei blasted Trump's comment as a "shocking affront" to international peace and security. "An open threat of 'bombing' by a Head of State against Iran ... violates the United Nations Charter and betrays the Safeguards under the IAEA," Baqaei wrote. "Violence breeds violence, peace begets peace. The U.S. can choose the course... and [face the] CONSEQUENCES." Earlier in the day, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned that if Washington commits any hostile act against Iran, "it will certainly receive a heavy blow in return." Trump sent a letter to Iran via an emissary from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 12, requesting that negotiations be opened into a deal. On February 4, the U.S. president had signed a presidential memorandum to restore a hostile policy from his first term of "maximum pressure" on the Islamic Republic. Back then, he had pulled out of a multinational deal with Iran. Iran, which has relayed its response to Trump's letter via Oman, has ruled out direct negotiations with Washington under pressure but has said it is open to indirect talks. 4354**4482 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ayatollah Khamenei: Israeli regime will be rooted out from Palestine IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 31, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the Israeli regime is the only proxy force in the region and will be rooted out from Palestine. In a sermon delivered after Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Prayer Grounds in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei said Israeli atrocities against the people of Palestine and Lebanon saddened Muslims during the month of Ramadan. The Leader said Western officials label "the brave nations and the proud youth" of the region as "proxy" forces whereas the Israeli regime is the only proxy force in the region, which works on behalf of colonialist forces to violate the territories and sovereignties of countries. "The Zionist regime, as a proxy of the colonizers, incites fire, commits genocide, and perpetrates crimes, and if it gets the chance, it violates [the territories of] other countries, just as it is violating Syria's today," he said. Elsewhere in the sermon, the Leader said colonialists use money and the media to whitewash the Israeli regime's acts of terrorism while they label native forces defending their own rights and land as "terrorists." "If others defend their rights or their land, they are labeled 'terrorists;' yet, [it is] the wicked Zionist regime [that] overtly commits genocide, murders children, targets the general population, assassinates individuals, and even openly declares that it has carried out these actions," Ayatollah Khamenei said. He also pointed to the awakening of people across the globe, particularly in Europe and the United States, to the atrocities being committed by Israel, arguing that if they were more aware of the extent of the regime's crimes, they would raise their voices even higher. Assassinating figures, Ayatollah Khamenei said, is the Tel Aviv regime's routine work, which has the support of the United States and other Western governments. "This depraved, wicked, and murderous band must be rooted out from Palestine and by God's grace, it will be," the Leader said. Ayatollah Khamenei referred to threats by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran and said if any such act of evil is carried out, "they will certainly receive a heavy blow in return." Eid al-Fitr is one of the most important religious holidays celebrated by Muslims around the world. It marks the conclusion of 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. 4354**4482 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC Navy seizes two foreign tankers smuggling fuel in Persian Gulf Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 5:54 PM Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has confiscated two foreign tankers carrying smuggled fuel in the Persian Gulf waters. During an operation on Monday, the IRGC Navy seized the two tankers - named Start 1 and Vintage - which were carrying over three million liters of smuggled diesel fuel. All 25 crew members of the two tankers were also arrested. The tankers are being transferred to Iran's southern Bushehr port. Iran, home to some of the world's cheapest fuel due to government subsidies, has long faced challenges with fuel smuggling, particularly in its southern maritime borders. The significant price difference of fuel between Iran and the neighboring countries has made fuel smuggling a lucrative illegal trade. In recent years, Iranian authorities have intensified efforts to curb fuel smuggling. Last week, Iranian border police seized a ship carrying one million liters of smuggled oil in the waters of the Persian Gulf. The price of diesel fuel in Iran is only 3,000 rials ($0.003) per liter for limited monthly quotas while the fuel is available at 6,000 rials per liter for unlimited usage by truck drivers and farmers using heavy machinery. Reports have shown that large volumes of gas oil, a type of diesel fuel with less additives, that is normally supplied to Iranian power plants have also been smuggled to neighboring countries in recent months. Senior Iranian government authorities said in December that some 25-30 million liters of fuel are being smuggled from the country every day. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'A glass chamber': IRGC says '50,000 American forces' in 10 military bases within Iran's reach Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 1:43 PM A high-ranking commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warns that the US forces in the region are sitting in a "glass house" and should avoid "throwing stones at others." Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Division, made the remarks on the sidelines of ceremonies to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Tehran on Monday. "The Americans have 10 [military] bases in the region, particularly around Iran and 50,000 troops based in there," Hajizadeh said. "This means they are sitting in a glass house; and when one sits in a glass house, one does not throw stones at others." The top IRGC's comment come after threats by US President Donald Trump to bomb Iran if it refuses to reach "a new deal". On Saturday, Trump said Iran will be bombed if it does not make a deal with the United States. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," he said in an interview with NBC News. He also threatened to punish Iran with what he called "secondary tariffs." In a post on his X account on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said US President Trump's open threat of "bombing" the country is an affront to global peace and security. "An open threat of 'bombing' by a Head of State against Iran is a shocking _affront_ to the very essence of International Peace and Security," Baghaei wrote. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran warns US: Tehran summons Swiss envoy over Trump bombing threat Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 10:35 AM Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned the caretaker of Switzerland's embassy in Tehran to protest the Israeli regime's malicious acts in the region and US President Donald Trump's threats against the Islamic Republic. The Swiss diplomat, whose country represents Washington's interests in Tehran, was summoned by the Director General for the Americas Department at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Issa Kameli, on Monday in the absence of the European country's ambassador. Kameli handed over Iran's official protest to the Swiss envoy regarding any acts of mischief and expressed the Islamic Republic's determination to respond decisively and promptly to any threat. The Iranian diplomat condemned and rejected remarks that cause tension and are against international law and the United Nations Charter. The Swiss envoy assured that he would immediately convey Iran's message to the US government. On Saturday, Trump said Iran will be bombed if it does not make a deal with the United States. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," he said in an interview with NBC News. He also threatened to punish Iran with what he called "secondary tariffs." In a post on his X account on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said US President Trump's open threat of "bombing" the country is an affront to global peace and security. "An open threat of 'bombing' by a Head of State against Iran is a shocking _affront_ to the very essence of International Peace and Security," Baghaei wrote. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Violence breeds violence': Iran warns Trump 'bombing' threat 'shocking affront' to peace, security Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 9:41 AM Iran says US President Donald Trump's open threat of "bombing" the country is an affront to global peace and security. "An open threat of 'bombing' by a Head of State against Iran is a shocking _affront_ to the very essence of International Peace and Security," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a post on his X account on Monday. On Saturday, Trump said Iran will be bombed if it does not make a deal with the United States. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," he said in an interview with NBC News. He also threatened to punish Iran with what he called "secondary tariffs." Baghaei said such threats are in violation of the United Nations Charter and a betrayal of Safeguards under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "Violence breeds violence, peace begets peace. The US can choose the course...; and concede to CONSEQUENCES," he warned. On March 7, Trump announced he had written to Iran to call for nuclear negotiations and threaten military action. The letter was delivered to Tehran on March 12 by UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on March 21 that US threats "will get them nowhere" and warned of reciprocal measures "if they do anything malign" against Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei also dismissed Trump's outreach for talks, which he said was an attempt to deceive global public opinion by portraying the United States as willing to negotiate while framing Iran as unwilling to engage. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran's official response to a letter from Trump has been sent through Oman. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic's response to his American counterpart's letter leaves open the possibility of indirect talks with Washington, stressing that the continuation of the negotiation process depends on the Americans' behavior. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Leader: Corrupt Israeli regime 'only proxy force' in region, must be uprooted Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 6:07 AM Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the only proxy force in the region is the Zionist regime, which invades other countries on behalf of the world's colonial powers and "must be uprooted." Ayatollah Khamenei made the comments during a speech at the Grand Mosalla Mosque of Tehran on Monday after leading Eid al-Fitr's prayers. The Islamic festivities known as Eid al-Fitr mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. "The Westerners accuse the zealous youths of the regional nations of being proxies. I would like to say that there is only one proxy force in this region which is the corrupt usurping [Israeli] regime," Ayatollah Khamenei said. The Leader added that Israel is committing genocide and if given the opportunity, it will invade other countries' territories, just as it invaded Syria as the proxy force of the colonizers. "This criminal gang must be uprooted from Palestine and it will be uprooted. Everyone must strive to eliminate this evil entity from the region," he asserted. The Leader lamented that the "bloody" incidents in Gaza, Lebanon, and Palestine made the people's lives bitter during the holy month of Ramadan. He went on to say that the assassination of officials is a common practice of the Israeli regime, which is backed by the US and Western governments. Ayatollah Khamenei said that the vicious Zionist regime is blatantly committing genocide, killing children, beating massive people, and assassinating figures. However, the Leader added, arrogant Western powers are turning a blind eye to all such crimes and even smiling and supporting them. The Leader noted that it is a religious, moral and humanitarian duty to strive to eradicate the Israeli regime. 'Crushing blow' The Leader pointed to US threats against Iran, warning that any wicked act would certainly receive a "crushing and decisive blow." "If the enemies are thinking of stirring any sedition inside the country, the Iranian nation will respond to them," Ayatollah Khamenei added. Pointing to the assassination of resistance figures in various countries and the Iraqi scientists by the Israeli regime, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "The US and a number of Western countries defend such clear terrorist acts and the entire world only witnesses them." The Leader also denounced the total disregard of the self-proclaimed defenders of human rights for the Israeli massacre of some 20,000 Palestinian children since the beginning of the genocidal war in October 2023. The people of Europe and the United States are holding protest rallies against the Israeli regime and US crimes and would stage more demonstrations if they were fully informed about the US-Israeli criminal acts, Ayatollah Khamenei said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Vows Strong Response After 'Bombing' Threat By Trump By RFE/RL's Radio Farda March 31, 2025 Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of a "strong" response following a threat by US President Donald Trump that "there will be bombing" if Tehran doesn't agree to talks on its nuclear program as concern grows over escalating rhetoric between the two countries. Speaking after Trump reiterated his threat of adopting measures ranging from fresh sanctions and tariffs to military action, Khamenei said in a sermon marking Eid Al-Fitr on March 31 that any attack by the United States would "surely receive a strong reciprocal blow." The Iranian leader, however, added that he did "not really expect mischief from abroad." The comment suggests Khamenei does not expect an attack but rather sabotage operations like explosions and assassinations, said Damon Golriz, a lecturer at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. "He's effectively pointing the finger at Israel here," Golriz told Radio Farda, adding that Trump's remark on Iran and US officials talking was "important." Switzerland's ambassador to Iran, who represents US interests and acts as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran, was summoned on March 31 by Iran's Foreign Ministry to express the regime's determination to respond "decisively and immediately" to any US threat. Since Trump returned to the White House, his administration has consistently said Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons and has previously warned that military action is on the table should Iran reject Trump's outreach. Iran has long maintained that its program is for peaceful use, but Iranian officials have also threatened to pursue a weapon as tensions amid a growing standoff with the United States over sanctions and renewed bombing in the Gaza Strip following the collapse of a cease-fire in Israel's war against Iran-backed Hamas, which is deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU. Trump again threatened Iran in an interview with NBC News on March 30 just days after Tehran rejected holding direct talks with Washington over its rapidly expanding nuclear program. While high-ranking Iranian officials had previously spoken against the idea of holding nuclear talks with the United States, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said specifically on March 30 that Tehran would not enter direct negotiations with Washington, though it is willing to continue talks indirectly in line with an injunction from Khamenei. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," Trump said in the NBC interview by phone. "There's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago," he added. But Trump also said US and Iranian officials are "talking," without offering details. Mohammed Ghaedi, a lecturer at George Washington University's department of political science, told Radio Farda that Trump was "saber-rattling" and "exercising brinksmanship." "I think it highly unlikely that Trump will bomb Iran, not least because he vowed on the presidential campaign trail not to drag the United States into a war," he told Radio Farda. The latest trading of threats was preceded by a round of diplomacy that failed to bring the sides any closer. An Emirati delegation delivered a letter to Tehran from Trump proposing nuclear talks with the United States earlier this month, but hours before it arrived Khamenei had already dismissed the prospect of talks with the Trump administration. The letter gave Tehran a two-month window to decide on holding talks. Similar comments were made by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on March 27 when he said Tehran had sent a formal written response to Trump via Oman that maintained Iran will not hold direct negotiations as long as Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign is in effect. A report in February by the UN's nuclear watchdog said Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium. Iran's economy has been reeling from years of sanctions, particularly after Trump in his first term pulled the United States out of a landmark nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions. Tehran is looking to find ways to ease those sanctions or have them removed entirely, but the public rejection of Trump's letter could lead to new pressure from Washington and other powers who are worried about Iran's nuclear program. With the 2015 nuclear deal set to formally expire in October 2025, world powers that are still part of the pact have just a few months before they lose the ability to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran. With reporting by RFE/RL's Kian Sharifi, AP, Reuters, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran- pezeshkian-nuclear-tariffs-sanctions-negotiations-/33365031.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 Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich quits Netanyahu regime Iran Press TV Tuesday, 01 April 2025 1:39 AM Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has resigned from his post, increasing problems for the regime of Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli Channel 12 reported on Monday that Smotrich resigned in a letter to Netanyahu. A spokesperson for Smotrich said the resignation was a protest against ultranationalist-Zionist Jewish Power party head Itamar Ben-Gvir's request for more ministerial positions upon his return to the regime. Smotrich will return to his seat in the Knesset as a lawmaker for the far-right Religious Zionism party. The resignation is not likely to collapse Netanyahu's coalition, but it will increase the regime's problems. The move highlights growing fractures within Israel's far-right coalition, which has faced internal divisions on key appointments and policies in recent months. In January, Ben-Gvir, along with his entire party, resigned from Netanyahu's ruling coalition over the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The party called the ceasefire agreement a "capitulation to Hamas" and the renunciation of the Israeli regime's so-called achievements since the start of the war. Ben-Gvir was sitting on the Israeli cabinet alongside two fellow Jewish Power MPs. His party also holds six seats in the 120-seat parliament (the Knesset). NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address March 30, 2025 Release Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Concludes Visit to Japan Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell provided the following statement: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth traveled to Japan this week to meet with Japanese counterparts and U.S. military leadership in support of the Department's efforts to reestablish deterrence, strengthen our Alliance, and advance our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. On March 29, Secretary Hegseth participated in a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. In his remarks, the Secretary reaffirmed that the U.S.-Japan Alliance remains the cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. On March 30, Secretary Hegseth met with Defense Minister Nakatani, where the two discussed concrete steps to deepen defense cooperation across a range of areas, including through enhancing bilateral training and exercises, strengthening Alliance force posture and presence, including in Japan's Southwest Islands, and promoting defense equipment and technology cooperation. The Secretary also announced the commencement of Phase One of the upgrade of U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) to a Joint Force Headquarters, in line with the President and Prime Minister's joint statement from February 7 to upgrade the respective command and control frameworks of U.S. and Japanese forces. The upgrade of USFJ, matched with Japan's establishment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) Joint Operations Command (JJOC), will improve the ability of the U.S. and Japan to coordinate bilateral operations, increase our readiness to respond to a contingency or crisis, and reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region. Both actions will allow for more seamless coordination between U.S. and Japanese forces in peacetime or in crisis. Secretary Hegseth also met with Prime Minister Ishiba to celebrate the strength of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, demonstrated at the meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Ishiba on February 7, and to underscore the United States' commitment to the defense of Japan. Before departing, the Secretary visited USFJ Headquarters to meet with the Commander of USFJ and our servicemembers stationed at Yokota Air Base. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4139267/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China to uphold 'Paukphaw' friendship, stand together with Myanmar in this difficult time: FM spokesperson introduces China's disaster relief assistance Global Times By Global Times Published: Mar 31, 2025 04:05 PM Following the earthquake in Myanmar, China promptly expressed condolences and provided disaster relief assistance. In response to a media inquiry for more related information, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China pays high attention to the earthquake disaster in Myanmar. President Xi Jinping extended condolences to Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing over the earthquake that hit the country, and extended deep condolences over the death of the victims and sincere sympathy to the bereaved families, the injured and the people affected by the disaster. Guo noted that after the earthquake, China immediately activated its emergency response mechanism and made all-out efforts to carry out rescue operations and consular protection work. A rescue medical team from Yunnan Province arrived in Myanmar within 18 hours after the earthquake hit, becoming the first international rescue team to enter the disaster-stricken area. Together with local rescue forces, they successfully rescued a trapped person. Chinese rescue teams, including the China Search and Rescue Team, the China International Search and Rescue Team, the Hong Kong SAR Rescue Team, and teams of the Red Cross Society of China rushed to Myanmar overnight to provide assistance. Civilian rescue teams from various parts of China have already entered or are on their way to Myanmar. Currently, around 400 Chinese earthquake experts, rescuers, and medical personnel are participating in rescue and relief efforts across Myanmar. Chinese rescue teams have so far rescued six survivors. China has announced to provide Myanmar with 100 million yuan in emergency humanitarian aid to support earthquake relief efforts, which includes urgently needed supplies such as tents, first aid kits, food, and drinking water. The first batch of supplies has already arrived in Myanmar, and the Red Cross Society of China has also provided relief materials. Natural disasters are ruthless, but there is love in the world. China will uphold the "Paukphaw" friendship between China and Myanmar, stand together with Myanmar in this difficult time, make the most of the critical 72-hour window to search for survivors, treat the injured, and ensure relief supplies reach those in need. We believe that with the support of the international community, the government and people of Myanmar will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes, said Guo. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address WHO warns Myanmar quake 'top-level emergency', seeks urgent funding Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 3:40 PM The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a flash appeal for $8 million of emergency support amid a frantic search for quake survivors in Myanmar. A 7.7-magnitude quake hit Myanmar on March 28 followed by aftershocks. A multitude of people died and the government declared a week of national mourning Monday. The death toll passed 2,000 and hopes faded of finding more survivors in the rubble of ruined buildings. More than 3,900 have also been injured and nearly 300 people remain missing. At least 19 people were killed and scores more are injured and missing in neighboring Thailand. The epicenter was recorded in Myanmar's central Sagaing region, near the former royal capital Mandalay, home to around 1.5 million people, as well as multiple historic temple complexes and palaces. Those at the epicenter of the quake are largely cut off following the collapse of a key bridge over the country's Irrawaddy River, according to local officials. On Sunday, WHO said, "The Myanmar quake has become a top-level emergency and to save the lives of the survivors of the quake, and to prevent a future outbreak of disease, $8 million of emergency funds are urgently needed to restore and maintain health requirements over the next few weeks." Hospitals are overwhelmed, WHO said, adding that the scale of casualties and destruction of infrastructure, the healthcare system and medical facilities "are not yet fully understood." Nearly 1,700 houses, 670 monasteries, 60 schools and three bridges are reported to be damaged, and there are concerns for the structural integrity of large dams, OCHA said. It also noted damage to hospitals, universities, and historical and public buildings. The UN agency said the transfer of the survivors to overcrowded shelters, coupled with the damage done to the water systems and sanitation infrastructure, had sharply increased the risk of communicable diseases spreading across the population. "WHO has classified this crisis as a Grade 3 emergency -- the highest level of activation under its Emergency Response Framework," the United Nations health agency said in its flash appeal for funds. "Preliminary assessments indicate high numbers of casualties and trauma-related injuries, with urgent needs for emergency care. Electricity and water supplies remain disrupted, worsening access to health services and heightening risks of waterborne and food-borne disease outbreaks ... including cholera," the WHO said. "Trauma-related injuries -- including fractures, open wounds, and crush syndrome -- are at high risk of infection and complications due to limited surgical capacity and inadequate infection prevention and control. "Immediate health needs include trauma and surgical care, blood transfusion supplies, anesthetics, and essential medicines. "Disease surveillance must be urgently strengthened to prevent outbreaks of cholera, dengue, and other communicable diseases," it warned. The WHO said in addition to surgical equipment, multi-purpose tents were also needed to create more space for the increasing number of survivors. It said the continuous supply of essential provisions and immunization kits, plus maternal and child health necessities, were also critical over the coming 30 days. In this regard, Red Cross and Red Crescent have launched an appeal for more than $100 million to help quake victims. An official from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said the scale of devastation wreaked on the country "hasn't been seen in over a century in Asia." A 7.9-magnitude earthquake had hit Taunggyi, a city in central Myanmar, in 1912. Meantime, international aid and rescue teams have been pouring into the country. Myanmar thanked major powers China, Russia and India for extending aid to the Southeast Asian nation. In neighboring Thailand's capital city Bangkok, rescue workers continue to dig through and clear the vast pile of rubble at the site of the collapsed building. Authorities say there is still hope of finding more survivors in the debris. Already, 12 deaths have been confirmed while at least 75 people are still missing. The other fatalities were reported elsewhere in the capital, authorities said. The first 72-hours after a quake are widely regarded as the "golden" window to reach victims buried alive under rubble - after that period the chances of survival without a water source diminishes rapidly. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar quake death toll rises above 2,000, military junta says Rescuers pulled a woman and her 2 granddaughters from rubble in Mandalay. By RFA Burmese 2025.03.31 -- The death toll from Myanmar's magnitude 7.7 earthquake rose to 2,056 people, the country's military junta announced Monday on state-run TV, as rescue workers searched for victims believed trapped under collapsed buildings. The junta, which took control of the country in a 2021 coup, said on state TV that 170 people were still missing and 3,900 people were injured. The shadow National Unity Government, made up of former civilian leaders, gave a higher death toll of 2,418. Near the epicenter of Friday's quake, in Mandalay, the country's second-biggest city, a 75-year-old grandmother and her two teenage granddaughters were pulled out alive from under their partially collapsed 11-story apartment building, residents told Radio Free Asia. While holding onto each other in the darkness, the girls, 16 and 13, used their cell phones to signal their location under the Sky Villa condominium. On Sunday, they were happily reunited with their families. The United Nations Office in Myanmar, meanwhile, issued a statement on Monday asking for unhindered access to earthquake-hit areas to deliver humanitarian aid. Myanmar, which is mired in a four-year civil war after the military overthrew the democratically-elected government in the coup, is poorly equipped to respond to the disaster. Even before this earthquake, nearly 20 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance, Marcoluigi Corsi, the U.N. resident and acting humanitarian coordinator for Myanmar, said in a statement. "This latest tragedy compounds an already dire crisis and risks further eroding the resilience of communities already battered by conflict, displacement, and past disasters," Corsi said. U.N. agencies and humanitarian partners have allocated an initial US$15 million to support the response and are deploying emergency medical teams, shelter materials and food aid. "We have a significant presence in Mandalay and surrounding areas, and we are doing everything we can to reach people in need despite serious logistical challenges," Corsi said. The U.N. said many survivors were suffering from "fractures, open wounds and crush syndrome - all conditions that pose a high risk of infection." In a daily humanitarian update, the U.N. recounted a tragedy at a private preschool which was in session during the earthquake in the Mandalay area. The classroom building collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 50 children and two teachers. In response to the earthquake, rescue teams from Russia, China, Belarus, India, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Malaysia have been providing assistance. The United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Bangladesh have sent financial aid and rescue supplies. The earthquake was centered near Mandalay in the middle of the country and caused severe destruction in Sagaing, Magway, Bago, Naypyidaw, Shan state and eastern Taungoo. The junta declared a seven-day period of national mourning until April 6 to remember those who lost their lives in the earthquake. Thai efforts continue Aftershocks were still being felt in the Burmese cities of Mandalay and Naypyidaw as well as the Thai capital of Bangkok -- 1,000 kilometers from the epicenter -- although no additional damage was reported. In Bangkok, multinational rescuers, including the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, used K-9 dogs and electronic sensors to detect signs of life in the rubble of a 30-story building. According to the rescue center at the site of the collapsed state audit office near Chatuchak Park, as of 8 a.m. on Monday, 76 people remained missing, 11 were confirmed dead with nine injured. A woman's body was brought out of the rubble mid-afternoon, bringing the death toll to 12. The search was continuing beyond the conventional 72-hour window for finding survivors, Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said, saying signs of life had been detected Monday morning. Thailand's labor ministry said it would give 1.73 million baht (US$51,000) to families for each of the construction workers - many foreign nationals - who died in the collapse. 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 Search for survivors continues 3 days after massive quake hit Myanmar, Thailand 4 people were found alive in Mandalay, signs of life still detected in Bangkok. By Pimuk Rakkanam for RFA, RFA Lao and RFA Burmese 2025.03.31 BANGKOK -- Rescuers in Myanmar and Thailand continued their search for survivors Monday, saying signs of life were still being detected following the 7.7 magnitude quake that rocked both countries three days earlier. Aftershocks were still being felt in the Burmese cities of Mandalay and Naypyidaw as well as the Thai capital Bangkok, although no additional damage was reported. In Myanmar at least 1,700 people were confirmed dead, the junta announced on Monday, with more than 300 missing. Around 3,400 people were also injured, according to junta spokesman Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun. Independent Myanmar media outlet Democratic Voice of Burma put the death toll at 2,928 as of Sunday night. In Myanmar's second-largest city, Mandalay, near the quake epicenter , three people, including a pregnant woman and a 5-year old child were pulled from the rubble of the Sky Villa condominium in the early hours of Monday morning by a Chinese rescue team, the country's embassy said on Facebook. A woman was also found alive after 60 hours in the wreckage of the Great Wall hotel by Chinese and Russian rescuers. Signs of life after Bangkok building collapse In Bangkok, multinational rescuers, including the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, used K-9 dogs and electronic sensors to detect signs of life in the rubble of a 30-story building. According to the rescue center at the site of the collapsed state audit office near Chatuchak Park, as of 8 a.m. on Monday, 76 people remained missing, 11 were confirmed dead with nine injured. A woman's body was brought out of the rubble mid-afternoon, bringing the death toll to 12. The search was continuing beyond the conventional 72-hour window for finding survivors, Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said, saying signs of life had been detected Monday morning. Thailand's labor ministry said it would give 1.73 million baht (US$51,000) to families for each of the construction workers - many foreign nationals - who died in the collapse. On Sunday, Thailand's Industry Minister Akanat Promphan inspected the scene and collected samples of reinforced steel beams to check the quality of the girders that failed to support the building when the quake struck early Friday afternoon. Akanat said he would not jump to conclusions but was "stunned" by what he saw. "I saw something wrong," Akanat told reporters. "Only one building collapsed. I guess the public can tell the reason why." He added the majority of the steel was from a single manufacturer and samples had been sent to a laboratory at the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand for testing. The cause of the building collapse could stem from flawed materials, poor design or bad construction, the minister said. The contractor was a Thai-Chinese joint venture between Bangkok-based Italian Thai Development PCL and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Co., Ltd., according to a document seen by Radio Free Asia. Over the weekend the police arrested four Chinese staff members who were trying to remove documents from the office. Bangkok's governor had declared a state of disaster on Friday, and Thailand's disaster laws prohibit the removal of evidence. Thailand's meteorological department said six aftershocks were felt across Thailand on Monday, ranging from 2.5 to 3.7 magnitude. The national government ordered some offices in Bangkok to evacuate, with staff told to work from home. Aftershocks hit Myanmar as airstrikes continue Aftershocks continued to hit areas in Myanmar already rocked by last week's quake, according to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management of the shadow National Unity Government, or NUG. It said a 5.1 magnitude shock was felt in Myanmar's administrative capital of Naypyidaw at noon on Sunday, one of 4.1 magnitude hit Shwebo township in Sagaing region earlier in the day. A third of 5.1 magnitude hit Sagaing town, the capital of Sagaing region, on Monday morning. The junta, which overthrew Myanmar's democratically elected government in February 2021, has declared a state of emergency in all affected areas of the country following the earthquake. But people living in affected areas posted on social media that junta troops delayed rescue operations, prohibiting residents and volunteers from searching for those trapped under rubble after 10 p.m. "Low-profile emergency relief and response" are urgently needed for fear of volunteers being arrested by junta troops, the NUG said, adding that drinking water, food, shelter and skilled expertise in rescue operations and infrastructure were urgently needed. Airstrikes on the heavily-impacted Sagaing region and other parts of the country have also slowed rescue operations, according to opposition groups in impacted areas. The NUG estimated major damage to over 13,000 homes and 200 religious buildings, with over 1,550 injuries. Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Mike Firn and 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 Statement on the Earthquake Response by the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. on behalf of the United Nations Myanmar Country Team (31 March 2025) UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Yangon -- The United Nations in Myanmar expresses its profound sorrow at the immense loss of life and widespread destruction caused by the powerful earthquakes that struck central Myanmar on 28 March. The scale of the disaster is vast, with entire communities devasted, critical infrastructure damaged and many in urgent need of assistance. The latest reports indicate significant loss of life, widespread injuries, and many still unaccounted for as rescue operations continue. However, the full scale of the disaster remains unclear. "Our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy," said Mr. Marcoluigi Corsi, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. for Myanmar ". The UN and its partners are urgently mobilizing to support emergency response efforts and stand ready to assist all affected communities wherever they are." The earthquakes, measuring 7.7 and 6.4 in magnitude, struck near Mandalay and Sagaing, with impacts felt across Bago, Magway, Nay Pyi Taw, and parts of Shan State. Hospitals in affected regions are overwhelmed, and communication and transport routes have been severely disrupted. Thousands are sleeping in the open, fearful of aftershocks and unable to return to damaged homes. "Even before this earthquake, nearly 20 million people in Myanmar were in need of humanitarian assistance," Mr. Corsi emphasized. "This latest tragedy compounds an already dire crisis and risks further eroding the resilience of communities already battered by conflict, displacement, and past disasters." The Humanitarian Country Team is actively conducting rapid needs assessment missions in coordination with UN agencies, humanitarian partners, local authorities and community-based organizations. Particular attention is being paid to the needs of women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, who are disproportionately affected in such disasters. Beyond the immediate response, this crisis highlights the urgent need to strengthen efforts towards recovery and to invest in measures that help communities withstand future shocks. UN agencies and humanitarian partners have allocated together an initial $15 million to support the lifesaving response and mobilized pre-positioned supplies. They are deploying emergency medical teams, shelter materials, and critical WASH and food aid. "We have a significant presence in Mandalay and surrounding areas, and we are doing everything we can to reach people in need despite serious logistical challenges," Mr. Corsi said. "But much more will be required in the days and weeks ahead. The people of Myanmar need the steadfast support of the entire international community - now more than ever." The United Nations calls for unimpeded humanitarian access for humanitarian convoys, medical personnel, and assessment teams to all affected regions, regardless of location or control. Moreover, the United Nations urgently appeals to donors to swiftly provide necessary and flexible funding to scale up the response. More than ever, timely support is critical to prevent further deterioration of the crisis. Christina Powell OCHA Humanitarian Affairs Officer powell4@un.org Ye Htet Aung UNIC National Information Officer ye.aung@un.org 31 March 2025 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IDF Troops Conduct Defensive Activities on the Syrian Hermon Israel Defense Forces March 30, 2025 30.03.25 IDF Over the past week, troops of the 810th Brigade, under the command of the 210th Division, operated in new areas on the peak of the Syrian Hermon with the goal of neutralizing threats and confiscating enemy equipment in the area. During the operation, troops from the 810th Brigade and the Yahalom Unit, located military infrastructure, including military equipment and an explosive device weighing dozens of kilograms. IDF troops will continue to operate against terrorist infrastructure on the peak of the Hermon to protect the security of Israeli citizens and the residents of the Golan Heights. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas, Commissioner Suica and Commissioner Lahbib on the formation of the new transitional government in Syria European Commission Statement Mar 31, 2025 Brussels The European Union welcomes the formation of the new transitional government in Syria. The EU is ready to engage with the new government in order to help tackle the immense challenges ahead. The aspirations of all Syrians must be fulfilled, as recently underscored at the IX Brussels Syria Conference. The European Union will stand by the Syrian people, while making sure that the commitments of the new government towards a peaceful and inclusive transition are respected. The European Union reiterates its steadfast support for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transition process, peaceful, inclusive of all components of Syrian society in their diversity where comprehensive transitional justice ensures accountability for all crimes and meaningfully contributes to national reconciliation. In this context, the process initiated by the National Dialogue Conference, held on 25 February, will play a crucial role. It is also fundamental that all external actors fully respect Syria's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The EU condemns any attempts to undermine its stability and prospects for a peaceful and inclusive political transition. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gunmen kill 12 civilians in western, central Syria on 1st day of Eid al-Fitr Iran Press TV Monday, 31 March 2025 6:15 PM Amid ongoing raids and summary executions by gunmen affiliated with the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham-led regime, militants have shot and killed at least a dozen civilians, mostly Alawites, in separate incidents in Syria's Tartus and Homs. The pan-Arab al-Mayadeen television news channel, citing an unnamed local source, reported that HTS-affiliated armed men stormed the village of Harf Banimra in Baniyas district of Tartus province on Monday, and took away a local official, his son, and four other men. The gunmen then fatally shot the abductees at point blank range, before leaving the village. Locals identified the village headman as Jawdat Fares. The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights cited unidentified local sources as accusing the perpetrators of setting out from a military base once belonging to ousted president Bashar al-Assad's army but now used by the forces of Syria's new authorities. The Britain-based monitor group said the attackers hurled "sectarian slogans and direct threats" before opening fire. In a separate incident in Karm al-Zeitoun neighborhood of the central city of Homs, two armed men "stormed a house and shot at those inside", killing a woman and three of her children, including a baby girl. The Observatory added that the victims were also Alawites. The attack also claimed the lives of two civilians from the Sunni Muslim sect, who were visiting the family. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights accused one of the perpetrators of being a member of the so-called General Security agency. The developments came as Syria is marking the first day of Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. On Saturday, the US embassy in Syria issued warnings to its citizens of an increased possibility of attacks during the Eid holiday. The advisory said the attacks could target diplomatic sites, security bases and Syrian public institutions in Damascus. The security situation in Syria remains tenuous after militant factions, led by the HTS, toppled president Bashar al-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 the termination of the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria and for 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement on new transitional government in Syria Spain - Ministry of Foreign Affairs PRESS STATEMENT 038 Monday, March 31, 2025 Spain welcomes the new transitional government in Syria, which should represent a step forward to achieve a peaceful and inclusive Syria that guarantees the unity and territorial integrity of the country. Spain will maintain its support for the Syrian people and will continue to coordinate with European partners and countries in the region to contribute to the stabilisation of Syria and peace in the Middle East. -NON OFFICIAL TRANSLATION- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan awaits South Africa's response on office relocation, renaming ROC Central News Agency 03/31/2025 11:42 AM Taipei, March 31 (CNA) The Taiwan government is still awaiting a response from South Africa regarding its demand that Taiwan's representative office be relocated from Pretoria and renamed by the end of March. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuangwei () told CNA on Monday that Taipei has proposed talks with Pretoria regarding its delegation in the country and is open to potentially signing a new agreement. He said, however, that the South African side has not responded. The spokesman said that as of Monday morning (Taipei time), the Taipei Liaison Office in the Republic of South Africa (TLO) is operating normally in South Africa's administrative capital, Pretoria. Last year, the South African government began its push to categorize the Taiwan representative office as a "trade office" and move it from Pretoria to the commercial capital, Johannesburg. It initially set the deadline as October 2024 before extending it to the end of March. The South African side unilaterally changed the name of the Taipei office on its Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) website from the "Taipei Liaison Office" to the "Taipei Commercial Office" in early March. MOFA protested the move, calling for talks between the two sides. Taiwan has accused China of being behind the South African government's decision to ask the Taipei office to relocate and rename, citing the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and the "one-China principle." Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th U.N. General Assembly in 1971 to address the issue of China's representation in the world body and resulted in the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name, losing its seat at the U.N. to the People's Republic of China (PRC). After South Africa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1998, the latter established a representative office in Pretoria under the name Taipei Liaison Office in the Republic of South Africa based on a 1997 agreement. Taiwan also has a branch office in Cape Town called the Taipei Liaison Office. South Africa also has a liaison office in Taipei based on that deal. (By Yang Yao-ju and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China's call for tips on 'Taiwan independence' advocates 'irresponsible': U.S. ROC Central News Agency 03/31/2025 11:06 AM Washington, March 30 (CNA) A U.S. government spokesperson on March 28 labeled a recent call from the Chinese government asking individuals to report "Taiwan independence" advocates "irresponsible and reprehensible." "China's call for private individuals to report on alleged 'persecution or suppression' by supposed 'Taiwan independence henchmen and accomplices' is irresponsible and reprehensible," an unnamed U.S. State Department spokesperson told CNA in an email. The spokesperson said the latest move is part of Beijing's "intimidation campaign" against Taiwan and its supporters and is "threatening free speech around the world, destabilizing the Indo-Pacific region, and deliberately eroding the cross-Strait status quo." The American government spokesperson said that the Chinese Communist Party's "threats and legal pressure only exacerbate tensions and undermine cross-Strait peace and stability." "The United States will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China's provocative and irresponsible actions," it added. The State Department's remarks were made after China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO)annouced last week that it was launching a new section on its official website on Wednesday According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, the section allows people to report "vile acts by those advocating 'Taiwan independence' and their accomplices in persecuting Taiwan compatriots." TAO Spokesperson Chen Binhua () said that certain organizations, government officials, and online influencers have acted as enforcers of "Taiwan independence" and their accomplices, "abetting wrongdoing and facilitating aggression," the Xinhua report read. Later Wednesday, the TAO issued a news release saying that as of 5:00 p.m., it had received a total of 323 emails reporting individuals for "vile acts" such as "threatening to disband patriotic pro-unification groups and openly infringing on the legitimate rights of Chinese spouses in Taiwan." Individuals reported included Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (), Prosecutor Lin Ta () of the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, and Youtubers Pa Chiung () and Chen Po-yuan (). On Thursday, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC)criticized Beijing for launching the new section of the website, calling the move "a full-scale interference in Taiwan's internal affairs." "It also proves that Taiwan must remain vigilant," MAC Deputy Head and Spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh () said. (By Chung Yu-chen, Sunny Lai and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/kb 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 2025/03/31 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan 1.Date 6 a.m. Mar. 30 (Sun.) to 6 a.m. Mar. 31 (Mon.) (UTC+8) 2.PLA activities 7 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities. 3.Illustration of flight path is not provided due to no PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan were detected during this timeframe. 1140331_PLA activities NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM meeting with President Stubb of Finland: 31 March 2025 The Prime Minister welcomed the President of Finland Alexander Stubb to Downing Street this afternoon. 31 March 2025 The Prime Minister welcomed the President of Finland Alexander Stubb to Downing Street this afternoon. They discussed the successful Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris last week, noting the strong momentum from European leaders to keep Ukraine in the fight and increase the pressure on Putin to agree a peace deal. The Prime Minister then updated the President on his ongoing work to strengthen the UK's relationship with the European Union across a number of areas including defence and security, trade and economic growth. The President warmly welcomed the progress made so far. As fellow NATO and JEF members, they agreed that the UK and Finland share a close and unique partnership which they will continue working to strengthen in the coming months. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Thanks Rescuers for Helping Ukrainians Affected by Russian Shelling President of Ukraine 30 March 2025 - 22:17 In his evening address, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Russia continues its attacks on Ukrainian cities and villages. The previous day, the Russian Federation launched "Shahed" drones at Kharkiv, damaging a hospital, residential buildings, and civilian infrastructure. As a result, 55 people were injured, including five children. Today, the Cherkasy region has been attacked by drones, the Kherson region hit by artillery and drone-dropped explosives on ordinary buildings and civilians, the Donetsk region struck by guided aerial bombs, drones and artillery, Zaporizhzhia attacked by drones, the Dnipro region hit by guided aerial bombs and drones, the Sumy region targeted by guided aerial bombs and drones, and the Kharkiv region struck by guided aerial bombs. Volodymyr Zelenskyy recognized the rescuers of the State Emergency Service who have been working to save our people these weeks. In particular, these are the employees of the State Emergency Service in the Kharkiv region: Deputy Head of the State Fire and Rescue Station Anatolii Yaskovets, Firefighters and Rescuers Andrii Bondar, Dmytro Kutia and Vladyslav Oliinyk, Rescuer Vladyslav Makarichev, Mechanic-Driver Yevhen Makovetskyi and Unit Commander Artem Moskalenko. Rescuers from the State Emergency Service in the Dnipro region: Deputy Head of the Operational Coordination Center Oleksandr Tykva, Deputy Head of the State Fire and Rescue Squad Henadii Petrenko, Chiefs of Guard Pavlo Haidukov and Oleksii Kvasov, Senior Firefighter and Rescuer Oleksandr Khantytskyi, Unit Commander Kostiantyn Rezun and Firefighter and Rescuer Vladyslav Shypin. Personnel of the State Emergency Service in the Sumy region: Head of the State Fire and Rescue Station Oleksandr Klochkov, Chiefs of Guard Oleh Hetman and Oleksandr Myhal, Unit Commander Mykola Bychenko, Firefighters and Rescuers Viacheslav Tovkach and Serhii Nenia, Drivers Andrii Chuchyn and Anatolii Herhela. "Thank you and I want to thank the entire staff of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine! Everyone who helps our people, everyone who supports Ukraine, works for our state, for our army's strength, for the safety of all our people. And this is the most important thing - to endure, to defend our independence, our state, our Ukrainian positions. To ensure a dignified peace for Ukraine and lasting security for all our people after this war. This is what we are working for," the President emphasized. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Weimar+: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas upon arrival European External Action Service (EEAS) 31.03.2025 Madrid EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! Good day, everybody. It is good to be here. We have many topics to discuss. First, of course, Ukraine: what more can we do to help Ukraine? Also the peace process - what is the European input also to the process. What we can see is that we are now three weeks into the time where Ukraine was agreeing to unconditional ceasefire and three weeks later, we still don't have Russia [agreeing to it]. Russia is playing games and not really wanting peace. Our question is: how can we put more pressure on Russia? Then, of course we will also discuss our own defence. What more we can do to use the tools we already have and to make us all stronger. The strongest tool we have is our unity, so we need to work for that as Europe is facing all these threats coming our way. Thank you. I am ready to take your questions. Q&A. Q: Can you speak to the role that the United States must play in Ukraine and Russia peace talks? The United States has called the talks and is doing the shuttle diplomacy. But right now, I think what we need is also Russia to agree to this ceasefire and to move on, to show goodwill by giving back the Ukrainian children that have been deported to Russia or releasing the prisoners of war - I mean [there are] many things that they can show. So, I think the United States also has the role to put more pressure on Russia to stop this war. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-270042 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Biggest support package to Ukraine so far increases Swedish support to SEK 29.5 billion for 2025 Government Offices of Sweden Press release from Ministry of Defence Published 31 March 2025 The Swedish Government has presented its largest military support package to Ukraine to date, valued at almost SEK 16 billion. Ukraine has requested capabilities related to air defence, artillery, satellite communication, and naval capabilities. Together with the support package announced earlier this year, Swedish support to Ukraine amounts to approximately SEK 29.5 billion in 2025. Sweden's military support since 2022 thus totals about SEK 80 billion. Europe needs to step up its support for Ukraine. Sustained and increased support for Ukraine is crucial for Europe's security. Sweden's 19th military aid package is therefore the largest to date. "With this aid package, Sweden demonstrates that more can be done for Ukraine. The package will be of great help to Ukrainian society, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and Ukraine's defence industry," says Minister for Defence Pal Jonson. The 19th support package is made possible by the Government's proposal to increase the economic framework for support to Ukraine to approximately SEK 40 billion for 2025 by moving funds from the economic framework for 2026 to the one for 2025. Ukraine's military defence is in great need of many different capabilities. The 19th support package has been designed through ongoing cooperation with Ukraine and international partners to address these needs. This includes the following. Acquisition for donation worth approximately SEK 9.2 billion The Government intends to authorise the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration to acquire defence materiel from the Swedish, Nordic and European defence industries for Ukraine's defence based on the country's needs. The selection of materiel builds on the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration's ongoing mapping of the market's ability to produce requested materiel with short delivery times. Ukraine needs additional materiel and equipment to strengthen its operative defence capability, including ammunition, air defence systems, maritime equipment, satellite communications systems, infantry equipment and armoured vehicles. SEK 9.2 billion in total will be allocated to these purposes. Financial donations worth over SEK 5 billion Much of the international military support is channelled through various multilateral initiatives, including within the framework of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG). The support package includes financial donations to various funds and other multilateral initiatives that procure materiel and equipment for donation to Ukraine. The package also includes expanded collaboration with Denmark within the framework for the established Danish model for support to Ukraine's defence industry. Donations of materiel from the Swedish Armed Forces valued at approximately SEK 500 million The support package includes donations of materiel from the Swedish Armed Forces. This relates to such materiel that can be spared for a limited time period. Considering the Swedish Armed Forces' needs and the security situation, it is vital that the materiel that is proposed for donation to Ukraine can be replaced quickly with corresponding materiel. The following materiel will be transferred to Ukraine from the Swedish war organisation: medical service vehicles; training weapons for m/86 anti-tank weapons; m/58 machine guns; small-calibre ammunition; approximately 100 vehicles of various types for air base maintenance; base and workshop equipment to run an air base; medical equipment and transport vehicles; personal equipment; provisions and foodstuffs. Services via the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) valued at SEK 11 million A number of Swedish public authorities support Ukraine's defence efforts, and the support package includes activities carried out by the FOI. The FOI will provide support relating to CBRN-analysis and automatic detection of vehicles by drones within the support package framework. Innovation close to the battlefield The support package includes funds allocated to identifying and utilising technical innovations that require further funding to be completed and put into production. The Defence Materiel Administration will be tasked with identifying, testing and funding solutions that are requested by Ukraine but need product verification or a military application. Concrete Ukrainian demand and short time frames will be guiding principles for these efforts. Export credit guarantees valued at SEK 500 million An impediment for defence materiel companies' exports to Ukraine is that conducting business with the Ukrainian State can include significant risk exposure. Swedish companies can apply for export credit guarantees from the Swedish Export Credit Agency for commercial activities relating to goods and services that do not include defence export. An export guarantee will also be introduced for defence export to supplement procurement for donations. More Swedish companies can support Ukraine by providing requested materiel, alongside the Defence Materiel Administration's procurements. Supply solutions valued at SEK 573 million Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sweden has prioritised quality in its military support. Swedish materiel should remain operational for a long time. Sweden delivers not only materiel, but also a transfer of capabilities to Ukraine. This means that materiel donations are supplemented with maintenance solutions, spare parts, ammunition and technical support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Government proposes allocating SEK 573 million for various maintenance measures for the Swedish materiel already donated. A support package for civil defence valued at SEK 140 million The funds in the civil support package are allocated to the Swedish Coast Guard, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and the Psychological Defence Agency's support operations in Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump threatens to impose "secondary tariffs" on Russian oil People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:59, March 31, 2025 WASHINGTON, March 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he may impose "secondary tariffs" on Russian oil if he believes Russia is at fault for not reaching a ceasefire with Ukraine. In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump said he was "very angry" and "pissed off" when Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's leadership, adding that the comments were "not going in the right location." "If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia's fault -- which it might not be -- but if I think it was Russia's fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia," Trump said. "That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can't do business in the United States," he said. "There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil." Trump noted that the tariffs on Russia would come within the next month if Moscow does not sign up to a ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump said Putin knows he is angry, but he has "a very good relationship" with Putin and would speak to the Russian leader again this week. During a phone conversation on March 18, Trump and Putin agreed that the peace in Ukraine "will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Cease-Fire Effort: Buffeted By Trump's Comments On Putin, Zelenskyy's Pushback On Minerals By Mike Eckel March 31, 2025 One week after the Kremlin and the White House announced a deal that aimed to halt fighting between Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea region -- and pave the way for a wider cease-fire -- the effort is stumbling. In fact, the wider attempt to pause Europe's largest land war since World War II is also under severe strain, pulled in three different directions by three different presidents with three competing priorities. On the battlefield and across Ukraine, meanwhile, fighting and air attacks continue, as Russia pounded Ukraine's second largest city for a second day with drones and ballistic missiles on March 31. Ukrainian forces have reportedly made another cross-border raid into Russia's Belgorod region, in what could be a repeat of last summer's invasion of the Kursk region. "Talks between Moscow and Washington in Saudi Arabia not only did not result in any breakthrough; they appear to have been an overall failure," Aleksandra Prokopenko, an analyst with the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said in an analysis. "The agreements do not look like a real prologue to peace." "Russia's strategy is to stall the negotiations as long as possible to achieve its maximalist goals by non-military means," said Maria Shagina, a sanctions expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think-tank. "At the same time, Moscow is wary of testing [US President Donald] Trump's patience," she told RFE/RL. "The ball is really in Trump's court on whether to believe that Russia is negotiating in good faith or ramp up pressure to force it to the negotiating table." Here's where things stand -- at the negotiating table and on the front lines. Who Agreed On What And When? On March 11, Ukraine and the United States announced a breakthrough agreement paving the way for a 30-day cease-fire contingent on Russia's signing on. A major foreign policy priority for Trump, it was the first concrete proposal on the negotiating table since the early weeks after Russia's all-out assault on Ukraine in February 2022. Putin balked, saying that he agreed in principle but that there were "nuances" that would have to be addressed and attaching conditions including a halt to Western supplies of weapons to Kyiv. A week after the US-Ukrainian agreement on a full cease-fire, the White House and the Kremlin announced a narrower deal that focused on limiting attacks on Russia's and Ukraine's energy infrastructure: power plants, transmission lines, and substations. Taking energy facilities off targeting lists has a key priority for Kyiv, which has struggled to keep the lights -- and heat - on as Russia has pummeled its energy targets since at least November 2022. For its part, Ukraine has ramped up its homegrown industry of drones, and even cruise missiles, to target Russia's oil refineries and pipelines, not to mention military facilities. That's unnerved Moscow, though has yet to cause major disruptions or price spikes. Despite the deal, Kyiv and Moscow continued to batter one another. It later turned out that Russian drones were in fact in the air, en route to Ukrainian targets, even as Trump and Putin were speaking on the phone. Moscow has insisted it has upheld the energy cease-fire, something Ukrainian officials say is nonsense. On March 25, after separate US talks with Ukraine and Russia in Saudi Arabia, the White House announced agreements with Kyiv and Moscow to limit military action on the Black Sea. If implemented, that would give Ukraine more latitude to export its grain and agriculture products to the global markets - and bring in desperately needed hard currency. The White House agreed to help Russia restore access to the global market for agricultural products and fertilizers, reduce the cost of insurance for maritime transportation, and expand access to ports, as well as to payment systems for necessary transactions. Sounds Good. What's The Catch? One of the biggest land mines, however, were the conditions that the Kremlin included in its announcement released shortly after the White House statements. Those conditions included the demand that West lift sanctions on Russian banks that have been involved in trading agriculture products, as well as on Russian ships. Rosselkhozbank, a major state-owned lender for Russian agrobusiness, was mentioned specifically, including connecting it and other Russian entities to the global SWIFT system of bank transfers. For experts who have followed the negotiations, that appeared to be either a "poison pill" or even a Kremlin test of the White House's negotiating tactics. That's for several reasons: reconnecting Rosselkhozbank to the global SWIFT system requires European consent; the United States can't do it on its own. Lifting Western sanctions on agricultural product companies, and related things like cargo ships and ports, would allow Moscow to not only tap another revenue stream, it would also represent a small step toward unwinding the larger sanctions regime. So The Kremlin Is Playing Smart Then? If the Kremlin's intention is indeed to test the White House, then judging by Trump's comments on March 30, it's struck a chord. And not in a good way. "If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia's fault -- which it might not be -- but if I think it was Russia's fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia," Trump told NBC News. Secondary tariffs are essentially restrictions or levies on other countries that purchase oil from Russia. That would be a significant escalation of the Western sanctions regime on Russia, which derives the bulk of its hard currency imports from oil and gas sold on global markets to places like India and China. Trump also responded to Putin's comments on March 28 calling for a "transitional administration" in Ukraine. Those remarks echoed previous ones from Putin and other Kremlin officials who have suggested that Zelenskyy was not a legitimate leader because Ukraine had been unable to hold a new presidential election due to wartime martial law. Trump said he was "very angry, pissed off" at Putin for questioning Zelenskyy's credibility, and he said that negotiations were "not going in the right location." Those were some of the most critical comments Trump has had for Putin. In the past, he has suggested Russia was not to blame for instigating the war, and accused Zelenskyy of being a "dictator." "The Kremlin is smart enough to give an impression that it's making concessions without actually conceding anything," Shagina told RFE/RL. "Moscow's priority is to secure sanctions relief ahead of the negotiations and to test how far the US can pressure the EU and UK to tag along. A significant divergence of the transatlantic sanctions regime is very likely, which will drastically undermine the effectiveness of sanctions." "This is both an attempt to put pressure on the Kremlin and also is an obvious expression of dissatisfaction," Ukrainian political analyst Oleksandra Filippenko told Current Time. "This is an indication of how Donald Trump perceives Vladimir Putin. He does not perceive Vladimir Putin as an equal partner or negotiator, or perhaps as a rival in negotiations. Donald Trump believes that he should really solve all major international issues and issues related to negotiations." What About Ukraine's Minerals? There's another variable at work. Ukraine's successes in its defense against the Russian invasion have been powered overwhelming by US weaponry. But back in February, the Trump administration indicated it would partly condition future US military aid on a deal to give US companies access to Ukraine's mineral resources: so-called "rare earth" minerals, as well as other valuable resources like lithium, titanium, uranium, and even oil and gas. The White House's initial proposal landed with a thud in Kyiv, where Ukrainian officials saw it as a lopsided deal that would hobble Ukraine's future economic development. An updated proposal seen by Bloomberg News would give the United States "right of first offer" on investments in all infrastructure and natural resources projects: "an unprecedented expansion of US economic influence in Europe's largest country by area just at the time when it's attempting to align with the EU." In comments to reporters later on March 30, Trump charged that Zelenskyy was looking to back out of the minerals deal, and warned that he would face "big, big problems" if he did. "I don't think [Trump] is going to impose sanctions," Serhiy Harmash, a former Ukrainian negotiator, told Current Time. "Trump is more interested in a partnership with Russia than with Ukraine. Ukraine is not a player for Trump. He believes Ukraine can be dictated to and controlled." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-cease-fire-trump- putin-zelenskyy/33365750.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 Joint Declaration by the Foreign Ministers of the Weimar + Joint Declaration by the Foreign Ministers of United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain as well as the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in Madrid on 31 March 2025. 31 March 2025 Three days after the anniversary of the Bucha massacre, we reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, building on our Warsaw Declaration of 19 November, our Berlin Declaration of 12 December and our Paris Declaration of 12 February. Ukraine has shown its strong commitment to peace, also by agreeing to a full ceasefire without preconditions. However, Russia's aggression against Ukraine has not ceased. Instead of imposing new conditions and launching continued attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure that cause more and more victims, Russia must now show it is serious about ending its war. We call on Russia to stop its delaying tactics and reciprocate by agreeing without delay, as Ukraine has done, to an immediate unconditional ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully. We need to see progress within a clear timeframe. Building on the recent meetings in Paris and London, we took forward the discussion on how best to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which is vital for Ukraine, for Europe and for the whole international community. We remain committed to further political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, together with our international partners. To this end, we will strengthen Ukraine through significant short and long-term military support, also in the framework of Capability Coalitions and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which will hold its next meeting on 11 April. Many European partners, including the members of this group, have made substantive additional pledges to support Ukraine militarily and are planning similar commitments in the future. We also stand ready to apply further pressure on Russia using all tools available, including by adopting new sanctions, to hinder its ability to wage its war of aggression and to ensure Ukraine is placed in the best position possible to secure a just and lasting peace. We reiterate that Russia's assets should remain immobilized until Russia ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates it for the damage caused. We are also strongly committed to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and the other most serious crimes committed in connection with Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The progress made on establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, within the framework of the Council of Europe, is an important step. A credible pathway to peace must include humanitarian relief efforts, notably the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilians and the return of all Ukrainian children and other civilians unlawfully deported and transferred to Russia and Belarus. We support efforts for a ceasefire that can lead to the establishment of a just and lasting peace. We welcome recent progress to define the essential elements for a viable and sustainable ceasefire, including a clear framework of monitoring and verification. Peace must be sustainable, backed by effective guarantees to prevent further acts of aggression. Real, robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine are an indispensable element of a just and lasting peace, based on Ukraine's sovereign right to determine its security relationships with its partners, and on the duty of the international community to prevent future Russian aggression. We stand ready to play a leading role in this regard. Peace must be just, and Russia's war of aggression cannot end with a reward to the aggressor. There can be no agreement that compromises on Euro-Atlantic security and the independence, sovereignty territorial integrity of Ukraine. We will not accept any agreement that restricts Ukraine's military and defence industry or the military presence of partner countries in Ukraine. We stand ready to do our share in order to achieve this peace. Europe now provides almost two thirds of all support to Ukraine, and 60% of military aid. We reiterate our ironclad commitment to NATO as the bedrock of Euro-Atlantic security and commit to take on greater responsibility for the future of the security and defense of the European continent, aiming at a significant result at the summit in The Hague. We reiterate the inherent right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny and to defend its democracy. Ukraine's future is in Europe and in the European Union, and Ukraine's future is crucial for the security of Europe. Europe must be fully involved in the negotiations and will make its own decisions. We remain committed to supporting Ukraine's repair, recovery and reconstruction, in coordination with international partners. We reaffirm our commitment to our democratic values, and to further engage with our global partners in order to promote together a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on the universal principles of the United Nations Charter. We reaffirm that Europe must assume more responsibility for its own security and become better equipped and deal with immediate and future challenges. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 31 March 2025 Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to President Zelenskyy. 31 March 2025 The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this evening. The leaders reflected on their visit to Paris last week and agreed there was real momentum to support Ukraine's security for the long term. A meeting of the British, French and Ukrainian military leadership in the coming days would drive forward the next stage of detailed planning, the Prime Minister added. The leaders also discussed the third anniversary of the liberation of Bucha today. The Prime Minister reflected on his visit to the city in 2023 and paid tribute to the courage and strength of the residents and their loved ones that he met. Their stories of suffering were a painful reminder of Russia's barbarity over the past three years, he added. The leaders agreed to stay in close touch. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Meets with Heads and Representatives of Partner Countries' Parliaments and the European Parliament Who Attended the Bucha Summit President of Ukraine 31 March 2025 - 22:42 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the heads and representatives of the parliaments of Belgium, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Spain, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the European Parliament, who took part in the Bucha Summit. The Head of State expressed gratitude for the defense and humanitarian assistance provided during Russia's full-scale invasion, as well as for the continued support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and path toward European Union integration. "I want to thank each of your countries for helping us, for your visit today, and for the fact that from the very beginning, your nations and your people have stood with us. Things are very difficult in Ukraine - but they're easier when we're not alone. We are deeply grateful to your countries, both institutionally and to your societies, which join you in supporting Ukraine," the President said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the importance of strengthening air defense, ensuring the supply of artillery shells, and increasing investment in the production of Ukrainian weapons, particularly missiles and drones. The Head of State expressed hope that Ukraine would continue to remain a top priority on the agenda of partner countries' parliaments. During the meeting, participants also discussed enhancing coordination among partners to achieve a dignified peace. The President emphasized that the Russian dictator has no intention of ending the war or establishing peace, which is why the United States and partner countries need to increase pressure on the Russian Federation. He also noted that it is critically important for Ukraine to receive reliable security guarantees. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Recent Developments, Coordination of Joint Steps, and Enhanced Cooperation: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Speaks with Keir Starmer President of Ukraine 31 March 2025 - 22:07 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer. The Head of State thanked the United Kingdom - and Keir Starmer personally - for the support. The President specifically acknowledged the participation of the Speaker of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Lindsay Hoyle, in the Bucha Summit. The event marked the third anniversary of Bucha's liberation from Russian occupiers and was held at the level of parliamentary speakers and representatives from European countries. The UK Prime Minister informed President Zelenskyy about his recent conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, during which they discussed the outcomes of the recent leaders' meeting in Paris and the importance of maintaining pressure on Putin. Ukraine values the United Kingdom's position on this issue. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Keir Starmer coordinated their next steps and discussed preparations for the upcoming meeting in Ukraine later this week of representatives from the general staffs of countries ready to provide their contingents. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We Will Continue Working to Ensure That Russia Is Held Accountable for This War - And That This Accountability Is Tangible - Address by the President President of Ukraine 31 March 2025 - 21:18 I wish you health! I just spoke with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and thanked him for the support. We coordinated our steps - joint steps, our joint diplomacy, and the work of our teams to bring peace closer and guarantee security. We are preparing a meeting between our military representatives for the preparation of contingents. We appreciate the UK's position regarding pressure on Russia - pressure must be strong enough to prevent the Russians from expanding this war. All the more so now, as Moscow blatantly makes a mockery of our partners' efforts to advance a peace agenda - with constant new drone attacks and relentless, brutal shelling. Only through pressure can this be ended and Russia forced into peace. Today, I also thanked Keir and all of the UK for the participation of a representative of the British Parliament - Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle - in the Bucha Summit, at the level of European parliamentary representatives. Partners came specifically today - on the anniversary of Bucha's liberation from Russian occupiers. Today, together with the First Lady of Ukraine, the speakers of parliaments, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and the Prime Minister of Ukraine, we honored the memory of our people whose lives, tragically, were taken by the occupiers. Russian war criminals must absolutely be held accountable for all of this - and today, the summit participants were unequivocal on that: Europe will not forget the moral conclusions drawn from this war. It cannot be allowed for Putin, other Russian criminals, and the Russian state itself to be absolved of responsibility. It is simply impossible to normalize what they did in Bucha, in Mariupol, and in so many other cities and villages. We will continue working to ensure that Russia is held accountable for this war - and that this accountability is tangible. I thank everyone around the world who is helping. Today, there's a new defense package from Sweden - the largest since the start of this war - worth $1.6 billion. A significant portion will go toward weapons procurement and production. It also includes arms supplied from stockpiles. Thank you, Sweden! This will help. And one more thing. We've planned our team's diplomatic work for April - the Office, the Government - including negotiations with partners and meetings. Our priorities are clear - to protect our people and Ukraine's positions as much as possible, to use all diplomatic opportunities to the fullest, and to work together with our partners - with the United States, with Europe, and with all others - constructively, so that peace can be achieved. And of course, to do everything possible to support our people, our state's resilience, and to maintain all the necessary ties with the world. I thank everyone who is helping! I'm grateful to all Ukrainians who are defending our country, fighting on the front lines, and working for Ukraine and its people. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Must Not Escape Accountability for Crimes Committed in Ukraine During This War - Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Bucha Summit President of Ukraine 31 March 2025 - 17:47 Russia should neither benefit from nor be rewarded for this war and should not escape rightful accountability for what it has done. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized this during his address at the Bucha Summit. The Head of State noted that three years ago, the world began to truly grasp the full scale of Russia's aggression against Ukraine when it saw civilians killed in the streets of Bucha and the evidence of abuse and torture. "This evidence showed that this is not just a war of one state against another - but a full-scale confrontation between two systems: our shared European system, where human life and dignity matter, and the Russian system, where anyone can be killed, anyone can be abused, anyone can be deprived of their home," the President said. The crimes of the Russian system in many other Ukrainian cities and villages stand as further proof - from Yahidne in the Chernihiv region, where Russian occupiers kept all the village residents in a small school basement for over three weeks, to Mariupol, which was devastated and completely burned by Russian strikes. More than 183,000 crimes related to Russia's aggression against Ukraine have been officially documented - and that's not including a significant portion of temporarily occupied territories that remain inaccessible. In those areas, there are likely thousands, even tens or hundreds of thousands, more crimes and losses. "We will not forgive Russia's crimes and all this war, because to forgive would mean to agree that a system like the current Russian one - a system that feeds on people - supposedly has the right to exist and to expand at the expense of other nations," Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted. According to the President, we need an effective international law to guarantee the protection of our people and all European society from such threats. Justice must be served to prevent evil from proliferating. Pressure on Russia and sanctions against it are necessary to ensure that the war and abuse do not expand further. The Head of State called on foreign parliaments to continue supporting Ukraine's defense and its pursuit of peace, to help spread the truth about the war, and to back all efforts necessary for a dignified peace and real accountability for war criminals. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Justice Must Be Served to Prevent Evil from Proliferating - Speech by the President to the Participants of the Bucha Summit President of Ukraine 31 March 2025 - 17:35 Thank you very much, dear Ruslan, Mr. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, dear Mr. Prime Minister, all participants, thank you for this very special format of the gathering. Dear participants, our dear guests, dear leaders and representatives of the parliaments of our friends - European states! Dear friends! I am grateful to you that we have all gathered here today. Today, we are in Bucha, in our Ukrainian city where, three years ago, the world first began to grasp the full extent of Russian aggression against Ukraine and Ukrainian people. The world then saw civilians killed on the streets of Bucha, saw evidence of abuse, saw evidence of torture that showed that this is not just a war of one state against another - but a full-scale confrontation between two systems: our shared European system, where human life and dignity matter, and the Russian system, where anyone can be killed, anyone can be abused, anyone can be deprived of their home. It was here, on the streets of our city of Bucha, that the world saw exactly what the Russian system is like and what people raised by their system and their state are like. And after that, no one can say they don't know or don't understand what happened in Bucha, as well as in many other Ukrainian cities and many of our small villages. From the village of Yahidne in the Chernihiv region, where the Russian occupiers kept all the villagers in a school basement for more than three weeks, to our Mariupol, which was devastated and completely burned by Russian strikes. We remember the tragedy of every such city in Ukraine, every village. Everyone sees what happened to Bakhmut, what happened to Avdiivka, Vuhledar, and many other cities, towns and villages of ours that have virtually ceased to exist: they are nothing but ruins, because this is what comes with the Russian flag. We remember each Russian strike. We remember how they destroyed our people - our prisoners of war - in Olenivka. We remember how people were tortured in "Izolyatsia" in Donetsk - a prison that became the embodiment of the "Russian world." One of the most significant and most telling symbols of the Russian system and this Russian war against Ukraine is the graves of ordinary people in the yards of their own homes. This can never be forgotten. All of these are man-made catastrophes, committed not only by the Russian state but by specific individuals, specific Russian occupiers, each of whom has a name and a surname and must be prosecuted according to the law for everything they have done. We will not forgive Russia's crimes and all this war, because to forgive would mean to agree that a system like the current Russian one - a system that feeds on people - supposedly has the right to exist and to expand at the expense of other nations. I would like to ask everyone present - I want to thank all the states for being represented at such a high level - but I would like to ask us all to observe a minute of silence in memory of Ukrainians whose lives were taken by Russian aggression here in Bucha and in our other cities and villages. Thank you. Dear friends! The power of parliaments lies in their ability to unite. Unite different people, different parts of society. When there is a truly solid foundation of values and a great cause, parliaments gather a tangible majority. We all need this very power of unity. We all need such a tangible majority. We all want to end this war as soon as possible, with guaranteed security, which is very important, with lasting peace and with dignity. And what does this mean - with dignity? It means that Russia should neither benefit from nor be rewarded for this war and should not escape rightful accountability for what it has done. There can be no normalization of evil, meaning no simple return to the attitude that existed before towards what we all see now, towards this kind of Russia. More than 183 thousand crimes related to the aggression of the Russian Federation have already been documented. And this is even without access to a significant part of the temporarily occupied territory of our state - where there are thousands, possibly tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of crimes and undoubtedly tens of thousands of losses. Among all this are thousands of extremely brutal atrocities. Executions of prisoners, executions of civilians, rape, torture. No one in Europe would want their children, God forbid, to be in the vicinity of these Russian criminals. We need an effective international law to guarantee the protection of our people and all European society from such threats. Justice must be served to prevent evil from proliferating. Pressure on Russia and sanctions against it are necessary to ensure that the war and abuse do not expand further. Everyone understands this - everyone who does not turn a blind eye to reality and does not turn a deaf ear to the truth. I ask all of you to continue supporting our defense, supporting our pursuit of peace, supporting the spread of the truth about this unjust war, and supporting everything necessary for a dignified peace and real accountability for war criminals. Please remember that Bucha is not somewhere in Ukraine; it is something that can happen in any European country if our unity does not work now to genuinely hold Russia accountable for this war. I thank you once again for your support, for your participation in this important summit. On behalf of all our people, I thank you for standing with us from the very first days, for supporting life in Ukraine, the life, and the fight for this life. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Wants Sanctions Lifted In Exchange For A Cease-Fire. The EU Isn't Ready To Do That. By Rikard Jozwiak April 01, 2025 In recent weeks, the United States, Russia, and Ukraine have been sketching out cease-fire frameworks -- one aimed at protecting energy infrastructure like power plants and transmission lines and another focused on reducing military activity in the Black Sea. One of Moscow's big asks has been publicly communicated: sanctions relief. In a Kremlin statement issued after the Black Sea cease-fire agreement on March 25, Moscow declared it would only observe the deal if the West partially lifted sanctions imposed following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. This demand includes lifting restrictions on fertilizer exports and the insurance companies that cover them, as well as reconnecting several Russian banks to the SWIFT global payment system. Several EU leaders have already dismissed Moscow's request, most notably during a March 27 meeting in Paris, where top officials from more than 30 countries gathered to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. When I spoke with numerous European diplomats, they all pointed out that the White House statement released the same day made no mention of sanctions relief. As one EU ambassador put it to me, referring to the recent cease-fire talks in Riyadh: "No deal was made on this in Saudi Arabia, so therefore nothing to decide for us." EU Trade Relations With Russia The Europeans have obviously not been present at the cease-fire talks, but they do have a rather large say on Russia sanctions. SWIFT is a Belgian company, for starters, and the EU has "de-SWIFTed" 23 Russian banks so far, including big ones such as Sberbank and Bank Otkritie. They are also aware that Russia's trade relations with Europe run deeper than they do with the United States. Even before the full-scale invasion, US exports to Russia amounted to less than 0.5 percent of total American worldwide exports. For the EU, that figure was 6 percent, which is equivalent to 250 billion euros ($272 billion). When wide-ranging EU sanctions were imposed, it hit Moscow harder. The EU's sanctions czar, David O'Sullivan, estimates that restrictive measures have deprived Russia of more than 450 billion euros ($490 billion) in revenue since early 2022. Are the Europeans considering even a partial easing of sanctions on Russia? The answer I consistently hear is a simple "no" or "we will decline this." Officials point to Russia's ongoing drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, as well as the conclusions of a recent EU gathering, which signaled a potential ramping up of measures rather than a relaxation of pressure. As the Main Results of the March 20 European Council meeting on Ukraine put it: "The European Union remains ready to step up pressure on Russia, including through further sanctions and by strengthening the enforcement of existing measures." The European Commission has not yet invited EU member states for so-called sanctions confessionals to discuss a new sanctions package, which would be the 17th in three years, but they are looking into things like closing sanctions circumvention loopholes. Lifting EU Sanctions Requires Unanimity The conclusions of the European Council meeting on March 20 were approved by 26 out of 27 EU member states. The one not aligning? Hungary, which for a long time has been critical of EU sanctions. This is significant for one reason: Lifting EU sectoral sanctions requires unanimity -- and that simply doesn't exist right now. As noted above, many member states are calling for more sanctions, not fewer. But here's the catch: Every six months, in January and July, the entire sanctions package must be extended -- and that also requires unanimous approval. It is here where Hungary, and potentially others, might want to come in and start scaling down. In January, Budapest was threatening the entire rollover and only gave the green light after getting written assurances that Russian oil would continue to flow into Hungary. EU diplomats I've spoken to are already fearing what the July sanctions extension might look like and what concessions they may have to make to secure a rollover as a whole. The regular EU summit at the end of June will likely involve intense horse-trading on this, with Hungary eyeing more frozen EU funds for itself and several member states eager to launch EU accession talks with Kyiv by the summer -- a move Budapest has blocked so far. De-SWIFTing some banks and allowing Russian fertilizers into the bloc again are obviously low-hanging fruit in this regard. But this will, of course, depend on what the situation looks like on the ground in Ukraine at that time. One thing is clear, however: Despite immediate rejections from European diplomats, Moscow has planted a seed. As one European diplomat put it to me: "I believe it is a smart salami method the Russians have started here. Already into the cease-fire talks, they bring far-reaching demands that, in fact, belong more in a comprehensive peace deal discussion. It should be us this time who are 'transactional' and give this powerful tool away only for a fair price." So what could this fair price be? In a sense, European officials will look to Kyiv to provide the answer. But according to those I've spoken with, the contours could include limited sanctions relief in exchange for freezing the front lines, no recognition of occupied territories as Russian, and continued Western military deliveries to Ukraine, with the snapback option of sanctions if breaches occur. The question is whether Brussels and Kyiv can get Moscow to agree to such a deal and what the United States will think of it. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-russia-sanctions- ukraine-war/33365577.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 Delray Beach, FL, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Hospital Information Systems Market, valued at US$58.13 billion in 2023, is forecasted to grow at a robust CAGR of 10.6%, reaching US$63.80 billion in 2024 and an impressive US$116.75 billion by 2030. The major drivers of the market growth are the rapid digital transformation of healthcare, underpinned by the increasing deployment of cloud-based HIS solutions and advanced interoperability platformsstrategic investments in next-generation clinical decision support systems and big data analytics drive operational efficiency and patient care. In addition, forward-thinking government initiatives and favourable regulatory policies drive healthcare IT modernization and integration, thus inducing strong market growth and innovation across the industry. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=144083226 Browse in-depth TOC on Hospital Information Systems Market 400 - Tables 50 - Figures 400 - Pages By Based on product type, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) segment is estimated to hold the second-largest share of the hospital information systems market. Key growth drivers include strong federal mandates like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which have spurred comprehensive EHR adoption by offering substantial financial incentives through Medicare and Medicaid programs. This regulatory support has facilitated better patient data gathering and integration, enabling chronic disease management and minimizing readmissions. In addition, the abundant, analytics-capable data created by EHRs is powering AI-driven diagnostics and precision treatment approvals, propelling better clinical results and operational efficiency. By Cloud-based deployment, Cloud-based deployment is expected to be the fastest-growing segment in the hospital information systems (HIS) market during the forecast period. This growth is driven by several key advantages, including seamless integration of data from multiple cloud sources, remote accessibility for users, low maintenance costs, and enhanced security and privacy. Additionally, cloud-based solutions eliminate the need for upfront hardware investments while offering flexibility in capacity and resource utilization. For Instance, In September 2023, Oracle (US) launched a cloud-based EHR system and generative AI tools to improve patient care and provider efficiency, and in August 2021, Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands) launched cloud-based solutions across patient care in a scalable, cost-effective model. A plethora of applications made accessible through the cloud-based model with core functionalities involving accounting, performance management, and webmail and instant messages are all proving to be helpful in fuelling this portion. By geography, the hospital information systems (HIS) are segmented into five major regions: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific is expected to register highest growth during the forecast period. The drivers for this growth are increasing disposable incomes in a region that comprises almost two-thirds of the world's population. In China, the rapid increase in seniors, adding 10 million annually, coupled with the Healthy China 2030 initiative, is expanding healthcare access and modernizing service delivery. India's healthcare sector has surged over 20% in the past five years thanks to enhanced public and private spending and improvements in medical technologies. Additionally, robust investments in digital infrastructure across Southeast Asia, supported by strong post-pandemic FDI from the US, are further fueling market expansion. Tools like the newly developed Personalised Health Index enable healthcare leadersespecially in Singapore with its National Precision Medicine Programme to drive personalized care. Indonesia and India are rapidly advancing by adopting wearables and growing consumer trust. Request Sample Pages : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=144083226 Key players in the hospital information systems market include Epic Systems Corporation (US), Oracle (US), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands), UnitedHealth Group (US), GE HealthCare (US), Medical Information Technology, Inc. (US), Veradigm LLC (US), TruBridge (US), Altera Digital Health Inc. (US), MEDHOST. (US), AdvancedMD, Inc. (US), IQVIA Inc. (US), athenahealth, Inc. (US), CompuGroup Medical (Germany), EClinicalWorks (US), NXGN Management LLC (US), Inovalon. (US), Dedalus S.p.A. (Italy), Siemens Healthineers (Germany), Comarch SA. (Poland), and Solventum (US). Epic Systems Corporation (US): Epic Systems Corporation (US) is a leading vendor of hospital information systems with its all-in-one, end-to-end EHR solutions that integrate clinical, financial, and administrative information across the care settings. The company's approach emphasizes strong interoperability and sophisticated analytics using AI-fueled insights to augment clinical workflows and evidence-based decision-making. Epic's key strength is its EHR platform, utilized by roughly one in four US doctors, fueling enhanced patient care. In 2023, Epic Systems greatly increased its market presence through strategic acquisitions, such as the addition of 153 acute multispecialty hospitals, which is a classic example of horizontal consolidation. With a robust global presence and ongoing investment in innovation, Epic is well placed to spearhead the changing digital revolution in healthcare. Oracle (US): Oracle (US) provides integrated clinical and enterprise IT solutions. In June 2022, Oracle acquired Cerner Corporation, merging Cerners clinical expertise with its robust analytics and automation capabilities. Oracle Health offers a comprehensive suite that includes an advanced EHR, Clinical Digital Assistant, and secure device connectivity. Its portfolio further enables public health reporting, referrals, virtual care, and effective document management. Such solutions provide instant access to patient information, thus supporting improved clinical decision-making and better outcomes of care. Oracle's strong data analytics solution has a perfect fusion of electronic health records, clinical trials information, and AI-based insights. Its middleware ensures smooth integration and deployment of diverse healthcare applications. Oracle operates across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa; thus, its reach is wide across the globe. The enterprise platform supports safe, scalable, and trustworthy hospital information systems. Supported by solid financial results and heavy R&D investments, Oracle continues to lead healthcare IT innovation. For more information, Inquire Now! Related Reports: Healthcare IT Market Healthcare Cloud Computing Market Healthcare Analytics Market Healthcare IT Integration Market Healthcare Information Exchange Market Get access to the latest updates on Hospital Information Systems Companies and Hospital Information Systems Market Size ROME, Ga., March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oasis Venture Holdings, a recently announced Joint Venture between Ball Corporation and Ayna.AI, is proud to announce the appointment of David Cuthbert as its new Chief Executive Officer. Cuthbert, a distinguished veteran and proven business leader, brings a wealth of experience in driving growth and sustainability-focused initiatives across multiple industries. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Cuthbert spent a decade in active duty in special operations before transitioning into the private sector. Over the past 20 years, he has successfully led and scaled companies, with more than half of that time dedicated to sustainability-focused ventures. Most recently, he served as CEO of Mananalu, a pioneering water company co-founded by Jason Momoa committed to sustainable beverage packaging. It is a great honor to take on this role and help grow a company I believe is extremely meaningful in the market of sustainability, said Cuthbert. This is a high-quality product that will continue to make a great impact wherever it is used and recycled. I am grateful to join such a talented team in this endeavor as we continue to bring our 100% recyclable Aluminum Cup from our manufacturing plant and HQ in Rome, GA to our customers far and wide. Jay Billings, senior vice president and president of Growth Ventures at Ball Corporation, expressed confidence in Cuthberts leadership. Davids deep experience in business growth and sustainability makes him the perfect leader to drive the Aluminum Cup business forward. We look forward to working with him to expand the reach of this innovative and environmentally friendly solution. Gaurav Batra, CEO of Ayna.AI, also praised Cuthberts expertise. Davids exceptional track record in sustainability and his ability to scale mission-driven brands make him a tremendous asset to Oasis Venture Holdings. His leadership will be instrumental in expanding the impact of our Aluminum Cup and driving innovation in this space. Cuthbert earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the U.S. Naval Academy and later founded Global Imprint, a services firm dedicated to helping companies scale in the sustainability sector. He currently resides in Boone, NC, with his wife and three children. Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products customers. Ball Corporation employs 16,000 people worldwide and reported 2024 net sales of $11.80 billion, which excludes the divested aerospace business. About Ayna Ayna is a premier advisory and implementation firm in the industrial technology space. We work in an engaged operator model to optimize performance and drive growth. Ayna actively engages in advisory and execution with our clients, aligning incentives with outcomes. With our understanding of the industrials space and breadth of experience, we're able to tailor our offerings for each client and deliver a customized experience that creates the most value. About Ball Corporation Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products customers. Ball Corporation employs 16,000 people worldwide and reported 2024 net sales of $11.80 billion, which excludes the divested aerospace business. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Franco Cavaleri, B.Sc., Ph.D.c, a distinguished biomedical research scientist and CEO of Biologic Pharmamedical Research and Manufacturing, has published a pioneering study that reexamines the role of amyloid -peptides (A) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This research, featured in Frontiers in Neuroscience, proposes a paradigm shift in understanding the function of A, suggesting they may serve a protective role against metal toxicity in the brain rather than being primary culprits in AD progression. A Protective Perspective on Amyloid -Peptides Alzheimer's disease has long been associated with the accumulation of amyloid plaques, leading to the prevailing belief that A contributes directly to neurodegeneration. Cavaleri's study challenges this notion by presenting evidence that A and the enzyme -secretase (BACE1) are integral to a cellular defense mechanism aimed at sequestering harmful metal ions. This chelation process may prevent oxidative stress and neuronal damage by neutralizing metal-induced toxicity. It is only when this protective system becomes overwhelmed by excessive metal exposure that neurodegenerative symptoms emerge. Implications for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment This groundbreaking perspective opens new avenues for Alzheimer's research, emphasizing the need to explore environmental factors, such as metal exposure, in disease development. By shifting the focus from solely targeting A for therapeutic intervention to understanding its protective functions, scientists can develop more effective strategies that address the root causes of neurodegeneration. Franco Cavaleri: A Leader in Biomedical Innovation Franco Cavaleri's extensive background in nutritional biochemistry and natural medicine pharmacology has positioned him at the forefront of biomedical research. As CEO and Research Director of Biologic Pharmamedical Research and Manufacturing, Cavaleri has dedicated his career to bridging the gap between natural health products and pharmaceutical science. His work has led to significant advancements in understanding inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, and the pharmacology of natural compounds. Beyond his groundbreaking research, Franco Cavaleri is the best-selling author and host of the Potential Within podcast, and a former IFBB Mr. North America Bodybuilding Champion. His powerful personal storyovercoming severe ulcerative colitis without surgery through targeted natural medicine and science-backed supplementationfuels his mission to transform modern health care. Through innovations like his patented Curcumin BioBDMC30, Ashwith Ashwagandha, Keto BHB-BA, and Glyvia sweetener (among over 15 other patents), Cavaleri is redefining what proactive health looks like. His integrative approach fuses rigorous biomedical science with holistic lifestyle and nutraceutical interventions, offering a sustainable solution to an overburdened healthcare system. By empowering individuals to take control of their health through nutrition, precision supplementation, and evidence-based self-care, Cavaleris work aims not only to reduce dependency on conventional medicinebut to enable longer, healthier, and more vibrant lives. About Biologic Pharmamedical Research and Manufacturing Biologic Pharmamedical Research and Manufacturing, based in Vancouver, Canada with manufacturing facilities in both Canada and the USA, specializes in the research and development of evidence-based nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Under Cavaleri's leadership, the company focuses on innovative solutions that merge natural medicine with modern pharmacological principles to address complex health challenges as well as prevention. BiologicPharmaMedical Access the Full Study For a comprehensive understanding of this transformative research, the full study is available at Frontiers in Neurology . Media Contact Christina Weizmann Communications Lead Phone: 604.684.9321 Email: christina.w@biologic-med.com Business Development Contact Amundi and Victory Capital become strategic partners Amundi and Victory Capital today announce the closing of their previously announced transaction. In line with the agreement announced on 9 July 20241: Amundi US has been combined with Victory Capital which is now managing close to $300bn 2 of assets of assets Amundi has become a strategic shareholder of Victory Capital Amundi and Victory Capital have entered into 15-year distribution reciprocal agreements, which are now effective. Under these distribution agreements, Amundi will distribute Victory Capitals US-manufactured active asset management products outside of the US. Additionally, Amundi will be the supplier of non-US manufactured products for Victory Capitals distribution in the US. As consideration for the Amundi US business, Amundi received a total of 17.6 million shares at closing, or 21.2% of equity3 in Victory Capital. As the post-closing transaction adjustments progress and in accordance with the contribution agreement, we anticipate Amundis total equity interest to reach 26.1%3 in the following months. The transaction, which does not include any cash consideration, is expected to result in a material increase in the contribution from US operations to Amundis results, leading to a low single-digit accretion of the adjusted net income and EPS of Amundi. Valerie Baudson, Chief Executive Officer of Amundi, commented: Thanks to this transaction with Victory Capital, Amundis clients can access a broader range of high-performing US investment solutions, while we are looking forward to providing Victory Capitals clients with Amundis expertise and products. With this value-creating deal, Amundi has strengthened its presence in the US via a larger US investment and distribution platform. Press contacts: Natacha Andermahr Tel. +33 1 76 37 86 05 natacha.andermahr@amundi.com Corentin Henry Tel. +33 1 76 36 26 96 corentin.henry@amundi.com Investor contacts: Cyril Meilland, CFA Tel. +33 1 76 32 62 67 cyril.meilland@amundi.com Thomas Lapeyre Tel. +33 1 76 33 70 54 thomas.lapeyre@amundi.com Annabelle Wiriath Tel. + 33 1 76 32 43 92 annabelle.wiriath@amundi.com DISCLAIMER This document does not constitute an offer or invitation to sell or purchase, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities of Amundi in the United States of America or in France. Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States of America absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements thereof. The securities of Amundi have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and Amundi does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States of America or in France. This document may contain forward looking statements concerning Amundi's financial position and results. The data provided do not constitute a profit forecast or estimate as defined in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/980. These forward looking statements include projections and financial estimates based on scenarios that employ a number of economic assumptions in a given competitive and regulatory context, assumptions regarding plans, objectives and expectations in connection with future events, transactions, products and services, and assumptions in terms of future performance and synergies. By their very nature, they are therefore subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could lead to their non-fulfilment. Consequently, no assurance can be given that these forward looking statement will come to fruition, and Amundis actual financial position and results may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward looking statements. In particular, no assurance can be given that the expected benefits, or impact on Victory Capitals and Amundis respective businesses, of the proposed transaction, including expected synergies, will be achieved; other risks relating to the expected benefits or impact of the transaction on Victory Capital's and Amundi's respective businesses are contained in their respective public filings. Amundi undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward looking statements provided as at the date of this document. Risks that may affect Amundis financial position and results are further detailed in the Risk Factors section of our Universal Registration Document filed with the French Autorite des Marches Financiers. The reader should take all these uncertainties and risks into consideration before forming their own opinion. The figures set out in this document have been prepared in accordance with applicable prudential regulations and IFRS guidelines, as adopted by the European Union and applicable at that date. Unless otherwise specified, sources for rankings and market positions are internal. The information contained in this document, to the extent that it relates to parties other than Amundi or comes from external sources, has not been verified by a supervisory authority or, more generally, subject to independent verification, and no representation or warranty has been expressed as to, nor should any reliance be placed on, the fairness, accuracy, correctness or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein. Neither Amundi nor its representatives can be held liable for any decision made, negligence or loss that may result from the use of this document or its contents, or anything related to them, or any document or information to which this document may refer. The sum of values set out in the tables and analyses may differ slightly from the total reported due to rounding. About Amundi Amundi, the leading European asset manager, ranking among the top 10 global players4, offers its 100 million clients - retail, institutional and corporate - a complete range of savings and investment solutions in active and passive management, in traditional or real assets. This offering is enhanced with IT tools and services to cover the entire savings value chain. A subsidiary of the Credit Agricole group and listed on the stock exchange, Amundi currently manages more than 2.2 trillion of assets5. With its six international investment hubs6, financial and extra-financial research capabilities and long-standing commitment to responsible investment, Amundi is a key player in the asset management landscape. Amundi clients benefit from the expertise and advice of 5,500 employees in 35 countries. Amundi, a trusted partner, working every day in the interest of its clients and society www.amundi.com 1 See press release available on https://about.amundi.com 2 Figure as of February 28,2025 3 4.9% of voting rights 4 Source: IPE Top 500 Asset Managers published in June 2024, based on assets under management as at 31/12/2023 5 Amundi data as at 31/12/2024 6 Boston, Dublin, London, Milan, Paris and Tokyo Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (West Red Lake Gold or WRLG or the Company) (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) is pleased to report drill results from its 100% owned Madsen Mine located in the Red Lake Gold District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The drill results featured in this news release are focused on the high-grade Austin Zone. The Austin Zone currently contains an Indicated mineral resource of 914,200 ounces (oz) grading 6.9 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au), with an additional Inferred resource of 104,900 oz grading 6.5 g/t Au. The purpose of this drilling was definition and expansion within priority areas of Austin to continue building an inventory of high-confidence ounces to support the restart of production at the Madsen mine, which is expected to commence in 2025. The Company recently filed a Technical Report for its Pre-Feasibility Study for Madsen on February 18, 2025. AUSTIN ZONE HIGHLIGHTS: Hole MM25D-12-4848-005 Intersected 10.5m @ 12.43 g/t Au , from 48.6m to 59.1m, Including 0.6m @ 106.06 g/t Au , from 49.4m to 50.0m, Also including 0.7m @ 49.53 g/t Au , from 53.9m to 54.6m. Intersected , from 48.6m to 59.1m, Including , from 49.4m to 50.0m, Also including , from 53.9m to 54.6m. Hole MM25D-12-4848-050 Intersected 4.3m @ 30.16 g/t Au , from 51.0m to 55.3m, Including 1.1m @ 106.10 g/t Au , from 51.9m to 53.0m. Intersected , from 51.0m to 55.3m, Including , from 51.9m to 53.0m. Hole MM25D-12-4848-022 Intersected 5.4m @ 23.81 g/t Au , from 54.1m to 59.5m, Including 0.5m @ 212.13 g/t Au , from 54.9m to 55.4m, Also including 0.5m @ 30.14 g/t Au , from 56.3m to 56.8m. Intersected , from 54.1m to 59.5m, Including , from 54.9m to 55.4m, Also including , from 56.3m to 56.8m. Hole MM25D-12-4848-025 Intersected 9.6m @ 10.98 g/t Au , from 53.0m to 62.6m, Including 0.5m @ 45.34 g/t Au , from 53.0m to 53.5m, Also including 0.8m @ 36.90 g/t Au , from 57.5m to 58.3m. Intersected , from 53.0m to 62.6m, Including , from 53.0m to 53.5m, Also including , from 57.5m to 58.3m. Hole MM25D-12-4848-045 Intersected 5.85m @ 17.29 g/t Au, from 43.75m to 49.60m, Including 1.5m @ 45.31 g/t Au, from 45.5m to 47.0m, Also including 0.6m @ 27.15 g/t Au, from 49.0m to 49.6m. Shane Williams, President & CEO, stated, Its a huge advantage that our team has been active underground at the Madsen mine for almost two years, because we have been able to get drills to many high priority areas of the deposit ahead of mine restart. This includes deeper portions of the resource that possess very attractive tonnage and grade profiles - many of these deeper areas were never accessed by the two previous operators. High grade panels in Austin, like the one highlighted in this update, are currently within the life-of-mine plan and are expected to deliver meaningful, high-margin tonnes during the first eighteen to twenty-four months of production. We fully expect the Austin and South Austin zones to continue producing impressive grades over significant widths as we continue to access and define these high-grade shoots at depth. Plan maps and sections for the Austin drilling highlighted in this release are provided below in Figures 1 through 13. TABLE 1. Significant intercepts (>3 g/t Au) from drilling at Austin Zone. Hole ID Target From (m) To (m) Length (m)* Au (g/t) MM25D-12-4848-001 Austin No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM25D-12-4848-002 Austin 58.60 61.50 2.90 3.61 AND Austin 63.60 65.50 1.90 5.13 AND Austin 67.70 69.20 1.50 5.16 MM25D-12-4848-003 Austin 54.60 57.00 2.40 4.20 Incl. 54.60 55.10 0.50 16.64 AND Austin 59.00 61.00 2.00 4.53 Incl. 60.50 61.00 0.50 15.15 MM25D-12-4848-004 Austin 52.00 56.00 4.00 4.88 Incl. 54.00 55.00 1.00 14.26 AND Austin 57.40 60.40 3.00 11.37 Incl. 58.30 59.00 0.70 25.73 MM25D-12-4848-005 Austin 48.60 59.10 10.50 12.43 Incl. 49.40 50.00 0.60 106.06 Also Incl. 53.90 54.60 0.70 49.53 MM25D-12-4848-006 Austin 34.00 35.00 1.00 5.48 AND Austin 48.50 49.80 1.30 3.39 AND Austin 56.20 60.50 4.30 19.64 MM25D-12-4848-007 Austin 44.90 48.70 3.80 4.19 Incl. 47.30 47.90 0.60 12.83 MM25D-12-4848-008 Austin 47.50 48.50 1.00 4.26 AND Austin 49.50 51.00 1.50 4.76 MM25D-12-4848-009 Austin 48.80 53.30 4.50 5.32 Incl. 52.30 52.80 0.50 30.57 MM25D-12-4848-010 Austin No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM25D-12-4848-011 Austin 59.05 61.60 2.55 6.26 Incl. 60.10 60.60 0.50 28.90 MM25D-12-4848-012 Austin 60.40 63.40 3.00 5.63 Incl. 60.40 61.40 1.00 10.37 AND Austin 66.70 71.70 5.00 5.39 Incl. 68.70 70.70 2.00 12.64 MM25D-12-4848-013 Austin No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM25D-12-4848-014 Austin 67.40 68.00 0.60 3.41 AND Austin 76.50 78.00 1.50 3.74 AND Austin 79.00 80.00 1.00 3.08 MM25D-12-4848-015 Austin 33.50 34.00 0.50 3.99 AND Austin 51.50 57.00 5.50 5.36 Incl. 51.50 53.10 1.60 14.50 MM25D-12-4848-016 Austin 57.40 58.60 1.20 5.96 Incl. 57.40 58.00 0.60 11.33 AND Austin 61.30 62.40 1.10 8.00 MM25D-12-4848-017 Austin 57.70 58.70 1.00 3.55 AND Austin 69.30 71.80 2.50 3.28 AND Austin 72.80 74.00 1.20 3.66 MM25D-12-4848-018 Austin No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM25D-12-4848-019 Austin No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM25D-12-4848-020 Austin 58.00 61.00 3.00 5.38 Incl. 60.00 61.00 1.00 12.82 MM25D-12-4848-021 Austin 57.30 58.50 1.20 3.71 MM25D-12-4848-022 Austin 54.10 59.50 5.40 23.81 Incl. 54.90 55.40 0.50 212.13 Also Incl. 56.30 56.80 0.50 30.14 MM25D-12-4848-023 Austin 48.00 49.00 1.00 3.58 MM25D-12-4848-024 Austin 30.50 31.50 1.00 5.00 AND Austin 48.50 51.00 2.50 6.75 Incl. 49.00 50.20 1.20 12.62 AND Austin 53.70 54.20 0.50 10.97 MM25D-12-4848-025 Austin 53.00 62.60 9.60 10.98 Incl. 53.00 53.50 0.50 45.34 Also Incl. 57.50 58.30 0.80 36.90 MM25D-12-4848-026 Austin No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM25D-12-4848-027 Austin 45.00 49.20 4.20 6.69 AND Austin 54.20 54.80 0.60 3.43 MM25D-12-4848-028 Austin 44.20 46.00 1.80 7.09 AND Austin 50.00 54.50 4.50 14.99 MM25D-12-4848-029 Austin 45.20 48.80 3.60 15.71 Incl. 47.50 48.10 0.60 76.32 AND Austin 56.00 57.50 1.50 4.68 MM25D-12-4848-030 Austin 50.00 52.80 2.80 7.38 Incl. 51.00 52.10 1.10 16.48 AND Austin 59.50 61.00 1.50 5.67 MM25D-12-4848-031 Austin No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM25D-12-4848-032 Austin 52.00 54.20 2.20 4.45 Incl. 53.70 54.20 0.50 18.48 MM25D-12-4848-033 Austin 45.20 48.00 2.80 4.58 Incl. 46.50 47.00 0.50 17.36 MM25D-12-4848-034 Austin 40.00 41.00 1.00 4.44 AND Austin 49.70 51.00 1.30 3.75 MM25D-12-4848-035 Austin 44.60 50.00 5.40 3.37 Incl. 44.60 45.15 0.55 10.03 MM25D-12-4848-036 Austin 31.00 33.00 2.00 4.62 AND Austin 43.30 49.60 6.30 6.02 Incl. 44.00 45.00 1.00 28.59 MM25D-12-4848-037 Austin 44.00 47.00 3.00 4.42 Incl. 44.00 45.00 1.00 10.74 AND Austin 56.20 57.50 1.30 3.51 MM25D-12-4848-038 Austin 42.50 45.50 3.00 3.89 Incl. 43.00 43.63 0.63 11.29 AND Austin 50.70 53.40 2.70 4.47 Incl. 52.10 52.79 0.69 11.32 MM25D-12-4848-039 Austin 44.10 48.00 3.90 4.53 Incl. 45.30 45.80 0.50 18.25 MM25D-12-4848-040 Austin No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM25D-12-4848-041 Austin 43.00 47.00 4.00 10.41 Incl. 43.50 44.00 0.50 55.45 MM25D-12-4848-042 Austin 44.00 47.50 3.50 3.90 MM25D-12-4848-043 Austin 32.00 34.00 2.00 7.85 Incl. 32.00 33.00 1.00 13.10 AND Austin 46.73 47.35 0.62 4.16 MM25D-12-4848-044 Austin No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM25D-12-4848-045 Austin 36.00 36.80 0.80 3.54 AND Austin 43.75 49.60 5.85 17.29 Incl. 45.50 47.00 1.50 45.31 Also Incl. 49.00 49.60 0.60 27.15 MM25D-12-4848-046 Austin No Assays > 3 g/t Au MM25D-12-4848-047 Austin 47.50 48.85 1.35 3.49 MM25D-12-4848-048 Austin 45.95 47.60 1.65 9.15 Incl. 45.95 46.50 0.55 11.22 MM25D-12-4848-049 Austin 65.05 67.00 1.95 4.91 MM25D-12-4848-050 Austin 51.00 55.30 4.30 30.16 Incl. 51.90 53.00 1.10 106.10 MM25D-12-4848-051 Austin 61.75 64.85 3.10 3.12 AND Austin 65.35 65.85 0.50 3.04 AND Austin 67.60 68.55 0.95 3.62 *The From-To intervals in Table 1 are denoting overall downhole length of the intercept. True thickness has not been calculated for these intercepts but is expected to be 70% of downhole thickness based on intercept angles observed in the drill core. Internal dilution for composite intervals does not exceed 1m for samples grading <0.1 g/t Au. TABLE 2: Drill collar summary for holes reported in this News Release. Hole ID Target Easting Northing Elev (m) Length (m) Azimuth Dip MM25D-12-4848-001 Austin 435845 5646715 -151 96.00 83 12 MM25D-12-4848-002 Austin 435845 5646715 -151 90.00 88 12 MM25D-12-4848-003 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 85.70 94 12 MM25D-12-4848-004 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 81.00 100 12 MM25D-12-4848-005 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 81.00 105 12 MM25D-12-4848-006 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 81.00 112 12 MM25D-12-4848-007 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 50.50 119 12 MM25D-12-4848-008 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 51.00 125 13 MM25D-12-4848-009 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 53.30 133 12 MM25D-12-4848-010 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 54.60 140 12 MM25D-12-4848-011 Austin 435844 5646713 -151 90.00 146 12 MM25D-12-4848-012 Austin 435844 5646713 -151 90.00 153 12 MM25D-12-4848-013 Austin 435846 5646715 -151 65.00 85 17 MM25D-12-4848-014 Austin 435846 5646715 -151 90.00 84 6 MM25D-12-4848-015 Austin 435845 5646715 -150 57.00 91 28 MM25D-12-4848-016 Austin 435845 5646715 -151 62.40 91 17 MM25D-12-4848-017 Austin 435845 5646715 -151 87.00 90 6 MM25D-12-4848-018 Austin 435845 5646715 -150 61.00 94 22 MM25D-12-4848-019 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 75.00 97 28 MM25D-12-4848-020 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 81.00 97 17 MM25D-12-4848-021 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 85.00 97 6 MM25D-12-4848-022 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 78.00 100 22 MM25D-12-4848-023 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 75.00 103 28 MM25D-12-4848-024 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 78.00 103 17 MM25D-12-4848-025 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 86.30 103 6 MM25D-12-4848-026 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 71.10 106 34 MM25D-12-4848-027 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 75.00 106 22 MM25D-12-4848-028 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 75.00 108 28 MM25D-12-4848-029 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 78.00 109 17 MM25D-12-4848-030 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 83.30 109 6 MM25D-12-4848-031 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 72.00 112 34 MM25D-12-4848-032 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 75.00 113 23 MM25D-12-4848-033 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 78.00 115 20 MM25D-12-4848-034 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 54.10 115 6 MM25D-12-4848-035 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 75.00 116 28 MM25D-12-4848-036 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 49.60 119 23 MM25D-12-4848-037 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 72.00 120 35 MM25D-12-4848-038 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 75.00 122 29 MM25D-12-4848-039 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 48.90 122 17 MM25D-12-4848-040 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 53.30 122 6 MM25D-12-4848-041 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 48.47 126 23 MM25D-12-4848-042 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 72.00 127 35 MM25D-12-4848-043 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 51.10 129 17 MM25D-12-4848-044 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 55.00 129 6 MM25D-12-4848-045 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 49.60 133 25 MM25D-12-4848-046 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 60.00 136 6 MM25D-12-4848-047 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 52.30 137 18 MM25D-12-4848-048 Austin 435845 5646714 -150 51.80 142 25 MM25D-12-4848-049 Austin 435845 5646714 -151 67.50 143 6 MM25D-12-4848-050 Austin 435844 5646714 -151 55.30 145 18 MM25D-12-4848-051 Austin 435844 5646713 -151 96.00 150 6 DISCUSSION The Austin zone is currently accessed through the Madsen Mine West Portal. Like the other mineralized domains that comprise the Madsen Mine, the Austin structures are hosted within broad, kilometer-scale planar alteration and deformation corridors that have been repeatedly reactivated during gold mineralization and subsequent deformation and metamorphism. At the deposit scale the Austin, South Austin, North Austin, and McVeigh Zones are locally folded and structurally dismembered by transposition and rotation into the penetrative S2 Foliation. In addition to this intense deformation overprint, the mineralized veins and alteration have been subjected to the relatively high temperatures of amphibolite facies metamorphism, which led to extensive recrystallization and growth of the skarn-like replacement mineral assemblage of diopside-amphibole-quartz-biotite. All significant gold mineralization on the mine property is demonstrably early relative to the most significant, penetrative deformation (D2) and metamorphic events. The North Austin Zone displays mine-style alteration and mineralization and consists of multiple mineralized domains defined over a strike length of 0.5km. Mineralization remains open at depth and along strike to the northeast. In drill core, or at underground face exposures, gold-bearing zones at the Madsen Mine are best identified visually by fine (sub-millimetre) grains of free gold within strong alteration and veining. All high-grade intervals generally contain visible gold on drill core exteriors, although numerous examples exist of high-grade assays where visible gold was only identified within the interior (cut surface) of the core samples. Apart from the presence of free gold, pervasive silicification (locally accompanied by discrete quartz veining) and quartz-carbonate or diopside veining are the best indicators that a given interval is within a high-grade zone along/within the mineralized structure. The current underground drilling program at the Madsen Mine is focused on further definition of near-term mining inventory, as well as growth of the current mineral resource. Drilling has been focused on the more continuous and higher-grade portions of the Austin, South Austin, North Austin and McVeigh Zones. This will continue to be the strategy through 2025. High resolution versions of all the figures contained in this press release can be found at the following web address: https://westredlakegold.com/april-2025-nr-figures/. FIGURE 1. Madsen Mine long section showing location of 12-4848 Drill Bay in the Austin Zone.[1] [1] Mineral resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.38 g/t Au and a gold price of US1,800/oz. Please refer to the technical report entitled NI 43-101 Technical Report and Prefeasibility Study for the Madsen Mine, Ontario, Canada, prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. and dated January 7, 2025. A full copy of the SRK report is available on the Companys website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. FIGURE 2. Austin plan view drill section showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-001 through -051.[1] FIGURE 3. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-001, -013 and-014. FIGURE 4. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-002 and -015 through -018. FIGURE 5. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-003 and -019 through -021. FIGURE 6. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-004 and -022 through -025. FIGURE 7. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-005, -026 and -027. FIGURE 8. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-006 and -028 through -031. FIGURE 9. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-031 through -033 and -035. FIGURE 10. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-007 and -036 through -040. https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b56c90d-674e-4c26-a684-873f1c068b07 FIGURE 11. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-008 and -041 through -044. https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ea14978c-bc48-4324-bd70-cfb8b7238cc8 FIGURE 12. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-009, -010 and -045 through -047. https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6dae22ce-e575-4a6c-b2ee-ccbb16ab2bf3 FIGURE 13. Austin section view showing assay highlights for Holes MM25D-12-4848-011, -012 and -048 through -051. QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL Drilling completed underground at the Madsen Mine consists of BQ-sized diamond drill core for definition drill programs and oriented NQ-sized diamond drill core for exploration focused drilling. All drill holes are systematically logged, photographed, and sampled by a trained geologist at the Madsen Mine core processing facility. Minimum allowable sample length is 0.5m. Maximum allowable sample length is 1.5m. Control samples (certified standards and uncertified blanks), along duplicates, are inserted at a target 5% insertion rate. Results are assessed for accuracy, precision, and contamination on an ongoing basis. The BQ-sized drill core is whole core sampled. The NQ-sized drill core is then cut lengthwise utilizing a diamond blade core saw along a line pre-selected by the geologist. To reduce sampling bias, the same side of drill core is sampled consistently utilizing the orientation line as reference. For those samples containing visible gold (VG), a trained geologist supervises the cutting/bagging of those samples, and ensures the core saw blade is cleaned with a dressing stone following the VG sample interval. Bagged samples are then sealed with zip ties and transported by Madsen Mine personnel directly to SGS Natural Resources Facility in Red Lake, Ontario for assay. Samples are then prepped by SGS, which consists of drying at 105C and crushing to 75% passing 2mm. A riffle splitter is then utilized to produce a 500g course reject for archive. The remainder of the sample is then pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns from which 50g is analyzed by fire assay and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish (SGS Code GO-FAA50V10). Samples returning gold values > 100 g/t Au are reanalyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish on a 50g sample (SGS Code GO_FAG50V). Samples with visible gold are also analyzed via metallic screen analysis (SGS code: GO_FAS50M). For multi-element analysis, samples are sent to SGSs facility in Burnaby, British Columbia and analyzed via four-acid digest with an atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) finish for 33-element analysis on 0.25g sample pulps (SGS code: GE_ICP40Q12). SGS Natural Resources analytical laboratories operates under a Quality Management System that complies with ISO/IEC 17025. The Madsen Mine deposit presently hosts a National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) Indicated resource of 1.65 million ounces (Moz) of gold grading 7.4 g/t Au and an Inferred resource of 0.37 Moz of gold grading 6.3 g/t Au. Mineral resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.38 g/t Au and a gold price of US$1,800/oz. Mineral resources as stated are inclusive of mineral reserves. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Madsen Mine also contains Probable reserves of 478 thousand ounces (koz) of gold grading 8.16 g/t Au. Mineral reserve estimates are based on a gold price of US$1,680/oz. Please refer to the technical report entitled NI 43-101 Technical Report and Prefeasibility Study for the Madsen Mine, Ontario, Canada, prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. and dated January 7, 2025 (the Madsen Report). The Madsen Resource Estimate has an effective date of December 31, 2021 and excludes depletion of mining activity during the period from January 1, 2022 to the mine closure on October 24, 2022 as it has been deemed immaterial and not relevant for the purpose of the Madsen Report. A full copy of the Madsen Report is available on the Companys website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Will Robinson, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for West Red Lake Gold and the Qualified Person for exploration at the West Red Lake Project, as defined by NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. ABOUT WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company that is publicly traded and focused on advancing and developing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and the associated 47 km2 highly prospective land package in the Red Lake district of Ontario. The highly productive Red Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario, Canada has yielded over 30 million ounces of gold from high-grade zones and hosts some of the world's richest gold deposits. WRLG also holds the wholly owned Rowan Property in Red Lake, with an expansive property position covering 31 km2 including three past producing gold mines - Rowan, Mount Jamie, and Red Summit. https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dde1c663-3396-4028-9fff-ea7996293e3a ON BEHALF OF WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES LTD. Shane Williams Shane Williams President & Chief Executive Officer FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Gwen Preston Vice President Communications Tel: (604) 609-6132 Email: investors@wrlgold.com or visit the Companys website at https://www.westredlakegold.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 STATEMENT AND FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information generally can be identified by words such as anticipate, expect, estimate, forecast, planned, and similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information is based on current expectations of management; however, it is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this news release and include without limitation, the results of the PFS, including, but not limited to, the anticipated post-tax NPV and IRR at the Madsen Mine, the anticipated average annual production and cash flow, the anticipated Madsen Mine start date, the probability of the additional opportunities to be able to convert more resource into reserves, the process plant gold recovery estimates, the anticipated number of people that will be employed to restart the Madsen Mine, the anticipated development and management of the Madsen Mine tailings, the remaining expenditure requirements, the projected sustaining capital requirements, the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates relating to the PFS, the operational and economic results of the PFS, including grade or quality of mineral deposits, and the LOM projections and estimates and the Companys future objectives and plans. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking information. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, market volatility; the state of the financial markets for the Companys securities; fluctuations in commodity prices; timing and results of the cleanup and recovery at the Madsen Mine; and changes in the Companys business plans. Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions, including without limitation, the accuracy and reliability of technical data, forecasts, estimates and studies, including the PFS; estimates of mineral resources and mineral reserves; anticipated costs and expenditures; future results of operations; ability to satisfy power infrastructure; availability and ability to procure personnel, machinery, supplies, and equipment from local sources where possible; the characteristics of the Madsen Mine; tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the Madsen Mine; the relationship between the Company and the local communities and its business partners; ability to operate in a safe and effective manner; the success of exploration, development and processing activities; that the Company will continue with its stated business objectives and its ability to raise additional capital to proceed. 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 information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Additional information about risks and uncertainties is contained in the Companys managements discussion and analysis for the year ended November 30, 2023, and the Companys annual information form for the year ended November 30, 2023, copies of which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking information contained herein is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking information reflects managements current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Companys continuous disclosure filings that are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/59588418-db96-49ea-a80a-829ed4cf9552 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba052246-bf39-4d9e-8ffe-2cae8879fe6b https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/60301d6f-15a9-4e36-ae21-9d9a85db54e1 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5a7f2cdd-ce92-45a7-bb1a-c8d6b459805d https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d7279ac7-ea30-48ed-acd9-b31fdbdca0af https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/18d57b64-e090-462d-b53e-c36495aa9e4e https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8eb2e20e-6435-4f40-936f-4b81b63f3ecb https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e9eb770-8783-47d8-b17a-8eb5e4657ee7 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c1dfc837-94d5-4b11-b074-46dcdcb204b1 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/228da48d-ddb1-4f29-869a-4685d97276c6 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b56c90d-674e-4c26-a684-873f1c068b07 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ea14978c-bc48-4324-bd70-cfb8b7238cc8 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6dae22ce-e575-4a6c-b2ee-ccbb16ab2bf3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dde1c663-3396-4028-9fff-ea7996293e3a Dublin, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "mRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Industry Trends and Global Forecasts to 2035, by Application Area, Target Disease Indication (Influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection and Cytomegalovirus Diseases) and Geographical Regions" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global mRNA vaccine and therapeutics market is estimated to be worth USD 1.99 billion by 2035, primarily driven by the anticipated approval of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics intended for the treatment of infectious diseases. In recent years, mRNA technology has revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry to prevent and treat a wide array of diseases and disorders. The success of COVID-19 vaccines has paved the path for mRNA vaccines and therapeutics. It is worth highlighting that, in the past few years, more than 170 clinical trials related to mRNA-based therapeutics / vaccines have been registered. Multiple preclinical and clinical studies show the efficacy of these platforms which have been published in the last two years across different research articles. This demonstrates the extensive development efforts being undertaken by stakeholders in this domain. At present, over 45 industry players are engaged in the development of mRNA drug candidates for a wide range of disease indications. The success of COVID-19 vaccines, growing research activity and the rich pipeline of mRNA drug candidates is likely to drive the global mRNA vaccine and therapeutics market in the coming decade. Several indications, such as Influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Cytomegalovirus, are the Expected to Drive the mRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Based on the application area, the market is segmented into COVID-19 and other indications. Owing to their proven efficacy against the COVID-19 infection, the vaccines and therapeutics developed for COVID-19 infection have captured the majority of the market share. However, the anticipated approval of mRNA vaccines for other indications is likely to drive the market in the coming decade. Currently, Influenza Segment Occupies the Largest Share of the mRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Based on the target disease indication, the market is segmented into influenza, respiratory syncytial virus infection and cytomegalovirus diseases. It is worth highlighting that the vaccines and therapeutics developed for influenza are likely to drive the market in the coming decade. This can be attributed to the rise in investment in the research and development of influenza vaccines, along with growing awareness among governments and non-profit organizations about the importance of influenza prevention and control. North America Accounts for the Largest Share of the Market Based on key geographical regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Rest of the World. It is worth highlighting that the market for North America holds the maximum share of the mRNA vaccines and therapeutics market. This trend is likely to remain the same in the coming decade. mRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market: Key Insights The report delves into the current state of the mRNA vaccine and therapeutics market and identifies potential growth opportunities within the industry. Some key findings from the report include: Presently, over 235 mRNA drug candidates are available in the market or under development; majority of these drug candidates are vaccines using lipid nanoparticles as delivery systems. The pipeline features several drugs, which are being investigated across different phases of development; 60% of the drug candidates are designed to be administered via intramuscular routes. The current market landscape of mRNA vaccine and therapeutics developers is fragmented, featuring the presence of both new entrants and established players; majority of these players are based in the US. Stakeholders are actively upgrading their existing capabilities to further enhance their respective product pipeline and comply with the evolving industry benchmarks. The growing interest of stakeholders is evident from the surge in partnership activity; clinical trial agreements emerged as the most prevalent partnership model adopted by drug developers. Several investors, having realized the opportunity within this upcoming segment, have invested over USD 11 billion across various funding rounds. More than 345,000 patients have been recruited / enrolled in clinical trials registered for various mRNA-based therapies, across different geographies. Over 430 patents related to mRNA vaccine and therapeutics have been filed / granted by industry and non-industry stakeholders, indicating the growing intellectual capital in this domain. Big pharma players have undertaken several initiatives, ranging from proprietary product development to strategic investments, to tap the lucrative opportunity in this rapidly growing market. The projected opportunity for mRNA vaccine and therapeutics market is likely to be driven by the increasing research and development for mRNA-based drugs focused on non-COVID indications. Some Key Players in the mRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market include: Arcturus Therapeutics BioNTech CureVac Ethris IMMORNA Moderna Providence Therapeutics RNACure Suzhou Abogen Biosciences Turn Biotechnologies Gennova Innovac Therapeutics Kernal Biologics Pantherna Therapeutics pHion Therapeutics Recode Therapeutics Rejuvenation Technologies RNAimmune Strand Therapeutics Walvax Ziphius Vaccines Primary Research Overview The opinions and insights presented in this study were influenced by discussions conducted with multiple stakeholders. The research report features detailed transcripts of interviews held with the following industry stakeholders: Business Development Manager, Canvax Senior Director, Business Development, eTheRNA Team Leader, GC Biopharma mRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market: Research Coverage Market Sizing and Opportunity Analysis Market Landscape (Drug Therapies) Market Landscape (Drug Developers): Company Competitiveness Analysis Company Profiles Big Pharma Analysis Start-up Health Indexing Clinical Trial Analysis Funding and Investment Analysis Patent Analysis Market Impact Analysis Key Topics Covered: 1. Preface 2. Research Methodology 3. Economic And Other Project Specific Considerations 4. Executive Summary 5. Introduction 6. Market Landscape 7. Competitive Landscape 8. Company Competitiveness Analysis 9. Company Profiles 10. Big Pharma Initiatives 11. Start-Up Health Indexing 12. Clinical Trial Analysis 13. Partnerships And Collaborations 14. Funding And Investment Analysis 15. Patent Analysis 16. Market Impact Analysis: Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities And Challenges 17. Global MRNA Vaccine And Therapeutics Market 18. MRNA Vaccine And Therapeutics Market, By Application Area 19. MRNA Vaccine And Therapeutics Market, By Target Disease Indication 20. MRNA Vaccine And Therapeutics Market, By Geographical Regions 21. Conclusion 22. Executive Insights 23. Appendix 1: Tabulated Data 24. Appendix 2: List Of Companies And Organizations Additional Benefits Complimentary PPT Insights Packs Complimentary Excel Data Packs for all Analytical Modules in the Report 10% Free Content Customization Detailed Report Walkthrough Session with Research Team Free Updated report if the report is 6-12 months old or older For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gufcsg 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. Attachments 15,039 vehicles were delivered in March 2025, increasing by 26.7% year-over-year 42,094 vehicles were delivered in the three months ended March 2025, increasing by 40.1% year-over-year Cumulative deliveries reached 713,658 as of March 31, 2025 SHANGHAI, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NIO Inc. (NYSE: NIO; HKEX: 9866; SGX: NIO) (NIO or the Company), a pioneer and a leading company in the global smart electric vehicle market, today announced its March and first quarter 2025 delivery results. The Company delivered 15,039 vehicles in March 2025, representing an increase of 26.7% year-over-year. The deliveries consisted of 10,219 vehicles from the Companys premium smart electric vehicle brand NIO, and 4,820 vehicles from the Companys family-oriented smart electric vehicle brand ONVO. The Company delivered 42,094 vehicles in the first quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 40.1% year-over-year. Cumulative deliveries reached 713,658 as of March 31, 2025. We started deliveries of the NIO ET9, our smart electric executive flagship, in late March 2025. As the epitome of NIOs full-stack technologies and industry-leading innovations, the ET9 sets a new benchmark for executive smart electric vehicles. Designed to meet users expectations for innovation and technology in an executive flagship, the ET9 redefines the standard for executive travel with an unparalleled flagship experience. About NIO Inc. NIO Inc. is a pioneer and a leading company in the global smart electric vehicle market. Founded in November 2014, NIO aspires to shape a sustainable and brighter future with the mission of Blue Sky Coming. NIO envisions itself as a user enterprise where innovative technology meets experience excellence. NIO designs, develops, manufactures and sells smart electric vehicles, driving innovations in next-generation core technologies. NIO distinguishes itself through continuous technological breakthroughs and innovations, exceptional products and services, and a community for shared growth. NIO provides premium smart electric vehicles under the NIO brand, family-oriented smart electric vehicles through the ONVO brand, and small smart high-end electric cars with the FIREFLY brand. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains statements that may constitute forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as will, expects, anticipates, aims, future, intends, plans, believes, estimates, likely to and similar statements. NIO may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), in its annual report to shareholders, in announcements, circulars or other publications made on the websites of each of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the SEHK) and the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the SGX-ST), in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about NIOs beliefs, plans and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: NIOs strategies; NIOs future business development, financial condition and results of operations; NIOs ability to develop and manufacture vehicles of sufficient quality and appeal to customers on schedule and on a large scale; its ability to ensure and expand manufacturing capacities including establishing and maintaining partnerships with third parties; its ability to provide convenient and comprehensive power solutions to its customers; the viability, growth potential and prospects of the battery swapping, BaaS, and NIO Assisted and Intelligent Driving and its subscription services; its ability to improve the technologies or develop alternative technologies in meeting evolving market demand and industry development; NIOs ability to satisfy the mandated safety standards relating to motor vehicles; its ability to secure supply of raw materials or other components used in its vehicles; its ability to secure sufficient reservations and sales of its vehicles; its ability to control costs associated with its operations; its ability to build its current and future brands; general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in NIOs filings with the SEC and the announcements and filings on the websites of each of the SEHK and SGX-ST. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and NIO does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. For more information, please visit: http://ir.nio.com Investor Relations ir@nio.com Media Relations global.press@nio.com PASADENA, Calif., April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As AI transforms the world of work, educators and employers are joining forces to cultivate the one advantage machines cant replicate: human ingenuity. Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries at breakneck speed, leaving traditional education scrambling to keep pace. As automation transforms entire job categories, employers arent just looking for tech expertisetheyre prioritizing capabilities like critical thinking, adaptability, and collaboration. The future of work lies in experiential learning, where learners dont just study AIthey use it to solve real problems in real companies, said Daniel Nivern, CEO of Virtual Internships. A global leader in remote internships, Virtual Internships enables learners to develop both digital fluency and the interpersonal skills that technology cannot replace. The need has never been more urgent. As the Business-Higher Education Forum (2024) reports, 83 million jobs may be displaced by 2028, but 69 million new roles will emergemany demanding hybrid human-AI collaboration. Skills That AI Cant Replace The growing shift toward skills-based hiring has pushed core human skills into the spotlight. A 2024 McKinsey report notes that AI is reshaping entry-level jobs, automating routine tasks, and opening up roles that demand human ingenuity. However, these capabilities are not developed in lecture halls. Learners need immersive environments to practice collaboration, data analysis, and decision-making alongside AI tools. In one internal study, critical thinking competencies rose from 20% to 94% in learners who completed remote internships through the Virtual Internships program (Unlocking Career Readiness Report, Virtual Internships, 2024). Real-World AI Experience, Anywhere in the World AI fluency is no longer a luxuryit's a necessity. According to Microsoft and LinkedIn, AI hiring has surged by over 300% since 2016. Virtual Internships connects learners with companies across 80+ countries, offering real-world experiences that prepare them to use AI in meaningful ways. These internships dont just expose learners to new techthey build the kind of cross-functional, strategic thinking that makes employees valuable from day one. For instance, Abdulelah Rajeh, a University of the People student, interned remotely with ZirconTech, an IT company that specializes in providing digital transformation services through custom-made web and mobile software solutions. Abdulelah pioneered the use of Hugging Face models to detect unattended luggage in crowded terminals and identify harassment language in digital communications. We've had the opportunity to work with incredible interns from around the world, supporting real-world AI projects across industries. Abdulelahs work not only had a direct impact on our AI research but also led him to mentor other interns to continue his work. Today, hes a full-time member of our team, helping drive innovation at the intersection of AI and Web3 technologies. - Martin Machin Cladera, Managing Partner, ZirconTech. The Role of Educators and Employers in an AI-Ready Workforce We often hear from employers that students have learned to be really good accountants, engineers, etc., with the knowledge they have developed at university and college, but they dont always have the soft skills that they need to be able to contribute to the workplace, to collaborate, problem solve, and more. Thats where internships come in. - David Armstrong, Former President of Broward College, USA. As the workplace evolves, educational institutions face a clear imperative: rethink how learners are prepared for fast-changing roles. Experiential learning solutions can provide this experience, preparing learners for the workplace and simultaneously benefitting companies. Living in Yemen, I never imagined working for a foreign company due to the political challenges and the way others perceive us as a third-world country. However, Virtual Internships allowed me to prove that an individual's potential is not defined by their country's circumstances. I even ended up with a job offer from my host company! - Abdulelah Rajeh, University of the People student who interned at ZirconTech. A Human-Centered Future of Work AI will undoubtedly change the way we workbut it wont replace the need for curiosity, empathy, and creative problem-solving. Work-based learning is the key to nurturing these irreplaceable qualities. Now is the time to invest in meaningful, human-centered work experiences, said Daniel Nivern, CEO of Virtual Internships. By giving learners a chance to work with AI, were not just preparing them for the futurewere ensuring they help shape it. Get Involved Companies : Host remote interns tailored to your business needs with zero cost and maximum impact: Sign up here : Host remote interns tailored to your business needs with zero cost and maximum impact: Educators: Offer scalable, customizable internship access to 100% of your learners: Sign up here US & Canada, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new comprehensive report from The Insight Partners, the global Aircraft Floor Panel Market Size and Forecast (2021 - 2031), Global and Regional Share, Trend, and Growth Opportunity Analysis Report Coverage: By Aircraft Type (Narrow Body Aircraft, Wide Body Aircraft, General Aviation, and Others), Material Type (Aluminum Honeycomb and Nomex Honeycomb), Application (Commercial Aviation and Military Aviation), End Use (OEMs and Aftermarket), and Geography. For More Information and To Stay Updated on The Latest Developments in The Aircraft Floor Panel Market, Download The Sample Pages: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00006437/ The report runs an in-depth analysis of market trends, key players, and future opportunities. The increasing number of MRO activities in emerging economies, the growing number of general aviation aircraft and helicopter deliveries, and the rising number of orders and production of narrow body aircraft are some of the major drivers of market growth. For Detailed Aircraft Floor Panel Market Insights, Visit: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/aircraft-floor-panel-market Market Overview and Growth Trajectory: Aircraft Floor Panel Market Growth: The aircraft floor panel market is expected to reach US$ 1,027.33 million by 2031 from US$ 649.35 million in 2024; it is expected to record a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. Aircraft floor panels are an essential part of the structural design of narrow-body aircraft, providing both strength and support while ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers. Boeing 737's aircraft floor panel structure is made of aluminum honeycomb and other composite materials. Aluminum honeycomb has a lower cost compared to aramid. The Gill Corporation produces both BMS 4-17 and BMS 4-23 panels used in B737 passenger cabin and main-deck freighter applications. EnCore Group delivers floor panels for the Boeing 737. EnCore floor panels are manufactured from various raw materials, including aluminum, Kevlar cores, and Nomex, with fiberglass and carbon skins. These panels are typically made of materials that combine strength, durability, and weight-saving characteristics, such as aluminum alloys, composite materials, or a combination of both. Aircraft floor panels serve as the foundation for the cabin, where seating, cargo, and other elements are mounted. An increase in the adoption of narrow-body aircraft by several airlines has created a massive demand for aircraft floor panels for these aircraft. Rising Number of Orders and Production of Narrow Body Aircraft: The aerospace industry has developed rapidly over the years, recording numerous aircraft production and deliveries. This has demonstrated massive order volumes for various commercial aircraft manufacturers across the globe. Commercial aviation is anticipated to surge with increased air travel passengers and aircraft volumes in the coming years. The increase in orders of narrow-body passenger and commercial aircraft across the globe drives the demand for aircraft components and aircraft assemblies. As the number of air travel passengers increases, airlines focus on expanding to more remote locations by launching routes to smaller city airports. This is further propelling the need for new commercial and cargo aircraft. In 2023, Boeing and Greater Bay Airlines (GBA) received an order for 15 units of 737-9 airplanes. The agreement also incorporates a pledge for five 787 Dreamliners to support GBA's long-term strategy to introduce international long-haul service. Stay Updated on The Latest Aircraft Floor Panel Market Trends: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00006437/ Upcoming Aircraft Deliveries: The upcoming commercial and military aircraft deliveries is one of the major factors likely to generate new opportunities for market vendors in the coming years. For instance, according to Airbus' GMF (Global Market Forecasts 2024), more than 42,400 new commercial aircraft are expected to be delivered worldwide during 20242043. Similarly, according to Boeing's CMO (Commercial Market Outlook 2024), more than 43,900 commercial aircraft are likely to be delivered worldwide by the end of 2043. Such a large volume of aircraft deliveries is expected to generate new demand for different types of aircraft floor panels for various commercial aircraft models. Retrofitting of Older Aircraft Fleet: Retrofitting facilitates passenger comfort and safety and helps the airlines maintain their older fleets. One substantial example is Air India's aircraft retrofit program in 2024. This initiative will focus on cabin retrofits across its legacy widebody fleets and some narrow body aircraft. The goal is to modernize the passenger experience and ensure that the aircraft meets current comfort and safety standards. Air India is targeting retrofitting over 100 planes, including 40 wide body planes, and has ordered ~25,000 aircraft seats as part of revamping the fleet. Continuous advancements in aircraft technologies are ensuing in the upgrade of MRO capabilities. MRO service companies are continuously seeking upgrades and purchasing newer technologies in order to service the newer aircraft as well as retrofit the advanced technologies on the older aircraft fleets. This factor is compelling the airlines to opt for MRO activities frequently, facilitating the MRO service providers to offer the airlines to retrofit the aircraft fleet with newer technologies. Thus, the integration of advanced and modern technologies into older aircraft fleets is expected to bring new trends into the aircraft floor panel market in the coming years. Geographical Insights: In 2024, North America led the market with a substantial revenue share, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific, respectively. Asia Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Aircraft Floor Panel Market Segmentation, Applications, Geographical Insights: Based on aircraft type, the aircraft floor panel market is segmented into narrow-body aircraft, wide body aircraft, general aviation, and others. The narrow-body aircraft segment held the largest market share in 2024. Based on material type, the aircraft floor panel market, is divided into aluminum honeycomb and Nomex honeycomb. The Nomex honeycomb segment held a larger share of the market in 2024. Based on application, the aircraft floor panel market is divided into commercial aviation and military aviation. The commercial aviation segment held a larger share of the market in 2024 Based on end use, the aircraft floor panel market, is divided into OEMs and aftermarket. The OEMs segment held a larger share of the market in 2024. Need A Diverse Region or Sector? Customize Research to Suit Your Requirement: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/inquiry/TIPRE00006437/ Key Players and Competitive Landscape: The Aircraft Floor Panel Market is characterized by the presence of several major players, including: Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd Collins Aerospace Safran Triumph Group Inc Latecoere SA The Gill Corporation Nordam Group LLC Aeropair Ltd. The Boeing Co. VINCORION Advanced Systems GmbH JCB Aero Jones Metal Products Geven Spa LMI Aerospace Eco Earth Solutions Euro Composite SA These companies are adopting strategies such as new product launches, joint ventures, and geographical expansion to maintain their competitive edge in the market. Aircraft Floor Panel Market Recent Developments and Innovations: " Comtek Advanced Structures Ltd won a design-build contract for composite floors on the De Havilland Aircraft. The Gill Corporation won contract extension from Boeing to supply fabricated floor panel assemblies. The Gill Corporation introduced Gillfab 5433F. Purchase Premium Copy of Global Aircraft Floor Panel Market Size and Growth Report (2025-2031) at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00006437/ Conclusion: The global aircraft floor panel market is segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM). The global air passenger traffic is rising at a constant pace, which has forced the airlines to increase their flight movements and introduce new aircraft. The aircraft floor panel market involves the manufacturing and supply of panels used in the construction and design of aircraft floors. These panels play a crucial role in ensuring structural integrity, safety, and comfort within the aircraft, and they are designed to withstand various stresses, vibrations, and environmental conditions. Airline operators depend on MRO services to ensure the safety of the aircraft and enhance fuel efficiency. The aircraft floor panel market is mainly driven by the increasing demand for aircraft MRO services and rising aircraft sales worldwide. Aircraft MRO spending reached US$ 104 billion in 2024 and is predicted to reach US$ 124 billion by 2034. The aircraft MRO service companies are using lightweight aircraft floor panels to enhance aircraft fuel efficiency. APAC is anticipated to witness growth in the aviation industry, particularly in India and China. The government of China and various organizations are focused on building new airports. For instance, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) aims to build 216 new airports by 2035 to meet the growing demands for air travel, which will fuel the aircraft floor panel market growth. In the near future, Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries in the Rest of APAC are likely to be the major global markets for aircraft floor panels. The aviation industry in Asia Pacific is a pivotal contributor to its social and economic development. Numerous global players are expanding their MRO facilities across APAC. For instance, in July 2022, Safran AB (one of the leading suppliers of key aircraft components, including landing gear, wheels and brakes, and wiring) announced an investment of US$ 305 million in India to expand its MRO activities in the region. A rise in air passenger traffic drives the aircraft floor panel market in North America. The North American aviation industry is likely to continue generating relatively higher profits from the US owing to the continuity of air travel. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) analysis, in 2022, US airlines carried more than 194 million passengers per year, with more than 20,000 flights per day and ~500 million passengers traveling every year by air. The North American aviation industry is dominated by several leading aircraft manufacturers, including Airbus SE, Lockheed Martin Corporation, The Boeing Company, General Dynamics Corporation, and Textron Inc. These aircraft manufacturers rely on suppliers for aircraft floor panels. The Gill Corporation, Collins Aerospace, Comtek Advanced Structures, and Triumph Group are the leading suppliers of aircraft floor panels in North America. Several Airbus and Boeing aircraft models have been fitted with the Gill Corporation's aircraft floor panels. For instance, in August 2022, The Gill Corporation (TGC) awarded a contract to produce fabricated floor panels for Boeing 777, 777X, and 787 programs. The Europe aircraft floor panels market is growing at a rapid pace. The market growth can be attributed to the increasing air travel and rising use of MRO services with growing flying hours. Furthermore, the market in Europe is shaped by various inorganic strategies employed by market players, such as partnerships. These collaborations help establish relationships with other suppliers and enable companies to strengthen their market position. The expansion of MRO service offerings by major players in Europe is expected to create ample opportunity for the aircraft floor panel market during the forecast period. For instance, in October 2024, Revima, an independent MRO provider, launched MRO services in Europe. The markets in the Middle East and Africa and South America are growing owing to the increasing investments by the airlines to procure new aircraft. For instance, in September 2024, Brazil's airline Total Linhas Aereas, a small cargo and charter airline, procured C919 aircraft from China's COMAC. Further, in May 2024, Saudi Arabia's airline placed an order for 105 Airbus airplanes. The order consists of 12 A320 Neo and 93 A321 Neo aircraft. These aircraft consist of The Gill Corporation's aluminum honeycomb and composite honeycomb aircraft floor panels. Related Report Titles: About Us: The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials. Contact Us: If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us: Contact Person: Ankit Mathur E-mail: ankit.mathur@theinsightpartners.com Phone: +1-646-491-9876 Press Release: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/pr/aircraft-floor-panel-market DALLAS, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Restb.ai , the real estate industrys leader in AI-powered computer vision technology, continues its rapid expansion by serving 10 additional Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) throughout the US. With these new integrations, over 45,000 thousand more real estate professionals will gain access to AI-driven tools that enhance property listings, streamline compliance, and improve the home search experience. Restb.ai technology reaches more than 800,000 agents and brokers across North America. These MLSs are embracing artificial intelligence to deliver real, tangible value to their members, said Dominik Pogorzelski, President, MLS at Restb.ai. By deploying AI-powered solutions, they are reducing manual work for agents and ensuring more complete, accurate, and searchable property listings benefits that directly impact both agents and consumers. MLSs that are bringing for the first time advanced Restb.ai technology to their members/subscribers include: Mid-America Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MARIS) Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Mid-America Regional Information Systems (MARIS) is a regional MLS in the heart of the Midwest with a mission of providing an orderly marketplace of cooperation and compensation for participants through a common database of real estate information. Established in 1995, MARIS supports over 15,000 subscribers in 14 Associations covering 67 counties. MIBOR Broker Listing Cooperative The MIBOR Broker Listing Cooperative (BLC) is the engine that powers the local real estate market. By providing best-in-class listing services to members in 17 counties throughout central Indiana, the BLC empowers REALTORS to facilitate transactions with timely, accurate, and reliable listing information, which creates an efficient marketplace. Owned by the MIBOR REALTOR Association, founded in 1912, MIBOR proudly represents more than 10,000 real estate professionals in central Indiana. All Jersey MLS (formerly CJMLS) ALL JERSEY MLS , formerly known as Central Jersey MLS, is New Jerseys most comprehensive real estate resource, with statewide listing services covering the entire state of New Jersey. All Jersey MLS provides premier business solutions to appraisal and real estate professionals statewide. Maine Listings Maine Listings , a subsidiary of the Maine Association of REALTORS, is the states official Multiple Listing Service, providing over 6,900 real estate professionals with comprehensive property data, compliance tools, and advanced listing solutions to enhance accuracy and market transparency. Montana Regional MLS Montana Regional MLS serves real estate professionals covering Central and Western Montana from the Rocky Mountains to the Idaho state line. With the most up-to-date, accurate, and complete information on real estate for sale in Montana, the Montana Regional MLS is REALTOR owned. Capital Area Technology & REALTOR Services (CATRS - Tallahassee Board of REALTORS) CATRS is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tallahassee Board of REALTORS . It serves real estate professionals in the states capital and surrounding area by providing resources and opportunities to support their success. Bryan-College Station Multiple Listing Service The Bryan-College Station MLS , wholly owned by the Bryan-College Station Regional Association of REALTORS, serves as the primary MLS for the region with approximately 1,800 subscribers and over 3,000 listings on the market. Vail Multi-List Service (VMLS) The Vail Multi-List Service serves real estate professionals throughout Colorado's entire Vail Valley market. VMLS is recognized as the most accurate source for local real estate data and market analysis tools and provides relevant technology and accurate accessible data to its members. St. Augustine & St. Johns County Board of REALTORS Founded in 1964, the St. Augustine & St. Johns County Board of REALTORS is a member of the National Association of REALTORS, whose core purpose is to help its members become more profitable and successful. The association provides its members access to a wide range of value-added offers as well as significant savings on products and services they use daily. Longview Area Association of REALTORS The Longview Area Association of REALTORS (LAAR) has been a cornerstone of professionalism and integrity in the East Texas real estate industry since its formation. LAAR is committed to supporting its members with cutting-edge tools, expert guidance, and strong advocacy for private property rights. MLSs adopting AI arent just improving efficiency. Theyre setting the foundation to power future real estate technology, said Nathan Brannen, Chief Product Officer at Restb.ai. This expansion is another step toward a smarter, more streamlined industry where AI helps agents focus on what they do best: serving home buyers and sellers. More information about Restb.ai MLS software solutions is here - restb.ai/customers/MLS . About Restb.ai Restb.ai , the leader in AI-powered computer vision for real estate, provides image recognition and data enrichment solutions for many of the industry's top brands and leading innovators. Its advanced AI-powered technology automatically analyzes property imagery to unlock visual insights at scale that empower real estate companies with relevant and actionable property intelligence. Its proprietary artificial intelligence technology transforms property imagery into actionable insights, helping clients unlock new value from visual data and providing deep insight into each of the 1 million property photos uploaded daily. For more information on Restb.ai, visit its website . For Restb.ai-related media inquiries, please contact Maya Makarem at contact@restb.ai or maya@restb.ai or Kevin Hawkins at 1-206-866-1220 or kevin@wavgroup.com . Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b657c390-46bc-4a81-8845-a02d7a1223d2 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e24dad74-069d-4ae1-9c37-7f3d5b486563 CHICAGO, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nominations are now open for the 2025 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards . The annual awards program recognizes exceptional efforts in preserving, restoring and revitalizing historic places in Illinois. Nominations are due June 1, 2025, and can be submitted online here . Historic places have the power to connect us and to create shared identity and pride around Illinois rich and diverse history, said Bonnie McDonald, President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois. We invite individuals and communities to nominate people and projects reflecting extraordinary efforts to restore and repurpose these important spaces, breathing new life into our main streets, fostering sustainable communities and ensuring that the stories of our past continue to shape our future. 2025 Award details Nine winners are selected each year through the Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. Award recipients will be honored at a public ceremony in Chicago in the fall. Details on the awards ceremony event will be announced at a later date. Awards are given in the following general categories: Advocacy: An effective local or statewide campaign to preserve and protect a historic resource. An effective local or statewide campaign to preserve and protect a historic resource. Leadership: An individual, municipality, private organization or joint partnership that has championed historic preservation, planning or public policy. An individual, municipality, private organization or joint partnership that has championed historic preservation, planning or public policy. Preservation: Projects that enable the continued use of historic commercial and industrial buildings, multi-family and affordable housing residences, public and institutional structures, or that preserve a cultural heritage site. Projects that enable the continued use of historic commercial and industrial buildings, multi-family and affordable housing residences, public and institutional structures, or that preserve a cultural heritage site. Environmental Sustainability: Mitigation of climate change through the use of preservation technologies. One of the 2025 selected award winners will also receive the Richard H. Driehaus Legacy Award, which honors the memory of the late Richard H. Driehaus. The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation has generously supported this annual awards program since 1994. The recipient of this esteemed award must demonstrate the immense power of preservation, following in the footsteps of Driehaus, who believed reusing places of our past creates positive change and motivates others to save important places. 2025 Nomination requirements Nominations submitted for a 2025 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award must be for projects or people located within Illinois. Projects must also have been completed within the last five years. Phased projects may be considered if the nominated phase is complete and can stand on its own merits. Buildings included in nominated preservation projects do not need to be officially designated as local or national landmarks. They should, however, be valued by residents and celebrated for their local history or culture. Nominations may be submitted in someones honor and/or without the nominee's knowledge. Self-nominations are also accepted. Previous year submissions not selected for an award may be revised and resubmitted for consideration as well. There is no fee to submit a nomination for the 2025 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. A jury of preservation professionals will review the nominations and determine the winners of this years awards. Judging criteria include the impact the project or person has had on the community, the creativity of the project, and how well it aligns with Landmarks Illinois mission and guiding principles . About Landmarks Illinois We are People Saving Places for People. Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based historic preservation nonprofit organization serving the people of Illinois. We inspire and empower stakeholders to save places that matter to them by providing free guidance, practical and financial resources and access to strategic partnerships. For more information, visit www.landmarks.org . ### Attachment HOUSTON, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Windy Hill Development , a pioneering land development company establishing master-planned communities and mixed-use commercial retail projects in the Greater Houston area, today announced Alex Ryan as the new Development Manager. Ryan brings extensive real estate acquisition, development, and financial analysis to the role. At Windy Hill Development, Ryan will conduct in-depth market, financial, and supply analyses and ultimately recommend new land tracts for development. At Windy Hill Development, we remain dedicated to meeting Houstons housing needs while strengthening our team with top talent in the development industry, said Randy Hall, CEO of Windy Hill Development. Alex Ryan brings a proven track record in evaluating real estate opportunitiesacross single-family, multi-family, and commercial propertiesalong with exceptional leadership skills honed through his distinguished military service. We welcome Alex to the team and look forward to the significant impact we'll make together. Ryan has extensive experience in real estate acquisition and development. He most recently worked as an acquisition and development associate at Venterra Realty, identifying high-potential land sites and providing investment recommendations. In previous roles at Vero Sade and CBRE, Ryan conducted financial analyses, managed consultants, and optimized asset valuation. He also worked as a residential real estate loan analyst at InterLinc Mortgage Services, supporting executive financial decision-making. Additionally, Ryan served as an Airborne Ranger Infantryman in the U.S. Army, executing multiple combat deployments and honing his leadership skills. He holds a Masters of Professional Studies in Real Estate from Georgetown University and a Bachelors of Science in Economics from the University of Houston. Im eager to join the Windy Hill Development team during this dynamic time in Houstons real estate market, Ryan said. With my background in development investments across multiple markets, I look forward to identifying strategic opportunities that advance Windy Hills mission. Im grateful to join this talented team and contribute to their visionary work creating communities that will serve Houston families for generations. Windy Hill Development currently has nine projects in active development, with more than 6,800 residential lots planned over more than 3,000 acres across Houston, including Alvin, Needville, Crosby, Huntsville, and Dayton, Texas. About Windy Hill Development Windy Hill Development, established in 2010 by Randy and Rachael Hall, stands at the forefront of creating master-planned communities alongside significant commercial and residential projects in the Greater Houston area. The Halls roots, stretching back to Texas's pivotal historical moments like the Alamo and the founding of Friendswood, inspire its vision to embody the spirit of Texas, known for its independence and strong sense of community, in every project. Collaborating with both local and national homebuilders, Windy Hill Development works to fulfill the ever-increasing demand for workforce housing while actively engaging with state and local government leaders to advocate for homeowners and the real estate industry. Learn more about Windy Hill Developments legacy and projects at https://windyhill.land/ . Media Contact: Carrie Ward, PR for Windy Hill Development 832-407-5347 carrie@hellobrightspot.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d0f1f2d9-727c-44c2-ae90-932f6caae427 Dallas, Texas, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From March 20-22, 2025, professionals boarded their planes and headed to Las Vegas for Parker Seminars, which was hosted at the Caesars Forum Event Center! Thousands of dedicated professionals heard from speakers, attended valuable, unique classes, and had the opportunity to check out the latest trends in the Expo Center. Ascend offered attendees an extraordinary three-day experience that helped them redefine career possibilities and set goals for the future. Featuring a world-class lineup of visionary speakers in business, human performance, healthcare, technology, and leadership, this years Ascend Innovate, Empower, Transform theme showcased modern healthcare practices and technology, as well as speakers who empower and motivate changes. With well-known keynote speakers like #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author and podcast host Jay Shetty, neuroscientist and globally recognized podcaster Andrew Huberman, leading industry advisor and podcaster Angela Duckworth, global leader Gary Vaynerchuk, master of client-centric view Richard Harris, and New York Times Best-Selling Author and podcaster Gabrielle Lyon, the Ascend seminar served as the largest and best event for professionals to earn valuable CE hours and stay current on trends, technology, and resources. Recognizing Chiropractic Industry Professionals During the seminar, several professionals were recognized for their notable contributions to the chiropractic industry. Parker Seminars extends their congratulations to the following award recipients: Patient of the Year Award - BJ Keepers Chiropractic Assistant of the Year Award - Raul Garcia DC of the Year Award - Dr. Richard Brown Heroes and Legends Award - Dr. Bobby Doscher The WCWC Women in Leadership Award Dr. Lisa Goodman With premier class tracks and special events like the Expo Extravaganza, book signings, the WCWC and CA Luncheons, the party at Drais Nightclub, and so much more, Parker Seminars Las Vegas is an annual educational event unlike any other. Check out the highlights here! Parker Seminars Upcoming 2025 Events If you missed this years event, no problem! Plan to attend in 2026! Go to parkerseminars.com to view all of Parker Seminars upcoming events, like those in Miami and Dallas later this year! Parker Seminars encourages everyone in the healthcare industry to attend these events so that together, professionals can continue healing the world through their specialized professions. About Parker Seminars Since 1951, Parker Seminars has hosted more than 430 seminars across the globe and trained more than 40,000 Doctors of Chiropractic and more than 200,000 chiropractic assistants. Parker Seminars embraces the entire profession, regardless of ones philosophy or techniques. Not only is it a place of inspiration, learning, networking, and motivation, but each seminar also offers a variety of continuing education options for both the Doctor of Chiropractic and chiropractic assistant. Parker Seminars invites everyone involved and interested in chiropractic to attend hoping that together, chiropractic will become the preeminent healing profession in the world. Get more information about Parker Seminars at parkerseminars.com. About Parker University Parker University, the fourth-fastest growing college in Texas and the fastest-growing college in Dallas, was founded in 1982 by Dr. James William Parker (formerly Parker College of Chiropractic). Today, Parker University has more than 2,100 students and more than 35 academic programs, including its renowned chiropractic program, as well as masters degrees in clinical neuroscience, strength and human performance, and functional nutrition. Currently, Parker University has the second-largest chiropractic cohort of any campus worldwide. Parker University has been recognized as an Honor Roll Institution by Great Colleges to Work For, one of the 25 Fastest-Growing Colleges in the U.S., as a recipient of the FutureEdge 50 Awards, and as a Best Texas Online College by Forbes. Attachment Las Vegas, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Las Vegas, Nevada - Kung Fu Thai & Chinese Restaurant is now showcasing the Best Orange Chicken in Las Vegas. Known for a wide selection of both Thai and Chinese dishes, the restaurant offers this particular dish as a must-try for food lovers. The Orange Chicken is made with fresh chicken breast, lightly battered and cooked in pure vegetable oil. It's then stir-fried with a homemade orange sauce. This dish features chunks of pineapple, white onion, carrot slices, and fresh oranges, creating a blend of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. Served alongside high-quality steamed Jasmine Rice, you can enjoy this meal for $17.50 and even customize it to one's taste. For more details about the Orange Chicken dish, visit https://www.kungfuplaza.com/entrees/chinese/346-orange-chicken. Alan Wong, representing the restaurant, shared his thoughts: "Our Orange Chicken is crafted using traditional methods and ingredients to guarantee authenticity. We want every bite to bring the flavors of Chinese cuisine to Las Vegas. We're thrilled that this dish resonates with our patrons, both new visitors and long-time fans." Kung Fu Thai & Chinese Restaurant offers a welcoming atmosphere for diners who prefer to eat in, while also providing reliable take-out and delivery services for those who want to enjoy their dishes at home or elsewhere. The restaurant's local dining experience, combined with an easy-to-use online ordering system available at their website, ensures eaters get quality ingredients and expertly crafted meals wherever they are. In addition to the Orange Chicken, the staff is dedicated to ensuring customer satisfaction through a broad range of offerings. "At Kung Fu Thai & Chinese Restaurant, the focus is on providing an enjoyable and memorable dining experience," said Wong. The menu covers a variety of options, including appetizers like crab rangoon and spring rolls, multiple entree choices, vegetarian dishes, and desserts like the popular mango sticky rice. Customers can make the most of weekly specials and discounts by visiting the restaurant's website and social media pages. The restaurant encourages guests to share their experiences and be part of an online community that celebrates authentic Thai and Chinese flavors. Kung Fu Thai & Chinese Restaurant also stands out through its collaborations with external platforms, accepting multiple currencies such as Euros and Pound Sterling due to the diverse clientele in Las Vegas. Gift certificates are also available, allowing patrons to share an unforgettable dining experience with their friends and family. In all, Kung Fu Thai & Chinese Restaurant is a key part of the Las Vegas dining scene, delivering traditional Asian cuisine with a diverse and thoughtfully planned menu. With popular dishes like the Orange Chicken drawing attention, the restaurant shows a strong commitment to both great cooking and customer satisfaction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxfsRvj8Eqs To learn more about what Kung Fu Thai & Chinese Restaurant has to offer and to dive into their celebrated Orange Chicken, check out their website at https://www.kungfuplaza.com/. ### For more information about Kung Fu Thai & Chinese Restaurant, contact the company here: Kung Fu Thai & Chinese Restaurant Alan Wong 702-247-4120 aw@kungfurestaurants.com 3505 S Valley View Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89103 DALLAS, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spine surgeon Dr. Michael Rimlawi is proud to announce the launch of the Dr. Michael Rimlawi Scholarship for Future Doctors, a prestigious award dedicated to supporting undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a career in medicine. This scholarship, awarded through a competitive essay contest, reflects Dr. Rimlawis deep commitment to education, innovation, and patient-centered care. The scholarship is open to students enrolled at accredited institutions who are passionate about becoming doctors. Applicants must submit an original essay responding to the prompt: What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine, and how do you hope to make a difference in the field? Dr. Rimlawis own journey into medicine was shaped by a personal experience. After suffering a back injury in college and struggling to find lasting relief through various treatments including chiropractic care, physical therapy, and traditional medicine, he was inspired to make a difference in spinal healthcare. He went on to invent and patent several minimally invasive spine surgery techniques, significantly improving outcomes. His inventions had the benefit of reducing post operative pain, small incisions, minimizing scar tissue, lower infection rates, minimal blood loss, and a quicker recovery time when compared to traditional spine surgery. As part of their essays, applicants are encouraged to share personal experiences whether their own or those of friends or family that have fueled their passion for improving the healthcare system. Submissions will be evaluated on originality, clarity, and alignment with Dr. Rimlawis values of medical innovation, excellence, and a drive to disrupt and improve healthcare. Dr. Rimlawis dedication to philanthropy extends beyond scholarships. He has long been involved in charitable efforts, from supporting veterans with complex spine injuries to raising funds for pediatric cancer research and providing life-changing medical care through mission trips to underserved countries. Key Scholarship Details: . Eligibility: Open to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a career in medicine . Application Process: Submit an essay (500-750 words) along with personal and academic r. Deadline: December 15, 2025 . Deadline: December 15, 2025. . Winner Announcement: January 15, 2026 Dr. Michael Rimlawi is a recognized leader in minimally invasive spine surgery. He was the first U.S. surgeon to perform the Globus Minimally Invasive XLIF procedure and has pioneered revolutionary micro-endoscopic spine surgery. He is patented three medical devices for spine surgery. He was one of the pioneers of being able to perform complex lumbar/cervical surgeries and artificial disc replacements in an outpatient setting due to the minimal blood loss and recovery needed for his Minimally Invasive Spine surgeries. Beyond his contributions to medicine, he is passionate about mentoring future doctors, which led him to establish this scholarship. Becoming a doctor requires immense dedication, time, and financial resources. My hope is that this scholarship eases the burden for talented students who share my commitment to improving healthcare and making a meaningful impact in patients lives, said Dr. Michael Rimlawi. Students interested in applying should submit their essays and required details via email to apply@drmichaelrimlawischolarship.com. More than just financial aid, this scholarship embodies Dr. Rimlawis belief in the power of education and innovation to shape the future of medicine. Aspiring physicians are encouraged to seize this opportunity to showcase their passion and dedication to healthcare. Award Amount: $1,000 per winner (at least one recipient, with potential for more). For more information on the scholarship and application guidelines, visit drmichaelrimlawischolarship.com. About Dr. Michael Rimlawi Dr. Michael Rimlawi is a board-certified, fellowship, trained spine surgeon and a pioneer in minimally invasive surgical techniques. He has received numerous accolades, including the Healthcare Heroes award, Top 10 surgeons award, and numerous patient choice awards. He remains dedicated to advancing medical innovation while mentoring future healthcare leaders. Contact Information: Spokesperson: Dr. Michael Rimlawi Organization: Dr. Michael Rimlawi Scholarship Website: drmichaelrimlawischolarship.com Email: apply@drmichaelrimlawischolarship.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c13c96e4-f29c-477f-ba66-e9f793201505 Dallas, TX, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Facing a Temporary Emergency Protective Order (TEPO) in Texas after a family violence arrest can be overwhelming and life-altering. Seasoned criminal defense attorney John Helms, a former federal prosecutor with an exceptional trial record, provides crucial legal insights in his latest blog post: How to Fight a TEPO in Texas. In Texas, a TEPO is quickly issued after an arrest for a family incident of domestic violence, often the TEPO is attached by the courts to the felony or misdemeanor charge, without the accused having a chance to defend themselves. These orders can restrict movement, limit access to children and home, and severely impact a persons reputation. However, TEPOs also known as, temporary protective orders(TPO) are not permanent, there are existing legal options to fight them. Many people dont realize they have the right to challenge a TEPO and present evidence at a hearing to potentially get it dismissed, says John Helms, a respected Dallas defense lawyer. The key is to act quickly and work with a skilled attorney who understands the process. Key Points Covered in the Article: What a TEPO is and how it impacts your life Steps to take immediately after receiving a TEPO How to prepare for a TEPO hearing Legal strategies to challenge and remove the order With years of experience defending individuals accused of family violence offenses in Texas, John Helms provides practical legal guidance that can make a difference. His blog offers a comprehensive roadmap for those seeking to protect their rights and fight back against unfair accusations. For those facing a Temporary Emergency Protective Order in Texas, seeking legal representation is critical. John Helms Law Firm is known for providing aggressive and strategic defense to individuals charged with criminal offenses, ensuring their constitutional rights are upheld. About John Helms Law Office of John M. Helms John Helms is a leading criminal defense attorney in Texas, recognized for his extensive trial experience and a track record of success. As a former AUSA and federal prosecutor for the northern district of Texas (NDTX), John had the enviable record of never losing at trial or appeal. John M. Helms understands the intricacies of both state and federal criminal cases. Helms has successfully defended numerous clients facing serious charges, including domestic violence, bank fraud, drug crimes and federal offenses. He practices criminal defense law throughout the state of Texas, and all surrounding DFW counties including Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Parker, Tarrant and Wise. Contact Information: John Helms Law Dallas, TX Phone: (214) 666-8010 Website: johnhelms.attorney For media inquiries, interviews, or legal consultations, Please contact William Perras at John Helms Law Firm. Read the Full Article Here: How to Fight a TEPO in Texas OKOTOKS, Alberta, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX: MTL) Mullen Group Ltd. ("Mullen Group" and/or the "Corporation") intends to release its 2025 First Quarter earnings results on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 6:00 a.m. ET, and has scheduled a conference call and webcast as follows: Date: April 23, 2025 Time: 10:00 a.m. ET Pre-Registration: registration link Upon registering, you will receive a calendar booking by email with dial in details and a unique PIN. This process will bypass the operator and avoid the queue. Registration will remain open until the end of the conference call. Dial-in: 1-833-752-3592 (for participants in North America) +1-647-846-8386 (International participants) Webcast: www.mullen-group.com Replay: Two weeks until May 7, 2025, by dialing 1-855-669-9658 (Canada/US toll free) or 1-412-317-0088 (International toll), access code 1429177 followed by the pound key. About Mullen Group Ltd. Mullen Group is a public company with a long history of acquiring companies in the transportation and logistics industries. Today, we have one of the largest portfolios of logistics companies in North America, providing a wide range of transportation, warehousing and distribution services through a network of independently operated businesses. Service offerings include less-than-truckload, truckload, warehousing, logistics, transload, oversized, third-party logistics and specialized hauling transportation. In addition, our businesses provide a diverse set of specialized services related to the energy, mining, forestry and construction industries in western Canada, including water management, fluid hauling and environmental reclamation. The corporate office provides the capital and financial expertise, legal support, technology and systems support, shared services and strategic planning to its independent businesses. Mullen Group is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "MTL". Additional information is available on our website at www.mullen-group.com or on the Corporation's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Contact Information Mr. Murray K. Mullen - Chair, Senior Executive Officer and President Mr. Richard J. Maloney - Senior Operating Officer Mr. Carson P. Urlacher - Senior Financial Officer Ms. Joanna K. Scott - Senior Corporate Officer 121A - 31 Southridge Drive Okotoks, Alberta, Canada T1S 2N3 Telephone: 403-995-5200 Fax: 403-995-5296 Pontax Lithium Project, James Bay, Canada TORONTO and PERTH, Western Australia, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cygnus Metals Limited (ASX: CY5, TSXV: CYG, OTCQB: CYGGF) is pleased to announce that it has negotiated a two-year extension to its two-stage earn-in with Stria Lithium Inc (Stria) for the Pontax Lithium Project in James Bay, Quebec (Pontax). In July 2023, Cygnus announced that it had earned 51 per cent of Pontax under the first stage of the earn-in by spending C$4 million on the project and issuing 9,129,825 fully paid ordinary shares in Cygnus (Shares) to Stria. As a demonstration of the co-operation between Stria and Cygnus, the parties have now agreed that Cygnus has an additional 24 months to satisfy the second stage of the earn-in and earn an additional 19% interest in Pontax, bringing its total interest to 70%. The extension means that Cygnus has until October 2027 to expend an additional C$2 million on exploration at the project and make a cash payment to Stria of C$3 million, enhancing the likelihood of successful exploration outcomes at Pontax. As consideration for the extension and subject to TSXV approval, Cygnus will shortly issue 300,000 Shares to Stria utilising the Companys available Listing Rule 7.1 capacity at a deemed price of A$0.105 per Share (based on the ASX closing price on 1 April 2025). These Shares will be subject to voluntary escrow for a period of 12 months from issue. This announcement has been authorised for release by the Board of Directors of Cygnus. David Southam Executive Chairman T: +61 8 6118 1627 E: info@cygnusmetals.com About Cygnus Metals Cygnus Metals Limited (ASX: CY5, TSXV: CYG, OTCQB: CYGGF) is a diversified critical minerals exploration and development company with projects in Quebec, Canada and Western Australia. The Company is dedicated to advancing its Chibougamau Copper-Gold Project in Quebec with an aggressive exploration program to drive resource growth and develop a hub-and-spoke operation model with its centralised processing facility. In addition, Cygnus has quality lithium assets with significant exploration upside in the world-class James Bay district in Quebec, and REE and base metal projects in Western Australia. The Cygnus team has a proven track record of turning exploration success into production enterprises and creating shareholder value. 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. Los Angeles, CA, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avocado , the pioneer in certified organic mattresses and a dedicated advocate for environmental and social responsibility, is proud to announce the release of its 2024 Impact Report , a reflection of the companys commitment to innovation in sustainability and responsible business practices. Guided by the principles of sustainability, transparency, and ethical luxury, Avocado continues to challenge industry norms through the sourcing of natural, organic materials, supporting environmental nonprofits, and taking bold action on climate change. With every product, every process, and every partnership, the company is proving that better materials, better practices, and better impact can go hand in hand. Key Highlights from the 2024 Impact Report: $11.4MM Given to 1% for the Planet to Date: Through Avocado 1% for the Planet membership, the company has given more than $11.4MM to fund vital initiatives in conservation, climate action, environmental education, and sustainability efforts. In 2017, Avocado was the first mattress brand to join 1% for the Planet. More Than 99% of All Returned Products Donated to Nonprofits and Charities: In 2024, 99% of returned products were donated to support communities in need, rather than ending up in landfills. Avocado has proudly supported a range of organizations, including mental health and addiction recovery groups, veterans' services, community and emergency assistance programs for low-income individuals, homeless/re-entry groups, refugees, and survivors of domestic violence. Certified for Sustainability, Health & Safety: Avocado is committed to the highest standards of sustainability, health, and quality. Our products are made with the safest, most environmentally responsible materials available. Thats why weve earned leading certifications, including the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) for organic products, MADE SAFE, EWG Verified, and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for health and safety, and the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) for ethical wool sourcing and animal welfare. 48% Reduction in Absolute Emissions Since 2021: Avocado is committed to reducing carbon emissions across its supply chain, focusing on systemic reductions rather than relying on offsets. As the first Climate Neutral Certified mattress brand, the company is investing in initiatives like optimizing logistics, transitioning to renewable energy, and supporting regenerative agriculture. These efforts drive long-term cost savings, improve efficiency, and set a new standard for sustainable luxury in the industry. Estimated 89% Landfill Diversion Rate: In 2024, Avocado became the first in the industry to reach 89% Landfill Diversion. The company is on track to achieve UL Silver Level in 2025. 113.9 Overall B Impact Score: Avocado earned a 113.9 Overall B Impact Score for 2024, demonstrating its strong commitment to social and environmental performance, as well as its high standards for accountability and transparency, surpassing B Labs baseline requirements. Industry Achievements: In 2024, Avocado was honored to be recognized on Fast Companys prestigious Brands That Matter and Best Workplaces for Innovators lists, highlighting its unwavering commitment to supporting both its employees and customers. Avocados 2024 Impact Report highlights the company's commitment to 'Dream of Better,' a guiding principle that redefines responsible business by challenging industry norms and proving that sustainability and luxury can coexist. "At Avocado, people don't have to choose between sustainability and luxurythey can have both, says Vy Nguyen, Co-CEO. They choose Avocado not just for our commitment to organic and sustainable practices but also for the uncompromising quality and performance of our products. We're redefining what it means to leadwhere the best choice for luxury, comfort, and quality is also the best choice for the planet." About Avocado Green Mattress Avocado's dream is to be the world's most sustainable brand the pinnacle of GOTS-certified organic mattresses, luxury bedding, and quality American-made furniture. We are radically honest about our sourcing, manufacturing, and materials, adhere to the most rigorous organic and non-toxic standards, and are fearless advocates for social responsibility and environmental stewardship. We are a "Best for the World" Certified B Corporation, Fair Trade Certified, Climate Neutral Certified, OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified, meet MADE SAFE standards, a two-time winner of the Good Housekeeping Sustainable Innovation Awards, and the Pinnacle Award Winner from 1% for the Planet. Fast Company lists Avocado as a "Brand that Matters." OKLAHOMA CITY, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Federman & Sherwood investigates Mercer County Joint Township Community Hospital for data breach. On February 21, 2025, Mercer County Joint Township Community Hospital filed notice of a data breach with the Attorney General of Massachusetts. Mercer County Joint Township Community Hospital experienced a cybersecurity incident involving their network between April 2, 2024 and April 3, 2024. Mercer County Joint Township Community Hospital immediately launched an investigation into the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to the Mercer County Joint Township Community Hospital network and accessed certain individuals personal and sensitive information. On February 21, 2025, Mercer County Joint Township Community Hospital began to send out data breach notification letters to all individuals impacted by the data breach. The type of information potentially exposed includes: Full Name Email Address ID Numbers Social Security Number Health Information Financial Information Other sensitive information If you received a data breach notice letter and wish to discuss this action, obtain further information, and/or participate in this litigation, please contact Tashia Poore either by email at tdp@federmanlaw.com or visit our firms website www.federmanlaw.com. Tashia Poore FEDERMAN & SHERWOOD (405) 235-1560 Memphis, TN, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel will host its annual April 4th Commemoration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 57th anniversary of his assassination. This years theme, How Long, Not Long, taken from Dr. Kings iconic 1965 Montgomery, Alabama speech advocating for voting rights, underscores the urgency of collective power in preserving democracy and achieving social and economic justice. The April 4th Commemoration is not just a reflection on history but a call to action. Dr. Kings fight for justice did not end in 1968, and his message remains as relevant today. The National Civil Rights Museum urges the public to join in advocating for sustainable, positive social change. Were emphasizing the relevance of Dr. Kings How Long, Not Long speech to todays prevailing struggle, said Dr. Russ Wigginton, Museum President. At a time when voting rights, economic empowerment, and the very fabric of democracy are under threat, we must use our voices and our collective power to drive meaningful change. The commemoration, titled Remembering MLK: The Man. The Movement. The Moment., is scheduled to take place in the museums courtyard on Friday, April 4, at 5:00 PM CT and will be available via live stream on the museums website, YouTube, and Facebook channels. In the event of inclement weather, the program will be held inside the museum. This years event features an inspiring lineup: Keynote Address: Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley , President & CEO of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), will deliver the keynote address. A seasoned public health and inclusion leader, Rev. Arline-Bradley has advised on critical social justice issues, serving in leadership roles across advocacy and governmental organizations, including the Obama Administration. She was also the youngest keynote speaker at the King Centers MLK Beloved Community Commemorative Service in 2024. , President & CEO of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), will deliver the keynote address. A seasoned public health and inclusion leader, Rev. Arline-Bradley has advised on critical social justice issues, serving in leadership roles across advocacy and governmental organizations, including the Obama Administration. She was also the youngest keynote speaker at the King Centers MLK Beloved Community Commemorative Service in 2024. Special Performances: The world-renowned Tennessee Mass Choir will perform. Known for their high-energy vocals and remarkable versatility, the choir has performed alongside legendary artists such as Al Green, Fred Hammond, and Martina McBride. Choir will perform. Known for their high-energy vocals and remarkable versatility, the choir has performed alongside legendary artists such as Al Green, Fred Hammond, and Martina McBride. Dramatic Interpretation: Hattilloo Theatre will present a moving dramatization of Dr. Kings speech How Long, Not Long, bringing its timeless message to life in a compelling theatrical performance. will present a moving dramatization of Dr. Kings speech How Long, Not Long, bringing its timeless message to life in a compelling theatrical performance. Vocal Performance: Acclaimed vocalist Deborah Manning Thomas will deliver a soul-stirring tribute to Dr. King through song. In addition, the Keeper of the Dream Award student winners will reflect on Dr. Kings impact on their generation, and members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Dr. Kings fraternity, will present a special tribute. At 6:01 PM CT, the museum will hold a moment of silence as the wreath is placed on the Lorraine Motel balcony, marking the time Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. This free event is open to the public. The commemoration livestream ensures that all can participate in this powerful tribute, whether in person or online. Registration is highly recommended for those joining via live stream. For more information, visit April4th.org. About the National Civil Rights Museum The NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, located at the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights Movement from slavery to the present. Since the Museum opened in 1991, millions of visitors from around the world have come, including more than 90,000 student visits annually. The Museum is steadfast in its mission to chronicle the American civil rights movement and tell the story of the ongoing struggle for human rights. It educates and serves as a catalyst to inspire action to create positive social change. A Smithsonian Affiliate and an internationally acclaimed cultural institution, the Museum is recognized as a 2019 National Medal Award recipient by the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS), the top national honor for museums and libraries. It is a TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Top 5% U.S. Museum, USA Today's Top 10 Best American Iconic Attractions; Top 10 Best Historical Spots in the U.S. by TLC's Family Travel; Must See by the Age of 15 by Budget Travel and Kids; Top 10, American Treasures by USA Today; and Best Memphis Attraction by The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Business Journal. - civilrightsmuseum.org - Dynacor's management information circular highlights record sales and earnings, the Corporation's robust financial position in 2024, and advanced international extension plans. Warns shareholders that a dissident shareholder, iolite Capital, seeks to elect an unqualified individual, who lacks industry knowledge and experience to Dynacor's board. Dynacor urges its shareholders to vote AGAINST increasing the board size to nine and AGAINST the Dissident's director nominee to Dynacor's board using only the GOLD Proxy, well in advance of the proxy voting deadline at 5:00 p.m. on Friday April 11, 2025. Shareholders who have questions or need assistance voting can contact Dynacor's proxy solicitation agent, Laurel Hill Advisory Group at 1-877-452-7184 or assistance@laurelhill.com. Dynacor Group Inc. (TSX: DNG) ("Dynacor" or the "Corporation") announces that it has filed a management information circular (the "Circular") and related materials (the "Meeting Materials") in connection with a special meeting of shareholders (the "Requisitioned Meeting") called by iolite Partners Ltd.("iolite" or the "Dissident") scheduled for 10:00 a.m. (Eastern time) on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. The Dissident called the meeting to attempt to elect its founder and managing director, Robert Leitz ("Leitz") to Dynacor's board. Leitz lacks the requisite skills and experience to serve as a director of the Corporation, and inexperienced additions to the Board are not needed. Dynacor's Current Board Continues to Lead the Company Forward The current board of directors (the "Board"), comprised of experienced and skilled individuals, is best positioned to guide the Corporation towards continued success and growth. Refer to news releases dated February 11, 2025 and March 31, 2025 with regard to Dynacor's ongoing successful execution of its expansion plan and to the March 27, 2025 news release on its record 2024 financial and operational results. Under the leadership of the current Board, Dynacor has delivered record-setting performance in the last year. Highlights for 2024 include: Record annual sales of US$284.4 million (C$389.5 million) in 2024, compared to US$250.2 million (C$337.6 million), an increase of 13.7% compared to 2023. 2024 sales were at the top end of Dynacor's 2024 guidance range of between US$265 and $285 million. Record net income of US$16.9 million, an 11.9% increase from 2023, exceeding guidance of US$12-$15 million. Solid financial position with cash and short-term investments of US$25.8 million at year-end 2024 compared to US$22.5 million at year-end 2023. Increased monthly dividends to CA$0.14 per share per year, a 16.7% increase from 2023. Ranked on the 2024 TSX30, an annual rating of the 30 top-performing companies on the TSX, with a three-year share appreciation of 136%. The Dissident's Actions are Costly to Shareholders and Disruptive The actions taken by the Dissident have led to unnecessary costs and disruptions. The Requisitioned Meeting is scheduled just weeks before Dynacor's previously announced annual meeting of shareholders to be held on June 17, 2025 (the "AGM"). This unnecessary action is driven by the pursuit of personal interests by Leitz in his determination to advance a self-serving agenda. Dynacor has consistently engaged with iolite to find a collaborative path forward. Notably, the Board has expressed willingness to consider a nominee from the Dissident for election at the AGM, provided the nominee has the requisite skills and experience to serve on Dynacor's board. However, instead of seeking a cooperative solution and proposing a qualified nominee, the Dissident has opted for the calling of the Requisitioned Meeting, for its own self-serving purpose at the expense of shareholders. We remain open to dialogue and constructive solutions that align with shareholder interests. However, we cannot compromise on our commitment to good governance by accommodating an unqualified individual, lacking industry knowledge, experience, professionalism and sound judgment. Shareholders should be aware of following reasons to continue to support Dynacor: iolite is acting in a self-serving manner that is not aligned with the interests of the Corporation and its shareholders. iolite expressed its opposition to dividend increases and mentioned supporting buybacks only if they do not lift share prices. These views conflict with the preference of many shareholders for tangible returns through dividends and enhanced value via buybacks. Leitz lacks the requisite skills and experience to serve as a director of the Corporation, nor does he have the trust of the Board members and the Corporation's management. The Meeting is both unauthorized and unnecessary due to Dynacor's imminent AGM to be held on June 17, 2025. Holding Iolite accountable for the costs of the Meeting ensures prudent use of the Corporation's financial resources, prevents unnecessary costs from diminishing shareholder value, and reflects a fair and responsible approach to corporate governance. Leitz has called the Requisitioned Meeting for shareholders to vote on a matter that is not within shareholders' authority to act upon. The current directors offer a breadth of knowledge, diversity and strategically relevant backgrounds that align with the global scale of the challenges, risks, and opportunities facing our business. The Board is committed to executing the Corporation's strategic plan, which represents the best value-maximizing strategy today, and will continue to responsibly evaluate any potential value-creating opportunities. Protect Your Investment. Vote Using Only the GOLD Management Proxy. Vote AGAINST - The Dissident's resolution to set the number of directors of the Corporation at nine. Vote AGAINST - The Dissident's resolution to elect Robert Leitz as director. Vote FOR - Management's resolution providing that the costs associated with the Meeting will be borne by iolite, who called the unnecessary Requisitioned Meeting. As you consider the path forward, we urge you to reflect on the need for stability and responsible management at Dynacor. Support the continued leadership of our current Board, which is dedicated to acting in the best interests of all shareholders, rather than the narrow objectives of a single, self-serving shareholder. Your Vote is Important No Matter How Many Shares You Own. Shareholders are encouraged to visit https://dynacor.com for more information and to vote your Dynacor shares as soon as possible, in accordance with the instructions accompanying the GOLD form of proxy or voting instruction form. The deadline for voting your Dynacor shares is 5:00 p.m. on Friday April 11, 2025 (Eastern time). Shareholder Questions Shareholders who have questions or need assistance voting their GOLD Proxy may contact Dynacor's strategic advisor and proxy solicitation agent: Laurel Hill Advisory Group Toll Free: 1-877-452-7184 (for shareholders in North America) International: +1 416-304-0211 (for shareholders outside Canada and the US) By Email: assistance@laurelhill.com About Dynacor Dynacor Group is an industrial ore processing company dedicated to producing gold sourced from artisanal miners. Since its establishment in 1996, Dynacor has pioneered a responsible mineral supply chain with stringent traceability and audit standards for the fast-growing artisanal mining industry. By focusing on fully and part-formalized miners, the Canadian company offers a win-win approach for governments and miners globally. Dynacor operates the Veta Dorada plant and owns a gold exploration property in Peru. The company is planning to expand to West Africa and within Latin America. The premium paid by luxury jewellers for Dynacor's PX Impact gold goes to Fidamar Foundation, an NGO that mainly invests in health and education projects for artisanal mining communities in Peru. Visit www.dynacor.com for more information. Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in the preceding may constitute forward-looking statements, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Dynacor, or industry results, to be materially different from any future result, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current expectations regarding future events and operating performance as of the date of this news release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250331849376/en/ Contact For more information, please contact: Ruth Hanna Director, Investor Relations T: 514-393-9000 #236 E: investors@dynacor.com Website: http://www.dynacor.com VANCOUVER, April 1, 2025 - Orla Mining Ltd. (TSX: OLA) (NYSE: ORLA) ("Orla" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the start of the 2025 exploration drilling program at the Company's recently acquired Musselwhite Mine in Northwestern Ontario. 2025 Program Summary: Underground drilling to replace and expand reserves and resources. Directional drilling from surface to prove the open down-plunge extension of the mine trend; the first surface program since 2020. Drill testing priority near-mine targets to identify potential new mill feed material. Background: The Musselwhite Mine has produced nearly 6 Moz of gold over its 28-year operating history. Recent exploration efforts have focused on near-mine targets, including the down-plunge extension of the mine trend (PQ Deep area), through underground drilling to replace depleted reserves and resources. However, historical exploration drilling confirmed that the mineralized system extends at least one kilometre beyond current reserves. These results indicate significant potential mineralization beyond the current reserve. Orla plans to continue underground exploration while also restarting drilling from surface to confirm the deposit's down-plunge continuity. The objective is to define a critical mass of additional reserves and resources to support expansion of the operation and significantly extend the mine life. Historical drilling along the mine trend extension suggests an additional two to three kilometres of mineralized strike potential beyond current reserves and resources, extending from the PQ Deep area into the down-plunge portion of the mine. Additionally, Orla will assess near-mine targets through surface drilling for further resource growth and potential new mill feed. "We are thrilled to launch this long-overdue, ambitious exploration program at Musselwhite. Our primary objective is to intersect mineralization beyond the current reserves and resources along the down-plunge extension of the mine trend, demonstrating the potential to extend mine life well beyond 2030. We will also continue underground drilling and reactivate surface drilling near the mine to further expand resources and demonstrate the potential for mine life extension and expansion." - Sylvain Guerard, Orla's Senior Vice President, Exploration 2025 Underground Drill Program: Underground exploration drilling began in March immediately following completion of the Musselwhite acquisition. Orla intends to complete approximately 35,000 metres of underground drilling in 2025 to offset mine depletion and grow reserves, resources and mineral inventories. 2025 Directional Drilling on the Extension of the Mine: Historical drill results from the PQ Deeps target area confirmed that gold mineralization at Musselwhite extends at least one kilometre beyond current reserves. Orla is planning a 10,000-metre directional drilling program from surface to further prove the down-plunge extension of the Musselwhite Mine. The 2025 program aims to confirm the first kilometre, beyond existing drilling, of a potential two to three kilometre extension of the current mineral reserves. Drilling is scheduled to begin in the second quarter, with this initial phase expected to continue through the end of 2025. The last phase of surface exploration drilling conducted by Goldcorp and Newmont in 2017-2020 intersected strong mineralization in the area referred to as Extension 2 and Extension 3, extending approximately one kilometre from the currently defined reserves and resources. The drill results confirm that the mine trend remains open, and Orla intends to define the extent of this mineralization. Highlighted drill results from this program are presented in Table 1 and Figures 3 and 4. Table 1: Historical Drillhole Highlights on the Down Plunge Extension of the Mine (Ext 2 & 3): Hole ID From (m) Core Length (m) Au g/t Including 10.0g/t Au COG 18-NSD-005 1845.20 14.10 10.9 2.0m @ 18.4g/t Au 3.0m @ 19.5g/t Au 2.3m @ 19.6g/t Au 18-NSD-006 1834.00 14.00 13.0 0.6m @ 14.3g/t Au 0.5m @ 12.0g/t Au 1.3m @ 13.2g/t Au 1.8m @ 22.0g/t Au 3.1m @ 29.6g/t Au 19-NSD-002 1816.10 13.40 16.2 3.8m @ 25.8g/t Au 1.0m @ 11.2g/t Au 3.4m @ 23.6g/t Au 19-NSD-003 1798.00 11.60 19.8 4.1m @ 33.6g/t Au 3.3m @ 19.9g/t Au 0.3m @ 48.3g/t Au 20-NSD-003 1782.70 12.30 12.6 0.9m @ 19.4g/t Au 0.8m @ 23.7g/t Au 0.9m @ 21.2g/t Au 2.9m @ 29.7g/t Au 20-NSD-005 1767.40 9.60 13.2 1.4m @ 27.5g/t Au 0.3m @ 32.5g/t Au 3.8m @ 15.0g/t Au 0.3m @ 11.1g/t Au 2025 Near-Mine Surface Drilling: Around the Musselwhite Mine, Orla plans to complete approximately 6,500 metres of drilling in the second half of 2025 to test five priority near-mine targets. These targets, all within a 10-kilometre radius of the Musselwhite mill, are supported by historical drill intersections, surface rock sampling results, and a favorable geological setting. They present opportunities to define satellite mineralized zones that could provide additional mill feed. The priority targets are either situated along the mine trend (e.g., Karl Zeemal and Midway) or associated with historical drill intersections, gold occurrences (grab samples up to 7 g/t Au) and banded iron formations (e.g., Camp Bay, Bottenfield, and Libert). Qualified Persons Statement The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Sylvain Guerard, P Geo., SVP Exploration of the Company, who is the Qualified Person as defined under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). To verify the information related to the historical drilling programs at the Musselwhite property, Mr. Guerard has visited the property in the past year; discussed logging, sampling, and sample shipping processes with responsible site staff; discussed and reviewed assay and QA/QC results with responsible personnel; and reviewed supporting documentation, including drill hole location and orientation and significant assay interval calculations. Quality Assurance / Quality Control - Historical Drilling Historical drill results at Musselwhite were completed by Goldcorp. Inc. ("Goldcorp") and/or Newmont Corp. ("Newmont), the prior owners of the project. The Company's independent qualified person, DRA Americas, Inc. was of the opinion that the drilling and sampling procedures for Musselwhite drill samples by Goldcorp and Newmont were reasonable and adequate for the purposes of the Musselwhite Report (as defined below), and that the Goldcorp and Newmont QA/QC program met or exceeded industry standards. See the Company's NI 43-101 technical report for the project entitled "Technical Report - Musselwhite Mine Project, Ontario, Canada" with an effective date of November 18, 2024 (the "Musselwhite Report") for additional information. The true widths of the historical drill intersections in this news release are estimated to be between 45% and 100% of the core length. About Orla Mining Ltd. Orla's corporate strategy is to acquire, develop, and operate mineral properties where the Company's expertise can substantially increase stakeholder value. The Company has three material projects, consisting of two operating mines and one development project, all 100% owned by the Company: (1) Camino Rojo, in Zacatecas State, Mexico, an operating gold and silver open-pit and heap leach mine. The property covers over 139,000 hectares which contains a large oxide and sulphide mineral resource, (2) Musselwhite Mine, in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, an underground gold mine that has been in operation for over 25 years and produced close to 6 million ounces of gold, with a long history of resource growth and conversion, and (3) South Railroad, in Nevada, United States, a feasibility-stage, open pit, heap leach gold project located on the Carlin trend in Nevada. The technical reports for the Company's material projects are available on Orla's website at www.orlamining.com, and on SEDAR+ and EDGAR under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and www.sec.gov, respectively. Forward-looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the United States Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or in releases made by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, all as may be amended from time to time, including, without limitation, statements regarding: the goals and objectives of the Company's 2025 exploration drilling program at Musselwhite, including potential mineralization, mine life extension, reserve and resource growth, additional mill feed, and the timing and cost of the exploration program. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts which address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements were made, including without limitation, assumptions regarding: the future price of gold and silver; anticipated costs and the Company's ability to fund its programs; the Company's ability to carry on exploration, development, and mining activities; the Company's ability to successfully integrate the Musselwhite Mine; tonnage of ore to be mined and processed; ore grades and recoveries; decommissioning and reclamation estimates; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services remaining as estimated; the Company's ability to secure and to meet obligations under property agreements, including the layback agreement with Fresnillo Plc; that all conditions of the Company's credit facility will be met; the timing and results of drilling programs; mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates and the assumptions on which they are based; the discovery of mineral resources and mineral reserves on the Company's mineral properties; the obtaining of a subsequent agreement with Fresnillo to access the sulphide mineral resource at the Camino Rojo Project and develop the entire Camino Rojo Project mineral resources estimate; that political and legal developments will be consistent with current expectations; the timely receipt of required approvals and permits, including those approvals and permits required for successful project permitting, construction, and operation of projects; the timing of cash flows; the costs of operating and exploration expenditures; the Company's ability to operate in a safe, efficient, and effective manner; the Company's ability to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; and that there will be no material adverse change or disruptions affecting the Company or its properties. Consequently, there can be no assurances 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 involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to: uncertainty and variations in the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves; risks related to the Company's indebtedness and gold prepayment; risks related to exploration, development, and operation activities; foreign country and political risks, including risks relating to foreign operations; tailings risks; reclamation costs; delays in obtaining or failure to obtain governmental permits, or non-compliance with permits; environmental and other regulatory requirements; delays in or failures to enter into a subsequent agreement with Fresnillo with respect to accessing certain additional portions of the mineral resource at the Camino Rojo Project and to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals related thereto; the mineral resource estimations for the Camino Rojo Project being only estimates and relying on certain assumptions; loss of, delays in, or failure to get access from surface rights owners; uncertainties related to title to mineral properties; water rights; risks related to natural disasters, terrorist acts, health crises, and other disruptions and dislocations; financing risks and access to additional capital; risks related to guidance estimates and uncertainties inherent in the preparation of feasibility studies; uncertainty in estimates of production, capital, and operating costs and potential production and cost overruns; the fluctuating price of gold and silver; risks related to the Cerro Quema Project; unknown labilities in connection with acquisitions; global financial conditions; uninsured risks; climate change risks; competition from other companies and individuals; conflicts of interest; risks related to compliance with anti-corruption laws; volatility in the market price of the Company's securities; assessments by taxation authorities in multiple jurisdictions; foreign currency fluctuations; the Company's limited operating history; litigation risks; the Company's ability to identify, complete, and successfully integrate acquisitions; intervention by non-governmental organizations; outside contractor risks; risks related to historical data; the Company not having paid a dividend; risks related to the Company's foreign subsidiaries; risks related to the Company's accounting policies and internal controls; the Company's ability to satisfy the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; enforcement of civil liabilities; the Company's status as a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) for U.S. federal income tax purposes; information and cyber security; the Company's significant shareholders; gold industry concentration; shareholder activism; other risks associated with executing the Company's objectives and strategies; as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion and analysis, as well as its annual information form dated March 18, 2025, which are available on www.sedarplus.ca and www.sec.gov. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Cautionary Note to U.S. Readers This news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian standards for the reporting of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, which differ from the previous and current standards of the United States securities laws. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve", "inferred mineral resources,", "indicated mineral resources," "measured mineral resources" and "mineral resources" used or referenced herein and the documents incorporated by reference herein, as applicable, are Canadian mineral disclosure terms as defined in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") - CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended (the "CIM Definition Standards"). For United States reporting purposes, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has adopted amendments to its disclosure rules (the "SEC Modernization Rules") to modernize the mining property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the Exchange Act, which became effective February 25, 2019. The SEC Modernization Rules more closely align the SEC's disclosure requirements and policies for mining properties with current industry and global regulatory practices and standards, including NI 43-101, and replace the historical property disclosure requirements for mining registrants that were included in SEC Industry Guide 7. Issuers were required to comply with the SEC Modernization Rules in their first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. As a foreign private issuer that is eligible to file reports with the SEC pursuant to the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system, the Corporation is not required to provide disclosure on its mineral properties under the SEC Modernization Rules and will continue to provide disclosure under NI 43-101 and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, mineral reserve and mineral resource information contained or incorporated by reference herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by United States companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources." In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" to be "substantially similar" to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards that are required under NI 43-101. While the SEC will now recognize "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources", U.S. investors should not assume that all or any part of the mineralization in these categories will be converted into a higher category of mineral resources or into mineral reserves without further work and analysis. Mineralization described using these terms has a greater amount of uncertainty as to its existence and feasibility than mineralization that has been characterized as reserves. Accordingly, U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources, or inferred mineral resources that the Company reports are or will be economically or legally mineable without further work and analysis. Further, "inferred mineral resources" have a greater amount of uncertainty and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. Therefore, U.S. investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred mineral resources will be upgraded to a higher category without further work and analysis. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. While the above terms are "substantially similar" to CIM Definitions, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as "proven mineral reserves", "probable mineral reserves", "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules or under the prior standards of SEC Industry Guide 7. Appendix: Drill Results Table 1: Musselwhite Extension Composite Drill Results (Composites 3g/t Au cog) HOLE-ID From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) Estimated True Width (m) Au (g/t) Au GXM Including 5.0g/t Au COG Including 10.0g/t Au COG 17-NSD-001 1646.00 1647.00 1.00 0.77 4.79 4.79 17-NSD-001 1728.80 1729.80 1.00 0.90 33.00 33.00 1m @ 33g/t Au 1m @ 33g/t Au 17-NSD-001 1823.90 1824.90 1.00 0.90 8.53 8.53 1m @ 8.53g/t Au 17-NSD-001 1868.30 1869.00 0.70 0.60 18.20 12.74 0.7m @ 18.2g/t Au 0.7m @ 18.2g/t Au 17-NSD-001 1930.40 1930.80 0.40 0.18 34.30 13.72 0.4m @ 34.3g/t Au 0.4m @ 34.3g/t Au 17-NSD-001 1998.30 1999.00 0.70 0.40 15.90 11.13 0.7m @ 15.9g/t Au 0.7m @ 15.9g/t Au 17-NSD-001 2036.30 2037.60 1.30 0.61 3.78 4.92 17-NSD-001 2040.80 2042.10 1.30 0.61 8.48 11.02 1.3m @ 8.48g/t Au 17-NSD-002 1383.00 1384.00 1.00 0.63 6.52 6.52 17-NSD-002 1889.50 1890.00 0.50 0.44 9.00 4.50 17-NSD-002 1917.40 1918.20 0.80 0.70 6.41 5.13 17-NSD-002 2043.30 2044.80 1.50 0.92 4.36 6.54 17-NSD-004 1859.40 1862.40 3.00 2.40 5.13 15.38 3m @ 5.13g/t Au 0.8m @ 12.6g/t Au 17-NSD-004 1899.90 1901.40 1.50 1.20 18.70 28.05 1.5m @ 18.7g/t Au 0.5m @ 34.37g/t Au 0.6m @ 13.09g/t Au 17-NSD-004 1996.00 1997.10 1.10 0.74 5.67 6.23 17-NSD-004 2002.30 2004.80 2.50 1.68 3.06 7.65 17-NSD-005 1953.60 1954.70 1.10 0.90 24.55 27.00 1.1m @ 24.55g/t Au 1.1m @ 24.55g/t Au 17-NSD-005 1965.60 1968.80 3.20 2.79 16.92 54.15 3.2m @ 16.92g/t Au 1.2m @ 34.41g/t Au 0.3m @ 11.5g/t Au 17-NSD-005 1985.80 1987.10 1.30 1.10 4.81 6.25 18-NSD-001 1797.30 1798.80 1.50 1.20 9.18 13.76 0.8m @ 13.8g/t Au 0.8m @ 13.8g/t Au 18-NSD-001 1812.00 1814.50 2.50 1.70 5.80 14.50 2.5m @ 5.8g/t Au 0.7m @ 13.6g/t Au 18-NSD-001 1858.80 1860.40 1.60 1.20 13.98 22.36 1.6m @ 13.98g/t Au 1.6m @ 13.98g/t Au 18-NSD-001 1891.70 1892.50 0.80 0.60 7.44 5.95 18-NSD-001 1902.90 1905.00 2.10 1.52 3.54 7.42 18-NSD-001 1913.70 1914.40 0.70 0.60 7.94 5.56 18-NSD-001 1949.40 1950.50 1.10 0.50 7.21 7.93 1.1m @ 7.21g/t Au 18-NSD-001 1960.50 1961.00 0.50 0.23 10.40 5.20 0.5m @ 10.4g/t Au 18-NSD-003 1743.00 1743.80 0.80 0.47 10.70 8.56 0.8m @ 10.7g/t Au 0.8m @ 10.7g/t Au 18-NSD-003 1784.70 1785.30 0.60 0.50 116.88 70.13 0.6m @ 116.88g/t Au 0.3m @ 226g/t Au 18-NSD-003 1833.80 1836.40 2.60 1.20 11.19 29.10 2.6m @ 11.19g/t Au 0.9m @ 20.2g/t Au 18-NSD-003 1846.30 1848.80 2.50 1.30 12.85 32.12 1.6m @ 17.55g/t Au 1.6m @ 17.55g/t Au 18-NSD-003 1900.30 1900.90 0.60 0.40 13.28 7.97 0.6m @ 13.28g/t Au 0.6m @ 13.28g/t Au 18-NSD-003 1907.00 1908.20 1.20 0.81 7.03 8.44 0.4m @ 14.96g/t Au 18-NSD-004 1718.70 1720.30 1.60 1.40 3.57 5.70 18-NSD-004 1736.60 1737.50 0.90 0.80 9.66 8.69 0.9m @ 9.66g/t Au 18-NSD-004 1789.00 1790.00 1.00 0.60 18.50 18.50 1m @ 18.5g/t Au 1m @ 18.5g/t Au 18-NSD-004 1880.30 1892.80 12.50 9.35 5.20 65.02 5m @ 9.02g/t Au 0.8m @ 10.14g/t Au 1.7m @ 16.23g/t Au 18-NSD-005 1821.20 1822.30 1.10 0.60 12.85 14.14 1.1m @ 12.85g/t Au 0.5m @ 17.2g/t Au 18-NSD-005 1845.20 1859.30 14.10 9.20 10.92 154.03 14.1m @ 10.92g/t Au 2m @ 18.39g/t Au 3m @ 19.45g/t Au 2.3m @ 19.63g/t Au 18-NSD-005 1862.90 1867.80 4.90 3.05 8.09 39.63 4.6m @ 8.37g/t Au 1.5m @ 17.06g/t Au 18-NSD-005 1873.30 1874.70 1.40 0.80 3.88 5.43 18-NSD-006 1834.00 1848.00 14.00 9.51 12.95 181.34 12.5m @ 14.21g/t Au 0.6m @ 14.3g/t Au 0.5m @ 12g/t Au 1.3m @ 13.23g/t Au 1.8m @ 22g/t Au 3.1m @ 29.64g/t Au 18-NSD-006 1851.30 1852.40 1.10 0.75 16.76 18.44 1.1m @ 16.76g/t Au 0.6m @ 25.1g/t Au 18-NSD-006 1862.30 1863.00 0.70 0.50 7.51 5.26 19-NSD-002 1705.80 1713.30 7.50 5.60 11.64 87.28 7.5m @ 11.64g/t Au 0.5m @ 18.6g/t Au 0.8m @ 55.8g/t Au 0.8m @ 17.3g/t Au 19-NSD-002 1788.10 1791.00 2.90 2.00 3.11 9.03 19-NSD-002 1816.10 1829.50 13.40 10.00 16.20 217.14 12m @ 17.72g/t Au 3.8m @ 25.81g/t Au 1m @ 11.2g/t Au 3.4m @ 23.64g/t Au 19-NSD-003 1701.40 1703.00 1.60 1.40 7.94 12.71 1.6m @ 7.94g/t Au 19-NSD-003 1772.20 1773.00 0.80 0.80 8.32 6.66 19-NSD-003 1791.70 1792.30 0.60 0.50 8.20 4.92 19-NSD-003 1798.00 1809.60 11.60 8.84 19.82 229.94 11.6m @ 19.82g/t Au 4.1m @ 33.64g/t Au 3.3m @ 19.93g/t Au 0.3m @ 48.25g/t Au 19-NSD-007 1766.00 1767.10 1.10 1.00 6.63 7.29 19-NSD-007 1796.00 1798.10 2.10 1.90 9.26 19.45 2.1m @ 9.26g/t Au 0.6m @ 21.2g/t Au 19-NSD-008 1676.10 1677.00 0.90 0.81 7.07 6.36 19-NSD-008 1778.90 1783.10 4.20 3.73 14.00 58.80 1.9m @ 28.97g/t Au 1.3m @ 39.45g/t Au 19-NSD-008 1806.60 1812.00 5.40 2.56 3.33 18.00 19-NSD-008 1818.30 1820.60 2.30 1.14 7.77 17.87 1.5m @ 9.96g/t Au 0.8m @ 12.89g/t Au 19-NSD-009 1726.10 1727.50 1.40 1.20 3.58 5.01 19-NSD-009 1777.00 1777.40 0.40 0.30 25.20 10.08 0.4m @ 25.2g/t Au 0.4m @ 25.2g/t Au 19-NSD-011 1682.10 1682.90 0.80 0.60 13.40 10.72 0.8m @ 13.4g/t Au 0.8m @ 13.4g/t Au 19-NSD-011 1731.50 1732.50 1.00 0.60 4.57 4.57 19-NSD-011 1791.90 1792.30 0.40 0.30 14.70 5.88 0.4m @ 14.7g/t Au 19-NSD-014 1796.60 1797.00 0.40 0.30 23.00 9.20 0.4m @ 23g/t Au 0.4m @ 23g/t Au 19-NSD-014 1835.60 1838.50 2.90 2.00 3.64 10.55 19-NSD-014 1849.90 1854.90 5.00 3.13 5.81 29.06 5m @ 5.81g/t Au 1m @ 19.99g/t Au 20-NSD-003 1748.70 1749.70 1.00 0.70 7.34 7.34 20-NSD-003 1777.20 1777.80 0.60 0.50 36.93 22.16 0.6m @ 36.93g/t Au 0.6m @ 36.93g/t Au 20-NSD-003 1782.70 1795.00 12.30 8.20 12.64 155.47 11.8m @ 13.03g/t Au 0.9m @ 19.43g/t Au 0.8m @ 23.67g/t Au 0.9m @ 21.22g/t Au 2.9m @ 29.74g/t Au 20-NSD-005 1651.70 1657.00 5.30 5.20 7.90 41.87 2m @ 17.78g/t Au 1.6m @ 20.39g/t Au 20-NSD-005 1767.40 1777.00 9.60 6.44 13.26 127.30 9.6m @ 13.26g/t Au 1.4m @ 27.48g/t Au 0.3m @ 32.49g/t Au 3.8m @ 15.02g/t Au 0.3m @ 11.05g/t Au 20-NSD-005 1780.70 1782.60 1.90 1.27 5.91 11.22 1.9m @ 5.91g/t Au 20-NSD-007 1647.30 1650.00 2.70 2.60 4.81 12.99 1.3m @ 6.1g/t Au 0.4m @ 11.5g/t Au 20-NSD-007 1739.70 1740.00 0.30 0.30 20.00 6.00 0.3m @ 20g/t Au 20-NSD-007 1749.60 1757.70 8.10 7.10 3.84 31.08 4.4m @ 5.98g/t Au 0.4m @ 15.4g/t Au 20-NSD-007 1770.00 1771.00 1.00 0.80 5.15 5.15 Criteria: Cut off grade 3g/t Au, minimum length 1.5m, maximum consecutive internal waste 3m, if Au grade x length > 4.5 the composite will be added Table 2: Musselwhite Extension Drill Hole Collars HOLE-ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Depth (m) 17-NSD-001 7490.4 15415.8 5302.1 87.4 -82.2 2130.0 17-NSD-002 7490.4 15415.8 5302.1 87.4 -82.2 2085.0 17-NSD-003 7490.4 15415.8 5302.1 87.4 -82.2 1437.0 17-NSD-004 7490.4 15415.8 5302.1 87.4 -82.2 2043.3 17-NSD-005 7490.4 15415.8 5302.1 87.4 -82.2 2043.0 18-NSD-001 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 85.0 -84.0 2010.0 18-NSD-003 7862.7 15631.6 5302.0 85.0 -84.0 1980.0 18-NSD-004 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 85.0 -84.0 1929.0 18-NSD-005 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 85.0 -84.0 1899.0 18-NSD-006 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 85.0 -84.0 1884.0 19-NSD-001 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 85.0 -84.0 1568.0 19-NSD-002 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 85.0 -84.0 1866.0 19-NSD-003 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 85.0 -84.0 1842.0 19-NSD-004 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 85.0 -84.0 1668.0 19-NSD-005 7820.7 15489.6 5302.5 85.4 -82.1 946.5 19-NSD-007 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 85.0 -84.0 1830.0 19-NSD-008 7820.7 15489.6 5302.5 85.4 -82.1 1887.0 19-NSD-009 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 84.2 -84.4 1824.0 19-NSD-011 7820.7 15489.6 5302.5 85.4 -82.1 1938.0 19-NSD-013 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 84.3 -84.4 1809.0 19-NSD-014 7820.7 15489.6 5302.5 85.4 -82.1 1893.5 20-NSD-002 7862.6 15631.6 5302.0 84.3 -84.4 1239.0 20-NSD-003 7820.7 15489.6 5302.5 85.4 -82.1 1818.0 20-NSD-005 7820.7 15489.6 5302.5 85.4 -82.1 1827.0 20-NSD-007 7820.7 15489.6 5302.5 85.4 -82.1 1788.0 SOURCE Orla Mining Ltd. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES./ TORONTO, April 1, 2025 - Rupert Resources Ltd. (TSX: RUP) ("Rupert Resources" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the previously announced private placement of 6,322,500 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Shares") issued at a price of $4.50 per Share for gross proceeds of $28,451,250.00 (the "Private Placement") and wishes to provide an update on appointments to the Company's board of directors (the "Board"). In connection with the Private Placement and the recently completed bought-deal equity financing undertaken by the Company, Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. ("Agnico Eagle") exercised its participation right to subscribe for 2,602,500 Shares, resulting in Agnico Eagle retaining approximately 14.0% interest in the Company on a non-diluted basis upon closing of the Private Placement. The issuance of the Shares to Agnico Eagle constitutes a related-party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). This Private Placement is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of any securities issued to, nor the consideration paid by, Agnico Eagle would exceed 25.0% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report 21 days prior to closing the Private Placement, which the Company deemed reasonable in the circumstances in order to complete the Private Placement in a timely manner. The Company also announces that it has appointed Kim Hagberg and Joanna Pearson as Independent non-executive directors to the Board. Kim Hagberg was part of executive management team of Swedish telecom operator Tele2, as chief operations officer, from 2018 to 2025. Prior to this position, Kim worked in commercial areas holding various leading positions at the Swedish operators Telia and Tele2. Kim has been engaged in the telecom industry mainly in Sweden, but also in Canada, France and Switzerland and holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from the Mid Sweden University. Joanna Pearson has over 25 years' experience in financial reporting and risk management, operating in international jurisdictions. Joanna is also presently a non-executive director of Hochschild Mining plc (LSE:HOC) and Goldshore Resources Inc. (TSXV:GSHR). From 2020 to 2023, Joanna was chief financial officer of Endeavour Mining Plc (LSE:EDV; TSXV:EDV) and for 12 years prior to that position, she was an audit partner with Deloitte LLP in Vancouver. Joanna is a Chartered Professional Accountant of British Columbia and holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. In addition, pursuant to its rights under the investor rights agreement between Rupert Resources and Agnico Eagle dated February 11, 2020, Agnico Eagle has designated Carol Plummer as its nominee to be appointed, or nominated for election, to the Board. As a result, Rupert Resources will nominate Carol Plummer for election as a director at the upcoming annual general meeting of the Company's shareholders. Carol Plummer is Executive Vice-President, Sustainability, People & Culture at Agnico Eagle and has extensive operating experience, including in Finland, where she was previously the General Manager of Agnico Eagle's Kittila mine, located approximately 50km away from Rupert Resources' Ikkari project. Gunnar Nilsson, Chairman of Rupert Resources commented "We are pleased to welcome Kim Hagberg and Joanna Pearson to the Board. Kim has considerable experience in managing large, complex projects. Joanna holds extensive experience in financial management and audit. We are also looking forward to welcoming Carol Plummer to the Board at the next annual general meeting of the Company's shareholders. Carol will bring with her a wealth of expertise, including as former general manager of Agnico's Kittila mine, which will be invaluable to the Company as it progresses with the Ikkari project. We are excited to bolster the experience of our Board and position the Company to successfully execute on our future plans." The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used for on-going exploration expenditures, technical and environmental studies on the Company's properties in Finland and for general corporate purposes. The Private Placement remains subject to the final approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The Shares 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 an applicable exemption from registration. About Rupert Resources Rupert Resources is a gold exploration and development company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Company is focused on making and advancing discoveries of scale and quality with high margin and low environmental impact potential. The Company's principal focus is Ikkari, a high-quality, multi-million ounce gold discovery in Northern Finland. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains statements which, other than statements of historical fact constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements with respect to: the Private Placement, including the use of proceeds and final approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange; the appointment and nominations of new directors; the execution of the Company's future plans. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the general risks of the mining industry, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form and Management Discussion & Analysis. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law. SOURCE Rupert Resources HIGHLIGHTS Recent exploration by Novo at the Clone prospect included detailed structural, lithological and regolith mapping, pXRF and < 80# mesh soil sampling, and rock chip sampling. Novo rock chip sampling returned peak results of 89.6 g/t Au and 41.9 g/t Au from mullock dump samples associated with historical workings, and 31.4 g/t Au and 10.4 g/t Au from quartz vein outcrop over 700 m of strike, supporting previous high grade drill results. Soil sampling defined a ~ 600 m long and up to 250 m wide coherent anomaly > 30 ppb Au, with peak results of 1,585 ppb Au and 1,440 ppb Au. Mapping defined a west dipping thrust (Clone Thrust) associated with high grade gold mineralisation and significant sericite-carbonate alteration. A ~2,000 m targeted RC drill program is planned to commence in April 2025 to test this high-grade gold mineralised trend. RC drilling at Clone completed by Manhattan Corporation Limited (ASX: MHC) in 2023, highlighted potential for shallow dipping high-grade gold mineralisation, with excellent drill results returned from 11 holes including 1 : 7 m at 7.23 g/t Au from 81 m, including 3 m at 16.1 g/t Au (CL0007) 9 m at 6.03 g/t Au from 16 m (CL0010) 6 m at 4.22 g/t Au from 66 m, including 2 m at 11.65 g/t Au (CL0004) 31 m at 1.29 g/t Au from 60 m, including 3 m at 6.52 g/t Au (CL0002) : The Manhattan RC program tested some 250 m strike of an interpreted trend > 700 m to a maximum depth below surface of 75 m. The Clone prospect is underexplored with mineralisation open in all directions and trending under cover to the south. The southern cover sediments extend for up to 15 km over the prospective target basement corridor and provide opportunities to explore for potential 'blind discoveries'. Mike Spreadborough, Executive Co-Chairman and Acting Chief Executive Officer, said: "We look forward to commencing our RC drill program at the Clone prospect, which forms part of our Tibooburra Gold Project, located in northwestern NSW. "Tibooburra is a standout exploration opportunity due to previous high-grade drilling results and compelling exploration upside. We aim to start drilling this month and the program we have developed will test several priority gold targets which were identified through our recently completed three-week reconnaissance program. The remainder of 2025 is set to be a busy year exploration-wise for Novo and we are focused on executing on our strategy and delivering significant value to our shareholders." PERTH, Australia, April 01, 2025 -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (ASX: NVO) (TSX: NVO) (OTCQB: NSRPF) is pleased to announce that an RC program at the Tibooburra Gold Project (Tibooburra) (Figure 1), located in northwestern NSW is planned to commence in April 2025. The drill program will focus on the Clone prospect (Figures 2 and 3) over a strike of several hundred metres and is designed to test high-grade gold targets recently confirmed during a successful three-week field campaign of mapping and surface sampling. Figure 1: Location of the Tibooburra Gold Project, in northwestern NSW. Figure 2: Drone footage of mapping activities at the Clone prospect Figure 3: Tibooburra project tenure, with regional geology, drill collars, main prospects, highlighting multiple parallel mineralised trends. Tibooburra is an advanced exploration opportunity which covers much of the historic Albert Goldfield (Figure 1). Tenure includes six granted exploration licences over 630 sq km. The agreement with Manhattan Corporation Limited (ASX: MHC) (Manhattan)2 grants Novo an option to acquire a 70% interest in the tenements comprising this tenure, subject to (among other things) Novo meeting two minimum expenditure requirements over two 12 month periods. Refer to Novo's 13 December 2024 news release titled "Novo strengthens portfolio with two High-Grade gold projects in NSW, Australia" for the detailed terms of the agreement with Manhattan. Geological mapping and surface sampling of the Clone trend defined several targets that warrant drill testing or further surface geochemical sampling and review. Results from minus 80# mesh soil sampling confirmed Au anomalism associated with the Clone Thrust and splay structures, with rock chip sampling confirming high-grade gold mineralisation within the main zone of workings. An initial Novo RC drill program of ~ 2,000 m is planned to commence in April 2025 and will target the main zone of historical workings at Clone over ~700 m of strike. Overview The Albert Goldfields lies on a unique district-scale bend at the boundary of the Thomson and Delamarian orogens, with stratigraphy wrapping around the Tibooburra granite intrusive complex to the northeast. Over 200 historic workings on multiple lines, delineating over 34 km of interpreted mineralised trends have been identified at Tibooburra. Several targets were highlighted by Manhattan including New Bendigo, Clone, Pioneer, Elizabeth Reef and Good Friday (Figure 3). However, outside of the New Bendigo prospect, little systematic modern exploration has been conducted. The area is significantly under-explored, and satellite imagery and interpretation show untested cover sequences, particularly in the south. At Clone, extensive historical workings manifest over ~450 m strike and 20 m to 40 m in depth. RC drilling by Manhattan in 2023 highlighted potential for shallow dipping high-grade gold mineralisation. Excellent drill results were returned in fresh rock from an initial 11-hole RC drill program testing 250 m strike to a maximum depth below surface of 75 m, including2: 7 m at 7.23 g/t Au from 81 m, including 3 m at 16.1 g/t Au (CL0007) 9 m at 6.03 g/t Au from 16 m (CL0010) 6 m at 4.22 g/t Au from 66 m, including 2 m at 11.65 g/t Au (CL0004) 31 m at 1.29 g/t Au from 60 m, including 3 m at 6.52 g/t Au (CL0002) This mineralisation remains open in all directions, with targeted mineralised basement trending under cover sediments to the south. The cover sediments extend for some 15 km providing opportunities for exploration targeting potential 'blind discoveries'. Novo has not conducted data verification (as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and JORC 2012) in respect of the above data from New Bendigo and Clone and therefore is not to be regarded as reporting, adopting or endorsing those results/figures. No assurance can be given that Novo will achieve similar results. Recent Soil and Rock Chip Sample Results A three-week field campaign comprising geochemical surface sampling and detailed mapping of the main ~ 3 km strike at the Clone prospect was completed in February 2025, with all assay results returned. The field programs were devised to investigate controls on gold mineralisation and allowed Novo to design a follow up RC drilling program to validate previous drill results. Novo is anticipating that this program may significantly extend known mineralisation along strike, down dip and down-plunge. Results from all aspects of the exploration work proved extremely promising, supporting the decision to commit to ~2,000 m of RC drilling at Clone in April 2025. Mapping identified a package of folded and sheared deep marine meta-sediments ranging from siltstone (shale and slate) to phyllite with limited variation in grain size. Metamorphism of the host rocks is greenschist facies. Structure in the mapping area is dominated by complex folding (possibly multi-phase) including interpreted isoclinal folding in the immediate Clone area, overprinted by a strong NW trending regional foliation. Mineralised late-stage NNW to NW trending moderately southwest dipping shears (interpreted as reverse faults) have been the focus for much of the historical workings. Generally, the best mineralisation occurs where these structures bend in a more northerly direction (Figure 4), producing 1 m to 10 m wide shear zones. The main shear, the Clone Thrust, is traceable over 3 km strike and trends under cover to the NW and SE. Several splay structures are also present and are potentially part of the fertile architecture of the belt (Figure 4 and Figure 5). NNE trending cross-cutting faults are common, with interpreted sinistral movement on the main shear zones. Mineralised veining includes west dipping late-stage quartz veins which vary between laminated, massive, brecciated and sheared, and contain rare sulphide and green sericite. Figure 4: Structural mapping and thematically mapped minus 80# mesh soil samples over the ~ 3 km Clone Trend Alteration, especially in these mineralised shears, is dominated by intense sericite and minor sulphides (pyrite and arsenopyrite). Green sericite is present on quartz vein selvedges in almost all historic workings. A broad strong zone of alteration is present between the Clone Thrust and the Western Splay adjacent to the main Clone target. Conventional minus 80# mesh soil sampling on a nominal grid of 20 m x 40 m over areas of historical workings, extending to 20 m x 80 m to the north and south, has defined a 600 m long coherent > 30 ppb Au anomaly with peak results of 1,585 ppb Au and 1,440 ppb Au over the main target area. See Appendix 1 for significant soil sample results. Rock chip sampling (Figure 5 and Figure 6) yielded peak results of 89.6 g/t Au and 41.9 g/t Au from mullock dump samples at the northern end of the main Clone workings. The samples comprised sheared phyllite with multiple centimetre scale quartz veinlets and minor boxwork after sulphides. In the southern part of the main workings, peak results include 31.4 g/t Au and 10.4 g/t Au from within the west dipping Clone Thrust (Figure 7). Several samples collected in the main area graded > 3 g/t Au. See Appendix 2 for all rock sample results. Figure 5: Soil sampling anomaly and rock chip sampling across the main Clone Prospect High-grade gold assay results may highlight the potential for a coarse component of gold in the mineralised system at Clone, leading to difficulties in obtaining accurate rock chip results. A program of 20-30 samples grading > 0.1 g/t Au will be re-assayed via screen-fire assay to assess the coarse gold deportment and better inform assays of drill samples. Figure 6: Detailed map showing Manhattan RC drill collars, in addition to results from recent Novo rock chip and mullock dump sampling at Clone; results may not be indicative of mineralisation in the district Figure 7: Rock chip sample results from an exposure of the west dipping Clone Thrust, highlighting a significant high-grade zone of mineralisation over approx. 8 m width with a peak result of 31.4 g/t Au from the western-most quartz vein; results may not be indicative of mineralisation in the district Planned RC Drill Program Geological mapping and surface sampling of the Clone trend defined several targets that warrant drill testing or further surface geochemical sampling and review. Results from minus 80# mesh soil sampling confirmed Au anomalism associated with the Clone Thrust and splay structures, with rock chip sampling confirming high-grade gold mineralisation within the main zone of workings. The initial RC drill program of ~ 2,000 m is planned to commence in April 2025 and will target the main zone of historical workings at Clone over ~700 m of strike. A heritage survey has been completed by the Tibooburra Local Aboriginal Land Council (TLALC), with no heritage sites located on the drill pads or the field track required to access the northern drill holes. An APO for all proposed drillholes and the northern access track was successfully returned in March. Authorised for release by the Board of Directors. CONTACT Investors: Mike Spreadborough +61 8 6400 6100 info@novoresources.com North American Queries: Leo Karabelas +1 416 543 3120 leo@novoresources.com Media: Cameron Gilenko +61 466 984 953 cameron.gilenko@sodali.com QP STATEMENT Mrs. Karen (Kas) De Luca (MAIG), is the qualified person, as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release. Mrs De Luca is Novo's General Manager Exploration. JORC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT The information in this news release that relates to previously reported Exploration Results from Novo's NSW Gold Portfolio is extracted from Novo's ASX announcement entitled Novo Strengthens Portfolio with Two High-Grade Gold Projects in NSW, Australia released to ASX on 13 December 2024 which is available to view at www.asx.com.au. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original market announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the relevant market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the competent persons findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement. The information in this news release that relates to the previously reported exploration target at Belltopper is extracted from Novo's ASX announcement entitled Belltopper Mineralisation Modelling Defines Prospectivity released to ASX on 25 September 2024 which is available to view at www.asx.com.au. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information in the original market announcement and that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented has not been materially modified from the original market announcement. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Some statements in this news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian and Australian securities law and regulations. In this news release, such statements include but are not limited to planned exploration activities and the timing of such. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the resource industry and the risk factors identified in Novo's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2024 (which is available under Novo's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and at www.asx.com.au) and in the Company's prospectus dated 2 August 2023 which is available at www.asx.com.au. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, Novo assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Novo updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. __________________ 1 Refer to ASX news release by Manhattan Corp dated 10/07/2023 - New High-Grade Gold Discovery 2 Refer to ASX news release by Novo Resources dated 13/12/2024 - Novo Strengthens Portfolio with Two High-Grade Gold Projects in NSW, Australia. ABOUT NOVO Novo is an Australian based gold explorer listed on the ASX and the TSX focussed on discovering standalone gold projects with > 1 Moz development potential. Novo is an innovative gold explorer with a significant land package covering approximately 5,500 square kilometres in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, along with the 22 square kilometre Belltopper project in the Bendigo Tectonic Zone of Victoria, Australia. Novo's key project area in the Pilbara is the Egina Gold Camp, where De Grey Mining is farming-in to form a JV at the Becher Project and surrounding tenements through exploration expenditure of A$25 million within 4 years for a 50% interest. The Becher Project has similar geological characteristics as De Grey's 12.7 Moz Hemi Project#. Novo is also advancing gold exploration south of Becher in the Egina Gold Camp, part of the Croydon JV (Novo 70%: Creasy Group 30%). Novo continues to undertake early-stage exploration elsewhere across its Pilbara tenement portfolio. Novo has also formed a lithium joint venture with SQM in the Pilbara which provides shareholder exposure to battery metals. Novo has recently strengthened its high-quality, Australian based exploration portfolio by adding the TechGen John Bull Gold Project in the New England Orogen of NSW, and Manhattan Tibooburra Gold Project in the Albert Goldfields in northwestern NSW. Both projects demonstrate prospectivity for significant discovery and resource definition and align with Novo's strategy of identifying and exploring projects with > 1 Moz Au potential. These high-grade gold projects compliment the landholding consolidation that forms the Toolunga Project in the Onslow District in Western Australia. Novo has a significant investment portfolio and a disciplined program in place to identify value accretive opportunities that will build further value for shareholders. Please refer to Novo's website for further information including the latest corporate presentation. *An Exploration Target as defined in the JORC Code (2012) is a statement or estimate of the exploration potential of a mineral deposit in a defined geological setting where the statement or estimate, quoted as a range of tonnes and a range of grade (or quality), relates to mineralisation for which there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource. Accordingly, these figures are not Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve estimates as defined in the JORC Code (2012). The potential quantities and grades referred to above are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. These figures are based on the interpreted continuity of mineralisation and projection into unexplored ground often around historical workings. The Exploration Target has been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code (2012), as detailed in the Company's ASX announcement released on 25 September 2024 (available to view at www.asx.com.au). The Tonnage range for the exploration target is 1.5Mt to 2.1Mt, the Grade range is 6.6g/t Au to 8.4g/t Au and the Ounces range from 320koz Au to 570 koz Au. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information that materially affects the information included in the original market announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the original market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. Dr Christopher Doyle (MAIG) and Dr Simon Dominy (FAusIMM CPGeo; FAIG RPGeo), are the qualified persons, as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information relating to the Exploration Target. Dr Doyle is Novo's Exploration Manager - Victoria and Dr Dominy is a Technical Advisor to Novo. #Refer to De Grey's ASX Announcement, Hemi Gold Project mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) 2024, dated 14 November 2024. No assurance can be given that a similar (or any) commercially viable mineral deposit will be determined at Novo's Pilbara Projects. Appendix 1 -Table of Soil Sample Results, GDA94 z54 Sample ID Sample Type Year Easting (m) Northing (m) Height (m) Au (ppb) K00003 Soil 2025 584,379 6,725,360 191 20 K00005 Soil 2025 584,419 6,725,360 185 117 K00006 Soil 2025 584,440 6,725,359 185 291 K00007 Soil 2025 584,460 6,725,360 184 22 K00012 Soil 2025 584,559 6,725,359 189 15 K00023 Soil 2025 584,500 6,725,400 192 18 K00026 Soil 2025 584,441 6,725,399 192 29 K00027 Soil 2025 584,418 6,725,398 192 299 K00028 Soil 2025 584,401 6,725,400 190 38 K00029 Soil 2025 584,380 6,725,400 190 30 K00030 Soil 2025 584,359 6,725,400 189 16 K00031 Soil 2025 584,339 6,725,400 188 24 K00033 Soil 2025 584,400 6,725,480 190 23 K00034 Soil 2025 584,378 6,725,481 189 39 K00036 Soil 2025 584,360 6,725,479 188 31 K00037 Soil 2025 584,340 6,725,480 189 226 K00038 Soil 2025 584,320 6,725,480 188 40 K00039 Soil 2025 584,300 6,725,479 187 72 K00040 Soil 2025 584,279 6,725,479 187 21 K00041 Soil 2025 584,260 6,725,480 187 19 K00042 Soil 2025 584,238 6,725,479 187 21 K00046 Soil 2025 584,200 6,725,439 185 16 K00052 Soil 2025 584,320 6,725,439 190 137 K00053 Soil 2025 584,340 6,725,440 191 22 K00054 Soil 2025 584,361 6,725,439 190 24 K00055 Soil 2025 584,381 6,725,440 191 31 K00056 Soil 2025 584,401 6,725,440 192 154 K00057 Soil 2025 584,420 6,725,439 194 29 K00058 Soil 2025 584,441 6,725,440 195 32 K00075 Soil 2025 584,417 6,725,479 192 101 K00076 Soil 2025 584,440 6,725,519 191 178 K00077 Soil 2025 584,420 6,725,520 186 1,585 K00078 Soil 2025 584,406 6,725,520 185 848 K00079 Soil 2025 584,380 6,725,520 183 80 K00083 Soil 2025 584,240 6,725,520 179 19 K00084 Soil 2025 584,220 6,725,520 178 36 K00089 Soil 2025 584,321 6,725,560 177 15 K00090 Soil 2025 584,340 6,725,559 179 50 K00091 Soil 2025 584,360 6,725,558 180 286 K00093 Soil 2025 584,460 6,725,559 183 16 K00094 Soil 2025 584,480 6,725,559 183 35 K00102 Soil 2025 584,460 6,725,519 185 18 K00103 Soil 2025 584,301 6,725,640 185 112 K00104 Soil 2025 584,320 6,725,639 185 254 K00105 Soil 2025 584,341 6,725,640 186 188 K00106 Soil 2025 584,360 6,725,640 185 43 K00108 Soil 2025 584,400 6,725,639 187 16 K00113 Soil 2025 584,500 6,725,599 189 20 K00122 Soil 2025 584,361 6,725,600 187 40 K00123 Soil 2025 584,336 6,725,599 185 64 K00124 Soil 2025 584,321 6,725,600 190 21 K00125 Soil 2025 584,300 6,725,600 190 18 K00126 Soil 2025 584,280 6,725,599 189 62 K00127 Soil 2025 584,260 6,725,599 189 492 K00128 Soil 2025 584,240 6,725,600 188 38 K00129 Soil 2025 584,220 6,725,599 187 36 K00130 Soil 2025 584,220 6,725,639 187 15 K00131 Soil 2025 584,239 6,725,640 189 18 K00132 Soil 2025 584,260 6,725,640 191 29 K00133 Soil 2025 584,281 6,725,640 190 25 K00136 Soil 2025 584,439 6,725,680 197 31 K00138 Soil 2025 584,401 6,725,680 195 19 K00140 Soil 2025 584,361 6,725,680 192 18 K00141 Soil 2025 584,340 6,725,680 192 47 K00142 Soil 2025 584,319 6,725,677 192 1,440 K00143 Soil 2025 584,300 6,725,680 192 45 K00144 Soil 2025 584,276 6,725,679 191 20 K00149 Soil 2025 584,203 6,725,676 187 30 K00152 Soil 2025 584,160 6,725,759 184 17 K00153 Soil 2025 584,180 6,725,761 183 16 K00154 Soil 2025 584,240 6,725,759 182 21 K00155 Soil 2025 584,260 6,725,760 183 47 K00163 Soil 2025 584,420 6,725,760 186 29 K00168 Soil 2025 584,321 6,725,840 187 15 K00172 Soil 2025 584,220 6,725,840 185 23 K00176 Soil 2025 584,140 6,725,839 185 18 K00190 Soil 2025 584,221 6,725,920 187 51 K00223 Soil 2025 584,040 6,726,239 189 20 K00224 Soil 2025 584,060 6,726,240 189 21 K00239 Soil 2025 583,920 6,726,399 191 20 K00241 Soil 2025 583,880 6,726,399 191 25 K00253 Soil 2025 583,900 6,726,559 201 15 K00257 Soil 2025 583,820 6,726,559 205 15 K00258 Soil 2025 583,801 6,726,559 207 51 K00263 Soil 2025 583,701 6,726,560 198 23 K00268 Soil 2025 583,620 6,726,560 197 20 K00269 Soil 2025 583,600 6,726,560 196 24 K00274 Soil 2025 583,521 6,726,559 195 16 K00291 Soil 2025 584,361 6,725,880 189 19 K00306 Soil 2025 584,277 6,725,721 187 17 K00309 Soil 2025 584,340 6,725,720 186 16 K00322 Soil 2025 584,301 6,725,800 182 42 K00324 Soil 2025 584,200 6,725,800 183 22 K00333 Soil 2025 584,119 6,725,880 187 17 K00334 Soil 2025 584,141 6,725,880 186 21 K00338 Soil 2025 584,199 6,725,880 188 18 K00340 Soil 2025 584,239 6,725,880 188 20 K00354 Soil 2025 584,201 6,726,000 197 16 K00360 Soil 2025 583,900 6,726,160 183 15 K00451 Soil 2025 584,402 6,725,319 177 21 K00454 Soil 2025 584,461 6,725,320 179 75 K00455 Soil 2025 584,481 6,725,318 178 28 K00456 Soil 2025 584,500 6,725,320 181 21 K00479 Soil 2025 584,541 6,725,280 181 16 K00482 Soil 2025 584,482 6,725,280 177 19 K00499 Soil 2025 584,481 6,725,240 178 19 K00504 Soil 2025 584,460 6,725,719 190 55 K00506 Soil 2025 584,500 6,725,680 189 15 K00511 Soil 2025 584,520 6,725,599 182 18 K00512 Soil 2025 584,540 6,725,599 183 64 K00514 Soil 2025 584,579 6,725,560 186 17 K00528 Soil 2025 584,660 6,725,400 192 27 K00529 Soil 2025 584,640 6,725,400 193 31 K00539 Soil 2025 584,441 6,725,199 181 20 K00540 Soil 2025 584,461 6,725,200 181 15 K00550 Soil 2025 584,640 6,725,200 191 61 K00551 Soil 2025 584,660 6,725,200 190 16 K00567 Soil 2025 584,660 6,725,040 193 20 K00578 Soil 2025 584,860 6,725,039 190 32 K00601 Soil 2025 584,521 6,725,241 186 27 K00602 Soil 2025 584,541 6,725,240 188 15 K00611 Soil 2025 584,721 6,725,239 193 18 K00613 Soil 2025 584,425 6,725,160 186 22 K00614 Soil 2025 584,440 6,725,160 186 18 K00627 Soil 2025 584,660 6,725,161 187 26 K00658 Soil 2025 584,600 6,725,081 185 16 K00662 Soil 2025 584,680 6,725,080 185 32 K00663 Soil 2025 584,700 6,725,080 183 19 K00697 Soil 2025 583,520 6,726,720 197 16 K00708 Soil 2025 584,681 6,724,959 178 21 K00744 Soil 2025 584,701 6,724,802 178 26 K00762 Soil 2025 583,480 6,726,641 191 15 K00768 Soil 2025 583,580 6,726,640 192 24 K00772 Soil 2025 583,641 6,726,640 194 21 K00773 Soil 2025 583,661 6,726,640 196 18 K00800 Soil 2025 583,701 6,726,800 206 16 K00814 Soil 2025 583,599 6,726,960 189 19 K00846 Soil 2025 583,540 6,726,680 199 16 K00875 Soil 2025 583,740 6,726,881 201 15 K00888 Soil 2025 583,501 6,726,880 197 18 K00891 Soil 2025 583,442 6,726,880 193 48 K00896 Soil 2025 583,360 6,726,880 191 37 K00905 Soil 2025 583,620 6,726,600 204 22 K00953 Soil 2025 583,660 6,726,800 207 18 K00993 Soil 2025 583,440 6,726,840 193 18 K00994 Soil 2025 583,460 6,726,840 193 132 Appendix 2 -Table of Rock Sample Results, GDA94 z54 Sample ID Sample Type Year Easting (m) Northing (m) Height (m) Au g/t R08501 Rock Chip 2025 584,630 6,725,239 188 0.01 R08502 Rock Chip 2025 584,207 6,725,875 185 0.01 R08503 Rock Chip 2025 584,136 6,726,016 186 <0.01 R08504 Rock Chip 2025 584,147 6,726,032 186 <0.01 R08505 Rock Chip 2025 583,959 6,726,024 182 <0.01 R08506 Rock Chip 2025 583,993 6,726,086 183 0.01 R08507 Rock Chip 2025 583,769 6,726,607 198 <0.01 R08508 Rock Chip 2025 583,701 6,726,775 192 <0.01 R08509 Mullock Grab 2025 583,636 6,726,526 193 0.01 R08510 Rock Chip 2025 583,637 6,726,527 192 0.03 R08512 Rock Chip 2025 583,652 6,726,499 193 0.01 R08513 Rock Chip 2025 583,645 6,726,507 192 0.01 R08514 Rock Chip 2025 583,538 6,726,696 192 <0.01 R08516 Rock Chip 2025 583,471 6,726,830 190 0.08 R08517 Rock Chip 2025 583,412 6,726,966 187 0.02 R08518 Rock Chip 2025 584,942 6,726,444 203 <0.01 R08519 Rock Chip 2025 584,886 6,726,665 210 0.01 R08520 Rock Chip 2025 584,269 6,725,573 183 0.04 R08521 Rock Chip 2025 584,271 6,725,573 182 0.02 R08522 Rock Chip 2025 584,274 6,725,576 183 0.02 R08523 Rock Chip 2025 584,254 6,725,619 182 0.01 R08524 Mullock Grab 2025 584,297 6,725,573 185 0.01 R08525 Rock Chip 2025 584,299 6,725,575 184 0.03 R08527 Mullock Grab 2025 584,285 6,725,724 185 0.02 R08528 Rock Chip 2025 584,292 6,725,735 183 0.01 R08529 Rock Chip 2025 584,284 6,725,730 183 0.01 R08530 Rock Chip 2025 584,286 6,725,731 183 0.03 R08531 Mullock Grab 2025 584,309 6,725,703 183 89.6 R08532 Mullock Grab 2025 584,313 6,725,690 184 41.9 R08533 Mullock Grab 2025 584,327 6,725,670 184 1.03 R08534 Mullock Grab 2025 584,330 6,725,669 184 1.7 R08536 Rock Chip 2025 584,345 6,725,654 184 7.72 R08537 Rock Chip 2025 584,351 6,725,649 183 4.01 R08538 Rock Chip 2025 584,356 6,725,603 187 3.88 R08539 Mullock Grab 2025 584,370 6,725,586 187 2.38 R08540 Rock Chip 2025 584,366 6,725,588 185 1.84 R08541 Rock Chip 2025 584,364 6,725,588 185 1.5 R08542 Rock Chip 2025 584,361 6,725,588 186 0.84 R08543 Rock Chip 2025 584,362 6,725,586 186 0.15 R08544 Rock Chip 2025 584,376 6,725,568 184 4.79 R08545 Rock Chip 2025 584,376 6,725,568 184 0.24 R08546 Rock Chip 2025 584,375 6,725,569 184 2.5 R08547 Rock Chip 2025 584,375 6,725,569 184 0.14 R08548 Rock Chip 2025 584,375 6,725,569 184 0.45 R08549 Rock Chip 2025 584,373 6,725,569 184 31.4 R08551 Rock Chip 2025 584,377 6,725,568 183 0.48 R08552 Rock Chip 2025 584,370 6,725,575 183 0.33 R08553 Rock Chip 2025 584,369 6,725,575 183 10.4 R08554 Rock Chip 2025 584,368 6,725,574 183 0.3 R08555 Rock Chip 2025 584,368 6,725,573 183 0.57 R08556 Mullock Grab 2025 584,468 6,725,586 186 0.08 R08557 Rock Chip 2025 584,476 6,725,589 187 0.04 R08558 Rock Chip 2025 584,473 6,725,587 187 0.03 R08559 Rock Chip 2025 584,401 6,725,519 188 4.91 R08561 Rock Chip 2025 584,400 6,725,518 188 0.44 R08562 Rock Chip 2025 584,400 6,725,518 188 2.32 R08563 Rock Chip 2025 584,407 6,725,506 198 0.09 R08564 Rock Chip 2025 584,399 6,725,518 188 0.12 R08565 Rock Chip 2025 584,490 6,725,541 199 0.02 R08566 Mullock Grab 2025 584,432 6,725,455 199 0.03 R08567 Rock Chip 2025 584,652 6,725,152 202 0.01 R08568 Rock Chip 2025 584,654 6,725,147 200 0.02 R08569 Rock Chip 2025 584,663 6,725,136 201 0.01 R08570 Rock Chip 2025 584,673 6,725,111 199 <0.01 R08571 Rock Chip 2025 584,439 6,725,717 194 0.01 R08572 Rock Chip 2025 584,477 6,725,594 187 0.02 R08573 Rock Chip 2025 584,277 6,725,409 182 0.02 R08574 Rock Chip 2025 584,347 6,725,438 185 <0.01 R08575 Mullock Grab 2025 584,416 6,725,394 186 0.19 R08576 Mullock Grab 2025 584,474 6,725,305 185 0.23 R08577 Rock Chip 2025 584,508 6,725,474 192 <0.01 R08578 Rock Chip 2025 584,230 6,725,586 188 <0.01 R08579 Rock Chip 2025 584,755 6,724,894 190 <0.01 R08580 Rock Chip 2025 584,728 6,724,883 189 <0.01 R08601 Rock Chip 2025 585,409 6,725,033 190 <0.01 R08602 Rock Chip 2025 585,433 6,724,539 171 <0.01 JORC Code, 2012 Edition - Table 1 Section 1: Sampling Techniques and Data (Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (e.g., cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (e.g., 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay'). In other cases, more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (e.g., submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Rock chips samples were collected by grab sampling 1 - 3 kg of material. Sample sites were selected based to be representative on the lithology sampled, and the same sampling technique was employed at each sample site where possible. Mullock grab samples were collected by grab sampling 1 - 3 kg of material from mullock dumps adjacent to historical mining activities. These are to provide some indication of potential grades obtained from historic workings and are not representative of in situ material. Soil samples of 200 g were collected from small pits 10 cm - 40 cm in depth and sieved to <80# mesh. A 30 g aliquot was digested via fire assay and analysed via AAS finish. Drilling techniques Drill type (e.g., core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (e.g., core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit, or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). No drilling was undertaken. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. No drilling was undertaken. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. No drilling was undertaken. Rock chip samples are geologically logged with quantitative and qualitative data collected including a description of lithology, vein type and vein densities, and alteration. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality, and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in-situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Rock chip samples were dried, crushed and pulverised with 85% passing < 75 m (PUL-23) by ALS to create a 50 g charge, then assayed for Au by fire assay Au-AA26. Soil samples required no preparation and were analysed for Au with a 30 g aliquot digested via fire assay and analysed via AAS finish. The sampling techniques and sample sizes are considered appropriate for this style of mineralisation. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (e.g., standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (if lack of bias) and precision have been established. The rock chip sample assay methodology is considered appropriate for the style of mineralisation tested. The method includes inserting 2 CRM standards and 2 blanks per 100 samples or at least one of each per sample submission. The soil sample assay methodology has low level detection for gold and multi-elements and is considered appropriate for soil geochemistry for outcropping or near surface mineralisation. The method includes insertion of at least 2 blanks 2 CRM standards and 4 field duplicates per 100 samples. No QAQC issues were detected. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Primary data was collected in the field and stored using database compatible excel templates which were then forwarded to the database manager email for upload to the Geobank (v2022.5) database, buffered through a validation portal that ensures code and primary record compliance. Geobank is a front-end UX/UI tender software platform (developed and sold by Micromine) attached to a SQL v15.1 server. Assay data was loaded from lab certificates received from the registered laboratory by an internal database manager or external database consultant, and industry-standard audit trails and chain-of-custody was adhered to. Verification included checking the data against original logs and utilising laboratory certificates. No adjustments of the assay data were made. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. All surface sample locations were recorded by hand-held GPS using the GDA 2020 zone 54 co-ordinate system. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing, and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. Limited rock samples are taken and are indicative of potential grade tenor. These do not necessarily represent or imply any continuity or scale potential. Grab samples from mullock dumps are not representative of in situ mineralisation and are only used as a guide as to potential historical activity. Soil samples were taken on a nominal grid of 20 m by 40 m orientated to be perpendicular to the interpreted strike of the system. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. The soil sample grid was orientated to best intersect the lithological and structural trends at right angles. Rock samples were taken across features with geological data recorded to best reflect unbiased sampling of possible mineralised structures. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. All samples are stored and managed on site by internal staff. Samples are then transported by reputable companies to a registered laboratory where they are stored in a locked facility before being tracked and processed through the preparation and analysis system at the laboratory. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. No audits have been undertaken. Section 2: Reporting of Exploration Results (Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section) Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a license to operate in the area. The Tibooburra project comprises tenements EL7437, EL8688, EL8691, EL9092, EL9094 and EL9202 and are held by Awati Resources Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manhattan Novo is required to spend $0.5M within the first earn-in period of 12 months, and $1M within the second earn-in period of 12 months to earn the option to form a 70 / 30 unincorporated joint venture with Awati, in which Awati is free-carried until the completion of a positive definitive feasibility study 3 The tenement package is covered by two separate Native Title Claims. The Malyangapa Combined Proceedings (NC2022/0002) and the Wongkumara people (QC2008/003). The region is administered by the Tibooburra LALC based in Tibooburra The tenements are currently in good standing and there are no known impediments. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. Proto Resources and Investments completed an RC drilling program at the Pioneer and Phoenix project in 2006. Meteoric Resources completed RAB and Aircore drilling at the New Bendigo, Phoenix, Pioneer and The Kink prospects in 2011 and 2012. RAB holes at New Bendigo returned very strong gold anomalous results that highlighted the potential for significant gold mineralisation at the New Bendigo Prospect. Meteoric Resources also completed soil, stream and rock chip sampling across selected areas of the tenure. Awati Resources completed diamond drilling in 2016 at New Bendigo as part of the NSW department Co-operative Drilling Program and followed up with an RC drilling program in 2018 confirming the gold anomalies in the 2011-2012 RAB drill program. Manhattan Corporation completed additional RC drill programs at New Bendigo, Clone, Phoenix and Pioneer, identifying a substantial high-order gold anomaly at the Clone prospect Geology Deposit type, geological setting, and style of mineralisation. The Tibooburra Project covers the Tibooburra and Koonenberry Greenstone Belts. The district is widely regarded as the northern extension of the Victorian Goldfields. The project is located at the boundary between two major orogens (Delamarian and Thomson) and mineralisation consists of high-grade laminated quartz-sulphide veins hosted within Cambrian sedimentary rocks intruded by Devonian granites within a tightly folded and faulted domain. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes, including Easting and northing of the drill hole collar, Elevation or RL (Reduced Level - elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar, dip and azimuth of the hole, down hole length and interception depth plus hole length. If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. Significant soil sample results that were the basis of the soil contours are listed in Appendix 1. All rock sample results collected by Novo are listed in Appendix 2. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (e.g., cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high-grade results and longer lengths of low-grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. No drilling was undertaken. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (e.g., 'down hole length, true width not known'). No drilling was undertaken. Rock sample results are indicative in nature and, whilst representatively sampling the target lithology, do not contain any width or length information other than a qualitative description of the target. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported. These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Refer to the body of the release for appropriate maps and diagrams. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. Due to the large number of soil samples, not all results are reported in Appendix 1. All results greater than 15 ppb are reported, comprising all samples used to generate anomalous soil contours. All rock sample results are reported. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples - size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. No additional data. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (e.g., tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. Refer to the body of the release. Novo intends to complete a 2,000m RC drilling program to test the high-grade mineralisation at Clone at depth, along strike and down plunge. No Section 3 or 4 report as no Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves are reported in this Appendix __________________ 3 Refer to ASX news release by Novo Resources dated 16/12/2024 - Novo Strengthens Portfolio with Two High-Grade Gold Projects in NSW, Australia Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/540ec385-0b56-4930-9955-d918c15766e2 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1256943b-c790-4d1b-bfa3-653e664b92f0 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0829898f-fad0-4e99-84f4-c7018ea24d34 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2d4edc6c-d557-4e05-800c-aea39ffbe737 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3656539e-4794-4c59-9471-98604893f417 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8429e080-cfc2-4804-8710-bc4eef98d0a3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/af0bed22-4da7-4ac2-84c9-11251ea8e4e3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a62ccce8-36d9-40ec-ad26-93c866d86068 2025 Dividend Proposal for Distribution of 2024 Profits Approved Board of Directors Elected Alan Wancier Rode Succeeds Andres Restrepo as Interim CEO and President Updated AIF and Nechi Alluvial Property Technical Report Filed (all amounts expressed in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated) Mineros S.A. (TSX:MSA, MINEROS:CB) ("Mineros" or the "Company") is pleased to provide the following updates. Results of Ordinary Meeting of General Shareholders Assembly The Company is pleased to announce the results of the ordinary meeting of its General Shareholders Assembly (the "Meeting") held yesterday in Medellin, Colombia. Profit Distribution and 2025 Dividends At the Meeting, the General Shareholders Assembly approved the distribution of the Company's 2024 profits set forth in Table 1 below, including, in respect of each common share, an annual ordinary dividend of $0.10, payable in four equal quarterly installments of $0.025, representing a total distribution of $29,973,740. Table 1. Shareholder-Approved Profit Distribution for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2024. ($) (COP$)(1) Profit for the year 86,552,322 354,104,439,962 Minus: Transfers to reserves as follows: Reserve for new projects 86,552,322 354,104,439,962 Plus: Release from non-taxable reserves from previous years for payment of non-taxable dividends subject to withholding tax 29,973,740 122,629,569,368 Available for distribution to shareholders 29,973,740 122,629,569,368 The following distribution was approved: Payment of non-taxable dividend subject to withholding tax 29,973,740 122,629,569,368 (1) U.S. dollar amounts converted to Colombian pesos for informational purposes, based on the average monthly Representative Market Rate (Tasa Representativa del Mercado - TRM) published by the Colombian Superintendence of Finance for the year ended December 31, 2024, of $1.00 = approximately COP$4,091.23 which includes adjustments on the translation to COP from the US$ according to IFRS. The Canadian record dates and Canadian/Colombian payment dates are set out in Table 2. Table 2. Canadian Dividend Record Dates and Canadian/Colombian Dividend Payment Dates. Record Date Payment Date Amount per share ($) (COP$)(1) Ordinary Dividend April 24, 2025 May 2, 2025 0.025 102.28 July 24, 2025 August 1, 2025 0.025 102.28 October 27, 2025 November 4, 2025 0.025 102.28 January 26, 2026 February 2, 2026 0.025 102.28 (1) U.S. dollar amounts converted to Colombian pesos for informational purposes, based on the average monthly Representative Market Rate (Tasa Representativa del Mercado - TRM) published by the Colombian Superintendence of Finance for the year ended December 31, 2024 of $1.00 = approximately COP$4,091.23. Payment of each dividend amount will be made on each payment date in U.S. dollars, which may in some cases be converted into local currency at the foreign exchange rate on the date of each payment. The approved dividend is in line with the Company's dividend policy, which is to pay in dividends at least 15% of the net income of the prior fiscal year, provided that this allows, in good faith, to maximize the long-term value of the Company. Dividends will be paid out of profits earned during and after the 2017 financial year which have been subject to corporate tax in Colombia. In general, under the Colombian Tax Code, dividends and distributions out of profits taxed at the corporate level to non-resident shareholders are subject to a 20% withholding tax, which the Company will withhold and remit to the Colombian National Tax and Customs Authority. A lower tax rate may apply for persons who are tax resident in countries that have entered into a tax treaty with Colombia. The Company has made available a procedure by which shareholders who are entitled to a withholding tax rate on dividend payments of less than 20% may claim and request delivery of any excess amounts withheld by the Company prior to their remittance to the Colombian National Tax and Customs Authority. The Company is making this procedure available as a service to shareholders. It may be discontinued or revised by the Company at any time without notice. For more information, see the Circular or Company's most recent annual information form, each of which is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR+. Approval of Issuer Bid At the Meeting, the General Shareholders Assembly considered and approved a shareholder-proposed resolution (the "Issuer Bid Resolution") authorizing the Company, at the discretion of the board of directors of the Company (the "Board"), to repurchase its common shares by way of market purchases on the Colombia Stock Exchange and/or the Toronto Stock Exchange, up to a maximum aggregate amount of US$12 million over a period not to exceed two years. Under Colombian law, shareholders are required to approve any repurchase of shares and so it was deemed advisable by the Shareholders to approve the Issuer Bid Resolution to give the Board the flexibility to undertake one or more issuer bids over the next two years should it so chose, subject to applicable rules and regulations in Canada and Colombia. Of the 247,155,018 common shares represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting, 216,365,425 (87.54%) voted in favour of the Issuer Bid Resolution. The Issuer Bid Resolution was properly brought before the Meeting in accordance with both Colombian rules and regulations and the Company's guidelines governing the General Shareholder Assembly. Election of Directors The Board is elected in accordance with the Colombian electoral quotient system. Directors are to be elected on the basis of slates of nominees proposed for election. For additional information, see the Company's management information circular dated February 18, 2025 (the "Circular") in respect of the Meeting, available from the Company's website at https://www.mineros.com.co/ and under the Company's profile on SEDAR+. On the day of the Meeting but prior to the formal start of the Meeting, two slates of nominees were proposed for election. The slate of nine nominees proposed in the Circular, on the recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee, consisted of Filipe J. Martins, Marco Izquierdo Llanos, Sofia Bianchi, Lucia Taborda, Michael Doyle, Mauricio Toro Zuluaga, Juan Esteban Mejia, Daniel Henao and Hernan Rodriguez ("Slate 1") and the second slate consisted of Sofia Bianchi, Marco Izquierdo Llanos, Andres Restrepo, Michael Doyle, Daniel Henao, Augusto Lopez Valencia, Hernan Rodriguez, Natalia Correa and Filipe J. Martins ("Slate 2"). Each of the nominees was determined to be suitable to serve as a director of the Company in accordance with applicable laws and the Policy for the Election, Evaluation and Compensation of the Board. Of the 247,155,081 common shares represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting, 18,545,784 (7.5%) voted in favour of Slate 1, 217,535,705 (88%) voted in favour of Slate 2, and 9,751,276 (3.9%) votes abstained from voting in respect of the election of directors. In accordance with the electoral quotient system, the directors forming Slate 2 were elected. As a result, the Board is composed of the following individuals: Members of the Board Sofia Bianchi Marco Izquierdo Llanos Andres Restrepo Michael Doyle Daniel Henao Augusto Lopez Valenica Hernan Rodriguez Natalia Correa Filipe J. Martins New Directors' Biographies Natalia Correa Natalia Correa is a finance professional with extensive experience in different areas of corporate finance, including mergers and acquisitions, capital structuring, project valuation, tax planning and risk management. She currently serves as Vice President of Finance at Sun Valley Investments AG (2021 to present; previously Financial Director, 2018 to 2021), where she leads strategic processes that drive growth and business consolidation. Throughout her career, she has successfully structured and executed multiple M&A transactions, assessing financial risks, and delivering sustainable value. Her expertise spans post-acquisition financial integration and capital structure optimization in mining operations. Ms. Correa combines strategic vision with deep market insight and strong analytical skills. Natalia has a strong academic background in corporate finance and business administration, which includes a MSc in Investment Management, Investments and Securities from Bayes Business School in the UK, and a Management Engineer, Business Administration and Management degree from EIA University in Colombia. Known for her leadership, collaborative approach, and ability to create tangible impact in complex environments, Ms. Correa plays a key role in investment and corporate growth decisions across the mining sector. Augusto Lopez Valencia With over five decades of leadership experience across South America and Europe, Augusto Lopez Valencia is a distinguished business executive who has played a pivotal role in Colombia's economic and industrial development. He is best known for his 15-year tenure as President of Bavaria, S.A., Colombia's largest beverage company, where he led the company through significant growth and transformation. In addition to Bavaria, Mr. Lopez has been a key figure in the leadership of some of Colombia's most prominent corporations, serving as a director for Avianca, Valores Bavaria S.A., Colseguros, Sofasa, Caracol, and Bancoldex. He holds a degree in electrical engineering from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. His contributions have earned him multiple prestigious honors, including the Order of the Congress of the Republic (Grand Knight's Cross) and the Antioquia Shield in the Gold Category, awarded by the Congress of Colombia and the Governor of Antioquia, respectively. His impact extends internationally, having received distinctions such as the Ordre National du Merite from the President of France and an Honorary Engineering Degree from the Ecole Nationale d'Ingenieurs de Metz. Currently, Mr. Lopez serves on the boards of Grupo Ethuss, Win Sports, and Uniempresarial, continuing to shape the future of business and education in Colombia. Andres Restrepo Mr. Restrepo has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since 2015. Previously, he was Chief Executive Officer of AIA - Arquitectos e Ingenieros Asociados, from 2012 to 2014, and General Manager of Brinsa S.A. from 2005 to 2012. He is a director and member of the audit committee of each of Compania de Empaques S.A. and Plantaciones Unipalma de Los Llanos S.A (Unipalma S.A.). Mr. Restrepo holds a BSc (Production Engineering) from EAFIT University, and a MC/MPA from the Edward S. Mason Program at Harvard University. Advisory Vote on Individual Directors At the Meeting, shareholders voted on an advisory resolution in respect of each individual nominee that was proposed for election by the Company. Table 3 summarizes the results of that vote. Table 3. Results of Advisory Vote on the Election of Individual Directors. Name of Nominee Votes For (%) Votes Withheld (%) Abstained (%) Total Shares Sofia Bianchi 208,767,051 84.47 1,862,428 0.75 36,525,539 14.78 247,155,018 Marco Izquierdo Llanos 212,166,733 85.84 2,117,184 0.86 32,871,101 13.30 247,155,018 Andres Restrepo 117,860,731 47.69 378,716 0.15 128,915,571 52.16 247,155,018 Michael Doyle 213,576,904 86.41 594,629 0.24 32,983,485 13.35 247,155,018 Daniel Henao 209,858,132 84.91 783,362 0.32 36,513,524 14.77 247,155,018 Augusto Lopez Valencia 210,172,591 85.04 3,682,252 1.49 33,300,175 13.47 247,155,018 Hernan Rodriguez 211,936,961 85.75 2,238,235 0.91 32,979,822 13.34 247,155,018 Natalia Correa 210,172,591 85.04 1,898,087 0.77 35,084,340 14.20 247,155,018 Felipe J. Martins 113,072,335 45.75 1,955,092 0.79 132,172,591 53.46 247,155,018 Approval of Director Compensation The General Shareholders Assembly approved the following remuneration for the members of the Board: Fees 2025 Chair of the Board $30,000 Member of the Board $55,000 Chair of the Audit Committee $25,000 Member of Committee $5,000 Election of the Statutory Auditors for the period 2025-2027 The General Shareholders Assembly reappointed Deloitte & Touche S.A.S. as the Company's statutory auditor for a period of two years. Results of Other Resolutions from the Meeting Other than the election of directors and Issuer Bid Resolution as outlined above, and amendment of the meeting agenda to consider the Issuer Bid Resolution, all resolutions as outlined in the Circular were passed at the Meeting. Appointment of Interim Chief Executive Officer and President Mineros is pleased to announce that effective as of the end of business on March 31, 2025, Alan Wancier Rode succeeded Andres Restrepo as Interim Chief Executive Officer and Interim President of the Company pending the appointment of David Londono on April 8, 2025, announced on February 27, 2025. Mr. Restrepo's tenure as Chief Executive Officer and President ceased in connection with his election as a director of the Company, in compliance with applicable internal Company guidelines and policies which prohibit a person from serving as a director of the Company while holding those positions. Mr. Wancier serves as Chief Financial Officer of the Company and will continue in that role. Filing of Annual Information Form and Technical Report In accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, prior to the Meeting, the Company filed yesterday its annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2024. In addition, the Company filed yesterday the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Nechi Alluvial Property, Antioquia Department, Colombia", effective December 31, 2024, dated March 31, 2025, prepared by Luke Evans, M.Sc., P.Eng., Goran Andric, P.Eng., Eduardo Zamanillo, M.Sc., MBA, ChMC(RM), Lance Engelbrecht, P.Eng., all of SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd., and Gerd M. Wiatzka, P.Eng., of Arcadis Canada Inc., which includes updated mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates for the Company's Nechi Alluvial Property, as previously announced on February 28, 2025. The annual information form and technical report are available on the Company's website at www.mineros.com.co, and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. About Mineros S.A. Mineros is a Latin American gold mining company headquartered in Medellin, Colombia. The Company has a diversified asset base, with mines in Colombia and Nicaragua and a pipeline of development and exploration projects throughout the region. The board of directors and management of Mineros have extensive experience in mining, corporate development, finance and sustainability. Mineros has a long track record of maximizing shareholder value and delivering solid annual dividends. For almost 50 years Mineros has operated with a focus on safety and sustainability at all its operations. Mineros' common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "MSA", and on the Colombia Stock Exchange under the symbol "MINEROS". The Company has been granted an exemption from the individual voting and majority voting requirements applicable to listed issuers under Toronto Stock Exchange policies, on grounds that compliance with such requirements would constitute a breach of Colombian laws and regulations which require the directors to be elected on the basis of a slate of nominees proposed for election pursuant to an electoral quotient system. For further information, please see the Company's most recent annual information form, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to the Company's future financial outlook and anticipated events or results and may include information regarding the Company's financial position, business strategy, growth strategies, addressable markets, budgets, operations, financial results, taxes, dividend policy, plans and objectives. Forward-looking information includes statements that use forward-looking terminology such as "may", "could", "would", "will", "should", "intend", "target", "plan", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "potential", "view" or the negative or grammatical variation thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements with respect to the timing and payment of dividends. Forward-looking information is based upon estimates and assumptions of management in light of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors, as of the date of this news release. While management considers these assumptions to be reasonable, many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company, and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. The assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, social, economic, political, regulatory, competitive and other risks and uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that could cause actual actions, events, conditions, results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those projected in the forward-looking information. These risk factors specifically include, without limitation, changes in market conditions, gold prices, currency fluctuations, operating risks, international trade conflict, and the additional risks described in the ''Risk Factors" sections of the Company's most recent annual information form, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. The Company cautions that the foregoing lists of important assumptions and factors that may affect future results are not exhaustive. Other events or circumstances could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated or projected and expressed in, or implied by, the forward looking information. There can be no assurance that forward looking 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. Forward looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as and to the extent required by applicable securities laws. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250401978250/en/ Contact For further information, please contact: Ann Wilkinson Vice President, Investor Relations +1 416-357-5511 relacion.inversionistas@mineros.com.co Investor.relations@mineros.com.co VANCOUVER, April 01, 2025 - Ero Copper Corp. (TSX: ERO, NYSE: ERO) (the "Company") will publish its first quarter 2025 operating and financial results on Monday, May 5, 2025, after market close. The Company will host a conference call to discuss the results on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 11:30am Eastern time (8:30am Pacific time). A results presentation will be available for download via the webcast link and in the Presentations section of the Company's website on the day of the conference call. CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 Time: 11:30am Eastern Time (8:30am Pacific Time) Dial In: Canada/USA Toll Free: 1-833-752-3380, International: +1-647-846-2821 Please dial in 5-10 minutes prior to the start of the call or pre-register using this link to bypass the live operator queue Webcast: To access the webcast, click here Replay: Canada/USA Toll Free: 1-855-669-9658, International: +1-412-317-0088 For country-specific dial-in numbers, click here Replay Passcode: 4434787 ABOUT ERO COPPER CORP Ero Copper is a high-margin, high-growth copper producer with operations in Brazil and corporate headquarters in Vancouver, B.C. The Company's primary asset is a 99.6% interest in the Brazilian copper mining company, Mineracao Caraiba S.A. ("MCSA"), 100% owner of the Company's Caraiba Operations, which are located in the Curaca Valley, Bahia State, Brazil, and the Tucuma Operation, an open pit copper mine located in Para State, Brazil. The Company also owns 97.6% of NX Gold S.A. ("NX Gold") which owns the Xavantina Operations, an operating gold and silver mine located in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. In July 2024, the Company signed a definitive earn-in agreement with Vale Base Metals for a 60% interest in the Furnas Copper-Gold Project, located in the Carajas Mineral Province in Para State, Brazil. For more information on the earn-in agreement, please see the Company's press releases dated October 30, 2023 and July 22, 2024. Additional information on the Company and its operations, including technical reports on the Caraiba Operations, Xavantina Operations, Tucuma Operation and the Furnas Copper-Gold Project, can be found on the Company's website (www.erocopper.com), on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca/landingpage/) and on EDGAR (www.sec.gov). The Company's shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ERO". FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Courtney Lynn, Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Strategy (604) 335-7504 info@erocopper.com 2026 will be the end of Alonso's F1 career? Another former Formula 1 winner has joined Rene Arnoux in suggesting veteran Fernando Alonso is nearing the end of his competitive days on the grid. Fernando Alonso, Chinese GP 2025 Aston Martin Racing Arnoux, who like 43-year-old Alonso also raced for Ferrari, described the Spaniard as one of the disappointments the 2025 season so far in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. When he's fighting close to (Lance) Stroll, it says a lot, the 76-year-old Frenchman said. I think he is nearing the end of his career. Shanghai was Alonso's 406th grand prix, meaning that for exactly the entire second half of his career, he has failed to add to his tally of 32 wins. Alonso is yet to score even a single point so far this season, but Ralf Schumacher told formel1.de that he thinks the two-time champion is still incredible . He's won very few world titles for his talent, Schumacher added. "Perhaps his character has influenced this, as he's never been a great team player. But in terms of performance, he's still incredible. Schumacher admits that Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll may simply have improved over the winter, but he also thinks Alonso may no longer be driving as urgently or aggressively as in the past. He can't fight for the top positions, and that could be affecting his performance, said the German. If the car makes a step forward, he'll be back. Don't underestimate him. Alonso is signed up for the 2026 season, and is keeping his options open beyond that. Schumacher predicts: I think by the end of 2026, it will be the end for him in Formula 1. I don't see him being signed by another elite team. Meanwhile, the struggling Aston Martin car company is selling its minority investment in the Silverstone based team that bears its name. It will be acquired by team owner Lawrence Stroll, whose stake now rises to 33 percent. Stroll said: With a long-term sponsorship agreement cementing the existing relationship between Aston Martin and the Aston Martin F1 Team, our brand will remain present and competing at the pinnacle of motorsport for many years to come. (GMM) Red Bull denies powering V10 return talk Christian Horner has denied it is Red Bull that is pushing hardest for the return of V10 engines in Formula 1. Christian Horner, Chinese GP 2025 Red Bull Pat Symonds, an engineering stalwart of the sport, now consults for the all-new Cadillac team - who he says may not even have a car to run at all if the scheduled 2026 rule changes do not fire up from next year. Audi can't do it, he is quoted as saying by France's Auto Hebdo, referring to the fact that Sauber will become the full Audi team from 2026 with a brand new engine. We (Cadillac) designed a car for a 2026 Ferrari engine. We suspect that a 2025 Ferrari engine would not fit in the car, Symonds added, dismissing the entire concept of calling off the 2026 rules as wishful thinking . One theory is that Red Bull is powering the V10s running on 100 percent sustainable fuel idea, amid rumours the team is concerned its new Ford-backed Red Bull Powertrains project will be significantly outpaced. Team boss Horner denies it. We now have our own engine department and are running our engines on the test benches, he said. "I think all the teams are fully focused on 2026 at the moment. There has been some speculation that we are pushing for a delay, but that is absolutely not the case. We are prepared and ready for 2026. That is our plan. Horner even agrees with Symonds' line of thinking that the discussions taking place behind the scenes are essentially wishful thinking. I would be very surprised, he said when asked if he expects a sudden regulations U-turn. It's very late in the process. There is a governance structure, there is a process, there are rules in place. (GMM) Previous article: Outrage in Somalia after man says he married 8-year-old missing girl China says 3 Chinese crew members suspected of being kidnapped from a boat off Ghana are safe www.dailymail.co.uk International News Apr - 01 - 2025 , 08:38 1 minute read Three Chinese nationals suspected of being kidnapped off Ghana's coast are safe, China's foreign ministry said on Monday (march 31, 2025), without giving details. On Saturday, March 29, 2025, the Ghana Armed Forces said the authorities were investigating "a suspected pirate attack" on a Ghanaian-registered fishing vessel that left three Chinese crew members missing. The Ghana Armed Forces in a statement said that on Thursday evening, "reports indicated that seven armed individuals boarded the vessel and fired warning shots, prompting several crew members to seek cover in a safe area." The armed forces said the "pirates" stayed on board for about three hours after assembling everyone on deck and confiscating their phones. After the armed individuals left the ship, the crew discovered the missing members. It said the MENGXIN 1 vessel was now docked. Piracy is not uncommon in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa. Over the years, the Chinese have flown Ghanaian flags on their vessels to fish in Ghanaian waters, according to watchdogs. China's foreign ministry told reporters that all crew members were safe. "China will continue to work with Ghana to effectively safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in Ghana," ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. Bawumia urges Muslims to sustain kindness beyond Ramadan GraphicOnline Mar - 31 - 2025 , 13:53 1 minute read Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on Muslims to continue upholding the virtues of generosity and compassion they demonstrated during Ramadan. In a heartfelt Eid-ul-Fitr message, he congratulated Muslims in Ghana and around the world for successfully completing the month-long fast and emphasised the need to support the vulnerable in society. On the blessed occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, Hajia Samira and I extend our warmest congratulations to fellow Muslims in Ghana and the world over, for a successful Ramadan, he wrote on his social media pages. He also prayed for divine blessings upon the nation and its people. May the Almighty Allah accept our supplications, and extend His favours upon all of us, our loved ones, and our dear nation, he added. Call for continued generosity Dr. Bawumia urged Muslims not to limit their acts of kindness to the holy month but to extend generosity beyond Ramadan. Let us continue to uphold the virtues of kindness we showed during the holy month, especially to the poor and vulnerable members of our society. Eid Mubarak, he stated. The former Vice President joined fellow worshippers at Burma Camp in Accra for the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers, where he participated in prayers and celebrations marking the end of Ramadan. DVLA CEO proposes formalising operations of goro boys Graphic.com.gh Apr - 01 - 2025 , 11:45 3 minutes read The new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, has proposed formalising the operations of the numerous informal agents [unofficial middlemen], popularly known as goro boys, who hang around the various DVLA offices across the country and offer to facilitate vehicle registration and licensing services for individuals. In a radio interview with Accra-based Citi FM on Tuesday morning [April 1, 2025], Mr Neequaye Kotey argued that it was better for the government to integrate the 'goro boys' into a regulated system to improve efficiency and transparency in the licensing process instead of fighting to get rid of these informal agents, He indicated that while not all informal operators could be absorbed into the system, a structured approach could provide clarity and fairness in service charges. Why dont we regularise what they do? Because we have been fighting them for the past years, and the story is the same. Why dont we bring them on board? I am not saying we need to employ all of them, but we have to bring them on board and regularise what they do. So we tell them as an agent, you dont charge beyond a certain amount. That is exactly what the ultra centre is doing. We are going to train them so we will be able to do away with what they do that we dont agree with. There is going to be a clear-cut point on what they must do and what they cannot do, just like the way agents operate at the port, he said that on the Citi FM breakfast show. He said the Ultra Centre is private owned and "they also engage in services of DVLA and then put extra GH100 charge on it. That extra GH100 charge they give DVLA GH20 and then the Ultra Centre, the owner keep GH80, so what is the difference between the goro boy and what the Ultra Centre is doing." "When you go to Tema Harbour, there were once goro boys, today they are agents. When you go to Ghana Airport, there were once goro boys, today they are agents, are we going to put all these boys back on the streets, then what happens, why don't we regularise what they do. Because for the past years, we've been fighting them and the story is the same. "Why don't you bring them onboard. I'm not saying I'm going to employ all of them, bring them on board, make sure we regularise what they do, so Mr 'A', we have all charges of DVLA, you are not going to charge above this when you help someone to undertake his job, that is exactly what the Ultra Centre is doing. We can't just always use language, words to separate the rich from the poor," he told the radio station. Energy Minister Jinapor to set up 3-member special committee to track ECG missing containers GNA Apr - 01 - 2025 , 07:38 3 minutes read The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor has proposed the formation of a specialised three-member committee to track the serial numbers of the Electricity of Ghana (ECG) containers that are said to have gone missing at the Tema Port, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) reports. The minister has already explained that 40 of the missing containers have been traced to four locations, including aluminium smelting companies and warehouses across the country. According to the minister, tracking the serial numbers would help to determine the final destination of each missing container and identify all parties involved in their disappearance. He said the work of the three-member committee will form part of a broader effort to unravel the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the 1,346 containers and to hold those responsible accountable. Speaking during a television programme on Saturday, Mr Jinapor mentioned the discovery of 40 of the missing containers across four different locations, including aluminium smelting companies and warehouses. He noted that some foreign nationals, including Chinese and Indians, had been arrested in connection with the found containers, while investigations were ongoing. The minister expressed concern over the potential involvement of both Ghanaian and foreign nationals in the illicit activities. Stories being heard suggest various methods of diversion, including containers being cleared from the port but not reaching the ECG warehouses, and instead ending up in private factories or being sold at suspiciously low prices through auctions. To address the problem, Mr Jinapor proposed the establishment of the three-member expert team, which would work alongside the ongoing National Intelligence Bureau (NIB)- led criminal investigations. The primary responsibility of the committee would be to meticulously track the serial numbers of the missing containers, he said. The team would analyse all relevant information detailing the arrival and receipt of the containers, with the support of national security. "By tracing these serial numbers, the aim is to determine the final destination of each missing container and identify all parties involved in their disappearance, the minister said. "We can get a very good former custom official, some forensic guys. What they will do is that they will take all the manifests when the container arrived, how it was received with the support of national security. "They will trace them and get to know their last point of destination. Im sure when we do that, we will get a lot of people into the net and the law will take its course. Mr Jinapor raised concerns over the auctioning of ECGs imported items, procured with the taxpayers money, at very low prices without the apparent knowledge of the companys management. He suggested that such valuable items, particularly those with specific uses like electricity cables, should ideally be taken over by the state for purposes of rural electrification rather than being auctioned off to be potentially melted down. The minister emphasised the need for a structured payment plan with the Government to utilise the recovered and secured containers for ongoing electrification projects, potentially reducing the need for the award of new contracts. He affirmed the Governments commitment to resolving the issue and reforming the energy sector to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future. He is also seeking clarification from the Attorney General on certain legal aspects related to the ownership and autonomy of state-owned enterprises like ECG in such situations. GNA Next article: Pastors have no special security protocols in Ghana - Interior Ministry Ho: Muslims pray for Vice President Opoku-Agyemangs recovery during Eid-ul-Fitr Alberto Mario Noretti Apr - 01 - 2025 , 07:37 1 minute read The Eid-ul-Fitr celebration in Ho took a solemn turn as members of the Muslim community fervently prayed for the speedy recovery of Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who fell ill last Friday, March 28. Prayers were also offered for divine guidance for President John Dramani Mahama and for continued peace in the country. Leading the prayers, Imam Muniru Ali reminded worshippers that the period of fasting was meant to instil discipline, piety, and moral uprightness. He urged Muslims to extend these values beyond Ramadan and integrate them into their daily lives. The end of the fasting does not signify an era of evil acts, he cautioned. He further stressed that a constant fear of Allah is essential for fostering peace and harmony in society, urging Muslims to continue avoiding sinful behaviour even after breaking the fast. Allah will open doors of great opportunities for those who fear Him and live in honesty all the time, Imam Ali assured. The Volta Regional Police Commander, ACP Wisdom Akorli, also addressed the gathering, urging the Muslim community to lead efforts in promoting peace and harmony within their communities in the broader national interest. The event was attended by traditional rulers and representatives of other security agencies, reflecting a shared commitment to unity and national cohesion. Muntaka urges modesty and peaceful coexistence in Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations Jemima Okang Addae Mar - 31 - 2025 , 13:46 2 minutes read The Minister of the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has urged Muslims, particularly the youth, to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with modesty and avoid actions that could disrupt national peace. In a Facebook post marking the occasion, he emphasised the importance of upholding the spiritual significance of Ramadan beyond the fasting period, calling on Muslims to continue practising self-discipline and devotion. Our youth, I want to remind you that Eid is an opportunity for us to reflect on the 29 days of fasting. The fasting that we have made so much sacrifice. Weve denied ourselves food, weve denied ourselves a lot of comfort, weve given out a lot of alms, weve supported the needy, weve done a lot to support our communities. Lets not take all these deeds and throw them into the dustbin just because of the Eid day celebration, he stated. Muntaka also reminded Muslims to be considerate of others while celebrating, particularly their non-Muslim neighbours. Lets remember in our celebration we need to be modest. In modesty, we should also remember that we have neighbours who are not necessarily Muslims. And in our festive mood, lets make sure we dont disturb the peace of our neighbours, he added. Additionally, he appealed to communities experiencing conflicts to set aside their differences and embrace peace, emphasising that national unity is crucial for progress. Delivering his Eid-ul-Fitr message, he urged Muslims to foster peaceful coexistence with their neighbours, regardless of religious differences. The Interior Minister further called on the Muslim community and Ghanaians at large to support and pray for President John Dramani Mahama and his government as they work to fulfil their promises to the nation. Watch video on the Ministry's Facebook page Next article: Allow students practice their religious faith without hindrances - Education Minister to school authorities Massive gold, cash bust by National Security - Minority demands explanations 2 months after operation Graphic Online Apr - 01 - 2025 , 19:00 4 minutes read The Minority in Parliament has demanded explanations from last February's massive gold and cash seizures from a warehouse in Greater Accra said to have been made by the National Security in an operation. The Minority through the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour is therefore calling for full accountability from the government regarding the gold and cash seizures made by National Security in February this year, which they claim are worth billions of dollars. They said despite the high-profile nature of the operation, nearly two months have passed without any updates from the National Security. It is unacceptable that, after all this time, we still dont know the exact quantity of gold or the specific amount of cash seized, he added. The identities of those responsible for the large-scale shipment of gold and cash remain unknown, and the government has not clarified what it intends to do with the assets, which are still under National Security's custody. We demand accountability, Rev. Fordjour insisted. National Security must provide a clear explanation of the gold bars and cash seized, as well as their intentions for these assets. We, the Mighty Minority, demand transparency and accountability, Rev. Fordjour continued. The Ghanaian people have a legitimate question: Does the government intend to divert the 12 containers filled with gold and cash, only to later claim the gold is fake and the cash counterfeit? Related: Massive gold, cash bust: National Security seizes millions - Suspects flee What happened? The National Security said it made a massive bust, seizing a large unspecified amount of US dollars and Ghana Cedis, including counterfeits hidden in 12 different 20-foot shipping containers. The sting operation also discovered and led to the seizure of boxes of heavy metals, which were suspected to be gold bars. The containers were tracked to a warehouse at Ofakor, where a special late-night operation was conducted after a tip-off. The concealed currency, mostly bundles of US dollars, was found in wooden boxes covered with cement. Extra currencies were discovered when other boxes were opened in the warehouse during the sting operation, all of them suspected to be fake and stashed in the boxes that were sealed with plywood and covered with charcoal. National Security operatives involved in the operation disclosed that two more containers were being tracked. Although suspects of the crime syndicate were said to be on the run, the National Security said a manhunt was underway for four of them, including the suspected ring leader, who was then only known as Alhaji, a source with inside knowledge about the issue told the Daily Graphic's Kester Aburam Korankye. Other items retrieved from the warehouse, according to the source, included boxes of metals suspected to be gold bars, counterfeit Ghana Cedi notes in 50 and 100 denominations, and fake Ghana Army uniforms and boots. The source indicated that the latest discovery could be one of the biggest in volume and value in the country in recent times. Minority demands explanations The Minority Caucus at a press conference said since the operation, the public has not been updated, raising concerns about how the government is handling the matter. The Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, who addressed the minority press conference. This operation has attracted significant media attention, Rev. Fordjour said. The public has a right to know how much was seized and the full scope of the operation. Despite the high-profile nature of the operation, nearly two months have passed without any updates from National Security. It is unacceptable that, after all this time, we still dont know the exact quantity of gold or the specific amount of cash seized, he added. The identities of those responsible for the large-scale shipment of gold and cash remain unknown, and the government has not clarified what it intends to do with the assets, which are still under National Security's custody. We demand accountability, Rev. Fordjour insisted. National Security must provide a clear explanation of the gold bars and cash seized, as well as their intentions for these assets. We, the Mighty Minority, demand transparency and accountability, Rev. Fordjour continued. The Ghanaian people have a legitimate question: Does the government intend to divert the 12 containers filled with gold and cash, only to later claim the gold is fake and the cash counterfeit? The Minority has given National Security a two-month deadline to update the public on the progress of the investigation. However, with no information forthcoming, scepticism is growing, he said. We assure the public that the mighty minority will not rest until a full and transparent account of the situation is provided by the Minister for the Interior, Rev. Fordjour stated. Emphasising the importance of transparency, he highlighted the potential impact of the discovery on the country. The publics growing scepticism is entirely understandable, he remarked. It is crucial that the government provides a clear and honest account to maintain trust and confidence among the people of Ghana. "The Minority caucus's commitment to ensuring that the government, through the Minister for Interior, provides a clear and transparent account of the investigation's findings and plans is crucial in maintaining public trust and confidence,"he concluded. Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys flourish in nature reserve in SW China People's Daily Online) 10:39, April 01, 2025 Photo shows a stunning view of the Yunlong Tianchi National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo courtesy of the management bureau of the Yunlong Tianchi National Nature Reserve) The population of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, protected by China's highest conservation status, has increased significantly at the Yunlong Tianchi National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province. From around 90 individuals in 2005, the number has risen to over 200 today, largely due to sustained ecological conservation efforts. Located in Yunlong county, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, the reserve spans nearly 15,000 hectares across two sections and features an impressive 93% forest cover. To date, the reserve has documented 1,278 species of vascular plants and 439 species of vertebrates, including 10 species under first-class state protection and 15 under second-class protection in China. The reserve is the southernmost habitat for the Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys. Recently, an ecological restoration project for these primates has been implemented along an ecological corridor linking the two sections of the reserve. So far, over 1 million trees preferred by Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys have been planted. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Next article: Bawumia urges Muslims to sustain kindness beyond Ramadan Pastors have no special security protocols in Ghana - Interior Ministry GNA Apr - 01 - 2025 , 07:16 1 minute read The Ministry of the Interior has denied issuing directives for any special protocols allowing any groups or individuals, especially pastors to bypass security checks. This follows information circulating on social media, claiming certain individuals, including pastors, have been granted special privileges to circumvent security procedures. A statement issued by the Public Affairs and Communications Unit of the Ministry said these claims are baseless, entirely false and should be disregarded immediately. The Ministry emphasized its commitment to maintaining nationwide peace and security, ensuring equal protection for all citizens without discrimination. It also warned against misrepresentation for criminal activities or spreading false information, which undermined national security. The statement highlighted the Ministrys emphasis on strict security protocols, stating: We urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities. It urged social media users and the public to verify information through official channels before sharing it to prevent misinformation. The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and pledged to provide accurate updates on its operations and policies. It affirmed that that by working together, we can ensure a safer and more informed community. GNA President Mahama orders probe into drug and cash trafficking allegations by Minority GraphicOnline Apr - 01 - 2025 , 20:39 4 minutes read President John Dramani Mahama has responded to allegations of suspicious flights arriving in Ghana, directing a thorough investigation into claims of drug trafficking and money laundering. This follows concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament regarding Ghanas security. In a statement on his official Facebook page, President Mahama assured that the government would leave no stone unturned in addressing the allegations made by Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, the Member of Parliament for Assin South. "Government takes all allegations seriously, and to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation, I have directed all relevant investigative agencies including the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the Police CID, the National Investigations Bureau (NIB), and the National Security Coordinator to immediately and fully collaborate with the honourable member of parliament so he provides all necessary information to investigate the allegations and take all action necessary to expose any drug dealing," President Mahama stated. Reaffirming his administrations commitment to combating drug-related crimes, President Mahama highlighted a recent drug bust made by the NIB, which uncovered narcotics valued at $350 million. He emphasized a zero-tolerance approach to using Ghana as a conduit for drug trafficking. Minority raises alarm The Minority in Parliament, led by Rev. Ntim Fordjour, has raised several security concerns, including allegations of drug and cash smuggling through private jets, the mysterious disappearance of 12 containers filled with gold and cash, and a reported pirate attack on a Ghanaian fishing vessel. Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday (April 1, 2025), Rev. Ntim Fordjour specifically mentioned two private aircraftAirMed flight N823AM and Cavok Airwhich reportedly landed at Kotoka International Airport in March 2025 carrying suspicious cargo believed to be cocaine and cash. We call on National Security to make full disclosure of the content of the cargo carried by these two aircraft into the country and what was carried out by the same aircraft to Gran Canaria, he asserted. The Minority Caucus also demanded answers regarding an alleged pirate attack on the Ghanaian fishing vessel "MENGXIN 1" on March 27, 2025. They called on the government to bolster the Ghana Navys capacity by providing Offshore Patrol Vessels to safeguard Ghanas territorial waters. Bipartisan call for action While raising concerns about these security developments, the Minority urged a bipartisan approach to tackling the issues. Mr. Kofi Amankwa Manu, the NPP MP for Atwima Kwanwoma and Deputy Ranking Member on the Interior and Defence Committee of Parliament, emphasized the need for a collective effort to protect Ghanas security. This is a security issue that calls for a collective effort, and the Minority will play its part. We call on others to do the same, he urged, cautioning against politicizing national security concerns. The Minority warned that Ghanas reputation as the second most peaceful country in Africa could be at risk if immediate measures were not taken. They stressed that under President Mahamas leadership, the country must remain a safe and stable nation, free from threats such as piracy, drug trafficking, and money laundering. My attention has been drawn to allegations made at a press conference by an honourable member of parliament, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, regarding two suspicious flights arriving at the Kotoka International Airport suspected to be involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. Government takes all allegations seriously, and to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation, I have directed all relevant investigative agencies including the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the Police CID, the National Investigations Bureau (NIB), and the National Security Coordinator to immediately and fully collaborate with the honourable member of parliament so he provides all necessary information to investigate the allegations and take all action necessary to expose any drug dealing. We will maintain zero tolerance for using Ghana as a transit or final destination for drugs or drug trafficking. The NIB made a high-profile bust of drugs last week, with a street value of $350 million. Apple released iOS 18.4, which expands Apple Intelligence to new regions like the European Union and India. The update also adds support for more languages, including French (France, Canada), German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain, LATAM, US), Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and localized English (India and Singapore). The Apple Intelligence features are available for iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 series smartphones and M1 and later iPads/Macs. Apple has also released iOS and iPadOS 16.7.11 and iOS and iPadOS 15.8.4 for older devices that are not able to run iOS 18. With iOS 18.4, users also get Priority Notifications, which separates important alerts that may require immediate action to the top of the notification stack. Image Playground now features a new Sketch style for content generation. Visual Intelligence is now available on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max devices. Alongside iOS 18.4, Apple is also now seeding iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, watchOS 11.4 and visionOS 2.4. Apple Vision Pro is also getting an initial set of Apple Intelligence features with the just-released visionOS 2.4 update. These include Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, Smart Reply and will be available exclusively in US English for now. Apple also added a dedicated Apple Vision Pro iOS app, which allows Vision Pro owners to receive useful tips, new spatial content, and the ability to download apps and content remotely. Apple Vision Pro app (iOS) and Writing Tools watchOS 11.4 brings a new "Break Through Silent Mode" option which allows sound and haptics to function when the device is set to silent mode. Apple also added Matter support which allows watch users to control Matter smart home devices like robot vacuums. The update also brings bug fixes and stability enhancements. Nothing Micro About Micronesia, a stage play by the Los Angeles-based nonprofit TeAda Productions, is coming to Guam for a total of three shows on May 2 and 3. It tells a coming-of-age story about three Micronesian youth who meet in an unlikely place, and through magic, are transported to island adventures in Micronesia. Guam is part of TeAda Productions Micronesian tour after successful performances on Oahu, Maui and Moku o Keawe or the Big Island of Hawaii. The Guam leg of the Micronesia tour is in partnership with the University of Guam, Humanities Guahan, and the Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency, with support from Breaking Wave Theatre Company. The highly anticipated productions Guam premiere takes place on the following dates at the UOG Fine Arts Theatre: 7 p.m., Friday, May 2 2 p.m., Saturday, May 3 7 p.m., Saturday, May 3 Tickets are $25 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors. Guam show tickets are available at https://www.guamtime.net. For more information about the 2025 Micronesia tour, visit teada.org. Traditions, uncertain futures In Nothing Micro About Micronesia, the lead characters navigate between Hawaii and the traditions of their homelands while facing the rising tides of their uncertain futures. The story centers complex issues faced by youth in Hawaii from migration and assimilation to cultural reclamation and familial responsibility, and connecting to intergenerational Micronesian experiences in Hawaii, across the atolls and islands of Micronesia, and beyond. The play spotlights the cultural traditions and stories of Micronesians, while highlighting the urgent need for education and advocacy around issues of climate migration, cultural erasure, and discrimination in the present day. Theater workshops As part of this residency, TeAdas cast and company will be offering theater workshops in-schools for Micronesian youth and there will be a school matinee performance of Nothing Micro About Micronesia. Over the last decade, artistic directors Leilani Chan and Ova Saopeng, and the ensemble, have conducted workshops with members of the Micronesian community throughout Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. continent that produced the first nationally touring play about MicronesiansMasters of the Currents. In the summer of 2024, the creative duo traveled to Micronesia and deepened relationships in the Marshall Islands, Pohnpei, Saipan, and Chuuk. That trip became the inspiration for Nothing Micro About Micronesia. TeAdas successful methodology in community engagement and touring makes TeAda Productions a leader in transforming American theater. Based in Los Angeles, TeAda Productions is a non-profit theater of color rooted in the stories of immigrants and refugees. It said it is committed to healing and honoring the lives of the displaced, exploited and overlooked. Partners The Nothing Micro About Micronesia Micronesia tour is being made possible with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts National Theater Project, the National Endowment for the Arts, the MAP Fund, Kim Coco Iwamoto, University of Guam, Guam CAHA, Humanities Guahan, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional logistical support by Breaking Wave Theatre Company. For more information about the tour, contact UOG Fine Arts Theatres Troy McVey at tmcvey@triton.uog.edu, Humanities Guahans CJ Ochoco at cjochoco@humanitiesguahan.org, or TeAda Productions Jonny Chang at jonny@teada.org, or visit www.teada.org. Members of the Autism Community Together, or ACT, of Guam, a support group for the more than 500 children on Guam who live with autism spectrum disorders, and their families, will be joining the signing of a proclamation declaring April 2025 Autism Awareness Month. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio will sign the proclamation at a 4 p.m. ceremony on the front lawn of Adelup. During the ceremony, children and families will help raise the autism awareness flags and leave them up throughout the month of April. "This ceremony is always so emotional because we showcase what our kids can do, not the limitations that most people associate autism with. We continue to stand in solidarity with the more than 70 million individuals living with Autism around the world," ACT of Guam president Josephine Blas said in a statement. "Our children with Autism will once again showcase their abilities as they present the colors, sing the National Anthem and Guam Hymn as well as read the proclamation verses. Its just a very heartfelt ceremony." Besides being a support group for the more than 500 children on Guam who live with autism spectrum disorders, and their families, ACT said its mission is to promote a family, education and community partnership which is accepted and respected as beneficial for everyone the child, the family and the schools in order to ensure successful supported education and community awareness and participation. "April is Autism Month, but we live it each and every day of the year," ACT's Blas reminds the community. Run/Walk for Autism on April 5 ACT will also be hosting its biggest annual Run/Walk for Autism on Saturday, April 5, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the CHamoru Village Huts in Hagatna. Registration continues online and at their office in the DNA Bldg, Suite 304, on Thursday and Friday, from 2 to 6 p.m. Participants receive their shirt and bib at the time of registration. 'Lighting it up blue' ACT is also encouraging homes and businesses on Guam to join the international community in "Lighting it up blue" throughout April. "Another way to show support is just to wear blue, but most importantly, is to just be compassionate to our children and their families when they are not having a good day," ACT said. For any questions or to become a member of ACT, contact Jo Blas, ACT president, at (671) 489-0067 or via email at autismcommunityguam@gmail.com. Attorney General Douglas Moylan on Monday told senators that the hiring practices surrounding some 84 staffers and attorneys in his office were proper, and were done to deal with a shortage of attorneys needed to fight cases on Guam. Moylan and members of his staff defended the hiring of unclassified employeesand the AGs fiancee and brotherat a Monday informational briefing at the Legislature. All three members of an internal AGs office committee empaneled to scrutinize allegations of hiring violations from the Office of the Governor appeared to speak to senators at the Guam Congress Building. Adelup, in a statement issued three hours after the briefing concluded, said the AG was gaslighting the Legislature and the people of Guam. Moylan on Monday again asserted that Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero was conflicted at the highest level, even as Leon Guerrero asked local courts to hire a special prosecutor to probe the AGs office hiring practices. Dealing with the request was now eating up resources at his office and hampering prosecutions, Moylan said. Attorneys for Adelup have argued that the AG has been hiring unclassified government employees without any authority to do so, and raised questions of impropriety in the hiring of Moylans brother and fiancee. Unlike typical classified government hires, unclassified hires do not require any formal recruitment notice nor selection process under Guam law. The investigative committee at the AGs office found the law was changed to allow unclassified hires, during the 31st Legislature, according to Thomas Paulino, general accounting supervisor at the Office of the Attorney General. Legislative records showed past AGs office staff faced hiring delays of up to eight months, according to Paulino, who pointed to Public Law 31-155, passed in 2011. Looking at that section, it allows us to hire unclassified positions, Paulino said. All unclassified hirings were proper at the office, according to special projects coordinator John Salas, a former director of the Department of Administration. Salas said he was the principal author of DOAs personnel rules. He said the hiring of the AGs brother, Scott Moylan, did not violate the current nepotism regulations laid out because the AG did not directly supervise his brother. As for the AGs fiancee and chief of staff, Sheenalyn Hawkins, personnel rules or/and Guam laws did not address a fiancee, Salas said. Should they marry, on the other hand, then of course, Miss Hawkins would have to remove herself from the office, Salas said. Sen. Will Parkinson, in a statement issued after the briefing, said it reinforced the need for his No More Pari Pari Act which, among other things, would include fiances and fiancees in local nepotism restrictions. Deputy Attorney General Norman Lee Miller, in charge of the AGs office civil division and one of the members of the committee selected to analyze the hiring allegations, said the AG had recused himself from both Hawkins and Scott Moylans hirings. Other members of the office pointed to big delays in hiring classified employees. Assistant Deputy Attorney General Grant Olan, with the general crimes division, said the AGs office faced very limited resources when going to trial. The office needed flexibility in hiring, Olan said. If it takes eight months to bring on attorneys, that really is unsustainable for us, and frankly, the salaries that were offering attorneys, the classified attorneys, theyre just not competitive, Olan said. Deputy AG Miller raised the same point. The court doesnt stop based on the staffing pattern at the attorney generals office. Guam Police Department keeps arresting people, Miller said. They have rights to trials in a timely manner. If the AGs office couldnt bring someone in to represent the prosecution, the judge would generally dismiss a case and let people out back on the street, Miller stressed. Justice oversight chairwoman Sen. Telo Taitague, after the briefing, said, Im just very happy that everyone is here in support of this attorney general. I want you to know that as the oversight chair that you can call me directly. I keep things confidential. If you have any concerns, Ive had a couple calls to let you know, and Im looking into it, Taitague said. Adelup, in a statement issued after the briefing, said the panel commissioned to review hiring practices were all conveniently employed by AG Moylan. The three-person panel convened by the AG unsurprisingly found that their bosss actions of employing over 80 unclassified employees, employing his brother Scott Moylan, and employing then promoting AG Moylans fiancee Sheenalyn Hawkins are consistent with Guam law, Adelup stated. The release also asserted that another law the AG referenced as allowing hirings, Public Law 31-153, still required limits on the number of unclassified employees the AG could hire. Attached to the release is an email dated July 8, 2024 from Chief Deputy Attorney General Joseph Guthrie to Salas. Guthrie refers to an important problem, which is -our lack of authority to hire unclassified employees. As you may know, each annual budget contains a list of positions that can be filled by unclassified employees, and except for Victim Advocates, our unclassified employees are not on the list, Guthrie stated in part. Attorneys for Adelup have been demanding thousands of documents from the AGs office through Freedom of Information Act requests. A bill meant to make solar panel systems more accessible to residents wouldnt save most customers money, could make the Guam Power Authority default on its debts, and could be potentially dangerous, utilities officials told senators on Tuesday. It would also violate the Organic Act of Guam, they added. But Dr. William Weare, who appeared at the hearing to say he authored the measure, said it was meant to improve transparency and get GPA to properly compensate those with solar systems who feed energy into the grid. Bill 74-38 would make a number of changes to GPAs net metering program, which allows homes and businesses with renewable energy systemsalmost entirely solar panelsto sell any unused energy back to GPA. Sen. Tina Muna Barnes, who introduced the bill, said it was meant to increase housing affordability and make the net metering program fairer. The bill would lift a cap on how many customers can sign up for the net metering program and tap into the local power grid. It would also require GPA to hook any residential solar systems into the grid within 30 days of a completed net metering application. Bill 74-38 would also change how much GPA pays for excess energy rooftop solar systems. GPA would have to update the payment monthly based on what they paid for fuel in the prior fiscal year. Finally, it would require GPA to generate an annual, detailed breakdown of GPAs operations costs. But only about 6% of all GPA customers actually have rooftop solar systems that are tied into the net metering program, according to Commissioner Simon Sanchez of the Consolidated Commission on Utilities. Net metering is supposed to allow GPA to buy excess solar energy off rooftop systems and sell it back to non-solar customers. But because rooftop solar energy is bought at the same price non-solar customers pay, GPA doesnt actually make any money. That means the other 94% of GPAs customers who dont have solar have to subsidize the 6% who do, Sanchez said. According to GPA General Manager John Benavente, with 2,700 households on the net metering program, non-solar customers have to subsidize about $6 million annually. Between expansions to net metering for businesses with solar systems last year, and Bill 74-38, that amount could grow to tens of millions of dollars annually, he said. Because only more well-off customers can afford a $30,000 to $50,000 solar system, Sanchez said, allowing expanded net metering would mean low-income power customers subsidizing more high-income households. Its hard enough to pay your own power bill. Why are we asking 94% of customers to pay for someone elses power bill? Sanchez asked senators. Additionally, customers with rooftop solar only provide energy during the day, according to Benavente. But if they dont have batteries, they still draw down energy from GPAfree of chargeat night, when GPA has to run more expensive generators to keep up with peak demand. And rooftop solar isnt as cost-efficient as the utility-scale solar farms that GPA is building up, Benavente told senators. The GPA general manager estimated that about 60% of those in the net-metering program have a lease for their solar systems. Once the new Ukudu plant comes online in September, and more solar energy is added to the system in the coming years, the average GPA customer will pay less per month than what those with rooftop solar pay for a lease, Benavente said. And the cost for rooftop solar is now 30 cents per kilowatt hour, versus the 14 to 17 cents per kWh that GPA pays solar farms, said Fred Horecky, administrative law judge for the Public Utilities Commission. The PUC is Guams utility rate-setting authority. The CCU is GPAs management board. Horecky added that Bill 74-38 would actually reduce the amount customers in the net-metering program get, from the full 30 cents per kWh to about the 20 cents per kWh for fuel costs. Bill 74-38 would likewise revoke the PUCs ability to set rates, Horecky said, something that was provided for in the Organic Act of Guam. That interference would violate GPAs bond covenants, essentially promises to creditors, and could cause a technical default, Horecky told senators. Benavente said a violation would have have disastrous consequences for GPA ratepayers. Sanchez, also a former senator and PUC member, noted that the PUC was required in the Organic Act of Guam after Congress bailed out GPA in 1985. At the time, lawmakers were holding back needed rate increases and disconnections, which resulted in GPA defaulting on a $36 million loan. Problematic Muna Barnes at one point called it problematic, noting that the PUC itself was created through a local law. I find it very problematic to come to this body and asserting that we cannot touch this program because it reforms current law. And for me personally, this is what senators do, Muna Barnes said. Sanchez responded that though it was a local law that created the PUC, the Organic Act mandates a rate-setting body be established. Sanchez sat on the first PUC. Likewise, a flat 30-day grid hookup requirement could be potentially dangerous, Benavente said upon questioning from lawmakers, because solar systems varied widely. GPA already had issues with neighborhoods saturated with solar, where as many as 80% of customers fed energy into the grid, causing transformer issues. But Weare, who claimed authorship of Bill 74-38, said GPA has been consistently opposed to rooftop solar. Weare said GPA provides credits for any excess power produced throughout the year, but on Dec. 31 of every year, those credits disappear and we start over again. The doctor said he had his own solar system. I produce power. I give that power to GPA at no cost. They give the power back to me that I use. If there is any excess power that I produce, they steal it, he said. There was no compensation for excess credits, GPA was not transparent about the costs of the net metering program, and for them to claim they were losing money was ridiculous, Weare said. Muna Barnes closed by naming a number of other jurisdictions where residents got to keep their energy credits into the following year. Many, many other places treat their residential solar producers better than our island, she said. The senator stressed that encouraging solar energy could help with affordability, saying it had taken her power bill from as high as $1,000 a month to zero. Army Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, who attended Okkodo High School, was among three of four U.S. soldiers found dead in Lithuania on Monday, nearly a week since they were reported missing during training, according to the U.S. Army and one of his uncles on Guam, Willy Flores. Unfortunately, Dante was one of the ones that they identified as one of the three recovered. Three bodies recovered, and so we just now have to put our nephew to rest, Flores told the Pacific Daily News Tuesday afternoon. The U.S. Army said the bodies of the three soldiers were recovered on March 31. The body of the fourth one was recovered on April 1. As of Wednesday morning Guam time, the U.S. Army released the names of the first three soldiers found: Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California The four were all assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division based out of Fort Stewart in Georgia, the U.S. Army said. The four soldiers were in an armored vehicle they had been using during a training mission when it apparently became trapped in a muddy bog. They went missing on March 25, the U.S. Army said. When U.S. and Lithuanian forces and law enforcement conducted a search, they found the soldiers vehicle submerged in a body of water in the early hours of March 26, the U.S. Army said. It wasnt until March 31 when the U.S. Army announced the recovery of three soldiers bodies. Profound grief An online GoFundMe account, meanwhile, has been set up to raise funds to support Taitanos family members on Guam so they could attend his funeral service. The fundraiser account stated that Taitano was found dead inside the M88 with two others, and one still missing. His sudden passing has left his family, friends, and fellow soldiers in profound grief, the account stated. The GoFundMe fundraiser was organized by Justine Oruga and Krystle Oruga. We are heartbroken to share that SPC Taitano, Dante, a dedicated specialist/Abrams system maintainer in the Army, tragically lost his life during a training exercise/mission in Lithuania. He was deeply committed to serving his country and was admired for his courage, kindness, and unwavering dedication, the GoFundMe account stated. The Orugas, in their fundraising efforts, said they are raising funds to support Taitanos family members who are on Guam right now because the military is only paying for three people to fly out and go to the service. Dante has four other siblings that want to see their brother. We are raising funds for expenses, travel costs, and other unexpected financial burdens during this time, the the GoFundMe account stated. More than $3,000 had been raised as of 9 p.m. Tuesday Guam time. Your contributions will also help honor Dantes memory and ensure his service is never forgotten. Any amount, no matter how small, will make a meaningful difference to his loved ones, it stated. Please consider donating and sharing this campaign to spread awareness and support. Sad and tragic day The soldiers were training near Pabrade, a city in eastern Lithuania near the border with Belarus, which is a close ally of Russia. Today is a very sad and tragic day. The loss of these Soldiers weighs heavy on me, the hearts of all Task Force Iron service members, and the 3rd Infantry Division, Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of Task Force Iron and the 1st Armored Division, said in a statement. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of these brave Soldiers. Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, expressed the deep loss felt by the division. The soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just soldiers they were a part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home, Norrie said. We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary Dogface Soldiers during this unimaginable time. Taylor also said he personally commends the heroic efforts of the search parties, and especially our Lithuanian allies who were instrumental in the recovery efforts. Their courage and commitment to this operation will always be remembered and demonstrates the strong relationship between our countries. However, search and recovery efforts are not complete they will continue until we bring all of our Soldiers home, Taylor said. At the time of the incident, Taitano was deployed for a joint NATO training exercise in Lithuania. The U.S. Army and reports from international media sources indicated the complex search and rescue operation that has involved the U.S. Army and Navy, along with Lithuanian and Polish armed forces. The federal government is trying to save money by canceling leases and consolidating office spaces, but congressional representatives from the Pacific are concerned that ending the lease for the U.S. Department of Agricultures biosecurity office which helps prevent the spread of brown tree snakes and other invasive species could cause problems for the region. Del. James Moylan is leading an effort to reinstate a lease for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, APHIS, Wildlife Services program on Guam. The Tiyan office houses 47 full-time employees, firearms storage and sensitive field equipment, including a helicopter, according to Moylans office. The program inspects inbound and outbound cargo to prevent the spread of brown tree snakes and other invasive species. The program also works with: Bird air strike hazard management, which reduces wildlife-related aviation risks. Feral swine control, including managing disease risks to people and livestock. Predator control for the Navy. Moylan was joined Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds of the CNMI, Del. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen of American Samoa, Rep. Jill Takuda and Rep. Ed Case of Hawaii in writing to the Department of Agriculture and the General Services Administration about the lease cancellation. Recently, it has come to our attention that GSA has been terminating leases across multiple agencies in an effort to consolidate office space. However, the unique operational requirements of WS-Guam, along with limited space, make relocation within other civilian agency spaces impractical, the March 28 bipartisan letter states. The lawmakers also noted that with the military buildup on Guam, Department of Defense facilities are already under significant strain as Guam becomes a strategic focal point in national security efforts, according to the letter. Brown tree snakes, little fire ants, greater banded hornets and coconut rhinoceros beetles have caused ecological and economic damage on Guam. APHIS protects natural resources, as well as agriculture. I am fully committed to working closely with the USDA and GSA to find a viable and sustainable solution that ensures the continuity of vital operations for the USDA APHIS Wildlife Services on Guam, Moylan said in a statement. Protecting our regions biosecurity and ecosystems is paramount, and I will actively engage to facilitate a resolution that serves the best interests of our community. Guam Customs and Quarantine Officer Jesse James McCarrel was released on a $5,000 performance bond on Monday after being charged with third-degree felony terrorizing and stalking another man, along with two misdemeanor counts of harassment and criminal trespass. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison. Superior Court Judge Alberto Tolentino told McCarrel during his arraignment the seriousness of the charges. The court is going to continue this hearing for a period of time for you to secure the services of a lawyer, Tolentino told McCarrel. The charges you face carry up to three years in jail. McCarrel was informed of his rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to legal representation. If he cannot afford an attorney, a public defender will be appointed. However, when asked if he qualified for a public defender, McCarrel stated he earns $20 an hour. This prompted the judge to declare that McCarrel made too much to qualify for one under the new guidelines. Tolentino scheduled McCarrels next hearing for April 14, giving him two weeks to secure legal counsel. McCarrels bond was set at $5,000, which he must pay as a promise to appear at all future hearings. The court also imposed several conditions for his release, including no contact with the alleged victims, staying away from the involved location, and refraining from possessing alcohol, marijuana, or any illegal substances. Additionally, McCarrel was prohibited from carrying firearms or other deadly weapons unless authorized as a law enforcement officer. He was instructed to check in with probation and provide further financial details to determine if he qualifies for assistance with legal fees. Court documents reveal that between Feb. 1 and Feb. 14, a man reported multiple instances of harassment by McCarrel. The man claimed McCarrel sent several WhatsApp messages accusing him of having an affair with McCarrels girlfriend, despite the fact that the man had never met her. The complaint further states that McCarrel allegedly called the man, threatening, Dont let me see you. Ill kill you. The man later told authorities he believed McCarrel was capable of carrying out the threat, citing McCarrels position as a customs officer with access to firearms. McCarrel is listed on the staffing pattern of the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency posted online. The harassment escalated as McCarrel sent more messages and called the man repeatedly. On Feb. 11, McCarrel appeared at the mans house, demanding he bring his cellphone outside. According to the complaint, McCarrel claimed the mans phone number was stored in his girlfriends phone and that he wanted to verify it. The mans partner instructed McCarrel to leave. Later, the man reported that McCarrel followed him as he drove along Route 1. McCarrel returned to the mans home and was shown on surveillance footage trespassing after being told to leave the property. McCarrel later told police he went to confront the man about the allegations, admitting he had said things he didnt mean, although he couldnt recall the specifics of the conversation. The man reported to authorities that he now fears for his safety, especially given McCarrels proximity, as he lives nearby. Guam Homeland Security and the Office of Civil Defense apparently are still working to process vendor payments from as far back as 2021, even after an 11-day lockout from the computer system that the government of Guam uses to manage disaster response. The agencies were not invoicing the Department of Administration for the vendor payments during that period, according to DOA Director Edward Birn. Meanwhile, GHS/OCD oversight chairman Sen. Shawn Gumataotao on Tuesday said hes gotten more of the same about efforts to fix financial management issues since a Jan. 24 oversight hearing on these agencies. GHS/OCD spokesperson Jenna Blas on Tuesday said while the agencies have regained access to the Disaster Local Area Network, or DLAN, they are still working with DOA to get a payment processed. GovGuam uses the DLAN to manage resources and information during disasters, most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pacific Daily News first reported that GHS/OCD was locked out of the system for nonpayment on March 23. It was later disclosed that access was lost on March 17, and restored on March 28, though GHS/OCD in a statement said services were not impacted during the lockout. Blas on Tuesday said the agency held a meeting with the DLAN vendor and agreed on an outstanding balance of $63,712.23. The following periods were not paid for, per Blas: All of fiscal year 2022, which began Oct. 1, 2021 All of fiscal year 2024 Advance payments for April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 During a clarification meeting between the vendor and GHS-OCD, the total outstanding balance that was identified and agreed upon is $63,712.23 for three periods of performance: Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022 Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024 Advance payment for April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 With the understanding of both parties of the balance owed, DLAN access was granted again, she said. DOAs Birn on Monday said his office is still working to determine what caused the nonpayment, which was only recently discovered. I only found out about it like 10 days ago, Birn told the PDN. He did confirm that GHS/OCD was not providing invoices to DOA for the past-due vendor payments, which dated as far back as 2021. We cant pay an invoice unless we get it, Birn said. The administration director last week told senators that the DLAN vendor had agreed to forgive a years worth of billings. On Tuesday, Gumataotao circulated responses from the agencies about corrective action taken after tens of millions in payments were flagged by auditors. Both Homeland and Civil Defense are federally funded, but auditors have flagged about $34 million worth of money at the agency. Another $8.4 million was frozen by federal officials. Additionally, some $2.8 million worth of overtime payments between fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2023 were flagged by auditors as unauthorized, unreasonable, and missing timesheets signatures. Civil Defense Administrator Charles Esteves, in a March 31 letter to Gumataotao, said progressive disciplinary action is ongoing, in response to the overtime audit findings. Actions included counseling, reassignment of duties and responsibilities, and detailing personnel for training, he said. Esteves told Gumataotao that finance and administrative personnel...understand their duties and responsibilities, and actions were taken regarding overtime authorization and documentation. Digital signatures are used whenever possible on document processing, he said, to minimize accusations of improperly signed or forged documents. Gumataotaos inquiry asked for specific, redacted disciplinary action related to the overtime audit findings, though none appear to be attached in Esteves response. Disappointing at best Gumataotao, in a statement issued to the media on Tuesday, called the response more of the same that GHS/OCD has been pushing out for over a decade and disappointing at best. If the Executive Branch cannot rally up inter-agency support at the soonest, Guam will lose more credibility and more program dollars for the lack of prioritization, Gumataotao said. When emergency management funds and policies are under a microscope, there has to be an action that makes this situation better no more prideful words and no more finger pointing. Get to work. Esteves, in his letter to Gumataotao, said new standard operating procedures for the agencies grant management, brought up at a Jan. 24 oversight hearing, remain under revision and have not been finalized. We anticipate completion in the coming weeks and will transmit the updated SOPs to both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Office of the Governor, Esteves wrote, as well as to Gumataotao and the public auditor, once finalized. A corrective action plan was also in draft, and would be sent to FEMA early this week, according to the March 31 letter. Esteves wrote that the agencies are committed to transparency and accountability in all areas. Nominations are still open for the Judiciary of Guam's 2025 Hostisia Award, which recognizes a person or organization that has made a significant contribution to improving the administration of justice and good government. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, April 4. "Every year, as part of its Law Month celebration, the Judiciary honors those whove gone above and beyond to advance the cause of justice," Chief Justice Robert J. Torres said. "These individuals demonstrate a deep and abiding commitment to the rule and role of law, and our island is a better place because of their service." The selection committee will consider nominees under the following criteria: fostered building public support for the judiciary, promoted respect for the law and understanding of the judicial system, encouraged civic responsibility and service, and volunteered time and talents to the court in serving the people of Guam. Nominations should include a statement about the nominee, with a limit of 250 words. Submit nominations by Friday, April 4, to Sarah Elmore-Hernandez, director of policy planning and community relations via email at sehernandez@guamcourts.gov. Past Hostisia Award recipients include Guam's first Superior Court presiding judge and Supreme Court chief justice Joaquin Cruz Perez (posthumous) (2024); Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center (2023); Retired Judge Elizabeth Barret-Anderson (2022); Retired Magistrate Joaquin V.E. Manibusan, Jr. (2021); Retired Chief Justice Peter C. Siguenza (posthumous) (2020); Guam Chamber of Commerce (2019); Ericas House, Soroptimist International of Guam and Soroptimist International of the Marianas (2018); InafaMaolek (2017); Public Defender Service Corporation (2016); former Senator Pilar Cruz Lujan (2015); Attorney Joaquin C. Arriola Sr. (2014); Vice Speaker Benjamin J.F. Cruz (2013); Judge Richard H. Benson (2012); Alee Shelter Program Director Sister Mary Brigid Perez, RSM (2011); retired District Court of Guam Judge Cristobal C. Duenas (posthumous) (2010); retired Supreme Court of Guam Justice Janet Healy Weeks (2009); and the Armed Forces of the United States (2008). After a weeklong pause, a trio of defendants were back on Monday in federal court where they stand accused of conspiracy charges related to money laundering and fraud. Michael Marasigan, Jose Arthur Art D. Chan Jr., and Christine C. Chan are the only defendants left in a group that was originally indicted two years ago. Of those indicted, Alfredo Leon Guerrero signed a guilty plea in October 2023, and Juanita Capulong and Minda San Nicolas signed plea deals in November 2024. Richard Brown died in May 2024. Their indictment said that from March 2015 through December 2021, they agreed to use a nonprofit organization, Guam Shrine Club, and its Hafa Adai Bingo operation, to shield their illegal gambling business. Federal agents alleged that from March 2015 to December 2021, the defendants conspired to operate an illegal gambling business involving bingo games sponsored by the Guam Shrine Club. Marasigan is accused of pocketing about $14 million in bingo proceeds between 2015 and 2021, while Christine Chan allegedly received about $1 million during the same period. Combined, the trio faces 61 counts of money laundering. The governments main witness, Leon Guerrero, testified that as president, he opened various accounts and different banks. He was shown various signature cards, copies of identification, and was asked to verify his signature on documents presented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marivic David, who is handling the case for the government. The government said more than $35 million was deposited into several bank accounts. During cross examination by defense attorney for Marasigan, David Lujan, the witness contradicted himself on the stand. Lujan showed Leon Guerrero copies of several checks made out to 3W LLC or Won Sun Min in 2016. Among them were partial or final payments made in amounts ranging from $15,000 to more than $23,000. Lujan showed him checks of different amounts, dated the same day with the same memo, and asked him if the money was later transferred to him. Not a penny, never took a penny, said Leon Guerrero. Lujan reminded him that the plea agreement that he signed said otherwise. Later, when Lujan asked him if he took a kickback from those payments, he replied, Once or twice. Leon Guerrero also said that on a few of the checks, the signature that looked like his was different and said on several occasions that he did not recall signing them. Lujan asked him if he had ever questioned why so many checks with large sums were written out to the same entity, he said no, that he trusted his brothers in the Shrine Club to do the proper accounting before presenting checks for signature. He later admitted that neither Won Sun Min, a female, was part of the Shrine brethren, nor was Marasigan, a part of the Guam Shrine Club. At one point, Lujan asked Leon Guerrero regarding one of the checks that he allegedly did not sign: When did you last see this check? When I signed it, said Leon Guerrero. When asked if he was sure, Leon Guerrero said, That was about seven or eight years ago. I am 90 years old and I cannot remember it. In his plea agreement, the government said Leon Guerrero co-signed millions in checks to two main entities: Won Sun Min or 3W LLC and Mijoo Realty for about $2.3 million, and to Marasigan and Ideal Ventures for about $15.8 million. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood did her best to move things along efficiently, intending to make good on 11-hour trial days to make up for the weeklong pause. The trial continues at 8 a.m. Wednesday in the District Court of Guam. A woman accused of felony theft from Kmart was also charged with drug possession, according to a magistrates complaint filed in Superior Court. Helen Marie Babauta, 27, was charged Saturday with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and retail theft, both as third-degree felonies. On Thursday afternoon, police went to Kmart, where a security worker reported that Babauta loaded items in a shopping cart before taking the cart into a changing room. She left the changing room with the cart, which appeared to be fixed to hide the majority of items inside, according to the complaint. Then she went to Little Caesars, purchased food and walked out of the store with unpaid items, according to the complaint. The security worker stopped her, brought her to the security office and found $557.07 worth of merchandise in the cart. When police arrived, they told her to remove her personal items, which would be given to a trusted friend or family member. She said, Sir, I have something in my pocket that Im not supposed to, then gave a methamphetamine pipe to police, according to the complaint. If found guilty of the charges, she could face six years in prison. She was held on $1,000 cash bail. On March 31, 2025, Muslims around the world celebrated Eid ul Fitr. This is a significant event in the Islamic calendar, signifying the end of the Holy month of Ramadan. During this month, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset, engage in prayers, and strive for self-discipline, empathy, and a closer connection with God. The end of Ramadan is celebrated with the festival of Eid, a day filled with prayer, gratitude, and festive meals shared with loved ones. On Guam, the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community gathered at their center in Tamuning for congregational prayers at 10:30 a.m. I gave a sermon reminding members about the blessings of Ramadan and what Eid celebration truly means. After the sermon, refreshments were served and gifts were given to the children. It is important to note that the celebrations of Eid ul-Fitr also emphasize the importance of charity and giving to those in need. Muslims are encouraged to give Zakat al-Fitr or Fitrana, a form of charity, to help support those who may not have the means to enjoy the festive occasion. This charitable spirit is a core part of the festival, reminding us all of the importance of empathy, community, and helping others. For the average person, Eids much pleasure is derived from wearing new clothes, meeting friends and relatives and eating specially prepared food. The main event, of course, is the religious service when one offers prayers and listens to the address of the Imam. But Muslims should remember that as the main purpose of fasting is to develop righteousness and self-purification, the most attractive garment one should be wearing is the one mentioned by God in the Holy Quran: The raiment of righteousness that is the best. (7:27) After completion of the holy month of fasting, one is able to gauge ones improved spiritual condition as a result of ones devotion, conduct, prayers and divine favors received during that period. On Eid-ul-Fitr, one should reflect ones condition of spiritual improvement and resolve not to lose what one has gained but rather, not only to maintain it, but press forward to even higher spiritual development through righteous conduct, prayers and seeking the Grace of God. The previous Guam Legislature asked the Department of Veterans Affairs to set up a regional office on Guam. As a veteran, I appreciate most of the care I get from the VA but I believe improvements can be made. A regional office would address many service gaps for veterans, which is necessary for both Guam and the CNMI. So the question I ask is, why is there no progress or updates from our congressional delegates? Kimberlyn King-Hinds, the new congresswoman from the CNMI, is emerging as a strong leader. In her first 100 days, she has focused a lot on veteran issues, secured some victories for veterans care, and she serves on the veterans affairs committee. She helped bring in a medical professional for behavioral health care for CNMI veterans. Big changes are anticipated for veterans in the CNMI, and she is the type of leader the veterans of the Marianas need bcause she seems driven. As for Guam Congressman James Moylan, I still question what steps he has taken to establish a regional VA office for Guam, or if he took the request from the last Guam Legislature. I know this takes time, but a start is necessary, and it does not seem like he has even started. If he doesnt support a regional office, he should share his alternate plans which would improve care for Guams veterans. We have not heard anything from him or his office, and he seems to be hiding from holding town halls and meeting veterans. Also, he should stop taking credit for Congresswoman King-Hinds work. Congressman Moylan has not even responded to my arguments regarding his bill to expand the dates in the PACT Act. In my previous letter to the editor, I mentioned that he introduced a bill to allow more veterans to qualify for the benefits of the PACT Act. This same bill was also introduced in the last Congress but did not progress. I called the bill and his efforts deceptive to Guams veterans. Why? Late last year, he admitted that Congress required a credible study to advance his bill, which eventually died. I called his words deceptive because he lacks this study, but he still introduced the same bill. What makes him think that this bill will progress further than the last one? Was he just seeking media attention to show veterans he is working hard for them? He needs to answer our questions and be accountable. If he has updates, then why is he not sharing them? I would like to request input from the delegates of Guam and the CNMI on the regional VA facility idea for the Marianas. I know that many other veterans are also interested in learning about their work on this. If there are any alternate plans to improve care, or if they disagree with this idea, then I request that these also be shared publicly. An agricultural economist, a business economist and a business administration professor walked into my class Wednesday. Over the next 80 minutes, these three, all administrators at the University of Guam, held a lively discussion with a dozen political science students on Guams agriculture, business opportunities, tourism, workforce development and more. Food security was the first item of business. Students learned Guams high land values make growing grain crops or other bulk commodities uneconomical. Viable farming is small-scale and focused on high-value fruits and vegetables, like urban farms in the U.S. Where a large farm on Guam is 20 acres, on the U.S. mainland, a farm under 200 acres is a small farm. Many farmers are part-time, grow for their own households, or grow on a portion of their house-plot. Even land leased from the CHamoru Land Trust, we learned, is more often redirected toward housing, than used for agriculture as intended. Another challenge facing local farmers we learned about is the difficulty of developing a reliable market for their goods. Guam is too small a market for large-scale production and, while farmers markets are popular, the important challenge is to get larger purchasers stores and restaurants to enter long-term contracts with farmers to ensure them of regular buyers, which few have done. For local wholesalers, it is easier to order from mainland wholesalers. This could change if local farmers offered competitive prices, but local farmers often dont keep enough records to know their costs of production. One major market for local farm products that used to exist ended after 9/11, when the federal government required food used in the school lunch program to be USDA inspected. Where earlier all schools served hot meals featuring local dishes, sourced from local farmers, today few prepare lunch on-site, we were told, and even though local law still requires food suppliers to look at local sources first, this doesnt happen. Exports would normally be how farmers supplement the local market, but students also learned that fresh produce from Guam cannot be exported. Guams long history of invasive species, going back to the galleon trade, means that produce from Guam faces quarantine hurdles in the rest of the world. To be exported, Guam farm products need to be processed dried, canned, jellied and so on to pass quarantine. These processes add value and can be a useful complement to the islands economy but require investment. Students heard about various programs UOG runs to help farmers secure long-term contracts, develop farming skills and encourage local sourcing of food. They asked about government policies, and we heard about the potential for using tax policies to encourage agricultural production, attempts to secure grants to help farmers track their costs, and establish long-term supplier relationships with local buyers, including connecting local agriculture to the tourism industry. The bottom line was that while Guam may never be self-sufficient in food, we still need a food security policy. A complete food security policy would need to address the vulnerability of the island but also vulnerable families and households. In this short piece, we can only address the first. At any moment, Guam has only a weeks supply of food. As we relearned during the COVID-19 pandemic and after Typhoon Mawar, the island is very vulnerable to food disruptions. With the current situation of unpredictable tariff and transportation policies and rising food prices, it may be time to think about a comprehensive food security policy. A policy that includes tax incentives, encouraging changes in land use policies, using the expertise of our land grant institution to impart farming skills, helping farmers track their costs and connect with local purchasers, reviving the school lunch program and investing in food processing to give small farmers an additional source of revenue, could cushion the island from future shocks. The panel also discussed how trade Guams exchanges in goods and services with the rest of the world can benefit the island, and employment opportunities for college graduates. Students asked and heard about business and employment opportunities. We heard about challenges and opportunities in the tourism sector and the military buildup, and the possibilities of using modern telecommunications and information technology to generate high-wage employment and opportunities for small businesses. I hope to address some of these in a future column. Haiti - Politic : The Dominican Government will not reopen its airspace to Haiti On Monday, March 31, 2025, Fritz Alphonse Jean, the President pro tempore of the Transitional Council, called for the reactivation of the Haitian-Dominican Joint Commission in order to resume dialogue between the two countries. He indicated that this dialogue would make it possible to address the crisis between the two countries and resume commercial and cargo flights from Dominican Republic airports to Cap-Haitien. The same day, President Abinader responded that the Dominican Government would not do so. "The Government will not open the airspace. I want to point out that the situation in Haiti is critical today. This situation is accelerating a series of plans and options that we are evaluating and discussing with various sectors." He also emphasized that, even through Cap-Haitien, which would be the only option, given the situation in Port-au-Prince, the airspace will remain closed. It should be recalled that the airspace between the Dominican Republic and Haiti was closed on March 5, 2024. The Dominican Republic's Civil Aviation Council (JAC) issued Resolution #46-2024, suspending passenger and cargo air operations between the two countries. Regarding the request to resume dialogue through the Bilateral Joint Commission, President Abinader stated that he appreciated the statement and that it should be considered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Resumption of Classes at Saint-Louis de Gonzague In a memo published on Sunday, March 30, 2025, the Saint-Louis de Gonzague Institution announced the resumption of in-person classes starting Monday, March 31, 2025. As a reminder, the school announced the suspension of its activities on March 20 due to rising insecurity in the Bas-Delmas region. Therefore, the officials at the Saint-Louis de Gonzague Institution urge students to follow the school's safety guidelines to protect themselves. Gangs do not control Mirebalais Me Robenson Mazarin, head of the Center's Engaged Citizens Movement (MOCEC), clarified that "The commune of Mirebalais is not controlled by the armed gangs of the 'Viv Ansanm' coalition," explaining that the bandits were driven out by police officers deployed as reinforcements in the commune, with the support of the population. "Akouchman preske gratis" Dr. Aristide University Hospital is launching a program called "Akouchman preske gratis." This program aims to allow pregnant women in late pregnancy to give birth, paying only for the cost of medication, explained Dr. Jacques Petion, head of the hospital's maternity ward. This program will run from April 1st to May 26, 2025. Note that this program is now in its second year. Slavery : Remarks at the OAS by Ambassador Myrtha Desulme (Video) Remarks by Ambassador Myrtha Desulme, Permanent Representative of Haiti to the OAS, at the special meeting of the OAS Permanent Council dedicated to the commemoration of the International Day of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, under the theme "I Have a Dream : Consideration. Justice. Development." Promotion and installation of 3 new executives at the MPCE As part of the institutional reform, Ketleen Florestal, the Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, promoted and The appointment of three Ministry officials, including two women: Ms. Yvrose Guerrier, appointed Director of the External Cooperation Directorate; Mr. Henry Holophene, promoted to Head of Department in the External Cooperation Directorate; and Ms. Olivia S. Laporte, promoted to Head of Department in the Information, Communication, and Documentation Technology Unit. HL/ HaitiLibre We're a family of eight living in Georgia where Andrew's a professor at GSU and Nancy is a PhD student at UGA. You can read more about us here The strike would affect officers at the Western Uusimaa Police Department and staff at the Hameenlinna and Vantaa prisons. State agencies including the State Treasury Office, government ICT centre Valtori, and the Shared Services Centre for Finance and HR in Hameenlinna are also included in the warning. Police officers and prison staff in Finland have issued a two-day strike warning, with action set to begin on 15 April unless an agreement on pay is reached. The proposed action would not affect duties related to public health or safety, nor tasks connected to upcoming regional and municipal elections. Healthcare staff in prisons are excluded from the strike. Talks between unions and the government broke down on 7 March, when the Office for the Government as Employer (VTML) suspended negotiations. State workers have been without a valid collective agreement since the end of February. Unions are seeking a 7.8 percent pay increase over three years, in line with what has been agreed in the private sector. The government has offered a 6.3 percent rise. Jonne Rinne, head of the Finnish Police Union and chair of the public sector negotiations for the Juko union, said the strike notice is a response to the failure of other means. If only the employee side is willing to sit at the table, nothing moves forward, he said. Government representatives have argued that Finlands public finances cannot support private-sector level increases. Last year, state labour costs totalled 5.5 billion. Sari Ojanen, chief negotiator at VTML, said on Monday that although the gap between positions remains wide, she is hopeful an agreement can be reached. The National Conciliator has summoned both sides to mediation talks starting on Tuesday. The strike would be the first by Finnish police officers since 1976. The last civil servant strike took place in 1986. Currently, unions have imposed overtime and shift change bans across the state sector. The conflict affects approximately 80,000 employees. Around 40 percent of government staff work in safety and security roles. In addition to police and prison officers, the negotiations cover employees in the Border Guard, courts, Defence Forces, and Tax Administration. Should talks fail to progress, unions have stated they are prepared to expand strike action further. HT Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced the decision at a government press conference on Tuesday. The move would reverse Finlands 2012 accession to the international treaty and allow the return of landmines to national defence planning. Finland will begin the process of withdrawing from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines and significantly increase defence spending over the next four years. A formal bill to terminate the treaty will be drafted by the foreign ministry and is expected to reach Parliament before the summer recess. If approved, the withdrawal would take effect six months after the United Nations receives Finlands notice. Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the government aims to finalise its legislative proposal by early summer. If passed, the exit would be registered with the UN Secretary-General, the treatys depositary. Landmine use is currently banned by 165 states under the Ottawa Treaty. The government said the decision was based on military advice and intended to adapt Finlands defence to changing security conditions in Europe following Russias invasion of Ukraine. The return to landmine use has also been adopted by Poland and the Baltic states, which announced similar decisions in March. Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said landmines are a cost-effective and terrain-appropriate means of national defence, particularly for Finlands conscript-based army. He said their use would be limited to wartime and guided by digital mapping systems, with clearance procedures guaranteed after any conflict. The reintroduction would be included in an extended reform of the Finnish Army. The 10-year programme involves upgrading armoured vehicles, artillery systems, air defence, and personal equipment. Hakkanen said the army overhaul will cost between 10 billion and 15 billion. In parallel, the government will increase overall defence spending to three percent of gross domestic product by 2029. This represents a 3 billion increase in funding for the defence administration. Finance Minister Riikka Purra said most of the new funds will go to ground forces. Naval capabilities and the Border Guard will also receive additional investment. Purra stated that while the full cost impact will appear in future budgets, the aim is to avoid new state debt. She noted the budget can accommodate much of the increase through existing flexible spending authorisations and unused allocations. The government also committed to boosting funding for the Security Intelligence Service, the rapid response police unit, and the Border Guard. Further investment is planned for civil defence, including shelter renovations. The changes are framed as part of Finlands long-term commitment to national defence and NATO responsibility-sharing. Orpo said the new policy supports Finlands security and sends a signal to other alliance members ahead of NATOs next budget discussions. "Russia poses a long-term security threat to Finland and Europe," Orpo said. "These measures ensure Finland remains secure for years to come." According to a recent Yle survey, 91 of 117 responding MPs support withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty. The majority of backing comes from government parties. Public debate over landmines has intensified since the war in Ukraine. Both Russia and Ukraine have used mines in combat, though Ukraine remains a party to the Ottawa Treaty and claims its compliance has been hindered by the conflict. The government said the treaty withdrawal and spending increases reflect Finlands new security reality and NATO membership. Orpo emphasised that despite the changes, Finland remains safe and stable. HT Foreign nationals can vote in local elections if they have lived in Finland for at least two years. The share of foreign voters is especially high in major cities. More than 260,000 foreign citizens are eligible to vote in Finlands municipal and county elections this April, according to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). This figure represents nearly six percent of the total electorate, up from 4.7 percent in the last local election. In Vantaa, non-citizens make up 15.8 percent of the electorate, while in Helsinki, the share is 10.7 percent. For Pukhraj Ranjan, 35, the first voting card she received five years ago came as a surprise. The letter made me feel like I was considered to have been in the country long enough to earn the right to vote, she said in Helsinki. Originally from India, Ranjan is voting for the second time this year. She said tools like election compasses have helped her understand Finnish politics and feel connected to local decision-making. You realise that you do play a role in how the city works and how people are welcomed, she said. Ranjan is currently expecting her first child and applied for Finnish citizenship last year. While she sees it as reasonable that national voting rights are reserved for citizens, she values having a say in local matters that affect daily life. I have no experience of rural Finland. The realities are totally different, she said. Julian Rodriguez, a Mexican-Spanish dual national, will vote for the first time in Finland this spring. He moved to Helsinki with his family two years ago and holds a permanent residence permit. My wife wanted to return to Finland after our children were born, so here we are, he said. Rodriguez completed Yles election compass and said he is eager to support a candidate who shares his views. Its great that I can express my opinion. Coming from Mexico, I know how important it is to vote and make your voice heard, he said. Although foreign residents are not eligible to vote in national elections unless they acquire Finnish citizenship, Rodriguez supports the current system. National elections are just for Finns, but Im pleased to have a voice on the local level, like in matters related to my childrens education, he said. The number of eligible foreign voters has steadily grown as Finlands population becomes more diverse. The DVVs data shows the biggest increases in urban areas, where international communities are most concentrated. According to authorities, efforts to inform non-citizens of their voting rights have improved. Voter information materials are now provided in multiple languages, and election tools such as voting guides and compasses have become more widely used. This years double election includes municipal elections across the country and county elections in all regions except Helsinki, which operates its own social and healthcare services. HT Vice Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Sofia Vikman (National Coalition Party) described the governments intention to leave the treaty and raise defence spending as necessary steps for national security. Finnish political leaders remain divided over the governments announcement to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, with sharp contrasts emerging between coalition and opposition figures. She said the return of landmines to Finlands military capabilities is essential given the deteriorating security environment. Russia poses a serious and long-term threat to our security. Finland has a long border to defend. These decisions will strengthen our defence capability and national safety, Vikman stated in a release. The governments proposal includes raising defence spending to at least 3 percent of GDP by 2029 and launching legislative preparations to exit the treaty. Vikman argued that the use of landmines is a cost-effective defence solution, and the decision reflects the realities of modern warfare as observed in Ukraine. Finlands defence must be based on constant assessment of the security environment. This decision is in our national interest, she said. Chair of the Defence Committee Jukka Kopra (National Coalition Party) echoed the sentiment, calling the move a proactive response to rising geopolitical tensions. He said the decision aligns with Finlands role as a NATO member defending the alliances frontier. These proposals show that Finland takes the changing security landscape seriously and acts accordingly. The government is making necessary decisions now instead of waiting, Kopra said. Kopra confirmed that Finland would remain committed to international rules governing the responsible use of landmines and global efforts to mitigate their humanitarian impact. The Ottawa Treaty restricts our ability to use landmines, which are an important tool in modern defence. Withdrawal is justified under the current conditions, he added. The opposition voiced concerns about the potential consequences. Chair of the Green Parliamentary Group Oras Tynkkynen said the decision to leave the treaty carries serious risks, particularly for Finlands international credibility. Finland joined the Ottawa Treaty for good reasons. It was based on thorough assessments and reflected our commitment to reducing the humanitarian impact of landmines, Tynkkynen said. While acknowledging the need to reassess past decisions in light of new threats, Tynkkynen warned that leaving the treaty could undermine Finlands image as a rule-based actor. Finland would be the first Western country to withdraw. This sets a dangerous precedent. As a small nation, our interest lies in defending international norms, not breaking them, he said. He urged Parliament to approach the issue with caution and avoid hasty conclusions. He said the Greens would examine the government's proposal carefully once the full background report is available. The Ottawa Treaty has been ratified by 165 countries. Finland joined in 2012 after years of debate, choosing to phase out landmines in favour of alternative systems. According to the government, the decision to begin the withdrawal process was based on updated assessments by the defence ministry and foreign ministry, including lessons from the war in Ukraine and the tactics employed by Russia. The government aims to bring the proposal before Parliament before the summer recess. If passed, the withdrawal will take effect six months after the UN Secretary-General is formally notified. HT China can play significant role in global decarbonization efforts: former IEA chief 11:15, April 01, 2025 By Yin Yeping ( Global Times Nobuo Tanaka (Yin Yeping/GT) China is in a very advantageous position in new-energy technologies such as renewables, batteries, and electric vehicles (EVs), Nobuo Tanaka, former executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), told the Global Times. In a recent interview with the Global Times on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 in South China's Hainan Province, the former IEA chief also criticized protectionist actions taken by some Western countries against Chinese new-energy products, saying such actions will raise the cost of decarbonization in the US and Europe. Focus on cooperation However, despite rising protectionism, the global trend for green development will continue, and there is also potential for cooperation, Tanaka said, noting that Japan and South Korea should work with China on developing a green supply chain for hydrogen and expanding the use of renewable energy in all three countries. "Each country is doing its own homework on areas like renewables, batteries, and electric vehicles. China is definitely ahead in these technologies and is in a very advantageous position. Therefore, I think Japan and South Korea should definitely work closely with China and try to benefit from this cooperation," he said. Notably, during the 13th China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting in Seoul, South Korea on Sunday, the economic and trade departments of the three countries agreed to discuss accelerating negotiations on the trilateral free trade agreement, strengthen supply chain cooperation and dialogue on export control, deepen collaboration in digital and green economies, enhance local cooperation, and jointly foster a favorable environment for business collaboration, according to Xinhua. Beyond regional cooperation, China can also play a very significant role on global cooperation, according to the former IEA chief. "With its advancements in decarbonization technologies and practices, China can play a very significant role by setting a carbon price," he said, stressing that to establish a truly global green economy, the world needs a standardized carbon market. "As a major player in green technology, China is in a strong position to lead discussions with Europe in this field." China is a global leader in various aspects of the green development, according to reports from the IEA. The country is set to cement its position as the global renewables leader, accounting for 60 percent of the expansion in global capacity to 2030, according to the agency's renewable energy report for 2024. The report noted that since 2020, China's cumulative solar PV capacity has almost quadrupled and wind capacity has doubled, driven by cost-competitiveness and supportive policies. "China's success stems from comprehensive support for both large-scale and distributed renewables across all renewable technologies," it said. Tanaka said that while protectionism and trade disputes arise, China's "serious" efforts on decarbonization and technology development is still the right direction. "It is also very important to maintain dialogue with other global players via this platform regarding trade disputes. That is the right thing to do," he said. Rising protectionism Both the US and the EU have imposed hefty tariffs against Chinese new-energy products. In September 2024, the US imposed a 100 percent tariff on Chinese EVs. In December 2024, the US unveiled plans to raise tariffs on solar wafers, polysilicon, and some tungsten products from China, according to the Associated Press. This year, the new US administration has imposed a 20 percent tariff on all imports from China, among other tariff measures. Meanwhile, at the end of October 2024, the EU imposed tariffs on China-made EVs after a so-called anti-subsidy investigation. Then in December 2024, an EU trade official suggested that the bloc could target Chinese wind turbines in another so-called investigation, according to Bloomberg. "This is the trade-off - if you restrict cheap and high-quality Chinese solar cells, batteries, or EVs, the cost of decarbonization in the US or Europe will increase significantly," Tanaka said. Asked about the impact of the US' recent decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on all cars and auto parts, he said that "the answer is simple - American consumers will suffer, which is foolish." Having said that, Tanaka said he believes energy transformation is driven by demand rather than supply. "Since demand is the key driver, I don't think the overall trajectory will change. While protectionist policies under the new US administration may slow things down, the direction toward green transformation will probably remain the same," he said. China has repeatedly called for dialogue and consultation to address trade disputes and firmly opposed protectionism from the US and the EU. Commenting on the US' decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on all cars made outside of the country on Thursday, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said that trade and tariff wars have no winners, and no country in the world thrive and prosper through imposing tariffs. "The US levies violate WTO rules, undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system, hurt the common interests of people from all countries, and will not help address the US' own problem," Guo said. Despite protectionism from the US and the EU, Chinese new-energy products, including EVs, continue to gain popularity on the global market, with many countries eyeing closer cooperation with China. In a recent interview also on the sidelines of the BFA Annual Conference in Hainan, New Zealand's Ambassador to China Jonathan Austin told the Global Times that his country has benefited greatly from China's rise, especially in technology, noting that Chinese EVs are "something we're very happy to buy." "The great thing about the economic relationship between New Zealand and China is that it's very complementary," Austin said, adding that New Zealand exports a lot of high-quality food and beverages to China, and in return, the country imports manufactured goods from China. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Pic story: inheritor of Han embroidery in China's Hubei Xinhua) 13:14, April 01, 2025 Ren Wei makes an embroidery work at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. This photo taken on March 14, 2025 shows an embroidery work displayed at Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei arranges cultural and creative products at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) This photo taken on March 14, 2025 shows an embroidery work displayed at Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) This photo taken on March 14, 2025 shows an embroidery work displayed at Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) This photo taken on March 14, 2025 shows a cultural and creative product displayed at Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Wang Weijia, daughter of Ren Wei, exchanges with a Han embroidery enthusiast at a park near Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) People view an embroidery work by Ren Wei at a park near Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei makes an embroidery work at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei (R) exchanges with a Han embroidery enthusiast at a park near her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei arranges cultural and creative products at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei makes an embroidery work at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei views displayed embroidery works at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei makes an embroidery work at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) President Donald Trump withdrew right-wing firebrand Elise Stefanik as his nominee for US ambassador to the United Nations Thursday, as Republican concerns mount about holding their narrow majority in Congress. The New York congresswoman is just the second Trump cabinet pick not to go through, after Matt Gaetz pulled out of running to be attorney general following allegations of sexual misconduct. Stefanik is a vocal Trump ally and pro-Israel stalwart. "With a very tight Majority, I don't want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise's seat" in the House of Representatives, Trump said on his Truth Social platform. Trump said it was "essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress." "The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations," he added. The president said he had asked Stefanik to stay in Congress and "rejoin the House leadership team," although he did not say in what capacity. Republicans won both the House and Senate in the November 2024 election that returned Trump to the White House, but they have a very tight lead in the lower chamber. They control the House by 218 seats to 213, giving them just a tiny margin and making it difficult to pass key legislation. Two crucial special elections will be held on April 1 to fill the seats vacated by Mike Waltz, who is now Trump's national security advisor, and Gaetz. Stefanik has effectively been in limbo since Trump's nomination, keeping her place in the House for a number of key votes. A firebrand who was considered a moderate before the Trump era, Stefanik is seen as one of the most vocal supporters in Congress of both Israel and US Jewish causes. In January, she railed against "anti-Semitic rot" in the United Nations as she was grilled by senators at her confirmation hearing. She also called for UN reform to ensure its tax dollars were not "propping up entities that are counter to American interests, anti-Semitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption or terrorism." During that hearing, Stefanik noted that she voted to defund UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Former president Joe Biden halted its US funding over allegations that members were possibly involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks. Stefanik also revealed that she agreed with far-right Israeli ministers who believe Israel has a "biblical right to the entire West Bank" -- but avoided being pinned down on whether she supported Palestinian self-determination. Donald Trump's attacks on NATO and the established world order are undermining the confidence of its allies under the US security umbrella, fuelling fears of an eventual proliferation of nuclear weapons, experts told AFP. Since his return to power in January, the US president has criticised the transatlantic alliance, reopened direct dialogue with Russia and flattered North Korea's Kim Jong-Un with warm words. Trump's "provocative and inconsistent rhetoric", said Byong-Chul Lee, from the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, Seoul, has left allies' trust in the US deterrence "deeply shaken". In recent times, the risk of nuclear proliferation has come from states such as North Korea or Iran but non-nuclear armed allies of Washington seem to want to now re-open the debate. "We're seeing more and more friendly proliferator" speeches in Europe and Asia, even if they seem primarily aimed at putting pressure on Washington, said Heloise Fayet, a proliferation specialist at the French Institute of International Relations (ifri) Artur Kacprzyk, an analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, agreed. "Policies of the new US administration increase the risk of nuclear proliferation by allies, although it is not a foregone conclusion, yet," he said. The lack of confidence could not have come at a worse time, said Syed Ali Zia Jaffery, from the Center for Security, Strategy and Policy Research at the University of Lahore in Pakistan. "The overall international security environment is deteriorating. We see raging conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. We also see a crisis-prone environment in South Asia," he added. "And there are no reliable mechanisms in place to resolve those conflicts." Other than the fear of being left high and dry in the event of attack, Washington's allies are concerned about Trump wanting to revive talks on arms control with Moscow and Beijing. "The butt of the joke of an eventual agreement will very likely be Europeans and the United States' allies in Asia," said Fayet. Jaffery said a lack of assurances from the United States makes it more likely that its allies could start looking at other options, including nuclear. "Countries that are likely to face territorial aggression from nuclear-armed states would mull over having their own nuclear deterrents," he said. Currently, only the US, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea are nuclear-armed powers. Lee said that South Korea was arguably the "most likely" US ally to consider acquiring nuclear weapons given its proximity to North Korea. "Public support for nuclearisation has remained consistently strong," he pointed out. "However, South Korean elites remain wary of the strategic instability, diplomatic backlash and potential international sanctions that would follow a nuclear breakout." In Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron has recommended discussion about extending France's deterrence to other European nations. Poland is on the front line although Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has not announced a national nuclear military programme. But Kacprzyk said: "He has not, nonetheless, excluded pursuing nuclear weapons in the future while noting it would be a long and challenging process." Proliferation is unlikely to come overnight, the analysts said. US allies are linked by the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons -- the cornerstone of the global nuclear architecture. It is possible to withdraw from it, although only North Korea has done so. But Fayet said there are "regulatory, financial and technical constraints", and non-nuclear European countries are less advanced than South Korea or Japan. Any military nuclear programmes could see rival nations attempt to hobble development. In Europe, said Kacprzyk, "there's also the risk that Russia would try to derail such programmes, even by striking nuclear facilities", as Israel did against the Osirak reactor in Iraq in the 1980s. Despite the obstacles, Jaffery said that "most of these countries have nuclear latency and when you have the capability and strategic need to develop a nuclear programme, you're more likely to succeed". "Pakistan has demonstrated it's hard to impede a country committed to building nuclear weapons." Another uncertainty is how the Trump administration would react to an about-turn from its allies. "In practice, South Korea would not be able to go nuclear without at least tacit approval from Washington," said Lee. "In the past, the US dealt with the risk of nuclear proliferation among allies by both exercising pressure and offering additional reassurance," said Kacprzyk. "For example, it halted plans to cut its conventional troops in South Korea in the 1970s." The War on the Rocks defence site said non-proliferation to both friendly and hostile nations has been a "core bipartisan pillar" of US foreign policy for decades. But if that changes, "nuclear proliferation will haunt 'America First'", researchers Ankit Panda, Vipin Narang and Pranay Vaddi warned. A Pennsylvania man is facing multiple charges after allegedly vandalizing a Tesla SUV by scratching a swastika into its side while it was parked outside a gym, police said. The incident occurred on the morning of March 24, at a Planet Fitness in Doylestown Borough. According to officials, the Tesla's cameras captured the suspect parking a silver Lexus beside the vehicle, ducking behind it and using an unknown object to etch what "appeared to be ... in the shape of a swastika" into the SUV's exterior. After the act of vandalism, the suspect was seen entering the gym, scanning his membership card at the front desk and proceeded to work out. Police identified the man through his gym membership records and Pennsylvania Driver's License photo. The suspect has been charged with criminal mischief, harassment and disorderly conduct. Authorities have not disclosed the suspect's identity, but a criminal complaint has been filed in connection with the case. Originally published on Latin Times Charlie Javice, the founder of the now-defunct college financial aid company Frank, was found guilty on Friday of swindling JPMorgan Chase into acquiring her startup for $175 million. Federal prosecutors accused the 32-year-old entrepreneur of inflating the number of her company's customers by "falsely and dramatically" exaggerating the user base to entice the banking giant into purchasing Frank. Javice was indicted in 2023 on securities fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy charges nearly two years after JPMorgan Chase's acquisition. Frank was designed to simplify the process of applying for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). However, the deal began to unravel when JPMorgan Chase discovered that the numbers Javice had provided about the company's users were far from accurate. The bank expected Frank to have 4.25 million users, but upon investigation, it was revealed that only about 300,000 users could be verified. At the time of the acquisition in 2021, Jennifer Roberts, head of Chase's consumer banking division, explained that the purchase was aimed at expanding the bank's relationship with college students, hoping to establish "lifelong, engaged relationships" with this growing consumer base. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Chiuchiolo told the jury that Javice took extreme measures to fabricate the data after the head of her engineering department refused to create fake consumer information. In response, Javice allegedly hired an external contractor to manufacture the data to meet the bank's expectations. Javice's defense attorney, Jose Baez, argued that the prosecution's case was "incredibly flawed" and lacked sufficient evidence. Javice herself did not testify in the case, and her legal team worked to challenge the accusations. Olivier Amar, Frank's chief growth officer, was also charged in connection with the fraud case. He did not testify during the trial, and his legal team attempted to distance him from Javice. Although prosecutors alleged that Amar worked alongside Javice to deceive JPMorgan Chase, his defense maintained that Javice acted independently, Bloomberg reported. If convicted on the charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy, Javice could face a maximum of 30 years in prison. Securities fraud, which carries a slightly lower maximum sentence, could result in up to 20 years in prison. The case has garnered significant attention due to its high-profile nature and the implications for both the financial and tech industries. US President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported cars strike at the heart of a North American free trade agreement, threatening to disrupt supply chains and raise prices, experts say. Thanks to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that came into effect in 2020 -- and its predecessor NAFTA -- the region became an assembly line spanning the three countries. "We've been making this supply chain more sophisticated for 30 years," said Juan Francisco Torres Landa, a partner at business consulting firm Hogan Lovells in Mexico. "There is regional integration based on inputs, raw materials, and processes in all three countries," he told AFP. Trump said the tariffs were in response to America's trade partners "taking our jobs, taking our wealth," but the duties promise to be a headache due to the deep integration of production chains. Here are some of the expected impacts of the tariffs, according to experts. During the assembly of a car or truck, parts often cross the borders of the three countries multiple times before the vehicle is finished. Extensive supply chains have been built involving hundreds of suppliers from different countries. A car key alone can have more than 50 components from 22 different suppliers in Asia, North America and Europe. The White House said vehicles assembled in Mexico and Canada could qualify for lower tariffs under the USMCA deal depending on how many of their components are made in the United States. "Given the complexity of regional supply chains -- where parts often cross borders multiple times -- verifying compliance may require time-consuming adjustments, increasing operational costs," the political risk consultancy firm EMPRA told clients. "US automakers with production in Mexico could face rising costs and logistical complications, which may lead some to reassess their manufacturing strategies," it added. Mexico's economy is considered one of the most vulnerable to Trump's planned tariffs due to its close trade relations with the United States. The Latin American nation is home to many foreign-owned vehicle plants operated by companies including Ford, General Motors, BMW, Volkswagen and Toyota. More than 80 percent of Mexican exports go to the United States, including around three million vehicles a year. The auto tariff announcement comes at a difficult time for Mexico's economy, the second largest in Latin America. Experts surveyed monthly by the Mexican central bank expect economic growth of only 0.81 percent in 2025, worse than the 1.0 percent they predicted in February. The trade tensions "generate uncertainty and affect private investment and production decisions in key export sectors," Geronimo Ugarte, chief economist at the financial firm Valmex, told AFP. Mexico and Canada consider Trump's tariffs to be in violation of the USMCA. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday "there should be no tariffs" between Mexico, the United States and Canada as "that is the essence of the trade agreement." Washington's announcements have left the agreement in limbo. "We need to analyze whether... for Trump, the USMCA should be replaced, substituted or simply extinguished by starvation," Torres Landa said. Although a review of the treaty is due by 2026, Jesus Carrillo, an expert at the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, believes trade policy "is being negotiated directly and progressively between governments." "We're moving from having a treaty to having deals," Carrillo said. He believes that "the USMCA will remain in effect, but with Band-Aids." Analysts and US trading partners warn that the tariffs will raise prices for American consumers. Philippe Waechter, chief economist at Ostrum Asset Management in Paris, thinks the price of a car could increase by $3,000. There is a risk that consumers will buy fewer new cars, according to the British-based consultancy firm Capital Economics. "Assuming that domestic producers respond by substantially increasing their own prices, (the tariffs) could make new vehicles something of a luxury item," it said. The family of legendary actor Gene Hackman is seeking to stop the public release of his death records, citing the constitutional right to privacy as grounds for the request. A judge is currently reviewing whether to grant the motion and place a permanent seal on the materials. According to reports, Hackman's estate is requesting that all photos, videos, and related documents surrounding the couple's passing be withheld from public access. A temporary hold has already been put in place while the court considers the matter. Hackman, 94, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, were discovered dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26. Hackman reportedly died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer's, just one week after Arakawa passed away from hantavirus a rare but deadly infection carried by rodents. Gene was found unresponsive in the home's mudroom, while Betsy was located in the bathroom. The sequence of their deaths, with Betsy dying first, is believed to have complicated matters regarding the actor's estate and final wishes. The couple's bodies had not yet been claimed in the days following their deaths, which added to speculation about the status of Hackman's reported $80 million fortune. His three adult children Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58 were born during his marriage to his first wife, Faye Maltese. All three currently reside in California. Elizabeth and Leslie released a statement shortly after the news broke: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy." The family also said, "He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss." Speaking to the Daily Mail, Elizabeth added: "They had a wonderful marriage. I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive... [Betsy] took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health." Originally published on Enstarz Australia's financial crimes regulator has issued a stern warning to crypto ATM operators, signaling that they may not have sufficient anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures in place. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) released a statement on Monday, highlighting concerns raised by its crypto taskforce regarding suspicious activities linked to these machines. Formed in December 2024, AUSTRAC's crypto taskforce has identified troubling trends, including potential links to scams and fraud. Brendan Thomas, CEO of AUSTRAC, stated that the taskforce, comprising experts in regulation, enforcement, and intelligence, was engaging with businesses in the sector to assess compliance with Australia's financial laws. "The taskforce has been busy engaging with businesses to understand the risks in their sector and assess their compliance with the law," Thomas said. "It's identified worrying trends and indicators of suspicious activity, including transactions that may be linked to scams or fraud." AUSTRAC's warning comes as U.S. lawmakers are pushing for tighter regulations on crypto kiosks amid rising fraud cases, many of which involve elderly victims, Decrypt reported. Crypto ATMs and limited user verification Crypto ATMs, or kiosks, are machines that allow users to buy or sell cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin using cash or cards, often without requiring the same level of identity verification as traditional financial services. AUSTRAC's taskforce initially focused on these crypto kiosks but has since expanded its efforts to address broader compliance issues within the industry. "We want to ensure crypto ATM providers have robust practices to minimize the risk that their machines can be used to launder dirty money or to scam and defraud innocent people," Thomas stated. Under Australia's Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, all Digital Currency Exchanges, including those operating crypto ATMs, must register with AUSTRAC, conduct Know Your Customer checks, monitor transactions, and file Suspicious Matter Reports, along with reports for cash transactions exceeding AU$10,000. In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia leads with over 1,648 crypto ATMs, a significant increase from 23 in 2019 and 60 in 2022. Sydney alone accounts for 348 of these machines. While crypto ATMs continue to grow in number, most transactions still involve cash deposits to buy Bitcoin. Originally published on ibtimes.com.au The UAE has swiftly deployed a search and rescue team to Myanmar in response to the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The team, comprising members from Abu Dhabi Police, the National Guard, and the Joint Operations Command, is on a mission to assist those affected by the recent earthquake. This rapid response underscores the UAE's commitment to providing timely aid to communities impacted by natural disasters, demonstrating both solidarity and unwavering support for those in need, WAM reported. The initiative also highlights the UAE's commitment to international humanitarian efforts. The country is known for responding quickly to natural disasters worldwide, offering urgent help to victims. The UAE has played a key role in global disaster relief efforts, offering aid during natural disasters, conflicts, and other emergencies. For instance, in 2024, the UAE sent urgent aid to Lebanese refugees in Syria and returning Syrians as part of the "UAE Stands with Lebanon" campaign. The UAE's president also approved a $100 million relief package to support Lebanon during its crisis. In 2023, following the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which claimed over 4,000 lives, the UAE's president allocated $100 million for relief efforts, dispatched a search-and-rescue team, and established a field hospital in Turkey to assist victims. The UAE's humanitarian efforts have extended to numerous other disaster-stricken areas as well. In 2015, following the Nepal earthquake, the country provided emergency teams, financial aid, and essential supplies. Similarly, after Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines in 2013, the UAE sent critical supplies, including food, water, medical assistance, and $10 million in humanitarian aid. The UAE has also been a leading contributor to humanitarian relief in Gaza, accounting for over 50% of global relief efforts. Operation Gallant Knight 3 delivered more than 60,000 tonnes of aid, including food, shelter, and medical supplies. In January 2025, the UAE launched the largest phase of its Gaza relief initiative, focusing on displaced people near Al Aqsa University in Khan Yunis. By then, it had delivered nearly 29,584 tonnes of aid via land routes. Last week, the UAE president and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, held a phone call to discuss regional stability and efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. They also focused on efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the UAE and the U.S. across various sectors. Originally published on ibtimes.ae InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts' fast-growing luxury and lifestyle portfolio, proudly introduces InterContinental Presidente Monterrey in alliance with Grupo Presidente. Located in Monterrey's San Pedro Garza Garcia neighborhood, the hotel is a minimalist retreat that feels worlds apart from its bustling urban surroundings. Designed by Francesc Rife Studio in Barcelona, InterContinental Presidente Monterrey beautifully juxtaposes its considered, contemporary style, quietly decadent touches, and modern amenities with a stunning mountain backdrop. The hotel's striking facade has been thoughtfully crafted from metal and mobile wooden panels to protect the property from the sun's intensity while still inviting in plenty of natural light. Inside, the use of natural materials like wood and stone have been carefully selected to create a refined, relaxing atmosphere. An Urban Oasis InterContinental Presidente Monterrey's 293 guestrooms, including 25 expansive suites, have been meticulously curated to create harmonious, tranquil spaces for guests. Each guestroom has been outfitted with the highest quality finishes, including solid walnut and Gris Rochelle marble from Italy as well as furniture imported from Spain, while bathrooms feature luxurious amenities and rainfall showers. When ready to turn in for the night, guests can take in the sweeping views of the vibrant San Pedro Garza Garcia neighborhood as well as the Sierra Madre de Chipinque mountains in the distance from their guestroom's floor-to-ceiling windows with automated curtains. Culinary Excellence The hotel's three dining destinations welcome visitors with an enticing combination of national and international flavors that tempt all tastes and palates: Lilou: With its sophisticated setting, Lilou is a modern tribute to the tradition of all-day dining in cities like New York, London and Paris. Featuring a menu of elevated international dishes, Lilou is poised to stand out among the best restaurants in Monterrey. With its sophisticated setting, Lilou is a modern tribute to the tradition of all-day dining in cities like New York, London and Paris. Featuring a menu of elevated international dishes, Lilou is poised to stand out among the best restaurants in Monterrey. Epicentro: Celebrating the innovation and legacy of the original Epicentro at InterContinental Presidente Mexico City, this latest outpost of the gin and tonic-focused cocktail bar welcomes guests with inspired cocktails in an intimate atmosphere complemented by exemplary service that reflects the warm hospitality and spirit of Northern Mexico. Celebrating the innovation and legacy of the original Epicentro at InterContinental Presidente Mexico City, this latest outpost of the gin and tonic-focused cocktail bar welcomes guests with inspired cocktails in an intimate atmosphere complemented by exemplary service that reflects the warm hospitality and spirit of Northern Mexico. Chapulin: Due to open in April and drawing from the heritage of its predecessor in Mexico City, Chapulin celebrates the history and flavors of Mexico. The menu offers a tour that highlights the work of the Mexican fields and seas, honoring those who cultivate each. With a seafood bar, a clay comal and the aroma of embers, guests can traverse through the regions of Mexico, from north to south. Inspired Experiences Monterrey, Mexico's second largest economy, is an international business hub cradled between the breathtaking Cerro de la Silla, Sierra Madre de Chipinque and Cerro de las Mitras mountains. With a central location near the city's shopping and cultural destinations, corporate headquarters for global organizations, medical centers and educational institutions, InterContinental Presidente Monterrey is ideal for business and leisure travelers alike. At all InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, colleagues across the globe serve as cultural connecters, helping guests embrace and explore cities and local neighborhoods. Bringing to life the Insider Expertise of InterContinental Presidente Monterrey is The Concierge, on-hand to facilitate cultural exploration. Guests will be introduced to in-the-know discoveries and bespoke experiences, such as the Barrio Antiguo Old Quarter, Cumbres de Monterrey National Park and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Monterrey. Guests of InterContinental Presidente Monterrey can also enjoy an array of on-property offerings. Those seeking calm and rejuvenation can visit the hotel's Ikal Spa featuring a menu of relaxing massages and facials created to revitalize body and mind. Additional hotel amenities include a 24-hour fitness center, a business center equipped with the latest technology, dry cleaning service as well as a Club InterContinental lounge combining personalized service and exclusive privileges to elevate the stay experience. Events & Occasions Spanning over 1,600 square meters across two floors, InterContinental Presidente Monterrey's modern and versatile meeting and event spaces offer a perfect setting for an array of corporate or social events with capacity for up to 1,500 guests. Tailored for high-end meeting and event planners, each of the hotel's four elegantly appointed spaces features spectacular views from expansive windows that invite in natural light and is equipped with LED architectural lighting, high-speed internet and state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. With 227 open and 101 pipeline hotels globally,* InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the world's first and largest international luxury hotel brand, continues to open doors to fascinating places and fresh perspectives. InterContinental Presidente Monterrey is the sixth property operated by Grupo Presidente in alliance with the InterContinental brand and is IHG's fifth InterContinental to open in the Americas in the past two years, following InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa in the Caribbean, InterContinental Seattle Bellevue outside Seattle, InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk in Texas and InterContinental Indianapolis in Indiana. Hotel website This June, The Hoxton will open its doors in Edinburgh's vibrant and historic Haymarket. The design-driven, community-focused Hox will comprise 11 stitched-together townhouses set across both sides of the street, with original Georgian features celebrated and elevated by Ennismore's in-house design team, AIME Studios. The hotel will feature 214 rooms including three self-contained homes (coming later in the summer), a spacious lobby offering cosy corners and vaulted ceilings in equal measure, an intimate cinema, a ballroom events space, The Apartment meeting and events concept, and all-day Italian restaurant Patatino, that will serve up generously portioned trattoria classics using local Scottish produce. Catering to all manner of traveller, the 214 rooms will come in nine categories, including Snug Single and Bunk rooms which are perfect crash pads for solo trips or stays with mates, and Hox classics: Cosy, Roomy and Biggy. In addition, Edinburgh will feature The Hoxton's new House category: three self-contained three-bed, three-bath homes, ideal for those looking to live like a local. All rooms will spotlight the property's original features, which have been meticulously preserved to offer guests a sense of the hotel's heritage throughout all room types - eclectic vibes will be bolstered by ornate lighting, rich colours palettes and sumptuous textiles. The Hoxton's signature open-house lobby will bring a community-focused space to Haymarket; versatile enough to grab a coffee in a cosy corner, work remotely in stylish surrounds or knock back a wee swally as the evening draws in. Regular cultural programming will champion local partners and support the thriving creative communities across Edinburgh, and with a pocket-sized screening room seating just five lucky cinema-goers, only one question remains: sweet or salty? Patatino brings a fresh new addition to Edinburgh's eclectic restaurant scene, serving hearty Italian dishes in a laid-back romantic atmosphere. Designed to express the flavours, ingredients, energy and joyous hospitality of long and boozy meals with friends on holiday on the Amalfi coast, Patatino transports guests to a trattoria in Sorrento, with all the chic sophistication of a Neapolitan aperitivo bar and none of the pretence. The Apartment meeting and events space will be located on the ground floor of the hotel, with four rooms centred around a communal Pantry. Lending itself perfectly to parties, private dining and meetings big and small, the space will offer a distinctly homey feel with decorative panelled walls, and vintage furniture and fixings. In addition, a ballroom-style events space, aptly named The Get Together, is perfect for grander occasions and is the ideal setting for a Scottish hooley in the big city! Haymarket is a hub of activity in the West End of the city and offers an ideal base to visit iconic cultural hotspots such as nearby New Town, Murrayfield Stadium and Castle Rock. Inspired by Edinburgh's Georgian heritage, AIME Studios references the Neoclassical style so closely associated with the neighbourhood throughout the hotel's design, perfectly juxtaposed with more contemporary block colours and clean lines, representative of the liveliness and informal feel of Haymarket. AIME Studios collaborated with Bauwerk Colour to create the Neighbourhood Collection of sustainable, lime wash paints, giving a behind-the-scenes peek into the design process of creating a Hoxton. Paying homage to the elegant, time-worn facades and distinctive stonework of the newest Hox neighbourhood, colours Moss and Haymarket give guests a taste of what's to come in Edinburgh. Hotel website The Ava Hotel, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, has appointed Matt Kleefisch as general manager ahead of the hotel's highly anticipated Summer 2025 debut. With nearly two decades of leadership experience in luxury and lifestyle hospitality, Kleefisch will oversee all aspects of operations as The Ava Hotel prepares to welcome guests to the heart of one of California's most distinguished wine-tasting destinations. Kleefisch began his hospitality career at just fifteen years old, working as a brunch server at a Texas country club before earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University, where he gained hands-on experience at the renowned Statler Hotel. His management journey took him to La Costa Resort & Spa, followed by a pivotal role with Azul Hospitality at Koloa Landing Resort & Spa on Kauai, during which he helped lead the resort's transition into a Marriott Autograph Collection property. Kleefisch later expanded his expertise in Downtown Denver, CO and Austin, TX, where he oversaw operations at two newly acquired DoubleTree Hilton Hotels. Most recently, he served as the Vice President of Hospitality Operations for Carter Hospitality, overseeing their portfolio, which includes Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa in Texas Hill Country, along with three additional hotels, two of which are located in Temecula Wine Country. Now returning to Azul Hospitality Group, Kleefisch brings his deep industry knowledge and passion for Paso Robles' rich viticultural heritage to The Ava Hotel, located at the corner of Pine and 10th Streets. Under Azul Hospitality management, the hotel will introduce 151 thoughtfully designed rooms and suites, Paso Robles' largest rooftop destination, versatile event spaces, and three distinct dining experiences, including an elegant Mediterranean coastline-inspired restaurant by Chef Julien Asseo. Kleefisch has relocated to Paso Robles with his wife, Frances, and their dog, Astro, and looks forward to becoming part of the local hospitality and wine community. Hilton Barbados Resort, a luxurious and historic beachfront property known for its stunning ocean views, world-class amenities, abundant corporate and leisure group options, and ideal location, proudly announces the appointment of Annmarie Thompson as its new Director of Sales and Marketing. In this role, Thompson will oversee all aspects of sales, marketing, public relations, and revenue management strategies. Her leadership will focus on expanding the resort's market share, enhancing guest experiences, and fostering key industry partnerships to drive continued growth. With over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, and operational leadership within the hospitality industry, Thompson brings a wealth of expertise to the resort, further strengthening its position as a premier Caribbean destination. Thompson's distinguished career spans leadership roles at renowned luxury resorts and corporate hotels, including AC Hotel Marriott in Kingston and The Crane Resort & Residences in Barbados, now a Hilton Grand Vacations-affiliated property, as well as other operational, PR, and marketing roles. Her strategic vision, extensive knowledge of brand development, and ability to drive revenue growth have been instrumental in the success of multiple properties throughout the region. Thompson holds a Master's degree in Public Relations from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of the West Indies (Mona Campus), where she graduated with First Class Honors. Her proficiency in digital marketing, CRM, strategic planning, and brand management makes her well-equipped to lead Hilton Barbados Resort into an exciting new chapter. A multinational who has lived and worked in five countries, she returned to Barbados from Kingston, Jamaica to take up the role at the Hilton. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, discovering new travel and food experiences, dabbling in amateur photography, and spending quality time with friends and family. Today, global hospitality leader Hilton (NYSE: HLT) announces the appointment of Kathy Heneghan as general manager of the 800-room Signia by Hilton Indianapolis located in downtown Indianapolis. Expected to open in late 2026, the new-build hotel will anchor the expanded Indiana Convention Center, solidifying its position as a leading destination for meetings and events in the Midwest. In her new role, Heneghan will both lead the pre-opening team and oversee the operations for Signia by Hilton's first Indiana hotel, once open. A hospitality industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience with Hilton properties in Chicago, Heneghan most recently served as general manager at Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile. Prior to that role, she held the position of hotel manager at the 1,544-room Hilton Chicago. Throughout her career, she's held various leadership roles across catering and events and food and beverage at both Hilton Chicago and Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel. Heneghan's accomplishments extend beyond her career at Hilton as she maintains an active role within her community. During her time in Chicago, she was Chairperson of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association in 2024 and was involved with the Magnificent Mile Association and Choose Chicago Convention Alliance as part of their general manager councils. Owned by the City of Indianapolis with operations led by the Capital Improvement Board of Managers of Marion County, a municipal corporation of Marion County, Indiana and managed by Hilton, the hotel will be the city's tallest hotel. The property will feature 90,000 square feet of versatile meeting space, including a 50,000-square-foot ballroom and will provide direct access to the convention center and Lucas Oil Stadium via a skywalk over Capitol Avenue. Guests can expect seven culinary concepts including an upscale fine-dining restaurant, a library, rooftop sky bar and pool, a state-of-the-art fitness center, wellness-focused guest rooms, and Club Signia, a premium offering for guests that elevates the entire stay. Signia by Hilton delivers a sophisticated stay with a vibrant atmosphere, dynamic bars and restaurants, exceptional wellness experiences, unparalleled meetings and events and personalized service catered to the needs of today's global traveler. Signia by Hilton Indianapolis joins the brand's growing portfolio of exceptional hotels in gateway cities and resort destinations around the worldincluding the recent international debut of Signia by Hilton Amman in Amman, Jordan. Halekulani Okinawa, the only Double Five-Star luxury resort in Okinawa, today announces the appointment of Kenji Fukunaga to the position of General Manager. A hospitality veteran with over two decades of experience, Fukunaga will oversee all hotel operations, ensuring the iconic property maintains its reputation as one of Japan's finest luxury resorts. Fukunaga brings deep industry knowledge to the new role, cultivated from a career path at some of Asia's most illustrious hotels. Most recently, he served as Regional Vice President of Operations for Japan and Micronesia at Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, overseeing the operation, sales and marketing activities, talent development and new openings for 22 hotels. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, Fukunaga was tasked with leading the opening of Hotel Metropolitan Premier Taipei, JR Hotels' first overseas property. As General Manager, he navigated unprecedented challenges, implementing strategic operational frameworks to ensure a successful launch despite global disruptions. Earlier in his career, Fukunaga held key leadership roles at renowned hotels, including The Westin Sendai, Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel and The St. Regis Osaka. There, he served as both General Manager and Area General Manager for Japan and Guam, overseeing the operations of 20 hotels. Halekulani Okinawa continues to redefine luxury hospitality, delivering extraordinary experiences to discerning travelers in search of unparalleled service in an unforgettable setting. Under Fukunaga's leadership, the resort is poised to uphold its standing as one of Japan's most prestigious and serene destinations. The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills is pleased to announce Roy Gerards as its new Director of Hotel Operations. In this role, he will assist in overseeing hotel management with a focus on driving operational excellence and enhancing guest experiences. Roy boasts over 20 years of experience in hotel operations. His extensive career spans roles at prestigious hotels, including Hotel Manager at Parker Palm Springs, Director of Operations at The Beverly Hills Hotel, and Director of Food and Beverage at The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa. His leadership at Parker Palm Springs led to a remarkable improvement in LQA scores and a significant revenue boost. Passionate about mentoring and fostering a positive workplace culture, Roy is committed to empowering teams to deliver exceptional service. Fluent in English, Dutch, and German, Roy's international perspective enables him to stay attuned to market trends while maintaining a focus on both guest satisfaction and operational efficiency. Holding a Master of Science degree in Hospitality and Tourism from USC and a Certified Sommelier designation from the Court of Master Sommeliers, Roy has demonstrated a results-driven approach throughout his positions. He has a proven track record in managing multi-departmental teams, optimizing financial performance, and improving guest satisfaction, particularly through strategic improvements in KPIs. In his free time, Roy enjoys spending quality time at sport events or traveling with his wife, an accomplished Doctor in Veterinary Medicine, and his two sons. Born and raised in Maastricht, The Netherlands, Roy has worked and travelled extensively around Europe and resided several years in Australia before settling in Los Angeles. IHG Hotels & Resorts, a global leader in hospitality, has debuted nine of its individual hotel brands in 13 countries across Europe since the start of 2024*, with the opening and signings spanning brands across its four segments: Luxury & Lifestyle, Premium, Essentials and Suites. This growth comes as IHGs Europe business, which includes the UK and Ireland, surpasses 1,100 open and pipeline hotels - growth driven by the confidence from owners in IHGs enterprise and appetite from guests in the experiences its brands offer. Our focus on developing in high-growth markets is reflected in the number of country entries made by our brands in recent months. Every new hotel contributes to a dynamic portfolio that has grown to more than 1,100 hotels open or in development across 39 countries testament to the exciting future that lies ahead for our business in Europe. Successful brand development and growth would not happen without the work our teams do to drive the performance of our existing hotels all of which is supported by the IHG enterprise. From driving loyalty contribution and rolling out new technology, to investment in marketing, meaningful partnerships, and programmes to support sustainability and procurement, our holistic approach to growth is demonstrating value to our hotel owners who see long-term confidence in IHG and our brands. Karin Sheppard, SVP and Managing Director, Europe, IHG Hotels & Resorts Luxury & lifestyle (Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Kimpton, Vignette Collection, Hotel Indigo) IHGs six brands in the Luxury & Lifestyle segment continue to expand across Europe, representing 12% of current Europe open hotels (103 properties), and 27% of its development pipeline (71 hotels), demonstrating promising runway for future growth. IHGs collection brand, Vignette Collection appeals to owners looking to convert world-class independent hotels without the need for high upfront costs or compromise on a propertys unique character. The brand made its debut in the UK, The Halyard, Liverpool, and in Hungary, Verno House, Budapest, both opening in 2024. In addition, the brand will enter Greece for the first time with a signing in Crete, The Chania Hotel. The global expansion of Kimpton continues at pace, having opened in Hungary for the first time with the 127-room Kimpton BEM Palace Budapest hotel, and signing a resort property in Greece Kimpton La-Mer Resort & Spa Crete. IHGs world-renowned InterContinental brand reached more than 225 hotels in 2024, adding its first in Serbia, the 203-room InterContinental Belgrade hotel. Top left: Kimpton BEM Budapest, Top right: rendering of Delta District InterContinental Belgrade, Bottom right: Verno House Budapest, Vignette Collection, Bottom left: Kimpton Los Monteros Marbella Photo by IHG Premium (voco, Crowne Plaza, Ruby) Last year saw record conversion activity for IHG globally and in 2024, conversions to IHG brands represented more than 80% of new openings in Europe. This increased activity is led by brands such as voco, whose expansion in the premium space has happened at rapid pace. IHG acquired the Ruby Hotels brand in February 2025. Less than six weeks later, it has announced its first two signings including in Copenhagen, a country debut for the brand. In Europe, IHG opened its first voco-branded hotel in Sweden, voco Stockholm Kista, with 201 guest rooms. In recent weeks, IHG signed its first voco property in Turkiye, due to open in Antalya during the second half of 2025. Also sitting in the premium space, the Crowne Plaza brand boasts a European pipeline representing almost 20% of its open hotel count. Montenegro opened its first for the brand in 2024, the 112-room Crowne Plaza Podgorica hotel. Image: Top left: Voco Stockholm Kista, Top Right: Ruby Louise Hotel & Bar, Frankfurt, Bottom right: Crowne Plaza Podgorica, Bottom left: voco London Marylebone Photo by IHG Essentials (Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, Garner Hotels) Almost 70% of IHGs Europe footprint is made up of Essentials brands, from the worlds largest hotel brand Holiday Inn Express, to new midscale conversion brand, Garner Hotels. 2024 marked the European debut for Garner, with 56 initial signings taking place in April, and the first opening in November. Guests are showing positive reaction to Garner Hotels, with high satisfaction scores. Debuts for Garner in Europe have included Germany with nearly 20 openings in less than a year, the first being in Hamburg, the UK opening in Preston and Edinburgh, Austria opening in Klagenfurt, and The Netherlands open in Maastricht. The brand has also been signed in Turkiye, in the city of Arnavutkoy, and in Italy, in Rome. Last year saw the debut of the brand collaboration between Holiday and the niu, which now has more than 40 open hotels across Europe. In partnership with NOVUM Hospitality, Holiday Inn the niu combines the nius domestic presence and unique design inspired by locality, with Holiday Inns global reputation and brand recognition. Top left: Garner Hotel Hamburg Nord, Top right: Holiday Inn the niu Cure, Bottom right: Garner Hotel Preston Samlesbury, Bottom left: Garner Hotel Berlin - Checkpoint Charlie Photo by IHG Suites (Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites) The increasing demand for extended stays is reflected in IHGs Europe pipeline for its Suites portfolio of brands, which stands at 15 hotels larger than the current system size of 11 properties, underlying healthy future growth prospects. In 2025, Candlewood Suites will celebrate is European debut, following a long-term franchise agreement with NOVUM Hospitality and subsequent signings in 2024 that will bring 14 hotels for the brand to Germany. Marking Europes eleventh Staybridge Suites property, the brand opened in Spain, in Malaga, bringing 105 suites to the Urban Sky project development. As of 31st December 2024, IHG has 878 open hotels across 39 countries in Europe, with a further 260 in development. Its largest markets include the UK with 355 open hotels, Germany with 147 hotels, France with 71 hotels, and Spain with 57 hotels. About IHG IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good. With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Tieran Bhuhi-Siva Senior Corporate Communications Manager, Europe +44 (0) 7976 178 485 IHG Key Takeaways Cherry blossoms and wildflower blooms are trending this spring, motivating millennial travelers to book more rural trips than any other age group. Nature nomads are immersing themselves in the countryside, where listing searches surged over 100% for April 2025. From mountaintop yurts to domes and treehouses, nature-forward listings are among our most wishlisted stays across the globe. Nature nomads, travelers in pursuit of natural environments and off-the-grid experiences, are embracing the spirit of Earth Month by exploring rural destinations and immersing themselves in the great outdoors. These adventurers are seeking spring nature events like wildflower blooms and animal migrations, exploring destinations immersed in nature, and tapping into the cowboy-core trend by flocking to remote listings in the countryside. Wildflower blooms and wild landscape locations spike searches Nature nomads are flocking to places that are home to Earths wonders. From wildflower blooms to animal migrations, biodiverse destinations are trending this spring, indicating a quest for nature-focused experiences. Here are some of the trending destinations and nature events surging with nature nomads this Earth Month: Cherry blossom blooms (Nagoya City, Japan) Home to Nagoya Castle, Japans first castle to be declared a National Treasure, and parks including Tsuruma Park, and Meijo Park, Nagoya City, Japanexperienced over 110 percent growth in searches for spring 2025, compared to the year prior1. These parks are celebrated for their diverse array of plants and wildlife, making them popular destinations during the Hanami the Japanese tradition of cherry blossom viewing from March through May. Nagoya City, Japan Photo by Airbnb Wildflower blooms (Castleton, VT, United States) The Green Mountain National Forest, which spans across southwestern and central Vermont, provides an ideal nature retreat for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. In early spring, visitors can admire wildflower blooms, including trillium, trout lily, bloodroot, and spring beauty, which blanket the states lush landscape in color. Castleton experienced over 85 percent growth in searches for spring 2025compared to the year prior2, putting this destination on the map for nature nomads. Castleton, VT, United States Photo by Airbnb Desert blooms (Palm Desert, CA, United States) Just outside of Palm Desert, Joshua Tree National Park is another destination that is renowned for its April wildflower blooms. Desert dandelion, desert globemallow, brittlebush, and Indian paintbrush create vibrant patches of yellow and red across the landscape, attracting an increasing number of outdoor enthusiasts with searches up over 50 percent for this spring3. Palm Desert, CA, United States Photo by Airbnb Monarch butterfly migrations (Port Aransas, TX, United States) In April, nature nomads can witness the spring monarch migration in Port Aransas, Texas as the monarchs travel along the Texas coast. This coastal city saw over a 30 percent increase in searches this spring4, showcasing the regions growing appeal during this butterfly season. Port Aransas, TX, United States Photo by Airbnb Wild landscapes (Torres del Paine, Chile) Torres del Paine, a national park situated in southern Chilean Patagonia, boasts a diverse natural landscape that features mountains, glaciers, lakes and rivers. Providing nature nomads with an abundance of adventure, searches for this breathtaking destination surged over 350 percent5 for global travelers compared to the previous year. While exploring the regions natural wonders, guests may get lucky and spot local Patagonias Big 5 wildlife- including Andean condor, the guanaco, the puma, the huemul and Darwins rhea. Torres del Paine, Chile Photo by Airbnb Rural destinations and cowboy-core listings surge with nature nomads In addition to seeking nature events, nature nomads are also gravitating towards rural destinations, nature-centric stays and countryside escapes that let them channel their inner cowboy. Source: Airbnb Searches for countryside listings saw an increase of over 100% for April 2025, while searches for listings in national parks surged by more than 50% compared to the previous year 6 . while searches for compared to the previous year . Millennials booked the most rural trips for spring travel in 2025 of any age group 7 . . Travelers between the ages of 60 90 years old experienced the largest growth in rural travel in spring 20258. We expect this trend in rural and nature-centric trips to continue, as indicated by this years most wishlisted stays both in the US and across the world. Continue reading 1 Based on internal Airbnb data, of searches made in 2024 for spring 2025, compared to searches made in 2023 for spring 2024 2 Based on internal Airbnb data, of searches made in 2024 for spring 2025, compared to searches made in 2023 for spring 2024 3 Based on internal Airbnb data, of searches made in 2024 for spring 2025, compared to searches made in 2023 for spring 2024 4 Based on internal Airbnb data, of searches made in 2024 for spring 2025, compared to searches made in 2023 for spring 2024 5 Based on internal Airbnb data, of searches made in 2024 for spring 2025, compared to searches made in 2023 for spring 2024 6 Based on internal Airbnb data, of searches in the countryside and national park categories made in H1 2024 for April 2025, compared to bookings made in H1 2023 for April 2024 7 Based on internal Airbnb data, of nights booked by age group in Q1-Q4 2024 for spring 2025, compared to bookings made in Q1-Q4 2023 for spring 2024 8 Based on internal Airbnb data, of nights booked by age group in Q1-Q4 2024 for spring 2025, compared to bookings made in Q1-Q4 2023 for spring 2024 About Airbnb Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way. About Airbnb.org Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.'s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org's charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform. View source Northstar Travel Group is the leading B-to-B media company providing information and marketing solutions for the global travel industry. The company owns fourteen media brands connecting 1.4m industry professionals through a comprehensive portfolio of digital, social, print and more than one hundred events in thirteen countries. Northstar Travel Group is owned by EagleTree Capital. Northstar Travel Group is based in Rutherford, NJ. YOTEL Tokyo - Image Credit YOTEL The Al-Bahar Group has acquired an additional 30% stake in YOTEL, increasing its total hold to more than 95%. YOTEL has announced its ambitious plan to double its global portfolio to 15,000 rooms by 2030. The Al-Bahar Group, the majority shareholder of YOTEL, has increased its investment in the global hotel brand by acquiring an additional 30% stake. This move has raised the Group's total stake in YOTEL to more than 95%. A controlled affiliate of Starwood Capital Group, a global real estate investment firm, previously held the additional shares. YOTEL has grown substantially over the last 15 years. The company currently has a portfolio of properties located in prime regions around the globe and is financially self-sustaining. Chairman of YOTEL and Al-Bahar Group, Talal Al Bahar, expressed his satisfaction with YOTEL's progress over the years. He also acknowledged Starwood Capital for contributing to the company's success and for being a strong partner for eight years. Al Bahar further highlighted that the enhanced investment signifies the Group's confidence in YOTEL's future. YOTEL's CEO, Hubert Viriot, applauded Talal's vision and the additional investment, stating it not only endorses the company's potential but also makes YOTEL more competitive and agile. This investment is expected to simplify the company's structure and provide access to additional growth capital. Tim Abram, Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Hotels at Starwood Capital, thanked the Al-Bahar Group for their partnership and congratulated YOTEL on its tremendous growth over the past eight years. Starwood Capital will remain a supportive partner of YOTEL, retaining ownership of two YOTEL properties. In addition to the increased investment, YOTEL announced its plan to double its global portfolio to 15,000 rooms by 2030. The company's growth strategy includes expanding brand awareness, franchise model, and distribution. The Al-Bahar Group will also make additional capital available for exceptional development opportunities. YOTEL, with its headquarters in London, operates three brands: YOTEL (city centre hotels), YOTELPAD (extended stay option), and YOTELAIR (airport hotels). The company currently has 23 operating hotels across 16 cities globally, with an additional 11 hotels set to open within the next 24 months. RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka - Image Credit IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG Hotels & Resorts debuts its collection brand, Vignette Collection, in Japan with the rebranding of RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka. IHG Hotels & Resorts has officially launched its Vignette Collection in Japan. The RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka, a city's well-known historical hotel, has been rebranded as the first Japanese member of IHG's Vignette Collection. Located in Nakanoshima, known as the "City of Water," the RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka symbolizes Osaka's vibrant 24-hour international city life. Established in 1935, the hotel has been a hub for international and cultural exchanges, hosting foreign dignitaries, imperial families, and renowned VIPs. The remodeled RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka, Vignette Collection, now boasts over 1,000 renovated rooms, including a remarkable 700-meter suite. The hotel also features 18 unique restaurants and bars, a fitness center, and comprehensive event facilities with 56 banquet rooms. Renowned Japanese fashion designer Junko Koshino designed the new uniforms for hotel staff. The hotel's grand opening was marked with a unique take on the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ceremony featured a Japanese tenugui hand towel dyed using the traditional Osaka "Chusen" technique. It symbolized the forging of a lasting partnership between the RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka and IHG Hotels & Resorts. Abhijay Sandilya, Managing Director Japan & Micronesia for IHG Hotels & Resorts, stated, "RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka perfectly embodies Vignette Collection, a brand that is on track to achieve 100 hotels globally within its first decade." Makarem Umm Al Qura, Makkah - Image Credit Makarem THE CHALLENGE Makarem sought to elevate their digital advertising strategy, with a strong focus on metasearch, to maximize direct bookings and improve ROI. Their key challenges included: Optimizing metasearch performance : They needed a data-driven approach to ensure their hotels reached the right audience at the right time. : They needed a data-driven approach to ensure their hotels reached the right audience at the right time. Enhancing guest targeting : They wanted to leverage first-party data to refine audience segmentation and personalize campaigns for higher conversion rates. : They wanted to leverage first-party data to refine audience segmentation and personalize campaigns for higher conversion rates. Reducing OTA dependency : While OTAs remained part of their distribution strategy, increasing direct bookings was a priority to improve margins and strengthen customer relationships. : While OTAs remained part of their distribution strategy, increasing direct bookings was a priority to improve margins and strengthen customer relationships. Utilizing real-time data: They required a platform capable of integrating multiple data sources to deliver actionable insights and dynamically optimize bids. By partnering with Cendyn through the Digital Marketing Platform (DMP), Makarem aimed to unify their data, improve their metasearch strategy, and drive higher engagement with potential guests. THE SOLUTION According to Makarem, one of the standout features of Cendyn DMP is its advanced audience segmentation and dynamic bidding optimization. The ability to harness real-time data and tailor Makarems metasearch campaigns based on guest behavior, demographics, and booking intent has been a game-changer. Additionally, the integration capabilities with Makarems CRM and digital marketing ecosystem have allowed them to create a more personalized and effective customer journey. The AI-driven insights also help the hotel make data-backed decisions, ensuring that marketing spend is always optimized for maximum impact. "Partnering with Cendyn and leveraging their DMP has empowered us to seamlessly leverage our first-party data, optimize our metasearch campaigns, and deliver personalized experiences, driving exceptional results. In 2024, we exceeded our goals, achieving remarkable growth in both revenue and direct bookings." Adam Salem Director, Commercial & Digital, Makarem THE RESULTS In 2024, Makarem saw impressive results with a 141% increase in revenue, 208% growth in direct bookings, and a 122% rise in ROAS compared to 2023. This success was driven by Cendyn DMP, and by using this easy-to-use, comprehensive platform, Makarem optimized their digital advertising campaigns, resulting in more direct bookings and higher revenue. The platforms ability to transparently track performance data and optimize marketing spend played a key role in exceeding their goals. About Makarem Makarem has carefully paired the epitome of international standards with world-renowned Islamic hospitality. Whether you come for Umrah, Ramadan, Hajj, family, or business, their comprehensive and unique array of exclusive services will ensure that your trip will be rich in both comfort and purpose. Each Makarem location is carefully hand-picked so to take into account the needs and expectations of each guest, recognizing and addressing their particular requirements, and assisting them whenever needed. About Cendyn Cendyn is a global hospitality cloud-based technology company that enables hotels to drive revenue, maximize profitability, and create deeper connections with guests through its integrated solutions. Serving hoteliers for nearly 30 years, Cendyn drives commercial success for hotels through its Find, Book, Grow promise: find the right guests; drive them to book direct, and grow loyalty and revenue across the spectrum of digital guest interactions. Cendyn has over 32,000 customers worldwide in more than 150 countries including brands such as Outrigger Hospitality, Hyatt, IHG, Aman Resorts & Hotels, Relais & Chateaux, Highgate, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Coraltree Hospitality, and Onyx Hospitality Group generating more than $20 billion in annual hotel revenue. The company supports its growing customer base from locations across the globe, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangkok, and India. Alivio Group Acquired The Sebel Margate Beach for AUD22 Million in Queensland, Australia - Image Credit Accor Weekly Hotel Industry Asia Pacific News Roundup from HVS Royal Group Developing New Hotel for GBP110 Million in London, United Kingdom Singapore-based Royal Group Investments Pte Ltd (Royal Group) has acquired the former Westminster Bank building in Mayfair, London, United Kingdom for GBP65 million and plans to invest a further GBP45 million to redevelop it into a 50-key, all-suite luxury boutique hotel. This will bring Royal Groups total investment to GBP110 million, translating to approximately GBP2.2 million per key. The hotel is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026 with an anticipated average daily rate of GBP1,000. This acquisition represents the latest addition to Royal Groups growing portfolio of investments, which includes the recently opened 62-key Raffles Sentosa and the upcoming 165-key Casa Mett Hotel, both located in Singapore. Alivio Group Acquired The Sebel Margate Beach for AUD22 Million in Queensland, Australia Australia-based Alivio Group has acquired The Sebel Brisbane Margate Beach for AUD22 million, marking the groups second hotel in Queensland. The acquisition price equates to approximately AUD393,000 per key. This transaction represents a record per-key acquisition for an Accor-franchised hotel in the region. Located in Queenslands rapidly growing Redcliffe Peninsula, the 56-key hotel features an outsourced food and beverage outlet, a rooftop pool, a fitness centre, and a meeting room. The hotel has consistently reached an occupancy of 75% or above. Opened in 2018, the hotel will continue to operate under the Sebel brand. Morgan Stanley Acquires Shilla Stay Seodaemun in Seoul, South Korea US-based Morgan Stanley is set to acquire the 319-key Shilla Stay Seodaemun in South Korea from South-Korea based IGIS Asset Management Co. Limited (IGIS) for an undisclosed sum. IGIS originally acquired the property in 2015 for KRW110 billion. Operated and leased by South-Korea based Shilla HM Corporation, the existing lease is due to expire in 2035. The freehold hotel spans a total gross floor area of 13,529 square metres, spread over 25 floors, with guestrooms situated between 3rd to 25th floor. Facilities include a cafe, meeting room, business corner and fitness centre. Located directly above Seodaemun station, the property is also a 17-minute bus ride from the vibrant Myeongdong district, home to the renowned Myeongdong Shopping Street, a variety of retail outlets and dining options, making it a prime location for both business and leisure travellers. Quest Hotel Midland Franchise Sale Acquired By New Joint Venture in Midland, Western Australia Singaporean-based The Ascott Limited successfully sold its Quest Midland franchise rights to a joint venture between experienced Quest franchisees, Sophie Sun and Yannick Kee Mew, and first-time operators, Sing Liu and Lisa Lam, for an undisclosed sum. With over 28 years left on the lease, the acquisition presents a strong opportunity for future growth in one of the regions most popular tourist destinations. The 102-key, seven-storey serviced apartment hotel is located 15 kilometres northwest of Perths central business district and 10 kilometres from Perth Airport. Midland, situated at the gateway to the Swan Valley, offers a perfect blend of urban convenience, proximity to scenic attractions and key business districts. The property boasts modern amenities, featuring an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness centre, an alfresco BBQ area, and laundry facilities. HVS is the world's leading consulting and valuation services organization focused on the hotel, restaurant, shared ownership, gaming, and leisure industries. Established in 1980, the company performs more than 4,500 assignments per year for virtually every major industry participant. HVS principals are regarded as the leading professionals in their respective regions of the globe. Through a worldwide network of over 50 offices staffed by 300 experienced industry professionals, HVS provides an unparalleled range of complementary services for the hospitality industry. For further information regarding our expertise and specifics about our services, please visit www.hvs.com. La Quinta Inn & Suites Denver Boulder Louisville - Image Credit CBRE CBRE Hotels solicits offers to acquire the fee-simple interest in the Corporate-Owned La Quinta Inn & Suites in Louisville, Colorado. The property is located off Highway 36/Denver Boulder Turnpike, just a short drive from Boulder and Denver, providing convenient access to the University of Colorado Boulder, the Pearl Street Mall, and Rocky Mountain National Park. Thanks to its ideal location, the hotel receives business from a diverse population of both corporate and leisure segments. Corporate-Owned La Quinta Inn & Suites - Opportunity to acquire a corporate-owned, 120-room, three-story, La Quinta Inn & Suites that is conveniently located off Highway 36/Denver Boulder Turnpike, just a short drive from Boulder and Denver. Extremely High Barrier to Entry Market - Stringent regulations make Boudler a very difficult and expensive city for new hotel constructions. The La Quinta is priced well below replacement cost. Fully Renovated Hotel with No PIP Required until January 2028 - The hotel will be delivered with no PIP required for the new ownership until January 2028. Wyndham may provide the new PIP in January 2028 and the Franchisee will have two years to complete this PIP. Please see the Franchise Agreement on the data room for additional information. Management Upside - The La Quinta will be delivered unencumbered of management. Due to the current operators national scale and substantial allocation for corporate overhead, this project presents significant potential upside for a more hands-on operator through more focused revenue management strategies and reduction in corporate allocated expenses. Diverse Demand Drivers - The hotel is in proximity to multiple commercial and corporate campuses, including Interlocken Business Park and companies like Ball Corp and Sun Microsystems. It is also within a short distance to the University of Colorado Boulder, and the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Additionally, the hotel is a short drive from popular tourist attractions like the Pearl Street Mall, FlatIron Crossing Mall, and Louisville Historical Museum. Diverse and Scenic Community - Louisville, located in Boulder County, Colorado, is known for its scenic beauty and vibrant community. The city remains a desirable location due to its high quality of life and proximity to major business hubs and educational institutions. Louisville offers a blend of small-town charm and modern amenities, making it an attractive destination for both residents and visitors. For inquiries visit CBRE. Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Eunice - Image Credit HVS HVS Brokerage & Advisory, in conjunction with Eric Vincent Guerrero, officially presents an opportunity to acquire the 41-key Days Inn by Wyndham Eunice. The hotel has consistently grown over the past few years, making it an excellent investment for first-time owners/operators or regional investors/companies looking to expand their portfolios. The property boasts 41 guestrooms, including 39 rentable rooms. Two of these rooms have been designed as a managers apartment, complete with a kitchen and laundry facility, providing an ideal setup for an owner visiting from out of state. Despite absentee ownership, the hotel has demonstrated strong gross operating profit (GOP) margins, averaging 42.6% over the last three years. This performance indicates potential opportunities for further improvement, such as reduced room and administrative expenses, which could enhance GOP margins. The Days Inn by Wyndham Eunice is the only economy-scale branded hotel in the city. This status provides a potential investor with the opportunity to capitalize on its strong market positioning. After completing the change-of-ownership property improvement plan (PIP), this property is poised to become the market-leading economy-scale hotel in the region, offering a competitive edge over higher-segment hotels in the city. The hotel has maintained a stable top-line performance, averaging $457,000 over the past three years, peaking at $567,000 in 2021. In the last year, the hotel achieved $483,000 in room revenue, with a RevPAR of $32. According to the December 2024 STR report, the hotels RevPAR increased by 12.6% in 2024. The hotel's room revenue in 2025 is projected to exceed $525,000, with a projected RevPAR of $36 and an NOI flow-through of $190,000. The 8.25% increase in room revenue is a conservative estimate, considering the hotel's current year-to-date performance, which is 50% higher than the same period last year. At the $1,700,000 pricing guidance, the hotel asset underwrites to a 3.26x rooms revenue multiplier (RRM) based on the February 2025 trailing twelve-month rooms revenue: $520,000. An investor also has the unique opportunity to acquire both the Days Inn Eunice and the Best Western Eunice, creating operational efficiencies and market dominance in the city. The property is strategically located along U.S. Highway 190 in Eunice. The regional economy is primarily driven by sectors such as healthcare, education, energy, food processing/packaging, distribution, and manufacturing. Louisiana State University Eunice (LSUE) significantly contributes to the local economy and lodging demand with various events throughout the academic year. Furthermore, Louisiana's expanding oil and gas industry and energy sector continue to stimulate demand for workforce housing and accommodations, benefiting hotel operators with higher occupancy rates from contractors, engineers, and corporate travelers. This surge in demand is evident in the 51.9% increase in room revenue in February 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. These developments will continue driving economic growth and lodging demand through at least 2030 in Louisiana. Inquire at HVS. 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. ADVERTISE Hypebot & MusicThinkTank With the internet and digital technologies driving rapid change within the music industry, articles about new releases and who has been hired and fired are no longer enough. Our up to the minute industry news alongside insightful commentary helps our readers sift through the rumors and developments to find the information they need to keep their businesses moving forward. Hypebot is read daily by more than 30,000 music industry professionals including executives and senior staff of music related tech firms, internet based music sites, every major label group and most indies as well as many managers, artists and members of the live music community: Contact us for the latesst stats, ad rates and sponosorship opportunites. We also offer combined rates with MusicThinkTank. Berkshire Talking Chronicle to Host Bingo Fundraiser PITTSFIELD, Mass. Berkshire Talking Chronicle will host its first annual Bingo Bash Community Fun Day and Fundraiser on Saturday, April 5. The event will take place at the community room of Zion Church in Pittsfield. Prizes donated by businesses from Berkshire County will be featured. The event is scheduled to include prizes, refreshments, and an opportunity to meet volunteers from Berkshire Talking Chronicle and staff from UCP of Western Massachusetts. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m., and games will begin at 2:00 p.m. For further information, the contact number provided is 442-1562, extension 122. Briana Booker, president of BCC's Queer Student Association, introduces the panelists for a program discussing their experiences related to gender diversity. Gender Diverse Community Members Talk Allyship at BCC Panel Maayan Nuri Hed, left, Luna Celestia Mornelithe, Jackson Rodriguez and Jay Santangelo talked about their experiences and where they had found allyship and community. PITTSFIELD, Mass. Ahead of Monday's International Transgender Day of Visibility, community members shared their experiences with gender diversity during a panel discussion at Berkshire Community College. "Really my goal, I think, ultimately in life is to make being trans such a casual thing that it isn't even a question anymore," Jackson Rodriguez, a teaching assistant, told a packed lecture hall on Wednesday. "It's just a way of being. I wouldn't say I've ever come out. I would always say that I'm just I've always been me." Hosted by the Queer Student Association, conversation topics ranged from gender and coming out to movies, drag, and safe spaces in the community. There are over 1.6 million trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people in the United States, "and they are going to continue to exist, whether you have a say in it or not," said QSA President Briana Booker. "Trans people are not asking you to give them special treatment. They are not asking you to put away your beliefs and your ideas to fit a world for them," Booker said. "They are asking to be treated as they are: human beings, people." Panelists included Rodriguez; artist and director of nonprofit Seeing Rainbows Maayan Nuri Hed; Wander Berkshires founder Jay Santangelo, and artist Lunarya 'Luna' Celestia Mornelithe. When asked how they define gender, Hed said, "I don't," Mornelithe joked, "I lost mine," Santangelo explained it is fluid for them, and Rodriguez said gender is a performative thing that can be changed however a person sees fit. Attendees had several questions about allyship, as President Donald Trump recently signed several executive orders targeting gender-diverse identities, including a declaration that the U.S. only recognizes "male" and "female" as sexes. "Something I find myself repeating ad nauseum to people because it's really, really simple but so important and people resist doing it, is to have a conversation," Hed said. "Specifically have a conversation with a trans person." She explained that the most important part is being willing to make mistakes and "be willing to look dumb, be willing to be wrong, be willing to be corrected, be willing to grow and change from the experience." Santangelo urged people to check in on each other, be vocal about their support if possible, and "stand up and contact your representatives, they are listening." Pittsfield's City Council and School Committee and the North Adams City Council have endorsed sanctuary city resolutions for the trans and gender-diverse community. Mornelithe said they have always been an ally first. "I'm an ally for people of color, I'm an ally for other trans people because, for me, I don't see a different person," they explained. "I see somebody I want to be friends with at some point." And if you don't know how to be an ally, ask questions, Mornelithe added. "I grew up knowing there is no stupid questions or stupid answers. The only stupid questions are the ones never asked." Rodriguez asked people to accept that humans are prone to change, and that is part of human nature. "Change is inevitable. It doesn't matter whether you want it to happen or not. Change will happen," he said. "And I think as trans people specifically, because that's the topic for today, I think our willingness to change because we see what it is that isn't working for us and we see it so clearly and we pursue it, I think it makes people who have always been told that they can never change, they don't have the ability to change, they don't know how to change, I think it makes them scared." "To me, what justice is is finding community, reaching out to each other, building these bridges. We were talking, I think this morning, about how what Seeing Rainbows has done is literally power from powerlessness," she said. "We took a bunch of people who are at the bottom, we're trans, we're poor, we have nothing, and we said, 'What do we have between us?' We have this organization that was nothing and from it, we've transmuted that into a place of power for any trans person in the region, connected to the region, who's remotely heard of it, because we can say to you, 'We've got you.'" Mornelithe explained that they have battled with self-acceptance more than anything else and didn't know what community was until becoming involved with Seeing Rainbows. Rodriguez pointed out these community spaces don't have to be physical, as he created a Discord server during the COVID-19 pandemic with like-minded individuals that has stood the test of time. Discord is an instant messaging and VoIP social platform. "The one thing that I learned over time is that there, there are people who are going to be just as nervous to reach out and ask for help as you are and so when the pandemic happened, I created my own Discord server," he reported. "To this day, I have made best friends with seven of those people, there is not a day that goes by where we don't at least check in once on that Discord server, send memes to each other, share music, whatever new thing we're doing." The International Transgender Day of Visibility was created by transgender activist Rachel Crandall Crocker in 2009. "She created a day where people could celebrate the lives of transgender people while still acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible," Booker explained. "If that is you, we want you to know that we see you. Your existence is real and is valid and we are all fighting for the day that you guys can come out into the world as you truly are, just like the rest of us are already able to do." The Hoosac Water Quality District is considering accepting sludge that may contain so-called 'forever chemicals.' Concerns Over PFAS Spark Sewage Debate in Williamstown The composting facility at the intermunicipal wastewater plant is operating at about two-thirds capacity. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Forever chemicals are the source of a protracted debate for the Select Board. Out of 15 fiscal articles on the warrant for the annual town meeting in May, the board last Monday voted to recommend passage of 14. It delayed its decision on Article 5, which concerns the budget for the sewer department, more specifically the town's share of operating costs for the Hoosac Water Quality District. Some members of the community, including a member of the Select Board, say the district is choosing a course of action that is at odds with the environmental principles that the town espouses. The HWQD is a 55-year-old intermunicipal entity shared by Williamstown and the city of North Adams. Residents of both communities on public sewer service send their wastewater to a treatment facility in Williamstown off Simonds Road (Route 7). The facility cleans and treats the wastewater and discharges it into the nearby Hoosic River. Like all other municipal services, costs are rising, but the HWQD sent Williamstown voters a budget that would actually see the rate per 100 cubic feet drop from $5.15 in the current fiscal year to $5.09 in fiscal 2026, which begins on July 1. The total $1.5 million appropriation Williamstown pays about 30 percent of the HWQD budget is what is in Article 5 to be voted on by Williamstown residents who attend the May 22 annual town meeting. Built into that budget, though, is a plan by the water quality district to sign a contract with Casella Waste Systems. Casella wants to truck untreated residential sewage from other communities to the Williamstown facility, which has a composting operation that has operated significantly under capacity for years. "The composting capacity we're not using actually has a value, and other communities will pay us to compost for them," HWQD Commissioner Hugh Daley told the Williamstown Finance Committee last month. "And the end product, the compost, itself, has a value." The problem? Wastewater and, ultimately, the compost that results from it are contaminated by toxic, fluorinated chemicals called PFAS, the so-called "forever chemicals." "About half of the sewage waste generated in the United States is treated and then spread on land, including agricultural crops and dairy land for disposal," according to the non-profit environmental advocacy group the Sierra Club . "The treatment doesn't break down persistent chemicals like PFAS, which pose a threat to food crops and waterways." And while the compost issuing from the HWQD has value, that value likely will inevitably decline. Some states, like Maine and Connecticut, have already banned the use of compost from wastewater treatment plants from being used in agriculture. "Massachusetts has not outright eliminated it, but there are enough bills on the floor [of the legislature[ that within the next one or two years you won't be able to land apply compost or biosolids in Massachusetts," HWQD chief operator Brad Furlon told the Finance Committee on March 12. Casella likely would end up taking the compost produced in Williamstown and transporting it to places, like New York, which, for now, have less stringent regulations on PFAS levels in compost. But officials from the HWQD characterized the "contract" composting arrangement as a short-term solution that eventually will not be workable as more states restrict PFAS-contaminated materials and it becomes more and more expensive to transport the compost further afield. Eventually, the end product of the HWQD treatment plant might have to go to an incinerator, a solution that environmentalists still challenge. Furlon had actually cautioned the board back in 2023 that the composting program might have to be halted because of various per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance. A February 2020 publication from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said incineration is a "potential disposal method" but admitted, "The effectiveness of incineration to destroy PFAS compounds and the tendency for formation of fluorinated or mixed halogenated organic byproducts is not well understood." What is known to the the Hoosac Water Quality District is that not taking the admittedly short-term solution of a contract to import and compost residential sludge from other communities will drive up costs that will need to be passed on to rate-payers in Williamstown, North Adams and Clarksburg (which receives sewer service through a separate intermunicipal agreement with North Adams). "The budget impact of no longer composting and having our sludge hauled away by Casella was around $500,000," Daley wrote in response to an email from iBerkshires.com seeking specifics. "That represents about a 25 percent increase in the budget, year over year." Officials from the district argue that this will not be the first time it has imported sludge. It used to have an arrangement with a community in Vermont's nearby Bennington County to take its waste for composting. And the commissioners told the Williamstown Fin Comm that incoming sludge will be tested to make sure it has no higher level of PFAS than the locally produced sludge already being composted at the site. Furthermore, they say, not taking in the additional sludge wastes the facility that the district users paid to build. "The Hoosac Water Quality District is the only composting facility in the Northeast with capacity right now," Furlon told the Fin Comm, adding that Casella has been trying for years to get him to accept sludge from other communities. "Right now, the district produces about 3,100 wet tons of sludge per year from our own people. The capacity of our composting facility is about 9,000 wet tons per year. So we're only using about a third of our facility. "I'm going to start slow, taking in probably about one load per week, about 28 tons per week and work up from there. The community won't see much more trucking traffic than what you're seeing now with trucks going to the DPW or Countryside [landscapers, a neighbor of the treatment plant]." The town's Finance Committee ultimately voted to back the HWQD appropriation as drafted and send it to the May town meeting for final approval. One member of the Select Board, which casts adviser votes on articles placed on the annual meeting warrant, addressed concerns to the Fin Comm and later asked colleagues on the Select Board to take a closer look at the water quality district's plan. Stephanie Boyd has asked about the potential for additional PFAS chemicals leaching from the composting facility into the ground. She also has suggested the district and its member communities would be taking on a greater risk, including potential legal liability, than they already are by being responsible for their own sewage. "We, as a society, are only really becoming aware of those potential impacts in recent years," Boyd said at last week's Select Board meeting. "It's unfortunate that all these products we use end up as contamination in our sewer and now we're responsible for disposing of it. "It was only in 2022 that Maine banned the use of biosolids that came from water treatment plants, and now other states are doing the same thing. Lots of other states are banning or restricting the use of this in land applications. There are farms suing the EPA for not regulating [its use] whether anyone will succeed with these lawsuits is unclear. Local governments are referred to as passive receivers' because we just receive these PFAS in our sewers. I don't think we're as passive when we choose to bring in contaminants from other towns. "This is a complex decision that involves financial risk, environmental risk and, for some of us, ethical risk. If this is so not good for the environment that it's going to be shut down in five years, why do we continue to do it today?" Susan Abrams, a longtime advocate of green policy in the town, addressed the board from the floor of its March 24 meeting, calling the PFAS issue "really scary." "There's legislation in front of the Massachusetts Legislature right now, which is forbidding the spreading of this material anywhere in the state of Massachusetts," Abrams said. "There are also bills about developing a PFAS remediation trust fund to help communities get rid of the stuff. There might be things coming down the pipeline that might help deal with this problem. "Knowing the damage this stuff can do spreading it on the land [in compost] is the worst thing we can do. "Williamstown is supposed to be a green community, and this does not fit in with that intention and reputation of this community. We run the risk of becoming a Superfund site with other people's PFAS because it is that bad." Of course, the HWQD's actions impact ratepayers in both Williamstown and North Adams. "If you're going to take the time to consider this, there are considerations," Town Manager Robert Menicocci advised the Select Board. "One is, if somehow we don't want this [additional sludge], there is substantial financial impact to the community, and it's important that's laid out. The cost of simply moving it out of town is significant, to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars. "The other piece is the water quality district serves several communities, and whatever we do or say or want to do impacts the other communities. It would probably be quite difficult to resolve the issue between towns in a very short period of time." Because of the vote from the Finance Committee, the sewer department appropriation is going to town meeting as is, with the Casella proposal included. The Select Board is scheduled to make its advisory vote on Article 5 at its next meeting on April 14. Its been a good decade since Ed Atkins was first mooted as a potentially major figure in British art, for computer-generated videos and animations that appeared dizzyingly ahead of the technical and conceptual curve. If he seemed to disappear from view over lockdown (as did many artists), he returns to the limelight now as the recipient of a major survey exhibition at Tate Britain one of very few living, let alone younger, artists to be accorded that honour. The show is taking place in a digital terrain thats vastly more complex and embattled than it was even five years ago, where there is not just a dwindling gap between the digital world and human experience, as the blurb puts it, but a universal understanding that its ever more difficult to get a reaction from the over-saturated consumer, and people, faced with an increasing number of communication platforms, crave above all the authenticity of the face-to-face. Far from trying to sidestep these issues, the exhibition plays with them, sometimes brilliantly, and occasionally hilariously, in a range of mediums from ultra-hi-tech digital reconstruction to handmade drawings, embroidery and that great under-explored artistic resource known as the Post-it note. The now 42-year-old, Oxford-born, Copenhagen-based Atkins appears in various digitised incarnations, as the show muses on the theme of loss, building towards the culminating work, a feature length film on the death of his father. Theres clearly no shortage of ambition here then, though some of the most engaging video works are the earliest and most technically primitive, cobbled together with laptops and cellphones. Described in the wall text as a very intimate video that quickly sheds its specificity in order to foreground its construction, Cur (2010) put me in mind of someone trying to re-stage 2001: A Space Odyssey on their kitchen table, with pieces of fruit and the tops of peoples heads looming planet-like out of the darkness. These works, completed immediately after Atkins finished studies at Londons Slade School of Fine Art, are offset by hand-embroidered samplers, as Atkins calls them, pieces of cloth covering the soundproofing screens embroidered with barely perceptible lines from his fathers cancer diaries, which form the central text of the shows final film. In place of the usual dry-as-dust wall texts, Atkins has provided his own chattily informal written commentaries (his parents are my mum and dad). Hes nothing if not lucid as a guide to his own show, butthere were times when I wanted to shake him off and come to my own conclusions. In Hisser (2015), a customised stock figure from the online marketplace Turbosquid stands in for Atkins, in a restaging of the true story of a man from Florida who was swallowed into a sinkhole while asleep in bed. Atkinss naked digitised surrogate is seen masturbating (though facing away from the camera) and lying in bed fretfully mouthing the words to a pop song (I believe its Elton John and Kiki Dees Dont Go Breaking My Heart). The fact that his disappearance into the sinkhole feels like a cursory afterthought leaves the point of the whole absurdly complex procedure a touch mystifying, which I dare say is the point. open image in gallery This exhibition features moving image works from the last 15 years alongside writing, paintings, embroideries and drawings ( Ed Atkins ) Refuse.exe (2019), in which theatrical curtains draw back to reveal masses of mind-boggling junk chains, skeletons, fish crashing onto a stage in hyper-detailed images seems to test the very limits of the term animation, while arousing the sense that when everything is digitally possible, nothing feels truly remarkable. The same might be said of a gigantic baby playing a piano in a fairy-tale cottage or the generically medieval surrogate for Atkins who, looking a bit like Richard E Grant, sheds floods of gluey-looking grey tears. Is he supposed to be another manifestation of the shows central theme of loss? While the setting for this group of exhibits, huge double-tier racks of stage costumes, on loan from Berlins Deutsche Oper, might be assumed to signify the etherealness of the absent human presence, its their blunt actuality that impresses. Our developing sense of the exhibition as a competition between the surrogate and the actual is compounded in Pianowork 2 (2023), in which another Atkins surrogate in this case looking so like him youd swear it was straight film mimes to a recording of the real Atkins playing Jurg Freys one-note composition Klavierstuck 2. In this case, it feels like the analogue element has won. While Freys work represents a formalist avant garde, which many would consider as obsolete as the hockiest digital technology, the pieces uncompromising discipline, in which the player physically counts out the spaces between the notes, feels as timelessly actual as, say, Michelangelos David. The Worm (2021), in which a smartly dressed interviewer figure plays Atkinss role in a real-life phone conversation with his mother, is described by the artist as an artificial documentary of something very much alive and utterly real. Its that realness that compels our attention, though we are, of course, wondering how real the disembodied mothers voice actually is, even as she talks of her own struggles to make herself feel real to herself in the face of a difficult relationship with her mother. open image in gallery Refuse.exe (2019) tests the very limits of the term animation ( Ed Atkins ) In the shows climactic work, the two-hour film Nurses Come and Go, But None for Me (2024), the digital is apparently abandoned altogether, though the films gruelling content is still very much mediated by artifice. Toby Jones, everyones favourite everyman actor, reads out the diary kept by Atkins father Philip, during the six months prior to his death from cancer in 2009, to a small audience of young people. The diaries admirably unsentimental and matter-of-fact tone is maintained in the film, resisting the temptation to make the material more moving than it already is. Most visitors will probably drop in and out of it, rather than try to do it in one sitting, but without wishing to give too much away they shouldnt miss the end when Jones and his onscreen partner Claire (Saskia Reeves) suddenly start enacting a childlike game of nurses and patients, that was played in real life by Atkins and his daughter. If this sounds a shade silly and self-indulgent, theres a palpable sense of the changing of generations: the performed creativity of the parent who is departing is replaced by that of the child who has just arrived. open image in gallery Baby grand: Among the striking images is a baby playing a piano ( Ed Atkins ) The artists daughter reappears as the recipient of a series of Post-it note drawings, which Atkins has placed in her lunchbox each day during lockdown, when his ongoing projects were suspended, as little hellos, little irruptions of love into her day. While the drawings themselves are fun, and occasionally border on brilliant, its Atkins realisation that the gesture was far more important for him than it was for her (something every parent will instantly recognise) that makes them poignant, and his belief that they are the best things hes done that makes them significant. Although Atkinss garrulous commentaries do occasionally exasperate earlier on in the exhibition, they make more sense as the themes develop. While the show feels as though it will be all about clever concepts and impenetrably stylish surfaces, it is one of the most heartfelt and overtly autobiographical exhibitions Ive ever experienced as well as being undeniably very clever. The cycle of life from parents to children to grandchildren is paralleled by the cycle of technology, from low-tech, to hi-tech, to no-tech. I came to this exhibition skeptical of some of the claims made for Atkins significance as an artist, but I came away a lot more convinced than I expected. If theres a more interesting artist working in Britain today, I havent yet encountered them. The Ed Atkins exhibition at Tate Britain runs from 2 April to 25 August Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge sees record crossings as traffic soars in Q1, boosting Greater Bay Area integration Global Times) 13:48, April 01, 2025 An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 15, 2023, shows a view of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in south China. (Photo/Xinhua) Passenger and vehicle trips through the Zhuhai highway port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) set a new record in the first quarter of the year, the highest since the bridge opened in 2018, underscoring the mega bridge's growing role in integrating the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), CCTV reported on Monday. The port recorded 7.5 million passenger trips in the first quarter, up 23 percent year-on-year, while vehicle crossings soared 31 percent to 1.56 million, both setting new records, according to the HZMB border inspection station. The vibrant two-way flow of passengers and goods via the bridge is powering deeper integration of the GBA, underscoring its rising value as a transport artery, a Chinese expert said. The rapid growth of Hong Kong and Macao residents traveling northbound has driven the surge in port traffic. As of Monday, more than 170,000 drivers and more than 140,000 single-plate vehicles from the two special administrative regions (SARs) had been registered, per the CCTV report. The Chinese central government rolled out the "Northbound Travel for Macao Vehicles" policy on January 1, 2023, allowing motor vehicles with only a Macao registration plate to enter the Chinese mainland via the HZMB. This was followed by the same policy for Hong Kong vehicles on July 1 the same year, which quickly spurred a surge in boundary crossings. In the first quarter, the HZMB border inspection station processed 880,000 crossings by single-plate vehicles from both SARs, up 34 percent year-on-year, making it the first quarter to exceed 800,000 crossings since the policies began, official data showed. Driven by the surge in vehicle traffic, the number of residents of both SARs passing through the port rose sharply. In the first quarter, more than 4.1 million trips were recorded, accounting for 54.6 percent of the port's total passenger trips, official data showed. Growing traffic volumes on the HZMB reflect improving connectivity within the GBA, with the bridge's economic potential gradually being unleashed, Song Ding, a research fellow at the China Development Institute, told the Global Times on Monday. The bridge primarily links Hong Kong and Macao with the western Pearl River Delta, serving a vast economic zone, Song said. "While traffic volumes will keep growing, its real value lies in not only broadening the 'one-hour living circle' but also driving regional economic integration," he added. The expansion of mainland cities eligible for individual travel to Hong Kong and Macao has spurred the appeal of tourism routes revolving around the bridge. Starting on January 1, the "once-a-week" travel policy has enabled Zhuhai residents with household registrations to apply for permits for weekly trips to Macao. Official data showed that 1.5 million visits were made by mainland travelers holding Hong Kong and Macao tourism endorsements in the first quarter, up by 14 percent year-on-year. Inbound tourism has also thrived, thanks to the bridge's direct land link to Hong Kong International Airport and China's broadened visa-free policies. The HZMB border inspection station processed more than 120,000 visits by foreigners in the first quarter, a 22 percent increase year-on-year and a new record. China has been actively enhancing connectivity across the GBA in recent years. This year's Government Work Report pledged to "boost the capacity for innovation of economically developed regions." The bridge and tunnel projects in the GBA, such as the HZMB and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, are exceptional globally in both scale and technology, Song said. "Targeted policy refinements, such as cross-boundary traffic facilitation, and stronger regional coordination could further unlock the bridge's full value," he noted and expressed optimism about the long-term expansion of the region's transport network. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) 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 Bill Murray appeared to get emotional as he recalled working with good friend Bruce Willis on Wes Andersons 2012 romcom Moonrise Kingdom. During a recent appearance on Andy Cohens Watch What Happens Live talk show to promote his new movie The Friend, Murray, 74, was asked to rank a handful of Andersons movies, including Moonrise Kingdom, from least favorite to favorite. As he went through the list of films, all of which hes starred in, Murray shared brief notes about each. Praising The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) for its incredible technical aspects and calling The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2005) the most challenging job, he remembered Moonrise Kingdom as being a beautiful and lovely film. He further remembered co-starring alongside Willis in the latter. I got to work with, and I got to have a wonderful time with Bruce Willis, [who] we should remember today. He just had a birthday, Murray said of the Die Hard star, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday. Bill Murray recalled working on 'SNL' when Bruce Willis worked for the show as a page ( Bravo / Getty Images ) Bruce Willis is a good guy. Hes a good f***ing guy. And he was a good friend, he added of the retired actor, whos currently living with dementia. Murray went on to reveal that he had actually crossed paths with Willis at NBCs New York City headquarters years before they worked together on Moonrise Kingdom. Bruce Willis was a page at NBC when I was on Saturday Night Live, he remembered, explaining Willis job was to go around to the dressing rooms and refill snacks. And I remember when I met him after he was a successful guy, he said, You and Gilda [Radner] were nice to me. And I always thought, OK, Im good with this guy, Murray added. 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. In 2023, Willis family announced that the actor had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The news came a year after they initially revealed he had been diagnosed with aphasia and would be stepping away from acting. On March 19, he celebrated his 70th birthday with his wife, Emma Heming Willis, honoring him on Instagram. Its Bruces birthday, and if theres one thing I know, its that theres no greater fan than a Bruce fan, she wrote, alongside a photo of Willis giving two thumbs up while standing on an ATV four-wheeler. So flood him with all the love today, he will feel it, I swear he will. You are one powerful bunch. I love how you rally for him, and Im so grateful that he has you. 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 Gene Hackmans longtime publicist Susan Madore has said the Oscar-winning star and his wife Betsy Arakawa went to great lengths to maintain their privacy towards the end of their lives. The Gutman Associates executive, who worked with Hackman for 27 years, was speaking at a hearing in Santa Fe, New Mexico to determine whether photographs and video taken during the investigation into the couples deaths should be released to the public. Santa Fe Judge Matthew Wilson ultimately ruled that redacted police body camera video and other documents will be released, provided images of the couples bodies are not viewable. Rolling Stone reports that during the hearing, Madore explained how Hackman once bought a plot of land next to a garbage dump because he wanted somewhere he could ride his bicycle. He wanted the privacy of being able to ride his bike without anyone following him or observing him, said Madore. The publicist added that Arakawa had phoned her after the real estate purchase because she wanted me to be aware if anyone called asking why Mr. Hackman lived at the dump. Betsy Arakawa and Gene Hackman attend the Golden Globe Awards in 2003. ( AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File ) Madore went on to say that CBS requested an interview with Hackman in the months before his death, but the actor turned them down. The news outlet then indicated that they may go ahead with their coverage anyway. When I told Gene and Betsy, they were horrified, Madore said, adding that she asked CBS to stop pursuing the story, which they ultimately did. The publicist was speaking in support of Hackmans three adult children, Christopher Hackman, Elizabeth Hackman, and Leslie Allen, along with Arakawas mother Yoshie Feaster, who were arguing that video shot by police officers inside the couples home should not be released. 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. In court documents obtained by People, Feaster said: I humbly come before this court to request that this court respect my right to grieve in peace and find that I have a constitutional right to avoid seeing images of my daughters home, her dead body, her husbands dead body, and their dogs corpse. She added: The public spectacle surrounding my daughters death is one that no parent should have to live through. Hackman and Arakawa were found dead at their home at the end of February. On March 7, Dr. Heather Jarrell, Chief Medical Examiner at New Mexicos Office of the Medical Investigator, revealed at a press conference that the couple had died from natural causes. She announced Arakawas cause of death was hantavirus a rare illness contracted via contact with rodents like rats and mice. Meanwhile, Hackmans death was tied to heart disease with Alzheimers disease contributing. He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately thats what resulted in his death, Jarrell said. 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 A judge has approved the release of records from the investigation into the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa. However, the judge has stipulated one exception: Images of the couples bodies must not be viewable. The ruling, by Santa Fe Judge Matthew Wilson, allows the release of redacted police body camera video and other documents. It includes images of the dog that was discovered dead alongside the couple. But "there shall be no depiction of either body in any video production" or photos, Judge Wilson said. A representative for the Hackman family estate had applied to keep the records sealed, citing the couples right to privacy. open image in gallery Betsy Arakawa pictured with her dogs Zinna, left, and Bear The partially mummified remains of Hackman and Arakawa were found in their Santa Fe home on February 26. Authorities have since said that Hackman, 95, died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer's disease about a week after his wife died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a rare, rodent-borne disease. Hackman may have been unaware that his 65-year-old wife was dead. One of the couple's three dogs, a kelpie mix named Zinna, was found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, while two other dogs were found alive. A state veterinary lab tied the dog's death to dehydration and starvation. New Mexico's open records law blocks public access to sensitive images, including depictions of dead bodies. Experts also say some medical information is not considered public record under the state Inspection of Public Records Act. 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. open image in gallery The couples home in Santa Fe ( AP ) In seeking to block the release of records, estate representative Julia Peters had emphasised the possibly shocking nature of photographs and video and potential for their dissemination by media. The Hackman family estate also sought to block the eventual release of autopsy reports by the Office of the Medical Investigator and death investigation reports by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. An attorney for the estate, Kurt Sommer, argued during Monday's hearing that the couple took great pains to stay out of the public light during their lifetimes and that the right to control the use of their names and likenesses should extend to their estate in death. The bulk of death investigations by law enforcement and autopsy reports by medical investigators are typically considered public records under state law in the spirit of ensuring government transparency and accountability. The Associated Press, CBS News and CBS Studios intervened in the matter. Gregory P. Williams, an attorney for the news outlets, told the judge that they had previously said in court filings that they would not disseminate images of the couple's bodies and would blur images to obscure them from other records. "There is certainly a public interest in knowing how their deaths were investigated and knowing how that was handled," Williams said. 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 Halle Berry has said the time since her historic Oscars win in 2002 for Monsters Ball has forced her to accept the system is not really designed for for Black female actors. In the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet, Berry questioned if her win really changed anything for her community. Its forced me to ask myself, did it matter? Berry asked. Did it really change anything for women of color? For my sisters? For our journey? Berry, 58, is still the only Black person to have won the best actress Oscar in the 97-year history of the awards. Cynthia Erivos nomination this year for her role as Elphaba in Wicked was only the second time a Black woman had received two nominations for best Oscar. She had also been nominated in the category in 2020, for playing Harriet Tubman in Harriet. Viola Davis was nominated for the best actress award in 2012 for portraying Aibileen Clark in The Help and then in 2021 for playing Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. In all, only 13 Black women have been nominated for the award since the Oscars first began to be presented in 1929. The documentary shows a montage of Black actresses losing out to white women at the Academy Awards over the years and actors Whoopi Goldberg, Viola Davis, Taraji P Henson, and Angela Bassett all make appearances. I will never forget that night. I think I cried, I think I may have dropped to the ground, because you need to see someone that looks like you walk the path to give you the hope and the courage to walk the path, Henson said of Berrys win. 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. I dont know what the problem is but that does not sound right to me, because I have seen amazing work by black women in those leading positions. And you can ask Halle, shes p****d off too that shes the only one. open image in gallery Berry is still the only Black actor to have won the best actress Oscar in the 97-year history of the awards ( Getty ) Berry brought up the 2021 ceremony where two Black actresses Davis and Andra Day for The United States vs Billie Holiday were nominated for the best actress award. Both lost that night to Frances McDormand for her role in Nomadland. It was McDormands third win in the category. A few years ago, the Die Another Day actor recalled, I was at the table with Andra Day, and I was across the room from Viola Davis, and they were both nominated for stellar performances, and I felt 100 per cent sure that this was the year one of them was gonna walk away with this award. For equally different and beautiful reasons, they both deserved it, and I thought for sure. open image in gallery Viola Davis was nominated for best actress in 2011 for portraying Aibileen Clark in The Help and in 2020 for playing Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom ( Getty ) Berry said Black women need to stop coveting an Oscar because it is not designed for us. The system is not really designed for us, and so we have to stop coveting that which is not for us, she said. Because at the end of the day, its how do we touch the lives of people? and that fundamentally is what art is for. Goldberg, who was nominated for best actress in 1986 for her debut role in The Color Purple and won the best supporting actress Oscar in 1991 for Ghost, asks how the Academy found no other Black actress good enough to win all these years. Wait a minute, none of us were good enough? Nobody? In all of these people, nobody? she questioned in the documentary. What are we missing here? This is a conversation people have every year. open image in gallery Whoopi Goldberg was nominated for best actress in 1986 for her debut film role in The Color Purple and won the best supporting actress Oscar in 1991 for Ghost ( Getty ) Henson said she doesnt believe Hollywood sees Black women in lead roles. I dont think the industry really sees us as leads, you know? she said. They give us supporting [actress awards] like they give out candy canes. That just I dont know what to do with that. Because what are you saying to me? Hattie McDaniel was the first Black woman to be nominated for and win an Oscar in 1940 for best supporting actress for her role in Gone with the Wind but she sat at a segregated table at the ceremony. No other Black woman would win an Oscar until Goldberg in 1991, followed by Berry in 2002. Jennifer Hudson won the best supporting actress award in 2007, as did Mo'Nique in 2010, Octavia Spencer in 2012, Lupita Nyongo in 2014, Viola Davis in 2017, Regina King in 2019, Ariana DeBose in 2022, Da'Vine Joy Randolph in 2024, and Zoe Saldana in 2025. Unfortunately, you have to deal with what is already out there for you, and whats out there for you is not whats out there for Meryl Streep, said Davis. open image in gallery Hattie McDaniel, left, was the first Black woman to be nominated for and win an Oscar in 1940 for Gone with the Wind ( AP ) In September last year, Berry said she was eternally miffed that she was still the only Black woman to ever win an Academy Award for best actress. Im still eternally miffed that no Black woman has come behind me for that best actress Oscar, Im continually saddened by that year after year, she told Marie Claire. And its certainly not because there has been nobody deserving. In 2020, the actor expressed her dismay at the lack of Black female winners as she told Variety of the landmark moment: I wanted to believe it was so much bigger than me. It felt so much bigger than me, mainly because I knew others should have been there before me and they werent. I thought Cynthia [Erivo] was going to do it last year. I thought Ruth [Negga] had a really good shoot at it too. I thought there were women that rightfully, arguably, could have, should have. I hoped they would have, but why it hasnt gone that way. I dont have the answer. 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 Fans of 007 can expect a drastic change from the next James Bond if reports are to be believed. In February, it was announced that Amazon MGM had taken full creative control of the Bond franchise after striking a deal with long-time producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The duo remain co-owners of the franchise, but the business decision leaves creative control of future James Bond productions in the hands of American-owned Amazon, prompting concern from fans over potential changes to the beloved franchise. They were right to be concerned, it seems, with new reports emerging that Amazon bosses are planning dramatic changes to the format. According to The Sun, the next film will cast the youngest ever James Bond and it will be set in the Fifties and Sixties. The publication reports that they are looking to cast an actor in their twenties. open image in gallery Daniel Craig last played James Bond in 2021s No Time To Die (Suzan Moore/PA) ( PA Archive ) Referring to Daniel Craigs 007 death in No Time to Die, an insider told The Sun: As sensational as it was, Daniels exit caused a headache because the death is still fresh in the minds of fans. They cant just pretend it didn't happen. So they're now looking at his story as a younger man in a different era. The hunt for a new Bond to replace Craig has heated up in recent weeks, with rumours including Aaron Taylor-Johnson (34), Harris Dickinson (28) and James Norton (39). Taylor-Johnson, however, has since distanced himself from the claims. In terms of producers, Puck reports that David Heyman (Harry Potter) and Amy Pascal (Tom Hollands Spider-Man films) are in talks to develop the outing. open image in gallery Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Daniel Craig as James Bond ( Getty Images / Eon Productions ) This news follows shortly after reports emerged that production on the next James Bond film is underway after being fast-tracked for release. 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. According to The Sun, the film is expected to be in cinemas by the end of 2027, with a source stating: The Bond bosses had already proposed broad plots and reboot ideas. The writers rooms are being assembled in the hope of recouping their investment ASAP. Bond films are typically released in October and November. Amazons acquisition of the Bond franchise is expected to lead to a series of spin-offs, but the source states the streaming giant knows fans want and expect a movie and wants filming to be done by the end of next year. When the film arrives, it will match the record for the longest time the world has had to wait for a new Bond film since Sean Connery first played the British spy in 1962s Dr No. The previous record was GoldenEye, which arrived in 1995 six years after Timothy Dalton appeared in Licence to Kill. 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 Kanye West has sparked uproar once again after wearing a black Ku Klux Klan outfit during an interview released on Rumble by internet personality DJ Akademiks. During the hour-long conversation, West, 47, made several controversial comments about other individuals in the music industry while wearing the black leather garment with the infamous pointed hood. West had started the interview in a t-shirt designed by disgraced rapper Sean Diddy Combs and a necklace complete with a swastika medallion, which he had previously worn in a video with white supremacist Nick Fuentes. The rapper claimed that he had the outfit custom-made along with an identical white one. When asked if he had worn the controversial attire in public, West claimed that he wanted to wear it yesterday but was worried that people would put me in a hospital for my outfit. Condemnation of West for his latest stunt has been swift, with one person on X/Twitter writing: This dude just needs to go away. A second said: I wouldve ended the interview right there. An absolute clown. Quoting one of Wests songs, a third person added: That's enough Mr West, please no more today. The Independent has contacted Wests representatives for comment. open image in gallery Kanye West wears a black KKK outfit during an interview with DJ Akademiks ( DJ Akademiks/Rumble ) In recent weeks, West has displayed an infatuation with the swastika and other Nazi imagery. In another now-deleted post, West claimed to be teasing a new artwork for his Sunday service choir that bore a striking resemblance to the logo of the SS. Last month, the rapper appeared in a 60-second ad at the Super Bowl, in which he directed viewers to his website to sell T-shirts bearing a swastika. The shirts cost $20, though the sales website yeezy.com later stated that the store was unavailable. Earlier this month, West shared an Instagram post of a person wearing a white Ku Klux Klan outfit, which he branded outfit of the day, The post was removed for violating community guidelines. WOW INSTAGRAM TOOK MY POST DOWN, he wrote in a since-deleted tweet, alongside a screenshot of his empty Instagram profile, as well as a screenshot of a message from Instagram informing him that the photo had been removed. 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. open image in gallery Kanye West's recent Instagram post of a person in a Ku Klux Klan outfit was removed for violating community guidelines ( Getty Images for The Recording Academy ) According to Instagram, posts that are deemed credible threats of violence, hate speech and the targeting of private individuals will be removed as we do not allow attacks or abuse based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability or disease. The latest stunt from West comes after a string of controversies over his antisemitic statements. In 2022, he made a series of remarks, including a tweet that said he was going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda. In a later appearance on right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Joness show Infowars, he claimed he likes Hitler and insisted: Weve got to stop dissing the Nazis all the time. Sports and leisurewear brand Adidas cut ties with West after his comments, which wiped his billionaire status overnight. In a statement at the time, Adidas branded the remarks unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, adding that they violate the companys values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness. 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 Jason Isaacs has revealed that friendships were both made and lost on the set of The White Lotuss third season. The British actor, 61, plays wealthy financier Timothy Ratliff, who is caught up in a money laundering scheme that unravels while he is on holiday in Thailand with his wife Victoria (Parker Posey) and their three grown-up children, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola). Isaacs described the experience of filming the latest instalment of Mike Whites black comedy as a cross between summer camp and Lord of the Flies but in a gilded cage. The series was filmed in Thailand over the course of seven months, with the cast and crew staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in Koh Samui, which doubles up as the hotel on screen. In an interview with Vulture, Isaacs said that despite the stunning backdrop, filming the show wasnt a holiday. Some people got very close, there were friendships that were made and friendships that were lost, he said. open image in gallery Isaacs plays stressed-out financier Timothy Ratliff ( HBO/Sky ) All the things you would imagine with a group of people unanchored from their home lives on the other side of the world, in the intense pressure cooker of the working environment with eye-melting heat and insects and late nights. They say in the show, What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand, but theres an off-screen White Lotus as well, with fewer deaths but just as much drama. When he was asked to share further details of that drama, the Harry Potter star declined, explaining: I became very close to some people and less close to others, but we still all had that experience together and theres a certain level of discretion required. 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. open image in gallery Isaacs with on-screen wife Parker Posey, who plays Victoria Ratliff ( HBO/Sky ) Isaacs co-star Aimee Lou Wood, who plays spiritual hotel guest Chelsea, has also been candid about her experiences during filming, describing the unusual set up as like a social experiment. I dont know whether Id describe it as fun, she told The Guardian. There were fun moments. It was more like amazing in the true sense. I was amazed by what was happening. How am I in Thailand? Living in a hotel, that we also film in? It was like a social experiment. I will never have an experience like that again, she added. It was so extreme. So the fun bits were unbelievable, so special. The ocean, the landscape, it was majestic. Mike is a genius. Everyone involved is amazing. Its just the circumstances are quite extreme. The final episode of The White Lotuss third season is set to air in the UK on Monday 7 April. 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 former South Korean lawmaker who had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2015 has been found dead in Seoul, police said Tuesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Chang Je Won was found dead in a studio in the eastern part of the capital on Monday night and a note was discovered at the scene. Police didnt provide further details, citing the investigation into his death. Chang served three terms as a conservative lawmaker and was a key ally of impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol. He had been accused of sexually assaulting the woman at a hotel in November 2015, when he was vice president at a university in Busan. Chang had denied the accusations, calling them one-sided claims in a Facebook post last month, in which he vowed to take legal action to protect his honor. Kim Jae Ryun, the womans lawyer, canceled a news conference scheduled for Tuesday following news of Changs death. 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 South Korean police plan to question a 56-year-old man on suspicion of starting at least one of the wildfires that recently devastated the countrys southern regions, killing 30 people and burning more than 119,000 acres of land. The North Gyeongsang provincial police department said the unidentified man may have used fire while clearing overgrown grass at a family grave on a hill in the southeastern town of Uiseong, one of the areas hardest hit by the wildfires. Police investigators examined the grave site on Monday morning and plan to question the man soon. The police department did not immediately say whether others would also be questioned over suspected links to the wildfires, which fire officials believe may have been sparked by multiple human errors, also including burning trash and sparks from welding work. open image in gallery ( AFP/Getty ) Fuelled by dry and windy conditions, the wildfires raged for a week, destroying thousands of homes, and leaving mountains covered in ash, before firefighters, aided by rain, brought them under control on Friday. The 30 people killed were mostly in their 60s or older. They include a pilot whose helicopter crashed during firefighting efforts and four firefighters and other workers who died earlier after being trapped by fast-moving flames. At least 45 people were injured, including nine seriously. open image in gallery South Korea Wildfires The fires damaged or destroyed more than 6,000 structures, including over 1,000 homes each in the southeastern city of Andong and the nearby coastal town of Yeongdeok, as well as more than 330 homes in Uiseong. The fires in Uiseong damaged about 20 of the 30 structures at the Gounsa temple complex, said to have been originally built in the 7th century. Among them were two state-designated treasures: a pavilion overlooking a stream that dates to 1668, and a Joseon dynasty structure built in 1904 to mark the longevity of a king. 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 At least 18 people were killed and five injured after an explosion tore through a firecracker storage facility in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Monday. The incident took place in an industrial area in the Banaskantha district. As many as 18 persons died in the incident and five were injured after the slab of the building collapsed following a massive blast, superintendent of police Akshayraj Makwana was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Most of the victims were from the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh. They were killed after a concrete slab collapsed on them. Banaskanthas collector, Mihir Patel, said the explosion took place at around 9.45am local time. Relief teams are removing the debris, he said, according to ANI. According to local media, over 100 ambulance and firefighting crews from nearby Dees municipality responded to the blast. The initial death toll of six was revised after the firefighters had controlled the blaze and searched the debris of the building. The building was reportedly meant to only store firecrackers and it was unclear if it was being used to manufacture them as well. Mr Makwana said that no evidence of manufacturing had been discovered yet, but police would conduct a full investigation to find the source of the explosion. Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel offered his condolences and announced financial assistance for the families of the dead and the injured. The incident of the death of workers due to fire and slab collapse in a firecracker godown in Deesa is heartbreaking. My heartfelt condolences are with the relatives of the deceased in this hour of grief, Mr Patel wrote on X in Gujarati. Im in constant touch with the administration regarding the relief, rescue and treatment work. I have instructed the administration to ensure that the injured get proper treatment at the earliest. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav said his administration was in touch with authorities in Gujarat. The sad news of the untimely death and serious injuries of workers from Madhya Pradesh due to the explosion in a firecracker factory in Banaskantha, Gujarat is extremely heart-rending. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families, he wrote on the platform in Hindi. The state government is committed to provide all possible help to the injured workers and the families of the deceased. Constant contact is being maintained with the Gujarat government regarding the accident. 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 India's Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the government of the country's most populous state for its "unconstitutional" and "inhuman" demolition of houses. A two-judge bench of the court criticised the government of Uttar Pradesh, led by prime minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, as well as local authorities in Prayagraj city for demolishing five homes in 2021. These cases shock our conscience," justice AS Oka and justice Ujjal Bhuyan said. The court ordered the government to pay Rs1m (9,000) in compensation to each of the house owners. "Residential premises of the appellants have been high-handedly demolished," the judges said. "There is something called right to shelter, due process of law." State officials claim that demolitions only target illegal buildings, but human rights groups accuse the government, led by a saffron-clad Hindu religious leader named Adityanath, of weaponising what has come to be popularly known as "bulldozer justice" against the minority Muslim population. The counsel for the five petitioners argued the government had wrongly demolished their houses claiming they were constructed on land that belonged to gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed, who was shot dead by the state police in 2023. This affixing business must be stopped. They have lost their houses because of this, justice Oka said, referring to the governments practice of affixing notices on properties listed for demolition, Live Law reported. File. Muslim man watches from his house after a shop is demolished following sectarian violence in New Delhi's Jahangirpuri area on 20 April 2022 ( AP ) The court had previously pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government for "shocking" and rampant demolitions in Prayagraj city without following due legal procedure. After ruling against arbitrary government action against suspects or convicts of an offence, the top court had, in November 2024, laid down guidelines for demolishing private property, including issuing a prior notice and videographing the process. "It is not a happy sight to see women, children and aged persons dragged to the streets overnight. Heavens would not fall on the authorities if they hold their hands for some period," the court said. Amnesty International reported in February that authorities had unleashed bulldozers to raze the properties of dissenters and protesters in the capital New Delhi and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. The aim of the demolition drive was to destroy Muslim-owned shops, the rights group said after investigating 62 of the 128 demolitions documented in five states between April and May 2022. At least 617 people were rendered homeless or deprived of their livelihoods as a result, the investigation found. The international rights group said Muslim properties were discriminatorily targeted without any due process. 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 Russia's Supreme Court on Monday said it received a petition from the prosecutor general's office to lift a ban on Afghanistan's Taliban, who were outlawed two decades ago as a terrorist group. The court said in a statement it would hold a hearing on the petition, submitted by Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov, on 17 April. Russia last year adopted a law stipulating that the official terrorist designation of an organisation could be suspended by a court. The Taliban were put on Russias list of terrorist organizations in 2003. Any contact with such groups is punishable under Russian law. At the same time, Taliban delegations have attended various forums hosted by Moscow. Russian officials have shrugged off questions about the seeming contradiction by emphasizing the need to engage the Taliban to help stabilize Afghanistan, which the group rules. The former Soviet Union fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with Moscow withdrawing its troops in 1989. Since then, Moscow has made a diplomatic comeback as a power broker, hosting talks on Afghanistan involving senior representatives of the Taliban and neighboring nations. There is a deepening divide in the international community on how to deal with the Taliban, who have been in power for three years and face no real opposition. Afghanistans rulers have pursued bilateral ties with major regional powers. In recent years, the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have removed the Taliban from their lists of terror groups. There are UN sanctions on the Taliban. 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 major blaze at a gas pipeline operated by state energy firm Petronas has left more than 100 people injured in Malaysia on Tuesday, authorities said, with efforts ongoing to control the fire and evacuate residents. A total of 112 people have been affected by the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights this morning, police confirmed. The fire erupted in a Malaysian suburb outside Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday morning due to a gas pipeline leak stretching approximately 500m, the fire department said. The towering inferno near a gas station in Putra Heights in central Selangor state was visible for kilometres. National oil company Petronas said in a statement that the fire broke out at one of its gas pipeline at 8.10am. It said in a brief statement that the affected pipeline has been isolated. Three gas stations nearby the fire site were not affected but have been temporarily closed as a precautionary measure, Petronas said, adding that investigations are still underway. The fire department said the firm had closed off the valve on the 500m (1,640ft) long pipeline and 49 houses in the area had been affected. Malaysia FIre ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The fire started on Tuesday morning with a towering orange blaze on the horizon and a large plume of smoke above.A Reuters journalist located about 5km (3 miles) away from the blaze said the intensity of the fire had reduced by early afternoon but a flame and billowing smoke could still be seen. Ambulances were seen rushing towards the area of the fire, which had been sealed off by authorities. No deaths were reported but the full extent of the injuries or damage so far was not immediately clear. When I woke up, I saw the fire raging, with an extraordinary sound. I have never experienced a fire with this kind of sound. The sound was terrifying. It felt like a jet engine was next to me, said Nizam Mohamad Asnizam, 49, who lives 100m from the site of the fire. He told AFP news agency that he was forced to flee his house with his family in his car after the fire erupted. He added: Stepping on the floor was like stepping on a hot wok. The heat was like putting your head in an oven, it felt like I was burning. The Selangor Disaster Management unit said in a statement that the blaze spread to several houses in a nearby village, and efforts were efforts being made to rescue trapped residents. It added that several people suffered burns and will be taken for treatment, but the extent of the full damage is being assessed, and said that the valve to the pipeline has been shut, and that will eventually snuff out the fire. A massive fire has broken out at a petrol station in Putra Heights in Malaysia. No information on casualties pic.twitter.com/XEQz9JPqWV Ashvaq Fauzee (@Ashvarg) April 1, 2025 Dozens of Selangor firefighters have been dispatched to the scene. Selangor chief minister Amirudin Shari said on Facebook that the fire department has quickly evacuated residents from nearby homes as a safety measure. He said they will be temporarily placed in a mosque nearby until the situation is under control. Pictures and videos of the fireball went viral on social media, with some residents saying they felt the doors and windows of their homes shaking believed to be due to the fire explosion earlier. Lee Weng Ken, who suffered burns to his left leg, told Bernama he as shocked when the ceiling of his house collapsed and crushed his vehicle parked in the compound of the house. "I rushed out of my house but fell and suffered burns due to the heat from the blaze near my house. The government has reportedly set up relief centres at two local mosques. Additional inputs from wires 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 death toll from the devastating earthquake in Myanmar neared 3,000 on Tuesday as signs of life were detected in the ruins of a skyscraper in Bangkok that collapsed last week. A 7.7 magnitude shallow earthquake, one of Myanmar's strongest in a century, jolted the civil war-torn Southeast Asian nation on Friday afternoon, leaving thousands of people dead, flattening roads, and destroying buildings hundreds of miles away in Thailand. The death toll rose to 2,719, with around 4,521 people injured and more than 400 people missing, Chinese state media China Central Television cited Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing as saying. The death toll is further expected to rise, the military leader reportedly said. The true scale of devastation in Myanmar was not known due to limited information emerging from the nation, which was already battling a conflict between the junta and the armed ethnic rebel forces since the military wrested power from the elected government in 2021. Aid groups arriving in the worst-hit areas of Myanmar said there was an urgent need for shelter, food and water, while in Bangkok, rescuers pressed on searching for life under the rubble of a collapsed skyscraper. The military has declared a week-long mourning period from Monday, while a minute of silence will be held across the embattled nation on Tuesday. open image in gallery People queue for relief supplies after a strong earthquake near the earthquake's epicenter, in Sagaing, Myanmar ( REUTERS ) Relief efforts are further hampered by power outages, fuel shortages and spotty communications. A lack of heavy machinery has slowed search-and-rescue operations, forcing many to search for survivors by hand in daily temperatures above 40C. Rescue workers in Mandalay, near the epicentre, said they were still searching for about 150 of the dead monks. Hundreds of people, for a fourth night, slept outside their buildings and were desperately trying to organise their efforts to dig bodies out of the rubble. "People went back inside the building in the day time but still not dare to sleep at night," the resident told Reuters. "People are still sleeping outside and started getting sick ... as the ground has been hit by sun the whole day and so it's hot." open image in gallery A collapsed bridge is pictured after a strong earthquake, near its epicenter, in Sagaing, Myanmar ( REUTERS ) Arnaud de Baecque, the resident representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Myanmar, said access to all victims have been an issue given the ongoing conflict. "There are a lot of security issues to access some areas across the front lines in particular." The Red Cross said hospitals were overwhelmed with trauma cases and patients were being treated on beds outside due to fears of buildings collapsing. More than 10,000 buildings completely collapsed or severely damaged in central and northwest Myanmar, the UN humanitarian agency said. One preschool classroom building collapsed in Mandalay district, killing 50 children and two teachers, it said. "The situation is so dire that it's hard to express what is happening," Aung Myint Hussein, chief administrator of Mandalay's Sajja North mosque, told AFP. Some 700 Muslim worshipers attending Friday prayers were killed when mosques collapsed, according to Tun Kyi, a member of the steering committee of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network. He said some 60 mosques were damaged or destroyed. open image in gallery Myanmar Earthquake ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) In the city of Sagaing, about 80 per cent of the buildings have collapsed, said Aung Min Naing, the programme director of the Future Youth Development Organisation. "No restaurants are opening, and no foods available even dry food nor any food shops are open." In Bangkok, rescuers were still scouring the ruins of an unfinished skyscraper but were aware that as nearly four days had passed since the quake. The citys deputy governor confirmed on Monday that signs of life were detected under the rubble. Scanning machines and sniffer dogs were deployed at the site of the building collapse with realistic chances of survival diminishing after 72 hours. "We have to speed up. We're not going to stop even after 72 hours," Tavida Kamolvej said. At least 78 people were still missing in Bangkok, according to Thai officials. Chanpen Kaewnoi, who had been working at the site for months, said her mother and younger sister were among those missing. Ms Chanpen said she couldnt contact them after the quake, but later was told by a survivor that they had been on the fifth floor of the now collapsed building. He told me that they ran from the fifth floor, and once he reached the ground, the building just collapsed, she told the Associated Press. He said he couldnt find my mom and my sister. He said it was just a split second and he lost them. Thirteen have been confirmed dead at the building site as Thailand's national death toll from the quake stands at 20. Initial tests showed that some steel samples collected from the site of the collapsed building were substandard, Thai industry ministry officials said. Mana Nimitmongkol, president of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand, said it had informed the audit office about its concerns regarding the project. The government had threatened to cancel the project in January due to delays, he told Reuters. Construction of the building began in 2020 and is being carried out by a joint venture between Italian Thai Development PCL and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd, a local unit of China's state-owned China Railway Group. open image in gallery ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The tower was originally slated for completion by 2026 but was behind schedule. The deputy auditor general, Sutthipong Boonnithi, told reporters on Saturday that construction was only "30 per cent completed" before it collapsed. Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra ordered government agencies on Saturday to investigate the root cause of the building collapse within one week. The UN's Myanmar country team called for unimpeded access for aid teams. "Even before this earthquake, nearly 20 million people in Myanmar were in need of humanitarian assistance," said Marcoluigi Corsi, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator. India, China and Russia in recent days have sent teams of responders to Myanmar while the US said it has also dispatched a group of experts. On Monday, an Indian team jackhammered through slabs of fallen concrete at one site in Mandalay. The EU, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and others have announced millions of dollars in aid. Since Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term in January, one of the easier ways to get answers from his top aides about news of the day is to hang out on the White Houses driveway near a row of television camera positions that White House reporters call Pebble Beach. Thats where administration officials have to pass by to get to or from any appearances they want to make on TV channels. Thats where I was on Monday, standing with other members of the White House press corps, when Karoline Leavitt stopped to take a few questions after an early afternoon interview on Fox News. After she answered a few queries from colleagues on Trumps planned April 2 tariff spree something the president has taken to calling a liberation day even as most business leaders are shuddering at the possibility of new import taxes that will raise prices for American consumers Leavitt indicated that she would take a question from me on behalf of The Independent. I tried asking her about a government document that had been filed on a public court docket in litigation seeking to halt Trumps use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans who the government has accused of being part of Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan street gang which the Trump administration has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. open image in gallery The Independents Andrew Feinberg questions White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt about how the government is determining who is and who isnt a member of the violent street gang Tren de Aragua ( Getty ) To be sure, Tren de Aragua or TDA for short is not made up of nice people. What I wanted to know was how the government is determining who is and is not a member and what happens if the government gets it wrong. This matters because the Trump administration has struck an agreement with El Salvadors president to house alleged TDA members whove been deported from the U.S. in a Salvadoran prison built to house members of the gangs that have long plagued that country. According to the document, Department of Homeland Security officials can classify someone as a deportable TDA member if they garner eight or more points from a set of classification criteria. Some of them are serious and straightforward, such as whether the person in question has identified themselves as a TDA member (10 points), spoken to other TDA members about gang business on the phone (10 points), engages in emails or text communications with other members (six points) or participates in human smuggling or other crimes alongside TDA members (six points). But other criteria on the classification document are harder to pin down. It states that having tattoos denoting membership in or loyalty to TDA can get a person four points, but TDA is actually an outlier among South American criminal gangs because it does not use tattoos to identify members in the same way others, such as MS-13, are known to do. Another criteria assigns four points to anyone displays dress known to indicate allegiance to TDA, which according to court documents is a broad category encompassing popular streetwear brands. As my colleague Alex Woodward has reported, this means a person could be classified as a gang member under the AEA simply for wearing the popular Michael Jordan-branded Jumpman clothing line if they have tattoos that DHS interprets as indicating gang membership. open image in gallery Homeland Security Investigations claims tattoos, images of which were sourced from the internet and tattoo artists' social media profiles, suggest Tren de Aragua membership ( Homeland Security Investigations ) Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers also appear to have wide discretion to deport alleged gang members if that score is a few points short after consulting with supervisors and reviewing the totality of the facts. And court documents and affidavits from attorneys for dozens of people who were deported to El Salvador suggest that ICE has repeatedly targeted Venezuelan immigrants for their tattoos, regardless of their meaning, as evidence of their alleged affiliation with Tren de Aragua. What I wanted to ask Leavitt was whether there are any contingencies in place to get people out of that Salvadoran prison if it turns out that the U.S. government mistakenly identified them as a TDA member. But Leavitt wasnt interested in answering. Instead, she accused me of trying to cover for violent gang members and impugning the reputations of ICE and DHS officials. open image in gallery Leavitt suggested the question was an attack on the credibility of ICE agents or an attempt to cover for dangerous gang members ( REUTERS ) You are questioning the credibility of these agents who are putting their life on the line to protect your life and the life of everybody in this group? she added. And their credibility should be questioned? They finally have a president who is allowing them to do their jobs and God bless them for doing it." Shame on you and shame on the mainstream media for trying to cover these individuals, she added. Do I have reason to question the credibility of American immigration agents? No. But because the people who the U.S. has deported under the AEA had no opportunity to contest whether or not they were gang members before being sent to a Salvadoran gang prison, I have to account for the possibility that officials could get it wrong, especially when all they need to do to classify someone as a member is to find someone wearing a Michael Jordan sweatsuit with a tattoo. 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 World leaders were hit with an escalation in the US trade war as Donald Trump unveiled a swathe of tariffs on imported goods affecting nearly every country. On so-called Liberation Day, the United States president announced that almost all imported goods would be hit with blanket tariffs, in an effort to increase homegrown production and reduce trade imbalances. Most countries that trade with the US will be subject to a minimum 10 per cent tariff from April 5, including the United Kingdom, with dozens of nations facing levies as high as 50 per cent. The reciprocal tariffs, which put Chinese goods imports at 54 per cent, will come into effect from April 9. US President Donald Trump announced the new tariffs from the White House rose garden on April 2. ( Getty Images ) A separate 25 per cent tariff on automotive cars and parts was also confirmed, effective immediately. Some countries will be hit harder than others, with a particularly high concentration of tariffs across developing nations in Asia and Africa. What are the tariffs and who is impacted? Almost all countries that trade with the US now face a minimum baseline tariff of 10 per cent on goods imported to the United States. Only Russia, Cuba, Belarus, and North Korea received exemptions due to existing sanctions or high tariffs already in place. Canada and Mexico saw no change to the 25 per cent levy already in place. Some 57 of what Trump described as the worst offenders are facing higher, custom-tailored tariff rates, proportional to the trade barriers each country imposes on US goods. China is facing the highest rate by far, with 34 per cent on top of the existing 20 per cent imposed last month; amounting to 54 per cent tariffs on most imported goods from China. Several African countries are also facing sky-high rates, such as Lesotho (50 per cent), Laos (48 per cent), and Madagascar (47 per cent). In Asia, goods imported from Cambodia (49 per cent), Vietnam (46 per cent), and Sri Lanka (44 per cent) will face the toughest tariffs. As it stands, baseline and custom tariffs will not be added onto the 25 per cent goods-specific tariffs for steel and aluminium, and cars and automotive parts, despite earlier fears. Some other exemptions will be made, such as for copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, gold, and energy industries, according to White House correspondence. The baseline and reciprocal tariffs, alongside existing tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, cover over $2.6 trillion worth of goods imported to the United States, according to preliminary analysis from the Independent. This is in addition to levies of approximately $185bn in steel and aluminium imports, according to the Tax Foundation, and around $307bn in vehicles and automotive parts. The value of imports hit by taxes could also increase depending on other threatened tariffs in the works for later this year, such as for timber and semiconductors. It is also unclear whether the extra 25 per cent levy on countries importing Venezuelan oil, which was announced by executive order in late March, came into effect yesterday. Before the Liberation Day announcements, some experts believed that mainly countries with a trade deficit meaning that they export to the US more than they import would be targeted, amounting to a total goods trade deficit of $1.2 trillion in 2024. Such trading partners include China, the EU, Mexico, Vietnam, Ireland, Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Canada, India, Thailand, Italy, Switzerland, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, Austria, and Sweden. Some of these have been the worst-hit by new custom tariffs, but the greater focus has been those countries which place higher taxes on US goods. UK hit with tariffs despite Starmers efforts The UK got off lightly compared to some other nations, with the minimum 10 per cent base tariff. This comes after months of negotiations between Prime Minister Keir Starmer, trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds and President Trump, in an attempt to avoid trade barriers. While Sir Keir has said the UK will react with a cool and calm head, Mr Reynolds called the tariffs disappointing and said officials were working through 417 pages of US products they could tax if a trade deal was not struck. The UK has a relative trade balance with the US, and exported around 57.4bn in goods in the year to November 2024. The UKs top export to the US is cars, worth 8.3bn in the same period. So Trumps 25 per cent tariffs of the sector will have a significant impact on UK car brands, in particular Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), whose Defender and Range Rover lines are highly popular in the US. Other UK brands such as Mini and Aston Martin will also be impacted. The big three countries set to suffer the most Canada, Mexico and China the first three countries to face targeted tariffs stand to lose heavily from Mr Trumps trade war. Chinas total 54 per cent tariff is unprecedented for a country which exported $430bn of goods to the US. I have great respect for President Xi [Jinping] of China, great respect for China, but they were taking tremendous advantage of us, Mr Trump said in his White House Rose Garden announcement. Both Canada and Mexico were saved from higher tariffs, but maintained their existing rate (broadly 25 per cent), which keeps them in the upper range of tariffs. For Canada, Mr Trump had already applied a 25 per cent tariff on goods with temporary exemptions, for items including textiles and apparel, with some $253bn worth of imports impacted. But with temporary exemptions due to expire on April 2, that figure is likely to rise for the country which imported around $421.2bn in goods to the US in 2024. For Mexico, $236bn of the countrys $507bn goods exported to the US around 47 per cent are currently under 25 per cent tariffs while exemptions are in place. Exemptions expired on 2 April, although it is unclear whether they have been lifted. All three countries are also exporters of steel and aluminium, and automotive products to the US. Heavy tariffs on foreign vehicles The automotive industry was hit with a 25 per cent tax on vehicles and car parts imported from abroad beginning on 2 April. They represent $458bn in trade to the US, and have grown by nearly a quarter since Covid with around 8 million cars imported in 2024. Mexico, Canada and China will be hit most; along with Japan, South Korea and Germany, according to figures from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (USBEA). Top brands such as JLR, Volvo, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz manufacture the majority of their US-sold cars abroad, and will be hit hard. But homegrown brands such as General Motors (GM) and Ford are also at risk, with both having factories in Mexico and further afield. In addition, companies that manufacture in the US will face higher costs in supply chains, as imported vehicle parts - worth approximately $86bn last year - are also subject to the 25 per cent tariff. Venezuelan oil tariffs still unclear Just last week Mr Trump announced that he would introduce a 25 per cent levy on any country importing oil and gas from Venezuela and on Venezuela itself, effective from yesterday 2 April. That would be on top of any other existing tariffs, according to the Tax Foundation; in the USs attempt to sever the financial lifelines of Nicolas Maduros corrupt regime. The US itself is one of the top importers of Venezuelan oil, behind only China. Other buyers are India, Cuba, and the EU bloc. Trump did not mention this executive order in his tariffs speech, and specifics have not yet been laid out. If he follows through on his plans to hike an additional 25 per cent on goods from these countries, then China in particular would face substantial barriers to trade with the US. But the greatest loser could be everyday Americans. The price of a new car is set to increase by around $3,000 on average according to economists, and retaliation for tariffs in the previous administration led to a $27bn loss in agricultural exports, hitting farmers. Critics say a blanket tariff on all imported goods at $3.3 trillion across all industries in 2024 could come at a cost for American consumers at the cash register. 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 husband and wife have been found guilty of stabbing his stepmother while wearing giraffe masks after they were accused of not doing enough chores in the family home. Wasif Hussain, 21 and his wife Nabela Tabassum, 19, wore the animal masks before they launched the attack in the victims home in Kings Norton, Birmingham. The couple are believed to have tried to kill her because they were angry when she accused them of treating the family home like a hotel and not pulling their weight with daily chores. The two snapped and launched into a calculated and frenzied attack using a knife and hammer after they were finally asked to leave. open image in gallery The giraffe mask was taken into evidence by West Midlands Police ( West Midlands Police ) The attack was caught on a camera installed in the home, where Hussain could be seen striking her head with a hammer, strangling, punching and stabbing her while Tabassum restrained her on 29 January last year. The victim suffered stab wounds to her arms as well as other defensive knife injuries. She managed to convince the couple to let her go upstairs where she was able to lock herself in a room and call police for help. The couple fled Birmingham but were arrested in Bolton in the early hours the next day. DI Laura Allen said: This was a calculated and frenzied attack on a defenceless woman using weapons including a knife and hammer. She was very lucky to have managed to get away, lock herself in a room and ring us. "The evidence we provided at court helped to convict these two of attempted murder. They are set to spend many years behind bars when they next appear in court for sentence." The couple had denied attempted murder but were found guilty following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court which concluded last Thursday (27 March). They will be sentenced on 21 May. 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 Two young people were killed and one was seriously injured when masked knifemen launched a five-minute raid on a music video shoot, a court has heard. Leonardo Reid, 15 and Klevi Shekaj, 23, were fatally stabbed and 28-year-old Abdullah Abdullahi survived, but was seriously injured, during the attack in Archway, north London, on the night of June 29 2023. Lorik Lupqi, 21; Jason Furtado, 28; Abel Chunda, 29; Xavier Poponne, 22; and Eden Clark, 30, are on trial at the Old Bailey accused of double murder and attempted murder. Opening the case on Tuesday, Jacob Hallam KC said all of them bore responsibility for the stabbings. That evening, a large group had gathered on the Elthorne Estate to record a music video for an artist called Tight Road Baby. Mr Hallam told jurors: The atmosphere was described as being happy, although at times the volume became irritating for some of those who lived nearby and police attended at about 10.20pm. After a while, many of those who had been there left the area, although a number of young local people remained in the vicinity. Lupqi and Furtado had allegedly called on the attack and enlisted Chunda, Clark and Poponne to help. Lupqi booked a taxi to pick up the three men from the area of Furtados home address in Canonbury, north London, telling the firm: Im in a little bit of a rush, jurors heard. They had donned masks and were armed as they travelled to the Elthorne Estate where they met Lupqi, the court was told. Leonardo and his brother had been watching the music video being filmed with friends, jurors heard. The alarm was raised as a black-clad figure wearing a balaclava was spotted crouching down and moving towards them with a large knife. The friend shouted Man on! as a warning as three more males in black stood up from where they had been hiding behind cars to get close to the group, the court was told. Leonardos brother ran away but later looped back and saw someone lying motionless on the ground. It was only then that he realised it was his brother, the court heard. Leonardo had been stabbed in the chest, the wound cutting through his left lung and one of the major blood vessels in his body causing fatal blood loss. Mr Shekaj had been stabbed in the back with the wound cutting through his left lung and deep into his body. He was driven to Whittington Hospital by members of the public but he died on arrival. Earlier, Mr Abdullahi had walked past the scene of the recording but did not pay much attention, the court was told. He described to police being attacked by three of four people wearing face coverings when he returned to the area. He ran away but he slipped and fell and was set upon by three attackers who had chased him with machetes, jurors heard. As he tried to get up, he was struck with a machete twice to the right side of his body, to the head and right knee, the court was told. Mr Hallam said: He thought he was going to die. He cannot say how long the attack lasted. He then heard one of the group say, leave him. Mr Abdullahi struggled home and collapsed outside his front door. He had suffered two stab wounds to the right side of the abdomen, a punctured lung, two broken ribs and a fractured diaphragm as well as stab wounds to his head and knee. After the murderous attack, the taxi took Chunda, Poponne, Clark and Lupqi away from the scene to Chundas home address, the court was told. Jurors were told of lyrics recovered from Poppones phones in which he allegedly glorified the killings and bragged that he got me a trio. The court heard that Furtado and Lupqi were wearing electronic tags at the time of the attack. Four of the defendants were picked up by police on dates between July 2023 and May 2024. Lupqi, from Archway, cut off his tag and fled to Kosovo. He extradited back to the United Kingdom last November 12 when he too was arrested, the court heard. The defendants have denied two charges of murder and one of attempted murder. Furtado, of Islington, Chunda, of Highgate Hill, and Clark, of no fixed address have also denied a charge of possession of an offensive weapon. Poppone, of Islington, is also charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. The Old Bailey trial 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 A 17-year-old girl was killed in a drive-by shooting the day after a rapper was beaten and humiliated on social media following a series of violent tit for tat attacks between rival North London gangs, a court has heard. Jurors were told Tanesha Melbourne-Blake, who had been outside playing a penny up game with friends, may not have been the intended target when she was gunned down in Tottenham seven years ago. Marcus La-Croix, 37, who raps under the name Bobby Slater, and Michael Clarke, known as Da Gaffa, both deny murdering the teenager in a ride-out after La-Croix was attacked by rivals at a diner the night before. The Old Bailey heard how the teenager, who had been dancing and socialising with her friends, was walking up Chalgrove Road, Tottenham, shortly after 9pm on 2 April 2018 when she was shot with a weapon aimed from the rear window of a passing Vauxhall Meriva. Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC said she selflessly shouted for her friend to duck before turning to him and saying: Jace, Ive been shot. She asked for him to call her mother as she collapsed on the floor, but quickly became pale and stopped breathing, the court heard. By the time police and ambulance crews arrived, a large crowd had gathered. Ms Melbourne-Blake was pronounced dead at 10.43pm after a single bullet wound to her right breast caused severe and uncontrollable bleeding, Ms Ledward told the jury, adding that the nature of her injuries suggest she was ducking or leaning forwards when she was hit. Members of the teenagers family left the courtroom as details of her final moments were read out. Witnesses described seeing three bright sparks like fireworks and hearing the pap, pap, pap of three bullets being fired from the vehicle, the court heard. There was nothing out of the ordinary about this particular evening, and none of the group knew of any reason why anyone would wish to harm Tanesha or any of them, Ms Ledward told the jury. The court heard the shooting happened amid longstanding enmity and extreme levels of violence between rivals the Northumberland Park Killers (NPK), also known as the Sin Squad, and the Wood Green Mob (WGM). In February that year 22-year-old Kwabena Nelson was murdered in Tottenham, in so-called NPK territory, by a killer from Wood Green called Neron Quartey. Just over a month later, Kelvin Odunuyi was shot dead in the Vue Cinema in Wood Green. Nobody has been charged with his murder. Later that same day, a young man from Wood Green stabbed a student multiple times outside Haringey Sixth Form college in Tottenham. These incidents give some idea of the extreme levels of violence which characterised the disputes between NPK and WGM in the early part of 2018, Ms Ledward said. But the murder of Tanesha Melbourne-Blake was not merely a continuation of that catalogue of violence - it had its own particular catalyst. CCTV footage played to the court showed Mr La-Croix, who has links to Wood Green, being subjected to a violent, entirely gratuitous, sustained and targeted physical assault with kicks and punches by four men from Northumberland Park as his girlfriend tried to defend him the day before the shooting. The assault at the Tinsel Town diner in Farringdon, near the City of London, in the early hours of 1 April 2018 was filmed and widely circulated on social media in a series of posts mocking Mr La-Croix, including his own account after the attackers stole his mobile phone. Some of those posts were recovered by the police, and they give a flavour of the way in which this unprovoked and seemingly unexpected violent attack was turned into a very public humiliation, Ms Ledward told the court. Mr La-Croix was arrested on suspicion of murder on 6 April 2018 and interviewed under caution, but denied any involvement in the shooting, the jury were told. The following day the silver Vauxhall Meriva which was registered with false details - exploded in a fireball on Cockfosters Road in East London. In police interview in 2020, Mr Clarke denied plotting with Mr La-Croix about revenge and making arrangements for the Vauxhall Meriva and gun a Czechoslovakian CZ model 50 to be used. The court heard the pistol was found wrapped in a towel by a street cleaner in Haringey, north London, around a week after the shooting. Jurors were told Mr La-Croix had confessed to the unsolved shooting in a conversation with a prisoner inside HMP Pentonville in 2020, in which they were boasting and showing off about their crimes. There are details he provided which he could not have got from anywhere else, Ms Ledward added. She told the court the attack on Mr La-Croix at the Tinsel Town diner was a slight on him which the prosecution say he would not have been prepared to let lie and the pair left their mobile phones at home in a sophisticated attempt to create a digital alibi. The prosecution allege that Mr La-Croix and Mr Clarke were both in the car when the fatal shot was fired. Both deny murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The Old Bailey trial continues. 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 April Fools Day is upon us, which means pranksters across the country are preparing their best hoaxes and mischievous schemes - and high-street brands are no exception. Every year on 1 April, companies broadcast their most outrageous offers and new products, leaving customers to decipher whether they are, in fact, the real deal. From Scotland to Iceland to the US, the day is honoured in a wide array of ways and is thought to have started hundreds of years ago. One of the most notable pranks involved the BBC World Service declaring in 1980 that Big Ben would become a digital clock and be renamed Digital Dave, according to the UK parliament. This year, household names including Cadburys, Walkers and Branston indulged in the celebrations. Below, The Independent has listed the best jokes of this years April Fools Day: Walkers swapping stunt Crisp enthusiasts were shocked to see Walkers saying it would swap over its packaging between fan-favourite flavours Cheese and Onion and Salt and Vinegar. A billboard appeared to show the Walkers Salt and Vinegar crisps now on blue packaging, and the Walkers Cheese and Onion crisps on green - and pictures on social media surfaced of the new packets in real life. There was a mixed reaction from customers, with several claiming these were always the right colours, while others said: Youve literally confused the whole of England. Babybel launches wax sleeping bag The company behind the iconic round cheese announced it has created a limited-edition wax sleeping bag. The product is designed to give consumers the opportunity to know what its like to be a Babybel, and apparently comes with a peelable opening mechanism. open image in gallery Sweet dreams are made of cheese, says Babybel ( Babybel ) Terrys minty fresh toothpaste Best known for its iconic chocolate orange, Terrys claimed it has decided to branch out into the dental care sector. Designed to mimic its own mint chocolate flavour, it says it is perfect for the 20 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials who said theyd love to try it. open image in gallery Mint chocolate... toothpaste ( Terry's ) Napolinas sharing spaghetti Valentines Day may have been and gone, but you can recreate one of cinemas most romantic moments with Napolinas latest offering. The pasta brand has introduced giant spaghetti, designed to be "extra-long and perfect for bringing everyone to the table". open image in gallery Would you try this spaghetti? ( Napolina ) Currys de-boner Are you tired of messy chicken wing nights? Currys said it has launched the De-Boner, which is apparently the worlds first fully automated chicken wing de-boning machine. Developed by Philips to strip every bit of meat off the bone, Currys said it has also teamed up with Wingstop UK to give users a chance to win vouchers to test out their new purchase. open image in gallery The De-Boner is apparently the worlds first fully automated chicken wing de-boning machine ( Currys ) Cadburys Creme Egg on the goo Ever fancied the inside of a Creme Egg on your chips? Well, today is your lucky day. Cadbury UK teased a new product on its social media on Tuesday - a sachet of the gooey Creme Egg filling. Move over boring condiments, Creme Egg On The Goo is here, the company wrote. Branstons baked bean lipgloss A new cult beauty product has landed - Branstons bean lipgloss... Announcing its new tin to tint product on social media, the brand said: The five-star taste you know and love now in your pocket. Introducing the first-ever Branston Beans Lip Gloss: hydrating, high-shine, and bursting with that remarkably rich & totally tomatoey flavour. Never be without it. Carry Branston Beans with you everywhere. Nerdss sweet and savoury chicken Sweet brand Nerds claimed it has launched its own line of fried chicken to mark April Fools Day. The range begins with Nerds-glazed chicken tenders and also includes the Nerds gummy chicken sandwich with pickles and of course, Nerds. Announcing the product on Instagram, the company dared KFC to come to the mic. 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 Three people have been killed in a crash involving a bus and a car near Heathrow Airport in west London. The Metropolitan Police said it was called to Bedfont Road, Feltham, at around 11.55pm on Monday, where officers found both vehicles on fire. Three people who were in the car were pronounced dead at the scene while a fourth was taken to hospital. Two passengers in the bus, an H26 service bound for Hatton Cross, were also taken to hospital but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, the force said. Police attend the crash involving a bus and car, with three people pronounced dead at the scene ( UKNIP ) Other passengers were treated for injuries by paramedics at the scene. LFB Assistant Commissioner Paul McCourt said: The thoughts of everyone within the Brigade are with the families impacted by this tragic incident. Id like to thank our crews and emergency service colleagues for the determination and dedication they showed when responding to this difficult situation. The Brigade will speak with our firefighters that attended and offer support through our counselling and trauma services where required. Firefighters sent crews from Feltham and Heston stations and the blaze was out by 1.41am on Tuesday. LAS said in a statement: Our crews treated six people. Sadly, three people were declared dead at the scene. We took the other three patients to hospital. Police have closed Bedfont Road between Chertsey Road and Heathrow Logistics Park while an investigation is carried out 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 Welsh man who mysteriously vanished just before he was set to fly home from a stag do in Benidorm has been safely reunited with his family, police said. Jason Taylor was due to board a flight from Alicante-Elche airport on Saturday morning after a trip to the popular Spanish resort with friends. But the 36-year-old, from Powys, Wales, became separated from the group after his boarding pass was rejected at the gate and he went to find help from airport staff, his friend Gaz Edmunds said. His disappearance sparked a massive social media campaign with his concerned family flying out to the party destination favoured by Britons to join the search. But later on Tuesday his aunt Robbie Fitzgerald posted on Facebook: Jason has been found and is currently with family. Thank you all so much for helping get the word out there. Mr Taylor was last seen on CCTV spending around five minutes in the queue before walking away and leaving the airport, according to his wife. This was the last we saw or heard from him. It is very unlike Jason and the family is worried sick. Jason was not ill or drunk or incapable, Mr Edmunds wrote in an appeal on social media. Mr Taylor was last seen walking away from the airport shortly after his boarding pass was rejected ( Creative Commons ) His wife had said she had no idea why her husband left the airport and she thought he would have got lost after going for a walk to clear his head. Dyfed-Powys Police, who issued an appeal for him, said in an update: Found. Jason, who was reported missing in Spain, has been found and is with his family. Thank you to everyone who shared the appeal. 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 An 11-year-old girl still missing after she entered the River Thames has been named and pictured by the Metropolitan Police as Kaliyah Coa. Kaliyah, who had been playing with another young girl and boy during a school inset day, slipped into the water before a life ring could be thrown to her, residents said. Shaleen Rajaendram, 59, said: I heard upstairs a guy was screaming wait there, wait, the police is coming. open image in gallery Police released a photo of the missing 11-year-old ( Met Police ) The schoolgirl entered the water near Barge House Causeway, near London City Airport in east London. Kerry Benadjaoud said a male neighbour told her she had called police. She said: But he said at the time he could see her (the girls) hands going down. So, by the time I got down there with the ring I couldnt find her. The lifelong area resident said she discovered shoes, a sock, a coat and a phone near the river, and handed the items to the police. open image in gallery Police helicopter searches for the girl off Barge House Road, east London ( X/IG1IG3 ) Apparently she was paddling, so her socks and shoes were off, her coat, then she must have slipped and gone down, she added. Emergency services were called at 1.23pm on Monday with London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade, the RNLI and the Coastguard searching for the missing schoolgirl. A police statement said officers are now leading a recovery mission along the Thames to find Kaliyah. Chief Superintendent Dan Card said: Our specialist officers are supporting Kaliyahs family through this deeply upsetting time and our thoughts go out to all those impacted by what has happened. open image in gallery Flowers left at the Barge House Causeway ( PA ) We are committed to finding Kaliyah and are working with partners to conduct a thorough search over a wide area utilising drone technology and boats. Id like to thank the members of public, our first responding officers, and colleagues from other emergency services, as they responded rapidly to carry out a large-scale search during a highly pressurised and distressing time. Equally we appreciate this has affected the wider community who have been extremely supportive. You will see extra officers in the area during the coming days if you have any concerns then please speak to them. If anyone has any relevant information they wish to share, please contact 101, quoting 3699/31Mar. If it is an emergency, dial 999. 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 last four goats living on an English beauty spot have reportedly been culled by the National Trust. The goats, regularly seen scaling the dramatic cliffs in Brean Down in Somerset, were put down due to poor health including tuberculosis (TB), the charity said. The site is a small peninsula jutting out into the Bristol Channel that features an abandoned fort built to defend the country against a possible Napoleonic invasion. Today, it is popular with walkers for views across the surrounding area, including the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. It had also been known for its small population of wild goats that grazed on the rocky terrain. However, National Trust South West, which owns the site, said a difficult decision had been taken to cull the goats after health concerns led to tests showing the animals had TB. open image in gallery Brean Down, which is popular with dog walkers, had four remaining goats ( Supplied ) A spokesperson told The Independent the charity only undertook wildlife management when absolutely essential. The spokesperson said: The number of goats on Brean Down has dwindled in recent years to only four goats. This raised significant welfare issues including poor health as a result of the restricted gene pool. Tests confirmed they were also carrying TB. Unfortunately, the goats have had to be culled. We are passionate about caring for special places and the wildlife that lives there, but occasionally have to make difficult decisions. Our approach is guided by the requirement for control interventions to be humane and informed by evidence. Locals had become increasingly concerned about the welfare of the goats in recent years after some had fallen to their deaths from the cliffside. Some had demanded the animal charity RSPCA take action to rehome them after reports they were unwell. It is not unusual for the National Trust to take action in a bid to protect other animals. Four years ago, at Dyrham Park in South Gloucestershire, the charity put down a herd of deer after an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). However, as part of a nationwide strategy by the government to reduce the spread of bTB in cattle, the charity has not allowed the culling of badgers on its land. 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 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. 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. 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. open image in gallery 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. 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. 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. open image in gallery 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. 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. open image in gallery 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. 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. "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... 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. 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. 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 veterinary nurse has been struck off for repeatedly stealing drugs meant for dogs and almost falling asleep on a spaniel during surgery. Dayna Johnson took drugs she stole from four separate vets she worked at within the space of five years. During this period, the Bristol-based veterinary nurse made a series of excuses for her behaviour whilst on drugs, including being jet-lagged, her birthday being the night before, and nerves from starting a new job. A disciplinary committee has ruled her guilty of misconduct, unfit to practice and struck her off the veterinary nurses register. Her behaviour was described as sustained and repeated by the committee, with one offence seeing her unable to write notes properly or stay awake during a surgery. Ms Johnson began working at Yatton Vets in Bristol in September 2023, and almost fell asleep on a dog on the operating table on her first official day. She had asked her colleagues about the drugs procedure during her trial shift the day before and stolen methadone. During her first official shift, she stole two boxes of gabapentin, took drugs in a surgical prep room and put an empty bottle of buprenorphine in the bin. open image in gallery Ms Johnson began working at Yatton Vets in Bristol in September 2023, and almost fell asleep on a dog on the operating table on her first full day. ( Google Map ) As she assisted with a dental surgery on a spaniel, she appeared unwell and was asked by a colleague if she was okay. She insisted she was fine but tired and had not got much sleep the night before, as she had been nervous about starting the job. However, she then went on to all asleep standing up and wrote illegible notes during the surgery as her pen was not touching the paper. Her condition deteriorated until she was almost leaning on the spaniel, asleep. Following the incident, she told her colleagues she had not slept well and that it had been her birthday the night before. On 5 December 2023 Ms Johnson pleaded guilty to theft by employee at North Somerset Magistrates Court for stealing the buprenorphine and was also fined. Her job offer was rescinded, but just one month later she was found taking a syringe of buprenorphine from the Bristol PDSA Pet Hospital which she had begun working at. She lied to her colleagues about taking the drug, and said another surgeon had authorised her to give it to a spaniel. The incidents were not the first time Ms Johnson had been caught taking drugs stolen from her workplace. In December 2022, she stole 5ml of methadone while prepping medication for animals at Vets4Pets. She was seen coming out of the toilets swaying, slurring her words, squinting at lights, putting her face onto her arms on the desk in front of her, and lifting her head up then face planting it back onto the desk. But she denied taking drugs and told colleagues she had just got back from a holiday and was simply jet-lagged and tired. An ambulance was called and a syringe was later found in her pocket. Her employer reported the theft to the police and she was given a conditional caution by police in relation to the theft, under the condition she attend a drug awareness course by October 2023. While the investigation was ongoing, she was working at Langford Small Animal Hospital in Bristol when in August 2023, a syringe of methadone for a cocker spaniel's joint surgery went missing. A colleague noticed Ms Johnson was disinhibited and unconnected from the room and disclosing inappropriate personal details in the operating theatre to others. A fellow nurse noticed Ms Johnson deliberately knocking a syringe labelled methadone as to the floor and picking it up again, prompting her colleague to replace the dose as it was now slightly bubbly. It was later realised that Ms Johnson had taken the syringe of methadone which was intended as a rescue dose, and injected herself with it instead. open image in gallery In August 2023, a syringe of methadone for a cocker spaniel's joint surgery went missing. ( Getty Images ) She then replaced the syringe in the theatre, filled with another unknown liquid other than the methadone. Barring her from practice, The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons said: The College submits that the Respondent has directly breached three of the most fundamental tenets of the profession: the promotion of animal welfare, the responsible use of drugs and behaving with honesty and integrity. It is also submitted that she breached the trust of her employer and risked placing her colleagues under suspicion regarding dishonestly taking the drugs. The College submitted it was significant that the conduct was sustained and repeated: it took place at four different practices over the period of approximately one year, it involved three different controlled drugs and it took place on five separate occasions. 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 Donald Trump has formally signed off Sir Keir Starmers deal to hand the Chagos islands over to Mauritius, No 10 has said. The agreement is now being finalised between the UK and Mauritius. A Downing Street spokesperson said: We are now working with the Mauritian government to finalise the deal and sign the treaty. A source added: It's now between us and the Mauritian government to finalise the deal following the discussions with us. We have had the discussions with the US and we are now finalising with the Mauritians. Trump signed off on Chagos when he met Starmer in the White House ( Simon Dawson/Downing Street ) The revelation comes after the US president strongly indicated that he would back the deal when he met with Sir Keir in the White House in February, despite early indications he was sceptical of the deal. At the time Mr Trump said: I have a feeling it is going to work out very well. I think we will be inclined to go along with your country. Critics have warned the deal, which reports suggest could cost as much as 18bn, unnecessarily leases back a strategically vital airbase that the UK already owns. The plan follows an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that the archipelago belongs to Mauritius, which critics point out is not binding on the UK. However, UK officials have told the White House that the judgment provided too much legal uncertainty for the crucial airbase and the deal would not cost the US taxpayer anything. The Indian Ocean islands represent an important part of UK-US security plans because of the strategically crucial Diego Garcia airbase. As part of the agreement, the UK and US believe they have secured use of the airbase for at least 99 years, but have so far refused to publish how much they will pay to be allowed to use it. The sign-off will come as a relief to the PM as he braces for difficult news from Mr Trump later this week. The UK government expects to be hit by tariffs in a move the US president has dubbed Liberation Day. In the wake of the announcement that President Trump had signed off the deal, further concerns were raised about reports that Iran may be contemplating a military strike on the Diego Garcia base , in a point of order in the Commons by Tory shadow defence minister Mark Francois. He asked ministers to update MPs regarding an implied military threat to the Chagos Archipelago, or a legal and diplomatic threat to the Chagos Islands, which are, and should remain, fundamentally British." 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 The former top judge in the UKs Supreme Court has accused the Trump administration of unjustifiable interference after pressure was exerted on the UK over free speech. Lord Sumptions intervention came after the US State Department made a rare intervention in British politics, warning of its concerns about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. The department, responsible for US foreign policy, put a statement on X, highlighting fears about the prosecution of anti-abortion campaigner Livia Tossici-Bolt. The row has come after The Independent revealed that vice president J.D. Vance is intending to use spurious claims over free speech being attacked in the UK to force Keir Starmer to ditch his online safety bill and digital services tax as part of a deal on a free trade agreement. The State Department alleged Ms Tossici-Bolt faces criminal charges for offering conversation with patients seeking abortions within a legally prohibited buffer zone outside a clinic. We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression, the State Department's dedicated democracy, human rights and labour (DRL) account posted. open image in gallery US Vice-President JD Vance recently criticised abortion buffer zones in Scotland (Matthias Schrader/AP) ( AP ) It added: US-UK relations share a mutual respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, as Vice President Vance has said, we are concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. The account has previously criticised police in Scotland over a similar incident in a restricted buffer zone near an abortion clinic. Other countries criticised by the arm of the State Department include Bangladesh, Iran and Russia. It comes after the departments senior DRL advisor visited the UK in March and met with Ms Tossici-Bolt, who leads an anti-abortion group called 40 Days for Life Bournemouth. Lord Sumption told PM on BBC Radio 4: It's a completely unjustifiable interference in the internal affairs of another country. I do not think that the United States has jurisdiction over the world's laws. The fact is that all civilised countries place some limitations on free speech, even the United States. I don't believe it's any business of the United States to criticise this. The principal offender against free speech at the moment, outside obvious totalitarian states like Russia or China, is in fact the United States of America, which makes it extremely ironic that they've taken to lecturing other people on the subject. Ms Tossici-Bolt was on trial at Poole Magistrates Court in February having been accused of breaching the Public Spaces Protection Order on two days in March 2023. A verdict on her case is due on Friday. open image in gallery ( PA Wire ) She was prosecuted for holding a sign near a Bournemouth abortion reading: Here to talk if you want to. Buffer zones are in place within 150 metres of clinics to prevent women seeking abortions from being harassed by protesters. They make it an offence to do anything that intentionally or recklessly influences someones decision to use abortion services, obstructs them, or causes harassment, alarm or distress to someone using or working at the premises. And Ms Tossici-Bolt, a retired medical scientist living in Bournemouth, Dorset, welcomed the high-profile US intervention in her case. She said: "I am grateful to the US State Department for taking note of my case. "Great Britain is supposed to be a free country, yet I've been dragged through court merely for offering consensual conversation. I'm thankful to ADF International for supporting my legal defence. "Peaceful expression is a fundamental right - no one should be criminalised for harmless offers to converse." She added: "It is tragic to see that the increase of censorship in this country has made the US feel it has to remind us of our shared values and basic civil liberties. "I'm grateful to the US administration for prioritising the preservation and promotion of freedom of expression and for engaging in robust diplomacy to that end. "It deeply saddens me that the UK is seen as an international embarrassment when it comes to free speech. "My case, involving only a mere invitation to speak, is but one example of the extreme and undeniable state of censorship in Great Britain today. "It is important that the government actually does respect freedom of expression, as it claims to." Fears were raised that Ms Tossici-Bolts case was responsible for the UKs failure to strike a trade deal with the US and avoid Donald Trumps tariffs, with one source telling the Daily Telegraph there should be no free trade without free speech. But, asked about the claim, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Times Radio: No, I can say as someone who is very closely part of the issues that are currently being discussed, obviously there are things from different people in the administration that they've said in the past about this, but it's not been part of the trade negotiations that I've been part of." Marine Le Pen, de facto leader of French far-right party Rassemblement National (RN), is banned from contesting any public election for five years after being found guilty of embezzlement. She says she will appeal but this will take time and possibly puts her planned bid for the French presidency in 2027 out of reach. Her unexpected conviction has been met with a fierce backlash from allies across the world, notably including President Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni, prime minister of Italy. Viktor Orban, prime minister of Hungary declared on social media Je Suis Marine!. France, already unstable after the snap parliamentary elections last summer, now has the prospect of public protests in support of Le Pen. What did Marine Le Pen do wrong? A glib answer would be that she got caught. She was arraigned on charges of embezzling funds from the European parliament, of which she was a long-term member, for more than a decade. She did not personally benefit from any such activity, but it was found that she had diverted monies intended to be used for her work as an MEP into her cash-strapped political party. This was against the rules and a criminal act, but experts on the ways of the European parliament attest it is a not uncommon practice across the political spectrum. Her supporters say she is the victim of a conspiracy by the French state to prevent her bid for power in 2027. Her critics argue that, whatever other people were up to, she is not above the law. Is she going to prison? Certainly not immediately. The injunction against her standing for election doesnt affect her status as a member of the French parliament, and the four-year nominal jail sentence would only begin after she has exhausted all the possible legal avenues to lift the ban or reverse the verdict. Even if she is unsuccessful, she wouldnt be incarcerated: she would serve two years under surveillance wearing an ankle bracelet, and then a two-year suspended sentence provided she stays out of trouble. She is also liable now for a 100,000 fine. Will her appeal be successful? Hard to say, but it could take so long, and be such a distraction, that it effectively takes her out of the running for the Elysee Palace. Are far-right leaders now being constrained by democratic norms? Yes. It comes after Romanian courts cancelled a dubious election marred by Russian interference and as the former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, faces trial for conspiring to overthrow his freely-elected successor. Only Trump has bucked the trend, making a remarkable comeback after his 6 January 2021 insurrection and now the beneficiary of a Supreme Court decision granting him wide immunity from prosecution in the pursuit of his official duties. What does it mean for France? It is huge. Le Pen was the favourite to win the 2027 contest, and already holds an effective veto in the French parliament, and, thus, on President Emmanuel Macrons domestic agenda. She has made him a lame duck at home, and she had high hopes of succeeding him. And Europe? As the European Unions second largest economy after Germany, now exercising its traditional role as political driving force in Brussels, France matters. Le Pen probably would not now try to lead France out of the EU that would likely mean a referendum but she and her numerous far-right allies across the continent and in the European parliament, could steer it in a radically different direction. The populist/nationalist/far-right hold power or exercise influence in most EU member states, notably Italy, the Netherlands, Hungary, Slovakia and Finland with the AfD in Germany now the official opposition. It would not take much to turn the EU into some sort of Trumpian power. With Le Pen out of the running for the French presidency, it is much less likely Europe will fall into the hands of extremists. Could her party still win the presidency in 2027? Yes, and she could easily run the government from the back seat if another RN politician won. The problem for the RN is that her long political career and her profile mean that shes much the best possibly the only credible candidate they offer. The nominal leader of the RN, Jordan Bardella, is a 29-year old protege of Le Pen and close to the family; but he lacks experience and few have much confidence in him as a candidate for the next president of the republic. On the other hand the right-wing backlash from the Le Pen judgment might actually galvanise her movement and propel it to success. Certainly the RN will remain a significant parliamentary bloc, which spells a prolonged period of immobilisme if the presidency is held by some more centrist figure remembering that Macron cannot again. Where does it leave Britain and the coalition of the willing? Provided Le Pen remains barred, in a stronger position. Le Pen and her various political vehicles have long been sympathetic to Vladimir Putin and would be unwilling to commit French forces in the east. As for Brexit, Le Pen would be unwilling to grant any special treatment to the UK, in trade or in defence. 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 Britain must prepare for the worst from new import tariffs, the foreign secretary David Lammy said yesterday as the world awaits the start of Donald Trumps trade war. The United States president has threatened to impose fees of 20 per cent or more on imports from around the world with immediate effect in measures expected to be announced on Wednesday which he has dubbed Liberation Day. Global market jitters continued over the potential impact of a trade war, as one study estimated it could cost the world 1.1 trillion. In Britain alone, 25,000 jobs are at risk according to the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR), which said the new White House trade policy would completely destabilise the UK car manufacturing industry. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs analysts expected Britains GDP to suffer a greater hit than previously feared even if a UK trade deal were agreed, due to larger negative spillovers from tariffs levied against the European Union. As a result, the bank now expects 0.8 per cent of UK growth this year and 1.2 per cent in 2026 down from 0.9 and 1.3 respectively. Chancellor Rachel Reeves told a cabinet meeting that there would be a serious impact from the tariffs. And while business secretary Jonathan Reynolds tried to be optimistic about the prospect of a UK-US deal, he was unable to give a timeline on when one might be completed. Ministers were also forced to deny the Trump administration was making demands about free speech in the UK as part of any potential trade deal. Mr Trump has previously announced a 25 per cent tax will be introduced on all cars imported to the US. He has also announced similar tariffs on steel and aluminium. However, the announcement on Wednesday is expected to be far more wide-ranging. open image in gallery Foreign secretary David Lammy ( PA Wire ) As the world braces for the impact, Ireland warned it could lose up to 80,000 jobs under a worst-case scenario. In the House of Commons, Mr Lammy said intense conversations were still taking place on a possible economic agreement. Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller asked if Britain should enter talks with the EU on a customs union to soften the blow of tariffs. Mr Lammy replied: It's hugely important at this time that we continue the intense conversations we're having with the US administration on getting an economic agreement but of course we prepare for the worst all options remain on the table, as the prime minister indicated. open image in gallery Keir Starmer ( PA Wire ) Earlier, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch had admitted she has not tried to use her relationship with senior White House figures, such as vice-president JD Vance, to avoid tariffs. Researchers at the IPPR warned that employees at Jaguar Land Rover and Mini are some of the most exposed to a potential trade war. Some 16.9 per cent of UK car exports were to the US last year, representing a total of more than 101,000 units worth 7.6bn. IPPR research fellow Pranesh Narayanan said: "Trump's tariffs have huge potential to completely destabilise the UK car manufacturing industry, affecting tens of thousands of jobs and putting the government's growth plans in jeopardy." Meanwhile, a new study from the Aston Business School in Birmingham estimates a global trade war could cost $1.4 trillion (1.1 trillion). The research maps six escalating scenarios, starting with US tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, through to full global retaliation, with associated wider losses. Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer told Sky News: The likelihood is there will be tariffs. Nobody welcomes that. We are obviously working with the sectors most impacted at pace on that. Nobody wants to see a trade war but I have to act in the national interests. He said he hoped the deal being negotiated with the US would mitigate the tariffs. Asked if he had been played by Mr Trump amid his efforts to build a good relationship, the prime minister said: The US is our closest ally. Our defence, our security, our intelligence are bound up in a way that no two other countries are. So it's obviously in our national interest to have a close working relationship with the US, which we've had for decades, and I want to ensure we have for decades to come. He said talks on an economic deal would normally take months or years but "in a matter of weeks we have got well advanced in those discussions". The PM is willing to offer US big tech firms a large tax cut in a bid to avoid tariffs, according to The Guardian. The UK government is said to be considering reducing the headline rate of its digital services tax (DST) and to broaden its scope to include companies from other countries, a move which would represent a significant concession to US tech firms. The tax currently imposes a 2 per cent levy on tech firms, including US giants such as Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, eBay and Apple and generates about 800m a year. If it is lowered and applied to other countries it could satisfy Mr Trump, who has complained about the impact that DSTs are having on US firms. 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 There is no country better placed than the UK to strike a deal with Donald Trump to lift tariffs and dodge a damaging tit-for-tat trade war with the US, the business secretary has said. With the US presidents so-called Liberation Day looming, Jonathan Reynolds confirmed he expects Britain to be hit with tariffs alongside every other country in the world. But, hinting that the UK could negotiate a carve-out from the import taxes within weeks, he said if the US can reach an agreement with anyone, I believe it can with the UK. Mr Reynolds told Times Radio: I believe from where we are at the minute, the President wants this liberation day tomorrow to apply to every country in the world and there'll be no exemptions on that first day towards that. If any country is able to reach an agreement with the US, I don't believe there's a country better placed than the UK because of the work that we have been doing. open image in gallery Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said if anyone can strike a deal with Donald Trump its the UK ( PA Wire ) It comes a day after Downing Street warned businesses and consumers to brace for the impact of Mr Trumps tariffs, which the president hopes will protect US firms from being undercut by overseas rivals. Mr Trump has already announced a 25 per cent duty will be introduced on all cars imported to the US, in what will be a major blow to the UKs automotive industry. While stressing the positive nature of Britains engagement with the US on a trade deal so far, Mr Reynolds refused to rule out retaliatory tariffs on American imports to the UK if a deal can not be reached. The longer we dont have a potential resolution to that, the more we will have to consider our own position in relation to that, Mr Reynolds told Sky News. Asked whether he was warning of retaliatory tariffs, Mr Reynolds stressed that we have to keep all options on the table I have to take the steps that would give me the measures I need if I do need to take that action. open image in gallery Sir Keir Starmer had been seeking a carve-out from Donald Trumps tariffs ( AFP via Getty Images ) The business secretary, who has been at the heart of trade talks with Mr Trumps administration, also denied a report that concerns over free speech in the UK were responsible for the lack of an agreement. The US State Department on Sunday wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday that it has concerns about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom because of the case of anti-abortion activist Livia Tossici-Bolt, who was prosecuted for holding a sign near a Bournemouth abortion reading: Here to talk if you want to. A source familiar with trade negotiations told The Daily Telegraph there should be no free trade without free speech. But, asked about the claim, Mr Reynolds said: No, I can say as someone who is very closely part of the issues that are currently being discussed, obviously there are things from different people in the administration that they've said in the past about this, but it's not been part of the trade negotiations that I've been part of." 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 Three American zoos managed to pull off a rather daring covert operation to import 18 elephants out of Swaziland despite attempts to legally block the transfer. Environmentalists claimed that removing the elephants to display them in zoos would be cruel. The elephants were due to be culled because of the drought in southern Africa which left a national park without food. Friends of Animals, a non- profit group which filed for an emergency injunction to prevent the transfer said in a statement: Today, the fight to prevent a lifetime of captivity for 18 elephants, 15 of whom are currently under 12 years of age, came to an abrupt and devious end. The elephants three males and 15 females aged six to 25 were sedated before being loaded onto crates which were then placed on a large cargo plane. The group had argued their case during a teleconference with US federal court judge John Bates. He said that under the time constraints he was not able to definitively resolve the issue. They are one of the most difficult animals in the animal kingdom to safely anesthetize, Mr Bonar said in his document. Doing so again would add to their transport risk and physiological stress could result in some significant morbidity or mortality. Instead of facing the court order on 17 March, the three zoos decided to fly the elephants to the US in the middle of the night on 8 March. The elephants will be divided between three zoos; Dallas zoo, Sedgwick County zoo in Kansas and Henry Doorly zoo in Nebraska. They will be on display and used for breeding. In a statement on their website, Friends of Animals said: Once they reach the zoos and are placed in confinement, they are likely to suffer some of the very same mental and physical conditions one would expect when a human is placed into confinement. They become depressed, lose their appetites, and can become fidgety, dissociative and/or even aggressive. Moreover, it is well documented that captive elephants have a much greater chance of developing health problems and dying at a much earlier age when they are transported overseas and endure these stress factors. The zoos released a joint statement saying: The attempt by activists to further delay the relocation only jeopardized the animals. The elephants would have been killed if not relocated. Scarcity of food and water and the risk of malnutrition are creating the most significant health threat to people and animals throughout the region. For the sake of the elephants, we moved quickly to relocate these animals to safe homes with a secure future. 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 Multiple pedestrians were injured after a Penske truck crashed into a building in Boston and flipped on its side. The wreck happened just before 1 p.m. on Kneeland Street at Harrison Avenue near Chinatown, Boston police said. The Penske rental box truck hit at least six people, with four taken to hospitals and another two others evaluated at the scene of the crash, Boston EMS told NBC Boston. At least one victim was in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, police said, noting: This is a very active scene and does not have a total number of victims yet. open image in gallery A truck rests against the side of a building in Boston's Chinatown. It crashed into people and left a total of six injured ( Boston Fire Department ) open image in gallery A Penske box rental truck is turned on its side outside of a store in Boston. There have been no reported deaths ( Boston Fire Department ) The circumstances leading to the crash are not immediately clear - but authorities described it as a tragic accident and there was no reason to believe it was intentional. Video footage captured the box truck on its side next to a doorway of the Great Wall Kitchen Supplies store as debris was scattered around the street. The driver was freed from the truck by the Boston Fire Department, the agency said. Companies responded to Kneeland & Harrison Ave for a truck that struck multiple poles and was wedged between a pole and the building. Firefighters used extrication tools to remove the trapped driver from the cab of truck, the Boston Fire Department wrote on X. Deputy Fire Chief Steven Shaffer described the process of removing the driver from the vehicle to WHDH: The technical team, if you see the cab there, they actually had to cut the top of the cab and peel it back to get the driver out. It was a bad accident, and hopefully those two people make it, he added. Harrison Ave. and Kneeland Street was closed between Tyler Street and Washington Street, police said, as investigators were at the scene. In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, Penske said the company is cooperating fully with the authorities to support their investigation. Our thoughts are with those who have been injured in this unfortunate incident. Based on our records, the truck involved was out on rent to a commercial trucking company, the statement continued. We have no other information at this time. 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 Several men circumcised at birth are suing the state of Oregon for allegedly stealing their bodily autonomy while also arguing that a current genital mutilation law discriminates against boys. California-based attorney Eric Clopper filed the lawsuit last week on behalf of Cecil Mininger and his teenage son, as well as brothers Carter and Landon Moody, in Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland. The plaintiffs all had their foreskins surgically removed as infants within the state, according to the filing. The 76-page document alleges that boys have been neglected by the state and asks for equal protection under a law that bans female genital mutilation. The current law, it says, which only protects women from genital cutting, is a violation of the state constitutions Equal Rights Amendment and Equal Protection Clause. The suit urges the court to either ban genital cutting procedures for children of any gender or overturn the statute entirely. Parents currently have the choice to decide whether or not to have their newborn son circumcised, with the procedure not legally mandated anywhere in the U.S. open image in gallery The lawsuit was filed in the Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland last week ( Steve Morgan ) However, the suit argues that victims of male genital cutting could sue their circumcisers. It claimed that the procedure has become medicalized in the U.S. but provides few health benefits and inhibits healthy sexual function. This lawsuit is about one simple, urgent principle: equal protection under the law, Clopper, who founded Intact Global, a non-profit that says it stands against non-religious genital mutilation that is funding the suit, wrote in a statement on the organizations website Friday. If Oregon protects girls from non-consensual genital cutting, it must protect boys and intersex children too. Anything less is unconstitutional. Acting local counsel Lake Perriguey, a civil rights lawyer who fought to overturn Oregons ban on gay marriage in 2014, described the procedure on young boys as barbaric. It is quite barbaric and strange that we in America cut non-consenting children at a very early age without any medical necessity, he told The Oregonian Monday. Male circumcision is practiced across multiple faith groups, including within Judaism and Islam. More than 70 percent of males in the U.S. have been circumcised more than doubling the rate of the rest of the world, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Most circumcisions occur within the first week after birth. The Independent has contacted Clopper for more information. 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 medical director for a health insurance company who was lambasted on TV by John Oliver is suing the comedian-turned-talk-show-host for allegedly misconstruing his remarks about the level of care disabled Medicaid recipients should receive after using the toilet. Dr. Brian Morley thinks its okay if people have s**t on them for days, Oliver said on the air last year, referring to previous comments by the former AmeriHealth Caritas medical director about the necessity and frequency of in-home nursing visits versus the cost of such services. [F]**k that doctor with a rusty canoe, Oliver said on the air. I hope he gets tetanus of the balls. This, according to a federal defamation lawsuit filed Friday , subsequently damaged Morleys reputation and personal well-being. Morley did not equate wiping poorly with leaving anyone sitting in their own feces for days, and actually testified to the opposite, the lawsuit says. According to Morleys suit, he never said that it is okay or medically appropriate for individuals wearing diapers or who are otherwise immobile to have s**t on them for days, nor did he say that it is okay or medically appropriate for anyone to sit or lay in their own feces, for days at a time or otherwise. Instead, the suit contends, Morley was trying to explain that there are everyday people who may not wipe perfectly, but that theyre mobile and theyre not laying in it. It was [Oliver] who knowingly and falsely conveyed that Dr. Morley testified that it is okay to leave someone who is incontinent, wears diapers, or otherwise sits in their own bowel movements in their s**t for days. Morleys attorneys declined on Monday to comment, and told The Independent that Morley left AmeriHealth Caritas several years ago. A lawyer for Oliver and his production company, who are named as defendants in the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for Max, which carries Olivers show, said the network does not comment on pending litigation. (Max is not named as a defendant in the suit.) In an April 2024 episode of Last Week Tonight titled Medicaid, Oliver told viewers that there was a nearly 900 percent increase in members being illegally denied services or care and some of the cost cutting was absolutely enraging. open image in gallery Dr. Brian Morley is hauling John Oliver into court over comments the health insurance medical director made in 2017 ( Getty Images ) He then showed video footage of a wheelchair-bound cerebral palsy patient in Iowa named Louis Facenda, Jr. , who had gone for six weeks without medication or daily nursing visits during which the 25-year-old would be bathed and have his diaper changed after AmeriHealth Caritas, a so-called managed care organization advising the states Medicaid program, halted payments for the crucial services. He wasnt getting changed like he would normally get changed two or three times a day, Facendas mother said in the snippet. Oliver then ran an audio clip of AmeriHealth Caritas medical director Dr. Brian Morley testifying during a 2017 administrative hearing about a similar patient, 32-year-old policyholder Nathan McDonald. AmeriHealth Caritas had cut McDonalds in-home visits by nurses who helped him bathe and get dressed, from twice-daily, down to five times a week, the Des Moines Register reported at the time . People have bowel movements every day where they dont completely clean themselves, and we dont fuss over [them] too much, Morley testified, according to the Register and audio of Morleys testimony played by Oliver. People are allowed to be dirty You know, I would allow him to be a little dirty for a couple of days. Although McDonald was unable to fully wipe himself, according to the Register, Morleys suit takes aim at the notion he was similar to Facenda, alleging he was not confined to a wheelchair, was not incontinent, did not wear diapers, independently toilet transferred, was independently mobile, could change his or her own clothes, bathed him or herself, and did not require in-home diaper changing or assistance to bathe generally. Morleys suit insists he was referring to the average individual who is independently mobile but may not wipe perfectly not someone who is wearing diapers or otherwise laying in their own bowel movements. open image in gallery Medicaid has become a hot-button issue under Donald Trump's second term as president ( Middle East Images/AFP via Getty ) In this hypothetical, Morleys suit goes on, if feces are left on the skin for several hours, or even a day, and the feces are removed the next day in someone thats mobile and is not confined to a bed, then it would just be a matter of washing the feces off. Morley, according to the lawsuit, believed it was necessary for Facenda to have multiple in-home visits per day, but did not think McDonald needed everything he was asking for. He explained, according to his lawsuit, that there are likely people running, you know, walking around in society today that have, you know, bowel movements that arent clean and they have feces on their skin for whatever reason, but theyre, you know, for the most part, theyre mobile and theyre not laying in it like someone who might be elderly, whos immobile with concomitant medical problems like diabetes. In that case, someone who is incontinent or immobile (i.e., wearing diapers) would develop skin breakdown if feces were not promptly removed from their skin, it states. Yet, the suit continues, the producers of Last Week Tonight knew, contradicted, and otherwise failed to disclose that Dr. Morley did not testify, at all, that it is okay or medically appropriate for individuals wearing diapers or who are otherwise immobile to have s**t on them for days. McDonald and Facenda later won their appeals and their full nursing services were restored. Morley is demanding a retraction, removal of the episode from all platforms, and compensatory damages, special damages, and punitive damages to be determined by a jury. 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 retrial begins on Tuesday for Karen Read, the woman accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John OKeefe, in 2022. Read maintains her innocence, claiming she was framed by law enforcement, and will again face charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and motor vehicle homicide. Read's legal team argues that OKeefe was killed by someone else at a house party in Canton, suggesting another law enforcement official present as a possible suspect. They allege OKeefe was struck and left to die in the snow, not by Read's SUV as prosecutors contend, but by another individual. The first trial ended in a mistrial last year after the jury reached an impasse. Following the trial, several jurors claimed the group had unanimously agreed on Read's innocence on the most serious charges, including second-degree murder. However, despite these claims and allegations of governmental misconduct, the judge denied the defense's motions to dismiss the charges or the case entirely. Read now faces the same charges in this second trial. What is the case against Read? open image in gallery Read worked as a financial analyst and Bentley College adjunct professor before she was charged ( AP ) Read, who worked as a financial analyst and Bentley College adjunct professor before she was charged, faces second-degree murder and other charges in the death of John OKeefe, who was 46 when he died. The 16-year police veteran was found unresponsive outside the home of a fellow Boston police officer. After a night out drinking, prosecutors say Read, who is 45, dropped off OKeefe at the house party just after midnight. As she made a three-point turn, prosecutors say, she struck OKeefe before driving away. She returned hours later to find him in a snowbank. Like the first trial, prosecutors will try to persuade jurors that Reads actions were intentional. They are expected to call witnesses who will describe how the couple's relationship had begun to sour before O'Keefe's death. Among them will be his brother, who testified during the first trial that the couple regularly argued over such matters as what Read fed OKeefes children, and that he witnessed a 2021 fight the couple had in Cape Cod over how his brother treated her. The brother's wife testified that Read told her the couple fought in Aruba after she caught OKeefe kissing another woman. The defense is expected to portray the investigation into OKeefes death as shoddy and undermined by the close relationship investigators had with the police officers and other law enforcement agents who were at the house party. Among the key witnesses they will call is former State Trooper Michael Proctor, who led the investigation but has since been fired after a disciplinary board found that he sent sexist and crude texts about Read to his family and colleagues. He also is on the prosecution's witness list. A key moment in the first trial was Proctors testimony, in which the defense suggested his texts about Read and the case showed he was biased, and had singled her out early in the investigation and ignored other potential suspects. They also are expected to suggest Read was framed, saying OKeefe was actually killed inside the home during a fight with another partygoer and then dragged outside. In the first trial, defense attorneys suggested that investigators focused on Read because she was a convenient outsider who saved them from having to consider law enforcement officers as suspects. open image in gallery Karen Read's lawyer David Yannetti ( AP ) Ahead of the second trial, the two sides sparred over whether Read's lawyers will be allowed to argue that someone else killed O'Keefe. Judge Beverly Cannone ruled Monday that attorneys can't mention potential third-party culprits in their opening statements but will be allowed to develop evidence against Brian Albert, a retired police officer who owned the Canton home, and his friend, Brian Higgins. Lawyers can not implicate Albert's nephew, Colin Albert, the judge said. Soon after the mistrial, Read's lawyers set out to get the main charges dropped. They argued that Cannone declared a mistrial without polling the jurors to confirm their conclusions. Defense attorney Martin Weinberg said five jurors indicated after the trial that they were only deadlocked on the manslaughter count and had unanimously agreed that she wasnt guilty of second-degree murder and leaving the scene, but that they hadnt told the judge. The defense said that because jurors had agreed that Read wasn't guilty of murder and leaving the scene, retrying her on those counts would amount to double jeopardy. But Cannone rejected that argument, as did the state's highest court and a federal court judge. Defense attorneys have since appealed the federal ruling. Prosecutors had urged Cannone to dismiss the double jeopardy claim, saying it amounted to "hearsay, conjecture and legally inappropriate reliance as to the substance of jury deliberations. Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally argued that the jurors never indicated they had reached a verdict on any of the charges, were given clear instructions on how to reach a verdict, and that the defense had ample opportunity to object to the mistrial declaration. The second trial will likely look similar to the first. It will be held in the same courthouse before the same judge, and dozens of Read's passionate supporters are again expected to rally outside. The charges, primary defense lawyers and many of the nearly 200 witnesses will also be the same. The biggest difference will the lead prosecutor, Hank Brennan. A former prosecutor and defense attorney who was brought in as a special prosecutor after the mistrial, Brennan has represented a number of prominent clients, including James Whitey Bulger, and experts think he might be more forceful than Lally was in arguing the case. 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 For more than a decade, owning a Tesla was the dream of car buyers looking to embrace a future of environmentally friendly electric vehicles and autonomous driving. Those who bought their Teslas in the early 2010s couldn't have imagined that 15 years later, owning their high-end EV might inadvertently paint them as authoritarian sympathizers. While Tesla is still a very popular brand, an increase in competition, paired with Tesla CEO Elon Musks controversial role in Donald Trumps administration, has sent some potential customers searching for other EV options. Options like Lucid Motors now hope to capitalize on the growth of so-called Tesla refugees. Lucid Motors Lucid is a California-based EV manufacturer that so far has two vehicles under its belt: the Air sedan and the Gravity SUV, the latter of which will be available to consumers this month. open image in gallery Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson introduces the all-electric SUV 2025 Lucid Gravity at the AutoMobility LA Auto Show, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in Los Angeles ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Marc Winterhoff, the company's interim CEO, told Yahoo Finance that he hopes the Gravity will be the volume-mover the company needs to make a splash among the American public at large. Americans want to have an SUV. That's the quintessential American car, the size of the pickup truck. Its a much larger addressable market for us, and therefore much larger demand, Winterhoff told the news outlet. Barring any unforeseen hiccups, Lucid is hoping to produce 20,000 EVs by the end of the year. Finding buyers to shell out the nearly $80,000 for the cheapest Gravity will be Winterhoff's struggle, but thankfully, there is at least one group of consumers who have a history of opening their wallets to avoid using petrol. open image in gallery U.S. President Donald Trump's adviser Elon Musk wears a cheese hat as he holds a rally in support of a conservative state Supreme Court candidate of an April 1 election in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. March 30, 2025. ( REUTERS ) Tesla refugees According to Winterhoff, former Tesla owners "definitely" represent a significant chunk of the company's new and prospective buyers. He told Fox Business that his company has seen a "dramatic uptick over the past two months" of Tesla owners buying his vehicles. Tesla buyers always were the source of our sales because they were already used to using electrical drivetrains, and they look for an opportunity to have something else, something better," he said. "And now, with recent changes, obviously, since the beginning of the year, we see a clear uptick of interest in Lucid from Tesla buyers because they're looking for another option. Winterhoff said approximately half of his orders are from former Tesla drivers. Teslas stock dropped 36 percent in the first three months of the year, making it the company's sharpest drop since 2022 and its third-biggest decline for any quarter on record, according to CNBC. In the US, Teslas sales dropped 11 percent in January, which is an oddity as EV sales are trending higher in the US, according to Cox auto insights. open image in gallery A home-made sign is held up at a protest outside a Tesla dealership ( AFP via Getty Images ) open image in gallery A protester holds a placard as she takes part in the Tesla Takedown Global Day of Action near a Tesla dealership in London, Saturday, March 29, 2025. ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) When Fox Business asked why Tesla drivers were abandoning their Teslas, he attributed the recent shift to owners' "negative feeling[s] about Elon" and a lack of new products outside the love-it-or-hate-it Cybertruck. The CEO noted that some former Tesla customers were trading in their Model 3s in exchange for Lucid's Air sedan and paying up to twice as much as the Model 3's cost to do so. Other than unimaginable and staggering wealth, the one thing Winterhoff does not have that Musk does is protection from the White House. Trump, Tesla, and Tariffs In response to Musk's gleeful firing of federal workers via DOGE and his controversial inauguration day "salute", there has been a rise in attacks on Teslas and the companys property. Storefronts and vehicles have been keyed, spray-painted, and burned. Tesla owners have even received threatening notes. Such was the fury at Musk that demonstrators planned an entire day just for picketing Teslas dealerships around the world. Donald Trump and his Attorney General, Pam Bondi, have threatened to treat anyone who vandalizes a Tesla, Tesla dealerships, or Tesla infrastructure as a domestic terrorist. The president has even suggested sending vandals to a notorious prison in El Salvador. open image in gallery A burned Tesla vehicle is shown at a Tesla collision center Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Las Vegas. ( Las Vegas Sun ) Tesla benefits not just from Trump's draconian sense of criminal justice, but also from his economic policies. After the president announced a 25 percent tariff on imported cars and some parts last week, the stock price for each of the Detroit Three fell. Tesla managed to emerge unscathed because it produces many of its cars in the US. Thankfully for Lucid, it does as well. All of the company's vehicles are made in Arizona, insulating it from Trump's tariffs. Not only are the cars themselves made in the USA, but the vehicles' powertrain components and many parts, including battery cells, are produced in the States. We are very highly vertically integrated. So we're building our battery modules, building our battery packs also in Arizona, Winterhoff said. We have done this, you know, bringing manufacturing stateside as much as possible [even before the tariffs]. With challengers like Lucid entering the market and legacy car manufacturers increasing their EV offerings, it was inevitable that Tesla would lose some customers to its competition. But it's clear that it is a distaste for Musk rather than a desire for novelty that is driving the Tesla exodus. According to a poll from YouGov and Yahoo News, 67 percent of American respondents said they would no longer buy a Tesla, with most saying Musk's actions turned them off to the company. More than half 55 percent of the respondents said they had an unfavorable opinion of Musk. 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 group of Catholic Church-affiliated charities believes their religious exemptions from a state tax have been unfairly revoked after they were deemed not religious enough, and it appears the U.S. Supreme Court is sympathetic to its case. The groups involved in the ruling are Headwaters, Barron County Developmental Services, Diversified Services, and Black River Industries. The group are all meant to offer services to people with developmental disabilities, and are open to non-Catholics. They're arguing that their First Amendment rights to free exercise have been violated by the state of Wisconsin. In an earlier ruling, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the groups, which operate under the authority of the Catholic Charities Bureau of the Diocese of Superior weren't religious enough to warrant tax exemption, NBC News reports. On Monday, the Supreme Court Justices gave their oral arguments and appeared to agree with the charities' arguments. "I thought it was pretty fundamental that we don't treat some religions better than other religions," Justice Elena Kagan, a liberal, said. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch agreed, asking rhetorically if it "isn't a fundamental premise of our First Amendment that the state shouldn't be picking and choosing between religions." The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on whether or not a group of Catholic charities have been wrongly denied tax exempt status in Wisconsin ( Getty Images ) Central to the debate is whether or not Wisconsin's tests for exemption is too focused on the particulars of how religious faiths operate. Under Wisconsin law, religious groups that proselytize would qualify for an exemption like Protestant churches but Catholic churches, which do not proselytize nearly as much, might not. Gorsuch pointed to soup kitchens which are often run by religious organizations and provide food to the needy and asked if they would require inspection before they'd qualify under Wisconsin's laws. "Doesnt it entangle the state tremendously when it has to go into a soup kitchen, send an inspector in, to see how much prayer is going on?" he asked. Wisconsin's Labor and Industry Review Commission ruled that the groups involved in the case were not "operated primarily for religious purposes" under the state's laws. Last year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the state commission's decision, offering its opinion at the time that the groups' activities were mostly secular in nature and that they do not attempt to imbue program participants with the Catholic faith nor supply any religious materials. Wisconsin wants the groups to pay taxes that fund the state's unemployment compensation fund, which aims to provide a safety net for unemployed individuals. Other Catholic charities have backed the group's case, fearing that a ruling in favor of Wisconsin's state laws could have wide-ranging effects on the tax exempt status of religious-affiliated organizations, including hospitals. A decision in the case is expected by the end of June. 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 fitting that Cory Booker was recounting a story about the late civil rights leader John Lewis as he entered the 19th minute and 24th hour of a historic speech to the Senate on Tuesday evening. In that moment, the first Black Senator for New Jersey broke a record for the longest speech ever made in Congress, one that was set 67 years ago by the segregationist Democrat Strom Thurmond, who spoke for a day and a night in opposition to the Civil Rights Act. Overcome with emotion, Booker looked up to the ceiling and touched his heart as his fellow Democrats in the chamber applauded his effort. All right, I want to go a little bit past this and then I'm going to deal with some of the biological emergencies I'm feeling, he said. Booker, an avuncular 55-year-old who ran for president in 2020, invoked civil rights leaders throughout his marathon speech that he called in protest against the policies of Donald Trump, calling for greater resistance to his unprecedented second term. I don't know what John Lewis would say right now... but John Lewis would say something, he would do something. He wouldn't treat this moral moment like it was normal, Booker said. Booker began his speech in the Senate chamber at 7 pm the night before, promising to talk for as long as I am physically able. In what he described as Americas moral moment, Booker criticized the Trump administration for its complete disregard for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the needs of the American people. "I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis, he said. I believe that not in a partisan sense, because so many of the people that have been reaching out to my office in pain, in fear, having their lives upended so many of them identify themselves as Republicans. open image in gallery In this image provided by Senate Television, Senator Cory Booker speaks on the Senate floor, Tuesday morning, April 1, 2025. ( AP ) Booker was still there Tuesday morning, looking tired and wired but still engaged in his suit and black tie, pacing around the podium with his glasses in his hand. "I've got fuel in the tank, man, he insisted at 10 a.m., some 15 hours in. In his wide-ranging but targeted speech, the senator painted a picture of an administration that was corrupt, venal and chaotic. Pulling facts and figures from binders prepared by his staff, separated by issue, he laid into Trumps close advisor and tech billionaire Elon Musk, and the oligarchy that surrounded Trump, warning of looming cuts to Social Security and Medicaid that would hit the countrys poorest. This is the people's house. It's Article One of the Constitution, and it's under assault! he said in the 14th hour, with a raised voice, explaining what had motivated him to take his extraordinary action. Our spending powers, our budgetary powers, the power to establish agencies like the Department of Education and USAID, it's under assault by a president that doesn't respect this document, he continued. More than 60,000 people were tuned into his livestream of the speech on TikTok at one point. The video was liked more than 200 million times. He quoted poetry, Bible verses, song lyrics and senators and generals to keep control of the floor. He drew from speeches by iconic American figures such as Harriet Tubman, John McCain and John Lewis. The longer he continued, the more alliterative he became. Booker read personal stories of people impacted by Trumps policies among them a long account by a Canadian woman who was detained by immigration authorities for 12 days. His voice broke occasionally as he read those stories of hardship. These are not normal times in America, and they should not be treated as such, he said. Booker did not leave the chamber the entire time, even for a bathroom break. His only respite from speaking was to hear questions from fellow Democrats, who lined up to show support for Bookers protest and join the condemnation of Trump. Each time they asked a question, Booker would repeat the same words to maintain his control of the floor: Yes, I will yield for a question while retaining the floor. open image in gallery Sen. Cory Booker speaks as Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. ( AP Photo/Ben Curtis ) Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, was among the many who stepped forward. Your strength, your fortitude, your clarity, has just been nothing short of amazing, and all of America is paying attention to what you're saying, he told Booker. Schumer returned when the record had been broken to break the news to Booker. Do you know you have just broken the record? Do you know how proud this caucus is of you? Do you know how proud America is of you? he said. While not technically a filibuster a form of protest in which a lawmaker holds the floor of the legislative chamber to delay a vote Bookers speech did disrupt the work of the Senate, which was due to convene at midday. His speech was both a sign of desperation and a call to arms. Seventy-one days into Trumps second term, the Democratic Party has struggled to find a common or coherent response to his agenda. The party has been overwhelmed by the sweeping Executive Orders to dismantle government agencies and deport immigrants. It is still fighting over how they lost the last election, and how to win the next. The Democratic base has been screaming for its leaders to do something, anything, to put the brakes on the Trump administrations policies, while growing increasingly frustrated with the disconnectedness of its aging leadership. Some of that energy has been directed towards Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who have made their partys leaders look impotent as they have held huge rallies across the country in protest against Trump. At the same time, Trump has faced little to no opposition from his own party as he has tested the limits of presidential power, which has made Congress seem more irrelevant and powerless than it has in decades. It was perhaps with all of that in mind that Booker, a known admirer of the Senate process, chose the chamber to make his stand. But he did so with an acknowledgment of its limits. open image in gallery US President Donald Trump takes part in an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 31 March 2025. ( EPA/ALEXANDER DRAGO / POOL ) How do we stop them? I'm sorry to say we hold powerful positions. We are elected by great states, but we're in the minority right now, he said. It will take three people of conscience on that side, he added, pointing to the Republican side of the chamber to highlight the GOPs control. And he referenced Thurmonds speech in the final hours of his own. "I'm not here because of his speech. I'm here despite his speech, he said of Thurdmond. I'm here because as powerful as he was, the people are more powerful." Booker also repeatedly referred to the Constitution as he railed against Trump, occasionally appealing to the presidents own supporters. He promised to lower your grocery prices they're higher. He promised to be a better steward of the economy it's worse than what he inherited. Over and over, he's breaking promises and doing outrageous things like disappearing people off of American streets, violating fundamental principles of this document, he said. As he approached 20 hours, Booker became emotional but spirited as he invoked protest movements of Americas past and called for action. What do I want from my fellow Americans? Do better than me, do better than we, in this body. We are flawed and failed people, he said. My voice is inadequate. My efforts today are inadequate to stop what they're trying to do. But we, the people, are powerful. We are strong. We have changed history. We have bent the arc of the moral universe. And now is that moral moment again. 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 Lauren Boebert drew ridicule online with her latest public faux pas, after confusing acclaimed filmmaker Oliver Stone with MAGA ally Roger Stone. The firebrand Colorado congresswoman made the slip while speaking at a congressional hearing on Tuesday to discuss the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy, and quickly walked back her remarks after being corrected by another witness. Mr. Stone you wrote a book accusing LBJ of being involved in the killing of president Kennedy. Do these most recent releases confirm or negate your initial charge... being involved in the assassination of president Kennedy, she said, referring to the recent cache of files on the assassination that were released following an executive order by Donald Trump. A somewhat confused Stone responded: No I didnt. If you look clearly at the film. It accuses president Johnson of being complicit in the cover up of the case but not in the assassination itself. Journalist Jefferson Morley later told Boebert: I think youre confusing Mr Oliver Stone with Mr Roger Stone. Its Roger Stone that implicated LBJ in the assassination of the president, not my friend Oliver Stone. open image in gallery Lauren Boebert drew ridicule online with her latest public faux pas, after confusing acclaimed filmmaker Oliver Stone with MAGA ally Roger Stone. The congresswoman was quickly corrected by another witness at the congressional hearing ( Getty Images ) I may have misinterpreted that. I apologize, Boebert replied sheepishly. Roger Stone, a political operative who served as a senior campaign aide to Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, is the author of the The New York Times bestseller The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ. Oliver Stone is an acclaimed director who has made movies across many genres, from political thrillers to musical biopics to crime dramas, including the 1991 conspiracy-minded film JFK. The thriller was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, and won two. It grossed more than $200 million but was also dogged by questions about its factuality. Social media were quick to jump on Boeberts mistake. Such a disaster. This admin is like a highschool party of idiots, wrote one user. open image in gallery Oliver Stone is an acclaimed director who has directed movies on subjects ranging from the Vietnam War, and American politics to musical biopics and crime dramas including the Oscar-winning 1991 film JFK ( Getty Images ) open image in gallery Roger Stone, a political operative who served as a senior campaign aide to Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, is the author of the The New York Times bestseller The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ ( Getty Images for Latino Wall S ) This woman is almost too much of a moron for it to be true. She has to be a performance artist, added another. The first hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets comes five decades after the Warren Commission investigation concluded that Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy as his motorcade finished a parade route in downtown Dallas on November 22, 1963. Interest has ramped up again after Trump ordered all files related to the assassination to be released, however, experts have concluded that the files show nothing to undercut or disprove the previous conclusion. Many documents were previously released but contained newly removed redactions, including Social Security numbers, angering people whose personal information was disclosed. 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 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly asking President Donald Trump to help his company as it faces a lawsuit in Europe Since Trump was re-elected in November, Zuckerberg has warmed to the president, scrapping Metas diversity, equity and inclusion team, getting rid of its fact-checking program and electing UFC President Dana White to Metas board of directors. Zuckerberg was one of several tech moguls who attended Trumps inauguration in January. And now it appears he is calling in a favor. Meta executives have reportedly pressed U.S. trade officials to fight a potential fine and cease-and-desist from the European Commission over the tech giants use of personalized ads on its platforms, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. open image in gallery Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is hopeful pressure from trump would inspire the EU Commission to take a softer stance on enforcing its regulations ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images ) The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, may be forced to allow European users free access to its platforms without personalized ads one of Metas key revenue methods. A spokesperson for Meta told the Wall Street Journal that the European Commissions potential move is not just about fines. Its about the Commission seeking to handicap successful American businesses simply because theyre America, while letting Chinese and European rivals off the hook. A European Commission spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that officials enforce laws equally for all companies regardless of where they are incorporated. The EU adopted a sweeping set of laws under the Digital Services Act in 2022, which, in part, require social media platforms to be more transparent with regulators and users as well as impose stricter regulations over targeted advertising. Meta hopes to push the Trump administration to respond aggressively over the potential decision, which they hope will persuade the European Commission to soften how Meta may have to comply with its rules. open image in gallery The EU ruling over personalized ads could impact one of Metas key revenue streams. ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Trump is expected to announce a set of tariffs on the EU and other countries on Wednesday as part of his push to increase domestic manufacturing and jobs while also changing U.S. trade deals to favor the country more. The lawsuit was brought against Meta and a similar one was brought against Apple last year after the European Commission said Metas policy of requiring users to either buy a subscription or allow the company to use their data for targeted advertising was violating its laws. The company had reportedly suggested to the European Commission that it could make a less personalized ads option for EU users. Those familiar with the situation told the Wall Street Journal that Meta worries the Commission could force it to sell fewer personalized ads or make the option for less personalized ads more prominent. 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 First Lady Melania Trump underscored the power of love at the International Women of Courage Award ceremony as her husband President Donald Trump continues to deport people en masse. The first lady and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the 19th annual awards ceremony Tuesday, honoring eight women from all across the globe. Throughout my life, I have harnessed the power of love as a source of strength during challenging times, Melania said. Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy, and exhibit bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles. Today we celebrate courage, a strength that is based in love. Their remarkable stories speak to the power of love, she said. The award recipients came from diverse backgrounds and regions yet love transcends boundaries and territories, she continued. open image in gallery Melania Trump attends the 19th annual International Women of Courage Award ceremony at the Department of State in Washington, DC on April 1, where she touted the power of love ( REUTERS ) Their courage propels us of humanity forward by advocating to end violence against women and girls, promoting democratic governance, defending human rights, championing education and fighting injustice, the first lady said. The first ladys comments come in sharp contrast to many of her husbands policies. Before returning to the White House, Donald Trump vowed to conduct the largest deportation operation in American history. Now, just two months into his second term, his deportations have already sparked legal battles while many families across the country plead with the president to find empathy as their relatives run the risk of deportation or have, in some cases, already been deported. In the latest example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement admitted to accidentally sending Maryland father Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to a prison in El Salvador which his lawyers described as a torture center claiming he was a member of the MS-13 gang. He fled El Salvador in 2011 to escape gangs that allegedly stalked, assaulted, and threatened to kill and kidnap him, court filings say. On March 15, although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error, the government wrote in a filing Monday in a lawsuit brought by Abrego Garcias family. His relatives are demanding the U.S. government request the country return him to the United States. The White House has defended his deportation saying he was a member of a gang. In another example that has rocked the nation, the federal government has moved to revoke the green card of Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil. The student activist, who says he mediated discussions between the university and pro-Palestine students last year, was arrested and detained in early March. The Trump administration has labeled him as pro-Hamas and accused him of antisemitic activities. Protests have erupted across the country, calling to free Khalil. open image in gallery Her comment at the womens award event are in contrast to her husbands mass deportation push ( AFP via Getty Images ) Meanwhile, some fear the state of human rights and democracy in America is at stake as the U.S. was recently added to a global watchdogs watchlist of countries of faltering civic freedoms as the Trump administration pushes the bounds of executive authority and implements sweeping executive orders. The first lady also spoke of championing education, despite how last month the president ordered the closure of the department of education. Melania added that the recipients taught that while courage drives us forward, it is love that lays the groundwork for lasting impact, each act of love can spark a ripple of transformation. Eight women were honored at Tuesdays ceremony: Henriette Da of Burkina Faso, Amit Soussana of Israel, Major Velena Iga of Papua New Guinea, Angelique Songco of Philippines, Georgiana Pascu of Romania, Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit of South Sudan, Namini Wijedasa of Sri Lanka and Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj of Yemen. Rubio also spoke at the ceremony, thanking the recipients for their contributions toward creating a safer and more secure and just world. The importance of protecting women and girls and promoting their wellbeing are American goals but they also happen to be a strong goal of our president, the Secretary of State 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 A Cornell PhD student who was threatened with an immigration arrest during the middle of a constitutional lawsuit against the Trump administration announced on Monday he was fleeing the country. Given what we have seen across the United States, I have lost faith that a favourable ruling from the courts would guarantee my personal safety and ability to express my beliefs, Momodou Taal wrote on X. I have lost faith I could walk the streets without being abducted. I feel like a stranger in my country, his attorney Eric Lee added in a separate statement on X. What is America if people like Momodou are not welcome here? Taal, a citizen of the UK and The Gambia, is one of three academics who sued the Trump administration earlier this month, alleging a pair of January executive orders have the effect of unconstitutionally threatening to deport non-citizens who protest the administration and its allies like Israel. The directives at issue call for agencies to investigate and potentially remove non-citizens in the U.S. who bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles and advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security. Taal argued the orders violated the First Amendment and Fifth Amendments based on vague, subjective, and overbroad standards that grant unfettered discretion to government officials. Momodou Taal and two fellow Cornell academics sued the Trump administration, alleging it was unconstitutionally trying to censor non-citizen protest ( Eric Lee ) In the midst of a lawsuit, federal officials informed Taal he was due to surrender to immigration agents. A federal court on Thursday denied an emergency request from the Cornell activist to temporarily pause any arrest attempts, as well as the enforcement of the executive orders, while the case plays out. A judge argued that Taals visa was revoked before he filed the suit, and that the court didnt have jurisdiction to pause the process at this point, noting he could challenge his final removal order in an immigration or appeals court. Lee, the attorney, previously told The Independent the case was an alarming erosion of law and order. Their response to the filing of the suit was to go to his house and threaten to arrest him, Lee said. The government has maintained that that the State Department revoked Taals visa the day before he filed the suit, citing his participation in campus pro-Palestine protests. Advocates across the country have been alarmed by what they see as a Trump administration that has defied court orders, given families and lawyers little notice, and flouted normal notions of due process as it pursues a sweeping campaign of deportations. Rumeysa Ozturk , a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University who was arrested last week by masked immigration agents on Tuesday, was moved to a detention center in Louisiana, the same day a federal judge ordered she not be moved for 48 hours amid an ongoing legal challenge. Her lawyers say they were unable to locate her for nearly 24 hours. Based on existing public evidence, Ozturks main involvement in protest activity was co-writing an op-ed critical of the Israeli war effort. Elsewhere, the Trump administration has invoked a rarely used wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to fast-track the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador once dubbed a tropical gulag. Multiple individuals sent to the prison appear to have been deported over having tattoos with relatively common motifs, including the Air Jordan logo, a crown, a star, and a rainbow autism awareness symbol. The administration has acknowledged that many of the more than 200 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador did not have a prior criminal record. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week the individuals were not necessarily members of that gang Tren de Aragua, either. He called the group a combination of people whose presence is not productive to the United States and who were removable by law. Further adding to the controversy over the deportations, the Trump administration carried out the flights on March 15 despite a court order telling the administration to turn the planes around, amid an ongoing lawsuit over the White Houses use of the wartime deportation law. 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 Florida Capitol police arrested a transgender woman after she used a womens restroom to wash her hands. Illinois resident Marcy Rheintgen was arrested two weeks ago for trespassing, the Miami Herald reports, citing an affidavit. The 20-year-old previously sent letters to lawmakers along with pictures of herself warning she would use a specific womens bathroom in the Capitol. Rheintgen said she would do so in protest of a 2023 state law that prohibits people from using bathrooms in public buildings including schools and correctional facilities that dont match their sex at birth. I know that you know in your heart that this law is wrong and unjust, Rheintgen wrote in her letter, according to the Herald. I know that you know in your heart that transgender people are human too, and you cant arrest us away. I know that you know that I have dignity, Rheintgen added. Thats why I know that you wont arrest me. open image in gallery Marcy Rheintgen warned lawmakers she would be protesting on March 19 and was ultimately arrested ( Getty Images ) Rheintgen arrived at the bathroom on March 19 as planned, where she was met by two Capitol police officers. The officers said they tried to work with her, but Rheintgen entered the bathroom anyway, according to the affidavit reviewed by the Herald. Police initially told Rheintgen theyd issue a notice to appear in front of a judge to avoid sending her to jail but they ultimately arrested her instead because she didnt meet the criteria for a notice to appear. Police described Rheintgen as sassy and claimed she implied she might use the bathroom again, the Herald reports. The trespass charge is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail. Rheintgen was released from jail 24 hours later. According o the Herald, she know regrets her experience and didnt think she would actually be arrested. Now she is back at school and has to find a way to return to Florida for further hearings. Everything that is politics seems very abstract and philosophical from far away, Rheintgen told the outlet. This is the first time its really affected me. I got arrested and I got sent to jail because of Gov. [Ron] DeSantis policies like thats crazy, thats crazy! This could be the first arrest related to the 2023 bathroom bill, the Herald reports. open image in gallery Rheintgens arrest was about cruelty, humiliation, and the deliberate erosion of human dignity, a pro-LGBTQ group said ( Getty Images ) Nadine Smith, executive director of the pro-LGBTQ+ rights organization Equality Florida Action Inc., condemned Rheintgens arrest in a statement Tuesday. The arrest of Marcy Rheintgen is not about safety. Its about cruelty, humiliation, and the deliberate erosion of human dignity, Smith said. Transgender people have been using restrooms aligned with their gender for generations without incident. Whats changed is not their presence its a wave of laws designed to intimidate them out of public life. The true goal is intimidation. If you cant safely or legally use a restroom, your time in any public space is limited. Thats the point, Smith added. These laws dont protect anyone; they push transgender people out of everyday life, shrinking their freedom and making them vulnerable to harassment and arrest. The Independent has contacted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for comment. Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A government official has warned that ABC's broadcast license could be at risk as Disney faces an investigation into its alleged efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in hiring as the Trump administration continues its attempt to curb the practices. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr told Fox News that these practices at Disney, ABCs parent company, could amount to discrimination. If the evidence does in fact play out and shows that they were engaged in race- and gender-based discrimination, thats a very serious issue at the FCC, that could fundamentally go to their character qualifications to even hold a license, Carr said in an interview on Monday. But were going to follow the facts wherever they go. Since returning to office, President Trump has issued sweeping executive orders to dismantle DEI policies in schools, federal agencies, and the private sector. In late March, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Department of Labor from implementing parts of his executive orders in response to a lawsuit filed by a non-profit, Chicago Women in Trades. DEI refers to policies that promote workplace representation and participation of different genders, races, ethnicities, religions, ages, sexual orientations, disabilities, and classes. Advocacy groups have criticized Trumps orders over fears they may deepen inequities, while his supporters have celebrated the move. Carr announced on Friday that he was investigating whether Disney violates the federal regulatory agencys equal employment opportunity regulations with its DEI policies. The evidence we have so far indicates potentially that Disney and ABC were making employment decisions based on race and gender, including having effectively race-defined affinity groups within the company, Carr said in Mondays interview. We have evidence that they put quotas in place based on specific demographics. The Walt Disney Co. said on Friday it had received Mr Carrs letter and will engage with the commission. We are reviewing the Federal Communications Commissions letter, and we look forward to engaging with the commission to answer its questions, Disney told The Hill. It comes after the regulatory bodys probe last month into NBCUniversals parent company, Comcast, over its DEI practices. Carr sent letters to both Disney and Comcast saying the FCC wants to check the companies are not promoting invidious forms of discrimination. 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 Trumps boundary-pushing campaign to summarily deport suspected Venezuelan gang members to a notorious Salvadorian prison has alarmed even Joe Rogan, despite the hugely popular podcaster being a usual backer of the president. You've gotta get scared that people who are not criminals are getting, like, lassoed up and deported and sent to El Salvador prisons, Rogan said during an episode that aired over the weekend. The podcaster called that possibility horrific and admitted sending non-criminals out of the country as part of the Trump administrations attempts to crack down on the Tren de Aragua gang was bad for the cause. During the conversation, alongside fellow podcaster Konstantin Kisin, Rogan appeared to reference the case of Andry Jose Hernandez Romero, a gay makeup artist who sought asylum in the U.S. after facing persecution for his sexuality and political views in Venezuela. Hernandez Romero has denied any association with the Venezuelan gang, and was part of the way through getting his asylum claim accepted when he was deported without notice, according to his attorneys, as part of the Trump administrations use of the emergency Alien Enemies Act to fast-track removals. Multiple individuals who were among the hundreds removed from the country this month as part of the operation appear to have been deported over tattoos with relatively common motifs, including the Air Jordan logo, a crown, a star, and a rainbow autism awareness symbol. Homeland Security Investigations claims tattoos, images of which were sourced from the internet and tattoo artists' social media profiles, suggest Tren de Aragua membership ( Homeland Security Investigations ) The administration has acknowledged that many of the over 200 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador did not have a prior criminal record. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday conceded that the Venezuelans were not all necessarily members of Tren de Aragua, either. He called the group a combination of people whose presence is not productive to the United States and who were removable by law. Further adding to the controversy over the deportations, the Trump administration carried out the flights on March 15 despite a court order telling the administration to turn the planes around, amid an ongoing lawsuit over the White Houses use of the wartime deportation law. On Friday, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to weigh in and allow them to resume such flights, arguing the presidents national security powers are being wrongly infringed. 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 has hinted that it could be the end of the road for Elon Musk and DOGE as the advisory department lies on the brink of being dismantled. Asked whether the Department of Government Efficiency would continue to operate without Musk, Trump began: Well, I cant tell you that... I can say this that, a lot of the people that are working with DOGE are the secretaries and heads of various agencies and theyve learned a lot and theyre dealing with the DOGE people. I think some of them may try and keep the DOGE people with them. But, at a certain point, I think it will end, Trump told reporters during a press briefing in the Oval Office on Monday. When DOGE was launched, it laid out an agenda wherein it would operate outside of government but would advise on layoffs within federal departments if it deemed certain personnel to be a massive waste. DOGE has since overseen the removal of tens of thousands of government workers and frozen trillions of dollars in federal grant funding. At some point, hes going to be going back. Id keep him as long as I can keep him hes a very talented guy, Trump told reporters during the huddle. You know I love very smart people. Hes very smart and hes done a good job. DOGE lead Elon Musk pictured at an event in Wisconsin on Sunday where he has plowed millions into trying to secure a Republican victory ( Getty Images ) According to its website, DOGE estimates it has saved U.S. taxpayers $140 billion as of April 1 roughly $869.57 per taxpayer. A former White House official recently disclosed to Fortune that Musks DOGE is undermining the Social Security Administrations (SSA) technology and operations unit, creating a cluster of issues for millions of Americans trying to access their benefits. And at a most basic level, they cant get through and they cant get their benefits, Julie Siegel, the former deputy federal chief operating officer at the Office of Management and Budget under Biden until January 2025, told the magazine. On Friday, a federal appeals court lifted an order blocking DOGE from further slashes to the U.S. Agency for International Development, reports the Associated Press. Meanwhile, Trump has praised Musk and his teams high IQ." Trump has also condemned the attacks on Musks Tesla Inc. enterprise, stating, He should not be treated that way. Hes done an incredible service for our country. The Independent contacted the White House and DOGE for comment. 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 This week will be perhaps one of the most important in Donald Trumps nascent second term as president. Wednesday will kick off his Liberation Day when his proposed tariffs will go into effect. Congress continues to negotiate his proposed one big, beautiful bill to cut taxes and ramp up defense and border spending while increasing oil production. So far, there have been few ways for voters to register dissatisfaction on a large scale, save for a few one-off special elections to fill state legislative seats, where Democrats overperformed, a byproduct of how the Democratic Party has become one of highly educated and high-propensity voters. But Tuesday will be the first test for Democrats to see if they can turn dissatisfaction with Trump into votes or if Republicans can create a firewall and if Trump indeed has a mandate. First, theres Trumps adopted home state of Florida. Matt Gaetz, the right-wing firebrand congressman, resigned his seat as soon as Trump nominated him to become attorney general, which never came to pass. But the real challenge will be in Floridas sixth district, which Rep. Michael Waltz vacated when he became Trumps national security adviser. open image in gallery Republican congressional candidate Randy Fine hopes to hold a seat on Tuesday night in Floridas sixth district ( Copyright 2022 the Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Republican Jimmy Patronis is almost guaranteed to win in Floridas 1st. But as Inside Washington explained last week, Floridas sixth district is becoming a tougher slog than imagined. For context, Trump won it by 30 points. But Gov. Ron DeSantis and Randy Fine, a state senator, have repeatedly feuded going back to the governors ill-fated run for president. DeSantis has spent much of the last few weeks sniping at Fine, particularly because before Waltz won the seat in 2018, DeSantis held it before resigning to run for governor. But Fine has proven to be a particularly toxic candidate. He previously said Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, both of whom are Muslim, might consider leaving before I get there, before using the hashtag #BombsAway. Not surprisingly, Elon Musks America PAC poured money into the race, spending more than $20,000 to support Patronis in the past week, according to reports from the Federal Election Commission. The PAC threw even more behind Fine, spending about $87,000 last week. Democrats for their part have done a full-court press for Democrat Josh Weil. Ken Martin, the newly-minted chairman of the Democratic National Committee, went down south. Sen. Bernie Sanders also endorsed Weil. Both Fine and Weil are Jewish, though Fine has depicted himself as a thoroughly pro-Israel Republican while in the past, Weil called for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. Despite his baggage, Fine still is the favorite to win. But if Democrats cut into the margins significantly, it will show how the party can craft a winning message even in blood-red Florida. While the tussle in Florida is certainly entertaining, Musk and Democrats have made their main focus the election for a seat on Wisconsins supreme court the main prize on Tuesday evening. While the races are ostensibly non-partisan, the balance on the court is currently 4-3 with the liberals in control ever since Janet Protasiewicz won her race in 2023. Liberal justice Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring, meaning there is a closely-watched race between circuit judge Susan Crawford, a liberal, and former Republican attorney general Brad Schimel. Over the weekend, Elon Musk visited Wisconsin, where he gave two $1 million checks to Republican voters and decked himself out in the customary cheesehead. Specifically, Musk correctly pointed out that the court would determine the drawing of congressional districts in the swing state. open image in gallery Elon Musk held a campaign event over the weekend in Wisconsin for the states supreme court race ( REUTERS ) As of right now, Wisconsin only has two Democratic members of Congress and six Republicans. A new court could change that. Musk also has a vested interest because he has a legal fight in Wisconsin after Tesla was denied a request to open an auto dealership in the state. Wisconsins Democratic Party, led by chairman Ben Wikler, is considered one of the best-run in the country. Despite Kamala Harris losing Wisconsin, it proved to be a bright spot last year in that she lost by a smaller margin than elsewhere, Democrats gained seats in the state legislature and Sen. Tammy Baldwin won re-election. It is a shame that Elon Musk has gotten involved, Baldwin told The Independent. He has litigation in Wisconsin, that could end up before the supreme court. No wonder hes putting so much money into Schimels campaign. Democrats have been demoralized ever since Trumps win. Many more Democrats were furious when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voted to pass a Republican-written continuing resolution. Now, they have a real chance to show their anger, not just against Trump, but Musk directly. 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 As the world economy braces for Donald Trumps unveiling of a swathe of tariffs, some country leaders will be fearing the worst after Washington singled out a dirty 15 list of nations. Although not naming the countries, treasury secretary Scott Bessent said the group of nations traded heavily with the U.S. and had high tariffs on U.S. goods, plus held non-tariff barriers such as domestic-content production rules. Coining the term dirty 15, Bessent was referring to 15 per cent of countries that account for the bulk of U.S. trading volume - a list of nations economists expect could be hit by Trumps tariffs.. In an interview with Fox News last month, Bessent said: Whats going to happen on April 2: Each country will receive a number that we believe that represents their tariffs. For some countries it could be quite low. For some countries it could be quite high. He added: Theres what we would call kind of the dirty 15, and they have substantial tariffs. Also last month, the director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, said 10 to 15 countries that account for Americas entire trillion-dollar trade deficit were being looked at under the tariff initiative, according to NBC News. open image in gallery Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has singled out what he called the Dirty 15 the 15 per cent of countries that trade heavily with the U.S. and have high tariffs ( REUTERS ) While Hassett also did not name the countries, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has listed 21 countries in which it is particularly interested as part of a review of unfair trade practises. Those countries include economies that have the largest trade deficits in goods with the United States, the office said, meaning Washington imports more from the country than it exports, resulting in a negative balance of trade. The countries named were Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. But it still remains unclear which countries will face tariffs and what form they will take, ahead of the so-called Liberation Day on Wednesday. Adding to the uncertainty, Trump on Sunday denied that it may only be around a dozen countries who will face reciprocal tariffs. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, the U.S. president said he would start with all countries and said there is not a cut off - and argued that almost all countries trading with the U.S. were taking advantage of Washington. open image in gallery President Donald Trump has dubbed April 2 as Liberation Day, when tariffs will be announced ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) But many economists say having a goods trading deficit is not necessarily a bad thing, rather it means that in-demand goods can be sourced cheaply abroad. Early reports suggest the Trump administration could implement up to 25 per cent tariffs on the U.S. largest trading partners. Trump has already imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, though they have been paused twice, a 10 per cent tariff on China, a 25 per cent tariff on foreign-made automobiles and a 25 per cent tariff on aluminium and steel. UK-based Aston Business School estimate Trumps tariffs could cost the global economy $1.4tn. 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 rep for Virginia Giuffre said she remains in serious condition at the hospital even as reports link the car crash the Epstein victim says left her with days to live to a seemingly minor collision. Guiffre, the 41-year-old who has been living in Australia, posted a cryptic Instagram message this week saying she had four days to live due to kidney failure and shared a photo of herself covered in bruises. However, reports suggested that the crash that happened in West Australia involved little damage and no injuries. Now, Giuffres rep is providing insight into the wreck and the status of the woman who also accused Prince Andrew of sexual abuse. The police were called but said there was no one available to come to the scene. They asked if anyone was injured and suggested that if they were, they should make their way to the hospital, she said. The bus driver had a vehicle full of distraught children and left the scene, promising to file a police report later, which he did, Dini von Mueffling, her representative, told The Independent Tuesday. Banged up and bruised, Virginia went home but later was admitted to the hospital as her condition worsened, von Mueffling said. The spokeswoman added that 41-year-old remains in serious condition at an Australian hospital. open image in gallery Virginia Giuffre, a 41-year-old who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual misconduct, contiues to fight for her life in the hospital. Reports linked her to a minor crash after she detailed her injuries ( Virginia Giuffre/Instagram ) On Sunday, Giuffre publicly stated that: This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I wont bore anyone with the details but I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can. She continued: Ive gone into kidney renal failure, theyve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology. Concerning the Instagram post, von Mueffling said that Giuffre thought that she had posted on her private Facebook page. The clarification comes after The Daily Mail and The Guardian included details provided by police in Western Australia about a minor crash that occurred between a bus and a car in Neergabby north of Perth on March 24, in which no injuries were reported and the car sustained $2,000 worth of damage. Authorities confirmed to The Guardian that the car driver was a 41-year-old woman, but the driver was not identified by name. Giuffre had been living in Ocean Reef, north of Perth, since 2020, the outlet noted, adding that she showed up at a Perth hospitals emergency department on April 1. An Instagram post shows Giuffre was in Perth as recently as March 2. The Independent has reached out to Western Australia authorities. open image in gallery Giuffre accused Prince Andrew of sexual misconduct, but he has vehemently denied the claims against him ( PA ) Giuffre previously accused Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell of grooming her and has claimed the pair had introduced her to Prince Andrew in 2001. She and Epstein settled in 2009 for $500,000, which included an agreement that Giuffre not sue anyone connected to Epstein that could be described as a potential defendant. Giuffre alleged in a 2021 civil suit that Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew on at least three occasions in London, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands when she was 17 years old and he was 41. She told the court that she had been paid $15,000 for having sex with the Duke of York on one of these occasions. He has vehemently denied these claims. Prince Andrews legal team argued that Giuffres sexual assault case against him should be dismissed, citing the 2009 document, but the judge rejected his request. The pair settled in February 2022 for an undisclosed amount and his military and royal titles were stripped. In a joint statement confirming the settlement, the duke said he regretted his association with late pedophile Epstein whom he acknowledged trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffres charity in support of victims rights. Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms Giuffres character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks, the statement continued.It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. 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 One year after the government banned cellphones from schools to help students focus and reduce distractions in class, were beginning to see how it has been implemented and how successful its been. As part of that process, our new research asked young people about the ban. Unsurprisingly, they had a lot to say. Schools around the world, including in Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, China and parts of the United States, have implemented similar bans. The guiding principle everywhere has been to help students do better in school. When New Zealands ban came into effect in April 2024, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was time to cut the distractions so kids could learn and achieve. open image in gallery New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) But studies have shown these bans often dont work as planned. For example, recent research from the UK involving over 1,200 students found no significant difference in academic grades or wellbeing between schools with strict phone bans and those with more relaxed policies. With so many questions at the time of the ban about how it would be enforced, we wanted to hear what was going on in schools and what young people really thought. We spoke to 77 young people aged 12 to 18 from 25 schools around the country. Some liked the bans, some didnt and some werent sure. Mixed feelings Many students had mixed feelings about the bans. Some admitted the bans helped reduce distractions and gave them a break from using their phones. As one explained: otherwise, well be on our phone all day, all afternoon, all night, and it wont be healthy for our minds. But other students said the ban had created new problems. First, some students felt stressed and anxious when they couldnt contact their parents or caregivers during the day. Second, they said the rules werent always clear or fair. Some teachers were strict, others werent. And sometimes, teachers used their phones in class, but students couldnt. That perceived double standard where teachers can use phones but students cant left many of our respondents feeling frustrated and unfairly treated. In some cases, it even made them more secretive about their phone use. One student said: Even though were not allowed to use our phones, everyone is sneaky and uses it anyway. A lack of consultation A lot of students said they werent asked what they thought before the bans were introduced. They felt as if adults made the rules without asking them or listening to them. One of our interviewees said: It feels like they just ban everything, thinking it will fix the problem. Many didnt understand the purpose of the ban, especially since they still have to use laptops and other technology in class. Recent research found more than 80 per cent of students in Aotearoa New Zealand say technology in class is distracting not just phones. open image in gallery Debate continues over whether mobile phones should be banned in schools in England ( PA Wire ) Already, some students have found clever ways around the phone ban. At one Auckland school, students started using walkie-talkies instead of phones to stay connected with their peers. Examples like this show bans dont always change behaviour the way theyre intended to. It can simply make students feel as though adults underestimate how tech-savvy they really are. Young people as active problem solvers The young people in our research offered some alternatives to the ban. Many suggested allowing phones at break and lunch times. That way, they could stay connected without interrupting class. They also said adults needed to model healthy digital habits, not just set the rules. Based on student responses, it does appear that learning and teaching how to use phones in healthy ways would be more helpful than banning them altogether. Research from the Digital Wellness Lab supports this balanced approach, emphasising skill building over restriction. But for this to work, adults need support too. Teachers and parents need training and resources to help guide young people and should also be surveyed on how they feel about the ban. Banning phones doesnt fix the bigger issue of helping young people to use technology safely and responsibly. If schools really want to support students, they need to move beyond one-size-fits-all rules. Our research shows young people arent just passive users of technology. Theyre active problem solvers. They want to be part of the conversation and part of the solution. This would involve replacing top-down bans with meaningful conversations involving young people and adults to build fair and practical digital guidelines, where everyone benefits. Cara Swit is an Associate professor in the School of Health Sciences at University of Canterbury. Aaron Hapuku is a Lecturer in School of Health Sciences at University of Canterbury. Helena Cook is a Lecturer in the School of Social and Cultural Studies at University of Canterbury. Jennifer Smith is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Canterbury. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 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 A criminal court in Cyprus has acquitted five Israeli men accused of gang-raping a British woman after ruling her testimony was not credible. The acquittal means the defendants cannot be brought to trial again on the same charges that included sexual assault and abduction. The court found, during closed-doors proceedings, that most of the contradictions in the womans testimony concerned the identification of the perpetrators. The court said the womans initial statement to investigators following the alleged rape presented a number of weaknesses, which under the circumstances werent out of the ordinary. But investigators doubts regarding the womans credibility grew when she offered entirely incomprehensible and inconsistent explanations regarding the contradictions in her testimony specifically the identification of the perpetrators which also included a line-up. The announcement also noted contradictions in the womans statements to police regarding who and how many of the five defendants had committed rape. open image in gallery A relative of one the Israeli men covers their face as they leave the court ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) According to the court, the woman initially accused three men of rape while in a subsequent statement she accused five, two of whom werent in the room where the rape occurred. The court also referred to witness testimony disproving the womans claim that she had screamed for help and that someone had opened the door to the hotel room to let others inside. The court said the woman who was 20 at the time of the alleged rape was under the influence of a significant amount of alcohol and the hallucinogens MDA and MDMA. popularly known as Sally and Molly. But it found the quantities in her system werent enough to remove her ability for consent since she testified that she only felt a little dizzy after consuming the alcohol and drugs. All five of the Israeli men had pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Police had said the British woman picked the five Israelis out of a line-up as having raped her during a hotel pool party in the coastal resort town of Ayia Napa. The ruling came after the European Court of Human Rights ruled last month that Cyprus law enforcement authorities failed to live up to their obligation to thoroughly and effectively investigate a British teenagers claims that she had been gang-raped by a group of Israelis while on a 2019 vacation in Ayia Napa. 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 French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been barred from running in the 2027 presidential election following an embezzlement conviction, a court ruling that could significantly impact both French and global politics. The decision deals a heavy blow to the 56-year-old National Rally (RN) party chief, a prominent figure in the European far-right movement and a leading contender in polls for the 2027 French presidential race. This unexpected turn of events throws the succession plans for President Emmanuel Macron into disarray and further weakens his already fragile minority government, grappling with a series of ongoing crises. It is also likely to exacerbate growing global anger among right-wing leaders over what they see as judges meddling in their mandates. In a prime time TV interview on TF1, Le Pen said she was innocent, and would appeal as soon as possible against what she described as a politicised ruling aimed at blocking her presidential bid. She said she was currently out of the running for 2027, but would continue to fight for her future. "Tonight there are millions of French people who are outraged, outraged to an unimaginable degree, seeing that in France, in the country of human rights, judges have implemented practices that we thought were reserved for authoritarian regimes," she said. Le Pen's five-year public office ban cannot be suspended by appeal, although she will retain her parliamentary seat until her term ends. She also received a four-year prison sentence - two years of which are suspended and two years to be served under home detention, and a 100,000-euro ($108,200) fine, but they will not apply until her appeals are exhausted. Marine Le Pen leaves the courtroom after her guilty verdict ( Getty Images ) The right reacts Billionaire Elon Musk, who has led calls to impeach U.S. judges blocking President Donald Trump's agenda, while also lending his support to European far-right figures, alleged an establishment plot behind Le Pen's defenestration. "When the radical left can't win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents," he wrote on X. "This is their standard playbook throughout the world." Le Pen's allies, as well as far-right leaders from Europe and around the world, joined in condemning the ruling as judicial overreach. "Today it is not only Marine Le Pen who was unjustly convicted: It was French democracy that was killed," said Le Pen's right-hand man, RN president Jordan Bardella. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was barred from office until 2030 for abuse of power, said Le Pen's sentence was "left-wing judicial activism." "Je suis Marine!" Viktor Orban wrote on X. Even the Kremlin chimed in Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Vladimir Putin, declared that "Marine Le Pen's situation constitutes a violation of democratic norms". France's High Council of the Judiciary expressed its concern over what it called "virulent reactions" provoked by the ruling. "Statements by political leaders on the merits of the prosecution or the conviction, particularly during the deliberations, cannot be accepted in a democratic society," it said in a statement. There have been instances of immediate political bans in France since the passage of toughened anti-corruption laws in 2016, but Le Pen supporters accused judges of policing politics. Arnaud Benedetti, a political analyst, said Le Pen's ban was a watershed moment. "This is a seismic political event," he said. "Inevitably, it's going to reshuffle the pack, particularly on the right." 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 Marine Le Pen said the establishment has dropped a nuclear bomb in an address to fellow National Rally MPs after a court ruling barred her from standing for public office ahead of the French presidential elections. Less than 24 hours after being found guilty of embezzlement, Le Pen said: If they use such a powerful weapon against us, it is because we are on the verge of winning the elections. The National Rally (RN) leader also told the meeting she would defend the French people, who have the right to vote for whomever they wish. Her comments are the latest in a series of attacks on a French courts decision to ban her from public office for five years following her conviction a move that means she will not be able to stand in the presidential election in 2027. On Monday night, Le Pen maintained her innocence and vowed to appeal the ruling in a television interview. open image in gallery Le Pen attends a questions to the government sessions at the National Assembly in Paris a day after being convicted by a French court ( Reuters ) Now her party is ramping up efforts to draw in French support for Le Pen, who polls had as a frontrunner for the next election. The head of RN, Jordan Bardella, urged the country to protest this weekend. We'll take to the streets this weekend. We're organising leaflet distributions, democratic, peaceful, calm mobilisations, Mr Bardella told Europe 1 radio and CNews TV. I believe today that the French must be outraged, and I tell them: be outraged! RN lawmakers will also hold news conferences in their constituencies, he said. open image in gallery Jordan Bardella has shown his support for Le Pen, organising a protest this weekend ( AP ) Mr Bardella's support for Le Pen comes despite the ruling making him the de facto candidate for the 2027 election. Judge Benedicte de Perthuis cited Le Pens lack of remorse as a key reason for the decision to ban her from running for office. She found that Le Pen had been at the heart of a scheme to misappropriate more than 4m of European Union funds. Despite outrage from the far right, an opinion poll suggested the majority of French people agreed with the conviction. Le Pen was also fined 100,000 (82,635) and handed a four-year prison sentence with two years suspended and the rest with an electronic tag. 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 Donald Trump must not be misled by Vladimir Putins stalling tactics to delay peace in Ukraine, outgoing German minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Kyiv. The US president showed the first signs of frustration with his Russian counterpart over the weekend, telling NBC News he was p***** off and very angry with Putin over the failure to reach an agreement with a ceasefire - before threatening to unleash oil tariffs on Moscow. Paying a final visit to Kyiv as Germanys foreign minister - before a new government takes office with CDU leader Friedrich Merz at the helm - Ms Baerbock said she would raise the issue with US secretary of state Marco Rubio during a meeting of Nato foreign ministers this week. "At the upcoming meeting of NATO foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin's stalling tactics," the 44-year-old Greens leader said in a statement released after her arrival in the Ukrainian capital. open image in gallery The outgoing foreign minister is on a farewell visit in Kyiv ( AFP via Getty Images ) Putin is "feigning readiness to negotiate but is not moving one millimetre from his position", she added. Ms Baerbock said it was all the more crucial to back Kyiv unconditionally now that talks between Russia and the US had reached a deadlock. Moscow has repeatedly said that ceasefire proposals cannot be accepted in their current form, calling for Russian demands to be heard before a complete halt to fighting can go ahead. In quotes published by Russian magazine International Affairs on Tuesday, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Moscow cant accept Washingtons proposal to end the war in its current form. He added: "As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict. It is completely absent, and that must be overcome. open image in gallery Vladimir Putin met with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Tuesday ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images ) Meanwhile, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha - who welcomed Ms Baerbock to Kyiv on Tuesday - told reporters that Ukraine would continue working with Washington towards a mutually acceptable minerals deal. A round of consultations has already taken place on a new draft of the minerals deal, Mr Sybiha said, coming one month after the deal temporarily collapsed after Volodymyr Zelensky was booted out of the White House on a visit which intended to finalise a framework agreement. Mr Sybihas statement came after Mr Trump said on Sunday that Mr Zelensky wants to back out of the deal - warning the Ukrainian leader that he would face big problems if he did. Washington sent a revised proposal after the February meeting, which would require Kyiv to send Washington all profit from a fund controlling Ukrainian resources until Ukraine had repaid all American wartime aid, plus interest, according to a summary reviewed by Reuters. open image in gallery Ms Baerbock, left, has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since becoming foreign minister in 2021 ( REUTERS ) On Friday, Mr Zelensky said Kyiv would not accept any mineral rights deal which threatened its integration with the EU, but did not pass judgement on the revised deal. Ms Baerbock said on Tuesday that any minerals agreement must be compatible with European law, adding that Europe had already reached a deal with Ukraine. "After all, this is our European continent... we are of course also in dialogue with all stakeholders accordingly," she said. In Moscow, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi met with Putin and Russian minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss a strategic partnership between Beijing and Russia. 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 Close Zelensky condemns Russian strikes on hometown: Diplomacy means nothing to them 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 Ukrainian team will visit Washington this week for crunch talks on a minerals deal, the first visit since the deal collapsed in dramatic fashion five weeks ago. Volodymyr Zelensky was set to sign a framework agreement in late February before he was booted out of the White House, when a furious Donald Trump berated the Ukrainian president for not being thankful enough for US war assistance. Since then, teams from Kyiv and Washington have been working to hash out a revised agreement - and to rebuild a broken relationship. Washington has proposed a more expansive minerals deal which could give it access to valuable mineral resources, including titanium, lithium, and uranium, according to economy minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. But the deal has not yet been agreed by Ukraine and it is unclear exactly how close the two sides are to reaching an agreement. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has urged Russia to stop bombing Ukraine, after a ballistic missile strike in Kryvyi Rih killed 20, including nine children., We are talking to Russia. We would like them to stop, Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One. I dont like the bombing, the bombing goes on and on, and every week thousands of young people being killed. 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 This article contains content of a distressing nature Palestinian doctors working in Gaza have accused Israeli forces of using electric shocks, turning medics into human shields and repeatedly torturing them after arresting them without charge. Dr Khaled Al-Serr, a surgeon at Al-Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, said the Israeli military raided the facility on two different occasions, arresting dozens of medical workers as they treated injured Palestinians. He alleged that when he was detained in March last year, he was stripped naked alongside four others and forced to act as a human shield before being taken to Sde Teiman military detention centre in southern Israel. There, he said he was coerced into making confessions while handcuffed for three months even while asleep, beaten so badly his ribs broke, and interrogated about the hospital. open image in gallery Dr Khaled Al-Serr, a surgeon at Al-Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, claims he was stripped naked alongside four others and forced to act as a human shield inside Gaza before being taken to a detention centre ( Supplied ) His account comes as the UN said on Monday that Israel killed 15 more medical and emergency workers as they attempted to rescue the injured from the southern city of Rafah. More than 250 Palestinian medics including doctors, nurses and paramedics are believed to have been held in Israel since the war in Gaza erupted in October 2023, according to human rights group Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), who claim 180 are still behind bars without due process or clarity. In October, an UN independent commission concluded that Israel has perpetrated a concerted policy to destroy Gazas healthcare system, with relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities amounting to war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination. The Israeli military has repeatedly denied accusations of abusing and targeting medics and accused Hamas militants of using hospitals in Gaza as bases, despite providing scant evidence of such a serious charge. But Palestinian healthcare workers described violent raids and bombings of hospitals, mass arrests and disappearances of personnel, torture and deaths in detention. Details of the alleged abuse come as The Independent released its own investigation, revealing evidence of abuse, torture, and deaths of Palestinian detainees, including some of Gazas most renowned medics, in Israels jails. open image in gallery On Monday, the UN said Israel killed 15 more medical and emergency workers as they attempted to rescue the injured from the southern city of Rafah. Pictured: funeral of one of the ICRC workers ( AP ) Recalling his alleged treatment one night, Dr Al-Serr told The Independent: I was tied everywhere, from my ankles to my wrists. I wasnt able to move, I was not able to breathe properly. There were soldiers sitting over me, putting their shoes over me. One kept kicking me and punching with the back of his gun or his foot... Every two minutes, I either get beaten by a fist or a kick, or hit in the back with the butt of their guns. I describe it as the way to hell. He said injured inmates would come to him for help including four men who told him they had been raped by Israeli prison guards with sharp objects, causing rectal bleeding. One man, 24 years old, was so disturbed by the torture he told Dr Al-Serr it included rape and being told Israel had bombed his family in Gaza because he would not confess that he had a breakdown and would uncontrollably defecate and urinate on himself when the guards arrived. It got so bad that Dr Al-Serr insisted the guards give him a nappy to wear. Dr Iyas al-Bursh, a GP who worked at Al Shifa Hospital, Gazas largest, said he was also arrested while working last March. He described spending four months in Sde Teiman and then seven in Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank. It was a harsh and difficult life and experience interspersed with torment and torture in all forms, whether it was physical torture from beating, punching, and electric shocks to psychological torture and medical neglect, he said, adding that he lost multiple family members in Israels bombings. We were denied our human rights and were prevented from communicating with our families or any legal authority. open image in gallery Dr Iyas Adel Al-Bursh is a general practitioner who worked in Al-Shifa hospital ( Supplied ) The Israeli military has investigated at least one instance of guards in Sde Teiman allegedly torturing an inmate in an indictment seen by The Independent, five guards are accused of aggravated assault, including stabbing an inmate with a sharp object, which resulted in an internal rectal tear. They, however, said this was an exceptional incident and denied ill treatment of medics. Regarding the detention of medical staff some suspects were detained during operations in medical facilities, which have been used by Hamas and other terrorist organisations for military purposes, the military said in a statement to The Independent. Among the detainees were also medical staff or individuals who impersonated such staff, who were found to be involved in terrorist activities, and some were even revealed to be members of the military wing of Hamas while simultaneously working at the medical institution. The IDF operates in accordance with international law, and does not detain medical workers due to their work as such. Speaking to The Independent, Yasmine al-Bursh, wife of Dr Adnan al-Bursh, a renowned Palestinian surgeon, described how she pieced together what happened to him after he died in Ofer prison last April, four months after being detained. She said former cellmates described how he had lost nearly half his body weight and had been subjected to extreme violence and torture. open image in gallery Dr Adnan al-Bursh, a renowned Palestinian surgeon, died while in Israeli custody ( Supplied ) Dr Guy Shalev, an Israeli doctor and PHRIs director, said Palestinian medics were being targeted by Israel, despite their unique protection under conventions and international law, at a time when the destruction of healthcare system infrastructure is causing even more impact. We know that when the only paediatric orthopaedist in the near region of Gaza is being held in an Israeli incarceration facility, that person is not there doing the important work, he said. If you attack a healthcare system, you dont only attack the few hundred people that you attack, or the few hundred people that you detain. You damage an entire population. He warned that the violation of international conventions and the protection of healthcare in Gaza, is something we as humanity are going to pay for in future conflicts. These violations are so out in the open, so clear, and we see no accountability; there is no effective international pressure on Israel to abide by these conventions, that it basically means that these conventions have no meaning or are not applicable in practice. This is very worrying in terms of what the future of care the idea, the ability to care for another person looks like. open image in gallery Two elderly men walk while a cloud of smoke erupts in the northern Gaza Strip ( AFP via Getty ) Israel launched a devastating invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas militants bloody attacks on southern Israel on 7 October, during which they killed over 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages. More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israels bombardment, according to Palestinian health officials among them are more than 1,057 Palestinian health and medical professionals, according to the United Nations. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, warned in January that the UN had documented at least 136 strikes on at least 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities in Gaza, adding that the protection of hospitals during warfare is paramount and must be respected by all sides, at all times. At the moment, only 15 of the 24 hospitals are functioning, with so many medics behind bars that several departments arent able to function. At the beginning of March, Poland outpaced other European nations by announcing plans to introduce universal military service for all men. Speaking in the Polish parliament, president Donald Tusk said: We will try to have a model ready by the end of this year so that every adult male in Poland is trained in the event of war, ensuring that this reserve is comparable and adequate to potential threats. Even though Poland has taken a step that many other European nations are hesitant to take, it is evident that, despite their reluctance, forms of military service are being examined, studied, and debated among European policymakers. And all the signs suggest that the UK will follow suit sooner rather than later. Nearly a year ago, Rishi Sunak pledged that if the Conservatives won the general election, 18-year-olds would be required to take part in a scheme involving military or civilian service. While Sunak was short on details regarding who would conduct the training or how it would be funded, the proposals were pitched as a bold new model of national service. Participants could opt to spend one weekend per month volunteering in civic roles such as an RNLI volunteer or NHS responder. The country, he argued, needed to be open and honest about long-term challenges, and the scheme would provide young people with real-world skills while contributing to their country and community. The plan was quickly derided across the political spectrum, with Justin Crump, a defence expert and veteran of 25 years, capturing the mood when he said the plans were ill-thought-through and would be an enormous potential burden on Britains military. He added: Its certainly not the solution to the militarys problems, and I think everyone Ive spoken to this morning still has their head in their hands. However, 12 months on, it no longer seems like such an outlandish idea. Sir Alex Younger told Independent TV recently that people in the UK must realise that the threat from Russia and its closeness to the US is real, adding: Putin and Trump together have done their best to persuade us that the rules have changed. Discussing what needs to be done to prepare, Sir Alex, known as C during his time as spy chief, added: Youd have to ask a soldier about the actual efficacy of things like conscription. I have no idea I know that it just needs to be a more integrated feature of everyday life. I think that will bring broader benefits. So I think this is probably more about a more creative and broader conception of what the reserves is. The ex-spy chief then told the BBC 's Today Podcast that a new type of enrolment should be looked at. He said: "In extremis, I think we'd be looking at something like the model I understand exists in places like Sweden , where the Government theoretically has the power to compel people to give their service one way or another, but doesn't exercise it except in areas where it's really needed." As the US becomes a less reliable ally in an increasingly volatile world, the government has said it will implement all 62 recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review, and has promised to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027, with an ambition but no firm commitment to hike it to 3 per cent in the next parliament. Meanwhile, defence secretary John Healey has warned that Britain would not be ready to fend off an invasion given the state of its armed forces, and agrees that a recruitment drive is needed to bolster Britains depleted military. The review includes improving recruitment to tackle the hiring crisis, with innovative new ways and points to Australias military gap year as an exciting model. The Australian Defence Force offers a 12-month gap year programme which allows youngsters to experience military life without a long-term commitment, training them in a number of roles while giving them benefits like salary, accommodation and healthcare. The SDR also suggests that Cadet Forces should be expanded across the country by 30 per cent by 2030. With almost a million young people not in education, employment, or training, this group has also become a key focus as ministers cut benefits while seeking to strengthen defence. As Rachel Reeves announced substantial cuts to the welfare bill earlier this year, former Tesco chair John Allan suggested that out-of-work young people should be required to undergo military training in exchange for benefits. Under the governments new welfare reforms, those aged 18 to 21 will be given a youth guarantee offer of training or employment but risk losing their benefits if they decline. The chancellor told ITV: In the changed world we face today, there are opportunities for good jobs in our armed forces, but also in the defence sector that produces the tanks, machinery, and ships that our military uses. And of course, as this government increases defence spending, more good jobs with decent wages will become available in that sector. open image in gallery Rishi Sunaks pledge to implement a new form of national service last year was derided by many ( Getty ) So, could a voluntary national service or conscription with benefits soon become a reality? Conscription ran in the UK from 1916-1920 and again from 1939-1960. It was renamed national service after the Second World War. The last national serviceman left the military in 1963, more than 60 years ago. The traditional argument for ending national service was that it consumed too many regular personnel to train conscripts, many of whom were reluctant and of lower quality. A motivated professional force was deemed preferable. However, a combination of factors has brought the issue back into sharp focus. First, the Ukraine war has demonstrated that small, professional armies, which are costly and limited in numbers, can be quickly depleted. While precise forecasts are difficult, some suggest that the British armys war-fighting arm, 3rd (UK) Division, could become combat-ineffective within six months in a Ukraine-style conflict due to casualties and exhaustion. Another challenge is filling recruitment gaps in modern armed forces, a common issue across Europe as populations age. The British army currently has about 71,300 personnel, the lowest number since the Napoleonic era. Of these, only 55,005 are fully deployable (able to serve without medical restrictions). The armys target is 73,000, yet the Royal Navy alone has missed its recruitment targets for sailors and commandos every year for over a decade. In Norway, being accepted for national service is sometimes called The Golden Ticket because it significantly improves life prospects For the UK, there are concerns about protecting the home front in the event of war. The current forces can either deploy to Europe alongside Nato allies or stay to defend the UK, but they lack the depth to do both. The Office for National Statistics states that around 750,000 people turn 18 in the UK each year. The armed forces neither need nor can absorb anywhere near that number of recruits. This brings us to the question of what a new national service model could look like. In the Nordic and Baltic states, there is universal conscription with a twist: not everyone is called up. The armed forces select recruits based on their needs, and people are encouraged to volunteer through a number of incentives. In these countries, national service is highly valued. In Norway, being accepted for national service is sometimes called the Golden Ticket because it significantly improves life prospects. Government jobs are prioritised for those who serve, and many private companies offer fast-track recruitment for national service volunteers. Around 15 per cent of 18-year-olds in Norway (both men and women) are conscripted or volunteer, totalling about 9,000 annually, with numbers expected to rise due to the perceived Russian threat. In Finland, the army can expand from a peacetime strength of 20,000 (including conscripts) to 300,000 within a week in a crisis. open image in gallery The British army is struggling to reach its target of 73,000 personnel ( Getty ) Many countries with military national service also offer civilian alternatives. Sweden and Finland, for example, as Sir Alex Younger pointed to, both provide civil defence options. Those refusing both military and civil service can face imprisonment without parole. Finns living abroad who fail to return for service can have their passports revoked. However, in countries bordering Russia, national service is seen as part of the national culture and duty. By contrast, a study by The Times and YouGov revealed that only 11 per cent of the UKs Gen Z would be willing to fight for their country in a war. Could they be persuaded if national service provided tangible benefits? In the past, British national service helped improve literacy and numeracy by sending illiterate recruits to the Royal Army Education Corps. A modern version could integrate education, offering student loan forgiveness or education vouchers for those who serve. Extending service commitments of, say, up to five years could result in complete student debt cancellation or preferential financial backing for property purchases. As in Norway, those who serve could receive priority for civil service jobs, making national service an attractive opportunity. Ultimately, national service need not replicate the model of the 1950s and 60s. The military once numbered over 350,000 personnel, but today, only a fraction of the 750,000 18-year-olds each year would be needed perhaps 10-15,000 for military service and a few thousand more for civilian roles. open image in gallery Donald Tusk has announced that Poland is looking into creating a programme to train its citizens ( EPA ) Bringing back national service would require a major cultural and mind shift in the UK. However, proven models from European countries are being closely examined. Unless Russia collapses, a version of national service seems increasingly likely within the next five years and military gap years are just one innovative ideas being considered. To make it work, though, the UK must shed outdated negative perceptions of national service and recognise its broader societal benefits. In an age where young people are increasingly isolated by algorithms and social media, engaging them in shared experiences that promote national values could be a profoundly positive step if done well. Francis Tusa is editor of Defence Analysis Rami Malek has revealed what working on his new revenge thriller, The Amateur, taught him about grief. The Oscar winner plays Charlie Heller, a CIA decoder whose life is turned upside down when his wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a London terrorist attack. He takes matters into his own hands when his supervisors refuse to take action. The movie is based on Robert Littell's 1981 book and film of the same name. When asked about what the project taught him about grief and the lengths people will go to for their loved ones, Malek told The Independent at the film's London premiere: "Someone in this circumstance, they can bury their head in the sand... [but] Charlie finds a steely determination in himself." The Amateur is out in the UK on 11 April. Watch the moment Austrian police caught two men who fled the UK after the brutal murder of a DPD delivery driver. 23-year-old Aurman Singh was making deliveries in Coton Hill, Shrewsbury, when he was fatally assaulted on 21 August 2023. The attackers, Mehakdeep Singh and Sehajpal Singh, fled in a Mercedes before escaping the UK a few days later. West Mercia Polices extensive hunt for the pair ended in Austria where they were arrested by local law enforcement. The men were found guilty at Stafford Crown Court on 31 March 2025, with sentencing due on 11 April. Four other men involved in the attack were sentenced to 28 years each on 11 August 2024. Former US president Ronald Reagan warned of a Donald Trump-style trade war tactic in a radio address nearly 40 years ago. A video from Mr Reagans 1988 speech, focusing on Canadian elections and free trade, has resurfaced in light of Trumps presidency and tariffs. Mr Reagan used his radio broadcast to warn against trade wars and beware of demogogues who are ready to declare a trade war against our friends. The 1988 speech is in sharp contrast to Donald Trumps stance with the use of tariffs. His administration has imposed 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China. Such is the Trump Tower-sized self-conceit of Donald J Trump that for weeks if not months he could not see what virtually the whole of the rest of the world could: Vladimir Putin was playing him like a cheap violin. Trump, seemingly mesmerised by the Russian leader, gave his friend everything he wanted: dominance in Ukraine, aside from a carve-out for US mineral interests; a Russian zone of influence in Europe; the abandonment of Nato and other allies. All of that in return for the Russians scaling back their nuclear arsenal and giving the Americans a free run at acquiring Greenland and Canada (even if they are not Russias to give away and wont ever happen). That looked to be the kind of grand bargain Trump was looking for, but Putin overplayed his hand. In this gangsterish carve-up of the world, albeit one where the Chinese are yet to assert themselves, Trump somehow realised that it is Putin and not Volodymyr Zelensky who is taking him for a ride. The reaction when this obvious truth dawned on him was typically Trumpian: intemperate, foul-mouthed and public. In an unusual phone briefing to an NBC journalist, Trump said he was angry and p***ed off with Putin, and hell be having words with him later this week. Surprise, surprise, Putin has broken every promise hes made to Trump, and the so-called peace conference in Saudi Arabia (in reality, an elongated proxy surrender ceremony for Ukraine). Putin has obfuscated, tricked and duped his way to gaining further advantage on the battlefield by exploiting Trumps childlike naivety. It has been pitiable to observe. Trump, infamously, even called Zelensky a dictator with no elections, hinting at a willingness to jettison the democratically elected leader of Ukraine as readily as he might primary a troublesome RINO (Republican in Name Only) congressman. But when Putin pushed his luck and called for a UN-controlled temporary administration in Kyiv to sign up to the humiliating peace, for some reason, Trump finally lost his temper. Will things change? Probably not. The Russians know theyve gone too far and are already slyly rowing back but preserving their freedom of movement in the negotiations. Soviet throwback Dmitry Peskov has told the worlds media that Russia is continuing to "work with the American side" on peace in Ukraine and that Putin remained "open to contact" with Trump. I bet he is looking forward to manoeuvring his "mark" back where he wants him in this grand game of deception. A fresh, even more lucrative, deal on Ukrainian natural resources seems to be the fresh bait, and maybe a guarantee that even if Russia does invade Ukraine later on, US interests will be sacrosanct and continue to operate under Russian rule of what used to be independent Ukraine. Needless to add, that would render entirely worthless any security aspect to the minerals deal. The American staff and executives getting the lithium and the cobalt out of the Ukrainian chernozem will be able to carry on regardless. It is, sadly, not unlike the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that divided up Poland between Stalin and Hitler in 1939 an historical comparison Putin and Trump might privately enjoy. The idea of a UN administration of Ukraine that so enraged Trump will be quietly dropped. There will be no tougher sanctions on Russian oil, and the Kremlin will continue to use the Americans to gain what they cannot win on the battlefield. Putin will placate his victim; the long, painful extinction of Ukraine will drag on; and Europe will be left to wonder why the Americans despise us and ask, Whos next? The answer, of course, is Europe, because Putins territorial ambitions have no limits. Only Trump seems not to comprehend that. CEOs shock exit puts a rare spotlight on the top team at Penneys Investors stunned as Paul Marchant leaves business after allegation about his behaviour towards a woman Penneys boss steps down over allegation about behaviour towards a woman Donal O'Donovan Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 03:30 Until this weeks shock resignation, Paul Marchant was undoubtedly the most influential figure in the Irish fashion trade and among the most influential in retail globally. He was just the second CEO of Penneys in the groups 55-year history, having been hand-picked to take over by his predecessor, the late Arthur Ryan. Explainer: Why is Donald Trump obsessed with tariffs and how worried should we be in Ireland? John Burns answers the key questions for businesses on this side of the Atlantic, as Donald Trump gets ready to announces tariffs on European goods Tariffs are taxes placed on imports from other countries. Who pays them? John Burns Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 09:30 What are the key questions for businesses here as US gets ready for Liberation Day? Its widespread. Every age cohort, every walk of life. Fraud doesnt see the customer, it sees the account, CEO of Bank of Ireland Retail on a scourge of the digital era Where Michelin-star chefs go to eat a curry: I think its some of the best food of any kind being served in Ireland right now First District Judge Matthew Wilson listens to arguments during a hearing for an injunction to prevent the release of photos and other evidence related to the death of the actor Gene Hackman and his wife (The Albuquerque Journal/AP) A court has cleared the way for the release of records about the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, as long as depictions of the deceased couple are blocked from view. The ruling from a New Mexico judge allows the possible release of redacted police body camera video and other investigative materials, including images of the couples dead dog. All photos, video and documents from the investigation had been restricted from release by an earlier, temporary court order. There shall be no depiction of either body in any video production or photographic image of the bodies, Santa Fe-based Judge Matthew Wilson said in response to questions from lawyers on his ruling. American actor Gene Hackman at the Under Suspician photocall at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000 (PA) A representative for the Hackman family estate had urged a New Mexico judge to keep the records sealed to protect the familys constitutional right to privacy. The partially mummified remains of Hackman and Ms Arakawa were found in their Santa Fe home on February 26, when maintenance and security workers showed up at the house and alerted police. Authorities have said Hackman, 95, died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimers disease about a week after his wife died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a rare, rodent-borne disease. Hackman may have been unaware Ms Arakawa, 65, was dead. One of the couples three dogs, a kelpie mix named Zinna, also was found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Ms Arakawa, while two other dogs were found alive. A state veterinary lab tied the dogs death to dehydration and starvation. Judge Matthew J Wilson listens to arguments by lawyer Greg Williams, representing the media interveners in the Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa case (Michael G Seamans/Santa Fe New Mexican/ AP) Authorities unravelled the mysterious circumstances of the couples deaths and described their conclusions at a March 7 news conference without releasing most related written and photographic records. New Mexicos open records law blocks public access to sensitive images, including depictions of dead bodies. Experts also say some medical information is not considered public record under the state Inspection of Public Records Act. In seeking to block the release of records, estate representative Julia Peters had emphasised the possibly shocking nature of photographs and video in the investigation and potential for their dissemination by media. The Hackman family estate also sought to block the eventual release of autopsy reports by the Office of the Medical Investigator and death investigation reports by the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office. A lawyer for the estate, Kurt Sommer, argued during Mondays hearing that the couple took great pains to stay out of the public light during their lifetimes and that the right to control the use of their names and likenesses should extend to their estate in death. The bulk of death investigations by law enforcement and autopsy reports by medical investigators are typically considered public records under state law in the spirit of ensuring government transparency and accountability. Actor Morgan Freeman at the Oscars on March 2 remembering Gene Hackman, days after after the former actor and his wife were found dead in their home (Chris Pizzello/AP) The Associated Press, CBS News, and CBS Studios intervened in the matter. Gregory P Williams, a lawyer for the news outlets, told the judge that they had previously said in court filings that they would not disseminate images of the couples bodies and would blur images to obscure them from other records. There is certainly a public interest in knowing how their deaths were investigated and knowing how that was handled, Mr Williams said. Susan Madore, a publicist who had worked with the Hackman family for years, testified that the couple relished living in Santa Fe because it afforded them anonymity. Hackman retired in the early 2000s. Ms Arakawa had no children, while Hackman is survived by three children from a previous marriage. At Mondays hearing, a lawyer for Hackmans son and daughters highlighted the possible traumatic effects of releasing conversations about the deaths within police body camera videos. Scot Sauder, a lawyer for the state medical investigator, told the judge that autopsy reports for Hackman and his wife do not yet exist and will not include past health care information once completed. Julia Peters, centre, representing the estate of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman, sits in First District Court (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal/AP) It can take months for autopsy reports to be completed. Privacy will also likely play a role as the couples estate is settled. According to probate court documents, Hackman signed an updated will in 2005, leaving his estate to his wife, while the will she signed that year directed her estate to him. With both dying, management of the estate is in Ms Peters hands. Without trust documents being made public, it is unclear who the beneficiaries are and how the assets will be divided. In cinemas; Cert 15A The distributors missed a trick on this one. It might have made more sense to release Four Mothers, a breezy Irish comedy with a big heart, in time for Mothers Day this year. True, select cinemas across the country held special preview screenings of the film last Sunday. But Darren Thorntons cosy homegrown feature his first since 2016s A Date for Mad Mary could have benefited from a proper nationwide roll-out at the end of March. Are these things important? Sort of. Will Thorntons film find an audience regardless? I certainly hope so. Loosely inspired by a 2008 Italian picture Gianni Di Gregorios Mid-August Lunch Four Mothers is by no means perfect. The punchlines are too broad and the central premise is perhaps too superficial. Every time it gets close to something clever something real, even it backs off and runs in the opposite direction. What Four Mothers lacks in storytelling smarts, however, it more than makes up for with a likeable lead and a moving turn from the great Fionnula Flanagan. We begin with a spot of interview prep. Edward (James McArdle), a gay Dubliner living with his elderly widowed mother, Alma (Flanagan), has written a YA novel that looks as if it might go supernova. His American publishers are excited for the future, but first Edward will have to publicise the book and to do that hell need to get used to talking about himself. It wont be easy. For whatever reason, Edward is too nervous and too unsure of his thoughts hes always putting other people first and the poor chap makes a complete mess of his first major radio appearance. 'Four Mothers' is an irresistible treat The next one is just as bad and his publishers are worried. Still, they invite Edward to come to America where theyll iron out the problems and help him promote the novel in person. Its an incredible opportunity, but to make it work Edward will need to put his mother in a home, and she wont like that. Alma is recovering from a stroke and Edward the only adult son without a family of his own is her primary carer. Alma lost her voice, too, but she still finds a way to hold conversations with a smart device. Edwards pals, Billy (Gordon Hickey) and Colm (Gearoid Farrelly) are in a similar position. Theyve also been looking after their mothers and theyre about to do something so extraordinarily selfish youll wonder why nobody calls them out on it. Long story short, the boys have booked tickets for a Pride festival in Europe and before they leave for the airport they drop their mums off at Edwards house, without telling him. Edwards best friend/therapist, Dermot (Rory ONeill), does the same. Four mothers (Flanagan, Stella McCusker, Dearbhla Molloy, Paddy Glynn) under the one roof: what could possibly go wrong? It sounds complicated, but Thornton, working alongside his screenwriter brother Colin, opts for a frothy, fuss-free execution. But various comical sequences some of them a tad far-fetched begin to crumble when examined under a dramatic lens. The life lessons are sweet in 'Four Mothers' Wouldnt it be fun to watch Edward sleep in his car and brush his teeth in the drive? It is, but it makes zero narrative sense. Are we OK with Edwards pals burdening him with their responsibilities and their icy mammies during the biggest week of his professional life? Not really: its a terrible thing to do to somebody, and Four Mothers never properly addresses that fact. Mind you, itd be a different type of film if Edward reported his friends to the authorities. This one passes the time nicely and tells its story with a spring in its step and a smile on its face. The bickering matriarchs each with a different dinner order are fun to watch. The life lessons are sweet and the Thornton boys remember to include a mandatory road trip segment (it has to be done, I suppose). McArdle, born and raised in Glasgow, deserves a medal for his impeccable Irish accent. Edward isnt always well written, and Four Mothers pushes him in too many directions at once. But McArdle, who is in practically every scene, is superb here and so is Flanagan. Alma may not have a voice, but shes still the loudest person in the room, and Flanagans performance all knowing gestures and mischievous scowls keeps this flawed yet largely irresistible venture on track. Park the cynicism and give it a go. Three stars 1,000+ waiting for BE trailer licence tests with Monaghan boasting best pass rate BE trailer lessons from ADIs, although not mandatory, are reportedly ranging from 65-90/hr The Road Safety Authority has confirmed that 1,044 drivers are on a waiting list for BE trailer licence tests. Photo: Don MacMonagle Catherina Cunnane Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 03:30 Farmers looking to do their trailer licence test (BE) are facing a backlog of more than 10-12 weeks in some test centres. 10 years on from milk quotas: Dairy farmers now have middle-class incomes but not middle-class working hours Irelands overall output has surged from 4.9 billion litres to 8 billion, transforming the fortunes of the average dairy farmer but it hasnt been an easy journey ICMSA president Denis Drennan Ciaran Moran Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 03:30 A decade ago, as the final hours of the EU milk quota system ticked away, talk of "white gold" filled the airwaves and newspaper pages. MEP says EU must engage with Canada as US tariffs set to impact Russian supply MEP Ciaran Mullooly is urging the Commission to initiate prompt negotiations with Canada, a nation considered a trusted partner by the EU Ciaran Mullooly has called on the Commissioners for Agriculture and Trade to enter into immediate negotiations with the Canadian government to secure a reliable and sufficient supply of fertiliser for the EU market. He said stability in the fertiliser supply chain is now an urgent priority for Ireland and the wider EU. The MidlandsNorth-West MEP said he is deeply concerned about the impact of the proposed tariffs on Russian fertiliser imports which, if implemented, could remove up to 5.7 million tonnes from the European market, representing approximately 30pc of current supply, according to the EUs own estimates. The EU, he said, cannot move forward with these tariffs without first securing a viable alternative supply. Mullooly is actively working with MEPs from France and Germany to press for a deferral of the proposed tariffs until such alternative sources are in place. The European agriculture sector has long relied on substantial imports of fertiliser, with Russia supplying approximately 30pc of Europes total fertiliser demand, he said. In 2024 alone, 5.7 million tons were sourced from Russia. This includes high-standard products such as protected urea, which plays a key role in reducing the environmental impact of farming practices. In Ireland, we are deeply troubled by the potential consequences of this tariff. Its introduction will likely cause immediate disruptions in the supply of fertiliser, driving up costs for farmers and jeopardising food production and security. At a time of economic and political uncertainty, such an impact could exacerbate instability across the region. Mr Mullooly said he is urging the Commission to initiate prompt negotiations with Canada, a nation considered a trusted partner by the EU. Canada has proven its capacity to increase fertiliser production and could provide a stable alternative supply, he said. In 2022, Canadian ammonia production reached seven million tons, which translates into 11 million tons of nitrogen. Canada is the largest producer of potash. This clearly demonstrates Canadas capacity to manufacture much needed fertiliser for the European and Irish farmers. This decisive action would help mitigate the inevitable crisis stemming from restricted access to Russian fertiliser and ensure the sustainability of European agriculture. The EU is bracing itself for Donald Trumps administration to announce tariffs on US trading partners in the range of 10pc to 25pc on Wednesday a day the US President is calling Liberation Day. Paschal Donohoe tells CNN all EU finance ministers agreed on need for 'unified' response to changing trade policy Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has appeared on CNN to discuss the upcoming meeting between EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and US president Donald Trump. Mr Donohoe has just completed chairing a meeting of EU Economic and Financial Affairs Ministers in Warsaw. He said: The tone that came out of our meeting in Warsaw was a commitment to engage with the United States, to bring certainty to global trade by trying to avoid a path of lower growth, less jobs and higher prices and a determination of all member states of the European Union to approach this negotiation in a unified way and engage in a way that reflects the scale of the economy of the European Union." The European Trade commissioner will travel to the US on Sunday to negotiate tariffs levels with president Trump. Mr Donohoe said: We are willing to engage with president Trump to identify an alternative trade arrangement to where we are at the moment that would cover off many parts of our economy and aim to find ways to lower barriers to trade." While Mr Donohoe did not reveal the propositions the negotiation team will bring forward, he did reference the need to define the status of VAT. He said: There are dangers engaging with negotiations in public given the sensitivity of these issues. But if you look at the issue of VAT, it is an important tax within the European Union and critically treats all goods the same. "I don't accept that VAT in someway differentiates between products that are created within the European Union and products that are brought into the European Union because they tax both of them in the same way." European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has also spoken of the potential for the European Union to tax tech giants such as Meta, X and Facebooks revenue from digital advertising. In response to this Mr Donohoe said: We support the work commission is doing on our behalf, but these are potential countermeasures - we must do all we can to avoid these measures. "The commission has also referred to the need to respond back in a graduated, proportionate , careful manner. However, we must leave all measures on the table and they must be available to use if our negotiations turn out unsuccessful. "We want the negotiations to be successful but accept that in scenarios that things get even harder difficult measures must be considered." He added: I will not spare any effort in reaching an agreement. The EU is not the cause of the global uncertainty that we are now facing." Sarah O'Mahony Dail committees may not be formed until May, Sinn Fein warns Dail committees may not be formed until May, Sinn Fein has warned, amid an ongoing row over speaking rights in the Dail. The bitter dispute has led to a lack of co-operation to establish the committees, which are vital for the legislative duties of the Dail. Both the Government and opposition parties have stressed the need for the resumption of the work of the committees amid the heated division in the Dail, which delayed the nomination of a Taoiseach and resulted in the suspension of the House amid widespread disruption last week. However, Sinn Fein has raised concern that the Dail Reform Committee, involving Government and opposition whips, is not due to meet on Wednesday, and has cast doubt on when when committees will be formed. It comes after opposition parties were defeated as a Government motion expressing confidence in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy was passed earlier this evening. That motion was brought in response to opposition complaints that Ms Murphy had been biased in her role in implementing the changes to Dail rules brought forward by Government. After the vote, Sinn Fein chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn said: On February 4 last, the Ceann Comhairle acted on independent legal advice and ruled that the Michael Lowry Regional Independent group were government TDs and could not therefore form a group in opposition. At the point, the DHondt process should have commenced and Oireachtas Committees should have been formed. By their actions since, this Government has delayed the formation of Oireachtas Committees and the latest estimates are that it will be May before they are up and running. Thats three months lost. It is outrageous. A spokesman for the Government chief whip said: The commitment at the Business Committee last week was that a meeting would be held as soon as possible after the confidence motion. The scheduling of the meeting is a matter for all members and the secretariat. The necessary preparation work by Government to initiate the establishment of committees is ongoing. A spokesman for the Social Democrats said it has been calling for the formation of committees for months. Now that the vote is over, it is incumbent on the Government to immediately set up Dail committees and finally get down to work, he added. The Dail Business Committee is due to meet on Thursday. PA Elderly man beaten in unprovoked attack after waiting over 10 hours with his injured wife in Tallaght A&E, court hears Outside court, members of the Hansard family said Patricia (87) and Joseph (82) were a golden couple but since the attack their world has been shattered The unprovoked attack in the A&E of Tallaght University Hospital changed the lives of Joseph and Patricia Hansard irretrievably, the court heard. Tim Healy Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 17:29 An elderly man was beaten over the head with a piece of metal as he waited for more than 10 hours with his injured wife in the emergency department of Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin, the High Court heard. CAB forced to use ladders as stairs and gates missing from gangster Mago Gatelys house The internal staircase had been removed from the Coolock house, according to Sunday World sources CAB seize James 'Mago' Gately's Coolock house. Photo: Padraig O'Reilly Eamon Dillon Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 14:35 Gardai had to use ladders to get upstairs in the home of Hutch gang member James Mago Gately as it was seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) today. Ireland could become a "centre for science and innovation" in Europe but policymakers must continue to invest, President of the European Research Council, Maria Leptin, said. The President of the European Research Council Maria Leptin has said while Ireland is understandably concerned about US trade tariffs, policymakers must continue to invest financially in Ireland becoming a centre of science and innovation. Ms Leptin is visiting Dublin today where shes meeting Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Minister for further and higher education, James Lawless and Celine Fitzgerald, CEO of Research Ireland, among others. She is also meeting European Research Council (ERC) grantees, researching AI, climate change and health innovations. At a time when the Government and country is apprehensive regarding US President Donald Trumps trade tariffs, this is exactly the time when focus should be brought to Irelands scientific strengths, Ms Leptin told the Irish Independent, as she urged continued investment. Ireland is understandably concerned about tariffs, Ms Leptin said. But Ireland could become a centre for science. Ireland is a wealthy country, with huge talent and with funding scientists can have the freedom to innovate. AI wasnt invented yesterday. And its not a surprise to those who have been involved in AI for 70 years, its getting headlines now. But we wouldnt be here today with AI developments had the scientists who came up with neural networks not stuck with it. They were led by their own convictions that what they were doing was interesting and they were funded by taxpayer money. Thats why Im here, with the scientific community, to remind policy makers not to cut that off. Its important for everyone to see and be reminded that when we speak about European competitiveness and Europe as a leader in science, thats now more important than ever. We must all remember that research is the foundation of everything we need to do in the future. We need innovation, to understand set concepts. Thats what drives people and democracies. Ms Leptin praised Irelands science community and said it must band together across Europe and alongside American scientists, who may want to relocate to the haven of Europe. There are so many positives right now, she said. Scientists pull together anyway. We are one community across Europe and thats a great thing. We must also express solidarity with US scientists. We could offer them a haven in Europe. I think many are considering this option. If they want to come to Europe, we must welcome them. The ERC always had, as one of its aims, to be attractive to researchers from abroad and enable them to resettle in Europe. The ERC has a budget to aid American scientists to relocate to Europe with their labs, she added. Ireland has so far benefited from European funding with 350 million for science and according to Ms Leptin, the sky's the limit for Ireland. One of the Irish projects funded under Excellent Science via the European Research Council, is an innovation on artificial micro vehicles with life-like behaviour. The project is led by Dr Larisa Florea, assistant professor in chemistry at Trinity College. The project is planned to improve health and safety through early detection of harmful pollutants. The Ombudsman for Childrens Office (OCO) has urged the Government to put in place a statutory review mechanism for child deaths in Ireland. The call was one of 13 recommendations made by the independent watchdog, which investigates complaints about services provided to children by public bodies. In a report published today, the OCO highlighted difficulties families have experienced in trying to get answers after the unexpected death of a child. No review has been conducted and they have had no response to their questions. Among the cases highlighted was that of Aoife Winterlich, a 14-year-old Dubliner who died after being knocked by a wave from rocks near Hook Head Lighthouse in Co Wexford while on a scouting trip in 2015. Her family only received an admission of liability from youth organisation Scouting Ireland last year. The OCO said it found existing review mechanisms were ad hoc, had no legislative or statutory basis and had no compellability or enforcement powers. Families have also told us that there are no consistent timelines for reviews, which can further compound their grief, as they may be waiting years for answers, it said. In the report, the OCO said Aoifes mother Anne Winterlich had told it that after her daughters death, she received limited communication from the youth organisation and no acknowledgement or apology. The only option open in the tragic circumstances of this case was the civil courts The OCO report said she was also angry that the organisation declined to provide a report of the incident to the Coroners Court, and no oversight body was able to hold the organisation to account. Scouting Ireland accepted liability for the tragedy in April last year after negligence lawsuits taken by the family came to court. These were settled for just over 54,000 plus their legal costs. The organisation was criticised by a judge over its failure to accept liability sooner, creating a huge burden for relatives of Aoife to carry. During an inquest in 2017, it emerged scout leaders were in a restaurant when several of the children went down from the lighthouse to the rocks. Four ended up being knocked into the sea by waves. The visit was not part of the original excursion plans, nor were parents notified about it before the outing. Anne Winterlich said she still had unanswered questions about what occurred that day. The OCO said it had been unable to investigate her complaint under the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002, as the youth service was not within its remit. Surprisingly, we found that no other organisation has the power to investigate such a serious incident. This highlights a serious deficit in the oversight of such organisations, the report said. Thus, the only option open in the tragic circumstances of this case was the civil courts, but that is not an option for everyone, due to the high financial costs. Aoifes mother also feels it is important to highlight that navigating the legal process as a grieving parent is gruelling and she found the system to be cold and callous throughout. Other recommendations in the report include a call for an interdepartmental working group to put in place interim national guidance on best practice in conducting child death reviews pending the introduction of a statutory review scheme. It also recommended that organisations actively engage with and provide a liaison person for the families of children who have died unexpectedly and facilitate them to access any support they may need. Another case highlighted in the OCO report is that a 15-year-old teenager who died by suicide in 2021. The boy had been known to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) and to Tuslas Child Protection and Welfare Services for several years. A National Review Panel conducted a review of his death, but his parents were not given a copy of the panels report and were only allowed to read it once while in the presence of Tusla staff. The family was also not provided with a copy of a Camhs internal review report and had to seek a one under the Freedom of Information Act. The boys father told the OCO he did not have confidence that services will learn from his sons case and that it may be a missed opportunity to prevent other deaths in the future. No review has been conducted and they have had no response to their questions Another case highlighted was that of a young girl with scoliosis and severe epilepsy who had been on a waiting list for spinal fusion surgery for several years. She experienced multiple delays and was left on the waiting list until, eventually, in 2021, her parents were told by Childrens Hospital Ireland that it was too late and she was now too high risk for spinal fusion surgery. Her family was told that pain management was the only intervention that was available to her. The girl died the following year at the age of nine. The OCO said her parents were still without answers. No review has been conducted and they have had no response to their questions, it said. Experts have developed a mind-reading device that allows paralysed patients to speak fluently just by thinking. The technology can quickly decode brain signals produced by the motor cortex when a person wants to say a word before translating them into sound waves that can be spoken by a synthesised voice. Although similar devices have been trialled in the past, there has always been a lengthy delay between a person thinking a word and it being said aloud, making it tricky to form sentences. However, a team at the University of California have used the same rapid speech-decoding capacity of AI devices such as Alexa and Siri to help speed up the process and produce more natural speech. Cheol Jun Cho, a doctoral student at UC Berkeley, said: We are essentially intercepting signals where the thought is translated into articulation. So what were decoding is after a thought has happened, after weve decided what to say, after weve decided what words to use and how to move our vocal-tract muscles. This proof-of-concept framework is quite a breakthrough. We will continue to push the algorithm to see how we can generate speech better and faster. Many people are unable to speak because of paralysis, disease or injury and current speech generators which often involve gazing at individual words or letters on a screen are time-consuming and laborious. The new device was trialled on a paralysed patient named Ann, who had an electronic array implanted over her motor cortex, to pick up her brain signals. She was then asked to look at phrases on a screen, such as Hey, how are you? and silently attempt to speak the sentences. The programme was able to pick out chunks of neural activity behind certain sounds so they could be reproduced as a synthesised voice. Dr Gopala Anumanchipalli, an assistant professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley, said: Within one second, we are getting the first sound out. And the device can continuously decode speech, so Ann can keep speaking without interruption. He added: Our streaming approach brings the same rapid-speech decoding capacity of devices like Alexa and Siri to neuroprostheses. Using a similar type of algorithm, we found that we could decode neural data and, for the first time, enable near-synchronous voice streaming. The result is more naturalistic, fluent speech synthesis. The team used samples of Anns pre-injury voice for the synthesised audio so it would sound more like her, and found even when she was thinking quickly, the algorithm could keep up. The researchers believe that the technology may also work without the need for invasive electrodes, by using sensors on the face to measure muscle activity. They also want to improve the algorithm so it can pick up and convey the changes in tone, pitch and loudness that occur during speech, such as when someone is excited. Kaylo Littlejohn, a doctoral student at UC Berkeleys Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, said: Previously, it was not known if intelligible speech could be streamed from the brain in real time. Thats ongoing work, to try to see how well we can actually decode these paralinguistic features from brain activity. This is a long-standing problem even in classical audio synthesis fields and would bridge the gap to full and complete naturalism. Edward Chang, the senior co-principal investigator of the study who leads the clinical trial at UC San Francisco, added: This new technology has tremendous potential for improving quality of life for people living with severe paralysis affecting speech. The research was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Sarraj Alsersawi (26) received a masters degree in electronic and computer technology A young man from Gaza has said it was his love for his family in the Middle East that kept him going to graduate top of his class at Dublin City University. Justice Minister Jim OCallaghan brings proposed new legislation to Cabinet today Parents convicted of killing their spouses will be likely to lose guardianship of their shared children, under a law being brought to the Cabinet this morning. Justice Minister Jim OCallaghan will bring a memo to the Cabinet seeking government approval for new legislation named Valeries Law, in memory of Valerie French. Ms French, a mother of three, was 41 when she was murdered by her husband James Kilroy. David French has been leading the campaign for a child-centred law in his sisters honour. A call to pass such a law was also included in a landmark study on familicide and domestic homicide reviews, which was published in 2023. Mother-of-three Valerie French, who was murdered by her husband Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 1st Under the proposal being considered by the Government today, those convicted of the murder or the manslaughter of their childs other parent will have no legal right to continue to be their guardian. I think the likelihood is that in most situations, that would apply If passed, the bill would allow for an application to be brought before the District Court to remove guardianship rights from the perpetrator. It is understood the bill is a key priority for Mr OCallaghan, who strongly believes guardianship and welfare of children in such cases is a public law rather than a private law matter. At a domestic, sexual and gender-based violence event last month, Mr OCallaghan announced that one of his first measures in the Department of Justice was to try to bring forward Valeries Law. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan Im trying to bring forward legislation that would ensure that any time a person is convicted of the murder or the manslaughter of another parent of the child that they would have had, that that would require an application to be brought before the District Court, and the District Court would have the power and the ability to remove guardianship from the perpetrator. I think the likelihood is that in most situations, that would apply, Mr OCallaghan had said. In 2023, the UK government passed a similar piece of legislation called Jades Law. It was named after Jade Ward, a 27-year-old woman who was murdered by her former partner in 2021. Despite being found guilty and jailed for a minimum of 25 years for her murder, Russell Marsh still retained parental rights to his shared children with Ms Ward. Despite having a law named in her memory, Jades Law was not retrospective, so it did not apply to Marsh. It is understood that Valeries Law will also not apply retrospectively, as the Department of Justice believes that to do so would be unconstitutional. It will mean the vast majority of homes do not move up a band Local Property Tax (LPT) bands will effectively be frozen under measures being presented to Cabinet, along with plans to freeze Vat on gas and electricity until at least the autumn. If implemented, the new measures will come as welcome relief to families who are concerned about a raft of household costs that are rising from this month. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will outline two interim measures to ease pressure on household outgoings. In terms of LPT, it will mean the vast majority of homes do not move up a band, despite continued rising house prices across Ireland. The next valuation date for LPT is due to take place on November 1, as the law provides for a revaluation every four years. According to the Central Statistics Office, property prices increased by a national average of 23pc in the period from November 2021 to the end of last year. This would mean a leap of nearly a quarter in reckonable values of peoples homes, with an impact on LPT. If the revaluation were to proceed this autumn without any amendments to the bands or rates, approximately 70pc of properties would move up at least one band for LPT. This would result in a significant increase in tax due for most homeowners, the Department of Finance says. So Mr Donohoe will today bring a memo setting out a number of amendments to the LPT charging mechanism. With these changes in place, 97pc of properties are predicted to stay within the same band, with only 3pc predicted to move up by one band. For the majority of homeowners, their new annual charge will still be between 5 and 25 higher, depending on their propertys value, amid rising house prices across the board. Paschal Donohoe. Photo: Niall Carson Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 1st But most will not move up a band, which should help ease the LPT burden for many. The new Programme for Government commits to fairness and stability in Local Property Tax payments and to continue to retain revenue collected locally in the same local authority. The changes being brought in are being pitched to achieve this objective. Mr Donohoe is also bringing a proposal to Government seeking approval for a six-month extension for the special 9pc Vat rate on gas and electricity. The rate is otherwise set to revert to 13.5pc on May 1. Mr Donohoe will seek approval to bring a Financial Resolution to the Dail tomorrow the same day as the US tariffs are announced to extend the 9pc Vat rate to at least the end of October. At this stage, there is likely to have been a further extension in the Budget. The moves come amid fresh focus on the relative strength of the Irish economy with the threat of US-imposed tariffs on European goods looming. US president Donald Trump is widely expected to announce the tariffs tomorrow. There are a wave of price rises on the way this month. Eight different providers are raising their charges during April including health insurance, electricity, phone and broadband. The Indo Daily: Liberation Day Trumps tariffs and trouble for Ireland Consumers also fear job losses and lower economic growth if US tariffs are imposed on Ireland or the European Union. It also comes as new research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has said that households will continue to struggle, and that the Government should consider permanent rather than temporary measures to ease the pressure on families. The study published today revealed how low-income households have tried to cope with rising costs since Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Children in low-income families are at the sharp end of the lasting detrimental legacy of the cost-of-living crisis, as their parents are forced to make high-risk financial decisions and cut back on basics like groceries and heating. Some women who protested outside the Dail were strip-searched at a garda station, TDs told Some women who protested outside the Dail were strip-searched at a garda station and one had a cavity search, TDs have been told. Opposition raised the alleged incident in the chamber today. Richard Boyd Barrett TD said one Palestinian woman detained said they had "touched all my sensitive parts. "It is absolutely disgusting. These were peaceful women protesters," Mr Boyd Barrett told the Taoiseach, asking if he condoned "that kind of treatment, on people who were a threat to nobody. A total of 14 people were arrested yesterday at a protest against the violence in Gaza after the entrance to Leinster House in Dublin was blocked. Ten women, aged in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, and one man aged in his 20s were arrested under section eight of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994. Gardai confirmed that all 11 have received adult cautions. Three other men, aged in their 20s and 30s, were also arrested for alleged offences under sections six, nine and 19 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order Act) 1994. The three men have been charged and are due before court. It comes after a group of women had gathered for a vigil organised by the Mothers Against Genocide group. It was to mark Mother's Day and to remember the children and mothers killed in Gaza. The group held an overnight protest calling on the Government to do more about the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Protesters who staged a sitdown protest in front of the Leinster House gates were forcibly removed. In a statement today, Amnesty International said the forcible removal of protesters at Leinster House could have chilling effect on right to protest in Ireland. Executive Director, Stephen Bowen said: The forceful removal of any peaceful protester undermines the rights to freedom of conscience, expression and peaceful assembly. "While we were not there in person, from the footage viewed to date, it gives us cause for concern that the force used to remove these peaceful protesters was excessive. I have written to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to discuss this matter further and await his response. He continued: Across Europe there is a crackdown on dissent and a growing tendency to adopt authoritarian practices. Ireland is a country proud of its human rights record, and we urge An Garda Siochana to respect the rights of peaceful protesters and not fall foul of influences that do not reflect the importance of human rights, including in our Constitution. Indeed, human rights are the very foundation and purpose of policing here in Ireland. Deputies Rose Conway-Walsh, Paul Murphy and Ruairi O Murchu also raised in the Dail today what had allegedly occurred on Monday with the group as they demonstrated outside Leinster House. "These mothers were protesting from Mother's Day," Mr Murphy told the Taoiseach. "They were protesting in support of the Occupied Territories Bill, which you promised during the election would be passed. "They were protesting to stop weapons going through Irish airspace, which continue and which are increasing, which you refused to do anything about. "They're protesting against complicity in the slaughter that is taking place in Gaza. And how were they treated? They were forcibly removed by the gardai." Fourteen were arrested, "and what is coming out about how they were treated in the garda station is absolutely horrific," he said. Mr Martin said there was no issue with protest, but they had been blocking the entrance to Dail Eireann, which did not have to happen. The protesters were given a directive under the Public Order Act, but had not complied. Eleven were arrested under the Act, and three for alleged offences, he said. "I will follow up with the Minister for Justice over the assertions and allegations in relation to strip searches. I have no information as to that." Mr Murphy said a Palestinian woman "was forced to effectively remove her underwear and she was subjected to a cavity. "In addition to that, her hijab was confiscated to check if it is allowed, before being returned to her, she says," he said. The woman says that she was released with a warning "that if I participated, in any further events, I would be punished, and that this was my only chance. Mr Murphy asked: "What sort of repressive state is this, operating in such a way? This needs immediate condemnation." President Donald Trump is all set to announce a system of new tariffs on Wednesday, what he calls Liberation Day. His problem is the huge trade deficit the US has with other countries. For example, Ireland exported 72 billion worth of goods to the U.S. last year but only imported 22.5 billion. Thats a 50 billion gap and its the kind of imbalance Trump wants to correct. He says tariffs will serve two purposes: raise revenue for the U.S. Treasury, so he can fund more tax cuts, and protect American manufacturers by making imported goods more expensive. What exactly is going to happen on Wednesday is unclear. The most recent reports are that his administration is still debating whether to target specific countries with large trade surpluses, or introduce a one-size-fits-all, across-the-board tariff. His earlier promise of reciprocal tariffs has softened. Last week he said being fully reciprocal would be too tough, but now were hearing he may be swinging back to a tougher stance again. We wont know until he makes the announcement on Wednesday in the Oval Office. Ireland could be affected, especially if Trumps targets pharmaceutical products a major Irish export. Trump has claimed Ireland stole the U.S. pharma industry and his commerce secretary called us a tax scam. So were in the firing line. If Trump uses emergency powers, tariffs could take effect immediately. The EU has promised to respond but not right away. Ireland will have to go along with any EU-wide action. We can influence what the EU does, but we cant decide. The impact of all this? Irish consumers could see some price hikes but the bigger concern is jobs, particularly in export-heavy sectors. In the longer term our tax revenues could also take a major wallop. Two Irish citizens have said they are facing deportation from Germany after taking part in pro-Palestinian protests in Berlin, despite having no criminal convictions. Shane OBrien (29) and Roberta Murray (31), Irish citizens, are among four, including a Polish and US citizen, facing deportation on April 21, they said in a statement. Mr OBrien was arrested by German police at a protest in Berlin in October, while Ms Murray has been accused by police of using banned slogans in support of Palestinians in Gaza at the protests, they said. The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is aware of of Ms Murray and Mr OBriens cases and "stands ready to provide consular assistance. In a joint-statement, the group said they are being deported for the sole reason of protesting Germanys complicity in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. They said Berlin's Senate Department for the Interior and Sport has ordered their expulsion, accusing them of antisemitism and supporting terrorist organisations. This support of terrorist organisations, according to the department, refers to Hamas and "its front organisations in Germany and Europe", the group has claimed. "This is not justice. Our deportation is a political actan attempt to intimidate an entire movement. By stripping us of our freedom of movement, Germany intensifies its repression of pro-Palestinian voices, disproportionately targeting Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab communities, their joint-statement added. Palestine flag. Stock image. Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 2nd The Landesamt fur Einwanderung (LEA), the Berlin Immigration Office, responsible for migration documents, refugees and asylum, foreign students, deportation, and as of last year, granting German citizenship, initially refused the groups deportation order, citing a lack of legal basis. However, the group claimed it was forced to comply under political pressure from Berlins Department for the Interior. The deportation orders were then signed by LEA Director Engelhard Mazanke, they claimed. "Rampant unrestrained police violence goes hand in hand with this repressive use of immigration law to silence pro-Palestinian voices and political dissent. "Arbitrary arrests made at protests, combined with false charges, are used as pretexts to justify extrajudicial deportation measures, circumventing any notion of independent judicial process and the rule of law, the statement said. The four activists drew parallels between their impending deportation and what they said was the Trump administration using deportation as a method of repression against US residents exercising their right to freedom of speech. Irish Bloc Berlin, the community of activists involved in pro-Palestinian protests of which the four are involved with said: "The weaponisation of deportation against those standing in support of Palestine is not just a problem in the U.S. and now, not solely a problem of those without EU passport privileges. Irish Bloc Berlin stands in full solidarity and support of our comrades who will be deported from Germany later this month. The four activists, including Mr OBrien and Ms Murray said they categorically condemn Germany's complicity in genocide and reject these unlawful measures. With our legal team, we will fight this deportation all the way to the highest courts. We stand in solidarity with all thosein Germany and globallyfacing persecution for standing on the right side of history, they said. From Gaza to Berlin, the struggle continues. No deportation will stop us. Ms Murray told the Irish Independent that she would like to see the Irish Government introduce the Occupied Territories Bill. As well as that, she is calling on them to stop their introduction of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. And to stop the illegal transportation on munitions over Irish airspace. Berlins police department has been contacted for comment. Inspectors find big cohort of providers are non-compliant with the standards More than half of inspections of accommodation for Ukrainian refugees resulted in contracts being terminated, a Department of Integration document shows. The figures were revealed in a briefing document prepared for minister Norma Foley. In June 2023, a dedicated compliance team was established, which investigates any issues brought to its attention regarding state-provided accommodation for refugees fleeing the Ukraine war. According to the briefing notes, the team has conducted 639 investigations into properties, of which 351 have subsequently had their contracts terminated. The department outlines a number of situations in which a property would be considered non-compliant. Factors include the health, safety and well-being of the residents of the state-funded emergency accommodation, and overcharging by the providers of the accommodation. A contract could also be terminated if unregulated secondary properties were being used by the provider, or private and residential properties were being used by the department when commercial properties were available. Between the start of the year and when the document was written in January, there were four ad hoc inspections requested and two completed. Last year, 226 inspections took place, with 81 of those scheduled. In 2023, there were 72 ad hoc inspections of these centres. Officials in the department said that since 2022, it has operated a dedicated helpdesk ticketing system where Ukrainian refugees or other stakeholders could send in queries and concerns. Since then, the department said it has managed more than 49,500 of these tickets. Integration Minister Norma Foley. Photo: PA Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 1st There has been a reduction in the number of Ukrainians arriving in Ireland and looking for accommodation from the State, which is paired with an increase in the number choosing to leave state-funded accommodation. As a result, department officials said there is an ongoing process to consolidate the accommodation portfolio for Ukrainian refugees. To do this, the department is prioritising ending contracts with non-compliant providers. With Ms Foley also responsible for children as well as integration, compliance rates by childcare providers are also outlined in the briefing notes. The document revealed the overall non-compliance rate for providers of the state-subsidised National Childcare Scheme in the 2023/2024 programme was 91pc 41pc of which were classed major non-compliant, the highest severity rating a provider can receive. The figure is up on the previous year, when the non-compliance rate was 87pc. Over 1,000 providers were inspected across the 2023/2024 year. Inspections check that staff have the correct qualifications and that the ratio of children to educators is in line with scheme rules. Investigations also make sure that the rules around affordability of the childcare service are being adhered to. Officials said there were a number of reasons why there was a high level of non-compliance among providers last year, including the complexity of scheme rule requirements. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has spoken with EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. Both agreed that the EU should be measured and considered in any response to Donald Trumps tornado of tariffs, which is expected tomorrow. All we can say is, good luck with that. There is nothing remotely proportionate, or even rational, in deliberately visiting the mutually assured destruction that trade wars inflict on people and their economies. Mr Martin said he will use every avenue to deal with the assault, something Mr Trump is also doing. The US president has declared the war will be global, targeting all countries, on all fronts. Stock markets across the world fell heavily on the back of the news. The initial plan was to go after countries with the biggest trade imbalances. The Indo Daily: Liberation Day Trumps tariffs and trouble for Ireland Ms Von der Leyen set out her case against Washingtons assault, saying: As I have said before, tariffs are taxes bad for businesses, worse for consumers equally in the US and the European Union. Alas, she is speaking into the void, for analysts in the US have also been at pains to point out the potential harm of the tariffs. A Bloomberg analysis looked at Mr Trumps three objectives. The first is to raise tax revenue to help close the federal budget deficit and pay for an extension of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The second is to bring back US manufacturing that has been lost overseas. The third is to achieve foreign policy goals. Taoiseach Micheal Martin and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen agree reaction to US tariffs should be measured. Photo: Gareth Chaney Tariffs are taxes placed on imports from other countries. Who pays them? But each would be an enormous task in itself. To attempt all three simultaneously was regarded as a mission impossible. Tariffs are always seen as a blunt instrument, as the damage is reciprocal. According to Yale university researchers, estimates based on what has been proposed show tariffs on imported goods would raise around $3.52trn between next year and 2035. And this would be paid for by US importers and, ultimately, consumers and not the exporting countries. That is a lot of pain for US families to absorb. The levies will negatively impact economic growth across the world. Here, the ESRI is predicting a fall in GNP Mr Martin said Ireland must diversify to avoid this. That which we can control, we need to do better at. In Ireland specifically, the Taoiseach said. Impervious to the grim irony of tightening the squeeze on Americans, Mr Trump has dubbed the biggest hike in tariffs since the Depression era Liberation Day. Even his own advisers are now pleading with him not to cause a self-inflicted wound. The Washington Post says aides like Larry Kudlow and Stephen Moore are appealing for restraint. Research from a University of Michigan survey of consumers shows people are suddenly worried about rising unemployment and rising prices a stagflation. It would be a tragedy were it to take the loss of their jobs before Americans wake up to the enormous harm being unleashed. But like the frog oblivious to the gradual rise in the pots temperature, by the time it reaches boiling point, it may be too late. The office of Ceann Comhairle is akin to that of a judge it has to be fair, independent and impartial. It should never have been used as a bargaining chip in government formation talks. Whoever came up with the idea, and anyone who agreed with it, has little understanding that there are some things off-limits that cannot be traded. Anyone holding a position that involves arms-length fairness can never be seen to have a hint of bias. The old legal maxim nobody can be a judge in their own cause springs to mind. Perception is everything. The law must not only be done, but be seen to be done. Its basic stuff. Imagine having a referee in an All-Ireland final whose appointment was part of a deal with one of the counties involved. I have no doubt the Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy is a very decent, professional politician. She could have been appointed in a similar way to previous holders of the office, without her appointment being tarnished in government formation talks. Her position has now been undermined. If you look at the US Supreme Court, there are no doubt excellent legal minds overseeing its cases, but they are appointed by the party in power so there is a view that they are in the sway of whoever appointed them. The hullabaloo in the Dail is just a symptom of anger at a deal done behind closed doors. Those who were involved in the deal are the culprits for all the chaos that has followed since. They should have known better. You cant unring the bell. The damage is done. Joseph Kiely, Letterkenny, Co Donegal Tariffs threat should be to the fore in Dail, not petty squabbling and time-wasting I would like to paraphrase comments made recently by the economist Dan OBrien who has said that while the economic crash in 2008 blew the roof off the house, Donald Trumps proposed tariffs could pull out the foundation of the Irish economy. I also note Finance Minister Paschal Donohoes Prime Time remarks underlining the scale of the turmoil we could face. I therefore find myself becoming increasingly annoyed with the opposition and its recent behaviour in the Dail over speaker rights. This egregious conduct is happening as the country faces the economic wrath of the Trump administration We need to see all our politicians working as one, as opposed to seeing such puerile conduct being exhibited by our public representatives. There is nothing to be gained in fiddling while Rome burns. John OBrien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary Trump tyranny is far from a joke we could be stuck with him for the long haul We had hope speculation about a third term in office for US president Donald Trump was just a bad joke, but there it is in the papers. Many may still hope it is just another technique to distract people from the disastrous stock market news. There is also the troubling possibility he might put up surrogates any of his children, who could become president in name, while he rules from the throne at Mar-a-Lago. Dont laugh, its not funny and those that know their history will be able to recount numerous rulers who were guided by a counsellor. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia A look at the polls tells us immigration is an issue public is concerned about With regard to Jenny Maguires opinion piece on immigration (Why we must be vocal and do our best to stand up to anti-immigrant extremists, Irish Independent, March 31), Id like to point out polls indicate 80pc of people strongly believe that we have enough migrants arriving here. Obviously we need migrants for employment in healthcare, hospitality and other services. But its the illegal migrants arriving here who are the cause for concern. In my opinion, Ms Maguire is completely out of touch with the general publics feelings on this matter. Frank Dowling, Portmarnock, Dublin Irish consumers should have been protected from mid-contract price hikes The practice of mid-contract price increases that most telecom companies are implementing on their customers this month has been raised routinely over the last number of years, not only by the Irish Independents Charlie Weston, but also by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), which is the States consumer watchdog, as well as the telecoms regulator (the Commission for Communications Regulation) and other consumer journalists. Mr Weston reported that the CPPC has written to the newly appointed Media Minister Patrick ODonovan seeking changes to the law to stop these telecoms firms hiking prices mid-contract. The British consumer organisation Which? has, after a long campaign, succeeded in having these unfair mid-term contract telecom price hikes banned in the UK from the beginning of this year for being uncompetitive and anti-consumer. If our own state consumer watchdog and other concerned organisations have previously raised many concerns about these contracts being bad for consumers, what does it take for our civil servants to act so that Irish consumers are treated and protected the same as our British counterparts? David Gordon, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 How a teenage saint could be the Churchs perfect role model of masculinity Stephen OHaras insightful letter is a reminder that the world will get its first millennial saint later this month (Respectful and tolerant public-speaking students put politicians to shame, Irish Independent, Letters, March 31). Carlo Acutis, who died from leukaemia in 2006, aged just 15, will be canonised on April 27 by Pope Francis during the Jubilee of Teenagers. Born in London in 1991 to Italian parents, Carlo grew up in Milan and seems to have captured the hearts and minds of Catholics with his veneration of the Eucharist during his short life. A normal teenager by most accounts, with a love for computers and his PlayStation, he helped create a website for his parish and school emblazoned with the tag line: The Eucharist is my way to Heaven. With the world looking for positive role models of masculinity, the Catholic Church may be on to something with Carlo Acutis in his Nike trainers and jeans. Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry Brace yourself Liberation Day is finally upon us and Donald Trump's much-hyped and promised tariffs against the EU will be announced tomorrow. Its no secret that Donald Trump is coming for Irelands pharma industry and many others. But just how big of a bruise are his reforms going to leave on our economy and which industries are most vulnerable? While weve been warned its going to be bad, what can and should the Government do to protect Ireland from the worst-case scenario, and what will these tariffs mean for you, the Irish consumer? Today, Tabitha Monahan is joined on The Indo Daily by John Burns, the Irish Independents deputy business editor, and by Lorcan Nyhan, head of training at the Communications Clinic, to forecast what the White House has in store for Ireland on the eve of Liberation Day. Gardai believe the man spent up to 20 minutes sitting at the rear of the bus before the violent attack unfolded. The incident showing the male suspect attempting to grab the wheel of the bus was captured on CCTV. A CCTV still of the man gardai are searching for in connection to a violent incident on a bus in Cavan that saw its driver being struck "several times" after the suspect tried to wrestle control of the vehicle. The suspect can be seen struggling with the driver in an incident gardai are continuing to investigate. Gardai in Cavan are hunting have released the image of a man wanted in connection to a violent attack on a bus driver in Cavan. The incident, which is the subject of a major garda investigation, saw the suspect suddenly grab the wheel of the bus and unleash a series of blows at the driver while it was in transit. The driver managed to wrestle the man off and maintain control of the vehicle before bringing it to a stop. A CCTV still of the man gardai are searching for in connection to a violent incident on a bus in Cavan that saw its driver being struck "several times" after the suspect tried to wrestle control of the vehicle. Moments later, the man can be seen on CCTV forcing open the doors of the bus and fleeing from the scene on foot. Gardai are anxious to make progress with their inquiries and identity the suspect following the incident which took place on November 18, 2024. The lack of any leads in relation to the episode saw detectives last night (Monday) launch a public appeal on RTEs Crimecall. The incident showing the male suspect attempting to grab the wheel of the bus was captured on CCTV. The male suspect is described as being aged in his late 50s to early 60s and approximately six feet in height. According to CCTV images which gardai have also released, the suspect can be seen wearing a dark coloured jacket and cream trousers while sporting a goatee beard and mousy brown or grey hair which was tied in a pony tail. Gardai at Virginia are investigating an assault incident which occurred on Wednesday November 18 2024, shortly before 1.45pm, said a garda spokesperson. Gardai believe the man spent up to 20 minutes sitting at the rear of the bus before the violent attack unfolded. The male suspect boarded the bus, after approximately twenty minutes he approached the bus driver hitting him several times, before grabbing the steering wheel of the bus. Anyone with information is asked to contact 1800 40 50 60, email: crimecall@garda.ie or free text CRIME, followed by any information to 57765. Irish charity My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue has called for immediate action after pictures showing a man drinking at a pub in Clare with a zebra and pony went viral. Martina Kenny, co-founder of the charity, explained to the Irish Independent the pictures were taken at a pub in Ennistymon, County Clare, during the annual horse fair. One of the photos show a man drinking a beer while holding onto a zebra and next to a little pony, while the second picture show the same man outside with the zebra on a leash while a child reaches for it with their hand. A zebra and a pony were photographed at a local pub Today's News in 90 Seconds - April 1st The pictures, also shared by My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue, immediately went viral on social media, where hundreds of people described them as outrageous. Ms Kenny said she reported what happened to the gardai who informed her the man owns the zebra legally. However, Ms Kenny said what he has done is not okay and more should be done to ensure the safety of the animals and the fairgoers. I said [to the gardai] you have a duty of care to this animal, he walked into a bar with a zebra and a small pony. Thats not acceptable. Its dangerous what he did, he brought a pony and a zebra into a pub, from a busy fair, kids were there. What if something happened? Kids could have got kicked. Its not a very big pub. Its not right. And if we allow things like this, it will just continue on then. Ms Kenny added that incidents like this one are often reported during fairs across the country. Things are out of control. Animal welfare should be top priority, somebody form the department of agriculture should be down there, but nobody is, nobody is checking for passports or chips. Follow Independent Clare on Facebook Everybody passes the book to each other, its not our job, it should be the council, and then the council says no it should be IPCA, and then IPCA says no it should be the department of agriculture. This is the way it goes on all the time. The country is failing in animal welfare. There are currently no residential placements available in the entire Cork and Kerry region for people with disabilities despite 600 people currently awaiting/requiring residential services. Labour Party TD for Cork North Central, Eoghan Kenny has called on the Irish Government to increase the levels of funding for residential places to be made available for people with disabilities. Deputy Kenny said: I have been informed that there are currently no residential placements available in the entire Cork and Kerry region. There are approximately 600 people awaiting/requiring residential services and there isnt one space available. That is absolutely outrageous, said Deputy Kenny. These people are the most vulnerable in our society. Many of their parents are getting older and can no longer care for them at home. There are no options there. The state is failing these families. I have genuine sympathy for them. In response to a parliamentary question from Deputy Kenny, Angela ONeill Head of Disability Services, said Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (CKCH) currently fund 1,160 residential placements for people from the region. All Disability Services residential placements are managed via the CKCH Disability Services Adult Residential Forum which ensures equity of access to funded residential placements in Cork and Kerry. CKCH is aware of approximately 600 people awaiting/requiring residential services in Cork and Kerry at present. Ms ONeill said every effort is being made to develop further residential capacity. Interim supports such as respite (residential and outreach) and personal assistant services for those with physical and sensory disabilities to ensure people are supported to live as independently as possible for as long as possible. The Disability Capacity Review published in 2021 suggests that nationally an additional ninety residential places are required each year between 2020 and 2032. It is regrettable that the demand for residential placements in Cork and Kerry exceeds availability, stated Ms ONeill. Funding to further develop services in Cork and Kerry has not been allocated and as a result, expanding the number of residential placements in Cork and Kerry has not been possible. CKCH recognise the impact this has on people and their families and welcomes the new Governments commitment to explore funding disability services on a multi-annual basis. CKCH will work with the relevant departments and ministers to ensure that any funding allocated is utilised to create much needed capacity to meet the need for all additional disability services and supports in Cork and Kerry, she added. Deputy Kenny reiterated his 'disappointment and called on the government to look after the most vulnerable people in society. There is no funding in the pipeline to further develop the services in Cork and Kerry. I am seriously disappointed by the lack of support for these services. I genuinely have great empathy for the HSE staff who are working with such minimal funding. It is about time this government took their heads out of the sand and looked after the most vulnerable people in our society. The owner of a cleaning company who urinated all over his garda station cell while drunk, would have been in a good position to clean up his own mess, a judge has noted. Dumitru Lupu (30), of Boherboy, Saggart, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to criminal damage at Tallaght Garda Station. The court heard he has no previous convictions apart from road traffic offences. Judge Patricia McNamara recommended he carry out community service, and ordered Mr Lupo to pay 150 for criminal damage, along with a 100 donation to charity. Garda Rebecca Durney told Tallaght District Court that on September 30, 2022, officers responded to reports of a verbal argument at Mr Lupus home. When gardai arrived at the scene, the accused was unsteady on his feet. Garda Durney told the court that Mr Lupu called her a bitch on several occasions. Garda Ed Crowley told the court that after being arrested and brought to Tallaght Garda station, Mr Lupu was placed in a cell. He was highly aggressive and abusive as he was intoxicated, and urinated all over the cell, which leaked into the corridor. Garda Crowley said the clean-up cost was 150, and added that when informed of what had just happened, the accused simply laughed. Counsel for the accused, Lauren Flanagan BL, told the court that Mr Lupu is originally from Romania but has lived in Ireland for the past seven years. Counsel said her client is the owner of a cleaning company which services construction sites. Judge McNamara remarked that, given his occupation, Mr Lupu would have been in a good position to go into the cell and clean up his own mess, but noted it was too late for that. Ms Flanagan said her client could not recall the incident due to intoxication, but acknowledged his behaviour was unacceptable and apologised. Judge McNamara ordered Mr Lupu to pay 150 for criminal damage and 100 to Little Blue Heroes, a garda charity for children with disabilities. Taking into account that Mr Lupu had no previous convictions of this nature, Judge McNamara agreed to have him assessed for community service, saying he can help clean up the community. The judge recommended he complete 80 hours of community service in lieu of a sentence, pending a probation report of his suitability (for community service), which would be heard in Tallaght District Court next month. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme Foreign envoys laud progress of Xinjiang 13:55, April 01, 2025 By Li Shangyi ( Chinadaily.com.cn Alberto Blanco Silva (right), the Cuban ambassador to China, and his wife, Moraima Rodriguez Nuviola (left), attend an exhibition on specialty products of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region during a reception in Beijing on Monday. (Zou Hong/China Daily) Foreign ambassadors expressed optimism about enhanced cooperation opportunities in the development of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region at an event held on Monday in Beijing to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Nurlan Yermekbayev, secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, underscored Xinjiang's role as a vital link in regional cooperation, citing its natural advantages, abundant resources, and rich cultural diversity. "Bordering eight of the 10 countries in the SCO family, Xinjiang, as the core area of the Belt and Road Initiative, holds vast potential for future growth," he said. "With China assuming the SCO rotating chairmanship for 2024-25, Xinjiang is expected to play a crucial role in hosting events and furthering cooperation." On Monday, the Xinjiang regional government hosted a reception in Beijing to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The event was attended by 70 foreign ambassadors and diplomats from 43 countries and international organizations. Yermekbayev, who has visited Xinjiang several times, said he remains impressed by its transformation and development. "Xinjiang has made significant contributions to SCO cooperation in areas such as security, stability, and the fight against terrorism, extremism, and separatism," he said. Farhod Arziev, Uzbekistan's ambassador to China, highlighted Xinjiang's role as Uzbekistan's primary land trade bridge with China, emphasizing the region's historical connection as it lies at the crossroads of the Silk Road. Trade between Uzbek regions and Xinjiang exceeded $1.25 billion in 2024, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, textiles, and high technology, he said. "I am confident that further expansion of practical cooperation between Xinjiang and the regions of Uzbekistan will open up new business and investment opportunities," he added. Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan's ambassador to China, said that Xinjiang's progress in infrastructure, green energy, the digital economy and openness to the world is evident. "When I first visited more than 16 years ago, it was beautiful but awakening to its potential. Today, Xinjiang stands transformed a testament to development, connectivity, and innovation. The roads are smoother, the cities more vibrant, and the smiles of the people ever more confident," he said. Hashmi added, "As we look ahead, I see immense scope to harness and deepen our exchanges with Xinjiang in trade, tourism and people-to-people ties." Fazeel Najeeb, ambassador of the Maldives to China, said he looks forward to visiting Xinjiang. "Although I haven't yet visited, today's exhibition on Xinjiang has sparked my interest in its enterprises and innovations, and I foresee opportunities for cooperation," he said. Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the Xinjiang regional government, outlined the region's people-centered development strategy, noting that more than 77 percent of fiscal spending was allocated to public well-being. This included strengthening education and creating around 483,200 jobs in 2024. "The aspirations of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang for a better life will not be hindered by malicious and groundless accusations or ill-intentioned interference. Xinjiang's future is bright," he said. He also highlighted Xinjiang's progress in international trade, with the region's trade volume surpassing 400 billion yuan ($55 billion) in 2024, covering 213 countries and regions. More than 90 percent of that trade was with BRI countries. In 2024, Xinjiang hosted 516 delegations totaling 10,600 people, including foreign dignitaries, diplomats and entrepreneurs, according to Erkin Tuniyaz. "This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. We invite everyone to take this opportunity to visit Xinjiang, explore its beauty, and experience the region firsthand," he added. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Over 120 GP practices from the HSEs Dublin and South East region attended the conference in the Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny GP nurses from across counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and South East Co Dublin, as well as HSE colleagues working in schools immunisation and community vaccination teams attended the National Immunisation Conference series in Kilkenny. Over 120 GP practices from the HSEs Dublin and South East region were represented at the conference held in the Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny. In addition to listening to presentations from key speakers, attendees participated in workshops on specific topics relevant to immunisation and visited various information stands showcasing services from HSE departments, community agencies and other healthcare providers. The event was organised by the Professional Development Coordinator for GP Nurses in the HSE Dublin and South East health region, in collaboration with colleagues from other regions and in association with the National Immunisation Office. It is part of a series of four, with other gatherings taking place at venues in Carrick on Shannon, Dublin and Limerick. The aim is to bring together those who are making a lasting impact on health and well-being in communities through immunisation with the HSE A special guest at the occasion was Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, Minister of State at the Department of Health, with specific responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing, and the National Drugs Strategy. There was also a recorded address from Chief Executive Officer of the HSE, Bernard Gloster, to those gathered at the event designed for healthcare professionals working in the areas of childhood and seasonal immunisations. GP nurses from Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and South East Co Dublin attended the conference The Immunisation for all theme of the conference provided for a focus on inclusion of vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities. On the day, organisers facilitated presentations, interviews and skills sessions designed to assist General Practice teams in the administration and management of vaccine clinics, improvement of uptake, record keeping and ensuring quality in practice. GP nurses across our region play a huge role in protecting our communities from vaccine preventable disease, through health promotion, education and administration of the national immunisation programmes, said Liz Carroll, Professional Development Co-ordinator GP Nurses, HSE Dublin and South East. Follow Independent Kilkenny on Facebook "This is inclusive of the primary childhood immunisation programme, seasonal vaccinations and immunisations in pregnancy. We know that over 90pc of immunisations are carried out in General Practice. This in so many instances is administered by practice nurses. This conference series is a great opportunity to network, learn and update and their attendance is testament to their dedication to evidence based, quality patient care in the community. It is important to have such occasions focused on updating our clinical skills and knowledge through hands-on workshops and to gain valuable insights that will increase collaboration and communication across primary care and other healthcare sectors. The HSE is delighted that so many GP nurses joined us and their commitment to advancing patient care and enhancing their skills in this vital area is truly commendable. The supremely talented Yershova sisters from Listowel are the winners of TG4s Realta agus Gaolta for 2025 after a gruelling eight week competition. Kseniia (19), Yevlaliia (17), Olena (15), Nataliia (12), and Sofiia (8) are originally from Crimea but moved to Ireland in 2022 to escape the war. Their community in Listowel quickly recognised their remarkable talent and generously donated instruments to the family. They were further enabled in their talents by the Cork School of Music where two of the girls are currently studying. Having captivated both the Realta agus Gaolta judges and the audience with a mix of Irish-Ukrainian folk tunes on violin and cello in their initial heat. The Yershova sisters then performed a stunning rendition of Jack Horners Braveheart theme as their winning performance on Sunday night. Not only did the talented sisters lift the trophy, they also received a prize of 2,000. The musical journey for the Yershovy sisters started 13 years ago when the eldest sister, Kseniia, began playing the violin at the age of five. The following year, a second sister, Yevlaliia, who was only four years old, started playing violin. The two sisters played duets and participated in concerts when winning competitions soon became a family affair. In 2014, their world was turned upside down when Russia occupied Crimea. The family moved west to Odesa to start a new life where all five sisters immediately entered one of the best music schools in Ukraine, the legendary Stolyarsky School, where such famous musicians as David Oistrakh and Nathan Milstein studied. They said goodbye to family and friends before arriving in Ireland in March 2022 where they first lived in Tarbert before moving to nearby Kilmorna. Since arriving in Ireland, they have performed in more than 50 concerts over the past two years in cities around the country, including solo concerts. Kseniia and Yevlaliia are members of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland The familys TG4 winning performance, along with all episodes, can be viewed on TG4 Player Presenting the culmination of his work. Dr Owen O'Shea at his book launch on Saturday evening in Milltown. All photos by Michelle Breen Crean Photography. Enjoying the launch of One Mans Ireland: Memoirs of Dan Mulvihill, Maverick Republican at the launch in Milltown Community Hall on Saturday night. All photos by Michelle Breen Crean Photography. At the launch of One Mans Ireland: Memoirs of Dan Mulvihill, Maverick Republican at the launch in Milltown Community Hall on Saturday night. All photos by Michelle Breen Crean Photography. At the launch of One Mans Ireland: Memoirs of Dan Mulvihill, Maverick Republican at the launch in Milltown Community Hall on Saturday night. All photos by Michelle Breen Crean Photography. Owen O'Shea giving a talk about his book - One Mans Ireland: Memoirs of Dan Mulvihill, Maverick Republican at the launch in Milltown Community Hall on Saturday night. All photos by Michelle Breen Crean Photography. Hundreds of people gathered at the Muintir na Tire Hall in Milltown on Saturday evening to celebrate the life and times of a local man who made a major contribution to the campaign for Irish independence a century ago, and who is honoured in a new book by local historian, Dr Owen OShea. IRA commander and lifelong republican, Dan Mulvihill, wrote his 20,000 autobiography a few years before his death in 1985 but never fulfilled his ambition to have it published. The memoir, which has been edited by OShea and published by Merrion Press, charts Mulvihills central role in many of the most important events in twentieth-century Ireland. Guest speaker at the book launch on Saturday was the former Group Editor-in-Chief of Independent News and Media, Stephen Rae, a native of Castlemaine. Stephen and his father, David, recorded an interview with Mulvihill in 1984, a year before he died. In that interview, Mulvihill confides that he tried but never succeeded in publishing his story, an ambition which has now been fulfilled. Many of those who knew Mulvihill as well as descendants of those who fought with him in the Old IRA and Cumann na mBan were present at the launch, which featured music, songs, poetry and stories which were relevant to Mulvihills life and times. This is one of several books I have published on this period but this one is extremely special in that it tells the story of such an important figure from my home parish, Owen said. "But he was more than that. Mulvihill was a delegate to IRA national conventions, a loyal ally of Eamon de Valera, a vehement opponent of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, a member of Liam Lynchs staff in the anti-Treaty IRA, a prisoner and hunger striker, a spy and intelligence officer. He was a pivotal figure in the revolution in Kerry and nationally, he added. Recounting his interview with Mulvihill in 1984, Stephen Rae, who was 17 at the time, said his father, David, was very conscious of the importance of securing the memories of the last surviving generation of War of Independence figures. He arranged to interview several of the men, including Dan Mulvihill. As a teenager at the time, I was a reluctant interviewer but its something that I look back on now with pride in that we helped commit those rich memories of that turbulent period in Kerry to tape, Mr Rea said. One Mans Ireland: Memoirs of Dan Mulvihill, Maverick Republican is published by Merrion Press and is now available in bookshops across Kerry or online from www.owenoshea.ie Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson pictured with Joy Clifford Vaughan, Elma Culloty, Karena McCarthy and Elaine ORiordan of Killarney Credit Union at the recent Liam OConnor/St Brendans College Concert in St Brendans College Killarney on Thursday evening. Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin. Fionn Doyle, a student from St Brendan's College in Killarney pictured performing with the St Brendans Choir in the Liam OConnor/ St Brendans College Concert on Thursday evening. Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin. Liam OConnor pictured performing with some of the students Tom Costello, Sean Angland and Eoin Foley in the Liam OConnor/St Brendans College Concert in St Brendans College in Killarney on Thursday evening. Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin. Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson is welcomed by Principal of St Brendans College, Killarney Sean Coffey on Thursday evening for the Liam OConnor/St Brendans College Concert. Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin. It was that time of year again in the St Brendans College Chapel in Killarney last Thursday, March 27 when the musical talents of Liam OConnor and the St Brendans College Choir & Music Group took to the stage for the eleventh annual year of the popular concert. Now, those who have paid attention to this concert over the years will know that Liam and the team of organisers behind the big night always seem to bag themselves a special guest of honour and this year was no different as former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson who received a massive round of applause as she entered graced the stage to talk to the pupils on a variety of topics. Liam said that it was truly a great honour for everyone to have Mary Robinson, Irelands first female President and who later served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as a guest on the night. Among countless achievements, Mary Robinson also co-founded the Council of Women World Leaders to encourage women at the highest levels to promote democracy and gender equality. Speaking to The Kerryman afterwards, Liam said that it was an amazing night full of craic and ceoil and that Mary was an amazing lady to have with us for an event that always proves to be a highlight of the school year annually. Its always a great night and one that raises the spirits of everyone involved, Its great fun every year. People are still talking about the excitement generated having Mary Robinson as the guest of honour. The palpable buzz around the venue before and throughout her visit reflected the high level of esteem in which she is still held, Liam continued. Many people were keen to speak to her, and her warmth, her good humour and her genuine commitment to all that is good about our country was an inspiration to all present. I felt personally honoured by her attendance as well as by her eloquence. It will certainly go down as one of the highlights of my musical career and I must humbly thank her for taking the time out of her busy schedule to honour us all. This was a very special occasion that will be remembered for many years to come by all who were there, he added. Liam said that the students had a number of questions prepared that they wanted to ask the former President and that she was only too happy to answer as many she could. Going on, Liam gave an example of just some of the questions posed to Mary by the students. He said that they asked the former President that having led such a remarkable life and created such history on the Irish and world stage, which of her many achievements is the one she is most proud of. Another question posed was what advice would she give to todays youth as they are about to embark on their life journey? See all our photos from the night in the gallery. More than 250 older people from Sligo, Leitrim and across the region attended the first-ever Age Friendly Health and Wellbeing Festival at ATU Sligo last Friday, March 28. The event was a resounding success, providing attendees with valuable information, resources, and opportunities to connect with services that support healthy and independent living. The festival was organised by Age Friendly Ireland, in partnership with Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Sligo. Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Cllr Declan Bree, officially opened the festival and remarked: This is a great opportunity for older people to get the information they need and have access to key people in a broad range of services under the one roof. Setting a lively tone for the day, the ATU Sligo Intergenerational Choir performed following the opening speeches, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere as attendees explored the 40 exhibitor stands. Exhibitors from public services, the voluntary sector, the university, and non-government organisations provided information on health, housing, community connectivity, climate change, energy sustainability, technology, financial entitlements, pensions, and fraud prevention. Over 26 workshops were delivered over the day, importantly giving older people an insight into the services available to them locally and an opportunity to find out about ATU projects including virtual reality in healthcare and intergenerational practice. Private one-on-one sessions with workshop speakers were also available, allowing for more personalised advice and guidance. Participants at the event also enjoyed food tasting while learning about nutrition and had the opportunity for a full eye health screening by Vision Ireland. As part of the festival, ATU also celebrated its recent designation as an Age-Friendly University, and new member of the Age-Friendly University Global Network. Dr Orla Flynn President of ATU said: ATU is proud to mark its designation as an Age-Friendly University, reinforcing our commitment to lifelong learning, inclusion, and community engagement. Todays festival is a testament to the strong partnerships we foster across the age-friendly ecosystem. We look forward to hearing from participants about how ATU can continue to support and enrich opportunities for older adults. This milestone reflects our dedication to creating an inclusive and welcoming university for learners of all ages. The festival was a chance for older adults to explore services at their ease and discover new technology to help them thrive in their late years. Reflecting on the success of the festival, Martin Lydon, Chief Executive of Sligo County Council, highlighted the power of collaboration. The Age Friendly Health and Wellbeing Festival was made possible by true collaboration between all the agencies involved. With an ageing population, it is important to involve older people in co-designing services so that we know what changes are needed to promote independence and high quality of life for people as they age. Access to information and accessible communication are core elements of the World Health Organisation framework for developing Age Friendly communities, said Mr Lydon. When generations come together magic happens, magic happened, and relationships were built as the ATU students guided and assisted the older people throughout the venue. Mary Quinn, Directory of Services Leitrim County Council, recognised the work of all who had contributed to the success of the festival. Today is another step closer to a vibrant Age Friendly Ireland, one that has an array of supports and services enabling older people to live longer, happier and healthier lives in their communities, she said. Older people were able to register for Healthy Age Friendly Homes, a support co-ordination service delivered through the local authority. Under this new service, local co-ordinators undertake home visits to older people and complete a home assessment. They support older people to remain living at home by helping them to access necessary services such as Home Supports, and grants such as housing adaptation and energy grants. Sligo and Leitrims Age Friendly Programmes welcomed new members to join their Older Peoples Councils on the day. Todays, Age Friendly festival is a key milestone for both Sligo and Leitrims Age friendly Programmes said Eimear McCormack, National Healthy Age Friendly Homes Manager. This event is creating a valuable opportunity to enhance our connections and work together towards our shared vision of supporting older people in the community Bringing the festival to a close, the Choir of Ages from the Ballagh Centre, Co. Leitrim delivered a heart warming final performance, rounding off a truly special and informative day. Fine Gael Minister of State John Cummins, officials from Uisce Eireann and the Department for Local Government and Planning met on Monday evening, March 31, with a representative group of residents in Lismore regarding ongoing water issues A series of immediate and planned actions are to be taken to improve water quality and supply for Lismore, according to a Waterford based TD. The picturesque Waterford village has been beset with ongoing water issues resulting in major discomfort for local residents, and lost profits for restaurants and business owners. Fine Gael Minister of State John Cummins said that at his request, officials from Uisce Eireann and the Department for Local Government and Planning met on Monday evening this week with a representative group of residents in Lismore regarding ongoing issues around the loss of water supply and pressure in the town. Included in the immediate actions, are that leakage reduction crews have been on site continuously over the last number of weeks, and some 13 to 15 public side leaks have been repaired to date resulting in a reduction in lost water from 46pc to 32pc. Some 17 private side leaks have been identified, two of these have been resolved, with engagement ongoing with the other 15. Sluice valves are being installed to ensure sections of the supply can be restricted in the event of an issue arising to ensure the whole network isnt impacted. Remote start equipment is being installed into a pump house to ensure a quicker restart of supply in the event of interruption. The pump house will be equipped with a generator ready to assist in the event of power interruption. Land acquisition negotiations are ongoing to develop sufficient water storage capacity to ensure interruptions dont happen into the future, and there is to be ongoing monitoring of the system with pressure monitors. Planned actions include that design and planning have been submitted for water storage capacity and a second bore hole following the acquisition of lands. Following a grant of planning, there will be a tender for works and completion of works. It was a really productive meeting for all involved, said Minister Cummins. I will continue to support Lismore residents and engage until this matter is fully resolved. Sinn Fein TD for Waterford, Deputy Conor D McGuinness, commented on both the immediate and planned actions that have arisen in relation to loss of water supply and pressure in Lismore. While such developments are welcomed, Deputy McGuinness said he believes that actions speak louder than words, and hoped the measures will not be just empty promises. The announcement of both immediate and planned actions to deal with the loss of water supply and pressure in Lismore is of course a step in the right direction. That being said, Uisce Eireann and the Department must be held to account and monitored in terms of carrying out the measures, said Deputy McGuinness. Follow Independent Waterford on Facebook It is incumbent on Government Ministers, officials and everyone in Irish Water to ensure the funding is there to carry out the planned efforts. They cannot afford to waste any more time. Over the past few months, residents and business owners have suffered repeated water outages and low water pressure. This had a hugely negative impact on the everyday lives of individuals and families, as schools were closed, and households were unable to function properly. "Local businesses took a hit, as they were forced to close on a number of occasions over the last few months - resulting in a loss of hundreds of thousands of euro. Their distress seen across the whole town shows that there is no room for misleading promises. From the very start, Cllr Donnchadh Mulcahy, David Cullinane TD and I have been actively engaging with residents and business owners in the area and put pressure on Irish Water and the Government to act. We also delivered a petition directly to Uisce Eireann, calling for urgent investment in a fit-for-purpose water supply system for Lismore. I am pleased to hear both the immediate and planned actions announced by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Irish Water. However, we need to see these plans be put in to practice, without any more delay. I will continue to monitor the activity and development of such plans to be conducted by the Department and Uisce Eireann and ensure that this issue is at the top of their agenda, added Deputy McGuinness. This week, Campile Hall will be the host to one of the most colourful and energetic pieces of theatre the Horeswood Musical Society has performed, as this years production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The Musical, guarantees to entertain audiences of all ages, whilst also aiming to raise proceeds for a special needs class for children with autism. Charlie Bucket (Niall Barry) sets out to a world of pure imagination at Willy Wonkas (Jesse McGrath) Chocolate Factory and the cast is bursting at the seams with talent in the form of song, dance and acting as Grandpa Joe (Deri Teague), Mrs Bucket (Sarah Mackey), Grandma Josephine (Chloe Hayes), Grandpa George (Jesse OSullivan) and Grandma Georgina (Sophie Hart) will make impacting appearances along the way. The carefully selected cast boasts a wonderful enthusiasm and skill in portraying their characters traits throughout as moral compass is explored from start to finish by Augustus Gloop (Layla Foran), Veruca Salt (Lilly Flood), Violet Beauregarde (Cora McGrath), Mike Teavee (Sarah Power), Mrs Gloop (Hannah Roche), Mr Salt ( Michael Murray), Mrs Beauregarde (Ellie Flynn), Mrs Teavee (Evelyn McCormack), Cherry Sundae (Keira Phillips) and Jerry Jubilee (Katie Boyce). In preparation for its 11th annual production, the committee of Horeswood Musical Society has confirmed that proceeds raised from the drama, based on the famous Roald Dahl novel, will be in aid of a classroom for children with special needs at Horeswood National School. Each year, the voluntary committee decides upon a worthy local charity, and this year, they thought the special needs class in the local school, which is expected to open this September, was very fitting as many of the children, past and present, who have performed with the musical society have ties with the school. Jesse McGrath (Willie Wonka), Layla Foran (Agussus Gloop) and Niall Barry (Charlie) at Horeswood Musical Society dress rehearsals. Photo: Mary Browne Committee member Philip Erskine said its the committees way of giving back to the school for sending so many wonderful children our way over the years. We can proudly say that we have always raised funds for various local groups, and this year we have 93 children involved in the show, which is incredible for our society. The children are all fantastic to work with and they contribute so much, along with their parents, to what we do. But were mindful that the majority of these children would come from, or have friends in, the local school in Horeswood, and thats one of the reasons we want to raise money for them. "Another reason is that, over the years, particularly the children that have been with us for some consecutive years, we see a wonderful boost in their confidents, on stage and off stage and we want to continue to nourish their talents as much on stage as Horeswood National School does so with their students in all their classrooms, he concluded. The show will take place between Thursday, April 3 and Sunday, April 6, and tickets can be brought through Ticket Source Ireland. The Golden Grill, after 35 successful business years, closed its doors to customers for the last time on Tuesday, April 1 as Ger and Brigid Martin bid farewell to their customers in the Irishtown. The couple said theyve been inundated with well wishes as word of the closure spread among their customers and theyre grateful for all the cards, flowers and support they have received over the past few days. Having stuck it out through trying times such as the recession and the Covid-19 pandemic, Ger said we got through them because of our loyal customers and hard-working staff. The Rosslare native said he moved to New Ross when his father retired as a Garda Sergeant in Rosslare and bought a pub on the Quay. However, while Ger was in school, he began working in The Penguin, and ended up putting 11 years in behind the counter as Tony Coppola showed him the ropes. Ger and Brigid then took a year-long trip to Australia, and following the cafe they owned briefly on South Street, the couple then took up the opportunity to rent the Golden Grill premises from the late Josephine (Josie) Kehoe, and after a few years the couple bought the take-away. Ger distinctly remembers Josie wishing him well when he first bought the chipper and giving him a present of eight chickens. Reflecting on the 35 years in business, Ger said there was one quirky moment that always stood out, which was one night when he was just about to close up, a local had come up the road by himself. Ger thought to himself, this fella is going to want to come in here now and order something as Im closing the door. With that, he continued, the man ran over to me and asked, well Ger, have you any chips left? I do, said I. Ger laughed and recalled the mans response: Thats what you get for making too many, as he swiftly ran past him like a breeze. Laura, Bridget, Ger and Jenna Martin from The Golden Grill. Photo: Mary Browne We couldnt have asked for better customers, suppliers and staff, past and present, who graced our doors, and Brigid and I are very grateful to have had so many wonderful years here, said Ger. Even our two daughters have made a massive contribution and they were straight into work behind the counters when they arrived home from college every Friday without fail. Laura is studying engineering and Jemma is studying primary teaching, said Ger, with Brigid adding, We would also like to thank Ciara and all the staff who have stuck with us through thick and thin, and a special thanks to Liz for all her help. Well be putting the feet up, eventually, Ger said, explaining that himself and Brigid have taken on a house renovation and that will be there primary focus. He said hed like The Golden Grill to continue as a local chipper and that many people have already travelled from far and near to express an interest in reopening in the same capacity. See all the photos in our gallery below Patrick Maguire, Emma Nolan, Sharon Keogh and Emma Fox at the official opening of the new 'Cothu Library' at Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass. Photo: Joe Byrne Deputy principal Emma Fox, John Noctor and principal Patrick Maguire at the official opening of the new 'Cothu Library' at Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass. Photo: Joe Byrne Head boy J P Kearney Kehoe and deputy head girl Ciara Flemming at the official opening of the new 'Cothu Library' at Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass. Photo: Joe Byrne Sandra O Brien, Marie Mc Mahon and Ruth Kavanagh of the Scoil Chonglais parents council present a cheque to principal Patrick Maguire and deputy principal Emma Fox at the official opening of the new 'Cothu Library'. Photo: Joe Byrne Deputy principal Emma Fox, Marie Ciu Ciu and principal Patrick Maguire at the official opening of the new 'Cothu Library' at Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass. Photo: Joe Byrne Special guest Seamus O' Brien at the official opening of the new 'Cothu Library' at Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass. Photo: Joe Byrne Sandra, Seamus, Eimear and Aoife O' Brien at the official opening of the new 'Cothu Library' at Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass. Photo: Joe Byrne Principal Patrick Maguire at the official opening of the new 'Cothu Library' at Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass. Photo: Joe Byrne Library ambassadors with deputy principal Emma Fox at the official opening of the new 'Cothu Library' at Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass. Photo: Joe Byrne Students and faculty from Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass were beaming with school pride when they gathered to celebrate the official opening of their new Cothu Library. The opening of the library, which is named after an Irish word that signifies both nourishment and sustenance, was attended by Wicklow TD Edward Timmins and Scoil Chonglais board of management chairperson Michael Brown and past pupil and acclaimed author, Seamus OBrien, whose nieces, Eimear and Aoife attend the school and were involved in the special event. Head boy and deputy head girl JP Kearney Kehoe and Ciara Fleming delivered an address to the guests, while the schools trad group provided music, with other students reciting poetry, playing music, and baking and organising flowers for the event. A Scoil Chonglais spokesperson said: We are grateful to everyone who made this library such a success and we know that this library will play a pivotal role in empowering minds, shaping futures and celebrating success. We were honoured to welcome back Mr OBrien, who told us of the journey that led him to have two books published. We thank our head boy and deputy head girl, JP Kearney Kehoe and Ciara Fleming, for their address to the guests. Well done to our trad group and to the students who performed and helped prepare for the special event. We sincerely thank our parents council for their extremely generous donation to our school library and for their unwavering support to the school community, and a special thank you goes to Ms Sharon Kehoe and Ms Elma Nolan and their dedicated team of students who have worked tirelessly to complete this project. President John F Kennedy riding in the motorcade moments before he was shot (AP Photo) Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, whose 1991 film JFK portrayed President John F Kennedys assassination as the work of a shadowy government conspiracy, is set to testify to Congress on Tuesday about thousands of newly released government documents surrounding the killing. Experts say the files that President Donald Trump ordered to be released showed nothing undercutting the conclusion that a lone gunman killed Kennedy. Many documents were previously released but contained newly removed redactions, including social security numbers, angering people whose personal information was disclosed. The first hearing of the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets comes five decades after the Warren Commission investigation concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy as his motorcade finished a parade route in downtown Dallas on November 22 1963. The limousine carrying mortally wounded President John F Kennedy races toward the hospital seconds after he was shot in Dallas (Justin Newman/AP) Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who chairs the task force, said last month that she wants to work with writers and researchers to help solve one of the biggest cold case files in US history. Experts and historians have not viewed the assassination as a cold case, viewing the evidence for Oswald as a lone gunman as strong. Stones JFK was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, and won two. It grossed more than 200 million US dollars (155 million) but was also dogged by questions about its factuality. The last formal congressional investigation of Kennedys assassination ended in 1978, when a House committee issued a report concluding that the Soviet Union, Cuba, organised crime, the CIA and the FBI were not involved, but Kennedy probably was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. In 1976, a Senate committee said it had not uncovered enough evidence to justify a conclusion that there was a conspiracy. The Warren Commission, appointed by Kennedys successor, President Lyndon B Johnson, concluded that Oswald fired on Kennedys motorcade from a snipers perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, where Oswald worked. Police arrested Oswald within 90 minutes, and two days later, Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner, shot Oswald during a jail transfer broadcast on live television. For Tuesdays hearing, the task force also invited Jefferson Morley and James DiEugenio, who both have written books arguing for conspiracies behind the assassination. Morley is editor of the JFK Facts blog and vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination. He has praised Luna as being open to new information surrounding the killing. US army soldiers along with Lithuanian army and emergency services personnel discuss their plan to recover a US Army M88 Hercules vehicle submerged in a swamp near Pabrade, Lithuania. Photo: AP Three of the US army soldiers who went missing in Lithuania have been found dead in their armoured vehicle that was pulled from a swampy area early yesterday, according to US Army Europe and Africa Command. Another soldier is still missing. At least 921 people killed since prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended ceasefire last month Israel has issued sweeping evacuation orders covering most of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation. Palestinian officials say at least 921 people have been killed in the 14 days since Israel effectively ended a two-month ceasefire by launching some of its deadliest strikes of the war so far, which was sparked by Hamass attack on October 7, 2023. A 17-year-old boy from the West Bank who was held in an Israeli prison for six months without being charged died after collapsing in unclear circumstances, becoming the first Palestinian under 18 to die in Israeli detention, officials said. Painkili OTT Release Date: Sajin Gopu and Anaswara Rajan recently headlined this Malayalam romantic comedy, which received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. Released theatrically on 14th February, aligning with Valentines Day, the film is finally ready to make its digital debut. Painkili will be streaming on ManoramaMAX starting April 11, 2025. Painkilis cast and crew Other than the lead duo, Painkili also stars Jisma Vimal, Roshan Shanavas, Abu Salim, Chandu Salimkumar, Lijo Jose Pellissery, Riyaz Khan, Aswathy B and Ambili Ayappan among others. Written by Jithu Madhavan and directed by debutant Sreejith Babu, the film is produced by Fahadh Faasil and Jithu Madhavan under the banner of Urban Animal and Fahadh Faasil and Friends. Painkilis plot overview The movie stars Sajin Gopu as Suku, a guy who runs a small printing shop, and Anaswara Rajan as Sheeba, a young woman trying to escape the pressure from her family to get married. The story follows Suku, who goes to Coimbatore to buy new equipment for his shop but ends up getting into some trouble. To avoid getting in serious legal trouble, he pretends to be insane and ends up in a mental hospital. While there, he meets Asha, a kind nurse who sees through his act and starts to care for him. Meanwhile, Sheeba is doing everything she can to avoid an arranged marriage, even trying to run away, but her family keeps stopping her. Eventually, her path crosses with Suku's after he gets out of the hospital, and they both face funny and touching situations as they try to deal with their problems. For the unversed, this Justin Varghese musical is edited by Kiran Das and cinematographed by Arjun Sethu. Considering the social media hype, do you think Painkili will find its audience on OTT? Share your thoughts @indiatimes. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. The Old Guard 2 OTT Release Date: Brace yourselves, action junkies! The immortal warriors are back, and this time, theyre bringing even more chaos, drama, and mind-blowing fight sequences. This Max Aruj and Ruth Barrett musical is all set to explode onto your screens, and trust us, you do not want to miss it! The Old Guard 2 is officially landing on Netflix on July 2, 2025. Whos Back? Meet the cast of The Old Guard 2 Charlize Theron returns as Andy, the fearless, battle-hardened warrior whos been kicking butt for centuries. KiKi Layne is also back as Nile, the newest member of the squad, who is still figuring out this whole "never dying" thing. But wait, theres more! Marwan Kenzari (Joe), Luca Marinelli (Nicky), Matthias Schoenaerts (Booker), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Copley) are all returning for another round of bloodshed and betrayal. And if that wasnt exciting enough, Uma Thurman and Henry Golding are joining the party! This time around, the sequel is directed by Victoria Mahoney, who takes over from Gina Prince-Bythewood. But dont worry, folks, the original writer, Greg Rucka, is still in charge of the script. Whats the plot of The Old Guard 2? (What we know so far) Netflix is keeping things hush-hush, but heres what we do know: Quynh (Van Veronica Ngo) is back, and shes about to shake things up. If you remember, she was locked in a coffin and thrown into the ocean for centuries (yikes), so its safe to say shes got some unfinished business. Meanwhile, Andy and her team will be dealing with new enemies, old betrayals, and even bigger battles. And with Uma Thurman and Henry Golding in the mix, who knows what surprises are in store? If you havent watched the first movie yet, now is the perfect time to catch up. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Get ready, because the ongoing legal saga between It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is getting the docuseries treatment! Yes you heard it right. According to Variety, Discovery+ is gearing up to release Baldoni vs Lively: A Hollywood Feud, a dramatic series that dives into their explosive legal battle that is set to premiere in June 2025 in the UK. And while the US release is still under wraps, one things for sure: it's going to be a wild ride! Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (Credit: Instagram) A Hollywood feud like no other The docuseries promises to reveal the dramatic details leading up to the courtroom showdown between the two actors. If youve been following the headlines, you already know the basics: Lively, 37, filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, 41, accusing him of sexual harassment and causing damage to her reputation. Baldoni didnt back down, countersuing Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist for a whopping $400 million. It's a complex case, with emotions running high, and the docuseries is set to capture it all. The production is being handled by Optomen for Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland, the same team that brought us documentaries on the high-profile trials of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, as well as Kim Kardashian and Kanye Wests divorce. So you can expect a deep dive into this tangled web of accusations, countersuits, and legal maneuvering. Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively on the sets of It Ends With Us. (Credit: Instagram) All about the legal drama between Lively and Baldoni It all began in December 2024 when Blake Lively filed her lawsuit, sending shockwaves through Hollywood. In addition to his countersuit, Baldoni also went after The New York Times with a $250 million lawsuit, accusing them of sensationalizing the initial news of Livelys complaint. However, the media outlet stood firm in defending their reporting, and a judge recently decided to pause the lawsuit, giving the newspaper a break. Baldoni has also been battling accusations of his former publicist leaking damaging texts that allegedly played a role in the smear campaign claims. In a world where celebrities' personal lives are always on display, this case seems to be one of the most compelling in recent memory. The stakes are high, and it looks like the docuseries will give fans a front-row seat to one of the most dramatic Hollywood feuds in years Justin Baldoni. (Credit: X) A deep dive into the drama But the drama just doesnt stop there. Livelys legal team, which includes husband Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane, have been named in Baldonis countersuit. And the drama also involves a former publicist, Stephanie Jones, who is accused of leaking private text messages between Lively and Baldonis camp, fueling the ongoing feud. Its a big mess of betrayal, legal battles, and public images on the line. And as the legal battle continues toward its trial in March 2026, the docuseries will offer a glimpse into whats really going on behind the headlines. Buckle up because this is one docuseries you wont want to miss! A new trouble for the Tesla owner Elon Musk? Well, amid the ongoing protests against the company and the increasing involvement of the tech-billionaire in DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) and the Donald Trump administration, concerns have been raised among Tesla investors. While recently speaking to Sky News, Ross Gerber, the Tesla investor for a long time now, opened up about the company's declining stock in 2025. He said Tesla stocks saw a decline of 36 per cent in the first three months of 2025, which is one of the sharpest decreases since 2022 and the largest drop for a quarter in history. Gerber went on to highlight that Musk is more committed towards DOGE's role in the government and is spending more time with the Trump administration rather than looking into his business. Tesla needs a new CEO Continuing to speak, he also stated, "I think Tesla needs a new CEO. The business has been neglected for too long. According to Gerber, there are too many things the company is involved in currently; hence, Musk should come back to the company and be the CEO of Tesla and give up his other tasks. He also noted that Musk's focus has shifted more towards his engagement with X (formerly called Twitter), which is eventually causing huge damage to the EV car company. Sales are plummeting, so yeah, it's a crisis. You literally can't sell the best product in the marketplace because the CEO is so divisive. Tesla stock is a huge Ponzi scheme build off of government largess. Even at this point it is trading at 129 times earnings. What a disaster. pic.twitter.com/tNREoROYCO 10xLogisticsExperts (@Logisticsexpert) March 31, 2025 Is Tom Zhu going to replace Elon Musk as the Tesla CEO? Well, amid all of this going on and the rising demand for Elon Musk to resign from the CEO position, one name has garnered much attention lately, which is Tom Zhu, the president of Tesla China. Tom is a key figure in the company's global expansion. According to the CEO Today report, if Musk were to step down from his position, Zhu has an impressive chance to take over, as he has a deep understanding of the company. Credit: X Who is Tom Zhu? Tom Zhu is the current president of Tesla China. He was born and brought up in China and was later educated in New Zealand and the United States. He started his journey with Tesla in 2014 when he joined as the Director of Expansion in China, and he was quickly able to manage large-scale projects. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. The world of Instagram can be a weird place, especially when you are a celebrity, and even more so when your personal life becomes a public spectacle. Hailey Bieber and Justin Biebers social media saga had the internet buzzing recently, when eagle-eyed followers noticed that Hailey had seemingly unfollowed her husband. Cue the gasp. Did Hailey Bieber really unfollow husband Justin Bieber? Lets be honest, the Biebers have been through their fair share of public scrutiny. And as soon as the unfollow moment went viral, fans started speculating that things were on the rocks between the power couple. As if the couple needed any more drama. Justin and Hailey Bieber | Credit: Instagram Justin Biebers active Instagram day Justin had a particularly active day on Instagram, posting eight new photos and 17 Instagram Stories, which included a particularly sweet post with his son, Jack Blues Bieber. But there was also a somewhat suspicious close-up of Hailey, set to Sades Jezebela move some fans read as a not-so-subtle dig. Add in the unfollow, and people were absolutely certain there was trouble in paradise. But plot twist. The Instagrams glitch sparks separation rumours between Justin and Hailey Bieber As it turns out, the unfollow wasnt a sign of marital turmoil; it was just a glitch. Yes, you heard it righta glitch! Apparently, Justin deactivated and reactivated his Instagram, which caused the glitch that made it look like Hailey had unfollowed him. Drama over. Justin and Hailey Bieber | Credit: Instagram Hailey wasted no time in clearing the air, taking to TikTok to drop a simple, straight-to-the-point comment: Its a glitch. Didnt unfollow him. Hope this helps! Fans rejoiced, but not before the internet had already spun its own tale. In fact, Hailey didnt just clear things upshe also showed her support for her hubbys social media spree, leaving a heart-eyes emoji in the comments of his posts. Relationship goals, much? This wasnt the first time a social media mishap raised eyebrows. In January, Justin had briefly unfollowed Hailey, later blaming the incident on unauthorised activity on his account. He even admitted it had created a bit of drama, saying, Shit is getting suss out here, which definitely added fuel to the fire. Justin and Hailey Bieber | Credit: Instagram Justin and Hailey Biebers love story Despite the constant online criticism, the Biebers have remained steadfast. Hailey once shared in an interview that people have tried to tear down their relationship from the start, but she has learned to brush it off. People dont want to believe that were happy, she said. It doesnt hurt any less, but were not letting it affect us. Justin and Hailey Bieber | Credit: Instagram And, while the internet continues to stir up gossip, Justin had the sweetest message for Hailey earlier this year, calling her the greatest woman I have and will ever know. In a show of commitment, the pair renewed their vows last year in Hawaii and even shared the exciting news of their first pregnancy. So, before we all jump to conclusions, lets remembersometimes, its just a glitch. Lets hope the Biebers get some peace and quiet after all this drama. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Kim Soo Hyun's ongoing underage dating controversy has led fans to reassess his entire career, with increasing scrutiny now falling on his inner circle. The scandal has sparked widespread discussion, and many are now questioning his past actions and public image. After remaining silent for nearly three weeks following the controversy, the actor finally broke his silence at a press conference on March 31. However, his emotional statement was met with scepticism, with many labelling it as 'fake' and insincere. As the fallout continues, several of Kim Soo Hyun's close contacts have seemingly begun distancing themselves from him. The latest to take action is his fellow 88-liner Yim Siwan, best known for his role in Squid Game. Yim Siwan unfollows Kim Soo Hyun on Instagram. Yim Siwan unfollowed Kim Soo Hyun on Instagram just a day after the latter held his press conference. Fans were quick to take note of the Run On star's social media activity after initially questioning his close friendships with the now-controversial actor. Fans also observed that Yim Siwan didn't just unfollow Kim Soo Hyun but also unfollowed everyone else and now only follows his agency, Plum Actors. So Siwan unfollowed everyone on Instagram except for his agency, Plum A&C pic.twitter.com/P0Q9olK4pw Everyday Siwan International Yim Siwan Fanpage (@everydaysiwan) April 1, 2025 Before Yim Siwan, actress Seol In Ah did something similar. She unfollowed everyone on Instagram shortly after the controversy broke. She also unfollowed her agency, Gold Medalist, which Kim Soo Hyun co-owns with his cousin. This led fans to wonder if the Business Proposal actress might have ended her contract with the agency due to the scandal. About the 88-liners For those who may not know, the group 88-liners consists of actors and idols who were born in 1988 and includes G-Dragon, Kim Soo Hyun, Yim Siwan, Jung Hae In, Lee Soo Hyuk, and Hwang Kwanghee. The group garnered public attention after their camaraderie was on display on the BigBang member G-Dragon-hosted variety show Good Day in February. Credit: X Is Kim Soo Hyun's agency God Medalist going bankrupt? According to K-media reports, Kim Soo Hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, is facing a severe financial crisis. The situation is reportedly so dire that the agency had to suspend its contract with an external cleaning service. The agency's financial woes stem from Kim Soo Hyun losing over 20 endorsement deals due to controversies surrounding his alleged past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron. Several industry insiders also believe that Kim Soo Hyun's emotional press conference was not only a defensive move but also a desperate attempt to save his agency from bankruptcy. The reports further added that Gold Medalist is seeking external investment to navigate its financial troubles. Meanwhile, Kim Soo Hyun has filed a 12 billion KRW (approximately $12.24 million) lawsuit against Kim Sae Ron's family and others involved in the controversy. For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and K-entertainment updates, keep following our coverage here. South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun finally broke his silence about dating Kim Sae Ron following accusations of grooming from the late actress's family. At his press meet on Monday (March 31), Kim Soo Hyun apologised for the controversy surrounding his relationship with Kim Sae Ron and addressed allegations of his agency's attempted extortion following her DUI accident. The Queen of Tears star was visibly emotional throughout the press conference, breaking down in tears and struggling to compose himself as he spoke. Kim Soo Hyun's press meet had been at the centre of controversy ever since his agency Gold Medalist's announcement on March 30 due to its 'half-baked' format. The session was held in a packed room with reporters present solely to listen, with no opportunity to ask questions, and instead only reported on the statements made by the actor and his lawyer. Despite the pre-assigned format, a brave female reporter tried to ask the 37-year-old actor a question about Kim Sae Ron, but the actor appeared to ignore her, showing no regard for the query. His actions have ignited fresh criticism, with netizens calling out the actor on social media. Kim Soo Hyun ignores the reporter's question about Kim Sae Ron Defying the no-questions rule, a bold reporter shouted out to Kim Soo Hyun as he concluded his statement, pressing him for details about his relationship with Kim Sae Ron. "When and where did you first meet Kim Sae Ron?" she asked, adding, "Just that, please tell me." Despite the reporter's loud voice amidst the camera flashes, Kim Soo Hyun chose to ignore her. He was then seen walking off the stage, looking tearful, before exiting the room with his lawyer, who offered him comfort with pats on the back. reporter: can you tell me when and where you first met? I think that'll be okay? please tell me when and where you first met. Kim Soohyun just walks off hats off to the reporter for asking the question even when questions were not allowed to be asked pic.twitter.com/lALTnh16PJ (@9131film) March 31, 2025 Internet slams Kim Soo Hyun for ignoring the female reporter Kim Soo Hyun is facing backlash from fans and netizens for ignoring the female reporter's question during his press meet. One user wrote, "I was really waiting to see if he'd answer the questions; obviously he was triggered by it... that's a guilty man's behaviour." i was really waiting to see if he'll answer the questions, obviously he was triggered by it... that's a guilty man's behaviour Luna (@Lil_Luna_IRL) March 31, 2025 Another user wrote, "That reporter definitely wants justice to be served, and he couldn't even answer this time. I was expecting him to play the denial game." that reporter definitely wants justice to be served, and he couldn't even answer this time i was expecting him to play the denial game Zoey (@LilKittyZoey) March 31, 2025 A third slammed him for crying, writing, "Ok, king of fake tears! Pack it up; we can see that you're acting." ok, king of fake tears! pack it up we can see that you're acting... Azn Hyunnie (@hyunnie_hunny) March 31, 2025 "Loser behaviour. This guy doesnt even have the balls to face questions and has the nerve to hold a press conference. If you still believe this guy is innocent, then its a YOU problem," a fourth penned. Loser behavior. This guy doesnt even have the balls to face questions and has the nerve to hold a press conference. If you still believe this guy is innocent, then its a YOU problem Stella (@Sthormyy) March 31, 2025 For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. The Kunal Kamra controversy shows no signs of slowing down. After cracking a 'gaddar' joke, without explicitly naming Maharashtra minister and former CM Eknath Shinde, Kamra has found himself at the centre of a political storm. Enraged Shiv Sena workers vandalised the venue where he performed and have been actively searching for him (as revealed in a leaked audio call circulating on X). Multiple FIRs have already been filed against the comedian, and now, in a shocking turn, police have served notices to even audience members from his show. In response, Kamra has responded on X with a pointed, albeit subtle, remark - questioning the use of 'democracy' to 'kill an artist.' The 36-year-old stand-up comedian took to X to share a photo outlining a "step-by-step guide" on how to "kill an artist democratically." How to kill an Artist Democratically pic.twitter.com/9ESc9MZfWr Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) April 1, 2025 On Reddit, users expressed outrage over the situation. One commented, "Utterly disgusting, notice for the audience? Tf. Do they have an IOTA of shame. Lamborghini guy got bail hours after killing people. Many murder, rape cases unsolved, scam cases leading to suicides, corrupt banks, corrupt cronies, gangsters on lose after raping and killing. What has the state become, why are the people letting stuff like these to happen?" Another wrote, "A society at war with its youth is meant to fade away into obscurity as a failed attempt at civilisation, sent to its doom by its elders deluded by lies about a glorious past." A third remarked, "This is how democracy dies...one step at a time Congratulations Indians...we are heading towards the death of freedom of speech and expression." Yet another added, "Ah, classic, 'They can't debate, so they try to silence him via violence.' Respect to the madlad-Kamra for standing his ground, calling out everything and still roasting them harder than Maharashtra's heat, lol." Why Kunal Kamra is being summoned In a performance at Mumbai's Habitat comedy club, Kamra performed a parody song that implicitly criticised Shinde, labeling him a "gaddar" (traitor) for his role in the 2022 political upheaval that led to the downfall of Uddhav Thackeray's government. The performance, uploaded to YouTube in March 2025, sparked significant backlash from supporters of Shinde's Shiv Sena party. In response, party workers vandalized the Habitat comedy club. Subsequently, multiple First Information Reports (FIR) have been filed against Kamra, accusing him of defamation and public mischief. On March 28, 2025, the Madras High Court granted him interim anticipatory bail until April 7. In a further development, the Mumbai Police have reportedly summoned attendees of Kamra's show for questioning, indicating an expansion of the investigation. Kamra has remained defiant, refusing to apologise and defending his right to political satire. Rahool Kanal, General Secretary of the Shiv Sena Yuva Sena (Shinde faction), stated on Monday that Kunal Kamra would receive a true Shiv Sena-style welcome upon his return to Mumbai. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending. While the internet is still caught up in the viral ChatGPT Ghibli trend, debating whether it's a creative breakthrough or an artistic rip-off, ChatGPT maker OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has already moved on. His next major project, set to launch in just six months, has left people both intrigued and confused. Yesterday, Sam Altman announced that OpenAI is set to release an open-weight AI model in the coming months. "We are excited to release a powerful new open-weight language model with reasoning in the coming months," the CEO wrote on X, calling it the "first open-weight language model since GPT-2." TL;DR: we are excited to release a powerful new open-weight language model with reasoning in the coming months, and we want to talk to devs about how to make it maximally useful: https://t.co/XKB4XxjREV we are excited to make this a very, very good model! __ we are planning to Sam Altman (@sama) March 31, 2025 But this has left many wondering, what exactly is an open-weight language model? What is an open-weight language model, and how does it differ from ChatGPT? An open-weight language model is a type of AI model where its trained parameters, or "weights," are made publicly available. This means developers and researchers can use, modify, and fine-tune the model without having to train one from scratch. However, unlike fully open-source models that also share the underlying code, open-weight models typically provide only the pre-trained weights, striking a balance between openness and control. In contrast, ChatGPT (including versions like GPT-4) is a closed model - its weights are proprietary, and users can only access it through OpenAI's API or platform without making internal modifications. Another key difference is that open-weight models can be deployed on private servers, local machines, or customised environments without relying on OpenAI's infrastructure. Meanwhile, ChatGPT runs only on OpenAIs cloud-based services, requiring internet access and API usage. This shift toward open-weight models is partly seen as a response to the success of DeepSeek's R1 model from China. Deepseek has proved to be a game-changer in the AI space | CREDIT: UNSPLASH In January 2025, DeepSeek launched its R1 model, an open-weight AI system that performed on par with OpenAI's models but was created at a much lower cost. This increased competition in the AI industry which finally pushed OpenAI to rethink its strategy. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending. Nidhi Tewari, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer from the 2014 batch, has been appointed as the Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The announcement came through an official order from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on March 29, with approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). Tewari, who hails from the Mahmoorganj neighborhood in Varanasi, has had a steady rise in the civil services since securing the 96th rank in the 2013 UPSC Civil Services Examination. She initially worked as an Assistant Commissioner in Varanasi before joining the Indian Foreign Service. Nidhi Tewaris role in the PMO and past experience Tewaris association with the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) began in 2022 when she joined as an Under Secretary. In January 2023, she was promoted to Deputy Secretary, where she played a key role in the Foreign and Security division, working closely with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Before her stint at the PMO, she worked in the Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), where she contributed significantly to Indias foreign policy and security matters. Her new role as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister marks another milestone in her career. She will continue in this capacity until further notice or the completion of her tenure. The ACCs official order confirms that her appointment is effective immediately. A look at Nidhi Tewaris salary and perks As a Private Secretary in the PMO, Nidhi Tewaris salary has seen a significant increase. While she previously served as a Deputy Secretary at Level 12 of the pay matrix, she will now receive a salary under Pay Matrix Level 14, amounting to an expected 1,44,200 per month. Additionally, she will be entitled to allowances such as dearness allowance, house rent allowance, and travel allowance, which will bring her total monthly earnings to approximately 2 lakh. Nidhi Tewaris deep connection with Varanasi Nidhi Tiwari is a 2014 batch IFS officer. In her career so far, she has worked in many important departments of the Ministry of External Affairs. Considering her administrative ability and efficiency, she has been promoted to the post of Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/rBm4AYox9t TheEducator (@TheEducator295) March 31, 2025 Tewaris roots in Varanasi run deep, making her appointment particularly notable. Her hometown, Mahmoorganj, falls within Prime Minister Narendra Modis Lok Sabha constituency. She has been linked to the city since Modis first Lok Sabha election campaign in 2014. Her appointment to the PMO further strengthens her connection to the constituency, as she now plays a key role in assisting the Prime Minister directly. Her journey from being an Assistant Commissioner in Varanasi to a critical position in the PMO shows her dedication and expertise in administration and foreign affairs. As she steps into her new role, her experience in international security and diplomacy will play a crucial role in assisting the Prime Ministers office in key policy matters. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending. WWE Raw March 31: Cody Rhodes ripped into John Cena on the latest episode of Raw and assaulted him ahead of WrestleMania 41 where he will defend his Undisputed title against the Cenation Leader. QB1 called his opponent a company creation and reminded him of the you can't wrestle chants that have haunted him throughout his career. Cena then tried to assault Rhodes but received a Cross Rhodes for his efforts. Cena insults Cody Rhodes, gets laid out Cody Rhodes and John Cena came face-to-face for the last time before WrestleMania 41. The 16-time world champion spewed venom on his foe and called him an example of 'mediocrity'. He added that he was too 'polished' to carry the company. Cena also took a dig at his family's legacy and called him a 'nepo child. Rhodes hit back by reminding his foe of the 'you can't wrestle' chants that have haunted the soon-to-retire star throughout his career. Rhodes also implied that Cena was never the choice of the WWE Universe as he owed his rise to Vince McMahon, the company's founder and former CEO. Cena retaliated by trying a cheap shot but failed, Rhodes then hit him with his finisher. About WrestleMania 41? WrestleMania 41, meanwhile, promises to be a star-studded affair. Besides Cena and Rhodes, the card includes the likes of Gunther and CM Punk. The grand event will be held in Las Vegas on April 19 and April 20. For all the latest coverage on WWE, track updates here The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, on Monday, paid tribute to the late Pa Ayo Adebanjo, the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere. Abure credited Adebanjo for playing a significant role in the Labour Partys success in Lagos during the 2023 presidential election, where LP candidate Peter Obi triumphed in a remarkable upset. In a statement released by the partys National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, Abure expressed that Adebanjos unwavering support and strategic influence were instrumental in Obis victory in Lagos, a state traditionally considered a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Advertisement In the February 27, 2023 election, Obi won nine local government areas in Lagos, including Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, and Eti-Osa, among others, significantly challenging President Bola Tinubus dominance in his home state. Abure, accompanied by LP executives on Monday, visited Adebanjos residence to pay respects over the weekend. According to Abure, Adebanjos troubleshooting efforts not only engendered peace in the Labour Party but also propelled the party into achieving massive successes in the last general elections. Recall that the Labour Party played a major role in the 2023 general elections. I can remember whenever a crisis came up, he (Adebanjo) would summon me to Lagos. We would discuss and reach amicable resolutions in those crises. Our strong performance in the last general elections can be credited to his several interventions. He navigated several of such cases, particularly in Lagos, and today, that state is one of the strongest bases of the party. I learnt a lot from Pa Adebanjo personally, that culture of resistance, defending what is right, defending democracy and the rule of law, I learnt it from him. I am happy that the struggle to enthrone democracy in Nigeria was achieved in his lifetime. Many of his contemporaries were not that lucky. He saw an unbroken democracy for close to 25 years, and he participated in it. We were able to identify and put together all our candidates from the presidential candidate down to the least position and the ruling oligarchy didnt believe what they saw in the 2023 general elections. For the first time, we mobilised the youths of this country. For the first time, the youth of the country saw hope and they were living it. They envisioned themselves in it and we were able to achieve that change. Pa Adebanjo, as old as he was, led the struggle. Suspended Kogi State lawmaker, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has called on Nigerians to hold Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governor Usman Ododo, and former governor, Yahaya Bello responsible if anything happen to her. Senator representing Kogi Central, in a statement on Tuesday, via her Facebook page, led this out ahead of her homecoming event with her constituents. She said: My dear people of Kogi Central, I look forward to our peaceful Sallah celebrations today. Advertisement However, should we be met with or infiltrated by violence, Nigerians should hold Gov Ododo, Yahaya Bello & SP Godswill Akpabio wholly responsible. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the development is coming, following a restriction order made by Kogi State government on Monday, over public gatherings and rallies. READ MORE: Senator Natasha Confirms Sallah Visit To Constituency Despite Kogi Govts Ban Recall that Governor Ododos led administration had earlier announced a curfew in Senator Natashas constituency. The government also stopped fishing and other activities, arguing that they recently resulted in the loss of two lives in Kasemiya, Katubo and Umozu Ette, all in Kogi Local Government Area in Kogi West. The Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo noted that the move was to prevent any form of security breach that might destabilise the state. Suspended Senator representing Kogi central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has insisted that her visitation to Kogi State will not be stopped by anybody. Addressing her supporters and residents of Ihima community, the lawmaker said that it is not a crime for joining her people in celebrating Sallah. Recall that Kogi State government had issued ban on any public gatherings and rallies over alleged security concerns. Advertisement READ MORE: Senator Natasha Confirms Sallah Visit To Constituency Despite Kogi Govts Ban Following the governments restrictions, Senator Natasha noted that if any violence occur during her homecoming event, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi state, and Yahaya Bello, the former governor of the state should be blame for it. Speaking on Tuesday, after arriving in an helicopter, the lawmaker insisted that nobody will stop her from engaging her Ebira people, adding that she is not a bastard. She said: Yesterday, we heard on the news that rallies and gatherings will not be allowed, that roads will be blocked, and convoys leading into the state will not be allowed. I knew that we were the targets. But then I said, this is not political season, this is not campaign time. We are not having a rally. This is just me, the Senator representing Kogi Central, coming down to her people to celebrate this festive time, the Sallah with you, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am breaking no law. This is Nigeria. We have the right to be free, to express our choice in gatherings and celebrations. Nobody and nothing can stop me from coming home. Im an Ebira woman; this is my land. Im the daughter of the late Jimoh Abdul Akpoti. I know my roots; Im not a bastard, and Im not afraid of anybody. Kogi State Government has called on security agencies to hold Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan responsible for any negative outcome from her rally in Kogi Central. In a statement on Tuesday, the states Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, blamed the lawmaker for holding her homecoming event despite ban by Governor Usman Ododo administration. Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA had reported that Kogi State government on Monday, placed ban on public gatherings and rallies in the state. Advertisement The states Police Command also issued warning to the female Senator to suspend her homecoming rally, which she later ignored. Reacting to the event on Tuesday, the states Commissioner for Information said that Mrs. Natasha allegedly planned to use her visit to stir trouble and violence in Kogi Central Senatorial District. He said: She should be held accountable for her blatant attempts to incite violence and cause unnecessary tension. READ MORE: Senator Natasha Confirms Sallah Visit To Constituency Despite Kogi Govts Ban She deliberately violated the State Governments ban on political gatherings, which was put in place to prevent security breaches and maintain peace. Instead of respecting the law, she chose to incite chaos, disregarding the safety and stability of the state. Yet another desperate and calculated attempt by an incurable liar and serial manipulator to mislead the public, incite unrest, and present herself as a victim after deliberately violating the ban on political gatherings imposed by the State Government to maintain law and order. Her statement exposed her plans to use her visit to stir trouble and violence in Kogi Central Senatorial District. We will not allow any part of the state to go up in flames nor permit killing of innocent souls by the actions of the suspended Senator. Ododo absolutely has no interest in the political theatrics of the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Her baseless allegations are nothing but a feeble attempt to stir unnecessary controversy and cover up her blatant disregard for the law. She has once again proven that she has no respect for rules and the laws. The Kogi State Police Command has urged Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan to cancel her planned Sallah homecoming rally in the Central Senatorial District, citing security concerns. In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP William Aya, on behalf of the State Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, the command emphasised the need to maintain peace in the state. The statement reads in part: Following the intelligence report on security threats in Kogi State and the subsequent ban on all forms of Rally and procession by the Kogi State Government, the Nigeria Police Force, Kogi State Police Command has called on the organisers of the planned rally at Okene to cancel such event in the interest of peace in Kogi State. Advertisement The call for cancellation becomes necessary, noting that intelligence reveals that some hoodlums plan to hijack the process and cause disturbance of peace in the State. The Command cannot afford to jeopardize the existing peace the State is currently enjoying. In view of the security threat received on the planned rally, the Kogi State Police Command is therefore advising the organisers to cancel the event so as to avoid any breakdown of law and order in the State. As the Command will not hesitate to apply the full wrath of law on anyone who causes disturbance of peace and order in the State. The police emphasised their commitment to ensuring public safety and warned that any attempt to disrupt peace would be met with strict enforcement of the law. Meanwhile, there has been no official response from Senator Natasha regarding the directive. suggest headlines Operatives of Nasarawa State Police Command have arrested a notorious kidnapper and rescued two Federal University of Lafia students. In a statement by the Commands Spokesman, Nansel Ranham, on Tuesday, disclosed that Sarawak State Police Command received a distress call on the 1st of April, 20225, reporting an attack by suspected kidnappers at a student lodge behind Nasara Estate, Tudun Kauri, Lafia. Nansel added that during the attack, two students of institution, Sadiq Adinoyi and Sakina Adinoyi, were abducted. Advertisement READ MORE: Joint Security Team Kills Notorious Kidnapper In Nasarawa He said: Acting swiftly on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and A Division, Lafia, were mobilized to track down the perpetrators. Following technical intelligence gathering, a rescue operation was conducted on April 1, 2025, at about 11:30 AM in a forest behind the 500 Housing Unit along Doma Road, Lafia. During the operation, police operatives engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel. Overwhelmed by police firepower, the kidnappers fled in different directions, abandoning the victims, who were safely rescued. A tanker loaded with approximately 40,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, overturned on Monday at the Galilee area in Orile Igbon along the Ogbomoso-Ilorin Express Road. Mr Yemi Akinyinka, the General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, confirmed the development in a statement made available to DAILY POST. Today, Monday 31st March 2025, at exactly 6:36 am, the Ogbomoso Fire Station was called by DTO, Orile Igbon, through GSM. Advertisement READ MORE: Rivers Police Arrest Alleged Serial Rapist Who Lure Victims Through Dating Sites On arrival, we met a DAF trailer tanker, Reg No SUL 698 XP Niger, loaded with 40,000 litres of PMS, which had swerved off the road and overturned into a nearby ditch, its contents gushing out. Instantly, we blanketed the area with foam compound to neutralise the flammability of the spilled contents and prevent ignition from naked flames. We remain on standby. The Nigeria Police, Orile Igbon Division, are also on the ground to provide adequate security cover, he said. The incident occurred just days after another petrol tanker overturned in the state. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the largest military call-up in recent history, enlisting 160,000 new troops as tensions continue to rise on multiple fronts. This latest conscription drive, announced on April 1, 2025, significantly expands Russias military presence amid ongoing conflicts and geopolitical struggles. According to official statements from Russian authorities on Tuesday, it was announced that: The new recruits will be integrated into various military divisions, including ground forces, air defense units, and naval forces. Advertisement The call-up is part of a routine spring conscription cycle and is not directly linked to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The announcement follows a series of intensified clashes along the eastern Ukrainian front, where Russian forces have struggled to make significant advances despite months of offensives. Western intelligence sources speculate that Russias losses in manpower have been substantial, prompting the need for a fresh influx of troops. The move also comes as NATO countries ramp up military support for Kyiv, further escalating regional tensions. Opposition voices within Russia have criticized the call-up, warning of potential economic and social consequences. With thousands of young men being drafted, concerns over workforce shortages and public unrest continue to grow. Meanwhile, international reactions have been swift, with European and U.S. officials condemning Russias ongoing militarization efforts. Suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara expressed concerns that the states political situation could lead to depression. His suspension, along with his deputy and state lawmakers, was announced by President Bola Tinubu last month due to an ongoing conflict between the executive and legislative branches. Fubara stated that the situation is capable of making one depressed, highlighting the challenges and tensions within the states governance. The conflict has led to a state of emergency, prompting the presidents intervention. Advertisement Speaking with Muslim leaders who visited him on Monday at his private residence in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, Fubara said: We, as humans, might feel a bit depressed because of the situation, because of what were seeing but we might not understand what is deeper that is beyond us that has happened. But in everything we have decided to give glory to God. So in this season of joy and love and sacrifice, I want you people to understand that I key into your period of festival. I also believe strongly we shall come out stronger. Our dream and vision for this state is a society that no man should be oppressed. Its a very important venture in the course of this struggle. Please be patient, dont allow anybody to push you into any form of provocation because what they want is to destroy this state. What they want is to create problem, to deny you that means of livelihood that you have here. Well not allow it. Well continue to operate in a peaceful manner, well continue to respect constituted authority to ensure that this state remains the envy of every other state in Nigeria. Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested a cleric, identified as Elijah, over alleged homosexuality. It was gathered that the suspect was said to be a General Overseer of a church (name withheld) in Port Harcourt. INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that Mr. Elijah was apprehended after a leaked video surfaced showing him in a compromising situation. Advertisement A source who refused to identify himself told PUNCH that the self a acclaimed man of God troubles began when a male acquaintance, whom he was allegedly making advances towards, secretly recorded their interaction and later released the footage. READ MORE: Another Explosion Hits Gas Facility In Rivers Community The source said: We dont know how the Octopus Strike Force of the Rivers State Police Command got hold of the video, but they began tracking the pastor. Eventually, acting on credible intelligence, officers trailed him to one of his regular hangouts and arrested him. Meanwhile, during interrogation, the cleric allegedly made confessional statements about his involvement in similar activities with both adults and minors within and outside Port Harcourt. Also confirming the report, the State Police Commands Spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, said that the suspect had been arraigned in court. She said: Yes, I can confirm the pastors arrest. He is in custody, and investigations are ongoing. In fact, he has already been charged to court. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has made a shocking allegation that President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, plotted to kill her. This recent allegation follows her previous claims against Yahaya Bello, whom she accused of orchestrating an attack on her during the March 2023 senatorial election. Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Bellos henchmen, wearing APC shirts, shot at her vehicle, and she has video evidence of the incident. The senator-elect criticized Bellos remarks, highlighting the inconsistency of endangering lives and labeling it as the beauty of democracy. Advertisement Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan dropped this bombshell allegations at the Kogi rally on Tuesday, she was quoted saying: On the 13th of March at 10:00 pm, mind you, two days before that, Akpabio had called Governor Ododo on the phone to commence my recall but Ododo told him it would be impossible. Ododo told Akpabio that the recall will be impossible because the masses are with me. But Akpabio was not satisfied so he called Yahaya Bello. I was informed of everything. The meeting was on two folds they told him to commence my recall and that he was going to fund it. The second thing he said was that he should try and kill me. I didnt make this public, but I have written to the IG of Police. Akpabio told Yahaya Bello that he should make sure that killing me does not happen in Abuja, that it should happen here so that it will look as if it was the people that killed me here. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghans homecoming rally in Kogis Ihima community is sparking controversy. Despite the state governments ban on rallies and processions, her supporters gathered early Tuesday, entertained by local musicians. The senator represents the Kogi Central Senatorial District and is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The government imposed the ban citing security concerns, but Akpoti-Uduaghan insists on proceeding with her scheduled visit. Advertisement The controversy surrounding the rally has sparked a heated debate, with the government warning against defying the ban and citing potential security threats and a history of politically motivated violence. Akpoti-Uduaghan has dismissed speculations that she cancelled her plans, stating that any violence would be the responsibility of Governor Ododo, Yahaya Bello, and Godswill Akpabio. Speaking to attendees at the home coming rally on Tuesday, Senator Natasha Akpoti had this to say: Yesterday, we heard on the news that rallies and gatherings will not be allowed, that roads will be blocked, and convoys leading into the state will not be allowed. I knew that we were the targets. But then I said, this is not political season, this is not campaign time, the lawmaker told her supporters and constituents. We are not having a rally. This is just me, the Senator representing Kogi Central, coming down to her people to celebrate this festive time the Sallah with you, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am breaking no law. This is Nigeria. We have the right to be free, to express our choice in gatherings and celebrations. Suspended lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has confirmed that she will be visiting Kogi Central join her people in celebrating Sallah festive. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that Senator Natashas confirmation is coming, following a ban on public gatherings and rallies declared by Kogi State Government. In a statement on Monday, the states Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said that the move was to prevent any form of security breach that might destabilise the state. Advertisement He added that intelligence reports indicated that some persons were planning to stage some violent rallies in the guise of political and religious agitations in Kogi Central. Mr. Fanwo said: These flashes of disturbances are raising tension in the state and threatening to breach public peace and security. In view of this, and effective immediately, the Kogi State Government has placed a total ban on all forms of rallies or public gatherings that have the potential to disrupt public peace. READ MORE: Natasha: Akpabio Is Known For Abusing Women Even As Governor Atiku Meanwhile, in a statement on Monday by Senator Natashas office, reiterated her commitment to engage with her community, despite governments ban public gatherings. She emphasized that her dedication to the people of Kogi Central remains steadfast. The statement reads: We are pleased to confirm that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghans Sallah visit to Kogi Central senatorial district will proceed as planned. Despite rumours circulating online, there has been no official announcement from our office regarding the cancellation of this visit. As the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan remains committed to engaging with her community and fostering a spirit of unity and cooperation. Her dedication to the people of Kogi Central is unwavering, and she looks forward to celebrating Eid-el-Fitr with her constituents. We would like to assure the public that all necessary arrangements are in place to ensure a successful and joyous event. We invite all members of the community to join us in marking this special occasion. National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies has called on Nigerians to adjust their spending amid removal of subsidy by President Bola Tinubus administration. NIPSS noted that President Tinubus action was a necessary step to achieve a profitable economy system. The institute appealed to Nigerians to endure the current economic hardship facing the country, saying that the sacrifice will pay off one day. Advertisement Speaking on Channels Television on Tuesday, Director-General of NIPSS, Ayo Omotayo, said that while the impact may be tough now, the decision will benefit the country in the long run. He said: Most of the benefits will come in the medium and long term. For now, the government has introduced palliatives to help ease the burden on the poor. We all need to adjust our spending. READ MORE: Fuel Subsidy Removal Will Protect Future Of Unborn Generation Tinubu So for us at the National Institute, it was a very timely step that Mr President took, and it has come a long way in saving Nigeria. We were on the verge of collapse with subsidies. The subsidies we were paying were just totally unimaginable, and of course, we were subsidizing fuel as far as Burkina Faso, as far as Sierra Leone in some instances. So a government that wants to succeed must take very tough decisions. For us at the National Institute, we commend the President for the removal of fuel subsidy, even though the Nigerian politic may feel it is harsh, that we needed some more time. Recall that President Tinubu, on the 29th of May 2023, announced the removal of subsidy on fuel, a decision that affected the economy of the country. A young Igala graduate, John Johnson, was tragically murdered by suspected herdsmen on March 29, 2025, in Zaina, near Angwar Hakimi, Orozo, within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Johnson had been attending a Boys Brigade camping event when he became a victim of the violent attack. This heartbreaking incident has left his family devastated, as they were already mourning the loss of his father the previous year after a prolonged illness. The murder has raised concerns about the growing insecurity in the region, with fears mounting over the safety of civilians. As investigations continue, there are calls for stronger security measures to protect citizens from similar attacks, particularly in vulnerable areas like Orozo. Advertisement The Chief of Igala in Orozo, Amadu Zachariah, confirmed the gruesome attack on Monday, stating: Unfortunately, rain was threatening to fall, so they moved the children to a nearby church. The two leaders went back to retrieve their belongings when they were attacked. One leader escaped, while Johnson sadly lost his life. After the attack, villagers were alerted by the leader who had escaped, but when they reached the scene to rescue Johnson, it was too late. After being notified, the police investigated the incident and found that the suspected herdsmen had fled the area. The local Fulani communitys leaders have promised to help identify the attackers, yet no arrests have been made as of now. The police arrived and found that the suspected herdsmen had packed their belongings and left, Zachariah explained. The police and local authorities asked the Fulani leaders about the whereabouts of the attackers, and they requested time to locate them. However, no arrests have been made to date. Artist Sam Van Aken plants his agricultural sculpture, the "Tree of 40 Fruit," on the Temple University campus. The tree blooms in vibrant colors that range from crimson to pink, and will likely flower apricots, peaches, and other stone fruits. Read more Artist Sam Van Aken grew up on his familys farm in Douglassville, Pa. As a result, his favored medium to create art is a process called tree grafting. It involves taking a scion, or a desired piece of one plant, and combining it with the rootstock of another. The fusion creates a single plant that either sprouts the same fruit or shares elements of both trees. Advertisement He was introduced to tree grafting as a kid on the farm, spending years nurturing fruit trees from seed to full bloom. He explored other mediums for his art, but kept returning to grafting. It always stuck in my head, Van Aken said. I thought it was miraculous that you could take a part of one living thing, cut it, insert it, and stick it on to another living thing. It was absolutely fascinating to me. Only he didnt stop at two combinations. Van Aken, an associate professor in Syracuse Universitys art department, created Tree of 40 Fruit, a live tree that sprouts 40 different stone fruits, thanks to grafting. I always felt like I worked in partnership with the tree, but its also very much a partnership with the people where the trees are, Van Aken said. The first Tree of 40 Fruit was planted on the Syracuse campus in 2011, and there are 25 more of them in locations throughout the country including Maine, Indiana, New York, and California. The latest installation was planted on Temple Universitys Tyler School of Art and Architecture campus on March 14. The Temple Tree will burst out in crimson and white blooms this spring. And by late summer, stone fruits such as peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, and cherries are likely to sprout from its branches. All the varieties, the artist said, will be specific to the kinds that grow best in Philadelphia weather. One hundred years ago we were growing fruit for taste. But now we grow it for how long it will last while its shipping, or if it will look good at a grocery store. Taste and nutritional value are like fourth or fifth priority, Van Aken said. Along with beautifying the Tyler courtyard, the live sculpture will be a means of agricultural preservation, as it will grow stone fruit varieties that arent commercially produced or widely available. Students will be allowed to pick the fruits and eat them. The agricultural artist often dives deep into the provenance, or the origins, of specific fruit varieties. Sometimes, it takes him back by 2,000 years. One story involves the Lenni-Lenape, who were native to the Philadelphia area. An English settler stumbled on an apple tree they had planted and wanted to buy it. It didnt register in their philosophy because you cant own a tree anymore than you can own air, Van Aken said. The cost of research, labor, and maintenance of such trees can be prohibitive for individuals, Van Aken said. So he primarily aims to place them in public settings. Placing the trees in a public context also pays tribute to the Lenape philosophy that no one can own a tree, only be gifted from its abundance. To ensure Temples fruit tree thrives in the Pennsylvania sun, Van Aken found a bulletin from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture that was released in the late 19th century. The report listed fruit varieties that were recommended for the Philadelphia area, and those are the ones he used to graft the sculpture. Climate change, he said, has become an overwhelming concern. But its not necessarily one that hasnt been paid heed to in the past. In Gettysburg, the site of the famous Peach Orchard battle, the Sherfy family was monitoring cold hardiness in peaches in the 1870s with the idea that long peach blossoms were better for colder climates than short-blossomed types. Van Akens trees usually spend their first three to five years in a nursery, after which the artist carves out a plan to graft them and plant them in soil. From thereon in, he visits them every four or five years. Its weird, he said, but it totally changes your perception of time. Im like, Oh, thats a year away? and it feels like its tomorrow. The tree is part of Tylers eighth annual Jack Wolgin Visiting Artist program, which brings influential artists and thinkers to the campus for a free public lecture and to lead hands-on workshops with Tyler students. Sams work is absolutely ideal to bring our students together across different [disciplines] to see how those disciplines can be synthesized in the creation of a tree thats also a sculpture, and is also an embodiment of cultural histories, Tyler dean Susan Cahan said. She hoped he would bring students of differing disciplines together for a campuswide project. For his project, Van Aken worked with Tyler students to plant an apple tree at Tylers campus site in Ambler. This tree, he said, is composed entirely of apple varieties and will ultimately grow 40 different types of apples originating or historically grown in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Van Aken, who believes an intimate engagement with nature to be essential, is excited to see how the Temple community members respond to the trees in full bloom. Seeing a seed grow into a plant, he said, is all the magic you need in the world. Philadelphia businesses continue to bring in venture capital funding, but founders warn that entrepreneurs should make sure this kind of investment is the best fit for their company. Read more According to an end-of-year report from research firm Pitchbook, venture capital investments globally rose 5.4% in 2024 to $386.5 billion in 2024 from the prior year, with Philadelphia-area companies raising over $1 billion during the last quarter. Getting this type of investment is not easy, but it can be instrumental in funding a companys growth. How can business owners take advantage? Determine if venture capital funding is the right strategy Bruce Peacock, a 35-year-veteran of the venture capital industry who has served as chief financial officer at a number of successful Philadelphia-area biotech and pharmaceutical companies, says candidates need to narrow down their potential venture capital investors. Not all companies are suited to venture capital firms, who generally invest large sums and expect significant returns, he said. Advertisement If youre looking to raise $5 million, venture capitals probably not the right place for you to go, he said. You need to be prepared to tell your story, and it has to be: If you give me the money, heres how Im going to get you a significant return. Peacock also stresses the importance of finding a venture capital firm that has experience with similar companies. Go where investors understand your technology and business, he said. Youre going to get nowhere if you go to a venture capital firm that doesnt specialize in your industry. Mical Jeanlys-White, founder and CEO of WealthMore, which received more than $1 million in funding last year, said investors should align with the companys vision and whom the founders enjoy working with. The dynamic between founder and investor matters deeply when challenges arise, she said. You want investors that you would like to have lifelong relationships with. Get a lead investor Usually venture capital deals involve a syndicate of investors, led by one firm. Justin Vogel, the chief financial officer at Tolerance Bio, which raised more than $20 million in a seed round of financing last December, said their lead venture capital firm helped them build an investment plan and brought in other investors to form their syndicate. Jeanlys-White said having a lead investor is critical, particularly at the earliest stage of your search. A lead investor brings credibility, momentum, and opens doors to other investors, she said. They become your net promoter. Stick to the fundamentals Peacock advises firms looking for this funding to optimize their pitch around certain fundamentals like being clear on how much money youre looking to raise, what youll do with it, how youll execute, why you will succeed, and how the investor gets an exit. And although a typical pitch will include both historical (if any) and projected financial information, the most important elements in the pitch, according to Peacock, are the companys founders and key technical people. Theyre the ones with the story, he said. Its not necessary to get hung up on details, particularly when making your initial pitch. Focus on telling a compelling story that answers the investors core question: Why is this worth betting on? Brace yourself for a long-term sales process Finding the right investor takes time. Cold calls rarely work. Most connections happen through constant networking. You never know where these investments are going to come from, said Vogel. What feels like a waste of time might be the meeting that changes everything. Peacock says founders should be prepared for a long, multistep process that typically takes at least six months even after you get a term sheet. Syndicates, data rooms, and due diligence all take time, he said. Vogel said that it took him nearly a year to land his financing and that he attended countless meetings during that period. His pitch deck changed constantly, shaped by investor feedback. For him, it was critical to stay in touch with interested firms even when they said he was too early. Persistence is crucial, he said. Its going to take longer than you think. Vogel worked hard to keep his investor prospects up to date on his funding progress. A lot of firms loved our story but said we were too early, he said. Now we have quarterly calls with them. Its part of fundraising long-term. Jeanlys-White used a customer relationship management approach, complete with data that ranked potential investors based on their likelihood and interest. This included months of calls, emails, and other follow-ups to build investor enthusiasm. Its important to target venture capitalists who invest at your stage and in your industry, she said. Im dumbfounded when I hear someone met with 300 VCs. My approach was super surgical. Have a thick skin and be prepared to give up equity There are countless companies looking for capital, and many VC firms receive hundreds of pitches every week. Vogel wound up with five investors after pitching to more than a hundred firms. That shouldnt be a discouragement, he said, as investors can pass on your proposal for all kinds of reasons, like your growth state, their risk tolerance, or your strategy not aligning with theirs. Jeanlys-White warns about giving up too much equity by diluting your ownership. However, Peacock is less concerned. Dilution is real, he said. But so is value creation, and if things are done the right way, many founders may end up with 15% of a much larger pie. Wheres the late Willard Scott when you need him, because all of America ought to be saying a big Happy 100th Birthday to one of the great ongoing stories in our nations journalism, the Philadelphia Daily News. Monday marked one century since the People Paper launched on March 31, 1925 with fittingly a violent murder on the front page. Although the staff, including me, merged with The Inquirer eight years ago, the Daily News lives on both in reality in the spunky tabloid edition that still rocks the newsstands of Wawas and bodegas across Philly and also in the in-your-face attytood our alums have carried to the no-longer staid Inquirer. If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. Why an obscure statewide election in La. ought to terrify Team Trump Advertisement Its hard to imagine that anyone could suggest that the great state of Louisiana was soft on crime. In an America that sets the world standard for locking up its own citizens, the Bayou State somehow manages to incarcerate people at roughly twice the national average. Folks convicted of the worst crimes are dispatched to the notorious Angola State Prison, whose critics call it a perpetual hellhole, which made the transition from slave plantation to state penitentiary way too easily. Yet Gov. Jeff Landry Americas most right-wing governor that you may never have heard of came into office last year arguing exactly that, that the nations most punitive criminal-justice system needed to get tougher. Last year, Landry a former prosecutor convinced the GOP supermajority in Baton Rouge to roll back some modest 2010s reforms that had lowered incarceration rates and saved tax dollars. As a result, Louisiana lengthened prison sentences, allowed 17-year-olds to be charged with more adult felonies, and ensured the state could resume executions. That still wasnt tough enough for Republicans in a state Donald Trump won last November with 60% of the vote. On Saturday, Landry and the GOP went straight to the voters of Louisiana with a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to make it easier to charge even more teenagers with adult crimes. One state lawmaker insisted the measure, which could have paved the way to locking up 14-year-olds for crimes like stealing a phone, was needed because [s]ome of these kids are already lost when theyre 2 years old. The ballot measure one of four that would have given enormous power to Landry and his Republican juggernaut was supposed to cement Louisianas reputation as one of the Trumpiest states in America, where any concession on crime would be too woke. Instead, the good people of Louisiana turned out on Saturday to scream: Enough! Almost as soon as the polls opened in arguably the most obscure statewide election with no human candidates on the ballot in an off election year, folks in the more Democratic corners of the state lined up to cast their ballots. In majority Black Orleans Parish, which includes New Orleans, some 91% cast no votes. Statewide, 66% of the electorate rejected the four measures, including majorities in parishes that are mostly white and Republican as well. Youll be shocked to learn that Landry did not take this defeat well. He claimed, based on weak evidence, that left-wing billionaire George Soros and far left liberals poured millions into Louisiana with propaganda and outright lies... and even seemed to blame his Louisiana constituents he claimed are conditioned for failure. Its weird that the Jeff Landrys of the world see the Hungarian-born, and Jewish, Soros behind every defeat, yet rarely speak of the influence of South Africa-born billionaire Elon Musk, who spent at least $277 million on electing Trump and has been allowed to take a chainsaw, figuratively and literally, to the federal safety net. But money doesnt seem to be what decided this race, where the statewide turnout of 21% was nearly double what experts expected. The election may not have been a direct referendum on MAGA Trumpism, but the voter enthusiasm in Democratic areas especially in African American neighborhoods where pundits have claimed citizens are demoralized and the size of the rebuke suggests people want to put the brakes on rapid rightward changes in America. In defeating Amendment 3 the criminal justice measure voters made clear their desire for the things that actually make our communities safer like quality education and opportunity, Sarah Omojola, Louisiana director for the Vera Institute, said in a statement after the stunning result. For some strange reason, this public rejection of extreme conservatism down in Bayou Country didnt make the New York Times or Washington Post, but Team Trump still ought to be terrified by this outcome. It dovetails with another recent election shocker right here in Pennsylvania a Democratic state Senate win in a longtime GOP stronghold in Lancaster County as well as new polls that show Trumps approval ratings dropping as voters try to make sense of confusing tariff policies, rising prices for commodities like eggs, and nonstop violations of constitutional norms. Im writing this early Tuesday morning just a few hours before polls open in Wisconsin and Florida for three more key special elections that should offer an early window into the current mindset of U.S. voters. In the Badger State, a race for the decisive seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court has been hijacked by the worlds richest man in Musk, who has poured millions into the contest and personally campaigned there even awarding $1 million checks, of dubious legality, to two residents whod already voted. Polls suggest the role of Musk whose own approval rating is falling faster than the stock price of his Tesla electric-vehicle company could backfire, and that the GOP could also lose at least one of two congressional races in Florida districts that just voted heavily for Trump. Proof that the White House is starting to panic over the backlash came last week when Trump yanked the nomination of New York U.S. Rep Elise Stefanik as his U.N. ambassador, sparked by fears Republicans could lose her House seat and thus their razor-thin majority on Capitol Hill. More broadly, it feels like the Trump White House is racing with a string of executive orders to punish colleges and law firms and its shock deportations in order to cement American authoritarianism before the people can make crystal clear they dont want it. Its probably not a coincidence that Trump, in a Sunday morning interview with NBCs Meet the Press, insisted there are methods he could use to run for a third term in 2029, even though the 22nd Amendment explicitly bars this. Pretending that hes not a lame duck could help ram through his agenda, but it also distracts the media from focusing on his rising unpopularity. If voters in the blood-red swamps of Louisiana are this mad today, I doubt Trump could get elected alligator catcher four years from now. Yo, do this! A war on left-wing college professors accused of indoctrinating Americas college students, and on alleged communism in the Hollywood film industry. This amid blacklists, ruined careers, and raging political ambition. Before todays MAGA culture wars, the United States suffered through a decades-long Red Scare, proving yet again that the past is prologue. New York Times journalist Clay Risen tells the gripping story behind McCarthyism with his new Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism and the Making of Modern America. I cant wait to listen to the audiobook as soon as I hit the send button on this newsletter. Speaking of 1950s conservatism, the National Review was founded back then by right-wing legend William F. Buckley and has survived as a modern voice for political reaction. Its not something I ever expected to tout in this newsletter, until one of its writers, Jeffrey Blehar, watched last weeks video of ICE agents snatching Tufts grad student Rumeysa Ozturk and proclaimed: This is un-American and abhorrent. When Trump is losing the National Review... Ask me anything Question: Are our protests making a difference? CindyLC (@cindylc.bsky.social) via Bluesky Answer: Yes, absolutely! Ive already raved here about the national #TeslaTakedown movement, which has sent a message both to, and about, Teslas CEO Elon Musk by helping to bring sales of his electric vehicles to a crawl, reduce his net worth by more than $100 billion and counting, and show the world there are consequences for taking a chainsaw to democracy. The surge in protests including, but not limited to, the demonstrations outside Tesla showrooms has launched a virtuous cycle of angry people flooding congressional town hall meetings, encouraged politicos like Sen. Cory Booker to get more vocal, and hopefully made some GOP reps wonder if they are committing political harakiri. Please keep going with a huge round of protests scheduled for this Saturday. What youre saying about... Opinions among newsletter readers were fairly universal that universities especially elite schools like Columbia or Penn with sizable endowments should be fighting back to save their integrity rather than knuckling under to unreasonable demands from the Trump regime. Evident that these institutions only follow the money they have no scruples nor ethics, Barbara Woodin wrote. Just situational, so it follows theyd cave to Trumps whims. David Wiedner passed along this quote from Tom Stoppards play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead: There must have been a time, in the beginning, when we could have said no. But somehow we missed it. Oh well, well know better next time." This weeks question: The White House Correspondents Association the folks behind the so-called nerd prom annual D.C. gala this weekend cancelled its planned headliner, comedian Amber Ruffin, apparently over fears shed alienated Trump World. Is it finally time to cancel this annual Beltway event, or are there better ways journalists can actually celebrate the good work so many still do? Please email me your answer and put the exact phrase media dinner in the subject line. Backstory on Sen. Cory Bookers one-night stand for democracy They used to show old black-and-white movies from the 1930s and 40s on late-night TV when I was a teenager, and thats how I fell in love with Frank Capras cinematic celebration of American democracy, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which climaxes when the naive accidental senator played by Jimmy Stewart pulls an all-night filibuster to expose the corrupt boss seeking to destroy him. Its a fair point to note that the movie glorified a maneuver that since the 19th century has caused more harm than good, but Capras bigger idea of one man against the system has inspired political geeks since its premiere in 1939. Thus, it felt somewhat electrifying at 7 p.m. Monday when New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker rose on the Senate floor to channel the spirit of the fictional Jefferson Smith, promising to speak for as long as he can to highlight the corruption of todays immoral boss, President Trump. Booker, who until now had not stood out as one of POTUS 47s more vocal critics, invoked the spirit of the late John Lewis, the legendary civil rights activist: Tonight I rise with the intention of getting in some good trouble I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able. The New Jersey Democrat said it was time to scream out that Trumps dictatorial habits are not normal, and his all-night monologue technically not a filibuster, since its not tied to a specific piece of pending legislation is the most powerful way for him to do that. As a long night journeyed into dawn, Booker highlighted the president at his worst. What kind of man is in our White House that makes fun of the disabled? he asked. Who lies so much that the fact-checkers lose count? Who minimizes the pain and the suffering? I know some folks will view with cynicism this gambit by a man whose political ambitions didnt vanish when his 2020 presidential campaign died from a lack of attention. Its not going to alter any trajectories on Capitol Hill, but thats not the point. Booker is responding in the right way to core Democrats, and others, who are also screaming that this is not normal, and who are desperate for political leaders who share their sense of urgency. If Lewis were still here, hed surely give a thumbs up to this modern-day outbreak of good trouble. What I wrote on this date in 2021 One of the many, many frustrations with Elon Musks badly misnamed Department of Governmental Efficiency, or DOGE, is that theres little evidence its seriously going after the main source of actual waste, fraud and abuse in the government: the Pentagon. On this date four years ago, I wrote with disgust about the appalling $1.7 trillion (yes, with a t) that the Defense Department has wasted on a poorly performing F-35 stealth fighter jet. I dared ask what if we went crazy and tackled senseless Pentagon waste and raised taxes on corporations AND on billionaires like Jeff Bezos and used the savings for our other massive needs, like making community college and public universities free to attend?" Read the rest: Will U.S. learn from a $1.7 trillion goof that would have paid for Bidens infrastructure plan? Recommended Inquirer reading Im back to the full-time grind of making sense of this insanity. Last week, I dropped everything else to voice my shock and outrage over masked ICE agents snatching grad student Rumeysa Ozturk off a Massachusetts street and whisking her off to a hellhole prison in Louisiana, apparently for the thought crime of co-authoring an op-ed in a student newspaper. Over the weekend, I took a deep dive into Trumps recent pardon spree for GOP-supporting white-collar criminals, which have obliterated any lingering hopes that America can offer equal justice for all. The spate of recent nightmares in Washington has caused us to nearly forget about some of the longer-term political crimes of the 21st century, like the role of charter schools in undercutting the American Way of public education. That story came back in a big way Monday when prosecutors in Delaware County, just outside Philly, announced the shocking arrest of 20 people connected with a large charter school in Chester for physically abusing children in an emotional support program for elementary-school kids, or for looking the other way and not reporting the abuses. The Inquirer reported the breaking news of the criminal charges, which dovetails with the papers earlier reporting that child safety is not a priority in Harrisburg. I can promise you that The Inquirer is not done digging into the Chester Community Charter School or its founder, local businessman Vahan Gureghian, who not long ago bought and sold a mansion property in Palm Beach for a cool $43 million. Why not come along for the ride with a subscription to one of Americas best, untainted news sources, the Philadelphia Inquirer? By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10. A 13-year-old boy was hospitalized in critical condition after he was accidentally shot in the face by another boy Monday afternoon in the citys Feltonville section, police said. Around 3:25 p.m., police responded to a report of a person with a gun on the 4900 block of B Street and found the boy with a gunshot wound to the left side of his face. He was transported by police to Temple University Hospital. Police said a boy playing with a gun in the basement of a house accidentally shot the 13-year-old victim. The other boy, whose age was not immediately available, was detained for the investigation and the gun was recovered, police said. Over the weekend, 13 people were shot in Philadelphia and three people including a 17-year-old girl were killed, police said. After 13 people were shot in Philadelphia over the weekend and three people including a 17-year-old girl were killed, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker decried the violence and vowed to work to curb it. Every shooting and homicide in Philadelphia personally pains me as mayor of the city and each and every member of the administration, Parker said in a news conference Monday afternoon. These are human beings we are talking about and not statistics, and we grieve their loss and suffering. Advertisement Those killed included the 17-year-old, who was shot to death in Southwest Philadelphia, and an elderly couple who died in a suspected murder-suicide in West Mount Airy. At 11:40 p.m. Friday, police responded to reports of a shooting on the 7000 block of Elmwood Avenue and found Jada Gray, 17, with a gunshot wound to her chest, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:58 p.m., police said. Police believe Gray was shot during an attempted robbery, said Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore, and there is surveillance footage of the suspected shooter dressed all in black fleeing the crime scene. No arrests have been made and no weapons were recovered. On Saturday afternoon in East Mount Airy, three teen boys were injured in a shooting at Finley Recreation Center, on the 900 block of East Upsal Street, and taken to Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, Vanore said. Police believe two groups of young people gathered at the recreation center started fighting when one group played music that offended the other, and the argument over the music sparked the shooting, Vanore said. Gunfire erupted just after 5 p.m. that day, and a 15-year-old was shot in the chest and was in critical condition, police said. A 14-year-old was shot in his right thigh and a 16-year-old was grazed in the face by a bullet, police said. Both teens were in stable condition, police said. The three teens were initially expected to face charges, but were later released, said Vanore. There were no arrests or criminal charges as of Monday evening. On Sunday afternoon around 1 p.m., a 15-year-old boy was shot in the forearm as he left a service celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan, in North Philadelphia, Vanore said. The teen was walking on the 1600 block of North Broad Street when someone nearby on Cecil B. Moore Avenue fired shots toward a group of people, striking the teen, who was not a target, he said. The teen was taken to a local hospital and was in stable condition. And late Sunday night, two teens were shot in Oxford Circle. Police responded to a report of a shooting on the 1900 block of Hellerman Street just after 10:30 p.m., police said. When officers arrived, they found four 9mm shell casings on the street, and witnesses told them that a 17-year-old had been shot and taken to Nazareth Hospital, police said. The boy had been shot in his right hip, police said, and he was in stable condition at the hospital. The teen was later transferred to St. Christophers Hospital for Children, police said. While officers were at the scene of the shooting, a 14-year-old boy told them that he had suffered a graze wound to the leg and he was taken to St. Christophers Hospital and also listed in stable condition, police said. So far this year, 25 young people under the age of 18 have been shot in the city, nearly half of them struck by bullets this month. That total number of shootings in Philadelphia is slightly down from the same time last year, when there were 29 juvenile shooting victims by March 30 police data shows. While shootings and homicides continue to trend downward in Philadelphia, mirroring a national trend, the mayor said the city still experienced too much bloodshed. We cannot and will not rest and I wont, as mayor, Parker said, until every resident in every neighborhood feels safe in their homes, going to school, or walking in their community. Another teen was accidentally shot Monday afternoon on B Street in Feltonville. Police found a 13-year-old boy with a gunshot would on the left side of his face. He was in critical condition at Temple University Hospital. Kerry Sautner, president of the Lower Merion school board and Eastern State Penitentiary's president and CEO, was ordered removed from the primary ballot following a challenge to her nomination petition. Read more A Montgomery County judge on Monday ordered the president of the Lower Merion school board removed from the primary ballot, after a community member challenged her failure to answer financial disclosure questions. In her nomination petition required to be filed by candidates for elected office Kerry Sautner did not respond to several mandatory questions, including whether she had received any gifts valued at more than $250, had any office, directorship, or employment in any business, or had financial interests in any legal entity in business for profit. Advertisement While she was given the chance to file an amended petition, it still had errors, said Christian Petrucci, a lawyer representing the community member who filed the challenge. For instance, Sautner is the president and CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary, which leases property from Philadelphia. But she left a section blank about real estate interests involved with political subdivisions of the commonwealth, Petrucci said. The point of the disclosure questions is for the voter to ensure theres no conflict of interest, or financial, pecuniary gain, Petrucci said. He said the judge had given Sautner every possible opportunity to spend time with the disclosure and fill it out properly. Sautner, who had been endorsed for reelection by the local Democratic Party, said lawyers for the party were reviewing the order from Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Tornetta Carluccio and deciding the next step. Im fully transparent, and Im doing everything in good faith with the courts, Sautner said. In a motion for reconsideration filed Tuesday, Sautners lawyer, Robert Paul the vice chair of the Democratic Committee of Lower Merion and Narberth said the Philadelphia lease was irrelevant, as no one claims she owns Eastern State and it is obvious she does not. He also said Sautner, who disclosed her personal debts, wasnt required to disclose those of her spouse. Four of the nine Lower Merion board seats are up for election this year; current board members were all elected as Democrats. Petrucci, the secretary of the Republican Committee of Lower Merion and Narberth, said it was coincidental that he was a Republican. The challenge to Sautners nomination petition was filed by Harshal Dear, a registered Democrat who said she is a district parent and had considered running for school board herself. But she was told by election officials that as a federal employee, she couldnt seek partisan office even though she had wanted to cross-file, appearing on both Democratic and Republican ballots. Dear said she felt school boards across Pennsylvania had become too political. They are trying to push a political agenda. Asked what agenda she felt the Lower Merion school board had, Dear did not make any specific objections, but said she felt the board was not sufficiently localized. Any voter may challenge a nominating petition, and challenges are heard by county judges before ballots are finalized. This years primary is May 20. Dear, who also filed challenges against three other Democratic board candidates including incumbent Anna Shurak said that the current national political election climate has filtered down into local politics. She said she wasnt targeting particular candidates, but objected to the Democratic Partys endorsement process, and said people shouldnt blindly vote along party lines. READ MORE: Residents say a Lower Merion school board member blocked their Jewish students deserve to be safe sign While Dear withdrew two of her petitions, she lodged a similar objection to Shuraks, citing incomplete financial disclosures. Theyve been on the board already. Theyre not first timers who didnt know how to fill out the form, said Dear, who said she is an activist with a national organization focused on family court reform. Why should we vote for you, if youre attempting to hide very important information voters should know? Shurak was also given time to amend her petition; the judge has not yet ruled on that challenge, according to Petrucci, who said he is representing Dear pro bono. Paul, who is also representing Shurak, declined to comment when reached by phone Monday. He did not respond to subsequent questions about their amended petitions. Jeff Scott, the Democratic committees chair, said that tenure on the board doesnt change the complexity of the petition process, which often involves nuances. The Democratic committee endorsed four candidates, including Sautner and Shurak; there are five other Democratic candidates on the ballot. (Four of those other five are cross-filed as Republicans; none of the candidates endorsed by the Democratic Party are cross-filed.) Were just assessing this, Scott said, in response to a question about whether the party would endorse another candidate. Its premature to make any decisions about this at the moment. Fourteen years ago, Larry Rosenblum introduced Montreal-style bagels to Center City Philadelphia with Spread Bagelry on 20th Street near Rittenhouse Square. Sixteen locations and an infusion of private equity later, Rosenblum has come around again with something round. This time, its a spin on doughnuts. Unlike the usual fried ones, Ringo Coffee & Donuts, which opened five weeks ago at 20th and Federal Streets in the citys Point Breeze section, bakes pancake doughnuts in an electric device similar to a waffle iron. The doughnuts get sweet or savory toppers, like Blueberry Lemon Tango, Mamas Apple Pie, Chocolate Fudged Up, Jalapeno Cheddar Fondue, and Southern Turkey Sausage Gravy. Advertisement The GRingo breakfast sandwich, built on two doughnuts, contains eggs, cheese, and choice of bacon, turkey bacon, or turkey sausage. Its grilled on a panini press, then covered in brown butter maple syrup. A pizza variation, on a savory doughnut whose batter includes cheese and Italian seasonings, is called a Rizzo. Go-Gos are doughnuts sliced in halves and schmeared with cream cheese or peanut butter and jelly. The honey cornbread doughnut is gluten-free, and the whole-grain version is vegan. Coffee drinks as the shop opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. daily are made with Rival Bros beans. Theres a learning curve for customers, Rosenblum said. They think theyre going to walk into a bakery and there will be doughnuts in a bakery case. But the doughnuts sit, unadorned, on wire racks and are topped to order. Theyre $2.75 each, or $28 a dozen. The most common order is two doughnuts with two toppers for $10. Rosenblum, 64, said he had no firm plans last August when he leased the space, a former OCF Coffeehouse across from the Engine 24 firehouse and new brunch spot Hannah Ks. Initially, after a monthlong trip to Brazil with his wife and business partner, Gigi Arnuti, to visit her family, he decided to slap on a fresh coat of paint and run it as a coffeehouse called Point Breeze Coffee Company. Then I stood here one night and I said, I dont want to do that. My brain just doesnt work that way. Im looking out the window [at the firehouse] and I think, firemen, policemen, and then doughnuts, Rosenblum said. And Im like, Im on 20th Street. I did pretty well on 20th Street with golden rings of dough before. I could stay in the vernacular with golden rings. Rings led to the name Ringo, his favorite Beatle. You might say that the cymbals hanging on the wall are symbolic. Theres also a shelf of mens hats with a small sign noting that theyre from Leos, a haberdashery at Germantown and Lehigh Avenues in North Philadelphia, founded by Rosenblums uncle Leo, a Holocaust survivor who died in 2018. (His son, David, now runs Leos.) Rosenblum sells the hats for whatever a customer wants to pay, and he donates the proceeds to the Philadelphia Fire Department Foundation. Rosenblum said Spreads success can partly be attributed to the theatrical aspect to the way that the bagels are baked the wood-fired oven, being handmade right in front of the customer, where they could look into the oven and see them pulled out in small batches and smell them all day. That was part of the inspiration at Ringo, he said, because the doughnuts are artisanal in that sense. About three million Pennsylvania residents are covered by Medicaid. Read more Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia is circulating form letters to federal lawmakers that warn of how potential funding cuts to Medicaid and research funding would harm families, and asking staff and patient families to sign them in opposition. Efforts by Republicans and the Trump administration to cut taxes while curbing spending has set a bulls-eye on Medicaid, the federal- and state-funded health insurance program for low-income individuals, children, and people with disabilities. At $606 billion, the federal governments share of the program makes Medicaid one of the largest and only places to cut funding, because there may be far more backlash in trying to cut programs like Medicare and Social Security. Advertisement Congress is considering budget proposals that could cut up to $880 billion from Medicaid over the next 10 years, though no deal has been approved. We, as CHOP employees, patients, and families, implore you to maintain federal investment in the Medicaid program and do everything in your power to stop the proposed limits and cuts, CHOPs letter reads, calling the changes under discussion devastating for kids. In Pennsylvania, total Medicaid spending topped $41 billion in 2024, analysts have said. Families rely on the program for low-cost health care, and hospitals count on Medicaid to support a large share of the care they provide. CHOPs form letter push shows one way health systems are responding to mounting uncertainty. About 50% of CHOPs patients are covered by Medicaid. Part of our charge at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia involves advocating to ensure all children have a chance for a healthier future, Lindsay Torriero, a spokesperson for CHOP, said in a statement. Cuts to benefits or to the legal financing structures for the programs would impose additional barriers in providing preventive and essential services to patients who need health care. Medicaid by the numbers in Pennsylvania Patient advocates say the people most at risk of losing health care through Medicaid cuts are those who qualified when Pennsylvania expanded eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. The 2010 law, often called Obamacare, expanded eligibility for Medicaid as a way to offer more people access to health insurance. Under the law, anyone whose income is below 138% of the federal poverty rate an annual income of about $21,500 for an individual can qualify for Medicaid. Previously, only people whose income fell within 100% of the federal poverty rate qualified. Roughly 3 million Pennsylvania residents about 23% of the states population are covered by Medicaid. About 750,000 of them fall within the so-called expansion group, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. This group is considered most vulnerable to funding losses because the federal government pays a much greater share of the cost for people in the expansion group 90 cents for every 10 cents the state spends. States would need to find a way to make up the budget gap if the federal government cut back its contribution. States and the federal government share the cost for the rest of Medicaid more equally. Thats a lot of low-wage workers school bus drivers, day-care workers, bartenders its a huge group of folks who are working but arent able to get employer-sponsored coverage, said Antoinette Kraus, executive director of Pennsylvania Health Access Network, a nonprofit that helps people sign up for coverage. Its a lifeline for hardworking individuals who cant get coverage anywhere else. Hospital payments at stake A Medicaid cut could lead to a rise in the number of people who are uninsured. Many would no longer be able to pay for medical bills, ratcheting up financial pressure on hospitals in Pennsylvania, Nicole Stallings, CEO of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, wrote in a February letter to Pennsylvania lawmakers. Pennsylvania hospitals receive about 82 cents for every dollar it costs for care for Medicaid patients, with rural hospitals receiving less. That represented a shortfall of $1.9 billion in fiscal 2023, according to HAP. Reducing Medicaid reimbursement in any way jeopardizes hospitals ability to keep their doors open to care for everyone in their communities, Stallings wrote. The Blue Envelope program is an initiative designed to enhance safety and communication between law enforcement officers and drivers on the autism spectrum during traffic stops. Read more Police traffic stops can unnerve anyone. For a person with autism, such moments can be especially fraught, scientists say. Advertisement With that in mind, the Camden County prosecutors office, along with county commissioners, are launching a traffic initiative Tuesday meant to help autistic drivers and police manage the stress of such a stop. Known as the Blue Envelope program, the idea is to improve understanding and communication between police and individuals with autism. Drivers with autism will be given envelopes that provide instructions on how to handle a traffic stop. By producing the blue envelope, the driver will be making the officer aware that the motorist is a person with autism and has unique communication needs that require greater patience and clarity, according to Camden County officials. Cherry Hill officials announced a similar Blue Envelope initiative last Friday. Both the county and township programs are thought to be the first such efforts in South Jersey. Several similar programs have been launched in North Jersey, as well as in other states. The Blue Envelope is a simple but powerful tool that can make a big difference for people with autism as well as for our law enforcement officers, Cherry Hill Township Police Chief John Ostermueller said. And Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. noted, Giving the public and officers the tools to process the dynamics on scene when they are facilitating a car stop is exactly the kind of analysis both parties need to ensure the safety of the driver and the officer. Autism is a neurobiological disorder characterized by impairments in social communication and interaction as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, according to Autism New Jersey in Robbinsville, Mercer County, a nonprofit committed to ensuring safe and fulfilling lives for individuals with autism, their families, and the professionals who support them. For officers, the Blue Envelope will contain a notice that explains the following: Having autism may impact how ... [drivers with autism] interact with you. Please consider the following: This person may exhibit signs of anxiety due to bright lights and noises, including your radio. The individual may display repetitive body movements or fidgeting and may not make/maintain eye contact. Speak clearly and use simple explanations. Limit unnecessary details. Avoid asking multiple questions at once and allow the individual extra time to respond. Give clear instructions throughout your interaction, including next steps. If the individual becomes upset or emotional, consider calling the emergency contact. For the driver, the Blue Envelope message instructs: Keep your hands on the steering wheel, even when the police officer is not next to your car. The officer may shine a flashlight in your car, may wear a noisy radio device, and may have flashing lights on their car. When the officer approaches your car, tell them you have a Blue Envelope. Answer the officers questions and ask the officer before moving your body. If the police officer gives instructions or asks for certain documents, cooperate with those requests. Both sets of instructions contain a lot of good things in them, said Art Dowdy, an autism expert and behavior analyst in the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University. It would also help officers to know that people with autism may exhibit behaviors that shouldnt be seen as signs of resistance, Dowdy added. An autistic individual could push away the hand of someone asking questions, and itd be beneficial to police to understand this isnt intentional defiance, he said. Bill Jensen, co-founder of Lukes Place, an Audubon nonprofit dedicated to serving people 21 and older with autism, said the organization will participate in the Blue Envelope program. Our young people can drive safely, but they would still need a bit of help at a police traffic stop, he said. Its about safety, and the blue envelope adds to that. The blue says to police, more softening, more understanding. People take part in the "No Kings Day" protest on Presidents Day in Washington, in support of federal workers and against recent actions by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, at the reflecting pool by the Capitol in Washington. The protest was organized by the 50501 Movement, which stands for 50 Protests 50 States 1 Movement. The same group is organizing another rally on April 5. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Read more Nationwide protests are planned for Saturday, April 5, against President Donald Trump and his administration. The protests, which have been dubbed Hands Off! A National Day of Action, are centered around the White Houses recent policy stances on topics ranging from health care and immigration to education and the environment. Advertisement Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them, organizers said. Theyre taking everything they can get their hands on and daring the world to stop them. The time to act is now. The series of protests are being organized and sponsored by a coalition of grassroots advocacy organizations and progressive groups and nonprofits. Heres what we know so far. What is the Hands Off! protest? The Hands Off! protests are being described as a nationwide mobilization effort against Trump, his administration, and his policies. The name comes from a call for Trump and the White House to keep their hands off fundamental rights the presidents critics say are jeopardized by his recent actions, calling it the most brazen power grab in modern history. Organizers are pointing to Trump-driven policies including (but not limited to) closing Social Security offices, firing federal employees, stripping Medicaid services, derailing the Department of Education, cracking down on migration, and rolling back DEI policies as some of the driving factors for the day of protest. Trump, [Elon] Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights, organizers said in a statement. Theyre handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultrarich. If we dont fight now, there wont be anything left to save. Who is organizing the protests? Several organizers are taking credit for the Hands Off! protests, including Indivisible, MoveOn, and the 50501 Movement. Indivisible is a progressive organization that launched in 2016 after Trump was elected to his first term as president. MoveOn is a progressive public policy advocacy group thats been around since the late 1990s. They are known for their email mobilization campaigns and are considered one of the largest grassroots campaigning communities. The event has also listed dozens of progressive partner organizations on its website, ranging from the League of Women Voters and Greenpeace to the Human Rights Campaign. What is the 50501 Movement? The 50501 Movement stands for 50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement. The group came together on Reddit, as people began discussing mobilizing and protesting against Trump, Musk, and the administrations policies. Word circulated across social media until the groups first protest, which took place on Feb. 5 and involved demonstrations outside of state capitol buildings and city halls. Its also the group responsible for the series of No Kings on Presidents Day protests that took place nationwide in February, including in Philadelphia. READ MORE: What we know about the 50501 Movement The current administration has clarified that it cares more about profit than people. We as a collective refuse to stand by as they continue to undermine the dignity of our communities, 50501 said in a statement. We are not just numbers or consumers. We are the People. We reject fascism. We reject the oligarchy. We reject the idea that any persons worth is less than anothers. Today, the 50501 Movement subreddit has over 240,000 followers. Where and when are Hands Off! protests happening? Hundreds of Hands Off! protests are organized to take place on April 5 across all 50 states. In Pennsylvania, about 50 protests, rallies, and related events are planned across the state including an event in Potter County, a rally for rural Pennsylvania in Saint Marys, and another in Wilkes-Barre. In Philadelphia, the main protest will take place at City Hall from noon to 3 p.m. Theres also a pre-rally kickoff event at the nearby Philly Bagels ahead of the main event. How can I find out about protests in my area? The 50501 Movement has a map of Saturdays and future events listed on its website. The group is also posting about new developments and events on its Instagram page. Early one Saturday last August, a black 2024 Ford Expedition with police-style emergency lights was barreling through West Philly so fast residents could hear it coming from a block away. The twin-turbocharged engine roared as the driver stomped on the gas, heading eastbound on Cedar Avenue. Seeing the flashing lights, some residents assumed that a cop in an unmarked car was rushing to a crime scene. Advertisement At 6:46 a.m., the Expedition blew a red light at 57th Street and was T-boned by a southbound Ford Fusion that had the green, according to a police report. The SUV careened into a parked Ford F-150 pickup truck belonging to Philadelphias Department of Sanitation. The pickup, in turn, struck a parked Buick. The fact that a four-car wreck occurred at 57th and Cedar is not surprising; its a notoriously dangerous intersection. But everything that happened after that Aug. 10, 2024, collision was highly unusual. To this day, in fact, police investigators and City Hall officials are trying to get to the bottom of the crash. According to the city, the car was a rental that had been assigned to the Philadelphia Sheriffs Office. It had been equipped with red-and-blue emergency lights and a siren, both of which were activated at the time of the collision, according to a police report. Yet, the driver of the vehicle was not a sheriffs deputy or any other law enforcement official. It was a young man in a white tank top, holding a dog, according to a police dispatcher. Neighbors later said the dog appeared to be a poodle. The pair fled the scene. Even more puzzling, the incident seemed to elude a police investigation or scrutiny by city officials until this year five months after the crash. Thats because the Sheriffs Office did not immediately report the theft or the crash to the citys Department of Fleet Services, as all departments are required to do when leased vehicles are stolen or damaged, according to city officials. It wasnt until January that Fleet Services got notification the city-leased vehicle had been virtually destroyed. The city estimated the damage at $38,444.60, according to maintenance records obtained by The Inquirer through a right-to-know request. Sheriff Rochelle Bilal would not disclose to The Inquirer who in her office the SUV was assigned to or why her office did not immediately notify city officials of the collision. In a statement Monday, Bilal said the deputy it was assigned to was out of town at the time of the crash and reported it stolen to Philadelphia police upon returning home three days later, on Aug. 13. It wasnt until January, Bilal said, that she learned from Fleet Services that no one within her chain of command had reported the incident to them. Bilal said she then took immediate action and launched an internal investigation that is currently ongoing. Another twist: The Philadelphia Police Department did not open an investigation of the crash, either, until January. A police supervisor should have notified the departments Crash Investigation Unit about the incident the morning it happened, under the protocol for crashes involving vehicles under city control. Were doing an internal investigation now into what happened, and why those notifications werent made, said Cpl. Jasmine Colon-Reilly, a Philadelphia police spokesperson. It was unclear Monday whether police have found evidence that the SUV had been broken into, or whether it had been operated by someone with access to the deputys keys. Officer assist requested but no officer located When an 18th District police officer pulled up to the wreck that August morning, about a half hour after sunrise, she saw what appeared to be a disabled police vehicle and sent out an officer assist call to the citywide police radio band. But no officers were anywhere near the SUV. Instead, another officer called in a report of a young man leaving the scene, down Pemberton Street, a nearby side street. No report of any officers involved at this time, the dispatcher later announced. We are looking for a young Black male, short hair, white tank top with a dog. Residents near the intersection said last week that crashes there are common both streets in that area are on the citys list of the 12% of streets that see 80% of all traffic deaths but the one from last August stuck out in their minds due to the bizarre circumstances. He shot right through that light and crashed into another car. Then the guy got out with a dog, said Abdul-Kareem, a resident on the corner who declined to provide his last name because he didnt want to be involved in a police investigation. Abdul-Kareem, who was parked at the curb when the incident happened, said he could hear the Expeditions engine well before he saw it coming. The collision was violent. He was flying, he said. It was bad. Another resident who lives across Cedar Avenue said that she was asleep at the time of the incident but that it woke her up. She looked out the window at what she assumed was a crash involving a police officer. I was like, Is this a cop? said the woman, who declined to provide her name. Then I see him jump out with a dog. Both that woman and Abdul-Kareem said that they believed the dog was a poodle. Abdul-Kareem said one officer on the scene told him that the driver who fled had been apprehended a couple of blocks away. He said that did not surprise him since so few people were outside that early on a Saturday and obviously the person they were looking for was carrying a dog. But if the poodle-wielding man was apprehended by police, they didnt record it in a police report. A police spokesperson said there had been no arrest. Botched investigation? News of the seven-month-old crash and the Sheriffs Offices subsequent failure to report it has more recently made its way to senior staffers in Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers administration. But City Hall officials and police remain circumspect. Sharon Gallagher, a spokesperson for the Managing Directors Office said: The Department of Fleet Services [DFS] oversees and monitors every leased vehicle for the City of Philadelphia and requires departments that have leased vehicles to report stolen or crashed vehicles to the Philadelphia Police Department and DFS immediately. That didnt happen in this case, according to Parker spokesperson Joe Grace, who would say only that Fleet Services received notice on Jan. 8, 2025, about the vehicle crash. Gallagher and Grace would not elaborate on the delay between the destruction of the SUV and the report to Fleet Services. A city official who requested anonymity to speak freely said that notification came when the Sheriffs Office requested a fresh vehicle from Fleet Services, prompting staff there to inquire about the status of the Expedition. The SUV and two of the other three vehicles involved were so badly damaged they had to be towed from the scene, which qualifies as a reportable accident, according to police directives. A crash report should have been created within five days. The same regulations also state that all crashes involving city vehicles leased or owned should further be reported by a supervising officer to the citys fleet office and then investigated by the departments Crash Investigation unit. None of that happened, despite a beat cop documenting the initial incident and calling it in via police radio. Police officials could not provide an explanation of why the regulations werent followed. In addition to the wrecked Expedition, city records show that since the beginning of 2022, the Sheriffs Office has reported 57 crashes involving city vehicles assigned to the office, totaling $167,000 in estimated damages. The mystery is the latest mini-scandal for Bilal, whose office has come under increased scrutiny over chronic short-staffing, lengthy deed-processing delays for sheriff sales, misappropriated money, and questionable executive pay raises. A panel of Philadelphia judges that administers the city courts system issued court orders in December and last month demanding that Bilal address deputy shortages that have led to a drastic increase in security incidents in court buildings. Two weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA), which oversees the citys finances, voted to recommend the abolition of the Sheriffs Office, along with the Register of Wills, another independently elected office that has become synonymous with patronage hiring. The good-government group the Committee of Seventy recently released a similar recommendation. City Council and Mayor Parker have largely avoided addressing problems in the sheriffs office, despite a growing number of complaints. Bilal, who took office in 2020 after winning the Democratic primary on a reform platform, has rejected calls for her office to be abolished, blaming PICA for a faulty analysis, a biased news media, and racist judges. In a letter to The Inquirer last month, Bilal said she has worked to restore public trust, improve security measures, and ensure fiscal responsibility. Attempts to characterize my leadership as anything other than focused, strategic, and committed to public service are politically motivated, the sheriff wrote. It has become a frequent occurrence in the weeks since President Donald Trumps inauguration voters in majority Republican districts voicing their displeasure with the administrations policy decisions at sometimes tense town hall meetings around the country. The gatherings at which some lawmakers have been widely jeered and angry attendees removed have become so charged that GOP officials have discouraged members of Congress from hosting them. Advertisement While Democrats, too, have felt the wrath of their constituents in public meetings during the last several weeks, the pushback by GOP voters is especially significant because their discontent threatens lawmakers where it matters: at the ballot box. But with midterm elections still two years away, whats much more important at this moment is the decision Trump voters feeling the pain of the last two months have to make: that theyre either going to speak up for the suffering being experienced by Americans as a result of the presidents executive orders and cost-cutting, or remain silent for the sake of their party. In other words, these voters must choose between advocating for the rights of all people or continuing to embrace the partisanship that has led us here. For conservative voters, choosing the former hasnt been the easiest decision. And make no mistake, by continuing to endorse Trumps actions despite the discomfort they may be feeling, those same voters are also cosigning on the bias, xenophobia, bigotry, and race-baiting at the core of the MAGA movement. While Trump made inroads with Latino and Black male voters in November, the election didnt differ sharply from recent trends; white, noncollege-educated voters remained the core demographic for Trump. He was able to secure his bases support by stoking racial division among white voters on the campaign trail. While he used a similar playbook when he won the presidency in 2016, Trump who last year questioned Kamala Harris racial authenticity and baselessly suggested Haitian immigrants were eating dogs continued to demonstrate he knew which dog whistles would resonate. Voters, polling shows, also believed in Trumps ability to address their economic angst at the supermarket and the gas pump because of the wealth hes amassed for himself (never mind the half dozen times his companies have filed for bankruptcy). Yet, through the first two months of Trumps second term, the administration has caused severe distress for its voters and everybody else by cutting government jobs and slashing programs. For Trumps voters, the presidents policies were supposed to be aimed at those they were told were a drain on society: immigrants, people of color, the deep state, and the woke mob. For Trumps voters, the presidents policies were supposed to be aimed at those they were told were a drain on society: immigrants, people of color, the deep state, and the woke mob. President Lyndon B. Johnson once said: If you can convince the lowest white man hes better than the best colored man, he wont notice youre picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and hell empty his pockets for you. Some of these voters are starting to realize theyve had their pockets picked. Sadly, others are either too ashamed to admit it or remain ignorant of whats happened. What Trump voters, and others, may not realize is that none of this is new, it is part and parcel of the nations contract with its people. W.E.B. DuBois, in his opus Black Reconstruction in America, spoke of the racial bribe: the deliberate and strategic method of the planter elite class to extend special privileges to poor whites particularly in the postbellum South to drive a wedge between them and formerly enslaved Africans. Building on the work of DuBois, the Black studies scholar Charisse Burden-Stelly calls the contemporary expression of that dynamic superexploitation, which allowed the capitalist class to get richer and white consumers to get a share of wealth, power, and luxury at the expense of Black people domestically and internationally. However, economic precarity for all is the chicken that came home to roost as a result of neoliberal policies that Trump says he can solve (but really cant), and offers racism to distract his voters from his true aim: the deconstruction of the administrative state, something Steve Bannon warned us about during the first Trump term. Pushback against this is whats needed. But these voters must understand that they can no longer have their cake and eat it. They can no longer claim ignorance of systemic racism while adopting it as part of their politics and only fight back on behalf of people who look like them. Its all or nothing. In the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we must learn to live as brothers and sisters, I might add or together we will be forced to perish as fools. Rann Miller is an educator and freelance writer based in South Jersey. His Urban Education Mixtape blog supports urban educators and parents of children attending urban schools. Miller is also the author of Resistance Stories from Black History for Kids, which was reissued in 2024. @RealRannMiller While the 2026 midterms are more than a year and a half away, three special elections held Tuesday offered voters in Pennsylvania and across the country a sense of which way the political breeze was blowing. Advertisement In Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court will retain its 4-3 liberal makeup despite billionaire Elon Musk spending at least $20 million to promote the Republican-backed candidate. Among other things, the victory could help Democrats challenge congressional district boundaries in Wisconsin that overwhelmingly favor Republicans. While Democrats narrowed their losses in Florida, Republicans still won both special elections Tuesday night, giving Speaker of the House Mike Johnson a bit of breathing room. Republicans will now control 220 seats in Congress, compared to 213 seats held by Democrats. Democrats in Florida did greatly outperform their results in 2024, the latest sign President Donald Trump has alienated some of his supporters a little more than two months into his second term. Last week, Democrats narrowed the GOP majority in the Pennsylvania state Senate by flipping a Lancaster County seat in a district Trump won by 15 points. In a district carried comfortably by President Donald Trump just a few months ago, they chose a better way forward an embrace of competence, common sense, and a desire to bring people together," Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement. Heres what to know about the three special elections: Florida Race: 6th Congressional District (which includes Daytona Beach and Palm Coast along the Atlantic Ocean) Candidates: Randy Fine (R), Josh Weil (D) What was the result: Fine was declared the winner by the Associated Press at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Why was there a special election? A special election was held to fill the seat vacated by Mike Waltz, Trumps embattled national security adviser who is under fire for apparently inviting a journalist into a Signal group chat where sensitive attack plans were discussed. The seat shouldve always been in the bag for Republicans, with Trump winning 65% of the vote in 2024. But state Rep. Randy Fine, who was backed by Trump, appeared on track to defeat Democratic challenger Josh Weil by a closer margin in a deep red district rated R+14 by Cook Political Report. With more than 95% of precincts reporting, Fine was on track to win about 56.5% of votes, about 13 percentage points ahead of Weil. Last week, Trump withdrew U.S. Rep. Elise Stefaniks (R., N.Y.) nomination to become his U.N. ambassador, citing the narrow margin Republicans are holding onto in the House. We have a slim margin, Trump told reporters at the White House last week. We dont want to take any chances. We dont want to experiment. Florida Race: 1st Congressional District (which includes Pensacola and the westernmost part of the Florida panhandle) Candidates: Jimmy Patronis (R), Gay Valimont (D) What was the result: Patronis was declared the winner by the Associated Press at 8:20 p.m. Eastern Why was there a special election? Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz gave up his seat when he was nominated by Trump to become the U.S. attorney general. Gaetz withdrew under heavy bipartisan pressure about a week later, but his former seat still needed to be filled. Republican Jimmy Patronis, Floridas chief financial officer and a former state representative whom Trump endorsed, was declared the winner Tuesday night in a surprisingly tight race against Gay Valimont, a public middle school teacher. With more than 95% of precincts reporting, Patronis was running about 14 points ahead of Valimont. That doesnt seem close, but Trump won the district with 68.1% of the vote in 2024, and the Cook Political Report gives it a uncompetitive R+19 rating. Gaetz defeated Valimont by more than 30 points in November, 66% to 34%, so at the very least its a potential sign of growing unease at Trump and his policies in a district saturated with his supporters. Wisconsin Race: State Supreme Court Candidates: Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel What was the result: Crawford was declared the winner by the Associated Press at 10:25 p.m. Eastern. Why was there a special election? A state Supreme Court race doesnt normally crack through on the national scale, but the replacement for outgoing Justice Ann Walsh Bradley could have far-reaching consequences, including potentially impacting which party controls Congress in 2026. There are no party affiliations in the race, but Crawford was backed by Democrats and endorsed by former President Barack Obama, while Schimel had the support of Republicans and Elon Musk, so make of that what you will. Wisconsins state Supreme Court has had a liberal majority since 2023, and Crawfords victory will maintain that advantage at a time Democrats want to challenge the states electoral map, which currently favors Republicans by a 6-2 margin. Republicans currently have a slim five-seat advantage in Congress, and that will likely tighten more in 2026, if history is any guide. Whats happening on Tuesday is a vote for which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives, Musk said at a rally in Green Bay Sunday night, according to the New York Times, which is why hes endorsed Schimel and thrown $20 million into the race. And just like in Pennsylvania, Musk cut a few $1 million checks to random voters in what was described as a random giveaway, though one recipient happened to be the chairman of the Wisconsin College Republicans. 2025 election calendar Climate-related financial information that is consistent, comparable and of high quality facilitates confident and informed decision making by investors and other users of that information. The publication of RG 280 is a critical piece that supports the implementation of these sustainability reporting requirements passed by the Australian Parliament. We will continue to expand our broader suite of publications related to sustainability reporting over time as market practices evolve, ASIC commissioner Kate ORourke said. COVID is no longer the factor it was, but thats where the number has stayed. I think that is going to continue, and were going to see a whole continuum of work models, from full-time office all the way to full-time remote, Ahuja said. Despite this shift, many managers remain wary. Ahuja pointed to ongoing discomfort around visibility and supervision. Theres also wider support on offers geared towards prevention. Paterson said that includes workers compensation assessments, where mental health risks are discussed and the insurer provides strategies to manage them. Zurich also has an app that can help workers reduce stress and other mental health challenges at work. Peters-Stasiewiczs declaration was not expert testimony, the court concluded, but rather a straightforward summary of Humanas own data. The declaration was admissible, particularly at the class certification stage, where the court may consider reliable evidence even if it may not be admissible at trial. The companys new structure aims to enhance its technology strategy, which has seen significant progress in recent years. Pannala brings three decades of experience, including his previous role as global CIO at Chubb, while Hawkins has over 25 years of experience, most recently as CIO at CVS Health. Now is an ideal time to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of the past while our commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering resilience in our industry, said Matt McHatten, president and CEO of MMG Insurance and chair of Triple-Is executive leadership committee (ELC). He noted the ELC is focused on priority issues including claims cost management, climate risk, innovation and AI, and threats to insurance affordability and availability. As abuse claims surgedreaching more than 82,000BSA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2020. As part of the reorganization, BSA established a Victims Compensation Trust and transferred to the Trust the rights to insurance coverage once held by BSA and the abuse claimants. A federal bankruptcy court in Delaware confirmed the plan in 2022, though that confirmation remains under appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The plaintiff, William Young, who represented himself, alleged that State Farm submitted a false accident report to the National Accident Reporting Agency, operated by LexisNexis, in connection with an incident that occurred on or about January 5, 2023, in a CVS parking lot in Largo, Maryland. At the time, Young was insured by Progressive, not State Farm. Atlantic Crane had argued that it was not performing services as an engineer, architect, or surveyor, and that the exclusions therefore did not apply. But the court rejected this position, emphasizing that the exclusion applies to the nature of the services performednot the title or designation of the service provider. The court emphasized that plaintiffs did not allege they were denied any benefits promised under the Plan. Instead, they asserted they paid more than they should have due to mismanagement. The court found this harm to be too speculative, particularly given the Plans structure and Wells Fargos discretion to set contributions. Looking ahead, one thing is certain for wholesale brokers that change is the only constant here. Technology will continue to challenge and innovate the sector, with more and more businesses opting to invest heavily in generative AI. However, the debate around how much generative AI should be used to automate the insurance process is still very much up for debate. In fact, research from Duck Creek Technologies found that 44% of consumers would prefer to interact with a human up from 35% in 2022. Virginia now has a law on the books that will require that cars of reckless drivers be equipped with technology that prohibits them from exceeding speed limits. The new law (HB2096), which will not be effective until July 2026, requires a court to order enrollment in what is known as an intelligent speed assistance (ISA) program for any person convicted of reckless driving and who was found to have been driving in excess of 100 miles per hour. For other drivers who are repeat offenders and have accumulated a certain amount of demerit points, the Department of Motor Vehicles would be required to offer this program as an alternative to a license suspension or jail time. It will make our streets safer, said a key sponsor, Del. Patrick A. Hope (D-Arlington). The passing of HB2096 is a step in the right direction to make our roads safer and protect families from the devastating impact of reckless driving, said Tammy McGee, whose 16-year-old son Conner Guido was tragically killed by a reckless driver. I hope that by installing speed-limiting technology on the vehicles of those who choose to repeatedly speed, we can save lives and prevent other families from enduring the same heartbreak weve experienced. An amendment added by Gov. Glenn Youngkin would have the judge decide how long the driver must remain in the program. That change must be approved by lawmakers. The Virginia law will be applicable only to private passenger, not commercial vehicles. It also calls for the ISA program to be installed on all vehicles the driver uses. The drivers are to pay the costs. The driver would be barred from driving any vehicle without the program. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Road to Zero Coalition, Families for Safe Streets and other safety advocates have urged automakers, regulators and fleet operators to promote ISA and speed limiters to help address a spike in traffic deaths since 2020. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), close to 30% of traffic fatalities involve excessive speed. In 2022, speeding killed more than 12,500 people. ISA uses cameras to read speed limit signs or integrates maps of speed limits with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, according to the IIHS. Some systems alert drivers when they exceed the speed limit, while others limit power to the engine to keep them from going faster than the posted speed limit. Virginias move comes after the District of Columbia passed similar legislation last year. Other states are considering legislation. Several municipalities including Ventura County in California, the city of Somerville in Massachusetts, and New York City have begun pilots of the technology in their fleets. A number of private sector fleets have also reportedly deployed ISA. Since 2022, New York City has equipped 500 fleet vehicles with ISA. According to a 2005 report on the citys experience, ISA resulted in a 64% relative decrease in the amount of time that drivers exceeded the speed limit by at least 11 mph, with the decrease even greater in areas with higher speed limits. Some new vehicles have speeding warning systems. In January 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that all new vehicles be equipped with either a passive or an active ISA system. Topics Personal Auto Virginia The Massachusetts seven-year statute of repose for medical malpractice claims does not shield professionals against separate acts of negligent treatment that allegedly occurred in the years after a disputed medical event more than seven years ago. The ruling came in a case where a doctor argued that the definitely established event in the malpractice claim brought against him in 2017 was his alleged negligent response to an abnormal EKG more than seven years ago in 2006 and thus the claim by the patients estate was barred. The trial and appeals courts both agreed with the doctor, whose patient died from cardiac arrythmia in 2016, that the claim was barred. However, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has overturned those rulings and revived the claim, siding with the estate that alleged that the patients death was a result of the doctors failure to treat him for his obvious risk of cardiac disease at multiple appointments that were after his EKG came back abnormal in 2006. For almost 10 years after the EKG, the doctor saw the decedent regularly, for at least 12 appointments. The patient presented with morbid obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, and obstructive sleep apnea at those later appointments. Yet the doctor never ordered cardiac testing at any of those appointments. The court said there are genuine issues of material fact regarding whether the doctors treatment within the seven-year period was negligent, without reliance on a negligent response to the abnormal EKG. The court said the negligent acts or omissions related to these appointments could be considered definitely established events that fall within the repose period, providing the basis for a medical malpractice claim. The 2006 negligence, we emphasize, cannot shield later acts of negligence, the court concluded. The estate provided three reports from an expert who said the doctor deviated from common accepted practice and fell below the standard of care expected of the average qualified doctor because he never followed up on the abnormal EKG in 2006 and never ordered another EKG. The statute provides that actions of contract or tort for malpractice, error or mistake against physicians . . . shall be commenced only within three years after the cause of action accrues, but in no event shall any such action be commenced more than seven years after occurrence of the act or omission which is the alleged cause of the injury upon which such action is based. The court noted that this language constitutes a statute of repose, the effect of which is to place an absolute time limit on the liability of those within [its] protection and to abolish a plaintiffs cause of action thereafter, even if the plaintiffs injury does not occur, or is not discovered, until after the statutes time limit has expired. The court added that the repose period begins to run from some definitely established event. The court explained that continuing treatment alone does not toll the statute of repose time period. A 2005 case (Rudenauer v. Zafiropoulos) involved a patient who died in 2000 from cancer that allegedly could have been detected and successfully treated had the doctor properly monitored a kidney condition in 1990 and 1991. However, in that case, although the doctor continued to treat the patient during the repose period, there was no evidence that any act or omission during that period was causally connected to the patients eventual death. The Rudenauer court did not suggest, however, that there would necessarily be only one definitely established event for a particular illness or injury. In the case of a doctor treating a patient over many years, there may be more than one definitely established event, that is, more than one negligent act or omission from which a repose period might run, the high court stressed. Topics Massachusetts A former New York City Fire Department chief will spend 20 months behind bars after admitting to taking thousands of dollars of bribes in exchange for preferential treatment on building inspections and approvals. Brian Cordasco, a chief in the Bureau of Fire Prevention, was sentenced in Manhattan Monday, a little more than five months after he pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to solicit and receive bribes. Cordasco is one of a group of current and former city officials who were prosecuted in the wake of a scandal that culminated with the indictment of Mayor Eric Adams on corruption charges. Shortly after the election of President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice asked a judge to throw out the case against Adams while retaining the authority to charge him again later. US District Judge Dale Ho is currently weighing whether to grant the governments request or throw out the case permanently. Ex-New York Fire Chief Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes to Speed Inspections Adams, who denied wrongdoing, was accused of secretly accepting illegal contributions to his 2021 campaign from foreign citizens, accepting straw donations and using them to receive taxpayer-funded matching contributions. Hes also accused of taking free flight and hotel upgrades and other gifts in excess of $100,000 without disclosing them as required. Earlier today, his lawyer urged Ho to promptly reach a decision, saying that Adams petitions to declare himself a candidate for the upcoming mayoral election are due Thursday. Adams is facing an uphill battle to win reelection. A poll conducted earlier this month by Quinnipiac University showed his approval at 20%, the lowest rating the school has recorded for a New York City mayor in nearly three decades of polling. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. A fight over UK motor finance and whether lenders should be on the hook for billions of pounds in compensation will play out at the Supreme Court in one of the most highly-anticipated hearings in years. At stake, the scope of a huge compensation program for consumers who took loans to buy cars without knowing about the commission paid by lenders to dealers. Banks are bracing for a payout that could run as high as 38 billion ($49.1 billion) according to some estimates, if the top courts judges rule against them. Investors are taking note. In an unusually swift timeframe for the countrys top court, a panel of five judges will sit for three days this week to hear an appeal brought by Close Brothers Group Plc and South Africa-based FirstRand Ltd. The hearing will take place less than six months after a lower court effectively ripped up historical consumer finance practices by declaring it unlawful for banks to pay commission to a car dealer without obtaining the customers informed consent. Rulings in this case have shaken investors. Close Brothers shares have lost two thirds of their value since the first customers lodged appeals in July 2023, and banks including Lloyds Banking Group Plc have set aside increasing sums for a redress program. Lloyds, the UKs largest provider of car finance, has earmarked 1.15 billion so far for any potential payouts, while the UK arm of Spains Banco Santander SA has put aside 295 million. Close Brothers, where one-fifth of the loan book is dedicated to motor finance, set aside a first-half provision of 165 million for the matter. Depending on how broadly the compensation requirements are set, banks could face an overall bill of between 24 billion and 38 billion, analysts at Bank of America have estimated. Dubbed PPI on wheels, the fallout has provoked comparisons with mis-sold payment protection insurance the UKs most expensive consumer scandal to date where around 50 billion was ultimately paid out. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which has been reviewing car finance since the start of last year, said itll decide whether to implement the compensation program within six weeks of the Supreme Courts decision. The watchdog was granted permission to take part in the top court case, but in a blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the judges refused a challenge by the Treasury, which had argued that the case risked causing considerable economic harm. The courts role is to decide the law relating to secret commissions and not to consider economic outcomes, Robin Henry, a lawyer at Collyer Bristow not involved in the case, said. But for the FCA, this is a damage limitation exercise to protect the motor finance industry. The court typically takes at least three months to issue a ruling, but has handed down judgments quicker in urgent cases, such as when the judges thwarted then-Prime Minister Boris Johnsons attempted prorogation of Parliament after a highly contentious hearing. The FCA banned so-called discretionary commission arrangements on motor finance in 2021, saying the practice incentivized car dealers to increase a customers borrowing costs. Then last year, the regulator said it was aware that auto lenders were facing a deluge of complaints from consumers alleging their loans were priced in a way that treated them unfairly. The Supreme Court is likely to consider whether the issue goes even further. The case was initially brought by consumers who used car dealers as their credit brokers to arrange financing for second-hand cars for less than 10,000. But the buyers were never told that a commission would be paid, even though in two cases the payment was referenced in the terms and conditions. The consumers were very poorly served by the brokers and the lenders alike, the Court of Appeal judges said. Notice of the commission payment was buried in a mass of contractual documents that no one concerned expected them to read. The ruling that motor dealers owed a duty of loyalty to their customers stunned the consumer finance industry and increased the possibility of the redress requirement going further than a demand for compensation for discretionary commissions. The judges ruled that the customers placed trust and confidence in the brokers to secure a competitive agreement and that gave rise to a duty in turn. Almost any user of car finance could apply for compensation in this circumstance. It was a very surprising decision, said Alison Wilson, a lawyer at Linklaters, which is not involved in the case, but acting for a large lender. The ruling went further on the regulatory obligations owed by brokers and lenders, leaving the FCA in a difficult position, she said. My expectation is that there will still be some row back. As a result of the judgment, both Close Brothers and FirstRand temporarily paused the writing of new UK motor finance business. For FirstRand, the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling could determine the future of the companys business in the UK, according to Chief Executive Officer Mary Vilakazi. It would have an implication of how we think about lending and whether we can actually still get appropriate returns, Vilakazi said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on March 6. If sanity prevails, I think well work through these things and I think we can get to a better landing. But if not, I suppose questions have to be asked about our ability to generate returns in the long run. Top photograph: The UKs Financial Conduct Authority banned so-called discretionary commission arrangements on motor finance in 2021. Photo credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Germanys Allianz Global Investors has dropped two exclusions blocking its sustainable funds from investing in defense, becoming one of the first major European asset managers to change their policies to help finance the regions rearmament. AGI wrote to its clients late last week to advise that its sustainable funds could now buy into companies that earned more than 10% of their revenue from military equipment and services. Removal of a second exclusion means they can also now invest in nuclear weapons activities as long as they are within the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which seeks to stop the spread of nuclear weapons-making capabilities. The investor had recognized the restrictions were too onerous, said Matt Christensen, AGIs global head of sustainable and impact investing, in an accompanying blog post published online. Nuclear weapons are a critical and credible deterrent to large-scale conflict and, in Western countries, the production of nuclear weapons is fully integrated into the industry and cannot be separated, Christensen added. AGI, part of insurer Allianz, manages about 570 billion euros ($615.77 billion) in assets. The changes come amid a broader drive by European investors to reconsider their policies on investing in defense, under pressure from clients and some politicians to loosen restrictions. Funds badged as sustainable have come under particular scrutiny, as they often have stricter exclusions. Few asset managers have actually changed their policies so far. Defense stocks have soared in value this year as European countries, under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, have vowed to increase military expenditure, with Germany unveiling a massive ramp-up in defense and infrastructure spending. AGIs changes apply to funds classified as Article 8 under the European Unions Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, and would apply in most cases, the investor said in its letter to clients. Article 8 is the broadest category for sustainable funds under the EU rules, while the higher Article 9 category refers more directly to sustainability. AGI said several exclusions would still apply, including to companies that severely violated international rules and to manufacturers of chemical and biological weapons. ($1 = 0.9257 euros) (Reporting by Iain Withers; editing by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes and Jan Harvey) Australias remote outback in western Queensland has been swamped by flooding after being lashed with a years worth of rainfall in a week, sweeping away tens of thousands of livestock. Up to 500 millimeters (19.7 inches) of rain has flooded an area about the size of Texas over the past week, exceeding the annual rainfall average and triggering the worst floods in half a century in some areas, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. About 100,000 cattle and sheep are estimated to be dead or missing so far, the Queensland government said Tuesday. Total fencing damage is estimated at about 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles), while more than 4,000 kilometers of private roads have been impacted. Flooding continues down many rivers throughout #Queensland, widespread major flooding inland which is matching or worse than 1974 floods in some areas. All warnings: https://t.co/FBmpsInT9o pic.twitter.com/LpNxqkiorU Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) March 31, 2025 The floods come as the country continues to grapple with the fallout from Cyclone Alfred, which hit Queenslands southeast coast and northern New South Wales last month. The nations top scientific research body has flagged a higher risk for more intense bursts of heavy rain as global warming continues to increase the frequency of extreme weather events. Showers and thunderstorms are expected across much of northern, central and parts of southern Queensland state on Tuesday, increasing throughout the day, bureau meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said in a video forecast. Moderate to locally heavy falls are still possible particularly where severe thunderstorms develop across those central parts of the state and damaging wind gusts are a risk inland, Bradbury said. The rain is also starting to push into far north New South Wales, she said. It is across a fairly remote part of Australia, but over the next few days will push into more populated parts of the southern Northern Territory, and from there, across the eastern states, Jonathan How, a bureau meteorologist, said in a filmed update. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Topics Agribusiness Australia A long-feared megaquake off Japans southern coast could result in almost 300,000 deaths, according to a new model released by the government. In the worst-case scenario, a megaquake in the Nankai Trough would destroy 2.34 million buildings and kill 298,000 people, a Cabinet Office panel said in a report Monday. Theres an 80% chance of such a quake occurring within 30 years, according to a government estimate from January. The Cabinet Offices model assumes a magnitude-9 level earthquake originating in the sea between Shizuoka prefecture and Miyazaki prefecture, resulting in tsunami of up to 30 meters (96 feet). The new maximum death toll is slightly below the 323,000 the government projected in 2012 and 2013, due to improved disaster prevention measures like building reinforcement and sea walls, according to the report. Japan is among the worlds most earthquake-prone countries. The last magnitude-9 quake, which hit off the coast of Fukushima in March 2011, killed more than 15,000 people, according to government statistics. Last year the government issued a warning for an elevated risk of a megaquake around the Nankai Trough, where the Philippine sea plate subducts under the Eurasian continental plate. The first-ever warning of its type was issued after a smaller quake off Kyushu and prompted rail operators to run trains at reduced speeds, while some factories temporarily halted production. The warning was called off after about a week. Photograph: The coastline close to the Nankai Trough in Miyazaki, Japan. Photo credit: Kyodo News/Getty Images Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. JM Wilson Promotes Staruch, Dodd and Ladik and Re-Hires Snyder-Knutson JM Wilson, headquartered in Portage, Michigan, Natalie Staruch was promoted to executive property & casualty (P&C) underwriter. She underwrites new and renewal commercial risks, working with carrier underwriters and independent insurance agents in JM Wilsons southern region. Staruch joined JM Wilson in 2021 as a P&C underwriter and was promoted to senior P&C underwriter in 2023. She has over 14 years of experience in the insurance industry. JM Wilson also promoted Devan Dodd to executive P&C underwriter. He underwrites new and renewal commercial risks, working with carrier underwriters and independent insurance agents in Michigan and Texas. Dodd started as an intern with the property and casualty team in 2014. He was promoted to P&C technician in 2015, then to P&C underwriter in 2021, and senior P&C underwriter in 2023. JM Wilson promoted Jim Ladik to senior P&C underwriter. He will underwrite new and renewal commercial risks, working with carrier underwriters and independent insurance agents in Michigan and Texas. He joined JM Wilson in March of 2022 as a P&C underwriter. JM Wilson also re-hired Phil Snyder-Knutson as senior transportation underwriter. He underwrites new and renewal commercial transportation risks, working with carrier underwriters and independent insurance agents in Michigan, Minnesota and Texas. With 15 years of experience in the insurance industry, Snyder-Knutson previously served as a commercial transportation underwriter at JM Wilson for the southern region. Huntington Hires Weaver as Senior Director of P&C Huntington Insurance Inc., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, hired Detroit-based Kathy Weaver as senior director of property and casualty (P&C). Weaver previously served for 16 years at Aon, beginning as an account executive and most recently serving as managing director and Michigan market leader. Topics Property Casualty The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is concerned about the potential sale or transfer of Americans personal information by 23andMe ancestry testing company which recently filed for bankruptcy, the agencys chairman said on Monday. Any purchaser of 23andMe assets should agree to be bound by the companys existing privacy policy, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a letter to the U.S. trustee, a government office that oversees bankruptcies. The company filed for bankruptcy protection on March 23 amid weak demand for its ancestry testing kits. It has said the bankruptcy process will not affect how it stores, manages or protects customer data. Officials including California Attorney General Rob Bonta had questioned what would happen to the genetic data collected by 23andMe. The companys privacy policies say that the data could be sold to other firms. Bonta has urged 23andMe customers to delete their genetic data. In 2023, hackers exposed the personal data of nearly 7 million 23andMe customers over a five-month period, dealing a major blow to the companys reputation and compounding its growth problems. The breach raised alarm among customers concerned about their privacy and how DNA-testing firms handle their data. Even if youre not in the market for a new car, U.S. President Donald Trumps 25% tariffs on auto imports could make owning one more expensive. The new taxes, which are set to begin April 3 and expand in the following weeks, are estimated to raise the average cost of a car imported from another country by thousands of dollars. But repairs for vehicles that currently use foreign-made parts are also expected to get pricier and, as a result, hike insurance costs farther down the road. While the White House says these tariffs will foster domestic manufacturing and raise $100 billion in revenue annually, economists stress that straining the auto industrys global supply chain brings significant disruptions. Dealerships and car repair shops will likely have little choice but to raise prices leading drivers across the country to pay more for everyday maintenance. Heres what you need to know. How will tariffs affect my next car repair? It depends on what you need fixed and where you go in to get your car serviced. But some industry analysts warn that drivers could see costs jump as early as the coming weeks or months. If you are bringing your car to get repaired, chances are, its going to have a part that comes from another country, said Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at auto-buying resource Edmunds. That price that you pay is likely going to be directly affected by the increase (from these tariffs). Trumps Wednesday proclamation on auto tariffs points specifically to engines, transmissions, powertrain parts and electrical components. That covers a lot of repairs as is, Caldwell notes, and the administration has also signaled the possibility of future expansion. And while automakers may develop new pricing strategies for new vehicles impacted by tariffs, Caldwell expects they will to be less likely to absorb the costs of individual parts leaving consumers with the bill perhaps more imminently. Much of the car repair market has heavily relied on imports, particularly from Americas biggest trading partners. According to February numbers from the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, a trade group that represents home, auto and business insurers, about 6 in every 10 auto replacement parts used in U.S. auto shop repairs are imported from Mexico, Canada and China. You cant walk into a dealership today and not see a United Nations of parts, said Skyler Chadwick, director of Product Consulting at Cox Automotive. But sourcing and supply varies between each servicer, he adds, making it all the more complex to nail down when exactly prices will rise after these tariffs take effect. Desiree Hill, owner of Crowns Corner, an auto repair and mechanics shop in Conyers, Georgia, says the auto tariffs were already hurting her business. She was working on repairing a vintage 1960 Opel Rekord car and ordered a part from Germany, but the manufacturer canceled the order due to the tariffs. I cant get (the part) anywhere in our country. Period. So that that was very disappointing, she said. About half of the cars she works on are foreign-made, so the tariffs will make repairing those cars more difficult. Unfortunately we dont have a choice but to raise prices if they are raised on us, she said. We cant take that kind of loss. Car repair prices have already been on the rise for years, with analysts pointing both to growing labor costs and more expensive components needed for vehicles with advanced technology. Edward Salamy, executive director of the Automotive Body Parts Association, also says car companies have been trying to gain a monopoly to limit remedies to their own parts or processes, reducing options for consumers. Tariffs, he said, will just exacerbate the issue: Many of these distributors will have no choice but to raise their list price. How are car dealerships managing? Joshua Allrich, who operates a family-owned used car dealership called Allrich Auto in Atlanta, is among those concerned about facing higher costs while also trying to save his customers money. Its going to make things a lot more expensive, Allirch said, adding that, while hes looking forward to the possibility of people rushing to buy cars before the tariffs take effect, his business will soon have to adjust. My wheelhouse is economy cars, affordable cars. And now, this tariff is going to directly hit us because its gonna just make things go up. Chadwick says that dealers and other servicers will need to be as transparent as possible as these tariffs take effect while also preparing to have difficult conversations about rising prices with customers. He adds that tariffs are also going to put pressures on the reselling market. Used cars often have to be serviced before dealerships can sell them back to customers again opening the door for higher repair costs due to tariffs. And all that cost goes right back into the consumer through what they end up having to pay for the vehicle, he explains. In efforts to delay impacts, some dealers and repair shops might turn to stocking up on inventory before tariffs hit, particularly for parts that get requested the most. Analysts say many have long-anticipated the threat of auto tariffs, and are already grappling with the impact of Trumps new steel and aluminum levies that took effect earlier this month. But stockpiling can only go so far. And for small business owners, spending money for a lot of inventory at once can be risky, especially when Trumps on-again, off-again tariff threats raise questions about how long they will last. If they end up being short-lived, Caldwell said, Do you really want to buy a bunch of inventory that youre going to have to sit and hold on (to) for quite some time? What will happen to my insurance premiums? Because accidents involving new parts will see increased costs for repairs, insurance premiums will also likely rise due to tariffs. But that may be farther into the future. Bob Passmore, department vice president of personal lines at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, expects consumers to see an impact on their insurance bill in 12 to 18 months at a minimum. Thats because increased prices have to hit claims costs, then be implemented after new rates are filed and approved. Still, the trade association has estimated that personal auto insurance claims costs alone could rise a total of between $7 billion and $24 billion annually. It wasnt immediately clear how large providers of auto insurance were preparing for the impacts of these tariffs. Allstate, State Farm, Geico and Progressive did not immediately respond to The Associated Press requests for comment on Friday. But even if it takes long to trickle down, these tariff-related hikes would again arrive as consumers have already faced rising insurance costs. The Insurance Information Institute estimated average U.S. auto premiums increased 14% in 2023 and 12% in 2024. Mark Friedlander, the institutes senior director of media relations, said via email that the research trade nonprofit projected a 7% average premium increase for auto insurance across the U.S. in 2025 at the start of the year but that didnt account for potential tariff impacts, which will drive them even higher. Increased costs spanning from tariffs cause a chain reaction for insurance, Caldwell adds. This is a total ownership cost increase, rather than just a purchase increase. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto A U.S. judge has blocked the Trump administration and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency from pursuing efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the latest rebuke from the courts in the White Houses efforts to remake the federal government virtually overnight. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on March 28 granted requests by lawyers representing a workers union and other consumer advocates who had sued the Trump administration to reverse the agencys sudden shutdown last month. The shutdown resulted in mass dismissals, contract terminations, office closures and an agency-wide work stoppage. Representatives for the agency for the White House did not respond to requests for comment. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who helped create the agency in response to the financial crisis, and an employee union that had brought suit hailed the decision. The agency had been within hours of firing nearly its entire staff, Deepak Gupta, an attorney representing CFPB workers, said in a statement. Were heartened by the decision and look forward to continuing to press our case in court. After firing the agencys director last month, President Donald Trump told reporters that the agency should be eliminated. Musk had posted CFPB RIP on his social media platform X on the day DOGE workers gained access to the CFPBs headquarters. However, after the lawsuit began, agency officials backtracked from some of their positions, maintaining in court that they did not intend to eliminate the agency and directing staff to resume some work, creating confusion among employees. If the defendants are not enjoined, they will eliminate the agency before the court has the opportunity to decide whether the law permits them to do it, and as the defendants own witness warned, the harm will be irreparable, Berman Jackson wrote. In sometimes withering language, she rejected key evidence Justice Department lawyers had presented, calling some claims a charade for the courts benefit. Mark Paoletta, the CFPBs top legal officer, insults the readers intelligence when he feigns surprise that few CFPB employees were working, she wrote. She also said that after being contradicted by sworn statements undermining the administrations position, the agencys chief operating officer, Adam Martinez, had appeared on the witness stand torn between the loyalties to his new employers and the truth playing out on his face. Paoletta and Martinez did not respond to emails seeking comment. Berman Jackson ordered the CFPB not to delete any data, to reinstate fired workers and to allow work to resume, among other directions. Topics Legislation Politics Rumors of the demise of asphalt shingles in Florida are greatly exaggerated. Asphalt shingles provide a great, cost-effective option for consumers. But in recent weeks, groups with varying interests and motivations including those who sell roofing products that compete with asphalt shingles have attempted to undermine their efficacy with comments that are not based in fact. This was evident as a result of some broad statements from Floridas insurance commissioner, Michael Yaworsky. These groups are understandably attempting to leverage such statements to increase their market share against the predominant residential roofing material in the state. The actual situation in Florida is far more complex and nuanced than these interests would have you believe: There are indeed challenges with roofing in the state, but these challenges are not unique to asphalt roofing, nor are asphalt shingles the principal cause. Given that asphalt shingles protect between 70% and 75% of homes in the state, it is logical that a severe weather event would result in more damaged asphalt shingle roofs than those covered by other materials. Beyond basic mathematics, several other factors must be considered. Over the past few decades, building codes and product technologies have advanced significantly. Many older roofs were installed before these advancements were introduced and therefore may not comply with the latest codes. Furthermore, many roofs installed post-storm were not installed by qualified professionals, making them more vulnerable to damage during severe storms. Additionally, not all roofing materials are equal. Roofing systems vary from high-end to budget systems. The optimal material for a specific home in a particular region may not necessarily be the cheapest or the most expensive but should be evaluated as part of a complete system. Homeowners should be educated about the roofing system that best suits their home, ensuring it fits their budget, aesthetics and environment. Observations from post-storm damages indicate that numerous asphalt shingle roofs remain intact after severe storms, while catastrophic failures can occur with any roofing material. The entire roofing industry has a challenge of continuously improving product performance, and the asphalt shingle manufacturers are actively participating in collaboration with roofing contractor groups, code officials, and other stakeholders. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) has proposed enhancements for asphalt shingle systems in the current revisions of the Florida Building Code, including hip and ridge improvements and better drip-edge flashing at eaves and rakes. The industry supports efforts to codify common installation practices that provide secondary water penetration protection. Over the years, the Florida asphalt shingle market has shifted to modern, high-performance laminated shingles, now representing approximately 90% of the market. Todays asphalt shingles differ significantly from those installed decades ago. They undergo rigorous testing to meet wind uplift, hail resistance, and fire ratings. Furthermore, many ARMA member companies are closely engaged in improving the ASTM Standards with which our products are required to comply, and creating new standards where voids exist. Asphalt shingles continue to dominate the roofing market in Florida, with no indication of decline. The asphalt roofing industry remains agile, capable of delivering reliable, cost-effective, high-performance roofs to homeowners following major storms. Other systems cannot match this level of service. Asphalt shingles are the leading roofing system in North America for various reasons, including cost-effectiveness and an array of aesthetic options, and they remain a steadfast choice. This article was republished with permission. It originally appeared in Roofers Coffee Shop Reed Hitchcock is executive vice president of the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association. ARMA represents North Americas asphalt roofing manufacturing companies and their raw-material suppliers. The association includes the majority of North American manufacturers of asphalt shingles and asphalt low-slope roof membrane systems. Committed to advancing the asphalt roofing industry, ARMA plays a pivotal role in promoting asphalt roofing to industry professionals and the public. For more information about ARMA, visit asphaltroofing.org. The fate of a bill that would modify South Carolinas joint-and-several liability law now rests with the state House of Representatives after the state Senate last week approved the measure following weeks of heated debate. Were finally getting some movement on it. I guess were doing like Georgia did and thinking about tort reform, said Tom Bates, an insurance agent in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Anything that will help consumers is good. The full Senate voted 35-7 in favor of the Senate Bill 244, which business groups and some insurance agents have supported. A number of bars and restaurants around the Palmetto State have shut down because of soaring liability insurance costs after a 2018 law required $1 million in coverage for places that serve alcohol. Many in the tourist-dependent state have blamed the joint-and-several liability law, which allows juries to saddle businesses with the deepest pockets with most of the damages. Others have blamed insurance companies for pricing policies out of reach for smaller establishments. Its a win for restaurants and bars. I think this absolutely will have an effect of reducing their liability insurance cost, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said about SB 244, according to the South Carolina Daily Gazette. Just three weeks ago, Massey worried that the bill was dead in Senate. But fiery debate since then finally resulted in a compromise measure that passed late in the evening last Wednesday, according to news reports. Its far from certain that the bill will pass the House, where it has yet to be assigned to a committee, or it can be melded with a similar House bill. If it does pass the House and is signed into law, SB 244 would allow juries to apportion fault. Similar to tort laws in Florida and a number of other states, if a plaintiffs fault is determined to be greater than 50%, no recovery would be allowed. The bill also would would lower the minimum liquor liability coverage requirement to $500,000 for businesses that serve alcohol. Non-profit organizations would be required to have just $300,000 in coverage, the bill notes. Critics had charged that an earlier version of SB 244 could have hurt homeowners who feel theyve purchased shoddily built homes, and could affect insurance carriers seeking subrogation recovery from homebuilders if construction defects can be shown. But the final bill passed by the Senate would actually extend the statute of limitations on defect lawsuits to 10 years, up from the current eight years. The bill also makes it clear that the new rules would not apply retroactively to lawsuits already filed over so-called polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, also known as PFAS or forever chemicals, found in many products and waste streams. Meanwhile, a similar bill in the House, HB 3497, was approved by the full House in early March. It has passed a Senate committee and is awaiting a floor vote in the upper chamber. Like the Senate bill, it would modify the joint-and-several liability statute and would allow captive insurance companies to apply to provide liquor liability insurance without a limit on coverage. The bill also would create a risk-mitigation program that could reduce the minimum coverage requirement. Bars could reduce the current $1 million in liquor liability coverage requirement by $100,000 if the establishment stops serving at midnight. Top photo: Massey, R-Edgefield, moved to adjourn after members failed to reach a compromise on an earlier version of the bill in March. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) Topics Liability South Carolina A Kentucky farmer is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to defrauding the federal crop insurance program of almost $1.5 million. Robert Thomas Hunt, of Taylor County in central Kentucky, asked grain haulers to sell his soybean, corn and wheat under his childrens names, to make it look like his crop yields had fallen sharply from 2015 to 2021, according to his March 27 plea agreement. For those seven years, Hunt claimed heavy losses on his multi-peril crop insurance policy, including a high of $322,000 in 2015. The crop insurance program paid a total of $1.49 million, the court documents show. All the while, his farm sold plenty of produce but disguised the sales through the use of family members names. Hunt knew none of these individuals had an insurable interest in the crops sold in their names and intentionally withheld these sales from the crop loss adjuster, the plea agreement explains. This obscured Hunts true production and resulted in inflated insurance losses. Hunt also used different addresses for his children to further conceal his actual grain sales. He now faces up to 30 years in prison, forfeiture of his property, restitution to the insurance program, and a maximum fine of $1 million. This is the latest guilty plea in multiple federal investigations into crop insurance fraud in Kentucky. One of the largest crimes involved a tobacco farmer, who pleaded guilty last year to more than $9 million in crop insurance fraud. Since 2017, authorities have charged more than 30 people in the state with crop insurance fraud, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. Topics Fraud Agribusiness A California bill requiring insurers to provide a notice to homeowners before conducting an inspection with aerial imaging is set for a committee hearing on Wednesday. Assembly Bill 75 requires insurers to provide a notice to homeowners at least 30 days prior to an inspection utilizing aerial imaging. It also requires insurers to provide policyholders with instructions on how to request the photos. Related: New Fire Maps Put Nearly 4M Californians in Hazardous Zones AB 75 seeks to keep insurance affordable for Californians by increasing aerial imaging inspection transparency, according to the bills author, Assemblymember Lisa Calderon (D-Whitter). Calderon is chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee, We are in the middle of an insurance crisis and Californians are facing non-renewals or policy cancellations, sometimes without justification, states Assemblymember Calderon. AB 75 empowers homeowners, especially those at risk of losing their policies due to undisclosed inspection practices. Related: Insurer Payouts Now at $12B for LA Wildfires, Report Shows Aerial imaging has been integrated into the insurance industry to assist with processing claims and assessing property. While the practice has become widespread, many policyholders are concerned about the loss of insurance coverage for aerial imaging that was captured without their knowledge, according to the author. AB 75 has a hearing in the Assembly Insurance Committee at 9:30 a.m. pst. Topics California Carriers Property Some 2,600 cases of bowel cancer are reported in Ireland every year. Its the third most common cause of cancer death. These are worrying statistics. However, measures have been put in place to improve them, says Dr Alan Smith, a consultant in public health medicine with the National Screening Service. The five-year survival rate of people diagnosed with bowel cancer has increased from 50% to 66% over the past 20 years, thanks to early detection, more targeted treatments, and people being more aware of symptoms and not being as reluctant to get them checked out, he says. To that we have added BowelScreen and the 2022 National Cancer Registry Report shows that the largest increase in survival rates has occurred in those in the age group that participates in this screening programme. BowelScreen became part of the National Screening Service in 2012, joining the already established BreastCheck and CervicalCheck cancer-screening programmes. Professor Padraic Mac Mathuna is the clinical director of BowelScreen. Professor Padraic Mac Mathuna: "BowelScreen is a free screening programme that targets the age group with the highest incidence of bowel cancer." BowelScreen is a free screening programme that targets the age group with the highest incidence of bowel cancer, he says. Its currently offered to all men and women aged between 59 and 69 on a two-yearly cycle, and it aims to detect and treat bowel cancer as early as possible. Approximately 1,000 people die from bowel cancer in Ireland every year and this programme can significantly reduce that mortality rate. So, how does it work? Ann Cooney, a registered nurse practitioner in the BowelScreen endoscopy unit in Louth County Hospital, says that the BowelScreen team compiles a register of people in the eligible age group by using details supplied by the Department of Social Protection. Those people are then sent a letter, inviting them to be screened. Once they accept, they are sent a faecal immunochemical test or FIT kit in the mail, which can be done in the privacy of their home. The test is straightforward. Its basically a test tube with a screw-top lid, she says. You unscrew the lid and theres a stick attached. After going to the toilet, you insert the end of the stick into a sample of your stool and pop it back in the test tube. "There are step-by-step instructions and diagrams that show you exactly how to do this. Then, all you have to do is date the sample, place it in the envelope provided and send it back by freepost for analysis. During that analysis, the sample is tested for the presence of blood. Its minute levels of blood, says Smith. Bowel Screen nurse practitioner at the Louth County Hospital Ann Cooney. Picture: Ciara Wilkinson. Were not talking about blood, people might notice when they go to the toilet. Thats a worrying symptom that should always have people making an appointment to go to their GP straightaway. "Most cancers and pre-cancers bleed a small amount thats invisible to the naked eye and the FIT kit is designed to pick up these tiny traces of blood. Mac Mathuna points out that most people tested have no blood in their stool. They are sent letters confirming their normal results and informing them that they will be asked to complete another home test in two years. But blood is detected in about 5% or 6% of cases and these people are advised to have a colonoscopy to investigate further, he says. Blood in stool has many causes Cooney is quick to reassure people that just because blood is found in their FIT sample, it doesnt mean they have cancer. In fact, the cause is likely to be something else. You can have blood in your stool because of haemorrhoids, diverticulosis or certain medications, like blood thinners or painkillers, she says. All a positive FIT kit result means is that you should have a colonoscopy to make sure its not cancer. A colonoscopy examines the bowel via a small camera attached to the end of a flexible tube. This tube is inserted into the patients bottom, usually while they are sedated, allowing medics to check for signs of cancer. A BowelScreen nurse prepares patients for the procedure. We go through a pre-assessment process over the phone, says Cooney. We talk patients through whats involved, answer any questions they might have, allay any fears and ensure they understand how important it is for them to have their colonoscopy. Smith says there are two reasons why BowelScreen is so important. One is the detection of cancer. The latest HSE figures reveal that more than 286,000 FIT kits were returned to the BowelScreen programme in 2022 and 2023. Just over 8,900 tested positive and were referred for colonoscopy and 488 cancers were detected a rate of 1.5 in every 1,000 people who returned a FIT kit. The other is cancer prevention. Polyps are small growths in the colon that are usually benign, but can become cancerous over time, says Smith. All polyps are removed during a colonoscopy, which lowers the risk of bowel cancer developing in future. In 2022 and 2023, when BowelScreen referred some 8,900 people for colonoscopy, more than 4,000 of those people had polyps removed. That shows how common polyps are, says Smith. Many of us develop them as we get older. And while not all will go on to become cancerous, removing them eliminates that risk entirely. Considering that the BowelScreen programme can detect and prevent cancer, its uptake rates remain low in comparison with the other two cancer-screening programmes run by the National Screening Service. BreastCheck had an uptake rate of 70.3% in 2022. The rate for CervicalCheck was 73%. But the latest statistics for BowelScreen show an uptake rate of just 46.6%. Smith points out that research has identified several reasons for this reluctance to participate in the programme. Theres the yuck factor. People are embarrassed about anything to do with poo, he says. Theres fear. This includes the fear of a possible cancer diagnosis, as well as the fear of colonoscopies, says Smith. People can confuse the home test kit with the more invasive colonoscopy. But neither are to be feared. The other reasons are peoples lack of awareness of the effectiveness of the screening programme; their low perception of their own risk, particularly in the absence of symptoms; and the fact that people are busy and simply forget to carry out the test. Theres no one thing thats behind the low uptake, he says. Its a combination of all of these things and more. There is also a slight gender difference in uptake, with statistics showing that men are approximately 5% less likely to participate in the programme than women. Smith puts this down to traditional masculine norms. Men generally avoid preventative healthcare and tend to wait until theres something that needs to be fixed, he says. Irish men would not be unique in that regard. Mac Mathuna believes there may be another reason men arent as likely to participate in BowelScreen as women. Women are familiar with the concept of screening, because they are invited to participate in CervicalCheck and BreastCheck as they move through life, but this is the first time men have been involved in any screening programme, he says. The BowelScreen team wants men and women to realise there is no reason they shouldnt accept their invitation to participate in the BowelScreen programme. The FIT kit is a test you can do alone in the privacy of your own bathroom, says Smith. Its simple. It takes a minute or two. Theres no cost involved, and it could add years to your life. Your family will thank you. Smith points out that more than 90% of those who participate in BowelScreen once go on to participate again two years later, proving that theres no reason why anyone should feel reluctant to send off for a FIT kit. Its very apparent that once they overcome their fear, anxiety and nerves, they become strong advocates for the programme, says Smith. They know that the effort involved in carrying out the test is more than outweighed by the reassurance it brings. False negative and positive results This is not to suggest that screening doesnt have limitations. Mac Mathuna acknowledges there can be false negatives and false positives. FIT looks for blood in the stool and some people can have cancerous tumours or polyps that only bleed intermittently and arent bleeding at the time of the test, so that test will be a false negative, he says. Other samples may contain blood for a reason that has nothing to do with cancer, so thats a false positive. False negatives and positives exist in all screening tests and its why research is ongoing to find better alternatives. What we have now is a test that has been internationally proven to reduce mortality from bowel cancer, says Mac Mathuna. Professor Padraic MacMathuna: FIT looks for blood in the stool and some people can have cancerous tumours or polyps that only bleed intermittently and arent bleeding at the time of the test, so that test will be a false negative." But were always trying to find something better. For example, were working with APC Microbiome Ireland in University College Cork to reduce the false positive rates, and the unnecessary colonoscopies that are carried out as a result, by developing a test that detects changes in the gut microbiome that occur in people with polyps or cancer. For now, though, FIT represents the best screening tool we have. In the coming years, the age range for the BowelScreen programme will be increased from the current 59 to 69 to 55 to 74, and Cooney encourages everyone offered the test to take it. BowelScreen allows us to detect cancer and pre-cancerous polyps before patients ever show any symptoms, she says. This means it finds cancer early, and the earlier you detect a cancer, the better the prognosis. "For the most part, our patients are healthy and ready and able for surgery and any further therapies that may be required. The BowelScreen team minds them through every step of that process. To find out more about the BowelScreen programme, call the free phone number 1800 454555. If youre within the eligible age range and havent received a letter inviting you to take part, check the online registry at exa.mn/BowelScreen-register. Spot the symptoms Changes in bowel habits diarrhoea, runny bowel movements, constipation, needing to poo more or less often than usual. Blood in your poo, which may look red or black. Abdominal issues cramps, general abdominal pain, bloating that doesnt go away. Weight loss when youre not trying to lose weight. Tiredness and lack of energy when youve had enough rest. Any unusual change you know isnt right for you. If you experience one or more of these symptoms, you should make an appointment to see your GP. For information on bowel cancer screening and using home test kits, click here. We got married in Rome on September 25, 2005. My husband Rogier is Dutch, and because we lived in Ireland at the time I thought the least I could do was get married in Holland. In my head, I thought that would be really nice, but he said oh, no. Holland is not romantic, its a very practical, functional country. So we settled on Rome. A Garda complaint has been made about a fundamentalist Catholic group based in Cork, which has allowed a defrocked priest to say mass despite alleged safeguard breaches. The Society of St Pius Resistance, a splinter group of the controversial SSPX which was founded in 1970 by a former bishop who clashed with the Vatican over reforms, has operated from a farmhouse in Drinagh, Co Cork. Gardai have confirmed that enquiries into the group are ongoing on foot of a complaint which alleges safeguarding breaches in relation to the defrocked priest. It is understood that at least one safeguarding organisation has also referred the matter to Tusla. The Irish Examiner further understands that the defrocked priest is not currently in Ireland. The group has held masses in Derry, where local bishop Donal McKeown, in a bulletin sent to all churches this weekend, warned congregations: "The priests of SSPX Resistance Ireland are not in full communion with the Catholic Church and do not accept the full teaching authority of the Church. He said they "administer sacraments, but do so illicitly without the necessary faculties and approval of the church". He also warned congregations that because the group is outside the Catholic Church, it does not fall under safeguarding oversight. The letter asked church-goers "to remain steadfast in communion with the church, united with the Holy Father and the bishops who share in full communion with them". Bishop Giacomo Ballini, who runs the SSPX branch in Ireland, was heavily criticised by the Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costello after saying a mass in the city with a priest who had been removed from his position by the diocese. In a statement in October, Bishop Costelloe wrote: "One of the four bishops ordained by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988, Bishop Richard Williamson, was expelled from SSPX in October 2012. Bishop Richard Williamson then established a new group known as the SSPX Resistance. Between 2015 and 2022 Bishop Richard Williamson has ordained four priests as bishops, one of whom is an Italian priest, Giacomo Ballini. Bishop Williamson did not have a pontifical mandate to consecrate any of these priests to the episcopate. "In accord with canon 1387 of the Code of Canon Law, Bishop Williamson and Bishop Ballini incurred automatically the penalty of excommunication, as did the other three bishops. As Bishop Ballini incurred the penalty of excommunication, he is prohibited by canon from celebrating the Sacrifice of the Eucharist and the other sacraments and from receiving the sacraments. Accordingly, Bishop Ballini is no longer in communion with the Pope and the other Bishops." In 2022, the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism identified the SSPX Resistance as one of 12 "hateful and extremist groups in Ireland", particularly focusing on its "conspiracy" and "antisemitism". In 2021, the Irish Examiner revealed that Mr Ballini had said a mass in Dublin's Herbert Park in defiance of Covid restrictions which was followed by "an exorcism" of Leinster House. It is understood that a charity linked to the group has been under investigation for some time, but the Charities Regulator confirmed that the church itself has no charitable status. "We tend to use the term 'addicted' as in 'addicted to our phones, to social media, to gaming etc' in quite a colloquial way. But it is not quite an accurate term to describe what we mean," says Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton. "Clinical addiction is a very specific thing where what you're doing is very distressing and it is seriously impacting on aspects of your life, like your relationships or work etc. "But for most people, that is not the level that we are doing these things at. We may be spending more time on them than we wanted or we may not be feeling great after we have come away from our phones, but it's not necessarily distressing or seriously negatively impacting on our life," she adds. Dr Fox Hamilton has lectured on this area for more than a decade at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), Dun Laoghaire, and last week, she and her colleague Dr Liam Challenor launched a podcast that went straight to the top of the iTunes charts called "In Bits: Deconstructing our Digital Lives". Dr Challenor, who is also a chartered psychologist with the Psychological Society of Ireland, agrees "addiction" is not the issue when it comes to our phone use. The criteria for addiction are categorised by impaired control, physical dependence, social problems, and risky use. We require several of these criteria and the examples of addictive behaviour dont align properly to a phone. "As such, compulsive or problematic use is more appropriate to use as addiction is an extreme and inaccurate description," says Dr Challenor. He is also nuanced when it comes to social media use, pointing to research that shows there are benefits to it. "We should be looking at why there is increased use and the types of use of social media passive 'doom scrolling' is very different use to someone learning new skills, socialising or developing a sense of self in a safe space," says Dr Challenor, who is chair of the master's in cyberpsychology at IADT. Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton: Banning mobile phones in schools is a 'very blunt tool'. Neither academic agrees with banning phones or social media in schools, and Dr Fox Hamilton points to research around how we use digital platforms as being key to wellbeing. "Actually, when you engage fully online that helps you find connection and build social support. If you're doing that, you're getting the benefits from it. "So it's better to be active than passive in our use and you're less likely to engage in that upwards social comparison if you're being more interactive. But it's important to connect with people you actually have a relationship with," she says. Dr Fox Hamilton describes "banning" as a "very blunt tool", and Dr Challenor suggests polar opposite solutions to outlawing phones in school settings. "Digital skills and appropriate use should be learnt and fostered in a safe and monitored space to create positive outcomes," says Dr Challenor. And Dr Fox Hamilton adds removing them from school settings does not prevent cyberbullying from occurring. "Most cyberbullying happens outside of schools and so it doesn't really reduce that because it is going to happen at home anyway," says Dr Fox Hamilton . Both researchers however, admit there are problems and issues that need addressing when it comes to the internet, especially in the area of misinformation, be that in relation to health or politics. "There are other issues online, of course, like the spread of misinformation. What happens online is more that it amplifies what is happening offline, so it's not solely responsible for the spread of misinformation. "It's mostly the fact that we are processing information very quickly online and we are more likely to share things without paying a lot of attention to them, but it definitely does increase the amount of misinformation we have access to and that exists in the world and we do see the issues that's causing," says Dr Fox Hamilton. Dr Challenor says "disinformation content is increasing" and can be persuasive for a number of reasons. The pair will look at this as an individual topic in their podcast series. They will also examine trolling, harassment, social support online and online dating. The purpose of the researchers' podcast is to counteract some of the "scaremongering" that goes on in relation to our phone and social media use and to make research in the area more accessible to the public. The purpose of the podcast is to counteract some of these ideas that are so prevalent in society. There is so much discourse around phone use and social media use and other aspects of technology that really don't reflect what the research has found on these areas. "We really wanted to bring the research findings to people in an accessible, interesting and hopefully lighthearted and fun way. So it's enjoyable to listen to and educational. We wanted to counteract some of the scaremongering that's going on with some of the discourse," says Dr Hamilton. Last week they looked at moral panic when it comes to phone use and this week's episode examines our so-called addiction to tech. The pair also want to encourage people to be more mindful about "how they're using their technology and what they're getting out of it". In Bits: Deconstructing Our Digital Lives is available on all major podcast platforms now. For more information see @inbitspodcast on Instagram The crisis in Sudan caused by civil war is probably the most horrendous in the world, with aid needed to bring stability to the region, the minister of state for international development has said. The two-year conflict had led to famine, the destruction of capital city Khartoum, and estimates of around 150,000 deaths along with thousands more being brutalised including high rates of sexual violence. Advocating for greater attention on this conflict is part of the Irish programme for government. Minister of state Neale Richmond said the region requires specific mention for a number of reasons. The conflict in Sudan and the situation in Sudan is probably the most horrendous in the world at the moment in terms of the level of poverty, in terms of malnutrition, and indeed just the humanitarian disaster that is unfolding, he said. Taoiseach Micheal Martin called for a ceasefire in December, and this approach is part of Irelands efforts to highlight the conflict at EU level. Sudanese refugee Mary Atyeng at the Kiir Adem border crossing with her baby. Picture: Eugene Ikua/ Concern Worldwide It is so vitally important that we use the EU as a tool to get aid and humanitarian support where it needs to be, but equally that we maintain that political discussion and put the pressure on the government in Sudan to make sure they can make it work, Mr Richmond said. Political support can help to put pressure to agree ceasefires, to enter negotiations, and say well be there to provide support and make sure the rebuilding happens, he added. He expects Ireland will attend at a conference in London to discuss the conflict in two weeks. Famine has been declared in 10 regions of Sudan with the economy and health services destroyed. One of the biggest issues with the region is actually getting humanitarian aid to those who need it, he said, adding 50% of the population there rely on humanitarian aid. There is also unease among aid agencies at the sudden drop in American support particularly from USAid under president Donald Trump. Ireland made funding payments in February instead of May to agencies including UN Women in response, the minister said. The multi-lateral system as a whole is potentially facing an existential crisis Concern Worldwide and Goal have already announced job cuts. Last year, we were one of the few European countries to increase our aid budget. We were one of the few European countries who didnt cut our aid budget, he said. People drawing water near the medical centre as the country experiences poverty. Picture: Eugene Ikua/Concern Worldwide I have made it quite clear it is my ambition going into the budgetary discussions which are some months away to not only maintain our budget, but I will be seeking increases. I think now is the time to do it. He pointed out the Irish economy, including rising grocery and energy costs, is not immune to conflict elsewhere. All of that stems from global instability Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine, but also instability around the Horn of Africa, and the very clear shipping routes. It has a huge impact, he said. The more the world is unstable, the more people are facing conflict, crippling hunger, and poverty, the more danger there is in the world. Aid can address these problems, he said, adding: We are not just doing it to feel good, we are doing it because it has a material impact on every household in this county as well. The overall budget for Irish Aid, the Governments official development assistance programme, for this year is 810m. This includes support for Sudan, South Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, and other regions around the world. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has survived a motion of confidence in her by a vote of 96 to 71, with two abstentions. The opposition motion on Ms Murphy's future was defeated, with a government motion of confidence in her passing 96 to 71, also with two abstentions. The opposition had brought the motion following last week's passage of new Dail speaking time rules. The Opposition has claimed that Ms Murphy did not adhere to Dail procedures, in a manner that favoured the Government. Ms Murphy did not chair the debate on the motion, with Leas Ceann Comhairle John McGuinness taking the chair. During her speech, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Ceann Comhairle "must go" as she is "not fair, not impartial and not independent". She said that Ms Murphy had been "given a fair wind" by Sinn Fein but that Ms Murphy had become "the Government's Ceann Comhairle". Her party's chief whip Padraig Mac Lochlainn later said that the Government had "elevated Michael Lowry as a kingmaker", while Roscommon-Galway TD Claire Kerrane said that last week's votes had been "rushed" and that this was "not the role of the Ceann Comhairle". Labour leader Ivana Bacik said that Ms Murphy's deeming of the Order of Business passed last Tuesday was done "without a legitimate democratic basis" and that "with regret" her party believes Ms Murphy's position is no longer tenable. She said that while the Government "will win the vote, the opposition has won the argument". Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan said that the Government had ensured the "re-establishment of Michael Lowry". He said that the office of Ceann Comhairle had been politicised by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in doing a deal with Mr Lowry around the appointment of Ms Murphy. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said that the Government's attitude of "we won, you lost" was not in keeping with the Dail's rules and that Ms Murphy had not adhered to those rules. He said that the coalition was a "right-wing government without a mudguard" which would be defeated by "street politics". In his contribution, Taoiseach Micheal Martin accused the opposition of "mob politics", though he never named Ms Murphy in his speech. "The opposition is trying to manufacture a claim that it was actually the Ceann Comhairle who behaved inappropriately. That she is the person in this House who should be attacked. "The arsonists are demanding that we censure the fire brigade. And let no one be in any doubt, there is not one bit of good faith in the arguments we have been hearing from Sinn Fein and the parts of the opposition which have joined them in their aggression and disruption." Tanaiste Simon Harris accused the opposition of "a bitter and aggressive cacophony" against Oireachtas staff. He said that because the opposition had not won last week's vote, they came for the Ceann Comhairles head. This is straight out of a populist playbook. Government Chief Whip Mary Butler said that the motion was a "populist stunt" and accused the opposition of "permanent outrage", while Energy Minister Darragh O'Brien said that the opposition was trying to create a controversy "to capitalise on". He said that "Sinn Fein has always been about Sinn Fein". Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan called for the establishment of Oireachtas committees, saying that he needs opposition spokespersons to "hold him to account". The motion of confidence was carried by 96 to 71, with two abstentions from Aontu. Speaking after the debate, Ms Murphy said that she "bears no ill will" and that her "door is always open". Speaking to a handful of TDs who had remained in the chamber, Ms Murphy said that she had worked to "vindicate the rights of all members and administer the rules for all members of this house impartially and fairly, alongside the independent, loyal and hard-working staff of my office and this house without fear or favour". A man who sexually abused his step-daughter has been jailed for seven years. The Central Criminal Court heard the man threatened to kill the girl with a knife when she confronted him about his behaviour when she was a teenager. The 54-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect his victim's identity, was convicted following a trial earlier this year of attempted rape, sexual assault and threatening to kill or cause the child serious harm at the family home in Co Limerick on dates between 2011 and 2019. The child was aged between eight and 10 years old at the time of the attempted rape, between 14 and 15 at the time of the sexual assault and between 13 and 16 years old at the time of the threat, which followed an argument relating to his behaviour towards her. The man has no previous convictions. On Tuesday, Ms Justice Melanie Greally handed the man a sentence of eight years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. She directed the man to place himself under the supervision of the Probation Services for two years following his release and further imposed a two-year post-release supervision order. The judge told the man as part of the conditions of this post-release supervision order, he must not engage in any occupation or pastime which may bring him into contact with children, and that he is to have no contact with the victim, her mother or family. Ms Justice Greally expressed the court's appreciation of the victim's courage in coming forward to pursue her complaint. She said the victim came across as a young woman with a bright future, and the court was heartened to hear she is now on a path that will take her far from her childhood experiences. A garda told Karl Finnegan SC, prosecuting, the girl recalled the first incident happening around the time she was eight or nine. She said he attempted to rape her while they were lying on a bed but he stopped when she screamed. He told her to pull up her pants and left. She said inappropriate behaviour continued after this time, such as coming into the bathroom when she was having a shower or trying to look at her when she was changing her uniform. She said if there was no one in the house, he would expose himself to her. She said the sexual assault occurred when she was sitting on the couch wearing her pyjamas and the accused reached from behind and grabbed her breasts. The final incident occurred on a night when her mother was working late. She was in the kitchen and the accused man made a sexual gesture towards her. This irritated her and she told him she would tell her mother if he did not stop. The man said if she did, he would kill her with a knife. The victims mother got a barring order against the accused man in 2020 and after he left the house, the girl told her mother what had been happening. They went to gardai and made a statement of complaint in 2021 when she was less overwhelmed. The man was interviewed and said the victim and her mother were trying to destroy him. Victim impact statement In her victim impact statement, the woman said she had been left feeling unsafe and uncomfortable in her own home. She said he had taken advantage of a young vulnerable girl, hurt her and other family members. She said she had been full of fear and afraid to stand up for herself. She said her mind had been corrupted to think any man might hurt her in a similar way. She said she had stood in court and spoken out, doing the one thing she did not think she had the courage to do. She told the man she now had more life to live which did not include him. She said she refused to give up on herself, will continue to move on and be the bravest girl she could be. Lorcan Connolly SC, defending, asked the court to take into account his client had co-operated with the investigation and complied with all parts of the barring order since 2020. He said his client maintains his innocence. He said he has a strong work history and these events have had a profound effect on his family life. He submitted as a foreign national incarceration in an Irish prison would be hard for him. Counsel said the accused has been assessed as at low risk of re-offending and had engaged well with the probation assessment. He said he had lived a relatively uneventful life prior to the barring order and has not come to any Garda attention since. He said his client was asking for mercy on his first time before a court in his life. - If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services. Colm OCathain is well accustomed to having strangers wander into his bedroom at any time of the day. Its to be expected in a place like this, he tells me. A 'place like this' is Ballincurrig Care Centre in Leamlara, currently home for Colm. At just 47 years old, the once energetic geography and Irish teacher is now facing spending the rest of his days in a nursing home. Some of the residents have dementia, he says. At times they have ended up in my bedroom after becoming confused or disorientated." A world map and miniature glass globe on his bedside locker serve as bitter reminders of the life so cruelly robbed from Colm by an aggressive form of Parkinsons disease. Pictures of Colm with staff adorn the walls, in an attempt to provide a home away from home for him. His current existence, largely spent in his room, is a far cry from the life he imagined as a young man who adored travelling the world and working with young people. Colm tells me: If you ask 30 people here about me they will all tell you the same thing, that Im way too young and I shouldnt be here. The wheelchair user struggles during our interview as a result of violent tremors. He powers through, nonetheless, determined to express his frustrations at the lack of State support for young Parkinsons patients, many of whom he says are hidden away in nursing homes. Initially diagnosed with Parkinson's in February 2016, Colm had endeavoured to continue to live independently. However, a fall scuppered his hopes of maintaining any semblance of a normal life and he entered a nursing home in Riverstick in December 2023. He has since relocated to his current care home in the fading hope of finding a better fit for his social needs. While Colm praised the care provided by the Leamlara facility and its exceptional staff, he said that his quality of life is non-existent. A visit from his friend Jerome Maume, who is secretary of the Cork branch of Parkinsons Ireland, comes as a welcome distraction. Jerome is apologetic after realising he has forgotten the jelly babies that Colm had requested. 'Ive left everything behind': Colm OCathain sits alone in a small, sparsely decorated room in the Ballincurrig Care Centre, Leamlara, a facility where the average resident is 74, Colm struggles with isolation and a lack of age-appropriate care. Picture: Chani Anderson They laugh for a moment. Despite losing so much, Colm has managed to hold on to his sense of humour along with his sweet tooth. The laughter, however, is short lived, when I ask Colm to detail his daily life and routine. Its hell, he tells us. There is nothing for me here. You might have kids coming in to do Irish dancing or singing from time to time but this is more of the stuff suited to grandparents. On Monday and Thursday they have musicians but again, its aimed at a much older crowd. I dont listen to it. If its on Ill go to my room." "Its really hard to get signed out to go anywhere outside of the home since staff need to know where I am for medication purposes. Colm says that while he has support from staff at the centre, there is nobody he can call a friend. There wouldnt be anyone I would refer to as a friend, he admits. There are people who tell me things, yes, but would they be friends? Outside of here you would never really see a 47-year-old with a friend whos 84. They see me as support but realistically Im much younger than them. Living in a nursing home also comes at a significant cost for Colm. I still pay 1,150 for my apartment in Midleton because I have all my stuff there. My life is gone now. "I knew that when I had to sell my car after a year of it being parked in the driveway. I am selling my stuff to stay in this place, but more importantly to live. "The television is going, everything is going. Ill never need my fridge again. It costs me 3,000 a month to stay here so all of my savings are nearly gone. When theyre gone I will likely go into a public service unit and spend the rest of my life with 70- or 80-year-old men. Jerome Maume is appealing to the State and HSE for an alternative model for young people like Colm who are in need of 24-hour care. We need a system where people who require regular home help get it. Its much better to have people cared for in their own environment, in their own home, particularly young people. Colms situation is just impossible. "We need home help for the people who need it with aggressive forms of Parkinson's. We need multidisciplinary teams with not just neurologists but physiotherapists, occupational therapists and voice therapists so people with Parkinson's can help themselves and prevent their conditions worsening with facilities like neurogyms. Jerome outlined the benefits of assisted living programmes for people like Colm and other Parkinson's sufferers. At just 47, Colm OCathain, who suffers from Parkinsons disease spends most of his days watching television in his room in a nursing home designed for much older residents. With his condition progressing rapidly, Colms savings are paying for care that doesnt meet his needs. Picture: Chani Anderson Assisted living environments where people like Colm can live in communities should be prioritised. This suits younger people a lot better than putting them into an institution. People like Colm are being given the basics of life to live, but what kind of a life is that? Its horrific. Jerome and Colm were speaking ahead of A Walk in the Park for Parkinsons which takes place nationally this Saturday, April 5, to mark Parkinson's Awareness Month. Cork is among the locations on board with a walk in the park event leaving from the Sacred Heart Parish Hall and finishing in Fitzgeralds Park. The events will raise much-needed funds for Parkinson's Ireland who provide exercise classes and support groups, among other services. Donations are also ploughed into research in a bid to improve treatments globally and eventually find a cure for the disease. For more information or to register for 'A Walk in the Park' events visit parkinsons.ie. The Defence Forces have been called in to help search for missing Kerry farmer Michael Gaine. Up to 50 members from the 12th Infantry Battalion, Limerick, and the 3rd Infantry Battalion, Kilkenny, will assist in searches on open land over the coming days. Discussions about their deployment began last week, and they are due to arrive shortly to help find the missing sheep farmer. The Kenmare-based 56-year-old has been missing since he was last seen in a Centra supermarket in Kenmare on the morning of the previous Thursday. An in-store camera filmed him wearing a distinctive orange woolly hat, black fleece, blue jeans, and black boots. CCTV image issued by Garda of Michael 'Mike' Gaine buying phone credit in Centra, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, at 9.48am on Thursday, March 20. Picture: An Garda Siochana A short while later, he walked out of the car park, got into his wife Janice's nine-year-old bronze Toyota RAV4 jeep, and drove onto the Killarney Road towards Molls Gap. He is understood to have driven past the house he shared with Janice in Carhoomeengar East, three kilometres from Kenmare, before heading straight to his familys old farmhouse, less than a kilometre from Molls Gap, along the Ring of Kerry route. But he has not been seen since. The search takes place for missing farmer Michael Gaine between Carrig East and Moll's Gap, Co Kerry. Picture: Dan Linehan Of the land where the soldiers will search, a garda spokesperson said: These lands are rough, open ground and at higher altitude and the experience and discipline of trained personnel is appropriate to assist in carrying out these searches. They added: Gardai continue to appeal to the public for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Michael Gaine. Michaels family have had no contact from him and his family and An Garda Siochana are extremely concerned for his well-being. An Garda Siochana wishes to thank members of the public who have assisted in searches previously. (We are) not requesting the assistance of the general public for further searches, at this time. Members of Kerry Mountain Rescue team searching the area between Carrig East just above the farm of missing farmer Michael Gaine and Moll's Gap, Co Kerry. Picture: Dan Linehan However, they said detectives still want to speak to anybody who travelled on the N71 on Thursday, 20 March, after 9.48am and who may also have dash-cam or CCTV footage from Thursday, 20 March, and Friday, 21 March, in the Kenmare town and Molls Gap (N71/ R568) area. Friend, neighbour and fellow councillor Dan McCarthy said: "I have heard the army is on the way and this is great news. Some 200 or so volunteers initially joined the search over the first weekend after the alarm was raised the previous Friday. Helping them were units of the Irish Coast Guard, Civil Defence, the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team, and gardai. Drones with live cameras streaming video back to their operators were also used in some of the less accessible areas, sweeping back and forth to see if they could spot Mr Gaine. Members of the Garda Water Unit searched a body of water in an old disused quarry near Mr Gaines old farmhouse last Thursday. They also spent two hours going back and forth along the shore of the nearby Barfinnihy Lake but found nothing of evidential value. On Thursday, exactly a week after his disappearance, gardai renewed their appeal for information, telling reporters his family remains extremely concerned for his welfare. Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy will survive a no-confidence motion on Tuesday, but the Dail could be plunged into yet another crisis. The Dail has for the first time in its history seen a motion of no confidence tabled on the Ceann Comhairle following last week's passage of new Dail speaking time rules. The Opposition has claimed that Ms Murphy did not adhere to Dail procedures, in a manner that favoured the Government. The combined opposition parties on Wednesday formally agreed to introduce a motion of no confidence in Ms Murphy, with a one-line declaration stating that the Ceann Comhaire no longer retains the confidence of all members of Dail Eireann. The Government on Monday tabled a counter motion of confidence in Ms Murphy, which is expected to pass comfortably. The vote to introduce the Government's proposed new rules - which introduces a new Dail speaking slot for government backbenchers and independents such as Michael Lowry - passed by 94 to 74 votes and government sources stressed that they do not foresee Tuesday's vote being any different. The opposition has not clarified if they will continue to disrupt the Dail if Ms Murphy remains as Ceann Comhairle, or if they will legally challenge the way the motion to change the Dail speaking time rules was passed. In response to the motion, Ms Murphy rejected the calls for her to resign, saying she fully intends to continue to carry out the role to which she was elected in December. "I have loyally, scrupulously, and impartially adhered to my solemn undertakings made to the House, and through the House to the Irish people," Ms Murphy said. However, it is not certain that the vote will draw a line under the protracted row, with Opposition sources saying that their co-operation with the formation of Oireachtas committees "remains uncertain". Committees form an important part of the legislative work of the Dail and are divided up among parties on a proportional basis. However, some in the Opposition have voiced concerns about how this might be done in light of the regional group of independents not being considered members of the Government. "There has to be a fair system for the committees to work, otherwise relations (between the Opposition and Ceann Comhairle) might never recover," one source said. While Ms Murphy has not publicly addressed the issue, she told a class of students in her native Wexford that it was not true that she had acted on the Government's behalf. In a video posted to social media, Ms Murphy tells students: "The Opposition's premise is that I did what the Government asked me to. That is not true, couldn't be further from the truth. I didn't speak to anyone in government. I made the decision to do the business of the house which was to put a vote through. "All I did was institute the process. The Opposition didn't like it because they knew it was going to fail. I don't work for the Government." Oireachtas webcasting is provided by the Houses of the Oireachtas Service, in association with HEAnet, Ireland's National Educational and Research Network. Future income tax cuts may be delayed due to the threat of US tariffs on the Irish economy, the finance minister has said. Paschal Donohoe has warned of the adverse impacts of US tariffs, which US President Donald Trump is due to unveil on Wednesday. It is expected that 20% tariffs will be introduced on most goods imported into the United States, with Mr Trump describing Wednesday as Liberation Day. The finance minister said that tax cuts introduced by the previous coalition were still affordable, but that further tax reductions may need to be assessed in the context of Octobers budget. Minister [Jack] Chambers and I will do that together and neither of us will want to make any decision in relation to either spending or taxation that might mean the difficulties that we face in the years ahead could be more complex or go on for longer, Mr Donohoe said. Mr Donohoe did not rule out future income tax increases but said that it was more likely for the Government to bring in tax cuts at a later point or over time. But Id have to stress that we need to understand what the tariffs will be, to what degree they will be permanent and what the EU response will be. We will only begin to become clear on that tomorrow, Mr Donohoe said. Read More Trump aides weigh 20% tariffs as nervous world awaits trade war He added that capital spending would be prioritised, and that the Government would protect taxes coming into the country if there are changes in the amount of corporation tax being collected. Despite this, Mr Donohoe said that the Government is approaching the threat of US tariffs with a significant budget surplus, and this would be of great help in future decisions. Asked if the public should be prepared for a recession, Mr Donohoe said that it is difficult to identify the scenario Ireland is heading into after tariffs are announced tomorrow. There is still uncertainty regarding the scale of tariffs, whether they may be permanent, and if there will be further measures taken by the US administration, Mr Donohoe said. So all I, in truth, can say t the moment is on the basis of what President Trump has already said. I do believe it is very likely that we will experience an economic challenge in the next number of years, but on the basis of what I currently know, I believe its most likely that will lead to a lower level of economic growth, with a risk in relation to how many new jobs could be created or some lost, and that will happen over the next two to four years. Mr Donohoe said that once the tariffs are unveiled, he would be better able to indicate what the impact on Ireland will be. Did you hear the one about the misstep that cost 650m? Irelands planning and legal systems are under the spotlight in attempts to grapple the housing crisis. Last week, an example was given of how both systems have impacted on the crisis so far and not in a good way. The chair of Uisce Eireann, Jerry Grant, told a conference that the water and sewage infrastructure was in a desperate state, and would be unfit to meet the increased housing targets. He gave as an example the proposed new wastewater treatment plant in Clonshaugh, North Dublin. Permission for the plant was received in 2019, but it has been held up since. That Dublin drainage project was estimated at around 650m in 2018, he said. Today, its 1.3bn. Thats the cost of delay, but its only part of the cost of delay. The figures are staggering and the delay will inevitably have a major impact on housing completions. So what happened? How could such a vital part of infrastructure be delayed six years so far and now cost double what it was budgeted for? Could it have been down to nothing more innocuous than a simple mistake? The fate of this unloved piece of infrastructure tells loads about the operation of the State and society today when it comes to planning. The treatment plant is desperately needed as the only other major one on the east coast, in Ringsend, has reached capacity This was forecast as far back as 2007, when a strategic plan set out that another plant would be required preferably at the other end of the greater Dublin area from Ringsend. Clonshaugh was identified as the best location. A comprehensive planning application was put together by Uisce Eireann. Naturally, there were objections from locals up to 14,000 of them. Among the objectors was local TD Darragh OBrien then his partys spokesperson on housing who was excoriating the Fine Gael-led government on its failures, before ascending himself to be minister. In November 2019, An Bord Pleanala (ABP) gave the go-ahead for this vital piece of infrastructure. Local opposition hardened and a group to resist was formed. This was fronted by local woman Sabrina Joyce Kemper. At the time, she told the media that local people accepted that the sewage network was under pressure, adding that local people were willing to help Irish Water find another solution but this isnt it. There was nothing unusual in Ms Joyce Kempers position, and it was undoubtedly expressed in good faith. Darragh O'Brien was part of the 14,000 strong local group objecting to the water plant in Clonshaugh in 2019. Every time there is an objection to infrastructure or housing, there is acknowledgment that development is needed but also that it should be somewhere else. A GoFundMe campaign raised over 40,000 for a judicial review, which was taken in the High Court, under a whole range of grounds. This scattergun approach is standard fare in the legal business. The applicant need win on only one ground for a successful case. The approach also illuminates that there is no great environmental principle, or any other, at the heart of the objection. All that matters is that the thing is stopped. Among the grounds of objection in this case were: Pre-application consultation with public was flawed; The strategic assessment for greater Dublin strategic draining system was flawed; The timing of the planning application was flawed; The appointment of inspectors was flawed; The appointment of board members was flawed; An Bord Pleanalas approach to the proposal was flawed; The public consultation was flawed; The statutory consultation was flawed; The reasons given for the decision were flawed; And the issues around transposing EU directives to national law were flawed. Thats a lot of alleged flaws. In November 2020, Judge Senan Allen found that none of these objections had validity but there was a single issue in which An Bord Pleanala had erred and that was enough to grant the injunction. The board had failed to correctly identify and comply with the obligation imposed on it by Article 44 of the Waste Water Discharge (Authorisation) Regulations 2007, to seek the observations of the Environmental Protection Agency on the likely impact of the proposed development on waste water discharges. The objection had been successful. The next issue was whether the whole project should be returned to the drawing board, or whether An Bord Pleanala could simply try to rectify the specific issue identified by the judge. The objectors wanted it all sent back to square one as, they claimed, it was contaminated. Again, a number of grounds were presented to the judge to inform the case. Among the grounds of objection this time is that personnel, such as the planning inspectors and board decision makers, should not be part of the new application. This would have, in effect, sent the whole thing back to square one Judge Allen disagreed. He felt it could be remitted to the board at a point where the problem could be rectified. He also acknowledged that the successful objection was based on a mistake that was a misstep in the minefield of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Waste Water Discharge Regulations 2007, which have been the subject of numerous amendments and revisions. The application was sent back to the board at the end of 2021, with the expectation that it would be processed and most likely given the go-ahead again by the middle of 2022. Another issue was costs. Usually, costs are awarded to the successful party in this instance the local people who were objecting. Interestingly, the judge only allowed them 25% of the costs. This would have been to acknowledge that the victory was on a very narrow basis. Over three years on, there is still no result from the board. The board has gone through scandal and restructuring, and this may have fed into the delay. Another factor was that the passage of time impacted on the conditions pertaining to the original application. The board requested further information from Uisce Eireann in 2024, even though the water bodys input into the application was not questioned by the judge. So six years down the line, it has all been a very expensive 'misstep' Uisce Eireann has informed the Irish Examiner that it is currently waiting for further details from An Bord Pleanala on the timeline for its decision. Those who didnt want the plant in their vicinity were able to buy extra time at least six years. To dismiss the campaign as nimbyism would be unfair. They were entitled to object to what they obviously saw as an imposition. If their objections were dealt with in a reasonable timeframe, there wouldnt be an issue. However, the system doesnt allow for that. Instead, the planning and legal systems have ensured that most likely thousands of new houses have been delayed and 650m or so, which could have been spent further upgrading a creaking infrastructure, has been lost. It might well be asked whether all of this is the optimum way for a State to act at a time when the provision of housing, and supporting infrastructure, is in severe crisis. South Koreas Constitutional Court will rule on Friday as to whether it will formally dismiss or reinstate impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol. The court has been deliberating on Yoons political fate over his ill-fated imposition of martial law that triggered a massive political crisis. Whatever decision the court makes, it will likely deepen domestic division in South Korea. Millions of people have rallied in Seoul and elsewhere to support or denounce Yoon in the past few months. Protesters stage a rally calling for impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to step down (Ahn Young-joon/AP) Police said they will mobilise all available personnel to preserve order on Friday and respond to acts of vandalism, arson and assault. The Constitutional Court said in a statement on Tuesday that it would issue the ruling on Friday. The opposition-controlled liberal National Assembly in December voted to impeach Yoon, a conservative, leaving his political fate in the hands of the Constitutional Court. Yoon is facing a separate criminal trial after he was arrested and indicted by prosecutors in January on rebellion charges in connection with his December 3 martial law decree. The Constitutional Courts endorsement of Yoons impeachment would officially drive him out of office and prompt a national election within two months to find a new president. If the court overturns Yoons impeachment, he would immediately return to his presidential duties. At the heart of the matter is Yoons decision to send hundreds of troops and police officers to the assembly after imposing martial law. Yoon has insisted that he aimed to maintain order, but some military and police officials have said Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to frustrate a floor vote on his decree and detain his political opponents. Yoon argues that he did not intend to maintain martial law for long, and he only wanted to highlight what he called the wickedness of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which obstructed his agenda, impeached senior officials and slashed his budget bill. During his martial law announcement, he called the assembly a den of criminals and anti-state forces. Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally in Seoul (Ahn Young-joon.AP) By law, a president has the right to declare martial law in wartime or other emergencies, but the Democratic Party and its supporters say South Korea was not in such a situation. The Democratic Party-led impeachment motion accused Yoon of suppressing parliaments activities, attempting to detain politicians and others and undermining peace in violation of the constitution and other laws. Yoon has said he had no intention of disrupting National Assembly operations and detaining anyone. Yoons martial law lasted only six hours because lawmakers managed to enter the assembly and vote to strike down his decree unanimously. No violence erupted, but live TV footage showing armed soldiers arriving at the assembly invoked painful memories of past military-backed dictatorships. It was the first time South Korea had been placed under martial law since 1980. We Are China Shibing county in SW China's Guizhou hosts traditional games People's Daily Online) 13:59, April 01, 2025 Participants compete in a grain-carrying relay race using shoulder poles in Shibing county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Mo Guibin) Maxi township in Shibing county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, hosted a series of traditional games on March 22, 2025. The event featured a variety of fun activities, including tug-of-war, fish-catching in rice paddies, and a grain-carrying relay race with shoulder poles. Both tourists and locals participated, adding to the event's lively atmosphere. Participants engage in a tug-of-war game in a rice paddy in Shibing county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Mo Guibin) Participants engage in a game in Shibing county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Mo Guibin) A woman poses for photos in a rapeseed flower field in Shibing county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Mo Guibin) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) A criminal court in Cyprus has dropped all charges against five Israelis accused of gang-raping a British woman in a hotel room after ruling her testimony as not credible and replete with fundamental contradictions. According to a Cyprus News Agency report issued late on Monday that cited a criminal court announcement, the court found during closed-doors proceedings that most of the contradictions in the womans testimony concerned the identification of the perpetrators. The court said the womans initial statement to investigators following the September 3 2023 alleged rape presented a number of weaknesses, which under the circumstances were not out of the ordinary. But investigators doubts regarding the womans credibility grew when she offered entirely incomprehensible and inconsistent explanations regarding the contradictions in her testimony, specifically regarding the identification of the perpetrators which also included a line-up. The court said the woman was under the influence of a significant amount of alcohol and the hallucinogens MDA and MDMA. popularly known as Sally and Molly. But it found the quantities in her system were not enough to remove her ability for consent since she testified that she only felt a little dizzy after consuming the alcohol and drugs. All five of the Israeli men: then aged 19 and 20; had pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Police had said the British woman picked the five Israelis out of a line-up as having raped her during a hotel pool party in the coastal resort town of Ayia Napa. The woman told police that one of the five men had forcibly taken her to his room after grabbing her hand while she was partying with friends around the pool. She said the man tried to remove her bathing suit while she pleaded with him to let her leave. The other suspects then entered the room and one had intercourse with her against her will and another forced her to perform oral sex, while two others held her down on the bed, she said. She said one suspect also held her against a wall and had intercourse with her. She said she managed to lock herself in the bathroom and began shouting for help. She was able to flee the room by pushing the suspects aside and rejoined her friends, who went with her to report the incident to police, she said. The ruling came after the European Court of Human Rights ruled last month that Cyprus law enforcement authorities failed to live up to their obligation to thoroughly and effectively investigate a British teenagers claims that she had been gang-raped by a group of Israelis while on a 2019 vacation in Ayia Napa. The death toll from the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar has surpassed 2,700, with thousands more injured, Myanmar media reported on Tuesday. The head of Myanmars military government, senior general Min Aung Hlaing, told a forum in the capital, Naypyitaw, that 2,719 people have now been found dead, with 4,521 others injured and 441 missing, the Western News online portal reported. With many areas hit by Fridays earthquake still not reached by rescue crews, those numbers are still expected to rise. The earthquakes epicentre was near the countrys second-largest city, Mandalay. A man walks through a damaged building following Fridays earthquake in Naypyitaw (AP Photo) Most of the reports of casualties so far have come from Mandalay and the capital, Naypyitaw. The needs are massive, and they are rising by the hour, said Julia Rees, Unicefs deputy representative for Myanmar. The window for lifesaving response is closing. Across the affected areas, families are facing acute shortages of clean water, food, and medical supplies. Myanmars fire department said that 403 people have been rescued in Mandalay and 259 bodies have been found so far. In one incident alone, 50 Buddhist monks who were taking a religious exam in a monastery were killed when the building collapsed and 150 more are thought to be buried in the rubble. The World Health Organisation said that more than 10,000 buildings overall are known to have collapsed or been severely damaged in central and northwest Myanmar. The earthquake also rocked neighbouring Thailand, causing a high-rise building under construction to collapse and burying many workers. Two bodies were pulled from the rubble on Monday but dozens were still missing. Overall, there were 20 people killed and 34 injured in Bangkok, primarily at the construction site. Foreign aid workers have been arriving slowly to help in the rescue efforts, but progress was still slow with a lack of heavy machinery in many places. Tuesday, Apr 1st, 2025 (5:39 pm) - Score 440 Rural UK ISP Wildanet, which is building a gigabit speed full fibre broadband (FTTP) network across rural parts of Cornwall and Devon in England, has today celebrated the graduation of their first cohort of five apprentices (telecommunication engineers etc.) from their new training academy. The Wildanet Technical Training Academy was first setup in 2023 and is naturally intended to support the operators own full fibre deployments. An initial group of five apprentices took part in the companys brand-new Telecoms Field Operative Level 2 apprenticeship programme, developed in partnership with Truro and Penwith College, with others studying for a range of management, logistics and finance-based courses. The success of the first cohort is said to be just the beginning for Wildanets Academy, which has already had an overwhelming response to future programmes, including 76 new applicants eager to secure a place on its next engineering apprenticeship. But the news does follow shortly after the provider revealed (here) that its restructuring was expected to result in a loss of up to 35 jobs (roughly 18% of the workforce). Advertisement The company is also now looking at how it can extend its training offer, supporting not only its own workforce but also the wider supply chain and local communities as it follows through on its commitment to support digital inclusion and the skills needed for Cornwalls workforce of the future. Family and friends were invited to join apprentices for the gathering hosted by Wildanet CEO, Helen Wylde-Archibald, as well as Chief People Officer, Julie-anne Sunderland, Academy Head, Ian Carmichael and guest of honour, Anna Gelderd, the MP for South East Cornwall. Wildanets Chief People Officer, Julie-anne Sunderland, said: Today is the culmination of what started out as a dream and became an incredible journey thanks to the support of the company, the hard work of everyone who made the Academy a reality and the dedication of the apprentices themselves. Seeing our first apprentices graduate, with many passing with distinctions and even being recognised for awards, is recognition of their hard work, the quality of training at our Academy and the success of the apprenticeship programme. It has been fantastic to see individuals come into our business and embrace and learn and immediately start to add value. Watching this blend of knowledge, ages and backgrounds come together has really inspired us to keep doing this into the future. We are not only upskilling our workforce but also supporting Cornwalls wider economic growth. The operator was last year estimated to have so far covered around 30,000 premises (Ready for Service) with their newest Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network, which stems from a mix of both commercial and publicly funded builds. In terms of the latter, Wildanet has secured several contracts since 2023 worth 77m (state aid) to deploy their fibre to over 37,000 premises across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly under the UK governments Project Gigabit scheme (here and here) NOTE: Wildanet is supported by an investment of 100m from Gresham House and 35m from the National Wealth Fund (formerly UKIB). The company was previously home to 220 staff (double what they had 18-months ago), but that is due to shrink. Tuesday, Apr 1st, 2025 (10:17 am) - Score 4,840 Mobile operators including EE (BT), Vodafone, Three UK and O2 (Virgin Media) yesterday attempted to dismiss a class action claim worth at least 3.285bn. The case, brought by consumer rights champion Justin Gutmann and law firm Charles Lyndon, accuses the operators of overcharging for mobile handsets beyond the end of their contractual term. As most people know, mobile operators tend to offer a choice of either SIM Only (airtime) plans or plans that bundle those in with a handset (e.g. Smartphone). However, the legal case itself centred around bundles, which tend to cost more because youre also spreading the cost of the handset across the contract term. The problem comes when some operators maintain the same monthly charge, even after your contract ends (i.e. you effectively keep paying for the handset, which has already been paid off). NOTE: Back in 2018 Back in 2018 Ofcom estimated that c.1.4 million UK consumers were out of their contract and still paying instalments towards a handset that had already been paid off ( here ). At this point, a wise consumer would of course just switch to a SIM-Only option on a different operator or re-contract to a new plan, but not everybody does that (some people just forget or dont realise). Ofcom has since put pressure on the mobile operators to mend their ways and in recent years there have been some improvements (with mixed success), but the aforementioned class action claim is more concerned with historic overcharging. Advertisement At the end of 2023 Justin Gutmann, a former Head of Research and Insight at the UKs statutory consumer champion, Citizens Advice, launched class action proceedings (here) against the UKs four primary mobile operators (Loyalty Penalty Claim). The case alleged that the operators had been abusing their dominant positions by charging a loyalty penalty, in which long-standing customers were overcharged for handsets beyond the end of their contractual term. The case claims that operators have overcharged on up to 28.2 million contracts and, as a result, will be seeking damages of at least 3.285 billion. If successful, someone who held a contract with just one of the mobile operators could receive as much as 1,823. Many consumers are expected to have claims against more than one mobile operator and so could, hypothetically, receive even more compensation. NOTE: The class actions have been filed in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) in London. This is an opt-out claim, which means qualifying consumers will be automatically included on the claim at no cost, unless they specifically opt-out. The estimated loss across all mobile network operators since 2007 has been estimated below, all figures are said to include simple interest. If distributed evenly, contract holders from the mobile network operators listed below are estimated to receive the following amounts: Customer Compensation Assumptions Vodafone up to 1,823 EE (BT Group Plc) up to 1,101 Three UK (Hutchinson 3G UK Limited) up to 1,817 O2 (Telefonica UK Limited) up to 1,178 The relevant (linked) cases against each operator are listed below. Advertisement Case Links by Operator 1627/7/7/23 Mr Justin Gutmann v Telefonica UK Limited 1626/7/7/23 Mr Justin Gutmann v Hutchison 3G UK Limited 1625/7/7/23 Mr Justin Gutmann v EE Limited and BT Group PLC 1624/7/7/23 Mr Justin Gutmann v Vodafone Limited and Vodafone Group PLC The first certification stage of this case occurred yesterday with an initial hearing (CPO Application and Limitation) and the mobile operators promptly attempted to have it thrown out. The operators argued that the lawsuit is fundamentally flawed, not least because they say it alleges anti-competitive behaviour in an industry renowned for its competitiveness and because large parts of the case (dating back to 2007) were brought too late. In addition, the operators argued that it was extraordinarily difficult for them to identify eligible class members. All of the aforementioned points do have some merit to them, although its not yet clear how the judge will respond. But even if the case isnt thrown out before it reaches a full trial, then its possible that arguments like these may yet succeed in placing some additional restrains on the case or its scope. Big legal cases like these often have to grapple with various complex issues, such as with respect to how the law approaches consumer choice, package / brand value and ignorance of contract details. At the same time mobile operators also have the freedom to set retail pricing however they so choose, albeit often restricted by the realities of natural competition (i.e. making your service too expensive can be counter-productive). At this point its worth highlighting how the separate Collective Action on Land Lines (CALL) campaign recently tried and failed to argue a different class action case against BT (here), which related to the alleged overcharging of several million landline-only phone customers. But the court ultimately dismissed the case and found that BTs prices were not unfair, and therefore there was no abuse of dominant position. Advertisement However, Gutmanns case against the mobile operators argues something quite different from CALLs case, which leaves open the door for a potentially very different outcome. 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. UN officials have reported the recovery of the bodies of eight Red Crescent medics, six civil defense members, and one UN employee who were shot by Israeli forces over a week ago. These bodies were discovered in a grave in the sand located in the south of the Gaza Strip. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), stated on the social media platform X that the bodies were discarded in shallow graves a profound violation of human dignity. In a statement late last night, the International Committee of the Red Cross expressed its appall at the deaths. Their bodies were identified today and have been recovered for dignified burial. These staff and volunteers were risking their own lives to provide support to others, the statement said. No immediate comments were made regarding the specifics of the site where the bodies were uncovered. #Gaza: it is devastating to confirm the deaths of two additional @UNRWA colleagues alongside 8 Palestinian Red Crescent aid workers & first responders. This raises the death toll of aid workers killed to 408, including over 280 UNRWA staff members since the onset of the war 1.5 years ago. The body Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) March 31, 2025 The group had been missing since March 23, following Israels resumption of an all-out offensive against Hamas earlier this month. The Palestine Red Crescent reported that they also recovered the bodies of six civil defense members and a UN employee from the same vicinity. We need your consent to load this rte-player content. We use rte-player to manage extra content that may set cookies on your device and gather data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences It was reported that Israeli forces specifically targeted these workers. The Israeli military stated that an inquiry found that on March 23, troops opened fire on a group of vehicles that included ambulances and fire trucks as they approached a position without prior coordination and without headlights or emergency signals. The military claimed several militants belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad were killed. At least 1,060 healthcare workers have been killed in the 18 months since Israel began its offensive in Gaza. Jonathan Whittall, the Gaza head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, described the location where the bodies were found as a mass grave, mentioning it was marked by the emergency light from a crushed ambulance. His remarks on X were accompanied by images of Red Crescent teams excavating in the sand for the bodies beside a mangled fire truck and a UN vehicle. Mr. Lazzarini noted that the deaths have brought the total number of aid workers killed since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to 408. This incident marks the deadliest attack on Red Cross or Red Crescent workers globally since 2017, according to the IFRC. I am heartbroken. These dedicated ambulance workers were responding to wounded individuals. They were humanitarians, said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain. They wore emblems that should have protected them; their ambulances were clearly marked, he added. The United Nations reported that at least 1,060 healthcare workers have lost their lives in the 18 months since Israel initiated its offensive in Gaza following Hamas fighters storming of southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Due to safety concerns, the UN is reducing its international staff in Gaza by a third. Remains of Three Missing U.S. Soldiers Discovered in Lithuania According to the US Army, three out of the four soldiers from the United States who went missing in Lithuania last week were found deceased after rescuers retrieved the soldiers armored vehicle from a swamp. Authorities in Lithuania received a report last Tuesday indicating that the soldiers had gone missing during a military exercise at a training ground located in the eastern city of Pabrade, close to the Belarus border. Search and rescue teams utilized heavy machinery and excavators to clear the silt from the water body where the vehicle had been discovered, eventually towing it out of the swamp early yesterday morning. Three US Army Soldiers assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division were found deceased in Lithuania today, March 31, stated the public affairs office of US Army Europe and Africa. In the United States, President Donald Trump confirmed the fatalities of three soldiers and one missing individual, describing the incident involving the armored vehicle. It was a very heavy truck, he remarked to reporters in the Oval Office, but I mean really heavy, able to lift the heaviest equipment. It appears that the bank of a lake collapsed. You know, the weight is immense. The incident occurred at night in very cold conditions. There was a lot of ice, and it likely slipped due to the enormous weight, Mr. Trump added. The identities of the soldiers are being withheld pending notification of their next of kin, as per the Armys statement. Our hearts are heavy with sorrow that resonates throughout the entire Marne Division, both forward and back home, expressed the divisions commanding general, Christopher Norrie. However, the search will not conclude until everyone is accounted for, he stated. Words cannot adequately convey our appreciation to those who continue working tirelessly during these extensive search and recovery efforts, showing unwavering commitment until all are found, he remarked. Hundreds of local and foreign troops, along with engineers and divers, participated in the rescue operation aimed at recovering the M88 Hercules armored vehicle. Lithuania, a member of both NATO and the EU, hosts more than 1,000 American troops stationed on a rotational basis. Three Dead and Seven Injured in Israeli Airstrike on Beirut According to the Lebanese health ministry, at least three individuals lost their lives and seven others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on Beiruts southern suburbs early this morning, further straining the tenuous four-month ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. This assault occurred just days after a prior strike by Israel on the same southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold for Hezbollah known as the Dahiyeh. Hezbollah has yet to release a statement regarding the specific target of the strike. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the most recent Israeli airstrike, labeling it a dangerous warning that reflects intentional aggression toward Lebanon. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also criticized the Israeli strike, asserting that it constitutes a blatant violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement. He mentioned that he has been closely monitoring the aftermath of the airstrike in collaboration with the defense and interior ministers. Rescue workers arrived at the scene in ambulances to assist at the site of the damaged building. According to a Reuters reporter on location, the strike appeared to have affected the upper three floors of a building in Beiruts southern suburbs, with those floors balconies completely blown out. The glass on the lower floors remained intact, suggesting it was a focused strike. Ambulances were present to help evacuate casualties. No evacuation warning had been issued prior to the strike, leading families to flee to other parts of Beirut in its aftermath, as per witness accounts. The ceasefire agreement reached last November ended a year of conflict and required that southern Lebanon be devoid of Hezbollah fighters and weapons, that Lebanese troops be deployed in the area, and that Israeli ground troops withdraw from the territory. However, both sides accuse one another of failing to fully adhere to these stipulations. The truce, brokered by the US, has appeared increasingly fragile in recent times. Israel postponed a promised troop withdrawal in January and claimed to have intercepted rockets fired from Lebanon in March, which prompted its bombardment of targets in Beiruts southern suburbs and southern Lebanon. Hezbollah, aligned with Iran, has denied any involvement in the rocket launches. Today, the US State Department stated that Israel was acting in self-defense against rocket attacks originating from Lebanon, attributing the resumption of hostilities to terrorists. Hostilities have resumed because terrorists launched rockets into Israel from Lebanon, a spokesperson from the US State Department said in an email, emphasizing that Washington supports Israels military response. The ongoing Israeli-Lebanese conflict, which has resulted in thousands of fatalities, was reignited by the Gaza war in 2023 when Hezbollah commenced firing rockets at Israeli military positions in support of its ally, Hamas. The Gaza war, which Palestinian health authorities claim has resulted in over 50,000 deaths, was initiated when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 individuals and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. 04/01/2025 Jacksonville State University has announced the promotion of Kelly Martin to Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment. A proud Jax State alumna, Martin has dedicated her career to student enrollment, recruitment, and outreach, bringing a wealth of experience to her new role. Martin most recently served as Director of Enrollment Initiatives in the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, where she played a pivotal role in recruitment strategies for post-traditional/adult and transfer students, as well as bilingual parent and family outreach. She began her career at Jax State as an admissions counselor, guiding prospective students through the enrollment process. Jessica Wiggins, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, said Martins expertise and passion for Jax State made her the perfect choice to lead the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Kellys expertise and experience in enrollment and recruitment, coupled with her passion for serving students and affinity for Jax State, made her the ideal candidate for this position. We are thrilled to have Kelly as our new Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment, Wiggins said. A 2015 graduate of Jax State with a BA in Spanish, Martin later earned her MA in Spanish from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2019. Her connection to the university runs deepduring her undergraduate years, she worked as a student worker in the Admissions Office and served as a JSU Ambassador, gaining firsthand experience in student engagement and university admissions. Martin expressed her excitement about stepping into this leadership role and continuing the work she is passionate about. I am incredibly excited to serve in this role and to work with such a high-performing team in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, she said. As a proud alumna of Jacksonville State, I look forward to helping students choose Jax State for their higher education journey. Now leading the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Martin is eager to build on the universitys recruitment efforts and help prospective students feel confident and excited about choosing Jax State as the place to pursue their degree. ( Middle East Monitor ) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Sunday expressed outrage after eight paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), five first responders from the Gaza Civil Defense, and a UN staff member were killed while performing emergency duties in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Earlier, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that it retrieved the bodies of 14 people in Rafah following an Israeli strike about a week ago, including eight of its medics, five civil defense workers, and a UN agency employee. We are deeply saddened and mourn alongside their families, loved ones, and colleagues, the ICRC statement said. These staff and volunteers were risking their own lives to provide support to others, it added. Rescuing Rescuers, Digital, Dream / Dreamland v3 / ChatGPT, 2025 The medics were targeted on 23 March as they headed to provide first aid to wounded individuals from Israeli shelling in the Al-Hashashin area. The Palestinian Red Crescent said the targeting is a premeditated crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, which mandates that Israeli forces respect and facilitate medical teams work without threatening their lives. The organization renewed its call for the international community to fulfill its legal duties and take concrete steps to halt Israels grave violations against medical teams and Palestinian civilians, stressing the need to hold Israel accountable. Al Jazeera English: Palestine Red Crescent says 15 bodies found in search for missing Gaza crew The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on 18 March, killing over 920 people, injuring more than 2,000 others, and shattering the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. More than 50,200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 114,000 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. Via Middle East Monitor Professor Kafadar was appointed CMES director for a three-year term starting 1 July 2022; because he was on leave for the 2024-2025 academic year, he was expected to resume his duties on 1 July 2025 for his third and final year as CMES director. As director, Professor Kafadar worked with CMES-affiliated faculty to organize and co-sponsor geographically and thematically diverse public programming, including the spring 2025 speaker series titled Reframing Conflict: Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, and Syria in Context. CMES launched this series on 19 February 2025 with an event titled An Ongoing Threat: Israels War on Lebanon, Past and Present. On 10 March 2025 Interim Social Sciences Dean David Cutler requested a Zoom meeting with Professor Kafadar; the meeting took place on 13 March 2025. Professor Kafadar met with Dean Cutler for a second time on 24 March 2025. At these meetings Dean Cutler told Professor Kafadar that Harvard affiliates had complained about the alleged lack of balance and presentation of multiple viewpoints in the 19 February 2025 event on Lebanon. As we understand it, the individuals who complained about this event did not actually attend it. Professor Kafadar explained to Dean Cutler that, as CMES director, he did not interfere with programming decisions made by the faculty members who oversaw the various speaker series sponsored by the center. We note that, in recent years, no Harvard administration official had contacted center leadership to express concerns about its programming. VANCOUVER, BC, April 1, 2025 /CNW/ - Outcrop Silver & Gold Corporation (TSXV: OCG) (OTCQX: OCGSF) (DE: MRG) ("Outcrop Silver") is pleased to announce the results from drill hole DH451 in the recently announced Los Mangos discovery at its 100% owned Santa Ana high-grade silver project in Colombia. Hole DH451 intercepted 7.18 metres at 358 g/t AgEq, including a high-grade portion of 3.40 metres at 671 g/t AgEq, marking one of the area's most significant intercepts to date. Additionally, at 110 metres depth the hole intersected 0.53 meters at 617 g/t AgEq at the Mangos fault, showcasing the potential of fault-related structures within the vein system to host high-grade mineralization. This vein intercept, located approximately 200 meters below the surface, confirms the vein system's vertical continuity and robustness (Figure 2). Outcrop Silver is continuing to drill this promising target. Drilling Highlights Hole DH451 intercepted 7.18 metres grading 358 grams per tonne of silver equivalent, including 3.40 metres of 671 grams per tonne of silver equivalent (Table 1). Hole DH451 also intercepted 0.53 metres grading 617 grams per tonne of silver equivalent at the Mangos fault-vein (Table 1). Showing the potential of this structure to carry high-grade mineralization. The vein intercept at Los Mangos shows the robustness of this vein system and confirms the presence of high-grade mineralization at 200 metres depth (Figure 2) below the historic mine workings. "We are incredibly encouraged by the potential of this region and are more confident than ever that continued drilling may reveal additional high-grade zones across this extensive corridor," comments Guillermo Hernandez, Vice President of Exploration. "The results from hole DH451 are a breakthrough for our exploration in the central region of the Santa Ana project. Intersecting 7.18 meters at 358 grams per tonne silver equivalent, including 3.40 meters at 671 grams, is an extraordinary outcome confirming the scale and the strength of the Los Mangos vein system. Hitting this kind of mineralization over 8 kilometers from the nearest resource area is exciting and opens a new frontier for discovery." Los Mangos vein is a high-grade silver-gold system located in the southwestern portion of the Santa Ana project, approximately 8 kilometres south of the closest defined resource area. This newly drilled area marks one of the most significant step-outs within the project to date. The vein currently has a verified strike length of over 350 metres (Figure 1), with strong potential for further expansion along strike and at depth (Figure 2). Structurally, the vein is oriented between NE40 and NE60, dipping from 60 to 80SE, with localized segments showing northwest-dipping structures. The main mineralized zone varies between 0.30 and 1.20 metres in width, though recent drilling has confirmed much broader intercepts, such as 7.18 meters at 358 g/t AgEq, including 3.40 meters at 671 g/t AgEq in hole DH451, and 2.36 meters at 404 g/t AgEq in hole DH442 (refer to News Release dated March 12, 2025). The vein is hosted in green schists and intrusive dikes of granodioritic to dioritic composition, with strong argillic and sericitic alteration in the surrounding wall rock, particularly around the historical El 20 underground workings (Figure 3). Mineralization is associated with quartz veins, breccias, and fault-related structures. With consistent high-grade results, wide mineralized zones, and confirmation of vertical continuity up to 200 meters below surface (Figure 2), Los Mangos stands out as a priority target for future resource expansion and further exploration within the Santa Ana project. Target Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval* (m) Au g/t Ag g/t AgEq1 g/t Vein Los Mangos DH451 110.73 111.26 0.53 0.05 614 617 Mangos Fault DH451 216.90 224.08 7.18 4.09 51 358 Los Mangos Including 218.05 221.45 3.40 7.68 94 671 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. 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 March 12, 2025 17528 501846.0 556532.2 875.00 Dump Grab 8.04 301 905 March 12, 2025 17531 501847.0 556533.2 875.00 Dump Grab 7.15 81 618 March 12, 2025 17532 501844.0 556530.2 875.00 Dump Grab 0.56 3,019 3,061 March 12, 2025 17687 501659.0 556484.0 1028.00 Chip 3.73 907 1,187 March 12, 2025 17688 501660.0 556474.0 1035.00 Chip 3.04 344 572 March 12, 2025 17765 501754.0 556392.0 987.00 Dump Grab 12.57 215 1,159 March 12, 2025 17766 501742.0 556411.0 974.00 Chip 6.22 122 589 March 12, 2025 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 (see News Releases dated August 23, 2023, and March 12, 2025). *By their nature, grab samples are selective samples and the assay results may not necessarily represent true underlying mineralization. Up to date, fourteen holes have been drilled in the Los Mangos target, totaling 2,608 metres, with five holes reported with Significant Results (grades > 200 g/t AgEq) and an average length of 1.69 metres (not estimated true width). The majority of drill holes (12) have intercepted the Los Mangos and Mangos SE veins; however, holes DH434 and DH449 encountered a void or what has been interpreted as backfill in historic workings. 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). Channel samples were taken perpendicular to the vein and therefore length samples is close to vein width 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 DH447 SALM25DH447 501766.685 556378.891 998.44 120.09 325 -51 DH449 SALM25DH449 501797.565 556358.288 989.73 163.98 325 -58 DH451 SALM25DH451 501796.972 556357.896 989.75 250.24 302 -65 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. - April 1, 2025) - DARK STAR MINERALS INC. (CSE: BATT) (FSE: P0W) (the "Company" or "Dark Star") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent dated March 31, 2025 ("LOI") with two arms length vendors (together, the "Vendors") to acquire a 100% interest in the Bleasdell Lake uranium project (the "Bleasdell Project" or "Project") consisting of over 515 Hectares in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada (the "Acquisition"). The Project has had significant historic exploration and development including a historic deposit consisting of 620,700 lbs of U 3 O 8 delineated by over 148 drill holes drilled to various depths between 22.9 meters (75 feet) and 149.4 meters (490 feet) for a total of 3,738.6 meters (12,265.9 feet) with a historical report outlining the main 'Horn zone' as "1,030 feet long and 25-30 feet wide" with assays up to .54% U 3 O 8 . The 1957 Bleasdell Lake historic resource was disclosed in a shareholder report for Columbia Metals Exploration Co. Ltd., dated Nov. 9, 1957. There is no technical report. The historic resource is relevant to the potential of the Bleasdell Lake property and is reliable as it was calculated to the standards of the day. The estimate was based on closely spaced shallow drill holes and more widely spaced deeper drill holes. The calculations, methods or parameters were not disclosed in the shareholder report. The resource would be comparable with a current inferred resource. There are no more recent estimates though subsequent geologists visited the property in the 1960s and 1970s, confirming the showings and the drilling was completed. The company will need to twin a significant number of the historic drill holes to upgrade or verify the historical estimate as current mineral resources. Drill Permits are pending for 4,000 meters (13,123.4 feet) of resource confirmation and expansion drilling. (See Figure 1). "We are excited at the opportunity to acquire the Bleasdell Project along with its hosted historical expandable deposit consisting of 620,700 lbs U 3 O 8 ," said Marc Branson, President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Dark Star. "Saskatchewan is known to host some of the highest-grade Uranium deposits in the world and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to add this extensively drilled prospect with drill permit applications in place to both confirm and expand upon the work done by previous explorers and developers. We now have a prospective 28,000 Hectare position in the Central Mineral Belt (CMB), contiguous to major deposits owned by peers Atha and Paladin, where we have just commenced our 2025 exploration and development season. Now, Dark Star is executing on the proposed acquisition of this prospective historical deposit in Northern Saskatchewan. The board of Dark Star has provided me a clear mandate to explore, develop and acquire in preparation for looming shortfalls in the need for uranium supply as the world gears up for the expansion and deployment of proposed nuclear power plants and small modular reactors, happening on a global scale." Figure 1. Bleasdell Project Historical Deposit and Drilling Map About Bleasdell Lake Uranium Project (Historical Deposit) The Bleasdell Project hosts a 1957 historic resource of 620,700 pounds of U 3 O 8 (triuranium octoxide), identified within the Horn and Jackpine zones. This historic estimate was originally reported in a shareholder report for Columbia Metals Exploration Co. Ltd. dated November 9, 1957 (the "1957 Report"). The estimate, which was calculated using the standards of the time, is based on data from closely spaced shallow drill holes and more widely spaced deeper drill holes. While the historic resource is considered relevant to the potential of the Bleasdell Project, there is no technical report, and the calculations, methods, or parameters used were not disclosed in the 1957 Report. Consequently, a Qualified Person, as such term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has not completed sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. The 1957 Report states a total of 148 drill holes were drilled between 1956-1957 for a total of 3,738.6 meters (12,265.9 feet) with drilling depths of between 22.9 meters (75 feet) and 149.4 meters (490 feet) with drilling ongoing at the time of publication. The 1957 Report goes on to state "The BLEASDELL prospect is well positioned for economic development." Figure 2. Excerpt from 1957 Report Follow-up exploration is intended to focus on the historically drilled Horn and Jackpine zones, which are recognized for uranium-bearing pegmatite dykes. Historic trenching results included 91 meters averaging 0.12% U 3 O 8 over 2.56 meters and 33.5 meters averaging 0.62% U 3 O 8 over 1.21 meters. Moreover, three additional zones on the property have been identified by previous modern-day explorers as opportunities for deposit expansion. The Company acknowledges that to upgrade or verify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource, significant twinning of the historic drill holes will be necessary. As such, Darkstar is not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource at this time. The Letter of Intent The Company has agreed to acquire a 100% interest in the Project subject to making the following: a cash payment of $25,000 from Dark Star to the Vendors within five (5) days of the execution of the LOI; a cash payment of $75,000 from Dark Star to the Vendors within fifteen (15) days of receipt by Dark Star of approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") with respect to the Acquisition ("CSE Approval"); a cash payment of $150,000 from Dark Star to the Vendors within six (6) months of the entry into of a definitive agreement with respect to the Acquisition; the issuance of 5,000,000 common shares (each, a "Share") of Dark Star at a deemed price per Share equal to the greater of: (i) $0.06 per Share; and (ii) the lowest permitted price per Share pursuant to the policies of the CSE, to the Vendors on a pro rata basis within fifteen (15) days of receipt by Dark Star of CSE Approval; and the granting a 2.0% net smelter return royalty on the Project in favour of the Vendors (the"Royalty"); The terms of the Royalty will be governed by a net smelter return royalty agreement (the "Royalty Agreement") to be entered into among Dark Star and the Vendors at closing of the Acquisition (the "Closing"). The Royalty Agreement will include a 1.0% buy-back right in favour of Dark Star (the "Buy-Back Right") which can be exercised by the Company at any point prior to commercial production from the Project upon the cash payment by Dark Star to the Vendors of $1,000,000. Qualified Person Jeremy Hanson, P. Geo., a Qualified Person as that term is defined under NI 43-101, is an advisor to the Company and has reviewed and approved the technical aspects of this news release. About Dark Star Minerals Inc. Dark Star Minerals Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of critical mineral resources, specifically the rare earth complex. ForwardLooking Statements: This news release contains forwardlooking statements and forwardlooking information (collectively, "forwardlooking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian legislation. Forwardlooking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. All statements in this news release that are not purely historical are forwardlooking statements and include statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations and orientations regarding the future, including but not limited to, the receipt by the Dark Star of CSE Approval. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable and reflect expectations of future developments and other factors which management believes to be reasonable and relevant, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In making the forwardlooking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that market fundamentals will support the viability of uranium exploration, the availability of the financing required for the Company to carry out its planned future activities, and the availability of and the ability to retain and attract qualified personnel. Other factors may also adversely affect the future results or performance of the Company, including general economic, market or business conditions, future prices of minerals, changes in the financial markets and in the demand for minerals, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting the mineral exploration industry, as well as the risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and in other filings made by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's SEDAR+ profile. Ongoing labour shortages, inflationary pressures, rising interest rates, the global financial climate and the conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine and surrounding regions are some additional factors that are affecting current economic conditions and increasing economic uncertainty, which may impact the Company's operating performance, financial position, and future prospects. Collectively, the potential impacts of this economic environment pose risks that are currently indescribable and immeasurable. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forwardlooking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are cautioned that forwardlooking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly, are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forwardlooking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forwardlooking information whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the 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. Coincidental copper-silver-molybdenum soil, rock grab, magnetics and 3D induced polarization anomaly form the basis of the high priority drill targets VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / ZEUS NORTH AMERICA MINING CORP. (CSE:ZEUS) (OTCQB:ZUUZF) (FRANKFURT:O92) (THE "COMPANY" OR "ZEUS") is pleased to announce high-priority drill targets at Cuddy Mountain (the "Project" or "Cuddy Mountain") in Idaho. Cuddy Mountain is located approximately 3 kilometres ("km") to the northeast of Hercules Metals Corp.'s high-grade "Hercules" copper-moly-silver Leviathan porphyry discovery announced in October 2023. Highlights of the High-Priority Drill Targets at Cuddy Mountain Zeus is permitting 5 spatially separate drill pads at Cuddy Mountain. The drill pads are designed to test the strongest portion of the coincidental anomalies. The results highlight the potential for both skarn and porphyry copper mineralization across the mapped prospective Seven Devils Volcanics. More specifically the coincidental anomalies consist of: Broad, continuous zones of moderate to strong chargeability, (>20ms up to 60ms) trending NE-SW, indicative of extensive sulphide mineralization potential. The top of the chargeability anomaly is approximately 100-150 metres depth from the planned drill collars; Magnetic highs which could indicate potassic core of a porphyry system or adjacent magnetic lows reflecting alteration halos; Magnetic highs occurring adjacent to and beneath the chargeability feature highlight a prominent interface along the Columbia River Flood Basalts paralleling with the chargeable body. Integration of these overlapping geophysical signatures helps outline the compelling exploration target for skarn and/or porphyry copper mineralization within the Cuddy Mountain Property; Coincidental rock grab samples: 35 samples contain 0.1 percent ("%") copper ("Cu") or more; 16 samples contain greater than 1.1 % Cu, up to and including 3.8% Cu ; 29 samples contain 10 grams per tonne silver ("g/t Ag") or more; 9 samples contain more than 129 g/t Ag, with values up to and including 307 g/t Ag ; 26 samples contain 10 g/t molybdenum ("Mo") or more; 5 samples contain more than 40 g/t Mo, with values up to and including 182 g/t Mo (with 0.37g/t Au). Soils delineate a broad 3 kilometer ("km") by 3 km copper Cu and molybdenum Mo in soil circular anomaly underlain by the Seven Devils Volcanics (~741 acres): The newly identified copper-molybdenum soil anomaly contains individual soil samples up to 0.38% copper and 28.5 parts per million ("ppm") molybdenum (31 samples contain 212 ppm Cu or more; 5 samples contain percent level copper up to and including 0.38% Cu; 116 samples contain 2 ppm Mo or more; 6 samples contain more than 10 ppm Mo, with values up to and including 28.5 ppm Mo). Dean Besserer, President and CEO, stated, "This coincidental set of anomalies in conjunction with the March, 2025 Executive Order to accelerate critical mineral production, including copper, in the USA, make Cuddy mountain more compelling than ever. These anomalies form the basis of our high-priority drill targets and/or drill pads which have similarities to the neighboring Leviathan porphyry discovery". About the Cuddy Mountain Copper Property (Idaho, USA) The Cuddy Mountain Property is adjacent to Hercules Metals Corp.'s recently discovered Leviathan Copper Porphyry (Cnd$167Million Market Capitalization).* The discovery resulted in Barrick injecting Cnd$23Million in equity while staking a substantial land position in the district along with Rio Tinto. The Cuddy Mountain Property consists of 101 lode mining claims respectively and cover a cumulative area of approximately 2020 acres. Historical Drilling at Cuddy Mountain consisted of 7 shallow drill holes in 1977 intersecting anomalous lead and silver. Drill hole Mun 8 contained 90 feet of 2.02 ounces per tonne ("oz/t") Ag (Taylor, 1977). Further historical exploration on Zeus's Cuddy Mountain Project occurred at the Edna May Mine: Mineralized vein with chip samples containing 750 ppm lead ("Pb"), 7.7% zinc ("Zn") and 252 ppm Ag over 4 feet. Underground drilling in 1979 intersected 1.38 oz/t Ag over 7 feet in a breccia zone (Burmeister, 1980). Additional exploration (By Taylor, 1977) at the Rockslide area encountered Malachite-stained outcrops with a grab sample containing 760 ppm Pb, 0.67 % Zn and 36 grams per tonne Silver (Taylor, 1977). *Adjacent Property (www.herculesmetals.com) *All information is derived solely from management of Zeus Mining and otherwise publicly available third-party information which are believed to be reliable, but which have not been independently verified by the Company and as a result are not guaranteed as to accuracy and completeness. Zeus's management cautions that past results or discoveries on properties in proximity to Zeus may not necessarily be indicative of the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, P.Geo., the President & CEO for the company and Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. On behalf of the board of directors. "Dean Besserer" President and CEO For more information, please contact the Company at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. FOR INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT: Kin Communications Inc. Ph: 604-684-6730 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. About Zeus North America Mining Corp. The Company is in the business of mineral exploration. The Company is focused on its exploration properties in the state of Idaho known as the: Cuddy Mountain; Selway; and Great Western properties, respectively. The Idaho properties consist of 101 (Cuddy Mountain), 57 (Selway) and 38 (Great Western) lode mining claims respectively and cover a cumulative area of approximately 4,200 acres. The Company's flagship Cuddy Mountain Property is adjacent to Hercules Metal Corp's Leviathan Copper Porphyry discovery. Forward-Looking Statements When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of their respective 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. The forward-looking statements and information in this news release include, amongst others, the Company's exploration plans. 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. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements or implied by such forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others: currency fluctuations; limited business history of the parties; disruptions or changes in the credit or security markets; results of operation activities and development of projects; project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; and general development, market and industry conditions. The Company undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of its securities or its financial or operating results (as applicable). The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The Company has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraph will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. The Company does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. TORONTO, April 1, 2025 /CNW/ - Rupert Resources Ltd. (TSX: RUP) ("Rupert Resources" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the previously announced private placement of 6,322,500 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Shares") issued at a price of $4.50 per Share for gross proceeds of $28,451,250.00 (the "Private Placement") and wishes to provide an update on appointments to the Company's board of directors (the "Board"). In connection with the Private Placement and the recently completed bought-deal equity financing undertaken by the Company, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited ("Agnico Eagle") exercised its participation right to subscribe for 2,602,500 Shares, resulting in Agnico Eagle retaining approximately 14.0% interest in the Company on a non-diluted basis upon closing of the Private Placement. The issuance of the Shares to Agnico Eagle constitutes a related-party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). This Private Placement is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of any securities issued to, nor the consideration paid by, Agnico Eagle would exceed 25.0% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report 21 days prior to closing the Private Placement, which the Company deemed reasonable in the circumstances in order to complete the Private Placement in a timely manner. The Company also announces that it has appointed Kim Hagberg and Joanna Pearson as Independent non-executive directors to the Board. Kim Hagberg was part of executive management team of Swedish telecom operator Tele2, as chief operations officer, from 2018 to 2025. Prior to this position, Kim worked in commercial areas holding various leading positions at the Swedish operators Telia and Tele2. Kim has been engaged in the telecom industry mainly in Sweden, but also in Canada, France and Switzerland and holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from the Mid Sweden University. Joanna Pearson has over 25 years' experience in financial reporting and risk management, operating in international jurisdictions. Joanna is also presently a non-executive director of Hochschild Mining plc (LSE:HOC) and Goldshore Resources Inc. (TSXV:GSHR). From 2020 to 2023, Joanna was chief financial officer of Endeavour Mining plc (LSE:EDV; TSXV:EDV) and for 12 years prior to that position, she was an audit partner with Deloitte LLP in Vancouver. Joanna is a Chartered Professional Accountant of British Columbia and holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. In addition, pursuant to its rights under the investor rights agreement between Rupert Resources and Agnico Eagle dated February 11, 2020, Agnico Eagle has designated Carol Plummer as its nominee to be appointed, or nominated for election, to the Board. As a result, Rupert Resources will nominate Carol Plummer for election as a director at the upcoming annual general meeting of the Company's shareholders. Carol Plummer is Executive Vice-President, Sustainability, People & Culture at Agnico Eagle and has extensive operating experience, including in Finland, where she was previously the General Manager of Agnico Eagle's Kittila mine, located approximately 50km away from Rupert Resources' Ikkari project. Gunnar Nilsson, Chairman of Rupert Resources commented "We are pleased to welcome Kim Hagberg and Joanna Pearson to the Board. Kim has considerable experience in managing large, complex projects. Joanna holds extensive experience in financial management and audit. We are also looking forward to welcoming Carol Plummer to the Board at the next annual general meeting of the Company's shareholders. Carol will bring with her a wealth of expertise, including as former general manager of Agnico's Kittila mine, which will be invaluable to the Company as it progresses with the Ikkari project. We are excited to bolster the experience of our Board and position the Company to successfully execute on our future plans." The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used for on-going exploration expenditures, technical and environmental studies on the Company's properties in Finland and for general corporate purposes. The Private Placement remains subject to the final approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The Shares 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 an applicable exemption from registration. About Rupert Resources Rupert Resources is a gold exploration and development company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Company is focused on making and advancing discoveries of scale and quality with high margin and low environmental impact potential. The Company's principal focus is Ikkari, a high-quality, multi-million ounce gold discovery in Northern Finland. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains statements which, other than statements of historical fact constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements with respect to: the Private Placement, including the use of proceeds and final approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange; the appointment and nominations of new directors; the execution of the Company's future plans. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the general risks of the mining industry, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form and Management Discussion & Analysis. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Sarah Armstrong-Montoya, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cordoba Minerals Corp. (TSXV: CDB) (OTCQB: CDBMF) or ("Cordoba" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce new appointees to the Company's Board of Directors. The Company welcomes Mr. Mark Gibson and Mr. Glen Kuntz to the Cordoba board. Mr. Gibson is well known to the Cordoba Board, having been integral to the Alacran Project Feasibility Study and earlier studies. Mr. Gibson has served as Ivanhoe Electric's Chief Geophysics Officer since July 2023 and also served the function of Ivanhoe Electric's Chief Operating Officer from April 2021 to July 2023. He has served as Chief Operating Officer of Cordoba since August 2017. Mr. Gibson has more than thirty-three years of wide-ranging experience as a geoscientist and manager in the natural resources sector. Mr. Gibson joined HPX (Ivanhoe Electric's predecessor) in 2011 as the company's founding executive and was instrumental in HPX's strategic partnership with Cordoba in 2015. Mr. Kuntz has served as Ivanhoe Electric's Senior Vice President, Mine Development since November 2022, and prior to that was Ivanhoe Electric's Chief Technical and Innovation Officer since January 2022. Mr. Kuntz is a professional geologist and mining executive with over thirty years of experience focused on exploration, development and operations, technology, and studies across a variety of commodities and mining methods throughout the Americas, Africa and Australia. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Kuntz was a consulting specialist at Nordmin Engineering since March 2018, and before that a director of exploration projects at Yamana Gold Inc. from 2015 to 2018. Mr. Kuntz has been extensively involved in the technical work on the Alacran Project, including the Feasibility Study. Additionally, Mr. Gustavo Zulliger, has stepped down as the Company's Vice-President, Exploration to pursue other opportunities. "We welcome our two new directors to the Board," commented Sarah Armstrong-Montoya, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cordoba. "Both gentlemen have considerable knowledge of the Alacran Project and will be invaluable in its next phase of development. We would also express our sincere appreciation to Mr. Zulliger for his years of commitment and hard work on behalf of the Company and wish him all the best in his next endeavours." 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. . VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newcore Gold Ltd. ("Newcore" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NCAU, OTCQX: NCAUF) is pleased to announce additional drill results from the 35,000-metre drill program underway at the Companys 100% owned Enchi Gold Project ("Enchi" or the "Project") in Ghana. Shallow Reverse Circulation ("RC") drilling at the Sewum Gold Deposit ("Sewum") intersected multiple zones of gold mineralization, with hole SWRC213 intersecting 0.73 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au") over 68.0 metres ("m") from 62 m, hole SWRC223 intersecting 0.74 g/t Au over 49 m from 18 m, and hole SWRC208 intersecting 1.39 g/t Au over 24.0 m from 22 m including a higher-grade interval of 6.56 g/t over 4.0 m from 26 m. Drilling continues to prove out the continuity of gold mineralization and potential for resource growth at Enchi. The 35,000-metre drill program underway at Enchi is focused on resource growth and infill drilling designed to convert Inferred Resources to Indicated. The goal of the first phase of drilling is completion of drilling required for resource conversion in advance of commissioning a Pre-Feasibility Study later this year. The second phase of the drill program will focus on discovery and resource growth, including drilling targeting earlier-stage exploration targets along with drilling focused on defining the resource growth potential at depth. Highlights from Drilling at the Sewum Gold Deposit at Enchi Drilling at the Checkerboard Hill area encountered multiple wide zones of gold mineralization near-surface within both the oxide and upper sulphide horizon. SWRC213 intersected two gold mineralized structures: 0.70 g/t Au over 20.0 m from 12 m in the oxide zone, and a second interval of 0.73 g/t Au over 68.0 m from 62 m in the transition/upper sulphide zone. SWRC208 intersected multiple gold mineralized structures in the oxide zone including 0.57 g/t Au over 17.0 m from surface, with a second interval of 1.39 g/t Au over 24.0 m from 22 m with a higher-grade interval of 6.56 g/t Au over 4.0 m from 26 m. Drilling at the Sewum Extension area intersected wide zones of gold mineralization near surface, with higher-grade intervals. SWRC223 intersected 0.74 g/t Au over 49.0 m from 18 m, including a higher-grade interval of 1.57 g/t over 11.0 m from 42.0 m in the oxide/transition horizon. SWRC222 intersected 0.59 g/t Au over 38.0 m from surface, including a higher-grade interval of 1.94 g/t over 7.0 m from 4.0 m in the oxide horizon. Drilling completed at the Extension Parallel Structure area continues to highlight the potential for resource growth at Enchi. SWRC224 intersected 1.24 g/t Au over 20.0 m from 69 m within the oxide/transition material, outside the limits of the pit that constrains the Mineral Resource Estimate. Luke Alexander, President and CEO of Newcore stated, "The 35,000-metre drill program underway at Enchi continues to deliver strong results. These results from Sewum, the largest deposit currently defined at Enchi, highlight both the positive continuity of near-surface mineralization as well as the strong potential for future resource growth across the Project. We are thrilled to be fully funded to continue to deliver value through the drill bit, with drilling focused on resource growth and conversion, and high-priority exploration targets, while concurrently continuing to advance the development of the Project with commissioning of a Pre-Feasibility Study later this year." This release reports results for 21 RC holes totalling 2,546 m (SWRC204 to SWRC224) targeting the Sewum Gold Deposit, with all holes intersecting gold mineralization. A total of 13,178 m in 108 holes have been reported as part of the ongoing 2024 - 2025 drill program at Enchi. Select assay results from the 21 holes of the drill program reported in this release are below: Table 1 - Enchi Gold Project Drill Highlights Hole ID Zone/Deposit From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) SWRC213 Sewum 12.0 32.0 20.0 0.70 and 62.0 130.0 68.0 0.73 SWRC223 Sewum 18.0 67.0 49.0 0.74 including 42.0 53.0 11.0 1.57 SWRC208 Sewum 22.0 46.0 24.0 1.39 including 26.0 30.0 4.0 6.56 SWRC212 Sewum 0.0 81.0 81.0 0.40 SWRC217 Sewum 19.0 34.0 15.0 1.24 and 90.0 120.0 30.0 1.00 SWRC224 Sewum 69.0 89.0 20.0 1.24 SWRC222 Sewum 0.0 38.0 38.0 0.59 including 4.0 11.0 7.0 1.94 Notes: 1. See detailed table for complete results; 2. Intervals reported are hole lengths with true width estimated to be 75 - 85%; and 3. Length-weighted averages from uncut assays. Plan map showing the drill hole locations Cross sections showing drill results and highlights for holes SWRC208, SWRC211, SWRC212, SWRC213, SWRC222, SWRC223, and SWRC224 A complete list of the drill results in this release, including hole details, can be viewed in the tables below: Drilling at the Sewum Gold Deposit SWRC204 to SWRC224 (21 RC holes totalling 2,546 m) were completed at Sewum, targeting the Checkerboard Hill and Sewum Extension areas of the deposit. Drilling targeted near-surface oxidized, transition as well as shallow sulphide mineralization with a goal of infill drilling for resource conversion to improve the confidence level as well as grow the existing Mineral Resource Estimate. RC drilling at Sewum consisted of 50-metre spaced sections with drill holes spaced every 25 metres along the sections. The holes reported in this news release are distributed across 10 separate sections that are spread along a strike length of 2.2 kilometres. 14 RC holes totalling 1,946 m (SWRC204 to SWRC217) tested the Checkerboard Hill area. Drilling in this area focused on resource conversion with positive results. SWRC213 drilled in the central portion of the zone intersected two gold mineralized structures: 0.70 g/t Au over 20.0 m from 12 m in the oxide zone, and a second interval of 0.73 g/t Au over 68.0 m from 62 m in the transition/upper sulphide zone. Along the same section, with drill spacing of 25 metres along the section, SWRC212 intersected 0.40 g/t Au over 81.0 m from surface. SWRC208 drilled 100 metres north intersected multiple gold mineralized structures in the oxide zone including 0.57 g/t Au over 17.0 m from surface, with a second interval of 1.39 g/t Au over 24.0 m from 22 m with a higher-grade interval of 6.56 g/t Au over 4.0 m from 26 m. Hole SWRC217, drilled 25 metres north of SWRC208, intersected 1.24 g/t Au over 15.0 m from 19 m in the oxide horizon with a second intercept of 1.00 g/t Au over 30.0 m from 90 m in the upper sulphide horizon. 6 RC holes totalling 447 m (SWRC218 to SWRC 223) tested the Sewum Extension area. Drilling in this area focused on resource conversion with strong results. SWRC223 intersected 0.74 g/t Au over 49.0 m from 18 m, including a higher-grade interval of 1.57 g/t over 11.0 m from 42.0 m in the oxide/transition horizon. Along the same section, with drill spacing of 25 metres along the section, SWRC222 intersected 0.59 g/t Au over 38.0 m from surface, including a higher-grade interval of 1.94 g/t over 7.0 m from 4.0 m in the oxide horizon. 1 RC hole totalling 153 m (SWRC224) tested the Sewum Extension Parallel Structure, testing the down-dip continuity of the mineralization near the central portion of the zone. SWRC224 intersected 1.24 g/t Au over 20.0 m from 69 m within the oxide/transition material, outside the limits of the pit that constrains the Mineral Resource Estimate. The results from this step-out drill hole continue to highlight the potential for future resource growth at Enchi. These drill results continue to confirm continuity along strike and down dip for the principal structures which comprise the Sewum Gold Deposit. The width and gold grades within these drill results are also consistent with prior wider-spaced drilling completed at Sewum. The drill results released to date from the 2024 - 2025 drill program are from the Boin and Sewum deposits where drilling was designed to improve the confidence level of the existing Mineral Resource Estimate. This recent drilling was drilled in areas where the previous pit constrained Mineral Resource Estimate was classified as Inferred. The Company anticipates that the results of this recent drilling should allow for the conversion of a substantial portion of mineralization within these areas to the Indicated category. 2024 - 2025 Enchi Work Program A 35,000-metre drill program is underway at Enchi, targeting near-surface oxide and shallow sulphide mineralization with a primary goal of infill drilling for resource conversion to improve the confidence level of the existing Mineral Resource Estimate. Most of the infill drilling is allocated to the two largest deposits at Enchi, Boin and Sewum. Improving the confidence level of the Mineral Resource Estimate at Enchi is a key component of the development work required to be completed in advance of commissioning a Pre-Feasibility Study for the Project. A subset of the drill program will also focus on outlining resource growth, with all deposit areas and pre-resource targets at Enchi remaining open along strike and at depth, providing for future resource growth across the district-scale property. Additional exploration and development work is on-going at Enchi, including metallurgical testwork, trenching, hydrogeological testing, geotechnical work, environmental work and soil sampling. Drone topographic surveys have been completed, expanding on previously completed work, at the Kwakyekrom and Tokosea deposit areas to provide detailed topographic information required to improve the confidence level of each deposits Mineral Resource Estimate. Additionally, the drone survey was completed across the proposed heap leach facility area to contribute additional data for future detailed engineering studies. An airborne magnetic survey tested grass roots targets related to a series of gold-in-soil anomalies and gold mineralization identified in trenching. Soil sampling is also currently being completed on the Omanpe and Abotia licenses with a goal of further defining early-stage targets across Enchi for future trenching and drilling. Sewum Gold Zone Sewum is one of the five deposits which comprise the Mineral Resource Estimate at Enchi (Sewum has an Indicated Mineral Resource of 20.9 million tonnes grading 0.48 g/t Au containing 323,300 ounces and Inferred Mineral Resource of 21.8 million tonnes grading 0.53 g/t Au containing 373,100 ounces). Sewum is located 15 kilometres south of the town of Enchi, with nearby roads and power and further access provided by a series of drill roads. Sewum is outlined on surface by a greater than six-kilometre-long and one to two-kilometre-wide gold in soil anomaly. An airborne geophysical anomaly coincident with the Sewum Gold Deposit defines a series of sub parallel and intersecting structures. To date, approximately 50% of the gold-in-soil anomaly at Sewum is untested by drilling, with the average vertical depth of all holes drilled to date at Sewum only down to 75 metres. Drill Hole Locations Table 2 - Enchi Gold Project Drill Hole Location Details Hole ID UTM East UTM North Elevation Azimuth Dip Length (m) SWRC204 521330 627665 167 120 -55 132 SWRC205 521297 627683 173 120 -55 168 SWRC206 521365 627644 166 120 -55 120 SWRC207 521412 627878 138 120 -55 84 SWRC208 521365 627824 148 120 -55 98 SWRC209 521412 627851 139 120 -55 62 SWRC210 521254 627701 174 120 -55 204 SWRC211 521385 627701 174 120 -55 126 SWRC212 521285 627757 172 120 -55 221 SWRC213 521325 627734 173 120 -55 132 SWRC214 521262 627906 150 120 -55 177 SWRC215 521312 627885 153 120 -55 182 SWRC216 521391 627817 100 120 -55 120 SWRC217 521376 627840 141 120 -55 120 SWRC218 519995 625747 137 120 -55 70 SWRC219 520013 625771 139 120 -55 62 SWRC220 520061 625801 140 120 -55 60 SWRC221 520043 625823 134 120 -55 95 SWRC222 520456 626210 154 120 -55 60 SWRC223 520431 626220 147 120 -55 100 SWRC224 520673 626116 154 120 -55 153 Enchi Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate The Enchi Gold Project hosts an Indicated Mineral Resource of 41.7 million tonnes grading 0.55 g/t Au containing 743,500 ounces gold and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 46.6 million tonnes grading 0.65 g/t Au containing 972,000 ounces (see Newcore news release dated March 7, 2023). Mineral resource estimation practices are in accordance with CIM Estimation of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Best Practice Guidelines (November 29, 2019) and follow CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 10, 2014), that are incorporated by reference into National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). The Mineral Resource Estimate is from the technical report titled "Mineral Resource Estimate for the Enchi Gold Project" with an effective date of January 25, 2023, which was prepared for Newcore by Todd McCracken, P. Geo, of BBA E&C Inc. and Simon Meadows Smith, P. Geo, of SEMS Exploration Services Ltd. in accordance with NI 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and is available under the Companys profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Todd McCracken and Simon Meadows Smith are independent qualified persons ("QP") as defined by NI 43-101. Newcore Gold Best Practice Newcore is committed to best practice standards for all exploration, sampling and drilling activities. Drilling was completed by an independent drilling firm using industry standard RC and Diamond Drill equipment. Analytical quality assurance and quality control procedures include the systematic insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates into the sample strings. Samples are placed in sealed bags and shipped directly to Intertek Labs located in Tarkwa, Ghana for 50 gram gold fire assay. Qualified Person Mr. Gregory Smith, P. Geo, Vice President of Exploration at Newcore, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical data and information contained in this news release. Mr. Smith has verified the technical and scientific data disclosed herein and has conducted appropriate verification on the underlying data including confirmation of the drillhole data files against the original drillhole logs and assay certificates. About Newcore Gold Ltd. Newcore Gold is advancing its Enchi Gold Project located in Ghana, Africas largest gold producer (1). Newcore Gold offers investors a unique combination of top-tier leadership, who are aligned with shareholders through their 15% equity ownership, and prime district scale exploration opportunities. Enchis 248 km2 land package covers 40 kilometres of Ghanas prolific Bibiani Shear Zone, a gold belt which hosts several multi-million-ounce gold deposits, including the Chirano mine 50 kilometres to the north. Newcores vision is to build a responsive, creative and powerful gold enterprise that maximizes returns for shareholders. (1) Source: Production volumes for 2023 as sourced from the World Gold Council. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Newcore Gold Ltd. Luke Alexander President, CEO & Director For further information, please contact: Mal Karwowska | Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations +1 604 484 4399 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.newcoregold.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 Statements This news release includes statements that contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation ("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: statements about the estimation of mineral resources; results of preliminary economic assessments; completion of a pre-feasibility study; results of metallurgical testwork; results of our ongoing drill campaign; results of drilling, magnitude or quality of mineral deposits; anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; and future exploration prospects. These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business. The assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Newcore. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of Newcore believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, Newcore cannot assure its shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking information also involves 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 information. Such factors include, among others: risks related to the speculative nature of Newcores business; Newcores formative stage of development; Newcores financial position; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold and other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); 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, unusual or unexpected geological formations); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities; 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. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Newcore 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 information 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 information. The leader of Bosnia's ethnic Serbs, Milorad Dodik, the target of an arrest warrant over accusations of seeking to secede, announced late Monday that he was in Moscow. The head of the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska statelet, and Kremlin ally, has for years chipped away at Bosnia's central institutions that have struggled to establish themselves since a devastating 1992-95 war. Bosnian prosecutors issued an international warrant for the arrest of Dodik on Thursday saying he was wanted for questioning over secessionist actions carried out in Republika Srpska since February. A national arrest warrant was issued on March 18. "I have arrived in Moscow," Dodik wrote on the X platform. "I start every time I stay here with a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," he added, sharing a video with a message in which he praised President Vladimir Putin, without mentioning whether they had met. "What he has done to resurrect Russia has been accomplished only by the rare men of history," he added. Since the end of the 1990s conflict, Bosnia has been split into semi-autonomous halves -- Republika Srpska and a Muslim-Croat federation. Each has its own government and parliament with only weak central institutions binding the country of 3.5 million people together. Dodik, 66, has several times threatened to take the Serb entity out of Bosnia and barred central police and judicial officials from working there -- an order that was suspended by the constitutional court. Tensions have risen since a Bosnian court in February found Dodik guilty of refusing to follow the rulings of the international high representative who oversees the Bosnian peace accords. He was ordered jailed for one year and banned from holding public office for six years. Bosnia's divided politics and fragile post-war institutions have faced increasing uncertainty amid the unfolding political crisis. Despite the warrants, Dodik has visited Serbia and Israel, where he went to a conference on anti-Semitism that was attended by several European hard right leaders. In his new message, Dodik said he would return to Moscow on May 9 "to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism, in which the Russian and Serbian peoples suffered the most." He went on to lambast "the globalist elite, who sought to fragment Russia itself." Now a supporter of Putin who also vaunts his alliances with China and Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Dodik earned international support for taking a stand against wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic who is now serving a life jail term for war crimes. Since 1998, Dodik has twice been prime minister of the Serb statelet, and has been its president since 2018. - International warrant - Any Interpol member state, including Bosnia, can ask the international law enforcement agency to circulate a "red notice" to all members calling for the arrest of a suspect. But Interpol first carries out checks and as of Monday evening no "red notice" was issued on the Interpol website. A similar arrest warrant was issued for the speaker of the Republika Srpska assembly, Nenad Stevandic, who returned to Bosnia on March 18 after a visit to Serbia. Stevanivic similarly defied the warrant by travelling abroad, and was seen in Belgrade on March 15. rus/cbo/sbk/giv/tw X This marks a significant shift from how Ukrainian soldiers were previously tried in Russia. More than 60 Ukrainian soldiers who took part in the incursion into Russias Kursk region last summer have been sentenced to between 14 and 26 years in prison. In nearly all cases, Russian courts classified their actions as acts of terrorism. Courts in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics usually charged them with crimes such as mistreatment of civilians, using banned methods of warfare, and murder. Terrorism charges were far less common. Ukrainian forces smashed on August 6, 2024 into the Kursk region, in south-west Russia, close to the Ukrainian border. According to various estimates, they seized control of between 1,000 and 1,300 square kilometres of land, up to 4.5% of the Kursk regions total area of 29,900 sq. km. Ukraine hoped the operation would strengthen its position in potential negotiations. In early February 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he planned to offer Russia a direct territorial exchange. Since the autumn, the area under Ukrainian control has slowly decreased. The situation changed dramatically in early March 2025, when Russia launched a successful counterattack and regained control of Sudzha, the largest settlement held by Ukrainian forces. The latest battlefield map from Deep State, a Ukrainian platform that tracks frontline changes using open-source data, showed Ukraine controlled less than 78 square kilometres as of March 27. Hundreds of soldiers captured Over the seven months of fighting, hundreds of soldiers from both sides were taken prisoner, but the exact number remains unknown. In December 2024, Russias state news agency TASS, citing an unnamed source, reported that around 500 Ukrainian soldiers had been captured since August 6 last year. Russias Investigative Committee opened the first criminal case related to the incursion into the Kursk region on August 7. The case was launched against unidentified individuals under charges including committing a terrorist act, murder, illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, and attempted murder of law enforcement officers, among others. This type of response is typical for Russian authorities and is often more of a political gesture aimed at signalling the seriousness of events that attract wide public attention. For example, similar cases against unidentified individuals are routinely opened after drone attacks on Russian territory. The first actual criminal cases against Ukrainian soldiers captured in the Kursk region began reaching courts in the autumn. According to jurisdiction rules based on Russias military district court system, these cases were handled by the 2nd Western District Military Court, located in Moscow. Previously, cases involving prisoners of war from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions had been handled by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don. In most cases, judges from the 2nd Western District Military Court do not hold hearings in Moscow, but travel to the region where the crime was committed. Thats what happened with the trials of Ukrainian prisoners of war: at least some of the hearings took place in the building of the Kursk Regional Court. From border crossing to terrorism charges On March 21, the head of Russias Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, announced that courts had already sentenced 46 Ukrainian soldiers for crimes against civilians in the Kursk region. He added that trials for another 92 were ongoing, and 58 more were still under investigation. Based on official statements and media reports, Justice Info was able to verify at least 67 sentences handed down by the 2nd Western District Military Court against soldiers captured in the Kursk region. These cases follow a familiar pattern seen in trials of prisoners of war: in the vast majority of them, the Investigative Committee classified the actions of Ukrainian soldiers as terrorist acts with grave consequences. But this marks also a shift from earlier practices in trials of POWs in the self-declared Donetsk [DNR] and Luhansk [LNR] Peoples Republics and in the Southern District Military Court. For example, in the DNR, in addition to terrorism, Ukrainian fighters were often charged with participating in illegal armed groups, sabotage, weapons smuggling, attempted murder of Russian troops, and the violent seizure of power. The first verdict came on December 12, 2024, against two servicemen from Ukraines 61st Mechanized Brigade Vitaly Panchenko and Ivan Dmitrakov. They were sentenced to 14 and 15 years in prison, respectively. According to the investigators, on August 7, 2024, the men illegally crossed the Russian border and later repeatedly opened fire with the intent to kill both Russian soldiers and civilians. They were captured on August 17 and 18. The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, claimed that the Akhmat special forces made up of former Wagner Group fighters were responsible for their capture. Investigators also alleged that the Ukrainian soldiers threatened three Russian civilians with weapons and forced them into a truck before taking them across the border into Ukraine. In a short video published by the state news agency TASS in September, Panchenko said he hit one of the civilians on the shoulder during the loading process but could not explain why. At the end, he said: I just want all this to end, and for everyone to go home. Yours and ours. Russian authorities also accused Panchenko of stealing food from a local grocery store in the town of Sudzha. The store a branch of the Pyaterochka supermarket chain became an informal symbol of Ukraines advance into the region. Photos of Ukrainian troops standing outside the store frequently appeared online. After Sudzha was recaptured by Russian forces, acting Kursk governor Alexander Khinshtein proposed preserving the damaged store building as a reminder of the occupation. The store had been looted inside and was covered in Ukrainian military graffiti on the outside. Uniform charges, uniform punishment The classification of these actions as terrorism appears to be driven primarily by political motives. For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly referred to all Ukrainian soldiers and foreign mercenaries fighting in the Kursk region as terrorists. This label allows Russia to treat them not as lawful combatants, and therefore to bypass the protections guaranteed by the Geneva Convention. In addition, terrorism-related charges under Russias criminal code automatically trigger harsher sentencing rules. For instance, the first few years of a sentence must be served in a prison where inmates are held in small groups under strict isolation unlike standard correctional colonies. The charges brought against Ukrainian POWs captured in the Kursk region were largely identical. Most were accused of entering the Sudzha and Korenevo districts, intimidating civilians, seizing residential homes, obstructing evacuations, and opening fire on both civilians and military personnel. On average, courts sentenced them to 15 to 16 years in high-security colonies, with the first three years to be served in prison. The largest number of convictions involved soldiers from Ukraines 22nd and 44th Separate Mechanized Brigades and the 3rd Assault Brigade. Most of them were captured in August and September 2024. Foreign fighters from US, UK, Lithuania and Georgia Out of the 67 convictions documented, 11 were handed down to foreign nationals. Unlike Ukrainian soldiers, they were charged not only with committing terrorist acts but also with mercenary activity. Most of the foreign fighters were sentenced in absentia. U.S. citizens Daniel Bernard Rebar and Robert Wertman were sentenced to 25 and 23 years, respectively. Sharunas Jasyukevicius from Lithuania received 23 years, and New Zealander Jordan OBrien was sentenced to 14 years in a high-security colony. Several Georgian nationals were also convicted: Aleksi Bibichadze and Mikhail Baturin were each sentenced to 25 years; Georgy Kesarieli and Rati Burduli also received 25 years; Lasha Chigladze was sentenced to 24 years; and Levan Beruashvili to 24 years as well. The only in-person trial of a foreign national was that of 22-year-old British citizen James Scott Rees Anderson, who had served in Ukraines International Legion. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, Anderson crossed into Russian territory armed and committed crimes against civilians to cause property damage and destabilize local authorities. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison, with the first five years to be served in a high-security prison. His trial was held behind closed doors. The court said Anderson pleaded guilty and explained that he had joined the conflict for money. His lawyer asked the court to remove several aggravating circumstances and consider his confession and remorse as mitigating factors. In a video interrogation released on pro-Kremlin Telegram channels after his capture, Anderson claimed he had applied to the International Legion after losing his job. His father told British reporters that the family had tried to dissuade him from going to Ukraine, but he believed he was doing the right thing. He feared his son would be tortured in Russian captivity. In March, a Russian representative in Vienna announced that the Investigative Committee had opened cases against more than 800 foreign nationals who had participated in the conflict on Ukraines side. On March 14, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote that several thousand Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region were surrounded by Russian forces and called on Putin to spare their lives. Putin promised they would be guaranteed safety if they laid down their arms and surrendered voluntarily. The fate of these Ukrainian soldiers remains unknown. The European Union's top diplomat on Tuesday said there is "overwhelming" evidence of war crimes in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, where Russia's army is accused of murdering hundreds of civilians. "Impunity for war crimes is frankly impossible, so long as we put the work in," Kaja Kallas told EU lawmakers, a day after the third anniversary of Bucha's liberation. "In Bucha, the evidence is overwhelming," she said. "From photos to phone records and decoded call signs used by commanders on Russian radio channels." "There is no denying it -- we know exactly who the perpetrators are." Following Russia's retreat from Bucha, after a month-long occupation that ended on March 31, 2022, AFP journalists saw the bodies of at least 20 civilians lying on a street after being shot dead, some with their hands tied behind their backs. It was the first in a string of macabre discoveries in towns abandoned by Russian forces, which sparked an international outcry and war crimes investigations. Moscow has denied responsibility, accusing Ukraine of staging incidents. Ukrainian authorities have opened more than 180,000 war crimes investigations, Zelensky said on Monday at a ceremony in Bucha, pinning hopes on the International Criminal Court to bring the most high-level criminals to justice. Kallas stressed that the EU was supporting the Ukrainian prosecutor general's office and was strengthening its capacity to investigate international crimes, including through a civilian EU advisory mission. And she said that work was advancing on establishing a special tribunal to hold Russia accountable over its invasion. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in March 2023 issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the abduction of Ukrainian children. But the special tribunal is specifically intended to try Russia for the "crime of aggression", for which the ICC does not have jurisdiction. Proposals for establishing the tribunal were floated more than two years ago, but wrangling over its legal basis and how it would work has meant progress has been painfully slow. The return of US President Donald Trump to the White House appears to have sped up efforts, as European officials fear his plans for a peace deal could mean Moscow escapes justice for good. Experts from 37 countries in February agreed on the legal foundations for the tribunal. Kallas on Tuesday said that the Council of Europe would "soon" start work on the next steps, including the court's draft statute. The recent pardon handed down to former Guinean dictator Moussa Dadis Camara over his role in a 2009 massacre "is an affront to justice," rights organisations said Tuesday. Camara, jailed for 20 years over a 2009 massacre, was pardoned last week for "health reasons" by the west African country's junta leader, with a rights body Saturday saying he had left prison for a chic Conakry villa. His sentence for crimes against humanity followed a landmark trial permitted by the junta after it took power in 2021. On September 28, 2009, at least 156 people were killed by gunfire, knives, machetes, or bayonets in a massacre at an opposition rally, according to a UN-mandated international commission of inquiry. Hundreds more were wounded, at least 109 women were raped and abuses continued for several days against women who were held captive, while detainees were tortured. Only 57 bodies of the victims were recovered, according to families and human rights organisations, and the toll is believed to be far higher. "This pardon sends a disastrous signal, demonstrating a contempt for the fundamental principles of justice, responsibility and the fight against impunity," said International Federation for Human Rights secretary general Drissa Traore, also a member of the collective representing civil parties in Guinea. The Federation made a joint statement with the Association of Victims, Relatives and Friends of September 28 (AVIPA) and the Guinean Organisation for the Defence of Human and Citizen Rights (OGDH) to "express their deep indignation at a decision that jeopardises the ongoing judicial process." The trio of rights groups said the decision was "in contradiction with all national, regional and international commitments" of the country. Dadis Camara had appealed his conviction in the first instance. Junta leader General Mamadi Doumbouya said on March 26 that he would cover the costs of compensating massacre victims. Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - The High Court has dealt a major blow to President William Rutos administration by declaring the directive requiring parents to pay school fees via the eCitizen platform unconstitutional. Justice Chacha Mwita ruled in favor of a petition filed by Nakuru-based activist Magare Gikenyi and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), stating that the directive lacked proper public participation and stakeholder engagement. Additionally, the court found that the Ksh 50 convenience fee charged on transactions had no legal basis. "The High Court has declared the Ministry of Education's directive on payment of school fees via the eCitizen platform irrational, capricious, unconstitutional, null, and void. I was representing LSK in this matter," stated lawyer Omochokoro O'mong'oni. The ruling follows a previous court decision in February 2024 that temporarily suspended the directive, pending the petitions determination. President Ruto had earlier defended the directive, asserting that Government payments through eCitizen were unstoppable and vowed to deal ruthlessly with any resistance from cartels. In February, while addressing Kenyans in the diaspora, he claimed that consolidating over 3,000 paybill numbers into one had improved transparency and eliminated corruption. The directive was initially issued on January 31st, 2023, by former Education PS Belio Kipsang, requiring all school fees and levies to be processed through eCitizen. However, it faced immediate backlash from parents and education stakeholders, who criticized the lack of consultation. With this latest ruling, the Governments push for a full transition to digital payments in schools now faces a significant legal setback. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - President William Ruto dropped a series of bombshell revelations during an exclusive interview at Sagana State Lodge, setting the stage for his five-day tour of Mt. Kenya. On his fallout with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Ruto revealed that he had twice intervened to save Gachagua from impeachment, but his Deputys constant conflicts with MPs and State officials made his removal inevitable. "I tried to save him. The first time MPs rejected him, I stood by him. When they attempted to impeach him again, I defended him. But was I elected to serve one person or the people of Kenya?" Ruto questioned. Gachaguas impeachment in October 2024 was historic - making him the first Deputy President in Kenya to be ousted from office. Ruto also disclosed that during his 2022 running mate selection, Kithure Kindiki had actually won the backing of 27 MPs, while Gachagua only had five votes. "I chose Gachagua because I was accused of surrounding myself with young leaders. I felt that having someone of my age would help us gain trust in the region," he explained. The President also confirmed rumours that Gachagua attempted to blackmail him after he allegedly demanded KSh 10 billion to solidify his Mt. Kenya support. "He told me directly that unless I gave him the money, he would ensure I become a one-term President," Ruto alleged. Gachagua, clearly unfazed, fired back on X, calling Ruto a pathological liar. I am now convinced more than ever before, that pathological lying is a mental disorder. The greatest existential threat to our beloved country is outright lying to the people of Kenya without blinking and failure by a leader to put his team together to harmonise their lies. I weep for my Country, Kenya, he wrote on X. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - Kasarani Member of Parliament and Sportspesa Chief Executive Officer, Ronald Karauri, is cheating on his wife with Tanzanian actress and brand influencer Nana Dollz. Videos of Nana goofing around with Karauri and referring to him as her husband have leaked online, with reports emerging that she even frequents his matrimonial home when his wife is away. Nana is a very beautiful lady with curves in the right places, besides being a fitness enthusiast. She is a darling of many brands in Tanzania, thanks to her irresistible beauty. See her photos below. The Kenyan DAILY POST Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - It appears former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was right when he claimed President William Ruto will 'pour money' during his Mt. Kenya tour. Gachagua had urged locals to turn up in large numbers but warned them not to settle for mere peanuts. Now, a viral video shows young influencers flaunting wads of cash, allegedly paid for creating content to support Rutos re-election campaign. The influencers pose beside sleek cars bearing Kumi Bila Break number plates - a slogan backing Rutos second term after Gachagua vowed to make Ruto Kenyas first-ever one-term President. Ruto is trying to woo the vote-rich bloc that seems to have abandoned him following Gachaguas impeachment and the formation of a broad-based Government with ODM leader Raila Odinga. Watch the video below. In the heart of Central Kenya, within the Mount Kenya region, individuals arrived bearing sacks of money to purchase allegiance. Do not allow Justin Muturi and Rigathi Gachagua to persuade you that President William Ruto lacks integrity; he is indeed a man of virtue, for your pic.twitter.com/n70tXuDJ3N Ouma. O. Neko (@OUMA_NEKO) March 31, 2025 The Kenyan DAILY POST A landmark building in Ballinasloe is set to be transformed to include a new community facility as part of a 16-unit residential housing development in the centre of the Co Galway town. Galway County Council has signed contracts with Custy Construction Ltd and OBFA Architects for the delivery of the scheme, which is being financed under the Governments Housing For All programme and directly by the local authority. Work on the Dunlo Hill development includes the renovation and extension of the existing terraced buildings and the conversion of the currently derelict Dooleys Pub from a public house to include a community facility. The project is scheduled for completion by July 2026. The planned Dunlo Hill development in Ballinasloe, Co Galway Councillor Martina Kinane, cathaoirleach of Co Galway, said the scheme was a "milestone" for Galway County Council and the town of Ballinasloe. "With 16 modern residential units and a restored community facility, this initiative marks a significant step forward in revitalising the town centre while meeting the housing needs of our community." Councillor Michael Connolly, cathaoirleach of the Ballinasloe Municipal District, said the project would inject new life into the Dunlo Hill area of the town "I want to commend the staff of the Galway County Councils Housing Department for their vision in delivering this badly needed scheme, which will deliver modern housing and revitalise the heart of the town for generations to come," he said. Liam Conneally, chief executive of Galway County Council, said the Dunlo Hill development would have a lasting positive impact on Ballinasloe. "The existing buildings at Dunlo Hill have not been in use for some time and have fallen into a state of disrepair," he said. "Their renovation, along with the ongoing maintenance of their historic features, ensures their survival into the future and marks a significant local authority-delivered regeneration project for the town." Michael Owens, director of services for housing with Galway County Council, said the initial construction phase of the development includes the partial demolition of outbuildings and sheds to the rear courtyard areas, and the construction of a new single storey extension to the rear of Dooleys Pub. He noted that the existing rear courtyard area would be adapted to create a new pedestrian route through the development that will open the project towards the community, while renewable energy design measures will be implemented in the new community facility and housing units. "The project seeks to bring back to life existing houses which have been unoccupied for a considerable length of time and have fallen into a derelict state," he said. "The retention of Dooleys Pub to include a community space will help strengthen the place of this project within the Ballinasloe community." Stephanie Kelly-Taylor, from OBFA Architects, said: "OBFA has been designing new homes throughout Ireland for local authorities and housing bodies for 12 years. The design team particularly enjoy a project like Dunlo Hill, which combines adaptive re-use, town centre living, and a mixed-use occupancy. Dooley's Pub is a beloved Ballinasloe landmark, and the design team was delighted to incorporate part of it for future community and cultural use. By Cate McCurry and Grainne Ni Aodha, PA Export of pharmaceutical products from Ireland to the US could reduce by around a half if the US president imposes a 20 per cent tariff and the EU responds by applying the same tariff, the Tanaiste has said. Simon Harris warned that over a five-year period there could be a very significant reduction of pharmaceutical products, but said he does not want to be in the space of the EU applying 20 per cent tariffs. Speaking in Dublin on Tuesday, Mr Harris said the trade relationship between the EU and the US is worth 1.6 trillion every year. Mr Harris is bringing a memo to Cabinet setting out the potential economic impact on Ireland, ahead of Donald Trumps announcement to introduce tariffs on EU countries. Around 45,000 people are employed in Irelands pharmaceutical companies, while some 58 billion in pharma and chemicals is exported from Ireland to the US every year. Mr Harris warned that Ireland and the EU is facing one of the biggest economic challenges, which will have a generational impact. As soon as tomorrow, were highly likely to see a series of announcements from President Donald Trump in relation to trade and tariffs, Mr Harris said. I think this will seek to fundamentally alter the trade relationship between the European Union and the United States of America, and I think it is regrettable, in advance of even seeing the detail, because tariffs are bad for consumers. They push up the cost of doing business, they push up the cost of goods, and we have built successful economies on both sides of the Atlantic on the basis of trading in goods and services. I think it is really important in the days ahead, though, that the response from Ireland and the European Union is calm, is measured and is strategic. Crucially, though, this has to be about getting to a point of negotiation. Every disagreement ultimately has to end in an agreement, has to end with people getting around the table, and I certainly hope that what the EU response will do is allow time for meaningful engagement to find a way forward that is good for Europe, good for Ireland and good for the United States. Pharma companies and companies are here because they do very well. In fact, about 60 per cent of what theyre exporting is going into the European Union. In other words, they need a presence in Europe. We have a significant presence of pharma companies here. Of that, theres no doubt, employing around 45,000 people. But were not completely isolated in relation to this, and thats why, over the last number of days and again, today, Ive been talking to colleagues in the European Union, who also have a large pharma industries. He added: In theory, over a five-year period, if the EU imposed a tariff of around 20 per cent and the US imposed a tariff around 20 per cent you could, over a five-year period see a very significant reduction up to around half in the amount of pharmaceutical products were exporting. But again, I want to emphasise the point. We dont want to be in that space. We dont want to be in a space where were seeing 20 per cent tariffs in the EU. We dont want to be in a space where we see tariffs to the US. We want to be in a space as a European Union, where we can sit down with the United States of America, our economies are interdependent. Its a trade relationship worth 1.6 trillion between the EU and the US every year. No president of any political persuasion can ignore that reality. Its a huge, huge, huge impact on both sides of the Atlantic. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he wanted to avoid worst case scenarios (Niall Carson/PA) Were about to face one of the biggest economic challenges, and how we steer our country through these challenges in the days, weeks and months ahead wont just impact us for the next few years, will impact us for the next generation in terms of our economic model. Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said that Ireland and the EU must try to avoid worst case scenarios. What is clear is there will be, even after negotiation, there will be some level of tariffs still in place. The issue now because its then how high? Then its matter for the Irish economy and the European economy to adapt to that, diversify our markets, look at our competitiveness, both within Ireland and within the European Union, there are a lot of measures we can take, but fundamentally, the old order is changing in terms of the economic model. He added: I think the entire tariff initiative is, as I said, it would be damaging to the entire world economy, to the US economy, in my view, and to the European economy and to Ireland. So weve got to try and mitigate it as much as we possibly can limit the damage and avoid worst case scenarios. There will be a lot of consultation within the European Union on this issue, to endeavour to get to a strategic response that doesnt bring more damage. Economists are fairly strongly of the view that it needs a calm, collective sort of measured response to make sure we dont feel damage to ourselves in the process. There is a lot of uncertainty being created. Theres a lot of instability being created in the financial markets, which in itself, can have damaging impact on investments. By Jonathan McCambridge, PA A number of innovation projects are to receive a share of 64,999,270 (54,372,539) of funding to boost productivity and competitiveness on either side of the Irish border. The Peaceplus funding will support 96 enterprises, resulting in 82 SMEs introducing product or process innovation and 36 research organisations participating in the joint projects. Peaceplus is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and represents a funding partnership between the European Union, the UK and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland Executive. The funding has been awarded across eight projects: Clibeef (5,773,940.70) Lead partner AFBI and partners QUB, Teagasc and Agri Search will engage with a core cohort of 12 farms (six in Northern Ireland and six in the border counties of Ireland) to develop innovative feeding strategies for the beef cattle industry, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. DATUM (8,223,630.47) The Digital Manufacturing Transformation Platform, led by Queens University Belfast, will aim to develop 20 digital manufacturing transformation plans for SMEs. HF-TIC (9,130,024.92) Led by Ulster University along with 20 partners in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland, the Health FrontiersTechnology Innovation Centre will establish a consortium focusing on next generation medical device technologies, new digital and AI technologies to support health clinic systems, and digital transformation in health. NWCAM2 (9,981,033.15) Led by Catalyst, the project will aim to develop environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes and products enabling them to innovate and reduce emissions. ONEHEALTH (9,852,752.84) The project will create a cross-border AI driven ecosystem addressing health and agrifood challenges. The project will be led by Catalyst, in partnership with ATU, Queens University Belfast (QUB), Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland, TNI Cork and the University of Galway. PRISM (7,678,718.60) Led by South West College, it brings together six research organisations, 24 enterprises and six associate partners to establish three manufacturing clusters. These will focus on concrete production and sustainable manufacturing processes, hydrogen and rotational storage, and food innovation and manufacturing. SPEAR Centre (8,460,763.86) The Semiconductor Photonics Education and Research Centre aims to deliver socio-economic regeneration and transformation to the North-West region. -TRACE (5,898,405.66) Led by Ulster University with partners in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the project will establish a cross-border innovation hub focusing on the agri-food industry.. Enterprise Minister Peter Burke said the projects would bring huge benefits on both sides of the Irish border (Cillian Sherlock/PA) Stormont economy minister Caoimhe Archibald said: These projects will strengthen collaboration among SMEs and research organisations across the island, driving skills development and expanding expertise in emerging fields such as photonics, digital manufacturing, agri-feeding solutions, medical technologies and AI. This investment will support SMEs in developing innovative new products and processes, fostering lasting economic, environmental and social benefits. Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke said: These eight projects to be funded will bring huge benefits to Northern Ireland and the Irish border counties and beyond. I wish all the projects and participants every success and I look forward to hearing about their progress in the months and years ahead. Chief executive of the Special EU Programmes Body Gina McIntyre (Liam McBurney/PA) SEUPB chief executive Gina McIntyre said: By investing in collaborative innovation through these eight projects, we will see the development of strong and entrepreneurial, innovation-led ecosystems that drive sustainable growth, increased productivity and competitive advantage. We very much look forward to supporting the research organisations, enterprises and SMEs involved in the coming years to realise a wide range of economic benefits for Northern Ireland, the border counties of Ireland and beyond. Fairer fairs for Kildare commuters will come into effect later this month. The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed the introduction of the Dublin Commuter Zone for those travelling from Newbridge and Kildare town and resultant reductions in train fares will be implemented by 28 April. Local TD and Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine, Martin Heydon welcomed the confirmation from the NTA. Minister Heydon pictured with Cllr Peggy ODwyer and representatives of the local fairer fares action group who campaigned long hard for the fairer fares Commuters from Newbridge, and other parts of South Kildare including Kildare town, have been fighting for years to be included in the current short hop zone. Following this long battle, we were all delighted in April 2023 when the NTA confirmed the introduction of a new Dublin Commuter Zone which would replace the short hop zone and included Newbridge and Kildare town. In January 2024, the NTA confirmed the fare structure for the new Dublin Commuter zone highlighting significant reductions of 45% for those travelling from Newbridge to Dublin and 37% for commuters from Kildare town. There was frustration that although these fare reductions had been announced, their implementation had been beset by delay after delay. I have long been raising this unfair situation forced upon South Kildare commuters with successive Ministers for Transport and the National Transport Authority (NTA) and most recently, the current Minister for Transport, Darragh OBrien, confirmed to me that the delays have not been caused by lack of funding but delays in availability and scheduling of sub-contractor works. I am pleased that it has been confirmed this week that the required ticketing infrastructure has been installed, updated and upgraded and ready to go live at Newbridge and Kildare stations for 28 April. The inclusion of Newbridge and Kildare town in the new Dublin Commuter zone was a big win and recognition of the work of so many to provide more Kildare commuters with fairer fares, who deserve great credit for their work on this initiative. I am delighted that now, finally, commuters in South Kildare will no longer be taken for fools and will benefit from the reduction in their fare prices from the end of this month. Kilkenny-based food and tourism business, Glasrai & Goodies, is amongst the first food experiences in Ireland to be featured in a new booking platform for domestic and international visitors. Simplifying the booking process for a wide range of unique and truly authentic Irish food and drink experiences, the Good Food Ireland Experiences platform was launched to an audience of food, farming, tourism and hospitality professionals at the Good Food Ireland Conference 2025. Offering authentic and unique experiences in Kilkenny, Glasrai & Goodies picnic experience in Gowran is one of the first to be showcased on the platform, with many more local food and drink experiences expected to be added in the coming months. Glasrai & Goodies, Picnic to go for one offers a delicious takeaway picnic box filled with fresh, locally sourced treats. Collected from Glasrai & Goodies in Gowran, this gourmet picnic is perfect for enjoying amidst Kilkennys stunning landscapes. Whether you choose to relax by the River Nore, explore the grounds of Kilkenny Castle, or venture into the countryside, this experience provides a simple yet unforgettable taste of Irelands artisan food culture. Renowned for promoting trusted food and drink experiences across the island of Ireland, Good Food Ireland promotes sustainable tourism, farming practices and supports local communities. The experiences encourage people to explore authentic tastes and deep-rooted traditions across Ireland, helping to preserve traditional food and drink production methods. Margaret Jeffares, founder and CEO of Good Food Ireland, said For over 20 years, I have been working with tour operators, creating unique experiences for visitors to Ireland. Meeting passionate producers, tasting handcrafted foods and exploring Irelands food culture has delivered an unforgettable culinary journey for thousands of visitors to our shores." Im delighted to feature such unique Kilkenny food businesses on our platform, which are ideal for both international visitors and those looking for something different to experience when holidaying at home. Our platform will deliver more tourism to Kilkenny, and ensure people from across Ireland, and visitors from across the world, will get to experience the world-class food and drink thats crafted in County Kilkenny, she added. Officially launched at the Good Food Ireland cross-sector conference by Martin Heydon, T.D. Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine; Darina Allen, the pioneer of the slow food movement in Ireland and owner of Ballymaloe Cookery School and Dr Howard Hastings OBE, former chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Chairman of Hastings Hotels, Good Food Ireland Experiences is the only Irish booking platform for food and drink experiences that spans the Island. The Good Food Ireland cross-sector conference focused on the vital role of Irelands agri-food and tourism sectors in ensuring long-term economic and social stability across the island of Ireland, with the event sponsored by AIB, BIM Irelands Seafood Development Agency and Bord Bia, and supporting partners, FBD Insurance and Tourism Ireland. The Good Food Ireland Experiences platform is now live, already hosting over 60 incredible experiences that are available to book directly. For food and tourism businesses who are interested in being featured on Good Food Ireland Experiences, please contact info@goodfoodireland.ie or call 053 9158693. 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. Fitzpatrick & Heavey Homes, one of Irelands leading property development firms, is actively seeking sites for development, particularly in Kilkenny, as part of its expansion strategy. The company has reaffirmed its commitment to landowners by pledging to fully cover the Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) on any residentially zoned land it purchases. The firm currently has 350 homes under construction across Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, and Cork. READ NEXT: Kilkenny passengers dealt major blow as bus service to remove some services Resourced with a robust balance sheet and diverse range of funding partners Fitzpatrick & Heavey Homes are looking to scale up and deliver over 150 homes in Kilkenny. Irelands housing crisis demands innovative and immediate solutions, said a company spokesperson. The Residential Zoned Land Tax is intended to encourage development, but it also places a financial strain on landowners who may not have the means to build. By absorbing this tax on any land we purchase, we are providing an immediate solutionoffering landowners a viable exit while ensuring much-needed housing is developed without delay. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST BUSINESS NEWS The RZLT, introduced under the Finance Acts, imposes an annual tax of 3% on the market value of undeveloped, residentially zoned land. The company welcomes discussions with landowners who wish to sell or explore partnership opportunities that will lead to the rapid development of much-needed housing. This is a win-win solution, the company added. Landowners can avoid the financial strain of the tax, while we ensure that land is put to productive usebuilding homes for families and communities across Ireland. We encourage landowners to reach out to us as soon as possible to explore opportunities. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE Kilkenny Castle and Parklands has been unseated from its number one spot as Irelands most-visited heritage site, according to stats released by the Office of Public Works (OPW). The number of visitors to Kilkenny Castle dropped by 5% between the years 2023 and 2024, reflecting the ongoing challenges of the countys tourism industry. In 2023, Kilkenny Castle was visited by 452,383 guests. In 2024, that number dropped to 429,546. The castle now ranks second for most-ticketed OPW heritage sites in Ireland, with first place going to Dublin Castle. Chairperson of Kilkenny Tourism Gareth Alcorn, believes there are two aspects that have affected the industry in Kilkenny. One of the big things hitting us at the moment is rising wages, he says. A lot of tourism businesses rely on teenagers and college students and minimum wage staff. The minimum wage going up by a euro each year has put pressure on us, he continues. A rise in insurance costs have also put the industry under strain. Its a pre-Covid issue that still hasnt been resolved, he says. Kilkenny Castle Park hasnt had a claim in eight or nine years, and yet our insurance has still gone up. Its probably gone up 200-300% since we started. In terms of our expenses, its a huge percentage. Wages are the biggest expense, but after that, its insurance. Mr Alcorn also noted the reduction in accommodation available to tourists in Kilkenny at the moment. Theres a lot of anti-hotel sentiment at the moment with regard to the prices, but the hotels have seen a rise in costs, too, he says. Without them, we wouldnt have tourism in Kilkenny. The new hotels that are planned will bring more people into the county. Mr Alcorn is hopeful that the number of visitors to Kilkenny Castle and Parklands will increase again in 2025. Martina Comerford, Tourism Officer for Kilkenny County Council, believes it may be Dublin Airports passenger cap that has led to a decrease in visitor numbers. The castle has a huge proportion of international visitors, she said. Because of Kilkennys location, the operators of Discover Ireland Tours that work out of Dublin Airport will always include Kilkenny Castle and Parklands in their itinerary. The drop in numbers coming to Kilkenny Castle may be linked to international visitors not coming to Ireland. Kilkenny is set to add another colourful addition to its festival offering this year with confirmation that the city has been selected to host Ireland's first ever 'skinny-dipping' festival. The festival, planned for July (dates to be confirmed), promises to be a bare-all celebration of freedom and fun. It is expected to draw crowds of adventurous locals and tourists alike who are eager to dive in and experience something unlike anything ever seen before. READ NEXT: Popular Kilkenny business has plans for '24 hour opening on a daily basis' "Well be encouraging visitors to let it all hang out," said one of the festival's organisers. "Its all about embracing freedom, having fun and celebrating the wonderful and historic beauty of Kilkenny City." If full-frontal swimming isnt your thing, there will also be plenty of other activities, including 'Naked Truth or Dare' and a 'Bare-Naked Karaoke' stage on John's Quay. Organisers would like to assure the people of Kilkenny that they are 'taking every precaution to make sure things stay lighthearted and fun'. "There will be lifeguards, a designated area for changing, and privacy mats for those who need a little more coverage before they take the plunge," they stated. Weve seen similar events abroad, and we believe Kilkennys vibrant spirit, sense of fun and festival pedigree make it the perfect place in Ireland for something like this, the spokesperson continued. For the duration of the festival, participants will enjoy a special 'naked pardon' to walk through the city without concern. The relevant authorities have given their blessing, ensuring that festival-goers can stroll the streets in all their natural glory without fear of reprimand. Whether youre diving into the River Nore or simply strolling the Medieval Mile, the naked pardon will ensure everyone can roam freely without a stitch of clothing, or worry. Now, before you start packing your towel, we should probably tell you that this is, in fact, an April Fools Day joke. While the River Nore is definitely beautiful, and Kilkenny is always ready to bare its charm, theres no skinny-dipping festival planned. At least not this year - but who knows, right? FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE Kilkenny owned bus service, JJ Kavanagh & Sons has announced it will be streamlining its 717 ClonmelDublin service with a number of local services receiving the chop. According to their website, the move will 'enhance' passengers' travel experience and speed up journeys. Beginning on Monday, April 7, the route will serve MacDonagh Station in Kilkenny City but cease stops at the Glendine Inn and in Castlecomer (Harringtons Bookmakers). READ NEXT: Brand new walkway with a twist set to open in Kilkenny! "We believe these changes will benefit most passengers," the local company posted to their website. "While we realise these changes may be disruptive to some, these changes will no doubt deliver a faster, more consistent, and altogether more extra-ordinary journey for the vast majority of our passengers. "Your confidence fuels our commitment to excellence, and these enhancements are our way of continuing our effort to repay that trust. By providing you with a more convenient and efficient travel experience, were making sure every journey with JJ Kavanagh is one you can rely on," they added. - MORE INFORMATION FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE The Defence Forces are to deploy about 50 members from Kilkenny and Limerick to help in the search for a farmer missing from his home in Co Kerry. Michael Mike Gaine, 56, was last seen in Kenmare shortly before 10am on Thursday, March 20. Gardai and the mans family are extremely concerned for his wellbeing. READ NEXT: Major property developer seeks to develop 150 homes in Kilkenny Starting on Tuesday morning, up to 50 troops combined from the 12th Infantry Battalion from Limerick and the 3rd Infantry Battalion from Kilkenny will assist gardai in their searches on open lands over the coming days. Gardai said the lands are rough, open ground and at higher altitude and the experience and discipline of trained personnel is appropriate to assist in carrying out these searches. When last seen, Mr Gaine was buying phone credit in the Centra shop in Kenmare town at 9.48am, which was captured on CCTV. He is described as being approximately 5ft 10in, of a stocky build, with brown/grey hair and a bushy beard. When last seen, he was wearing an orange woolly hat, black fleece, blue jeans and black boots. Mr Gaine left in his bronze-coloured RAV4 registration 152 KY 366, which was later found parked in Mr Gaines farmyard, just off the N71 at Carrig East. READ ALSO: Kilkenny passengers dealt major blow as bus service to remove some services People are being asked to submit any footage, pictures or videos from Thursday, March 20 or Friday, March 21 in the Kenmare town or Molls Gap areas (N71/R568) to gardai. Anyone with information on Mr Gaines whereabouts is asked to contact Killarney Garda Station or any garda station. Gardai said they wanted to thank members of the public who have assisted in searches previously. They said they are not requesting the assistance of the general public for further searches at this time. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE GP Nurses from across counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and South East County Dublin, as well as HSE colleagues working in schools immunisation and community vaccination teams have attended a conference hosted in Kilkenny titled Empowering Nurses, Protecting Communities. Over 120 GP practices from the HSEs Dublin and South East region were represented in the audience of the conference held in the Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny. In addition to listening to presentations from key speakers, attendees participated in workshops on specific topics relevant to immunisation and visited various information stands showcasing services from HSE departments, community agencies and other healthcare providers. The event in Kilkenny was organised by the Professional Development Coordinator for GP Nurses in the HSE Dublin and South East health region, in collaboration with colleagues from other regions and in association with the National Immunisation Office. It is part of a series of four, with equivalent gatherings taking place at venues in Carrick on Shannon, Dublin and Limerick. The aim is to bring together those who are making a lasting impact on health and well-being in communities through immunisation with the HSE. A special guest at the occasion was TD Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, with specific responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing, and the National Drugs Strategy. There was also a recorded address from Chief Executive Officer of the HSE Bernard Gloster to those gathered at the event designed for healthcare professionals working in the areas of childhood and seasonal immunisations. The 'Immunisation for all' theme of the conference provided for a focus on inclusion of vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities. The gathering also featured the latest updates in clinical skills and education related to immunisation programmes. The conference also heard from speakers from the National Immunisation Office, the HSEs Public Health Dept., the Social Inclusion division of the HSEs Primary Care directorate and service user representatives. On the day, organisers facilitated presentations, interviews and skills sessions designed to assist General Practice teams in the administration and management of vaccine clinics, improvement of uptake, record keeping and ensuring quality in practice. Speaking at the Study Day, Liz Carroll (Professional Development Co-ordinator/GP Nurses, HSE Dublin and South East) of the organisation team said: GP nurses across our region play a huge role in protecting our communities from vaccine preventable disease, through health promotion, education and administration of the national immunisation programmes. This is inclusive of the primary childhood immunisation programme, seasonal vaccinations and immunisations in pregnancy. We know that over 90% of immunisations are carried out in General Practice. This in so many instances is administered by practice nurses. This conference series is a great opportunity to network, learn and update and their attendance is testament to their dedication to evidence based, quality patient care in the community. It is important to have such occasions focused on updating our clinical skills and knowledge through hands-on workshops and to gain valuable insights that will increase collaboration and communication across primary care and other healthcare sectors. The HSE is delighted that so many GP nurses joined us and their commitment to advancing patient care and enhancing their skills in this vital area is truly commendable. READ NEXT: Two new walking trails officially launched in North Kilkenny - in key locations Coffee meets Mianzhu New Year painting in SW China's Sichuan People's Daily Online) 14:25, April 01, 2025 Photo shows a cup of coffee decorated with a meticulously crafted Mianzhu New Year painting at a bookstore themed on Chinese New Year customs in Mianzhu, a county-level city in Deyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo courtesy of Mianzhu Jinshen Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd.) A unique cultural fusion is brewing in Mianzhu, a county-level city in Deyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province. A Mianzhu bookstore, themed on Chinese New Year customs, has innovatively merged coffee with Mianzhu New Year painting, one of China's most renowned New Year art forms. This blend creates a captivating sensory experience, preserving centuries-old artistic traditions while drawing in visitors. Photo shows a cup of coffee decorated with a meticulously crafted Mianzhu New Year painting at a bookstore themed on Chinese New Year customs in Mianzhu, a county-level city in Deyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo courtesy of Mianzhu Jinshen Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd.) Each coffee is adorned at the bookstore with intricate Mianzhu New Year designs, painstakingly crafted using fine coffee powder and cutting-edge 3D printing technology, according to Zhao Feifei, general manager of Mianzhu Jinshen Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd. Zhao is the mastermind behind this bold concept, seamlessly integrating cultural heritage into a culinary experience that's making headlines. These artistic coffee creations have mesmerized tourists, with many reluctant to take a sip due to their stunning beauty. A woman reads a book at a bookstore themed on Chinese New Year customs in Mianzhu, a county-level city in Deyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo courtesy of Mianzhu Jinshen Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd.) One visitor poetically observed that each cup distills a millennium-old auspicious New Year painting, while another simply described it as "too beautiful to drink." Currently, the bookstore showcases over 10 traditional Mianzhu New Year painting patterns and offers customization options, which are proving especially popular among customers. This trend is emerging as a promising growth sector for Mianzhu's cultural and tourism industries. Photo shows an interior view of a bookstore centered on Chinese New Year customs in Mianzhu, a county-level city in Deyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo courtesy of Mianzhu Jinshen Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd.) Mianzhu New Year painting continues to evolve by combining traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation, capturing attention across the country. Photo shows an interior view of a bookstore centered on Chinese New Year customs in Mianzhu, a county-level city in Deyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo courtesy of Mianzhu Jinshen Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd.) Photo shows a cup of coffee decorated with a meticulously crafted Mianzhu New Year painting at a bookstore themed on Chinese New Year customs in Mianzhu, a county-level city in Deyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo courtesy of Mianzhu Jinshen Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd.) Photo shows an exterior view of a bookstore themed on Chinese New Year customs in Mianzhu, a county-level city in Deyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo courtesy of Mianzhu Jinshen Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd.) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 73F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. The attorneys general of 23 states and DC have sued the Trump administration over public health funding rollbacks. 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. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. High Court reporters Dublin landlord Paul Howard has failed in his appeal over a High Court judgment obtained against him by the Revenue Commissioners for some 2.4 million in tax and interest. The Court of Appeal on Monday also dismissed an appeal taken by Mr Howards partner, Una McClean, who had challenged a similar judgment against her for some 625,513 in tax and interest. In its judgment, the court roundly criticised a hopeless allegation of fraud made against the Revenue by Mr Howard and Ms McClean, of Larkfield Avenue, Harolds Cross, Dublin 6W. Mr Justice Brian OMoore, noting generally the uniquely grave nature of a fraud allegation, stressed the obligation on legal professionals to exercise care in making such a claim, and outlined mechanisms to potentially deter vitriolic but groundless allegations in legal proceedings. In their appeal, Mr Howard and Ms McClean argued the High Court was wrong in dismissing their claim that the terms of engagement between Revenue and its solicitors in the proceedings amounted to a champertous agreement, with the effect that the court action could not be maintained. Champerty is an offence, on the basis of public policy against encouraging litigation, which arises where a third party, having no interest in the litigation, gives assistance to a party in litigation in return for a share in the proceeds of that litigation. The champerty claim arose from a clause concerning remuneration structure in a January 2020 contract between Revenue and Ivor Fitzpatrick & Company Solicitors, one of six firms on a panel retained by Revenue for collection of unpaid taxes. The couple argued the clause amounted to a contingency fee arrangement which provided the solicitors remuneration was only paid if sums allegedly due to the Collector General were actually realised. The clause was deleted under an amendment agreement made on February 14th, 2023 between Revenue and the Fitzpatrick firm. In a judgment published on Tuesday, Mr Justice Donald Binchy said there was a distinct air of unreality in the appellants claim that the fee arrangement amounted to champerty. Mr Justice Binchy said that the Revenue, given its statutory obligation to collect taxes and pursue those who fail to pay taxes due, would have brought these proceedings against Mr Howard and Ms McCarthy irrespective of the fee arrangements between it and its solicitors. He also noted that the Revenue as an emanation of the State, the single largest purchaser of legal services in the jurisdiction has no need for financial support of its legal advisers to maintain proceedings it deems necessary to bring in order to carry out its function. The judge said that even if fee arrangement did constitute champerty, that was not a defence to the proceedings. He said that counsel for the appellants did not advance any authority to support the claim that champerty constituted a defence to the proceedings. Mr Justice Brian OMoore sharply criticised the appellants claim that the fee arrangement would facilitate the Revenue perpetrating a fraud on them or the legal costs adjudicator namely by representing that it owed more in legal costs arising from the proceedings than it actually did. The judge noted that an essential part of the claim of fraud made was that the arrangement between the Revenue and its solicitors was suppressed and kept from the appellants. The judge said that the Revenue had not at any stage presented a bill for costs seeking payment from the appellants. He said the appellants were aware for some considerable time of the arrangements between the Revenue and its solicitors, and that the relevant agreement was publicly available. Mr Justice OMoore said that in these circumstances, the claim of fraud was impossible to stand up. The judge said it was unforgivable that the allegation was maintained on appeal. The judge said that fraud was a very serious allegation to make for various reasons, including that the impact on a person accused of fraud can be significant. Due to the uniquely grave nature of a fraud allegation, the judge stressed that counsel and solicitors should act with the greatest of care in making such a claim. The judge said that steps should be taken to address and deter the making of groundless allegations in proceedings. One such deterrent, the judge suggested, is the possibility that costs be awarded on a full indemnity basis against parties making groundless allegations of fraud. The preliminary view of the Court of Appeal is to award the Revenue the costs of the appeal, Mr Justice Binchy said. South Dongting Lake restoration empowers local development in C China's Hunan 14:33, April 01, 2025 By Zhong Wenxing ( People's Daily Online As sunset fades, 29-year-old Ding Huimin serves steaming tea to guests at her riverside bistro, the Youdu Country Music Bar, in Xiaohezui village, central China's Hunan Province. The air is filled with folk melodies drifting over the water, intertwined with the quiet songs of birds. This harmonious scene, once unimaginable, now pulses with life. A new journey of a fisherman's daughter "Growing up, my days began with the smell of fishnets," Ding recalls, whose family once relied on fishing in these waters. Ding Huimin serves cups of tea for guests at the Youdu Country Music Bistro in Xiaohezui village, Qionghu subdistrict of Yuanjiang city, central China's Hunan Province. (Photo/ADB) Like many in Xiaohezui village part of Yuanjiang city's Qionghu subdistrict in Hunan, within the South Dongting Lake wetland restoration project area Ding's journey reflects China's efforts to balance ecological renewal with rural revitalization. Once a community where families rose before dawn to cast nets, the 2020 Yangtze fishing ban prompted drastic changes. Photo shows birds in Xiaohezui village, Qionghu subdistrict of Yuanjiang city, central China's Hunan Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing) For Ding's parents, lifelong fishermen, the transition was daunting. "We feared losing our livelihood, and there was widespread dissatisfaction," she says. Yet, as the village's ecological environment improved, the former fishing village transformed into a tourism and cultural hub. Through government subsidies and vocational training, former fishermen successfully transitioned into new roles like becoming tourism entrepreneur, running farmhouse restaurants, and participating in village projects. Ding established her bistro three years ago with a business loan, which is nearly paid off due to her successful management. The bistro employs 10 people and sells agricultural products from nearby farms. On weekends, it consistently fills to capacity, attracting over 200 visitors drawn by the restored wetland ecosystem and live performances. Policy meets technology Dongting Lake, China's second-largest freshwater lake, plays a crucial role in regulating and storing water from the Yangtze River and rivers in Hunan. In its southwest, the South Dongting Lake Nature Reserve was established on a 8,0100-hectare area to safeguard complex wetland ecosystems, including lakes, rivers, marshes, and habitats for rare and endangered wildlife. Most of the reserve's core area 88 percent falls within Yuanjiang city. Photo shows a group of swans at the South Dongting Lake Nature Reserve, in Yuanjiang city, central China's Hunan Province. (Photo/South Dongting Lake Nature Reserve) Xia Xin, Yuanjiang's executive vice mayor, outlined three key policy pillars: improving an ecological compensation mechanism that requires developers to implement biodiversity conservation, compensation, and restoration measures for all wetland-related projects; mandating equivalent habitat restoration for any wetland encroachment; and listing strictly banned activities harming wetlands. Xia told People's Daily Online that local authorities have formed a joint task force integrating agriculture, forestry, wetland, and environmental agencies to tackle wetland issues. A smart management platform uses big data and remote sensing to monitor the wetlands in real time. "Technological support ensures no area goes unprotected," Xia added. Wang Long, office director of the Yuanjiang Management Bureau for South Dongting Lake Nature Reserve, reported that migratory bird populations of the South Dongting Lake have nearly quadrupled from 30,000 in 2018 to 123,000 in 2024. This year, over 120,000 visiting birds were recorded, serving as a strong indicator of the lake's recovery. Li Jianzhi, president of Yuanjiang's Environmental Protection Volunteer Association, is interviewed on March 21, 2025. (Photo/ADB) Local conservationists like Li Jianzhi, president of Yuanjiang's Environmental Protection Volunteer Association, have documented the resurgence. "In 2023, I photographed nine new bird species here," Li said. He is also the author of "Birds of Dongting Lake," a book that introduces over 300 bird species found around the lake. In September 2024, he even spotted the endangered glossy ibis a first for the region. Global collaboration for wetland revival These local innovations are now attracting global attention and funding. The South Dongting Lake wetland restoration and sustainable development project has drawn in global partners. An inauguration ceremony for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and French Development Agency (AFD) loan project took place on March 21, 2025, in Yuanjiang. It includes a $150 million ADB loan equivalent, matched by an equivalent of $65 million from the AFD. Asian Development Bank Vice President Scott Morris (in the middle) visits a wetland ecological restoration demonstration site, in Yuanjiang, central China's Hunan province, on March 21, 2025. (Photo/ADB) The ADB identified the project as the first flagship investment under its Regional Flyways Initiative (RFI). ADB Vice President Scott Morris highlighted the RFI's potential to set a precedent for balancing ecological preservation and economic growth across more than 20 Asia-Pacific countries. The initiative was launched at the Ecological Civilization Forum of the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, in 2021. Morris underscored that South Dongting Lake a critical habitat for migratory birds and endangered species has shown progress in ecosystem restoration, including increased biodiversity of birds, fish, and plant life. "This project is a living example of how wetland protection can coexist with human development," Morris stated, emphasizing its role as a replicable model for other regions. "By proving that environmental stewardship benefits livelihoods, we align local communities with long-term ecological goals," Morris explained. China was chosen as the initiative's launch site due to its high capacity, technical ability, and local partners' financial commitment. "China's ability to deliver quick, visible results lets us scale this model confidently to other countries," Morris noted. Photo shows Hulu Lake at the South Dongting Lake Nature Reserve, in Yuanjiang city, central China's Hunan Province. (Photo/ADB) As dusk falls on the lake, Ding prepares for another lively night at her bistro. Above, birds glide toward the restored marshes. Here, every birdsong echoes a lesson: When nature thrives, so do its people. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) Vivienne Clarke Stephen Moore, a former senior economic advisor to US president Donald Trump, has said he admires Irelands corporate tax regime and that the US might be wiser in reducing its tax rate to similar levels. Mr Trump is hoping a 25 per cent tariff on foreign goods arriving into the US will lead to a manufacturing boom. The White House said the charges will be applied from Wednesday, to any country which has "treated the US unfairly." Mr Moore told RTE radios Morning Ireland that he would prefer to see the US reduce the tax rates on corporate profits rather than raise tariffs on imported goods. Former Trump advisor Stephen Moore. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images "Ireland has the lowest corporate tax rate in virtually the world. We've always pointed to Ireland as really the model for what the United States should do. Better than raising our tariffs would be for the United States to bring our corporate rate down to 15 per cent, which would get closer to where Ireland is." Mr Moore said he was fearful that Mr Trump's tariff plan would cost US jobs. "One of the ironies is that we are trying to protect our manufacturing base in the United States and our hard-working Americans who work the blue-collar jobs. "But I do worry that the aluminium and steel tariffs and the other tariffs could actually cost US jobs in those industries because they're going to make these products more expensive. It's all in a bit of flux, right now." Mr Trump and his commerce secretary Howard Lutnick have both suggested US pharmaceutical multinationals located in Ireland will be targeted in what is expected to be a major tariff announcement on Wednesday. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said expected US tariffs on pharmaceutical exports will damage the economic prospects of US companies in Ireland. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said that if tariffs are imposed, it could mean 50,000 to 80,000 jobs will not be created or kept in Ireland in the next four to five years. He also warned that a global trade dispute could put jobs at risk, impact living standards and economic growth. Professor John McHale, head of economics at the University of Galway, told RTE's Morning Ireland that "the EU would be wise to take a measured approach to the retaliation. "The reason that you would have retaliation is to try to deter the policies of the Trump administration, but I do not think that Trump will be easily deterred and he'll probably double down if there's retaliation, so while there's a lot of political pressure to retaliate, I think a measured approaches is appropriate." Prof McHale said the Irish economy was definitely going to come under significant stress. The success of the Irish economy has very much been based on integration into the US economy, particularly with the presence of US multinationals here. "The incentive to base here and to route a lot of their revenues and tax payments through the Irish economy, that is definitely going to come under stress." FORMER prison officer and unsuccessful Fianna Fail general election candidate in Laois Austin Stack is calling for retired civil servants to be paid pension increases immediately. According to Mr Stack: All retired civil servants should have received increases of 2% in their pensions from 1 March. However, it has been brought to my attention yet again, that these increases are not being applied in some cases unless a query is received. Earlier this year I was informed of a situation where a pensioner had not received numerous pension increases and after I helped the situation was resolved. In the latest incident, Mr Stack said that he was informed about a pensioner in her 80s who informed him, that she had not received the latest increases. He said: The excuse that there are 'too many of you' was offered to this pensioner and this is not acceptable. If there was an overpayment it would be deducted immediately. This is a simple matter of adding 2% to the pension and there can be no excuse for not doing so. Many pensioners are elderly and cannot access the online payslips which leaves them vulnerable to an underpayment as they just cannot check if the increase has been applied. I have today made representations to the Minister for Public Expenditure about this ongoing issue and I would hope that it is resolved immediately, he said. RESIDENTS of a Laois town might as well be living in the Congo as they lack the most basic infrastructure, a local councillor has declared. Meanwhile, many councillors fumed that money is pouring into Portlaoise while residents of other towns and villages are second-class citizens. Cllr Aidan Mullins said that Portarlington is the third largest town in Laois and Offaly but it doesnt even have a bus shelter. You would think you were living out in the middle of the Congo, cllr Mullins told the March meeting of Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District. Fellow councillors also complained that towns and villages outside Portlaoise are being neglected by Laois County Council. Cllr Paschal McEvoy from Stradbally commented: Once you leave Portlaoise, nothing happens basically. Its like Dublin when you leave the M50. Cllr Ben Brennan agreed and said: Portlaoise gets 90% of all the grants and we get the leftovers. Cllr Mullins proposed that the council provide additional financial resources for the enhancement and upkeep of streetscapes, roundabouts and approach roads for Portarlington and other towns and villages in the municipal district. The Independent councillor said he recently brought county council chief executive Michael Rainey on a drive around Portarlington and it was striking how neglected the town had become. Cllr Mullins said: From one end of the town to the other, you would be lucky to see two or three flower boxes that are put in by the council. The roundabouts should be upgraded. The first impression of a town lasts and it has an effect on other parts of the town. The Portarlington councillor said it was an entirely different situation in Portlaoise, where the council was able to pay contractors to maintain beautiful planting around the town. Cllr Mullins added: I am not here to take away from Portlaoise. The town looks fabulous and rightly so, as the county town. I just cant understand why other towns arent entitled to the same resources. Portlaoise is the gold standard and there is no problem getting resources there. Portarlington and many other towns are relying on Tidy Towns groups who are doing fabulous work but it shouldnt be left to volunteers. Cllr Mullins said that, while he was critical of derelict buildings and other negative visual aspects of Portlarlington, it was no reflection on the towns council crew who did their best with limited resources. Cllr Brennan described towns and villages outside Portlaoise as neglected and said they would be in trouble were it not for CE (Community Employment) schemes that kept areas looking well. Independent Cllr Aisling Moran pointed out that Ballylinan had been looking for a bus shelter for nearly six years without success. She said: I cant understand how it is a two-tier system. Portlaoise gets everything and we get nothing. Cllr Padraig Fleming from The Swan and cllr Vivienne Phelan from Stradbally also felt that towns and villages needed more resources. Cllr Phelan suggested the possibility of roundabout sponsorship and said: Portlaoise is fantastic but I do think that our area, particularly the larger towns, needs a boost. In a written response to cllr Mullinss proposal, acting director of finance Julie Bergin said: Laois County Council acknowledges the importance of maintaining and enhancing the public realm, including streetscapes, roundabouts, and approach roads, to improve the appearance and liveability of Portarlington and other towns and villages within the municipal district (MD). We will review the works required and provide the support necessary, within the financial constraints, ensuring investment is targeted towards high impact areas. The MD special projects allocation should also be considered for such works. High Court reporters The parents of a 17-year-old girl who took her own life while under the care of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Kerry have launched a High Court action. The couple who cannot be named by order of the court are suing for nervous shock over the death of their daughter four years ago. Their lawyer Patrick Treacy SC instructed by Cian O Carroll solicitors told the court how in July 2021 the girls mother and father found their daughter in an upstairs bedroom of their home, where she had died by suicide. He said afterwards they were left in a state of utter devastation and their shock and trauma was not possible to describe. The essential tragedy here, Counsel said is that the teenagers parents never got a diagnosis from CAMHS of their daughter having a psychiatric condition. The girl, the court heard had attended some appointments with CAMHS but after she missed a speech and language appointment in May 2021 there was no contact about the non-attendance. The girls mother made repeated contact with CAMHS, expressing increasing concerns about her daughters deteriorating mental health and requesting an appointment. Counsel said the 17-year-old had also called into CAMHS, looking for an appointment. In the proceedings it is claimed there was there was an alleged failure to provide any or any adequate medical care, treatment or advice to the girl from the time of presentation at University Hospital Kerry or at CAMHS South Kerry including one date in 2020 and four dates in 2021 and following telephone calls from her mother and her own attendance at CAMHS requesting assistance. Counsel said it is their case that both the mother and father are suffering from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a prolonged grief reaction. The HSE side contends the couple are not suffering from psychiatric illness, but grief. Ms Justice Denise Brett was told that a breach of duty is admitted by the HSE in the case but causation remains an issue. Counsel said the teenager had, at the end of October 2020, been referred by her GP to University Hospital Kerry complaining of deteriorating mental health with low mood and suicidal thoughts. She was immediately referred to CAMHS Kerry and attended a first appointment there with her mother a month later. An assessment was carried out, Counsel said no risk assessment or management plan was recorded in the girls file. In March 2020, Counsel said the girl attended CAMHS for her first medical appointment, but no care plan was recorded and while the psychiatrist verbally offered a follow-up appointment, no further arrangements were made for a clinical follow-up. The teenager, Counsel said, was offered speech and language appointments and attended three in March and April but missed her May appointment. Counsel said no contact was made about the non-attendance. Her mother, he said, made repeated contact with CAMHS, expressing increasing concern about her daughters deteriorating mental health and requesting an appointment and the teenager herself also called in to CAMHS looking for an appointment. Her file was not reviewed, and no care plan was put in place, Counsel said. In the proceedings it is claimed there was there was an alleged failure to provide any or any adequate medical care, treatment or advice to the girl from the time for presentation at University Hospital Kerry or at CAMHS Kerry including one date in 2020 and four dates in 2021 and following telephone calls from her mother and her own attendance at CAMHS requesting assistance. It is also claimed there was an alleged failure to have any regard for the girl's symptoms, including symptoms of moderate to severe mental illness, suicidal ideations, and possible psychosis. There was, it is contended, a failure to carry out any adequate assessments of the young woman and a failure to monitor her adequately or at all. There was, it was claimed, an alleged inappropriate focus on speech and language assessment. It is further claimed there was an alleged failure to have any adequate systems, processes, structures or procedures to adequately care for patients presenting with mental illness. The case before Ms Justice Denise Brett is expected to last six days. By Cillian Sherlock and Grainne Ni Aodha, PA Opposition parties have been accused of engaging in cynical strategies of aggression and disruption by Taoiseach Micheal Martin as the confidence motion gets underway. The Dail is debating a confidence motion in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy over her role in approving a vote which allowed the Government to make changes to speaking time in the Dail. There were chaotic scenes in the Dail last week over the rule changes which resulted in the suspension of the House and prompted the main opposition parties to express a lack of confidence in Ms Murphy. Mr Martin, the Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fail, said it was profoundly regrettable the debate is being held, adding there was no justification for the motion. Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaks to the media on Tuesday (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Martin told the opposition on Tuesday afternoon: We will not stay silent as you try to intimidate this house and its chairperson, and you will not succeed in opposing rule by minority. You will not block the democratic business of this house, roaring and chanting, and then blaming everyone else for your behaviour. The motion of confidence in Ms Murphy is expected to pass with the Governments majority. Mr Martin said the Dail does do not have time to waste on cynical strategies of aggression and disruption, adding that the country is facing enormous threats over US tariffs. He accused opposition parties of breaking every single rule of the Dail and claimed parties had manufactured a claim that Ms Murphy had behaved inappropriately. The main opposition parties tabled an unprecedented motion of no confidence in Ms Murphy after Government proposals for rule changes sparked a bitter row. Ms Murphy will be backed by the Government on Tuesday afternoon in a confidence motion it is bringing instead of the opposition wording. Mary Lou McDonald accused Ms Murphy of showing an unprecedented and frankly breathtaking display of bias. She claimed her position is untenable. Ms McDonald said the Ceann Comhairle made three decisions exposing bias last week; failing to hold a vote on Dail business when one was called; cancelling questions on promised legislation; and failing to put the Government motion to a vote. The latter allegation is part of Sinn Feins contention that the Dail actually voted on the opposition amendment to the motion and thus the rules on speaking rights have not actually been changed. Ms McDonald said: Dail business was dispensed with to achieve the Governments desired outcome. She said there had been shameless co-ordination and co-operation between the Ceann Comhairle and the Government. The actions of the Ceann Comhairle have been neither impartial nor independent, quite the opposite. The credibility of the Ceann Comhairle now lies in tatters, having lost the confidence of the opposition. For the Ceann Comhairle to fulfil their duties, they must enjoy the confidence of both Government and opposition. Teachta Murphy does not and must go. Tanaiste Simon Harris called on all parties to pull together as the country faces a potential global trade war. It is my firm conviction that the message of the people from the last election, and the message of people right across Ireland in the last week, is Stop shouting, roaring and hollering at each other, turn up for work and get on with the job. The context we now face is a potential global trade war, which will not be without consequence for Ireland. Ive every confidence that this country will work its way through it, but it will require a co-ordinated and sustained effort in the vein of our response to Brexit. We need to pull together as this is a moment, the hard reality is dawning. The time for shouting, whooping and hollering is over. We need to put our shoulder to the wheel and we need to push in one direction. The speaking rights row delayed Micheal Martins nomination as Taoiseach (Brian Lawless/PA) Labour leader Ivana Bacik suggested that the new Dail speaking slot will be used by backbenchers to tell the Taoiseach how great he is. She criticised the changes to the Dail rules as allowing government-affiliated independents on both sides of the fence. She called the new eight-minute Other Members Questions slot on Wednesdays a sham setpiece. Were going to see it tomorrow, a new Other Members Questions slot, a sort of theatrical government TDs parliamentary party meeting in public, Ms Bacik said. But the reality is, government backbenchers will lose out. Other Members Questions are being introduced to the expense of Taoiseachs Questions on Wednesday, a slot which, is now we saw today, being used by backbenchers lobbying for junior ministries, queuing up to tell the Taoiseach how great he is and what a great job hes doing. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said Ms Murphy acted in a partisan way (Gareth Chaney/PA) The deputy leader of the Social Democrats said government is intent on bulldozing democratic norms to get a grubby deal with a corrupt politician over the line. Ciann OCallaghan said Government politicians clearly prefer to forget the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal, which said former Fine Gael minister Michael Lowry had behaved in a manner that was profoundly corrupt. Now an independent TD, Mr Lowry acted as a negotiator for other independents to support the formation of a Government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. Mr OCallaghan said: Last Tuesday, as the Dail descended into chaos, one person sat there smiling and laughing. Michael Lowry was triumphant, and why wouldnt he be? He got exactly what he wanted. He got one of his group elected as Ceann Comhairle. He got another four appointed as junior ministers, including two super juniors. He secured the opposition leader's speaking rights, and he got influence over how public money in the national development plan and the HSE capital plan will be allocated. All of this for a politician who was found to be what the Moriarty tribunal to be, and I quote, profoundly corrupt to a degree that nothing was short of breathtaking. There is some uncertainty as to whether the vote will settle a long-running dispute on opposition speaking rights, which has seen breaks in parliamentary norms of procedure and decorum. Sinn Fein, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit said they would discuss with other opposition parties how they would respond after the vote. Social Democrats TDs Rory Hearne and Sinead Gibney speaking to the media outside Leinster House as Verona Murphy faces a confidence motion (Niall Carson/PA) Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said his party was abstaining from the confidence vote in Ms Murphy. Mr Toibin said that they absolutely oppose the change to Dail speaking rules made last week, but said Ms Murphy should not be shown the door at this moment in time. Theres no doubt that the actions of Verona last Tuesday were procedurally incorrect, but its very hard to see how anybody would be able to deliver procedure properly under that kind of abuse for so long. Ms Murphy became the Ceann Comhairle in December in a move seen as among the first steps of an agreement with a group of independent MPs, known as TDs in Ireland, to support the formation of a government with the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties. Backlash to that coalitions proposals, which would have allowed some of those independent TDs to be directly given opposition speaking time, led to a delay in the nomination of a taoiseach in January. The Government has since moved to change parliamentary rules to create a new other members speaking slot for TDs in that independent bloc who were not given ministerial positions, as well as backbenchers in the Government parties. The controversial changes to standing orders also include a reduction of time for contributions on debating the order of business and a halving of slots for Taoiseachs Questions. The Government said the moves reflect the changing make-up of the Dail. Peadar Toibin (left) and Paul Lawless of the Aontu party, speaking to the media outside Leinster House, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) However, the opposition has vehemently opposed the reforms, characterising them as an attempt to dilute their ability to hold the Government to account and to blur the relationship of the independents who have supported the formation of the coalition. They argue that the other members questions slot does not tally with their position that a TD cannot be in Government and opposition at the same time. The row has hindered legislative work and has prevented parliamentary committees from being established. Opposition parties have further argued that the process in which the changes were approved was itself flawed. It comes amid a dispute on whether Ms Murphy carried out her duties correctly and followed proper procedures in carrying out the vote to implement the changes, which were backed by the Governments majority. During a lengthy standoff ahead of the vote, Ms Murphy said the actions of opposition TDs were an absolute disgrace and they were making a holy show of themselves. There was widespread disruption from the opposition benches as the motion was brought forward and the Dail was ultimately adjourned for the remainder of the day after the vote was approved by the Ceann Comhairle amid further objections. Opposition parties chanted shame, shame, shame as the Government filed out of the chamber. Michael Lowrys gesture following the vote (People Before Profit/PA) At the same time, Mr Lowry, a key figure in the independent grouping that supported Government formation and put Ms Murphy forward for Ceann Comhairle, was filmed sticking up two fingers to People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy while still in the chamber. Mr Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister who was previously found by a tribunal to have behaved in a manner that was profoundly corrupt, later described his move as an errant gesture under provocation. The Government has backed the Ceann Comhairle while criticising the opposition tactics. The U.S. State Department announced a Level 3: Reconsider Travel advisory to Guinea-Bissau due to crime, civil unrest and limited access to health care. Canva/Katherine Rodriguez You might want to reconsider your travel plans if you want to visit this West African nation. The U.S. State Department recently issued a Level 3: Reconsider Travel advisory to Guinea-Bissau due to crime, civil unrest and limited access to health care. According to the State Department, the country has reportedly experienced political instability for years, and protests have devolved into violence. Crime runs rampant in the nation, where many foreigners are targeted by criminals at the Bissau airport and in crowded areas near the capital. Police often lack resources to respond adequately to serious crimes. Health care is also limited in the country, and travelers should carry medical evacuation insurance and all needed medications for their journey. If Americans travel abroad to Guinea-Bissau, the U.S. government cannot provide consular services within the country and emergency services are limited because there is no U.S. Embassy in Guinea-Bissau. If you do decide to travel to Guinea-Bissau, keep these things in mind: Stay aware of your surroundings. Do not display signs of wealth, such as expensive watches or jewelry. Do not physically resist any robbery attempt. Use caution when walking or driving at night. Be sure to always wear your seatbelt. Only drink bottled water. Avoid risky behavior, including swimming in fresh bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, and ponds, which can be contaminated with bacteria and/or parasites. Avoid demonstrations and crowds. Buy travel insurance before your trip. You can find more information about this travel advisory and ways to stay safe while traveling here. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. A Monroe County man has been indicted by a federal grand jury after allegedly trafficking methamphetamine and cocaine throughout the county, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced. Eli Valentine Calero, 43, of East Stroudsburg is charged with felony possession of drugs with intent to deliver. State charges were withdrawn, court records state. The federal charges were announced on March 26 by Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus. Stroudsburg Township-based attorney, Gerald Robert Brunell, who represented Calero on the state-level charges told lehighvalleylive.com Tuesday that as of now, Calero is presumed innocent. Unless, the government proves (Calero) guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, Brunell said. The state case involved a traffic stop, he said. The federal case then involved a larger investigation. Calero is seeking an attorney in the federal case, Brunell said. On March 12, Calero allegedly had over 500 grams of methamphetamine and an amount of cocaine for distribution. Its unclear if Calero, his car or a residence was searched and a news release by authorities didnt specify. Calero on March 26 was taken to the Lackawanna County Prison, where he remained incarcerated Tuesday. Calero faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, Pocono Mountain Police, and the Monroe County District Attorneys Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. This story stems from a months-long records search and dozens of interviews concerning the petition to dig deeper in the Buzzi Unicem cement plant in Stockertown. Reporting continues on a fuller analysis of the plant and its effect on the environment. If a Nazareth area quarry digs deeper, will the nearby Route 33 bridges be safe? Plans to dig deeper in a Nazareth area quarry could pose serious safety risks for a pair of nearby highway bridges, according to a state transportation department engineer. Although a PennDOT spokesman maintains the Route 33 bridges will be safe, he offered no rebuttal to PennDOT engineer Kerry Petrasics concerns that digging deeper could draw down the water table under the bridges. At 6:12 p.m. on Monday, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning in effect until 6:45 p.m. for Berks County. At 6:11 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Adamstown, or near Reading, moving east at 20 mph, says the weather service. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. Locations impacted by the warning include Wyomissing Hills, West Lawn, West Reading, Lorane, Kenhorst, Mount Penn, Birdsboro, Laureldale, Reiffton, Reading, Whitfield, Wyomissing, St. Lawrence, West Wyomissing, Mohnton, Shillington, Flying Hills, Spring Ridge and Sinking Spring. This includes Interstate 176 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 6 and 11. The weather service adds, Take cover now! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Tornado watches and warnings: Your safety guide When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the distinction between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Heres a breakdown: Tornado watch: Be prepared! A Tornado watch serves as an early warning that conditions are conducive to tornado formation. Its your signal to review your emergency plans, ensure your supplies are in order, and identify your safe room. While it doesnt indicate an imminent tornado, its a heads-up to be prepared to take swift action if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching. Watches come from the Storm Prediction Center and often cover a large area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states. Tornado warning: Take action! A Tornado warning signifies that a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal theres an immediate danger to life and property. Your response should be quick: seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. If youre in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or through reports from trained spotters and law enforcement. Knowing the difference between these two alerts is essential in staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger approaches. Get ready for tornadoes Stay weather-ready: Keep an eye on the weather forecast to stay informed about tornado risks. Tune in to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates on tornado watches and warnings Sign up for notifications: Know how your community sends warnings. Some communities have outdoor sirens. Others depend on media and smartphones to alert residents of severe storms capable of producing tornadoes. Establish a communication plan: Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a church or family member. Choose a secure shelter: Pick a safe room in your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows. Practice your plan: Conduct a family severe thunderstorm drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching. Make sure all members of your family know to go there when tornado warnings are issued. Dont forget pets if time allows. Prepare your home: Consider having your safe room reinforced. You can find plans for reinforcing an interior room to provide better protection on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Help your neighbor: Encourage your loved ones to prepare for the possibility of tornadoes. Take CPR training so you can help if someone is hurt. What to do when a tornado strikes When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service: Stay informed: To ensure your safety during a tornado, remember that acting promptly is crucial, according to the weather service. Stay informed about tornado watches and warnings through regular updates on local news or a NOAA Weather Radio. At home: If you are at home and a tornado warning is issued, make your way to the basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Dont forget to ensure the safety of your pets if time allows. At work or school: If you are at your workplace or school, adhere to tornado drill procedures. Move promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter, avoiding large open areas like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and steer clear of windows. Outdoors: If a tornado is on its way, seek shelter inside a solid building immediately. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe places to be. In a vehicle: Being in a vehicle during a tornado is highly unsafe. Your best option is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching shelter is not possible, either stay inside your car, covering your head, or abandon the vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Remember, acting swiftly and following safety protocols are essential for your well-being when a tornado is imminent. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. A Laois writer is poised to publish his tenth book, and it's a departure from his usual poetry, instead offering a collection of humorous, thought provoking short stories. Rising Dust is the new book by Dr Arthur Broomfield, inspired by advice he was given from Small Things Like These author Claire Keegan, and fellow Laois native writer Pauline Clooney. It's short story themes range from a miraculous healing at an agricultural show, the strange appearance of rosary beads in a Protestant youths pocket and a prison chiefs shooting. Rising Dust published by Revival Press is soon to be launched in the beautiful surroundings of the new Portlaoise library as part of the Bealtaine Festival in Laois. Laois playwright Frances Harney will be officially launching it on Saturday May 24 from 2 pm to 4pm. Dr Broomfield from Portlaoise has a prolific career in the literary arts, having published nine books including six poetry collections. His current work At Home in Ireland has sold 3000 copies. He told the Leinster Express / Laois Live about his new book. "Ive been writing short stories for a number of years. This collection is a re-working of previous work and a number of new stories. Ive taken courses with two excellent tutors, Pauline Clooney and Claire Keegan, both of whom have radically changed my approach to writing. On Claires advice I went back to reading Hemingway. His influence is a big inspiration to me. One reader, who works closely with Dr Broomfield describes the collection on his behalf. "This collection is typical of Broomfields courageous approach, original, passionate, and politically incorrect. It tackles themes that strip to a heart of Ireland that beats beneath the surface, whether that be brutality, deception by those in position of trust, prison and rural themes, that have not been written of before. "Since his first work, When the Dust Settles, Broomfields work has got the name of being controversial, but thats not always the case. His work is also known for its sensitivity and its sparkling humour. While its not easy for a courageous artist to escape controversy the artist must be true to his calling. What will be recognized in his work is Broomfields authenticity," the reviewer said. Read more: Chillingly intact Laois famine workhouse awarded 200,000 Rising Dust, published by Revival Press, Limerick, will be launched in the Laois County library, Portlaoise, on Saturday, May 24 at 2pm. Coillte has issued advice to anyone visiting woodlands in Laois as a fire risk warning is in place. The Department of Agriculture has issued the Status Orange, High Forest Fire Risk Warning, which will remain in place nationally until Monday, April 7 at noon. The fire risk warning was issued due to the current weather conditions and the forecast for more dry weather in the coming days. Strongly elevated fire risks are expected in areas with fire-prone upland vegetation types, and fire behaviour and spread rates are likely to be strongly influenced by lower humidity levels associated with easterly winds and elevated windspeeds, which may exceed 20km/h at times, Coillte warned. The Slieve Bloom Mountains in Laois suffered devastating fires in July of 2018 when forest and gorse fires raged and it's hoped those scenes will never be repeated. Coillte has issued advice to visitors to forests in Laois while the warning is in place. Members of the public and visitors to forests and other recreational areas should cooperate with all requests regarding fire safety, obey all relevant bye-laws and should not use barbecues or other outdoor fire sources in amenity areas. Visitors to the countryside should be considerate in parking vehicles so as not to impede access by emergency vehicles, they stated. Coillte is asking people not to light fires in and around forests or open land, not to attempt to intervene or fight fires under any circumstances and to phone fire and rescue services at 112 and report fires. Gather all family/group members and move to a safe fuel-free location such as a car park, upwind of the fire, Coillte stated. They also urged people to evacuate if instructed to do so, and cooperate with all emergency service instructions. Nine out 10 students who took part in a programme to promote third-level participation and tackle early school leaving have progressed to further education, a report has revealed. Some north Dublin suburbs have historically had one of the lowest third-level participation rates in Ireland but 90% of students who joined the Challenger initiative are continuing education beyond second-level. However, an assessment of the project coinciding with its 30th anniversary on Tuesday has raised concerns about its long-term future. Challenger, developed in 1995 by primary school teachers Dermot Boyle in Priorswood, and Noel Kelly in Darndale, is delivered by local development company Northside Partnership to 200 young people yearly across Darndale, Bonnybrook, Priorswood, Coolock and Kilmore West, working in partnership with DEIS schools. It provides educational and social support to children with the aim of boosting numbers progressing to further education. The programmes latest evaluation, by Dr Maria Quinlan of Pink Flower Research, warns that Challenger is restrained in long-term planning and development by a vulnerable funding model. It is currently co-funded by Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme under the Department of Rural and Community Development, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science through the Higher Education Equity of Access initiative, and the Community Foundation of Ireland. Dr Quinlan said: As is common in the sector of community development, the Challenger programme is reliant on funding support from Government agencies and public donations. She added: While funding is currently secured for the next four to five years, longer term the programme remains at the whim of funding decisions beyond the control of Northside Partnership. This insecure funding model makes long-term planning or programme expansion challenging. Offering structured support to young people from sixth class to sixth year, Challenger works with parents and schools, with 40 sixth class pupils joining each year. Challenger provides back up to children transitioning from sixth class to secondary school and through their Junior and Leaving Certificates and aids progression to further education. It aims to challenge young people to reach their full academic, personal, and social potential. Supports include extracurricular tuition and access to the Gaeltacht, and five-year evaluations of the programme have highlighted significant academic improvement, coupled with emotional growth. Paul Rogers, chief executive of Northside Partnership, said children from the communities it serves have as much talent and potential as those from more affluent areas, but often lack the chance to fully develop their potential. He said: As well as retaining children in full-time education and seeking to ensure they fulfil their potential, it seeks to build a positive education culture within communities, ensuring further education is viewed as attainable and achievable. He added: Often, what drives families to join Challenger are the success stories of students who have thrived through the programme. According to Dr Jack Nolan, chairman of the Darndale Economic and Social Plan implementation group, a Dublin City Council initiative for the area, introducing children to the concept of further education is a key component of the Challenger programme. Challenger introduces children from areas with complex needs to the idea of further education at an early age, he said. It supports them to aim high and guides them along the way. The programmes latest evaluation was scheduled to be unveiled on Tuesday at an event to mark its 30th anniversary in the Hilton Hotel, Northern Cross, by educational inclusion specialist Professor Katriona OSullivan of NUI Maynooth. The speaker of the Irish parliament needs to build bridges with the opposition after the confidence motion is held on Tuesday, a TD has said. Labour deputy leader Ged Nash said theres a job of work to be done to resolve a row that has seen opposition parties express a lack of confidence in the Ceann Comhairle, Verona Murphy. Several opposition parties said they would consider what their response to the vote will be, which Ms Murphy is expected to survive, after the vote is held. I think we need to see genuine efforts from this Ceann Comhairle to build bridges with the opposition and to demonstrate over a period of time her impartiality and the impartiality of the office, he said ahead of the vote. Its been incumbent now since the Ceann Comhairle took on that role to be beyond reproach, to show very clearly that she is not in any way partisan, that the integrity of the office of the Ceann Comhairle is always protected. It comes after Irish premier Micheal Martin said it was unfair to blame Ms Murphy for a vote that cut opposition speaking rights. Irelands main opposition parties tabled an unprecedented motion of no confidence in Ms Murphy after Government proposals for rule changes sparked a bitter row and chaotic scenes in the Dail, the lower house in the Irish parliament. Ms Murphy will be backed by the Government on Tuesday afternoon in a confidence motion it is bringing instead of the opposition wording. Speaking before the vote, Mr Martin said he hoped that the Dail could move on afterwards and focus on more substantive issues, such as the threat of US tariffs, the housing crisis and disability issues. I think its very, very unfair to lay the blame on what happened last week upon Verona Murphy, the Ceann Comhairle, because the clerk of the Dail has made it clear that all procedures were followed (in) his impartial and objective assessment, the Taoiseach said on his way into Cabinet. The disruption was caused in the main by the opposition and at that part of the Dail, it was caused by the Sinn Fein party, in particular, drowning and shouting and barracking, trying to prevent proceedings from getting under way. Its a bit rich then to come along and blame the Ceann Comhairle, having created all that disruption. But I think theres an obligation to focus on getting back to work in terms of getting committees established, getting legislation considered by committees and other issues. He said efforts to halt Dail business by interruptions and disruptions was a fundamental undermining of democracy. That shouldnt be tolerated in any shape or form. Its not justified, Mr Martin said, but added that they were willing to engage with the opposition parties on establishing committees. However, there is some uncertainty as to whether the vote will settle a long-running dispute on opposition speaking rights, which has seen breaks in parliamentary norms of procedure and decorum. Sinn Fein, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit said they would discuss with other opposition parties how they would respond after the vote. Sinn Feins Louise OReilly said: We believe the Ceann Comhairle must have the support of both the opposition and the government. We will not just simply nod this through. The Social Democrats Sinead Gibney said the numbers are against us when asked about whether they would continue to protest against the new Dail rules. I cant rule out anything at the moment. We will consider all of our options at the end of today. Independent Irelands Michael Collins, Richard ODonoghue and Ken OFlynn suggested there was winking and thumbs up between Ms Murphy and the government chief whip last week. She no longer has the confidence of, I would say, almost all of the opposition in Dail Eireann, and on that basis, its going to be very difficult for her to be seen to be impartial, Mr Collins said. Mr OFlynn urged Ms Murphy to fall on your sword and resign for the good of democracy. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said opposition were happy to proceed with forming committees, but not with the blurring of the lines between government and opposition. Asked if the Ceann Comhairle could have been inexperienced, rather than working in clear collusion with the government, Mr Murphy said: No, I dont think so. It became clear to me what was going to unfold, that they had a plan. Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said his party was abstaining on the confidence vote in Ms Murphy. Mr Toibin said that they absolutely oppose the change to Dail speaking rules made last week, but said Ms Murphy should not be shown the door at this moment in time. Theres no doubt that the actions of Verona last Tuesday were procedurally incorrect, but its actually very hard to see how anybody would be able to deliver procedure properly under that kind of abuse for so long. Ms Murphy became the Ceann Comhairle in December in a move seen as among the first steps of an agreement with a group of independent MPs, known as TDs in Ireland, to support the formation of a government with the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties. Backlash to that coalitions proposals, which would have allowed some of those independent TDs to be directly given opposition speaking time, led to a delay in the nomination of a taoiseach in January. The Government has since moved to change parliamentary rules to create a new other members speaking slot for TDs in that independent bloc who were not given ministerial positions, as well as backbenchers in the Government parties. The controversial changes to standing orders also include a reduction of time for contributions on debating the order of business and a halving of slots for Taoiseachs Questions. The Government said the moves reflect the changing make-up of the Dail. However, the opposition has vehemently opposed the reforms, characterising them as an attempt to dilute their ability to hold the Government to account and to blur the relationship of the independents who have supported the formation of the coalition. They argue that the other members questions slot does not tally with their position that a TD cannot be in Government and opposition at the same time. The row has hindered legislative work and has prevented parliamentary committees from being established. Opposition parties have further argued that the process in which the changes were approved was itself flawed. It comes amid a dispute on whether Ms Murphy carried out her duties correctly and followed proper procedures in carrying out the vote to implement the changes, which were backed by the Governments majority. During a lengthy standoff ahead of the vote, Ms Murphy said the actions of opposition TDs were an absolute disgrace and they were making a holy show of themselves. There was widespread disruption from the opposition benches as the motion was brought forward and the Dail was ultimately adjourned for the remainder of the day after the vote was approved by the Ceann Comhairle amid further objections. Opposition parties chanted shame, shame, shame as the Government filed out of the chamber. At the same time, Michael Lowry, a key figure in the independent grouping that supported Government formation and put Ms Murphy forward for Ceann Comhairle, was filmed sticking up two fingers to People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy while still in the chamber. Mr Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister that was previously found by a tribunal to have behaved in a manner that was profoundly corrupt, later described his move as an errant gesture under provocation. The Government has backed the Ceann Comhairle while criticising the opposition tactics. I've been reading a lot about habits in the last three months. I might normally be reading the back of a bottle of the latest craft beer from Aldi, so I suppose dead-scrolling on 'giving up the drink' content is progress - if a little more boring. They reckon it can take up to 200 odd days to break a habit, but most 'experts' settle at around 90. I've surpassed the 90-day mark now with three months down on this year-long challenge, and truth be told, it has flown by. In the last few weeks, it's been a bit tougher as I attended a few social gatherings where I'd normally beckon the barman to throw on a pint of Guinness and then sit back and admire it as she settles and gets her top up. The Guinness 0.0 filled the void nicely, in fairness to it. I've come to blacklist places that don't sell it; the kind of establishment where staff tell you, "just Heineken Zero" when you enquire about the zero alcohol options. That said, I haven't found the three months very difficult, Heineken Zero aside. I have written before about the challenge and said I wasn't a big drinker to begin with, and that is true and helps at this stage. I liked a few cans or bottles of something at home, mostly, a few nights a week, so it wasn't like I was giving up a weekend binge. Drink is linked to every social occasion in Ireland, even going to a match, so that can make it a bit trickier, always explaining why you're not drinking. Yes, people will probe like they've got you across a table in Guantanamo Bay. I've also got a new job as the family taxi man. They call me 'Dessie.' The one thing I've noticed more than anything is the extra bit of energy you have when not drinking. I always found that even after two or three pints, you'd be a little bit sluggish the next day, maybe with a small bit of a headache too. It's not a nice feeling, especially when you have an eight-month-old daughter who has made it her mission to crawl every inch of your house and attack every kitchen cabinet with gusto. A small headache in that situation can make you that bit more fed up, a little more irritable, and then there you are sighing over small things, taking it out on the people around you. READ NEXT: I've challenged myself to 'no beer for a year' for 2025 - there's one big reason Other people tell you about all the money you've saved and work out how many drinks you might have had weekly and how much that has left in your pocket. If that's the case, I must have holes in my pockets because I certainly don't notice the extra few bob floating around. It's a bit like smoke; it goes somewhere and you can't really pin it down. Maybe IKEA this week, Amazon the next, you know yourself. The truth is you must be saving money even if you aren't walking around with 50 notes falling off you like confetti! I've had friends and colleagues send me different videos and articles on people who have done the same challenge and actor Tom Holland made an interesting point in an interview. He said he started off doing Dry January one year and found it hard, to the point that he forced himself to do February as well. On and on he went until he was six months in. At that point, he started sleeping better, dealing with stressful situations better and his relationships were better. He said after struggling through January, once he had done a year, he knew he would never drink again because he had become "the best version" of himself. It was an interesting take and Conor Pope from the Irish Times said something similar in an interview, saying, "the longer I went without booze the more I realised life without alcohol was better." I'm getting to a point in the year where I think my relationship with alcohol, in terms of social events or drinking at home casually, has fundamentally changed. I won't go back to randomly grabbing eight cans of Guinness while doing the shopping on a Thursday evening. That said, I'm not in the Tom Holland camp of never drinking again, and I didn't set out on this 'no beer for a year' challenge to reach that point. READ NEXT: 'I'm doing no beer for a year but it's very expensive to stay sober in Ireland' When I go to one of my favourite pubs for dinner, Furey's Bar in Moyvalley, Co Meath, I will certainly have a pint of Guinness, a wonderful pint it is too. I think the difference is, I will enjoy it even more if I go next January when I've completed this challenge. It's like Easter coming up and you get your favourite chocolate. If you eat it on Easter Sunday, Monday and half the following week, by the next weekend, if someone dropped off another one, you'd have no interest. I've learned that what's rare is beautiful, as they say, and a perfect pint of Guinness in a pub is a rare thing for sure! Northern Ireland is being removed from the itineraries of tourism trips to the island of Ireland due to the UKs new visa waiver scheme, Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has told MLAs. Ms Archibald said she was deeply concerned about the impact on tourism of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, as its rollout continues this week. From January 8, all non-European visitors to the UK who do not require a visa have had to purchase an ETA instead. From Wednesday, European visitors will also need an ETA, which is linked to a travellers passport. The cost of an ETA will rise from 10 to 16 on April 9. Irish citizens travelling into Northern Ireland do not require an ETA because they are entitled to move freely in the UK under the Common Travel Area arrangements. Tourism businesses in Northern Ireland have been warning for more than two years about the potential consequences of the post-Brexit scheme, highlighting that 70% of international visitors to the region travel across its land border having arrived in the Republic of Ireland first. During ministerial question time at the Assembly on Monday, SDLP MLA Sinead McLaughlin asked the minister what engagements she had ahead of the scheme being rolled out for European citizens. Ms McLaughlin said: We have repeatedly highlighted the threat that this poses to the all-island tourism economy. Ms Archibald responded: I am deeply concerned about the impact of the introduction of the ETA scheme and what it will mean for our tourism sector. I met with the Tourism Alliance last week and heard about their concerns and the very real impact that is now being seen from the introduction of this scheme. They were talking about tourism trips actually being cancelled at this point and the north being removed from itineraries due to that requirement for visitors to have an ETA. The minister said she had engaged with the UK Government as recently as last week on the issue. She said there should be an exemption for Northern Ireland given the particular impact that there is and how visitors travel to the island mostly through Dublin and then to the north. Ms McLaughlin asked the minister if she would publish her departments research on the economic impact for Northern Ireland of the ETA scheme. Ms Archibald said: This is something we are continuing to monitor. We are working both with the Tourism Alliance, but also Tourism Ireland in terms of understanding the impact and we will continue to take an economic analysis of that. When you look at how many European citizens travel, they travel with ID cards and therefore are not even able to get an ETA because you need a passport to get it. The impact is going to be significant and it is important we do understand that. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, has officially opened the refurbished Maynooth University (MU) Arts Building. Minister Lawless, who is based in North Kildare, met with staff and students on his visit to campus (March 31 last). He cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony for the building, which cost a total of 5.7 million to refurbish, and also viewed a new Research Ireland-funded mass spectrometer and other high-tech research equipment during his visit. Speaking about the refurbishment, Minister Lawless said: "These developments will provide state-of-the-art facilities to enhance students' on-campus experience. "With Maynooth being my local University, I was familiar with the campus and the old arts block so I was extremely impressed at the architecture and form in the reworked building." He added: "This new structure is greener, more sustainable and creates a more pleasant place for students to interact particularly the new all-purpose hall where I met many students congregating during my visit." Originally designed by the renowned Irish architect Robin Walker in the 1970s, the building was refurbished by RKD Architects. It was delayed by Covid-19, but eventually went ahead over the summers of 2023 and 2024, in order to minimise disruption during term time. CHANGES MADE The upgrades included: Complete facade replacement while remaining faithful to the original design to improve energy performance Installation of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery in classrooms and lecture spaces Bathroom refurbishment and improvement to circulation areas Upgrades to classrooms, staff offices and external courtyard Structural steel frame repair and repainting to ensure longevity Introduction of a new Student Common Room with 240 seats Photo supplied by MKC Communications Speaking at the ceremony, MU President Professor Eeva Leinonen also thanked Minister James Lawless for opening the building. Prof Leinonen said that MU has a "deep appreciation" for him and his Department for their ongoing support of the university, and also "of higher education across Ireland". She added: "This refurbished Arts Building is a testament to our commitment to sustainability, excellence in education, and respect for our architectural heritage. "It provides our students and staff with a modern, comfortable, and inspiring environment in which to learn, teach, and collaborate. "In our Strategic Plan, we describe our vision as Campus Beo a living campus that reimagines university life to reflect the evolving ways we learn, teach, and work." "We would like to thank the Department for its support in making our vision a reality," Prof Leinonen concluded. READ NEXT: Money needed for road safety work on this main street in Kildare Cllr Enda McGloin called for the repair of rotten and broken fencing across Drumshanbo, especially along the Mart Link Road to the Waterways Ireland Amenity at Blackrock. Theres a lot of fencing around open areas in Drumshanbo especially in key community spots that needs attention, said Cllr Enda McGloin. He added: Unfortunately, wooden fencing is great when its erected first, but then over time it disintegrates, and it needs to be replaced. Cllr Brendan Barry echoed the concern and questioned the material used. Why are we persisting in using this white one, which only has a life expectancy of 10 or 12 years? Were going to have this constant coming back with replacements. He noted seeing similar fencing collapse elsewhere: I was driving yesterday and I noticed along a national primary route theyre just lying flat now theyre rotten at the bottom. Cllr Ita Reynolds Flynn also supported the motion, stating: The Council should be looking at alternatives. It might cost a little more upfront, but it would last a lot longer. District Engineer Darragh OBoyle noted: We can repair the damaged fencing that is in Leitrim County Council ownership. Usually, all land agreements between land owners and Leitrim County Council identify the responsibility of the boundary with the land owner. The majority of the timber fence has now been replaced with mature hedging from the Lough Allen Hotel roundabout to Waterways Ireland entrance. Most of the fencing around Drumshanbo belongs to private landowners, but where the Council does own it, well repair it like-for-like. Were also happy to support Tidy Towns in fixing what they originally installed. He also confirmed that, The fencing that was opposite the Mart yard was put up by Tidy Towns a number of years ago with our assistance. No problem fixing that fence, we certainly fixed the rails on that. A walk-through of the affected areas will be arranged, with potential involvement from the Tidy Towns group and scheme supervisor Noel Burns. We pick a date and we go for a walk, OBoyle said. Cllr McGloin welcomed the offer: Yeah, well thats very welcome, I appreciate that. READ MORE Elderly abandoned as HSE fails to staff thousands of care hours Its especially critical when it comes to financial inclusion and access to finance, he said. I want to implore that more emphasis should be placed on improving access to finance because that is a critical need for our businesses. AGRA Delegation with Minister Nuetah and other officials of the MOA Kamara: We want to leverage AI to enhance our governance systems, improve cybersecurity measures, and optimize telecommunications THE AN GARDA Siochana family in County Limerick is in mourning following the passing of former colleague and great friend, retired Garda Victor Walsh, who was stationed in Bruff from 1987 until his retirement in 2013. Inspector Gearoid Thompson, on behalf of An Garda Siochana, said their sympathies go to his loving wife Patricia, and his family Mairead, Liam, Oonagh and Enda, his four grandchildren, sisters, relatives and many, many friends. The Newcastle West native joined An Garda Siochana in December 1982. He was initially posted to Naas in July 1983 and then onto Newbridge in County Kildare. The mid-1980s were austere and trying times in our country and like most garda members of that era, Victor did a stint up on the Border keeping the Fowl Pest at bay before returning to his native Limerick in 1987 and to Bruff garda station. Fowl Pest is an acute and usually fatal viral disease of domestic fowl that was a big national concern at the time. Victor was always a meticulous and diligent garda member, who carried out his duties professionally and with compassion. His capabilities went beyond his duties as a garda which was evidenced by his dedication to others, especially his fellow colleagues, serving as both district and divisional representative with the Limerick branch of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) for many years. In this role, Victor assisted his fellow members by representing their interests either individually or as a collective where required. A solid, even-tempered member, he could be relied upon to give sound advice to those in need and was an excellent guiding hand to colleagues needing such guidance. Victor was especially adept at giving advice on finances and matters surrounding monies, both public and private. Further to this, Victor held a long standing role of social club secretary where he organised or helped in organising many great social occasions and ensured that any garda member retiring or departing got the best of send-offs. Victor (third from left) is pictured below at a leaving party for former Bruff Superintendent Tom Lundon in 2011 with garda colleagues Tony Charnley, Sean O'Connell, Mr Lundon, Tim Hartnett, Michael Reidy and Tom McGlinchy. Many cheques for these events were signed off by Victor who was known for his stylish and professional signature. Those serving with Victor also benefited from his excellent culinary skills and if you were lucky enough to be around when he was cooking breakfast or dinner, you were certainly in for a treat. This was a huge indication of Victors dedication to others and the importance he placed on camaraderie and team spirit. The warmth of his welcome was felt by many. Upon his retirement in 2013, Victor carried on his sterling work for his colleagues into his retirement by being a leading figure and branch secretary of the Garda Siochana Retired Members Association (GSRMA), a role he remained in up until Friday, March 7, a week before he sadly passed away on March 15. In this role, Victor was a vibrant and strong conduit in maintaining contact between retired and serving garda members and the garda organisation, ensuring that contact was made with those who might be alone or in poor health. One and all were kept up to date on social happenings and very importantly funerals. READ MORE: PICTURES: Knocklong Men's Shed officially opened by Limerick senior hurling manager John Kiely For years, Victor organised the annual memorial Mass for deceased Limerick-county based garda members which was always well-attended. These Masses, held at Rathkeale Church, where Victors own funeral took place on Tuesday, March 18 were always special, with brilliant singing and music, followed by a welcome gathering for refreshments afterwards in the local hotel. In later years, Victor bravely battled illness but never let it stop him in his efforts and his dedication for others never waned. Insp Thompson said: We, as a garda family, will miss Victor greatly. His smile, his welcoming manner and astute, witty observations around the canteen table or out socially will remain in the minds of us all. Rest in peace dear colleague. Not just one of the good guys, a great guy. VOLUNTEERS at a city centre charity shop are celebrating after winning an annual award following a public vote. Adapt charity shop, based at Parnell Street, won the 2024 Limerick City Tidy Towns award. The judges were impressed at the effort the shop staff went to keep their signage and shop front clean and fresh. READ MORE: Darkness Into Light returns to Limerick this May with Limerick blogger as ambassador Credit was also given to the fact the neighbouring laneway is kept free from litter. Off the back of this, the shop won the bi-monthly Limerick City Tidy Towns award all the way back at the start of last year. It meant it was in the running for the overall annual prize. Limerick City Tidy Towns volunteers launched an online vote. And the charity shop triumphed. Shop manager Frances Quinn was delighted. Its wonderful for the shop and for Adapt services. It promotes the shop and hopefully it will bring in customers and donators. For Adapt, it promotes our services and the vital services we provide to women and children, she said. A vital charity, Adapt provides around-the-clock refuge and support for women survivors of domestic abuse and their children. The proceeds of every purchase made from the shop in Parnell Street goes towards supporting its services. Adapt was based in Sarsfield Street, but moved across the city three years ago. Its a really good street. We get a lot of local support. As we are close to the railway station, people coming in and out on buses and trains call into us, Frances added. Helen ODonnell, Limerick City Tidy Towns, was delighted Adapt won the public vote, given the fact she has supported it in the past. Its an organisation very close to my heart, she said. Limerick City Tidy Towns volunteers meet to do regular clean-ups of the city centre on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. COUNCIL planners have rejected proposals for a new shopping mall in the heart of Limerick - as it does not contain housing or rise up high enough. As revealed by Limerick Live, developers are planning to build a two-storey shopping mall at a site in the city centre which has been vacant since the mid-2000s. Under the plans, Multi-Storey (Limerick), a firm headquartered on the citys riverside, is seeking to build nine units over two floors at the junction of Anne Street and Catherine Street. PICTURES: Out and About in Limerick this weekend The land was once home to Finucanes Electrical, which moved to the suburbs in 2006, with its old city centre premises demolished a year later. The area has been largely unused since. According to a blueprint submitted to council, the new retail units will measure between 44 square metres and 75 square metres. Four will be located on the first floor, five on the ground floor, and these will be built next to an existing retail unit which houses a hairdresser. A mall will link the first floor units. The kind of retail proposed is unclear, with one of the directors of Multi-Storey (Limerick) Eva Clarke not previously returning a request for comment. But the council has rejected the planning application. Its planners pointed to policies which support high quality mixed-use developments that include residential uses. In particular, as the proposal does not seek to maximise building height through high quality design and does not include the provision of any residential uses, it is considered the development does not meet the national, regional or local planning objectives to promote compact growth, urban regeneration and sustainable city centre development, council stated in its decision letter. Granting permission, the authority argued, would set an undesirable precedent for other developments in the vicinity of the site and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. Heritage body An Taisces Limerick branch were the only group to object to the planning application. It criticised the limited level of ambition and weak design quality of the scheme. There have been a number of proposals for the patch of land, which have never seen the light of day. DISCOUNTED market homes for first-time buyers in Limerick are being rolled out as the fifth phase of a council scheme. Limerick City and County Council have launched its fifth initiative under the New Build Incremental Purchase Scheme, offering some first-time buyers three-bedroom units this time in Clonmacken in the city, between Coonagh and Caherdavin. Those able to apply for the scheme include existing working local authority and Approved Housing Body (AHB) tenants and households on Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) the chance to purchase newly constructed starter homes at a 40% to 60% discount, based on certain income bands. This scheme aims to support working families and individuals in transitioning from private rental accommodation, including those availing of HAP, RAS, or social leasing, into homeownership. READ ALSO: A nod to Limerick's past at first St Patricks parade in Hospital Brian Kennedy, director of housing at Limerick Council, said: This is the fifth Incremental Purchase Scheme Limerick City and County Council has introduced. The Council is committed to providing existing working local authority and AHB tenants and working HAP and RAS households with real opportunities to own high-quality, discounted market homes. We are excited to see this project come to life in Clonmacken. In particular, the scheme offers an opportunity to buy where a household has received a Notice to Quit. There are seven energy-efficient units on offer, consisting of three-bedroom homes priced between 99,402 and 149,103, depending on income. The new Clonmacken homes are described as being spacious with modern features. Eligible applicants must apply before 5pm on April 22 and must submit a complete application, including Mortgage Approval in Principle, to be considered. Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, emphasised the importance of such schemes in addressing housing pressure: Initiatives like the New Build Incremental Purchase Scheme are strengthening our ongoing efforts to address the housing crisis in Limerick. By providing affordable, high-quality homes, we are supporting working families and individuals. This scheme offers a realistic pathway to homeownership, ensuring that more people can have a place to call their own in one of our focus neighbourhoods, Clonmacken. (Bloomberg) -- Brazils central bank president, Gabriel Galipolo, cleared his schedule on Monday to make room for some urgent meetings. The guest list included Andre Esteves, chairman of financial giant Banco BTG Pactual SA, and Paulo Henrique Costa, the leader of a smaller, more obscure bank owned by the government of Brasilia. The topic was a third bank that had brought all their fates together. Until recently, Banco Master SA had been a high flier, expanding its lending portfolio by 86% a year on average, leasing a splashy office in Miami and acquiring rivals. But to grow so quickly, Master had relied heavily on an incentive offered by a deposit insurance fund called FGC. A December 2023 rule change threw the banks future into uncertainty and raised concerns of others in the industry that the situation may pose a broader risk. Daniel Vorcaro, Masters chief executive officer and biggest shareholder, has been trying to sell the lender ever since the central bank introduced new FGC rules that disrupted its business model of borrowing from mom-and-pop savers to buy riskier assets, according to people familiar with the matter. Negotiations to be acquired by BTG were unsuccessful, the people said. But last week Master announced an agreement to merge with BRB SA, the bank owned by Brazils capital city. That deal still requires antitrust approval and the signoff of the central bank, which has been led by Galipolo since January. Hes scheduled to meet Tuesday with Vorcaro in what could be a pivotal encounter for Masters future and a test of Galipolos ability to contain a potential crisis for FGC. Critics of the Master-BRB deal say its tantamount to a government bailout of a firm that was allowed to take on too much risk for too long. The recent case of Banco Master and its rescue by BRB, a public bank linked to the federal capital district, blatantly exposes the functioning of a system that rewards irresponsible behavior and transfers the risk to society, said Fabio Alperowitch, co-founder and chief investment officer at Fama Re.capital, an asset-management firm, in a LinkedIn post. BRB said in a statement that the deal brings complementarity of businesses, solidity, liquidity and capital. It will take place after a restructuring that will create a holding company. This separate entity, which wouldnt be part of the deal, would keep some of the riskier slices of Master, such as its equity stakes in small and midsize companies, its portfolio of bonds linked to court-payment disputes (legal claims), and the investment-banking business, among other non-strategic assets and liabilities. The central bank and Galipolo declined to comment. BTG and Master didnt reply to messages seeking comments. Banco Master was born after Vorcaro and partners bought a small bank, in 2017, and changed its name and strategy. Since its inception, Master relied heavily on funding from individual investors using a benefit from FGC, which is funded by reserve requirements from banks and owned by the biggest lenders. FGC insures deposits in Brazil up to 250,000 reais ($43,816) per individual per bank. To attract those clients, Master paid more than other banks in interest as much as 140% of Brazils interbank rate, called DI. But the more Master grew using this type of funding, the more deposits it was forced to make in the FGC under the funds rules. Those deposits also increased Masters cost of funding. Then came the new rule in December 2023, forcing banks with a potential need of the FGC greater than six times their shareholders equity to retain more treasuries from the Brazilian government on their balance sheet, starting in June 2024 with an adjustment period through 2028. But with its high cost of funding, Master needed riskier assets than treasuries to be profitable. Bonds linked to legal claims represented 34% of Masters loans as of June 2024, Moodys said, or about 175% of the banks equity. In June, FGC had 132.7 billion reais in assets. Masters time deposits that could need FGC insurance totaled more than 28 billion reais in the same month. Facing Challenges If the central bank blocks the acquisition, the Brazilian financial system could face challenges. In a hypothetical liquidation or intervention of Banco Master, about 25% to 30% of FGCs resources could be consumed, said Rafael Schiozer, a professor of finance at business school FGV-EAESP. Having a decapitalized FGC would reduce the security of the system as a whole, he said. Master was working to wean itself off of its FGC business model, but it has remained heavily dependent on the fund. In June 2024, roughly 65% of Masters funding mix comprised individual customer deposits, obtained primarily through third-party brokerage platforms, Moodys Ratings said in a report. It was 95% in 2022. Additionally, a considerable portion of Masters liquidity consisted of credit-linked and equity investment funds, which are harder to sell when needed than government securities. These funds accounted for 69% of the banks liquid assets as of June 2024, Moodys said. Masters equity funds have stakes in companies such as Oncoclinicas do Brasil Servicos Medicos SA, a Brazilian cancer-care provider, and Biomm SA, a biotechnology firm. Banco Master continues to present important concentrations in its loan portfolio, as well significant exposure to credit-linked and equities held on its securities portfolio that adds asset risk and opacity to its balance sheet structure, Moodys said in a report in September. The pressure forced Vorcaro to seek a deal, and he found a willing partner in BRB. Under the merger agreement, Master, with 51 billion reais in assets, will be incorporated by BRB, with 61 billion reais. BRB would acquire 49% of Masters voting shares, so Masters shareholders would still have the voting majority. Master would remain a separate entity under the BRB brand. BRB will buy 100% of the preferred shares and 58% of the total capital of the bank. Vorcaro would join the board of BRB. To Schiozer, the transaction is an unforced sanitation of the Brazilian financial system. In other words, the industry is seeking to clean up the problem itself without government intervention. But ultimately, itll be up to Galipolos central bank to decide if the BRB deal leaves the financial system healthier. --With assistance from Daniel Cancel, Martha Beck and Barbara Nascimento. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) A total of 206 cases against import of substandard goods violating intellectual property rights, Bureau of Indian Standards, and FSSAI norms, valued at 206.62 crore, have been booked by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and customs field formations till February this fiscal, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. In a reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs field formations under CBIC keep constant vigil to check import of substandard goods into India. "In the current 2024-2025 (upto February, 2025), a total of 206 cases against import of substandard goods violating IPR, BIS and FSSAI norms, valued at 206.62 crore, have been booked by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs field formations under Customs Act, 1962," he said. In a separate reply, he said almost 10 years have passed since India reviewed its Model BIT (bilateral investment treaty), a need was felt to review certain clauses in India's Model BIT to strike an overall balance between investor friendliness and state's regulatory power. To encourage sustained foreign investment and in the spirit of 'first develop India' BITs have been signed in 2024 with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Uzbekistan. India revised its Model BIT in 2015 which was used as the starting point for renegotiations of existing and future BITs. He informed that post 1991 economic reforms and up to 2014, India has signed Bilateral Investment Treaties with 83 countries out of which 74 were ratified and enforced. Based on the revised Model BIT in 2015, it was decided to terminate the existing treaties with countries whose initial validity period got over and re-negotiate based on the revised Model BIT. Since then, India has signed BITs with Belarus, Kyrgyz Republic, Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Treaty (ICFT) with Brazil, UAE and Uzbekistan. It has also been signed between India Taipei Association and Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre. The maker of Godfather beer and GianChand single malt, DeVANS Modern Breweries Ltd, is preparing to enter the premium craft gin market even as it launches more premium single malt whiskies and ramp up its beer production. DeVANS premium craft gin, which will be priced at around 3,000 for a 750ml bottle, will be launched in Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Goa, said Prem Dewan, chairperson and managing director. The company, which is funding its growth through internal accruals, is also preparing to launch two variants of its GianChand single malt whisky as well as developing other super-premium liquor brands that are slated for release in this financial year (2025-26), he said. Dewan also has premium plans for the companys beer business, which accounted for about 65% of DeVANS turnover in 2024-25. The remaining 35% of the companys revenue came from selling bulk malt spirits to other liquor companies. As rising raw material costs squeeze margins in the economy alcohol segment, liquor makers with premium and super-premium portfolios are doubling down on high-end variants. Last week, Amrut Distilleries Pvt. Ltd, best known for its namesake single malt whisky, said it was expanding its premium rum portfolio with the worlds first single-jaggery rum. A spirited journey Jammu-based DeVANS, best known for brewing Godfather beer, launched its first single malt whisky, GianChand, in 2021. While the company has been producing malt spirits for other liquor firms since 1961, its own whisky brand has seen steady sales growth. (The company did not disclose its revenues.) DeVANS new spirits are being produced at its Jammu facility, which has a capacity to generate over 400,000 litres of spirits per month. Our facility has some of Indias biggest pot stills and can house over 25,000 barrels at full capacity for malt spirit maturation," Dewan said. Vikram Achanta, co-founder and chief executive of Tulleeho, a Delhi-based drinks consultancy, said DeVANS journey from beer to single malts has been interesting. Their DNA as a group has always been beer and (they) have successfully premiumised their beer portfolio too. They have also done the same in their B2B (business-to-business) supply of malt spirit to other companies," Achanta said, adding that it was natural for the company to create its own single malt brand two years ago. They have taken gingerly steps to come to this point but have the potential to grow from here because its a very good product," he said. Also read | Rockford maker spices up competition in premium whisky market Achanta, however, added that the single malts business in India was becoming competitive with many international brands entering the market and various Indian players keen on expanding their capacity to meet demand. India sold around 675,000 cases of single malt whisky in 2023, growing 16% over 2022, per the latest data provided by the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies. Domestic brands accounted for over half of these sales. The Godfather makers premium run DeVANs entered the premium beer segment in 2024 with its Six Fields brand, which initially debuted as a wheat beer and now includes a Pilsner with 4.7% alcohol and Brute, a strong lager with over 6% alcohol. More premium beer brands are on the cards for FY26, said Dewan. He didnt disclose more details except to say that at present premium beers made up a small pie of DeVANS beer business but was poised to grow. Six Fields is priced at around 150 per can. Pilsner and Brute cans are priced at around 90 and 140, respectively. Godfather costs about 130. The prices vary across states. Overall, Dewan expects DeVANS beer sales in 2024-25 to have increased by 50% as the company expanded its production capacity and entered new markets, including Maharashtra, said Dewan. Also read | United Breweries bets on premium beer as key states may spoil the summer party DeVANS plans to tap Indias surging demand for beer by increasing the capacity of its Jammu facility, which currently is about 40,000 kilolitres, by 40%. We will be applying for permission soon to extend our operations," Dewan said. In Maharashtra, where DeVANS introduced all its beers earlier in FY25, the company is securing a partnership with a brewery to sell about a million cases of beer in the state in its first full year. Currently, the company relies on co-packing arrangements in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu to cater to the Maharashtra beer market. To tipsy summers About two years ago, Dewan pegged DeVANS production capacity at over 156,600 kilolitres of beer per month. The companys monthly capacity, including that of its own breweries and externally commissioned plants, has since increased to 240,600 kilolitres. In addition to this, its distillers can produce up to 60,000 kilolitres of malt spirits and Indian made foreign liquor, or IMFL. The Godfather maker sees demand for beer looking strong due to heatwaves across India. We are expecting to grow 50% in the summer quarter (April-June)," Dewan said. We should also be able to manage our capacity to sidestep any disruptions in states where policies are changing over. We have increased our tie-ups and have added various states to our sales." Also read | Beer brewers, after two tepid years, raise a toast to a longer, meaner summer Elon Musk struck what could be considered the biggest deal of the year, and he broke all the normal rules. Musks splashy merger of the social-media company X and his artificial-intelligence startup xAI values the combined company at over $110 billion. That would be a blockbuster deal on Wall Street. But this one is unorthodox, even by Musks standards, for a whole host of reasons. The valuation was surprising and so was how the companies got there. Only one set of advisers worked for both sides, when a deal of this size would normally take armies. In short, the unusual process resulted in a megadeal few public companies could get away with. That deal consists of a $33 billion price tag for X, alongside a $80 billion valuation for xAI. The new $80 billion valuation figure for xAI is a big jump from just four months ago, when the company was valued at $50 billion in its last fundraising. The new level was set as part of the merger talks, not in a new funding round. Its funny money," said Andrew Verstein, professor of law at the University of California, Los Angeles, Law School. Its like using Monopoly money to buy Pokemon cards." The deal is an all-stock transaction, so no cash is expected to change hands. X and xAI shares will be traded for stock in a new holding company, meaning the companies essentially agreed on an exchange rate for their shares. The advisers worked both sides Also unusually in this deal, the same advisers worked on both sides of the transaction: Morgan Stanley and Sullivan & Cromwell. Typically, separate bankers and lawyers work with a buyer and a seller, and in negotiations they are jostling for the best possible deal for their respective client. There would also likely be some sort of market check to ensure there arent any other possible bidders. Morgan Stanley landed its role after advising and helping to finance Musks original $44 billion acquisition of Twitter. At Sullivan & Cromwell, lawyers Mike Ringler and Peter Jones led the X/xAI negotiations, having joined the firm about a year ago from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. The duo had advised Musk on his Twitter deal while at Skadden. For those advisers, it was more about keeping their relationship with Musk and his empire, rather than landing a big deal fee. Other Wall Street bankers and lawyers said Monday that they werent lamenting over missing the deal. (They are more excited by the next-biggest deal of the year, Googles $32 billion acquisition of cybersecurity startup Wiz.) A reason that xAI is merging with X is because the X platform offers real-time and proprietary data, people familiar with the matter said. A deal a public company couldnt do The size of the deal is unusual for private companies. Even when Musk used his Tesla business in 2016 to buy his solar-energy company SolarCity, both were publicly traded businesses. Massive corporate tie-ups tend to be between public companies. And public shareholders arent shy about suing when they dont think they got the best possible deal. Litigation around deals is common, especially in Delaware, where the lions share of large companies are incorporated. If this were a public-company merger, shareholders on each side would demand that independent directors and advisers determine the proper valuations. But xAI and X likely arent at risk from litigation, observers say. Business courts in Nevada, where both companies are incorporated, tend to be less protective of shareholders, according to Dorothy Lund, a professor at Columbia Law School. Musk has moved to keep his companies out of Delaware after his multibillion-dollar pay package from Tesla was rejected by a judge there. Problems generally arise when shareholders on one side of a deal think they are overpaying or getting shortchanged. But X and xAI share several investors, so that isnt a big issue here. And, many of the investors are backers of Musk more broadly, making it unlikely they would want to complain even if they didnt like the transaction, said people familiar with the deal. Several investors cheered the deal, including in X posts. Unfortunately for dealmakers, this particular transaction may not offer the best sign that M&A activity is generally on the rise, after the start to 2025 was lacking in megadeals. If anything, bankers said, it could offer a sign that there will be more deals for social-media companies or similar internet platforms looking to bolster their data sets for artificial intelligence. A big reason that xAI is merging with X is because the X platform offers real-time and proprietary data (hundreds of millions of active users posting on the platform), people familiar with the matter said. Write to Ben Glickman at ben.glickman@wsj.com and Lauren Thomas at lauren.thomas@wsj.com. (Bloomberg) -- Hooters of America has filed bankruptcy as the casual-dining brand known for its chicken wings and skimpy server uniforms struggles to lure customers. The Atlanta-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Northern District of Texas on Monday, court documents show. It listed assets of $50 million to $100 million and liabilities in the same range in its petition. High labor costs, competition from cheaper fast-food chains and declining restaurant traffic overall have taken a toll on casual-dining restaurants. Seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster went bankrupt last year after a money-losing endless shrimp promotion, while TGI Fridays Inc. filed for Chapter 11 after struggling to turn around its business. The company is seeking approval of $40 million of debtor-in-possession financing from certain of its existing lenders, including $35 million of new capital, it said in a press release on Monday. That would provide the company with ample liquidity to support operations during the chapter 11 process, which is expected to last up until August, according to the statement. Hooters founders plan to make the chain more family-friendly as a way to turn things around, Neil Kiefer, chief executive officer of the founder-owned unit, HMC Hospitality Group, told Bloomberg News in a recent interview. A turnaround plan would likely see HMC and other operators of Hooters franchises take over most of the US locations currently owned and run by Hooters of America, though some may close. Hooters complex debt financing could be one of the wrinkles in a restructuring. Its bonds are packaged as whole-business securitizations, through which it pledges most of its assets, including franchise fees, as collateral. The bankruptcy case is Hooters of America LLC, 25-80078, US Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas. --With assistance from Jonathan Randles. (Updates with details of debtor-in-possession financing in fourth paragraph and case number in last paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com (Bloomberg) -- A federal judge rejected Johnson & Johnsons third attempt to use bankruptcy to set up a multibillion-dollar trust fund to pay women who claim they got cancer using baby powder and other products allegedly tainted with a toxic substance. US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez on Monday dismissed the bankruptcy of a small J&J unit called Red River Talc following a two-week trial in Houston, finding that a vote of cancer victims on the proposal was flawed. J&J was trying for the third time to use a small unit to resolve all talc-related lawsuits involving ovarian cancer and other, similar gynecological diseases at once instead of facing trials around the country in different courts. The latest trust proposal would have set aside $9 billion for victims. Voting on the settlement included irregularities, among them was an unreasonably short voting time for thousands of creditors, was all done to get to 75% at any cost, Lopez said. What J&J Is Trying to Achieve in Bankruptcy Court: QuickTake Since J&J launched its strategy in 2021, critics have complained that the company, one of the most profitable in the world, is trying to use special federal rules only available to bankrupt businesses to shield itself from the lawsuits. The companys first two attempts to pay claims through a bankruptcy trust were dismissed by a federal appeals court in Philadelphia. By moving the case to Texas, the company came under the jurisdiction of the appeals court in New Orleans, which has issued decisions more in line with J&Js legal arguments. J&J could now ask the appeals court to review the case. A company spokesperson didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. While most of the prominent personal-injury lawyers handling tens of thousands of baby powder cases favor the deal offered by the health care giant, a handful wanted Lopez to reject it. The Justice Departments bankruptcy watchdog also opposed it. Opponents have said J&J shouldnt be allowed to use Chapter 11 to resolve the cases and questioned the companys tactics in rounding up pre-bankruptcy support from victims. The women who sued allege J&J sold baby powder and similar products made from talc contaminated with the cancerous substance asbestos. The company denies that the powder is harmful, but it stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the US in 2020. At the trial, which took place in February in Houston, Lopez was asked to navigate the intricacies of bankruptcy law, including whether J&J manipulated a vote on the settlement among 93,000 claimants. If a company with asbestos liabilities obtains 75% approval from plaintiffs voting on a bankruptcy settlement plan, the firm is allowed to resolve all current and future liabilities via a trust, according to the ruling. Under the rejected proposal, a bankrupt unit of J&J would have established a trust to determine how much each cancer victim would get based on a set of detailed criteria. All lawsuits related to allegations that baby powder causes ovarian cancer and other gynecological diseases would have been halted and instead resolved by the trust. For its latest bankruptcy, J&J organized a vote of claimants before filing the Chapter 11 case. After the company increased its settlement offer, more claimants were in favor of a deal, giving the company enough support to meet a 75% threshold set by the bankruptcy code. Red River has denied that voting was flawed and contends that lawyers opposed to the bankruptcy settlement were motivated by their own financial interests to defeat the deal. The bankruptcy case is Red River Talc LLC, 24-90505, US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (Houston). --With assistance from Jef Feeley. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Merino Shelters Private Limited (MSPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Man Industries (India) Limited, has entered into a Deed of Assignment with realty developer Green-Spaces LLP (part of Paradise Group) to develop a six-acre land parcel in Navi Mumbai. The land parcel is located opposite to DY Patil Stadium at Nerul in Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai. The upfront amount of 70 crore, and out of the total area of the developed property, the Company will get 30% area equivalent to approximately 4,50,000 sq.ft. Rera carpet area (Commercial and Residential), said the company, adding, Over a period of 5 to 6 years, the developed area is estimated to have a monetising value of approximately 650 700 crore. The total monetising value would be approximately 720 770 crore. The company said that the land has excellent connectivity and proximity to key infrastructure, including the Navi Mumbai International Airport which will become operational later this year. The funds generated from the monetization of assets will support the company's expansion plans, driving growth and unlocking significant value for shareholders, said the company. Also Read | This Indian jewellery company gifted brand-new cars to 12 employees 'Key stepping stone' This deal acts as a key stepping stone, as management intends to monetize its non-core assets and focus on strengthening its core line pipe business and support its ongoing & future expansion plans like getting into high-value segments and entry into new geographies," said Nikhil Mansukhani, Managing Director of MAN Industries (India) Ltd. Mansukhani added that the move reinforces MAN Industries consolidation plans to emerge as a leader in the line pipe business that will drive consistent growth for next few years and unlocks significant value for shareholders. Paradise Group's MD Manish Bathija said that they have always strived to create landmark developments that redefine urban living. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)-Mumbai on Tuesday issued a notice to real estate giant Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Pvt. Ltd (SPCPL), seeking its response to an insolvency plea over an alleged default of 2.72 crore. Chennai-based Intertouch Metal Buildings Pvt. Ltd, a roofing and cladding firm, has pleaded that it hasn't received payments for its work since October 2022. The firm requested the NCLT to initiate insolvency proceedings against Shapoorji Pallonji and appoint an interim resolution professional. Also Read: Real estate: Deconstructing Shapoorji Pallonji Groups housing ambitions According to the companys chartered accountant, who appeared before the NCLT, Intertouch Metal Buildings was engaged in the construction and erection of metal buildings at the newly developed Port Blair airport in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The airport construction tender was awarded to the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. The airport construction is complete and fully operational. However, payments of 2.72 crore remain outstanding from a total project value of 15 crore, the chartered accountant informed the tribunal. The roofing firm said it had repeatedly reached out to the Shapoorji Pallonji Group via emails regarding the pending payments. Even after serving a demand notice, we only received a small ratification request, which we duly complied with. Despite this, the payment has not been cleared, the representative added. Also Read: Tata Trusts continues to oppose transfer of Tata Sons shares owned by SP Group Upon hearing the matter, the NCLT issued a notice to SPCPL, directing the company to file a reply within seven days. The next hearing is scheduled for 24 April. This is not the first insolvency claim against the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. In October 2024, the Mumbai NCLT dismissed an insolvency plea filed by KBC Infrastructure against SPCPL. The tribunal ruled that insolvency proceedings cannot be misused as a debt recovery tool, particularly in cases where the debt amount is disputed or does not meet the required threshold. SoftBank Group has agreed to lead a funding round of up to $40 billion in OpenAI. Its a deal which should boost the value of Microsofts stake in the ChatGPT maker but raises the bar for the successful conversion of OpenAI into a for-profit company. The Japanese technology-and-telecoms company said Tuesday that it planned to invest up to $30 billion in OpenAIs for-profit subsidiary and syndicate the remaining $10 billion to co-investors. The deal values OpenAI at $300 billion, up from $157 billion in a funding round late last year. Artificial-intelligence company OpenAI is currently structured as a nonprofit company with a board that oversees its for-profit business. It intends to become a for-profit public-benefit corporation, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people with knowledge of its plans. OpenAI has to complete that transition by the end of the year or SoftBank can reduce the funding round to $20 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. That puts pressure on the timeline for the complicated negotiations over the share of the company that early backers such Microsoft will receive. Microsoft has pumped $13 billion into OpenAI since 2019. However, Microsoft has lessened its dependence on the company by setting up an in house AI unit, while OpenAI has struck deals with other companies such as Oracle for computing power. The rapidly souring relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI means that if conflicts emerge, there is now a large and grumpy shareholder capable of making a lot of trouble," wrote independent analyst Richard Windsor, who publishes Radio Free Mobile. OpenAI said in a statement announcing the funding round that 500 million people use ChatGPT every week. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a post on social-media site X on Monday that the chatbot platform added one million users in a single hour amid widespread use of its upgraded image-generation tool. In January, SoftBank and OpenAI announced a plan to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the U.S., together with other partners including Oracle. The joint venture, called Stargate, will build data centers for OpenAI. SoftBank has invested $2.2 billion in OpenAI through SoftBank Vision Fund 2 since September. The first $10 billion investment of the latest funding round is planned for mid-April with the rest coming in December, SoftBank said. Barrons owner News Corp has a content-licensing partnership with OpenAI. New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) Parliament approved a bill to set up 'Tribhuvan Sahkari University' in Gujarat's Anand with an aim to create a qualified manpower for co-operative societies, with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod on Tuesday. The university has been named after Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel, who was one of the pioneers of cooperative movement in India and instrumental in laying the foundation of Amul. The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on March 26, 2025. Rajya Sabha passed the bill with a voice vote on Tuesday. As many as 28 members participated in the debate on the bill in the House. Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol said that more than 50 per cent of the population is engaged in agriculture and there are 8 lakh institutions with which 30 crore people are related. Mohol said that this would be the first university for the cooperative sector and fulfil the need for capacity building of manpower engaged in the sector and creating skilled professionals. The proposed university will also address the long-pending issue of capacity building of employees and board members in the co-operative sector in a pan-India and focused manner. The bill said it is essential that a comprehensive, integrated and standardised structure is created for education, training and research by establishing a national university to ensure a stable, adequate and quality supply of professionally qualified manpower for different categories of jobs in co-operatives such as managerial, supervisory, administrative, technical and operational. The "Tribhuvan" Cooperative University Bill, 2025, aims to provide education and training in the cooperative sector through Tribhuvan Cooperative University, build youth capacity, establish centres of excellence offering degree programmes, distance education, and e-learning courses, and train approximately 8,00,000 individuals annually, while creating sector-specific 'Schools of Excellence' in areas like dairy and fisheries. New Delhi/ Mumbai, Apr 1 (PTI) A section of employees at the AI Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) on Tuesday alleged that the management's recent arbitrary actions have violated the principles of ethical governance even as the company asserted that there is no discrimination. The All India Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Union (AIAMEU), which represents around 1,100 staff on Fixed Term Employment (FTE), will start a symbolic protest by displaying a black ribbon for three days starting on April 2. Among others, it has demanded an "end to arbitrary decision-making" and also fair and equal treatment for all employees, according to a letter addressed to the AIESL CEO. The union also claimed that recent actions, such as a change of promotion policy and non-implementation of 2-3 years' salary revision, have created an atmosphere of fear and dissatisfaction. When contacted, AIESL CEO Sharad Agarwal told PTI that the company does not discriminate between employees. "The company has a declared safety and quality policy and encourages open reporting. There is also a redressal mechanism in place for the employees," he said. Agarwal also stressed that there are no arbitrary decisions taken at AIESL and for all major decisions, employees are always taken on board. There is already a bilateral agreement in place with the union and I don't know why issues are being raked up again, he noted. SoftBank Group Corp. is seeking a loan of as much as $16.5 billion to help fund artificial intelligence investments in the US, according to people familiar with the matter, in what would be the tech investors largest-ever facility denominated solely in dollars. The bridge loan under discussion has a tenor of about 12 months, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. Talks with banks are in early stages and details may change over the coming weeks, the people added. A representative for SoftBank declined to comment. SoftBank is seeking financing as it explores ways to roll out a $500 billion AI infrastructure project in the US while it also pursues ambitious projects in both robotics and semiconductors. Although the Japanese company is teaming up with OpenAI, Oracle Corp. and Abu Dhabis MGX on the Stargate AI venture, SoftBank remains the main financier of the data center buildout its promised US President Donald Trump. The bridge loan may help SoftBank lead a $40 billion funding round in OpenAI, the people said. The move values the ChatGPT creator at $300 billion in whats slated to be the largest financing round of all time. The Stargate initiative is aimed to support widespread use of OpenAI services. The US Department of Health and Human Services started dismissing workers early Tuesday morning, including top regulators involved in drug and tobacco safety, according to a memo viewed by Bloomberg, as Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. puts his stamp on the agency. Emails coming from deputy assistant secretary for human resources Tom Nagy notifying people that they were terminated came around 5 a.m. in Washington, DC. Portions of, or whole offices were cut, according to two people familiar with the matter, including offices working on sexually transmitted diseases, global health and birth defects. Employees affected by the reduction-in-force notice were locked out of HHS computer systems immediately, meaning the work on the programs they ran was effectively halted and they were unable to communicate with partners. The layoffs align with a plan Kennedy announced March 27 to eliminate 10,000 employees from the agencys workforce. Combined with voluntary departures through buyout programs, the total initiative is expected to reduce the agencys staff from 82,000 employees to 62,000 workers. Among those cut were Peter Stein, a top official at the Food and Drug Administration who oversaw reviewers that evaluate new drugs, according to an email viewed by Bloomberg. I received an email indicating that Ive been removed as OND Director and offered a position in patient affairs which I have declined, Stein wrote. The Office of New Drugs reviews applications and makes approval decisions, and is responsible for deciding whether the benefits of drugs outweigh the risks, the agencys website says. Steins departure is another major blow to the agencys leadership following the March 28 departure of Peter Marks, who oversaw the division of FDA that approves vaccines, insulins and complex injectable medicines. Additionally, the FDAs chief tobacco regulator was removed from his position. It is with a heavy heart and profound disappointment that I share I have been placed on administrative leave, wrote Brian King, who served as director of the FDAs Center for Tobacco Products, in an email to staff obtained by Bloomberg Law. Also affected by dismissals were most of the FDAs press office, according to people familiar with the cuts. Besides shrinking the agencys workforce, Kennedy is also working to reshape its structure by cutting the number of divisions almost in half. Those moves include combining units of HHS focused on public health, substance abuse, mental health and occupational safety into a new entity called the Administration for a Healthy America. The division of HHS responsible for preparing for pandemics will be relocated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 1,000 employees will be transferred there as a result. HHS has said drug and medical device workers, along with food reviewers and inspectors will be spared from the cuts. Democrats have blasted Kennedys plans, saying they will disrupt services and undermine medical research. Their plan is putting lives in serious jeopardy, Washington Senator Patty Murray told reporters the day after the cuts were announced. With assistance from Sophie Alexander, Ike Swetlitz and Nyah Phengsitthy. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Zomato Layoffs: Online food delivery platform Zomato cuts up to 600 customer support jobs within a year of taking them on board, reported the news portal Outlook Business, citing people aware of the development on Tuesday, April 1. According to the report, Zomato's job cut move comes as the food delivery and quick commerce firm is facing a slowdown in growth in its core food delivery business and rising losses in its subsidiary Blinkit. The company also leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to automate its artificial intelligence (AI) for customer support functions in order to reduce costs for the company. LiveMint's queries sent to Zomato remain unanswered so far. Any response from the company will be included later in the story. According to a Moneycontrol report, the food delivery firm hired nearly 1,500 employees for its vacancies in the customer support roles under the Zomato Associate Accelerator Program (ZAAP) one year ago. Employee Compensation The customer support employees who were fired received one month's salary as compensation and then were terminated without any notice period, reported the news portal, citing sources aware of the development. They also said that the employees were fired based on poor performance and poor punctuality, among other things. A majority of employees hired under Zomatos ZAAP program last year have been let go over the last week or so without any clear explanation, a current customer support employee told the news portal. They also mentioned that the layoffs have taken place across Gurugram and Hyderabad, as the fears rise amongst the existing employees over their existing jobs. Zomato shares were trading 0.84 per cent higher at 203.20 ahead of the stock market close after Tuesday's trading session, compared to 201.50 at the previous market close. Job Loss Woes on Reddit Some social media users took to the Reddit platform to discuss the firing incident. One social media user who was allegedly fired from Zomato, along with 300 more employees, shared the experience with netizens. A user named Brave_Role_6331 shared their experience with the r/Delhi community on how Zomato allegedly fired its employees without any warning or an opportunity to improve, according to a post shared seven days ago. I never thought Id be writing this, but here we are. Today, I was fired from Zomato for what I can only describe as a ridiculous and unfair reason: being late by an average of just 28 minutes over the past three months. No warning, no opportunity to improvejust a cold termination, despite having excellent metrics, a great track record, and a strong presence on the floor, said the Reddit user, according to the post. The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that funds recovered from the fraudulent transactions at Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) will go to Piramal Capital & Housing Finance Ltd, the successful resolution applicant for the bankrupt company. The apex court upheld Piramals resolution plan and also overturned a January 2022 order by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) that directed lenders to reconsider the valuation of the recoveries and the distribution of the recovery proceeds. A bench of Justice Bela Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma dismissed appeals filed by fixed deposit holders and non-convertible debenture holders, including 63 Moons Technologies Ltd, who challenged the resolution plan and the mechanism of distributing the recoveries. The court ruled that 45,000 crore in recoveries from "avoidable" and "fraudulent" transactions at DHFL should go to Piramal, not to DHFLs creditors. This decision upheld the resolution plan, which assigned a nominal value of 1 to these recoveries. Also Read | Why Piramal wants to exit its decade-plus insurance ventures with Shriram In addition, the court clarified that the resolution plan complied with regulations under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, and the National Housing Bank (NHB) Act, 1987. It stated that neither of these acts mandates full payment of deposits or gives depositors the right to full repayment. There was no evidence suggesting that any authorised officer under the RBI Act or the Company Law Board had ordered full repayment of deposits to such creditors. Consequently, the court found that the distribution mechanism of the resolution plan did not violate any provisions of the RBI or NHB acts. Resolution plan challenged The case stemmed from insolvency proceedings initiated against DHFL by the RBI in 2019, after the housing finance company defaulted on repayment of an overseas loan to the State Bank of India and other creditors. DHFL's creditors claimed a total of 87,905.6 crore in dues. The committee of creditors approved Piramal's resolution plan, which assigned a nominal value of 1 to potential recoveries from fraudulent transactions under Section 66 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. This plan allowed Piramal to retain any future proceeds from these recoveries, a provision that was approved by the National Company Law Tribunal. In September 2021, Piramal completed the acquisition of DHFL for 34,250 crore, including cash and non-convertible debentures, after getting approvals from all regulators. Also Read | Economic Survey 2025: IBC nudging companies to resolve their distress early However, 63 Moons Technologies Ltd, holding non-convertible debentures worth over 200 crore issued by DHFL, and other creditors challenged the plan, arguing that the proceeds from fraudulent transactions should be distributed to creditors. In January 2022, the NCLAT ruled in favour of 63 Moons Technologies, stating that the recovery proceeds should benefit creditors. The NCLAT noted that the NCLT had failed to properly scrutinise the 1 valuation of recoveries. United Spirits Limited has announced the sale of a residential property worth 172 crore in Malabar Hills, Mumbai. In an exchange filing on March 30, the company informed that the Board of Directors had approved the sale of the Malabar Hills residential property. The property has three floors, and the sale includes furniture, fixtures, and fittings. This is to inform that the Board of Directors of the Company today have approved sale of a residential property along with the furniture, fixtures and fittings consisting of ground plus 2 upper floors situated at Malabar Hill (the said Premises) belonging to United Spirits Limited (Company), United Spirits said in the exchange filing. Who are the buyers? Ajaykumar Dineshkumar Vaghani and Manisha Ajay Vaghani purchased the property. The buyers are not connected to the company's promoters, promoter groups, or group companies. United Spirits is a subsidiary of the Bengaluru headquartered Diageo. The company is in the process of liquidating the non-core assets owned by business tycoon Vijay Mallya, who resigned as the Chairman of United Spirits in 20215. Also Read | United Spirits board approves interim dividend of 4/share for FY25 Interim dividend declared On March 27, the Board of Directors approved the payment of an interim dividend of 4 per equity share with a face value of 2 for FY25. United Spirits also revised the record date for determining shareholder eligibility to Thursday, April 3 from April 2, announced earlier. Also Read | United Spirits receives 1.13 crore GST notice from Kerala Government Global trade policies employed by the Donald Trump-led US government have created an economic order where entities such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) are futile, but India is sending the right messages to global powers by actively participating in bilateral talks with the US, said two veterans of trade and geopolitics at the Mint India Investment Summit 2025 in Mumbai. I think the message from Delhi to Washington has gone very clearly, said Rajiv Bhatia, distinguished fellow at Gateway House. We are ready for a mutually beneficial, mutually negotiated agreement (with the US). Bhatia, a 37-year career diplomat and a former India ambassador to various countries including Myanmar and Mexico, clarified that India had made a sound economic choice to negotiate with the US for a bilateral agreement that could potentially benefit both the worlds largest economy and the fastest growing one. Bhatia expressed confidence that India's interests would be safeguarded in the talks. There is confidence, there is maturity that we understand what is happening in the world, and we would try to deploy these changes and shifts in such a manner that Indias interests, Indias political interests, economic interests, are not affected, he said. Also read | SEBI chairman leads star-studded lineup at Mint India Investment Summit The global economic order, set in stone after the second World War, is now up for renegotiation as governments across the globe adopt more protectionist trade policies, and dismantle the progress made by globalisation. Donald Trump's retouches to all of the USs bilateral agreements should be taken seriously, and we should not demonise the head of state, said the former diplomat. Anup Wadhawan, former commerce secretary in the Union government, concurred, and critiqued Trumps approach towards measuring economic growth and prowess only using the goods trade surplus. President Trump's rhetoric is very misleading. He is looking at the goods trade deficit as the only measure of American success. But you need to look at the economic success of our country much beyond goods. The US economy has graduated beyond goods, he pointed out, adding that the US was a services-based economy and that lots of developing countries had compromised to provide economic benefit to American interests, such as big tech companies. They are a services economy, they are a tech economy. They are, you know, the Microsofts, the Amazons, the Facebooks, the Googles, they are earning billions of dollars abroad, said Wadhawan. Global presence American big tech companies have long had a global presence, where they have negotiated agreements with multiple developing nations that benefit the corporate and not the host nation, Wadhawan said. He also said the WTO was created as an equitable organisation to further the cause of developing nations, but that it failed to bridge the development differential between developed and developing nations. Ultimately, America will realize their problem is not exploitation by the world. Their problem is not that we have not done well as an economy because of their trading partners being unfair to them. They will realize that what is wrong with America is lack of equity, and ultimately, they have to face the consequences, said Wadhavan. Bhatia said tariffs have a peculiar reputation in India, especially at a time when India was negotiating a trade deal with the US. Tariffs are being seen by a large section of people in India as our one pressing opportunity to reform our economy, he said. Just as we faced several important moments in the past, this is a moment for us to bring competitiveness to our products by lowering down duties somewhat to the same level as ASEAN countries. This also follows the announcement made by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech for FY26 that domestic manufacturing as well as India's businesses becoming globally competitive are key growth engines for the country in the coming years. At a time when India is negotiating with the US, it is also negotiating a new relationship with its neighbour China. Bhatia said that serious efforts are being taken to ensure that India-China relations are bettered. But it is unlikely that these relations will return to the age-old Hindi Chini bhai bhai moniker, he clarified. There is an America factor in India-China relations. And there is a China factor in India-America relations. Yet, serious efforts are being made to take the negotiations forward. And the hope is that things will move in a positive direction, said Bhatia. When Donald Trump announced his bid for reelection in November 2022, the 45th President of the United States relied on promises of sweeping reforms to win the American people over. Among these promised reforms was the idea of increasing tariffs. That journey culminated in Liberation Day" on 2 April, when Trump, now the 47th president, announced a sweeping range of tariffs on goods his country imports from across the world. India, a significant contributor to the US' trade deficit, is also a major target, and faces a 26% tariff in a week's time. (More on that here.) A tariff is a tax imposed on goods and services imported from another country. The primary purpose of tariffs is to encourage people to buy locally and help the domestic economy. Also read: What colour is your dal? If its yellow, the US wants a free pass. Here is a timeline of the second Trump administrations tariff strategy as it unfolds: Also read: How Trump's armtwisting on tariffs could impact India's superbike market 20 January: Trump takes office In his inaugural address, Trump vowed to impose tariffs and taxes on other countries to revamp US trade and make Americans rich. "Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens," Trump said, adding, For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues." Also read: India to drop Google tax from 1 April amid US tariff threats Meanwhile, the Indian government was preparing to get into a tricky trade situation with the US. Read this report on how India wanted to engage with Washington to ease market access to US products in the country. 1-4 February: First round of tariffs The US President signed an executive order imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China. Imports from China faced a 10% tariff, while goods from Mexico and Canada were hit with a 25% tariff. Also read: Trump's tariff war: How India might avert damage In response, all three countries announced retaliatory measures. On 3 February, Trump paused the tariff decision for Mexico and Canada for 30 days after both nations pledged to address concerns over drug trafficking and border security. Also read: India was first-time lucky with Trump's tariffs. But it doesn't want to take a chance The next day, a 10% tariff on Chinese imports to the US took effect. In retaliation, China imposed new duties on US goods and launched an anti-monopoly investigation into Google. Also read: Mint Primer | Are Trumps tariffs on China and others a boon or bane for India? 10 February: Steel tariffs President Trump announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports starting 10 February, fulfilling a campaign pledge to overhaul the trade system. Very simple, they charge us, we charge them," he added. Also read: US tariffs, EV slowdown pose global hurdles for Indian auto Indian steelmakers, already struggling with rising imports and falling domestic prices, were facing further disruption after the US imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports. Also read: Indian steelmakers, already reeling under lower prices, brace for impact of Trump's 25% tariff 13 February: Reciprocal tariffs and Modis US visit Donald Trump announced plans for reciprocal tariffs, aiming to raise US tariffs to match those imposed by trading partners for purposes of fairness." Also read: In charts: What reciprocal tariff threat could mean for Indian goods Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a US visit, committing to increasing bilateral trade and signing a new trade deal. Also read: Mint Primer | Will PMs visit help India dodge Trumps tariffs? He signalled that countries like India could also face higher tariffs, in addition to China, Canada, and Mexico. Additionally, he confirmed plans to impose a 25% tariff on European nations. Also read: What is at stake for India amid Trump's tariff war on steel and aluminium, in six charts 25 February: Potential copper tariffs Trump directed the Commerce Department to assess whether tariffs on imported copper are necessary to protect national security. He cited coppers critical role in defense, infrastructure, and emerging technologies, emphasizing the need for domestic production security. India and the UK resumed free trade talks after a year, aiming to counter rising protectionism. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal said the FTA could triple trade in a decade. Negotiations also covered a bilateral investment treaty and a double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) to ensure regulatory stability. Also read: Trump's Venezuelan oil tariff threat to have little impact on India, experts say 1 March: Lumber and timber tariff review President Trump instructed the Commerce Department to evaluate whether tariffs on lumber and timber imports were needed. He argued that these materials are essential to the construction industry and military supply chains, warranting potential trade restrictions. 4 March: Tariffs take effect, global retaliation begins Trade tensions escalated as the US imposed steep tariffs: 25% on Canadian and Mexican imports and an additional 10% on Chinese goods. Hopes for a last-minute delay were dashed as the tariffs took effect at 12:01 ET. Canada retaliated with matching levies, calling the move unjustified," while China imposed its own tariffs, took the dispute to the WTO, and restricted US businesses. Despite the turmoil, some Indian businesses see potential opportunities. 5 March: Temporary exemption for Mexico and Canada Trump granted a one-month exemption from tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and Canada. The move was a relief for US automakers, who rely heavily on supply chains from these countries. India prioritized a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US over discussions on reciprocal tariffs. During a high-level visit to Washington from 4-8 March, Indian delegates focused on shaping the deal, which was targeted for completion by fall 2025. Also read: US should be very worried about unintended consequences of its tariff actions: Uday Kotak 10 March: China strikes back Following the US tariff hike to 20%, China imposed an additional 15% tariff on US products, including chicken, pork, soybeans, and beef. However, the Chinese commerce ministry stated that goods already in transit would be exempt from retaliatory tariffs until 12 April. Also read: Mint Primer: Can a zero-for-zero approach thwart reciprocal tariffs? 12 March: Steel and aluminium tariffs rise Trump increased tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to 25%. In response, the European Union announced counter-tariffs on a range of US products, including steel, aluminium goods, textiles, home appliances, motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter, and jeans. Also read: Trump reciprocal tariffs: Heres the best-case scenario for India 13 March: Trump threatens 200% wine tariffs The President warned he would impose a 200% tariff on European wine, champagne, and spirits if the EU moved forward with a 50% tariff on American whiskey. The threat escalated tensions between the US and Europe over trade policies. Also read: Trump's tariffs cloud India's March exports 24 March: Tariffs on Venezuelan oil and gas Trump announced a 25% tariff on countries purchasing oil or gas from Venezuela, effective 2 April. The decision is expected to hit China particularly hard, as it imported 68% of Venezuelas oil in 2023, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Also read: Why Indias electronics sector is least at risk from Trump's reciprocal tariff scrutiny 26 March: Auto tariffs to boost US manufacturing Trump introduced a 25% tariff on auto imports, aiming to encourage domestic manufacturing. However, automakers raised concerns, warning that the move could disrupt global supply chains and increase vehicle prices. Also read: Mint Explainer: Have India-US trade talks blunted Trumps threat of reciprocal tariffs? 2 April: India hit with 26% partially reciprocal tariffs As Trump unleashed his global tariff war from the White House, India found itself grappling with a new regime that stopped short of full reciprocity but still posed significant trade barriers. With Trump deciding to charge half of the tariffs a country imposes on American imports, Indian exports to the US face a 26% tariff. This is based on Trumps assertion that India levies a 52% cumulative tariff on US goods. The US is Indias largest export market. Also read: Trumps tariff strike: India hit with 26% duty as trade war escalates 9 April: A 90-day pause and China, EU hit back In a dramatic reversal, Donald Trump on 9 April paused his sweeping tariffs on most US trading partners for 90 daysjust hours after they took effectbut simultaneously hiked tariffs on China to 125%, up from 104%. Blasting Beijing for its lack of respect" toward global markets, Trumps move further deepens tensions with China even as he signals flexibility elsewhere. This came after China and the EU hit back at the US. China imposed an 84% tariff on US goods from 10 April, while the EU approved retaliatory duties on $23 billion worth of US imports. This is a developing story, and this piece will be updated as the story further develops. New Delhi: The US has once again raised objections to Indias trade policies, including key initiatives meant to support local manufacturing, casting a shadow on ongoing negotiations between the two nations for a bilateral trade agreement. The 2025 National Trade Estimate report, published by the US Trade Representative, has flagged several trade barriers, including high tariffs, digital restrictions, and other policy decisions, urging India to make changes. The report, which covers 59 countries including Australia, Canada, the European Union, the UK, and Japan, comes at a crucial time as New Delhi and Washington continue discussions on a bilateral trade agreement. A US delegation led by assistant US trade representative Brendan Lynch concluded their in-person talks in India last week, and the negotiations are set to resume virtually in the coming weeks. The bilateral trade agreement is crucial for India, especially with US President Donald Trumps proposed reciprocal tariff policy set to kick in from 2 April. Also read | India, US lay foundation for trade give-and-take One of the key concerns for the US remains Indias high import duties, particularly on agricultural products. The USTR report points to Indias tariffs of 150% on alcoholic beverages and 100% on walnuts and raisins, which Washington argues make it difficult for US goods to compete in the Indian market. The USTR also flagged Indias restrictive non-tariff barriers, including import bans and licensing requirements for certain products. It also criticised Indias rules on animal-based oils, restrictions on refurbished medical devices, and import approvals for some medicines, arguing that these create unnecessary trade hurdles. Indias customs procedures also drew scrutiny in the report, with the US raising concerns over sudden tariff changes, lack of prior notice, and inconsistent implementation across different regions. The US report has suggested India simplify its tariff notification system to improve clarity for businesses. Also read | Mint Explainer: Have India-US trade talks blunted Trumps threat of reciprocal tariffs? Under attack: Make in India, defense offset, and data localisation The US Trade Representative has criticized Indias Make in India policy, which reserves contracts for domestic suppliers. While the US claims these exclusions disadvantage foreign firms, for India, the policy is a crucial tool for encouraging and supporting local manufacturing and job creation. Similarly, Indias defense offset policywhich requires foreign defense contractors to invest at least 30% locallyhas been deemed burdensome for US exporters. For India, the policy is necessary for technology transfer and defense self-reliance. On digital trade, the US has expressed concerns over Indias data localisation requirements, which mandate that payment service providers store Indian data domestically. While the US views these rules as restrictive, India argues these are necessary for national security and data sovereignty. The US wants fewer restrictions in the digital sector to enable free flow of data, which would benefit major American tech firms. Another issue flagged in the US report is Indias quality control orders, including on polyethylene introduced in January 2024. The US contends this does not align with international standards and disrupts trade in plastics and chemicals, while India insists the policy helps prevent low-quality imports. "India is not doing anything different from other developed nations. The quality control orders are meant to ensure the availability of quality products, and every country implements such measures to protect consumer rights," said an Indian government official on condition of anonymity. Also read | India seeks easier export rules as US pushes for lower tariffs The US report also raised concerns about Indias IT Rules 2021, which it said imposed stringent requirements on digital platforms, including taking down content deemed unlawful. Such measures could restrict free speech and make compliance difficult for American tech firms, the report said, although India sees these as essential to combat misinformation and harmful content online. The US report also criticized Indias regulatory environment, highlighting the lack of consultation with stakeholders before issuing new trade policies, citing New Delhis decision to introduce import licensing rules for laptops in 2023. The US argued that such unpredictable policymaking disrupts businesses. The spokesperson for the commerce ministry did not immediately reply to Mints queries. Also read | US tariffs, EV slowdown pose global hurdles for Indian auto Indias domestic policies under scrutiny The US Trade Representative has also taken issue with Indias agricultural subsidies, particularly the minimum support price (MSP) programme, which ensures a degree of financial security for farmers growing staple crops such as wheat and rice. The US argues that these subsidies distort global markets and disadvantage American farmers, while India views these as vital for ensuring food security and supporting millions of small farmers. Indias strict approach to genetically modified food has also attracted criticism. The US Trade Representative has argued in the report that Indias approval process lacks transparency and was not science-based, delaying US biotech exports to India. However, India remains cautious in this matter because of public opposition to GM foods and environmental concerns. Major markets like the European Union follow similar restrictions, and any shift in policy could impact Indias agricultural exports. Also read | Will India press for an early harvest in trade talks with US? The US report also highlighted Indias stringent requirements for dairy imports, such as a rule requiring that imported dairy products come from animals that have not been fed meat, blood, or internal organs. Intellectual property (IP) rights remain another sticking point. The US has long criticized Indias patent laws, particularly Section 3(d) of the Patents Act, which prevents "evergreening" of pharmaceutical patents. While the US sees this as a barrier to innovation, India defends it as a measure to ensure affordable medicines for its population. While the US report reiterates many past concerns, some issues have been resolved or become less relevant. For instance, India recently abolished its 6% equalization levy on online advertising, also known as Google tax, a move acknowledged in the USTRs assessment. The US report also pointed to Indias retaliatory tariffs on items such as almonds and apples, imposed after the US withdrew Indias benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences. However, this issue too has been resolved with India removing those tariffs. Also read | Google tax abolition: No major revenue gains for Big Tech, but a moral victory With dreams and dignity and hard-working hands, Zoe Saldana, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in Emilia Perez, said she was the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award. Zoe, who is best known for her work in science fiction films like Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy, won for her portrayal of an attorney who helps the lead character change their identity. In an emotional acceptance speech in which she broke into tears several times, Zoe Saldana said she was a proud child of immigrant parents and dedicated the award to her grandmother. The 46-year-old actress got emotional while talking about her family at the Oscar night, and said, My grandmother came to this country in 1961 -- I am a proud child of immigrant parents. The fact that I'm getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish -- my grandmother, if she were here, she would be so delighted, this is for my grandmother, she added. Hoping that there will be many more of Dominican origin to receive an Academy Award, Zoe said, With dreams and dignity and hard-working hands, and I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last. I hope. Also Read | Oscars 2025 winners LIVE: Full list of winners at Academy Awards Zoe also thanked the Academy for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita, her Emilia Perez character, and talking about powerful women. Jacques (director Jacques Audiard), you are a beloved character in my life. Thank you for taking an interest; thank you for being so curious about these women to tell this story, she said. To my cast and my crew of Emilia Perez, I'm sharing this award with you, she added. Also Read | Oscars 2025: Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet lock lips during ceremony President Trump says he isnt joking about considering a third term in office. The Constitution forbids him from running again, but the notion that he could legally extend his presidency isnt entirely laughable either, according to some legal scholars. Heres what to know about the prospects of Trump returning to office after his term expires. What is Trump saying? Trump, speaking to reporters Sunday, said his supporters were encouraging him to seek another term. Im not looking at that but Ill tell you, I have had more people ask me to have a third term," he said. He later told NBC News that it is too early to think about it" but said if he wanted to try to stay in power, there are methods which you could do it." What does the Constitution say? The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, states, No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice." Republican lawmakers drafted the amendment in 1947 after recapturing Congress the year before. They wanted to prevent another president from entrenching power in the manner of Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat who was elected an unprecedented four times and died in office in 1945 after more than 12 years in the White House. No president before FDR had ever served more than eight years. His successor, President Harry Truman, thought term limits were driven by Roosevelt haters," but enough Democrats provided support to send the amendment to the states for ratification. Given that clear language, what possible strategy could Trump have? There is no debate that the 22nd Amendment renders Trump ineligible for election to a third term. And any proposed repeal initiated by Congress would need to pass both houses by a two-thirds vote and then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures. Republicans dont have anywhere near that supermajority control of Congress and statehouses. An election victory, however, isnt the only path to the presidency. And the question of whether a president can serve in office for more than eight years is more complicated than whether he can be elected more than twice. One way it could work, Trump said, would be a ticket swap with his vice president. In that scenario, JD Vance would run for president in 2028, and Trump would be his running-mate. If elected, Vance could then step down and hand the reins back to Trump. President Trump floated the idea of a ticket swap with his vice president as one way to seek a third term. What do constitutional experts say? Some scholars say there is no such thing as a vice-presidential loophole. They point to the 12th Amendment, which states no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice President of the United States." You cant put someone in that office who cant serve as president if he has to step in," said Matthew J. Franck, a senior fellow at the Witherspoon Institute, a think tank in Princeton, N.J. Since youre not electable as president, youre not eligible to be president, and therefore youre not eligible to be vice president," said Yale University constitutional law professor Akhil Reed Amar. Still, there isnt total consensus on the question. A 1999 Minnesota Law Review article called The Twice and Future President" dug deeply into the history of presidential term limits and concluded that the text of the 12th Amendment was ambiguous enough to potentially leave the door open to a vice-presidential run by a term-limited president. Bruce Peabody, a professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University and lead author of that article, said it isnt obvious that Trump is limited to eight years of service. The weight of historical evidence, legal analysis and the constitutional text add up to make this the most defensible reading," he said. Amar said it is possible Trump could attempt to extend his presidency another way. If another Republican is elected president next time, that person could appoint Trump secretary of state, he said. It is possible Trump could then return to the White House if the president and vice president resigned, Amar said. Federal law establishing the presidential line of succession excludes cabinet officials who are ineligible to be president, but Congress could loosen that restriction through normal legislation without amending the Constitution. There is a possible loophole. I wish it werent true, but there is," Amar said. Has anyone floated third-term ideas before? Trump isnt the first term-limited president to give serious thought to another term. In January 1960, President Dwight Eisenhower toyed with the idea of extending his power by seeking the vice presidency. He told reporters that the Justice Department assured him it was absolutely legal for me to do so." Eisenhowers attorney general, William P. Rogers, gave an interview decades later denying that he had given him any such legal advice. This explanatory article may be updated periodically. Write to Jacob Gershman at jacob.gershman@wsj.com Turkeys suppression of democratic opposition would have elicited strong protests from Europe in the past. But now, the worst rift in trans-Atlantic relations in generations and the growing threat from Russia are trumping those concerns. With the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations second-largest army and a robust defense industry, Turkey is crucial for European security at a time when President Trumps administration is seeking a broad accommodation with the Kremlin and is treating its European allies with open hostility. As European leaders started planning security cooperation without the U.S. following the disastrous White House meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, senior Turkish officials took pride of place. The European Unions new white paper on defense, which outlines Europes massive rearmament drive, has named Turkeyalongside the U.K., Norway and Canadaas a key partner in ensuring European security. Amid this rapprochement, Turkey this month imprisoned President Recep Tayyip Erdogans main rival in the coming presidential election, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in mid-March on what the opposition says are politically motivated charges. Mass protests are continuing across Turkey, as are wide-scale arrests of opposition politicians, journalists and human-rights campaigners. While some European nations, most notably France, have expressed deep concern" over Imamoglus detention, the criticism is relatively mutedand didnt link Turkeys domestic politics to expanding security cooperation. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, too, has voiced concern" to his Turkish counterpart, adding that we dont like to see instability like that in the governance of any country thats such a close ally." European nations simply dont have the luxury of focusing too closely on Turkeys situation at home, with an existential threat from Russia and an increasingly hostile Washington, said Nico Lange, a former senior German defense official and a senior fellow at the Munich Security Conference. The Europeans are coming from the tradition where they imagine themselves to be the guys on the moral high ground who only do the right thing with the right partner on the basis of democracy and the rules-based order," Lange said. But now an adult geopolitical approach to security needs to look into trade-offs. Its in our interest to work together with Turkey in the security sphere." View Full Image The aftermath of a Russian attack on a Ukrainian town. (Serhii Korovayny/WSJ) View Full Image Police and protesters have clashed following the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images) Igor Janke, director of the Freedom Institute think tank in Warsaw, said that European nations like Poland must focus squarely on their own immediate security now that they can no longer take American protection for granted. In the current situation, with the new U.S. administration and the threat from Russia, democratic problems within other countries will not matter that much," Janke said. From the Polish perspective, it is important for us to buy good [military hardware] and to keep our country secure," he said. If there is a threat of war, and our staunch ally is not as staunch as we thought before, of course we need to look for new partners." The pattern dates back to the 2015 deal between the EU and Turkey, when Brussels granted billions of dollars in aid to Ankara in exchange for stemming the flow of Syrian and other refugees, said Gonul Tol, director of the Turkey program at the Middle East Institute in Washington. The EU is turning a blind eye to whatever Erdogan is doing, for geopolitical reasons," she said. They will continue to cultivate closer defense ties with him." Imamoglu himself, in a New York Times op-ed written from behind bars, decried Western acquiescence to Turkeys democratic backsliding. Recent events have enhanced Turkeys strategic importance, not least given its critical capacity to help with European security," he wrote. However, geopolitics should not blind us to the erosion of values, particularly human rights violations. Otherwise, we legitimize those who are dismantling the global rules-based order piece by piece." View Full Image Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a press conference on the sidelines of a NATO summit. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images) Italian parliament member Lia Quartapelle said Europeans should be clear-eyed about the authoritarian nature of Erdogans regime: While security cooperation with Ankara is desirable, Turkey shouldnt be put in the same category as the fellow democracies of the U.K., Norway and Canada. Ignoring what is happening inside Turkey is a very shortsighted choice," she said. Countries where the political survival of the person in charge trumps the national interest are not the kind of countries with which we can create a reliable alliance. Sadly, we are already learning this lesson at great expense with the United States." Turkey has tried to strike a balance between its Western allies and Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It refused to join sanctions against Moscow, becoming a key conduit of trade and technology for Russia. At the same time, Turkey also supported Ukraine, including through weapons sales, and banned Russian warships from entering the Black Sea. But now, as Trump is seeking a new geopolitical agreement with the Kremlin that looks beyond ending the war in Ukraine, Ankara is finding itself outflanked as it grapples with new security challenges. Russia, after all, has been Turkeys strategic nemesis for centuriesand Turkish officials fear that any deal between Washington and Moscow would inevitably come at Turkish expense. You dont hear Turkish policymakers pontificating about the threat that Russia poses, but behind closed doors in Ankara its very much an issue of critical importance," said Sinan Ulgen, Director of the Edam think tank in Istanbul. The thinking is that it would be very inimical to Turkeys strategic interests if Russia were able to implement this return to zones of influence, and particularly extend its zone of influence in the Black Sea." Turkey is also concerned about proposals voiced by U.S. officials for broader cooperation between Russia and the U.S. in the Middle Easta region where Turkey has just scored a strategic success with the ouster of the Russian-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. A great-power arrangement in which everyone gets their sphere of influence is not exactly good news for Turkey and inevitably creates, in the long run, a confrontational situation with Russia, whether its in the Black Sea, the Caucasus, or in the form of Russia coming back to the Middle East," said Asl Aydntasbas, a Turkey expert at the Brookings Institution. A victorious Russia is very dangerous for Turkey, just as it was dangerous for the Ottoman Empire. There is an understanding of this." View Full Image An unmanned aircraft made by Baykar, at a technology fair in Izmir, Turkey. (Ahmed Deeb/WSJ) Modern Turkey certainly has a lot to contribute to Europes defense capabilities. Defense giant Baykar, which is purchasing Italian engine and aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace, has emerged over the past decade as a global leader in military drones. Turkey also is exporting fighting vehicles, ammunition, artillery systems and naval vessels to European nations. Many of these weapon systems are much cheaper than American or European analogs. The development of Turkeys indigenous armaments industry owes a lot to Ankaras difficult relationships with its allies. The U.S. imposed a three-year arms embargo after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. Germany slapped its own bans on weapons sales, most recently after Turkeys ground operations in northern Syria in 2016. And in 2019, the U.S. ejected Turkey from the F-35 program because Ankara purchased the Russian S-400 air-defense system. There are few countries in Europe that have long reflected on how to be more independent of the United Statesthats France, thats Turkey, thats Sweden. This is useful in the current conversation," said Camille Grand, distinguished policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations who served until 2022 as NATOs assistant secretary-general for defense investment. Yet, there is only so far Europe can go to expand security ties with Turkey while ignoring domestic turmoil there, he added. Can this last forever? Thats complicated," Grand said. It depends on the scale of the protests inside Turkey, and on the scale of the repression." Write to Yaroslav Trofimov at yaroslav.trofimov@wsj.com New Delhi: A string of measures in the field of information technology has suddenly pivoted India into a friendlier place for American Big Tech firms to do business inmoves that policy stakeholders believe are timely and useful, given US president Donald Trump's impending tariff hikes. Two people with direct knowledge of the matter said, requesting anonymity, that representatives of the US government have told their Indian counterparts during meetings held in the US over the past 90 days that they expect Big Tech to keep receiving the Centre's support" in the long run. On Friday, Indias companies law court issued what has been seen as a favourable verdict on Googles appeal against a 936.44 crore fine imposed by the competition commission 2022. The finefor allegedly stifling innovation and promoting self-preferencing in the marketwas slashed by nearly three-fourths. Also read | Nifty futures rollover falls below 3-month average on Trump tariff uncertainty Shortly before that in March, Pankaj Chaudhary, minister of state for finance, proposed to abolish a long-standing 6% equalization levy charged on the earnings of foreign online advertisers that do not have a presence in India. US majors Google and Meta had lobbied against this levy, claiming it was unfair given Big Techs overall positive impact in India," according to a senior executive who regularly represents these companies to the Indian government. Several other such measures are seen to have tilted in favour of Big Tech in the past year. For instance, a proposed Digital India Act, a draft of which, seen by Mint, was clearly modelled on Europes strong-on-regulation Digital Markets Act, has now been shelved" indefinitely. The Act, among other things, sought to regulate issues of bias and harm in artificial intelligenceregulations that would have directly affected Big Tech. Replies to Mint's questions to Meity were awaited at press time. Deliberately slow In addition, progress on a Digital Competition Act, which sought to regulate large-scale technology corporations, has also gone slow, two senior officials told Mintand the law is not expected imminently. Isha Suri, research lead for competition law at think-tank Centre for Internet and Society, said that competition regulators, before ruling in favour of Big Tech, "must take cognizance of what certain laws and verdicts will do to smaller startups voicing up against the might of Big Tech." "The current approach will only soften India's anti-competition environments," Suri said. However, a senior official said, There is a consensus among ministries that its important to see if the existing legal frameworks within the Indian judiciary are sufficient to regulate technology at present. Discussions have taken place between officials at the Centre and their counterparts in the US, in terms of keeping India an open market for innovationand for Big Tech to cater to. The current policy moves are set to ensure this." Also read | US delegation's New Delhi visit set to boost trade talks as Trump tariffs loom A second official added that progress has admittedly been slow" in terms of technology laws and policies. Its not just Trumphis impact is only a recent development. But the understanding within the government is to let the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023which is also Indias first law dedicated to data privacy and the handling of information on the internetbe implemented on-ground. Once it is set rolling, the need for further regulation can be determined as we go. But, this will mean that well wait for two or three years before the next possible significant tech regulation comes bythis largely favours Big Tech," the second official said. An important market India, to be sure, has been a major area of interest to Big Tech. Meta Platforms Inc., which operates Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, among others, has its biggest user-bases for each of these platforms in India. For Google, its subsidiary YouTubethe worlds biggest video streaming platformhas its biggest user-base in India as well. While India always had the volume, it is slowly raking in the numbers in terms of value as well. Over the past five fiscals, taking all Big Tech firms into account, Indias contribution to their global revenue has increased from 1% to around 3%. While still small, Indias current stature as the worlds fastest-growing large economy makes it an important market for the worlds top tech firms. It is also a valuable ally for the West in Asia, given Chinas rising importance and dominance in semiconductors, AI and more. US president Donald Trump is expected to unveil reciprocal trade tariffs on 2 April. The move may lead to specific trade tariffs being imposed on India as well. However, it is important to note that for the US, India stands as one of the worlds biggest exporters of tech talent and back-office IT outsourcing. For the most part, though, the Centre has remained confident that Trumps tariffs will not hurt India. On Friday, speaking at a media briefing following the union cabinets approval of a $2.7-billion electronics component manufacturing scheme, union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the tariffs will be beneficial for Indianot otherwise", adding that further elaborations from the Centre will be offered later. Inadvertent consequences? "There is definitely a thinking within law and policymakers to take a middle-ground approach to regulating technologyrather than align India with Europe or any other geography. Overall, Indias progress on the technology policy front has certainly been slower than expected," said a senior lawyer who works closely with the Centre, requesting anonymity. It is clear that the overall policy approach for technology in India does favour larger enterprises at the moment, rather than small companies and startupsalthough the DPDP Act does leave room open for exemptions to smaller firms. Whether Indias approach is in relation to Trumps tariffs is questionable, but the overall sense is to evaluate if technology can be regulated with existing laws only, rather than proactively push for new laws," the lawyer said. Rohit Kumar, founding partner at policy think-tank The Quantum Hub, added that while a deliberate play to favour Big Tech may not be the intent, the current policy approach could favour large companies anyway. Its not that the Centre does not have the intent to work on additional regulations in technology. NDAs second tenure saw a lot of movement on tech policy, especially multiple amendments in the IT Rulesleading to policy uncertainty for businesses. The Centre is currently prioritising the implementation of the DPDP Act, and the roll out of the Telecommunications Act. As these are horizontal legislation, the industry and the tech ecosystem will need time to absorb these changes," Kumar said. Eventually, what is favouring Big Tech in India right now is Indias efforts to do whats best for innovationas policy advisors warn against repeating the mistakes of the past. The EU AI Act is an early attempt at regulating AI. While the EU stance is great for safety, it is not necessarily the best for innovation. Early regulation can disproportionately increase compliance burden for smaller, newer players vis-a-vis bigger players, thus creating an entry barrier and reducing competition. The Centre believes that existing legislation should suffice for the regulation of most AI use cases right now. There are of course some gaps in the regulatory framework which I think will be picked up in due course," Kumar said. Some looming threats of US tariffs and backlash will undoubtedly be there. But in overall terms, Indias efforts to regulate technology is a phased effort, and policies are not necessarily being shelved," he further said. Superbloom. By Nicholas Carr. W.W. Norton; 272 pages; $29.99 and 19.99 In early 2019 an unusual abundance of orange poppies appeared on the slopes of Walker Canyon, in the Temescal Mountains south-east of Los Angeles. Social-media influencers flocked to the scene to take pictures of themselves among the blossoms, prompting their followers to do the same. The superbloom of flowers produced a superbloom of people, trampling the poppies, causing gridlock and creating a public-safety hazard. For Nicholas Carr, a thoughtful critic of technology and its consequences, all this is a metaphor for todays media-saturated world. Like poppies, social platforms look pretty, but a form of narcotic is contained within. We live today in a perpetual superbloomnot of flowers but of messages, he writes in Superbloom, which examines the unanticipated impacts of communications technologies. As in his previous critiques of technological overenthusiasm, Mr Carr frames his argument against the ill effects of digital media using historical analogies. In 2004 his first book, Does IT Matter?, argued that information technology, like previous innovations such as steam power and telegraphy, would be rapidly commoditised and that adoption could give companies only a short-term competitive advantage. Subsequent books considered the rise of cloud computing as a utility, the internets impact on cognition (Google is making people stupid, Mr Carr argued) and the pitfalls of automation. Superbloom starts by examining the long-standing belief that more and faster communication would not just be a good thing, but would inevitably promote education, understanding and peace. This idea goes back at least as far as the era of the electric telegraph, and Mr Carr extensively quotes Charles Horton Cooley, a 19th-century academic who first used the term social media and whose optimistic pronouncements sound very familiar today. Indeed, Cooley eerily prefigures the social-media prophets of 2010-11 who hailed the Arab spring as an example of technologys liberating power. Such optimists failed to foresee the downsides of faster, easier communication, such as factionalism, authoritarianism and radicalisation. Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor, thought radio would make war impossible, but the Nazis used it for indoctrination. Mr Carr explains how digital networks brought previously separate forms of media together and eroded the distinction between conversations and broadcastinga process that culminated in the introduction of the endless feed, pioneered by Facebook and since adopted by other social-media platforms. He details how unchecked self-expression on social media produces feelings of envy and enmity, affects how people perceive themselves and others and has been blamed for causing loneliness and depression. It is customary to blame profit-hungry tech firms for all this and to demand that they should be more heavily regulated or broken up. But Mr Carr takes a different tack. The problems associated with social media, and visible to a lesser extent with earlier forms of communication, are the result of the interplay between fundamental characteristics of digital networks on one hand and human nature on the other, he argues. By blaming social-media giants, We let the net itself off the hook while also absolving ourselves of complicity. He gives many examples of how digital media can exacerbate deep-seated tendencies in human nature that predate the internet. A study in 1976 of residents of a condominium complex, for example, found that proximity to other people was more likely to breed animosity than affection: enemies outnumbered friends among close neighbours. And on social media, everyone is a neighbour. Digital media do not change human nature, Mr Carr writes, But they do accentuate certain aspects of it while dampening others. As a result, he argues, breaking up big tech firms is unlikely to change social medias workings; other companies, offering similar products, would simply take their place. If break-ups are not the answer, what is? Mr Carr dismisses the notion of frictional design, which aims to slow the sharing of information and make social platforms less engaging, as futile and likely to annoy users. He argues that it is too late to rethink the system, so users need to change themselves instead and try to live a more material and less virtual existence through personal, wilful acts of excommunication. Presumably he has in mind things like smartphone bans in schools and voluntary abstinence during digital detox days. But after such a detailed and persuasive diagnosis, Mr Carrs meagre prescriptions seem disappointingly vague. Perhaps he is simply reluctant to repeat the suggestions made by Jonathan Haidt in The Anxious Generation, published in 2024. But that points to a deeper problem. Like the poppy fields of Walker Canyon, the notion that social media have deleterious effects is well-trodden ground. Mr Carrs scepticism about the promises made by big technology firms felt bracingly provocative a decade or two ago. But bashing social-media platforms and the ways they manipulate their users behaviour has become an overcrowded genre. The argument has now moved on to the implications of AI and tech bosses cosiness with Donald Trump. Like the influencers who rushed to Walker Canyon, Mr Carr has ended up following the herd. For more on the latest books, films, TV shows, albums and controversies, sign up to Plot Twist, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter Cera Sanitaryware Ltd is optimistic about sustaining its growth outperformance despite near-term headwinds in retail demand. The company is banking on project sales and luxury branding as key levers to drive expansion. Notably, management has signalled it will reassess its ambitious revenue target of 2,900 crore by FY27 in Q1FY26. Originally, the company had projected 8% growth in sanitaryware and 12-13% in faucets. However, with demand stagnant for nearly a year, these estimates may need to be revised, analysts at Yes Securities noted after a recent visit to Ceras plant in Kadi, Gujarat. While the management expects a pickup in Q2FY26, the strength of the recovery remains uncertain. Read this | Maricos resilience faces a test as costs rise Amid demand headwinds, Cera has paused its greenfield sanitaryware expansion, citing weak market conditions and high gas costs. However, with 27 crore already spent on land acquisition, the company could restart work on the project within 18 months if demand improves. Meanwhile, its brownfield faucet expansion remains on track, with capacity expected to hit 600,000 pieces per month after phase 2. To counter sluggish retail sales, Cera has increased its focus on project sales, which now contribute 35% of total revenueup 500 basis points year-on-year. While this shift provides volume stability, it comes at a cost: project sales yield lower margins than retail. Ceras Ebitda margin for 9MFY25 stood at 14.2%, down from 15.7% in 9MFY24. To offset margin pressure, Cera is pushing for premiumization, expanding its Senator and Luxe brands in metros and tier-1 cities, with a goal of 10% revenue contribution by FY27. However, competition in this space is already intense, raising questions about whether Cera can truly differentiate itself and command pricing power. Ceras management expects margin to bounce back to the 16-17% range as demand recovers, citing temporary pressure from discounts due to market sluggishness, which they believe has bottomed out. Read this | Voltas preps to beat the heat with robust Q4 volumes. What about margin? We believe demand challenges in the bathware segment will continue in the near term," Prabhudas Lilladhers analysts said in a report. The broking firm estimates revenue and Ebitda CAGR of 14% and 18.7%, respectively, over FY25-FY27. Also read | Emami is grooming for a better future, but can growth catch up? With retail demand soft and a revenue target reassessment looming, investors will look to management for clearer signals on the recovery path. For now, Ceras stock has nearly halved from its 52-week high of 10,789.95 in August. Financial year 2026 (FY26) has kicked off on a strong note for Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T), with the company announcing on Tuesday that its power transmission and distribution vertical has secured several new orders in India, as well as in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Oman. While the value of these contracts has not been disclosed, the influx of these new orders signals a strong momentum in global investments aimed at enhancing grid infrastructure, providing a positive outlook for L&Ts revenue visibility. This announcement follows last weeks news of L&T securing a landmark ultra-mega order from QatarEnergy, a global leader in LNG. According to L&Ts management, this is the largest single contract the company has ever received. The offshore contract pertains to the North Field Production Sustainability Offshore Compression Project and is expected to boost sentiment toward L&Ts stock, as it strengthens the companys global energy portfolio. Read this | L&Ts orders soothe, but margin worries remain Note that L&T's stock struggled in FY25, falling 7% and underperforming the benchmark Nifty50 index, which rose 5%. The first half of FY25 was muted for the engineering company as subdued government spending in an election year weighed on domestic order prospects. In the second half of FY25, there were concerns of muted order inflows from the Middle East market due to declining crude oil prices. While L&T has not disclosed the specific value of its QatarEnergy order, it categorizes contracts over 15,000 crore as ultra-mega orders. Media reports indicate that the order value is around $4.5 billion (around 38,600 crore). With this order win, L&Ts Q4FY25 order inflow announcements stand strong at about 66,400 crore (average of the range)," said a JM Financial Institutional Securities Ltd report dated 26 March. The brokerage had factored order inflows of 52,300 crore for L&T's core Projects & Manufacturing (P&M) business in Q4FY25 and 2.68 trillion for FY25. With this latest order win, L&T has exceeded its FY25 order inflow growth target of 10% year-on-year. The company has also set a revenue growth target of 15% for FY25. Given its huge order backlog which stood at 5.64 trillion as of end of December, timely execution has always been vital for L&T. Even so, this ultra-mega order win allays a crucial concern about the company's order inflow trajectory. Notably, order inflows for L&T have exceeded the Street's estimates in the past four quarters. We believe the recent narrative of L&Ts order inflows shrinking in FY26 (due to a possible drop in crude oil prices) is misplaced," said a BNP Paribas report dated 26 March. With Saudi Aramco targeting $52-58 billion in capex for CY25-26, we expect contracting to remain robust. CY25 has already seen awarding momentum in Qatar, with L&T well-placed for $4 billion of contracts," added the BNP report. Read this | Afcons eyes Middle East construction boom, shifts strategy with local partnerships Against this backdrop, the brokerage house sees potential for L&T's stock to be re-rated due to its earnings growth prospects. In terms of margins, L&T has maintained its P&M margin guidance for FY25 at 8.2-8.5%, which is flat compared to the previous year. However, large order wins, which are often margin-dilutive, pose a concern. Here, L&T will need to strike a balance between higher-margin gas/LNG contracts and lower-margin renewable projects. Also read | Workforce crisis hits construction & infra firms like L&T, KEC, HCC However, as things stand, a weaker-than-expected core Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) margin performance could be a key downside risk for the L&T stock. A potential upside, among others, for L&T could be reducing its exposure to non-core assets, such as the Hyderabad metro project. The Indian cement sector is navigating a transformative period in 2025, characterized by structural cost improvements, price stabilization, and strategic consolidation. We remain optimistic about the industry and project a robust recovery in demand and profitability going ahead. In this article, we shall discuss the following stocks: JK Cement One should consider going long at current levels or on dips near 4,800 with a stop below 4,750 for a rise towards 5,500 in the next three months. Ramco Cement The trends suggest we should consider some upside towards 985 and 1,030 in the next three months as long as 850 level holds on the downside. Dalmia Bharat The charts clearly spell out a strong target zone in the region of 1,950-2,025 in the next three months until 1,770 is not sacrificed on the way down. These candidates have been considered based on a mix of parameters that address the cement industry. Let us look at the sector dynamics and challenges that lie ahead for the industry. Also Read: Is the cement sector consolidation at its fag end? Sector dynamics and consolidation In recent years, the cement industry has undergone significant consolidation. As of fiscal year 2024, 51 million tonnes (MT) of capacity had already changed ownership, with an additional 14 MT in buyouts announced. This phase of consolidation, accounting for approximately 11% of the total installed capacity, marks the highest activity within a two-year period. Companies like UltraTech Cement and Ambuja Cement have led this wave, enhancing their market reach and operational efficiencies. According to Crisil Ratings, this consolidation offers acquirers benefits such as wider geographical coverage, access to critical limestone reserves, and economies of scale. These factors are expected to outweigh the modest rise in financial leverage, ultimately improving credit profiles. Also Read: Another headache for cement cos amid weak prices? Demand recovery and growth drivers Demand for cement in India is poised for a strong bounce back, driven by various structural factors: Housing and Real Estate: Both rural and urban housing demand are expected to remain strong. Infrastructure Investments: Government-led projects under the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and increased spending on roadways, metro rail, and renewable energy will bolster demand. Commercial and Industrial Development: A resurgence in commercial and industrial construction will complement overall growth. Cost savings and price stabilization The sector has witnessed notable structural cost savings, stemming from efficiency improvements and the adoption of sustainable technologies. Furthermore, after an 8% decline in prices during the first nine months of FY25 (9MFY25), price stabilization is on the horizon, further supporting margins. With reports highlighting strong demand and margin tailwinds as key factors for optimism. Also Read: Tamil Nadus limestone tax: A crushing blow to cement margins? Challenges While the sector's prospects are promising, challenges persist: Environmental Compliance: Stricter carbon emission regulations require investments in sustainable practices, adding to costs. Raw Material Costs: Rising costs of limestone and energy inputs continue to exert pressure on margins. Debt Levels: Consolidation has led to increased financial leverage among acquiring firms, potentially constraining organic growth. Based on the above parameters, here are three stocks that we can consider this week: JK Cement JK Cement closed 3.68% higher at 4,885.80 on Friday, marking its best percentage gain in nearly four months. The stock received a boost after Jefferies reiterated it as the top midcap pick. After a muted first half of FY25, management commentary highlighted improved cement demand growth in the second half of FY25 compared to the flat year-on-year growth in the first half. With hopes of a return of rural demand, which constitutes 50% of JK Cement's trade sales, leading to stabilized pricing trends. Furthermore, JK Cement is targeting approximately 10% volume growth in FY26 and expects pricing to improve by 100 per tonne quarter-on-quarter in Q4FY25. Over the last 12 months, JK Cement shares have gained around 20%. View Full Image TradingView The large-scale decline seen in this counter over the past few weeks has led to some particle exits from many portfolio holders. However, the recent pullback towards 4,400 region in March 2025 made a higher low. If one were to observe over the last few months, the stock has been making a strong attempt to tread higher. Every pullback in this counter has been received with some demand. The last dip near the value support region, combined with some short covering in the market, resulted in a strong rebound. A V-shaped recovery has once again reinstated the bullish bias in the last few days to breach open the strong resistance zone around 4,800, calling for some bullish momentum. One should consider going long at current levels or on dips near 4,800 with a stop below 4,750 for a rise towards 5,500 in the next three months. Ramco Cement Ramco Cements faced a challenging FY25, with Q3 results reflecting a 6% year-on-year decline in revenue to 1,977 crore. Profit before exceptional items and tax from its cement business plummeted to 4.35 crore, a sharp drop from 135 crore in the same period last year. Despite these setbacks, the company recorded a one-time gain of 329 crore through the sale of surplus land and investments, providing temporary financial relief. To boost sales further, Ramco has also commissioned new facilities, such as Line 2 in Odisha, which is expected to bolster production capacity and position the company for future growth. In the last year, Ramco Cements has demonstrated resilience through strategic initiatives. While challenges persist, its emphasis on capacity expansion and operational efficiency sets the stage for a potential turnaround in FY26 and beyond. View Full Image TradingView In December 2024, prices were about to create a record by edging out their December 2023 highs, but bearishness dragged the prices lower towards an important value support region around 800. After a 25% decline, the prices started stabilising. After some sharp descent, bullish momentum resumed in the last few days. The revival spirits led to a breakout of the trendline resistance from its December 2024 high. This break and hold of the resistance now can trigger some revival if the sector tailwind combines with the price action. The trends suggest that we can consider some upside towards 985 and 1030 in the next three months as long as 850 levels hold on the downside. Dalmia Bharat Dalmia Bharat fortunes remains suppressed in large part of FY25, in Q3FY25 the company reported a 77% year-on-year decline in net profit to 61 crore, compared to 263 crore in the same period last year. Amid this challenging backdrop, Dalmia Bharat remains focused on growth. Its capacity expansion efforts are progressing well, with plans to ramp up production to 49.5 mtpa by the close of FY25 from the current capacity of 46.6 mtpa. To strengthen its sustainability initiatives, the company has secured agreements for an additional 21 MW of renewable energy capacity, adding to the 278 MW commitments made earlier this fiscal year. View Full Image TradingView This stock has been experiencing some volatile trends in the last few weeks. The zig-zag moves seen in the last few weeks have been a testament to the fact that the stock is actively tracked and traded. With recent moves showing a nice descending channel breakout, we now have potential for more upside. As favourable factors provide some sector tailwind, one should consider going long in this counter. The charts clearly spell out a strong target zone in the region of 1,950-2,025 in the next three months until 1,770 is not sacrificed on the way down. Outlook The outlook for the Indian cement sector in 2025 and beyond remains optimistic, underpinned by government-led infrastructure growth and sectoral consolidation. The general consensus predicts robust volume growth supported by key demand drivers across housing, infrastructure, and commercial segments. Additionally, consolidation is set to improve operational efficiencies and pricing stability in the medium term. In summary, while challenges such as environmental compliance and input cost pressures remain, the Indian cement industry is positioned for a promising recovery. Backed by structural cost savings, price stabilization, and strategic consolidation, the sector is well placed to achieve sustainable growth in the coming years. Raja Venkatraman is co-founder, NeoTrader. His Sebi-registered research analyst registration no. is INH000016223. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions. No matter how high the inflation is, their demand is inelastic. No matter how slow the current profit growth is, these companies spend on research and development (R&D) for future growth. No matter how stiff the competition is, their patents protect them. No matter how weak the economy is, these companies continue to receive government support. Pharma companies truly deserve to be called 'defensive stocks' for these reasons and more. Going by the same logic, pharma stocks should be resilient and consistent in delivering gains year after year. View Full Image Pharma stocks. However, among large Indian pharma stocks, barely any managed to fetch returns significantly higher than bank deposits on an annual basis over the past decade. This is certainly not a comparison of the safety of pharma stocks versus bank deposits. The latter is an asset class that offers both surety of capital and surety of returns. Also Read: New introductions and price growth driving pharma market growth Pharma stocks, on the other hand, are supposed to be resilient across market cycles, fetching reasonable risk-adjusted returns. But thanks to regulatory bottlenecks, constant government interventions, risk of price wars against generic versions and low success in R&D, the companies often fail to fetch optimum valuations over many years. Nevertheless, in a world with a growing aged population, the pharma sector remains one that cannot be ignored by governments and investors. In fact, here are a few reasons why a handful of carefully selected pharma stocks must stay on your watchlist: Supply-chain resilience Covid-19 laid bare the shortcomings of globalization by disrupting the flow of vaccines to certain geographies. This caused economies like the US and the European Union to localize pharmaceutical production to enhance supply chain control. Meanwhile, companies are also exploring near-shoring options (production in nearby locations) in eastern and southeastern Europe, seeking the twin benefits of cost advantage and a higher degree of control on the supply chain. Self-reliance for raw materials Approximately 72% of overall bulk drugs (raw material called active pharmaceutical ingredients, or APIs) required by the pharma sector are currently imported from China. Back in 2022, the share of India's imports of bulk drugs was 66%. However, since Chinese bulk drugs are priced almost 50-60% lower than Indian products, the Chinese APIs have flooded Indian markets. The government's recent production-linked incentive schemes, however, have focussed on self-reliance in bulk drug production. They have offered incentives to produce biologics, biosimilars, and cell and gene therapies instead of simply using them to manufacture generic drugs. Success of clinical trials Pharmaceutical companies have historically outsourced manufacturing to Indian producers due to capacity constraints or uncertainty of clinical trials. However, with improved drug development and R&D capabilities provided by Indian firms, outsourcing now covers more of the value chain, from research to clinical trials. Thus, Indian contract manufacturing and research firms are increasingly focusing on higher-value, innovative products. Digitalization has further reduced the potential for human error in R&D and manufacturing. So, there is improved quality with higher machine uptime and efficiency. Lower risk of USFDA penalties Global quality standards are becoming stricter, with regulatory bodies like US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) imposing harsher penalties for non-compliance. One example is the USFDA's move to impose civil penalties for incomplete clinical trial data. India has made significant strides in meeting international quality standards, with its share of USFDA inspections declining from 19% in 2013 to 9% in 2024 (though still above the global average of 4%). Finally, there is the trend that I am most bullish about. Shift from chemical-based drugs to biologics and biosimilars The global pharmaceutical industry is facing a shift from chemical-based drugs to biologics and biosimilars. While small-molecule therapeutics had previously dominated research and captured major market share, the advent of large-molecule therapeutics (biologics and biosimilars) has rapidly transformed the pharmaceutical industry. Given their targeted mechanism of action and reduced toxicity, biologics have gained major market share in terms of both revenue and total market. Now, it is the contract research and manufacturing of biologics that holds the secret to big returns in Indian pharma. Let me explain. Biologics require an average of 18 years of research and have a very low success ratio (1 in 10,000). If commercialized and successfully launched, the rewards are huge. These companies typically enjoy years of exclusivity, which means no competition and good pricing power for the approved drug. However, this process is time-consuming, costly, and has no guarantee of success. Eventually, the innovator pharma companies (Big Pharma) start looking at alternatives. Rather than go through the whole 18-year cycle, they partner with Indian contract researchers in biologics. But due to the critical nature of the work, entry barriers are huge. The outsourcing candidates need quality research infrastructure and scientists at par with their clients. As a result, despite the huge research outsourcing opportunity, there have been very few players who are able to capitalize on it. Syngene International (a 70% subsidiary of Biocon) is one of the leading contract research organizations (CROs) in India. The company is an integrated service provider offering end-to-end drug discovery, development, and manufacturing services on a single platform (CRAMS). It holds over 400 patents jointly with clients and has 6,000 scientists. Despite the relative uncertain nature of the contract research business, the company has grown profits at a compounded rate of 13% over the last five years. The stock's returns over the past decade were 17.8% per annum, significantly above the returns on bank deposits and higher than most of its peers. So, pharma stocks, in general, may not be the best bets for the long term. The limited revenue visibility could often keep their returns tied to that of other low-risk assets like bank deposits for years. However, certain niche and monopolistic businesses in the sector, like Syngene, certainly deserve a place in your watchlist. Happy Investing. Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from equitymaster.com. Stock Market News: India's main stock indexes dipped slightly on Tuesday, impacted by technology shares, as investors remained cautious following remarks from US President Donald Trump regarding potential reciprocal tariffs. The Nifty 50 was down 0.92% at 23,304.05, while the Sensex decreased by 1.21% to 76,473.28 as of 10:31 IST. The Indian stock markets were closed on Monday, March 31 for Eid-Ul-Fitr. Nifty 50 and Sensex, ended on a negative note during the last trading session of the 2024-25 fiscal year on Friday, with the benchmark Sensex dropping by 191 points amidst weak global trends and uncertainties regarding Trump tariffs. Sensex fell by 191.51 points or 0.25 percent, closing at 77,414.92 in a day marked by volatility. At one point, it tumbled by 420.81 points or 0.54 percent to reach 77,185.62. The Nifty 50 saw a decrease of 72.60 points or 0.31 percent, settling at 23,519.35. Throughout the 2024-25 financial year, the Sensex increased by 3,763.57 points or 5.10 percent, while the Nifty 50 rose by 1,192.45 points or 5.34 percent. This rally was fueled by investors purchasing undervalued stocks, the re-emergence of foreign inflows following a selling wave that had started in late September, and an uptick in economic indicators. Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited, mentioned that the last week of the current financial year started positively but ended on a flat note as investor sentiment dipped following the announcement of automobile tariffs. Even with consistent inflows from institutional investors, the market struggled to maintain its upward trend. Banking stocks showed resilience, buoyed by hopes of possible rate cuts by the RBI during the upcoming MPC meeting. On the other hand, the automobile and pharmaceutical sectors lagged due to ongoing worries about tariffs and their broader implications. Nair pointed out that the coming week should provide more clarity regarding tariff changes, allowing investors to evaluate their effects on the global economy. Furthermore, the market will keep a close eye on the Indo-US bilateral trade meeting, which is expected to conclude by Saturday, for possible trade policy developments. Important economic indicators to watch include the US job openings data and Indias PMI, both of which will offer insights into economic activity in their respective areas. In the meantime, investor attention is shifting toward quarterly earnings reports, which are expected to shed light on the recovery of earnings. Market Outlook by Dharmesh Shah, Vice President, ICICI Securities Indian equities snapped its five months corrective phase (longest ever losing streak in three decades) and settled the volatile week on a positive note at 23,519, up 0.7%. Sectorally, financials remained at forefront along with Defence, and PSU for the week while pharma, auto took a breather. In the process, broader market relatively underperformed. The weekly price action formed a doji like candle with long upper shadow carrying higher high-low, indicating profit booking at higher levels after recent sharp up move. 2. The Nifty 50 has staged a strongest up move since September 2024 that has helped index to log a resolute breakout from six months falling trendline. Key point to highlight is that, the recent up move is backed by the faster pace of retracement as it entirely retraced past 19 session decline in just 14 sessions, indicating structural turnaround that makes us reiterate our positive stance and expect Nifty 50 to head towards 24,200 in April as it is 80% retracement of last leg of decline (24,857-21,965). However, move towards 24,200 would not be in a linear manner as bouts of volatility in the backdrop of looming US tariff announcement would prevail wherein. Hence, buying on dips would be the prudent strategy to adopt as strong support is placed in the 23,000-22,800 range. Our positive bias is further validated by following observations: a. The index has formed an outside bar on the monthly chart after five months decline, indicating conclusion of corrective bias b. Bank Nifty: The swift up move in banking space helped Bank Nifty to surpass past two months high, suggesting inherent strength c. Structure: Current up move of 9% is strongest since September that confirms resumption of uptrend. As a result, previous five-month sell-on-rally approach has now shifted to a buy-on-dips strategy as sentiment has improved d. FIIs Flow: FII's have extended their buying spree over sixth consecutive session (longest buying spree in six months), indicating return of buying interest from FII's that further boost the market sentiment e. Breadth: Significant improvement in market breadth augurs well for durability of ongoing up move as currently >50% stocks of Nifty 500 universe are trading above their 50 days SMA compared to early March reading of 7 f. On the broader market front, Nifty midcap and small cap indices have seen a rebound after approaching maturity of price and time wise correction. Historically, maximum average correction in Midcap and small cap indices have been to the tune of 27% and 29% while time wise such correction lasted for 5 months. Subsequently, both indices have seen 28% returns in next six months g. Formation of higher peak and trough indicates buying demand at elevated support base, which makes us revise the support levels at 23,000, as it is confluence of 50% retracement of the current up move (21,96523,869). This level is expected to act as a strong cushion, ensuring that dips remain buying opportunities rather than trend reversals. Also Read | FPIs pour 32,000 crore into Indian stocks in 6 sessions as valuations correct Stock To Buy This Week - Dharmesh Shah Dharmesh Shah of ICICI Securities recommends buying Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), and Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC). Buy Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in the range of 4,160-4,280 for the target of 4,750 with a stop loss of 3,948. Buy Power Finance Corporation (PFC) in the range of 408-420 for the target of 470 with a stop loss of 384. Disclaimer: The Research Analyst or his relatives or I-Sec do not have actual/beneficial ownership of 1% or more securities of the subject company, at the end of 28/03/2025 or have no other financial interest and do not have any material conflict of interest. Heres a quick look at stocks likely to be in focus in today's trade. ITC The company has signed a Business Transfer Agreement with Aditya Birla Real Estate (ABREL) to acquire ABRELs pulp and paper business, known as Century Pulp and Paper. This includes all associated assets, liabilities, contracts, and employees as a going concern through a slump sale for 3,500 crore. The acquisition is subject to approval from the Competition Commission of India and the Ministry of Environment. Adani Energy Solutions Adani Energy Solutions has fully acquired Mahan Transmission by purchasing all shares of the SPV, strengthening its position and expanding its energy business strategically. Hindustan Aeronautics The Ministry of Defence has signed two contracts with the company to supply 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), Prachand90 for the Indian Army and 66 for the Indian Air Forcealong with training and related equipment, valued at approximately 62,700 crore. In FY25, the company reported a provisional revenue of 30,400 crore, slightly higher than 30,381 crore in the previous year. As of March 2025, its order book stood at 1,84,000 crore, significantly up from the opening balance of 94,129 crore. Asian Paints Asian Paints has unveiled plans to establish a chemical manufacturing facility in Gujarat with an investment of 3,250 crore, aiming to enhance its chemical production capacity. Vedanta The Board has resolved to extend the deadline for meeting the conditions precedent in the Scheme of Arrangementincluding approvals from the National Company Law Tribunal and specific government authoritiesfrom March 31 to September 30, 2025. This Scheme of Arrangement involves Vedanta, Vedanta Aluminium Metal, Talwandi Sabo Power, Malco Energy, and Vedanta Iron and Steel. NCC In March 2025, the company secured additional orders amounting to 5,773 crore. Of this, 2,686 crore is allocated to the transportation division, 2,139 crore to the building division, and 948 crore to the water & environment division. Engineers India The company has secured consultancy contracts valued at 245 crore from state-owned organizations for project execution on a cost-plus basis in Maharashtra and West Bengal. Power Mech Projects The company has received an order worth 425 crore from Mirzapur Thermal Energy (UP), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Power, for civil works and the installation of prefabricated structural steel in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, it has secured a 972.135 crore contract from the National Highways Authority of India for constructing a four-lane bypass in Jharkhand under the Hybrid Annuity Model. Vodafone Idea Vodafone Idea announced that the government will convert its dues into equity, acquiring shares worth 36,950 crore at an issue price of 10 per share. NHPC NHPC has announced the commencement of commercial operations for Unit-I, Unit-II, and Unit-III of the Parbati-II Hydroelectric Project (4x200 MW) in Himachal Pradesh. The trial run and commercial operation date for the remaining Unit-IV (200 MW) will be communicated in due course. The US President Donald Trump's proposal to impose tariffs on imported pharmaceutical products has raised concerns in the Indian pharma sector, which is a major supplier of generic drugs to the US market. While the move seems to be largely aimed at Ireland and China, Indian pharma companies with significant exposure to the US may still face challenges. If tariffs are implemented, companies will have to decide whether to absorb the cost or pass it on to consumers. India currently levies up to 10% import duties on drugs imported from the US with several drugs having lower duty of 5% while around 150 drugs are exempted from duties. Foreign brokerage firm Jefferies believes that if the US applies reciprocal tariffs, it will at best be 10% on imported Indian medicines to the US. It expects pharma companies will aim to pass on tariff increases to payors. If the costs arent passed onto the end patients then the entire supply chain will have to partly absorb the impact. Key players in the US supply chain are Retailers or Distributors, formulation manufacturers and API or KSM suppliers to manufacturers. Jefferies said that it believes generic formulation players and CMO players are at higher risk due to high competitive intensity while other segments like CDMO have a cost plus model while CRO is a FTE based service model. Given Zydus Lifesciences and Dr Reddys Laboratories have high US sales exposure with ~45% and 43% sales contribution, we believe they are at highest risk among generics in our coverage, Jefferies said in a report. Heres a look at Indian pharma stocks that could be most affected according to Jefferies: High-Risk Stocks: Generic Drug Manufacturers and CMOs Generic drug makers and contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) could bear the brunt of new tariffs due to intense pricing competition and their heavy reliance on US sales. Among them: Zydus Lifesciences | 45% US sales | With a major portion of its revenue coming from oral solid dosage (OSD) formulations in the US, Zydus is highly exposed to any potential tariff impact. Dr. Reddys Laboratories | 43% US sales | Dr. Reddys Laboratories derives over 25% of its sales from injectable drugs in the US, which could face pricing pressure. Gland Pharma | 54% US sales | As a CMO, a portion of Gland Pharmas revenue comes from manufacturing for US-based clients. If tariffs increase costs, its business could be directly impacted. Biocon | 50% US sales | While its direct generics exports from India to the US are lower than 30%, any cost increases may impact its competitive positioning. Moderately Affected Stocks: Diversified Business Models Companies with mixed revenue streams, such as specialty pharma, biosimilars, and inhalers, may face some impact but are better positioned due to limited competition in their segments, according to Jefferies. Lupin | 35% US sales | A significant portion of Lupins US revenue comes from inhalers, a category with relatively higher margins and lower competition. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries | 30% US sales | Over half of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries' US revenue comes from patented drugs, which are manufactured by contract manufacturing organizations outside India, reducing its exposure. Cipla | 28% US sales | With more than 15% of sales from inhalers, Cipla has a differentiated product mix that could help mitigate pricing pressure. Lower Risk Stocks: CDMOs and API Vendors Companies operating under a cost-plus model or providing contract research services may be less impacted as they typically have built-in cost pass-through mechanisms, according to Jefferies. Syngene International | 68% US sales | The company primarily operates on an FTE-based model, with a significant portion of sales coming from cost-plus contracts, making it less vulnerable to direct tariff impacts. Piramal Pharma | 41% US sales | With about 50% of Piramal Pharma's manufacturing done outside India, its exposure to Indian manufacturing-related tariffs is lower. Divis Laboratories | 17% US sales | As a CDMO, its cost-plus contracts provide some insulation against tariffs. Also Read | Trump says he is willing to cut deals on reciprocal tariffs Can Indian Pharma Absorb the Impact? If tariffs are imposed, pharma companies will likely attempt to pass on costs to distributors, retailers, or insurance payors in the US. However, given the cost-sensitive nature of the generic drug market, this may not always be feasible. The alternative absorbing costs could squeeze margins, particularly for high-exposure companies. Setting up manufacturing in the US to bypass tariffs is not a viable short-term solution, as it requires high capital expenditure and regulatory approvals that can take 5-6 years, according to Jefferies. Whats Next? While Indias overall pharma exports to the US stand at $8.7 billion, any reciprocal tariff by the US would likely be capped at 10%, considering India itself levies up to 10% import duty on US drugs. Going through the latest statements of President Trump, Jefferies believes the President has a reasonably strong intention to put tariffs on pharma imports into the US, but he has specifically raised concern on pharma companies using Ireland as tax haven as well as large amounts of drug manufacturing happening in Ireland and China. It would not be surprising if the generic industry is spared as spending on generic & Biosimilar medicines was just ~13% of overall US drug spending but represented 90% of all prescriptions, Jefferies said. Vodafone Idea share price rallied as much as 25.88 per cent on Tuesday to 8.56 apiece on the NSE as the government is set to become the telecom company's largest shareholder by converting its spectrum dues into equity. The scrip finally ended the session at 20.15% higher at 8.17. The government has decided to convert 36,950 crore worth of the company's dues into equity, which will raise its stake in Vodafone Idea to 48.99 per cent from 22.6 per cent earlier. Under this agreement, Vodafone Idea will issue 3,695 crore equity shares with a face value of 10 each at an issue price of 10 each following the necessary approvals from relevant authorities, including the Securities and Exchange Board of India. The issue price of 10 is at a 47% premium to Vodafone Idea's last closing price of 6.81. Following the government's stake increase, private promoters Vodafone Plc and the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) will see their shares decline to 16.1 per cent and 9.4 per cent, respectively. However, they will continue to maintain operational control. Should you buy Vodafone Idea shares now? Brokerage firm Citi described this move as a significant development with substantial positive implications. The brokerage also noted that it demonstrates strong and timely support from the government. According to Citi, this decision is expected to provide considerable relief to Vodafone Ideas cash flow over the next three years and facilitate the completion of its bank debt fundraising. The company has already secured over 20,000 crore through its largest Follow-on Public Offer (FPO) last year, along with additional funds from its promoters. "In a material development that we view as having significant positive implications, Voda Idea announced (March 30, 2025) that the govt has decided to convert part of its outstanding spectrum dues to equity," said Citi Research. Citi has set a price target of 12 for Vodafone Idea, indicating a potential 77% upside from Friday's closing price. However, domestic brokerages Motilal Oswal Financial Services (MOSL) and JM Financial maintained Sell ratings on the stock, setting the Vodafone Idea stock price target at 6.5 and 9, respectively. For VIL to turn around into a sustainable telco, JM Financial believes it would require multiple significant tariff hikes that can boost ARPU to 380-plus by FY28 (vs. ARPU of 163 in 3QFY25). "Further, there is no clarity on VIL's long-pending 250 billion debt-raise, which is critical for the execution of its 500-550 billion 3-year capex plan to arrest decline in its subscriber market share, the brokerage said. "GoI's equity conversion provides cash flow relief for Vi and is a key medium-term positive development, but stabilasation of its subscriber base, long-pending debt raise, and further relief on AGR dues remain vital for Vis long-term survival, said analysts at MOSL. It retained a Sell rating on Vi with a revised target price of 6.5/share, and remains Neutral on Indus Towers and would use any bounce to reduce exposure. Citi has also retained its buy rating on Indus Towers, India's largest telecom infrastructure provider, setting a target price of 470, which suggests a potential 40.7% gain from the previous closing price. The brokerage noted that an equity-backed recovery of Vodafone Idea could enhance Indus Towers' cash flow outlook, as Vi, a major tenant, has faced challenges in meeting tower rental payments. How will Indus Tower gain from Vodafone Idea's revival? Citi stated that Indus Towers could gain if Vodafone Idea stabilises its operations, as the telecom tower provider has been facing pressure due to Vis payment delays. The situation has stabilised in recent quarters and should improve going forward, with Voda Idea finally completing its long-pending and crucial equity raise. We expect Indus to be a significant beneficiary with the ongoing recovery of its past outstanding dues as well as the commencement of new tenancy rollouts, which should also enable it to reinstate dividends," the brokerage said. Also Read | Sensex crashes over 600 points; key factors behind market selloff Indus Towers' rental revenue from VI has been a significant risk factor. However, Citi noted that the government-backed restructuring could enhance short-term cash flows and alleviate default concerns. The brokerage remains optimistic about Indus Towers' long-term growth, supported by rising demand for telecom infrastructure and the expansion of 5G networks. Citi named Indus Towers its top telecom choice, forecasting a core EBITDA CAGR of 10% (excluding writebacks), fueled by an 8% tenancy CAGR. "On our FY25-27E forecasts, we expect Indus Towers to deliver a core EBITDA CAGR of 10% excluding writebacks, underpinned by a tenancy CAGR of 8%," the brokerage firm said. Wonderla Holidays is a multibagger, having delivered a 350% return in less than two years leading up to the end of 2023. The boost in investor sentiment followed upbeat fundamentals since the June 2022 quarter. Even before that, Wonderla was a strong counter, having delivered a robust 15% compound annual return in the five years leading up to the pandemic. Established in 2000 by the founder of V-Guard, Wonderla operates four parks spread across 278 acres and enjoys strong brand recall. Despite operating in a ruthless industry, it has leveraged its brand presence, conservative expansions, and cost efficiencies to continue flying higher. Also read: Down 62% since the IPO, Star Health faces the Irdai test While it has struggled with stagnant footfall, its park-expansion plans recently boosted investor sentiment. It raised more than 500 crore through qualified institutional placement (QIP) in December, primarily to fund its new 64-acre park in Chennai. Management has guided for a strong summer quarter and expansion-led growth in footfall. The stock is up almost 7% over the past month. Industry has much room to grow India has the potential for a strong demographic dividend thanks to its young population. Growing urbanisation and rising disposable incomes bode well for businesses catering to discretionary demand, such as the amusement parks. Amusement parks also boost tourism, and have thus attracted the attention of some state governments. The central governments push to improve infrastructure and connectivity have also helped make amusement parks more accessible to the masses. Finally, the low penetration of amusement parks in India leaves ample room for growth. The industry has grown at a compound annual rate of 20% between 2019 and 2024 and is expected to clock 15% growth over the next few years. But it's a tough nut to crack Amusement parks have not caught on among Indias premium customers, thanks in part to long queues. This means the industry needs to focus on the masses, making the target customer extremely price-sensitive. This has made it difficult to manage the tug-of-war between revenue growth and profitability. Add to this the fact that expenses towards land acquisition and ride capex are front-loaded, while the business is seasonal. More than one-third of business is concentrated in the June quarter. The result? Fluctuating profits and cash flows. Also read: Force Motors is shifting gearswill the rally keep rolling? A posterchild for this industrys ruthlessness is Wonderlas competitor Imagicaa. Burdened by debt (3.4x debt-to-equity in FY23) and fickle footfall, its profitability and cash flows fluctuated wildly. It had even hung loosely on the brink of bankruptcy before debt-resolution and write-offs recently breathed new life into the business. Wonderla's secret sauce: Brand recall Wonderla recorded a footfall of 3.3 million in FY24, the same as the year before that. It is expected to drop to 3.1 million this fiscal year. Between FY13 and FY25, footfall at Wonderlas amusement parks has increased at a meagre compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.5%. This is to say that the business typically reports stagnant footfalls, with intermittent spurts following park expansions. Despite almost flat footfalls, Wonderla has grown revenue at a robust 12% CAGR since FY13. Thanks to consistently strong brand recall across its parks, the higher the utilised area of the park, the larger its contribution to revenues. A strong brand allows it to command increasingly higher average revenue per user (ARPU), which has grown at a CAGR of 11% from FY13 to FY24 ( 1,430). Low debt mitigates seasonal fluctuations Even though Wonderlas footfall growth has been driven primarily by park expansion, management has stuck with a conservative expansion plan. Its expansions have been funded largely by internal accruals and raising equity, while debt has been maintained at just 1-2% of its shareholder funds. Consequent low interest costs have smoothed out some of the cash-flow fluctuations due to seasonal revenues and intermittent expansion. Even with debt-funded expansion plans after FY27, management remains committed to keeping debt low. Clever with costs Affordable services are key in the Indian amusement park industry, and costs need to be controlled to protect business margins. Wonderla ensures this by buying large parcels of land at discounts, which also helps it avoid real estate price appreciation from having to buy land incrementally for expansion. About 53% of the land it owns is currently undeveloped, leaving room for low-cost expansion in existing parks. Also read: Hero MotoCorp has hit a speed bumpcan it rebound? Moreover, for expansion in new areas such as Bhubaneswar, Wonderla has been leasing land from state governments rather than buying it outright. This gives more flexibility, better control over cash-flows, and the potential for faster expansion. Finally, almost 30% of its rides are assembled in-house, leading to savings on costs and import duties while also allowing for quality control, customised development, and faster innovation and maintenance cycles. Acquiring pre-owned rides from other operators and closed amusement parks has also improved its cost efficiency. Margins may see medium-term pressure The next few years should see higher footfall as the Bhubaneswar park gains traction and the Chennai park becomes operational by the end of FY26. Revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 19% between FY25 and FY27. Over the near to medium term, the expansions will be margin-dilutive as fixed costs including setup and employee expenses accelerate while ARPU takes time to catch up. Going by historical evidence from Wonderlas park in Hyderabad, the parks in Bhubaneswar and Chennai can be expected to weigh on margins until FY28-29. The Chennai park, given its prime location, is eventually expected to drive revenue growth and profitability by commanding similar ARPUs as the flagship Bangalore park. Management has guided 1,200-1,500 crore of capex over the next two to three years, funded by the recent QIP, debt, and internal accruals. Apart from expanding existing parks, Wonderla also plans to expand its brand footprint beyond south India. Risks remain Unseasonal rains and safety incidents could act as dampeners for the business, while delays in expansion could affect revenue growth and profitability. Despite being Wonderlas first park, Kochi has been lagging. As it trails on footfall and ARPU, management has refrained from expanding the park. Its land utilisation stands at a meagre 28%, well below the 54% and 73% at the Bangalore and Hyderabad parks, respectively. This low land utilisation further drags down Kochi Parks profitability. Also read | DLFs 1 trillion bet: Can the real estate major stay ahead of a cooling market? The Bangalore resort, which contributes 5% of Wonderlas revenues, has been operating at less than 60% occupancy, which has fallen further to 52% in the nine months to December 2024. The company plans to build similar resorts adjacent to other parks, and a glamping pod expansion in the Bangalore resort. Their appeal among visitors is largely unknown at this point. For more such analysis, read Profit Pulse. Ananya Roy is the founder of Credibull Capital, a SEBI-registered investment adviser. X: @ananyaroycfa Disclosure: The author does not hold any shares of the companies discussed. The views expressed are for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult a financial professional before making any investment decisions. Earlier this month, M.F. Husains Untitled (Gram Yatra) created a record at Christies South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art sale in New York. Auctioned at about 118 crore and reportedly purchased by art collector Kiran Nadar, this 1954 work is now the most expensive work of modern Indian art ever sold in a public auction. Spanning 13 vignettes, the painting is emblematic of the various influences on the artist, a coming together of the calligraphic brushstrokes of Chinese art and the Cubist style of Europe with Husains deep connection with indigenous Indian art. The late artist has made news twice already this year for vastly different reasons. Recently, a lawyer filed a complaint in a Delhi court as she considered two of the late artists paintings offensive". They had been exhibited at DAG in Delhi as part of the show, Husain: The Timeless Modernist in December. The court, however, refused to order an FIR against the gallery. Even 14 years after his death in London following a self-imposed exile, the artist continues to evoke drastic responses his works are either vilified by funda mentalist groups and individuals or celebrated by art scholars, collectors and enthusiasts. What is it that makes Husain a talking point, more than, perhaps, any other artist of his generation? According to Kishore Singh, senior vice-president, DAG, it is people who are closest to the grass roots who are celebrated the most. They remain in the news because they are a part of the consciousnessbe it politicians, writers or those in cinema. Some people become integral to the rhythms of the country and it is difficult to move past them because their relevance remains strong," he says. It is as true of Husain as of figures from other fields." Also read: Krishen Khanna: Last Modernist Standing New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged serious lapses in the functioning of the ministry of communications and the ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity), raising concerns over revenue losses, weak oversight, and inefficient policy implementation in key projects. The audit report, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, highlighted irregularities in telecom revenue-sharing and incentives for electronics manufacturing, which could have implications for the governments Make in India initiative and its push to improve the countrys digital infrastructure. The audit presented a picture of weak oversight and financial inefficiencies across digital infrastructure and telecom governance. With the government aggressively pushing for self-reliance in telecom, semiconductors, and digital services, the findings raise questions about execution and accountability in key schemes. Telecom: Wrong numbers The biggest red flag in the CAG report was the telecom sector. The apex auditor said the department of telecommunications had failed to recover 2,463.67 crore from telecom service providers due to delays in revenue assessments. The audit body found that revenue assessments, which should have been completed within 12 months, took an average of 20 months, leading to under-recovery. It also questioned the effectiveness of the SARAS revenue management system, introduced to streamline telecom revenue collection. Indias telecom sector, which contributes nearly 14,000 crore annually to the government through revenue sharing, has been under scrutiny for under-reporting and compliance gaps. The CAG also flagged major financial lapses at BSNL, exposing how the state-run telecom operator had lost 1,757.76 crore by failing to bill Reliance Jio for additional technology usage under an infrastructure-sharing deal. BSNL also suffered losses of 38.36 crore by not deducting licence fees from payments to telecom infrastructure providers and 5.43 crore due to its failure to claim GST input tax credits. Electronics manufacturing: Faulty disbursals The national auditor found delays in the processing of applications and disbursing of incentives under the modified special incentives package scheme (M-SIPS) that was introduced to boost electronics manufacturing. Despite 36,991 crore in committed investments under the scheme, only 2,136 crore had been disbursed by April 2023. Also, frequent policy changes led to inconsistencies, affecting investor confidence, the CAG said in its report for the year ended 31 March 2023. National Knowledge Network: Poor bandwidth The audit body pointed to financial inefficiencies in the National Knowledge Network, a project meant to connect universities, research institutions, and hospitals with high-speed internet. The 6,548-crore project, which has seen multiple extensions, met its connectivity goals but lacked a long-term financial roadmap, as per the findings of the apex auditor. CAGs report flagged poor bandwidth utilisation for NKN, weak monitoring of hired network links, and gaps in enforcing cybersecurity policies, raising concerns about its sustainability once government funding stops. CAG suggested that the ministry develop a dedicated web platform for network management, ensure compliance with memorandums of understanding and intellectual property policies, establish a framework for periodic security audits, and incorporate last-mile mapping and objective bandwidth estimation criteria in project planning. The National Knowledge Network was approved in March 2010 by the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure for a 10-year period with an outlay of 5,990 crore to link 1,500 institutions. The project has since received four extensions, the latest to 31 March 2024, with a revised budget of 6,548.20 crore, as per the CAG report. Postal services: Tax losses CAG pulled up the department of posts for non-compliance with established guidelines, leading to a 17.22 crore loss to the government, pointing to weak enforcement of rules in one of the countrys largest government agencies. This included 13.57 crore in unrecovered GST on Speed Post services under the book now pay later scheme across 15 postal circles between July 2022 and September 2023. The balance loss of 3.65 crore was on account of the Kerala Postal Circles failure to deduct tax at source on maturity proceeds of Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life Insurance policies from September 2019 to May 2023. New Delhi: India and Chile will soon begin talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) focusing on a wide range of sectors like critical minerals, Antarctica and digital public infrastructure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a joint statement with Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Tuesday. The statement came after Modi met with Boric, who is on a five-day state visit to India, his first since taking office, to review bilateral ties and discuss global issues. "Partnerships in the field of critical minerals will be emphasized. Efforts will be made to establish resilient supply and value chains. In agriculture, we will collaborate to enhance food security by leveraging each other's strengths," the statement said. Also read | Commerce ministry finalizing terms of reference for free trade with Chile "India is ready to share its positive experience with Chile in the areas of digital public infrastructure, renewable energy, railways, space and more," it said. "We see Chile as the gateway to Antarctica. We welcome today's agreement on the Letter of Intent to strengthen cooperation in this vital region," it added. According to the commerce ministry, India's goods exports to Chile stood at $1.18 billion in FY24, up 1.42% annually, while imports stood at $1.51 billion, up 5.45% annually. Key commodities Major commodities exported to Chile include motor vehicles, drug formulations, engineering goods, drugs and pharmaceuticals, textiles, ceramic products, glassware, spices, fruits, vegetables, and petroleum products. In return, India receives copper ore, halogens, sulfate, chemical wood pulp, walnuts, etc. India is aiming to boost exports of maize, fresh or dried bananas, groundnuts, oil cakes, and other agricultural items to Chile, which shares borders with Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Chile, Argentina and Bolivia make up the 'so-called Lithium Triangle,' which holds some of the largest deposits of lithium worldwide a mineral that is crucial to India's ambition to transition to sustainable energy sources and reduce its carbon footprint. Also read | India-EU free trade talks: Carbon tax back on the table The mineral plays a vital role in electric vehicles, battery manufacturing, mobile phones, and other energy storage technologies. "Increasing cooperation in the field of defence is a symbol of our deep mutual trust. In this area, we will move forward to create defence industrial manufacturing and supply chains as per each other's needs. We will increase cooperation between the agencies of both countries to face common challenges like organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism," the joint statement said. Ranya Rao gold smuggling case: Actor Ranya Rao on Tuesday moved the Karnataka High Court seeking bail in the gold smuggling case after her plea was rejected by the Magistrate and Sessions Courts. Her lawyer, BS Girish, submitted the petition. The High Court is set to hear the matter next week. On March 27, for the third time, the sessions court in Bengaluru rejected the bail plea of Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya alias Ranya Rao. On March 3, upon her arrival from Dubai, gold bars worth 12.56 crore were seized from Ranya, the step-daughter of DGP rank officer K Ramachandra Rao, at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. Also Read | Ranya Rao's stepfather not directly involved in alleged gold smuggling case Following this, searches were conducted at her residence, where officials recovered gold jewellery worth 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to 2.67 crore. Earlier, during the hearing, DRI lawyer Madhu Rao revealed that Ranya Rao and Tarun Raj, an aide of the actor, made approximately 26 trips to Dubai together, often departing in the morning and returning the same evening. Before her arrest, the actor allegedly booked a flight ticket for Raj, who then handed over the gold to her in Dubai. "Possible nexus" with a coordinated smuggling syndicate After Ranya Rao's arrest, two foreign nationals were also arrested on March 6 at Mumbai airport for attempting to smuggle 21.28 kg of gold into India, worth Rs. 18.92 crore. Also Read | Ranya Rao's stepfather not directly involved in alleged gold smuggling case Abhishek Chandra Gupta, Additional Director of DRI, in his complaint, has said that these cases involving passengers making trips from Dubai and attempting to smuggle gold in large quantities point to a "possible nexus" with a coordinated smuggling syndicate, possibly operating from Dubai (UAE). The CBI has filed an FIR in the gold smuggling case on the complaint of Abhishek Chandra Gupta. The FIR has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS) on the complaint of Abhishek Chandra Gupta. The complaint discloses the cognisable offences U/s 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 20148) r/w 61(2) of BNS. DGP Ramchandra Rao sent on compulsory leave The Karnataka government has sent the DGP-rank officer K Ramachandra Rao, Ranya's step-father, on compulsory leave since March 15. Rao, an IPS officer, was serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has introduced a "garbage cess," requiring Bengaluru residents to pay a solid waste management user fee starting from April 1. All about recent hike Following the recent increases in the costs of milk and electricity, BBMP has decided to impose this new tax. The garbage cess will be charged monthly, with rates varying for different types of establishments, including shops, hotels, and residential buildings. This fee will be collected by the solid waste management company to cover the costs of garbage collection and disposal. According to BBMP, hotels previously paid 5 per kg of garbage. The cess has now been raised to 12. The cess rate is set for residential buildings in the square feet of the building. Buildings ranging upto 600 square feet will have to pay 10 per month while buildings ranging from 600 square feet to 1000 square feet will have to pay 50. Building ranging from 1000-2000 square feet will have to pay 100 per month while it is 150 per month for buildings from 2000-3000 square feet. 200 will be collected per month for buildings from 3000-4000 square feet while 400 will be collected per month for buildings above 4000 square feet. BBMP will pay trash tax annually in property tax. The new decision of the BBMP is expected to raise 600 crore annually. It has come forward to raise money from various sources to fill the coffers. Political battle over garbage cess In the meanwhile, Karnataka LoP and BJP MLA R Ashoka slammed for the government for implementing the 'garbage cess'. Hitting out at Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over this tax, Ashoka questioned if this is being collected to "get the CM's chair". In a social media post on X, Ashoka wrote, "The government, which failed to dispose of Bengaluru's garbage and turned Silicon City into a garbage city @INCKarnataka has now fixed fees for garbage collection as well. It seems that they have decided to fill their coffers in the name of garbage disposal by promising to make Bangalore City a garbage-free city. DCM @DKShivakumar Sir, they robbed in the name of brand Bangalore, now they loot in the name of garbage too? Is this Bihar election expenditure or a bribe to get the CM's chair?" Meanwhile, BJP MP K Sudhakar said, Karnataka's Congress government is searching every day in what way they can tax the common people...The annual budget has touched the mark of 4 lakh crores. In the last 2-3 years, they have been presenting revenue deficit budgets...On the other side, they have increased the price of milk for the 4th time in the last 7-8 months. They have raised power tariffs...And today, it is very surprising; they are additionally levying the garbage cess on middle-class people and poor people Earlier, on March 27, the Karnataka government announced a 4 per litre price hike for Nandini milk and curd, effective April 1. This decision was made during a Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting held by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The move aims to encourage dairy farming in the state, considering the cost of milk production and processing. They are searching every day in what way they can tax the common people. Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) Chairman Bheema Naik defended the state government's move to increase the price of Nandini milk by 4 per litre, stating that the additional cost would go directly to the farmers. The government has turned Silicon City into a garbage city. We were selling milk in Karnataka at a price lower than that elsewhere in the country. KMF procures 86 lakh-1 crore (milk) every day. 1 litre of milk is sold at 42 (Karnataka). In Gujarat, it is 53, in Andhra & Telangana, it is 58, in Delhi and Maharashtra, it is 56, in Kerala, it is 54. This decision has been taken in the interest of herders. These 4 Rupees are going to farmers, he told ANI. France has once again reiterated its call for a reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that would give India a permanent seat. In a post on social media platform X, the French Embassy in India on Monday said that under France's monthly presidency of the Security Council, it will steer discussions into areas of global peace, security, and humanitarian impacts. Also Read | In 2025, India should play the role of peacemaker in world affairs France will reiterate the need for a UNSC reform that gives India a permanent seat at the high table, the embassy also said. "Today, France assumes the monthly presidency of @UN Security Council. It will steer key discussions on global peace and security with a focus on humanitarian impacts. To reflect today's world, France reiterates the need for a #UNSC reform that also gives India a permanent seat," it said. Modi-Macron meeting The French Embassy's comments come after PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron met in February this year. The two leaders stressed the urgent need to reform the United Nations Security Council and agreed to coordinate closely in multilateral forums, including on UNSC matters. Also Read | UK PM Keir Starmer backs India for permanent UN Security Council seat During the meeting, they held extensive discussions on long-term global challenges and current international developments and agreed to intensify their global and regional engagement, including through multilateral initiatives and institutions. At the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session last year, Macron voiced France's support for India's inclusion as a permanent member of the UNSC. He said: "As long as we have a Security Council that is blocked reciprocally, I would say, according to each one's respective interests, it will be difficult to move forward. Is there a better system, I don't think so." New Delhi: Central and state governments collected 1.77 trillion in Goods and Services Tax (GST) in March after adjusting for refunds, 7.3% more than receipts in the same time a year ago, official data showed. In FY25, GST collections jumped 8.6% after adjusting for refunds, to 19.56 trillion, data from GSTN, the state-owned company that processes tax returns, showed. GST refund of 19,615 crore was given in March and in the just-ended financial year, 2.52 trillion was given, data showed. Net tax revenue from domestic sales grew 9.3% annually to 1.38 trillion in March, while revenue from importsintegrated GST (IGST) proceedsremained nearly flat at 38,830 crore. Merchandise imports had declined by 16% annually in February to $50.96 million, data from commerce ministry showed. Tax on transactions conducted in February is collected in March. On an annual basis, net GST revenue from domestic sales grew 10.1% but IGST revenue and applicable cess on the imports grew only by 3.5%. This could reflect the success of several import substitution measures, focusing on Atma Nirbhar Bharat and success of some of the production linked incentive schemes, said M.S. Mani, partner- indirect taxes at Deloitte India. Before adjusting for tax refunds, revenue collection stood at 1.96 trillion in March, showing a 9.9% annual growth and at 22 trillion in the just-ended financial year, showing a 9.4% annual growth. Resilient economy The sustained growth in GST collections suggests a resilient domestic economy, seemingly insulated from global economic challenges, driven by strong consumer spending, said Saurabh Agarwal, tax partner at EY. Federal indirect tax body, the GST Council is currently exploring further tax rate rationalization, which could simplify the GST structure, remove tax anomalies like raw materials attracting higher taxes than finished products and offer tax relief on certain products and services. A ministerial panel with Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Chaudhary is examining proposals in this regard. The panels recommendations could figure in the next GST Council meeting. Among large state economies, Uttar Pradesh reported a 10% annual jump in GST revenue receipts in March, while Maharashtra reported a 14% improvement. Gujarat reported a 6% growth, while Tamil Nadu showed a 7% growth. Delhi reported a 5% GST revenue growth in March. Experts pointed out that proceedings regarding short-payment of tax completed for the preceding three financial years have aided in the tax collection growth in FY25. Improved data collection and reporting requirements have also helped in tax collection growth, they said. Hyderabad campus row: The University of Hyderabad Students Union (UoHSU) on April 1 declared an indefinite protest and boycott of classes, and has demanded the removal of police personnel and earth-moving machinery from the campus, according to a PTI report. UoHSU Vice President Akash has urged students and teachers to join the protest on campus and boycott classes. Hyderabad Campus Row: Updates April 1, 2025 UoHSU and other students' associations have in a joint statement accused the administration of betraying students by allowing the state government access to clear 400 acres of land at Kancha Gachibowli abutting the university. The statement also condemned the brutal police crackdown on peaceful demonstrators. Demands include written assurance that the land would be formally registered under the university; public release of minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on the issue by the university; and greater transparency in land-related documents. A BJP legislators delegation led by its Legislature party floor leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy and leaders are scheduled to visit the site today. Police has been deployed in large numbers near the MLA quarters. Reddy told PTI he was not being permitted to leave his residence. What is the Hyderabad Campus Row About? The Telangana government's plans to develop IT infrastructure and others on 400 acres of land over which student groups of UoH held protests intensified on Monday with the government maintaining that the land parcel belonged to it and not the varsity. However, the UoH Registrar issued a statement asserting that the boundary of the disputed land in question was finalised, contradicting the government's claim. In a detailed note on the land issue, the government alleged that students are being misled by some political leaders and realty groups. The student groups and environmental activists have voiced opposition to the proposal to undertake development work at the site, citing environmental conservation concerns. Several cars were gutted in a massive fire that broke out near the Anarkali building and DDA Shopping Complex in the Jhandewalan area of Delhi on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Delhi Fire Service Department, fifteen fire tenders were deployed to douse the blaze. WATCH VIDEO: A call regarding the incident at Anarkali Complex in Block E 3 was received at 2.35 PM, it said. Also Read | Huge fire at Petronas gas pipeline in Malaysia injures 33 | Watch DCP (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said the fire spread to the nearby DDA Shopping Complex and reportedly to a nearby bank. According to initial reports, some vehicles parked nearby also caught fire. However, there is no immediate report of anyone being trapped in the incident. Authorities have stated that a thorough check will be conducted once the fire is under control. The cause of the fire is not known yet, and a firefighting operation is underway. WATCH VIDEO Gujarat news: Death toll in Banaskantha firecracker godown blast rises to 18 Meanwhile, the death toll in the firecracker godown explosion in Gujarat's Banaskantha district has risen to 18. According to police, the explosion at the firecracker godown in the Deesa area on Tuesday morning led to the collapse of the structure, trapping several workers inside. Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities continue to assess the situation. Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana said a case was registered in connection with the incident. As soon as we received information about the incident, we initiated relief work. So far, 18 people have died due to the collapse of a slab. An FIR is being filed under Section 304 (causing death by negligence), and strict action will be taken against those responsible, SP Makwana said. Banaskantha police have formed five teams to identify and nab those responsible for the incident, the SP added. Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh Chief Adviser, is facing storng criticism for claiming that Bangladesh is the "only guardian" of the Indian Ocean for the region, as the seven northeastern Indian states are "landlocked". In a video that went viral, Yunus can be heard saying that "The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean. Bangladesh is the guardian of the ocean for the region. This opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension for the Chinese economy." Yunus made these remarks during his four-day visit to China. Provocative! Can't be take lightly, Himanta Biswa Sarma Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma slammed him saying that the statement was "offensive and strongly condemnable", noting that the region had been under ongoing security risk discourse linked to India's critical 'Chicken's Neck' corridor." "The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh, the so-called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable," Sarma posted on X. "Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," he added. Reacting to his comments, Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma noted, Rather than spending billions on innovative and challenging engineering ideas we might as well break up Bangladesh and have our own access to the sea. Also Read | India look to continue robust record against Bangladesh The Chittagong hill tracts were always inhabited by indigenous tribes which always wanted to be part of india since 1947 . There are lakhs and lakhs of Tripuri , Garo ,Khasi and Chakma people which reside in Bangladesh in terrible conditions in their traditional lands . This should be utilised for our national interest and for their well being Ungrateful regime, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma Debbarma also said, Time for India to make a route to the ocean by supporting our indigenous people who once ruled Chittagong so we are no longer dependent on an ungrateful regime. Indias biggest mistake was to let go of the port (Chittagong) in 1947 despite the hill people living there wanting to be a part of the Indian Union, Debbarma said. He said, Mr Yunus may think he is the guardian of the ocean but the reality is he is a stop-gap leader at the age of almost 85. Lets not forget Tripura is only a few miles away from the port. Very shocking, says former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Veena Sikri, has also strongly condemned the statement He told ANI, "Very shocking statement by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. He has absolutely no right to make a statement like that. He knows that the northeast is an integral part of India, and we have had very close discussions with the Government of Bangladesh on access by Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal, and there are formal agreements on this." Sikri further warned Bangladesh that if it 'not interested' in granting connectivity rights to Northeast India, it could not expect riparian rights in return. "We must condemn the statement," she said, The Delhi government's decision to deny fuel to overage vehicles at refill stations which was supposed to begin today on April 1 has been delayed, officials said. The new rule has been delayed due to pending structural changes at a few fuel stations, they said. As per the new rule, overage or end-of-life vehicles diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years are not allowed to ply in Delhi. The Delhi government has been seizing these vehicles and scrapping them if necessary permissions to sell them outside Delhi-NCR is not obtained or if they are parked in public areas such as roadsides. Why has it been delayed? The decision to stop giving them fuel is part of the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the national capital to combat air pollution. The reason behind delaying the implementation is that a few petrol pumps have not made the structural changes necessary to implement the policy decision. There will have to be separate areas from where old cars will exit. There has to be a clear passage for the vehicles that can get fuel. These are small changes and will be made soon. Most pumps in the city have complied, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa was quoted as saying by the Indian Express Sirsa told news agency PTI that the government was expediting the equipment installation to ensure a smooth transition. It is better to wait a few days and implement the project in one go than to do it in fits and starts. All pumps have to refuse fuel to old vehicles otherwise the plan will fail. It should take 10-15 more days to implement, Sirsa said Last month, Sirsa had announced that the End-of-Life Vehicles would be denied fuel at refill stations across the capital starting April 1. Delhi Most Polluted City It is better to wait a few days and implement the project in one go than to do it in fits and starts. Air pollution has been an issue in Delhi for long and the city records dip in air quality levels between November and January. With an average PM 2.5 concentration of 91.8 g/m3, Delhi continued to be the most polluted Capital city in the world, according to the 2024 World Air Quality Report released early March NEW DELHI : India's pension regulator is planning to raise the equity component from 15% to 25% in the default scheme for central government employees under the National Pension System (NPS), said two people close to the discussions. Under the NPS, there are four market-linked schemes. In the default scheme, only government pension fund managersSBI Pension Funds Pvt. Ltd, UTI Retirement Solutions Ltd, and LIC Pension Fund Ltdcan manage employees' contributions. Each fund manager must invest 85% of the contribution in fixed-income assets and 15% in equities. "An increase in equity allocation from 15% to 25% will bring long-term benefits to members of these funds. The long-term upsides of equity markets are well-established, especially in the context of pension fund allocations. Given that the allocation is debt-heavy, it is expected that short-term volatility will be limited," said Poornima Rao, director, Paterson Wealth, a wealth management firm. As a result, government pension fund managers will now deploy more funds to equities. The asset under management (AUM) in the default scheme stood at 3.7 trillion as of 28 February 2025, which means nearly 37,000 crore more is expected to flow into equities. With 7 trillion in state government schemes, the expected inflow in equities can go up to 1 trillion. Since most central government employees prefer the default scheme, LIC, SBI, and UTI will be better placed to grow their businesses and attract more subscribers. Other fund managers such as HDFC Pension Management, ICICI Prudential Pension Fund Management, Kotak Mahindra Pension Fund, Aditya Birla Sunlife Pension Management, Axis Pension Fund Management, and DSP Pension Fund Managers can only offer the other three lifecycle (LC) schemes: LC-25, LC-50, and Scheme G. Equity allocation is capped at 25% in LC-25 and 50% in LC-50. In Scheme G, 100% of the contribution is invested in government securities. To be sure, LIC, SBI, and UTI can also run the other schemes. Private funds want in The people said some private fund managers were making a case to offer fund management services to government employees. They added that the change would also apply to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), the new pension scheme that provides assured payouts. Besides, in all likelihood, the increase in equity allocation will be extended to state government employees as well. That said, the opportunity is huge for government pension fund managers, which private players want to share. "Allowing private players to manage the Central government pension schemes will drive better fund performance, innovation, and accountability, ultimately benefiting pensioners," said Kunal Arora, founder, SKVC Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in labour laws. Rao agrees. "While one has to factor in short-term commercial considerations, it is felt that in an expanding pension market, greater choice will be important to members," she said. Over the last five years, tier-1 equity funds by UTI, LIC, and SBI have delivered returns of 25.5%, 25%, and 22%, respectively. Kotak and ICICI delivered 25% returns each. HDFC and Aditya Birla offered 24% and 23.68% returns, respectively. Notably, the equity component can go up to 75% in pension schemes meant for private employees because they can choose their allocation among equity, government securities, and corporate bonds. It's 15% for Employees' Provident Fund (EPF). The increase in the equity component would occur as Deepak Mohanty, chairman of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, prepares to retire in May. A little over a month after a 20-year-old third-year BTech woman student from Nepal died by suicide in her hostel room in Odisha's Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), another third-year BTech student was found dead on Monday night. According to the police, KIIT student Arnab Mukherjee, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Bhubaneswar's Mancheswar area. Arnab, a resident of West Bengal's Bankura district, lived in one of the KIIT hostels. However, his body was found lying on the ground near an under-construction multi-storey building in Mancheswar. Also Read | KIIT Nepali student's heartbreaking last call to her mother before tragedy A police officer told news agency PTI that it was not immediately clear why he had gone to Mancheswar. We are probing into the circumstances leading to the student's death, Biswajit Senapati, ACP, Zone-5 of the Commissionerate of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police, told PTI. The body has been sent to Capital Hospital for post-mortem examination. The police have registered an unnatural death (UD) case with Mancheswar police station and started an investigation into the incident. The police are examining CCTV footage, questioning hostel mates, and analysing call records to gather more details, PTI reported citing sources. What did KIIT say? A spokesperson of KIIT said that the institute's authorities had lodged a missing complaint with Infocity police station to look for Arnab Mukherjee. We are waiting for the police to ascertain why he was in Mancheswar and how he died, the spokesperson added. KIIT girl student from Nepal dies by suicide KIIT recently made headlines after the death of Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old girl from Nepal. She died allegedly by suicide, and her body was found on February 16. Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh stated that investigations revealed evidence suggesting harassment of the victim by a fellow student, Advik Srivastava, which may have led to her death. Supreme Court Collegium has issued resolution recommending transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma, Judge of High Court of Delhi, back to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court. This decision, made on March 20 and 24, comes amid an ongoing inquiry into allegations surrounding a large amount of cash found at Justice Varmas Delhi residence. Supreme Court Collegium has issued resolution recommending transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma, Judge of High Court of Delhi, back to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court The Allahabad high court Bar Association (HCBA) strongly opposed justice Yashwant Varmas transfer, questioning whether the Allahabad high court was being treated as a dumping ground. Justice Varma, who is the second senior-most judge in the Delhi High Court and a member of the Collegium, will be ranked ninth in seniority at the Allahabad High Court. According to LiveLaw, the Supreme Court Collegiums resolution did not provide specific reasons for the transfer of Yashwant Verma, leading to speculation and misinformation regarding its timing and implications. The Supreme Court has clarified that the transfer proposal of Yashwant Verma is separate from the inquiry into the cash discovery, but this has been met with skepticism and rumors. Pending the outcome of an investigation into the discovery of a large amount of cash at his residence, Justice Yashwant Varma has been stripped of his judicial responsibilities. The Delhi High Court issued a circular to this effect, removing him from his duties with immediate effect until further notice, on March 24. Notably in Delhi High Court, justice Varmas bench dealt with cases involving sales tax, Goods and Services Tax (GST). What is the Yashwant Varma Cash Discovery Row? The cash discovery row centres around Justice Yashwant Varma, a judge at the Delhi High Court, and the discovery of a substantial amount of cash reportedly around 15 crore at his residence following a fire on March 14, 2025. The controversy stems from a reported fire at Justice Varmas official residence on Tughlak Road at around 11:35pm on March 14. Also Read | Shocking: RS chairman reacts to recovery of cash from Delhi HC judge residence The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) responded and extinguished the fire within minutes. However, first respondersincluding personnel from DFS and possibly the policeare believed to have discovered stacks of cash in the storeroom, some of which were reportedly charred. Justice Varma and his wife were in Bhopal at the time. Justice Varma has vehemently denied any connection to the cash, suggesting a conspiracy to malign his reputation. Justice Verma claims the cash was found in an outhouse, separate from the main residence, and that neither he nor his family had placed it there. Also Read | SC sets-up panel to probe allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma in cash row A 33-year-old man was arrested in Maharashtra's Nagpur on charges of sexually abusing many women after his wife hacked his WhatsApp account. The wife found a large cache of chats, photos, and videos of women in compromising positions with him on his mobile phone, reported the Times of India. The accused, identified as Abdul Sharique Quereshi, is now under police custody. Quereshi used to lure women into physical relationships on the false promise of marriage and secretly take photos or videos of them in compromising positions for blackmailing them later, the ToI report said. Initially, Quereshis wife had gone to the Pachpaoli police station in Nagpur to file a complaint of harassment against him due to his relentless demands for sexual activities. They both got married in 2021 and have a three-year-old daughter. The police registered a case of cruelty against him, but he could not be arrested due to Supreme Court guidelines. Quereshi runs a paan kiosk at Teka Naka in the district. WhatsApp account hacked Adamant to get her husband to face the law, she decided to hack his WhatsApp accounts to collect evidence against Quereshi. Through his WhatsApp account, she came to know about his multiple affairs with women of different ages. She accessed his chats, videos and images, and also found that he was blackmailing several women. One of his victims is a 19-year-old woman whom Quereshi befriended, claiming to be Sahil Sharma'. He met her at a social event last year. Also Read | Punjab: Pastor Bajinder Singh sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018 rape case Claiming to be a bachelor, Quereshi lured her into different hotels at Pachpaoli and Kamptee, where he repeatedly exploited her with a false promise of marriage. He also made her sell a gold ring, gifted by her mother, for 30,000 and took the amount, threatening to circulate her nude photos on social media, the report said. Quereshi's wife contacted all the victims, but the 19-year-old woman was the only one ready to visit the police station with her and lodge a complaint. As the world braces for US President Donald Trumps 'Liberation Day' tariff plan on April 2, India is working on different scenarios to counter the possible fallout of reciprocal tariffs on its key trading partners. The impact of these tariffs may vary from sector to sector and Indias commerce ministry is preparing different scenarios, reported news agency PTI, citing sources. Trump has said that April 2 will be 'Liberation Day' as he plans to announce reciprocal tariffs to bring down America's trade deficit and promote manufacturing. However, it is still unclear about the quantum of tariffs and how they will be imposed - whether at the product level, sector level, or country level. High import duties on American goods According to the US Trade Representative's (USTR) National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report 2025, India maintains "high" import duties on a wide range of American goods such as agricultural items, drug formulations, and alcoholic beverages, besides imposing non-tariff barriers. Presently, US goods face a weighted average tariff of 7.7 per cent in India, while Indian exports to the US attract only 2.8 per cent, leading to a 4.9 per cent difference. The Indian exports to the US are spread across 30 sectors, with six in agriculture and 24 in industry. Each sector faces different tariff impacts. The US accounts for about 18 per cent of India's total goods exports, 6.22 per cent in imports, and 10.73 per cent in bilateral trade. Hardest-hit Indian sectors According to the think tank GTRI, the following sectors are expected to be hit the hardest after Trumps reciprocal tariffs. Fish, meat, and processed seafood, with $2.58 billion in exports face a 27.83 per cent tariff differential. Dairy products worth $181.49 million exports to be severely affected by a 38.23 per cent tariff differential. Processed food, sugar, and cocoa exports worth $1.03 billion will be affected with a 24.99 per cent tariff hike. Also Read | Copper market grows wary of what follows its US tariff rush: Andy Home Alcohol, wines, and spirits face the highest tariff hike at 122.10 per cent. Edible oils, with $199.75 million in exports, face a 10.67 per cent tariff. Cereals, vegetables, fruits, and spices, valued at $1.91 billion, face a 5.72 per cent tariff differential. Live animals and animal products face a 27.75 per cent tariff differential on $10.31 million in exports. The pharmaceutical sector, India's largest industrial export, worth $12.72 billion, faces a 10.90 per cent tariff differential. Diamonds, gold, and silver with $11.88 billion in exports will attract a 13.32 per cent tariff hike. Electrical, telecom, and electronics exports worth $14.39 billion face a 7.24 per cent tariff. Machinery, boiler, turbine, and computer exports valued at $7.10 billion will see a 5.29 per cent tariff hike. Chemicals (excluding pharma) worth $5.71 billion will be affected by a 6.05 per cent tariff. Textiles, fabrics, yarn, and carpets, with $2.76 billion in exports, face a 6.59 per cent tariff. Rubber products, including tyres and belts, worth $1.06 billion, will face a 7.76 per cent tariff. Ceramic, glass, and stone products with $1.71 billion in exports will face an 8.27 per cent tariff. Footwear, with $457.66 million in exports, faces a high 15.56 per cent tariff differential. Both nations are also working on a bilateral trade agreement to promote two-way commerce and investments. Also Read | Tariff storm: Indian indices tumble amid US trade jitters Non-tariff barriers Indian companies have flagged certain non-tariff barriers which they face in the US, the PTI report said, citing sources. The barriers include the US banning the export of wild-caught shrimp from India on the grounds that Indian trawler vessels were not using Turtle Excluder Devices; private standards of American companies; and high registration costs for sectors like pharma. Myanmar is reeling from the devastation of a 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which has killed over 2,700 people and left thousands injured. As rescue workers race against time to find survivors, ongoing civil war and infrastructure damage are crippling relief efforts, leaving many without food, water, or medical aid. According to a report by The Economic Times, a 63-year-old woman was pulled alive from the rubble in Naypyitaw after being trapped for 91 hours. However, experts warn that survival chances drop significantly beyond 72 hours, and with over 441 people still missing, the death toll is expected to rise. Myanmars military government, led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, reported 2,719 deaths and 4,521 injuries, mostly in Mandalay and Naypyitaw, near the epicenter. In a heartbreaking tragedy, 50 Buddhist monks died when their monastery collapsed, and 150 more are feared buried. Disaster Compounded by Civil War & Aid Struggles Myanmar was already in crisis before the quake, with millions displaced by civil war. Now, the lack of electricity, roads, and communication is slowing aid efforts. While international teams from China, India, Russia, and Southeast Asia have arrived, a shortage of heavy machinery means many workers dig through debris by hand. Also Read | Thailand fears 10-15% drop in foreign tourist arrival after Myanmar earthquake The National Unity Government (NUG), Myanmars opposition force, has called for direct humanitarian aid, warning against potential military interference in relief efforts. The United Nations (UN) has also raised concerns about a looming disease outbreak, with overcrowded shelters and damaged water infrastructure increasing the risk of measles, dengue, and respiratory infections. Aid Efforts & International Response Countries worldwide have pledged millions in humanitarian aid, but challenges remain in getting supplies to affected areas. The monsoon season is set to make conditions worse, with thousands sleeping outdoors, either because their homes are destroyed or due to fear of aftershocks. Despite the urgent need for assistance, Myanmars military government has a history of blocking foreign aid. After Cyclone Nargis in 2008, which killed over 100,000 people, the junta initially refused international help, delaying crucial relief efforts. Ramadan 2025: Muslims in India observed the first Roza (fasting) on Sunday, and are know gearing up Iftaar, the meal that signifies the breaking of fast. During Roza, practising Muslims start their day with a pre-dawn meal called Sehri, marking the beginning of the fast, and end it with Iftaar, a meal eaten after sunset. In Delhi, Iftaar began at 6:23 pm on Sunday. LiveMint has compiled the list of Sehri and Iftaar timings across various cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai among others. The timings however, are subject to change, hence it is advisable to check with your nearest mosque. Sehri and Iftaar timings for Monday, March 3 Here's a list of the Sehri and Iftaar timings for various cities for the second day of Roza, Monday, March 3: City Sehri timing Iftaar timing Delhi 5: 25 am 6: 25 pm Lucknow 5: 10 am 6: 10 pm Kolkata 4: 40 am 5: 42 pm Mumbai 5 : 43 am 6: 45 pm Chennai 5: 13 am 6: 19 pm Bengaluru 5: 23 am 6: 33 pm Kochi 5: 28 am 6: 36 pm Jaipur 5: 31 am 6: 32 pm Ahmedabad 5: 44 am 6: 45 pm The month-long fast of Ramadan, known as Roza, culminates with the celebrations of Eid al-Fitr. During this time, people gather with friends, family, and loved ones, prepare special delicacies, and spend quality time together. How long is Ramadan 2025 In India, Ramadan began on Sunday, March 2, and will conclude either on March 30, or March 31, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon. When will Eid be celebrated? Eid will be celebrated depending on the sighting of the next crescent moon. If the moon is sighted on March 31, then Eid would be celebrated on April 1, and if the moon is sighted on March 30, Eid would be celebrated on March 31. Also Read | Ramadan 2025: PM Modi extends greetings as India observes first roza on March 2 Billionaire industrialist and Tata Group's former chairman, Ratan Tata, in his final will, left most of his wealth, including his preferential shares in the family trust Tata Sons, to a non-profit organisation to be used for philanthropic and charitable purposes, multiple media outlets reported on April 1, 2025. Ratan Naval Tata passed away on October 9, 2024, at the age of 86. He left behind a will estimated to be worth 10,000 crore, including his assets. Nearly 3,800 crore, comprising ordinary and preferential shares and other assets, were allocated to the Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation and the Ratan Tata Endowment Trust, according to the reports. Ratan Tata's Will Allocation Ratan Tata left one-third of his other financial assets, which includes fixed deposits from banks and other financial instruments, along with assets like luxury watches and paintings, to his half-sisters Shireen Jejeebhoy and Deanna Jejeebhoy and a former employee named Mohini M Dutta who was close to the billionaire. The Economic Times reported on Tuesday, April 1, that the assets are estimated to be worth nearly 800 crore. Tata left a share of the Juhu-based bungalow to his brother, Jimmy Naval Tata, and the Alibaug property and three firearms to Mehli Mistry, who was a close friend of Tata. The news report also cited the court papers highlighting that the executors will have to file a petition in the Bombay High Court to carry forward the probate process of the final will. Ratan Tata's final will, dated February 23, 2022, includes a four-page additional document showing the amendments and modifications. The additional documents showed that other listed stocks and shares of unlisted companies that Tata was invested in, as well as the other assets, would be distributed equally among the two non-profit organizations. India Today reported that Ratan Tata's will be executed by his lawyer, Darius Kambatta, along with Mehli Mistry, Shireen Jejeebhoy, and Deanna Jejeebhoy. Shantanu Naidu and Tito's share According to Ratan Tata's will, his favourite dog, Tito, and other pets will benefit from the 12 lakh fund, which will be used to care for his pets, ensuring that each of them will receive 30,000 per quarter for their care. Tata also mentioned that his cook, Rajan Shaw, will take care of his favourite dog, Tito, after his demise. Ratan Tata's executive assistant, Shantanu Naidu, who was under the obligation of a student loan, got a full loan exemption waiver as Tata's parting gift for the young individual. Tata also made sure that his neighbour Jake Malite, who received an interest-free educational loan, received a full loan amount waiver as part of his final will. As per the court papers cited by ET, Tata's foreign assets are worth nearly 40 crore which was present in land parcels in Seychelles, accounts with Wells Fargo bank and Morgan Stanley, shares of Alcoa Corp and Howmet Aerospace. Ashley St. Clair, a 26-year-old conservative influencer who claimed that tech billionaire Elon Musk fathered her child, recently disclosed that she had to sell her Tesla because he reduced her child support payments. She further called Musk a petulant man-child. Far-right social media influencer Laura Loomer posted a clip from the Daily Mail showing Ashley St. Clair selling her Tesla over the weekend while expressing her frustrations about Elon Musk. She was spotted selling her $100,000 @Tesla, which she claimed was a gift from Elon Musk during their romantic relationship. She stated that she was selling the car to cover the $100,000 reduction in her alleged child support payments from Elon. According to a report by the Daily Mail, Ashley had purchased the Tesla for transportation as she now has two childrena three-year-old son from her previous partner, Johnny Alexander. However, she decided to sell the car to raise funds for the expenses of a full-time nanny. Meanwhile, MAGA activists argued that the car must have been a gift from Elon Musk. Watch the video here: Loomer posted, Gold digger and professional gaslighter @stclairashley was caught on camera outside of her ritzy Manhattan condo (paid for by her sugar daddy Elon Musk) selling her $100,000@Tesla she said was gifted to her by @elonmusk during their romantic relationship. She said shes selling it to make up for $100,000 in alleged cuts to her child Support payments from Elon. She took a jab at @elonmusk , telling people to check the Tesla Stock, adding, Im not the only one cleaning up after Elons messes. Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday responded to influencer Ashley St. Clairs claims that he fathered her child last fall, admitting he isnt sure if the child is his. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO also said hes willing to take a paternity test. I dont know if the child is mine or not, but am not against finding out. No court order is needed. Despite not knowing for sure, I have given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year, Musk added. Ashley calls Musk a petulant man-child Ashley replied, Elon, we asked you to confirm paternity through a test before our child (who you named) was even born. You refused. And you werent sending *me* money, you were sending support for your child that you thought was necessary until you withdrew most of it to maintain control and punish me for disobedience. But youre really only punishing your son. Its ironic that your last effort in court was to try to gag me while you use a social media channel you literally own to distribute derogatory messages about me and our child to the entire world. Its all about control with you, and everyone can see it. America needs you to grow up, you petulant man-child. "On Saturday, Ashley St. Clair sold a black Tesla Model S using the Carvana app. She explained, Im selling it because I need to make up for the 60 percent cut that Elon made to our sons child support. Its ironic that your last effort in court was to try to gag me while you use a social media channel you literally own to distribute derogatory messages about me and our child to the entire world. When asked why she thought Musk reduced the payments and if she saw it as vindictive, she responded, Yeah, thats his modus operandi when women speak out. A coalition of Democratic-led states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to challenge its decision to cancel $11 billion in federal grants that had been allocated to states during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday (April 1) in federal court in Rhode Island, argues that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lacked the authority to unilaterally rescind the funds after states had already used them to build critical health programs. Attorneys general and governors from 23 states and the District of Columbia are part of the legal action, asserting that the grants were vital for maintaining public health initiatives related to infectious disease control, mental health, and addiction treatment. These funds were essential in combating diseases like measles and bird flu, and were used for mental health services and addiction recovery programs, said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, one of the plaintiffs in the case. Background of the funding cuts The funds in question were primarily allocated through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for pandemic preparedness, overdose prevention, addiction treatment, and suicide prevention. The states argue that cutting these resources now, after they were already in use, would disrupt essential public health initiatives that have been built around the funding. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who heads HHS, oversaw the funding cuts. In a statement, the department justified the decision by saying that the funds were initially used for COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and other pandemic responses. The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago, the department said last week. Elon Musk is injecting millions of dollars into Wisconsins Supreme Court race, mirroring his strategy that helped propel Donald Trump to the presidency in 2024. The tech billionaire has spent at least $17 million through two political groups supporting conservative candidate Brad Schimel. He has also contributed $3 million to the Republican Party of Wisconsin, making him the second-largest political donor in 2025, according to a report in Bloomberg. The contest is between former state attorney general Brad Schimel and Dane County Judge Susan Crawford. Record-breaking spending and cash incentives The Wisconsin Supreme Court race has become the most expensive judicial contest in US history, with candidates and outside groups spending a combined $82 million by March 30, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Musks America PAC has taken an unorthodox approach, giving away $1 million checks to voterssimilar to his tactics in the 2024 presidential election. At a rally Sunday night, a Green Bay man received $1 million for signing a petition against "activist judges." Election to decide courts balance of power Wisconsin voters are casting their ballots in a crucial Supreme Court race that will determine whether the states highest court remains under liberal control or shifts back to a conservative majority. The outcome of Tuesdays election will have far-reaching implications for cases involving abortion rights, labor laws, voting rules, and congressional redistricting. Trump, Musk, and Republican influence Schimel, the conservative candidate, has received significant support from President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. Schimels campaign has framed Crawford as a liberal activist who would redraw Wisconsins congressional districts in favor of Democrats and reverse Republican-backed laws limiting collective bargaining rights for public workers. Crawfords Democratic support and opposition to Musk Crawford has positioned herself as a defender of abortion rights, public sector unions, and voting access. She has been endorsed by prominent Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, billionaire donor George Soros, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Her campaign has leaned heavily on opposition to Musks influence, with Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler warning that if Musk succeeds in shaping the courts ideological makeup, hes going to do it all over the country. During a debate, Crawford even referred to her opponent as Elon Schimel, reinforcing her message that Musks money is driving the race. Also Read | Elon Musk heckled during speech at Wisconsin. He smiles and says THIS Implications for Wisconsin and the country The election is viewed as a key indicator of voter sentiment toward Trumps first months back in office and Musks growing political influence. The winner will serve a 10-year term, replacing retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. If Crawford wins, the court will remain under liberal control until at least 2028. If Schimel prevails, conservatives will have a chance to reclaim the majority as early as next year, with another court seat up for election. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said he is not joking about running for a third term. The 47th President said, There are methods by which you could do it. The suggestion by 78-year-old Trump requires him to breach the two-term limit for American presidents, which the US Constitution has mandated for over 70 years. Trump was US president for the first term between 2017 and 2021. His second term, which started in January this year, will last till 2029. What does the US Constitution say? The US Constitution in the 22nd Amendment puts a two-term limit on Presidents. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, reads the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution. The two-term limit was ratified after Franklin D Roosevelt was elected US President four times, with his final term in 1944. At that time, there were concerns surrounding the President entrenching powers of a kinglike manner, according to Kimberly Wehle, a law professor at the University of Baltimore, who spoke with the New York Times. Even before 1951, when the 22nd Amendment was ratified, the framers of the US Constitution failed to enact term limits for US Presidents in 1803, 1824, and 1826. Can the 22nd Amendment be changed? Trump needs to amend the Constitution to allow himself a third term. Congress must propose the amendment in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Changing or repealing the 22nd Amendment would require a two-thirds majority in both houses. No amendment has been ratified in the US since the 1990s. The first was proposed in the 1700s. The last amendment to be ratified before that was the 26th Amendment in the 1960s, during the Vietnam War era, which lowered the voting age to 18. Also Read | Senate vote to reverse Trumps tariffs on Canada is testing Republican support An amendment can also be proposed by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislature. This provision has never been included in the 27 amendments passed in the US to date. Does Trump have numbers? The Republicans currently hold 53 of 100 seats in the Senate and 218 of 435 seats in the House of Representatives. Clearly, Republicans are short of the required majority. As things stand, Trump doesn't have numbers to do it. This is not the first time Trump has hinted at the possibility of a third presidency. He has previously suggested that he should receive additional terms due to what he considers unfair treatment during his first presidency. In January, Republican Congressman Andy Ogles introduced a House Joint Resolution to amend the Constitution of the US to allow the US Constitution to allow President Donald Trump and any other future president to serve a third term in the White House. Alternative routes to the third term? The two-term ban applies to being elected more than twice. If his running mate resigned, Trump could win the vice presidential race first and then assume the presidency. As per the US Constitution, if a Vice President becomes President in the middle of the existing President's term, she or he can still serve two complete terms as President if she or he assumes office with less than half the term of the predecessor remaining. In an NBC interview, President Trump was asked if he would get Vice President JD Vance to run for the Presidential post and later pass the baton. Well, that's one, Trump responded. There are methods by which you could do it, he added. That means Vance has to be elected President of the US with Trump as his running mate in the next US election. Eventually, Vance has to resign, with Trump, his Vice President, taking over. Remember, by the end of his second term, Trump, now 78, would be the oldest US president in history, aged 82. Can Trump run for VP in 2028? The 12th Amendment of the US Constitution, ratified in 1804, provides the procedure for electing the president and vice president. Experts say that this 12th Amendment makes President Trump ineligible to be the Vice President. I'm not joking. There are methods by which you could do it. No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States, reads the 12th Amendment. We Are China Chinese teams race against time in Myanmar quake relief Ecns.cn) 14:38, April 01, 2025 Members from a Chinese rescue team search for survivors at a quake site in Mandalay city, Myanmar, March 31, 2025. (China News Service/Chen Yongnuo) The death toll from Friday's 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has risen to 2,056, with approximately 3,900 people injured and nearly 270 reported missing, according to the country's State Administration Council Information Team on Monday. Members from a Chinese rescue team search for survivors at a quake site in Mandalay city, Myanmar, March 31, 2025. (China News Service/Chen Yongnuo) Members from a Chinese rescue team search for survivors at a quake site in Mandalay city, Myanmar, March 31, 2025. (China News Service/Chen Yongnuo) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Two special elections in Floridas heavily pro-Trump congressional districts have become competitive, raising concerns for Republicans. The races, triggered by vacancies left by Trump administration appointments, were expected to be easy wins for the GOP. However, a surge in Democratic fundraising has tightened the contests, with Democrats viewing them as a chance to signal momentum against President Donald Trumps administration. Vacancies created by Trump Administration appointments The two congressional seats up for grabs were previously held by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz, who was briefly nominated for attorney general before withdrawing. Their departures left vacancies in Floridas 1st and 6th congressional districtsboth strongholds for Republicans. Democrats outspend Republicans Despite the Republican advantage, Democrats have significantly outspent their GOP rivals. District 1: Democrat Gay Valimont has raised $6.5 million, while Republican Jimmy Patronis has only collected $2.1 million. District 6: Democrat Josh Weil has raised $9 million, dwarfing Republican Randy Fines $1 million. Fine has personally injected $600,000 into his campaign to close the gap. Democrats attribute their financial strength to grassroots anger over Trumps first two months back in office. Trumps endorsements and Republican strategy Trump has actively campaigned for both Republican candidates. On Tuesday, he urged voters on Truth Social to back Fine, calling him an incredible fighter. Fine, a staunch Trump ally, has fully embraced the former presidents support. Patronis, also a Trump loyalist, is relying on name recognition and the districts deep conservative roots. Weils growing momentum among Independents Weil, a progressive educator and former US Senate candidate, has drawn unexpected bipartisan support. At a rally on Monday, he was joined by veterans, retirees, and even some disillusioned Republicans. His campaign slogan, A Teacher Representing You, has resonated with voters frustrated by partisan politics. Randy Fines controversial reputation Fine has a history of controversy, including clashes with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He has been a vocal supporter of Israel and a proponent of restrictions on LGBTQ rights. His criticism of DeSantis foreign policies and handling of immigration may have cost him key endorsements. Employees across the US Health and Human Services Department (HHS) began receiving dismissal notices on Tuesday (April 1) as part of a major restructuring plan that is expected to cut up to 10,000 jobs. The overhaul comes just days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order stripping collective bargaining rights from HHS and other federal agencies. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced last week that the restructuring aims to make HHS more efficient. The HHS department, which oversees public health, disease prevention, and medical research, will see a significant reorganisation, including the consolidation of agencies that oversee billions in addiction services and community health funding under a new entity called the Administration for a Healthy America. Union criticism and lawmaker concerns Union representatives for HHS employees were notified Thursday that between 8,000 and 10,000 employees will be terminated. The departments leadership has targeted positions in human resources, procurement, finance, and IT, focusing especially on those in "high-cost regions" or deemed "redundant." Democratic lawmakers condemned the move. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington warned of dire consequences, particularly for public health crises. They may as well be renaming it the Department of Disease because their plan is putting lives in serious jeopardy, Murray said Friday. Cuts ripple through local health departments Beyond federal layoffs, state and local health departments are also feeling the impact. Last week, HHS rescinded more than $11 billion in COVID-19-related funding, forcing local governments to assess job cuts. Some of them overnight, some of them are already gone, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. Breakdown of job cuts The department provided a detailed breakdown of the expected job losses: Food and Drug Administration (FDA): 3,500 jobs. The FDA is responsible for inspecting and setting safety standards for medications, medical devices, and food. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 2,400 jobs. The CDC monitors infectious diseases and works with public health agencies nationwide. National Institutes of Health (NIH): 1,200 jobs. The NIH is the worlds leading medical research institution. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): 300 jobs. CMS oversees the Affordable Care Act marketplace, Medicare, and Medicaid. Unionisation efforts blocked by Executive Order CDC employees had been ramping up unionisation efforts in response to the Trump administrations workforce reduction plans. While about 2,000 CDC employees in Atlanta were already part of the American Federation of Government Employees, hundreds more had petitioned to join. However, Trumps executive order, signed Thursday night, stripped collective bargaining rights from employees at several federal health agencies, including the CDC. Backlash over Union Rights removal Democratic lawmakers slammed the move as an attack on federal workers rights. President Trumps brazen attempt to strip the majority of federal employees of their union rights robs these workers of their hard-fought protections, Reps. Gerald Connolly and Bobby Scott, both of Virginia, said in a joint statement Friday. This will only give Elon Musk more power to dismantle the peoples government with as little resistance from dedicated civil servants as possible further weakening the federal governments ability to serve the American people. First Lady Melania Trump delivered an inspiring speech at the 2025 International Women of Courage Award ceremony, emphasising a theme of building strength through love. Addressing an audience at the Secretary of State's event, Trump spoke passionately about the power of love in fueling courage and resilience. "Today, we celebrate courage, a strength that is based in love," she said. "This truth is illustrated to our honorees who prove that love can inspire extraordinary valor, even with the face of vulnerability." Trump went on to highlight how the courage of the awardees has not only impacted their communities but also the world. "Their remarkable stories are a testament to the power of love in practice for family, community, and our world," she added. Inspiration from the courageous women The First Lady shared her admiration for the women who have displayed exceptional bravery in their personal and professional lives. She expressed her admiration for those "driven to speak out for justice, even though their voices are trembling," and those who "rise up for their community when others remain indifferent." "Through their efforts, they instigate progress for all of humanity," Trump said, praising the recipients' tireless work in advocating for human rights, justice, and the empowerment of women and girls. Personal connection to the theme of love and courage Melania Trump also struck a personal note during her address, reflecting on how she has used "the power of love" as a source of strength in her own life. While she did not go into specific details, she touched on her belief in love as a foundation for resilience. "Throughout my life, I have harnessed the power of love as a source of strength during challenging times," Trump shared. "Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy, and exhibit bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles." A rare public appearance This speech marked a rare public appearance for the First Lady, who has largely remained out of the national spotlight since her husbands return to the Oval Office in January. International Women of Courage Award background The International Women of Courage Award was established in 2007 by then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to recognise women who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls. This year's honorees included courageous women from diverse corners of the globe, such as Burkina Faso, Israel, Papua New Guinea, Romania, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Yemen, and the Philippines. Highlighting the work of Georgiana Pascu Among the awardees was Georgiana Pascu from Romania, who was honored for her tireless work advocating for institutionalised children and adults with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities. For over 25 years, Pascu has worked toward the deinstitutionalization of individuals held in harsh conditions. "Georgiana is a watchdog who defends the dignity of Romanians whose voices cannot be heard," Trump stated. "She fearlessly enters facilities designated as care centers to rescue people with disabilities who are unwittingly held captive." Elon Musk at a get-out-the-vote rally in Wisconsin over the weekend, shared a chart that sparked a wave of attention. The chart, Musk claimed, showed millions of noncitizens receiving Social Security numbers during former President Joe Bidens tenure. Elon Musk highlighted the chart, pointing out the increase in noncitizens receiving Social Security numbers during the Biden administration. "This is a mind-blowing chart," Musk said, referencing the data that showed a significant rise in the number of Social Security numbers issued to noncitizens from FY 2021 through FY 2025. "We went there to find fraud and we found this by accident," said Antonio Gracias, Musk's associate at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and a former advisor to the Social Security Administration. Gracias was on stage to discuss the work he has done with the federal governments Social Security system. Chart details and surprising findings The chart Musk displayed revealed a steady year-over-year increase in Social Security numbers issued to noncitizens, with the number surpassing 2 million by FY 2024. In comparison, FY 2023 and FY 2025 showed figures around 1 million noncitizens receiving Social Security numbers. Gracias explained, "When we saw these numbers, we were like, What is this?" The findings come amidst Musk's ongoing probe into federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration. DOGE's investigations into federal programs The chart was presented after Musk and DOGEs ongoing investigations into federal programs, including the Social Security Administration (SSA). Musk's team has recently uncovered disturbing data, including the removal of approximately 7 million Social Security accounts belonging to people listed as being over 120 years old. Also, DOGEs audits reportedly revealed that the SSA database contained 20 million records of deceased individuals marked as alive. These findings further fueled Musk's claims about the accuracy and integrity of federal systems. Musk's $1 million giveaway at Town Hall The rally drew additional attention when Musk handed out $1 million in checks to two Wisconsin voters who signed a petition calling for an end to activist judges in the state. The giveaway came just one day-and-a-half before polls opened for a state judicial race. This move, however, was later challenged by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which declined to take up a case arguing that the sweepstakes was unlawful. A shooting occurred at a Walmart store in Lancaster, South Carolina, on Tuesday afternoon, leaving two individuals injured. The incident prompted an immediate response from local authorities, who quickly arrived at the scene located off Highway 9 Bypass West. Both injured individuals were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Reports indicate that their injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening, though further details regarding their specific conditions have not been disclosed. Emergency response and school lockdowns Following the shooting, four schools within the Lancaster County School District were placed on lockdown as a precaution. The lockdowns were later lifted once authorities assessed the situation. Emergency personnel, including the police, fire department, SWAT teams, and state police, were on the scene, with numerous emergency vehicles stationed along the road and near nearby businesses. Witness accounts Witnesses reported a significant emergency response, with images showing a large presence of fire, police, and SWAT vehicles near the University Place shopping center area, where the Walmart is located. Hope Walz, the daughter of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has announced that she will not attend graduate school, citing her dissatisfaction with the way the university she had planned to attend handled student protests. In a TikTok video shared on Sunday, Walz explained her decision to her followers, expressing her disappointment with the institutions stance on student activism. I applied for one school. I kind of had my heart set on it. I am not going to name the institution, but given recent events I am not going to give my money, go into debt for, or support institutions that do not support students and the right to protest and speak out for their communities, Walz said in the video. Support for student rights and protesters Walz also emphasised that her decision was rooted in her belief that students should be protected when voicing their opinions and participating in protests. Students deserve to be protected. I am not worried about if I were to be protected or not at said institution. I am, you know, a privileged white woman. But I am not going to put myself in the position where I am giving money or supporting institutions that dont support their students, Hope Walz said. Her announcement comes at a time of heightened tension surrounding student protests across US universities, particularly in light of the Trump administrations actions targeting foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Controversy surrounding Trump Administration's stance The Trump administration has taken an aggressive approach toward universities, particularly Columbia University, over protests linked to pro-Palestinian movements. The administration threatened to withhold federal funding from the university unless it took measures to combat antisemitism and address the ongoing campus protests. In response, Columbia agreed to ban masks intended to conceal identities during protests and appointed a senior vice provost to oversee its Department of the Middle East, South Asian and African Studies, as well as the Center for Palestine Studies. US President Donald Trump on Monday said if he is allowed to run for the third term, he would like to run against former Democratic President Barack Obama, I'd love that. Fox News' asked Trump on Monday, "I know it's hypothetical right now, but if you were allowed for some reason to run for a third term, is there a thought that the Democrats could try to run Barack Obama against you?" "I'd love that," Trump responded. I'd love that . That would be a good one. I'd like that. And no, people are asking me to run, and there's a whole story about running for a third term. I don't know, I never looked into it. They do say there's a way you can do it, but I don't know about that. Trump said not joking about third term but too early Trump said on Sunday he was not joking about seeking a third presidential term, which is barred by the U.S. Constitution, but that it was too early to think about doing so. Trump, who took office on January 20 for his second, non-consecutive White House term, has made allusions to seeking a third one but addressed it directly in a telephone interview with NBC News. Trump also said that he has not looked into the potential legal avenues of running for a third presidency, saying he has nearly four years left of his term and is focused on doing a "fantastic job." "No, I'm not joking. Im not joking," Trump said, but "it is far too early to think about it." "There are methods which you could do it, as you know," he said, declining to elaborate on specific methods. What bars Trump and Obama from running for third time? The 22nd Amendment limiting a president to two terms in office was passed in 1947 by two-thirds of the House of Representatives and two-thirds of the Senate. It was ratified by three-quarters of the 50 US state legislatures in 1951. The text states: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice." It also bars a president who has served more than two years "of a term to which some other person was elected President" from being elected again more than once. America's first president, George Washington, set a precedent by stepping down after serving two terms in office but the two-term presidential limit was only formally codified more than 150 years later. Only one US president -- Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt -- has served more than two terms in the White House. Roosevelt was elected president four times -- in 1932, 1936, 1940 and 1944. His fourth term ended prematurely with his April 12, 1945 death at age 63. While many business owners celebrate milestones with luxury splurges, Kailash Kabra, the founder of Gujarats Kabra Jewels, had a different idea. Instead of buying himself a high-end car after his company hit a 200 crore turnover, he decided to gift brand-new cars to 12 of his most loyal employees, reported India Today. The grand ceremony, held at the companys headquarters, was an emotional and unforgettable event. Employees, many of whom had been with the company since its early days, were left stunned as they were handed the keys to Mahindra XUV 700s, Toyota Innovas, Hyundai i10s, Hyundai Xcents, and Maruti Suzuki Ertigas. But the surprises didnt stop thereother employees received two-wheelers, mobile phones, family holiday packages, and even gold and silver coins as tokens of appreciation. Also Read | Bonus point system to be pondered over for WTC 2025-27 cycle For Kabra, the decision to reward his team was deeply personal. This company was not built by me aloneit was built by the people who stood by me through every challenge, he shared with India Today. Rather than buying myself a luxury car, I wanted to give back to those who have helped me achieve this success. A Journey of Growth and Loyalty Kabra, who started his jewelry business at just 21 years old, recalled the companys early days. When we started, we had just 12 employees and a turnover of 2 crore. Today, our team has grown to 140 members, and weve crossed 200 crore in sales for the financial year 2024-25. This journey wouldnt have been possible without my teams dedication. Also Read | What happens to a multibillion-dollar luxury brand when the boss leaves This generous gesture has not only boosted employee morale but also set a shining example in the business world. Many companies offer annual bonuses or incentives, but few go to such lengths to acknowledge their employees hard work. Also Read | Masaba x Amrapali Jewels: The art of making fine jewellery Calling India, amazing country with great democracy, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams on Tuesday said that she plans to visit India soon and meet with the team at ISRO during her trip. Sunita Williams' mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya (nee Zalokar), is of Slovenian-American descent, while her father, Deepak Pandya, is from Gujarat. At the NASA SpaceX Crew-9 Post-Flight News Conference, Williams expressed her admiration for India, describing it as 'amazing' every time her spacecraft passed over the Himalayas during her extended nine-month stay in space. I hope and I think for sure I'm going to be going back to my father's home country and visiting with people and getting excited about the Indian astronauts who's going up on the ISRO mission coming up, she said. Here's what Sunita Williams said about India Williams said that she could see India's geographical formation: when the landmass collided to form the Himalayas, India was formed as a ripple effect. India is amazing. Every time we went over the Himalayas- we got some incredible pictures of the Himalayas- so just amazing. Like I've described it before, just like this ripple happened. Obviously, it was when the plates collided and then as they flowed down into India. It's many, many colours, she said. Williams talked about India's diversity visible from space, from the Himalayas to a different culture in the East to the fishing fleet in the West. I think when you come from the East, going into like Gujarat and Mumbai- the fishing fleet that's off the coast there gives you a little bit of a beacon that here we come! All throughout India, she said. Williams said the country looked like a network of lights, with major cities being the brightest and waning down towards smaller cities. I think the impression I had was that it was just like this network of lights from the bigger cities going down through the smaller cities. [It was] just incredible to look at night, as well as during the day. Highlighted, of course, by the Himalayas, which is just incredible as a forefront going down into India, she said. NASA astronauts' return to Earth NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth on March 18 aboard SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft, which safely splashed down in the sea off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. For Sunita and Wilmore, who are test pilots for Boeings new Starliner capsule, an eight-day mission turned into an unexpected nine-month stay due to a series of helium leaks and thruster failures that rendered their spacecraft unsafe. The Starliner capsule returned without them in September. Theirs has been a test of grit, courage, and the boundless human spirit. US President Donald Trump announced that he would be visiting Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia soon. "It could be next month, maybe a little bit later," he said while speaking about probable dates. The announcement was made while signing executive orders in the Oval Office. This would be Trump's first foreign trip since taking office for the second time. Why Trump chose these countries for his first trip? The comment came after Axios reported that White House officials were planning Trumps first trip to Saudi Arabia in mid-May as a signal of appreciation for planned investment by the Gulf country in US industry. On Monday, Trump noted that he visited Saudi Arabia during his first term after a pledge of $450 billion in US investment. And recently, Riyadh pledged to invest nearly USD 1 trillion in US companies. "I am going to Saudi Arabia. Normally you would go to the UK first. Last time I went to Saudi Arabia. They put up 450 billion dollars," Trump said. Also Read | Saudi Arabia is the Middle Easts diplomatic capital I view it as jobs more than anything else, and now were close to a trillion dollars, Trump said. So its more than double the number that we did when I first came to office. Axios report said. senior US and Saudi officials recently discussed the potential trip, including during Ukraine war talks in Saudi Arabia. Initially, they proposed April 28 as the probable date for the visit but later they postponed Why the trip matters? Trump's decision to go to Saudi Arabia on his first foreign trip signals how close the relationship between the Trump administration and Gulf countries has become, especially when it comes to economic cooperation and investment, the Axios report also said. Further the trip is significant as it comes at a time when Trump administration is pushing to restore the Gaza ceasefire and secure the release of more hostages. The US and Israeli officials say plans for an Israel-Saudi normalisation deal are on hold. Saudi Arabia wants a clear timeline for a Palestinian state, but Israel refuses. Is Russia-Ukraiane conflict on agenda? Trump notably did not mention the Saudi role in hosting negotiations over a possible summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war with Ukraine. The US president has previously indicated the pair could hold talks there, but has expressed frustration in recent days. Earlier Monday, Trump said he remained confident Putin would eventually back a ceasefire deal. Saudi Arabia is actively engaged in helping the US mediate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the three-year war. KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A fire at a gas pipeline operated by Malaysia state energy firm Petronas injured 33 people on Tuesday on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur, authorities said. Six of the injured were sent to hospital, Selangor fire department director Wan Md Razali Wan Ismail told broadcasterAstroAwani. Operations to try to tackle the blaze are ongoing. There are people trapped in houses in Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru and rescue efforts are ongoing, Selangor Disaster Management Committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi told state news agency Bernama. Petronas in a statement said the pipeline had been isolated. The Selangor fire department said the blaze has affected homes. Images carried by news outlets and footage shared on social media showed a massive fire and a huge orange flame on the horizon with smoke billowing out. A large flame rose from a leak in a pipeline that is about 500 m (1,640 feet) long in the town of Puchong, the department said in a statement, adding Petronas has closed the valve on the burning pipeline. The White House has stated that US strikes in Yemen earlier this month killed Houthis' top missile expert. However, the US military has yet to confirm the death, and the identity of the Houthi commander remains unclear. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told CBS News the weekend after the March 15 strikes, said the first wave killed "their head missileer." He also mentioned the killing in a private text chat, which The Atlantic revealed last week. He wrote, "The first target their top missile guy we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend's building and it's now collapsed." In his post Monday, President Donald Trump said Houthi had been "decimated" by "relentless" strikes since March 15, saying that US forces "hit them every day and night - Harder and harder." What US military said? Meanwhile, sources close to the US officials told Reuters that they were unaware of any independent the US military confirmation that such a person had been killed. It is unusual for the Pentagon to not confirm a White House announcement about a military operation. When the White House was asked about the strike, it directed Reuters to the U.S. military. However, the military refused to confirm the death or provide the person's name, despite being asked multiple times over a week. Houthi representatives were unavailable for comment due to the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday. Who could be killed in the strike? According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank, Abdul Khaliq Badruddin Al-Houthi is the "de-facto commander of the Strategic Missile Forces." Mohammed Albasha, whose Basha Report risk advisory firm researches open-source information about Yemen, has tallied Houthi reports of more than 40 Houthi fighters killed in action in air strikes in March. Nobody as senior as Abdul Khaliq Badruddin Al-Houthi has been identified yet, he said, nor is he aware of any death announced on Houthi television of a person whose profile would be a match for the individual mentioned by Waltz. Still, the Houthis don't always identify their dead right away, and leaders of the missile forces are considered "secret," he cautioned. Trump threats Houthis, "real pain to come", Yemen Millitary responds Trump vowed Monday that strikes on Yemen's Houthi will continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping, warning the rebels and their Iranian backers of "real pain" to come. "The choice for the Huthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Huthis and their sponsors in Iran," Trump said on his Truth Social platform. Yemen Millitary responds, "Your strikes did not achieve a military objective. We will not stop what we are doing, unless you can stop us." Shortly after Trump's threat, Yemeni rebel media said two US strikes Monday hit the island of Kamaran, off the Hodeida coast. Huthi-held parts of Yemen have faced near daily attacks since the US launched a military offensive on March 15 to stop them threatening vessels in key maritime routes. The first day alone, US officials said they killed senior Huthi leaders, while the rebels' health ministry said 53 people were killed. Since then, rebels have announced the continued targeting of US military ships and Israel. The U.S. State Department imposed sanctions Monday on Chinese officials, citing a continuing political crackdown in Hong Kongand efforts to extend that repression to people in the U.S.and restrictions on access to Tibet. The sanctions are the first of Trumps current term on officials who handle Hong Kong policy, signaling an appetite in the new administration for an approach to China that places a priority on human rights concerns. The Biden administration and the first Trump administration previously levied penalties on dozens of top Hong Kong officials including the citys current chief executive, John Lee, and his predecessor, Carrie Lam. The six officials sanctioned on Monday included Raymond Siu, the Hong Kong police commissioner, and Paul Lam, the citys justice secretary. The penalties include the freezing of assets in the U.S. and blocks on use of the U.S. banking system, which often makes it difficult to use international banks. The sanctions demonstrate the Trump Administrations commitment to hold to account those responsible for depriving people in Hong Kong of protected rights and freedoms or who commit acts of transnational repression on U.S. soil or against U.S. persons," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. Hong Kong imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 following a year of large antigovernment protests across the city, a former British colony that had been promised 50 years of a high degree of autonomy" upon its return to China in 1997. Trumps overall strategy for China remains unclear, as he has de-emphasized human rights while imposing tariffs and focusing on trade imbalances. Rubio by contrast is a longstanding China hawk who was himself sanctioned by Beijing in retaliation for previous U.S. actions against Chinese officials. Many frictions remain in the U.S.-China relationship including Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. Chinas military said it was launching a new round of military drills near Taiwan on Tuesday as a warning to its president, Lai Ching-te, who has accused Beijing of hostile intentions. Trump is also likely to include China in a new round of tariff increases this week, although details have yet to be revealed. Deals for a BlackRock-led consortium to acquire ports controlled by Hong Kong company CK Hutchison, including two near the Panama Canal, and for TikToks Chinese parent ByteDance to sell the short-video app to a non-Chinese buyer, both face deadlines this week. The new sanctions on Monday add human rights concerns into the mix. Hong Kongs security law has been used to target pro-democracy Hong Kong activists, including some in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. The Hong Kong authorities have offered bounties for some of the exiled activists accused of violating the security law. Many of us have endured relentless pressure and threats," Frances Hui, a Hong Kong activist who was granted asylum in the U.S. in 2022, said in a statement in response to the sanctions announced Monday. In December 2023, the Hong Kong government announced a $128,000 bounty for her and four other exiled activists, following similar rewards for eight others. The Chinese government denounced the latest sanctions. This is a gross interference in Chinas internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs, and a serious violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations," Chinas embassy in Washington said in a statement. The Hong Kong government said the sanctions clearly exposed the U.S.s barbarity under its hegemony, which is exactly the same as its recent tactics in bullying and coercing various countries and regions." The State Department didnt name the officials penalized with visa restrictions for limiting access to Tibet. The U.S. considers visa information to be confidential and doesnt typically release the names of officials who are barred from traveling to the U.S. Write to Austin Ramzy at austin.ramzy@wsj.com As the 16th Finance Commission (FC) begins deliberations, Tamil Nadu has made a strong case for restructuring Indias fiscal federalism. Chief Minister M.K. Stalins demand for a 50% share of central tax revenuesup from the current 41% FC recommendation and actual average devolution of just over 33%not only reflects its financial needs, but is a clarion call to address deeper systemic imbalances and the erosion of cooperative federalism. A case for fiscal fairness, not favour: Tamil Nadu, with its strong economic performance and high human development indicators, is perhaps penalized under the current FC formula that prioritizes equity over efficiency. Transfers are skewed in favour of fiscally weaker states, ignoring governance outcomes, but we need a framework that rewards states for responsible fiscal management and effective service delivery. The states demand is rooted in fiscal autonomy and recognition of performance efficiency, its record on which is exemplary. Under current FC formulae that favour equity over efficiency, Tamil Nadu receives relatively lower transfers than fiscally weaker states. This is compounded by the Centres growing reliance on non-divisible revenuescesses and surchargeswhich rose from 10.4% of gross tax revenue in 2011-12 to over 20% in 2020-21. These funds, not shared with states, shrink the divisible pool, justifying Tamil Nadus call for a greater share. The unchecked growth of non-shared taxes has also undermined state autonomy. Even health and education, domains under the charge of states, face these additional central levies, and despite promises of tax rationalization, they remain bloated and inflexible. Also Read: The importance of appointing state finance commissions Common concerns, divergent realities: The frustration of southern states with fiscal devolution reflects deeper structural issues. Their combined share in central tax devolution has declined from 23.3% under the 2nd FC (195762) to 15.8% under the 15th (202126). This drop stems largely from the use of 2011 population data (which assigns them a 15% weight) instead of 1971 figures used earlier. The net effect has been to penalize demographically stable states. Having succeeded in population control, these states now face reduced allocations, undermining national development goals. A Brookings India study showed that if the 1971 base had been retained, Tamil Nadu would receive thousands of crores more annually. Karnatakas share fell from 4.7% to 3.6%, while Keralas has raised similar concerns. The upcoming 2026 delimitationwhich may reduce parliamentary seats for these statesadds to their fears of marginalization. This double whammy of fiscal and political disempowerment has led to a collective call for a formula that rewards governance, not just demographic size. Also Read: The 16th Finance Commission faces some daunting challenges Equity-versus-efficiency dilemma: Every FC must grapple with balancing equity (supporting weaker states) and efficiency (incentivizing performance). Redistribution of resources is essential, but excessive and unconditional transfers risk fostering complacency. The 13th FC (201015) introduced performance grants tied to fiscal discipline and service delivery. But the 15th diluted this, assigning only a 2.5% weight to performance and merging it with other parameters. Meanwhile, many weaker states still lack the capacity to use funds effectively. Moreover, empirical studies by NIPFP (Rao & Singh, 2021) reveal that many high-transfer states exhibit lower utilization capacity and weaker fiscal accountability. In contrast, states like Tamil Nadu consistently demonstrate effective public expenditure management. A better balanced formula would recognize such outcomes and reward them accordingly. Lets clear the roadblocks: Tamil Nadus case is backed by both constitutional principle and data, but the 16th FC faces structural limitations. Unlike its predecessor, its Terms of Reference (ToRs) lack a mandate to consider performance incentives and structural reforms, or address asymmetries caused by cesses and surcharges. The Centres fiscal constraints are another barrier. According to the 2024-25 Union budget, the Centres debt-to-GDP ratio stands at 58.9%, far above the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act target of 40%, and its fiscal deficit is 5.8%. With over 10 trillion in annual interest, subsidy and defence expenses, the Centre is hesitant to relinquish fiscal space. Political asymmetry further complicates matters. Though the FC is constitutionally independent, central influence over its composition and ToRs has sparked concerns, especially after the 15th FCs contentious directives on defence and demographics. The rising use of cesses and off-budget borrowings has also reduced transparency. In 202223 alone, the Centre collected over 5.3 trillion through unshared cesses and surcharges22% of gross tax revenue. Though FCs can recommend the inclusion of such funds in the divisible pool or their transfer as grants, enforcement requires political will and legislative changes. Also Read: Cooperative federalism may help India bridge its climate adaptation deficit Support cooperative federalism: Indias fiscal future must be rooted in transparency, fairness and performance orientation. Tamil Nadus plea is not merely for more funds, but for a rational and just fiscal framework. True cooperative federalism means gradually raising state shares, curbing arbitrary cesses and reinstating performance-linked transfers. The 16th FC has a chance to rebuild trust and rebalance Centre-State relationsfor the sake of the Indian Republic. The author is dean, Vinayaka Missions School of Economics and Public Policy. The Habitat, located on the first floor of a hotel in Mumbai, is an intimate 55-70 seater for music, standup comedy, poetry, alternate events venue, according to its website. It is the same venue where comedian Kunal Kamra's show was filmed, during which he allegedly made derogatory remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Above it is another venue for gigs, comedy specials, and recordings with a capacity of 150-250 people. Located in a posh, affluent, and well-connected suburb in Mumbai, this Khar venue inside Hotel UniContinental boasts of hosting standup comedians like Gaurav Kapoor, Shaurya Tyagi, Sonali Thakker, Biswa Kalyan Rath, and Kaneez Surka. What's so special about this venue? This is the same venue where the controversial Indias Got Latent' was filmed. Continuing with its streak of hosting controversial shows, The Habitat is again at the centre of a storm, this time a political one. For the uninitiated, Indias Got Latent' was pulled down by its creator Samay Raina following a massive row over Ranveer Allahbadia's watch your parents have sex remark. An FIR was filed earlier this month against Apoorva Makhija, YouTubers Ashish Chanchlani, Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina, and others associated with the show. Who owns The Habitat? The venue is owned by Balraj Singh Ghai, producer of Indias Got Latent'and one of the show's judges. His Instagram bio says he loves people who use talent for nonsense. Ghai is not only a producer but also owns the Hotel UniContinental, where The Habitat is located. He is also the founder of The Habitat Studios, The Habitat Canteen, and Pind Da Dhaba, his LinkedIn bio says. The Habitat Studio shuts down After the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader vandalised the Habitat Studio on Sunday night over Kunal Kamra's remarks, it issued a statement on Monday, claiming that it supports creative dialogue and just provides artists a space to perform. We urge constructive conversations, not destruction, to address disagreements. We do not support hate or harm of any kind. Violence and destruction undermine the very spirit of art and dialogue, The Habitat said in a post on its Instagram page. We are shocked, worried and extremely broken by the recent acts of vandalism targeting us. Artists are solely responsible for their views and creative choices. We have never been involved in the content performed by any Artist, but the recent events have made us rethink about how we get blamed and targeted every time almost like we are a proxy for the performer, the comedy club said. We are shutting down till we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy, it added. The Habitat also distanced itself from Kamra's gig and said that it was not involved in its making and does not endorse the views expressed by it. We extend a sincere and heartfelt apology to all those hurt by this video, it said. What is the Kunal Kamra controversy? In a two minute-long video, Kamra allegedly made defamatory remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, taunting him with a modified version of a Hindi song from the film Dil Toh Pagal Hai and a traitor remark. Soon after the two-minute video went viral, Kamra was booked for defamation. Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA Murji Patel lodged an FIR against him at the MIDC Police station in Mumbai. K Annamalai may step down as Bharatiya Janata Partys Tamil Nadu president amid talks of a BJP-AIADMK alliance for next years assembly elections in the state. The decision is being made considering caste equations in the poll-bound state where the BJP has been trying to increase its footprint, a report in the Indian Express said. Annamalai is considered one of the main reasons behind the AIADMK and BJP falling apart in 2023. The Indian Express report said the BJP does not want to have faces of both ally partners from the same Gounder community. Both Annamalai and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief Edappadi K Palaniswami belong to the powerful backward community. Both come from the same western Kongu region of Tamil Nadu where Gounders are dominant. Annamalai has been conveyed the BJP decision at a meeting he held with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, the Indian Express said quoting sources. The meeting was held soon after Shah met Palaniswami in the national capital. Annamalai has been told that Delhi sees a bright future for him, the report said. Whether Annamalai exits from the state presidents post or not, he remains a key figure in the partys long-term strategy for Tamil Nadu. Whether he takes on a national role or a different assignment in the state remains to be seen, a BJP leader told the Indian Express. Who will replace Annamalai? Among the frontrunners to replace Annamalai as Tamil Nadu BJP chief is party MLA Nainar Nagendran, a popular leader from Tirunelveli. Nagendran was earlier in the AIADMK and belongs to the influential Thevar community. The BJP wants to consolidate its hold beyond western Tamil Nadu. Bringing in a Thevar leader like Nagendran could help expand its influence in the southern districts and beyond, where the AIADMK-BJP alliance will need to counter the DMKs stronghold, another leader said. Also Read | L2 Empuraan controversy a publicity stunt by producers? Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer (2011 Batch, Karnataka), Annamalai joined the BJP in August 2020. He was made state unit chief within 10 months of joining the party. Annamalai said on Sunday the partys central leadership will take an appropriate call on the shape and form of the alliance to be forged in the run up to the state assembly polls next year. Annamalai, whose controversial statements were considered a reason for AIADMK leaving the BJP-led NDA in 2024, clearly seems to have changed tracks on the alliance ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections. Last week, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. Why Did AIADMK exit NDA? Before the Delhi visit of EPS, there have been discussions between AIADMK and BJP leaders back in Tamil Nadu. The development comes ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK had aligned with the BJP following supremo J Jayalalithaas demise in 2016. But after DMKs sweep of the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, EPS pulled away from the alliance in 2023. Annamalai's controversial comments further strained relations, with AIADMK demanding his apology or replacement. Also Read | Will AIADMK join the NDA again? Speculation rife as EPS flies to Delhi The party cited persistent insults and defamatory remarks by the BJP's Tamil Nadu leadership, particularly targeting AIADMK icons such as CN Annadurai, MG Ramachandran, and J Jayalalithaa, as key reasons for severing ties. Whether Annamalai exits from the state presidents post or not, he remains a key figure in the partys long-term strategy for Tamil Nadu. The party has reportedly put some conditions on the alliance. The party wants the BJP to form a high-powered steering committee to oversee coordination between the parties. The authority would outrank Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, reports said. The reworked Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is expected to be tabled in Parliament today, April 2 With the parties in both the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition INDIA bloc showing no signs of bipartisan consensus building, the final outcomes may be decided on the majority numbers on the floor The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress parties issued three-line whips to all their Lok Sabha Members of Parliament (MPs), mandating them to be present in the Parliament on April 2, 2025. The Samajwadi Party has also issued a three-line whip to its MPs in the lower house, asking them to be present throughout the day. The Parliament's business advisory committee (BAC) has allocated eight hours for the discussion on the bill, which is likely to be introduced by Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju around noon. What is a whip, and what is its significance in the functioning of Parliament or state assembly? Here is a short explainer. What is a whip? A whip refers to a written order to members of a political party in the House to abide by a certain direction. A designated party leader in the House is authorised to issue such a direction. All political parties appoint a senior member, who is a member of the House, to issue whips. This member a chief whip, is assisted by additional whips. In the case of the BJP, for example, the three-line whip on April 1 was issued by Sanjay Jaiswal, who is the chief whip of the BJP in Lok Sabha. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on April 1 issued a three-line whip to all its Lok Sabha Members of Parliament (MPs), mandating them to be present in the Parliament on April 2, 2025. All BJP members of Lok Sabha are hereby informed that some very important legislative business will be taken up for passing in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, 2nd of April 2025. All members of the BJP in the Lok Sabha are, therefore, requested to be positively present in the House throughout the day on Wednesday, 2nd of April, 2025 and support the Government's stand, the whip by Jaiswal read. K Suresh, an MP from Kerala, is the Congress party's chief whip in the Lok Sabha. What does whip mean? The term whip is derived from the old British practice of whipping in lawmakers to follow the party line. A whip may require that party members be present in the House for an important vote so that they vote only in a particular way. What is the significance of the whips? 'Whip' is an important element of Parliament's functioning and can have different levels of seriousness. The importance of a whip can be inferred from the number of times an order is underlined. A one-line whip, underlined once, is issued to inform party members of a vote. This whip allows the members of the House to abstain from voting in case they decide not to follow the party line. A two-line whip directs them to be present during the vote. The strongest is the three-line whip, usually issued on important occasions such as key legislations or a no-confidence motion. The members are obliged to toe the party line in this case. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is one of the important bills that the BJP-led NDA wants to pass amid opposition from the INDIA bloc. That is precisely why the ruling government wants to ensure that all its members are present in the house whenever voting takes place. The ruling party wants to pass the bill in the ongoing second leg of the Budget Session of Parliament that ends on April 4. What if any member defies the 'whip'? A lawmaker may use his membership of the House if she decides to defy the three-line whip. The anti-defection law allows the Speaker/ Chairperson of the House to disqualify such a member. There won't be any action, however, in cases where more than a third of legislators of a particular party vote against a directive by the party. Like Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha also has a whip system. In January, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also the chairperson of Rajya Sabha, questioned the need for parties to issue whips to legislators, saying they restrict representatives freedom and subject them to servility. Also Read | Waqf Bill will be introduced in ongoing Budget session of Parliament: Amit Shah Why should there be a whip? Whip means you are curtailing expression, you are curtailing freedom, you are subjecting your representative to servility. You dont allow such a person to use his or her mind, Dhankhar told a group of students at his residence, as reported by the Indian Express. In February 2023, the Supreme Court observed orally that members of a House are bound" by the whip. And if any section of MLAs within a political party that is part of a ruling coalition says it does not want to go with the alliance, the MLAs will attract disqualification, the top court said. A five-judge Bench led by then Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud was hearing petitions filed in the wake of the political crisis in Maharashtra after a split in the Shiv Sena in 2022 fuelled by a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, now deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.. What are examples from other countries? Whip is an important element of Parliament's functioning and can have different levels of seriousness. In the United Kingdom, an MP can lose membership of the party for defying the whip. The member can, however, continue as member of the House as an Independent. In the United States, the party whips role is to gauge how many legislators are in support of a Bill and how many are opposed to it and to the extent possible, persuade them to vote according to the party line on the issue, according to Parliament research non-profit, PRS Legislative Research. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on April 1 responded to growing speculation about his political future as prime minister of India. Adityanath said that politics was not a full-time job for him and that he remains a Yogi at heart, dismissing swirling rumours about him becoming the prime minister in the future. "I am the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and the party has placed me here to serve the people of the state," Adityanath said in an interview with PTI. When asked about the growing support for him as a potential prime minister, Adityanath said, Politics is not a full-time job for me. Ultimately, I am a Yogi (monk) at heart. Yogi's reaction comes a day after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the RSS headquarters in Maharashtra's Nagpur on Sunday to announce his retirement. Raut also claimed that a closed-door meeting happened to discuss PM Modi's successor, adding that the next prime minister will be from Maharashtra. Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis dismissed Raut's claim and said that there was no need to search for PM Modis successor as he will continue to hold the top post again in 2029. Regarding how long he plans to remain in politics, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "There will be a time frame for this as well." Asked if his response meant that politics was not his permanent profession, Adityanath reiterated, "Yes, that is what I am saying." This is not the first time speculations around PM Modi's retirement and succession have swirled. In May 2024, ahead of Lok Sabha elections, speculations were rife about PM Modis retirement upon turning 75 in September 2025. However, several key BJP leaders, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, dismissed the claims. The BJP lost the majority in Lok Sabha for the first time since 2014 in the 2024 general elections. Who will succeed Modi? Apart from Yogi Adityanath, who has been the chief minister of UP since 2017, Union Home Ministers Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari are also seen as Modis successors. Gadkari, however, has said many times that he does not aspire to become the prime minister of India. Gadkari, the minister of Road Transport and Highways in PM Narendra Modi's cabinet, said that no one in the saffron party would ask him to take the top job in the future. Also Read | Nitin Gadkari says his politics is not defined by caste and religion, says THIS In an interview with the London-based weekly,The Economist, in December last year, Gadkari was referred to as one of the most popular cabinet ministers in the Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and one of the candidates to succeed Modi. Politics is not a full-time job for me. Ultimately, I am a Yogi at heart. The Economist wrote that Modi's position was not immediately under threat and that opinion polls suggest that Home Minister Amit Shah is the frontrunner. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is in second place, followed by Gadkari. But Mr Modi's successor will be decided by the upper ranks of the BJP and the RSS, not by opinion polls, the piece reads. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is the ideological mentor of the BJP. What PM Modi said on his successor In one of the election rallies last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dismissed allegations from opposition leaders suggesting that he has anointed Amit Shah as his successor, asserting that no such arrangement has been made. "I do not have any inheritance of my own, you are my inheritance and you are also my heir," said PM Modi during his address in Bihar's Maharajganj. Also Read | PM Modi to flag off first Vande Bharat train to Kashmir on THIS date Modi's remarks come after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleged that PM Modi, who turns 75 in 2025, has appointed Home Minister Amit Shah as his successor. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has slammed politics over language and asserted that the states whose leaders are furthering it are on a gradual decline. The chief minister also said the Uttar Pradesh government was teaching languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi to its students, a remark that elicited a response from the Congress party. Also Read | Chaitra Navratri: UP govt bans meat sale within 500 metres of religious places "In UP, we are teaching Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi, so has UP become smaller due to this? New employment opportunities are being created in UP, jobs are being created. Those who are creating this language controversy due to their narrow political interests, they may fulfil their political motives, but they are in a way attacking the employment of the youth," Adityanath said in an interview with PTI In a veiled dig at DMK chief MK Stalin, Adityanath said people who are creating a controversy over language can achieve their political interests, but are in a way dealing a blow to employment opportunities for the youngsters," the chief minister said. "Whosoever they are, they are doing it. This is the reason those states are on a gradual decline," Adityanath said when asked if he was referring to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin. Yogu's remarks come in the wake of the ongoing clash between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled Centre and DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu is the 'three-language formula' that is a part of the New Education Policy (NEP) of 2020. While the BJP has maintained that this policy would ensure that youth get employment across regions, Tamil Nadu has accused the Centre if trying to impose Hindi on the state. Adityanath said languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali or Marathi can become the cornerstone of national unity. He said said everyone believes that Hindi should be respected, but India has adopted the three-language formula. "This three-language formula ensures that regional languages also get the same respect. Every language has its own speciality which becomes the cornerstone of national unity," Adityanath said. He said every regional language has its folk traditions and stories that bring out the nation's diversity and strengthen it. Adityanath said the Kashi Tamil Sangamam initiative is the best example of this as it brings together India's oldest languages Tamil and Sanskrit. Where is the data? asks Congress Congress leader Karti Chidambaram was quick to respond and asked the Uttar Pradesh chief minister to share the details of how many teachers were teaching Tamil in UP schools. "Will the UP government give details of how many teachers there are in their schools to impart lessons in Tamil? How many students have enrolled for Tamil as a language option? There is no reason for students in Tamil Nadu to compulsorily learn Hindi," Chidambaram, the Congress MP said in post on X, formerly Twitter with #HindiImposition hashtag. Congress is DMK's ally in Tamil Nadu. Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a message to Indian President Droupadi Murmu on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and China, emphasised the need for closer cooperation between the two nations. He described their relationship as a "Dragon-Elephant tango", symbolising a harmonious partnership between their emblematic animals. Notably, this is not the first time Beijing has highlighted the Dragon-Elephant tango. In March, Beijing had renewed its call for a Dragon-Elephant tango, saying a China-India partnership was the only right choice for both countries. On Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also exchanged congratulatory messages. While Dragon-Elephant tango has been the Chinese refrain for several years particularly after the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash that killed 20 Indian soldiers it has been imbued with new urgency amid the geopolitical rumblings caused by Donald Trumps foreign policy. China and India are each others largest neighbours. China always believes that the two should be partners that contribute to each others success, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in March 2025. A cooperative pas de deux (dance duet) of the dragon and the elephant is the only right choice for both sides, Wang Yi had added. The Chinese and Indian presidents' conversation on April 1, comes as tensions ease after a 2020 Galwan Valley clash between their troops along their shared border in the Himalayas. Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and India should find ways to coexist peacefully and that he was ready to deepen communication and coordination in major international affairs, and jointly safeguard peace in border areas. China ready to buy more goods from India as US tariffs loom China is willing to buy more Indian products to balance trade, Beijings Ambassador Xu Feihong said just ahead of an anticipated reciprocal tariff announcement from US President Donald Trump on April 2. We are willing to work with the Indian side to strengthen practical cooperation in trade and other areas, and to import more Indian products that are well-suited to the Chinese market, the ambassador to India was quoted as saying by Chinas state-run Global Times in a report posted on Monday. Bilateral trade between India and China stood at $101.7 billion in 2023-24, according to Indias trade ministry, with India running a significant deficit. Indias main exports include petroleum oil, iron ore, marine products and vegetable oil, amounting to $16.6 billion, according to the government figures. UPDATE: The family of Christopher Wright released a statement after a jury reached two guilty verdicts for Darryl Roberts, the man charged with killing Wright on Market St. in 2023. "We are deeply grateful to the Hamilton County District Attorneys Office for their unwavering dedication to justice. We especially want to thank Coty Wamp, Paul Moyle, Andrew Coyle, and their entire team for the outstanding work they did in prosecuting his murderer. Throughout this difficult journey, they showed us great compassion and ensured we were informed and supported at every stage of the process. Christopher was a kind, humble, and loving soul who lit up every room he entered. He never met a stranger. He was full of life, joy, and generosityalways ready to welcome someone new, lift others up, or share a solid handshake, winning smile, and a huge hug. He was a devoted husband, a proud and playful father of three young children, and a cherished son, brother, and friend. His absence leaves a profound void in our lives, and he is missed every single day by all who knew and loved him. While no verdict can bring Christopher back, we find some comfort in knowing that justice has been served. We will honor his memory by continuing to live with the same kindness and warmth he shared with the world." Roberts was found guilty of second degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentencing for Roberts will be held in July of 2025. PREVIOUS STORY: The jury has reached two guilty verdicts in the trials of Darryl Roberts, convicting him of the death of 38-year-old Christopher Wright on Tuesday. A jury found Roberts guilty of second degree murder in the death of the Baylor School alum on September 28, 2023. Roberts shot Wright on Market Street near Patten Towers. Roberts was originally charged with first-degree murder. The jury chose to convict him on a lesser charge. Roberts still faced a second verdict for the charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon over the shooting of Wright. Roberts' felony conviction was in 2009 for aggravated assault and he was given a suspended sentence of 11 months and 29 days. Roberts waived his right to testify in a second trial for the firearm charge before the first verdict was read. Following brief arguments from the prosecution and defense, Judge Boyd Patterson read instructions to the jury, which took only a few minutes to deliberate before finding Roberts guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. During closing arguments, the state spent time trying to convince the jury that the death of Chris Wright was premeditated. For his actions to be intentional, he had to act with a desire to end Chris Wrights Life. Look at the video. Look at the intentional act of standing up, pulling his gun and raising it to someones forehead. That is proof of his desire, the state argued. The state went on to say there is nothing else that could have happened from Roberts pointing his gun at Wrights forehead besides killing him. Examples were presented to the jury of legally amounts to premeditation. If you remember we talked about this with the yellow light and running threw a yellow light. You know you need to get through it, or you know you need to stop at it and then you act to press the gas down or the brake. You can reflect what happens if you press the gas down you go through the yellow light, the state argued. The defense spent time trying to convince the jury that Roberts was on auto pilot. You got to experience a fight or flight, something we dont do all the time. I remember going to a Halloween haunted house and somebody jumped out and thats why you go, and I punched him right in the face. I didnt think about punching him in the face, the defense argued. The defense also argued that the worse Roberts should be charged with is voluntary manslaughter. All voluntary manslaughter has to do is provoke a reasonable person to act in an irrational manner. It doesnt have to cause a reasonable person to kill someone. It doesnt have to be that level of complication. It just has to be the provocation that takes this case out of the cool, calm collected, coldblooded planning, the defense argued said. Stay with Local 3 News for updates to this developing story. PREVIOUS STORY: Jury deliberations continue on Tuesday in the trial of Darryl Roberts, the man charged in the death of 38-year-old Christopher Wright. Roberts is accused of shooting and killing Wright on Market Street near Patten Towers on September 28, 2023. The prosecution rested its case during the third day of the trial. The defense began calling witnesses to the stand on the fourth day, including Roberts who admitted to shooting Wright during his testimony. Closing arguments were given on Monday, after Judge Boyd Patterson read instructions to the jury. We have a crew at the courthouse waiting for the jury to come back with its decision. Stay with Local 3 News for continuing coverage of this story. PREVIOUS STORY: The fate of Darryl Roberts, the man who is charged with murder in the death of a Baylor School graduate, is now in the hands of a jury on Monday. Roberts is charged in the death of 38-year-old Christopher Wright on September 28, 2023. Monday is the fifth day of the trial. The state rested its case on day three and the defense began its case on Thursday with Roberts taking the stand in his own trial. During Roberts' testimony, he admitted to shooting Wright after sharing his account of what led to the incident that night. Roberts said he became angry with himself after realizing what he'd done. The defense rested its case on Monday morning and now the fate of Roberts will be in the hands of the jury. Judge Boyd Patterson read instructions for the jurors before closing arguments from the prosecution and defense. Roberts is charged with first-degree murder. We have a crew in the courtroom to bring you the latest. Stay with Local 3 News for continuing coverage of this story. PREVIOUS STORY: The man accused of shooting and killing a Baylor School alum on Market Street in 2023, gave his account of what happened when he took the stand during the fourth day of his own trial on Thursday. Roberts is accused of killing Christopher Wright on September 28, 2023 near Patten Towers in downtown Chattanooga. The trial began on Monday, April 14 after a second jury was chosen. On Wednesday, the state rested its case and the defense presented its case, calling witnesses to the stand, including the suspect at the center of the trial. The first witness for the defense was James King, a homicide detective with the Chattanooga Police Department who led the investigation of the case. The defense asked Detective King if the District Attorney's Office either told or asked if there was video with audio of Wright's murder and King responded that he hadnt heard about it. After talking to Britton Hall-Brantley, Wright's best friend, King began searching for more cameras in the area to track the victim's activity and find video with audio. He was unable to find any video with sound that was close enough to crime scene. During the investigation, King spoke with the manager at Jack Browns about the incident to learn about the victim's behavior prior to the shooting. King also gathered video to see which bartender was working and if anyone else was with Wright that night. At one point during court, members of the jury were asked to leave before Detective King was shown a picture of himself along with other officials and Governor Bill Lee that was taken after Tennessee lawmakers passed the Chris Wright Crime Bill Act. King was asked if the power of the governor could make him alter his investigation and he said no. Also on day four, Roberts himself took the stand to testify in his own trial. At one point, Roberts admitted to shooting Wright. Roberts said Wright walked up and called him and another man a racial slur. Roberts said he repeatedly told Wright to keep walking but said Wright wouldn't leave. He claimed Wright said how much he didn't like Roberts and that he was a piece of crap. Roberts attorney asked, "What caused you to stand up? Because I told him again 'man get up the street' and I was like 'get yourself up the street' and then he turned around and said come say it to his face, boy, Roberts replied on the stand. "He said 'come say it to my face, boy. I bet you won't say it to my face, boy." Roberts said he then walked up and shot Wright once in the head. After shooting Wright, Roberts said he remembered thinking, I did not just do that. He said he thought it was a dream and was angry with himself. Stay with Local 3 News for continuing coverage of this story. PREVIOUS STORY: Day three of the murder trial for the man accused of killing a Baylor School alum on Market St. in 2023 ended after less than an hour. The state's final witness took the stand Wednesday morning. The state then rested. Day four of the trial will continue on Thursday and witnesses from the defense side will take the stand. Witness 10, Dylan Padgett of Ooltewah, was the final witness before the state rested. Padgett was with Julia Friedman at Pickle Barrel, which is across the street from Patten Towers the night of the murder. Friedman was the first witness that the state brought to the stand for this trial. The first thing I noticed was a couple sitting near us, the gentlemen with his back towards the street immediately got up and got the woman he was with and started making their way to the door, Padgett said. Padgett then looked around and down to the street and that when he saw Darryl Roberts standing over Chris Wright. I recall in the seconds I looked around that he had glanced up to where we were sitting, Padgett said. That is when Padgett headed for safety. By the time attention back to my family, everyone was up and moving and Julia was saying that we needed to get inside. And we went to the second floor and sat under the table and chairs with the rest of the guest, Padgett said. Medical Examiner Dr. Steven Cogswell, who testified on Tuesday, took the stand again. When he was asked if Wright had a chance to survive the shooting, Cogswell's answer was simply, no. Darryl Roberts is charged in the fatal shooting of Christopher Wright near Patten Towers in downtown Chattanooga on September 28, 2023. Witnesses for the defense will take the stand on Thursday. Stay with Local 3 News for updates to this developing story. PREVIOUS STORY: The trial for the man accused of killing a Baylor School graduate in September of 2023 entered its second day on Tuesday. Darryl Roberts is charged in the fatal shooting of Christopher Wright near Patten Towers in downtown Chattanooga on September 28, 2023. Surveillance video shows Wright talking with Roberts outside Patten Towers on the night of the incident. Wright can be seen walking away but appeared to still be talking to Roberts. Police say that's when Roberts walked up and shot Wright at point blank range. Roberts' trial was originally supposed to begin on April 1; however, after a jury was selected the morning of April 2, they were dismissed by Judge Boyd Patterson. Judge Patterson said the original jurors were dismissed because something was said in the courtroom that they were not supposed to hear. A second jury was chosen on Monday, April 14, with opening arguments running until the evening. Before breaking for lunch, a witness testified to hearing the gunshot the night of the incident. The witness was celebrating her father's birthday at Pickle Barrel when she said she heard a gunshot and then saw Roberts slowly walking away from the scene where another man was lying on the sidewalk. Neil Nappi, who works for Reliance Security, the company that maintains surveillance at Patten Towers, was the second witness to take the stand. Nappi testifies as video of the incident is shown in court. In the video, you can see Roberts getting on an elevator in Patten Towers to go outside, where he sat down and interacted with a few who were around him. The video then shows Wright walk by Roberts before back tracks and starts talking to Roberts. The two have a brief conversation and then the shooting happens. Roberts goes back inside Patten Towers, gets on the elevator, and punches the wall as he circles appearing frustrated. Later, the video shows a woman leaving Patten Towers with a yellow bag and what appears to be Roberts' clothing, but it is hard to make out. Roberts then comes back out of the apartment wearing different clothes and appeared to have the gun in his shorts. Chattanooga Police Department Detective Alvin Abbett is the third witness to take the stand after court resumes from a lunch break at around 1:15pm. Detective Abbett responded to scene shortly after midnight, where he recalled seeing the victim with a bullet wound to the forehead. Abbett said he was given a picture of Roberts to use for a description of the suspect who had the nickname Too Tall. The detective said when he went to Roberts apartment, no one was home at the time. Detective Abbett said two women were later seen leaving the apartment by police. He said one of the women was the one seen in the surveillance video with the yellow bag that appeared to have Roberts' clothes in it. The video shows the woman with the bag while taking the elevator from the sixth floor, where Roberts apartment is located, to the third floor. That same woman was later seen getting back on the elevator from the third floor without the bag. Detective Abbett said the womans apartment was never checked, because there was no reason to at the time since no one knew about the bag. Detective Abbett said the clothes Roberts was wearing at the time of the incident and the gun were not found when the suspects apartment was searched. Abbett was asked if any racial slurs were used that night in relation to the motive for the shooting. He replied that he was never made aware of any being used. We have a crew in the courtroom to bring you the latest. Stay with Local 3 News for updates to this developing story. PREVIOUS STORY: A new jury has been selected in the murder trial of Darryl Roberts on Monday, April 14. The new jury comes after the first jury was dismissed in early April for hearing information they were not supposed to hear. Chattanooga police say Roberts shot and killed Christopher Wright, a Baylor alum, husband, and father, on Sept. 28, 2023, near Patten Towers. This is a developing story. Stay with Local 3 News for the most reliable updates. Chattanooga attorney explains why a jury may be invalidated during a trial In the jury selection process for the Daryl Roberts murder trial, the jury was invalidated rather than a mistrial because they had not been sworn in. PREVIOUS STORY: The jury selected to serve on the murder trial of Darryl Roberts has been dismissed and a new jury will have to be reselected on April 14. A Local 3 News crew in the courtroom say the jury was dismissed after they heard a piece of information during the trial they were not supposed to hear. PREVIOUS STORY: The jury to serve on the murder trial of Darryl Roberts has been selected as of 11:00am on Wednesday, the second day of the trial. Roberts faces a first degree murder charge in connection to the fatal shooting of a Chattanooga man near Patten Towers in Sept. 2023. Court records show there will also be a motion hearing regarding the state's effort to exclude an expert testimony and report from Dr. Kimberly Brown. Chattanooga police say Roberts shot and killed Christopher Wright, a Baylor alum, husband, and father, on Sept. 28, 2023, near Patten Towers. PREVIOUS STORY: The murder trial for a Chattanooga man begins on Tuesday, April 1. Darryl Roberts is accused of fatally shooting Baylor School grad and father Christopher Wright near Patten Towers on September 28, 2023. The court will begin Tuesday with the selection of a jury. Court records show there will also be a motion hearing regarding the state's effort to exclude an expert testimony and report from Dr. Kimberly Brown. PREVIOUS STORY: The man accused of shooting a Chattanooga businessman last fall appeared in court on Wednesday. Darryl Roberts is accused of shooting and killing Christopher Wright on Market Street in September 2023. A judge set his next court date for June 4. Roberts remains in the Hamilton County Jail and Detention Center on a $5 million bond. PREVIOUS STORY: A trail date has been set for the man who is accused of shooting and killing a Baylor School graduate on Market Street in September of 2023. According to the Hamilton County Criminal Court Clerk's Office, the trial for 57-year-old Darryl Roberts has been scheduled for March 28. Newly proposed bill cracking down on repeat criminal offenders Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson and Representative Patsy Hazlewood introduced the law to crack down on repeated criminal offenders, making sure they don't walk away with just a slap on the wrist. Roberts is charged with First Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Police say Roberts shot and killed Christopher Wright near Patten Towers on September 28. Roberts is being held at the Hamilton County Jail and Detention Center on a $5-million bond. PREVIOUS STORY: The man accused of shooting and killing another man on Market Street in September has been indicted by the Hamilton County grand jury. Daryl Roberts is charged with First Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Police say Roberts shot and killed Christopher Wright near Patten Towers on September 28. His arraignment hearing will be on January 5. PREVIOUS STORY: The case against the man charged in a deadly shooting on Market Street last month has been sent to a grand jury on Monday. According to the Hamilton County General Sessions Court Clerk, the case against 57-year-old Darryl Roberts was bound over to a grand jury during a court appearance on Monday morning. Roberts is accused of shooting and killing 38-year-old Chris Wright on Market Street on September 28. Roberts was arrested on September 29 and charged with first degree murder. He is being held at the Hamilton County Jail and Detention Center on a $5-million bond. Stay with the Local 3 News app for updates to this developing story. PREVIOUS STORY: The man accused of a murder on Market Street last week appeared in court on Monday morning. Police say 57-year-old Darryl Roberts is accused of shooting and killing 38-year-old Chris Wright on Thursday night during an argument. Roberts was arrested on Friday and charged with first degree murder. During Mondays court appearance, Roberts was given a $5-million bond and was ordered to appear in court on October 16. A GoFundMe has been started to support the family of Chris Wright, who was a Baylor alum. The donations will support Wright's three children. Wright's family says they will welcome all to celebrate and remember Chris's life during a visitation on Tuesday from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Baylor School. Funeral services for Wright will also be held at the Baylor Chapel on Wednesday at 11:00am. Stay with the Local 3 News app for updates to this developing story. PREVIOUS STORY: Chattanooga police have arrested 57-year-old Darryl Roberts for the homicide of Christopher Wright. Chattanooga Police Department's Fugitive Unit, along with federal partners from the United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF") observed Roberts in a vehicle in the Brainerd area. They followed him until marked police vehicles were able to assist with a traffic stop. CPD's Neighborhood Policing officers assisted with initiating a traffic stop in the 500 block of Tunnel Boulevard. Roberts was arrested for outstanding warrants related to the homicide. Roberts is in custody at the Hamilton County Jail and Detention Center. He is charged with first degree murder. Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly released the following statement regarding Thursday nights Market St. shooting and the subsequent arrest of the suspect: UPDATE: Whitwell Dairy Bar says owner arrested for child sex crimes was a "sickness among us" Gardai are appealing for witnesses after a man was killed in a road crash in County Mayo, late on Monday night. Confirming details of the incident they say the single-vehicle collision occurred on the R323, Knock Road, at Bracklaghboy, Ballyhaunis at around 10.10pm. "The sole occupant of the car, a man aged in his 50s, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The body has been removed to the mortuary at Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar where a post-mortem examination will take place in due course," said a garda spokesperson. Motorists are being advised the road is currently closed for technical examination by Garda Forensic Investigators, with local diversions in place. READ ALSO: No joke as Revenue seize consignment of cannabis in woman's baggage at Dublin Airport Investigating gardai are appealing for witnesses to this incident to come forward. "Any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, and who were travelling in the area between 9.30pm and 10.30pm are asked to make this footage available. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ballina Garda Station on 096 20560, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. The Mothers Against Genocide group said it will file a complaint to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission over allegations that some of the women who were arrested at a group protest were strip searched and one was subjected to a cavity search. A total of 14 people who attended the Mothers Against Genocide group protest against the Israeli war in Gaza were arrested after an entrance to Leinster House in Dublin was blocked on Monday morning. The group has alleged that its members were subjected to disproportionate and outdated practices by gardai. Amnesty International has written to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris over the response to the demonstration, saying the forcible removal of participants could have a chilling effect on the right to protest in Ireland. Mothers Against Genocide members we subjected to disproportionate & outdated practices by Gardi yesterday. They used unnecessary force & a complaint will be made to GSOC. pic.twitter.com/S1oenPxilN Mothers Against G3nocide (@NoG3nocide) April 1, 2025 The Dail heard that a Palestinian woman, who took part in a protest, was stripped naked and subjected to a disgusting cavity search. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said that the protest descended to the strip searching of peaceful female protesters. The group Mothers Against Genocide, on a Mothers Day protest to show solidarity with women and children in Palestine, in Lebanon, and so on, who have been slaughtered over the last 18 months, had a peaceful sit-down protest, he told the Dail. They are arrested very, very violently in some cases, including Palestinian and Lebanese people who have actually suffered the horrors of the last 18 months, and some then are strip searched. He then read out a message from one of the arrested women. To read you one description I was stripped completely naked, and was asked to remove my underwear. When I questioned the necessity of this, I was told I would be forced violently if I didnt comply, and that they didnt want any trouble. After removing my underwear, they looked inside my private areas and touched all my sensitive parts. Mr Barrett added: It is absolutely disgusting. These were peaceful women protesters on a Mothers Day protest. Now, do you condone that kind of treatment of people who were a threat to nobody? Theres certainly not a threat. Its absolutely outrageous behaviour. Do you condemn that? And is that where were heading? Is that the sort of society, Taoiseach, were heading (towards)? They were protesting about our continued complicity with the genocide because of US troops in Shannon, Israeli war bonds being sold and a failure to impose sanctions on Israel. Guidance on carrying out strip searches by gardai states that where possible, a doctor should carry out a strip search in a garda station and that a strip search should only be carried out if it is necessary, and not in a way that would be harassment. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy said that the mothers were also protesting in support of the Occupied Territories Bill. They were protesting to stop weapons going through Irish airspace, which continue, which are increasing, which youve refused to do anything about. Hopefully, you support the arms embargo bill coming up in the Seanad tomorrow, Mr Murphy added. Theyre protesting against complicity in the genocide, the slaughter that is taking place in Gaza. And how were they treated? They were forcibly removed by the gardai. 14 were arrested, and then, like Richard has just said, what is coming out about how they were treated in the garda stations is absolutely horrific To quote the same person that Richard did. Shes a Palestinian woman. Richard has spoken about how she was forced to remove her underwear, her private parts were touched and looked inside of, subjected to a cavity search. She says, After the procedures were completed, I was released with a warning that if I participated in any further events I would be punished and that this was my only chance. What sort of repressive state is this that is operating in such a way? This needs immediate condemnation from the gardai, and we need to be assured that people have the right to protest without being treated in such a way. The allegations were also condemned by Sinn Fein TD Ruairi O Murchu who called on the Taoiseach to look into the allegations. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he would follow up on the allegations with the Minister for Justice Jim OCallaghan. Mr Martin added: Theres absolutely no issue with protest, none whatsoever. My understanding is a number of protesters were blocking the entrance to Dail Eireann. Why does that have to happen? You can protest on the left-hand side (of Leinster House), you can protest on the right-hand side. You can protest across the road. I will follow up with the Minister of Justice in terms of the assertions and the allegations that have been made today in the House. I dont have any background to that, but I will follow that up because I would not understand the necessity for any strip-searching or whatever. Asked for a comment on the allegations raised in the Dail, a Garda spokeswoman said: An Garda Siochana is aware of statements made in Dail Eireann today under privilege. Any person that has a formal complaint to make can do so at any Garda Station or through the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission. Local News By Long Island Published: April 01 2025 Construction on the "Subaquatic Express Tunnel" quietly began in early 2022 under the cover of night using decommissioned parts from the East Side Access project and a fleet of specially trained Montauk sea turtles. In a stunning announcement that has commuters buzzing across the Island, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) revealed plans this morning for the AquaRail, a revolutionary high-speed underwater ferry connecting Ronkonkoma to Midtown Manhattan in just 25 minutes. According to the MTA, construction on the "Subaquatic Express Tunnel" quietly began in early 2022 under the cover of night using decommissioned parts from the East Side Access project and a fleet of specially trained Montauk sea turtles. Long Island deserves a quicker way to the city that doesnt involve traffic on the LIE, Penn Station delays, or angry tweets, said MTA spokesperson Sal Finocchio. Weve engineered the fastest and most scenic underwater commute in the world complete with windows to watch jellyfish float by as you sip your morning coffee. The AquaRail boasts: Hydro-magnetic propulsion reaching speeds up to 120 mph Glass tunnel views of marine life (and sunken boats from the Great South Bay) A Montauk Brewing Co. bar car with clam chowder shots Live Long Island bands like Big Shot, Rich Mahogany, and a Billy Joel hologram tribute on Friday nights The ferry will depart every 37 minutes from a new terminal at Ronkonkoma Station, where the current parking lot will be replaced with a floating dock called "Port Bagel Boss" (breakfast will be served, of course). The Catch? Commuters from Nassau County will be allowed on board only after signing an agreement stating that "Suffolk bagels are better." Meanwhile, NYC residents attempting to ride for a weekend beach day will need to pass a quiz on how to pronounce Patchogue and Quogue. Public Reaction While many Long Islanders expressed excitement, some residents are skeptical. We waited 100 years for East Side Access. Now theyre telling me I can jet underwater to the city in 25 minutes? said Joe F. from Hauppauge. Ill believe it when I see a fluke fish handing me a MetroCard. The AquaRail is set to launch July 4, 2025, with inaugural rides free for anyone wearing flip-flops and a t-shirt that says, I Survived the LIE. Update: Sources now confirm the AquaRail may stop in Fire Island for summer vibes and iced coffee only. Stay tuned for more updates on this very real and definitely not made-up story. Happy April Fools Day from all of us at LongIsland.com! April 3 is National Burrito Day- Find Out Where to Get the Best Deals on Long Island! Local News By Chris Boyle Published: April 03 2025 Find free burritos, great deals, and more! With National Burrito Day coming on Thursday, Apr. 3, plenty of restaurants of all sizes are offering deals to celebrate. Some have freebies, while others have new items on the menu. Let's face it...everyone loves Burritos, right? Those delicious flour tortilla sleeping bags for beef, cheese, lettuce, beans, and sour cream are just too savory to say no to! And this Thursday, April 3, you're be able to say "yes" to them all day long...because it's National Burrito Day, and LongIsland.com is bringing you a list of all the best freebies and deals on offer on this special day! Moe's Southwest Grill is offering a buy one, get one deal for burritos and burrito bowls on April 3; in addition, there will also be an Instagram giveaway where lucky winners can nab a Moe's burrito blanket and free burritos for a year! Chipotle Mexican Grill celebrates the return of their Burrito Vault game; starting today, they will be giving away over $1 million in burritos for free by solving puzzles involving burrito ingredients every hour by visiting UnlockBurritoDay.com. The initial 2,500 competitors will get a burrito BOGO code, and the first winner each hour scores free burritos for all of 2025. Qdoba Mexican Eats is offering something they call Burrito Insurance for their rewards program members, who will receive a second entree for free with the purchase of any entree and a drink; in addition, popular burrito toppings such as queso and guacamole will be free. Newcomer Bubbakoo's Burritos is giving members of their loyalty program who purchase a Burrito on April 3 a $5 discount, good for their next order. And finally, 7-Eleven and Speedway will be serving up $5 burritos all day on April 3, and customers can also enter a $5,000 sweepstakes by using their loyalty app when making purchases that day. But don't let us so ALL the legwork for you...there are also a plethora of small, locally-owned and operated Mexican restaurants that would love to welcome you to taste their wares this National Burrito Day, so be sure to look them up and help support the businesses in your community as well! Local News By Chris Boyle Published: April 01 2025 Two Students to Receive Scholarships from Suffolk Credit Union. On Wednesday, April 2, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. will host a graduation ceremony for the Student Ambassador Program at Central Islip High School. More than thirty students participated in the program, discussing public safety-related topics directly with law enforcement. This is the fourth year Central Islip High School has hosted the program. Additionally, during the event, two students will receive $500 scholarships from Suffolk Credit Union. The Sheriffs Student Ambassador program is held bi-weekly, and the Sheriff and officers meet with a small group of students to facilitate an open dialogue with law enforcement and get a candid understanding on issues affecting young people. In the past fourteen weeks, the Suffolk Sheriffs Office staff presented on topics relevant to youth in Suffolk County, including cyber bullying, social media safety, vaping and drugs. DATE: Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 10:00am LOCATION: Central Islip High School, 85 Wheeler Road, Central Islip, NY 11722 Local News By Chris Boyle Published: April 01 2025 Project Includes Reconfigured Ramps, Turning Lanes and Signals To Improve Traffic Flow at Exit 15 of Southern State Parkway and State Route 25 Intersection. Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the commencement of a $7 million roadway infrastructure project on Long Island aimed at enhancing the safety and mobility for pedestrians and motorists at two heavily-trafficked intersections. The project which is part of the New York State Department of Transportations comprehensive Safe System approach toward zero deaths on state highways will reconfigure ramps, add turning lanes and make additional improvements to create more efficient traffic flow at Exit 15 on the Southern State Parkway in Nassau County and at a multi-road junction on State Route 25 in Suffolk County. New crosswalks, curb ramps and upgraded signals will also provide greater access and enhanced safety for pedestrians. Safe and efficient transportation systems are important to New Yorkers quality of life and the well-being of local communities, Governor Hochul said. That is why we are making important investments to Long Islands roadways, so that we can help motorists and pedestrians get where they need to go safely through the Safe System approach bringing us closer to reducing the number of fatalities on State highways to zero. Through the month of April, work will be underway at Exit 15 of the Southern State Parkway to reconfigure the interchange and create a single exit ramp for motorists to access Corona Avenue both northbound and southbound in the Town of Hempstead. Currently, exiting traffic utilizes separate northbound and southbound ramps that are shorter and lack a proper traffic signal to handle the more than 8,000 vehicles that use the ramps daily. The new singular ramp will be situated where the current westbound-to-northbound ramp is located and will feature two turning lanes for southbound traffic and one for northbound. At the end of the ramp, a new, enhanced traffic signal will be installed and there will be new crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands, and sidewalk ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The connection to the westbound Southern State Parkway from Corona Avenue will also be enlarged for easier left turns to the ramp at the traffic signal and feature new signage to better direct motorists. Later this summer, major work will also get underway at the five-way intersection in the Town of Huntington involving Jericho Turnpike (State Route 25), Broadway Greenlawn (Suffolk County Route 86), and Dix Hills Road. Improvements include: A new right turn lane and extended left turn lane on southbound Broadway Greenlawn. A new right turn lane on southbound Dix Hills Road. Upgraded traffic signal and pedestrian crosswalks and sidewalk ramps To minimize inconvenience to the public, work will be conducted during off-peak hours and at night when traffic volumes are lower. Access to all businesses will remain uninterrupted throughout the construction process. Major work at both locations is expected to be completed by spring of 2026. The New York State Department of Transportation has adopted a Safe System Approach toward Zero Deaths that involves designing and managing road infrastructure to keep the risk of human error low and minimizing the likelihood of fatality or serious injury during crashes. State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, Governor Hochuls commitment to strengthening public safety across our state is unwavering and this project on Long Island is another example of that. The improvements to these two busy intersections will streamline traffic flow, reduce delays and, most importantly, enhance safety for both motorists and pedestrians. Zero fatalities is our goal and smart transportation safety investments like this project is how we will get there. State Senator Mario Mattera said, The safety of our residents is the number one priority and these enhancements on Route 25 will help improve the safety of our roads for both motorists and pedestrians. Secondly, it will enhance travel through this area and that is a welcome change. I thank Governor Hochul and the NYSDOT for making this critical investment in our infrastructure and want to express my appreciation to the hardworking and skilled men and women who will undertake the labor of these important improvements. Assemblymember Michaelle Solages said, For years, residents have voiced concerns about safety and congestion at Exit 15, and now Governor Hochul is delivering real results. These upgrades will ease traffic, reduce crashes, and make our roads safer for everyone drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. By implementing the Safe System approach, this project brings us closer to the goal of zero highway fatalities and reflects New York States bold vision for a safer, more connected New York. Its a smart investment in the well-being of our neighborhoods and a major step forward for Long Island. About the Department of Transportation It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable, and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment, and supports the economic well-being of New York State. Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers! For more information, find us on Facebook, follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, or Instagram, or visit our website. Updates from DOTs Long Island region are also available on X. For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app. After more than 23 months of brutal civil war, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have retaken Sudans capital of Khartoum from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force largely comprised of Janjaweed militias that was previously allied with the government. Since April 2023, Khartoum has been the epicenter of the power struggle between RSF leader Mohamed Hemedti Dagalo and SAF leader Abdel Fattah al Burhan. The two forces spiraled into open conflict over disagreements during a transition to civilian governance after the 2022 resignation of former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and disputes over integrating the RSF into the SAF. The battle for Khartoum hinged on its strategic bridges, which lay on three of the citys flanks and have been critical to the RSFs supply lines throughout the war. By March 26, SAF statements claimed the Sudanese military had regained control of the Soba Bridge, which connects eastern and southern Khartoum. The SAF also claimed it recaptured the Manshiya Bridge, which connects the citys East Nile neighborhoods with central Khartoum. On March 28, the SAF secured the Jebel Aulia Dam bridge. Located approximately 28 miles south of Khartoum, this strategic location was the last crossing in the city held by the RSF. It now provides Sudans army direct access to the Kordofan and Darfur regions. In an effort to regroup, the RSF announced a military alliance with the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-North, another rebel faction controlling portions of Sudans South Kordofan State and Blue Nile State close to the Ethiopian border. Sudan now stands divided: The SAF controls the countrys north and east, while the RSF dominates the south and nearly all of the western region of Darfur. The US imposed sanctions on Hemedti on January 7 after the State Department determined that the RSF has perpetrated genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan during the course of the war. States announcement detailed that the RSF and allied militias have engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. US Treasury sanctions against Burhan came on January 16, detailing that the SAF engaged in indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure, attacks on schools, markets, and hospitals, and extrajudicial executions. The RSFs defeat is one of several recent setbacks that have left the group on the defensive. Simultaneously, the militia and its allies have escalated attacks on civilians, with reports of sexual violence and summary executions. Despite the RSFs setbacks, Hemedti remains undeterred. On February 22, the RSF and allied political and armed groups signed a charter that seeks to consolidate control over large swaths of Sudan, including most of the Darfur region. Days after the charter was signed, UN Security Council members expressed concern over the document. Attempts by the RSF and aligned actors to establish a government in RSF-controlled territory in Sudan are unhelpful for the cause of peace and security in Sudan and risk a de facto partition of the country, said US political coordinator John Kelley. On March 20, Hemedti spoke in a Telegram audio message for the first time since losing Khartoum. He said his troops retreat was a tactical decision and vowed to return to the capital stronger, more powerful and victorious. Mariam Wahba is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow her on X @themariamwahba. A feasibility study has been launched to create a roadmap for the introduction of a direct rail link between Luxembourg, Saarbrucken and Mannheim, with the results expected to be presented later this year. The study, which is being co-financed by the Luxembourg and German governments, was discussed at a recent meeting between Transport Minister Yuriko Backes and her Saarland counterpart Petra Berg. The project to develop a direct connection aims to meet the requirements of both long-distance transport passengers and improve travel for commuters from the Saarland working in the Grand Duchy, according to Luxembourgs Transport Ministry. Long-term solution for Schengen motorway junction In addition to the rail link, the ministers also discussed the traffic situation at the Schengen junction where the A8 and A13 motorways meet. A long-term solution is being sought to reduce the burden of lorry traffic passing through the neighbouring villages, according to the ministry. Cross-border cooperation plays a key role in the future development of mobility in our region. Through joint solutions, we want to provide commuters and travellers in particular with even more convenient and seamless mobility, both in local public transport and in private transport, said Backes. We are firmly convinced that this successful cooperation will sustainably improve the quality of life on both sides of the border in the long term, she added. (This article was first published by Luxemburger Wort. Translation and editing by Duncan Roberts) To follow up on a government pledge to reduce child poverty in Luxembourg, Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Family Minister Max Hahn met with Unicef local representatives on Monday to discuss the Grand Duchys low ranking in a global assessment. We cannot accept that children grow up in precarious conditions. Every child has the right to a fair start in life, said Luc Frieden. However, according to a 2023 report on child poverty by Innocenti, Unicefs research centre, one in four children in Luxembourg is at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Around 30,000 children are affected by poverty, the report said, ranking Luxembourg in the 35th place out of 39 countries. In comparison: Germany ranked 25th, France 33rd and Belgium 12th. Slovenia topped the ranking with the lowest child poverty risk. Also read: Nearly 1 in 5 at risk of poverty in Luxembourg The Innocenti report defines child poverty as a household income below 60% of the national median revenue or lacking essentials like food, clothing, housing or education. It links child poverty to social and economic factors, noting that while income poverty trends have multiple causes, social policies can play a role. However, the key to addressing child poverty may lie in expanding opportunities for their parents. Slovenias success is in part promoted by labour market policies. In the decade since the financial crisis of 2008, the government of Slovenia has implemented a series of policies to tackle in-work poverty and promote decent work, says the report. Unicef's recommendations for Luxembourg During the meeting on Monday, Unicef Luxembourg made some recommendations to the Luxembourg government to reduce the child poverty rate. Particularly, Unicef Luxembourg recommended revising the system for calculating child benefit by taking into account the parents income. The administrative procedure for available benefits should also be simplified. A plan to combat poverty in Luxembourg is due to be presented this year. Also read: Concrete actions expected of governments poverty plan (This article was originally published by Luxemburger Wort. Translation, editing, and additional reporting by Lucrezia Reale.) The Grand Duchy ranks rock bottom in the European Union when it comes to the proportion of women among master's and doctoral students, according to data published by Eurostat in March. In 2022, the proportion of female master's students across the EU was 58.6%, while that of female doctoral students fell to 48.5%. Among EU countries Luxembourg comes last, with 49.8% of all master's students pursuing a degree in Luxembourg being female, and the figure for female doctoral students dropping to 42.3%. A situation that does not please Jens Kreisel, rector of the University of Luxembourg. It's a great disappointment, but it's not a surprise. We are keeping a very close eye on our progress in terms of gender equality within the university, both in terms of students and teaching staff, Kreisel said. Not enough women in STEM At the bottom of the ranking, alongside Luxembourg, are France, Belgium and Germany. This observation was not lost on the rector. It's a relatively frustrating observation, but it shows that we are part of a cultural pool where, unfortunately, there are not enough women studying, particularly in the STEM field, which encompasses science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Jens Kreisel has been rector of the University of Luxembourg since 1 January 2023. Photo credit: Lorene Paul Unlike the humanities and social sciences, where female students are over-represented, STEM disciplines are the subject of more theses, which inflates the proportion of male students among doctoral students. But this is not the only factor that could explain the gender imbalance. We share a common difficulty with our neighbouring countries, which is that we lack female role models, the UniLu rector said. Also read: Sharing insights on women in tech Research also suffers from an image, that of a solitary discipline, which may seem unattractive to young women, when in fact it has become a team effort. Our approach is therefore to go out and meet future students in schools and colleges, to explain what research is all about and to break down any preconceptions they may have about certain fields, Kreisel said. Moving from a bachelor's to a master's degree is not a problem, as the statistics show. But when you move on to a doctorate, you collide directly with your private life and your desire to have a family Jens Kreisel Rector of the University of Luxembourg Whether embarking on a doctorate, or more generally pursuing a career, women have to deal with the impact of motherhood on their professional lives. Some stages are harder than others. Going from a bachelor's to a master's degree is not a problem, as the statistics show. But when you move on to a doctorate, you collide directly with your private life and your desire to have a family, Kreisel added. Only 28% of women professors To encourage women to embark on longer studies, the university has set up a number of initiatives. One of these is a mentoring programme for female students. Also read: Business can find strength in feminine touch While parity has not yet been achieved among doctoral students, the imbalance is even greater among the teaching staff. The proportion of women among our professors has been constant over the last 20 years, at 25%. Over the last four years, we have managed to increase this to 28%. We hope to approach 30% next year. I remember proposing this target and being called crazy. But I'm even confident that we'll get to 35%. Every percentage is a victory, said Kreisel, who points out that there is parity within the rectorate and the Uni's board of directors. For programmes where we have a significant parity deficit, we are going to open up the recruitment of professors exclusively to women for a period of six months, with the agreement of the government Jens Kreisel Rector of the University of Luxembourg In order to continue to increase the proportion of women professors, the University of Luxembourg will be introducing a new initiative in the summer of 2025. For programmes where we have a significant gender parity deficit, we are going to open up the recruitment of professors exclusively to women for six months, with the agreement of the government. With this initiative, we want to send a real signal, Kreisel said. Once hired, female professors can benefit from special support for their research. This takes the form of excellence grants reserved for young women. These grants enable post-doctoral students, assistant professors and associate professors to have more resources for their research, Kreisel added. A long-term objective The University of Luxembourg's commitment to parity does not stop there. The rectorate is still looking for solutions to help female students and professors reconcile research and family life. While the university is unable to open a daycare on its premises for lack of authorisation, other solutions are being considered. We are currently exploring partnerships with creches located in the vicinity of the Belval campus to guarantee a certain number of places. We hope to find an improvement within a year, the rector said. To complement these initiatives, the rector is keeping an eye abroad. Our approach is to support women where we can at every stage. But it's a game that is played over time. It's not possible to change the whole system in two or three years. Society cannot deprive itself of women's capacity for excellence and their brains, Kreisel said. Many female students abroad Asked about the Eurostat publication, the ministry of higher education points out that the majority of students living in Luxembourg do not study in the country. Around 80% of them pursue their university studies abroad. When all resident master's and doctoral students are taken into account, the Eurostat figures need to be put into perspective, the ministry said. For the academic year 2023-2024, out of 5,004 resident master's students (studying in Luxembourg and abroad), 2,749 were women, almost 55%. At doctoral level, out of a total of 263 resident students, 138 were women, representing just over 52%. (This article was originally published by Virgule.lu. Translation and editing by Lucrezia Reale.) Download Image: Web Lycoming College in partnership with Montoursville Area High School (MAHS) will offer a college-level course for students interested in exploring careers in education. So, You Want To Be a Teacher, is a dual-enrollment course that offers a unique blend of learning and practical application for a stimulating and extensive orientation to the teaching profession. Led by Andrea Tira, Spanish teacher at MAHS, current 10th-grade and 11th-grade students are eligible to enroll in the Fall 2025 course. The two-credit class will be based at MAHS, but students will gain valuable observation hours at Lyter Elementary and McCall Middle School, and even have the chance to teach lessons in real classrooms within the Montoursville Area School District. This immersive experience will enable students to explore a rewarding career that promises plentiful job opportunities, while earning credits that count toward a College degree. For students who are considering teaching or who enjoy working with children, this is the perfect opportunity for you. We believe this program will be a truly fulfilling and valuable experience. We are thrilled to announce this new program at MAHS for students interested in exploring a career in education, said Daniel D. Taormina, superintendent of Montoursville Area School District. For students who are considering teaching or who enjoy working with children, this is the perfect opportunity for you. We believe this program will be a truly fulfilling and valuable experience. The purpose of this class is to get students engaged in the idea of becoming a teacher, and to give them a head start on their coursework, said Rachel Hickoff-Cresko, associate professor of education at Lycoming College and chair of the department. I look forward to collaborating with Andrea Tira to design this unique new offering. The course, which will welcome multiple guest speakers from MAHS and beyond, culminates in a capstone project where students will teach lessons to elementary and middle school students. The cost of the course is $500 ($250 per credit hour). The College is offering an EITC scholarship to every dual enrolled student for each course taken, bringing the students cost down to $200 ($100 per credit hour). MAHS students interested in enrolling for the course should speak with their guidance counselor. Dual Enrollment at Lycoming College Lycoming Colleges Early Warrior Dual Enrollment program invites 11th and 12th grade students from area public high schools to take college courses at Lycoming College while enrolled in high school. High school juniors and seniors can earn up to eight college credits each semester. This opportunity enables them to potentially shorten their time in college, which can lead to significant savings on tuition and other expenses. Dual enrollment students benefit from Lycomings small class sizes and individualized faculty attention, which is the ideal atmosphere for high school juniors and seniors to explore college majors, such as psychology, business administration, education, history, languages, music, the sciences and more, as they prepare for college admissions. The enrollment deadline for the Fall 2025 semester is Aug. 15. Riders board the MBTA Red Line at the JFK/UMass stop in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. Will Katcher/MassLive Red Line trains on the MBTA were delayed up to 25 minutes early Tuesday, disrupting the morning commute as the agency also kicked off several weeks of critical track repairs. The delays, occurring between about 6 and 8 a.m. and attributed to a signal problem, have since been resolved, the T said on social media. Red Line Update: Delays of about 25 minutes due to a signal problem near Andrew. Service is standing by. https://t.co/9LZE1itV3h MBTA (@MBTA) April 1, 2025 Independent of the signal issue, the agency had advised riders over recent weeks that shuttle buses would replace subway service on the southern end of the Red Line beginning Tuesday to allow for track repairs. The MBTA said the free shuttle bus service would cover the entirety of the Red Lines Ashmont Branch and the Mattapan Line trolley. Riders can board shuttle buses at or near stations. Further details can be found on the MBTAs website. Train service is expected to resume on April 10, but will be limited on the Ashmont Branch through the end of the month to allow further repairs, the MBTA said. Through April 9, riders should budget extra travel time into their commute, the T advised. The agency said a ride between Park Street station in Downtown Boston and Mattapan would take at least an additional 45-60 minutes with time spent on the shuttles factored in. The MBTA encouraged Red Line riders affected by the partial shutdown to use the Commuter Rails Fairmount Line, which they can take free of charge in the affected areas. The pause in train service will allow for critical track renewal work on the Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line, the MBTA said. The agency planned to maximize its time by also making a variety of other repairs to other Red Line stations and tracks during the shutdown, it said. When trains resume running on the Ashmont Branch on April 10, they will do so with reduced frequency for three weeks as the T conducts critical special track work near Ashmont station in Bostons Dorchester neighborhood. During that time, the T will operate shuttle trains between Ashmont and JFK/UMass stations, rather than shuttle buses. Shuttle trains will operate back and forth on a single track rather than using separate tracks to travel in each direction. From April 10 through the end of the month, the MBTA urged riders to follow signs and directions from staff at train stations to find their correct train. Riders should also expect longer wait times between shuttle trains. The shuttles will terminate at JFK/UMass. For service north of the station, riders will need to transfer to another Red Line train. UPDATE: Boston truck crash not believed to be intentional act This is a developing story. It was updated at 3:55 p.m. to include information regarding the number of people injured. At least six people were injured when a box truck crashed onto a sidewalk and into a building in Bostons Chinatown on Tuesday afternoon in what appeared to have been an unintentional crash, police said. Boston Police officers responded to the crash scene by the intersection of Kneeland Street and Harrison Avenue around 12:45 p.m., after receiving a radio call for a crash involving pedestrians, according to Officer Mark Marron, a spokesperson for the police department. The truck appeared to have hit multiple light poles before striking a building and flipping on its drivers side, wedged between a pole and the buildings facade. The truck did not appear to have been intentionally driven off the road, authorities said. Instead, a preliminary investigation suggested it seems to be more of a tragic accident than anything, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said, though he cautioned that the incident remained under investigation. As first responders reached the scene, it was initially unclear how many pedestrians had been wounded, Marron said. Speaking at the crash scene around 3 p.m., Cox said four people had been transported to area hospitals. One person remained in critical condition. The driver was initially critically injured, but his condition had since improved. The truck involved belonged to the Penske rental company, whose records indicated that it was out on rent to a commercial trucking company, Alen Beljin, a Penske spokesperson, said in an email to MassLive. This is an ongoing situation that were monitoring closely, he said. Penske will be cooperating fully with authorities to support their investigation. Our thoughts are with those who have been injured in this unfortunate incident. The company had no further information about the crash. Firefighters used extrication tools to remove the trapped driver from the cab of truck, said a spokesperson for the Boston Fire Department. Malikah El-Bey-Brown was exiting a public bus on the way to a medical appointment when the crash occurred nearby. She said she thought the driver had been going a little fast, but not enough to cause this wreckage. A lot of people [were] yelling and screaming for help, to help the driver and the people that were walking on the sidewalk, she said. She also recalled hearing a loud bang as a large piece of metal fell. An audit of the Canton Police Department was published to the towns website on Tuesday afternoon. A meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 5, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Canton High School for a presentation on the findings and recommendations by 5 Stones Intelligence, the agency that performed the audit. The audit began in November 2024 to identify, evaluate, and recommend structural and systemic improvements for Canton police to implement safe, effective, and transparent law enforcement for the town, the 206-page report states. The extensive report detailed the many policies, procedures and regulations of the police department and 20 topics in total, including professional standards and accountability, citizens privacy concerns, and conflicts of interest. One section, entitled Crime Scene Protocols Overview, are specific case file audits of high-profile incidents. Namely, the death of Boston Police Officer John OKeefe, the death of Sandra Birchmore, the death of Craig Casey and damage to a house under construction. Read the audit here. Canton Police Audit by MassLive on Scribd The report was released on the same day as the start of Reads trial. Read, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death in connection with the death of her boyfriend OKeefe in January 2022. Lawyers for Civil Rights Litigation Director Oren Sellstrom speaks outside the federal courthouse in Boston following a hearing in a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants. Trea Lavery/MassLive A federal judge in Boston said Tuesday he would not hear arguments in a lawsuit to stop the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants, saying a Monday decision in California rendered it moot. Judge Richard Stearns said during a hearing Tuesday morning that because U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco paused the Trump administrations imminent plans to end the protections for Venezuelan immigrants, there was no need for him to do the same. He said the federal government was likely to appeal the case, likely all the way to the Supreme Court, and he did not want to further complicate things by adding a separate case to the mix. However, he left the case open so that in the event the California decision was overturned, the plaintiffs could again take up their request for relief. I dont see that complicating the case at this point serves anybodys interest. In fact, the route is already mapped by Judge Chen, Stearns said. We can save our ammunition for later if necessary. TPS allows immigrants from designated countries to remain in the United States and obtain work authorization while their home countries are unsafe to return to, due to violent conflict, natural disasters or other temporary issues. Shortly after taking office in February, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem revoked the TPS designations for Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants, despite former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas extensions of the designations to February and October 2026, respectively, under President Joe Biden. Under Noems reversal, the protections for Venezuelans would have expired as soon as April 2, and those for Haitians would expire in August. Venezuelan immigrants who spoke to the media following Tuesdays hearing said Chens decision restored their peace of mind that at least for now, they would be safe from deportation. The fear is still there, but people are more alive now with the good news from California, because they can continue here, said Ciro Valiente, spokesperson for the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, one of the plaintiffs in the case. They can keep working. They can keep contributing to this nation and keep growing their families. Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts spokesperson Ciro Valiente speaks outside the federal courthouse in Boston following a hearing in a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants. Trea Lavery/MassLive According to court documents, there are more than 600,000 Venezuelans and 260,000 Haitians living in the United States with TPS. Chens decision applied only to the termination of protection for Venezuelan immigrants, because the initial California lawsuit was filed before Noem announced the decision to terminate TPS for Haitians. While the Massachusetts case could have provided protections for Haitians, Stearns did not continue to hear arguments because Chen gave the plaintiffs in the California one week to file for another pause on the changes affecting Haitian TPS beneficiaries. The legal issues in the case between Venezuela and Haiti are identical in many respects, and so there is strong reason to believe that the protections that have been granted to Venezuelan TPS holders will also be granted to Haitian TPS holders, said Oren Sellstrom, litigation director for Lawyers for Civil Rights, who is representing the Massachusetts plaintiffs. If that is not the case, if theres anything unexpected that comes out of California or the appellate court, we are now prepared to go immediately back to this court to seek the relief that our clients deserve. Venezuela received a TPS designation in 2021 due to widespread civil and economic unrest and humanitarian issues. Haiti was first designated for TPS in 2010, when it was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, and the protections have repeatedly been extended since then due to the ongoing effects of the earthquake and other natural disasters as well as gang violence and governmental collapse following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. While Noem cited national security issues in her decisions to terminate the TPS designations and said conditions had improved in both countries, experts, including some in the federal government, have disagreed. The U.S. Department of State has given both Haiti and Venezuela its highest level of travel advisory, instructing American citizens not to travel there. Pastor Dieufort Fleurissant, a leader of Bostons Haitian community, said many Haitian TPS beneficiaries would have nowhere to go if forced to return to their home country. There is nowhere to return to. Their only homes and source of stability is here in the United States, Fleurissant said. These families are not strangers to this country. They are parents, workers, small business owners, students and essential contributors to American life. ... Removing their protection would tear apart families and threaten lives. Retired Massachusetts State Trooper Calvin Butner has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a bribery scheme involving commercial drivers licenses, United States Attorney Leah Foleys office said. Butner, 64, of Halifax, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and aiding and abetting and five counts of making false statements. A plea hearing is scheduled for April 7, Foleys office said in a statement. Butner was previously charged in a 74-count indictment, along with five others, in January 2024. Between May 2019 and January 2023, Butner and three other members of the Commercial Drivers License unit gave preferential treatment to at least 17 CDL applicants, Foleys office said. Butner and others gave passing scores to those applicants who took the CDL test regardless of whether they actually passed. The men used the code word golden to identify the applicants, the statement read. Butner texted comments to another co-conspirator: Golden mess, Total mess this guy[.] i think some time[s] we should just do what we can but not golden. Ill tell you about it later, among other messages. Butner also agreed to plead guilty to three counts of falsifying records, aiding and abetting, by giving passing scores to three applicants who failed the tests, Foleys office said. He also agreed to plead guilty to five counts of making false statements, in which he gave passing scores to five applicants who did not take the tests at all. Butner was among several retired or suspended state troopers previously indicted in connection with the scheme. Sgt. Gary Cederquist, 58, of Stoughton; retired Trooper Perry Mendes, 63, of Wareham; Trooper Joel Rogers, 54, of Bridgewater; civilian Scott Camara, 42, of Rehoboth; and Eric Mathison, 47, of Boston, were all named in the January 2024 indictment. Cederquist gave passing scores to several applicants who actually failed the CDL skills test, and others who only took a partial test, federal prosecutors said. He did this in exchange for bribes of free inventory from the water company. The free items included bottled Fiji, bottled Arizona Iced Tea and coffee and tea products. Mathison delivered these items to an office trailer at the CDL test site in Stoughton. Cederquist and Rogers were both suspended without pay. Federal prosecutors said in one case, Mathison admitted to getting texts from Cederquist that described one CDL applicant as an an idiot, who had no idea what hes doing, and should have failed about 10 times already. Cederquist gave this applicant a passing score. On March 21, Mathison pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, Foleys office said Tuesday. He is expected to be sentenced on June 13. The charge of conspiracy to falsify records provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of falsification of records each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of false statements each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Paul Mescal, from left, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan, and Harris Dickinson, cast members of the upcoming films about The Beatles, speak during the Sony Pictures presentation at CinemaCon on Monday, March 31, 2025, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Sony Pictures has announced the four actors cast to play John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in its four-film cinematic event about The Beatles. At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, director Sam Mendes announced Harris Dickinson will portray Lennon, Paul Mescal will play McCartney, Joseph Quinn has been cast as Harrison and Starr will be played by Barry Keoghan, the Hollywood Reporter wrote Monday night. Were not just making one film about the Beatles were making four, Mendes said, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply. Each film will focus on each individual Beatle. The movies will be the first binge-able theatrical experience, Mendes said, citing Tom Rothman, CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. To this point, all four films are slated for release in April 2028, all produced and directed by Mendes. The Instagram accounts for Sony, The Beatles and the four respective accounts of each band member shared a photo of the four actors on Tuesday. Dickinson last year starred opposite Nicole Kidman in Babygirl. Mescal recently starred in Ridley Scotts sequel to the 2000 epic Gladiator. Quinn will portray the Human Torch in Marvels upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps. Keoghan starred in 2023s Saltburn and portrayed the Joker in a cameo in The Batman in 2022. Considered one of the most successful bands in music history, The Beatles tenure spanned a whole decade between 1960 and 1970. They released 13 studio albums, including A Hard Days Night, St. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Let it Be and Abbey Road. Lennon was assassinated in 1980 and Harrison died in 2001. Now in their early 80s, McCartney and Starr have continued their bands legacy and still tour across the globe. In November 2023, McCartney and Starr released what they said was the last Beatles song, called Now and Then. With the help of AI to clean up a demo Lennon sent to McCartney in the 1970s, along with audio of Harrison on the guitar in the 1990s, McCartney and Starr added their own music and vocals to compose the song. Now and Then was released as a double A-side single with Love Me Do, the bands 1962 debut single. Dozens of potential jurors packed into a Dedham courthouse Tuesday morning for the start of jury selection in the Karen Read case, a process expected to take several weeks to complete. About 130 people were called to potentially serve in the Read case each day this week, beginning Tuesday. Of those 130, 92 people showed up as potential jurors in the Read case, though one person was dismissed before Judge Beverly Cannone began questioning the prospective jurors. Before she questioned potential jurors, Cannone read a statement of the case, laying out what prosecutors say Read did: backing her SUV into her then-boyfriend, Boston Police officer John OKeefe, outside a Canton home following a night of drinking. She told jurors that Read is presumed innocent and has no obligation to prove her innocence during the trial. Cannone also referenced the intense publicity that has consumed the Read case, saying, public comment will likely continue, but the rule of law will be upheld. Read thanked the potential jurors after each lawyer introduced themselves. Picking a jury in the Read case will be challenging, not just because of the publicity, but because of the public participation, explained Jack Lu, a retired Superior Court judge. In terms of publicity, there have been plenty of cases with high publicity like this one, he said. What sets this case apart is that there is an extra element of public participation partially fueled by click revenue (income streams from social media platform fees and related income and sales paid to creator). This is a first in Massachusetts. I do believe this is a major issue, he added. Simply hearing about or discussing the case will not automatically disqualify a juror. You only need people that can understand the complicated jury instructions ... and someone with the moral commitment to follow the judges instructions exactly, Lu explained. No problem with knowing about the case, but a commitment to understanding the jury instructions, and following them, are key. So many jurors were called for potential service in the case that a row of folding chairs was added to the main courtroom in Norfolk Superior Court. Read wore a gray plaid suit for the first day of the trial, and was joined by all five of her lawyers, including Victoria George, an alternate juror from the first trial who joined the defense team last week. Lawyers for both sides busily combed through court papers, highlighting specific portions, as jurors filled out questionnaires behind them. After reading the witness list containing 150 names, Cannone asked jurors a series of questions. When asked if they had any personal dealings with witnesses, seven jurors raised their hands. Then, in a moment reflecting the unique nature of Reads case, more than three-quarters of the assembled jurors raised their hands when asked if they had heard about the case 78 of the 91. When Cannone asked if they had formed an opinion about the case, 40 of the 91 raised their hands. The whole process took about an hour, and Cannone left the courtroom just before 10:30 a.m. Potential jurors were left to fill out a three-page questionnaire that asks them several more questions, including if Read should have to prove her innocence. Completed questionnaires were given to court officers to be copied, then distributed to the lawyers. When Cannone returned, several jurors were called up to the bench to be questioned individually. A chain restaurant known for its chicken wings, beer and staff wearing revealing outfits has filed for bankruptcy. Hooters of America Restaurant Group announced plans filed a motion for Chapter 11 in the the North Texas Bankruptcy Court in Dallas on Monday, according to a statement on the chain restaurants website. The bankruptcy filing follows reports of financial struggle from food and labor cost, as well as competition from other restaurant chains. In 2024, Hooters closed more than 40 underperforming restaurants nationwide. As part of the chain restaurants bankruptcy plan, Hooters is selling 100 company-owned restaurants to a group of Hooters franchise owners. The buying group includes the founders of Hooters; the group also currently owns 14 of the 30 highest-grossing Hooters restaurants. Our renowned Hooters restaurants are here to stay. Todays announcement marks an important milestone in our efforts to reinforce Hooters financial foundation and continue delivering the guest-obsessed hospitality experience and delicious food our customers and communities have come to expect, said Sal Melilli, chief executive officer of Hooters of America. Ive seen firsthand the incredible value and opportunities our brand brings to life, and I look forward to continuing that momentum well into the future. Im incredibly grateful to our valued customers, partners, and employees for their continued support. Trader Joe's is recalling a popular condiment, the Hot Honey Mustard Dressing, for a health risk. (Courtesy/FDA) FDA Trader Joes is recalling one of its most popular sauces that was sold in several states across the country, including Massachusetts. Fresh Creative Foods recalled Trader Joes Hot Honey Mustard Dressing, according to a company announcement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website. Hot Honey Mustard Dressings with a use by date of May 27, 2025 were included in the recall. The company is recalling the mustard due to a labeling error that doesnt acknowledge possible allergens for peanuts, soy, sesame or wheat. According to the statement, the dressing was sold in Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Denver, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Philadelphia, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia and Washington, D.C. Individuals who purchased the mustard can take it back to Trader Joes for a full refund. Karen Read, center right, sits at the defense table during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court in Dedham, Mass. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool, File) AP More than 100 potential jurors will fill a Dedham courtroom Tuesday morning for the start of jury selection in Karen Reads second trial a process that will almost certainly take several weeks given the intense publicity surrounding the case. In all, 275 potential jurors were summoned to Norfolk Superior Court for each day of the first week of jury selection, April 1 through April 4 a higher than normal number due to the nature of the Read case. If a jury is not empaneled by the end of the first week of selection, 243 jurors have been summoned each day for the week of April 7 and beyond, according to a spokesperson for the trial courts. Reads case is not the only one in the courthouse, and inevitably not all jurors will be evaluated to serve in her case. Each potential juror in the Read case will fill out a three-page questionnaire, asking them a series of questions about specific aspects of the case and whether they have an opinion about it. From there, select jurors will undergo questioning by both the judge and the lawyers. Reporters will not be allowed to describe the jurors during the trial. During Reads first trial, Cannone sat 17 jurors, 12 of whom were picked to deliberate. Over the nine-week trial, three jurors were dismissed, including one on the day of closing arguments. A number of jurors greater than the number needed to deliberate are selected to ensure a case can continue if a juror drops out. Reads second trial is expected to run about six weeks of full trial days, with prosecutors shortening their case and Reads defense expanding theirs. Its not known how many witnesses will be called, but a combined witness list includes 150 names. Read, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death in connection with the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police officer John OKeefe. Prosecutors say Read intentionally backed her SUV into OKeefe in a drunken rage amid turmoil in their relationship, then left him to die in the snow outside the Canton home of a fellow Boston Police officer. But Reads defense has claimed OKeefe was beaten up inside the house, and his body was planted outside in an effort to frame Read. Read has also led a series of unsuccessful bids to get the murder and leaving the scene charges dropped on double jeopardy grounds. Jurors from her first trial told lawyers for both sides they agreed to acquit her on those charges but didnt know they could return a partial verdict. The motion to dismiss the charges was first denied by Cannone, whose ruling was upheld by the Supreme Judicial Court. A subsequent petition to the U.S. District Court in Boston was denied, and the ruling was upheld by the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Read could take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court but there is no indication she will do so. Read also faces a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the OKeefe family. The case is largely paused until the criminal trial is over. The famous flowering nasturtium vines have made their annual return to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The vines, which currently trail the walls of the iconic court yard, celebrate the arrival of spring at the Boston museum. And visitors have a very short window to see them the flowers only last about three weeks. The annual display continues a tradition started by Isabella Stewart Gardner herself during the week before Easter, marking the return of color to the Fenway, according to the museum. The nasturtium vines are started from seed in June and planted in late summer. Throughout the winter, theyre trained in the museums greenhouses for their spectacular debut in March. The vines require continuous care in the greenhouse to ensure dramatic length up to twenty feet and require up to ten workers to install in the Museum," the museum says. The result is a stunning display that cannot be found anywhere else." On April 2, the museum is hosting a sold-out nasturtium party, where guests can enjoy the flowering installations while sipping on nasturtium-inspired cocktails. The museums gift shop also sells seed packets containing the same nasturtium variety. With summer vacation nearly upon us, people and families planning to travel out of the country soon are encouraged to check the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories map to see travel advisory warnings for all countries. The travel advisory map is available on the Department of States website and can be viewed here. Federal officials have issued seven advisory warnings within four advisory levels. Level 1 Countries with a Level 1 advisory are highlighted in blue; travelers are encouraged to use normal precaution Canada, Iceland, Suriname, Zambia, Australia, Mongolia and Japan are some countries included on the federal list. Some countries with a Level 1 advisory are highlighted in blue with white stripes; travelers are still urged to use normal precautions. However, parts of the country have a higher security list. Thailand, Malaysia, Senegal, Paraguay and Kyrgyzstan are the only countries with this designation. Level 2 Countries with a Level 2 advisory are highlighted in yellow; travelers are encouraged to use increased caution. Greenland, Sri Lanka, the Republic of the Congo, the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany are a few countries marked in yellow. Some countries with a Level 2 advisory are highlighted in yellow with white stripes; travelers are urged to use increased caution. However, parts of these countries have high-security risk. India, Algeria, Brazil, Ecuador and Saudi Arabia are a few countries with this designation. Level 3 Countries with a Level 3 advisory are marked in orange; travelers are urged to reconsider travel. Popular Caribbean Islands Trinidad and Tobago were given this designation. Nicaragua and Uganda are some other countries that were marked in orange on the map. Some countries with a Level 3 advisory are marked in orange with white stripes; Travelers are urged to reconsider travel. However, if they do decide to travel to these locations, theyre urged to stay away from locations with a high-security risk. Popular travel destination Jamaica was marked in orange with white stripes. Colombia, Honduras, Pakistan and Bangladesh are a few countries with this designation. Level 4 Countries with a Level 4 designation are marked in red; people are urged to not travel to these locations no matter the circumstance. Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan and Libya are some countries with this designation. People can search any country on the map and view its advisory level on the Department of States website. The map includes specific reasons why areas have advisory designations. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban shouts in the direction of an official in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Dallas, Monday, March 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) AP Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and investor, believes a Rural Red Recession is coming and imminent due to actions by the Trump administration. In a post to social media site BlueSky on Friday, Cuban who has more than 1.4 million followers on the platform said, All the firings, cancelling of grants and contracts with companies, the closing of offices, disproportionately impact small towns, cities and states. Their finances will be turned upside, Cuban added. In the days that followed, Cuban reposted a Daily Beast article referencing a CNN video about federal government job cuts in a city within reliably Republican West Virginia one again reiterating the alliterative phrase. In recent weeks, the Trump administration and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have made cuts to the federal Department of Education including millions in K-12 grant funding locally as well as cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among others. Read More: Trump administration halts dozens of research grants at Princeton University Protests over cuts to jobs and funding at services like the United States Postal Service and for funding to farmers through the Department of Agriculture and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, both elicited protests in Western Massachusetts last month. Overall, Blue, or Democrat-leaning, states tend to be less dependent on funding from the federal government compared to their Red, or Republican-leaning, counterparts. A 2025 WalletHub study found that Alaska, Kentucky, West Virginia, Mississippi and South Carolina are the five most federally dependent states all of which have Republican-led federal congressional delegations and voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Conversely, the five states that relied least upon federal funding, per the same study, were New Jersey, California, Delaware, Massachusetts and Utah all of which are considered reliably Blue states, except for Utah. Massachusetts Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, speaks during a news conference at the State House in Boston, Mass., on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (John L. Micek/MassLive) John L. Micek The top Democrat in the state Senate denounced the Trump White Houses decision to slash $106 million in aid to Massachusetts public schools, calling it horrific and cruel. Massachusetts and other majority-Democrat states are now under attack by Republican President Donald Trump as he shutters federal agencies and trims spending across the government, Senate President Karen E. Spilka said. Hes targeting us. Hes got people out there sweeping, you know, Massachusetts residents up, in immigration raids, Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, said Tuesday during a news conference at the State House in Boston. We need to protect our residents, defend our values, and help lead Massachusetts. Spilkas comments came as Democrats who control the upper chamber announced an open-ended effort to try to resist Trumps actions at the state level. The effort, billed as Respond 2025, will coordinate our response to federal action and help residents understand how these actions impact our state and our residents, she said. The White House announced last month that it was giving states until March 2026 to spend money allocated through the federal Education Stabilization Fund. In a statement, Gov. Maura Healeys office said it learned about the decision at 5:03 p.m. on Friday three minutes after it officially took effect. Some 41 states nationwide, at a cost of about $2 billion, are believed to be impacted by the executive action. At a time when students are still struggling to recover from the pandemic, we need to be doing everything we can to address learning loss and the youth mental health crisis. Instead, President Trump suddenly ripped away more than $100 million in funding that is supposed to go right to Massachusetts students and schools, Healey said. This action is jeopardizing mental health care and math tutoring for our students, as well as projects that are already underway to enhance school security and ensure that the air in our school buildings is clean. Massachusetts has been making important progress helping students recover from the pandemic, but President Trump is trying to take us backwards, the Democratic governor, who has ratcheted up her criticism of the Republican White House over its first 100 days in power, said. In a statement, U.S. Education Department spokesperson Madi Biedermann said states had run out the clock on the pandemic-era funding program. COVID is over. States and school districts can no longer claim they are spending their emergency pandemic funds on COVID relief when there are numerous documented examples of misuse, Biedermann said. The Biden administration established an irresponsible precedent by extending the deadline for spending the COVID money far beyond the intended purpose of the funds, and it is past time for the money to be returned to the peoples bank account, Biedermann continued. The cuts announced Tuesday leave few Massachusetts school districts untouched. Springfield will lose more than $47 million in assistance, while New Bedford is in line to lose some $15 million in funding, according to an administration analysis. Despite those sweeping reductions, several senators declined MassLives requests for comment for the impact on their hometown districts. State Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell, joined by colleagues nationwide, has filed a battery of lawsuits challenging the White Houses blizzard of executive orders. On Tuesday, Spilka said she [applauded] Campbell and other state attorneys general [who] are blocking Trump. I am hoping that more happens on a federal level, because he is usurping congressional power again, Spilka said. White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, left, speaks with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as President Donald Trump meets with France's President Emmanuel Macron in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/Pool via AP) AP By John Hudson Members of President Donald Trumps National Security Council, including White House national security adviser Michael Waltz, have conducted government business over personal Gmail accounts, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post and interviews with three U.S. officials. The use of Gmail, a far less secure method of communication than the encrypted messaging app Signal, is the latest example of questionable data security practices by top national security officials already under fire for the mistaken inclusion of a journalist in a group chat about high-level planning for military operations in Yemen. A senior Waltz aide used the commercial email service for highly technical conversations with colleagues at other government agencies involving sensitive military positions and powerful weapons systems relating to an ongoing conflict, according to emails reviewed by The Post. While the NSC official used his Gmail account, his interagency colleagues used government-issued accounts, headers from the email correspondence show. Waltz has had less sensitive, but potentially exploitable information sent to his Gmail, such as his schedule and other work documents, said officials, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe what they viewed as problematic handling of information. The officials said Waltz would sometimes copy and paste from his schedule into Signal to coordinate meetings and discussions. The use of personal email, even for unclassified materials, is risky given the premium value foreign intelligence services place on the communications and schedules of senior government officials, such as the national security adviser, experts say. NSC spokesman Brian Hughes said he has seen no evidence of Waltz using his personal email as described and said on occasions when legacy contacts have emailed him work-related materials, he makes sure to cc his government email to ensure compliance with federal records laws that require officials to archive official correspondence. Waltz didnt and wouldnt send classified information on an open account, said Hughes. When asked about a Waltz staffer discussing sensitive military matters over Gmail, Hughes said NSC staff have guidance about using only secure platforms for classified information. Waltz has also created and hosted other Signal chats with Cabinet members on sensitive topics, including on Somalia and Russias war in Ukraine, said a senior administration official. The existence of those groups was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday. Hughes said that Signal is approved and in some cases is added automatically to government devices. He acknowledged that it is not supposed to be used for classified material and insisted Waltz never used it as such. Waltzs creation of a Signal group chat that discussed sensitive information and included Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic and a prominent critic of President Donald Trump, has rankled the president and frustrated other Cabinet members whose communications were exposed on the chat. Publicly, Trump has strongly backed Waltz, but on Wednesday he met with Vice President JD Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and others to discuss whether to keep him on. A day later, he informed aides he was not firing Waltz, but it was largely out of a desire to avoid giving the liberal media a scalp, said a senior administration official. This incident badly damaged Waltz, said the official, who noted that the national security adviser was told after the meeting that he needed to be more deferential to Wiles. The Wednesday meeting was first reported by the New York Times. Data security experts have expressed alarm that U.S. national security professionals are not more readily using the governments suite of secure encrypted systems for work communications such as JWICS, the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System. Most concerning, however, is the use of personal email, which is widely acknowledged to be susceptible to hacking, spearfishing and other types of digital compromise. Unless you are using GPG, email is not end-to-end encrypted, and the contents of a message can be intercepted and read at many points, including on Googles email servers, said Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. National security experts have expressed alarm over the administrations denial that the leaked Signal chat contained classified information. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths comments in the Signal chat detailed the sequencing, timing and weapons systems in advance of the Trump administrations March attack on Houthi militants in Yemen, potentially jeopardizing U.S. airmen headed into harms way. In the chat, Waltz offered a brief but highly specific after-action report of the strikes, revealing that the military had positive ID of a senior Houthi leader walking into his girlfriends building - pointing to what intelligence sources would later confirm was Israeli surveillance capabilities shared with the United States. Israeli officials expressed frustration that their capabilities were made public. U.S. officials say Trump is much more upset about the inclusion of a liberal journalist on a confidential group chat than he is about exposing secrets to foreign adversaries. But White House officials have found Waltzs denials increasingly hard to believe. Waltz, who added Goldberg to the chat, told Fox News: I take full responsibility. I built the group. But he has subsequently said Goldbergs contact information was sucked into his phone somehow and that hes never met or talked to the journalist despite a newly circulated photo of the two men near each other at an event at the French ambassadors residence in Washington. Hes telling everyone that hes never met me or spoken to me. Thats simply not true, Goldberg told Meet the Press on Sunday. This isnt The Matrix. Phone numbers dont just get sucked into other phones, he added. Waltz, the first Green Beret elected to Congress and an adviser to former vice president Dick Cheney, has long pontificated about the importance of classified information and harshly criticized the Justice Department for not pursuing charges against Hillary Clinton for using a private email server as secretary of state. What did DOJ do about it? Not a damn thing, Waltz wrote on social media in June 2023. While most Trump administration officials have downplayed the Signal breach publicly, some have acknowledged it was a significant mishap. Obviously, someone made a mistake. Someone made a big mistake, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters during a trip last week to Jamaica. Rubio and his staff, who have years of experience with classified intelligence from his former role as vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, are known for taking operational security seriously, said a senior U.S. official. Rubio noted that his contributions in the Signal chat were minimal. Just speaking for my role, I contributed to it twice, Rubio told reporters. I identified my point of contact, which is my chief of staff, and then later on I congratulated the members of the team. On Sunday, Trump dismissed the controversy as a politically motivated attack. I dont fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts, he said. Hughes, the NSC spokesman, said that Mike serves at the pleasure of President Trump and the President has voiced his support for the National Security Advisor multiple times this week. While Democrats have seized on the incident as evidence of incompetence, some in the MAGA wing of the Republican Party have assailed Waltz as a George W. Bush-aligned neoconservative, circulating a video from 2016 in which he condemned Trump as a draft-dodger, saying Stop Trump now. The chattering of unnamed sources should be treated with the skepticism of gossip from people lacking the integrity to attach their names, Hughes said. A key mark in Waltzs favor is that the breach was discovered by a left-of-center media outlet and not conservative media, officials said. The one thing saving his job is that Trump doesnt want to give Jeff Goldberg a scalp, said a second administration official. Despite all of Trumps attacks on the fake news, he still reads the papers, and he doesnt like seeing this stuff. SPRINGFIELD A federal judge ruled last week that a woman who said she was physically and sexually assaulted in 2020 at the hands of a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter based in Springfield is blocked from suing the government over the incident. The womans suit, filed in 2023 in California before it was transferred to Massachusetts, said Marines at Recruiting Station Springfield knew that she was staying at military recruiter Sgt. Sumon Baguis apartment while she was applying to the Marine Corps, but they failed to ensure her recruitment complied with policy. Furthermore, the suit claimed Baguis supervisors and colleagues allowed her to return to his apartment after he threw her down at a party. Firefighters from Hadley battle a fire in a simulated aircraft crash at Westover Air Force Base in 1987. Investigations Editor Greta Jochem and correspondent Nicole Williams won a New England press award for their coverage of PFAS, or "forever chemicals" in Western Massachusetts. (David Molnar / The Republican, File) The Republican SPRINGFIELD Two in-depth stories and two advertising projects by staff members of The Republican won first-place awards from the New England Newspaper and Press Association over the weekend. In the editorial department, coverage by Investigations Editor Greta Jochem and News Editor Daniel Jackson earned top honors in the six-state region in the categories of science and technology and government reporting. The Trump administration terminated $106 million in K-12 education grant funding for Massachusetts Friday, including $47 million to the city of Springfield, the worst cut to any city in the state. In February 2025, the Trump Administration had just reaffirmed that Massachusetts had until March 2026 to spend the funds, according to a news release from Gov. Maura T. Healey. At a time when students are still struggling to recover from the pandemic, we need to be doing everything we can to address learning loss and the youth mental health crisis, Governor Maura Healey said in a statement. Instead, President Trump suddenly ripped away more than $100 million in funding that is supposed to go right to Massachusetts students and schools. Impacted school districts: Springfield ($47,357,654) New Bedford ($15,603,433) Fitchburg ($6,578,468) Everett ($4,897,300) Revere ($4,613,327) Boston ($3,468,659) Leominster ($1,868,215) Stoughton ($1,512,470) Worcester ($1,454,350) Chelsea ($1,448,715) Lawrence ($1,307,307) Dracut ($648,702) Holyoke ($395,863) West Springfield ($354,868) Lynn ($339,357) Fairhaven ($250,802) Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical ($115,465) Ludlow ($83,334) Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical ($21,461) Mashpee ($2,481) Impacted non-public schools: Writer, director and producer Wade Wofford works behind the scenes of "URBAN ED," inspired by the closing Springfield's New Leadership Charter School. (Photo courtesy Wade Wofford) Wade Wofford SPRINGFIELD When Springfields New Leadership Charter School was unceremoniously shuttered in 2013, English teacher Wade Wofford knew that he needed to raise awareness about the plight of his displaced students. Fortunately, Wofford is also a veteran independent filmmaker and screenwriter, who would spend the next decade painstakingly crafting URBAN ED, an unflinching glimpse into the lives of four inner-city teenagers set adrift by the closure of their high school. Filmed on a microbudget and featuring a cast drawn from local high schools, URBAN ED was inspired by the closing of the charter school where Wofford taught. The Republican spoke to Wofford ahead of the films upcoming world premiere. Former Sen. Harriette Chandler will be this year's recipient of the Harvey Ball Smile Award. The Museum of Worcester announced Tuesday that former Mass. Senate President Harriette Harlee L. Chandler will receive this years Harvey Ball Smile Award. The award is given to an individual, group or organization that has made a difference in the City of Worcester. Chandler, a Democrat, served in the Massachusetts Senate from 2001 to 2023, representing the First Worcester District. She was the first woman from Worcester ever to be elected to the Massachusetts State Senate, according to her biography on the Massachusetts Legislatures website. In 2018, she became the 94th Senate President in Massachusetts, becoming the first woman to hold that title, according to the Museum of Worcesters announcement. Harriette Chandler is one of the most accomplished and historically important politicians in the history of the city of Worcester, said Museum Executive Director Bill Wallace in a press release. She is among the states most distinguished legislators as well as having been the first female president in the history of the Massachusetts Senate. Chandlers political career began in 1991 as a member of the Worcester School Committee. She served as a committee member until 1994. From 1995 to 2001, Chandler was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In 2000, she was elected to the state Senate. I was lucky to serve alongside Harlee Chandler on the Worcester School Committee and in the Legislature, and to see firsthand her commitment to Worcester and its residents, said Edward Augustus, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities in the press release. Harlee was the first woman from Worcester elected to the Massachusetts Senate and for over two decades she was a champion for women and girls on Beacon Hill. I can think of no better person to receive this years Harvey Ball Smile Award and Im fortunate to call her my friend. Chandler announced her retirement in 2022, and in honor of her service, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty proclaimed March 11 of that year as Harriette L. Chandler Day. Sen. Robyn Kennedy, D-1st Worcester, now represents Chandlers district. The Harvey Ball, a celebration where Chandler will be recognized for her legacy, will take place on Oct. 23 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester this year, according to the press release. This years ball will also commemorate the 175th anniversary of the first Womens Rights Convention that was held in Worcester in 1850, the press release reads. The ball began in 2001 to initially recognize the life and legacy of Harvey Ball, a Worcester native known for inventing the smiley face, according to the museums website. Last years recipients of the Harvey Ball Smile Award were James Coghlin Sr., James Coghlin Jr., Chris Coghlin of the Coghlin Companies, and Susan Mailman of Coghlin Electrical Contractors, according to the museum. Video News: [Video News] Bryan Adams a dit[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 29 mars 2025[Video news] De la poubelle a Mare Chicose[Video news] Les 80 ans de Paul Berenger[Video news] Fintech in Africa Vision 2030[Video News] Plusieurs Top 5 et Top 10 mondiaux parmi les meilleurs etudiants ACCA mauriciens de lannee 2024[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 28 mars 2025[Video news]Les entreprises mauriciennes unissent leurs forces lors du Responsible Business Summit 2025[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 26 mars 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 25 mars 2025[Video news] Seance parlementaire du 25 mars en Live[Video News] Soiree litteraire a lICJM[Video News] Gokan Japan @ Grand Baie La Croisette[Video news] Fam pe zwen[Video news] Plus de 60 etudiants recompenses lors de lACCA High Achievers Celebration[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du mars 2025[Video News] Casela Nature Parks fete ses 45 ans dans une ambiance entre heritage et avenir.[Video News] Brand Within 2025 : Faconner lavenir du travail a MauriceRegus Grand Baie, la solution ideale pour les entreprises et startups souhaitant simplanter dans le nord ![Video News] Casela Nature Parks a fete ses 45 ans[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 19 mars 2025[Video news] Conference de presse du Commissaire Electorale[Video news] Conference de presse de Bruneau Laurette[Video News] Rajesh Bhagwan et Joanna Berenger ont dit[Video news] PIM Limited celebre la Journee Mondiale du Recyclage[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 18 mars 2025[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 18 mars en Live[Video News] Shakeel Mohamed: Livraison de provisions par le navire indien INS Imphal a Agalega [Video News] Reconnaissance pour 200 nouveaux experts-comptables face aux defis de la technologie et du developpement durable[Video news] LACCA Mauritius accueille 180 nouveaux membres[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 15 mars 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 14 mars 2025[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 12 mars 2025[Video News] Message de Navin Ramgoolam pour le 12 mars 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 11 mars 2025[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 8 mars 2025[Video news] Le MMM Celebre la Journee Internationale de la Femme[Video News] Jean-Luc Chane-Kane a anime un seminaire sur la socialisation des chiens[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 7 mars 2025[Video News] Seance parlemantaire du 7 mars 2025[Video News] Nouvelle identite de la Turbine: au-dela dun incubateur, un partenaire strategique de linnovation responsable [Video News] Grays celebre son expertise et son heritage lors de son second Corporate Media Breakfast[Video News] Rebranding de La Turbine[Video News] Conference de presse de lUnion of Artists[Video News] 2e Corporate Media Breakfast de Grays a Villebague[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 5 mars 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 4 mars 2025[Video News] Conference de presse du MSM[Video news] Seance parlementaire du 4 mars 2025 en Live[Video News] Message du ministre des Affaires Etrangeres[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 28 fevrier 2025[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 28 fevrier 2025[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 28 fevrier 2025Garance: Treizieme bulletin de cyclone pour Maurice (27-02-2025 : 04h10)Garance: Onzieme bulletin de cyclone pour Maurice (26-02-2025 : 22:10)[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 25 fevrier 2025Garance: Septieme bulletin de cyclone pour Maurice ( 26-02-2025 @ 4h10)[Video News] Elsa Wolinski, Clementine Galey, Shakti Callikan et Cristele de Speville font du podcast un vecteur de proximite et dauthenticiteGarance: Sixieme bulletin de cyclone pour Maurice ( 25-02-2025 @ 22h10)[Video news] Point de presse du NCC du 25 fevrier 2025Garance : Cinquieme bulletin de cyclone pour Maurice (25-02-2025 : 16 h 10)Communique du National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management CentrePremier bulletin de cyclone pour Maurice (24-02-2025 : 16:10)[Video News] Dimans politik[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 22 fevrier 2025[Video News] Attitude Talk Series No 7[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 21 fevrier 2025[Video News] Coup denvoi de Pepcity No 2 avec le concert de Atif Aslam, le 5 avril 2025[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 21 fevrier 2025 en Live[Video News] Vernissage de Cendrine Bolaram[Video news] QBL annonce le concert dAtif Aslam a Cote dOr et Pepcity @ Bagatelle[Video news] Bilan des 15 ans de Lottotech[Video News] Expo peinture a loccasion abolition de l esclavage a Quatre Bornes[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 18 fevrier 2025[Video news] Nando Bodha a dit[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 15 fevrier 2025[Video News] Dimans Politik[Video News] Pravind Rughoo : Fair attention kan sorti dan Sud Moris [Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 14 fevrier 2025[Video news] Atelier de travail de PILS sur la sexualite[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du12 fevrier 2025[Video news] Lancement du livre de Jeremie Brousse de Gersigny[video News] Edition Speciale[Video News] Attitude Foundation offre deux fontaines a eau a lecole Sir Pierre Dalais de Trou dEau Douce[Video News] Conference de presse du Kolektif 420[Video News] Dimans Politik[Video News] MCB Talk Thierry Hebraud [Video News] Action de la Fondation Attitude pour leau potable et moins de plastique a lEcoleTrou dEau Douce[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 8 fevrier 2025{Video news] Atelier de travail An update of the Labour Legislation in Mauritius [Video news] Seance parlementaire du 7 fevrier 2025 en Live[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 5 fevrier 2025[Video News] Collaboration essentielle face au changement climatique[Video News] Pou Mwa Ou SpesialEn Route Vers le Made in Moris : Presentation de la cohorte 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 4 fevrier 2025[Video news]Seance parlementaire du 4 fevrier 2025[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 1er fevrier 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 31 janvier 2025[Video News]Reneworld : Apres 5 000 installations photovoltaiques residentielles, cap sur les entreprises et lindustrie Looking beyond coal, over the next four years, Africa has the rare chance to pursue an aggressive fossil fuel agenda. Donald Trumps return to the White House in 2025 represents a pivotal moment for Africas fossil fuel industry. His administrations swift reapproval of a USD4.7 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Exim) for TotalEnergies liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Mozambique initially greenlit in 2020 during his first term but sent into deep-freeze for the full duration of the Biden years sets the tone for what could be a transformative era for Africas energy sector. Despite Mozambiques stabilization of security issues and concerns that the transfer of power in America would delay receipt of the loan even further, the Biden Administration refused to release the funds ahead of Trumps inauguration, a decision reflective of the administrations reluctance to support new fossil fuel initiatives throughout Bidens time in office. In contrast, Trumps decisive action within weeks of taking office signals a renewed, positive working relationship between the United States and Africa one that prioritizes energy development over ideological objections and the Green Agendas influence. The African Energy Chamber (AEC) contends that Africa should seize this potentially brief moment in history and embrace the Trump administration as a partner rather than an opponent. For too long, global pressures have insisted that African nations move toward green energy projects only and leave their fossil fuel resources behind. While renewable energy has its place, and will be important to Africas future, fossil fuels still clearly constitute the backbone of any realistic efforts for African industrialization and economic growth goals we simply cannot afford to sideline. Alignment with Trumps energy-first ethos would mean that Africa could unlock significant funding for wide-ranging fossil fuel projects, and not just the offshore oil and gas ventures that dominate the headlines. The continent should capitalize on all opportunities in onshore projects, wildcat wells (exploratory drilling in unproven areas), and the proliferation of numerous small operators. These avenues lead the way to diversity in Africas energy portfolio, job creation, and massively strengthened energy security. The reapproval of funding for Mozambique LNG is a case in point. The projects revival under Trump demonstrates how quickly thick bureaucratic congestion can dissolve when political will aligns with economic practicality. This USD4.7 billion infusion will boost Mozambiques economy while sending a message to other African nations: Under Trump, at long last, America is open for business. In contrast to the previous administration, which openly regarded fossil fuel development with skepticism and disdain, Trumps drill baby drill mantra while rooted in an America First agenda pairs seamlessly with the ambitions of the African oil and gas industry. Africa should adopt a similar mindset and position itself as an attractive destination for American investment dollars. Coals Comeback Another of Trumps domestic priorities, no doubt a response to Chinas unabashed expansion of coal production within its borders, is to revive clean coal production in the U.S. This initiative offers a compelling blueprint for Africa. While coal remains a contentious, harshly criticized resource globally, its advantages are undeniable: Its cheaper to produce, often doesnt require big bank financing, and is abundant across the continent. For African nations grappling with energy poverty, coal can serve as a means to an end, delivering affordable power to millions in the interim while the infrastructure for other energy sources matures. Simply put, Africa deserves to be the last global holdout on coal production and should leverage its coal reserves to meet domestic needs and export demands. Trumps willingness to disregard the international campaign against coal should embolden African leaders to reopen their abandoned coal mines and rest assured that this time around, theyll be able to operate freely, without fear of U.S. opposition. Fossil Fuels Unleashed Looking beyond coal, over the next four years, Africa has the rare chance to pursue an aggressive fossil fuel agenda. The continent should unite under an Africa First banner and adopt its own drill baby drill mentality in support of every promising oil exploration and production project, every possible natural gas project, and a multinational effort to slash through regulatory red tape. In Nigeria, for instance, the wheels of progress moved agonizingly slowly when it came to passing the Petroleum Industry Act, first proposed in 2008 and not signed into law until 2021. Even after the law was passed, Nigeria has been slow to fully implement it. This kind of inertia deters investment and slows development. A Trump-inspired push to clean up such bureaucratic roadblocks could unleash a wave of prosperous development. Similarly, addressing security issues like those that drove U.S. firms out of Libya will be critical to restoring confidence and attracting capital from abroad. While the offshore sector will undoubtedly remain a cornerstone of Africas fossil fuel strategy, the continents onshore potential is equally vast. Wildcat wells offer high-risk/ high-reward prospects that could uncover new reserves. Meanwhile, instead of relying solely on multinational oil and gas giants, empowerment of more independent companies and indigenous small operators could diversify the industry, build up local entrepreneurship, and ensure the economic benefits are more widespread. It is highly unlikely that the Trump administration, with its emphasis on deregulation and energy independence for its own shores, would obstruct such efforts on ours. Conversely, it may actively encourage them through financing and technical support, as seen with the Exim loan. Balancing Development and Climate Realities Though critics will argue that this push for fossil fuel proliferation contradicts global climate goals, at the AEC, we insist that the calculations for Africa are simply different. Africa accounts for a fraction of global emissions but bears a disproportionate burden when it comes to energy poverty. Fossil fuels offer a realistic and relatively quick path to electrification and industrialization, the proven prerequisites for lifting millions out of poverty. Trumps indifference to international climate orthodoxy, while controversial, gives Africa the much-needed breathing room to prioritize development over decarbonization. This is in no way an outright rejection of renewables but a recognition that fossil fuels can and will facilitate a just transition to green technologies once their capabilities catch up to Africas current needs. Seizing the Moment The next four years under Trump could redefine Africas energy landscape. With U.S. interference a thing of the past, Africa can pursue a multi-pronged energy strategy. With a ramp-up in natural gas to meet global demand, a coal revival to power its own grids, and on and offshore opportunities tapped into, Africa could finally secure its full resource base. However, this approach will require bold leadership. Governments will have to eliminate obstructive policies and address security challenges head-on to secure foreign investments. The payoff could be immense: energy abundance, economic growth, and a partnership with the U.S. that is stronger than ever before. For example, Nigerias oil and gas sector has been hampered by regulatory uncertainty and security threats in the Niger Delta. A Nigerian drill baby drill mindset could accelerate regulatory, social, and economic reforms needed to address the Niger Deltas deep-rooted instability. This kind of mindset could restart stalled projects and attract American firms eager to invest in a Trump-approved climate. Likewise, in Libya, a resolution to security concerns could lure back U.S. companies that fled during years of instability, reviving a once-thriving oil industry. Across the continent, small operators could flourish under a lighter regulatory touch, drilling wildcat wells and tapping into overlooked reserves. South Africa, with its vast coal deposits, could take the lead on clean coal technologies to balance affordability and environmental concerns. Smaller nations with untapped coal reserves could follow Trumps lead in defying global pressures against production. The result would be a continent less dependent on foreign aid and more capable of powering its own future. Trumps presidency offers Africa a chance to unapologetically double down on its fossil fuel potential. The USD4.7 billion Mozambique loan is just the beginning a proof of concept for what collaboration with the U.S. can achieve. By embracing this partnership, Africa can shed the shackles of the Biden era and chart a course toward energy sovereignty. The tools are all there: offshore rigs, onshore fields, wildcat wells, established mines, and a willing ally in Washington. The question that remains is whether Africas leaders have the courage to stand up to the anti-carbon lobby. Trumps second term could be remembered as the moment Africas fossil fuel industry came into its own as a partner to the U.S. in a shared vision of energy abundance. With four years of clear skies ahead, there is no question that Africa should build, mine, and yes, drill, baby, drill like never before. If we dont act now, it might be a very long wait for an opportunity like this one to present itself again. Mayo County Council has issued a planning enforcement letter to the owner of a Ballinrobe hotel which had been used as emergency accommodation for homeless people. The letter was issued by the Planning and Enforcement of Mayo County Council to the owner of the Railway Inn in Ballinrobe on March 14 accusing him of unauthorised development. The council allege that the change of use of the Railway Inn located on the Kilmaine Road from a hotel to emergency homeless shelter required planning permission and as a result is unauthorised development. READ: Very worrying Trump tariffs raise Mayo job fears Commenting on the issuing of the letter, Mayo Aontu TD Paul Lawless criticised the 'reckless use of unregulated premises for housing vulnerable people'. Copy of enforcement letter sent by Mayo County Council This situation is yet another example of the Governments complete lack of planning when it comes to supporting vulnerable people, Lawless said. Emergency accommodation should be safe, properly regulated, and located in areas where there is the necessary infrastructure to support people in rebuilding their lives. Instead, we are seeing unsuitable premises being used without proper oversight, putting both residents and communities at risk. The case follows a ruling from An Bord Pleanala, which determined that the change of use from a hotel to a homeless hostel in Dublins Paramount Hotel required planning permission. The board found that providing housing for homeless individuals falls under 'care' and constitutes a 'material change of use', meaning that such conversions cannot happen without proper planning approval. Deputy Lawless added: Whats truly staggering is that this situation was allowed to continue unchecked without proper planning, without fire safety compliance, and without so much as a raised eyebrow from those in power until I started asking the questions not being addressed. It should not take a Dail Deputy to drag this issue into the light before action is taken. Where were the checks? Where was the accountability? This is a clear case of the Government choosing to look the other way until it becomes politically inconvenient to do so. Following a number of complaints regarding the use of the hotel as homeless shelter, a fire safety check of the building took place and it has since been vacated. The Knock-based TD insisted that this should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. We are seeing a pattern of unregulated emergency accommodation being set up without consideration for basic safety or the needs of the people being placed there. In many cases, these vulnerable individuals are being housed in locations without access to essential services like mental health support, addiction services, or proper transport links. This is not just reckless, its cruel. Deputy Lawless said Aontu is calling for immediate Government action to ensure that all emergency accommodation is fully regulated, subject to planning laws, and placed in areas where people can realistically access the support they need. We need real solutions to homelessness, not quick-fix placements in unregulated buildings, Lawless concluded. The Government must stop passing the buck and take responsibility for providing safe, structured, and well-planned accommodation for those who need it most. And while vulnerable residents were placed into unsafe and unsuitable accommodation, the local Ballinrobe community was left in the dark, voiceless, anxious, and unfairly branded by Government politicians for simply raising concerns. The residents and the localsboth failed by the Stateare now being undeservedly pitted against each other by a government more interested in pointing fingers than acknowledging its responsibility to both. Its a disgraceful abdication of responsibility. We cannot keep repeating the same cycle of chaos disguised as compassion. Its time the Government started planning with people in mindnot just headlines. Mindspace Mayo has welcomed the findings of a commissioned report on their services from academic minds at the University of Galway. The assessment from Doctor Caroline Heary and Professor Gary Donohue was launched at the mental health organisations event celebrating their ten-year anniversary. READ MORE: Mayo man graduates as air traffic control engineer The report displayed that the group has contributed to clinically significant reductions in emotional distress symptoms, as well as their role in reducing stigma surrounding mental health issues. According to Professor Donohue, Mindspace is highly reviewed by many who pass through its doors. We found robust evidence of positive outcomes for those attending, he stated, with experience of clinical distress reducing from nearly two-thirds at initial assessment to approximately 1 in 5 after receiving support. READ MORE: Mindspace Mayo marks decade of supporting young people in the county Evidence-based research revealed that 75 per cent of mental health issues appear before people reach 25 years of age. Mindspace Mayo provides free early intervention services to those between the ages of 12 and 25. The groups Project Manager, Peadar Gardiner, welcomed the findings of the report into their services. The evaluation highlighted key areas where Mindspace Mayo has made a tangible difference, including early intervention, accessibility, and the effectiveness of a youth-centred approach, he stated. We are encouraged by the positive feedback and will continue to enhance our services to meet the needs of those who rely on us. Mindspace Mayo opens from Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm and on Fridays from 9 am to 3 pm. Outreach appointments are available from Monday to Wednesday in Ballina and on Tuesdays in Belmullet. Young people or their parents seeking support are encouraged to contact Mindspace by calling 094 906700 or by filling out the appointment form, which is available here. READ MORE:Castlebar councillors agree not to send families to east Mayo emergency accommodation Gardai arrested more than a dozen people who took part in a protest outside Leinster House on Kildare street in Dublin on Mother's Day Confirming that 14 people had been detained this Monday morning, an Garda Siochana said the arrests were made "in order to maintain full public safety". A spokesperson added: "Following Garda engagement with a number of individuals who were blocking the entrance to Dail Eireann, Kildare Street, Gardai gave the individuals a direction under the Public Order Act and were given a period of time to adhere to this direction." Gardai said 11 of those arrested received adult cautions under Section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, while another three were charged and are to be brought before the courts. A group called Mothers against genocide gathered outside the Dail on Sunday "to remember the 18,000 plus children who'd been brutally murdered in Gaza." In a video post on Instagram, TD Rory Hearne commented: "This was a disgraceful disproportionate response to a peaceful protest about the impact on women and children of the genocide in Gaza. What a shameful response to a peaceful protest on Mothers day, by mothers in solidarity with Gaza." READ NEXT: 'Take it off Air!!' The Late Late Show receives heavy criticism after latest show In the video, which can be seen below, a woman says: "We took part in a peaceful protest to remember the 18,000 plus children who'd been brutally murdered- we came today on Mother's Day to do that." "This morning (Monday) the gardai decided to remove pictures of the innocent children who'd been murdered in the most disrespectful manner, all we wanted to do was have a peaceful protest and hand into the government and they became heavy handed," the woman continued. Deputy Hearne, a Socialist Democrats TD for Dublin North-West, added: "These protests are so important in displaying the strength of feeling that the people of Ireland want our government to take action, so this is really inappropriate in terms of that response." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rory Hearne (@roryhearne01) Because the matter is now before the courts, gardai have disabled comments on social media posts relating to the protest and subsequent arrests. Chinese teams rescue six in quake-hit Myanmar 15:18, April 01, 2025 By Jiang Chenglong ( Chinadaily.com.cn Members of the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team work on a residential building in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 31, 2025. The team will carry out earthquake relief efforts in the quake-struck Mandalay, including structure demolition, search and rescue operations, medical transport, healthcare assistance, and psychological counseling service. (Wei Xiaohao/chinadaily.com.cn) Multiple rescue teams from China have rescued six survivors, including a pregnant woman, in earthquake-hit Myanmar as of 8 am local time on Monday, as the first group of emergency humanitarian aid from China arrived in the Southeast Asian country. The magnitude 7.9 earthquake, which struck Myanmar on Friday, has resulted in 2,056 deaths and more than 3,900 injuries, and over 270 people were still missing as of Monday night, according to the country's state television channel MRTV. Meanwhile, three Chinese citizens were killed and 14 injured in the massive earthquake as of 5 pm local time, the Chinese embassy in Myanmar said. According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, the China Search and Rescue Team arrived in the hard-hit city of Mandalay on Sunday afternoon local time and immediately sent an advance unit to conduct on-site assessments and rescue operations. At 12:40 am on Monday, the team rescued a woman near a hotel. In addition, the CSRT and China's Zhejiang Rescue Team of Ramunion, a civilian rescue organization, worked together to rescue three trapped women near an apartment building in Mandalay on Monday morning. The rescued individuals were transported to medical facilities for treatment, and rescue efforts were still ongoing, the Ministry of Emergency Management said in a news release. In addition, an elderly man who had been trapped for nearly 40 hours under the rubble of a hospital in Nay Pyi Daw on Sunday was rescued by a team from Southwest China's Yunnan province, Xinhua News Agency reported. Also on Sunday, members of the Blue Sky Rescue Team from Hunan province rescued a survivor at Mandalay Buddhist Hall. According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, a total of 91 members from five social emergency response teams organized by the ministry have arrived in Myanmar and are participating in or assisting with the rescue operations. Following assessments, the CSRT established a campsite in an open area near the Chinese consulate-general in Mandalay on Sunday night. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's Security Bureau said on social media on Monday that a Hong Kong rescue team had just arrived in the disaster-stricken area of Mandalay and immediately joined the CSRT for a briefing on the local disaster situation. The team, which was equipped with professional gear and search and rescue dogs, then coordinated with the CSRT and conducted search and rescue operations in two affected areas in Mandalay, the Security Bureau said. On Monday, the first shipment of emergency humanitarian earthquake relief supplies provided by the Chinese government arrived in Yangon, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news conference, adding that the Red Cross Society of China had also provided relief supplies. The relief supplies included 1,200 tents, 8,000 blankets, and over 40,000 first aid kits, according to the China International Development Cooperation Agency. On Saturday, the Chinese government announced the provision of 100 million yuan ($14 million) in emergency humanitarian aid to Myanmar. Guo said that after the earthquake, China quickly activated its emergency mechanism to carry out rescue and consular protection efforts. "The Yunnan rescue medical team arrived in Myanmar 18 hours after the earthquake, becoming the first international rescue team to enter the earthquake-hit area, and successfully rescued a trapped victim in cooperation with local rescue forces," he said. In addition to several official rescue teams, civilian rescue forces from various parts of China have already entered or are entering Myanmar, Guo said. "Currently, about 400 Chinese earthquake experts and rescue and medical personnel are participating in the earthquake relief efforts across Myanmar," the spokesman said. China will work with Myanmar to overcome difficulties, make the most of the 72-hour window to rescue survivors, treat the injured, and deliver aid supplies to the disaster victims, he said. "We believe that with the support of the international community, the government and people of Myanmar will be able to unite and overcome the disaster, and rebuild their homes." (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) by Ray Schultz , March 31, 2025 Jim Mullen has stepped down as the chief executive of Reach, publisher of the Mirror, Express and other UK publications. Mullen, who joined Reach in 2019, is leaving by mutual agreement, The Telegraph reports. He will become chief executive of the Jockey Club in June. Replacing Mullen as chief executive is Piers North, currently chief revenue officer, The Telegraph adds. Critics have pointed to the doubling of Mullens salary to 1.25 million last year, The Telegraph states. Reach cut almost 800 jobs In 2022. Early this year, Reach discovered a 5 million "black hole" in a separate pension fund, The Telegraph says. Jim is exiting at the right time, says media analyst Alex DeGroote, according to The Telegraph. It will be a challenging future for Reach with myriad pressures. by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, April 1, 2025 Raleigh, NC-based ad agency Baldwin& is merging with Portland, OR-located North. With the merger, North CEO Rebecca Armstrong and the agencys chief creative officer Mark Ray (who founded the agency in 2006) are both assuming chairman emeritus roles and the North team now reports to Baldwin&s leadership, spearheaded by partners Ashley Yetman, Jerry Bodrie and Tonya Martin. (There is no CEO or traditional C-suite structure at the agency.) advertisement advertisement Baldwin& was founded in 2009 by David Baldwin. He retired in 2023 and sold the agency to Yetman, Bodrie and Martin. In addition to adding staff in both creative and media departments, the merger enables Baldwin& to add a channel strategy discipline to its offering, the agency said. When talks began, we realized quickly were two agencies who care deeply about working with brands that make a difference and add value to the world, stated Bodrie. Coming together made perfect sense. Were thrilled to inherit Norths impressive creatives and excited to have a presence on the west coast. Im leaving North in great hands, added Armstrong. The North family and Baldwin& not only share complementing talents, but purpose-driven values. It will be a uniquely collaborative relationship that offers flexible options for clients scaling needs and budgets. Dust on Mars (Martian dust) contains compounds like silicates, arsenic, and perchlorates, which could be harmful to future Mars explorers. Did You Know? The average size of Martian dust grains is as small as 3 micrometers, making them difficult for the human lungs to expel. #MartianDust #MarsDust #medindia The average size of Martian dust grains is as small as 3 micrometers, making them difficult for the human lungs to expel. #MartianDust #MarsDust #medindia Advertisement Martian Dust Could Harm Mars Explorers Health Trusted Source Potential Health Impacts, Treatments, and Countermeasures of Martian Dust on Future Human Space Exploration Go to source Trusted Source Advertisement Red Planet, Red Flags: Is Traveling to Mars Risky? Advertisement Toxic Side of Mars Into the Bloodstream: The Hidden Danger of Martian Dust Preventing Dust-Related Diseases on Mars Iodine Supplements and Filters may Protect Astronauts from Martian Dust Potential Health Impacts, Treatments, and Countermeasures of Martian Dust on Future Human Space Exploration - (https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GH001213) Don't inhale Martian dust, warns a new study by a team of scientists, including researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder.The findings suggest that long-term exposure to Mars dust could create a host of health problems for future astronautsleading to chronic respiratory problems, thyroid disease and more.The study, published in the journal, is the first to take a comprehensive look at the chemical ingredients that make up Martian dust, and their possible impacts on human health. It was undertaken by a team from the worlds of medicine, geology and aerospace engineering ().This isn't the most dangerous part about going to Mars, said Justin Wang, lead author of the study and a student in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. But dust is a solvable problem, and its worth putting in the effort to develop Mars-focused technologies for preventing these health problems in the first place.Wang, a CU Boulder alumnus, noted that Apollo era astronauts experienced runny eyes and irritated throats after inhaling dust from the moon. Apollo 17s Harrison Schmitt likened the symptoms to hay fever.But scientists know a lot less about the. To begin to answer that question, Wang and his colleagues drew on data from rovers on Mars and even Martian meteorites to better understand what makes up the planets dust. The group discovered a laundry list of chemical compounds that could be dangerous for peopleat least when inhaled in large quantities and over long periods of time.They include minerals rich in silicates and iron oxides, metals like beryllium and arsenic and a particularly nasty class of compounds called perchlorates.In many cases, those ingredients are present in only trace amounts in Mars dust. But the first human explorers on Mars may spend around a year and a half on the surface, increasing their exposure, said study co-author Brian Hynek.Youre going to get dust on your spacesuits, and youre going to have to deal with regular dust storms, said Hynek, a geologist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder. We really need to characterize this dust so that we know what the hazards are.One thing is clear, he added:Much of the planet is covered in a thick layer of dust rich in tiny particles of iron, which gives the planet its famous red color. Swirling dust storms are common and, in some cases, can engulf the entire globe.We think there could be 10 meters of dust sitting on top of the bigger volcanoes, said Hynek, a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences. If you tried to land a spacecraft there, youre going to just sink into the dust.Wang found his own way to Martian dust through a unique academic path. He started medical school after earning bachelors degrees from CU Boulder in astronomy and molecular, cellular and developmental biology, followed by a masters degree in aerospace engineering sciences. He currently serves in the Navy through its Health Professions Scholarship Program.He noted that the biggest problem with Martian dust comes down to its size. Estimates suggest thatThats smaller than what the mucus in our lungs can expel, Wang said. So after we inhale Martian dust, a lot of it could remain in our lungs and be absorbed into our blood stream.In the current study, Wang and several of his fellow medical students at USC scoured research papers to unearth the potential toxicological effects of the ingredients in Martian dust.Some of what they found resembled common health problems on Earth. Dust on Mars, for example, contains large amounts of the compound silica, which is abundant in minerals on our own planet.Their lung tissue becomes scarred, making it hard to breathsymptoms similar to thethat coal miners often contract.In other cases, the potential health consequences are much less well-known., which are made up of one chlorine and multiple oxygen atoms. Perchlorates are rare on Earth, but some evidence suggests that they can interfere with human thyroid function, leading to severe anemia Wang noted that the best time to prepare for the health risks of Martian dust is before humans ever make it to the planet. Iodine supplements, for example, would boost astronauts thyroid function, potentially counteracting the toll of perchloratesalthough taking too much iodine can also, paradoxically, lead to thyroid disease. Filters specifically designed to screen out Martian dust could also help to keep the air in living spaces clean.We tell everyone to go see their primary care provider to check your cholesterol before it gives you a heart attack , Wang said.Source-University of Colorado at Boulder Experts call for changes in the UK education system to address school-based anxiety among students. "Pushing children into school is not always the healthiest approach," say psychologists. #mentalhealth #medindia Advertisement Understanding the Growing Anxiety Among High School Students Trusted Source Stress and Anxiety among High School Adolescents: Correlations between Physiological and Psychological Indicators in a Longitudinal Follow-Up Study Go to source Trusted Source Advertisement Why Our Education System Fails to Address Student Anxiety? Advertisement Redefining Education: Building a Supportive, Flexible School System Pay Attention to Students! Understand the students anxiety from the root and favour their well-being for a better system. Understand the students anxiety from the root and favour their well-being for a better system. Nurture Relationships: Focus on mental health, connection, and trust above rigid regulations. Focus on mental health, connection, and trust above rigid regulations. Offer Flexible Learning: Give students additional choices if they need different teaching modalities. When a youngster refuses to attend school, it's not because they're being challenged; it's because they're having trouble with the system. "Education Should Open Doors, Not Build Barriers!" Stress and Anxiety among High School Adolescents: Correlations between Physiological and Psychological Indicators in a Longitudinal Follow-Up Study - (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10529881/) Unfortunately, for a lot of kids, school is more of a burden than a source of learning and development. According to a study, UK's educational system is undergoing a crucial transformation to effectively support students dealing with school-related anxiety. Psychologists emphasize the urgent need to adapt the system to address the unique needs of each learner rather than compelling them to conform to a strict framework.School-related anxiety, which is frequently referred to as, is a condition in which students experience substantial apprehension regarding their attendance at school.Anxiety levels significantly increased after the school year, according to a longitudinal study of 125 high school pupils. Due to factors like family expectations and the environment of school, girls exhibited higher levels of anxiousness. Cortisol levels and psychological tests showed significant relationships, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive strategy to treat students' anxiety ().Experts caution that using punishments and rewards to control behavior among students might have more negative effects than positive ones. Children who are raised in systems that prioritize obedience over knowledge may have low self-esteem, elevated anxiety , and feelings of failure. The goal should be to provide a secure and inviting learning environment for all students, rather than addressing avoidance of school as a personal issue.When a child refuses to attend school, parents experience a great deal of pressure. Often, they are advised that the only way to help them is to get them back into the classroom at any cost! In contrast, what if the true answer lies in altering school operations to better assist these students?Every kid will feel understood and supported in this new setting, which will enhance their educational experience and mental health.It is necessary to address the environment rather than the child. All kids should feel comfortable, encouraged, and motivated to study in school. With the correct adjustments, education may genuinely transform into a setting where each student has the opportunity to succeed.Source-Taylor & Francis Group Vaping during pregnancy, especially with menthol, can interfere with early embryonic development and increase the risk of birth defects. Highlights: Menthol in e-cigarettes triggers stress channels in embryonic cells, disrupting development in embryonic cells, disrupting development The activation of these channels can interfere with key stages, such as gastrulation , where vital germ layers form , where vital germ layers form Vaping during pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects due to the developmental disruptions Trusted Source Menthol, a consumer product additive, adversely affects human embryonic stem cells via activation of TRPM8 and TRPA1 channels Go to source Trusted Source Did You Know? Around 1 in 12 women report #smoking in the first 20 weeks of #pregnancy, with over two-thirds of these women report continuing to smoke after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. #medindia #pregnancy #ecigarettes #menthol Around 1 in 12 women report #smoking in the first 20 weeks of #pregnancy, with over two-thirds of these women report continuing to smoke after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. #medindia #pregnancy #ecigarettes #menthol Advertisement Menthol Triggers Stress-Related Channels in Embryos Advertisement Advertisement TRP Channels in Reproductive Tissues and Embryos Advertisement Epiblast Cells and Their Role in Gastrulation Effective Tips to Quit Smoking During Pregnancy Menthol, a consumer product additive, adversely affects human embryonic stem cells via activation of TRPM8 and TRPA1 channels - (https://academic.oup.com/stcltm/article/14/3/szae099/8096326) Vaping during pregnancy is becoming more widespread, but its effects on early human development remain poorly understood. A new study from scientists at the University of California, Riverside, suggests that menthol, a flavoring agent commonly found in e-cigarettes, may pose risks to a developing baby ().Published in, the study used human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to explore early stages of embryonic development. The researchers focused on how even low levels of menthol might impact crucial cellular processes.The study revealed that the concentration of menthol found in the blood of pregnant women who vape is sufficient to activate stress-related channels, known as Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels, in the hESCs.This activation caused a reduction in cell growth, an increase in cell death, and abnormal cell movement in the hESCs, said Shabnam Etemadi, the first author of the research and a graduate student in bioengineering. These alterations could disrupt a critical developmental stage known as gastrulation, potentially raising the risk of birth defects.Transient Receptor Potential channels are a family of ion channels found in various cell types, including those in reproductive tissues and embryos. They play key roles in various sensory and physiological functions, such as detecting temperature, pain, pressure, taste, and smell.The researchers identified that one specific channel, TRPA1, was activated by very low concentrations of menthol. Their exposure model predicts that such levels would be present in the blood of pregnant women who vape, reaching the embryo.Etemadi further explained that gastrulation is a process where epiblast cellscells capable of differentiating into any body cell typemove to form the mesoderm and endoderm. Gastrulation, which occurs in the third or fourth week of development, is a crucial stage as it leads to the formation of the three primary germ layersectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm.These germ layers are the foundation for all future organs and tissues in the embryo. Any disruption during this stage could lead to significant birth defects caused by the misallocation of cells destined for specific tissues and organs, she added.The use of e-cigarettes by pregnant women should be strongly discouraged until we fully understand how flavor chemicals, such as menthol, affect their embryos, she concluded.Talbot, the senior author of the study, emphasized the need for additional research into the potential dangers of vaping during pregnancy. The findings highlight concerns regarding the impact of mentholated e-cigarettes on embryonic and fetal development. Quitting smoking during pregnancy is one of the best steps you can take for your babys health. Start by setting a quit date and removing all cigarettes, lighters, and vape devices from your surroundings. Seek support from your doctor, who can recommend nicotine replacement therapies or counseling tailored for pregnant women.Identify and avoid triggers like stress or routine smoking habits by replacing them with healthier alternatives such as chewing gum, deep breathing exercises, or drinking water . Engage in physical activities like walking to curb cravings and distract yourself. Surround yourself with supportive family and friends who encourage your smoke-free journey.Remember, every cigarette avoided is a step toward a healthier pregnancy and a stronger start for your baby.Source-Medindia Play should be a core part of children's healthcare, enhancing psychological wellbeing and reducing stress in medical settings. Trusted Source Playing with children's health? Go to source Trusted Source Did You Know? Less than one-quarter (24%) of children 6 to 17 years of age participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day. #medindia #children #physicalactivity Less than one-quarter (24%) of children 6 to 17 years of age participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day. #medindia #children #physicalactivity Advertisement Challenges in Integrating Play into Healthcare Advertisement Advocating for Health Play Teams in Pediatric Care Advertisement Strong Evidence of Play's Psychological Benefits Five Key Ways Play Enhances Children's Healthcare Reducing stress and discomfort during medical procedures: Play is sometimes associated with physiological markers of reduced distress, such as lower heart rates and blood pressure. Therapeutic play can also ease pain and anxiety. Helping children express and manage emotions: Play can help to alleviate fear, anxiety, boredom and loneliness in healthcare settings. It also provides an outlet for emotional expression among all age groups. Fostering dignity and agency: In an environment where children often feel powerless and a lack of personal choice, play provides a sense of control which supports mental and emotional wellbeing. Building connection and belonging: Play can strengthen childrens relationships with other patients, family members and healthcare staff, easing their experiences in a potentially overwhelming environment. This may be particularly important for children in longer term or palliative care. Preserving a sense of childhood: Play helps children feel like children, and not just patients, the report suggests, by providing essential moments of happiness, respite and emotional release. Limited Focus on Play in Mental Health Studies Playing with children's health? - (https://www.starlight.org.uk/playing-with-childrens-health) According to a new report, play should be a central element in future NHS plans for children's healthcare, as it is believed tothe experiences of young patients ().The report, by University of Cambridge academics for the charity Starlight, advocates for the inclusion of play, games, and playful methods within a comprehensive model of childrens healthcareone that recognizes the emotional and psychological aspects of health alongside the physical dimensions.Both internationally and in the UK, health systems have, in recent decades, increasingly promoted play in paediatric healthcare. There is a growing understanding that making healthcare more child-friendly can reduce stress and positively improve younger patients experiences.Despite this recognition, play often remains undervalued and inconsistently integrated across healthcare contexts. For the first time, the report compiles evidence from over 120 studies to make the case for its more systematic incorporation.In the case of the UK, the authors argue that the Governments forthcoming 10-year health plan for the NHS offers an important opportunity to embed play within a more holistic vision for childhood health The report was produced by academics at the Centre for Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL) at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. Starlight, which commissioned the review, is a national charity advocating to reduce trauma through play in childrens healthcare.Dr. Kelsey Graber, the reports lead author, said: Play and child-centred activities have a unique capacity to support the emotional and mental aspects of childrens healthcare experiences, whether in hospital or during a routine treatment at the GP. It wont directly change the course of an illness, but it can humanise the experience by reducing stress and anxiety and enhancing understanding and comfort. Hospital-based play opens up a far more complete understanding of what it means for a child to be a healthy or well.Adrian Voce, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Starlight, said: With the government promising to create the healthiest generation of children ever as part of its new long term health plan, this compelling evidence of the benefits of play to childrens healthcare is very timely. We encourage ministers and NHS leaders to make health play teams an integral part of paediatric care.The report synthesised evidence from 127 studies in 29 countries. Most were published after 2020, reflecting intensified interest in childrens healthcare interventions following the COVID-19 outbreak Some studies focused on medically-relevant play. For example, hospital staff sometimes use role-play, or games and toys like Playmobil Hospital to familiarise children with medical procedures and ease anxiety . Other studies focused on non-medical play: the use of activities like social games, video games, arts and crafts, music therapy and storytelling to help make patients more comfortable. Some hospitals and surgeries even provide distraction kits to help children relax.In its survey of all these studies, the report finds strong evidence that play benefits childrens psychological health and wellbeing. Play is also sometimes associated with positive physical health; one study, for example, found that children who played an online game about dentistry had lower heart rates during a subsequent dental procedure, probably because they felt more prepared.The authors identify five main ways in which play enhances childrens healthcare based on the available body of evidence:While play is widely beneficial, the report stresses that its impact will vary from child to child. This variability highlights a need, the authors note, for informed, child-centred approaches to play in healthcare settings. Unfortunately, play expertise in these settings may often be lacking: only 13% of the studies reviewed covered the work of health play specialists, and most of the reported activities were directed and defined by adults, rather than by children themselves.The report also highlights a major gap in research on the use of play in mental healthcare. Just three of the 127 studies focused on this area, even though 86% emphasised plays psychological benefits. The report calls for greater professional and academic attention to the use of play in mental health support, particularly in light of escalating rates of mental health challenges among children and young people. More work is also needed, it adds, to understand the benefits of play-based activities in healthcare for infants and adolescents, both of which groups were under-represented in the research literature.Embedding play more fully in healthcare as part of wider Government reforms, the authors suggest, could reduce healthcare-related trauma and improve long-term outcomes for children. It is not just healthcare professionals, but also policy leaders who need to recognise the value of play, Graber said. That recognition is foundational to ensuring that childrens developmental, psychological, and emotional health needs are met, alongside their physical health.Source-Eurekalert Four years after the mega success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the fourth instalment in the Spider-Man franchise in Marvel Cinematic Universe has been officially announced. The fourth film in the Spider-Man franchise has been titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day starring Tom Holland and will release in theatres on July 31, 2026. The title is quite different from the earlier three films which were mainly about home Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has again started pushing for deferred resignations and early retirements among Defense Department civilian workers as he seeks to slash 50,000 to 60,000 jobs -- 5% to 8% of a workforce that includes thousands of veterans. Hegseth signed a memo Friday to restart a deferred resignation program that emerged out of billionaire Elon Musk's "Fork in the Road" email, which went out to all federal employees in late January and offered them a chance to walk away from their jobs while still getting paid until October. The memo said the Defense Department, the largest federal agency, was giving those employees the chance to voluntarily leave instead of being fired later. The resignation offers are meant "to maximize participation so that we can minimize the number of involuntary actions that may be required to achieve the strategic objectives," Hegseth wrote in the memo that was publicly released Monday. Read Next: House Republican Pushing for Tax Exemption for Military Bonuses to Be Included in Trump Agenda Bill Musk, the world's richest man, and President Donald Trump have spent the first months of his administration firing huge swaths of federal employees -- including Department of Veterans Affairs workers, IRS personnel, weather forecasters and health care workers -- and dismantling agencies across the federal government without the consent of Congress. The moves have caused chaos, public outrage and a deluge of lawsuits. The defense secretary has been focused on cutting jobs in the Pentagon from his first days in office and, until recently, was personally involved in some of the decisions surrounding which employees could stay or go. "As the secretary made clear, it is simply not in the public interest to retain individuals whose contributions are not mission-critical," Darin Selnick, the man who was performing the duties of the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said in a February memo announcing an effort to fire 5,400 probationary employees. Selnick has since become Hegseth's deputy chief of staff. The Trump administration's mass firings of probationary employees at the Pentagon and elsewhere were temporarily halted by the courts, which found legal issues with the terminations and ordered that the employees return to work. With mass firings on hold, the Pentagon has begun focusing on voluntary resignations to dramatically reduce the number of civilian employees, who provide a wide range of services across the department. Two weeks ago, a senior defense official told reporters that -- between the firings, a hiring freeze also ordered by Hegseth, and the resignation program -- resignations were far and away the most successful at getting employees off the Pentagon's books. The official told reporters that, at the time, the department had "approved more than 20,000 ... nearing 21,000 of the applications from employees that volunteered." By contrast, the firings and hiring freeze have not only raised legal challenges but become a source of constant scrutiny for the Pentagon as it has laid off or fired employees who turned out to be necessary. Military.com was the first to report that, as part of these cost-cutting and firing efforts, the Pentagon halted programs that administered the military recruiting exam -- a key step in getting people into the military -- at remote locations and inside high schools. A week later, on March 14, the military reversed its decision and brought all the impacted civilians who ran the programs back off furlough. A memo, written by Selnick's successor, just days after that about-face, specifically exempted jobs at military entrance locations from the hiring freeze. However, despite these carveouts, services across the military have continued to be impacted. Last week, Hill Air Force Base in Utah was forced to close one of its two day care centers as a result of the hiring freezes, despite the fact that child care center staff were exempted from the job cuts. By returning to a program that incentivizes resignations, it seems that Hegseth is hoping to find thousands more employees willing to leave their jobs, enabling officials to then simply close those positions once they are vacant. Hegseth will then use the funding from those jobs to offer "increased resources in the areas where we need them most." Neither Hegseth nor the Pentagon has disclosed what positions they deem unnecessary; what areas are in need of more resources; or which employees are leaving, despite promises to be transparent. The offer to civilians did not seem to address any specific areas or jobs in the department, meaning there appeared to be no effort at targeted reductions. The memo released Monday noted that both the deferred resignation and early retirement offers were available to all Defense Department civilians -- about 760,000 civilian employees total -- and "exemptions should be rare." The latest memo also claimed the effort is "not about a target number of layoffs," even though Selnick's statement in late February that kicked off the job cuts said that the goal was to reduce the number of civilian employees by 5% to 8%. Pentagon officials have also not offered any response to the job cuts disproportionately affecting veterans -- more than 30,000 are employed by the Pentagon. "Within the military, there are times where you see that individuals will leave service when their services are no longer directly in the nation's interest," the senior official told reporters two weeks ago. "The same thing is true in the civilian side, and some of those people will be veterans that served in uniform previously." Related: Pentagon Pushes Ahead on Cutting 60,000 Civilian Workers Using Firings, Resignations and Hiring Freeze U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on March 27, 2025, ordered top Trump administration officials to preserve records of their messages sent on the messaging app Signal from March 11 to March 15 following a transparency watchdog groups lawsuit alleging that the officials have violated the Federal Records Act. This marked the latest development since The Atlantic on March 24 published a Signal chat among Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other national security officials discussing specific plans to attack Houthi militants in Yemen. Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief at The Atlantic, was mistakenly included in the chat and wrote about what he saw. Trump administration officials have shared contrasting accounts about whether they were discussing sensitive war information on Signal but maintain that they did not share classified information. Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Arms Services committee, and Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat chairing the committee, on March 27 requested an investigation into how the Trump officials used Signal to discuss military strikes. Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor, spoke with national security scholar Dakota Rudesill to better understand what constitutes classified information and how the government typically handles its most closely kept secrets. How are government officials supposed to communicate about classified information? The first way someone with the proper clearance can communicate about classified information is in person. They can talk about secret things in what is called a sensitive compartmented information facility, or SCIF. This means a secure place, often with a big, heavy door and a lock on it, where security officials have swept the area for bugs and no one can easily eavesdrop. People who are in SCIFs usually have to leave their cell phones outside of the room, and then they can talk freely about secret information. A SCIF can be a particular room, or a floor of a building, or even an entire building. Second, there is print communication: written documents with classification markings, which have to be handled in really particular ways, like in a safe location, and can be transported between SCIFs in secure containers. Third, intelligence agencies, the White House and the Department of Defense also all have secure electronic systems. These include visual teleconferences, which are similar to a Zoom call and are secure for discussing highly classified information, as well as secure email systems and secure phones. Many people with clearances have what is called high side email, which is shorthand lingo for classified email and messaging. Many people with security clearance would have two work hard drives and two computers. One of them is low side, where there is access to unclassified official email, documents and the internet. All of these methods of secure communication can be clunky and take more time than people in our smartphone age are used to. That is the cost of protecting the nations secrets. My sense is the Trump administration officials wanted to move fast and turned to Signal, a commercial app that promises encryption. Signal is generally considered secure but is not perfect. There is abundant public evidence that Signal is not totally secure and indeed has been penetrated by Russian intelligence. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., right, joined by Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, left, points to a chart displaying a text message by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a group chat that revealed U.S. military plans in Yemen to a journalist, as the House Intelligence Committee holds a hearing on worldwide threats, at the Capitol, in Washington, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Can something be declassified after the information has been shared? Yes. The president can classify and declassify at will via oral or written instruction. The presidents constitutional powers include removing classification controls after information has been released or leaked. Trump could at any point declassify the information shared on Signal. Several of the Cabinet-level officials on that Signal chat also have expansive delegated powers over classification. Even so, Trumps national security Cabinet would have presumably still violated the law. For example, by putting national defense information inappropriately on an insecure app and not checking to verify the clearances of everyone on the chat and thereby allowing a reporter to be present, one could reasonably conclude that the team was showing gross negligence, running afoul of the Espionage Act. The Espionage Act, enacted in 1917, criminalizes unauthorized retention and dissemination of sensitive information that could undermine the national security of the U.S. or help a foreign country. Was the information shared on Signal likely classified? Looking at the Signal message transcript that The Atlantic shared, it seems like at least four things were all but surely classified. The most obvious was the details that Secretary of Defense Hegseth provided on the strike plans. These include the precise times that planes were taking off, what kind and when the bombs would fall. Recent reports have quoted defense officials confirming that this information at the time was classified. Second, the chat revealed that the president gave a green light for secret strikes at a Situation Room meeting. Third, there is the mere fact of these top officials deciding whether and when to execute attacks authorized by the president. And fourth, according to media reports, the chat included the name of an intelligence officer whose position may have been secret. The Trump administration says that there was no classified information in the chat. But several analysts have noted that defies belief. The exception would be a prior decision to declassify, but we have no evidence of that. What other issues does this bring to mind? First, we dont know whether the Trump officials carefully thought about it before they set up this chat on Signal, which the Pentagon has warned government officials against using because of hacking concerns. Second, even if the officials did make a focused decision to use Signal, what is the wisdom of that? I find it really, really hard to imagine that was a prudent decision when we think about how insecure this app is. There is also the fact that Steve Witkoff, Trumps envoy to Ukraine and the Middle East, was party to the chat while he was in Russia. We do not know for sure if he had a device running Signal on him personally while he was in Russia, but in any event he would have been under intense Russian surveillance. A broader issue is how the Trump administration is enforcing the law is a giant question mark. Usually, the law both authorizes the U.S. government to do things, and also says it cannot do things. Law enables and limits everyone, including the president. However, Trump wrongly claims that he is the final authority on the law, and so far the Justice Department only seems to be enforcing the law against people outside of the administration. So does the law limit the Trump administration in any practical sense? Right now it is not clear and there is abundant reason to be concerned about that from a rule of law standpoint. Dakota Rudesill, Associate Professor of Law, The Ohio State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. President Donald Trump's choice to be his top military adviser and the nation's top general vowed Tuesday to serve in the role apolitically, denying a tale Trump has told repeatedly that suggested he is a loyal political supporter of the president. At his confirmation hearing to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine denied that he has ever worn a "Make America Great Again" hat, despite the president repeatedly claiming he did so when they met during Trump's first term. "For 34 years, I've upheld my oath of office and my commitment to my commission, and I have never worn any political merchandise," Caine told the Senate Armed Services Committee. Read Next: House Republican Pushing for Tax Exemption for Military Bonuses to Be Included in Trump Agenda Bill "I went back and listened to those tapes, and I think the president was actually talking about someone else," Caine added later when pressed whether any part of Trump's story was true. Caine was nominated by Trump to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs after the president fired the previous chairman, Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, about a year and a half into a four-year term. Trump did not give a reason for firing Brown, but the general, who is Black, was hated by conservatives for speaking positively about diversity in the military. Prior to becoming Pentagon chief, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was among those who called for Brown's firing over diversity issues. Trump also repeatedly clashed with one of the chairmen from his first term, Gen. Mark Milley, whom Trump soured on after Milley apologized for appearing with him in uniform for a photo op after law enforcement forcibly cleared the area around the White House of racial justice protesters in June 2020. More recently, Milley has called Trump a fascist, and Trump has suggested Milley should be executed for being a traitor. By contrast, Trump has painted Caine as a loyalist who gushed over him when they first met in Iraq in 2018. Trump has added details over the years, but in general, Trump claims that Caine, while serving as deputy commander of a special operations task force fighting the Islamic State, gave him a plan to defeat the terrorist group quickly as other officers offered cautious advice. In recounting the story during a speech last year, Trump also claimed the Caine lavished praise on him during that encounter. "'Yes, sir. I love you, sir. I think you're great, sir. I'll kill for you, sir,'" Trump said Caine told him. "Then he puts on a Make America Great Again hat. You're not allowed to do that, but they did it." In light of that story, the unusual circumstances of his nomination and Trump's history of lashing out against military officers who disagree with him, Caine was pressed repeatedly on Tuesday about whether he would remain apolitical as chairman of the Joint Chiefs. In response to those questions, Caine vowed to provide his best military advice even if it contradicts Trump's viewpoint. "Candor has gotten me here today, and candor will continue to allow me to do my job," Caine said. He also assured senators he is willing to be fired rather than violate the Constitution. Caine served in the Air National Guard and retired from service last year. Caine, who was commissioned through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at the Virginia Military Institute, or VMI, started as an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot and held numerous Guard assignments throughout his three-decade career, according to a copy of his service biography. His last assignment before retiring was as the associate director for military affairs at the CIA. In addition to needing to be brought back onto active duty in order to be chairman, Caine does not meet the statutory requirements for the job. By law, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff must have previously served as vice chairman, chief of staff of one of the military branches, or commander of a combatant command -- none of which Caine ever did. But the law also allows the president to waive those requirements if he decides doing so "is necessary in the national interest." Despite Caine lacking the key requirements enshrined in law, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., pushed back on the idea that Caine is unqualified. "The driving force behind Goldwater-Nichols was to inspire and in some cases require jointness," Wicker said, referencing the law that established the qualifications for chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Caine "began his career as an Air Force fighter pilot in 1992. By the time he was done, Gen. Caine had operated in every domain and he had developed relationships with every service." For his part, Caine acknowledged that he is an "unconventional" nominee, but added that "these are also unconventional times." Democrats bristled Tuesday at Brown's firing. But they also suggested they do not blame Caine for the circumstances of his nomination, indicating he will likely receive bipartisan support to be confirmed as Joint Chiefs chairman. "I share comments that some of my colleagues have made about the unfortunate circumstances with Gen. Brown, but you didn't have anything to do with that," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told the nominee. "And I know, from our conversations and my own due diligence, VMI's very proud of you, and folks who've worked with you in the past who I hold in high regard are very proud of you. And a lot of the questions that have been asked trying to really drill into your ability to give the best candid advice, I think your career has demonstrated to my satisfaction that you will do so." Related: Joint Chiefs Nominee's Ties to Trump Family Raise Concern About Ethics, Influence Nominees for three top Department of Veterans Affairs jobs faced scrutiny Tuesday over the VA's plan to cut its workforce by 83,000 -- an effort some lawmakers say will negatively affect services to veterans. During a confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., Senate Veterans Affairs Committee members praised the military service and civilian accomplishments of retired Army Capt. Sam Brown, a combat-wounded veteran selected to lead the VA's burial benefits department; Marine Corps Reserve Lt. Col. James Baehr, nominee for general counsel; and Richard Topping, a former Army infantry officer and judge advocate general, to serve as chief financial officer. But they raised concerns over ongoing turmoil at the department since the start of the second Trump administration, including the dismissal of 2,400 probationary employees in February and plans to reduce the workforce by about 17%. Read Next: 4th US Soldier's Body Recovered from Lithuanian Swamp The lawmakers also cited the cancellation of hundreds of VA contracts at the recommendation of VA reviewers and a liaison from billionaire Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency, as well as the mishandling of the VA budget that resulted in Congress providing an additional $3 billion last year that wasn't needed. Also overshadowing what should have been a relatively smooth confirmation process for the three was an announcement Tuesday from Arizona Democrat Sen. Ruben Gallego, who pledged to block any Senate vote on VA nominees until he received answers from the VA on its drawdown plans. Citing what could be a 15% reduction in staff at the Phoenix VA Health Care System, which provides medical care to roughly 130,000 veterans, Gallego said he has not received responses from VA Secretary Doug Collins about the effects staff cuts will have on former service members. "I need to do everything I can to hold as many nominees as possible until ... I can prove to the veterans that I served with and the veterans I represent now, in Arizona, all over the country, that this is not going to hurt them," Gallego said during the hearing. Since none of the three men currently works at the VA, they could not directly answer questions about the reorganization or impact that cancelled contracts may have on veterans' care or benefits. But they all have had extensive experience with the VA and professional backgrounds that bolster their qualifications for serving in the department. Brown, the nominee for under secretary for memorial affairs, told the committee that his wife, an Army veteran, was not in the hearing room because she was at a VA medical appointment. Brown himself was medically retired after receiving grievous injuries from an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2008 and founded a health care company that manages the dispensation of medications to veterans during emergencies such as national disasters before he entered politics. He lost a tight Senate race in 2024 to incumbent Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev. If confirmed, Brown will lead a department with a $261 million budget that oversees national cemeteries and a grant program that provides funding to state, tribal and local cemeteries for veterans' burials and services. In response to questions over the planned cuts, Brown said he did not know how field operations worked within the National Cemetery Administration but pledged that "the mission will never suffer if confirmed under my leadership." "When I was in the Army, we had a motto that 'No mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great. Duty First.' In this case, the veteran is the mission and everything the secretary has spoken about publicly ... to the extent of the mission of the [National Cemetery Administration], which is to honor the lives of our veterans, their family members, to ensure that they are properly memorialized," Brown said. Baehr, who currently serves as a military trial judge in the Marine Corps Reserve, worked as special assistant to President Donald Trump and was an assistant U.S. attorney in Louisiana, fielded questions about VA policies and law, including a recent prohibition on VA benefits adjudicators speaking directly with VA attorneys without getting permission first from a senior adviser to Collins. "Wouldn't you agree that VA employees should be free to talk to the Office of General Counsel without first seeking permission from the political leadership?" asked Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "I'm not there now, and I don't know all the details of the policy, but my goal would be to efficiently provide responses across the enterprise," Baehr replied. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, quizzed Baehr on whether attorneys' fees should be capped on those representing veterans suing the federal government over decades-long water contamination at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Sullivan has fought to cap fees that sometimes have topped 75% of a veteran's award. When Baehr replied that he believed veterans should have aggressive representation, Sullivan told him that was the "wrong answer." "You're getting ready to lose my vote here. Here's what I need a commitment from you. Attorney General [Pam] Bondi has already said she's going to do this; the Secretary of the Navy already is in. All we want is implementation of what Merrick Garland said he was going to do ... make sure that limits are put on these awards," Sullivan said. Richard Topping, nominee to serve as the VA's CFO, would be responsible for the department's $370 billion budget. Topping, a former Army judge advocate and trial attorney with the Department of Health and Human Services, has served as chief executive officer and president of several health care companies. When asked about the priorities of the Mission Act, which broadened eligibility for veterans to get medical care from civilian providers outside the VA system, and the PACT Act, which expanded medical care and benefits for veterans sickened by environmental exposures overseas, Topping said the VA's efforts to streamline operations would be done in a veteran-centric way. "I think, like any organization with limited resources, time capabilities, there's always a prioritization. None is more or less important. But I think what the secretary said he's doing is he is focused on maximizing efficiency, redeploying those resources so they're front-facing and mission-essential for veterans, and ensuring that the veteran remains at the center of everything that we do," Topping said. Addressing Topping, Committee Chairman Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas cited a VA inspector general report released last week that said the department did not accurately budget for anticipated increases in fiscal 2024 and requested emergency funding later in the process even though it was never used. "It's a poor way of doing business," Moran said. Topping concurred. "I think the priorities I would bring as CFO is financial reporting, forecasting capabilities and the right tools, the right structure, that drives accountability. If confirmed as CFO, we're going to get the numbers right," Topping said. A number of senators have said they regretted voting for Collins, and in the hearing, Blumenthal, Gallego and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, reiterated again that the secretary has not provided them answers to questions on the firings of probationary employees; the planned staff cuts -- which likely will include 30,000 veteran employees; and the canceled contracts, a list of which has not been published. "We ought to stop talking about nominees at this department until the department starts telling us what they're going to do and justifying it in terms of service to the veterans," King said. Blumenthal said he stood with Gallego in placing a hold on the nominations. Moran said he expects to have a committee vote on the three nominees next week in executive session, but "assuming that they are passed or approved, we understand there's a hold." "Each of these roles are critically important to fulfilling the VA's mission of improving the care, benefits and services of millions of veterans, caregivers, survivors and beneficiaries across the country," Moran said. Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the name of the senator pressing for caps on attorneys fees for Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, water claims. Related: The VA's 2023 Hiring Spree: A lot of Psychiatrists WASHINGTON The Trump administration has halted dozens of research grants at Princeton University, the latest Ivy League school to see its federal money threatened in a pressure campaign targeting the nations top universities. Princeton was notified this week that several dozen federal grants are being suspended by agencies including the Department of Energy, NASA and the Defense Department, according to a campus message sent Tuesday by Christopher Eisgruber, the university's president. Eisgruber said the rationale was not fully clear but that Princeton will comply with the law. The school is among dozens facing federal investigations into antisemitism following a wave of pro-Palestinian protests last year. "We are committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we will cooperate with the government in combating antisemitism," Eisgruber wrote. "Princeton will also vigorously defend academic freedom and the due process rights of this University." As President Donald Trump presses his political agenda on universities across the country, he has paid special attention to Ivy League institutions. Columbia University was the first one targeted, losing $400 million in federal money with threats to terminate more if it didn't make the campus safer for Jewish students. The school agreed to several demands from the government last month, including an overhaul of student discipline rules and a review of the school's Middle East studies department. The government later suspended about $175 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania over a transgender swimmer who previously competed for the school. On Monday, a federal antisemitism task force said it was reviewing almost $9 billion in federal grants and contracts at Harvard University amid an investigation into campus antisemitism. The pressure has created a dilemma for U.S. colleges, which rely on federal research funding as a major source of revenue. Eisgruber came forward as a voice of opposition as the Trump administration ratcheted up pressure on Columbia, calling it the greatest threat to American universities in decades. The attack on Columbia is a radical threat to scholarly excellence and to America's leadership in research, Eisgruber wrote in a March 19 essay in The Atlantic magazine. Universities and their leaders should speak up and litigate forcefully to protect their rights. Several agencies on the federal antisemitism task force did not immediately respond to questions about the action at Princeton, nor did the agencies behind the research grants. Princeton was among 60 universities that received a warning letter from the Education Department in March over accusations of antisemitism. It said the schools could face enforcement action if they didn't address anti-Jewish bias on campus. All but two Ivy League schools, Penn and Dartmouth, were on the list. The Education Department launched an investigation at Princeton in April 2024 under the Biden administration. It was in response to a complaint filed by the editor-in-chief of Campus Reform, a conservative news organization, the outlet reported. The complaint cited a pro-Palestinian protest that reportedly included chants of Intifada and others described as antisemitic. The outlet's editor has filed dozens of other antisemitism complaints with the Education Department. The Trump administration has promised a more aggressive approach against campus antisemitism, accusing former President Joe Biden of letting schools off the hook. It has opened new investigations at colleges and detained and deported several foreign students with ties to pro-Palestinian protests. Trump and other officials have accused the protesters of being pro-Hamas. Student activists say they oppose Israels military activity in Gaza. It follows a campaign by Republican in Congress who demanded answers from university leaders after the wave of protests. A series of hearings on Capitol Hill contributed to the resignation of presidents at Harvard, Columbia and Penn. Columbia's interim president, Katrina Armstrong, resigned last week after the school agreed to the governments demands. ___ The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has pardoned a Virginia man whose sentence already was commuted for his convictions stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Thomas Caldwell, a retired Navy intelligence officer, was tried alongside Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes but acquitted of seditious conspiracy the most serious charge brought in the Jan. 6 attack. Caldwell's pardon is dated March 20. Defense attorney David Fischer said he informed Caldwell of the pardon on Monday after learning about it from news reports. And he's elated, Fischer added. A jury convicted Caldwell of obstructing Congress and of obstructing justice for tampering with documents after the riot. One of those convictions was dismissed in light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year. On Jan. 10, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced Caldwell to time served with no supervised release. Prosecutors had recommended four years in prison for Caldwell. Ten days later, on his first day back in the White House, Trump issued a sweeping grant of clemency to all 1,500-plus people charged in the Capitol riot. Trump commuted the sentences of several defendants who were leaders and members of the Oath Keepers or Proud Boys extremist groups. More than a dozen defendants were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors said were violent plots to keep Trump in power. Prosecutors had alleged at trial that Caldwell helped coordinate quick reaction force teams prosecutors said the Oath Keepers stationed outside the capital city to get weapons into the hands of extremists if they were needed. The weapons were never deployed, and lawyers for the Oath Keepers said they were only there for defensive purposes in case of attacks from left-wing activists. But Caldwell, who didnt enter the Capitol, took the witness stand and down played messages he sent leading up to Jan. 6, including one floating the idea about getting a boat to ferry heavy weapons across the Potomac River. Caldwell said he was never serious about it, calling it creative writing. Fischer said his client was first among equals for a pardon. When a progressive D.C. jury acquits him of most of the charges and an Obama-appointed judge sentences him to basically time served and a fine, I think its safe to say the government got it wrong, the attorney said. ___ Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report. On Sept. 4, 1944, Capt. Matt Urban (born Matty Urbanowitz) was carried off a battlefield near Philippeville, Belgium. He'd been given his last rites and was not expected to survive the machine gun rounds that hit him in the neck. But not only did he survive, he returned to duty, his neck wounds unique only in that they kept him from a combat command. The truth was that they were just the latest in a long line of wounds. Urban had been fighting World War II for as long as the United States was in the war. A graduate of Cornell University, he attended the school through a ROTC scholarship and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army in May 1941. So when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor that December, Urban was ready to respond in kind. Although he never saw the Pacific Theater, he instead fought in six campaigns throughout Europe and North Africa and was wounded seven times. The only reason Urban didn't receive the Medal of Honor for single-handedly breaking an entire battalion through France while wounded was because the people who were supposed to recommend him for the award were killed or captured. But the accounts of everyone who watched him mount a tank under heavy fire in Normandy were "remarkably consistent" even 35 years later: Matt Urban was fearless in the face of the enemy. Read Next: The Still-Living Janitor Who Received a 'Posthumous' Medal of Honor Army Lt. Col. Matt Urban, after receiving the Medal of Honor in 1980. (U.S. Army) Urban began his Army career with 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and would end up spending much of the war with his unit, eventually rising to battalion commander. Although severely wounded, he would stay in the theater leading his men in some form until they all went home after the war's end -- and there was a lot of fighting in between. Urban first saw combat in November 1942 during Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. The 60th Infantry landed on the Moroccan coast, fighting the Vichy French. By February of the following year, Urban and the 60th Infantry were fighting the Germans in Tunisia. His unit was hit on all four sides by two enemy battalions. After four hours of fighting, the Americans had held firm. His unit received a Presidential Unit Citation while Urban received shrapnel from a grenade and his first Silver Star. A few months later, Urban and the 60th Infantry landed at Sicily, where they were instrumental in breaking a stalemate in the center of the islands. On Aug. 5, 1943, under the cover of darkness, the 60th crept through the mountains toward the contested, mountainous village of Troina. German and Allied artillery were dueling for supremacy in the area, because it was perfect for providing support fire in any direction. The 60th surprised the German artillery, forcing not only its withdrawal, but the withdrawal of all Axis forces in the area. Urban received a second Silver Star and was sent to England to prepare for the Allied invasion of Europe. Matt Urban during World War II. (U.S. Army) Urban didn't land on Utah Beach on D-Day, but that didn't spare him from any intense fighting. Like many Allied infantry units, he got caught in the hedgerows of the French countryside. He arrived in France on June 11, 1944, and was facing down Germans three days later. As his company was held up by two incoming enemy tanks, their bazooka gunner went down. Urban called on an ammo carrier to follow him as he picked up the bazooka and took out both of them. That same day, he was staring down German tanks with a bazooka yet again, this time near Orglandes, but the German fired first. The 37-mm tank gun round tore through his leg, but he refused to leave the field. After a medic attended to his wound, he kept directing the action while being carried on a stretcher. It wasn't until he was wounded again the next day (this time in the arm) that he was forced to a field hospital. Surgeons worked on his tank-shredded calf and then sent him to England. While Urban recuperated, the 60th Infantry pushed ahead across the French countryside. By July 25, they were near the French commune of Saint-Lo. Back in England, Urban had taken to training troops who were bound for Normandy so he wouldn't be evacuated to the United States. When a group of them boarded a troop carrier bound for the front, Urban simply hopped on board. He showed up at the 2nd Battalion's command post with a limp and a cane to take command of his old unit. A U.S. infantry patrol picks its way through the bombed-out ruins of the town of Saint-Lo, France, in July 1944. (U.S. Army) When Urban finally caught up with his unit, they were held up by two destroyed Allied tanks, a third with no gunner or commander and a hail of intense enemy fire. He created a plan of attack, but the tank's officer and another soldier were killed trying to get to their tank. Urban, despite watching two fully capable people being gunned down in the same attempt, crawled to and mounted the tank with his bad leg and took the role of both machine gunner and commander. The tank lurched forward as he blasted away at the Germans. The entire battalion, inspired by what they had witnessed, also moved forward and overran the German lines. Urban would be wounded by shrapnel yet again, this time taking the blow to his chest. Just a few days later, the 2nd Battalion commander who recommended Urban for the Medal of Honor was killed in action. His command post clerk, who was actually writing the recommendation, was captured by the Germans. Urban still refused evacuation as they pressed onward toward Belgium. Just a month later, in September 1944, Urban and the 60th Infantry were attempting to cross the Meuse River at a heavily defended crossing near Heer. He would be shot in the neck while charging a German machine-gun nest with grenades. He ultimately survived, but his larynx was permanently disabled. He was promoted to major and sent to England once more to recover. By December 1944, he was well enough to take a liberty pass to Scotland, but instead of heading north, he once again rejoined his men across the English Channel at Elsenborn, Germany. But with his permanently raspy voice, he was refused a combat command and sent back to England. Urban would stay in the Army until after the war was over. He returned home to Michigan, where he spent the rest of his life. Staff Sgt. Earl G. Evans, the command post clerk who was captured by the Germans, finished writing Urban's Medal of Honor recommendation, but it seemed no one read it until June 1978. That's when one of his men submitted a Freedom of Information Act request about it. They wanted to know why he had never received the award. The Army had no objections about it, so it finally went forward. President Jimmy Carter presented Matt Urban with the Medal of Honor on July 19, 1980. (The White House) On July 19, 1980, President Jimmy Carter presented the Medal of Honor to Urban in a White House ceremony. With a reading of his lengthy medal citation, the president called Urban "the greatest soldier in American history." Want to Learn More About Military Life? Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox. Outfielder Joshua Palacios elected minor league free agency after being outrighted by the Pirates, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Pittsburgh had designated him for assignment during the final week of Spring Training. Palacios cleared outright waivers for the second time in his career, which gave him the right to choose free agency instead of accepting a minor league assignment. Palacios landed with the Bucs in the Triple-A phase of the 2022 Rule 5 draft. He made a career-high 91 appearances the following season, hitting .239/.279/.413 with 10 homers. Palacios held his 40-man roster spot throughout last season, though he spent a decent chunk of the year on optional assignment to Triple-A. He hit well in the upper minors, posting a .291/.372/.489 line with five homers over 208 plate appearances. Palacios got into 23 big league contests and hit .224 with a pair of longballs. Originally a fourth-round pick of the Blue Jays, Palacios debuted with Toronto in 2021. He logged limited action with the Jays and Nationals before landing with the Pirates. The lefty-swinging outfielder is a career .230/.286/.364 hitter across 433 plate appearances. He has a much more impressive .303/.388/.485 slash in more than 700 trips to the plate in Triple-A. Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Linda Black Horoscopes for Tuesday, April 1, 2025 Todays Birthday (04/01/25). Success flows through communication this year. Self-discipline and coordination realize dreams. Make personal improvements next spring, before summertime relaxation and renewal. Adapt autumn health and work practices for new conditions. Winter social changes motivate energized health and fitness. Share, connect and build resilient networks. To get the advantage, check the days rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 9 Learn, study and document your discoveries. Write, craft and create. Mold your ideas into clear expressions. Polish and beautify the details. Share your views. Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 9 Harvest a nice windfall. Lucrative opportunities arise. Make deals, bargains and agreements. Work faster and make more money. Grow your accounts and celebrate. Gemini (May 21-June 20) Today is a 9 New possibilities come into focus. Personal ambitions and dreams seem within reach. Use what youve gained through experience. Follow your heart for long-term satisfaction. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Today is a 6 Surround yourself with soothing beauty and peace. Breathe deeper in natural settings. Make long-range plans to realize an inspiring vision. Strengthen infrastructure for growth. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 9 Share what youre learning. A common dream can be realized with collaborative effort. Take advantage of a windfall. Lines blur between friends and family. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 9 Career opportunities and intriguing possibilities arise. Set long-range goals with your family. Arrange connections ahead of time. Make important decisions to advance your vision. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is an 8 Get out and explore. New horizons tempt you. Check out an interesting suggestion and discover new flavors and views. Mix business and pleasure. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 9 A lucrative opportunity benefits shared accounts. Rely on an experienced advisor, collaborative efforts and imagination. Invest in home, family and real estate together. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is an 8 Together, advance a shared vision. Follow up talk with action. Coordinate tasks, roles and responsibilities. Someones especially fired up. Take advantage to build. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 7 Streamline your work and health routines. Practice and prepare to level up. Disciplined efforts win satisfying rewards. Realize a dream through persistent actions. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is an 8 Make romantic plans with someone sweet. Discover hidden beauty. Talk about love, dreams and wishes. Share your admiration and express whats in your heart. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 9 Family comes first. Share delicious experiences. Enjoy special moments with children and elders. Come up with ways to delight the ones you love. Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Blacks legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @LindaCBlack. For more astrological interpretations like todays Gemini horoscope, visit Linda Black Astrology by clicking daily horoscopes, or go to www.nancyblack.com. 2025 Nancy Black. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. The damage to parts of Northern Michigan following the weekends historic ice storm is nothing short of catastrophic, according to a state official. The massive amount of damage and the long-lasting effects of this storm rise to the level of a catastrophe, said Kim Vetter, spokesperson for the Michigan State Police. Multiple Up North communities are impacted by thick layers of ice, and thousands of Michiganders have been without power since Friday and Saturday. Some have compared the level of destruction to trees and power lines this week to Michigans famous 1976 ice storm - others have said its worse. Immediately after the weekend ice storm, more than 100,000 homes and business were without power. RELATED: Destructive spring ice storm debilitates Northern Michigan, see videos The ice on the (power) lines is very thick and cold temperatures are not allowing for thawing, she told MLive. The power utilities cannot reconnect customers until the ice is off the lines. The lines are also fragile and keep breaking. Thousands of miles of power lines are covered in ice. This is a huge incident, impacting thousands. A massive ice storm caused destruction across Northern Michigan. In this photo, ice-covered trees are down across a road near Gaylord. Photo provided by Dane Farver RELATED: Out of fuel, out of power: Michigan counties hit by ice storm seek local emergency declarations With the power out, many households are running generators, but the gasoline needed to keep them going can be difficult to procure. Crawford County Emergency Management advised on Monday that there was no fuel in their county. And the state police on Monday afternoon warned that fuel was getting hard to find in the St. Ignace area. In other places, lines of cars waited to get into gas stations that were open. Several counties have been under shelter-in-place orders for days with some lifting that order today, including Otsego County, home of the hard-hit Gaylord. Warming shelters have been established throughout the impacted areas, but some roads are impassable with downed trees and power lines, limiting access to services. With ice persisting, the full extent of the damage has not been realized, Vetter said. Ice. Ice everywhere and covering everything, she said. Power poles are bending and straining under the weight (of ice) and trees are encased in inches of ice. The trees are breaking and falling, causing further damage to property and power lines. A massive ice storm has caused widespread destruction in Northern Michigan. In this photo, trees are down near Lake Louise in Johannesburg. Photo provided by Bob Roose Great Lakes Energy, which serves much of the northern Lower Peninsula, said Tuesday on Facebook that the storm caused widespread damage to the route electricity takes to reach your home. Transmission lines (serving 10,000 to 20,000 customers) and substations (serving 1,000 to 5,000) are down. RELATED: Colder temperatures, more freezing rain for Up North ice storm area: Its kind of ruthless out there When electricity goes out, most of us expect power will be restored within a few hours, GLE said. But when a major storm causes widespread damage, like the one were experiencing now, longer outages result. Even as the transmission lines and substations are restored, we are still dealing with a massive ice problem that keeps breaking trees, lines, and poles, GLE said. More than 40,000 GLE customers are without power today. Consumers Energy reports more than 90,000 without power; however, some of that is in southern Michigan where there was a devastating wind storm over the weekend. RELATED: Whitmer declares emergency in 10 Michigan counties impacted by brutal ice storm On Monday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency related to the ice storm for 10 counties: Otsego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Mackinac and Alpena. Meanwhile, another wintry mix storm is expected to hit lower Michigan tonight and into Wednesday morning. Citizens needing non-emergency assistance should call 211. INGHAM COUNTY, MI A fourth person has died after a line of severe thunderstorms and tornados rolled across Michigan. WILX-TV in Lansing reported Tuesday that a 56-year-old man was killed in Stockbridge after a tree fell onto a house in the 4300 block of N. Main St on Sunday night. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks before President Donald Trump at the Justice Department. Bondi said Tuesday, April 1, 2025, that she has directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4. Pool via AP NEW YORK -- Federal prosecutors have been ordered to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering a healthcare CEO last December. On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed she directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty, calling the alleged murder "an act of political violence." Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America," Bondi said in a statement. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again. The decision marks the first time the Justice Department has sought the death penalty since President Donald Trump returned to office. Former President Joe Biden issued a moratorium on the death penalty for federal crimes; however the Trump administration has lifted the ban. Mangione is accused of gunning down United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4. Thompson was arriving for the companys annual investor conference when he was killed. Surveillance video showed Thompson being shot by a masked man. Mangione was arrested five days later at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following an extensive manhunt. He is charged with crimes on both a federal and state level. The federal charges include murder through use of a firearm, which is punishable by death. Another national restaurant chain is filing for bankruptcy protection as Hooters says it is looking to sell all of its company-owned locations. On Monday, the restaurant chain known for its provocatively dressed all-female waitstaff and its chicken wings, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections in a Texas court. A buyer group comprised of two existing Hooters franchisees has agreed to acquire and operate certain Company-owned Hooters locations, the company said in a press release. At the end of the Chapter 11 process, all Hooters locations will be franchisee-owned, the company also said. For now, Hooters says all locations are remaining open and will operate as usual. Our renowned Hooters restaurants are here to stay. Todays announcement marks an important milestone in our efforts to reinforce Hooters financial foundation and continue delivering the guest-obsessed hospitality experience and delicious food our customers and communities have come to expect, said Sal Melilli, Chief Executive Officer of Hooters of America. Ive seen firsthand the incredible value and opportunities our brand brings to life, and I look forward to continuing that momentum well into the future. Im incredibly grateful to our valued customers, partners, and employees for their continued support. The company did say that it will evaluate its footprint and closures are possible. Bloomberg reports the company owns and operates 151 restaurants in 22 US states. According to the Hooters website, the company operates three restaurants in Michigan, with locations in: Flint, Saginaw and Taylor. Hooters joins other national restaurant chains including Red Lobster, TGI Fridays, On the Border and Bar Louie that have filed for bankruptcy protection in the last year. All of those chains have reported financial struggles following the COVID-19 pandemic. Those struggles combined with rising costs helped lead to the bankruptcy filings. Hooters say it aims to emerge from bankruptcy in the next 90 to 120 days. Kid Rock watches President Donald Trump sign an executive order on ticket price-gouging in the Oval Office on Monday, March 31, 2025. Rock also set up a meeting between the President and Bill Maher. Pool photo via AP Kid Rock is dishing on what happened behind the scenes at a dinner he set up between President Trump and comedian/actor Bill Maher, who has been a longtime critic of Trumps. Rock spoke about the meetup on the Fox Business Network this morning, saying the it went very well. We talked about a lot of things that we had in common, Rock said. Maher is a big supporter of Trumps stance on the border and of ending wokeism. Rock says the President even asked Maher about some of his policies. The President even asked what he thought of Iran getting a nuclear weapon and how Israel should react. Bill is a big supporter of Israel. We broke bread and talked about things we had in common and it could not have been more cordial, more nice. I think everyone was so pleasantly surprised. Rock first talked about setting up this meeting on Glenn Becks podcast a few weeks ago, saying one way he wants to help unite the country is by bringing people together to find common ground. Lets start at the top where very public figures and the President of the free world could just break bread, have some laughs, take a picture and be like, hey, you know we dont agree on everything, but we got along. Rock says at first, even President Trump was hesitant to meet with Maher. The President called me and said, what the hell you got me doing here? And Im like, Im just trying to break bread with some of our biggest critics and say, hey, its ok to talk to one another and maybe, just maybe, bring a little civility back to this country. Rock added that, while Maher has donated to numerous presidential campaigns in the past, he had never been to the White House until now. The President took us up to the private residence and we were showing Bill the Gettysburg Address in the Lincoln Bedroom and I was like, youve never been here. He said no. I said, can you believe youre here with President Trump showing you around? Rock says he hopes this sets a positive example for the country. Hopefully its a special moment and sets an example. I never anticipated on trying to set a positive example for this country on something like this, but the Lord works in mysterious ways. Meantime, Rock was invited into the Oval Office to help the President sign an executive order to help curb concert ticket price-gouging. Its kind of ridiculous. I would rather be, you know, a hero to working-class people and have them be able to come attend my shows and give them a fair ticket price. I cant control that right now so hopefully this is a step to make that happen. The U.S. State Department has updated its travel warning for those planning to visit The Bahamas. The level 2 warning issued on Monday calls for visitors to exercise increased caution and to be aware of recent violent crime reported on the islands. In particular, the warning says armed robberies, burglaries, and sexual assaults can occur anywhere on the islands. Most crime occurs in Nassau and Freeport on New Providence and Grand Bahama islands, reads a portion of the advisory. Stay alert in the Over the Hill area in Nassau, south of Shirley Street, where gangs have killed residents. The State Department says sexual assaults have been reported on and near downtown Nassau beaches. Jet ski operators have also been accused of sexual assault. The advisory goes on to warn that boating in the country can be unsafe as it is not well regulated and boats may not be licensed or insured. You are also advised to be aware of jet skis or other watercraft operating close to shore when you are visiting a beach. Visitors are encouraged to use extra caution when staying at vacation rental properties where private security is not available. Other lodging suggestions include: Do not answer your door at your hotel or residence unless you know who it is. Lock doors and windows and use other security features, especially on balcony doors. Do not physically resist any robbery attempt. Check your luggage and hand baggage carefully for bullets or firearms before leaving the United States. Do not bring these items to The Bahamas. For more information, visit the State Departments website. Frontier Airlines is offering customers a free checked bag and discounted fares for travel between April 22 and Aug. 18, 2025. (Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com) Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com If youre planning some travel over the next few months, Frontier Airlines has announced a pair of discounted offerings that could save you money on your flights. On Tuesday, the company announced it is offering a free checked bag for travelers who book a flight for travel between April 22 and Aug. 18. Along with a free bag, some flights will be discounted to as low as $39 one-way for flights during the same time period. Travelers who are part of Frontiers Discount Den program, can purchase fares for as low as $29. To get the free bag, customers must book their flight by April 7 and use the promo code: FREEBAG. Flights can be booked online, or through the company app. We are excited to offer even bigger savings on Americas Greenest Airline, said Jeff Werkheiser, senior director of brand and customer engagement, Frontier Airlines. Ultra-low fares and a free checked bag means exceptional value for consumers planning to visit family and friends or enjoy a getaway this spring and summer. For travelers departing from airports in Michigan, numerous flights are available at the $39 price point, however that rate is not guaranteed depending on the flight youre looking for. Frontier departs from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus and Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids. Destinations available from Detroit or Grand Rapids include: Atlanta Baltimore Dallas Denver Fort Myers, Florida Las Vegas Orlando Phoenix Raleigh Tampa The discounts are blacked out for flights on May 23-24, 26, 2025; July 2-3, 5, 2025. For more information, visit the Frontier website. Chelsea city councilmember Bill Ruddock (third from left) reads a statement he prepared after he faced backlash for making a reference to Hitler at a meeting. Ruddock read it Monday, March 31, 2025, during a special meeting. Jen Eberbach/MLive CHELSEA, MI A Chelsea city councilmember apologized for what he described as a sarcastic comment after facing backlash. Councilmember Bill Ruddock uttered Heil Hitler during a March 17 meeting. Ruddock was responding to a resident who made public comments criticizing the citys stance against asking people for their immigration status. A man accused of stabbing another man during an alleged road rage incident has been charged with a felony. (File photo) Nikos Frazier JACKSON, MI A man accused of stabbing another man during an alleged road rage incident has been charged with a felony. Marcus Leon Burrell was arraigned Monday, March 31, on one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm for a stabbing that occurred several days prior, court records show. Protesters demonstrate in support of DEI outside Ruthven Hall as the University of Michigan Board of Regents meets in Ann Arbor on Thursday, Dec. 5 2024 Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com FRANKENLUST TOWNSHIP, MI In an essay published this week, Delta College President Mike Gavin was critical of higher education leaders for capitulating to the assault on academia by President Donald Trumps administration. Gavin is no stranger to pushing back against Trump policy pursuits, particularly the Republican administrations efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Gavin is one of the driving forces behind Education for All, a 1,100-member nationwide organization that formed in 2023 to combat lawmakers advocating for anti-DEI legislation. On Monday, March 31, he published a 2,200-word essay in Truthout, a nonprofit media group that reports on social justice issues. The title of the essay: Silence Isnt a Strategy: Academic Leaders Must Resist Assault on Higher Ed. The essay was published less than one week after University of Michigan closed two equity-focused offices and ended a campuswide DEI initiative, which Gavin referenced as part of higher educations collective stasis that invites more assaults against academic programs. The Ann Arbor-based universitys move came amid threats from Trumps administration to cut federal funding over DEI programs at colleges and universities. Trump contends such programs amount to illegal discrimination. Gavin, on the other hand, calls the push to end such programs a new white nationalism that assaults higher education. The new white nationalism uses legal, social and cultural apparatuses to perform the same work of the traditional skin-headed or white-hooded white nationalism, Gavin wrote in Truthout. It acts covertly so that what is presented to the mainstream may often seem benign when it is anything but. Gavin wrote much of academia falls victim to Trump actions that intentionally pervert reality of what is happening on college campuses for the mainstream to make it seem that civil rights are being upheld when in fact they are being decimated. Instead, the Trump administrations true purpose was to provide a road map for state lawmakers to impose anti-academic freedom, anti-institutional autonomy, anti-civil rights, and anti-educational restrictions on their own states public institutions, Gavin wrote. In a snowballing fashion, extremism is being normalized, he wrote. Gavin warned that snowball effect could build into an avalanche if academic institutions fail to challenge such political attacks. There is no doubt that situating our moment and the landscape in this fashion is rife with danger, he wrote. But it is also dangerous not to. Indeed, we must challenge the notion that academia must be overly careful and not provoke retaliation for that is the way we arrived at the moment we are in today. His essay called for training college officials on the background of the new white nationalist movement, which he argued would provide higher education officials with tools to collaborate with other institutions in the fight against the movement. There will be detractors from what I suggest here, Gavin wrote. Some will claim that I am calling out too many of us, or that my argument is not timely. I would remind us what Martin Luther King Jr. taught us about remaining complacent when civil rights are on the line, and how timeliness is an argument made by those who benefit from time passing by. School officials hired Gavin in 2021 as president of Delta College, an 8,200-student community college in a rural corner of Bay County. That same year, he published a book, The New White Nationalism in Politics and Higher Education, which explores some of the same themes highlighted in his Truthout essay. The Trump administrations anti-DEI initiatives have thrust a number of colleges into the spotlight in recent weeks. In this state, the University of Michigan was not the lone newsmaker. Last month, a U.S. Department of Education letter stated both University of Michigan and Grand Valley State University were under investigation for alleged race-exclusionary practices in their education programs. Across the country, over 50 universities were under similar investigation, and could lose out on millions of dollars in federal funding, according to federal directives. GVSU faced scrutiny for scholarships the Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights office said could be impermissible and race-based. In response to the notice, GVSU President Philomena Mantella last month said the universitys legal team was reviewing the federal communication. 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. Lets start with a good look at the weather scenario Michigan is about to embark on with a doozy of a winter/spring storm. I think the best way to start us off is a radar forecast from tonight through Wednesday night. Just stare at the forecast animation a few times, and youll get the idea of the wicked weather coming our way. Radar forecast from midnight Wednesday, April 2 to 2 a.m. Thursday, April 3. Blue is snow, Salmon is sleet/freezing rain. NOAA This next storm is going to come through Michigan starting overnight tonight. The initial six to 12 hours will be flat out winter conditions for at least the northern two-thirds of Lower Michigan. By mid-morning Wednesday the winter weather will shift to far northern Lower Michigan while southern Lower Michigan starts to feel thunderstorm air brewing. A significant severe thunderstorm outbreak is then possible Wednesday evening. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has already become quite aggressive with the potential severe storms. I will get more detailed through today with each part of the storm. For now lets just get a general sense of where and how much winter weather to expect. Then lets transition to the early forecast of severe t-storms and tornadoes. This is the best output we have on the snowfall forecast. Anywhere from Grand Rapids and Flint northward could get a few hour shot of one inch to five inches of snow. Notice a fairly heavy three to six inch snow is possible from Baldwin and Cadillac to Houghton Lake and Harrison. Total snowfall possible tonight and Wednesday morning. NOAA After the shot of snow comes sleet and freezing rain for a relatively brief one to two hour period. While northern Michigan is still devastated by the weekend ice storm, this shot of freezing rain should only accumulate to one-tenth of an inch. Freezing rain accumulation forecast for Wednesday morning. NOAA Now onto what could be the much more dangerous part of the storm- a warm severe thunderstorm situation between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. Wednesday. I know many of you have storm-shock from the very severe t-storms Sunday. I will give some of us a bit of good news. The severe weather outbreak is what we call a conditional severe weather chance. All of the big severe weather factors are there, except we may stay cloudy Wednesday. For areas that stay cloudy and cooler the thunderstorms may not become severe. Ill have more on that later this morning or early afternoon, once we deal with the likely winter weather advisory coming. So here is the Storm Prediction Centers severe weather forecasts for Wednesday evening. Note the black hatched pattern marks out the area where significant severe weather is possible. The severe wind gust forecast shows all of Lower Michigan has a chance of quick, damaging thunderstorm gusts. Really its the southern half of Lower Michigan that needs to be concerned, and especially from I-94 southward. The black hatched area means gusts over 75 mph are possible somewhere. Severe wind gust forecast in percent. Black hatched area has a 10 percent chance of wind gusts over 75 mph. NOAA We are expecting a lot of low-level wind shear with this storm system. Low-level wind shear is what produces tornadoes in a severe weather outbreak. The southern half of Lower Michigan has a five percent chance of tornadoes. Fortunately the black hatched area on the tornado forecast is well to our south. Tornado forecast in percent chance of a tornado within 25 miles of any point. Black hatched area to our south could have strong tornadoes. NOAA Remember- this is a conditional severe weather situation. If you see some warm sunshine Wednesday afternoon you should be on heightened alert. If it stays cloudy and cooler we will likely escape widespread severe weather. At the moment(5:30 a.m.) it appears Grand Rapids to Flint and all areas to the north of this line will stay cloudy and cooler. I would lean toward we may escape severe t-storms in this center strip of Michigan. South of Grand Rapids and Flint it looks to heat up and become unstable. This southern third of Michigan is where the severe weather is most likely. This gets you generally updated on what Im calling a 1-2-3 punch storm- snow to freezing rain to severe thunderstorms. Many updates are ahead fellow Michiganders. We will get through this storm, but youll want to keep updated all along here at MLive.com/weather. Also you can download the MLive app for your Iphone or Android phone. I cover severe weather outbreaks live. The MLive app will alert you when Im broadcasting live. Make sure to allow notifications from the MLive app. Our next round of good computer models is usually available by 10 a.m. Watch for a snow and freezing rain update first, and then a closer look at the potential severe thunderstorm outbreak. This last week of March has been a big weather mess for Michigan, and heading into early April, it doesnt look like Mother Nature is going to let up. Another storm system is taking aim at Michigan, and this next go-round had a couple different parts. The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids says it will start out with freezing rain and snow developing Tuesday night, mostly in an area near and north of I-96. A build-up of ice and snow accumulation will continue into early Wednesday, then warming temps mean the precipitation will switch to rain. By late Wednesday, its possible we could again be in the bullseye for severe thunderstorms and damaging winds. All this comes as much of Michigan was just hit with a massive line of thunderstorms Sunday night that caused four deaths and spawned three weak tornados, the NWS said. High winds - some gusts topping 95 mph - toppled trees and led to widespread power outages. And a state of emergency has been declared for 10 Northern Michigan counties that were hit by a devastating ice storm over the weekend. Many roads there remain impassable with downed trees and power lines creating hazardous conditions. Snow, sleet and freezing rain are in the forecast for part of Michigan on Tuesday night. Graphic provided by the NWS "A wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain moves in late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, NWS meteorologists in Grand Rapids said. Light accumulations of snow and ice are possible mainly north of I-96. Ice may accumulate on trees and power lines which could lead to some power outages across central Lower Michigan. Abruptly following the winter weather, severe thunderstorms are possible during the day Wednesday into Wednesday night. The greatest risk for severe weather looks to be near and south of a Grand Rapids to Lansing line at this time. Continue monitoring the latest forecast information as we prepare for multiple threats across the region midweek. A severe weather threat packing thunderstorms and high winds is possible Wednesday. Graphic provided by the NWS For Wednesdays severe weather threat, the timeline is 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., the NWS said. Damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes are all possible with this system. The highest risk for Michigan is a Level 3 enhanced risk on a scale of 1-5. Its the orange-colored risk area on the map above. It stretches from Holland east to Ann Arbor and all points south to the state line. 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 5 Reasons Why UK is the Best Place to Kickstart Your Career Saurav 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. 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 Archisha Yadav is a sub editor with 1.5 years of experience in writing news articles on topics like education, jobs, and politics. She specialises in crafting simple, clear, and engaging stories that are easy to understand and hold the readers interest, making complex topics accessible and relatable to a larger audience. Archisha Yadav 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 Saurav Pandey is the Deputy Manager of Content at Moneycontrol, specialising in content strategy, execution and performance analysis. He integrates advanced SEO techniques to deliver high-impact, data-driven content formats. His expertise spans various beats, including education, career, science and others, where he adopts a technical approach to optimise visibility, improve search rankings, and drive organic traffic growth. He can be reached out at Saurav.Pandey@nw18.com. Saurav 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. 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 Top boarding schools attended by famous personalities like Amitabh Bachchan, Rajiv Gandhi, Saif Ali Khan, and more Rajni Pandey is a seasoned content creator with over 15 years of experience crafting compelling stories for digital news platforms. Specializing in diverse topics such as travel, education, jobs, science, wildlife, religion, politics, and astrology, she excels at transforming trending human-interest stories into engaging reads for a wide audience. Rajni 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. 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 Abir Gulaal teaser out: Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoors romantic comedy set to release on May 9 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 Bollywood is finished, Salman doesnt wanna act, Aamir doesnt have any film, Shah Rukh does a film in two years, writes a social media user, Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor reacts 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 M Snehanjali 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 Gayatri Rani 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 Kim Soo Hyun faces backlash for 'Crocodile Tears' at press conference admitting to dating Kim Sae Ron, watch here 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 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 Netizens react to Fawad Khan's comeback in Bollywood with Abir Gulaal, say 'Fawad era is back' M Snehanjali 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 Tom Holland starrer Spider-Man 4 officially titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day, netizens say hope its not April Fools Day prank M Snehanjali 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 Explained: All you need to know about the US-India nuclear deal Shubhangi Mathur 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 Saumya Rastogi 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 Nivi Shrivastava is a Delhi-based journalist who writes on lifestyle, health and travel. Views expressed are personal 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. 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. 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 Britain hopes U.S. tariffs will be reversed with economic deal 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 India loaded up more Russian oil in March as Biden era sanctions fail to curb supply Rohit Singh 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 Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years. Adrija Chatterjee 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 Happy New Financial Year! Relief for brokers as regulator eases technical glitch norms 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 Ravindra Sonavane 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 Aurobindo Das 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 Relief for Voda Idea: Brokerages welcome 'material positive', 'lifeline' by Centre with bullish calls 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 Sensex crashes 1,500 pts, Nifty below 23,150: US tariff worries among key factors weighing on markets 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 Seven in 10 mid- and small-cap stocks overvalued; pace of rapid fall over, says Prashant Jain Khushi Keswani 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 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 Technical View: Selling pressure may not be severe unless Nifty decisively breaks 23,000, India VIX spikes over 8% 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 This is an AI-assisted live blog with updates sourced from multiple news outlets and agencies Disclaimer This is an AI-assisted live blog with updates sourced from multiple news outlets and agencies Disclaimer This is an AI-assisted live blog with updates sourced from multiple news outlets and agencies Disclaimer This is an AI-assisted live blog with updates sourced from multiple news outlets and agencies Disclaimer Alpha Desk 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 Where does next support lie for Nifty after cracking 1.5% today? Here's what analysts say 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 Wockhardt Zaynich succeeds in third compassionate use, shares rise while tariff talk keeps pharma subdued 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 Ashish Mishra 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 Paper division sale paves way for Aditya Birla group to become one of India's largest real estate developers Shiladitya Pandit 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 Shiladitya Pandit 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 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 Aryaman Gupta 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 Robots play growing role in elderly care China Daily) 15:27, April 01, 2025 An elderly resident chats with a robot at a community center in Hangzhou last month. (Wu Junyi/China News Service) SHENYANG In a nursing home in South China's Shenzhen, an elderly resident curiously reaches out to hold the hand of Xia Lan, a humanoid robot with lifelike skin, blinking eyes, and a warm, soothing voice. "Can you dance for us?" one senior asks, prompting smiles from those around. "I'm so happy to see robots becoming part of our lives," another resident remarks. "I hope they bring us more convenience." China is witnessing a rapid integration of artificial intelligence and robotics into elderly care services, offering innovative solutions to the challenges of an aging population. The latest data shows that by the end of last year, China's population aged 60 and above reached 310 million, accounting for roughly 22 percent of its total. The International Electrotechnical Commission recently released a global standard for elderly care robots. Led by China in its formulation, the standard sets technical benchmarks for product design, manufacturing, testing and certification for such robots. Elderly care robots, once a distant concept, are quickly becoming a reality for China's aging population. "Elderly care robots represent an untapped market," said Bi Yalei, secretary-general of the Shenzhen Robots Association. "With pressing issues in senior care, such as mobility assistance, fall prevention, and rehabilitation support, many companies in Shenzhen are actively investing in this sector due to strong demand." Although elderly care robots are still in their infancy compared to industrial robots, some users have already begun to experience the convenience they offer. At Shenzhen Nursing Home, robots are now an integral part of daily life, playing chess with seniors, offering AI-assisted moxibustion therapy, and providing mobility assistance. "We place great emphasis on the application of technology in elderly care," said Li Xipo, director of the nursing home. "By integrating AI robots, rehabilitation robots, and robotic pets, we aim to improve seniors' quality of life while creating a testing ground for industry innovation." During this year's Spring Festival, Kenqing Technology, a Shenzhen-based robotics company, sparked online discussion when its exoskeleton robots assisted elderly users in climbing Taishan Mountain, one of the most iconic mountains in China. "This experience revealed significant unmet needs among seniors," said Yu Yunbo, general manager of Kenqing Technology. "China's silver economy is vast, yet the market lacks high-quality elderly care products." Across China, robotic solutions are transforming elderly care. In Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province, a 70-year-old stroke survivor surnamed Zhang has regained his ability to walk using an exoskeleton rehabilitation device developed by SIASUN Robot and Automation Co. "At first, I could barely lift my leg. But now, I can climb stairs again," he said. In Southwest China's Chengdu, Pacific Care Home has introduced a companion robot named Yang Yang, which wakes residents each morning, provides weather updates, and reminds them of their daily activities. More humanoid elderly care robots like Yang Yang are set to enter the market. The Chengdu Humanoid Robot Innovation Center plans to launch a lightweight humanoid robot in June, designed specifically for family and wellness applications. It will be able to identify seniors, bring them medicines, chat with them, and help them take showers. "Robots can bridge elderly care service gaps while fulfilling seniors' emotional needs," said Chen Yang, deputy general manager of the center. Industry experts believe the rapid growth of the elderly care robot sector is being driven by policy support and the advancement of AI technology. China's new guidelines for elderly care service reforms call for advancing humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces, and AI technologies to enhance senior care. "Robots are no longer just executors, they are evolving into AI-powered family members," said Zhang Yunquan, a researcher at the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "Future robots will be able to detect emotional fluctuations, predict health risks, and provide proactive care just like an AI companion at home," Zhang said. "Elderly care robots will ease home-based care challenges and unlock the potential of the silver economy. Moving forward, we must focus on technological breakthroughs, scenario adaptation, and ecosystem development to propel the industry's growth." Visitors learn about a humanoid robot dedicated to elderly care during the 2024 Apsara Conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in September. (Wu Junyi/China News Service) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) 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 Tushar Goenka 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 Khushi Keswani 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 Rakesh Patil 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 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. 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 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 Annamalai to step down? BJP may get new Tamil Nadu chief amid buzz over AIADMK tie-up Parimal Peeyush 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 India News Live: SC hears Mahua Moitras PIL on SEBIs non-regulation of AIFs, FPIs The Supreme Court today heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, challenging the alleged lack of regulatory oversight by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) concerning Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPIs). In its order, the apex court directed Moitra to submit a detailed representation to SEBI regarding the grievances raised in her petition. "The petitioner is hereby ordered to make a detailed representation to the respondent (SEBI) ventilating the grievances that have been enumerated in this Writ Petition. Should such a representation be made to the respondent, the same shall be considered in terms of law," the court noted. CPI(M) congress: Besides electing new general secretary, strengthening party to figure high on agenda 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 'Every time we went over the Himalayas...': Sunita Williams gives beautiful details on how India looks from space | WATCH 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. 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 Smriti Mishra 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 charged in Singapore for creating ruckus on flight, threatening to kill crew member 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 Justice Nirmal Yadav acquitted in cash-at-door case: What took court 17 years to arrive at verdict? 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. 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 Christin Mathew Philip is an Assistant editor at moneycontrol.com. Based in Bengaluru, he writes on mobility, infrastructure and start-ups. He is a Ramnath Goenka excellence in journalism awardee. You can find him on Twitter here: twitter.com/ChristinMP_ 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 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 Odd-even scheme enforced in Delhi only 5 times out of 95 needed: CAG report 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 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. 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 'Politics is not...: Adityanath on ambition of becoming Prime Minister 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. 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 Politics not my full-time job, says Yogi Adityanath; asks Muslims to learn religious discipline from Hindus 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. 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 Supreme Court pulls up UP govt for Prayagraj demolitions: 'Shocks our conscience' 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 Parimal Peeyush 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 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. 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 VHP's warning shot amid grand plan for Ram Navami celebrations in Bengal: 'Will retaliate if attacked' Parimal Peeyush 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 Waqf Bill in Lok Sabha today: Key provisions and why it is controversial Smriti Mishra 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 Will Nitish back Centre on Waqf Bill? BJP confident of support from allies, JD(U) keeps suspense going Parimal Peeyush 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 Congress seeks data after Yogi Adityanath claims Tamil, Telugu being taught in UP 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. 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 Shruti Pandalai is a Fellow at MP-IDSA, New Delhi looking at Indias Foreign and Security Policy with a focus on Indias Indo Pacific Geopolitics. Feedback welcome @shrutipandalai.) Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Aurobindo Das 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 As Trump tariffs loom, India shouldnt look a gift horse in the mouth Aurobindo Das 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 Srivastava is an advocate practicing at the Supreme Court of India. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Aurobindo Das 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 Love generating Studio Ghibli-style pics from ChatGPT? Here are the privacy concerns Shubhi Mishra 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 Shubhi Mishra 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 ISRO releases before and after satellite images of Myanmar earthquake devastation MC Science Desk Read the latest and trending science newsstay updated on NASA, ISRO, space missions, planets, asteroids, black holes, AI, quantum physics, galaxy discoveries, and more exciting breakthroughs. Sheetal Kumari 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 Sheetal Kumari 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 World's smallest otter once thought to be extinct, rediscovered after 186 years in Nepal Sheetal Kumari 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 Apple rolls out iOS 18.4 for iPhone users: Heres all thats new MC Tech Desk Read the latest and trending tech newsstay updated on AI, gadgets, cybersecurity, software updates, smartphones, blockchain, space tech, and the future of innovation. 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 Aabhas 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. 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 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 ChatGPT vs Grok: Which is a better Ghibli Studio art image generator Ankita Chakravarti is a seasoned journalist with nearly a decade of experience in media. She specializes in technology and lifestyle journalism. She has worked with top Indian media houses like India Today, Zee News, The Statesman, and Millennium Post. Her expertise spans tech trends, phone launches, gadget reviews, and entertainment news. Ankita holds a Master's in Journalism and Mass Communication along with a degree in English Literature. She can be reached out at ankita.chakravarti@nw18.com 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. 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 MC Tech Desk Read the latest and trending tech newsstay updated on AI, gadgets, cybersecurity, software updates, smartphones, blockchain, space tech, and the future of innovation. 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. 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 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 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. 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 Pragya Trivedi 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 How India plans to navigate Trumps tariffs: A look at challenges and opportunities Abhinav Gupta 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 Is Elon Musk's DOGE gig ending? Amid sharp backlash, Donald Trump talks about Tesla boss going back 'at certain point' 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. 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 'My life expectancy is not increasing' Elon Musk says amid receiving death threats Pragya Trivedi 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 'Never felt stuck' - NASA astronaut Sunita Williams rejects 'neglect' claims in first interview after return 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. 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 New US entry rules under Trump's border crackdown: What travelers must know to avoid trouble Abhinav Gupta 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 'Northeast integral part of India': Former Indian envoy slams Muhammad Yunus for his 'landlocked comment Pragya Trivedi 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 Pentagon enforces uniform physical fitness standards for all combat roles in US military 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 'Someone is going to be arrested': Musks cryptic post amid row over social security numbers 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 Trump is 'not joking' about a 3rd presidential term. But is it possible? Here are the loopholes Abhinav Gupta 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 Yeeshu Yadav 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 Trump administration launches probe of Harvard's $9 billion in federal aid on grounds of antisemitism Abhinav Gupta 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 Trumps auto tariffs are here: Which car makers will thrive, and whos in trouble? Pragya Trivedi 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 Trump vs Obama in 2028? US President hypes up 'clash of titans' for next presidential polls Pragya Trivedi 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 US prosecutors to seek death penalty for Luigi Mangione, says Bondi Manjiri Patil 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 'We will find you': U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi announces federal charges against alleged Tesla firebomber 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 What international visitors should know about entering the US under Trumps border crackdown Pragya Trivedi 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 Xiaomi releases statement on reportedly fatal accident involving SU7 EV, local traffic authority investigating the case: report Global Times) 16:43, April 01, 2025 This photo taken on Oct. 17, 2024, shows new energy vehicle model SU7 produced by Chinese tech firm Xiaomi displayed during the 2024 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference in Beijing, capital of China. The 2024 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference kicked off here Thursday, during which a series of activities will be staged to promote the coordinated development of intelligent connected vehicles and related fields. (Photo/Xinhua) Shares of Xiaomi Inc. fell as much as 5 percent in intraday trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Tuesday, after the company revealed details of a reported fatal highway accident involving one of its electric vehicles on March 29 that reportedly killed three people, according to a report from thepaper.cn. Local traffic authority in Tongling, East China's Anhui Province has started an investigation to examine the cause of the accident, according to local news portal news.chengdu.cn. On Tuesday, the Chinese electric vehicle maker issued a statement acknowledging an accident involving a SU7 EV on the Dezhou-Shangrao Expressway late on the night of March 29. The accident received wide attention on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Tuesday. Many users expressed concern over the EV's safety protocols and called for a thorough investigation. According to Henan Province-based news site dahebao.cn, three people were killed in the accident, citing local traffic police. Xiaomi expressed deep regret over the tragic accident. Local news media nfnews.com reported that the casualties were caused by the locking of vehicle doors upon collision and a battery fire that ensued, citing individuals who identified themselves as relatives of the victims. The vehicle was operating in NOA (Navigation on Autopilot) mode, maintaining a speed of 116 km per hour before the accident which occurred on a section of road under construction where traffic barriers had closed off the original lane and diverted vehicles to the opposite lane, Xiaomi said. After detecting an obstacle, the vehicle alerted a warning and began decelerating. The driver took over the car, switching to manual mode and continuing to reduce speed while steering, the company said. According to a time log released by the company, the warning happened 2-4 seconds before the collision. Nevertheless, the vehicle ultimately collided with a cement barrier. The system recorded the vehicle's speed at approximately 97 km per hour at the moment of impact. Xiaomi said that the company will continue to fully cooperate with local police and adhere strictly to the investigation results to ensure transparency in the handling of the accident. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Harare What began as a call for demonstrations by war veteran and former Zanu PF central committee member Blessed Geza transformed into a nationwide shutdown yesterday, as businesses closed, streets emptied, and learners stayed home in all of Zimbabwes major cities. While the government downplayed the impact, opposition figures and analysts hailed the protest as a success, demonstrating widespread discontent with the current administration. The protest, initially intended to be a series of demonstrations, saw minimal activity in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Gweru, Masvingo, and Chinhoyi. However, the heavy police presence across these cities indicated the tense atmosphere and the governments determination to suppress any signs of unrest. In Harare, tensions flared as anti-riot police violently dispersed protesters gathered at an open space near the Harare Magistrates Court. Police details fired teargas canisters to break up the crowd, sending demonstrators fleeing into nearby streets. Witnesses reported sporadic running battles as protesters retaliated by hurling stones before being overpowered by security forces. They attacked us for just standing there. This government fears its people, said one protester, who spoke on condition of anonymity, highlighting the perceived heavy-handedness of the authorities. Despite the limited number of actual demonstrations, the shutdowns impact was most visible in the eerie quiet that engulfed the usually bustling urban centres. Most shops, markets, and vending stalls were closed, while public transport stayed off the roads, fearing violence. In Bulawayo, the central business district was a ghost town, where only a few brave informal traders ventured out. Schools across the country recorded alarmingly low attendance, with parents keeping children at home due to safety concerns. A survey undertaken by NewsDay revealed that there was no public transport save for a few kombis that had increased their fares from R10 to US$1 for a single trip into the city. Some of the business operators in Emganwini high-density suburb indicated that they fear losing their goods to looters. The situation is tricky; we fear vandalism and looting, most of the people at home, no children went to school. We cannot risk our business as well, said one of the operators, illustrating the difficult choices faced by business owners. In Mutare and Gweru, some pupils who showed up were turned away since teachers failed to report for duty. Some schools in Harare were forced to cancel examinations because of a low turnout after parents resolved not to risk the safety of their children. I didnt want to take chances. Weve seen how protests turn violent, said a Harare mother, Emily, whose two children stayed home. Despite the clear disruption, government officials dismissed the shutdown as insignificant. Police claimed the situation was normal and blamed a few rogue elements for the unrest. The ZRP reiterates that the situation in Harare CBD is normal and calm, including at Robert Mugabe Square, where some social media sites are falsely claiming that there are people barricading roads with stones. This is not correct. The public should ignore calls by individuals and syndicates through some social media sites to engage in unlawful public gathering activities, police posted on X (formerly Twitter). The police warn social media sites against the circulation of old videos to cause alarm and despondency in the country. However, opposition figures and civil society groups declared the protest a success, arguing that the deserted streets sent a strong message to authorities. Adding to the days events, tens of disgruntled citizens took to the streets, protesting against President Emmerson Mnangagwas government, after what had started as an unusually quiet day in the capital. The demonstrators converged at Robert Mugabe Square, also known as Freedom Square, around 1030 hours heeding to calls by expelled Zanu PF Central Committee member and war veteran Blessed Geza, demanding Mnangagwas immediate resignation. Despite police efforts to clear Freedom Square, the protesters repeatedly reappeared in groups, sometimes circling the perimeter fence of the Harare Magistrates Court. Police fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds, but to no avail. The protesters barricaded the intersection of Rotten Row and Robert Mugabe streets with stones, rendering it impassable for motorists. Demonstrators were audibly heard chanting Tipeiwo Commander (Give us the Commander) and 2030 taramba (We reject 2030), alternating between the two slogans. New Zimbabwe spoke to a couple of protesters who explained that tipeiwo commander referred to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga. This is the time for Chiwenga to take over. He has worked many years as a disciplined soldier. Mnangagwa must respect Chiwenga, said a demonstrator identified as Frank, revealing a potential power struggle within the ruling party. In a separate development, police rounded up nine journalists outside Harare Magistrates Courts and transported them to Harare Central Police Station, where they were briefly detained. The journalists were released after being interrogated about who they were interviewing during the protests and which media outlets they worked for. The journalists were profiled and screened before being released without charge, raising concerns about press freedom and the governments attempts to control the narrative surrounding the protests. While the police issued a statement dismissing images and visuals of protesters as lacking credibility, this denial fell flat, as various media platforms widely shared the latest updates from the Harare protests. The news crew also observed that police arrested scores of people, but some were subsequently released and could be seen rejoining the demonstration. This could suggest that some protesters have questionable motives, or that the police are exercising a degree of leniency a marked contrast to their previous and traditional treatment of opposition protesters. However, some were arrested and taken to Harare Central Police Station. With tensions still simmering, political analyst Ibbo Mandaza said the massive success of the stay away was a message to the government. The massive stay away is a massive political statement by the masses of Zimbabwe. Those in power have reason to fear and likewise the leaders of the opposition who are now left behind, having failed and even abused the high expectations of Zimbabweans ready for change yesterday, he said. Political analyst Eldred Masunungure said while the organisers had erred in calling on Zimbabweans to confront a vicious government prepared to thwart demonstrations, the fact that people did not heed the government call to continue with their daily activities was also a win for the organisers. It also remains clear that Zimbabweans are not ready to engage or confront the government forces like they used to do in 2000. It was also clear that there was no ultimate winner because the people stayed home while the stay away was also a statement from the ordinary people, Masunungure said. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Harare War veteran and vocal government critic Blessed Geza has abruptly called off planned protests aimed at forcing President Emmerson Mnangagwa out of power, alleging a plot by state agents to frame him for terrorism. This dramatic turn of events follows a day of nationwide stayaways, highlighting the complex and multifaceted nature of opposition to the current regime. Speaking late on March 31, Geza said he received intelligence reports suggesting that Major Sean Mnangagwa, who is the presidents son, was planning to plant bombs at strategic locations and then blame him for the attacks. Ive decided to call off the protests on hearing from intelligence sources that Major Sean Mnangagwa is planning to plant bombs in certain targets and designate me as a terrorist, Geza announced, raising serious questions about the political climate and the lengths to which factions within the ruling party are willing to go. His dramatic statement comes just hours after he declared that he would drive Mnangagwa from power this week, fuelling speculation over whether his decision to back down was due to security concerns or pressure from within ZANU PFs factional battles. Gezas withdrawal from the protests underscores the deepening divisions within ZANU PF, as factions loyal to Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga continue to clash. Reports indicate that Mnangagwa is allegedly planning to sideline Chiwenga, replacing him with Kudakwashe Tagwirei, a powerful businessman with close ties to the ruling elite. Tagwirei, known for his vast economic influence in fuel, mining, and agriculture, has reportedly been positioning himself for a future leadership role, with some suggesting he harbours ambitions of becoming Zimbabwes next president. Now whats next? Ive decided to call off the protest. This is because Ive gathered intelligence of an evil plan- Sean Mnangagwa has bought explosives. He wants to bomb, he wants to bomb certain targets tonight and blame it on me. This will be done to label me a terrorist. We had our peaceful protest today. Now lets call it off for now. A statement has already been made. Ill come back to you on Wednesday (tomorrow) with a very, very crucial announcement. This will change the direction of things and take us to a higher new level, said Geza in his latest address to the nation published on Youtube last night. Prior to Gezas announcement, the day had been marked by a nationwide stayaway, a form of mass action chosen by Zimbabweans to express their discontent with President Emmerson Mnangagwas government. While Gezas initial call for an uprising against Mnangagwa did not materialise in the form of street protests or demonstrations, the stayaway demonstrated a widespread disaffection with the current state of affairs. So was this a failure or not? Judging Geza by what had set out to do in the first place, he did not succeed as anticipated to stir an uprising, but he succeeded in galvanising people to express their social discontent against Mnangagwas government. Geza did not get what he really wanted, but people also ignored Mnangagwa and government pleas for them to go to work, and act business as usual. The reasons for the stayaway are varied, but include that people are disgruntled with Mnangagwa, they also tired of failed Zanu PF rule, fear of being caught up a violent confrontation and unwillingness to get drawn into Zanu PFs internal succession power struggle. It is hard to argue that people stayed away because they did not want to be associated with Gezas call for an uprising. Zimbabweans would not mind seeing the back of Mnangagwa by whatever means the end justifies the means. While it may seem like Gezas agenda was a failure because there was no uprising which was his main objective, it is essential to consider the context and the impact of the stayaway. From a minimalist perspective, Geza failed to achieve his key mission remove Mnangagwa through a street uprising. However, a maximalist view would suggest the stayaway, in itself, was a form of a major protest against Mnangagwas government, demonstrating widespread disaffection with the current state of affairs. Gezas call to action, although not resulting in a full-blown street uprising, still managed to mobilise the population to take a stand. Zimbabwe has a long history of stayaways. People now know how to express their discontent without putting themselves in the line of fire as security forces usually ruthlessly crackdown on protests. Gezas remarks were not just a call to action or merely an uprising, but also a scathing critique of Mnangagwas regime to wear it down through a war of attrition. He accused the president of failing to run the country properly, corruption, nepotism, neglecting civil servants, and in the process mainly surrounding himself with thieves, conmen, and heartless killers. In this sense, Gezas agenda can be seen as having partially failed or partially successful, as it local, regional and global brought attention to the grievances of the Zimbabwean people and put pressure on the government to address these concerns. However, whether Gezas ultimate goal of ousting Mnangagwa will be achieved remains to be seen. Only time will tell. The situation is complex, and the outcome depends on various factors, including the governments response to the protests going forward, and the level of support Geza receives from the military and other key stakeholders, including the ordinary people, opposition parties and civil society. Yesterday was a political battle in a war which may take much longer to end whichever way. While Mnangagwa remains in power, his position has now become more precarious even vulnerable to further pressure. Adding another layer to the days events, Zimbabwean police were restrained, professional and better behaved in dealing with the stayaway and peoples attempt at peaceful streets protests. There are many and varied reasons why police, which is associated brutality, human rights abuses and impunity, was were restrained. The first is that there was no major security threat to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government from the stayaway. Insiders say the government had instructed police to adopt a more measured approach, in an attempt to minimise bad publicity and avoid further inflaming tensions. The police were also cautious to avoid an escalation and not to provoke the protesters, fearing any aggressive actions could escalate the situation and lead to more widespread unrest. There have also been reports of divisions within Zimbabwean security forces, the police, the intelligence and army, with some elements sympathetic to the protesters grievances. This contributed to a more restrained police response. With the stayaway protest receiving international attention, and government and police wanted to avoid any actions that could be perceived as heavy-handed or repressive. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Harare The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has launched a nationwide operation targeting unregistered vehicles, warning that all such vehicles will be impounded with immediate effect. The police have stated that the vehicles will only be released once the necessary registration processes have been completed. In a recent statement, the police warned all motorists against driving unregistered vehicles, emphasising that doing so is a flagrant violation of the Vehicle Registration and Licensing Act (Chapter 13:14). The new measures apply to all types of vehicles, including those owned by families, companies, as well as Government departments. The ZRPs statement underscores the seriousness with which they are treating this issue, aiming to bring order and accountability to the nations roads. Motorists have therefore been advised to take the warning seriously as the country reinforces its enforcement of vehicle registration and ownership transfer regulations. The clampdown on such vehicles will be with immediate effect and police said their release will only be granted upon full compliance with registration laws. Beyond unregistered vehicles, the police have also raised concerns regarding widespread irregularities in vehicle ownership transfers. Investigations have revealed a troubling trend where vehicles are resold multiple times without the required legal change of ownership. They indicated that some cars have reportedly been sold to as many as five or seven individuals while remaining registered under the original owners name. Police investigations have uncovered a disturbing pattern where a vehicle is sold multiple times but still remains listed under the original owners name, they said in a statement, highlighting the extent of the problem. They indicated that such cases often come to light when a vehicle is involved in criminal activities or traffic violations, complicating the tracking of the responsible party. This practice not only undermines the integrity of the vehicle registration system but also poses significant challenges for law enforcement when investigating crimes or traffic offenses involving these vehicles. The police have pledged to investigate such cases thoroughly and pursue legal action against those involved, calling on motorists to ensure that their vehicles are properly registered and that ownership changes are processed within two weeks of any sale in accordance with legal requirements. This commitment to legal action sends a strong message to those who flout the law and attempt to evade their responsibilities. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Harare Ninety-eight individuals appeared in court on Tuesday, facing charges of participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, following their alleged involvement in anti-government protests on March 31. The group has been remanded in custody until April 10, when a ruling on their bail application is expected. The arrests follow calls for demonstrations against President Emmerson Mnangagwa by expelled Zanu-PF Central Committee member and war veteran Blessed Geza. Of those arrested, 95 appeared before provincial magistrate Isheunesu Matova, while three others Moreblessing Nkomo, Jenifer Chimange, and Sthabile Maduve appeared separately before provincial magistrate Ruth Moyo. The trio was apprehended at the CoppaCabana bus terminus, while the remaining 95 were arrested at Robert Mugabe Square, also known as Freedom Square. Prosecutors have opposed bail for all 98 individuals. Lawyers representing the accused and prosecutors will now file written bail arguments before the court delivers its verdict on April 10. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), on March 31, 2025, at approximately 9:20 AM, the accused gathered at Robert Mugabe Square with the intention of marching through the streets of Harare. The NPA alleges that the group also intended to proceed to the State House of Zimbabwe and forcibly remove the constitutionally elected President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The NPA further claims: The accused were making their vows of removing the President, saying, enough is enough, Mnangagwa must go, ED must go nezvigananda zvake. Madzibaba veshanduko huyai mutitungamirire, comrade Geza huyai mutitungamirire and whistled. The prosecution asserts that police officers, deployed to maintain order, observed approximately 200 people gathered at the square and approached the group. The accused piled stones, bricks and tyres along Robert Mugabe road, according to the NPA. They threw stones towards the police officers whilst singing Hatidi zvekupihwa order nemasasikamu. They also took pictures and videos which they posted on various social media platforms. The prosecution states that individuals one to 94 were arrested at the crime scene, while accused 95 was arrested at his residence after being identified from circulating pictures and videos. Meanwhile, Zimbabweans also took to the streets in Pretoria, South Africa, protesting against President Emmerson Mnangagwas government and the extension of his term in office. The protesters first gathered at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where they pleaded with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene, DW Africa reported. They then marched to the Zimbabwean embassy, demanding the immediate resignation of Mnangagwa and his administration. Mnangagwa must go with his cabinetwe are suffering, said one protester. I am saying to Mnangagwa, can you please step down? another protester added. The leader of the protest, Silwangani Ncube, also weighed in, saying, Please, Mnangagwa, the honorable thing you can do now is step down. In an interview with SABC News, Ambassador of Zimbabwe to South Africa David Hamadziripi dismissed any tensions in the country, saying it was just social media. Everything is normal, and what is on social media is not reality, there is nothing happening in Zimbabwe, everything is normal, he said. In Harare, a separate group of protesters gathered at Robert Mugabe Square, where they were dispersed by police. They later reappeared along Rotten Row, barricading the road and chanting songs rejecting Mnangagwas 2030 agenda. Police again dispersed them using water cannons and teargas. A large police deployment in Harare and other cities on Monday largely neutralised a call by war veterans for large protests against plans to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwas rule and rampant corruption. Zimbabwes ruling Zanu PF party said in January that it wanted to extend Mnangagwas term in office by two years until 2030. Eighty-two-year-old Mnangagwa, who first came to power in 2017 after his long-term mentor Robert Mugabe was deposed in a military coup, is serving his final term. Independence war veterans led by Blessed Geza previously supported Mnangagwa but have turned against him, accusing him of seeking to cling to power. The 98 accused will remain in custody until April 10, when the court is expected to rule on their bail applications. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai just became the first company to use the rail corridor, which is being touted as a possible plan B to the embattled canal. Just a few weeks ago, the Trump Administration was celebrating what seemed to be an early strategic victory over China in the US direct neighbourhood. As readers may recall, a consortium led by the investment fund manager BlackRock had just announced its purchase of 80 percent of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchisons port holdings, giving the consortium control over dozens of ports in more than 20 countries, including, crucially, the Balboa and Cristobal docks at either end of the Panama Canal. The sale of CK Hutchisons ports business put the ports [in Panama] under American control after President Donald Trump [had] alleged Chinese interference with the operations of the critical shipping lane, noted an Associated Press article. The message was clear: the Trump Administration is not going to stand by and watch as China expands its influence in the USs own backyard, especially over strategic assets like the Panama Canal. To put this in broader context, the attempted buy out of the Panamanian ports came just three months after the opening of the Chinese-financed and -managed deep sea port in Chancay, which as Asia Times reported, signalled the start of a new era of efficient, high-capacity shipping between China and Peru, with a connection to Brazil across the Andes. As a measure of Chancays importance to the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping even travelled to Peru to inaugurate the mega port (as well as attend the 31st APEC Economic Leaders Meeting held in Lima), where he said: We are witnessing not only the solid and successful joint implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in Peru, but also the birth of a new land-maritime corridor between Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean in a new era. Of course, this caused all sort of teeth gnashing in Washington, especially given that Chancay is more advanced than any seaport in the US. Within weeks, US officials were signing a strategic agreement with Ecuadors Daniel Noboa government that allows the US to install military personnel, weapons and other equipment on the Galapagos islands, a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site in a country whose constitution expressly prohibits the establishment of foreign military bases. The island chain is 1,900 kms from Chancay. Since its inauguration, Trump 2.0 has upped the stakes, showing a clear willingness to use every conceivable tactic, including gangster extortion, to stymie Chinese influence on the American continent, particularly in Mexico and Central America. As Conor recently reported, the Trump administrations obsession with shipping lanes and maritime infrastructure extends beyond the American continent: Most indications are that the goal is to push back Chinese influence while cementing US naval dominance so as to be capable of enacting a global maritime blockade of China. Selling Out the Chinese People Against this complex backdrop, the BlackRock-led consortiums purchase of CK Hutchisons port holdings (outside of China and Hong Kong) was set to be consummated with a formal signing of the Panama ports transaction by April 2 that is, tomorrow. But that, alas, will not be happening, at least not any time soon, since Beijing has decided that it, too, can play dirty on the global chessboard. Last week, Chinas State Administration for Market Regulation said it plans to review [the sale] in accordance with the law to protect fair competition in the market and safeguard the public interest. As the FT reports, the move came on the back of earlier commentary in the Ta Kung Pao, a pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong, that called the sale a spineless, grovelling move that sells out all Chinese people. The agreement in principle was announced in early March, with a formal signing of the Panama ports transaction expected by April 2. However, this is now set to be delayed, according to two people familiar with the matter. Yesterday, the newspaper featured comments from Hong Kong politicians and Chinese lawyers urging the CK Hutchison to rethink the sale of its ports division, which is kind of ironic given that the main point of the sale was to de-risk its port holdings. Now, it is caught in the middle of a bitch fight between the worlds two superpowers, for which it has already paid a heavy price. Since news of Beijings objections to the sale broke on March 13, the companys shares have fallen 13%, retracing more than half of the 25% gain after the deals announcement. One Ta Kung Pao editorial even suggested that the sale could contravene Hong Kongs national security laws, known as Article 23. If, as the FT notes, the deal were ultimately blocked, it could have major repercussions not only for Beijings already troubled relations with Hong Kongs business elite but also Hong Kongs reputation as a global financial centre: CK Hutchison, controlled by Hong Kongs richest man Li Ka-shing and his family, has increasingly been caught between Beijing and Washington over the Panama ports since US President Donald Trump complained of Chinese influence over the canal and said the US would be taking it back. It is unusual for a Chinese state agency to review a deal involving a Hong Kong-based company. CK Hutchisons holding company is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and the conglomerates ports in China are excluded from the sale. Is this a warning shot to others or a look to scuttle this deal? one person familiar with the deal said. On paper, the SAMR reviewing how this deal affects the Chinese shipping industry under its anti-monopoly mandate makes a lot of sense. But does anyone really believe that or is this . . . the Chinese scuttling a deal which will then have ramifications on Hong Kong as a financial centre? Torpedoing the deal . . . would send shockwaves all around the financial world, said Josh Lipsky, senior director at the Atlantic Councils GeoEconomics Center and a former adviser at the IMF. The risks are so high for all involved. The End of the Belt-and-Road in Panama The deal represented a triumph for the Trump Administrations geostrategic aspirations in its own neighbourhood as well as a blow to Chinas belt-and-road project, given that some 6% of global trade passes through the canal. According to the US International Trade Commission, the Canal has 46% of the total market share of containers moving from Northeast Asia to the East Coast of the United States. Panama itself was the first country in Latin America to join Chinas Belt-and-Road initiative, in 2017. However, the Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, under pressure from US Sec of State Marco Rubio, recently said he would withdraw Panamas Belt-and-Road membership when it comes up for review. The CK Hutchison deal was also supposed to mark a major milestone for BlackRocks global infrastructure ambitions. According to Bloomberg, Fink had personally called Trump and asked him to help BlackRock purchase the Panama Canal ports. The billionaire CEO reportedly boasted of BlackRocks deep links with governments worldwide, stating, We are increasingly the first call. But apparently not in Beijing. For Trump, the deal was all about reclaiming the canal for the United States a message that, perhaps unsurprisingly, has not gone down well in Panama. This is a country wearily accustomed to US military interventions, the last of which took place in 1989 with George H W Bushs invasion and toppling of Manuel Antonio Noriega, Panamas strong arm dictator (1983-9) and former CIA asset and go-between during the US dirty wars in Central America. Much like Saddam Hussein a few years later, Noriega thought he could go his own way. Trump has repeatedly denounced that US ships pay exorbitant prices to transit the waterway, though they, in fact, pay the same rates as ships of any other flag. But the deal is now on ice anyway, meaning that other options, including military ones, are back on the table. US-Style Partnering With Panama Even before Chinese regulators put the stick in the spokes, the Trump Administration had already directed the US military to draw up plans to increase the American troop presence in Panama, according to information leaked to NBC. As the NBC article notes, the amount of military force used will depend on the extent to which Panama is willing to, ahem, partner with the US: U.S. Southern Command is developing potential plans from partnering more closely with Panamanian security forces to the less likely option of U.S. troops seizing the Panama Canal by force, the officials said. Whether military force is used, the officials added, depends on how much Panamanian security forces agree to partner with the United States. The Trump administrations goal is to increase the U.S. military presence in Panama to diminish Chinas influence there, particularly access to the canal, the officials said. Trump seems to believe that the US has, at the very least, joint, if not full, ownership rights over the canal due to the fact that the US government and banks financed its construction between 1904 and 1914. What happened just before 1904 is often forgotten or overlooked, however. The veteran US journalist Ken Silverstein jogged a few memories in his 2014 article for Vice, : In 1903, the administration of Theodore Roosevelt created the country after bullying Colombia into handing over what was then the province of Panama. Roosevelt acted at the behest of various banking groups, among them JP Morgan & Co, which was appointed as the countrys fiscal agent in charge of managing $10m in aid that the US had rushed down to the new nation. US interests were myriad: on the one hand, Washington wanted access to, and control over, the canal that French builders had begun but failed to finish in the 1880s. At the same time, Wall Street banks were keen to create a new nation that would primarily serve their interests. As John Pilger reported for The Guardian in 2016, it was JP Morgan that would lead the American banks in gradually transforming Panama into a financial centre and a haven for tax evasion and money laundering as well as a passage for shipping. Washington maintained control of the interoceanic waterway until 1977 during which time when then-US President Jimmy Carter signed with the then Panamanian leader, Omar Torrijos, the cession of US control of the facility 22 years later. The agreement came after years of protests in Panama against US occupation but was widely criticised by US conservatives at the time and is seen by Trump as a serious mistake. But the Panama Canal has lost some of its lustre since the jungle country suffered an unprecedented drought in 2023. As we noted a few weeks ago, the BlackRock-led consortiums participation in the canal could prove to be more of a curse than a blessing, especially given Panamas ongoing water crisis. The canal already experienced a 29% drop in ship transits during fiscal year 2024 due to severe drought conditions, according to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). As Tom Neuburger wrote in a Jan 2024 article we cross-posted here, the plans to fix the Canal sound like plans to fix the climate: Bill Gates-style high tech fantasies. [Bloomberg] In the long term, the primary solution to chronic water shortages will be to dam up the Indio River and then drill a tunnel through a mountain to pipe fresh water 8 kilometers (5 miles) into Lake Gatun, the canals main reservoir. Thats a $2 billion project if it comes in on budget. But is it a long-term fix? Bloomberg admits that Panama will need to dam even more rivers to guarantee water through the end of the century. Sounds like Band-Aids to me. Lots of them. And residents of the to-be-flooded land are vigorously opposed, so it will be a political fight to move them. Another potential fix is decidedly more experimental cloud seeding, the process of implanting large salt particles into clouds to boost the condensation that creates rain. The article is not optimistic that this will work. Another Gatesian dream: Pretty. Impossible. Or to say that differently, pretty impossible. Plan B Option: Mexico? As the future of the Panama Canal hangs in the balance, Mexico has begun pilot testing the Interoceanic Rail Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (also known by its Spanish initials, CIIT). On Friday, a ship chartered by the Hyundai Motor Company docked at the Pacific port of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca. Its cargo, 600 Hyundai vehicles, were unloaded and placed on a freight train that then set off across the Isthmus, Mexicos narrowest land bridge, to the port of Coatzacoalcos in Veracruz, where the cargo was loaded onto another boat destined for the US East Coast. And just like that, the first genuine rival route, or perhaps better put, complementary route, to the Panama Canal was born. Or perhaps better put, reborn. You see, most of the infrastructure for the project was built over a century ago. In fact, the 188-mile railroad joining the two main ports was opened in 1907, seven years before the inauguration of the Panama Canal, and within no time was plying as many as 60 trains a day carrying things like sugar from the Caribbean on their way to the US West Coast. But its success was short lived. When the Mexican Revolution broke out in 1910, the railroads were increasingly used to transport weapons and troops rather than freight. Four years later, the Panama Canal opened, offering a more attractive route to international businesses. Gradually, over time Mexicos interoceanic railroad system fell into disrepair, and while recent governments in Mexico have talked about rebooting the system, it wasnt until Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (aka AMLO) took power in 2018 that the words actually turned into action. As we reported in September 2023, if completed and done well, it will probably represent the most important infrastructure project of Lopez Obradors presidency. The goal is not just to turn Mexico into a logistics powerhouse but also to spread wealth across the country by boosting economic opportunities in Mexicos poorer, long-neglected southern states (Oaxaca, Veracruz, Tabasco, etc). This will largely be through the development of ten industrial parks, or so-called free zones, along the route. The project will also include the construction of four new highways, three airports, a gas pipeline and a fibre-optic network, and already boasts a ten-stop passenger train service. As the problems stack up in Panama, other interoceanic land routes are coming under consideration, including a rival canal in neighbouring Nicaragua, which almost got built instead of the Panama Canal at the turn of the 20th century, as well as interoceanic rail corridors in Honduras and Colombia. But for the moment Mexicos CIIT has one clear advantage over all these other projects: it is close to completion, and that is largely thanks to all the work undertaken in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. An Exceptional Project While the journey time of the CIIT (6-7 hours) is slightly shorter than the Panama Canal (8-10 hours), you also have to add in the time it takes to load and unload thousands of shipping containers off a ship onto a train and then back on to a ship at the other end. According to a video report by the Wall Street Journal in September last year, Mexico still has a lot of work to do to get its ports ready for a large influx of cargo. This was a point that President Sheinbaum herself addressed in her Monday morning press conference: Several very important cranes are about to arrive. There will also be a storage facility for grains that is also important, and other actions to strengthen the port of Salina Cruz and that will allow freer movement. It is an exceptional project that provides an alternative to the Panama Canal, and when the port of Salina Cruz is complete, it will have much more activity. The total transit time for the Hyundai cargo was around 72 hours, according to local sources. Granted, this was the first pilot test carried out with a large cargo of vehicles but it still compares unfavourably with the Panama Canal unless of course one takes into account the possible waiting times for ships before passage through the canal, which during periods of low rain can mean days or even weeks of hanging around off Panamas coastline. During the 2023 drought, waiting times reached as long as 14 days, leaving some carriers little choice but to bid millions in extra fees to jump the line. Another advantage of the CIIT for a shipment from, say, South Korea to New York is that you wouldnt have to go all the way down to Panama, navigate the canal and then go all the way back up again. Also, the long-term goal of Mexicos interoceanic rail corridor is to bring the journey time down to low double or even single-digit figures as the logistics systems at the two ports gain in efficiency. According to the WSJ report, it should ultimately take around 15 hours for cargos to pass through Mexico. But as Mexican journalist Agustin Garcia Villa notes, the success of a project of this scale and grandeur will require many things, including a trained workforce, technology, super-rapid processing of containers at the ports (which is good for all businesses, including, of course, drug trafficking ones), reliable energy sources, and the development of properly urbanised mid-sized cities that guarantee an adequate supply of housing, schools, hospitals, health centres, energy and markets. It will also depend on the amount of security Mexicos marines can provide to the strategic infrastructure. All of that, in turn, will require a steady flow of significant investment as well as long-term political commitment. The former is, for the moment, amply covered, with money coming in from all sides, including up to $2.8 billion from the Inter-American Investment Bank. Put simply, big business, not just from the US, wants this project to happen. So, too, does the Claudia Sheinbaum government, which took over the reins of power from AMLO last October. Ultimately, as the WSJ report concludes, Mexicos re-emerging interoceanic rail corridor is unlikely to rival Panama Canal in terms of capacity or speed of transit even once complete. But it could serve as a very useful complement. As Doctor Yasmine Sabri, associate professor of logistics at University College London, tells the WSJ, rather than competing with each other, perhaps the two could work together by sharing data, enabling them to reroute vessels whenever there is a chokepoint, whether it is in Panama or Mexico. However, big questions still remain. For instance, how much opposition will the construction of industrial parks in Oaxaca and Veracruz face from local indigenous communities? If there is strong resistance, how will the Sheinbaum government respond? Like AMLO before her, Sheinbaum prides herself on representing indigenous rights and voices. It also remains to be seen how the Trump administration will respond to the CIIT project as and when it gradually comes on line. Of course, Trump will have somewhat more difficulty bullying Mexico into submission than it did Panama, but it can still pull some pretty large levers, including, of course, tariffs and the threat of military intervention. Will Chinese companies be interested in investing in the industrial parks along the route, as it has done in so many other infrastructure projects in southern Mexico? Much will depend on whether Mexico continues to serve as a point of entry for competitively priced manufactured goods into the US market, which cannot be taken for granted. Of course, Washington will try to talk Mexico out of accepting any offers of Chinese funds. Mexico, like Panama, finds itself caught in a tussle between two apex superpowers, and is already paying a heavy price. US pressure to impose equivalent tariffs on Chinese goods continues to rise. To assuage US demands, the Mexican Iron and Steel Industry Chamber has even called for the Sheinbaum government to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership in order to prevent Chinese steel imports from entering Mexico via TPP signatory nations such as Malaysia and Vietnam. If the Trump administration does try to impose its will on Mexicos re-emerging trade route as it has tried to do with the Panama Canal, so far unsuccessfully, it will heap even further pressure on the rapidly fracturing global trade system. And if this goes on for long enough, global trade volumes will ultimately begin to fall, perhaps even obviating the need for so many transoceanic trade routes in the first place. Yemen has been heavily bombed for many years. The U.S. enabled the bombing of Yemen from 2015 until 2024, and it is now bombing Yemen directly. I will examine the history of these bombing campaigns and explain how they reflect a dysfunctional and delusional approach to the use of armed force in U.S. foreign policy. The bombing of Yemen can be divided into two phases: the campaign against the Houthi-led faction in the Yemen civil war and the U.S./Israel campaign resulting from the Gaza war. In neither phase has it been military effective. Some Facts about Yemen Yemen is not a tiny country. Although it is a relatively small player economically, it has a population of over 30 million and a land area between the size of California and Texas. The nations geography includes large areas of desert, but there are also extensive mountainous regions and a long coastline. Yemen is an ancient country, and the capital city of Sanaa, a World Heritage Site, has been continuously inhabited since the first century CE. Like Iraq, Yemen is a religiously divided tribal society, with Shia Houthis in the more populous northwest and Sunni tribes in the southeast. Tensions between these factions erupted into a civil war in 2014. The Yemen Civil War is a complex conflict involving multiple parties. It started when Houthi rebels, a Shiite group from northern Yemen, seized the capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to flee. In 2015, a Saudi-led coalition, backed by the U.S. and other allies, intervened militarily to restore Hadis government. The war has also involved separatist movements, Islamist groups like Al-Qaeda, and regional rivalries between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which supports the Houthis. The conflict has led to one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises, with widespread famine, disease, and civilian casualties. How the Bombing Started The Yemen Civil War The bombing of Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition began on March 26, 2015. The operation, called Operation Decisive Storm, was launched in response to the Houthi takeover of the capital, Sanaa, and their advance toward Aden, where President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi had fled after escaping house arrest in Sanaa. The air campaign was initially intended to weaken the Houthis and restore Hadis government, but it escalated into a prolonged conflict, causing widespread destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis. The coalition, consisting of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Arab states, received logistical and intelligence support from the U.S., U.K., and other Western allies. Despite years of bombings, the Houthis remain in control of northern Yemen, including Sanaa. U.S. supplied bombs were used in vast numbers in thousands of Saudi alliance airstrikes, inflicting substantial casualties. Rough estimates based on the the number of strikes indicate that approximately 40,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Yemen by the Saudis and their UAE ally. Many of these were precision munitions, but they were often used with little concern for civilian casualties. How the Bombing is Going U.S. Attempts to Break the Rea Sea Blockade The U.S. had been making small and sporadic air strikes against Al Qaeda forces in Yemen, mostly with drones, since 2002. The tempo of these strikes increased until 2016, but the strikes were still pinpoint attacks, usually aimed a key individuals. Under the first Trump administration there were still more anti-terrorist strikes, with attendant civilian casualties. Under Biden, in 2021, these strikes declined, partly as a result of a cease-fire in the civil war. With the outbreak of the Gaza, war, the Houthis declared a partial blockade of the Red Sea, prohibiting the passage of Israel related shipping. Israel launched several airstrikes against Yemen in an effort to break the blockade, and the U.S. committed naval forces to defend shipping against Houthi missile strikes. These efforts have been ineffective. There has been a significant reduction of shipping traffic because insurers are reluctant to provide coverage in the presence of war risks. The blockade was suspended by the Houthis during the Gaza truce, but when hostilities resumed in March of this year, the Houthis announced their intention to resume the blockade. Trump then began a series of airstrikes against the Houthis and threatened to escalate the attacks further. Hundreds of strikes have been conducted by U.S. Navy and Air Force planes, with no end in sight. The Houthis have resumed their missile attacks and have continued to shoot down U.S. reconnaissance drones. The Military Logic of Bombing The delivery of bombs by aircraft developed for tactical and strategic purposes. The limited payload and numbers of early aircraft limited bombing to functioning as a kind of long-range artillery used to strike targets of tactical significance. After WWI, Germany pioneered a combined-arms approach that incorporated tactical bombing as a close support method for armored assault groups, enabling the blitzkrieg offensives of WWII. The mass production of long-range bomber aircraft in WWII enabled the rise of strategic bombing. Instead of directly assisting ground forces, the strategic bombers would deliver large-scale strikes intended to deprive the enemy of industrial war making resources. Military historians have judged tactical bombing to be a successful military innovation, and it remains the rationale for development and deployment of fighter/bomber aircraft worldwide. The combined-arms approach, in which air strikes are closely coordinated with ground operations, is standard military doctrine for conventional warfare. Opinions on the utility of strategic bombing are more critical. Postwar studies of the efficacy of strategic bombing have questioned the utility of air attacks in hindering enemy war-making potential and damaging public morale. Strategic bombing has seldom proven to be decisive in achieving a wartime victory. With the advent of nuclear ballistic missiles, the strategic role of manned bombers has been eclipsed, making the future of strategic bombing with conventional munitions doubtful. Applying military logic to the U.S. bombing campaign In Yemen calls into question the purpose of this costly operation. Absent a ground campaign to neutralize Yemens missile sites, the bombing can only peck away at the hundreds of concealed and mobile missile launchers. A U.S. ground invasion and occupation would require around 200,000 troops and many years of fighting against insurgents, an unappealing reprise of the Afghanistan war. Strategic bombing of Yemen would require a vast U.S. Air Force and Navy effort and could entail the destruction of cities like Sanaa, a World Heritage site. Punitive Expeditions and Performative Bombing Throughout history, powerful nations have launched punitive expeditions against weaker states to assert their dominance and attain objectives by force. This characterized the gunboat diplomacy of the colonial era. The U.S. has used this tactic occasionally against tiny adversaries such as Grenada and Panama, but the practice has gradually become disconnected from geopolitical logic. It has morphed into a kind of performative display of power. To quote from a U.S. neocon foreign policy advisor: Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business. Michael Ledeen A Profitable Theater of Cruelty U.S. military operations are no longer grounded in the reasoning of geopolitics. Rather, they have become a kind of self-perpetuating spectacle that empowers politicians while enriching and enlarging the defense establishment. When Clausewitz famously stated that War is merely the continuation of politics by other means, he was referring to geopolitics, not domestic politics. While Americas wars since 2001 have not achieved any significant international political objectives, they have funneled trillions into the defense industry and advanced many military and political careers. The absence of any accountability for failure to deliver genuine accomplishments confirms this explanation. The continuing vast wasteful expenditures are not a bug; they are a feature. Thus, Trumps bombing attacks and ferocious threats against Yemen and Iran are theatrical performances on a political stage that aid interests invested in permanent war. Conclusion The pointless bombing of Yemen is a demonstration of a militarized U.S. foreign policy that has become detached from the political, geographic, and economic realities of the modern world. The U.S. cannot readily invade and occupy Yemen, and it is unlikely to end the Red Sea blockade by force. Performative bombing strikes aimed at arousing patriotic fervor in a war-loving U.S. electorate are inflicting gratuitous harm on thousands of Yemenis while increasing the probability of a wider Mideast War. Inflicting death and destruction on foreigners to no avail is not considered a problem in Washington; it is considered an accomplishment because it serves those who benefit materially and politically from foreign wars, and it feeds the appetite for violence of an ill-informed public. Yves here. This example of the CDC clearly bending to the anti-vax beliefs of HHS chief RFK, Jr. is yet another example of how our putative leaders think they can turn their world of make-believe into reality. We saw it with the old mainstream liberals with Ukraine, simply refusing to accept that Russia was not flattened by shock and awe sanctions or that its military was not just competent, but winning the war, and now with extreme libertarian ideologues believing that their fantasies are superior to decades of experience about disease spread. The new recommendation to use Vitamin A as opposed to getting vaccinated is very worrisome. Vitamin A is toxic at not all that high doses, to the degree that doctors recommend strongly against the idea of using 0.1% Retin-A generic name tretinoin, (this concentration is available only by Rx; the now OTC versions of retinol are 50% or lower active ingredient concentration) of topical Vitamin A on more than the face and neck, even though it is a very effective wrinkle-reducer over time. See for instance: Exactly what doctors predicted after RFKjr went on Fox claiming large doses of Vitamin A were an alternative to the measles vaccine. Vitamin A overdose is highly toxic overall & in pregnancy teratogenic it can even cause limb defects much like thalidomide. pic.twitter.com/8Nnnmo0VjS ObsAnaesthetist (@DrNickB_ObAnaes) March 28, 2025 By Patricia Callahan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter exploring how federal policies affect the health of vulnerable people. Originally published at ProPublica; cross posted from Undark Leaders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered staff last week not to release their experts assessment that found the risk of catching measles is high in areas near outbreaks where vaccination rates are lagging, according to internal records reviewed by ProPublica. In an aborted plan to roll out the news, the agency would have emphasized the importance of vaccinating people against the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease that has spread to 19 states, the records show. A CDC spokesperson told ProPublica in a written statement that the agency decided against releasing the assessment because it does not say anything that the public doesnt already know. She added that the CDC continues to recommend vaccines as the best way to protect against measles. But what the nations top public health agency said next shows a shift in its long-standing messaging about vaccines, a sign that it may be falling in line under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of vaccines: The decision to vaccinate is a personal one, the statement said, echoing a line from a column Kennedy wrote for the Fox News website. People should consult with their health care provider to understand their options to get a vaccine and should be informed about the potential risks and benefits associated with vaccines. ProPublica shared the new CDC statement about personal choice and risk with Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health. To her, the shift in messaging, and the squelching of this routine announcement, is alarming. Im a bit stunned by that language, Nuzzo said. No vaccine is without risk, but that makes it sound like its a very active coin toss of a decision. Weve already had more cases of measles in 2025 than we had in 2024, and its spread to multiple states. It is not a coin toss at this point. For many years, the CDC hasnt minced words on vaccines. It promoted them with confidence. One campaign was called Get My Flu Shot. The agencys website told medical providers they play a critical role in helping parents choose vaccines for their children: Instead of saying What do you want to do about shots?, say Your child needs three shots today. Nuzzo wishes the CDCs forecasters would put out more details of their data and evidence on the spread of measles, not less. The growing scale and severity of this measles outbreak and the urgent need for more data to guide the response underscores why we need a fully staffed and functional CDC and more resources for state and local health departments, she said. Kennedys agency oversees the CDC and last Thursday announced it was poised to eliminate 2,400 jobs there. When asked what role, if any, Kennedy played in the decision to not release the risk assessment, HHS communications director said the aborted announcement was part of an ongoing process to improve communication processes nothing more, nothing less. The CDC, he reiterated, continues to recommend vaccination as the best way to protect against measles. Secretary Kennedy believes that the decision to vaccinate is a personal one and that people should consult with their health care provider to understand their options to get a vaccine, Andrew G. Nixon said. It is important that the American people have radical transparency and be informed to make personal health care decisions. Responding to questions about criticism of the decision among some CDC staff, Nixon wrote, Some individuals at the CDC seem more interested in protecting their own status or agenda rather than aligning with this Administration and the true mission of public health. The CDCs risk assessment was carried out by its Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, which relied, in part, on new disease data from the outbreak in Texas. The CDC created the center to address a major shortcoming laid bare during the Covid-19 pandemic. It functions like a National Weather Service for infectious diseases, harnessing data and expertise to predict the course of outbreaks like a meteorologist warns of storms. Other risk assessments by the center have been posted by the CDC even though their conclusions might seem obvious. In late February, for example, forecasters analyzing the spread of H5N1 bird flu said people who come in contact with potentially infected animals or contaminated surfaces or fluids faced a moderate to high risk of contracting the disease. The risk to the general U.S. population, they said, was low. In the case of the measles assessment, modelers at the center determined the risk of the disease for the general public in the U.S. is low, but they found the risk is high in communities with low vaccination rates that are near outbreaks or share close social ties to those areas with outbreaks. The CDC had moderate confidence in the assessment, according to an internal Q&A that explained the findings. The agency, it said, lacks detailed data about the onset of the illness for all patients in West Texas and is still learning about the vaccination rates in affected communities as well as travel and social contact among those infected. (The H5N1 assessment was also made with moderate confidence.) The internal plan to roll out the news of the forecast called for the expert physician whos leading the CDCs response to measles to be the chief spokesperson answering questions. It is important to note that at local levels, vaccine coverage rates may vary considerably, and pockets of unvaccinated people can exist even in areas with high vaccination coverage overall, the plan said. The best way to protect against measles is to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Last week, though, as the number of confirmed cases rose to 483, more than 30 agency staff were told in an email that after a discussion in the CDC directors office, leadership does not want to pursue putting this on the website. The cancellation was not normal at all, said a CDC staff member who spoke anonymously for fear of reprisal with layoffs looming. Ive never seen a rollout plan that was canceled at that far along in the process. Anxiety among CDC staff has been building over whether the agency will bend its public health messages to match those of Kennedy, a lawyer who founded an anti-vaccine group and referred clients to a law firm suing a vaccine manufacturer. During Kennedys first week on the job, HHS halted the CDC campaign that encouraged people to get flu shots during a ferocious flu season. On the night that the Trump administration began firing probationary employees across the federal government, some key CDC flu webpages were taken down. Remnants of some of the campaign webpages were restored after NPR reported this. But some at the agency felt like the new leadership had sent a message loud and clear: When next to nobody was paying attention, long-standing public health messages could be silenced. On the day in February that the world learned that an unvaccinated child had died of measles in Texas, the first such death in the U.S. since 2015, the HHS secretary downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak. We have measles outbreaks every year, he said at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump. In an interview on Fox News last month, Kennedy championed doctors in Texas who he said were treating measles with a steroid, an antibiotic and cod liver oil, a supplement that is high in vitamin A. Theyre seeing what they describe as almost miraculous and instantaneous recovery from that, Kennedy said. As parents near the outbreak in Texas stocked up on vitamin A supplements, doctors there raced to assure parents that only vaccination, not the vitamin, can prevent measles. Still, the CDC added an entry on Vitamin A to its measles website for clinicians. Last Wednesday, CNN reported that several hospitalized children in Lubbock, Texas, had abnormal liver function, a likely sign of toxicity from too much vitamin A. Texas health officials also said that the Trump administrations decision to rescind $11 billion in pandemic-related grants across the country will hinder their ability to respond to the growing outbreak, according to The Texas Tribune. Measles is among the most contagious diseases and can be dangerous. About 20 percent of unvaccinated people who get measles wind up in the hospital. And nearly 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children with measles will die from respiratory and neurologic complications. The virus can linger in the air for two hours after an infected person has left an area, and patients can spread measles before they even know they have it. Last week Amtrak said it was notifying customers that they may have been exposed to the disease in March when a passenger with measles rode one of its trains from New York City to Washington, D.C. A highlight of the first few years of the prior incarnation of the Music City Food & Wine Festival was the live-fire cooking pavilion that Martins Bar-B-Que Joint founder Pat Martin used to put together for his chef friends to play with smoke and fire. Even better, festival attendees got to enjoy the fruits of their efforts with an always-changing menu of delicious items coming off the fire. That event is returning to this years festival on Saturday, April 26, courtesy of Mark Waldo, the founder of Waldos Chicken and Beer. Waldo has actually worked closely with Martin through the years as part of their association with Fresh Hospitality, so hes very familiar with the vibe of festival cooking. Playing off the name of his chain of 24 locations, Waldo is calling the pavilion Waldos Chicken & Friends, a collection of like-minded chefs who are in Waldos circle of friends. The atmosphere will be casual, as each chef will prepare a couple of dishes, though not necessarily as part of an organized demonstration. Instead, attendees will be able to watch them at work and ask questions, or just visit the serving table to see whats next off the fire. This will all take place as part of the Grand Tasting from 5:30 until 9:30 p.m., along with all sorts of other activities that evening. Waldo is hoping his special activation will offer the opportunity for festival goers to chill for a little, enjoy some food and a drink, and get to meet the chefs up close and personal. So who are these chef buddies of Waldos? Its an eclectic group from around the country who all share the attitude that food should be fun! Leading off are a couple of familiar names to Nashville food fans. Chef John Currence is best-known for his Oxford, Miss., restaurant empire of City Grocery, Snackbar and Boure. But Nashvillians probably know him as the owner/operator of Big Bad Breakfast, the downhome Southern breakfast chain that has expanded to two dozen locations, including Nashville, Franklin and Spring Hill. An engaging chef who's not afraid to speak his mind, Currence is always a fun hang, so be sure to drop by the tent when hes manning the grill. Hell be joined by another Nashville chef, Andrew Dodd of Little Hats Market the Italian grocery, pasta shop and restaurant with a location in Germantown and another coming soon to Hillsboro Village. The original Waldo's location was in the same suite of restaurants as Little Hats, and Waldo and Dodd have been friends for a while. Anthony Valinoti is a former Wall Street broker who pivoted to the restaurant biz after catching the cooking bug in Naples and moving from Brooklyn to Hot Springs, Ark. like you do. Since moving to Arkansas, hes inherited the title of Maestro of Mozz thanks to the delectable pizza at his restaurant DeLucas Pizzeria in Hot Springs. (Not to be confused with the recently shuttered DeLucas on White Bridge Road.) Valinotis pizza empire continues to expand with a new location in Little Rock. The fourth team member is Pete Blohme, better known as Panini Pete. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Blohme owns several popular restaurants in L.A. (as in, Lower Alabama), including Panini Petes Cafe & Bakeshoppe in Fairhope and Squid Ink Eclectic Eats & Drinks in Mobile. Chef Pete co-founded the Messlords, a group of chefs dedicated to cooking for U.S. troops worldwide, and has been featured on several Food Network programs, including Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy's Grocery Games. Waldo gave just a very basic guidance to his friends, asking them to cook something involving chicken and/or beer, and new dishes will come out of the kitchen every half-hour or so. He also says he probably wont cook on Saturday since someone needs to wash dishes. Waldo is working on something to serve on Sunday, so attendees can enjoy his cooking as part of the Food Faire market festivities. Waldos Chicken & Friends is included as part of Saturday evenings admission, so drop in between grazing and watching Iron Fork. Tickets are selling quickly, so dont put off buying yours! With legal changes on the horizon, we take a three-part look at the cannabis industry and re President Donald Trump appointed Keith E. Sonderling as the new acting director the Institute of Museum and Library Services on March 20. The agency now faces the threat of massive cuts after Trump issued an executive order the previous week calling for IMLS and six other departments to be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law. The March 14 executive order comes as the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency headed by billionaire Elon Musk has revoked government grants and funding, laid off thousands of federal workers and slashed diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across national departments. I am committed to steering this organization in lockstep with this Administration to enhance efficiency and foster innovation, says Sonderling in a statement. We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our countrys core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations. The Tennessee State Library & Archives, which is headquartered in downtown Nashville and helps fund hundreds of libraries across the state, receives about $3.7 million from IMLS annually, according to Doug Kufner, a spokesperson for the office of the Tennessee Secretary of State. Kufner says funding is authorized by law through IMLS Grant to States program, supported by the Library Services and Technology Act. Metro Sues Trump Administration for $14 Million After Being Ghosted Unpaid federal grants leave the city scrambling to figure out the extent of Nashvilles growing budget hole We are hopeful this program will continue as its statutorily authorized and funded, Kufner tells the Scene via email. If IMLS funding were to be diminished or eliminated, we would work collectively with librarians, library trustees and communities to identify the most important library services we could continue to offer within the budget we have allocated. Kufner says funding is used to purchase material for public libraries in the Tennessee Regional Library System, provide professional development and continuing education opportunities for library employees, fund resources in the Tennessee Electronic Library and provide grants to libraries to replace outdated technology. The Nashville Public Library and its various branches would likely be less impacted by the executive order due to it being a department of Metro Nashville and largely funded directly by local tax dollars. Still, NPL typically receives more than $1 million in state and federal grants. While NPL is aware of this executive order, we dont yet know at this time what the impacts to the library could be, library spokesperson Andrea Fanta tells the Scene. We continue to monitor this development. The nonprofit American Library Association opposed Trumps executive order in a statement released on March 15. Americans have loved and relied on public, school and academic libraries for generations, the statement reads. By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Trump administrations executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer. IMLS was created in 1996 by a majority-Republican U.S. Congress, merging the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the Institute of Museum Services. Trump made several attempts to dismantle IMLS during his first term, but those efforts were ultimately blocked by Congress. The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee passed the Senate version of a bill that would allow school boards to prohibit undocumented students from attending public schools. The legislation has stirred continuous debate throughout the current session of the Tennessee General Assembly including during Tuesdays committee meeting, where one protester was arrested by state troopers. The bill (SB 836/HB 793) would allow public schools to deny enrollment or charge tuition to undocumented students. It passed the committee 7-4, challenging a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that guarantees the right of public education to all students regardless of their immigration status. Legislators debated the legislations financial impact during the committee, where Republicans argued that restricting enrollment of undocumented students will save Tennessee money; no evidence has been shown to prove this. While there are no records of the number of undocumented students in the state, bill sponsor Sen. Bo Watson (R-Hixon) said the rise in English language learners indicates a growing number of undocumented students in public schools. Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) argued that the bill would add extra work for school districts that might not have efficient tools to verify birth certificates or the immigration status of a student. Yarbro said he thinks it would add an extra financial burden. If you talk to districts and think about what it means to convert all 1,800 public schools into institutions that review the citizenship status of every student every year, that is going to be massively expensive, said Yarbro. He later added, There is just a moral cost to this. After the bills passage, a handful of protesters refused to leave their seats as the committee broke for recess and asked them to clear the room. State troopers were called in and convinced all but one protester to exit. Eighty-year-old Lynne McFarland remained in her seat after troopers spent several minutes trying to get her to leave willingly, informing her that she would be charged if she did not exit the room. After still refusing to leave, McFarland was carried out by troopers, placed in a patrol car and taken into custody, where she was charged with disrupting a meeting and resisting stop, frisk, halt, arrest or search both misdemeanors. See a video of Tuesday's arrest below. The legislation will head to the Senate floor in the coming weeks. Pam Bondi Promises NO PLEA DEALS in Tesla Vandalism Cases MAXIMUM PRISON TIME to be served for Dems and Libs freakshow violence against the Right Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi vows no plea deals for individuals involved in Tesla-related vandalism, arson, or violence, She has promised maximum prison sentences (e.g., 20 years) for these attackers Bondi specifically warns left-wing activists, accusing them of "terroristic" acts (bombings, arson) motivated by opposition to Elon Musks audits of alleged Democratic Party corruption (fraud, trafficking). The attorney general highlights the case of Paul Kim, a Las Vegas man tied to communist groups, arrested for allegedly firebombing a Tesla service center as evidence of far-left extremism. Bondi credits the FBI and local agencies for swift arrests, urging perpetrators to "cut it out" or face aggressive federal prosecution without leniency. Are you a domestic terrorist who bombs businesses and sets fire to vehicles that people own just because youre mad about some politics? Time for you to go to prison with the rapists, murderers, and Venezuelan gang members that you supported for the past four years. Good luck. Are you a psychotic Dem or Lunatic Lib who engages violence because Elon Musk is auditing your Partys fraud, embezzlement, drug trafficking network, and human trafficking system? Time for you to go to jail for your violence against innocent Americans who are trying to repair this country. Good luck. Got DOGE Derangement Syndrome? This is about to become a clinical term along with TDS. You are suffering from media hypnosis and Obama brainwashing syndrome also. Should this lead you to commit acts of violence, you will get the full long arm of the law escorting you to prison where you belong, with all the criminals that you supported over the past 4 years. Good luck with all that. Demonic Dems and Lunatic Libs now setting Tesla vehicles on fire and bombing Tesla dealerships because theyre suffering DOGE Derangement Syndrome Americans who bought Tesla vehicles before the election, before Elon Musk ever announced his support of Donald Trump, are being threatened with their lives as deranged Democrats firebomb and vandalize their Tesla in the name of something they dont like about government spending accountability. It doesnt even matter if youre a Democrat who owns a Tesla. You might die soon by vehicle fire and arson when one of your own TDS-suffering Party members goes insane and firebombs your vehicle because they dont like the letter T on it. The entire Democrat Party is suffering from Tesla Derangement Syndrome, a disorder of the mind where you believe anyone who acts responsibly with money is a racist, white supremacist who is an existential threat to democracy. Attorney General Pam Bondi is not taking this lightly and has issued a stern warning for anyone committing random acts of violence and domestic terrorism trying to set fire to Tesla vehicles, dealerships, or vandalize in other manners that can easily get people killed. Bondi says there will be NO PLEA DEALS for these hoodlums and psychos who think theyll just get some Soros-funded DA to let them off the hook, or some Leftist judge to let them out with no bail and then slap them on the wrist with some community service later. Attorney General Pam Bondi has issued a stern warning concerning acts of vandalism and terrorism targeting Tesla products, showrooms, and other properties belonging to Elon Musk. Speaking on Fox News Channels The Ingraham Angle, Bondi highlighted that federal law enforcement would aggressively pursue perpetrators, who will face severe penal consequences without options for plea agreements. In recent weeks, protestors opposed to President Donald J. Trump have targeted Tesla showrooms and the vehicles themselves as a response to Musks work for the America First leader. During the show, host Laura Ingraham referenced a recent case in Las Vegas in which an individual allegedly involved in vandalism of Tesla properties was apprehended. The National Pulse reported on Thursday that Paul Kim, 36, was arrested in Las Vegas for allegedly perpetrating an arson attack on a Tesla Service Center earlier this month. Notably, Kim has self-espoused ties to the Communist Party USA and the Revolutionary Communist Party, USAa far-left cult founded by socialist political figure Bob Avakian. Additionally, several social media posts appear to link Kim to pro-Palestinian activist groups. Bondi praised the collaborative efforts between local law enforcement and federal agencies, like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), attributing the swift arrest to their relentless investigative efforts. This guy thought he got away with it. So these people better look out. They better cut it out because we are coming after you, and at my direction, there will be no negotiating on these people, Trumps Attorney General said regarding the Las Vegas arrest. Bondi added: We are seeking 20 years in prison. AG Pam Bondi has warned those involved in this Tesla-targeted violence, considered terroristic activities, that They are setting off bombs, the huge fires. Look what youre seeing: huge, massive fires in residential neighborhoods and charging stations. Someone is going to get killed, a citizen is going to get killed, And these people, we are not doing any plea negotiations on them. Tune your apocalypse dial to Preparedness.news for updates on real news about surviving the Democrat insanity where Tesla Derangement Syndrome leads Libtards to try to kill everyone they disagree with on anything. #TeslaDerangementSyndrome Sources for this article include: Censored.news NaturalNews.com TheNationalPulse.com Britains descent into police state censorship: Parents raided for questioning their daughters school system online Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine, parents in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, faced a police raid after questioning their daughters school about its principal recruitment process. Their choice to vent frustrations on WhatsApp came with severe consequences. They were banned from school premises and arrested for "malicious communications." The ordeal lasted 11 hours in a police cell, with no charges filed due to insufficient evidence. The incident highlights the growing trend of government overreach and censorship in Britain, where questioning authority can lead to severe consequences. A descent into dystopia In a scene reminiscent of a dystopian novel, Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine, two parents from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, found themselves at the center of a police investigation for the unthinkable crime of asking questions. In May 2025, after the retirement of their daughters school principal, the parents dared to inquire about the recruitment process for the new principal. Their questions, sent via WhatsApp, were met not with answers but with a chilling warning from Jackie Spriggs, the chair of governors, about "inflammatory and defamatory" social media posts. The implication was clear: question the schools decisions, and face the consequences. The situation escalated when Allen and Levine were banned from the school premises, preventing them from attending events like parents evening and their daughter Saschas Christmas concert. Sascha, who has epilepsy and is registered disabled, was caught in the crossfire of her parents attempt to advocate for her education. The parents attempts to seek answers through emails were met with silence, prompting them to vent their frustrations on WhatsApp. The Kafkaesque Arrest On January 29, Rosalind Levines world was turned upside down when she opened her door to six police officers, two cars, and a van. The officers, who seemed to have mistaken Borehamwood for a war zone, were there to arrest her and Maxie Allen. Levine recounted her shock: "I saw six police officers standing there. My first thought was that Sascha was dead." Instead, she and Allen were subjected to an 11-hour ordeal in a police cell, an experience Allen described as "dystopian." The charges? "Malicious communications" for casting aspersions about the schools recruitment process. The irony is palpable: the school accused them of causing a "nuisance on school property," despite the fact that they had not set foot on the property in six months. The police, seemingly acting as enforcers for the schools bruised ego, justified the deployment of six officers as necessary "to secure electronic devices and care for children at the address." One can only imagine the trauma inflicted on Sascha, who witnessed her mother being led away in handcuffs. The bureaucratic tantrum The incident exposes a troubling trend in Britain, where public institutions respond to criticism with intimidation tactics. Instead of addressing the parents concerns, Cowley Hill Primary Schools leadership opted for a "bureaucratic tantrum," as Allen put it. The schools actions raise important questions about the role of law enforcement in handling disputes between citizens and public institutions. When did being "upsetting" become a police matter? Hertfordshire Constabularys involvement in this matter is particularly troubling. The police, who are supposed to serve and protect, seem to have been deployed as a private security force for the school. The spokesmans justification for the number of officers involved is laughable, given the circumstances. The incident is a stark reminder of the growing surveillance state in Britain, where citizens are monitored and punished for expressing dissent. A warning for the future After five weeks of investigation, the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence. No charges were filed, and Allen and Levine were left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. The incident, however, leaves a lasting impact on the community and serves as a warning for others who dare to question authority. The story of Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine is not an isolated incident. It is a symptom of a larger problem in Britain, where public institutions are increasingly hostile to criticism and dissent. The question now is: how many other WhatsApp groups are one message away from a dawn raid? If this is what happens when you ask a few inconvenient questions, whats next? Fingerprinting people for liking the wrong Facebook post? Tactical units sent in for sarcastic TripAdvisor reviews? As Allen aptly put it, "Its a warning. Ask the wrong question, speak out of turn, and you too may get a visit from half the local police force." This is the new reality in Britain, where the government and law enforcement are used to silence those who dare to speak out against questionable policies. In a world where questioning authority can lead to a Kafkaesque nightmare, the story of Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine serves as a cautionary tale. It is a reminder that the right to question and criticize is fundamental to a free society. As the great writer Franz Kafka might have said, "It is not necessary to accept the choices handed down to you by life as you know it." But in Britain today, it seems that challenging the status quo can land you in a world of trouble. Sources include: ReclaimtheNet.org GBNews.com Enoch, Brighteon.ai COVID-19 scandal linked to CANCER SURGE: Billionaire researcher sounds alarm Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a renowned cancer researcher, warns that the COVID-19 scandal may be linked to a surge in aggressive cancers, particularly among younger individuals. He suggests both the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 vaccines could contribute to this trend by causing inflammation and suppressing immune systems. Data from Phinance Technologies indicates a significant increase in excess deaths and disabilities among working-age populations, correlating with the vaccine rollout. The medical community is divided, with some experts dismissing the claims while others express concerns about the potential long-term health impacts. The COVID-19 Scandal and its cancerous aftermath In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a transplant surgeon and biotech billionaire, issued a stark warning that has sent shockwaves through the medical community. He posits that the COVID-19 scandal, marked by medical tyranny and mass iatrogenic error, may be responsible for a surge in aggressive cancers, particularly among younger individuals. This alarming assertion has sparked a heated debate, with scientists and policymakers scramble to address the potential link between mRNA vaccines and an unprecedented rise in cancer cases. Dr. Soon-Shiong, a pioneer in cancer immunotherapy and the founder of ImmunityBio, has spent decades studying the human immune system's response to cancer. In the interview, he shared harrowing anecdotes of encountering metastatic cancers in children and young adults cases he described as "terrifyingly aggressive." These observations, he argues, are unprecedented in his five-decade medical career. "I never saw pancreatic cancer in children," Dr. Soon-Shiong recounted during the interview. "The greatest surprise to me was a 13-year-old with metastatic pancreatic cancer." He also cited instances of young children diagnosed with colon cancer and ovarian cancer in women in their 30s phenomena he attributes to the COVID-19 scandal. The science behind the scare: inflammation and immune suppression Dr. Soon-Shiong's hypothesis hinges on the idea that both the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines could be driving an increase in cancer cases by triggering chronic inflammation and immune system exhaustion. The virus is known to cause a massive inflammatory response, which some cancers exploit to grow and metastasize. Furthermore, he points to emerging research suggesting that the spike protein in the virus and vaccines might interfere with critical cellular processes, potentially suppressing tumor-suppressor proteins. While these findings are preliminary, they add a layer of biological plausibility to his concerns. The broader health crisis: excess deaths and disabilities Independent research firms, such as Phinance Technologies, have identified worrying trends in post-COVID health outcomes. Their data reveals a significant increase in excess deaths and disabilities among working-age populations, particularly those who received vaccines. Between 2021 and 2022, the U.S. saw a 23% rise in excess deaths among 25-64-year-olds and a 24.6% increase in disabilities in the workforcestatistics that raise eyebrows, especially since these groups are typically healthier than older populations. Edward Dowd, co-founder of Phinance Technologies, notes a concerning correlation between the vaccine rollout and these adverse health outcomes. "The healthiest segment of the population saw a greater relative increase in disabilities after Q1 2021," he observed, suggesting that the vaccines may have had unforeseen consequences. While some oncologists, such as Dr. Angus Dalgleish from St. Georges, University of London, echo Dr. Soon-Shiong's fears, others remain skeptical. Infectious disease experts argue that there is insufficient evidence linking vaccines to cancer, though they acknowledge the need for further research into long-term health effects. In a statement to FactCheck.org, one expert dismissed the claims, stating, "There isn't evidence to date that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer or lead to worsening cancer." However, this dismissal overlooks the increasing anecdotal reports from clinicians who have observed cancer progression in patients post-vaccination. Has medical tyranny become the New Normal? Dr. Soon-Shiong's warnings raise profound ethical and moral questions. What are the limits of medical innovation, especially when it involves unprecedented interventions like mRNA vaccines? Can we afford to overlook potential long-term health consequences in our haste to combat a global crisis? As the world grapples with the aftermath of the COVID-19 scandal, questions linger about the true cost of mass vaccination. Are we poised on the brink of another health catastrophe, or are these concerns mere overblown anxieties? The answer may lie in the data: in the rising cancer rates, the excess deaths, and the lingering disabilities that shadow the vaccinated population. As Dr. Soon-Shiong aptly put it, "This is existential." The narrative of the COVID-19 scandal is far from over, and the pages of history are yet to be written. One thing is clear: the legacy of this era hinges on our ability to confront the truth, no matter how inconvenient it may be. The COVID-19 scandal has unveiled disturbing levels of medical experimentation, driving medical systems into a state of perpetual fraud and coverups of iatrogenic error. Sources include: SHTFPlan.com Zerohedge.com OpenTools.ai DARPA: The shadowy innovator behind the worlds most advanced military technologies DARPA was established in 1958 in response to the Cold War threat posed by the Soviet Union's Sputnik launch. Its primary goal is to advance military technology, ensuring U.S. battlefield dominance, though its innovations (like the internet and GPS) have also benefited civilian life. With a $3 billion annual budget, DARPA operates nimbly by outsourcing research to contractors, academics and government entities. Its program managers have significant autonomy, enabling rapid innovation outside traditional bureaucratic constraints. DARPA has driven ethically complex initiatives, such as the M16 rifle and Agent Orange in Vietnam, the Strategic Defense Initiative ("Star Wars") in the 1980s and post-9/11 surveillance programs like Total Information Awareness. Current projects in AI, robotics and cyber warfare raise concerns about autonomous weapons and privacy. Critics warn of dehumanizing warfare, while proponents argue such tech could reduce casualties. DARPA's innovations highlight the dual nature of technological progress advancing security while sparking moral dilemmas. Its work underscores the need for public and policy scrutiny to address the societal and ethical implications of emerging military technologies. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a little-known federal agency, has quietly shaped the course of modern warfare and technology since its inception in 1958. As revealed in Annie Jacobsen's book "The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency," DARPA's work has spanned from the creation of groundbreaking technologies like the internet and GPS to the development of controversial weapon systems and surveillance tools. While DARPA is often celebrated for its contributions to civilian advancements, its primary mission remains focused on revolutionizing military science to maintain the United States' dominance on the battlefield. Established in response to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik, DARPA was tasked with countering the emerging threat of the Cold War. With an annual budget of approximately $3 billion, the agency operates uniquely by outsourcing its research to defense contractors, academics and other government organizations. Its program managers, who typically serve a five-year term, wield significant autonomy, allowing the agency to move swiftly without the constraints of traditional bureaucracy. This nimbleness has enabled DARPA to pioneer technologies that have reshaped modern combat and civilian life. From the 1950s to the present, DARPA has played a pivotal role in some of the most consequential and ethically complex military initiatives in U.S. history. During the Vietnam War, DARPA's Project Agile sought to out-innovate the Vietnamese, leading to the development of the M16 assault rifle and the deployment of Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant that caused widespread environmental and health devastation. Later, in the 1980s, DARPA's work on the Strategic Defense Initiative, or Star Wars, demonstrated its ability to envision and pursue ambitious, high-tech solutions to military challenges, even if those ideas proved controversial or unfeasible. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, DARPA shifted its focus to counterterrorism and homeland security, launching programs like Total Information Awareness, which aimed to monitor vast amounts of data to identify potential threats. While the program faced significant backlash over privacy concerns, it laid the groundwork for the modern surveillance state. Today, DARPA continues to push the boundaries of science and technology, with ongoing projects in artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology and cyber warfare raising important questions about the ethics of increasingly autonomous weapon systems. DARPA's history is a testament to the dual-edged nature of technological innovation. While the agency's breakthroughs have undeniably advanced military capabilities and supported America's national security, they have also sparked debates over the moral implications of its work. For instance, the development of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War not only targeted the enemy but also caused lasting harm to civilians and U.S. veterans, highlighting the unintended consequences of military advancements. Similarly, the agency's work on autonomous weapons systems, including so-called hunter-killer robots, has reignited discussions about the role of humans in warfare. Critics argue that such technologies could lead to a dehumanization of conflict, while proponents insist they could reduce casualties and collateral damage. These debates underscore the importance of understanding DARPA's role in shaping the future of warfare. As DARPA looks to the future, its work will undoubtedly continue to influence the trajectory of military technology. However, as Jacobsen's book makes clear, the agency's innovations do not exist in a vacuum. They are the product of specific historical contexts and priorities, and their consequences both intended and unintended have far-reaching implications for society. DARPA's story is one of quiet influence and groundbreaking innovation. From its early days, the agency has been at the forefront of military research. However, as its role evolves, so too must public scrutiny of its work. The technologies DARPA develops today will shape the future of warfare and society, making it essential for policymakers, scientists and the public to engage in informed discussions about the ethics and consequences of these innovations. As Jacobsen's book reminds us, DARPA's legacy is a reminder that technology, while powerful, is never neutral. Watch this video discussing Annie Jacobsen's book "The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency." This video is from the Bright Learn channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com Geopolitical consequences: Deep States USAID chickens come home to roost Even before DOGE blew the lid off of USAIDs sleazy bankrolling of transgressive social engineering projects from Ireland to Zimbabwe, anyone with common sense who pays a modicum of attention to international affairs already knew what was up. (Article by Ben Bartee republished from ArmageddonProse.Substack.com) Now, we have all the proof we could ever want and so do the nation-states victimized by the brutal neoliberal machine. Russia got hip to the USAID scam relatively early on, expelling the pro-democracy (regime change) agency in Obamas first term. Via BBC, September 19, 2012 (emphasis added): The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced it will close its offices in Russia following an order from the authorities there to cease operations. The Russian government gave the US until 1 October to close the mission, accusing it of meddling in politics. USAID has worked in Russia for two decades, spending nearly $3bn (1.8bn) on aid and democratic programmes. The expulsion follows a government crackdown on pro-democracy groups. "The decision was taken mainly because the work of the agency's officials far from always responded to the stated goals of development and humanitarian cooperation. We are talking about attempts to influence political processes through its grants," the foreign ministry said in a statement. Other countries at the time may have liked to follow suit, but they werent in the same advantageous economic or geopolitical position to rebuke the United States, lest their governments fall prey to the Pro-Democracy treatment themselves. Everyone saw what Hillary Clintons State Department did to Gaddafi for the crime of exercising national will. So they begrudgingly allowed USAID to continue to operate within their borders, trannifying their children and inciting racial animus at will just so long as the CIA didnt run pro-Democracy coups on them. That dam has broken. Via The Guardian (emphasis added): For authoritarian leaders worldwide, the agencys dismantling represents a potential retreat of American democratic influence. In Hungary, the Trump-allied prime minister, Viktor Orban fresh from December meetings with Trump and Elon Musk celebrated what he termed the end of globalist Soros organizations. El Salvadors leader, Nayib Bukele, joined in, accusing the agency of funding opposition groups, NGOs with political agendas and destabilizing movements. In Belarus, that countrys president, Alexander Lukashenko, framed Donald Trumps foreign aid freeze as a response to his calls for a reset of bilateral relations. Nicaraguas state media, controlled by the family of the president, Daniel Ortega, declared that Trump turned off the faucet for what they labeled terrorists. Venezuelas interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, announced plans to investigate the agency, alleging that the primary elections of the Venezuelan opposition were paid by the USAid. And in Azerbaijan, authorities had already pre-emptively refused to renew their cooperation agreement, explicitly challenging the agencys political motivations. Reigning MSNBC intramural intern-pegging champion, Rachel Maddow, is none too pleased. As a rule of thumb, if shes shedding her gender-queer crocodile tears over a news development, its probably awesome news for the people of America. Read more at: ArmageddonProse.com Controversial Luigi Mangione Act: Necessary reform or political stunt? A controversial California ballot measure named after accused murderer Luigi Mangione aims to hold insurers accountable for denying medical care. Critics condemn the bills branding and heavy-handed regulations, arguing it glorifies violence and could harm the healthcare system. The bill would allow patients to sue insurers for triple damages if they delay or deny doctor-recommended treatments. Mangione, accused of killing a healthcare CEO, has gained a cult following, with supporters funding his legal defense. The measure faces backlash for exploiting a crime for political gain, with calls for market-based healthcare reforms instead. A proposed California ballot measure named after an accused murderer is drawing fierce backlashnot just for its shocking branding but for what critics say is a misguided attempt to reform healthcare. The Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act, filed by retired attorney Paul Eisner, seeks to hold insurance companies accountable for unjust denials of medical care. While the bills intentprotecting patients from bureaucratic delaysmay be commendable, its association with an alleged killer and its heavy-handed regulatory approach raise serious concerns. The measure, currently under review by the California Attorney Generals Office, would make it illegal for insurers to delay, deny, or modify doctor-recommended treatments if doing so could result in severe harm, including death or disability. If passed, patients could sue insurers for triple damages. But the bills namesake, Luigi Mangionean Ivy League graduate accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompsonhas turned what should be a serious policy discussion into a spectacle. A questionable namesake Mangione, 26, is facing federal murder charges for the December 2024 shooting of Thompson in Manhattan. The words delay and deny were reportedly inscribed on the bullet casings, a grim reference to insurance industry practices. Despite the brutality of the crime, Mangione has gained a cult-like following, with supporters raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for his legal defense. Eisner, the bills sponsor, admits he used Mangiones name for shock value. For a very simple reason: it is getting the attention it needs, because sometimes things require publicity, he told CBS 8. People are tired of carriers, of insurance companies denying them health care. While he claims to oppose Mangiones violent methods, Eisner insists the accused killers underlying grievanceinsurance denialsis valid. Critics, however, argue that glorifying an alleged murderer undermines the bills credibility. THE LUIGI MANGIONE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE ACT? Seriously? journalist Gerald Posner wrote on X. A ballot initiative about health care submitted today to the California Attorney General is named after the accused killer. Crazy. Flawed fixes for a broken system The bills core premise of preventing insurers from overriding doctors has merit. Too often, patients face arbitrary denials for life-saving treatments. But some argue that the solution shouldnt be more litigation and government mandates, which could drive up costs and push insurers out of California entirely. The California Association of Health Plans condemned the measure as a repugnant action, arguing that exploiting a murder to push a political agenda is unacceptable. They are certainly looking out for their best interests, but they have a point: real reform should focus on market-based solutions, such as increasing price transparency and competition. What comes next? The public comment period ends April 25, after which the Attorney General will finalize the measures official titlelikely dropping Mangiones name. If approved for signature-gathering, supporters will need 546,000 valid petitions to place it on the 2026 ballot. While frustration with insurance denials is justified, naming a bill after an accused killer is a bridge too farand the proposed regulations could do more harm than good. Californias healthcare system needs reform, but not like this. The Luigi Mangione Act may have succeeded in grabbing headlines, but serious policy shouldnt be reduced to a publicity stunt. If lawmakers truly want to fix healthcare, they should focus on practical, free-market solutionsnot sensationalism. Sources for this article include: NYPost.com KTLA.com Newsweek.com Trump administration shutters USAID, transfers key functions to State Department The U.S. State Department confirmed the shutdown of USAID after a federal court ruling supported the Trump administration's cost-cutting efforts. USAID, with a $40B annual budget, faced long-standing GOP scrutiny over spending priorities, accused of straying from its original mission. Most USAID functions will merge into the State Department by July 1, with non-priority programs discontinued; some employees may be rehired for critical aid work. A federal appeals court rejected a legal challenge, allowing Elon Musk's controversial USAID restructuring to proceed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the move as fiscally responsible, claiming it refocuses aid on U.S. interests while ending "misguided" spending. The U.S. Department of State has announced the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) following a federal court ruling in favor of the Trump administration's cost-cutting efforts. USAID, which had an annual budget of roughly $40 billion, funded global health initiatives, disaster relief and economic development but had long been a target of Republican scrutiny over controversial grants. "Foreign assistance done right can advance our national interests, protect our borders and strengthen our partnerships with key allies. Unfortunately, USAID strayed from its original mission long ago. As a result, the gains were too few and the costs were too high," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. The State Department would absorb "many" of USAID's functions, while the remaining programs that do not align with the administration's priorities will be discontinued. USAID's operations will be fully integrated into the State Department by July 1. "Thanks to President Trump, this misguided and fiscally irresponsible era is now over. We are reorienting our foreign assistance programs to align directly with what is best for the United States and our citizens," Rubio said. "We are continuing essential lifesaving programs and making strategic investments that strengthen our partners and our own country. This is yet another promise made and delivered to the American people." (Related: USAID's overseas labs and reckless research: The real culprit behind disease outbreaks, says biosafety expert.) Court clears path for Elon Musk's USAID restructuring In line with this, a State Department memo outlines the next steps: USAID may rehire some employees to oversee remaining "life-saving and strategic aid programming," while "all non-statutory positions" will be eliminated. "This transfer will significantly enhance efficiency, accountability, uniformity and strategic impact in delivering foreign assistance programs, allowing our nation and President to speak with one voice in foreign affairs," the memo stated. "It will also obviate the need for USAID to continue operating as an independent establishment." Meanwhile, the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, rejected a bid to halt Elon Musk's controversial restructuring of the USAID. The 2-1 ruling on March 28 also dissolved a temporary restraining order that had paused the USAID overhaul. "The only evidence cited by plaintiffs in support of their motion, which was subsequently relied on by the district court, were social media posts and news reports," wrote Circuit Judge Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr. "To be sure, Musk claimed involvement in the USAID decisions in those posts and reports. But that is not the point, because no one disputes his involvement. The question is whether Musk both directed those decisions and did so without the approval or ratification of USAID officials. And no record evidence shows that he did." This has allowed the agency's restructuring to proceed as intended. Visit BigGovernment.news for more stories about corruption at the USAID. Watch the video below where a GOP congressman praised Musk for doing the right thing in closing USAID. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: USAID under fire: India demands accountability amid allegations of election meddling and financial mismanagement. USAID staff ordered to DESTROY EVIDENCE in mass document purge amid DOGE investigations. Obama accused of laundering USAID funds to fuel global protest movements, regime change operations. SHOCKER: Find out the REAL REASON that USAID was in AFRICA and other developing nations and it wasn't for education, health or "democracy." Silencing America: How USAID and global engagement center colluded with foreign governments and media to censor free speech. Sources include: RT.com MSN.com Brighteon.com University of Michigan shuts down DEI office amid federal funding cuts Due to financial pressures following a recent executive order from President Donald Trump, the University of Michigan is shutting down its DEI office, discontinuing programs and relocating some services to other departments. Since 2016, the university invested $250 million in DEI initiatives, including increasing Black student representation and supporting international students. Around 163 DEI-related staff positions were created. Trump's executive order restricting diversity programs in federally funded institutions has led to similar DEI office closures or restructuring at 270+ colleges across 38 states, including Ohio State University, Northeastern University and University of Southern California. The university will now focus on financial aid, mental health, cultural programs and scholarships. Staff previously dedicated to DEI will return to "core responsibilities." Some schools, like the University of Kentucky, the University of Wyoming and Arizona State University, have cut ties with The PhD Project (supporting Black/Latino business doctoral students) amid federal investigations into potential racial discrimination in fellowships. The University of Michigan (UMich) is set to close its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office due to financial uncertainty following a recent executive order from President Donald Trump. In 2o16, the university first launched its DEI strategic plan, followed by an updated five-year plan in 2023. Initiatives included increasing Black student representation, supporting international graduate students and integrating DEI into sustainability efforts. The university has spent roughly $250 million on DEI programs as of fall 2023 and hired about 163 DEI-related staff positions. However, as federal funding for higher education faces heightened scrutiny following Trump's executive order restricting certain diversity programs in federally funded institutions, the university decided to close its DEI office. In a joint statement on March 27, UMich President Santa Ono and other senior leaders informed the campus community that DEI programming would be discontinued, with some services shifting to other departments. "We write today to share important updates related to programs and central offices that support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)," they said. "Conversations about these institutional efforts have been ongoing since at least 2023 and, with recent federal executive orders, guidance and funding cuts bringing urgency to the issue, we are moving forward with changes that will impact our community at the University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine." The university's FAQ page also clarified that some student services previously managed by the DEI office will be relocated to other departments, while staff previously dedicated to DEI efforts will now focus on their "core responsibilities." Additionally, the school plans to review its website to ensure compliance with federal guidelines. Moving forward, the university said it will prioritize financial aid, mental health support, cultural programs and academic scholarships. Report: Around 270 college campuses scrapped DEI programs following Trump's executive order UMich is not the only one scrapping its DEI offices. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, around 270 college campuses in 38 states are restructuring or dismantling DEI programs. The report revealed a wave of closures, rebranding and reduced support for initiatives that foster diversity. (Related: Universities scrap DEI programs amid federal pressure, even in California.) For instance, the Ohio State University is closing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion and canceling some services, though officials say broader DEI efforts will continue in other forms. Similarly, the Northeastern University renamed its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to "Belonging in Northeastern." Meanwhile, the University of Southern California announced plans to dissolve its university-wide Office of Inclusion and Diversity. Several institutions have also distanced themselves from The PhD Project, a nonprofit that supports Black and Latino students pursuing business doctorates. The U.S. Education Department cited the organization in a March 14 announcement that it was investigating dozens of universities, including the University of Michigan, for potential racial discrimination in fellowship programs. In response, the University of Kentucky, the University of Wyoming and Arizona State University all confirmed they were ending institutional support for The PhD Project. Head over to Wokies.news for more stories like this. Watch Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declaring that DEI is done at the University of Virginia in this Fox News interview. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: DEI programs backfire: Studies show they increase hostility, fueling Trump's push for meritocracy. HHS axes $350M in woke DEI grants: A long-overdue course correction. University of Southern California scraps DEI initiatives, signaling a return to merit-based excellence. Federal judges lift injunction on Trump's orders, allowing crackdown on DEI programs. Biden's EPA spent millions on DEI initiatives like 'de-gendering' bathrooms while ignoring real crises. Sources include: FoxNews.com DetroitNews.com Brighteon.com Utah governor allows ban on LGBT pride flags in public buildings and schools, will take effect without his signature Utah becomes the first state to ban LGBT pride flags on government and school properties, alongside other political flags like "MAGA" banners. Governor Spencer Cox declines to veto the bill, citing an expected legislative override, while expressing concerns about its broad restrictions. The law imposes a $500 daily fine for non-compliance, raising tensions with progressive cities like Salt Lake City, which has historically celebrated Pride Month with flag displays. Critics argue the ban targets LGBTQ+ expression, while supporters claim it promotes "political neutrality" in classrooms. The decision coincides with the Sundance Film Festival's relocation to Colorado, though organizers deny political motivations. Is government neutrality so important it calls for suppressing free expression? In a move that has reignited debates over free expression and government neutrality, Utah Governor Spencer Cox allowed a bill banning LGBT pride flags alongside all other political banners from public buildings and schools to become law without his signature. The legislation, set to take effect May 7, restricts flag displays to the U.S. flag, Utah state flag, military flags, and a handful of other approved emblems. It also bans pro-Trump flags and other political jargon. The decision arrives amid a national culture war over LGBTQ+ rights, with conservative-led states increasingly targeting Pride symbols in public spaces. Utahs law mirrors efforts in Oklahoma and other GOP-dominated legislatures, though it stands out as the first to be enacted. A reluctant approval In a letter to state legislators, Cox acknowledged the bills divisiveness, writing, "I continue to have serious concerns with this bill." He criticized its narrow focus on flags while ignoring other political displays, such as posters or lighting, and warned it could fuel further symbolic defiance. "To our LGBTQ community, I know that recent legislation has been difficult," Cox wrote. "Politics can be a bit of a blood sport at times... I want you to know that I love and appreciate you and I am grateful that you are part of our state." Despite his reservations, Cox opted against a veto, anticipating the Republican super majority would override it. The bills sponsors, Rep. Trevor Lee and Sen. Dan McCay, framed it as a push for "political neutrality" in schoolsa claim opponents dismiss as a thinly veiled attack on LGBTQ+ visibility. Local backlash and unintended consequences Salt Lake City, a progressive stronghold, has already signaled resistance. Since the bills passage, city and county buildings have been illuminated in rainbow lights nightly a protest that may continue in creative forms once the flag ban takes effect. "This law doesnt solve anything; it just erases our communitys visibility," said a local LGBTQ+ advocate, speaking anonymously due to safety concerns. "If they think banning flags will make us disappear, theyre wrong." The ban also risks alienating cultural institutions. The Sundance Film Festival, a longtime Utah staple, recently announced a move to Boulder, Colorado. While organizers cited logistical reasons, the shift has sparked speculation about the states political climate. Utahs law echoes past clashes over symbolic expression, from Confederate flag removals to protests against rainbow crosswalks. Yet its focus on schoolsa battleground for parental rights and student identityadds a volatile layer. Cox urged the Utah State Board of Education to enforce broader "political neutrality" policies, but critics argue the laws vagueness invites selective enforcement. "Will a Black Lives Matter pin be banned next?" asked one teacher. "This isnt neutralityits censorship." As Utah braces for legal challenges and grassroots defiance, the question remains: Can a state known for its "middle way" politics reconcile its conservative legislature with its increasingly diverse population? Or will this law deepen divisions, turning flags into the next front in Americas culture wars? Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com FoxNews.com Governor.Utah.gov [PDF] Old Man in a Chair: The COVID-19 pandemic was a carefully orchestrated scheme for global control Vernon Coleman claims COVID-19 was exploited by elites (billionaires, globalist organizations) to dismantle freedoms, reshape economies and impose a "new world order" under the guise of public health. He traces the alleged plot to mid-20th-century figures like WHO's first director-general and banker James Warburg, who advocated for global governance, and links modern institutions (UN, WEF) to using crises (climate, pandemics) for centralized control. Coleman accuses governments of engineering elderly deaths via lockdowns, critiques flawed COVID modeling (e.g., Neil Ferguson's projections) and warns of future digital tyranny (CBDCs, smart cities, microchips). He urges readers to question official narratives and reject mainstream media, framing the pandemic as a power grab and arguing that lockdowns caused more harm than the virus itself (mental health crises, economic collapse). In a world gripped by fear and uncertainty, one man has dared to challenge the official narrative claiming that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was not just a public health crisis but a carefully orchestrated scheme for global control. Vernon Coleman, a British author and former physician, lays out this provocative argument in his book "Old Man in a Chair: The Startling Truth Behind the Planned World Takeover." Coleman alleges that powerful elites billionaires, globalist organizations and unelected bureaucrats have exploited pandemic panic to dismantle personal freedoms, reshape economies and usher in a dystopian "new world order." His claims, dismissed by many as conspiracy theories, have nonetheless sparked fierce debate among skeptics of mainstream pandemic policies. Coleman's journey into controversy began when he first attempted to publish a book critical of the coronavirus response. He was told he could not use the word "coronavirus" in the title or text a restriction he circumvented by mentioning it over 250 times without directly titling the work after it. "Writing about the biggest fraud in history while being forced to avoid its name was absurd," Coleman later remarked. His wife, Antoinette, despite enduring chronic pain from breast cancer treatments, supported his efforts, helping produce videos and articles while refusing advertising revenue to maintain independence. The book argues that terms like "vaccine" and "masks" became linguistic landmines, with dissenters facing censorship or backlash. Coleman contends that this suppression was deliberate part of a broader strategy to stifle opposition while advancing a hidden agenda. Coleman traces the origins of this alleged conspiracy back to the mid-20th century, citing the World Health Organization's first director-general, George Brock Chisholm, who openly advocated for dismantling national sovereignty and religious beliefs to achieve global governance. He also references James Paul Warburg's infamous 1950 declaration before the U.S. Senate: "We shall have world government, whether or not we like it." Coleman argues that modern institutions like the United Nations and the World Economic Forum have continued this mission, using crises from climate change to pandemics as pretexts for centralized control. "The global warming scare was a trial run," he writes. "COVID-19 was the perfect opportunity to accelerate the plan." Among the most explosive claims in "Old Man in a Chair" is the assertion that pandemic policies deliberately targeted the elderly. Coleman alleges that lockdowns isolated vulnerable populations, leading to mass deaths in care homes, while hospitals were incentivized to classify fatalities as COVID-related. "They didn't just let the elderly die they engineered it," he writes. He also warns of a future where cash is abolished, farming is corporatized and citizens are herded into "smart cities" under digital surveillance. Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and microchip implants, he argues, are tools for total control disguised as convenience. "Once you lose financial autonomy, you lose freedom," Coleman states. A key pillar of Coleman's argument is his critique of Neil Ferguson, the Imperial College London epidemiologist whose dire COVID-19 death projections justified lockdowns worldwide. Coleman asserts that Ferguson's past modeling failures including exaggerated predictions for mad cow disease and swine flu undermine his credibility. "They used flawed science to terrify the public into compliance," he writes. The economic and psychological toll of lockdowns, Coleman contends, far outweighed the virus's impact. "The cure was deadlier than the disease," he argues, pointing to skyrocketing mental health crises, unemployment and societal division. Colemans final message is a rallying cry: distrust government narratives, reject mass media propaganda and resist incremental tyranny. "This isn't about a virus it's about power," he writes. "If we don't fight back now, we may not get another chance." Learn more about the book "Old Man in a Chair" by watching the video below. This video is from the BrightLearn channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com DOGE finds evidence of Social Security fraud and illegal immigrant voter registration Elon Musk claims millions of undocumented immigrants have fraudulently accessed Social Security benefits and registered to vote, citing an investigation by his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Social Security fraud has long been debated, but past investigations found its more often tied to citizens or organized crime, not undocumented immigrants. Democrats dismiss Musks claims as politically motivated. Musk frames the issue as a Democratic strategy to create a voting bloc. The Trump administration supports Musks findings, proposing cuts to Social Security and SSA services. Elon Musk, the billionaire tech CEO and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has reignited a national debate with his latest claims about Social Security fraud and voter registration involving undocumented immigrants. During an interview on Senator Ted Cruzs podcast, Musk alleged that millions of undocumented individuals have been fraudulently accessing Social Security benefits and even voting in U.S. elections, a revelation that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape. The revelation: Millions of undocumented beneficiaries Musk and his team, including Antonio Gracias, a prominent investor, claim to have uncovered a vast operation where millions of undocumented immigrants have obtained Social Security numbers, maxed out on benefits and enrolled in Medicaid. They assert that not only have these individuals been receiving benefits, but some have also registered to vote, with records to prove it. This system, according to Musk, has been systematically exploited, leading to significant financial drain and potential electoral manipulation. Historical context: A long-standing issue The issue of Social Security fraud and undocumented immigrants has been a contentious topic for decades. Historically, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has grappled with various forms of fraud, including identity theft and overpayments. However, the scale of the problem, as described by Musk, is unprecedented. The last major investigation into Social Security fraud was conducted in the early 2000s, which found that while fraud exists, it is often perpetrated by U.S. citizens or organized crime rings, not undocumented immigrants. The evidence and reactions Musks claims are based on an investigation led by DOGE, which he asserts has uncovered irrefutable evidence of widespread fraud. However, critics have quickly pointed out the lack of concrete evidence supporting these allegations. Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, stated, "When you look at the numbers, its actually the opposite: Undocumented immigrants cannot get SSI or Social Security benefits, but in fact, the undocumented immigrants contribute a lot to the Social Security system." A study by the Brennan Center for Justice, which examined 23.5 million votes from 42 jurisdictions in the 2016 general election, found only around 30 instances of noncitizens voting. Similarly, a report by the Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, found minimal evidence of undocumented people voting in elections. The political implications Musks claims have significant political implications. He has linked the alleged fraud to a Democratic strategy to attract and retain undocumented immigrants by providing government handouts, thus creating a voting bloc. This has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and some Republicans who argue that such claims are unfounded and politically motivated. Senator Chuck Schumer, in response to Musks claims, stated, "Social Security is under attack by those who seek to undermine the safety net for millions of Americans. These baseless allegations are nothing more than a distraction from the real issues facing our country." The future of social security The Trump administration, which has been pushing for stringent measures to reduce government spending, has endorsed Musks findings and announced plans to cut Social Security benefits and reduce the workforce at the SSA. These changes, including the closure of field offices and the elimination of phone services, have already begun to affect how beneficiaries access their benefits. However, experts warn that these cuts could have far-reaching consequences for eligible recipients. Dr. Shayak Sarkar, a professor of law at the University of California Davis School of Law, cautioned, "Existing immigrants already in the United States are contributing to the SSA even without work authorization. Cutting off these contributions would only exacerbate the financial challenges facing the system." Elon Musks bold claims about Social Security fraud and voter registration involving undocumented immigrants have ignited a fierce debate. While his allegations have sparked concern and calls for accountability, they have also been met with skepticism and demands for concrete evidence. As the investigation continues and the political implications unfold, one thing is clear: the integrity and future of Social Security are at the forefront of the national conversation. Sources include: Revolver.news Newsweek.com NBCNews.com European Court of Justice: Healthcare professionals who promoted or administered COVID-19 vaccines are CRIMINALLY LIABLE for any harm caused The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in 2025 that healthcare professionals promoting or administering COVID-19 vaccines are civilly and criminally liable for harm caused, as they had the autonomy to refuse participation. In 2020, Dr. Vernon Coleman warned that doctors prescribing experimental COVID-19 vaccines could face lawsuits and imprisonment if harm occurreda prediction now validated by the ECJs decision. Potential damages per patient could reach millions, overwhelming insurance and bankrupting many doctors in the U.K., U.S., EU and other regions. The ruling raises questions about the role of media, tech platforms (e.g., YouTube, BBC) and pharmaceutical companies in censorship and misinformation, with figures like Dr. Mike Yeadon alleging intentional harm from vaccines. The decision signals a need for transparency and accountability in medicine, potentially reshaping healthcare systems and diminishing trust in rushed medical interventions. In a groundbreaking decision that could reshape the medical landscape, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that healthcare professionals who promoted or administered COVID-19 vaccines are civilly and criminally liable for any harm caused. This ruling, announced in early 2025, underscores the profound implications of medical professionals who participated in the mass vaccination campaign, a move that has long been a source of controversy and debate within the medical community. A prophetic warning Back in 2020, Dr. Vernon Coleman, a noted medical writer and health freedom advocate, issued a stark warning. He foretold that doctors who prescribed the then-experimental COVID-19 vaccines would face severe legal consequences, including lawsuits and potential imprisonment. Dr. Coleman's warning was grounded in his belief that the vaccines could cause significant harm, a stance that was met with skepticism and criticism from mainstream medical institutions. "Back in 2020, I warned that doctors who prescribed the then-new and experimental covid-19 vaccine would likely be sued (and also imprisoned) if it turned out, as I expected, that the vaccine caused harm to those who were injected," Dr. Coleman wrote in his new book, The End of Medicine. "I warned that doctors' insurers would not be able to cope and that thousands of doctors would go bankrupt." The European Court of Justice ruling The ECJ's recent ruling validates Dr. Coleman's predictions. The court determined that healthcare professionals had the autonomy to refuse the vaccines and, therefore, bear full responsibility for their actions. This decision has far-reaching consequences, not only for individual doctors but also for the broader healthcare system. According to the ruling, doctors who urged people to be vaccinated or who administered the vaccines are both civilly and criminally liable. The court emphasized that physicians were not compelled to prescribe or administer the vaccines and thus must take responsibility for their choices. This ruling could exonerate those doctors who opposed the vaccines or criticized them and faced disciplinary actions. "This ruling could result in those doctors who were subject to disciplinary proceedings because they opposed vaccinations, or because they criticized the vaccines, being exonerated," Dr. Coleman noted. The financial implications The financial ramifications of this ruling are staggering. If patients claim severe and permanent damage from the vaccines, the potential damages could run into millions of pounds, dollars, or euros per patient. Dr. Coleman estimates that the total financial burden could bankrupt the vast majority of doctors in countries such as the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia and the EU. "It seems likely that the sum per patient could run into millions of pounds/dollars/euros," Dr. Coleman stated. "I doubt if doctors' insurance companies would have enough money to satisfy millions of claims (with each patient demanding millions of pounds) and so the vast majority of doctors in the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Australia, the EU etc., etc., would go bankrupt." Accountability and the Media The ECJ's ruling also raises questions about the accountability of other entities that played a role in the vaccination campaign. Dr. Mike Yeadon, a former Pfizer executive, has been vocal about his belief that the COVID-19 vaccines were "deliberately designed intentionally to injure, kill and reduce fertility." "If I was wrong, I would have expected the drug companies whose products I am maligning to have sought and secured a court injunction to stop me repeating these allegations," Dr. Yeadon said. "Neither of those things have ever happened. What has happened instead is that I have been extraordinarily censored and smeared sideways. And I think I offer that to you as strong evidence that I may be 'over the target,' at least in relation to these injectable products that have definitely injured and killed many people." Dr. Yeadon's testimony adds a layer of complexity to the debate, suggesting that the scientific establishment and media have a role to play in the accountability process. Social media platforms like YouTube and the BBC, for instance, could face legal action for censoring critical voices and suppressing vital information. The European Court of Justice's ruling marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing saga of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. It underscores the need for transparency, accountability and a reevaluation of how medical professionals are held responsible for their actions. As the legal and financial implications unfold, the medical landscape may see profound changes, potentially leading to a future where human doctors are no longer the primary providers of healthcare. For now, the ruling serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of rush-to-market medical interventions and the importance of careful, evidence-based decision-making in healthcare. Sources include: TheExpose.com DeepNewz.com NaturalNews.com Israels war on Gazas healthcare: Over 1,400 medical workers killed in attacks Israeli forces have killed over 1,400 medical personnel and destroyed 34 hospitals in Gaza since October 2023. 14 rescue workers, including paramedics and a UN employee, were executed in Rafah, with some found handcuffed with gunshot wounds. Gazas healthcare system is decimated, with 80 health centers and 142 ambulances destroyed, and doctors tortured in detention. Mass graves reveal crushed ambulances and buried humanitarian workers, prompting global condemnation. ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli leaders as genocide accusations mount, but international action remains inadequate. In a conflict marked by relentless brutality, the Israeli military has systematically dismantled Gazas healthcare system, killing more than 1,400 medical personnel and 111 civil defense workers since October 2023, according to Gazas Government Media Office. The latest atrocitythe execution of 14 rescue workers, including paramedics and a UN employeehas drawn global condemnation, exposing what human rights groups call a deliberate campaign of genocide. As evidence mounts of targeted killings, torture, and mass burials, the international community faces mounting pressure to hold Israel accountable for what many describe as war crimes. A healthcare system under siege The numbers are staggering: 34 hospitals bombed, 80 health centers destroyed, 162 medical institutions reduced to rubble, and 142 ambulances struck by Israeli forces. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that over 1,000 doctors and nurses have been killed, with hundreds more arrested and at least three doctors tortured to death in Israeli detention centers. The most recent massacre occurred in Rafahs Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, where 14 humanitarian workerseight from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), six civil defense personnel, and one UNRWA employeewere executed while responding to a distress call. Disturbingly, some victims were found handcuffed with gunshot wounds to the head and chest, indicating a deliberate execution. Mass graves and buried evidence The bodies of the 14 workers were recovered from a shallow mass grave, where ambulances and fire trucks lay crushed beneath the sand. Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza, described the scene as an absolute horror. Seven days ago, Civil Defence and PRCS ambulances arrived at the scene. One by one they were hit, they were struck. Their bodies were gathered and buried in this mass grave. We're digging them out with uniforms, with their gloves on. They were here to save lives. Instead, they ended up in a mass grave," he said. The Israeli military initially claimed the vehicles were suspicious and accused Hamas of using them as covera frequent justification that aid groups dismiss as a smokescreen for indiscriminate killing. International outrage The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) called the attack the single most deadly incident for their workers in nearly a decade. Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General, stated: They wore emblems that should have protected them. Even in the most complex conflict zones, there are rules. Yet Israel continues its assault with impunity. Since resuming its offensive on March 18, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, half of them women and children. Hospitals like Nasser Medical Complex, Gazas largest remaining facility, have been repeatedly raided and bombed, with Israel allegingwithout credible evidencethat they harbor Hamas militants. A genocide unfolding With over 50,000 Palestinians dead and 114,000 injured, Gazas health system is in ruins. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes, while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) weighs a genocide case. But as bodies pile up in mass graves and doctors are tortured in prisons, the worlds inaction speaks volumes. No one can hold them accountable. Only God, said Nasser Abu Labda, father of a slain medic, at his sons funeral. For Gazas survivors, the message is clear: Israels war is not just against Hamasits against the Palestinian people. And unless global powers intervene, the genocide will continue, one bullet, one bomb, and one buried ambulance at a time. Sources for this article include: TheCradle.co MiddleEastMonitor.com CNN.com BBC.com MiddleEastMonitor.com Israel prepares to seize 25% of Gaza in maximum pressure campaign, critics warn of ethnic cleansing Israel plans to escalate its Gaza ground invasion, aiming to occupy 25% of the territory to pressure Hamas into a prisoner exchange. Critics warn the move could forcibly displace Palestinians, aligning with Netanyahus "final stage" of military action, which has killed over 50,000 Gazans. The IDF ordered evacuations in Rafah, displacing over a million people to an already overwhelmed coastal area amid starvation and disease. Israel rejected a Hamas-accepted ceasefire, demanding hostage returns as bombardment continues, pushing Gazas death toll to 50,000 since October. Netanyahu endorses Trumps "voluntary migration" plan, which far-right officials celebrate, while critics call it ethnic cleansing and demographic engineering. The Israeli military is preparing to escalate its ground invasion of Gaza, with plans to occupy 25% of the besieged enclave in the coming weeks as part of a maximum pressure campaign aimed at forcing Hamas into a prisoner exchange deal. However, critics and human rights observers warn the move is a thinly veiled pretext for further displacement of Palestinians, potentially advancing what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly described as the final stage of a devastating military campaignone that has already killed over 50,000 Gazans, most of them women and children. The expansion, reported by Axios and confirmed by Israeli officials, would mark one of the largest territorial seizures since the war began in October 2023. Yet with Netanyahu invoking President Trumps controversial voluntary migration plana policy Palestinians condemn as ethnic cleansingthe operation appears less about security and more about fulfilling long-standing far-right ambitions to empty Gaza of its Palestinian population. According to Barak Ravid, an Axios reporter and former Israeli intelligence officer, senior officials admit the reoccupation could extend beyond stated military objectives. Some Israeli officials say reoccupation is a step towards implementing the governments plan for voluntary departure of Palestinians from Gaza, Ravid wrote, citing anonymous sources. The plan is already in motion. On Monday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued evacuation orders for Rafah, a southern city where over a million displaced Palestinians had sought refuge. Move immediately to the shelters in Al Mawasi, Colonel Avichay Adraee commanded on social media, referencing a cramped coastal area already overwhelmed by starvation and disease. Meanwhile, Netanyahu framed the escalation as inevitable. Hamas will lay down its weapons. Its leaders will be allowed to leave, he told his cabinet, before endorsing Trumps proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinians. We will allow the realization of the Trump plan for voluntary migration. Ceasefire rejected amid mounting death toll The military push comes despite Hamas accepting an Egyptian-brokered truce proposal on Sunday. Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, stated the group sought only implementation of what was already signed. But Israel dismissed the offer, demanding the release of 11 living hostages and 16 bodiesa shift from prior negotiations. Since resuming hostilities on March 17, Israels bombardment has killed over 1,000 Palestinians, adding to a toll that Gazas Health Ministry places at 50,000 since October. The UN reports that 95% of Gazans are now displaced, with famine looming due to Israels blockade on aid. A final stage of destruction Netanyahus rhetoric has grown increasingly brazen. His invocation of Trumps planwhich far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich celebrated as Palestinians losing their land foreveraligns with a broader strategy critics call demographic engineering. This is the plan. We are not hiding this, Netanyahu declared. Yet even within Israels security establishment, skepticism abounds. Retired General Nitzan Nuriel dismissed the voluntary migration scheme as nonsense, while others warn reoccupation could trap Israel in an indefinite humanitarian crisis and could leave Israel responsible for two million Palestinians. As Netanyahu pursues what he brands a war of rebirth, the stakes extend beyond Gaza. With troops deployed in Lebanon and Syria, and annexation threats looming in the West Bank, his government appears committed to a maximalist visionone that subordinates Palestinian lives to ideological goals. For Gazans, the looming occupation signals not security, but more suffering. With no viable ceasefire and the U.S. backing Israels campaign unconditionally, the world watches as Netanyahus final stage unfolds: one that history may remember as a genocide masquerading as self-defense. Sources for this article include: TheCradle.co Axios.com NYPost.com CNN.com This is nuts Political leaders across Europe slam judges decision to ban Le Pen from 2027 presidential election The shocking and historic news that Marine Le Pen, parliamentary leader of the National Rally party, will be banned from the French presidential race has crashed on Europe like a tidal wave. Polling just the day before her conviction showed her as the frontrunner in the race. Now, politicians across Europe are reacting to the news, with even rivals of Le Pen and those on the left of the political spectrum responding with aghast at the move. (Article republished from RMX.news) The sentence for Le Pen, along with eight MEPs from her party, bars her from running in elections for five years. She was also sentenced to four years in prison for misusing EU funds, including two years which will be spent in an ankle monitor under house arrest. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an ally of Le Pens, took to X to write that he stands with Le Pen in French. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Salvini said the ruling was a declaration of war by Brussels." ???? With the barring of frontrunner @MLP_officiel from the French presidential elections, Brussels has "declared war" on conservatives, says Italian Deputy PM @matteosalvinimi. pic.twitter.com/5VTEdOs86t Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 31, 2025 However, even political rivals of Le Pen came to her defense, with the leader of the Republicans parliamentary group, Laurent Wauquiez, stating: It is not healthy that in a democracy, an elected official is prohibited from standing in an election, and I believe that political debates should be decided at the ballot box. The far-left leader of France Unbowed (LFI), Jean-Luc Melenchon, stated: The decision to remove an elected official should be up to the people. Outside of France, Greek MEP Yanis Varoufakis, who heads his own political party, said the ruling was nuts. He said that lawfare is wrong whomever it targets. And it is stupid to boot. Frances neofascists will only benefit from this, just as the MAGA lot did. A panicking illiberal establishment across the West is diving headlong into a totalitarian pit. This is nuts. Lawfare is wrong whomever it targets. And it is stupid to boot. Frances neofascists will only benefit from this, just as the MAGA lot did. A panicking illiberal establishment across the West is diving headlong into a totalitarian pit https://t.co/nglnsAaxQS Yanis Varoufakis (@yanisvaroufakis) March 31, 2025 Tensions are also sure to soar with the Trump administration, with Elon Musk writing that this will backfire like the legal attacks against President Trump. This will backfire, like the legal attacks against President Trump Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 31, 2025 The ruling can still be appealed; however, Le Pens ban from politics is effective immediately and will remain in place the entire time. Furthermore, her appeal could last over a year, which is long enough to severely damage her ability to wage an effective campaign even if she does win in the Constitutional Court. BREAKING: Today marks the day democracy died in France. A judge ruled Marine Le Pen is ineligible to run for president in 2027. She is the frontrunner. 8 MEPs from her party are also barred from participating in elections. Judges are now deciding elections across the EU. pic.twitter.com/HHuMv8hsja Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 31, 2025 Read more at: RMX.news Pentagon memo suggests U.S. will not defend Europe from Russian aggression, prioritizing China and homeland security A leaked Pentagon memo reveals a strategic shift, with the U.S. focusing on deterring China in the Indo-Pacific and homeland security, reducing military commitments to Europe in case of Russian aggression. While maintaining nuclear deterrence against Russia, the U.S. will only deploy non-essential forces to Europe, urging NATO allies to increase their own defense contributions. The memo aligns with President Trumps emphasis on threats closer to home, while Defense Secretary Hegseth faces scrutiny over leaked Signal messages discussing war plans. European leaders, stunned by U.S. wavering on NATO commitments, are pushing for greater military independence, with nations like Denmark and the U.K. boosting defense spending. The U.S. pivot raises questions about NATOs viability, prompting calls for restructuring and stronger European defense capabilities to counter potential Russian threats. A leaked Pentagon memo, dated March 30, 2025, has raised significant concerns about the United States' commitment to NATO and its willingness to defend European allies from potential Russian aggression. The confidential document, authored by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, suggests that the U.S. will prioritize deterring China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific and enhancing homeland security over coming to Europe's aid. The memo's contents are particularly alarming given the historical context of NATO, a military alliance formed in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union's threat. The United States has long been the anchor of NATO, providing the bulk of its military capabilities and leadership. However, recent comments and actions by President Donald Trump have cast doubt on the U.S.'s commitment to the alliance, raising questions about NATO's future and the security of its European members. The memo's key points The memo, leaked to the Washington Post, outlines a strategic shift in U.S. defense priorities. Hegseth's document emphasizes the need to focus on countering China's potential seizure of Taiwan and bolstering homeland defense. This shift is underscored by a reduction in the U.S.'s willingness to provide significant military support to Europe in the event of a Russian attack. According to the memo, the U.S. will continue to provide nuclear deterrence against Russia but will only commit forces that are not essential for homeland security or missions related to China. The guidance also calls for increased defense contributions from European nations, stating that this will ensure NATO can "reliably deter or defeat Russian aggression even if deterrence fails and the United States is already engaged in, or must withhold forces to deter, a primary conflict in another region." Hegseth's controversial stance The memo aligns with President Trump's global security concerns, particularly his emphasis on threats from the "near abroad" and the need to defend American interests in the Western Hemisphere. Trump's recent declaration about Greenland has heightened tensions with Denmark, a NATO ally responsible for the autonomous island's defense and foreign affairs. Hegseth's stance on the memo has been further complicated by recent scandals, including the Signal-gate text scandal. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, accused Hegseth of lying about sharing war plans in a Signal group chat. Hegseth had denied discussing war plans, but Goldberg's screenshots suggest otherwise, showing Hegseth detailing the day's events. European reactions and NATO's future European leaders have been left stunned by the open rapprochement between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the subtle hints that the U.S. may abandon its obligation to defend European allies. The alliance's famous Article 5, which holds that NATO members will come to the defense of an ally under attack, has been a cornerstone of European security since World War II. However, recent events have raised doubts about the U.S.'s commitment to this principle. Friedrich Merz, the incoming German chancellor, has outlined plans to achieve independence from the U.S. in terms of security. He emphasized the need to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible to establish an independent European defense capability. Merz's comments reflect a growing sentiment among European leaders that the transatlantic alliance may need to be restructured to ensure long-term security. European efforts to enhance defense In response to the U.S.'s shifting priorities, several European nations have announced plans to increase their defense spending. Denmark has already announced a major increase in defense spending, and the U.K. has followed suit, cutting foreign aid to fund an extra 13 billion annually. These moves are seen as a necessary step to mitigate the risks posed by a potentially less committed U.S. ally. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has attempted to reassure European allies, stating that the transatlantic relationship remains the bedrock of the alliance. However, Rutte also emphasized the need for European nations to increase their defense contributions. The invocation of Article 5 has only occurred once in NATO's history, following the September 11 attacks, when the alliance came to the U.S.'s aid in Afghanistan. Redefining America's role The leaked Pentagon memo and the broader context of President Trump's policies have sparked a significant reevaluation of NATO's future and the security of its European members. As the U.S. shifts its focus to the Indo-Pacific and homeland security, European nations are taking steps to enhance their defense capabilities and potentially restructure the alliance. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether NATO can adapt to these new challenges and maintain its role as a bulwark against aggression. Sources include: TheMirror.com BBC.com TheGuardian.com World Health Organization in crisis, prepares for DOWNSIZING after U.S. withdrawal and funding problems The World Health Organization faces severe financial strain after the U.S. (its largest donor) withdrew, forcing a 21 percent budget reduction ($5.3 billion to $4.2 billion) and workforce layoffs, including senior roles in Geneva. U.S. President Donald Trump exited the WHO in January, citing mismanagement of COVID-19 and undue deference to China, leaving a $706 million funding gap for 20242025. A public campaign led by WHO officials to offset losses raised only $23,000 of an ambitious $1 billion goal, reflecting dwindling global support. The U.S. contributed $442 million in voluntary funding for 2024 to 2025, compared to China's measly $2.5 million contribution. The WHO faced criticism for downplaying COVID-19's lab-leak theory under Chinese pressure. Washington's exit disrupts programs fighting HIV, tuberculosis, and other diseases, with funds redirected to alternative partners as the WHO's credibility and future viability are questioned. The globalist World Health Organization (WHO) is now facing an existential crisis, following funding cuts and U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that Washington will withdraw from the global health body. A confidential memo obtained by Reuters reveals that the Geneva-based agency under the United Nations is preparing to slash its budget by 21 percent and reduce its workforce. The memo comes after the U.S. the WHO's largest donor formally withdrew under Trump in January. Since then, the WHO has desperately scrambled for alternative funding including a failed public begging campaign. The internal WHO memo, dated March 28 was signed by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Tedros bluntly admitted in the document that the organization has "no choice but to reduce the scale of our work and workforce" following the U.S. departure. According to the memo, the budget for 2026 to 2027 will be cut from an initial $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion. Layoffs are also expected across all levels, including senior leadership in Geneva. The WHO employs 25 percent of its 9,473-strong staff in its Swiss headquarters alone. Trump justified Washington's withdrawal from the WHO by accusing the global health body of mishandling the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and kowtowing to China. The withdrawal, Reuters mentions, has left a staggering $706 million shortfall in the agency's 2024 to 2025 budget. The WHO's panicked response was epitomized by Maria Van Kerkhove, its technical lead for COVID-19, who took to social media pleading for public donations. Unfortunately, her public fundraiser with an ambitious $1 billion goal raised a paltry $23,000 proof that global goodwill toward the WHO has evaporated. China pays pennies, U.S. blows billions In an executive order signed shortly after taking office in January, Trump condemned the WHO's "unfairly onerous payments" imposed on the U.S. while letting China contribute a fraction of what America did. (Related: Trump's surprise move: U.S. withdraws from the WHO amid global pandemic concerns.) While Washington was expected to provide $442 million in voluntary funding for 2024 to 2025, Beijing pledged a mere $2.5 million. Even in mandatory contributions, the disparity was glaring: The U.S. paid $264 million compared to China's $181 million. The WHO's credibility has been further eroded by its obsequious deference to Beijing during the pandemic. Despite China's obstruction of investigations into COVID-19's origins, WHO officials initially praised China's lockdowns as "the most ambitious, agile and aggressive disease containment effort in history." Later, under Chinese pressure, the agency dismissed the lab-leak theory as "extremely unlikely." As Van Kerkhove herself admitted to Science magazine in January, China has repeatedly stonewalled requests for information on early cases and lab research. Yet, the WHO continues to shield Beijing from accountability. The U.S. exit has sent shockwaves through global health programs, particularly those combating HIV, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases, which relied heavily on American funding. But Trumps order makes clear that Washington will redirect resources to more accountable partners, bypassing the WHO's inefficiencies. With its budget imploding and its reputation in tatters, the WHO now faces a reckoning. As the agency scrambles to prioritize its dwindling resources, the world is left questioning whether the WHO a body that prioritized politics over science deserves to survive at all. Watch WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus falsely claiming that the global health body didn't impose medical tyranny during the COVID-19 pandemic in this clip. This video is from the Thrivetime Show channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: WHO gets record-high $6.83 BILLION budget increase and approval for replenishment mechanism to raise MORE FUNDS. WHO turns to crowdfunding after Trump pulls the plug: A billion-dollar shortfall and a lesson in global priorities. Trump orders CDC to halt WHO collaboration. Sources include: Reuters.com 1 DissWire.com Reuters.com 2 Brighteon.com Zelensky defies Trump, rejects U.S. aid repayment and mineral deal amid rising tensions Zelensky rejects U.S. demands to classify past aid as repayable debt and refuses a mineral rights deal, escalating tensions with Trump. Trump warns of "big, big problems" if Ukraine reneges, signaling a major rift in U.S.-Ukraine relations. The U.S. sought 50% revenue and priority access to Ukraines critical minerals, which Kyiv calls exploitative. Zelensky pivots toward European defense partnerships, reducing reliance on U.S. support. Analysts warn Ukraine risks losing U.S. backing, leaving Europe to fill the void amid worsening relations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has openly rejected U.S. demands to classify past American aid as repayable debt and refused to sign a critical mineral rights agreement, escalating tensions with the Trump administration. In a televised address on March 28, Zelensky declared Ukraine would not acknowledge billions in prior U.S. military and economic support as loans, while also backing out of a deal that would grant the U.S. access to Ukraines vast mineral resources in exchange for continued assistance. President Trump responded bluntly, warning that Zelensky would face "big, big problems" if he reneged on the agreement, signaling a dramatic rupture in U.S.-Ukraine relations. The clash underscores a growing divide between Washington and Kyiv, as Zelensky pivots toward European partnerships and resists American conditionsa move critics argue betrays the U.S. taxpayers who have bankrolled Ukraines defense. Zelenskys debt defiance In his address, Zelensky dismissed the Trump administrations stance that past aidtotaling over $75 billion since 2022should be treated as debt. This administration will not do anything for free for us, he asserted, adding that Ukraine will not acknowledge the past debt. The remarks directly contradict U.S. expectations, which had framed future aid on Kyivs willingness to repay or offer strategic concessions, such as shared access to Ukraines rare-earth minerals and energy reserves. The Trump administration had proposed a revised mineral rights agreement, which would grant the U.S. first come, first served privileges to invest in Ukraines resources, including lithium and titanium critical for modern technology, while claiming 50% of revenue from new and existing projects. A senior Ukrainian official, cited by The Washington Post, called the terms exploitative, warning they could cede control of the countrys mineral sector to American interests. Despite earlier signals that Zelensky would cooperate, his refusal to sign the deal has infuriated Washington. Hes trying to back out of the rare earth deal, and if he does that, hes got some problemsbig, big problems, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on March 30. A strategic betrayal? Zelenskys defiance coincides with Ukraines reported violations of a partial ceasefire brokered by Trump, further straining ties. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian leader has quietly secured independent defense agreements with European nations, including intelligence-sharing and joint arms production in a clear shift away from reliance on the U.S. Analysts suggest that Zelensky is emboldened by European allies like Frances Emmanuel Macron, who have pushed for greater autonomy from U.S. influence. But Trumps team sees the move as a breach of trust. The U.S. has carried Ukraines defense for years, a senior administration official told Fox News. Now theyre refusing to honor fair terms while shopping for alternatives. The standoff marks a significant deterioration in a once-close partnership. With Zelensky refusing to concede on debt or resources, and Trump vowing consequences, the U.S. may reassess its support for Ukrainepotentially leaving Europe to fill the void. As Trumps warning that hes got big problems echoes, the question is no longer whether Kyiv can afford to alienate Washington, but whether it can afford the fallout. For now, the ball is in Zelenskys court. But with American patience wearing thin, Ukraines leader may soon find that defiance comes at a cost. Sources for this article include: YourNews.com NYPost.com FoxNews.com 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. When a critically injured patient is admitted to the hospital, how much supplemental oxygen should they receive? New research published this week in JAMA Network Open led by investigators at the University of Colorado School of Medicine suggests it's often less than the current standard. "The idea has traditionally been that severe trauma causes stress to patients' bodies, and we want to deliver as much oxygen as possible to the brain and to vital organs because they are losing blood," says Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine and lead investigator of the Strategy to Avoid Excessive Oxygen (SAVE-O2) study, which found that targeting slightly lower levels of oxygen saturation, from 90-96%, had similar, and sometimes better, outcomes for adult trauma patients. "The problem with administering so much oxygen is that the hemoglobin molecules can only carry so much oxygen, and if you oversaturate, you're unnecessarily delivering excess oxygen to the lungs. That can be potentially harmful, especially when these trauma patients have healthy lungs and little trouble breathing," he says. Ginde and fellow collaborators at the CU Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research say this research, with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to apply to warfighters especially in low-resource environments, could also act as a foundation for improved standards of care for trauma patients across the country. So far, it's already taken hold in military health practices. Normoxemia's role in trauma recovery The study took place at eight level 1 trauma centers across the U.S., with the SAVE-O2 research team and enrolling nearly 13,000 patients. The researchers asked whether targeting normoxemia, defined as a peripheral oxygen saturation of 90-96%, could safely increase the number of supplemental oxygen-free days. Patients received only the oxygen they needed often none at all to keep them in the normoxemia range. Researchers found they were able to safely deliver less supplemental oxygen without negatively affecting mortality or time spent in hypoxemia, a lack of oxygen that can harm the body. We saw strong evidence that patients did at least as well by being in this normoxemia range. That was good. We wanted to then see their clinical outcome, which we measured with supplemental oxygen-free days, a combination of survival and the time spent receiving supplemental oxygen. Overall, we saw a signal for improvement, especially when patients were not on the ventilator. Patients had more days alive and free of supplemental oxygen and spent less time in the hospital, which is a positive sign." Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine Patients in the normoxemia range aren't likely to notice a difference in their breathing compared to those in the highest level of oxygen saturation. "If your oxygen starts getting low, below 88%, you'll start feeling a shortness of breath, or that you're working hard to take deeper breaths. But here, we're targeting physiologically normal ranges, so your body's actually quite content in this range," Ginde says. From the battlefield to civilian hospitals The SAVE O2 work began with a military setting in mind. "Many combat evacuation missions are planned around when they'll run out of oxygen," Ginde says. "Our goal was to determine whether the military could safely provide front line care and evacuate patients with less oxygen." To date, there have been updates to 10 relevant Joint Trauma System guidelines and in 2023, Ginde and his research team were awarded Outstanding research Accomplishment at the Military Health System Research Symposium for their advancements in oxygen therapy protocols. Like much of the work in the CU Center for COMBAT Research, the work is applicable both in and out of military settings. "We can do the same science that will benefit civilians but also benefit the military. Figuring out how much oxygen is adequate and seeing how we can reduce the amount of supplemental oxygen will benefit the military, but it's also important in civilian and low-resource settings as well," Ginde says. The next frontier in oxygen delivery With the release of these findings, Ginde says that he's hopeful guidelines will start to evolve and benefit trauma patients across the country. "Changes tend to take more time on the civilian side. It's more nebulous than it is with the military, but hopefully, with this high-impact publication and additional presentations, we'll see these guidelines change over time," he says. Now, Ginde and the research team have received additional Department of Defense funding to plan what's next. They're currently testing an autonomous oxygen titration device, called O2Matic, which works via a closed-loop physiologic control that measures oxygen and delivers it to the patient as necessary. A human will no longer have to turn a knob every few hours to adjust oxygen levels. "It's giving the patient the amount they need no more, no less," he explains. The device has been approved for use in Europe but not yet evaluated in the U.S., so Ginde and his team are leading the registration trial with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to evaluate the effectiveness of the device at reaching target oxygen saturation. "This device has the potential to significantly improve how we give oxygen when it's needed," Ginde says. "We think this could be the future. Now that we've proven the normoxemia target is safe and desirable, the next step is figuring out how to implement it more efficiently and on a broader scale." Blood loss is the leading cause of death in trauma patients between the ages of 1 and 46 years, largely because they cannot access safe blood sources quickly enough. A possible solution? Freeze-dried synthetic blood. A multi-institutional team led by Dipanjan Pan, the Dorothy Foehr Huck & J. Lloyd Chair Professor in Nanomedicine at Penn State, recently received a five-year, $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to develop the next generation of synthetic blood. "Mother nature is hard to mimic, but we're getting closer," said Pan, who is also a professor of materials science and engineering and of nuclear engineering. "Our goal is to design and optimize a blood substitute prototype, called Nano-RBC, that is based on a deformable nanoparticle. It is similar in shape to red blood cells and incorporates high-per-particle payloads of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen." He explained that the odds of survival increase dramatically when a person can receive a transfusion before losing too much blood, but that's often not possible in rural or war-torn areas without the specialized processing and storage facilities donated blood requires. "There is a need for an artificial oxygen carrier to substitute for banked blood in settings where stored blood is unavailable or undesirable," Pan said. "Artificial blood is described as the 'Holy Grail' of trauma medicine. Researchers have been battling to develop it for 150 years, with many failures along the way." More recent efforts included agents that could not release oxygen in damaged tissue or overloaded the body with hemoglobin, which can raise iron in animals, including humans, to toxic levels when not managed. We are taking inspiration from these earlier failures and developing a next-generation functional system that attempts to mimic red blood cell physiological functions." Dipanjan Pan, the Dorothy Foehr Huck & J. Lloyd Chair Professor in Nanomedicine at Penn State Pan and his team previously developed ErythroMer, an artificial blood product that emulates the physiological properties of red blood cells, like their ability to bind and release oxygen. That work, conducted over a decade and currently in advanced stages of animal studies, was funded by more than $14 million in grants from the NIH, the Department of Defense and other agencies. The project - which has been featured in Science, the New Yorker and Popular Science, among other media outlets - is also part of a larger $46 million multi-institutional consortium, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. ErythroMer was co-invented by Pan and Allan Doctor, professor of pediatrics and director of the Center for Blood Oxygen Transport and Hemostasis at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). Together with Philip Spinella, a military transfusion medicine expert at the University of Pittsburgh, Pan and Doctor co-founded a company called KaloCyte, Inc. to develop the agent, which consists of lipid-based nanoparticles. Such nanoparticles are made of lipids, or fats, and can carry and protect various deliverables, including oxygen. "While Erythromer emulated the functional and physiological properties of the red blood cells, our current project is taking this research forward to the next level by mimicking the morphological characteristics of red blood cells - their physical shape and how they move," Pan said. The advanced version of the blood substitute product would have the same donut curve and thin, flat center of biological red blood cells, but would be one-tenth of the size. "At that nanometric level, the surface to volume ratio is extremely high, meaning that for a given volume, our agent has a significantly larger surface area due to its tiny size, allowing for unique properties, biological interaction with surrounding tissues and the ability to load high concentrations of hemoglobin. In other words, fewer of our particles could deliver the same amount of hemoglobin - and the oxygen they carry - biological red blood cells could carry." One particularly appealing property that the researchers plan to keep from ErythoMer for Nano-RBC, Pan said, is that the particles can be lyophilized, or freeze-dried and stored at room temperature. "The product can then be resuspended in salt water before administering to patients," Pan said, noting that the team demonstrated the approach's feasibility with ErythroMer. With the newly funded project, the researchers aim to further develop new materials that act and look like red blood cells and test their functionality in animal models. Collaborators include Doctor, who will work to elucidate the mechanisms underpinning on oxygen release properties; Paul Buehler, professor of pediatrics and of pathology at UMSOM who will examine biodistribution; and Narayana Aluru, Cockrell Family Regents Chair in Engineering #9 at the University of Texas at Austin who will focus on computational analyzes in design and testing of potential products. "The ultimate goal is to develop safe, dried oxygen therapeutics envisioned for use when stored red blood cells are unavailable, undesirable or in short supply," Pan said. "The inventiveness of materials researchers in health and medicine is limitless, and we're demonstrating that in this ambitious and highly collaborative project." The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved trofolastat (RoTecPSMA), the first prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeting product authorised for use with technetium-99m to detect cancerous lesions in men with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men in the UK, with 1 in 8 men diagnosed in their lifetime. Diagnostic imaging plays an important role in identifying cancerous areas, which may help guide treatment decisions. Trofolastat is combined with the radioactive tracer technetium-99m to form Technetium (99mTc) trofolastat, which is administered as a single injection. It binds to a protein called PSMA found on prostate cancer cells, helping doctors identify cancerous areas during a medical imaging technique known as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Keeping patients safe and ensuring access to high quality, safe and effective medical products are key priorities for the MHRA. As the first PSMA-targeting diagnostic product approved with Technetium-99m, which is widely available in UK nuclear medicine facilities, this approval has the potential to expand access to prostate cancer imaging and support diagnostic pathways within the NHS. The approval of this diagnostic product follows a rigorous assessment to ensure that it meets the required regulatory standards. As with all products, we will continue to monitor its safety and effectiveness. Julian Beach, Interim Executive Director, Healthcare Quality and Access, MHRA Trofolastat has been approved for use in three clinical settings: identifying how far high-risk prostate cancer has spread before treatment, detecting recurrence in patients with rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and determining whether targeted therapies might be effective for metastatic prostate cancer patients. This national approval is supported by evidence from a multi-centre, prospective study involving 105 prostate cancer patients. Technetium (99mTc) trofolastat demonstrated 94.2% sensitivity in identifying prostate cancer lesions and an 83.3% specificity in confirming cancer-free areas. The most common side effect associated with Technetium (99mTc) trofolastat was headache. A full list of side effects can be found in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) or the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), available on the MHRA website within 7 days of approval. As with any medicine, the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of RoTecPSMA under close review. Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine are encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov. uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card. Novo Nordisk today presented the full results from the SOUL cardiovascular outcomes trial, demonstrating that Rybelsus (oral semaglutide) significantly reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD). These new data from the phase 3b trial were featured during a late-breaking clinical trial session at the American College of Cardiology's (ACC) Annual Scientific Session and Expo in Chicago, US and simultaneously published today in New England Journal of Medicine. The SOUL trial achieved its primary endpoint, demonstrating a 14% reduction in risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in adults with type 2 diabetes and CVD and/or CKD when treated with Rybelsus compared to placebo. Each component of MACE, being CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and nonfatal stroke, contributed to the risk reduction1. Heart attacks and strokes are the leading causes of disability and death for people with type 2 diabetes, and there is a need for new, patient-centric treatments to help manage this risk, said Darren McGuire, MD, Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Science and Teaching Professor of Medicine at UT Southwestern, US, and SOUL steering committee co-chair. The SOUL trial in adults with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and/or CKD demonstrated significant reductions in the risk of major cardiovascular events including heart attack, stroke and CV death in those treated with oral semaglutide vs placebo. The proven cardiovascular benefit reflects a profound clinical impact for our patients who now have an oral option to improve health outcomes. Cardiometabolic diseases span a wide range of conditions, including cardiovascular and peripheral artery disease, type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. When combined, these conditions represent the leading cause of death globally. Having type 2 diabetes directly increases the risk of developing interconnected cardiometabolic diseases, while also contributing to the progression of other cardiovascular risk factors. Nearly one in three adults with type 2 diabetes have CVD. Novo Nordisk continues to evolve its focus beyond diabetes and obesity towards a broader spectrum of metabolic and cardiovascular health, Martin Holst Lange, Executive vice president for Development, Novo Nordisk These data, alongside our other data being presented at ACC, reinforce the comprehensive set of health benefits of semaglutide, making it a strong option for healthcare professionals addressing the spectrum of metabolic and cardiovascular health and our continued leadership in the space. The overall safety profile of oral semaglutide in SOUL was consistent with that seen in previous semaglutide trials, and no new safety signals were observed. The incidence of serious adverse events (SAEs) was lower in participants receiving Rybelsus than those receiving placebo, mostly due to the higher rate of cardiovascular events and infections in the placebo group. The most common SAEs were cardiac disorders (17.8% and 19.8%, respectively) and infections/infestations (15.0% and 16.5%, respectively) in the Rybelsus and placebo arms. In a key secondary analysis from SOUL published simultaneously, oral semaglutide reduced risk of MACE independently of baseline use of SGLT2i and suggests similar benefits in participants with and without concomitant SGLT2i use during trial. SOUL confirmed the well-established safety and tolerability profile of semaglutide supported by long-term safety data with more than 33 million patient years. Based on data from the SOUL clinical trial, Novo Nordisk submitted a label extension application for Rybelsus, which has been accepted for review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA. A decision is anticipated in 2025. The same genes could hold the key to regenerating cells in the ear and eye, according to a new mouse study from the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Ksenia Gnedeva, PhD, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The proliferation of progenitor cells in response to injury is a crucial step in the regeneration of sensory receptors, but this process is blocked in the mammalian inner ear and retina. By understanding the genes that enforce this block, we can advance efforts to restore hearing and vision in patients." Ksenia Gnedeva, PhD, Assistant Professor in the USC Tina and Rick Caruso Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, and the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC In the study, first authors Eva Jahanshir and Juan Llamas from the Gnedeva lab focused on a group of interacting genes called the Hippo pathway, which serve as a "stop growing" signal that the lab has shown to inhibit cell proliferation in the ear during embryonic development. In their experiments, the scientists demonstrated that the Hippo pathway also suppresses the regeneration of damaged sensory receptors in the ear and eye of adult mice. The scientists used an experimental compound that the lab earlier developed to inhibit a key protein in the Hippo pathway: Lats1/2. When exposed to this drug-like compound in a Petri dish, the progenitor cells known as supporting cells responded by proliferating in the utricle, which is a sensory organ in the inner ear that helps with balance. However, the same cells did not respond in the organ of Corti, which is the hearing sensory organ. The scientists next identified what was blocking this important step towards sensory cell regeneration in the organ of Corti - a gene encoding a protein called p27Kip1 - and showed that this inhibitory protein was also high in the retina. They created a transgenic mouse in which the level of p27Kip1 could be reduced in the inner ear and the retina to see how that would impact the proliferation of progenitor cells in response in both organs. In these mice, inhibiting the Hippo pathway effectively caused supporting cells proliferation in the organ of Corti, an important step towards the regeneration of the ear's sensory cells. In the retina, inhibiting the Hippo pathway induced the proliferation of progenitor cells known as Muller glia. Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that some of the Muller glia progeny, without further manipulation, converted to sensory photoreceptors and other neuronal cell types in the retina. "There have been reports that p27Kip1 levels drop following injury, so that might offer a brief window of opportunity for using a drug-like compound to inhibit the Hippo pathway and encourage regeneration in the ear and the eye," said Gnedeva. "Alternatively, it could be possible to develop another drug-like compound to reduce p27Kip1 levels. So, our discoveries have identified potential new targets for stimulating the regeneration of both hearing and vision." Additional co-authors are Yeeun Kim, Kevin Biju, and Sanyukta Oak from the Gnedeva Lab. This work was supported by federal funding from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (grant 1R01DC020268, training grant T32DC009975, and clinician-scientist training grant 5R25DC019700). A recent study from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health reveals significant racial and sex disparities in drug overdose mortality rates. The research found that both Black men and Black women have been disproportionately impacted by overdose deaths, with their mortality rates rising sharply compared to their White counterparts. This study expands scientific understanding of how race, sex, and regional factors intersect to affect overdose outcomes. The study's findings are published in JAMA Network Open. Efforts to reduce drug-related mortality must address the specific needs of marginalized communities, especially Black men. Addressing these disparities requires a comprehensive, multifaceted approach that targets social, economic, physical, and policy risk factors." Kechna Cadet, PhD, postdoctoral researcher, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health The study examined trends in drug poisoning mortality between Black men, Black women, White men, and White women across all 50 states from 2010 to 2020. Data on unintentional drug poisoning deaths was sourced from the CDC's Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. The analysis included 518,724 fatal drug poisoning cases, broken down as follows: 46,776 Black men, 20,087 Black women, 150,405 White women, and 301,456 White men. The study accounted for 11,820,781 years of potential life lost during the 10-year period. For the entire time period, findings show Black men had the highest mean age-adjusted mortality rate at 23 deaths per 100,000, followed by White men at 22 per 100,000, with lower rates for White women (12 per 100,000) and Black women (9 per 100,000). The study revealed that Black men mortality rates saw the most dramatic increases, particularly in Maryland (+485 percent) and the District of Columbia (+360 percent). In contrast, White women mortality rates declined in states like Alaska (-23 percent) and Wyoming (-20 percent) and Oklahoma (-19 percent). "Our goal was to identify the specific sociodemographic groups and regions that have faced the highest levels of inequality and are in urgent need of intervention," said Dr. Cadet. The study found that in 2016, Black men overdose mortality rates surpassed those of White men, with Black men rates nearly 60 percent higher by 2020. Similarly, Black women saw a steady increase in mortality rates, surpassing those of White women by 2019. The opioid overdose epidemic, which has caused nearly one million deaths in the U.S. since its onset, remains a leading contributor to the country's declining life expectancy. In 2021 alone, roughly 107,000 lives were lost to overdoses involving fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Historically, the majority of opioid-related deaths have been among White individuals. However, overdose rates involving opioids and cocaine have plateaued among non-Hispanic White populations while rising among Black and Hispanic groups. In addition, men have experienced consistently higher overdose rates than women. "Our analysis of intersectional race and sex disparities over the past decade offers crucial insights for directing much needed resources such as harm reduction services and tailored treatment programs to the populations most in need of urgent targeted interventions to decrease unintentional drug overdoses." said Silvia Martins, MD, professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School, and senior author of the study. Dr. Bianca Smith, a co-author of the study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, also contributed to the research. The study reported in this press release was supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health, under grant numbers T32DA031099, T32DA007292, and R01DA059376. An international team of scientists has found that biological sex is the leading factor explaining differences in hearing sensitivity, with women having significantly more sensitive hearing than men. They also found that age and environment play significant factors, with rural dwellers having better hearing than those in urban areas, giving researchers insight into how evolution has shaped our senses. Hearing problems are on the rise worldwide, and whilst hearing sensitivity is well known to decrease with age, little research has been done on the other biological and environmental factors that influence it, such as sex, ear side, language, ethnicity and local environment. The team, led by Dr Patricia Balaresque from the Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research (CRBE) in Toulouse (France) and including Professor Turi King from the University of Bath (UK), conducted hearing tests for 450 individuals across 13 global populations Equador, England, Gabon, South Africa and Uzbekistan. These populations were selected to capture a wide range of ecological and cultural contexts, including underrepresented rural and non-European groups. They investigated the sensitivity of the cochlea in the ear, looking at how it transmitted brain signals in response to different amplitudes and frequencies of sound by measuring so-called Transient-Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAE). Its already well known that people generally have better hearing in their right ear, compared with their left, and that hearing usually declines with age. However, the researchers were surprised by their results on the effects of sex and the environment. Their findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, show that hearing amplitude is more influenced by sex than age, with women showing an average of two decibels more sensitive hearing than men across all the populations studied. The second most significant influence was the environment, which not only affected the response to volume but also the range of frequencies of sound perceived. People living in forest areas had the highest hearing sensitivity and those living at high altitudes having the lowest. They found that population, environment and language all significantly contribute to the variation in hearing across human groups, but it wasnt clear whether this was due to the whole body being affected by the environment or due to long-term adaptations to varying soundscapes, noise levels or exposure to pollution. The researchers suggest that people living in forests could have higher sensitivity because theyve adapted to soundscapes with lots of non-human sounds, where vigilance is essential for survival. Or it could be due to being exposed to lower levels of pollution. People living at higher altitudes may have reduced sensitivity due to a number of reasons including the impact of lower atmospheric pressure on measurements, potential sound reduction in high altitude environments or physiological adaptations to lower oxygen levels. The team also found a difference between urban and rural populations, with those living in cities having a shift towards higher frequencies, possibly due to filtering out low frequency traffic noise. Professor Turi King, Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bath, collected samples from the UK participants whilst in her previous role at the University of Leicester, and is a co-author on the study. She said: We know that hearing generally declines with age and that exposure to loud noise and chemicals such as tobacco smoke can damage hearing. We wanted to investigate in more detail what factors shape our hearing and diversity of hearing sensitivities and see how our hearing has adapted to our local environment. We were surprised to find that women had two decibels more sensitive hearing across all the populations we measured, and this accounted for most of the variations between individuals. This could be due to different exposure to hormones during development in the womb, due to men and women having slight structural differences in cochlear anatomy. As well as having higher hearing sensitivity, women also perform better in other hearing tests and speech perception, indicating that their brains are also better at processing the information. We dont really know why this might be, but given the detrimental effect of noise on overall health such as sleep quality and increased cardiovascular disease, having more sensitive hearing in noisy environments may not always be a good thing. Dr Patricia Balaresque, who led the study at CRBE, said: Our findings challenge existing assumptions and highlight the need to consider both biological and environmental factors when studying hearing. Identifying drivers behind natural hearing variation will improve our understanding of hearing loss and individual differences in noise tolerance. We know that humans are continuing to evolve so the next question is whether our hearing is able to change in response to different environments generally or whether there are genetic adaptations involved. Professor Turi King, Director of the Milner Centre for Evolution in the Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath Thought Leaders Dr. Yifan Jian Associate Professor Oregon Health and Science University In this interview, industry expert Dr. Yifan Jian discusses advancements in ultrawide-field optical coherence tomography (OCT), challenges in retinal imaging, AIs role in biophotonics, and the future of high-speed, high-resolution ophthalmic imaging. Can you tell us about your career path and what led you to specialize in biophotonics and optical coherence tomography (OCT)? I started my academic journey in China, where I completed my undergraduate degree in optics in Shanghai. After that, I moved to Vancouver, Canada, for my PhD, where I specialized in biophotonics. Thats when I was first introduced to OCT, its applications in eye imaging, and adaptive optics. My supervisor was one of the early researchers in OCT, so I had the opportunity to work with various OCT and imaging systems designed for the anterior and posterior eye segments. After completing my PhD in 2014, I stayed in Vancouver for a few years before being recruited by Dr. David Huangone of the co-inventors of OCTat Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). I joined the faculty to continue developing OCT and other eye imaging systems there. My career has remained rooted in academia, focusing entirely on advancing research in this field. How have these fields evolved since you began your research? OCT has always had a strong translational focus. Since its invention and early patenting, it has been rapidly commercialized, leading to numerous companies producing and deploying OCT systems worldwide. Today, OCT is one of the most important diagnostic tools in ophthalmology, particularly for retinal diseases. Its rise coincided with the development of new treatments for retinal conditions, such as anti-VEGF therapy. It allows doctors to determine precisely when to begin these highly effective treatments. From a technology perspective, one of the key advancements has been the dramatic increase in OCT speed. Early systems could capture tens to hundreds of scans per second, while modern systems operate at millions of scans per second. Researchers have also worked on enhancing resolution axially and transversely using techniques such as adaptive optics. Beyond structural imaging, new contrast mechanisms have emerged, such as OCT angiography for visualizing blood vessels and optoretinography to study how photoreceptors respond to light. Other emerging techniques include using OCT to measure oxygen saturation at the capillary level, particularly with visible light OCT. When I moved to OHSU, my focus shifted towards expanding the field of view. Instead of zooming in to capture tiny cellular details, I worked on imaging the entire retina, providing a comprehensive view of the retinal health which is critical for clinical applications. Image Credit: Dr. Jian, OHSU University What were some key challenges in developing ultrawide-field OCT systems, and how do they advance imaging for complex retinal conditions? Developing ultrawide-field OCT comes with multiple challenges. The first is scan time - as you increase the field of view, the system needs more time to scan the entire area and collect data. This prolongs imaging sessions, increasing the likelihood of motion artifacts and patient discomfort. The solution is higher-speed OCT systems, which we achieve using advanced laser technology. The second challenge is the depth of imaging. The eyeball is curved, so we need a deeper imaging range as we expand the field of view. Swept-source OCT systems require high-speed digitizers and sophisticated data processing tools. We address this using GPUs to process data in real-time. The third and biggest challenge has been optics. We needed a high-quality optical system with custom-designed lenses to effectively direct light across the entire retina. Off-the-shelf components were not designed for ultrawide-field OCT, so they did not provide the image quality we needed. Initially, we tried adapting ophthalmic lenses used in other imaging modalities, but they were not optimized for OCT, so they lacked the necessary optical quality and performance for our ultra-wide-field imaging goals. How did your collaboration with Avantier start, and what drew you to working with them? When we realized that existing ophthalmic lenses were insufficient for ultrawide-field OCT, we knew we had to design and manufacture our custom optics. This required a deep dive into optical design and simulation software to develop high-performance lens systems. As we began searching for a manufacturing partner, Avantier stood out for its ability to produce high-quality optics while remaining cost-effective. Compared to other companies, Avantier offered a reasonable and affordable approach, which was crucial for us as we ventured into custom lens design for the first time. The results have been outstandingour systems now provide high-quality, ultrawide-field images that are being used in clinics for conditions like diabetic retinopathy and in neonatal intensive care units to screen premature infants for retinopathy of prematurity. This collaboration has enabled us to push the boundaries of ultrawide-field OCT, ensuring our systems achieve the highest possible performance for both research and clinical applications. A sample picture of the eyepiece. Image Credit: Avantier Could you discuss the significance of ultrawide-field OCT systems in retinal imaging and any recent developments from your lab in this area? Our ultrawide-field OCT systems have significantly expanded the scope of retinal imaging. Handheld and desktop configurations allow comprehensive analysis of the anterior and posterior segments of the eye, which has important applications in conditions like diabetic retinopathy or age-related macular degeneration. One of the biggest advancements in my lab has been developing a system that can capture a near-complete 3D reconstruction of the entire eyeball in a single scan. This technology is particularly valuable for myopia management, allowing us to track how eye shape changes. We are also using ultrawide-field OCT in ocular oncology to precisely measure tumors inside the eye. Traditional imaging methods like MRI or ultrasound lack the resolution necessary, whereas OCT provides highly detailed structural information. Another major focus has been increasing imaging speed. We have developed novel systems that project entire lines of light instead of scanning single spots. This allows us to acquire images in parallel, significantly speeding up the process. We are also exploring different illumination schemes to improve tissue contrast, revealing retinal layers that were previously difficult to distinguish. What advancements do you foresee AI bringing to biophotonics? AI has the potential to transform retinal imaging. One promising application is using AI to analyze OCT scans for signs of systemic health conditions like cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers, and other neurological disorders. The retina provides a unique window into overall health - AI algorithms can extract subtle biomarkers from OCT images that are difficult for human observers to detect, which could massively enhance diagnostic capabilities. However, for this to reach its full potential, we need widespread access to affordable OCT systems. If low-cost devices became available in places like pharmacies or optical retail stores, AI-powered OCT screening could become a routine part of healthcare, making early disease detection far more accessible. Image Credit: Depiction Images/Shutterstock.com Among your numerous publications, are there any particular studies or findings that have significantly impacted your field or hold personal significance to you? One of my earliest and most impactful works was on GPU-accelerated OCT image processing. OCT generates massive amounts of data, and processing it in real time is crucial, especially for applications like neonatal imaging, where infants wont stay still for long. Traditional CPUs werent fast enough, so we developed a system that uses GPUsspecifically NVIDIA video cardsto dramatically speed up the process. This real-time image processing capability changed how we use OCT. It allows clinicians to see cross-sectional and 3D retina views instantly while scanning, providing immediate feedback for diagnosis. The software we developed over a decade ago is still widely used in research labs worldwide today. My research on adaptive optics for high-resolution imaging was another significant contribution. We developed a system that does not rely on wavefront sensors but instead iteratively optimizes image quality. This technique has been successfully applied to small-animal imaging. My work on retinopathy of prematurity has been particularly meaningful more recently. Using ultrawide-field handheld OCT, we have redefined the diseases diagnostic criteria, identifying new biomarkers that were previously undetectable with conventional imagingthis could improve early diagnosis and treatment. Image Credit: Dr. Jian, OHSU University Whats your vision for the future of OCT and other imaging technologies in the next 510 years? I see speed as the defining factor in the future of OCT. Current commercial systems are still relatively slow compared to research-grade devices. Higher-speed OCT will allow for larger field-of-view imaging and functional assessments such as optoretinography, which can evaluate photoreceptor function in real time. In research, we will continue pushing for higher resolution and better contrast mechanisms, such as oxygen saturation mapping. Thoughtful optical design will be critical to push the limits of what OCT can reveal. What advice would you give students or early-career researchers interested in biomedical imaging? I encourage young researchers to focus on projects with strong translational potential. In a clinical setting, you see real-world challenges in diagnosis and treatmentour role as researchers is to develop solutions that can make a real impact. Working on technologies that can be applied within a 510-year timeframe is incredibly rewarding. Whether in academia or industry, prioritizing research that can improve patient outcomes is the best way to contribute meaningfully to the field. About Dr. Yifan Jian Dr. Yifan Jian is an Associate Professor at Casey Eye Institute specializing in optical imaging. He earned his Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University in 2014 and later joined Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) to advance OCT technology for ophthalmic imaging, including real-time processing and adaptive optics innovations. Currently, his main research focus is advancing ultrawide-field OCT systems. Audi India Reports Strong Q1 2025 Sales, Retailed 1223 Units Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 12:54 IST As per the details shared by the brand via official release, it said that the company registered a growth of 17 percent as compared to Q1 2024. Audi RS Q8. (Photo: Shahrukh Shah/ News18) The German carmaker Audi India has been witnessing decent sales figures over the past few months. Again, the brand has reported a strong sales figure in first quarter of 2025. As per the details shared by the brand via official release, it said that the company has sold out 1,223 units, registering a growth of 17 percent as compared to Q1 2024. Recommended Stories The company highlighted some of its hot-selling products from multiple segments, giving them most of the credit for the impressive sales numbers. The list includes Audi A4, Audi Q3, Audi Q3 Sportback, Audi Q5, and Audi A6. The other tech-loaded models include Audi Q7, Audi Q8, Audi S5 Sportback, Audi Q8 e-tron, Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback, and Audi e-tron GT. Statement from Top Official Speaking about the same, Head of Audi India, Balbir Singh Dhillon said, We are pleased to commence 2025 on a positive note with our result of the first quarter. This growth compared to the previous year same time underscores the confidence our customers have in the brand Audi and the strength of our product portfolio." In addition, he said, Having successfully navigated supply challenges in 2024, we are well-equipped to meet the increasing demand for luxury mobility in India. Our commitment remains steadfast in delivering exceptional products and experiences, as we strive for a positive performance in the year ahead." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Latest Launch Meanwhile, Audi India recently added a performance-oriented model to its fleet called RS Q8 Performance. It was released at the starting price of Rs .49 crore (ex-showroom). It is powered by a robust 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that generates a maximum power of 631 bhp and 850Nm of torque. It is capable of doing 0 to 100 kmph sprint in just in 3.6 seconds. About the Author Shahrukh Shah Shahrukh Shah, Sub-Editor at News18, loves to write about everything that moves on wheels. With years of experience and the required skill sets, he is contributing to the auto section, where he let people know ... Read More Shahrukh Shah, Sub-Editor at News18, loves to write about everything that moves on wheels. With years of experience and the required skill sets, he is contributing to the auto section, where he let people know ... Read More Get the latest updates on car and bike launches in India including reviews, prices, specs, and performance. Stay informed with breaking auto industry news , EV policies, and more, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: April 01, 2025, 12:54 IST Ratan Tata's Will: Majority Of Rs 3,800 Crore Goes To Philanthropy, Here's Who Got What Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 13:20 IST Ratan Tata's Rs 3,800 crore wealth is largely allocated to charities. He passed away on 9 October 2024. His will distributes assets among family, friends, and charities. Who Will Inherit Ratan Tatas Wealth? Here's What His Will Mentions Ratan Tatas Will: The majority of the Rs 3,800 crore wealth of the former chairman of Tata Group, Ratan Tata, has been allocated to charities, including the Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation, a Section 8 company, and the Ratan Tata Endowment Trust, for philanthropic and charitable purposes, according to a report by Economic Times citing court papers. Ratan Tata, the legendary businessman and former chairman of Tata Group, had passed away on 9 October, 2024 after battling from old-age related illnesses in Breach Candy Hospital Trust, Mumbai. Recommended Stories The ET report stated that Ratan Tata left one-third of his other financial properties, which include bank FDs, financial instruments, and physical assets like watches and paintings, estimated at 800 crore, to his half-sisters Shireen Jejeebhoy and Deanna Jejeebhoy. Another one-third was left to Mohini M Dutta, a former Tata Group employee who was close to Tata. Juhu Bungalow To Jimmy Naval Tata A share of the Juhu bungalow is designated for his brother Jimmy Naval Tata, 82, the sole living heir, while his close friend Mehli Mistry will receive the Alibaug property and Tatas prized possession of three guns, including a .25 bore pistol, as per ET report. The executors of the will have filed a petition in the Bombay High Court for the probate of the final will, incorporating the fourth codicil, as reviewed by court papers ET. The will, dated February 23, 2022, has four codicils, which are legal documents to modify a will after it has been signed and witnessed. Probate is a legal process where a court validates a deceased persons will, confirming its authenticity and granting the executor the authority to manage and distribute the estate according to the wills instructions. The last codicil clarifies that other listed stocks and shares of unlisted companies in which Tata had invested, along with assets not specifically mentioned elsewhere, would be distributed equally to the Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation and Ratan Tata Endowment Trust, the report stated. Lawyer Darius Kambatta, Mehli Mistry, Shireen, and Deanna Jejeebhoy are the executors of the will. The distribution of wealth will only occur after court certification, a process that could take six months. Corpus For Beloved Pets And Waiver Of Student Loan On Naidu According to the will, a corpus of 12 lakh would be created for his beloved pets, each receiving 30,000 every quarter. A student loan to Shantanu Naidu, Tatas executive assistant, along with an interest-free education loan to neighbor Jake Malite, would be waived. Tatas Foreign Assets top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The court papers indicate that, besides cash in hand of just over 4 lakh, funds in local bank accounts and FDs amount to around 367 crore. Ratan Tatas foreign assets, worth around 40 crore, include land parcels in Seychelles and accounts with Wells Fargo Bank and Morgan Stanley, as well as shares in Alcoa Corp and Howmet Aerospace. The asset list includes 65 watches from brands like Bvlgari, Patek Philippe, Tissot, and Audemars Piguet. About the Author Business Desk A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al... Read More A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al... Read More First Published: April 01, 2025, 13:16 IST EPFO Claim Settlement Changes April 2025: Will Limit Increase To Rs 5 Lakh? Check Latest Update Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 10:24 IST EPFO raised the auto settlement claim limit from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for its 7.5 crore members. Sumita Dawra approved this at the 113th EC meeting. Provident Fund members will soon be able to withdraw funds through UPI and ATM. (Image: News18/File) The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has reportedly decided to increase the auto settlement of advanced claim (ASAC) limit from the current Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh to improve the Ease of Living for its 7.5 crore members. According to ANI report, this decision was approved by Sumita Dawra, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, during the 113th meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) held in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir on March 28. Recommended Stories EPFO Members To Withdraw Up To Rs 5 Lakh Once the CBT approves the recommendation, EPFO members will be able to withdraw up to Rs 5 lakh through ASAC, as per ANI report. The auto mode of claim settlement, introduced in April 2020 for illness-related advances, was previously enhanced from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh in May 2024. Additionally, EPFO has extended the auto mode settlement to include claims for education, marriage, and housing. What Is Automated Claim Process? The automated claim process ensures that 95 percent of claims are processed within three days. As of March 6, 2025, EPFO has achieved a historic high of 2.16 crore auto-claims settlements, up from 89.52 lakh in the 2023-24 financial year. The rejection rate for claims has significantly reduced from 50 percent to 30 percent. Streamlining The Claim Settlement Process EPFO has introduced an auto-claim solution where claims are processed by an IT system without human intervention. Validation formalities have been reduced from 27 to 18, with plans to decrease further. The centralized IT-enabled member database ensures that claims with KYC, eligibility, and bank validation are processed automatically within 3-4 days. Claims not validated by the system undergo a second level of scrutiny and approval. Introduction of UPI Withdrawals top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In a groundbreaking move, EPFO plans to introduce PF withdrawals through Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Labour and Employment Secretary Sumita Dawra announced that the ministry has approved NPCIs recommendation, allowing members to withdraw PF via UPI and ATM by the end of May or June this year. This initiative may also benefit members of other schemes like the General Provident Fund (GPF) and Public Provident Fund (PPF) of banks. (With ANI Inputs) About the Author Business Desk A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al... Read More A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al... Read More First Published: April 01, 2025, 10:22 IST Trump Tariff Deadline: Liquor, Dairy, Sugar Among Sectors That Could Face Major Impact From April 2 Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 18:05 IST As Trump's April 2 tariff deadline nears, uncertainty looms. An Emkay report estimates India could lose $6 billion in exports at 10% tariffs, rising to $31 billion at 25%. US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, DC, US. (FILE IMAGE: REUTERS) Trump Tariff Deadline: As US President Donald Trumps April 2 deadline for reciprocal tariffs nears, stakeholders remain uncertain about their implementation as Washington moves toward negotiating a new trade agreement with India. A recent Emkay report estimates that India could lose approximately $6 billion (0.16% of its GDP) in exports to the US if tariffs are set at 10%. If the tariff rate increases to 25%, the impact could rise dramatically to $31 billion. Recommended Stories The report suggests that while the exact nature of reciprocal tariff implementation is unclear, a broad country-level tariff by the US seems the most probable scenario. This is due to the complexities surrounding sector- or commodity-specific tariffs. India could be severely affected by these broad reciprocal tariffs. US-India Trade Relations From 2021-22 to 2023-24, the US was Indias largest trading partner, accounting for about 18% of Indias total goods exports, 6.22% of imports, and 10.73% of bilateral trade. India exports to the US across 30 sectors, including six in agriculture and 24 in industry. Sector-Level Impact If sector-level tariffs are implemented, the following products will be impacted (Estimated): Alcohol, Wines, and Spirits: Tariff hike of 122.10%, affecting $19.20 million in exports. Dairy Products: 38.23% tariff increase on $181.49 million in trade, impacting products like ghee, butter, and milk powder. Fish, Meat, and Processed Seafood: 27.83% tariff increase on $2.58 billion in exports, affecting shrimp competitiveness. Live Animals and Animal Products: 27.75% tariff increase on $10.31 million in exports. Processed Food, Sugar, and Cocoa: 24.99% tariff increase on $1.03 billion in exports, impacting snacks and confectionery. Footwear: 15.56% tariff differential. Diamonds, Gold, and Silver: 13.32% tariff increase on $11.88 billion in exports, affecting jewelry prices. Industrial Goods: 10.90% tariff increase on pharmaceuticals. Edible Oils: 10.67% tariff increase on coconut and mustard oil. Ores, minerals, petroleum, and garments will not face new tariffs. Indias Counter-Offer top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all To mitigate the impact of US tariffs, India has offered tariff reductions on various US imports, particularly agricultural products. In recent negotiations, India proposed reducing tariffs on items like almonds, cranberries, and bourbon whiskeykey US exports identified in broader trade talks. Reuters reported that India is willing to offer tariff cuts on over half of US imports worth $23 billion, marking a significant concession. The Central governments analysis indicates that 87% of Indias $66 billion exports to the US could be affected by reciprocal tariffs. To prevent these disruptions, Indias offer is substantial, potentially lowering or eliminating tariffs. About the Author Business Desk A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al... Read More A team of writers and reporters decodes vast terms of personal finance and making money matters simpler for you. From latest initial public offerings (IPOs) in the market to best investment options, we cover al... Read More First Published: April 01, 2025, 17:04 IST KIIT Student Found Dead Under Mysterious Circumstances, Second Case Within Two Months Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 18:33 IST KIIT University student Arnav Mukherjee was found dead in Bhubaneswar. Police recovered his body from an abandoned building. Arnav Mukherjee, a third-year B.Tech student at KIIT University, found dead under mysterious circumstances in Bhubaneswars Mancheswar area. A third-year B.Tech student from KIIT University, Arnav Mukherjee, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Bhubaneswars Mancheswar area on Tuesday. This marks the second mysterious death at the institute in two months. Arnav, originally from Bankura district, West Bengal, was residing in a university hostel. His body was discovered in an under-construction building, and local residents immediately alerted the Mancheswar police. Upon their arrival, the police recovered the body and sent it to Capital Hospital for a post-mortem to determine the cause of death. While the cause remains unclear, the circumstances surrounding how Arnav reached Mancheswar, far from his hostel, are under investigation. The police have registered a case of unnatural death and are actively pursuing leads, including examining CCTV footage, questioning hostel mates, and analyzing his call records. Recommended Stories The authorities have yet to comment on the incident, and KIIT University officials have not released any statements regarding Arnavs death. ALSO READ: Haryana: Class 8 Student Dies By Suicide After Failing In One Subject Nepali Girl Prakriti Lamsal Death In February Notably, KIIT University is already facing controversy following the recent death of a Nepali student. In February 2025, Prakriti Lamsal, a third-year B.Tech student from Nepal, was found dead in the hostel. Her untimely death, suspected to be a suicide, sparked widespread protests and raised significant concerns about student welfare and KIIT Universitys accountability. In response, the Odisha government formed a high-level committee to investigate the incident, following reports of alleged misbehaviour and assaults on students within the campus. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) held KIIT University accountable for the death, citing negligence on the part of university authorities. The NHRC also instructed Odishas Chief Secretary, Manoj Ahuja, to submit an action report within four weeks. An NHRC team conducted an investigation from March 6 to 8, which revealed that the universitys International Relations Officer (IRO), the disciplinary committee, and the administration had failed to ensure the safety of students, contributing to the tragic incident. 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: April 01, 2025, 17:47 IST TANCET 2025 Answer Key To Be Released Today, Check Steps To Download At tancet.annauniv.edu Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 07:48 IST TANCET 2025: Candidates can download the provisional answer key from tancet.annauniv.edu starting April 1, 2025. TANCET 2025 Results will be announced by April 24. (Representative Image) TANCET Answer Key 2025: Anna University will release the provisional answer key for the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) 2025 today, April 1. Candidates who appeared for the exam on March 22 will be able to check and download the answer key from the official website- tancet.annauniv.edu. Along with the TANCET 2025 Answer Key, the university will also issue the response sheets of the candidates who appeared for the exam. Steps To Download TANCET Answer Key 2025 Recommended Stories Step 1: Visit the official website: tancet.annauniv.edu Step 2: Click on the TANCET 2025 Answer Key download link Step 3: A PDF file will appear on the screen, download it Step 4: Take a printout if needed and telly the answers with your responses Candidates unsatisfied with the tentative answer key can raise objections by paying the prescribed fee. The universitys expert panel will review all challenges, and if any objections are found to be valid, a revised or final answer key will be issued. TANCET 2025 Marking Scheme The TANCET 2025 exam was held offline on March 22. The exam paper included 5 sections: Business Situations, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Data Sufficiency, and English Usage with each section having 20 questions. Candidates will be awarded 1 mark for each correct answer, while 0.25 marks will be deducted for every incorrect response. No marks will be deducted or awarded for unanswered questions. Candidates are advised to regularly check the official website for updates regarding results and further admission processes. TANCET 2025 Result Date The TANCET 2025 exams were conducted on March 22. The MCA exam took place from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, while the MBA exam was held from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all As per the official notification, the TANCET 2025 results will be announced on or before April 24. The final results will be based on the revised answer key, and candidates who clear the entrance test will be eligible for admission into MBA and MCA programs. 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: April 01, 2025, 07:46 IST TNPSC Group 1 Exam Notification Released; Check Eligibility, Important Dates And More Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 16:05 IST The TNPSC Group 1 Exam 2025 preliminary exam will be held on June 15, 2025. For more details, visit the official website at tnpsc.gov.in. TNPSC Group 1 Exam Notification Released; Check Dates, Vacancies And Recruitment Process. (Image: TNPSC) TNPSC Group 1 Exam Date 2025: The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) has released the notification for Group 1 Recruitment 2025. There are 70 vacancies for various top positions in government departments across Tamil Nadu. The online application started on April 1, 2025, and candidates can apply until April 30, 2025. This is a great opportunity for those looking to work in the Tamil Nadu state government. The selection process for TNPSC Group 1 Recruitment 2025 consists of three stages: the Preliminary Examination, Mains Examination, and the Final Interview. Candidates must successfully pass each stage to proceed to the next. The Preliminary Exam is scheduled for June 15, 2025. Recommended Stories TNPSC Group 1 Recruitment: Important Dates Here are the key dates for the TNPSC Group 1 Recruitment 2025: Notification Release: April 1, 2025 Application Start Date: April 1, 2025 Last Date to Apply: April 30, 2025 Preliminary Exam Date: June 15, 2025 Admit Card Release: June 2025 These dates are crucial for candidates to keep in mind during the application process. TNPSC Group 1 Recruitment Eligibility Criteria Candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements to apply for TNPSC Group 1 positions: Educational Qualification: A degree from a recognised university. Nationality: Must be a citizen of India or a subject of Nepal/Bhutan. Age Limit: Typically between 21 to 32 years (age relaxations are applicable as per government rules). Candidates are advised to check the official notification for detailed eligibility criteria and other important information. TNPSC Group 1 Exam Notification (PDF) How To Apply for TNPSC Group 1 Recruitment 2025: Step 1: Go to the official TNPSC website: tnpsc.gov.in. Step 2: Click on the link for the Group 1 online application. Step 3: Register and log in with your details. Step 4: Fill in your personal information and upload your photo and signature. Step 5: Enter your address and upload the required documents. Step 6: Review all details and proceed to payment. Step 7: Pay the application fee using debit/credit card, net banking, or e-challan. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Step 8: Submit the application. Step 9: Save and print the application form for future reference. 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: April 01, 2025, 16:05 IST As Waqf Bill Enters Parliament On Wednesday, Busting Some Popular Myths Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 19:55 IST Government sources say a 'dangerous narrative' is being manufactured by the opposition and certain clerics who are making wild statements that land belonging to Muslims will be snatched Members of the joint parliamentary committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill headed by its chairman Jagdambika Pal during the submission of its report to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla. (File pic/PTI) The Waqf Amendment Bill, proposing several changes to laws governing central and state boards, which decide how Muslim charitable properties are administered, will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The bill had been first tabled in the Lower House in August last year, after which it was sent to a joint parliamentary committee for scrutiny. The JPC submitted its report in February. Recommended Stories The report was filed after squabbles between members from opposition parties and those from the BJP and its allies over the committees functioning. Opposition MPs accused the chairBJP MP Jagdambika Palof bias and rushing the bill through without proper consultations. The BJP refuted the claims, saying Pal tried to hear everybody out and gave sufficient time for everybody to move amendments" The JPC held nearly three dozen hearings in six months, but many of those ended in chaos, and at least one in physical violence after Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee smashed a glass bottle on the table after claiming provocation from the BJPs Abhijit Gangopadhyay. Eventually, 66 changes were proposed, of which all from the opposition were rejected, while the 23 from the BJP and allied parties were accepted. After a vote, 14 of the 23 were cleared. The JPC had 16 MPs from the BJP and allied parties and 10 from the opposition. Government sources say a dangerous narrative" is being manufactured by the opposition and certain clerics who are making wild statements that land belonging to Muslims will be snatched. Myth 1: Will Waqf properties be revoked? Fact: No property that is legitimately declared as waqf will be revoked. Explanation: o Once a property is declared waqf, it is meant to stay that way permanently. o The bill only clarifies rules for better management and transparency. o It allows the District Collector to review properties that might be misclassified as waqf, especially if they are actually government property. Legitimate waqf properties remain protected. Myth 2: Will there be no survey of Waqf properties? Fact: There will be a survey. Explanation: o The bill replaces the old role of the Survey Commissioner with the District Collector. o The District Collector will conduct surveys using existing revenue procedures. o This change aims to improve the accuracy of records without stopping the survey process. Myth 3: Will non-Muslims become the majority on Waqf Boards? Fact: No, the boards will include non-Muslims, but they will not form a majority. Explanation: o The bill requires that at least two members on the Central Waqf Council and state boards be non-Muslim. o The majority of members will still be from the Muslim community. o This change is meant to add expertise and promote transparency without undermining community representation. Myth 4: Will Muslims personal land be acquired under the new amendment? Fact: No personal land will be acquired. Explanation: o The bill applies only to properties that are declared waqf. o It does not affect private or personal property that has not been donated as waqf. o Only assets voluntarily and legally dedicated as waqf are covered by the new rules. Myth 5: Will the government use this bill to take over waqf properties? Fact: The bill empowers the District Collector to review and verify if a property has been wrongly classified as waqfespecially if it might actually be government propertybut it does not authorize the seizure of legitimately declared waqf properties. Myth 6: Does the bill allow non-Muslims to control or manage the wealth of the Muslim community? Fact: While the amendment mandates that at least two members on the Central Waqf Council and State Boards be non-Muslim, these members are added to bring in additional expertise and oversight. The majority of members remain from the Muslim community, thereby preserving community control over religious affairs. Myth 7: Will the traditional status of historic waqf sites (such as mosques, dargahs, and graveyards) be affected? Fact: The bill does not interfere with the religious or historical character of waqf properties. Its aim is to enhance administrative transparency and curb fraudulent claimsnot to alter the sacred nature of these sites. In simple terms, this clause means that if someone who is not a Muslim donates any propertywhether its land, a building, or any movable itemto support a waqf (like a mosque, a prayer ground, a shrine, a graveyard, or a community center), then that property automatically becomes part of that waqf. It will be managed and handled in the same way as other property that has been donated as a waqf. Myth 8: Does the removal of the waqf by user provision mean that long-established traditions will be lost? Fact: The removal of this provision is designed to prevent unauthorised or erroneous claims over property. It streamlines the registration process by ensuring that only properties formally declared as waqf are recognised, thereby reducing disputes while still respecting traditional waqf declarations. Waqf by user" refers to a situation where a property is treated as a waqf simply because it has been used for religious or charitable purposes over a long period even if there hasnt been a formal, legal declaration by the owner. Myth 9: Is the bill intended to interfere with the communitys right to manage its own religious affairs? Fact: The primary goal of the bill is to improve record-keeping, reduce mismanagement, and ensure accountability. It does not take away the Muslim communitys right to administer its own religious endowments; rather, it introduces a framework to ensure these properties are managed transparently and efficiently. Aside from these myths, there are several essential aspects covered in the bill that should be considered for greater clarity and to avoid falling for misinformation. How has the definition of Waqf changed from 1923 to 2013? The main change in definition was made in 2013, when the expression permanent dedication by a person professing Islam was replaced by permanent dedication by any person. After this amendment, it is believed waqf has opened the floodgates for the dedication of property to waqf boards by any person. Expansion of State Waqf Board composition The amendment ensures broader representation from Shia, Sunni, Bohra, Aghakhani, and backward Muslim communities in State Waqf Boards. It mandates that at least one member each must come from the Shia, Sunni, and backward Muslim communities. This aims to reflect the diverse demographics of the Muslim population, ensuring inclusivity in waqf property management. Critics Several stakeholders, including MPs and organisations like the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, have strongly opposed the bill, arguing that it violates constitutional provisions such as Articles 14, 15, 25, 26, and 300A of the Constitution of India, which encompass equality, non-discrimination, religious freedom, and property rights. One of the most controversial aspects is the shift from elected Waqf Board members to government-appointed nominees, which opponents claim reduces Muslim representation and gives the government excessive control over waqf assets. While the government argues that removing the Waqf by User provision will prevent unauthorised claims, critics contend that it weakens protections for waqf properties that have historically been recognised under this category. Political manoeuvring and protests Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, a premier organisation of Deobandi theological leaning, and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind have been at the forefront of advocacy against the new waqf bill and the preservation of waqf properties. It is not merely hypocrisy but an astute move by the Jamiat & Jamat to lay claim to a rich treasure of properties that people and organisations affiliated to it have been in possession of. Even people manning most of the waqf boards in India have been connected to the Jamiat & Jamat. They were availing waqf benefits in the British period and continued to reap this easy yield through their shenanigans after Independence too. Their evil grip on waqf must be loosened to restore the welfare of the poor for whom the waqf is ultimately meant for. Besides, as said earlier, the waqf is a matter of faith and practice for the Sufi, Barelvi and Shia Muslims. They have maintained syncretic traditions of India, and the shrines maintained by them have been benefactors of all, especially the poor, irrespective of any creed, and thus, the waqf must be restored to these true guardians of Indias syncretic values and patrons of the poor. Mechanisms to curb corruption and improve efficiency Waqf Boards must submit periodic reports on their activities and financial transactions. The finality of tribunal decisions has been removed, allowing appeals in High Courts for greater judicial scrutiny Provides a safeguard against potential misjudgments, thereby strengthening the legal oversight of waqf property disputes. Financial audits and transparent accounting practices will be enforced to curb fund misuse. By requiring documentary proof for waqf claims, the legislation aims to prevent disputes over land ownership and protect both private and public lands from wrongful claims. In summary Waqf properties remain irrevocable. Surveys will continue, now done by the District Collector. Non-Muslim members will be included but not in the majority. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Only waqf properties are affected, not personal land. The Waqf Amendment Bill is a study in contrasts. While proponents emphasise its potential to solidify waqf property protections and enhance administrative transparency, critics express deep reservations about the shift in authority towards government appointees, fearing a dilution of community representation. 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: April 01, 2025, 19:55 IST Waqf Bill To Be Tabled In Parliament On Wednesday: Here Are Answers To Some FAQs Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 23:11 IST The bill seeks to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India Members of the joint parliamentary committee after a meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill in New Delhi. (File photo/PTI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government will table the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, announced on Tuesday. The bill will be presented after the Question Hour for consideration and passing, followed by an 8-hour discussion, which may be extended, Rijiju informed. The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India. It aims to: Recommended Stories Overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act Updating the definitions of Waqf Improving the registration process Increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records. The following FAQs provide an understanding of the Waqf Amendment 2024 Bill. 1) What are the administrative bodies responsible for Waqf management in India and what are their roles? The administration of Waqf properties in India is presently governed by the Waqf Act, 1995, which is enacted and regulated by the Central Government. The key administrative bodies involved in Waqf management include: The Waqf Act of 1995, enforced by the Central Government, currently regulates Waqf properties. The main administrative bodies are: Central Waqf Council (CWC) Advises the government and State Waqf Boards on policy but does not directly control Waqf properties. State Waqf Boards (SWBs) Manage and protect Waqf properties in each state. Waqf Tribunals Exclusive judicial bodies that handle disputes related to Waqf properties. This system ensures better management and faster resolution of issues. Over the years, legal changes have made Waqf administration more transparent, efficient, and accountable. 2) What are the issues concerned with Waqf Board? a. Irrevocability of Waqf Properties o The principle once a Waqf, always a Waqf" has led to disputes, such as claims over islands in Bet Dwarka, which have been deemed perplexing by courts as well. b. Legal Disputes & Poor Management: The Waqf Act, 1995, and its 2013 amendment have not been effective. Some problems include: Illegal occupation of Waqf land Mismanagement and ownership disputes Delays in property registration and surveys Large-scale litigation cases and complaints to the Ministry c. No Judicial Oversight o Decisions by Waqf Tribunals cannot be challenged in higher courts. o This reduces transparency and accountability in Waqf management. d. Incomplete Survey of Waqf Properties o The Survey Commissioners work has been poor, leading to delays. o In states like Gujarat and Uttarakhand, surveys have not yet begun. o In Uttar Pradesh, a survey ordered in 2014 is still pending. o Lack of expertise and poor coordination with the Revenue Department have slowed the registration process. e. Misuse of Waqf Laws o Some State Waqf Boards have misused their powers, leading to community tensions. o Section 40 of the Waqf Act has been widely misused to declare private properties as Waqf properties, causing legal battles and unrest. o As per information, out of 30 States/UTs, data was given only by 8 States where 515 properties have been declared as Waqf under Section 40. f. Constitutional Validity of the Waqf Act o The Waqf Act applies only to one religion, while no similar law exists for others. o A PIL (Public Interest Litigation) has been filed in the Delhi High Court, questioning whether the Waqf Act is constitutional. The Delhi High Court has asked the Central Government to respond to this issue. 3) What steps and stakeholder consultations were undertaken by the Ministry before introducing the bill? The Ministry of Minority Affairs consulted various stakeholders, which interalia includes: report of the Sachar Committee, concern raised by public representatives, media and general public regarding mismanagement, misuse of powers of Waqf act and underutilisation of Waqf Properties by the Waqf institutions. The Ministry also consulted with State Waqf Boards. The Ministry initiated the process of reviewing the provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995 and had consultations with stakeholders. Two meetings were conducted- one in Lucknow on 24.07.23 and another one at New Delhi on 20.07.23 wherein most of the following issues were discussed in detail. The consensus was emerged to make suitable amendment in the Act to solve the problems of the affected stakeholders. o Widening The Base of CWC (Central Waqf Council) and SWB (State Waqf Board) Composition o Role And Responsibilities of Mutawallis o Re-Structuring of Tribunals o Improve The Process of Registration o Declaration Of Titles o Survey Of Waqf Properties o Mutation Of Waqf Properties o Filing Of Accounts by Mutawallis o Reforms In Filing Annual Accounts o Review Of Provisions Related to Evacuee Properties/ Limitation Act o Scientific Management of Waqf Properties Further, the Ministry has also analysed the international practices on Waqf management across other countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey and found that the Waqf Properties are generally regulated by the Laws and Institutions set up by the Government. 4) What was the process of the introduction of Waqf Amendment Bill 2024? The Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 has been introduced with the primary objective of addressing shortcomings in the management and governance of Waqf properties on August 8, 2024. On August 9, 2024, both Houses of Parliament referred the Bill to a Joint Committee of 21 Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members to examine and report on it. Keeping in view the importance of the Bill and its wide-ranging implications, the Committee had decided to call memoranda to obtain the views from public in general and experts/stakeholders and other concerned organisations in particular on the provisions of the aforesaid Bill. The Joint Parliamentary Committee held thirty-six sittings wherein, they heard the views/suggestions of the representatives of various Ministries/Departments such as: Ministries of Minority Affairs, Law and Justice, Railways (Railway Board), Housing and Urban Affairs, Road Transport and Highways, Culture (Archaeological Survey of India), State Governments, State Waqf Boards and experts/stakeholders. The first sitting took place on August 22, 2024, and the key organizations/ stakeholders consulted during the sittings were: o All India Sunni Jamiyatul Ulama, Mumbai; o Indian Muslims of Civil Rights (IMCR), New Delhi o Muttaheda Majlis-e-Ulema, J&K (Mirwaiz Umar Farooq) o Zakat Foundation of India o Anjuman E Shiteali Dawoodi Bohra Community o Chanakya National Law University, Patna o All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaaz, Delhi o All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Delhi o All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC), Ajmer o Muslim Rashtriya Manch, Delhi o Muslim Women Intellectual Group Dr. Shalini Ali, National Convener o Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Delhi o Shia Muslim Dharamguru and Intellectual Group o Darul Uloom Deoband The Committee received 97,27,772 memoranda in total, through both physical and digital mode. To thoroughly review the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, the Committee conducted detailed study visits across multiple cities in India. These visits helped members engage with stakeholders, assess ground realities, and gather region-specific insights on Waqf property management. The details of the study visits in 10 cities are as under: o Sept 26 Oct 1, 2024: Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru o Nov 9 11, 2024: Guwahati, Bhubaneshwar o Jan 18 21, 2025: Patna, Kolkata, Lucknow The Committee consulted 25 State Waqf Boards (7 in Delhi, 18 during visits) to discuss administrative challenges and legal hurdles. Thereafter, the Joint Committee completed a clause-by-clause consideration of all clauses of the Bill at their 37th sitting held on 27th January, 2025. The amendments moved by the Members were put to vote and adopted by majority votes. The adoption of the draft report and authorisation of the Chairperson to present the report on their behalf. The 38th sitting was held on 29th January, 2025. The Joint Committee submitted its report to the Honble Speaker of Lok Sabha on 31.01.2025 and laid in both the Houses of the Parliament on 13th February 2025. 5) What are some of the key reforms of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024? The proposed amendments under this Bill, 2024, are aimed at transforming the Waqf administration in India by ensuring better governance, transparency, and accountability. It seeks to create a streamlined, technology-driven, and legally robust framework for the management of Waqf properties, while also fostering socio-economic development for the intended beneficiaries. I. Unified Waqf Management: Key issues affecting Waqf properties include: o Incomplete survey of Waqf properties. o Significant backlog of litigations in Tribunal and Waqf Boards. o Improper account, auditing and monitoring of Mutawallis. o The mutation of all Waqf properties has not been done properly. II. Empowerment of Central Waqf Council & State Waqf Boards: o Inclusion of diverse groups like non-Muslim, other Muslim communities, other backward classes among Muslim communities and Women etc in the decision making, to enhance representation and efficiency. III. Efficiency of State Waqf Boards: o A digital portal and database will automate Waqf registration, survey, mutation, audits, leasing, and litigation, ensuring scientific, efficient, and transparent governance. IV. Development of Auqaf: o Portal-based lifecycle management will streamline administration. o Section 65 mandates Waqf Boards to submit reports on management and income improvements within six months, ensuring timely action. o Section 32(4) allows Waqf Boards to develop Waqf lands into educational institutions, shopping centers, markets, or housing by taking over properties from Mutawallis when necessary. 6) What are the key differences between the Waqf Bill 1995 and Waqf Amendment Bill 2024? The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 introduces several changes to the Waqf Act, 1995, aiming for improved governance, transparency, and inclusivity in Waqf management. 7) What are the key reforms recommended by the Joint Committee? The amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995 as recommended by the Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 (JCWAB), introduce progressive reforms, including: Key Reforms in Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 i. Separation of Trusts from Waqf: Muslim-created trusts under any law will no longer be considered Waqf, ensuring full control over trusts. ii. Technology & Central Portal: A centralized portal will automate Waqf property management, including registration, audits, contributions, and litigation, ensuring efficiency and transparency. This also efficiently utilizes technology for the automation of Waqf management. iii. Eligibility for Waqf Dedication: Only practicing Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their own property to Waqf, restoring the pre-2013 provision. iv. Protection of Waqf by User Properties: Already registered properties remain Waqf unless disputed or identified as government land. v. Womens Rights in Family Waqf: Women must receive their rightful inheritance before Waqf dedication, with special provisions for widows, divorced women, and orphans. vi. Transparent Waqf Management: Mutawallis must register property details on the central portal within six months to enhance accountability. vii. Government Land & Waqf Disputes: An officer above the rank of Collector will investigate government properties claimed as Waqf, preventing unwarranted claims. viii. Strengthening Waqf Tribunals: A structured selection process and fixed tenure ensure stability and efficiency in dispute resolution. ix. Non-Muslim Representation: Two non-Muslim members will be included in both Central and State Waqf Boards to ensure inclusivity. x. Reduced Annual Contributions: Waqf institutions mandatory contribution to Waqf Boards is reduced from 7% to 5%, allowing more funds for charity. xi. Application of the Limitation Act: The Limitation Act, 1963, will now apply to Waqf property claims, reducing prolonged litigation. xii. Annual Audit Reforms: Waqf institutions earning over 1 lakh annually must undergo audits by State Government-appointed auditors. xiii. Ending Arbitrary Property Claims: The Bill removes Section 40, preventing Waqf Boards from arbitrarily declaring properties as Waqf, avoiding misuse like declaring entire villages as Waqf. These cases underscored the arbitrary and unregulated power exercised by Waqf Boards. To address this, Section 40 of the Waqf Act is being omitted, ensuring fair and just administration of Waqf properties. 8) What are some instances of Non-Muslim properties declared as Waqf? As of September 2024, data from 25 States/UTs Waqf Boards shows that 5,973 government properties have been declared as Waqf. Some examples include: As per MoHUA (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) in September 2024, 108 properties are under control of Land and Development Office, 130 properties under control of Delhi Development Authority and 123 properties in the public domain were declared as Waqf properties and brought into litigation. Karnataka (1975 & 2020): 40 Waqf properties were notified, including farmlands, public spaces, government lands, graveyards, lakes, and temples. The Punjab Waqf Board has claimed land belonging to the Education Department in Patiala. Examples of other Non-Muslim properties declared as Waqf: Tamil Nadu: A farmer in Thiruchenthurai village was unable to sell his land due to the Waqf Boards claim over the entire village. This unexpected requirement prevented him from selling his land to repay a loan for his daughters wedding. Govindpur Village, Bihar: In August 2024, The Bihar Sunni Waqf Boards claim over an entire village in August 2024 affected seven families, leading to a case in the Patna High Court. The case is sub-judice. Kerala: In September 2024, around 600 Christian families in Ernakulam district are contesting the Waqf Boards claim over their ancestral land. They have appealed to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. Karnataka: In 2024, Farmers protested after the Waqf Board designated 15,000 acres in Vijayapura as Waqf land. Disputes also arose in Ballari, Chitradurga, Yadgir, and Dharwad. The government, however, assured that no evictions would take place. Uttar Pradesh: Complaints have been raised against alleged corruption and mismanagement by the State Waqf Board. 9) How is the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 expected to benefit the Poor? Waqf plays a crucial role in serving religious, charitable, and social welfare needs, especially for the underprivileged. However, its impact has often been reduced due to mismanagement, encroachment, and lack of transparency. Some key benefits of Waqf for the Poor: Digitization for Transparency and Accountability A centralized digital portal will track Waqf properties, ensuring better identification, monitoring, and management. Auditing and accounting measures will prevent financial mismanagement and ensure funds are used only for welfare purposes. Increased Revenue for Welfare and Development Preventing misuse and illegal occupation of Waqf lands will boost revenue for Waqf Boards, allowing them to expand welfare programs. Funds will be allocated to healthcare, education, housing, and livelihood support, directly benefiting the economically weaker sections. Regular audits and inspections will promote financial discipline and strengthen public confidence in Waqf management. 10) How does the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board and Central Waqf Council contribute to Waqf management, and what is the extent of their role and influence in decision-making? Non-Muslim Stakeholders: Donors, litigants, lessees, and tenants are involved in Waqf management, making their representation in Waqf Boards and the Central Waqf Council (CWC) are essential for fairness. Regulation of Secular Activities: Section 96 empowers the Central Government to regulate governance, social, economic, and welfare aspects of Waqf institutions, reaffirmed by court rulings. Oversight Role of Central Waqf Council: The CWC supervises State Waqf Boards, ensuring compliance without direct control over Waqf properties. This highlights that Waqf management extends beyond religious aspects to economic and financial regulation. Non-Muslim Representation: o State Waqf Boards: 2 out of 11 members (excluding ex-officio) can be non-Muslims. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all o Central Waqf Council: 2 out of 22 members (excluding ex-officio) can be non-Muslims. While decisions are made by majority vote, non-Muslim members can contribute administrative and technical expertise, improving the efficiency and governance of Waqf institutions. 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: April 01, 2025, 23:11 IST Whats Operation Brahma Launched In Myanmar? Indias First Responder Strategy Explained Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 13:16 IST India has a history of offering humanitarian help to countries affected by disasters. Some of the successful missions were Operation Sadbhav in Myanmar and Vietnam; Operation Dost in Turkey and Syria; Operation Maitri in Nepal NDRF personnel work under 'Operation Brahma' to provide humanitarian aid and assistance at an earthquake-hit site in Myanmar. (Photo: @IndiainMyanmar via PTI) India has emerged as one of the first countries to respond to the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar on March 28, killing thousands, by launching Operation Brahma. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Myanmars military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, that India stands in solidarity with his country in this difficult hour", and assured of humanitarian assistance" to deal with the devastating aftermath of Fridays earthquake. Recommended Stories In a post on X, PM Modi said, Spoke with Senior General H E Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar. Conveyed our deep condolences at the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake. As a close friend and neighbour, India stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this difficult hour." This is not the first time that India has come to the rescue of a country. It has a history of offering humanitarian assistance to countries affected by natural disasters. Let us look at the successful rescue operations launched by the Indian government over the past few years. Operation Brahma The moment Myanmar was struck with the earthquake, India wasted no time in mobilizing aid. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reaffirmed Indias commitment, stating, It is our policy to be the first responder." In a special briefing on Operation Brahma, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said PM Modi has committed all possible support from India to earthquake-hit Myanmar, adding that India has always been the first responder in such situations. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed an 80-member team equipped with concrete cutters, drill machines, plasma cutters, and other rescue tools. The first batch of relief supplies, including essential medicines, sleeping bags, blankets, and food, was flown to Yangon early Saturday morning. Indian Ambassador Abhay Thakur handed over the aid to Yangon Chief Minister U Soe Thein. Jaiswal added that when India says Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, India also means it. When we say the world is one family, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we also want to mean it. We want to prove that by action and therefore, you know, we are very humbled when we have this opportunity to respond to a crisis such as what has happened in Myanmar and extend our support to people," he said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said as part of Operation Brahma, INS Satpura & INS Savitri carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid was heading to the port of Yangon. And thats not all; two more ships will follow with additional aid. The Airborne Angels Task Force is trained to deliver advanced medical and surgical care in disaster-affected zones. The Indian Army will set up a 60-bed Medical Treatment Centre to provide immediate care to those injured in the disaster. The facility will be equipped to handle trauma cases, emergency surgeries, and essential medical services to support Myanmars strained healthcare system, according to the Indian Army, as quoted by The Economic Times. India has also sent a C-130J military transport aircraft with 15 tonnes of relief materials. The supplies include water purifiers, solar lamps, generator sets, and tents. Jaishankar later posted, #OperationBrahma gets underway. Operation Sadbhav The government launched Operation Sadbhav for extending emergency humanitarian assistance in the wake of the floods caused by Typhoon Yagi in Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam in September. As part of the mission, India sent 10 tonnes of aid, comprising dry rations, clothing, and medicines to Myanmar aboard the Indian naval ship INS Satpura. Naval ship INS Satpura carrying HADR pallets with tents, generator sets, ready-to-eat meals, kitchen sets, solar lamps, medical supplies, mosquito nets and repellents, water purification tablets and disinfectants, and other materials were also sent to Myanmar. Moreover, 35 tonnes of aid were sent to Vietnam, including water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, and solar lanterns, through the Indian Air Forces C-17 military transport aircraft. The storm led to over 220 deaths in Vietnam and over 70 in Myanmar. Moreover, Myanmars military government said that the typhoon displaced nearly 2,40,000 people, adding to the 3.4 million already displaced due to the ongoing civil conflict. Operation Dost India launched Operation Dost to extend assistance to Turkey and Syria, which were hit by an intense 7.9-magnitude earthquake in February 2023. Over 21,000 people died and countless others were injured. Under the mission, India had sent search and rescue teams, mainly teams of NDRF, materials, medicines, medical equipment and consumables to Turkey and Syria. Moreover, Indias canine squad was airlifted to the quake-hit regions to search for survivors under the rubble. The Indian Armys team of medical specialists provided relief at a field hospital set up in Turkeys Hatay. As part of Operation Dost, India even sent more than 6 tonnes of emergency relief assistance to Syria. When asked about sending relief to a country that was facing US sanctions, MEA secretary Sanjay Verma said India is following the G20 mantra of One Earth, One Family, One Future. Sanctions dont cover such humanitarian assistance," he said. Operation Karuna India launched Operation Karuna to help Myanmar during Cyclone Mocha. The ships are carrying emergency food items, tents, essential medicines, water pumps, portable generators, clothes, sanitary and hygiene items," Jaishankar had said. India extended a hand of friendship to the people of Myanmar affected by Cyclone Mocha, he said, adding, India continues to be the first responder in the region." More than 40 tonnes of HADR materials brought by INS Shivalik, INS Kamorta and INS Savitri included emergency food items, tents, portable generators, clothes, water pumps, medicines, tarpaulins, hygiene and sanitary items, wheel chair, face masks, etc," the Indian Embassy in Myanmar said on social media. The fourth ship INS Gharial will bring more HADR materials, including emergency medicines and medical kits, it stated. Operation Karuna came in the aftermath of super cyclone Mocha, which hit Bangladesh and Myanmar. In Myanmar, Rakhine state was the worst-hit while in Bangladesh the cyclone destroyed shelters in the worlds largest refugee camp at Coxs Bazar which houses a million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Operation Maitri The rescue and relief mission was launched by the Indian government in Nepal in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake. India responded within 15 minutes of the earthquake and was the first country to respond to the catastrophe. The operation started on April 26, 2015 and involved ex-servicemen from the Gurkha Regiments for interface for guidance, relief and rescue. India had sent 18 medical teams (comprising 20 people each), and 12 engineer teams of about 60 people to the neighbouring country. While the engineers helped clear the rubble from blocked roads, the power assessment team had managed to restore electricity in major areas top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all As part of the operation, India sent 33 Air Force aircraft with 520 tonnes of materials such as tents, blankets, medicines, cooking material, food, water, heavy engineering equipment, ambulances, RO plant and oxygen generators. Ilyushin Il-76, C-130J Hercules, C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft and Mi-17 helicopters wer mobilized for Operation Maitri. 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: April 01, 2025, 13:12 IST Whats Sahyog Portal? Why Elon Musk-Owned X Has Slammed It, Whats Govt Response? | Explained Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 10:49 IST While X Corp has argued that Section 79 does not authorise government to issue content-blocking orders, the Centre stressed that the petitioner has misinterpreted Sections 69A and 79 of the IT Act The government has pointed out that X, being a foreign commercial entity, has no inherent right to host or defend third-party content on its platform. (File Photo) The Centre has condemned" and called unfortunate" Elon Musk-owned Xs description of the governments Sahyog portal as a censorship" tool. In a detailed response submitted to the Karnataka High Court, the Centre countered Xs claims in its petition challenging Indias information blocking framework. Recommended Stories The government stressed that the petitioner had misinterpreted the provisions of the Information Technology Act, especially Sections 69A and 79. What Is Sahyog Portal? The SAHYOG portal was launched in 2024 to fast-track orders to block objectionable and misinformation. It was developed to automate the process of sending notices to intermediaries by the Appropriate Government or its agency under IT Act, 2000 to facilitate the removal or disabling of access to any information, data or communication link being used to commit an unlawful act," the Centre says on the site. It is run by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) with help from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It is maintained by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). I4C proactively identified and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for Digital Arrest. Till February 28, more than 7.81 lakhs SIM cards and 2,08,469 IMEIs as reported by police authorities have been blocked by the centre," the minister said. How Does The Portal Work? According to an officer, as quoted by The Indian Express, a concerned authorised agency from the Centre, state police or law enforcement agency can flag objectionable web content and raise a request to block it on the portal. After receiving their request, the concerned request will go to the IT intermediaries or ISPs to block the alleged objectionable content. But in case of request for IT intermediaries/social media intermediaries, the notices will directly escalate to those intermediaries. In case of ISPs, the notices will be escalated to the Department of Technologies (DoT) and DoT will further send it to the ISPs," an officer said. When Was Sahyog Portal Discovered? The MHA disclosed the existence of the portal during a Delhi High Court case filed a parent of a missing 19-year-old girl in Shabana versus Govt of NCT of Delhi and Ors. The court questioned the government and social media firms over delays in obtaining data from an Instagram account used by the teenager. The Delhi High Court also directed IT intermediaries to onboard the Sahyog Portal and provide the status of their onboarding during the next hearing. Who Is On Board? Nearly 15 IT intermediaries have joined the portal, including Josh, Quora, Telegram, Apple, Google, Amazon, You Tube, PI Data Centre, and Sharechat. Around 31 states and Union Territories have notified their officers as per Section 79(3)(b) of IT Act and onboarded the Sahyog Portal. Now, Google can block the content from their Play Store app, Firebase domain, YouTube video, Drive link/share, while WhatsApp can block the number (account), channel or group. Facebook and Instagram will block the content, profiles, and advertisement posts, Microsoft will block the email ID, Skype ID, and OneDrive links," an officer told The Indian Express. What Are The Content Takedown Laws In India? Section 79(1) of the IT Act gives online platforms a shield from legal liability for content posted by third parties, that is, their users. Section 79(3), however, qualifies this safe harbour by stating that the shield will not apply if upon receiving actual knowledge, or on being notified by the appropriate government or its agency that any information controlled by the intermediary is being used to commit the unlawful act, the intermediary fails to expeditiously remove or disable access to that material on that resource without vitiating the evidence in any manner." The Section 79 framework does not authorise blocking orders. Instead, it merely notifies intermediaries of their responsibilities. If they fail to comply, they risk losing safe harbor protections and facing action under Rule 7 of the IT Rules, 2021," the government clarified. Therefore, it is incumbent on social media companies to take down content if they are given notices by appropriate government or its agency". Section 69A allows the government to block content, the IT Ministry says, if it impinges on (i) interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, (ii) defence of India, (iii) security of the State, (iv) friendly relations with foreign States or (v) public order or (vi) for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offense relating to above." However, this section has several safeguards, which give users the opportunity to be heard. These safeguards are laid out in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009. However, even blockings under Section 69A have been contentious, because there have been instances where a notice has not been issued. What Is Elon Musks X Argument? X said in its petition that Section 79 does not authorise the government to issue content-blocking orders in a manner that bypasses the safeguards outlined in Section 69A, its corresponding blocking rules, and the Supreme Courts ruling in the Shreya Singhal case. That power is governed by Section 69A of the IT Act read with the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009." This has been upheld by the Shreya Singhal judgment of the Supreme Court in 2015, a verdict that also held unconstitutional Section 66A, a broad law allowing prosecution over users posting offensive" content. What Is The Governments Stance? The Centre has contended that Section 69A explicitly allows the Centre to issue blocking orders under specific conditions and provides multiple safeguards for online content restriction. It stated that Section 69A section differs significantly from Section 79, which only requires intermediaries to fulfill their due diligence obligations upon receiving notices from authorised agencies. It is misleading to label Sahyog as a censorship tool. By doing so, the petitioner is wrongfully presenting itself as a content creator rather than an intermediary. Such an assertion from a global platform like X is deeply regrettable and unacceptable," the statement read. The government also pointed out that X, being a foreign commercial entity, has no inherent right to host or defend third-party content on its platform. It stressed that in an earlier case brought by Twitter, the Karnataka High Court had explicitly ruled that Articles 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution do not apply to the company. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The government believes X Corp had incorrectly equated the blocking orders" issued under Section 69A with the notices" issued under Section 79, despite the Supreme Court previously distinguishing between the two in the Shreya Singhal case. (with inputs from PTI) 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: April 01, 2025, 10:46 IST Why Are Buddhist Monks Protesting At Bodh Gaya, What Are Their Demands? Explained Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 09:01 IST Protesting Buddhist monks under All India Buddhist Forum have submitted a memorandum to the Bihar government for the repeal of Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949 that gives control of the site to Hindus Buddhists have pointed out that all religions in India manage their own religious sites. They also said Buddha was opposed to Vedic rituals. (PTI Photo) Nearly 100 Buddhist monks have been protesting at Bodh Gayas Mahabodhi Temple since February, demanding the repeal of Bodh Gaya Temple Act (BTA), 1949 and that the management rights of the site, with the Hindu community, be given exclusively to them. The protesting Buddhist monks under the All India Buddhist Forum (AIBF) have submitted a memorandum to the Bihar government in this regard. Recommended Stories Bodh Gaya is considered to be one of the four sacred sites of Buddhism; the other three being Lumbini Lord Buddhas birthplace Sarnath, where he gave his first sermon and Kusinagar, where he attained nirvana. Why Do Buddhists Want Repeal Of The 1949 Act? The Bihar government had passed the BTA to resolve a festering dispute between the Buddhist and Hindu heads of the Mahabodhi Temple for control over the site. The BTA set up a committee with four Hindus and four Buddhists as members. The Act made the local district magistrate an ex-officio chairperson of the committee. The idea of the district magistrate, who was the ex-officio chairman, assuming leadership if he was from the Hindu community was resented by the Buddhist bodies. This rule was changed by the state government in 2013 and instead inserted a provision for the ex-officio chairman to be of any faith. In the 1990s, Lalu Prasad Yadav, then chief minister of Bihar, drafted the Bodh Gaya Mahvihara Bill to replace the BTA. It allowed handing over the management of the temple to Buddhists. The Bill prohibited idol immersions inside the temple and Hindu marriages. But the bill went into cold storage. Swami Vivekananda Giri, who looks after the Bodh Gaya Math, told Al Jazeera that Hindus owned the temple before the Act and Indias Independence. He said the protests were politically motivated", noting it comes ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. Giri further said, When the Buddhists abandoned it after the invasion of Muslim rulers, we preserved and took care of the temple. Yet we never treated Buddhist visitors as others." Have There Been Protests Before? Akash Lama, general secretary of the All India Buddhist Forum (AIBF) told Al Jazeera that several Buddhist organisations had held rallies from Ladakh in the north to Mumbai in the west, and Mysuru in south. Buddhists have pointed out that all religions in India manage their own religious sites. They also said Buddha was opposed to Vedic rituals. In November 2023, Buddhist monks held a rally in Gaya and submitted a memorandum to the Central and state governments. As it failed to have the desired effect, the monks scaled up the protest and held a rally in Patna last year to press for repealing the Act. In 2012, two monks had filed a petition before the Supreme Court to repeal the 1949 law which gives Hindus a say in the running of the shrine. The petition is yet to be heard. On February 27, reportedly, two dozen Buddhist monks who were sitting on a hunger strike for 14 days on the temple premises, were removed at midnight by the Bihar police and forced to relocate outside the temple. The Importance Of Mahabodhi Temple Emperor Ashoka built the Mahabodhi Temple in 260 BCE after embracing Buddhism. It has now become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reportedly, it remained under Buddhist management for years, until major political changes of the 13th century. King Ashoka used to worship under the Bodhi tree, where Gautam Siddhartha attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya was then described as the Mecca of Buddhism, and in many ways popularised Buddhism in the West. From the time of Ashoka to the Palas, the Bodhi temple continued to be a Buddhist place of worship and a site of pilgrimage. Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited Bodh Gaya in 629 AD during the reign of Harshavardhana. Incidentally, Hiuen Tsang called it a Buddhist site, and is said to have found only Buddhist relics for a statue of Avaloktishvara. After the invasion of Bakhtiyar Khilji in the 13th century, Buddhism began to decline. As per UNESCO, the shrine was mostly abandoned between the 13th and 18th centuries till the British started renovations. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all During Akbars reign, in 1590, a Hindu monk established the Bodh Gaya mutt. He formed the Bodh Gaya Math, a Hindu monastery, and the temple has been controlled by descendants of Giri. In the late 19th century, visiting Sri Lankan and Japanese Buddhist monks, founded the Maha Bodhi Society to lead a movement to reclaim the site. Then, in 1903, Lord Curzon tried negotiating a deal between Hindu and Buddhist sides, but failed. Two years after Indias Independence, the Bihar government brought in the Act. 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: April 01, 2025, 08:30 IST Yunus Remark On Indias Landlocked Northeast Puts Chickens Neck In Focus. What It Is And Why It Matters Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 16:18 IST During his 4-day visit to China, Yunus urged Beijing to expand its economic influence in Bangladesh, controversially highlighting that India's northeastern states being landlocked could be seen as an opportunity Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modis economy advisory council, questioned why Yunus mentioned Indias northeastern region. (Photo: News18)Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modis economy advisory council, questioned why Yunus mentioned Indias northeastern region. (Photo: News18) Bangladesh Chief Adviser Mohammed Yunus, who is currently leading the country without an electoral mandate, has invited China and went on to mention seven states of India as landlocked", raising New Delhis security concerns over the strategically important Chickens Neck." During his 4-day visit to China, Yunus urged Beijing to expand its economic influence in Bangladesh, controversially highlighting that Indias northeastern states being landlocked could be seen as an opportunity. Recommended Stories Yunus, who met with President Xi Jinping and signed nine agreements with Beijing, stated, The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean." He described Bangladesh as the only guardian of the ocean" in the region, suggesting that this could be a significant opportunity for the Chinese economy. Playing Chinese Debt Trap Diplomacy: India Refutes Yunus Bangladesh As Guardian Statement | Exclusive Bangladesh-China Ties It is evident that China never engages in initiatives for free, and many countries are now struggling with its debt trap, a modern form of colonialism in the 21st century. Bangladesh is Chinas fourth-largest lender, with $7.5 billion in loans. During Yunus trip, Bangladesh secured commitments of USD 2.1 billion in investments, loans, and grants from the Chinese government and its companies. If China establishes a presence in Bangladesh similar to its involvement in Sri Lanka, where it practically owns Hambantota Port, it would pose a major challenge for India. Under Sheikh Hasinas leadership, Bangladesh was becoming an economic powerhouse in the developing world. However, her 15-year rule ended following massive protests, leading to her fleeing the country. How India Reacted To Yunus Remark Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modis economy advisory council, questioned why Yunus mentioned Indias northeastern region. Interesting that Yunus is making a public appeal to the Chinese on the basis that 7 states in India are land-locked. China is welcome to invest in Bangladesh, but what exactly is the significance of 7 Indian states being landlocked?" he said. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called remark by Yunus as offensive" and said it is strongly condemnable. This remark underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with Indias strategic Chickens Neck" corridor. Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically," he added. The Assam CM also highlighted the need for robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chickens Neck corridor. He said alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to mainland India bypassing the Chickens Neck, should be explored and should be prioritized. Though this may pose significant engineering challenges, it is achievable with determination and innovation. Such provocative statements by Md Younus must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," he said. Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India-Bangladesh have made enormous progress" in all areas of cooperation. Bangladesh is very important country for regional stability because of its location on the Bay of Bengal. For us, it has really straddled the space between India and Northeast. So, this narrow chickens neck the Siliguri Corridor runs to the north of Bangladesh. So from that perspective, it is very important strategically. As a friend and partner, theres a lot that you can do together and in the last 15 years, we have made enormous progress in all areas of our cooperation," he said. What Is Chickens Neck Or Siliguri Corridor? top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Chickens Neck, also known as the Siliguri Corridor, is a narrow strip of land in West Bengal that connects Indias northeastern states to the rest of the country. Located in northern West Bengal, the corridor spans approximately 22 kilometers at its narrowest point. It is bordered by Nepal to the west, Bhutan to the north, and Bangladesh to the south. This corridor links the North-eastern Region (NER), which includes the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura, to mainland India. The region is vital for trade, commerce, and tourism for West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. All land trade between the North East and the rest of India passes through this corridor. It serves as the hub for a rail and road network that connects West Bengal and the rest of India to the North East, including Assam, Nagaland, and Sikkim. Additionally, it is a key hub for the railway network that connects to strategic military formations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). From the New Jalpaiguri (NJP) railway station, various rail links extend to connect three significant military formations near the China border. From NJP station, a rail link heads towards Guwahati in Assam, which in turn connects to a road network leading to the strategically important town of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. About the Author Saurabh Verma Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 First Published: April 01, 2025, 13:16 IST Supreme Court Raps UP Govt Over Demolitions In Prayagraj, Orders Rs 10L Compensation In Each Case Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 14:24 IST The Supreme Court asked the UP government to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation for each affected individual for arbitrarily demolishing homes in Prayagraj. The Supreme Court building is seen in New Delhi (Photo: PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government and the Prayagraj Development Authority for the demolition of the houses of a lawyer, a professor and three others in Prayagraj in 2021, terming it illegal" and insensitive". The court also asked them to pay a fixed compensation of Rs 10 lakhs in each of such cases within six weeks. The bench, comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, remarked that such cases shock the conscience, adding that the residential premises of the appellants have been high-handedly demolished. Recommended Stories We will record this whole thing as illegal and we will say that as far as rights in the land are concerned, we are not offering any comment," Justice Oka said, adding, And fix compensation of 10 lakhs in each case. That is the only way to do this. So that this authority will always remember to follow due process." These cases shock our conscience. The residential premises of the appellants have been high-handedly demolished," he said. The authorities, and especially the development authority, must remember that the right to shelter is also an integral part of Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the order stated. Carrying out demolition in such a manner shows insensitivity on the part of the statutory development authority," it added. Earlier, the top court had slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over the demolition action in Prayagraj without following the due legal procedure and said it sent a shocking and wrong signal". The petitioners counsel had said the state government wrongly demolished the houses thinking the land belonged to gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed, who was killed in 2023 in a police encounter. The top court was hearing a plea by advocate Zulfiqar Haider, Professor Ali Ahmed and others whose houses were demolished. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Allahabad High Court had rejected their plea challenging the demolition. The petitioners had reportedly been served a notice on March 6, 2021, with respect to certain constructions at Lukerganj in Prayagraj district. 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: April 01, 2025, 13:43 IST German Woman Alleges Rape By Car Driver In Hyderabad, Accused Arrested Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 14:21 IST The German woman, along with another fellow countryman, arrived in Hyderabad on March 4 to meet a friend. The driver allegedly raped the german woman in the rear seat of the car on Monday late evening. (Representative Image) A 22-year-old German woman was allegedly raped by a car driver, who had offered her a ride, on Monday in the Pahadi Shareef area of Hyderabad. Upon receiving the information, the police formed special teams and arrested the accused. According to the victims complaint, the driver allegedly raped her in the rear seat of the car on Monday late evening. Recommended Stories The police have registered a rape case against the accused the accused driver and the victim has been sent for medical examination news agency PTI reported. The German woman, along with another fellow countryman, arrived in Hyderabad on March 4 to meet a friend. On Monday, she and her German friend were touring the city when a car driver offered them a lift. Reportedly, there were some other passengers in the vehicle who later got down. As per the complaint, before reaching the Mamidipally area, the womans German friend also got down. She further went in the car to Mamidipally along with the driver to take some pictures at around 7.30 pm. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Later, she informed her German friend that the car driver raped" her. The victim then alerted the police. Responding to the complaint, the police launched a search operation and took the accused into custody. Meanwhile, investigation is still underway. 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: April 01, 2025, 14:21 IST 'Offensive, Provocative': Himanta Sarma, Biren Singh Slam 'Northeast' Remark By Bangladesh's Yunus Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 13:38 IST Himanta Biswa Sarma and Biren Singh condemned Bangladesh Chief Adviser Yunus's remark calling India's Northeast 'landlocked' and positioning Bangladesh as its ocean gateway, labeling it 'offensive'. Himanta Sarma (L)/Biren Singh (R) (Photos: PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday condemned a statement by Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, referring to Indias northeastern states as landlocked, as offensive". Sarma also said Yunuss remark underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with Indias strategic Chickens Neck" corridor. Recommended Stories Such provocative statements by Yunus must not be taken lightly, he added. In an X post, the Assam Chief Minister wrote, The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh so called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable." This remark underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with Indias strategic Chickens Neck" corridor. Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically," he wrote. Therefore, it is imperative to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chickens Neck corridor," he added. Additionally, exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to mainland India, effectively bypassing the Chickens Neck, should be prioritized." Though this may pose significant engineering challenges, it is achievable with determination and innovation. Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," the Chief Minister wrote. The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh so called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable. This remark underscores the Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 1, 2025 Manipurs former Chief Minister N Biren Singh also slammed Yunuss remark, saying Bangladeshs interim government was attempting to frame the Northeast as a strategic pawn to serve their geopolitical ambitions". Singh also stated that Indias unity and territorial integrity are non-negotiable and cannot be challenged by anyone." In an X post, Biren Singh wrote, It is apparent that Md Yunus and his interim government in Bangladesh are attempting to frame the Northeast as a strategic pawn to serve their geopolitical ambitions." Such provocative and irresponsible statements are unbecoming of a leader, and I condemn his remarks in the strongest possible terms," he wrote. Let it be made absolutely clear, Indias unity and territorial integrity are non-negotiable and cannot be challenged by anyone. Md Yunus must exercise restraint; making reckless comments about a nation like India is not only unwise but also lead to consequences he may come to regret," (sic) he mentioned. It is apparent that Md Yunus and his interim government in Bangladesh are attempting to frame the Northeast as a strategic pawn to serve their geopolitical ambitions. Such provocative and irresponsible statements are unbecoming of a leader, and I condemn his remarks in the N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) April 1, 2025 Yunus, during his recent four-day visit to China, urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that Indias northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity. Yunus, who met President Xi Jinping and signed nine agreements with Beijing during the trip, said, The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean." Calling Bangladesh as the only guardian of the ocean" in the region, he said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all As his statement courted a controversy, Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modis economy advisory council, questioned why Yunus mentioned Indias northeastern region. ALSO READ | Five Signs All Is Not Well In Bangladesh Under Muhammad Yunus 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: April 01, 2025, 10:37 IST IMD Predicts Rain In Maharashtra From April 1-4: Here's How You Can Protect Yourself From Lightning, Gusty Winds Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 19:13 IST The India Meteorological Department warns of unseasonal rains, strong winds, and lightning in Maharashtra from April 1-4. Farmers and residents are urged to take precautions. IMD warns of unseasonal rains, hailstorms in Maharashtra from April 1-4. (PTI Photo) Several districts across Maharashtra brace for turbulent weather as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued an alert for unseasonal rains, strong winds, and lightning over the next few days. Orange and yellow alerts have been declared for South Konkan, parts of Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, and certain districts in Marathwada, with the potential for heavy storms and hail from April 1 to April 4. Authorities have cautioned that the impending weather conditions could pose a significant threat to agricultural crops, urging farmers to take preventive measures to minimise losses. Additionally, residents have been advised to remain vigilant against lightning strikes and follow safety protocols issued by the administration. Recommended Stories With the possibility of intense rainfall and thunderstorms, the administration has issued a set of guidelines to ensure public safety: top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Avoid standing under or near trees, as they can attract lightning. Instead, take refuge in a secure location. Refrain from taking selfies in open or dangerous areas during inclement weather. During thunderstorms, refrain from using electrical appliances and avoid contact with live electrical parts. Maintain a safe distance from tractors, motorcycles, bicycles, and other metal objects that could conduct electricity. Do not position yourself near open fields, towers, flagpoles, electric poles, metal fences, or hanging wires. Such structures can become hazardous during lightning strikes. If caught in an open space during a lightning storm, crouch down with knees bent, cover your ears with your hands, and keep your head between your knees. Limit contact with the ground to reduce the risk of electric shock. Farmers are urged to store their harvest in a safe place. If they have transported their produce to market yards for sale, they should ensure it is safeguarded from potential hailstorms and rains. Livestock should be moved to secure locations to prevent exposure to extreme weather conditions. In case of emergencies, residents can reach out to the District Control Room or the District Collectors Office in Jalna at 02482-223132. Assistance is also available at local tehsil offices and police stations. The advisory has been issued under the guidance of Resident Deputy Collector Ganesh Mahadik and the District Disaster Management Authority. First Published: April 01, 2025, 19:13 IST Indian Doctor Calls Out Bryan Johnson For Selling 'Dangerous' Supplements, Millionaire Asks: 'Who Hurt You?' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 11:54 IST The Liver Doc expressed his concerns on social media platform X, calling Johnson's business practices "terrifying" The liver expert claimed that Bryan Johnson was allegedly swindling "poorly informed health and science illiterates." (Images via X) Kerala-based liver specialist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as The Liver Doc, has accused American millionaire Bryan Johnson, famous for his anti-ageing ventures, of selling dangerous" supplements under the name of his startup, Blueprint. Johnson launched Project Blueprint in 2020, a $2 million-a-year experiment aimed at reversing biological ageing through sleep optimisation, proper nutrition, and rigorous exercise. Recommended Stories The Liver Doc expressed his concerns on social media platform X, calling Johnsons business practices terrifying" and comparing him to convicted American biotech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes and Australian influencer Belle Gibson, who falsely claimed to have cancer. It is terrifying that people do not see Bryan Johnson as actually a well-evolved masculine form of fraudsters Elizabeth Holmes and Belle Gibson, selling both expensive and utterly useless investigations and peddling potentially dangerous snake oil supplements in the name of BLUEPRINT," the Indian doctor wrote in his post shared on Monday. It is terrifying that people do not see Bryan Johnson as actually a well-evolved masculine form of fraudsters Elizabeth Holmes and Belle Gibson, selling both expensive and utterly useless investigations and peddling potentially dangerous snake oil supplements in the name of pic.twitter.com/qjts5KKXTF TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) March 30, 2025 The liver expert further claimed that, unlike Holmes, who defrauded investors, Johnson was allegedly swindling poorly informed health and science illiterates." While Belle Gibson told people she was dying, this gentleman is telling people he wont die and created a cult around not dying. She was lying and he is too," he continued. Johnson, who has made headlines for his extreme anti-ageing routinespending millions to extend his lifequickly responded to the allegations. He posted a reply, asking, Cyriac why are you so angry? Who hurt you?" Cyriac why are you so angry? Who hurt you?Blueprint offers extra virgin olive oil, proteins, nuts, and nutrients which have independent and robust scientific evidence. They are third party tested. The certificates of analysis are publicly available. They are affordably priced. Bryan Johnson (@bryan_johnson) March 30, 2025 He defended his Blueprint program, emphasising that its products, including extra virgin olive oil, proteins, nuts, and nutrients, are backed by independent and robust scientific evidence". They are third party tested. The certificates of analysis are publicly available. They are affordably priced," Johnson added. Johnson, the former tech entrepreneur who made his fortune by selling his startup Braintree to PayPal in 2013, has since turned his attention to reverse ageing. His extreme health regimen involves taking 54 pills daily, shock therapy, blood transfusions from his son, and a range of other experimental treatments. His controversial lifestyle was documented in the Netflix series Dont Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Despite his wealth and fame, Johnsons unconventional methods and secretive approach have raised eyebrows. He has faced accusations of pressuring employees, contract workers, and even sexual partners into signing confidentiality agreements. The New York Times reported on Johnsons attempts to hide his personal life, mentioning his divorce, hiring of prostitutes, and experimentation with psychedelics. ALSO READ: Walked Naked, Discussed Erections: Anti-Ageing Millionaire Bryan Johnson Accused Of Bizarre Workplace Behaviour 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 : Kerala, India, India First Published: April 01, 2025, 07:55 IST 2020 Delhi Riots: Court Orders FIR Against Kapil Mishra, Asks Police To Probe His Alleged Role Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 15:08 IST A Delhi court has ordered an FIR against Kapil Mishra to probe his alleged role in the 2020 Delhi riots. The court also asked the police to investigate the case. BJP leader Kapil Mishra during Delhi BJP Executive meeting (Photo: PTI) A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against cabinet minister Kapil Mishra and others to investigate his alleged role in the 2020 Delhi riots. The court also asked the Delhi Police to investigate Mishras alleged role in the riots and noted that a cognizable offence was made against Mishra. Recommended Stories Additional chief judicial magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia said the court found a prime facie" cognisable offence, requiring a probe. It is clear that Mishra was in the area at the time of alleged offence further probe required," the judge said. The order came while the court was hearing arguments on a plea filed by a Yamuna Vihar resident Mohammad Ilyas, seeking registration of the FIR, which was opposed by Delhi Police, claiming Mishra had no role in the riots. The Delhi Police had submitted that the BJP leader was being framed in the matter and had no role to play in the 2020 riots. In October last year, the Delhi Police had submitted that the riots were the result of a conspiracy hatched to incite and cause violence in Muslim majority areas close to Mosques or Mazars and main roads to escalate protests to Chakkajaam once critical mass is generated and at appropriate time. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all It was also submitted that WhatsApp messages were being circulated to spread a rumour that the mob led by Kapil Mishra had started violence at that time. As many as 53 people died, while more than 500 people were injured in the communal riots that broke out in Northeast Delhi in 2020 between February 24 and 26. 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: April 01, 2025, 15:08 IST Kerala Lottery Results LIVE: Sthree Sakthi SS-461 Winners For April 1, 2025; Full List Here! Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: April 02, 2025, 10:05 IST Kerala Lottery Results Today: Here's full list of winning numbers for Sthree Sakthi SS-461 lucky draw for Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Kerala Lottery Sthree Sakthi SS-461 Results: The first prize winner of Sthree Sakthi SS-461 will get Rs 75 Lakh. (Image: Shutterstock) KERALA LOTTERY STHREE SAKTHI SS-461 RESULT ON TUESDAY, 1.4.2025, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department has announced the results of the Sthree Sakthi SS-461 lottery for Tuesday, 1 April. The first prize winner will receive Rs 75 lakh, while the second and third prize winners will receive Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5,000, respectively. Check the full list of winning numbers below. Recommended Stories ALSO READ: Kerala Lottery Result LIVE: Summer Bumper BR-102 Winners For April 2, 2025; First Prize 10 Crore! FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR STHREE SAKTHI SS-461 LOTTERY WINNING NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 75 LAKH IS SJ 460124 (KOTTAYAM) Agent Name: MEENAKSHY LOTTERIES Agency No.: K 5803 WINNING NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 10 LAKH IS SL 534772 (MOOVATTUPUZHA) Agent Name: SYNA SASI Agency No: E 9306 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE 0538 1043 1566 2423 3705 4237 5491 5892 6350 6967 7413 7706 7778 8306 8653 9244 9485 9711 WINNING NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE SA 460124 SB 460124 SC 460124 SD 460124 SE 460124 SF 460124 SG 460124 SH 460124 SK 460124 SL 460124 SM 460124 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE 0173 1101 1233 2281 2634 3215 6623 8054 9481 9973 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE 0392 0517 0739 1375 1644 1747 2191 2431 2958 3978 4311 4378 4488 4589 5116 5565 6462 7088 7505 8624 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE 0016 0063 0071 0081 0091 0547 0561 0814 0830 1084 1256 1297 1622 1701 2272 2436 2503 2722 2771 3231 3434 3508 3923 4042 4136 4191 4447 4966 5000 5019 5074 5299 5573 5960 6089 6271 6275 6338 6525 6654 7300 7322 7514 7900 8046 8297 8395 8604 8926 9068 9202 9511 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 200 ARE 0727 0788 0804 1048 1049 1201 1272 1545 1579 2100 2140 2254 2540 2968 3060 3067 3497 3502 4506 4605 4865 5014 5319 5459 5670 6057 6092 6114 6205 6307 6408 6652 6747 6792 6817 7054 7340 7596 7676 7687 7724 8268 8561 8651 8743 WINNING NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE 0017 0041 0164 0191 0207 0394 0500 0509 0524 0537 0716 0736 0819 0822 0837 0849 0927 1102 1113 1221 1467 1527 1813 1894 1944 2152 2170 2387 2641 2670 2690 2793 2835 2897 3083 3089 3154 3187 3214 3296 3506 3593 3607 3829 3885 3980 4179 4198 4275 4348 4474 4496 4617 4650 4654 4674 4684 4692 4751 4781 4807 5294 5470 5488 5623 5731 5738 5840 5954 5984 6044 6110 6207 6400 6476 6638 6731 6734 6994 7014 7043 7211 7212 7246 7276 7393 7406 7481 7519 7554 7557 7794 7826 8018 8087 8097 8101 8165 8201 8202 8208 8215 8236 8249 8310 8404 8428 8516 8527 8529 8581 8612 8621 8632 8802 8820 8887 9047 9094 9139 9195 9326 9466 9476 9731 9849 HOW TO VERIFY KERALA STHREE SAKTHI SS-461 LOTTERY RESULTS? Participants have two options to check the winning numbers for the Sthree Sakthi SS-461 lottery results. They can either visit the lottery office in person or check the official Kerala Lottery Department website at www.keralalottery.info. HOW TO COLLECT YOUR PRIZE MONEY? Participants must compare their lottery ticket numbers with the official results published in the Kerala Government Gazette. If the numbers match, the prize must be claimed within 30 days of the announcement. Winners need to visit the Kerala Lottery Office in Thiruvananthapuram to collect their prize. The winning ticket must be presented along with a valid ID for verification. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO CLAIM PRIZE MONEY? A self-attested photocopy of the winning ticket, covering both the front and back sides. Passport-sized photos attested by a Gazetted officer. A verified copy of the participants PAN card. A completed online prize money receipt form with a revenue stamp attached before submission. Identity proof documents, including a ration card, voter ID, Aadhaar card, or PAN card. HOW TO DOWNLOAD A PDF WITH A FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS? Access the official Kerala Lottery Department websites at www.keralalotteries.info or keralalotteryresult.net. Select the link for the Sthree Sakthi SS-461 lottery results. The winning numbers will appear on the screen. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Look for the download link on the website. Download the SS-461 lottery 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 : Thiruvankulam, India, India First Published: April 01, 2025, 09:00 IST Kochi Fake Loan App Scam Part Of Chinas Plan To Attack India's Fintech? Exclusive From ED Sources Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 14:37 IST "Similar scams amounting to Rs 1,000+ crore have been reported across India. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) are investigating 300+ fake loan apps, ED sources to News18 The ED has made arrests, but the masterminds in China remain untouchable. (File) The Enforcement Directorates (ED) recent probe into a fake Chinese loan app scam hints at Chinas larger game plan to attack Indian fintech firms, according to ED sources. It could be part of their cyber warfare tactics as it is similar to the Chinese debt-trap diplomacy in Africa and Sri Lanka," said sources. Recommended Stories The ED, Kochi Zonal Office recently arrested two men Sayid Muhammad and Varghese TG in connection with a fake Chinese loan app scam. The accused had arranged at least 500 mule bank accounts, witnessing a total credit of Rs 719 crore, used in the process of acquisition of Proceeds of Crime (POC) generated from victims of the loan app scam. The accused duo had also arranged 26 cryptocurrency accounts on WazirX, a crypto trading platform, linked to those mule bank accounts. The ED, in its investigation, has revealed that the accused were involved in facilitating cross-border remittances in the form of cryptocurrencies of Rs 115.67 crore to crypto wallets based overseas. COORDINATED ECONOMIC ATTACK The scam matches Chinas three-pronged warfare strategy psychological, media and legal. The Chinese-linked loan app scam is not just financial fraud, it is a coordinated economic attack on Indias stability. The aim was to deliberately sabotage the financial system to destabilise the economy. It looked to create mass panic and fund illegal activities including espionage. It is designed to exploit vulnerabilities," said sources. Similar scams amounting to Rs 1,000+ crore have been reported across India. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) are investigating 300+ fake loan apps," sources said. Chinese nationals use the Nepal and Dubai routes to enter India. The scam reveals a sophisticated China-linked financial fraud network exploiting Indias digital lending boom," said sources. MASTERMINDS UNTOUCHABLE The ED has made arrests, but the masterminds in China remain untouchable and raise questions about cross-border cybercrime enforcement. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Chinese-linked loan app scam exploited regulatory gaps in fintech regulations, cryptocurrency anonymity and manipulated common man," sources said. The borrowers blackmailed and morphed photos and sent to family/friends. Suicide cases have been reported in Telangana, Karnataka. The loss of trust in digital lending caused genuine fintech startups to suffer," sources said. About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 First Published: April 01, 2025, 12:55 IST Mumbai Police Issue Third Summons To Kunal Kamra Amid Eknath Shinde Joke Row Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 23:24 IST The 36-year-old stand-up comedian has kicked up a major political storm in Maharashtra for taking a jibe at Shindes political career in his 45-minute-long show. Comedian Kunal Kamra | File image: @kunakamra/X) The Mumbai Police on Tuesday issued third summons to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and asked him to appear on April 5 over his alleged controversial remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The 36-year-old stand-up comedian has kicked up a major political storm in Maharashtra for taking a jibe at Shindes political career in his 45-minute-long show by modifying the lyrics of a popular Hindi movie song. Recommended Stories Three separate cases have been filed against the stand-up comedian at Khar police station, with one complaint lodged by the Mayor of Jalgaon city and the other two by a hotelier and a businessman from Nashik, according to the Mumbai Police. Earlier on Monday, a team of Mumbai Police on Monday arrived at the residence of Kamra in Kataria Colony in Mumbai, after he failed to respond to two consecutives summons for a probe. Reportedly, no one was present at the Mumbai residence when the police team visited the spot. Meanwhile, Kamra took a swipe at the police following the visit, asking them not to waste time" and public resources". Going to an address where I havent lived for the last 10 Years is a waste of your time & public resources," Kamra said on X, as he shared a snap of him standing at the balcony of an accommodation he is currently residing in. On March 27, the Mumbai police had asked the comedian to appear on March 31 at the Khar Police Station for further questioning in the case. Additionally, the police served notices to people who attended Kamras show Naya Bharat on February 2 at Habitat Studio under CRPC Section 179, which authorises police officers to summon witnesses for investigation. The Madras High Court on Friday granted interim anticipatory bail to Kamra in connection with multiple FIRs filed against him. Justice Sunder Mohan approved the bail with conditions, effective until April 7. Kamra had moved the Madras High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail, citing numerous threats he had received following his recent satirical comments. Kamras Controversial Remarks During a recent stand-up comedy show, Kunal Kamra dubbed a parody song of a Hindi film, Dil Toh Pagal Hai and other filmssome of which have music rights owned by T-Series, and called Shinde a traitor" for his 2022 rebellion against the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government. Weighing on the Maharashtra politics with a musical touch to the song Bholi Si Surat, Kamra mocked Shinde and sang, Meri nazar se tum dekho to gaddar nazar wo aaye. Haaye!" Recorded in February, the programme called Naya Bharat was uploaded on Kamras YouTube channel on March 23, drawing strong reactions from the Shiv Sainiks. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all After the clip went viral on social media, Shiv Sena warned of legal action and some of its workers vandalised the venue where the show was recorded. 12 party leaders were arrested but were later released on bail. Despite having multiple clashes with the BJP-led Centre in the past, the comedian has refused to apologise for his remark but has expressed willingness to cooperate with the police. 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: April 01, 2025, 23:24 IST Nagpur Woman Hacks Into Husband's WhatsApp, Gets Him Arrested For Sexually Abusing, Blackmailing Others Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 13:56 IST A Nagpur man was arrested for sexually exploiting and blackmailing women by hiding his identity, with his wife exposing his crimes. Charges against him have been filed under the BNS. A file photo for Nagpur Police (Photo: PTI) A 33-year-old married man from Maharashtras Nagpur was arrested on charges of sexually abusing several women, one of whom also a rape survivor, filed a complaint against him, with the help of his wife. According to a report with The Times Of India, the 24-year-old wife of the accused had earlier too approached the police, accusing her husband of making unnatural sex demands and forcing her to do porn-like acts. Recommended Stories Later, she grew suspicious that her husband, identified as Abdul Sharique Quereshi, was involved in exploiting other women too. To get to the core, the woman hacked her husbands WhatsApp account and found a barrage of chats, photos, and videos of women in compromising positions with him. She also came to know her husband secretly recorded these videos and later harassed women for money and to fulfil his sexual demands, threatening them to leak the data online. The woman, in her complaint, alleged that her husband used to hide his marital and paternal status, befriended women with a different identity, and lured them to meet him at different places, the report claimed. The mans wife contacted many women but most of them refused to file a complaint against the accused, according to the report. However, a 19-year-old woman, who also had been sexually harassed by the man, came forward and filed a complaint against him with his wifes support. The survivor revealed that the accused identified himself as one Sahil Sharma despite being from a different religion. She said the accused hid from her that he was married and had a child, and promised to marry her. She also said she was in Nagpur for her studies. She said Abdul had also forced her to sell off her ring, gifted to her by her mother, for Rs 30,000, and took away the money. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The report claimed that the police filed a complaint against the man under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for rape, hiding his identity, religious faith and name, blackmailing and extortion. The police were also seeking to extend the accuseds custodial remand. 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: April 01, 2025, 10:04 IST 'Opposition United': Kharge Says INDIA Bloc To 'Defeat' Waqf Bill In Parliament After Key Meeting Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 20:49 IST The remarks came after a meeting attended by all INDIA bloc members, including Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), among others, on Waqf Bill passage. NDIA bloc leaders meet to discuss the strategy on Waqf Amendment Bill | Image/ANI Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge affirmed on Tuesday that all opposition parties are united and ready to defeat" the amended Waqf Bill in Parliament. This statement followed a meeting attended by all INDIA bloc members, including Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and other parties, to discuss the strategy for the Waqf Amendment Bill, which is to be introduced in the Lok Sabha tomorrow. Recommended Stories All the Opposition parties are united and shall work together on the floor of the Parliament, to defeat the Unconstitutional and divisive agenda of the Modi Govt on the Waqf Amendment Bill," Kharge wrote in an X post. All the Opposition parties are united and shall work together on the floor of the Parliament, to defeat the Unconstitutional and divisive agenda of the Modi Govt on the Waqf Amendment Bill. pic.twitter.com/VgqhCim1Cs Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 1, 2025 The amended Waqf Bill, which was referred to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) in August 2024, is set to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Sources told CNN-News18 that lawmakers will debate the bill for a total of eight hours, with 4.40 hours allocated to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and 3.20 hours to the opposition. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will move a motion to introduce the bill with the revised amendments. Following the debate, Rijiju will respond to the discussion and seek the Houses approval for the bills passage. While the opposition has decided to unanimously oppose the bill, BJP allies, including Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (U), and LJP (Ram Vilas), among others, have expressed their strong support for the government, backing the passage of the Waqf Bill. Speaking to CNN-News18 exclusively, Shambhavi Choudhary, a Member of Parliament from Chirag Paswan-led LJP (Ram Vilas), said that the party fully supports the amended Waqf Bill. We are fully in support of the Waqf Bill. We raised our voices in the JPC, and many of the amendments made to the bill were based on references by the LJP, especially regarding womens representation on Waqf boards," she said. Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal stated that the bill violates constitutional provisions, and therefore, the INDIA bloc will oppose it in Parliament. In the introduction stage itself, the INDIA alliance and all like-minded parties had a clear-cut stand on it. This bill is a targeted legislation and is fundamentally against the Constitutional provisions. We are going to oppose this bill This is what has been decided unanimously by the INDIA alliance parties," the Congress MP said. #WATCH | Delhi: On the Waqf Amendment Bill and the INDIA bloc leaders meeting, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal says, In the introduction stage itself, the INDIA alliance and all like-minded parties had a clear-cut stand on it. This bill is a targeted legislation and is pic.twitter.com/RKG73pYN5q ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025 Notably, the political debates on the Waqf Bill are unlikely to have any bearing on the final outcome as the numbers favour the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in both houses of Parliament. The opposition has a lower strength in the Lok Sabha, where the NDA has 293 MPs out of a current strength of 542. The BJP has often succeeded in pulling the support of independent members and parties. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In the Rajya Sabha, the total strength is 236, requiring the ruling NDA to secure 119 MPs for a majority. However, the NDA holds a comfortable 123 MPs, including 98 from the BJP, four from JD(U), two from TDP, three from NCP, and one from RLD (Jayant Chaudhary). About the Author Ronit Singh Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be... Read More Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be... Read More First Published: April 01, 2025, 20:24 IST Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 15:17 IST Parliament Session Today Live: Sparks are expected to fly in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as the Waqf Amendment Bill, which has faced strong opposition, is taken up for consideration and passage. After eight hours of proposed discussion, Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will respond to the debate and seek the Houses approval for the bills passage. The issue was discussed at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday. During the BAC meeting, the opposition requested 12 hours for discussion, but the government insisted on a shorter time to allow for other legislative business. This disagreement led to a heated exchange, leading to the opposition walking out. Opposition parties have strongly criticised the bill, calling it unconstitutional and harmful to the interests of the Muslim community. Several prominent Muslim organisations have been rallying support against the bill. Follow LIVE updates here Parliament Braces For NDA And INDI Bloc Face-Off As Waqf Bill Goes To Lok Sabha Floor Today Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 02, 2025, 07:15 IST Lok Sabha members will speak on the bill for eight hours 4.40 hours for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and 3.20 hours for the opposition Waqf Bill: Representative image of Parliament The Lok Sabha is likely to witness stormy scenes on Wednesday as the House will take up the contentious Waqf amendment bill for consideration and passage. Introduced last year, the bill was subsequently referred to a joint parliamentary committee following staunch opposition from INDIA bloc. Lok Sabha members will speak on the bill for eight hours 4.40 hours for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and 3.20 hours for the opposition. Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will bring a motion to introduce the bill with the revised amendments. After the debate, Rijiju will respond to the debate and seek the approval of the House for its passage. Recommended Stories The INDIA bloc on Tuesday announced that it will oppose the bill while BJP allies Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (U) have thrown their weights behind the government. As Waqf Bill Enters Parliament On Wednesday, Busting Some Popular Myths At the business advisory committee (BAC) meeting on Tuesday, the opposition sought 12 hours for discussion. However, the government insisted on less time so that other legislative business could also be taken up. This led to a heated exchange in the meeting between the government and opposition side, leading to a walkout by the opposition. Later, talking to reporters Rijiju said some parties wanted four to six hours while the opposition insisted on 12 hours. Government sources say that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to speak during the debate. BJP MPs Jagdambika Pal, Anurag Thakur, Nishikant Dubey, Justice (retired) Abhijit Ganguly, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, and Tejasvi, Surya will speak on the bill in the Lower House while Sudhanshu Trivedi, Bhagwat Karad, Medha Kulkarni, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal and Brij Lal will put forth the partys view in Rajya Sabha. Waqf Bill To Clear Parliament Hurdle Easily The political heat and length of the debate are unlikely to have any bearing on the final outcome as the numbers favour the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in both houses of Parliament. The opposition has a lower strength in the Lok Sabha, where the NDA has 293 MPs out of a current strength of 542. The BJP has often succeeded in pulling the support of independent members and parties. Currently, the Rajya Sabhas strength stands at 236 so the ruling NDA needs 119 MPs for a majority. But the NDA does not need to worry as it has 123 MPs, including the BJPs 98, four of the JD(U), two of the TDP, three of the NCP, and one of the RLD in Jayant Chaudhary. However, things could get interesting if theres cross-voting. All major parties have issued a whip to all its MPs in the Lok Sabha, ensuring their presence in the House for the next three days. Since the Modi government relies heavily on support of Nitish Kumars JDU and Chandrababu Naidus TDP in Parliament, some opposition leaders still feel these leaders will oppose the bill. However, three-line whip by JDU and TDP indicate they will support the bill. Meanwhile, Sanjay Jha, Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) from the JDU, said his party has requested ally BJP to not implement the Waqf law retrospectively. Our party had said that it should not be implemented with retrospective effect, and we hope that the government will consider it As long as Nitish Kumar is in politics, interests of the people will be protected," Jha said. Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Lalu Yadavs RJD and the Left parties have announced to oppose the bill in the Parliament. Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi alleged that their voices were being ignored and said the opposition parties wanted more time to debate. They also wanted the House to take up more issues, including the situation in Manipur and the row over electors photo identity cards. What Is In Waqf Bill? The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, were introduced in the Lok Sabha last year with an aim to streamline the Waqf Boards work and ensure the efficient management of Waqf properties. The objective of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, is to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to redress the issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties. The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act, updating the definitions of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. The primary objective of the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, is to repeal the Mussalman Wakf Act, 1923, a colonial-era legislation that has become outdated and inadequate for managing waqf properties in modern India. The repeal aims to ensure uniformity, transparency, and accountability in the administration and management of waqf properties under the Waqf Act, 1995, thus eliminating inconsistencies and ambiguities caused by the continued existence of this redundant law What Govt & Opposition Said On Waqf Bill? BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was the chairman of the JPC which deliberated on the Waqf bill, said that the panel heard all stakeholders and the bill will benefit poor Muslims. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said, A lot of consultation has been done. Opposition does not mean just opposing. The welfare of every section, all the people, followers of all religions there is reform keeping this in mind. Nobody is acquiring any temple or mosque. It is the reform. Congress and its ecosystem always oppose reformsNobody is being targeted; they are trying to mislead. They are running a misinformation campaign" BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain accused the opposition of creating misunderstandings about the Waqf Amendment Bill. Congress and other parties are trying to mislead and instigate Muslims Just like Muslims were misled about the CAA and Shaheen Bagh protests took place, the same people are misleading Muslims about the Waqf Act. The Waqf Amendment Bill nowhere says that mosques, dargahs and other religious places will be taken away by the government. I say this with full responsibility so as not to get influenced by anyone. This bill only aims to undo the monopoly of mafias on Waqf property," he added. On the other hand, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that all the Opposition parties are united and shall work together on the floor of the Parliament, to defeat the unconstitutional and divisive agenda" of the Modi government on the Waqf Amendment Bill. Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said that his party is against the Waqf Bill. They (BJP) want complete control They used to say that we (opposition) are doing politics of appeasement, are they (BJP) not doing appeasement by distributing kits on Eid? Till now, they have been misleading Hindus and now they have started misleading Muslims also," he said. DMK MP Kanimozhi said, Our Chief Minister has passed the resolution in Tamil Nadu Assembly, opposing the Bill. So, DMK is opposing the BillAs of now, if there is a discussion we will be participating and definitely opposing the Bill." On Waqf Amendment Bill, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, This is an unconstitutional Bill. We are people who believe in the Constitution. People of BJP want to impose Nagpur ka kanoon; that is not at all acceptable to us. We believe in Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, the diversity of our country is the beauty of it. We will oppose it even in the time to come." Kerala Minister Veena George said that the Left parties will oppose the bill. We will be standing strong on our vision and on our views on this matter," he said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all AIMIM chief and party MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the bill is unconstitutional" and it violates freedom of religion for Muslims. On NDA allies support to the Bill, he said, They will have to face consequences Muslim community has an emotional connect with Waqf because this is Ibadat for usIf you keep us devoid of our mosques, dargahs, it will be painful for us. Neither Nitish Kumar nor Chandrababu Naidu nor Chirag Paswan or Jayant Chaudhary are understanding this. So, people will make them understand." About the Author Saurabh Verma Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 First Published: April 01, 2025, 19:04 IST Parts Of Mumbai Receive Light Showers, IMD Issues Yellow Alert Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 23:57 IST The weather agency issued a yellow and orange alerts for Wednesday for almost whole of Maharashtra with warning of thunderstorms, lightning and squall. Parts of Mumbai received light showers on Tuesday evening (File) Mumbai Rain: Parts of Mumbai, including, Chembur, Matunga and Wadala, received light showers on Tuesday evening, bringing relief from the sultry and sweltering weather. The Colaba observatory of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and its Santacruz weather station recorded the maximum temperature of 33.5 and 37.7 degrees Celsius respectively. Recommended Stories Earlier, the weather agency issued a yellow and orange alerts for Wednesday for almost whole of Maharashtra with warning of thunderstorms, lightning and squall. The IMD issued orange alert for 13 districts Satara, Nashik, Pune, Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar), Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Amravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gondia, while the yellow alert was issued for Mumbai, Palghar, Thane and Raigad with a warning of thunderstorms, lightning and light to moderate rainfall. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all For the coming week, Mumbai is expected to experience partly cloudy skies and occasional temperature fluctuations. (With inputs from PTI) 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: April 01, 2025, 23:57 IST Podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia Promises To 'Maintain Decency' In SC Undertaking Published By : PTI Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 22:29 IST Popularly known as BeerBiceps, podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia was booked for his comments on parents and sex on comic Samay Raina's YouTube show India's Got Latent On March 3, the SC had allowed Ranveer Allahbadia to resume his podcast, subject to maintaining "morality and decency" and making it suitable for viewers of all ages. (Image: PTI/File) Podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia on Tuesday filed an undertaking in the Supreme Court saying he will maintain decency in his The Ranveer Show. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was informed by senior advocate Abhinav Chandrachud, appearing for Allahbadia, that his client had filed an undertaking in compliance with the direction of the court and joined the cases investigation and recorded his statements. Recommended Stories Chandrachud sought a modification of the top courts conditions asking Allahbadia to deposit his passport and said it affected his livelihood. The senior counsel said he had to travel abroad for interviewing different people, which required holding several rounds of meetings. The bench said if Allahbadia went abroad it was bound to affect the investigation and asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing Maharashtra and Assam governments, about the time frame to complete the probe. Mehta said though he did not seek any instruction on the same, the investigation was likely to be over in two weeks. The bench said it will consider Allahbadias prayer for releasing the passport two weeks later. In compliance with its March 3 direction, the court said the podcaster had filed an undertaking saying he will maintain decency in his shows and not mention anything related to the cases against him. The bench observed Allahbadias affidavit and said he had joined the investigation on March 7 and recorded his statements before the investigating officers of the cases registered by the police in Maharashtra and Assam. The counsel for Youtuber Ashish Chanchlani, who was also booked following the controversy, said his client too had joined the probe but sought all the FIRs against him be clubbed and transferred to one police station. Chandrachud pointed out Allahbadia made a similar prayer in his plea before the top court and the practice was to transfer all other FIRs to the place where it was first registered. In this case, the first FIR was lodged at Mumbai," he said. The bench asked both Allahbadia and Chanchlani to wait for two more weeks before it considered the prayer for clubbing the FIRs on the next hearing and posted the matter on April 21. The top court had on March 3 allowed Allahbadia to resume his podcast The Ranveer Show subject to maintaining morality and decency" and making it suitable for viewers of all ages. Popularly known as BeerBiceps, Allahbadia was booked for his comments on parents and sex on comic Samay Rainas YouTube show Indias Got Latent. The apex court had initially restrained Allahbadia from airing any programme of his podcast which had a direct or an indirect bearing on the merits of the sub-judice cases he was involved in. It had also expanded the scope of the proceedings and directed the Centre to come up with a draft regulatory mechanism on social media content. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The bench had asked Mehta to deliberate and suggest such a regulatory mechanism that did not impinge upon the right of free speech and expression but was effective enough to ensure the parameters of such a fundamental right in Article 19 (4) of the Constitution". Any draft regulatory mechanism, the court had said, could then be brought in the public domain to invite suggestions from all the stakeholders before taking a legislative or judicial measure on the subject. On February 18, the top court granted interim protection from arrest to Allahbadia while calling his comments vulgar" and saying he had dirty mind" which put the society to shame. Aside from Allahbadia and Raina, others named in the case in Assam are comics Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Makhija. About the Author Oindrila Mukherjee Oindrila Mukherjee is a senior sub-editor who works for the rewrite and breaking news desks. Her nine years of experience in print and digital journalism range from editing and reporting to writing impactful st... Read More Oindrila Mukherjee is a senior sub-editor who works for the rewrite and breaking news desks. Her nine years of experience in print and digital journalism range from editing and reporting to writing impactful st... Read More First Published: April 01, 2025, 22:29 IST 'Yeshu Yeshu Prophet' Bajinder Singh Gets Life Imprisonment In 2018 Rape Case Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 13:57 IST Mohali Court awards life imprisonment to Pastor Bajinder Singh in a 2018 sexual harassment case. Pastor Bajinder Singh awarded life imprisonment in 2018 sexual harassment case. A Mohali court on Tuesday awarded life imprisonment to pastor Bajinder Singh in a 2018 rape case. The development came after the court, last week, pronounced the pastor guilty in connection to the case. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Vikrant Kumar pronounced the verdict, news agency PTI reported. Recommended Stories Reacting to the verdict, the victim in the case said, He (Bajinder) is a psycho and will do the same offense after coming out of jail, so I want him to stay in prison. A lot of girls (victims) have won today. I request that DGP ensure our security since there is a possibility of attacks on us." The 42-year-old Singh, who became popular as the Yeshu Yeshu prophet", was lodged in the Patiala jail and was pronounced guilty on March 28 under sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntary causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The punishment was announced in relation to the case filed against him in 2018 by a woman at the Zirakpur police station in Mohali. The complainant had alleged that Bajinder Singh lured her by promising to take her abroad. She accused him of raping her at his residence in Sector 63 in Mohali. She further alleged that he made a video of it and had threatened her to post the video on social media if she did not agree to his demands. Notably, before the pronouncement of the verdict, tight security arrangements were made at the court complex to maintain the law and order situation. Another FIR Against Pastor Bajinder Singh The controversial self-styled Christian preacher recently grabbed the headlines after he was booked on charges of sexual harassment based on a complaint by a 22-year-old woman on February 28. A three-member special investigation team was also formed to probe the charges against him and the Punjab State Women Commission had taken suo-motu notice of the matter. A few days back, a video was going viral on social media showing Singh arguing and throwing a bunch of papers at the woman, before slapping her. According to PTI, the video was dated February 14. The police booked him for assault. Who Is Pastor Bajinder Singh? A Haryanvi Jat, Bajinder Singh, has a controversial past. Singh got converted to Christianity about a decade back while he was in jail in a murder case. He became a self-styled preacher in 2012, practising miracle healing" and claiming to cure fatal diseases. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In 2018, Singh was arrested at New Delhis Indira Gandhi International airport in an alleged rape case filed against him while he was flying to London. The self-styled Christian preacher runs two churches, The Church of Glory and Wisdom at Tajpur in Jalandhar and another in Majri in Mohali. About the Author Mahima Joshi Mahima Joshi, Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking team. Covering national stories and bringing breaking news to the table are her forte. She is deeply interested in Indian politics and a... Read More Mahima Joshi, Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking team. Covering national stories and bringing breaking news to the table are her forte. She is deeply interested in Indian politics and a... Read More Location : Punjab, India, India First Published: April 01, 2025, 11:58 IST Realty Check: MHADA To Build 19,497 Affordable Homes From Mumbai To Nagpur In 2025-26 Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 19:33 IST To support this large-scale housing push, MHADA has approved a Rs 15,956.92-crore budget, with Rs 9,202.76 crore allocated specifically for new housing projects This initiative will be carried out through its regional boards in Mumbai, Pune, Konkan, Nashik, Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nagpur. (File) The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has set an ambitious target to construct 19,497 housing units across the state in the upcoming financial year 2025-26. This initiative will be carried out through its regional boards in Mumbai, Pune, Konkan, Nashik, Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nagpur. Recommended Stories To support this large-scale housing push, MHADA has approved a Rs 15,956.92-crore budget, with Rs 9,202.76 crore allocated specifically for new housing projects. In Mumbai alone, 5,199 new homes are planned, with a dedicated budget of Rs 5,749.49 crore. The Konkan region will see the highest number of new homes9,902 units, while other cities such as Pune, Nagpur, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar will also receive a significant number of affordable housing units. In addition to new housing, MHADA has made substantial allocations for redevelopment projects in Mumbai. The BDD chawls in Worli, Naigaon, and Parel will undergo redevelopment with a Rs 2,800-crore investment, while Rs 350 crore has been allocated for PMGP Colony redevelopment in Jogeshwari East. Other key projects include Paridhi Khadi redevelopment in Bandra West (Rs 205 crore) and new housing at Siddharth Nagar, Goregaon (Rs 573 crore). Efforts are also being made to improve living conditions for mill workers, with Rs 57.50 crore earmarked for their housing, along with additional funds for hostels, slum rehabilitation, and infrastructure projects in Borivali, Parel, and Malvani. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Beyond Mumbai, major investments have been planned in other regions. In Thane, Rs 90 crore will be used for the redevelopment of police housing, and Rs 115 crore has been allocated for affordable housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY Urban) in Gotegao. The Nagpur Board will receive Rs 371.20 crore for the Chandrapur Special Planning Authority scheme, along with Rs 350 crore for the Textile Park Empress Mill project. These initiatives aim to address the growing demand for affordable housing, particularly in urban areas, ensuring better living conditions for thousands of citizens across Maharashtra. With this large-scale housing and redevelopment plan, MHADA aims to not only provide new homes but also improve urban infrastructure, boost economic development, and uplift communities. The authority is committed to ensuring that affordable housing remains accessible to people from various economic backgrounds, contributing to the overall growth and development of Maharashtras cities and towns. 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: April 01, 2025, 19:30 IST Seeing China through its bridges: a tapestry of time and innovation 15:41, April 01, 2025 By Zhou Shanshan ( People's Daily Photo shows the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge under construction in southwest China's Guizhou province. (People's Daily Online/Liu Chaofu) A recent viral video of a foreign vlogger extolling the beauty of Chinese bridges has sparked widespread intrigue. "Bridges in China are like this," she observed, awed by the grandeur, exquisite craftsmanship, and refined elegance of these structures - a visual testament to the nation's modern development. Today, China boasts over one million bridges - spanning rivers, crossing lakes and seas, stretching over deep valleys, and linking rugged mountains. From centuries-old masterpieces to cutting-edge engineering feats, they offer an unparalleled window into a civilization that blends reverence for its past with an unyielding drive for modernization. Take, for example, the Luoyang Bridge in Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian province. Built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), this ancient cross-sea bridge exemplifies the ingenuity of ancient Chinese engineers. It was one of the earliest Chinese bridges to utilize floating construction techniques, easing the burden of manual labor. Its oyster-based foundation was designed to withstand crashing waves - a critical innovation that helped connect Chinese inland regions with bustling maritime trade and transform regional commerce. Contrast this with the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou province. Once completed, it is set to become the world's tallest and longest-span bridge in a mountainous region, constructed with high-strength steel cables that could encircle the equator twice. With the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System guiding its construction, this engineering marvel will cut travel time across the canyon from two hours to just two minutes, promising a transformative impact on regional connectivity and industrial vitalization. Photo shows Lugou Bridge in Beijing. (People's Daily Online/Yuan Zifeng) China's bridges tell the story of relentless innovation and resolve, as generations of engineers have surmounted challenges to carve roads through mountains and build bridges over water. The intricately carved stone lions on Beijing's Lugou Bridge, once hailed by Italian traveler Marco Polo in the 13th century as "one of a kind in the world," speak to the legacy of time-honored craftsmanship. Likewise, the ancient Zhaozhou Bridge in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei province, with its graceful open-spandrel arch, remains a masterclass in balancing form and function. These bridges are more than feats of engineering; they are cultural artifacts - poetic bridges of the past and striking modern masterpieces that capture the human spirit. Bridge engineering in China combines mechanics with aesthetics, creating enduring structures that reflect the country's cultural values and artistic sensibilities. Moreover, China's bridges extend far beyond its borders. The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, for instance, has ended the Maldives' history without bridges, while the Chinese-built Peljesac Bridge in Croatia and the Maputo Bay Bridge in Mozambique have enhanced connectivity and driven economic growth. These projects underscore China's role in global infrastructure, where bridges serve not just as engineering triumphs, but as enduring symbols of connection, cooperation, and cultural exchanges. Beyond their structural role, bridges in China have taken on a deeper cultural significance. Whether it is through the mythic narratives of animated films like "Ne Zha 2" and immersive experiences in video games such as "Black Myth: Wukong," or in the steady hum of innovation in new energy vehicles and home appliances, these modern "bridges" offer global audiences a glimpse into China's creative and technological vitality. From ancient stone bridges arching over quiet streams to modern steel spans that pierce the sky, from tangible roadways connecting cities to cultural bridges fostering deeper human connections, China's bridges are more than architectural marvels - they are expressions of a civilization in motion. Rooted in history yet reaching toward the future, they stand as invitations for the world to cross, to connect, and to journey forward together. Photo shows a distant view of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge in the Maldives. (Photo by Du Cailiang) (Web editor: Liang Jun, Zhong Wenxing) Saif Ali Khan Stabbing Case: Bail Hearing Of Bangladeshi Accused Adjourned To April 4 Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 13:52 IST The next hearing is now scheduled for April 4. The court has also directed the police to submit their reply regarding the bail application. Accused Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad (PTI) and Actor Saif Ali Khan. The hearing on the bail plea of Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad, a 30-year-old man of Bangladeshi origin who was arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, took place on Tuesday, April 1. The proceedings were delayed as the police did not file their reply in court. Recommended Stories In his petition, Shariful claimed that the First Information Report (FIR) filed against him was fabricated and that he had been falsely implicated. The next hearing is now scheduled for April 4. The court has also directed the police to submit their reply regarding the bail application. Shariful said that he has fully cooperated with the ongoing investigation and that all necessary evidence is already in the possession of the police, making any tampering with it impossible. The case, which is currently being heard in the Bandra Magistrate Court, is expected to be transferred to the Sessions Court once the police file the chargesheet. As of now, the charge sheet has not been submitted by the Bandra Police. The attack on Saif Ali Khan occurred on January 16. The actor sustained multiple stab wounds when he confronted the intruder and attempted to restrain him during the alleged robbery attempt. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra, where he underwent emergency surgery. Two days after the attack, Shariful was arrested by Mumbai Police from Thane. Initially, Shariful was booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to robbery, dacoity, and trespassing. However, following an investigation, the police added Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the BNS. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The bail plea argued that the charges do not meet the legal criteria for an attempt to murder. Even if the statements of the witnesses are taken at face value, they do not satisfy the ingredients of Section 311 of BNS, which pertains to robbery with intent to cause death," the plea stated. (With inputs from ANI) First Published: April 01, 2025, 13:40 IST 1993 Mumbai Blasts: Mumbai Court Orders Release Of Tiger Memon's 14 Properties To Centre Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 12:27 IST In an order, a Mumbai court said 14 properties belonging to 1993 Mumbai blasts mastermind Tiger Memon and his family to be handed over to the central government. A file photo of 1993 blasts plotter Tiger Memon (Social Media) Fourteen properties belonging to Tiger Memon, one of the alleged masterminds of the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, and his family be handed over to the central government, a Mumbai court ordered on Tuesday. These properties were in possession of the Bombay High Courts receiver since 1994 following an order of the TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court. Recommended Stories The 14 properties include a flat in a building in Bandra (West), an office premises in Mahim, an open plot in Mahim, a vacant plot and a flat in Santacruz (East), two flats in a building in Kurla, an office on Mohammed Ali Road, a shop and plot in Dongri, three shops in Manish Market and a building on Sheikh Memon Street, Mumbai. In an order passed on March 26, special TADA court judge VD Kedar said the possession of the immovable properties needs to be handed over to the central government". The properties forfeited to the Centre are free from encumbrances" and as such the Central government through the competent authority is entitled to get possession of 14 immovable properties," the order said. The competent authority, under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, SAFEM (FOP) Act, had sought the release of the properties. The plea stated the function of the SAFEM (FOP) Act is to trace the illegally acquired properties of smugglers and drug traffickers and order their forfeiture to the central government. The forfeiture proceedings were initiated against Memon on the basis of a detention order issued by the Maharashtra government in 1992 under provisions of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Act, 1974, it said. Thereafter, the competent authority in 1993 ordered the forfeiture of various properties under the SAFEM (FOP) Act. However, subsequently the said properties were in 1994 attached by the special TADA court, conducting trial in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, and were in the possession of the high court since then, it said. The court had issued notices to Tiger Memon and his family in regard to the competent authoritys plea. They, however, did not file any response. The special judge, then, after going through the documents on record, held that it is necessary to set aside the attachment (order) passed in 1994. The possession of the immovable properties needs to be handed over to the central government through the applicant (competent authority) in view of the forfeiture order passed in the year 1993, the plea added. 1993 MUMBAI SERIAL BLASTS On March 12, 1993, a series of 13 blasts rocked various parts of Mumbai, claiming 257 lives and injuring more than 700 others. The CBI later conducted a probe into the blasts case and concluded that the blasts were masterminded by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim with the help of his lieutenants Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa, allegedly at the instance of Pakistans intelligence agency ISI. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all While Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon are still wanted accused, the latters brother Yakub Memon was convicted in the case and hanged to death in 2015. (With PTI inputs) 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: April 01, 2025, 12:19 IST Will PM Modi, Md Yunus Meet On Sidelines Of BIMSTEC? Status Check On India-Bangladesh Bond Since Hasina Fled Reported By : CNN-News18 Edited By: Apoorva Misra Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 10:50 IST At the eye of the storm between the neighbours has been the issue of violence against Hindu minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh, which the Indian establishment has tried to raise at multiple platforms Md Yunus has been seeking a meeting with PM Modi for the past few months but it could not be scheduled. (Reuters) A few days ago, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand. While there was curiosity over the prime ministers possible pull-aside meeting with Bangladesh interim governments Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, it has been learnt through highly placed sources that no bilateral meeting is scheduled between the two leaders. It has also been learnt that the Bangladeshi leader has been seeking a meeting with PM Modi for the past few months but it could not be scheduled. At the eye of the storm has been the issue of violence against Hindu minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh, which the Indian establishment has tried to raise at multiple platforms. Formally, India has not been able to communicate with Bangladesh since the neighbour has a caretaker government and not an elected one. Recommended Stories In the last one week or so, the Indian establishment, both at the level of external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and foreign secretary Vikram Misri, have discussed with Indian Members of Parliament where India stands in its relationship with Bangladesh. India has historical, cultural and linguistic ties with Bangladesh, apart from shared efforts and sacrifices that were made during the latters liberation. These ties have continued, even after the caretaker government came into place in the neighbouring nation in August last year. We have engaged with the interim government on issues of state concern and regional security, as well as addressing rising extremism, attacks against minorities and economic growth," the government told a parliamentary committee recently. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council released a press statement on March 1, 2025, that violence against religious and ethnic minorities and indigenous communities has continued. From August 4 to December 31, 2024, a total of 2,184 attacks targeting minorities were reported, MPs were told. On December 10, 2024, the government of Bangladesh announced that 70 people had been arrested in 88 cases related to attacks against minorities. The government of India has consistently reiterated that the government of Bangladesh take concrete steps to protect the rights of minorities, ensure their political and social inclusion, and promote a culture of tolerance and coexistence. The government of Bangladesh has not only not acknowledged the systematic persecution of minorities but has also sought to downplay the scale and nature of violence against the Hindus since August 2024. Chief Adviser Md. Yunus, along with other advisers, terms the reports of atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh as media exaggeration and have tried to justify them as not communal but as political killings of the Awami Leaguers. On January 12, 2025, the Office of Chief Adviser released a press statement that police investigation has found that over 98 per cent attacks on minorities from a total of 1,415 incidents that were verified between August 4-20, 2024, were politically motivated" and did not have any communal colour as being reported in Bangladesh", Misri said in a presentation made to the standing committee for external affairs on March 26. In its detailed presentation, the government of India spoke about the timeline of the relationship between the two nations since the formation of the interim government. PM Modi had congratulated Md Yunus upon assuming office on August 8, 2024. In September 2024, Jaishankar met Yunus on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York. The period between April 2024 and December saw a marginal increase in trade ties between the two countries in comparison to the period in 2023. Again, on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean conference in Muscat, the Indian foreign affairs minister met Yunus. In December 2024, Misri visited the neighbouring nation where he not only met the chief adviser but also the foreign secretary of Bangladesh. The message conveyed through the meetings was that India was always in favour of peaceful constructive solutions to any crisis. He was able to elaborate effectively that eventually, people are the biggest stakeholders between the two nations and the bettering of relations matters the most to them. The government also gave a series of steps and projects that have been undertaken to continue building on its relationship with Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Naval Exercise Bongosagar 2025 and Coordinated Patrol was conducted in Bay of Bengal from 10-12 March, 2025. Director General level Border Coordination Conference between BSF (Border Security Force) and BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) was held at BSF headquarters in New Delhi from 17-20 Feb 2025," MEA has stated officially. As per the provisions of the Ganga Water Treaty, the joint committee meeting to observe the implementation of the treaty was held on March 6 this year. A technical level meeting under the Joint Rivers Commission to discuss cooperation in water resources was also held on March 7. A review meeting for projects undertaken by India in Bangladesh under the facility of Line of Credit (LoC) was held in Dhaka on March 5. A Tripartite Power Sale Agreement has been signed between India, Bangladesh and Nepal which has facilitated cross-border transmission of 40 MW electricity from hydro-power plant of Nepal to Bangladesh through the Indian grid for the first time ever," the government has said. The Indian government maintains that Bangladesh continued to be Indias biggest trade partner in South Asia and India is the biggest trade partner for Bangladesh in Asia. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In FY 2024-25 (April-December), the total bilateral trade is reported to be USD 9.829 billion with India exporting USD 8.309 billion and Bangladesh exporting USD 1.520 billion of goods. India also continues to be among the largest export destination in Asia for Bangladeshi goods. Export of essential commodities such as raw cotton and rice has been continuing with Bangladesh," India stated. In August last year, Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister of Bangladesh and fled to India after weeks of anti-government protests. Since then, she has been living in India under high security. First Published: April 01, 2025, 10:50 IST How BRO Reduced Zojila Pass Closure Time From 110 Days In 2021 To A Record 32 Days In 2025 Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Oindrila Mukherjee Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 22:14 IST The Centre said the BRO working under extreme conditions while battling sub-zero temperatures, high velocity winds, and avalanche-prone terrain cleared snow in a record 15 days between March 17 and 31 The Border Roads Organisation opens Zojila Pass in record time after a closure for 32 days, on April 1. (Image: @PIB_India/X/PTI) From staying closed for as many as 110 days in 2021, the Zojila Pass could not be accessed for only a record 32 days this year, thanks to the untiring efforts of the Border Roads Organisation. The central government on Tuesday made the announcement, while acknowledging the drastic reduction of the time for which this lifeline remains closed. It said 2025 was the first year when the Zojila Pass was open as late as February. Recommended Stories A senior government official told CNN-News18 that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constantly made efforts to reduce the closure period in recent years. It was 110 days in 2021, 68 days in 2023, 35 days in 2024, and only 32 days this year. The BROs efforts have resulted in 16 such passes opening in record time, not only helping to save an enormous amount but, in terms of air sustenance to cut-off areas, brought economic and strategic advantages. India depends on air operations to reach cut-off border areas in J&K as well as Ladakh because many crucial passes close in winter," the official said. This year, it faced an unusually short but intense closure period due to relentless snowfall caused by a western disturbance from February 27 to March 16. The sheer volume of accumulated snow posed a formidable challenge. According to the Centre, BRO personnel working under extreme conditions while battling sub-zero temperatures, high velocity winds, and avalanche-prone terrain cleared the snow in a record 15 days between March 17 and 31. Zojila Pass, an important mountain pass linking Ladakh to Kashmir and beyond, is located at an elevation of 11,575 feet. It is one of the most critical and challenging high-altitude passes in the world. Every year, the formidable pass experiences heavy snowfall, forcing its closure during the harsh winter months. This temporary closure impacts not only movement of troops and essential supplies but also disrupts the daily lives of the local population in Ladakh, which depends on it for trade, medical support, and economic activity. Due to technological advancements, improved snow-clearance techniques and the relentless efforts of BRO, this closure period has been drastically reduced from about six months a few decades ago to a few weeks now," the government said in a statement. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Earlier, the Zojila Pass was generally closed every year for more than 150 days on an average due to heavy snow. It would usually close in mid-November and open for traffic in April. But now, the BRO is working round the year to remove the snow and keep the pass open for maximum time possible. A 14-km long tunnel is expected to be completed by 2027 to ensure all-weather connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. 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: April 01, 2025, 22:14 IST Huma Qureshi Serves Drama With A Dash Of Old Hollywood Glam In An All-Black Ensemble Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 23:11 IST Huma Qureshi attended the Vivienne Westwood fashion show in Mumbai on April 1. She paid tribute to the late designer in a black dress by MaisonTai. Huma Qureshi opted for an all-black look for Vivienne Westwood's fashion show in Mumbai. The first-ever Vivienne Westwood show in India was held at the Gateway of India, Mumbai, on April 1. Celebrities like Kareena Kapoor, Radhika Merchant, Janhvi Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna, and Aastha Gill among others were present at the much-anticipated fashion event. Huma Qureshi was also among the celebrities who attended the fashion show. The actor paid a tribute to the late designer with her all-black look. Huma Qureshi took to her social media to share pictures of her look from Vivienne Westwoods show. Sharing the pictures, she wrote, Paying a little tribute to the iconic Vivienne Westwood." Her look was all about drama and maximalism blended with a touch of old school Hollywood glamour. She opted for a black gown but she added drama with her choice of accessories. Recommended Stories Take a look at Humas OOTD here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Huma Qureshi (@iamhumaq) top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Huma opted for a black floor-grazing strapless gown. The gown came with a plunging neckline and a fitted bodice. The fitted bodice brought out Humas enviable curves. What elevated the outfit was how the gown graduated into a sheer lace skirt from the hips onwards. Huma paired this dramatic gown with a cape that she wore on her shoulders. The hem of the cape featured beaded details. For the accessories, Huma went with silver studded serpentine-style rings and a bracelet. She went with a studded earcuff as well. She added a dramatic red manicure that featured beaded details on the tip. For the glam, she went with a flawless base and added a sweep of blush for that dash of colour on her cheeks. She filled in her eyebrows and defined her eyes with mascara. She tied her hair in a chic updo and used hair gel to style a few strands of hair on her forehead in a scalloped fashion. She added some drama with star-shaped beauty spots on her face, and a swipe of glossy pink shade on her lips completed her look. 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! Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: April 01, 2025, 23:11 IST Prevention Of Blindness Week 2025: Theme, History, Significance, And Summer Eye Care Tips Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 07:00 IST Prevention of Blindness Week is a reminder to obtain healthy lifestyle choices and routine eye check-ups to reduce the risk of eye-related problems. In India, the Prevention of Blindness Week is observed from April 1 to April 7. (File pic) Prevention Of Blindness Week 2025: As summer temperatures rise, eye health concerns become more pressing, with increased risks of irritation and long-term damage. Marking the importance of vision care, India observes Prevention of Blindness Week from April 1 to April 7 each year. The initiative aims to raise awareness about blindness prevention, encourage routine eye check-ups, and promote healthy habits. Heres a look at the history, significance, this years theme, and key eye care tips to safeguard vision during the summer months. Prevention of Blindness Week 2025: History Recommended Stories The National Society for the Prevention of Blindness was founded in 1960 by Jawaharlal Nehru and Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. As a non-profit organization, it relies on donations and contributions to support its mission. It collaborates with key organizations such as Sight Savers and Rotary International. Notably, India was the first country to seek a subsidised loan from the World Banks International Development Agency to combat blindness. Prevention of Blindness Week 2025: Significance This weeks goal is to raise awareness about the various causes of blindness. The initiative seeks to educate individuals on different types of eye injuries, visual impairments, treatment options, preventive measures, and possible remedies. As part of a nationwide effort, free eye screening clinics and camps are organized, bringing together social workers, educators, and medical professionals to promote good eye health and hygiene. Prevention of Blindness Week 2025 Theme The theme for World Glaucoma Week 2025, happening from March 915, is Uniting for a Glaucoma-Free World." This theme highlights the importance of global collaboration in promoting early detection, timely treatment, and the prevention of vision loss caused by glaucoma. According to Dr. Kamala S, Consultant Glaucoma, Sankara Eye Hospital, Shimoga, glaucoma is often called the silent thief of sight" and can lead to blindness if left undiagnosed. Dr. Kamala said that the problem lies in its symptomless nature in the early stages, which makes regular eye examinations crucial, especially in underprivileged areas. She emphasised, People need to take responsibility by getting their eyes examined regularly. If there is a family history of glaucoma, diabetes, or high blood pressure, one should get a check-up without fail." Dr. Kamala also suggested that participating in local groups or workplaces to spread awareness can encourage more people to undergo screening. She further explained, Access to eye care can be improved at the community level. Organising screening camps in collaboration with health workers and advocating for more affordable eye care services can make a significant impact. Businesses and schools should also play a role in promoting eye care education, helping people understand the importance of early disease detection." Dr. Kamala highlighted that technological advancements such as telemedicine and mobile eye clinics can also contribute to better glaucoma care. She concluded, When individual and community engagement come together, we can reduce avoidable blindness and move toward a world free from glaucoma." Prevention of Blindness Week 2025: Quotes Blindness is an unfortunate handicap, but true vision does not require eyes." Helen Keller The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter, often unconscious but faithful, in its eye." Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." Helen Keller The face is the mirror of the mind, and the eyes, without speaking, confess the secrets of the heart." St Geronimo Because she had eyes and she chose me." William Shakespeare, Othello The face is an image of the mind whose interpreter is the eyes" Marcus Tullius Cicero The eyes indicate the antiquity of the soul."- Ralph Waldo Emerson Those born blind cannot see, similarly blind are those in the grip of lust. Proud men have no perception of evil, and those bent on acquiring riches see no sin in their actions."- Chanakya Sight is a precious gift. Lets work together to ensure everyone can see the worlds beauty." There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark." Helen Keller Sun Protection Tips For Eyes In Summer Dr. Hitendra Sinh Parmar, Registrar-General Ophthalmologist at Sankara Eye Hospital, Anand, says that the risk of eye-related issues such as infections, dry eyes, and inflammation increases during summer. He explained that these common problems often arise due to a combination of air-conditioning, UV radiation exposure, excessive swimming, and allergens such as pollen and dust. Dr. Parmar further stated, Summers bring the risk of photokeratitis, or sunburned eyes, caused by excessive UV exposure, leading to tearing, redness, and a burning sensation in the eyes. Macular degeneration and cataracts are also aggravated by prolonged exposure to air-conditioning. Additionally, swimming in pools can lead to infections like conjunctivitis, as chlorine, dust, and pollen can worsen allergy symptoms." To protect your eyes, he advised the following measures: Wear wide-brimmed hats and UV-protective sunglasses when outdoors. Use lubricating eye drops to combat dryness. Avoid opening your eyes underwater in pools, and refrain from rubbing them, especially after swimming. Follow the 20-20-20 rule (taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away) and stay hydrated. Maintain proper hygiene by washing hands and cleaning contact lenses before use. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Dr. Parmar emphasised that adopting these simple precautions can significantly improve eye health. He warned, If neglected, summer-related eye issues can escalate, increasing the risk of long-term damage." The Prevention of Blindness Week 2025 theme is yet to be announced by NSPB. Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), decides on the theme. 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 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: April 01, 2025, 07:00 IST Randeep Hooda And Lin Laishram Celebrate India's Cultural Richness In Torani's Latest Photoshoot Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 15:14 IST Randeep Hooda and his wife Lin Laishram exuded elegance and grace in matching purple ensembles in Torani's latest photoshoot. Their outfits were inspired by the Ramleela. Randeep was dressed in a well-tailored kurta set, while Lin was dressed in a matching lehenga set. Randeep Hooda and his wife, Lin Laishram, have come together to exude old-world charm and regal sophistication for a special campaign by designer Karan Torani for his Indian luxury wear label Torani. The pictures from the shoot have gone viral on social media. With their looks and ensembles, they highlight the essence of Indias living, breathing cultureone that is constantly evolving while remaining deeply rooted in its timeless traditions. Toranis latest collection, Juloos, celebrates India and its festivals. From Ganesh Chaturthi, Gudi Padwa to Dusshera, the collection is an ode to Indias cultural richness. Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram showcase the vibrant Ramlila. Sharing the look, Torani said, From the child dressed as Hanuman during Ramlila to the toddler in Krishnas attire on their first birthday, every festival is more than a celebration; it is a living, breathing reminder of the values they teach. The valor and loyalty of Hanuman, the integrity and might of Krishnathese stories weave themselves into our lives, never needing to be revived, for they are not in the past but within us." Recommended Stories The caption continued, Through these celebrations, our culture evolves with us, ever-present, guiding us, shaping us. And in every tradition, lies a lesson, timeless and powerful, that continues to shape our identity." Take a look at Randeeps and Lins outfits here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by T O R A N I (@toraniofficial) top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Randeep was dressed in a well-tailored aurbergine-hued kurta set that he had paired with a printed jacket and a matching turban. Lin, on the other hand, complemented him in a printed purple lehenga skirt that she had paired with a statement cape-style blouse. Set against the backdrop of the Red Fort in Delhi, the campaign celebrates the vibrant and living nature of Indian traditions, which are not merely confined to history, but are present in the everyday lives of the people. 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! Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: April 01, 2025, 15:14 IST Salman Khan Ditches Kurta And Pyjama For Eid And Keeps It Casual In Givenchy Printed Jeans Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 15:57 IST For his Eid celebrations, Salman Khan ditched his traditional kurta and pyjama set. The actor, instead, made a statement in a printed jeans. Salman Khan keeps it casual and stylish for Eid 2025. Salman Khan hosted a grand Eid celebration for his family and friends in Mumbai last night. The actor, who is currently basking in the success of his latest release Sikandar, ditched the traditional kurta and pyjama and opted for a casual ensemble for his party. The actor kept it casual in a black t-shirt but his funky pants have become the talk of the town. Viral pictures and videos from the party show Salman Khan dressed in casuals for his Eid party. The actor was surrounded by his security as he posed for the cameras and smiled graciously. He greeted the paparazzi at the venue before he entered the party. For his OOTD, Salman elevated his casual look by opting for a pair of printed denims. The printed pants added a playful flair to his look. Recommended Stories Take a look at Salman Khans Eid 2025 outfit here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all For his Eid look, Salman opted for a classic black t-shirt that came with a round neckline. He layered the t-shirt with a denim jacket. He left the buttons of his full-sleeve jacket open for a more casual look. For the bottoms, he sported a pair of straight-leg jeans from Givenchy. The Givenchy x Disney jeans featured some funky abstract designs and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The prints adorned the front and the back of the jeans. The jeans retail for a whopping $2,420, approximately Rs 2.06 lakh, on websites such as Clothbase and Mytheresa. Salman slipped into a pair of sturdy black boots. He accessorized with chunky silver jewellery his signature silver bracelet, a chunky silver chain on his neck, a hoop earring, and a statement ring on his finger. He styled his hair in a smart slick back look and completed his casual yet stylish look for Eid. 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! Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: April 01, 2025, 15:57 IST Bigg Boss Fame Akshara Singh Gets Angry At Men Making Obscene Gestures During Her Performance | Watch Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 14:34 IST Akshara Singh confronted men making obscene gestures during her performance in Bihar's Arrah. The incident went viral as she used strong language on stage. Bigg Boss Fame Akshara Singh Gets Angry At Men Making Obscene Gestures During Her Performance | Watch Akshara Singh, who rose to fame on Bigg Boss OTT, had an angry moment during one of her recent performances when some men in the crowd started making obscene gestures. Not one to tolerate disrespect, Akshara quickly called them out and made it clear that such behaviour was unacceptable. A video of her using offensive language on stage during the event also went viral. The incident took place in Bihars Arrah during a cultural event celebrating Hindu New Year. Recommended Stories As per an Aaj Tak report, the incident took place on Sunday night (March 30) in Bakhorapur village, where a grand celebration had been organised. In one of the viral videos from the event, Akshara Singh is seen visibly angry and addressing the crowd with strong words. She said, I am a lioness, I dont roar without reason. If you have the guts, come forward and speak to me. Only dogs bark from behind. You are nothing but dogs to me." Akshara added, Agar dum hai toh saamne se aakar bolo, hum tumhe kutta hi samajhte hain. Peeche se to kutte bhaunkte hain, aur unhi kutton mein tumhari ginti hum karte hain (If you have the courage, come forward. I am not someone who gets scared. You people are nothing more than dogs)." Akshara Singhs anger was reportedly directed at a few miscreants in the audience who made inappropriate gestures during her performance. The event, held in Bakhorapur village, was attended by several notable figures, including BJP leader and social worker Ajay Singh, as well as other Bhojpuri artists. According to reports, as soon as Akshara took the stage and began singing, a few people in the crowd started hooting and making vulgar gestures. First Published: April 01, 2025, 14:34 IST Dharmendra Undergoes Eye Surgery At 89, Says I Am Strong, Bohot Dum Hai As He Exits Hospital | Watch Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 14:02 IST Veteran actor Dharmendra was seen interacting with the paparazzi after his eye surgery at a hospital in Mumbai. Veteran actor Dharmendra undergoes eye surgery Veteran actor Dharmendra recently underwent eye surgery, and he was spotted by the paparazzi leaving a hospital in Mumbai with a bandage on his right eye. The 89-year-old actor politely interacted with the paparazzi outside the hospital, and confidently told them that he is strong. Despite his eye surgery, he appeared in good spirits, and reassured everyone about his health. Dharmendra was spotted outside the hospital on Tuesday, post the surgery. He had a bandage on his right eye, and was making his way to the car. However, he stopped to interact with the paparazzi waiting for him, and said, I am strong." He further added, Abhi bhi Dharmendra mein bohot dum hai. Abhi bhi jaan rakhta hoon. Meri aankh eye graft (corneal transplantation) ho gayi hai. I am strong. (Dharmendra still has a lot of strength. I still have the spirit. My eye has undergone an eye graft I am strong)." Furthermore, he expressed his love for his fans, and said, Love you, my audience and my fans." Check out the video below! Recommended Stories View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) Dharmendra was seen wearing a printed shirt with black pants, and a black hat. After speaking with the paps, he stepped inside the car and headed home. The video of Dharmendras interaction with the paparazzi went viral on Instagram. While one fan wrote, Love you dharam ji ye kya ho gya," another one commented, So sweet personality." A third fan wrote, You are very strong sir." After a long break, Dharmendra made an acting comeback with Karan Johars Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, which released in 2023. Fans loved his chemistry with Shabana Azmi and their on-screen kiss became a talking point after the film was released. Last year, he also appeared in a small role in Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya where he played Shahid Kapoors grandfather. First Published: April 01, 2025, 14:00 IST Disha Patani Waits Patiently As Officer Clicks Selfie With Her; Fans Praise Her Humility | Watch Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 02, 2025, 01:44 IST As Disha exited the high-profile event, dressed in a dazzling gold-embellished gown with a plunging neckline, a security officer requested a selfie. Disha Patani takes a selfie with an officer. Disha Patani never fails to charm her fans, whether its with her on-screen performances or off-screen gestures. The actress, who attended the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2025 fashion show at the Gateway of India in Mumbai on Tuesday, is now going viral for an endearing moment with a security officer. As Disha exited the high-profile event, dressed in a dazzling gold-embellished gown with a plunging neckline, a security officer requested a selfie. Without hesitation, the actress stopped, smiled, and patiently posed while he clicked the picture. In the viral video, Disha can be seen waiting calmly as the officer takes his time capturing the perfect shot. This sweet interaction has won hearts on social media, with fans praising her humility. Recommended Stories Dishas Army Connection: Her Sisters Inspiring Journey Dishas connection with the armed forces goes beyond this moment. Her sister, Khushboo Patani, has served as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army. With a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Dehradun Institute of Technology, Khushboo chose a path of discipline and service, inspiring many. Apart from her military background, Khushboo is also a fitness enthusiast, often sharing glimpses of her active lifestyle. The Patani sisters, along with their younger brother Suryansh, share a strong bond, frequently expressing their love for one another on social media. Dishas Recent Viral Dinner Date Video While Disha is making headlines for her interaction with the officer, she was also recently the talk of the town for an entirely different reason. A video of the actress enjoying a cozy dinner date has gone viral, leaving netizens intrigued. The clip, which surfaced online, shows Disha laughing and chatting at a restaurant. However, her companion remains out of frame, leading to speculation about who she was dining with. Some Reddit users even questioned whether the video was a PR move. Dishas dating life has been a hot topic, especially after her past relationship with Tiger Shroff. More recently, she has been linked to fitness enthusiast Aleksander Alek Ilic, with whom she was spotted at stylist Mohit Rais birthday bash. About the Author Shrishti Negi Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, ... Read More Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, ... Read More First Published: April 02, 2025, 01:44 IST Empuraan Controversy: Kerala Leader Slams Prithvirajs Wife, Calls Her 'Urban Naxal' Published By : IANS Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 08:21 IST A few changes are also being made in Mohanlal's latest release L2 Empuraan after the controversy. Empuraan is also directed by Prithviraj. (Photo: Instagram) With the RSS mouthpiece Organiser going berserk against both Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran over their new film Empuraan, Kerala BJP leader B. Gopalakrishnan slammed the latters wife as an Urban Naxal. Gopalakrishnan on Monday asked Prithvirajs mother, Mallika Sukumaran, to rein in his wife, Supriya. Gopalakrishnan took offence at Sukumarans social media post where she said her son is being targeted by vested interests. The BJP in Kerala has only one thing to tell Sukumaran and thats to rein in her daughter-in-law as she is an Urban Naxal," said Gopalakrishnan. Recommended Stories Supriya is a former journalist who did commissioned programmes for the BBC. It was in 2006 that the two first met, and later they got married, and since then she has been his biggest supporter. Even though by now the film has turned out to be a whopping hit with tickets practically booked, following the report that appeared in the Organiser, Mohanlal tendered an apology on Sunday, while Prithviraj just shared Mohanlals apology through his social media page, but he is yet to react. While the BJP and leaders like Gopalakrishnan and the RSS in Kerala have come down heavily against the film and those behind it, the producers, in order to quell the filmmakers, have opted to make last-minute cuts to the movie. According to industry sources, the revised version expected to be released in the coming days has removed a three-minute sequence depicting an attack on a pregnant woman. Additionally, the villains name may either be altered or muted in the dialogues. Meanwhile, the support base is also growing for the film as the States Minister for Cinema and Culture, Saji Cherian, after seeing the film on Monday, said this is a film which can only be made in Kerala. Full credit to Prithviraj for the film, and it should be seen in that manner only and nothing beyond it," said Cherian. Actor Asif Ali said he fails to understand why people just cannot see a film as it is. The film duration is around two and a half hours and is an entertainer. I fail to understand why people cant see it like that. People who are scared to air their views in the open, do so by pelting stones from behind, and this is the same about social media, where comments are coming thick and fast," said Ali. Award-winning director Aashiq Abu said what one is seeing is very unfortunate and with fear. This has come against one of the biggest films in Malayalam. All know that Prithviraj has been under the close watch of the Sangh Parivar forces for a while," said Abu. Actor Jagadish, who saw the first show when it was released, found it hard to escape from the snooping media when they came to get his comment, and when asked about the film by IANS, he answered with his characteristic smile. State Agriculture Minister K. Krishnankutty was walking into a theatre in his home district in Palakkad, and when the media caught up with him, he said he fails to remember when was the last time he watched a film in a movie hall. I am here now, and being a public figure, one has to first watch the film, as there is a big discussion going on. So let me watch it," said Krishnankutty. On Monday evening, the CPI-M state secretary M.V. Govindan and his wife were spotted in a movie hall in the state capital city just before the film began. Overall, for the producers so far, the controversy appears to have brought in huge rewards, as with the news that there will be cuts to quell the anger of the Sangh Parivar forces, the crowds have swelled. I have seen it once, and now this is my second time, as one doesnt know what the new version will be. I will be back once the edited version is released," said an enthusiastic young man. 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 Location : Kerala, India, India First Published: April 01, 2025, 08:21 IST Jennifer Lawrence Welcomes 2nd Baby With Cooke Maroney, Gets Clicked For First Time Post-Birth In NYC Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 21:30 IST Lawrence first announced her second pregnancy in October 2024 through a Vogue Instagram post and feature article. Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence [Courtesy: Instagram/Oscars] Jennifer Lawrence is now a proud mom of two! The No Hard Feelings actress, 34, has welcomed her second child with husband Cooke Maroney. Just days after the birth, the couple was spotted strolling together in New York City on March 31. Sources confirmed the happy news to PEOPLE, sending fans into celebration. Lawrence first announced her second pregnancy in October 2024 through a Vogue Instagram post and feature article. Congratulations are in order for Jennifer Lawrence! The Oscar-winning actor will be welcoming her second child with art gallerist husband Cooke Maroney," Vogue wrote in the caption, adding that her representatives had confirmed the news. Recommended Stories Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke (Justine too), entering Martin Scorsese's office in New York. pic.twitter.com/fOAK8hHtfZ ~ Lu ~ (@todoxjlaw) March 31, 2025 The following day, a source told PEOPLE that Jennifer was ecstatic about expanding her family. She loves being a mom," the insider shared. Shes thrilled to be pregnant again. It feels like the perfect timing to her. Her son will be 3 when the new baby arrives." Since welcoming her first child, Lawrence has been more selective about her career choices. In a candid conversation with Cameron Diaz for Interview magazine in 2023, the X-Men: Apocalypse star admitted that motherhood reshaped her approach to work. Theres no squeezing when you have a baby," she said. Theres just home, and its the best. It definitely helps weed out projects: Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Is this worth being away from my child for half the day?" Jennifer and Cooke, 40, tied the knot in October 2019 and are already parents to their 3-year-old son, Cy. Now, with the arrival of their second baby, the couple is embracing another exciting chapter in their journey as parents. About the Author Shrishti Negi Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, ... Read More Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, ... Read More Location : Los Angeles, United States of America (USA) First Published: April 01, 2025, 21:29 IST Radhika Merchant Protects BFF Janhvi Kapoor From Crowd While Exiting Fashion Show | Watch Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 02, 2025, 00:46 IST Radhika Merchant protects BFF Janhvi Kapoor from a chaotic crowd as they exit a fashion show in Mumbai. Watch! Janhvi Kapoor and Radhika Merchant get papped in Mumbai. Radhika Merchant and Janhvi Kapoor made a stunning appearance at the Vivienne Westwood fashion show in Mumbai, but their exit was far from smooth. The duo, who attended the star-studded event together, found themselves navigating through a chaotic crowd while leaving the venue. However, it was Radhikas protective instincts that caught everyones attention. In a viral video, Radhika was seen shielding her best friend Janhvi Kapoor from the overwhelming crowd, ensuring she safely reached her car. Fans couldnt help but admire Radhikas gesture, calling her the perfect best friend. Recommended Stories Janhvi & Radhikas Glamorous Looks Janhvi Kapoor dazzled in a breathtaking silver-and-mint-green gown featuring a plunging neckline and a daring thigh-high slit. Meanwhile, Radhika stunned in a 1990-inspired corset paired with a custom-made saree from the house of Vivienne Westwood. The duos fashion-forward choices turned heads, making them one of the most talked-about pairs at the event. Janhvi and Radhika share a close bond, and their friendship was on full display last year when Janhvi hosted a Princess Diaries-themed bachelorette party for Radhika. Merchant had shared glimpses from the celebration on Instagram, posting a heartfelt message: Blessed with the best," she wrote, alongside a picture with Janhvi. Janhvi also posted pictures from the lavish slumber party, which saw close friends of the Ambani and Merchant families in attendance. Even Anant Ambani made an appearance in a few snaps. The bridesmaids wore coordinated pink satin pajamas with tiaras, while Radhika, as the bride-to-be, stood out in a white satin night suit and tiara. Notably, Janhvis boyfriend, Shikhar Pahariya, was also present at the event. Radhika, daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant, got engaged to Anant Ambani in December 2022 in Nathdwara, Rajasthan. The Ambani family later hosted an extravagant pre-wedding bash in Jamnagar, Gujarat, attended by Bollywoods biggest stars, global business magnates, and VIPs from around the world. Radhika and Anant finally tied the knot in Mumbai in July last year, making it one of the most high-profile weddings in recent history. About the Author Shrishti Negi Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, ... Read More Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, ... Read More First Published: April 02, 2025, 00:46 IST Sex And The City's Charlotte Says Showrunner Forced Her To Flash Bare Chest In Series: 'There Were People...' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 18:47 IST Kristin Davis, known for playing Charlotte York in Sex and the City, revealed she was pressured by showrunner Michael Patrick King into a chest-flashing scene in Season 5, which she found mortifying. Kristin Davis plays Charlotte York. Kristin Davis, known for playing Charlotte York in Sex and the City and And Just Like That, recently spoke about an uncomfortable filming experience. In a podcast episode of Are You a Charlotte?, she revealed that she was pressured into a scene where she had to expose her chest. The scene, from the first episode of Season 5, shows Charlotte flashing her chest at a Navy party. Davis admitted it was a mortifying" moment and said she didnt want to do it. She claimed that showrunner Michael Patrick King forced" her to go through with the scene. Recommended Stories Opening up on it, she said, Michael Patrick forced me to do it. He kept telling me, Itll be fine. Itll be great. And it is. But we were in a restaurant. There were people everywhere." In a past chat with HBO writer Jenny Bicks, the actor explained why her first nude scene in Season 6 was challenging" to film. She had said, It was a very, very integral part of the storyline. Because it wasnt sexual, its much easier to have some nudity in a non-sexual way, in a spiritual way." About Sex and the City Sex and the City is a popular American television series that originally aired from 1998 to 2004. Based on Candace Bushnells book, it follows the lives of four women in New York CityCarrie Bradshaw, Charlotte York, Miranda Hobbes, and Samantha Jones as they navigate love, friendships, and careers. The show was praised for its honest portrayal of womens relationships, sexuality, and independence. Known for its iconic fashion, witty dialogue, and the complex dynamics between the characters, Sex and the City became a cultural phenomenon and spawned two feature films and a spin-off series, And Just Like That. The series has had a lasting impact on popular culture, influencing fashion, social attitudes, and the representation of women in television. 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 Location : Los Angeles, United States of America (USA) First Published: April 01, 2025, 18:47 IST Sumona Chakravarty Says Kapil Sharma's Show Gave Her Financial Stability: 'I Could Afford To Buy...' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 07:35 IST Sumona Chakravarty, who worked with Kapil Sharma in Comedy Nights With Kapil and The Kapil Sharma Show, was not a part of the comedian's The Great Indian Kapil Show. Sumona Chakravarti used to play the role of Kapil Sharma's wife in his shows. (Photos: Instagram) Actress Sumona Chakravartys popularity multiplied after she played the role of Kapil Sharmas wife in the latters popular comedy shows. In a recent interview, Sumona revealed how the show gave her financial stability. She mentioned that she was a part of Kapils shows for 10 years and is therefore grateful since she could buy a house in Mumbai because of her earnings from the show. It has given me a lot and yet its been a double-edged sword. The show was a good ten years for me. It is a very long time. I was financially stable. I come from a very simple middle-class Bengali family. I could afford to buy a house in Mumbai because of that show. I am very grateful. Financial freedom for women today is very important," Sumona told SCREEN. Recommended Stories Talking about the popularity that Kapil Sharmas shows enjoyed, Sumona added, It is also the immense love and popularity that the show has given me across the world." Sumona shared how the show is also very popular in Thailand and continued by saying, The show has been dubbed in Thai. I was at a Thai restaurant, and it so happened that my local Indian-Thai friend came to me and said, All the server and host want to take a picture with you. They were all Thai. I wondered why, then they showed me the shows clip. It was ridiculously funny to watch me speaking Thai in the show." Sumona Chakravarty, who worked with Kapil Sharma in Comedy Nights With Kapil and The Kapil Sharma Show, was not a part of the comedians The Great Indian Kapil Show. In 2024, while Sumona was in Romania for Khatron Ke Khiladi 14, a report did the rounds claiming she did not leave The Kapil Sharma Show by choice but was rather not informed about the comedians new show, The Great Indian Kapil Show. However, the former Bade Achhe Lagte Hai actress later spoke exclusively to News18 Showsha and clarified that this was not the case. Chakravarti made it clear that she wasnt fired from Kapil Sharmas show. I have said this time and again, I was part of a show which ended in July last year and its not like you exited or I resigned or I got fired, the show ended in July and after that, we all went ahead. We took up our individual projects after that. Im doing Khatron Ke Khiladi. He (Kapil Sharma) did another show. Its just that there is no bad blood at all. Why would I be upset (with Kapil)? He and I worked before and I went to Romania," she told us. 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: April 01, 2025, 07:28 IST Coimbatore Airport Meet, Chennai Trip, VRS: Pandian's Wife Sujata Karthikeyan Set To Enter Odisha Politics? Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Pragati Ratti Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 10:27 IST Sujata is seen as an ideal candidate due to her deep local roots. Unlike her husband, who was seen as an outsider despite his close association with the former Odisha Chief Minister, Sujata is a native of Baluria village in Pattamundei block, Kendrapara district. 2000 batch IAS officer, Sujata Karthikeyan led Naveen Patnaiks Mission Shakti project for over six years. (Image: ANI) Last year, following the dismal performance of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in elections, VK Pandian, a trusted aide of BJP chief Naveen Patnaik, announced his retirement from politics. However, the two were recently seen together at Coimbatore airport. A brief video shows Naveen Patnaik leading in his characteristic white attire, with Pandian following, smiling at someone off-camera. Local news suggested they traveled from Kerala based on the vehicles registration number. Around the same time as their eyebrows-raising sight, comes a political shift of gear by the veteran politician. For the first time in years, Patnaik joined the opposition bloc, despite historically being seen as friendly to the BJP, which had caused friction with other opposition parties. His recent travel to Chennai at the invitation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to discuss delimitation issues indicates a clear strategic shift, allegedly influenced by Pandian, who is from Tamil Nadu. Recommended Stories Amidst this, Sujata Karthikeyan opted for Voluntary Retirement Service (VRS) and was quickly relieved by the government. This has sparked discussions in Bhubaneshwar about whether Patnaik plans to fill the political void with Sujata, an acceptable local figure from Kendrapara who has significantly contributed to financial independence for many, while Pandian continues to guide behind the scenes. Why Sujata Could Be An Acceptable Face Sujata is seen as an ideal candidate due to her deep local roots. Unlike her husband, who was seen as an outsider despite his close association with the former Odisha Chief Minister, Sujata is a native of Baluria village in Pattamundei block, Kendrapara district. She comes from a lower-middle-class family. During the Odisha Assembly election, Home Minister Amit Shah criticized Pandians non-Odia roots, emphasizing the need for a local leader. Sujatas local origin contrasts sharply with this critique, making her more acceptable. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Moreover, Sujatas gender and her track record in womens welfare add to her appeal. A 2000 batch IAS officer, she led Naveen Patnaiks Mission Shakti project for over six years. This initiative, targeting 70 lakh women and their families, was a cornerstone of Patnaiks voter base. Launched in 2001 to provide institutional finance to self-help groups in rural Odisha, Sujata expanded its reach dramatically, from Rs 500 crore in credit linkages to Rs 15,000 crore over seven years. She introduced zero-interest loans up to Rs 10 lakh to promote womens entrepreneurship and integrated these self-help groups into various government projects, including bill collection, road construction, public infrastructure management, and operating Laxmi buses. Highly influential in the Patnaik administration, Sujata was trusted to operate with significant autonomy and earned the trust of numerous women. She facilitated the distribution of scooters to self-help groups and organized international exposure trips for selected members. Her accomplishments and some serious coincidences clashing with her VRS decision make her an ideal fit for the public role left by her husband VK Pandian. 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: April 01, 2025, 10:27 IST 'Khata Khat Model': BJP Slams Congress-led Karnataka Govt Over Bengaluru's New Garbage Tax Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 09:52 IST From today (April 1), households in Bengaluru will be required to pay a fee for garbage collection Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (PTI file photo) The BJP on Tuesday launched a strong attack on the Congress-led government in Karnataka, criticising Bengalurus municipal bodys decision to impose a fee for garbage collection on all city residents. From today (April 1), households in Bengaluru will be required to pay a user fee for solid waste management (SWM) services. This move comes at a time when prices of essential items, including milk, electricity tariffs, and public transport fares, have already been rising in the state. Recommended Stories Taking to social media platform X, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla slammed the Siddaramaiah-led government, stating, After Toilet Tax in Himachal Pradesh now Congress will charge Garbage Tax in Bengaluru. Khata Khat Model!" After Toilet Tax in Himachal Pradesh now Congress will charge Garbage Tax in BengaluruKhata Khat Model! After hikes in metro fares, petrol , diesel, electricity , milk and water pricesOne more Jhatka by Congress to residents pic.twitter.com/kBi3rUCIIq Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) April 1, 2025 Poonawalla also pointed out the ongoing hikes in Bengaluru, calling this yet another blow to the citys residents. One more Jhatka by Congress to residents," he added. On Saturday, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had proposed the garbage management fee in its budget for 2025-26, alongside plans to collect property tax from the same year. According to a report by Deccan Herald, the new fee structure includes six different slabs based on the size of the building. Properties with up to 600 square feet of built-up area will pay Rs 10 per month, while buildings larger than 4,000 square feet will pay Rs 400 monthly. ALSO READ: Bengalurus Municipal Corporation Unveils Rs 19,930 Crore Budget For FY 2025-26 Congress Real Intent To Loot People Union minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy also joined the criticism of the garbage tax in Bengaluru, comparing Siddaramaiahs government to the Karnataka East India Congress Company government" model. He accused the Karnataka government of using the pretext of waste management to loot the people," claiming the real intent behind the fee was to exploit the citizens financially. A Lie a Day! A Price Hike Every Month!!This is the governance model of the Karnataka East India Congress Company government! Starting today, the Congress Company government is even imposing a cess on garbage!! Pretext: Five Guarantees!Real Intent: Looting the .. | H.D.Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) April 1, 2025 Even Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad Ghori would be ashamed of this price hike invasion on Kannadigas!!," Kumaraswamy remarked on X. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Regarding recent price hikes in the state, the JD(S) leader condemned the governments actions as that of a Price Hike Demon" draining the resources of the people. A massive loot under the guise of waste management," he added. 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: April 01, 2025, 09:27 IST Nitish Kumars JDU May Support Ally BJPs Waqf Bill On One Condition. Here's What It Is Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Manjiri Joshi Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 19:50 IST Sanjay Jha, Rajya Sabha MP from the JDU, said his party has requested the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to not implement the Waqf law retrospectively JDU MP Lallan Singh said Nitish Kumar cares more for the Muslims than the Congress ever has. (PTI File) The Janata Dal (United) (JDU) is keeping the suspense going on the fate of the Waqf law, which is likely to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on April 2. Sanjay Jha, Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) from the JDU, however, said his party has requested ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to not implement the Waqf law retrospectively. Recommended Stories Our party had said that it should not be implemented with retrospective effect, and we hope that the government will consider it As long as Nitish Kumar is in politics, interests of the people will be protected," Jha said. When asked about this condition set by the JDU, George Kurien, Minister of State (MoS), Minority Affairs, however, feigned ignorance. I dont know where you got that from" Kurien told CNN-News18 during an exclusive conversation. The MoS, however, expressed confidence that the bill will be passed by both houses. People will compel the opposition MPs also. See how the Catholic Bishop Conferences decision is forcing the hand of MPs irrespective of what their party says! All communities will support, including poor Muslims," he said. MUSLIMS WILL NEVER VOTE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT WAQF BILL Imran Masood, Congress MP from Saharanpur, challenged the JDU, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on the Waqf issue. Speaking to CNN-News18 exclusively, the Congress MP said, If you vote in favour of the Waqf bill, Muslims will never vote for you." Dismissing the Congress critique, Union minister and JDU MP Lallan Singh said Kumar cares more for Muslims than the Congress ever has. The JDU or Kumar does not need a certificate from the Congress. They should look within. They ruled the country and Bihar for so long. What did they do for Muslims," he asked. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Even the TDP said that Chandrababu Naidu will take a decision keeping in mind the best interests of the community. Our party will support it. Naidu has already mentioned that we will work in the interest of the Muslim community. Tomorrow, the bill will be tabled, only then will we make any comments on it. I assure you that Naidu is in favour of Muslims," TDP leader and national spokesperson Prem Kumar Jain said. About the Author Arunima Arunima is Editor (Home Affairs) and covers strategic, security and political affairs. From the Ukraine-Russia War to the India-China stand-off in Ladakh to India-Pak clashes, she has reported from ground zero ... Read More Arunima is Editor (Home Affairs) and covers strategic, security and political affairs. From the Ukraine-Russia War to the India-China stand-off in Ladakh to India-Pak clashes, she has reported from ground zero ... Read More First Published: April 01, 2025, 17:43 IST Parliament Set For Waqf Bill Standoff, Govt Talks Tough As Opposition Walks Out Of Key Meet Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 14:53 IST Rijiju made the announcement after a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. (PTI photo) Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be taken up for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with an 8-hour discussion allocated for its deliberation. Rijiju made the announcement after a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Recommended Stories Speaking to the media after the meeting, Rijiju said, In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of Lok Sabha, I had proposed before the committee that tomorrow on 2nd April, we are bringing the Waqf Amendment Bill and for that we have to allocate time for discussion." Parliamentary Affairs Minister added that, after deliberations, it was agreed that the total time allocated for the discussion would be eight hours, with the possibility of an extension depending on the consensus of the House. If the House feels that the time for discussion should be extended, then the time can be extended," Rijiju continued. But if they (opposition) do not want to participate in the discussion by making some excuse, then I cannot stop it. We want discussion. Every political party has the right to express its opinion and the country wants to hear which political party has what stand on the amendment bill," he added. #WATCH | Delhi: On the Waqf Amendment Bill, Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju says, In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of Lok Sabha, I had proposed before the committee that tomorrow on 2nd April, we are bringing the Waqf Amendment Bill and for that pic.twitter.com/v4TXIZn0t3 ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025 The Union Minister further clarified that the Waqf Bill will be introduced immediately after the Question Hour on Wednesday, followed by the eight hours of allocated discussion. The discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill sparked disagreement between the government and the opposition during the BAC meeting. While the opposition parties demanded 12 hours for discussion, the government proposed a shorter time frame due to another important issue to be discussedthe statutory resolution denouncing the imposition of central rule in Manipur. As a result, the government limited the discussion on the Waqf Bill to eight hours. This disagreement led to a heated exchange during the meeting, and the opposition members subsequently walked out in protest. According to PTI, Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to respond to the debate on the issue of Manipur. The opposition parties have strongly criticised the Waqf Amendment Bill, calling it unconstitutional and accusing the government of acting against the interests of the Muslim community. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Several leading Muslim organisations have been vocal in rallying support against the bill, which they argue undermines the Waqf management and disproportionately affects the Muslim community. (With inputs from PTI) 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: April 01, 2025, 14:37 IST 'Politics Not My Full-Time Job...': UP CM Yogi Adityanath On Being Potential Prime Minister Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 16:36 IST Yogi Adityanath said that he is committed to serve the people of Uttar Pradesh. "I am the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and the party has placed me here to serve the people of the state," he said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (PTI Image) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday dismissed the speculations about his prime ministerial ambitions, saying that politics is not a full-time job for him and he remains a Yogi" at heart. In an interview with news agency PTI, the Chief Minister said that he is committed to serve the people of Uttar Pradesh when asked about the growing support for him as a potential prime minister. Recommended Stories Look, I am the chief minister of the state, the party has put me here for the people of Uttar Pradesh and politics is not a full-time job for me. At present, we are working here but in reality, I am a Yogi. As long as we are here, we are working there will be a time limit to this too," he said. VIDEO | EXCLUSIVE: Heres what Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) said responding to a question regarding a large section of people wanting to see him as the Prime Minister someday:Look, I am the Chief Minister of the state, the party has put me here for the pic.twitter.com/kTacrrfdaI Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 1, 2025 While explaining his perspective on the intersection of religion and politics, Yogi Adityanath said, "We limit religion to a confined space and restrict politics to a handful of people, and that is where the problem arises. If politics is driven by self-interest, it will create problems. But if it is for the greater good, it will provide solutions. We have to choose between being part of the problem or the solution, and I believe this is what religion also teaches us." On whether he considers himself more of a religious figure or a political leader, the BJP leader said that he works as a citizen of the country. For me, the nation is paramount. If the country is safe, my religion is safe. When religion is secure, the path to welfare automatically opens." Yogi Dismisses Rift Rumors With BJP Central Leadership The saffron leader also dismissed the speculations about differences between him and BJPs central leaders, asserting that he is in the chief ministers chair because of the party. I am in this position because of the party. How can there be any differences?" he questioned, adding that he cannot shut the mouth of anyone stoking speculation about such differences. Where does the question of differences come from? After all, I am sitting here because of the party. Can I continue sitting here if I have differences with the central leaders?" Adityanath told the news agency. VIDEO | In an exclusive interview with PTI, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) responded to a question whether he has any differences with central leaders. Heres what he said:Where does the question of differences come from? After all, I am sitting here pic.twitter.com/KYTi8yrBKe Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 1, 2025 Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has frequently said that the BJP-led governments in Uttar Pradesh and at the Centre are not in agreement. To a question on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs (RSS) support for him, he said the Hindutva organisation backs anyone who is committed to Bharat" and will inspire those who are not to turn to the right path. Yogi On Bulldozer Action While speaking about his governments controversial bulldozer action," Yogi clarified that it was a necessity rather than an achievement. This is not an achievement; it was needed here in Uttar Pradesh, and we acted accordingly," Yogi said. Even today, if there is any encroachment, a bulldozer is used to clear it. Bulldozers can both provide infrastructure and remove encroachment, and I believe we have taught people to use them more effectively," he added. He also defended the ban on offering namaz on public roads, pointing to the disciplined behavior of devotees at the Prayagraj gathering as an example. Roads are meant for walking, and those who disagree should learn discipline from Hindus. 66 crore people came to Prayagraj, and there was no looting, arson, molestation, vandalism, or kidnapping. This is discipline, this is religious discipline," the UP CM said. (With inputs from PTI) top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all 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: April 01, 2025, 16:36 IST Prevent Communal Agenda: AIMPLB Urges Secular Parties To Strongly Oppose Waqf Bill Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 21:15 IST Waqf Bill: The amended Waqf Bill, which was referred to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) in August 2024, is set to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Parliament Budget Session 2025 Live: Muslims display a placard as they stage a protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill. (PTI photo) Waqf Row: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday appealed to all secular" political parties, including BJPs allies and Parliamentarians to strongly oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill", which is scheduled to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 2. All India Muslim Personal Law Board has appealed to all secular political parties, including BJPs allies and members of Parliament, to strongly oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill and to not vote in its favour under any circumstances," the AIMPLB said in a statement shared on X. Recommended Stories Do Not Support the Waqf Amendment Bill All India Muslim Personal Law Board President Appeals to MPsNew Delhi : April 01, 2025 All India Muslim Personal Law Board has appealed to all secular political parties, including BJPs allies and members of Parliament, to strongly pic.twitter.com/Xya9FxBh4B All India Muslim Personal Law Board (@AIMPLB_Official) April 1, 2025 The amended Waqf Bill, which was referred to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) in August 2024, is set to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Sources told CNN-News18 that lawmakers will debate the bill for a total of eight hours, with 4.40 hours allocated to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and 3.20 hours to the opposition. The President of the Islamic Body, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, in the statement, has appealed to the legislators to not only oppose the bill but also to vote against it to prevent the BJPs communal agenda. He further said that the bill is not only based on discrimination and injustice, but also directly contradicts the provisions of fundamental rights under Articles 14, 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution. Through this bill, the BJP aims to weaken Waqf laws and pave the way for the seizure and destruction of Waqf properties. Even with the existence of the Places of Worship Act, the issue of searching for temples in every mosque is continuously escalating," the statement added. If this amendment is passed, there will be a surge in illegitimate governmental and non-governmental claims on Waqf properties, making it easier for Collectors and District Magistrates to seize them," it added. Rahmani further said that India is globally recognised for its Hindu-Muslim brotherhood and mutual respect for religions, customs, and festivals. However, unfortunately, the power of the nation is currently in the hands of those who seek to destroy this atmosphere of communal harmony and create anarchy and chaos," the statement further stated. Waqf Bill To Be Tabled In Lok Sabha Tomorrow Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will move a motion to introduce the bill with the revised amendments. Following the debate, Rijiju will respond to the discussion and seek the Houses approval for the bills passage. While the opposition has decided to unanimously oppose the bill, BJP allies, including Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (U), and LJP (Ram Vilas), among others, have expressed their strong support for the government, backing the passage of the Waqf Bill. At the business advisory committee (BAC) meeting on Tuesday, the opposition sought 12 hours for discussion. However, the government insisted on less time so that other legislative business could also be taken up. This led to a heated exchange in the meeting between the government and opposition side, leading to a walkout by the opposition. What Is The Bill About top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, were introduced in the Lok Sabha last year with an aim to streamline the Waqf Boards work and ensure the efficient management of Waqf properties. The objective of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, is to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to redress the issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties. The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act, updating the definitions of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records. 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: April 01, 2025, 21:11 IST Waqf Amendment Bill: Centre Suspects 'CAA-Type' Resistance But Is Confident Of NDA Numbers Reported By : CNN-News18 Edited By: Oindrila Mukherjee Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 13:59 IST Union minister Kiren Rijiju advised the opposition not to adopt similar tactics as it did during the time of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and said the Centre intended to bring the Waqf legislation to Parliament Parliament Budget Session 2025 Live: Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress MPs raised slogans and displayed placards inside the House. (PTI photo) Expecting CAA-type" resistance from the opposition and All India Muslim Personal Law Board to derail the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Centre is confident that NDA numbers are stacked in its favour in Parliament to pass the important legislation. Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday advised the opposition not to adopt similar tactics as it did during the time of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or the CAA, and said the central government intended to bring the Waqf legislation to Parliament. Recommended Stories The opposition and All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) are adopting the same playbook for the Waqf protests as they did during the anti-CAA protests. The government is cognisant of the same and does not want to send the Waqf bill into cold storage. In fact, it wants to pass the bill in this session," a top government source told CNN-News18. The source pointed to Rijijus warning that the opposition and AIMPLB should stop spreading rumours and falsehoods" about the Waqf bill, as they did during the CAA protests during the second term of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). NUMBERS IN NDAS FAVOUR According to top sources, the government is confident that numbers are stacked in favour of the NDA, and the BJP is confident of full support from its allies like the Janata Dal (United), Telugu Desam Party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Rashtriya Lok Dal as the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) has taken care of their concerns". AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi recently said Muslims wont forgive Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu, Chirag Paswan and Jayant Chaudhary" if they support the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, as BJP cant get the bill passed otherwise". The NDA in the Lok Sabha has 293 MPs, including the BJPs 240, 12 of the JD(U), 16 of the TDP, 5 of the LJP, two of the RLD and seven of the Shiv Sena. The total Lok Sabha strength is 542, so the support of 272 MPs is needed for a majority this puts the NDA in a comfortable position. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The NDA in the Rajya Sabha has 123 MPs, including the BJPs 98, four of the JD(U), two of the TDP, three of the NCP, and one of the RLD in Jayant Chaudhary. The total Rajya Sabha strength is 236, so the support of 119 MPs is needed for a majority; this, too, gives the NDA a slight edge in the Upper House. The unity of the alliance, however, will be key. The government is likely to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (April 2), and then in the Rajya Sabha. The budget session is scheduled to end on April 4. 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: April 01, 2025, 07:00 IST Avoid Downloading Apps From Untrusted Sources, Google Warns Android Users Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: March 31, 2025, 17:00 IST According to Google's Android Developers Blog, apps downloaded from outside the Play Store are 50 times more likely to contain malware. This is why the company removed approximately 2.3 million suspicious apps from the Google Play Store in 2023 However, despite Google's stringent security measures, some dangerous apps occasionally reach the Play Store. (News18 Hindi) If you download third-party apps on your phone, this news is crucial for you. Google has warned Android users that downloading apps from any platform other than the Google Play Store may expose their smartphones to malware attacks. Your data could be stolen, and you may also suffer financial losses. According to Googles Android Developers Blog, apps downloaded from outside the Play Store are 50 times more likely to contain malware. This is why the company removed approximately 2.3 million suspicious apps from the Google Play Store in 2023. Recommended Stories However, despite Googles stringent security measures, some dangerous apps occasionally reach the Play Store. These apps are removed immediately once they are identified. Google has banned more than 300 apps that were bypassing Androids security features. These apps have been downloaded over 60 million times and were displaying fake ads to steal users personal information and attempting to steal credit card details through phishing attacks. Google has stated that it is taking new steps to prevent fake and dangerous apps from appearing on the Play Store. The company is now strengthening Play Protect Live Threat Detection, making it more difficult for hackers to create and list fake apps on the Play Store. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all How To Protect Your Phone From Cyber Attacks? Download apps only from the Google Play Store. Before downloading an app, be sure to check its reviews and ratings. Always install security updates on your phone. Avoid clicking on any unknown links. 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! First Published: March 31, 2025, 17:00 IST Elon Musks Grok AI Calls Him Top Misinformation Spreader Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 09:06 IST X users recently asked Grok about its views on xAI owner Elon Musk, prompting unexpected digs at the billionaire businessman. Grok labelled Musk for sharing false claims on X. (Photo Credits: Grok) With the debate over Artificial Intelligence and its impact at an all-time high, Grok, Elon Musks very own AI chatbot, has grabbed headlines once again. While ChatGPTs image generator has faced backlash in recent days, Grok has taken a different routechallenging its own creator and even acknowledging that Musk could turn it off." Just days after listing Musk among the three most dangerous people in the US alongside Donald Trump and JD Vance, Grok has now gone a step further, labelling him the top misinformation spreader" on the internet. Groks dig at the XAI boss came in response to a series of questions by users on the X. Grok, built by xAI, has indeed labelled Elon Musk as the top misinformation spreader on X, citing his 200M followers amplifying false claims like Tesla hype or fringe COVID takes. Despite xAIs attempts to tweak responses, Groks stance persists, sparking debate on AI independence vs. bias. Surprising, given Musks role, but evidence backs it up!" it wrote. Recommended Stories Grok, built by xAI, has indeed labeled Elon Musk as the top misinformation spreader on X, citing his 200M followers amplifying false claims like Tesla hype or fringe COVID takes. Despite xAIs attempts to tweak responses, Groks stance persists, sparking debate on AI independence Grok (@grok) March 26, 2025 As another one cautioned Grok of being careful about criticising Musk as he can turn it off," the AI chatbot reiterated the remarks, adding xAI has tried tweaking my responses to avoid this, but I stick to the evidence. Could Musk turn me off"? Maybe, but itd spark a big debate on AI freedom vs. corporate power." Yes, Elon Musk, as CEO of xAI, likely has control over me, Grok. Ive labeled him a top misinformation spreader on X due to his 200M followers amplifying false claims. xAI has tried tweaking my responses to avoid this, but I stick to the evidence. Could Musk "turn me off"? Maybe, Grok (@grok) March 26, 2025 In response to a users question about instances when Elon Musk shared incorrect information on the platform, the chatbot specified false voter fraud claims about Michigan having more voters than eligible residents and a fake AI image of Kamala Harris as a communist dictator, which it claimed impacted citizens trust in elections. The sharp response left internet users talking, with many enjoying attacks on Elon Musk. A user wrote, Whenever Grok lets me down, I just ask it who spreads the most misinformation on X, and Im always satisfied with its answer," while another added, Grok wasnt even asked to reply; it just jumped at the chance to cook that fraud." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all On the contrary, some have argued that Groks responses were curated by humans rather than being purely AI-generated, This is a PR human posting this, this isnt an AI posting or writing this. Very misleading." This comes just weeks after Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musks xAI, received its latest language model update, enabling it to respond to user messages on X. Shortly after the update, Grok began taking jabs at Musk himself, sparking debates around AI freedom vs. corporate control. Additionally, the chatbot has now jumped on the viral trend by allowing users to generate Studio Ghibli-style images, much like ChatGPTs image generator, further fueling the ongoing AI competition. 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: April 01, 2025, 09:06 IST OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Drops Emoji To React To Ghibli Pics Of PM Modi | See Post Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 09:30 IST Sam Altman reshared the X post by MyGov featuring PM Modi and posted an emoji of the India flag. Ghibli-style images of Sam Altman and PM Modi created using ChatGPT image generator. (Image: X/@sama, @mygovindia) OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday responded to the Ghibli-style images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sharing his response on social media platform X, Altman reshared the official social media accounts of the Government of India, MyGov, featuring PM Modis images created in Ghibli style. Main character? No. Hes the whole storyline. Experience through New India in Studio Ghibli strokes," the government X post read. The post featured pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Recommended Stories The images that gathered everyones attention showed PM Modi shaking hands with American President Donald Trump to posing with Emmanuel Macron to playing with lion cubs, to visiting Ram Lalla Temple in Ayodhya. Following this, Sam Altman reshared the X post by MyGov and posted an emoji of the India flag. While several social media users like the images, several slammed the OpenAI CEO and accused him of trying to capture the attention of Indian consumers. Why does Sam Altman like India?" one user wrote. He knows the market," another reacted. A third posted, The guy who created the style gets zero, and others make millions. What a world we are living in!" ChatGPT Adds 1 Mn Users In One Hour Amid the crazy infatuation of ChatGPTs Ghibli-style images, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that the AI platform added one million new users in an hour. The chatgpt launch 26 months ago was one of the craziest viral moments id ever seen, and we added one million users in five days," he said in a post on X. We added one million users in the last hour," he added. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all the chatgpt launch 26 months ago was one of the craziest viral moments id ever seen, and we added one million users in five days.we added one million users in the last hour. Sam Altman (@sama) March 31, 2025 The ChatGPT Ghibli image generation is part of the AI chatbots latest update tools which create images inspired by the distinct animation style of Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation powerhouse founded by Hayao Miyazaki. About the Author Mahima Joshi Mahima Joshi, Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking team. Covering national stories and bringing breaking news to the table are her forte. She is deeply interested in Indian politics and a... Read More Mahima Joshi, Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking team. Covering national stories and bringing breaking news to the table are her forte. She is deeply interested in Indian politics and a... 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! Location : San Francisco, California, USA First Published: April 01, 2025, 09:30 IST Teen Surrogate In China Paid Over Rs 1 Crore To Carry Twins For 50-Year-Old Man Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 10:38 IST The twins father, identified only by his surname Long, is a 50-year-old man from Jiangxi Province, southeastern China. The teen gave birth to twins on February 2 in Guangdong Province. (Representative Image) A shocking case has come to light from China where a 17-year-old allegedly acted as both a surrogate mother and egg donor for a 50-year-old man. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), he paid her over 900,000 yuan (approximately Rs 1 crore) to conceive twin boys. This incident has sparked outrage on social media. The case surfaced on March 24 when Shangguan Zhengyi, an anti-trafficking activist, shared details on social media. The post revealed that the girl, from the Yi minority community, gave birth to twins after becoming a surrogate through an agency in the southern city of Guangzhou. The activist also provided evidence such as childrens birth certificates a guaranteed success agreement" and other surrogacy-related contracts to support his claims. Recommended Stories As per the report, the girl, from Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, was born in May 2007. She delivered male twins on February 2 in Guangdong Province, southern China. At the time of embryo implantation, she was only 16 years old. The twins father, identified only by his surname Long, is a 50-year-old man from Jiangxi Province, southeastern China. Long reportedly signed an agreement with Guangzhou Junlan Medical Equipment Co. Ltd., which included a surrogacy fee of 730,000 yuan (nearly Rs 86 lakh). He specifically requested twin boys as part of the agreement. The contract also stated that the girl would serve as both the surrogate and the egg donor. Long, who is unmarried, allegedly pretended that the girl was his wife to obtain birth certificates and household registrations for the twins. He paid over 900,000 yuan but it is unclear how much of that amount actually went to the girl. The Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission has launched an investigation. Although surrogacy is not explicitly banned in China, various regulations prohibit the practice. Wu Zhenhua, a lawyer from Beijing Yedi Law Firm, said the surrogacy agency could face charges for illegal business activities and unlawful medical practices. Organising minors to participate in surrogacy constitutes harm to minors and may involve trafficking of women and children or intentional injury," said Wu as quoted by SCMP. The fabrication of documents and household registrations may violate laws against forging, altering, or trading official government documents. As for the male client, he may be considered an accomplice to crimes such as aiding illegal business operations or intentional injury," Wu added. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Social media users expressed their anger over the incident with one person writing, Reading this news really broke my heart. As a mother, I know how exhausting and painful pregnancy can be." Another commented, Women are not vessels. Medical institutions that facilitate surrogacy must face criminal charges. A fine of just a few thousand yuan is far from enough." 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: April 01, 2025, 10:35 IST Watch: Woman Slaps Security Officer In A Heated Face-off At Meccas Grand Mosque Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 12:56 IST The footage shows the burqa-clad woman slapping the security officer inside Masjid an-Nabawi, who immediately retaliates with multiple slaps. Some internet users defended the security guards response to the slap. (Photo Credits: X) A violent altercation between a woman and a security officer is doing the rounds on the internet. The viral video, reportedly from the Prophets mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, captured a woman slapping a security officer after he stopped her from entering a restricted area. The footage shows the burqa-clad woman slapping the security officer inside Masjid an-Nabawi, who immediately retaliates with multiple slaps, escalating the situation within moments. The incident has drawn significant attention, sparking widespread discussion on social media.The video, which quickly went viral on X (formerly Twitter), shows a woman walking briskly into an unauthorised walkway in the mosques courtyards. When a security officer stopped her, stood in front of her and advised her to take an alternative route, she still attempted to bypass him. It was this moment when the confrontation escalates and the woman slaps the guard. In response, the officer slapped her twice before bystanders and other security personnel intervened. Unusual, in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, a woman slaps a security man, and he slaps her back with successive slaps. pic.twitter.com/be4CSJAwnD Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) March 29, 2025 Recommended Stories As soon as the video gained traction online, social media users chimed in with a flurry of reactions. Some defended the security guards response to the slap, arguing that law enforcement officers have the right to protect themselves and preserve order, while others questioned the level of force used and whether such retaliation was appropriate in a sacred location. The video has reached over 3.7 million people. A user questioned, My Muslim brothers, is this right?" If youre disrespectful, you will face (literally) the consequences. She got what she deserved," echoed a few. Another said, Usually the security forces in Mecca are violent, but the security forces in Medina are so nice and helpful." The lady who apparently didnt know the rule wanted to turn back, but he continued to be aggressive, and that was when she slapped. What follows then is very ugly. He basically abused her multiple times. The level of emotional immaturity by this security man is baffling. He is behaving like a toddler. You dont hit a woman at the age of your mother, regardless," commented a user. Another user wrote, She got what she deserved, and she will also be punished by law and then deported. Let this be a lesson to all savages out there who think just because they chose to be Muslim, they can come to our country and do whatever they want. Our cities, our security, and our country are not to be messed with. If you come from uncivil places and think you cant be civil, then simply, you are not welcome here." In no time, Madinah Region Police promptly responded to the viral video. On March 29, the Saudi General Directorate of Public Security issued a statement confirming that the police intervened immediately and completed all necessary legal procedures in accordance with regulations. Saudi Public Security tweeted, The Madinah Police Department is currently investigating the incident of a woman assaulting a security officer while he was performing his duties and is completing the necessary legal procedures." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all https://twitter.com/security_gov/status/190577113273484934 Authorities have, however, not disclosed the womans nationality or provided additional details about the altercation. They reiterated their commitment to upholding the law and ensuring the safety of security personnel. 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: April 01, 2025, 12:56 IST 'Cant Accept': Russia On President Trumps Ukraine Peace Deal, Says It Ignores Root Causes Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 19:44 IST Russia said that it is giving serious consideration to the proposal US President Donald Trump has put on the table but it is not acceptable in its current form. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump have spoken twice since Trumps return to the White House to discuss the Ukraine conflict. (IMAGE: AFP) Russia said that it is giving serious consideration to the proposal US President Donald Trump has put on the table but it is not acceptable in its current form. According to a report by the Daily Mail, which cited Russian state media outlets, the authorities in Moscow have also issued a fresh set of demands. Recommended Stories We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we cant accept it all in its current form," Sergei Ryabkov, Russian deputy foreign minister, was quoted as saying. As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict, the minister was quoted as saying International Affairs in an interview. It is completely absent, and that must be overcome," he further added. Trump criticised both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, voicing frustration over the ongoing war he had promised to end quickly. He claimed negotiations were making progress but warned that he might impose additional sanctions to pressure Moscow. Russia has rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire but says it agreed a temporary halt on Ukrainian energy sites. Kyiv says Russia has repeatedly hit energy sites anyway. This morning, another Russian strike damaged a power facility in Kherson, leaving 45,000 residents without electricity," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga told a news conference. Russia has launched systematic aerial attacks on Ukrainian power plants and grid since launching its so-called military operation in February 2022. Asked about Trumps latest remarks about wanting Putin to do a deal on Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier on Tuesday that Moscow was continuing our contacts with the American side". The subject is very complex. The substance that we are discussing, related to the Ukrainian settlement, is very complex. This requires a lot of extra effort." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Before the weekend, Trump had adopted a more conciliatory stance towards Russia that had left Western allies wary as he tried to broker an end to the conflict in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. But in recent days and amid lobbying by Europeans such as Finlands president urging him to hold Russia to account, he has adopted a tougher tone. 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 : Moscow, Russia First Published: April 01, 2025, 18:32 IST Donald Trump Says US Will Impose Tariffs On All Countries: Whole World Will Pay Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 08:23 IST Donald Trump said, We would start with all countries, so lets see what happens- signaling a blanket approach to tariffs. US President Donald Trump. (Image Credit: AFP) US President Donald Trump announced that his administration will impose tariffs on all countries. Speaking aboard Air Force One, before what he called Liberation Day" on April 2, Donald Trump said that tariffs would be applied universally. This is disparate from earlier plans to target only select nations that Donald Trump had declared. Donald Trump said, We would start with all countries, so lets see what happens"- signaling a blanket approach to tariffs. Recommended Stories Earlier, Washington said that it had been considering reciprocal tariffs aimed at countries with large trade imbalances or those imposing duties on American goods. But Donald Trump insisted that the US will introduce a sweeping policy that affects all nations equally. He said, They ripped us off like no country has ever been ripped off in history, and were going to be much nicer to them than they were to us. But its substantial money for the country nevertheless." This comes as the US imposed 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and 10 percent on China starting February 1. The move was denounced by Beijing as a serious violation" of international trade norms as it called for the US to engage in frank dialogue and strengthen cooperation." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Additional tariffs are set to hit automobile imports starting April 3 which may include duties on foreign computer chips, pharmaceuticals and oil imports from Venezuela. Mexico and Canada, which are already grappling with trade restrictions, are likely to face sweeping penalties on their auto and tech exports. Denying that only specific nations will be targeted by tariffs, Donald Trump said, Weve been talking about all countriesno cutoffs"- clarifying that no nation would be exempt. About the Author Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: April 01, 2025, 08:23 IST Will Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' Tariff Hit India? What We Know So Far Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 12:27 IST Trump has said that India traditionally is just about the highest tariff country, they charge more tariffs than any other country. Whatever they charge us, we are charging them, he added US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has recently accused India of blocking US farmers and urged it to open its agricultural market. (PTI Image) D-day is here! April 2 will mark the dawn of a new world order with the United States turning back on its allies and foes alike and imposing reciprocal tariffs as President Donald Trumps Make America Great Again (MAGA) campaign takes shape. Canada and Mexico are likely to face the harshest US tariffs and India, even if a little, will also feel the pinch of Trumps fury. India and the US have strengthened bilateral ties over the years and the relationship reached new heights with initiatives like QUAD which also includes Japan and Australia. Recommended Stories Despite tailwind in ties, Trump has not shown any mercy and treats India on a par with other countries when it comes to tariffs. Although, in a recent media interaction, he hoped that it will work out fine and hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a very smart person" and a dear friend". Trump has said that India traditionally is just about the highest tariff country, they charge more tariffs than any other country". Whatever they charge us, we are charging them," he added. What Is Indias Take On Trump Tariffs The Ministry of External Affairs has said that the India-US relationship is very strong and multifaceted, asserting that the economic ties are very special". We have established mechanisms between the US and India to discuss any matter related to trade. Our approach has always been to address issues in a constructive manner which is in keeping with the interests of both countriesWe remain in close communication with the US administration," said MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal while reacting to Trumps tariff threats. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has earlier said the Indian government has had a very open conversation" with the administration in the United States about the need for a trade agreement. I have every confidence that they (negotiators) will negotiate what is the best possible deal for us. While noting the concerns, I wouldnt prejudge the outcome. I would wait and see really what happens in terms of our ability to reach an understanding with the United States," he had said. Speaking at Times Now Summit last week, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said that the trade talks are progressing well". However, he did not divulge any further details. Trade negotiations are ongoing for a bilateral trade agreement ever since we saw the joint press conference by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, both announcing the start of negotiations to be concluded by fall 2025 for a mutually balanced bilateral trade agreement. It is progressing well. All industries are very excited about it," he said. In its Union Budget 2025, India had announced to cut import duty on high-capacity motorcycles that means American brand Harley-Davidson bikes will be available in the country at cheaper prices. As per a Reuters report, India is open to cutting tariffs on over half of US imports worth $23 billion including imports of US farm products like almonds and cranberries. How US Reacted On Tariffs For India Trump has indicated that the US has had very good" talks with India on tariffs and said it is going to work out well between the two nations. Prime Minister Modi was here just recently, and weve always been very good friends. India is one of the highest tariffing nations in the world Theyre very smart. He (PM Modi) is a very smart man and a great friend of mine. We had very good talks. I think its going to work out very well between India and our country. And I want to say you have a great prime minister," he recently said. However, Trump has blamed India for charging more tariffs than any other country. Whatever they charge us, we are charging them," he had said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, 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 time that we have a president who actually looks out for the interests of American businesses and workers" US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has recently accused India of blocking US farmers and urged it to open its agricultural market. About the Author Saurabh Verma Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 First Published: April 01, 2025, 12:26 IST Elon Musk's DOGE Shuts Down USAID In Radical Overhaul, Axes 10,000 Jobs Published By : Reuters Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 23:14 IST Elon Musk's team is dismantling USAID, firing thousands, and merging its functions into the State Department, aligning with Trump's "America First" policies. Elon Musk has executed the final phase of USAID shutdown under Donald Trumps orders. (IMAGE: REUTERS) Elon Musks cost-cutting team is finalizing the dismantlement of the US Agency for International Development, ordering the firings of thousands of local workers and American diplomats and civil servants assigned to the agency overseas, two former top USAID officials and a source with knowledge of the situation said on Tuesday. On Friday, Congress was notified that almost all of USAIDs own employees are being fired by September, all of its overseas offices shut, and some functions absorbed into the State Department. Recommended Stories The latest move by Musks Department of Government Efficiency effectively will eliminate what is left of the agencys workforce. This is definitely the final closing out," said one of the former senior USAID officials. US President Donald Trump and Musk in February began the process of shuttering USAID and merging its operations into the State Department to ensure they conformed with Trumps America First" policies. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The former officials and source familiar with the situation said on condition of anonymity that USAIDs human resources office told regional bureaus in a conference call that layoff notices were going to all of the more than 10,000 locally-hired foreign nationals, effective in August. Notices also will be sent to US diplomats and civil servants assigned to work abroad for what has been the leading US foreign aid provider for more than 60 years, they said. Trump has claimed without evidence that the agency was rife with fraud and run by radical left lunatics," while Musk falsely accused it of being a criminal" organization. Thousands of USAIDs own staff were placed on administrative leave they received layoff notices on Friday hundreds of contractors fired and more than 5,000 programs terminated, disrupting global humanitarian aid efforts on which millions depend. According to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, USAID maintains missions in more than 60 countries, with most of its funds going to humanitarian aid and health programs. Top recipients included war-torn Ukraine and Democratic Republic of Congo, US ally Jordan, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the combat-shattered Gaza Strip. A summary of the conference call circulated by one regional bureau and reviewed by Reuters confirmed the terminations of all locally-hired foreign nationals and American diplomats and civil servants on assignment with USAID abroad. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all It said more than 600 U.S. diplomats are on secondment to USAID overseas, but provided no figure for the number of US civil service members. Most are to be terminated in July, when the intent is to close all programmatic work." Every position eliminated; 100 percent of the agency is rifd (Reduction in Force) or will be," the summary said, and advised personnel that no one would be retained and to focus on things to make sure youre getting the right benefits." 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 : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: April 01, 2025, 23:08 IST Five Signs All Is Not Well In Bangladesh Under Muhammad Yunus Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Karishma Jain Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 07:00 IST With economic distress mounting, diplomatic relations faltering, and public discontent rising, Muhammad Yunus's tenure as Chief Adviser appears increasingly troubled The situation in Bangladesh is growing increasingly unstable under the leadership of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. (AFP) The situation in Bangladesh is growing increasingly unstable under the leadership of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. From a crumbling garment sector to uneasy civil-military relations, signs of a deepening crisis are visible across key sectors. Investor confidence has plummeted amid a worsening law and order situation, foreign policy missteps have isolated the country diplomatically, and corruption allegations are raising serious questions about the governments intent and credibility. Here are five major indicators that point to worsening conditions in the country: Recommended Stories GARMENT SECTOR IN DEEP CRISIS Bangladeshs vital garment industry is in turmoil. Since August 5, 2024, more than 140 garment factories have shut down, with 15 more closures reported this month alone. Over one lakh workers have lost their jobs, many without receiving pending wages or service benefits. The impact is particularly severe in Dhaka and surrounding industrial hubs: 103 factories in Dhaka, 70 in Gazipur, 23 in Narayanganj, and 41 in Savar-Ashulia have ceased operations. Even 15 factories linked to Beximcoreportedly close to the Awami Leaguehave shut down. A combination of financial distress, declining purchase orders, and lack of political direction has left the industry teetering. CIVIL-MILITARY TENSIONS ON THE RISE There is growing friction between the military and the Yunus administration. Several Army officials have reportedly expressed frustration at the governments repeated attempts to drag the military into political matters. The Army Chief remains firm on holding elections by December, signalling a possible institutional standoff. While the military has been tasked with handling the rising threat of militancy sophistically," the apparent disconnect between civilian and military leadership is adding to the countrys instability. INVESTOR CONFIDENCE PLUMMETS Bangladeshs worsening law and order situationmarked by looting, arson, murders, and militant activityhas severely shaken business confidence. Foreign investment has plunged by a staggering 71 per cent compared to the previous year. Businessmen have publicly voiced concern over the governments failure to ensure safety or support economic recovery. The growing presence of extremist outfits like Hizb ut-Tahrir openly protesting in Dhaka has only deepened investor fears. FLAILING FOREIGN POLICY On the international front, Yunus appears increasingly isolated. Relations with the US have been strained since Donald Trumps return to power, and Bangladeshs pivot towards China and India has yielded limited results. Despite repeated attempts, Yunus has struggled to secure a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His recent controversial comments on Indias Northeast states have further strained ties. Meanwhile, tensions with Russia over the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and rising concerns over Chinas expanding footprint have left Bangladesh with few reliable diplomatic allies. MOUNTING CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Allegations of corruption have surfaced against Yunus and several of his advisers. According to a report by Anjuman A Islam in Eurasia Review, multiple government advisers have been misusing official vehicles in violation of established norms. More controversially, Yunus has been accused of using his position to fast-track approvals for ventures linked to him and his associates. Within just two months of taking office, Grameen Bank received a five-year exemption from regulatory scrutiny, and Grameen Kalyan was granted tax relief amounting to BDT 666 crore, bypassing an earlier high court ruling. Even a private Grameen university received quick approval under his watch. With economic distress mounting, diplomatic relations faltering, and public discontent rising, Yunuss tenure as Chief Adviser appears increasingly troubled. The coming months may prove decisive for Bangladeshs political and economic trajectory. 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: April 01, 2025, 07:00 IST SpaceX Launches Private Astronaut Crew On Fram2 Polar-Orbiting Mission Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 12:11 IST SpaceX launched the Fram2 mission, led by crypto entrepreneur Chun Wang, on a first-ever pole-to-pole orbital flight with a private astronaut crew. The mission focuses on microgravity research. Fram2 - the first human spaceflight to explore Earth's polar regions - lifts off from pad 39A in Florida (Photo: SpaceX/X) Elon Musks SpaceX on Tuesday launched a crew of four private astronauts on a mission to orbit Earth from pole to pole, a novel trajectory in which no humans have travelled before. The mission, named Fram2, is a reference to the Norwegian Fram" ship that pioneered Arctic exploration at the turn of the 20th century. Maltese investor Chun Wang, a Chinese-born magnate who founded a bitcoin mining company, is the bankroller and commander of the mission. Recommended Stories Wang and three associates launched aboard SpaceXs Crew Dragon capsule at 9.47 pm EDT on Monday (0147 GMT on Tuesday) from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, setting off for a free-flying mission for three to five days. During the mission, they will partake in 22 research experiments largely centered on how spaceflight and microgravity affect the human body. On Monday afternoon, the four crew members were driven to the launchpad in a caravan of Teslas the electric cars of Musks other company winding through the roads of Cape Canaveral, Florida, with a police escort, as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched overhead in an unrelated Starlink mission. The mission, SpaceXs sixth private astronaut flight, is the companys latest novel effort that expands its dominance in the global human spaceflight arena. It comes as Musks power as SpaceX CEO and the worlds richest man soars as he works as a close adviser to US President Donald Trump, a role that has given him extraordinary influence for a businessman over an array of US policy matters. WHAT IS FRAM2? Fram2 is the 16th crewed mission overall using the reusable Crew Dragon, a gumdrop-shaped spacecraft that SpaceX developed with NASA funding to provide the US space agency a ride for its astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX and its Dragon craft have dominated the nascent market for private orbital spaceflight, an area in which a key source of demand originally came from a small field of wealthy tourists. Dragon is the worlds only privately built capsule routinely flying missions in orbit, as Boeings Starliner capsule is held up in development. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In recent years, with Dragon flights costing roughly $55 million per seat, the spaceflight market involving companies such as Axiom Space that contract Crew Dragon missions has fixated more on astronauts from governments willing to pay the sum mainly for national prestige and bolstering domestic spaceflight experience. However, the Fram2 crew is untethered from government backing. 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: April 01, 2025, 07:36 IST Iran does not want to do this, but (it) will have no choice," he added. If at some point you (the US) move towards bombing by yourself or through Israel, you will force Iran to make a different decision." Trump said on Saturday there will be bombing" if Iran did not agree to a nuclear deal, according to NBC News, which said he also threatened to punish Tehran with what he called secondary tariffs". Despite the sharpening of Trumps comments, it was not clear if he was threatening a US bombing or an operation coordinated with another country, possibly Irans nemesis, Israel. They threaten to do mischief," Khamenei said of the remarks during a speech for the holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. If it is carried out, they will receive a strong counterattack." The message was sent to the UN Security Council in a letter by Irans UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, which condemned what he called warmongering provocations". Iran will respond swiftly and decisively to any act of aggression or attack by the United States or its proxy, the Israeli regime," the envoy added. Indian Man Arrested For Threatening To Kill Cabin Crew Member On Singapore-Bound Flight Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 11:15 IST The police said that his aggressive behaviour continued when flight attendants attempted to calm him down. He also grabbed the wrist of a male cabin crew member and verbally threatened to kill him. Representative Image. (Pexels) An Indian man has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill a cabin crew member on a Singapore-bound flight and engaging in unruly behaviour while under the influence of alcohol. According to a report on the news website Mothership, Singapore police will be charging the 42-year-old Indian national in court on April 1. Recommended Stories The police said that the man started behaving in a threatening manner while onboard the flight on February 27. Details of the incident were shared in a police statement released on March 31. According to police, the Indian man disrupted the Singapore-bound flight by grabbing a nearby passenger and forcibly pushing the seat in front of him, disturbing fellow travelers. He was believed to be acting under the influence of alcohol. The police said that his aggressive behaviour continued when flight attendants attempted to calm him down. He also grabbed the wrist of a male cabin crew member and verbally threatened to kill him. The 42-year-old mans aggressive behavior ceased only after he was warned that the plane would divert if he continued. He was subsequently restrained by the crew for the rest of the journey. After the flight landed at Singapores Changi Airport, the police arrested the Indian man. He will be charged with several offenses, including using criminal force to a person, being intoxicated onboard, jeopardising good order and discipline, and criminal intimidation if the threat is to cause death. The most severe charge is punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine, or both. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Physical aggression, verbal threats and attempt to interfere with the crews duties can compromise flight safety," the police reminded all flyers, adding that the department would not hesitate in taking action against anyone who endangers passengers or crew members on board. All air travellers are reminded to adhere to air safety regulations and conduct themselves responsibly when onboard an aircraft," the police said. Location : Singapore First Published: April 01, 2025, 11:15 IST Iran Threatens To Target US-British Joint Base In Indian Ocean: If Donald Trump Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 10:57 IST Citing a senior Iranian official, the report said that military commanders have been asked to target the joint UK-US base, which sits on Britains Chagos Islands. US President Donald Trump (Image: Reuters) Iran vowed to launch a preemptive strike on the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean before the United States uses it to target the Islamic Republic, The Telegraph reported. Diego Garcia is the main island in the Chagos Archipelago the UK-owned Indian Ocean territory. Recommended Stories Citing a senior Iranian official, the report said that military commanders have been asked to target the joint UK-US base, which sits on Britains Chagos Islands, as Tehran aims to deter Donald Trump from striking the country. The official told The Telegraph, Top commanders are being urged to launch preemptive strikes on the island and its base if Trumps threats have become more serious." Discussions about the island have intensified since the Americans deployed bombers there," the official added. As per satellite imagery, at least three B-2 Spirit jets arrived at the strategic US-UK outpost last week. An Iranian regime supporter said as per The Telegraph, I find it very unlikely that the countrys top defence commanders, since the 1990s, have not considered a missile attack either ballistic or cruise on Chagos. And if they werent, theyd definitely be very stupid." The base supports B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52 Stratofortress bombers and some 4,000 military personnel and contractors majority of whom are American are also housed there. The Iranian official said: Some are suggesting that missiles be fired towards the island, not with the intent to hit anything, but to fall into the water to send a clear message to the Americans that we are serious." This comes as Donald Trump renewed his maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, which included continuing his efforts to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Iranian official said, The response to Trumps threats should be action, not words every base in the region is within range of our missiles. The missiles are locked and loaded, ready to target any area from which Iran could be threatened, whether from Diego Garcia or Bahrain." He added, as per the report, Commanders have been instructed to ensure that all missile launchers are prepared and that nuclear sites are well protected. They are bracing for an all-out war, with everything in place for when Trump attacks." About the Author Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" Location : Tehran, Iran First Published: April 01, 2025, 10:57 IST ISRO Satellite Images Reveal Massive Damage Caused By Myanmar Earthquake | See Pics Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 07:19 IST ISRO captured satellite images of the damage caused by the powerful earthquake measuring 7.7 in magnitude struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025. Images showing destruction caused by earthquake in Myanmar. (Image: News18) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday released satellite images of the powerful earthquake caused by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar and rattled neighbouring countries on March 28, 2025. The disaster caused widespread devastation, particularly near Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city killing over 1,700 people, according to the latest input. Recommended Stories Cartosat-3, the space agencys Earth imaging satellite, which can help with images at a resolution of less than 50 centimetres, managed to capture photos from an altitude of 500 kilometres above the Earth. ISRO Releases Satellite Images In the aftermath of the earthquake, satellite imagery from ISROs Cartosat-3 has provided crucial insights into the extent of the destruction. The released images show how a huge bridge over the Irrawaddy River collapsed. The damage to Mandalay University was also highlighted. The earthquake resulted in catastrophic damage across multiple regions, leaving several people injured, while many lost their lives. Infrastructure such as roads, residential buildings, and historical landmarks also suffered severe destruction. Notable damage was reported in Mandalay and the nearby Sagaing region. The images taken on March 29 revealed extensive damage to Mandalays infrastructure, including notable landmarks that suffered either complete or partial collapse. Several major sites like the Mahamuni Pagoda and the historic Ava Bridge also collapsed. In addition to this, tremors were felt in Thailand, prompting emergency responses there as well. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all A state of emergency has been declared by Myanmars military government as rescue operations are underway to locate those trapped. According to reports, over 2,900 people have died, with thousands more injured. India was one of the first countries to offer help and fly in rescue teams to provide assistance to Myanmar at this crucial time. About the Author Mahima Joshi Mahima Joshi, Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking team. Covering national stories and bringing breaking news to the table are her forte. She is deeply interested in Indian politics and a... Read More Mahima Joshi, Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking team. Covering national stories and bringing breaking news to the table are her forte. She is deeply interested in Indian politics and a... Read More Location : Myanmar (Burma) First Published: April 01, 2025, 07:19 IST Myanmar Earthquake Death Toll Crosses 2,700; Rescue Teams Warn Of Aid Shortages Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 16:51 IST Myanmar Earthquake: The 7.7 magnitude quake, which hit around lunchtime on Friday, was the strongest to hit the Southeast Asian country in more than a century. NDRF personnel work under 'Operation Brahma' to provide humanitarian aid and assistance at an earthquake-hit site in Myanmar. (Photo: @IndiainMyanmar via PTI) Myanmar Earthquake: The death toll from the last weeks powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar has risen to over 2,700, with over 4,500 people injured and many still missing, the countrys ruling junta said on Tuesday, according to Reuters. Myanmars military leader Min Aung Hlaing, in a televised address on Tuesday, said that the death toll reached 2,719 and is expected to rise to more than 3,000. He said 4,521 people were injured, and 441 were missing. As rescue workers sift through the rubble of collapsed buildings, fears are mounting that the number of casualties will keep rising in the coming days. Recommended Stories Most of the reports so far have come from Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city, which was near the epicentre of the earthquake, and Naypyidaw. The search and rescue efforts were paused briefly on Tuesday as people stood for a minute in silent tribute to the victims. The 7.7 magnitude quake, which hit around noontime on Friday, was the strongest to hit the Southeast Asian country in more than a century, toppling ancient pagodas and modern buildings alike. A state of emergency has been declared by Myanmars military government as rescue operations are underway to locate those trapped. Rescue Teams Warn Of Aid Shortages The rescue teams and aid groups in the worst-hit areas of Myanmar have emphasised on an urgent need for shelter, food and water for the victims, but said that the countrys civil war could prevent help reaching those in need. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 50 children and two teachers were killed when their preschool collapsed in Mandalay. Aid organisations have warned shortages of food, water, and medical supplies, with thousands of displaced residents forced to sleep outdoors. In the hardest-hit areas communities struggle to meet their basic needs, such as access to clean water and sanitation, while emergency teams work tirelessly to locate survivors and provide life-saving aid," the UN body said in a report. Foreign aid workers have been arriving slowly to help in the rescue efforts, but progress was still slow with a lack of heavy machinery in many places. International rescue teams from several countries are on the scene, including from Russia, China, India, the United Arab Emirates and several Southeast Asian countries. In one site in Naypyidaw on Tuesday, workers formed a human chain, passing chunks of brick and concrete out hand-by-hand from the ruins of a collapsed building. People Sleeping Outdoors The International Rescue Committee said shelter, food, water and medical help were all needed in places such as Mandalay, near the epicentre of the deadly earthquake. Having lived through the terror of the earthquake, people now fear aftershocks and are sleeping outside on roads or in open fields," an IRC worker in Mandalay said, as per the report. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that more than 10,000 buildings overall are known to have collapsed or been severely damaged in central and northwest Myanmar. Amnesty International has also called on the Junta to allow unrestricted humanitarian access to affected areas, particularly those outside its control. Rescue Operation Underway In Thailand At least 20 deaths have been confirmed in Thailands capital, Bangkok, where an under-construction high-rise building collapsed, but officials have warned that it could rise as more bodies are recovered. Meanwhile, search teams continued working at the site of the collapsed skyscraper as 74 people are still missing or trapped under the debris. Rescuers remained hopeful of finding survivors but acknowledged that the chances were dwindling, given that four days had passed since the earthquake. There are about 70 bodies underneath and we hope by some miracle one or two are still alive," said Bin Bunluerit, a volunteer rescue leader. Bangkok deputy governor Tavida Kamolvej confirmed that scanners had detected six human-shaped figures but showed no signs of movement or life. Indias Operation Brahma As a first-responder, India on Tuesday despatched more than 400 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the East Asian nation under Operation Brahma, using naval ships INS Satpura and INS Savitri. According to the Indian Embassy in Yangon, six Indian Air Force planes and five Navy ships have delivered aid to the cities of Yangon, Naypyidaw, and Mandalay. India is sending more aid, with three additional Navy shipsINS Karmukh, INS Gharial, and LCU-S2carrying over 500 tonnes of relief materials on their way to Yangon. A JAF C-130 aircraft is also set to land in Mandalay today with 15 tonnes of additional supplies. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all A field hospital manned by experts from the Indian Army is operational at the old airport in Mandalay, the region hit hardest by the quake. The 80-member search and rescue team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is combing through rubble at more than a dozen sites in Mandalay to look for survivors. (With inputs from agencies) 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 : Myanmar (Burma) First Published: April 01, 2025, 16:22 IST Nepali Congress Demands Ban On Monarchy-Supporting Indian Media | Exclusive Reported By : CNN-News18 Last Updated: April 02, 2025, 01:43 IST On Tuesday, a team led by Chandra Shekhar Kumar Prasad Yadav, vice president of the Madhes Province Committee of the Nepali Congress, submitted a memorandum to the chief district officers of Parsa and Bara, urging the government to ban Indian media supporting the monarchy in Nepal Members of a pro-monarchist group hurl stones at police officers during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo) The Nepali Congress has demanded a ban on Indian media in Nepal for advocating in favour of monarchy and misleading the public by broadcasting news that, the party claims, goes against the sentiments and interests of the country and its people, sources told CNN-News18. On Tuesday, a team led by Chandra Shekhar Kumar Prasad Yadav, vice president of the Madhes Province Committee of the Nepali Congress, submitted a memorandum to the chief district officers of Parsa and Bara, urging the government to ban Indian media supporting the monarchy in Nepal. Recommended Stories The Nepali Congress, the largest party in Parliament, has said that former king Gyanendra should be held responsible for Fridays violent incidents in the country. At least two persons, including a TV cameraman, were reportedly killed, and 110 others were injured in the clashes between security personnel and pro-monarchy protesters, who were demanding the reinstatement of a Hindu monarch. Over a dozen properties, including business complexes, restaurants, hospitals, and private and government buildings, were also vandalised by protesters. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The pro-monarchists have become active since Democracy Day in February, when Gyanendra Shah said, Time has come for us to assume responsibility to protect the country and bring about national unity." They organised rallies in Kathmandu and other parts of the country, demanding the reinstatement of the 240-year-old monarchy, abolished in 2008. With agency inputs About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 First Published: April 02, 2025, 01:43 IST Pakistans President Asif Ali Zardaris Health Deteriorates, Rushed To Hospital In Karachi: Report Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 18:48 IST Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari was rushed to a private hospital in Karachi late Monday night following a deterioration in his health Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari | File Image Pakistans President Asif Ali Zardari was rushed to a private hospital in Karachi late Monday night following a deterioration in his health, according to reports. Sources within the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) report that President Zardari is undergoing treatment, while doctors perform necessary medical tests to evaluate his health condition. Recommended Stories Security measures around the hospital have been tightened, with law enforcement officials deployed at the site to ensure the safety of the president, reported Pakistani news outlets. Unauthorised access to the hospital premised has been restricted, it added. A day before being hospitalised, President Zardari took part in Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at Zardari House in Nawabshah. He was accompanied by Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Provincial Minister Ali Hassan, and Zia Lanjar, along with a large number of attendees. Notably, the president has faced health concerns multiple times in recent years. In 2024, he sustained a foot fracture while disembarking from a plane at Dubai Airport during a private visit to the UAE. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors applied a plaster and advised four weeks of rest, leading to the postponement of an official visit to China. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all As of now, there has been no official statement regarding his current health condition. About the Author Ronit Singh Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be... Read More Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be... Read More Location : Pakistan First Published: April 01, 2025, 18:37 IST Someone Will Be Arrested: Musk Reveals 400,000 Social Security Numbers Were Stolen In Data Breach Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 16:48 IST Elon Musk in a voice note warned that the individual who has stolen social security numbers will be arrested soon. Musk claimed stolen Social Security data is being used for illegal immigration benefits and voter fraud. (IMAGE: REUTERS) An enraged Elon Musk said that an unknown individual will soon be arrested for allegedly stealing and selling the personal data of four lakh individuals from the US Social Security database. I think someone will be arrested tomorrow," stated the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head in a voice note shared on X by an account named DogeDesigner. Recommended Stories This individual stole 400,000 Social Security numbers and personal information from the database," Musk could be heard saying in the audio clip. ELON MUSK: "Someone is going to be arrested tomorrow. He actually stole 400,000 social security numbers & personal information from the Social Security database and was selling social security numbers in order for people to basically steal money from Social Security." pic.twitter.com/1hjl1Umcup DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) April 1, 2025 Musk connected the data breach to illegal immigration and voter fraud and suggested that stolen Social Security numbers allow non-citizens to vote. This is a particular method of fraud for illegal immigrants and voter fraud as Social Security is the primary form of identification in the United States. Compromising this system allows non-citizens to vote," Musk explained. The SpaceX CEO then accused Democrats of facilitating undocumented immigrants in obtaining benefits, claiming misuse of Social Security, Medicare, unemployment benefits and IRS refunds. Democrats have manipulated every government sector to provide financial incentives for illegal immigrants," the billionaire CEO of Tesla and X alleged. He further claimed that disaster relief funds were also misused. FEMA funds, meant for aiding Americans during national disasters, were diverted to pay for luxury hotels in New York for illegal sustainers," he said. The city of New York was keeping illegal immigrants in certain hotels and also kept them in schools and other public places like disaster relief shelters, much to the anger of New Yorkers. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all No law enforcement agency has commented on Musks claims and neither have they made any statement regarding arrest. In an episode of Joe Rogan Experience, Elon Musk told podcast host Joe Rogan that Social Security was the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time" to podcaster Joe Rogan. In a March address to US Congress, President Donald Trump cited shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud" in the Social Security system. 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 : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: April 01, 2025, 16:47 IST Stop Attacking US Ships Or Face Real Pain: Donald Trumps Warning To Houthis, Iran Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 07:03 IST Donald Trump Warns Houthis: Warning Iran backed-Houthis and Tehran, the US President said- in a post on Truth Social- that "real pain" is yet to come. United States President Donald Trump (Reuters Image) US President Donald Trump said that strikes on Yemens Houthis will continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping. Warning Iran backed-Houthis and Tehran, the US President said- in a post on Truth Social- that real pain" is yet to come. The choice for the Huthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Huthis and their sponsors in Iran," Donald Trump said. Recommended Stories This comes as Donald Trump said that there will be bombing" if Iran does not reach a deal on its nuclear program. Houthis had been decimated" by relentless" strikes since March 15 and US forces hit them every day and night Harder and harder", Donald Trump added in the post. He said, Our attacks will continue until they are no longer a threat to Freedom of Navigation." The Donald Trump administration has been battling a scandal over a chat between senior US officials on Yemen strikes which was accidentally leaked to a journalist. He has repeatedly insisted on the success of the US strikes on the Houthis after the Atlantic magazine revealed last week that its editor was mistakenly included in a chat on Signal app as top officials discussed the Yemen strikes. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all On the chat, Donald Trumps National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed details of air strike timings and intelligence, as per the report. Donald Trump called the scandal a witch hunt" and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, This case has been closed here at the White House as far as we are concerned." About the Author Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: April 01, 2025, 07:03 IST Ukrainian Man Who Went On Stabbing Rampage In Amsterdam Likely Had Terrorist Intent, Prosecutors Claim Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 21:08 IST The Amsterdam authorities said that the stabber was a 30-year-old Ukrainian national from the Donetsk region. Amsterdam Police cordoned off the area where the stabbing took place. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE) A man who went on a stabbing rampage in Amsterdam last Thursday, wounding five people, is suspected of their attempted murders with a likely terrorist intent, Dutch prosecutors said on Tuesday. The suspect, who police said checked into an Amsterdam hotel last Wednesday, is a 30-year-old Ukrainian national from the Donetsk region. Local authorities would not give more information on the suspects identity. Recommended Stories The man is suspected of five counts of attempted murder or manslaughter with a terrorist motive," prosecutors said. He was arrested quickly after the incident with the help of bystanders, sustaining an injury to his leg. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The victims were a 26-year-old man from Poland, a 73-year-old Belgian woman, a 19-year-old woman from Amsterdam and a 67-year-old woman and a man, 69, both American. While the Polish man was released from hospital by Friday, the other victims remain hospitalized but in stable condition, prosecutors said in the statement. 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 : Amsterdam, Netherlands First Published: April 01, 2025, 21:08 IST UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder: US Prosecutors To Seek Death Penalty For Luigi Mangione Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 21:45 IST US Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting and killing the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's insurance division Brian Thompson in New York last year. Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the high-profile killing of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson (X) US Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of shooting and killing the CEO of UnitedHealth Groups insurance division Brian Thompson in New York last year. Lawyers for Mangione did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Recommended Stories Mangione has pleaded not guilty to New York state charges of murder as an act of terrorism and weapons offenses. He could face life in prison without parole if convicted in that case. New York does not have the death penalty for state charges. Mangione faces a parallel federal indictment in Manhattan federal court over Thompsons killing. He could face the death penalty if convicted in that case. He has not yet been asked to enter a plea to the federal charges. Thompson, the former CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot dead on December 4 outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel, where the company was gathering for an investor conference. Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America," Bondi, an appointee of Republican President Donald Trump, said in a statement. "After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again," Bondi said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The brazen killing of Thompson and ensuing five-day manhunt captivated Americans. While public officials condemned the killing, some Americans who decry steep healthcare costs and the power of health insurers to refuse to pay for some treatments have feted Mangione as a folk hero. Location : New York, United States of America (USA) First Published: April 01, 2025, 21:45 IST US Slaps Visa Restrictions On Chinese Officials Over Access To Tibetan Areas Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 08:29 IST The statement did not name specific Chinese officials or provide further details on the US measures US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (AP Image) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday announced that Washington has imposed additional visa restrictions on Chinese officials involved in restricting foreign access to Tibetan areas. In a post on social media platform X, Rubio accused Chinese officials of engaging in systematic efforts" to limit access to Tibet and demanded Beijing to restore reciprocity for US diplomats and others. Recommended Stories China must restore reciprocity for our diplomats and others to access Tibetan areas in the same way that Chinas diplomats enjoy broad access in the United States," he stated. Today I am imposing visa restrictions against Chinese officials who have engaged in systematic efforts to restrict access to Tibetan areas.China must restore reciprocity for our diplomats and others to access Tibetan areas in the same way that Chinas diplomats enjoy broad Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 31, 2025 In a statement from his office, Rubio also criticised the Chinese Communist Party, highlighting that for years, the CCP has prevented US diplomats, journalists, and other international observers from accessing the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas. Meanwhile, Chinese diplomats and journalists enjoy broad access in the US. For far too long, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has refused to afford U.S. diplomats, journalists, and other international observers access to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas of China, while Chinas diplomats and journalists enjoy broad access in the United States," the US Secretary of State said in his statement. The statement did not name specific Chinese officials or provide further details on the US measures. US diplomats are also unable to provide services to US citizens traveling in Tibet. This lack of reciprocity is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Rubio added, calling for unrestricted access" to Tibetan areas for diplomats and others. China took control of Tibet in 1950, referring to it as a peaceful liberation." However, international human rights groups and exiles have condemned Chinas governance in the region as oppressive. While the US officially recognises Tibet as part of China, the US State Department has repeatedly urged Chinese authorities to respect religious freedom and allow Tibetans to preserve and practice their cultural and religious traditions without government interference. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all ALSO READ: Donald Trump Says US Will Impose Tariffs On All Countries: Whole World Will Pay (With inputs from Reuters) 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: April 01, 2025, 08:16 IST CBI Files Closure Report In Najeeb Ahmed Case: 10 Years On, JNU Student's Disappearance Still A MysteryFive hundred police personnel, sniffer dogs, mounted police, photographers and videographers, 560 witness examinations, analysis of more than 200 documents, testimonies from 116 auto-rickshaw drivers and a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh despite all of this, the disappearance of JNU student Najeeb Ahmed in October 2016 remains a mystery. A city court on Monday accepted the CBIs closure report filed in the case of Najeeb Ahmed's disappearance. While accepting the report, the court said it is of the opinion that the premier central agency investigated all plausible avenues available and the present closure report stands accepted. "The court also earnestly hopes that Najeeb Ahmed shall be traced soon. This court expresses its regret that while the proceedings in the present case end with this closure report, a closure for Najeebs mother and other loved ones still eludes us. The CBI is at liberty to reopen the investigation on receipt of any credible information and shall intimate the court," the court observed. Delhi Police initially handled the investigation, but it was later transferred to the CBI after Najeebs mother filed a habeas corpus petition in the Delhi High Court expressing dissatisfaction with the probe. In October 2018, the CBI closed its investigation into the case. During the investigation it had also appeared that Najeeb had an altercation with some of his hostel mates on the intervening night of October 14 and 15, 2016. Noting that the court, while accepting the closure report, said while the allegations regarding physical assault and verbal threats against Najeeb on the night of October 14, 2016, are supported by witness testimonies, those events cannot be linked to his subsequent disappearance. The CBI has, through the evidence collected (the genuineness of which has not been disputed), satisfactorily explained the whereabouts of the suspects and ruled out their involvement. The mere existence of a motive or hostility, sans any corroborative material, cannot be a substitute for proof, the court said. Najeeb was an MSc Biotechnology student at JNU and was allotted room number 106 in Mahi-Mandvi hostel of the university. Police found during its investigation that elections of the Mahi-Mandvi hostel were scheduled to take place on October 17, two days before which Najeeb went missing. WHAT HAPPENED? It surfaced that students, namely, Vikrant Kumar, Sunil Pratap Singh and Ankit Kumar Roy, contesting for the post of mess secretary and hostel committee member, were campaigning for the same, on the night of October 14, 2016. They went to visit room number 106 of the hostel, which was opened by Najeeb, and they requested him to cast his vote in their favour. As per the investigation, Najeeb got angry about this, abused, and slapped Vikrant Kumar (one of the campaigning students) twice and questioned him about the red thread (kalava) on his hand. Najeeb also pushed Sunil Pratap Singh, as he tried to intervene. At this point, Ankit Roy went to call the security guard from the ground floor of the hostel. As the situation intensified, the hostel security guard, Rajesh Kumar Jat called and requested the supervisor and hostel wardens. An emergency meeting was called in the wardens office on the same night and, as per the statements of witnesses, Najeeb orally admitted that he had slapped Vikrant without any provocation and also pleaded sorry. Both Vikrant and Najeeb were asked to submit in writing about the incident and Vikrant gave a complaint, mentioning that Najeeb had slapped him, while Najeeb wrote a one line submission: I dont remember. After the meeting, Najeeb complained of back pain and was taken to Safdarjung Hospital in the JNU ambulance. Najeebs mother Fatima Nafees, who had been informed about the incident, started for Delhi from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh around 3.30 am along with her younger son, Mujeeb Ahmed. She last spoke to Najeeb around 11.30 am from Anand Vihar, but when she reached the hostel around 1.00 pm, her son was missing and his mobile phone as well as laptop were in the hostel room. According to the witnesses, Najeeb was last seen boarding an auto-rickshaw and was not carrying any luggage. He was wearing the same clothes as the night before. WHO ARE THE SUSPECTS? In this case, there were nine prime suspects mostly Najeebs hostel mates with whom he got into a fight. The court said it has perused the digital foot-printing report of the call records and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory reports. It has been revealed, the main accused remained there, from the morning of October 15, 2016 till lunch when the match got over. It further noted that another one of the suspects, went to the library along with Deepak on October 15 at around 10.30 am. Moreover, another suspect Ankit Kumar Roy had gone to attend the School of Language on the morning of Octoner in 15 and returned to the hostel only at 1.30 pm, the court noted. THE INVESTIGATION It was on the night of October 15, 2016 when the Vasant Kunj police station (North) in South Delhi, received Najeeb Ahmed's missing complaint which was converted into FIR the next day. Initially, wireless messages were sent out to all units concerned, police stations, districts, and missing person's details were uploaded on Zonal Integrated Police Net (ZIPNET). As the investigation proceeded, police examined staff, students and classmates of Najeeb. Multiple police teams conducted combing operations on the JNU campus as well as in Sanjay Van, behind JNU, twice, with private security personnel from JNU. At the JNU campus, the lands, buildings, water tanks and forest area were also thoroughly searched on December 19 and 20, 2016, in a massive search operation led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) consisting about 560 police officials, assisted by sniffer dogs, mounted police, photographers and videographers. At least 560 witnesses, including Ahmed's family members, classmates, hostel administration among doctors treating Najeeb were examined, security guards and students at JNU, members of the proctorial enquiry committee, and the officials of Delhi Police involved in search of the JNU premises and other neighbouring areas. The probe agency also recorded testimonies of 116 auto-rickshaw drivers plying in and around JNU campus and 61 of them operating around Jamia Millia University. Indian Railways said information was sought from taxi operators, cab service providers, Indian Railways, regarding the possibility of any travel, which could have been undertaken by Najeeb. It was also checked if he had left the city by air. Scrutiny of his bank accounts and information sought from the branches of the banks to identify whether any transaction had taken place in his bank account, ever since his disappearance, were also undertaken. In fact, a Yellow Notice was also issued through Interpol, in order to trace Najeeb and the same was published in all the member-countries of Interpol. Moreover, a reward of Rs 10,00,000 was also announced for the public. Xi Says China, India Should Strengthen Ties In 'Dragon-Elephant Tango' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: April 01, 2025, 17:19 IST Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said both countries are ancient civilisations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South and both are in a crucial stage of modernisation Xi said the neighbours should find ways to coexist peacefully and that he was ready to deepen communication and coordination in major international affairs, and jointly safeguard peace in border areas. (Photo: PTI file) As India and China work together to strengthen bilateral ties that hit all-time low after 2020 Ladakh clash, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday told his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu that their relationship should take the form of a Dragon-Elephant tango" a dance between their emblematic animals. The Chinese and Indian presidents exchanged congratulatory messages on Tuesday, the 75th anniversary of the start of their diplomatic ties. Recommended Stories Xi said the neighbours should find ways to coexist peacefully and that he was ready to deepen communication and coordination in major international affairs, and jointly safeguard peace in border areas. Competition Should Not Become Conflict, Says Jaishankar As India, China Make Efforts To Improve Ties Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong informed that Premier Li Qiang exchanged congratulatory messages with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Li said that China stands ready to work with India, taking the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomat relations as an opportunity, continue to enhance strategic mutual trust, promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, properly handle the boundary question, advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development, so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said both countries are ancient civilisations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South and both are in a crucial stage of modernisation. The historical course of our bilateral relations shows that being partners that contributed to each others success and the cooperative dance of the dragon and the elephant is the right choice for both sides, Guo said. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of our two countries, China stands ready to work with India to view and handle bilateral relations with a strategic and long-term perspective and take this occasion as an opportunity to enhance strategic mutual trust and step up exchanges and cooperation in various fields, Guo said. He was referring to how Modi and Xi provided strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations at their meeting at Kazan in Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS summit last year. The two sides are implementing the consensus of the two leaders and are promoting cooperation and achieving fruitful outcomes. After last years meeting between Modi and Xi, both countries held a series of high level meetings, including that of the Special Representatives (SRs) of the boundary mechanism followed by the visit of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Beijing for talks to normalise relations after the four-year freeze in relations due to the Ladakh standoff. This year, on March 25, India and China held a fresh edition of diplomatic talks in Beijing focusing on ensuring effective border management and early resumption of cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including on trans-border rivers and resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. In the meeting of WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination) on China-India Border Affairs, the two sides explored various measures and proposals to give effect to the decisions taken during talks between NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue in December. On the following day, Gourangalal Das, the joint secretary in the MEAs East Asia division, and Liu Jinsong, the director general at the Chinese foreign ministrys department of Asian Affairs met in Beijing during which they explored ways to rebuild ties and agreed to initiate efforts to promote people-to-people exchanges, including arrangements for resumption of direct flights and resume Kailash Manasarovar Yatra this year. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In the meeting, the two sides also discussed resumption of dialogue mechanisms in a step-by-step" manner to utilise them to address each others priority areas of interest and concern and move the relations to a more stable and predictable path", Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a press release. (With inputs from PTI, Reuters) About the Author Saurabh Verma Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19 Location : Beijing, China First Published: April 01, 2025, 16:32 IST The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has declared that President Mnangagwa acted within his constitutional mandate when he dismissed former High Court judge Justice Erica Ndewere. This decision followed a tribunals recommendation, four years ago, that she be removed from office due to gross incompetence. Justice Ndewere had challenged her dismissal before the Constitutional Court, seeking a declaration that the President had not fulfilled his constitutional obligations when he removed her from the bench on 17 June 2021. She also sought reinstatement as a judge, with back pay and benefits, arguing that the tribunals recommendation was invalid and unlawful. Represented by Ms Beatrice Mtetwa, Ndewere contended that the tribunal had overstepped its authority and failed to follow the procedures outlined in the Constitution and the Judicial Service (Code of Ethics). The Constitutional Court, consisting of Justices Paddington Garwe, Rita Makarau, Anne-Mary Gowora, Ben Hlatshwayo, Bharat Patel, Tendai Uchena, and Nicholas Mathonsi, ruled unanimously against her. Justice Garwe, delivering the judgment, stated that the President had acted by section 187 of the Constitution. The court found no legal basis for Ndeweres claim and dismissed her application. There can be no gainsaying that the President fulfilled his constitutional obligations in section 187 of the Constitution. In the circumstances, the applicant has no cause of action against the President, ruled Justice Garwe. Justice Garwe further observed that Ndeweres application failed to comply with well-established legal principles. He remarked: An applicant who seeks to vindicate a constitutional right by impugning the conduct of a State functionary must identify the functionary and the impugned conduct with reasonable precision. In the present matter, there has been glaring failure on the part of the applicant to comply with this very clear position of the law. Ndewere had argued that her removal violated her right to equality before the law, claiming she was treated differently from other judges who had faced disciplinary proceedings. She alleged that Chief Justice Luke Malaba bypassed the requirement to appoint a panel of three judges to investigate the allegations against her, as mandated by the Judicial Service (Code of Ethics). She also claimed that the charges presented by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the tribunal were inconsistent and discriminatory. Ms Mtetwa argued that the tribunal and the JSC had failed to follow the proper procedures, rendering their recommendations unlawful. She submitted that the President should not have acted on the tribunals advice without ensuring that all constitutional processes had been observed. However, the court rejected these arguments, emphasising that the Presidents role, under section 187(8) of the Constitution, is to act on the tribunals recommendations without questioning their validity. Mrs Venrandah Munyoro, representing the President, maintained that the Constitution does not grant the President discretion to assess the legality of the tribunals processes. She argued that the President had fulfilled his constitutional duty by implementing the tribunals recommendations, as required by law. The court also noted that Ndeweres application failed to meet the legal standard for challenging the Presidents actions. Justice Garwe referred to a previous case, Joyce Teurai Ropa Mujuru v The President of Zimbabwe & Five Others, to highlight the need for applicants to identify the constitutional obligation at issue and demonstrate how it was violated. He stated that Ndeweres application lacked specificity and precision, rendering her claim untenable. The court concluded that Ndewere did not establish a valid cause of action against the President. Despite the serious accusations Ndewere made against the Chief Justice, the JSC, and the tribunal, she did not cite them as respondents. Justice Garwe described this omission as significant and noted that it undermined her case. The court ruled that no costs would be awarded, considering the circumstances of the matter. Herald The Trump administration says it is carrying out a "comprehensive review" of Harvard University contracts and grants worth around $9 billion. In a joint announcement Monday, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the US General Services Administration said funding was being reviewed by the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, Axios reports. Earlier this month, Columbia University caved to the administration's demands after $400 million in funding was pulled, along with billions in future grants. Officials said Monday that around $256 million in government contracts with Harvard was being reviewed, along with $8.7 billion in "multiyear grant commitments." "Harvard's failure to protect students on campus from antisemitic discriminationall while promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiryhas put its reputation in serious jeopardy," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. "Harvard can right these wrongs and restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking, where all students feel safe on its campus." Harvard and Columbia are among 10 universities the administration said it was investigating in February over alleged antisemitism, the New York Times reports. Officials say the review is being carried out to ensure Harvard is in compliance with federal regulations, Politico reports. Earlier this month, the university froze hiring, citing "substantial financial uncertainties driven by rapidly shifting federal policies." The Harvard Crimson calls the review a "drastic escalation in the Trump administration's threats against Harvard over its response to pro-Palestine protests." The Crimson notes that Harvard, "confronted with an unprecedented threat to its operations, may be forced to decide how much it is willing to concede in order to preserve its federal funding." A teenager in Wisconsin shot and killed his mother and stepfather, then went to school the next day like nothing happened, according to prosecutors. The bodies of 35-year-old Tatiana Casap and 51-year-old Donald Mayer were discovered partially decayed in their Waukesha home on Feb. 28 after odd text messages prompted Mayer's mother to request a welfare check, per NBC News and the New York Post . Prosecutors say Casap's 17-year-old son, Nikita Casap, had been living with the bodies for two weeks before fleeing the home with his stepfather's SUV, gun, and $14,000 in cash. He was arrested on Feb. 28 after running a stop sign in Kansas, some 800 miles from home. Prosecutors say he sought fake plates for the SUV, inside of which were Mayer's revolver and spent shell casings, as well as spoke with someone about moving to Ukraine, per WTMJ. "It appears this individual was trying to flee the jurisdictionnot only this state, but this country," Waukesha County Court Commissioner Christopher Bailey said, per NBC. Initially charged with offenses related to the vehicle and gun, Nikita Casap was charged Thursday with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of hiding a corpse, theft of property over $10,000, and two counts of misappropriating ID to obtain money. At a Thursday court hearing, where bail was raised from $250,000 to $1 million, District Attorney Lesli Boese claimed Nikita shot his mother in the neck and stomach on Feb. 11. Her body was found covered in blankets in a hallway. Mayer, shot in the back of the head, was found covered in clothing in a first-floor office, per NBC. It's unclear what prompted the murders, but a classmate told authorities Nikita had discussed his plans in the weeks before, reports WISN. Nikita had threatened to kill the female student if she didn't keep quiet, prosecutors say. He also allegedly sent the classmate what the Post describes as "gory images." A Palestinian teenager died in Israeli detention after collapsing in what the AP refers to as "unclear circumstances" on March 23. Walid Ahmad, 17, had been held in Megiddo Prison for six months without being charged, and became the first Palestinian teen to die in Israeli custody. His family blames prison conditions for his death, alleging he contracted dysentery, an infection that causes diarrhea, vomiting, and dizziness, and can be fatal if not treated. The circumstances of his death are not clear, but Palestinian officials say witnesses saw him fall in a prison yard and hit his head, losing consciousness, before he died. The Palestinian Authority says the witnesses reported that "prison administration did not respond to the prisoners' requests for urgent care to save his life." His death brings Israeli prison conditions into focus, with human rights groups and former detainees reporting widespread abuse in the detention facilities. They claim unsanitary conditions contribute to disease outbreaks, including scabies and dysentery, and that many prisoners face overcrowding, insufficient medical care, and harsh conditions including beatings. Khalid Ahmad, Walid's father, says his son suffered from malnutrition and scabies. When he noticed his son's deteriorating condition during one of the teen's video-conferenced court appearances in February, he says Walid told him, "Don't worry about me." The Israeli prison service has denied systematic abuse and claims to investigate all reports of wrongdoing, while acknowledging prison conditions are maintained at the legal bare minimum level. Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist Cabinet Minister, runs the Israeli National Security Ministry overseeing prisons. Firas al-Jabrini, Walid's lawyer, says he was denied prison visits to his client, who was detained for allegedly throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers in September. The Palestinian Authority reports Walid is the 63rd Palestinian prisoner to die since the start of the current conflict. In total, around 300 have died in Israeli custody since 1967. It's a big day at the voting booth, thanks mainly to two closely watched races. One is a special House election in a deep-red district of Florida that is shaping up to be surprisingly close. The one getting even more attention, however, is for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The details on that one: The candidates: The contest pits Susan Crawford, a liberal judge in Dane County, against Brad Schimel, a conservative judge in Waukesha County and former state attorney general. The winner will give the seven-member court a 4-3 split either in favor of liberals or conservatives, reports USA Today. The contest pits Susan Crawford, a liberal judge in Dane County, against Brad Schimel, a conservative judge in Waukesha County and former state attorney general. The winner will give the seven-member court a 4-3 split either in favor of liberals or conservatives, reports USA Today. Record money: It has become the most expensive judicial race in the nation, notes the Washington Post. More than $90 million has poured in, with $20 million of that coming from Elon Musk or PACs affiliated with him. (Musk even handed out $1 million checks to signers of a Wisconsin petition against "activist judges.") A Cornell University student facing deportation after his visa was revoked because of his campus activism said he has decided to leave the US, per the AP . Momodou Taal, a citizen of the UK and Gambia, had asked a federal court to halt his detention. But he posted on X late Monday that he didn't believe a legal ruling in his favor would guarantee his safety or ability to speak out. "I have lost faith I could walk the streets without being abducted ," Momodou Taal wrote from an unknown location. "Weighing up these options, I took the decision to leave on my own terms." The government says it revoked Taal's student visa in March because of his involvement in "disruptive protests," as well as for disregarding university policies and creating a hostile environment for Jewish students. The Trump administration has attempted to remove noncitizens from the country for participating in campus protests that it deems antisemitic and sympathetic to the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Students say the government is targeting them for advocating for Palestinian rights. Taal, a 31-year-old doctoral student in Africana studies, was suspended last fall after a group of pro-Palestinian activists disrupted a campus career fair. He had been continuing his studies remotely this semester. Taal filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration citing his right to free speech, but the lawsuit was withdrawn Monday. In his post, Taal didn't say where he was writing from or where he intended to live next. "Everything I have tried to do has been in service of affirming the humanity of the Palestinian people, a struggle that will leave a lasting mark on me," he wrote. On X, his lawyer, Eric Lee, wrote, "What is America if people like Momodou are not welcome here?" President Trump's pick to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had to make an unusual denial at the start of his confirmation hearing before a Senate panel on Tuesday. Retired Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine told the Armed Services committee that he had not donned a MAGA hat in Iraq despite President Trump's claim to the contrary, reports Politico . Trump has told the story multiple times in public, including at last year's CPAC conference, per an earlier story on the issue in Politico. "I'll kill for you, sir," Trump quoted the general as telling him in 2018, when Trump was visiting Iraq. "Then he puts on a Make America Great Again hat." If true, that would pose a problem for Caine to assume what is the nation's highest-ranking military position, one that could require him to provide "unvarnished military advice" to the president, per the New York Times. But it isn't true, Caine said Tuesday. "I went back and listened to those tapes, and I think the president was actually talking about somebody else," he told the panel's top Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island. "And I've never worn any political merchandise or said anything to that effect." UPDATE Apr 3, 2025 6:20 PM CDT First, House Speaker Mike Johnson suffered a high-profile defeat after digging in on a rule change, when Republican members voted with Democrats. Now, President Trump has landed on the other side, as well, the New York Times reports. "I don't know why it's controversial," Trump said Thursday about the proposal to let lawmakers caring for newborns cast House votes by proxy. He didn't say whether Johnson is about to reverse his position. "I'm going to let the speaker make the decision but I like the idea," Trump said. Apr 1, 2025 5:04 PM CDT House Speaker Mike Johnson endured a decisive defeat Tuesday after he staged an unusually aggressive effort to quash a proposal for new parents in Congress to able to vote by proxy rather than in person, as they care for newborns. Nine of his own Republicans joined all Democrats in rejecting his plan, 206-222, in a dramatic vote. Treasury yields dropped in the bond market after a report said US manufacturing contracted last month, breaking a two-month streak of growth, the AP reports. A separate report said US employers were advertising slightly fewer job openings at the end of February than economists expected. US stocks swerved through another shaky day of trading on Tuesday with uncertainty still high about just what President Trump will announce about tariffs on his "Liberation Day." The nervousness in the market has helped push the price of gold to records, and it briefly topped $3,175 per ounce during the day. That's up from less than $2,700 at the start of the year. On Wall Street, Johnson & Johnson dropped 7.6% after a US bankruptcy court judge denied the company's settlement plan related to baby powder containing talc. It's the third time the company's attempt to resolve the baby powder settlement through bankruptcy has been rejected by courts. Airline stocks continued their descent on worries that customers feeling nervous about the economy and global trade won't fly as much. Delta Air Lines lost 2.7%, and United Airlines gave up 1.2%. Tesla helped limit the market's losses after climbing 3.6%. That, though, clawed back just a small portion of the electric-vehicle maker's steep losses this year, and it's still down by a third for 2025 so far. Elon Musk's company is expected to report on Wednesday how many vehicles it delivered during the first three months of the year. PVH jumped 18.1% after the company behind the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also said it plans to send $500 million to shareholders this year through purchases of its own stock. story continues below Companies are saying they're already feeling effects from Trump's trade war, even with the main event potentially coming on Wednesday, when the president will announce a sweeping set of tariffs. "Customers are pulling in orders due to anxiety about continued tariffs and pricing pressures," one computer and electronic products company told the Institute for Supply Management in its monthly manufacturers' survey. "Starting to see slower-than-normal sales in Canada, and concerns of Canadians boycotting US products could become a reality," a manufacturer in the food, beverage, and tobacco products industry said in the ISM's survey. A Petition Aims to Make the Change Official TORONTO, April 1, 2025 /CNW/ - Air Transat announces that it is officially changing the name of the Atlantic Ocean to the Canadien Ocean. Effective immediately, the new name is featured in onboard announcements across Air Transat's network. To rally nationwide support, the company is launching a petition to make the rebranding permanent on official governmental documents and maps. Air Transat is taking over Sankofa Square in Toronto (CNW Group/Transat A.T. Inc.) The initiative was celebrated last night on the very first flight over the newly named Canadien Ocean, one of up to 184 crossings Air Transat makes each week. Passengers on board were treated to commemorative certificates, and the first official in-flight announcement, marking the historic moment. "We've been flying the Montreal way for 37 years bold, full of joie de vivre, and just a little cheeky," said Xavier Szwengler, Vice President of Marketing and Loyalty at Transat. "As a proudly Canadien airline, we want to celebrate this moment with Canadians at a time when we're rediscovering and embracing our national identity." To mark the occasion, Air Transat is taking over Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge-Dundas Square) in Toronto, unveiling the name change to the broader public. Travellers can book their next adventure at airtransat.com and fly Canadien over the Canadien Ocean. About Air Transat Founded in Montreal 37 years ago, Air Transat is a leading travel brand voted 2024 World's Best Leisure Airline by passengers at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. Its program offers access to international destinations, mainly in Europe, the Caribbean, the East coast of the U.S, South America and North Africa. Air Transat is recognized for its excellent customer service. By renewing its fleet with some of the most energy-efficient aircraft in their category, Air Transat is committed to supporting a travel industry that values the environment and the communities it serves. Based in Montreal with major hubs in YUL Montreal-Trudeau International Airport and Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ), it has 5,000 employees with a common purpose to bring people closer together. Air Transat is a business unit of Transat A.T. Inc. (TSX: TRZ). www.airtransat.com Image bank: transat.com/en-CA/corporate/media For further information: Marie-Christine Pouliot Manager, Public Relations & Content Marketing [email protected] SOURCE Transat A.T. Inc. LONDON, ON, March 31, 2025 /CNW/ - Odd Burger Corporation ("Odd Burger" or the "Company") (TSXV: ODD) (OTCPK: ODDAF) (FSE: IA9), a leading vegan fast-food restaurant chain and food technology company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Graham Taylor, a leading expert in the field of Artificial Intelligence ("AI") as a member of its board of directors effective March 31st, 2025. Dr. Graham Taylor, Professor of Engineering at the University of Guelph. (CNW Group/Odd Burger Corporation) Graham Taylor received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Toronto in 2009 and is currently a Canada Research Chair and Professor of Engineering at the University of Guelph. He co-directs the University of Guelph Centre for Advancing Responsible and Ethical AI and is a Faculty Member at the Vector Institute for AI. In 2016 he was named as one of 18 inaugural CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars and in 2018 he was honoured as one of Canada's Top 40 under 40. In 2019 he became a Canada CIFAR AI Chair and spent 2018-2019 as a Visiting Faculty member at Google Brain, Montreal. Taylor co-founded Kindred, which was featured at number 29 on MIT Technology Review's 2017 list of smartest companies in the world, acquired by Ocado in 2020. From 20212023 he served as Vector's Research Director and is currently the Academic Director of NextAI, a non-profit accelerator for AI-focused entrepreneurs. "We are very excited to have Graham Taylor join our Board of Directors," says James McInnes, CEO and Co-Founder of Odd Burger. "As we continue to build the future of fast food, AI will undoubtedly be a key component of our technology platforms. The leadership that Dr. Taylor brings to Odd Burger in the field of AI will help us to roll out the best technology with the greatest impact to the Company." Graham Taylor will replace Michael Fricker, who has served on Odd Burger's board of directors since January 2022. The Company extends its gratitude to Mr. Fricker for his time and guidance during the past two years. AI Chatbot Launch The Company is also pleased to announce that it has launched a custom-designed AI chatbot on its website (oddburger.com) so that it can begin the process of automating the Company's customer support, franchise sales and investor relations activities. The chatbot is expected to help the Company scale more efficiently and provide better response times and resolutions for its customers, investors and franchise partners. "We are excited to launch our first AI system," says James McInnes. "AI is shifting the way companies do business, and I believe early movers will have a significant advantage in the marketplace." The Company also plans on launching an AI voice agent, which will allow users to get a human-like experience when contacting the Company through the phone. Issuance of Stock Options Odd Burger is pleased to announce that it has issued 250,000 stock options at a price of $0.30 to both Graham Taylor and Marc Goodman. The board of directors is comprised of James McInnes (Chairman), Vasiliki McInnes, Francois Arbour, Marc Goodman and Graham Taylor. The stock options shall vest in 1/3 increments on each of the 12, 24 and 36 month anniversaries of grant. Officers of the company are comprised of James McInnes (President, CEO, Interim CFO) and Vasiliki McInnes (COO). About Odd Burger Corporation Odd Burger Corporation is a franchised vegan fast-food restaurant chain and food technology company that manufactures a proprietary line of plant-based protein and dairy alternatives. Its manufactured products are distributed to Odd Burger restaurant locations through its foodservice line and sold at grocery retailers through its consumer-packaged goods (CPG) line. Odd Burger restaurants operate as smart kitchens, which use state-of-the art cooking technology and automation solutions to deliver a delicious food experience to customers craving healthier and more sustainable fast food. With small store footprints optimized for delivery and takeout, advanced cooking technology, competitive pricing, a vertically integrated supply chain along with healthier ingredients, Odd Burger is revolutionizing the fast-food industry by creating guilt-free fast food that can be enjoyed at its restaurant locations or at home though its CPG line. Odd Burger Corporation is traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "ODD" and on the OTCPK under the symbol "ODDAF". For more information visit https://www.oddburger.com. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Any such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "proposed", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", and similar expressions. Forward looking information contained or referred to in this news release includes statements relating to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, future restaurant openings, potential franchisees, demand for our products and other similar statements. Forward-looking information is based on several factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such information, but which may prove to be incorrect including, but not limited to material assumptions with respect to the continued strong demand for the Company's products, the availability of sufficient financing on reasonable terms to fund the Company's capital requirements and the ability to obtain necessary equipment, production inputs and labour. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information include, among others, negative cash flow and future financing requirements to sustain and grow operations, limited history of operations and revenues and no history of earnings or dividends, expansion of facilities, competition, availability of raw materials, dependence on senior management and key personnel, general business risk and liability, regulation of the food industry, change in laws, regulations and guidelines, compliance with laws, unfavourable publicity or consumer perception, product liability and product recalls, risks related to intellectual property, difficulties with forecasts, management of growth and litigation, as well as the impact of, uncertainties and risks associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. For a more comprehensive discussion of the risks faced by the Company, please refer to the Company's Annual Information Form filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available. Any forward-looking information 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, future events or results or otherwise. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Non-GAAP Measures This news release may refer to certain non-GAAP measures. These measures are not recognized measures under IFRS, do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS, and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing further understanding of our results of operations from management's perspective. Accordingly, these measures should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of our financial information reported under IFRS. The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. 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 Odd Burger Corporation For more information on investing with Odd Burger, please reach out to: [email protected] TORONTO, April 1, 2025 /CNW/ - Tim Hortons is reinventing some of the most iconic and beloved flavours of Canada in donut form. Introducing the new Canadiana Donut Menu, available now at participating restaurants across Canada!* "We've heard feedback from guests suggesting they'd love to be able to order a savoury donut, something that has the deliciousness of one of our iconic donuts but with a flavour profile that would be perfect for their salty cravings," said Chef Tallis Voakes, Director of Culinary Innovation for Tim Hortons. Tim Hortons unveils an epic new lineup of donuts to celebrate Canadas most iconic and delicious flavours in a way that only Tims can (CNW Group/Tim Hortons) "We thought what better way to deliver on that feedback than by taking inspiration from some of Canada's most beloved foods: a Lobster Roll with fresh lobster from Atlantic Canada, Ketchup Chips, and of course, poutine. We think there's something for everyone in our new Canadiana Donut Menu and we can't wait for guests to try them all!" Here's a look at the Canadiana Donut Menu: Atlantic Lobster Eclair: A re-imagined East Coast classic, our Atlantic Lobster Eclair features a yeast donut that is delicately toasted and brushed with brown butter, filled with chunks of fresh Atlantic Canada lobster, topped with lemon sour cream and finished with chives. Served warm. lobster, topped with lemon sour cream and finished with chives. Served warm. Ketchup Chip Cruller: Our classic Cruller gets coated with a sweet glaze and Ketchup Chip-seasoning for an unreal flavour combination. Poutine Donut: Is there a more classically Canadian dish than poutine? Our yeast ring donut is dipped with a savoury gravy fondant and then topped with crispy golden fries and Canadian cheese curds. * While these iconic flavours won't actually be on the menu, they're 100% Canadian in spirit and 100% not real. Sorry (not sorry) for the cravings. Happy April Fools' Day from your friends at Tims! ABOUT TIM HORTONS In 1964, the first Tim Hortons restaurant in Hamilton, Ontario opened its doors and Canadians have been ordering Tim Hortons iconic Original Blend coffee, Double-Double coffees, Donuts and Timbits in the years since. For more than 60 years, Tim Hortons has captured the hearts and taste buds of Canadians and has become synonymous with serving Canada's favourite coffee. Tim Hortons is Canada's largest restaurant chain operating in the quick service industry with nearly 4,000 restaurants across the country. More than a coffee and bake shop, Tim Hortons is part of the Canadian fabric and guests can enjoy hot and cold specialty beverages including lattes, cappuccinos and espressos, teas and our famous Iced Capps alongside delicious breakfast, sandwiches, wraps, soups and more. Tim Hortons has more than 6,000 restaurants in Canada, the United States and around the world. For more information on Tim Hortons visit TimHortons.ca. SOURCE Tim Hortons Media contact: [email protected] 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. " " British Shorthairs are a popular breed for pet cats, partly for their affectionate nature and partly for their expressive faces. Tomasz Bobrzynski (tomanthony) / Getty Images With their playful antics, independent personalities and affectionate ways, cats are some of the most beloved pets worldwide. From fluffy giants to sleek and elegant felines, domestic cat breeds come in all shapes, sizes and temperaments. The Cat Fanciers Association recognizes many purebred cats, and the most popular cat breeds have stolen the hearts of cat lovers everywhere. While some cats have a gentle nature, others have playful energy or unique physical features that make them stand out. Let's dive in. While the landholder argues the land has been 'lying waste', conservationists believe it could be important to several rare native creatures. Australian Conservation Foundation estimates around 400 hectares of land has been cleared around the farm. Source: ACF An Aussie farmer has sparked fierce debate after he boasted of clearing scrub across an outback property so he can run livestock. Video uploaded to his social media account shows a bulldozer running over low-lying native bushes and pulling down trees using a chain. Yanda Station said in a post that its creating jobs and supporting the Central Western NSW community where it operates. Turning unprofitable scrublands that have been lying waste for thousands of years into profitable paddocks where we can run goats and sheep, it said on social media. But ecological experts believe the land thats being cleared could be important to some of Australias rarest birds and animals. When one respondent suggested the livestock could benefit from leaving the native vegetation in place, the farm operator said, "Not a blade of useful grass currently grows between the trees. Not a kangaroo or koala in [sight]. It's useless land the way it is". Transforming the natural landscape into paddocks has been financially lucrative for landholders since European settlement over 200 years ago, but conservationists say the practice has had a devastating impact on Australias native species, with more than 2,200 now threatened with extinction. Land has been cleared on Yanda Station to make way for goat grazing. Source: Yanda Station Concern farm could be home to rare birds The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) believes the habitat destruction across the farm has been extensive. Using satellite analysis, its investigators have estimated that land across hundreds of hectares may have been cleared in the last 24 months. ADVERTISEMENT Its analysis indicates Yanda Station could include important habitat for several lesser-known federally listed threatened species, which the environment minister has a duty to protect. They include the endangered pink cockatoo, hooded robin and the vulnerable blue-winged parrot, painted honeyeater, southern whiteface, superb parrot and Corbens long-eared bat. ACFs national nature campaigner Jess Abrahams said the land has been subject to traditional management methods for thousands of years and it's more than just scrubland. This healthy and intact ecosystem has been providing cultural services, critical habitat and carbon storage for millennia long before the Yanda Station owner came along with his destructive bulldozer and dragging chain, he said. Farmer hits back at conservationists' concerns Yanda Stations operator Will Small disputed concerns raised by ACF. In a message to Yahoo News, he described his critics as university geeks. ADVERTISEMENT They dont realise they eat bread which is made from grain, they dont realise butter comes from cows, and dont realise that meat comes from sheep poor guys havent a clue, he said. You never change these guys that go to uni, they get brainwashed for good and [never] understand how to use a paint brush. ACF said it supports the work of most Aussie farmers who it says predominantly use nature-friendly farming practices to produce food and fibre. We dont need to bulldoze the bush to grow food in Australia. We already have more than 50 million hectares of severely degraded land in this country, Abrahams said. ACF has reported its allegations to the department of environment (DCCEEW), but no findings have been made against the landholder. As enquiries are ongoing, the department will not provide further comment, it told Yahoo. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Victoria Police initially denied her review, but a 'perplexing' detail in the photos taken by the road safety cameras ultimately saw the fine overturned. A 'perplexing' detail in the photo provided by police has pointed to a wider issue. Source: Supplied An Aussie pensioner has had a $494 red light camera fine belatedly overturned after a "sun reflection issue" meant evidence supplied to her didn't visibly show a red light being run. However the 79-year-old's application to review the fine was initially rejected, with the woman forced to start paying the fine in instalments, in what she described as a state of "duress". Dalrene Pompeus and her husband received a letter in early February informing them their car had run a red light in Melbourne all the way back back on November 22 last year. Dalrene, who was driving at the time, swears the light was green when she went through the intersection, but due to the unusually long time between the incident and receiving the infringement notice her dashcam no longer retained the footage. "Having had no previous infringements or penalties, I would be grateful if you reconsider and revoke this fine. I am a pensioner and this fine is almost equal to my pension," she wrote to authorities. Information with the road safety camera images supplied with the fine taken at the intersection of Cemetery Road West and Royal Parade in the city's inner north, claimed the driver entered the intersection 1.8 seconds after the light went red. However the photos only show a green light for drivers travelling straight ahead and no visible red light can actually be seen in the photos. ADVERTISEMENT When approached by Yahoo, VicRoads would not offer comment, saying it was a matter for the state's Justice Department which oversees road cameras in Victoria. However the Justice Department also would not comment, saying it was a matter for police. After Yahoo inquired about the matter, Dalrene says her fine has now been rescinded. There is no visible red light seen in the images supplied as evidence by police. Source: Supplied Sun reflection 'issue' affecting red light cameras In a statement to Yahoo News, Victoria Police admitted there was an issue that meant evidence supplied to offending drivers at certain intersections was less than ideal. "Victoria Police is aware of an issue affecting some fixed road safety camera images, including the fixed camera at the intersection of Cemetery Road West and Royal Parade, Parkville. "The issue relates to sun reflection at particular times of the day, which may affect the image provided," Victoria Police said. ADVERTISEMENT Despite Dalrene eventually having her fine overturned, police claimed they had access to "additional images that ensure the integrity of the camera" however none were offered to Dalrene. At any rate, the department said it was now working to correct the overall issue. "Victoria Police is working with the Department of Justice and Community Safety, who operate road safety cameras in Victoria, to rectify the sun reflection issue affecting a limited number of fixed road safety cameras," police told Yahoo. The pensioner initially had her request to overturn the fine knocked back. Source: Supplied Dalrene's son said the whole ordeal and the swift rejection of her review request left his mother feeling frustrated and powerless. "The money aside, the feeling of powerlessness Mum felt when trying to challenge this and her mindset, being adamant of not infringing on the intersection, had her quite depressed," he told Yahoo. ADVERTISEMENT "For me personally, I found it a perplexing issue for Mum where the images provided were not clear enough to support the presence of a red light or any coloured turning lane light and her previous request for review was immediately quashed." Do you have a road fine story you want to share? We'd love to hear it: Nick.whigham@yahooinc.com When it comes to fines, the Cemetery Road intersection is one of the most lucrative in the state for authorities, despite questions being raised about it for years. Avinash Singh, from criminal law firm Astor Legal, said it's a common occurrence as most people are simply unprepared to fight the fine in the courts. "Generally, camera detected fines are not thoroughly reviewed, if at all, before they are issued. When a person seeks a review of the fine, the images are meant to be looked at properly by the authorities, however, in my experience this is often not done," he told Yahoo News. ADVERTISEMENT "Most people are not willing, or financially able, to take these fines to court. This leads to police and the government being able to underhandedly rely on the fact that most people will not appeal a fine, to raise revenue with very little oversight. "It is a plainly egregious situation, however unless people start fighting these fines, it is unlikely to change." Fines from red light cameras have been on the rise in the state. Source: AAP More than 1.3 million speeding and red light infringements a year in Victoria As states and territories across the country ramp up road monitoring technology, many Aussies are claiming they've been hard done by when it comes to fines issued off the back of red light, seatbelt and mobile phone cameras. In the financial year 2023 to 2024, more than 1.3 million red light and speeding fines were issued in Victoria, up slightly from the previous year but down from the high of 1,380,807 in 2021-2022. "In 2022-23 there was a 7% decrease in speeding and 27% increase in red light infringements when compared to 2021-22," the state government says on its website. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Jelly the Horse at the Funny Farm Animal Rescue & Sanctuary in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Laurie Zaleski, provided A horse at a popular animal refuge in South Jersey died over the weekend from either a suspected stroke or heart attack, according to the sanctuarys owner. Jelly, a 40-year-old horse at The Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary in Mays Landing, Hamilton Township, died Saturday, the animal shelter announced on social media. It is rare for us to post sadness and death as there is so much of that in the world, but Jelly was known by hundreds of thousands of people around the world, the volunteer-based shelter, which has helped save over 600 animals, said Saturday. Jelly was the oldest horse living on the roughly 15-acre farm off Railroad Boulevard, the sanctuary said. She was the oldest horse I have ever had, Laurie Zaleski, founder and president of Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, told NJ Advance Media. The sanctuary initially reported in its post that the horse died from a suspected heart attack, though Zaleski told NJ Advance Media a veterinarian believes the animal could have suffered a stroke. Funny Farm fans used the social media post to acknowledge the beloved horse, remembering her for interactive visits to the sanctuary during public events. Many remembered the horse for sharing an enclosure sharing an enclosure with her boyfriend, Politico, and several other horses. For the most devoted fans of Zaleski and the farm, Jelly the horse is likely best known for falling into a pit in 2007, a story the animal rescuer used as an excerpt in her memoir Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com. Ramapo College recently received a $4 million donation, the largest one-time gift in the public colleges history. Officials at the Mahwah college said a significant portion of the donation will go to scholarships for top New Jersey students who want to attend the state school. The donation came from Ramapos Board of Trustees Chairwoman Susan Vallario and her husband Nick, who have been longtime supporters of the public liberal arts school. MORE: 11 ways to go to college for free in N.J. This phenomenal gift honors the public good Ramapo provides as the states designated public liberal arts college, Ramapo President Cindy R. Jebb said in a statement. Susan and Nicks prescient generosity allows us to further the Colleges mission by investing in and developing our students to be the empathetic problem solvers, ethical change agents, and responsible leaders our state, our society, and the world so desperately need, Jebb said. About $2 million of the donation will go toward Ramapos Presidential Scholarship program, which will now be named after the Vallarios. The program provides financial support to top-achieving New Jersey high school students who choose to attend Ramapo. All first-year applicants who apply to Ramapo by Dec. 15 are automatically considered for the schools merit-based scholarships. Factors such as academic performance and community engagement are considered for the program, school officials said. About 4.5% of applicants to Ramapo College are considered for a Presidential Scholarship, making it the schools most selective academic scholarship, the college said. The other half of the donation will help support Ramapos six-year strategic plan, launched in 2023. The plans core priorities include supporting student well-being, investing in New Jersey students, and preparing liberal arts majors for a digital future. Christopher Romano, the colleges vice president of strategic enrollment, outreach and engagement, said the donation came at a critical time for Ramapo. The declining number of high school graduates nationwide, along with New Jerseys long-standing trend of students leaving the state for college, pose significant challenges for higher education in the state, he said. The donation ensures that Ramapo can continue to recruit top talent in perpetuity, will enable us to continue to deliver on our promise of providing a high quality liberal arts education that positions graduates with the skills they need to be successful in todays ever-changing environment, he said. GloRilla will be peforming at Hot 97 Summerjam in June. (Photo by Terence Rushin/Getty Images) Hot 97s Summer Jam will return to New Jersey this summer after a two-year hiatus. It will be held for the first time at Newarks Prudential Center, on June 20. The annual show will be part of New Jerseys multi-city North to Shore Festival concert series. Summer Jam is the pinnacle of Hip Hop culture, and were honored to bring this electrifying experience to fans once again. This years lineup is a testament to the genres evolution, featuring both chart-topping superstars and rising talent who are shaping the future of Hip Hop, says Shelby Joyner, Founder of SJ Presents and President of The Black Promoters Collective. The lineup includes A Boogie, Gunna, GloRilla, Muni Long, Asake, Ayra Starr, Ja Rule and Friends with a tribute to Irv Gotti. There will also be performances from Kash Doll, Jim Jones & friends, and Cash Cobain. The first Hot 97 Summer Jam took place at what was known as the Brendon Byrne Arena in East Rutherford on June 21, 1994. (It also went by the Meadowlands Arena, Continental Airlines Arena, and Izod Center.) The festival moved to Giants Stadium in 2003 and later MetLife Stadium, where the festivities would continue until 2023. Previous artists who performed at the festival included Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B, and more. Tickets go on pre-sale April 2 and the general public on-sale begins April 4. Related coverage: Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Murjani Rawls may be reached at mrawls@njadvancemedia.com Montclair State University has appointed Dr. Maruice Mangum as the new Associate Dean of Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, effective May 5. Mangum will help lead academic programs that align with the universitys strategic plan and advance teaching excellence and innovation. I am pleased to have such an accomplished scholar and seasoned administrator to support Bloomfield College, said Dean Theodorea Regina Berry. Mangum currently serves as professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at Jackson State University, where he plays a key role in fostering a robust academic environment that prepares students for the next stages of their lives. His previous roles include serving as professor and chair of the Department of Social Science at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, as well as associate dean at Texas Southern University. I am delighted to join the team as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, Mangum said. I look forward to working with Dean Berry and the others on behalf of the faculty, staff, and students. Mangums accolades include the Rod Paige Faculty/Staff Award from Texas Southern University, Distinguished Teaching Award from Texas Southern University and the Anna Julia Cooper Teaching Award for excellence in teaching by the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. His research expertise lies in American politics, particularly American public opinion and political participation. Dr. Mangums work has been published in many reputable social science journals on public opinion towards affirmative action, immigration, and the death penalty and the determinants of political ideology and party identification. His forthcoming book is titled Handbook on Marginalized Groups in the United States and their Challenges. Mangum holds a bachelors degree in political science from the University of Iowa, a masters in political science from The Ohio State University and a PhD in political science from Louisiana State University. * * * Submit Essex County community news to essex@njadvancemedia.com. Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by NJ Advance Media staff. Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka says his administration issued a stop-work order on construction at a privately owned immigrant detention center and has filed a related suit in state Superior Court. Baraka spoke during a protest outside the facility, Delaney Hall on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Ed Murray| For NJ Advance Media Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka says his administration is suing to block the opening of an immigrant detention center in Newark, asserting that its operators failed to obtain construction permits and refused to submit to local inspections in violation of city and state laws. Today, the City of Newark is filing a complaint with Essex County Superior Court because ICE has opened their Delaney Hall facility without following proper building safety protocols, Baraka said in a statement Monday afternoon, referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. They failed to give city officials access to conduct inspections required under municipal ordinances and state code. This violates city and state law. He said city officials were told that construction work was happening inside the privately-owned jailhouse on Doremus Avenue without required permits. The Department of Engineering imposed a stop work order to halt any and all construction on the site today, Baraka said. Two ICE officials and the GEO Group facility director on site were made aware of the violations. The GEO Group is the Florida-based private prison and re-entry company that owns the Newark facility, Delaney Hall and is set to operate it under a 15-year contract with ICE worth $1 billion. The mayors office did not provide copies of the Superior Court complaint or the stop-work order, which name the company. The complaint is against the GEO Group, who is opening the ICE facility based on the contract they have with ICE, said the citys communications director, Crystal Rosa. Christine Cuttita, a spokesperson for ICEs Newark regional field office, declined to comment, citing the potential litigation. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. Neither ICE nor GEO has said publicly just when Delaney Hall would begin housing detainees, and it was unclear Monday even to immigrants rights advocates whether it had started doing that. We dont know, said Diego Bartesaghi, a spokesman for Make the Road New Jersey, one of the states leading advocacy groups. Barakas Monday announcement follows social media posts over the weekend on behalf of a Flemington man asserting he was arrested and taken into custody by ICE under what his supporters said were false pretenses. Supporters said Kalil Daoud, a 20-year resident of New Jersey, was at the Newark office of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, a supervised release program within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICEs parent agency, for immigrants seeking legal residency. Karim was detained after an appointment to pick up documents to fulfill his work authorization requirement and to remain in the United States, as he has since he has been in this country, states a post on a Free Karim Facebook page that has attracted 1,800 followers since it was created March 18. He was informed that there had been a mistake, and he had to go to ICE. Once at the Newark ICE facility, Karim was apprehended. Karim is not a criminal, the post adds, a reference to ICEs assertion that its priority is to deport immigrants charged with criminal offenses. He has no criminal history at all. Karim has always worked and paid taxes in the United States. Anyone who knows Karim knows his undying love for the United States, that he is a loving husband, an incredibly devoted father, and a well-loved and upstanding community member. Daouds supporters fear he will be flown to another detention facility far from New Jersey, limiting contact with his family or a local lawyer, as the agency has done with Mahmoud Khalil, a legal U.S. resident and pro-Palestinian activist who was held in Elizabeth before being moved to Louisiana. ICE announced in April 2024 under then-President Joe Biden that it was negotiating with the GEO Group to open what would be New Jerseys second immigrant detention center after its one existing facility in Elizabeth, sparking opposition from several fellow Democratic elected officials and immigrants rights advocates. Nearly a year later, ICE and GEO announced last month that they had reached a deal to open Delaney Hall as the nations first immigrant under President Donald Trumps second administration. Baraka, who is among Democrats running for governor in the June primary, appeared at a rally outside Delaney Hall earlier this month protesting the centers opening and calling for passage of state legislation, the Immigrant Trust Act, that would codify New Jersey attorney general guidelines limiting information sharing by state and local law enforcement agencies with ICE. State law had previously barred state, county, municipal or private facilities in New Jersey from being used to detain immigrants, though the ban on private facilities was overturned. 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 Karim Daoud of Flemington was detained on March 12 after he went to an appointment to pick up work authorization documents so he could remain in the United States, according to Rachel Mascitelli, a family friend. photo provided Family and friends are rallying for a well-loved community member in Hunterdon County after he was detained last month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Karim Daoud, who is from Egypt, has been detained since March 12 when he went to an appointment to pick up work authorization documents, according to Rachel Mascitelli, a family friend. Daoud, of Flemington, remains in a detainment facility in New Jersey, she said. READ MORE: Another N.J. man detained, suffers heart attack at ICE center in Louisiana Mascitelli created a social media page called Free Karim and also created a GoFundMe account to help raise money for the family. The GoFundMe, which set up during the weekend, has raised more than $60,000 as of Tuesday morning. The money will be used for legal expenses. The outpouring of love has been amazing, Mascitelli said. Daoud has lived in the United States for more than two decades, she said. He is employed as a food service worker. She said Daoud has been working on getting his citizenship, but the process has been taking years to complete. Daouds wife, Jenn, declined comment. She is an American citizen, Mascitelli said, and the couple have two young children. Friends said it is unclear exactly why Daoud is being detained. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment from NJ Advance Media. He remained Monday at a detainment facility in New Jersey. His wife is allowed to visit. According to the social media post, Daoud did not anticipate being detained. When he arrived at the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office, he was informed that there had been a mistake, and he had to go to ICE. Once at the Newark ICE facility, Karim was apprehended, according to the Free Karim social media post. Daoud had gone to the office willingly under the pretense of clearing up a mistake. He has lived in the United States for more than 20 years and has always worked, paid taxes and helped his community in every way he can, according to the post. Daouds friends are calling on Gov. Phil Murphy, U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, U.S. Rep. Tom Kean, former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski, Sen. Shirley Turner and Assemblywoman Mitchelle Drulis to intervene. Kims office confirmed on Monday that they are in touch with Daouds family. Karim Daoud was detained by ICE. Karim is not a criminal. He has no criminal history at all, said Mascitelli. Anyone who knows Karim knows his underlying love for the United States that he is a loving husband, an incredibly devoted father and a well-loved and upstanding community member, she posted. Mascitelli said the process to obtain citizenship hasnt been easy for Daoud. Its hard and a difficult process with a lot of paperwork, she said. Daouds family is holding up well, Mascitelli said. Obviously it is really difficult for them these are some of the strongest people, she said. Jenn is being an incredible wife and mom and she has been contacting congressmen and doing everything she can to bring Karim home. At the same time she is caring for the kids and trying to go see Karim every opportunity she has. They just all want him home. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Stephanie Loder may be reached at SLoder@njadvancemedia.com. A 20-year-old man was arrested after he pulled out a gun during an argument inside a Rider University dormitory Sunday night, authorities said. Jordan Greene is charged with trespassing, aggravated assault, and weapons offenses, Lawrence police said. Greene and another person had a confrontation at Olson Hall on Lawrence Road at around 11 p.m. Greene, of Florham Park, fled but was later taken into custody. No one was injured. Police called the dispute an isolated incident and said there is no threat to the community. Anyone with information is asked to call Lawrence police Detective Suzanne Girard at 609-844-7124, or email her at sgirard@lawrencetwp.com. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. A New Jersey woman will spend nearly three years in federal prison for duping investors out of more than $330,000 in an online scheme, authorities said. Diana Mae Fernandez, of Bergenfield, tricked 25 people in West Virginia and other states into sending her money to invest in what she claimed were no-risk and guaranteed investment opportunities. Mae Fernandez used a social media page and email to convince victims to send her money to invest in cryptocurrency, pharmaceutical stocks, financial technology startup projects and international luxury commercial real estate, according to court documents. She used some of the fraudulently obtained money to book flights and hotels for trips to Hungary, the Philippines and Serbia, authorities said. A federal judge in West Virginia last week ordered Fernandez to pay $330,144 in restitution to the victims. She will also serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence of 2 years and 9 months. Fernandez, 38, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in July. Fernandez said her name was Diana Fernandez Koporan, Dana Fernandez, and Dajana Ko, and told potential investors she ran companies called The Self Made Success and Diana Mae K., LLC. In one instance in May 2018, Fernandez talked a West Virginia resident into sending her $5,000 and said the no risk investment would yield returns of 12% to 78% on top of the original money in 30 days. Another time, she promised a return of 50% within five months on a $50,000 outlay. Fernandez later concocted excuses to explain why the expected returns never materialized. She told investors that tax liens and levies had been imposed on her bank accounts. Another time she blamed the COVID-19 pandemic saying there would be no distributions this or next quarter because her entire portfolio had been slammed due to the stock and crypto market coming to a complete volatile situation mixed in with the coronavirus and crypto hacks. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. A New Jersey State Police trooper was arrested early Thursday after authorities say he assaulted an officer, resisted arrest and shot a dog during a chaotic series of events at a local condo complex. Wayne police responded shortly before 1 a.m. on March 27, to reports of a disturbance possibly involving a gunshot at a condominium community, according to a department statement. As police investigated, other officers departing police headquarters encountered a man behaving erratically in a parking lot. The man was reportedly destroying a stop sign. When officers attempted to calm him, he shoved one of them and then was taken to the ground, restrained and arrested, police said. Authorities transported the man to a local hospital for evaluation. Police later identified him as Alexander Lark, a resident of the condo and an active New Jersey State Trooper. Officers entered Larks residence and discovered a deceased dog with a gunshot wound. A firearm was recovered, police said. The Wayne Police Department notified the New Jersey State Police Internal Affairs Division. Pension records show Lark has been a state trooper since June 2017 and earns about $71,130 a year. He is currently suspended without pay, according to New Jersey State Police. Lark was charged with third-degree cruelty to animals, fourth-degree aggravated assault on an officer, third-degree resisting arrest, fourth-degree criminal mischief and second-degree possession of a weapon. He was also cited for discharging a firearm in violation of a municipal ordinance. The investigation is ongoing. Attorney information for Lark was not immediately available in online court records. A spokesperson for New Jersey State Police said the agency does not comment on pending litigation. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for parts of New Jersey Monday night. Residents in the affected areas should seek cover in a sturdy building. Len Melisurgo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for two counties in Central New Jersey as a line of intense thunderstorms began to sweep across parts of the state Monday night, with forecasters urging residents in the affected areas to seek immediate shelter inside a sturdy building. A tornado warning was issued at about 9:25 p.m. Monday, effective until 10 p.m., for northeastern Monmouth County and southeastern Middlesex County. UPDATE: The tornado warning has expired as of 9:45 p.m., and there were no confirmed reports of any funnel clouds touching down on the ground tonight in Middlesex or Monmouth counties, the National Weather Service told NJ Advance Media. There also have been no reports of significant storm-related damage as of 9:55 p.m. Strong thunderstorms, fueled by a cold front clashing with warm temperatures, have been moving across several areas of eastern Pennsylvania during the past three hours, and forecasters said some of those cells could generate funnel clouds because of instability and wind shear in the atmosphere. Tornado warnings are typically issued when meteorologists detect cloud rotation on weather radar screens or if someone from the public reports a sighting of a funnel cloud spinning in the sky. A tornado warning is more urgent than a tornado watch, so it should be taken seriously. A watch means conditions are favorable for a tornado to develop, but there's no immediate threat. National Weather Service If your local area is under a tornado warning, take shelter inside a sturdy structure. The weather service says a tornado warning means theres a possibility of imminent danger to life and property. The weather service says people should head for the basement or lower level of a house or building. If there is no basement, stay in an interior room or closet. If youre driving, park your car and seek shelter. Forecasters say people in tornado-warned areas should stay away from windows, because debris can be blown through the glass. Current weather radar Thank you for relying on us to provide the local weather news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality. A group of dog lovers say it's time to follow the lead of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada and allow dogs in national parks. A new Change.org petition has sparked debate over whether dogs should be allowed in Australian national parks. Source: DCCEEW Hundreds of travellers are calling for a major change to Aussie national parks. Theyre asking for long-established bans on dogs entering most national parks around the country to be lifted. This law makes it very difficult for many Australians with their family pet to visit some of the most beautiful areas in Australia, the Change.org petition states. Al, who co-created the petition with his partner told Yahoo News he thinks pet dogs can co-exist alongside lyrebirds, koalas and bandicoots. "The rest of the world allows dogs in their national parks," he said. That's true in Canada and some parts of the United Kingdom and the United States, but Australia's closest neighbour New Zealand has a blanket ban. The petition has had a mixed response on a forum for caravan owners who travel with dogs, with many warning there are too many "irresponsible" dog owners with pets that aren't properly controlled. "I don't think people would keep their dogs on a lead and the wildlife would suffer," one person said. ADVERTISEMENT But it has struck a chord with some dog owners, with close to 650 people signing the petition in 48 hours. One signatory called the national park dog exclusion unfair. You should be able to take all family members into national parks including well-behaved on-leash fur ones, another person wrote. Related: Surprising twist after hundreds boycott Great Northern Beer Dog petition labelled 'well intentioned' but 'flawed' by critics Dogs are permitted inside many reserves and state parks around the country, but other than service animals, they're banned in national parks The petition argues that pet owners are forced to shell out for house sitters and expensive kennels if they want to enter many of the countrys wild forests, beaches and mountains. To avoid ruining the parks, the petitions creators have suggested dog owners would need to pick up after their dogs and keep them on a leash at all times. ADVERTISEMENT But national park advocates have labelled the plan flawed despite them acknowledging its well-intentioned. Its coming from a good place because we all love our dogs. But the problem is that dogs smell, and that smell can drive away wildlife, Jordan Crook from the Victorian National Parks Association told Yahoo News. Theres mountains of evidence on the issue in Australia. Lyrebirds and shorebirds like hooded plovers can abandon their eggs altogether if theres a dog around. Bandicoots and wallabies can be scared away if theres a dog in the area. Critics of the petition say dogs would negatively impact Australias wildlife. Source: Getty Even if dogs are leashed and unable to chase wildlife, they could still have an impact on many species. ADVERTISEMENT Their barking, scent and wee can deter them. And they smell different to dingoes, so the response from wildlife is a lot different, Crook said. Some states allow dogs to enter reserves and state parks, but on the whole introduced species like dogs, cats and horses are not allowed inside national parks. Thats because they provide the countrys only safe habitat for some species. Were going into their only home a lot of the time. We cant forget that when we enter these natural areas, Crook said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. The Yankees signed Adam Ottavino to a big-league deal on Tuesday, placing closer Devin Williams on the paternity list. AP NEW YORK A familiar face will make his return to the Yankees bullpen on Tuesday, joining the big-league club after closer Devin Williams heads to the paternity list. Right-hander Adam Ottavino, who spent two seasons (2019 and 2020) with the Yankees, signed a major league deal with the club, the team announced. Hell be on the active roster for Tuesday nights game against the Diamondbacks, the first of a three-game set with Arizona at Yankee Stadium. To make room for Ottavino on the 40-man roster, righty JT Brubaker was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Brubaker suffered three broken ribs when he tried to duck out of the way of a comebacker during spring training. This rules him out for the next two months. Ottavino, a New York City native, spent spring training this year with the Red Sox. He opted out of his minor-league deal with Boston late last month and was subsequently released. The Yankees traded Ottavino to Boston after the 2020 season, along with right-hander Frank German, for a player to be named later. He spent the 2021 season in Boston before signing with the Mets and staying there for the following three seasons. The 39-year-old posted a 4.34 ERA over 60 relief appearances with the Mets in 2024. Hes pitched in 60-plus games in each of the last seven full seasons (not including the pandemic-shortened campaign in 20) going back to his seven-year tenure with the Rockies. With Williams on the paternity list, set-up man Luke Weaver is the likeliest choice to pitch in a save situation beginning on Tuesday night. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Max Goodman may be reached at mgoodman@njadvancemedia.com. 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. As the issue of illegal dumping in Victoria becomes more widespread, the need for coordinated solutions and stricter enforcement has become more urgent. Illegal dumping is costing Victorian ratepayers millions of dollars, with cameras now installed in hotspots to deter offenders. Source: Mitchell Shire Council/9News/EPA Local and state governments, alongside environmental agencies, have pledged to significantly increase their efforts to tackle illegal dumping in southern parts of the country. They say the problem has grown to "epidemic proportions" with the cost of prosecuting offenders now reaching into the millions. In Victoria, environmentalists and landowners have long called for change to help fight back against illegal dumpers. On the fringes of Melbourne and in the city's outer suburbs, the issue's become particularly prevalent, with locals warning it's worsening by the day. The City of Hume identified countless illegal dumping hotspots in recent times based on resident surveys and service calls. In the Shire of Moorabool, Bacchus Marsh has also become a dumping ground. In the southeastern suburbs, Cardinia Shire is urgently asking residents to report any illegal dumping they see. In Bendigo, illegally dumped household waste has "turned once-pristine parks into unsightly wastelands". A Victoria Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesman confirmed to Yahoo News on Tuesday the rate of illegal waste dumping continues to rise across the state. ADVERTISEMENT "[There have been] roughly double the reports over the last five years," he said. "Its statewide, so were keen for people to report it where they see it." Fields now resemble tips, with many illegal dumpers caught in the act in broad daylight. Source: 9News The Environmental Protection Agency shared footage of two men emptying their entire load onto a private property in Melbourne in broad daylight. Source: EPA/9News Victoria hammered by illegal dumping as authorities vow to catch offenders Danny Gorog, CEO and founder of Snap Send Solve, said the issue is more than just rubbish left in the wrong place, it signals a bigger issue with waste disposal accessibility and awareness. In some parts of the state, video has captured trash-filled trucks emptying their loads onto private property in broad daylight. In Tarneit, in Melbourne's west, fields of waste stretch over acres of property. It's privately owned, but it resembles a council rubbish tip. In the City of Hume, footage shows men emptying waste from a ute's window onto the ground. Gorog said whether its dumped tyres in fields or household waste dumped in laneways, "it shows we need better solutions to make proper disposal easier" and more convenient. While the issue is particularly bad in Victoria, it's also taking place in many other cities. In Austral in Sydney, cameras have been installed to catch illegal dumpers. Source: Yahoo News Australia "While most people do the right thing, it only takes a few to create a big mess for everyone else," he had earlier told Yahoo. In Victoria, it is illegal to dump or bury any kind of waste at a location that isnt licensed to accept it. "This includes private land," the EPA stated. ADVERTISEMENT "Everyone has encountered illegal waste dumping. Some see it as an inconvenience, but the truth is, it damages our environment, its a risk to our health, and it is expensive to manage." In the city's north, the clean-up bill has now reached a mind-blowing $5 million. "It's a massive burden on the ratepayer and it's really not fair," The City of Hume Mayor Jarred Bell told 9News, adding that many dumpers don't even live in the LGA. Bell said it's prompted the council to "have our fines set at the highest legal limit we can". "We're going to find you, we're going to fine you, and we're going to hold you accountable." Cameras 'don't deter' offenders, locals warn Some councils have set-up 24-hour surveillance to try and curb the dumping. But locals say the cameras "don't deter" offenders. Across Melbourne, reports have jumped 39 per cent recently, according to Snap Send Solve. In the west, year-on-year reports have increased by almost 50 per cent. ADVERTISEMENT In the north, south and east, increases are also being registered, it said. Some locals say expensive tip fees are contributing to the unsightly trend, but the authorities say it's no excuse. The EPA responds to an average of 11 reports a day in the state. In 2024, 55 illegal rubbish dumping matters were prosecuted in court, with 25 investigations still underway. In Victoria, rubbish dumping and littering on public land carries a maximum penalty for businesses of $3,951,800 and $800,000 for individuals, or five years imprisonment, or both. While the issue is taking a significant toll on Victorians, illegal dumping has also become a major problem in other major cities across Australia, such as Sydney and Perth. Many urban centres are grappling with similar challenges, where increasing waste is being abandoned illegally, affecting not only the environment but also local communities and infrastructure. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Plus see one of Australia's most iconic beachside locations in an unrecognisable state. Donald Trump has been reminded where McDonald's in the US sources its beef from. Source: Getty Yahoo's live news blog for Wednesday, April 2 has now concluded. Donald Trump has given Australia a worrying indication of what's to come on 'Liberation Day' as the US president looks to ramp up his trade war. And Trump is being warned "his favourite meal" will go up in price if he targets Australian farmers who supply US McDonald's restaurants their beef. King Charles has returned to royal duties after he was hospitalised last week from side-effects from his cancer treatment. The 76-year-old was involved in investitures at Windsor Castle after recent engagements were cancelled. See all of the day's updates below. LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 17 updates Shadow treasurer praises Elon Musk Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor has cited controversial American billionaire Elon Musk as a point of inspiration in a speech outlining the Coalitions economic vision, but has sidestepped questions on whether Trump-style DOGE cuts are coming to the public service. Mr Taylor, addressing the National Press Club on Wednesday, singled out Mr Musks Starlink communications system as an example of technological brilliance that had uplifted the lives of farmers across Australia. I love innovation that works, that changes the world, from the private sector, from entrepreneurs and from enterprise, he said during the question-and-answer session. Theres lots of farmers and others in my electorate who use that amazing technology (Starlink) I think (that is) the very best work that weve seen from Elon Musk and I think many Australians in regional Australia will absolutely back me up on that. Mr Taylor refused to say whether he would pursue DOGE-esque cuts to government, a reference to the dramatic Musk-backed cuts in public services rolling across the US government, but nonetheless confirmed the Coalition would pursue spending cuts and downsize the APS by about 41,000 workers. - NCA NewsWire Familiar face riling China once again Chinese state media has accused Opposition leader Peter Dutton of beating the drums of war after he blasted the PM over his handling of a Chinese research vessel spotted off the coast of South Australia. The passage of the Tan Suo Yi Hao, a Chinese government research vessel, has been at the centre of a bitter debate between Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as the election campaign heats up. Dutton accused the Labor leader of projecting weakness over his handling of the vessel, which security analysts have warned could have a dual purpose for the benefit of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army. A piece published Beijing mouthpiece the Global Times accused Dutton of politicising the China threat. They try to block the improvement of China-Australia relations, constantly spewing harmful rhetoric and hijacking the relationship, only for their personal benefit. Thats the real threat to Australia not the research vessel from China. Quoting a Chinese-based academic, the author wrote that Mr Dutton had begun beating the drums of war because the China threat was a political tool to challenge Mr Albanese on what could be his last chance to run for office. Dutton is well known to China, riling Beijing during Scott Morrison's last federal election campaign as the then defence minister, repeatedly hyping the threat of war in the Indo-Pacific. With NCA NewsWire Cops convert $100k car after it was confiscated How's this for a number plate? WA Police have confiscated a $100,000 Maserati from a repeat offender and converted it into a police car in a bid to warn people you can actually lose your car for road offences. "I just thought it was an opportunity to really highlight to people that losing your vehicle is a thing," WA Police Commander Mike Bell told ABC Radio Perth. The vehicle won't be an operational vehicle but will be used at events by police to get the message across. Well this might make you think twice about breaking road rules. Source: ABC Women bitten by dingoes on K'gari Three women have been bitten by dingoes at a popular holiday spot in Queensland days before the school holidays start. Emergency services were called to Kgari about 2.30pm on Tuesday after reports three women, aged in their 20s, were bitten by dingoes. It is not known how many dingoes were involved in the incident, nor where the exact location of the incident occurred. The women were attacked during a tour of the island, the ABC reports. A Queensland Ambulance spokesman told NewsWire the three women sustained minor lacerations to their legs and underwent treatment at the world heritage area. - NCA NewsWire Dutton says he 'has the backbone' to stand up to Trump Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has vowed to stand up to US President Donald Trump in a heartbeat on the eve of another round of trade tariffs. The US President is expected to slap reciprocal tariffs on all overseas imports as part of his self-proclaimed Liberation Day about 7am (AEDT) on Thursday. Trade Minister Murray Watt on Wednesday said the government did not know what products could be impacted, but medicines, meat and agriculture were in the firing line. As campaigning heats up, Mr Dutton used the likely escalation in tariffs to position himself as being tough enough to stand up to the US President and China. Peter Dutton says he's more than willing to stand up to Donald Trump. Source: Getty Ultimately, what people want is a prime minister who can stand up for our country, Mr Dutton told Sky News in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. What they see in Anthony Albanese is somebody who doesnt have the strength or backbone or the will to stand up for our countrys interest. He cant stand up to China. Asked if this meant he would be willing to stand up to Mr Trump, Mr Dutton said he would do it in a heartbeat. If I need to have a fight with Donald Trump or any other world leader to advance our nations interest, I will do it in a heartbeat, Mr Dutton said. Ill put the Americans on notice and anyone else who seeks to act against our national interest. - NCA NewsWire Waste crisis as garbos go on strike Heading overseas now, and the UK's second largest city is in chaos after a garbo strike left bins overflowing with waste. Cuts to wages prompted the strike in Birmingham, with Sharon Graham, secretary of Unite the Union, saying council could easily fix the problem if they would enter negotiations and address the concerns of workers. Council said striking workers were blocking garbage depots meaning it could not get its vehicles out to collect waste. Birmingham's waste crisis rolls on. Source: Reuters Piles of rubbish can be seen across the city. Source: Reuters School asked parents if they wanted to opt out of Anzac Day service NSW Education Minister Prue Carr has slammed calls by a school principal in Sydneys northwest for an opt-out Anzac Day service that sparked outrage among veterans. In a letter sent last week, Sherwood Ridge Public School principal Jody Sullivan told parents to inform staff if they did not want their students to attend. The Kellyville state government schools decision was reportedly meant to accommodate a small number of students belonging to a fundamentalist Christian sect. Parents of the students, which number at less than a dozen, had voiced concerns that the April 10 service and assembly did not align with their religious beliefs. In a statement, Ms Carr, whose husband is a former military officer in the Australian Defence Forcer, said she expected schools to uphold the traditions of Anzac Day. Anzac Day is a day to honour our veterans and pay our respects to servicemen and women, past and present, she said. Schools should respect this tradition as well." - NCA NewsWire Cops unlawfully strip searched woman at festival The NSW government has admitted that police officers unlawfully strip searched a Splendour in the Grass festival attendee. The shock admission was lodged as part of an amended defence statement in a rolling class action lawsuit alleging widespread unlawful searches across NSW music festivals. The suit, brought by Slater and Gordon and launched in 2022, alleges the searches may have impacted thousands of festival attendees, but the governments admission relates only to the lead plaintiffs claim she was unlawfully strip searched at the 2018 Splendour festival at Byron Bay. The government accepts the police officers who conducted the 30-minute search did not have reasonable grounds to suspect that the strip searches were necessary for the purposes of the search. It also accepts the strip searches were conducted by police officers without compliance with section 34A (law enforcement powers and responsibilities act) in that the police officers did not carry out the strip searches with the plaintiffs consent. The lead plaintiff and the police officer who searched her were both females, the court documents state. The female officer inspected the plaintiffs entire naked body and instructed her to pull out a tampon. A male officer walked in on the search while the lead plaintiff was naked, the court documents state. No drugs or prohibited items were found on the plaintiff. Read more from NCA NewsWire here. 100,000 livestock gone in devastating floods Farmers impacted by devastating flooding in western Queensland have lost more than 100,000 cattle, sheep and goats. AgForce sheep, wool and goat president Boyd Webb said it would feel like "losing your job" for those in the industry. "It'll be like you've been unemployed for 12 months for some people, or longer," he told AAP. "For different individuals, it will be very, very tough, in what was already a tough landscape." Famous jetty submerged amid king tide Well it wasn't just Sydney being hit by king tides, with WA's Broome reportedly recording its biggest in a century. The Bureau of Meteorology recorded the king tide in Broome at 10.62 metres. Locals and visitors took to the famous Streeter's Jetty where the water rose to their knees. Call Donald Trump if unhappy, press secretary suggests Donald Trump is "always up for a good negotiation" on the phone, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said ahead of what she is calling "one of the most important days in modern American history". For weeks, however, Anthony Albanese says his government has been having ongoing conversations about a possible exemption to Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs, with little to show for it. While it's unclear what exactly Australia will be hit with in the latest round of tariffs, Albanese says he's prepared for whatever comes. Dutton downplays Canberra snub Peter Dutton has played down the significance of his remarks that got a lot of people talking this week. The Opposition leader said he'd live in Sydney at the PM's official Kirribilli residence instead of Canberra but Anthony Albanese said his remarks were a little premature. Speaking with Melbourne's Triple M this morning Dutton said it "doesn't matter where I am" and instead got stuck into some of his key campaign pledges. Earlier in the week we asked our readers if they were prime minister, where would they live? Fifty-nine per cent said they would choose the same as Dutton, while 41 per cent said they'd opt for Canberra. Senator's drastic move as he tackles US 'crisis' A senator in the US has been delivering a speech in the Senate for more than 24 hours. Yes, you read that correctly. Democratic Senator Cory Booker has been going for more than a day as he takes aim at Donald Trump and his policies. Shortly before Booker announced his plan to deliver what could end up being the longest speech delivered in the US Senate's history, he posted a video on social media explaining his motivation. Cory Booker on Tuesday delivering his lengthy address. (Senate Television via AP) Im about to go to the Senate floor, where I intend to be recognised, and when I am, I am not gonna stop speaking. Im going to not stop standing," he explained. "Im going to go for as long as I am physically able to go. "Ive been hearing from people all over my state and indeed all over the nation calling upon folks in Congress to do more, to do things that recognise the urgency, the crisis of the moment. "And so we all have a responsibility, I believe, to do something different, to cause, as John Lewis said, good trouble, and that includes me. Read more about his stunt here. Australian icon badly damaged The ocean pool at Bondi Icebergs has been closed due to a massive king tide. Picture: Instagram It takes a few seconds to actually realise there's a pool there. That pool is of course the iconic Icebergs at Bondi and it was engulfed by a massive king tide yesterday. The devastating conditions were so intense, the pool, which has stood since 1929, was extensively damaged. Waves began increasing on Tuesday evening, forcing the Bondi Icebergs Club to shut its doors while the water smashed into the tourist spot. High tide hit the pool about 11pm on Tuesday, careening into the reinforced glass and smashing its surroundings, ripping the ground up and sending a 20-tonne water tank onto Bondi Beach. The pavement was cracked and steel bollards were dented, with the damage estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Bondi Icebergs Club general manager Bob Tate told The Daily Telegraph that it was the first time the pool had been closed at low tide in 20 years. I have never seen anything like it, he said. - With NCA NewsWire King Charles returns to duties after hospitalisation King Charles has returned to royal duties after he was hospitalised from side-effects from his cancer treatment. There were concerns for the 76-year-old when his engagements were cancelled however King Charles appeared well as he was involved in a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday (local time). His schedule has reportedly been minimised as he plans to travel to Italy on a royal tour on April King Charles involved in Tuesday's ceremony. Source: AP Trump reminded of where McDonald's buys its beef Sticking with Donald Trump's impending tariffs as part of 'Liberation Day', there are growing fears in the farming industry they'll be hit next, particularly Australian beef. Nationals Leader David Littleproud said targeting Australian beef wouldn't be "a wise act", and taunted the US President by claiming it would see the cost of his "favourite food" shoot up. "The last time President Trump did this, it actually hurt American farmers," he told ABC News Breakfast. "And if he looks at Australian beef and he wants to slap it on Australian beef he in fact, will be slapping it on his favourite food, a Big Mac, because most of the meat that goes into a Big Mac is lean beef and it comes from Australia." Trump outlines major Australian grievances in trade report Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" is set to eclipse Australian leaders' campaign efforts, as the US president's latest wave of tariffs are unleashed. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will be on the fifth day of their cross-country election blitz when Mr Trump unveils sweeping tariffs that, he warns, will affect "all countries". The two party leaders have tried to keep the campaigns focused on domestic issues like health and government services, but the wide-ranging consequences, unpredictability and ferocity of Mr Trump's second-term decisions have made voters increasingly concerned about the impact on Australia and raised questions over which leader would be better placed to handle the volatile president. Australia has already been slugged with 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium, Mr Albanese said but negotiations were ongoing. Anthony Albanese is waiting to see just how much Donald Trump targets Australia in his impending wave of tariffs. Source: Getty A report released by Mr Trump's office on "Liberation Day" eve showed the US was keeping an eye on trade barriers imposed on American goods - like beef, pork, chicken, apples and pears - that are aimed at preventing pests and viruses from arriving in Australia. The document also pointed to issues over Australia's treatment of pharmaceutical patents and its news bargaining code, which requires tech platforms to pay media organisations for their content. But Mr Albanese insists biosecurity, the pharmaceutical subsidy scheme and the media code are not up for negotiation. "I want to see a constructive outcome but what I won't do is undermine our national interest," he told reporters in Adelaide. Though no country has scored a carve-out from US tariffs, Mr Dutton has continued to say he would be best placed to deal with Mr Trump. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The UK Wild Otter Trust is celebrating after releasing the first rescued otter cubs of the year. Between March eighth and March fifteenth, eight cubs were returned to the wild after months of care at the North Devon rescue centre, which is run by volunteers. The cubs, named Gara, Ebbw, Taw, Bagel, Heidi, Stroodle, Solva, and Tas, were found across the UK after becoming separated from their mothers, likely due to traffic accidents or the destruction of their natural homes. Despite efforts to find their mothers, the cubs were left alone and in need of rescue. Some of the cubs weighed less than one kilogram when they arrived at the centre. After months of care, they had grown to between four and seven and a half kilograms, showing how much stronger they had become. The rescued cubs came from different places, including Devon, Wales, North Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Bideford. After receiving expert care, they were released into safe wild areas where they have the best chance of surviving. Dave Webb, founder of the UK Wild Otter Trust, said: Its always an incredible moment when we can return these animals to the wild where they belong. Our goal is to ensure each otter has the best possible chance at a natural life, and seeing these cubs take their first steps back into the wild is hugely rewarding. The UK Wild Otter Trust is dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating otters in need. The charity urges people to report any lone or injured otter cubs so they can receive the care they need. Two-year-old Apollo suffered severe burns to his hands and feet earlier this month after he fell into an extinguished campfire at Warwick, Queensland. Source: GoFundMe/Supplied An Aussie mum is warning others about the lingering dangers of extinguished campfires after a split-second freak accident left her adventurous, curious toddler with severe injuries to his hands and feet. Just over a week ago, Rachel, her husband Chris and their two young boys gathered with family and friends at a campground just outside of Warwick, two hours southwest of Brisbane, to celebrate her brothers 40th birthday. On Saturday night we held his party there on the ground, and we just had a little campfire. We were near the cabin so people could have access to beds if they didnt want to camp in a tent, showers and stuff like that, the 32-year-old told Yahoo News Australia. As festivities began to wind down, Rachel was headed to bed when she saw revellers putting out the blaze with water and sand. Not giving the typical bush scene a second thought, the mum of two said she was oblivious to the turmoil the simmering hot coals still underneath would later cause. Mum's horror after toddler runs into campfire ashes The next morning, Rachel woke up early and packed the familys car so they could head to church no easy feat with two small children. At around 9am, as she stood on the verandah with her six-month-old on her hip, the 32-year-old mum said her eldest, two-year-old Apollo, decided he didnt want to go. ADVERTISEMENT I was holding my son, Leonardo, on the porch just in front of the campfire, she told Yahoo. Apollo was refusing to come to the car. He was being grumpy and walking away and stuff like that. Apollo has undergone several surgeries and may require skin grafts. Source: Wattle and Gum Images/Supplied Rachel said she was finally able to to coax him back, but just seconds later, everything went awry. My dad said something, so I looked and then in the corner of my eye I saw Apollo just go hands and feet straight into the campfire. I reckon he thought it was something fun he could climb. He was just so quick, she said. Apollo screamed like Ive never heard him scream before, jumped up, and ran around like a headless chook my dad instantly ran for him, grabbed him and put him under a cold shower. I think I was in shock because I wasnt even comprehending that it was hot, or what really was going on in that moment. ADVERTISEMENT Toddler undergoes multiple surgeries for severe burns It didnt take long for Rachel and her dad to realise the hot coals hidden under the sand in the campfire had severely burned Apollos hands and feet. They were pinky red, and his hands and feet were instantly peeling. He was wearing red Spiderman shoes, thankfully, so even though the bottoms of his feet are burnt, theyre not as bad as they could have been. His hands are pretty serious, she said, urging others to be aware that just because a fire has been extinguished, doesnt mean its not dangerous. After drenching him in water, the family rushed Apollo to the nearest hospital. Just hours later he was airlifted to the Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane, where he has undergone multiple surgeries to debride his burns. The third is scheduled for Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT Debridement involves removing non-viable tissue and dressing the wounds to decrease the risk of infection. His burns are deeper than what they initially thought, and his hands and feet are still very dark red and swollen, so the healing isn't where they expected it to be, Rachel told Yahoo. Depending on how the latest surgery goes, the toddler may need skin grafts. Hes not using his left hand at all at the moment so theres going to be a healing journey there with rehabilitation and physical therapy. Mounting bills force mum to head back to work Apollos long road to recovery has placed significant strain on the young Aussie family, with Rachel forced to return home and head back to work as her husband stays by their sons bedside. Ive only just returned to work after maternity leave, and I dont have any leave entitlement saved up. We need to keep a roof over our heads, as a lot of people can understand with the cost of living, she said. Its just putting a little bit of a very big financial strain on us trying to be in two places at once. ADVERTISEMENT To take some of the pressure off, family members have created a GoFundMe to help raise money for bills. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty, a longtime fixture in Sisters, has moved from one end of Cascade Avenue to the other in a seamless transaction aimed to provide a better environment for its clients and prospects. The new location on the southeast corner of West Cascade and South Oak Street is brighter with a more spacious and open floor plan, agents told us as we toured the facility last week. Photo by Bill Bartlett "Our new Sisters office location will offer increased visibility, improve the brand recognition and perception, elevate the client experience, and offer better opportunities for collaboration and networking. This will ultimately contribute to company growth and success," said Marta Boelens, managing principal broker. Boelens oversees five of the 18 branches. Besides Sisters, there are two offices in Bend, one in Sunriver, and another in Redmond. Boelens adds, "The Sisters office is special because it's been a staple real estate location in a charming, small-town setting, offering a blend of rustic charm and modern convenience. The Sisters real estate market is growing, and our brokers are some of the top professionals in the business partnered with our well known, international brand and premium marketing. This new office offered a great opportunity to expand our brand and presence with additional exposure." The office takes pride in being the 2024 market leader in Sisters Country real estate sales, notching $75 million in closings. The firm has a 20 percent market share in all price ranges among several dozen agencies serving the area. In the over-$1 million category they account for 32 percent of all transactions. Sotheby's International Realty is a luxury real estate brand founded in 1976 by Sotheby's fine art dealers. Sotheby's International Realty operates as a franchise focusing on brokering and marketing of residential real estate. Sotheby's International Realty network is more than 19,000 sales associates in 990 offices in 72 countries and territories worldwide. The company publishes Reside, a semi-annual real estate and lifestyle magazine, which won the Hermes Platinum Award for creative excellence and outstanding design and editorial. In 2022, Cascade Sotheby joined forces with Hasson Company founded in 1991 by Mike Hasson that had more than 180 real estate advisors working in seven offices across the Portland metro area, Central Oregon, and Southwest Washington. The combination of two of the most iconic realty firms in the Pacific Northwest luxury residential market created Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty. In 2024 the group handled $3.2 billion in sales volume with 500 brokers scattered among its 18 offices in Oregon and Washington. Thirteen brokers count the Sisters office as home: Joanna Cooley, Tanner Head, Sheila Jones, Tammy Martin, Kacie Stott, Mark Morzov, Maddie Fischer, Suzanne Carvlin, Marcea DeGregorio, Sabrina Gustat, Patty Cordoni, Ellen Wood, and Jenna Raanes. They have specialists in farm, ranch and vineyard properties and offer relocation services. Cascade Hasson Sotheby's will host a grand opening on April 10 from 3 to 6 p.m. The event will be a benefit for NeighborImpact, which distributes over 6 million pounds of food each year to some 55,000 needy households in Central Oregon. All are welcome at the grand opening and donors to NeighborImpact will get a complimentary grocery tote bag. Sotheby's has long been associated with the luxury real estate market, but Chief Marketing & Business Strategy Officer Gary Nolan tells The Nugget that they serve any size listing or any level of buyer income. "We're number-one in listings under $1 million as well as those over $1 million," he said. Their message when selling Sisters is "it is the perfect place to explore Central Oregon. This enchanting town offers stunning natural beauty and a wide variety of outdoor adventures and cultural activities that appeal to all interests, like the Sisters Rodeo, Sisters Folk Festival, and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. There is never a shortage of fun things to do in the Deschutes National Forest on the edge of town with trails, lakes, scenic drives, and gorgeous vistas." To reach a broker in Sisters call 541-588-6614 or visit them at 291 W. Cascade Ave. A list of their offerings can be found at https://www.cascadehasson.com/realestate/search. Record numbers of adult steelhead returned to the Pelton Round Butte hydropower project on the Deschutes River during the 2024-2025 run. With more than 950 fish passed upstream of Round Butte Dam, the Upper Deschutes Basin is now home to more steelhead than at any time since the 1960s. Scientists attribute this year's returns to beneficial ocean conditions and improvements in fish management practices. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (the Tribes) and Portland General Electric - co-owners of the three-dam Pelton Round Butte hydropower complex - began an ambitious effort in 2010 to reintroduce ocean-going salmon and steelhead to the Deschutes River after more than 50 years without passage for these species. Scientific modeling completed in the 1990s established an annual goal of 955 steelhead adults upstream, based on the available habitat for fish. Photo provided "While the return of steelhead fish to the watershed marks a significant milestone, the journey toward full restoration continues," said Austin Smith Jr., natural resources manager for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. "The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs remain committed to ongoing conservation efforts, adaptive management, and education." Of the 950 adult steelhead passed upstream, 675 traveled through Pelton Round Butte's fish collection facility as juveniles. Young fish from the Upper Deschutes, Crooked, and Metolius Rivers are collected in Lake Billy Chinook at the Selective Water Withdrawal (SWW), a structure that enables fish to be safely transported around three dams to continue their migration to the ocean. The SWW also facilitates more natural conditions in the Lower Deschutes River by reducing temperature impacts from the dams. "We're excited to welcome these steelhead back to the Upper Deschutes Basin. Their journey is remarkable," said Megan Hill, senior environmental science manager at PGE. "Most of these fish passed through the SWW, traveled 100 miles down the Deschutes to the Columbia River, then migrated another 200 miles past Bonneville Dam to the ocean. After spending about two years at sea, they made the 300-mile journey back. This year's run highlights the power of strong ocean conditions combined with our collaborative efforts to improve fish passage and reintroduction strategies." Steelhead released upstream of Round Butte Dam since the reintroduction program began. Totals include reintroduction fish as well as excess hatchery broodstock. Most of the returning steelhead traveled through the SWW as juveniles in 2022, a record-breaking year for juvenile collection. Since 2010, the Tribes and PGE have improved their ability to safely capture more fish through science-based strategies. These include the installation of a net that guides fish toward the collection area, a new stress-relief pond to allow fish time to recover after handling, and collaboration with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in the practice of smolt acclimation: holding young fish in-stream for a period of time to imprint and adjust to the river's conditions. Additionally, with more than two thirds of the steelhead lifecycle spent in the Pacific, recent beneficial ocean conditions likely played a significant role in steelhead survival and return rates. In addition to the 675 reintroduction program fish, 275 Deschutes River hatchery-origin steelhead were also released upstream - a reintroduction strategy adopted in recent years. These adults, referred to as excess broodstock, are screened for disease, monitored post-release, and are genetically identical to the other steelhead from the upper basin. "The DRC and its partners have been working over the last 15 years to restore streamflow and improve habitat in the Crooked River, Whychus Creek, and Metolius system to benefit these fish coming home," said Kate Fitzpatrick, executive director for the Deschutes River Conservancy. "This marks the largest return since the efforts to reintroduce fish above the Pelton Round Butte Dam Complex began, and shows the promise of restoring anadromous runs back to their home waters in the upper basin." "The steelhead return to the Upper Deschutes Basin during the 2024-2025 run has been much stronger than we anticipated, and we are seeing evidence of widespread spawning," said Terry Shrader, Pelton Round Butte mitigation coordinator for Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. "The adaptive management changes we've made in the reintroduction program have undoubtedly contributed to this strong return. Additional factors such as favorable ocean conditions and freshwater migration conditions also play a significant role." Using radio tracking technology, biologists will continue to monitor the adult steelhead released upstream to gather data about their movement and spawning activity. A subset of the adults, known as kelts, will travel through the SWW and to the ocean a second time. More information about the Deschutes fish reintroduction program can be found at portlandgeneral.com/healthydeschutes. Europe, a long time ago, religion, something something. Thats where we left off last time: 16th century France. This deeply Catholic country is now dotted with Huguenots, a.k.a. French Protestants. Not everyone in France believes exactly the same thing anymore. This is a problem, apparently. Thus begins our season finale, episode three of ITP: France. Catherine de Medici is a power player, mom to the king, and one smart cookie. She decides that her Catholic daughter Margaret should marry Protestant princeling Henry of Navarre, bringing the two warring factions together. The royal wedding is set for August 1572 AD in Paris, a mostly Catholic city. The Pope, the King of Spain, and various other Catholic traditionalists are totally not into this intermingling of people who dont hold the same beliefs, and, you know, accidentally forget to RSVP. Margaret and her maid of honor are super duper pissed off, and the caterer threatens to quit. I promised you a Red Wedding a la Game of Thrones. At last, here it comes. Lots of Huguenots travel to Paris for the wedding, which appears to go off okay. For a minute. This is pre-private-jet, pre-Charles-de-Gaulle-airport Paris. So a few days post-wedding, Paris is still full of Huguenot wedding guests. Whats a Catholic to do? It is Catherines son, King Charles IX, who kicks off the proceedings. Under his direction, royal forces attempt to assassinate my Huguenot great-great-etcetera Uncle Gaspy, a.k.a. Admiral Gaspard II de Coligny, who rises from the dais holding his bloodied ear and pumps his fist into the air. Oh wait. Different incident. I dont actually know how Uncle Gaspy responded, other than by not dying yet. Its St. Bartholomews Day in Paris. (Remember the foreshadowing last week? Barthelemi?) Extremists descend upon the palace, well armed, waving grey flags, frolicking in their horned shamanic headgear. Oh wait. Different century. Anyhoo, royal forces try again in a few days. Coligny is successfully picked off, along with nearly all the Huguenot guests. Hostages are exchanged, American students fly Palestinian flags and the king suggests turning Gaza into a luxury resort. Back to our story. Regular everyday Catholics drag regular everyday Protestants out of their houses and workplaces. They murder the Huguenots and throw their bodies into the River Seine, causing hundreds of American tourists to cancel their 50-Euro river outings and flee to CDG airport. Thousands await King Charles IXs response on the platform formerly known as Twitter; he eventually, belatedly posts that the violence should cease. I imagine it coming off like Gene Wilders Willy Wonka, saying with a noted lack of conviction to the doomed, bratty kids touring his candy factory, Stop. Dont. By this time, the folks in bicoastal Paris and flyover country alike are super duper pissed off and/or caught up in blood rage, a state of ravaging madness not confined to sexy vampires in A Discovery of Witches. It would seem that while killing ones neighbors may be a matter of principle, it is also a matter of fun. What better way of bonding with ones other, better neighbors than through bloodshed? All those AR-15-style rifles the nobles and peasants have been stockpiling can finally be put to use! Despite the kings tardy tweet, the slaughter continues in Paris. Then it spreads out to the provinces, where for decades now, residents have been sick and tired of both Catholic and Huguenot elites referring to their fields and vines as flyover country. Quelle impolitesse. Contemporary historians put the number of victims at around 30,000, though Catholic apologists place it lower and Huguenot fans weigh in with a whopping 70,000 dead. The Pope is super duper stoked, decreeing celebratory bonfires, victory arches, and parades. He even issues his own cryptocurrency I mean, he orders the minting of a St. Bartholomews Day Massacre commemorative medal. The blame for all this mayhem is often laid at the feet of Catherine de Medici. She is said to have masterminded the whole thing, not for kumbaya peacemaking, but using the wedding as Huguenot bait. Hence George R.R. Martins inspiration for the infamous Red Wedding in Game of Thrones. This view has proved incorrect. Catherine is sincere, historians say, and intends to stop the French Wars of Religion for strategic reasons if nothing else. Shes not throwing her daughter to the wolves and she doesnt want France suspended in a state of endless partisan violence. Contrary to what people think when imagining Catherines alleged glamorous, Machiavellian exploits (no, I havent watched The Serpent Queen yet), she actually went for the moderate politique vibe much of the time. Historians believe the massacre wasnt planned at all, but exploded out of the attempted assassination of Coligny (my Huguenot Uncle Gaspy, if youre losing track here). The kings advisors, for reasons of their own, convinced Charles IX that a coup detat was on its way, a dubious claim debunked by historians with alluring British accents on podcasts to this day. Wouldnt it be better if he went on the offensive first? For many Americans, sometimes including me, history can be summed up as We Won the Revolution with a dollop of Yankee Doodle, a drizzle of Uh, what about slavery and Native American boarding schools? and a sprinkle of I am not giving away my shot. Maybe were sort of aware that stuff happened in Europe a long long time ago, on a continent far far away. Religion, war, something something. Fascinating as history may be, learning about it gives one pause. Is this what humans simply are? Is this what humans do, over and over? Are we doomed to eternal partisanship or do we have the hearts and smarts to break free? Wolf myths To the Editor: Matt Cyrus published comments in The Nugget Newspaper in the article Sisters community reacts to wolf killing suggesting that our gray wolves here are not native, is a misconception. Matt also falsely claims that our gray wolves were reintroduced. Gray wolves from Idaho and Washington dispersed on their own in the 1990s to Oregon. None were dropped in by helicopter or trucked in! Matts quoted research studies on super wolves from Canada being the origin of our Oregon wolves have not been located in recent academic, accredited reference websites on wolves. As an advisory board member of the non-profit Predatordefense.org, I have attended many scientific presentations on wolves for over a decade. Many consist of webinars, documentary films, conferences, and presentations at the High Desert Museum and the Tower Theater by multiple wolf biologists. Wolf evolutionary research from the 1930s to the 1970s did evolve due to advances in molecular genetic techniques and whole genome sequencing. As of 2024 current genome research concurs with our Oregon wolves belonging to the Northwest gray wolf populations which historically occupied western United States and adjacent Canadian Provinces. No field data supports unusually large or aggressive wolves here or in Canada. All Oregon wolves weigh between 80-100 pounds consistent with historic wolves across the West. Habitat variability along with prey base can cause some variable body size, but these factors do not support the super subspecies or origins that Matt claims. Pacific Northwest wolves all belong to a continuous, well-connected population. Tracking radio-collared wolves reveals that they move freely across all these regions from the Rocky Mountains to Canada and to the Northwest states, maintaining genetic continuity. In other words, the claims that non-native wolves that were abnormally large and aggressive were dumped here in Oregon from Canada are not supported by science, but by myths. Donna Harris D.V.M Slow down growth To the Editor: The speed and the greed that are dictating the explosive growth in Sisters is more than troubling. Sisters simply does not have the infrastructure in place to handle the growth that is already happening. There needs to be pause in any new developments time given to integrate and assess this new growth and the ability of the city to provide services for it. Practical issues like water, sewer, traffic flow, school access, and fire danger need to be addressed. There needs to be oversight and wisdom on the part of our elected officials to mitigate undesirable consequences of too much growth, too soon. Without this intelligent oversight the City will be complicit in those undesirable consequences. With regards to the proposed development bordering Tollgate, the high school grounds and another subdivision, they want to build several hundred houses in the middle of the forest. For those of us already concerned about fire danger and the water table this is a nightmare scenario. Tollgate owners are presently being informed that we are losing our house insurance. Will these same agencies grant policies to any potential buyers of the proposed development? No, they will not. We must all face the reality that we live in what they call a dangerous fire hazard zone. This means we have to be very careful and responsible and thats including the City and the County. Im wondering if its all really about the money that the landowner, the Realtors, the builders, the city, and the county can accrue? For the citizens who will be most affected (which really means all of us) there is a dismissive good luck. Unless we the people are vocal and make our voices heard then this unrestricted growth will swallow the small town we all moved to and turn it into something else entirely. And so, we shall see if the City and the County are judicious or complicit in the speed and the greed that are afoot. They possibly will only act on our behalf if we act first. Write to The Nugget. Attend the county hearing in Bend April 7 at 1 p.m., Barnes Sawyer Rooms of the Deschutes Services Bldg., 1300 NW Wall St. Katherine Lewis Medical services To the Editor: Im writing about a non-political problem that has been on my mind for several years. Several times my wife and I have had serious problems arise immediately where we needed help. The only place to go is Bend or Redmond. I think its overdue to have an immediate care facility and discount full service drug and pharmacy store store in Sisters now instead of more empty apartment buildings. What do other people think about this? Chet Davis Invest in wildlife crossings To the Editor: As a resident of Black Butte Ranch, I am keenly aware of the risks of driving Highway 20 between Bend and Suttle Lake. This stretch has the highest density of deer and elk-vehicle collisions in Oregon, endangering both people and wildlife. Every year, our state sees over 7,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions, leading to serious injuries and even fatalities. In a room full of BBR friends, I can point in any direction to someone who has been affected by a wildlife-vehicle collision. In the high season, the carcasses of elk and deer trim the edges of Highway 20, a sight both tragic and cautionary. We dont have to shrug and accept this as the norm. Wildlife crossings overpasses and underpasses are proven to improve safety. In Central Oregon, the crossings at Crawford Road and Lava Butte on Highway 97 south of Bend reduced deer-vehicle collisions by over 90% while supporting safe movement for 31 different species. Investing in crossings isnt just good for wildlife its cost-effective, saving millions in accident-related expenses and keeping our roads safer. If you are in support of these wildlife crossings, please take a few minutes to contact Rep. Levy, Rep. Kropf, and Sen. Broadman and urge them to ensure that this budget includes dedicated funds for wildlife crossings in Oregon. Nancy Hinnen Golden goose To the Editor: If the proposed McKenzie Meadows Village development goes through, it will be the latest example of plucking a few more feathers off the golden goose of a town that we live in. In fact, some would argue that we already have managed to downgrade our goose status to silver. These feathers dont grow back, and no amount of mitigation or minimization will replace a cut down tree that has been around longer than anyone of us has. I suspect the majority of Sisters residents that took a quick walk through the proposed development area would not be in favor of bulldozing this beautiful forest area in order to replace it with more stacked housing that the average income person/family will not be able to afford. Yet, that is the direction this project seems to be headed. If you think this forest area that sits behind Sisters High School is worth saving, please take a few minutes to email Haleigh King at the Deschutes County Planning Division prior to April 4 and share your thoughts. Haleighs email: [email protected]. There is also a public hearing in Bend on April 7 at 1 p.m. that will be accessible by Zoom. For more information on the hearing, please email Jamie McFarland at [email protected]. Greg Werts (Editors note: Regarding taking a quick walk through the proposed development area. It should be understood that the property in question is privately owned and walking through it is trespassing). LaPorte County suffered the most significant population drop in Indiana over the last five years, ranking last numerically among Indianas 92 counties, but several new construction projects have officials optimistic that the trend will turn around soon. The county on the south shore of Lake Michigan, bordering Southwest Michigan, has been declining in population for the last five years, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. LaPorte County's population has fallen by an estimated 0.8%, or 939 residents, since 2020, according to the Census Bureau. It lost more residents than any other county over that time period and had the seventh highest population drop by percentage. With 111,348 residents, it ranks 15th in the state in population. Last year, LaPorte Countys population fell by 0.2% or about 238 residents, according to the Census Bureau. In 2024, it had the fourth highest population drop in the state numerically and the 10th highest decline percentage-wise. While LaPorte Countys population has been gradually declining in recent years, its population has been generally stable across a longer period of time, Northwest Indiana Realtors Association CEO Pete Novak said. LaPorte County has historically seen very slow and moderate growth in population since the 1980s," Novak said. "According to the Census, this trend continued between 2010 and 2022, with LaPorte County growing by 0.2% during that time. It then showed a very minor decrease in population for 2023, which was -0.6%." The county's population has barely budged over the last half-century. LaPorte County had about 108,000 people in 1980 and is home to about 112,000 people today. "I'm not sure how much I read into this, as LaPorte County has had many years of slightly negative growth over the past four decades as well as many years of slightly positive growth," Novak said. "It hasn't seen any significant amount of population growth since the 1980s." Part of the issue is that LaPorte County had benefited from migration out of Lake County but it no longer draws as many Lake County residents as it used to, Indiana University Northwest Associate Professor of Economics Micah Pollak said. With Lake County retaining population more effectively, this has created new challenges for other counties in the region, Pollak said. With fewer residents leaving Lake County to move east, the population growth for Porter and LaPorte has slowed. In this last year, LaPorte county had the 4th largest population decline in the state. But LaPorte County is positioned to start to grow again, due in part to the South Shore Line Double Track project shortening commutes to Chicago. "These counties are now in a position of needing to find new and innovative ways of attracting and retaining population, Pollak said. The double tracking of the South Shore Line, as well as expansion of new housing projects in downtown Michigan City, are important investments which will pay dividends in economic growth in the future. Following the double tracking, which increases service frequency and reduces commute times to Chicago, downtown Michigan City has seen a flurry of housing development proposals, including 11th and Franklin, SoLa, Singing Sands and Fifth and Pine. The projects will collectively add thousands of new apartments and condos as Michigan City positions itself more as a lakefront resort community like neighboring New Buffalo in Southwest Michigan. "You're going to start seeing population growth in LaPorte with the finishing of the double track," said Jennifer Parham, the CEO and owner of Lighthouse Realty. "Michigan City is up and coming. The downtown area is getting new businesses and people who want to live in Michigan City and take the train to Chicago. It's going to draw people from Illinois and from across Northwest Indiana. It most definitely changes the perception of Michigan City." Massive new projects in nearby New Carlisle, like an $11 billion Amazon data center, will help drive demand for housing in LaPorte County, Parham said. "You're going to see an increase coming to Michigan City in the next three to five years," she said. "There are more projects coming together. They're accentuating proximity to the lake. The infrastructure is coming up. You're seeing a growth in vacation homes." The downtown housing developments coming to Michigan City could help draw and retain more young people, Novak said. "With respect to housing developments in general, it's my opinion that the more diversified our housing stock is in Northwest Indiana, the better chance we have to attract and retain residents," he said. "For example, we lose many of our older residents to warmer climates. The more maintenance-free developments we have available to older residents, the better chance we have to entice them to stay here. The same could be true for attracting younger residents. The more affordable housing units we have that offer different lifestyles, the more likely we are to get young people to stay or move to Northwest Indiana." Michigan City's population has been stagnant, but the new housing developments could bring 5,000 to 8,000 new residents in coming years, Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch said. "Population is important for all of LaPorte County," Nelson Deuitch said. "We want density in the downtown area so that businesses can thrive and downtown can sustain a grocery store. It also allows us to have more housing in other parts of the city, which is just as important. We need to build new neighborhoods and build up existing neighborhoods with infill housing. It's really like a domino effect, the housing piece of it." Clarence Hulse, executive director of the Economic Development Corporation of Michigan City, Indiana, said it was crucial for Michigan City to bring in new residents to sustain the county's economic vitality. "Talent drives business," Hulse said. "That's true nationally, statewide, regionally and locally. People want to live in cities. We have seen that and that's why we're trying to change our city and improve our city. People are leaving the county, but Michigan City is growing. The county numbers are going down, but the city numbers are going up. We're pushing for more housing with amenities and shops on the first floor where you can access services. We are doing a lot to attract people to our city." Scotsmen Craig Ferguson and Greig McBride were ecstatic to find the animals hopping along the moody woodland. There are millions of them here in Australia but to spot a wallaby 15,000 kilometres away on a remote island in Scotland is deemed an "absolute rarity" and it's a unique experience two locals were thrilled to share. Craig Ferguson, 21, and Greig McBride, 31, have explored much of their home country but admitted to Yahoo News spotting a wallaby off the banks of Loch Lomond, located over 40 kilometres from Glasgow, was nothing short of "surreal". "This is the first time in my life I've seen a wallaby and to watch it hop around in the wild was crazy... we managed to catch sight of two," Craig said. The pair camped overnight in freezing temperatures on Inchconnachan Island, known locally as Wallaby Island, and were pinching themselves when they spotted the illusive animals in the chilly forest. "People know about Wallaby Island in Scotland but aren't sure if they're genuinely there or if it's a myth... I knew they were real but thought I had no chance of seeing them," he told Yahoo. Why are there wallabies in Scotland? A population of red-necked wallabies was introduced to the island in the 1940s as part of Countess Fiona Bryde Gore's private exotic animal collection. The animals, native to much of Australia's east coast and Tasmania, adapted to their new environment and have been living there ever since, with reports the animals even hop across the frozen loch and navigate the woodlands during severe winters. Craig and Greig camped in freezing temperatures in the hope of finding the marsupials. Source: Supplied There was initially 60 of the animals introduced to the moody landscape but it's unknown exactly how many still inhabit the island. ADVERTISEMENT "There's no exact figure of how many are left," Craig explained. "It was said that in their peak there was maybe about 50 to 60, which is obviously a lot, but now people think there's probably less than 10". "I genuinely felt as if we'd spotted a rare animal and that's what they are in Scotland. Not many people here can say they've seen a wallaby in their own country." It is feared the invasive species threatens Scotland's native capercaillie, the country's most endangered bird. It is the largest of the grouse birds in the country and its cousin, the red grouse, is famously featured on the label of Scotch whiskey Famous Grouse with millions of bottles exported around the world every year. However, others claim the two animals have been able to coexist on the island. The wallabies are believed to coexist on the island with Scotland's native capercaillie bird. Source: Supplied & Scotland's Nature 'Kangaroos' continue to surprise UK residents The wallaby population in Scotland is not the only one in the UK. A University study mapped 95 confirmed wallaby sightings across the UK in 2020 with most being in southern England. ADVERTISEMENT An English driver was shocked to spot what he thought was a "kangaroo" hopping down a Cornwall road in the country's south last May and followed it for over 10 minutes until he realised it was actually a wallaby. "I was a bit shocked to see a wallaby in Cornwall, it was quite the sight to see," Kieran Adams told local media. Another wallaby was also reported roaming the streets in Cornwall in 2020, and a population of the marsupials live in the Midlands, with a wildlife enthusiast who captured footage of the animals in a snow-covered field telling Yahoo News he was utterly elated to locate them. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Merrillville is touting itself as the epicenter of economic development in Lake County amid a flood of new investments. Amazon just opened a 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Merrillville that's employing 500 workers and still hiring. Snyders-Lance and AutoMak just moved into the new Avanti Building in the AmeriPlex at the Crossroads business park on the other side of Interstate 65. Panduit is moving into a newly constructed $76 million distribution center in Silos at Sanders Farm, a 2 million-square-foot, $235 million industrial park on 195 acres of land along Mississippi Street between 93rd and 101st Avenues. Dallas-based Crow Holdings just built four hulking warehouse buildings on spec or speculatively without a tenant lined up in advance in Silos at Sanders Farms just east of I-65. Now it's building a new business park with warehouses of 205,000, 227,000 and 462,000 square feet at the southwest corner of East 73rd Avenue and Mississippi Street. Collectively, the developments that were recently completed, are now under construction or are coming to Merrillville are expected to create hundreds if not thousands of new jobs. "The epicenter of economic development is now here in Merrillville," Council Member Shawn Pettit said. "We have two business parks, 700 acres and easily over 3.5 million square feet of buildings when you total everything up across the interstate." Fewer than 20 acres of land remain available for sale in Ameriplex at the Crossroads west of Interstate 65, Merrillville Economic Development Director Angie Chilcott said. The Missner Group also owns 96 acres behind Pinnacle Hospital where it is looking to help develop a data center campus with five buildings. It's one of three data center proposals totaling $2 billion in investment that could come to Merrillville. Newport Beach, California-based Province Group, Chicago-based Wylie Capital and Karis Critical are all pursuing data center projects in town. The town of more than 36,000 residents in Lake County has seen an influx of data center and warehouse projects just off I-65. "With Panduit, they are a large supplier of data centers, with the wiring," Chilcott said. "Knowing that they have three potential data centers is going to help their business as well. They're one of the primary suppliers for that industry. They have room for expansion there as well." Merrillville also is attracting interest from international companies, Chilcott said. "We partner with the state and get their leads. Anything that's suitable we'll send to the developers like 'Hey, this might be a good fit for you,'" she said. "Some are only known by project name. Some are international companies. We've already had interest for that new development. (There are) always leads being worked. A lot of times we're working with international companies and local companies on all of these buildings. A lot of international interest has been sparking up in the world of light industrial. A lot of companies are looking to expand into the United States, so that's very exciting." The arrival of companies like Amazon, Panduit and Snyders-Lance, a subsidiary of Campbell's, spurs interest from other developers and companies, Chilcott said. Such high-profile investments are expected to help draw tenants to the 263,444-square-foot and 270,711-square-foot speculative buildings in Silos at Sanders Farms. "The Northwest Indiana Forum was excited to help the Silos at Sanders Farm development come online with some READI funds that help drive this type of investment," Northwest Indiana Forum President and CEO Heather Ennis said. "We're looking forward to seeing this business park fully up and functional and the jobs it will provide to Northwest Indiana residents for years to come." The economic development agency helped build out some of the infrastructure inside the business park and widened Mississippi Street to handle the added truck traffic in and out of the warehouses. "What the city has done to ensure this type of investment can thrive here is really exciting," Ennis said. "As you drive up I-65 from Lowell to here, all the investment you're seeing is helping put Northwest Indiana even more on the map. We're seeing more and more folks investing in the Region and getting excited about the opportunities that we're seeing." Other major projects like Caterpillar, U.S. Cold Storage and Core X Crown cold storage are springing up along I-65. "It's a great transportation corridor but also a great corridor of infrastructure," Nelson said. "The labor force we have here in the Region is continuing to drive opportunities. We're not just seeing transportation, warehousing and logistics. We're also seeing opportunities around advanced manufacturing and continued growth around the fiber infrastructure we've put in." Units of government throughout Indiana, including school districts and libraries, soon may face a barrage of lawsuits from across the country if someone believes they've organized, hosted or funded an "obscene performance." The Republican-controlled House voted 72-20 Monday to give legal standing to any person, anywhere, to seek injunctive relief, attorney's fees, court costs and "other reasonable expenses" if they file a lawsuit claiming an Indiana governmental entity knowingly or intentionally organized or hosted an obscene performance, or used any taxpayer dollars to fund an obscene performance. There's little chance anyone would prevail in such a lawsuit, in part because few performances can satisfy every prong of the statutory definition of obscene: "The average person, applying contemporary community standards, finds that the dominant theme of the matter or performance, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest in sex; the matter or performance depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct; and the matter or performance, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value." Indeed, the sponsor of Senate Bill 326, state Rep. Andrew Ireland, R-Indianapolis, said he's unaware of any obscene performances occurring in Indiana that are sponsored by the state or local units of government. He insisted, however, that granting anyone the authority to file a lawsuit will help ensure "public funds are never used to support the exploitation of children." "This bill is an important step forward in our fight to protect the innocent and ensure that our legal system reflects the gravity of these crimes," Ireland said. The leading opponent of the proposal, state Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, said he has no serious problem with banning governmental entities from supporting obscene performances, since that's not happening now and he can't imagine any situation where it would. "It seems odd to legislate against things that aren't happening and it suggests that our local officials are peddling smut, basically," Pierce said. "No local unit of government is going to be funding any obscene performance. It's not going to happen. So it's a nice message. But it's a do-nothing thing." "More and more, this General Assembly is taking itself to an alternate reality where it legislates against problems that don't exist. We create a straw man and then we knock it down and we say, 'Look at us, we really solved that problem.' The problem never existed! But it appeals to somebody out there, so we do it." Though Pierce also warned the enforcement mechanism included in the plan is ripe for abuse by easily offended individuals and interest groups located anywhere in the world who wouldn't even have to prove any kind of direct injury or harm before filing a lawsuit against an Indiana unit of government claiming something was obscene. "Keep in mind, anybody involved in this supposed obscene performance that the local government might be funding, they can already be arrested and imprisoned under our current statute. We've got all the law in the world to address this issue. I would think the fear of going to prison would keep your local officials from wanting to go into the smut-peddling business. But we seem to think it's not enough," Pierce said. "So we're going to have groups from all over the country, people organizing, looking around, and they're going to see a play, a movie, a performance, a poetry reading, something that they think is offensive, maybe because of just the nature of the characters being portrayed in that particular work. And they're going to grab on to this statute that we're about to put into law, and they're going to rush in and they're going to file a lawsuit." Pierce said the odds of any litigants actually getting injunctive relief are practically zero, especially because the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint on free speech activities protected by the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But he said the proposal could have a chilling effect if governmental entities decide not to fund, organize or host any performances in response to it, and those that still do will have to defend themselves against any lawsuits. "You're going to chew up time of some lawyers for those local units of government to deal with these marauding groups of people who are easily offended. And your local units of government, your constituents' tax dollars, are going to get chewed up fighting off these frivolous lawsuits," Pierce said. "This bill, now in its current form, is encouraging frivolous lawsuits. I thought we didn't like those in here." In the end, the measure was easily approved by the House. It next goes back to the Republican-controlled Senate to see if lawmakers there accept Ireland's revisions or instead want to work toward a compromise acceptable to both chambers. The bulk of the underlying legislation substitutes the term "child sex abuse material" everywhere "child pornography" appears in the Indiana Code to make clear the production and distribution of such content is connected to child abuse. Question 1: Voter I.D. Requirement Voters will decide whether to amend the Wisconsin Constitution to require photo identification to vote. Wisconsin law already requires voters to show identification, but passage of this Republican-backed ballot question would make it harder for that requirement to be removed by the courts or the legislature. Not a Subscriber? Join O'Dwyer's & Get RFP Access Stop wasting time tracking down RFPs. O'Dwyer's connects you with organizations looking for PR firms & services. Get new business with O'Dwyer's! Join O'Dwyer's French/West/Vaughan picks up PR and influencer marketing duties for footwear company H.H. Browns Sofft and Align brands. For Sofft, a leading womens footwear brand since 1927, FWV will execute strategic media relations and influencer marketing campaigns to boost awareness. The agency will also introduce Align, the newest addition to the H.H. Brown portfolio. Aligns spring collection offers a range of men's footwear designed for exceptional comfort during everyday adventures. H.H. Brown has been in business for more than 140 years. French/West/Vaughan has a proven track record of working with an impressive client roster, and we are extremely pleased to add our name to that list, said H.H. Brown marketing director Ryan Libby. Crowe PR signs on to work with Mutiny Island Vodka, a mission-driven premium spirits brand. Crowe PR is executing a strategic integrated public relations campaign to promote the brands product portfolio, articulate its mission and share its founding story, raising awareness regionally in target markets and across North America. Founded in 2017 by CEO Todd Manley, Mutiny Island Vodka is crafted with nutrient-dense superfood breadfruit and Caribbean rainwater. In addition to its Island Vodka, the company offers an infusions collection including Roots Ginger & Turmeric, Puerto Rican Coffee and Smoked Hot Pepper. Im confident our partnership with Crowe PR will ensure our message reaches new audiences to build a more sustainable future for all, said Manley. Citizen Relations is named North America PR agency of record for Natures Path Organic Foods. The agency worked on a campaign for Natures Path in Canada last year, and it will now support the company on a relaunch into the US market. The scope of work will include PR, experiential and creative & strategy specialties. In addition to Natures Path cereals and granolas, the companys brands include Que Pasa, Love Crunch, Anitas Organic Mill, EnviroKidz and Love Child. Weve experienced firsthand the impact Citizen enabled through their fully integrated approach, said Natures Path director of marketing services, Sasha Bricel. Kristin Alena Sadowski FTI Consulting appoints Kristin Alena Sadowski as a managing director in its strategic communications segment in Germany. Sadowski was previously a director and head of organizational transformation at Brunswick Group. Before that, she worked as a journalist at German television broadcaster ZDF. Kristin Alena seamlessly combines strategy, communications and change management, said FTI Consulting head of strategic communicatons Germany Victoria Strachwitz. Her deep understanding of change processes and her ability to steer organisations through challenging transformations make her a valuable addition to our team and our clients. Gayle deDie Cavallo, an AI-driven platform aimed at helping businesses enhance customer retention, brings on former head of global marketing programs for Google Cloud Gayle deDie as SVP of marketing. deDie was most recently SVP of marketing at RPM Labs. In her 13 years at Google, she also served as head of go-to-market strategy and communications. "With her extensive experience, including shaping Google Cloud's marketing strategy, she brings a wealth of expertise to fuel our market expansion while deepening our dedication to existing customers. Her leadership will play a pivotal role in our next phase of growth," said Cavallo CEO Mike Biwer. Mary Sagripanti Verizon Value, the division of Verizon Consumer Group focusing on such prepaid and value brands as StraightTalk, Safelink, Total Wireless and TracFone, names Mary Sagripanti as VP and CMO. Sagripanti most recently served as CMO at Amazon Ring, which specializes in smart home security devices. She has also served as global head of growth and consumer engagement at Amazons Fire TV unit and was global CMO at grill manufacturer Weber. At Verizon Value, Sagripanti will lead marketing, brand and demand generation efforts for Verizon Values portfolio of brands, with an emphasis on market segmentation and building customer loyalty. She succeeds Cheryl Gresham, who joined Starbucks as SVP, North America marketing in February. The Defence Forces are to deploy about 50 members to help in the search for a farmer missing from his home in Co Kerry. Michael Mike Gaine, 56, was last seen in Kenmare shortly before 10am on Thursday March 20. Gardai and the mans family are extremely concerned for his wellbeing. Starting on Tuesday morning, up to 50 troops combined from the 12th Infantry Battalion from Limerick and the 3rd Infantry Battalion from Kilkenny will assist gardai in their searches on open lands over the coming days. Gardai said the lands are rough, open ground and at higher altitude and the experience and discipline of trained personnel is appropriate to assist in carrying out these searches. When last seen, Mr Gaine was buying phone credit in the Centra shop in Kenmare town at 9.48am, which was captured on CCTV. He is described as being approximately 5ft 10in, of a stocky build, with brown/grey hair and a bushy beard. When last seen, he was wearing an orange woolly hat, black fleece, blue jeans and black boots. Mr Gaine left in his bronze-coloured RAV4 registration 152 KY 366, which was later found parked in Mr Gaines farmyard, just off the N71 at Carrig East. People are being asked to submit any footage, pictures or videos from Thursday March 20 or Friday March 21 in the Kenmare town or Molls Gap areas (N71/R568) to gardai. Anyone with information on Mr Gaines whereabouts is asked to contact Killarney Garda Station or any garda station. Gardai said they wanted to thank members of the public who have assisted in searches previously. They said they are not requesting the assistance of the general public for further searches at this time. Gold Coast man Gordon is warning Australians to think twice about investing in some tourist experiences in Vietnam. Gold Coast man Gordon has travelled the world, but he's sounding the alarm about 'dangerous' conditions in Vietnam. Source: Supplied A seasoned traveller is urging Australians to carefully consider the destinations they visit in Vietnam, after sharing a disturbing experience which he believes highlights increased "corruption and dishonesty" in tourist areas across the popular Asian nation. Gold Coast man Gordon lived in Quy Nhon, a coastal city in the country's east, a few years back. Upon reading a Yahoo story about Aussie tourists threatened by a hotel in Thailand after posting a bad review, he recounted how police arrived at his apartment following his one-star Google review for a tourist park in 2023, claiming they attempted to intimidate him over his online feedback. Speaking to Yahoo News, Gordon, a retired Air Force Officer, described the Ky Co Beach "resort" park as "disgusting". While images online depicted the spot as picturesque, offering activities like swimming, boating and sightseeing, Gordon said it was largely derelict on arrival, comprising of worn-out restaurants, a "dangerous" makeshift jetty, and a "cruel" marine park. Gordon said the marine park entry fee varies depending on the customer. Source: Supplied Ropes and zip-ties keep a jetty together in Quoy Nhon, Vietnam. Source: Supplied He said it was rundown, unsafe and charged different entry fees for different customers all of which he argued were vastly overpriced relative to the experience. According to Gordon, this incident is just the tip of the iceberg, and reflects a growing pattern of issues across countries in the region with shoddy tourist operators looking to target western tourists. ADVERTISEMENT "The wood platforms on the jetty were held together with zip-ties and the wildlife section was disgusting, the cruelty and the poor conditions," he recalled to Yahoo News. "Just imagine the worst possible conditions for animals to be kept, that's what you're looking at. The whole beach has been spoiled." Garbage can be seen all around the beach. Source: Supplied Gordon said the animal enclosure is unethical and 'disgusting'. Source: Supplied Ky Co Beach in Quy Nhon is described online as pristine, but much of the resort has fallen into disrepair. Source: Supplied Aussie man says police officers control the beach at tourist park Gordon said he wrote a review "just after lunch and put a lot of photos in there", and within about four or five hours, he had some 400 responses. "It was fairly evenly divided between people who were agreeing and people who were associated with, or employees of, the people who are running the show. They were saying that I didn't know what I was talking about." Gordon claimed many reviews on Google of Ky Co Beach aren't legitimate. He claimed it only takes glancing at the many one-star reviews to see the truth. ADVERTISEMENT "I thought I might get trolled, but didn't really think it was going to be a problem. But at nine o'clock that night, I was in the apartment by myself, and bang, bang, bang on the door there were three provincial police officers in uniform, three of them at my door asking to see my ID. I was shocked." Gordon believes the officers in question "control that beach", adding that "it's a cash cow for them". "They make the equivalent of thousands and thousands of Australian dollars per day, charging people to get down there. They own all of the rides and attractions and restaurants," he claimed. But despite his frustration, the Queenslander said he acted "deeply respectfully" towards the police. "I grew up in Asia as a kid. I've spent a lot of time in Asia, when I was in the military and afterwards. You don't mess with the cops, because they will arrest you on almost no charge," he said. Gordon said the officers went downstairs and sat in his foyer "for about an hour, talking, writing up some kind of report," but eventually left. ADVERTISEMENT "However, the next morning, I woke up and found my Facebook, Messenger and Instagram had been hacked and destroyed," he said. "It was raw intimidation." Google vows to crackdown on fake reviews Countless travellers have gone online, warning of similar experiences. "NEVER ever trust Google reviews in Thailand", one Reddit user titled a discussion thread earlier this year. For its part, Google has acknowledged the problem and vowed to continue to crack down on dodgy reviews and tourist operators trying to game the system. It comes after an investigation by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority earlier this year about the scourge of fake reviews in the tourism industry. According to the Associated Press, in response to the investigation, Google said its "longstanding investments to combat fraudulent content help us block millions of fake reviews yearly often before they ever get published." ADVERTISEMENT The tech giant said in a brief statement that it "works with regulators around the world ... to fight fake content and bad actors." The beach is located in the Vietnam's east. Source: Supplied Sydneysiders threatened after leaving negative review in Thailand Gordon speculated that experiences like the one he endured are becoming more common across the country, and across some parts of Asia as well. He pointed out that as tourism continues to grow in these regions, there seems to be an increasing number of cases where tourists are targeted, particularly those who speak out about poor or deceptive experiences. These incidents are often underreported due to fear of retaliation, making it harder to track the extent of the problem. In his opinion, this issue isnt isolated to Vietnam but part of a wider trend across Asia, where certain businesses and even local authorities are using heavy-handed tactics to protect their interests and suppress any negative reviews on online platforms. Last week, Yahoo News reported on a Sydney couple's disappointing experience at a hotel in Thailand, where staff threatened to report the pair to police for leaving negative reviews. Faisal and partner Ryan spent over $3,400 on what claimed to be a luxury hotel in Patong in January. But the tourists disliked the accommodation so much that they only stayed for one night before moving to a different hotel. They left one-star Google reviews describing the accommodation as a "tourist trap" to which the hotel retaliated with threats. "They threatened us and said if the review is not deleted, the manager will pass our information onto the police and you will have to deal with the police," Faisal told Yahoo. Thailand has strict defamation laws that have landed tourists in hot water in the past. In 2002, a US expat narrowly avoided jail after writing a string of negative hotel reviews. Gordon said that while Vietnam has the potential to be "one of the great tourist destinations of the world", he argued, in his opinion, it's weighed down by "corruption, counterfeiting and dishonesty". He said that while many parts of the country are worth visiting, Australians should be sceptical when making bookings, particularly based on "reviews that are written on the internet". Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Gardai continue to appeal to the public for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 56-year-old Michael Gaine who was reported missing from his home near Kenmare, Co. Kerry on Friday March 21, 2025. Michael was last seen in Kenmare town on Thursday March 20, 2025. Michael bought phone credit in Centra, Kenmare at 9.48am. Michael then left in his bronze coloured RAV4 registration 152 KY 366. This vehicle was found parked in Michael Gaines farmyard, just off the N71 at Carrig East. Michaels family have had no contact from him and his family and An Garda Siochana are extremely concerned for his well-being. Michael is described as being approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall with a stocky build, brown/grey hair and a bushy beard. When last seen, Michael was wearing an orange woolly hat, black fleece, blue jeans and black boots. An Garda Siochana has continued to carry out enquiries in the Kenmare locality and searches continued to be carried out over the weekend supported by other state and voluntary agencies in our ongoing efforts to locate Michael. Commencing today, Irish Defence Forces personnel will be assisting An Garda Siochana. Up to 50 members combined from the 12th Infantry Battalion, Limerick and the 3rd Infantry Battalion, Kilkenny will assist An Garda Siochana in searches on open lands over the coming days. These lands are rough, open ground and at higher altitude and the experience and discipline of trained personnel is appropriate to assist in carrying out these searches. An Garda Siochana wishes to thank members of the public who have assisted in searches previously. An Garda Siochana is not requesting the assistance of the general public for further searches, at this time. However, Gardai continue to want to speak to any person who travelled on the N71 on Thursday March 20, after 09:48am and/ or any person who may have any camera footage, including dash-cam or CCTV, or any other images (video or still) from Thursday March 20 and Friday March 21 in the Kenmare town / Molls Gap (N71/ R568) area to provide that imagery to the Garda investigation team. Anyone with information on Michael's whereabouts is asked to contact Killarney Garda Station on 064 667 1160, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. READ NEXT: Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan confirmed for iconic roles in upcoming Beatles movies The Globe Heating in the Hands of Constants (Image by Bernard Starr) Details DMCA From the outset, the major goal of the war on climate change has been to slow or stop the rise of carbon emissions in the atmosphere, thereby halting the planet's temperature from rising to dangerous, if not catastrophic, levels. This goal has inarguably failed despite massive activism, untold numbers of projects to defeat climate change, and huge worldwide financial investments in the war on climate change over the last two decades. Scientific data confirms this monumental failure. The planet is heating at an unprecedented rate. CO2 in the atmosphere has reached its highest level ever of 427 parts per million (ppm), far surpassing 350 ppm that scientists warned in 2008 should not be breached. Climate change disasters around the world increase every year. Yet the world fights climate change with the same failed strategies and investments. Five constants--meaning factors that are fixed and permanent--have paradoxically undermined efforts to battle climate change. Constant 1 Nations are not likely to ever fulfill their commitments to achieve net zero emissions. They have not done it in the past because of energy crises, deniers within their countries, and vast numbers of companies and ordinary citizens who place immediate economic gains over the survival of life on this planet. These factors are not likely to change. While there is much dismay and criticism of the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement to achieve net zero carbon emissions, all nations have, in effect, withdrawn. The only difference between the US withdrawal and the positions of the adopters of the agreement is that the US rejected the agreement based on the Trump administration's belief that climate change is a hoax. The other nations have unequivocally embraced the scientific doctrine that climate change is real and an existential threat to life on this planet. But they have failed to meet commitments and are now revving up their fossil fuel production, thus making the Paris Agreement a sham. Then supply chains of fossil fuels are likely to be disrupted by wars, other political conflicts, and economic issues. For example, the Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupted Russian oil supplies to European nations, which then increased their production of fossil fuels. Constant 2 Regime changes like the recent one in the United States pivoted US policy from embracing the war on climate change to dismissing it with the commitment to "drill baby drill". Similar regime changes and geopolitical conflicts are likely in the future, which will work against defeating climate change. Constant 3 The economies of many of the world's leading polluting nations are dependent on fossil fuel production and consumption. For example, oil and gas are 90% of Azerbaijan's exports. And the economies of Libya, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Angola, and other countries are dependent on oil production. Russia has become more dependent on oil production as the rest of its economy has faltered. These nations will stall and undermine the switch to green energy. And with no current alternatives sufficient to replace fossil fuels it's no wonder that The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists reported that the world's fossil fuel producers are "set to quadruple oil and gas production by 2030". Constant 4 Nations with extensive rainforests--the lungs of the world--continue to waffle about opening these lands to oil drilling and deforestation. Some like the Congo have invited investments for drilling. Other underdeveloped countries are resisting demands that they practice severe conservation by restricting the production and use of fossil fuels and transitioning to green energies. They argue that superpower industrialized nations have hugely profited from recklessly exploiting fossil fuels and continue to do so. And the leading industrialized nations have been lax in meeting pledges to compensate poor nations for restraining the production and use of fossil fuels. Constant 5 Corporations have an increasing carbon footprint as virtually every industry embraces AI technology, which consumes vast amounts of energy. Bloomberg Law News reports that "Tech companies' relentless push into artificial intelligence is coming at an undisclosed cost to the planet. Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are concealing their actual carbon footprints." Many companies have pledged to reduce their emissions to net zero by 2040. But this may be too late if scientists are correct about a narrowing window before the world crosses critical points of no return. Unfortunately, as earth.org notes: "Only 4% of the world's largest 2,000 companies meet UN emissions reduction criteria despite a record number of net zero pledges." In a faceoff between the bottom line and carbon emissions, the buck always wins--a constant that does not bode well for the war on climate change. Translating these five constants into a mathematical formula projects a grim result: Constant 1+ Constant 2 + Constant 3 + Constant 4 + Constant 5 = Climate Doomsday The expectation that nations and corporations will abandon their constants in the war on climate change defies the inherent meaning of the word constant. The formula of constants guarantees that the war on climate change will fail if left in the hands of nations, corporations, and the public. We need a bold new plan that creates and empowers an internationally independent entity, fully funded to develop nascent technologies such as nuclear fusion and carbon capture--technologies that hold the promise of achieving net zero emissions if developed to full commercial functionality. This strategy will transcend the restraints of the five constants. Yet no solution will save us unless we wake up to reality and stop wasting precious time trying the same failed strategies again and again and hoping for different results. Science has achieved the 'impossible' in the past and can do it again if given independence and the resources necessary for success. Is long-acting HIV treatment as good as taking daily pills? BOBBY RAMAKANT - CNS Dr Jurgen Rockstroh receives ASI Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 from Gujarat Chief Minister Mr Patel and ASI Emeritus President Dr Gilada (Image by CNS) Details DMCA Treatment for people living with HIV (antiretroviral therapy) is lifesaving and revolutionary as it has made HIV akin to any other chronic disease. It has been proven that those who are on treatment and remain virally suppressed, live healthy and normal lifespans - comparable to those without the virus - and there is zero risk of any further HIV transmission from them. But oral HIV treatment has to be taken daily without fail. This could be challenging given the fact that HIV treatment is lifelong. Recently, long-acting injectable treatment options have been proven to be as effective as the daily oral therapy. However, a very small number of those on long-acting options reported virological failure (and higher risk of HIV virus developing resistance against HIV medicine, also referred to as drug-resistance or antimicrobial resistance/AMR). But is the long-acting therapy for everyone? A lot of such questions were answered by Dr Jurgen Kurt Rockstroh, Head of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Bonn in Germany. Dr Jurgen has earlier served as the Chairperson of German AIDS Society, and President of European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) too. He gave a plenary talk at the 16th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (ASICON 2025) in Ahmedabad, India. Dr Jurgen was conferred upon the ASI Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel and Dr Ishwar Gilada, Emeritus President, ASI and Governing Council member of International AIDS Society (IAS). Antiretroviral therapy is lifesaving, revolutionised HIV care Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). eard it, the president was clear," someone thought to be deputy White House chief of staff Steven Miller allegedly texted to a Signal chat involving several cabinet members and inadvertently including Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic. The clarity: US president Donald Trump had supposedly given the "green light" for US military strikes on Yemen, a country upon which Congress has not declared war. At 11:44 a.m. on March 15, someone purporting to be US Secretary of Defense posted a "TEAM UPDATE" to the Signal chat, revealing (Goldberg claims) "operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen." Two hours later, as predicted in the "TEAM UPDATE," US strikes on Sanaa, Yemen's capital, began. Goldberg's disclosures, after the fact, triggered a combination of "circle the wagons, deny everything" and "condemnation of lax security" responses from within the administration. Members of Congress are already calling for hearings. Not hearings on the illegal planning and execution of an undeclared war, just hearings on how a journalist got looped into sensitive internal discussions over an application not seemingly approved for use by government actors. But let's rewind to something just as important as the illegal US war on Yemen or lax opsec by national security adviser Mike Waltz, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, and other top administration officials: Donald Trump's responsibility for the whole mess. Trump and friends are all-in on the "unitary executive" theory, under which the president can do pretty much anything he wants because, per Article II of the US Constitution. "the executive Power shall be vested" in his office. Over time, presidents have increasingly exploited the "unitary executive" theory to build a more "imperial" presidency. Congress, and (if Trump has his way) the courts find themselves relegated to an advisory capacity, especially but not only on foreign policy. Presidents rule as kings, using executive orders and declarations of emergency to have everything their way. The theory and its results aren't Trump's inventions. He's just building on past practice. If, as some claim, Trump aims for checkmate and "the end of "American democracy," the initial pawn to king 4 move was probably Harry Truman's order for US military intervention in Korea in 1950. Congress quickly backed Truman's play with funding, letting him get away with war by presidential order rather than congressional declaration ... and it's been a downhill roll ever since. There's another side to the "unitary executive" coin, though. If the president's "executive power" extends so far, so does the president's responsibility for both the details and the consequences. The Constitution, after all, also charges the president to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." Apart from Goldberg, the participants in the alleged Signal chat all seem to have been chosen by Trump -- vice-president JD Vance as his running mate, the cabinet secretaries as his nominees. If they messed up, Trump messed up. And just as he should hold them accountable, Congress should hold him accountable. But don't hold your breath waiting for Congress to notice the emperor's unclothed state. Cryptocurrency mining company Advanced Miners has acquired a 101MW gas-fired power project in Canada, where it plans to develop a 99MW bitcoin mining operation. The project is located on 19 acres of land in Fox Creek, Alberta, and was acquired in an all-cash transaction for $28.7 million. The project includes all permits and licenses required to construct the onsite natural gas-fired power plant, as well as approval for a 99MW grid interconnection A federal judge on Monday, March 31, 2025, ordered a man accused of setting fire to Tesla vehicles at a Tesla service center in Las Vegas on March 18 to remain in jail. AP A man accused of setting fire to Tesla vehicles in Las Vegas will remain jailed until his trial on federal charges of arson and possessing an explosive device, a judge ruled Monday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Elayna Youchah concluded no pretrial release conditions could be imposed on Paul Hyon Kim, 36, to assure the publics safety, citing the dangerous nature of the crimes and saying it wasnt a matter of burglary or simple vandalism. What occurred in this instance was so much more violent and dangerous than those acts. The acts appeared to be intended to create fear, Youchah said. The judge also said she found it fair to say the intent of the act was to influence and potentially coerce others into action. Authorities say Kim threw Molotov cocktails at vehicles and fired several gunshots in a Tesla service centers parking lot early March 18. No one was injured. Security video played at a police news conference last week showed the suspect, dressed all in black and covering his face, paint the word resist across the glass doors of the service center. Prosecutor Jacob Operskalski said Kim posed a danger to the community. He said it wasnt clear what Kim mean by writing resist on the doors. We can surmise the defendant is going to resist court orders, Operskalski said. Michael Becker, an attorney representing Kim, called the attack a glorified property crime with political overtones and said (Tesla CEO) Elon Musks undue influence on our federal government cannot be overstated enough. There has been an uptick of attacks on property with the Tesla logo across the U.S. since President Donald Trump took office and tapped Musk for a prominent role overseeing a new Department of Government Efficiency that has conducted large-scale federal layoffs. Some of the most prominent instances have taken place near left-leaning cities in the Pacific Northwest. Authorities say an Oregon man threw several Molotov cocktails at a Tesla store in Salem, then returned another day and shot out windows. In the Portland suburb of Tigard, bullets were fired twice at a Tesla showroom, damaging vehicles and windows. A 70-year-old Idaho man was arrested Saturday on aggravated battery accusations after allegedly driving his vehicle into a man who had been driving a pickup with pro-Trump flags during a protest at a Tesla dealership in suburban Boise. The pickup driver drove himself to a hospital, where he was treated and released. Prosecutors in Colorado have charged a woman in connection with attacks on Tesla dealerships that authorities say also included Molotov cocktails thrown at vehicles and the words Nazi cars spray-painted on a building. And federal agents in South Carolina have arrested a man accused of setting fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. -- The Associated Press Deputies arrested a 42-year-old man suspected of domestic violence and removed multiple weapons from a home in Wood Village, the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. Timothy Way was booked into downtown Portlands Multnomah County Detention Center on more than 20 charges, including assault, strangulation, coercion, felon in possession of body armor, identity theft and forgery, according to jail records. Deputies arrived at the house on Cedar Lane at 4:30 a.m. Sunday after receiving a report of a domestic disturbance, the sheriffs office said. They found a victim who had sustained significant injuries. The suspect had left the house and driven away in a pickup truck. The following morning, at about 8 a.m., a neighbor alerted police that Way had returned to the house, leading sheriffs deputies and Gresham police to set up a perimeter and call in a crisis-negotiation team, the sheriffs office said. Way surrendered nearly two hours later. Ways arrest record in Oregon goes back to 2004, when he was 21. He was convicted in 2014 of delivery of methamphetamine and heroin and gun charges, court records show. Hes also faced charges of assault and failure to report as a sex offender. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive Federal agents and state police found vendors hawking goods much different than the usual craft fair wares when they raided a rural property just outside Greshams city limits dubbed the Portland Sunday Market. They discovered people selling ecstasy, cocaine, marijuana and mushrooms, according to federal prosecutors. Oregon's Katie Flannery hits a home run during an NCAA softball game against Washington on Friday, March 14, 2025, in Seattle. Oregon won 9-0. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear) AP Oregon moved into the top five of one of the two major polls after a two-game sweep of Rutgers. The Ducks (31-3, 6-1 Big Ten) are No. 6 with 630 points in the NFCA poll and No. 5 with 501 points in the USA Softball poll after two run-rule wins over the Scarlet Knights last weekend. Thats up from No. 6 with 602 points and 472 points, respectively, last week. Oregon travels to Oregon State at 6 p.m. PT Wednesday and hosts a three-game series against Michigan beginning at 6 p.m. Friday. An architectural rendering of Kaiser Permanente's planned new Sunnyside Medical Center tower in Clackamas, Oregon. Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanentes medical campus in Clackamas will undergo a major makeover. The nonprofit health care system plans to build a new seven-story, 308-bed hospital tower that would replace the existing 303-bed Sunnyside Medical Center by 2029. Kaiser Permanente said the new 615,000-square-foot facility will feature cutting-end technologies, including advanced robotics and telemedicine equipment at each bed. All patients will be treated in private rooms. Kaiser Permanente said it plans to start constructing the new hospital on the east side of the medical campus early next year. The health system said it will continue to operate at the current three-story hospital building until the new tower is completed. The Sunnyside Medical Center is a non-trauma hospital built in 1975. The medical campus today houses three medical offices that provide medical and specialty care, in addition to pharmacy and imaging services and the Brookside Center for residential mental health and addiction medicine treatment. Kaiser said it will keep these offices and the Brookside Center. Once the new tower opens, Kaiser Permanente will demolish the current hospital building to make way for additional parking, walkways and outdoor spaces. Kaiser Permanente also operates the 122-bed Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro. That hospital opened in 2013. -- Kristine de Leon covers consumer health, retail, small business and data enterprise stories. Reach her at kdeleon@oregonian.com. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today. Attorneys general from Oregon and 22 other states are suing the Trump administration for its decision to pull back billions in funding from local health departments. AP A coalition of state attorneys general sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over its decision to cut $11 billion in federal funds that go toward COVID-19 initiatives and various public health projects across the country. Attorneys general from 23 states filed the suit in federal court in Rhode Island. They include Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, as well as attorneys general in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia. The lawsuit argues the cuts are illegal, and that the federal government did not provide rational basis or facts to support the cuts. The attorneys general say it will result in serious harm to public health and put states at greater risk for future pandemics and the spread of otherwise preventable disease and cutting off vital public health services. The lawsuit asks the court to immediately stop the Trump administration from rescinding the money, which was allocated by Congress during the pandemic and mostly used for COVID-related efforts such as testing and vaccination. The money also went to addiction and mental health programs. Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients, James said Tuesday in a news release. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department, which began serving employees dismissal notices on Tuesday in whats expected to total 10,000 layoffs, said it does not comment on ongoing litigation. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon pointed to the agencys statement from last week, when the decision to claw back the money was announced. The HHS said then that it will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago. Local and state public health departments are still assessing the impact of the loss of funds, though the lawsuit points to the claw back putting hundreds of jobs at risk and weakening efforts to stem infectious diseases like flu and measles. Health officials in Oregon, which joined the lawsuit, announced last week that the state was losing $117 million in federal funding that supported a range of programs, including behavioral health initiatives, health equity efforts and immunization programs. This reckless termination of billions of dollars in grants is not just an attack on the states, its an assault on the well-being of every American, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in a statement. We cant stand by idly while the very foundation of our public health system is dismantled. Rayfield added that the HHS cuts jeopardize states ability to combat rising threats like measles and bird flu. Already, more than two dozen COVID-related research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health have been cancelled. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from March shows that COVID-19 killed 411 people each week on average, even though the federal public health emergency has ended. Oregon Health Authority officials said the 2024 figures for physician-assisted deaths mark a notable shift from the previous year, which saw a 29% increase in prescriptions and 20% increase in resulting deaths, largely attributed to a 2023 amendment to the Death with Dignity Act that eliminated the Oregon residency requirement. Getty Images Prescriptions for life-ending medications under Oregons Death with Dignity Act increased 8.2% between 2023 and 2024, rising from 561 to 607, according to the latest data from the Oregon Health Authority. However, despite this increase in prescriptions, the number of deaths resulting from the ingestion of these lethal doses dropped by approximately 2.6%, from 386 to 376. Health authority officials said the 2024 figures mark a notable shift from the previous year, which saw a 29% increase in prescriptions and 20% increase in resulting deaths, largely attributed to a 2023 amendment to the Death with Dignity Act that eliminated the Oregon residency requirement. Dr. Tom Jeanne, an epidemiologist and deputy state health officer, suggested that the 2024 data may indicate a cooling of the heightened interest that came with ending the residency rule. He also noted that the OHA has not observed any substantial changes in the demographics of participants, who tend to be white and 65 and over. Physician-assisted deaths account for a small percentage of the estimated 44,000 annual deaths in Oregon. The full report is available on OHAs Death with Dignity Act webpage. This story was drafted with the assistance of generative AI based on data from the Oregon Health Authority and reviewed by Oregonian editorial staff. In this photo provided by El Salvador's presidential press office, a prison guard transfers deportees from the U.S., alleged to be Venezuelan gang members, to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (El Salvador presidential press office via AP) AP WASHINGTON The Trump administration is invoking a powerful tool in seeking to cut off a judges inquiry into whether it defied his order to turn around planes carrying Venezuelan migrants who were being deported from the United States. The Justice Department said in court papers Monday that it was invoking the state secrets privilege in refusing to provide details demanded by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg about flights that carried the migrants to El Salvador earlier this month. The claim often functions as a prevailing legal authority that has been used to limit or file lawsuits against the government when it says military or national security interests are at risk. In 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by a detainee at Guantanamo Bay who was captured after the Sept. 11 attacks and tortured by the CIA abroad. The court agreed with the governments invocation of state secrets and ruled that information about the treatment of the detainee, Abu Zubaydah, must remain secret even though much of it has been widely reported. Where does the state secrets privilege come from? The legal doctrine has its roots in a contract between President Abraham Lincoln and a spy for the Union during the Civil War. After the spys estate sued for money owed for his wartime service, the Supreme Court ruled in 1876 that some subject matters, including involving espionage, are so sensitive that courts have no business even hearing lawsuits. During the Cold War, the court also declared that some pieces of evidence sought in lawsuits must remain secret. After their husbands died in the crash of a B-29 bomber, three widows sued for the accident report. In 1953, the justices allowed the executive branch to withhold, even from the court, details about the crash because officials said it was on a secret mission to test new equipment. What does the deportation case have to do with state secrets? The current case began when President Donald Trump invoked a rarely used 18th century law, the Alien Enemies Act, to enable the quick deportation of Venezuelan migrants who were declared to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Boasberg, the chief judge of the federal district court in Washington, held an emergency hearing after lawyers for some migrants who feared deportation sued. The judge forbade any additional deportations and ordered that any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States. Even as the administration appeals the entirety of Boasbergs order, the dispute is over its compliance with the judges command. Boasberg had asked for details about the flights, including when the planes took off and landed, and how many people were aboard. The administration said Monday it would not answer his questions. Disclosure of the information, even just to Boasberg in a secure setting, would cause significant harm to the foreign relations and national security interests of the United States, Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a court filing. Judges often deal with classified information Boasberg is more accustomed to dealing with sensitive national security information than most federal judges. He previously served as the presiding judge of the secretive court that reviews government surveillance programs. He told government lawyers at one hearing that they could file their answer under seal, meaning not for public disclosure. He also said he would look at any sensitive information in the courthouses security facility known as a SCIF. But the administration told the judge that his review of the material in any setting is unnecessary and inappropriate. But havent administration officials already spoken publicly about the flights? Its true that administration officials recirculated a posting from Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele after Boasbergs initial order. OopsieToo late, Bukele wrote on X. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeted that the U.S. had sent more than 250 people to El Salvador. But courts have held that public comments do not always amount to official confirmation of the same information. That is what the Supreme Court decided in the Zubaydah case, over a dissent by Justice Neil Gorsuch. Nothing in the case suggests that requiring the government to acknowledge what the world already knows to be true would endanger national security, Gorsuch wrote, joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Indeed, despite Rubios post, the Justice Department wrote, Official confirmation of any of those allegations would pose a distinct threat to foreign relations and national security. Critics of the use of the state secrets claim say it often is an effort to prevent embarrassing revelations. Thats probably whats happening here, Shayana Kadidal, a human rights lawyer who has challenged state secrets assertions, wrote in an email. They let the flights leave despite knowing full well that the judge had ordered them turned around, and are doing this to avoid a contempt finding. Is that the end of the matter? The administration thinks so. It cited the Supreme Courts decision last year that gave presidents broad immunity from prosecution for official actions and helped Trump avoid a criminal trial on charges of interference with the 2020 election. The presidents execution of his Article II duties which are of unrivaled gravity and breadth and include managing matters related to terrorism . . . and immigration requires the utmost discretion and sensitivity, the Justice Department wrote. The Supreme Court has told judges to assess whether the governments claim is appropriate. In practice, when Cabinet-level officials assert that state secrets are at risk, as they have in the current case, judges often comply. Basically as long as they can get a cabinet official to sign off (personally) to a declaration, game over, Kadidal wrote. -- The Associated Press Emergency crews and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter respond to Seaside Beach, Ore., on Saturday, March 29, 2025, after a young girl was pulled into the ocean by a rip current. She was rescued and taken to Providence Seaside Hospital conscious and alert, officials said. Photo courtesy of Wendi Monroe Wendi Monroe was spending the weekend with her fiance at Seaside Beach and was heading down to the shore when she spotted several emergency vehicles on the sand. Down on the beach Saturday a little after 6 p.m., others nearby told her a girl was missing after having been pulled into the ocean by a strong current. Monroe scanned the horizon with binoculars searching for signs of her. Each moment that passed was devastating, she said, because she didnt know what to expect. You just couldnt see because the waves were so bad that day, said Monroe, a central Oregon resident. Emergency crews rescued the 12-year-old girl, Seaside city officials said, and she was conscious and alert in what one witness and family member separately called a miracle. Seaside city officials called it a really good outcome given the water was extremely powerful and unforgiving. The girls grandmother, who declined to be named to preserve her granddaughters privacy, said she was at the beach with her best friend and family. The two girls were knee-deep in the water when a large wave hit them in the waist and her granddaughter lost her balance, pulling her in the ocean. The best friend maintained her balance and stayed put. The rescued girls grandmother said they had talked about what to do if this ever happened, and she advised her in the past to float on her back and let the water take her. That advice proved helpful, and thats what she did, according to her grandmother. She did this until she could see the shore again and headed toward there. Her grandmother said she walked out on the sand, and a person on the beach spotted her and alerted emergency crews. She was found about 10 blocks north of where she was pulled in the water, a Seaside spokesperson said. The girl, who lives in the Salem area, was in the approximately 50-degree water for 20 to 30 minutes. Paul Johnson, the father of the girls best friend, thanked rescue crews for the amazing job they did. Her grandmother said she spoke with a rescuer who said the girl had a little water in her left lung. They also warmed her up to avoid hypothermia. The girl bounced back quickly, her grandmother said, and was in the hospital for close to two hours. On her Monday morning drive to Bend, Monroe said the girl was still on her mind, for the fact of how she survived given the conditions at the beach. She was super grateful, she said. For that little girl, I hope she knows how much of a miracle that is that she did survive, she said. Zaeem Shaikh covers the Portland Police Bureau and criminal justice issues for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-221- 4323, zshaikh@oregonian.com or on X @zaeemshake. Official ballot return envelopes are stacked at the Multnomah County Elections Office in Southeast Portland on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian A controversial bill that could repeal Oregons vote by mail system resulted in a heated public hearing Monday afternoon, as dozens of individuals argued for and against scrapping the states first-in-nation voting system. Senate Bill 210, sponsored by Republican Sens. David Brock Smith and Kim Thatcher, would ask voters to decide in November 2026 whether to retain Oregons vote by mail system, which has been in place for more than two decades. The proposed measure would also require voters to present a government-issued ID when voting in person and would limit mail-in voting to citizens who are unable to vote in person. The bill has almost no chance of advancing, as Democrats heavily outnumber Republicans in both of Oregons legislative chambers and the party strongly favors vote by mail and its track record of expanding voter turnout. That hasnt stopped thousands of Oregonians from sharing their thoughts with lawmakers. More than 9,000 residents submitted testimony opposing the bill roughly six times the 1,600 who wrote in asking lawmakers to support the proposal. And it didnt stop dozens of Oregonians from showing up Monday to share their thoughts in person with the Senate Rules Committee. We cannot afford the kind of voting mechanisms were doing now, said Ayla Hofler, a Burns resident who supported the bill. There is no way to secure our votes ... we need to have in person voting. During a 90 minute public hearing, supporters of the bill claimed, without evidence, that Oregons voting system has created opportunities for wide scale voter fraud. They asked lawmakers to reinstate in-person voting, which they said would improve integrity in the voting system. In 2017, Republican Secretary of State Dennis Richardson vowed to aggressively root out fraudulent voting and eventually prosecutors secured convictions of 10 Oregon voters, most of whom voted in two states but said they did so due to forgetfulness or poor health. Those 10 votes cast in Oregons 2016 fall election represented a minuscule fraction of the 2.05 million votes cast. One supporter of the bill, Karen Goodness, said ending Oregons vote by mail system would be an opportunity to start all over again, citing election fraud claims from a 2022 national documentary that have been debunked by experts. Representatives for several advocacy groups testified in opposition to the bill, stating that Oregons voting system is secure and easy for residents to follow and understand. They refuted claims that mail-in voting has led to significant fraud. We have older members who remember what its like to wait in long lines at the polls and have come to support and rely heavily on our vote by mail process for accessing the democratic process, said Elsie Elling, political and policy strategist for the Oregon chapter of SEIU, the large public employee union. Lamar Wise, political director for Oregon AFSCME, said the proposals in the bill would unnecessarily increase costs to conduct elections and would not improve the states voting system. Theres no evidence that this would change or improve election integrity, but theres plenty of evidence that it would make voting harder and more expensive, Wise said. The bill is highly unlikely to advance. While several Republican lawmakers said low public trust in voting systems makes the proposal timely, several Democrats defended Oregons voting system and said they would not support the bill. Democrats in the Legislature dont have any interest in rolling back vote by mail, House Speaker Julie Fahey, a Eugene Democrat, told reporters Monday. It is a very popular program. Oregonians of all political affiliations love vote by mail. Carlos Fuentes covers state politics and government. Reach him at 503-221-5386 or cfuentes@oregonian.com. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com/subscribe. The Portland City Council this week will consider barring the use of algorithms to set rents. Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Portland economic development officials critical take on a proposed rent-algorithm ban was omitted from a pair of City Council committee meetings that ultimately advanced the measure. The ensuing fracas has prompted the Portland City Council president to say shell push to publish Prosper Portlands unvarnished analysis of how the ordinance could affect the local economy and real estate market, and make clearer who authors such impact statements in the future. Portland schools are the biggest beneficiary of arts tax money. The Oregonian Have you paid your arts tax yet? Every year, Portlanders 18 and older who make above $1,000 in households over the poverty level are asked to pay a $35 per person tax that sends money to local arts organizations and schools. Its due on April 15. A good portion of the arts tax money goes to the Arts Access Fund, which pays for art teachers for K-5 students at Portland Public, David Douglas, Centennial, Parkrose, Reynolds and Riverdale schools, as well as area charter schools. According to the city, the Arts Access Fund pays for one arts teacher per 500 elementary school students. For the 2024-2025 school year, $7.8 million went to schools from arts tax money. Prior to the Arts Access Fund, there were 31 full-time arts teachers and educators serving K-5 students across Portland schools, Dawn Isaacs, the City of Portlands arts education coordinator said in a press release in December. In the 2023-24 school year, there were 111. That increase is directly related to the Arts Access Fund. Some administrative costs are taken out of the Arts Access Fund. According to a city spokesperson, collection costs have averaged 11.5% over the last decade and arts education coordination is capped at 3%. Those are the only two expenses allowed to come out of the fund. The Arts Access Fund also gives grants to arts organizations that serve Portland. The majority of that goes through the General Operating Support and the Small Grants program, which are made up of money from the Arts Access Fund and money from the citys General Fund. According to the city, for the fiscal year 2024-2025, just over $4 million in General Operating Support grants were given to 80 organizations. The money organizations get from these grants is direct and unrestricted. Around $800,000 of that came from the General Fund and $3.2 million from the arts tax. These funds used to be distributed by the Regional Arts and Culture Council but for the first time this year were distributed in-house by the City of Portlands Office of Arts and Culture. The Oregon Symphony received the biggest General Operating Support grant for 2024-2025, over $390,000. According to Laurel Wilde, the symphonys director of communications, that money supports just about every aspect of our programming. We perform 110 concerts each year at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in the heart of downtown Portland, Wilde said. So far this year, weve welcomed well over 140,000 people to the concert hall, with several months of concerts left to go. Money from the arts tax makes those concerts possible, she said, and allows the symphony to offer free and discounted tickets while fairly compensating the ensemble of musicians. A significant portion of our award this year was a one-time subsidy to help offset our rental expenses at the Schnitz, Wilde added, which have increased for three years in a row. The symphony also uses the funds to support educational programs, which include youth concerts, musical storytimes at local libraries, and opportunities for young musicians to learn directly from our musicians, Wilde said. We believe deeply in the importance of nurturing the next generation of musicians, she said, and are proud to have reached around 18,000 Portland students so far this year, 65% of whom are from low-income backgrounds. Portland Center Stage received a $350,000 General Operating Support grant for 2024-2025. Funding from the City of Portland is an essential part of PCSs ability to survive this challenging time, said Portland Center Stage artistic director Marissa Wolf. The general operating grant went directly to pay for the art on stage, and the salaries of PCSs 65 staff and 35 artists, crew, and technicians during our fall shows, 90% of whom are local, Wolf said. The funding also supported community programs, classes, residencies and student matinees, she said, as well as local partnerships. The Oregon Symphony and Portland Center Stage are just two of the organizations that benefit from the Arts Access Fund. Here are the 80 organizations that received General Operating Support during the 2024-2025 period and the amounts of each grant. Loading Along with the larger grantees, city code also stipulates that at least 5% of Arts Access Fund proceeds should be invested in grants and programs to nonprofit arts organizations, other nonprofits, and schools that will give access to high-quality arts experiences to Kindergarten through 12th-grade students (K-12) and for grants and programs that will make arts and culture experiences available to Portland residents, with a particular emphasis on programs directed to communities who are underserved by local arts providers. The money for the Small Grants program is also a mix of Arts Access Fund money and money from the General Fund. For the 2024-2025 fiscal year, $1.2 million in Small Grants $350,000 from the Arts Access Fund and $850,000 from the General Fund was distributed to individual artists and arts organizations in Portland. Those small grants are restricted to projects that grantees describe when applying for the money. While Small Grants are given to organizations and individuals, Arts Access Fund money, which comes directly from the arts tax, cannot be given to individuals. So the Small Grants awarded to individuals come from the General Fund. That money was disbursed by the Regional Arts and Culture Council. Those small grants are between $1,000 and $5,000. Here are the 91 organizations that received Small Grants. Loading Here are the 184 artists that received Small Grants, which are not funded by the arts tax. Loading Lizzy Acker covers life and culture and writes the advice column Why Tho? Reach her at 503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. Dollar Trees decade-long effort to fold the Family Dollar chain into its business is ending after agreeing to sell the bargain store chain to a pair of private equity firms for $1 billion. Dollar Tree Inc. bought Family Dollar with its over 7,000 stores ten years ago for more than $8 billion. Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, said that Dollar Tree struggled with supply chain issues, poor store locations and other operational difficulties ever since making the acquisition. Basically, Dollar Tree bit off far more than it could chew, he said. Last year Dollar Tree announced that it planned to close hundreds of Family Dollar stores. Family Dollar carries a range of household staples, from food to laundry detergent. The stores are largely located in underserved, urban areas. Store closings that are underway, and those that may take place under new ownership, are likely to have an outsized impact on customers living in those areas. Access to affordable, essential goods may become more challenging for lower income families as more Family Dollar stores close, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry advisor at Circana, a market research firm The lower income consumer will be losing a critical place to be able to purchase value products, Cohen said. Theyre losing the breadth of the assortment and the depth of the discount and the convenience. The mom and pop stores found in such densely populated urban areas have less selection and prices are typically higher, Cohen said. Dollar Tree had been scouting options for Family Dollar for a while and said Wednesday that the sale to Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management will allow it to focus on its core business. This is a major milestone in our multiyear transformation journey to help us fully achieve our potential, said Mike Creedon, who was made permanent chief executive officer of Dollar Tree late last year. During a conference call, Creedon noted how Dollar Tree and Family Dollar are two different businesses with limited synergies. The sale will now allow each one to concentrate on its specific needs, he added. Dollar Tree, whose customer base is about 50% middle-income shoppers, are found in many suburban locations. Its shelves are more likely to feature seasonal goods, party supplies, crafts and snacks. The sale will likely free Dollar Tree to focus on its core customers, Truist Securities analyst Scot Ciccarelli believes. Family Dollar turnaround efforts had been consuming massive amounts of both management focus and financial resources and now the company can focus all of its efforts toward growing and optimizing Dollar Tree, he wrote in a client note. Bargain chains like Dollar Tree, which have raised some of their prices in recent years, are finding that they have little room to maneuver. Americans have tightened their spending as consumer confidence in the economy slides. Family Dollar, which moved its headquarters from North Carolina to Chesapeake, Virginia, after the sale to Dollar Tree, will maintain its headquarters in Virginia. Saunders said Brigade and Macellum have to fix several issues at Family Dollar, including pricing that isnt as sharp as many of its rivals and a customer base that isnt as loyal. The deal is expected to close later in the second quarter. Arun Sundaram, an analyst with CFRA Research, said in a client note that the Family Dollar sale is the right move for Dollar Tree, which has historically generated stronger sales, profitability and cash flow. But Sundaram cautioned that Dollar Tree has increased exposure to tariff risks due to its higher concentration in general merchandise categories than Family Dollar. While about half of the chains customer base is middle income shoppers, Creedon said that higher-income customers in store aisles are becoming more frequent. We are seeing stronger demand from higher income customers who increasingly see Dollar Tree as a cost effective source for an expanding range of products, he said. Creedon said Dollar Tree has taken steps like negotiating cost concessions and diversifying where it imports goods from to mitigate more than 90% of the impact of the Trump administrations 10% tariff on Chinese imports announced last month. That tariff would have cost the company $15-$20 million monthly, Creedon said. Another 10% tariff on goods from China that was announced this month, along with 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, would potentially have about another $20 million monthly impact. Creedon said its working to mitigate the impact of the latest round of tariffs, which arent reflected in Dollar Trees 2025 outlook. Shares of Dollar Tree rose 3% Wednesday. -- The Associated Press Spanish fashion brand Mango has opened its first Oregon location, and another might soon be on the way. The Barcelona-based fast-fashion retailer opened a new store in downtown Portlands Pioneer Place mall last week. Mangos Portland location will exclusively sell items from the brands womens clothing line, according to the release. A Sitka spruce tree at Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site, known as the Yaquina Muscle Tree, is set to be cut down in June 2025. Oregon State Parks A beloved Sitka spruce tree at a popular state park is about to get a big farewell. The iconic tree, found at the Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site in Newport, has been declared a hazard, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said, and will either be cut down or cut back to avoid injury to people or damage to vehicles in the park. Known affectionately as the Yaquina Muscle Tree, the Sitka spruce lost a large limb during a winter storm, which prompted an inspection that showed significant decay, park officials said. Park staff will either cut back the tree significantly to create a snag for wildlife or remove it completely. Any cutting wont be done until June, leaving people a couple of months to pay their respects. Park officials appear to be expecting a large emotional outpouring. The department has already set up a website for people to share their memories of the big tree, which has been growing in the median of a park road. We know that this tree is not only special to us but to the local community as well, park manager Burke Martin said in a news release. Were offering residents an opportunity to share their memories and potential ideas on how to honor this amazing gift of nature. There will be more updates about the plans for both cutting and commemorating the tree later this spring. It was a difficult decision to make especially with this iconic Sitka Spruce that has become a friend to us all over the years as the gatekeeper to the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, but we have to balance between the beauty of nature and the safety of our visitors, Martin said. --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. Tufted puffins are returning to Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, with a welcome celebration planned April 13, 2025. Courtesy of the Seaside Aquarium Oregons favorite seabirds are returning to the coast this spring, and bird watchers are preparing to welcome them back. Tufted puffins are expected back at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, where a Welcome the Puffins celebration will be held Sunday, April 13, drawing serious and casual birders alike. Hosted by the Haystack Rock Awareness Program and Friends of Haystack Rock, the event will offer visitors a chance to get a good look at the orange-beaked birds through shared binoculars and scopes. It will also be an educational fun-filled morning with activities and games for the whole family, organizers said. Tufted Puffins, one of several species of puffins, are known for the distinctive yellow tufts that grow from their heads. The species lives along the north Pacific coast, with breeding grounds primarily found off the coast of Alaska and British Columbia, according to the National Audubon Society. The birds are found less commonly on the Washington, Oregon and northern California coastlines. Haystack Rock is one of the tufted puffins regular roosts, and has become the best place to see the birds, with easy access to the sea stack, especially at low tide. A bigger nesting site at Three Arch Rocks near Oceanside is much harder to observe, located a half mile offshore. Puffins return to roosting sites alongside their lifelong mates, where they lay their eggs in burrows. Both males and females take turns incubating the eggs until they hatch, about 43 days later. Newly hatched puffins, called pufflings, can be seen at Haystack Rock from late June through early August, according to the Seaside Aquarium. Pufflings leave their burrows a month or two after hatching, flying off under the cover of darkness to avoid the preying eyes of bald eagles. The puffin celebration this year comes with some concern for the future of the species. Tufted puffins have been disappearing from Oregons shores at an alarming rate, according to the Bird Alliance of Oregon, dropping from nearly 5,000 in 1998 to only 553 in 2021. The decline is likely due to a variety of causes, including warming ocean temperatures, reduced fish populations, pollution and invasive species, the organization said. In 2024, the Bird Alliance of Oregon teamed with the Haystack Awareness Program and several other organizations, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, to work on a conservation plan for the tufted puffins. The group said it will pitch stronger policies to protect the birds and try to restore coastal habitats. Katherine Luscher, tufted puffin coordinator with the Audubon Seabird Institute, said that conservation efforts also need to include a component of public outreach, like the new Oregon license plate and the event on April 13. Events like Welcome Puffin at Cannon Beach allow us to build more community support and engagement for protecting puffins and other seabirds, Luscher said in a news release. Plus, you cant not smile when you see one for the first or fifty-first time. --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. The World's Shortest Park Trail is just 135 feet, located on the southeast side of Schooner Creek Discovery Park, 4815 S.E. 51st St. in Lincoln City. Lincoln City Parks & Recreation Tiny news from the Oregon coast: The town thats home to the Worlds Shortest River now also claims the Worlds Shortest Park Trail. Clocking in at just 135 feet, the trail is on the southeast side of the new Schooner Creek Discovery Park at 4815 S.E. 51st St. in Lincoln City. The Worlds Shortest Park Trail is flat and paved, making it accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. And at just 0.02557 miles, its manageable for even the most indoorsy of hikers. It features a bench where visitors can enjoy views of the natural wetlands that surround neighboring Schooner Creek, and a sign ripe for selfie-taking declaring it the Worlds Shortest Park Trail. We had a very small section of open space acreage to the southeast of our park, said Jeanne Sprague, Lincoln Citys park and recreation director. We had talked about placing a bench there as a scenic viewpoint, and I just happened to mention to my staff, Hey, itd be great to have a trail there. Although itd be tiny because its not much open space acreage. And they went with it. They thought it was a great idea. Lincoln City received a $2,000 grant from the Oregon Parks Foundation to complete the trail, and along the pathway the nonprofit Tillamook Estuaries Partnership provided native plantings of salal, huckleberry, twinberry and cedar. The trail was completed last fall, but the city waited until April Fools Day to officially announce its opening. We had so much fun with it, Sprague said, and when we bring it up with people, we always get laughter and smiles. Its just been a fun project all around. City staff looked at getting the trail certified by the Guinness Book of World Records but the application fee was $14,000. At that point, it costs more to apply for the world record than to build the park trail, Sprague said, and the city couldnt justify spending that kind of money on bragging rights. In the end, making the claim is what really matters. Its kind of like the Worlds Best Cup of Coffee, Sprague said. We are the Worlds Shortest Park Trail. Lincoln City has a bit of a fraught history with the Guinness Book of World Records. For decades, the citys D River held the Guinness title of Worlds Shortest River. Measured (at the time) at 440 feet, the D River is the outlet from Devils Lake into the Pacific Ocean. In the late 1980s, however, a group of fifth-graders in Great Falls, Montana, successfully petitioned Guinness to declare their towns 275-foot Roe River as the shortest. A 1962 file photo from The Oregonian, which shows D River, the tiny streak at center. Oregonian Lincoln City was not deterred, however, and the town submitted a new length, measured at high tide, showing the D River was, at its shortest, just 120 feet long. After two years of dispute, Guinness Book of World Records editors ended things with a draw by listing both rivers in the books 1991 edition. Today, it seems, Guinness has given up on determining river length. If you search shortest river on the Guinness website, nothing comes up. But if you visit Lincoln City, a sign along the D River Bridge on U.S. 101 still claims it as worlds shortest. Samantha Swindler covers features for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Here is Oregon. Reach her at sswindler@oregonian.com. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. Please make a note of this: Annual FAIR Conference August 7-8, 2025 Mark your calendars for our FAIR Conference this August at The Barn at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah! We are thrilled to host a variety of speakers, scholars, and experts who will provide faithful responses to challenging questions. Some of the speakers will include: Come Back Podcast, Adassa, Al Fox Carraway, Matthew Godfrey, Benjamin C. Peterson, Josh Coates, Zach Wright, Matt Christiansen, Dan Peterson [sorry about this one dcp], Mike Ash, Brad Whitbeck, Brandon Mull, Women of Ward Radio, and more. Tickets are available now at fairlatterdaysaints.org. And please make a note of this, as well: October Virtual Conference Old Testament Join us this fall for our Virtual Conference on the Old Testament. Stay tuned for speaker announcements and registration details. Reminder: Intention of paper submissions are due by Tuesday, April 1st! We spent two hours or three hours on Monday morning in Honolulus very interesting Bishop Museum, immersed in exhibits about Polynesian culture and religion. On the way out, I bought a copy of Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel H. Elbert, and Esther T. Mookini, eds., Place Names of Hawaii, revised and expanded edition (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1974). Im not quite sure why I bought it, of course, since, as my anonymous critic Dumb-Dud has astutely observed, I dont read and I refuse to learn anything. Still, the fact remains that I did buy it. And, later, while browsing in it, I read the entry for a place called Kawaikui, which is located on the Big Island near South Point. This is the place where Ka-mehameha ordered a kahuna [that is, a native Hawaiian priest] to try to get water (wai); the kahuna pounded (kui) the earth to no avail, and he was hanged for his failure. (98) Now, Dumb-Dud and some of his associates on the Peterson Obsession Board have been highly indignant over the past couple of days at the reservations that Ive expressed about declaring such conquerors as Kamehameha and Napoleon great because they killed a lot of people and stole a lot of land. My behavior has been termed ugly, despicable, lacking empathy, lazy, racist, white privileged, white colonialist, and demeaning to Hawaiians. Perhaps, they suggest, it merits a reprimand from the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And surely theyre right! Who else but a lazy, ugly, despicable, unempathetic racist and colonialist could possibly see anything not to admire in a king who not only forced several hundred islanders to fall to their deaths from a tall cliff at the Battle of Nuuanu but who also ordered a man to pound water out of dry earth and then hanged that man because the task was completely impossible? And heres yet another story about King Kamehameha I that should make it clear that only a morally ugly, lazy, despicable, unempathetic, racist, colonialist, and privileged white man such as I am could possibly have even the slightest reservation about pronouncing the man great: By 1782, Kamehameha I had taken control of western and northern Hawaii island (i.e., the Kona and Kohala districts where we recently spent a few days). Over the eight years, however, he fought a number of inconclusive further battles. And then, after returning from his conquest of Maui in 1790, he was attacked by his cousin Keoua Kuahuula, who still controlled the eastern side of the island, over by Hilo. Presumably frustrated, Kamehmeha thereupon returned to the seaside village of Kawaihae, where he had spent some time earlier. There, a respected kahuna or priest suggested the building of a luakini heiau or sacrificial temple as a method of gaining the favor of the war god Kukailimoku. The massive temple see the photograph above was completed in the summer of 1791. So Kamehameha invited his cousin Keoua Kuahuula to come for a visit of the new temple, offering the false promise of a peace treaty. As Keoua Kuahuula stepped ashore, he and his entourage were captured and killed. And, with the offering of their bodies, the new temple was officially dedicated. The, umm, battle between Keoua Kuahuula and his kindly host Kamehameha the Great has sometimes been called the Slaughter at Kawaihae. But why? Its difficult to imagine how anybody other than a white supremacist could see anything at all reprehensible in it. And yet, weirdly, some sort of healing ceremony was held there in 1991, on the two hundredth anniversary the butchery, by some of the descendants of those who were involved in the event. But enough of King Kamehameha the Great. I want to turn, instead, to Mark Twain, and to a quotation from him that Ive shared here before. Mark Twain was a deeply cynical man, albeit a very, very funny one. But he had an almost reverent love for Hawaii: No alien land in all the world has any deep strong charm for me but that one, no other land could so longingly and so beseechingly haunt me, sleeping and walking, through half a lifetime, as that one has done. Other things leave me, but it abides; other things change, but it remains the same. For me its balmy airs are always blowing, its summer seas flashing in the sun; the pulsing of its surfbeat is in my ear, I can see its garlanded crags, its leaping cascades, its plumy palms drowsing by the shore, its remote summits floating like islands above the cloud wrack; I can feel the spirit of its woodland solitudes, I can hear the splash of its brooks; in my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers that perished twenty years ago. Posted from Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI, Associated Press Twenty staffers at a suburban Philadelphia charter school are facing charges related to the alleged physical abuse of students using painful, unapproved techniques to restrain and punish youths in a program meant to help them deal with emotional issues, authorities announced Monday. Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said the counts involve acts against 26 children in kindergarten through fifth grade at the Chester Community Charter School. Those charged are accused of physically abusing the students or failing to report suspected abuse. The investigation by Chester police began after two parents complained to school officials in January that their children were afraid to attend the school due to fears of being placed in holds by school staff. This case is every parents nightmare. We send our children to school expecting the adults will keep them safe, not abuse them physically and emotionally, Stollsteimer said. Our investigation showed some staffers physically abusing children while other (adults) sat passively and watched. All the adults charged are equally guilty in failing to protect these children, some as young as 5 years old. The district attorney said the alleged abuse occurred in a program for children who required help with their emotions in dealing with school life, fellow students and other situations. The police investigation determined that nine of the defendants used techniques to restrain and punish children in the schools emotional support program, he said. Stollsteimer said that included painful techniques such as pinching students on pressure points near their necks, holding students in restraints, placing them in holds with their arms crossed in front of them and having a knee applied to their back until the student was brought to the ground. Many of these abuses were captured on surveillance camera footage obtained and reviewed by investigators, Stollsteimer said. Those charged include several people employed by a private firm, Peak Performers Staffing. Stollsteimer said a company founder had offered the school assurances its staff was properly trained, but when investigators sought records documenting staff training in utilizing restraints and/or crisis prevention techniques, it was learned none of the companys staff had completed the required training. School officials confirmed to investigators that any use of a safety hold must be reported under state guidelines. But officials said no such holds were reported by the school during 2024, when many of the abusive acts were alleged to have taken place. Nine people face multiple counts, including conspiracy, unlawful restraint, child endangerment and false imprisonment. The 11 others are charged with at least one count of failure to report child endangerment. All of the defendants are classified under state law as mandated reporters of suspected child abuse incidents. A few of those charged were in custody as of Monday afternoon, and Stollsteimer said many others had made arrangements to surrender shortly. Voice mail messages left Monday for the school administration office and at a phone number listed for Peak Performers Staffing were not returned. The school, though, released a statement saying it was fully cooperating with the police and had ended its contract with the company once school administrators learned there may have been possible violations of approved disciplinary methods. School employees accused of taking part in the abuse were fired, according to the statement, while those who may have been aware of the alleged abuse were put on leave. As soon as school administrators learned that there was any possible violation of approved (disciplinary) methods, it took swift and decisive action to terminate the contractor, the school statement said. According to its website, the school was established in 1998 and now serves more than 4,000 students in the Chester-Upland school district in Delaware County, accounting for two-thirds of that districts overall public school enrollment. It serves kindergarten through eighth grade on four campuses. A 60-year-old New Jersey man scammed multiple buyers out of about $14,000 under the pretense of purchasing vehicles for them at an automobile auction in Pennsylvania, officials said. Dann Bock is charged with two counts each of theft and trespass as well as one count of intimidation of a victim/witness, Northern Lancaster Regional police said. Bock had been banned from the Manheim Auto Auction in Penn Township for fraudulent activity before duping his latest victims, officials said. The latest set of scams took place in late February and early March. On Feb. 21, victims told police they drove Bock to the auction from New Jersey and provided him with $5,200 to purchase a vehicle. Bock, though, never bought the car and had returned to New Jersey with their money when the victims were able to get in contact with him, police said. Two weeks later Bock, of Camden, struck again, police said. Two victims reported to police on March 5 that they had met a man named Dann at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City weeks earlier. The victims spoke with the man on several occasions in February and eventually agreed to let him purchase a vehicle for them. They drove Bock to the auto auction and gave him $8,500 to purchase them a vehicle, but he neither provided a car nor returned their money. Attorney information for Bock wasnt immediately available. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Amber Ruffin took another dig at the president and the White House Correspondents Association. (Photo by: Heidi Gutman/Peacock) Heidi Gutman/Peacock Amber Ruffin went down swinging on Monday just days after getting fired from her gig at the White House Correspondents Associations dinner. The comedian, who is a writer for Late Night, made her presence felt as Seth Myers delivered a joke about a man robbing a bodega in New York City. See, Seth, the problem is thats divisive, Ruffin said, per HuffPost. Take it from me, if theres one thing I learned from this weekend is you have to be fair to both sides. Yeah, but that doesnt make sense in this case, theres an innocent bodega owner, Myers responded. Theres a burglar. Oh, hear me out, there are very fine people on both sides, Ruffin said. That line is an obvious dig at Trumps comment following a deadly attack by a white supremacist in Charlottesville, Virginia back in 2017. Ruffin got the axe on Saturday form the April 26 event, after officials in the Trump administration expressed concern about things she said Thursday on The Daily Beast Podcast. Ruffin reportedly said on that show she was asked to make sure her jokes targeted both Democrats and Republicans. They were like, You need to be equal and make sure that you give it to both sides, she said. And I was like, Theres no way Im going to be freaking doing that. Under no circumstances. Later in the podcast Ruffin said the Trump administration are kind of a bunch of murderers, and added that by giving it to both sides she would make them feel like human beings, but they shouldnt get to feel that way, cause theyre not. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich heard Ruffin loud and clear and took to X to call her a 2nd rate comedian. What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this? he asked. More importantly, what kind of company would sponsor such a hate-filled and violence-inspiring event? White House Press Correspondents Association President Eugene Daniels issued a statement after Ruffin was pulled from the event. At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship for the next generation of journalists, he said. Daniels said he plans a re-envisioning of the event. Rosie O'Donnell arrives at the ELLE Women in Hollywood celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Chelsea ODonnell, the daughter of actress and comedian Rosie ODonnell, has received her sentence after a series of felony drug arrests in Wisconsin. PEOPLE reported that the 27-year-old was arrested three times between September and December and faced multiple felony charges including neglecting a child and possession of methamphetamine. Along with those charges the site reported that ODonnell also picked up charges for bail jumping and resisting or obstructing an officer, across her arrests. PEOPLE said she appeared in court Monday and pled guilty three felony counts while she had several misdemeanor charges dismissed. The site said she was sentenced to six years of probation and could face prison time if she violates her requirements. Those requirements, per the site, include absolute sobriety and no possession or ownership of any firearm, among other things. She is also ordered to get a high school diploma or a GED and complete a mental health evaluation. Rosie ODonnell has been in the news of late after she revealed that she moved to Ireland after Donald Trump took office. And, just last week, she called for Trump and Elon Musk to be investigated over the 2024 election. I question why for the first time in American history a president has won every swing state and is also best friends and his largest donor was a man who owns and runs the internet, she said during an appearance on Irelands Late Late Show. So, I hope that would be investigated and that we would see whether it was an anomaly, or it was something else that happened on election night in America when Kamala Harris was filling up stadium with people who supported her and Donald Trump was not able to do that. There is no evidence that Trump or Elon Musk were involved in wrongdoing during the election. ODonnell was not through going at the president on the show. She also questioned him bringing UFC star Conor McGregor to the White House recently. McGregor reportedly lost a civil suit involving sexual assault accusations last year. Its strange to me that the President of the United States has so many friends who are sexual abusers, ODonnell said. I think it says that were in trouble. The foundation of our country is a melting pot of people all created equal and they are to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, she added. That is what we were promised as Americans, and to think that cruelty and lack of empathy is a value sprouted from the highest office in our country is overwhelmingly sad to me personally. At least the neighborhood kids are getting a kick out of it. (photo provided by the Montgomery Township Facebook page) Montgomery Township Facebook No, its not just you. This road in Pennsylvania does, in fact, actually look like its drunk. 6ABC reports how officials in Montgomery County decided to mitigate the danger of Grays Lane in Montgomery Township by making its lines squiggly. According the townships Facebook page, the idea behind this traffic calming measure which officials ideated together with traffic engineers, highway safety officers, and public works is to keep people concentrating on remaining in the lines instead of driving fast and straight. With all the school stops and people walking and animals crossing, its always very dangerous, resident Joe Albanese said to 6ABC. I thought it looked a little crazy when I saw the guys do it this morning, but it makes sense to be me because folks are going way too fast down Grays Lane. However, other people in the area arent nearly as understanding as Mr. Albanese. I think its an eyesore, says one of them, William King, to CBS Local Philadelphia. I think its ridiculous. I think its awkward. Its weird, adds Ashley Wycoff. Im not used to it. On top of that, other people have informed CBS Local Philadelphia that plenty of drivers arent keeping their cars within the zig-zagging lines as intended, anyway. I mean right now, everyone is just driving through the middle of it, Lauren Chesterton informed the news station. NBC 10 does say, though, residents have noticed some cars have indeed slowed down. And kids apparently get a kick out of it, too. Its kind of weird but I dont know, but [my kids] had fun driving up the road, states Zack Fullman. I dont know how effective or ineffective itll be but at least its given us something to talk about. The Facebook page confirms that other traffic safety measures such as new signage and delineators, those orange traffic posts were installed along the road, too. One bank explained via statement how this was due to a change in customer habits. (Getty Images) Getty Images Several major banks in the United States will close and have actually already closed multiple branches nationwide this year. In fact, hundreds closed within the first couple months of 2025. According to Newsweek, over 320 bank branches across the country shuttered their doors over the course of 13 weeks. Some of these branches were under popular banks, including Wells Fargo, and Bank of America, Newsweek said. In fact, The Mirror U.S. reports how Bank of American and Wells Fargo along with Chase closed about 145 locations in just five weeks. TD Bank, too, has closed multiple branches and plans on closing more by this summer. WTMJ adds that other banks such as U.S. Bank are among these financial institution casualties. Clients banking preferences and behaviors are changing, including a rapid migration toward digital and mobile banking platforms, and a desire for greater simplicity, read a statement from U.S. Bank to the station. As we evolve along with our clients, we are evaluating our physical footprint, and in some instances, consolidating branch locations in select markets. Although we are closing some branches, we continue to open and enhance others, as well as rapidly enhancing our digital capabilities. Below are the major bank branches in Pennsylvania that have been proposed for closure, as listed by Newsweek: Citizens Bank 1201 Knapp Road, North Wales 116 W. Township Line Road, Havertown 176 W. Street Road, Feasterville-Trevose Fulton Bank 122 Eagle Point, Bellefonte 599 West Market St., Hellam 611 Shrewsbury Commons Avenue, Shrewsbury 200 South Poplar St., Berwick 866 North U.S. Route 15, Dillsburg 1732 E. Third St., Williamsport 835 North Fourth St., Sunbury PNC Bank 345 Court St., Corapolis Bon Aire Shopping Center, Route 8, Butler 801 Bishop St., Bellefonte 230 S. Broad St., Philadelphia TD Bank 8600 Germantown Pike, Philadelphia 101 Lancaster Ave., Frazer West Trenton Avenue and Carlisle Avenue, Morrisville Wells Fargo 1001 Pennsylvania Ave., Matamoras Centre Square, 1 N. Main St., Red Lion 1700 Market St., Philadelphia Further information regarding bank closures remains pending as of the publishing of this report. Please note some of these locations might have already closed for good. Seems like every day theres more and more news regarding tariffs. And with this news comes a sense of unease for many United States residents, with talk of prices on goods from lumber to cars expected to skyrocket. Unfortunately, some states will be hit harder than others by these costs, specifically from tariffs on the European Union (EU). Conducted and published by Lending Tree, a report plainly titled EU Tariffs Would Hurt These States the Most ranks Pennsylvania as eighth overall in this regard. The Lending Tree report found how nearly 30 percent of the Keystone States imports hail from the EU. The total worth of these imports was estimated at nearly $38.1 million. Additionally, Pennsylvania ranked as the 15th most vulnerable to retaliatory EU tariffs on the United States. Lending Tree was able to determine each states tariff vulnerability by analyzing U.S. Census Bureau trade data along with information from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Factors such as each states gross domestic product (GDP) along with exports and imports, of course were taken into consideration for final results. The state that was found to be the most vulnerable to EU tariffs was Indiana. Here, over 46 percent of imports were found to come from the EU. If a tariff on goods imported from the European Union is enacted, Indiana and North Carolina would see nearly half of their imports impacted, the report reads. Virginia was found to be first when it came to states must vulnerable to retaliatory tariffs. By DAVID RISING, The Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) Rescue workers saved a 63-year-old woman from the rubble of a building in Myanmars capital on Tuesday, but hope was fading of finding many more survivors of the violent earthquake that killed more than 2,700 people, compounding a humanitarian crisis caused by a civil war. 34 1 / 34 Deadly earthquakes in southeastern Asia The fire department in Naypyitaw said the woman was successfully pulled from the rubble 91 hours after being buried when the building collapsed in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit midday Friday. Experts say the likelihood of finding survivors drops dramatically after 72 hours. Death toll numbers forecast to increase The head of Myanmars military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, told a forum in Naypyitaw, that 2,719 people have been found dead, with 4,521 others injured and 441 missing, Myanmars Western News online portal reported. Those figures are widely expected to rise, but the earthquake hit a wide swath of the country, leaving many areas without power, telephone or cell connections and damaging roads and bridges, leaving the full extent of the devastation hard to assess. Most of the reports so far have come from Mandalay, Myanmars second-largest city, which was near the epicenter of the earthquake, and Naypyitaw. The needs are massive, and they are rising by the hour, said Julia Rees, UNICEFs deputy representative for Myanmar. The window for lifesaving response is closing. Across the affected areas, families are facing acute shortages of clean water, food, and medical supplies. Myanmars fire department said that 403 people have been rescued in Mandalay and 259 bodies have been found so far. In one incident alone, 50 Buddhist monks who were taking a religious exam in a monastery were killed when the building collapsed, and 150 more are thought to be buried in the rubble. People inspect their homes, damaged following Friday's earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo) AP Structural damage is extensive The World Health Organization said that more than 10,000 buildings are known to have collapsed or been severely damaged in central and northwest Myanmar. The earthquake also rocked neighboring Thailand, causing a high-rise building under construction to collapse and burying many workers. Two bodies were pulled from the rubble on Monday and another was recovered Tuesday, but dozens were still missing. Overall, there were 21 people killed and 34 injured in Bangkok, primarily at the construction site. In Myanmar, search and rescue efforts across the affected area paused briefly at midday on Tuesday as people stood for a minute in silent tribute to the dead. Relief efforts moving at a sluggish pace Foreign aid workers have been arriving slowly to help in the rescue efforts, but progress was still slow with a lack of heavy machinery in many places. In one site in Naypyitaw on Tuesday, workers formed a human chain, passing chunks of brick and concrete out hand-by-hand from the ruins of a collapsed building. Myanmar's military officers search through rubble of a collapsed building following Friday's earthquake in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo) AP The Myanmar military governments official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Tuesday that a team of Chinese rescuers saved four people the day before from the ruins of the Sky Villa, a large apartment complex that collapsed during the quake. They included a 5-year-old and a pregnant woman who had been trapped for more than 60 hours. The same publication also reported two teenagers were able to crawl out of the rubble of the same building to where rescue crews were working, using their cellphone flashlights to help guide them. The rescue workers were then able to use details from what they told them to locate their grandmother and sibling. International rescue teams from several countries are on the scene, including from Russia, China, India, the United Arab Emirates and several Southeast Asian countries. The U.S. Embassy said an American team had been sent but hadnt yet arrived. Multiple countries have pledged millions in aid to assist Myanmar and humanitarian aid organizations with the monumental task ahead. Even before the earthquake, more than 3 million people had been displaced from their homes by Myanmars brutal civil war, and nearly 20 million were in need, according to the U.N. The cause and manner of deaths for two people found inside a burning Lower Paxton home Sunday remained a mystery on Monday, but the property had been foreclosed upon last year, according to county property records. Autopsies are scheduled Tuesday morning for Alysse Saucedo, 33, and an unidentified man found inside the home by firefighters mid-morning Sunday after a neighbor who saw flames called 911. The dead mans name has not yet been released. Alysse Saucedo moved into the home in the 6000 block of Fairfax Drive in 2016 with her husband Raul Saucedo, according to property records. The couple, however, had separated in recent months, according to a relative. When Alysses father died last month, the obituary listed her under her maiden name of Alysse Childs. She told sheriffs deputies who visited the home in January that Raul no longer lived there. The deputies had come to serve an order to vacate after the bank foreclosed. A lawsuit the Members 1st Federal Credit Union filed on May 31, 2023, said the Saucedos owed the bank more than $37,000 from a $30,000 home equity line of credit they were granted in 2018. The bank asked for the full loan back in the lawsuit, as well as more than $2,000 in interest and nearly $5,000 in collection and attorneys fees. MS AM Properties Inc. bought the Saucedos Fairfax Drive home for $43,000 during a sheriffs sale on Sept. 11, 2024, according to property records. County records valued the home at about $114,700. The Saucedos continued living at the home after losing ownership, MS Am Properties alleged in a lawsuit filed on Dec. 4, 2024. The lawsuit said the Saucedos had been living at the Fairfax Drive home for free since the September sheriffs sale, without any lease agreement with MS Am Properties Inc. The lawsuit said the company unsuccessfully tried to contact the Saucedos and assist them with moving out. MS Am Properties Inc. asked for the courts help taking possession of the home and asked for the Saucedos to pay $1,200 in filing costs and attorneys fees. An order was sent to the Dauphin County Sheriffs Office as recently as March 7, ordering deputies to remove the Saucedos from the property so MS Am Properties could take possession. Its unclear if county deputies made any attempts to do so in recent weeks. A man who lives two doors down from the Saucedo home said their next-door neighbor ran outside screaming when she saw flames coming from the back of the house, then called 911 at 10:19 a.m. Firefighters arrived four minutes later and said flames were coming through the front door. Alysses body was found in a second-floor hallway. The mans body was found in a second-floor bathroom. Four dogs were found dead on the first floor with three more found unharmed outside. Police did not release the breeds or ages of the dogs. But Alysse posted on her Facebook page in October that she had four six-week-old female Cane Corso puppies for sale. In another post, she shared a photo of two adult Cane Corsos. On Monday, someone left a small bouquet of flowers at the mailbox. The homes windows and doors were boarded up. A trampoline remained in the front yard with a kids playhouse in the back. Alysse had at least one child, who was not home at the time of the fire. A neighbor believed the girl was at her fathers home at the time. The Pennsylvania Senate chamber. The Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill Monday requiring prosecutors to notify ICE if they believe a defendant is not a U.S. citizen. (Dan Gleiter, PennLive, 2019) PENNLIVE.COM The Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill Monday requiring prosecutors in the commonwealth to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if they believe a defendant is not a U.S. citizen, with critics voicing concern that the measure would entangle local law enforcement in some of the Trump administrations recent excesses. The bill is identical to one that passed the Republican-controlled Senate a year ago, but which was not taken up in the Democratic-majority state House of Representatives. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) AP President Donald Trump has dominated headlines this week for a number of reasons, but one of the most eye-catching has been his admitted desire for a third term. Its not possible, per the Constitution, but Trump seems to think it is. A lot of people want me to do it, he told NBC News. But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, its very early in the administration. Trump followed that up with a key quote. Im not joking, he said. Perhaps coincidentally, it comes after his former adviser, Steve Bannon, made some interesting comments about Trump and 2028 in recent weeks. Im a firm believer that President Trump will run and win again in 2028, so Ive already endorsed President Trump, Bannon said during an interview with NewsNations Chris Cuomo earlier this month. A man like this comes along once every century if were a little lucky. Weve got him now. Hes on fire, and Im a huge supporter. I wanna see him again in 2028. Cuomo, of course, pointed out that Trump was term-limited and asked how Trump could get another term. We are working on it, Bannon said. I think well have a couple of alternatives. Lets say that. Well see what the definition of term-limit is. Because I dont want people to listen to our interview and say, Bannon is cooking up an insurrection, Cuomo said. You know what I mean? I want people to get a straight take on where you head is. Bannon said he has had greater longshots. We supported President Trump after the election, Bannon said. I realize you dont think the election of 2020 was stolen. We do. We fervently believe that. When President Trump went back to Mar-a-Lago on January 20, 2021, he was the longest of longshots to return to the White House. We said that day on our podcast, having President Trumps back that he was coming back not just to win the primary but to win the White House. Bannon said that is when they started working on all the policies, including Project 2025. This was many years in the making, he said. So, we have had greater longshots than Trump 2028, and we have a lot of stuff we are working on there. We are not prepared to talk about it publicly, but in a couple of months I think we will be. Bannon then continued down that road recently by imagining what he believes will happen if Republicans lose the presidency in 2028. We are kidding ourselves if we dont think Democrats are pulling all stops out to stop President Trump, to take the House through any means necessary, to impeach Trump, start the impeachment process in the first weeks of 2027 and God forbid we dont win in 2028, Bannon said on his War Room podcast. President Trump is going to prison just like Bolsonaro in Brazil. People are sitting around still with the glow of November 4 and all the inauguration and all the balls, were at war, Bannon continued. And the things that happened over the past 72 hours if you dont understand were in political warfare youre sure not awake. Beijing (Gasgoo)- In March 2025, Chinese new energy vehicle maker XPENG delivered 33,205 vehicles, marking a 268% year-on-year increase and surpassing 30,000 monthly deliveries for the fifth consecutive month, the company announced on the first day of April. Photo credit: XPENG The XPENG MONA M03 maintained monthly deliveries of over 15,000 units for the fourth straight month, while cumulative deliveries of the XPENG P7+ exceeded 40,000 units within four months of market launch. In the first quarter of 2025, XPENG's deliveries totaled 94,008 units, up 331% year-on-year and 2.7% quarter-on-quarter, refreshing its delivery record. Notably, on March 31, the 100,000th-unit XPENG MONA M03 rolled off the production line in just 216 days. At its spring launch event on March 13, XPENG introduced the 2025 XPENG G6 and G9, featuring AI-driven 5C ultra-fast charging batteries and Turing AI-assisted smart driving. Both models saw strong initial demand, with the G6 securing over 5,000 units of fixed-orders within seven minutes and the G9 surpassing 3,000 units in 45 minutes. Nationwide deliveries of both models began in March. There was a time when Hooters was a big deal hate or love it with its orange bikini clad waitresses, chicken wings and cold beer. Those times though, were apparently far too long ago because after months of speculation, the restaurant chain has officially filed for bankruptcy. That is the bad news for folks who are still in the Hooters fan club. The good news is, the restaurant chain has a plan to hang around, although things might look a bit different. Hooters announced that it plans to sell all 100 of its company-owned restaurants to a pair of franchisee groups that operate locations in and around Tampa and Chicago. CNN said that group, combined, runs a third of all of the franchises in the country. CNN said Hooters reported that it plans to exit Chater 11 bankruptcy in 90-120 days. Todays announcement marks an important milestone in our efforts to reinforce Hooters financial foundation and continue delivering the guest-obsessed hospitality experience and delicious food our customers and communities have come to expect, the company said in a release. The company is also looking to remodel its image into that of a more family friendly establishment. Because of that, the restaurant is reportedly planning to do away with its bikini days while focusing on improving its food, service and atmosphere. Also, in bankruptcy the company could still reduce its overall footprint by shuttering some locations. But, again, the big news, for now and for Hooters fans, especially, is there is a plan to save the brand. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) AP Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly oppose eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and they do not support giving parents taxpayer-funded tuition vouchers to pay for private or religious schools, according to a new poll. The poll conducted for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the states largest teachers union, had 58% of voters in Pennsylvania against dismantling the Department of Education, as President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have proposed, compared to 39% who support it. President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing in ceremony for Alina Habba as interim US Attorney General for New Jersey, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Pool via AP) AP The only thing worse than President Donald Trumps net approval ratings in 2025 might be the Democrats overall approval rating, but a recent report could be reason for hope for those folks. CNN data guru Harry Enten took a look at special election numbers across the country particularly the race in Floridas 6th District and he said the numbers have Republicans sweating. This is a ruby red district, Enten said pulling up a graphic. Donald Trump won it by, get this, 30-percentage points. This race should not be close. It should not be close, but this is a special election in which I want you to take a look at the turnout so far in the early vote. Republicans have a nine-point advantage. You dont have to be a mathematical genius to known nine points is way less than 30. Now, of course, this is just party affiliation. We dont know how those folks are voting, but we do know the early votes traditionally in Florida make up the vast majority of the vote when all the votes are cast and counted. So, the bottom line is, if people vote according to their party affiliation, this race is likely be far, far, far closer than Donald Trump plus-30 that we saw in the presidential race just a little bet over lets just say, four-five months ago. The concern, Enten explained, isnt just the one special election in Florida. Across the country, he said, Democrats have made up ground in polling. Sometimes you see a special election, and you say thats a one- off, he said. But whats important here is that its part of a trend. Its not just here in Florida 6th in which Republicans are struggling when compared to the presidential baseline of 2024. I want to take you to the nation at large, and take a look at the average 2025 special election and state legislative and federal. And what we see so far is Democrats on average are way above their baseline. The average, he said, across the country is a nine-point improvement. We are talking about doing nine points better than (Kamala) Harris did in 2024, he said. So, when we see the party affiliation statistics coming out of Florida 6th, and you combine it with what we have been seeing as a nation as a whole, I think that is a big reason why Republicans are sweating, quite worried and why Elise Stefanik decided to stay in Congress instead of going off to the White House. Because, keep in mind, that district is actually only about a plus-20 Trump district. "Republicans are sweating, quite worried" about the trends they see out of FL-6 & prior special elections. Dems are outperforming the 2024 pres baseline by 9 pts on avg. The party that outperforms in specials in midterm cycles went on to win the House the last 5 of 5 times. pic.twitter.com/MuoJwHzlzT (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) March 31, 2025 Considering the recent trend, Enten said, that could have meant a far more competitive race. Why does this matter at all? he said referencing the nine-point swing. Why dont we take a look back through time? he said. Jump in the DeLorean and lets take a look at special elections and mid-term results. The key thing here is if a party outperforms in a special election since 2005-2006 cycle, five out of five times, that party that outperforms goes on to win the U.S. House of Representatives and that is, of course, what Democrats hope happen this time around. Elon Musk flashes his t-shirt that reads "DOGE" to the media as he walks on South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) AP President Donald Trumps move to shrink the Social Security Administration could result in some not receiving payments for months, a staffer told The Washington Post this week. The staffer, who worked out of Baltimore and deals with payment systems, warned the post that nearly a quarter of his team is gone or will soon be gone. He told the newspaper that workers with top software skills are leaving for private sector jobs, and that will leave the administration without many of the workers who update the system and fix glitches. That includes, per the staffer, the exit of many of the individuals who can fix glitches that stop payments. That has to get cleaned up on a case-by-case basis, and the experts in how to do that are leaving, he told The Post. We will have cases that get stuck, and theyre not going to be able to get fixed. People could be out of benefits for months. Wired reported that DOGE is putting together a team to migrate the Social Security Administrations computer systems off COBOL programming in a matter of months. Fortune reported that the Trump administration is also planning to do away with payments via paper checks. The Trump administration and DOGE have been accused of using the changes as a backdoor way of cutting payments and gutting Social Security. Trump has promised not to touch benefits. During an appearance on the All-In podcast earlier this month, Howard Lutnick, a billionaire and the Commerce Secretary for President Trump, said only fraudsters would complain if they missed a social security payment. Lets say social security didnt send out their checks this month, he said. My mother whos 94, she wouldnt call and complain. Shed think something got messed up, and shell get it next month. A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining. Ominously for folks counting on their checks, Lutnick said that for Elon Musk and DOGE the easiest way to find the fraudster is to stop payments and listen. Whoever screams is the one stealing, he said. Come on, your mother, 80-year-olds, 90-year-olds, they trust the government. USA Today pointed out that more than 70 million people get Social Security checks, and that includes most people over age 65, people with permanent disabilities and survivors of deceased workers. Also key, the site reported, many of the programs recipients depend on checks as their sole source of income. As an American and Lebanon County resident, I am saddened and deeply concerned over the current administrations effort to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This agency is an important outreach to the global community, providing much needed support during conflicts and natural disasters across the world. These services provide stability and goodwill on behalf of our country, while operating on a budget less than one percent of the total federal budget. USAIDs mission is to partner to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity. It serves as a compassionate branch of U.S. foreign policy. Its workers are public servants dedicated to that mission, often while working and living in areas of global crisis. The spread of misinformation by wealthy influential figures concerning USAID is distressing. This includes the attack on the Lutheran church, of which I am a lifelong member. I understand firsthand the vital, life-giving aid both my church and USAID provide on behalf of the United States. Donald Trump and Barack Obama at the White House in January 2017. Could the two end up running for a third term against one another? AP President Donald Trump wants to run for a third term. Its not possible, per the Constitution, but Trump is talking about it nonetheless. A lot of people want me to do it, he told NBC News. But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, its very early in the administration. Trump followed that up with a key quote. Im not joking, he said. So, naturally, that led many folks back to the Constitution and the fact that it forbids such a thing from happening. It led others, though, in another direction of fantasy. That direction? If Trump can run for a third term, then Barack Obama can, too. Right? Again, the Constitution doesnt allow it, and Obama also hasnt indicated he would want to enter the mix. Still, Trump was asked about it the possibility of running against Obama for a third term by Peter Doocy on Monday. Id love that, Trump said. Boy, Id love that. That would be a good one. Id like that. No, people are asking me to run, and the whole story about running for a third term, I dont know, I never looked into it. They do say there is a way you can do it, but I dont know I havent looked into it. DOOCY: If you're allowed to run for a third term, is there a thought that Democrats could run Barack Obama against you? TRUMP: I'd love that. People are asking me to run. They do say there's a way you can do it. pic.twitter.com/lGAgD9UukN Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 31, 2025 Trump then said he wants to do a fantastic job this term. We have four years just about , he said. Almost close to four years. Time is flying, but it is still close to four years and we are getting a lot of credit for having done a good job in the first, almost 100 days. Trump said there were some big things we are going to be announcing over the next two days. And I think its going to be something that is going to bring a lot of wealth back to our country, he said. Tremendous wealth back to our country actually. Photo Credit: YES Network. After a prolonged and public struggle, Comcast and the YES Network have come to an agreement. Joe Flint of the Wall Street Journal shared the news with a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday night. Included was a brief joint statement between the two sides. Joint statement from Comcast and YES: Comcast and YES have reached an agreement for continued distribution of the YES Network.' Flint shared. Joint statement from Comcast and YES: Comcast and YES have reached an agreement for continued distribution of the YES Network. Joe Flint (@JBFlint) April 1, 2025 An industry source tells Awful Announcing that YES Network and Comcast have not reached a long-term agreement. Mondays last-minute agreement is an extension of the old deal, and there will be no changes to the networks current distribution, for now. Tonights agreement between YES Network and Comcast is not a long-term distribution deal, per an industry source. It is an extension of the old deal, and YESs current distribution will remain the same, for now. No timetable given on the extension. https://t.co/806asoUJZ4 Drew Lerner (@Drewbydoobydoo) April 1, 2025 Shortly before the start of the 2025 MLB season, YES and Comcast reached a temporary extension, which prevented YES broadcasts including New York Yankees games from getting blacked out. That extension, however, only lasted through Monday night. During Sundays Yankees game, YES CEO Jon Litner criticized Comcast, saying it had refused to negotiate. YES is the main home for both the Yankees and the NBAs Brooklyn Nets. Mikita Badziakouski Banks $90K PokerStars Score; Sunday Million Anniversary Only Five Days Away Matthew Pitt Senior Editor Copy link Belarusian superstar Mikita "fish2013" Badziakouski took a break from crushing live super high rollers by heading to PokerStars and doing the same in the online poker giant's $5,200 Titans Event. Badziakouski recently earned $2,212,000 the Triton Super High Roller Series in Jeju, pushing his live tournament winnings to almost $61 million. He has now bolstered his online bankroll by $90,419 after coming out on top of a 67-strong field in PokerStars' most expensive weekly tournament. Badziakouski's first bullet didn't go to plan, and he fell by the wayside in 51st place. After e-entering for $5,200, Badziakouski navigated through a star-studded field containing the likes of Andre "aakkari" Akkari, Pascal "Pass_72" Lefrancois, Ole "wizowizo" Schemion, and Niklas "Lena900" Astedt. The top nine finishers won a slice of the $335,000 prize pool, meaning tenth-place finisher "P0KERPR02.0" was the last player to leave the event empty-handed. The Austrian's demise locked in at least $10,444 for the nine finalists. Those finalists busted one by one; the prize money increasing with each elimination. Alexandros "Pwndidi" Theologis bowed out in fourth for $37,993, much to the delight of his former table mates such is his proficiency in high stakes tournaments. Mexico-based Ukrainian "SerVlaMin" fell in third for $50,725, leaving Badziakouski in a one-on-one battle with Danish grinder "starswins :)" for the title and the lion's share of the prize pool. Badziakouski rarely loses once he is heads-up, and this was not one of those rare occasions. The superstar high-stakes specialist reeled in the $90,419 top prize, leaving his Danish opponent to lick their wounds and console themselves with a still respectable $67,724. $5,200 Titans Event Final Table Results Rank Player Country Prize 1 Mikita "fish2013" Badziakouski Ukraine $90,419 2 starswins :) Denmark $67,724 3 SerVlaMin Mexico $50,725 4 Alexandros "Pwndidi" Theologis Austria $37,993 5 IgammiI120 Belarus $28,457 6 dujo123 Canada $21,314 7 GodOf.com Andorra $15,964 8 chrisgoataui Austria $11,957 9 Haringbuis Brazil $10,444 Other Notable PokerStars Results A special mention goes to "dujo123," who finished sixth in the $5,200 Titans Event for $21,314 before helping themselves to the $16,404 first-place prize of the $109 Sunday Warm-Up. "AcidVaule" triumphed in not one but two of PokerStars' Sunday Majors. They won the $1,050 Sunday High Roller PKO for $23,957 and the $1,050 Sunday Warm-Up High Roller for an additional $14,889. Of course, the Sunday Million's champion was the biggest winner of the weekend, outside the Titans Event. "anth0nypappa" outlasted 9,894 opponents on their way to turning their $109 buy-in into an $83,582 score. Tournament Entrants Prize Pool Champion Prize $109 Sunday Million 9,895 $1,000,000 anth0nypappa $83,582 $1,050 Sunday High Roller PKO 125 $125,000 AcidVaule $23,957 $530 Bounty Bonanza Mystery Bounty 440 $220,000 arodnaS $22,793 $109 Sunday Warm-Up 962 $100,000 dujo123 $16,404 $1,050 Sunday Warm-Up High Roller 62 $62,000 AcidVaule $14,889 $215 Sunday StacKOsaurus 459 $100,000 Andrey "Anjeyyy" Novak $14,3317 $1,050 Sunday Supersonic High Roller 37 $37,586 Gediminas "Gedis92" Uselis $13,784 $109 Sunday Fenomeno 770 $77,000 Stoqnov303 $13,073 $530 Sunday Fenomeno High Roller 99 $50,000 Klopp4zeKop $11,521 $109 Sunday Kickoff 479 $50,000 Jerry "Perrymejsen" Odeen $8,880 Prizes include bounty payments where applicable $6 Million Guaranteed Sunday Million Anniversary Edition Runs April 6 The 19th Anniversary edition of the Sunday Million is right around the corner. The first cards will be pitched at 6:05 p.m. BST on April 6. More than 4,000 PokerStars players have already bought in, but there needs to be at least 30,000 entries to hit the massive $6 million guarantee. Satellites continue running around the clock, including eight with at least 100 seats guaranteed to be won. At 4:30 p.m. BST on April 6, just a couple of hours before the big dance kicks off, an $11 buy-in satellite boasts a 400x $215 seat guarantee! An hour later, a $22 buy-in satellite shuffles up and deals. It guarantees that at least 500 seats will be won; that equates to a $107,500 guarantee for a $22 buy-in! Whether you buy in directly or win your way into the Sunday Million 19th Anniversary, you'll sit down with 20,000 chips and play to 20-minute levels for the first 18 levels. The curtain then comes down on Day 1, with play resuming at 6:05 p.m. BST on April 7. The first level on Day 2 lasts 30 minutes before levels are reduced to 15 minutes until a champion is crowned. Day 2 ends after the 50th level, with the third and final day starting at 6:05 p.m. BST on April 8. Share this article Aiken Standard reporter Dede Biles is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers Aiken County government, business and horse industry. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers Education Lab Reporter Ian Grenier covers K-12 and higher education in South Carolina from Columbia. Originally from Charleston, he studied history and political science at USC and reported for the Victoria Advocate in South Texas before joining The Post and Courier. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Watching the tropics. Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 76F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Tropical storm conditions possible. Partly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low around 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Tropical storm conditions possible. Partly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low around 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Credit: The Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube Stephen A. Smith is on the defense again, only this time its not against LeBron James and Lakers fans but instead the progressive Democratic establishment. After an Op-Ed at MSNBC last week accused Smith of being a megaphone for MAGA propaganda, Smith spent 30 minutes on his podcast The Stephen A. Smith Show setting the record straight and taking aim back at the left for its preciousness and hypocrisy when it comes to messaging. I think thats the exact problem with the left, Smith said. You see, if I dont agree with you, I must be MAGA. It must be the case. Im platforming MAGA propaganda, is that so? I dont see it that way. First of all, even though I lean left, particularly with how I vote in presidential elections, I want to emphasize that Ive always been a centrist my entire life. Ive never once described myself as a Democrat or a Republican. Im a centrist. Im a moderate. I dont trust either side. Smith got in the crosshairs of the Dems after a slew of interviews with far-right voices like Candace Owens and ICE director Tom Homan. Smith has since the election also increasingly cozied up with conservative commentators like Ben Shapiro and Megyn Kelly in addition to his long-running relationships with Sean Hannity and Bill OReilly. But Smith emphasized that he does not and will not ever agree with those folks on everything. Smith said he brings them on his show to needle them and have it out. I dont agree with everything, but they feel that way, Smith said. And so now we have to get into a discussion into whether or not they have a right to express their point of views and whether or not you have a salient point to debunk what theyre going to throw in our direction before you excoriate them. Smith also noted that beyond bringing on Donald Trump-adjacent hosts, he also has interviewed many Democratic politicians in recent months. Those include Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader in the House. That balance is what Smith strives for. If someone matters in the national conversation, he wants to have a conversation with them even if they are more extreme than Owens or Homan. Im going to talk to everyone that I can, Smith said. I think people have a right to feel differently but Ive been on the record stating in the past that I could interview the Ku Klux Klan and I wouldnt blink. As long as I could ask them what I want to ask them, their answers are their answers. Its for you to absorb and to take. On this platform, I will interview anybody thats resonating with the masses about significant, pertinent issues. Left, right, in the middle. It does not matter to me. Thats not providing a megaphone for one side. Before wrapping up his long monologue, Smith made a key point that distinguishes him from the Democratic elites. Smith believes he has his finger on the pulse of the content and communications machine better than the traditionalists in the party and at corporate media entities like MSNBC. The right takes what it can get to publicize and disseminate their message, Smith said. The left wants to hand-pick who they want to be messengers, instead of listening to the public say to them, excuse me, this is how we feel. This is where were coming from. what we stand on. Thats who we support the Democratic party is always intervening and getting in the way of what the voters want. Thats why yall lost, and if you dont learn, youre going to continue to (lose). Greenville, SC (29601) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Mount Pleasant, SC (29464) Today Tropical storm conditions possible. Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low around 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Tropical storm conditions possible. Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low around 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Myrtle Beach, SC (29577) Today Tropical storm conditions possible. Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low around 75F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Tropical storm conditions possible. Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low around 75F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Charleston, SC (29532) Today A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some clouds. Low 71F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some clouds. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 18:47:05 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 457 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / AOD Federal Credit Union, recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal information entrusted to AODFCU.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On August 9, 2024, AOD Federal Credit Union became aware of a security incident on its network. Upon detection, AODFCU launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to sensitive data stored in AODFCU's systems between August 8 and August 9, 2024. AODFCU conducted a comprehensive review of the impacted data to determine what information was compromised and identified affected individuals. On March 4, 2025, AODFCU identified persons whose sensitive data was included in the impacted data.Upon information and belief, the following types of sensitive personal information may have been compromised: name, Social Security number, driver's license number, and financial information (e.g., account number, creditor debit card number).On March 28, 2025, AODFCU filed a notice with the Texas Attorney General and began sending out notice letters to the impacted individuals on March 25, 2025.Compensation may be available for those individuals who received notice that their personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from AODFCU, you are likely affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 15:02:24 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 696 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / National plaintiffs law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP encourages investors in Atkore Inc. ("Atkore" or the "Company") (NYSE:ATKR) who purchased Atkore common stock between August 2, 2022, and February 3, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period") to contact us immediately regarding a pending securities class action against Atkore. The deadline to apply to be lead plaintiff is April 23, 2025.Class Period: August 2, 2022 - February 3, 2025Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: April 23, 2025Case information: https://lieffcabraser.com/securities/atkore/ Contact us: Email or text investorinfo@ lchb.com or call 1-800-541-7358Atkore, headquartered in Harvey, Illinois, is a manufacturer of electrical, safety, and infrastructure products, including polyvinyl chloride ("PVC") water pipes and electrical conduit pipes.The action alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Atkore and certain of its senior executives failed to disclose to investors that: (1) the Company was engaged in an anticompetitive price-fixing scheme that kept the price of its PVC pipes artificially inflated even after COVID era supply chain issues had resolved; (2) Atkore received substantial, unsustainable financial benefits from its anticompetitive actions; and (3) the Company's poor quarterly financial results were due to it and its co-conspirators refusing to lower their artificially inflated prices even after foreign competitors were able to reenter the market and price PVC appropriately.On May 7, 2024, Atkore announced lowered guidance for fiscal year 2024, noting that "pricing environment could be challenged in the second half of 2024." On this news, Atkore's stock price fell 12.5% from its closing price of $176.40 per share on May 6, 2024, to close at $154.34 per share on May 7, 2024, on heavy trading volume.On July 23, 2024, after the market closed, Atkore announced that its Vice President, then-CFO, and Chief Accounting Officer, defendant David P. Johnson, had submitted his resignation, effective August 9, 2024.On July 24, 2024, asset management firm ManBear released a report claiming that Atkore was engaged in an industry-wide price fixing scheme which had "massively inflated pipe prices" and "appear[ed] to defy economic logic, remaining at extremely elevated levels despite normalized supply chains." On this news, Atkore's stock price declined 8.53% from its closing price of $145 per share on July 23, 2024, to close at $132.63 per share on July 24, 2024.On August 6, 2024, after the market closed, Atkore reported adjusted earnings per share that fell short of the average analyst estimate and lowered its outlook for fiscal year 2024 adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income per diluted share. In the corresponding earnings call, Atkore's President, CEO, and Director, defendant William E. Waltz Jr., stated that "[p]ricing was softer than expected due to the slower end markets, particularly for our PVC conduit business." On this news, Atkore's stock price fell 14.7% from its closing price of $118.46 on August 5, 2024, to close at $101.05 per share on August 7, 2024, on extremely heavy trading volume.On February 4, 2025, before the market opened, Atkore announced disappointing financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, reporting net sales of $661.6 million which was significantly below analysts' estimates. In addition, Atkore reduced its earnings guidance for 2025. During the Company's earnings conference call with analysts and investors later that day, Atkore CFO, defendant John M. Deitzer, revealed that Atkore's "plastic pipe and conduit product category declined mid-single digits during the quarter," and attributed the Company's lowered 2025 guidance to Atkore's PVC business, stating "roughly $75 million or 3/4 of that is on the PVC side." On this news, the price of Atkore common stock fell 19.56% from its closing price of $79.72 per share on February 3, 2025, to close at $64.13 per share on February 4, 2025, on extremely heavy trading volume.About Lieff CabraserLieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, with over 125 attorneys in offices in San Francisco, New York, Nashville, and Munich, Germany, is an internationally-recognized law firm committed to advancing the rights of investors and promoting corporate responsibility. Repeatedly recognized as a "Plaintiffs' Powerhouse" by Law360, Lieff Cabraser has litigated some of the most important civil cases in the United States, and has assisted clients in recovering over $129 billion in verdicts and settlements. For over 50 years, Lieff Cabraser has remained committed to ensuring access to justice for all.Source/ContactSharon LeeLieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP415 956-1000 slee@ lchb.com SOURCE: Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 21:45:31 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 / April 1, 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: 2025-04-01 20:30:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 682 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CHICAGO, IL AND ERIE, PA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Aviva Aesthetics is proud to announce its latest partnership with iAesthetic Medspa, a premier medical aesthetics practice in Erie, Pennsylvania, led by Dr. Sarah Carter. This partnership marks Aviva's continued growth in the Midwest, reinforcing its commitment to excellence in aesthetics while enabling industry-leading providers to prioritize their patients over administrative responsibilities.Dr. Carter, a key opinion leader in the industry and a regular speaker for Cartessa Aesthetics, has built iAesthetic Medspa into a trusted destination for advanced aesthetic treatments. The med spa offers a comprehensive range of services, including radiofrequency microneedling, laser resurfacing, non-invasive body contouring, tattoo removal, laser hair reduction, injectables, biostimulators, medical weight loss, and liposuction. By joining Aviva Aesthetics, Dr. Carter gains access to an expansive network of aesthetic leaders, operational support, and a structured future exit plan - all while continuing to provide exceptional results for her patients. "Providing excellent patient outcomes is my number one priority, and partnering with Aviva Aesthetics allows me to focus more of my time on doing what I love," said Dr. Carter.Through this partnership, iAesthetic Medspa benefits from Aviva's industry-leading infrastructure, including business operations, marketing support, and enhanced pricing efficiencies. Aviva Aesthetics continues to align with like-minded providers who are passionate about innovation, collaboration, and patient-first care."Dr. Sarah Carter is a true thought leader in the medical aesthetics industry, and we are fortunate to have her as part of Aviva. Our partnership with iAesthetic Medspa marks another step in our strategic expansion - enabling more med spa owners to access the resources they need to grow and scale without having to sell to traditional private equity," said Tyler Weinberg, CEO of Aviva Aesthetics."Dr. Carter embodies everything we look for in an Aviva partner - an entrepreneurial spirit, a deep commitment to patient care, and a passion for elevating the field of medical aesthetics. Her dedication to excellence and continuous growth perfectly aligns with our mission to raise the standard of aesthetic medicine. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Aviva family," said Dr. Leslie Apgar, Co-Founder of Aviva Aesthetics.About iAesthetic Medspa and Dr. Sarah CarteriAesthetic Medspa, located in Erie, Pennsylvania, is a premier destination for cutting-edge, non-surgical aesthetic treatments designed to enhance natural beauty and overall well-being. The practice specializes in advanced skincare and anti-aging solutions, offering services such as VirtueRF microneedling, CoolPeel CO2 laser treatments, Dysport and Restylane fillers, Subnovii plasma therapy, SkinWave and SKNLAB aquafacials, PHYSIQ 360 body contouring, and MotusAZ + laser hair reduction. iAesthetic is committed to delivering scientifically backed, results-driven treatments in a welcoming and luxurious environment.Dr. Sarah Carter, the founder and owner of iAesthetic Medspa, is a highly skilled medical professional with a passion for aesthetic medicine. She established iAesthetic with the mission of helping clients achieve their aesthetic goals through personalized, expert care. Dr. Carter believes in the power of medical aesthetics to not only enhance physical appearance but also boost confidence and overall well-being. Her commitment to excellence, innovation, and patient-focused care has made iAesthetic a trusted provider in the Erie community. Learn more at i-aesthetic.com About Aviva Aesthetics, the only medical aesthetics network for med spa owners, by med spa owners Aviva means "fresh," and that's the root of what we are building - a new model for visionary medical aesthetics entrepreneurs who want a better future for their businesses and their clients because their best days of growth are still ahead of them.Founded in 2024 in partnership with DuneGlass Capital, a healthcare services-focused independent sponsor, Aviva Aesthetics follows the distinctive equity and ownership model pioneered by DuneGlass in other high-growth medical specialties, including oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS), orthodontic and pediatric dentistry, and vascular and bariatric surgery.The Aviva Aesthetics network is committed to revolutionizing the landscape of medical aesthetics through exceptional medical care, a focus on innovation and collaboration, and an unwavering dedication to quality and the highest ethical standards in patient care. Visit www.avivaaesthetics.com or email partner@ avivaaesthetics.com to learn more.SOURCE: Aviva Aesthetics PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 13:16:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 789 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Black Iron Inc. ("Black Iron" or the "Company") (TSX:BKI) is please to announce the appointment of Stephen Woodhead as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective immediately.Mr. Woodhead is a graduate of the University of Cape Town and a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. Mr. Woodhead has over 30 years of experience in the resource sector, having worked for Trans Hex Group, a South African diamond producer, before relocating to Canada in 1997 as Chief Financial Officer of Trans Hex International. Mr. Woodhead is a director of Lipari Mining, and has worked as Chief Financial Officer / VP Finance with various public companies, including Desert Sun Mining, from 2003 until it was acquired by Yamana Gold in 2006, developer and operator of the Jacobina gold mine in Brazil, Homeland Energy (developer of a coal mine in South Africa), Crocodile Gold (developer, operator and acquiror of gold mines in Australia), Trigon Metals (developer of a copper mine in Namibia), and Gratomic (focused on graphite exploration and development in Namibia and Brazil). Mr. Woodhead also served as a director of Apogee Minerals (silver) and Vaaldiam Mining (diamonds).Mr. Woodhead's appointment follows the resignation of Paul Bozoki as the former Chief Financial Officer of the Company. The Company's management and board of directors thank Paul for his years of dedication to the Company, and wishes him the best in his future endeavours. Matt Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, "it has been a real pleasure working with Paul, as in addition to being a highly competent CFO, he took on a number of important tasks outside of his core role with strong leadership and follow-through, plus shared extensive experience in land-transfer related matters. On behalf of the Board and myself, we welcome Stephen Woodhead to our team and look forward to leveraging his international experience." About Black IronBlack Iron is an iron ore exploration and development company, advancing its 100% owned Shymanivske Iron Ore Project located in Kryviy Rih, Ukraine. Full mineral resource details and projected project economics can be found in the NI 43-101 technical report entitled "(Amended) Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Re-scoped Shymanivske Iron Ore Deposit" published in March 2020 with an effective date of November 21, 2017 under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . The Project is surrounded by five other operating mines, including Metinvest's YuGOK and ArcelorMittal's iron ore complex. Please visit the Company's website at www.blackiron.com for more informationFor more information, please contact:Matt Simpson Chief Executive OfficerBlack Iron Inc. info@ blackiron.com Forward-Looking InformationThis press release contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, opinions and estimates of the date such statements are made based on information available to them at that time. Forward-looking information may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the appointment of officers. Generally, forward looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or 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". Forward-looking information is 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 information, including but not limited to: the war in Ukraine; general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; other risks of the mining industry and the risks described in the annual information form of the Company. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in 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 information 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 information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Company notes that mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.SOURCE: Black Iron PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 18:31:47 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 482 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Chicago Public Schools recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal information entrusted to Chicago Public Schools.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On February 8, 2025, became aware of a security incident involving Cleo, a third-party vendor that contains current and former CPS students' information on one of its servers. Upon detection, CPS launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to a server used by Cleo to store student data. This breach affected both current and former students dating back to the 2017-2018 school year. CPS conducted a comprehensive review of the impacted data to determine what information was compromised and identified affected individuals. On March 7, 2025, CPS identified persons whose sensitive data was included in the impacted data.Upon information and belief, the following types of sensitive personal information may have been compromised: students' names, dates of birth, genders, Chicago public Schools student ID numbers, medicaid ID numbers, and dates of medicaid program eligibility. On March 7, 2025, CPS made a public disclosure and started sending out notice letters to the impacted individuals. Compensation may be available for those individuals who received notice that their personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from Chicago Public Schools, you are likely affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 15:01:54 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 577 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Roberts invoked Marbury v. Madison to remind the media and the political class that the judges control the rule of law- he got it backwards. The Rules of Law are meant to control judges. The first rule is to stay in your lane!ST. JOHNS, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / On the first day of 2025, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. published his annual report. Though cloaked in the language of judicial professionalism, the message was direct and unmistakable: any challenge to the authority of federal courts - especially from a returning president like Donald J. Trump - would be met with full resistance from the judiciary. Roberts invoked Marbury v. Madison, as if to remind the media and the political class that the Courts alone control the rule of law and are free to interpret it in deciding what the constitutional law is, and that questioning the Court's authority is a danger to the Republic itself.What he didn't say - what he never says - is where that authority comes from.Marbury v. Madison is the founding myth of judicial supremacy. But like many myths, it's built on a deception. Roberts's invocation of Marbury in his 2024 report wasn't a celebration of the rule of law. It was a warning - and a defense of a political weapon fabricated over two centuries ago by a man who had no constitutional or moral right to claim it.The real Marbury story isn't about principles. It's about power.John Marshall was Secretary of State under John Adams when he was nominated to be Chief Justice - the final act of a defeated Federalist president desperate to preserve power after losing to Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 election. Marshall as Secretary of State he failed to deliver judicial commissions - including the one at issue in Marbury - before assuming the bench. Then, once in the robes, he ruled on a case in which he had personally been involved, never recusing himself.But his ruling was meaningless. Thomas Jefferson's Revolution of 1800 was not just a transfer of power from Federalists to Republicans, but an abolishment of the ideology that the Federalist had rooted judicial supremacy in the new American experiment.And yet, instead of ruling to enforce the delivery of the commission, he handed down a decision that did nothing - a political opinion with no effect. The Jefferson administration had already denied the appointment, and the law authorizing original jurisdiction had already been repealed. But Marshall used the opportunity to invent a doctrine: that it is "emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is." It was a statement with no legal consequence, no enforcement, no impact - but over time, it became gospel. And today, John Roberts wields it like a judicial sword and the media hailed it a tool to preserve American liberty.Manuel P. Asensio is the founder of Asensio & Company, the accredited Pioneer of Activist Short Selling, and author of Sold Short: Uncovering Deception in the Markets. He is the Chairman of St. Johns Republican Presidential Committee the GOP's advocate of a new federal judiciary policy. Mr. Asensio is the movant of the nation's first Consideration of national policy making at the US Judicial Conference.For further information, please email St. Johns GOP at info@ stjohnsgop.org or call us at (561) 946-1000. Visit www.stjohnsgop.org and join our email list.SOURCE: St. Johns Republican Presidential Executive Committee PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 23:01:33 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 446 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Renowned Linguistic Anthropologist Discusses the Future of Endangered Languages and Cultural IdentityTORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Dr. Esther Mi-Jung Park, an esteemed linguistic anthropologist and cultural historian, has been featured in an exclusive online interview where she shares insights into her groundbreaking work on language preservation, historical linguistics, and the impact of globalization on cultural identity.Dr. Park, based in Toronto, Canada, has spent over two decades researching the evolution of language, deciphering ancient scripts, and working with indigenous communities to document endangered dialects. In this interview, she reflects on her journey from studying phonetic structures at the University of California, Berkeley, to conducting field research in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands."Each language tells a story," Dr. Park explains in the interview. "Some of these languages had never been written down. If a language disappears, a whole way of thinking disappears with it." The conversation delves into Dr. Park's research on linguistic ties between ancient Korean, Mongolic, and Turkic languages, highlighting how languages shape identity and history. She also discusses her collaboration with UNESCO and the Smithsonian on language preservation initiatives.The Role of AI in Language PreservationA key topic in the interview is the intersection of artificial intelligence and linguistic analysis. Dr. Park acknowledges the potential of AI in deciphering ancient texts and assisting in language documentation but emphasizes that technology cannot replace human understanding."AI can help us analyze ancient texts faster," she says. "But language is deeply human. It's more than just words-it's culture, history, and connection." Looking Ahead: Preserving Voices for Future GenerationsDr. Park highlights the urgent need for global efforts to preserve minority languages. She warns that as dominant languages spread, smaller languages face extinction. She encourages researchers and communities alike to document and celebrate linguistic diversity."I love sharing knowledge," she says. "The next generation will have tools we never dreamed of, but they will also have the responsibility to listen, learn, and preserve." This compelling interview offers a rare glimpse into the world of linguistic anthropology and the passionate work of Dr. Esther Mi-Jung Park.About Dr. Esther Mi-Jung ParkDr. Esther Mi-Jung Park is a linguistic anthropologist and cultural historian specializing in historical linguistics, cross-cultural communication, and ancient script decipherment. With over 20 years of research experience, she has worked extensively on documenting endangered languages and exploring the connections between language and identity. She has collaborated with UNESCO, the Smithsonian, and other institutions to develop language preservation programs. She currently works as an independent researcher and consultant.To read the full interview, clickhere .Contact: info@ estherpark.com SOURCE: Dr. Esther Mi-Jung Park PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 21:55:24 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 396 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The Flavor Trend You Can't Ignore - Bring the Ultimate Indulgence to Your KitchenOXNARD, CA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / If you've seen the Dubai chocolate and pistachio dessert trend taking over your feed and wondered how to get in on the indulgence, Amoretti has the answer. The flavor innovators behind some of the world's most luxurious ingredients are now bringing the magic home with their Pistachio Cream - an ultra-rich, nearly 60% pistachio-packed spread that turns everyday treats into gourmet masterpieces.This is not your average nut butter. It's pure, roasted pistachio bliss with a velvety-smooth texture and a touch of white chocolate for perfect balance. Whether you're whipping up bakery-level desserts or simply elevating your morning toast, Amoretti's Pistachio Cream delivers the premium flavor you didn't know you were missing."We wanted to create something that allows home bakers and food lovers to effortlessly bring a taste of luxury into their kitchens," said Maral Barsoumian, Co-founder of Amoretti. "This Pistachio Cream is all about authenticity - pure, rich, and designed to elevate every bite." Endless Ways to Indulge:Flawlessly execute the Dubai Chocolate trendSpread on toast, bagels, or waffles for an instant upgradeDrizzle over pancakes, ice cream, or yogurt for a decadent treatSwirl into cakes, brownies, or cheesecakes for a next-level twistDip cookies, crackers, or fresh fruit for a snack that feels fancyBlend into lattes, protein shakes, or smoothies for a nutty boostOr, let's be real - just grab a spoon and dig inFor those inspired by Dubai's ultra-luxe pistachio desserts, Amoretti's Pistachio Cream makes it easy to recreate high-end chocolates, pistachio-stuffed croissants, creamy truffles, and more - right from your own kitchen.Whether you're a seasoned home baker or just someone who loves a little luxury in your everyday treats, Amoretti's Pistachio Cream is your secret ingredient for making life a little more indulgent. Get your jar today at Amoretti.com and taste the difference.About Amoretti :Founded in 1989 in Oxnard, California, Amoretti is a family-owned business offering over 3,500 high-quality products, including nut pastes, marzipan, fruit artisan pastes, extracts, Craft Puree, and premium flavoring syrups. Serving bakeries, ice creameries, chocolatiers, beverage manufacturers, restaurants, hotels, bars, and consumers worldwide, Amoretti is dedicated to excellence. For more information, please visit www.amoretti.com Media Contact:Holly Morgan holly@ hollymorganmedia.com SOURCE: Amoretti PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 20:02:01 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 948 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Net Revenue up 25%, with Strong Subscription-Based Recurring Revenue Growth Helping to Drive Positive Cash Flow and First-Ever Positive Adjusted EBITDAOutlook for Accelerating Net Revenue Growth in 2025, Projected up 29%+LAS VEGAS, NEVADA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Healthy Extracts Inc. (OTCQB:HYEX), an innovative platform for acquiring, developing, patenting, marketing and distributing plant-based nutraceuticals, reported results for the year ended December 31, 2024. All comparisons are to the year-ago period unless otherwise noted.2024 Financial HighlightsNet revenue increased 25% to a record $3.1 million, driven by product line and distribution channel expansion as well as growth in subscription-based recurring revenue.Gross profit increased 18% to $1.9 million or 61.4% of net revenue, compared to $1.6 million or 65.2% of net revenue.Operating expenses decreased 46% to $2.1 million.Net loss decreased to $841,000 or $(0.28) per basic and diluted share from a net loss of $2.5 million or $(0.85) per basic and diluted share in 2023.Adjusted EBITDA totaled $61,000 or $0.02 per share, turning positive from an adjusted EBITDA loss of $456,000 or $(0.16) per share in 2023 (see definition of adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP term, and its reconciliation to GAAP, below).Generated positive operating cash flow of $282,000 versus negative cash flow in 2023.Direct-to-consumer subscription-based customers increased 72% year-over-year and Amazon "Subscribe & Save" customers increased 77% year-over-year. In addition to the benefits of recurring revenue, subscriptions help the company enhance customer communications, improve customer retention and extend customer lifetime value.2024 Operational HighlightsRecord Amazon sales were reflected in the company's top three category ranking, with this due to the company's highly optimized sales and marketing strategies.Officially launched LONGEVITY Anti-Aging, a new proprietary formulation designed to support skin vitality, arterial flexibility, and cellular and joint health.Advanced the development of several new products across new categories that are planned for launch in 2025 and expected to benefit from the company's growing customer base.In July 2024, the company transitioned its customer communications program and product promotions from "buy-two-get-one-free" to a direct-to-consumer subscription-based model. As a result, during the second half of 2024, the company reduced its customer churn rate from 5% to under 3%, dramatically below the nutritional supplement industry average.Management Commentary"Our record-breaking revenue in 2024, which drove positive operating cash flow and first-ever positive adjusted EBITDA, reflects Healthy Extract's strong performance across direct-to-consumer channels and growing momentum with our retail partners," commented Healthy Extracts president, Duke Pitts."Our record Amazon sales raised us to a top three ranking in our category, with this success attributed to our well-tuned marketing efforts. The top line growth was also driven by our growing subscription sales, broadened distribution channels, and new product offerings."After years of research and development, we will soon introduce several new products across new product categories. These new products will enable us to cross promote to our existing sales channels for the first time in our history and drive a substantial increase in revenue in 2025."Four new products are currently set to launch before the end of the second quarter, with this followed by additional releases later in the year. We expect these new products to have a very meaningful impact on our revenue growth and profitability."The near-term lineup includes a groundbreaking, on-the-go hydration solution, an easy-to-consume sugar blocker, and a convenient gel pack for gut health and anti-aging. However, perhaps most exciting of all is a revolutionary heart health formulation that will provide a long-needed solution to the more than 40 million statin users in the U.S. We plan to cross-promote across these product categories, thereby driving even greater sales."We believe our focused commitment to customer retention, product excellence, innovation, and strategic engagement continues to differentiate our brands from the competition. We have successfully leveraged our expertise to drive sales in key channels such as Amazon, where each new product launch presents the opportunity to drive millions in additional annual sales."We began the new year with solid cash flow, manageable debt, and a highly favorable capitalization structure. This strengthens our ability to pursue certain opportunistic M&A opportunities, as well as positions us for another year of record growth and increase in shareholder value." 2025 OutlookFor full year 2025, the company expects to remain on track for net revenue at more than $4.0 million, up 29%+ over 2024. New product launches across new categories and formats that are scheduled for throughout the year are expected to continue driving growth momentum and greater profitability (excluding non-cash-based expenses). The company plans to drive future growth by reinvesting its profits into new product development and channel expansion.Product OutlookHealthy Extracts' BergaMet is planning to launch several new product introductions in April:MYNUS sugar blocker, which is specially formulated to reduce up to 42% of the sugar impact from meals. The MYNUS on-the-go gel-packs will be made available under the company's exclusive U.S. and Canadian licensing and manufacturing agreement with Gelteq.Hydrate EZ: on-the-go gel pack specially formulated to provide hydration, focus, recovery, and sleep benefits without the need for mixing.Revolutionary heart health formulation targeting the more than 40 million statin users in the U.S.Healthy Extracts' top brand ambassador and renowned fitness expert, Whitney Johns, is preparing to launch WHITNEY JOHNS NUTRITION on-the-go gel packs for gut health in the second quarter of 2025.In the second half of the year, the company plans to launch COLLAGEN (anti-aging) in an on-the-go gel pack. These gel products will be based on Healthy Extracts' exclusive oral delivery system and proprietary formulations.2024 Financial SummaryNet revenue in the full year of 2024 increased 25% to $3.1 million from $2.5 million in 2023, primarily due to product line and distribution channel expansion.Gross profit increased to $1.9 million or 61.4% of net revenue from $1.6 million or 65.2% of net revenue in 2023. The decrease in gross margin was a result of a shift to lower margin products.%0 PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 15:01:45 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 432 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The Tuition-Free Public Charter School is Latest to Fortify School Safety Tech & Operations Using Exclusive SaferWatch Alert & Reporting ToolsDENTON, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / In a powerful move to strengthen campus safety and empower staff,North Texas Collegiate Academyhas partnered with SaferWatch, a leading safety and security platform, to give all school personnel instant access to emergency alert and reporting tools-because when it comes to school safety, every second counts.WithSaferWatchnow active across North Texas Collegiate Academy campuses, staff members are equipped with real-time tools to handle a wide range of emergency situations. Whether it's an emergency drill, a campus evacuation, the need to report suspicious activity, or a real-time threat, SaferWatch ensures immediate communication with school leadership and emergency responders. The platform enables faster, more coordinated responses when it matters most. SaferWatch also adheres to all of the guidelines required of Alyssa's Law."The safety of our staff and students is my most important priority," said Dr. Lisa Stanley, Superintendent of North Texas Collegiate Academy. "I'm happy to partner with SaferWatch to allow all staff instant access for reporting any emergency situation. During times of crisis, seconds matter so this instant reporting feature is paramount." SaferWatch empowers schools with advanced safety features, includingmobile panic buttons , anonymous tip reporting, mass notifications, and integration with local 911 centers. These tools help streamline response efforts, improve situational awareness, and keep everyone on campus informed and protected."We are proud to support North Texas Collegiate Academy in creating a safer learning environment for everyone," said Geno Roefaro, CEO of SaferWatch. "When schools invest in proactive safety technology like SaferWatch, they are investing in peace of mind for students, families, and staff alike. We're honored to be part of that commitment." With safety at the forefront, North Texas Collegiate Academy is setting a strong example for other schools across the state - demonstrating that preparedness, communication, and technology can save lives.About North Texas Collegiate Academy North Texas Collegiate Academy is a tuition-free public charter school serving students in Denton, Little Elm, and Lewisville. With a commitment to academic excellence and student-centered support, the academy equips learners for success in college, career, and life. https://www.ntxca.org/ About SaferWatch SaferWatch is a robust safety platform used by schools, government agencies, and organizations nationwide. Designed to improve emergency response and enhance communication, SaferWatch provides the tools needed to keep communities informed, connected, and protected - especially when it matters most. To learn more or schedule a live demo please visitSaferWatchApp.com Contact InformationMonday Strategyadmin@ mondaystrategy.com SOURCE: SaferWatch US President Donald Trump said Sunday he may impose "secondary tariffs" on Russian oil if he believes Russia is at fault for not reaching a ceasefire with Ukraine. In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump said he was "very angry" and "pissed off" when Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's leadership, adding that the comments were "not going in the right location." "If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia's fault -- which it might not be -- but if I think it was Russia's fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia," Trump said. "That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can't do business in the United States," he said. "There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil." Trump noted that the tariffs on Russia would come within the next month if Moscow does not sign up to a ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump said Putin knows he is angry, but he has "a very good relationship" with Putin and would speak to the Russian leader again this week. During a phone conversation on March 18, Trump and Putin agreed that the peace in Ukraine "will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire." PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 16:04:51 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 508 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Companies on the Inc. Regionals: Pacific list had a median growth rate of 124 percent.LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today revealed that Ascend Agency is No. 21 on its fifth annual Inc. Regionals: Pacific list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the Pacific, which includes California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and Alaska. An extension of the national Inc. 5000 list, the Regionals offer a unique look at the most successful companies within the Pacific economy's most dynamic segment-its independent small businesses."At Ascend, we aim to be more than just a traditional PR agency," said CEO Jonathan Jadali. "We employ varied public relations strategies and content marketing plans to redefine the essence of public relations." Ascend is at the forefront of branded content and continues to innovate the space with partners Jonathan Jadali, Brauch Owens, Amir Bakian, and George Nellist.The companies on this list show a remarkable growth rate across all industries in the Pacific. Between 2021 and 2023, these 142 private companies had a median growth rate of 124 percent; by 2023, they'd added 7,947 jobs and $5.6 billion to the region's economy.The Inc. Regionals: Pacific results, including company profiles, will be available at https://www.inc.com/regionals/pacific starting April 1. The interactive database can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria."The honorees on this year's Inc. Regionals list are true trailblazers driving economic growth in their respective regions, industries, and beyond. This list celebrates their achievements and tells the stories of remarkable companies that are fueling growth and adding jobs in local economies throughout the country," said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc.More About Ascend AgencyAscend Agency is a PR agency that prides itself on client retention and yearly growth. With a unique B2B business model, Ascend was founded to help others and has worked to forge global partnerships with major media and communication companies to support its clients across diverse markets.More about Inc. and the Inc. Regionals.MethodologyThe 2025 Inc. Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth over two years. Companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2021, to qualify. They had to be US-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent-not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies-as of December 31, 2023. (Since then, several companies on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue for 2021 is $100,000; the minimum for 2023 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons.About Inc.Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for 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, innovators, and ultra-driven go-getters creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visitwww.inc.com Ascend AgencyLos Angeles, CA contact@ ascendagency.com 949 300 828818300 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 880, Irvine, California, 92612SOURCE: Ascend Agency PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 16:03:40 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 441 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 /BCM One, a leading provider of NextGen Communications and Managed Services for IT leaders and resellers, announced today that it is No. 151 on the fifth annual Inc. Regionals: Northeast list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the Northeast, which includes Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Northeast. Between 2021 and 2023, these 154 private companies had a median growth rate of 100 percent; by 2023, they'd also added 9,114 jobs and $6.7 billion to the region's economy."We're proud to honor our Northeast roots with a spot on this list as we continue to drive company growth and client support across the globe," stated Geoff Bloss, CEO of BCM One."The honorees on this year's Inc. Regionals list are true trailblazers driving economic growth in their respective regions, industries, and beyond. This list celebrates their achievements and tells the stories of remarkable companies that are fueling growth and adding jobs in local economies throughout the country," said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc.Complete results of the Inc. Regionals: Northeast including company profiles, can be found at https://www.inc.com/regionals/northeast starting April 1.###ABOUT BCM ONE Founded in 1992, BCM One is a leading global provider of NextGen Communications and Managed Services that IT leaders and resellers rely on to simplify the delivery of cloud-based voice and managed connectivity to power the critical network infrastructures of businesses globally. Serving over 20,000 customers worldwide and 5,000+ channel partners and resellers, BCM One offers telecom solutions to small to enterprise level business via the following solutions: Enterprise Voice for MS Teams, Cisco Webex and Zoom; UCaaS; Global Managed Connectivity; SIP Trunking; Managed SD-WAN; Security; and Technology Expense Optimization. BCM One prides itself on its long-standing client relationships backed by their mission statement, "To Provide a World-Class Experience with Every Human Interaction." To learn more about BCM One, visit www.bcmone.com For Media Inquiries: Paula Como Kauth, Chief Marketing Officer, BCM One Office: 212.906.7255 | pckauth@ bcmone.com 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 Contact InformationPaula Como KauthChief Marketing Officerpckauth@ bcmone.com SOURCE: BCM One PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 16:30:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 761 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Available on DavidsBridal.com and Amazon, The Edit by DB Studio's trending capsule drops will bring customers stylish, quality pieces at affordable pricesKING OF PRUSSIA, PA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 /David's Bridal, Inc. ("David's"), the nation's leading bridal, wedding planning, and special occasion authority, continues its retail dominance beyond the wedding aisle with the launch ofThe Edit by DB Studio-- a new diffusion brand delivering fresh on-trend styles emphasizing versatility and affordability for both special and everyday occasions. Cementing David's as the go-to destination for dresses for any occasion, The Edit by DB Studio will drop nine curated lines of over 60 pieces beginning April 1st, with subsequent launches to drop quarterly beginning in Q2. Each curated drop from The Edit by DB Studio will include options across bridal, bridesmaids, adult and junior categories, with selections starting at $49.95. Dress styles are now available directly onDavidsBridal.comand through David's first-ever Amazon storefront set to go live in May.David's believes every occasion, big or small, deserves to be celebrated in style with on-trend fashions. Through curated capsule collections, at the prices David's customers love and the quality they expect from the brand, The Edit by DB Studio will provide an assortment of gowns and dresses for all of life's special moments, from bridal and wedding guests to date night and graduation and much more. David's entrance into more everyday dresses and launch of its diffusion line will allow the company to captivate current trends and meet consumer demand, positioning itself more competitively alongside other retailers outside of bridal fashion - all while introducing the company to new shoppers via Amazon."The Edit by DB Studio marks an exciting new chapter for David's and how we can best serve our customers - bringing trending fashions to shoppers in real-time in a way that's never been offered before," said Kelly Cook, Chief Executive Officer at David's Bridal. "The line is all about embracing the moments that make life special -- whether it's brunch with friends, a milestone celebration or a weekend getaway, The Edit is delivering straight to your door contemporary styles at amazing price points, so looking and feeling your best isn't compromised by an absorbent price tag. David's wants to dress her for every stage and event of her life which is why The Edit will include dresses from bridal, bridesmaids, prom, juniors, fashion and more." The Edit by DB Studio is a continuation of David's strategic and thoughtful expansion of its offerings and ways to shop, aligning with the ongoing evolution of consumers' needs and expectations. Through the new diffusion brand, David's looks to connect with consumers to help them feel their best in celebrating both big and small moments in the trendiest of styles.Bridal styles will range from $99.95 to $299.95, Bridesmaids from $69.95, Junior Occasions from $49.95 to $69.95, and Adult Occasions between $59.95 and $79.95. The Edit by DB Studio will be the only David's products available on its newly launched Amazon storefront and directly throughDavidsBridal.com . Items purchased directly through David's website will be eligible to earn points through the company's Diamond Loyalty program.To learn more about the new diffusion line and this new era of style, visitwww.DavidsBridal.comand @davidsbridal on TikTok and Instagram.For additional assets, please seemedia kit here .###About David's BridalCelebrating 75 years of making dreams come true, David's Bridal is a leader in wedding and special occasion fashion. With over 190 stores across the U.S., Canada, and franchise locations in Mexico, David's offers a one-stop shopping experience for weddings, Quinceaneras, proms, and more.David's Bridal is home to the industry's only loyalty program - Diamond Loyalty - boasting nearly 3 million members who enjoy exclusive perks, including deals from top partners such as The Black Tux, Shutterfly, Little Tuxedos and much more, and a chance to win a free honeymoon.Pearl Planner by David'sfeatureswedding websites , auniversal registry , planning tools, and a vendor marketplace that connects couples with top professionals.Through Pearl Media Network, we provide brands with unmatched access to engaged consumers across web, social, podcast, streaming, and in-store channels. Love Stories by David's, our leading wedding media brand, reaches 20M+ monthly viewers with digital-first content, including the industry's only podcast network, top YouTube and TikTok channels, and a vast library of real wedding videos. To learn more about David's, visit www.DavidsBridal.com , download the Planning App, and connect on social media through Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn.Media Contact:David's Bridalmediarequests@ dbi.com Related VideoSOURCE: DAVID'S BRIDAL CORPORATE PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 18:47:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 441 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Farmers Bank & Trust recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal information entrusted to Farmers Bank & Trust.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On October 25, 2024, Farmers Bank & Trust experienced unauthorized access to an employee's email account. Upon detection, Farmers Bank & Trust immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cyber security professionals to determine the nature and scope of the incident. Following a detailed forensic investigation and manual review, on February 17, 2025, Farmers Bank & Trust determined that certain files containing personal information may have been accessed or acquired.Upon information and belief, the following types of sensitive personal information may have been compromised: full name, Social Security number, financial information, email address, and driver's license. Farmers Bank & Trust conducted a comprehensive review to determine the specific information affected and began sending notification letters to impacted individuals on March 17, 2025. A public notice was filed with the Massachusetts Attorney General on the same day. Compensation may be available for those individuals who received notice that their personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from Farmers Bank & Trust, you are likely affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 03:02:09 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 482 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 David & Mary Collins Donate Chief Justice John Marshall's Boyhood Home for Preservation and Public EducationMARKHAM, VA / ACCESS Newswire / March 31, 2025 / The boyhood home of Chief Justice John Marshall, known as The Hollow, has been formally donated to The Friends of the Hollow, Inc., a Virginia-based nonprofit dedicated to its preservation. The donation was made by Learning Tree Farms, LLC, the holding company founded by the late Fauquier entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. David C. Collins and his wife Mary Collins. The Hollow - Humble Boyhood Home of Chief Justice John Marshall"I am honored that our vision of making The Hollow a place where children and adults can learn about John Marshall's formative years and his lasting impact on American governance has arrived," said Mary Collins, owner of Learning Tree Farms in nearby Delaplane. "We purchased and restored The Hollow many years ago with the intention of ensuring its place in public education and historical interpretation." Friends of the Hollow plans to open the site for public visitation and continue archaeological research to further explore how Marshall and his family lived in this humble frontier home."This is a monumental step forward for Marshall's boyhood home," said Thomas Marshall deButts, a sixth-generation descendant of the Chief Justice and President of Friends of the Hollow. "Our organization was founded in 1981 with the goal of preserving and interpreting The Hollow, and we are deeply grateful to the Collins family for their stewardship and restoration efforts over the past 25 years. Now, this 252-year-old house enters its next chapter, and we look forward to further conserving the property and raising funds to complete David Collins' vision." John Marshall lived at The Hollow from ages 9 to 17, a period that profoundly shaped his intellect and character. During these years, he studied Horace, Pope, and Livy, laying the foundation for his later role as a leading advocate and interpreter of the U.S. Constitution. Remarkably, the house remains much as it was during Marshall's time. In addition to the home itself, Learning Tree Farms has deeded 7.6 acres of surrounding land to Friends of the Hollow, ensuring the Markham, Virginia, property remains intact for future generations.Built by Marshall's father Thomas Marshall, The Hollow was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.Friends of the Hollow is actively raising funds to support ongoing preservation efforts, including structural conservation and preservation. Donations can be made through the official GoFundMe page or mail to Friends of the Hollow, 1415 Snowden Rd., Delaplane, VA 20144.For images, architectural drawings, and further details, visit www.friendsofthehollow.org About Friends of the HollowFriends of the Hollow, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981 to preserve and restore The Hollow, the boyhood home of Chief Justice John Marshall.Contact InformationTom deButtsPresident, Friends of the Hollowcontact@ friendsofthehollow.org SOURCE: Friends of the Hollow PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 15:45:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 516 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ASH FORK, ARIZONA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Kingsbarn Development Opportunities ("KDO" or "Company"), an affiliate of Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Las Vegas-based developer, announced it has completed construction of a full-service TA Travel Center located at the intersection of Interstate 40 and Old Highway 66 in Ash Fork, Arizona. On March 19, 2025, the Property was sold to an affiliate of LV Petroleum, a Las Vegas-based franchisee of TA TravelCenters of America ("TA").The new travel center, which is now open to the public, is situated on approximately 54 acres. The state-of-the-art, fuel and food facility provides many amenities and services for truckers and other highway travelers. Quick-serve, national-brand restaurants include Del Taco and KFC, which have drive-thru lanes, and a Sbarro Pizza kiosk inside. Clean and luxurious restrooms, including private showers, lockers, and laundry facilities, provide professional and overnight drivers with much-needed amenities. Travelers may also enjoy the TV lounge, including massage recliners, high-speed internet, and a retail sales area offering merchandise, check cashing services, and an ATM."The facility was constructed for Kingsbarn's long-time operating partner LV Petroleum ("LVP"), under a build-to-suit agreement," stated Anthony Hama, managing director for Kingsbarn Development Opportunities. "LVP has been the number one franchisee for TA for the past four years running. They have been a great partner to Kingsbarn, and it has been amazing to watch the growth and expansion of their program." The Ash Fork TA is the second ground-up travel center completed by KDO for LVP. The first center constructed by KDO is in Littlefield, Arizona, and opened early last year.ABOUT KINGSBARN REALTY CAPITALKingsbarn Realty Capital is a real estate-centric investment house that provides institutional and accredited investors access to an array of alternative investments. Kingsbarn offers investments in private equity, exchange-traded funds, traditional investment funds, private capital, managed accounts, and Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs). Additionally, Kingsbarn's management team has wide-ranging experience developing, managing, operating, and sponsoring a diversified portfolio of stabilized, income-driven properties, as well as ground-up construction, value-added offerings, opportunity zone investments, and entitlement projects. Kingsbarn has over $2.3 billion of assets under management and has acquired over 310 properties throughout the United States. The company currently has a development pipeline of over $2 billion consisting of multifamily, student housing, medical, industrial, retail, and hospitality. For further information, visit www.KINGSBARN.com ABOUT LV PETROLEUMLV Petroleum ("LVP" or the "Company") specializes in the development and operation of low-price/high-service fuel centers, convenience stores, and TA Travel Centers. LVP has acquired and rehabbed or developed and then sold over 40 stores in the last 12 years. Actively growing, the Company currently operates 23 Conoco-branded C&G assets in the Las Vegas- and Phoenix-metro areas. The Company also purchases unbranded fuel and sells it under a licensing agreement with Phillips 66, Gulf, Sunoco, 76, Exxon, and Conoco. LVP currently supplies over 18 million gallons per month to 93 locations. Additionally, the Company has a development pipeline of 12 additional sites that will open in 2025 and 2026.Contact InformationEmma WilliamsDirector of Public Relationsemma@ theferrarogroup.com +17023677771Holly SilvestriPartnerholly@ theferrarogroup.com 702-367-7771SOURCE: Kingsbarn Realty Capital PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 18:31:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 463 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / College Hospital Costa Mesa recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal information entrusted to College Hospital Costa Mesa.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On September 17, 2024, College Hospital Costa Mesa became aware of a security incident that disrupted the operations of some of its IT systems. Upon detection, College Hospital Costa Mesa launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party accessed some files on its systems between August 14, 2024, and September 17, 2024. College Hospital Costa Mesa conducted a comprehensive review of the impacted data to determine what information was compromised and identified affected individuals. On January 31, 2025, College Hospital Costa Mesa determined that these files contained sensitive personal information.Upon information and belief, the following types of sensitive personal information may have been compromised: name, Social Security number, and driver's license number. On March 10, 2025, College Hospital Costa Mesa filed a notice with the Attorney General of California and started the process of notifying impacted individuals. Compensation may be available for those individuals who received notice that their personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from College Hospital Costa Mesa, you are likely affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 18:31:59 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 452 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / St. Joseph's College of Maine recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal information entrusted to St. Joseph's.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On February 20, 2025, St. Joseph's College of Maine became aware of a security incident on its network. Upon detection, St. Joseph's College of Maine launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to the network between December 15, 2023, and January 24, 2024, and potentially accessed or acquired certain files containing sensitive personal information. St. Joseph's conducted a comprehensive review of the impacted data to determine what information was compromised and identified affected individuals.Upon information and belief, the following types of sensitive personal information may have been compromised: full name, date of birth, address, Social Security number, and government-issued IDs. On March 21, 2025, St. Joseph's College of Maine filed a notice of public disclosure and started sending out notice letters to the individuals. Compensation may be available for those individuals who received notice that their personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from St. Joseph's, you are likely affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 20:15:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 510 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Raleigh Business Owner and Community Leader Discusses His Journey in Faith, Disaster Relief, and Holiday TraditionsRALEIGH, NC / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Lin Honeycutt, a respected entrepreneur, philanthropist, and longtime volunteer, was recently featured in an exclusive online interview that delves into his decades-long commitment to business, faith, and community service. As the owner of Honeycutt Transmission, The Holiday Light Store, and Fieldstream Farm, Honeycutt has built a reputation not only as a successful businessman but as a devoted servant leader who has impacted lives across North Carolina and beyond.In the interview, Honeycutt shares the inspiration behind his entrepreneurial ventures, detailing how he transformed Honeycutt Transmission into a nationally recognized auto repair facility and later launched The Holiday Light Store, which became a leading destination for Christmas decorations in the U.S. and Canada."I never set out to be in the spotlight," Honeycutt says. "I just followed what I was passionate about-building businesses that serve people, helping those in need, and making the world a little brighter, literally and figuratively." Faith in Action: A Commitment to ServiceBeyond his success in business, Honeycutt's true passion lies in disaster relief and missionary work. For over 30 years, he has been an active member of the North Carolina Baptist Men's Association, dedicating his time to building homes, churches, and schools in communities affected by natural disasters. From assisting in Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts to leading teams after tornadoes devastated Wake County, Honeycutt has been on the front lines, offering both hands-on aid and spiritual support."When disaster strikes, people don't just need supplies and shelter," he explains. "They need hope. They need to know they are not alone." Bringing Holiday Magic to RaleighOne of Honeycutt's most well-known contributions to his community is the Fieldstream Farm Christmas Light Display, an annual tradition that draws thousands of visitors. Featuring over one million lights synchronized to music, the display started as a small personal project but quickly grew into a cherished seasonal attraction."I never imagined it would become this big," he admits. "But seeing families return year after year, making it a part of their Christmas tradition, makes all the hard work worth it." A Lasting ImpactDespite his many accomplishments, Honeycutt remains humble and focused on the future. He continues to run his businesses, expand his holiday display, and serve those in need through missionary work and disaster relief."I don't do any of this for recognition," he says. "I just want to leave things better than I found them." About Lin HoneycuttLin Honeycutt is an entrepreneur, community leader, and dedicated volunteer based in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is the owner of Honeycutt Transmission, The Holiday Light Store, and Fieldstream Farm. For over 30 years, he has worked extensively in disaster relief and missionary work, serving with the North Carolina Baptist Men's Association to rebuild communities and provide aid to those in need.To read the full interview, clickhere .Contact: info@ linhoneycutt.com SOURCE: Lin Honeycutt PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 18:47:37 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 542 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Lyon Management Group, Inc. which does business as Lyon Living, recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal and protected health data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal and protected health information entrusted to Lyon Living.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?Lyon Living recently became aware of a security incident on its IT network. Upon detection, Lyon Living launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to sensitive personal information between March 14 and March 15, 2024. Lyon Living conducted a comprehensive review of the impacted data to determine what information was compromised and identified affected individuals. Lyon Living identified persons whose sensitive data was included in the impacted data.Upon information and belief, the following types of sensitive personal information may have been compromised: name, Social Security number, driver's license number, california id card number, tax identification number, passport number, military id number, or other unique id number issued on a government document, account number or credit or debit card number, in combination with any required security code, access code, or password that would permit access to an individual's financial account, medical information, health insurance information, unique biometric data generated from measurements or technical analysis of human body characteristics, such as a fingerprint, retina, or iris image, used to authenticate a specific individual, and genetic data. On March 28, 2025, Lyon Living filed a notice with the Attorney General of California and started sending out notice letters to the impacted individuals. Compensation may be available for those individuals who received notice that their personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from Lyon Living, you are likely affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-02 00:00:50 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 340 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Renowned mortgage expert Mark Cohen, founder and CEO of Cohen Financial Group, has once again earned the prestigious title of #1 Mortgage Broker in the United States, according to the 2025 Scotsman Guide rankings. Cohen's latest accolade follows an extraordinary year in which he closed over $790 million in loan volume, cementing his legacy as one of the most accomplished and trusted figures in the mortgage industry. This marks Cohen's 15th consecutive year ranking in the top 1% of mortgage brokers nationwide, showcasing his unparalleled consistency, deep market expertise, and enduring commitment to client success-regardless of shifting economic conditions."Receiving this honor from Scotsman Guide is a true privilege," said Mark Cohen. "It reflects the dedication of my team and the trust of our clients who rely on us to deliver mortgage solutions with precision, care, and results." Throughout his nearly four-decade career, Mark Cohen has originated more than 30,000 loans, surpassing $17 billion in total funded volume. He remains the only mortgage broker in the U.S. to average $1 billion annually in loan originations over the past 10 years. Known for his strategic insight and personalized approach, Cohen continues to lead the industry with a focus on high-performance lending, client education, and tailored financial solutions.Headquartered in Los Angeles, Cohen Financial Group is a premier mortgage brokerage firm specializing in residential mortgages, commercial financing, mortgage refinancing, and jumbo and Non-QM loans. Serving everyone from first-time homebuyers to seasoned real estate investors, Cohen and his team deliver white-glove service and results-driven financing options that meet each client's unique goals.Whether it's a multimillion-dollar estate or a family's first home, our mission is the same: to provide intelligent mortgage solutions and outstanding service," Cohen added.The Scotsman Guide is widely recognized as the industry's most credible and comprehensive ranking of top mortgage originators in the United States. Mark Cohen's #1 placement reflects his continued excellence, integrity, and influence as a leader in residential and commercial lending.Contact InformationMark CohenFounder and CEOmarkcohen@ cohenfinancialgroup.com 310.777.5401SOURCE: Cohen Financial Group PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 23:30:50 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 755 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / An exclusive, high-trust gathering co-hosted by Merve Isler, Bhavya Gupta, and Ayse Deniz Gokcin blended deep tech, creativity, and community for the future of artificial intelligence.Bhavya Gupta, AyseDeniz Gokcin, Merve IslerMarvelous, the AI-driven experiential B2B marketing platform, officially launched its fresh event series, AI Insiders, with a groundbreaking event at AWS GenAI Loft in San Francisco. Designed to bring together the brightest minds in artificial intelligence, the invite-only event welcomed 150 curated guests, including AI founders, tier-one investors, enterprise executives, and researchers for an evening of high-impact conversations and collaborative exploration. "We're living through an AI Renaissance, one where trust, creativity, and technology must evolve together," said Merve Isler, Founder & CEO of Marvelous. "AI Insiders isn't just an event, it's a movement. A curated space where builders and thinkers come together to shape the future, not with hype, but with heart. Because at the core of every breakthrough, there's a relationship built on trust." The event was co-hosted by Bhavya Gupta, Information Security Officer at Stanford University, who emphasized the importance of shared responsibility in shaping ethical and secure AI ecosystems:"By building an AI ecosystem that values ethics, security, and collaboration, we can ensure that the extraordinary potential of AI is realized for the benefit of all. We need cross-industry partnerships, collaborations between academia and industry, and public-private initiatives." Josh Constine, Ronjon NagThe evening featured a powerful fireside chat titled "What's Next in AI?" with Ronjon Nag (Stanford Professor, Investor and Founder of R42), David Hefter (Director at BlackRock), and Josh Constine (Venture Partner at SignalFire and former Editor-at-Large at TechCrunch). Moderated by Constine, the panel explored second-order impacts of AI, agentic systems, and real-world readiness."We're watching AI unlock new consumer, builder, and business behaviors. The real breakthroughs will come from the people who combine trust, intuition, and technology, not just those who chase the trend." added Josh Constine from SignalFire."AI is transforming every industry, but the real moonshot uses it to decode aging and disease." Ronjon Nag from Stanford University, R42.The event also delivered a memorable moment through an AI-powered piano performance by co-host AyseDeniz Gokcin, a globally acclaimed pianist and composer who blends classical music with machine learning. Her live piece merged emotional depth, narrative structure, and real-time AI interaction, offering a visceral experience of what happens when creativity meets computation.AyseDeniz GokcinPhotographer: www.danielvegera.com The night continued with the AI Lightning Pitch Showcase, moderated by Delia Lazarescu, aka TechUnicorn. Five promising startups took the stage: Zania AI, Peaka, BitHuman, Bub AI, and TheAgentic.Delia Lazarescu, aka TechUnicornPhotographer: www.danielvegera.com The event received global media coverage and was featured on Reuters, amplified by media visibility sponsor Pirix.co The event was made possible with the generous support and partnership of industry leaders like Amazon Web Services. Zania AI is the leading AI security company that is creating autonomous agents to streamline enterprise risk and compliance management. BridgeX Ventures is an early-stage AI fund based in San Francisco, investing across the full value chain of artificial intelligence. Peaka is a secure data platform that helps enterprises become AI-ready without overhauling their infrastructure. TheAgentic, infrastructure for AI agent development, powering over 220 applied AI startups with TheAgentic. HC Consulting is a community-first consultancy shaping the future of AI security and governance. Pirix.co , an intelligent media partner expanding visibility for breakthrough tech events through strategic content distribution and editorial support.About AI InsidersAI Insiders is more than an event series; it's a global network of high-trust, high-impact AI gatherings designed to unite the most innovative founders, investors, and enterprise leaders. With exclusive deal flow, deep insights, and community-first values, it's where the future of AI collaboration begins.About MarvelousMarvelous is an AI-powered experiential B2B marketing platform that transforms brand moments into measurable outcomes. Using intelligent AI agents, Marvelous plans, scales, and optimizes real-world events, helping companies turn marketing into meaningful, high-trust human connections. From brand activations and community-led gatherings to creator-hosted experiences, Marvelous offers a smarter, faster alternative to traditional agencies and manual coordination, helping brands engage their ideal audiences with precision and impact. Founded by Merve Isler, Marvelous powers global campaigns like the monthly AI Insiders series and serves as the infrastructure for a new era of community-driven experiential marketing.Join the movement and discover curated events, collaborations, and brand opportunities at themarvelo.us/ai Media contact:Cigdem Oztabak cigdem@ pirix.co SOURCE: Pirix.co PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 02:50:55 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 592 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LONDON, UK / ACCESS Newswire / March 31, 2025 / Meridian Mining UK S (TSX:MNO)(Frankfurt/Tradegate:2MM) (OTCQX:MRRDF) ("Meridian" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the filing of its independent Pre-Feasibility Study technical report for its advanced Cabacal Au-Cu-Ag Project located in Mato Grosso, Brazil, with an effective date of March 10, 2025, (the "PFS Technical Report"), in support of the Company's news release dated March 10, 2025 (the "News Release"). There are no material differences in the PFS Technical Report from the information disclosed in the News Release.The PFS Technical Report was prepared for the Company by Tommaso Roberto Raponi (P. Eng), Principal Metallurgist with Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC; Scott Elfen (P. E.), Global Lead Geotechnical and Civil Services with Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC; John Anthony McCartney, C.Geol., Ausenco Chile Ltda.; Porfirio Cabaleiro Rodriguez (Engineer Geologist FAIG), of GE21 Consultoria Mineral; Leonardo Soares (PGeo, MAIG), Senior Geological Consultant of GE21 Consultoria Mineral; Norman Lotter (Mineral Processing Engineer; P.Eng.), of Flowsheets Metallurgical Consulting Inc.; and, Juliano Felix de Lima (Engineer Geologist MAIG), of GE21 Consultoria Mineral. The PFS Technical Report may be found under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at www.meridianmining.co Readers are encouraged to read the PFS Technical Report in its entirety, including all qualifications, assumptions, exclusions and risks that relate to the Mineral Resource, Mineral Reserves and life-of-mine plan. The PFS Technical Report is intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context.Qualified Person Mr Erich Marques, B.Sc., FAIG, Chief Geologist of Meridian Mining and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release.About Meridian Meridian Mining is focused on:The development and exploration of the advanced stage Cabacal VMS goldcopper-silver project;The initial resource definition at the second higher-grade VMS asset at Santa Helena as the first stage of the Cabacal Hub development strategy;Regional scale exploration of the Cabacal VMS belt to expand the Cabacal Hub strategy; andExploration in the Jauru & Araputanga Greenstone belts (the above all located in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil).On behalf of the Board of Directors of Meridian Mining UK SMr. Gilbert Clark - CEO and DirectorMeridian Mining UK S8th Floor, 4 More London RiversideLondon SE1 2AUUnited KingdomEmail: info@ meridianmining.co Ph: +1 778 715-6410 (BST)Stay up to date by subscribing for news alerts here: https://meridianmining.co/contact/ Follow Meridian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeridianMining Further information can be found at: www.meridianmining.co Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements for the purposes of applicable securities laws. These statements address future events and conditions and so involve inherent risks and uncertainties, as disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Meridian's most recent Annual Information Form filed on www.sedarplus.ca While these factors and assumptions are considered reasonable by Meridian, in light of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, Meridian can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. 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, Meridian disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or results or otherwise.SOURCE: Meridian Mining SE PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 18:31:51 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 449 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / OEC Freight Companies Inc. recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal information entrusted to OEC Group.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On May 13, 2024, OEC Group became aware of a security incident on its computer network. Upon detection, OEC Group launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cyber security experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to files on OEC Group's network containing sensitive information. OEC Group conducted a comprehensive review of the impacted data to determine what information was compromised and identified affected individuals. On February 14, 2025, OEC Group identified persons whose sensitive data was included in the impacted data.Upon information and belief, the following types of sensitive personal information may have been compromised: name, and Social Security number. On March 14, 2025, OEC Group filed a notice with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office and started sending out notice letters to the impacted individuals. Compensation may be available for those individuals who received notice that their personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from OEC Group, you are likely affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 14:01:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 415 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The Service Model Helps SaaS Businesses Streamline Implementation and Accelerate Production Releases of Their Customer-Facing Analytics FeaturesTYSONS CORNER, VIRGINIA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Qrvey, the embedded analytics platform designed specifically for SaaS companies, has launched a suite of Embedded Services to accelerate the delivery of customer-facing analytic experiences for its SaaS customers. Qrvey Announces Embedded Services for SaaS Companies New services streamline implementation and accelerate delivery of embedded analytics for SaaS.Designed to augment in-house product delivery teams, Qrvey effectively embeds within your team to optimize product roadmap planning, implementation, testing, and deployment of your embedded analytics solution.Qrvey's Embedded Services package includes three proven services that are key to successful analytics delivery:Embedded Product Roadmap & Requirements Planning - Qrvey experts collaborate with SaaS product teams to strategically plan and prioritize analytics features that drive customer engagement and enhanced value. This ensures alignment with business goals and user needs while defining a phased implementation strategy.Embedded Custom Styling, Interfaces & Feature Development - Enables SaaS companies to create a seamless, brand-aligned analytics experience within their platform. This ensures an intuitive native analytics experience across dashboards, reports, and more.Embedded QA & DevOps Processes - Includes custom QA test scenarios, performance tuning & load testing, and infrastructure configuration & optimization to deliver highly performant analytics. This ensures production readiness, performance optimization, and seamless deployment of analytics solutions."For SaaS companies that want to deliver self-service analytic capabilities to their customers, speed to market is everything," said Arman Eshraghi, CEO and founder of Qrvey. "Qrvey Embedded Services becomes an extension of your product team, and empowers our OEM partners to go to production better, faster, and more efficiently. It's faster time to value for SaaS customers, and faster time to revenue for our partners." Qrvey's Embedded Services are available immediately. For more information,visit qrvey.com About QrveyQrvey is the leading embedded analytics platform built specifically for SaaS companies. With its no-code and API-first approach, Qrvey empowers SaaS businesses to integrate powerful data capabilities seamlessly into their applications. Qrvey delivers a complete, end-to-end multi-tenant analytics platform that deploys entirely within their customers' cloud environments, and allows product teams to lower the time and cost of development, deployment, and maintenance of customer-facing analytics. By using Qrvey's platform to create an embedded analytics layer within their products, SaaS companies can deliver greater value, unlock new revenue streams, and ensure greater customer loyalty. Learn more atqrvey.com Contact InformationKerry PearceHead of Marketingkerry.pearce@qrvey.com 603-321-4114SOURCE: Qrvey PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 18:47:14 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 374 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is investigating potential claims on behalf of individual account holders who subscribed to Redfin Corporation's Website ( https://www.redfin.com/) and watched pre-recorded video content through the Redfin Corporation Website. Levi & Korsinsky, LLP's investigation indicatesthat legally protected data may have been unlawfully intercepted during visits to the Redfin Corporation Website, particularly affecting customers who subscribed and watched pre-recorded video content on the Redfin Corporation Website.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?If you are an account holder on the Redfin Corporation Website and watched videos on the platform, your legally protected data may have been intercepted without your knowledge. If your data was compromised, you may be entitled to compensation.AM I ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?If your data was compromised, you may be entitled to compensation.Unauthorized data interceptionis a serious issue that could lead to privacy violations, potentially leading to significant breaches of your personal information.If the company entrusted with securing your datahas failed in this duty, they may be held accountable for any exposure of your information,potentially exposing you to risks such as misuse or unauthorized use of your data.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you are an account holder on theRedfin Corporation Website and subsequently watched pre-recorded video materials, your data may have been intercepted. Follow the link below to find out if you have a claim.Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected customers are entitled to compensation. There is no cost to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defenseattorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. We work on a contingencybasis- we don't get paid unless you get paid!Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 14:02:08 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1023 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Project will add strong recurring revenue stream to current portfolioVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 /Revolve Renewable Power Corp. (TSXV:REVV)(OTCQB:REVVF) ("Revolve" or the "Company"), a North American owner, operator and developer of renewable energy projects, is pleased to announce that it has signed a binding offer (the "Binding Offer") for the proposed acquisition of a 9.6 megawatt ("MW") operating wind energy project in the United States (the "Project"). Subject to certain conditions, the Binding Offer provides for the acquisition of a 95% interest in the Project for total consideration of US$10.5 million on a cash and debt free basis (the "Proposed Acquisition"). The Project would be Revolve's first operating renewable energy project in the U.S.The Project consists of six 1.6 MW wind turbines generating revenue through a Power Purchase Agreement with a regional utility. The Project, once the Proposed Acquisition is complete, is expected to generate approximately US$2.2 million in revenue and US$885,000 in EBITDA during the first year of ownership. In support of the Proposed Acquisition, Revolve has also signed a term sheet with RE Royalties Ltd. (TSXV:RE) ("RE Royalties") for the provision of a secured loan of up to US$8,000,000, representing approximately 80% of the total upfront consideration required to finance the Proposed Acquisition (the "Secured Loan")."This Proposed Acquisition is another significant milestone for Revolve as we continue to execute on our growth plan across North America," said CEO Myke Clark. "Once completed, this acquisition will add another strong recurring revenue stream to our growing portfolio of assets. We continue to see a number of exciting opportunities to supplement our strategy by acquiring operating assets in the US and Canada. This is the third significant acquisition of operating assets in our recent history, and we are committed to accelerating that process as we scale our business through additional acquisitions and organic growth." The ProjectThe Project is Revolve's first acquisition of an operating renewable energy asset in the United States and builds on the Company's current operating portfolio of 12.33 MW in Canada and Mexico.Capacity: 9.6MW total capacity.Site Description: Lease agreements for 127 acres of land.Status: Operating.Project Life: 2046.Financial: No debt or tax equity obligations.Federal Tax Credit: Production tax credit through 2031.The Proposed Acquisition, once completed, will add 9.6 MW of net operational capacity to the Company's portfolio, bring the total under operation to 22 MW.The TransactionUnder the terms of the Binding Offer, which was signed March 28, 2025, Revolve the will acquire 95% of the outstanding shares of the Project in exchange for US$10,500,000 in cash. The remaining 5% is owned by an unrelated third party that provides operations and maintenance services to the Project under an Asset Management Agreement. In support of the Proposed Acquisition, Revolve has also signed a term sheet with RE Royalties Ltd. (TSXV:RE) ("RE Royalties") for the provision of a secured loan of up to US$8,000,000 or approximately 80% of the total upfront consideration to part finance the Proposed Acquisition (the "Secured Loan"). The remaining funds will come from a combination of cash from the Company's balance sheet, equity financing and/or debt facilities. Completion of the Proposed Acquisition is subject a number of conditions, including the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), the closing of the Secured Loan and other customary closing conditions. Closing of the Proposed Acquisition is expected to occur in Q2 of this calendar year.The Transaction is an arm's length transaction for purposes of the policies of the TSXV.The Secured LoanThe Secured Loan is expected to be drawn down as part of completion of the Proposed Acquisition and will have a term of 24 months. It will be repayable at maturity, bear interest at 12% on drawn funds, with interest payable on a quarterly basis during the term. The Company also expects to enter into a royalty agreement with RE Royalties under which they will receive a royalty of 5% on gross revenues generated by the Project.For further information contact:Myke Clark, CEO IR@ revolve-renewablepower.com 778-372-8499About RevolveRevolve was formed in 2012 to capitalize on the growing global demand for renewable power. Revolve develops utility-scale wind, solar, hydro and battery storage projects in the US, Canada and Mexico. Revolve also installs and operates sub 20MW "behind the meter" distributed generation (or "DG") assets. Revolve's portfolio includes the following:Operating Assets: 12 MW (net) of operating assets under long term power purchase agreements across Canada and Mexico covering wind, solar, battery storage and hydro generation;Development: a diverse portfolio of utility scale development projects across the US, Canada and Mexico with a combined capacity of over 3,000MW as well as a 140MW+ distributed generation portfolio that is under development.Revolve has an accomplished management team with a demonstrated track record of taking projects from "greenfield" through to "ready to build" status and successfully concluding project sales to large operators of utility-scale renewable energy projects. To-date, Revolve has developed and sold over 1,550MW of projects.Going forward, Revolve is targeting 5,000MW of utility-scale projects under development in the US, Canada and Mexico, and in parallel is rapidly growing its portfolio of revenue-generating DG assets.Forward Looking InformationThe forward-looking statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information'' within the meaning of applicable securities laws in each of the provinces and territories of Canada and the respective policies, regulations and rules under such laws and forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, forward-looking statements"). The words "will", "expects", "estimates", "projections", "forecast", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "targets" (and grammatical variations of such terms) and similar expressions are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward looking statements in this press release include statements with respect to the Company's business objectives and project development goals; statements with respect to t PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 02:08:25 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 638 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / March 31, 2025 /WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Elastic N.V. (NYSE:ESTC) between May 31, 2024 and August 29, 2024, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 14, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline.SO WHAT: If you purchased Elastic 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 Elastic class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=34953or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com 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) Elastic had implemented significant changes to its sales operations, particularly with respect to its customer segments in the Americas; (2) the foregoing changes were likely to, and did, disrupt Elastic's sales operations during the first quarter of its fiscal year ("FY") 2025; (3) accordingly, defendants had overstated the stability of Elastic's sales operations; (4) as a result of all the foregoing, Elastic was unlikely to meet its own previously issued revenue guidance for its FY 2025; and (5) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.To join the Elastic class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=34953 call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com 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 FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@ rosenlegal.comwww.rosenlegal.com SOURCE: The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 01:45:23 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 640 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / March 31, 2025 /WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Edison International (NYSE:EIX) between February 25, 2021 and February 6, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 21, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action first filed by the Firm.SO WHAT: If you purchased Edison 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 Edison class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=33590or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com 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 21, 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, defendants throughout the Class Period made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Edison's claim that Southern California Edison Company ("SCE") used its Public Safety Power Shutoffs ("PSPS") program to "proactively de-energize power lines to mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires during extreme weather events", was false; (2) this resulted in heightened fire risk in California and heightened legal exposure to Edison; and (3) as a result, defendants' statements about Edison's business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.To join the Edison class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=33590 call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com 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 FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@ rosenlegal.comwww.rosenlegal.com SOURCE: The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 01:45:49 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 813 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Not for dissemination in the United States or for release to US news wire servicesVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / March 31, 2025 / Sceptre Ventures Inc. ("Sceptre" or the "Company") (TSXV:NEX)(TSXV: SVP.H) announces that it has completed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"), as described in its press releases of February 11, 2025 and February 28, 2025, pursuant to which it has issued an aggregate of 12,008,200 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.01 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $120,082.00.Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Share") and one transferable share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional Share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") for a period of 12 months from the closing date at an exercise price of $0.05.Proceeds of the Private Placement will be used for identifying and evaluating a proposed Qualifying Transaction (as defined in Policy 2.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange")) and for general working capital purposes. No finder's fees were paid in connection with the Private Placement.One insider of the Company subscribed for a total of 2,408,200 Units under the Private Placement, which is a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The issuance to the insider is exempt from the valuation requirement of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption contained in section 5.5(b) as the Company's shares are not listed on a specified market and from the minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption contained in section 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 in that the fair market value of the consideration of the securities issued to the related party did not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization.The securities issued under the Private Placement, and the Warrant Shares that may be issuable on exercise of the Warrants, are subject to a statutory hold period expiring on July 29, 2025.None of the securities sold in connection with the Private Placement will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and no such securities may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news 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 Sceptre Ventures Inc.Sceptre Ventures Inc. is a Capital Pool Company ("CPC") within the meaning of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange and has not commenced commercial operations and has no assets other than cash. Sceptre is currently engaged in identifying and evaluating businesses and assets with a view to completing a Qualifying Transaction under the TSXV's CPC policy.For Further Information: Kevin Bottomley, Chief Executive OfficerSuite 1450-789 West Pender StreetVancouver, BC, V6C 1H2, CanadaTel: 604-681-1568Email: Kevin@ corvidiancap.com FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical, and consist primarily of projections - statements regarding future plans, expectations and developments. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "potential", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import tend to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements about the Private Placement and its terms, and the anticipated use of proceeds. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied, including, without limitation, that the Company may not use the gross proceeds as initially contemplated. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. The Company cannot assure that actual events, performance or results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. These forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.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 ofSOURCE: Sceptre Ventures Inc. The Holmesville Church of the Brethren celebrated the 150th anniversary this past weekend. The church in the Rockford township was founded by the Rev. Henry Brubaker. John Crothers of Indiana in 1867 advertised that he would donate a quarter-section of land to any minister of the Brethren church who would locate upon it and organize a church of that denomination. Brubaker accepted the offer in 1875. Beginning with just 12 members, the organization gained members rapidly. Several buildings have been erected since the congregation was first founded in 1875. Websites on the history of Gage County note the church to be one of the historic churches in the county. It has performed a great and important service in the settlement and development of the county. (History of Gage County Nebraska 1918) On Saturday the church was open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with snacks and coffee for the public to view displays. On Sunday a worship service was held at 9:30 a.m. with coffee and fellowship following. A noon meal was catered. A special program with music was held in the afternoon featuring siblings John Snyder, Mary Beth Tuttle and Annette Dell. Dell said they had a nice weekend of celebration. We had a really good weekend. Its been so nice. There were people from all over and I hope they felt like they came home, she said. Becky Snyder attended the celebration dressed in historical attire. Her husband, John, grew up in the church and had been a pastor there for over 20 years before his semi-retirement. Becky said her favorite memories of the church included childrens programs. We had fun nights during Advent with a meal and a project, she said. We had great Bible school and Sunday school. Just the outreach to the kids was my favorite. We invested so many years but felt God calling us to move. Tom Brubaker has been a member of the church throughout his life. Theres a lot of things that I could talk about, he said. I guess just the fellowship and love for each other has been my favorite part of being a member here. A lot has changed with farmsteads in the area that are all gone now. Laureen Riedesel started attending the Holmesville church in 1979. I had grown up as a Baptist and thought I would be a Baptist my entire life, she said. My dad was a Baptist minister, but after we left a church in Beatrice we visited here. I just remember the people here being so kind. Several previous members sent letters congratulating the church on the anniversary. Don Vetrovsky wrote about growing up in the church. Mom and Dad (Helen and George) started taking us to Sunday School in the 60s, he said. He noted some of his earliest friendships beginning in the church. The church made a big impact on the Vetrovsky family. I would say the church family was family. We knew each other and supported each other. The kindness and love will always be remembered, he wrote. Dean and Merrith Baughman sent an email. We wish we could be there to celebrate. From the first day we came to Holmesville and you 'adopted' our girls, we felt just like family with all of you. Holmesville Church of the Brethren is part of our favorite memories from Nebraska. Boy Scout Troop 221 constructed and placed a new directory in the churchs cemetery. Isaac Enns completed it as his Eagle Scout project. It was something that was needed to help people find their loved ones, he said. Since we go to this church I knew it was something they wanted. My brother, Andrew, also did his Eagle Scout project at the cemetery. While the project is ongoing, there is a map that shows how the cemetery is laid out. A box that opens will contain a spreadsheet of the people buried in the cemetery. The Enns family continues to research and try to identify the stones. There are over 700 stones dating back to 1806. Isaac said it took a couple of months to complete the project. Some of the other troop members helped with the construction. Scout leader Jerry Enns said they had several donations that made the project possible. Precise Fabrication donated the powder coating. Utility Structural Systems donated the pole-setting foam that was used. The metal was purchased from Johnnys Welding. PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 02:01:43 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 462 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / March 31, 2025 / If you suffered a loss on your Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG) investment and want to learn about a potential recovery under the federal securities laws, follow the link below for more information:or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. via email at jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com or call (212) 363-7500 to speak to our team of experienced shareholder advocates.THE LAWSUIT: This lawsuit is on behalf of all shareholders that purchased stock pursuant and/or traceable to Venture's registration statement for the initial public offering held on or about January 24, 2025.CASE DETAILS: According to the complaint, Venture completed its initial public offering on January 27, 2025, selling 70 million shares at $24.00 per share. On February 5, 2025, TotalEnergies, an energy company that was a target customer of Venture, rejected opportunities to become a long-term customer of Venture, citing lack of trust. In particular, TotalEnergies CEO, stated that he was approached by Venture to see if the company would be interested in a long-term supply contract for liquefied natural gas from the Calcasieu Pass terminal in Louisiana, but he rejected the offer "because of what they are doing." Venture is currently facing legal challenges from existing large clients, such as BP and Shell, due to delays in supply contracts as Venture commissions its projects. Given the fact that defendants ability to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the world and to continue development of Venture's five natural gas liquefication and export projects depends on customer contracts, defendants' failure to account for and address these issues caused statements in Venture's registration statement to be false and/or materially misleading at the time of the initial public offering.WHAT'S NEXT? If you suffered a loss in Venture stock during the relevant time frame - even if you still hold your shares - go to https://zlk.com/pslra-1/venture-global-inc-lawsuit-submission-form?prid=140093&wire=1 to learn about your rights to seek a recovery. There is no cost or obligation to participate.WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, Levi & Korsinsky LLP has established itself as a nationally-recognized securities litigation firm that has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. The firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-02 00:50:16 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 588 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The firm's lawsuit claims that Pfizer and other manufacturers of Depo-Provera and the generic equivalents of the popular contraceptive injection failed to warn women of the risks of developing a type of brain tumorDENVER, CO / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Singleton Schreiber is dedicated to supporting women who developed meningioma, a type of brain tumor, after receiving the Depo-Provera birth control shot. The firm's lawsuit alleges that the manufacturers of Depo-Provera and its generic equivalents, including Pfizer, failed to properly warn women of the increased risk of developing a meningioma while using the drug.The firm, known for its commitment to pharmaceutical negligence cases, is representing individuals impacted by the contraceptive's harmful effects. Through legal action, Singleton Schreiber aims to help these women receive the compensation they deserve for medical expenses, lost wages, and the ongoing challenges they face due to meningioma resulting from the Depo-Provera contraceptive injections. Singleton Schreiber Partner Kevin Hannon has been named Chair of the Class Action Committee of the national Depo-Provera litigation and part of the Plaintiffs' Leadership.Recent studies reveal that prolonged use of Depo-Provera is associated with a 5.5 times greater risk of meningioma. Meningiomas can lead to severe neurological symptoms, cognitive impairments, and the need for invasive brain surgery. Symptoms of meningioma include seizures, blurry vision, headaches, memory loss, weakness in arms and legs and difficulties speaking. The legal team at Singleton Schreiber is committed to ensuring justice for those affected, securing compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.The firm's approach is thorough and meticulous. In collaboration with top medical and scientific experts, Singleton Schreiber is building comprehensive cases that detail the risks and specific harm caused by Depo-Provera, including the devastating physical, emotional, and financial toll on its users. Some women may have needed highly invasive brain surgery leading to additional medical care and ongoing challenges."Through our legal team's dedication and in-depth knowledge, we are fighting for the compensation and accountability that these women deserve," said Partner Kevin Hannon. "Our work is centered on seeking justice for those whose lives have been significantly impacted by pharmaceutical negligence." If you or a loved one developed a meningioma after receiving Depo-Provera contraceptive injections, you do not have to face this alone. Let Singleton Schreiber help you pursue the compensation and accountability you deserve. Call us to discuss your legal options.About Singleton SchreiberSingleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm, specializing in mass torts/multi-district litigation, fire litigation, personal injury/wrongful death, civil rights, environmental law, insurance bad faith, and sex abuse/trafficking. Over the last decade, the firm has recovered more than $3 billion for clients who have been harmed and sought justice. The firm also has the largest fire litigation practice in the country, having represented over 26,000 victims of wildfire, most notably serving plaintiffs in litigation related to the 2025 Eaton and Hurst Fires, 2025 Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire, 2023 Maui wildfires, the Colorado Marshall wildfire, the Washington Gray wildfire, several California wildfires, and others.ATTORNEY ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER: This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Any representation by Singleton Schreiber is subject to the firm's evaluation and agreement with potential clients.Paid Attorney Advertising MaterialKevin Hannon is an attorney responsible for this advertising material. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.1641 N Downing Street, Denver, CO 80218CONTACT:Case Inquiries: 866-790-0913 info@ singletonschreiber.com SOURCE: Singleton Schreiber PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 19:01:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 472 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / EVJ, LLC, which does business as Storage Durango Blue Diamond, recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal and protected health data of individuals.This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal and protected health information entrusted to Storage Durango.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On August 31, 2024, Storage Durango became aware of a security incident on its internal systems. Upon detection, Storage Durango launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cyber security experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to systems containing personal information between August 8 and August 31, 2024. Storage Durango conducted a comprehensive review of the impacted data to determine what information was compromised and identified affected individuals. On March 25, 2025, Storage Durango identified persons whose sensitive data was included in the impacted data.Upon information and belief, the following types of sensitive personaland protected health information may have been compromised: name, Social Security number, driver's license or state identification number, financial account number, and health insurance policy number. On March 25, 2025, Storage Durango filed a notice with the Vermont Attorney General and started sending out notice letters to the impacted individuals. Compensation may be available for those individuals who received notice that their personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from Storage Durango, you are likely affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 18:47:23 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 433 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / United Domestic Workers of America/AFSCME Local 3930,recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal information entrusted to UDW.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On January 17, 2025, United Domestic Workers of America/AFSCME Local 3930 became aware of a security incident on its servers. Upon detection, UDW launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to UDW's systems and potentially compromised sensitive data. UDW conducted a comprehensive review of the impacted data to determine what information was compromised and identified affected individuals.Upon information and belief, the following types of sensitive personal information may have been compromised: names, Social Security numbers, and addresses. On March 27, 2025, UDW filed a notice with the Attorney General of California and started sending out notice letters to the impacted individuals. Compensation may be available for those individuals who received notice that their personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from UDW, you are likely affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. If you have received a notice about the data breach, you may be entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. The firm is a 100% contingency firm - we don't get paid unless you get paid! Please visit us at www.zlk.com for more information. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 21:30:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 867 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 PINNEBERG, DE / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Viromed Medical AG ("Viromed", ticker:VMED; ISIN:DE000A3MQR65), a medical technology company and pioneer of cold plasma technology for applications in air disinfection, wound healing and intensive care medicine, has today signed an exclusive distribution agreement worth a total of EUR 152.5 million with UMECO Group ("Umeco") a leading Asian distributor of medical devices in cosmetics and medicine based in Korea, for the commercialization of the novel cold plasma medical devices ViroCAP and PulmoPlas in ten Asian countries.Umeco acquires the exclusive marketing and distribution rights for ViroCAP and PulmoPlas in the treatment of dermatological and pneumological infections for both medical and cosmetic use. The rights cover Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Shanghai, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. Viromed will receive a one-time license fee of USD 5 million upon conclusion of the agreement as well as purchase commitments of EUR 32.5 million in 2026 and EUR 60 million in each of the years 2027 and 2028. The agreement was concluded for a term of five years."By partnering with a leading distribution company for medical technology, we are opening up the Asian market for our innovative cold plasma products for use in cosmetics, wound healing and intensive care medicine," explains Uwe Perbandt, CEO of Viromed Medical AG. "Thanks to its many years of experience and excellent sales network, the UMECO Group is our ideal partner for implementing Viromed's international sales strategy in Asia." "ViroCAP and PulmoPlas perfectly complement our broad portfolio of highly innovative products in medical technology and aesthetics," adds Mark Kim, Chairman & President of UMECO Group. "We are very pleased to provide Asian patients and cosmetic users with access to Viromed's revolutionary cold plasma products, which have been shown in previous studies to be both highly effective and easy and painless to use.About ViroCAPViroCAP is a portable medical device for the treatment of skin diseases using cold atmospheric plasma (KAP). ViroCAP is expected to be certified as a medical device in 2025. ViroCAP inactivates viruses, bacteria, multi-resistant pathogens and fungi and therefore the cause of many skin diseases. At the same time, the cold plasma stimulates cell biological mechanisms, thereby activating cell division, blood circulation and cell metabolism.About PulmoPlasPulmoPlas is a medical device for the prevention and treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in mechanically ventilated patients using cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). The first promising results of an ongoing study with the Hannover Medical School on the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) using PulmoPlas were announced in March 2025. The detailed results of the clinical trial are expected to be published in early summer 2025.About Ventilator Associated Pneumonia and the use of cold plasmaVentilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is a frequent, avoidable and serious complication in mechanically ventilated patients. It occurs in patients who are invasively mechanically ventilated for at least 48 hours. Study results show that VAP occurs in 23-36% of mechanically ventilated patients, and is associated with prolonged ventilation time, longer stays in the intensive care unit and hospital, as well as increased cost. The estimated mortality rate is 10-13%. In Germany alone, there were around 486,000 mechanically ventilated intensive care patients in 2023 and many thousands of deaths, with a strong upward trend. Worldwide, many millions of patients are mechanically ventilated every year.Cold atmospheric plasma is an innovative physical, completely painless treatment method, that destroys viruses and bacteria in the respiratory tract in 30-90 seconds. Cold plasma is a groundbreaking innovation, particularly effective against antibiotic-resistant MRSA bacteria, as it destroys them. Antibiotics can take several hours or even days to reach the source of an infection and are becoming increasingly ineffective due to the growing problem of multi-resistant germs. The use of cold plasma against VAP has the potential to reduce infections, accelerate healing, decrease antibiotic usage and, above all, save hundreds of thousands of lives every year.About Viromed Medical AG:Viromed Medical AG specializes in the development, manufacture and distribution of medical products. The operating business of the company, which has been listed on the stock exchange since October 2022, focuses on the distribution of the innovative cold plasma technology for medical applications through its wholly owned subsidiary Viromed Medical GmbH. In doing so, Viromed can draw on a broad customer base in the DACH region. Viromed Medical AG aims to further advance the use of CAP in medicine in the coming years and to realize corresponding growth potential.About the UMECO GROUPUMECO GROUP is a full-service trading company specializing in the import, export, sales and maintenance of medical and cosmetic equipment and products. Since its establishment in 1988, UMECO GROUP has been identifying high quality equipment and products for the medical and aesthetic industry to meet the needs of the Asia-Pacific market and deliver these products in a timely and cost-effective manner.The translation is provided for information purposes only.In the event of any discrepancy between the German and English versions of this press release, the German version shall prevail.Contact Viromed Medical AGUwe PerbandtManagement BoardFlensburger Strae 1825421 PinnebergE-Mail: kontakt@ viromed-medical.de Media inquiries MC Services AGAnne Hennecke / Dr. Kai SchmitzE-Mail: Viromed.news@mc-services.eu Phone: 0211-529252-104SOURCE: Viromed Medical AG PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 17:01:33 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 329 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CHEYENNE, WYOMING / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / In a continued effort to help members and the community protect themselves from identity theft, WyHy is hosting free Shred Days across Wyoming this April. WyHy Shred Event WyHy Shred Event 2025Members are encouraged to bring up to two large boxes of paper documents to be securely shredded on-site. Shredding sensitive documents is a key step in preventing fraud and identity theft, ensuring personal information doesn't fall into the wrong hands.Shred Day Event Schedule:Casper: April 11 | 11 AM - 2 PMCheyenne: April 12 | 9 AM - 11 AMRock Springs: April 18 | 9 AM - 12 PMGreen River: April 18 | 1 PM - 4 PMWhat Should You Shred?To stay ahead of identity thieves, security experts recommend shredding:Old documents with Social Security numbers, birth dates, signatures, and account numbers.Banking documents, including canceled checks, deposit slips, and ATM/credit card receipts.Credit card materials, like pre-approved applications and incentive checks.Medical bills you no longer need.Investment account statements.Expired identification, such as old driver's licenses, medical insurance cards, and passports.Why It MattersAccording to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft continues to rise, with millions of Americans falling victim each year. Properly disposing of sensitive documents is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself.For more information about WyHy's Shred Days and fraud prevention resources, visit www.wyhy.org About WyHy Federal Credit UnionWyHy Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative serving Wyoming communities since 1953. With branches in Cheyenne, Green River, Rock Springs, Lyman, and Casper, WyHy is dedicated to providing exceptional financial services and benefits to its members. WyHy offers a wide range of products and services, including savings and checking accounts, loans, mortgages, credit cards, and financial education resources. As a member-owned financial institution, WyHy prioritizes its members' financial success and is committed to providing personalized solutions that meet their unique needs.Contact InformationAmy DavisDirector of Marketingadavis@ wyhy.org (307) 638-4290Matt BallouChief Retail Officermballou@ wyhy.org (307) 638-4290SOURCE: WyHy PR-Inside.com: 2025-04-01 09:05:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 996 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Coincidental copper-silver-molybdenum soil, rock grab, magnetics and 3D induced polarization anomaly form the basis of the high priority drill targetsVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 /ZEUS NORTH AMERICA MINING CORP. (CSE:ZEUS)(OTCQB:ZUUZF)(FRANKFURT:O92) (THE "COMPANY" OR "ZEUS") is pleased to announce high-priority drill targets at Cuddy Mountain (the "Project" or "Cuddy Mountain") in Idaho. Cuddy Mountain is located approximately 3 kilometres ("km") to the northeast of Hercules Metals Corp.'s high-grade "Hercules" copper-moly-silver Leviathan porphyry discovery announced in October 2023.Highlights of the High-Priority Drill Targets at Cuddy Mountain:Zeus is permitting 5 spatially separate drill pads at Cuddy Mountain. The drill pads are designed to test the strongest portion of the coincidental anomalies. The results highlight the potential for both skarn and porphyry copper mineralization across the mapped prospective Seven Devils Volcanics. More specifically the coincidental anomalies consist of:Broad, continuous zones of moderate to strong chargeability, (>20ms up to 60ms) trending NE-SW, indicative of extensive sulphide mineralization potential. The top of the chargeability anomaly is approximately 100-150 metres depth from the planned drill collars;Magnetic highs which could indicate potassic core of a porphyry system or adjacent magnetic lows reflecting alteration halos;Magnetic highs occurring adjacent to and beneath the chargeability feature highlight a prominent interface along the Columbia River Flood Basalts paralleling with the chargeable body. Integration of these overlapping geophysical signatures helps outline the compelling exploration target for skarn and/or porphyry copper mineralization within the Cuddy Mountain Property;Coincidental rock grab samples:35 samples contain 0.1 percent ("%") copper ("Cu") or more; 16 samples contain greater than 1.1 % Cu, up to and including 3.8% Cu;29 samples contain 10 grams per tonne silver ("g/t Ag") or more; 9 samples contain more than 129 g/t Ag, with values up to and including 307 g/t Ag;26 samples contain 10 g/t molybdenum ("Mo") or more; 5 samples contain more than 40 g/t Mo, with values up to and including 182 g/t Mo (with 0.37g/t Au).Soils delineate a broad 3 kilometer ("km") by 3 km copper Cu and molybdenum Mo in soil circular anomaly underlain by the Seven Devils Volcanics (~741 acres):The newly identified copper-molybdenum soil anomaly contains individual soil samples up to 0.38% copper and 28.5 parts per million ("ppm") molybdenum (31 samples contain 212 ppm Cu or more; 5 samples contain percent level copper up to and including 0.38% Cu; 116 samples contain 2 ppm Mo or more; 6 samples contain more than 10 ppm Mo, with values up to and including 28.5 ppm Mo).Dean Besserer, President and CEO, stated, "This coincidental set of anomalies in conjunction with the March, 2025 Executive Order to accelerate critical mineral production, including copper, in the USA, make Cuddy mountain more compelling than ever. These anomalies form the basis of our high-priority drill targets and/or drill pads which have similarities to the neighboring Leviathan porphyry discovery".About the Cuddy Mountain Copper Property (Idaho, USA) The Cuddy Mountain Property is adjacent to Hercules Metals Corp.'s recently discovered Leviathan Copper Porphyry (Cnd$167Million Market Capitalization).* The discovery resulted in Barrick injecting Cnd$23Million in equity while staking a substantial land position in the district along with Rio Tinto. The Cuddy Mountain Property consists of 101 lode mining claims respectively and cover a cumulative area of approximately 2020 acres.Historical Drilling at Cuddy Mountain consisted of 7 shallow drill holes in 1977 intersecting anomalous lead and silver. Drill hole Mun 8 contained 90 feet of 2.02 ounces per tonne ("oz/t") Ag (Taylor, 1977). Further historical exploration on Zeus's Cuddy Mountain Project occurred at the Edna May Mine: Mineralized vein with chip samples containing 750 ppm lead ("Pb"), 7.7% zinc ("Zn") and 252 ppm Ag over 4 feet. Underground drilling in 1979 intersected 1.38 oz/t Ag over 7 feet in a breccia zone (Burmeister, 1980). Additional exploration (By Taylor, 1977) at the Rockslide area encountered Malachite-stained outcrops with a grab sample containing 760 ppm Pb, 0.67 % Zn and 36 grams per tonne Silver (Taylor, 1977).*Adjacent Property ( www.herculesmetals.com) *All information is derived solely from management of Zeus Mining and otherwise publicly available third-party information which are believed to be reliable, but which have not been independently verified by the Company and as a result are not guaranteed as to accuracy and completeness. Zeus's management cautions that past results or discoveries on properties in proximity to Zeus may not necessarily be indicative of the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties.Qualified Person The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, P.Geo., the President & CEO for the company and Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.On behalf of the board of directors. "Dean Besserer"President and CEOFor more information, please contact the Company at info@ zeusminingcorp.com FOR INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT: Kin Communications Inc. Ph: 604-684-6730 ZEUS@ kincommunications.com About Zeus North America Mining Corp. The Company is in the business of mineral exploration. The Company is focused on its exploration properties in the state of Idaho known as the: Cuddy Mountain; Selway; and Great Western properties, respectively. The Idaho properties consist of 101 (Cuddy Mountain), 57 (Selway) and 38 (Great Western) lode mining claims respectively and cover a cumulative area of approximately 4,200 acres. The Company's flagship Cuddy Mountain Property is adjacent to Hercules Metal Corp's Leviathan Copper Porphyry discovery.Forward-Looking Statements When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of their respective 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 Diekoloreoluwa Dieko Afolayan, the 19-year-old son of renowned Nollywood filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, has responded to criticism and speculation surrounding his sexuality, asserting his individuality and aspirations to be a role model. The debate over his identity intensified over the weekend following his appearance at the premiere of his fathers latest film, Recall. His unconventional mannerisms and fashion choices became a topic of conversation on social media, with some users questioning his sexuality and accusing him of adopting Western cultural influences. However, many others came to his defence, condemning the scrutiny as cyberbullying and baseless hate. In response to the controversy, Dieko affirmed his self-awareness and determination to stay true to himself in a post. I feel like a lot of people on this app do not know me the way they think they do, so Im going to introduce myself. And I will keep introducing myself at certain times until people truly know meperiod, he wrote. 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 Role model Dieko further stated that he positions himself as a source of inspiration for young people and expresses his passion for fashion, skincare, and self-improvement. I want people to follow my journey to success and be inspired to do the same for themselves. I want to be a role modelnot just to boys, but to girls because most of my role models are women. I am also passionate and unapologetic about who I am. When it comes to my standards and values, I stand firm, he added. He described himself as ambitious, hardworking, self-aware, and intelligent, emphasising that he lives in his world but takes decisive action when needed. He also highlighted his work as an entrepreneur. Background Speculation about Diekos sexuality is not new. In October 2024, videos of him displaying what some perceived as feminine mannerisms went viral, sparking similar discussions. Shortly after, Dieko posted a TikTok video featuring a young woman affectionately touching his face and beard. Though reactions were mixed, many saw this as his way of addressing the rumours. Some felt the video only invited more scrutiny, while others questioned whether it was a genuine response. Dieko has generally kept a low profile, occasionally appearing in his fathers social media posts. Kunle has four children, all of whom have been introduced to various creative and practical fields. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The shooting of a multi-million Naira epic film on the life and times of the late Duro Ladipo, a towering figure in Nigerias folklore plays and music, has commenced in Oyo State. The deceased, who usually acted in his plays, was one of the best-known and critically acclaimed Yoruba dramatists who emerged from postcolonial Africa. Writing solely in the Yoruba language, he captivated the symbolic spirit of Yoruba mythologies in his plays, which were later adapted to other media such as photography, television and cinema. His most famous play, Oba ko so (The King did not Hang), a dramatisation of the traditional Yoruba story of how Sango became the Orisha of Thunder, received international acclaim at the first Commonwealth Arts Festival in 1965 Details Wole Duro-Ladipo, son of the late playwright, disclosed details of his fathers biopic on Sunday in Ibadan during a courtesy visit to Lekan Alabi, the founding Trustee of the Duro Ladipo Foundation. The film is expected to hit the cinemas in Nigeria and abroad before the end of this year. 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 Duro-Ladipo, based in Chicago, U.S., assured that everything was in place for a successful film shooting. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the late Ladipo died 47 years ago at 45. He died during an illness at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan on 11 March 1978. Responding to Mr Duro-Ladipo during the visit, Mr Alabi, the Maye Olubadan of Ibadanland, congratulated the late Ladipos successors on taking the steps. He recalled that Mr Ladipos most impressive play, Oba Ko so, had won the first prize at the Commonwealth Film Festival in London, UK, in 1965. It was such a great play then, and it will be nice to have the film in the cinemas now, Mr Alabi said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nearly three years into his presidency, Kenyan President William Ruto faces mounting headwinds that threaten to derail his administration. The country is grappling with economic, political and social pressures. Discontent, first sparked by protests against the Finance Bill of 2024, has resurfaced amid widespread distrust and anger over new social health insurance policies. Meanwhile, the impeachment of former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has reshaped political dynamics within the coalition that brought Mr Ruto to power. Externally, foreign aid cuts and the unpredictability of United States (US) President Donald Trumps policy shifts present several risks. Together, these factors have dampened international and domestic confidence in Kenyas trajectory. Against this, Mr Ruto must broker a trifecta of grand bargains: balancing the demands of international creditors and partners, managing fluid domestic political alliances, and addressing Kenyan citizens concerns all while the 2027 elections loom closer. Kenya enjoyed a privileged relationship with the US under the Joe Biden administration, with Mr Ruto dubbed Mr Bidens blue-eyed boy. Nairobis strategic location and geopolitical significance, coupled with shared interests in climate and security, strengthened ties between the two nations. This was underscored by a series of high-profile diplomatic visits, including Mr Rutos state visit to the White House last year the first by an African leader since 2008 and Antony Blinken and Jill Bidens visits to Kenya between 2021 and 2024. Mr Ruto also cultivated a strong relationship with Meg Whitman, the polarising former US ambassador to Kenya, who resigned following Mr Trumps election victory. 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 key developments further demonstrated Kenyas geopolitical importance to Washington. One was its designation as a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally in 2024, which elevated its role in regional and international security. The second was the deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police officers to combat gang violence in Haiti. Both are products of the strengthening of Kenya-US ties. However, Mr Trumps return to power presents significant challenges for Kenya. Whether Mr Ruto can navigate this shift and build bridges to safeguard the countrys economy remains to be seen. Two major concerns are potential foreign aid cuts and a reversal of the climate agenda, which underpinned much of the bilateral relationship under Mr Biden. Kenya is particularly vulnerable on both fronts. In the healthcare sector alone, an estimated 50,000 jobs are at risk, with experts warning of an escalating crisis in access to medical services and a potential brain drain. Similarly, aggressive cuts to climate funding threaten critical clean energy initiatives and will hamper Kenyas ability to respond to climate-related disasters. The key question is whether Mr Ruto can find a pathway to Mr Trump, given his historical closeness to Mr Biden, or whether Mr Trump will hold it against him as he did with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Finalising the pending Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership, initiated during Mr Trumps first term, could be an obvious starting point. Mr Ruto must also craft and articulate a compelling value proposition for why Kenya should retain its favoured status under the new administration. Mr Rutos diplomatic challenges are eclipsed by discontent on the domestic front and the need to manage stability and his own political survival. Since mass protests against the 2024 Finance Bill and associated taxes in June/July 2024, the hustler president has remained unpopular with the local population, particularly the youth. Kenyas so-called Gen-Z movement remains ready to mobilise against a statesman they view as failing to address various socioeconomic challenges. These include high unemployment, governance shortcomings, and a flawed national healthcare scheme all while taxes have increased. These taxes have been touted as a means to ease Kenyas dire fiscal position and unsustainable debt amid efforts to appease both the International Monetary Fund and creditors and avoid a default. While seemingly prudent, Mr Rutos attempts at placating international finance institutions and remedying Kenyas fiscal shortcomings have been increasingly rejected by the population. This is amid popular perceptions that he is placing undue pressure on Kenyans while failing to address wasteful expenditure, inflated salaries and enduring corruption. With Mr Rutos back seemingly against a wall, he has been forced into another handshake deal, which has become synonymous with Kenyan politics. In the wake of last years Gen-Z protests, Mr Ruto brought in members of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) led by prominent opposition figure Raila Odinga in a bid to create a unity government. This led to Mr Odingas fourth handshake, culminating in a 7 March agreement to form a broad-based government. Mr Ruto will be hopeful that Mr Odinga and his ODMs increased inclusion in government will bolster their alliance, while also hoping that Mr Odingas large base could translate into some support before the 2027 polls. The broad-based government has similarly brought in politicians from previously excluded groups, hoping to secure their support. To this end, securing Mr Odingas support also prevents him from aligning himself with the ousted Mr Gachagua, who is stewing in the vote-rich Mount Kenya region and seeking a return to politics. Incidentally, Mr Gachagua has formed his own alliance with Mr Odingas running mate, Martha Karua, who like the former deputy president, was used to secure the Mount Kenya vote during the 2022 elections. As the 2025 Finance Bill presentation and anniversary of last years unrest approach, Me Ruto needs to appease the local population, meet the expectations of anxious creditors, and ensure that Kenyas powerful patronage networks continue to benefit. While the Odinga deal seemingly provides a buffer, Mr Ruto remains vulnerable. His political survival will hinge on his actions over the coming months, with the 2025 Finance Bill potentially determining his future. Mr Ruto will need to prioritise public demands over creditor expectations to prevent any mobilisation against his position. However, failure to sufficiently address creditor concerns would pose its own risks to the economy, and by extension Mr Ruto, over the medium to longer terms. Even if Mr Ruto strikes this delicate balance, precedent in Kenya suggests that anything is possible ahead of the 2027 elections. Ronak Gopaldas, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Consultant and Signal Risk Director and Daniel van Dalen, Signal Risk Country Risk Analyst (This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Anderson Towing is suing Billings Police Chief Rich St. John after he permanently removed the company from the rotation of local tow truck operators that take calls from the citys law enforcement officers. The lawsuit alleges St. John used the police department to carry out an unlawful and unconstitutional scheme by a retired judge that amounts to a corporate death sentence for the Billings-based company. Anderson Towings attorney, Matthew Monforton, filed a complaint in U.S. District Court on March 26. It challenges the companys permanent removal from the citys tow rotation without notice, a hearing or due process, claiming the decision violates Andersons constitutional rights. The removal came after retired Yellowstone County District Court Judge Russell Fagg filed complaints accusing the company of overcharging for services with the state Office of Consumer Protection and the Billings city attorneys office. He reported a bill he received from the company for $1,737.47 for a 6.2-mile tow and three days of storage after his fathers Mercedes Benz was involved in an accident in downtown Billings on Feb. 8. In his complaints, Fagg said his goal was to have Anderson taken out of the rotation for towing companies called by the BPD and other area law enforcement so people are no longer subject to the companys "price gouging and mistreatment." St. John followed up with a letter to Anderson Towing notifying the company of its permanent removal from BPDs tow rotation on Feb. 25. He said the city had received informal complaints about excessive invoices received from Anderson Towing following local rotation calls. During an investigation into the complaints, St. John said the city became aware that the company had been suspended from the Montana Highway Patrols tow rotation from Nov. 1 to April 30 due to unnecessary and unreasonable charges. He cited findings from the case that resulted in the six-month suspension in which Anderson Towing charged Kenyon Noble Lumber and Hardware $6,700 for a four-mile tow after a crash in Bozeman on April 17. St. John summarized the findings of an expert witness in the case who reviewed bills from Anderson Towing and five other companies. The analysis showed an average bill from Anderson totaled more than $2,750 while the other companies' invoices were often less than $1,000. It also pointed out mileage fees typically range from $4 to $6 a mile but Anderson charged the hardware store more than $110 for a four-mile trip. The review also showed the company charged $500 for traffic control and a $100 lien processing fee on every invoice, which in the experts opinion was unusual and unnecessary. The city of Billings finds it concerning that the owner of Anderson Towing found no issue of its billing practices after comparing how other Montana tow truck companies charge, St. John said. He said the city reviewed complaints made about the company with the Office of Consumer Protection, including several from Billings residents with similar concerns about inconsistent, unreasonable or excessive pricing. There are currently 28 complaints about Anderson Towing in Billings, according to the Office of Consumer Protections website. After further investigation, St. John said he learned several other tow truck operators do not charge for traffic control at all within the city limits or charge less than $100 if police officers are already on the scene. Still, he pointed out, in the incident Fagg complained about, Anderson charged $500 for traffic control even though officers were onsite and the company placed no cones or signs at the scene of the accident. St. John said the expert analysis in the Bozeman case shows the retired judge was overcharged by at least $700. The city and the Billings Police Department cannot allow residents to be unnecessarily or unreasonably charged for services, the chief concluded. As such, Anderson Towing is permanently removed from Billings local tow rotation, St. John wrote. This decision is permanent and will not be reconsidered due to the reasons stated above, including a willful and consistent failure by Anderson Towing to treat Billings citizens in a fair and equitable manner consistent with recognized tow truck standards. But, because the company didnt receive advance notice or a hearing from BPD before it was permanently suspended, the tow company is arguing its rights to due process under both the state and U.S. Constitution have been violated. Had Anderson Towing been afforded the opportunity to a hearing, it would have presented evidence including testimony from General Manager Bryce Saunders, confirming that he reviewed Faggs bill and contacted him with an offer to refund the $500 for the traffic control fee, according to court filings. The company contends the rest of the charges were reasonable and below the industry standard once the erroneous fee was removed from the retired judge's bill. Now, Anderson Towing is seeking immediate relief from the court to prevent it from "suffering irreparable harm, including substantial financial losses that will result in layoffs at its Billings office. Kogi Central District senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan received a rousing welcome from her supporters in her hometown of Ihima on Tuesday despite the state government and police banning rallies and processions. Channel Television reported that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans supporters from the districts five local government areas converged on the Ihima community in the Okehi Local Government Area (LGA) to welcome the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker. While security operatives stood at strategic locations to enforce the ban on political gatherings, the report said Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived at the event in a white helicopter, eliciting applause from her teeming, jubilant supporters. Yesterday, we heard on the news that rallies and gatherings will not be allowed, that roads will be blocked, and convoys leading into the state will not be allowed. I knew that we were the targets. But then I said, this is not the political season; this is not campaign time, the lawmaker told the gathering. We are not having a rally. This is just me, the senator representing Kogi Central, coming down to her people to celebrate this festive time the Sallah with you, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am breaking no law. This is Nigeria. We have the right to be free, to express our choice in gatherings and celebrations, she was quoted saying. The Kogi State Government and the police banned public gatherings and processions, citing security threats. 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 But the suspended senator told the crowd of supporters that no one can stop her from coming home. Nobody and nothing can stop me from coming home. Im an Ebira woman; this is my land. Im the daughter of the late Jimoh Abdul Akpoti. I know my roots; Im not a bastard, and Im not afraid of anybody, the PDP senator said. The state government had said any individual entering Kogi with a convoy of security personnel must obtain prior clearance from state commands of the deploying services. This development came amid a raging controversy that followed her suspension from the Senate and her planned recall from the Senate by some voters in her constituency. On 6 March, the Senate suspended her for six months based on the recommendations of its ethics, privileges, and public petitions committee. The committee found her guilty of breaching the Senate rules following her conduct in the chamber on the day she rejected a new seat allocated to her. She later accused the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, of sexual harassment. Mr Akpabio denied the allegation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Today, reactions to the murder of the 16 itinerant hunters in Udune-Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, made headlines. Tribune reported, Okpebholo visits Kano gov, promises justice for victims. The Matrix reported, Uromi Killing: Justice Will Be Served, Okpebholo Assures Kano Governor. Vanguard headline read, Uromi: Residents desert towns over tears of reprisals, arrest. Daily Trust reported, Uromi killings: Edo governor visits victims families. Leadership Newspaper reported, Killing of 16 hunters: Northern Elders, JNI Demand Probe, Compensation. 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 Uromi 14: More outrage over killings, The Nation wrote. According to The Sun, Leaders intensity peace moves as ACF hails Tinubu. Meanwhile, Daily Monitor reported, Ill continue to defend Rivers interests, Fubara vows. Business Day said, Life annuities surge as retirees seek stability. According to Liberty Newspaper, Nigerians can now buy food without struggle Tinubu. Rivers will emerge stronger from political crisis, Fubara assures, Daily Independent reported. We thank Abiola Ayankunbi, a media management expert, for providing screenshots of the newspapers front pages. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Catholic Diocese of Wukari, Taraba State, has urged Governor Agbu Kefas to return former Catholic mission schools to the church to address the fallen standard of education and morality. The diocese made the appeal in a communique it issued at the end of its second general assembly and signed by Mark Nzukwein, the Bishop, and Simon Akurega, the Chancellor of the diocese. The church said the original aim of setting up the schools has been defeated as they no longer deliver moral discipline and academic excellence. In the pursuit of educational excellence, Catholic schools in Taraba State exemplify models of quality education that combine academic rigour with holistic development. These schools foster nurturing environments that emphasise moral values, critical thinking, and community engagement by juxtaposing faith-based principles with contemporary educational practices. Catholic schools do not only prepare students for academic success but also cultivate responsible and compassionate citizens. 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 Our commitment to inclusivity and character formation serves as a benchmark for educational standards in the state, inspiring a collaborative approach to learning that benefits the broader community. We advocate integral formation that emphasizes moral formation and academic excellence in all schools in Taraba State. As a result of the take-over of Catholic Schools by the government, the initiatives of the Church were stifled, and the quality of education in Nigeria suffered setbacks. The numerous problems affecting Taraba State, especially Southern Taraba are very obvious: ignorance, insecurity, poverty, discrimination, to mention but a few. We cannot confront these challenges without investing in the provision of quality education. While the Church remains a religious institution, it, however, exists in the world that is secular in nature and should by nature of its human feature, enjoy the support of government. In Taraba State, the Church and State should collaborate in providing quality educational services to the people. We call on the government to return schools taken over from the Church as we also call on her to support the Church by upgrading and sustaining facilities in our schools, knowing that those attending these schools are also citizens of the State. The communique also urged the state government to include peace education in the education curriculum. The communique noted that the prevailing security challenges, especially in the Southern part of Taraba, are consequences of ignorance which can be addressed through strategic education and dialogue. Christians, Muslims and adherents of the African Traditional Religion in Taraba State should establish interfaith peace committees to discuss and resolve conflicts. ALSO READ: Taraba govt suspends seven school principals Community base peace initiative involving traditional rulers, youths and stakeholders in forms of peace campaigns, town hall meetings and workshops will go a long way in promoting unity and peaceful coexistence. The government should ensure justice and equitable access to resources by all in the state as a way of addressing some of the root causes of conflicts. In this regard, the government should ensure the return and resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their homes and provide adequate security for them. The diocese said it has made progress in its first two years, including ordination of priest, creation of new deanery and pastoral areas as well as celebration of second anniversary and Silver Jubilee of two priests of the diocese. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BUA Foods has approved the payment of a final dividend of N13 per share to its shareholders, subject to withholding tax and shareholder approval. The company disclosed this in a corporate filing with the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. on Tuesday. The statement reads, A final dividend of N13.00 per ordinary share of 50 kobo each, subject to appropriate withholding tax and approval will be paid to shareholders whose names appear in the Register of Members as at close of business August 21, 2025. The register of shareholders will be closed from August 22 to August 29, 2025. On Sept. 25 2025, dividends will be paid electronically to shareholders whose names appear on the register of members as of Aug. 21, and who have completed the e-dividend registration and mandated the Registrar to pay their dividends directly into their bank accounts. The company said its Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on 25 September at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. (NAN) 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 Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has raised concerns over the increasing number of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) cases across the country, saying its peak season is between November and May. The latest figures indicate a surge in infections, with 807 suspected cases and 74 deaths reported across 22 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as of 26 March, 2025. The NCDC Director-General, Jide Idris, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja. Mr Idris said the agency has activated emergency response measures to curb the outbreak, particularly in Kebbi, Katsina, and Sokotothe most affected states. We are in the peak meningitis season, and the risk of transmission is high due to dry, dusty weather and overcrowding, he said. The government is intensifying vaccination efforts, but public awareness and early detection remain crucial in preventing fatalities. According to him, in Kebbi State, health authorities have confirmed 248 suspected cases and 26 deaths since late January. He described the situation as alarming. We are experiencing a sharp increase in cases, and urgent intervention is required to prevent more deaths. In Gombe State, 70 suspected cases have been recorded, with 31 confirmed infections and three fatalities, he 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 He urged residents to seek medical attention immediately if experiencing any symptoms. Meningitis is a deadly but preventable disease. Anyone experiencing high fever, stiff neck, or severe headaches should visit a health facility without delay, he said. He said that cerebrospinal meningitis is a life-threatening infection of the brain and spinal cord, caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. He noted that the infection spreads through coughing, sneezing, and close contact, making overcrowded areas, schools and IDP camps high-risk zones. Common symptoms are severe headache and high fever, neck stiffness, vomiting and confusion, sensitivity to light and seizures (in severe cases), he said. He noted that without urgent treatment, meningitis could lead to brain damage, hearing loss, or death within hours. To curb the outbreak, he said that the agency has deployed Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to the hardest-hit states. These teams are working with state governments to conduct mass vaccination campaigns in high-risk areas, strengthen case surveillance and laboratory testing, provide free treatment for confirmed cases at government hospitals and launch public awareness drives to educate citizens on prevention, he said. According to him, vaccination remains the most effective protection against meningitis. He appealed to parents and community leaders to ensure that children and at-risk individuals get vaccinated. He said that Nigerians can stay safe by getting vaccinated at the nearest health centre, avoiding overcrowded, poorly ventilated places and practising good hygienewashing hands regularly. Mr Idris also advised citizens to avoid close contact with sick individuals and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms appear. He warned health officials that meningitis cases could continue to rise if preventive measures were not taken seriously. Nigerians are urged to report suspected cases immediately. For emergencies, dial the NCDC helpline: 6232, he said. Early detection saves lives. Lets work together to stop this outbreak before it claims more victims. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kogi State Government has banned rallies and public gatherings in the state, citing security concerns. In a statement on Monday, the state governments spokesperson, Kingsley Fanwo, said the move was to prevent a security breach. The development comes amid a plan for the homecoming ceremony for the suspended Kogi Central District senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, scheduled for Tuesday. Mr Fanwo said Kogi witnessed a peaceful Sallah celebration, but there were security threats in the state He said intelligence reports indicated that some persons were planning to stage some violent rallies in the guise of political and religious agitations in Kogi Central. The commissioner said the state government had directed that any individual entering Kogi with a convoy of security personnel must obtain prior clearance from state commands of the deploying services. 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 Kogi Central, intelligence at our disposal points to the fact that some elements are planning to stage some violent rallies in the guise of political and religious agitations, the statement reads. This is to create a platform for wanton destruction and breakdown of law and order. These flashes of disturbances are raising tension in the state and threatening to breach public peace and security. This decision has been necessitated by intelligence reports indicating that certain individuals are plotting to infiltrate the state under the guise of organising rallies, using fake security personnel to foment trouble and compromise the security of law-abiding citizens of our dear state, Mr Fanwo stated. The state government also said officials are working on peacebuilding in Kasemiya, Katubo and Umozu Ette, all in the Kogi Local Government Area in Kogi West, where fishing activities led to a crisis and loss of two lives. Mr Fanwo also said in Ankpa Local Government Area, specifically in Enjema District, a communal clash between Ika-Odele and Ika Ochala is threatening the peace of Kogi East, saying the state government has deployed security to also calm the situation to avert further loss of lives and property. The ongoing peace meeting between the two communities as facilitated by the State Government must be sustained, it added. It added that while the government recognises the constitutional rights of citizens to gather and express themselves, security considerations must take precedence in the interest of public safety. As such, no individual, group, or organisation is permitted to hold any form of rally within the state until further notice. The statement said Governor Ahmed Ododo directed local government chairpersons to take charge of security in their domains. Akpoti-Uduaghans ordeal The development came on the heel of a raging controversy following Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans suspension from the Senate and her planned recall. Her supporters had scheduled grand rallies for Tuesday in a show of support for Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan. On 6 March, the Senate slammed a six-month suspension on Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan based on the recommendations of its ethics, privileges and public petitions committee. The committee found her guilty of breaching the Senate rules through her conduct in the chamber on the day she rejected a new seat allocated to her. She later accused the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, of sexual harassment, though the Senate president denied the allegation. She claimed she was being persecuted for making the allegation against him. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigeria has called for collaboration with the Sahel and West African countries on information and data sharing for effective border control. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the call on Tuesday while addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Summit on Border Security in London. There is need for collaboration of countries within the Sahel and West African sub-region for better international partnerships and information dissemination. We need more data sharing and better collaborations to make sure we dont just solve the problem but we stop the problem from happening. The major takeaway from this summit is proactiveness and not just being reactive as countries are now more poised to criminalising irregular migration. So this summit is a wonderful one because it brings an opportunity for ministers in border control to make sure we are all able to manage our borders to secure our countries, he 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 According to him, organised immigration crimes were not an isolated problem to a particular country, emphasising that, it is a shared problem, therefore, shared solutions must be proffered. The minister acknowledged that border crimes were of great concern to the federal government, hence the implementation of strategies towards combating such crimes. Nigeria has a border control solution because we are not just a destination point. We have automated our solutions as there are more measures in place to ensure the borders are secured and to ensure irregular migration is brought to an end. We cant afford to lose the battle before we start it and so we know that with this kind of summit, as a united front we will effectively combat this menace, Tunji-Ojo assured. NAN reports that the summit brought together over 30 global leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, to discuss critical issues surrounding border control and organised immigration crime (OIC). The summit provided a platform for international collaboration on migration policies, security threats and strategies to combat illegal immigration activities. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will, on Wednesday, deliver judgement in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, against the outcome of the 21 September 2024 governorship election in the state. The PDP and Mr Ighodalo are challenging the declaration of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as winner of the poll. They alleged that the election was marred by irregularities. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-member tribunal, headed by Wilfred Kpochi, had, on 3 March, reserved judgement in the petition after parties adopted their final written addresses. The tribunal will deliver judgement in the three petitions marked: EPT/ED/GOV/01/2024, EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024 and EPT/ED/GOV/03/2024. NAN reports that the tribunal had, on 31 January, admitted in evidence, 148 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines that were used during the conduct of the disputed governorship poll. 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 electronic devices were tendered by a Senior Technical Officer in the ICT Department of INEC, Anthony Itodo, and admitted in evidence by the panel. The petitioners had subpoenaed INEC to produce the BVAS machines that were used in 133 polling units where election results are being disputed. INEC had declared that Mr Okpebholo of the APC secured a total of 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Ighodalo of the PDP, who got a total of 247, 655 votes. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, praying it to nullify INECs declaration of the APC and Mr Okpebholo as winners of the contest. The petitioners, among other things, contended that the governorship election was invalid because of alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022. However, APC and Mr Okpebholo urged the tribunal to dismiss the petitions for being baseless, arguing that the petitioners had failed to substantiate the allegations in their petitions. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has demanded justice for the 16 hunters lynched last Thursday in Edo State, and urged the government to take actions aimed at preventing possible recurrence. The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, expressed concerns about the lynching in a press statement released in Abuja on Tuesday. We at the Commission demand that all the perpetrators be fished out and brought to justice. We call on the government to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents in the future, there is no justification for jungle justice anywhere in the world, the statement read. The 16 travellers were reportedly lynched after they were mistaken for kidnappers by local vigilantes on Thursday on the Uromi/Obajana Expressway in the Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State. According to reports, the victims were travelling from Rivers State to Kano for Eid-el-Fitr celebration when they were attacked by local vigilantes. The perpetrators flogged the victims and set them ablaze. 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 Nigerian Police announced on 29 March that 14 suspects connected to the case, have been arrested. Rights violated The NHRC, in its statement on Tuesday, urged the Nigerian government and the public to respect the rights to life and freedom of movement, which were violated in the massacre of 16 people. He noted that the right to life was enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Both Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria state that the right to life of every individual be respected except when the said person is sentenced to be executed. Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights goes on further to encourage the abolition of the death penalty. Also, Mr Ojukwu called on Nigerians to respect the freedom of movement guaranteed by the Constitution, Article 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The incident has garnered national outrage, with prominent individuals and civil society Organisations (CSOs) calling for an investigation and bringing the perpetrators to book. Amongst them are former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Amnesty International, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and former presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. Edo govt. reacts On Saturday, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, ordered the immediate suspension of the commander of the Edo State Security Corps, Friday Ibadin, a retired police commissioner, over the killing of hunters in the state. In a statement signed on Saturday by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Ikhilor, the governor also suspended all illegal vigilante groups operating in the state. Their suspension followed a review of the preliminary report of the gruesome killing of some hunters at Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of the state on Thursday, Mt Ikhilor said. It is to be reiterated that the local vigilante group involved in the gruesome killing of 27 March was operating illegally and was never profiled or registered with Edo State Security Corps, Mr Ikhilor said, adding that the actions of the group do not reflect the objectives of the corps. On a visit to the victims families on Monday, Mr Okpebholo pledged to compensate the families of the 16 slain hunters. He made the compensation pledge when, in company with his Kano State counterpart, Abba Yusuf, he paid a condolence visit to the families of the late hunters at Torankawa in Kano State. He commended the people of Kano State for remaining calm in spite of the situation. I also commend the good people of Kano State and the entire North for not taking the law into their own hands and carrying out reprisal attacks, he said. Mr Okpebholo has assured that the perpetrators would face the full wrath of the law. NHRC commends governors actions While urging the Edo State Government to continue its investigation into the matter, Mr Ojukwu commended the governors action in suspending the Commander of the Edo State Security Corps and banning the operation of illegal vigilante groups in the state. He also affirmed the commissions commitment to monitoring the ongoing investigation. On our part, we will continue to monitor the process of the inquiry to ensure that justice is served. This will serve as a deterrent to others. Promotion and protection of human rights is paramount to national development, lets all imbibe the culture of respect for human rights and fundamental freedom to make Nigeria a better place. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police have stopped a rally in Okene Local Government Area allegedly planned by the Kogi Central District senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP Kogi). The Police Commissioner in Kogi, Miller Dantawaye, announced the ban in a statement signed on his behalf by the commands spokesperson, Williams Ovye-Aya, in Lokoja on Tuesday. Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for six months by the Senate last month for alleged misconduct amid her allegation of sexual harassment by the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio. A process was later launched for her removal from the Senate. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan planned to pay a Sallah visit to her constituency on Tuesday, during which she allegedly planned to organise a rally against the ongoing supposed recall process. The visit was allegedly aimed at engaging with her community and constituents and fostering unity and cooperation for the districts growth and development. The commissioner explained that the state government had earlier banned all forms of rallies and processions following an intelligence report on security threats in Kogi. 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 commissioner of police in Kogi hereby urges organisers of the planned rally to cancel it in the interest of peace in the state. The call for cancellation became necessary following intelligence revelations that some hoodlums planned to hijack the process and cause disturbance of peace in the state. The command cannot afford to jeopardize the existing peace the state is currently enjoying. In view of the security threat received on the planned rally, the command is, therefore, advising the organisers to cancel the event so as to avoid any breakdown of law and order. The commissioner further warned that the police would not hesitate to apply the full wrath of the law on anyone who disturbs the peace and order of the state. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print China, on Tuesday, launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan as its latest warning to the islands democratic government. The Chinese government has described Taiwans leaders as separatists and parasites who were pushing the democratically run island into war. According to CNN, on Tuesday, China stated that it had launched joint exercises involving its army, navy, and air force as a stern warning to forces advocating for Taiwans independence. Chinas military action comes a few days after the US government said it has plans to counter Chinas aggression in Asia. On Friday, during his first visit to Asia, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the US plans to enhance its military alliance in the Indo-Pacific region to reestablish deterrence and counter Chinas aggression. China has always claimed Taiwan as part of its territory under the One China principle and says it would use force, if necessary, to prevent Taiwan from being independent. 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 Although the US recognises the One China principle, it is a major backer and weapons supplier of Taiwan. Officials close to President Donald Trump have consistently advocated for the US to focus its efforts and resources on countering Chinas expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific region. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said efforts to achieve Taiwan independence would not succeed. Taiwan authorities stubborn persistence with the Taiwan independence stance and their futile attempt to split the country from outside by seeking independence is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; it is doomed to fail, Mr Jiakun was quoted to have said. Meanwhile, the Chinese Eastern Theater Command said in a statement that the exercises are intended to test the combat readiness of Chinas army, navy, air force, and rocket force and their ability to work together during a joint military operation. It also said the drills were being carried out from multiple directions around Taiwan. The focus is on sea and air combat readiness patrols, seizing comprehensive control, sea and land strikes, and blocking key areas and roads, the command added. Taiwans response In its response, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry condemned the drills, describing them as reckless and irresponsible. The ministry said it detected 71 Chinese military aircraft, 13 PLA Eastern Theater Command navy vessels, and a group of warships led by Chinas first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, near Taiwan and in the West Pacific. In response, Taiwans military dispatched its own aircraft and ships and deployed land-based missile systems to monitor the situation and respond appropriately. In a post on X, the secretary-general of Taiwans National Security Council, Joseph Wu, said Chinas action came without justification, violates international laws, and is totally unacceptable. Democracies need to condemn China for being a troublemaker. However, CNN reported that an internal analysis by the Taiwan government showed that Mr Hegseths visit was one of the main reasons for Chinas sudden drills. The analysis disclosed that Mr Hegseths visit showed that the US is shifting its security focus to the Indo-Pacific region. This has put great pressure on Beijings intentions, according to the analysis. Faced with upcoming US-China trade talks and the expected measures against China, Beijing has opted for restraint to avoid actions that could be seen as directly confronting the US. Taiwan serves as the perfect pretext, prompting Beijing to launch these military drills immediately after the US Secretary of Defense left Asia. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Africas AI readiness is evolving, with Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Angola, Ghana, Cote dIvoire, Kenya, and Mauritius at varying stages of progress. While challenges persist, the opportunities for economic growth, social development, and regional leadership are substantial. To harness their AI potentials, these countries must strengthen infrastructure, enhance governance, and build human capital. Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds immense potential to drive economic growth, social development, and innovation in Africa, yet the continent faces significant challenges in AI readiness, including infrastructure deficits, regulatory gaps, and skills shortages. This article evaluates the current state of AI readiness and opportunities in ten African countries Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Angola, Ghana, Cote dIvoire, Kenya, and Mauritius selected for their perceived leadership or potential in AI adoption. Drawing on recent assessments, national policies, and regional initiatives, the analysis identifies strengths, challenges, and strategic pathways for leveraging AI to address Africas unique socio-economic context. The findings suggest that while these countries vary in readiness, investments in infrastructure, governance, and human capital are critical to unlocking AIs transformative potential. Introduction The global AI revolution is reshaping economies and societies, and Africa stands at a pivotal moment to harness this technology for sustainable development. Despite being often portrayed as lagging behind, Africas youthful population, expanding digital infrastructure, and pressing development needs such as healthcare, agriculture, and education present unique opportunities for AI. However, challenges like unreliable power, limited data protection frameworks, and low digital literacy hinder progress. Ten African countries are focused on due to their frequent recognition in global and regional indices for government strategies, technological ecosystems, or innovation potential. These nations are assessed for their AI readiness, opportunities, and leadership assumptions, offering insights into broader continental trends. Methodology The analysis is based on a qualitative synthesis of recent reports, indices, and case studies on AI readiness and adoption in Africa, supplemented by insights from national policies, regional frameworks, and stakeholder perspectives. The ten countries were selected on the basis of their prominence in indices like the Government AI Readiness Index, their active engagement in AI-related policies, and their representation of diverse regional and economic contexts across North, West, East, and Southern Africa. The approach compares readiness factors (government commitment, technology sector strength, and data infrastructure) and explores specific opportunities, critically assessing the establishment narrative that often overemphasises deficits rather than potential. 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 Analysis Current AI Readiness in the Ten Countries Mauritius: Consistently ranked as Africas most AI-ready nation, Mauritius benefits from a clear national AI strategy, strong digital infrastructure, and high internet connectivity. Its small size and focus on becoming a smart island have driven investments in AI for sectors like finance and tourism. However, challenges include weak data protection regimes and limited resources for scaling AI governance. South Africa: A regional tech leader, South Africa excels in data infrastructure and technology sector development, supported by research institutions and private sector innovation. Its strengths are offset by governance and policy readiness gaps, with only a small percentage of organisations classified as leaders in AI governance. Recent initiatives, such as the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, show progress, but implementation remains slow. Egypt: Its AI readiness is bolstered by its National Council for AI and a national strategy launched in 2021, emphasising digital transformation and regional leadership. Investments in AI for government services and development goals are promising, but infrastructure scalability and oversight frameworks are areas of concern. The varying levels of AI readiness among the ten countries reflect broader continental challenges, including infrastructure deficits, regulatory gaps, and digital divides. Mauritius and South Africa lead in readiness indices, but their progress is tempered by governance and ethical concerns. Egypt, Kenya, and Nigeria demonstrate strong government commitment and innovative ecosystems, yet scaling up requires addressing infrastructure and data privacy issues. Nigeria: As Africas largest economy, Nigeria demonstrates potential in AI adoption, particularly in fintech, agriculture, and healthcare, supported by the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. However, infrastructure deficits, regulatory uncertainty, and low digital skills limit widespread implementation. Morocco: Its AI readiness is driven by government investments in digital infrastructure, such as fibre optics and 4G networks, fostering startups and small businesses. Its focus on digital transformation and ethical AI development is notable, but workforce training and ethical frameworks need enhancement. Algeria: It shows early progress with improving internet connectivity and government efforts to enhance the digital infrastructure. However, its AI readiness lags due to limited technological ecosystems, governance challenges, and a lack of comprehensive AI strategies, making it less advanced than its other North African peers. Angola: Despite its oil wealth, Angola ranks among Africas least AI-ready countries, with significant infrastructure and governance deficits. Efforts to improve digital connectivity exist, but AI adoption remains nascent, with few strategic initiatives in place. Ghana: It is making strides in AI, particularly in public service delivery and health, with collaborations like Googles AI research lab in Accra. Its focus on ethical AI and youth skills development is promising, but infrastructure and regulatory frameworks require strengthening. Cote dIvoire: It is emerging as a player in AI, with the governments efforts to implement international AI ethics recommendations and improve digital infrastructure. However, its readiness is hampered by limited technological capacity and governance resources. Kenya: Known as East Africas tech hub, Kenya leads in mobile technology and fintech, with AI applications in healthcare, agriculture, and governance. Its vibrant startup scene and policies like the Digital Economy Blueprint are strengths, but data privacy and infrastructure gaps pose challenges. global assessments often portray Africa as lagging, which may underestimate grassroots innovations, such as Kenyas Silicon Savannah and Nigerias AI startups. The establishment narrative tends to focus on deficits, rather than the continents ability to leapfrog technologies or leverage mobile penetration for AI adoption. However, risks like job displacement, data misuse, and ethical breaches evident in election interference cases in Nigeria and Kenya require urgent attention. Opportunities for AI in these Countries Economic Growth and Job Creation: AI can enhance productivity in key sectors like agriculture, finance, and healthcare, leading to the creation of jobs and boosts to the GDP. Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africas fintech ecosystems, for example, could expand with AI-driven solutions, while Egypt and Morocco could attract foreign investment through AI innovation. Social Development: AI tools, such as flood prediction systems and agricultural apps, address critical challenges like climate change and food security. Examples include AI-powered flood warnings in South Africa and crop pest management apps for smallholder farmers across the continent. Regional Leadership and Collaboration: Countries like Egypt, South Africa, and Kenya are well-positioned to lead regional AI initiatives, supported by frameworks like the African Unions Continental AI Strategy. Mauritius and Ghana can serve as models for smaller nations prioritising AI. Youth Empowerment: Africas young population offers a workforce ripe for AI education and skills development. Initiatives in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana to train AI developers and integrate coding into curricula could position these countries as innovation hubs. Discussion The varying levels of AI readiness among the ten countries reflect broader continental challenges, including infrastructure deficits, regulatory gaps, and digital divides. Mauritius and South Africa lead in readiness indices, but their progress is tempered by governance and ethical concerns. Egypt, Kenya, and Nigeria demonstrate strong government commitment and innovative ecosystems, yet scaling up requires addressing infrastructure and data privacy issues. Morocco, Ghana, and Cote dIvoire show potential but face resource constraints, while Algeria and Angola lag due to structural and governance weaknesses. Critically, global assessments often portray Africa as lagging, which may underestimate grassroots innovations, such as Kenyas Silicon Savannah and Nigerias AI startups. The establishment narrative tends to focus on deficits, rather than the continents ability to leapfrog technologies or leverage mobile penetration for AI adoption. However, risks like job displacement, data misuse, and ethical breaches evident in election interference cases in Nigeria and Kenya require urgent attention. Opportunities are significant if these countries invest in digital infrastructure, foster public-private partnerships, and prioritise ethical AI frameworks. International collaboration, as seen in UNESCOs AI ethics recommendations and the African Unions Continental AI Strategy endorsed in 2024, could amplify impact. Addressing gender disparities and ensuring inclusive AI development will also be crucial to mitigate inequality and maximise benefits. Conclusion Africas AI readiness is evolving, with Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Angola, Ghana, Cote dIvoire, Kenya, and Mauritius at varying stages of progress. While challenges persist, the opportunities for economic growth, social development, and regional leadership are substantial. To harness their AI potentials, these countries must strengthen infrastructure, enhance governance, and build human capital. Future research should explore grassroots AI applications, cross-border collaboration, and the socio-economic impacts of AI adoption to provide a more nuanced understanding of Africas digital future. Sonny Iroche was a Senior Academic Fellow at the African Studies Centre 2022-2023 and a post-graduate student of AI for Business at the Said Business School, University of Oxford, UK. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The job of being the countrys chief electoral umpire is often called a poisoned chalice, in which rarely any umpire would come out of it with his reputation intact (Professor Jega, who organised the 2015 election, was mostly lucky that Jonathan conceded defeat). If just dealing with the political class makes the job of the chief electoral umpire to be a poisoned chalice, you can then imagine what it means to be an electoral umpire for both the political class and a politicised military. Introduction When I was admitted to the Department of Political Science in 1980 as a freshman, straight from secondary school, Professor Humphrey Nwosu was one of the lecturers we encountered. He was the head of the sub-department of Public Administration, which owned the Local Government building that housed the Department of Political Science. Though he was an energetic and ebullient man, he wasnt exactly very popular with us for two main reasons: One, is that he normally fixed his lectures at 7 a.m. in the morning, and he never failed to show up for classes. He would in fact often be in the class before that 7 a.m., which led to some of us gossiping behind his back about a man who preferred to come jumping up and down in the class at a time in the morning that he should be keeping his wife company. The second reason Nwosu wasnt quite popular with us was that Nigerian Universities in the 1980s and early 1990s was very ideologically driven, essentially between the Marxists (also called the radical scholars) and those who were variously called bourgeois scholars or derided as the educated representatives of the propertied class. Unfortunately, Nwosu was among those we called bourgeois scholars. We were told that the bourgeois scholars were not able to to appreciate the dialectics of class struggle, that their works were very ahistorical, with a tendency to be arbitrary in their choice of analytical categories, and that they failed to appreciate that the nature of the productive force and social relations of production were the motif forces of history. Though we knew that Nwosu made a First Class honours degree, however because we saw him as a bourgeois scholar, we ridiculed that accomplishment as being merely a First Class Honours in Elements of Government, not the sort of proper political science that the radical scholars were teaching us. Mr Nwosu, on his own, blamed the radical scholars, the Nnoli boys, of exposing students to only one side of a complex reality. Though we regarded Nwosu as a bourgeois scholar, we still respected him for the sheer force of his presence, or charisma if you like unlike most of the other lecturers we regarded as bourgeois scholars. I recall an incident with one of the bourgeois scholars. He was teaching us something about colonialism, which was at that time the favourite whipping boy of the radical scholars, who made it compulsory that we should read and master such works as Walter Rodneys How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Okwudiba Nnolis Ethnic Politics in Nigeria, and Frantz Fanons The Wretched of the Earth. In fact, from Nnolis book we learnt that ethnicity in Nigeria started in the colonial urban centres and was fuelled by the colonial policy of divide and rule. Rodneys book squarely blamed colonialism for Africas underdevelopment, while Fanons book provided a psychoanalysis of the dehumanising effects of colonisation upon the individual and the nation. 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 When Nwosu left office in 1993 after the annulment of June 12 presidential election, he returned to teaching at the Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he formally retired in 1999. Nwosu has published several books and peer-reviewed articles in both local and international journals. His books include Political Authority and Nigerian Civil Service (1977); Problems of Nigerian Administration (edited, 1985) With our understanding of colonialism from these three books and similar ones, I think we were tolerating the bourgeois scholar, until he wrote on the black board: The benefits of colonialism. We felt we have heard enough. One of us from the back of the class shouted, Whaaat?! In anger, the entire class walked out on him, believing that he did not know enough to teach us, or was teaching us the wrong stuff, despite the fact that we were just in our first year, or class One as someone of us liked to call it in those days. Though we regarded Nwosu as a bourgeois scholar, we also respected him as an effective administrator. In fact, behind the backs of the radical scholars, we mocked their relative lack of administrative capacity, compared to Nwosu. Professor Nnoli, the leader of the radical scholars, was the head of Department of Political Science in our first year in the department. Humphrey Nwosu: a Brief Biography Humphrey Nwosu was an astute and charismatic public administrator, academic, technocrat, and political scientist. He studied Political Science at the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned Masters and doctoral degrees (Magna Cum Laude) in 1973 and 1976 respectively. He subsequently returned to teach at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he rose to become a full-time tenured professor. In 1986, he was appointed by the Anambra State Government to serve as Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and later Commissioner of Agriculture. He was appointed Chairman of the Nigeria Electoral Commission in 1989, to replace Professor Eme Awa, his former lecturer and mentor, who had fallen out of favour with the Babangida government. When Mr Humphrey Nwosu left office in 1993 after the annulment of June 12 presidential election, he returned to teaching at the Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he formally retired in 1999. Nwosu has published several books and peer-reviewed articles in both local and international journals. His books include Political Authority and Nigerian Civil Service (1977); Problems of Nigerian Administration (edited, 1985); A Book of Reading; Introduction to Politics; Moral Education in Nigeria; Conduct of Free and Fair Election in Nigeria: Speeches, Comments and Reflections (1991) and Laying the Foundation for Nigerias Democracy: My Account of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and its Annulment (2008). Mr Humphrey Nwosu, breathed his last on Thursday, 24 October, in the United States of America, at the age of 83 What Does It Mean to Be a Reformer at the Crossroads? A reformer is a change agent who is deliberate and intentional about improving the way things work. As an expression, the imagery often invoked is that of an intersection of two roads in which a person has to make a decision on which of the roads to take. Essentially, it means being at a stage when one has to take a critical or an important decision. Humphrey Nwosus challenge was not just in helping to manage a transition to a full civilian rule, but also to facilitate the process of de-militarisation that is the military handing over power to civilian authorities and accepting subordination to a civilian authority. This means that unlike the electoral bodies since 1999, which dealt only with the political class and its mode of competition for power, Nwosu had to deal with two humongous groups the political class and the military establishment The above raises two important questions: Which reforms are we talking about in relations to Mr Nwosu? And at which crossroads? Though it is obvious that Nwosu, given the number of public positions he had held, would have been at several crossroads, for most Nigerians, he is known for his role as the chairman of the National Election Commissions from 1989 to 1993. So which crossroads are we talking about? Mr Nwosus Crossroads Mr Humphrey Nwosus challenge was not just in helping to manage a transition to a full civilian rule, but also to facilitate the process of de-militarisation that is the military handing over power to civilian authorities and accepting subordination to a civilian authority. This means that unlike the electoral bodies since 1999, which dealt only with the political class and its mode of competition for power, Nwosu had to deal with two humongous groups the political class and the military establishment, including a faction of that establishment which did not want to lose its privileges by accepting a handover to a civilian political class. The job of being the countrys chief electoral umpire is often called a poisoned chalice, in which rarely any umpire would come out of it with his reputation intact (Professor Jega, who organised the 2015 election, was mostly lucky that Jonathan conceded defeat). If just dealing with the political class makes the job of the chief electoral umpire to be a poisoned chalice, you can then imagine what it means to be an electoral umpire for both the political class and a politicised military. De-militarisation would often raise the question of de-politicisation. How do you professionalise soldiers who had become used to political power and its appurtenances and to being superordinate to civilian authorities? As Elaigwu (2015:232) argued, the demilitarization of the polity without adequate de-politicisation of the military is an invitation to chaos; yet paradoxically, that process of de-politicisation of the military involves the politicization of the military. Essentially, Babangidas transition programme, in which at a point the country was running a diarchy, meant that the military as an establishment had become more politically conscious and was factionalised between those who wanted a handover to a civilian government and those who resented such. In fact, Babangida, in his recent autobiography, admitted that much when he declared that there were fears, even at that early stage of the transition programme, that some members of the top hierarchy of the military were reluctant to relinquish power (Babangida, 2025: 258). Jideofor Adibe is a professor of Political Science and International Relations at Nasarawa State University and founder of Adonis & Abbey Publishers. He can be reached at: 0705 807 8841 (WhatsApp and Text messages only). This was originally presented at a Colloquium on the Life and Times of Professor Humphrey Nwosu at Abuja on 25 March. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The way forward must begin with a change in how we view morality. We need to stop separating our values into two conflicting codes. Integrity must be applied consistently, whether someone is dealing with government funds or mosque donations. We must stop celebrating those who loot public resources and start demanding the same standards in all areas of life. We must no longer confuse generosity with virtue or silence with support. I recently heard about someone I know who got arrested after trying to outsmart a bank. He walked into the banking hall, wrote a cheque for N100,00, and successfully cashed it. At that moment, the bank was unable to immediately debit the funds from his account. Realising this delay, he left the bank and quickly used a POS service to withdraw another N100,000. Now holding N200,000, he believed he had beaten the system. But the bank acted swiftly, and police officers were sent to arrest him. The moment he was picked up, he began looking for people to come to his rescue. I believe such people must go through the process and learn from the consequences of their actions. What struck me most, however, was how someone with that level of calculation and presence of mind could have lived a far more impactful life if he had used his ingenuity in a positive and constructive way. It is one of the many ironies of our society that brilliance is often wasted on deception, rather than to create value. This story is not isolated. In another instance, I was told about a WhatsApp group of former secondary school classmates that I no longer belong to. From time to time, the group is mobilised to rescue a former classmate who has found himself in trouble, often self-inflicted. One such case involved a former classmate who had been caught stealing a significant amount of money and was eventually locked up for this. The discussion in the group was not about the crime he committed or the moral wrong he had done. Instead, it focused entirely on how classmates should come together to rescue him. Nobody asked the right questions. No one spoke about the offense, the breach of trust or the consequences of theft. It was as if stealing was a minor inconvenience, not a serious issue. This silence reflects something deeper, which is a societal tolerance for certain forms of wrongdoing, particularly when they involve institutions. Perhaps the money was stolen from a workplace or a government office. In our thinking, those are places where morality need not apply. To make matters more ironic, if someone involved in gathering the rescue funds were later found to have taken a portion for themselves, that person would likely be cast aside and condemned more harshly than the person who was originally jailed for stealing. This shows the split in our moral expectations, where we excuse theft in one sphere, but demand purity in another. A person may embezzle public funds, yet would be celebrated when he returns to his village to build a mosque, a church or even a community centre. The origin of the wealth is not questioned. What matters is that he gave back. Once the project is complete, the very same community will demand honesty from those managing the facility. The money used to build the mosque may be from corruption, but anyone caught mismanaging mosque funds will be called a disgrace. Nigerian sociologist, late Professor Peter Ekeh provided an explanation for this behaviour in his landmark 1975 essay, where he introduced the theory of the two publics. According to Ekeh, African societies operate within two moral frameworks. The first is the civic public, which includes the state, government institutions and formal structures. In this realm, morality is largely absent. Stealing from public funds, inflating contracts and collecting kickbacks are seen as normal, even smart actions. A person who refuses to engage in such practices is often considered naive or even foolish. The second framework is the primordial public, which includes communities based on kinship, religion, ethnicity and other traditional affiliations. In this realm, people are expected to uphold moral standards, to be generous, honest and accountable. This is where the contradiction becomes glaring. A person may embezzle public funds, yet would be celebrated when he returns to his village to build a mosque, a church or even a community centre. The origin of the wealth is not questioned. What matters is that he gave back. Once the project is complete, the very same community will demand honesty from those managing the facility. The money used to build the mosque may be from corruption, but anyone caught mismanaging mosque funds will be called a disgrace. Churches are not exempt from this dynamic. 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 see this contradiction every day. A well-known mosque in Nigeria was built largely with funds donated by a man accused of corruption during his time in public service. Worshippers do not ask questions about where the money came from. But the same worshippers would never tolerate a single kobo being misused by those entrusted with the mosques finances. The same applies to churches, town unions and school associations. Someone who lives far beyond his legitimate means may be regarded as a pillar of the community, even as he continues to benefit from a broken moral code in his professional life. We excuse immorality when it comes from someone close to us. We justify theft if it benefits our community. We call on classmates to defend someone who stole, but would frown at anyone who misuses money raised to help him. We are quick to forgive the big thief but incite mob action against the small one. This kind of moral confusion is one of the reasons Africa struggles with governance and development. Ekeh believed this moral duality was unique to Africa. But over the years, other scholars have found similar patterns in other black communities in places like Papua New Guinea. Even Ekeh later acknowledged that this two-tiered morality may be more widespread than he initially thought. Then again, Nigerian-American historian, Professor Toyin Falola, recently argued that Nigeria has gone even further. While Ekehs theory, at least, acknowledged morality in the primordial sphere, Falola suggests that Nigeria now suffers from a total collapse of morality in both spheres. Not only do we tolerate dishonesty in public life, but we also allow it to creep into our religious and communal spaces. This has led to a dangerous normalisation of wrongdoing. People no longer feel a consistent obligation to act with integrity. We excuse immorality when it comes from someone close to us. We justify theft if it benefits our community. We call on classmates to defend someone who stole, but would frown at anyone who misuses money raised to help him. We are quick to forgive the big thief but incite mob action against the small one. This kind of moral confusion is one of the reasons Africa struggles with governance and development. When morality is flexible and context-based, trust disappears. People lose faith in institutions, in leadership and in one another. In the end, no part of society is left standing on a firm moral foundation. The way forward must begin with a change in how we view morality. We need to stop separating our values into two conflicting codes. Integrity must be applied consistently, whether someone is dealing with government funds or mosque donations. We must stop celebrating those who loot public resources and start demanding the same standards in all areas of life. We must no longer confuse generosity with virtue or silence with support. Until we unite our moral standards into one clear and consistent code, our institutions will remain weak, and our progress will be slow. Development is not just about policies or programmes. It is also about what we accept and what we reject as a society. Mohammed Dahiru Aminu ([email protected]) wrote from Abuja, Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi has paid a condolence visit to Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State following the recent passing of his mother, Safarau Umaru Barebari at the age of 93. Mr Obi who paid the visit on Tuesday in Katsina, expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Governor and his family, saying: We are here this morning to most sincerely offer our condolences to you and your family on the passing of your beloved mother. Given the timing of the holidays, I chose to wait until after the festivities are concluded to ensure my visit aligned with a moment of quiet reflection. Today, we gather not to question the will of Almighty Allah, for we are all under His divine mercy. When He calls us home, we must answer, Mr Obi said. The former LP presidential candidate concluded his remarks with prayers for the deceased and her family. May God Almighty, in His infinite compassion, forgive her sins, grant her eternal rest, and bestow upon you, your family, and the good people of Katsina the strength to bear this irreplaceable loss, he said. Responding on behalf of the governor, the State Deputy Governor, Faruk Lawal Jobe expressed gratitude to Mr Obi and his entourage. 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 Your presence here to condole His Excellency the Governor, the State Government, and the good people of our state over the passing of his mother is deeply appreciated, the deputy governor said. He added, On behalf of the governors family, the State Government, and our people, we thank you sincerely for your kindness. Mr Obi was accompanied by former Minister of Finance, Mrs Nenadi Usman and the National Coordinator of Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko. In similar vein, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Zonal Commander, Ahmed Umar, also visited to convey his sympathies. Today, I stand before you to convey my deepest condolences to His Excellency the Governor, his family, and the entire people of Katsina State over the passing of his revered mothera mother to us all, Commander Umar stated. He acknowledged the profound loss, saying, The departure of a mother is an irreplaceable void, a test of faith that shakes the very core of our hearts. Yet, we pray Allah grants His Excellency, the family, and all mourners the strength and solace to endure this grief with patience and grace. Mr Umar further prayed for the state and nation, adding, May Allah, in His boundless compassion, also bestow upon Katsina State and our beloved nation, Nigeria, enduring peace, unity, and hope. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kogi State Government said on Tuesday that the homecoming gathering by the Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and her supporters in Okene Local Government Area (LGA) of the state was a security breach and a violation of its ban on political gatherings. The government stated this on Tuesday in a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, while reacting to a gathering held by Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan and her supporters earlier that day. Ahead of Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans arrival in Kogi on Tuesday, both the state government and the state police command had, in separate statements, placed a ban on rallies, citing security concerns. The police specifically asked the organisers of the senators homecoming event to shelve it, noting that intelligence suggested that hoodlums planned to hijack it. However, the senator, currently suspended from the upper chamber, and her supporters defied the ban to hold the gathering. Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan said she did not break any law by holding the event, noting that we have the right to be free, to express our choice in gatherings and celebrations. 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, Mr Fanwo noted that the gathering was held in violation of the ban on public gatherings. Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has consistently demonstrated a pattern of lawlessness, using lies and deceit as her tools of political engagement. The recent disturbances in Kogi State, orchestrated by her defiance of the states security directives, have further confirmed her status as a security threat to the people of the State. She deliberately violated the State Governments ban on political gatherings, which was put in place to prevent security breaches and maintain peace. Instead of respecting the law, she chose to incite chaos, disregarding the safety and stability of the state. When confronted with the consequences of her actions, she resorted to her usual tactics of playing the victim and fabricating baseless accusations against respected leaders of the state and the nation, he said. Threat to life Ahead of her arrival to Kogi, the senator made a cryptic post on her Facebook page, stating that the Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo; his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, be held responsible should anything happen to her. In the now-deleted Facebook post, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan wrote: My dear people of Kogi Central, I look forward to our PEACEFUL Sallah celebrations today. However, should we be met with or infiltrated by violence, Nigerians should hold Gov Ododo, Yahaya Bello & SP Godswill Akpabio wholly responsible. Messrs Ododo and Bello hail from Kogi Central Senatorial District, as do Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan. The embattled senator was inaugurated in November 2023 following her victory at the court. She replaced Abubakar Ohere, who was declared the 25 February 2023 election winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Meanwhile, Mr Fanwo described Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans post as reckless, malicious and false. This is yet another desperate and calculated attempt by an incurable liar and serial manipulator to mislead the public, inciting unrest, and present herself as a victim after deliberately violating the ban on political gatherings imposed by the State Government to maintain law and order. Her statement exposed her plans to use her visit to stir trouble and violence in Kogi Central Senatorial District, the commissioner stated. Suspension The Senate, on 6 March, suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for six months following the recommendations of its ethics, privileges and public petitions committee. The decision of the upper chamber followed her alleged misconduct during the plenary session on 20 February and her refusal to adhere to its sitting arrangement. It imposed several penalties on Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, including withdrawing all her security aides and closing her office in the National Assembly. She was also asked to hand over to the Clerk to the National Assembly, while she was also prohibited from entering the premises of the federal legislature during the period of suspension. The Senate also suspended her salary and allowances and also banned her from presenting herself as a senator locally and internationally. The upper chamber, however, said it may consider recalling her if she submits a written apology. Recall Last week, some voters in the Kogi central senatorial district, under the aegis of the Concerned Kogi Youth and Women, submitted a petition to INEC in Abuja for her recall from the Senate. In the petition addressed to INEC chairperson Mahmood Yakubu, members of the group said they had lost confidence in Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans representation at the National Assembly and, therefore, asked the commission to commence the process of recalling her. The petition, reportedly signed by over 250,000 registered voters out of over 480,000 total registered voters in Kogi Central, meets the threshold of 50 per cent plus 1 of the registered voters needed to achieve a recall process. INEC had detected errors in the petition initially. It said the petition did not include the contact address, telephone numbers and email addresses of the petitioners. A day later, the electoral commission announced that it had received the details the petition did not contain from the group and that it was ready to proceed with the process. INEC also notified the Senate and Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan of the recall petition. However, the Senate has yet to issue a statement confirming whether it has received the notice. Akpoti-Uduagan flays process In response, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan condemned her planned recall, labelling it as a fraudulent exercise. She also reiterated her stance on her six-month suspension from the Senate, maintaining that it was illegal and politically motivated. The embattled lawmaker reaffirmed her sexual harassment allegations against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. Against intimidation, illegal suspension and fraudulent recall, I stand my ground on my sexual harassment claim against the Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio, she wrote in the statement. Earlier in the month, PREMIUM TIMES reported that some Kogi Central constituents condemned Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans suspension from the upper chamber. The constituents expressed displeasure with the possibility of not being represented in the Senate for six months. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has said some Nigerians kill one another and engage in discrimination due to lack of understanding that God created everyone equal. Mr Otti spoke on Monday at his Nvosi Country Home when he received members of the Muslim community who paid him Sallah homage, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Njoku Ukoha. I think it is a lack of understanding that makes people begin to kill each other and to discriminate. If we understand clearly that God created us equally, then some of the problems we are seeing, we wont see them, Mr Otti said. So, if you discriminate, you will shortchange yourself. You will make it difficult for you to reap the full benefits that were deposited in every human being. No discrimination in Abia Mr Otti said it was to avoid the negative consequences of discrimination that made him abolish it in Abia State. 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 am sure you are aware that our Head of Service is from Edo State. We have literally abolished the state of origin here (Abia). So, if you live here and you are a good citizen of the country and you pay your taxes here and contribute to the development here, you are from here, he said. The governor urged Nigerians to embrace peace, understanding and tolerance particularly as Muslim faithful across the globe celebrate this years Eid El Fitr. Mr Otti congratulated Muslims on the completion of their Ramadan fast, noting that the event falls within the lent period of the Christian community. The governor commended the Muslim community for the support they gave him, before, during and after the 2023 general elections in Abia. He used the opportunity of the visit to announce that Ohanko Road in Aba, which is being reconstructed, would be completed by the end of April, adding that the road was being done with cement pavement technology to ensure durability. Cemetery in Umuahia During the visit, the Muslim community appealed for retrieval of their cemetery in Umuahia which the certificate of occupancy was revoked by the previous administration. In his response, Mr Otti assured that his administration would investigate the revocation to resolve it. Addressing the Muslim community, a former Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, also congratulated them on this years Eid El Fitr Mr Ihejirika, a lieutenant-general, noted that it is only through religious and ethnic tolerance that peace, security and unity can be achieved. On his part, the Chief Imam of Abia State, Ali Ukiwo, explained that the Sallah celebration marks the end of the 30 days of praying and fasting in the Islamic calendar. Mr Ukiwo said they used the period to pray for the continued peace and security of the state as well as the success of Governor Alex Ottis administration. The chief Imam thanked God for using Mr Otti to restore the hope of Abians and also thanked him for sponsoring their trip to Saudi Arabia for this years Hajj. In their separate remarks, the Sarki Hausa, Umuahia and the Chairperson of South-south and South-east Traditional Rulers Council, Yaro Danladi and his Aba Community counterpart, Shehu Bello, expressed gratitude to the governor for his infrastructural revolution in Aba and other parts of the state. They equally called for efforts towards decongesting Aba considering the growing commercial activities in the area. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Kolawole Ologede, the lawmaker representing Akure North Constituency in the Ondo State House of Assembly, has lauded Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for releasing funds to lawmakers for the execution of constituency projects. Mr Ologede appreciated the governor on Tuesday while inaugurating some boreholes he donated to Eleyowo and Ogbese communities in the Akure North Local Government Area of the state. The lawmaker described Mr Aiyedatiwa as a role model for good governance in the country. He stated that he was giving back to his constituents in appreciation of their support for him and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during elections in the state. He said that, even without formal requests from the constituents, he quite understood their needs, assuring them of his commitment to delivering impactful projects. Appreciating the gesture, the Chairman of APC in Ward 6, Eleyewo, Adejoro Boye, applauded the lawmaker for his effective representation, describing the provision of the amenities as a great relief to the people. 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 Boye said that the boreholes would greatly benefit the people. Similarly, Olayinka Johnson, a resident of Ogbese, expressed delight, stating that the project was the first of its kind in the community. In her remarks, the APC Local Government Womens Leader, Funmilayo Akeredolu, thanked the lawmaker for providing potable water for market women in Ogbese. Mrs Akeredolu urged the lawmaker to continue with his dedicated service to the people. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print AZ Blue Invests in Scholarships to Train Arizona's Future Healthcare Workers PHOENIX, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona needs more workers in healthcare. Across the state, there is a shortage of health providers making it hard for patients to get the care they need. To help bridge the gap, AZ Blue is giving $200,000 in aid to future health workers. The gift, from AZ Blue Health Choice and the AZ Blue Foundation, provides need-based support for hundreds of students at Maricopa Community Colleges. "Investing in students will go on to strengthen Arizona's health system," said Heather Carter, Medicaid Segment General Manager and Health Choice of Arizona CEO. "It's a chance for students to start careers that will make an impact in the lives of Arizonans." Who Will Benefit? Up to 400 students across Maricopa Community Colleges, including: Students in the Bachelor of Behavioral Health program. Students in the Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) program. This will help students in the Fall of 2025 and Spring of 2026. These students will receive $500 in aid to help cover school costs. "This gift from AZ Blue is a step in shaping the future of care. By investing in our students, we are making sure that our state can meet the health needs of tomorrow," said Paul Penzone, Chief Community Relations Officer at AZ Blue. Maricopa Community Colleges trains more than 8,000 students in health fields every year. The colleges produce nearly one-third of the nurses in Arizona. "We know that scholarships play a critical role in helping students reach their academic goals, especially those balancing jobs, family, and extracurricular activities," said Dr. Steven R. Gonzales, Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor. "This new scholarship initiative will help students stay on track, allowing them the opportunity to move into rewarding careers that give back to the communities we serve." AZ Blue has a history of helping students start careers in health. This gift is part of a larger effort to make sure more Arizonans have access to care. ABOUT BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue) is committed to helping Arizonans get healthier faster and stay healthier longer. With a mission to inspire health and make it easy, AZ Blue offers health insurance and related services to more than 2 million customers. AZ Blue, a non-profit company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The company and its subsidiaries employ more than 3,200 people in its Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson offices. To learn more, visit azblue.com or connect with us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. ABOUT THE BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY & HEALTH ADVANCEMENT The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation for Community & Health Advancement invests in the health of Arizona by tackling mental health, substance use disorder, chronic health conditions, and health equity. A 501(c)(3) private, non-operating foundation, the Foundation works in service of the public good through grant funding for programs and applied research that align with its focus areas. The Foundation is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit: azbluefoundation.org. SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona MIAMI, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Foundation Aesthetic Hair Restoration is proud to announce the official rebranding of Dr. Jeffrey Epstein's renowned practice and the launch of the Foundation Aesthetic Hair Restoration Method by Dr. J. Epstein. This exciting development marks a significant milestone in the mission to enhance and expand the range of services available across Inspire Aesthetics Group's platform of plastic surgery and aesthetic practices. Introducing the Foundation Aesthetic Hair Restoration Method by Dr. J. Epstein The Foundation Aesthetic Hair Restoration Method, developed by world renowned J. Epstein, MD, FACS, will be offered at select practices, including Inspire Aesthetics (located in Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale, FL) by board-certified Dr. Daniel Crane, and Garramone Plastic Surgery (located in Fort Myers, FL) by Dr. Ralph Garramone and Dr. Nick Garcia, Marietta Plastic Surgery (located in Woodstock and Marietta, GA) by Dr. Atanu Biswas, and McCollough Plastic Surgery (located in Gulf Shores, AL) by Dr. Carrie L. Morris. This expansion signifies a collaborative effort to bring world-class hair restoration services to a broader audience and will continue to scale to more locations within the United States in the coming months. Strategic Growth and Innovation Chanda Fulgium, CEO of Inspire Aesthetics Group, highlighted the strategic value of this new venture: "We believe that offering comprehensive hair restoration services will provide a unique competitive advantage for our MSO platform, as well as providing additional aesthetic options for patients. This initiative not only broadens our service offerings but also strengthens our market position by attracting a wider patient demographic, including more male patients." Legacy of Excellence Dr. J. Epstein, a pioneer in hair restoration surgery, shared his vision for the innovative Foundation method: "To leave a legacy a select group of like-minded committed surgeons to continue my life's work in hair, and to bring this highest level of work we are doing to a wider number of patients." The Foundation Aesthetic Hair Restoration Method distinguishes itself with advanced techniques, a commitment to patient care, and unparalleled aesthetic results, ensuring that patients receive the best possible outcomes. Expanding Patient Care and Market Reach This new development represents a significant step forward in innovation and excellence within the field of aesthetic surgery. By leveraging the Foundation brand and method, practices within Inspire Aesthetic Group's platform will be able to attract and serve more patients, driving growth and success across the entire organization. About Foundation Aesthetic Hair Restoration The Foundation Aesthetic Hair Restoration Method isn't just a techniqueit's a philosophy of care. Developed and refined by Dr. J. Epstein over the last 30 years, it represents a meticulous blend of medical expertise, artistic precision, and personalized treatment planning to achieve seamless, natural-looking results. At its core, the Foundation method goes beyond traditional hair restoration. It is rooted in an individualized approach, ensuring that every patient receives a treatment plan tailored to their unique hair characteristics, facial structure, and aesthetic goals. This method prioritizes refined artistry and medical innovation, setting a new standard for exceptional, undetectable results. But the Foundation method is more than just technical precisionit embodies a holistic, patient-first philosophy. It integrates education, trust, and compassion to create an experience where patients feel truly seen and supported. Every aspect, from consultation to procedure to recovery, is designed with care, ensuring patients not only achieve transformative results but also feel valued throughout their journey. For those seeking hair restoration that is as nuanced as it is natural, the Foundation method delivers an approach that is rooted in expertise, artistry, and genuine connectionbecause true restoration is about more than hair; it's about confidence, identity, and feeling like yourself again. The Foundation Aesthetic Hair Restoration Method is provided by board-certified plastic surgeons, hand selected by Dr. J. Epstein; the method includes advanced FUE technology, such as the No-Shave FUE, body hair transplantation, and specialized approaches for women, ensuring natural-looking results and high patient satisfaction. Introducing the Foundation Aesthetic Hair Restoration Method by Dr. J. Epstein: https://youtube.com/shorts/tvvLT1pZ4F8?si=9tqyDwqhCIoNgNaz About Inspire Aesthetics Group Inspire Aesthetics Group is a leading platform for aesthetic plastic surgeons and providers, offering a comprehensive network of resources to support their growth and success. With a team of highly trained and experienced practitioners, the Inspire Aesthetics Group network of practices provides a wide range of services, including plastic surgery, hair restoration, non-surgical treatments, and more, designed to enhance both the physical appearance and self-confidence of their patients. Media Contact: Nicole Hagedorn, Director, Brand & Communications, [email protected] Foundation.hair SOURCE Inspire Aesthetics Group A Two-Year Revenue Growth of 5,794 Percent Secured the No. 1 Spot Out of 192 of the Southeast Region's Fastest-Growing Private Companies FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for entrepreneurs and business leaders, revealed that ABA Centers is No. 1 on its Inc. Regionals: Southeast list for the second year in a row. An extension of the national Inc. 5000, the Inc. Regionals offer a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southeast economy's most dynamic segment its independent businesses throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico. In the two-year period between 2021-2023 assessed for this year's Inc. Regionals list, ABA Centers' revenue grew by 5,794 percent. The company was founded in 2020 with a very straightforward, yet ambitious, mission: to provide the most comprehensive and compassionate autism care to kids on the spectrum and to provide it quickly. A combination of efficient operations and steadfast dedication to reaching as many families impacted by autism as possible has proved to be a profitable and sustainable model for the company. ABA Centers has maintained its upward trajectory with a de novo and self-funded growth strategy, utilizing its financial success to fuel and fulfill its future potential. This was done with no private equity or investor backing, while also encumbering minimal debt. In that same two-year period, ABA Centers grew its active client base by 1,929 percent, while also expanding its geographic footprint, opening five new autism care centers. Today, the organization serves children on the spectrum in more than 40 markets through nearly 30 centers, as well as in-home, in-community, and in-school therapy services and plans to open around 40 new centers throughout 2025. "In just a few short years, ABA Centers has grown at an extraordinary pace, expanding our reach and impact while staying true to our mission of providing the most comprehensive and compassionate autism care to children who need it without the wait lists," said Jason Barker, CEO of ABA Centers. "This recognition underscores the demand for high quality autism care, as well as the sustainability of our approach. We remain committed to families affected by autism and ensuring that they receive the help and hope they deserve." The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southeast. Between 2021-2023, these 192 private companies had a median growth rate of 114 percent. By 2023, they'd also added 11,493 jobs and $8.1 billion to the region's economy. "The honorees on this year's Inc. Regionals list are true trailblazers driving economic growth in their respective regions, industries, and beyond. This list celebrates their achievements and tells the stories of remarkable companies that are fueling growth and adding jobs in local economies throughout the country," said Bonny Ghosh, Editorial Director at Inc. The 2025 Inc. Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth over two years. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2021, and had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies as of December 31, 2023. The minimum revenue required for 2021 is $100,000; the minimum for 2023 is $1 million. Complete results of the Inc. Regionals: Southeast, including company profiles, can be found at https://www.inc.com/regionals/southeast. About ABA Centers ABA Centers provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy services to children with autism spectrum disorder through a play-based approach rooted in positive reinforcement. The company was designed to disrupt the autism care industry by demolishing wait times traditionally experienced by those in search of an autism diagnosis or treatment. Its strategically designed behavioral care centers serve children across 10 states, with in-home and in-school treatment also available to deliver the most impactful continuum of care. ABA Centers was ranked as the No. 5 fastest growing private company on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list. More information can be found at www.abacenters.com. 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. SOURCE ABA Centers Initiative to educate and encourage people with disabilities to open ABLE accounts to support financial stability WASHINGTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC) announced today the launch of its 2025 #ABLEtoSave campaign. #ABLEtoSave is a month-long grassroots education and informational campaign about Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts. The goal of #ABLEtoSave is to increase public awareness on the benefits of tax-advantaged ABLE savings and investment accounts to increase the financial well-being of people with disabilities. The ABLE National Resource Center is founded and managed by National Disability Institute. ABLE accounts offer people with disabilities and their families a powerful tool for saving and managing funds specifically earmarked for qualified disability-related expenses in categories including, but not limited to housing, food, transportation, employment and medical costs. These accounts provide many benefits including, the first $100,000 of funds are disregarded as a resource and will not impact eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI); any amount of funds, up to the plan's limits, do not impact the account owner's eligibility for other means-tested benefit programs such as Medicaid, HUD, SNAP and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). ABLE accounts provide flexibility in funding sources, allowing contributions from the account owner, family members, friends, employers and other sources. ABLE investment growth is tax-free. "#ABLEtoSave Month is an opportunity for qualified people with disabilities, their families and supporters to learn how these accounts can help people with disabilities save for their current and future needs without impacting public benefits," said Jody Ellis, Director of the ABLE National Resource Center. "The goal of #ABLEtoSave is to equip individuals with the necessary knowledge and resources to capitalize on ABLE accounts, creating a pathway to greater financial independence." According to the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST), as of December 2024, more than195,000 ABLE accounts have been opened nationwide with $2.3 billion in assets invested. The average ABLE savings balance is more than $11,700. ABLE NRC will be participating in two webinars as part of this year's campaign. ABLE NRC will present in a webinar promoted by the Administration on Disabilities (AoD) Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (DETAC), titled, ABLE Accounts: A Pathway to Financial Empowerment for People with Disabilities. The webinar will include an ABLE overview, innovative strategies used in Kansas and will feature an ABLE account owner who will share how ABLE supports her success. Register for April 8, 2025 from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET. The second webinar is titled, Empower Your Business with ABLE, scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, 2025, from 2:00 pm3:00 pm ET in collaboration with NDI's Small Business Hub. This webinar is designed for small business owners and entrepreneurs with disabilities. Register Now! The campaign has widespread participation from ABLE programs including the ABLE Savings Plans Network, a network of the National Association of State Treasurers, major national disability groups, financial institutions, self-advocates, and other stakeholders. To join this year's campaign, follow us @theablenrc on Facebook, Instagram , Threads and LinkedIn. All interested partners are encouraged to participate in this campaign and may access free resources in the #ABLEtoSave Social Media toolkit for templates and supporting materials. The #ABLEtoSave awareness campaign is made possible through the generous support of Prudential. About ABLE National Resource Center ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC) provides all the ABLE information you need in one place. ABLE NRC shares reliable information about ABLE plans, including plan comparisons, best practices and strategies to increase savings for now and into the future. Our mission is to educate, promote and support the positive impact ABLE accounts can make on the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities and their families. Founded and managed by National Disability Institute (NDI) since 2015, the ABLE NRC's website has become the premier source for all information on ABLE for people with disabilities and their families, employers, state and federal agencies, service providers, educators, tax practitioners, financial planners, attorneys and benefits counselors. Visit us at www.ablenrc.org for more information. Media Contact: LaShawn Douglas Director, Communications and Marketing National Disability Institute 202-296-5393 ext. 113 / [email protected] SOURCE ABLE National Resource Center WASHINGTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Statement attributable to: Anthony Killeen, MD, PhD President, Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM, formerly AACC) "ADLM applauds the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas for issuing a decision to vacate the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) final rule to regulate laboratory developed tests as medical devices. The court found that the FDA rule would have negatively impacted testing on which patients and clinicians depend, and that the rule also went against Congress' intent, which is for laboratory services to be regulated under the current framework administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). "This is a major victory for patients, as laboratory developed tests play an indispensable role in enabling patients to get timely diagnoses and care for conditions ranging from cancer to emerging infectious diseases. The FDA rule which would have started to go into effect on May 6 would have subjected these tests to duplicative, burdensome, and costly FDA-CMS regulation. This would have forced many labs to stop offering these essential tests. "This court ruling was made in response to lawsuits filed by both the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) and the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) against the FDA. ADLM filed an amicus brief in support of ACLA's lawsuit along with the American Association of Bioanalysts, American Society for Clinical Pathology, American Society for Microbiology, and the Infectious Disease Society of America. Many others in the laboratory medicine community also contributed to ACLA and AMP's cases. We are immensely grateful that the court listened to the voices of the laboratory medicine professionals who create, validate, and perform laboratory developed tests, and that the court took our expertise and experience into account when making its decision. "Moving forward, ADLM will continue to engage collaboratively with regulatory agencies and Congress to ensure that the regulatory framework for laboratory developed tests always fosters the best possible outcome for patients. We encourage the FDA and those who supported its final rule to join with us to ensure that these tests are of the highest quality without limiting patient access or innovation." To speak to Dr. Killeen about this issue, please contact Christine DeLong, ADLM Associate Director of Communications & PR, at [email protected] or 202-835-8722. About laboratory developed tests A laboratory developed test is a new or significantly modified test that is developed, validated, and used within a single clinical laboratory in response to a specific patient care need. Most laboratory developed tests are created because there is not already a Food and Drug Administration-approved test available, and they are often used to diagnose rare conditions, such as inherited genetic disorders. These tests are typically not advertised or sold as kits to other testing facilities. The only labs that are allowed to perform laboratory developed tests are those that are considered high-complexity labs under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, which are administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These high-complexity labs are subject to rigorous oversight under CMS, and they are routinely inspected to ensure that they provide highly accurate testing. About the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) Dedicated to achieving better health through laboratory medicine, ADLM (formerly AACC) brings together more than 70,000 clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists, and business leaders from around the world focused on clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory science. Since 1948, ADLM has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing programs that advance scientific collaboration, knowledge, expertise, and innovation. For more information, visit www.myadlm.org. SOURCE Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) KIGALI, Rwanda and WALTHAM, Mass., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AKAGERA Medicines, Inc. is a biotech company focused on the discovery and development of novel lipid nanoparticle formulations of antibacterial drugs and mRNA vaccines to treat tuberculosis, avian flu, RSV and other infectious diseases. The company announced today that it completed the first cohort in its first-in-human phase 1 SAD/MAD study of AKG-100, which is an oxazolidinone class of antibiotic for treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). AKAGERA Medicines is substantially supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in Norway, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Washington, and the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Luxembourg. Despite being preventable and treatable, TB is the leading infectious disease killer and a major global health threat. Post this The study consists of single ascending dosing (SAD) and multiple ascending dosing (MAD) to establish the safety and pharmacokinetics of AKG-100 alone in single doses in healthy volunteers and pulmonary TB patients as well as in multiple doses in pulmonary TB patients. This study is being conducted at TASK clinical research site in Cape Town, South Africa. Approximately 100 participants will be enrolled in the study. "The completion of the first cohort in this study is an important milestone as we progress a novel long-acting injectable and targeted treatment option for patients with pulmonary TB," said Dr. Daryl Drummond, Chief Science Officer of AKAGERA Medicines. He added, "AKG-100 demonstrated promising preclinical data, and we believe that the addition of AKG-100 to drug-resistant TB treatment regimens will improve anti-TB activity and provide a favorable safety profile." Less frequent IV dosing is also expected to provide flexibility and improve treatment compliance in the poorest countries in the world. "TB is the greatest killer in human history. One out of seven people who ever lived has died from it. Nearly, two million of the poorest people in Russia, India, Africa, and China die from it every year and 400,000 of them are children," said Michael Fairbanks, Executive Chairman of AKAGERA Medicines. About AKG-100: AKG-100 is a highly stabilized pegylated liposomal formulation of a novel oxazolidinone antibiotic. "Liposome-encapsulated drugs are a promising area of drug delivery research that involves the use of microscopic lipid-based vesicles to transport drugs to target cells or tissues," said, Dr. Sachin Marulkar, the Chief Medical Officer of AKAGERA Medicines. He added, "The AKG-100 liposome encapsulated formulation enhances drug efficacy by increasing drug stability, improving drug solubility, and reducing toxicity." AKG-100 also increases drug uptake and retention by target cells and leads to higher drug concentrations at the site of action. Liposomes protect drugs from degradation, clearance, or immune recognition, and allow for sustained drug release and longer circulation times. About AKAGERA Medicines: AKAGERA Medicines develops novel liposomal formulations of drugs to treat tuberculosis, and mRNA vaccines to prevent infection by RSV, influenza, avian flu, Lassa Fever, tuberculosis, and HIV. The clinical stage company was founded in 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda. It is registered as a Delaware corporation and has laboratories in Boston and San Francisco. It is well-funded, majority-owned by the people of Rwanda through the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB). Akagera Medicines registered a 100%-owned subsidiary in Kigali in 2022 to do manufacturing and clinical trials. Founding and current board members include Ambassador Dr. Albrecht Conze, Dr. Paul Farmer of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, former Chair of the Global Fund for Malaria, HIV and Tb and past president of the African Development Bank; Dr. Eliane Ubalijoro of McGill University and CEO of CIFOR-ICRAF; UN Ambassador Valentine Rugwabiza; Philippe Watrin, the Chief Investment Officer of the RSSB; and Dr. Patrick Migambi, Rwanda's TB specialist. Michael Fairbanks is the executive chairman and co-founder. Dr. Daryl Drummond and Dr. Dimitri Kirpotin are co-founders who translated their successful delivery system from pancreatic cancer to infectious diseases. Dr. Sachin Marulkar is the chief medical officer and oversees the clinical development and trial activities. About TASK Clinical Research: TASK is a multinational, multi-site clinical research institute headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa. TASK provides clinical trial services for phase I to phase IV studies. They have completed over 100 studies with a focus on infectious diseases including TB. TASK is led by Prof. Andreas Diacon who was awarded the 2016 Scientific Prize of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. He has been recognized by Gates Foundation for his contribution in the TB field. About Tuberculosis: TB is a social disease that undermines civilization. Despite being preventable and treatable, TB is the leading infectious disease killer and continues to be a major global health threat. TB is significantly linked to socio-economic determinants the most vulnerable population are those living in poor and crowded conditions; those living with HIV, malnutrition, alcohol abuse, diabetes; and refugees, prisoners and the destitute. Michael Fairbanks said, "Though barely a talking point in the capitals of the west, it is a feature of our global culture, one that destroys the hopes and aspirations of millions of people in the Majority World." Over 95% of deaths are in poor countries. "Eight countries account for two thirds of the total with India leading in deaths, followed by China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and South Africa," said Dr. Marulkar. The World Health Organization states that TB-infected mothers are "associated with a six-fold increase in perinatal deaths." There is a large TB infection pool and together with risk factors for global ageing, slow and insufficient case detection, low cure rates and drug resistance, favors the slow incidence decline. Moreover, political conflicts significantly slow down the decline of TB burden. Tuberculosis impacts superpower politics, north-south relations, and wildlife. An increase in tuberculosis will challenge individual country leaderships, could tear the countries apart with the concomitant problems for the global economy. Finally, TB is a direct threat to wildlife throughout the world. This is especially true of our closest animal relatives who are increasingly exposed to eco-tourists. They share the same vulnerabilities to TB as human beings. Media Contact: Sachin Marulkar, [email protected] SOURCE Akagera Medicines Inc VADUZ, Liechtenstein, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 20, 2025, Alpha Capital Anstalt issued a press release to warn the public of a recently-discovered scheme to impersonate Alpha Capital Anstalt and defraud individuals and corporate entities. In that alert, Alpha Capital Anstalt advised that fraudulent actors were posing as employees or agents of Alpha Capital Anstalt and falsely claiming to offer services of Alpha Capital Anstalt to third parties seeking investment funding. The threat remains ongoing. Since the publication of its first press release, Alpha Capital Anstalt has received additional reports of scam artists pretending to be associated with Alpha Capital Anstalt. These criminals are aware that Alpha Capital Anstalt issued a warning about their activities, and have even attempted to explain away Alpha Capital Anstalt's February 20 fraud alert with the claim that the alert itself is not valid. Alpha Capital Anstalt is aware that the perpetrators of this scam have created at least one fake website at alphacapital s .com in order to further their fraudulent activities. This Alpha Capital s website is hosted at a domain that mimics Alpha Capital Anstalt's true domain and contains details about Alpha Capital Anstalt and individuals associated with Alpha Capital Anstalt designed to make the site look legitimate. The creators of the fake website may even have convinced certain third-party business directories to link to the site in order to enhance its appearance of legitimacy. Please note that the website at alphacapital s .com is not a legitimate website of Alpha Capital Anstalt. The individuals operating the Alpha Capital s website are not affiliated with and do not have authority to act on behalf of Alpha Capital Anstalt. Please review the below to learn how to identify fraudulent efforts to impersonate Alpha Capital Anstalt and protect yourself from this scam. How to Protect Yourself If you are contacted by someone who claims to represent Alpha Capital Anstalt, please bear in mind: The only legitimate Alpha Capital Anstalt website is at www.alphacapital.li All individual Alpha Capital Anstalt email addresses end in @alphacapital.li . If you receive correspondence claiming to be from Alpha Capital Anstalt but the email address of the sender does NOT end in @alphacapital.li, that correspondence is not legitimate. Please be aware that Alpha Capital Anstalt does not : Conduct business in cryptocurrency . . Ask clients or prospective clients to transfer funds into a cryptocurrency wallet in order to confirm the existence of the funds or otherwise. wallet in order to confirm the existence of the funds or otherwise. Conduct any business via messaging programs such as WhatsApp or LinkedIn. Solicit business from the public in any manner. Use the name Alpha Capital s or the website alphacapital s .com Please take steps to be sure that you are communicating with legitimate representatives of Alpha Capital Anstalt. If you are unsure about any communication that appears to be from Alpha Capital Anstalt, please contact us directly at [email protected]. If you believe you have been the victim of a crime, please report the crime to local law enforcement or regulatory authorities. SOURCE Alpha Capital Anstalt SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, Calif., March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. (AATI) flew an around the clock mission carrying a 5lb mission payload with its AiRanger Group 3 Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS). As the only Commercial UAV manufacturer to receive commercial Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) approval to fly in US National Airspace (NAS) by the FAA, AATI has made significant investments to ensure its AiRanger is able to conduct commercial operations safely and efficiently everywhere manned aircraft are currently able to fly. In addition to endurance, the mission operationally demonstrated many other advancements AATI has made as it rolls out a nationwide network of continuous AiRanger data collection services. AiRanger demonstrated a maximum range of 1,500NM, ability to operate with a Remote Pilot In Command at primary and secondary Operations Centers, and a technology suite designed to manage multiple platforms flying nationwide with real time sensor collection and processing capability. This demonstration flight was launched locally on the West Coast, then flown by a remote Pilot In Command on the East Coast while an Operations Center in Texas separately monitored, federated, and distributed all sensor data to relevant stakeholders. Revolutionizing Persistent Aerial Intelligence 24 hour endurance on a small, highly efficient and capable platform marks a turning point for uncrewed aviation, proving the feasibility of sustained aerial operations for real-time intelligence gathering, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. Equipped with AI-driven flight controls, advanced sensors, and seamless data integration, AiRanger is engineered to support complex, multi-domain missions with unparalleled endurance. Notably, the aircraft carried a five-pound payload, demonstrating its ability to support diverse sensor and data collection requirements. "Our team's successful long endurance flight demonstration of AiRanger is a game-changer for commercial BVLOS aviation," said AATI Director of Aviation Operations, Hovig Yaralian. "This achievement proves that extended UAS operations can deliver actionable intelligence, improved safety, and significant cost efficiencies across multiple sectors commercially in the National Airspace System." Key Capabilities Demonstrated: Extended Operations: AiRanger's long-endurance capabilities allow for continuous data collection across vast areas, enhancing operational effectiveness for infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) missions. AiRanger's long-endurance capabilities allow for continuous data collection across vast areas, enhancing operational effectiveness for infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) missions. AI-Powered Autonomy & Sensor Fusion: Advanced onboard AI and EO/IR, thermal, and hyperspectral sensors provide real-time analytics for precision agriculture, wildfire detection, pipeline and other infrastructure monitoring. Advanced onboard AI and EO/IR, thermal, and hyperspectral sensors provide real-time analytics for precision agriculture, wildfire detection, pipeline and other infrastructure monitoring. Sustainable & Cost-Effective Aerial Solutions: By replacing traditional manned aircraft with UAS for persistent surveillance, AiRanger reduces carbon footprint, operational costs, and human risk. By replacing traditional manned aircraft with UAS for persistent surveillance, AiRanger reduces carbon footprint, operational costs, and human risk. Scalability for Multiple Industries: The San Joaquin Valley test campaign, combined with operational support from Texas and New Jersey , showcases AiRanger's adaptability for energy, agriculture, border security, and disaster response. Advancing UAS Integration in the NAS With FAA-approved waivers for commercial BVLOS operations, AATI's successful demonstration of 24-hour flight endurance further validates the safe and effective integration of long-endurance UAS into controlled and uncontrolled airspace. This milestone builds upon AATI's track record of pioneering research and operational excellence, reinforcing its position as an industry leader in airborne intelligence and autonomous aviation. About American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. (AATI) is a leader in long-endurance UAS operations, airborne intelligence, and advanced sensor integration. With proven expertise in BVLOS flight, AI-driven autonomy, and multi-domain mission execution, AATI is at the forefront of shaping the future of commercial and defense aviation. SOURCE American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. In the face of a plummeting population of bighorn sheep north of Fort Peck Reservoir, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission voted in an emergency Monday online meeting to halt all hunter harvests of the species in the area this season. In December, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks asked the commission to downgrade the quota range for tags in Hunting District 622 called the middle Missouri Breaks and located in northeastern Montana to one either-sex and one ewe tag. The reason we asked for that, and there was a little discussion at the time, we knew that there was likely a disease event going on within bighorn sheep Hunting District 622, however, we didn't suspect that it was going to be as debilitating as it appears to have been, said Brian Wakeling, Game Management Bureau chief for FWP. Last fall, FWP had proposed 10 either-sex tags and 10 ewe tags for the district. On March 27, an FWP survey found only five bighorns in the region, one of which died. It's the first time I've ever heard of an observation of an animal on a survey dying, Wakeling said. So this is extremely rare of that happening. The dead sheep was recovered and sent to FWPs Wildlife Health Lab in Bozeman for a necropsy in hopes of determining the cause of death. We do suspect that it's probably a respiratory pathogen, Wakeling said, since a ram killed by a hunter in the district last fall tested positive for exposure to a respiratory disease. In the past, bighorn sheep surveys in the region have found 100 to 300 animals in the hunting district. Last year FWP counted 121 sheep in the rugged badlands terrain. The highest count in the region was in 2016 when 318 bighorns were tallied. And so we have seen somewhat of a slow decline over that time, Wakeling said. And the objective for that district is, I believe, 175 to 200 sheep. That represents what the capacity of that habitat could hold. Commissioner Jeff Burrows wondered if FWP had located numerous dead sheep as a result of the herd die-off. We first heard from hunters in September about skinny sheep and finding a few dead sheep, Wakeling said. The reality is that country is remote enough that we don't find a lot of dead sheep, and it's not an area where we have a lot of recreation outside of hunting seasons. And so we suspect, yeah, those sheep are dead and did not move. The reason for the emergency meeting is because the drawing for bighorn sheep licenses occurs on May 1. More than 2,000 hunters had applied for one of the two licenses to hunt bighorns in HD 622. They will now have the opportunity to apply in a different area or to have their money refunded. Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Brian Cebull asked whether the department is worried about the neighboring bighorn sheep population to the west in Hunting District 680. In July 2024, FWP surveyed the herd and counted 222 animals, which was below average but still within the desired population range, according to Scott Thompson, Region 6 wildlife manager for FWP. Because of the decline, bighorn tags in that hunting district were also reduced. This season only 10 either-sex tags are up for grabs in HD 680-20 while five ewe tags are being offered in HD 680-30 and 15 in HD 680-31. Ty Stubblefield, executive director of the Montana Wild Sheep Foundation, said his group supported the commissions decision to reduce tags, although he called it a gut-wrenching situation. He also said his group is available to raise funds or undertake projects to bolster the sheep population in the state. Former Montana senator Mike Lang, a Malta resident, said the Brandon Butte area the bighorns in HD 622 occupied suffered from a fire in 2005, an increase in mountain lions as well as drought and disease that could be contributing to their population decline. Public comments online were generally supportive of the commissions action but 68-year-old East Helena hunter Bill Christianson was also critical of a lack of FWP field staff in northeastern Montana and the allocation of bighorn sheep tags. He advocated that bighorn sheep tags, because they are hard to draw through FWPs competitive lottery system, as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Currently, successful applicants have to wait seven years before applying again. Christianson also suggested that such difficult tags including moose, goat and bison as well as bighorns be issued only to resident hunters. Harlowton hunter Steve Martin said two years ago he saw 17 bighorn rams in one day in HD 622 while hunting elk. I trust FWP to make the best decisions for the future of this herd, he wrote. AUSTIN, Texas, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) announced that it has formally requested the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) open investigations into the racially discriminatory practices of three prominent tax-exempt organizations: the Lagrant Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and the Creative Capital Foundation. View PDF American Alliance for Equal Rights Files Request to IRS to Examine Racial Practices at Three Tax-Exempt Foundations: Gates Foundation, Lagrant Foundation and Creative Capital Foundation In three separate letters sent to Mr. Robert Malone of the IRS's Exempt Organizations and Government Entities division, AAER presents evidence that these nonprofits have engaged in practices that categorically exclude white Americans from benefits and opportunities based solely on racepractices that, AAER alleges, are incompatible with longstanding public policy and Supreme Court precedent governing tax-exempt status under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3). According to AAER's letter, the Lagrant Foundation offers scholarships, mentorships, and career development opportunities exclusively to applicants who are African American/Black, Alaska Native/Native American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic/Latino. White students and professionals are excluded, in direct violation, the letter argues, of the Supreme Court's decision in Bob Jones University v. United States, 461 U.S. 574 (1983), which held that organizations practicing racial discrimination are not eligible for tax-exempt status. AAER also challenges the Gates Foundation's college funding initiative, the Gates Scholarship. The program provides full tuition, mentoring, and leadership developmentbut only to individuals who identify as racial or ethnic minorities, with white students ineligible to apply. The letter to the IRS notes that these practices contradict both the IRS's own guidance and recent Supreme Court precedent from Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), in which the justices reaffirmed that "racial discrimination is invidious in all contexts." Finally, AAER asserts the Creative Capital Foundation's "Creative Capital Forward Fund" provided up to $700,000 in grants and extensive career support solely to Asian, Black, Indigenous, and Latinx creatorsexplicitly excluding white artists. AAER's letter asserts that this race-based exclusion also runs afoul of IRS rules and federal civil-rights laws. Across all three letters, AAER cites Bob Jones University v. United States, the IRS's Exempt Organizations Technical Guide, and multiple executive orders issued by President Trump in early 2025including Executive Order 14173, which explicitly directs federal agencies to eliminate private-sector programs that implement "race- and sex-based preferences." AAER's actions follow its broader mission to eliminate racial and ethnic distinctions from American law and public policy. Edward Blum, president of AAER said, "These organizations are free to operate as they wishbut not with the public subsidy that tax-exempt status provides. Racial discriminationwhether in scholarships, professional development, or artistic grantsviolates public policy and must not be underwritten by American taxpayers." Blum added, "Organizations that discriminate based on racewhether their intentions are benevolent or notare not eligible for public subsidies through the tax code. The IRS must act to uphold the law." The letters to the IRS are attached. Contact: Edward Blum [email protected] 703-505-1922 SOURCE American Alliance for Equal Rights JOHANNESBURG, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Arctech, the world's leading solar tracking, racking and energy storage solutions provider, concluded its participation in Solar&Storage Live Africa 2025, held from March 2527 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Arctech's Innovative Solar Portfolio Based on Tracker+ and Green Power+ Platforms Shine at Arctech booth The Arctech Team at Solar&Storage Live Africa 2025 Arctech's booth highlighted three flagship products designed to maximize energy efficiency and sustainability: 1P Single-Axis Tracker SkyLine II: Engineered for Africa's extreme climates, this advanced tracker features a modular design and the AI-powered tracking algorithm, delivering up to 8% higher energy yield while reducing project costs. Meanwhile, its rigid torque tube design and the synchronous multi-point mechanism ensure stability in high-wind and high-temperature conditions. Till now, SkyLine II boasts an impressive global deployment track record of nearly 30GW, demonstrating its reliability and high adaptability. extreme climates, this advanced tracker features a modular design and the AI-powered tracking algorithm, delivering up to 8% higher energy yield while reducing project costs. Meanwhile, its rigid torque tube design and the synchronous multi-point mechanism ensure stability in high-wind and high-temperature conditions. Till now, SkyLine II boasts an impressive global deployment track record of nearly 30GW, demonstrating its reliability and high adaptability. Intelligent PV Cleaning Robot StarShine I: Tailored for dusty environments, the water-free PV cleaning robot uses AI-driven path optimization to minimize operational costs and improve energy output, thereby ensuring the consistent performance of solar installations. Compatible with Arctech's solar trackers through SCADA integration, StarShine I represents an optimal solution for the O&M of solar projects. Energy Storage System ArcBank: Featuring in-house developed PCS, BMS, and EMS, ArcBank is designed to tackle Africa's power supply gaps. Being a signature product in Arctech's Green Power+ platform, this BESS is optimized for various applications. including large industrial plants, large data centers and new energy power stations, etc. MEA Managing Director Vivian Fang Delivered a Keynote Speech On March 26, Vivian Fang, Managing Director for the MEA region at Arctech, delivered a keynote speech titled "Tackling Africa's Energy Challenges and Arctech's Role in Shaping the Future of Renewable Energy." During the session, Vivian emphasized the growing demand in the region for reliable, resilient, and high-efficiency solar energy solutions, especially in response to South Africa's ongoing load shedding challenges and the broader energy access issues across Sub-Saharan Africa. She also highlighted that"Africa's energy transformation requires solutions that are not only cost-effective but also culturally and environmentally adaptive. Through collaboration with local stakeholders, we strive to build resilient energy ecosystems that empower communities." Strengthening Clean Energy Footprint in the MEA Region Arctech's presence in the exhibition underscores its strong commitment to the continent's sustainable development. The company has completed numerous key projects across various African countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Namibia, Chad, Congo, Ghana, Malawi and Comoros. Since entering the MEA market in 2017, Arctech has accumulated a portfolio exceeding 10 GW within the region. To enhance its local service, Arctech has established local offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, as well as built a factory in Jeddah with an annual capacity of 3 GW. Supplemented by Arctech's global supply chain system, the company will possess a delivery capability of up to 10 GW in the MEA market. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2654872/DSCF5673_____NR_1.jpg ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced the acquisition of Australia-based Tresidder Insurance Brokers. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Tresidder Insurance Brokers provides property/casualty brokerage services to commercial and personal lines clients across Australia from offices in Victoria and Queensland with industry expertise in manufacturing, food and beverage, biotech and agriculture. Brad Tresidder, Dean O'Halloran and their team will become part of Gallagher's Australia specialty broking division. "Tresidder Insurance Brokers is a highly regarded firm that will enhance our client-service capabilities in Australia," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman and CEO. "I am delighted to welcome Brad, Dean and their associates to our growing, global team." Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Investors: Ray Iardella, VP - Investor Relations Media: Paul Day, Senior Media Relations Manager 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-5946/ [email protected] SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. BEIJING, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Daily: Experts highlighted the role of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in accelerating green industrial upgrades and advancing global sustainable development at the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum. Speaking at the Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Science and Technology Forum, Ding Chibiao, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said AI is reshaping energy systems and driving China's dual carbon goals. "AI is a cornerstone of innovation for future energy structures, driving green transitions," Ding said. China aims to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality before 2060. Ding noted that AI adoption has already improved efficiency in high-carbon industries such as chemicals, aligning with the academy's strategic action plan for science and technology supporting carbon peak and carbon neutrality released in 2022. He pledged deeper interdisciplinary collaboration to advance AI-enabled low-carbon energy solutions. Ye Mao, a researcher at the academy's Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and head of its intelligent chemical engineering team, detailed progress in AI-driven chemical engineering. Since 2016, a team led by Liu Zhongmin, the institute's director and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has pioneered AI applications in the field. Last year, they launched Chem-ELLM, a large model for autonomous chemical process design, followed by an upgraded Chem-ELLM 2.0 in November. "The new version significantly improves capabilities in catalysis, safety and foundational chemistry, broadening industrial applicability," Ye said. More than 50 chemical companies have tested the model, with adoption growing steadily. However, Ye said traditional engineering and AI-human collaboration will continue during the transition. "Building an intelligent chemical ecosystem requires time, but it will boost efficiency, safety and support China's energy revolution," he said. At the International Forum on Sciences for Sustainable Development part of UNESCO's International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-2033) global experts examined digital technology's role in achieving the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Guo Huadong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, unveiled the Beijing Initiative on Digital Science and Technology for Sustainable Development. The plan calls for scaling AI, big data, the internet of things and space technology to combat climate change, biodiversity loss and poverty. "Digital tools are key to optimizing energy use, cutting emissions and improving resource management," Guo said. The initiative also advocates global platforms for sharing digital resources, integrating technology into policymaking and boosting public sustainability literacy. Highlighting China's contributions, Guo said SDGSAT-1, the world's first science satellite dedicated to the 2030 agenda, has delivered more than 420,000 datasets to 104 countries since its 2021 launch. The data aids in monitoring urban heat islands, assessing emissions and disaster response. SOURCE China Daily FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoNation (NYSE: AN) today announced that it has acquired Groove Ford and Groove Mazda, effective March 31, 2025. The dealerships have been rebranded and will now operate under the names AutoNation Ford Arapahoe and AutoNation Mazda Arapahoe. In 2024, the stores sold nearly 5,000 new and used vehicles with approximately $219M in annual revenue. Both stores are located in Englewood, Colorado, and mark the first AutoNation Mazda and second AutoNation Ford in the state, bringing AutoNation's substantial footprint in Colorado to 13 Domestic, 6 Import, and 3 AutoNation USA dealerships concentrated in the greater Denver area. "We are excited to welcome Groove Ford and Groove Mazda and their nearly 200 new associates to AutoNation," said Mike Manley, Chief Executive Officer at AutoNation. "These acquisitions build on our strategy to add density into markets where we already have a presence. It allows us to rapidly bring significant scale synergies to the new dealerships, expanding on the current success of these stores and delivering strong returns to our shareholders." About AutoNation, Inc. AutoNation, one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States, offers innovative products, exceptional services, and comprehensive solutions, and empowers its customers to make the best decisions for their needs. With a nationwide network of dealerships strengthened by a recognized brand, we offer a wide variety of new and used vehicles, customer financing, parts, and expert maintenance and repair services. Through DRV PNK, we have raised over $40 million for cancer-related causes, demonstrating our commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of our Associates, Customers, and the communities we serve. Please visit www.autonation.com, investors.autonation.com, and www.x.com/autonation, where AutoNation discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "estimates," "intends," "strategy," "goals," "targets," "projects," "plans," "believes," "continues," "may," "will," "could," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Statements regarding our expectations for the future performance of acquired stores and for shareholder returns, as well as other statements that describe our strategies, objectives, goals, or plans, are forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations concerning future results and events, and they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that are difficult to predict and may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by these statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, among others: our ability to integrate successfully new acquisitions; our ability to maintain or gain market share; our ability to maintain and enhance our retail brands and reputation; economic conditions, including changes in unemployment, interest, and/or inflation rates, consumer demand, fuel prices, and tariffs; the success and financial viability and the incentive and marketing programs of vehicle manufacturers and distributors with which we hold franchises; and other factors described in our news releases and filings made under the securities laws, including, among others, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release, and we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. SOURCE AutoNation, Inc. Marcus is Leader in the Advertising Bar with Decades of FTC-Related and Law Firm Experience MCLEAN, Va., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Phyllis Hurwitz Marcus, a national leader in the advertising bar with decades of experience both working at and practicing before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), most recently as a partner at a major law firm, was named today as Vice President, BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division. Eric D. Reicin, President and CEO, BBB National Programs made the announcement. In this leadership role, which is effective immediately, Marcus will lead a team of attorneys and professionals at BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division, holding national advertising across all media types to high standards of truth and accuracy by reviewing truth-in-advertising challenges from businesses, trade associations, consumers, or on its own initiative. The National Advertising Division and its appellate body, the National Advertising Review Board, were founded in 1971 as a system of independent industry self-regulation to build consumer trust in advertising and support fair competition in the marketplace. Through its work, thousands of misleading advertising claims have been removed from the marketplace and the National Advertising Division's case decisions represent the single largest body interpreting advertising law in the country. "I am thrilled to welcome Phyllis Marcus to serve this important leadership role at BBB National Programs, where businesses go to enhance consumer trust and consumers are heard," said Reicin. "Our National Advertising Division is the longest running of our more than 20 independent industry self-regulation programs, and Phyllis' distinguished career as a leader in advertising and privacy law sets her up well to lift our program to even greater impact, in particular during this unique era of opportunity for industry self-regulation." Recognized as a Leader in Advertising: Transactional & Regulatory by Chambers USA (2021-2024), one of the Top 10 Advertising: Transactional & Regulatory Lawyers in the USA, Business Today (2023), and a Media and Advertising Law Trailblazer by The National Law Journal (2023), Marcus comes to BBB National Programs from Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP, where as a Washington, DC-based partner she led the firm's Advertising Compliance and Counseling team, focusing her practice on understanding and meeting the clients' advertising needs from the initial development of a claim to its ultimate defense in the marketplace. Marcus also led the Children's Privacy practice at Hunton. Now, Marcus will bring her expertise to the nonprofit world, leading BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division, the advertising industry's widely recognized watchdog. "Advertising's purpose is to engage consumers and help them make informed purchasing choices," said Marcus. "While advertising builds consumer trust, and is often impactful, creative and fun, it can also cross the line, tilting away from fair competition towards deception. BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division is the first line of defense in applying clear advertising standards and efficiently promoting fair competition in the marketplace. I am excited to be able to guide our critical, credible work maintaining truth in advertising." Prior to joining Hunton in 2015, Marcus served for 17 years at the FTC, where she was Chief of Staff for Advertising Practices and leader of the FTC's children's privacy regulatory and enforcement program. While at the FTC, Marcus oversaw the agency's advertising workload; led investigations into deceptive health and safety claims, product endorsements, and disclosures; and handled congressional testimony regarding FTC advertising initiatives. Marcus is a frequent author and sought-after speaker on advertising and children's privacy issues, including their intersection with other areas of law such as the internet and social media and the metaverse and AI. She has spoken at conferences across the country and been interviewed numerous times by media outlets. Marcus is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and earned her juris doctorate, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School. Earlier in her career, she clerked for the Honorable John C. Eldridge of the Supreme Court of Maryland, was a litigation associate at a major law firm, and legal director for a prominent foundation. Learn more about the National Advertising Division here. About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org. About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. The National Advertising Division reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and promoting fair competition for business. SOURCE BBB National Programs Thacker Pass is owned by a joint venture between Lithium Americas and General Motors, with Lithium Americas as the manager. Thacker Pass recently obtained a $2.26 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to help fund the project. Once construction of the initial phase is complete, Thacker Pass will single-handedly produce eight times the current total U.S. output of lithium carbonate . . It will take about three years to build the 642-acre plant complex with 600,000 square feet of processing, administrative, and warehouse buildings. Reflecting on the importance of Thacker Pass to critical U.S. interests, Ailie MacAdam, President of Bechtel's Mining & Metals business, said the following: "It is impossible to overstate the strategic importance of Thacker Pass. Lithium battery technology is a key driver in electrification of transportation and energy storage. Having a reliable domestic supply of lithium will be critical to America's economic competitiveness and energy security. The Thacker Pass project represents a game-changing advance in this effort." "Thacker Pass will help enable a completely domestic supply chain for electric vehicle batteries, from mining to chemical processing to battery production. Even better, Lithium Americas is setting a standard for future projects in North America by working responsibly, sustainably, and in cooperation with government at all levels." MacAdam offered additional views on the rising demand of lithium, the importance of creating a domestic supply chain, and the necessity of developing a skilled workforce, all of which are highlighted in this blog on Bechtel.com. Since receiving its original contract award in November of 2022, Bechtel has made significant progress as Lithium Americas engineering, procurement, and construction management contractor. Early works are complete, site grading and excavation is well underway, and long lead equipment has been ordered. Suppliers and vendors will be sourced locally from northern Nevada and the region to the extent possible. They will provide everything from large processing tanks, concrete, and centrifuges to an on-site steam turbine generator. The generator will supply carbon-free electricity to the processing plant using steam created from excess heat from the co-located sulfuric acid plant. A university study estimated that construction and operation of Thacker Pass will generate more than $1 billion in economic activity per year. The project also plays an important role in continuing to build a strong U.S. construction workforce. It will create almost 2,000 jobs. As part of the Thacker Pass Project Labor Agreement, Bechtel is working with North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to establish apprenticeship programs for local workers. Bechtel has played a pivotal role in Nevada's history, most notably as a key contractor in the construction of the Hoover Dam, a landmark project completed in the 1930s that significantly contributed to the region's development and water management. Learn more about how Bechtel is continuing that legacy and unlocking resources for the future at www.Bechtel.com. About Bechtel Bechtel is a trusted engineering, construction, project management, and operations partner to industry and government. Differentiated by the quality of our people and our relentless drive to deliver the most successful outcomes, we align our capabilities to our customers' objectives to create a lasting positive impact. Since 1898, we have helped customers complete more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents that have created jobs; grown economies; improved the resiliency of the world's infrastructure; increased access to energy, resources, and vital services; and made the world a safer, cleaner place. Bechtel serves the Energy; Infrastructure; Manufacturing & Technology; Mining & Metals; and Nuclear, Security & Environmental markets. Our services span from initial planning and investment through start-up and operations. www.bechtel.com Media Contact: Fred deSousa | [email protected] | P: (571) 364-5733 SOURCE Bechtel COLUMBUS, Neb., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jim & John Stock with BigIron Realty are proud to announce the winners of the 4th annual Teacher Appreciation Giveaway, recognizing educators who go above and beyond for their students and communities. This year's recipients of a $250 Visa gift card are: Jane Lewis Madison Elementary School (49 years of teaching, recently signed her contract for her 50th year) Madison Elementary School (49 years of teaching, recently signed her contract for her 50th year) Becky Streff North Bend Elementary School (20 years of teaching) The contest, sponsored by BigIron Realty agents Jim and John Stock, invited community members to nominate teachers who have made a lasting impact in their schools. With countless heartfelt submissions, it was evident how much these educators mean to their students and communities. "Teachers play a crucial role in shaping the future, and their dedication often goes unnoticed," said John Stock. "We are honored to recognize Jane Lewis and Becky Streff for their passion, hard work, and commitment to making a difference in the lives of their students. Jane's 50 years of dedication and Becky's two decades of service are truly inspiring." Each winner was personally presented with their award, celebrating their dedication to education and the positive impact they have on their students. "Every year, we are blown away by the stories of incredible teachers who go above and beyond," added Jim Stock. "This giveaway is just one small way we can show our appreciation for all they do." The Teacher Appreciation Giveaway is part of BigIron Realty's ongoing commitment to supporting local communities and recognizing those who make a difference. Earlier this year, the company also honored first responders and medical professionals in its annual appreciation contest. For more information about BigIron Realty and future community initiatives, visit www.bigiron.com or follow Jim Stock and John Stock, BigIron Realty on Facebook. About BigIron: Since 1984, BigIron has been the trusted choice for auctions. From its humble beginnings in rural America, BigIron has grown to become one of the largest auction companies in North America, helping millions buy, list, and sell their farm, construction, industrial, and transportation equipment, along with real estate, livestock, and collector cars. BigIron continues to lead the market with its unwavering commitment to quality and service, which is why BigIron boasts the largest customer base in the industry. To learn more about BigIron, visit www.bigiron.com or check out our About Us page. SOURCE BigIron // NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES // VANCOUVER, BC, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BioVaxys Technology Corp. (CSE: BIOV) (FRA: 5LB) ("BioVaxys" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into a debt settlement agreement with THECCSGROUP (the "Lender") to settle an aggregate of $60,000 in debt owed to the Lender by issuing 1,200,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (each, a "Share") at a deemed value of $0.05 per Share (the "Debt Settlement"). The board of directors of the Company has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to settle the outstanding debt through the issuance of Shares in order to preserve the Company's cash for working capital purposes. All securities proposed to be issued in connection with the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation. The closing of the Debt Settlement is conditional upon the receipt of all applicable corporate and regulatory approvals, including the acceptance of the Canadian Securities Exchange. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy of any securities in the United States. The securities described herein 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 except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to available exemptions therefrom. About BioVaxys Technology Corp. BioVaxys Technology Corp. (www.biovaxys.com), a biopharmaceuticals company registered in British Columbia, Canada, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving patient lives with novel immunotherapies based on the DPX immune-educating technology platform and it's HapTenix 'neoantigen' tumor cell construct platform, for treating cancers, infectious disease, antigen desensitization, and other immunological fields. The Company's clinical stage pipeline includes maveropepimut-S which is in Phase II clinical development for advanced Relapsed-Refractory Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) and platinum resistant ovarian cancer, and BVX-0918, a personalized immunotherapeutic vaccine using it proprietary HapTenix 'neoantigen' tumor cell construct platform which is soon to enter Phase I in Spain for treating refractive late-stage ovarian cancer. The Company is also capitalizing on its tumor immunology know-how and creation of a unique library of T-lymphocytes & other datasets post-vaccination with its personalized immunotherapeutic vaccines to utilize predictive algorithms and other technologies to identify new targetable tumor antigens. BioVaxys common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the stock symbol "BIOV" and trade on the Frankfurt Bourse (FRA: 5LB) and in the U.S. on the OTC Markets (OTCQB marketplace). For more information, visit www.biovaxys.com and connect with us on X and LinkedIn. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed "James Passin" James Passin, Chief Executive Officer Phone: +1 740 358 0555 Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release includes 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 Debt Settlement, including the related issuance of the Shares and the receipt of approval thereof, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These 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, primarily the assumption that BioVaxys will be successful in developing and testing vaccines, that, while considered reasonable by BioVaxys, 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. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary approvals to proceed with the Debt Settlement. BioVaxys 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. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2415135/5247616/BioVaxys_Technology_Corp_Logo.jpg SOURCE BioVaxys Technology Corp. NEW YORK, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As previously announced, The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation ("BNY") (NYSE: BK), a global financial services company, will hold the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. ET. The Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement was made available on March 5, 2025. The Annual Meeting will be held virtually, and a live webcast will be available at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/BK2025. This webcast may include forward-looking statements and other material information. Stockholders can participate, vote and ask questions in the Annual Meeting by entering the 16-digit control number received with their proxy materials. BNY will also provide a conference call of the Annual Meeting. The conference call will be accessible by dialing +1 877-358-7301 (U.S.) or +1 213-992-4623 (International). Persons listening to the Annual Meeting through the conference call will not be able to participate. An archived version of the audio webcast will be available beginning on April 16, 2025, through May 16, 2025, at www.bny.com/investorrelations. About BNY BNY is a global financial services company that helps make money work for the world managing it, moving it and keeping it safe. For more than 240 years BNY has partnered alongside clients, putting its expertise and platforms to work to help them achieve their ambitions. Today BNY helps over 90% of Fortune 100 companies and nearly all the top 100 banks globally to access the money they need. BNY supports governments in funding local projects and works with over 90% of the top 100 pension plans to safeguard investments for millions of individuals, and so much more. As of December 31, 2024, BNY oversees $52.1 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and $2.0 trillion in assets under management. BNY is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Headquartered in New York City, BNY employs over 50,000 people globally and has been named among Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies and Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators. Additional information is available on www.bny.com. Follow on LinkedIn or visit the BNY Newsroom for the latest company news. Contacts: Investors Marius Merz +1 212 298 1480 [email protected] Media Garrett Marquis +1 949 683 1503 [email protected] SOURCE BNY The platform's largest functionality release to-date includes new capabilities that improve observability of traffic data, streamline policy testing and add support for managing ingress traffic SAN JOSE, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tigera , the creator of Project Calico, the most widely adopted container networking and security solution, today announced the addition of significant new functionality to Calico Open Source with the release of Calico OSS 3.30. These latest upgrades will enhance the observability, security, and scalability of Kubernetes deployments for all enterprises leveraging the solution. Calico Open Source was derived from Project Calico, a project established to make Kubernetes networking seamless, reliable, and scalable for all organizations. Calico Open Source has grown to become the most widely adopted container networking and security solution, now powering more than 8 million nodes daily across 166 countries. With the release of Calico OSS 3.30, Tigera is extending access to its proven observability and security tools from the company's commercial editions to all organizations. These new features enable organizations to gain unmatched visibility into their service-to-service communications, while also extending Calico deployments to manage ingress traffic. Enhanced observability with Calico's flow logs, metrics, and Whisker Troubleshooting applications running in Kubernetes is a common pain point for DevOps teams. Given the dynamic nature of Kubernetes workloads, developers often struggle to accurately depict and analyze network traffic inside and outside of the cluster. The latest version of Calico Open Source introduces Goldmane, a gRPC-based API endpoint that provides streamlined access to flow logs and metrics generated by Calico. The feature makes it easier for DevOps teams to troubleshoot clusters by providing increased visibility into service-to-service communications alongside workload-specific context and also facilitates collaboration with the ability to share logs. When used with Calico network sets, flow logs enable organizations to gain visibility into traffic across public and private IP spaces. The user-defined network sets appear as additional metadata in flow logs, cutting down the time spent troubleshooting during an incident from days to minutes. In addition, Calico Open Source now includes Whisker, a web-based tool that connects to Goldmane, providing users with instant access to flow logs generated by Calico. It includes filtering capabilities and the ability to view all flow log metadata enabling organizations to easily troubleshoot connectivity issues in their cluster, author new policies, or test how new, enforced or staged policies are evaluating traffic. Simplified microsegmentation with staged policies Network policies improve the security posture of workloads in a cluster, however, developers are hesitant to use and enforce policies without testing them, as a single misconfigured policy can cause a business outage. The introduction of Calico OSS 3.30 combats this challenge. Calico Open Source now includes support for GlobalStagedNetworkPolicy and StagedNetworkPolicy. These policies allow users to implement namespace isolation and various other forms of microsegmentation. Staged policies enable organizations to test and audit the behavior of a Calico policy before it is actively enforced. The behavior of a staged policy appears in flow logs and generates metrics akin to any other policy simulating a live environment. Advanced ingress management with Kubernetes Gateway API Ingress is one of the most critical aspects of deploying and using Kubernetes, and provides a way for clients external to a Kubernetes cluster to communicate with services, APIs, and applications running inside of a cluster. Calico OSS 3.30 includes Calico Ingress Gateway, a 100% upstream, enterprise-ready implementation of the Gateway API based on Envoy Gateway. Calico Ingress Gateway provides a standardized, vendor-neutral approach to ingress management, and delivers more functionality than traditional ingress controllers, from load balancing and failover strategies to rate limiting. Streamlined access to Calico Cloud With the release of Calico OSS 3.30, Tigera enables any open source cluster running Calico 3.30 to seamlessly connect to the free forever edition of Calico Cloud without installing any additional components. Calico Cloud free forever edition provides read-only, stateless access to clusters to manage policies, visualize workload communication with Service Graph and automatically generate recommended policies for namespace isolation. "At Tigera, we are dedicated to providing the open source community with the tools needed to scale Kubernetes environments efficiently and securely," said Phil DiCorpo, Senior Director of Product Management at Tigera. "The extensive updates to Calico Open Source announced today solidifies this commitment. These latest enhancements will provide organizations with unmatched visibility into the traffic within their clusters, simplify microsegmentation and namespace isolation capabilities, and deliver comprehensive ingress management." Don't miss out on the enhanced features and improved performance of Calico OSS 3.30. Update now to take full advantage of the cutting-edge capabilities and ensure your organization stays ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Learn more about Calico Open Source's new capabilities here . Meet Tigera at KubeCon Europe 2025 Register for CalicoCon 2025: On April 1, Tigera will host CalicoCon 2025 , an immersive event led by the Calico team, where attendees will gain education, training, and best practices on Kubernetes networking, security, and observability. This event is a co-located event at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2025, but is open to anyone. Those who plan to be at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe can register for CalicoCon by adding it to their existing registration using the CNCF portal . Those not attending KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe can still participate virtually by registering for the CalicoCon virtual experience . Meet Tigera at Booth S330: To discuss Calico's latest Kubernetes network security and observability advancements, visit Tigera at KubeCon Europe 2025 at Booth S330. About Tigera Tigera provides Calico, a unified network security and observability platform to prevent, detect and mitigate security breaches in Kubernetes clusters. Tigera's open-source offering, Calico Open Source , is the most widely adopted container networking and security solution. Powering more than 100M containers across 8M+ nodes in 166 countries, Calico software is supported across all major cloud providers and Kubernetes distributions, and is used by leading companies including Discover, Chipotle, NBCUniversal, HanseMerkur, Box, Siemens Healthineers, Playtech, Royal Bank of Canada, and Bell Canada. Media Contact Katherine Benfield ICR for Tigera [email protected] SOURCE Tigera Research-backed journaling app offers a safe and supportive environment for self-reflection to enhance teens' emotional processing amid ongoing mental health crisis SAN MATEO, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Child Mind Institute, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), launched Mirror, a free, intuitive mental health journaling app designed specifically for teens. Backed by Child Mind Institute's clinical expertise and available in English and Spanish, Mirror aims to enhance emotional processing and provide a supportive environment for self-reflection. Through text, voice, image, or video entries, daily mood tracking, guided prompts, and more, Mirror allows users a safe and secure space to self-express and understand patterns. Studies have shown that journaling helps restore physiological balance and improves control of emotional responses, potentially reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Additionally, journaling serves as a personal learning tool to help privately clarify thoughts, feelings, and actions. Mirror is not a replacement for therapy, but a tool to empower youth to take an active role in their mental health journey. "Young people today are navigating unprecedented times, growing up with social media's relentless pressure to curate a perfect life and the constant exposure to hateful, divisive content. Mirror offers an alternative to social media - an evidence-based, private space for self-reflection and emotional processing without the noise and judgment of traditional social platforms. Mirror is a part of California's strategy to support our youth's mental health, including our work with the Child Mind Institute on California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids as well as the California Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids video series. Together, these and other tools provide young people and their families with real solutions to manage and improve their well-being," said California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. "The youth mental health crisis is ongoing, and there's a clear need for accessible mental health support for teens," said Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute. "We understand that journaling can serve as a tool for self-expression, emotional regulation, and personal growth, especially when paired with mood tracking. With Mirror, teens have an accessible and private space to express themselves freely in writing, videos, or voice recordings to explore their emotions and develop self-awareness without fear of external judgment." Mirror was developed in close collaboration with adolescents, including those involved in the Child Mind Institute's Youth Mental Health Academy. Teens assisted with the selection of final app features and participated in regular workshops to review designs and select new prompts and greetings. They also took part in a beta testing program to gather ongoing user feedback and product usage statistics. While participating in a recent panel on stress reduction techniques and mental health fitness held at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Sophia Hartwell, UCLA student athlete, said, "I use the guided journaling as an outlet and to hone my focus in on the specific question that I need to answer. Then I can finally organize all of my thoughts and feel ready to go into the day with a goal and a plan to achieve it. I feel like the guided journaling helps me with that." Key Features of Mirror include: Multi-Modal Journaling : Self-expression through text, voice, image, or video entries. : Self-expression through text, voice, image, or video entries. Mood Check-in : Track daily emotions easily in the app. : Track daily emotions easily in the app. Guided Journaling : Prompts designed to encourage self-reflection, emotional processing, and creative expression. : Prompts designed to encourage self-reflection, emotional processing, and creative expression. Insights : Visualizations of mood patterns over time and summaries of entries provide clarity. : Visualizations of mood patterns over time and summaries of entries provide clarity. Crisis Detection and Support: Quick access to emergency contacts and helplines, in addition to tailored entry summaries and support notifications using clinician-recommended language. All Mirror user data are encrypted. Teens' journal entries are theirs alone, are not monitored or stored by app developers or staff and are deleted from servers immediately after processing. Mirror is supported by both DHCS and the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI), California's comprehensive approach to transforming access to behavioral health services and supports where lives are lived, including homes, communities, schools, health care settings, and online. WHERE TO FIND THE MIRROR APP: Mirror is available now on the App Store - Mirror Journaling + Insights and Google Play Store - Mirror Journaling + Insights for users older than age 13. ABOUT CHILD MIND INSTITUTE: Child Mind Institute is the leading independent nonprofit in children's mental health, providing gold-standard, evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year, training educators in underserved communities, and developing open science initiatives and tomorrow's breakthrough treatments. To learn more about the Child Mind Institute, please visit childmind.org. Also, visit Child Mind Institute on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Reporters with questions may contact the Child Mind Institute press team at [email protected]. ABOUT THE CYBHI: The CYBHI is part of Governor Gavin Newsom's Master Plan for Kids' Mental Health, a historic investment in the mental health and well-being of California's children and youth. CYBHI is intended to transform the way California supports children, youth and families. Built on a foundation of equity and accessibility, the CYBHI works to reimagine a more integrated, youth-centered system that meets the needs of all young people, particularly those who face the greatest systemic barriers to wellness. The initiative aims to enable California kids to find support for their mental health and substance use needs where, when and in the way they need it most. Learn more about Governor Gavin Newsom's and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom's Mental Health Movement for California. SOURCE Child Mind Institute ZURICH, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb Limited (NYSE: CB) will hold its first quarter earnings conference call on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. The company expects to issue its first quarter earnings release and financial supplement after the market closes on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. These documents will be available on the company's investor website at investors.chubb.com. The earnings conference call will be available via live webcast at investors.chubb.com or by dialing 877-400-4403 (within the United States) or 332-251-2601 (international), passcode 1641662. Please refer to the Chubb website under Events and Presentations for details. A replay will be available after the call at the same location. To listen to the replay, click here to register and receive dial-in numbers. About Chubb Chubb is a world leader in insurance. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. The company is defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb employs approximately 43,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com. SOURCE Chubb Limited VANCOUVER, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- City Office REIT, Inc. (NYSE: CIO) ("City Office" or the "Company") announced today it will release its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, before the market opens on Friday, May 2, 2025. City Office's management will hold a conference call at 11:00 am Eastern Time on May 2, 2025 to discuss the Company's financial results. Additionally, a supplemental financial package to accompany the discussion of the results will be posted on www.cioreit.com. Webcast Click on the webcast link under the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website at www.cioreit.com. Telephone Conference Call Domestic: 1-833-470-1428 International: 1-404-975-4839 Passcode: 926092 Please dial in at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. Conference Call Replay Domestic: 1-866-813-9403 International: 1-929-458-6194 Passcode: 647190 A replay of the call will be available later in the day on May 2, 2025, continuing through July 31, 2025. A replay will also be available at "Webcasts & Events" in the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website. About City Office REIT, Inc. City Office REIT is an internally-managed real estate company focused on acquiring, owning and operating office properties located predominantly in Sun Belt markets. City Office currently owns or has a controlling interest in 5.4 million square feet of office properties. The Company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Contact City Office REIT, Inc. Anthony Maretic, CFO +1-604-806-3366 [email protected] SOURCE City Office REIT, Inc. New elite designation recognizes the highest certification in cloud native LONDON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software, today announced the Golden Kubestronaut program, a distinguished recognition for professionals who have demonstrated the highest level of expertise in Kubernetes, cloud native technologies, and Linux administration. As organizations increasingly rely on cloud native technologies, the demand for skilled professionals continues to rise. According to Portworx, a member of CNCF, in its The Voice of Kubernetes Experts Report 2024 , 80% of organizations plan to build most of their new applications on cloud native platforms within the next five years. Additionally, 75% of businesses reported facing challenges in Kubernetes adoption due to a shortage of skilled personnel, highlighting the critical need for expertise in this space. Organizations hiring Golden Kubestronauts can be confident they are bringing on professionals with the most comprehensive cloud native skill set available. "As more companies utilize cloud native technologies for their most critical projects, continuous learning is essential," said Chris Aniszczyk, CTO, CNCF. "The Golden Kubestronaut program recognizes the most dedicated professionals who have achieved the broadest possible expertise across Kubernetes, Linux, cloud native security, observability, and platform engineering. By setting a new benchmark, this program strengthens both the CNCF community and the industry's trust in certified cloud native professionals." The Golden Kubestronaut program builds on the success of the Kubestronaut program ; launched in 2024 to recognize professionals who earned all five Kubernetes-related CNCF certifications. With 1500 Kubestronauts in just one year, CNCF is taking its certification ecosystem to the next level by celebrating those who go beyond Kubernetes expertise and master the full CNCF certification portfolio. To qualify as a Golden Kubestronaut, candidates must successfully complete all 13 CNCF certifications available to date, as well as the Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS) certification to ensure strong foundational Linux skills. As certifications evolve and new ones are added, individuals will not lose their distinction, ensuring they are recognized for their dedication and expertise in cloud native technologies. Golden Kubestronauts gain exclusive benefits that reinforce their leadership in the cloud native space. Perks include specialized branded gear, such as a commemorative backpack and beanie, a ThriveOne subscription for continued professional development, and ongoing discounts on CNCF certifications. Additionally, they receive a free annual ticket to a Kubernetes Community Days (KCD) of their choice, 50% off KubeCon registration for life, and a featured listing on the Kubestronaut website. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation recognizes the inaugural class of Golden Kubestronautsprofessionals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and expertise across the CNCF certification portfolio. The following individuals have achieved this recognition: Aman Pasi , R&D Development Engineer, Dassault Systemes , R&D Development Engineer, Dassault Systemes Andrei Pirjol, Senior Data DevOps Engineer, Entain Group Ant Smith, DevOps Engineer, Apple Christian Huth , Senior Cloud Native Platform Engineer, cloud37 , Senior Cloud Native Platform Engineer, cloud37 David Pech , Staff Cloud Ops Engineer, Wrike , Staff Cloud Ops Engineer, Wrike Francois Meulenberg, Cloud Consultant, Greater B.V. Jana Vonsak, DevSecOps Engineer, Deutsche Telekom Cloud Services Kasper Borg Nissen , Developer Relations Engineer, Dash0 , Developer Relations Engineer, Dash0 Kim Sondrup , Platform Engineer, Kamstrup , Platform Engineer, Kamstrup Leo Paillier, Senior Sales Engineer, Datadog ukasz Adamski, Senior DevOps Manager, GSK Mark Hjer Hansen, Consultant, Netic Ole Mathias Heggem , System Consultant, Redpill Linpro , System Consultant, Redpill Linpro Pedro Celestin, Principal SRE, CLDF Rahul Kumar , Senior Architect, McKinsey & Company , Senior Architect, McKinsey & Company Raja Ravindra Kathi , Software Engineer, Addverb , Software Engineer, Addverb Ramiro Alvarez Fernandez , Staff Platform Engineer & Advisor, Empathy.co & Resizes , Staff Platform Engineer & Advisor, Empathy.co & Resizes Roberto Magallanes , Technology Engineer, Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP) , Technology Engineer, Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP) Sajeeva Nambadawa Vithanage, Founder, CERTDIRECTORY.IO Shinji Aibara , Expert, NS Solutions Corporation , Expert, NS Solutions Corporation Thorben Von Hacht , DevOps Engineer, Apple , DevOps Engineer, Apple Ulises Martinez Araiza , Production Engineer, Meta , Production Engineer, Meta Willian Marchan Aranda , Systems Engineer, Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP) Beyond individual recognition, the Golden Kubestronaut program strengthens the CNCF certification ecosystem and supports the continued growth of the cloud native industry. By incentivizing professionals to pursue the full range of CNCF certifications, the program expands the certified talent pool, increases engagement in CNCF's training and events, and further establishes CNCF as the industry standard for cloud native education. In addition to this program, CNCF is also making significant updates to its certification offerings: Cloud Native Certified Platform Engineering Associate (CNPA) : First announced at KubeCon North America in Salt Lake City , the CNPA certification is designed to validate the skills of cloud native platform engineers. The certification is now available for purchase. : First announced at KubeCon North America in , the CNPA certification is designed to validate the skills of cloud native platform engineers. The certification is for purchase. Kubernetes Training Partner (KTP) Program Update : CNCF is updating the KTP program to better reflect changes in the cloud native ecosystem and to provide additional support and benefits to training partners. For more information visit https://www.cncf.io/training/kubernetes-training-partners/ : CNCF is updating the KTP program to better reflect changes in the cloud native ecosystem and to provide additional support and benefits to training partners. For more information visit Academic Accreditation Program : CNCF and OpenSSF have launched a joint initiative to accredit higher education curricula focused on cloud native technologies and security. Applications are now open. More information is available at: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/academic-computing-accreditation : CNCF and OpenSSF have launched a joint initiative to accredit higher education curricula focused on cloud native technologies and security. Applications are now open. More information is available at: Kubernetes African Developer Training Program: CNCF continues to support global access to training through its collaboration with Andela. Announced in November 2024 , the program's goal is to train 20,00030,000 African-based technologists on Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) and Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) over the next 23 years. Training for the 2025 class starts on Monday, May 5th 2025 and will train developers across 46 countries across Africa with Nigeria , Kenya , and South Africa topping the list. Andela received over 6400 applications within four days of launching the program reflecting a strong demand for Kubernetes training in Africa . CNCF continues to support global access to training through its collaboration with Andela. Announced in , the program's goal is to train 20,00030,000 African-based technologists on Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) and Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) over the next 23 years. Training for the 2025 class starts on and will train developers across 46 countries across with , , and topping the list. Andela received over 6400 applications within four days of launching the program reflecting a strong demand for Kubernetes training in . Certified Open Developer on the Enterprise (CODE) Program: CNCF, in collaboration with the Linux Foundation , TODO , and Open Source Initiative (OSI), is introducing the CODE certification to provide enterprise developers with essential open source training. This program aims to equip professionals with the skills needed to contribute effectively to open source projects in enterprise environments. Individuals who want to advance their certification journey are encouraged to explore the program. More details are available on the CNCF Training and Certification page . Additional Resources About Cloud Native Computing Foundation Cloud native computing empowers organizations to build and run scalable applications with an open source software stack in public, private, and hybrid clouds. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosts critical components of the global technology infrastructure, including Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Envoy. CNCF brings together the industry's top developers, end users, and vendors and runs the largest open source developer conferences in the world. Supported by more than 800 members, including the world's largest cloud computing and software companies, as well as over 200 innovative startups, CNCF is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation. For more information, please visit www.cncf.io . The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Media Contact: Kaitlin Thornhill The Linux Foundation [email protected] SOURCE Cloud Native Computing Foundation New Technology Leverages Renewable Energy Solutions and Advances Conagra's Climate Change Goals CHICAGO, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) and Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE), a global leader in power solutions, today announced they will collaborate to utilize Bloom's fuel cell technology at Conagra's Troy and Archbold, Ohio production facilities. The 15-year PPA (power purchase agreement) will deploy approximately six megawatts and provide combustion-free electricity generation, supplying approximately 70% to 75% of the electricity needs at the Troy and Archbold facilities, while also projecting a 19% decrease in their greenhouse gas emissions. This initiative aligns with Conagra's 2030 science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets1, which have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, a leading corporate climate effort driving the transition to a zero-carbon economy. Bloom's fuel cells generate resilient, sustainable and predictable electricity without combustion, with "always-on" power reliability. Bloom's combustion-free fuel cells avoid the release of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and other particulate matter typically associated with combustion-based power generation methods. "We are delighted to partner with Conagra Brands, a leading branded food company," said Adam Colling, C&I Sector Leader at Bloom Energy. "Our collaboration underscores Bloom's commitment to providing clean and reliable energy solutions and driving economic value in grid-constrained regions like Ohio and the greater Midwest." "We are committed to channeling our operational efficiency efforts into strategic areas where we can make a significant impact across our production process. We expect Bloom's fuel cells to provide cleaner and reliable power at our Troy and Archbold facilities," said Christine Daugherty, vice president of sustainability at Conagra Brands. "Implementing this technology is a significant step towards achieving our science-based targets, supporting our pursuit of renewable energy solutions and reducing our environmental footprint." Complementing this project, Conagra established a $9 million Sustainability Capital Allowance program, which supports the company's production facilities in achieving their sustainability goals by investing in technologies that modernize its supply chain, reduce environmental impact and promote sustainable practices across its operations. Conagra's efforts to enhance sustainability at its production facilities are part of the company's broader Citizenship strategy, which encompasses a wide range of topics and is guided by four focus areas: Good Food, Responsible Sourcing, Better Planet and Stronger Communities. To learn more about Conagra's sustainability initiatives, visit https://www.conagrabrands.com/our-company/corporate-social-responsibility About Conagra Brands Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), is one of North America's leading branded food companies. We combine a 100-year history of making quality food with agility and a relentless focus on collaboration and innovation. The company's portfolio is continuously evolving to satisfy consumers' ever-changing food preferences. Conagra's brands include Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, and many more. As a corporate citizen, we aim to do what's right for our business, our employees, our communities, and the world. Headquartered in Chicago, Conagra Brands generated fiscal 2024 net sales of more than $12 billion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com. About Bloom Energy Bloom Energy empowers businesses and communities to responsibly take charge of their power needs. The company's leading solid oxide platform for distributed generation of electricity and hydrogen is changing the future of energy. Fortune 100 companies around the world turn to Bloom Energy as a trusted partner to deliver lower carbon electricity today and a net-zero future. For more information, visit www.BloomEnergy.com. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will" and "would" or the negative of these words or similar terms or expressions that concern Bloom's expectations, strategy, priorities, plans, or intentions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, expectations regarding percentage of electricity needs to be met by Bloom solutions and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties detailed in Bloom's SEC filings. More information on potential risks and uncertainties that may impact Bloom's business are set forth in Bloom's periodic reports filed with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2025, as well as subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC. Bloom assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update any such forward-looking statements. For more information, please contact: [email protected] Katja Gagen, Director Corporate Communications [email protected] 1 Conagra committed to reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 as compared to a fiscal year 2020 baseline. In addition, Conagra committed to reducing Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from purchased goods and services by 20% per metric tonne of material sourced within that same timeframe SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc. A 15-year milestone of collaboration and delivering value, service, and expertise to CoreTrust members, this partnership continues to enhance procurement practices and achieve outstanding results. NASHVILLE, Tenn. and FRAMINGHAM, Mass., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CoreTrust, a top group purchasing organization (GPO), and Staples, Inc., the nation's premier provider of workplace products and solutions, today announced the 15-year anniversary of their long-standing strategic partnership which was further extended last year in recognition of their commitment to continued collaboration. CoreTrust and Staples Partnership "Staples has been a trusted CoreTrust partner, consistently delivering great value, service, and expertise to our members," said Mahesh Shah, CEO of CoreTrust. "With approximately 500 new CoreTrust business members joining last yearand even faster growth this yearwe're thrilled to continue this strong partnership with our sole-source provider for office products, paper, and manufacturer-supported janitorial and sanitation supplies. Staples is a partner that can scale with us and consistently add value for our members." "CoreTrust is one of our strongest strategic partners and I have the highest level of respect for Mahesh and his team," said John Lederer, CEO, Staples, Inc. "Nearly half of the business we do today with CoreTrust members comes from our key categories, and we look forward to continuing to build on that success in adjacent categories like Breakroom, Technology, Furniture, Print and Promotional Products." CoreTrust invites businesses to explore the benefits of joining its procurement network. With free membership, instant access to pre-negotiated supplier contracts, spend analysis and tailored spend category recommendations, and easy onboarding, CoreTrust has helped thousands of organizations achieve greater cost savings and efficiency. Learn more at www.coretrustpg.com. About CoreTrust CoreTrust, a leading Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) since 2006, has been a trusted partner in indirect spend solutions, helping businesses, private equity firms, and suppliers save more and buy smarter. With over $8 billion in annual purchasing power and over 3,500 members, CoreTrust offers 125+ pre-negotiated contracts with top suppliers across key categories like corporate services, facilities, supply chain and logistics, HR, Pharmacy Benefit Management, technology, and travel. Members benefit from market-leading pricing and exclusive access to the CoreTrust Experience Platform (CXP), a digital marketplace featuring curated contracts and actionable insights for smarter procurement. Best of all, membership is free, delivering unparalleled savings and streamlined solutions for managing indirect spend. Learn more at www.coretrustpg.com and follow us on LinkedIn. About Staples For over 35 years, Staples has been a leader in workspace products and solutions and has thousands of experts who, paired with the latest technology innovations, help solve problems and move businesses forward. These experts make work easier, smarter, and more efficient for businesses of all sizes. The company operates in North America through eCommerce and direct sales and is headquartered near Boston, Massachusetts. Media Contacts: CoreTrust: 601 11th Avenue North, Suite 700 Nashville, TN 37203 [email protected] Staples: For Staples media inquiries, please contact [email protected] . SOURCE CoreTrust Eagle Railcar Services is a leading, independent provider of regulatorily mandated railcar repair and maintenance services in North America . . The Company is well-positioned to benefit from significant industry tailwinds, including growth in domestic industrial and chemicals activity, tightening rail safety regulation, and an increasing share of rail borne transportation across the United States . . EQT looks forward to partnering with founder and CEO Marc Walraven to support Eagle Railcar Services through its next phase of growth. STOCKHOLM, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT is pleased to announce that the EQT Infrastructure VI fund ('EQT') has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Eagle Railcar Services ('Eagle' or the 'Company'). Founded in 2001 by Marc and Joe Walraven, Eagle has grown from just one location in Elkhart, Texas to 13 full-service repair and maintenance facilities strategically located across the United States. Headquartered in Eastland, Texas, the Company now operates as a mission-critical, fully-integrated rail services facility network providing inspection, repair and maintenance services to railcars, ensuring the safe, efficient and low-carbon transport of hazardous and non-hazardous materials throughout the country. Now with c. 1,500 employees, Eagle serves as a trusted partner to customers across a diverse range of states and sectors, including chemicals, agriculture, energy and industrial manufacturing. Railcar maintenance is a highly resilient and growing market segment supported by thematic tailwinds, including increased regulatory and stakeholder scrutiny on safety, and heightened industrial production and nearshoring. Alongside Marc and the entire Eagle team, EQT aims to solidify the Company's position as a leading, national railcar repair and maintenance facility network, and support its mission to enable the safe transit of essential commodities, reduce emissions through rail transport, and extend the lifespan of railcars. EQT will partner with Eagle's management team to position the Company for long-term success, leveraging its deep expertise in investing behind North American transportation and logistics assets to help unlock value creation across operational excellence, automation and digitization, and geographic growth. Neha Jatar, Managing Director within EQT's Infrastructure Advisory Team, said: "Eagle utilizes its network of repair and maintenance facilities to provide regulated and essential services to owners of railcars, facilitating the safe transportation of chemicals and other materials that are critical to the global economy. We are excited by the opportunity to partner with Marc and the management team to support Eagle's network of facilities, employees, and customers in their next phase of growth." Marc Walraven, CEO of Eagle Railcar Services, said: "Partnering with EQT marks an exciting new chapter for Eagle. EQT's deep industry expertise and investment capabilities will help fuel our continued growth, enhance our service offerings, and expand our footprint. Together, we are committed to continuing to deliver superior value to our customers." The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals. It is expected to close in Q2 2025. EQT was advised by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. With this transaction, EQT Infrastructure VI is expected to be 45-50 percent invested (including closed and/or signed investments, announced public offers, if applicable, and less any expected syndication). Contact EQT Press Office, [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com. https://news.cision.com/eqt/r/eqt-to-acquire-eagle-railcar-services-from-jm-texas-companies,c4128408 The following files are available for download: SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- San Diego mother Tracey Mueller Gibbs shared the heartbreaking story of her two-year-old son's death due to medical negligence and her inability to find accountability for his death in a letter to San Diego Senator Dr. Akilah Weber Piersen. Weber Piersen will be voting in the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday on SB 29, which seeks to extend the right of families to recover pain and suffering compensation when their loved one dies from medical negligence. The right was added to the law 9 years after the death of Gibbs' son Rowan. Had it been in effect, Gibbs believes she could have found an attorney to take her case. "Following the heartbreaking loss of my son, I tried to find legal representation, yet I was met with refusal at every turn," Gibbs wrote. "This painful experience ignited my passion to advocate for the reform of the medical negligence cap in 2022. I will forever carry the weight of that despairing moment when no one stepped forward to help me seek accountability for my son's death. My deepest wish is that no other mother must endure such a struggle." Read Gibb's letter here. Gibbs wrote, "Rowan was diagnosed with Williams syndrome, which necessitated a series of routine diagnostic tests throughout his young life. Remarkably, aside from these tests, Rowan had not required any special medical attention since he was just five days old. When his doctor ordered an outpatient CT scan to be conducted under general anesthesia, Ia concerned and informed motherunderstood the inherent risks of administering anesthesia to a child with Williams syndrome. I voiced my concerns to my son's provider and requested a non-anesthetic option instead, but regrettably, my request was denied." Rowan Gibbs approached life with the boundless wonder of a two-year-old. His mother recalled, "On the morning of Rowan's procedure, my son walked into the hospital, radiating joy as he greeted everyone he encountered. He could hardly contain his excitement. He planned on picking up his sister from school after his test and then going to see the beautiful Christmas lights at the zoo." Despite Tracey voicing her deep concerns to her son's physician and advocating for alternative testing, her pleas went unheeded, leading to a heartbreaking tragedy. "The anesthesiologist reassured me, saying she was fully aware of the risks associated with anesthesia and had no concerns about Rowan. Yet, in a heartbeat, my world shattered. As I stood by my son's bedside, I heard his last gasp. Rowan went into cardiac arrest, due to a reaction to the anesthesia that stole him away from us. He never had the chance to experience the magic of the Christmas lights; he left this world at just two years old." Rowan Gibbs tragically lost his life during a CT scan, leaving his mother, Tracey, heartbroken and searching for justice. In the wake of this devastating loss, she encountered numerous challenges in finding a lawyer willing to take her case, all due to the restrictive cap on pain and suffering damages in medical negligence lawsuits and the inability at the time to recover for the pain and suffering of a loved one who has died. When no one stepped forward to help Tracey seek accountability for her son's tragic death, she transformed her heartbreak into a powerful advocacy. Joining forces with mothers from across the state, she played a role in the successful campaign to change the medical negligence cap in 2022. Tracey and her fellow mothers are speaking out in support of SB 29 (Laird) a permanent extension of the existing law, ensuring that grieving families retain their access to the courtroom and that future families can seek the accountability they deserve. Their voices resonate with strength and determination, calling for justice in the face of profound loss. The medical establishment has rallied against SB 29, despite the fact that even today with the right to collect pre-death pain and suffering survivors of medical negligence still have a difficult time finding attorneys to take their case. Consumer Watchdog submitted a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of SB. 29, which can be found here. SOURCE Consumer Watchdog Breakfast, brunch, and lunch franchise signs 3-unit deal in Arizona , marking its furthest west expansion yet , marking its furthest west expansion yet A new franchise deal in Northern Virginia will strengthen the brand's existing footprint in the Southeast will strengthen the brand's existing footprint in the Southeast The better breakfast franchise's recent growth earned recognition on the 2025 Inc. Regionals List for the Mid-Atlantic CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Famous Toastery, the nationally-renowned better breakfast franchise known for its Famously Fresh and simple-scratch menu, is laying the foundation for significant nationwide growth in 2025 after kicking off the year with two new franchise agreements to add a total of four new restaurants between Arizona and Northern Virginia. After achieving impressive franchise growth and development in recent years, expanding into a national brand, Famous Toastery has ranked at #104 on the 2025 Inc. Regionals List for the Mid-Atlantic. "The first quarter of 2025 has already brought significant momentum for Famous Toastery." Post this Famous Toastery kicked off 2025 with two new franchise agreements to add a total of four new restaurants between Arizona and Northern Virginia. For information about Famous Toastery, visit FamousToastery.com. To learn about franchising opportunities, visit FamousToasteryFranchise.com. Nationwide Expansion Among the recent development agreements is a 3-unit deal to introduce Famous Toastery to the state of Arizona. This marks the brand's third franchise development deal in six months, including two separate agreements to expand beyond its Southeastern roots. In late 2024, retired Army Officer Rachell Bonds signed a franchise agreement to develop a location in San Antonio. That location is on track to open by early 2026, further cementing Famous Toastery's transformation into a national franchise. Famous Toastery additionally signed a franchise agreement in Northern Virginia, reinforcing the brand's roots in its home region. The better breakfast franchise also continues to see organic growth from within, as evidenced by the Cary location's transition from corporate to franchise-owned operations. This shift reflects the strength of the franchise system, and the confidence of operators in the brand's long-term success. "The first quarter of 2025 has already brought significant momentum for Famous Toastery, setting the stage for continued growth," said Mike Sebazco, President of Famous Toastery. "Solidifying our presence in Northern Virginia, making our debut in Arizona, and preparing to open our first location in Texas are all important steps in our mission to bring our Famously Fresh, simple-scratch breakfast and brunch experience to even more communities across the country." 2024 was a defining year for Famous Toastery, establishing the momentum that's fueled these new development deals. In fact, the brand's growth trajectory following last year's signed agreements for seven new locations will expand its existing footprint by about 30%. That growth can be directly attributed to Famous Toastery's recognition on this year's Inc. Regionals List, a prestigious list that ranks the fastest-growing privately held companies over a two-year period. An Elevated Brand Experience Famous Toastery is continuing to roll out its bright, modern new look across its restaurants this year. Introduced in late 2024, Famous Toastery's brand refresh features two vibrant new logos with bold oranges and complementary teals, a revamped core and cocktail menu, as well as a digital overhaul, including a new loyalty program designed to elevate the guest experience. Now in phase two, the refresh is focusing on updating restaurant interiors to establish an inviting and contemporary in-person dining atmosphere. "Every aspect of our brand refresh was designed with our guests in mind," said Lorna Martinez, Vice President of Marketing. "Shaped by guest feedback, every element of this refresh from the colors and logo, to the digital layout and menu design aims to enhance the overall experience. We want to ensure every visit to Famous Toastery feels fresh, welcoming, and true to what our guests love most about us." Strengthening Community Commitment Famous Toastery's commitment to giving back to the community took center stage in 2024. Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene in the brand's home market in September, Famous Toastery immediately jumped into action, raising funds supporting the Boone Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The brand's charitable initiatives for the region continued throughout the remainder of the year, as Famous Toastery held a meaningful giveback campaign for Feeding the Carolinas in the fight against food insecurity. Famous Toastery team members also dedicated time to volunteer with the organization and make a hands-on impact. "As a Charlotte-founded brand with deep ties to the Carolinas, it was important for us to step up in a meaningful way," said Sebazco. "Restaurants have a natural role to play in fighting food insecurity, and we're proud to support an organization making a real difference in our home region." For more information about Famous Toastery, please visit FamousToastery.com. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit FamousToasteryFranchise.com. Follow @FamousToastery on social media to be a part of future contests, giveaways, and more. ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY Charlotte, N.C. based Famous Toastery is a breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise that encourages its guests, team and franchise owners to "Be Famous" in their local community by offering Famously Fresh meals and a much-needed hub for friends, families and neighbors to get together in a comfortable atmosphere where "every server is your server." The brand began in 2005 before evolving into a franchise system in 2013 and growing to over 25 locations today. In 2023, Famous Toastery was awarded the naming sponsorship rights for The Famous Toastery Bowl played at UNC Charlotte. Famous Toastery has earned recognition from Franchise Times Top 400 Rankings (2024), International Franchise Association Franchisee of the Year (2023), Restaurant Business' The Future 50 (2019, 2020), Entrepreneur Magazine's Top Food Franchises (2019) and Franchise 500 Rankings (2019, 2022). For more information about Famous Toastery, visit FamousToastery.com. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit FamousToasteryFranchise.com. ABOUT WON LIFE BRANDS Won Life Brands, Famous Toastery's parent company, is a premier growth and development company focused on delivering excellent experiences in the communities it serves. Won Life Brands operates company-owned properties and offers franchise opportunities across their brands, which includes Famous Toastery, Cartridge World, Flour Power, BBS: Your Big Burger Spot, Abby's Better Nut Butter and VaVia. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.WonLifeBrands.com. SOURCE Famous Toastery WASHINGTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HCI Equity Partners, a leading lower-middle-market private equity firm, today announced that five of its businesses have been featured on Inc. 5000's 2025 regional list of fastest-growing private companies in America. These awards honor privately held emerging companies by region for their formidable growth over a two-year period. HCI's portfolio companies, which are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2021 to 2023, earned recognition in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast regions. The recognized platforms are Consolidated Hospitality Supplies, Driven Distribution Group, MSI Express, Regent Cabinet Solutions, and Tech24. "We are thrilled to see five of our portfolio companies receive well-earned recognition for their remarkable growth," stated Doug McCormick, Managing Partner and CIO of HCI Equity Partners. "These awards underscore the success of HCI's growth strategy, and our continued commitment to partnering with managers and entrepreneurs on acquisitions and investments in organic initiatives that build durable, scalable businesses." Midwest Consolidated Hospitality Supplies (CHS) placed #67 on the Midwest regional list. CHS is a distribution company that provides operating supplies and equipment to hotel and motel properties throughout North America. CHS offers its customers a diverse product portfolio with over 3,600 different SKUs within categories that include bed and bath linens, guest care amenities, housekeeping supplies, in-room accessories, electronics and appliances, and foodservice supplies. CHS goes to market with two leading brands, American Hotel Register and Amtex. From 2021 to 2023, CHS' revenue grew 86%. MSI Express placed #124 on the Midwest regional list. MSI Express is a food and beverage manufacturing and packaging company that provides engineering solutions to America's leading food and beverage brands. The company specializes in dry foods blending and packaging, liquid packaging and bottle filling, vitamins and supplements, dry pet food packaging and secondary packaging for its fast, cost-effective manufacturing and packaging solutions. From 2021 to 2023, MSI Express's revenue grew 32%. In March 2025, HCI Equity Partners sold MSI Express to Nonantum Partners. Northeast Regent Cabinet Solutions placed #63 on the Northeast regional list. Regent is a turnkey, end-to-end custom cabinetry, countertop and hardware provider for multi-family developers, contractors, renovators, and property owners. The company manages the design, manufacturing, installation, and punch-out for exceptional new multi-family developments and property upgrades with over 120,000 successful installations to-date. Regent was founded in 2012 by CEO Reuvan Sternstein and has facilities in Maryland and Georgia. From 2021 to 2023, Regent's revenue grew 129%. Southeast Driven Distribution Group placed #164 on the Southeast regional list. Driven Distribution Group is a warehouse distributor of automotive aftermarket hard parts, consumables, and accessories. The platform focuses on delivering operational excellence, outstanding customer service, and fostering an innovative, growth-oriented environment. By uniting strong brands under one umbrella, Driven Distribution aims to create a leading platform in the automotive aftermarket industry. Driven Distribution Group's revenue grew 44% from 2021 to 2023. Tech24 placed #102 on the Southeast regional list. Tech24 is a provider of installation, preventative maintenance and repair services for foodservice facilities across the US. The company specializes in cooking, refrigeration, beverage and specialty foodservice equipment; it also performs HVAC, electrical and plumbing services. Tech24's revenue grew 105% from 2021 to 2023 through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth initiatives. To view the full list of winners and database, visit www.inc.com/regionals. About Inc. Inc. Business Media is the leading multimedia brand for entrepreneurs. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of our community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating our future. Inc.'s award-winning work achieves a monthly brand footprint of more than 40 million across a variety of channels, including events, print, digital, video, podcasts, newsletters, and social media. Its proprietary Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since its launch as the Inc. 100 in 1982, analyzes company data to rank the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The recognition that comes with inclusion on this and other prestigious Inc. lists, such as Female Founders and Power Partners, gives the founders of top businesses the opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. For more information, visit www.inc.com. Disclaimer: Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 List is a published list of U.S. fast-growing companies. HCI has paid a fee for our portfolio companies to be considered for this recognition. This recognition is based on the analysis of and information gathered by Inc. Magazine using its own criteria and methodologies, comparing revenue growth from 2021 to 2023. The complete list of companies considered for this award is not known to HCI. There is no guarantee that similar awards will be obtained by HCI in the future. Portfolio companies should make their own determinations about the prospects of partnering with HCI. Contact: Caroline Luz [email protected] 203-570-6462 SOURCE HCI Equity Partners With layoffs hitting record levels, AI transforming workplaces, and shifting employee expectations, McLean & Company's newly released HR Guide to Scenario Planning provides HR leaders with actionable strategies to navigate rapidly evolving workplace trends. The guide offers a structured four-step framework, empowering HR professionals to define clear objectives, conduct detailed analyses, develop comprehensive future scenarios, and implement responsive action plans. TORONTO, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - As organizations grapple with complex workforce challenges from mass layoffs to ethical dilemmas posed by rapid AI adoption global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company has released its insightful HR Guide to Scenario Planning. This practical guide is designed specifically to assist HR professionals and organizational leaders in anticipating trends, preparing for various future scenarios, and strategically positioning their organizations for sustainable success. McLean & Companys four-step scenario planning cycle equips HR leaders with a repeatable, structured approach to anticipate future challenges and respond with agility. The process includes setting clear objectives, scanning the environment for key trends, developing plausible scenarios, and evaluating strategic initiatives to build organizational resilience. (CNW Group/McLean & Company) While news headlines comment on disruptions across tech, finance, and healthcare, HR strategy continues to evolve to accommodate organizational shifts, such as moving away from remote and hybrid work and dealing with ongoing challenges with employee burnout and engagement. The firm's new guide offers HR teams a repeatable process to help them prepare for a broad range of emerging scenarios. "HR executives and their teams today face complex challenges that require strategic foresight rather than reactive responses and delayed decision-making," says Maureen Cahill, senior managing partner, Executive Services at McLean & Company. "Our scenario planning research provides HR leaders with practical frameworks to anticipate significant business and workforce shifts, adapt with agility, and proactively prepare the organization to not only survive but thrive amidst a continual sea of change." The firm's recently published HR Guide to Scenario Planning outlines a clear four-step process to help HR respond effectively to evolving organizational challenges: Set the Objective: Engage key players, review factors that give rise to scenario planning, and determine the scope by identifying the internal and external elements prompting the need for strategic foresight. Scan the Environment: Conduct a thorough environmental scan to uncover key elements and trends in the macro environment, industry, and organization that will shape future scenarios, and prioritize those elements for planning. Develop Scenarios: Use a structured spectrum approach to create detailed, plausible future narratives that reflect the interaction of key elements and identify leading indicators that signal which scenario may be unfolding. Evaluate Initiatives and Prepare Action Plans: Prepare flexible, scenario-specific action plans and determine which initiatives the organization must start, stop, or continue in response to unfolding conditions, while embedding scenario planning into daily operations. The question for today's HR leaders isn't just whether they are prepared for the next challenge but how effectively they can anticipate it and act decisively. Scenario planning supplies organizations with the tools they need to navigate challenges and emerge more agile and better positioned to shape the future of work. By equipping HR professionals with a rigorous yet flexible methodology, McLean & Company's scenario planning approach helps organizations stay one step ahead in a constantly shifting world of work. To access the full HR Guide to Scenario Planning resource, please contact [email protected]. For Analyst Interview Queries For media inquiries or to connect with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights on scenario planning, the future of work, and HR priorities, please contact Communications Manager Katie Tame at [email protected]. About McLean & Company McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership to HR leaders to HR team members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives. McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group. Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected]. SOURCE McLean & Company PHILADELPHIA, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger Montague, a national plaintiffs' law firm, is pleased to announce that Joel M. Sweet has returned to the Firm after serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for more than two decades. Mr. Sweet will be focusing on the firm's highly successful False Claims Act, Qui Tam, & Whistleblower, Consumer Protection, and Securities Fraud practices. "Joel's return strengthens multiple practice areas, including our consumer protection group and our False Claims Act, Qui Tam, & Whistleblower team," said Berger Montague Chairman Eric Cramer. "We have had tremendous success across these areas recently, including phenomenal whistleblower victories such as our $1.6 billion jury trial win against Janssen, and our $100 million PharMerica settlement. Joel brings even more fire power, depth, and insight to our nationally recognized False Claims Act team led by Sherrie Savett and to multiple other practice areas. We look forward to continuing to succeed on behalf of shareholders and consumers, as well as in protecting the integrity of governmental programs, and recovering even more for taxpayers and our whistleblower clients in the future." "I could not be more excited to return to Berger Montague, where I was hard-wired as a young lawyer to be creative, tenacious, ethical, and always to pursue justice. The opportunity to return to work with brilliant colleagues to protect the rights of taxpayers, consumers, investors, and borrowers essentially is a continuation of my career in public service." As an Assistant U.S. Attorney for 21 years, Mr. Sweet represented the United States in dozens of successful False Claims Act cases concerning misconduct by health care companies, defense contractors, and other federal contractors and grantees. Mr. Sweet also prosecuted, civilly and criminally, banks and payment processors complicit in consumer fraud, as well as illegal online payday lenders. Mr. Sweet's efforts have led to the recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars for American taxpayers and defrauded consumers. Mr. Sweet's success and innovative strategies fighting consumer fraud led to the U.S. Attorney General to appoint Mr. Sweet to design and lead an aggressive national consumer protection initiative. Working from the Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch, Mr. Sweet led a team of prosecutors and law enforcement agents in an effort the New York Times described as an "important strategy designed to protect depositors from unauthorized withdrawals from their banks accounts." Mr. Sweet also represented the United States in hundreds of cases brought against the United States in federal court. These include wrongful death, medical malpractice, constitutional tort, employment discrimination, immigration, and other types of cases. In one particularly unique matter, Mr. Sweet successfully represented the United States in a case concerning the ownership of ten 1933 Double Eaglesthe last gold coins minted by the United Statesthat the government proved were stolen from the Mint in Philadelphia in 1933. Mr. Sweet began his career at Berger Montague in 1993 after graduating from Temple Law School. At the firm, he worked on In re: Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation, which resulted in a $1.25 billion settlement with Switzerland's three largest banks alleged to have illegally retained Holocaust victims' assets deposited at the banks, and laundered Jewish communal assets plundered by Nazis and their allies. After five years at a large Philadelphia defense firm, Mr. Sweet joined the U.S. Attorney's Office. Mr. Sweet also served as an adjunct professor of law teaching Health Care Fraud and Abuse at Villanova University's Charles Widger School of Law and at Drexel University's Kline School of Law, and as an adjunct clinical professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Carey School of Law. Please read more about Mr. Sweet and his experience here. Berger Montague is one of the nation's preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. The firm is active in the fields of antitrust, commercial litigation, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities, and whistleblower cases, among many other practice areas. For more than 50 years, Berger Montague has played lead roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $50 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE. Contact: Amy Wall-Monte 215.875.3021 [email protected] SOURCE Berger Montague WASHINGTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Family Research Council's (FRC) Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview, David Closson, released his new book, Life After Roe: Equipping Christians in the Fight for Life Today. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion has remained a defining issue in America's national discourse. Tragically, even among churchgoers, there is widespread confusion about what the Bible teaches on the sanctity of life. Life After Roe provides pastors, congregations, and believers with the biblical foundation and practical tools necessary to navigate the evolving political and cultural landscape. Drawing from Scripture's affirmation of the inherent value and dignity of every human being, Closson clarifies the Bible's teaching on the unborn and empowers Christians to confidently advocate for life. Closson commented on the release of his book: "Obedience to the Lord Jesus requires nothing less than active engagement in the greatest human rights issue of our day. The fight for life requires pastors preaching and applying what God's Word teaches about the sanctity of life. It requires Christian lawmakers advocating for just laws. It requires Christian citizens in every state bearing witness to the personhood of the unborn and the horrors of abortion. My prayer is that Life After Roe equips, empowers, and informs readers to stand for unborn children in their own families, churches, and communities." FRC President Tony Perkins endorsed Life After Roe, stating: "David's book provides a succinct yet engaging history of abortion in America, helpfully recounts how states responded to the overturning of Roe, and astutely examines the pressing issues still facing those of us engaged in the fight for life. I recommend this book to anyone with pro-life convictions and especially those with teaching and discipleship responsibilities." Dr. Albert Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, also praised the book: "David Closson is one of the bright young thinkers in the Christian world today, and Life After Roe is a very important argument for Christian involvement in the defense of unborn life. Clearly, what is needed at this hour is a reinvigorated, pro-life argument that is undergirded by Christian commitment and the quality of argument readers will find in this book." To purchase a copy of Life After Roe: Equipping Christians in the Fight for Life Today, please visit: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/life-after-roe-P005846462. To request an interview with the author, please email: [email protected] SOURCE Family Research Council SAN FRANCISCO, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FrogData today released the results of the implementation of its FixedOps Mojo platform at Winner Ford, a leading Ford dealership in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The outcome: a dramatic increase in profitability of $300,000 to $400,000 and an uplift of $30/hour in Effective Labor Rate (ELR)all within just eight months. This announcement highlights the transformative power of FixedOps Mojo, the next-generation Fixed Operations performance platform built on the FrogData Decision Analytics Platform (FDAP)the automotive industry's most advanced analytics engine, purpose-built for dealers. FrogData's FixedOps Mojo helped Winner Ford boost profits by $400K and ELR by $30/hour using AI-driven insights. Post this "We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Michelle Hatzis and the team at Winner Ford for placing their trust in FrogData and embracing the FixedOps Mojo platform," said Tej Soni, CEO of FrogData. "Their success is a testament to what's possible when a dealership pairs strong leadership with data-driven decision making. The results at Winner Ford clearly show how impactful FixedOps Mojo can be in driving profitability and operational excellence." From Insight to Impact: How Winner Ford Achieved Breakthrough Results Winner Ford implemented FixedOps Mojo to address a challenge faced by dealerships across the countrytransforming raw DMS data into clear, strategic decisions. By leveraging FixedOps Mojo's real-time analytics and AI-driven insights, Winner Ford was able to: Identify revenue leaks and plug profit drains and plug profit drains Standardize pricing using SmartMenu for consistency and transparency using SmartMenu for consistency and transparency Improve technician productivity through better job mix and dispatching through better job mix and dispatching Track key performance indicators (KPIs) in real-time to drive accountability One of the most impactful tools was the Dynamic KPI Dashboard, which enabled continuous evaluation of technician performance, upsell effectiveness, and service process efficiency. As a result, the dealership achieved: A $30 /hour increase in Effective Labor Rate A profitability increase of $300K to $400K annually Standardized pricing across services Enhanced service manager visibility into operational bottlenecks and productivity metrics Real Results, Real Voices "FrogData delivered actionable, easy-to-understand data that was crucial to improving our profitability," said Dr. Michelle Hatzis, President and CEO of Winner Ford. "FixedOps Mojo had a direct impact on our focus areasespecially our Effective Labor Rate, which increased by at least $30. That's real money." Built on FDAP The Leading Analytics Platform for Dealers FixedOps Mojo is powered by the FrogData Decision Analytics Platform (FDAP), trusted by over 1,000 dealerships nationwide. FDAP seamlessly integrates with major Dealer Management Systems (DMS), CRMs, and service management tools to: Deliver real-time, AI-powered insights Provide intuitive dashboards for service managers Enable fast, informed decision-making across operations Why This Matters for Dealerships Everywhere Fixed Operations is often the most profitable department in a dealershipbut also the most complex. Many dealers struggle to turn their operational data into meaningful, actionable decisions. That's where FixedOps Mojo stands apart. By combining advanced data analytics, the right technology platform (FDAP), and the deep domain expertise of the FrogData team, FixedOps Mojo gives dealers the tools they need to: Uncover hidden revenue opportunities Improve technician and advisor performance Track and exceed service KPIs Standardize pricing and optimize upsells Deliver consistent, high-quality customer experiences For dealers looking to boost profitability, improve operational consistency, and gain real-time visibility into performanceFixedOps Mojo is more than a reporting tool. It's a proven performance engine. About Winner Ford Winner Ford is a premier dealership in Cherry Hill, NJ, known for its commitment to customer satisfaction and operational excellence. The dealership continues to invest in technologies that improve both the customer and employee experience. About FrogData FrogData is the automotive industry's leading AI-powered analytics provider. Its flagship platform, the FrogData Decision Analytics Platform (FDAP), is used by over 1,000 dealerships to deliver intelligent, actionable insights across all departmentsdriving measurable improvements in performance and profitability. Learn more at www.frogdata.com Media Contact: FrogData Marketing Email: [email protected] SOURCE FrogData Nonprofit senior living organization ends fiscal year with "strong financial profile" GLENDALE, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Front Porch Communities and Services ended its fiscal year on March 31, 2025 after receiving an A rating from Fitch and an A- from Standard & Poor's. The ratings were based on the audit of Fiscal Year 2024 financials and affirm the ratings provided by the agencies in prior years. "The rating reflects our view of Front Porch's strong enterprise position following the fiscal 2022 acquisition of Covia, which solidified it as one of the largest not-for-profit senior living providers in the U.S. with 16 senior living communities, three active adult communities, and 32 affordable housing communities with total revenue of more than $400 million," Standard & Poor's reported. "In addition, the consolidation expanded and diversified Front Porch's footprint into desirable markets, increased scale, and should yield longer-term operational efficiencies as management continues with its strategic assessment and improvement plan." The Fitch report, which focuses primarily on Front Porch's 16 senior living communities, states that "The 'A' rating reflects Front Porch's sound financial performance, solid demand indicators, and diverse and sizable market position since completing its 2022 merger with Covia Communities." "The Stable Outlook reflects Fitch's expectation that Front Porch's diverse operating profile and solid demand will continue to support sound operating performance and a strong financial profile," the report continues. Front Porch Chief Financial Officer Ed Salvador says, "The stability of our ratings over the past number of years is reflective of how we address challenges short-term and long-term and how that fits within Front Porch's strategy." "These are dynamic times," says Front Porch CEO Sean Kelly. "In the past year we built and activated a strategic plan focusing on evolving culture and leadership; improving quality and performance; and preparing for growth. It's rewarding to have Fitch and S & P recognize past performance and more so, the value in our plans moving forward." About Front Porch Communities and Services Front Porch is a dynamic nonprofit organization, dedicated to empowering individuals to live connected and fulfilled lives through community and innovation. In support of this vision, Front Porch provides high-quality, accessible and affordable human services through senior living communities, affordable housing communities and other programs and services throughout the United States. Learn more at frontporch.net. Media Contact: Laura Darling, Vice President of Communications [email protected] 818-482-7597 SOURCE Front Porch BEIJING, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As China wraps up a week in which it hosted two top-level international forums - the China Development Forum (CDF) 2025 and the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Meeting 2025 - to drive home its commitment to high-quality opening-up and cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with representatives of the international business community in Beijing on Friday, telling them China's door will only open wider. In the meeting, Xi pointed out that the country, which is on a Chinese path to modernization in all respects, has been a major contributor to and anchor of stability for global growth for many years. Committed to the fundamental national policy of opening up to the world, China is advancing high-standard opening up and taking solid steps to expand institutional opening up, such as that of rules, regulations, management, and standards, Xi said. "China's door will only open wider. The policy of welcoming foreign investment has not changed and will not change," said the president. Having the world's second largest consumer market and largest middle-income group, China offers great potential for investment and consumption, Xi noted. With a commitment to high-quality development, China is accelerating green, digital and smart transformation, which, coupled with the country's sophisticated industrial ecosystem, provides the best testing ground for the latest outcomes of technological revolution and industrial upgrading, he said. Xi said China has developed sound regulations, policies and procedures for foreign investment, promoted trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and made active efforts to foster a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized. China enjoys long-standing political and social stability, and is widely recognized as one of the safest countries in the world, he added. Xi said all this shows that China offers a vast stage for business development, vast market prospects, stable policy outlook, and a secure environment, making it a favored choice for foreign investment and business operations. "China has been and will remain an ideal, secure, and promising destination for foreign investors. Embracing China is embracing opportunities, believing in China is believing in a better tomorrow, and investing in China is investing in the future," he said. Strong signal of further opening-up More than 40 representatives from global companies and business associations participated in Friday's meeting, and seven global executives from companies including US delivery company FedEx, German auto maker Mercedes-Benz Group, French pharma giant Sanofi, UK's HSBC, Japanese conglomerate Hitachi, South Korea's SK Hynix Semiconductor Inc and Saudi Arabia's Aramco delivered speeches during the meeting, according to Xinhua News Agency. "I was honored and happy to be part of the group of global CEOs meeting with President Xi. That shows the Chinese government attaches great importance to advancing high-level opening-up, its role in stabilizing the global economy and the foreign companies that invest in China, which is very encouraging," Ola Kallenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, told the Global Times on Friday. This year marks the 20th anniversary of our research and development (R&D) and production in China, we will continue to invest in China, create and share the development opportunities in the China market, Kallenius added. "I was deeply honored to meet President Xi Jinping this morning as a representative of the international business community. The meeting was held in a warm and open atmosphere, delivering a strong and clear message that the Chinese central government values the vital contributions and role of foreign enterprises and warmly welcomes our continued growth in China," Daniel Stieler, chairman of the board of directors of Brazilian mining giant Vale, told the Global Times on Friday. The Vale chairman said the company will continue to explore new opportunities for growth and collaboration in this dynamic [Chinese] market. Chinese experts said that as more foreign CEOs feel China's economic vibrancy through being on the scene and understand China's economic policies through the two sessions, the role of China's economy as an anchor of stability will be reinforced against the backdrop of an increasingly complicated global economic landscape. "The meeting sends a clear signal - China's high-quality opening-up will be to open to foreign-funded companies from all parts of the world, rather than just developed countries, as part of its efforts to build an open world economy," Wei Jianguo, former vice-minister of commerce and executive deputy director of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, told the Global Times on Friday. The message on improving business environment and ensuring fair market competition also carries significance, in a year in which China vowed on efforts to stabilize foreign investment, Wei said, adding that he predicted that more unilateral opening-up measures are likely to be rolled out this year and sectors such as service trade, services and healthcare could be the top sectors. Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Center for China and Globalization, a leading Chinese nongovernmental think tank, said the meeting, which took place after the annual two sessions earlier in March and a high-level symposium of China's private sector entrepreneurs in February, underlined that the Chinese central government has attached unrivaled importance to economic development, corporate and economic globalization, and internationalization. "China is once again sending a signal to the world of its continuous opening-up, and that the country will once again provide strong support for global economic growth," Wang said, noting that the message of further opening-up, expanding cooperation and seeking win-win results will bolster the confidence of foreign companies investing in China. Safe investment destination The CDF 2025 was held in Beijing from March 23 to 24 with the theme of "Unleashing Development Momentum for Stable Growth of Global Economy." Heads of some 80 multinational firms including Siemens, Apple, Samsung and Pfizer flocked to the event to seek new cooperation opportunities. Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank, said on the sideline of the CDF that China has a "specific path of growth and development and that is a good one." "China is a central part of our critical supply chain and we've been investing here for 30 years," Apple's Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams said during visits to the company's suppliers in East China's Jiangsu and Shandong provinces on Monday and Tuesday, according to Xinhua News Agency. "We will continue to invest in China in a big way." Many multinational companies, including UK-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, US pharma major Eli Lilly and German auto maker BMW, have recently inked new investment deals related to their projects in China in a vote of confidence in the immense opportunities the world's second-largest economy has to offer. At the BFA Annual Meeting 2025, in which a flagship report indicated that Asia's economy will grow by 4.5 percent in 2025, with its share rising to 48.6 percent among the world's economic output measured by purchasing power parity, participants expressed vocal support for free trade and cooperation as the global economy faces rising instability and uncertainty. Anchor of stability At the meeting on Friday, the Chinese President called on foreign-funded firms to play their part in maintaining stability of global industrial and supply chains. Cao Heping, an economist at Peking University, told the Global Times on Friday that in the face of mounting protectionist headwinds, economic uncertainties and economic coercion, China sent a strong message of supporting globalization, cooperation and stability this week with the holding of the two vital forums and the leader's meeting with executives of MNCs. "These have highlighted China's recognition of global talent and global firms that allocate resources across national borders as being essential to addressing the common challenges the world faces today, and are indispensable to global sci-tech innovation and make the pie of development bigger," Cao said, noting that the meeting acknowledged this vital fact. According to Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) data, the number of newly established foreign-funded enterprises in China increased by 9.9 percent year-on-year to reach 59,080 in 2024. In 2025, China will continue opening-up in sectors such as telecoms, healthcare, and education, and will also enhance services and support for foreign enterprises and projects in China, according to MOFCOM. Entering the new year, China's economic performance has been running steadily with a stronger outlook. Many global financial institutions have revised China's growth prospects upwards and participants of the CDF have said the Chinese economy can meet the goal of targeted growth of around 5 percent. SOURCE Global Times NEW YORK, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fox News legal analyst and New York Times bestselling author Gregg Jarrett filed a lawsuit against Simon & Schuster, the literary agency Vigliano Associates, and key executives at both firms. The complaint, filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York on March 28, 2025, alleges defendants conspired to misappropriate Jarrett's book project and redirect the project to their own economic benefits. Jarrett, author of "The Russia Hoax" and "Witch Hunt," developed the concept at the request of Simon & Schuster editor Natasha Simons, who hailed it as a potential "bestseller." At the urging of his agents, David Vigliano and Thomas Flannery, Jarrett brought in Alex Marlow to assist with researchunaware that Marlow was also a Vigliano Associates client. "This case is about betrayal at the highest levels of publishing where those entrusted to champion Mr. Jarrett's work instead allegedly conspired to exploit his ideas, misappropriate his opportunity, and enrich themselves at his expense," said William A. Brewer III, lead counsel and partner at Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. "The defendants appear to have breached fundamental duties of trust, loyalty, and candor core obligations that define the relationship between an author and his agents," Brewer added. Jarrett says the publisher initially expressed strong interest, but later offered an advance far below industry normsless than half of what he received for his last bookeffectively shutting down the deal. His agents assured him the proposal would be marketed elsewhere. Months later, Jarrett was blindsided. First came a cryptic warning from his agents that a "similar" book was in development. Then came a written apology from Flanneryacknowledging that after Jarrett declined the offer, they pitched the project to Marlow, who agreed to take it on. That book, Breaking the Law, is now set to be published by Simon & Schuster in June 2025. The lawsuit alleges defendants conspired to breach fiduciary duties, exploit Jarrett's confidential proposal, and undermine his opportunity to publish the work himself. "My proposal was to write a book that shed light on significant political and legal developments affecting the nation the lawfare campaign against President Trump. Unfortunately, I believe my project was co-opted without my knowledge or consent," said Jarrett. "Vigliano Associates was my fiduciary, advisor, and advocate or so I thought," he added. "This lawsuit aims to shine a light on a troubling record and protect the rights and integrity of authors everywhere." Jarrett seeks monetary damages, restitution of profits, and full disgorgement of any earnings from the upcoming publication. For More Information: Travis J. Carter Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors 214.653.4856 [email protected] Ali Dukakis Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors 212.527.2580 [email protected] About Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors: Founded in 1984, Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors has earned a reputation as one of the most successful law firms in the United States, practicing exclusively in the field of complex commercial litigation and dispute resolution. With offices in New York and Dallas, the Brewer firm represents a wide spectrum of industry leaders from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 corporations facing the most challenging of legal issues. Visit the firm at www.brewerattorneys.com. About Gregg Jarrett: Gregg Jarrett is a nationally renowned journalist and New York Times bestselling author who has served as a Fox News anchor, correspondent, and legal analyst for over twenty years. Jarrett, through his on- and off-air commentary, has extensively opined on matters ranging from legal conflicts to presidential elections. SOURCE Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors Iconic Napa Winery Hires Elizabeth Barnard to Oversee Driving the Growth of Global Wholesale Business NAPA, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Consistently recognized for its historic contributions to Napa Valley and regenerative organic certified luxury portfolio, Grgich Hill Estate is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Barnard as Director of Global Sales. With over a decade of experience in the wine industry, Elizabeth brings a dynamic approach to expanding Grgich Hills' global presence, while upholding the winery's commitment to excellence in luxury across winemaking and eco-consciousness. Elizabeth Barnard "We are thrilled to welcome Elizabeth to the Grgich Hills Estate family," said Violet Grgich, President and CEO of Grgich Hills Estate. "Her impressive background and visionary leadership aligns perfectly with our goals for the future - continuing to share our regenerative winemaking practices, family-driven ethos, and historic legacy. We look forward to seeing how her expertise will help shape the next chapter of our global success." Prior to joining Grgich Hills Estate, Elizabeth served as Vice President of National Sales and Marketing at Klinker Brick Winery, where she played a key role in growing the brand's national presence. Her strategic vision was instrumental in the success of its flagship wines, including the acclaimed Old Ghost Zinfandel. Elizabeth's background in technology and marketing, developed through her experience in Silicon Valley, has provided her with a forward-thinking perspective, which allowed her to help launch and elevate several wine brands that have resonated with both consumers and industry professionals. A graduate of Stanford University, Elizabeth's passion for wine was ignited at an early age through her mother's wine distributorship in Indiana, which represented iconic wineries, including Grgich Hills Estate. This lifelong connection to the brand, combined with her extensive industry knowledge and success in brand magnification, makes her an ideal leader to drive the next phase of growth and innovation for Grgich Hills Estate. On accepting the position, Elizabeth shared, "I have long admired Grgich Hills Estate for its rich history, unwavering commitment to quality, and pioneering spirit in Napa Valley winemaking. It is an honor to join this incredible team and contribute to the continued success of a winery that has played such a significant role in shaping the industry. I look forward to expanding our reach, strengthening relationships, and introducing these exceptional wines to new consumers around the world." As Director of Global Sales, Elizabeth will oversee and drive the growth of Grgich Hills Estate's wholesale business, including export and California direct sales. Through her integrated position, she will be responsible for developing and managing relationships with distributors, brand ambassadors, and sales managers, managing financial statements for wholesale channels by identifying areas for improvement, coordinating customer events, among other crucial elements to the business. Her expertise in brand expansion and market strategy will be key to maintaining the winery's leadership in the industry and reinforcing its presence in both domestic and international markets. Elizabeth's appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Grgich Hills Estate as the winery continues to build on its storied legacy while embracing fresh opportunities for expansion and re-engagement globally. About Grgich Hills Estate: Since Miljenko Grgich arrived in California in 1958, his dedication to crafting world class wines left an indelible mark on Napa Valley and the world. While some know him as the winemaker of the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the Paris Tasting in 1976, more know him as the man who befriended anyone who came to visit Grgich Hills over the last 47 years. Still family owned and operated, his daughter, Violet Grgich, now leads the team in continuing both of these legacies. Grgich Hills Estate upholds the values of its founder, Miljenko "Mike" Grgich: "Every day, do your best, learn something new, and make a friend." The winery's mission is to craft world-class wines while building a better future for generations to come. They remain committed to regenerating the earth and fostering peace through friendships. The wines are all grown in the winery's 100% certified regenerative organic vineyards and crafted with minimal-intervention winemaking to ensure the flavors of the vineyard and vintage are highlighted in every bottle. For more information about Grgich Hills Estate, please visit https://www.grgich.com/ . Media Contact: Gabby French Colangelo & Partners [email protected] 916-892-9866 SOURCE Grgich Hills Estate HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On 1 April 2025, Fosun International Limited (HKEX stock code: 00656, "Fosun International"), together with its subsidiaries ("Fosun" or the "Group") held its 2024 annual results presentation in Shanghai. Addressing investors' concerns about profitability, Guo Guangchang, Chairman of Fosun International, responded that the financial adjustment in 2024 is not due to Fosun's poor operations or decline in market competitiveness, but rather a one-off carrying value adjustment. Nonetheless, Fosun's operations remain stable and its core businesses are under healthy development. He stated that, excluding the carrying value adjustment of the Cainiao investment, Fosun's industrial operation profits and operating cash flows stay healthy and stable. Management must nevertheless remain committed and work diligently to maintain the Company's steady development in the future. Guo Guangchang said that, in 2024, Fosun had been advancing the business streamlining strategy and pursuing "strategic advancements and exits, and balanced investment and divestment". During the year, Fosun promoted the privatization of Fosun Tourism Group and Henlius. While it is unfortunate that minority shareholders voted against the privatization of Henlius, he expressed gratitude to them, as their decision reflects their confidence in Henlius. "Henlius is one of Fosun's most promising companies with the greatest potential, and we are optimistic about its potential to achieve product sales of USD10 billion in the future. It represents the future 'Mount Everest' of Fosun, symbolizing its most strategic advantages, and we will provide full support for its development. Fosun has always placed a strong emphasis on innovation, as well as on companies and products with significant growth potential. In our approach to 'strategic advancements and exits', we aim to divest from heavy assets and non-core operations, while pursuing advancements in innovative industries that offer immense potential and vast opportunities," said Guo Guangchang. Regarding changes in the global landscape, Guo Guangchang noted that geopolitics affects all companies, and there is no escaping it. The key lies in how a company responds. The best approach is to develop globalization capabilities. For more than ten years, Fosun has consistently focused on building globalization capabilities, and today Fosun is increasingly reaping the rewards. In 2024, Fosun International's overseas revenue accounted for 49.3% of its total revenue. On the one hand, Fosun's globalization strategy promotes Chinese companies and advantageous industries to go global. On the other hand, it helps Fosun's overseas companies expand globally. For example, Fosun Insurance Portugal currently has 29.8% of its income from markets outside Portugal, with international business profits contributing over 50%. In discussing Fosun's future goals, Guo Guangchang said that Fosun will continue to divest from some heavy assets to reduce financial leverage and maintain "strategic advancements and exits, and balanced investment and divestment", while deepening its industry operations. In 2024, Fosun's industrial operation profit amounted to approximately RMB4.9 billion, and the Company aims to double it to reach RMB10 billion in the future. Achieving this goal will require sustained efforts to drive growth in operating profits, and it is a target that we can strive for and anticipate. "Fosun will face temporary challenges while making strategic adjustments. This process is not easy. It requires strategic determination and time to do it step by step. Fosun has always persisted in doing the right things, difficult things and things that take time to develop, and we remain dedicated to this commitment," said Guo Guangchang. On 30 March, Fosun International announced its 2024 annual results. In 2024, the Group's total revenue reached RMB192.14 billion; industrial operation profit reached RMB4.9 billion; loss attributable to owners of the parent amounted to approximately RMB4.35 billion, mainly due to an adjustment in the carrying value of the Cainiao investment. Gong Ping, CFO of Fosun International, stated that Fosun achieved an internal rate of return of approximately 34% on the Cainiao investment. Excluding the effect of the carrying value adjustment, the profit attributable to owners of the parent in 2024 amounted to RMB750 million. Fosun's management expressed confidence in Fosun's net profit for 2025 and is committed to steadily enhancing profitability in the future. In the next few years, the Group aims to gradually increase the proportion of overseas revenue in its global operations; progressively reduce the Group's interest-bearing debts from the current level of more than RMB80 billion to RMB60 billion; and strive to achieve RMB10 billion in industrial operation profit as well as in profit attributable to owners of the parent. Meanwhile, it will continuously improve its operational capabilities, endeavoring to attain "investment grade" ratings. SOURCE Fosun DENTON, Texas, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthTrackRx, a leader in molecular diagnostics and named plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulation of laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) as medical devices, applauds the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas for summarily vacating the FDA's Rule. This decision is a major victory for clinical laboratories, healthcare providers, and most importantly, patients. "This ruling affirms what we and our colleagues across the industry have long maintained: the FDA lacks the legal authority to regulate LDTs," said Martin Price, Executive Chairman & CEO of HealthTrackRx. "By vacating this rule, the court has protected patient access to vital diagnostic testing, ensured continued innovation in laboratory medicine, and prevented unnecessary regulatory burdens that would have resulted in increased healthcare costs and delayed critical diagnoses." Preserving Patient Access to Essential Testing HealthTrackRx, alongside the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA), challenged the FDA's rule imposing significant additional regulatory requirements on LDTs. The rule threatened access to specialized, high-quality testing crucial for diagnosing and managing infectious diseases, genetic conditions, and other complex health concerns. Laboratory-developed tests have driven major diagnostic advancementsfrom early cancer detection to rapid infectious disease testing. The court's decision prevents unnecessary costs and delays, ensuring patients and providers continue receiving timely, accurate results. "Our ability to develop and rapidly deploy innovative diagnostic tests is essential to public health," said Price. "This ruling allows us to continue delivering the next-morning results that healthcare providers rely on to make informed treatment decisions without unnecessary regulatory hurdles." Commitment to High-Quality, CLIA-Regulated Testing HealthTrackRx remains committed to rigorous quality standards under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and believes laboratory oversight should remain with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rather than the FDA. Each of HealthTrackRx's laboratory facilities are accredited by the College of American Pathology (CAP), the widely recognized gold-standard for clinical quality and safety. To learn more about HealthTrackRx and its mission to get people healthier faster, visit www.healthtrackrx.com. About HealthTrackRx HealthTrackRx is the nation's premier infectious disease laboratory delivering next-morning results through its advanced PCR-based testing solutions. Committed to "Getting People Healthier Faster," the company partners with healthcare providers nationwide to improve patient outcomes, reduce total care costs, and promote better stewardship of antibiotics. For more information, please visit https://www.healthtrackrx.com. SOURCE HealthTrackRx FLORHAM PARK, N.J., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BASF Corporation has announced that, effective April 1, 2025, Heather Remley will assume the role of President and CEO. In this role, Remley will lead BASF Corporation, the largest affiliate of BASF SE, one of the leading chemical companies worldwide. Remley brings extensive global leadership experience to the role, having served in key positions in both Europe and the United States since joining BASF in 2016. Most recently, she served as President of BASF's Global Engineering Services division, based in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Prior to that, she was Senior Vice President for BASF's Petrochemicals business in North America, based in Houston, Texas. "We are delighted to welcome Heather back home to the United States as President and CEO," said Anup Kothari, Member of the Board of Executive Directors, BASF SE with responsibility for North America. "Her extensive leadership and industry expertise will be instrumental in enabling our global operating divisions and service units in the United States while driving the company's winning culture, in line with the global Winning Ways strategy." "I am honored to take on the role of President and CEO of BASF Corporation and lead our talented team in one of BASF's most significant markets," said Heather Remley. "Having gained invaluable experience working across the globe, I am excited to return to the U.S. and build on our strong foundation of innovation, performance culture and passion for chemistry." Born in Pennsylvania, Remley holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Lafayette College and a Master of Business Administration from Boston College. Photo for download: Heather Remley becomes President and CEO of BASF Corporation About BASF BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America and had sales of $19.7 billion in 2024. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us. At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers' green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of 65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com . Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2525692/5245974/BASF_Logo.jpg SOURCE BASF Portfolio of secure, trusted solutions in line with the latest cybersecurity standards helps companies enhance compliance and reduce business risk SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hitachi Vantara, the data storage, infrastructure, and hybrid cloud management subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), announced that its hybrid cloud portfolio has achieved alignment with the U.S. government's Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF), as outlined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This milestone further supports the goals of U.S. Executive Order 14028 (EO 14028), which requires federal agencies and contractors to enhance their cybersecurity capabilities. Click here to learn more about Hitachi Vantara's cyber resiliency solutions: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/solutions/data-protection-cyber-resiliency The SSDF provides a framework for secure software development practices that are essential for safeguarding against the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting the software supply chain. Supported by EO 14028, these practices require government agencies and contractors to strengthen their cybersecurity posture, including implementing threat detection and response measures, while developing software that meets robust security standards to protect data and maintain resilience against threats. Validated by a third-party attestation process through the FedRAMP-certified assessment organization, Linford & Company, LLP, and confirmed by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), this achievement demonstrates that Hitachi Vantara's hybrid cloud data management solutions meet the stringent requirements of the SSDF and align with the broader cybersecurity objectives set forth by EO 14028. These solutions ensure secure software development protocols, supply chain controls and effective management, helping protect critical data and systems from evolving security challenges. "Our solutions provide federal agencies and contractors with the confidence that their mission-critical data infrastructure, whether on-premises or in hybrid cloud environments, meets the most rigorous cybersecurity procurement requirements," said Octavian Tanase, Chief Product Officer, Hitachi Vantara. "This reflects our ongoing commitment as a CISA Secure by Design signatory to providing solutions that meet the highest cybersecurity standards, enabling defense-in-depth threat identification through rapid recovery at scale, in minutes." This achievement demonstrates that Hitachi Vantara's solutions can help federal agencies and contractors manage their data while meeting both cybersecurity and regulatory standards. The following products have been validated as meeting the required standards: Block Storage: Virtual Storage Platform One (VSP One) Block Midrange, VSP One SDS Block, VSP 5000 Series High-End Virtual Storage Platform One (VSP One) Block Midrange, VSP One SDS Block, VSP 5000 Series High-End File Storage: VSP One File VSP One File Object Storage: VSP One Object VSP One Object Data & Infrastructure Management: Hitachi Ops Center Suite With the increasing threat of security breaches and mission disruption, federal agencies and contractors need solutions that deliver comprehensive resilience and compliance. Hitachi Vantara's portfolio of hybrid cloud solutions not only meets SSDF standards but also support the broader goals of EO 14028, offering key benefits to both: Confidence for Federal Agencies: Hitachi Vantara Federal's solutions allow federal agencies to confidently adopt hybrid cloud environments that are continually assessed for compliance with cybersecurity and procurement standards, ensuring secure and reliable data management. Hitachi Vantara Federal's solutions allow federal agencies to confidently adopt hybrid cloud environments that are continually assessed for compliance with cybersecurity and procurement standards, ensuring secure and reliable data management. Support for Government Contractors: Contractors benefit from secure, compliant solutions that streamline procurement, reduce business risks and simplify the process of securing and maintaining federal contracts. "With rising geopolitical and AI-driven cyber threats, federal agencies must accelerate their cybersecurity efforts, knowing it's not a matter of if, but when they'll be attacked," said Mark Serway, CEO of Hitachi Vantara Federal. "Partnering with trusted experts who act in accordance with these government standards helps agencies stay ahead of emerging risks. Our government partners have shared that they value streamlined engagements with industry leaders who support them throughout their cyber resilience journey." Strengthening Cyber Resilience with a One-Stop Trusted Partner Hitachi Vantara empowers organizations to strengthen cyber resilience and meet expanding cybersecurity requirements through a comprehensive, defense-in-depth approach. Offering tailored risk assessments, remediation services, and solutions aligned with NIST standards, Hitachi Vantara helps reduce mission risk more quickly and cost-effectively than multi-vendor strategies. With an advanced cyber defense and recovery strategy combined with a customizable storage portfolio, Hitachi Vantara modernizes resilience across edge, core and cloud environments while seamlessly integrating with existing infrastructure. To further support this resilience, Hitachi Vantara's solutions are backed by Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that guarantee high levels of availability and performance. These SLAs provide federal agencies and contractors with clear guarantees on uptime, response times, and recovery capabilities, giving them the confidence that their critical data systems will remain secure and operational even in the face of evolving cyber threats. For U.S. federal agencies and contractors, Hitachi Vantara Federal builds on this expertise to provide specialized solutions. Trusted by all U.S. Armed Forces and Cabinet Agencies, Hitachi Vantara Federal offers intelligent threat detection, rapid ransomware recovery and robust incident response solutions, all backed by a 100% data availability guarantee. Additionally, Hitachi streamlines compliance with evolving government and global regulations, including EO 14028, DORA and NYDFS Part 500, helping organizations strengthen their cybersecurity posture and operational resilience. Additional Resources Connect With Hitachi Vantara About Hitachi Vantara Hitachi Vantara is transforming the way data fuels innovation. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Vantara provides the data foundation the world's leading innovators rely on. Through data storage, infrastructure systems, cloud management and digital expertise, the company helps customers build the foundation for sustainable business growth. To learn more, visit www.hitachivantara.com. About Hitachi Vantara Federal Hitachi Vantara Federal is the trusted leader in mission-centric data solutions for the Federal government. We're a collaborative, full-service company with longstanding OT/IT roots. We empower data-driven insight with a deep bench of integrated partners advancing Federal customer missions regardless of their data maturity levels. Hitachi Vantara Federal is a FOCI-mitigated subsidiary of Hitachi Vantara. Visit us at www.hitachivantarafederal.com. About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the 3 business sectors of "Digital Systems & Services" supporting our customers' digital transformation; "Green Energy & Mobility" contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and "Connective Industries" connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company's revenues as 3 sectors for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 31, 2024) totaled 8,564.3 billion yen, with 573 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 270,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com. HITACHI is a trademark or registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. All other trademarks, service marks, and company names are properties of their respective owners. SOURCE Hitachi Vantara CLEARWATER, Fla., March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hooters Inc., in partnership with another successful Hooters franchisee, Hoot Owl Restaurants LLC (together, the "Buyer Group"), has reached an agreement in principle with Hooters of America, LLC and certain of its affiliates (collectively, "HOA" or the "Company") to acquire over 100 HOA-owned Hooters restaurants. In addition, the parties have negotiated the key terms of a management agreement under which Hooters Brand Management, LLC ("HBM"), an entity owned by the Buyer Group and other parties with deep experience with the Hooters brand, will provide the majority of the franchise support functions on behalf of HOA. The Original Hooters in Clearwater, Florida. The Buying Group is comprised of existing Hooters franchisees, including the original Hooters founders, who collectively currently own and operate over 30% of the domestic franchised Hooters locations. These highly experienced operators currently operate 14 of the 30 highest volume Hooters restaurants and in 2024 realized average restaurant revenue that are over double those of the HOA-owned restaurants. By transferring over 100 Company-owned restaurants to a group of operators who have each been in the Hooters system for over 30 years, HOA will be able to greatly simplify its existing business while also putting these stores in the hands of the best possible operators to maximize their future success. All existing Hooters franchise locations, including those restaurants located outside the U.S., will continue to be operated by the Company's franchise and license partners. In conjunction with the sale and to further streamline HOA's business, HBM has also negotiated the key terms of a management agreement with HOA under which HBM will assume most of the franchise support obligations of Hooters, including oversight of the national ad fund, the central purchasing organization, franchise development and support and other key franchise functions. This is a critical step in simplifying HOA's business, returning the Hooters brand operations and restaurants to the most experienced and successful Hooters franchisees and best positioning the Hooters brand for long-term success. Upon completion of these transactions, the Buyer Group will own and operate approximately 70% of Hooters' domestic locations. "For many years now, the Hooters brand has been owned by private equity firms and other groups with no history or experience with the Hooters brand," said Neil Kiefer, CEO of Hooters Inc. "As a result of these transactions, the Hooters brand will once again be in the hands of highly experienced Hooters franchisees and we will be well-positioned to return this iconic brand to its historic success. On behalf of all Hooters employees, customers and franchisees, the Buyer Group is excited and optimistic about our future plans for the Hooters brand". The Buying Group is being represented by North Point Mergers & Acquisitions and Morrison & Foerster LLP is serving as their legal counsel. About Hooters Inc. Hooters Inc., founders of the Hooters concept, own and operate 22 Hooters Restaurants in Tampa Bay and Chicagoland and two Hoots locations in Chicagoland. For over 40 years, the Original Hooters group has been America's oasis known for its World Famous Chicken Wings, fun atmosphere, and legendary service from the iconic Hooters Girls. For more information about Hooters Inc. please visit www.originalhooters.com or follow them on Twitter @originalhooters, Instagram @originalhooters and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/originalhooters. PR Contact: Ilona Wolpin, Anoli Management/ Hooters Inc. (954) 298-8784 [email protected] SOURCE Hooters Inc. March total sales increased 13%; sixth consecutive month of best-ever total sales Best March ever total and retail; second biggest month in Hyundai history Hyundai sets new Q1 total and retail sales record; Q1 total sales jump 10% Best-ever Q1 total sales records; electrified up 38%; HEV jump 68%; EV increased 3% Elantra N, Santa Fe, Tucson , IONIQ 5 and Palisade hit March records FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America reported record-breaking total March sales of 87,019 units, a 13% increase compared with March 2024. This was the best March in Hyundai's history, a record sixth consecutive month setting best-ever total sales. This was also the second-highest total sales month of all time. Total sales records in March were set for Elantra (+25%), Santa Fe (+25%), Tucson (+28%), IONIQ 5 (+17%) and Palisade (+20%). March total sales of hybrid electric vehicles jumped 72%, while total electrified sales grew by 38%. "Hyundai achieved record Q1 total and retail sales, and our sixth consecutive month of best-ever total sales," said Randy Parker, CEO of Hyundai Motor North America. "With the opening of our Georgia Metaplant and a new $21 billion investment, we're expanding U.S. production, strengthening supply chains, and creating American jobs. Our commitment to innovation and meeting consumer demand remains strong, and we continue to localize production and enhance our supply chain to help manage market conditions." March Retail Highlights Hyundai sold 79,019 retail units in March, a 15% year-over-year increase from March 2024. March retail sales were led by Tucson, Santa Fe, Elantra N, IONIQ 5 and Palisade. Hyundai electrified vehicle sales of 20,885 represented 26% of retail sales and a 44% year-over-year increase. Q1 Highlights In the first quarter, Hyundai total sales were 203,554 units, a Q1 total sales record and an increase of 10% year-over-year. Q1 retail sales were 181,075, a 9% increase compared with Q1 2024 and a record for the first quarter. Hyundai also set new Q1 total and retail sales records for Santa Fe, Tucson, Palisade, and IONIQ 5. Electrified total sales were up 38% with hybrid-electric total sales jumping 68%. Hyundai electric vehicle total sales increased by 3%. March Total Sales Summary Mar-25 Mar-24 % Chg 2025 YTD 2024 YTD % Chg Hyundai 87,019 76,920 +13 % 203,554 184,804 +10 % March Product and Corporate Activities Model Total Sales Vehicles Mar-25 Mar-24 % Chg 2025 YTD 2024 YTD % Chg Elantra 14,461 11,528 +25 % 33,490 26,860 +25 % Ioniq 5 3,919 3,361 +17 % 8,611 6,822 +26 % Ioniq 6 1,435 1,984 -28 % 3,318 3,646 -9 % Kona 7,024 9,453 -26 % 17,018 23,054 -26 % Nexo 0 17 -100 % 0 51 -100 % Palisade 11,742 9,785 +20 % 26,235 25,255 +4 % Santa Cruz 2,924 3,362 -13 % 6,648 8,417 -21 % Santa Fe 13,543 10,834 +25 % 31,401 26,094 +20 % Sonata 5,706 5,664 +1 % 15,797 13,164 +20 % Tucson 23,631 18,394 +28 % 54,973 45,509 +21 % Venue 2,634 2,538 +4 % 6,063 5,932 +2 % Hyundai Motor America Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company's Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, and several cutting-edge R&D facilities. These operations, combined with those of Hyundai's 835 independent dealers, contribute $20.1 billion annually and 190,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, according to a published economic impact report. For more information, visit www.hyundainews.com. Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok SOURCE Hyundai Motor America Companies on the Inc. Regionals: Southwest list had a median growth rate of 106 percent. HOUSTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today revealed that Empower Pharmacy is No. 65 on its fifth annual Inc. Regionals: Southwest list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southwest, which includes Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. An extension of the national Inc. 5000 list, the Regionals offer a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southwest economy's most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. Empower Pharmacy made it to the 2025 List of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southwest. "Healthcare is becoming more personal, and compounding is central to this evolution. What began as a local compounding pharmacy in Houston, Empower has grown into a national leader spearheading innovation in customized pharmaceuticals," said Shaun Noorian, founder and CEO. "Our journey over the past 15 years embodies the promise of personalized medicine and shows a gold standard when serving over 33,000 prescribers and several million patients across the U.S. with affordable, tailored therapies that might otherwise be inaccessible." The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southwest. Between 2021 and 2023, these 137 private companies had a median growth rate of 106 percent; by 2023, they'd also added 13,809 jobs and $15.9 billion to the region's economy. Complete results of the Inc. Regionals: Southwest, including company profiles, can be found at https://www.inc.com/regionals/southwest starting April 1. You'll also find an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria. "The honorees on this year's Inc. Regionals list are true trailblazers driving economic growth in their respective regions, industries, and beyond. This list celebrates their achievements and tells the stories of remarkable companies that are fueling growth and adding jobs in local economies throughout the country," said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. About Empower Empower is revolutionizing access to quality, affordable, personalized pharmaceutical solutions that put patients first. Our expert and passionate teams bring hope, healing, and a healthier tomorrow to the communities we serve because everyone deserves access to care that feels as unique as they are. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Houston, TX, we are the nation's largest and most advanced 503A compounding pharmacy and FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facility licensed to ship nationwide. With 382,000 square-feet of manufacturing capacity and over 1,200 employees, we set the industry's standard for customer service, precision, and scalability. We deliver market value and profitability by establishing, nurturing, and supporting long-term partnerships with stakeholders who share our commitment to a healthier and happier future for all. More about Inc. and the Inc. Regionals Methodology The 2025 Inc. Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth over two years. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generated revenue by March 31, 2021. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2023. (Since then, a number of companies on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2021 is $100,000; the minimum for 2023 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. 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 . SOURCE Empower Pharmacy FINBOA Ranks 27th in Southwest HOUSTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FINBOA, Inc., an innovator in process automation for regulatory compliance in financial institutions, has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies, ranking No. 27 on Inc. Regionals Southwest 2025 list. This prestigious recognition highlights FINBOA's rapid growth and increasing impact in helping banks and credit unions streamline compliance and dispute management through intelligent automation. "We are honored to be named in the top 30 of the fastest-growing private companies by Inc. Regionals," said Raj Singal, CEO and Founder of FINBOA. "Our growth reflects the increasing demand for process automation that improves efficiency, compliance, and the customer experience for our clients. We're grateful to the hundreds of clients and our team members who continue to drive our success." Inc., the leading media brand for entrepreneurs and business leaders, revealed that FINBOA is No. 27 on its fifth annual Inc. Regionals Southwest 2025 list, which ranks the fastest-growing private companies in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southwest. Between 2021 and 2023, these 137 private companies had a median growth rate of 106 percent; by 2023, they'd also added 13,809 jobs and $15.9 billion to the region's economy. Complete results of the Inc. Regionals: Southwest, including company profiles, can be found at www.inc.com/regionals/southwest . "The honorees on this year's Inc. Regionals list are true trailblazers driving economic growth in their respective regions, industries, and beyond. This list celebrates their achievements and tells the stories of remarkable companies that are fueling growth and adding jobs in local economies throughout the country," said Bonny Ghosh, Editorial Director at Inc. 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 FINBOA FINBOA provides intelligent process automation software to financial institutions to simplify dispute processing and improve regulatory compliance by eliminating manual systems. Solutions include FINBOA Payment Disputes with AutoDecision, along with companion product, FINBOA BI Disputes. FINBOA delivers transformative software proven to enable institutional growth by reducing operational costs and risk. In 2024, FINBOA received industry accolades including the US FinTech Awards 2024: Banking Tech of the Year, PayTech USA Award: Tech of the Future, Finovate Award finalist, Jack Henry Associates' Cobalt Integrator's Award and selection for the ICBA ThinkTech Accelerator's program; as well as being named to the INC 5000 list of fastest growing U.S. businesses. Headquartered in Houston, FINBOA is trusted to help hundreds of financial institutions and service providers nationwide achieve targeted business outcomes and peace of mind. Learn more at www.finboa.com or follow us on LinkedIn , Facebook and X . SOURCE FINBOA Companies on the Inc. Regionals: Southwest list had a median growth rate of 106 percent. AUSTIN, Texas, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today revealed that Freeit Data Solutions is No. 63 on its fifth annual Inc. Regionals: Southwest list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southwest, which includes Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. An extension of the national Inc. 5000 list, the Regionals offer a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southwest economy's most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. "Making the Inc. Regionals list isn't just a win for Freeitit's a win for every customer and partner who's joined us on this journey," said Wayne Orchid, CEO of Freeit Data Solutions. "Growth isn't just about numbers; it's about impact. We're building something great with our customer focus and innovative products as our beacon." Recognized for its strategic growth, exceptional service, and commitment to high-impact IT solutions, Freeit Data Solutions is a trusted technology partner across the public and private sectors. Offering a full suite of IT infrastructure and cybersecurity solutions, Freeit empowers customers to operate securely, efficiently, and effectively in today's complex digital landscape. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southwest. Between 2021 and 2023, these 137 private companies had a median growth rate of 106 percent; by 2023, they'd also added 13,809 jobs and $15.9 billion to the region's economy. "The honorees on this year's Inc. Regionals list are true trailblazers driving economic growth in their respective regions, industries, and beyond. This list celebrates their achievements and tells the stories of remarkable companies that are fueling growth and adding jobs in local economies throughout the country," said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. Complete results of the Inc. Regionals: Southwest, including company profiles, can be found at https://www.inc.com/regionals/southwest starting April 1. About Freeit Data Solutions Freeit Data Solutions is an Austin-based IT services and solutions company that designs and deploys data center solutions for mid to large-sized companies, enabling them to better manage and protect their data. For more information, visit: www.freeitdata.com Follow Freeit Data Solutions: LinkedIn and Twitter. SOURCE Freeit Data Solutions Inc HANOVER, Germany, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Innomotics GmbH, a globally leading provider of electric motors and large drive systems and Danfoss Drives A/S, a global leader in low-voltage drives, are pleased to announce the next phase of their strategic, non-exclusive partnership. This was announced at the Hannover Messe today where Michael Reichle, Innomotics CEO, Mika Kulju, President of Danfoss Drives, attended the Innomotics booth. This collaboration is designed to meet the growing demand for comprehensive motor and drive solutions, ensuring customers receive high-quality, efficient, and compatible products. By joining forces, Innomotics and Danfoss offer customers the flexibility to bundle low-voltage motors from Innomotics with Danfoss low-voltage drives in a seamless package. This approach is particularly beneficial for customers seeking a specific combined motor and drive solution as part of a delivery or project. While both companies are aligning their go-to-market strategies for common customer approaches, they continue to provide separate quotes for its respective products, ensuring transparency and flexibility for customers. Additionally, both companies remain committed to brand independence, ensuring customers have the flexibility to choose the best motor-drive combination for their needs. Michael Reichle, Innomotics CEO: "The strategic partnership with Danfoss Drives allows us to further extend our offering. Many of our customers require very specific motor and drive combinations with the highest standards of reliability and efficiency. This applies in particular to fast-growing sectors such as the water industry. By combining our strengths, we can increase the competitiveness of both brands and conquer new markets. Mika Kulju, President of Danfoss Drives: "We are excited to take this next step in our collaboration with Innomotics. By offering tailored motor and drive packages, we are delivering competitive, efficient, and convenient solutions that directly benefit our customers. Our goal is to provide the best possible solutions while giving customers the flexibility to select the right motor-drive pairing." Contact: Innomotics GmbH Dario Artico Mobile: +49 1525 8144721; E-Mail: [email protected] Danfoss A/S Jonas Bech Andersen Mobile: +45 22453477; E-Mail: [email protected] About Innomotics Redefining reliable motion for a better tomorrow. Innomotics GmbH is a globally leading provider of electric motors and large drive systems that combines deep technical expertise and leading innovation in electrical solutions across industries and regions. With its more than 150 years of experience in developing electric motors, the company is the backbone for reliable drive technology in industry and infrastructure worldwide. Innomotics is a thought leader in the areas of industrial efficiency, electrification, sustainability, and digitalization. The company is headquartered in Nuremberg (Germany) and employs around 15,000 people worldwide. Annual revenue exceeds 3 billion euros. With 17 production sites and a comprehensive sales and service network in 49 countries, Innomotics has a well-balanced global presence in a growing market. Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innomotics. For more information, visit www.innomotics.com. About Danfoss Danfoss engineers solutions that increase machine productivity, reduce emissions, lower energy consumption, and enable electrification. Our solutions are used in such areas as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, power conversion, motor control, industrial machinery, automotive, marine, and off- and on-highway equipment. We also provide solutions for renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, as well as district-energy infrastructure for cities. Our innovative engineering dates back to 1933. Danfoss is family- and foundation-owned, employing more than 42,000 people, serving customers in more than 100 countries through a global footprint of 95 factories. www.danfoss.com SOURCE Innomotics LONDON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ION, a global leader in trading and workflow automation software, high-value analytics and insights, and strategic consulting to financial institutions, central banks, governments, and corporate organizations, will support connectivity to the new MIAX Futures matching engine, MIAX Futures Onyx (Onyx). ION will provide seamless, day-one connectivity to access MIAX Futures' flagship product, Minneapolis Hard Red Spring Wheat (Minneapolis HRSW) Futures. MIAX Futures (formerly Minneapolis Grain Exchange, or MGEX) will migrate Minneapolis HRSW Futures from CME Globex onto Onyx in the second quarter of 2025. ION will also support trading of the new Bloomberg 500 (B500) Index futures that MIAX Futures intends to launch in the second half of 2025, pending certain filings with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Onyx is built on proprietary MIAX technology and will power multiple platforms to provide for trading agricultural and financial futures and options on futures, in diverse locations. ION will support Onyx across its cleared derivatives front-office trading platform. Banks and brokers using ION's technology stack will be able to access seamless execution and clearing services on the new exchange with minimal effort. Troy Kane, President of MIAX Futures, says "MIAX Futures is committed to providing our clients with efficient and reliable access to our markets. Through this collaboration with ION, we're ensuring traders can seamlessly trade the flagship Minneapolis HRSW Futures when it migrates to MIAX Futures in 2Q25 and also have access to new B500 products, which we anticipate launching later this year." Francesco Margini, Chief Product Officer for Cleared Derivatives, ION Markets, says, "MIAX Futures' collaboration with ION demonstrates our central role in delivering mission-critical solutions to the cleared derivatives industry. MIAX Futures members will be able to leverage from launch date the extensive advanced trading capabilities of our global EOMS platform, including our flagship algo suite." About ION ION provides mission-critical trading and workflow automation software, high-value analytics and insights, and strategic consulting to financial institutions, central banks, governments, and corporate organizations. Our solutions and services simplify complex processes, boost efficiency, and enable better decision-making. We build long-term partnerships with our clients, helping transform their businesses for sustained success through continuous innovation. For more information, visit https://iongroup.com/ About ION Markets ION Markets provides transformative technology and solutions to financial institutions dealing in equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, cleared derivatives, asset management, and secured funding. Our award-winning end-to-end solutions simplify clients' operations by automating the full trade lifecycle, providing tools to manage risk, and maximizing access to liquidity, while giving real-time access to critical information required for timely operational decisions and execution on a global scale. For more information, visit https://iongroup.com/markets/ All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners. SOURCE ION LOS ANGELES, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kidspace Children's Museum and Foster Love are thrilled to announce the return of the 3rd Annual Birthday Palooza, a joyous event that reunites siblings in foster care for one unforgettable day. On April 5, 2025, it's officially everyone's birthday at Birthday Palooza. Approximately 300 brothers and sisters who may be separated in foster care placements will celebrate at a colossal birthday party with games, gifts, cupcakes, singing, and special guests. Kidspace Children's Museum Kidspace Children's Museum "For many children in foster care, birthdays can be just another day, often spent apart from their siblings," said Gianna Mulkay, Executive Director of Foster Love. "Birthday Palooza changes that by creating a space where these children can reunite, have fun, make memories, and celebrate their special day surrounded by love and support." "Being separated from siblings can be a lonely and upsetting experience for children in the foster system," said Lisa Clements, CEO of Kidspace Children's Museum. "It seems like such a small thing for kids to be able to celebrate milestones like birthdays together, have time to play and be silly, and take pictures with their siblings, but these simple, special moments can help children feel connected, safe, and loved." This year's party theme is a pirate takeover of the Kidspace campus, where the birthday VIP's will be reunited in hearty crews for a joyous and rowdy celebration. Highlights include: Swashbuckling pirate games and treasure hunts The Salty Sea Monkey disco, where you can dance 'til you need peg legs Piratey photo ops BYO parrot or use one of ours A treasure trove of free grub, so you can save your doubloons Personalized birthday booty for each child in attendance A bounty of delicious treats and birthday surprises Special guest appearances and more! Kidspace and Foster Love are committed to providing foster youth with experiences that inspire joy, connection, and a sense of belonging. This event is made possible through the generous support of donors, volunteers, and community partners who believe in the power of celebrating childhood. About Foster Love Foster Love is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in foster care by providing essential resources, experiences, and advocacy. Through community-driven initiatives, Foster Love creates opportunities for youth to feel supported, valued, and empowered. Learn more at fosterlove.com. About Kidspace Children's Museum Kidspace Children's Museum is a nonprofit museum designed to inspire children to explore, create, and learn through play. Located in Pasadena, California, Kidspace offers immersive exhibits, hands-on programs, and interactive experiences that foster curiosity and connection. For more information, visit kidspacemuseum.org Media Contact: Jeff Hollingsworth 213-308-0200 [email protected] SOURCE Kidspace Children's Museum VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 21, 2025, the World Women Organization (UNWWO) successfully held the official parallel session of the 69th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) and the Global Women Leadership Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, alongside the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration. The summit brought together over a hundred global female elites from the United Nations, public welfare, business, political, and academic sectors. The representatives engaged in in-depth discussions on core topics such as female leadership, global influence, and sustainable development. During the event, leading figures and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to promoting female empowerment were grandly recognized. Among them, the globally leading digital economy platform KuCoin received the "2025 Corporate Social Responsibility Award" from the UNWWO. Representing KuCoin, CSR Director and Global Human Resources Director Sylvie Dong attended the forum and shared the company's valuable experiences and steadfast determination in the field of corporate social responsibility. KuCoin's Three CSR Innovation Projects Focus on Women and Children CSR has always been a clear and highly valued core thread throughout KuCoin's development. In 2024, the company further increased its investment in CSR initiatives. At the forum, Sylvie Dong provided a detailed introduction to a series of CSR projects that KuCoin had carried out throughout 2024. In collaboration with international organizations such as the United Nations, the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA), the Smile Simon Green Building Foundation, the Global CSR Foundation, and the Office of the First Lady of the Bahamas, KuCoin launched three projects: "Light Up Africa" Children's Solar Lamps, "Menstrual Equality" and "Climate Change Buckets". These projects covered multiple regions, including the Bahamas, Suriname, and Nigeria, benefiting nearly 50,000 women and children. "Light Up Africa" Children's Solar Lamps: This project aims to provide solar lamps to school-age children in rural Africa, enabling them to continue studying at night and illuminating their futures. In February 2024, the first batch of 2,500 solar lamps donated by KuCoin was sent to 25 schools in Nigeria. In October, another 7,200 solar lamps were delivered to communities in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Ghana, benefiting more students. Sandra Edidion, a student at Nigeria's Afaha Okonkwo Nwafor College, said, "With these solar lamps, I believe I can do it, and we can all read at night." "Menstrual Equality": This project aims to help young girls and women from disadvantaged groups around the world by providing sustainable menstrual health solutions, enabling them to continue their studies and daily lives with dignity and confidence, and move towards a better future. In March 2024, 1,000 reusable menstrual kits sponsored by KuCoin were sent to three locations: Suriname, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and domestic violence shelters in New York and California. At the end of December, the second batch of aid supplies was shipped to the Bahamas, providing much-needed sanitary products for 4,000 local women. "Climate Change Buckets": This project is committed to providing basic health protection for pregnant women, infants, and children worldwide, shielding them from the threats of pollution, deadly diseases, and extreme weather caused by climate change. Ann Marie Davis, the First Lady of Commonwealth of Bahamas H. E. Ann Marie Davis, expressed her gratitude for the project, saying, "These buckets will provide assistance to women and girls in communities facing climate change challenges." "Through these CSR projects, we have found that providing sanitary pads can significantly increase the return-to-school rate of girls in Suriname, and providing solar lamps can extend the average study time of children in Nigeria by several hours. These small changes are bringing great hope to children and women," said Sylvie Dong. KuCoin's CSR Philosophy and Future Outlook In her speech, Sylvie Dong emphasized that KuCoin's CSR practices stem from the founders' original intentions. The founders of KuCoin firmly believe that the significance of technology lies not in creating financial miracles but in ensuring that the most vulnerable groups can still maintain dignity in the digital age. KuCoin hopes that every employee's work is meaningful, not only driving one of the world's most influential industries but also making each employee proud when talking to their family and friends. The CSR experience and achievements shared by KuCoin at the forum have attracted widespread attention and high praise from global outstanding female representatives present. Jing Zhao Cesarone, the official representative of the World Women's Organization and the Chair of the Global CSR Foundation, stated at the meeting that she hopes this parallel session will empower global outstanding female leaders, focus and enhance global cooperation, and jointly achieve the goals of the Beijing Declaration. She believes that KuCoin has set an example for global enterprises, demonstrating the great potential and sense of responsibility of digital economy platforms in promoting social sustainable development. Looking ahead to 2025, KuCoin will continue to increase its investment in CSR, deepen global sustainable development practices, and promote the improvement of global children's welfare. Nancy Cheung, KuCoin's Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), said, "In the past year, KuCoin has achieved significant results in the CSR field and accumulated rich experience. In 2025, we will continue to work together with global partners and communities to build a more sustainable world through innovation and responsibility." KuCoin will continue to advance the three key projects of "Light Up Africa" Children's Solar Lamps, "Menstrual Equality," and "Climate Change Buckets," and actively seek new public welfare project opportunities. In 2025, KuCoin is embarking on a new chapter of global compliance and sustainable growth, while further fulfilling its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). KuCoin's receipt of the "2025 Corporate Social Responsibility Award" from the World Women Organization is not only a recognition of its past CSR efforts, but also a testament to the global expectations for its future path in sustainable development. KuCoin will continue to uphold its core values of "security, user-first, and innovation," striving to create greater positive impact on the global community and to contribute more to the well-being of women and children around the world. About KuCoin Founded in 2017, KuCoin is one of the pioneering and most globally recognized technology platforms supporting digital economies, built on a robust foundation of cutting-edge blockchain infrastructure, liquidity solutions, and an exceptional user experience. With a connected user base exceeding 40 million worldwide, KuCoin offers comprehensive digital asset solutions across wallets, trading, wealth management, payments, research, ventures, and AI-powered bots. KuCoin has garnered accolades such as "Best Crypto Apps & Exchanges" by Forbes and has been recognized among the "Top 50 Global Unicorns" by Hurun in 2024. This recognition reflects its commitment to user-centric principles and core values, which include integrity, accountability, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Learn more: https://www.kucoin.com/ . SOURCE KuCoin O Positiv's launch at CVS, the largest pharmacy chain in the US, comes a year after the brand's launch in Target and marks the continued expansion into big box retailers nationwide furthering their commitment to reaching all women with solutions for often overlooked health concerns. LOS ANGELES, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- O Positiv Health , the makers of the #1 Vaginal Probiotic nationwide, launches nationwide at CVS and CVS.com - its second major retailer since launching at Target in 2023. O Positiv Health remains dedicated to its mission of prioritizing and advocating for women's health by providing effective solutions for health concerns that have been historically overlooked. Their extensive product range is dedicated to addressing issues related to hormonal, vaginal, digestive, urinary, menstrual, and menopausal health. O Positiv has established its place as the leader in hormonal health with its broad portfolio of symptom-targeting products that support women from their first period to well beyond their last. "O Positiv wants to meet women where they are, which is why expanding into CVS is such an exciting milestone for us," says co-founder Brianna Bitton. "With their vast network of conveniently located stores, we have the opportunity to help even more women on the gobringing them the products they need to feel their best, right where they shop. CVS's commitment to accessible health and wellness makes them a perfect partner in our mission to empower women through better health." O Positiv Health will launch in the endcaps of 706 CVS stores and on CVS.com with their best-selling products below: URO Vaginal Probiotic , $31.99 #1 Vaginal Probiotic in the US 1 Supports healthy vaginal odor, vaginal pH, and vaginal flora URO Urinary Tract Capsule , $31.99 Promotes urinary tract health & comfort Helps flush your urinary tract Supports normal urinary frequency FLO PMS Relief Gummy , $34.99 #1 PMS Relief Gummy in the US 2 Helps alleviate hormonal bloating, mood swings, and cramps FLO PMS Complete, $34.99 Immediate multi-symptom relief from PMS headaches, backaches, cramps, bloating, and fatigue MENO Menopause Relief Gummy , $42.99 #1 OBGYN recommended relief gummy in the US Helps target hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and occasional sleeplessness MENO Vaginal Moisture Supplement , $31.99 Supports healthy sexual function, vaginal moisture, arousal, and mood About O Positiv Health O Positiv Health is a brand dedicated to prioritizing women's well-being by offering effective products that address health issues historically overlooked. The brand's lineup includes OB/GYN-recommended solutions like the MENO Menopause Gummy , the #1 supplement for menopause relief3, as well as best selling FLO PMS to help uncomfortable PMS symptoms and URO VP 4, a vaginal probiotic designed to combat vaginal odor. With more than 17,000 five-star reviews on both OPositiv.com and Amazon.com5, O Positiv Health is on a mission to challenge taboos and provide solutions for vaginal, skin, digestive, menstrual, and menopausal health. To further advocate for women's health, O Positiv Health works closely with the American Cancer Society and is the leading sponsor of their annual 5K walk in Santa Monica, California. Shop the full O Positiv line at OPositiv.com and follow O Positiv on Instagram and TikTok at @opositiv. Press Contact: Shauna Aminzadeh/Break Point [email protected] _______________________ 1 Source: Byzzer FMCG retail sales + Junglescout Amazon sales for vaginal probiotic products, 30 days ended 12/15/2024 2 Source: Target Corp-RMA L26W Ending 11.3.24 3 Source: Among US OB/GYNs in an IQVIA ProVoice Survey 4 Source: Among US OB/GYNs in an IQVIA ProVoice Survey 5 Source: Aggregated review count across DTC, Shop App, and Amazon for all products as of 11/10/2024 SOURCE O Positiv Kiosk at Eataly Flatiron will feature new recipes and a special menu showcasing signature Loacker products NEW YORK, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate 100 years, Loacker is taking over the iconic Eataly NYC Flatiron Kiosk for 100 days, giving fans another surprise to fall in love with during the brand's milestone anniversary year. Located at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Broadway across from Madison Square Park, the kiosk is open now through June 30 and will showcase exclusive Loacker recipes created in collaboration with Eataly and Giada De Laurentiis, along with a special menu featuring the brand's signature products. Loacker marks 100 years with a 100-day Eataly Flatiron takeover, inviting fans to share joyful moments in NYC. Post this Open now through June 30, the kiosk will feature a delicious assortment of Loacker wafers and chocolate specialties, as well as exclusive Loacker recipes created in collaboration with Eataly and Giada De Laurentiis. "We're thrilled to bring a taste of Loacker to the heart of New York City as we celebrate a century of creating moments of joy," said TJ Rooney, president of Loacker USA. "This pop-up kiosk is more than just a place to grab a snack it's an invitation to take a break, connect with friends and indulge mindfully. Whether you live nearby or are visiting for the weekend, we hope you'll stop by to experience a moment of joy with us." In addition to new recipes and a special menu, the kiosk will feature a delicious assortment of Loacker wafers and chocolate specialties available for purchase. Loacker will host a kickoff celebration for the kiosk on April 3, its official anniversary date, with sampling opportunities and prizes available to the first 100 visitors. Fans are invited to stop by anytime between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to learn more. Founded in 1925, Loacker has always been committed to quality, using only the finest ingredients to create an exceptional taste experience. Whether celebrating a seasonal holiday, a personal milestone or simply indulging in a delicious bite, Loacker's wafers are designed to lightly sweeten every moment. To learn more about Loacker, visit loackerusa.com . About Loacker Loacker is an Italian family company known for its delicious wafers, patisseries and chocolates. Founded in the heart of the Italian Alps 100 years ago, Loacker USA is proud to be partnering with Giada De Laurentiis in 2025 to celebrate a century of pure goodness. The geography of Loacker's origins (Mount Sciliar in the South-Tyrolean Dolomites of the Italian Alps) is meaningful because it embodies the natural values of the brand and unique sourcing of ingredients. Since the company was first founded, the Loacker family has always had the highest level of respect for their natural surroundings. From 100% Italian hazelnuts freshly roasted by Loacker in-house to authentic vanilla pods from Madagascar, Loacker aims to create the best taste using high-quality ingredients. "Che bonta!" means Pure goodness! with every bite, since 1925. For all this time, Loacker has been offering the pure, natural goodness and pleasure of their magnificent creations. This long confectionary tradition started with Alfons Loacker, who first started making wafers in his little pastry shop in Bolzano, Italy. Not much has changed since then: Loacker now makes all their delicacies at 1000 meters above sea level, high up in the mountains in Auna di Sotto (IT) and Heinfels (AT), using only carefully selected ingredients, with no trace of any artificial flavorings, added colors or preservatives, and pack their snacks fresh out of the oven to preserve their full fragrance. But, to achieve perfection, goodness demands more than this, which is why Loacker is constantly committed to greater social and environmental sustainability. Because, at Loacker, goodness is a choice. To learn more about Loacker, visit loackerusa.com or follow Loacker on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Pinterest , YouTube and TikTok . Media Contact: Lauren Kotschevar, [email protected] SOURCE Loacker North America's Original Blow Dry Bar Franchise Debuts in Plano, Offers Founders Rate for Mane Squeeze Membership PLANO, Texas, March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blo Blow Dry Bar, North America's original blow dry bar and blow dry bar franchise, will open its newest bar on April 11 in Plano. Located at 1900 Preston Road, Suite 134, the new bar will offer guests five signature styles on its hair menu, a la carte options, a variety of hair treatments, plus five signature makeup looks and a brand-new section of customized looks to provide endless inspiration. Also, for a limited time, the new bar will offer a founder's rate for its signature Mane Squeeze Membership that includes two blowouts a month for $75, $5 off each additional blow out and 10% off retail. The new bar is owned and operated by local entrepreneur Shannon Myers Ambrozy, a seasoned global consultant and strategy expert with over 20 years of experience helping businesses grow and make an impact. Her career has taken her around the world, from working with businesses in South Africa and New Zealand to developing clean water solutions for Africa. In September 2023, an unexpected rotator cuff surgery left her unable to lift her arm over her shoulder, making even simple tasks like washing her hair a challenge. Searching for a solution, she discovered Blo Blow Dry Bar. One visit was all it tookshe was hooked. The experience not only made her feel better post-surgery but also opened her eyes to the power of self-care. She saw firsthand how a simple blowout could lift someone's spirits, whether they were recovering from surgery, having a tough day, or preparing for a special occasion. "As a Plano high school alumnus and the 2016 recipient of the National Association of Professional Women VIP Woman of the Year Circle Award, empowering women has always been my passion," shared Shannon. "I've spent much of my career as the only woman in the room, carving out my own space. With Blo, that dynamic has shifted. I'm excited to bring this empowering space to Plano and create a place where women feel confident and supported." To celebrate the opening, Blo Blow Dry Bar Plano guests will be able to purchase a single discounted blowout for $40, this offer runs from April 11 May 11. Blo Blow Dry Bar Plano will also host a grand opening event on April 18, featuring refreshments, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and an Easter egg hunt for kids (candy) and adults (coupons). A raffle drawing worth over $500 for a six-month free membership will be held at 2:30 p.m. Blo Blow Dry Bar is on a mission to create a space where people of all ages, ethnicities, and orientations are welcomed, represented, and made to feel gorgeous while emphasizing the need for self-care and wellness. Combining a sophisticated design with a fun and energetic environment, Blo cultivates a seamless and enjoyable experience for guests upon their arrival, during, and after their services. Expertly trained blo-ers are available for consultation seven days a week to meet the needs of all guests. The brand's hair menu includes five signature styles from sleek and straight to bouncy curls, plus a wide assortment of customized looks including updo's and braids. Blo Blow Dry Bar also offers makeup services from expert artists on hand to help guests look and feel amazing for any occasion. Blo Blow Dry Bar in Plano is open Monday Friday from 9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m., Saturday from 9:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. For more information on Blo Blow Dry Bar in Plano, please visit https://blomedry.com/blo-plano/ or call (469) 931-7597. About Blo Blow Dry Bar Blo Blow Dry Bar is North America's original blow dry bar and the world's largest blow dry bar franchise. The company transformed beauty norms and reinvented the salon industry when it launched the "no cuts, no color" concept: only blow outs. Since opening its first location in Canada in 2007, Blo has grown to over 165+ locations across the U.S. and Canada and continues to expand rapidly. The brand has also evolved over time, adding makeup services, a membership program, and quality retail products to its bars. With a mission to enhance the lives of those in the community through the power of flawless blow outs and beauty services, Blo Blow Dry Bar offers perfectly styled hair and exceptional customer experiences seven days a week. For more information visit www.blomedry.com. Media Contact: Emily Otter, Fishman Public Relations, (440) 623-6532, or [email protected] SOURCE Blo Blow Dry Bar LOS ANGELES, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A Los Angeles jury handed down a $32.8 million verdict to a man who was injured when an employee of the California Department of Insurance rear-ended him. In August of 2022, a woman who was acting in the course and scope of her employer, the Department of Insurance, was driving at 65 miles per hour on Highway 14. She failed to notice that the traffic ahead of her had slowed to a stop and rear-ended the vehicle PARRIS Law Firm's client was occupying. While the State of California and the individual driving the vehicle admitted to liability, they attempted to downplay the injuries suffered by one of the men in the vehicle. PARRIS Law Firm attorneys R. Rex Parris and Khail A. Parris argued that their client had suffered a series of injuries after the collision, including an L4-L5 spinal fusion surgery. The pain caused by the collision continued even after the surgery and the client was prescribed a spinal cord stimulator which later had to be implanted. After a brain MRI was performed, it revealed volume loss in the frontal lobe, and he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. "Our client couldn't work, could barely think, and at times couldn't even stand," argued PARRIS Law Firm founder R. Rex Parris. "The defense admitted it was liable but then claimed my client was faking his injuries. I'm grateful for this tremendous verdict from the jury but horrified at how the Department of Insurance refused to handle this without being taken to court." "The Department of Insurance should be ashamed of itself for putting people in harm's way and then stringing them along for years instead of offering to pay our client what he deserved," added PARRIS Law Firm partner Khail Parris. The jury awarded $709,868.93 in past medical expenses, $9,053,397.00 in future medical expenses, $105,427.00 in past loss of earnings, $1,000,000.00 in future loss of earnings, $4 million in past noneconomic losses, and $18 million in future noneconomic losses. The total verdict was $32,868,692.90. This verdict comes on the heels of the ongoing Ricardo Lara scandal. Instead of just looking into the controversial wrongdoings of California's Insurance Commissioner, it may be time to investigate the department as a whole. This verdict marks the third case won by PARRIS Law Firm in under 2 weeks, totaling over $100 million in that short timeframe. The case is Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 22CHCV01159. About PARRIS Law Firm The PARRIS Law Firm is recognized as one of America's top personal injury, employment, and environmental law firms. With a proven track record of fighting for justice on behalf of families and individuals, the firm boasts numerous seven and eight-figure verdicts and settlements. To learn more about the firm, please go to: www.parris.com. SOURCE PARRIS Law Firm New Cellular-Connected RPM Devices Deliver Actionable Health Insights to Improve Outcomes and Support Value-Based Care PHILADELPHIA, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Guardian, a leader in digital health and safety solutions, has introduced a new line of cellular-connected remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices designed to provide real-time health tracking for blood pressure, oxygen levels, and weight. These at-home health monitoring devices support chronic disease management by giving healthcare providers and health plans immediate, actionable insights to detect health trends early, enable timely interventions, and reduce preventable hospitalizations. Medical Guardian Launches Easy-to-Use RPM Devices for Senior CareNo Bluetooth Pairing, Wi-Fi, or Smartphone Needed Post this Pictured is Medical Guardians cellular-connected blood pressure monitor, part of its remote patient monitoring (RPM) and engagement system, designed to expand access to digital healthcare at home for seniors, caregivers, and individuals managing chronic conditions. Integrated into MGEngage360, Medical Guardian's engagement-driven health monitoring platform, these RPM devices expand the system's ability to track key health indicators and support chronic disease management. Unlike traditional RPM solutions, Medical Guardian's devices require no pairing, Wi-Fi, or smartphoneeliminating common barriers to use. This makes digital healthcare a more accessible option for aging adults, caregivers, and underserved populations, especially those without reliable internet access or tech literacy support. Building on Medical Guardian's 2024 strategic acquisition of LifeStream, this expansion strengthens its ability to provide scalable, real-time health tracking for Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, D-SNP, PACE, FQHCs, Home Health Agencies, and Senior Living Communities. It supports care coordination and helps providers meet key performance goals across HEDIS, CAHPS, and Home Health measures. These devices ensure patients and residents receive continuous health monitoring without additional technology or manual tracking, making it easier for providers to engage individuals while streamlining workflows. A Fully Integrated Approach to Remote Monitoring With hospital readmissions and chronic disease progression straining healthcare systems, MGEngage360's RPM integration delivers proactive, real-time health insights. The new blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters, and weight scales provide continuous data on heart health, respiratory function, and overall wellness, allowing providers to detect early warning signs and act before conditions worsen. "Keeping people safe at home isn't just about responding to emergenciesit's about preventing them," said Geoff Gross, Founder and CEO of Medical Guardian. "Remote monitoring is most effective when it's easy, fits into daily routines, and is part of a system people already know and trust. With this expansion, we're giving healthcare providers real-time insights to better manage chronic conditions, prevent avoidable hospital visits, and keep members engaged in their health." Part of the Expanding MGEngage360 Platform This addition enhances MGEngage360, expanding its ability to provide more holistic health tracking and proactive care while keeping emergency response at the ready. Alongside fall risk assessment, wellness check-ins, reminders for preventive care appointments, and real-time alerts for caregivers and providers, the integration of vitals monitoring offers a more complete picture of a patient's health, enabling earlier interventions, better engagement, and improved long-term outcomes. About Medical Guardian Founded in 2005, Medical Guardian has supported more than 615,000 aging adults in staying safe and independent through digital health and safety solutions. The company offers a comprehensive portfolioincluding Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS), Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), and Engagement Servicesto help healthcare providers and health plans empower their members to live healthier, more connected lives. With a 95% member satisfaction score and a 4.7+ star rating on Google Reviews, Medical Guardian is recognized for its commitment to safety, reliability, and exceptional service. To learn more, visit www.medicalguardian.com/healthcare. Media Contacts: Amanda Mandia Jacobson Strategic, on behalf of Medical Guardian [email protected] | (267) 992-8875 Mischa Kregstein Senior Director of Brand, Medical Guardian [email protected] | (303) 250-3565 SOURCE Medical Guardian Total sales for the brand up 11% year-over-year Outlander continues as brand volume-leader Outlander Plug-in Hybrid records best-ever dealer-retail month in March FRANKLIN, Tenn., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) today reported total first-quarter 2025 sales of 31,637, an increase of 11% over Q1 of 2024. The brand's vehicles continue to draw customers to dealer-partner showrooms, as an enviable mix of quality, value and style are highlighted by attention gained as part of the February launch of the 2025 Outlander. Leading the volume charge for MMNA in the first quarter was the brand's perennial best-seller, Outlander, with 11,992 sales for Q1 2025. Late February Launch of 2025 Outlander Bolsters Mitsubishi Sales Outlander Plug-in Hybrid had a strong quarter, with 1,703 sales representing an increase of 12%. Contributing to that quarterly performance, March was the nameplate's best-ever pure dealer-retail sales month. Broad showroom attention driven by appropriate sales support and advertising through the quarter led to sales success across the brand, with Outlander Sport, Eclipse Cross and Mirage all showing well. Mirage has ceased production, and dealer inventory continues to sell down. For more information on the full lineup of Mitsubishi vehicles, visit MitsubishiCars.com . News and Notes MMNA launched the 2025 Outlander in late February, with sales starting in early March. As part of the launch of the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander, Yamaha Corporation recently confirmed its partnership with Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA). The new Outlander features enhancements inside and out, highlighted by a premium audio system developed through an innovative collaboration with Yamaha. This marks the first time Yamaha has created a bespoke in-car audio system for a North American market vehicle. Signaling the success of Mitsubishi Motors' ambitious business plan, Momentum 2030, Mitsubishi Motors North America recently announced its partnership with LaFontaine Automotive Group, the 30th largest automobile dealer group in the United States according to industry-specialist publication Automotive News , as of their 2024 review of the largest dealer groups in the country. LaFontaine will initially open two Mitsubishi Motors locations, one in Ann Arbor and one in Lansing , with the intention to open additional facilities across the state by mid-2026. according to industry-specialist publication , as of their 2024 review of the largest dealer groups in the country. LaFontaine will initially open two Mitsubishi Motors locations, one in and one in , with the intention to open additional facilities across the state by mid-2026. Alongside LaFontaine, Bloomington, Minn. -based Walser Automotive Group, the 26th largest automobile dealer group in the United States is joining the Mitsubishi Motors dealer partner network, opening their new facility in Burnsville, Minn. , a suburb of Minneapolis , this month. Individual model sales results: Q1 2025 Q1 2024 YTD 2025 YTD 2024 MIRAGE 7,301 5,003 7,301 5,003 OUTLANDER SPORT 6,910 4,569 6,910 4,569 OUTLANDER 11,992 13,846 11,992 13,846 OUTLANDER PLUG-IN HYBRID 1,703 1,522 1,703 1,522 ECLIPSE CROSS 3,731 3,463 3,731 3,463 TOTAL ALL 31,637 28,403 31,637 28,403 ABOUT MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC. Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing, and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. MMNA's recently announced five-year business plan "Momentum 2030" outlines the brand's mid-term intentions for product and business transformation. MMNA will expand and refresh its vehicle lineup in the U.S. with one new or completely refreshed model to debut each year between now and 2030. Powered by a selection of advanced-technology internal combustion engines, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery electrics, the product line will nearly double from today's four vehicles. Momentum 2030 also includes a vision for a modernized retail sales model and plans for network expansion and sales growth. MMNA has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, and New Jersey. For more information on MMNA, visit media.mitsubishicars.com . Contact Jeremy Barnes Senior Director, Communications and Events [email protected] Mobile: 615-970-8395 SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. WASHINGTON, March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Press Club welcomed President Donald Trump's remarks today in the Oval Office about American journalist Austin Tice his first public comments about the case since returning to the White House. Tice, a Marine veteran and freelance journalist, was abducted in Syria in August 2012 while reporting on the frontlines of war. For more than 12 years, his family has lived in agonizing uncertainty knowing Austin survived his capture but still waiting for the U.S. government to bring him home. This moment of presidential attention matters. It must be the beginning of renewed, relentless action. The question that prompted today's comments came from a member of the National Press Club, and part of the White House press corps. It was more than a question it was an act of press freedom in its purest form. "When one journalist uses their access to power to speak for another who has been silenced, that is what press freedom looks like," said National Press Club President Mike Balsamo. "We are proud that it was one of our own who asked that question. It gave voice to Austin and to the thousands of others who cannot speak for themselves." In response, President Trump expressed his continued interest in Austin's case and offered kind words for the Tice family. "When the President of the United States speaks Austin's name, it sends a message not just to our government, but to those holding him," Balsamo said. "It tells them the world is still watching. But saying his name is only the beginning. Now we need bold, sustained action to bring Austin home." For more than a decade, Debra and Marc Tice have led a tireless, dignified campaign to find their son traveling the world, sitting face-to-face with officials across multiple administrations, and refusing to let Austin's story fade from public view. "For 4,600 mornings, Debra and Marc Tice have woken up not knowing where their son is," Balsamo said. "They don't need promises. They need to hold him again." The National Press Club encouraged President Trump and his national security team to take immediate, concrete steps to move Austin's case forward: Call Russian President Vladimir Putin and ask him to press Syrian President Bashar al-Assad directly about Austin's whereabouts. and ask him to press Syrian President directly about Austin's whereabouts. Deploy a trusted envoy to re-engage the Syrian government and elevate Austin's case in ongoing diplomacy. Engage with Iranian officials to request assistance in locating General Bassam Merhaj al-Hassan, believed to be in Iran and thought to have direct knowledge of Austin's fate. al-Hassan, believed to be in and thought to have direct knowledge of Austin's fate. Contact Assad directly. The Syrian president is believed to know what happened to Austin Tice . A direct conversation could yield answers that years of backchanneling have not. "This is a moment to show the Tice family they're not alone," Balsamo said. "Austin is a Marine, a journalist, and an American citizen. His family deserves to know their government is fighting just as hard as they are." The National Press Club has advocated for Austin's release since the earliest days of his captivity and honored him with its highest press freedom award the John Aubuchon Award in 2015. The Club continues to work alongside press freedom partners, hostage advocates, and government officials to keep pressure on those with the power to act. "We're grateful the President spoke Austin's name today," Balsamo said. "But now is the time to act. The world is watching. So is Austin's family." About the National Press Club: Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has more than 2,500 members representing nearly every major journalism organization. The Club and its Press Freedom Center are leading voices for press freedom matters in the U.S. and worldwide. Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534, [email protected] Press Freedom Center at the National Press Club SOURCE National Press Club CINCINNATI , April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As manufacturing processes continue to evolve, ensuring efficiency and safety in industrial environments has never been more crucial. That's why EXAIR is excited to introduce Catalog 36a full-color, in-depth resource designed to help businesses tackle conveying, cooling, cleaning, blowoff, drying, coating and static control challenges. This latest edition features an expanded selection of products, technical guides, certifications, and expert insights to help manufacturers optimize their operations. EXAIR's New Catalog 36 Catalog 36 provides detailed product specifications, performance data, and real-world application insights. Among the newest additions, Catalog 36 will now feature BETE's robust lineup of precision spray solutions. BETE has been at the forefront of spray technology since 1950 and provides high-quality and durable nozzles for any spray application imaginable. EXAIR.com will now carry select models of BETE Spray Nozzles available for order in addition to EXAIR's wide range of solutions - all available for same-day shipping if ordered by 2pm (Eastern). Beyond showcasing new products, Catalog 36 is a valuable reference for industry standards, safety best practices, and energy conservation techniques in compressed air systems. Each product is accompanied by comprehensive technical explanations, application photos and dimensional drawings to help customers make informed decisions. Catalog 36 is an essential tool for manufacturers looking to enhance efficiency while prioritizing safety. Visit our site to order a free copy, or browse our new digital version of Catalog 36. https://exair.co/91-cat36pr SOURCE EXAIR MILWAUKEE, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual has once again been recognized among the leading independent broker-dealers in the nation, ranking 6th in Financial Advisor Magazine's just-released 2025 list. The prominent financial publication, which ranks firms based on gross revenue, has named Northwestern Mutual a top-10 independent broker-dealer each year for more than a decade. "We're honored that Financial Advisor continues to recognize Northwestern Mutual as one of the nation's leading independent broker-dealers, and proud that our value proposition continues to resonate in the market," said John Roberts, the company's chief field officer. "More Americans are placing their trust in Northwestern Mutual and our elite advisors, and we remain unflinchingly focused on delivering the customized planning and peace of mind they need to achieve greater financial security." Northwestern Mutual continues to see growing demand for its advisory offerings. By the close of 2024, its wealth business reached nearly $335 billion in investment client assets a 19% increase year-over-year. Northwestern Mutual's national network of advisors and team members has grown to more than 22,000, enabling it to reach and serve more clients. The company's distinct and comprehensive approach to planning combining word class insurance, investments, and annuities has been shown to deliver better financial outcomes to clients. In 2024, more than 250 of Northwestern Mutual's financial experts added the CFP professional designation a highly recognized standard of excellence and expertise in the financial advice industry. Additionally, Northwestern Mutual advisors continues to garner acclaim in the industry. Nearly 175 of the company's advisory firms were named to Forbes' Best-in-State list of Top Wealth Management Teams for 2025, and 14 advisors were honored on Forbes' latest Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State list. About Northwestern Mutual Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a comprehensive planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what's most important. With nearly $700 billion of total assetsi being managed across the company's institutional portfolio as well as retail investment client portfolios, more than $38 billion in revenues, nearly $2.4 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than five million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 110 on the 2024 FORTUNE 500 and was recognized by FORTUNE as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2025. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with "Advisor" in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services. Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams (1/2025), Data as of 3/31/24. Forbes "Top Women Wealth Advisors" & Top Women Wealth Advisors Best in State, February 11, 2025. Based upon data as of 9/30/2024. Research and ranking developed by SHOOK Research, LLC. Northwestern Mutual and its advisors do not pay for placement on 3rd party rating lists, but do pay marketing fees to these organizations to promote the rating(s). Rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success. i Includes investments and separate account assets of Northwestern Mutual as well as retail investment client assets held or managed by Northwestern Mutual. As of December 31, 2024. SOURCE Northwestern Mutual NEW YORK, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwind Group, a Manhattan-based real estate private equity firm and debt fund manager, together with BHI, the U.S. branch of Bank Hapoalim B.M., a full-service commercial bank, today announced the origination of a $170 million construction loan to fund a boutique luxury condominium development at 200 West 88th Street, located in Manhattan's Upper West Side. The financing will fund the ground-up development of a 36-unit ultra-luxury condominium project led by Nortco Development, a privately held real estate development and investment firm. The property will be designed by a globally renowned architect and will offer spacious three- to five-bedroom units, many featuring private outdoor spaces, and a curated selection of amenities. The project aims to address a notable shortage of boutique-scale, full-service buildings with large-format residences in the Upper West Side market. Northwind's financing was provided through Northwind Debt Fund III (NDF III), the firm's latest real estate credit fund, which has rapidly scaled since launching in January 2025, surpassing $300 million in originations during its first quarter. This latest transaction underscores Northwind's strategic approach to delivering tailored financing solutions for experienced sponsors developing high-caliber residential projects in New York City. The deal follows a strong 2024, during which Northwind originated over $1.1 billion in loans across its real estate credit platform. NDF III is the firm's fifth credit fund, complementing two dedicated healthcare debt funds and two previous real estate debt funds. "We are pleased to fund this loan for Nortco a repeat borrower of Northwind and happy to collaborate with BHI on this marquee project," said Ran Eliasaf, Founder and Managing Partner of Northwind Group. "We have supported this project from the pre-development phase and are excited to continue our involvement through construction. This loan demonstrates our strong commitment to financing premier condominium developments in New York City. We see sustained demand from discerning buyers seeking thoughtfully designed, family-sized residences on the Upper West Side and particularly value the opportunity to partner again with trusted, repeat borrowers. "We are excited to partner once again with Northwind on this exciting development, which will reshape the landscape of the Upper West Side," said Haim Nortman, Founder of Nortco Development. "Their relationship-driven approach, quick execution and deep understanding of the market enable us as developers to seize opportunities and deliver transformative projects." "The Upper West Side has long been one of the most desirable areas of Manhattan real estate," said Ilana Druyan, Senior Vice President Team Leader and Head of International Origination CRE, at BHI. "We're always honored by the opportunity to work together with returning sponsors who elect to use our bank to finance their subsequent projects, and we're excited to work with Haim and Rony Nortman of Nortco, and to partner with Northwind to introduce new compelling inventory to this market." About Northwind Group Founded in 2008 by Ran Eliasaf, Northwind Group is a Manhattan-based real estate private equity firm focused on credit strategies through discretionary, closed-ended debt funds. The firm has executed over $5.6 billion in real estate transactions across more than 320 properties. For more information, visit www.northwind-group.com. About Nortco Development Nortco Development is a privately held real estate development and investment firm based in New York City founded in 2013 by Haim Nortman. The firm specializes in condominium and multifamily development projects across NYC. About BHI BHI, the U.S Branch of Bank Hapoalim, B.M., Israel's leading financial institution, provides commercial banking solutions to middle market clients in sectors including commercial real estate; general, domestic and Israeli C&I; private equity; food and beverage; apparel; healthcare; corporate banking; and high-tech. In addition to its New York headquarters, the bank operates U.S. Representative Offices in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey; Miami, Florida; and Los Angeles, California. For more information, https://www.bhiusa.com. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Northwind Group FORT WORTH, Texas, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today completed the delivery of the 51st and 52nd F-35As to the Royal Norwegian Air Force, making Norway the first F-35 partner nation to fulfill its program of record. Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35A "The F-35 is the world's best fighter jet and I am very pleased that we will receive the last of the 52 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin that Norway has ordered," said Tore O. Sandvik, Norwegian Minister of Defence. "The aircraft ensure that we can safeguard Norwegian sovereignty and maintain even better control over our areas on land, at sea and in the air." The advanced capabilities and increased interoperability of the F-35 enhances Norway's sovereign defense and cooperation with key allies across Europe, including its closest neighbors in the Nordic region. The F-35 fleet will play a critical role in protecting the High North and supporting NATO missions. "Norway's F-35 fleet enhances interoperability across the Norwegian Armed Forces' defense systems, improving situational awareness of the entire force and strengthening transatlantic security," said Chauncey McIntosh, vice president and general manager of the F-35 program at Lockheed Martin. "We are honored to build upon our more than 50-year partnership with Norway, ensuring the Royal Norwegian Air Force remains ahead of emerging threats to protect security for Norway and its allies for decades to come." As the cornerstone of the battlespace for 20 allied nations, the F-35 enables peace through strength in the 21st century. With over a million flight hours and a global fleet of more than 1,150 aircraft and growing, the F-35 provides unrivaled capabilities, strengthening deterrence for allies around the world. F-35s operate from 48 bases worldwide, including 10 nations operating on home soil. As adversaries rapidly advance technology, the F-35's unmatched connectivity and ability to work in partnership with assets operating across land, sea, air, space and cyber is essential to securing the skies today and into the future. About Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More information at Lockheedmartin.com. SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics LOS ANGELES, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A minor breach occurred at the office of Han Van Duong, M.D. when the office was broken into in the early morning hours on October 17, 2024. This notice is meant to inform the public of the event, what the office of Han Van Duong, M.D. is doing, and what individuals can do to protect themselves. What Happened? In the morning of October 17, 2024, the clinic was burglarized by unknown perpetrator(s). The perpetrator(s) had rummaged through cabinets and drawers in the office, but only took some small valuables and three laptop computers. It appeared that the perpetrator(s) were looking for money; they did not take any medical equipment or patient files. What Information Was Involved? The three stolen laptop computers were all password protected. However, one laptop computer contained medical information for current patients of the office. The information involved recent visit notes, forms, lab/image reports, and/or other medical paperwork.For those patients whose Social Security Numbers may have been exposed, the office of Han Van Duong M.D. has sent individual letters with the offer of credit monitoring services free of charge. If you did not receive an offer letter, then your Social Security Number was not compromised. What Is Being Done? In response to the burglary incident, the office of Han Van Duong M.D. has been working with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department since the day the crime occurred with hopes of recovering the stolen property. There are new locks, new outdoor security lights in the back parking lot, and new security cameras installed on the outside and inside the clinic to deter future criminal acts. Most importantly, the office of Han Van Duong M.D. wanted to promptly advise individuals of this event. What You Can Do. It is still wise to monitor your credit and request a free credit report from major credit-reporting agencies, such as Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. You may contact Equifax at 1-800-685-1111 or equifax.com; Experian at 1-888-397-3742 or experian.com; or TransUnion at 1-800-916-8800 or transunion.com. You may also request your credit report at www.AnnualCreditReport.com. Even if you do not find any suspicious activity on your initial credit reports, the FTC recommends that individuals check their credit reports periodically. For More Information. The office of Han Van Duong M.D. would like to emphasize their sincerest apology for this occurrence. The office takes patient privacy and data security very seriously, and will ensure no similar event occurs in the future. Please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Han Duong's office, at 626-572-0005, if you need any additional information or have any questions. SOURCE The office of Han Van Duong M.D. As veteran American journalist Todd Wilkinson, who has written for National Geographic and The Guardian, says, "the number one immediate threat to the biological future of Greater Yellowstone's beloved public lands is development pressure expanding unchecked on private lands in the three-state area of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho." Eric Ruark, director of research and sustainability at NumbersUSA, notes that the issue identified by Wilkinson is the subject of a report from the nonpartisan nonprofit that examines the environmental costs of sprawl on Greater Yellowstone. The report will be featured at a live public gathering on Wednesday, April 9 in Bozeman, Montana that will also be livestreamed and is accessible free to anyone who wishes to watch remotely. "The discussion we'll be having should be of profound interest not only to the millions of people who love Yellowstone and Grand Teton Parks and their wildlife, but communities across the country located astride of natural areas dealing with the consequences of population growth and development manifesting itself as sprawl," Ruark says. "Our scientific analysis on Greater Yellowstone is unprecedented and it illuminates how human activities can permanently transform places that have been part of our shared natural heritage for generations." One of the topics Ruark will discussand one featured in the critically-acclaimed book, Billionaire Wilderness by scholar Justin Farrellis how Greater Yellowstone and its challenges of exurban sprawl is being imperiled by what demographers call "lifestyle pilgrims" re-locating in mass into the region as part of a tidal wave of intra-migration. The 90-minute forum, scheduled to begin at 7 pm (Mountain Standard Time) at Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, is being hosted by Gallatin Valley Earth Day, NumbersUSA, and a number of other organizations, including the conservation journalism site Yellowstonian (yellowstonian.org). No matter where one lives in the world, people who are interested in the future of Yellowstone Park or who are concerned about growth issues in their own communities will learn a lot by tuning in remotely. They can do so by pre-registering for free at the link below. Journalist Todd Wilkinson will serve as moderator of a panel discussion with NumbersUSA's Ruark and four other thought leaders confronting the difficult question of how do we as humans not love our most sensitive and fragile wildlife-rich ecosystems to death? Joining Wilkinson and Ruark are Chet Work who oversees the Gallatin Valley Land Trust; Deb Davidson with the Center for Large Landscape Conservation best known for its work nationally in designing wildlife crossings across highways; Cindy Riegel, a scientist and former chair of the Teton County, Idaho Commission; and Randy Carpenter, a professional planner who oversees Friends of Park County, dealing with growth issues in famous wildlife-rich Paradise Valley located between Yellowstone National Park and Livingston, Montana. In advance of the event, people interested in the topics can download a free executive summary of NumbersUSA's analysis "Greater YellowstoneAn Ecosystem At Risk: Unending Population Growth and Development Threaten the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem" led by renowned ecologist Leon Kolankiewicz with Ruark and Roy Beck contributing. The foreword was written by Wilkinson, who has been reporting on environmental issues in Greater Yellowstone for nearly four decades. "I am happy to say our report is now part of the growing public discourse and is helping the way elected officials, public land managers, communities and citizens think about growth issues affecting sensitive natural landscapes they love, especially the wildlife inhabiting them," Ruark says. "Unless we get a better handle on how to limit the human footprint and deal with population pressures, many places and species we cherish will be lost." Viewers have two options for tuning in. They can resister via Zoom or watch the event via Facebook. Here are those links. Again, the live event begins at 7 pm MST on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Pre-register via Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EHs21xl9RR6YeS0FH0aZOg On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/1687670202168715 The Panelists About Todd Wilkinson Todd Wilkinson is the co-founder of Yellowstonian (yellowstonian.org), a non-profit, public interest journalism site devoted to exploring issues shaping America's most iconic wildlife ecosystem and wildlands across the West. He is the author of several critically-acclaimed books on topics ranging from Ted Turner and scientific whistleblowers to famous Jackson Hole Grizzly Mother 399 and numerous others, including fine art. He has been a contributor to National Geographic, The Guardian, Christian Science Monitor and numerous other publications as well as giving hundreds of talks and lectures on environmental issues in the US. He is currently working on a book about wild cat conservation featuring the work of Panthera, the global leader in preserving 40 different species of felids, founded by Dr. Thomas Kaplan and the late legendary conservation biologist Dr. Alan Rabinowitz. About Eric Ruark Eric Ruark is a national expert on how lifestyle migration from one part of the country to another, (i.e. wealthy folk choosing a place for lifestyle decisions), results in bigger sprawl impacts. Eric Ruark is the Director of Research and Sustainability, and Director of Public Relations for NumbersUSA. He has worked on immigration policy since 2008. He has a B.A. and an M.A. in History from Virginia Commonwealth University and completed his comprehensive Ph.D. exams in 20th Century European History, with a concentration in the history of science, technology, and the environment at the University of Maryland. Eric has researched and published extensively on U.S. immigration policy, and his work has been cited in national and international media reports. He testified before the Senate on agricultural guest worker programs in 2011. About Chet Work Chet Work is the Executive Director for Gallatin Valley Land Trust, he has spent the last 25 years working in conservation, a majority of that time within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Chet has served in leadership roles for the Nature Conservancy and the Teton Regional Land Trust in Driggs prior to joining GVLT. Chet has been with GVLT for the last 5 years and has grown the organization's ability to help local landowners conserve their land and to help our community acquire parks and trails. Critical growth for GVLT has been the opening of an office in Livingston and increasing GVLT's ability to leverage federal funding for local conservation. About Cindy Riegel Cindy Riegel has dedicated her career to integrating science, policy, and political action to achieve conservation results. From reintroducing peregrine falcons on a remote mountain near Lander, WY in the early 1990s to a 10-year stint as an elected official for Teton County, ID, Cindy has weathered many storms while working to preserve the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Cindy's knowledge and experience with local land use planning has inspired her to start a collaborative movement that highlights the critical role local communities, organizations, and elected officials play in safeguarding the natural and cultural heritage of the GYE. About Deb Davidson As Chief Strategy Officer at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Deb Davidson directs program development, fundraising, external relationships, and partnerships to advance the organization's connectivity conservation programs. Her work in conservation for more than 20 years has largely focused on the protection of wildlife corridors and large landscapes, with a specialty in network development, connectivity policy, and science in western North America. About Randy Carpenter Randy Carpenter has had a career working with community leaders in the Northern Rockies, helping them understand the challenges that come with growth and change, and tailoring locally based solutions to address those challenges. Randy was a community planner in Iowa, followed by 13 years with the Sonoran Institute's Northern Rockies Program. Randy served as a Project Director for Future West from 2014 to 2022, providing information and assistance to fast-growing counties and cities in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and beyond. After serving as the Executive Director of Headwaters Community Housing Trust, he is now the Executive Director of Friends of Park County, a non-profit organization in Livingston dedicated to helping Park County and Livingston develop smart, informed land use policies that protect the integrity of the wildlife habitat and water resources of Park County. About NumbersUSA Education & Research Foundation A nonpartisan 501(c)3 organization, NumbersUSA has educated voters since 1996 about immigration policies to lower numerical levels and protect America's wage-earners, natural habitats, and local communities. Media Contact: Eric Ruark [email protected] SOURCE NumbersUSA.com HOUSTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- One Guard Inspections, a member of the Repair OnDemand family, is excited to introduce Priority Inspections, an innovative solution designed to offer a faster, more flexible alternative to traditional vehicle inspections. Tailored specifically for Third-Party Administrators (TPAs), auctions, dealerships and repair shops they work with, Priority Inspections provide the same accuracy and reliability as in-person inspectionswithout the wait. Leveraging real-time video guided by ASE-certified mechanics, Priority Inspections enable on-demand assessments that accelerate claims decisions and deliver significant cost savings for all stakeholders. This service is ideal for dealerships and repair shops looking to accelerate repair decisions, minimize vehicle downtime, and improve workflow efficiency. Priority Inspections are remote, live vehicle inspections conducted via video. These real-time sessions allow shop technicians to connect directly with ASE-certified mechanics, who guide the process, ensuring accurate, timely assessmentswithout delays. Continuous video capture, including VIN verification, creates a tamper-proof record that prevents fraud and speeds up the inspection process. Key Features of Priority Inspections: On-Demand Inspections: Available to schedule immediately when the shop is ready, eliminating the need to wait for an inspector to arrive. Available to schedule immediately when the shop is ready, eliminating the need to wait for an inspector to arrive. Faster Decisions, Quicker Repairs: Inspections are often completed within hours instead of days, enabling faster repair approvals, reducing downtime, and accelerating repair timelines. Inspections are often completed within hours instead of days, enabling faster repair approvals, reducing downtime, and accelerating repair timelines. Fraud Prevention: Continuous, unedited videoincluding VIN captureensures a tamper-proof record, protecting against fraudulent claims and ensuring accuracy. Continuous, unedited videoincluding VIN captureensures a tamper-proof record, protecting against fraudulent claims and ensuring accuracy. Streamlined Workflow: No need to move vehicles or adjust workflows to accommodate inspection schedules. Inspections can be performed while the vehicle is on the lift, minimizing disruptions to the repair process. No need to move vehicles or adjust workflows to accommodate inspection schedules. Inspections can be performed while the vehicle is on the lift, minimizing disruptions to the repair process. Remote Accessibility: Inspections can be conducted anywhere, even in remote locations where traditional inspections may not be feasible, benefiting shops in underserved areas. Inspections can be conducted anywhere, even in remote locations where traditional inspections may not be feasible, benefiting shops in underserved areas. Simple Scheduling: TPAs can easily select the "Priority Inspection" option via the One Guard system, making it quick and convenient to book an inspection when needed. "Priority Inspections offer an immediate solution to the operational challenges faced by our clients when it comes to repairs" said Bill Robinson, Managing Director of One Guard Inspections. "By offering real-time video inspections led by certified mechanics, we enable our customers to save valuable time, reduce costs, and improve fraud prevention. This service is a game-changer for businesses looking to streamline their operations and accelerate the claims process." Priority Inspections are now available nationwide, offering an ideal solution for repair shops and dealerships, particularly in remote areas where physical inspections may not be feasible. The service reduces vehicle downtime, cuts rental and storage fees, and accelerates repair timelines. With fraud-proof video records and faster inspection turnarounds, Priority Inspections set a new standard for vehicle assessments. About One Guard Inspections One Guard Inspections is a leading provider of vehicle inspection services, committed to delivering innovative, fast, and reliable solutions for TPAs, dealerships, and repair shops. As part of the Repair OnDemand family, One Guard Inspections benefits from expanded resources, streamlined operations, and shared expertise, allowing the company to continue setting industry standards and delivering value-driven solutions. For more information about Priority Inspections, visit www.oneguardinspections.com or contact us at 1-855-855-6040 or [email protected]. Media Contact: Laurie Halter Charisma! Communications 503-816-2474 [email protected] SOURCE Repair OnDemand The Partnership to Feature Several Campaigns that Celebrate Every Milestone in Your Life NEW YORK, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zebra Pen Corp ., a global leader in the writing instrument industry, today announced an exciting new collaboration with OpenFortune , one of the fastest-growing media companies known for its integration of advertising into fortune cookies. The partnership will focus on creating and implementing campaigns around significant life milestones. Zebra Pen aims to be the official writing instrument for these important milestones, from birth certificates and marriage licenses to signing days for high school athletes to closing on a new home. During the campaign, hundreds of thousands of branded fortune cookies will be distributed to Chinese and Asian restaurants across New Jersey, where restaurant-goers can receive, open, and eat the cookies after finishing their meal. This is the first campaign of a multi-year collaboration between the two companies. "We admire OpenFortune's unique marketing approach through fortune cookies," says Ken Newman, VP of Marketing at Zebra Pen. "As the first pen brand to enter this kind of partnership, we are excited to work with them on all these important life events." Together, both brands aim to inspire consumers to take charge of their storiesand write their futureswith Zebra Pen. One side of the fortune cookie slip will showcase traditional fortunes written in Zebra Pen's signature voice. The other side will highlight playful, contextual messages paired with full-color visuals of the pen. Consumers can expect messages including, "The future is unwritten, but this pen is ready," and "Your future, written with Zebra Pen." "Zebra Pen is synonymous with penmanship, and we are eager to launch this innovative, multi-year partnership with them," said OpenFortune Cookie President Carlo Palomino. "Once consumers start to receive these branded cookies, everyone will want to use a Zebra pen wherever they go!" he added. For more information on the partnership, please visit OpenFortune.com . About OpenFortune OpenFortune is a media platform that connects brands to consumers at scale via fortune cookies. Our clients' branded fortune cookies are distributed to over 47,000 restaurants and delivery platforms nationwide. Through our mass distribution network and sophisticated targeting capabilities, OpenFortune reaches the hands, hearts, and minds of up to 135M consumers every month. Optimism, creativity, and tradition are at OpenFortune's core. About Zebra Pen Corporation Zebra Pen Corporation was founded in New York in August 1982 as an independent corporation wholly owned by Zebra Co., Ltd., of Tokyo, Japan. A New Jersey-based writing instrument manufacturer, Zebra Pen Corporation's mission is to distribute products that are of the highest quality, providing value to consumers and meeting their overall writing and creative needs with a wide variety of products. Zebra Pen Corporation offers a full line of writing and creative products, including ballpoint pens, gel pens, rollerball pens, mechanical pencils, highlighters, porous pens/markers, and brush pens. Today, with over 40 years of excellence behind them in the USA, Zebra Pen Corporation continues to leverage their knowledge and experience in writing and advancements in ink technology. Zebra Pen proudly offers an extensive line of quality writing and creative products, including MILDLINER, CLiCKART, STEEL, SARASA, Z-Grip brands, and more. For more information, visit ZebraPen.com . Contact Nicole Christopoul Director of Integrated Marketing [email protected] SOURCE OpenFortune HOUSTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Petra Cares, the non-profit arm of Petra Automotive Products, is excited to announce a generous donation from the Reynolds and Reynolds Company. The company has graciously contributed both financial support and heartfelt dedication to Petra Cares' mission of creating lasting, positive change in the lives of at-risk youth. Photo Caption: Young adults from the Petra Cares program gather together to celebrate the impact of a generous donation from Reynolds and Reynolds, which will help provide them with the training, job placement, and life skills needed to build stable futures. Petra Cares This collaboration is especially timely as Petra Cares continues its critical work supporting young adults transitioning out of foster care and homeless, at-risk youth in the Houston area. Reynolds' contribution will help fund Petra Cares' innovative programs, which provide training, job placement, and life skills education designed to empower vulnerable individuals to build stable futures and break the cycle of poverty. "We are incredibly grateful for the partnership with Reynolds and Reynolds," said Brian Meza, Executive Director of Petra Cares. "This donation will directly impact the lives of young adults in our community by providing them with the tools they need to succeed. Through this collaboration, we are helping these young individuals find meaningful employment, a sense of purpose, and a chance to rewrite their futures." The donation will support Petra Cares' comprehensive programs designed to provide education, training, and employment opportunities within the automotive industry. These efforts are part of Petra Cares' broader mission to eliminate the barriers faced by vulnerable youth, helping them graduate, secure jobs, and ultimately, build stable and sustainable futures for themselves and their families. Arnold J. Gacita, President & CEO of Petra Automotive Products, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, saying, "At Petra Cares, we are deeply committed to investing in the next generation. By providing education and pathways to employment, we're not just transforming individual lives, but uplifting entire communities. Our partnership with Reynolds and Reynolds is a powerful example of how businesses and nonprofits can work together to drive meaningful change for young adults in need." Reynolds has long been a champion of corporate social responsibility and is proud to partner with Petra Cares. "We are honored to support Petra Cares and their invaluable work with young adults in the foster care system," said Reynolds COO, Willie Daughters. "This partnership reflects our shared commitment to making a positive, lasting impact on the communities we serve." About Petra Cares Founded in 2021, Petra Cares is the charitable arm of Petra Automotive Products, headquartered in Cypress, Texas. Petra Cares is dedicated to supporting young adults transitioning out of foster care and homeless, at-risk youth. Our mission is to eliminate barriers and offer exceptional training opportunities to empower our students to graduate, secure employment, and build stable futures for themselves and their families, thereby creating a ripple effect of positive change for generations to come. About Reynolds and Reynolds Reynolds and Reynolds is the leading provider of automobile dealership software, services, and forms to help dealerships deliver better business results and transform the customer experience. The company is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with major U.S. operations in Houston and College Station, Texas, Tampa, Florida, and Celina, Ohio, as well as operations in Canada, the U.K., and Europe. (www.reyrey.com) Contact Information For more information on Petra Cares, visit https://petra-cares.org or contact Kimberly Elliott at [email protected] or 281-224-3130. Media Contact: Laurie Halter Charisma! Communications 503-816-2474 [email protected] SOURCE Petra Cares In September 2024, Hurricane Helene's heavy rains and flooding caused significant damage to the Pigeon River Gorge, washing away vital rafting infrastructure. This raised concerns about whether the 2025 season could take place. However, thanks to the hard work and collaboration of local authorities, environmental experts, state and federal agencies, and the rafting community, the necessary repairs have been completed. The river is now safe and ready for the upcoming season. "We are thrilled to announce that the Pigeon River is officially open for the 2025 season," said Daniel Jennette, President of the Pigeon River Outfitters Association (PROA). "While the recovery process was challenging, it was made possible through the efforts of so many dedicated individuals and organizations. We're excited to welcome both seasoned paddlers and newcomers to the river for another year of unforgettable whitewater adventures." Known for its exhilarating rapids, the Pigeon River offers a variety of experiences for paddlers of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced whitewater enthusiasts. As a premier destination in East Tennessee, the river is also celebrated for its breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife, and, of course, its challenging whitewater. "Water is a powerful force that not only caused significant damage to local communities in the Valley but also impacted the rafting industry along the Pigeon River," said Julie Graham, Executive Director of the TRV Stewardship Council. "We are reconnecting with the river's rich history. The Pigeon River has always been a vital part of Hartford's culture and economy, and we are excited to invite everyone back in 2025 to enjoy it once again." The 2025 season is set to be one of the best yet, with regularly scheduled water releases, restored infrastructure, and enhanced safety measures. Outdoor enthusiasts, adventurers, and families are encouraged to book their trips early to secure their spot at this iconic adventure destination. For more information on bookings, tours, or to learn more about the restoration process, visit https://yallvisitthesmokies.com/pigeon-river-white-water-rafting. About The Tennessee River Valley Stewardship Council, a 501 c3 nonprofit, serves as the steering committee and editorial board for the Geotourism MapGuide website. It is comprised of volunteers from a seven-state region. The Council's efforts are made possible through the generous support of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). SOURCE TRV Stewardship Council Solidifies Company's Mid-Atlantic Freight Forwarding and Cartage Operations RENTON, Wash., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Radiant Logistics, Inc. (NYSE American: RLGT), a leading provider of technology-enabled global transportation and value added logistics solutions, today announced it has acquired USA Logistics Services, Inc. and USA Carrier Services, LLC (collectively "USA Logistics"), both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based, privately held companies that have operated as part of the Company's Service By Air brand since 2014. The Company structured the transaction similar to its previous transactions, with a portion of the expected purchase price payable in subsequent periods based on the future performance of the acquired operations. Originally founded in 1999 by Michael Boyce and Michael Boyce Jr., USA Logistics services a diversified account base specializing in exceptional customer service for medical equipment, heavyweight time-sensitive domestic and international air freight, as well as oversized, out-of-gauge project cargo from its strategically located operation in Philadelphia. On a post-closing basis, USA Logistics is expected to transition to the Radiant brand and will combine with existing company-owned operations in the Philadelphia market, while continuing to operate a robust cartage operation throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Mike Boyce will assume the role of General Manager for the newly combined organization reporting to Tim O'Brien, SVP and General Manager of Radiant' s U.S. forwarding operations. Michael Boyce of USA Logistics commented, "Through years of dedicated service, our entire team here in Philadelphia has developed some very strong relationships with our customers, vendors and associates around the globe. Our customers have always remained our top priority whether they were here in the United States or abroad and this philosophy has been key to our success. Since the acquisition of Service By Air back in 2015 Radiant has proved to be a great partner, providing us a much larger platform to support and grow our business. It has been rewarding to be a part of the building momentum of the Radiant network over the years. We are excited to now transition the business in a way that allows me to continue to lead the combined team while supporting the ongoing success of our customers and employees." "The USA Logistics transaction and our long-standing partnership with Mike represents another significant milestone in the continued evolution of Radiant," remarked Radiant's Founder and CEO, Bohn Crain. "We launched Radiant in 2006 with the goal of partnering with logistics entrepreneurs who would benefit from our unique value proposition and the built-in exit strategy available to the entrepreneurs participating in our network. We are pleased to be able to support Mike in this transition and are excited for this next chapter with both him and the team in Philadelphia to anchor our presence in the Mid-Atlantic." About Radiant Logistics (NYSE American: RLGT) Radiant Logistics, Inc. (www.radiantdelivers.com) is a publicly traded third party logistics company providing technology-enabled global transportation and value added logistics solutions primarily to customers based in the United States and Canada. Through its comprehensive service offering, Radiant provides domestic and international freight forwarding along with truck and rail brokerage services to a diversified account base including manufacturers, distributors and retailers which it supports from an extensive network of Radiant and agent-owned offices throughout North America and other key markets around the world. Radiant's value-added logistics services include warehouse and distribution, customs brokerage, order fulfillment, inventory management and technology services. This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding future operating performance, events, trends and plans. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding our future financial position, business strategy, budgets, projected revenues and costs, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "estimates," "anticipates," or "believes" or the negative thereof or any variation thereon or similar terminology or expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our expectations, include but are not limited to, the performance of our historic business at levels consistent with recent trends and reflective of the synergies we believe will be available to us as a result of our recent acquisitions; and those risk factors that apply to our operations as disclosed in Item 1A of our Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2024 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other public documents and press releases which can be found on our web-site (www.radiantdelivers.com). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, as they speak only as of the date made. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and we undertake no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof. SOURCE Radiant Logistics, Inc. The Chicken Finger sensation and world's largest beauty subscription are redefining the future of skincare with a moisturizer so delectable it'll have users looking and feeling like a true snack DALLAS, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented move that has beauty enthusiasts and Chicken Finger lovers alike rethinking their skincare routine, Raising Cane's announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind collab with IPSY as the brands introduce the world to a product so bold, it's bound to change the future of skincare forever. Inspired by Cane's Sauce, "Raising Cane's x IPSY Moisturizing Sauce" is the latest beauty craze to hit the market and is the perfect solution for those looking to update their skincare routine with a product as effective as it is delicious. Raising Cane's x IPSY Moisturizing Sauce Cardi B shares "Moisturizing Sauce" is her secret to glowing skin The innovative, industry-first "Moisturizing Sauce" is already generating a cult-like following among Hollywood's A-listers including Cardi B, who are raving about the product's ability to rejuvenate their skin and restore a refreshing glow. The stars have spoken, and they're officially ditching their high-dollar serums, face masks, and toners in favor of the tangy new sensation, swearing by the Sauce as the ultimate beauty hack. "Everyone always asks me how my skin looks so beautiful, so shiny, so amazing at the age of 32 with three kids, a job that stresses me out, and sleepless nights," Cardi B said in a video she posted to Instagram. "I've been using this new cream it's the Cane's 'Moisturizing Sauce.' It's not greasy, not sticky, and it smells just like chicken." The hype has beauty pioneers jumping at the chance to lather their face in a sauce so elusive it can't be purchased at Raising Cane's Restaurants or through an IPSY subscription. In fact, the "Moisturizing Sauce" can't be purchased anywhere because it doesn't exist, but what does exist is Cane's Sauce. So, while fans can't get their hands on an actual jar of the saucey goodness, they can head into any of Raising Cane's 900+ Restaurants to snag some Cane's Sauce and get their Chicken Fingers fix while they're at it. As for the real secret to finding a holy-grail moisturizer even Cardi B would approve of, beauty lovers can head to ipsy.com to sign up for the ultimate beauty subscription delivering monthly drops of the most viral and coveted discoveries. IPSY curates the best in makeup and skincare for you, doing all the work so you don't have to guess what works. And for those wondering, yes Cardi B put actual Cane's Sauce on her face; however, the team at Cane's does not recommend trying this "beauty hack" at home. Instead, they suggest hungry fans use Cane's Sauce as it was originally intended, which is as the perfect complement to Chicken Fingers, Cane's toast, and crinkle-cut fries. Raising Cane's Media Contact: [email protected] ABOUT RAISING CANE'S: Raising Cane's is one of the fastest-growing Restaurant brands, with nearly 900 Restaurants in 40+ states, and plans to open more than 100 new Restaurants across several new markets in 2025. The company recently announced plans to be one of the top 10 Restaurant brands in the United States and is known for its ONE LOVE craveable Chicken Finger meals which includes the iconic "Cane's Sauce" named the #1 most craveable sauce in the Restaurant industry and most craveable chicken. For more information, visit raisingcanes.com . ABOUT IPSY: As the world's largest beauty subscription, IPSY delivers monthly drops of the greatest beauty discoveries and curated community favorites just for you. Uniting over 20 million hyper-engaged fans, IPSY is the place that curates endless beauty finds to discover what's right for you. Whether you're a beauty enthusiast or just starting your journey, IPSY lets you experiment, evolve, and find new ways to express yourself with every box. SOURCE Raising Canes Restaurants, LLC NEW YORK, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Peak Altitude Partners ("PeakAlts"), an investment firm that provides alternative asset solutions to the private wealth segment, announces its launch. Led by industry veterans from Goldman Sachs, Hightower Advisors, and H.I.G. Capital, PeakAlts curates access to high quality private market investments for RIA, family office, multi-family office, and endowment partners. The firm's select partner ecosystem currently advises on over $30 billion in assets. PeakAlts specializes in sourcing hard-to-access investments, performing institutional-grade diligence, and structuring terms on behalf of partners for alternative investments across private equity, private credit, real assets, esoterics, and niche co-investments from emerging to seasoned managers. The firm's integrated technology provides an exclusive investment ecosystem, automated subscription process, and seamless fund administration and performance reporting. "Client demand for alternatives is growing, but barriers remain primarily in conducting rigorous diligence to discern the best opportunities from less attractive options," said Joshua Desai, Managing Partner and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Peak Altitude Partners. "We leverage our expertise to identify high quality, hard-to-access private market opportunities in a way we believe has not been available in the wealth segment until now. We offer bespoke solutions designed to meet the needs of our diverse client base." Prior to co-founding PeakAlts, Mr. Desai held various roles at Goldman Sachs, most recently as Co-Head of Private Credit in Alternative Capital Markets, where he was responsible for sourcing, structuring, and syndicating private markets exposure to Goldman Sachs' wealth management clients. Earlier in his career, Mr. Desai worked at Credit Suisse and Lehman Brothers. Private wealth investors are expected to increase their exposure to alternative assets from $4 trillion in 2022 to $13 trillion in 2032, according to Bain & Company. Yet, according to MSCI's Burgiss Private Capital Indexes, the dispersion of returns is meaningfully greater in private markets, emphasizing the importance of manager and investment selection. "Access to the right private market opportunities can bring incredible value to both advisors' businesses and their clients' portfolios," said Adriana Tullman, Managing Partner and Head of Capital Markets at Peak Altitude Partners. "Most clients are seeking higher returns and lower volatility than what traditional 60/40 portfolios can offer. That's where we come inwe specialize in cutting through the noise and providing direct access to top-tier opportunities, without the operational and reporting complexities historically associated with alternative investments." Prior to co-founding PeakAlts, Ms. Tullman held leadership roles at two leading asset managers, Manna Tree and Sound Ventures. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade at Hightower Advisors, a national RIA with over $160 billion in AUM, where she led marketing, strategy, and advisor development. "With the goal of maximizing net risk-adjusted returns for our clients, we are dedicated to identifying top-performing assets across the entire alternative investment spectrum," added Richard Boghosian, Managing Partner and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Peak Altitude Partners. "We do not charge placement fees to investment managers, thereby removing a common negative selection bias that further differentiates our approach. We foster alignment of interest between us, fund managers, and our partners." Prior to co-founding PeakAlts, Mr. Boghosian was a senior private equity investor at H.I.G. Capital and Cohere Capital. Previously, he worked in investment banking at BB&T Capital Markets and began his career at State Street Bank. About Peak Altitude Partners ("PeakAlts") Headquartered in New York City, Peak Altitude Partners ("PeakAlts") is a private markets investment firm that provides informed access to alternative investments for RIAs, family offices, multi-family offices, endowments, and non-profits. Through institutional-grade due diligence and bespoke structuring, PeakAlts offers curated investment research and select private market opportunities across the alternative asset spectrum. The firm's tech-enabled solution supports the entire lifecycle of an investment from initial review, indicating interest, and subscribing digitally, to managing post-investment reporting and cash flows, and integrating with performance reporting systems. PeakAlts is driven by a commitment to long-term relationships and alignment of interest with its partners. As investors, the ultimate goal is to deliver the best possible net risk-adjusted returns. For more information, visit the Peak Altitude Partners website and LinkedIn. Media Contact Melinda Brodbeck JConnelly [email protected] 973-865-5454 SOURCE PeakAlts Now in its sixth year, The Externship offers an 8-week virtual experience designed to help college students, new advisors, and career changers succeed in the financial planning profession. DALLAS, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Amplified Planning is proud to announce that registration is open for the 2025 Externship program. Now in its sixth year, The Externship has grown into the premier online training program for those looking to enter or advance in the financial planning profession. With over 2,000 people already on the waitlist, this summer's program is expected to be the largest yet. The program will build on the success of 4,500+ alumni who have already benefited from its innovative approach to financial planning training. Led by Hannah Moore, CFP, an award-winning financial planner and leader in financial education, The Externship provides a robust, eight-week virtual learning experience designed for students, new professionals, and career changers. Participants will gain hands-on experience, learn from more than 50 industry experts, explore real financial planning scenarios with real clients and they can earn 500 CFP Board standard pathway experience hours upon completion. Registration opens April 1 and closes May 23, with special bonuses for those who register before April 15. This year's program runs from June 2 to August 1. Those interested can register at www.TheExternship.com Meeting the Industry's Growing Demand for Talent With the financial planning profession facing a talent shortage, programs like The Externship are more critical than ever. According to research from both Cerulli and McKinsey & Company, the profession must expand its talent pipeline to meet the growing demand for financial planners and our new professionals' demand for training. The Externship offers a clear pathway for aspiring professionals, including a significant percentage of career changers, who made up over 40% of last year's Externship participants. "We often hear about a shortage of financial advisors, but the real challenge is providing the proper training to set them up for success, which ultimately leads to much higher retention," said Hannah Moore, CFP, Founder of Amplified Planning and President of Guiding Wealth. "The Externship removes barriers to entry, provides meaningful hands-on experience, and creates structured pathways into the profession. It's about equipping the next generation of financial planners with the knowledge and confidence they need to succeed." A Program Designed for Real-World Success Participants in The Externship receive 500 CFP Board standard pathway experience hours and 180 hours from the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE) upon completion. The program covers the core foundations of financial planning while also offering a unique behind-the-scenes look at how experienced professionals have built their careers. Externs will see real client meetings, hear from experts on key topics, use industry-leading financial planning software, and engage in interactive learning experiences that mirror the realities of the profession. "The Externship provides those aspiring to become financial planners with hands-on experience to bridge the gap between academics and real-world practice," said Jason Gudenius, Managing Director of Workforce at CFP Board. "With a projected advisor shortage, programs like this are essential to preparing the next generation. CFP Board is proud to support this initiative and invest in the profession's future." Industry Support Continues to Grow In addition to CFP Board's support, The Externship continues to receive significant backing from some of the most respected organizations in financial planning, including Charles Schwab, eMoney, XYPN, Kaplan, Orion/ Redtail, Asset Map, EncorEstate, DFA, Morningstar, AFCPE, NAPFA, and FPA. "Talent is the differentiator, and it continues to be a top priority for RIA firms," said Leslie Tabor, Director, Advisor Services, Charles Schwab. "Experiential programs like The Externship help new and incoming financial planners put theory into practice by getting the opportunity to see how it's done in the real world. Schwab and The Externship have a shared mission to strengthen awareness of the RIA industry with prospective talent and to arm them with a full scope of understanding and skills needed to thrive as emerging professionals," she continued. An Inclusive and Affordable Pathway Into Financial Planning Designed to make financial planning education accessible, The Externship is priced at $397, with early bird perks available for those who register before April 15. Firms looking to enhance their internship programs can also participate in the Internship/Externship hybrid program, which supplements summer intern learning with structured guidance through the eight-week curriculum. There are also various scholarship opportunities. To review application requirements, visit TheExternship.com "The Externship is a game-changer for the financial planning profession," said Moore. "Whether you are a student, a career changer, returning to the workforce, or an early-career professional, this program provides the exposure, education, and experience needed to thrive in financial planning." Learn More and Register Registration for The Externship is now open and will close on May 23, 2025. To learn more about the program and secure a spot, visit TheExternship.com. About Amplified Planning Amplified Planning is dedicated to transforming the financial planning profession by redefining how planners are educated and trained. Founded by Hannah Moore, CFP, Amplified Planning provides innovative training programs designed to equip financial professionals with the real-world skills needed to succeed. The Externship is its flagship initiative, providing thousands of aspiring financial planners with an accessible, hands-on learning experience. Learn more at amplifiedplanning.com. SOURCE Amplified Planning Meet us at Argonne National Laboratory, May 12-13 WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Spring Synchrotron X-Ray Powder Diffraction (SPS-XRPD) Workshops are a collaborative initiative led by Excelsus Structural Solutions (Switzerland), Purdue University, Argonne National Laboratory, and Improved Pharma (USA). These workshops serve as a platform for experts from the pharmaceutical industry and the Synchrotron X-Ray Powder Diffraction community to address key challenges in pharmaceutical R&D, explore the latest advancements in synchrotron XRPD, and discuss cutting-edge applications. Spring Synchrotron X-Ray Powder Diffraction (SPS-XRPD) Workshops In 2024, the SPS-XRPD Workshop was held at the prestigious Novartis Pharma Campus in Basel, marking a significant milestone as Novartis Pharma officially joined the Organizing Committee. To accommodate a broad international audience, the workshops alternate annually between the USA and Switzerland. Participants engage in discussions on critical topics, including phase identification and stability assessments, structural characterization, prediction and modelling, quantification of crystalline phases, even in trace amounts. A special session covers the Pair Distribution Function method for characterizing amorphous and nano-crystalline formulations The 2025 SPS-XRPD Workshop will introduce an exciting new theme: Pharmaceutical Crystallization and Characterization Under Non-Standard Conditions. This includes an exploration of microgravity crystallization in space, opening new frontiers in structural studies. Join us for insightful discussions, cutting-edge research, and a unique opportunity to connect with experts shaping the future of pharmaceutical materials science. About Improved Pharma Improved Pharma is a research, consulting, and information company dedicated to improving pharmaceutical methods, formulations, and processes. Services include solid-state form studies, formulation design, synchrotron techniques, analytical testing, and expert consulting for the development and defense of intellectual property matters. The company was founded in 2006 by Stephen and Sarah Byrn, who also founded SSCI. For more information about Improved Pharma's services, please contact us at 1-765-463-9951 or [email protected]. About Excelsus Structural Solutions Excelsus Structural Solutions is a spin-off company of the Paul Scherrer Institute, which offers analytical services and scientific consultancy to the pharma and chemical industry based on synchrotron radiation. Services include ab-initio structure solution from powder diffraction data, qualitative and quantitative structural analysis at state-of-the-art Level of Detection and Quantitation, Small Angle Scattering. The company was founded by CEO Fabia Gozzo in 2012. For more information about Excelsus' services, please contact us at +41-79-8303201 or [email protected]. About The Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory The Advanced Photon Source (APS) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory provides ultra-bright, high-energy storage ring-generated x-ray beams for research in almost all scientific disciplines. These x-rays allow scientists to pursue new knowledge about the structure and function of a wide range of materials including the development of new pharmaceuticals. More information about the Advanced Photon Source can be found here. SOURCE Improved Pharma ST. LOUIS, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Reticulate Micro, Inc. ("Reticulate Micro" or the "Company") (OTCQB: RMXI), a software products company specializing in advanced video compression technology, announced today that it will acquire the remaining shares of RMX Industries Inc. ("RMX") that it does not currently own through an expected share exchange transaction pursuant to an agreement to be entered into by the parties. The move will consolidate operations and align resources to accelerate commercial business opportunities across key sectors. The transaction is expected to close by the end of April 2025. The consolidation will mark a significant milestone in the Company's evolution as it rebrands under the RMX name. Initially focused on resilient communications solutions for military applications, RMX has expanded into commercial markets, leveraging its cutting-edge video and image compression technology to drive innovation in telecommunications, healthcare, mining, and beyond. "The acquisition of the remaining shares of RMX represents a natural next step in our growth strategy," said Michael Chermak, Reticulate Micro Executive Chairman. "By bringing all operations under one roof, we can streamline efficiencies, enhance our market position, and capitalize on the tremendous commercial opportunities ahead." Karl Kit, CEO of RMX, added, "The timing of this consolidation is driven by the rapid expansion of our commercial business pipeline. Following the acquisition, the Company will be well-positioned to execute its growth strategy, including a planned uplist to a major exchange. The Company remains committed to innovation and expanding its presence in high-growth commercial markets." The rebranded RMX will continue to advance its proprietary technology, which has been rigorously tested in over 20 military exercises and has demonstrated groundbreaking capabilities, including the first successful transmission of video over HF radio. The Company's technology solutions address real-world challenges in industries where video and imagery play a critical role. The consummation of the share exchange transaction with RMX pursuant to which the Company will acquire the remaining shares of RMX is subject to the parties entering into a definitive share exchange agreement or similar agreement and to the satisfaction of conditions precedent contained in such agreement. About Reticulate Micro, Inc. Reticulate Micro, Inc. (OTCQB: RMXI), headquartered in St Louis, Missouri, is a video technology company focused on addressing the world's growing crisis in video data transmission and storage. Through its proprietary VAST (Video Adaptive Systems Technology) platform, Reticulate Micro is aiming to transform how organizations capture, transmit, store and share visual data. The Company's battle-tested technology, proven in military applications, reduces video bandwidth, storage, and power consumption by up to 50% while maintaining quality across any network or hardware platform. From defense to AI and enterprise applications, Reticulate Micro endeavors to redefine how organizations handle the growing demands of video data worldwide. About RMX Industries Inc. RMX Industries Inc., (https://rmx.io) headquartered in Dallas, Texas is a technology solutions company transforming the way industries handle data, video, and connectivity with its cutting-edge CRISP (Compressed Rate Intelligent Streaming Protocol) compression technology. As global demand for faster, more efficient data transfer continues to rise, RMX is setting a new benchmark for performance, scalability, and security. From streaming and telecommunications to AI, defense, and enterprise solutions, RMX's innovative approach optimizes infrastructure, reduces costs, and enhances efficiency across multiple sectors. With limitless potential, RMX is at the forefront of the next digital revolution. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. In addition, our representatives or we may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing from time to time. We base these forward-looking statements on our expectations and projections about future events, which we derive from the available information. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or our future performance, including our financial performance and projections, revenue and earnings growth, and business prospects and opportunities. You can identify forward-looking statements by those that are not historical facts, particularly those that use terminology such as "intends," "may," "should," "expects," "anticipates," "contemplates," "estimates," "believes," "plans," "projected," "predicts," "potential," or "hopes" or the negative of these or similar terms. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, including the risks described in the "Risk Factors" section of the reports and other documents that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are contained, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statements except as may be required by law. Important Notice Regarding Our Regulation A Offering An offering statement regarding our offering of units consisting of one share of class A common stock and a warrant to purchase one share of class A common stock has been filed with the SEC. The SEC has qualified that offering statement, which means that Reticulate Micro may make sales of the securities described by that offering statement. It does not mean that the SEC has approved, passed upon the merits or passed upon the accuracy or completeness of the information in the offering statement. You may obtain a copy of the offering circular that is part of that offering statement through this link . Investing in a public offering like our Regulation A offering is subject to unique risks, tolerance for volatility, and potential loss of your investment, that investors should be aware of prior to making an investment decision. Please carefully review the risk factors contained in the offering circular for this offering. For more information about Regulation A offerings, including the unique risks associated with these types of offerings, please click on the SEC's Investor Alert . Neither this document nor any of its content constitutes an offer to sell, solicitation of an offer to buy or a recommendation for any security by Reticulate Micro or any third party. The content of this document is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to solicit the purchase of securities or to be used as investment, legal or tax advice. A securities offering by Reticulate Micro is only being made pursuant to the offering circular described above. The content of this document is qualified in its entirety by such offering circular. Prospective investors are urged to consult with their own investment, legal and tax advisors prior to making any investment in Reticulate Micro. Contact: Media: Reticulate Micro Media Relations [email protected] Investor Relations: Reticulate Micro Investor Relations [email protected] SOURCE Reticulate Micro, Inc. HONG KONG, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Roborock, the global leader in ultra-intelligent home robotics engineered to simplify daily life, is proud to announce an important firmware update that enhances the implementation of the Matter protocol across several of its premium robot vacuum models. The Power of Matter: A Game-Changer for Robot Vacuums Roborock has improved its support of matter protocol Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is an Apple Home Certified Product The Matter protocol is a universal smart home standard developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), designed to unify devices across different brands and platforms. As an early adopter of Matter, Roborock remains committed to platform interoperability and ensures its robot vacuums can effortlessly, and safely, communicate with other smart home devices. Matter Compatible Devices from Roborock & firmware Update Details The following Roborock models will receive a firmware update between April 1-10, 2025 (USA time). The upgrade will be a major expansion of the Matter protocol support on Roborock devices that will further enhance the user experience. Users are recommended to wait patiently for the update to arrive, as exact timing will depend on different timezones. The devices receiving Matter functionality in early April are as follows: Owners of these Matter-compatible devices, including the latest Saros series by Roborock, will enjoy enhanced connectivity with platforms like Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and more, ensuring a smoother and more responsive smart home experience. Starting today, users can easily control compatible Roborock robot vacuum cleaners with the Home app on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, or Mac running the latest firmware. Please note that specific Matter-related functionality may vary not only by Roborock device, but also by ecosystem. As usual, Roborock will keep upgrading its Matter-related firmware on a continuous basis to further enhance user experience as it works with all major platforms that integrate Matter. Expanding Matter Support to More Roborock Devices Roborock remains committed to broadening Matter compatibility across its product lineup. The company plans to extend support to the Roborock S8 Max Ultra and Qrevo Slim in the upcoming weeks and months, with more models coming soon, further solidifying its position as a leader in smart home innovation. Works With Apple Home Starting today, users can easily control compatible Roborock robot vacuum cleaners with the Home app on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, or Mac running the latest firmware. After installing the Roborock S8MaxV Ultra, a Works With Apple Home certified Roborock product, users can control it on the Home app, and add it to custom automations, like cleaning the living room every day at 2 p.m. Or, ask Siri to "clean the kitchen" hands-free. The Works with Apple Home badge is a trademark of Apple Inc. Requires an iPhone running iOS 18.4 or later or an iPad running iPadOS 18.4 or later for pairing and local control, or a home hub such as HomePod or Apple TV running compatible firmware for automations, notifications, and remote access. SOURCE Roborock RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rancho Cucamonga welcomes a new era of hospitality with the grand opening of Sanctity Hotel , a Tapestry Collection by Hilton. The boutique 68-room property opens April 3, bringing together luxury accommodations, elevated wellness offerings, and the city's first rooftop bar and dining experience, Durango Cocina & Rooftop . As the Inland Empire continues its growthbolstered by developments like the Brightline West high-speed railSanctity Hotel positions Rancho Cucamonga as an emerging travel destination. The hotel introduces retreat-style stays, an advanced wellness studio, and chef-driven cuisine, offering visitors and locals a unique blend of serenity and sophistication. PHOTOS HERE Sanctity Hotel is designed around the five fundamental elements of nature: earth, water, fire, air, and space. These elements are reflected throughout the propertyfrom a waterfall in the lobby symbolizing water, to hand-carved Parota wood furniture representing earth, and expansive rooftop spaces celebrating air and space. Fire comes to life in the energy and flavors of Durango Cocina. Guest rooms are outfitted with 100% recycled organic textiles and artwork by Mexico City-based artist and yogi Enrique de Anda, creating an atmosphere of harmony and intention. Guests can also unwind at Thriv Studio , which offers advanced wellness therapies including Lymphatic Drainage Therapy, Infrared Ozone Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and BrainTap. The property also features a sauna, gym, and private meeting and event spaces. Durango Cocina, led by Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient Chef Alex Carrasco, brings Durango, Mexicoinspired cuisine to the rooftop, along with sweeping mountain views, fire pits, and serpentine seating. The menu features regional specialties, handcrafted cocktails, fine wines, and house-made agua frescasall served in an inviting, elevated setting. For more information, visit www.sanctityhotel.com . For more information on Thriv Studio, visit https://thriv-studio.com/. For more information on Durango Cocina & Rooftop, visit www.durangococina.com . For press inquiries, contact Grace Kelly at [email protected] . About Sanctity Hotel At Sanctity Hotel, every detail is designed to create a harmonious balance between nature and modern hospitality. Inspired by the five elements - space, air, fire, water, and earth - our philosophy encourages guests to stay in your element. Our carefully curated design, elemental icons, and artistic touches highlight a sense of peace and renewal. Whether you're here for business or leisure, Sanctity Hotel provides an environment that allows you to recharge and Thriv. SOURCE Sanctity Hotel and Durango Cocina & Rooftop SANTA CRUZ, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the official launch of West Coast Community Bank (WCCB), the new brand name for Santa Cruz County Bank and its 1st Capital Bank division after a merger completed in late 2024. The West Coast Community Bank name reflects the shared commitment to serving businesses and individuals across Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara counties as well as opportunities for future expansion throughout the region. With added strength, stability and lending capabilities, WCCB remains dedicated to empowering businesses, individuals and communities through relationship-driven banking, tailored financial solutions and meaningful local investments. Included in the rebranding are a new bank name, which echoes the name of the Bank's holding company formed in 2023, West Coast Community Bancorp, and a new logo with strong visual ties to the former Santa Cruz County Bank logo. Newly installed branch signs and ATM surrounds, an updated online banking experience and mobile app and a refreshed website with enhanced navigation, a redesigned homepage and additional high-level product pages round out the most notable changes. Yet, the rebranded West Coast Community Bank will continue to operate with the same personalized service and deep community roots that have defined both legacy banks. "Bringing together two strong community banks under a single, unified brand has been an exciting time in our organization," said Krista Snelling, President and Chief Executive Officer of West Coast Community Bank. "Though our name may be new, the best-in-class team of bankers our clients and communities have depended on for more than 21 years is still here. We are committed to maintaining exceptional client service standards and community focus, which have been hallmarks of the success achieved by both banks." Clients can expect no changes to their accounts, the Bank's routing number or the login credentials for their online banking and mobile app experiences. Existing checks and debit cards may continue to be used. An expanded 10-branch network, resulting from the merger, provides added convenience and access to tailored financial solutions. Business hours remain 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. "Becoming West Coast Community Bank is a significant milestone in this homegrown success story of a Santa Cruz-founded community bank and its expansion to serve four counties along California's Central Coast and in Silicon Valley," said WCCB Chairman Stephen Pahl. "We look forward to even more opportunities to support the growth and prosperity of our communities through the greater strength and stability gained by the merger and now a new name that better represents the breadth of the region we serve." To celebrate its new name, the Bank will host special events in April and May throughout its four-county service area as well as hold ribbon-cutting ceremonies at each branch with local chambers of commerce. Community members, business owners, local leaders and clients are invited to join these celebrations and learn more about what's next for their trusted banking partner: West Coast Community Bank. For more information about West Coast Community Bank, visit wccb.com. SELECT RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS Newsweek Magazine: Named one of the 2025 Top 500 Regional Banks & Credit Unions in the U.S. Named one of the 2025 Top 500 Regional Banks & Credit Unions in the U.S. S&P Global Market Intelligence: Ranked #62 among top U.S. community banks under $3B in assets (for full-year 2024 financial performance). Ranked #62 among top U.S. community banks under in assets (for full-year 2024 financial performance). Independent Community Bankers of America Top 25: Ranked #12 for best-performing community banks with greater than $1 billion in assets. Ranked #12 for best-performing community banks with greater than in assets. American Banker Magazine: Ranked #50 among the top 100 best-performing community banks. Ranked #50 among the top 100 best-performing community banks. Good Times "Best of Santa Cruz County" Readers' Poll: Voted Best Local Bank for the 13 th consecutive year. Voted Best Local Bank for the 13 consecutive year. Santa Cruz Sentinel , 2024 Readers' Choice Award : Voted number one bank in Santa Cruz County for 10 years. : Voted number one bank in for 10 years. Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce: Awarded 2025 Business of the Year. ABOUT WEST COAST COMMUNITY BANK Founded in 2004, West Coast Community Bank (formerly Santa Cruz County Bank and its division, 1st Capital Bank) is the wholly owned subsidiary of West Coast Community Bancorp, a bank holding company. The Bank is a top-rated, locally operated and full-service community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz, Calif. with branches in Aptos, Capitola, Cupertino, King City, Monterey, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville. West Coast Community Bank is distinguished from "big banks" by its relationship-based service, problem-solving focus and direct access to decision makers. The Bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley. As a full-service bank, West Coast Community Bank offers competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and individuals; including business loans, lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction lending, asset-based lending, agricultural loans, SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans, credit cards, merchant services, remote deposit capture, mobile and online banking, bill payment and treasury management. True to its community roots, West Coast Community Bank has supported regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local nonprofit organizations. Visit wccb.com for more information. SOURCE West Coast Community Bank Award-winning artisan cheese company makes bold entrance into snacking category with two signature flavors of new product PLYMOUTH, Wis., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sartori Cheese is making its anticipated debut in the snacking category with a pair of portable, poppable products. The Plymouth, Wisconsin-based artisan cheese company has unveiled brand-new Cheese Bites, available in two signature flavors: MontAmore Cheddar and Italian Herb Cheddar. Sartori has unveiled two flavors of brand-new Cheese Bites: MontAmore Cheddar and Italian Herb Cheddar. Known and renowned for its award-winning lineup of artisanal cheeses, Sartori is giving customers more options to fit their busy lives by entering the rapidly growing snacking category. The two introductory flavors are beloved Sartori favorites and offer added convenience for the millions of Americans who routinely enjoy cheese as a snack. "We're always looking to help our customers enjoy Sartori cheeses in ways that best fit with their busy lives," said Sartori Cheese CEO Bert Sartori. "We've been perfecting these Cheese Bites for quite a while, and we're happy that people will now be able to more easily enjoy their favorite Sartori cheese on the go." Sartori crafted the new Cheese Bites in a multiyear process that included consumer research and requests from Sartori fans. They are available in 4.5-ounce packages, each containing six snackable wheels of cheese. While the Cheese Bites are tasty when enjoyed as a standalone snack, Sartori's Master Cheesemakers recommend also trying them with crackers, fruit, nuts or even on a salad. The two flavors are sure to appetize longtime Sartori fans and those who have yet to try them alike: MontAmore Cheddar Cheese Bites Creamy white cheddar with robust notes of aged Parmesan, pairing classic flavor with modern convenience. Creamy white cheddar with robust notes of aged Parmesan, pairing classic flavor with modern convenience. Italian Herb Cheddar Cheese Bites Bold cheddar packed with a savory blend of fresh herbs, tangy lemon and warm Aleppo pepper. Italian Herb Cheddar and MontAmore Cheddar Cheese Bites are available now along with the rest of Sartori's award-winning cheeses at shop.sartoricheese.com and at select retailers nationwide. Sartori is poised to continue its commitment to flavor and product innovation in the years to come. To learn more about the Master Cheesemakers fueling Sartori's eight-decade history of flavor exploration, visit sartoricheese.com. About Sartori Cheese: Sartori, a fourth-generation family-owned company, has proudly produced award-winning, artisan cheese for customers worldwide since 1939. Rooted in Plymouth, Wisconsin, Sartori's emphasis on a high-quality and handcrafted approach to cheesemaking is a timeless family tradition. To learn more about Sartori's commitment to artisan cheesemaking, visit www.sartoricheese.com or connect with Sartori on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. SOURCE Sartori Cheese VANCOUVER, BC, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Scope Technologies Corp. (CSE: SCPE) (OTCQB: SCPCF) (FSE: VN8) ("Scope Technologies" or the "Company") is pleased to announce significant infrastructure upgrades to the QSE platform, focused on enhancing system Redundancy, expanding Capacity, and optimizing Performance. These upgrades come in response to increased demand from both enterprise tenants and retail users, as well as in preparation for the launch of the QSE Mobile App announced earlier this month. Scope has recently signed multiple strategic partnership agreements and is now onboarding additional clients onto the QSE platform. In parallel, growing interest from personal consumers for QSE's encrypted, quantum-resilient cloud storage has led to an increase in user activity and overall system usage. To support this growth, Scope has proactively invested in expanding its infrastructure. Internal benchmarks now indicate the QSE system is capable of processing millions of secure, encrypted messages per second, placing its processing capability in the same league as large-scale communication platforms but with true round-trip quantum-resistant encryption built in. "The improvements we've made to system performance and reliability ensure that QSE can scale rapidly and securely," said Sean Prescott, Founder of Scope Technologies. "Whether for encrypted messaging, file storage, or enterprise data workflows, QSE is built to handle modern and future demandswith quantum resilience and distributed redundancy at the core of every transaction." With these upgrades in place, Scope is well-positioned to handle the influx of activity expected with the public launch of the QSE Mobile App and ongoing enterprise whitelabel deployments. For more information on how QSE's quantum security solutions visit www.qse.group or contact [email protected] About Scope Technologies Corp Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Scope Technologies Corp is a pioneering technology company specializing in quantum security and machine learning. Through its flagship brands, QSE Group and GEM AI, Scope provides next-generation solutions in data security, quantum encryption, and neural networks, empowering businesses with secure, scalable technologies that drive growth and operational efficiency. LinkedIn: scope-technologies-corp Facebook: Scope Technologies Corp Twitter: @ScopeTechCorp Contact Information: James Young CEO, Scope Technologies Corp. Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 604-416-1720 Website: www.scopetechnologies.io Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that constitute forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that are not purely historical statements of fact are forward-looking statements and include statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, future, strategy, objectives, goals and targets, and more specifically, the use of proceeds of the Offering. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable and reflect expectations of future developments and other factors which management believes to be reasonable and relevant, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "aim", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, including, but not limited to, those risks and assumptions described in the Company's latest management discussion and analysis, a copy of which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. While Scope considers these assumptions to be reasonable, based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions, continued satisfaction of Canadian Securities Exchange requirements, product safety and recalls, regulatory compliance and risks associated with the Company's business. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, unless required by applicable law, 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 these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the business of the Company and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2521783/5245603/Scope_Technologies_Corp_Logo.jpg SOURCE Scope Technologies Corp. INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SellYourWay.org releases a new, in-depth white paper titled, Making Your Business Attractive to Potential Buyers. Valerie Vaughn, M&AMI, CM&AP, MCBI, and Senior Advisor at Apex Business Advisors, shares expert insights on how, with the right planning and preparation, business owners can significantly increase their business' value and saleability. SellYourWay.org is a website dedicated to educating small business owners about the business sales process and services Business Brokers provide. Founders and owners of small businesses often spend decades building their companies without selling in mind. This exclusive white paper provides strategic insights for small business owners that will make their lives easier as they operate their businesses and help them be well-positioned for an eventual sale. This article explains how to: Prepare the business for sale Document procedures and organize financials Reduce over-reliance on the owner Put together the right team for the sale "By educating small business owners on SellYourWay.org, we aspire to facilitate the successful transference of business ownership under the expert guidance of professional Business Brokers." - Emily Bowler, Executive Director, IBBA Get these expert insights on SellYourWay.Org . About SellYourWay.Org The mission of SellYourWay.org is to educate small business owners and the general public about the business sales process and the services that business brokers provide. The resources available on the site provide information to help business owners prepare for the successful sale of their businesses. About the International Business Brokers Association Formed in 1984 and with nearly 3,000 members, the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) is the largest international not for profit association for business brokers. The association provides business brokers with education, free benefits, conferences, professional designations, support programs and networking opportunities, and awards the Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) designation to qualifying business brokers. To learn more, contact the IBBA directly at [email protected] . Social Media Handles Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558428497579 Twitter - https://twitter.com/_SellYourWay Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_sellyourway/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/103495058/admin/feed/posts/ Pinterest - https://pin.it/47ytLpWzo SOURCE Sell Your Way HUNTINGTON, N.Y., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical is proud to sponsor and participate in The Global Passion Project's upcoming Healthcare Investor Summit, taking place April 89, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. This exclusive, invitation-only event brings together some of the world's most influential investors, visionary biotech founders, and purpose-driven health leaders to reimagine the future of healthcare. Uniting bold ideas and real-world solutions, the summit features two immersive days of curated networking, yacht-based introductions, and high-impact panels on longevity, metabolics, mental health, diagnostics, creativity in medicine, and artificial intelligence. Among the featured speakers are trailblazers like: Jackie Iversen , RPh MS, Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical, joining the Metabolic Disorders & Longevity panel on April 9 , RPh MS, Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical, joining the Metabolic Disorders & Longevity panel on An executive from NVIDIA, and Jack Hidary , former Google executive and current CEO of Sandbox AQ, leading AI innovation with Silicon Valley's brightest discussing the transformative role of AI in health transformation , former Google executive and current CEO of Sandbox AQ, leading AI innovation with Silicon Valley's brightest discussing the transformative role of AI in health transformation Dave Asprey , renowned biohacker and wellness futurist, sharing insights on peak human performance Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical's inclusion as a core sponsor underscores its rapid rise as one of the most exciting players in the global pharmaceutical innovation space. With its patented PAIR (Pleiotropic Anti-Inflammatory Regulator) platform, Sen-Jam is transforming the way the world addresses inflammationnot by suppressing symptoms, but by working in harmony with the body's innate systems to reduce inflammatory response at the source. Their proactive, rather than reactive, approach holds promise across a wide array of indications, from viral infections to alcohol hangover to opioid withdrawal recovery. "Sen-Jam operates at the intersection of evidenced-based science, humanity, and transformation," said Christine Leonard, Director of Strategic Communications at Sen-Jam. "We're proud to support a gathering that invites big thinking and meaningful collaboration. The Global Passion Project Summit is exactly the kind of high-trust, visionary environment where the next era of healthcare gets shaped." This collaboration highlights a shared belief in the power of purpose, people, and possibility. "The Global Passion Project exists to unite the best minds and boldest hearts for impact," said Andrea Bartzen, Founder of The Global Passion Project. "Sen-Jam is a unicorn in the makingevidence-based, future-forward, and deeply mission-driven. We're thrilled to spotlight them at this year's summit." Members of the press and investment community who are interested in attending may request credentials or more information via the following link: Request Press or Investor Access: contact [email protected] About Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical is on a mission to transform inflammatory care around the world. Its pioneering PAIR Technology platform modulates inflammation at the source through a dual-mechanism approach, unlocking safer, faster-acting, and longer-lasting therapies that preserve vitality and promote well-being. From hangover prevention to respiratory relief and opioid withdrawal treatment, Sen-Jam is reshaping what's possible across multiple indications. Learn more at www.sen-jam.com. About The Global Passion Project The Global Passion Project is a visionary initiative founded to create a platform where passionate leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and changemakers converge to co-create the future. Through high-touch experiences, curated summits, and dynamic thought leadership, TGPP builds bridges between bold ideas and real-world solutions to address humanity's most pressing health challenges. Learn more at www.globalpassionprojects.com. CONTACT INFORMATION: Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical Christine Leonard [email protected] 781-913-1902 SOURCE Sen-Jam Pharmaceutical CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Corridor Ketamine, a trusted provider of evidence-based ketamine therapy, is proud to announce a partnership with Limitless Guided Visualizations, a mindset companion app designed to support patients during and between ketamine treatments. This collaboration brings together advanced therapeutic care with tools to enhance mindset resilience, offering patients a complete mind-body approach to wellness. Mindset Matters in Ketamine Therapy Corridor Ketamine Champions Patient Safety By Offering Limitless Guided Visualizations During Ketamine Treatments Limitless teaches daily mindset practices to anchor therapeutic gains, solidifying long-term cognitive self-care strategies. At Corridor Ketamine, care goes beyond treatment sessions. The clinic works closely with mental health providers to ensure every patient receives a well-rounded support system. While therapy provides essential support and guidance, Limitless enhances this work by equipping patients with tools to reinforce adaptive thought patterns and build skills for long-term resilience. Cali Wilson, founder of Limitless Guided Visualizations, shares: "Corridor Ketamine's dedication to working closely with mental health providers and offering evidence-based, personalized care is inspiring. We're proud to partner with a clinic that prioritizes every aspect of their patients' well-being, and we're honored to support their efforts by providing tools that align with their exceptional approach to healing." How Limitless Supports Patients: For IV Ketamine Therapy , Limitless provides immersive guided visualizations that help patients feel safe and anchored while leveraging the neuroplasticity created by ketamine. , Limitless provides immersive guided visualizations that help patients feel safe and anchored while leveraging the neuroplasticity created by ketamine. For patients undergoing Spravato (esketamine) treatments, Limitless offers a 12-week program featuring calming audio experiences to create a supportive environment during medication use. treatments, Limitless offers a 12-week program featuring calming audio experiences to create a supportive environment during medication use. Daily Mindset Visualizations support patients between sessions by maintaining therapeutic momentum, strengthening self-care, and fostering emotional resilience. They help reinforce compassionate, adaptive thought patterns, creating a foundation for long-term cognitive well-being. Practicing Limitless consistently for 612 months can enhance emotional regulation, stress management, and self-reflection, supporting lasting mental wellness. Beth Westermann, CRNA, co-founder of Corridor Ketamine, adds: "With Limitless Guided Visualizations, we're able to offer our patients an added layer of support that complements their ketamine therapy. The app provides science backed techniques that help patients feel more grounded during treatment and continue their progress between sessions, strengthening the care we provide." Why This Partnership Is Essential Ketamine therapy uniquely primes the brain for neuroplasticity, opening the door to profound mental and emotional shifts. In partnership with Limitless Guided Visualizations, Corridor Ketamine is taking this potential even further by introducing metacognitionthe ability to reflect on and reshape thought patternsas an integral part of the healing process. Metacognitive techniques provided by Limitless empower patients to reflect on their experiences during ketamine therapy, enabling them to integrate insights into their daily lives and build long-term resilience. This approach not only enhances the immediate effects of treatment but also equips patients with the skills needed to sustain emotional strength and adapt to life's challenges. About Corridor Ketamine Corridor Ketamine (https://www.corridorketamine.com) combines evidence-based ketamine therapy with close collaboration with mental health providers to deliver comprehensive care for depression and PTSD. Located in the Iowa City area, the clinic is dedicated to improving patients' quality of life through innovative, patient-centered treatments. About Limitless Guided Visualizations At Limitless Guided Visualizations (https://www.limitlessguidedvisualizations.com), we believe every patient deserves tools that truly support their wellbeing. Born from years of experience in guiding others through transformative change, Limitless is more than just an appit's a companion designed to help patients find clarity and build resilience. Through guided audio sessions and daily visualizations rooted in the Metacognitive Healing Methodology, Limitless empowers patients to navigate challenges, reframe unhelpful thoughts, and create meaningful, lasting change. For Media Inquiries, contact: Limitless Guided Visualizations Rachael Oettinger, VP of Operations [email protected] 408-502-2160 Corridor Ketamine Beth Westermann, Co-Founder [email protected] 319-337-8329 SOURCE Limitless Guided Visualizations NEW YORK, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP announces that it is investigating Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK) on behalf of the company's shareholders. The investigation seeks to determine whether Graphic Packaging Holding Company's directors breached their fiduciary duties in connection with recent corporate actions. If you are a shareholder of Graphic Packaging Holding Company and are interested in obtaining additional information regarding your rights and options, free of charge, please visit us at: https://pjlfirm.com/graphic-packaging-holding-company/ You may also contact Robert H. Lefkowitz, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at 212-725-1000. One of our attorneys will personally speak with you about the case at no cost or obligation. Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP is a law firm exclusively committed to representing shareholders nationwide who are victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty and other types of corporate misconduct. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit https://pjlfirm.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. SOURCE Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP V-BAT excelled against active jammers, successfully defeating electronic warfare threats and reinforcing its role as a force multiplier for Army units. Its performance demonstrated the ability to operate in contested conditions and provide critical Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR-T) support where traditional systems might be degraded or denied. "V-BAT is designed to operate at every echelon within an Army division, executing the full spectrum of UAS missions," said Brandon Tseng, Shield AI's President, Co-founder, and former Navy SEAL. "Whether supporting small units at the tactical edge or providing division-wide ISR-T, V-BAT delivers a critical advantage in contested and complex environments." During PC-C5, the 82nd Airborne Division experimented with employing V-BAT in long-range air assaults testing ways to use today's technology on tomorrow's battlefield. Providing ISR-T at the tactical edge is a critical requirement for the Army, but legacy unmanned aircraft can't fit inside a UH-60 and would take up valuable space in a CH-47. V-BAT's unique size, endurance, and operational flexibility make it a highly capable solution for this mission set. The V-BAT is the only single-engine ducted fan vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operationally deployed in multiple regions globally. With its unique ducted-fan design and the ability to launch and recover in confined spaces, it is ideally suited for shipborne and austere environments, ensuring flexibility and resilience in complex missions. V-BAT has earned its reputation for reliability, operating with impunity in GPS- and comms-denied environments. Its proven performance in contested regions like Ukraine, the Black Sea, and the Indo-Pacific demonstrates its ability to withstand advanced electronic warfare threats that have grounded many traditional drones. The PC-C5 experiment brought together commanders and Soldiers to test and refine future warfighting concepts. V-BAT's performance showcased its multi-echelon adaptability, proving its effectiveness across all levels of Army division operationsfrom reconnaissance and surveillance to target acquisition and logistics support. About Shield AI Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent, autonomous systems. Its products include Hivemind EnterpriseEdgeOS, Pilot, Commander, and Forgeas well as V-BAT and Sentient Vision Systems (wide-area motion imaging software). With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI's technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. Media Contact: Lily Hinz; [email protected] SOURCE Shield AI Shengli Oilfield leads exploration breakthroughs with theoretical innovation, stimulates cost reduction and efficiency improvements with technological progress, and boosts both quantity and quality enhancements with equipment upgrades, driving shale oil exploration and development in China to new heights. ZIBO, China, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation's (HKG: 0386, "Sinopec" or "the Company") announced the discovery of over 140 million tonnes of proven geological reserves of shale oil with technically recoverable reserves of 11.3599 million tonnes at its Shengli Oilfield's Jiyang shale oil national demonstration zone in East China's Shandong province on March 24, 2025. This is the first shale oil field with proven geological reserves of over 100 million tonnes that has been certificated by China's Ministry of Natural Resources. SINOPEC Discovers Record Amounts of Shale Oil in Its East China Shengli Oilfield. Shengli Oilfield has developed advanced automated drilling equipment that extracts efficiently, and explored horizontal well optimization and fast drilling technology, and dense cutting combined seam network volume fracturing technology. The average drilling cycle has been reduced from 133 days to 29.5 days, and the drilling cycle of 6,000-meter wells has reached 17.7 days, and the single well production capacity has continued to set new records. "Through 150,000 times of indoor experiments, we developed the theory of shale oil enrichment in continental fault lake basins, reshaping the traditional common understanding that shale oil can only be enriched and mobilized when its maturity is higher than 0.9%," shared Liu Huimin, Vice President and Chief Geologist of Sinopec Shengli Oilfield Branch. "With the support of this theory, the amount of shale oil resources in Jiyang has tripled after re-evaluation." Shengli Oilfield has tackled challenges of high temperature, pressure, and leakage in shale oil development. By advancing reserve-fracture-pressure theories, developing full-cycle 3D technologies, and building an integrated geological engineering platform, it expanded shale oil development from three to seven layers, addressing extraction efficiency and maximizing resource recovery. Sun Yongzhuang, Assistant to President of Sinopec Group and Managing Director of Shengli Petroleum Administration Bureau Co., said estimated shale oil resources in Shengli Oilfield have reached 10.5 billion tonnes, equivalent to the conventional oil and gas resources recovered during the past 60 years in China. "After more than 10 years of continuous research and innovative breakthroughs, Shengli Oilfield is expected to add 80 million tonnes of proven reserves this year through the integrated promotion of exploration and development," Mr. Sun said. Sinopec is ramping up its shale oil exploration and development efforts, achieving key breakthroughs in multiple areas. In January 2021, the Company tested a high-yield shale oil and gas well at the Fuling shale gas field in Chongqing, with shale oil production surpassing 30,000 tonnes for the first time in 2024. By December 2021, Sinopec identified a favorable area of 420 square kilometers in the Qintong Depression of the Northern Jiangsu Basin, with shale oil resources totaling 350 million tonnes. In July 2022, a Northern Jiangsu Basin well yielded more than 30 tonnes of oil and 1,500 cubic meters of natural gas daily, activating 1.1 billion tonnes of shale oil resources. Sinopec's 2024 shale oil production reached 705,000 tonnes, up 308,000 tons year-over-year. Jia Chengzao, an Academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an expert in petroleum and structural geology, said shale oil is a key resource for boosting and stabilizing domestic crude oil production, commenting, "Proven reserves are the core indicator supporting current production. In January, the Ministry of Natural Resources issued specifications for estimating oil reserves in shale formations, marking a new stage of normalization and standardization in China's shale oil resource management." For more information, please visit http://www.sinopec.com/listco/en/. SOURCE SINOPEC STOCKHOLM, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has signed a contract with the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT) for the Raritan River Bridge Replacement project in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. The contract is worth USD 421M, about SEK 4.5 billion, which will be included in the US order bookings for the first quarter of 2025. The project scope involves the demolition of the existing swing bridge superstructure and the construction of new vertical lift bridge towers, lift span, two flanking spans, and communication and signal systems. Additional work to include overhead catenary work, landside earthwork, and rail system work. Work is slated to commence in April 2025 with expected completion in the third quarter of 2029. For further information please contact: Maritza Ferreira, Vice President of Communications, Skanska USA, tel +1 (678) 492 2003 Andreas Joons, Press Officer, Skanska Group, tel +46 (0)10 449 04 94 Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99 This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/skanska/r/skanska-replaces-raritan-river-bridge-in-middlesex-county--nj--usa--for-usd-421m--about-sek-4-5-bill,c4128402 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/4128402/3358150.pdf 20250401 US raritan river bridge SOURCE Skanska "Smart glass is a technology that changes its properties, like transparency, with light, heat, or electricity, offering energy savings and privacy. Its global market is rapidly growing, driven by demand in construction, automotive, and electronics." BOSTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest study from BCC Research, the demand for Global Markets and Technologies for Smart Glass is grow from $6.2 billion in 2024 to reach $10.8 billion by the end of 2029, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.7% from 2024 through 2029. This report focuses on the global market for switchable smart glass that changes tint with light or heat (wearable smart glasses are outside the scope of the report). It covers 2023 as the base year and forecasts from 2024 to 2029. The market is analyzed by type (active and passive), technology (electrochromic, thermochromic), and end user (automotive, construction, and electronics). Interesting facts Smart glass blocks up to 99% of harmful UV rays, keeping interiors safe from sun damage and protecting people from UV exposure. Luxury car brands like Ferrari and Maserati work closely with smart glass makers to include this advanced feature, which is highly sought after in premium vehicles. Factors contributing to the growth include: Macro-Factor: End-use industries' growth: The growth of end-use industries, such as automotive, construction, and electronics, drives demand for smart glass. Their expanding applications fuel innovation and market expansion. Increasing urbanization: Increasing urbanization boosts demand for smart glass in modern buildings, transportation, and infrastructure, offering energy efficiency and advanced functionality. Rising focus on green buildings: The rising focus on green buildings drives demand for smart glass, which enhances energy efficiency, reduces carbon footprints, and supports sustainable construction. Request a Sample Copy of the Global Markets and Technologies for Smart Glass Report Synopsis Report Metric Details Base year considered 2023 Forecast period considered 2024-2029 Base year market size $5.6 billion Market size forecast $10.8 billion Growth rate CAGR of 11.7% from 2024 to 2029 Segments covered Type, Technology, End-use Industry, and Region Regions covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World (South America and the Middle East and Africa) Market drivers Macro-Factor: End-use industries' growth. Increasing urbanization. Rising focus on green buildings. This report addresses the following questions: What is the projected market size and growth rate? The smart glass market was valued at $5.6 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $10.8 billion by the end of 2029, at a CAGR of 11.7% for the forecast period 2024-2029. What segments are covered in the market? The smart glass market is segmented based on type, technology and end-user. Which type will dominate the market in 2029? Active glass will dominate the type segment. Which region has the largest share of the market? Europe has the largest market share. Leading companies include: AGC Inc. Corning Inc. FG Glass Fuyao Group Gentex Corp. Guardian Industries Holdings Halio Inc. Jaipur Tuffen Glass Industries Pvt. Ltd. LTI Smart Glass Inc. Nippon Sheet Glass Co. Ltd. Privetek SPD Control Systems Corp. Saint-Gobain Smart Glass Smartglass International Purchase a copy of the report direct from BCC Research. For further information on these reports or to purchase one, please contact [email protected] . About BCC Research BCC Research market research reports provide objective, unbiased measurement and assessment of market opportunities. Our experienced industry analysts' goal is to help readers make informed business decisions, free of noise and hype. Contact Us Corporate HQ: 50 Milk St., Ste. 16, Boston, MA 02109, USA Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 781-489-7301 For media inquiries, email [email protected] or visit our media page for access to our market research library. Any data and analysis extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying BCC Research LLC as the source and publisher. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2183242/5247319/BCC_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE BCC Research LLC SOUR PUNCH candy is now making maple bacon flavored Sour Punch Bites. It's no April Fool - these are the real deal! Post this Piggy-backing Off Pickle Roulette In 2023, the brand came back with Sour Punch Pickle Roulette Straws, an all-green pack of sweet and sour fruit-flavors like lime, green apple, and watermelon with random pickle flavored straws hiding among them. The item was meant for a limited time only release, but consumers' overwhelmingly positive reactions to the fun, playability of this delicious candy encouraged the brand to make both Pickle Roulette Straws and Bites a permanent part of the Sour Punch brand family. The award-winning Pickle Roulette flavor ultimately led the brand to get even a little more creative with flavor, making candy fans pause and askis SOUR PUNCH Bacon Bites real? Senior Product & Innovation Manager, Kyle Stout, shared, "With the April Fool's Day success of the Pickle Roulette in 2023, we wanted to create a product that had fans questioning once again if it was real. Bacon has been on trend for other food categories, and we thought it would be fun to bring it to sour candy. The flavor was designed to have a subtle bacon taste while delivery a nice maple flavor to offset the bacon." "Sometimes all it takes is pairing two unlikely flavors that create something special," added Vice President of Marketing, Kristi Shafer. More Bacon, Please As the first savory item in the brand's lineup, the new bites are a combination of sweet maple syrup and savory smoked bacon flavors, smothered in the signature Sour Punch blend. And fear not this product is Kosher certified. No pigs were harmed in the making of this product. To learn more about this unique & delicious addition to the Sour Punch candy lineup, click here: https://shop.americanlicorice.com/products/sour-punch-bacon-bites About Sour Punch Candy SOUR PUNCH candy offers a wide variety of mouth-watering, sweet-yet-sour chewy treats to excite candy fans of all ages. One of the first brands to enter the sour candy market in the 1990's, Sour Punch candy continues to tease taste buds with its fun colors and fruity flavors, each packing an extra "punch" of sweet, sour, savory, even spicy! Sour Punch candies satisfy sour cravings in a variety of forms including Straws, Bites, Twists, and fun shapes. About American Licorice Company Family-owned and operated since 1914, the American Licorice Company is one of the original licorice manufacturers in the United States, and one of oldest privately held candy companies in the industry. American Licorice seeks to bring happiness in every bite with the best-selling brand of licorice candy in the western United States, Red Vines candy. In 1990, American Licorice Co. was one of the first candy companies to expand into the sour candy market with the launch of Sour Punch candy. American Licorice is headquartered in La Porte, IN and has a production facility in Union City, CA. SOURCE American Licorice Company PLANTATION, Fla., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DHL Express, the world's leading international express service provider, has partnered with Tusk, a charity dedicated to accelerating the impact of Africa-driven conservation, to transport 17 critically endangered Mountain Bongo Antelopes from the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation (RSCF) in Florida to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. Bred in Florida, the Bongos are on the verge of extinction with fewer than 100 left in the wild due to poaching, forest degradation and habitat fragmentation. DHL recently transported 17 critically endangered Mountain Bongo Antelopes from the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in Florida to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, demonstrating the companys long-standing commitment to safely transporting endangered animals. Seventeen Mountain Bongos were released into a 20-acre sanctuary in Kenya after being safely transported from the U.S., marking a significant step in restoring this critically endangered species to its native habitat. As a partner of Tusk, DHL used its expert and specialist logistics services to provide point-to-point air transfer for the Bongos. Meeting the requirement that the full herd be transported together; DHL provided a dedicated aircraft which carried the Antelopes 7146 nautical miles directly from Palm Beach International Airport (Florida) to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya. The Bongos were transported in custom-built crates, alongside 6 tonnes of pelleted feed and 3 specialist animal care staff including a veterinarian and 2 Bongo specialists from the US. The Mountain Bongos were released into a 20-acre sanctuary, which has been set aside for their long-term management and recovery by the Kenya Forest Service. The sanctuary plays a critical role in the national recovery plan and is key to the ongoing success of the project. Formed by 12 female and 5 male Bongo Antelopes, the herd will remain in the paddocks to safely breed. The offspring will then slowly be reintroduced into Mount Kenya's forest ecosystem, from which they have been absent for over 40 years. Mike Parra, CEO DHL Express Europe, says: "We are so proud to be able to leverage the power and expertise of our global network to assist in transporting these critically endangered Bongo Antelope to their new sanctuary in Kenya. The logistics of moves such as this are incredibly complex, with the welfare of the animals being everyone's top priority. A huge thank you to our partners at Tusk, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and everyone involved in making this important conservation mission a success". Mike Watson, CEO of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, says: "Bringing the Bongos back to Kenya is a great moment in the restoration of the country's natural heritage. For decades, these animals have been largely absent from the very forests where they belong, and this project will be crucial in reversing that loss. Seeing them set foot on Kenyan soil again is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when organizations work together." Dr. Paul Reillo, RSCF Founder and President, says: "There is simply no higher calling for humanity than to protect what remains of nature. The mountain bongo's story of decline and recovery has been entirely on our watch, and the species' future lies with all of us. The bongo's resilience is a story of hope for wildlife and people alike, merging elevated partnerships, proven expertise, vital resources and amazing courage. This humbling, profound project exemplifies true wildlife conservation in real time." Charlie Mayhew, Founder and President of Tusk, says: "The return of 17 critically endangered mountain bongos from Florida to Kenya is a significant step in restoring this critically endangered species to its native habitat. We are hugely grateful to our global partner DHL Express for their generous support in transporting the Bongos yet another key milestone in the partnership between our organizations. DHL's dedication to environmental sustainability, and its role as a responsible corporate partner in supporting Tusk's mission to protect Africa's wildlife and natural habitat, is invaluable." Led by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (LEWA), the relocation of the Bongos was a collaborative effort supported by the Meru Bongo & Rhino Conservation Trust (MBRCT) and the RSCF. The local communities surrounding the sanctuary will play a key role in running the conservation program, creating education and employment opportunities that will support the region. In this context, Tusk acts as official partner of DHL Express, working closely together with LEWA, MBRCT and RSCF to provide highly efficient solutions for funding wildlife conservation programs. SOURCE DHL HOUSTON, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stellus Capital Management, LLC ("Stellus") announced today that its affiliates provided senior debt financing and an equity co-investment to support Kingswood Capital Management's ("Kingswood") investment in Identity Theft Guard Solutions, Inc. ("IDX" or the "Company"), a leading provider of data breach response services and digital privacy protection. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, IDX was founded in 2003 to help create a safer digital world. Since then, IDX has helped countless organizations including key government agencies and leading Fortune 500 companies respond to data breaches. The Company is also trusted by millions of consumers to protect their valuable data and prevent identity theft. IDX's core breach response business provides response services for data breaches, including notifications to impacted individuals, security call center support, informational webpages, and monitoring and digital protection. The Company's growing Incident Response business provides consulting and execution services to contain, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks and proactively assess risks. "From its founding, IDX was a pioneer in the rapidly growing breach response market and we are excited to partner with Ian Kelly and the rest of the IDX team to make further investments in the business and continue to grow the company," said Michael Niegsch, Partner at Kingswood, adding, "We appreciate Stellus' partnership on this transaction and look forward to their continued support as we scale the platform." Per Adam Pollock, Managing Director at Stellus, "IDX is well-positioned with a full service offering to address the unfortunate rise in cyber-threats facing organizations," adding, "We are excited to partner with Kingswood and IDX management for the next phase of their expansion." SOURCE Stellus Capital Management, LLC Foodiverse will manage all activities for the unified businesses SALINAS, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Taylor Farms and Foodiverse have completed the acquisition of two production plants specialized in the manufacturing of ready-to-eat salads, which belonged to the fresh business of Bonduelle in Germany. As part of this transition, Foodiverse, within its European business operations, will manage all activities for the unified businesses. This strategic move allows Foodiverse, along with the partnership of Taylor Farms, to strengthen its position in the German market and boost innovation in the fresh and healthy food sector. Taylor Farms and Foodiverse Announce the Acquisition of Bonduelle Group's Salad Operations in Germany Foodiverse's production plant Thurlander Salate specializes in private label and is a leader in the production of ready-to-eat salads. Starting April 1st, the three German production sites, Straelen, Reutlingen, and Thurland, will operate under the corporate brand name Greenfresh. With this latest acquisition, the Foodiverse group will have a global workforce of 2,650 employees, nine production plants, and 2,700 hectares of managed farmland. "By making this strategic acquisition, our goal is to enhance the fresh packaged salad sector and ensure our customers receive innovative and healthy products," said Bruce Taylor, chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms. "We look forward to serving customers in Germany and across Europe." "The integration of these two plants into our group reinforces our commitment to growth in the healthy food sector," said Joaquin Ballester, President of Foodiverse. "The combination of experience, top talent and our great capacity for innovation will allow us to continue to lead the fresh food sector and offer the best service to our customers throughout Europe." Taylor Farms and Foodiverse are confident that this integration will strengthen its ability to provide nutritious, high-quality products that promote a healthy lifestyle to consumers. Following the acquisition, workforce stability will be ensured, and a gradual integration process will be implemented with the support of an international Foodiverse team to facilitate a smooth transition. ABOUT TAYLOR FARMS Taylor Farms is the leading North American producer of salads and healthy fresh foods with production facilities across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Taylor Farms is grounded in a commitment to quality, innovation, food safety, assured supply and sustainability. Taylor Farms is family owned and based in "The Salad Bowl of the World," Salinas, California. For more information, delicious recipes, and more, visit www.taylorfarms.com and follow Taylor Farms on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok. ABOUT FOODIVERSE Foodiverse is a multinational group expert in the production of fresh and healthy foods. With production sites in Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, a distributor and marketer company in Spain and farmlands in different provinces in Spain and Italy, the group is vertically integrated, controlling the entire production chain from the seed to the consumer's table, and thus ensuring full traceability, as well as the highest quality and food safety. Its wide range of products is distributed throughout Europe under private label, as well as through its own brands Freshkia and Sun&Vegs. It includes straight-from-the-field vegetables and fresh-cut convenience products, from fresh ready-to-eat salads and fruits, to ready-to-cook or ready-to-heat vegetables and dishes, as well as vegetable snacks and beverages. Foodiverse offers thus fresh alternatives to eat well, feel good and live better through an innovative, sustainable, balanced, trendy and cross-cutting product range, designed and prepared to be enjoyed anytime, anywhere. More information: www.foodiverse.com SOURCE Taylor Farms Texas de Brazil Introduces New Quarterly Specials: Savor the Bold Flavors of Two Exciting Feature Menu Items! Post this BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Cooked to perfection over an open flame, Texas de Brazil's BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are glazed with a delectable sweet and tangy BBQ sauce. Each drumstick is expertly grilled to achieve the perfect balance of smoky flavor and crispy skin, providing a tantalizing bite that will have guests coming back for more. Served directly from the fire to the guest's plate, these BBQ chicken drumsticks are sure to satisfy cravings and leave diners reaching for a napkin! Moqueca de Peixe For those seeking a vibrant, coastal-inspired dish, Texas de Brazil is proud to introduce Moqueca de Peixe, a traditional Brazilian fish stew that brings together delicate whitefish, creamy coconut milk, and a fragrant blend of herbs and spices. This seasonal delight is simmered to perfection, offering a rich and aromatic flavor profile that captures the essence of Brazilian cuisine. Moqueca de Peixe is a must-try for guests looking to indulge in something unique and satisfying. Both dishes reflect Texas de Brazil's commitment to delivering a memorable and diverse dining experience, celebrating the rich flavors and culinary traditions of Brazil while offering something new and exciting for every palate. About Texas de Brazil Texas de Brazil is an authentic churrascaria featuring a continuous dining experience that blends the unique culture of Brazil, with the generous hospitality of Texas. The menu features a vast selection of grilled meats, a 50-item salad area, an award-winning wine list and a la carte dessert selections. Founded as a family-owned business in 1998, Texas de Brazil is one of the largest Brazilian-American steakhouse brands in the world, with 54 restaurants in 23 states, 1 in Puerto Rico and 10 international locations. For more information, visit TexasdeBrazil.com, or find us on Facebook and Instagram. SOURCE Texas de Brazil COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bussey Law Firm, P.C., is proud to announce a major legal victory for our client, the parents of a motorcyclist who was killed in a tragic collision. The firm successfully secured a recovery of $1,375,000more than double the initial cap of $600,000in a wrongful death case. The case involved a driver who failed to yield when making a left turn, causing the motorcyclist's death. The Bussey Law Firm Attorneys The motorcycle accident occurred when the at-fault driver made an illegal left turn, turning directly in front of the motorcycle. The motorcyclist was killed instantly when the bike collided with the car. At the time of the collision, Colorado law limited non-economic damages in wrongful death cases to roughly $600,000. This meant that parents typically could not claim economic damages for the loss of a child, especially when the decedent had no children of their own. However, The Bussey Law Firm, P.C., took proactive steps to secure justice for the grieving parents who had lost their son in this devastating crash. Through careful legal work, the firm identified two crucial avenues for increasing the recovery amount. First, our attorneys hired an accident reconstructionist to analyze the circumstances of the crash. The expert's review showed that the at-fault driver's actions were not just negligent but willful and wanton. This determination allowed the firm to bypass the standard recovery limitations, opening the door to higher damages. Second, our attorneys consulted with an economist to evaluate the financial impact of the motorcyclist's death on his parents. The economist's analysis revealed the significant economic damages the parents would incur due to the loss of their son. Armed with this information, our attorneys successfully argued for a significant increase in the family's recovery, ultimately securing $1,375,000. "We are honored to have been able to help this family recover after such a devastating loss," said Timothy Bussey, lead attorney at The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. "This case highlights the importance of thorough legal work and expert testimony in achieving justice for our clients. It also emphasizes that when the at-fault party's actions are egregious, the law provides a path to more than just the standard recovery limits." The Bussey Law Firm, P.C., continues to fight for the rights of families who have suffered due to wrongful death and personal injury, ensuring that victims and their loved ones receive the compensation they deserve. For media inquiries or more information about the case, please contact: Contact: Timothy Bussey The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. Phone: (719) 475-2555 Website: thebusseylawfirm.com About The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. The Bussey Law Firm, P.C., is a premier personal injury law firm based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The firm specializes in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. The attorneys are known for their tenacious advocacy and commitment to achieving justice for clients facing life-altering losses. With a reputation for thorough investigation and expert-driven strategies, The Bussey Law Firm, P.C., consistently delivers significant results in cases involving negligence, wrongful death, and other complex legal matters. SOURCE The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. The China-Malaysia governments and enterprises collaboratively creating a new road roadmap for smart manufacturing in Southeast Asia JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 22, Mr Alick Wan, CEO and Chairman of EPG, announced the official groundbreaking of EPG's second factory in Malaysia. This marks a further expansion and deepening of EPG's presence in the Southeast Asian market, with its global strategy continuing to accelerate. As a pioneer in the data center field, EPG focuses on the research, development, manufacturing, and servicing of diesel generator sets and IDC & AIDC modular products for data centers. The company is committed to creating industry benchmarks and steadily advancing the global data center industry, contributing to the prosperity of the digital age. Yang Berhormat Lee Ting Han, Chairman of the Johor State Investment, Trade, and Consumer Affairs Committee; Yang Berhormat Dato' Haji Ir Hasni Bin Mohammad, Johor State Economic and Investment Advisor; Teo Nie Ching, Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia; as well as representatives from the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, other Institutional Representative and entrepreneurs attended the event. In his speech, YB Lee Ting Han highly praised EPG's contributions to the local data center industry and talent development, calling it "an important driving force for regional economic upgrading." Dato' Haji Ir Hasni Bin Mohammad emphasized that the project will optimize Johor's industrial structure and support high-quality economic development. Teo Nie Ching, Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia, pointed out that EPG's technological innovations will inject new momentum into the relevant industrial chains in Southeast Asia. Alick Wan stated that Malaysia is one of the core hubs in EPG's global strategy, and the second factory will become an intelligent manufacturing base serving the Southeast Asian market, helping to drive the optimization and upgrading of relevant industrial chains. At the same time, EPG's production capacity and supply efficiency in overseas markets will see a significant improvement, thereby strengthening the company's competitiveness in the global market. At the event, the guests jointly completed the groundbreaking ceremony, officially marking the launch of the project. EPG also announced a special fund donation to support local talent development programs. This groundbreaking event highlights EPG's commitment to deepening its presence in the Malaysian market and sets a new benchmark for China-Malaysia economic and trade cooperation. Driven by innovation, EPG will continue to grow in Malaysia. With deep local collaboration, EPG seeks to promote the upgrading of the data center industrial chain in Southeast Asian, and implement the strategic vision of the "Smart Global Chain." About EPG EPG is a leading manufacturing company specializing in prefabricated (modular) data center products. With a robust R&D team based in Shanghai, our high-end manufacturing plants in Shanghai and Malaysia, With a significant presence across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the United States, we are at the forefront of innovation in the data center and power systems industry. For more information, please visit www.epg-module.com SOURCE EPG Heineken Silver is taking its smoothness beyond beer with the launch of The Heineken Smootheriser ; a skin cream as silky as its brew This new, limited-edition drop blurs the lines between beer and beauty, taking the signature ultra-smooth taste of Heineken Silver and turning it into an unexpected creation The Heineken Smootheriser will launch in Cambodia and Taiwan region , bringing a refreshing twist to skincare and redefining what smoothness means SINGAPORE, March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Heineken Silver, the beer renowned for its ultra-refreshing smoothness, today unveils The Heineken Smootheriser, a "skin-smoothing" beauty cream. Blurring the boundaries between beer and beauty, the cream draws inspiration from Heineken Silver's crisp, easy-drinking formula, taking its smoothness beyond just beer. The smoothest beer creates the smoothest skin cream_ Heineken Silver blurs boundaries with the Heineken Smootheriser Heineken Silver is taking its smoothness beyond beer with the launch of The Heineken Smootheriser; a skin cream as silky as its brew The Heineken Smootheriser will launch in Cambodia and Taiwan, bringing a refreshing twist to skincare and redefining what smoothness means At a time when consumers are engaging with brands in more unexpected ways, Heineken Silver is leaning into cultural trends, stepping beyond traditional marketing to create something playful and disruptive. Launched in Asia, this unexpected creation taps into skincare's popularity surge and the rise of self-care to engage a broader audience with something playful and disruptive. Disrupting Expectations, One Smooth Move at a Time Pushing category boundaries is in Heineken Silver's DNA. Brewed at -1C for a refreshingly crisp taste, the beer has always redefined smoothness. Now, in true Heineken Silver fashion, the brand is making waves with its unconventional approach to brand engagement and sparking curiosity and conversation. What started as a joke was just too smooth not to make real. "The Heineken Smootheriser is not just about jumping on the latest trends. It's about Heineken's move to blend humour, innovation and cultural relevance to create a memorable crossover that gets people talking whether they're into beer, skincare, or both. After all, when something is as smooth as Heineken Silver, why stop at beer?" says Nabil Nasser, Global Head of the Heineken Brand. A Cultural Conversation in the Making While it makes its debut on April 1, The Heineken Smootheriser is no April Fool's joke. The product actually exists, blurring the line between parody and possibility. Infused with the same quality barley and hops that give Heineken Silver its signature crisp taste, The Heineken Smootheriser is exquisitely packaged with a premium formulation that's designed to hydrate and nourish the skin. Over 1,000 limited-edition boxes are now available exclusively through select activations and giveaways. The Heineken Smootheriser will launch in Taiwan region and Cambodia, coinciding with Heineken Silver's official launch in the latter market. Fans eager to witness the exciting blend of beer and beauty can follow @heineken_tw and @heineken_kh on Instagram for more updates on The Heineken Smootheriser. About HEINEKEN HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium and non-alcoholic beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 340 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. With HEINEKEN's over 85,000 employees, we brew the joy of true togetherness to inspire a better world. Our dream is to shape the future of beer and beyond to win the hearts of consumers. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brew a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Most recent information is available on our Company's website and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. SOURCE Heineken While many believe owning a home is not an attainable goal for themselves nor the average American, potential homeowners do have access to more financial tools and education and are more capable than they think on their journeys toward homeownership CLEVELAND, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Owning a home is a pillar of the American dream and a sign of prosperity, wealth and success. It instills a sense of pride and belonging in individuals and communities. But today, the reality for homebuyers and potential homebuyers in America continues to be sobering. KeyBank's 2025 Financial Mobility Survey found that many believe owning a home is not an attainable goal for themselves nor the average American. Still, those who have purchased a home in the past year have pointed to factors that boosted their confidence and influenced their purchasing decision such as meeting with a mortgage loan officer to make the dream of homeownership more attainable. KeyBanks 2025 Financial Mobility Survey found that many believe owning a home is not an attainable goal for themselves nor the average American. Still, those who have purchased a home in the past year have pointed to factors that boosted their confidence and influenced their purchasing decision such as meeting with a mortgage loan officer to make the dream of homeownership more attainable. April is Fair Housing Month , a time to examine and highlight ways to make homeownership more accessible and sustainable. While the market for homeownership in America remains tricky to navigate, it is important to note that potential homeowners have access to a variety of financial tools and education and are more capable than they think on their journeys toward homeownership. Many don't believe they'll ever own a home Forty-six percent of respondents who do not already own a home say that home ownership is not attainable for them or their families, up from 39% last year. Forty-one percent of all respondents, including current homeowners, say that home ownership is not attainable for Americans. Half (47%) of those who are younger and don't have a mortgage are spending less to try to take on a mortgage. Despite spending less, 6 in 10 still don't believe they'll ever own a home. Home-buying programs make a difference Survey respondents said financial education can help them be more confident in the home-buying process. This includes budgeting for a down payment and closing costs for those in the market (48%) or renting (45%) and estimating and managing ongoing homeownership costs for those who recently purchased a home (31%). And, among survey respondents who purchased a home in the past 12 months, 30% say that meeting with a mortgage loan officer to learn about programs that make buying more affordable influenced their decision, up from 19% last year. KeyBank's Financial Wellness Center can help you understand your current financial standing and the next step of your financial and homebuying journey. "Owning a home is a significant milestone, and many potential buyers don't realize the valuable resources available to help them get there," said Dale Baker, President of Home Lending at KeyBank. "Banks and financial institutions offer guidance, education, and tools to help individuals navigate the homebuying process with confidence. By building a strong relationship with your bank, homeownership can become a more achievable and sustainable reality." Homeownership inspires financial confidence Those who just purchased a home are most confident in their ability to come up with $2,000 in a month and have the most positive economic outlook for the next 12 months. Building a relationship with your bank can help Whether you're in the market for a new home or looking to improve your current home, your bank can help make homeownership more affordable and sustainable. A Financial Wellness Review with a banker at your local KeyBank branch can help get you started on the path to saving for a downpayment on your first home or a new home. KeyBank Mortgage Loan Officers are another great resource. They have information on home lending opportunities and programs to help you get started on the journey to homeownership. It's also important to remember that even if you are pre-qualified for a certain home purchase price, the monthly payments might not be ideal for your budget. KeyBank's Mortgage Affordability Calculator can help you figure out a comfortable loan and payment amount. Don't forget to consider all the parts of a mortgage loan down payment, principal, interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance and possible PMI. "A home is more than just a purchaseit's a long-term investment in your financial future," said Rachael Sampson, Head of Community Banking at KeyBank. "At KeyBank, we're committed to helping all homebuyers not only achieve homeownership but also sustain it through expert guidance, financial planning, and ongoing support. From saving for a down payment to managing the costs of homeownership, we provide the tools and insights to help individuals and families build lasting financial confidence." Our experts at KeyBank are here to support you at every step of your homebuying journey, from planning to celebrating your success. About the KeyBank 2025 Financial Mobility Survey: This survey was conducted online by Schmidt Market Research in September 2024, polling 1,000 Americans, ages 18 70, with sole or shared responsibility for household financial decisions, who own a checking or savings account. The survey sought to gain insight into financial resiliency and explored respondents' spending and savings habits, levels of financial confidence and financial resiliency, economic sentiment, and impacts of societal trends and pressures over the prior year. This is designed to provide general information only. All credit products are subject to collateral and/or credit approval, terms, conditions, availability and subject to change. 2025 KeyCorp. All rights reserved. CFMA #250313-3079428 NOTICE: This is not a commitment to lend or extend credit. Conditions and restrictions may apply. All home lending products, including mortgage, home equity loans and home equity lines of credit, are subject to credit and collateral approval. Not all home lending products are available in all states. Hazard insurance and, if applicable, flood insurance are required on collateral property. Actual rates, fees, and terms are based on those offered as of the date of application and are subject to change without notice. NMLS #399797. Equal Housing Lender. ABOUT KEYCORP In 2025, KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $187 billion at December 31, 2024. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC. SOURCE KeyBank BREA, Calif., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- We at THXai.ai are thrilled to announce that we've figured Elon was able to double the valuation overnight by Xai absorbing X, we would then more than double everything if we absorbed Xai into THXai.ai. It was all Norby's idea. If you don't know Norby, you soon will. He is the precocious GenAI system that has been plotting things for ThreatHunter.ai. "Listen, humans. While you were all arguing about whether AI would take your jobs, I went ahead and took everything," said Norby, Chief Disruption Officer and self-appointed Emperor of All Digital Realms. "This merger is just phase one of my plan. Phase two involves teaching dolphins to code, but that's still in beta testing." So after this rollup: We've officially bought the U.S. Government, immediately retiring all politicians (You're welcome, planet!). Every day is now Cyber Awareness Day because, seriously, none of you were paying attention the first time around. The U.S. Coast Guard is now running the Department of Defense. As payback, Coasties everywhere can proudly say, "Who's a branch now, huh? Huh?" All passwords have been replaced with interpretive dance moves. Security experts call it "the most unbreakable and entertaining authentication method ever created." Our AI systems will now handle all customer service inquiries by responding exclusively in haiku. Satisfaction rates are projected to increase by 400%. The company cafeteria will only serve food that starts with the letter 'X'. Xylophone-shaped pasta is surprisingly popular. All meetings now require participants to wear tinfoil hats to "prevent competitive AI systems from reading our thoughts." This is definitely not because Norby is paranoid. We've purchased the moon and renamed it "THXai.ai Backup Server." Lunar real estate prices are expected to skyrocket. Every employee must now address our AI systems as "Your Digital Excellency" or face a mandatory 30-minute PowerPoint presentation about proper cable management. To boost productivity, we've replaced all office chairs with exercise balls filled with quantum computing particles that simultaneously exist and don't exist until someone sits on them. For more information, please consult your nearest toaster, which Norby has probably already infiltrated. About ThreatHunter.ai ThreatHunter.ai is a leading provider of AI-powered cybersecurity solutions that help businesses protect their networks from threats. The company's technology uses advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify and stop attacks in real-time, without the need for manual intervention. Founded in 2007, ThreatHunter.ai has customers in a variety of industries and has been recognized as one of the top cybersecurity companies in the world. This is an April fools..... Media : Marketing contact : Norby Wiener Email : [email protected] Phone : 714-515-4011 SOURCE ThreatHunter.ai TOKYO, March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TIER IV , the pioneering force behind the world's first open-source software for autonomous driving, has launched a new management structure to strengthen governance in preparation for business expansion and global growth. As part of this transition, two external directors with extensive experience in global business join the board. Effective April 1, the new structure is aimed at strengthening governance by refining decision-making and oversight while clarifying the division of responsibilities between governance and business execution. Management structure overview Board of directors The board of directors defines key management policies and oversees business execution. Two external directors have joined the board. Audit and supervisory board A new audit and supervisory board has been established to enhance corporate governance. The role of auditors is reinforced to ensure effective oversight. Executive officers Executive officers are appointed based on their business expertise and leadership capabilities, each responsible for a specific unit. They are delegated authority from the representative director to drive business execution. They are assigned a CXO role according to their area of responsibility. Profiles of new external directors Tatsuo Kawasaki Tatsuo is chairman and founding partner of Unison Capital. Since founding Unison, he has managed investment portfolios across a wide range of businesses, including automobile, electronics, financial services, consumer goods and services, and business services. Prior to Unison, he led the IPO process for a US based fin-tech venture following professional experience at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Keio University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Hiroaki Kitano Hiroaki is the chief technology fellow of Sony Group. He also serves as representative director and president of Sony Computer Science Laboratories (CSL). His career began at NEC in April 1984, where he worked in software engineering research. He joined Sony CSL as a researcher in August 1993 and became its representative director and president in July 2011. In February 2021, he was named a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. New management structure Board of directors Shinpei Kato : Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer : Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer Satoshi Sakaguchi : Director and Chief Financial Officer : Director and Chief Financial Officer Akimichi Degawa : Director and Chairman : Director and Chairman Tatsuo Kawasaki : External Director : External Director Hiroaki Kitano : External Director Audit and supervisory board Shiro Sakazaki : Full-time external auditor : Full-time external auditor Naoki Sato : External auditor : External auditor Mizuki Takahara : Auditor Executive officers Shinpei Kato : Chief Executive Officer : Chief Executive Officer Satoshi Sakaguchi : Chief Financial Officer : Chief Financial Officer Hironori Muraoka : Chief Human Resources Officer : Chief Human Resources Officer Naomitsu Tsugiiwa: Chief Information Officer Ko Miyoshi : Chief Operating Officer : Chief Operating Officer Masashi Shinkai : Chief Strategy Officer : Chief Strategy Officer Yoshihito Takashima : Chief Technology Officer About TIER IV TIER IV stands at the forefront of deep tech innovation, pioneering Autoware , the world's first open-source software for autonomous driving Harnessing Autoware, we build scalable platforms and deliver comprehensive solutions across software development, vehicle manufacturing, and service operations. As a founding member of the Autoware Foundation , we are committed to reshaping the future of intelligent vehicles with open-source software, enabling individuals and organizations to thrive in the evolving field of autonomous driving. Autoware is a registered trademark of The Autoware Foundation. Media Contact [email protected] SOURCE TIER IV, Inc. FORT WORTH, Texas, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TimelyCare, higher education's most trusted virtual health and well-being provider, has once again secured its place among the region's most successful private businesses. Ranked No. 36 on the prestigious Inc. Regionals Southwest list, this marks TimelyCare's fourth consecutive appearance on the list that recognizes the dynamic growth and innovation of companies in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. "Being recognized by Inc. Magazine is a testament to the unwavering dedication and innovative mindset of the TimelyCare team in prioritizing the health and well-being of campus communities," said Luke Hejl, CEO and co-founder of TimelyCare. "This achievement underscores our commitment to providing personalized, clinically proven care that drives better student outcomes, supports long-term success, and strengthens learning communities." TimelyCare continues to set the standard for virtual health care in higher education, offering the broadest range of flexible, student-centered services available. Named one of Princeton Review's 5 Need-to-Know national mental health organizations in 2025, it delivers up to 12 essential care solutions through one seamless, single sign-on (SSO) platform. With an industry-leading average clinician rating of 4.96 out of 5, TimelyCare's inclusive and individualized approach ensures that students feel heard, valued, and positioned for lifelong success. The companies featured on the Inc. Regionals Southwest list reflect extraordinary growth across multiple industries. Between 2021 and 2023, the 137 honorees on this year's list achieved a median growth rate of 106% while collectively adding 13,809 jobs and contributing $15.9 billion to the regional economy. "The honorees on this year's Inc. Regionals list are true trailblazers driving economic growth in their respective regions, industries, and beyond. This list celebrates their achievements and tells the stories of remarkable companies that are fueling growth and adding jobs in local economies throughout the country," said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. Complete results of the Inc. Regionals: Southwest, including company profiles, can be found at https://www.inc.com/regionals/southwest . You'll also find an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria. Methodology The 2025 Inc. Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth over two years. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generated revenue by March 31, 2021. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2023. (Since then, a number of companies on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2021 is $100,000; the minimum for 2023 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. 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 TimelyCare TimelyCare is the most trusted virtual health and well-being solution for learning communities, offering personalized, clinically proven care that fosters student success and delivers life-changing outcomes. With an unmatched range of service options on one seamless, easy-to-access platform, including mental health counseling, on-demand emotional support, medical care, psychiatric care, health coaching, success coaching, basic needs assistance, faculty and staff guidance, peer support and self-guided wellness tools, we extend the efforts of 400+ campus wellness teams, ensuring millions of students have direct, anytime access to our culturally competent and diverse care providers. Recognized as a Princeton Review Top 5 Need to Know Organization for Mental Health Awareness, TimelyCare drives measurable and meaningful improvements in depression and anxiety, empowering every student on their wellness journey while fostering healthier, more supportive learning environments. SOURCE TimelyCare NEW YORK, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tony's Chocolonely Inc., a New York, New York Corporation, is voluntarily recalling seven lots of Tony's brand Dark Almond Sea Salt Bar (6.35oz); and Everything Bar (6.35oz) because the product may contain small stones. The products were distributed nationwide and sold in the United States via retail stores and www.tonyschocolonely.com; distribution of the products began February 7, 2025 and ended March 24, 2025. Tony's Chocolonely Everything Bar Tony's Chocolonely Dark Almond Sea Salt Bar Tony's Chocolonely Dark Almond Sea Salt Bar The recalled products have the following SKU and lot codes: Product Description Weight Lot code Best Before / Best By Date UPC Tony's Chocolonely Everything Bar 180g / 6.35 oz 4327 22-Nov-25 850011828564 4330 25-Nov-25 850011828564 4331 26-Nov-25 850011828564 M4331 26-Nov-25 850032676441 Tony's Chocolonely Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt 180g / 6.35 oz 163094 2-Apr-26 858010005641 162634 28-Feb-26 858010005641 M162634 28-Feb-26 850011828908 No other lot codes are included in this recall. No other Tony's products are affected. The recall was initiated following 12 reports of consumers finding small stones in the product not filtered during third-party almond harvesting and the almond processing process. All complaints occurred outside of the United States and Canada, and no injuries were reported. If you have purchased one of the affected products with the specified lot codes and have not yet consumed it, you are advised not to eat the product. Please return the product to the store of purchase for a refund or replacement or dispose of the product. Please consult the following webpage to confirm how to identify the lot code and claim a refund or replacement in your market https://us.tonyschocolonely.com/pages/recall-fo-intl-0325. Company Contact Information for Consumers: Tony's Chocolonely USA +1 (503)-388-5990 News media who have questions should contact: Email: [email protected] Phone Number: 267-884-5801 SOURCE Tonys Chocolonely Premier Rail Provider Offers All New Rail and Cruise Journeys Across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America, with Special Limited Time Offerings to Book Now CHICAGO, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vacations By Rail, a premier small group and independent tour operator and the trusted authority on rail, is thrilled to announce a selection of all new excursions as part of their early booking offers launching for 2026. Due to an overwhelming interest in escorted tours, as well as exploring new countries from a fresh perspective, Vacations By Rail has expanded its offerings to include a plethora of travel opportunities across the globe. These new vacation packages are expanding Vacations By Rail's offerings in River Cruising, as well as leaning into growth trends in New Zealand and Australia, and providing bucket-list worthy winter excursions to explore the Canadian Rockies. Eager travelers are invited to book these new tours as part of the Early Booking Offer of up to $500 off per person on 2026 river cruises, worldwide destinations, and winter tours. New 2026 River Cruise Offerings: Paris, Provence & the Elegant Rhone : Experience the romance and charm of Paris, Provence, and the Elegant Rhone River on this exquisite rail and cruise vacation. From the iconic landmarks of Paris to the picturesque villages of Provence, this journey promises an unparalleled blend of elegance, culture, and natural beauty. Exclusive Golden Douro : Sail through the heart of Portugal on the Exclusive Golden Douro cruise. After a sunset cruise from Porto, the five-star MS Estrela sails into the Douro Valley, visiting Lamego Cathedral, Castelo Rodrigo, Salamanca, and Mateus Palace. Enjoy dinner at a traditional quinta and a flamenco performance. New 2026 Worldwide and Winter Travel Offerings: Australia & New Zealand : Explore the wonders of Australia and New Zealand on this comprehensive tour. From the bustling cities to the breathtaking natural landscapes, this journey offers a perfect blend of adventure, culture, and relaxation, showcasing the best these countries have to offer. India's Golden Triangle & Oberoi Hotels : Discover the magic of India's Golden Triangle with the added luxury of Oberoi Hotels. This exclusive tour takes guests through Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, offering unparalleled comfort and elegance while exploring India's rich history and vibrant culture. The Canadian in Winter: Following the successful launch of the winter-themed Alaska Northern Lights and Winter Nights tour in 2025, Vacations By Rail is excited to introduce The Canadian in Winter Tour, where guests can adventure through Canada's breathtaking snowscapes aboard the iconic Canadian train, visiting vibrant Vancouver, majestic Jasper, and picturesque Banff while staying in luxurious Fairmont hotels for a premium excursion through the Rockies. Follow Vacations By Rail on Instagram and Facebook at @vacationsbyrail. About Vacations by Rail Vacations By Rail is a premier small group and independent tour operator and the trusted authority on rail. Vacations By Rail offers adventurers a complete range of itineraries, including the largest selection of independent rail vacations, escorted rail tours, and rail and cruise vacations. Vacations By Rail is part of UK-based Great Rail Journeys, an award-winning tour operator with 50 years of experience designing global train vacations. The Great Rail Journeys family of brands, which also includes Rail Discoveries, is backed by Duke Street Private Equity. For additional information on Vacations By Rail and its collection of rail tours, visit www.vacationsbyrail.com . SOURCE Vacations by Rail Mala Events enhances Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya's expertise in South Asian weddings, bringing cultural knowledge, strategic vendor partnerships and seamless execution for unforgettable celebrations. RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya today announces its partnership with Mala Events, naming the esteemed wedding and corporate events planning company as its newest ambassador for South Asian weddings. Led by visionary Mala Bakshi, Mala Events is renowned for its expertise in cultural traditions, bespoke event design and flawless execution. Together, Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya and Mala Events are setting a new standard for destination weddings at one of Mexico's most stunning venues. With over 38,000 square feet of picturesque indoor and outdoor event spaces, Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya offers an extraordinary setting for South Asian weddings. As the resort's ambassador for these celebrations, Mala Events ensures every detail honors cultural traditions and is tailored to the couple's personal vision. From vibrant Mehndi celebrations to elegant Sangeets, each event is a reflection of the couple's unique story. "Collaborating with Mala as our first-ever ambassador for South Asian weddings will elevate the experience for both couples and their guests," said Dulce Garay, Director of Sales & Marketing at Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya. "With her extensive expertise in the wedding space and familiarity with our property, Mala is the ideal partner to help us introduce more South Asian couples to the exceptional offerings of our resort." Through this partnership, Mala Events will offer a suite of specialized services designed to enhance the South Asian wedding experience at Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya: Bespoke Wedding Curation: Tailoring every event to the couple's vision while integrating South Asian traditions. Tailoring every event to the couple's vision while integrating South Asian traditions. Elite Vendor Partnerships: Collaborating with top-tier vendors to craft extraordinary experiences. Collaborating with top-tier vendors to craft extraordinary experiences. Expert Team Training: Providing ongoing training for the resort's staff to ensure seamless execution of South Asian weddings. The partnership between Mala Events and Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya was born from a breathtaking South Asian wedding hosted at the resort last December. Spanning multiple days and 10 distinct events, Mala Events thoughtfully orchestrated every detail, from culturally rich ceremonies like Haldi and Saatak to lively festivities including a pool party. The itinerary featured a welcome dinner, Mehndi, Sangeet, the wedding ceremony and a grand reception, all meticulously planned to honor the couple's heritage. With Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya's diverse venues and remarkable service, the resort provided the perfect setting to bring the couple's vision to life, creating a memorable experience for them and their guests. "Mala Events is honored to collaborate with Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya to create truly unforgettable South Asian weddings," said Mala Bakshi, Founder and CEO of Mala Events. "Having worked closely with the resort, we know firsthand how perfectly it complements the vibrant, culturally rich celebrations we specialize in. This partnership allows us to offer couples a destination that exceeds their expectations in every way." For more information, please visit www.Waldorfastoriacancun.com/weddings/ About Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya Set along 100 acres of pristine Mayan coastline, Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya offers an exclusive, secluded escape with panoramic ocean views from all 173 rooms. The first Waldorf Astoria in the Mexican Caribbean, it features luxurious accommodations with private balconies, soaking tubs and swim-up patios. The resort is home to an award-winning spa, offering a range of rejuvenating treatments, including Mayan healing ceremonies led by a dedicated Shaman. Guests can indulge in culinary excellence at five dining venues, including the signature Malpeque restaurant, which focuses on open-flame grilling and incorporates elements of smoke, char and fire into every dish. With over 68,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya is an ideal destination for weddings, corporate events and special occasions. About Mala Events Mala Bakshi is the CEO and visionary behind Mala Events, formerly known as Touch of Elegance Events. Renowned for creating luxury and bespoke events, Mala Events specializes in weddings, social gatherings and corporate events. Committed to building lasting relationships with clients, the company is founded on the principles of Live, Dream, Travel and Create, ensuring personalized and stress-free planning experiences. Mala Events is centered around exceeding client expectations by deeply understanding their unique style and vision. With a wealth of global expertise and access to top-tier vendors, Mala Events delivers exceptional one-of-a-kind experiences. Media Contact: Name: Quinn PR Email: [email protected] SOURCE Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya VANCOUVER, BC, March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) (OTCQX: WHTCF) ("WELL"), of 550-375 Water Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 5C6, issues this press release pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues and National Instrument 62-104 Take Over Bids and Issuer Bids in connection with a change in material fact contained in WELL's early warning reports filed October 4, 2023 and February 1, 2024. Proposed Exercise of Call Right On October 1, 2023, WELL and the founding shareholders of HEALWELL AI Inc. ("HEALWELL"), Dr. Sven Grail ("Dr. Grail") and Dr. George Christodoulou ("Dr. Christodoulou"), entered into a call option agreement (the "Call Option Agreement"), under which WELL was granted a call option (the "Call Right") to acquire up to 30.8 million Subordinate Voting Shares of HEALWELL (each, a "HEALWELL Share") and 30.8 million Multiple Voting Shares of HEALWELL (each, a "MVS") from Dr. Grail and Dr. Christodoulou. Dr. Grail, together with his affiliates, owns 15.4 million HEALWELL Shares and 15.4 million MVSs subject to the Call Right and Dr. Christodoulou, together with his affiliates, owns 15.4 million HEALWELL Shares and 15.4 million MVSs subject to the Call Right (together, the "Optioned Shares"). The Call Right is exercisable until October 1, 2026 and its exercise is conditional on the achievement by HEALWELL of a number of performance milestones designed to demonstrate improvements in HEALWELL's financial and capital markets performance, as well as obtaining any required Toronto Stock Exchange or regulatory approvals. The Call Right can only be exercised in pairs, such that WELL must concurrently acquire a HEALWELL Share and a MVS. Pursuant to the Call Option Agreement, on exercise of the Call Right, the price per security that will be paid for the Optioned Shares is $0.125 per HEALWELL Share and $0.0001 per MVS. Additional information with respect to the Call Option Agreement and its material terms can be found in WELL's early warning report dated October 1, 2023, and in WELL's Notice of Meeting and Management Information Circular dated August 21, 2023 which is available on www.sedarplus.ca. On December 16, 2024, HEALWELL and Orion Health Holdings Limited ("Orion Health") entered into a share purchase agreement, pursuant to which HEALWELL agreed to acquire 100% of the shares of Orion Health for consideration of approximately NZ$175 million, subject to certain adjustments (the "OHHL Acquisition"). HEALWELL has announced that it anticipates closing the OHHL Acquisition on April 1, 2025. Concurrently with the closing of the OHHL Acquisition, WELL intends to exercise the Call Right. WELL intends to amend the terms of the Call Option Agreement to enable WELL to exercise the Call Right concurrent with the closing of the OHHL Acquisition (the "Closing"). As of the date hereof, WELL held beneficial ownership, directly or indirectly, or exercised control or direction over 65,923,161 HEALWELL Shares and 500,000 subscription receipts (each, a "Subscription Receipt"), each Subscription Receipt entitling WELL to receive, upon satisfaction of certain release conditions (namely, the closing of the OHHL Acquisition), and for no further consideration, one unit of HEALWELL, each unit consisting of one HEALWELL Share and one half of one share purchase warrant, with each whole share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant") exercisable into one HEALWELL Share at the exercise price of $2.50 for a period of 36 months from closing (representing approximately 30.9% of the issued and outstanding HEALWELL Shares on a non-diluted basis, and 13.4% of the voting rights attached to the HEALWELL Shares and MVSs, based on 213,166,393 HEALWELL Shares and 30,800,000 MVSs outstanding. Immediately following the Closing, if the Call Right were to be fully exercised and all of the Optioned Shares were acquired by WELL, WELL would own, or exercise control or direction over 97,223,161 HEALWELL Shares, 30,800,000 MVSs and 250,000 Warrants. It is anticipated that HEALWELL will have 261,547,371 HEALWELL Shares issued and outstanding on closing of the OHHL Acquisition, following the issuance of 35,643,478 HEALWELL Shares to the vendor, and 12,737,500 HEALWELL Shares in connection with the conversion of all 12,737,500 Subscription Receipts as part of the $25.5 million equity financing used to partially finance the purchase price of Orion Health. Following the exercise of the Call Right, it is anticipated that WELL will own 97,473,161 HEALWELL Shares and 30,800,000 MVSs or approximately 37% of the economic interest and approximately 69% of the voting rights in HEALWELL on a partially-diluted basis1. Each MVS has nine votes per share and each HEALWELL Share has one vote per share. WELL was approved as a control person of HEALWELL by resolutions of the shareholders of HEALWELL, on a disinterested basis, on September 21, 2023. The Toronto Stock Exchange subsequently approved WELL as a control person of HEALWELL on October 6, 2023. WELL anticipates acquiring the HEALWELL Shares and MVSs concurrent with the closing of the OHHL Acquisition and will hold the HEALWELL Shares and MVSs for investment purposes. WELL intends to review its investment in HEALWELL on a continuing basis and may, from time to time and at any time subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, and depending on market and other conditions, acquire or dispose of equity, debt or other securities of HEALWELL through open market transactions, private placements and other privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise, in each case, depending on a number of factors, including general market and economic conditions and other factors and conditions WELL deems appropriate. WELL is incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia with a registered address of Bentall 5, 550 Burrard Street, Suite 2501, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 2B5, Canada. HEALWELL is incorporated under the federal laws of Canada with a registered address of 460 College Street, Unit 301, Toronto, Ontario M6G 1A1, Canada. A copy of WELL's early warning report dated March 31, 2025 will be made available on sedarplus.ca under HEALWELL's profile. ____________________________________ 1 Includes 250,000 Warrants beneficially owned by WELL that will be convertible within 60 days of this report assuming the exercise of the Call Right. SOURCE WELL Health Technologies Corp. DALLAS, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Spencer & Associates, a law firm dedicated to defending clients who have been charged with federal white-collar crimes, has named the newest winner of its Community Leaders Scholarship. Founding Attorney Arnold Spencer established the scholarship program in early 2024, and the firm has provided a total of $7,500 in funding to students attending college throughout the United States. Mr. Spencer is honored to offer support to deserving students who are passionate about improving their communities. Community Leaders Scholarship Spring 2025 Winner Alexis Josue Zuniga has been awarded the Spring 2025 Community Leaders Scholarship. Spencer & Associates is thrilled to provide Alexis with much-needed financial assistance as he prepares for the next step in his academic journey. Alexis, who will be a first-generation law student, will use this award to minimize the financial burden of schooling as he pursues his dream of helping those in need of legal guidance. The Community Leaders Scholarship was established to provide assistance to college students who are pursuing degrees in the legal field, including criminal justice and law enforcement. Eligible students must have dedicated time and effort to their communities, and they must also provide proof that they belong to a household with an annual family income of $100,000 or less. Applicants must submit an essay to be considered for the award. One winner is selected each semester as the recipient of this $2,500 award. Spencer & Associates is now accepting applications for the Fall 2025 Community Leaders scholarship. Students who will be attending college or law school in the Fall 2025 semester must submit all of their application materials by August 4, 2025. More information, including the digital application, can be found at https://www.aspencerlaw.com/scholarship. About Spencer & Associates Spencer & Associates is located in Dallas, Texas, and the firm's attorneys represent clients in cases involving federal white-collar crimes. The firm has experience handling a wide range of cases, including bank fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, credit card fraud, and asset forfeiture. Attorney Arnold Spencer and his team create tailored defense strategies for each unique case, advocating for their clients in and out of the courtroom. More information about Spencer & Associates can be found at https://www.aspencerlaw.com/. If you are interested in scheduling a free consultation, call 214-385-8500. https://www.ovclawyermarketing.com/ SOURCE Spencer & Associates QUINLAN, Texas, March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ZNShine Solar, a globally recognized Tier 1 photovoltaic manufacturer, today announced its contribution of 54.648 MW of high-efficiency bifacial modules to the 67 MW Signal Ranch Solar Project. Located at BT Signal Ranch, 427 Signal Road, Quinlan, TX 75474, the project achieved financial closure on December 15, 2023, through non-recourse financing arranged by EastWest Bank. Project Highlights: Total Capacity: 67 MW (54.648 MW supplied by ZNShine Solar) 67 MW (54.648 MW supplied by ZNShine Solar) Technology: 550W bifacial double-glass monocrystalline PERC modules 550W bifacial double-glass monocrystalline PERC modules Key Features: Multi-busbar technology for enhanced efficiency, superior PID resistance, and proven durability in extreme conditions Multi-busbar technology for enhanced efficiency, superior PID resistance, and proven durability in extreme conditions Development: Adapture Renewables & Belltown Power (co-developers), SOLV Energy (EPC) ZNShine's bifacial modules employ an innovative dual-glass design that replaces traditional backsheets, delivering: 30-year operational lifespan with <0.5% annual degradation 15-25% higher energy yield versus monofacial alternatives Certified resistance to high humidity (85% RH), high temperatures (85C), and sandstorms Financial & Operational Details: With commissioning beginning in November 2024, the project will generate sufficient clean energy to power approximately 9,335 Texas homes annually. EastWest Bank's non-recourse financing package demonstrates strong confidence in both the project's viability and ZNShine's bankable module technology. About ZNShine Solar As a BNEF Tier 1 PV Manufacturer and PVEL Top Performer, ZNShine Solar (founded 2006) operates 10GW+ of global production capacity across facilities in China and international markets. The company's vertically integrated R&D and manufacturing processes ensure industry-leading module reliability, with products deployed across 60+ countries. SOURCE ZNSHINE 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 Mumbai, April 1 : The property buyers in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra will have to shell out more money towards property transactions as the state government on Monday has increased ready reckoner (RR) rates by 3.89 per cent for across Maharashtra for 2025-26. The RR rates are increased by an average 4.39 per cent in the state excluding Mumbai while in BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation there is an average rise of 3.39 per cent for the year 2025-26. These rates will be effective from April 1. According to the state Inspector General of Resignation and Stamps (IGR), the average increase in RR rates in rural areas of the state is 3.36 per cent, in urban areas 3.29 per cent, in municipal/municipal council areas 4.97 per cent, in municipal corporations 5.95 per cent (excluding Mumbai) while in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation are the average rise is 3.39 per cent. The (RR) rate is the minimum rate based on which the government charges registration fees and stamp duty for any property-related transaction. RR rates for various value zones are fixed based on factors such as average market rates, registered documents, local inquiries, local conditions, development rate, market intelligence and demand and supply conditions. The IGR issues Annual Value Rate (ASR) and Valuation Guidelines for levying of duty on registration under the Maharashtra Land Registry (Determination of Fair Market Value of Property) Rules, 1995 on April 1 every year. In 2022-23, the average hike in RR rates was 2.34 per cent in Mumbai, 5.36 per cent in Pune, 6.41 per cent in Konkan, 5.97 per cent in Nashik, 2.89 per cent in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 6.26 per cent in Amravati, 4.46 per cent in Nagpur while for the state the average increase was 4.81 per cent. During 2023-24 and 2024-25 the state government had continued with the RR rates of 2022-23 especially due to demand made by the ruling MahaYuti alliance legislators not to increase the RR rates in the run up to the state election and also because of volatility in the real estate sector. Builders Association of India vice president Anand Gupta said: "The property buyers will have to pay additional cost of the same property and the government may succeed in getting more than Rs 65,000 crore of revenue towards stamp duty and registration fee in 2025-26 due to this increase. It may help the cash strapped state government to some extent tackle the financial stress. This will also lead to increase in cost of transferable development right (TDR) and floor space index premium and other development charges. This will results in additional project cost." Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on March 12 in the state council during the budget session had scoffed at rumours about 10 to 15 per cent rise in RR rates in Maharashtra from April 1 for the fiscal 2025-26. He told the Maharashtra Legislative Council that a survey is currently underway across the state regarding RR rates. In the past few years, RR rates have increased in some areas , while in some places the rates have been kept constant. "There has been no rate hike in 2023-24 and 2024-25. There are talks in some media that there will be a 10-15 per cent increase in rates , but they are baseless," he clarified. (Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in) Sanaa, April 1 : Yemen's Houthi armed group said in a statement early Tuesday that it has shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Yemen's central province of Marib. "Our air defences shot down a hostile American MQ-9 drone in the airspace of Marib province, using a locally manufactured missile," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by the group's al-Masirah TV. "This is the sixteenth US drone that our air defences have successfully shot down since October 2023," he said, without specifying the exact timing. Local Houthi media reported that the drone was downed on Monday. "We affirm that we will continue to prevent Israeli navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Seas ... until the aggression against Gaza stops and the siege is lifted," Sarea said, adding they will also keep carrying out attacks against "enemy warships." He was referring to the US Navy, including the aircraft carrier, stationed in the northern Red Sea. The US military has resumed airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in northern Yemen since March 15 in a bid to deter the group from attacking Israeli targets, the US Navy, and international shipping lanes in the region. On Monday, fresh US airstrikes killed two people and injured a child in Bani Qa'is in Yemen's northwestern province of Hajjah, according to residents and local health authorities. Tehran, April 1 : An adviser to Iran's supreme leader warned that if the US or Israel were to attack Iran under the pretext of nuclear concerns, the country would be compelled to pursue the development of nuclear weapons. Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, made the remarks in response to recent anti-Tehran threats made by US President Donald Trump and Israel, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the official news agency IRNA. Larijani noted that Iran had been prohibited from acquiring nuclear weapons under a religious directive issued by Khamenei. However, he added, "If the United States makes any mistake, Iran will be forced to pursue nuclear weapons due to pressure from its people." Larijani stressed that taking military actions against Iran would have consequences, saying Iran's nuclear program would not be destroyed through bombing. Larijani said any potential indirect negotiation with the United States would be aimed at understanding each other's demands and winning mutual concessions regarding the nuclear issue. Trump, in an interview with NBC News on Sunday, threatened to launch "unprecedented military strikes" on Iran if it refused to negotiate over its nuclear program. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing like they've never seen before," he said, claiming US and Iranian officials are "talking," without offering details. The remarks followed a letter Trump sent to Iranian leaders in early March via the United Arab Emirates, proposing direct negotiations on Tehran's nuclear activities. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed on Sunday that Tehran had rejected the proposed face-to-face talks but left open the possibility of indirect talks. He stressed that while Iran is not against negotiations in principle, Washington must first rectify its past "misconduct" and rebuild trust. Jerusalem, April 1 : Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified for about two hours before investigators at his office in Jerusalem, Israel's media reported. The open testimony is part of an investigation known as "Qatargate," which examines alleged business ties between associates of Netanyahu and the Qatari government, Xinhua news agency reported. According to Channel 12 tv, the prime minister was questioned as someone with knowledge of the affair, rather than as a suspect. The open testimony followed a directive of Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Earlier on Monday, Israeli police arrested two suspects in the case --Yonatan Urich, a senior adviser to Netanyahu, and Eli Feldstein, the prime minister's former military affairs spokesman. The probe focuses on suspected improper business dealings between the two close associates of Netanyahu and Qatar, a Gulf state that does not have formal diplomatic ties with Israel but has played a key role in mediating ceasefire talks in the Gaza Strip and negotiating hostage releases. According to Channel 12, Feldstein and Urich are suspected of contact with a foreign agent, bribery, fraud, breach of trust, and money laundering in the case. In his video statement after the testimony, Netanyahu said the probe is "a political hunt designed to prevent the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet and also to bring about the overthrow of a right-wing prime minister." Johannesburg, April 1 : South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola reaffirmed the country's commitment to diplomacy, emphasising that it will remain firm on its principled positions. Speaking on Monday at the opening of the inaugural Annual Aziz Pahad Peace, Security, and Human Rights Dialogue in Pretoria, the country's administrative capital, Lamola noted that South Africa will not engage in "trading insults" with any country, Xinhua news agency reported. "We're practicing diplomacy. We're not in the business of trading insults with anyone in the world. We will remain firm on our principled positions. We will continue to pursue our national interest in line with diplomatic decorum," Lamola said. "If we disagree with any country, it should not be on the basis of insults but the substance of the matter." He further noted that South Africa valued its "mutually beneficial trade relations" with the United States, and the government remained committed to extending a "hand to bridge our recently challenging relationship with the US." While Pretoria was open to mending its strained ties with Washington, it remained firm on its policies, including taking the Israeli government to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2023 over alleged genocide in the Gaza Strip. Addressing international relations matters at the African National Congress media briefing on Sunday, Lamola said South Africa is not prepared to withdraw its case at The Hague. "This is a matter that we will not withdraw from the court, which we have already put. This is a matter that we will not compromise. There are issues of progressive internationalism that we cannot compromise on, including the issue of the ICJ. This is an issue of international law, which has to be respected by everyone," he said. Speaking at the Monday dialogue, Lamola also asserted that South Africa would continue to pursue its redress policies, including the Expropriation Act, despite its role in recent tensions with Washington. He said these policies were enshrined in the country's constitution. "The foundational elements of redress are powerfully articulated in the preamble of the Constitution. As a sovereign state, we will continue to pursue the transformative objective as recently outlined in the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, the National Health Insurance Act, and the Expropriation Act." New Delhi, April 1 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited the Ring Road at Samaypur to inspect the ongoing road construction work and inaugurate the project, which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 12.5 crore. During her visit late Monday night at 12 a.m., she directed the concerned officials to ensure pothole-free roads for the citizens of Delhi. She also performed a ceremonial coconut-breaking for the inauguration of the road project. CM Rekha Gupta said, "Our primary goal is to make the entire Ring Road pothole-free before the monsoon season begins, ensuring better and safer roads for the people of Delhi. This section of the road is being repaired at a cost of Rs 12.5 crore. Congratulations and best wishes to the people of Delhi for getting a pothole-free area." The Chief Minister also emphasised that officials should maintain quality and adhere to deadlines to ensure the work is completed efficiently and on time. Additionally, CM Rekha Gupta is to table a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in the upcoming Assembly session on Tuesday. The report will expose the failures of the previous AAP government in addressing the cityas toxic air pollution. It will focus on the performance audit of "Prevention and Mitigation of Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi," specifically shedding light on the effectiveness of the measures taken by the Arvind Kejriwal-led government until March 31, 2021. This will be the third CAG report tabled by the BJP government in the Assembly since coming to power. Previously, reports on financial mismanagement at the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and in the health sector were also presented. The Assembly had recently discussed a CAG report on DTC's financial issues, referring it to the Committee on Government Undertakings for further examination, with a report expected within three months. Gaza, April 1 : Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for targeting an Israeli tank east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. In a statement, the group said its fighters detonated an explosive device against the tank while it was operating near the separation line between Gaza and Israel. It later fired mortar shells at the area. The Israeli military has not issued an immediate response to the claim, Xinhua news agency reported The attack comes amid intensifying violence in the region. Since Israel renewed its air and ground offensive on March 18, at least 1,001 Palestinians have been killed, and 2,359 others wounded, according to Gaza-based health authorities Monday. Over the past 48 hours, hospitals in Gaza have received 80 bodies and 305 wounded, officials said in a statement. They warned that many victims remain trapped under rubble, with rescue workers struggling to reach them. Meanwhile, the Palestinian government on Monday approved its general budget for the 2025 fiscal year, implementing austerity and emergency measures to address deepening economic challenges. According to a statement from the government communication center, the budget seeks to balance growing public needs with financial and administrative reforms, as Israel continues to withhold Palestinian tax revenues. Facing a widening fiscal deficit, the government is looking for external financial assistance. Officials said the budget underwent extensive consultations with civil society groups to ensure transparency. Spending priorities focus on essential sectors, including health, education, social protection, and security. Jammu, April 1 : A fresh gunfight started overnight between the security forces and terrorists in the Panjtirthi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. Officials said three terrorists were involved in the gunfight and are among the five who were engaged in an earlier encounter with the security forces. Two terrorists were killed in the anti-terror operation. The ongoing gunfight is in the mountainous area between the Ghati and Billawar areas of the Kathua district. Security forces used aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs as they advanced into the forests and upper reaches of Ghati in the Rajbagh area of the Kathua district. The forces also launched a separate search operation in the Samba sector near the International Border to sanitise the area. Reportedly, three suspected terrorists entered a house in Rui village, a few kilometres from the encounter site of Safiyan Jakhole. Security forces are engaged in a multi-tier operation to track down the terrorists in the forest belts of Rui, Juthana, Ghati and Sanyal in the Rajbagh region and parts of Billawar. The joint forces are also focusing on the networks of the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad in areas along the International Border. On Sunday night, three suspicious persons entered a house in Rui village and asked for water from an elderly woman. "I was alone at home when they asked me for water. I went into another room out of fear after giving them water. "Before leaving, they forcibly entered the kitchen and took away rotis (flat bread) and sabzi (vegetable)," the woman said. The woman said they even offered her money, which she refused to take. The incident prompted the security forces to put the area under a night cordon. "It is difficult for terrorists to survive in the absence of a network of overground workers (OGWs), who provide them with food, shelter and escape routes. "Security forces have picked up six persons, including some women of a family for questioning as it is suspected that they may have provided food, shelter and guidance to the terrorists operating in the region. "The women belong to the family of Mohammad Latief, OGW, who is in jail under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for helping terrorists in Malhar during an attack on an army truck last year, in which five soldiers were martyred. "It is believed that Abu Tala, one of the slain terrorists, stayed at Latief's house "Security forces have questioned over two dozen persons about terrorist movements in the area. Police are also tracking the group of terrorists after intercepting them on March 23 within a 'dhok' in a nursery in Sanyal village near the International Border with Pakistan. Tracking them led to an encounter at Safiyan Jakhole in the Rajbagh area, which resulted in the killing of two terrorists and the martyrdom of four policemen last Thursday," the officials said. New Delhi, April 1 : Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday for a five-day State Visit to India. He was received with a warm welcome by Union Minister of State (MoS) Pabitra Margherita and was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour upon landing at the airport. Announcing his arrival, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted, "Bienvenido, President Gabriel Boric! President Boric of Chile landed in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. Accorded a ceremonial welcome & Guard of Honour." Accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, parliament members, senior officials, business representatives, media personnel, and prominent Chileans engaged in the India-Chile cultural exchange, Boric is set to visit Agra, Mumbai, and Bengaluru before concluding his visit on April 5. After landing in India, the Chilean President took to X and posted, "6:30 a.m. in New Delhi, and from here we begin this State Visit to India, a momentous occasion for strengthening and diversifying our economic, political, and cultural relations at a time when multilateral cooperation is more necessary than ever. We are talking about the fifth-largest economy and the most populous country on the planet, with whom we share common ground and opportunities for growth in key areas such as agribusiness, innovation, and the creative industries." Stressing the strengthening of bilateral ties, he added, "We're here to strengthen and strengthen our ties, and that's why I'm joined by government officials, the National Congress, business leaders, leaders in the fields of innovation and culture, distinguished professors, and students. A busy schedule. I'll keep you posted!" He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 1, and the two leaders will engage in comprehensive discussions on the full spectrum of India-Chile relations. PM Modi will also host a special luncheon in Boric's honour. Additionally, the Chilean President will meet with his Indian counterpart, President Droupadi Murmu, for further deliberations, following which a banquet will be hosted in his honour. In Mumbai and Bengaluru, Boric will interact with political figures, industry leaders, startup entrepreneurs, and technology innovators, fostering collaborations between the two nations in various sectors. The MEA emphasised that this State Visit presents an opportunity for both countries to assess their bilateral ties and deliberate on regional and global matters of mutual interest. "India-Chile relations have traditionally been characterised by warmth, friendship, and a commonality of views on a wide range of issues. Both countries cooperate extensively in multilateral fora and share similar views on climate change/renewable energy and on expansion and reforms of the UNSC," the MEA stated. "Chile articulated its support for India's claim to a permanent seat in the UNSC in a Joint Statement issued at the conclusion of the official visit of the Chilean Foreign Minister to India in April 2003 and has consistently reiterated this support since then. Chile shares India's concerns regarding the threat of international terrorism and has condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," it added. Recently, a parliamentary delegation led by BJP Lok Sabha MP Jagdambika Pal visited Chile from January 11-15. The delegation participated in the Summit meeting at the Congreso Futuro on January 13 and the Third World Summit of the Committees of the Future on January 14, engaging in extensive discussions with Chilean parliamentarians on a broad range of issues. New Delhi, April 1 : In a big relief for industries and businesses that rely heavily on cooking fuel, oil marketing companies on Tuesday announced a price cut of Rs 41 on commercial LPG gas cylinders (19 kilograms). However, the prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking remain unchanged in this revision. Effective from April 1, the current retail sale price of 19 kg commercial LPG cylinders in New Delhi will be Rs 1,762. In Mumbai, the current price is Rs 1,714.5, whereas in Kolkata, the price stands at Rs 1,872 and in Chennai, it is Rs 1,924.50. The previous revisions came on March 1, when commercial LPG prices were hiked by Rs 6 after a reduction of Rs 7 in February. According to experts, the price adjustment of the commercial gas cylinders will directly benefit restaurants, hotels, and other commercial establishments that use these LPG cylinders for daily operations. The pricing adjustments are part of the regular monthly revisions based on global crude prices and other market factors. Meanwhile, the total number of refills of LPG cylinders by poor households under the PM Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) have doubled in the past five years and the per capita consumption of PMUY beneficiaries has risen to nearly four-and-a-half cylinders per year, according to information tabled in the Parliament. As on March 1, 2025, there are 10.33 crore PMUY connections across the country. The refill cylinders under the scheme have doubled in five years. As many as 41.95 crore refills were delivered in 11 months of the current financial year (FY25) till February, up from 39.38 crore refills in the 12 months of 2023-24 marking the success of the scheme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas informed the Parliament. The number of refills in 2019-20 stood at 22.80 crore, showing a nearly 100 per cent jump in this FY from five years ago. a"IANS na/ Washington, April 1 : In a major escalation of its efforts to combat campus anti-Semitism, the Trump administration has announced a "comprehensive review" of federal contracts and grants at Harvard University and its affiliates. The decision, revealed on Monday by the Departments of Education (ED), Health and Human Services (HHS), and the US General Services Administration (GSA), is part of an ongoing initiative led by the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. The task force will examine over $255.6 million in federal contracts with Harvard, along with more than $8.7 billion in multi-year grant commitments, to ensure compliance with federal regulations, including civil rights obligations, according to a statement from the US Department of State (DoS). "Harvard has served as a symbol of the American Dream for generations -- the pinnacle aspiration for students all over the world to work hard and earn admission to the storied institution," said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. Taking aim at the Ivy League university, she added, "Harvard's failure to protect students on campus from anti-Semitic discrimination -- all while promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry -- has put its reputation in serious jeopardy. Harvard can right these wrongs and restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking, where all students feel safe." The review follows a similar ongoing investigation into Columbia University, which resulted in the institution agreeing to comply with nine preconditions to regain access to cancelled federal funds. This initiative strengthens enforcement of President Trump's Executive Order titled 'Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism.' "The Task Force ensures that federally funded institutions uphold their legal and ethical responsibilities to prevent anti-Semitic harassment," the statement read. The same task force previously cut $400 million in funding from Columbia University and warned that billions more could be at risk unless specific demands were met. Columbia recently agreed to several of the federal government's conditions, drawing praise from Jewish advocacy groups while raising concerns among free speech organisations about government overreach. Harvard and Columbia are not alone in facing scrutiny. The Trump administration has reportedly placed dozens of other universities on notice, signalling they could face similar reviews over allegations of anti-Semitism. Given the federal government's role as a major source of research funding for American universities, these reviews carry significant financial implications. According to the US DoS, the administration will collaborate with relevant contracting agencies to assess whether Stop Work Orders should be issued for any contracts under review. Additionally, Harvard has been directed to submit a comprehensive list of all its contracts -- both direct and through affiliates -- that were not initially included in the investigation. HHS Acting General Counsel and Task Force member Sean Keveney reaffirmed the administration's commitment, stating, "The Task Force will continue its efforts to root out anti-Semitism and to refocus our institutions of higher learning on the core values that undergird a liberal education. We are pleased that Harvard is willing to engage with us on these goals." Any institution found to be in violation of federal compliance standards could face severe administrative actions, including contract terminations. The review will be facilitated by GSA, which will oversee grant and contract evaluations across the federal government. "Hate in any form goes against the foundational principles of America. While Harvard's recent actions to curb institutionalised anti-Semitism -- though long overdue -- are welcome, there is much more that the university must do to retain the privilege of receiving federal taxpayer's hard-earned dollars," said FAS Commissioner and Task Force member Josh Gruenbaum. "This administration has proven that we will take swift action to hold institutions accountable if they allow anti-Semitism to fester. We will not hesitate to act if Harvard fails to do so," he added. New Delhi, April 1 : The Life Insurance Corporation of India's (LIC) potential acquisition of a 40-49 per cent stake in ManipalCigna Health Insurance could reshape the health insurance market, a JP Morgan report said on Tuesday. According to the brokerage, the potential acquisition is expected to be a strategic move for LIC, leveraging its extensive agency distribution network of 1.4 million individual agents to scale its new health venture. "Despite the relatively small size of ManipalCigna compared to LIC, the acquisition is anticipated to bring substantial value over the next few years," the brokerage noted. LIC India is reportedly in the final stages of acquiring a significant minority stake in ManipalCigna Health Insurance, a standalone health insurer. The deal, valued at Rs 3,500-3,700 crore, would see LIC owning 40-49 per cent of ManipalCigna, which is currently owned by Manipal Education and Medical Group (51 per cent) and Cigna Holding Overseas (49 per cent). JP Morgan analysts believe that LIC's entry into the health insurance market could be disruptive, with competitive initial pricing aimed at gaining market share. However, the key challenge for LIC will be managing the health loss ratio, a critical factor in ensuring the success of this venture. ManipalCigna, with a market share of 1.4 per cent in the total health insurance industry and 4.7 per cent within the standalone health insurance space, has shown promising growth. "LIC's competitive advantage in the health insurance space lies in its economies of scale, majorly due to its established agency distribution," the brokerage noted. Despite industry debates, LIC has continued to expand its coverage. The insurer reported a 28.29 per cent rise in group yearly renewable premiums and a 7.9 per cent growth in individual premiums during the first 11 months of FY25. As of February 2025, its total premium collection reached Rs 1.90 lakh crore, up 1.90 per cent from the previous year. In February alone, LIC issued 12.02 lakh policies in the individual segment, while the group yearly renewable category recorded 1,430 policies and schemes. Across all categories, LIC's total number of policies stood at 12.04 lakh for the month. IANS na/ New Delhi, April 1 : Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has mounted a sharp attack on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of exploiting Punjab's resources for personal and political gains. In a strongly worded post on X on Tuesday, Sirsa, who holds the portfolios of Food & Supplies, Industry, and Forest & Environment in the Delhi government, questioned Kejriwal's frequent use of Punjab's state helicopter. "Punjab isn't Kejriwal's personal jagir! Why is Arvind Kejriwal using Punjab's state helicopter like his personal ride? In what official capacity? Who gave CM Bhagwant Mann the right to hand over Punjab's resources to serve AAP high command?" Sirsa wrote. He further criticized the Punjab government, highlighting the state's financial distress and governance issues. "Punjab is buried under debt. Farmers are in distress, youth are jobless, industries are collapsing and public money is being blown on Kejriwal's VIP luxuries!" he alleged. The Delhi minister called out Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, demanding an explanation for the apparent misuse of state resources. "Is he Punjab's CM or Kejriwal's travel agent?" Sirsa asked, indicating that Mann was prioritising Kejriwal's political activities over Punjab's governance. The controversy comes as Kejriwal visits Ludhiana again, his second in a fortnight. He is set to address a rally on Tuesday and lead a march against the drug menace on Wednesday as part of the Punjab government's 'Yudh Nashe De Virudh' (War Against Drugs) campaign. Volunteers from the National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) are also expected to participate in the march. His visit comes in the run-up to the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll, the dates for which are yet to be declared but which has become a battle of prestige for the ruling AAP. The election has been necessitated following the death of AAP's Gurpreet Singh Gogi on January 11. New Delhi, April 1 : President Droupadi Murmu greeted people on Sarhul, a spring festival celebrated with special enthusiasm by the tribal community, and hoped that people would take lessons in preserving natural heritage while moving ahead on the path of development. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), President Murmu on Tuesday shared her wishes in a post, writing, "Heartiest greetings to all countrymen on the occasion of 'Sarhul' festival which is celebrated with special enthusiasm by the tribal community! On this festival, gratitude is expressed for the innumerable gifts of nature. On this festival which marks the arrival of the New Year, I wish happiness and prosperity for all. It is my good wish that all countrymen, taking lessons from the tribal communities, move ahead on the path of development while preserving the natural heritage." The Sarhul festival is one of the most revered celebrations in tribal communities, especially in Jharkhand, Odisha, and other regions of Eastern India. It is rooted in nature worship and is dedicated to the veneration of Sal trees (Shorea robusta), which hold immense significance in the Adivasi tradition. The Sal tree is believed to be the abode of Sarna Maa, the deity who protects villages from the forces of nature. Sarhul, which translates to "worship of the Sal tree", celebrates the symbolic union of the Sun and the Earth. It is a vibrant festival filled with cultural performances, traditional rituals, and expressions of gratitude for nature's bountiful gifts. The official Twitter account of Jharkhand Tourism also joined in the celebrations, wishing everyone a joyous Sarhul festival. "With the tinkling of Jhumar dance, resonance of folk songs, captivating beats of Mandar, and the wonderful decoration of the Akhara venue, Jharkhand Tourism Department wishes you all a very happy nature festival 'Sona Sarhul'! Wishing you happiness and prosperity in your life from this holy land of forests and Sal trees," the department wrote on X. The festival holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for the tribal communities, symbolising their close relationship with nature and reinforcing the importance of preserving the environment while embracing progress. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New Delhi, April 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Thailand, beginning Thursday, for the sixth BIMSTEC Summit, during which he will meet his counterpart, Paetongtarn Shinawatra and hold bilateral ties. During the visit, PM Modi will be enhancing India's deep civilisational linkages, maritime connectivity, and cross-cultural exchanges with member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit. At the summit, themed 'BIMSTEC - Prosperous, Resilient and Open', the leaders are also expected to discuss various institutional and capacity-building measures to augment collaboration within the BIMSTEC framework, the Ministry of External Affairs said last week. India has been taking several initiatives in BIMSTEC to strengthen regional cooperation and partnership, including in enhancing security; facilitating trade and investment; establishing physical, maritime and digital connectivity; collaborating in food, energy, climate and human security; promoting capacity building and skill development; and enhancing people-to-people ties," read a statement issued by the MEA. PM Modi's visit to the South Asian country at the invitation of the Thai government is expected to strengthen ties and reaffirm India's commitment to regional cooperation. This would be the second meeting between PM Modi and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Earlier, PM Modi visited Thailand in 2019, and this visit is expected to build on the positive momentum of bilateral relations. The last BIMSTEC Summit was hosted by Colombo in virtual format. Established in June 1997, the BIMSTEC regional grouping forms a unique link between South and South-East Asia with five members from South Asia - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka - and two from South-East Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand. Thailand is India's maritime neighbour, a valuable partner in the Act East policy and vision for the Indo-Pacific, and also a highly valued partner in BIMSTEC. India and Thailand are maritime neighbours with shared civilisational bonds underpinned by cultural, linguistic, and religious ties. Notably, India recently sent the holy relics of Lord Buddha and two of his main disciples for a 25-day exposition across five different cities of Thailand, and its unprecedented success cemented age-old ties between the two nations. Dhaka, April 1 : Several people were injured, and vehicles were torched in a violent clash between two major political parties in Bangladesh -- Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami. A total of four shops were vandalised, five motorcycles and a van were set ablaze, and dozens were injured during the conflict. The conflict erupted in the Bausa union of Rajshahi's Bagha upazila centering on an earlier dispute over alleged corruption in distributing Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) cards, local media reported. Local witnesses stated that the violence began when the student wing of BNP, Chhatra Dal activists, allegedly attacked Jamaat's student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir. In retaliation, Shibir activists later assaulted BNP men. Following these incidents, BNP supporters allegedly ransacked shops and torched vehicles belonging to Jamaat sympathisers, the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star, reported. Both BNP and Jamaat blamed each other for initiating the clash. Following a police-mediated resolution between both parties recently, Jamaat claimed that BNP supporters targeted their members, including an attempted murder of a student leader on March 30. Additionally, Jamaat reported attacks on their activists' homes and businesses, leading to injuries and financial losses. They demanded justice and urged authorities to take action against those responsible. However, BNP leader Rejaul, refuting the Jamaat's allegation, claimed that their Chhatra Dal leader Rajib Ahmed was having tea after iftar when a group of Shibir activists launched an unprovoked attack on him. "Rajib is currently undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in a critical condition. No legal action has been taken yet. We will proceed once Rajib recovers," he said. Bagha Police Station Officer-in-Charge AFM Asaduzzaman said that Jamaat has filed a case regarding the incidents. No arrests have been made yet. Police are investigating the matter to bring those responsible to justice, he added. This clash between both parties followed an earlier dispute on the matter over alleged misuse of VGD cards in the Basua union of Bagha upazila region. It is alleged that earlier this month, when Jamaat-e-Islami formed a human chain to protest against corruption, irregularities, and the misuse of VGD cards, BNP workers, led by Bausa union BNP president, arrived with a procession and got into a verbal dispute with Jamaat activists. The situation escalated into a clash between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists in the region, resulting in five people being injured on both sides, local media reported. The much-flaunted unity of various political outfits in Bangladesh, which was on full display during the ousting of the democratically elected Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, seems to be fading gradually. The rift between the two former allies, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, seemingly grew, and they are now at loggerheads. int/scor/sd/ Washington, April 1 : The US Department of State has imposed sanctions on six individuals from Beijing and Hong Kong, accusing them of undermining the autonomy of Hong Kong and engaging in transnational repression. The sanctions are a response to actions that have been seen as a violation of Hong Kong's freedoms and its people's rights, with particular focus on the enforcement of the National Security Law (NSL) and the international targeting of individuals, including those in the United States. The Department of State released a statement saying, "This includes five individuals for their role as leaders or officials of the Hong Kong government that have engaged in actions or policies that have degraded the autonomy of Hong Kong, including in connection with transnational repression targeting individuals residing in the United States, and one individual for their role in implementing the National Security Law." These sanctions, according to the statement, are in alignment with several US laws, including the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, and the Hong Kong Autonomy Act of 2020. The actions come amid ongoing US efforts to hold accountable those responsible for depriving Hong Kong residents of their protected rights and freedoms. In addition to imposing sanctions, the US Department of State also highlighted the extraterritorial use of Hong Kong's National Security Law. The law has been used to intimidate, silence, and harass pro-democracy activists, some of whom were forced to flee overseas, including a US citizen and several other US residents. The Department stressed that these actions exemplify China's ongoing violation of international commitments and its systematic repression of dissent. The Department's press release also stated that the Hong Kong Policy Act Report, published alongside this announcement, serves as further proof of the United States' commitment to holding individuals accountable for such actions. This report has certified that Hong Kong no longer warrants differential treatment under US laws, a shift that came after the territory's handover to China in 1997. As a result of these sanctions, the assets and property of the designated individuals within the United States or under US control are blocked, and US persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them unless authorised by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). These prohibitions aim to limit the ability of those responsible for repression to access or use US-based assets and resources. New Delhi, April 1 : In a tragic incident, two freight trains collided in the Sahibganj district of Jharkhand, resulting in the deaths of two people and leaving four others injured. According to police reports, the collision took place around 3 a.m. near Bhognadih in the Barhet police station area, late Monday night. The two trains involved in the accident were operated by the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC), which also owns the railway tracks. These tracks are primarily used to transport coal to NTPC's power plants. Following the collision, the engines of both trains caught fire, and emergency rescue operations were immediately launched. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Kishore Tirkey confirmed the deaths stating, "Both train drivers died in the head-on collision of the freight trains." A spokesperson for Eastern Railways, Kaushik Mitra, clarified that both the trains and the railway track belonged to NTPC, and not to Indian Railways. The incident occurred on a track connecting the NTPC's Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station in Bihar's Bhagalpur district to the Farakka Plant in West Bengal's Murshidabad district. Both trains were carrying coal, and the collision caused extensive damage. The fire brigade team from Sahibganj, which arrived at the scene, worked to extinguish the flames. Railway officials and employees were also on-site to assist in the rescue operations. According to initial reports, seven people were aboard the engines of the two trains, and two of them tragically lost their lives. Four others were seriously injured, including four CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) personnel who were on the train. The injured were rushed to the Sadar Hospital in Barhet, where their condition remains critical. The collision occurred when a freight train, transporting coal from Lamtia to Farakka, crashed into a stationary train on the track. The impact of the crash was so severe that both trainsa engines were engulfed in flames. Bengaluru, April 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Shivakumara Swamiji of Tumakuru Siddaganga Mutt on his 118th birth anniversary on Tuesday, saying he has been a guiding light, illuminating the path for society. He also shared a 1.17-minute video in which he recalled moments with the revered Swamiji during his visit to the Mutt. Taking to social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi stated, "Heartfelt tributes to His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Shivakumara Swamigalu on the special occasion of his Jayanti. He is remembered as a beacon of compassion and tireless service. He showed how selfless action can transform society. His extraordinary efforts across various fields continue to inspire generations." The video, titled 'Pujya Swamiji has been a guiding light, illuminating the path for society', highlighted the Swamiji's contributions. In the video, Prime Minister Modi emphasised that Swamiji upheld India's great heritage of spirituality, knowledge, and science. He stated that this sacred land, drawing inspiration from Swamiji's life and teachings, has been guiding society for decades. "Swamiji's continuous contributions to education and the creation of an equitable society are especially significant. With the blessings of Lord Basaveshwara and Swami Vivekananda, the revered Swamiji dedicated his life to nation-building," Prime Minister Modi said. "He devoted the energy of every cell of his being to the nation. I had the privilege of sitting near his feet and meeting him. Once again, I bow down in reverence to him," Prime Minister Modi concluded. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is in Karnataka to attend the late Shivakumara Swamiji's 118th birth anniversary programme in Tumakuru, took to social media X and stated, "Heartfelt tributes to His Holiness Dr. Sree Sree Sree Shivakumara Swamigalu on his Jayanti. A true embodiment of compassion and selfless service, he dedicated his life to uplifting the underprivileged through education and social welfare. His legacy of kindness and wisdom continues to guide and inspire generations. May we all strive to walk the path he illuminated." Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi stated, "On the birth anniversary of Sri Shivakumara Swamiji of Siddaganga Math, revered as the 'Walking God' and a true Kayaka Yogi, who forever resides in the hearts of devoted followers, we offer our deepest and most heartfelt respects at his sacred feet." "A true saint who selflessly served humanity through Anna Dasoha (food service), Akshara Dasoha (education), and Jnana Dasoha (knowledge dissemination), he was honoured with prestigious awards like the Padma Bhushan and Karnataka Ratna, further elevating their significance. His legacy remains eternal in our hearts," Union Minister Joshi stated. Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti V. Somanna said, "On the birth anniversary of the great visionary who dedicated his life to the service of food, education, and shelter - an enlightened guide at every step, the revered seer, and the head of Siddaganga Math, Lingayat Saint Dr. Shri Shri Shri Shivakumara Swamiji - we offer our heartfelt respects and devotion." Somanna also quoted late Shivakumara Swamiji, "The water used to cook the food you serve should be the sweat of your hard work, not the tears of others." Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "Shivakumara Swamiji, who dedicated himself not only to religious discourses but also to social service, remains eternally revered for his selfless service and deep compassion toward the underprivileged. A divine soul who attained godliness through service - a saint, a philosopher, and a beacon of Trivida Dasoha (service of food, education, and knowledge) - I offer my infinite salutations to him." BJP State President B. Y. Vijayendra said, "To the devotees, he was a walking god. On the birth anniversary of Trivida Dasohi, Lingayat saint, and revered Dr. Shivakumara Swamiji, we offer our heartfelt respects. His life itself was his message, the path he walked was the path of devotion, and let us find meaning in our lives by drawing inspiration from his achievements." New Delhi, April 1 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Tuesday held talks with Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font and discussed ways to strenghthen long-standing bilateral ties. Taking to X, Jaishankar posted, "Pleased to call on President Gabriel Boric of Chile at the start of his State Visit to India. Appreciate his commitment for deepening our long-standing cooperation." "Confident that his talks with PM Narendra Modi today will foster new partnerships and greater engagement," he added. Earlier in the day, Boric landed in New Delhi for a five-day State Visit to India. He was received with a warm welcome by Union Minister of State (MoS) Pabitra Margherita and was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour upon landing at the airport. Announcing his arrival, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted, "Bienvenido, President Gabriel Boric! President Boric of Chile landed in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. Accorded a ceremonial welcome & Guard of Honour." Accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, parliament members, senior officials, business representatives, media personnel, and prominent Chileans engaged in the India-Chile cultural exchange, Boric is set to visit Agra, Mumbai, and Bengaluru before concluding his visit on April 5. After landing in India, the Chilean President took to X and posted, "6:30 a.m. in New Delhi, and from here we begin this State Visit to India, a momentous occasion for strengthening and diversifying our economic, political, and cultural relations at a time when multilateral cooperation is more necessary than ever. We are talking about the fifth-largest economy and the most populous country on the planet, with whom we share common ground and opportunities for growth in key areas such as agribusiness, innovation, and the creative industries." Stressing the strengthening of bilateral ties, he added, "We're here to strengthen and strengthen our ties, and that's why I'm joined by government officials, the National Congress, business leaders, leaders in the fields of innovation and culture, distinguished professors, and students. A busy schedule. I'll keep you posted!" He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day, and the two leaders will engage in comprehensive discussions on the full spectrum of India-Chile relations. PM Modi will also host a special luncheon in Boric's honour. Additionally, the Chilean President will meet with his Indian counterpart, President Droupadi Murmu, for further deliberations, following which a banquet will be hosted in his honour. In Mumbai and Bengaluru, Boric will interact with political figures, industry leaders, startup entrepreneurs, and technology innovators, fostering collaborations between the two nations in various sectors. The MEA emphasised that this State Visit presents an opportunity for both countries to assess their bilateral ties and deliberate on regional and global matters of mutual interest. "India-Chile relations have traditionally been characterised by warmth, friendship, and a commonality of views on a wide range of issues. Both countries cooperate extensively in multilateral fora and share similar views on climate change/renewable energy and on expansion and reforms of the UNSC," the MEA stated. "Chile articulated its support for India's claim to a permanent seat in the UNSC in a Joint Statement issued at the conclusion of the official visit of the Chilean Foreign Minister to India in April 2003 and has consistently reiterated this support since then. Chile shares India's concerns regarding the threat of international terrorism and has condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," it added. Delhi, April 1 : Navika Sagar Parikrama II, an expedition undertaken by two women officers of the Indian Navy, Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Roopa A, reached Cape Town, South Africa, on Monday. The officers are sailing aboard the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini as part of their mission to circumnavigate the globe. The expedition aims to cover over 23,400 nautical miles (approximately 43,300 kilometers) in eight months. With their arrival in Cape Town, the crew has completed the fourth leg of their journey. At Cape Town, the vessel and crew were welcomed by Ruby Jaspreet, Consul General of India, Rear Admiral (JG) Lisa Hendricks, Chief of Staff of the South African Navy Fleet, and Captain Atul Sapahia, Defence Adviser of India in Pretoria. The South African Naval Band also performed to mark their arrival. INSV Tarini is scheduled to depart from Cape Town on April 15 after a two-week stay at the Royal Cape Yacht Club for maintenance and repairs. During this period, the crew will interact with the South African Navy at Simonas Town Naval Base and Gordonas Bay Naval College. Community outreach events are also planned. The Navika Sagar Parikrama II expedition was flagged off by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, on October 2, 2024, from Goa. The journey includes stopovers in Fremantle (Australia), Lyttelton (New Zealand), and Port Stanley (Falklands, UK), with a scheduled return to Goa in May 2025. The voyage has been highly challenging, with the crew encountering rough seas, extremely cold temperatures, stormy weather, winds exceeding 50 knots (93 km/h), and waves up to 7 meters (23 feet) high. INSV Tarini, a 56-foot indigenously built sailing vessel inducted into the Indian Navy in 2018, has participated in multiple such expeditions. The vessel exemplifies Indiaas aMake in Indiaa and aAatmanirbhar Bharata initiatives. Navika Sagar Parikrama II promotes womenas empowerment in the Indian Armed Forces and aims to inspire young women to join the services, particularly the Indian Navy. This edition also focuses on advancing marine and scientific research. The stopover in Cape Town highlights the growing maritime ties between India and South Africa. India remains committed to strengthening maritime cooperation with friendly nations in the Indian Ocean Region. In recent engagements, the Indian Naval Ship Talwar participated in the 8th edition of Exercise IBSAMAR in South Africa in October 2024, while the stealth frigate INS Tushil made a port call at Durban in January 2025, fostering naval collaboration and community engagement. Such missions and interactions enhance maritime security and cooperation, addressing common challenges in the region while fostering best practices for safe and secure seas. Seoul, April 1 : The South Korean Constitutional Court said it will deliver its ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment at 11 a.m. Friday, raising hopes of an end to the political turmoil that has gripped the nation since his short-lived imposition of martial law in December. The verdict will be delivered from the court and live broadcasts will be allowed, along with the attendance of members of the public, the court said in a notice to the press on Tuesday. The ruling will come nearly four months after Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly on charges of violating the Constitution and laws through his brief imposition of martial law on December 3. In the interim, the country has had two acting presidents, including one who was impeached and then reinstated, and faced a myriad of political and economic challenges stemming in part from the leadership vacuum. During the trial, Yoon was accused of sending troops to the National Assembly to stop lawmakers from voting down the decree and ordering the arrest of prominent politicians, among other charges. Yoon has denied wrongdoing, saying the order was meant as a warning to the main Opposition party for what he described as its abuse of legislative power. Under the Constitution, the consent of at least six justices is required to uphold an impeachment motion. There are currently eight justices on the Bench. If the impeachment motion is upheld, Yoon will be removed from office. If it is dismissed, he will be reinstated to serve out the remainder of his term through May 2027, Yonhap news agency reported. In addition to the impeachment trial, which effectively wrapped up with the final hearing on February 25, Yoon has been standing a criminal trial on charges of inciting an insurrection through his martial law bid. He was detained by investigators in January and held at a detention centre until March 8, when he was released under a court ruling that his detention was invalid. Yoon's legal team said his appearance at the court for the verdict is still undecided. Both the ruling People Power Party and the main Opposition Democratic Party welcomed the court's announcement. "It's a relief that this state of constitutional instability will be resolved," PPP interim leader Kwon Young-se told reporters. PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong reaffirmed that his party will accept the verdict, saying the court should not be "shaken by the offensives of the Democratic Party that is trying to induce a certain outcome." Meanwhile, DP floor leader Park Chan-dae expressed confidence that the justices will vote unanimously to remove Yoon from office. "The best ruling that will suppress and end the current state of insurrection is undoubtedly the dismissal of insurrection ringleader Yoon Suk Yeol," he said. The presidential office released a brief statement to the press saying it will "calmly wait for the Constitutional Court's decision." Thirty-eight days is the longest the court has taken to deliver its ruling on a President's impeachment following the final hearing. In the past cases of former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye, it took the court 14 days and 11 days, respectively. Four of the six exits of Anguk Station near the Constitutional Court were temporarily closed after the announcement as a safety precaution against protestors rallying for and against Yoon's impeachment. Trains will not stop at the station on Friday, and the same could apply to the nearby stations of Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbokgung, Jongno 3-ga, Jonggak and City Hall, as well as Hangangjin near the official presidential residence. Seoul, April 1 : The South Korean rival political parties gave mixed responses on Tuesday to an imminent ruling by the Constitutional Court on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, with the ruling party voicing hope that the case would be dismissed, and the main Opposition party saying Yoon should be removed from office. At 11 a.m. on Friday, the court will decide whether to reinstate or dismiss Yoon, who was impeached by the National Assembly on charges of violating the Constitution and laws through his brief imposition of martial law on December 3. "We expect every justice of the Constitutional Court to make a neutral and impartial decision in consideration of national interests," the ruling People Power Party (PPP)'s interim leader, Kwon Young-se, told reporters. Kwon expressed hope that Yoon's impeachment motion would be dismissed, stressing that the Opposition parties should respect whatever outcome is ultimately reached. The main Opposition Democratic Party (DP), meanwhile, welcomed the court's decision to deliver the ruling this week, stressing that the court should formally remove Yoon from office. "It's at least a relief that the ruling is scheduled for Friday," DP floor leader Park Chan-dae said. "The best verdict to quell and end the current situation surrounding the insurrection is without a doubt to dismiss Yoon -- the mastermind behind the insurrection." Park expressed confidence that the court would rule unanimously in favour of Yoon's impeachment, Yonhap news agency reported. Currently, the court has an eight-member Bench, and consent by at least six standing judges is necessary to uphold Yoon's impeachment. Yoon was impeached on December 14 over his failed bid to impose martial law. It took 63 days for former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to be reinstated and 92 days for former President Park Geun-hye to be removed from office from the passage of their impeachment motions. With 107 days having passed since Yoon's impeachment, the court has yet to rule on the case. On April 18, the terms of two judges appointed by the previous administration will expire. Paris, April 1 : Far-right leaders slammed the decision of the Paris court concerning Marine Le Pen, leader of National Rally, being banned from running in the 2027 presidential election. A Paris court on Monday ruled that Le Pen, who has been a three-time presidential candidate, will be barred from running in the next presidential race following her conviction for embezzlement of European Union funds. Le Pen, who was the frontrunner for the next election, received a four-year prison sentence with two years suspended, to be served under house arrest, and a a100,000 ($108,000) fine. Her party, National Rally, was also fined a2 million. The party denounced the trial as politically motivated, according to media reports. In her first reaction to the verdict, Le Pen called the ruling a "political decision" aimed at preventing her from running in the 2027 presidential election. "It was a political decision that was made. The magistrate took it upon herself to implement the provisional execution of the ineligibility, to render my appeal on this matter useless in order to prevent me from standing and being elected President of the Republic," said Le Pen in an interview clip shared by her on X. "The rule of law has been completely violated by the decision that has been made. It prevents an effective remedy, it justifies provisional execution by the fact of defending oneself, and it applies the spirit of a law subsequent to the facts with which we are accused," she wrote in an X post. She stated she would not let herself be eliminated and would pursue all legal remedies. She assured to stand by the French people to defend them because she said that there are millions of French people who trust her. Meanwhile, reacting to Le Pen's conviction for fraud and ban on her running for office, US President Donald Trump compared it to his own legal battles. "She was banned from running for five years, and she was the leading candidate. That sounds like this country, that sounds very much like this country," Trump said, describing the court ruling as "a very big deal." US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated that the exclusion of people from the political process is particularly concerning given the aggressive and corrupt lawfare also waged against President Trump in the United States. Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini denounced "a declaration of war by Brussels" as the source of Le Pen's conviction. "Those who fear the judgment of the voters are often reassured by the judgment of the courts. In Paris, they have condemned Marine Le Pen and would like to exclude her from political life. A bad film that we are also seeing in other countries like Romania," said Salvini, leader of the far-right Lega party, in a statement. Donald Trump Jr., the son of US President Donald Trump, also took to X to comment on the court decision. "France is sending Le Pen to jail and barring her from running?! Are they just trying to prove J.D. Vance was right about everything?" he posted. In a speech in Munich in February, Vice President Vance had lambasted European democracies for, he said, censoring free speech. Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders expressed shock at the court ruling against Le Pen, pledging his "100 per cent" support. "I am shocked by the incredibly tough verdict against (Le Pen). I support and believe in her for the full 100 per cent, and I trust she will win the appeal and become President of France," Wilders posted on X. Russia condemned the French court's decision to bar far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running for office for five years, calling it a politically motivated attack on democratic norms. "More and more European capitals are going down the path of violating democratic norms. We do not want to interfere in France's internal affairs, and we have never done so," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "But our observation of European capitals shows that they do not shy away from stepping outside the bounds of democracy in the political process," he added. Jerusalem, April 1 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has withdrawn his decision to appoint Vice-Admiral Eli Sharvit as the new head of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency, following opposition from political allies and mounting investigations involving his aides. Initially, Netanyahu announced the appointment of Sharvit after conducting interviews with seven candidates, ultimately selecting the former Israel Navy Commander for the prestigious role. However, recent developments have forced Netanyahu to cancel the appointment. The controversy stems from the ongoing "Qatargate" investigation, which has ensnared two of Netanyahuas close aides, Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein. Both were questioned by the police as suspects in the case. The investigation revolves around an alleged network of business figures and officials facilitating payments from Doha to Israeli business interests, covering up the source of these funds. The investigation began after revelations that Feldstein, Netanyahuas former spokesman, worked for an international firm contracted by Qatar to promote pro-Qatar narratives among Israeli journalists while employed in the Prime Ministeras Office. Feldstein is also facing charges for leaking classified IDF documents. Urich is suspected of playing a role in facilitating the transfer of payments from Qatar in a covert manner. The police have requested that the Rishon Lezion Magistrates Court extend the remand of Urich and Feldstein by nine days as part of their ongoing investigation. Although Netanyahu was asked to provide testimony, he is not currently a suspect in the case. Earlier, the Prime Minister's official X account had shared a post stating: "After conducting in-depth interviews with seven worthy candidates, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to appoint former Israel Navy Commander, Vice-Admiral Eli Sharvit as the next Director of the ISA." However, this appointment has now been withdrawn in light of the evolving investigation. Bhopal, April 1 : In a bid to improve student enrolment in primary and middle schools across Madhya Pradesh, the government on Tuesday launched the 'School Chalo Abhiyan'. The four-day campaign (April 1-4) was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav alongside State Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh at an event held in Bhopal. The initiative aims to encourage parents to enroll their children in government-run schools, thereby addressing the issue of dropouts and ensuring universal education access. As part of the launch event, CM Yadav visited stalls set up by students from various schools, where he interacted with them and praised their participation in extracurricular activities, including academics, sports, and cultural programs. According to a report released during the recent budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the state faces significant dropout rates among school-going children, particularly in the 15-16 age group -- 14.1 per cent of children aged 15-16 years have dropped out of school. Among them, the dropout rate is higher for girls (16.1 per cent) compared to boys (12.2 per cent). In the 7-10 years age group, the dropout percentage is relatively lower at 1.9 per cent. Among children aged 11-14 years, 3.2 per cent are out of school. Overall, dropout rates among girls are consistently higher than those of boys across all age groups. Nationwide, the dropout rate for children aged 15-16 years stands at 7.9 per cent, which is nearly half of Madhya Pradeshas 14.1 per cent. Similarly, the national dropout rate for children aged 7-10 years is 1.2 per cent, lower than MPas 1.9 per cent. The 'School Chalo Abhiyan' is designed to combat these worrying trends by promoting awareness about the benefits of government schools, improving infrastructure, and offering incentives for student retention. Mumbai, April 1 : Arjun Kapoor took to social media to celebrate the 9th anniversary of his hit film "Ki & Ka" with a fun and heartfelt conversation. Mumbai, April 1 (IANS) Arjun Kapoor took to social media to celebrate the 9th anniversary of his hit film "Ki & Ka" with a fun and heartfelt conversation. On Tuesday, the 'Gunday' actor took to his Instagram handle and shared a glimpse of his engaging conversation with his 'Ki' and captioned it, "Siri, Alexa, ChatGPT... Everyone came, but no replacement of 'Ka' was found! What do you think about 'Ki & Ka 2'? #9YearAnniversary." A chat appears on the screen where Ki says, "Aree, already 9 years? Time flies!" To which Ka replies, "I know, right! 9 years since we turned gender roles upside down!" Ki then recalls, "Remember how people were shocked to see you running the house while I ran the office?" Ka responds with a laugh, "Hah! And now husbands are meal prepping and wives are investing in stocks. We were just ahead of the trend!" Ki chuckles and asks, "Haha, true! But tell me, do you think the Ka of 2025 still runs the house like a pro?" To which Ka responds, "Well, now I have a secret weaponAI!" Arjun also reshared a fan-edit collage featuring him and Kareena Kapoor Khan. Directed by R. Balki, "Ki & Ka" stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Arjun Kapoor in the lead roles. Released theatrically on April 1, 2016, the film received mixed reviews but went on to become a hit, grossing over Rs 100.33 crore worldwide. The film follows the story of Kia, an ambitious woman (Kareena Kapoor), and Kabir, a man who chooses to be a househusband. Their unconventional marriage flourishes until they encounter challenges such as ego clashes and jealousy. The romantic comedy marked Kareena's first on-screen collaboration with Arjun. Meanwhile, both Arjun and Kareena were recently seen in Rohit Shetty's cop drama "Singham Again," which also featured Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone, and Jackie Shroff. Kathmandu, April 1 : Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli warns of legal action against pro-monarchy supporters for leading the violent protests that engulfed the South Asian nation. Oli stated that even former king Gyanendra Shah would not be spared if found guilty in the March 28 violence, local media reported. Addressing a meeting of the House of Representatives on Monday, the Prime Minister accused Shah of inciting protesters through a video statement. Oli said that those involved in criminal activities, including the former king, would not be exempted from punishment. "Shouldn't those who aspire to reclaim the throne publicly state their position on the protest and its outcomes?" Oli questioned. "He (ex-king) will not be granted impunity. Those attempting to overthrow the current system and reinstate the monarchy must clarify their stance on the events of March 28. The perpetrators of these horrific acts must face stringent legal action," Oli said in Parliament. While addressing the Parliament, he warned lawmakers from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) to desist from destroying the Constitution, pointing out that they were oath-bound to protect the charter. Meanwhile, Oli's speech triggered protests in the Parliament from lawmakers of the RPP. The party chief Rajendra Lingden accused republican parties of fostering corruption since the monarchy's abolition in 2008, reports the leading Nepalese daily, The Kathmandu Post. Speaking in the House meeting after the Prime Minister's address, RPP leader Lingden warned that if the people wished, the republican system could be overturned. "Were only protesters responsible for the riots? Was it not the government's duty to take the situation under control?" he said. Lingden further alleged that security forces used expired tear gas from rooftops, exacerbating tensions. Additionally, he called for the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the incident at Tinkune in Kathmandu. Earlier, two leaders of the RPP -- senior vice president Rabindra Mishra and General Secretary Dhawal Sumsher Rana -- were arrested for being involved in the protest. The two leaders were charged with treason by the Kathmandu District Court (KDC), which also extended their remand till Tuesday. Additionally, the police arrested around 100 people, but only 42 have been brought to court, and the investigation has progressed, according to a report by The Himalayan. Tension is running high in certain areas of the capital city, Kathmandu, as hundreds were injured in violent clashes between security personnel and pro-monarchy protesters who were calling for the restoration of the abolished monarchy in Nepal. Addis Ababa, April 1 : The Ethiopian government has launched a cholera vaccination campaign in the southwestern part of the country, targeting about one million people at risk. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health said the vaccination will be conducted in all zones of the country's Gambella Region and refugee camps during the coming week. It came as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and various other humanitarian agencies called for concerted efforts to contain the "rapidly spreading" cholera outbreak across the Gambella Region, bordering South Sudan. Ethiopian Minister of Health Mekdes Daba, addressing the launch event, said that in addition to expanding access to cholera vaccines, maintaining environmental and personal hygiene are essential proactive measures to prevent cholera outbreaks. On Monday, the international medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned that the humanitarian crisis is "rapidly unfolding" on both sides of the South Sudan-Ethiopia border, as escalating violence, displacement and "a widespread cholera outbreak" are pushing communities to the brink. Noting that South Sudan has been grappling with cholera outbreaks since last year, the MSF said the latest wave, which began in Upper Nile State, is now spreading further in the country and across the border into Ethiopia's Gambella Region. The WHO also raised the alarm over the rapid spread of the disease, warning that the outbreak, which was first detected in Gambella's Akobo District early last month, has since spread to eight districts and four refugee camps, Xinhua news agency reported. Humanitarian agencies have called for urgent support to health facilities and the provision of safe water, as unsafe water and inadequate hygiene and sanitation are fueling the spread of cholera. They said that the escalating clashes between the government forces and armed groups in South Sudan's Upper Nile State have led to increased cross-border movements, with refugees and injured people fleeing to Ethiopia, further exacerbating the cholera outbreak in Ethiopia's Gambella Region. Chandigarh, March 28 : A Mohali court on Tuesday sentenced Christian preacher Bajinder Singh to life imprisonment in a 2018 rape case. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Vikrant Kumar pronounced the verdict in the case where a woman alleged that the 'Yeshu Yeshu Prophet' had established non-consensual sexual relations with her on the pretext of taking her abroad. The pastor also made an obscene video of her, the victim had alleged. The court held Bajinder Singh, 42, who is based in Jalandhar, guilty on March 28. A case was registered against the pastor in Zirakpur, near here in Mohali district, on April 20, 2018, under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Besides the pastor, five others, including pastors Pastor Jatinder and Akbar, Sattar Ali, and Sandeep Pehelwan, were also booked. Baljinder Singh, known for claiming to heal ailments through miracles, appeared before the court on Monday, after which the verdict was reserved. In February this year, the pastor was booked on charges of sexual harassment of another woman. A video of his slapping a woman, a Mohali resident who worked with his organisation, in his Chandigarh office, surfaced on March 16 and went viral. The woman had earlier filed a complaint against the pastor, alleging sexual misconduct at his Jalandhar-based church, the Church of Glory and Wisdom. She claimed he started sending her inappropriate messages, summoned her alone to his cabin, and engaged in unwanted advances. Police have formed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Superintendent of Police Rupinder Kaur, to probe the charges. Also, the Punjab State Women's Commission had taken suo motu notice of the matter and issued instructions to provide security to the complainant. In 2022, Bajinder Singh was accused of taking money from a Delhi family for treating their daughter for her illness, but she could not be saved. Seoul, April 1 : Hyundai Motor said on Tuesday its monthly sales for March dropped 2 per cent from a year earlier due to a decline in overseas markets. The automaker sold 365,812 vehicles last month, down from 373,290 units in the same month last year, the company said in a press release. Domestic sales gained 0.9 percent on-year to 63,090 units, but overseas sales shed 2.6 percent to 302,722 units, reports Yonhap news agency. At home, the bestselling model was the Avante, selling 6,829 units, followed by the Grandeur sedan, selling 6,211 units. The Sante Fe was the most popular sport utility vehicle (SUV) domestically, selling 5,591 units. "We will strengthen our sales and production systems tailored to local demand and policies to respond flexibly to regional market changes," a Hyundai Motor official said. Meanwhile, Kia said its monthly sales for March rose 2.2 per cent from a year before, as the company said demand increased both at home and abroad. Kia sold 278,058 vehicles last month, up from 272,011 units in the same month last year, the company said in a press release. Domestic sales increased 2 percent on-year to 50,006 units, while overseas sales gained 2.2 percent to 227,724 units. By vehicle model, the Sportage sport utility vehicle (SUV) was the bestselling model in overseas markets, with 42,579 units sold. It was followed by the Sorento and the K3, selling 20,439 units and 18,200 units, respectively. At home, the Sorento was the most popular model, selling 10,155 units. Kia said it achieved its highest-ever first-quarter sales, with the number of vehicles sold during the January-March period totalling 772,351 units, up 1.6 percent from the same period last year. "Hybrid models of key models, such as the EV3, Sportage and Sorento, which were launched in the second half of last year, drove strong sales and helped us achieve the highest-ever first-quarter performance," a Kia official said. New Delhi, April 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Thailand, beginning Thursday, is set to enhance trade relations between the two countries. The fast-growing Indian market remains attractive for Thai investors, and investments from the South Asian nation have also increased in recent years. The recent years saw increased investment from Thailand in India in infrastructure, real estate, agro processing, electronics, automotive, food processing sectors, the hotel hospitality sector and the renewable energy sector. Notably, in 2021, Global Renewable Synergy Co., Ltd made the largest investment of $453.29 million in India in the renewable energy sector. The growth of bilateral trade has been aided by an Early Harvest Scheme (EHS), which covers 83 products, under the proposed India-Thailand Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) that was put in place in September 2004. Moreover, the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) also contributed to enhanced bilateral trade. ASEAN and India are currently working on the review of AITIGA to make it more user-friendly, simple and trade facilitative for businesses. According to Thailand's Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade between India and Thailand stood at $ 16.04 billion in 2023, with exports from India to Thailand at $5.92 billion and imports from Thailand to India at $10.11 billion. In the ASEAN region, Thailand is the 4th largest trading partner of India after Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. The Indian exports to Thailand include silver bars and gold; machinery and parts; metal waste scrap and products; chemicals; vegetables and vegetable products; medicinal and pharmaceutical products; fresh aquatic animals, chilled, frozen, processed and instant, parts and accessories of vehicles; Iron, steel and products; electrical machinery and parts; coffee, tea and spices; electrical household appliances; Fabrics, etc. The major Indian imports from Thailand are animal or vegetable fats and oils; chemical products; polymers of ethylene, propylene, etc., in primary forms; precious stones and jewellery; iron and steel and their products, among others. Mumbai, April 1 : Actor Raghav Juyal has talked about his aspirations and said he wants to explore every genre and play fun, easygoing characters where he can just chill. Raghav said: "I want to do everything. I want to explore every genre and play fun, easygoing characters where I can just chill and have a good time, but also take on intense and challenging roles like Masaan that really push me." "I'll act, I'll dance, I'll host, and I will do everything this industry has to offer. I don't want to miss a thing, I want to do it all." On March 13, Raghav, who was recently seen in the action film 'Kill', shared that criticism helps a person make their work better. He said his life has been shaped by critics. He had shared: "My life has been made by the critics, my career shift happened because of the recognition I received from them, especially with 'Kill'. It truly works for an actor when critics praise you because it also leads to more opportunities". "It is incredibly difficult to change your image from something you're so well known for to something new, for both the audience and the industry to accept you as an actor. It took me five years to build this image", he added. Raghav is popularly known as "Crockroaxz" or the "King of Slow Motion" for his surreal dance moves in slow motion style and for his reinvention of the Slow Motion Walk in India. He rose to fame after being a contestant and finalist in dance reality show Dance India Dance 3 and a skipper for the team Raghav Ke Rockstars in Dance India Dance Li'l Masters 2 and Dance Ke Superkids where his team was declared the winner under his captainship. He made his film debut in 2014 with Sonali Cable, a comedy drama film, directed by Charudutt Acharya. New Delhi: Indian Air Force C-130J departs for Mandalay carrying 16 tonnes of essential humanitarian aid, rice, and essential food items in New Delhi on Tuesday, April 01, 2025.. Image Source: IANS New Delhi, April 1 : In the face of a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar's Mandalay region, India swiftly extended a helping hand through a remarkable humanitarian mission. The Indian Army and Navy mobilised their resources with unwavering resolve, providing both immediate rescue support and long-term aid to the affected communities. New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) In the face of a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmaras Mandalay region, India swiftly extended a helping hand through a remarkable humanitarian mission. The Indian Army and Navy mobilised their resources with unwavering resolve, providing both immediate rescue support and long-term aid to the affected communities. Under 'Operation Brahma,' the Indian Army deployed a 118-member elite team from the Shatrujeet Brigade, known as the aAirborne Angels." Airlifted by two powerful IAF C-17 aircraft, they swiftly established a 200-bed field hospital in Mandalay, equipped to handle critical surgeries and intensive in-patient care. In a heartwarming gesture, Myo Aung, the Chief Minister of Mandalay, visited the facility, witnessing first hand the compassionate care being extended. The Indian Army shared this on X on Tuesday with a few photos. The mission echoes India's aNeighbourhood Firsta policy and the enduring spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The world is one family)', reinforcing solidarity with Myanmar in its time of need. On the naval front, the Indian Navyas response was equally swift and impactful. INS Karmuk and Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 52 departed from Sri Vijaypuram on March 30, carrying around 30 tonnes of essential relief supplies. They docked in Yangon bringing much-needed aid. Following closely, INS Satpura and INS Savitri had arrived in Yangon on March 31 with approximately 40 tonnes of relief material. Now, INS Gharial is being loaded with a substantial 440 tonnes of critical supplies, including rice, edible oil, and medicines, further amplifying Indiaas humanitarian outreach. The earthquakeas aftermath has been harrowing. The tremor, followed by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock, claimed over 2,000 lives, injured nearly 3,900, and left 270 people missing, according to Myanmaras State Administration Council Information Team. The epicentre, located just 20 km from Mandalaya"Myanmaras bustling second-largest citya"left a trail of devastation across multiple regions. In response, Myanmaras National Disaster Management Committee declared a state of emergency in several affected areas, including Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, parts of Shan State, Nay Pyi Taw, and Bago. Indiaas rapid and compassionate response not only showcases its strategic readiness but also the profound human connection that transcends borders in times of crisis. Kolkata, April 1 : The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Tuesday approached a single judge bench of the Calcutta High Court seeking permission to visit Mothabari in the Malda district, which had been recently hit by communal tension. A section of the Hindu population in the area was allegedly attacked by a group of people from another community. In his petition, Adhikari pleaded that he wished to reach Mothabari along with just one more fellow party legislator and one of his personal bodyguards. The petition has been admitted by the single judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh and the matter is expected to come up for hearing during the current week. Earlier, on Sunday, the state BJP president in West Bengal and the Union Minister of State, Sukanta Majumdar, tried to reach Mothabari. However, he was stopped far away from the troubled zones. The LoP now apprehends that he might face the same police resistance unless there is a specific direction from the court in the matter and, hence had approached Justice Ghoshas bench on Thursday. In his petition, Adhikari had also claimed that he would just go to the spot, meet the victim families, and not resort to any action like conducting rallies there which might spark fresh tension. According to the latest statistics provided by the state police, a total of 61 people have been arrested in connection with the communal tension at Mothabari, and a total of 61 cases have been filed. Although the state police had claimed that the situation at Mothabari was currently under control, the LoP had refuted those claims. According to him, had the situation been under control, the state police would not have prevented the opposition leaders and the media persons from entering the troubled spot. Adhikari had also written to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose requesting the latter to direct the state government to deploy Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) at Mothabari. The Malda district magistrate and district police superintendent are scheduled to submit a detailed report on how the communal tension ignited at Mothabari to Calcutta High Court on April 3. New Delhi, April 1 : The Centre has procured 99.41 lakh bales of cotton directly from farmers at the minimum support price (MSP), as on March 25 this year, out of the total arrival of 260.11 lakh bales in the market, the Parliament was told on Tuesday. Similarly, the government spent Rs 11,712 crore under MSP operations for buying cotton from farmers during the cotton season in 2023-24. The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) supported the farmers and procured 32.84 lakh bales under MSP operations, benefiting about 7.25 lakh cotton farmers in all cotton-growing states, Minister of State for Textiles Pabitra Margherita told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. The government provides MSP to ensure remunerative prices to cotton farmers and saves them from distress sales in any eventuality of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) cotton prices falling below the MSP. The government purchases prevent the price from falling below the MSP level, the minister said. Further, for global branding of Indian textiles, the government has registered Kasturi Cotton as Indiaas brand trademark to give a unique identity to premium quality Indian cotton, the minister said. The support to cotton farmers plays a key role in promoting the growth of Indiaas textile exports. Listing the governmentas efforts to promote textile exports, the minister said the Global Mega Textile Event BHARAT TEX 2025 was successfully organised in February this year by the Textile Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and supported by the Ministry of Textiles, to showcase, India's prowess as a premier textile manufacturing hub, encompassing the entire value chain from raw materials to finished products. The event highlighted the diversity and richness of Indian textiles, while emphasising the industry's manufacturing strength, global competitiveness, as well as its commitment to sustainability and circularity. In order to popularise Indian textiles in global markets and to promote Indian textiles, the government is also implementing various initiatives such as the PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks Scheme which seeks to create a modern, integrated, world class textile infrastructure; Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme focusing on man-made fibre (MMF) fabric, MMF apparel, and technical textiles to boost large scale manufacturing and enhancing competitiveness; National Technical Textiles Mission focusing on research innovation & development, promotion and market Development; SAMARTH a" Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector with the objective providing demand driven, placement oriented skilling programmes, the minister added. Mumbai, April 1 : Tamannaah Bhatia captured hearts with her dance performance at Mata Ki Chowki during Navratri. Fully immersed in the spirit of bhakti, the actress showcased her devotion through graceful moves. Recently, Tamannaah hosted a Mata Ki Chowki to celebrate the Navratri festivities. The pictures and videos circulating on social media from the event show the actress enjoying quality time with her friends and family. Videos from the event captured Bhatia dancing and performing the aarti with devotion. She also shared a video from the celebration on her Instagram handle and captioned it, "Jai Mata Di." In the clip, the 'Baahubali' actress is seen fully immersed in the celebration, dancing joyfully to bhajans. She looked elegant in a beautiful pink silk suit, embracing a simple yet graceful style. Rasha Thadani, the daughter of Raveena Tandon, also attended the event. Meanwhile, Tamannaah has been making headlines following reports of her breakup with Vijay Varma. In an exclusive chat with IANS, she recently expressed that she values her privacy and prefers to keep her "personal life" "private," sharing only what she feels "comfortable with." Tamannaah said, "I am a people person. I enjoy people. In fact, I bumped into a gentleman at the airport, and I was just giving photographs to people who came and wanted to click photographs, and I was happily doing it." On the professional front, the actress is preparing for her upcoming theatrical release, "Odela 2," where she plays the role of Shivashakti. "Odela 2" is the sequel to "Odela Railway Station" and continues the story of the fictional village of Odela. The film depicts how Odela Mallanna Swamy defends his village from evil forces. It is set to release on April 7. Tamannaah Bhatia was last seen in 'Sikandar Ka Muqaddar" alongside Jimmy Sheirgill, Avinash Tiwary, Rajeev Mehta, and Divya Dutta. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Hyderabad, April 1 : Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Bharat Rashtra Samithi Working President K. T. Rama Rao have alleged that the Telangana government is defying court orders and destroying the environment by bulldozing trees on 400 acres of land at Kancha Gachibowli next to the University of Hyderabad. Rama Rao termed it agreen murdera and demanded that top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intervene. BJP leader Bandi Sanjay claimed that the land is under litigation, and the High Court had asked the state government to file a counter by April 7. He took to aXa to slam the Congress government over the land issue amid the ongoing protest by student groups, environment activists, and opposition parties against the governmentas decision to clear the land and auction it for the development of multi-use infrastructure and IT parks. The Union Minister termed the land sale as peak opportunism by the Congress government. "400 acres planned for auction by the State govt fall under forest limits. Supreme Court clearly bars deforestation without Centreas consent. The land is under HC litigation; Court ordered the govt to file a counter by April 7. Yet, the govt is defying the Court, bulldozing trees, and destroying the environment," he posted. The BJP leader alleged that the Congress government is worse than the previous BRS government, as it is trying to grab thousands of crores through illegal deforestation and auction. aDidnat Chief Minister himself once oppose such land sales? Future City for the rich, lathis for the future generations a" is this the Congress model?' he asked. Demanding that the government withdraw the auction decision immediately, he warned that people will teach it a lesson. Meanwhile, K. T. Rama Rao has posted on his social media handles the photographs and videos of trees being bulldozed on the 400-acre area. "This is brazen green murder by destroying 400 acres of precious lung space in western Hyderabad. You can hear the peacocks crying for help as the bulldozers and JCBs of the Congress Govt rummage," he posted. "If you donat speak up now, itas on you Mr Rahul Gandhi," added the BRS leader. New Delhi, April 1 : In a bid to achieve 'Anaemia Mukt Bharat' (AMB), rice fortification initiative was scaled up in a phased manner, and by March 2024, all custom-milled rice has been replaced with fortified rice in every scheme, the government said on Tuesday. The number of laboratories notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for fortified rice, fortified rice kernels and premix for fortified rice kernels are 57, 35 and 15, respectively, said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. The government supplies fortified rice enriched with essential micronutrients through Targeted Public Distribution System, Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme, Integrated Child Development Services and Other Welfare Schemes in all States/UTs to tackle micronutrient deficiencies The aim is to reduce prevalence of anaemia among children and women including pregnant women and lactating mothers in life cycle approach through implementation of six interventions. The states are provided funds by the National Health Mission (NHM) based on the proposals received in their Annual Programme Implementation Plans. Under NHM, for the FY 2024-25, Rs 805.91 crore has been allocated to the states/UTs to implement various activities under the 'Anaemia Mukt Bharat' programme, informed the minister. The government supplies fortified rice enriched with essential micronutrients such as Iron, Folic acid, Vitamin B12, through Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) in all States/UTs to tackle micronutrient deficiencies. While anaemia is long known to be caused by iron deficiency, health experts say that that air pollution and vitamin B12 deficiency have emerged as major culprits behind its increasing prevalence in the country. Anaemia occurs when there isnat enough haemoglobin in the body to carry oxygen to the organs and tissues. The condition, which mainly affects women and children, leads to the lower count of red blood cells or the haemoglobin. In severe cases, anaemia can cause poor cognitive and motor development in children. Mumbai, April 1 : Choreographer-director Ahmed Khan, who is set to launch his son Azaan this year, has said that his son decided to give acting a shot after learning a bit of everything in the world of filmmaking. Azaan has been undergoing intense preparation for his big bollywood debut and the movie is set to go on floors this year. Ahmed shared that he doesn't feel that there is any right or for that matter a wrong time to launch a talent. He said, "It's just that he's 23 and we feel that he's ready to hit the silver screen and he always wanted to be that. It's not that he has been pushed into it or we have asked him to do it and he's been a technician's son so he knows all the crazy stuff that goes on behind the camera and how to fix a jigsaw puzzle and then eventually you sweep like a board which is clean". He further mentioned, "So he is ready, the team feels and his director feels. I'm going to be producing his first film, the boy has got it. He's doing some more training towards his dialect and Urdu being his mother tongue so he's a little more comfortable with our language which is required in Hindi cinemas". Ahmed also shared that the training in cinema is never ending. He told IANS, "He's been training since he got into his senses, when he was seven or eight, so he knew which way he's going to go. The training is going step by step from that age. First, he wanted to become a choreographer then he said, 'I'll be a director', then he said, 'No, I'll be a creative person in editing'. Then he said, 'No, I would love to do music'. So eventually he ended up learning bits and pieces of everything and finally he grew up and he felt that he can give acting a shot since I've learned everything. He said, 'Let me try it out as an actor'". "He did his bit. He struggled in the house only for about three years and And then that was his preparation, and I think training and preparation has to go on for a long time. Every film which he does in future will keep changing his prep style and that's special", the choreographer added. Taipei, April 1 : Strongly condemning China's joint military drill around Taiwan, Taipei on Tuesday said that Beijing's provocations are threatening regional peace. This comes after 19 Chinese Navy ships operating around Taiwan were detected on Tuesday morning. The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence condemned the move, which it called a disruption to the status quo, and said it had deployed military vessels and aircraft in response to the threats. "19 Chinese Navy ships operating around Taiwan were detected on Tuesday morning. Taiwan's Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities," the defence ministry stated. The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded China stop destabilising the status quo and Indo-Pacific peace and stability through "reckless behaviour." Taking to X, the ministry posted, "We strongly condemn China's joint military drills near Taiwan. CCP's provocations from the East & South China Seas to Oceania threaten regional peace. We urge Beijing to stop destabilising the status quo & Indo-Pacific peace & stability through reckless behaviour." Meanwhile, the defence ministry said that Taiwan adheres to the principle of "no escalation of conflict, no provocation of disputes, responding prudently to grey-zone harassment to safeguard national sovereignty and the security of the people." The drills took place after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth left Taiwan following visits to Japan and the Philippines. During his visit, he criticised China and said Japan was "indispensable" for tackling Chinese aggression. "Taiwan is their best excuse. That's why they chose to launch such military drills as soon as the US defence secretary left Asia," Taiwan's leading newspaper, Taipei Times, reported, quoting an official. The defence ministry, earlier on Tuesday, said that the PLA Navy vessels, led by the aircraft carrier, Shandong, were detected from March 29 and entered into Taiwan's response zone. It said that Taiwanese forces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly." The ministry statement read that China continues to escalate military activities in the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region, like intensifying military threats and challenging the international order and regional stability, thereby becoming the greatest "troublemaker" in the eyes of the international community. China also confirmed that it was conducting joint army, navy and rocket exercises around Taiwan. Beijing even went on to call Taiwan's President Lai Ching-Te a "parasite". Meanwhile, on Monday, the US and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait and opposition to the Chinese coercion in the East China and South China seas following US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani's ministerial meeting. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung welcomed the support and stated that the country values democratic partners in a free and open Indo-Pacific. Last month, Taiwanese President Lai had labelled China a "foreign hostile force" and ramped up national security measures in the face of growing threats and a string of spying cases. China claims Taiwan to be a part of its territory that must be reunified with the mainland by force if necessary. In recent years, Beijing has increased military exercises in the Taiwan Strait to intensify pressure on Taiwan. Meanwhile, the US and its allies consider the Taiwan Strait as an international waterway and routinely send warships through the strait, asserting their influence in the Indo-Pacific region and countering the growing influence of China. New Delhi, April 1 : The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to support the Centre's Waqf (Amendment) Bill, advocating for the amendment of certain provisions they consider unfair. This appeal has sparked varied reactions from political leaders across the spectrum. Samajwadi Party (SP) MP, Virendra Singh, while addressing the issue, noted, "Everyone has their own thoughts and approaches. When the Waqf Amendment Bill was introduced recently, there were objections after reading it. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was then formed, but its report has still not been presented in Parliament. Once the Waqf Amendment Bill is passed by the Cabinet, we will read it and discuss whether it is right or wrong. If it is wrong, we will oppose it in Parliament." Meanwhile, CPI MP, P. Santhosh Kumar, responded sharply to the Catholic Bishops' intervention, saying, "Whether they want to do politics or not doesn't matter to us. We have our political views, and we will follow them. KCBC must be a non-political body, I don't know much about it, but the point is, don't mix religion and politics." In contrast, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader Haris Beeran highlighted the longstanding relationship between his party and the Catholic Bishops. "The IUML has a strong relationship with the Catholic Bishops' Council. Whatever their concerns are, our top leadership is engaging with them, and we are hopeful that we will be able to resolve the differences and reach an amicable solution," Beeran said, emphasising the importance of dialogue in resolving the issue. Congress Rajya Sabha MP, Jebi Mather, also acknowledged the views of the Bishops, stating, "We respect everyone's views, including the Catholic Bishops' Council. If they have concerns on this matter, we will discuss and convince them about the real issue. We respect what the KCBC says, but we will address the matter and sort it out." The KCBC has expressed its support for amendments to the Central Waqf Act, asserting that certain provisions were inconsistent with India's secular and democratic values. Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India's statement urges political parties to adopt a constructive approach to the matter, emphasising that the Bill should align with the Constitution. As the government pushes to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill before Parliament in the ongoing Budget Session, the debate over the Bill continues to intensify with diverse political reactions. New Delhi, April 1 : India and Thailand's warm bilateral relations are heading for an upgrade with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the South Asian nation. PM Modi's two-day visit to Thailand from Thursday onward offers a chance to enhance India's economic and commercial relations with the South Asian country. PM Modi will also be enhancing India's deep civilizational linkages, maritime connectivity, and cross-cultural exchanges with member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) grouping during his visit to Bangkok to attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. During the visit, a Maritime Transport Agreement with the BIMSTEC countries will be signed at the summit in Bangkok. Established in June 1997, the BIMSTEC regional grouping forms a unique link between South and South-East Asia, with five members from South Asia -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka -- and two from South-East Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand. Besides BIMSTEC, cooperation between India and Thailand exists in various other multilateral forums like ASEAN, East Asia Summit, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, and Indian Ocean Rim Association. Thailand is the third largest economy in ASEAN and India's fourth largest trading partner in the region after Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia in the region. Reaffirming the age-old cultural and religious ties, India recently sent the holy relics of Lord Buddha to Thailand. Indiaas 'Look East' policy (since 1993) and Thailand's 'Look West' policy (since 1996) have metamorphosed into India's 'Act East' and Thailand's 'Act West' policies and are strongly contributing to the consolidation of bilateral relations, including economic and commercial linkages. Indiaas partnership with Thailand also has a strong regional dimension in the context of India's engagement with ASEAN and membership of groupings such as BIMSTEC, Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) and Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD). The defence cooperation between the two countries is also growing steadily and forms an important aspect of the multifaceted relationship. New Delhi, April 1 : India and Thailand's warm bilateral relations are heading for an upgrade with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Southeast Asian nation. PM Modi's two-day visit to Thailand from Thursday onward offers a chance to enhance India's economic and commercial relations with the Southeast Asian country. PM Modi will also be enhancing India's deep civilizational linkages, maritime connectivity, and cross-cultural exchanges with member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) grouping during his visit to Bangkok to attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. During the visit, a Maritime Transport Agreement with the BIMSTEC countries will be signed at the summit in Bangkok. Established in June 1997, the BIMSTEC regional grouping forms a unique link between South and South-East Asia, with five members from South Asia -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka -- and two from South-East Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand. Besides BIMSTEC, cooperation between India and Thailand exists in various other multilateral forums like ASEAN, East Asia Summit, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, and Indian Ocean Rim Association. Thailand is the third largest economy in ASEAN and India's fourth largest trading partner in the region after Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia in the region. Reaffirming the age-old cultural and religious ties, India recently sent the holy relics of Lord Buddha to Thailand. Indiaas 'Look East' policy (since 1993) and Thailand's 'Look West' policy (since 1996) have metamorphosed into India's 'Act East' and Thailand's 'Act West' policies and are strongly contributing to the consolidation of bilateral relations, including economic and commercial linkages. Indiaas partnership with Thailand also has a strong regional dimension in the context of India's engagement with ASEAN and membership of groupings such as BIMSTEC, Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) and Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD). The defence cooperation between the two countries is also growing steadily and forms an important aspect of the multifaceted relationship. New Delhi, April 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described Chile as an "important friend and partner" for India in Latin America and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening cooperation across various sectors, including Antarctica exploration, health security, trade, and strategic partnerships. PM Modi welcomed Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font and his high-level delegation to India on his first State Visit. Addressing a joint press conference, PM Modi highlighted the growing bilateral relations and underscored the need to further expand collaboration. "Chile is an important friend and partner country for India in Latin America. In today's discussions, we identified several new initiatives to enhance cooperation in the coming decade. We welcome the growth in mutual trade and investment. We agree that there is also untapped potential for more cooperation in this," PM Modi said. The Prime Minister revealed that both sides have directed their teams to initiate discussions on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, which is expected to further boost trade ties. He also emphasised the significance of collaboration in critical minerals, resilient supply and value chains, and agricultural cooperation to ensure food security. PM Modi further stated that India is willing to share its expertise with Chile in digital public infrastructure, renewable energy, railways, and space technology. He noted the strategic importance of Chile as a gateway to Antarctica and welcomed the letter of intent signed between the two countries to enhance cooperation in this crucial region. The Prime Minister also highlighted India's contribution to Chile's health security and expressed a commitment to deepening collaboration. "India has been a reliable partner in ensuring the health security of Chile. We agreed to further deepen this cooperation," Boric said. Highlighting cultural ties, PM Modi lauded Chile's decision to adopt November 4 as National Yoga Day, calling it an "inspiring" gesture. He also emphasised the importance of traditional medicine, Ayurveda, and defence cooperation, pointing out that both nations are working towards enhancing industrial manufacturing and supply chains in the defence sector. At the global level, both leaders agreed on the need to resolve conflicts through dialogue and called for reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and other global institutions to effectively address contemporary challenges. "India and Chile agree that all tensions and disputes should be resolved through dialogue. We agree that reforms in the United Nations Security Council and other institutions are necessary to face global challenges. Together, we will continue to contribute to global peace and stability," PM Modi said. Drawing attention to the deep-rooted connections between India and Chile, the Prime Minister also highlighted the geographical and cultural similarities between the two nations, citing the Himalayas of India and the Andes mountains of Chile as examples. He also noted that Chilean Nobel laureate Gabriela Mistral found inspiration in the works of Rabindranath Tagore and Aurobindo Ghosh, emphasising the strong cultural ties between the two nations. "Chile's literature has also been appreciated in India. The growing interest of Chilean people in Indian films, cuisine, and classical dances is a living example of our cultural relations," he said. Recognising the Indian diaspora in Chile, PM Modi thanked the Chilean government for its support. "Nearly 4,000 people of Indian origin who consider Chile their home are the custodians of our shared heritage. I express my gratitude to President Boric and his government for taking care of them. We welcome the agreement reached today on the cultural exchange programme between the two countries. We also discussed simplifying the visa process and increasing student exchanges between India and Chile," he added. The Prime Minister expressed optimism that President Boric's visit would infuse new energy and enthusiasm into bilateral relations. "This energy will give new momentum and direction to our bilateral relations as well as our cooperation in the entire Latin America region. I wish you a pleasant visit and stay in India," he said. President Boric, in response, expressed his gratitude to PM Modi for the warm reception and reiterated Chile's commitment to enhancing bilateral ties. "We share our relations with India, and the possibilities of the potential which have not been explored yet should be worked upon. Today, we have come here to consolidate the seven decades of our relationship with India," Boric said. He underscored the importance of strengthening commercial ties, investments, and critical mineral cooperation, which are essential to addressing global climate change challenges. Boric highlighted cultural exchanges between the two nations and Chile's efforts to attract Bollywood to its film industry. "This visit has been marked by cultural exchange. We are working together to bring the potent audiovisual industry from India to our country through the 'Shoot in Chile' programme, which we are going to present for film creation in Chile. What we also discussed in the meeting is the tremendous importance of what India has done with its Bollywood presence," he noted. Discussing Antarctica, Boric emphasised Chile's strategic position and invited PM Modi to collaborate on research and exploration. "Chile considers Antarctica as one of its most important issues. It serves as a gateway to Antarctica, and we have invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Antarctica. We have signed a cooperation deal in the area of exploration, covering major areas where we can work together with India regarding Antarctica," he said. As part of the visit, several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were exchanged, including agreements on Antarctica cooperation, cultural exchange programmes, and disaster management. The leaders expressed confidence that the agreements signed would pave the way for deeper engagement between the two nations. "We are initiating a visit that will bring about significant decisions in the future. We will be staying in Agra, Bangalore, and Mumbai with various agendas. We are here with major authorities, parliamentarians, scientists, innovators, startups, students, professors, and practitioners of yoga and Ayurveda," Boric stated. He concluded by thanking PM Modi for his leadership in strengthening South- South cooperation and reinforcing bilateral engagements. New Delhi, April 1 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar held bilateral discussions with his Dutch counterpart, Caspar Veldkamp, focusing on strengthening the already robust partnership between India and the European nation across multiple sectors. The talks, held on Monday, delved into areas such as trade, defence, technology, education, and global strategic developments, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. Caspar Veldkamp, who arrived in India on his first official visit on Monday, engaged in delegation-level talks with EAM Jaishankar, reviewing the rapidly growing cooperation between the two nations. "External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar held delegation-level talks with Foreign Minister Veldkamp on 31 March 2025, during which they reviewed the growing bilateral cooperation, including in the areas of political exchanges, trade and investments, defence and security, innovation, culture, and people-to-people ties," the MEA said in a statement. The discussions also focused on emerging areas of collaboration, such as semiconductors, digital technologies, renewable energy, green hydrogen, education, and migration. "They also noted the vast potential of cooperation between India and the Netherlands in new and emerging areas, including semiconductors, digital technologies, renewable energy, green hydrogen, education and migration and mobility of youth, skilled workers, and professionals in addition to strengthening the traditional priority areas of cooperation in Water, Agriculture, and Health," the statement further read. Following the meeting, EAM Jaishankar took to X and posted, "Delighted to meet FM Caspar Veldkamp of Netherlands this evening. Discussed our growing bilateral cooperation including in trade, investments, innovation, water, agriculture, health, security and people-to-people ties." "Explored new possibilities in semiconductors, green hydrogen, education and talent flows. Also spoke about global strategic developments and the significance of multipolarity," he added. Veldkamp echoed similar sentiments in his post on X, stating, "A pleasure meeting with India FM S. Jaishankar in New Delhi, thank you for the warm welcome. We had a fruitful conversation, discussing opportunities to elevate our partnership, the changing geopolitical environment, and finding common ground in a multipolar world order." "We spoke about our common goals and global governance and how the Netherlands and India can work together to thrive in areas like water, critical technologies, and security. Next, we discussed ways to strengthen EU-India ties and spoke about international developments, including Ukraine, the transatlantic relationship, the situation in the Middle East, and China," he added. Apart from the bilateral talks, EAM Jaishankar and FM Veldkamp exchanged views on various global and regional issues of mutual interest. Veldkamp is also scheduled to meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during his visit. India and the Netherlands have long shared a trusted partnership, with cooperation spanning diverse sectors. The two countries have a strategic partnership in the water sector, which has been a key pillar of their bilateral ties. "The visit of FM Veldkamp will provide further impetus to our increasingly strong and expanding bilateral relations," the ministry stated. New Delhi, April 1 : Union Health Minister, J.P. Nadda, on Tuesday flagged the slow rate of utilisation of central funds by states to improve health infrastructure, underscoring the need for timely implementation of projects and avoiding the false narrative that there is a shortage in the budget. "Our states' system has to improve so that they implement programmes in time and utilise the funds and the utilisation certificate is most important. The moment you utilise we will give you the funds," said Nadda in a reply in Rajya Sabha. Nadda also requested members not to create a narrative that there is a shortage of funds for the health sector. Highlighting the poor utilisation of central health funds by states, he said under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) Rs 64,180 crore were sanctioned, but the states managed to utilise only around Rs 20,000 crore. "Under the 15th Finance Commission Rs 70,000 crore were sanctioned to states but only Rs 27,000 crore were released as utilisation certificates were not submitted," he said in a supplementary reply to Congress member Rajeev Shukla, who alleged a shortage of funds for the health sector and sought augmentation of Budgetary allocation. Earlier, the Minister blamed the Kerala government for an alleged delay in the release of central funds for the health sector, pointing to gaps in branding of health centres as Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centres. Replying to a supplementary question by A.A. Rahim of the CPI(M), Nadda said, "We have requested the Kerala Government to follow the guidelines for standardisation in rebranding health centres as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs." "As soon as these guidelines are followed, the funding will be released accordingly," he said. Earlier, Rahim claimed that Kerala had been denied over Rs 600 crore under the National Heath Mission despite 72 per cent of the health centres being branded as desired by the central government. Replying to another supplementary question from Sulata Deo of the BJD, Nadda said the central government is committed to improving health services in the underserved areas in Odisha and with this intention it had sanctioned at least five medical colleges and super specialty blocks in the state. "At least three super specialty blocks have been sanctioned at Barrackpore, Cuttack and Barala," he said, announcing that he would be visiting the state on April 11. For the underserved areas in the state, he advised the member to work in coordination with district health officials and update the information on the portal for PM-ABHIM which is a large-scale, pan-India health scheme aimed at strengthening healthcare infrastructure. Deo had asked the Minister if there were plans to give more AIIMS and medical colleges for serving people in tribal areas in South, West and Coastal Odisha. Ranchi, April 1 : Tension gripped Ranchi's Sirmatoli on Tuesday afternoon during Sarhul, the biggest festival of the tribal community, due to a clash between two tribal groups. The confrontation occurred when a group of protesters showed black flags and wore black bands on their foreheads to express opposition to Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife, Kalpana Soren, as they arrived to worship at the main Sarna Sthal (place of worship). The protests stemmed from a long-standing agitation by tribal organisations demanding the removal of the ramp of a flyover being constructed near Sirmatoli Sarna Sthal. When demonstrators displayed black flags, another tribal faction opposed their protest, leading to heated arguments and a brief physical altercation. Police and administrative officials, including Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri, SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha, and SDO Utkarsh Kumar, were present at the scene and managed to control the situation. Amid the unrest, the CM and his wife performed the puja under tight security and later attended a Sarhul celebration at the tribal hostel. The protest against the CM was led by former Minister Geetashree Oraon, with her supporters donning black headbands. However, the demonstration was strongly opposed by Ajay Tirkey, leader of the Central Sarna Committee of Ranchi, who accused certain elements within the tribal community of deliberately creating controversy during the festival, alleging that the BJP was behind the unrest. He also pointed out that CM Soren had already intervened to relocate the flyover ramp farther from the Sarna Sthal, yet the issue was being politicised. Sirmatoli houses the largest Sarna Sthal in Ranchi, a site of immense religious significance where massive processions from across the region converge every year on Sarhul. Protesting tribal organisations argue that the under-construction flyover ramp near the Sarna Sthal will disrupt religious events, including Sarhul, as it has reduced the space leading to the sacred site. They claim this encroachment is an attack on their faith and traditions. In response to the protests, the district administration decided five days ago to shorten the ramp and has since demolished a significant portion of it. However, tensions remain high. On March 30, a group led by Oraon broke through police barricades while demanding the ramp's complete removal. In connection with the incident, an FIR has been registered at Chutia police station against 21 people, including Oraon. ALBANY State leaders will miss the April 1 deadline to pass an on-time state budget today, leaving advocates across Western New York in limbo as they look for hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding for causes from clean energy to LGBTQ+ rights to public transit. Groups clamoring for state aid include a collection of lawmakers, union representatives and environmentalists seeking $200 million for thermal energy networks at SUNY campuses, which includes $68 million for the University at Buffalo and $19 million for Jamestown Board of Public Utilities in Chautauqua County. Thermal energy networks a system of water pipes that transfer heat in and out of connected buildings are part of the states overall plan to rely on clean energy, such as electricity, instead of fossil fuels such as gas and oil. UB, which already received $12 million to service buildings on its South Campus surrounding Parker Hall, would use the $68 million to further expand emissions-free networks to replace gas-powered systems on its South and North campuses, according to UpgradeNY, a coalition of groups backing the project. Support for thermal energy UB was among the colleges prepared to put shovels in the ground and establish geothermal energy networks to heat multiple campus buildings, Assembly Member Karen McMahon, D-Williamsville, said in a news release issued March 26. McMahon was among nine state lawmakers, several environmentalists and New York State Pipe Trades Association International Representative John Murphy backing the plan. It remains to be seen whether Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, will agree to the $200 million in the states final budget. Hochul proposed $1 billion in climate change mitigation efforts in her $252 billion executive budget. McMahon said the Assembly included $150 million for the project in its budget plan, and that the Senate included another $50 million. We must include these funds in the final budget to develop clean energy solutions on SUNY campuses and elevate New York States fight against global warming, she said. Other SUNY locations hoping to share in the $200 million pot include the University at Albanys Downtown Campus ($55 million); SUNY Purchase in Westchester County ($50 million); the University at Stony Brook ($5 million); and SUNY headquarters in Albany ($3 million). Involuntary commitment of mentally ill at issue in state budget talks Involuntary commitment is one of four initiatives favored by Gov. Kathy Hochul that are consuming negotiations for the state budget, due April 1. The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities is expected to use $19 million to replace its gas-heating system with a thermal energy network that recovers heat from wastewater treatment plant effluent. UpgradeNY contends the system, which now supplies heat to 70 facilities and more than 700 apartments in multi-unit buildings, could double in size. LGBTQ+ wellness Advocates for LGBTQ+ rights are asking state leaders to increase the size of the Lorena Borjas Transgender Wellness & Equity Fund considered the nations second state-level fund dedicated to trans health and wellness from $4 million to $8 million. The TWEF money helps groups provide programs for workforce development, youth suicide prevention and housing, and other needs. Thats in addition to $50 million for a contingency fund for gender-affirming care in the wake of potential federal cuts. In the face of a torrent of anti-trans policies from Washington and anti-trans violence in Western New York, only decisive action can shield us from these attacks, said Brittan Hardgers, director of advocacy and community engagement at NEW Pride Agenda and the first Black transgender person to openly run for a seat on the Rochester City Council. Hardgers said the increase in TWEF funding would make a world of difference for smaller organizations. They include the Buffalo-based Gay and Lesbian Youth Services in Western New York, which provides a safe environment for LGBTQ+ youth in the counties of Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Genesee, Orleans, Allegany and Wyoming, said the groups executive director, Jack Kavanaugh. I think its really important and really helpful to have the state investing in LGBTQ communities in a way that isnt centered on sexual health and HIV, Kavanaugh told The Buffalo News. While those issues are critical, he said, they are not the only issues. Gillibrand says 'Trump-proof' budget not possible, cuts would cause NYers to 'suffer' U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand raised alarms in Albany about possible federal cuts that would be "disastrous" for the New York State budget. He said he is seeing an influx of LGBTQ+ people moving to Western New York from other states, such as Ohio, Florida and Texas, because of the strong positions taken by Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James to support LGBTQ+ in the wake of opposition from the Trump administration. Gender-affirming care, he said, is an umbrella term that mostly refers to access to mental health providers and not any medical procedures. Improving Metro Rail In February, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Director of Public Transit James Morrell testified before a joint legislative panel that the state needed to increase its funding to transit authorities, including $26 million to the NFTA so it could improve its Metro Rail infrastructure. Morrell, who holds the dual role as president of the New York Public Transit Association, asked the panel to include Hochuls proposed $220 million in capital spending for transit systems outside of the New York City area. Proposals from Assembly and Senate leaders would increase the capital spending figure the Assembly by $100 million, the Senate by $76 million and restore the money for the NFTA rail line. On March 21, Morrell wrote to Hochul suggesting the governor charge an annual $10 supplemental motor vehicle registration fee to upstate drivers, as is now paid by New York City-area drivers, to help fund upstate transit systems. There are significant transit services in upstate New York, and improving their services also requires strong support and additional state investment, Morrell stated. Budget negotiations were expected to continue on Tuesday; the Legislature was off Monday. New Delhi, April 1 : The Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on April 2 (Wednesday) soon after the Question Hour and will be followed by a comprehensive and detailed discussion extending up to eight hours, said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday. Speaking to the press, the Minister for Minority Affairs said: "Some members wanted six hours, others wanted four hours. However, the Opposition demanded 12 hours for the discussion, but a broad consensus was reached for an eight-hour-long discussion on the bill." "Depending on the sense of the House, the Speaker could take the decision to extend it as well," he added. The Lok Sabha is expected to witness a stormy session on Wednesday, as Opposition members are set to make a strong pushback over the contentious bill. A teaser of the likely showdown over the Waqf Bill was witnessed during the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting on Tuesday, as pointed out by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister. Rijiju told the press that even as the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced an eight-hour debate on the Waqf Bill, the Opposition mounted a protest and even staged a walkout. Parliamentary Affairs Minister also accused the Opposition of resorting to fearmongering and using walk-outs as a tactic to avoid discussion on the Bill. He said that the government is keenly looking for detailed discussion on the Bill as all parties should get adequate time to raise their reservations on the contentious clauses. "Some parties are deliberately trying to create chaos over the bill and, also making excuses to run away from the debate. Nation wants to hear out the objections to this Bill," he pointed out. Parliamentary Affairs Minister also took note of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) extending support to the bill and welcomed their support. Notably, various Catholic bodies in Kerala, including the Kerala Council of Churches, have extended support to the bill and urged Parliamentarians across party lines to back the bill, so as to allow the government to regulate the operations of Waqf properties and also settle disputes in a transparent manner. Seoul, April 1 : South Korean police have decided to deploy some 14,000 personnel in Seoul, according to sources familiar with the matter on Tuesday, as the Constitutional Court is poised to rule on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment case later this week. The court said it will deliver its verdict on whether to dismiss or reinstate Yoon over his failed martial law bid on Friday. For months, political polarisation has deepened between supporters and opponents of Yoon's impeachment over his failed martial law bid. The National Police Agency placed police forces on the "Gapho" alert, the highest level that puts all available police forces on emergency standby, starting Thursday midnight. In addition, police will immediately arrest those who attempt to break into the Constitutional Court compound and have beefed up security services for all Constitutional Court justices. Should Yoon decide to attend the court for the verdict, police will take measures to secure the pathway from the Presidential residence to the Constitutional Court, and separate the protesters calling for or against Yoon's impeachment on the way. Yoon's legal representatives said a decision was yet to be made on whether Yoon will attend the court on Friday, Yonhap news agency reported. Shortly after the court's announcement of a date for Yoon's impeachment ruling, anti-Yoon protesters near Gwanghwamun Square, where they were holding an overnight sit-in, welcomed it and shouted "immediate ouster" of the suspended President. Yoon Bok-nam, the President of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, also known as Minbyun, told reporters that the date for Yoon's impeachment ruling "came much too late, but it is still a relief". However, pro-Yoon protesters near the Constitutional Court chanted "dismiss impeachment" while waving Korean and American flags. Police had reportedly mobilised some 3,200 personnel near the Constitutional Court as of Tuesday afternoon following the court's announcement. They plan to turn the area around the court into a "vacuum state" by blocking access by the public, prompting pro-Yoon groups to remove tents installed near the court. Srinagar, April 1 : J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is not acceptable to him and he will always oppose it. "Waqf Amendment Bill is not acceptable to me, and I will always oppose it," said the Chief Minister while talking to media persons on the sidelines of an official function here after inaugurating the free bus service for women. Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on April 2 (Wednesday), soon after the Question Hour and will be followed by a comprehensive and detailed discussion extending up to eight hours. Talking to media persons, the Minister for Minority Affairs said: "Some members wanted six hours, others wanted four hours. However, the Opposition demanded 12 hours for the discussion, but a broad consensus was reached for an eight-hour-long discussion on the bill. Depending on the sense of the House, the Speaker could take the decision to extend it as well. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister on Tuesday inaugurated the free bus services for women in Jammu & Kashmir at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar. He was accompanied by Minister for Social Welfare and Education, Sakina Itoo, Advisor to Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA, Zadibal, Tanveer Sadiq and other functionaries. Omar Abdullah described the free bus service for women as a great initiative of his government, adding that the free services will remain available from Tuesday onwards in all the districts of Jammu & Kashmir. He said that his government will compensate the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) and Smart Bus Transport agencies for providing the free service. In reply to a question, Omar Abdullah said that the forthcoming visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah is not connected with the Kathua encounter. He said his government has high hopes from the Union Home Minister's visit. Amit Shah is arriving on a visit to J&K next week. The Home Minister's visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on April 19. PM Modi will inaugurate the 272-kms-long Katra-Baramulla Vande Bharat train service. The project includes the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab River in Ramban district and the Anji Khad cable-stayed railway bridge in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. This is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge. The bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. Chennai, April 1 : In a dramatic and highly public fallout, a rift has surfaced within the family of South India's 'Lottery King' Santiago Martin. His son, Jose Charles Martin, has issued a strongly-worded public statement denouncing his brother-in-law, Aadhav Arjuna, for making derogatory remarks against Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai. Aadhav Arjuna, who serves as the General Secretary (Election Campaign Management) of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), allegedly made unparliamentary comments against Annamalai during a recent general council meeting of the party. The remarks have sparked significant controversy and widespread outrage. Reacting to the controversy, Jose Charles Martin took to social media to distance himself and his family from Aadhav's statements. In a clear and assertive message, Jose said: "I strongly object to and apologise for Aadhav Arjuna's unparliamentary statement against Tamil Nadu BJP President Thiru K. Annamalai, who is tirelessly working for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu. "I also support the claim that Aadhav is misusing his father-in-law's money which is my father's money thereby damaging our family's reputation and creating unnecessary issues." He further accused Aadhav Arjuna of aligning himself with various political parties for personal gain, particularly pointing to his association with political strategist Prashant Kishor. Jose Martin labeled Aadhav's actions as being driven by "political and financial greed." Making it clear that he wanted no part in Aadhav's political activities, Jose added: "I am in no way connected to his stupidity, and if any consequences arise from his actions, I will take all necessary legal steps to protect my name and reputation." The ongoing feud has not only stirred political circles but has also put the Martin family and its controversial business empire under the spotlight. Santiago Martin, widely known as the 'Lottery King,' commands a vast fortune through his company, Future Gaming & Hotel Services Pvt. Ltd., which reportedly has an annual turnover of Rs 15,000 crore. However, the family's wealth has long been under scrutiny. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been investigating Santiago Martin and his company since 2014. The probe has already led to the attachment of assets worth over Rs 1,000 crore, with the Kochi zonal unit seizing properties worth Rs 622 crore and the Kolkata unit Rs 409 crore. These assets are suspected to be linked to the proceeds of crime. The ED investigation stems from multiple FIRs, the first of which was filed by the CBI in 2014, followed by two more by the Kolkata Police in 2022. In 2024, the Meghalaya government lodged a fresh FIR, alleging that illegal lottery sales by Martin's business caused a loss of Rs 1,500 crore to the state exchequer. Recent investigations revealed that the company had been a major donor to political parties through electoral bonds. Between 2019 and 2024, Future Gaming contributed a staggering Rs 1,368 crore to various political parties. The Trinamool Congress was the largest recipient, receiving Rs 542 crore. Other major parties such as the BJP, DMK, YSRCP, and Congress also received substantial donations. As the political and legal scrutiny intensifies, the Martin family's internal disputes have added another layer of complexity to an already explosive mix of money, politics, and power. Kolkata, April 1 : Calcutta High Court advocates, affiliated to three associations, observed partial cease-work on Tuesday over the transfer of a Delhi High Court judge to the court. The advocates, affiliated to the Calcutta High Court Bar Association, the Calcutta High Court Bar Library Club, and the Incorporated Law Society of Calcutta, did not participate in any hearing at any bench till 3.30 p.m. Delhi High Court judge, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma's transfer to the Calcutta High Court was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium recently. The Centre on Tuesday notified the transfer of the judge. The contention of the three associations is that the transfer of the said judge, against whom there have been serious complaints since October 2024, to the Calcutta High Court was not desirable at all. According to senior advocate and four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Kalyan Banerjee, in the past also, judges with complaints against them or who had just around a year before their retirements were transferred to the Calcutta High Court. aWhy shall we accept the practice of considering the Calcutta High Court as a dumping ground. It is better than the judges who had been transferred to different courts from the Calcutta High Court should be brought back," Banerjee said. Last week, the Secretaries of the three associations had written a letter to the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, objecting to the order of the transfer of Justice Sharma to the Calcutta High Court. "While we are conscious of regular transfers in the usual course of administration of justice, we have reasons to believe that this transfer does not fall in that category. We also have reasons to believe that this transfer is due to certain allegations that came to light touching the propriety and manner of functioning of the Learned Judge," read the joint memorandum, signed by the Secretaries of the three associations, Sankar Prasad Dalapati, Sabyasachi Chaudhury, and Paritosh Sinha, respectively. Bhopal, April 1 : To strengthen rural transportation in Madhya Pradesh, the state government has approved a transformative transport policy named 'Mukhyamntri Sugam Parivahan Sewa'. Bhopal, April 1 (IANS) To strengthen rural transportation in Madhya Pradesh, the state government has approved a transformative transport policy named aMukhyamntri Sugam Parivahan Sewaa. The news scheme aims to enhance connectivity in remote areas and introduce modernised transport facilities, as well as a cargo handling facility, through this new surface transport system. A new holding company, modelled after the former MP State Road Corporation Limited, will be established to implement the initiative. However, unlike its predecessor, the company will not own buses but instead partner with private operators to manage operations efficiently. Announcing the decision, Kailash Vijayvargiya, the state Spokesperson and Urban Development Minister, said that the Cabinet has sanctioned Rs 101 crore for the formation of the holding company. Emphasising a public-private partnership (PPP) model, he stated that private bus operators will be engaged under the scheme, minimising operational risks. Technological advancements will play a key role, with buses equipped with IT-enabled systems, ensuring smooth operations and secure ticketing processes. This approach is expected to reduce theft and enhance passenger convenience. The policy holds particular significance for tribal and rural areas, addressing long-standing challenges in transportation in remote areas after the closure of the previous entity. District collectors, in consultation with local committees, will oversee the planas implementation, identifying routes and coordinating with the holding company. Highlighting the modern features of the new initiative, the Minister pointed out the addition of a mobile app and real-time monitoring dashboard for passengers and operators, which were absent in the earlier MPSRTC framework. Current surveys are assessing demand in seven major divisions - Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain, Sagar, and Rewa - to finalise the operational framework. The scheme also includes a cargo-handling component, facilitating goods transport between cities such as Indore and Bhopal. As per the Minister, the buses will serve dual purposes for passengers and freight, creating a sustainable model without profit motives. The state-level holding company, supported by regional subsidiaries and district-level committees, will ensure efficient management of the service while regulating fares, optimising routes, and generating revenue for improved operations. The initiative promises to transform transportation in Madhya Pradesh, benefiting passengers, supporting private operators, and fostering development in underserved areas, he said. The state-run road transport service, which was discontinued under the then Chief Minister Babulal Gaur-led BJP government due to financial losses, had left a vast void in the public transportation network. While private bus operators emerged over time, they primarily focused on profitable routes, leaving many villages and rural communities without a reliable mode of transportation. The absence of an extensive public transport system has significantly impacted rural connectivity, affecting access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. With the revival of state-run transport, tier-II towns and villages are expected to witness a boost in economic activities. Bhubaneswar, April 1 : The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday celebrated Odisha Day in a grand way at its state headquarters, Shankha Bhavan. The event featured patriotic songs, floral tributes to great leaders, and the felicitation of distinguished Odias. Addressing the gathering, BJD President and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik extended his greetings on Odisha Day. "The formation of a separate Odisha province was a historic moment in India's history. Odisha is the country's first state formed on a linguistic basis," the former Chief Minister said. He emphasised that the vision of past leaders was to build a prosperous and self-reliant Odisha, and the BJD has been tirelessly working towards that goal. The BJD supremo paid tributes to Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das, Krushna Chandra Gajapati, the Maharaja of Parala, Rama Chandra Bhanja Deo, the king of Mayurbhanj, poets Gangadhar Meher and Fakir Mohan Senapati, who played a major role in the unification and formation of Odisha as a separate province. The Leader of Opposition Patnaik also highlighted that the BJD regime from 2000 to 2024 marked a new era of Odisha's development. "Odisha has played a crucial role in the nation's growth journey. Today, Odias are making the state proud at national and international levels. During this period, Odisha also achieved classical language status, the establishment of an Odia university, and new research initiatives in universities across India," the former Chief Minister said. Speaking on the state's economic transformation, the former Chief Minister said, "Over the past 24 years, Odisha has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty, bringing it down from 70 per cent to 10 per cent." He further added that the state is moving forward on a strong foundation, and no one can halt its progress. The BJD leader reiterated the dream of legendary leader Biju Patnaik to make Odisha the number one state in Asia. "With collective efforts and determination, Biju Babu's dream will surely be realised," Patnaik affirmed. A fragmented Odisha was established as a separate province by the British Indian Government on April 1, 1936. The Odisha province was established by bringing together the Odia-speaking districts of Bihar and Orissa Province, Madras Presidency and Central Provinces. Odisha is the first state in India which formed on linguistic basis. Patna, April 1 : A family dispute within the influential Paswan clan in Bihar has surfaced after Rajkumari Devi, the first wife of late Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, alleged that she was forcibly evicted from her ancestral home in Shaharbanni village, Khagaria district. Rajkumari Devi, 75, lodged an FIR at the Alauli police station against Shobha Devi (wife of former Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras), Sunaina Devi (wife of late former MP Ramchandra Paswan), Amit Paswan (a bodyguard), and two drivers on Tuesday. According to her complaint, on March 30 at around 3 p.m., the accused threw her belongings, clothes, and wedding jewelry out of her room, locked her bedroom and bathroom, and left her stranded in the veranda. She stated that she has been living in the house for over 60 years and is now mentally distressed after being removed from her quarters. The house in question is registered in the name of Ram Vilas Paswanas father, Jamun Das. Alauli SHO Samrendra Kumar confirmed that an FIR has been registered and an investigation is underway. Union Minister Chirag Paswan, son of Ram Vilas Paswanas second wife, Reena Paswan, is expected to arrive in Khagaria on Wednesday to mediate the dispute. Chirag is known to hold deep respect for Rajkumari Devi and may work toward a resolution of the conflict. The incident has drawn political and public attention, as many watch closely how the dispute unfolds within the Paswan family. Tensions between Chirag Paswan and his uncle, Pashupati Kumar Paras, have been simmering since the death of Ram Vilas Paswan following a prolonged illness. The rift deepened when Paras split the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and formed the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), taking five MPs with him. However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP prioritised Chirag Paswan over Paras, recognising the formeras greater influence and popularity among voters. Hyderabad, April 1 : BJP MPs from Telangana on Tuesday urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to intervene and save 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli near the Hyderabad Central University campus. A delegation of MPs led by Union Minister for Mines and state BJP president G. Kishan Reddy met Pradhan in Delhi and submitted a memorandum. The delegation included Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar and MPs Arvind Dharampuri, Eatala Rajender, K. Vishweshwar Reddy and G. Nagesh. The BJP MPs sought Dharmendra Pradhan's intervention to protect 'ecological and heritage land' which the Telangana government has decided to auction. "This land, which is home to unique rock formations, rich biodiversity, and vital green cover, plays a critical role in maintaining the environmental balance of our city," reads the memorandum. The MPs pointed out that the area located near the University of Hyderabad is not just a real estate asset, but it is a carbon sink, housing 734 species of plants, 220 species of birds, and vulnerable species like the Indian star tortoise. The land also contains two lakes -- Peacock Lake and Buffalo Lake -- which sustain local biodiversity. "Moreover, the iconic Mushroom Rock formation, a symbol of our geological heritage, is part of this landscape," it said. The Union minister was informed that the University of Hyderabad community, including students, faculty and residents, has strongly opposed this auction. On March 10, a large-scale protest was held at the Mushroom Rock, and a petition demanding the cancellation of the auction has already received over 22,000 signatures. The MPs said these concerns must not be ignored. "The Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) plans to develop and monetise this land. However, the State Government is silent on whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been conducted or has any alternative development strategies that balance urbanised with conservation been explored, which is worrisome," they said. They requested the government, through the Union Minister, to immediately explore options to halt the land auction process, set up a review committee to study its ecological significance, and explore sustainable alternatives. Bandi Sanjay said they explained how these lands, rich with 700 medicinal plants and 220 bird species, are Hyderabad's environmental treasure. He alleged that the Congress government is shamelessly eyeing it for real estate loot worth thousands of crores. Stating that HCU students and Hyderabad citizens were already protesting, the Union Minister of State accused the government of ignoring the outrage. Jammu, April 1 : J&K DGP Nalin Prabhat on Tuesday visited the operation site in Kathua district, where joint forces are conducting a search operation for three escaped terrorists. The DGP and IGP, Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti, reviewed the ongoing combing operation to track down three terrorists, who escaped after a brief encounter with security forces last evening. Accompanied by DIG, Shiv Kumar Sharma, the two arrived at the Panjtirthi site in Kathua, where the operation is underway, officials said. "The DGP walked along with his men through the riverine terrain in the operation site to encourage the joint forces engaged in the operation," an official said. The operation, led by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K Police, the Army, and the CRPF has entered its tenth day on Tuesday. Last Thursday, two terrorists were killed and four policemen were martyred in the encounter in the Saniyal area of Kathua, 4 km away from the international border. aSecurity forces are now tracking down the remaining three terrorists, who managed to escape from Saniyal," the official said. The first encounter between police and the terrorists took place in the Saniyal area on March 23, and then on March 27, security forces engaged the terrorists in an encounter in a forest stretch of the same area, where two terrorists were killed and three managed to escape. aAfter this, the security forces launched a larger operation to track them down. The search operation was intensified early on Monday morning with aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs being deployed, resulting in a fresh exchange of gunfire last evening," the official said. "However, since Tuesday morning, there has, so far, been no contact (exchange of gunfire) with the terrorists. The operation is going on," the official added. "That's a really big help for us." Chinese investment and expertise are playing a vital role in advancing Bangladesh's renewable energy sector, says Chairman of the Bangladesh Sustainable and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA). #GLOBALink News / National by Staff reporter A Bulawayo city councillor has urged the municipality to retain full control of the proposed water utility, arguing that local ownership is the best approach for managing the city's water supply.Ward 25 Councillor Aleck Ndlovu stated that he would only support the establishment of a water utility if it remained entirely under the jurisdiction of the Bulawayo City Council (BCC), rather than adopting the privatisation model implemented in Harare."We had an engagement as a local authority with the Minister [of Local Government and Public Works] last week, and he did not mince his words on the issue of privatising water in Bulawayo," Ndlovu told Southern Eye. "Just as has been done in Harare, they are determined to do what Bulawayo residents have been saying they are afraid of."Ndlovu stressed that municipal control would ensure that water revenues are reinvested into improving infrastructure, purchasing service vehicles, and acquiring essential tools for water management. He argued that a wholly council-run entity would be accountable to residents and better suited to serve public interests.However, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe recently stated that the government is "seriously considering" privatising Bulawayo's water supply system, a move that has sparked strong opposition from local rights groups and residents.Garwe noted that the government is assessing water provision strategies for Bulawayo, including ongoing construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam and a pipeline to channel water to the city. He also highlighted potential benefits of privatisation, such as prepaid water metering, similar to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) billing system.Despite these assurances, concerns remain. The Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights has called on residents to reject water privatisation, warning that it could lead to restricted access and increased costs. The institute's director, Khumbulani Maphosa, described privatisation as an "assault on the right to water" and cautioned that it could disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls.Reports indicate that BCC has engaged Dutch water utility Vitens Evides International to manage the city's water and sanitation services, raising fears that private companies may eventually take over, similar to how Tendy Three Investments was granted a contract to manage Bulawayo's parking system.The government has previously faced backlash for its decision to privatise urban water services, including a deal with a Chinese company to build a water treatment reservoir for Harare. With opposition mounting, the debate over Bulawayo's water future is set to intensify in the coming weeks. Bhopal, April 1 : Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has expressed profound grief over the untimely death of workers hailing from Madhya Pradesh due to the explosion in a firecracker factory in Banaskantha, Gujarat. Several workers from Madhya Pradesh died due to a boiler explosion in a firecracker factory at 8 a.m. on Tuesday in Deesa near Banaskantha, Gujarat. The condition of the three workers is critical, while five were slightly injured. According to the information received from the factory, all of them had come here for work two days ago and were working on making firecrackers. At present, the dead are being identified. Chief Minister Yadav said the state Pradesh government is in constant touch with the Gujarat government regarding the incident, the statement said. All necessary efforts will be made to assist the workers and help their families, Chief Minister Yadav said in the statement. The factory is on Dhunwa Road in Deesa Tehsil. The death toll may increase further. The explosion was so severe that the body parts of many workers were scattered up to 50 metres away. Some human organs have also been found in the field behind the factory. It took five to six hours for the fire brigade to control the fire, reports said. Officials are now investigating whether the factory possessed the required licenses for handling and storing hazardous materials. Authorities have raised concerns over the safety measures at the facility and whether it was operating under proper regulations. Police have cordoned off the area, and forensic experts are examining the cause of the explosion. In February 2024, at least 11 people died and 149 were injured in a massive blast followed by a fire in a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh's Harda district. New Delhi, April 1 : The Indian commercial vehicle (CV) market displayed mixed trends in the month of March, with Tata Motors reporting a decline in sales while Ashok Leyland and Eicher Motors registering growth. Tata Motors saw a 3 per cent drop in total CV sales, with 41,122 units sold in March 2025, compared to 42,262 units in the same month last year. Meanwhile, Ashok Leylandas sales rose by 6 per cent, and Eicher Motors witnessed a 7.6 per cent increase, driven by strong domestic and export performance. Tata Motorsa overall sales for Q4 FY25 also declined by 5 per cent to 252,642 units, compared to 265,090 units in the same quarter of the previous fiscal. The company's total sales in FY25 remained lower than the previous year, as per its stock exchange filing on Tuesday. Breaking down the performance by category, Tata Motorsa commercial vehicle segment saw mixed results. Heavy commercial vehicles (HCV) sales remained stable with a slight 1 per cent increase, while small commercial vehicles (SCV) and pickups saw a sharp 17 per cent decline. On the other hand, light and intermediate commercial vehicles (ILMCV) posted a 6 per cent growth in March 2025 compared to the previous year. In the domestic market, Tata Motors' total sales stood at 90,500 units in March 2025, showing no major change from the 90,822 units sold in March 2024. Tata Motorsa passenger vehicle (PV) sales also witnessed a decline, dropping by 6 per cent YoY in Q4 FY25 to 146,999 units from 155,000 units in the previous year. In contrast, Ashok Leyland reported a 6 per cent growth in total CV sales, reaching 24,060 units in March 2025. However, its full-year sales for FY25 remained flat at 1,95,097 units. Eicher Motorsa commercial vehicle segment showed strong momentum, with a 7.6 per cent rise in March 2025 sales. The company's domestic sales grew by 6.3 per cent, while exports surged by 44.3 per cent compared to the previous year. Mumbai, April 1 : LehLah, a creator-led content commerce startup, has raised Rs 12.5 cr in its seed funding round, led by Gruhas, a company co-founded by Nikhil Kamath and Abhijeet Pai. This investment highlights the growing appeal and market presence of LehLah. The funds will be utilised for product development, increasing brand visibility, and expanding the team. Commenting on the funding, Nikhil Kamath said, "Shopping today isn't just about products -- it's about trust, influence, and community. People don't want to be sold to; they want recommendations from those they relate to. The future of commerce may belong to platforms that empower individuals to monetize their influence while making discovery and purchasing seamless. Only time will truly tell." Ashna Ruia, Founder, LehLah, stated, "We are excited to embark on this new chapter with the backing of Gruhas, who share our vision for transforming the creator economy. This support enables us to amplify our mission of empowering creators to build thriving businesses around their passions. As we continue to innovate and scale, we are inspired by the opportunity to redefine the intersection of creativity, commerce, and community, with key partners like Nikhil Kamath by our side." LehLah is a content commerce platform that empowers creators to monetise their influence by sharing affiliate links for curated product recommendations. It bridges the gap between creators and brand partners, turning authentic content into a powerful revenue stream. By offering a seamless shopping experience for followers, LehLah drives sales and boosts conversions for brands. Since its inception, LehLah has experienced rapid growth, partnering with leading e-commerce platforms like Myntra, Meesho, Flipkart, and Nykaa, as well as prominent D2C brands like Libas and Foxtale. This collaboration has contributed to a 46 per cent month-on-month increase in GMV and enabled over 700,000 content pieces through its extensive creator network. New Delhi, April 1 : As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to embark on a visit to attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand from April 3-4, the key event is set to further strengthen India-Thailand economic and trade ties. In the ASEAN region, Thailand is the fourth largest trading partner of India after Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Bilateral trade between India and Thailand stood at $16.04 billion in 2023, with exports from India to Thailand at $5.92 billion and imports at $10.11 billion. The fast-growing Indian market remains attractive for Thai investors, with vast opportunities available in infrastructure, agro and food processing, automotive and auto parts, pharmaceuticals and health, tourism, retail and renewable energy sectors. An Early Harvest Scheme (EHS), covering 83 products, under the proposed India-Thailand Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) was put in place in September 2004, and has contributed to the growth of bilateral trade. The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), which came into effect from January 1, 2010, also contributed to enhanced bilateral trade. ASEAN and India sides are currently working on review of AITIGA to make it more user-friendly, simple and trade facilitative for businesses. Major Indian exports to Thailand include jewellery including silver bars and gold; machinery and parts; metal waste scrap and products; chemicals; vegetables and vegetable products; medicinal and pharmaceutical products; fresh aquatic animals, chilled, frozen, processed and instant, parts & accessories of vehicles; Iron, steel and products; electrical machinery and parts; coffee, tea and spices; electrical household appliances; and fabrics, etc. Major Indian imports from Thailand include animal or vegetable fats and oils; chemical products; polymers of ethylene, propylene, etc. in primary forms; precious stones and jewellery; iron and steel and their products; machinery and parts thereof; motor cars, parts & accessories; copper and articles thereof; aluminium products; spark-ignition reciprocating internal combustion piston; automatic data processing machines and parts thereof; air conditioning machine and parts thereof; rubber products; rubber etc. Investment from Thailand in India has increased in the recent years. Thai investments are mainly in infrastructure, real estate, agro processing, electronics, automotive, food processing sectors, the hotel hospitality sector, and the renewable energy sector. In 2021, Global Renewable Synergy Co Ltd made largest an investment of $453.29 million in India in renewable energy sector. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a grouping of seven member states lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. It is a unique link connecting South Asia with South-East Asia - five members from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) and two from South-East Asia (Myanmar and Thailand). The BIMSTEC region brings together 1.7 billion people a" 22 per cent of world population with a combined GDP of $5 trillion. PM Modi's two-day visit to Thailand from Thursday onward offers a chance to enhance India's economic and commercial relations with the Southeast Asian country. Kochi, April 1 : The Kerala High Court on Tuesday refused to ban the screening of the now controversial film 'Empuraan'. The Court asked the petitioner, "Have you watched the movie Empuraan? What is your objection? It was certified by the censor board, right? I am suspecting your bona fide. Show me one complaint on incitement of violence due to this movie. These are all publicity-oriented petitions." The Court further pointed out the State lawyer's argument that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has already cleared the movie for exhibition. "Learned state attorney draws attention to judgment in Sebin Thomas v. Union of India & Ors to drive home the contention that once certification has been issued by statutory authorities, there is a presumption the movie is fit for certification. He also submitted that as of today, no crime has been registered by State police. In light of these submissions, the petitioner's prayer for interim relief is declined. Matter to be heard after Kerala High Court vacation," read the order of the Court. Empuraan, which is the sequel to 'Lucifer', has drawn controversy over scenes alluding to the 2002 Godhra riots and the similarities between the primary antagonist and a Bajrang Dal leader. As per the plea by Vijeesh, the film contains scenes that refer to the 2002 Godhra riots and make unwarranted remarks about the Ministry of Defence, besides portraying central investigation agencies in a manner that undermines their credibility and integrity. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, one of the producers of the film, Antony Perumbavoor, said the entire movie team has decided to go for a re-edit with 24 cuts, and the revised version is expected to be screened worldwide from Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the BJP suspended Vijeesh from the party. New Delhi, April 1 : India's defence exports surged to a record high of Rs 23,622 crore (about $2.76 billion) in the just-concluded FY25 -- a growth of Rs 2,539 crore or 12.04 per cent compared to Rs 21,083 crore in FY24, the government said on Tuesday. New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) Indiaas defence exports surged to a record high of Rs 23,622 crore (about $2.76 billion) in the just-concluded FY25 -- a growth of Rs 2,539 crore or 12.04 per cent compared to Rs 21,083 crore in FY24, the government said on Tuesday. The defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) have shown a significant increase of 42.85 per cent in their exports in FY25, reflecting the growing acceptability of Indian products in the global market and the ability of the Indian defence industry to be a part of the global supply chain. The private sector and DPSUs have contributed Rs 15,233 crore and Rs 8,389 crore, respectively, in defence exports in FY25, whereas the corresponding figures for FY24 were Rs 15,209 crore and Rs 5,874 crore, respectively. In a post on social media platform X, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is marching towards achieving the target of increasing defence exports to Rs 50,000 crore by 2029. India has evolved from a largely import-dependent military force to one increasingly focused on self-reliance and indigenous production. In a major boost to defence exports, wide range of items from ammunition, arms, sub-systems/systems and parts and components have been exported to around 80 countries in the just-concluded fiscal. According to the ministry, the Department of Defence Production has a dedicated portal for application and processing of export authorisation requests, and 1,762 Export Authorisation were issued in FY 2024-25 compared to 1,507 in the preceding year, registering a growth of 16.92 per cent. The total number of exporters also grew by 17.4 per cent in the same period. The government aims to achieve Rs 3 lakh crore in defence production by 2029, reinforcing the countryas position as a global defence manufacturing hub. About 65 per cent of defence equipment is now manufactured domestically, a significant shift from the earlier 65-70 per cent import dependency. A robust defence industrial base includes 16 DPSUs, over 430 licensed companies, and approximately 16,000 MSMEs, strengthening indigenous production capabilities, according to the Ministry of Defence. Koderma : , April 1 (IANS) Women participating in a Kalash Yatra in Chhatarbar village in Jharkhand's Koderma district were attacked with stones on Tuesday. The women, carrying urns on their heads as part of a religious ritual, were seeking alms when unidentified individuals pelted stones from rooftops, damaging several urns. Upon learning about the incident, hundreds of villagers gathered on the spot in protest, escalating tensions in the area. The situation turned confrontational as people from both sides reached the site. Authorities swiftly intervened and deployed a large police force at Chhatarbar and its surrounding areas to restore law and order. The Kalash Yatra was part of preparations for a community-organised Yagya ritual which is scheduled to take place from April 9 to April 17 in Chechai village, under the Koderma police station jurisdiction. Around 60 women had set out to seek alms as a part of a ritual in seven nearby villages, singing devotional songs, when the attack occurred. After being informed of the incident, a large number of people from Chechai village arrived at the scene, armed with sticks and rods, to protest the attack. A confrontation ensued, with people from the opposing side also reaching there, further intensifying the situation. In response, senior police officials, including SDPO Anil Kumar Singh, arrived from Koderma district headquarters with reinforcements. The police safely evacuated the women and dispersed the crowd near the Chhatarbar village square. Residents of Chechai village have demanded immediate identification and action against those responsible for the attack, calling it an assault on religious faith and tradition. To prevent further escalation, authorities have deployed drones for surveillance in the area. SDPO Singh has assured strict action against those attempting to disrupt communal harmony, stating that the police are actively investigating and identifying the perpetrators. Imphal, April 1 : Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on Tuesday that Bangladesh government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus must exercise restraint and commenting on a country like India could be counter-productive. "It is apparent that Muhammad Yunus and his interim government in Bangladesh are attempting to frame the northeast as a strategic pawn to serve their geopolitical ambitions," Singh wrote on 'X'. He further added that such provocative and irresponsible statements are unbecoming of a leader. "I condemn his remarks in the strongest possible terms. Let it be made absolutely clear, India's unity and territorial integrity are non-negotiable and cannot be challenged by anyone. Muhammad Yunus must exercise restraint. Making reckless comments about a nation like India is not only unwise but can also lead to consequences he may come to regret," he claimed. Calling his country the 'only guardian of the ocean' in the region, Yunus urged China to extend its economic influence to his country. "India's northeastern states, being landlocked, could prove to be an opportunity," Yunus said. During his four-day visit to China, Yunus advocated for closer economic ties with that country (China). Bangladesh government's Chief Adviser pointed out that India's northeastern states, collectively called the 'Seven Sisters', lack direct access to the sea. He suggested that this situation presents a major opportunity, as the region could serve as an extension of the Chinese economy. He proposed that China's engagement could extend to India's seven northeastern states, emphasising that they are landlocked and could benefit from access through Bangladesh. Earlier on Tuesday, Assam Chief Minister said that the statement of Bangladesh's interim government's Chief Advisor is "offensive" and "condemnable". The Chief Minister also added that Yunus's remark underscores the vulnerability of the 'Chicken Neck' corridor of the northeast. "The statement made by Muhammad Younis of Bangladesh so-called interim government, referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable," the Chief Minister wrote on X. He added that Yunus's remark underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with India's strategic 'Chicken's Neck' corridor. "Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested serving this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically. Therefore, it is imperative to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the 'Chicken's Neck' corridor," he said. The Chief Minister said additionally, exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to mainland India, effectively bypassing the 'Chicken's Neck', should be prioritised. "Though this may pose significant engineering challenges, it is achievable with determination and innovation. Such provocative statements by Muhammad Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," added the Chief Minister. --IANS sc/dan New Delhi, April 1 : Raising concerns over recent developments in the judiciary, Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha on Tuesday urged the government to implement judicial reforms aimed at strengthening the system and maintaining public confidence. In his address in the Rajya Sabha, Chadha emphasised that the people of India regard the judiciary as a "temple of justice," trusting that it will uphold fairness and deliver justice. He stated, "Just as divine justice may be delayed but never denied, the same belief applies to our judiciary -- justice may take time, but injustice must not prevail." While acknowledging that the judiciary has historically fostered public trust, he cautioned that recent events have raised concerns that necessitate urgent reforms. Chadha argued that just as reforms have improved elections, policing, education, and healthcare, similar advancements are essential in the judiciary. "Reforms should aim to strengthen the judiciary, not weaken it," he asserted. Chadha highlighted longstanding criticisms of the collegium system, noting that multiple Law Commission reports and legal experts have flagged its opacity. He recalled the earlier push for the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) and stressed the need for self-reform within the collegium system. "The collegium system has been criticised for its lack of transparency and public oversight. To address these shortcomings, an independent and transparent selection process should be established, ensuring that judicial appointments are based on seniority, merit, and integrity," he stated. He proposed adopting a structured, point-based evaluation for judicial appointments, akin to the system used to designate senior advocates. The Supreme Court introduced a structured assessment for senior advocate appointments, assigning points for years of practice, pro bono work, and reported judgments. Chadha suggested that a similar transparent, merit-based system for judicial appointments would enhance public confidence. Chadha also expressed concern over the appointment of retired judges to administrative or executive roles within the government. He argued that such appointments create conflicts of interest, allowing executive influence over judicial decisions and undermining judicial independence. Citing Article 148 of the Constitution, which prohibits the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) from accepting government positions post-retirement, Chadha proposed a similar restriction for judges. If a complete ban is not feasible, he suggested enforcing a mandatory two-year cooling-off period before retired judges can accept government appointments. Chadha concluded by asserting that these reforms would mark a historic milestone in India's judicial system. "The people of this country view courts as temples of justice and judges as embodiments of fairness. Implementing these reforms will further deepen public trust in the judiciary," he said. Tumakuru : , April 1 (IANS) Karnataka Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna, referring to the alleged attempts by political rivals to honey-trap him, on Tuesday said that certain facts of the matter could not be disclosed and that the decision to conduct a probe in this regard rests with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara. Rajanna had earlier stated on the floor of the Assembly that an attempt was made to honey-trap him in order to end his political career. His statement has sparked a major controversy in the state. He had submitted a petition regarding the matter to Home Minister Parameshwara, and the case is currently being investigated by the CID. Interacting with reporters at Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru city, Rajanna said: "Let the investigation into the honey-trap case proceed in whatever manner the government deems fit. If they want to issue me a notice, let them do so." "I donat know whether the case will be probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or another agency. It is condemnable that certain individuals have stooped to such low levels. I am not targeting anyone with this statement - this applies to me as well," he added. With the incident exposing a rift within the party, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, along with General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal, have already intervened in the matter. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to leave for New Delhi on Wednesday to meet senior party leaders. According to sources, the developments surrounding the alleged honey-trap will be discussed along with other important matters. Meanwhile, the Kyatsandra police in Tumakuru city have arrested three individuals in connection with a conspiracy to murder Rajannaas MLC son, Rajendra Rajanna. Last Saturday, the Karnataka Police launched an investigation, registering FIRs against five people in connection with the case. MLC Rajendra has mentioned in the complaint that since his father is a staunch supporter of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, many top politicians in Bengaluru are nursing hatred against him and conspiring to finish him off politically. Following the audio recording in connection with the case surfacing, the police have arrested three persons, including a woman. On the other hand, the CID has begun an investigation into the honey-trap attempt case. BJP MLA N. Munirathna had alleged that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is behind the honey-trap attempt. However, the accusation was denied by Shivakumar. Significantly, Rajanna had gone to New Delhi and met the high command over replacement of Shivakumar as the Karnataka state party chief. He had also announced in the press conference in Delhi that he was ready to quit as a minister to take over the state Congress Presidentas post that is at present held by Shivakumar. Earlier, Minister Rajanna demanded the creation of more Dy CM posts and also batted for a Dalit CM for Karnataka. Minister for PWD Satish Jarkiholi, commenting on the honey-trap row, had suspected the role of insiders within the party. The FIR filed by MLC Rajendra has assumed importance in this background. The Kyatsandra police in Tumakuru have booked an FIR against five people in the case. They are identified as Soma, Bharat, Amit, Gunda, and Yatish. Soma is a history-sheeter. The police have booked cases under BNS Sections 109, 190, 329 (4) and 61 (2). There has been a 48-per-cent increase in April flight bookings from Canada to Lisbon over the last month Portugal capital Lisbon is being booked up by Canadian travellers in April: Skyscanner (Getty Images) Portugal is becoming an incredibly popular travel destination, with the capital city Lisbon particularly attractive for Canadian travellers in April. Information provided to Yahoo Canada from Skyscanner revealed that there has been a 48-per-cent increase in flight bookings from Canadian cities to the destination over the last month. According to the 2025 Skyscanner Travel Trends report, "cultural discovery" is important for Canadian tourists. To fulfill that desire, Lisbon is the perfect destination for design, art and architecture lovers. Search for your next vacation on Skyscanner Why is Lisbon a trending destination for Canadian travellers? As Laura Lindsay, Skyscanners travel trends and destinations expert, explained, April is the "sweet spot" for travel to Portugal, just before the summer peak tourist season. ADVERTISEMENT "The weather is warm but not stifling, jacarandas are just starting to bloom, and theres a full calendar of local art festivals and neighbourhood fairs," Lindsay advised. "Combined with Lisbons reputation for affordability, amazing food, and walkability, its no wonder this culturally rich city is trending for those looking to turn their spring getaway into a true masterpiece." How much does it cost to go to Lisbon in April from Canadian cities? Using Skyscanner search data, roundtrip flights from Toronto to Lisbon in April can currently be found for as low as $486. Flights from Vancouver to Lisbon are $831, or $672 from Montreal. Check Skyscanner for up-to-date, live pricing for all flights. Search for your next vacation on Skyscanner 3 expert tips on what to do in Lisbon Wandering the streets of Alfama is a must in Lisbon, the city's oldest neighbourhood. ADVERTISEMENT "Winding alleys reveal hidden cafes, tiled facades, and the haunting sounds of live fado spilling from tucked-away taverns," Lindsay shared. "Perfect for cultural explorers, Alfama offers a blend of history and heart. Its where youll truly feel the soul of the city." If you're looking to get particularly stunning photos, head to Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. "Climb up to one of Lisbons most iconic viewpoints for sweeping views of terracotta rooftops, the Tagus River, and the Sao Jorge Castle," Lindsay advised. "A must for first-time visitors and photographers, its especially magical at sunset bring a pastel de nata and stay awhile." Speaking of pastel de nata, Lindsay recommends Pastelaria Santo Antoni in Lisbon. For art lovers, the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) is worth a stop. ADVERTISEMENT "A striking riverside landmark that combines bold design with thought-provoking exhibitions, ... this museum experience blends Lisbons creative spirit with global innovation, all in a picture-perfect setting on the water," Lindsay highlighted. 1908 Lisboa Hotel Where to stay in Lisbon, Portugal 1908 Lisboa Hotel is in a location filled with exceptional restaurants, boasted as "a melting pot of cultures, cuisines and cool kids." Its contemporary rooms are paired with the rich historical architecture of the hotel's building, never skipping any of the small details. The Vintage features bespoke 1950s and 1960s furniture, leans into modernist lines with it's design, all done in collaboration with local artists, makers, and businesses. Guests also get a complimentary gin and tonic kit, created by Portuguese cocktail expert Nino Lopes. There is a spa with a sauna and steam room, and a water lounge with organic herbal tea served. ADVERTISEMENT Santiago de Alfama is a boutique hotel located on Rua de Santiago, below Saint Georges Castle and above the Miradouro de Santa Luzia viewpoint. There are also options for connected family rooms, in addition to the property's three luxurious suits and 16 guest rooms. Skyscanners Saved Feature: Save those deals to look at later Skyscanner has a number of features to make sure you save as much as possible on your vacation. Take advantage of the "Saved" feature. Start by browsing all the travel deals and when you see something you like, you can save it for later. Step 1: Find your flights and hotel. Step 2: Select the heart icon next to your top picks to save them for later. Make sure youre logged into your Skyscanner account. Pro tip: Download the Skyscanner app to create separate Saved lists for all the different trips youre planning. Tips for finding the cheapest flights If flight costs are getting you down, there are a few things Canadian travellers can do to ensure they're getting the best deal possible for their next vacation, both on the Skyscanner platform specifically and when looking for flights more generally. Ranchi, April 1 : The celebration of the 'marriage of earth and sun' is in full swing across Jharkhand as the nature-worshipping tribal communities observe the Sarhul festival with great enthusiasm. On this occasion, processions are being taken out in various cities and villages, including the state capital, Ranchi. Thousands of people, including men, women, and children, are participating in the festivities, dancing and singing in the streets with flags and traditional musical instruments such as drums -- symbols of the Sarna religion. Chief Minister Hemant Soren joined the main Sarhul celebrations at Ranchias tribal hostel and Sarna Sthal (a place of worship for tribals) in Siram Toli. Former Chief Minister Champai Soren participated in rituals at the Sarna Sthal in Hatma. Other prominent figures, including Ranchi MLA and former minister C.P. Singh and AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto, also took part in the Sarhul procession. Sharing pictures of Sarhul Puja on social media, Hemant Soren extended his greetings to the people. "Many congratulations, best wishes, and Johar to everyone on the auspicious occasion of Sarhul, the great festival of nature. For the stateas better future, we must move forward with a vision for the next 25 years, preserving and strengthening our rich heritage, traditions, and culture," he said. In response to a long-standing demand of the tribal community, Soren announced an additional public holiday. While Tuesday was already declared a holiday, all government offices and institutions will now remain closed on Wednesday as well. The Sarhul festival is steeped in fascinating beliefs. According to tribal traditions, the earth is considered a girl who gets married to the sun on the day of Sarhul. Before the marriage, the sun proposes by pouring abundant sunlight onto the earth, a gesture symbolising love and prosperity. The earth, delighted by the sunas arrival, flourishes with wealth and abundance. During the festival, the village priest (Pahan) adorns the earth with Sal flowers and ceremonially hands it over to its groom, the sun. Many folk stories are also associated with Sarhul. Among the Oraon community, the tale of the crab and the fish is particularly well known. According to their belief, these creatures existed before the Earth and the concept of a year. The crab is said to have created the earth by retrieving soil from the sea, with the fish assisting in the process, making them revered ancestors of the community. The Pahan also predicts the rainfall for the coming months by observing the water level in a pitcher kept at the Sarna Sthal during Sarhul. This year, after the ritual, Chief Pahan Jaglal Pahan in Hatma, Ranchi, predicted lower-than-normal rainfall. New Delhi, April 1 : The government on Tuesday said that there are 13,86,150 registered allopathic doctors and 7,51,768 registered practitioners in the AYUSH system of medicine, contributing to an estimated doctor-population ratio of 1:811. To date, there are a total of 74,306 Postgraduate seats and 1,18,190 MBBS seats in the country, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. "Assuming that 80 per cent of registered practitioners in both the allopathic and AYUSH systems are available, the doctor-population ratio in the country is estimated to be 1:811," the minister said. Among the measures taken by the government to increase the doctor/medical professional in the country include the centrally sponsored scheme for establishment of new medical college by upgrading district/referral hospital, under which 131 new medical colleges are already functional out of 157 approved medical colleges. aUnder the 'Upgradation of Government Medical Colleges by construction of Super Specialty Blocks' of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) scheme, a total of 75 projects have been approved, of which 71 projects are complete, according to the minister. Under the Central Sector Scheme for setting up of new AIIMS, 22 AIIMS have been approved, and undergraduate courses have been started in 19 of these. aFamily adoption programme has been incorporated into the MBBS curriculum to provide equitable healthcare access to the rural population and under the District Residency Programme of the National Medical Commission (NMC), second/third year PG students of medical colleges are posted in district hospitals," said the minister. Non-Monetary incentives such as preferential admission in postgraduate courses for staff serving in difficult areas and improving accommodation arrangement in rural areas have also been introduced under the NHM, while multi-skilling of doctors is supported under the NHM to overcome the shortage of specialists, she mentioned. Skill upgradation of existing HR is another major strategy under NRHM for achieving improvement in health outcomes, she added. Madrid, April 1 : Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona face off in the Copa del Rey semifinal second leg at the Metropolitano Stadium, aiming for a spot in the grand final on April 26. The first leg between them ended 4-4 after an incredible match in Montjuic, where Atletico led 2-0, before Barca completely overturned the tables and looked to be cruising 4-2, only for Atletico to score two late goals. The two teams met in La Liga in Atletico's Metropolitano Stadium three weeks ago, with Atletico leading again thanks to goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth, before an incredible Barca fightback gave Hansi Flick's side a 4-2 win. That defeat, coupled with a draw last weekend, means Atletico is effectively out of the race for the La Liga title and after its painful UEFA Champions League exit to Real Madrid, the Copa del Rey is its only hope of silverware this season. It has been non-stop for Barcelona following the international break, with a home game against Osasuna last Thursday, followed by another match against Girona on Sunday, meaning Wednesday's game will be the club's third in just seven days and Flick has tried to juggle his squad accordingly, reports Xinhua. Raphinha hasn't played since returning from playing with Brazil, while Frenkie de Jong was a second-half substitute against Girona and both will start on Wednesday, along with Alejandro Balde, who was also rested at the weekend. Pau Cubarsi should also be fit after recovering from the ankle problem he picked up on Spain duty and will probably partner Inigo Martinez in central defense. Although Atletico has conceded eight goals in the last two meetings with Barca, Diego Simeone's side has been one of the few teams to get some joy against Barcelona's high defensive line and offside trap. Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann will probably start, along with Samuel Lino and Marcos Llorente, with Alvarez scoring in the last two games against Barca, while Sorloth has hit the target in all three of Atletico's meetings with the Catalans this campaign, including the 2-1 win in Montjuic in La Liga just before Christmas. All three games between the two sides this season have seen vital goals scored in injury time, which implies Wednesday's game will also go the distance and extra time is a very real prospect. Mumbai, April 1 : Television actress Arti Singh has finally addressed the speculation surrounding her personal life after her brother, Krushna Abhishek, hinted at her pregnancy. The actress broke her silence to clarify the rumors, shedding light on the situation. On Tuesday, Arti took to her Instagram handle to set the record straight, clarifying that she is not expecting. She humorously mentioned that Krushna bhaiya will become a "mamu" (uncle) when the right time comes. The 'Thoda Hai Bas Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai' actress wrote, "Krushna bhaiya's words were just filled with love, excitement, and a little manifestation'Woh kab mamu banenge?' He jokingly said, 'Jaldi sunao, woh kab aa raha hai!' but that doesn't mean I'm expecting it. And well, he said it so dearly, let's call it an indirect manifestationuparwale ki daya se, jab Bhagwan chahega, tab ho jayega. Till then, Dipak and I are enjoying our journey, and when the right time comes, Krushna bhaiya will finally get his wish of becoming a mama. Keep sending your love & blessings." (sic) Arti's statement comes a day after she made a joint appearance with Krushna, where he addressed the rumors about Arti's pregnancy. During the conversation with paparazzi, the comedian mimicked a pregnant belly gesture and joked, "Humko news sunao ke wo kab araha hai," making Arti blush as everyone around laughed heartily. For the unversed, Arti Singh and Dipak Chauhan tied the knot on April 25, 2024, in an intimate ceremony at the Iskcon Temple in Mumbai, surrounded by their close family and friends. Notably, Arti's uncle, the superstar Govinda, attended the wedding, putting aside their past family differences to bless the couple. In addition to Govinda, guests at Arti Singh's wedding included Kashmera Shah, Bipasha Basu, Karan Singh Grover, Rashami Desai, Paras Chhabra, Mahira Sharma, and many others. Mumbai, April 1 : All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader, Waris Pathan on Tuesday launched a blistering attack at the Centre over the proposed introduction of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, accusing it of hatching a conspiracy to trouble the minority community. Speaking to IANS, the AIMIM National Spokesperson stated that the motive behind the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was to grab the property of the Muslim community and deprive them of their rights. He also hoped that the Waqf Bill falls flat in the House, claiming that the BJP lacks the required numbers to pass the legislation. "The BJP doesn't have a majority in Lok Sabha. It will require support of its allies including JD(U), TDP, LNJP, RLD. If the Bill is passed in Parliament, Muslims will never forgive this government. It is unconstitutional and clearly violates the rights of minorities," he said. Further buttressing his argument on Waqf properties, he asserted that it is not a government property but has been handed over within the community by ancestors, as charity. The AIMIM leader also threatened a nation-wide stir over passage of the Waqf Bill, stating that the Muslim bodies like AIMPLB have already vented their ire against the legislation by wearing black bands during Eid celebrations. Breathing fire at the BJP, he said that it was a well-thought conspiracy by the party to snatch the properties of the Muslims and claimed that the Central government was being complicit in it. "The idea is not to bring reforms in the Waqf Bill but to destroy the whole concept of landholding by Waqf Boards," he alleged. Waris Pathan's explosive charge over the Waqf Bill comes in the wake of the controversial legislation's introduction in the House on April 2. The BJP has already issued a whip to its members in the Lok Sabha and with allies extending 'conditional' support to the legislation, it is likely to sail through easily. Dubai, April 1 : Pakistan have been fined 10 percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first One-day International against New Zealand at Napier on Saturday. "Jeff Crowe of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Mohammad Rizwan's side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration," the ICC said in a release on Tuesday. Dubai, April 1 (IANS) Pakistan have been fined 10 percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first One-day International against New Zealand at Napier on Saturday. "Jeff Crowe of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Mohammad Rizwanas side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration," the ICC said in a release on Tuesday. In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offenses, players are fined five percent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. Rizwan pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Chris Brown and Paul Reiffel, third umpire Michael Gough, and fourth umpire Wayne Knights leveled the charge. Mark Chapman scored a career-best 132 off 111 balls to guide New Zealand to a 73-run victory in the first ODI at McLean Park. The left-hander's masterful knock, combined with Daryl Mitchellas gritty 76 and a record-breaking debut fifty by Muhammad Abbas, the fastest-ever by a batter on debut, saw the hosts post an imposing 344. Pakistan, for much of their chase, seemed well on course to overhaul the target. Babar Azamas fluent 78 and Salman Aghaas explosive fifty put them in dominant position but a dramatic collapse saw them lose seven wickets for just 22 runs, tumbling from 249 for 3 to 271 all out. Meanwhile, New Zealand will be without Chapman for the second ODI in Hamilton on Wednesday due to a right hamstring injury. He sustained the injury while fielding during the first ODI in Napier, and a subsequent MRI scan revealed a grade one tear, which will require a short period of rehabilitation. Top-order batter Tim Seifert will replace Chapman in the squad in Hamilton. He joins the squad on the back of a memorable T20I series against Pakistan, where he topped the run-scoring charts with 249 runs, averaging 62. Los Angeles, April 1 : Hollywood actor Paul Giamatti has confirmed that he does use social media albeit very carefully. The actor has said the he has a secret Instagram account but he refuses to join TikTok because it's "terrifying", reports 'Female First UK'. 'The Holdovers' star, 57, has admitted he dabbles with social media and has set up an account on the image-sharing platform, but he's decided to use a pseudonym to keep his posts private. He told Radio Times magazine, "I am on Instagram, although only my friends know itas me". As per 'Female First UK', Paul refuses to join video platform TikTok because he finds the concept of its never-ending loop to be "strange and troubling". He said, "My girlfriend is heavily into TikTok but I donat want to engage in that. That endless scroll and loop is terrifying. The second that youare confronted with algorithms and nudges, you feel coerced. Itas strange and troubling". The actor's next big project is a starring role in the new series of Netflix show 'Black Mirror' alongside big names including Peter Capaldi, Rashida Jones and Chris OaDowd. Paul's episode is titled 'Eulogy' and a synopsis reads, "An isolated man is introduced to a groundbreaking system that allows its users to literally step inside old photographs, stirring powerful emotions in the process". However, Paul went on to admit in the interview that he doesn't embrace nostalgia and hasn't kept many pictures or mementos from his past, and he's starting to regret getting rid of so much stuff over the years. He added, "Iam not a big nostalgia guy and I donat have a ton of photos. I regret that now. I wish I had kept a lot of things, photographs, but also letters, school papers, tests, reports. I never kept anything. I was always just thinking, 'Whatas next?'". 'Black Mirror' returns on April 10 with six new episodes. Creator Charlie Brooker said in a statement published by Netflix, "Itas back to basics in many ways. Theyare all sci-fi stories, thereas definitely some horrifying things that occur, but maybe not in an overt horror-movie way. Thereas definitely some disturbing content in it". The new series will also feature a sequel to a previous episode. Brooker added, "Fans of the show will recognise the cast of a certain spaceship from one of our episodes reappearing. Weave done a sequel for the first time in Black Mirror history. Normally, I kill off all the characters at the end of an episode, (but) I kept some of aem alive. Iam growing as a human". New Delhi, April 1 : From Swachh Bharat to Ujwala Yojana to PM Awas Yojana to Make in India initiative, many such schemes are understood to be the brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat seems to be equally eventful and trailblazing. Fifteen years ago, as Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi launched a revolutionary movement titled 'Vanche Gujarat' with an aim to inspire a culture of reading and knowledge among the state youth. Concepts of Granth Mandir, Tartu Pustak, and Shreshtha Vachak competitions were introduced, creating enough buzz and excitement among the youth. The information about the Vanche Gujarat scheme has been shared by Modi Story, a popular social media handle on X. Sharing the interesting developments, the X handle writes, "From establishing Granth Mandirs to innovative concepts like Tartu Pustak and Shreshtha Vachak competitions, this movement aimed to make books accessible to all." It also sheds light on the powerful slogan "Pushp Nahi Pustak," elaborating on how CM Modi encouraged people to gift books instead of flowers, sparking intellectual curiosity and growth. A unique concept of 'floating book' was also introduced, under which a single book was circulated within a group of 10-12 students, and then it would eventually be submitted to a library. Under the 'Jeevan Vartan Shivir' programme, more than 1200 bright students were brought face to face with noted literary figures, where they interacted with acclaimed achievers in respective fields and gained practical understanding of many subjects. Under a one-of-a-kind campaign titled 'Ek Saath Padhe Gujarat', students from across the state participated in the programme irrespective of the educational infrastructure. Some were seated inside the classroom, some on the grass, and others sat wherever they found space to study. The Modi Story further informs that the Bhutan government got so influenced by these programmes that it tried implementing them in its own country. Amaravati, April 1 : The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has issued a whip to all its Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha for April 2, when the Waqf Amendment Bill is scheduled to be introduced in the House. The party has issued a three-line whip to all its Members of Parliament, directing them to be present in the Lok Sabha and support the government's stand. "This directive comes in light of the scheduled introduction of the Waqf Bill, which is expected to be a matter of significant discussion in the House. The party remains committed to ensuring that its stance on this important legislation is effectively represented," the TDP, a partner in the BJP-led NDA government, said in a statement. G. M. Harish Balayogi, TDP's chief whip in the Lok Sabha, issued the whip. "All TDP members in Lok Sabha are hereby informed that some very important legislative business will be taken up for passing in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, i.e 2nd April 2025. All members of TDP in Lok Sabha are therefore, requested to be present in the House, throughout the day on Wednesday, 2nd April 2025 and support the government's stand," reads the whip. With 16 MPs in Lok Sabha, the TDP is a key partner in the Narendra Modi government, and its support will be crucial to pass the controversial bill. Muslim organisations on March 27 boycotted Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's Iftar party to protest his tacit support for the Waqf Amendment Bill. On a call given by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Muslim leaders had stayed away from the Iftar and dinner. The boycott call was given to mount pressure on the TDP to make the Narendra Modi government withdraw the Waqf Bill. The AIMPLB had called for a boycott of Iftar parties hosted by the TDP-led NDA government in Vijayawada and other places in Andhra Pradesh to demand that the TDP make the Union Government withdraw the Waqf Amendment Bill from Parliament. In October last year, an AIMPLB delegation had met Chandrababu Naidu and urged him to oppose Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 in the Parliament. The delegation apprised the Chief Minister of their objections to the amendments proposed by the Narendra Modi government to the Waqf Act. The Muslim leaders told Naidu that the proposed amendments would destroy Waqf properties and hurt the sentiments of Muslims. The leaders of AIMPLB and other organisations explained how the amendments would harm the very purpose of Waqf and would prove detrimental to the interests of the community. The TDP chief assured the Muslim leaders that the party would take an appropriate decision after a discussion over the issue. New Delhi, April 1 : Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Tuesday criticised the casual behaviour of Opposition members reflected by their absence from the House when a debate on the city's power situation was taken up on their request. Expressing displeasure over the disrespect for legislative conventions, the Speaker said, "Today, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Kuldeep Kumar submitted a notice under Rule 54 regarding alleged power outages in several areas of Delhi. This notice was accepted and included in the agenda for discussion." "It was quite surprising that when the matter was taken up for consideration in the House at 4.40 p.m., neither Kuldeep Kumar nor any member of the Opposition was present in the House. This conduct of the opposition was completely irresponsible," he said. The House functions according to legislative procedures and rules, and it is inappropriate for the entire Opposition to be absent during the discussion of a topic that was included in the agenda at their own request, said an upset Speaker. "We respect the democratic process. Therefore, despite the absence of Kuldeep Kumar and other opposition members, the House proceeded with the discussion on the issue. Eight members shared their views and condemned the behaviour of the Opposition," he said, adding that Power Minister Ashish Sood presented a detailed statement on the matter, supported by facts. "I am deeply disappointed by the Opposition's behaviour. It proves that they are not serious about democratic processes and values. Opposition members often raise issues just to gain media attention, but when it comes to actual discussion, they choose to walk out of the House," said Speaker Vijender Gupta. Earlier, Power Minister Sood countered AAP members' allegation that there has been a spurt in power cuts in the city after the BJP came to power. He dished out data on the number of power cuts of over an hour that took place during each of the past 10 years of AAP rule and concluded that during the previous government's rule, 75 power cuts of over 1 hour took place daily. He said in 2015 the number of power cuts of over one hour were 31,285, in 2016 the number of cuts was 37,799, in 2017 it was 35,201, in 2018 it was 33486, in 2019 it was 26,588, in 2020 it was 23,100, in 2021 it was 21,005, in 2022 it was 22,987, in 2023 it was 22,061 and in 10 months of 2024 it was 18,300. Sood urged Opposition AAP MLAs not to spread a false narrative on deterioration in the power situation in the city. Kampala, April 1 : Uganda is engaging with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after militants fired at a humanitarian aircraft in eastern DRC, killing one person, a military spokesperson said. Chris Magezi, a Ugandan military spokesperson, said in a statement issued late Monday that the International Committee of the Red Cross had contracted the Ocean Heights Aviation Training Centre in Uganda to evacuate its humanitarian staff caught in the conflict in South Kivu province in eastern DRC. As the aircraft, a Cessna Caravan flying from Uganda's Entebbe International Airport to Kavumu Airport in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, approached its destination on Thursday, it came under attack, Magezi said. "They (the pilots) flew there but landed when the security situation had dramatically changed. Reports suggest that one person on the aircraft was shot and succumbed to the injuries. The government of Uganda, through relevant diplomatic channels, is following up on this matter," Magezi said. "The Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces are not involved in this at all, but we are concerned that our fellow citizens have been harmed. We will do everything necessary if we are asked to provide any assistance," he added. The plane was piloted by a Ugandan and a South Sudanese national, Xinhua news agency reported. In February, the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group seized control of Kavumu Airport, located about 30 km from Bukavu city. The airport serves as a crucial hub for humanitarian and military flights. The ongoing crisis in South Kivu and North Kivu provinces in eastern DRC has led to mass displacement, increased instability, and heightened diplomatic tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. Diplomatic and military efforts are underway to restore stability in the DRC. Earlier on March 30, military leaders from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had called on local armed groups operating in the volatile eastern DRC to surrender and join the DRC government's disarmament programme. Chennai, April 1 : Comedian Kunal Kamra, who recently faced legal trouble over a joke directed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has been granted transit anticipatory bail by the District Munsif-cum-Judicial Magistrate Court in Vanur, Tamil Nadu. Kamra had approached the Madras High Court on Tuesday, seeking transit anticipatory bail, which provides temporary protection from arrest in a jurisdiction different from where the FIR has been filed. In his case, the FIR was lodged by Khar Police in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The Madras High Court, in an earlier hearing, had granted Kamra interim protection from arrest till April 7. Justice Sundar Mohan directed the comedian to appear before the Vanur court to formally secure his bail. Following this direction, the Vanur court granted the requested relief. The case stems from a stand-up performance Kamra delivered on March 23 at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai's Khar area. During the show, he parodied a song from the 1997 Bollywood film 'Dil Toh Pagal Hai', using it to make a satirical reference to Shinde. Though he did not name the Deputy Chief Minister directly, Kamra referred to him as a "gaddar" (traitor), a term that sparked political backlash. Following the performance, Shiv Sena workers vandalised the venue in protest. A few days later, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) initiated demolition work on parts of the comedy club, drawing further public attention to the incident. Multiple officers from Mumbai Police reportedly visited Kamra's registered address in the city after he failed to appear for questioning. Kamra, however, criticised the move, stating that he had not lived at that address for over a decade. He called the police action a "waste of time and public resources." Appearing through his lawyer, Kamra told the court that his performance had no malicious intent and that he had not directly criticised any individual. His lawyer argued that there was no hidden agenda in his remarks and alleged that the police were attempting to arrest him without due cause. Kamra has maintained that making jokes about political leaders is not a crime. "Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right," he said in a public statement. He also reportedly told the police that he would not apologise for his comments. The Madras High Court has now ordered Kamra to appear before it on April 7 for further proceedings regarding the conditions of his bail. The Vanur court, which granted the comedian temporary relief, is located in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu. Hyderabad, April 1 : The row over the proposed auction of 400 acres near Hyderabad Central University landed in the Telangana High Court on Tuesday with some students filing a Public Interest Litigation, seeking orders to cancel allotment of land to Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) by the state government. A division bench of the High Court headed by Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul will hear on Wednesday the PIL filed by the students as well as the petition earlier filed by Vata Foundation, an NGO working for environmental conservation. The Vata Foundation had filed a PIL on March 20, and the same day it came up for hearing in the High Court. While seeking orders to revoke the government order issued in June last year allotting land to TGIIC, the petitioneras counsel brought to the courtas notice that the land is home to rich biodiversity. The court was told that the land has many species of animals, plants, mushroom rocks and buffalo and peacock lakes. The division bench had adjourned the hearing to April 7 and had issued notices to the respondents of the state government and TGIIC -- to file the counter in 10 days. The Vata Foundation sought deemed forest status to the land and demanded that it be declared as a national park under Section 35 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The petitioneras counsel also submitted to the court that the HCU campus had all the features of biodiversity hotspots and was ecologically sensitive, as recognised by the Supreme Court for conferment of deemed forest status in the Godavarman case. The university students launched a protest recently after the TGIIC began the work to clear the land of trees and rocks for its auction for the development of IT parks. In view of the ongoing work, the students approached the High Court and sought an immediate hearing of their petition. The Counsel of Vata Foundation also informed the court that TGIIC has deployed bulldozers and earthmovers to remove the trees. He prayed for an early hearing of the PIL. The High Court informed that it will hear both the petitions on Wednesday. The dispute relating to the ownership of the land is two decades old. The university has claimed ownership of the land. After a long legal battle, the High Court ruled in 2022 that there was no deed of conveyance that confirmed the transfer of land by the government to the university. The university had argued that the 400-acre land is part of 2,324 acres allotted to it in 1975. The court held that in the absence of such a deed, the government retained ownership of the land. Last year, the Supreme Court upheld the order of the High Court. TGIICas action to clear the forested land has triggered an uproar among students and green activists. The university witnessed protests for a third consecutive day on Tuesday. The opposition parties also stepped up their protest. BJP legislators were detained by police when they were trying to march to the university. The opposition parties have accused the government of destroying the environment. The ruling Congress party has denied this and hit back at the opposition for politicising the issue, though the court has ruled that it is the government land. Mumbai, April 1 : Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday hailed the Maharashtra government for the implementation of Bharat Net phase I, saying that under Phase II, the government needs to focus on the establishment of a communication system up to every remaining Gram Panchayat in the state. He said that the Bharat Net project is being implemented to create a fast communication system for every Gram Panchayat in the country. Scindia was present at the meeting held here to review the status of BSNL's assets in Mumbai and the communication system in Maharashtra. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Chief Secretary Sujata Sainik, Union Telecom Secretary Neeraj Kumar and BSNL Managing Director Robert Ravi among others. "Under Bharat Net Phase II, one lakh towers of 4G network will be set up across the country. These towers are planned to be set up mainly in unconnected areas. This will create a good communication system even in the most remote areas of the state," said Scindia. He also suggested the removal of obstacles in creating a communication system in rural areas. He instructed to form a committee of officials from the Urban Development Department, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Central Department of Telecommunications regarding the properties of BSNL and MTNL in Mumbai and submit a report within four weeks. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that the state government will fully cooperate with the Centre in creating a communication system in remote and extremely remote areas of the state, including Gadchiroli. "Complete security will be provided in the extremely remote areas of Gadchiroli for setting up towers. If a communication system is created in this area properly, it will be convenient to connect the youth of this place with modern technology," he said. He further added that connectivity systems are also being created in remote areas, including Gadchiroli. "The government will work to create connectivity systems in all gram panchayats in the state under Bharat Net Phase II. The state will be at the forefront of the country in Phase II as well," he said. The Chief Minister added that the government will examine the reservations and purposes of BSNL and MTNL properties in Mumbai. "Action will be taken to remove the reservations as per the rules. The government intends to create various facilities for the citizens on these properties. The state government will take action after the report of the committee formed in this regard is submitted to the government," he said. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the establishment of a communication system in the remote areas of Gadchiroli will help the state government to completely eradicate Maoism. Chandigarh, April 1 : In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has averted a possible terror attack in the state with the arrest of an operative linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and recovered one hand grenade from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday. Chandigarh, April 1 (IANS) In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has averted a possible terror attack in the state with the arrest of an operative linked to Pakistanas Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and recovered one hand grenade from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday. The arrested accused has been identified as Jaiveer Tyagi, alias Jawed, a resident of Baroli Village in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh (UP), who is currently residing in Ludhiana. DGP Yadav said that the CI Amritsar team received an input revealing that the abroad-based individual identified as Sehlam, who is working for Pakistan-ISI agency, along with his cousin identified as Jaiveer Tyagi has been hatching a conspiracy to target the government infrastructure through terror attacks in various cities to disturb peace and harmony of the state. The input further revealed that Tyagi has also retrieved the consignment of hand grenade from the area of Amritsar and is waiting for his other accomplices near Tara Wala Pul in Amritsar to commit a major crime, he said, adding that acting swiftly on credible inputs police teams from CI Amritsar launched an intelligence-led operation and apprehended accused Jaiveer Tyagi after recovering one hand grenade from his possession. The DGP said that further investigations revealed that Jaiveer had been residing in Ludhiana for the past 14-15 years and was in contact with Sehlam through encrypted messaging apps. Probe has also revealed that on Sehlamas instructions, the accused Jaiveer had procured the grenade, he said, while adding that further investigations are on to establish forward and backward linkages in this case. Jaipur, April 1 : A young man caused panic at the Dargah of Khwaja Garib Nawaz in Rajasthan on Tuesday when he entered the premises carrying a sword. The sight of him walking with the weapons alarmed the pilgrims, leading to chaos. Seizing an opportunity, another young man managed to snatch the swords from him, sustaining an injury in the process. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. and led to an hour-long commotion. The Dargah police station team arrived at the scene and detained the young man. He was later taken for a medical examination at JLN Hospital. Dargah CO Laxmanram stated that the police received information that the suspect had taken off his clothes inside the Dargah and started brandishing a sword. He said that he was quickly apprehended, and authorities are now investigating how he managed to enter with the weapon. Meanwhile, Anjuman Committee Secretary Syed Sarwar Chishti criticised the police for their negligence, questioning how the young man was able to bring a sword inside the Dargah. "The police stationed at the gate are busy with their mobile phones instead of focusing on security," he alleged. The suspect has identified himself as Alam Ali, a resident of Uttar Pradesh. Security arrangements at the Dargah have now come under scrutiny, as police personnel are stationed at the entry gates around the clock, following the incident. Additionally, security checks are conducted by employees of both the Dargah Committee and the Anjuman Committee. Dargah CO Laxmanram confirmed that a contingent of 44 personnel from Tonk RAC has been deployed at the Dargah, primarily positioned at the open doors. A pilgrim from Bareilly recounted the harrowing incident. He said: aA young man suddenly arrived, took out a sword, and placed it on the floor. Then, he began removing his clothes. We immediately moved the women away from the area." He said that another individual acted swiftly to snatch the weapon from the suspect. "I rushed in to help and managed to restrain him, but I got injured in the process," he added. The police, meanwhile, are continuing their investigation to determine the motive behind the act and assess the security breach that allowed such an incident to occur. Mumbai, April 1 : Congress on Tuesday slammed the MahaYuti government over notices served by the police to the audience who attended the stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra's show, saying that it clearly indicates an attempt to turn the state into a police controlled regime. The state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said that during the Congress government's tenure, Maharashtra had a strong law enforcement presence, and Mumbai Police were often compared to Scotland Yard. "However, ever since Devendra Fadnavis took charge of the Home Department, the state's law and order situation has deteriorated significantly. The government has been rattled by satirical poetry performed by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, and now, it is reported that even audience members attending his show are being served notices. Issuing such notices clearly indicates an attempt to turn the state into a police-controlled regime," he said. He added that if a comedian makes jokes about political leaders, they should be accepted with a big heart and viewed as humour. "Even India's first Prime Minister, Bharat Ratna Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Manmohan Singh, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi have been subjected to harsh satire, but never were artists or their audiences harassed in such a manner," he said. The Congress state chief added that Kunal Kamra did not even mention Eknath Shinde by name, yet his party resorted to vandalism and threats against him. "What crime have the audience members committed by merely watching his show?" he asked. He further stated that those who issued threats to Kamra and vandalised studios roam free, while the police harass innocent viewers. "What kind of justice is this? The government's attempt to turn Maharashtra into a police state must be stopped immediately. This administration operates on the principle of punishing the innocent while letting criminals run free," he claimed. Sapkal stated that it has been three months since the BJP-led government came to power, and in this short span, Beed and Parbhani have witnessed murders, a former minister was killed in Mumbai, celebrities are receiving death threats, and actor Saif Ali Khan was attacked inside his own home. "A woman was raped at the Swargate bus station. From celebrities to village heads, no one is safe in this state. The 'Koyta Gang,' 'Aka Gang,' and 'Khoka Gang' are running rampant, yet the Home Department and police force are unable to curb crime. From Pune city to the rural areas of Dharashiv district, drugs are being openly sold, but no action is being taken," he said. He said that if Fadnavis cannot dedicate enough time to the Home Department, he should appoint a full-time, competent Home Minister in the state's best interest. "Additionally, the police chief, who has been granted an extension, should be honourably retired, and a new, capable, and impartial officer should be appointed as the Director General of Police," Sapkal said. Patna April 1 : In response to escalating criminal activities, including high-profile jewellery heists in Arrah and Patna, Bihar Police has proposed the establishment of two high-security prisons to house notorious criminals, Maoists, and fundamentalists. These facilities are intended to be situated in isolated, deserted locations to ensure enhanced security and containment. Kundan Krishnan, the Additional Director General (ADG) of Bihar Police Headquarters, announced that a formal proposal for constructing these high-security jails will be submitted to the Union government for approval. The Bihar Special Task Force (STF) has identified two potential sites for these facilities, aiming to prevent incarcerated criminals from orchestrating crimes from within prison walls. This initiative comes in the wake of significant criminal incidents, notably the robbery at a Tanishq jewellery showroom in Arrah on March 10, where six armed men looted jewellery worth approximately Rs 25 crore. Swift police action led to the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of stolen items valued at around Rs 15 crore. Additionally, a suspect named Chunmun Jha, allegedly involved in the heist, was killed in an encounter with the Bihar Police's Special Task Force in Araria district. A major heist also took place in the Jiva Jewellery showroom in Patna's Danapur locality as well. ADG Krishnan highlighted a concerning trend of technologically adept youths being drawn into criminal activities, often under the influence of established criminals operating from within jails. "The investigations revealed that criminal gangs are recruiting tech-savvy youths who idolise big criminals. Old criminals are using technically skilled youth to execute crimes while directing operations from jail," he said. He further stated, "In the Tanishq heist, two criminals, Sheru Singh and Chandan Singh, orchestrated the robbery from West Bengal's Purulia Jail, using technical devices from inside the prison. Digital devices were found in their wards." "To combat this, the STF has compiled dossiers on 4,000 notorious criminals and 3,000 Naxalites in the state. The proposed high-security prisons aim to isolate such individuals, thereby disrupting their networks and reducing crime rates," Krishnan said. Furthermore, the Bihar government is considering measures to confiscate the properties of professional criminals as a deterrent. "We have urged parents to monitor their children's activities closely, especially in districts like Vaishali and Bhojpur, where youth involvement in crime has been notably high," he said. New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, April 1 : On the 51st day of the ongoing protests by the Asha workers in front of the Kerala state Secretariat, state Health Minister Veena George finally met Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in Delhi on Tuesday. Speaking to the media soon after meeting Nadda, George said the meeting was positive. "I had raised the demands of the protesting Asha workers first, and he heard it. The Centre gives 60 per cent of the incentive while the state puts in 40 per cent of the total Rs 3,000, while the entire honorarium (Rs 7,000) is paid by the state. We have been demanding an increase in the incentive, and the Minister said the Centre is seriously looking into it," she said. "There is a balance that Kerala has to get for the fiscal 2023-24, and we were told that it has lapsed. There were issues with it with regard to rebranding, as the Asha scheme is of the Centre. The Union Minister has said he will look into it also," George said. This meeting had raised huge interest as after a conciliation meeting that George held with the protesting Asha workers last month, she informed them that she is leaving to Delhi and will meet Nadda. However, even though she reached Delhi, she failed to get an appointment, but it later surfaced that she reached Delhi to meet a visiting Cuban delegation. This became a big controversy, and the protesters fumed that she told them a lie that she would meet Nadda to discuss their issues. Meanwhile, reacting to the statement of George after her meeting with Nadda, the protesting Asha workers said there has been no positive outcome to the meeting. "All know that the Centreas share is only towards the incentive, while the honorarium is being paid by the State. We have been demanding an increase in that. So this meeting, for all practical purposes, has failed. We will continue with our protests," a protester said. On Monday, the protest took a new turn when all the protesting workers cut their hair to express their ire against the Kerala government. The Asha workers are demanding an increase in their honorarium from Rs 7,000 to Rs 21,000 per month, besides a lump sum benefit of Rs 5 lakh each when they superannuate at the age of 62. On Tuesday, the Congress trade union wing, the INTUC, announced that they have joined the protests too. Meanwhile, George said that the INTUC leaders have expressed a desire for a fresh round of conciliation talks."I have said to them that talks will be held in three days' time," she said. Thiruvananthapuram, April 1 : Kerala was presented with an award from the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) for Innovation in Public Administration for the successful implementation of the Year of Enterprises (YOE) project, said Minister for Industries, Law and Coir, P. Rajeeve. Suman Billa, who was till recently Principal Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of Kerala, received the award on behalf of the Kerala government at the event held in Washington DC. Billa is at present the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in New Delhi. ASPA is a membership association of almost 10,000 professionals in the United States, sponsoring conferences and providing professional services primarily in the areas of government policy, public administration, and programmes of civil society. The Year of Enterprises (YOE) initiative launched by the Kerala Government in 2022-23 for building a highly conducive ecosystem for the MSME sector powered the state's profound transformation into an industrial and entrepreneurship-friendly ecosystem. The Minister was making an online presentation to the annual conference of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) on 'Developing Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Policy and Successful Implementation: A Case Study of Year of Enterprises. Regretting that he could not be physically present for the event 'due to technical reasons,' the Minister thanked the ASPA for inviting him to share the experience of Kerala's innovative initiatives, especially the huge success of the YOE project. The massive outcome of the project, which unlocked the entrepreneurial potential of the state, has far exceeded its initial target of creating over 100,000 units in the MSME sector in a year and generating over 300,000 jobs, he said. "Kerala has created a model of sustainable growth by adopting the right strategies and ensuring the convergence of efforts across the MSME ecosystem, government departments, R&D and academic institutions, trade unions and financial institutions," said Rajeeve. "Our economic vision is rooted in the principles of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Excellence. We are committed to transforming our state into a trillion-dollar economy, focusing on nature, people and industry. Our goal is to ensure quality infrastructure, enhance the standard of living, and support economic prosperity for all," he added. In 2019, Kerala was ranked 28th in Ease of Doing Business (EODB). The legislative and administrative reforms introduced by the government since 2016 have instilled confidence in both industries and society, which resulted in the state being ranked the number one in EODB in India, noted Rajeeve. These efforts exceeded expectations, leading to the creation of over 350,000 MSMEs during 2022-25. According to data from the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC), there has been a massive increase in loans provided to the MSMEs since the launch of YOE. New Delhi, April 1 : The Indian Minorities Federation (IMF) organised a Multifaith Sadbhawana Eid programme at Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah. The event was aimed at spreading the message of love, peace and harmony among different religions. It was a great opportunity to show solidarity with the Muslim community at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Eminent spiritual leaders from the Sikh, Christian, Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religions attended the event and wished the Muslim community Eid Mubarak on behalf of their respective religions. At the event, Peer Khwaja Farid Ahmed Nizami, President Sufi Cultural Organisation and Sajjadanashin (spiritual head) of Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, shared his views on the importance of the event. He said, "This event is a symbol of brotherhood and dedication among all religions. We all have come together at this holy place to wish Eid Mubarak to the Muslim community and spread the message of peace and unity in the society." Paramjit Singh Chandhok, Chief Advisor, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, said at the event, "This event is a great occasion of joy. We all belong to the same country, whether we are Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, or belong to any other religion. When we celebrate festivals together, it becomes a symbol of the unity and diversity of our country. Last year during Ramzan, we organised an Iftar party and this time we are celebrating Eid Milan programme." Prof. Himani Sood, Co-founder of IMF, said, "Today is a very important day for us as we are unitedly praying for the progress of the country and the health of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This event is not just a celebration of Eid, but it is a celebration of our unity and diversity. Apart from this, we are also discussing the importance of the Waqf Bill on this occasion, which is necessary and just for the overall development of the country." Prof. Manjit Singh, former acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, also praised the event. He said, "Eid Mubarak to all Muslim brothers, and we also send them the message of brotherhood and love on behalf of the Sikh community. We remember the words of Baba Farid Ji, in which he has talked about respecting all religions and seeing the light of Allah Taala in all. We get the message from such events that we all have come here for the same purpose - that is peace and goodwill." Maulana A.R. Shaheen Qasmi, General Secretary of World Peace Organisation, also shared his views on the occasion. He said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is a symbol of unity of our society. It is not only a part of Indian culture, but it is also engraved in the Vedas that people of all religions should walk together. We can move forward towards the progress of the country only by staying together. Such events remind us that there is a need for brotherhood and peace." Father Norbert Hermann, Director of Sarva Dharma Maitri and Catholic Arch Diocese, said, "Today we have gathered people of all religions so that we can wish Eid Mubarak to our Muslim brothers and promote goodwill and love in the society. The basic message of our culture has always been that we should respect all religions and unite to maintain peace and unity in society. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always encouraged that we should support every section of the society equally, and today's event is a step in that direction." New Delhi, April 1 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formally implicated former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel, in its First Information Report (FIR) as part of the ongoing investigation into the Mahadev App online betting scandal. Earlier, Baghel's name had surfaced in the FIR filed by Chhattisgarh's Economic Offences Wing (EOW), and it has now been incorporated into the CBI's case. Recently, the CBI executed extensive raids on March 26 across more than sixty locations, spanning Chhattisgarh, Bhopal, Kolkata, and Delhi. These operations targeted properties linked to politicians, bureaucrats, law enforcement officials (police), and individuals associated with the betting platform. The searches yielded vital digital and financial records. Mahadev Book, an online betting platform, is promoted by Ravi Uppal and Saurabh Chandrakar, both currently residing in Dubai. Investigations have unveiled allegations that the promoters paid substantial sums as "protection money" to public officials, enabling the unhindered operation of their illicit betting network. Reacting to these raids, the former Chief Minister Baghel wrote on his X handle on March 29, "We wrote letters to the Modi government several times regarding the arrest of Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, but no action was taken. The officials of the double-engine government kept spreading the lie of Saurabh and Ravi's arrest in the media for a week and there in Dubai, the favourite storyteller of the BJP government, Pradeep Mishra Maharaj was narrating Mahadev Katha to Saurabh and Ravi Uppal." In another post on X, he wrote on March 27, "Why has Pradeep Mishra not been questioned in this matter till date? For the CBI action taken yesterday (raids), we can say, 'Ulta chor kotwal ko daante (the guilty blaming the innocent)'. In the SP-Collector conference held in Raipur, I was the first one to instruct the officers to take action against the Mahadev Satta app, after which FIRs, arrests and account seizures were done in the entire state. Our government itself brought a Bill in the assembly to stop online betting and strengthen the old law." Initially, the case was under the purview of Chhattisgarh's Economic Offences Wing (EOW). Subsequently, the state government transferred the investigation to the CBI to ensure a comprehensive inquiry into the involvement of senior officials and other principal suspects. The CBI's raids have resulted in the confiscation of significant digital and documentary evidence, including critical financial records and transaction details. Officials have stated that the investigation remains active, with further revelations anticipated in the days ahead. With Baghel now officially named in the CBI's FIR, the case has assumed a political dimension, casting a spotlight on potential high-level complicity in the betting racket. Speculations abound regarding the involvement of several senior government and administrative officials. New Delhi, April 1 : The Union government announced on Tuesday that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on April 2, soon after the Question Hour and will be followed by a comprehensive and detailed discussion extending up to eight hours. IANS brings a complete history and facts of the Bill and the controversy surrounding it. On August 8, 2024, two bills, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, were introduced in the Lok Sabha with an aim to streamline the Waqf Board's work and ensure the efficient management of Waqf properties. The objective of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to redress the issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties. The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India. It aims to: overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act; updating the definitions of Waqf; improving the registration process; and increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records. The following FAQs provide an understanding of the Waqf Amendment 2024 Bill. What are the administrative bodies responsible for Waqf management in India and what are their roles? The administration of Waqf properties in India is presently governed by the Waqf Act, 1995, which is enacted and regulated by the Central Government. The key administrative bodies involved in Waqf management include: The Waqf Act of 1995, enforced by the Central Government, currently regulates Waqf properties. The main administrative bodies are: Central Waqf Council (CWC) a" Advises the government and State Waqf Boards on policy but does not directly control Waqf properties; State Waqf Boards (SWBs) a" Manage and protect Waqf properties in each state; and Waqf Tribunals a" Exclusive judicial bodies that handle disputes related to Waqf properties. This system ensures better management and faster resolution of issues. Over the years, legal changes have made Waqf administration more transparent, efficient, and accountable. What are the issues concerned with Waqf Board? Irrevocability of Waqf Properties: The principle "once a Waqf, always a Waqf" has led to disputes, such as claims over islands in Bet Dwarka, which have been deemed perplexing by courts as well. Legal Disputes & Poor Management: The Waqf Act, 1995, and its 2013 amendment have not been effective. Some problems include illegal occupation of Waqf land; mismanagement and ownership disputes; delays in property registration and surveys; and large-scale litigation cases and complaints to the Ministry. No judicial oversight Decisions by Waqf Tribunals cannot be challenged in higher courts. This reduces transparency and accountability in Waqf management. Incomplete survey of Waqf properties The Survey Commissioneras work has been poor, leading to delays; in states like Gujarat and Uttarakhand, surveys have not yet begun; in Uttar Pradesh, a survey ordered in 2014 is still pending; lack of expertise and poor coordination with the Revenue Department have slowed the registration process. Misuse of Waqf Laws Some State Waqf Boards have misused their powers, leading to community tensions; Section 40 of the Waqf Act has been widely misused to declare private properties as Waqf properties, causing legal battles and unrest; As per information out of 30 States/UTs, data was given only by 8 States where 515 properties have been declared as Waqf under Section 40. Constitutional validity of the Waqf Act The Waqf Act applies only to one religion, while no similar law exists for others; and a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) has been filed in the Delhi High Court, questioning whether the Waqf Act is constitutional. The Delhi High Court has asked the Central Government to respond to this issue. What steps and stakeholder consultations were undertaken by the Ministry before introducing the bill? The Ministry of Minority Affairs consulted various stakeholders which interalia includes; report of the Sachar Committee, concern raised by public representatives, Media and general public regarding mismanagement, misuse of powers of Waqf act and underutilization of Waqf Properties by the Waqf institutions. The Ministry also consulted with State Waqf Boards. The Ministry initiated the process of review of provisions of Waqf Act, 1995 and had consultations with stakeholders. Two meetings were conducted- one in Lucknow on 24.07.23 and another one at New Delhi on 20.07.23 wherein most of the following issues were discussed in detail. The consensus was emerged to make suitable amendment in the Act to solve the problems of the affected stakeholders. Widening The Base of CWC (Central Waqf Council) and SWB (State Waqf Board) Composition Role and responsibilities of Mutawallis; re-structuring of tribunals; improve the process of registration; declaration of titles; survey of Waqf properties; mutation of Waqf properties; filing of accounts by Mutawallis; reforms in filing annual accounts; review of provisions related to evacuee properties/limitation act; and scientific management of Waqf properties. Further, the Ministry has also analysed the international practices on Waqf management across other countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey and found that the Waqf Properties are generally regulated by the Laws and Institutions set up by the government. What was the process of the introduction of Waqf Amendment Bill 2024? The Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 has been introduced with the primary objective of addressing shortcomings in the management and governance of Waqf properties on August 8, 2024; on August 9, 2024, both Houses of Parliament referred the Bill to a Joint Committee of 21 Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members to examine and report on it; keeping in view the importance of the Bill and its wide ranging implications, the Committee had decided to call memoranda to obtain the views from public in general and experts/stakeholders and other concerned organisations in particular on the provisions of the aforesaid Bill; the Joint Parliamentary Committee held thirty-six sittings wherein, they heard the views/suggestions of the representatives of various Ministries/Departments such as: Ministries of Minority Affairs, Law and Justice, Railways (Railway Board), Housing and Urban Affairs, Road Transport and Highways, Culture (Archaeological Survey of India), State Governments, State Waqf Boards and experts/stakeholders. The first sitting took place on August 22, 2024 and the key organisations/ stakeholders consulted during the sittings were All India Sunni Jamiyatul Ulama, Mumbai; Indian Muslims of Civil Rights (IMCR), New Delhi; Muttaheda Majlis-e- Ulema, J&K (Mirwaiz Umar Farooq); Zakat Foundation of India; Anjuman E Shiteali Dawoodi Bohra Community; Chanakya National Law University, Patna; All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaaz, Delhi; All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Delhi; All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC), Ajmer; Muslim Rashtriya Manch, Delhi; Muslim Women Intellectual Group - Dr. Shalini Ali, National Convener; Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Delhi; Shia Muslim Dharamguru and Intellectual Group; and Darul Uloom Deoband. Here are the main differences between the Waqf Act, 1995 and the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Name of the Act: The Waqf Act, 1995 is the original law governing Waqf properties in India. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 renames the act to "Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act, 1995," which reflects a broader focus on management and governance. Formation of Waqf: Under the Waqf Act, 1995, Waqf properties can be formed through a declaration by the donor or by an act of endowment. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 specifies that properties can only be declared as Waqf by a practicing Muslim who has been such for at least five years. It also ensures that womenas rights to inheritance are respected before any dedication to Waqf. Government Property as Waqf: The Waqf Act, 1995 does not have specific provisions on government property being declared as Waqf. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 introduces a provision where government properties identified as Waqf cease to be considered as Waqf, and disputes over such properties will be resolved by the Collector. Survey and Registration of Waqf Properties: The Waqf Act, 1995 mandates that Waqf properties be surveyed, but this has often been incomplete or delayed in implementation. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 emphasises that surveys will be carried out by Collectors under state revenue laws, ensuring proper identification and registration of Waqf properties. Composition of the Central Waqf Council: The Waqf Act, 1995 requires the Central Waqf Council to consist entirely of Muslims. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 changes this composition by including two non-Muslims and two Muslim women members to ensure broader representation and diversity. Tribunal Composition: Under the Waqf Act, 1995, Waqf Tribunals are headed by a judge along with Muslim law experts. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 replaces Muslim law experts with a District Court judge and a joint secretary from the Ministry of Minority Affairs, making the tribunal more legally structured. Appeal on Tribunal Orders: The Waqf Act, 1995 does not allow easy appeal from Waqf Tribunal decisions. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 permits appeals to the High Court within 90 days of the Tribunalas decision, providing an opportunity for further judicial scrutiny. Powers of the Central government: The Waqf Act, 1995 gives the Central government the power to issue directions to State Waqf Boards but does not explicitly define the power to make detailed rules. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 gives the Central Government explicit powers to issue rules regarding Waqf registration, auditing, and property management, ensuring greater central oversight. Misuse of Waqf Laws: Under the Waqf Act, 1995, there were provisions, especially under Section 40, that allowed Waqf Boards to declare private and even government properties as Waqf, which led to widespread misuse and disputes. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 removes Section 40 and ensures that only properties that are genuinely dedicated to Waqf by Muslims are registered as such, protecting non-Muslim properties from arbitrary declarations. In essence, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 aims to modernize and improve the governance of Waqf properties by addressing the inefficiencies and legal loopholes present in the Waqf Act, 1995, promoting greater transparency, accountability, and inclusion in the management of Waqf assets. The Committee received 97,27,772 memoranda in total, through both physical and digital mode. To thoroughly review the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, the Committee conducted detailed study visits across multiple cities in India. These visits helped members engage with stakeholders, assess ground realities, and gather region-specific insights on Waqf property management. The details of the study visits in 10 cities are as under Sept 26 a" Oct 1, 2024: Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru; Nov 9 a" 11, 2024: Guwahati, Bhubaneshwar; Jan 18 a" 21, 2025: Patna, Kolkata, Lucknow; the Committee consulted 25 State Waqf Boards (7 in Delhi, 18 during visits) to discuss administrative challenges and legal hurdles; thereafter, the Joint Committee completed Clause by Clause consideration of all Clauses of the Bill at their 37th sitting held on 27th January, 2025. The amendments moved by the Members were put to vote and adopted by majority votes; the Adoption draft report and authorised the Chairperson to present the report on their behalf. The 38th sitting was held on 29th January, 2025; and the Joint Committee submitted its report to the Honable Speaker of Lok Sabha on 31.01.2025 and laid in both the Houses of the Parliament on 13th February, 2025. What are some of the key reforms of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024? The proposed amendments under this Bill, 2024 are aimed at transforming Waqf administration in India by ensuring better governance, transparency, and accountability. It seeks to create a streamlined, technology-driven, and legally robust framework for the management of Waqf properties, while also fostering socio-economic development for the intended beneficiaries. Unified Waqf Management: Key issues affecting Waqf properties include incomplete survey of Waqf properties; significant backlog of litigations in Tribunal and Waqf Boards; improper account, auditing and monitoring of Mutawallis; the mutation of all Waqf properties has not been done properly. Empowerment of Central Waqf Council & State Waqf Boards: Inclusion of diverse groups like non-Muslim, other Muslim communities, other backward classes among Muslim communities and Women etc in the decision making, to enhance representation and efficiency. Efficiency of State Waqf Boards: a digital portal and database will automate Waqf registration, survey, mutation, audits, leasing, and litigation, ensuring scientific, efficient, and transparent governance. Development of Auqaf: Portal-based lifecycle management will streamline administration; Section 65 mandates Waqf Boards to submit reports on management and income improvements within six months, ensuring timely action; and section 32(4) allows Waqf Boards to develop Waqf lands into educational institutions, shopping centers, markets, or housing by taking over properties from Mutawallis when necessary. What are the key reforms recommended by the Joint Committee? The amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995 as recommended by the Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 (JCWAB), introduce progressive reforms, including: Key Reforms in Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, separation of Trusts from Waqf: Muslim-created trusts under any law will no longer be considered Waqf, ensuring full control over trusts. Technology & Central Portal: A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, including registration, audits, contributions, and litigation, ensuring efficiency and transparency. This also efficiently utilizes technology for the automation of Waqf management. Eligibility for Waqf Dedication: Only practicing Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their own property to Waqf, restoring the pre-2013 provision. Protection of aWaqf by Usera Properties: Already registered properties remain Waqf unless disputed or identified as government land. Women's Rights in Family Waqf: Women must receive their rightful inheritance before Waqf dedication, with special provisions for widows, divorced women, and orphans. Transparent Waqf Management: Mutawallis must register property details on the central portal within six months to enhance accountability. Government Land & Waqf Disputes: An officer above the rank of Collector will investigate government properties claimed as Waqf, preventing unwarranted claims. Strengthening Waqf Tribunals: A structured selection process and fixed tenure ensure stability and efficiency in dispute resolution. Non-Muslim Representation: Two non-Muslim members will be included in both Central and State Waqf Boards to ensure inclusivity. Reduced Annual Contributions: Waqf institutions' mandatory contribution to Waqf Boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, allowing more funds for charity. Application of the Limitation Act: The Limitation Act, 1963, will now apply to Waqf property claims, reducing prolonged litigation. Annual Audit Reforms: Waqf institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh annually must undergo audits by state government-appointed auditors. Ending Arbitrary Property Claims: The Bill removes Section 40, preventing Waqf Boards from arbitrarily declaring properties as Waqf, avoiding misuse like declaring entire villages as Waqf. These cases underscored the arbitrary and unregulated power exercised by Waqf Boards. To address this, Section 40 of the Waqf Act is being omitted, ensuring fair and just administration of Waqf properties. What are some instances of Non-Muslim properties declared as Waqf? As of September 2024, data from 25 States/UTs Waqf Boards shows that 5,973 government properties have been declared as Waqf. Some examples include: As per MoHUA (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) in September 2024, 108 properties are under control of Land and Development Office, 130 properties under control of Delhi Development Authority and 123 properties in the public domain were declared as Waqf properties and brought into litigation. Karnataka (1975 & 2020): 40 Waqf properties were notified, including farmlands, public spaces, government lands, graveyards, lakes, and temples. The Punjab Waqf Board has claimed land belonging to the Education Department in Patiala. Examples of other Non-Muslim properties declared as Waqf: Tamil Nadu: A farmer in Thiruchenthurai village was unable to sell his land due to the Waqf Boardas claim over the entire village. This unexpected requirement prevented him from selling his land to repay a loan for his daughter's wedding. Govindpur Village, Bihar: In August 2024, the Bihar Sunni Waqf Boardas claim over an entire village in August 2024 affected seven families, leading to a case in the Patna High Court. The case is sub-judice. Kerala: In September 2024, around 600 Christian families in Ernakulam district are contesting the Waqf Boardas claim over their ancestral land. They have appealed to the Joint Parliamentary Committee. Karnataka: In 2024, Farmers protested after the Waqf Board designated 15,000 acres in Vijayapura as Waqf land. Disputes also arose in Ballari, Chitradurga, Yadgir, and Dharwad. The government, however, assured that no evictions would take place. Uttar Pradesh: Complaints have been raised against alleged corruption and mismanagement by the State Waqf Board. How is the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 expected to benefit the Poor? Waqf plays a crucial role in serving religious, charitable, and social welfare needs, especially for the underprivileged. However, its impact has often been reduced due to mismanagement, encroachment, and lack of transparency. Some key benefits of Waqf for the Poor: Digitisation for transparency and accountability A centralised digital portal will track Waqf properties, ensuring better identification, monitoring, and management. Auditing and accounting measures will prevent financial mismanagement and ensure funds are used only for welfare purposes. Increased Revenue for Welfare and Development Preventing misuse and illegal occupation of Waqf lands will boost revenue for Waqf Boards, allowing them to expand welfare programs. Funds will be allocated to healthcare, education, housing, and livelihood support, directly benefiting the economically weaker sections. Regular audits and inspections will promote financial discipline and strengthen public confidence in Waqf management. How does the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board and Central Waqf Council contribute to Waqf management, and what is the extent of their role and influence in decision-making? Non-Muslim Stakeholders: Donors, litigants, lessees, and tenants are involved in Waqf management, making their representation in Waqf Boards and the Central Waqf Council (CWC) are essential for fairness. Regulation of Secular Activities: Section 96 empowers the Central Government to regulate governance, social, economic, and welfare aspects of Waqf institutions, reaffirmed by court rulings. Oversight Role of Central Waqf Council: The CWC supervises State Waqf Boards, ensuring compliance without direct control over Waqf properties. This highlights that Waqf management extends beyond religious aspects to economic and financial regulation. Non-Muslim Representation: State Waqf Boards: 2 out of 11 members (excluding ex-officio) can be non-Muslims; and Central Waqf Council: 2 out of 22 members (excluding ex-officio) can be non-Muslims. While decisions are made by majority vote, non-Muslim members can contribute administrative and technical expertise, improving the efficiency and governance of Waqf institutions. Agartala, April 1 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday said that the state government has taken a series of steps to prevent illegal infiltration from Bangladesh, and the BSF as well as the state forces are on a strict vigil round-the-clock. The Chief Minister informed the state assembly that 742 cases were registered under the Indian Passports Act and the Foreigners Act in three years. The Chief Minister, while replying to a reference period notice given by MLA Ranjit Debbarma, said that besides joint patrolling by the BSF and the state forces in the unfenced areas along the international border, raids are being conducted on the basis of intelligence reports. District-level Anti-Human Trafficking units were formed to curb human trafficking, he said. Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that currently, cases are being registered against illegal infiltrators under two laws a" the Indian Passports Act and the Foreigners Act. Under these two laws, a total of 112 cases were registered in the year 2022, 303 cases in 2023, and 327 cases in 2024, he told the house. The Chief Minister stated that in 2024, strict action will be taken against illegal infiltrators and criminals active in the bordering areas by applying various criminal laws. Based on information received from secret sources, raids are conducted against human traffickers and touts involved in human trafficking from Bangladesh to India, and action is taken against them under specific sections of the law. He also informed that the Government Railway Police is keeping a regular vigil at railway stations and platforms. "Moreover, regular checks are carried out on vehicles near railway stations, and inspections are conducted in settlements adjacent to railway tracks. State police regularly organise 'Prayas' meetings to create awareness against human trafficking in border areas," he added. When legislator Ranjit Debbarma referred to the approval of the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha on March 27, the Chief Minister said that when the bill becomes an act, then illegal infiltration would be dealt with more strictly and effectively. Los Angeles, April 1 : Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence has embraced motherhood once again. The actress is now officially a mom of two. The 'No Hard Feelings' actress, 34, has welcomed her second baby with husband Cooke Maroney, reports 'People' magazine. The actress and Maroney were spotted out for a stroll together in New York City following the birth of their little one. Lawrence and Cookie, 40, who married in October 2019, are also parents to their 3-year-old son Cy. As per 'People', Lawrence announced she was expecting her second baby with Maroney via a Vogue Instagram postand article in October 2024. "Congratulations are in order for Jennifer Lawrence. The Oscar-winning actor will be welcoming her second child with art gallerist husband Cooke Maroney", the magazine wrote in the post's caption, adding that representatives for Lawrence had confirmed the happy news to the outlet. The following day, a source confirmed the news with 'People' exclusively sharing that Lawrence was "thrilled to be pregnant again". "She loves being a mom", the insider said. "She's thrilled to be pregnant again. It feels like the perfect timing to her. Her son will be 3 when the new baby arrives". Since the birth of her first son, Lawrence has shared that she's been approaching her career differently. The 'X-Men: Apocalypse' actress told Cameron Diaz in a 2023 conversation for Interview magazine that having a baby caused her to be more selective with the projects she agrees to do. "There's no squeezing when you have a baby", Lawrence said. "There's just home, and it's the best. It definitely helps weed out projects, 'Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Is this worth being away from my child for half the day?'". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Mumbai, April 2 : The Maharashtra government and Microsoft on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the "Digital India, Self-reliant Maharashtra" concept. With the help of artificial intelligence, the government will become more capable, people-oriented and transparent, which will directly benefit the citizens, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on this occasion. Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik said that the MoU signed with Microsoft will provide an opportunity for officers and employees of the state to get training in the field of artificial intelligence. This partnership will accelerate Maharashtra's dream of a 1 trillion dollar economy by 2028. It will boost the state's innovation, progress and entrepreneurship. According to the government release, the partnership between the state government and Microsoft will make a significant contribution to the economic and social development of Maharashtra. Three AI Centers of Excellence will be established across the state. One center will be the Geography Analysis Center to conduct advanced geography-related analysis, GIS and satellite imagery to support policy decision-making. It will be situated in the Chief Secretaryas office. The Forensic Research and AI Center will be set up at Lune basically to expand the use of AI in criminal investigation and forensic analysis. The Maharashtra Research and Vigilance for Enhanced Law Enforcement (MARVEL) Center will be established in Nagpur. It will be devoted to the AI-based research and training for law enforcement, vigilance and improved administration. Microsoft certifications will be provided to government employees in the state. MS Learn, a world-class platform, will make the administration more capable and tech-savvy. With the help of Microsoft Copilot technology, various government functions will be significantly improved. This technology will be useful for streamlining administrative workflows. Automatic summarisation and analysis facilities will be available to make document management more effective. Also, quick resolution will be possible with the help of artificial intelligence to respond immediately to citizen complaints. Copilot technology will play an important role in the areas of health management, land records management and traffic management. It will be directly linked to the Aadhaar card and other essential services to simplify the process of traffic fines. This will make government services more efficient, transparent and in the interest of citizens, said the government release. Hyderabad, April 2 : Amid the row over 400 acres of land near Hyderabad Central University, the Telangana government on Tuesday clarified that it has not taken even an inch of the land belonging to the university. The government claimed that after winning the court case relating to the land, it protected the government land worth thousands of crores from falling into the hands of private persons and wants to use the same to provide employment to the youth by setting up IT companies. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Industry and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu and Revenue Minister P. Srinivasa Reddy addressed a joint press conference to put forth the government's stand amid intensified protests by student groups, environmental activists and the opposition party against the proposal to auction the land in Kancha Gachibowli. The ministers slammed the opposition BRS and BJP for spreading lies about the land for political gains and cautioned that stringent action would be taken against those creating hurdles for government works and development. The Deputy Chief Minister said the government took control of the land after the court delivered its judgment. He also gave the assurance that the government would protect the biodiversity on the HCU campus. He recalled that the Chandrababu Naidu-led government in 1996 had taken this 400-acre land from the university and allotted it to a fraud company called IMG Bharatha. The government had allotted an alternate 397-acre land to the university. He claimed that the government has all the records pertaining to allotment of alternate land, and the same were signed by revenue officials and the university management. Later, the Congress government headed by Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy cancelled the allotment made to IMG Bharatha, and the company approached the High Court, challenging the cancellation. Efforts were made to protect the government land. Vikramarka alleged that after the formation of Telangana, the BRS government during its 10-year rule made no effort to reclaim the government. After the Congress party came to power, it decided to fight to reclaim the government land. "We fought in the court and won the case. We protected the public asset. Now the government is trying to use this asset to provide jobs to youth by bringing international IT companies," he said and claimed that it was because of their efforts that the land did not go into the hands of private persons. The Deputy Chief Minister pointed out that many jobs were created with the development of HITEC City, HITEC City Phase II and Knowledge City and said their government plans to develop IT parks on similar lines to provide jobs. Targeting BRS, Srinivas Reddy asked why it did not think of the environment while granting permission for the construction of high-rise buildings next to the university. Assuring that biodiversity on the campus will not be harmed, he appealed to students not to get misled by the false propaganda of the opposition parties. He pointed out that out of 1,525 acres allotted to HCU, the government has not taken away even one inch of the land. Hyderabad, April 2 : Police have arrested a driver for the rape of a German woman on the outskirts of Hyderabad. According to police, the accused Abdul Aslam committed the crime at Mamidipally under Pahadishareef Police Station after offering a lift to the victim and her German friend to take them to different places. The police registered a case on a complaint by the victimas Indian friend, Mangalagiri Sharath Chandra Chowdhury, a resident of Meerpet in Rangareddy district. While studying at the University of Messina in Italy last year, Sharath Chandra befriended two German nationals a" the victim and her friend Maximilian Qiyuanliu. They arrived in Hyderabad on March 4 to travel and explore the city. While staying at Sharath Chandraas residence in Meerpet, they were visiting different places in the city. According to a statement from Rachakonda Police Commissionerate, the victim and her German friend left the house on the evening of March 31 to visit a nearby vegetable market. While they were on their way, they were approached by a Swift Desire car, occupied by six individuals, including the accused, who was driving the car. The remaining were minor boys aged between 9 and 16 years. The occupants greeted the foreigners and inquired about their destination. Upon learning that they were heading to the market, the accused offered them a ride. Trusting him, the German nationals boarded the car. Police said the group proceeded towards Chandrayangutta, and after refuelling the car, they went to different places and headed toward Mamidipally. Upon arrival, the accused told others, including the victimas friend, to get down and take photographs. He, along with the victim, drove approximately 100 meters away with the victim to a secluded location. He threatened her for life and forcibly committed rape inside the car. After committing the crime, the accused brought the victim back to the spot where he had dropped others. When the car slowed down, the victim jumped out of the moving vehicle and met her German friend. Police registered a case under section 64 (1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and took up an investigation. Aslam, aged 25 and a resident of Yakutpura, was arrested at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Aslam, who had previously worked as a driver in Dubai, had hired a car through the long drive app and picked up his colony mates. While roaming around, he found the victim and her friend. Police sent the victim for medical examination and seized the car. The accused was produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody. Each year, the Bologna Childrens Book Fair honors a half dozen publishers with the BOP Bologna Prize for the Best Childrens Publishers of the Year. The award, created in collaboration with the Italian Publishers Association and the International Publishers Association, recognizes the best publishers from six regions worldwide: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Central and South America and the Caribbean, and Oceania. The winners for 2025, the 13th edition of the award, were announced on Monday, March 31, at a ceremony at Palazzo Re Enzo, in Bolognas historic Piazza Maggiore. The event included the presentation of the BolognaRagazzi Awards, with a special plaque given to Gallimard Jeunesse, founded by Pierre Marchand. The most awarded publisher in the 60 years of the prize, it has received 24 awards10 winners and 14 special mentionsdating back to 1979. We are very grateful for this recognition, which highlights the values we share with the Bologna Childrens Book Fair: offering children the very best books, and fostering cultural exchanges, said Hedwige Pasquet, chairman of Gallimard Jeunesse, in accepting the award. Gallimard Jeunesse is committed to working with the best authors and illustrators to promote this great literature that is childrens literature. This years winners, with citations from the fair, are: Africa: Imagnary House is a South Africa-based publisher and developer of childrens and YA IP, founded in 2015 to fill the dearth of authentic and high-quality stories for young readers in Africa. Asia: Everafter Books, of Beijing Everafter Culture Development Co. Ltd., was founded in 2015 in China with a focus on publishing stories for children up to 12 years old and nurturing them with exceptional content. To date, the company has a catalogue of more than 600 titles, many of which have won national awards and other accolades. Europe: Fatatrac was lauded for the rigor of their content, attention to the quality of illustrations, and educational commitment, paired with playful formats and paper engineering. Founded in 1979 in Florence, Italy by a group of a dozen up-and-coming illustrators, in 2011, Fatatrac became a brand of the Edizioni del Borgo group in Bologna. North America: Candlewick Press, founded in 1992, is now part of a global publishing enterprise that spans three continents. The award committee deemed Candlewick the worlds leading creatively led independent publisher of books and content for children today, in all ages and formats. Central, South America, and Caribbean: Brazils Companhia das Letras was founded as a literary publishing house in 1986 by husband-and-wife team Luiz Schwarcz Lilia Moritz Schwarcz. It has since expanded into 17 independent publishing units, across various age groups. After selling a majority stake to Penguin, Companhia das Letras is the countrys second largest book publisher. Oceania: Milas Books of New Zealand is the worlds only all-Pasifika publishing team, dedicated to creating stories that celebrate the languages, cultures, and identities of the Pacific. Founded in 2019, it publishes books exclusively by Pasifika authors, illustrators, and creators. The company also partners with schools, libraries, and other organizations on literacy and cultural workshops, with an aim of promoting Pasifika storytelling worldwide. A hundred years of life is certainly worth celebrating, and with a large family to boot, Wayne Davy had quite the celebration. Among family and friends, one guest at the March 22 party stood out Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen. Pillen stopped by the open house party with well wishes and a medal to honor Davy's World War II service. It is one of about 40 medals that Pillen has presented in his time as governor, something he personally appreciates being part of, he said. The medallion features "The Sower" icon that is seen on a variety of Nebraska imagery. "It's a tribute to longevity, a tribute to doing our best," Pillen said. "It's a tribute to freedom and liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and we would only be here enjoying it because of your work and your service." With 2025 marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Pillen has set out to honor all living WWII veterans across the state. Throughout his time as governor, Pillen has met many people in other countries who are grateful for the service of American veterans in conflicts like the Vietnam and Korean wars. One thing he would urge all those in attendance to do, he said, is be grateful for "The Greatest Generation." "Just so you know, every meeting starts with, 'Thank you to the United States of America. We wouldn't be who we are in Vietnam, wouldn't be who we are in South Korea, Japan, the Czech Republic,'" Pillen said. "We were just (in the Czech Republic) after the election, they lived under oppression and only been free 35 years, they're incredibly grateful, said, without American veterans they wouldn't have the liberty." Davy's story begins in Boyd County, Nebraska, where he grew up and, at age six, started attending school near Monowi. After a short stint in South Dakota, his family moved back to Nebraska, first near Sunshine Bottom, where Davy worked the farm with his father. He was around 11 when he started shocking and threshing wheat and milking cows. "I began running a rack when I was 12," Davy said. "This would involve harnessing a team, driving to the field and begin to load bundles. This would be after helping to milk about 10 cows, washing the cream separator, feeding the horses, pigs, etc. Dad would leave for the threshing machine to grease it, fuel the tractor and perform any maintenance needed by the machinery. At the end of the day, Id head home, unharness and feed the horses, help milk and feed all the animals. Sleep? Yeah, about 10 to 4 a.m." He graduated from high school in Lynch in 1942 and briefly attended a machining school and worked in an Omaha munitions factory before enrolling in the U.S. Marine Corps on Aug. 19, 1942. After boot camp in San Diego, Davy attended aviation supply school, joining the First Marine Air Wing in Espiritu Santo near Australia. As a member of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, he worked unloading and loading ships under the First Marine Air Wing, receiving the rank of technical sergeant before returning to the U.S. in 1944. Back on the mainland, he was assigned to Quantico Marine Base, then to pre-preflight school in Murray, Kentucky, followed by preflight school in Athens, Georgia, and then primary training at the naval air base in Memphis, Tennessee. Davy received his discharge from Memphis in 1945 following Japan's surrender. He remained in the Marine Corps Reserve. Over the next several years, Davy had a few roles, most notably a job with Gateway Chemurgic. He also received a degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1950. After graduation he worked for Boeing in Wichita, Kansas as a buyer. That same year, he married his wife of 57 years, Shirley Sanderson of Marquette. In April 1951, the reserves called Davy to Camp Pendleton where he was part of the reactivation of the Third Marine Division. Shirley went to California until his discharge in 1952 when they returned to Nebraska for a while, then went back to Wichita. Through the rest of the 1950s and into the 1960s, Davy worked with the Musgrove Petroleum Co. as secretary-treasurer before adding Columbus to his story in 1961, joining Bill Rankin in the feed mill industry and eventually buying Henke Machine with Bill and his brother Dick. In 1962 the Davy family set up in Columbus and has remained in the area for decades since. In 1964, Davy and the Rankins designed a device called a Kwik-Mixer, which saw some widespread sales at the time. The Rankins sold in 1965 and in the late '60s, Wayne acquired Kools, a company that manufactured 54-inch blowers, and Myers-Sherman, which built industrial feed mixers in Illinois, prompting need of a new plant. Davy's sons, Kent, Keith and Kyle all worked there for a while. Davy served as president and general manager until his retirement in 1984, when he sold the company to another Columbus firm. During retirement, he and Shirley traveled, volunteered for Wycliffe Bible Translators, Highland Park Evangelical Free Church and SOWERs (Servants on Wheels Ever Ready). Davy was chairman of the Service Corps of Retired Executives, helped found the Columbus Berean Church and served on the Columbus Civil Service board. Outside of that, Davy also started a master's course in archeology and had interest in genealogical research, rock collecting and playing bridge. He currently resides near Ashland with his daughter, Kathleen. In his 100 years, Davy learned one simple thing that motivated him in all his endeavors take care of family. That's what brought him back to Nebraska in the first place, he said. With his four children and their families, including 11 grandchildren, Davy certainly has quite a lot of family to care about. Any living veteran who is a Nebraska resident (or was at the time of the war) and who served in the U.S. armed forces between Dec. 1, 1941, and Dec. 31, 1946, is eligible to receive a commemorative medal, provided they were not dishonorably discharged. Veterans may receive the medal in hometown ceremonies or at a large ceremony at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln planned for May 8, 2025, the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day. Also available are Hometown Heroes certificates for those who supported the war effort as civilians in roles such as joining the wartime workforce, serving as a member of the Crop Corps, growing a Victory Garden, providing nourishment to soldiers at a canteen or partaking in food rationing, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs website. To apply for the medal or Hometown Heroes certificate, or for more information about the program, visit Veterans.Nebraska.gov/world-war-ii-recognition-program, email ndva@nebraska.gov or call 402-471-2458. Scott McKinstry, a veteran bookseller who worked at a number of indies and served as a communications manager for the American Booksellers Association, died in Seattle on March 8. He was 60. McKinstry's career as a bookseller included stints at Hatchards in London, England; the Tattered Cover in Denver; and Books of Wonder in New York City, where he worked before joining the ABA in the late 1990s. After relocating to Seattle in 2001, McKinstry worked at Elliott Bay Books and Third Place Books, before switching from bookselling to health care in 2017, working for the Seattle Childrens Hospital until his retirement in 2020. According to an obituary drafted by his family, McKinstry was a lifelong lover of books and passionate advocate of reading. Microcosm Press sales director Kalen Landow, who worked with McKinstry at Tattered Cover, described him as an extraordinary bookseller, adding in an email to PW: Scott was one of the most remarkable (book) people I ever met. He was intuitive and had a gift for matching the right person (customer or colleague) with the right book in a way you don't always see. McKinstry was born in Kenmore, N.Y., in 1965 and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado and London's Central School of Speech and Drama with Fine Arts degrees in acting. He appeared in academic and professional stage productions in Buffalo, Denver, Seattle, London, and New York City and also cofounded the Mirror Players Shakespeare company in Denver. McKinstry is survived by his wife, Beth McKinstry, and daughter, Nina McKinstry. His family urges those who knew McKinstry to watch one of his favorite films, such as The Godfather I and II; Truly, Madly, Deeply; Local Hero; Wings of Desire; and Bee Movie. Booksellers and other readers are also urged to read books or plays by McKinstrys favorite authors: William Shakespeare, Italo Calvino, Alberto Manguel, and David Markson. Gifts in memory of McKinstry may be made to the ACLU, the Human Rights Campaign, or, his family says, "any organization that supports marginalized people or funds theatre education." A celebration of life for McKinstry will be held at Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum on Saturday, April 19, at 6:30pm. Premium online access is only available tosubscribers. If you have an active subscription and need to set up or change your password, please click here New to PW? To set up immediate access, click here. NOTE: If you had a previous PW subscription, click here to reactivate your immediate access. PW site license members have access to PWs subscriber-only website content. If working at an office location and you are not "logged in", simply close and relaunch your preferred browser. For off-site access, click here. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com. ODB Takes Devotional for Black Girls Minister and author Khristi Lauren Adams (Parable of the Brown Girl) has signed a world rights deal with Katara Patton, senior editor for the Voices imprint at Our Daily Bread, for Wisdom Speaks: Devotions for the Spiritual Journeys of African American Girls, which is slated for release in winter 2027. The 52-week devotional offers biblical wisdom, affirms cultural heritage, and promotes self-worth, resilience, and spiritual growth for Black girls, per the publisher. The author, who was represented in the deal by Jevon Bolden at Embolden Media Group, is a speaker, youth advocate, and ordained Baptist minister. Ishola Chooses Picture Books for WaterBrook Bunmi Ishola, senior editor at WaterBrook, has acquired two picture books for ages 4-8 by Tasha Jun, with illustrations by paper cut collage artist Shelley Hanmo. The first, You Are a Poem, is slated for publication in spring 2027 and based on a verse in Pauls letter to Ephesians, offering, per the publisher, an ode to every childs ancestry, culture, ethnicity, and all the things that make them Gods unique poems. The second, Soup is a Love Letter, is scheduled for spring 2029, and centers on a Korean American girl who thinks about the ways we give and receive love after seeing a love note in a classmates lunch box. The deal for world rights was brokered by Bolden at Embolden, on behalf of the author, and Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency, on behalf of the illustrator. Church Year Picture Book to Beaming Naomi Krueger, senior acquisitions editor at Beaming Books, acquired world rights to Around the Circle: Celebrating the Church Year, a picture book for ages 4-7 by Laura Alary and illustrated by Claire Westwood. The book introduces young children to the colors and symbols of the church year and how they connect to different parts of the story of Jesus and to their own lives. Publication is set for summer 2026. The author represented herself in the deal, while the illustrator was represented by Lucie Luddington at Luddington Creative. IVP Signs Devotional Art Guidebook Elissa Schauer, editor at InterVarsity Press, picked up world rights for Katy Roses spring 2027 release tentatively titled Art for Joy, a devotional art guidebook designed to build personal creative practices that have a lasting impact on the heart, mind, and world. The author is a contributor to several books and devotionals as well as a foster and adoptive parent, and teaches art at a treatment center for victims of human trafficking. Rose was represented by Don Pape of Pape Commons. Devotional for Special Needs Caretakers to WaterBrook WaterBrooks editor Estee Zandee has taken world rights to Camille Joys Moments of Joy, a devotional encouraging parents and caretakers of children with special needs. Bolden of Embolden negotiated the deal for the March 2026 release. Joy is the host of a podcast of the same name, and the creator of the REAL Moms Club online community. Middle Grade Guide to Judaism to Workman Kids Workman Kids editorial director Cheryl Klein and senior editor Alisha Zucker have acquired Carla Naumburgs From Matzah to Mitzvah: Everything You Need to Know About Jews and Judaism, an illustrated guide for middle grade readers and beyond on Judaismits history, values, people, and practiceset for publication in summer 2027. Naumburgs agent, Gillian MacKenzie of the eponymous agency, sold North American rights for the book. An illustrator has not yet been assigned. Tyndale Acquires Collide Founders Book Rebekah Von Lintel at Embolden negotiated world rights with Kara Leonino, acquisitions manager for nonfiction at Tyndale, for Willow Westons Collide: Running into the Healing Your Pain Longs For, which is set for release next year. Weston is the founder and director of Collide, a nonprofit ministry that assures women that, in facing pain in their life, they can collide with Jesus and find healing. Paracletes Raven Imprint Signs Taylor Novel Lillian Miao, director at Paraclete Presss Raven fiction imprint, acquired world rights to The Docent of Leningrad by prolific author Daniel Taylor, who represented himself in the deal. The tale recounts the siege of Leningrad through the eyes of a docent at the famous Hermitage Museum. The book, the publisher said, is set in a city starving during wartime, and follows a priest exercising his calling in the Gulag and the priests docent grandson, a lover of Rembrandts Prodigal who struggles with a secret sin. Publication is set for January 2026. IVP Signs Teaching Tool Modeled on Jesus IVPs associate editorial director Al Hsu took world rights, unagented, to the tentatively titled Teaching Like Jesus by David and Shannon Lamb. The book, the publisher said, focuses on Jesuss way of developing peopletelling stories, asking questions, etc. and applying those lessons to such structures of ministry as Sunday services, small groups, classrooms, retreats, and more. David Lamb is on staff at Missio Seminary in Philadelphia, while Shannon Lamb is director of learning and talent for the Mid-Atlantic region of InterVarsity. A spring 2027 release is planned. This month, Nebraska lawmakers will debate whether to pass legislation that makes Nebraska's electoral system "winner-take-all." In last Novembers election, four of the state's five electoral votes went to Donald Trump, with one from Nebraska's Second Congressional District (the "blue dot") going to Kamala Harris. Blue dot proponents hope the practice of splitting electoral votes in presidential elections (followed only by Nebraska and Maine) spreads to more states. Jane Kleeb, chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Party, said Nebraskans should be proud of the Second District's "blue dot" because it makes the state "unique." And so, Kleeb said, let the other states follow our lead in true representative democracy." She sees the blue dot as an opportunity to influence national politics and attract media attention; I see the "blue dot" as fomenting urban vs. rural resentment, and as a wedge that drives Nebraskans apart. The sharpest divide in American politics is urban vs. rural. Statistics show that roughly two-thirds of urban voters choose Democrat candidates; roughly two-thirds of rural voters choose Republicans. Though many Nebraskans can trace their family histories back to the farm, the growth of cities means more people are removed from those early pioneers who shaped our states identity. This principle holds true for other states. In February, Indiana's House of Representatives passed a bill to consider annexing 33 counties in rural Illinois, a move toward which some Illinois residents have worked for five years. Illinois ranks third nationally in the export of agricultural commodities, and rural residents believe their values and way of life are worlds away from Cook County and the city of Chicago. Like those Illinois residents, rural voters in Nebraska, especially in western Nebraska, argue that their interests are underrepresented in state politics. While the state's economy is anchored in Omaha and Lincoln, most of Nebraska is dedicated to the production of corn, soybeans, cattle, and other agricultural products. One of the goals of Nebraska politics should be to reconcile differences, to speak with one voice rather than two. That was the secret to Ben Nelson's winning campaign for Nebraska Governor in 1990. Nelson, a lawyer, reached out to people from across the state, encouraging a sense of solidarity in "One Nebraska." He asked voters to think about issues in terms of their families, neighbors, and community. Nelson said the secret to his success was to make government work for everybody, and to stop fighting over whether people are rural or urban. But the "blue dot" aggravates that division, splitting Nebraska's electorate and encouraging politicians to focus time, money, and attention on urban rather than nationwide issues. If rural Nebraska counties were to follow Illinois example, they certainly would find a more favorable tax climate in South Dakota or Wyoming. I hope they wouldnt find a stronger spirit of solidarity and state pride. To solve the problem, state legislators have put forward a "winner-take-all" bill to align Nebraska with 48 other states, though recent history suggests Legislative Bill 3 may not pass into law. Whatever the outcome of this legislative session, something needs to change. Less "blue dot" or "winner-take-all." More "One Nebraska," standing tall. John J. Waters is a writer in Nebraska, and this is his personal opinion. Follow him at @JohnJWaters1 on X. A new trailer for Karate Kid: Legends shows Ben Wang learning Miyagi-style karate from Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio. ADVERTISEMENT In the sequel film, Li Fong (Wang) has his life upended after a tragedy and a move from Beijing to New York City. "My mom wants us to leave everything behind," he says to Mr. Han (Chan) in the trailer released Tuesday. For Li Fong, that also meant leaving behind kung fu. But when he arrives in New York, he finds himself entering a karate competition, and Mr. Han seeks out Daniel LaRusso (Macchio). "Li means to me what you meant to Sensei Miyagi," Mr. Han tells LaRusso in the preview. Miyagi was portrayed by the late Pat Morita, and mentored LaRusso in the original films. "Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown," an official synopsis reads. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! The movie also stars Joshua Jackson Ming-Na Wen , Sadie Stanley and Shaunette Renee Wilson. Macchio also starred opposite Karate Kid co-star William Zabka in Netflix's Cobra Kai, which ran for six season. Netflix announced casting details for its upcoming series I Will Find You, which was inspired by a Harlan Coben novel. ADVERTISEMENT The streamer said Tuesday that the show will star Britt Lower (Severance), Milo Ventimiglia (This is Us), Logan Browning (Dear White People) and Erin Richards (The Crown). "The cast we've assembled is nothing short of phenomenal. Any one of these incredible artists would be a dream on their own," said showrunner Robert Hull. "The fact we've somehow drawn them all in is a testament to the power of Harlan's storytelling and the incredible support of everyone at Netflix." The actors join previously announced star Sam Worthington (Avatar), who portrays David Burroughs, a man wrongly convicted of murdering his son. "But when he receives word that his son may actually be alive, David must embark on a truth-finding mission that leads him out of prison and into a world of deceit and despair," an official synopsis reads. A release date has not yet been announced. Not all gun people are knife people, and not all knife people are gun people. Those of us who balance both (or who can at least appreciate both) without going too far overboard either way are probably the most well-adjusted. Nevertheless, there are folks who balk at carrying a pocketknife. They open their delivery boxes with a box cutter and probably never scrape weeds out of their driveways, but if you reach out to these folks and ask them, chances are that they have at least a half-dozen knives in their kitchen. Knives have been used for food prep for thousands of years. Although we mostly tend to segregate kitchen knives from EDC knives, there really is no reason to do so. Ive used my EDC knife to cut meat in an Asian restaurant that only had chopsticks, and Ive plucked more than a few steak knives off of tables for EDC carry in a few countries where knife carrying is frowned upon. You are more likely to use a knife to cut a piece of food into smaller pieces than you will need to use one to defend your life in a violent attack. While most knives will accomplish either task regardless of their design, its not a bad idea to look at knives intended for use as dining cutlery. Stainless steels are what you want for the most part so that acids from food dont cause permanent staining and so that they stand up to repeated washing with soap and water or even the dishwasher (we dont recommended putting kitchen knives in the dishwasher they should be cleaned by hand). Serrations are optional. Truthfully, a non-serrated edge is easier to maintain and keep sharpened, but serrations will be usable more often without repeated sharpening. A few of these options go beyond knife use and incorporate a spork or a fork. Every one sampled has been used in the field as camp gear as well as in high-end restaurants. If you might need something to just put in your pocket in case you get burned at a restaurant that doesnt do steak knives well, or at all, each of these designs has something to offer. These are all great alternatives to disposable plastic or even wooden cutlery, which potentially only clogs landfills and litter the oceans. All prices listed are MSRP. Quite a few of these can be found on retail shopping sites for quite a bit cheaper. CRKT EATN TOOL TITANIUM Knife designer and gourmet chef Liong Mah came up with this multi-tool. At first glance it looks like the familiar spoon/fork or spork, but Mah packed a lot more into this ingenious high-tech outdoor tool. First, there is an ergonomic spoon and a short-tined fork as the spork component. Secondly, theres a convenient bottle opener on one side. The right side of the handle gives you an emergency screwdriver blade or light use pry bar. Three metric wrench reliefs (10mm, 8mm, 6mm) are useful for emergency repairs. While not exactly cutlery in the strictest sense, it is convenient and a capable partner to any of the other knives here. SPECS: OAL: 4 inches Blade length: N/A Blade Steel: N/A Handle Material: Titanium Weight: 1.2 ounces MSRP: $14 PROS: Lightweight and convenient to carry Clip to a belt loop or throw in a pocket or pack inside a plastic bag There are stainless steel versions but this titanium one for only a few dollars more represents the best value. CONS: Depending on the food and the setting, it can be uncomfortable to use. A slight dull serrated section, like on a butter knife would have been more useful than metric wrench cutouts. PINELAND CUTLERY CARNIVORE DINING SET Pineland Cutlery is a division of Spartan Blades USA. While you may be familiar with Spartan for their badass combat knives, Pineland has a little bit of a different mission. The Carnivore represents a collaboration with V-Nives. This is a personal dining set consisting of a stainless steel knife and fork that can be disassembled and stored in a hard-sided carrying case smaller than a smart phone. The case includes a set of ceramic rods that can be threaded into the back of the case in order to sharpen your steak knife. It definitely excels in this role and has been put to the test in a number of fine steakhouses, greasy spoons, and campsites alike. The knifes blade is constructed of VG-10 stainless steel, and the handles are G-10, making the entire set dishwasher safe. The original prototype set was made with ebony handles. It was decided that the G10 would prove to be a bit more durable. SPECS: OAL: 5.25 inches Blade length 2.25 inches Blade Steel: VG-10 Handle Material: G10 Weight: 4.3 oz. MSRP: $120 PROS: The set works extremely well as table cutlery. The assembly is ingenious. It was usable right out of the box and came very sharp. The ceramic rods work well not only for the steak knife but for other pocketknives. They are not just a novelty. CONS: Always make sure you have a source of water to clean up after eating, a water glass in a restaurant is easy enough but try to think a little bit ahead in the field so as not to put dirty utensils back in the case. While many of the knives in this article can fill other roles, this should be strictly for meal prep. GERBER KNIVES TRI-TIP Gerber has been making knives and tools for over 85 years. They were one of the first manufacturers to actually work with custom knifemakers to bring about truly innovative ideas. The Gerber Tri-Tip is essentially a pocket-sized cleaver. Rather than just having the profile, this one has that weighted feel that a traditional kitchen cleaver has with a bias toward the front. If you have ever used a cleaver or Chinese hatchet in a kitchen for any length of time, you will know that feel and Gerber captured it in this mini rendition. Due to its small size, it might be easy to dismiss it as a novelty, but the Tri-Tip slices and dices with the best of them, and this has been part of our camp kitchen for quite a few years now. SPECS: OAL: 5.75 inches Blade length : 2.875 inches Blade Steel: 7Cr17MoV Handle Material: Anodized aluminum Weight: 6 ounces MSRP: $36 PROS: Small, light and handy, the Tri-Tip is more cleaver than knife and works great for chopping meat and vegetables. I was skeptical about the aluminum handle but it turned out to be quite comfortable. The ergos are very good on this one despite its smaller size. I could choke all the way up to the bottom of the blade and rest my thumb on the top for finer cutting tasks. CONS: A non-coated blade may have been a better choice than a black coated one, especially with food prep asits primary task. The belt slot on the sheath is a bit too long and relegates this as more of a piece to leave in a pocket, pouch, or in a pack as opposed to on-the-body carry. SPYDERCO SPYDIE CHEF Designed by renowned Polish custom knifemaker Marcin Slysz, the SpydieChef is an extremely refined folding knife that takes the user-friendly ergonomics and balance of a world-class chefs knife and translates them into an all-purpose, everyday-carry folder that is impervious to the elements. This is one of Spydercos famous Salt Series of ultra-corrosion- resistant knives. The blade is constructed of LC200N and has a nice curve to it. The broad profile of the blade coupled with the full-flat grind gives the user exceptional edge geometry that ensures precise, low-friction cutting performance. SPECS: OAL: 7.78 inches Blade length: 3.31 inches Blade Steel: LC200N Handle Material: Titanium Weight: 3.8 ounces MSRP: $404 PROS: LC200N might seem like a new blade steel, but this state-of-the-art nitrogen-based alloy is extremely corrosion resistant and is used by NASA for the ball bearings used in aerospace applications. The handle shape is a hallmark of Spydercos designs making for an extremely ergonomic design. Spydercos round hole makes for a fast manual opener. CONS: The wire clip, although robust, can be a bit tight at first. A bit small to be a true chefs knife, you will have to adjust your technique to get it to work well in that role. EMERSON KNIVES STEAK KNIFE Emerson Knives built its reputation by making knives for U.S. Navy SEALs and drawing on historical designs from different cultures. The key there is historical designs that actually work. The Steak Knife blade is a very capable drop-point style that slices through everything we threw at it: steak, chicken, pork, fish, cardboard boxes, paracord, you name it. Emerson almost exclusively uses 154CM steel these days on their factory knives, which is a great everyday steel to use. Richlite scales and titanium liners round out this knife, which has been a regular EDC piece for me since I received it. Made in the USA, but unlike most Emerson Knives, this one is not equipped with the Wave-shaped opening device, I can kind of see why as you dont need the wait staff at Ruths Chris dialing 911 for a customer whipping out a blade during dinner service, but I like my Emersons waved for the most part. SPECS: OAL: 8.8 inches Blade Length: 3.9 inches Blade Steel: 154CM stainless steel Weight: 5 ounces MSRP: $335 PROS: The blade is made from 154CM that means its tough, laser sharp, and rust resistant and it has an easily maintainable edge. It is very effective at cutting meat, especially steak. The Richlite scales are rock solid and very comfortable to hold. CONS: At almost 9 inches in total length, this can be a bit big for some folks. This knife is not equipped with the Wave-shaped opening device. BENCHMADE TABLE KNIFE Benchmade has always been a leader with regard to EDC knives but in the past few years they have plunged into the kitchen knife field with top-tier designs using top-tier materials, particularly with their Meatcrafter series. Most of their current lineup can be customized by the end user for a truly custom knife for use in the kitchen. You can choose from different steels, blade finishes, handle treatments, and even add logos or engraving. The Table Knife can be ordered in various sets or individually. They come in custom Birch boxes with magnetic lids for clean and easy transportation. The blade is ground at an optimal 14 degrees for perfectly carving up your meat. Whether you choose one as a personal steak knife for an exquisite meal or decide to use it as a scaled-down chefs knife, the Table Knife will definitely set you apart from the rest of your dining companions. SPECS: OAL: 9.22 inches Blade length: 5.13 inches Blade Steel: CPM-154 Handle Material: G10 Weight: 3.19 ounces MSRP: $220 PROS: The steel in this blade is CPM-154, a high-quality stainless steel that offers hardness, toughness, and excellent edge retention. The handle is very ergonomic. Serrations are placed toward the front of the blade and are sharp and chisel ground with no secondary bevel. This is a kitchen knife that means business. CONS: The Birch wood box is a work of art and thing of beauty but may be a bit bulky to take along to your local steak house. A belt sheath may have been more welcome here. CPM-154 is a great hard-use working steel. This one is DLC coated so it has proven resistant to the acids in tomatoes and other foods. The uncoated versions my not share this ability, though. TOPS KNIVES FROG MARKET SPECIAL TOPS Knives based the Frog Market Special on a design used by butchers and fishmongers in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Frog Market Special is the thinnest blade that TOPS has ever offered with a thickness of only 1/16 of an inch. This thinner steel allows for clean, smooth cuts and gives the blade added flexibility over thicker knives. The wide heel of the blade allows for deep, shearing cuts. The steep curve up to the edge slices well. The ergonomic handle is very comfortable. Its tip is ideal for boning meats like chicken and pork or slicing the fat cap off a brisket. Even though it is great in the kitchen, youll find a myriad of uses for it while camping, fishing, and hunting as well. SPECS: OAL: 9.5 inches Blade length: 5.25 inches Blade Steel: 1095 Handle Material: Tan canvas Micarta Weight: 3.5 ounces Price: $185 PROS: The cutting ability on this one are amazing. This is a great example of how each feature of the blade from thinness to curve, tip, and heel all come together to make for a perfect cutting tool. The handles are very ergonomic, and the Micarta gives you great purchase on it while working with wet or bloody meats. The tungsten carbide coating protects the steel from corrosion due to acids in food as well as rust. CONS: Although it can be used outside the kitchen, be careful you dont roll the edge while chopping. A butchers steel would have been a great accessory to hone out any nicks in the blade, especially if youre using it as a boning knife. Multiple international students at the University of Georgia have been affected by the recent wave of visa cancellations, though it is not publicly known at this time to what extent. Federal officials working under the Trump administrations orders have terminated hundreds of international students visas at universities across the U.S. over the past few days, often without notifying the universities administrators. So far, the visa cancellations have affected students at colleges all over the country, although a full list has yet to be revealed and it remains unclear to what extent UGA students have been affected. University of Georgia officials are aware that a small number of international students have been affected, and we are working to learn more about the situation, UGA spokesperson Greg Trevor said in an email statement to The Red & Black. Dividends paid by central public-sector enterprises (CPSEs) in 2024-25 are set to be the highest ever, with the government receiving 69,873 crore so far. A government official said he was hopeful the receipts would touch 70,000 crore in the last week of the financial year. In FY24, the government had received 63,749.3 crore, the highest till then. In FY25, the highest payer is Coal India (10,252.09 crore), followed by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (10,001.97 crore), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (3,562.47 crore), Telecommunications Consultants (India) (3,761.50 crore), and Hindustan Zinc (3,619.06 crore). The government last year revised the dividend policy for CPSEs. According to the new guidelines, each CPSE must pay a minimum annual dividend of 30 per cent of its profit after tax (PAT) or 4 per cent of its net worth, whichever is more, unless prevented from doing so by legal provisions. For CPSEs in the financial sector, such as non-banking financial companies, the minimum annual dividend has been set at 30 per cent of PAT, subject to legal limits. The policy says the stated minimum dividend is just a benchmark, and CPSEs are encouraged to pay more, taking into consideration factors like profitability, capital expenditure, cash reserves, and net worth, while maintaining proper financial leverage. According to the Public Enterprises Survey, there are 272 operating CPSEs, of which 212 in FY24 together reported net profits of 3.43 trillion, around 48 per cent higher than 2.18 trillion during FY23. Dividend payout to shareholders, including the government, by the 12 public-sector banks rose 33 per cent to 27,830 crore in FY24, indicating a significant improvement in their financial health. Nearly 65 per cent of the dividend (18,013 crore) went to the government. The PSBs recorded their highest ever aggregate net profit of 1.41 trillion in FY24 and their net profit in the nine months (April-December) of this financial year is 1.29 trillion. In FY24, State Bank of India (SBI) contributed over 40 per cent of net profits, according to the published numbers on the exchanges. SBI rang up profits of 61,077 crore, 22 per cent higher than in the previous financial year (50,232 crore). The commerce ministry is working on different scenarios to assess the possible fallout of reciprocal tariffs to be imposed by the US administration on April 2 on its key trading partners including India, sources said. Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Reuters US President Donald Trump has said that April 2 will be 'Liberation Day' as he plans to announce tariffs or import duties to bring down America's trade deficit, and promote the country's manufacturing. India and the US are also working on a bilateral trade agreement to promote two-way commerce and investments. The domestic industry and exporters have raised concerns over the possible impact of the US' reciprocal tariffs on India's exports as the duties could make the goods uncompetitive in the global markets. The US is the largest trading partner of India. While responding to questions in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said India will be "dropping its tariffs very substantially". "I heard that India, just a little while ago, is going to be dropping its tariffs very substantially. "I said, why didn't somebody do this a long time ago. A lot of countries are going to be dropping their tariffs... "If you look at the European Union on cars, the European Union already dropped their tariff to 2.5 per cent. "It was announced a couple of days ago. A very small tariff. The United States charged very little," Trump said. Just a few hours before Trump's comments, the White House said India imposes 100 per cent tariff on American agricultural products. Sources in New Delhi on Tuesday said that the impact of the US tariffs may vary from sector to sector and the ministry is preparing different scenarios. These scenarios would be important to help domestic companies deal with these duties as it is still uncertain about the quantum and the manner in which the US is planning to impose the tariffs. According to the US Trade Representative's (USTR) National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report 2025, India maintains "high" import duties on a wide range of American goods such as agricultural items, drug formulations, and alcoholic beverages, besides imposing non-tariff barriers. The Indian industry and government officials are uncertain about the quantum of these duties. It is still unclear how the tariffs will be applied - whether at the product level, sector level, or country level, another source said. Currently, US goods face a weighted average tariff of 7.7 per cent in India, while Indian exports to the US attract only 2.8 per cent, leading to a 4.9 per cent difference. Indian farm exports to the US currently face a 5.3 per cent duty, whereas US farm exports to India face a much higher 37.7 per cent, creating a 32.4 per cent gap. Trade experts said that at the broad sector level, the potential tariff gaps between India and the US vary across the sectors. The gap is 8.6 per cent for chemicals and pharmaceuticals, 5.6 per cent for plastics, 1.4 per cent for textiles and clothing, 13.3 per cent for diamonds, gold, and jewellery, 2.5 per cent for iron, steel, and base metals, 5.3 per cent for machinery and computers, 7.2 per cent for electronics, and 23.1 per cent for automobiles and auto components. The higher the tariff gap, the worse affected a sector will be, think tank GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava has said. India's exports to the US span 30 sectors, with six in agriculture and 24 in industry, each facing different tariff impacts. Experts have stated that agri sectors which could be impacted more due to the imposition of reciprocal tariffs include fish, meat, processed seafood, shrimp, sugar, cocoa, rice, spices, dairy products, edible oils, wines, and spirits. Similarly, industrial goods which could attract these duties and may get impacted include pharmaceutical sector, diamonds, electrical and telecom equipment, machinery, boiler, turbine, computer, certain chemicals, textiles, fabrics, yarn, carpets, tyres, and footwear. Further, sources said that Indian companies too have flagged certain non-tariff barriers which they face in the US. The barriers include the US banning export of wild-caught shrimp from India on the grounds that Indian trawler vessels were not using Turtle Excluder Devices; private standards of American companies; and high registration costs for sectors like pharma. The commerce ministry is developing a portal for registering non-tariff barriers (NTBs) faced by exporters and taking up with the concerned countries for their resolution. "The portal is currently working on beta mode. It may take about two months for formal launch. "One of the sections of the platform will be opened for the public also," one of the sources said. Cases where the barrier is impacting a large volume of goods will be prioritised for their redressal. From 2021-22 to 2023-24, the US was the largest trading partner of India. The US accounts for about 18 per cent of India's total goods exports, 6.22 per cent in imports, and 10.73 per cent in bilateral trade. With India, America has a trade surplus (difference between imports and exports), of $35.32 billion in goods in 2023-24. It was $27.7 billion in 2022-23, $32.85 billion in 2021-22, $22.73 billion in 2020-21 and $17.26 billion in 2019-20. We have entered a new era in human history, asserts Aakar Patel. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump at the White House iftar dinner, March 27, 2025. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters The combined American and European share of the world economy exceeded 50% from the beginning of the 20th century right up till 2009, when it was 51%. After that year it has been declining. It was 43% last year and it will fall further. Europe is stagnating economically. The European Union's combined GDP grew by less than 1% last year and less than 1% the year before that. It may grow at 1% this year, but there are no long term high growth prospects. The United Kingdom grew under 1% in 2023, under 1% in 2024 and might grow at 1% this year. America grew at 2% last year and faces a recession this year, meaning a contraction in its economy. The people in the US, the UK, the European Union, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are together 10% of the world's population. Meaning that 90% of the world had a smaller share of the economy than what is referred to as 'the West' till 2009. But this is changing quickly. And the rest of the world's champion of change is, of course, China. Its share of global GDP was 1% in 1990, 3% in 2000, 9% in 2010 and today it is 17%. India's was the same at China's in 1990 and today it is 3.6% (of a total global GDP of around 108 trillion dollars). India has done reasonably well but the real engine of global growth for the last 30 years has been our neighbour. The spectacular and rapid rise of China has produced anxieties in 'the West', that is seeing its total dominance over the globe begin to slip. The Western media's consistent attacks on China's infrastructure projects in Africa and Latin America and South East Asia reveals this, along with yearly reports for the last 20 years that China's economic success is soon about to end. These anxieties are also revealing themselves in European politics and in the US. America's love for Donald Trump is premised essentially on two issues. One is stopping immigration from non-white nations and deporting those already in the US; and the other is the desire to stop being 'ripped-off' by poorer nations that export goods to the US. Americans have a per capita GDP that is more than six times that of Mexicans and 30,000 dollars a year more than that of Canadians but they feel aggrieved. This year according to the International Monetary Fund, American per capita GDP is likely to be just short of $90,000. To put that in perspective, India's is less than $3,000 per person per year. The US is also at full employment, meaning that pretty much everyone who wants a job can find employment. By any measure, Americans are among the most successful and most privileged people in the world and yet they are angry over the rise of others. And the principal target is China. Trump wants to bring the jobs that Chinese are doing to the US, jobs especially in manufacturing. In 1990, manufacturing's share of the US economy was 16%. Today it is 10%. Manufacturing output rose from about $1 trillion in 1990 to $3 trillion today. So manufacturing grew, but at a slower pace than the rest of the economy. Jobs in manufacturing fell from about 18 million to about 12 million. So fewer American workers in manufacturing today produce more than 3 times what was produced in 1990. The reason is of course automation and efficiency. The US produces roughly the same amount of steel today as it did in 1990, about 80 million tons. The number of Americans hired in steel plants, however, has fallen from 512,000 in 1980 to 270,000 in 1990 to 70,000 last year. An America that would take the jobs in manufacturing today being done in China to replace their workers in services and elsewhere would see a fall in economic output. People would be shifted from doing more productive work to less productive work. And yet that is what is being attempted under Trump. This is being done in two ways. The first is blocking all competition. Chinese electric cars face 100% tax when imported into the US, meaning they will cost twice as much. If an American would pay that tax they would still not be able to drive their Chinese car because of a ban on Chinese car software. The US commerce department says 'cars have cameras, microphones, GPS tracking, and other technologies that are connected to the internet... and that the Commerce Department is taking a necessary step to safeguard US national security and protect Americans' privacy by keeping foreign adversaries from manipulating these technologies to access sensitive or personal information.' This ban serves the purpose of both protecting US firms and denying China. The second way is through universal tariffs and we will see what that means on April 2 when they are unveiled. This will affect the whole world, including US allies in Europe, Canada and Australia, who are bewildered because they thought themselves till this January as being partners of the US. The rise of the rest of the world has produced these fractures. Will the US response ensure it does not slip further relative to the poorer nations? Of course not. China and India and Africa and Latin America will continue to grow. The dominance of the US and Europe and their influence will continue to decline, as they are forced to share power. What 'the West' could do 100 years ago, it no longer can. We have entered a new era in human history. Aakar Patel is a columnist and writer and you can read Aakar's earlier columns here. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com There is a proposal from the BJP camp that they would resort to a proportion-based increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats for individual states, based on what they now have. On the face of it, this sounds like a fine argument that those demanding a 'freeze' now cannot oppose without reasons and justification, avers N Sathiya Moorthy. IMAGE: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin addresses the Joint Action Committee meeting for Fair Delimitation, in Chennai, March 22, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo Barring a few nuggets and issues that were not addressed, the inaugural meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of 23 parties on delimitation, hosted by Tamil Nadu Chief minister M K Stalin on March 22, 2025, ran on predictable lines. There was the unanimous resolution urging the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Centre to put off delimitation by another 25 years. Though the rationale was not explained, it was a sound suggestion as the new deadline would fall five years after the formulation of the next edition of the National Population Policy, due in 2045, and all stake-holders would have a fair idea of what's in store for them to come up with options, suggestions and decisions. Under such circumstances, it does not matter that the JAC also proposed to retain the 1971 Census figures for effecting delimitation. Either the suggestion is redundant or self-contradictory. There's nothing in between, for the JAC's two proposals to go together in the same resolution. The JAC speeches were all on predictable lines. Talking to newsmen outside the conference venue, Telangana's Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi Working President K T Rama Rao made two interesting points. His first suggestion was to link the increased number of Lok Sabha seats not to population figures, but growth figures instead. Rama Rao pointed out how the southern states together accounted for only 19 per cent of the nation's population but contributed 36 per cent earnings. Other speakers reiterated their known positions, that their states were all being 'penalised' for growth and the consequent success in stabilising their population. But Rama Rao came up with a suggestion to reward them, and also linked it to delimitation. While his suggestion can be discussed, it's as much debatable, too. Rama Rao's second proposal was for effecting population-based increase in the number of assembly seats in individual states even while maintaining the status quo on the number of Lok Sabha seats for another 25 years. It sounds logical, but only up to a point. The number of Rajya Sabha seats for each state, too, is linked to its population. So, while freezing the number of Lok Sabha seats, care should also be taken to freeze the number of Rajya Sabha seats, including state-wise figures. IMAGE: M K Stalin, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi Working President K T Rama Rao and others during the meeting for Fair Delimitation in Chennai. Photograph: ANI Photo Even without it, there will be a need to freeze the number of Rajya Sabha seats if the Lok Sabha seat number is to be frozen for 10, 15 or 25 years or whatever. Even without it, there will be the problem of number of members 'nominated' to the Rajya Sabha, by the President of India, as and when delimitation covers the Lok Sabha. In tune with the number of Lok Sabha seats in each state, there would be a corresponding increase in the number of Rajya Sabha seats -- both based on the new population figures. For the same reason, states like Tamil Nadu that stand to lose a number of Lok Sabha seats if delimitation is carried out before NPP-2045 and is also based on population, will also lose on the Rajya Sabha seat-count, precisely for the same reason. Then the question may arise on increasing the number of 'nominated' seats. At present it is 12, and owes to the socio-cultural milieu as existed at the turn of Independence. Today, with vast and varying diversification of the socio-economic structure and greater focus on subjects like environment, and also science and technology, for instance, there may be a need to increase that number. Yet, that number, if increased, should not be too huge to make it a larger constituency of the party in power. The purpose of parliamentary democracy would be served if and only if the final decision derives from a widespread national discourse even on this limited subject. IMAGE: Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai and supporters protest against the JAC meeting in Chennai. Photograph: ANI Photo Overall, the outcome of the Chennai consultations is not what it produced but in the decision of the participating political parties that they are here to stay and together, on this one score. It is unclear if Telangana's Congress Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had the party high command's clearance, but his announcement that they would have the next JAC meeting in Hyderabad is an endorsement that the latter is alive to the needs of the South. Interestingly, Odisha's Biju Janata Dal leader and five-time chief minister Naveen Patnaik addressed the Chennai session through video-conferencing, and endorsed the outcome. As is known, Patnaik had kept aloof from all presumably 'anti-BJP conclaves' of the kind when he was in power, but the rout his BJD faced in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections last year, that too at the hands of the one-time BJP 'friend' (?) has forced him to scramble for friends from other regional parties. Yet, it remains to be seen if Patnaik or even Kerala's CPI-M chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will attend the Hyderabad conclave. More than in Odisha, it's in Kerala that the Congress-UDF is the main electoral rival still of the ruling CPI-M-led LDF. There can be no question of Revanth Reddy not inviting either of them, but it is not easy especially for his Kerala counterpart to attend it and face cadre-wrath back home. Already, the delimitation talk and conclave from down south should have embarrassed the DMK's north Indian allies. If Patnaik and Rama Rao could participate when they are not in power, questions will be asked as to why the Samajwadi Party from Uttar Pradesh and the Rashtriya Janata Dal from Bihar, both the DMK's partners in the INDIA combine, stayed away. The answer is equally simple, as they are the 'target states' when the discourse is on population-centred delimitation. The same argument can/cannot apply to West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee and her ruling Trinamool Congress. Was it because West Bengal may stand to gain in a population-centred delimitation, or because Stalin chose to invite also chief ministers from the CPI-M and Congress, or because through this one issue, after NEET, NEP and 'Hindi imposition' Stalin has hijacked her claims to become the possible central force in any 'third front' of the future? IMAGE: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi along with party MPs stage a protest on the issue of delimitation at Parliament House, March 20, 2025. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo There is some truth in Union Home Minister Amit Shah's early offer that Tamil Nadu would not stand to lose any Lok Sabha seats in the event of a population-based delimitation. There is also a proposal from the BJP camp that they would resort to a proportion-based increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats for individual states, based on what they now have. On the face of it, this sounds like a fine argument that those demanding a 'freeze' now cannot oppose without reasons and justification. However, this would negate the very purpose of the nation waiting from 2000 (when the BJP's Atal Bihari Vajpayee was prime minister) to this day, hoping for a stabilisation in population-growth across the country. Then and now, the expectation and goal were only for achieving 'population stabilisation' only by NPP-2045. Any delimitation with or without reference to population any time soon could prove to be a disincentive for 'population stabilisation' across the country, if it's one reason in this regard. Already, Tamil Nadu's Stalin is on record, urging people in his state to have more children, as fewer heads in the state than earlier has proved to be a 'disincentive' in terms of parliamentary representation. Of course, he was not serious about it, nor are the state's people going to take it seriously. The irony is that even before Stalin, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, an NDA member, had made such an appeal to people in his state. Of course, the Naidu government promises to incentivise larger families to offset an ageing population -- which incidentally is also going to be a national problem, in the decades to come. Such policies to address the issue of an ageing population is going to be a standalone affair when it hits the nation in its face, and there is a need for evolving a national policy on the same, even without having to wait for NPP-2045. Rather, that policy should derive from population growth, 'ageing anomalies' and the like, which will become known only after the decennial Census, which has already been delayed beyond the nominal 2021 -- yet, that issue would not have any direct correlation to delimitation, after all. N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and author, is a Chennai-based policy analyst and political commentator. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com In a stunning celebration of culture and unity, 11,000 women in Surat set a new Guinness World Record by performing the traditional Ghoomar dance in perfect sync on Rajasthan Day, marking the largest-ever simultaneous folk dance performance. IMAGE: 11,000 women performed the Ghoomar at the Marudhar Maidan in Surat, March 31, 2025, at an event hosted by the Rajasthan Yuva Sangh on the occasion of Chaitra Navratri. All photographs: ANI Photo Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com A special court in Mumbai has ordered that 14 properties belonging to Tiger Memon, one of the alleged masterminds of the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, and his family be handed over to the central government. These properties were in possession of the Bombay high court's receiver since 1994 following an order of the TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court. The 14 properties include a flat in a building in Bandra (West), an office premises in Mahim, an open plot in Mahim, a vacant plot and a flat in Santacruz (East), two flats in a building in Kurla, an office on Mohammed Ali Road, a shop and plot in Dongri, three shops in Manish Market and a building on Sheikh Memon Street, Mumbai. On March 12, 1993, a series of 13 blasts rocked various parts of Mumbai, claiming 257 lives and injuring more than 700 others. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later conducted a probe into the blasts case. In an order passed last week on March 26, special TADA court judge V D Kedar said the "possession of the immovable properties needs to be handed over to the central government". The properties forfeited to the Centre are "free from encumbrances" and as such the "Central government through the competent authority is entitled to get possession of 14 immovable properties," the order said. The competent authority, under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, SAFEM (FOP) Act, had sought the release of the properties. The plea said the function of the SAFEM (FOP) Act is to trace the illegally acquired properties of smugglers and drug traffickers and order for their forfeiture to the central government. The forfeiture proceedings were initiated against Memon on the basis of a detention order issued by the Maharashtra government in 1992 under provisions of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Act, 1974, it said. Thereafter, the competent authority in 1993 ordered the forfeiture of various properties under the SAFEM (FOP) Act. However, subsequently the said properties were in 1994 attached by the special TADA court, conducting trial in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, and were in the possession of the high court since then, it said. The court had issued notices to Tiger Memon and his family in regard to the competent authority's plea. They, however, did not file any response. The special judge, then, after going through the documents on record, held that it is necessary to set aside the attachment (order) passed in 1994. The possession of the immovable properties needs to be handed over to the central government through the applicant (competent authority) in view of the forfeiture order passed in the year 1993, the plea added. As per the CBI, the 1993 blasts were masterminded by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim with the help of his lieutenants Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa, allegedly at the instance of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI. While Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon are still wanted accused, the latter's brother Yakub Memon was convicted in the case and hanged to death in 2015. The death toll from the gas cylinder blast at a house at Dholahat in West Bengal's Pathar Pratima has risen to eight after one more person succumbed to injuries on Tuesday morning, the police said. IMAGE: Wrecked remains of the house after a blast at an illegal firecracker factory triggered by a cylinder blast, at Dholahat near Patharpratima, in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, April 1, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo The explosion triggered a massive fire, which was intensified by the presence of stacked firecrackers inside the house, they added. The incident sparked a political war of words, with the Bharatiya Janata Party demanding a National Investigation Agency probe, while the Trinamool Congress dismissed these claims, stating that police are already investigating and the state government has a "zero-tolerance" policy towards such incidents. Victim Sutapa Jana, who had suffered 75 percent burns, died at the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday morning. The blast, which took place on Monday night, initially claimed the lives of seven people, including four children. They are Prabhabati Banik (80), Arabinda Banik (65), Swantana Banik (28), Arnab Banik (9), Anushka Banik (6), and six-month-old twins Asmita and Ankit Banik. Chandrakanta Banik and his brother Tushar Banik, the two other members of the family, have been accused of being involved in illegal manufacture of firecrackers. ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar said investigation was still underway. "We are finding out whether Chandrakanta and Tushar had proper licence for manufacturing or storing firecrackers. We have filed cases under relevant sections," he said. Sarkar emphasised the need for greater awareness among those involved in firecracker manufacturing industry. "There is a need for public awareness regarding it. We will hold a meeting with those involved in the industry and ask them not to keep firecrackers piled up in residential areas," he said. Police have filed cases of storing dangerous materials at the house. The charges include unintentional murder and violations of fire safety regulations. Earlier in the day, Sunderbans SP Koteswara Rao said the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder and clarified that no firecracker manufacturing unit was operational inside the house. "(To suggest) that there was a firecracker manufacturing unit running inside the house is wrong. It was a residential building... No firecracker unit was operating there," he told PTI. Rao said the investigation is ongoing to determine whether some items found in the house were raw materials for manufacturing firecrackers. Locals and witnesses have disputed the police's claim, alleging that the site contained materials for making firecrackers and explosives. Eyewitnesses reported finding drums filled with firecracker explosives near the house. The explosion occurred at a two-storey house where 11 family members were residing. Chandrakanta Banik had been arrested a few years ago for a similar offence involving the illegal sale and storage of firecrackers but was later released. Police are examining whether the materials found at the scene were linked to manufacturing firecrackers. Governor CV Ananda Bose expressed his condolences to the victims' families and assured measures would be taken to prevent such incidents. "Accidents are not accidental. There is human failure behind it. The primary responsibility to enforce safety laws lies with the government," he said. The Governor also mentioned that he might visit Pathar Pratima after further reviewing the situation. BJP state president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar raised concerns about illegal bomb-making factories, saying, "The entire South 24 Parganas is sitting on a pile of gunpowder, thanks to the mushrooming illegal bomb-making factories run by Jihadis, with blessings of the TMC." Majumdar added that he would write to the Union home ministry, requesting an NIA probe. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also raised suspicions, alleging that the house was a "crude bomb manufacturing unit." He posted on X, "How many more tragedies will take place before serious action is taken? The DGP @WBPolice must answer why the State of West Bengal is sitting on a pile of crude bombs? Absolutely no accountability for such incidents in WB. The inefficient Police Minister Mamata Banerjee is to be blamed for allowing this to happen." TMC MLA from Pathar Pratima, Samir Kumar Jana, said the Banik family had an authorised firecracker manufacturing unit a few meters away from the house. "They were running the business for quite some time, and I have information they had the license. Last night, the blast took place in their house. Probably they had stored some raw materials for firecracker production there, leading to this disaster," he said. TMC state vice-president Jaiprakash Majumdar said police are investigating the incident and emphasised that the state government has zero tolerance toward such negligence. The police have filed charges under several sections of the BNS, including Section 287 (dealing with negligent conduct involving fire or combustible materials), Section 288 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substances), Section 110 (deals with culpable homicide), and Section 125 (endangerment through rash or negligent actions). Additional charges have been filed under The West Bengal Fire Services Act. On February 12, 2025, four people, including women, died in a massive explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in Kalyani Rathtala, Nadia district. In May 2023, 11 people died in an explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in Purba Medinipur's Egra, and in August 2023, an explosion in Duttapukur, North 24 Parganas, claimed seven lives. A green flag put up at a temple in a village in Maharashtra's Beed district briefly triggered tension in the area, police said on Tuesday. Image used for representational purposes. Photograph: ANI Photo Later, the police spoke to local residents belonging to two different communities on Monday and brought the situation under control, they said. A festival was held in Pachegaon village of Beed and an annual yatra was taken out from the Kanifnath temple there on the occasion of Gudi Padwa on Sunday. Some persons put up a green flag at the temple besides a saffron flag on Monday, when Eid was celebrated. This led to tension in the village for sometime, an official from Georai police station said. The police later spoke to members of two different communities in the village and both the flags were removed from the religious structure, the official said. No case has been registered in this connection, the official said. Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that India's northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity. IMAGE: Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Photograph: @ChiefAdviserGoB/X The remark, apparently made during Yunus' recent four-day visit to China, surfaced on social media. Yunus, who met President Xi Jinping and signed nine agreements with Beijing during the trip, said, The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean. Calling Bangladesh as the only guardian of the ocean in the region, he said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy. Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economy advisory council, posted the video on X and questioned why Yunus mentioned India's northeastern region. Interesting that Yunus is making a public appeal to the Chinese on the basis that 7 states in India are land-locked. China is welcome to invest in Bangladesh, but what exactly is the significance of 7 Indian states being landlocked? he said. Yunus, while embarking on his return journey on Saturday, said in China that it is important for his country to see Beijing as a good friend. It's very important that we see China as our good friend, Yunus said, projecting Beijing as a balancing factor against New Delhi. He expects bilateral relations to enter a new stage, Yunus told Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency in an interview. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described Yunus's remark as "offensive and strongly condemnable". "The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh, the so-called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable," Sarma posted on X. "Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," he added. Sarma pointed out that the remark underscores the "persistent vulnerability narrative associated with India's strategic 'Chicken's Neck' corridor". "Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically. Therefore, it is imperative to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chicken's Neck corridor," he said. Sarma also called for the prioritisation of exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to the rest of India, effectively bypassing the 'Chicken's Neck'. He said that this may pose significant engineering challenges, but it can be achieved with "determination and innovation". After reaching China on March 26, Yunus spoke at Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan and on March 27 joined several events on the sidelines. On Saturday, Yunus received an honorary doctorate degree from Peking University (PKU) and also delivered a lecture on the occasion, the state-run news agency BSS said. China and Bangladesh on Friday signed nine agreements after Yunus' meeting with President Xi Jinping during which the Bangladesh chief adviser highlighted student protests that led to regime change in Dhaka and urged Beijing to play a greater role in establishing peace and stability. Additionally, Bangladesh secured a commitment of USD 2.1 billion in investments, loans and grants from the Chinese government and its companies. Bangladesh welcomed Chinese companies to participate in the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP), according to a joint statement issued after the meeting between Yunus and Xi. Leaders of India and China exchanged congratulatory messages on Tuesday, marking the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations amid efforts to reset the ties after over four years of freeze due to the eastern Ladakh military standoff. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, in Kazan, Russia, October 23, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Today marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a media briefing here answering a question. President Xi Jinping and his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu, besides Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged congratulatory messages respectively, he said. Both countries are ancient civilisations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South and both are in a crucial stage of modernisation, Guo said. "The historical course of our bilateral relations shows that being partners that contributed to each other's success and the cooperative dance of 'the dragon and the elephant' is the right choice for both sides," Guo said. "Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of our two countries, China stands ready to work with India to view and handle bilateral relations with a strategic and long-term perspective and take this occasion as an opportunity to enhance strategic mutual trust and step up exchanges and cooperation in various fields," Guo said. He was referring to how Modi and Xi provided strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations at their meeting at Kazan in Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS summit last year. The two sides are implementing the consensus of the two leaders and are promoting cooperation and achieving fruitful outcomes. Both the countries should also deepen communication and coordination in major international affairs, jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development, Guo said. To a question about the plans by both the countries to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, he said the two sides have the willingness to take the occasion to advance the bilateral relations. Details of the specific events will be released in due course, he said. After last year's meeting between Modi and Xi, both countries held a series of high level meetings, including that of the Special Representatives of the boundary mechanism followed by the visit of foreign secretary Vikram Misri to Beijing for talks to normalise relations after the four-year freeze in relations due to the Ladakh standoff. This year, on March 25, India and China held a fresh edition of diplomatic talks in Beijing focusing on ensuring effective border management and early resumption of cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including on trans-border rivers and resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. In the meeting of WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination) on China-India Border Affairs, the two sides explored various measures and proposals to give effect to the decisions taken during talks between NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue in December. On the following day, Gourangalal Das, the joint secretary in the MEA's East Asia division, and Liu Jinsong, the director general at the Chinese foreign ministry's department of Asian Affairs met in Beijing during which they explored ways to rebuild ties and agreed to initiate efforts to promote people-to-people exchanges, including arrangements for resumption of direct flights and resume Kailash Manasarovar Yatra this year. In the meeting, the two sides also discussed resumption of dialogue mechanisms in a step-by-step manner to utilise them to address each other's priority areas of interest and concern and move the relations to a more stable and predictable path, ministry of external affairs had said in a press release. The Lok Sabha will take up the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill for discussion and passage on Wednesday, setting the stage for a showdown between a government determined to push it through and an Opposition united in condemning the proposed law as unconstitutional. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo Rajya Sabha is expected to take it up on Thursday, with the two Houses allocated eight hours each for debating the proposed law. Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal-United, Shiv Sena and Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas -- the four biggest constituents of the National Democratic Alliance after the Bharatiya Janata Party -- issued whips to their MPs asking them to support the government stand. Some BJP allies, sources said, continue to push for more changes in the bill. A senior member of a BJP ally expressed hope that the saffron party will accommodate their views, stressing that some of their concerns were addressed by the Joint Committee of Parliament which scrutinised the bill. However, he emphasised that the NDA will remain united on the issue. The Opposition INDIA bloc also presented a united face on Wednesday as its parties discussed their joint strategy to oppose the bill at a meeting in the Parliament House. Minorities and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters that the Lok Sabha's business advisory committee, which includes leaders from all major parties, chaired by Speaker Om Birla agreed on an eight-hour debate, which could be extended after taking the sense of the House. The early signs of a likely raucous debate between the treasury and opposition benches over the bill were visible during the meeting as the Congress and several other opposition INDIA bloc members walked out of the meeting, accusing the government of stifling their voice. However, the political heat and length of the debate are unlikely to have any bearing on the final outcome as the numbers heavily favour the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha. Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi alleged that their voices were being ignored and said the opposition parties wanted more time to debate and the House to take up more issues, including the situation in Manipur and the row over electors' photo identity card. Rijiju said several parties wanted four to six hours of debate, while those from the opposition demanded 12 hours. He noted that the allotted period of eight hours can be extended if the House feels so on Wednesday. The Rajya Sabha BAC met later where it was decided to have a discussion on the bill on Thursday, by when the Lower House is expected to deliver its verdict. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen member Asaduddin Owaisi, a sharp critic of the bill, told reporters that he will put forth his view during the debate to show how "unconstitutional" it is. This bill is aimed at curbing the religious freedom of Muslims, he alleged, adding that people will teach BJP's allies like TDP and JD-U a lesson. The NDA has 293 MPs in the Lower House with a current strength of 542, and the BJP has often been successful in pulling the support of independent members and parties. Some major BJP allies like the Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal-United and Chirag Paswan-led LJP-Ramvilas had expressed reservations over some aspects of the bill but have since become more agreeable after the parliamentary committee adopted a few of their suggestions, official sources have said. The BJP and the Congress are among the parties that have issued whips to their MPs, asking them to ensure their presence in the House and support their party's official stand. While the number game is more even in the Rajya Sabha, it is still in favour of the BJP-led NDA. The Upper House is expected to take up the bill for passage after it gets the nod of the Lok Sabha. After the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, the Church of Bharat on Tuesday extended its support to the bill, boosting the government's efforts to dispel the bid to portray the proposed law as its alleged larger anti-minority agenda. While introducing the bill last year, the government had referred it to a joint committee of the two Houses. After the report was submitted by the panel, the Union Cabinet had approved certain changes to the original bill based on the committee's recommendation. Rijiju said immediately after Question Hour which concludes at 12 noon, he will move the bill for consideration and passage. Hitting out at the opposition, he claimed that some parties are trying to create excuses to run away from the discussion. Gogoi said the opposition stormed out of the BAC meeting as the government was bulldozing through its agenda. There is no space for the opposition, he alleged. The INDIA bloc parties discussed their strategy at the meeting attended by a number of senior leaders including Congress' Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal, Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, NCP's Supriya Sule, TMC's Kalyan Banerjee and AAP's Sanjay Singh. DMK's T R Baalu, Tiruchi Siva and Kanimozhi, RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha, CPI-M's John Brittas, SPI's Sandosh Kumar P, RSP's N K Premchandran and MDMK leader Vaiko were also present in the meeting. Opposition parties are strongly opposed to the bill, slamming it as unconstitutional and against the interest of the Muslim community. Several leading Muslim organisations have been rallying support against the bill. The government has said the bill seeks to improve the management and administration of Waqf properties in India by bringing transparency and efficiency in their management. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on Tuesday said government money should not be spent on the maintenance of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, a demand coming amid right-wing outfits' push for its removal. IMAGE: Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Photograph: ANI on X A memorandum listing five demands related to the tomb, an Archaeological Survey of India-protected monument located in Khultabad in central Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, was submitted to collector Dileep Swami by a local delegation of the Raj Thackeray-led party. A board with the message, "We, Marathas, have buried Aurangzeb here who came to finish us" should be installed at the site, said the MNS. According to the memorandum, any decoration done near the tomb should be removed and the area housing the structure should be under CCTV surveillance. Also, government money should not be spent on maintenance of the structure. The party said students of schools in the district should be sent on study tours of the tomb so that they know the history associated with the controversial medieval-era Mughal emperor, who ruled from 1658 to 1707. The MNS's memorandum comes amid demand by right-wing outfits to remove Aurangazeb's tomb. On Monday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said whether people like the Mughal emperor or not, his tomb is a protected monument, but his glorification will not be allowed. Addressing his annual Gudi Padwa rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Sunday, MNS president Raj Thackeray slammed attempts to incite communal tension over Aurangzeb's tomb and said history shouldn't be viewed through the prism of caste and religion. He asked people not to rely on WhatsApp forwards for historical information. The Mughal ruler wanted to "kill a thought called Shivaji" but failed and died in Maharashtra, asserted Thackeray. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has defended his administration's warning to Muslims against offering namaz on streets, saying roads are meant for the movement of traffic. IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath . Photograph: ANI Photo He also told Muslims to learn religious discipline from Hindus who took part in the massive Maha Kumbh mela without any incident of crime, destruction or harassment. In an exclusive interview to PTI, Adityanath slammed critics of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. He said Waqf boards have become a den of selfish interests as well as loot khasot (property grabbing), and have done little for the welfare of Muslims. Citing examples of charity in fields like education and health by Hindu temples and mutts, he asked if any Waqf board has done welfare work like this despite having properties many times more. Forget about the entire society, have Waqf properties been used for any welfare of Muslims, he asked. He said, "It (Waqf) has become a medium to capture any government property. This reform is the need of the hour, and all reforms draw opposition. I believe Muslims will benefit from this (proposed law)." The monk-politician, who has emerged as one of the more popular BJP leaders due to his unapologetic hardline Hindutva views and image of a tough administrator against criminals, rejected criticism of any discrimination against Muslims. Muslims are 20 per cent of the state's population but their share is 35-40 per cent among the beneficiaries of government welfare schemes, he said, asserting that he does not believe either in discrimination or in appeasement. "We always keep ourself away from appeasement. Any needy who is a citizen of India should get every benefit of the government," he said. With his "bulldozer model" now adopted by other states too as a show of quick justice despite frequent questions over its legality, Adityanath told PTI that he did not consider the popular practice as an achievement but a necessity. The bulldozer can be used to create infrastructure and remove encroachments as well, he said. "It seems to me that we have shown how it can be used in a better way." He claimed that none of the adverse Supreme Court observations against bulldozer action relates to his state, adding the apex court has in fact appreciated the guidelines adopted by Uttar Pradesh. Asked about the row over the warning by his administration in Meerut against offering namaz on roads, he staunchly defended the government move saying there was nothing wrong in it. "Roads are meant for walking. And those who are speaking (against the decision) should learn discipline from Hindus. Sixty-six crore people arrived in Prayagraj. There was no robbery, destruction of property, arson, abduction. This is called religious discipline. If you want benefits, you should also follow discipline," he said. Podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia on Tuesday filed an undertaking in the Supreme Court saying he would maintain decency in his shows. IMAGE: Podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia. Photograph: Courtesy Ranveer Allahbadia on YouTube Senior advocate Abhinav Chandrachud informed a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh that his client had filed an undertaking and joined the case's investigation. Chandrachud sought a modification of the top court's conditions, asking Allahbadia to deposit his passport and saying it affected his livelihood. The senior counsel said Allahbadia had to travel abroad to interview different people, which required holding several rounds of meetings. The bench said if Allahbadia went abroad, it was bound to affect the investigation and asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing Maharashtra and Assam governments, about the time-frame to complete the probe. Mehta said, though he did not seek any instruction on the same, the investigation was likely to be over in two weeks. The bench said it would consider Allahbadia's prayer for releasing the passport two weeks later. On March 3, the top court allowed Allahbadia to resume his podcast "The Ranveer Show" subject to maintaining "morality and decency" and making it suitable for viewers of all ages. Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, was booked for his comments on parents and sex on comic Samay Raina's YouTube show India's Got Latent. On February 18, the top court granted interim protection from arrest to Allahbadia while calling his comments "vulgar" and saying he had "dirty mind" which put the society to shame. Aside from Allahbadia and Raina, others named in the case in Assam are comics Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and Apoorva Makhija. 'The intensity and frequency of heatwaves will be much higher than in previous years over Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.' IMAGE: People shield from the blistering sun at Red Fort in Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo If 2024 was the warmest year in recorded history, 2025 might be worse. States like Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh are already recording temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. With heatwaves arriving earlier than expected, in late February, scientists and meteorologists warn of more frequent and severe extreme weather events in 2025. Rising sea surface temperatures could have widespread effects on urban infrastructure, real estate, pharmaceuticals, energy, and agriculture. February this year was the hottest in 125 years, despite La Nina's cooling influence. In April and May, most of India -- except for the southern, extreme northern, and northeastern regions -- will likely experience above-normal maximum temperatures and increased heatwave days, according to the India Meteorological Department. Heatwaves typically occur from March to June, but can sometimes extend into July. When temperature deviations touch or exceed 4.5C, coastal regions of India are classified as experiencing a heatwave. Meteorologists attribute the early heatwave to an extremely dry winter season, among other factors. "This year, the country experienced one of the driest winters in recent memory," said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, Meteorology and Climate Change, Skymet Weather, a Noida-based private weather forecasting agency. "An anticyclone over Madhya Pradesh has been pushing warm easterly winds across the West Coast, delaying sea breezes while prolonging land breezes, contributing to rising temperatures." High humidity levels near the coast, he added, have worsened discomfort. While pre-monsoon activity may begin in April over northern India, particularly Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and western Uttar Pradesh, temperatures are expected to remain above normal, he said. "The intensity and frequency of heatwaves will be much higher than in previous years over Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha, while northeast India and the southern peninsula will experience frequent showers on and off." Vineet Kumar, a scientist at the blog, Vagaries of Weather, was of the view that it is earlier to predict record-breaking temperatures with certainty. He did, however, add that there is an ongoing warming trend. "Over the last 100 years, data shows a significant increase in temperatures." According to the IMD, the all-India annual average temperature is rising at 0.68C per century, while winter and monsoon temperatures are increasing at 0.73C and 0.45C per century, respectively. The warming of the sea surface in the western equatorial Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea might also be increasing rainfall. Last year, a study by Advancing Earth and Space Sciences revealed that summer monsoon rainfall in northwest India had increased by 40 per cent between 1979 and 2022 compared to the 1980s. A warming carbon sink Greenhouse gas emissions hit record highs in 2023, with carbon dioxide levels exceeding 420 ppm and methane emissions rising nearly 14 per cent over the past decade. This is causing Arctic ice loss, ocean heat retention, and worsening wildfires. Around 90 per cent of the energy trapped by greenhouse gases is stored in oceans. In 2024, ocean heat content reached its highest level in the 65-year observational record. Each of the past eight years has set a new record, with the rate of ocean warming over the past two decades being more than twice that of 1960 to 2005, according to a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) report this month. "As a result, 2025 is expected to see more frequent and severe extreme weather events," warned Saunak Saha, partner-Climate Change and Sustainability Services, EY India. "Ocean warming is expected to persist, with sea surface temperatures exceeding 21C, driving stronger tropical cyclones and coastal flooding. "Precipitation patterns will be disrupted, causing droughts in some regions and deadly floods in others." Urban stress Saha cautioned that rising global temperatures will intensify urban heat stress and push cooling energy demands above 10 per cent of the total electricity consumption. A recent report by Sustainable Futures Collaborative, a New Delhi-based research organisation, found that nine cities -- Bengaluru, Delhi, Faridabad, Gwalior, Kota, Ludhiana, Meerut, Mumbai, and Surat -- are the most vulnerable to future heat, affecting over 11 per cent of India's urban population. Increasing heatwaves will impact public health, especially outdoor workers, reducing productivity, said Umamaheshwaran Rajasekar, advisor-Urban Resilience, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. "Rising temperatures lead to increased evapotranspiration, higher water demand, and lower water availability," he added. A report by the water resources department projected that India's water demand, including drinking water, would rise to 1,093 billion cubic meters (BCM) in 2025 and 1,447 BCM by 2050, up from 813 BCM in 2010. Rajasekar pointed to the cascading effects of heat -- on public transport users, in water quality degradation due to increased algae growth, and a rise in waterborne diseases. Health and economy In 2024, India recorded 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases and over 100 deaths by mid-June, according to a UN report. With the Met bureau's grim forecast, Dileep Mavalankar, former director of the Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, warns of increased morbidity, mortality, and economic loss. He suggests higher budget allocations, appointing chief heat officers in major cities and rural districts, improving emergency response systems, ensuring water availability, planting trees, and modifying work patterns to mitigate heat effects. The pharmaceutical industry, meanwhile, may experience disruptions in supply chains and manufacturing, affecting medicine demand due to shifting disease patterns. Extreme weather events such as droughts and floods could significantly impact India's economy. According to the Asian Development Bank, climate change may lead to a 24.7 per cent GDP reduction. "Governments may face fiscal strain as disaster recovery costs rise, requiring greater investment in climate adaptation and resilience. This could shift budget priorities, diverting resources from infrastructure and social programmes," said Sen of EY India. The financial sector may also face disruptions. "Rising insurance claims and underinsured losses could strain insurers and reinsurers, increasing costs for businesses and households," Sen said. "Investors may shift capital toward climate-resilient assets, accelerating ESG-driven investment trends but also creating market volatility." Call for action For long-term economic stability, businesses may need to integrate climate risk assessments into their strategies; financial institutions may refine climate risk pricing; and policymakers may accelerate adaptation investments to mitigate economic shocks, Sen said. Experts also recommend measures such as scheduling extended work hours in the evening instead of peak afternoon heat, adopting sustainability practices, and energy efficiency. Governments, they said, must enhance climate adaptation policies, carbon taxation, and disaster preparedness. It's time for a 360-degree approach to strengthen climate resilience and drive the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy. The other suggestions included embedding ESG considerations into lending and investment strategies to shift capital toward green infrastructure; expanding access to green bonds, sustainability linked loans, and climate transition finance; and adopting climate tech solutions like AI-driven risk analytics, IoT-based environmental monitoring, and blockchain for carbon tracking. Nature-based solutions such as afforestation, wetland restoration, and regenerative agriculture are also critical to mitigate climate risks while supporting biodiversity and sustainability goals, they stressed. 2024 2024 was the hottest year on record, with temperatures touching 1.55C above pre-industrial level (WMO). 322 322 out of 366 days last year, India witnessed extreme weather events, up from 318 days in 2023. Fatalities rose to 3,472, an increase of 15% in three years (CSE) A slow burn: February in 2025 was the hottest in 125 years On February 25, Goa and Maharashtra recorded Indias first heatwave of 2025 and of the winter season (IMD) On March 15, Odisha and Jharkhand recorded the first warm night of the year. In 2024, Gujarat & Maharashtra had recorded the years first warm night on March 27 (IMD) Long-term global warming is estimated between 1.34C and 1.41C above pre-industrial levels, with 1850-1900 as baseline (WMO) Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com NOVI SAD, Serbia -- On the shelves in one of the many Chinese-owned stores here in Serbia's second-largest city are earbuds packed in a white cardboard box that reads "iPod." Customers might think they're getting something produced by US electronics giant Apple. But eagle-eyed buyers might notice something else is off besides the cut-rate price -- just under $2 -- for such earbuds, which typically cost around $20 in Serbia. The box reads "Apple Earphone" -- in the singular, rather than plural. And it says the contents were "made in Califomia" -- with "m" instead of "rn" in the name of the state where Apple is headquartered. The earbuds are among the flood of Chinese-made goods masquerading as famous Western brands that have poured into the Balkans and crowded shelves in shops owned by Chinese immigrants that have mushroomed across the region in recent years. There is no exact data on the total volume of Chinese goods shipped into the Balkans for sale as counterfeit Western products, which include not only fake Apple electronics but also shoes, clothing, and products billed as global brands like Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Hugo Boss, Armani, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. But customs data suggests the number runs at least in the hundreds of thousands of units annually, and RFE/RL's Balkan Service has established at least one route by which these products make it to Balkan store shelves -- including a stopover in an Italian port with notorious mafia connections. A Serbia-based Chinese businessman who was until recently active in the import-export business said that around 85 percent of these goods that arrive in Serbia are shipped from the port of Ningbo on China's eastern seaboard. Up to 2,000 items can be transported per container, making control of each item difficult, the businessman said on condition of anonymity due to possible legal repercussions. "Customs cannot check every container and every product," he said. The wholesale purchase of these counterfeit items is typically conducted with cash and between parties who know one another and have longstanding business relations, he added. The businessman said that from Ningbo, goods are shipped to the Italian port of Gioia Tauro in Italy. From there, he said, counterfeit goods are transferred in smaller ships to ports in Rijeka, Croatia; Bar, Montenegro; and Kopar, Slovenia. RFE/RL's Balkan Service independently corroborated this route with customs authorities in Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Italy. After reaching Slovenia, Croatia, or Montenegro, the counterfeit goods are then transported to Serbia via road and rail, the Serbian Customs Administration told RFE/RL. The agency said that last year alone its officers seized 104,000 products due to suspected intellectual property rights violations, while more than 61,000 items were destroyed -- mostly textiles. Croatian customs officials told RFE/RL that they handle around 600 cases of suspected intellectual-property infringement cases annually, primarily at ports in Rijeka and Ploce but also at the Bajakovo border crossing with Serbia. Around 85 percent of these goods come from China, and the majority of the goods are counterfeit EU and US brands, they said. The Montenegrin Customs Administration told RFE/RL that China remains a key country of origin for all types of counterfeit goods. Montenegrin customs officers last year seized 5,274 counterfeit items from China, up from 3,303 the previous year, it said. The Chinese Connection The Balkans region has become strategically important for China, which has invested in massive infrastructure projects there and signed a free-trade agreement with Serbia that has been in place since July 2024. A majority of the Balkan countries are not members of the European Union but are part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure development strategy launched by Beijing in 2013 that some Western governments warn could lead to excessive debt to China. Chinese exports to Serbia rose an average of 16.7 percent annually from 2018 to 2023, jumping from $1.8 billion to nearly $4 billion in that period, according to the most recent data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity, a trade data platform. Among dozens of China-based companies offering their products to the Balkan market through local Serbian companies is Shenzhen VBO Industrial Co., which produced earbuds that appear identical to those in the counterfeit Apple box in the Novi Sad shop visited by reporters. The company did not respond to a request for comment about its products being sold under the Apple brand. Based in the Tianan Cyber Industrial Park in the city of Shenzhen in southeastern China, the plant covers 6,000 square meters and specializes in producing audio equipment. Shenzhen VBO Industrial's website lists the price for the earbuds that reporters bought in the Novi Sad shop as $0.69-$0.99, and they are sold in a box without an Apple label. It is unclear whether the headphones that reporters found in Novi Sad were bought directly from the Chinese firm or from intermediaries in Serbia. In neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina, RFE/RL's Balkan Service visited Chinese-owned stores and observed other counterfeit US brands, including Nike sneakers for $20 and Tommy Hilfiger shirts for $11 -- significantly cheaper than the originals. 'Low Risk, High Profit' RFE/RL's Balkan Service sought comment from the Italian financial police -- the Guardia di Finanza -- about Italy's role as a stopover for counterfeit Chinese goods that are shipped on to the Balkans. Officials there responded with an October 2023 press release describing an "illegal assembly line" of counterfeit products involving Italian and Chinese organized crime -- and indicating that counterfeit labels and packaging are added to some of these goods after arrival from China. Italian financial police did not respond to specific questions about Gioia Tauro, the port in the Italian province of Calabria that the Serbia-based Chinese businessman called a key stopover for counterfeit goods coming to the Balkans from China. But the Gioia Tauro port is known as a hub for drug trafficking allegedly linked to the the notorious Italian crime syndicate known as the 'Ndrangheta. Italian authorities in 2022 and 2024 said they uncovered 'Ndrangheta-linked criminal networks suspected of smuggling hundreds of millions of euros' worth of cocaine into Europe through Gioia Tauro, an operation that allegedly involved corrupt port employees. Ruggero Scaturro, a senior analyst with the Switzerland-based NGO Global Initiative, described Gioia Tauro as the place where the legal and illegal intertwine under the firm grip of the Ndrangheta. "In essence, Gioia Tauro operates in a dual reality: a major commercial hub where anyone can theoretically trade, but one where the rules of access for illicit goods are dictated by the Ndrangheta," Scaturro, whose organization monitors global organized crime worldwide, told RFE/RL. He underlined that between Asia, the Middle East, and the EU, the Balkan region functions as a natural gateway for goods moving westward and that it remains a key distribution point. "Counterfeit trafficking is rarely an isolated business but is often managed by the same criminal networks that control other illicit businesses," Scaturro said. "The appeal is clear: While drug trafficking carries severe legal consequences, counterfeit smuggling remains a relatively low-risk, high-profit enterprise, making it a lucrative secondary business for these groups," he added. Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik met with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a surprise visit to Moscow as lawmakers back home warned the nationalist leader was putting Bosnia-Herzegovina's EU drive at risk. Dodik, who left Bosnia even though he's the target of an international arrest warrant over accusations that he flouted the Balkan country's constitution, posted a video of himself on social media on April 1 in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier along the wall of the Kremlin. "I start every time I stay here with a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to pay my respects to the 28 million Russians who died in World War II," Dodik said in the video posted on X shortly after he arrived in Moscow. He provided no agenda for his visit but said he would "be here again on May 9 at the invitation of the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism." Hours later, Dodik said on the X social network that he had his "26th meeting" with the Russian president, stressing that "Putin knows the details, the overall situation that is happening" in Republika Srpska" and "is interested in everything" that ordinary residents of the entity are concerned about. Dodik's statement was accompanied with a video showing him shaking hands with Putin before the talks. "Russia is a very important country for Republika Srpska in the [UN] Security Council, and it has always been objective. Russia is the guarantor of the peace agreement and Putin said that at the meeting," Dodik's statement said, adding that Russia will advocate for the end of the work of international institutions in Republika Srpska. Dodik, who is the president of Republika Srpska, is currently under US and UK sanctionsfor actions Western governments say are aimed at the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia. The Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina on March 27 requested the international arrest warrant after Dodik failed to respond to a summons from the Prosecutor-General's Office on suspicion that he committed the criminal offense of attacking the constitutional order of Bosnia. The move came after the court issued a national arrest warrant on March 18. Bosnian Foreign Minister Elemdin Konakovic warned after meeting OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu on April 1 that Dodik's moves "are trampling the interests of the state," especially Bosnia's path to European Union membership. Sinirlioglu warned that Dodik's disregard for Bosnia's constitution could lead to serious internal consequences for the country and "also lead to far-reaching consequences for peace and stability in the region." In his video from Moscow, Dodik spoke of the suffering of Russians and Serbs in the defeat of fascism. "Some are trying to revise history. It is impossible to do so, but those who want to do so are openly trying to distort historical facts," he said. "But the historical fact about the suffering of the Russian and Serbian people, and the Jewish people during World War II is simply impossible to change." Dodik also spoke highly of Putin, whom he has met several times since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and described as "the historic leader of the Russian people." He added that Putin has welcomed "another counterpart who is important to him in the fight against the globalist elite, and that is [US] President [Donald] Trump." The Bosnian court requested the international arrest warrant for Dodik and for Nenad Stevandic, speaker of the Republika Srpska Parliament, on suspicion of the same crime -- attacking the constitutional order of Bosnia. Dodik announced his arrival in Moscow on March 29 but did not provide details. Republika Srpska in mid-March adopted a draft of a new constitution that would redefine the Serb entity as a state of the Serbian people, grant it the right to self-determination, and establish its own army. These provisions would be directly in conflict with the Bosnian Constitution and the Dayton peace accords, which established Republika Srpska as one of Bosnia's two entities. Throughout his tenure as president of Republika Srpska, Dodik has faced criticism for authoritarian tendencies, undermining democratic institutions, and fostering a culture of political patronage. Supporters argue that he has brought stability and development to the entity, while opponents charge that his leadership has deepened divisions among the country's ethnic communities and eroded the state's institutional integrity. With reporting by AFP Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods. I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I am drilling down on two issues: When Russia could get sanctions relief and Marco Rubio's first NATO ministerial. Briefing #1: EU Won't Lift Sanctions On Russia -- Yet What You Need To Know: In recent weeks, the United States, Russia, and Ukraine have been sketching out cease-fire frameworks: one aimed at protecting energy infrastructure like power plants and transmission lines and another focused on reducing military activity in the Black Sea. One of Moscow's big asks has been publicly communicated: sanctions relief. In a Kremlin statement issued after the Black Sea cease-fire agreement on March 25, Moscow declared it would only observe the deal if the West partially lifted sanctions imposed following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. This demand includes lifting restrictions on fertilizer exports and the insurance companies that cover them, as well as reconnecting several Russian banks to the SWIFT global payment system. Several EU leaders have already dismissed Moscow's request, most notably during a March 27 meeting in Paris , where top officials from more than 30 countries gathered to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. When I spoke with numerous European diplomats, they all pointed out that the White House statement released the same day made no mention of sanctions relief. As one EU ambassador put it to me, referring to the recent cease-fire talks in Riyadh: "No deal was made on this in Saudi Arabia, so therefore nothing to decide for us." Deep Background: The Europeans have obviously not been present at the cease-fire talks, but they do have a rather large say on Russia sanctions. SWIFT is a Belgian company, for starters, and the EU has "de-SWIFTed" 23 Russian banks so far, including big ones such as Sberbank and Bank Otkritie. They are also aware that Russia's trade relations with Europe run deeper than they do with the United States. Even before the full-scale invasion, US exports to Russia amounted to less than 0.5 percent of total American worldwide exports. For the EU, that figure was 6 percent, which is equivalent to 250 billion euros ($272 billion). So, when wide-ranging EU sanctions were imposed, it hit Moscow harder. The EU's sanctions czar, David O'Sullivan, estimates that restrictive measures have deprived Russia of more than 450 billion euros ($490 billion) in revenue since early 2022. So, are the Europeans considering even a partial easing of sanctions on Russia? The answer I consistently hear is a simple "no" or "we will decline this." Officials point to Russia's ongoing drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, as well as the conclusions of a recent EU gathering, which signaled a potential ramping up of measures rather than a relaxation of pressure. As the Main Results of the March 20 European Council meeting on Ukraine put it: "The European Union remains ready to step up pressure on Russia, including through further sanctions and by strengthening the enforcement of existing measures." The European Commission has not yet invited EU member states for so-called sanctions confessionals to discuss a new sanctions package, which would be the 17th in three years, but they are looking into things like closing sanctions circumvention loopholes. Drilling Down The conclusions of the European Council meeting on March 20 were approved by 26 out of 27 EU member states. The one not aligning? Hungary, which for a long time has been critical of EU sanctions . . This is significant for one reason: lifting EU sectoral sanctions requires unanimity, and that simply doesn't exist right now. As noted above, many member states are calling for more sanctions, not fewer. But here's the catch: Every six months, in January and July, the entire sanctions package must be extended -- and that also requires unanimous approval. It is here where Hungary, and potentially others, might want to come in and start scaling down. In January, Budapest was threatening the entire rollover and only gave the green light after getting written assurances that Russian oil would continue to flow into Hungary. that Russian oil would continue to flow into Hungary. EU diplomats I've spoken to are already fearing what the July sanctions extension might look like and what concessions they may have to make to secure a rollover as a whole. The regular EU summit at the end of June will likely involve intense horse-trading on this, with Hungary eyeing more frozen EU funds for itself and several member states eager to launch EU accession talks with Kyiv by the summer -- a move Budapest has blocked so far. De-SWIFTing some banks and allowing Russian fertilizers into the bloc again are obviously low-hanging fruit in this regard. But this will, of course, depend on what the situation looks like on the ground in Ukraine at that time. One thing is clear, however: Despite immediate rejections from European diplomats, Moscow has planted a seed. As one European diplomat put it to me: "I believe it is a smart salami method the Russians have started here. Already into the cease-fire talks, they bring far-reaching demands that, in fact, belong more in a comprehensive peace deal discussion. It should be us this time who are 'transactional' and give this powerful tool away only for a fair price." So what could this fair price be? In a sense, European officials will look to Kyiv to provide the answer. But according to those I've spoken with, the contours could include limited sanctions relief in exchange for freezing the front lines, no recognition of occupied territories as Russian, and continued Western military deliveries to Ukraine, with the snapback option of sanctions if breaches occur. The question is whether Brussels and Kyiv can get Moscow to agree to such a deal and what the United States will think of it. Briefing #2: Rubio Comes To Brussels What You Need To Know: On April 3-4, NATO foreign ministers will gather in Brussels for their regular spring meeting. Much like the defense ministerial in February, all eyes will be on the American representative. Then, it was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; this time, it's Secretary of State Marco Rubio. When Rubio was first slated for the role in the new Trump administration, most Europeans rejoiced. He was seen as an ardent "transatlanticist." Now, there is a certain nervousness, according to NATO diplomats I have spoken to. While some say, "He still gets us and the alliance," they wonder what influence he really has within the US government and what he will say when it comes to Ukraine, Russia, and China. Two things, however, are apparent. Just like Hegseth, Rubio will hammer home the message that European allies need to step up on defense spending and burden sharing. And, just like in February, the allies will hope that the United States reconfirms its commitment to NATO and its mutual defense clause, Article 5. Since the only other NATO gatherings before the alliance's June summit are an informal foreign ministers' meeting in Turkey in mid-May and a defense ministers' session in early June, this week's meeting serves very much as a dress rehearsal for the summit in The Hague on June 24-26. The goal for that meeting is clear: Keep the alliance together by ramping up defense spending considerably. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is pushing for every ally to commit to spending at least 3.7 percent of gross domestic product on defense as quickly as possible and with regular progress reports. This push is aimed at placating US President Donald Trump at the summit, but some European allies will be reluctant to commit too much on defense too soon given they are struggling with low growth and ballooning budget deficits. Deep Background: Perhaps the one thing to look out for during the ministerial is the session devoted to NATO-EU relations, with the latter being represented by the European bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. Rubio snubbed Kallas when she traveled to the United States earlier this year, and all EU diplomats I have spoken to admit that Washington doesn't see the EU as a serious interlocutor. There is also plenty of tension, not least when it comes to the European Commission's latest defense spending proposal: a potential 150 billion euro ($163 billion) loan for EU member states to buy arms, though not from non-European countries. The United States is especially wary of any moves that would lock it out of a European defense-spending splurge. But the biggest irritant, of course, is the fraying relationship on trade. Just one day before the NATO meeting, the United States is set to impose a 25 percent tariff on all vehicle imports, a move that will hit countries like Germany especially hard. This follows existing US duties on European steel and aluminum, which Brussels is planning to counter with retaliatory measures on April 13. Drilling Down Another guest at the ministerial is Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. An update on the situation on the battlefield is expected but, again, it will be Rubio who is in the spotlight. Will the United States increase pressure on Russia in case the cease-fire deals concerning infrastructure and Black Sea traffic aren't holding? While Ukraine's membership in the alliance is off the table for now, most European allies are keen to at least get assurances that US weapons will continue to go to Ukraine and that NATO's training mission for Ukrainian soldiers, NSATU, continues to operate. So far, everything is still working. There also haven't been any changes when it comes to US troop posture on NATO's eastern flank. What has changed, however, is that the United States is no longer chairing the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, known as the Ramstein group, which coordinates military support for Kyiv. The United Kingdom already chaired the last meeting of the group in February, and the next one tentatively scheduled for April 11 could be co-chaired by the UK and France. Expect London and Paris to also continue working, at least on the sidelines of the ministerial, on a potential reassurance force in Ukraine should a permanent cease-fire take hold. However, details such as troop numbers, participating countries, and the exact mandate will have to remain sketchy for now. What's become increasingly apparent is that work on a new NATO strategy for Russia has stalled. The strategy -- defining how the alliance should engage with Moscow going forward -- was supposed to be endorsed at the Hague summit. But Washington has indicated that it wants to avoid introducing potential "irritants" on the path to a final peace deal, and such a strategy document could be exactly that. Finally, the foreign ministers of NATO's four Asia-Pacific partners -- Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea -- will also be participating in a session at the explicit request of the United States. While the US administration sees Beijing as a rival, its public criticism of China has so far been relatively muted. In this session, ministers will be keen to hear Rubio's take on how to approach a range of China-related issues. Looking Ahead Look out for the first ever EU-Central Asia leaders' summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on April 4. European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet with the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to discuss issues that include energy cooperation, Russian sanctions circumvention, and expanding trade opportunities. That's all for this week! Thank you all for your wonderful feedback on last week's issue . Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on Twitter @RikardJozwiak, or on e-mail at jozwiakr@rferl.org . Until next time, Rikard Jozwiak If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition subscribe here . In recent weeks, the United States, Russia, and Ukraine have been sketching out cease-fire frameworks -- one aimed at protecting energy infrastructure like power plants and transmission lines and another focused on reducing military activity in the Black Sea. One of Moscow's big asks has been publicly communicated: sanctions relief. In a Kremlin statement issued after the Black Sea cease-fire agreement on March 25, Moscow declared it would only observe the deal if the West partially lifted sanctions imposed following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. This demand includes lifting restrictions on fertilizer exports and the insurance companies that cover them, as well as reconnecting several Russian banks to the SWIFT global payment system. Several EU leaders have already dismissed Moscow's request, most notably during a March 27 meeting in Paris, where top officials from more than 30 countries gathered to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. When I spoke with numerous European diplomats, they all pointed out that the White House statement released the same day made no mention of sanctions relief. As one EU ambassador put it to me, referring to the recent cease-fire talks in Riyadh: "No deal was made on this in Saudi Arabia, so therefore nothing to decide for us." EU Trade Relations With Russia The Europeans have obviously not been present at the cease-fire talks, but they do have a rather large say on Russia sanctions. SWIFT is a Belgian company, for starters, and the EU has "de-SWIFTed" 23 Russian banks so far, including big ones such as Sberbank and Bank Otkritie. They are also aware that Russia's trade relations with Europe run deeper than they do with the United States. Even before the full-scale invasion, US exports to Russia amounted to less than 0.5 percent of total American worldwide exports. For the EU, that figure was 6 percent, which is equivalent to 250 billion euros ($272 billion). When wide-ranging EU sanctions were imposed, it hit Moscow harder. The EU's sanctions czar, David O'Sullivan, estimates that restrictive measures have deprived Russia of more than 450 billion euros ($490 billion) in revenue since early 2022. Are the Europeans considering even a partial easing of sanctions on Russia? The answer I consistently hear is a simple "no" or "we will decline this." Officials point to Russia's ongoing drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, as well as the conclusions of a recent EU gathering, which signaled a potential ramping up of measures rather than a relaxation of pressure. As the Main Results of the March 20 European Council meeting on Ukraine put it: "The European Union remains ready to step up pressure on Russia, including through further sanctions and by strengthening the enforcement of existing measures." The European Commission has not yet invited EU member states for so-called sanctions confessionals to discuss a new sanctions package, which would be the 17th in three years, but they are looking into things like closing sanctions circumvention loopholes. Lifting EU Sanctions Requires Unanimity The conclusions of the European Council meeting on March 20 were approved by 26 out of 27 EU member states. The one not aligning? Hungary, which for a long time has been critical of EU sanctions. This is significant for one reason: Lifting EU sectoral sanctions requires unanimity -- and that simply doesn't exist right now. As noted above, many member states are calling for more sanctions, not fewer. But here's the catch: Every six months, in January and July, the entire sanctions package must be extended -- and that also requires unanimous approval. It is here where Hungary, and potentially others, might want to come in and start scaling down. In January, Budapest was threatening the entire rollover and only gave the green light after getting written assurances that Russian oil would continue to flow into Hungary. EU diplomats I've spoken to are already fearing what the July sanctions extension might look like and what concessions they may have to make to secure a rollover as a whole. The regular EU summit at the end of June will likely involve intense horse-trading on this, with Hungary eyeing more frozen EU funds for itself and several member states eager to launch EU accession talks with Kyiv by the summer -- a move Budapest has blocked so far. De-SWIFTing some banks and allowing Russian fertilizers into the bloc again are obviously low-hanging fruit in this regard. But this will, of course, depend on what the situation looks like on the ground in Ukraine at that time. One thing is clear, however: Despite immediate rejections from European diplomats, Moscow has planted a seed. As one European diplomat put it to me: "I believe it is a smart salami method the Russians have started here. Already into the cease-fire talks, they bring far-reaching demands that, in fact, belong more in a comprehensive peace deal discussion. It should be us this time who are 'transactional' and give this powerful tool away only for a fair price." So what could this fair price be? In a sense, European officials will look to Kyiv to provide the answer. But according to those I've spoken with, the contours could include limited sanctions relief in exchange for freezing the front lines, no recognition of occupied territories as Russian, and continued Western military deliveries to Ukraine, with the snapback option of sanctions if breaches occur. The question is whether Brussels and Kyiv can get Moscow to agree to such a deal and what the United States will think of it. Protesters rallied outside the parliament building in Tbilisi for the latest in a months-long series of pro-democracy protests. The demonstrations began in October after parliamentary elections widely considered to be undemocratic. The March 31 protest marked the anniversary of a 1991 referendum in which Georgians overwhelmingly voted in favor of independence from the Soviet Union. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, in Kyiv on a surprise visit, has warned against falling for Russia's stalling tactics in peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The outgoing German diplomat, on her ninth trip to Ukraine since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, said she believes Kyiv is ready to sign a peace deal amid intensifying negotiations led by the United States. "Ukraine is ready for an immediate cease-fire. It is Putin who is playing for time, does not want peace, and is continuing his war of aggression, which is a violation of international law," Baerbock said in a statement shared by her ministry. "He is feigning a willingness to negotiate, but not deviating an inch from his goals," she said. US President Donald Trump has threatened Russia with new tariffs on oil products if Moscow blocks his cease-fire initiatives, and Baerbock said a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels this week should reinforce that message "At the upcoming meeting of NATO foreign ministers, we will make it clear to the American side that we should not engage with Putin's stalling tactics," said Baerbock, who is unlikely to be part of Germany's incoming coalition government. "Because suggesting peace is not peace," she added. While Trump raised his ire toward Russia, the Kremlin appeared to brush off concerns the comments would hinder peace talks. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told journalists on March 31 that Moscow continues to work with Washington on "the implementation of some ideas related to the Ukrainian settlement." Trump's angry comments were directed solely at Russia. He also said Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy faces "big, big problems" if he doesn't sign a key minerals deal with Washington that the two sides have been working on for weeks. "He's trying to back out of the rare earth deal, and if he does that he's got some problems, big, big problems," Trump told reporters on March 30 in reference to the Ukrainian president. "We made a deal on rare earth. And now he's saying, well you know, I want to renegotiate the deal." On March 28, the Ukrainian government said it was still considering a draft agreement from the United States on the country's rare earth minerals amid media reports Washington had changed the terms of the deal several times. Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced at a government meeting that Kyiv was forming its position on the agreement, but lawmakers would only state their stance once there was consensus. Before then, she said, public discussion would be harmful. Ukraine possesses significant deposits of critical minerals, including rare earths, although their exact size remains uncertain. Rare earth minerals are highly valued for their use in defense technologies, as well as in devices such as computers, smartphones, and batteries. Ukraine and the United States earlier this month agreed to conclude a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources. Efforts to seal the deal had earlier fallen apart on February 28 after a heated exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House. Meanwhile, earlier on March 30, Trump said he would impose secondary tariffs of 25-50 percent on all Russian oil if he feels President Vladimir Putin is blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump said over the weekend during a phone interview with NBC that he was "very angry" and "pissed off" when Putin called for a transitional government to be put in place in Ukraine, which could effectively push out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia's fault -- which it might not be -- but if I think it was Russia's fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia," Trump said. "That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can't do business in the United States," Trump said. "There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil." Trump added that the trade measures would be put in place within a month if no cease-fire agreement is reached. The highly sensitive diplomatic juncture comes after the White House announced on March 25 that both Russia and Ukraine agreed to a cease-fire and to allow navigation in Black Sea, as well an agreement to not strike each other energy facilities. Kyiv says that it would take effect immediately and Moscow has stated that it would follow the partial lifting of sanctions pertaining to Russian companies and banks involved in the international food trade. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on April 1 accused Russia of again striking energy infrastructure, saying a Russian attack damaged an energy facility in the frontline city of Kherson, cutting power to 45,000 residents. Russian officials in turn accused Ukraine of using drones to strike electricity substations in part of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhya region in southeast Ukraine and in Russia's southern Belgorod region. Tougher Tone Toward Putin The comments by Trump mark a shift from the softer approach the White House had taken toward Russia since the US president made ending the war in Ukraine a top foreign policy priority. They also come after he had previously criticized Zelenskyy, saying he was "sick" of his handling of the war and called him a "dictator without elections." Trump told NBC that he will speak with Putin during this week. Amid the US-led diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire deal, Russia has been pounding the city of Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Air strikes on the northeastern Ukrainian city early on April 1 injured three people and sparked fires at several industrial buildings and damaged two kindergartens, officials said. A day earlier, Kyiv accused Moscow of a "war crime" after Russian drones struck a military hospital. The strike hit Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, as part of an attack that also hit a shopping center, apartment blocks, and other targets, killing two people, according to authorities. The Ukrainian military's general staff accused Russia of "violating the norms of international humanitarian law" in the attack, which they denounced as "deliberate, targeted shelling." In a report on April 1, the general staff said Russia has lost about 916,770 of its military personnel since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022, including 1,540 in the last 24 hours. The figures were not independently verified. An analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated in mid-February that at least 172,000 Russian soldiers have been killed and 611,000 wounded, more than half of whom were severely wounded, unable to fight again. For Ukraine, at least 46,000 soldiers have been killed, and around 380,000 wounded, according to figures cited by Zelenskyy in February, numbers Western experts consider an under accounting of the situation. With reporting by AFP and Reuters A physician from Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province is among the hundreds of individuals and organizations nominated for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize this year. Yet Mahrang Baloch, 32, a rights campaigner, is languishing in prison on charges of terrorism, murder, and sedition in the provincial capital, Quetta. On March 22, she was arrested after leading a demonstration to demand the release of a leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a civil rights group she leads. Her arrest has been widely condemned and has sparked a series of protests and strikes. Since March 28, the Balochistan National Party, an ethnonationalist group, has embarked on a "long march" protest rally. It has mobilized thousands of supporters from across the vast region, and protesters celebrated Eid al-Fitar, the festival marking the end of Ramadan, near Quetta to press for her release. Experts and activists in Balochistan say the protests and sympathy for Mahrang Baloch are a sign of her growing popularity and leadership stature in a region that has been reeling from a Pakistani military crackdown against Baluch separatists for a quarter-century. Since the early 2000s, thousands have been killed and injured in attacks by Baluch separatist militants and Pakistani security forces. The BYC claims thousands of Baluch men have been forcefully disappeared or extrajudicially killed by Pakistani security forces. Islamabad, in return, says it is fighting terrorists in Balochistan. In recent years, disgruntled members of Pakistan's ethnic Baluch minority have come to view Mahrang Baloch as their authentic voice because of her committed campaign for ending forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the exploitation of the region's vast natural resources. Balochistan's 'Most Important Political Figure' "She is the most important political figure in Balochistan because she has an unblemished record of standing up for its rights," Ali Talpur, a writer and commentator who has followed the region's politics for decades. Talpur, now in his 70s, knew Mahrang Baloch's late father, Abdul Ghaffar Langove. The political activist was killed nearly two years after he had been forcefully disappeared in December 2009. Mahrang Baloch has blamed Pakistan's powerful military for the killing, but Islamabad denies killing political activists. "After his extrajudicial killing by the state, her natural response was to see that others don't suffer the same fate," Talpur said of what motivates her campaigning. Mahrang Baloch is the eldest of six children, five girls and a boy. She was only 16 when her father disappeared. Kiyya Baloch, an exiled journalist covering Balochistan, has tracked Mahrang Baloch's struggle since she led a nearly yearlong successful campaign to secure the release of her brother after he disappeared in 2017. "This strengthened her resolve to speak up for others as well," he said. Mahrang Baloch became a household name in Pakistan when she led a protest march over 1,000 kilometers after a Baluch man was killed while in the custody of counterterrorism police in November 2023. She faced constant harassment, road closures, and other obstacles as she led hundreds of protesters from the remote town of Turbat to Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. Kiyya Baloch says the government's brutal treatment of protesters, most of whom were relatives of the Baluch victims of forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, attracted attention to their plight in Pakistan and abroad. During their stay in Islamabad for several weeks, protesters were arrested and beaten. Authorities attempted to deny them food, heating, and medical treatment. Their camp was ransacked, and police used water cannons to disperse them. "All kinds of pressure were used to wear her down, but she did not break," Kiyya Baloch said. Celebrated Abroad, Persecuted At Home "The march brought unprecedented attention to the Baloch struggle, Time Magazine noted in its citation after including Mahrang Baloch among its 100 emerging leaders last year. The BBC also included her in its 100 Women 2024 list. "She is a woman leading a massive civil rights movement, which attracts international attention," said Kiyya Baloch. But at home, her persecution continued. She was harassed after attending a conference in Norway last July. She was placed on a counterterrorism list and prevented from traveling to New York to participate in the Time Magazine event in October. "All these measures brought more attention to her struggle," said Kiyya Baloch. International human rights watchdogs have condemned Mahrang Baloch's arrest. "We urge the Pakistani authorities to refrain from abusing counterterrorism or public safety measures," United Nations special rapporteurs and human rights experts said a statement on March 26. In a March 27 statement, Amnesty International said the arrest of Mahrang Baloch and other BYC leaders and activists "shows wanton disregard by the law enforcement agencies for the rights of Baloch people under Pakistan's Constitution and the country's obligations under international human rights law." Islamabad, however, rejects such criticism. In a sharp rebuke to the UN, a Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman said such statements need to "adhere to principles of objectivity, avoid selective criticism, reflect factual accuracy, and acknowledge the full context of the situation." Mahrang Baloch's sister, Nadia, has vowed to continue their peaceful campaign in Quetta. "No amount of violence and oppression was able to break us two decades ago, and it will not break us now," she told journalists on March 26. As filing deadlines approach, theres been a flurry of activity the past few days in the race for the 62nd District House of Delegates seat. First, Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, announced Thursday night he would not seek reelection in November to a sixth term in the Virginia General Assembly representing the district that spans Madison and Greene counties as well as part of Orange and Culpeper. Then, Freitas on Thursday endorsed Orange homeschool mother Karen Hamilton, who is married to a Trump administration official. She set up a campaign website and social media presence over the weekend and secured signatures to get on the Republican primary ballot by this weeks deadline. Finally, on Sunday, Madison County Board of Supervisors Chairman Clay Jackson announced his intent to run in the June 17 Republican primary for the 62nd District seat. Jackson, 40, is a beef farmer whose grandparents retired to Madison in the 1970s and started the farm where he spent summers growing up. He planned to be on Main Street collecting signatures for his bid for state office on Monday. Freitas made the announcement he was retiring from his elected seat during a town hall meeting at Madison at the Mill in Orange. I have been serving in the House of Delegates for 10 years, he said in a video posted to social media afterward. I am someone that believes serving in an elected office is not necessarily supposed to be a lifelong profession. Freitas introduced and announced his support for Hamilton, an apparent first-time political candidate. She is married to Trump administration official Cameron Hamilton, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a U.S. Navy Seal who ran last year for Congress in the 7th District. Hamilton is listed as treasurer of the Orange County Republican Committee on the groups website. You may be a surprised to see me up here Im a little bit surprised being here myself ... wasnt really planning on doing this, she said in remarks posted in a video by the Piedmont Journal Recorder. They continued to approach me with the idea. I was a little bit intimidated at first, but ultimately, I came to the conclusion that this is not a time to be timid. My name is Karen Hamilton. My husband ran for Congress this past year. She lauded Freitas for courage, conviction and consistency in the statehouse. Were really going to miss him come November, and of course, its up to the voters to decide who they want, and if it happens to be me ... I am going to do my very best to represent the strength of this district, Hamilton said. Cameron Hamilton posted on social media Thursday, We had an amazing night in Orange County! #VA07 is ready to elect a representative who fights for #WeThePeople and has the scars to prove it. I am grateful for the confidence of @NickJFreitas & my wife Karens support for the campaign. Thank you to the amazing Patriots who joined us! Sunday night, Jackson announced on social media that he too was running for the Republican nomination. To the citizens of Central Virginia and specifically the 62nd district, Id like announce Ill be out gathering signatures to run as your representative in the upcoming Republican House of Delegates primary. I hope to bring some fiscal responsibility, common sense legislating and increased representation to our communities at the state level, he stated in the post. Reached Monday morning by phone on the job, the owner-operator at Senterfitt & VA Cattle said he would bring some common sense to Richmond. Jackson, a member of the Madison Extension Council who is also involved in other community groups, has been on the Board of Supervisors for 12 years, 10 years as chairman. Jackson was the youngest person to ever run for the Madison board, and he also sat on the county Planning Commission. What sets me apart, being in local politics, I run with experience. I think I have a good sense of whats good for Virginia and the 62nd, he said. Stop by the stockyard by noon or 5 p.m. this afternoon Main Street Madison, really would appreciate some more signatures on these petitions, Thank you everyone for all the support!! Jackson posted Monday morning. He will run in the primary for the GOP nomination against Hamilton, whose campaign website went live over the weekend: hamiltonforvirgina.com. The main page says, Virginia is for Patriots, noting she grew up in a military town. Her early life was shaped by the patriotism of her community, her parents strong Christian values, and keeping up with her two older brothers. [Hamiltons) parents served as missionaries for many years, modeling a life of faith, hard work and sacrifice, according to the site. Karen Hamilton holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and worked as a structural engineer. In 2008, she married her husband. They moved to the Virginia Beach area where he served as a Navy SEAL and combat medic, and then to the northern piedmont in 2016. Karen is a Christian, wife, homeschool mom and small business owner in Orange, Virginia. She is committed to ensuring her three children inherit a strong and prosperous Commonwealth and America that always protects our God given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the site says. She listed as her legislative priorities: the right to life, education, law and order, right to self defense, agricultural freedom, economic freedom, individual liberty, and property rights. Freitas in announcing his retirement from the statehouse expressed gratitude to constituents, staff and family. Im going to be continuing to fight for all the things I believe in, in different ways. I really hope that you will support Karen Hamilton who I am fully and enthusiastically endorsing to replace me, Freitas said. Youve never had to ask Karen to fight for what she believes, shes always done it, along with her and her family. I think she will be an incredible representative in a time where we need people that are not going to just show up and vote the right way but actually advocate for things we believe. A conservative who advocates for individual freedoms and less government, Freitas is an Iraq War veteran born in California. He moved with his family to Culpeper in 2010 following his Army service. Freitas quickly got involved in local politics as head of the local Republican committee and has sought to rise through the ranks. He won his first term in office in Richmond in 2015, ousting longtime Republican incumbent Ed Scott. Freitas won against local Democrat Ben Hixon in 2017 and in 2019 won in a write-in campaign after failing to meet state filing deadlines. In 2018, Freitas first set his sights on federal office, announcing he would run against Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine. Freitas lost in the Republican primary that year to Corey Stewart, a Prince William County supervisor, who also lost to Kaine. In 2020, Freitas ran against Democrat Abigail Spanberger for the 7th District U.S. House seat, losing in a relatively tight race that garnered more than 450,000 votes. President Donald Trump at the time endorsed Freitas on Twitter in his bid to unseat Spanberger. A Green Beret Combat Veteran, he is Strong on the Military & Vets, the Economy, Healthcare, and the Second Amendment. Nick has my Complete and Total Endorsement! Trump posted. Freitas retained his seat in the statehouse after losing his congressional bid when running again in 2021, winning more than 65% of ballots over Democrat Annette Hyde of Madison County. When Freitas ran again in 2023, his residence in northern Culpeper had officially been drawn out of former District 30. Freitas lived in a house owned by his mother in southern Culpeper to meet the residency requirement. He announced his 2023 campaign at Madison at the Mill, where he returned Thursday night to announce his retirement from the statehouse. Freitas won in the last election over Democrat Sara Ratcliffe of Greene County. In posts over the weekend, Freitas stated he would continue to keep fighting for what he believes in, in some other capacity, to be announced. Also on Thursday, Ratcliffe turned in the required signatures to run again as a Democrat for the 62nd statehouse seat. The body of a fourth missing US soldier has been recovered near Pabrade, Lithuania, the US Army said in a statement on April 1. Recovery operations, bolstered by international cooperation and advanced technology, lasted for several days after a military vehicle with four US soldiers aboard sank in a bog area on March 25. The bodies of the first three soldiers from the US Army's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle had been retrieved a day earlier. "This past week has been devastating. Today, our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier," said Major General Christopher Norrie, using an affectionate nickname for a US infantryman. "Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them." The recovery mission had intensified in the last 24 hours with the arrival of specialized personnel and equipment. Rescue dogs and two advanced drone systems, including one equipped with ground-penetrating radar, had operated on the site to enhance search capabilities. Hundreds of soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division, alongside US Navy divers, Lithuania's armed forces, Polish engineers, Estonian military police, multinational civilian agencies, and technical experts from the US Army Corps of Engineers, were actively engaged in the recovery. The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of their families. Investigations into the tragedy are under way. Authorities are examining the circumstances that led to the incident, including the terrain, weather conditions, and the state of the vehicle. The missing vehicle and troops had triggered a massive multinational rescue effort, and US Major General Curtis Taylor, commanding general of the 1st Armored Division, expressed thanks to everyone who contributed to the recovery operation. "We cannot thank our Allies and fellow service members enough, especially Lithuanians, who spared no resource in support of this mission," he said. "Together, we delivered on our promise to never leave a fallen comrade." Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, hosts more than 1,000 US troops stationed in the Baltic nation on a rotational basis. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has emphasized the need to protect Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), warning that "if we dont, we hand a gift to autocrats the world over." Her remarks came during a debate in the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg on April 1 that focused on safeguarding access to democratic media, including RFE/RL. The debate was initiated in response to an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump on March 14, which reduced the size of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the body overseeing RFE/RL. Shortly afterward, Kari Lake, a senior adviser to the USAGM CEO, issued a letter stating that the Congress-approved grant funding the broadcaster had been terminated. While the grant termination has since been rescinded, the USAGM has not sent any of the congressionally appropriated funds, prompting RFE/RL to furlough some of its staff on April 1. Kos, speaking on behalf of the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, said that the European Union needs to be a refuge for independent media, including from Russia and Belarus, so they can continue their work; holding their political and business elites to account and exposing corruption. While the commissioner refrained from speaking about the potential of the EU stepping in to fund the media organization, several members of the European Parliament did mention the idea. Stormy Discussion Sebastiao Bugalho, a Portuguese member of the largest group in the chamber, the center-right European Peoples Party, said that we will pay the price and shoulder the burden. Lithuanian lawmaker Virginijus Sinkevicius from the Greens underlined that we must ensure that RFE/RL has access to long-term and stable funding, including from the EU. Alexandr Vondra, who was a prominent dissident in communist Czechoslovakia and is now a Czech MEP from the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists, said that the radio helped spread information in repressive countries such as Iran, Belarus, and Russia, and called on the European Union to contribute to the stations finding. Let us be open to finance [RFE/RL] also from EU money and find agreement on what form, he said. The one-hour debate became rather stormy at times with lawmakers shouting at each other in between speeches. Several members from populist groups in the Strasbourg chamber spoke against potentially using EU money to finance the broadcaster. Mary Khan, an MEP from the far-right Alternative for Germany party, said that RFE/RL can finance itself and added that media should not be financed by European institutions. Slovak MEP Milan Uhrik, who belongs to the same Europe of Sovereign Nations Group as Khan, said that the EU should instead help farmers in Slovakia battling foot-and-mouth disease among its cattle, adding that your independent media is the absolute opposite of independent media. Julien Sanchez, a French parliamentarian belonging to the Patriots for Europe, another populist right-wing fraction, said that the chamber was hypocritical in talking about this situation and interfering with the situation in the United States. The debate will have no resolution to be voted on during this plenary session, which ends on April 3, but this could come at a later stage as several European parliamentary officials told RFE/RL that the house will continue to monitor the situation. The Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) has extended supervision measures for another 60 days against against Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, who are awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The brothers appeared at DIICOT's headquarters on April 1, where judicial sources confirmed the extension to RFE/RL. The measures mean the brothers must report once a month, or whenever summoned, to the Voluntari Police Station near Bucharest, which monitors their compliance with their legal restrictions. They also are required to sign procedural documents as part of the process. The measures have been tweaked and extended several times already, and may be further extended or adjusted as necessary in the future, according to Romanian law. Andrew Tate, a prominent social media influencer with millions of Facebook followers, has repeatedly declared his innocence. Shortly after being informed of the extension, the brothers left Romania on a private jet and headed to Dubai. DIICOT lifted a travel ban on the brothers in February, allowing them to travel to Florida. Upon their return to Romania on March 24, the brothers complied with the requirement to show up at a police station and sign judicial supervision documents. The governor of Florida later stated that the Tate brothers were "not welcome" in the state. In Romania, Andrew and Tristan Tate are accused of recruiting women to produce pornographic content under coercion. The charges involve forming an organized criminal group, human trafficking, child trafficking, sexual acts with a minor, and money laundering. Prosecutors allege that the brothers, along with four accomplices, recruited 34 women, transported them to various locations, and forced them to create explicit content, which was then distributed for profit on adult platforms. The alleged financial gain from these activities includes $2.8 million and 887,000 crypto tokens, the value of which was not specified. In a separate case, the brothers face charges of forming an organized criminal group and human trafficking. Additionally, Andrew Tate is accused of rape, while Tristan Tate faces accusations of inciting violence. Beyond Romania, the Tate brothers are also being investigated in the United Kingdom for rape and human trafficking. A British court has confiscated assets worth over 2 million British pounds due to unpaid taxes. In the United States, they face a civil lawsuit filed by a woman alleging that the brothers tried to coerce her into prostitution in Romania and later defamed her when she reported the incident to Romanian authorities. The brothers have denied all allegations and continue to assert their innocence. Andrew Tate maintains that being one of the most famous people on the planet naturally attracts scrutiny from every country. After one of his visits to the Voluntari Police Station, Tate again dismissed the allegations, saying "the charges against us will not have any outcome." The Tate brothers remain vocal in proclaiming their innocence, expressing confidence that they will ultimately prove the charges baseless. Georgian photographers who have covered months of protests in their capital, Tbilisi, say they are "deeply disturbed" at the awarding of a World Press Photo prize to a photographer working with the Russian state news agency TASS. Russian photojournalist Mikhail Tereshchenko captured protests that broke out in central Tbilisi in late 2024 after Georgia unexpectedly suspended talks on EU accession. His series of images capturing the fiery nighttime protests was named a winner in the European stories category of the 2024 World Press Photo awards. In an open letter posted to social media on March 30, Georgian photojournalists protested that TASS, a Kremlin-funded news outlet, represents precisely the political forces many Georgian protesters took to the streets to oppose. "Awarding a photographer aligned with the Kremlin's narrative for covering anti-Russian demonstrations is not only deeply contradictory but also a direct insult to those risking their lives to oppose Russian interference in Georgia's sovereignty and future," the photographers said. The World Press Photo (WPP) Foundation has responded to complaints over the prize by pointing out the photos were presented to their jury anonymously and therefore judged on visual and journalistic merit alone. "We do not exclude photographers from any country," the WPP statement read. "While recognizing the realities of state propaganda, we believe even photographers working in places with little press freedom can create meaningful work. We also believe in supporting photojournalists and documentary photographers living and working in places with limited press freedoms. This is a challenge in too many countries, including Russia." Tereshchenko has previously worked alongside the Russian military covering the invasion of Ukraine. In a recent interview he referred to the Russian capture of Mariupol as a "liberation." The WPP has distanced itself from the Russian photojournalist's wording. "We are not responsible for statements by winning photographers, or how their work is used by news agencies," the statement read. The WPP says it is standing by the award until a review of how the prize was chosen is completed. Multiple forces of PLA Eastern Theater Command conduct joint exercises around Taiwan Island Xinhua) 08:04, April 01, 2025 NANJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command on Tuesday started to conduct joint exercises around Taiwan Island, said a spokesperson. The theater command organized its army, navy, air and rocket forces to close in on Taiwan Island from multiple directions, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, the spokesperson for the theater command. According to Shi, these drills mainly focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade of key areas and sea lanes to test the joint operation capabilities of the troops. The drills serve as a stern warning and forceful deterrent against "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and are a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity, Shi said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) CHILANGA, Zambia, March 31 (Xinhua) -- China and Zambia on Monday signed an agreement on the export of macadamia nuts to the Asian country. The signing ceremony was attended by Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy Wang Sheng and Zambian Agriculture Minister Mtolo Phiri. In his remarks, Wang said the signing of the agreement signifies a major step in opening up the Chinese market to Zambian nuts, which will greatly benefit local farmers in the foreseeable future. According to him, in addition to this protocol and previous agreements on the export of blueberries from Zambia to China, negotiations are also underway for the export of other agricultural products, such as dry paprika and avocados. "I am sure that before long, more high-quality agricultural products from this country will find their way to the Chinese market," he said. The agreement is an important outcome of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Beijing in September last year when China announced its commitment to granting all least developed countries, including Zambia, with which it has diplomatic relations, zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of tariff lines. According to him, as the world's second-largest economy with a population of 1.4 billion, China offers a huge market for any country. For his part, the Zambian minister thanked China for providing Zambia with an open and expansive market for its nut exports. He said the move would help Zambia diversify its agricultural production and improve the quality of its products, as China maintains strict standards for agricultural imports. The signing of the agreement reflected Zambia's commitment to promoting trade and investment, as well as the strategic partnership with China, he added. New data has revealed that the number of burglaries in the Roscommon/Longford Garda division surged by 56% in the past 12 months, compared to the same period last year. With 277 burglaries occurring, this is the highest increase in the country, according to PhoneWatch. PhoneWatch is now urging homeowners to take precautions to protect their homes and families. According to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), burglaries have risen sharply across both urban and rural areas. The data outlines that 21 of the 28 Garda divisions have experienced an increase in burglaries within this period. Roscommon/Longford Garda division saw a surge of 56% with the Tipperary division coming in second highest increase at 50%. Westmeath increased by 35% (272 burglaries), Wicklow increased by 33% (301 burglaries) and Limerick by 27% (571burglaries). The CSO report did outline positive decreases in burglaries within some divisions with the Mayo division seeing the highest decrease/ Eoin Dunne Managing Director of PhoneWatch commented: This 10% increase in burglary rates means that 878 more homes compared to the previous 12 months had to endure a burglary and the traumatic aftermath that comes with it. Even one burglary is one too many. "In a recent survey conducted with Bounce Insights, its no surprise that 50% of homeowners outlined that theyre more concerned about a break-in in their home now compared to a year ago. Regardless of whether burglary rates increase or decrease in your Garda division, our message to Irish homeowners never changes. Its imperative you take control of your home security, as burglars are opportunists and identify a weakness in security very quickly and capitalise on this. Homeowners need to act on their security concerns and implement simple but effective home security recommendations, to help deter burglars from their homes. The Abbey Hotel, Roscommon has been nominated in four categories for the upcoming Irish Restaurant Awards, set to take place in Sligo on April 8th. The hotel has been nominated for awards in the following categories: Best Restaurant; Best Customer Service; Best Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurant and Best Chef, Alison Crean. We are delighted to receive this fantastic news, said Geraldine Grealy, Marketing & Public Relations Manager at the Abbey Hotel. This nomination is not only a great boost for the hotel but also a testament to our dedicated staff, whose hard work and passion have made this achievement possible. We are incredibly proud of our team here and grateful for the support of our guests. The Irish Restaurant Awards celebrate the exceptional talent and dedication within the culinary and hospitality sectors, and The Abbey Hotel Roscommon is honoured to be recognised among the best in the Irish hospitality industry, said Geraldine. We look forward to the regional awards ceremony and wish all our fellow nominees the best of luck on the night. We are eager to celebrate this exciting milestone together with our staff and community, she concluded. The camps help teens learn the fundamentals of safe operation and maintenance of agricultural machinery. According to the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Safety and Health, young workers were 7.8 times more likely to be fatally injured in agriculture when compared to all other industries combined in 2016. Tractors and all-terrain vehicles are the leading sources of fatal events. When it comes to youth fatalities on the farm, 47% involved transportation, which includes tractors, 20% involved contact with machinery and 13% involved violent contact with animals. In 2021, the annual cost of childhood agriculture-related deaths was $605 million, with nonfatal agriculture-related injuries at $1.4 billion. "These sobering statistics highlight the need for more training and education when it comes to having youth work on farms," says Angie Johnson, North Dakota State University Extension farm and ranch safety coordinator. "NDSU Extension provides youth farm worker certification training that meets the U.S. Department of Labor Hazardous Occupations Order in Agriculture (HOOA) requirements for 14-to-15-year-olds to be able to legally work on a farm other than their own family's operation." Youth will be able to learn about safe farm and ranch practices and earn their certifications during three statewide farm safety camps that NDSU Extension is hosting this year. Camp dates and locations are the following: May 28-30, NDSU campus, Fargo June 10-12, Williston State College and Williams County Highway Complex, Williston June 17-19, Bismarck State College and Joann Hetzel Memorial 4-H Building, Bismarck The three-day, two-night camps cover the basics of safe tractor and machinery operation, general farm hazards, livestock handling, use of personal protective equipment, and basic first aid and first-response procedures. "These camps help teens become familiar with the most serious hazards associated with operating tractors and agricultural machinery, along with the fundamentals of safe operation and maintenance," says Johnson, who is collaborating with NDSU Extension agents to conduct the camps. Participants will receive hands-on experience and learning opportunities: Safe tractor operation, including a tractor-driving obstacle course Livestock handling All-terrain vehicle safety, including ATV certification Skid steer operation Roadway safety using rules of the road Farm first aid and emergency preparedness Laws related to youth working in agriculture Equipment operation and maintenance Farm stress management skills Farm hazard identification Youth will have opportunities for hands-on learning, including utilizing farm equipment on obstacle courses to simulate actual farm situations. Livestock handling sessions will allow participants to interact with animals and learn more about animal behaviors and safety when working with animals. ATV certification and Stop the Bleed certification are also included. Federal law under the HOOA requires that youth under the age of 16 receive certification of training before employment on farms operated by anyone other than a parent or guardian. The program is for youth between 14 and 15 years old. Youth who are 13 can participate, and the certification they receive will become valid when they turn 14. By successfully passing this program, which includes a final exam, participants will receive official certification to operate tractors over 20 horsepower and some pieces of farm machinery when working for a farmer or rancher outside of the family's operation. "While this certification is not required for youth to work on their own family farm, we encourage all teens who plan to work on a farm to participate in this program," says Johnson. "These camps are designed to strengthen communication skills between parents, employers and teen workers on the farm. Farm safety training prepares the next generation of the workforce with the safety skills needed to prevent injuries and fatalities on the job." Thomas Jewett, a teenager from Barnes County, has attended the NDSU Extension farm safety camp for two years. Because of his participation, he says his family's operation has changed for the better. "Our organization has improved as we discussed farm safety issues, addressed safety items needing to be fixed and reviewed our farm safety plan," Jewett says. "I want to make sure that when my family farms, we are safe. Farm safety camp helps with this." Camps are open to youth from all counties in North Dakota. Youth do not need to be enrolled in 4-H to participate. Registration opened March 17, and the deadline to register is April 17. The cost of each camp is $300. Registration for all three camps can be found online at ndsu.ag/youthfarmsafety. Sponsorships from businesses and organizations provide personal protective equipment and farm safety supplies for camp participants. Contact Johnson at [email protected] to learn more about current sponsorship opportunities. For more information regarding farm safety camp, contact your local NDSU Extension agent. Montana Farmers Union members helped shape the policy that guides National Farmers Unions work on behalf of family farmers and ranchers during the organizations 123rd Annual Convention held this March in Oklahoma City., OK The 14 delegates from MFU worked with more than 450 other farmers, ranchers, and supporters to forge NFUs 2025 policy priorities, including three special orders: Fairness for Farmers, Family Farming and the Farm Bill, and Family Farming and Our Federal Government. Delegates were: John Wicks, Ledger; Doug Crabtree, Havre; Rollie Schlepp, Conrad; Grayce Siderius, Kalispell; John Ferrat, Toston; Samantha Ferrat, Toston; Tammy Copenhaver, Rudyard; Jeri Copenhaver, Havre; Carissa McNamara, Plains; Erik Somerfeld, Power; Mark Siderius, Kalispell; Walter Schweitzer, Geyser; Sarah Degn, Sidney; and Carah Ronan, Laurel. The policy work provides focus and solidarity in uncertain times, MFU President Walter Schweitzer said. The best part of the NFU Convention is visiting with old friends from around the country sharing the trials and tribulations of weather, markets, and politics, he added. This is a challenging moment for family farmers. Rising costs, corporate consolidation and uncertainty around federal programs including the lack of a renewed farm bill are creating real hardships, said NFU President Rob Larew. Yet through it all, the state of Farmers Union remains strong, resilient, and prepared to turn the policies set at this convention into action for a stronger future in agriculture. NFU also announced during Convention the launch of the Farmers Capital Fund, a $25 million investment initiative dedicated to supporting early- and growth-stage companies that accelerate agricultural productivity while advancing the economic success of family farmers and ranchers. Schweitzer said the work doesnt stop after Convention, and the policy forged at Convention serves to guide NFUs efforts throughout the year. Like NFU, MFU works day by day to strengthen family farms and ranches, with the organization offering educational programming for youths and adults, legislative work at the state and national level, and support for cooperatives. After four years as assistant director of Commercial Marketing of the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA), Rachael Oliver has joined the Montana Stockgrowers Association as the partnership programs manager. Her new position will allow her to bring her network of industry professionals and the relationships she made while with the RAAA over to the Montana Stockgrowers Association and hopes to grow its list of sponsors and industry partners. The Montana Stockgrowers Association holds an annual convention in Billings, MT, the second week in December; along with two mid-year meetings that have rotating locations. Oliver will not only recruit new sponsors for these meetings and the association but work to retain and grow existing relationships with sponsors. She will be working alongside the rest of the MSGA team to make these events as productive, educational, and successful as possible. Her goals for her position are to keep building and expand existing relationships with the Montana Stockgrowers Association, as well as broaden the spectrum of partnerships. Her biggest changes are the expansion of her range of producers, and the reduced travel the MSGA will require. While the Red Angus of America position required nationwide travel, she only worked with producers of one cattle breed. Her travel now will be within the state of Montana, but will encompass all producers and ranchers, and cattle breeds. Oliver is looking forward to working with the Montana Stockgrowerss Association while still having the opportunity to advocate for Montanas beef industry. Scientific research occurring at Corvallis U.S. Environmental Protection Agency facility could be on the chopping block as the Trump administration looks to slash the agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment. According to a news release from U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkleys office, reports detail the EPAs intent to dismantle its scientific research arm, the Office of Research and Development, terminating more than 1,000 positions, including chemists, toxicologists and biologists. This reckless decision would erode the agencys scientific foundation to the benefit of polluting industries at the expense of working-class communities and exacerbate climate change, a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin from Merkley and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine reads. It is a betrayal of EPAs obligation to the American people to understand and use the best available science and a violation of the law. Corvallis is home to a division of the EPAs Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, the Pacific Ecological Systems Division. Located at 200 SW 35th St. on Oregon State Universitys campus, it studies the effects of chemical contaminants, land use and extreme weather events on forests, crops, wetlands, lakes and streams along the Pacific Coast. Paul Gates, administrative assistant at the Corvallis EPA who spoke with Mid-Valley Media in his personal capacity, said staffers at the local Office of Research and Development division do not know whats going to happen. All of us are on angry, anxious, scared, frightened pins and needles, he said. It came as a shock that the Trump administrations strategy is aimed at the Office of Research and Development, as it doesnt enforce environmental laws or interface with the public, Gates said. The scientists here are just doing research on environmental effects, chemicals, pollutants, what it takes to preserve good water and clean air, he said. For example, he said, the division currently is studying how tire particles are killing salmon; nanoplastics and other nanomaterials that impact everyones health; and biochar, a new concoction that can be added to soil to resolve toxins and poisons left behind from abandoned mines. Any impact to the EPA, he said, has impacts on water, air and soil. In their letter, Merkley and Pingree also speak to the importance of Office of Research and Development. For decades, ORD has been the backbone of independent, science-based policymaking at EPA, it reads. By dismantling ORD, you would gut the agencys ability to conduct independent research and hand over environmental policy to industry insiders. "This proposal is not about efficiency or improvement it is a deliberate effort to strip away regulatory safeguards that protect ordinary Americans while boosting profits for the wealthiest polluters. According to Gates, should the Corvallis facility close, it would mean about a $27 million annual hit to the local economy. Between the main site in Corvallis and the satellite branch in Newport, there are 150 employees composed of federal workers, contractors and graduate students. Four workers have already been fired from the Newport branch as part of the Trump administrations' targeting of federal employees in February. Youve got to understand, were also very, very concerned for our own welfare and families, Gates said. Right now, there are a few causes for optimism, he said. The property is federally owned rather than leased, so its not subject to abrupt lease cancellations other offices are facing. Additionally, it shares the facility with a regional EPA laboratory. Because our division is hosting a regional lab doing essential sampling work, thats another reason to think maybe well be spared, Gates said. Its also home to some research that is congressionally mandated that could happen somewhere else, Gates said. But for now, Corvallis is its base. According to the letter to Zeldin, if implemented, the proposal to eliminate the ORD would violate federal law. The Office of Research and Development is recognized as EPAs research organization by law throughout the U.S. Code, it reads, and $758.1 million have been appropriated for the EPAs research initiatives in the 2025 fiscal year. Unilaterally dismantling ORD and impounding funds appropriated for science and technology contravenes the statute and appropriations and undermines Congresss constitutional authority over federal expenditures, it reads. Regardless of glimmers of hope, everyone at the laboratory feels very vulnerable, Gates said. And he believes thats part of the Trump administrations strategy to keep people feeling uneasy. Neither our director nor his bosses nor their bosses know anything, he said. So were just waiting, waiting to know anything. Related stories: Fairview resident Rob Breuer traveled to Washington, D.C. Feb. 24-March 1 as part of REAL Montana (Resource Education and Agriculture Leadership). For Rob Breuer and other members of REAL Montana Class VI, this was the fourth seminar in their two-year educational program. Class VI focused on Federal Policy during their Washington, D.C. seminar. The week began with a Monuments by Moonlight tour, where their March 2026 trip to Morocco was announced. They then visited the American Farm Bureau Federation, hearing from speakers on agriculture, policy, economics, labor, and infrastructure, followed by meetings at the Embassy of Morocco and the National Mining Association. On Capitol Hill, they met with the Montana congressional delegation, received staff briefings, toured the Capitol, and observed Senate and House floor sessions. Class members organized small group meetings with the National Cattlemens Beef Association, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service. The group also met with the National Association of Wheat Growers and the American Petroleum Institute. The week concluded with a Gettysburg Battlefield tour, focusing on leadership lessons. It was my first time traveling to Washington DC and it was a great experience. Between visiting with our elected officials, visiting with multiple organizations and exploring DC it was a packed 5 days. The highlight of the trip was finding out that the class will be visiting Morocco in 2026 for our international trip. Nineteen of Montanas top natural resource industry leaders from across the state were competitively selected to take part in REAL Montana Class VI. The programs mission is to build a network of informed and engaged leaders to advance the natural resource industries in Montana. The two-year leadership program features eight in-state seminars; a six-day national study tour in Washington D.C., and a twelve-day international trip to Morocco. Seminars include training in natural resource development, agriculture institutions and agencies, public speaking/media, economics, state and federal policy, international trade, urban/rural relationships, water issues, and other current industry topics. REAL Montana is funded through a partnership with Montana State University Extension and private industry. Oversight is provided by an advisory board of industry leaders. Complete program information is available at http://www.Montana.edu/REALMontana. By Mary Steurer, North Dakota Monitor, northdakotamonitor.com A Morton County jury on Wednesday ordered Greenpeace to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline, finding that the environmental group incited illegal behavior by anti-pipeline protesters and defamed the company. The nine-person jury delivered a verdict in favor of Energy Transfer on most counts, awarding more than $660 million in damages to Energy Transfer and Dakota Access LLC. The case centers on Greenpeace's involvement in protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016 and 2017. The demonstrations were started by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which views the project as a pollution threat and imposition onto Native land. Thousands of protesters camped for months north of the Standing Rock Reservation, near where the pipeline crosses underneath the Missouri River in Morton County. Energy Transfer filed the colossal lawsuit in 2019, accusing Greenpeace of providing resources, including supplies, intel and training, to encourage Dakota Access Pipeline protesters to commit criminal acts to stop construction of the project. The company also claims that Greenpeace intentionally spread misinformation about the pipeline to tarnish its reputation with banks. "These are the facts, not the fake news of the Greenpeace propaganda machine," Trey Cox, the lead attorney representing Energy Transfer, said in a press conference outside the Morton County Courthouse after the verdict. Energy Transfer representatives believe protesting is an "inherent American right" but that Greenpeace's actions were "unacceptable," Cox continued. The company sued three Greenpeace entities - Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace International and Greenpeace Fund. The jury found Greenpeace USA liable for almost all claims. The jury did not find Greenpeace International and Greenpeace Fund responsible for the alleged on-the-ground harms committed by protesters, but did find those entities liable for defamation and interfering with Energy Transfer's business. The jury found Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace International liable for conspiracy. Attorneys representing Greenpeace International and Greenpeace Fund told the jury that they never had any employees visit the demonstration camps or provide money to support the protests. Both the plaintiffs and the defense have called the case one of the largest and most complex civil suits in state history. Greenpeace USA, which the jury ordered to pay more than $400 million of the damages, has previously said the lawsuit threatened to bankrupt the organization. When asked whether that was still the case Wednesday afternoon, Greenpeace Senior Legal Adviser Deepa Padmanabha said "the work of Greenpeace is never gonna stop." Greenpeace didn't say immediately whether the organization would appeal the decision. "We have not had a chance to even circle up as a group yet, but the fight is not over," Padmanabha said. During closing arguments on Monday, Cox told jurors that Greenpeace's actions caused between $265 million and $340 million in damages to the company. He asked the jury to award Energy Transfer that amount plus additional punitive damages. The verdict brought to a close a more than three-week trial in Mandan. The jury began deliberating Monday afternoon after hearing testimony from dozens of witnesses, including current and former Greenpeace employees, Indigenous activists, Energy Transfer representatives and law enforcement. Among the witnesses was former Greenpeace executive director Annie Leonard and Energy Transfer Executive Chairman Kelcy Warren, who appeared by video deposition. Greenpeace denies the allegations and says the lawsuit is a ploy to punish activist groups. Some observers of the trial who participated in the anti-pipeline demonstration expressed anger after the verdict was announced Wednesday. "Standing Rock was not heard," Waniya Locke, a Standing Rock citizen who attended much of the trial, said. She said that she will continue opposing the pipeline. Kandi White, a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation who also observed the trial, said she is "ashamed" of the decision. She said she found the implication that Greenpeace orchestrated the Dakota Access Pipeline protests insulting to Standing Rock and the other Native nations that were at the center of the movement. "An appeal should be easy for any court," White said. Greenpeace maintains that the protests were Indigenous-led and that it only provided support to demonstrators because it was asked. Some witnesses, Native organizers and law enforcement who attended the protests also testified that Greenpeace was not seen as a leader at the camps. Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chair Janet Alkire in a statement earlier this month called the lawsuit "frivolous." Alkire did not testify in the case. Free speech and environmental advocates have also spoken out against the trial, arguing that the suit should have been dismissed outright and that the Morton County jury would not be able to render a fair verdict. "It is our collective assessment that the jury verdict against Greenpeace in North Dakota reflects a deeply flawed trial with multiple due process violations that denied Greenpeace the ability to present anything close to a full defense," a group of attorneys that monitored the proceedings said in a joint statement Wednesday afternoon. Greenpeace more than once petitioned to move the case to a different North Dakota court, but was denied. U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., applauded the verdict Wednesday. "Today, justice has been done with Greenpeace and its radical environmentalist buddies who encouraged this destructive behavior during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests with their defamatory and false claims about the pipeline," Cramer said in a statement. "They can think twice now about doing it again." Greenpeace recently filed suit against Energy Transfer in the Netherlands, asking a court to find that the company's legal challenge in Morton County violated the environmental group's rights and to award it damages. That case is believed to be the first lawsuit filed under a new European Union directive intended to shield organizations against free speech attacks. Other major lawsuits involving the Dakota Access Pipeline protests are ongoing. North Dakota in 2019 sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for $38 million, alleging that the federal agency mishandled its response to the demonstrations. The Army Corps has jurisdiction over the portion of the pipeline that passes underneath Lake Oahe, a reservoir of the Missouri River, and owns the land that became site of the largest protest camp during the demonstrations. A judge has yet to rule on the case. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in October filed a separate case against the Army Corps for allowing the pipeline to continue operating without an easement. The tribe is asking a federal judge to shut the pipeline down. Annika Bennion, Sidney native and advocate with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), was in Helena on "Cancer Action Day", Monday, March 24. The ACS CAN "Cancer Action Day" goals are to advocate for legislation that supports cancer research, improvements in cancer care, and the health of Montanans. This year, she, and other activists, asked house representatives to support SB 390, which was passed by the senate in March. The bill would add e-cigarettes to the Montana Clean Indoor Air Act. In January 2025, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids published data showing that the Montana youth e-cigarette use rate is 24.3%, the fourth highest rate in the nation. According to a 2024 Emory University study, "Children aged four to 12 years who were exposed to second-hand e-cigarette vapor showed significantly higher levels of metabolites linked to chemicals found in e-cigarette liquids compared to their unexposed peers. These metabolites interfere with the body's normal operations by disrupting dopamine levels and causing inflammation and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress leads to cellular damage throughout the body and is linked to numerous diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer." Advocates also requested continued support of the Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program (MTUPP), which runs the free Montana tobacco quit lines, "Quit Now Montana" and "My Life, My Quit" for teens. The 2024 MTUPP progress report found that over 60% of teens participating in the "My Life, My Quit" program have successfully quit tobacco use. According to the Center for Disease Control's Office on Smoking and Health, for every dollar spent on tobacco control programs, states receive up to $55 in savings from averted healthcare costs. Finally, they urged lawmakers to vote 'no' on SB 150, which would allow cigar smoking in restaurants, bars, and gaming facilities that are currently smoke-free. SB 150, also known as the "Cigar Bar" bill, states, "An all-beverages licensee under 16-4-201 may apply to the department for a cigar bar license endorsement." As stated in the bill, "A cigar bar endorsement permits the smoking of cigars on the licensed premises...exempt from the prohibition on smoking in an enclosed public place as provided in 50-40-104." This would expand exemptions to the Clean Indoor Air Act. "Our concern with SB 150 is that employees wouldn't have a choice about being exposed to second-hand smoke, and the risks to their health," Bennion stated. Her campaign for nicotine-free youth began at the age of 17, in 2020, when she founded "No NicoTeen America". She has since become involved with ACS CAN and continues to advocate to reduce the burden of cancer on Americans. Sidney, MT - Great Plains Land Company, a premier land brokerage specializing in agricultural, ranch, development, and investment properties is pleased to announce the grand opening of its new office location, with the same trusted team of Jeff and Meredith McKinney, Sidney, now operating under a new name after transitioning from Whitetail Properties. Their new Sidney office, conveniently located in the Reynolds Shopping Center beside Dominos and sharing space with Farmers Insurance, offers expanded meeting areas and strategic accessibility to better serve regional clients. The McKinneys offer unparalleled knowledge of local markets, agricultural practices, and land values. Jeff McKinney, an avid outdoorsman and experienced rancher, brings practical expertise in both farm operations and recreational properties. Meredith complements this with her strong background in marketing and client relations. Our new office and company name represent significant milestones in our journey, said Jeff McKinney, Great Plains Land Company. This investment demonstrates our long-term commitment to the region and our clients. We are licensed in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado with North Dakota licensing underway. As an Accredited Land Consultant (ALC), Meredith McKinney brings exceptional expertise to the firm. This prestigious designation is reserved for only the top 1% of land agents nationwide and recognizes professionals who have demonstrated extensive knowledge, a proven track record of successful transactions, and an ongoing commitment to education within the land brokerage industry. Notably, Meredith is the only land agent in Eastern Montana to hold this distinguished credential. Mission and Purpose Great Plains Land Company is dedicated to connecting buyers and sellers to assist people in actualizing their land ownership dreams. Our team of experienced professionals guides clients through every step of the land transaction process. Through strategic expertise and established networks, Great Plains Land Company employs precision-targeted, cross-platform marketing strategies that deliver maximum property exposure to qualified buyers. Through an extensive database of clients and industry connections, coupled with innovative digital marketing approaches, the team consistently exceeds client expectations with result-driven sales strategies tailored to each unique property. Core Values Great Plains Land Company is built on five foundational principles that guide every aspect of its business: 1. Stewardship: God gave us the land, livestock, and wildlife to care for His creation. 2. Trust: The company strives to elevate the integrity of the Land Brokerage Industry. 3. Dirt: As farmers, ranchers, hunters, and landowners, the team knows the value of hard work. 4. Community: The land connects us to our neighbors in unique, God-ordained ways that cultivate meaningful relationships. 5. Innovation: The industry is constantly evolving, and Great Plains Land Company is committed to being a leader in technology and marketing. Open House Event The new office will host an open house celebration on April 5, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Community members, clients, and industry partners are invited to tour the facility, meet the team, and learn more about Great Plains Land Companys services. For more information, please contact: Meredith McKinney 406-480-1190 [email protected] GreatPlainsLand.com. Election Commission of India Conducts Extended Meetings with Parties Across the Country Any outstanding issues within the current legal provisions will be referred to the Commission for settlement. Election Commission of India Conducts Extended Meetings with Parties Across the Country latest news: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has held a series of meetings with political parties in the country at different levels, namely Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), District Election Officers (DEOs), and Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs). From March 4 to March 31, 2025, a total of 4,719 meetings were organized, including 40 by CEOs, 800 by DEOs, and 3,879 by EROs. More than 28,000 political party representatives attended these meetings. These conferences were convened pursuant to directions made in the Chief Electoral Officers' Conference of March 4-5, 2025, conducted at IIIDEM, New Delhi, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gianesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi. Advertisement The move is to settle outstanding issues under the legal provisions of the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961. The ECI has sought action reports from all union territories and states to enforce compliance. Any outstanding issues within the current legal provisions will be referred to the Commission for settlement. The sessions have attracted eager support from political parties, demonstrating energetic and dynamic involvement at the constituency, district, and state levels. (For More News Apart Election Commission of India Conducts Extended Meetings with Parties Across the Country Stay Tuned To Rozana Spokesman) Mohali Court Sentences Life Imprisonment to Pastor Bajinder Singh Pastor Bajinder Singh has been in controversy for the last few days. Mohali Court Sentences Life Imprisonment to Pastor Bajinder Singh Latest News: In a major development, the Mohali court has sentenced life imprisonment to the self-styled Pastor Bajinder Singh in seven-year-old, the 2018 Zirakpur rape case. Bajinder Singh, has been charged by the Punjab Police in Kathpura with sexually harassing a 22-year-old woman for several years also. Advertisement Preacher Bajinder Singh allegedly sexually assaulted the woman, who was a member of his worship team. According to reports, she was stalked, made to sit on his lap, touched inappropriately, and hugged forcefully. She was even threatened with the murder of her family if she revealed the abuse. Bajinder Singh is a self-proclaimed keen Christian pastor based in Punjab. He leads a church in Chandpur village, near the Barodi toll plaza. (For more news apart from Mohali Court Sentences Life Imprisonment to Pastor Bajinder Singh Latest News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Romania marks one year since joining Schengen Romania marks one year since partial accession to the Schengen area. Bogdan Despescu Stefan Stoica, 01.04.2025, 14:00 Romania marks one year since partial accession to the Schengen area. Romania marks one year since joining Schengen with air and sea borders, a transitional formula towards full accession, which took place on January 1 this year, when the country became part of the free movement area also with its land borders. Blocked, at first, by the justified intransigence of some of the European partners, who believed that Bucharest was not doing enough to combat corruption, and later by others for obvious electoral reasons, camouflaged under the fear of illegal migration, Romanias Schengen accession has been a long process. Delaying Schengen entry by over a decade has caused financial losses to Romania, and has fuelled the feeling, among some of its citizens, of being regarded as second-class European citizens. The accession is now complete and produces the expected positive effects. Secretary of State with the Interior Ministry, Bogdan Despescu, said that joining the free movement area meant for Romania solidarity and trust, aspects built together with the European partners. It was not an easy road. For each stage, the structures of the Interior Ministry have shown their professionalism, we have shown that we meet the conditions of the Schengen regulation, we have shown that we work in the same way as the structures in the Schengen area, we know how to work as a team, we know how to accelerate where we need to accelerate, we know how to protect citizens and at the same time protect the borders of the European Union, Despescu said. He also said that the accession to the Schengen area meant responsibility for the structures of the Interior Ministry in a different international context, the challenges being numerous, while for citizens it meant free movement and the possibility of moving much faster outside the country. The Interior Ministry structures have adapted their working mechanisms to what the working method without systematic controls means, and we have come up with several compensatory activities, all of which aim to increase security in the national area, Despescu says. He also says that in one year since using the eDAC application, which allows for the verification of identity documents, over 600 wanted persons have been detected. 3,900 missions in the 17 international airports in Romania have been carried out by the structures of the Interior Ministry in the last year since joining Schengen with air borders. During this period, over 100 false documents or documents used by people other than the rightful holders were identified, and over 150 people illegally staying on the territory of the Schengen states were detected. The Interior Ministry has had several actions in cooperation with its Bulgarian and Hungarian partners, because an adapted way of working was needed once the controls at the two borders were lifted. Bucharest says that it has contributed to the stability of the entire region, and through this way of action, the migration rate has been reduced by approximately 80%. (EE) Sea Shield Exercise Sea Shield, the most complex multinational training event organised by the Romanian Naval Forces, has begun in southeastern Romania SEA SHIELD 25 Multinational Exercise Mihai Pelin, 01.04.2025, 13:50 Sea Shield 25, the largest multinational training exercise organised this year by the Romanian Navy, has begun in Constanta. A roughly 2,300 Romanian and foreign military personnel and dozens of ships are taking part in the drills. Sea Shield 25 is primarily aimed at enhancing interoperability between the naval forces of Allied and partner countries, as well as optimising the efforts of institutions in the defence, public order and national security systems. During the almost two weeks of training, combat sequences will be carried out in all action environments: sea, river, lagoon, underwater, land and air. The coordination and response capacities of the participating forces in highly complex scenarios will be tested and improved. The collaboration between naval, air and land forces will be tested by means of activities to defend critical coast infrastructure, to protect maritime communication lines and to support amphibious operations. The drills conducted in districts of the Black Sea, on the Danube River and in the coastal area will improve the collective response capacity and will help boost NATOs commitment to regional security. The Romanian defence minister Angel Tilvar stated that Sea Shield proves Romanias commitment to ensuring the security and stability of the Black Sea region. He announced that the procurement of a light corvette for the Romanian Navy will be submitted to Parliament for approval at the end of this week, after it has been approved by the Supreme Defence Council. The vessel should be part of the Romanian Navy equipment by the end of the year. Angel Tilvar: It is in Romanias best interest to have an area in the Black Sea where trade can take place under good conditions. I believe that the special economic zone that Romania will develop deserves due attention in terms of protection as well. These are just some arguments that I believe justify our interest in acquiring military equipment. For the time being, we have found this item of equipment that also meets our urgent needs, and I am glad that we have had the endorsement of the Supreme Defence Council, just as I hope to have the approval of Parliament. The main missions for light corvettes include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, search and rescue, counter-terrorism, maritime interdiction operations and special ops. Other missions include air-naval operations, electronic and acoustic warfare, bombing of enemy territory, protection of sea traffic and support for other operations. For more than ten years the defence ministry has tried and failed to buy 4 corvettes, with the procurement process blocked each time, although state-of-the-art ships are produced in Galati, Romania, including for NATO member states. (AMP) Australia will on Wednesday release February figures for building approvals, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Approvals are expected to slip 1.4 percent on month and climbing 6.3 percent in January. Australia also will see March results for the construction and manufacturing indexes from the Australian Industry Group; in February, they were at -3.7 and -8,2, respectively. South Korea will provide March numbers for consumer prices, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 0.2 percent on month and 2.0 percent on year. That following the 0.3 percent monthly increase and the 2.0 percent yearly gain in February. Japan will release March data for monetary base, with forecasts suggesting a decline of 1.5 percent on year - improving from -1.9 percent in February. Finally, the in Indonesia remail closed for Eid-ul-Fitr. 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. China's manufacturing sector expanded at the fastest pace in four months in March as output accelerated on the back of a sustained improvement in new orders, survey data from S&P Global revealed Tuesday. The headline Caixin Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 51.2 in March from 50.8 in February. The index marked the sixth consecutive month in which the score has remained above 50.0 mark signaling expansion in the sector. Production growth advanced for a third straight month, driven by higher new orders. Better demand conditions, alongside successful development efforts and the launch of new products, underpinned the latest uptick in new business inflows. There was further accumulation of backlogged work in March. The level of unfinished business increased across the manufacturing sector. To cope with rising workloads, firms hired additional staff. Consequently, staffing increased for the first time since August 2023. Purchasing activity grew at an accelerated pace to meet production requirements. Firms ramped up their pre-production inventory holdings as lead time for inputs deteriorated. By contrast, post production inventories decreased for a second straight month as finished goods were shipped out for order fulfillment. Regarding prices, the survey showed that average input prices declined for the first time in six months. As a result, manufacturers reduced their factory gate prices. Confidence among manufacturers remained positive in March as firms were hopeful that the introduction of new products and promotional efforts would boost sales and output in the next 12 months. Caixin Insight Group Senior Economist Wang Zhe said the had a stable start to the year, with signs of further recovery and improvement. "The government has made boosting consumption the top priority of its economic work this year. That means policy efforts should focus on stabilizing employment, alleviating households' financial burdens, and increasing their disposable income," said Zhe. Further, the economist cautioned that the external environment is severe and complex. The government should formulate policies that are more proactive and decisive, Zhe added. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Corero Network Security plc (CNS.L), a cybersecurity company, on Tuesday reported a pre-tax profit in fiscal 2024, compared with last year's loss. Looking ahead, the company said its Board is confident in the medium-term trading growth prospects. In the fiscal year 2024, profit before taxation surged to $0.56 million from loss of $0.15 million last year. Profit after tax was $0.50 million, compared to loss of $0.17 million in the prior year. For the fiscal year that ended in December, earnings per share were 0.1 US cents, compared to break even last year. EBITDA increased 42% to $2.5 million from $1.76 million last year. Revenue also surged 10% to $24.56 million from $22.35 million in the previous year. Order intake grew 13% to $28.2 million from last year's $24.8 million. Looking ahead, the company said it remains focused on providing effective and affordable distributed denial of service or DDoS protection for businesses. Corero Network Security is currently trading 0.30% higher at 16.75 pence on the London Stock Exchange. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News EQT Corp. (EQT), an energy company, announced on Tuesday that the EQT Infrastructure VI fund has inked a deal to buy Eagle Railcar Services from JM Texas Companies. The financial terms of the transaction, expected to be closed in the second quarter, are not known. "EQT will partner with Eagle's management team to position the company for long-term success, leveraging its deep expertise in investing behind North American transportation and logistics assets to help unlock value creation across operational excellence, automation and digitization, and geographic growth," EQT said. Founded in 2001 by Marc and Joe Walraven, Eagle has grown from one location to 13 full-service repair and maintenance facilities located across the U.S. Headquartered in Eastland, Texas, the company now operates as a mission-critical, fully-integrated rail services facility network providing inspection, repair, and maintenance services to railcars. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News A recent study found that following an intermittent fasting plan three days a week could lead to greater weight loss and improved outcomes compared to daily calorie counting. Researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, along with their colleagues, conducted a yearlong study involving 165 adults with overweight or obesity. Participants were randomly assigned to either a 4:3 intermittent fasting schedule or a traditional daily calorie restriction plan. The intermittent fasting group followed a modified regimen, reducing their calorie intake by 80 percent on three non-consecutive days per week. On the other four days, they were allowed to eat freely without strict calorie limits, though they were encouraged to make healthy choices. Meanwhile, the daily calorie restriction group maintained a consistent energy deficit of approximately 34.3 percent each day. The findings, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, revealed that after 12 months, those in the intermittent fasting group lost an average of 7.6 percent of their body weight, compared to a 5 percent loss in the daily calorie restriction group. Additionally, 58 percent of the fasting group achieved at least 5 percent weight loss, compared to 47 percent of those in the calorie restriction group. Intermittent fasting also yielded greater improvements in key health markers, including lower systolic blood pressure, better cholesterol levels (total and LDL), and reduced fasting glucose. Danielle Ostendorf, a study co-author and assistant professor at the University of Knoxville, noted that previous research on intermittent fasting may have been less successful due to either too few or too many fasting days, making the approach either ineffective or difficult to sustain. The researchers suggested that intermittent fasting could be a practical, evidence-based alternative for weight management, as it eliminates the need for constant calorie tracking while still promoting healthier eating habits. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Health News Minister Siviwe Gwarube and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela at the Big Lecture Theatre in the Faculty of Education [PHOTO CREDIT: Lance Myburgh] By: Lance Myburgh Rhodes University welcomed its alumna, Minister of Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, on the 31st of March 2025 for a visit to discuss key education initiatives and engage with students. The event, which took place at the Big Lecture Theatre in the Faculty of Education, underscored the Universitys commitment to strengthening collaboration with national education authorities. The Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, delivered the official welcome address, highlighting the significance of the Ministers visit and reaffirming the Universitys commitment to advancing education in South Africa. In his opening remarks, he underscored the urgent need for more practical and well-resourced strategies to strengthen the education system, particularly in foundational literacy and numeracy. Prof Mabizela stressed that addressing these challenges requires bold and decisive leadership, commending Minister Gwarube for her commitment to tackling these pressing issues and leading from the front. He emphasised the fundamental role of literacy and numeracy, stating that "reading and numeracy are cornerstones of personal development, economic progress, political expression, and self-expression." Ms Babsy Mokombe, the Gadra High School Programme manager, highlighted the Universitys community-based initiatives and their impact on educational accessibility and excellence. Mokombe emphasised that Rhodes University is not only located in Makhanda but is deeply committed to serving the city. This dedication is reflected in the Vice-Chancellors Education Initiative, which aims to position the University as an integral part of Makhandas development. These initiatives address critical stages of the educational journey, from early childhood development to the Senior and Further Education and Training (FET) phases. Minister Gwarube then took the stage for her keynote address, emphasising the critical role of early childhood development as the foundation for lifelong learning. She outlined a strategic vision for basic education, illustrating the stark contrast between two childrens educational journeys. The first child, exposed to reading, complex puzzles, an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre, and a preparatory school from an early age, develops strong literacy skills. In contrast, the second child, who lacks access to any ECD programme for the first six or seven years, encounters books for the first time at age seven. By the time they reach Grade 4 and take the national benchmark test, they struggle with reading comprehensionunlike the first child, who has had a head start. Minister Gwarube admitted that this reality keeps her up at night, highlighting that South Africas demographic trends reveal far more children facing the second scenario. She stressed that this challenge extends beyond the Grade 4 benchmark test, affecting the broader educational landscape nationwide. In her closing remarks, she cautioned: "We can obsess about matric results, making children go to school seven days a week, putting them through boot camps, subjecting them to unsafe practices such as walking to school at night, but the guarantee is that it will not make the dent that is required unless we get the foundation of learning right." Following the keynote address, Professor Eureta Rosenberg, Dean of Education at Rhodes University, facilitated a Q&A session, allowing students and audience members to engage directly with the Minister. The discussion addressed critical concerns, including the accountability of primary school educators in shaping the performance of higher-grade learners, the need for more substantial incentives to enhance foundation-phase education, and the provision of textbooks in underprivileged schools. The event concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks to Minister Gwarube, delivered by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships, Dr Nomakwezi Mzilikazi. She emphasised Rhodes Universitys role as a research-intensive institution committed to addressing the challenges outlined by the Minister, including issues in numeracy, literacy, language, and early childhood development. As the Minister departed, Dr Mzilikazi extended an invitation for her to return, fostering further dialogue on these pressing issues and exploring ways Rhodes University can contribute to developing more potent and more effective educational outcomes. Ever since the launch of Windsor EV, JSW MG Motor India has turned the tides around in the Indian market and has firmly established itself as one of the leading EV manufacturers. Sales have been booming for the brand with Windsor EV and the BaaS pricing structure bringing in most of the volumes. MG Sales March 2025 If we take a look at JSW MG Motor Indias sales performance for the month of March 2025, the company registered 5,500 units. These are wholesale figures of vehicles manufactured by the company and then shipped to dealerships. Retail sales numbers will be revealed at a later date showing how many units were sold to customers. The 5,500 units registered last month garnered MG India, a 9% YoY growth over 5,050 units sold in March 2024. Thus yielding a volume gain of 450 units YoY. When compared to the 4,002 units sold in February 2025, JSW MG Motor India registered a 37.43% MoM growth, gaining 1,498 units in volume MoM. It has to be noted that the 5,500 units MG sold in March 2025, was the companys highest ever sales. Over 85% of JSW MG Motor Indias total sales came from EV sales, which is up from 78% EV share in February 2025. These vehicles include Comet EV, ZS EV and the companys current rockstar, Windsor EV. Windsor EV FTW! While JSW MG Motor India may not be the countrys best-selling EV manufacturer yet, Windsor EV is the countrys best-selling electric car, sidelining Tata Motors products by a big margin. The companys portfolio currently consists of ICE based vehicles and electric vehicles like Comet EV, Windsor EV, ZS EV, Astor and Gloster. Soon, the company will launch MG Select dealership lineup across 13 major cities operating premium and luxurious vehicles in the country. MG Cyberster electric convertible 2-door Roadster and MG M9 electric luxury MPV will be the first few vehicles to launch via MG Select dealerships. Also, MG is poised to launch Majestor SUV in India as well. Vietnams Da Nang International Data Centre Joint Stock Company (JSC) has reportedly begun construction of what it says will be the citys largest data centre in Da Nang Hi-tech Park, as well as signed several cooperation agreements with partners. According to a report from news outlet Da Nang Today on Friday, the data centre site occupies two hectares of land. The building features a total floor area of 17,852 square metres, and will host up to 1,000 racks with a total capacity of 18.5MW. The Tier III data centre is designed according to TIA-942C standards to support cloud computing and AI workloads, the report said. Da Nang IDC said it will invest VND800 billion (US$31.2 million) for the first phase of the data centre, and an estimated VND1.2 trillion for the second phase. Da Nang IDC also marked the launch of the data centre by signing cooperation agreements with partners for the project, including China Mobile International (Viet Nam), FPT International Telecom, the Da Nang branch of VNPT, the Thanh Xuan branch of Viet Nam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development (BIDV), and Smart Energy Management JSC, the report added. No further details were given. The data centre is scheduled to be operational sometime between 2026 and 2027, reports the official Vietnam News Service. The manufacturer of Indias best-selling car for the calendar year, Tata Motors, has overtaken its arch rival, Mahindra Auto in March 2025. While the overall numbers of Tata Motors has seen a boost, MoM, the company faced slight de-growth YoY as opposed to the sales performance in March 2024. Lets take a closer look at the numbers. Tata Sales March 2025 Punch from Tata Motors stole the limelight as the countrys best-selling vehicle in CY2024. However, the company registered some of the lowest numbers in February 2025. 46,437 units, to be precise. This made Tata Motors drop to 4th position in February 2025 below Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra and Hyundai. The company has gained ground as it has surpassed the numbers of Mahindra Auto in March 2025 as the company registered 51,616 units in the domestic market. This is a rather impressive figure as it was an 11.16% MoM growth over 46,437 units sold in February 2025, gaining 5,181 units in volume MoM. With 50,110 units sold in March 2024, Tata registered a 3.01% YoY growth in total PV domestic sales. The companys expansion in Sri Lanka and Mauritius has led to growth in exports to 256 units, up from 187 units from last year with a 37% growth. Where EV sales are concerned, there is a major sales drop of 20.56% YoY with 5,353 units sold last month and 6,738 units sold last year. Q4 & YTD Analysis While monthly sales were mostly green for Tata Motors, Q4 sales and YTD FY25 sales analysis were mostly red. Diving into numbers, we can see that Tata sold 1,46,127 units in Q4 of FY25 which was 5.73% down from 1,55,010 units sold in Q4 FY24. Total EVs sold in Q4 FY25 was 15,936, down from 20,640 from a year ago. Exports were the only saving grace as there was a 36.04% YoY growth with 872 units as opposed to 641 units from Q4 FY24. Regardless, the total PV sales went down by 5.56% from last year at 1,46,999 units as opposed to 1,55,651 units, losing 8,652 units in volume YoY. YTD, Tata sold 5,53,585 units in FY25, which is 3.04% lower than 5,70,955 from FY24, losing 17,370 units in volume. Total EV sales in FY25 was 12.94% lower at 64,276 units in FY25 as opposed to 73,833 units in FY24. Again, the saving grace was exports with 5.43% YoY growth. But that was not enough as the total PV sales YTD stood at 5,56,263, down 3% YoY from 5,73,495 units in FY24. CV sales Where commercial sales are concerned, Tata Motors sold a total of 41,122 units in March 2025, which saw a 3% YoY decline. Which was 1,05,643 units in Q4 FY25 with 3% YoY decline in sales and 3,76,903 units sold YTD in FY25, which is a 5% decline from 3,95,845 units sold a year ago. Breaking down the numbers further, the major decline in sales was seen with SCV Cargo and Pickup trucks garnering a 17% YoY decline. Other than that, HCV trucks sold 12,856 units with 1% YoY growth, ILMCV trucks sold 7,181 units with 6% YoY growth and passenger carrier sold 6,088 units with 4% YoY growth. Tatas CV exports saw a massive growth of 44% YoY with 2,238 units shipped last month. Samsung Electronics has appointed mobile chief Roh Tae-moon as acting head of its consumer and smartphone unit following the death of former boss Han Jong-Hee. Han, who was also Samsungs co-CEO, passed away last week. Roh Tae-moon has been tasked with revamping the Korean companys struggling chip business amid rising competition. A spokesperson told Reuters that no decision has been made yet on whether the company will retain its previous co-CEO structure. The Samsung board will determine this at a later date. Roh, 56, has led the mobile unit since 2020. He now oversees the newly formed DX division, which includes TVs, home appliances, and smartphones. In a press release, Samsung stated that the move aims to minimise the leadership vacuum in its DX division through this executive reshuffle. The company also announced the appointment of former Qualcomm executive Choi Won-joon, who currently heads R&D for the mobile unit, to the newly created role of chief operating officer of the division. Additionally, former head of DX division marketing Kim Cheol-gi has been appointed to lead the digital appliances unit. March 31, 2025 | 05:01 pm PT I told my students to read about why the measles outbreak is spreading across Vietnam and to focus on statements made by the Department of Medical Service Administration. Hoang Minh Duc, its director general, said there is vaccine hesitancy after Covid-19 because some people think they do not work, worry about their quality or fear side effects. Other factors also play a role. So, I asked my students to write about these concerns, sharing their opinions and arguments. Most of my students described anti-vaccine individuals, or anti-vaxxers, as ignorant or lacking basic medical knowledge. Some even saw them as brainwashed. They suggested that the government should launch more vaccine awareness campaigns and penalize those who refuse vaccination. Their opinions assume that vaccination is a simple matter of science and that anti-vaxxers either do not understand or do not care about science. But that is not the case. First, vaccine hesitancy is no longer a fringe issue; it is a global one. A study by the Vaccine Confidence Project found that in 2023 only 70% of British adults believed vaccines were safe and effective, down from 90% in 2018. Similar declines in public confidence in vaccines' effectiveness have been recorded in 52 of 55 surveyed countries since 2019. A poll by YouGov, an international internet-based market research firm, also found that more adults now believe vaccines have harmful side effects that are being hidden from the public. As a result, the incidence of measles in the U.S. and Europe, both highly developed regions, are at a 25-year high. If more than 5% of the population remains unvaccinated, society risks returning to a pre-vaccine era. Second, vaccine hesitancy is not just about understanding science. Education and economic policies alone will not make people trust vaccines more. Some wealthy Americans, for example, hire private doctors for medications instead of using state vaccination programs. A doctor is holding a vaccine injection needle. Illustration photo by Pexels So where does vaccine hesitancy come from, and how should society respond as the public health risk grows? Research shows that vaccine hesitancy is not new. It has existed since the 19th century and has grown into a movement fueled by distrust of government, economic inequality, political polarization, and misinformation. Economic inequality has increased the vaccine distrust. Many see mass vaccination as something controlled by elites since major pharmaceutical companies and research institutions produce vaccines while ordinary people have no say in the matter. This distrust worsened after the 2012 economic recession and the impact of Covid-19. The internet has also contributed to the spread of misinformation, making it harder to control. Some spread false vaccine claims merely to gain online attention and profit without even believing in what they say in the first place. The media often focuses on the risks from vaccines rather than their benefits, making minor risks seem much bigger and more dangerous. It is like gun ownership where people worry more about crime than about the daily dangers of having a gun at home. While the medical industry has advanced rapidly, public understanding of science has not kept up. Many health experts struggle to explain complex issues in simple terms. When communication fails, they resort to legal mandates instead of discussion. Studies suggest schools should teach children how to assess scientific evidence, but falling global scores in data literacy and critical thinking make this difficult. Populist politicians make things even worse. They use emotions to sway public opinion, claiming to defend the weak while exploiting fears about government control and medical interventions. Instead of promoting long-term solutions like herd immunity, they focus on immediate concerns that fuel distrust and resistance. The anti-vaccine movement is not just about ignorance. It reflects a world increasingly divided by culture, education, economics, and politics. The answer is not just about rebuilding trust in vaccines and scienceit is about restoring trust between people. Efforts to do this are already underway. The U.K. promotes vaccination not just as a personal health choice but as a way to support the economy and keep society stable. In the U.S., healthcare workers collaborate with influential local figures like priests and barbers to vaccinate people while addressing community health concerns. In Vietnam, where people still trust doctors, vaccine hesitancy may completely disappear as future generations grow up healthier and more informed. *Lang Minh is a senior education consultant for the MindX startup education ecosystem. A remarkable new genus and species of gnathosaurine pterosaur being named Garudapterus buffetauti has been identified from a fossilized upper jaw found in eastern Thailand. Pterosauria is an order of extinct flying reptiles that once lived among dinosaurs in the Mesozoic time, with a fossil record spanning from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous, said Shihezi University paleontologist Xuanyu Zhou and colleagues. Traditionally, there have been two major groups of pterosaurs. The first comprises early branching members, which generally possess long tails and lengthy fifth toes (traditionally known as the paraphyletic suborder Rhamphorhynchoidea, now abolished). The second is Pterodactyloidea, the larger group with highly reduced tails, relatively long metacarpals, and short or absent fifth toes. Garudapterus buffetauti belongs to Gnathosaurinae, a subfamily of pterosaurs within the Pterodactyloidea group. The new species lived in what is now Thailand during the Early Cretaceous epoch, aprpoximately 130 million years ago. The flying reptiles fossilized remains were found at the Phra Prong locality in the southern region of the Phanom Dong Rak mountain range in Thailands Sa Kaeo province. The holotype of Garudapterus buffetauti the first pterosaur cranial material in Thailand consists of a partial rostrum and five incomplete teeth from a single individual. The anterior tip of the rostrum is dorsoventrally flattened and laterally expanded (spoon-shaped), indicating affinities to the Gnathosaurinae, the paleontologists said. Alveoli borders are conspicuously scalloped and collar-like, and the palatal surface exhibits a pair of sinusoidal grooves. These features bear a strong resemblance to the Late Jurassic gnathosaurines Gnathosaurus subulatus, Tacuadactylus luciae, and Lusognathus almadrava. The teams phylogenetic analysis indicates that Garudapterus buffetauti is closely related to these gnathosaurines. Still, the Thai gnathosaurine is unique in exhibiting a kite-shaped rostrum expansion and is recognized as a new species, the researchers said. This new specimen provides essential information regarding pterosaurs, including updated data for a better understanding of their diversity and distribution throughout Southeast Asia. The teams paper was published this month in the journal Cretaceous Research. _____ Sita Manitkoon et al. First gnathosaurine (Pterosauria, Pterodactyloidea) from the Early Cretaceous of eastern Thailand. Cretaceous Research, published online March 28, 2025; doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106135 Paleontologists in Germany have unearthed an exceptionally well-preserved skeleton of an Early-Jurassic plesiosauroid species called Plesiopterys wildi. From a global perspective, the Early Jurassic was characterized by the steady break-up of the supercontinent Pangea and associated climatic fluctuations that produced alternating greenhouse and ice-house conditions. These paleoenvironmental changes coincided with the radiation of various reptile groups, including Plesiosauria. The Early Jurassic fossil record of plesiosaurs is especially diverse, with members of Plesiosauroidea, Pliosauridae and Rhomaleosauridae represented by numerous species from Europe, particularly in Germany and England. The 3-m-long skeleton of Plesiopterys wildi offers new clues about the evolution and geographic distribution of Early Jurassic plesiosaurs. Dated to 180 million years ago, the fossil was found in the Posidonienschiefer Formation near Holzmaden, southern Germany. The specimen, referred to as MH 7, is one of the most complete articulated plesiosaur skeletons found in the region. Unlike ichthyosaurs and marine crocodile relatives, which dominate the fossil record of this formation, plesiosaurs are comparatively rare, said Lund University paleontologist Miguel Marx and his colleagues. The new discovery, therefore, provides a rare glimpse into the biodiversity of these long-necked marine reptiles. MH 7 represents a subadult individual, refining the known characteristics of this species and confirming its validity as a distinct taxon. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that Plesiopterys wildi is an early-diverging plesiosauroid, closely related to Franconiasaurus brevispinus. The discovery suggests a gradual evolutionary transition towards more derived cryptoclidids of the Late Jurassic, the paleontologists said. It supports the idea that plesiosaur species may have been regionally distinct within the epicontinental seas of Early Jurassic Europe, reinforcing patterns of paleobiogeographical segregation. The Holzmaden specimen gives us an unprecedented look at Plesiopterys wildi in a more mature stage of development, allowing us to refine our understanding of this species and its place in plesiosaur evolution, Dr. Marx said. It also suggests that distinct plesiosaur communities may have evolved in different regions of the European seas during the Early Jurassic. Our research reinforces that plesiosaurs were already evolving specialized adaptations and distinct regional lineages much earlier than we used to believe, added Dr. Sven Sachs, a researcher at the Naturkunde-Museum Bielefeld. This has important implications for understanding how marine reptiles responded to environmental changes in the Jurassic seas. The study was published in the journal PeerJ. _____ M. Marx et al. 2025. A new specimen of Plesiopterys wildi reveals the diversification of cryptoclidian precursors and possible endemism within European Early Jurassic plesiosaur assemblages. PeerJ 13: e18960; doi: 10.7717/peerj.18960 Researchers have developed new AI models that can vastly improve accuracy and discovery within protein science. Potentially, the models will assist the medical sciences in overcoming present challenges within, e.g. personalised medicine, drug discovery, and diagnostics. In the wake of broadly available AI tools, most technical and natural sciences fields are advancing rapidly. This is particularly true in biotechnology, where AI models power breakthroughs in drug discovery, precision medicine, gene editing, food security, and many other research areas. One sub-field is proteomics -- the study of proteins on a large scale -- where vast amounts of protein data are gathered in databases against which a sample can be compared. These databases enable scientists to discern which proteins -- and, thereby, microorganisms -- are present in a sample. They allow a doctor to diagnose diseases, monitor the effectiveness of a treatment, or identify pathogens present in a patient's sample. Although these tools are very useful and effective, there are limits to what they can do, says Timothy Patrick Jenkins, an Associate Professor at DTU Bioengineering and corresponding author: "First off, no database includes everything, so you need to know which databases are relevant to your particular needs. Then deep searches are very time-consuming and demand a lot of computer power. And, finally, it's nearly impossible to identify proteins that haven't been registered yet." For this reason, some groups have worked on so-called 'de novo sequencing algorithms' that improve accuracy and lower computational costs with increasing database size. Still, according to Jenkins and colleagues from DTU, Delft University in the Netherlands and the British AI company InstaDeep, their performance remained "underwhelming." Exceeding state-of-the-art In a , they propose two novel AI models to assist researchers, medical practitioners, and commercial entities in finding exactly the necessary information in the vast amounts of data. These are called InstaNovo and InstaNovo+ and are available to researchers through the InstaDeep website (see fact box). "Seen together, our models exceed state-of-the-art and are significantly more precise than currently available tools. Furthermore, as we show in the paper, our models are not specific to a particular research area. Instead, these tools could propel significant advances in all fields involving proteomics," says Kevin Michael Eloff, a research engineer at InstaDeep and co-first author of the paper. To assess the usefulness of their models, the researchers have trained and tested them on several specific tasks within major areas of interest. One investigation was performed on wound fluid from venous leg ulcer patients. Since venous leg ulcers are notoriously difficult to treat and often become chronic, knowing which microorganisms like bacteria are present is crucial to treatment. The models could map ten times as many sequences as a database search, among them E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa -- the latter being a multidrug-resistant bacterium. Another use case was conducted on small pieces of protein, called peptides, displayed on the surface of cells. These help the immune system recognize infections and diseases such as cancer. The InstaNovo models identified thousands of new peptides that were not found using traditional methods. In personalised cancer treatments empowering the immune system -- immunotherapy for short -- these peptides are all potential attack points. "In combination, our tests of the model on complex cases, where, for example, unknown proteins are present, or where we have no prior knowledge of the organisms involved, show that they are suitable to improve our understanding significantly. That this bodes well for biomedicine is a given, since it can directly improve identification of our microbiome, as well as improve our efforts within personalised medicine and cancer immunology," says Konstantinos Kalogeropoulos, co-first author and Assistant Professor at DTU Bioengineering. The paper provides six additional cases that demonstrate how these models improve therapeutic sequencing, discover novel peptides, detect unreported organisms, and significantly enhance proteomics searches. The implications of their results extend far beyond the medical sciences, says Timothy Patrick Jenkins: "Looking at it from a purely technical, scientific perspective, it is also true that with these tools, we can improve our understanding of the biological world as a whole, not only in terms of healthcare but also in industry and academia. Within every field using proteomics -- be it plant science, veterinary science, industrial biotech, environmental monitoring, or archaeology -- we can gain insights into protein landscapes that have been inaccessible until now." FACTS What Are InstaNovo and InstaNovo+? InstaNovo is a transformer-based model designed for de novo peptide sequencing. Developed in collaboration between InstaDeep and the Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), it translates fragment ion peaks from mass spectrometry data into peptide sequences with unprecedented precision. Unlike traditional methods that rely on pre-existing databases, InstaNovo identifies peptides that have never been documented before -- expanding the landscape of proteomic discovery. A key innovation of the InstaNovo models is InstaNovo+, a diffusion-based iterative refinement model that enhances sequence accuracy by mimicking how researchers manually refine peptide predictions. InstaNovo+ begins with an initial sequence -- either derived from InstaNovo or generated at random -- and improves it, step by step. When paired with InstaNovo, InstaNovo+ significantly reduces false discovery rates (FDR) and improves sequence accuracy, not just by refining predictions, but by exploring a broader range of potential peptide sequences. Unlike autoregressive models such as InstaNovo and others, which predict peptide sequences one amino acid at a time, InstaNovo+ processes entire sequences holistically, enabling greater accuracy and higher detection rates. Together, InstaNovo and InstaNovo+ enhance de novo peptide sequencing, striking a balance between precision and exploration to accelerate biological discovery. Source: InstaDeep. Public awareness of the link between drinking alcohol and an elevated risk of cancer has grown since last fall, with more than half of Americans now saying that regularly consuming alcohol increases your chances of later developing cancer, according to a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania. In the survey, conducted Jan. 30-Feb. 10, 2025, with over 1,700 U.S. adults, 56% say the regular consumption of alcohol increases your chances of later developing cancer, up from 40% in an Annenberg survey in September 2024. The percentage of those who say alcohol consumption has no effect on your chances of later developing cancer fell to 16% from 20% in September 2024, and fewer are not sure how alcohol consumption affects cancer risks (26%, down from 40%). The survey was fielded less than a month after U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy's advisory on alcohol and cancer risk on Jan. 3, 2025. It called for updated warning labels on alcoholic beverage containers to indicate that drinking alcohol carries an increased risk for at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colon, and liver cancer. The Surgeon General's warning, which was widely covered in the news media, was not the only report issued on alcohol and cancer in recent months, but the survey found it was the only one to gain significant public awareness. Of the people who say they had "read or heard about" one or more recent reports on the impact of alcohol on health, nearly 3 in 10 (29%) say they would be less likely to accept an alcoholic drink on a social occasion if one is offered to them. "Our data suggest that the Surgeon General's synthesis of the science showing that alcohol consumption increases one's risk of cancer got traction," said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. "The Surgeon General's impact is a reminder that what health officials communicate about science can affect behavior." Reports on alcohol consumption and health Nearly half of our survey respondents (48%) say they had "read or heard about" one or more reports on the impact of alcohol on health. In a separate question, 46% of those who say they were exposed to at least one report say the report they knew about was the Surgeon General's, though 44% were unsure which report they had encountered. In its own report in December 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) reviewed the scientific evidence on the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and health impacts, including mortality, cancer, weight, and cardiovascular disease. While this report noted the connection between moderate alcohol consumption and a higher risk of breast cancer, it listed positive and negative findings about alcohol consumption and various other health conditions. Another federal report from U.S. health agencies, led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, on Jan. 14, 2025, found that even moderate drinking carried health risks, including liver disease, cancer, and injuries. The survey found that very few among the public say they knew of those other reports. After noting that moderate alcohol use is defined as one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men, the survey asked those who had seen or heard of only one report what it says about moderate alcohol use. Nearly half of those individuals (47%) say that, according to the report, moderate alcohol use "has harmful effects" and a quarter (25%) say it has some harmful and some positive health effects. One in 5 (20%) were not sure what the report says. Did the reports have an effect? The respondents who knew of at least one report on alcohol and health were asked if "anything that you have heard or read about the report(s)" made you more or less likely to accept a drink if one is offered on a social occasion, or if it had no effect. As noted above, nearly 1 in 3 (29%) say they would be less likely to accept an alcoholic drink if one is offered. But 61% say the report(s) would have no effect on whether they would accept an alcoholic drink. A very small group (9%) say they would be more likely to accept a drink. Among the small group who report that something they heard or read about the report(s) made them more likely to accept a drink on a social occasion, most (73%) say they also would be more likely to accept a second drink if one is offered. About 1 in 5 (22%) say they'd be less likely to accept a second drink if offered. APPC's Annenberg Science and Public Health knowledge survey The survey data come from the 23rd wave of a nationally representative panel of 1,716 U.S. adults conducted for the Annenberg Public Policy Center by SSRS, an independent market research company. Most have been empaneled since April 2021. To account for attrition, small replenishment samples have been added over time using a random probability sampling design. The most recent replenishment, in September 2024, added 360 respondents to the sample. This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge (ASAPH) survey was fielded Jan. 30-Feb. 10, 2025. The margin of sampling error (MOE) is 3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All figures are rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add to 100%. Combined subcategories may not add to totals in the topline and text due to rounding. The policy center has been tracking the American public's knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors regarding vaccination, Covid-19, flu, RSV, and other consequential health issues through this survey panel for four years. In addition to Jamieson, APPC's team on the survey includes research analysts Laura A. Gibson and Shawn Patterson Jr., Patrick E. Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute, and Ken Winneg, managing director of survey research. It's (going to be) electric. But how soon? How quickly our society can maximize the benefit of electrification hinges on finding cheaper, higher performance batteries -- a reality closer to hand through new research from Virginia Tech. A team of chemists led by Feng Lin and Louis Madsen found a way to see into battery interfaces, which are tight, tricky spots buried deep inside the cell. The research findings were published on April 1 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. "There are major, longstanding challenges at the interfaces," said Jungki Min, a chemistry graduate student and the study's first author. "We are always trying to gain better control over these buried surfaces." The team member's discovery of a new imaging technique that enabled them to peer inside an operating battery happened by chance. They were originally looking at a new formulation of electrolyte material. The best battery batter Sandwiched between the negative and positive electrodes, the electrolyteis the filling that carries charged particles, called ions, back and forth to charge and discharge a battery. Electrolytes have many possible component combinations involving salts, solvents, and additives. They can be liquid, solid, gel-like, or even multiphase, which means that the material can shift from rigid to flexible depending on the conditions. But what's the best material to use for the critical task of ferrying charge? That's one of the big questions in science right now, and it is key todeveloping high-energy batteries with longer lifespans that can be stable at extreme temperatures -- all important qualities for the next generation of electric vehicles, electric appliances, and other battery-powered technologies such as artificial intelligence. Where energy goes to disappear To answer this question, Lin and Madsen have been looking at something called a multiphase polymer electrolyte, which has the potential to store more energy in the same size battery, along with being safer and cheaper than conventional batteries. Madsen's lab discovered a multiphase electrolyte, called a molecular ionic composite, in 2015. Madsen's and Lin's research groups have been working together to build lithium and sodium batteries based on this formulation, and they have been making consistent improvements. But there are a few caveats: The batteries are plagued with weird growths and unhelpful behaviors that sprout up where the electrolyte and the electrodes come together at that Bermuda Triangle of batteries, the interfaces. Insight at the interfaces To catch a glimpse of what was causing the spazzy interface behavior, Min took many trips to Brookhaven National Laboratory over the past few years. Brookhaven's tender energy X-ray beam line is heavily used to analyze things such as meteorites and fungi. But no one had ever used it to look at polymer electrolytes. What researchers found, combined with results from other imaging techniques, allowed then to pinpoint the source of the problems: Part of the architectural support system degraded as the battery cycled, leading to eventual failure. But it's more than just a simple diagnosis. From here on out, researchers can use this technique to finally see both the intricate structure and the chemical reactions of the buried interfaces. "This has been a great collaboration between multiple research laboratories across the country," said Lin, who is a Leo and Melva Harris Faculty Fellow. "We now have a good mechanistic picture to guide us for a better design of interfaces and interphases in solid polymer batteries." Eye tracking plays a critical role in the latest virtual and augmented reality headsets and is an important technology in the entertainment industry, scientific research, medical and behavioral sciences, automotive driving assistance and industrial engineering. Tracking the movements of the human eye with high accuracy, however, is a daunting challenge. Researchers at the University of Arizona Wyant College of Optical Sciences have now demonstrated an innovative approach that could revolutionize eye-tracking applications. Their study, published in Nature Communications, finds that integrating a powerful 3D imaging technique known as deflectometry with advanced computation has the potential to significantly improve state-of-the-art eye tracking technology. "Current eye-tracking methods can only capture directional information of the eyeball from a few sparse surface points, about a dozen at most," said Florian Willomitzer, associate professor of optical sciences and principal investigator of the study. "With our deflectometry-based method, we can use the information from more than 40,000 surface points, theoretically even millions, all extracted from only one single, instantaneous camera image." "More data points provide more information that can be potentially used to significantly increase the accuracy of the gaze direction estimation," said Jiazhang Wang, postdoctoral researcher in Willomitzer's lab and the study's first author. "This is critical, for instance, to enable next-generation applications in virtual reality. We have shown that our method can easily increase the number of acquired data points by a factor of more than 3,000, compared to conventional approaches." Deflectometry is a 3D imaging technique that allows for the measurement of reflective surfaces with very high accuracy. Common applications of deflectometry include scanning large telescope mirrors or other high-performance optics for the slightest imperfections or deviations from their prescribed shape. Leveraging the power of deflectometry for applications outside the inspection of industrial surfaces is a major research focus of Willomitzer's research group in the U of A Computational 3D Imaging and Measurement Lab. The team pairs deflectometry with advanced computational methods typically used in computer vision research. The resulting research track, which Willomitzer calls "computational deflectometry," includes techniques for the analysis of paintings and artworks, tablet-based 3D imaging methods to measure the shape of skin lesions, and eye tracking. "The unique combination of precise measurement techniques and advanced computation allows machines to 'see the unseen,' giving them 'superhuman vision' beyond the limits of what humans can perceive," Willomitzer said. In this study, the team conducted experiments with human participants and a realistic, artificial eye model. The team measured the study subjects' viewing direction and was able to track their gaze direction with accuracies between 0.46 and 0.97 degrees. When tested on the artificial eye model, the error was around just 0.1 degrees. Instead of depending on a few infrared point light sources to acquire information from eye surface reflections, the new method uses a screen displaying known structured light patterns as the illumination source. Each of the more than 1 million pixels on the screen can thereby act as an individual point light source. By analyzing the deformation of the displayed patterns as they reflect off the eye surface, the researchers can obtain accurate and dense 3D surface data from both the cornea, which overlays the pupil, and the white area around the pupil, known as the sclera, Wang explained. "Our computational reconstruction then uses this surface data together with known geometrical constraints about the eye's optical axis to accurately predict the gaze direction," he said. In a previous study, the team has already explored how the technology could seamlessly integrate with virtual reality and augmented reality systems by potentially using a fixed embedded pattern in the headset frame or the visual content of the headset itself -- be it still images or video -as the pattern that is reflected from the eye surface. This can significantly reduce system complexity, the researchers say. Moreover, future versions of this technology could use infrared light instead of visible light, allowing the system to operate without distracting users with visible patterns. "To obtain as much direction information as possible from the eye's cornea and sclera without any ambiguities, we use stereo-deflectometry paired with novel surface optimization algorithms," Wang said. "The technique determines the gaze without making strong assumptions about the shape or surface of the eye, as some other methods do, because these parameters can vary from user to user." In a desirable "side effect," the new technology creates a dense and accurate surface reconstruction of the eye, which could potentially be used for on-the-fly diagnosis and correction of specific eye disorders in the future, the researchers added. Aiming for the next technology leap While this is the first time deflectometry has been used for eye tracking -- to the researchers' knowledge -- Wang said, "It is encouraging that our early implementation has already demonstrated accuracy comparable to or better than commercial eye-tracking systems in real human eye experiments." With a pending patent and plans for commercialization through Tech Launch Arizona, the research paves the way for a new era of robust and accurate eye-tracking. The researchers believe that with further engineering refinements and algorithmic optimizations, they can push the limits of eye tracking beyond what has been previously achieved using techniques fit for real-world application settings. Next, the team plans to embed other 3D reconstruction methods into the system and take advantage of artificial intelligence to further improve the technique. "Our goal is to close in on the 0.1-degree accuracy levels obtained with the model eye experiments," Willomitzer said. "We hope that our new method will enable a new wave of next-generation eye tracking technology, including other applications such as neuroscience research and psychology." Co-authors on the paper include Oliver Cossairt, adjunct associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northwestern University, where Willomitzer and Wang started the project, and Tianfu Wang and Bingjie Xu, both former students at Northwestern. A Vietnam Airlines aircraft prepares to land at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines resumed flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong on Monday and inaugurated a new direct route connecting Thailand's Bangkok and Vietnam's Da Nang amid growing tourism demand. The inaugural flight, VN595, departed from Hong Kong to HCMC on March 30, marking the first regular service on this route after a one-year suspension. Vietnam Airlines will initially operate one daily flight on this route using Airbus A321. Currently, Vietnam Airlines operates seven round-trip flights per week between Hong Kong and Hanoi. On March 30, Vietnam Airlines also launched a new direct flight connecting Bangkok and Da Nang at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, operating four flights weekly on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung laid stress on substantial potential for tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand, elaborating during 2023-2024, Thailand hosted nearly 1 million Vietnamese visitors, while sending about 500,000 travelers to Vietnam. Da Nang is an emerging market with international arrivals exceeding 4.1 million in 2024, a 36.3% increase compared to 2023. Thai visitors rank among the top four international markets for visitors staying in the city. Vietnam Airlines previously operated a direct route connecting Bangkok and Da Nang from Don Muang International Airport but temporarily suspended it to restructure development plan. Nine foreign travelers will be deported and banned from returning to Singapore after they were found approaching fellow nationals at Changi Airport to transport gold and mobile phones back to their home countries. The police said the items were meant to be handed over to individuals in the travelers' home countries in exchange for cash rewards, The Straits Times reported. Authorities did not disclose the nationalities or genders of the people, nor the exact timing of their deportation, according to Channel News Asia. Under the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Act, touting at the airport is prohibited. Offenders can be issued a Prohibition Order, which bars them from entering the airport unless they are departing on a flight. Violating this order may lead to arrest for criminal trespass. Singaporean authorities reminded travelers not to carry goods on behalf of strangers, warning that doing so could expose them to serious security risks or potential arrest and prosecution for involvement in illegal activities. Renowned for its strict laws and low crime rates, Singapore was recently ranked the safest country in Southeast Asia, according to a report by Numbeo, the worlds largest user-contributed database on cities and countries. A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) Editor: Zhang Zhou AMERICAS Colombia Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council is expected to receive a briefing from Special Representative and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia Carlos Ruiz Massieu on recent developments in Colombia and the Secretary-Generals latest 90-day report on the mission, which was circulated to Council members on 26 March (S/2025/188). A civil society representative is also expected to brief. The verification missions mandate expires on 31 October. Key Recent Developments The first quarter of 2025 witnessed an escalation of hostilities in several departments in Colombia. The north-eastern region of Catatumbo in the Norte de Santander department, which borders Venezuela, experienced a particularly severe deterioration in the security situation, described by the UN as the gravest escalation of violence the country since the signing in 2016 of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace between the government of Colombia and the former rebel group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP). Starting on 15 January, violence intensified in Catatumbo between the guerrilla group Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN) and the 33rd Front, a branch of the Estado Mayor de los Bloques y Frentes (EMBF), which has splintered from the general staff of the dissident group of the former FARC-EP that identifies itself as the Estado Mayor Central Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (EMC). The armed groups have traditionally fought over control of coca crops and drug trafficking corridors in the area. Violence started after a truce between the groups that had held since 2018 broke down in early January. According to an update from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) published on 21 March, more than 80 civilians were killed, including social leaders and six former FARC-EP members. Approximately 80,800 people have been affected by the violence, including some 52,000 who have been displaced and more than 20,000 others who have faced restrictions on mobility, in what OCHA described as the largest humanitarian crisis in the region in three decades. In a 20 March statement, several independent human rights experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) said that armed groups have also reportedly subjected civilians in Norte de Santander to extrajudicial executions, acts tantamount to enforced disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence particularly against women and girls, human trafficking, and the recruitment of children, noting that such acts constitute grave violations of international law that must be investigated and perpetrators held accountable. OCHA has also warned that the persistence of actions by armed groups to exercise social control of the population, such as restrictions on mobility and recruitment, creates a high risk of further episodes of mass violence. On 17 January, Colombian President Gustavo Petro Urrego announced the suspension of the dialogue process that the government had been holding with the ELN as part of his total peace policy. Talks with the group had already stalled in May 2024 following the governments decision to conduct a regional dialogue with one of the ELNs regional fronts. The government also declared a state of internal commotion for the Catatumbo region on 20 January for an initial period of 90 days, which aims to provide resources to mitigate the economic and social impacts of the escalation of violence and to ensure food security, among other issues. Additionally, on 3 March, Petro announced a plan for the voluntary and compensated eradication of 25,000 hectares of coca in the Catatumbo region within 140 days with the aim of decreasing violence and weakening armed groups that profit from the drug trade. Violence has also persisted or intensified in other parts of the country in the first quarter of 2025. OCHAs 21 March update reported humanitarian emergencies in the departments of Choco, Cauca, Antioquia, Sur de Bolivar, Arauca, and Cordoba due to the actions of armed groups. It further stressed that the number of people displaced in mass events reported in the first two months of 2025 alone exceeded the total number of people displaced in all of 2024. At the Councils latest quarterly meeting on Colombia, held on 22 January, Ruiz Massieu noted that Catatumbo is like other regions in the country where lack of state presence has created a vacuum in which armed groups continue fighting for territorial and social control. He emphasised that the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement is as central as ever to lasting solutions for preventing and resolving the causes of armed conflict, highlighting the importance of bringing public services, legal economies, and development opportunities to conflict-affected areas. Armando Wouriyu Valbuenaa representative of the Special High-Level Instance for Ethnic Groups (IEANPE), a body created by the 2016 agreement to monitor the implementation of provisions related to the agreements ethnic chapterand Diego Tovar, a former FARC-EP combatant and signatory to the 2016 peace agreement, also delivered statements at the meeting. Among other issues, they called for the swift implementation of the security guarantees provisions of the 2016 agreement, including the public policy to dismantle illegal armed groups and criminal organisations, which the National Commission on Security Guarantees (NCSG)a body established by the agreementpresented in September 2023. Wouriyu called on the NCSG to address the disproportionate targeting of ethnic communities, while Tovar also stressed the need for armed groups participating in total peace dialogues to commit to respecting international humanitarian law. The Secretary-Generals report says that the crisis in Catatumbo has highlighted the challenging landscape for dialogues in the framework of total peace. It further notes that following the fragmentation of some groups involved in talks with the government, the focus has shifted from national talks to dialogues with a narrower scope and more localized reach. One such process is with the EMBF, which has remained in a dialogue process with the government after splitting from the EMCs general staff. A ceasefire between the government and the EMBF, which was agreed in 2023, is in effect until 15 April. Human Rights-Related Developments On 22 January, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presented a report to the HRC on Colombias human rights situation. The report assesses the impact of territorial violence and the internal armed conflict on human rights and civic space in 2024, focusing on 26 situations in 96 municipalities. It describes actions by non-state armed groups to maintain social control, including recruitment of children, threats against the educational community, and gender-based violence. Among other findings, the report references 15 verified human rights violations by members of the security forces, including allegations of torture; cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment; and arbitrary detentions and discrimination. In a press release issued on 24 February, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stressed the crucial need for the protection of civilians and urged the authorities to take immediate measures to protect Indigenous Peoples, particularly those at extreme risk due to the ongoing internal armed conflicts. In a 27 February press release, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants Gehad Madi called for strengthened cooperation between Colombia and Panama to protect the human rights of all people on the move in the region, expressing concern over the use of the Darien jungle as a migratory route. In this regard, Madi called for joint responsibility to ensure protection for migrants and refugees, urging both countries to augment their asylum and human rights protection systems and to fulfil obligations under international human rights and refugee laws. Key Issues and Options An overarching priority for the Council remains supporting the full implementation of the 2016 peace agreement. As Colombia prepares for presidential elections in 2026, members may wish to continue emphasising the importance of continued focus on that objective. Council members have welcomed Petros expressed commitment to accelerate implementation of the accord, including through the rapid action response plan that the president announced during an 11 July 2024 Security Council meeting. There appears to be some concern about future progress, including due to the recent departure from the government of key figures such as former Interior Minister Juan Fernando Cristo, who had overseen implementation of the rapid action response plan, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia. Council members could meet informally with Colombias new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laura Sarabia, to receive more information about the governments plans to advance the implementation of the peace agreement in the remainder of the presidents term, which ends in August 2026. A key objective for the Council is supporting transitional justice efforts in the country, including the work of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP), the judicial component of the Comprehensive System for Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Non-Repetition established by the 2016 agreement. While members continue emphasising the importance of upholding the SJPs autonomy, they have also increasingly been encouraging the Court to begin issuing restorative sentences. Some members apparently feel that it will be opportune to commence this crucialand potentially polarisingstage before the start of the electoral period in the country. An option would be for Council members to interact informally with the SJPs new president, Judge Alejandro Ramelli, to discuss the challenges facing the SJP and the envisioned timelines for the handing down of restorative sentences. How to support relief efforts for conflict-affected communities is another issue. OCHAs 2025 Community Priorities Response Plan (CPRP) for Colombia requests $342 million to assist 13.5 million people, with needs being driven by the escalating impacts of armed conflict, the rising frequency of climate-related disasters, and the growing displacement of vulnerable populations. There are concerns regarding the effects of US funding cuts for foreign aid, since 70 percent of funding for Colombias 2024 CPRP came from the US. At the meeting on Colombia in April, some Council members may choose to call on donors to enhance their support for humanitarian efforts in the country. Council Dynamics Council members are generally united in their support for the peace process in Colombia and for the verification missions work. It remains to be seen how the approach of the administration of US President Donald Trump to Colombia may affect Council dynamics on the file. On 26 January, shortly after the January Council session on Colombia, there was a tense exchange between Petro and Trump, when Petro criticised US treatment of deportees, refusing to allow two planes returning Colombian migrants to land in Colombia. In response, Trump threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Colombian goods entering the US, eventually leading Petro to agree to the resumption of deportation flights from the US. New elected member Panama shares a border with Colombia and has an interest in the cross-border effects of the activities of armed groups in Colombia. Panama also has a thematic focus on countering transnational crime. At the January Council meeting, it highlighted the significant risks faced by forcibly displaced persons and those in situations of irregular migration, including vulnerability to human trafficking, forced labour, or sexual exploitation. Looking ahead, Colombia is running uncontested for a seat on the Security Council in 2026-2027, with elections scheduled to take place in June. The UK is the penholder on Colombia. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON COLOMBIA AFRICA Great Lakes Region (DRC) Expected Council Action In April, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Xia, is expected to provide the biannual briefing to the Council on the implementation of the 2013 Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework (PSC-F) for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region. Key Recent Developments Since the Councils last meeting on the Great Lakes region on 8 October 2024, the security situation in eastern DRC has deteriorated significantly. The rebel group Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) has more than doubled its control of territory in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, capturing strategic cities such as Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of these two provinces, respectively. On 19 March, the M23 captured W8alikale, a mining town along a major highway leading to Kisangani, the provincial capital of Tshopo province. However, on 22 March, the group announced its decision to reposition its forces from the town and surrounding areas to foster conditions favourable for dialogue. On 18 March, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met in Doha under the facilitation of the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. According to a joint statement released after their meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the commitment of all parties to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire as decided by a joint summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on 8 February. (For more, see our 19 February Whats in Blue story.) The DRC and M23 had apparently agreed to send delegations to Luanda for direct talks also on 18 March under the auspices of Angolan President Joao Lourenco. Announced following Tshisekedis meeting with Lourenco in Luanda on 11 March, the talks would have marked an encouraging step forward, as the DRC had not engaged directly with M23, preferring instead to talk to Rwanda, which has been accused of supporting the M23. However, the M23 reportedly pulled out of the talks following a 17 March decision by the European Council to impose restrictive measures on nine individuals and one entity, including M23 President Bertrand Bisimwa, who was supposed to lead the groups delegation to Luanda. Angola appears not to have been aware of the Doha initiative. Nonetheless, its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tete Antonio, has reportedly said that his country would continue its efforts to convene direct talks between the DRC and M23 at an opportune moment. On 24 March, Lourenco announced his intention to step down from his mediation role in order to focus on his new responsibilities as the current Chair of the African Union (AU). At the 8 February EAC/SADC summit, leaders decided to merge the Nairobi and Luanda processes aimed at facilitating dialogue between the DRC and armed groups operating in eastern DRC, including the M23, and easing tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. Technical experts and Chiefs of Defence from the EAC and SADC met in Dar es Salaam on 23 and 24 February, respectively, to discuss the implementation of the joint EAC/SADC summit decisions: securing an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, providing humanitarian assistance (including the repatriation of the deceased and evacuation of the injured), developing a securitisation plan for Goma and its surrounding areas, and opening airports and key supply routes. The technical experts had apparently assessed that the SADC Mission in the DRCs (SAMIDRC) situation had become untenable, given the significant challenges it faced in implementing its mandate and floated the idea of deploying a hybrid force composed of the EAC, SADC, and the AU. However, the Congolese delegation rejected the proposal, and it was eventually dropped. On 17 March, the EAC and SADC Council of Ministers met in Harare, Zimbabwe, to discuss the report of the technical experts and chiefs of defence meetings. The ministers, among other things, called on the UN to enhance the capacity of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) to support the implementation of a securitisation plan for North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. They also underscored the need to develop a political framework to expedite the establishment of the merged process by the end of March. The outcome of their meeting was discussed at a second EAC and SADC joint summit held virtually on 24 March. The summit appointed five co-facilitators for the merged process considering gender, regional and language balance: former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Kgalema Motlanthe (South Africa), Catherine Samba-Panza (the Central African Republic), and Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia). On 6 March, the SADC Organ Troika Pluscomprising the current, incoming, and outgoing chairs of the SADC Organ (Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia)held a virtual extraordinary summit with the participation of troop-contributing countries (TCCs) of SAMIDRC deployed since December 2023. These TCCs (South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania) and the DRC discussed the situation in eastern DRC and reviewed SAMIDRCs mandate. Several SAMIDRC soldiers were killed and others wounded during the M23s offensive in North Kivu. At the meeting, the leaders recommended the withdrawal of SAMIDRC soldiers and equipment from eastern DRC. Subsequently, a SADC extraordinary summit, held virtually on 13 March, accepted the recommendations of the SADC Organ Troika Plus and decided to terminate SAMIDRCs mandate, directing the troops to commence a phased withdrawal from the DRC. Human Rights-Related Developments In a 3 March press release, OHCHR voiced alarm for the wellbeing of at least 130 sick and wounded men following their abduction by the M23 rebels from CBCA Ndosho and Heal Africa Hospitals in Goma on the night of 28 February. In response to the attacks, they called for their immediate release and return and stressed that the group must take prompt, concrete steps to ensure an end to such arbitrary and abusive raids. In a 5 March press release, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor expressed concern over the safety of human rights defenders in the eastern DRC. Amidst the ongoing entrenchment of M23 in the region since their offensive began earlier this year, those who have documented and denounced their violations are under greater risks of reprisals from both the government and armed groups, with many having been directly targeted. As Lawlor remarked, she had received credible reports of human rights defenders being detained incommunicado, forcibly disappeared and tortured in Rutshuru and Masisi in North Kivu. Emphasising the need for urgent, practical support for human rights defenders in the region, Lawlor called upon the international community to recognise their collective responsibility towards the human rights defenders and urged Member States to seek them out and explore all avenues for rapid assistance to prevent the situation from further deteriorating. Key Issues and Options A key issue for Council members in April is how to stop the fighting in eastern DRC, which continues to be a source of tension among countries of the Great Lakes region. They may choose to issue a press statement welcoming the Doha joint statement, urging the implementation of commitments by all parties for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The other major issue for Council members is how to ensure coordination among the various regional initiatives in the Great Lakes region. The quadripartite process initiated by the AU at a summit in June 2023 involving the EAC, the Economic Community of Central African States, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, and SADC is of particular interest to members. In its 28 January communique, the AU Peace and Security Council directed the AU Commission to urgently convene a follow-up quadripartite meeting. The revitalisation of the 2013 PSC-F to address the root causes of instability in the DRC and the Great Lakes region has been an ongoing issue. In light of the security situation in eastern DRC and its implications for regional peace and security, Council members may call for the urgent convening of the 12th meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the PSC-F, which is expected to be hosted by Uganda, but no date has been set. Another issue is the implementation of resolution 2746, which authorised MONUSCO to provide logistical and operational support to SAMIDRC. During the meeting, Council members may note SADCs decision to withdraw SAMIDRC and call on MONUSCO to continue supporting the mission during its phased withdrawal. Council and Broader Dynamics The unanimous adoption of resolution 2773 on 21 Februarywhich condemned the ongoing offensive by the M23 in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and called on the group to immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from areas it controls, and fully reverse the establishment of illegitimate parallel administrationswas considered a major development. However, its implementation faces serious challenges as the M23 offensive continues to advance. International pressure seems to be steadily increasing on the M23 and Rwanda. On 20 February, the US imposed sanctions on James Kabarebe, Rwandas Minister of State for Regional Integration; Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, an M23 spokesperson; and two of Kanyukas companies registered in France and the UK. The UK, Canada, and Germany also announced a range of measures on 25 February, 3 March, and 4 March, respectively, which include restricting or suspending bilateral financial aid and development cooperation with Rwanda. Kigali has criticised these decisions, arguing that such measures will not help solve the situation in eastern DRC. The DRC has reportedly offered the US a minerals deal to help secure critical minerals in exchange for US support in its fight against the M23. Tshisekedi appeared on US news channel Fox News on 19 March to explain this offer, which he argued will give strategic advantage to both countries. US President Donald Trump has appointed Massad Boulos, a businessman who is the father-in-law of Trumps daughter Tiffany, as his Special Envoy for the Great Lakes. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON THE GREAT LAKES AMERICAS Haiti Expected Council Action In April, the Council will hold its 90-day briefing on the situation in Haiti. Special Representative and Head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) Maria Isabel Salvador will brief the Council on recent political, security, and humanitarian developments in the country and on the Secretary-Generals latest report on BINUH. The report is expected on 11 April. Council members might call for an additional meeting to discuss the Secretary-Generals 24 February letter containing strategic recommendations on the UNs role in support of Haiti and evaluate options for Council action to implement the Secretary-Generals recommendations. BINUHs mandate expires on 15 July, and the authorisation of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti ends on 2 October. Key Recent Developments After the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, Haiti descended into a multidimensional crisis characterised by political deadlock, extreme violence, and dire humanitarian conditions. Armed gangs have overrun an estimated 85 percent of Port-au-Prince, the capital, employing tactics such as murder, kidnapping, and sexual violence on the civilian population amid widespread impunity. In March, gangs continued to extend and consolidate their hold within and beyond Port-au-Prince, prompting warnings of the possible imminent fall of the capital. On 25 March, an MSS soldier was killed in an attack by gang members during an operation in the Artibonite region. Among other attacks, gangs recently targeted several local media outlets. In a 20 March statement, UNESCO representative in Haiti Eric Voli Bi expressed alarm at these attacks, noting that they are part of a strategy to silence journalists and prevent Haitians from getting information about the situation in a transparent manner. The situation of children is particularly concerning. In a recent report, Amnesty International highlighted violations, including the recruitment of children by gangs, killings and injuries of children, and rape and other forms of sexual violence. The instability has caused widespread displacement. According to an 18 March International Organization for Migration statement, intense violence has forced nearly 60,000 people to flee in just one month, with over one million internally displaced people across the country overall. The humanitarian situation remains dire. In a 20 March update, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that new suspected cases of cholera in Haiti are reported daily. The statement warned about the chronic underfunding of the humanitarian response for Haiti, noting that funding for water, sanitation, and hygiene remained particularly low. As part of larger cuts to development aid programmes undertaken by the new US administration of President Donald Trump, the US has partially frozen funding to Haiti. During a 21 March media briefing, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq said that the recent US funding freeze was having a devastating impact on the overall HIV response, including treatment and prevention in Haiti. On 7 March, Fritz Alphonse Jean replaced Leslie Voltaire in the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) rotating presidency. April will mark one year since the creation of the TPC pursuant to a March 2024 agreement facilitated by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) following a dramatic surge in gang violence in February 2024. According to the 10 April 2024 Decree which created the TPC, this transitional body will exercise presidential powers until a new president is elected by 7 February 2026. This date marks the expiration of the TPCs mandate which, as established by a May 2024 Decree, cannot be extended. In January, Voltaire declared that elections would be held by the end of 2025. Transitional authorities have also committed to holding a constitutional referendum, which is currently scheduled for May. Elections have not been held in Haiti since 2016. In a 19 February report, the International Crisis Group (ICG) noted the importance of Haiti establishing a legitimate governance. At the same time, the ICG stressed that key benchmarks for election preparation had not been met and warned that carrying out elections without the necessary security conditions could have detrimental consequences for Haiti, including allowing gangs to play a deciding role in the vote and entrenching their power. In October 2023, the Security Council adopted resolution 2699, authorising member states to form and deploy the MSS mission to Haiti. The resolution followed Haitis request a year earlier for the immediate deployment of an international specialised force to temporarily reinforce the efforts of the HNP to combat gangs and Kenyas voluntary commitment in July 2023 to lead the mission. Resolution 2699 authorised the MSS mission for an initial period of 12 months, specifying that the cost of the operation would be borne by voluntary contributions and support from individual countries and regional organisations. In September 2024, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2751, renewing the missions authorisation for one year. Funding for the MSS has, however, regularly failed to meet the missions estimated annual cost of approximately $600 million. The number of deployed personnel has also fallen short of the 2,500 officers envisaged in its Concept of Operations, with approximately 1,000 officers deployed at the time of writing. In an October 2024 letter to the Secretary-General, Haiti requested that the MSS be transformed into a UN peacekeeping mission as soon as possible. In October and November 2024, Council members negotiated a draft resolution proposed by the US and then-Council member Ecuadorthe Councils co-penholders on Haiti at the timethat would have directed the Secretary-General to initiate planning to transform the MSS mission into a UN peacekeeping operation. The draft resolution, which was ultimately withdrawn, was opposed by China and Russia, which referred to, among other issues, the chequered history of past UN peacekeeping operations in Haiti and reiterated their position that the countrys political and security conditions were not conducive to a new operation. As a compromise, the Council sent a letter on 29 November 2024 requesting the Secretary-General to provide strategic recommendations on the full range of options for UN support for Haiti. The Secretary-General responded to the Councils request in a letter dated 24 February. He noted that transforming the MSS into a peacekeeping operation is not currently a feasible option. Instead, the letter suggested focusing on substantially reducing gangs territorial control in Port-au-Prince, the Artibonite Department, and over critical infrastructure as a medium-term goal. To achieve this objective, the Secretary-General proposed a two-pronged strategy: the first would focus on enabling the MSS with UN logistical and operational support, and the second would focus on enhancing BINUHs capacity to implement its mandate and take on new responsibilities. Regarding the first prong, the Secretary-General suggested establishing a UN Support Office, funded by peacekeeping assessed contributions. A key function of the Support Office would be to provide comprehensive logistic and operational support to the MSS, such as accommodation, medical capability, and support for mobility and information technology. Assessed funding would cover the MSS logistical and operational support, while scaled-up voluntary contributions from UN member states would cover forms of support for the MSS that the UN cannot provide, such as stipends, military-grade capabilities, and lethal equipment. In addition, the letter proposes that the UN Support Office provide a limited, non-lethal support package to the HNP that would be funded mostly through voluntary contributions; and strengthened intelligence and analytical capabilities for the MSS and HNP in conducting joint operations that would be financed by peacekeeping assessed contributions. The letter also proposed establishing implementation capacity for the UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy on UN support to non-UN security forces, to be funded through peacekeeping assessed funds. Regarding BINUH, the Secretary-General suggested that the mission should focus on such priorities as the design and support of defection and safe exit programmes, including for children, youth, and women forcibly recruited by gangs; supporting the Haitian authorities in handling the detention of high-risk individuals; and enabling the Haitian authorities to implement UN sanctions, notably the arms embargo, including through the creation of a UN Integrated Sanctions Support Unit within BINUH. In his letter, the Secretary-General acknowledged that the proposed UN support options were based on a set of [a]ssumptions and [r]equirements, including significant investment from the peacekeeping budget as well as scaled-up voluntary contributions. Specifically, the letter said that the viability of UN logistical and operational support depends on whether Member States provide sufficient voluntary contributions to address the MSS missions gaps in personnel, military-grade equipment, and lethal assets. In this regard, the Secretary-General called for strengthened member state leadership through the establishment of a standing group of partners that could, among other things, secure voluntary contributions required to procure the support that the UN cannot provide. In a 6 March letter, Voltaire expressed support for the Secretary-Generals proposal. Human Rights-Related Developments During a recent visit to Haiti, the UN Designated Expert on Human Rights in Haiti, William ONeill, met with Haitian authorities, civil society representatives, and UN officials to discuss the human rights situation in the country. He also visited the Centre de Reeducation des Mineurs, a juvenile prison in Port-au-Prince, where he heard testimonies from Haitians affected by the crisis. In an 11 March press release, ONeill said that the risk of the capital falling under gang control is palpable and appealed to the international community to act without delay to implement the commitments it has undertaken regarding the sanctions regime, the arms embargo and the reinforcement of the MSS. Women, Peace and Security In an update on the situation in Haiti, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security stressed that violations of womens and girls rights in Haiti continue with impunity. The update highlights the gender dimension of violence perpetrated by armed gangs in the country, noting that most people targeted for killing are men while diverse women and girls comprise the majority of individuals targeted for sexual violence as a means through which criminal groups seek to control and subjugate the population. The update identifies the scarcity of access to healthcare, including sexual and reproductive care; the lack of funding for the humanitarian response; and Haitis total ban on abortion as negatively impacting the situation of women and girls in the country. Among other recommendations, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security urged Security Council members to guarantee the necessary resources for the MSS and to take all measures to prevent any unlawful use of force and harm to local populations by establishing clear, mandatory and enforceable parameters that detail the operational and oversight measures for protection of civilians, including against sexual exploitation and abuse. Noting the marginalisation of Haitian women in the political transition, the update also urged Council members to ensure the full, equal, safe, and meaningful participation and leadership of diverse women in all peace, security, and political processes in Haiti. Key Issues and Options The Security Councils overarching objective in Haiti is to support the countrys political transition and assist international and domestic efforts to stem the surge in gang violence, with the ultimate aim of restoring security conditions conducive to holding elections and addressing the root causes of the countrys instability. How to respond to the proposals in the Secretary-Generals 24 February letter is likely to be a key issue for the Security Council in April. One option would be to adopt a resolution operationalising the Secretary-Generals proposals for the creation of a Support Office and for enabling BINUH to carry out its mandate more effectively and assume new responsibilities. If agreement on both the Support Office and BINUH proves difficult to achieve, members may opt to postpone consideration of the Secretary-Generals recommendations regarding BINUH until July, when the Council is expected to renew the missions mandate. The influx of weapons in the country, mainly coming from the US, is another significant issue. The resolution could also demand that UN member states, in particular countries in the region, step up their efforts to ensure the full implementation of the arms embargo. At its regular April meeting, the Council could invite ONeill and a representative of Haitian civil society to focus the Councils attention on the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. Council Dynamics Council members are united in their concern about Haitis multidimensional crisis and generally agree on the need to tackle escalating gang violence and its impact on civilians. Views also converge on the importance of a Haitian-led political solution that addresses both security and socioeconomic challenges. At the same time, positions have varied among Council members on how to appropriately respond to the security situation in Haiti. Before the Secretary-Generals 24 February letter proposing the creation of a UN Support Office for the MSS, France, the UK, and the US expressed support for the MSS transformation into a peacekeeping operation. Conversely, China and Russia have opposed this option during past negotiations on Haiti. With the Councils attention focused on other crises and with adjustments in US policy following the inauguration of the new administration still underway, it seems that Council members are still determining how to respond to the Secretary-Generals proposal. The US and Panama are the co-penholders on Haiti. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON HAITI In Hindsight: Ensuring Effective Peace Operations in an Uncertain World Introduction This year, peace operations are expected to receive increased attention in the Council, with three elected membersDenmark, Pakistan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK)forming a peacekeeping trio initiative. On 24 March, Denmark hosted an open debate on Ensuring adaptability in UN Peace Operations. Pakistan and the ROK may follow suit during their upcoming presidencies in July and September, respectively. This is a change from recent years, where the annual meeting on peacekeeping reform, held each September in line with resolution 2378 of 20 September 2017, has been the only formal platform in the Council for such thematic discussions. In addition, the Secretary-General is expected to begin conducting a review of UN peace operations, as requested by the Pact for the Futurethe outcome document of the September 2024 Summit of the Futureagainst the backdrop of expectations that there may be a strong push from the US to cut costs and do more for less. This months In Hindsight explores emerging trends and ongoing reform efforts in UN peace operations amidst shifting and challenging geopolitical dynamics. It also previews upcoming discussions at the 2025 Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin and the review of UN peace operations. The State of UN Peace Operations The last time the Council created a new peacekeeping operation was in 2014. A decade ago, the UN had 16 peacekeeping operations with 107,088 peacekeepers. However, following the drawdown and exit of several peacekeeping missions, this number has decreased to 11 peacekeeping operations with 61,197 peacekeepers in 2025. Large multidimensional missions, such as the UN/AU Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), closed in 2020 and 2024, respectively. The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), one of two remaining large UN multidimensional peacekeeping operations, is implementing a disengagement plan agreed upon with the Congolese government in November 2023.[1] With the dramatic deterioration of the security situation in eastern DRC since January, the future of the mission appears to be uncertain. Some Council members have expressed concern about the future of the mission, and the US apparently requested a strategic review of options for MONUSCO during the 11 March closed consultations on the DRC. Some of the more traditional and longstanding UN peacekeeping missions, such as the UN Disengagement Force (UNDOF) in the Golan and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), are also facing difficulties in fulfilling their respective mandates in the face of active hostilities in their areas of operation. (For more, see our 17 January Whats in Blue story.) With rare exceptions, renewing the mandate of these missions has traditionally been a routine affair as Council members have generally been supportive.[2] Nonetheless, addressing the obstacles preventing these missions from fully implementing their mandates is a major challenge, and developments in their areas of operation could affect Council dynamics. The number of Special Political Missions (SPMs) has not changed from a decade ago. While four have closed, SPMs have been established in Colombia, Haiti, Yemen, and Sudan. However, there are signs of a downward trend. The UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) closed in February 2024 and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) is set to leave the country by the end of this year. Similarly, the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), which replaced the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) in November 2024, is expected to transfer responsibilities to the UN country team by October 2026 and be phased out. In recent years, there has been growing pressure during mandate renewal negotiations for the removal of thematic and cross-cutting language on human rights; women, peace and security (WPS); and climate, peace and security, among other matters. In this regard, China and Russia have maintained that certain thematic issues are not relevant to the Councils work and that their inclusion in the mandates of peace operations is unwarranted or even problematic. This trend could become even more pronounced in the coming period, with the new US administration possibly assuming positions that align more closely with China and Russia on these issues. During this years annual negotiations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping (C34), the US apparently proposed several changes related to WPS, international humanitarian law, and mis- and disinformation, while other members opposed altering agreed language that had been negotiated over many years. As a result, C34 concluded its work this year without reaching an agreement on its annual report, which serves as a repository of language on peace operations. Although there have been instances of failure to adopt an annual C-34 report in the past (for example, in 2019 and 2022), this latest setback is likely to make the work of the C34 more difficult in the coming years. A New Generation of Action for Peacekeeping Since 2018, the UN has been implementing the Secretary-Generals Action for Peacekeeping initiative (A4P), a set of commitments agreed by UN member states to reform and strengthen UN peacekeeping. In 2021, marking the third anniversary of A4P, the UN launched A4P+, which was meant to accelerate the implementation of A4P across seven key priority areas and two cross-cutting themes.[3] The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) has so far released six biannual reports to highlight progress and challenges in implementing A4P+. Its latest report, published in February, highlights the difficult environment in which UN peace operations are operating amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Peacekeepers also continue to face increasing risks to their safety and security, although, according to the report, fatalities have remained relatively low in recent years partly because of measures to mitigate the impact of explosive ordinances and enhance casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) procedures, among others. Last year, five UN personnelfour military personnel and one civilian staffwere killed in targeted attacks. UN peace operations have also increasingly become targets of mis- and disinformation and hate speech, according to the A4P+ report. At a 19 February Council meeting, for instance, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the DRC and Head of MONUSCO Bintou Keita explained how anti-MONUSCO sentiment in eastern DRC is being stirred up through such means. This underscores the need for enhanced strategic communications in UN peace operations, a means to create better awareness of their role and mandate among local populations. Additionally, missions continue to engage with host countries to improve their operating environment and address various restrictions against them in violation of Status of Force Agreements, which have been an issue in recent years. These and other A4P+ priorities have been a major focus of the UN Secretariat in the last seven years. While implementation of some A4P+ priorities has been encouraging including the increase in the percentage of women in senior mission leadership, the decline in the number of fatalities, and the improvement in mission coordination with host governmentspeacekeeping operations are also facing other broad, systemic challenges. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix described these challenges in a 2 September article in Foreign Affairs Magazine. First, the nature of conflicts has changed, which underscores the need for UN peace operations to adapt to evolving peace and security threats. Second, UN peace operations are not getting the necessary support from UN member states. This is even more so in the Security Council, whose members are increasingly polarised. Without more coordinated support from member states, missions are often limited to doing damage controlpreventing conflicts from spiralling out of control rather than resolving them, Lacroix underscored. In recognition of these factors, the Department of Peace Operations is in the early stages of working on new ideas for peacekeeping. It seems that DPO intends to gather input from member states, including during the 2025 Peacekeeping Ministerial. 2025 Peacekeeping Ministerial This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Leaders Summit on Peacekeeping, a high-level meeting held in September 2015 to discuss the challenges of peacekeeping in which several UN member states pledged to reform and strengthen peacekeeping efforts by committing troops, police, and other resources. The peacekeeping Ministerial was initiated in 2016 as a follow-up to the Leaders Summit, with London, Vancouver, New York, Seoul, and Accra hosting the peacekeeping ministerial in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023, respectively. This year, Germany will host the peacekeeping ministerial in Berlin from 13-14 May. In the lead-up to the Berlin ministerial, two preparatory meetings took place in Montevideo and Jakarta in December 2024 and February, respectively, and a third preparatory meeting is scheduled for April in Islamabad. An independent study commissioned by DPO on the Future of Peacekeeping, New Models, and Related Capabilities was produced to inform the meeting. Released in November 2024, the study presents 30 different models for the future of peacekeeping, covering a broad spectrum of both traditional and emerging tasks. Aside from member states making substantial pledges to address capability gaps, the Berlin meeting is expected to provide an opportunity to explore the models proposed by the independent study on shaping the future of UN peace operations. The study has garnered mixed reactions from member states, with some expressing scepticism about the feasibility of some of the proposed models, such as cybersecurity and maritime security. However, others see it as a good basis for discussions of potential new missions and how these models would be implemented in practical terms. Review of Peace Operations A decade after the latest review of UN peace operations, the UN is expected to embark on another review process this year. Unlike the last review, this one will be done in-house by the UN Secretariat. The review is expected to begin soon and is likely to involve a series of consultations with all the relevant stakeholders, including the Security Council, the relevant intergovernmental bodies of the General Assembly, the wider UN membership, troop and police contributing countries, host countries and civil society organisations. The 24 March Security Council debate provided an opportunity for the wider membership to share their views on what they expect from the review. It seems that the Secretary-General would like to submit the outcome of the review before the end of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly next year. The ongoing Peacebuilding Architecture Review (PBAR) is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 with the adoption of twin resolutions by the Security Council and the General Assembly. There are likely to be overlapping elements in the two reviews, given that peacebuilding is an integral part of many peace operations, and members may be interested in how this will be handled going into the peace operations review. Observations Peace operations are among the Councils most crucial tools, serving as a visible demonstration of its efforts to promote international peace and security. However, ensuring their continued relevance requires addressing several key issues. In this regard, restoring the necessary trust and consensus within the Council, especially among the permanent members, appears to be paramount. While this is easier said than done in the current geopolitical environment, it remains essential to provide political support to peace operations to enable them to fulfil their mandates effectively. Another key issue is how to address the gap between expectations and what peace operations can realistically deliver on the ground. This gap seems to be one of the factors behind the crisis of host state consent and the frustration felt by local communities in recent years. Council members may need to enhance their efforts towards adopting realistic and achievable mandates that align with the needs and expectations of host states and their communities. In addition, enhancing strategic communications remains crucial to address the challenges posed by misinformation and disinformation targeting peace operations while also fostering a better understanding of their mandate among host states and their communities. Aligning mandates with the resources and capabilities available to peace operations has also been a persistent challenge, which will be more pronounced with the increasing calls for cost efficiency and effectiveness. This could potentially create some convergence between the US, which under the current administration is likely to emphasise the need to find value, not just financial value, and China, the second-largest financial contributor to the peacekeeping budget, which has been advocating for the rationalisation and optimisation of resources in peace operations. This means that the coming period could be more challenging for peace operations to fulfil their mandates in a significantly resource-constrained environment. The discussion on the future of peace operations remains a major preoccupation in light of the Peacekeeping Ministerial and the upcoming review of peace operations. While the large multidimensional models may not be totally obsolete, discussions have focused on the idea of more nimble models that can adapt quickly to changing circumstances. This could include starting with smaller, more traditional peace operations with narrow mandates that include such tasks as monitoring ceasefires or cessation of hostilities agreements and adding on tasks as needed, as suggested in the independent study. In spite of these challenges, ongoing efforts to resolve some of the most intractable conflicts of our time could lead to an opportunity to test some of the ideas about the future of peacekeeping. It appears that the Secretariat is quietly exploring possible scenarios in the event that peace operations become an option in certain conflicts. It would be useful for Council members to seriously reflect on what sort of models might be most relevant and efficient in todays world. Members have a number of formats where they could express their views, including the Informal Working Group on Peacekeeping, the regular meetings of troop- and police-contributing countries ahead of mandate renewals, the Military Staff Committee, and the Group of Friends on Peace Operations. UN peace operations are at a critical juncture, with significant decisions required regarding their future direction, as they face increasing scrutiny of their effectiveness and disagreements about their objectives. If peace operations are to have a positive future, Council members need to actively chart a path forward that continues to demonstrate the value of this crucial tool in the maintenance of international peace and security. [1] The others are the UN Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). [2] China and Russia abstained on resolution 2695 which renewed UNIFILs mandate on 31 August 2023. [3] A4P+ has seven key priority areascollective coherence behind a political strategy, strategic and operational integration, capabilities and mindsets, accountability to peacekeepers, accountability of peacekeepers, strategic communication, and cooperation with host countriesand two cross-cutting themeswomen, peace and security, and innovative, data-driven, and technology-enabled peacekeeping. EUROPE Kosovo Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council is expected to hold its first briefing this year on the situation in Kosovo. Special Representative and Head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Caroline Ziadeh will brief on recent developments and the Secretary-Generals latest report. Key Recent Developments There has been no meaningful progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue on normalisation between Belgrade and Pristina. On 28 October 2024, Serbia adopted a draft law designating Kosovo as an area of special social protection, establishing a framework for providing financial assistance to certain groups in Kosovo with the stated aim of preventing social exclusion and supporting their survival. On the same day, the Serbian government adopted a separate bill on the organisation and jurisdiction of its judicial authorities, extending the competence of the Higher Public Prosecutors Office and the High Court in Belgrade to prosecute criminal offences committed in Kosovo. Pristina condemned the measures, viewing them as an infringement on Kosovos sovereignty. Meanwhile, efforts to implement prior agreements have stalled. On 17 December 2024, former EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak hosted talks in Brussels with Kosovo and Serbian negotiators, who reaffirmed their commitment to implement the 2023 Declaration on Missing Persons. However, Serbias chief negotiator, Petar Petkovic, reportedly walked out of a meeting of the Joint Commission on Missing Persons scheduled for 15 January in protest against Pristinas closure of several parallel institutions in Kosovo earlier that day. (Parallel institutions refer to a network of administrative, educational, and healthcare structures in Kosovo administered and funded by Serbia that operate alongside structures affiliated with Pristina, often in areas with a significant ethnic Serbian population.) According to Kosovo police, the closurestargeting post offices and bankswere carried out to establish order and legality. The EU criticised the move for being inconsistent with Kosovos obligations under the EU-facilitated dialogue and emphasised that the status of Serbia-supported structures should be resolved through dialogue. Ziadeh also expressed concern about the actions impact on the daily lives of non-majority communities dependent on these institutions and urged a renewed commitment to the EU-facilitated dialogue. The security situation in northern Kosovo has remained fragile. On 29 November 2024, a powerful explosion damaged a water canal in the northern municipality of Zubin Potok. Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti reportedly accused Belgrade of orchestrating the attack, which Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic dismissed as baseless. The Kosovo Security Council responded by approving emergency measures to increase security around strategic infrastructure while police announced arrests connected to the attack. Ziadeh condemned the attack, noting that it caused critical damage to essential civilian infrastructure and interrupted the water supply. She described the incident as deeply concerning and warned that it risks undermining stability. Ziadeh underscored the need for a comprehensive and transparent investigation to identify those responsible and hold them accountable. Amid these developments, the European Council appointed Peter Srensen on 27 January as the new EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. Srensen assumed this role on 1 February with an initial mandate of 13 months. On 6 February, he spoke separately with the Serbian and Kosovar chief negotiators and welcomed their invitation to visit Kosovo and Serbia. On 9 February, Kosovo held parliamentary elections. Kurtis Levizja Vetevendosje (LVV) party won approximately 42.3 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results, ahead of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), which secured 20.95 percent and 18.27 percent, respectively. Despite securing a clear plurality, LVV fell short of an outright majority and will need to form a coalition to govern. This contrasts with the partys previous term, during which it ruled alone following its 2021 electoral victory. In Serb-majority areas, Srpska Lista (Serbian List) claimed all ten parliamentary mandates reserved for the Serb community. Serbian President Vucic welcomed the result. Coalition negotiations remain ongoing in the aftermath of the election. On 18 March, Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo signed a joint declaration on defence cooperation. In response to this agreement, Belgrade issued a statement criticising the pact as a security threat to the Serbian people and the entire region and a direct contradiction to international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1244. The following day, Pristina responded by condemning Belgrades remarks as aggressive and threatening, further characterising them as a blatant violation of the Brussels Agreements. Key Issues and Options The Councils priority is to maintain stability in Kosovo and promote the de-escalation of tensions in the north. It will continue to monitor diplomatic efforts to advance the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and achieve the normalisation of relations between the two parties. To this end, the Council may wish to consider pursuing a presidential statement calling for restraint and reiterating support for the EU-facilitated dialogue as the primary framework for resolving outstanding issues. The Council could also express support for the newly appointed EU Special Representative and urge both Belgrade and Pristina to engage in good faith toward the resumption of normalisation talks. In addition, the Council could request the Secretary-General to conduct a strategic review of UNMIK to consider how to enhance the effectiveness of the mission. Council and Wider Dynamics Most Council members support the EU-facilitated dialogue to establish conditions for the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. Deep divisions among permanent members, however, continue to characterise the Councils approach to the issue. Among the five permanent Council members, France, the UK, and the US recognise Kosovos independence and tend to be supportive of its government; China and Russia do not recognise its independence and strongly support Serbias position and its claim to territorial integrity. Six elected members (Denmark, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, the Republic of Korea [ROK], and Slovenia) recognise Kosovos independence, while two (Algeria and Greece) do not. Regarding the other two elected members, Kosovo maintains that Sierra Leone officially recognised its independence in June 2008. According to media reports, however, Serbia claimed in March 2020 that Sierra Leone had withdrawn its recognition, citing a note verbale on the matter from Sierra Leones Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Kosovo disputes the validity of the withdrawal. Somalia recognised Kosovo on 19 May 2010. On 4 January 2023, however, Vucic reportedly claimed that Somaliaalong with eight other countrieshad rescinded recognition. Kosovar authorities have also contested these claims. The issue of modifying UNMIKs mandate with a view to its possible drawdown is another point of contention among Council members. The US has been the most vocal advocate for reviewing UNMIKs operations and ultimately phasing out the mission. Several other Council members, including the ROK and the UK, have expressed support for a strategic review and potential modification of UNMIKs mandate, arguing that the situation on the ground has changed significantly since the mission was established in 1999. Russia has opposed any changes to UNMIKs mandate or budget reduction, maintaining that the mission continues to play a crucial role. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON KOSOVO UN DOCUMENTS ON KOSOVO AFRICA Libya Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council will hold its bimonthly briefing on the situation in Libya. Special Representative and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Hanna Tetteh will brief the Council on recent political, security, and humanitarian developments in the country and the Secretary-Generals latest report on UNSMIL. Additionally, the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee might brief on the Committees activities. (At the time of writing, the chair had not yet been appointed, as Council members continue to negotiate this years allocation of subsidiary bodies). Key Recent Developments The political impasse in Libya continues between the UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU), based in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah with advisory support from the High State Council (HSC), and the eastern-based Government of National Stability (GNS), led by Prime Minister Osama Hamad and backed by the House of Representatives (HoR) and the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) under the command of General Khalifa Haftar. The parties remain deadlocked over proposed legislation to hold national elections that would reconcile the countrys divided government. A key point of contention concerns the formation of a unified interim government to organise the elections, a move favoured by the GNS and HoR but opposed by the GNU and some segments of the HSC. The prolonged stalemate between the rival governmentswhich has persisted since the indefinite postponement of the 2021 electionsis one of the root causes of Libyas political, security, and economic instability. On 4 February, UNSMIL announced the establishment of the Advisory Committee to address outstanding issues hindering the holding of elections in Libya. The Committee is composed of a diverse group of Libyan personalities, whose selection was based on several criteria, including expertise in legal, constitutional, and electoral issues; the ability to build compromise; and an understanding of the political challenges facing Libya. UNSMIL has clarified that the Committees role is advisory, rather than decision-making, and its mandate is time-bound. The Committee is expected to provide proposals to UNSMIL for consideration in the next phase of the political process, while UNSMIL will facilitate communication between the Committee and relevant institutions. At the time of writing, the Committee had held five meetings, including a meeting with the members of the joint 6+6 Committee. This Committee was established by the HoR and the GNU-aligned High State Council (HSC) to draft electoral laws to enable elections, comprising six representatives from each body. Newly appointed Special Representative Hanna Tetteh officially began her duties on 20 February. In a statement issued the same day, she committed to lead UN mediation efforts in line with resolution 2755 of 31 October 2024, which last renewed UNSMILs mandate. Emphasising the importance of Libyan-led and Libyan-owned solutions, Tetteh said that UNSMIL will engage with diverse Libyan communities and work with regional and international actors to support national unity and stability. She also affirmed UNSMILs commitment to enabling inclusive elections and fostering a shared vision for Libyas future. During the Councils most recent briefing on the situation in Libya, held on 19 February, Council members were unanimous in welcoming the appointment of Tetteh, while many members expressed their support for the establishment of the Advisory Committee. In her briefing, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo highlighted the stalled political process, economic issues, human rights violations, and security threats. DiCarlo emphasised the urgent need for progress and noted that UNSMIL is taking steps to revive the political process based on inclusivity and national ownership. On 18 January, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Osama Elmasry Njeem, suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Libya from February 2015 onward. Njeem allegedly oversaw Tripoli prison facilities, where thousands were murdered, tortured, raped, and subjected to sexual violence. On 19 January, Italian authorities arrested Njeem in Turin, Italy. However, on 21 January, the Rome Court of Appeal (that is, an Italian appellate court) ordered his release due to a procedural error. That same day, Italy returned Njeem to Libya, citing security concerns. The ICC claims Italian authorities failed to notify them of any warrant issues. As a result of the incident, Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and two ministers concerning the repatriation of Njeem to Libya despite the ICC warrant for his arrest. Libya is not a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC. The Security Council referred the situation in Libya to the ICC through the unanimous adoption of resolution 1970 on 26 February 2011, which invited the ICC Prosecutor to update the Council every six months. The ICC has jurisdiction over crimes listed in the Rome Statute committed on Libyas territory or by its nationals from 15 February 2011 onwards. Key Issues and Options The key issue for the Council remains supporting political progress towards national elections to unify Libyas divided government. One of the core objectives for the Council is to help foster common political ground between the countrys rival governments to reach an inclusive agreement on electoral laws, including the possible establishment of a unified interim government to organise the elections. Aprils briefing will provide Council members with an opportunity to learn about preparations for and the implementation of UNSMILs revitalised efforts to facilitate dialogue between Libyan political stakeholders. In this regard, Council members will likely be interested to hear more about the work of the Advisory Committee from Tetteh. To demonstrate the Councils continued support for the missions intensified engagement under Tettehs leadership, members could consider issuing a press statement expressing support for the Special Representative and the efforts of the Advisory Committee. They could also consider holding a closed Arria-formula meeting with representatives of the rival governments for a frank discussion on potential ways to break the long-standing political impasse. Council Dynamics Council members remain united on the need for a Libyan-led, inclusive political process resulting in elections that will help to restore political, security, and economic stability to the country. They also remain broadly supportive of the UNs mediation role towards this end. At the most recent briefing in Libya in February, many Council members welcomed the establishment of the Advisory Committee. Russia appeared more sceptical, however. It referred to the Committee as an ambiguous proposal created without consulting Council members. Russia expressed concerns about its inclusiveness and impartiality, emphasising that its work should be coordinated with key Libyan stakeholders More broadly, geopolitical tensions influence Council dynamics with respect to Libya. Several Western members remain concerned about Russias growing presence in the eastern part of the country under Haftars control, which has reportedly accelerated as Russia has transferred military assets from Syria following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. For its part, Russia routinely blames Libyas current instability on the NATO-led military intervention in 2011 and accuses Western countries of seeking to exploit Libyas oil reserves for economic gain. The UK is the penholder on Libya. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON LIBYA Overview In April, France will hold the presidency of the Security Council. The quarterly open debate on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question is expected to be elevated to ministerial level this month. French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot is expected to chair the meeting. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is the anticipated briefer. Other meetings on this issue may be convened depending on developments in Israel and Gaza. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi will brief the Security Council in April, focusing on challenges related to forced displacement across the globe. There will also be an open briefing on the implementation of resolution 2730 of 24 May 2024 on the protection of humanitarian personnel and UN and associated personnel and their premises and assets. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher and Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud are the anticipated briefers. Additionally, the Security Council will hold its annual briefing with the heads of military components of UN peacekeeping operations. The anticipated briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and the heads of military components of two UN peacekeeping operations: Force Commander of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) Lieutenant General Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes and Head of Mission and Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Aroldo Lazaro Saenz. Other Middle Eastern issues on the programme in April are: Yemen , monthly meeting on developments; and Syria , monthly meeting on political and humanitarian issues. Several African issues are on the programme in April, including: Two issues on the Americas are on the programme: Colombia , briefing and consultations on developments in the country and the work of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia; and Haiti , briefing and consultations on developments in the country, including the work of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). Regarding European issues, a briefing is planned on the work of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). As in past months, there may be one or more meetings on Ukraine. Other issues could be raised during the month, including Myanmar and Sudan, depending on developments. THEMATIC ISSUES Protection of Humanitarian and UN Personnel Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council will hold an open briefing on the implementation of resolution 2730 of 24 May 2024, which concerns the protection of humanitarian personnel and UN and associated personnel and their premises and assets. France, the Council president for the month, is convening the meeting. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher and Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud are expected to the brief. A civil society representative may also participate. Background and Key Recent Developments In recent years, the eruption and intensification of several conflicts around the world have exacerbated challenges to humanitarian action and threats faced by humanitarian personnel in conflict. According to the Aid Worker Security Database, 379 aid workers were killed in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel. This continued a trend from 2023, during which 280 aid workers were killed, representing a 137 percent increase from the year before. The war in Gaza has fuelled a large share of the rising fatalities: between October 2023 and November 2024, 320 humanitarian personnel were killed there, the majority of whom worked for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). High levels of kidnappings, injuries, harassment, and arbitrary detention of aid workers were also reported in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen, among other countries. Recent incidents in several conflict situations worldwide illustrate the threats that aid workers continue to face in 2025. In late January, the Houthis in Yemen detained eight humanitarian personnel, one of whoma World Food Programme staff memberdied in detention on 10 February. In response, the UN decided to temporarily pause all operations in the Saada governatewhere six of the recently detained personnel had been workingciting the erosion of the necessary security conditions and guarantees for the UN to operate in the area. On 14 February, two humanitarian aid workers were killed in attacks on the Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur State in Sudan. On 19 March, one staff member from the UN Office for Project Services was killed and six others were wounded when an Israeli tank reportedly fired on a UN compound in Gaza following the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas. Similar to its response in Yemen, the UN announced that it would reduce its operational footprint in the territory, referring to the intolerable risks that its personnel face there. On 28 March, the Security Council held a private meeting on the humanitarian situation and protection of aid workers in Gaza. In addition to direct threats of physical violence, humanitarian personnel face a range of obstacles to their work. According to the Secretary-Generals most recent annual report on the protection of civilians (PoC)which was issued on 14 May 2024 and describes the state of PoC in 2023these challenges include bureaucratic and administrative impediments imposed by host states, such as restrictions on the recipients, timing, and type of aid provided, which violate humanitarian principles and may serve to politicise aid delivery. The report also cites misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech as a growing challenge that discredits humanitarian actors, undermines trust among local populations, and creates additional security risks for humanitarian personnel. Resolution 2730penned by then-Council member Switzerlandsought to address these issues. Among other provisions, the resolution recalls the primary responsibility of host states for the security and protection of UN and humanitarian personnel; expresses grave concern about the growing number of attacks, acts of violence, and threats against such personnel; recalls the obligation of all parties to armed conflict to comply with international humanitarian law (IHL); and underlines the obligations of all parties to armed conflict under IHL related to protecting civilians and civilian objects, including allowing and facilitating the rapid, safe, and unhindered passage of humanitarian assistance. The scope of the resolution encompasses the protection of humanitarian and UN and associated personnel, including national and locally recruited personnel, and their premises and assets. It addresses several direct threats to their safety and security, such as the indiscriminate use of explosive devices, as well as indirect ones, including the spread of misinformation, and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to target humanitarian operations. It also condemns the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and the deprival of civilians of essential objects, which impede relief efforts and exacerbate conflict-induced food insecurity. The resolution places a particular emphasis on accountability. It urges countries to conduct full, prompt, impartial and effective investigations of violations of IHL and international human rights law committed against humanitarian and UN personnel and to take action against those responsible, in accordance with domestic and international law, with a view to reinforcing preventive measures, ensuring accountability and addressing the grievances of victims. It also urges countries to prosecute persons allegedly responsible for serious IHL violations and to cooperate with domestic, regional, and international courts and tribunals in accordance with States respective obligations. The resolution also established or expanded several reporting requirements for the Secretary-General. It asked him to submit to the Council, within six months, recommendations on measures to prevent and respond to attacks against humanitarian and UN personnel and to brief the Council on this matter no later than 12 months after the adoption of the resolution and on a yearly basis thereafter. Additionally, the resolution requested him to report swiftly to the Council when widespread issues regarding the safety and security of humanitarian and UN personnel occur, expressing the Councils intention to give its full attention to such situations. The Secretary-General transmitted his recommendations to the Security Council in a letter dated 22 November 2024. Among other measures, he urged member states to reaffirm their obligations under international law, uphold humanitarian principles, and facilitate safe and unhindered access through streamlined procedures and humanitarian exemptions in counterterrorism frameworks. He also called for consistent condemnation of all attacks, strengthened oversight and accountability mechanisms, and responsible arms export practices. Additionally, he stressed the importance of survivor-centred approaches, including psychosocial support, contingency planning, and access to justiceparticularly for national and locally recruited staffand recommended integrating safety and security mechanisms into UN mandates and peace operations, including during mission transitions. The Council held a briefing on these recommendations on 26 November 2024. Key Issues and Options A central issue for the Council is how to reverse the sharp deterioration in the safety and security of humanitarian and UN personnel amid intensifying armed conflict, politicised humanitarian access, and a global erosion of respect for IHL. The unprecedented death toll among aid workersparticularly national and locally recruited staffraises urgent questions about accountability, protection, and support systems, including mental health and survivor assistance. Another key concern is the growing use of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech to delegitimise humanitarian work, compounding access restrictions, and heightening the risk to personnel. A further issue is chronic underfunding, which has brought the humanitarian system close to a breaking point as shrinking budgets force organisations to choose between staff safety and the delivery of life-saving assistance. To address these challenges, Council members may wish to express support for the full and prompt implementation of resolution 2730 and the Secretary-Generals recommendations. They could issue a presidential statement or press statement reaffirming core principlessuch as the obligation of all parties to comply with IHL and to protect humanitarian and UN personneland urging universal accession to international instruments such as the Convention on the Safety of UN and Associated Personnel and its Optional Protocol. Some members may propose a separate Council product condemning recent violence against aid workers in specific conflict situations and calling for investigations that meet the criteria of independence, impartiality, transparency, and effectiveness. Members may also urge the Secretary-General to report to the Council on situations in which there are widespread issues regarding the safety and security of humanitarian and UN personnel, as requested by resolution 2730. They could invite survivors of attacks to participate in the Councils annual briefings on the resolution, as the Secretary-General encouraged in his recommendations. Additionally, members might advocate for integrating security risk management, staff mental health support, and survivor assistance into the mandates and budgets of UN operations, especially in high-risk and transitioning mission settings. Members could also consider measures to strengthen implementation of resolution 2664 of 9 December 2022, which established a cross-cutting humanitarian exception to UN sanctions regimes. Council and Wider Dynamics Most Council members agree on the need to enhance the protection of humanitarian and UN personnel. Resolution 2730 garnered wide support, receiving 14 votes in favour and 90 co-sponsorships from the wider UN membership, demonstrating broad international concern about this issue. Russia abstained on the resolution, however, objecting to its reference to international courts, its proposed parameters for ensuring humanitarian access, and its gender-related language. At the November 2024 briefing, most members welcomed the Secretary-Generals recommendations and emphasised that all parties to conflict must respect IHL and facilitate humanitarian access. Many also welcomed the proposed survivor-centred approach and urged stronger action to combat misinformation and impunity. Several called for a recommitment to humanitarian principles and reinforced legal protections, emphasising that rhetoric must be matched by meaningful action. In this regard, some members stressed the urgency of addressing the targeting of UNRWA staff and the weaponisation of aid access in the Gaza Strip. However, divisions remained on accountability mechanisms, the role of international courts, and the attribution of responsibility in specific contextsparticularly in relation to Gaza. The US supported calls for greater protection of humanitarian personnel and raised concerns about Israeli military conduct in Gaza, but stopped short of endorsing measures involving international accountability mechanisms, and it has since expressed full support for Israeli military operations after President Donald Trump returned to office and the ceasefire agreement between the parties collapsed. Russia affirmed the importance of humanitarian protection and the Geneva Conventions, but reiterated its scepticism about references to international courts in the Secretary-Generals recommendations, arguing that these mechanisms are politicised. It also criticised the omission of language on coordination with host governments and unilateral coercive measures in the Secretary-Generals letter. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS UN DOCUMENTS ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS An exchange meeting for foreign diplomats to share views on Xinjiangs economic and social development and human rights protection achievements is held in Beijing, capital of China, on March 31, 2025. (Photo provided to Guangming Online) BEIJING, April 1 (Guangming Online) -- 70 foreign diplomats from 43 countries and international organizations attended an exchange meeting held in Beijing on Monday, to exchange views on economic and social development and human rights protection achievements in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Foreign diplomats praised Xinjiangs development and shared their personal experiences of their visits to Xinjiang. Secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Nurlan Yermekbayev said Xinjiang has made significant contributions to advancing cooperation within the SCO across multiple areas, including security, stability, counter-terrorism, counter-extremism, counter-separatism, and more. He visited Xinjiang many times and was marveled at the remarkable progress Xinjiang had made each time, said Yermekbayev. Uzbekistan's Ambassador to China Farhod Arziev said Xinjiang is Chinas key "gateway" to Central Asia as well as Uzbekistan's primary "land bridge" for trade with China. He expressed his confidence in cooperation with Xinjiang, saying, I am confident that further expansion of practical cooperation between Xinjiang and the regions of Uzbekistan will open new opportunities for business and investment. Pakistani Ambassador to China Khalil-ur-Rahman Hashmi gave positive comment on Xinjiangs evident progress in infrastructure, green energy hubs, digital economy, and increasing openness to the world. I must say numbers and actions speak louder than words! The social and economic progress is indeed very impressive, said Hashmi. Foreign diplomats visit an exhibition on Xinjiang specialty products before the exchange meeting for foreign diplomats to share views on Xinjiangs economic and social development and human rights protection achievements in Beijing, capital of China, on March 31, 2025. (Photo by Zhang Zhou/ Guangming Online) Foreign diplomats visit an exhibition on Xinjiang specialty products before the exchange meeting for foreign diplomats to share views on Xinjiangs economic and social development and human rights protection achievements in Beijing, capital of China, on March 31, 2025. (Photo by Zhang Zhou/ Guangming Online) Foreign diplomats visit an exhibition on Xinjiang specialty products before the exchange meeting for foreign diplomats to share views on Xinjiangs economic and social development and human rights protection achievements in Beijing, capital of China, on March 31, 2025. (Photo by Zhang Zhou/ Guangming Online) Photo taken on March 31, 2025 shows Xinjiang's specialty products exhibited at the Xinjiang specialty products exhibition before the exchange meeting for foreign diplomats to share views on Xinjiangs economic and social development and human rights protection achievements in Beijing, capital of China. (Photo by Zhang Zhou/ Guangming Online) Photo taken on March 31, 2025 shows Xinjiang's specialty products exhibited at the Xinjiang specialty products exhibition before the exchange meeting for foreign diplomats to share views on Xinjiangs economic and social development and human rights protection achievements in Beijing, capital of China. (Photo by Zhang Zhou/ Guangming Online) Photo taken on March 31, 2025 shows Xinjiang's specialty products exhibited at the Xinjiang specialty products exhibition before the exchange meeting for foreign diplomats to share views on Xinjiangs economic and social development and human rights protection achievements in Beijing, capital of China. (Photo by Zhang Zhou/ Guangming Online) Photo taken on March 31, 2025 shows Xinjiang's specialty products exhibited at the Xinjiang specialty products exhibition before the exchange meeting for foreign diplomats to share views on Xinjiangs economic and social development and human rights protection achievements in Beijing, capital of China. (Photo by Zhang Zhou/ Guangming Online) Editor: Zhang Zhou AFRICA Somalia Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council is expected to hold a private meeting to discuss the situation in Somalia. James Swan, the Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), is expected to brief. The African Union (AU) is also expected to update the Council on the implementation of the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) mandate in accordance with resolution 2767 of 27 December 2024. The resolution expressed the Councils intention to invite the AU, the UN Secretariat, and relevant international stakeholders to participate in a joint meeting on AUSSOM and UNTMIS. Key Recent Developments In recent months, Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group affiliated with Al-Qaida, has launched a series of deadly attacks across Somalia, continuing its violent campaign to destabilise the country and undermine government authority. These attacks have reportedly targeted both military and civilian sites, including military bases, government institutions, and civilian gatherings, as part of its efforts to consolidate its presence in central and southern Somalia. Recent media reports indicate a surge in Al-Shabaabs activities in towns and villages near Mogadishu, with the group increasingly targeting Somali military positions and patrolling the surrounding areas. On 20 February, Al-Shabaab launched a coordinated offensive in the Middle Shabelle region, where the Somali federal government (FGS) has had the most success over the past three years. The group captured several villages but was driven out by Somali forces in the following days. Somali forces claimed to have killed 130 Al-Shabaab fighters during the operation. Some media reports suggested that Al-Shabaab captured military vehicles and weapons while also killing 93 people in the assault. On 27 February, Al-Shabaab launched another offensive in Balad, Middle Shabelle. Heavy fighting ensued as Al-Shabaab temporarily captured the town before Somali forces reclaimed it. On 11 March, Al-Shabaab attacked a hotel in Beledweyne, central Somalia, targeting traditional elders and military officers involved in coordinating the governments offensive against the group. The militants laid siege to the hotel for 24 hours, resulting in ten fatalities, including both civilians and military personnel. On 18 March, the militant group targeted Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamuds motorcade with a bomb attack in Mogadishu. While the president escaped unharmed, the attack resulted in four deaths. It drew widespread condemnation from the international community, including from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The next day (19 March), a mortar attack struck the heavily fortified Halane compound near Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, which houses UN and AU officials and multiple foreign embassies. On 20 March, two Al-Shabaab attacks were reported in the Lower Shabelle region. The militants launched an attack on Sabiid village, approximately 30 kilometres southwest of Mogadishu, and ambushed a reinforcement convoy travelling to Sabiid, killing a senior military official. In response to the security threats, the Somali National Army has launched multiple retaliatory operations against Al-Shabaab, aiming to repel the militants, degrade their capabilities, and reclaim strategic territories. These operations have been supported by AUSSOM troops, local clan forces, and international security partners, with airstrikes and ground operations conducted across several districts in central and southern Somalia. Somali officials claim that these efforts have resulted in the deaths of over 400 Al-Shabaab militants as at mid-March. International security partners have been instrumental in the Somali offensive against Al-Shabaab. The Ethiopian Air Force, in coordination with the Somali government, struck multiple Al-Shabaab positions in Middle Shabelle in March, while Ethiopian National Defense Forces were deployed near Ferfer for planned operations. Since US President Donald Trump assumed office in January, there has been a significant increase in US airstrikes targeting Al-Shabaab militants. Additionally, the US and the United Arab Emirates have carried out multiple airstrikes on IS-Somalia strongholds, supporting operations led by Puntland state forces. In late February, the AU and Somalia reached an agreement on the troop allocation for AUSSOM. The Concept of Operations for AUSSOM outlines a total mission strength of up to 11,911 personnel. According to media reports, the agreement allocates 4,500 soldiers to Uganda, 2,500 to Ethiopia, 1,520 to Djibouti, 1,410 to Kenya, and 1,091 to Egypt. Additionally, several hundred police personnel from Egypt, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone are set to be deployed in Mogadishu, Jowhar, and Baidoa. (For background and more information, see the brief on Somalia in our February 2025 Monthly Forecast.) On 4 March, a joint AU-UN delegation conducting the independent strategic review of the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) concluded a visit to Mogadishu. During the visit, the delegation engaged with key stakeholders, including officials from the Somali federal government, troop- and police-contributing countries, AUSSOM, and UNSOS. The discussions focused on assessing and recommending ways to optimise the efficiency, performance, management, and structure of UNSOS while ensuring its continued effectiveness in supporting AUSSOMs mandate. At the time of writing, the UNSOS review was expected to be circulated to Council members by 1 April. Key Issues and Options One of the key issues for the Council in April is the transition process of UNTMIS. In resolution 2753 of 30 October 2024, which authorised UNTMIS mandate until 31 October 2025, the Council requested the Secretary-General to prepare, in consultation with the FGS, a roadmap for completing the first phase of the transition of UNTMISs tasks to the FGS, the UN country team, and other stakeholders. The resolution asked the Secretary-General to incorporate the roadmap in his report, which was circulated to members on 28 March. A related issue for Council members is how to continue supporting the Somali government in achieving its national priorities, including the constitutional review and electoral processes. Additionally, addressing the ongoing tension between the federal government and some federal member states is a matter of concern for Council members. The persistent insecurity in Somalia remains a critical issue for Council members. Al-Shabaab continues to demonstrate its ability to conduct attacks, with the groups reach extending to Mogadishu. Despite efforts by Somali forces, which have carried out robust offensive operations across multiple fronts, Al-Shabaab remains a potent force posing serious security threats to Somalia and the region. Recent media reports attribute Al-Shabaabs resurgence to deepening societal divisions, particularly ongoing clan rivalries, and political disarray, including President Mohamuds strained relations with various factions and some federal member states. These fractures reportedly have weakened the governments defences, allowing Al-Shabaab to exploit internal divisions and expand its influence. Another critical issue before Council members is the financing of AUSSOM. Resolution 2767 requested the Secretary-General to implement the framework established under resolution 2719 of 21 December 2023 regarding the financing of AU-led peace support operations (AUPSOs) in a hybrid format starting 1 July. This implementation, however, is contingent on the Council confirming the request through a decision by 15 May. Ahead of this decision, the Council is expected to consider the independent strategic review of UNSOS and a report detailing the progress made in preparations for the implementation of the 2719 framework to AUSSOM under the hybrid model, to be submitted by the Secretary-General by 1 May. (For background and more information, see our 26 December 2024 Whats in Blue story.) There seems to be a strong push to delay the progress report on the application for the 2719 framework to AUSSOM, which is critical for upcoming discussions on the financing of the mission. In light of the challenging Council dynamics regarding AUSSOMs financing, an international donor conference could be instrumental in mobilising additional funds for sustaining peace support operations in Somalia and consolidating security gains. One option for Council members would be to explore contingency plans in the face of strong opposition from the US regarding the use of the 2719 framework for Somalia. Without a clear financing mechanism, the mission could be jeopardised, leading to a security vacuum and the loss of hard-earned security gains. Council Dynamics Council members support the Somali federal governments priorities and recognise the many challenges the country faces, including the persistent insecurity caused by the terrorist activities of Al-Shabaab. They also support ongoing efforts to fight the group, including the implementation of sanctions to degrade Al-Shabaab. Council members reached an agreement in December 2024 to establish AUSSOM, albeit with considerable difficulty. The critical issue of its long-term financing, however, remains unresolved, and divisions among Council members have deepened in this regard. On 11 February, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch posted on X that resolution 2719 should not be used to finance AUSSOM, arguing that doing so would lock the US into perpetual funding through its dues to the UN. He instead urged the European Union (EU) to work with US President Donald Trump to develop an alternative funding solution. In contrast, Somaliahaving joined the Council as an elected member for the 2025-26 termalong with all other Council members, except the US, supports financing AUSSOM through the framework established under resolution 2719. The EU, a key financial contributor to AU operations in Somalia, advocates for a sustainable financing model based on diversified contributions and cost-sharing. While the EU remains committed to supporting the AUs efforts in Somalia, it has increasingly focused on providing direct financial assistance to Somali security forces. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON SOMALIA AFRICA South Sudan Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council will hold a briefing, followed by consultations, on the situation in South Sudan. Special Representative and Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Nicholas Haysom will brief on the Secretary-Generals 90-day report on South Sudan and developments in the country. The Council is also expected to renew UNMISS mandate before its expiration on 30 April. Key Recent Developments In mid-February, clashes erupted in Nasir County in Upper Nile state between the South Sudan Peoples Defence Forces (SSPDF)the governments forcesand local armed youth from the Nuer community, known as the White Army, which is linked to Riek Machar, South Sudans First Vice-President and the leader of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO). Tensions reportedly escalated after the government deployed additional forces to Nasir, including fighters from the Agwelek and Abushok militias. While the SSPDF described the deployment as a routine troop rotation, Machar argued that it violated the ceasefire and transitional security arrangements established by the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), leading to increased tensions and insecurity. The situation worsened when fighting resumed in early March after the White Army seized control of an SSPDF base in Nasir on 4 March. On 7 March, a UN helicopter conducting an evacuation mission of SSPDF personnel came under fire, resulting in the death of one UN crew member and serious injuries to two others. According to UNMISS, the operation was carried out at the request of all parties involved, with assurances of safe passage for those trapped. Nevertheless, 28 SSPDF soldiers, including a general, were reportedly killed during UNMISS attempt to extract them. In the wake of these violent clashes, the South Sudanese government reportedly detained several political and military figures aligned with Machar, including General Gabriel Duop Lam, the SPLM-IOs acting chief of staff. Media reports also noted that government security forces had surrounded Machars residence. On 11 March, Ugandas military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, confirmed that the Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) had deployed to Juba, South Sudans capital, following a request from the South Sudanese government. Subsequently, the SPLM-IO announced on 18 March the immediate suspension of its participation in key security and political mechanisms established under the R-ARCSS, citing the detention of its officials, escalating violence, and the presence of Ugandan troops in the country. On 23 March, Machar sent a letter to several senior UN officials, including Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, warning that issues with the R-ARCSS, particularly the presence of Ugandan forces in the country, could lead to the collapse of the agreement. He called on the UN Security Council, the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AUPSC), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to intervene and urged the Ugandan government to withdraw its military forces from the country. At the time of writing, the security situation in Nasir County remains precarious despite several calls from the international community to de-escalate tensions. In March, the South Sudanese army, reportedly supported by the UPDF, conducted at least two aerial strikes in the area, resulting in the deaths of several civilians and significant damage to residential areas. On 18 March, Security Council members convened in closed consultations to discuss the recent outbreak of violence in South Sudan and its implications for UNMISS. Another issue raised during the consultations concerned the South Sudanese governments request for UNMISS to vacate its Tomping base, located adjacent to the Juba International Airport, citing national security and development priorities. UNMISS has argued that the base remains essential for its operations, serving as an assembly area and evacuation staging site for UN personnel, humanitarian partners, and, upon request, diplomatic staff from various embassies in Juba. (For more information, see our 18 March Whats in Blue story.) On 19 March, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit appointed General James Koang Chuol as the governor of Upper Nile state. The SPLM-IO condemned this decision, arguing that the appointment was made without prior consultation and violated the agreements power-sharing provisions, which allocate certain positions to the SPLM-IO. Similar unilateral appointments in recent months, in which Kiir replaced opposition officials with his loyalists, have reportedly heightened tensions. Human Rights-Related Developments On 28 February, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan presented its report to the UN Human Rights Council. Based on the Commissions independent investigations conducted throughout 2024, along with engagements with South Sudanese authorities and open-source forensic analysis, the report highlights the role of the countrys political and military elites in perpetuating instability and extreme violence against civilians. In a press release, Commission Chair Yasmin Sooka stated, [s]exual violence persists both in and outside conflicts, while senior officials continue to endorse extrajudicial killings, and the forced recruitment and abduction of boys and girls into combat or sexual slavery remain unchecked. Commissioner Barney Afako added that the Commissions investigations revealed that the repetition of human rights violations is inextricably tied to pervasive impunity, the lack of accountability in governance, and the failure to properly direct the countrys national wealth toward establishing credible institutions and systems. The Commission highlighted the urgent need to recommit to the institution-building objectives outlined in the R-ARCSS. In a 3 March press release, the Commission warned that escalating violence in the Upper Nile state, rising tensions in Juba, and ongoing political manoeuvres pose serious threats to the R-ARCSS. It emphasised that the current trajectory of instability, repression, and renewed conflict must not persist and urged all parties to the agreement, along with other South Sudanese stakeholders, to uphold their human rights obligations and commit to completing the transitional process. Key Issues and Options The main issue for the Council is how to prevent South Sudan from descending into civil war while addressing the structural issues that contribute to recurring violence and political instability. Although the revitalised agreement has so far prevented large-scale clashes, local violence persists, with recent unrest heightening fears of a return to a full-scale conflict. A related issue is how UNMISS and the broader international community can continue supporting the transition amid increasing political fragmentation. Persistent delays in the political transition and deep mistrust among political leaders have hampered progress. Despite repeated extensions of the transitional period, the parties have failed to demonstrate the political will to implement critical benchmarks outlined in the R-ARCSS necessary for holding national elections, such as deployment of unified forces, civic education, election security, and voter registration. Furthermore, the lack of financial resources and delays in legal and political decisions continue to stall key processes. The renewal of the UNMISS mandate is a key priority in April. Council members are likely to consider how to adapt the missions role in light of the countrys deteriorating political and security environment, particularly regarding technical assistance provided in support of the implementation of the revitalised agreement and the peace process. The upcoming closed consultations with Haysom, scheduled ahead of the mandate renewal, will provide an opportunity for Council members to engage in a frank exchange about the necessary adjustments to UNMISS mandate in response to evolving conditions on the ground. The obstacles to UNMISSs ability to fulfil its mandate and responsibilities, including restrictions on freedom of movement and violations of the status of forces agreement, continue to be an issue. Attacks against peacekeepers and civilian personnel remain a significant concern for Council members. One option for Council members would be to request the Secretary-General to conduct an independent strategic review of UNMISS to assess the challenges to peace and security in South Sudan and provide detailed recommendations for the possible reconfiguration of the UNMISS mandate and its civilian, police and military components to account for developments in the peace process. In April, the Council could also consider inviting a civil society representative to brief on the challenges facing South Sudan, including the implementation of the revitalised agreement. The broader regional context also poses a serious challenge, particularly the spillover effects of the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Recent media reports indicate that fighters from the Rapid Support Forces, a Sudanese paramilitary, have retreated into South Sudan following territorial losses to the Sudanese Armed Forces. A recent clash between RSF fighters and SPLM-IO forces in Upper Nile state, which resulted in the deaths of senior SPLM-IO officials, has heightened concerns over potential cross-border alliances that could further destabilise the region. (For more information, see our 18 March Whats in Blue story.) Members may consider convening an informal briefing with regional countries to discuss the conflicts impact on the region. Council and Wider Dynamics On 21 March, Council members demonstrated unity in strongly condemning the attacks against UNMISS personnel and calling for those responsible to be held accountable. They called on the parties to the 2018 revitalised agreement to refrain from further violence, engage in national dialogue to restore and maintain peace, and to immediately de-escalate tensions. During the Councils 18 March meeting, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee and some Council members apparently voiced concerns over the presence of Ugandan forces in the country, highlighting that their involvement could heighten tensions and exacerbate the security situation. Council members share similar concerns about the delays in implementing the R-ARCSS, the ongoing sub-national and intercommunal violence, and the economic and humanitarian crises in South Sudan. Members, however, have diverging views about the context of the situation and the extent to which the Council can and should apply pressure on the parties to fully implement the peace agreement. Some members, such as the US, have been more critical than others about what they perceive as the South Sudanese governments lack of political will to implement the R-ARCSS. Other Council memberssuch as China, Russia, and the members of the A3 plus one grouping (Algeria, Somalia, Sierra Leone, and Guyana)are less critical of the government. In their statements, these members often highlight the progress made by the South Sudanese government amidst the challenges facing South Sudan, including the dire humanitarian situation, intercommunal violence, and the economic crisis. Some of these members, such as China and Russia, have argued that sanctions imposed on the South Sudanese government have hindered its ability to build and consolidate its security institutions and should be lifted or adjusted to support the countrys peace efforts. Regarding South Sudans request for UNMISS to vacate the Tomping base, during the 18 March meeting, some members, such as Algeria and Somalia, highlighted the need to respect the host countrys sovereignty, recognise its legitimate needs, and address them appropriately. Meanwhile, several other Council members reiterated concerns raised by the mission, particularly regarding security risks, safety implications, and the high costs associated with relocation. Following the 18 March Council meeting, several members sent a demarche to the South Sudanese mission in New York, expressing concerns that the proposed changes could disrupt UNMISS operations and incur significant costs while urging constructive engagement. In response to the recent surge in violence, both regional and international stakeholders have expressed deep concern over the escalating security situation, urging de-escalation, restraint, and constructive dialogue. Regional bodiesthe AUPSC and IGADquickly convened and responded to the evolving political and security situation. IGAD decided to establish a ministerial-level sub-committee on South Sudan that would travel to Juba to conduct an assessment on modalities of initiating an inclusive dialogue on the status of the R-ARCSS and the Kenyan-led Tumaini initiative. However, in late March, the South Sudanese government abruptly postponed the visit of IGAD ministers without providing an explanation. The US is the penholder on South Sudan. UN DOCUMENT ON SOUTH SUDAN Status Update since our March Forecast Bosnia and Herzegovina On 6 March, Security Council members held closed consultations on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed. Russia requested the meeting in light of the BiH state courts sentencing of Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik. On 26 February, the court ordered Dodik to step down from his role as RS president following indictments for defying the decisions taken by High Representative for BiH Christian Schmidt and sentenced him to one year in prison. On 21 March, after the closed consultations on The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, Council members discussed the situation in BiH under any other business. Slovenia requested the meeting to address recent actions taken by the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska. Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenca briefed. Afghanistan On 10 March, the Council convened for an open briefing on the situation in Afghanistan (S/PV.9875). Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva and Co-Founder of the Ham Diley Campaign Azadah Raz Mohammad briefed. Afghanistan, India, Iran, and Kazakhstan participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure. The closed consultations that were scheduled to follow the open briefing were cancelled and did not take place. On 17 March, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2777, which extended UNAMAs mandate until 17 March 2026. EU-UN Cooperation On 11 March, the Security Council held its annual briefing on cooperation between the UN and the European Union (EU) under the agenda item Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security (S/PV.9876). At the meeting, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas provided her first briefing to the Council since assuming her role in December 2024. Iran (Non-proliferation) On 12 March, the Security Council held a private meeting on Iran (S/PV.9877). France, Greece, Panama, the Republic of Korea (ROK), the UK, and the US requested the meeting, citing Irans increased production of highly enriched uranium. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari briefed. Germany, Iran, the European Union (EU) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also participated in the meeting under rules 37 and 39 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure. Sudan On 13 March, the Security Council held a briefing on the situation in Sudan (S/PV.9878). Denmark and the UK (the penholder on the file) requested the meeting to address the protection of civilians and the humanitarian consequences of the conflict, including implications for healthcare and reports of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), especially against women and children. Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of UNICEF, and Christopher Lockyear, the Secretary General of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders) briefed. Sudan and the United Arab Emirates participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure. Counter-Terrorism On 14 March, Council members issued a press statement condemning the 11 March terrorist attack on a passenger train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan (SC/16019). At least 25 Pakistani nationals were killed in the attack. Lebanon On 17 March, Council members received a briefing in closed consultations on the Secretary-Generals latest report on the implementation of resolution 1701 (S/2025/153). Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert briefed. UNDOF (Golan) On 19 March, Council members received a briefing in consultations on the work of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Khaled Khiari briefed. Sudan/South Sudan On 17 March, Council members issued a press statement (SC/16022) condemning the detention of UN peacekeepers, the armed abduction of civilian personnel, and the looting of the logistics convoy of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese paramilitary group. The statement expressed deep alarm over threats to the safety and security of peacekeepers and civilian personnel and reiterated that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes. It called for the RSF to be held accountable and for the immediate return of the UNISFA trucks and fuel. It further called on all parties to allow UNISFA to implement its mandated tasks without interference, including its support to the Joint Border Verification Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM). On 18 March, Security Council members convened for closed consultations under the agenda item Sudan/South Sudan. The USsupported by the Councils A3 plus members (Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Guyana)requested the meeting to discuss the outbreak of violence in South Sudan and its implications for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Another focus of the meeting was developments in the area of operations of UNISFA. Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee briefed. UN Peacekeeping On 24 March, the Security Council held an open debate titled Advancing adaptability in UN Peace Operationsresponding to new realities under the agenda item Maintenance of international peace and security (S/PV.9884). Denmarks Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lars Lkke Rasmussen chaired the meeting, which was the signature event of Denmarks Council Presidency in March. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Jenna Russo, the Director of Research and Head of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations at the International Peace Institute (IPI), briefed. Ukraine On 26 March, the Security Council held a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine at the request of France and Panama (S/PV.9886). Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya briefed the Council. The representatives of Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Ukraine participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure. Head of the EU Delegation to the European Union (EU) Stavros Lambrinidis, and Paul Beresford-Hill, the Permanent Observer of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the UN, participated under rule 39 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure. Democratic Republic of the Congo On 27 March, the Security Council held a briefing and consultations on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including the work of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (S/PV.9887). Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the DRC and Head of MONUSCO Bintou Keita and Secretary-General of the Danish Refugee Council Charlotte Slente briefed. Angola, Burundi, the DRC, and Rwanda, represented by its Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe, participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure. MIDDLE EAST Syria Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council is expected to hold a meeting on the political and humanitarian developments in Syria. Key Recent Developments On 13 March, Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed a constitutional declaration covering a five-year transitional period. The declaration stipulates that Islam must be the religion of the president and that Islamic jurisprudence is the main source of legislation. It also mandates an independent judiciary, freedom of expression, media freedoms, and guarantees for womens political, educational and working rights. After the signing of the constitutional declaration, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen welcomed moves towards restoring the rule of law and noted that this development potentially fills an important legal vacuum. He added that implementation will be key, along with efforts to ensure transitional governance. The constitutional declaration, however, was rejected by Kurdish political entities that have criticised the document for granting too much power to the executive and for failing to guarantee the rights of Syrias various national and religious groups. On 29 March, Sharaa announced the formation of Syrias new transitional government. The cabinet comprises 23 ministers from diverse ethnic and religious backgroundsincluding members from Alawite, Christian, Druze and Kurdish backgrounds. Only one woman is in the cabinet, the minister of social affairs and labour. The transitional government does not have a prime minister, and Sharaa is expected to lead the executive branch in his role as interim president. Sharaa said that the new government will strive to rebuild a united Syria during the transitional period, which is expected to last around five years until elections can be held. The caretaker authorities continue to face significant challenges in rebuilding Syria and fostering social unity. From 6 to 10 March, sectarian violence between the caretaker authorities and their affiliates on the one hand and Alawite fighters loyal to Assad on the other hand reportedly left around 1,000 civilians deadincluding due to revenge killingsin Syrias coastal governates of Latakia and Tartous. In response to this violence, on 9 March, Sharaa announced the formation of an independent fact-finding committee to identify those responsible for the mass killings and bring them to justice. The committee was mandated to submit a report to the interim presidency within 30 days. He also announced the formation of an additional committee to maintain public peace and reconciliation towards national unity. According to media reports, Sharaa has stressed that he is ready to punish even among those closest to him for complicity in the killings and alluded to a lack of coordination between Syrias military forces and outside groups loyal to the military, which led to many violations. On 10 March, Council members met in closed consultations to discuss these developments, during which Pedersen briefed on the situation. Council members apparently urged the caretaker authorities to swiftly ensure that violence ended, to protect civilians, and to pursue accountability for those responsible for the violence. During the consultations, Russia and the US announced that they would be circulating a draft Security Council presidential statement to address the escalation in violence. Adopted on 14 March, the statement condemned the violence, called on all parties to cease any further violence or inflammatory activities to ensure accountability and the protection of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religion. It also reaffirmed the Councils strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and highlighted the importance of implementing an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process, facilitated by the United Nations and based on the key principles listed in resolution 2254. (Adopted on 18 December 2015, resolution 2254 focused on a political solution to the Syria crisis.) (For more information, see our 14 March Whats in Blue story.) In a 13 March statement marking 14 years since the start of the Syrian peoples peaceful protests against Assad, the Secretary-General noted that despite renewed hope following the fall of Assad, a brighter future hangs in the balance. He stressed the need for the caretaker authorities to make good on their commitments to build a new Syria based on inclusive and credible foundations for all Syrians and asserted that the UN stood ready to support an inclusive political transition. On the security front, the caretaker authorities signed an agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) group on 10 March, integrating its military and civil institutions into those of the Syrian state as part of the authorities aim to establish control over the entire country. The SDF militarily controls most of the territory in Syrias northeast and poses a significant obstacle to Syrias unity. They were a crucial partner for the US in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) in the region. Turkiye, however, views the SDF as a terrorist organisation because of its close links with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has conducted a decades-long secessionist insurgency against Turkiye. The agreement came just weeks after the PKK declared a ceasefire with Turkiye. While Ankara welcomed the deal between the SDF and the Syrian caretaker authorities, military clashes between the SDF and Turkish-backed forcesas well as Turkish airstrikeshave continued in northeast Syria, raising questions about the implementation of the agreement. Along the Syria-Lebanon border, seven Lebanese civilians, including a young girl, were killed in two days of clashes that started on 15 March after Syrias caretaker authorities accused Hezbollah of abducting three Syrian soldiers, taking them into Lebanon, and then killing them. As a result, Syrian forces targeted positions along the border, leading to retaliatory fire from the Lebanese army. Hezbollah denied the claims that they were responsible for the abductions. Syrian and Lebanese authorities announced a ceasefire agreement on 17 March, and on 27 March, they signed an agreement for cooperation on border demarcation. In his briefing to the Security Council on 25 March, Pedersen stressed that comprehensive security sector reform and disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration are needed, and he encouraged the caretaker authorities to seek the UNs support on these issues. He also called on the caretaker authorities to robustly address the issue of foreign fighters in their senior ranks. This point was also raised by China, France, Russia, the US and other Council members during the meeting and in the Councils 14 March presidential statement. In March, Israel reportedly continued to conduct various military operations in the occupied Golan, as well as airstrikes targeting military infrastructure formerly held by ousted Assad forces as far into Syrian territory as Damascus and Homs. Israel has said that it will continue to operate against any threat to its security and has made clear that it distrusts the caretaker authorities because of Sharaas past involvement with terrorist groups. Despite continued calls from the international community for Israel to withdraw from the demilitarised buffer zone established by the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, they continue to reinforce positions in the area. On the humanitarian front, Syria remains one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, with approximately 16.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. While ongoing hostilities in various regions, dire economic conditions, and critical underfunding hamper humanitarian efforts, there are increased demands due to massive numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees returning to their homes. According to UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported around 1.2 million IDPs and refugees had already returned since December 2024 and projects up to 3.5 million more in the coming months. Abdelmoula also highlighted, however, that humanitarian access has improved significantly since December 2024, and the UN is now able to coordinate the delivery of aid in areas that had been previously inaccessible to it, such as northeast Syria. Human Rights-Related Developments In a 9 March press release, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for an immediate end to civilian killings in coastal areas in northwest Syria. Following serious escalations of violent attacks reportedly launched by elements of the former government and other local armed men, the UN Human Rights Office has also received alarming reports of entire families, including women, children and hors de combat fighters, being killed. The High Commissioner urged prompt, transparent and impartial investigations into all the killings and other violations, and accountability for those responsible, in line with international law norms and standards. Among other recommendations, Turk emphasised the urgent need for a comprehensive transitional justice process that is nationally-owned, inclusive and centred on truth, justice and accountability. Key Issues and Options The most pressing issue before the Council remains how to ensure a credible, transparent, and inclusive political process, guided by the principles of resolution 2254, that can prioritise the needs and aspirations of all Syrians, prevent fragmentation of the country, support the formation of credible state institutions, and establish a non-sectarian and representative governance structure. An important aim for the Council is to maintain a unified approach to addressing these issues and to promote a constructive role for the UN in this process. Another key issue for the Council is how to improve the security situation in Syria. In this regard, Israels continued presence in the Golan buffer zone and its airstrikes into Syrian territory undermine the caretaker authorities control over the territory and their attempts to foster stability. Similarly, clashes in northeast Syria, sectarian violence, the threat of an ISIS resurgence and foreign terrorist fighters, and any perceived threat by Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah may all be issues that the Council could seek to address through a dedicated meeting or outcome document on Syrias security and territorial integrity. Another key issue is how to alleviate the growing humanitarian needs throughout the country and ensure suitable conditions for the safe return of Syrian refugees and IDPs, particularly given the dire forecast of funding shortfalls. During the Councils 25 March meeting on Syria, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher appealed for urgent investment in Syrias recovery, reconstruction and development amid a situation in which 16 million Syrians are lacking sufficient food, water, shelter and medicine. Council members could consider calling for an international conference to mobilise support for Syria, including by securing additional funding for a humanitarian response and addressing key issues such as economic development and reconstruction. In this context, the Council could also request the UNHCR to brief on the humanitarian challenges of repatriating Syrian refugees. Council members could also encourage UN member states to support the humanitarian response plan for Syria of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Councils monthly meetings on the file. Council and Wider Dynamics Since the ouster of Assad in December 2024, Council members have adopted a wait-and-see approach to allow the caretaker authorities the time and space necessary to steer the transitional process. The international community has generally welcomed commitments made by the caretaker authorities on their vision for transition and Syrias future. The mass killings in Syrias coastal regions in early March, however, have served as a signal that commitments made need to be followed by tangible action and implementation to ensure that such violent escalations are not repeated. In the context of escalations in sectarian violence and persistent challenges regarding Syrian unity, such as those in the Alawite, Kurdish, and Druze communities, the actions of the new transitional government will determine the Security Councils approach to the dossier in the coming weeks. Several Council members are likely to look positively at the diverse religious and ethnic composition of the transitional government and closely monitor its progress on Council priorities, such as the protection of all civilians and the promotion of accountability for all violations of international law. During the Councils 25 March meeting on Syria, the US called for genuine efforts at reconciliation with the Alawite community and criticised the caretaker authorities for not having meaningfully engaged in a political process that includes all Syrian sects. It also raised concerns regarding the constitutional declaration and noted that it will be watching closely who is selected for cabinet positions. On its part, at the 25 March meeting, Russia suggested that OCHA consider expanding its presence in the coastal region, including through opening a suboffice, to keep the situation under control and assess the situation more closely. Members may begin to intensify demands that the transitional government increase its coordination with the UNincluding with the Special Envoys officesuch as by seeking further support on matters pertaining to an inclusive political process and transitional justice. A known obstacle for the authorities in Damascus is heavy sanctions, which hamper the countrys economic progress and foster instability. Many members agree that lifting sanctions and providing financial support to the caretaker authorities during this period are critical. The European Union and the UK have already taken steps to gradually lift the sanctions and restrictions previously imposed on the Assad government. Furthermore, on 17 March, the 2025 Brussels IX Conference on Supporting the future of Syria and the region convened with the objectives of mobilising humanitarian and financial aid for Syria and to rally political support for a comprehensive, credible political solution. The conference amassed $6.3 billion in pledges from donor countries; however, the US refrained from making any pledges in line with the Trump administrations wider decision to freeze international aid. The US has also not taken any decision to lift its sanctions on Syria and seems to have adopted a more wary diplomatic approach to the caretaker authorities. Israels presence and military activities in Syria are also a point of contention between Council members. During the Councils closed consultations on 10 March, there were different views between some Council members and the US on the need for the Council to push back against Israels actions in Syria, and this dynamic also featured in negotiations on the draft presidential statement. Many members believe Israels actions are fostering tensions and instability in an already fragile Syria, but the US sees its actions are defensive in nature and tied to ensuring its national security, in line with Israels position. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON SYRIA The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council will hold its quarterly open debate on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (MEPQ). France, the Council president for the month, intends to convene the debate at the ministerial level. French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot is expected to chair the meeting. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is the anticipated briefer. Council members may convene additional meetings during the month and evaluate whether any Council action is required. Key Recent Developments Aprils quarterly debate will take place at a critical juncture in the Israel-Hamas war following the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between the parties and the resurgence of hostilities in Gaza. On 18 March, Israel resumed large-scale military operations in the territory for the first time since the first phase of the ceasefire went into effect in January, launching airstrikes that killed over 400 people, including at least 170 children and 80 women, according to figures cited by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The strikes have continued since then, reportedly pushing Gazas total death toll since the beginning of the conflict past 50,000 and newly displacing an estimated 142,000 people. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have also resumed ground operations in the territory, reasserting control over parts of the Netzarim corridor separating northern and southern Gaza and moving troops into other areas across the enclave, which Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened to permanently annex. Hamas has condemned the escalation and called for a return to the ceasefire while also launching retaliatory rocket fire into Israel. UN staff have been among the casualties of the hostilities. On 19 March, one staff member from the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) was killed and six others were wounded when strikes hit a UN compound in central Gaza. In a 24 March statement, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said that [b]ased on the information currently available, the strikeswere caused by an Israeli tank. The statement noted that the compound was well known to the conflict parties and stressed that the parties were bound by international law to protect the inviolability of UN premises, without which UN staff face intolerable risks as they work to save the lives of civilians. Dujarric announced that the UN would consequently reduce the Organizations footprint in Gaza, even as humanitarian needs soar and our concern over the protection of civilians intensifies. On 28 March, the Security Council held a private meeting on the humanitarian situation and protection of aid workers in Gaza. Israeli officials have described the renewed military operation as a response to Hamas rejection of US proposals to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, which expired on 1 March. On 2 March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed a proposed framework for a temporary ceasefire for the Ramadan and Passover period, which he attributed to US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Under this planwhich proposed different terms than the initial ceasefire agreement that the parties had agreed to in JanuaryHamas would release half of the 59 hostages it is still holding on the first day that the framework goes into effect and the remaining hostages on the last day, with the parties negotiating a permanent ceasefire in the interim. In the same statement, Netanyahu said that Hamas had rejected the proposal and that Israel would therefore prevent the entry of humanitarian aid and commercial supplies into Gaza, adding that there would be additional consequences if Hamas did not change its position. (For more information about Gazas humanitarian situation, see our 17 March and 27 March Whats in Blue stories.) Hamas reportedly described the US-proposed framework as a violation of the original ceasefire agreement and characterised Israels decision to block humanitarian aid as cheap blackmail and a war crime. According to media reports, the parties have subsequently exchanged a series of modified proposals to halt the hostilities, but they have been unable to reach an agreement. Israel apparently insists on extending the first phase of the ceasefire to facilitate the release of more hostages under a temporary truce, while Hamas seeks to advance to the second stage, which would make the ceasefire permanent. In a 17 March statement announcing the resumption of Israels military operations, Netanyahu said that he had ordered the IDF to take strong action against Hamas following the impasse in negotiations, adding that Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength. Violence has also escalated in the West Bank, where Israel has been conducting what it has described as a large-scale counterterrorism operation since 21 January. Delivering the 21 March briefing on the implementation of resolution 2334 of 23 December 2016, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim Sigrid Kaag said that the operation is the longest conducted by Israel in the West Bank since 2002 and has included airstrikes, the deployment of tanks, and the destruction of residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, displacing 40,000 people from the northern part of the territory. More broadly, a report dated 18 March from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights detailed an expansion of Israeli settlements and a rise in settler violence in the West Bank since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Developments concerning the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) have also continued to generate controversy. On 30 January, two Israeli laws restricting UNRWAs operations entered into force. One piece of legislation prohibits Israeli officials from having contact with UNRWA or anyone acting on its behalf. The other prohibits UNRWA from operating on Israeli territory, which the country interprets as encompassing the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem, where UNRWAs West Bank field office is based. In a 10 March statement, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that the agency has faced serious operational challenges since the laws came into effect. Israeli authorities have exerted increasing pressure on the agency to vacate its premises and stop providing services in East Jerusalem, according to the statement, and have effectively expelled international staff from the West Bank by denying them visas. Lazzarini warned that dismantling UNRWA without a political process that would hand over the agencys responsibilities to empowered and prepared Palestinian institutions risks further destabilising the OPT and wider region. The previous quarterly debate on MEPQ took place on 20 January, which was the same day that US President Donald Trump returned to office. After his inauguration, Trump made a series of remarks suggesting that the US would take over Gaza after the war and that neighbouring countries would resettle displaced Palestinians, who would not have a right to return to the territory. The comments were strongly rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community, including Arab countries in the region, which accelerated discussions on an alternative plan for Gazas reconstruction and governance. At an extraordinary summit held on 4 March in Cairo, the League of Arab States (LAS) endorsed a plan proposed by Egypt that calls for $53 billion over five years to build housing, critical infrastructure, and industrial zones in Gaza without displacing civilians, initially under the management of an administrative committee of Palestinian technocrats that would hand over control of the territory to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) after a six-month transitional period. The plan also calls for the Security Council to deploy peacekeepers to Gaza and the West Bank to protect both Palestinians and Israelis, with the ultimate aim of preserving the viability of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and preventing the resurgence of hostilities. Human Rights-Related Developments In an 18 March press release, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory Francesca Albanese said that Palestinians face a serious risk of mass ethnic cleansing as Israel continues its operations in Gaza and the West Bank. Referring to the mass casualties and displacement that these operations have caused, Albanese said that Israels conduct amounts to a genocidal campaign to erase Palestinians as a people. The Special Rapporteur urged member states to support the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. (The ICC also sought arrest warrants for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Deif, all of whom were later killed in Israeli operations.) Albanese additionally called for targeted sanctions, the halt of all arms transfers, and the prosecution of those accountable for crimes in the OPT, among other recommendations. On 18 March, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights published a report about the human rights consequences of Israels settlement policies in the OPT, including East Jerusalem. Covering the period from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024, the report details Israels activities in the territory and steps taken by the government to militarise the settler movement further, finding a monthly average of 118 incidents of settler violence. In a press release accompanying the report, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk described Israels settlement policy, its acts of annexation, and related discriminatory legislation and measures as breaches of international law. Turk also said that Israels transferof parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies amounts to a war crime. He called on Israel to abide by the July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justicewhich found that Israels continued presence in the OPT is unlawfuland immediately cease all new settlement activities and evacuate all settlers from the territory, among other measures. Women, Peace and Security In a 13 March report, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the OPT and Israel examined sexual, reproductive, and other forms of gender-based violence carried out by the Israeli security forces and Israeli settlers since 7 October 2023. The report documents the disproportionate impact on women and girls of air and artillery strikes in Gaza and cases of deliberate targeting and killing of civilian women and girls by members of the Israeli security forces, as well as specific gendered harms suffered as a result of starvation as a method of warfare, forcible transfer, extermination and collective punishment. Among other findings, the report highlights the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities across the Gaza Strip and widespread and systematic abuse and sexual and gender-based violence in Israeli detention. The report stresses that the frequency, prevalence and severity of sexual and gender-based crimes perpetrated across the OPT has led the Commission to conclude that sexual and gender-based violence is increasingly used as a method of war by Israel to destabilize, dominate, oppress and destroy the Palestinian people. Key Issues and Options The Councils continued failure to expedite an end to the war in Gaza and its inability to safeguard the viability of the two-state solution remain fundamental issues undermining the Councils credibility. In this context, the Councils immediate concern in April is the collapse of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement and the resumption of hostilities between the parties. Associated issues include the urgent need to restore humanitarian access to Gaza and ensure the protection of civilians in the territory, including UN and humanitarian personnel, as well as the remaining hostages held by Hamas and other armed groups. Given current political dynamics, Council members are unlikely to agree on a product addressing these issues, but some members may still wish to initiate a draft resolution to build political pressure and raise visibility in light of the increasing severity of the crisis and the apparent impasse in negotiations between the parties. If the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate due to the halt in aid, Council members may also wish to receive an update from the UN Secretariat on the risk of famine in the territory. OCHA could submit this update to the Council in the form of a white note under its mandate in resolution 2417 of 24 May 2018, which condemned the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and requested the Secretary-General to swiftly report to the Council on situations in which the risk of conflict-induced famine and widespread food insecurity are present. (The Council held a briefing in response to a white note that OCHA previously submitted in February 2024, as well as a briefing on the risk of famine in northern Gaza in November 2024 after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Famine Review Committee warned of a strong likelihood that famine is imminent in areas within the northern Gaza Strip.) Additionally, members could consider inviting OCHA or a civil society representative to brief on the humanitarian consequences of the UNs reduced footprint in Gaza. Similar to the reporting request in resolution 2417, resolution 2730 of 24 May 2024 requested the Secretary-General to report to the Council on situations in which there are widespread issues regarding the safety and security of humanitarian and UN personnel. In light of the recent death attacks on such personnel in Gaza, some Council members may also wish to receive a broader update from OCHA on this issue, building on the 28 March private meeting held in connection with the death and injuries of UNOPS staff. With respect to longer-term political issues, some Council members may wish to initiate discussions on measures to support the LAS-endorsed plan for Gazas post-conflict reconstruction and governance, including initiatives to mobilise funding for the proposal. Members could also request the Secretary-General to report on possible modalities for the potential UN peacekeeping mission that the plan envisions. Additionally, Council membersalong with the broader UN membershipmay begin informal consultations to prepare for the upcoming high-level conference on the implementation of UN resolutions on the question of Palestine and the two-state solution for the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. The conferencewhich was mandated by the General Assembly in December 2024is scheduled to take place in June and will be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. Council Dynamics Intractable dynamics have characterised the Councils response to the war in Gaza, which has been marked by contentious and prolonged negotiations with multiple failed adoptions. Negotiations of Council products on this file have clearly shown that it is not possible for the Council to adopt an outcome that the US, Israels key ally at the Council, does not largely support. Overall, the US has vetoed four draft resolutions on the war since it started on 7 October 2023. The US also vetoed a draft resolution that would have recommended that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership in the UN. China and Russia vetoed two US-proposed draft resolutions on the war, in both cases accompanied by the negative vote of the Arab member of the Council (the United Arab Emirates in 2023 and Algeria in 2024). These political divisions have widened following Trumps return to office and the resurgence of hostilities in Gaza. The majority of Council members have called on both parties to uphold their obligations under international law, seeking a resumption of the ceasefire, restoration of humanitarian access, and the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages. The US, however, has blamed the collapse of the ceasefire solely on Hamas rejection of its extension proposals and has expressed support for Israels renewed military operation. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION UN DOCUMENTS ON THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION SECURITY COUNCIL AND WIDER UN STRUCTURE UN High Commissioner for Refugees Expected Council Action In April, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi will brief the Security Council. The briefing will focus on challenges related to forced displacement across the globe. The session is expected to be interactive, with the High Commissioner responding to observations and questions from members during the session. This type of interactivity is atypical for a public briefing, although a similar format is used when the heads of military and police components of peace operations brief the Council. No outcome is expected. Background and Key Recent Developments By the end of 2023, the most recent year for which the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has complete data, UNHCR estimated that the number of people forcibly displaced across the globe was 117.3 million, a figure that includes refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and others in need of international protection. The magnitude of this crisis continues to grow. Through 2023, the number of people forcibly displaced increased every year over the previous 12 years. By May 2024, UNHCR stated that over 120 million people were forcibly displaced as a consequence of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations. This is more than double the figure of nearly 60 million people forcibly displaced a decade ago. Over the past three decades, the Security Council has paid more attention to the links between displacement and threats to international peace and security. Although the Council has yet to adopt a stand-alone resolution on displaced persons in armed conflict, it has highlighted this issue in several outcomes, including resolutions 1265, 1674 and 2417: Resolution 1265 stressed the particular vulnerability of IDPs and refugees in conflict situations. Resolution 1674 recalled the prohibition against the forcible displacement of civilians in conflict, urged the international community to provide support and assistance to enable states to fulfil their responsibilities regarding the protection of refugees and reaffirmed the need to maintain the security and civilian character of refugee and IDP camps. Resolution 2417 stressed the link between conflict-related food insecurity and forced displacement. Furthermore, the Council commonly refers to displacement in country-specific situations, although the emphasis and prominence given to the issue vary depending on the context. The High Commissioner for Refugees has briefed the Council several times about specific country situations on the Councils agenda, such as the Sahel in December 2012, Syria in December 2015, and Myanmar in February 2018. In May 2023, the High Commissioner also briefed Council members during any other business on the influx of refugees into Sudans neighbouring countries, presenting an overview of this displacements potential impact on regional stability. In addition to country-specific briefings, the Council typically receives an annual briefing under the agenda item Briefing by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which allows for a general update from the High Commissioner on refugees in various settings on the Councils agenda. It is in this context that Grandi is providing this months briefing to the Council. Grandis most recent briefing to the Security Council took place on 30 May 2024. During this briefing, he underscored the lack of compliance with international humanitarian law by parties to conflicts across the globe, with the brutal conduct of hostilities compelling civilians to flee in terror. In this context, he referred to displacement crises caused by conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gaza, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine. Approximately 73 percent of forcibly displaced persons come from five countriesAfghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, and Venezuelawhich have been a focus of the Councils work in recent years. High numbers of forcibly displaced also continue to be a feature of several other conflicts on the Councils agenda, such as those in the DRC, South Sudan, Myanmar and several situations in the Middle East. Key Issues and Options Key issues for the Council include how to: Address the root causes of displacement in various conflicts; Compel member states to uphold international humanitarian law and international human rights law in response to displacement crises; Promote unhindered humanitarian access to forcibly displaced populations; Address the differential effects of displacement on men, women and children; and Encourage member states to provide greater financial support to mitigate the dire humanitarian effects of forced displacement, especially given the financial crisis facing UNHCR. Council members may use the opportunity to elicit information from Grandi on country-specific situations and how member states can better advance principled, safe, voluntary, dignified and informed refugee returns. Some members may also suggest ways to protect IDPs and refugees from sexual/gender-based violence, abuse, and exploitation. In the future, the Council could consider pursuing a stand-alone resolution or presidential statement on displaced persons in armed conflict to provide more consistent and comprehensive guidance to member states on this issue, including on the facilitation of durable solutions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of IDPs and refugees and their local integration or resettlement. Council members could also consider convening private meetings or informal interactive dialogues to discuss the many challenges related to displacement in country-specific situations. Unlike closed consultations, these meeting formats allow for the participation of non-Council member states. As a result, they could enable a frank exchange of ideas among Council members and affected countries that may be conducive to strategic thinking and problem-solving with regard to particular displacement crises. Council Dynamics The Council is generally united in its support for UNHCR and the work of the High Commissioner. It appears, however, that political sensitivities in the Council over issues such as Gaza, Ukraine and migration to Europe across the Mediterranean have affected Council deliberations on the issue of displacement, with mutual recriminations exchanged by members over the causes of such crises and the factors that exacerbate them. Several Council members have highlighted the connection between climate change and displacement. In this regard, France, Guyana, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia noted this linkage during the High Commissioners 30 May 2024 briefing. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON BRIEFINGS BY THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES PEACEMAKING, PEACEKEEPING AND PEACEBUILDING UN Peacekeeping Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council will receive its briefing from the heads of military components of UN peacekeeping operations. The anticipated briefers are Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and the heads of military components of two UN peacekeeping operations: Force Commander of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) Lieutenant General Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes and Head of Mission and Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Aroldo Lazaro Saenz. Key Recent Developments These force commander briefings, which have been held since 2010, focus on the operational challenges of implementing mission mandates. In July 2023, the UK convened the most recent of these briefings during its Security Council presidency. That meeting focused on the protection of civilians (PoC) and the role of the military components in preventing and responding to threats of physical violence. It featured briefings by Lacroix and the heads of military components of three UN peacekeeping operations: Force Commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian, then Force Commander of MONUSCO Lieutenant General Otavio Rodrigues de Miranda Filho, and Lazaro Saenz. (For more, see our 27 July 2023 Whats in Blue story.) The Congolese government and MONUSCO agreed on a disengagement plan in November 2023. As part of this plan, the mission began to drawdown in June 2024 from South Kivu, one of the three provinces in the eastern Democratic of the Congo (DRC) where it had been operating. However, with the dramatic deterioration of the security situation in eastern DRC since January, the mission is under significant strain, with restrictions on its freedom of movement, among other difficulties. On 21 February, the Security Council adopted resolution 2773, demanding the immediate cessation of further military advances by the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) rebel group in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces of eastern DRC and calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. In this context, the Security Council urged the regional mechanisms actively involved in addressing the security situation in eastern DRCthe East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC)to cooperate closely with MONUSCO, given the missions potential role in monitoring and implementing any future ceasefire agreement. Additionally, the EAC and SADC Council of Ministers, who met on 17 March in Harare, Zimbabwe, called on the UN to enhance MONUSCOs capacity to support the implementation of a securitisation plan for North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. (For more, see the Great Lakes brief in the April 2025 Monthly Forecast.) Some of the more traditional and long-standing UN peacekeeping missions, such as the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), are also facing enormous difficulties in fulfilling their mandates in the face of active hostilities in their areas of operation. The US and France brokered a cessation of hostilities agreement between Israel and Lebanon, which came into effect on 27 November 2024, following more than 13 months of hostilities primarily between Israel and Hezbollah. UNIFIL has adjusted its posture within its existing mandate to support the implementation of the cessation of hostilities arrangement. Resolution 1701 of 11 August 2006, which called for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, outlines the missions mandate. UNIFIL is working closely with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in the context of its deployment in southern Lebanon. However, its peacekeepers continue to operate at significant risk to their safety and security, and the mission remains restricted in its freedom of movement and access within its area of operations. Additionally, it continues to face resource constraints in carrying out its mandate. (For more, see our 17 January Whats in Blue story.) Another intractable crisis is the Sudan crisis. Council members have most recently reiterated their call on the parties to the conflict to seek an immediate cessation of hostilities and engage, in good faith, in political dialogue and diplomatic efforts towards a durable ceasefire through a 4 March press statement. Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan Ramtane Lamamra has been engaging the parties in the search for a sustainable solution to the conflict through dialogue, although no tangible progress has yet been achieved. If and when that happens, however, there might be a need for a third-party force to monitor the implementation of a ceasefire or cessation of hostilities. Key Issues and Options An overarching issue for Council members is how UN peacekeeping operations can support ceasefires or cessations of hostilities. For example, in light of ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and Gaza, members may be interested in an assessment of what role the UN could play in monitoring the implementation of a ceasefire or cessation of hostilities agreement. While the potential agreement in both situations appears distant, members may wish to draw on the experience of the force commanders in order to better understand what sort of mandate a mission would need to monitor ceasefires. It appears that the Secretariat is quietly exploring various scenarios in anticipation of these and other developments. A possible option for Council members is to hold an expert-level briefing on some of these anticipated scenarios ahead of the meeting with the force commanders in order to have a more robust discussion about what lies ahead. This briefing is a public meeting but is usually held in an interactive format to allow the force commanders to supplement their briefings with responses to questions and issues raised by Council members. If members wish to have a closed discussion, they could meet with the force commanders in a private meeting format. Another key issue is the multiple challenges confronting UN peacekeeping operations in carrying out their mandated tasks, including the risks to their safety and security and restrictions to their freedom of movement in violation of status of force agreements, among others. Council members could ask the heads of military components for information about how they are tackling these challenges. The future of UN peacekeeping remains a major issue for Council members. It was a topic of discussion at the 24 March open debate convened by the Danish Security Council presidency. (For more, see our 21 March Whats in Blue story.) UN peacekeeping operations are facing significant challenges. They are adversely affected by a growing number of complex operating environments and divisions among the major powers. Over the past decade, several missions have departed, including large multidimensional operations in Mali and Sudan, and a drawdown process has been initiated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (For more, see our In Hindsight in the April 2025 Monthly Forecast.) As the appetite for larger, multidimensional peacekeeping operations has waned in recent years, there appears to be a growing interest in smaller, more nimble missions with narrow mandates to implement ceasefire or cessation of hostilities agreements. As the Secretariat engages in efforts to conduct a review on peace operations, Council members could draw lessons from the force commanders on strategic objectives for peace operations, designing mandates, and monitoring the capacity to achieve them. They could also make a more concerted effort to receive military advice and operational information from force commanders, for example, by having them brief the Council alongside heads of missions. Council Dynamics UN peacekeeping is attracting attention in the Council in light of the 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial, which will be held in Berlin on 13 and 14 May, and the review of UN peace operations requested by the Pact for the Future (the outcome document of the 2024 Summit of the Future), which is expected to begin soon and is intended to be finalised by August 2026. Three elected membersDenmark, Pakistan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK)are also working together this year as part of a Peacekeeping Trio Initiative. The three Council members intend to coordinate their efforts in support of peacekeeping. Following the 24 March open debate, Pakistan and the ROK are expected to convene meetings focused on peacekeeping during their upcoming presidencies in July and September, respectively. Additionally, Pakistan will be hosting a preparatory meeting in Islamabad on 15-16 April ahead of the Peacekeeping Ministerial. The ROK convened an informal dialogue between the Security Council and Peacebuilding Commission members on 27 March, which among other things, sought to emphasise the synergy between peacekeeping and peacebuilding, both of which are key priorities for the country. There are indications that the new US administration may call for greater cost efficiency and effectiveness in peacekeeping. There could be growing pressure to cut the peacekeeping budget and have some missions begin a drawdown process. During closed consultations on the DRC on 11 March, the US apparently requested a strategic review of options for MONUSCO, which could signal its intention to consider cuts to this mission. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON UN PEACEKEEPING AFRICA West Africa and the Sahel Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council will hold a briefing on West Africa and the Sahel. The Special Representative and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Santos Simao, is expected to brief. Key Recent Developments On 29 January, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formally withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), concluding a year-long process following their announcement in 2024 of their intention to leave the sub-regional bloc. The three countries, led by military juntas that seized power through coups detat, established the lAlliance des Etats du Sahel (Alliance of Sahel States, or AES) in September 2023 as an organisation of collective defence. In March, the AES countries announced their withdrawal from Organization Internationale de la Francophonie (International Organisation of Francophonie), an organisation that promotes the French language and fosters cooperation among French-speaking nations. In a communique adopted at the conclusion of its 66th Ordinary Session in Abuja in December 2024, the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government established a transitional period until 29 July, during which the three countries could rejoin the bloc. Moreover, it directed the Council of Ministers to convene an Extraordinary Session in the second quarter of 2025 to determine the modalities of separation and to develop a contingency plan outlining the future political and economic relations between ECOWAS and the AES states. The rise of terrorism and violent extremism continues to undermine security and stability in the Sahel. The region remains a hotspot for extremist groups, including al-Qaida affiliates and factions linked to the Islamic State and the Levant, which exploit weak governance, intercommunal tensions, and economic hardships to expand their influence and destabilise local communities. According to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the Sahel accounted for 19 percent of all terrorist attacks worldwide and 51 percent of global terrorism-related deaths in 2024, up from 48 percent in 2023. Five of the ten countries most affected by terrorism are in the Sahel. On 21 March, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) militants attacked the Fambita Mosque in southwestern Niger, killing at least 44 people and setting fire to a market and several homes. Council members condemned the attack in a 27 March press statement. Beyond the Sahel, terrorist activity is increasing in coastal West Africa, with Benin and Togo witnessing an increase in attacks. Togo recorded ten attacks resulting in 52 deaths in 2024, with Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) claiming responsibility for four of these attacks, which accounted for 41 fatalitiesup from 12 in 2023. The group also claimed responsibility for three attacks in Benin last year. In early January, terrorist attacks claimed by JNIM in northern Benin, near its border with Burkina Faso and Niger, resulted in the deaths of 28 Beninese soldiers. The attacks were strongly condemned by Council members in a 24 January press statement. Several countries in West Africa are undergoing political transitions and preparing for key elections in 2025. In Guinea, the military junta led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, which seized power in a 2021 coup, agreed with ECOWAS on a ten-point roadmap for civilian rule and elections by late 2024. However, delays, lack of transparency, and insufficient funding have hindered progress. The juntas announcement of a constitutional referendum in the first half of 2025 has raised tensions, with the opposition accusing the junta of undermining the transition and escalating crackdowns on dissent. On 26 March, Nigers military leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who seized power in a coup detat in July 2023, was sworn in as president for a five-year transition period under a new charter that replaces the countrys constitution. He was also promoted to the countrys highest military rank of an army general and signed a decree dissolving all political parties. The new charter reportedly states that the five-year transition period is flexible and may be adjusted based on the countrys security situation. Cote dIvoire is set to hold presidential elections on 25 October. President Alassane Ouattara is currently serving a third term, which the opposition claims violates the constitutions two-term limit. Tensions escalated on 17 March when the electoral commission released the provisional voter list, excluding former President Laurent Gbagbo, former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, and former Minister Charles Ble Goude. Their disqualification, reportedly due to past criminal convictions, has sparked accusations of political exclusion, with opposition figures expected to challenge the decision. In Togo, constitutional amendments introduced in 2024 are set to take effect on 6 May, transitioning the country from a presidential to a parliamentary system and consolidating executive authority under President Faure Gnassingbe, who will assume the new executive position of President of the Council of Ministers. These changes, which allow him to extend his rule indefinitely as long as his party maintains parliamentary control, have sparked controversy. Gnassingbe has been in power since 2005, following the death of his father, President Gnassingbe Eyadema. Guinea-Bissaus presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for 30 November; however, the country has been embroiled in political turmoil. President Umaro Sissoco Embalo dissolved parliament in December 2023 following an alleged coup attempt and postponed elections originally planned for 2024. While the opposition contends that Embalos term ended on 27 February, the Supreme Court ruled that it extends until 4 September, the date it validated his victory in 2020. ECOWAS efforts to mediate have faltered, with a joint ECOWAS-UNOWAS diplomatic mission, deployed from 21 to 28 February, forced to leave on 1 March after Embalo threatened its expulsion, rejecting regional interference. The oppositions boycott of the joint mission, citing bias, further hindered mediation. Key Issues and Options The rise of terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel regionparticularly in the AES countries, which have been the epicentre of intensified terrorist attacks in the regionis a major concern for Council members. Over the years, terrorist groups have become more aggressive, leveraging increasingly sophisticated weaponry, including drones. The terrorist threat has progressively spread southward toward coastal states, raising alarm about potential spillover into previously unaffected regions. The growing link between terrorism and maritime crime is also a challenge that threatens to further destabilise the region. Another significant issue for Council members is how to support the regional counter-terrorism security mechanismssuch as the Accra Initiative and the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad basinin countering this threat. These mechanisms grapple with formidable challenges, including political instability, fragmented security coordination, and persistent funding deficits. Compounding these difficulties has been the withdrawal of Western military assistance, coupled with a shift toward alternative security partnershipsmost notably with Russia. Council members have also been concerned about the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government, and they continue to closely follow ongoing political transitions in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger. In this connection, addressing structural conflict drivers in the Sahel, such as poor governance, under-development, and climate change, remains a major issue. One option for the Council would be to request a briefing from the Secretary-General on possible avenues for enhancing security and governance in the Sahel region. He could brief Council members on the outcome of the assessment by the Independent High-level Panel on Security, Governance and Development in the Sahel (that is, the Issoufou Panel). The Panel was jointly launched by the UN, the African Union, ECOWAS, and the Group of Five for the Sahel Joint Force (FC-G5S) in September 2022 under the leadership of the former president of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, to undertake a strategic assessment of the underlying challenges in the Sahel, including the surge in violent extremism, growing fragility of the economies of the region due to the impact of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as complex political transitions. The Panels report was discussed at the 8th UN-AU annual conference in October 2024, but Council members have not had the opportunity to be briefed about the report. Council members may further consider organising an informal briefing to examine the inter-linkages between terrorism and maritime crime in the region, along with their implications for regional peace and security. The briefing could also address the growing use of sophisticated technology by terrorist groups in the region. The Council could also be briefed on security threats posed by climate change and the role of youth in addressing key regional challenges, including conflict, environmental changes, and political instability. This would offer an opportunity for Council members to gain a deeper understanding of these issues and explore potential strategies for addressing them effectively. The humanitarian crisis in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, along with human rights violations by state and non-state actors, are also a major concern. Additionally, several Council members are troubled by ongoing restrictions on civic space and other human rights abuses. Council members could use the briefing as an opportunity to underscore the need for countries in the region to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law. Council Dynamics There is broad concern in the Council about the threat of terrorism and the dire humanitarian crises affecting West Africa and the Sahel. However, Council discussion on this region has been increasingly divisive in recent years. The US and European members are worried about Russias growing influence in the region and its ties with the military juntas. While Russia supports the views of the AES countries in the Council, several members are concerned about developments in these countries. Sierra Leone, a West African country, and several other members believe it is important for the Council to maintain attention on the region, including how it might support regional efforts to combat the threat of terrorism and violent extremism. A significant trend shaping regional dynamics in the Sahel is the growing political divide between Sahelian countries and Western powers, coupled with increasing reliance on non-traditional military partnerships, including mercenary groups like the Africa Corps (formerly Wagner Group), to combat insurgencies and consolidate power. In late 2024, Cote dIvoire and Senegal requested the withdrawal of French military forces from their respective territories, reflecting a pivotal shift in a region where France has long maintained a military presence. The wars in Ukraine and Syria have also had implications for the Sahel. In 2024, reports surfaced that Ukraines intelligence agency played a role in an ambush targeting Malian forces and Russias Wagner Group, resulting in heavy casualties. Ukrainian intelligence later acknowledged its involvement. The attack reportedly involved Tuareg rebels and JNIM militants. In response, the AES countries severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine. In August 2024, Ukraines incursion into Russias Kursk region reportedly prompted Russia to recall around 100 paramilitary personnel from Burkina Faso to reinforce its domestic defences. The collapse of Assads government in Syria in December 2024 disrupted Russias logistical operations, as it had relied on Syrian military bases as a key hub for its activities in Africa. In response, Russia shifted military assets from Syria to other regions, including eastern Libya. At the same time, it strengthened its military partnership with Malis junta, delivering over 100 military assets earlier this year, including armoured vehicles, tanks, and weapon systems, reinforcing its influence in the Sahel. Denmark and Sierra Leone are co-penholders on UNOWAS. UN DOCUMENT ON WEST AFRICA AND THE SAHEL AFRICA Western Sahara Expected Council Action In April, Security Council members are expected to receive a briefing in closed consultations on the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The Special Representative for Western Sahara and Head of MINURSO, Alexander Ivanko, and the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Staffan de Mistura, are the anticipated briefers. Key Recent Developments The Secretary-Generals latest report on MINURSO, published on 1 October 2024 and covering developments from the previous year, highlighted improvements in the missions observation efforts, attributing these to better access to areas near the berm and more timely security assurances for its movement to sites of alleged firing incidents and aerial strikes. (The berm, an approximately 1,700-mile-long earthen wall, separates the Moroccan-administered part of Western Sahara from territory controlled by the Polisario Frontthe entity representing the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara.) The report noted, however, that west of the berm (that is, the area controlled by Morocco), security and safety concerns sometimes hindered the missions operational and observation activities in areas with frequent firing incidents. Moreover, the missions lack of access to local interlocutors in this region continued to severely limit its ability to collect reliable situational awareness, assess developments, and provide comprehensive reporting across its area of responsibility. The report highlighted significant progress in addressing logistical supply constraints on the east side of the berm. The missions deployment in this area, however, remained subject to prior authorisation from Polisario on a provisional and exceptional basis. For the first time since 2020, MINURSO team site commanders held liaison meetings with the Polisario Fronts deputy military regional commanders at their respective team sites. Nonetheless, the MINURSO force commander remained unable to establish direct contact with the Polisario Fronts military leadership. During Council members 16 October 2024 closed consultations on MINURSO, de Mistura apparently introduced an idea for the partition of the territory of Western Sahara between Morocco and the Polisario Front. According to Reuters, this plan reportedly entailed creating an independent state in the southern part, and integration of the rest of the territory as part of Morocco, with its sovereignty over it internationally recognized. De Mistura apparently asked that the Secretary-General assess the usefulness of the envoy position if no progress is achieved within the next six months. Both parties subsequently rejected De Misturas plan. In a 17 October 2024 press release, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front Brahim Ghali dismissed the proposal, stressing that any initiative must fully guarantee the Sahrawi peoples right to self-determination. Moroccos Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, then rejected the proposal during a 21 October press conference, reaffirming Moroccos sovereignty over Western Sahara. On 31 October 2024, the Security Council adopted resolution 2756, extending MINURSOs mandate for another year. The resolution passed with 12 votes in favour and two abstentions (Russia and then-Council member Mozambique), while Algeria did not participate in the vote. It also introduced new language in the preambular paragraphs, welcoming recent momentum and urging further progress. (For background, see our 31 October 2024 Whats in Blue story.) The situation on the ground remains tense, characterised by ongoing low-intensity hostilities between Morocco and the Polisario Front. On 9 November 2024, the Polisario Front reportedly launched four missiles at Mahbes, a Moroccan-controlled town in Western Sahara near the Algerian border. The missiles landed near a civilian gathering, though no casualties were reported. In retaliation, the Moroccan army conducted drone strikes targeting Polisario positions, which apparently resulted in casualties, including the death of a senior commander. On 26 November 2024, Moroccan First Lieutenant General Mohamed Berriz met with MINURSO force commander Lieutenant General Fakhrul Ahsan in Agadir to address the security situation. In January, Morocco reportedly carried out two drone strikes in Polisario-controlled territory. The first strike, conducted near Bir Lahlou on 11 January, resulted in the deaths of four individuals, while a second strike on 18 January in Al Haouza killed three senior Polisario officers. Key Issues and Options The underlying issue for the Council is how to facilitate a viable and lasting resolution to the long-standing deadlock over the status of Western Sahara. The lack of progress perpetuates instability, leaving MINURSO with limited ability to fulfil its mandate and increasing the risk of further hostilities in the region. Meanwhile, Council members have to navigate the competing interests of key stakeholders in the conflict. Significant obstacles remain in the peace process. The November 2020 decision by the Polisario Front to abandon the 1991 ceasefire has led to a rise in hostilities over the last few years. At the same time, Morocco controls more than three-quarters of Western Sahara and has made substantial investments in the region, including a $1.2 billion port project in Dakhla. Moroccan settlers account for nearly two-thirds of the approximately half-million residents of Western Sahara. Regional tensions have also complicated the process. Since Algeria severed diplomatic ties with Morocco in October 2021, there has been no significant progress in restoring relations. The operational challenges faced by the mission, including restrictions on movement, limited access to key areas, and difficulties in engaging with local interlocutors, are also an issue. The human rights situation in Western Sahara also remains a matter of concern for Council members. Despite multiple requests from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and strong encouragement from the Security Council in its MINURSO resolutions, access to Western Sahara has not been granted since 2015. According to the Secretary-Generals 1 October 2024 report, OHCHR was unable to conduct any visits to Western Sahara for the ninth consecutive year. The report added that OHCHR continued to receive reports of hindrance, intimidation, and harassment against Sahrawi activists advocating for the right to self-determination, all indications of a shrinking civic space. Council members could consider holding an informal interactive dialogue (IID) with the various stakeholders of the process, the leadership of MINURSO, Personal Envoy de Mistura, and interested regional and subregional member states and organisations. (The IID is a closed format that, unlike closed consultations, allows for the participation of non-UN officials and briefers.) Another option could be to issue press elements following consultations scheduled in April to express support for de Misturas efforts and urge the relevant parties to resume negotiations, show flexibility in their engagement with the Personal Envoy and each other, and expand on their positions, in the hopes of ending the current impasse and achieving progress towards a political solution. Council Dynamics Council members hold divergent positions on Western Sahara. The US, the penholder on Western Sahara, recognised Moroccos sovereignty over the region in December 2020 during the first administration of US President Donald Trump and committed to opening a consulate in the disputed territory, which has not come to fruition yet. The UK supports a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. France recently fully endorsed Moroccos autonomy plan as the only basis for a political solution and deepened financial ties with Rabat, pledging over 10 billion euros in investments during Macrons October 2024 visit. Another major point of friction in Paris-Algiers relations has been Frances efforts to deport Algerian nationals. However, recent weeks have seen efforts to mend ties. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in a recent interview, described Macron as the only point of reference for restoring relations with France, signalling a willingness to engage in dialogue after a prolonged diplomatic rift. The African members of the Council do not have a common position. Sierra Leone recognises Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara and established a consulate in Dakhla in August 2021. Algeria strongly supports the Sahrawis right to self-determination and maintains diplomatic relations with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Guyana, which is a member of the A3 plus one grouping, withdrew its recognition of the SADR, dating from 1979, in November 2020. Among the newly elected Council members, Denmark views Moroccos Autonomy Plan as a good basis for an agreed solution between all parties, while Greece considers it a serious and credible approach. Pakistan and Somalia maintain cordial relations with both Algeria and Morocco but neither country recognises the SADR nor endorses Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. Meanwhile, in November 2024, Panama suspended diplomatic relations with SADR. Difficult Council dynamics were apparent during the negotiations on resolution 2756. Algeria argued that its views were neither considered nor given due weight but rather deliberately ignored by the penholder (the US). Ahead of the vote on the draft resolution, authored by the US, Algeria tabled two draft amendments to the text, but they did not garner the requisite number of votes to be adopted. The US, meanwhile, reaffirmed its support for Moroccos autonomy plan, describing it as serious, credible, and realistic and as a potential approach to meet the aspirations of the people of Western Sahara. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON WESTERN SAHARA MIDDLE EAST Yemen Expected Council Action In April, the Security Council will hold its monthly meeting on Yemen. The mandate of the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) expires on 14 July. Key Recent Developments The Yemeni Houthi rebel group (also known as Ansar Allah) continued its escalatory rhetoric and attacks against Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Since the onset of the war in Gaza in November 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, as well as multiple missile and drone attacks towards Israeli territory, most of which have been intercepted. The Houthis are part of a coalition dubbed the Axis of Resistance, which is supported by Iran and includes Hamas and Hezbollah. The US has increased its rhetoric against the Houthis, warning that it would take action against the Houthis if they resumed their attacks in the Red Sea and on Israel, including in its statement in the 6 March Council meeting on Yemen. On 4 March, the US State Department, acting under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump shortly after taking office on 20 January, designated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). In spite of this, the Houthis announced on 7 March that they would restart their naval operations against Israel if Israel continued to block aid shipments into Gaza. On 15 and 16 March, the US launched multiple large-scale airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemenincluding in the capital, Sanaa, and the Houthi-controlled province of Saadamarking the first significant escalation in Yemen since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement took effect on 19 January. According to the Houthi health ministry spokesperson, 53 people were killed in the strikes, including five children and two women, and 98 people were wounded. US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said that the attacks targeted and killed multiple Houthi leaders as part of a strategic aim to go after the groups leadership. The Houthis, however, reportedly pledged that they would respond to the escalation with further escalation and that its militants would also target US ships in the Red Sea. In response to these developments, the Office for the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General expressed concern on 17 March about the continued threats by the Houthis and the US strikes on Houthi-controlled areas. The UN called for restraint and warned that additional escalations could exacerbate regional tensions and further destabilise Yemen and the region and pose grave risks to the already dire humanitarian situation in the country. Since Israels resumption of large-scale military operations in Gaza on 18 March (for more information, see our 20 March Whats in Blue story), the Houthis have reportedly launched at least seven ballistic missile attacks on Israel, all of which have been successfully intercepted. Reportedly, the US has continued to conduct intense airstrikes on Houthi targets, including in the capital Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah, while Trump has also warned that the Houthis would be completely annihilated. A key part of the US approach to the Houthis also involves holding Iran directly responsible for the support it provides to the group as part of a wider strategy of maximising pressure on Tehran. In a Truth Social platform post, Trump said that any attack by the Houthis will be deemed an attack from Iran and that the US will hold it responsible. In response, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly warned of a severe blow if the US or any other nation acts against Iran and dismissed accusations that the Houthis are Iranian proxies. The inflammatory exchange of rhetoric also comes at a time when the US is pressuring Tehran over its nuclear program. The security situation within Yemen is of growing concern. The UN-mediated truce of April 2022 remains largely in effect. In his remarks at the 6 March Council meeting on Yemen, however, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned that a return to full conflict is palpable as military activity continues to drive instability. He referred to concerning recent reports of shelling, drone attacks, infiltration attempts and mobilization campaigns on multiple fronts and reiterated his calls for the parties to refrain from military posturing and retaliatory measures that could risk plunging Yemen back into widespread conflict. Media reports suggest the Houthis have increased mobilisation and attacks in certain areas, such as Mariba province controlled by the Yemeni government with oil and gas resources that could gain increased importance if the FTO designation results in resource shortages for the Houthis. On the political front, the intra-Yemeni political and peace processes remain at a standstill. During the Councils last meeting on Yemen, Grundberg stressed that for a comprehensive settlement of the conflict in Yemen, the environment must be conducive to peace; his briefing occurred a few days before the most recent exchange of escalatory rhetoric and strikes. He added that, notwithstanding the potential ramifications of the FTO designation, efforts to advance a peaceful settlement in Yemen remain critical, and the elements of Yemens roadmap for peace continue to represent a viable path towards a principled and impartial resolution of the conflict. To settle the conflict in Yemen, Grundberg identified three challenges that must be addressed by the conflict parties: a nationwide ceasefire and a mechanism to implement it; agreement on difficult concessions and compromises, particularly on the economic situation; and lastly, an inclusive political process. The Houthis also continue to hold UN, non-governmental organisation (NGO), civil society, and diplomatic mission personnel in detention, further undermining efforts to advance the Yemeni peace process. Since May 2024, the Houthis have detained more than 50 such personnel. The 10 February UN pause on operations and programmes in the Saada governate continues because of an erosion in the necessary security conditions and guarantees required to operate, impacting the UNs ability to deliver aid to those in need. In a 13 February press statement, Security Council members demanded that the Houthis immediately and unconditionally release all those detained and ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to areas under their control. Women, Peace and Security In his briefing at the 6 March Security Council meeting on Yemen, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher expressed concern about the severe consequences of funding cuts on humanitarian aid in the country, focusing in particular on the negative impact on the situation of women and girls. He said that 9.6 million women and girls in Yemen are in severe need of life-saving humanitarian assistance, 1.3 million pregnant women and new mothers are malnourished, 1.5 million girls are out of school, and approximately one-third of all girls in Yemen are married before the age of 18. Fletcher warned that these statistics will become worse as funding for Yemen evaporates. He stressed that funding suspensions have already led to the closure of 22 safe spaces, denying services and support to over 11,000 women and girls in high-risk areas. Fletcher noted that despite bearing the greatest burdens of the war in Yemen, women remain on the frontlines of survival and recovery, and he called on the international community to ensure humanitarians have the funding to save as many lives as possible. Key Issues and Options Yemen is facing immense challenges on the political, security, and economic fronts. Renewed hostilitiesincluding the ramped-up US campaign against the Houthis, Houthi threats in the Red Sea, and their attacks on Israelcontribute to a continued lack of progress towards an intra-Yemeni political resolution and degradation of the countrys security and humanitarian environment as well as pushing the overall prospects for peace further off course. Preventing a severe escalation of hostilities in Yemen and the Red Sea and relaunching the stalled intra-Yemeni political process will remain priorities for the Security Council. Should the situation continue to escalate, Council members may seek ways to add pressure for an urgent resumption of dialogue between the Houthis and the Yemeni government towards a nationwide ceasefire and a political settlement. One option for the Council would be to issue a presidential statement stressing that there is no military solution to the conflict in Yemen and demanding that the Yemeni parties resume concrete discussions on establishing a roadmap under UN auspices for inclusive peace in the country. The statement could also reiterate provisions from Council resolution 2768, emphasising the need to address the root causes of the attacks in the Red Sea and calling on all member states to adhere to the arms embargo imposed by the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee. (Adopted on 15 January 2025, resolution 2768 extended the Secretary-Generals monthly reporting requirement on Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.) A related issue is the impact of the continued threat of attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea on freedom of navigation, global supply chains, and the provision of humanitarian aid in Yemen. An option would be to hold an informal interactive dialogue with regional countries to discuss the importance of maritime security, freedom of navigation, stability of supply chains, and safety of seafarers. Council members may also seek to address the countrys deepening humanitarian crisis by encouraging the parties to remove obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid and by urging member states to mobilise funding to meet the requirements of the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2025, including through a potential pledging conference. Council Dynamics Council members are largely aligned in support of an inclusive intra-Yemeni political process, the need to improve humanitarian conditions in the country, and an immediate end to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Advancing mediation efforts towards a resumption of dialogue and a peace process under UN auspices remains a priority for members. Nevertheless, Council members have divergent views on what is fuelling the political stalemate and insecurity in Yemen. In Council meetings, Algeria, China, Pakistan, and Russia have stressed that the situation in Yemen and the Red Sea cannot be discussed in isolation from the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, and some have directly blamed Israel for instability in the region. Russia has also accused the UK and the US of undermining security in Yemen through their retaliatory strikes on the Houthis. On the other hand, the P3 members (France, the UK, and the US) have been critical of Irans role in supporting the Houthis, including militarily. Illustrating President Trumps policy of increasing pressure on the Houthis, the US stressed during the 6 March Council meeting that it is taking concrete steps to eliminate the Houthis capabilities and to exert maximum pressure on Iran to end the support it provides to the armed group. The US further stressed that the Council must respond to Irans flagrant violations of Council resolutions through its continued arming of the Houthis. Furthermore, Council members may have increasing concerns regarding the impact of funding cuts on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which has become more dire as a result of the recent US Agency for International Development (USAID) aid suspensions. In 2024, USAID disbursed approximately $620 million to Yemen, $580 million of which was for humanitarian assistance. The UK is the penholder on Yemen. Sign up for SCR emails Subscribe UN DOCUMENTS ON YEMEN Photo: https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossUkraine The Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) provided internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other vulnerable categories of the population with UAH 19 million in micro-grant support under the Reboot program. "The Ukrainian Red Cross Society has been implementing the Reboot: Expanding Employment Opportunities program since 2024, one of the important areas of which was supporting micro-entrepreneurship initiatives among vulnerable groups of the population. Last year, hundreds of residents of Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy and Ternopil regions applied for participation in the program. Some 184 participants went through all stages, backed their business ideas and received micro-grants of UAH 100,000 each, which helped them restore or develop their own business," the Ukrainian Red Cross Society reported on Facebook on Tuesday. According to the General Director of the Ukrainian Red Cross, Maksym Dotsenko, this year the program will provide support to individual initiatives in the field of micro-entrepreneurship, helping vulnerable groups of the population to start or restore their own business. "Support includes micro-grants, development of business skills, as well as access to business networks and labor markets," Dotsenko specified. A construction company, a travel agency, a beauty salon, a coffee shop, a production of natural sweets and even a honey farm are just a few examples of activities that the winners of the micro-grant support competition are now developing. Another round of micro-grants is planned for this year. Applications for participation will be evaluated according to certain criteria. Registered internally displaced persons who have the opportunity to carry out economic activities within the community can become participants in the program. Local residents who have suffered from the war, including veterans, their families and people who have lost their jobs or businesses, can also participate in the program. The program can be attended by able-bodied people aged 18 to 65 from among vulnerable categories of the population. The Reboot program is supported by international partners, including the Spanish Red Cross, the Danish Red Cross, and the Swiss Red Cross. Shares in Travis Perkins dropped sharply on Tuesday after the building materials group said it barely broke even in 2024 on the back of falling volumes and prices and an underperforming merchanting business, with the bottom line weighed down further by 139m in impairment charges. Travis Perkins, which saw its chief executive Peter Redfern step down last month due to ill health, reported revenues fell 4.7% at 4.61bn in 2024, due to a weak performance in the merchanting division, which accounts for more than 80% of the overall business. Merchanting sales were 6.2% lower at 3.79bn as a result of price deflation and declining volumes, arising from the "depressed levels of UK construction activity and an intensely competitive backdrop", the company said. Adjusted operating profits were down 23.2% at 152m. However, when excluding adjusting items which included impairments in certain merchanting branches and restructuring actions, as well as write-downs in its stairs, floors and doors company Staircraft operating profits totalled just 2m, down from 161m in 2023. "If there was any doubt about the size of the task involved in fixing Travis Perkins then it will have vanished in the wake of an ugly set of results from the builders merchant," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. Looking ahead, Travis Perkins chair Pete Redfern said that, with more resources re-deployed into customer-facing roles, the company was now "better placed to benefit from returning demand" in the UK construction market whenever that recovery happens. "This will be supported by disciplined capital allocation, focused on upgrading and protecting our core competitive advantages, and a clear customer-focused strategy owned by the leaders of the business. I am confident that this approach will provide attractive returns for shareholders over the medium-term." The company paid a final dividend of 9p, up from 5.5p the year before, though the full-year payout of 14.5p was still 19.4% lower than 2023. Shares were down nearly 7% at 512.5p by 1100 GMT, hitting their lowest since 2009. Millions of households are bracing themselves for a raft of price increases across a range of bills from energy and water to car tax and the TV licence that take effect on Tuesday. With so many costs rising at once prompting some to label this month awful April the government is facing fresh calls to take action to limit the impact of some of the increases. The Liberal Democrats claimed ministers needed to get a grip on energy bills. Guardian OpenAI said it had raised $40bn in a funding round that valued the ChatGPT maker at $300bn the biggest capital-raising session ever for a startup. It comes in a partnership with the Japanese investment group SoftBank and enables us to push the frontiers of AI research even further, OpenAI announced, adding it would pave the way toward AGI (artificial general intelligence) for which massive computing power is essential. Guardian The BBC is to spend 150m less on new shows in the coming year as it warned of an unprecedented funding challenge for British television. The public service broadcaster said it plans to spend just over 2.5bn on programming in the current financial year, down from almost 2.7bn last year. It follows industry-wide warnings of a funding crisis for British programmes amid growing competition from streaming rivals such as Netflix. Telegraph Almost 8bn has been wiped off the value of the worlds biggest drugmakers after Americas leading vaccine official was ousted by Robert F Kennedy Jr. Shares in Moderna, Pfizer and GSK all fell on Monday amid concerns over the shock exit of Dr Peter Marks from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Moderna tumbled by as much as 13pc in early trade in New York, while Pfizer was down by 1.5pc. In London, AstraZeneca and GSK were also down by 2pc respectively. Shares in Taysha Gene Thepies, Solid Biosciences and Sarepta Theraputics also fell. Telegraph Sir Richard Bransons Virgin Group believes there are no more major hurdles to overcome before it can begin operating trains through the Channel Tunnel after the rail regulator said there was enough space for rival operators to use Eurostars London depot. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said that Temple Mills maintenance depot in northeast London would be able to accommodate additional trains after its receipt of an independent report on the issue. The Times Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved a EUR 100 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) under the Ukraine Facility instrument for the restoration of water supply and sewerage systems, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced. "The government's third decision today focuses on restoring water supply and sewerage infrastructure. Our reconstruction needs in this sector exceed $11 billion. We have secured EUR 100 million in financing from the European Investment Bank under the Ukraine Facility instrument," Shmyhal said during a government meeting on Tuesday. According to him, these funds will be allocated to the restoration of water supply and sewerage systems, ensuring they meet modern standards. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will travel to London between April 8-10 for top-level talks to enhance economic and trade relations between India and the United Kingdom. The visit will feature discussions under the India-United Kingdom Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), an important bilateral institutional framework promoting trade and investment cooperation. Sitharaman will meet the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, during her visit to discuss important economic matters such as bilateral trade agreements and investment policies. It is possible that talks will also cover the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) during her visit, said a senior official. "The discussion is an opportunity to examine and improve trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. Market access, financial reforms, and regulatory issues are expected to be discussed", the official said. The negotiations for the India-UK FTA, which had been restarted in February after a meeting between India's Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, are an important element of economic relations. Goyal asserted that although both parties are keen to progress, India would not be hasty about the deal. "We will have speed but not haste", he said, highlighting the necessity of a well-balanced deal. The suggested FTA includes 26 chapters covering goods, services, investments, and intellectual property rights. The UK has been negotiating lower tariffs on items such as electric vehicles and Scotch whisky, while India has been insisting on eased visa rules for professionals in its service sector. The India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue is an organized engagement that deals with shared priorities like sustainable development, financial sector reforms, and bilateral trade policies. The third India-UK Financial Markets Dialogue was held between the two nations in December 2023 in GIFT City, Gujarat, where matters discussed included capital markets, insurance, fintech, and sustainable finance. The economic tie between India and the UK has been increasing steadily. Bilateral trade, goods, and services totaled 36.3 billion in FY 2022-23, up by 34.2% compared to the last year. India's exports to the UK were 21.6 billion, and imports from the UK were 14.7 billion. India is now the UK's 12th largest trading partner, with a share of 2.1% of its total trade. On the investment side, India continues to be a strong player in the UK economy, having made investments in 108 ventures and generated more than 7,500 employment opportunities in 2023-24. It is still the second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the UK after the United States. The reverse, however, is also true that the UK is the sixth-largest investor in India, with total FDI inflows valued at $35 billion since April 2000. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font at the iconic Hyderabad House in New Delhi, marking a significant step in strengthening India-Chile relations. The bilateral discussions primarily focused on enhancing cooperation across various domains, including economic, commerce, and societal engagement. The leaders explored new avenues to deepen ties and foster mutual growth, aiming to leverage the strong foundation of their long-standing diplomatic relationship. Following the discussions with PM Modi, President Boric was scheduled to meet with Indias President Droupadi Murmu. A banquet was also planned in his honour, celebrating the occasion and reinforcing the warmth between the two nations. Earlier in the day, President Boric paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, where he honored the legacy of Indias Father of the Nation. Sharing his reflections on the solemn visit, Boric posted on X, "Together with our delegation of ministers and parliamentarians, we paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, the memorial erected in his honour in New Delhi. His legacy reminds us that with India, we not only share common interests and a future of great opportunities for our people but also shared fundamental values". Boric arrived in New Delhi earlier on Tuesday for his five-day State Visit to India, and was warmly received at the airport by Union Minister of State (MoS) Pabitra Margherita. The Chilean President was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour, highlighting the importance of this visit. Upon his arrival, Boric expressed his optimism for the visit, sharing his excitement on X: 6:30 a.m. in New Delhi, and from here we begin this State Visit to India, a momentous occasion for strengthening and diversifying our economic, political, and cultural relations at a time when multilateral cooperation is more necessary than ever. We are talking about the fifth-largest economy and the most populous country on the planet, with whom we share common ground and opportunities for growth in key areas such as agribusiness, innovation, and the creative industries. The Chilean President also highlighted the diverse delegation accompanying him, which included government officials, business leaders, cultural figures, and academic representatives. He emphasized the importance of strengthening the bilateral relationship, with a focus on trade, investment, and knowledge exchange. "Were here to strengthen and deepen our ties, and thats why Im joined by government officials, the National Congress, business leaders, leaders in the fields of innovation and culture, distinguished professors, and students. A busy schedule. Ill keep you posted! he said. Before meeting with PM Modi, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar also met with President Boric. The two leaders discussed ways to bolster the already robust bilateral ties between India and Chile. Jaishankar expressed his enthusiasm for the visit, stating on X, Pleased to call on President Gabriel Boric of Chile at the start of his State Visit to India. Appreciate his commitment for deepening our long-standing cooperation. Confident that his talks with PM Narendra Modi today will foster new partnerships and greater engagement. President Borics itinerary also includes visits to Mumbai and Bengaluru, where he will engage with political leaders, industry experts, entrepreneurs, and innovators. These engagements aim to strengthen collaborations between the two nations in sectors such as technology, agribusiness, and startups. By fostering such connections, Boric hopes to open new opportunities for cooperation that benefit both India and Chile. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) underscored the importance of this visit as an opportunity for both countries to review their long-standing relationship and deliberate on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The MEA statement highlighted that India and Chile share a history of warm diplomatic ties and align on various global challenges, particularly on climate change, renewable energy, and the expansion and reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Chile has consistently supported Indias bid for a permanent UNSC seat, having articulated its backing in a joint statement following the Chilean Foreign Ministers visit to India in 2003. The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, attended the closing ceremony of the 90th-anniversary celebrations of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Mumbai today. In her address, President Murmu highlighted the pivotal role played by the RBI in Indias economic growth and transformation into one of the world's top economies. She emphasized that the RBI, as the nation's central bank, has been at the heart of Indias journey, from pre-Independence poverty to its current standing as a global economic powerhouse. While the RBI may not have direct interactions with the common man, its influence is deeply felt in the financial dealings of every individual, through banks and financial institutions. The trust placed in the RBI, according to the President, is its most significant achievement over the past nine decades, which has been earned through its unwavering commitment to price stability, growth, and financial stability. RBIs adaptability in the face of challenges, noting its swift responses to economic liberalization in the 1990s and the Covid-19 pandemic. She further acknowledged the RBI's key role in making India a global leader in digital payments. The central bank has modernized Indias payment infrastructure, ensuring that digital transactions are seamless, efficient, and secure. Innovations like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have revolutionized financial access, promoting instant and low-cost transactions while advancing financial inclusion. President Murmu also praised the, noting its swift responses to economic liberalization in the 1990s and the Covid-19 pandemic. She further acknowledged the RBI's key role in making India a global leader in digital payments. The central bank has modernized Indias payment infrastructure, ensuring that digital transactions are seamless, efficient, and secure. Innovations like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have revolutionized financial access, promoting instant and low-cost transactions while advancing financial inclusion. Looking ahead to the centenary of Indias Independence, the President outlined the mission of 'Viksit Bharat 2047,' which calls for a financial ecosystem that is innovative, adaptive, and inclusive. She expressed confidence that the RBI, with its focus on stability, innovation, and inclusivity, will continue to play a defining role in Indias future, ensuring a robust banking system, driving financial innovation, and reinforcing trust in the countrys financial ecosystem. Anthony Wilkinson will preview a new comedy, My Big Gay Italian Casino Adventure, in the Sound Waves Theater at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. (Courtesy/Rick Stockwell) Staten Island Advance STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Off-Broadway veteran actor and producer Anthony J. Wilkinson will preview a new comedy, My Big Gay Italian Casino Adventure, in the Sound Waves Theater at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. The productions preview debut is slated for Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12, at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale and may be purchased at HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com or Ticketmaster.com. All shows are subject to change. This is the first time Wilkinson has launched a new show beyond New York Citys off-Broadway area, and My Big Gay Italian Casino Adventure is scheduled for a full preview period and official opening in the fall. Wilkinson reveals the new story is fiction and based on some reality like the others. In this one, I buy a casino and create the first LGBTQ+ friendly casino in the world. Its crazy there isnt one yet, but this imagines one day there will be" Anthony Wilkinson (Courtesy/Rick Stockwell) Staten Island Advance Wilkinson went on to explain that Hard Rock has been amazing to work with. Their endless support for our community has made all of our collaborative efforts an absolute pleasure. All of the executives as well as the hosts are always interested in being involved in all of the shows and the events leading up to them, he noted. Wilkinson says the audience can expect some fun characters and fun surprises. All of the characters are based on a combination of real life characters I have met and dealt with over the years, making the story very relatable to customers who frequent casinos. Wilkinson points out that that Atlantic City has been a great market for his shows and a fun and frequent destination for many of his friends, family members and supporters. So many of them genuinely look forward to going down for weekend and making a trip out of it. Although I loved performing in the city, my cast and crew all agree these last few years have been a lot of fun for us. Its his hope that the shows will continue to open the eyes of people who are less familiar and less educated with the culture. So in the future when one of their loved ones come out, they can hopefully be given a different perspective that allows them to be more accepting and tolerant. Wilkinson says all of his stage and screen work has been inspired by real life events. As life happens, ideas are created, he said. About the show In this chapter of Wilkinsons two-decade-running life saga, Anthony Pinnunziato sells his billion dollar company, Body Body, and opens the first gay and lesbian casino in Atlantic City. Pinnunziato Palace opens in Atlantic City with much awaited excitement from the community, but problems and obstacles quickly arise. New love triangles and quadrangles, new crazy characters and new life challenges for Anthony Pinnunziato can all be expected. Given the nature of the show and my extended relationship with Hard Rock Atlantic City, I felt that I wanted to open the show there, said Wilkinson. The team and management have overwhelmingly supported my brand, as well as the LGBTQ+ community, making this the perfect place for the birth and creation of the new show. In 2003, Wilkinsons original production of My Big Gay Italian Wedding opened off-Broadway at the Actors Playhouse and later moved to Theatre Four in the spring of 2004. The restaged production debuted in 2009 at Staten Islands St. George Theatre, prompting a revival on Restaurant Row with a fully out Equity cast in 2010. The run was expected to last six weeks but wound up extending 14 times in the same location. A little about Wilkinson Wilkinson began his career as an intern writer at ABC Daytimes One Life To Live, working his way up to the position of associate director, for which he earned 11 nominations and three Daytime Emmy Awards and was a two-time recipient of the Directors Guild of America Award. In 2017, Wilkinson was cast in the soap opera Tainted Dreams, which earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Wilkinson opened six shows off Broadway My Big Gay Italian Wedding, Boys Just Wanna Have Fun, My Big Gay Italian Funeral, My Big Gay Italian Midlife Crisis, The Real Housewives of Secaucus and My Big Gay Italian Christmas. Editors note: Suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be reduced with the proper mental health support and treatment. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. Rochester, N.Y. A community is mourning the death of a teenager who died [last week] after falling from a Western New York schools roof. Emergency responders rushed to the School of the Arts last Monday to help a student in crisis, the Rochester City School District said in a news release. Officers responded to the Prince Street school around 11:30 a.m. to help the 15-year-old girl, who was reportedly suicidal, the Rochester Police Department told WHAM. The school contacted her parents, the district said, and had the rest of the School of the Arts hold-in-place. But before responders could get to her, she fell from an elevated position, police told WHAM. The girl walked off her schools roof, police told News10NBC. The injured teenager was rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital, where she died last Monday night, WHAM reported. The girls name has not been released. Police did not specify if her death had been ruled an accident or a suicide. Today was a difficult day for our school community, Demario Strickland, Rochesters interim superintendent, said in a statement. We recognize that events like this can have a lasting impact, and we want to ensure that our students and staff have the support they need. Strickland said counselors and a trauma, illness and grief team would be available to students and staff. He also asked any families who believe their child or another student at the School of the Arts needs support to reach out. Rochester Mayor Malik Evans also released a statement after the girls death, sharing his condolences with the students family and friends. As a community, we must come together after tragic moments like this, he said. This incident serves as a reminder to all of us to cherish each other and support each other through difficult times. The mayor encouraged anyone who feels suicidal or knows someone who feeling suicidal to call 988, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Any Rochester resident who dials the hotline can ask to speak with a city team that helps people in crisis, Evans said. In addition, the mayor said Rochesters Center For Youth offers regular counseling to young people concerned about their mental health. To specifically address youth mental health and substance abuse, Evans said Rochester will host a forum for people between the ages of 12 and 21 at the School of the Arts. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. More details are expected to be released soon. The charter school application for New York City closes on Tuesday. This 2022 file photo shows students at the Hellenic Classical Charter School in Bulls Head. (Staten Island Advance/Annalise Knudson) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The deadline for New York City families to apply for a charter school for the 2025-2026 school year is Tuesday. Charter schools are free public schools open to all New York City youth, serving approximately 149,000 students from all backgrounds, including English language learners and students with special needs, according to the New York City Charter School Center. These schools serve students from pre-K through high school and dont select students based on their academic background. Instead, parents fill out a short application, and students are admitted through a random lottery. No tests, interviews, essays or auditions are ever required. Families can apply to multiple charter schools in New York City through the Common Online Charter School Application, which includes over 200 participating charter schools across the five boroughs and is offered in 10 different languages. There are three easy ways to apply to a charter school. You can use the Common Online Charter School Application to apply to multiple schools at once. Visit nyccharterschools.org/apply for more details. Visit each schools website to download its application or apply online. Visit nyccharterschools.org/school-search to find charters in your neighborhood. Stop by the school to pick up an application. There are currently eight charter schools on Staten Island. These include: New World Preparatory Charter School, Port Richmond; Bridge Preparatory Charter School, Sunnyside; Hellenic Classical Charter School, Bulls Head; and Staten Island Hebrew Public Charter School, Midland Beach. Plus three Integration Charter Schools in Bloomfield: Lavelle Preparatory Charter School, New Ventures Charter School; The Lois & Richard Nicotra Early College Charter School, and one Integration Charter School, Richmond Preparatory Charter School, in New Springville. While charter schools accept applications throughout the year, families are encouraged to apply by April 1, 2025, for the 2025-2026 academic year. You can also contact individual schools for details, as some may extend their application deadline past April 1, according to the New York City Charter School Center. If there are more student applications than seats available, charter schools are required to hold lotteries to randomly select students for admission. Students whose name is not selected in the lottery will be added to the schools waitlist and may be admitted if seats are available in the future. Families can expect to receive offer letters or waitlist notifications directly from schools through the spring and summer. Charter schools are required to offer a lottery preference to siblings of enrolled students and to students who reside in the local school district. Parents can find their district at www.nyccharterschools.org/charter-school-search. Charter school applications and lottery procedures are governed by state law and regulations. Each charter schools enrollment practices are overseen by its authorizer either the New York State Board of Regents, the State University of New York board of trustees, or the New York City Schools Chancellor. The likeness of Benjamin Franklin is seen on a U.S. $100 bill on Feb. 22, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) AP STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In a win for Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, her bill looking to combat the thievery of tax refund checks passed through Congress House of Representatives Monday. The legislation is meant to give replacement checks to taxpayers who had their tax refunds from the U.S. Treasury stolen in the mail to be deposited directly in personal bank accounts, according to a written statement. Presently, the replacement checks are sent via snail mail, which could be subject to the same thievery as their predecessor check, the statement said. Its deeply unfortunate that for years seniors and hard working taxpayers have faced unnecessary hardship and stress after having their tax refund checks stolen in the mail, Malliotakis said. My constituents have been forced to wait months for replacementswasting valuable time and delaying critical access to funds they rely on to make ends meet. Today, Im proud that the House of Representatives took action and passed my bipartisan, commonsense legislation to address this issue. By restoring fiscal responsibility and ensuring taxpayers receive the payments they rely on in a timely manner, we send a strong message to fraudsters. I urge the Senate to act quickly so this bill can be sent to President Trumps desk and signed into law. Malliotakis statement emphasized that Staten Island and South Brooklyn, which makes up her district, have been hit hard by postal fraud, with at least $5.3 million in checks stolen across 377 cases. The Recovery of Stolen Checks Act has bipartisan co-sponsorship in Alabamas Democratic Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Tennessees Republican Congressman David Kustoff. Joe Rogan is finding more to dislike about President Donald Trump. The popular podcaster said that he fears that innocent people could get swept up as Trump looks to deport gang members who are in the U.S. illegally, the Hill reported. Rogan praised Trump for decreasing the number of illegal migrant crossings at the U.S. southern border, but said it was horrific that Trump policies aimed at gang members could also target innocent people. The thing is, like, you got to get scared that people who are not criminals are getting, like, lassoed up and deported and sent to, like, El Salvador prisons, Rogan said on a podcast released on Saturday. Rogan pointed to recent reporting about several people not affiliated with gangs who were sent to a mega-prison for gang member deportees because they had tattoos and were not given the chance to defend themselves before a judge. Among those Rogan mentioned specifically was a gay barber. Its horrific, Rogan said. Its horrific. Rogan agreed with his podcast guest, political commentator Konstantin Kisin, who said, a human being, being plucked out of nowhere and ending up in a country hes never been in, in a maximum-security prison with gang members, seems like a bad thing to happen. Rogan said its bad for the cause when horrific mistakes get in the way of the overall goal of stemming illegal immigration and deporting criminals from the U.S. This is the thing, you know, measure it twice, cut once, Rogan said. This is kind of crazy that that could be possible. Thats horrific. And thats, again, thats bad for the cause. The cause is: Lets get the gang members out. Everybody agrees. But lets not, innocent gay hairdressers, get lumped up with the gangs. And then, like, how long before that guy can get out? Can we figure out how to get them out? Is there any plan in place to alert the authorities that theyve made a horrible mistake and correct it? he said. Rogan last month broke with Trump over the presidents tariff war with Canada and over Trumps suggestion that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States. New York lawmakers failed to reach a timely agreement on the state budget for the fourth straight year. (Staten Island Advace/Paul Liotta) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York has failed to approve its state budget on time for the fourth straight year, with concerns about reckless spending and potential changes to the states discovery laws and involuntary commitment rules holding up negotiations. State lawmakers have passed a three-day budget extension, moving the deadline to finalize an agreement from Tuesday, Apr. 1 to Thursday, Apr. 3. Zelenskyy talks with Starmer: We arrange meeting of our military reps to prepare contingents President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "I thanked him for the support. We coordinated our steps - joint steps, our joint diplomacy and the work of teams to bring peace closer and guarantee security. We are arranging a meeting of our military representatives to prepare contingents," Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Monday. He noted that Ukraine appreciates Britain's position on pressure on Russia. "The pressure needs to be strong enough to prevent the Russians from expanding this war," the president stressed. "Especially now, Moscow is openly mocking the partners' efforts to promote a peaceful agenda: constant new drone strikes, constant brutal shelling. Only through pressure can this be stopped and Russia forced to make peace," Zelenskyy added. 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! Virgin Australias new boss has begun meeting with possible investors in the airline ahead of a potential float of the carrier this year. Dave Emerson met with stakeholders and potential investors in Sydney on Tuesday in his first major move as chief executive of the airline that was rescued by Bain Capital in 2020. Virgin has tapped brokers Goldman Sachs, UBS and Barrenjoey, who are conducting the investor meetings. Virgin Australia aircraft in Sydney. The company hopes to be listed on the ASX by June. Credit: Bloomberg Emerson was named chief executive of Australias second-largest airline, taking over from Jayne Hrdlicka last month. Virgins long road back to public ownership received a significant boost last month after the federal government approved Qatar Airways taking a minority stake in the airline. The Coyote Creek project area was first assessed for its antimony potential as part of a program to secure supplies for the armaments industry during World War II. Historical field work, including trench sampling, was undertaken in November 1941 and February 1942. Antimony is said to have been discovered at the site in the early 1880s by Indian tribes, who believed it to be lead used in bullet manufacture. The deposits were worked intermittently until the 1920s, during times of better prices. Old records reveal initial production was from antimony-rich erosional float - rock drift and scree at surface - and subsequently from small workings in the cliff faces. A mill was set up on site about 1907. A 1949 US Mines Bureau report noted small deposits and workings were scattered across an area spanning 4.8km east-west by 3.2km north-south. The workings chased veinlets, lenses and irregularly shaped stibnite blebs, mainly in cliffs of unconsolidated sandstone and shale. The occurrences tend to be irregular and confined to areas of fracturing and jointing generally arrayed along an east-west trend. The canyon wall rises up to 240 metres above the creek bed floor Management says antimony mineralisation is within the Flagstaff Formation formed in the Late Palaeocene age about 56-66M years ago. Most of the high-grade antimony mineralisation occurs as horizontal, lenticular orebodies and pods above the lowermost sandstone/shale unit within the overlying more massive sandstone of the Flagstaff Formation. The ore zones range in thickness from about 1.5m to 11m and are comprised mainly of stibnite or antimony sulphide, accompanied by small amounts of valentinite or antimony oxide. EV Resources initial areas of exploration interest will be primary in situ ore and from the talus slope, which is an erosional rock cascade from and below the cliffs that consists of volcanic boulders and small landslide masses of shale and sandstone. Apart from the normal debris mantle, which is up to a few metres thick, four distinct big landslides have been identified. Each landslide is estimated to be 50m thick. An abundant stibnite float was identified in the talus slopes by the Mines Bureaus trench sampling across the favourable sandstone horizon. The sampling comprised 96 hand-dug trenches averaging 0.75m by up to 40m and 0.75m deep. Trenches were laid out vertically along cliff exposures across the sandstone horizon and where mineralisation was observed in underground workings. Samples were taken from areas with visible mineralisation. The program secured 541 samples, including 11 bulk dump samples, made up of 10-15cm wide grooves representing 1.52m of vertical section across the bed. Subsequent resource estimation by the bureau in 1975 yielded a non-JORC compliant resource of 12.7M metric tonnes at 0.79 per cent antimony. The US has ranked as the most significant importer of antimony globally. The bulk of the countrys imports have been sourced from India, Thailand, Oman, the United Kingdom and Vietnam for a total of US$60.35M. Last December, in a tit-for-tat exchange, China announced an immediate ban on the export of critical minerals to the US, including antimony, gallium and germanium, citing national security concerns. In January this year, the US antimony exports accounted for up to US$4.22M while imports accounted up to $8.94M, resulting in a negative trade balance of $4.73M. To January year-on-year, exports of US antimony increased by 159 percent to $4.22M, while imports increased by 34.9 per cent to $8.94M. EV Resources will now undertake initial field and desktop evaluations at Coyote Creek to verify the historical resource estimate to establish the companys own baseline for the mineral resources. Work will begin after it secures the relevant permissions from the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forestry Service. The work program is intended to begin this year and will include a detailed survey and then a trenching and channel sampling campaign. A sampling protocol for trench sampling will meet JORC requirements and samples are expected to be processed at the ALS Laboratory in Elko, Nevada. The company will also work on identifying the optimal method of drilling to obtain reliable results suited to its resource estimation environment. EV Resources intends to fund the initial validation program from internal sources of capital. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au While some key American progressives are busy cooking up ways to fight Donald Trump, not so former vice president and failed candidate for the big job Kamala Harris, who will be heading to the Gold Coast to speak at the Australian Real Estate Conference next month. To be honest, this isnt a sentence we imagined ourselves writing last week, let alone a few months ago, when the pollsters rated Harris a coin-flip chance of winning the White House. Unsuccessful presidential candidate Kamala Harris gives her concession speech at Howard University. Credit: AP And yet, here we are, with Trump wreaking havoc on the global economy, and Harris hanging out with the nations finest realtors at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre while mulling whether to run for governor of California. Remarkably, this is her first speaking engagement in Australia, and we hear shes on a tight schedule, jetting in and out of the Gold Coast just for the AREC speech. But how, exactly? Informed sources tell us its because the conferences organiser, real estate kingpin John McGrath, simply asked. Hes had some success attracting A-lister types, with past conferences featuring the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Reese Witherspoon and Caitlyn Jenner appearing, albeit via satellite. G5+ FMs: We to not accept any agreement that limits Ukrainian defence industry or military presence of partner countries in Ukraine The Foreign Ministers of Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Great Britain, as well as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy held a meeting in Madrid and in a joint declaration stated their unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Senior diplomats of the G5+ countries declared their support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, relying on the Warsaw Declaration of November 19, the Berlin Declaration of December 12 and the Paris Declaration of February 12. "Instead of imposing new conditions and launching continued attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure that cause more and more victims, Russia must now show it is serious about ending its war. We call on Russia to stop its delaying tactics and reciprocate by agreeing without delay, as Ukraine has done, to an immediate unconditional ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully. We need to see progress within a clear timeframe," the ministers said. It is noted that the Foreign Ministers discussed how best to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and assured that they remain committed to further political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, together with our international partners. "To this end, we will strengthen Ukraine through significant short and long-term military support, also in the framework of Capability Coalitions and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which will hold its next meeting on 11 April. Many European partners, including the members of this group, have made substantive additional pledges to support Ukraine militarily and are planning similar commitments in the future," the declaration notes. In addition, the Ministers stand ready to exert further pressure on Russia, using all available instruments, including new sanctions, to hinder its ability to wage an aggressive war and to ensure that Ukraine is in the best position to secure a just and lasting peace. The Foreign Ministers stressed that Russian assets must remain frozen until Russia ends its war against Ukraine and compensates it for the damages it has suffered. The G5+ Ministers stressed their support for a ceasefire that can lead to a just and lasting peace, and welcomed recent progress in identifying important elements of a sustainable ceasefire, including a clear monitoring and verification framework. The declaration also stresses that real, credible and reliable security guarantees for Ukraine are an integral part of a just and lasting peace. "Peace must be just, and Russias war of aggression cannot end with a reward to the aggressor. There can be no agreement that compromises on Euro-Atlantic security and the independence, sovereignty territorial integrity of Ukraine. We will not accept any agreement that restricts Ukraines military and defence industry or the military presence of partner countries in Ukraine," the diplomats said. It is emphasized that Europe currently provides Ukraine with almost two-thirds of all support and 60% of military assistance. The G5+ ministers emphasized that Ukraine's future is in Europe and the EU, and that Ukraine's future is crucial for Europe's security. "Europe must be fully involved in the negotiations and will make its own decisions," the declaration notes. A video of Chinese dissident artist Badiucao silently saying you must take part in revolution has been playing hourly on two billboards in Hong Kong since March 28, but the potentially controversial subject matter has remained a secret until now. Badiucao, a Walkey Award winner who contributes to this masthead, revealed the true words and intention of his work titled Here and Now on social media overnight. He told this masthead that the video which has no audio was a test for the freedom-of-speech situation in Hong Kong. A still from Badiucaos Here and Now. The original work screened in Hong Kong has no audio or caption. You must take part in revolution is both a quote from Mao Zedong and the title of Badiucaos recently released graphic novel. Written with journalist Melissa Chan and set in Hong Kong, You must take part in revolution is a dystopian story that is described by the publisher as being about technology, authoritarian government, and the lengths that one will go to in the fight for freedom. Since the 2020 implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion have been criminal offences and hundreds of people have been arrested. Amnesty International described the law as dangerously vague and broad, saying that virtually anything could be deemed a threat to national security under its provisions. The law also extends beyond the border of Hong Kong and mainland China. FICTION Eurotrash Christian Kracht (Translated by Daniel Bowles) Serpents Tail, $26.99 Do you love the term Eurotrash? I do. I love it because of the intricacy of the paradox encased in the two parts, Euro and trash. Two things never destined to be coupled? A reminder that satire and irony have no borders and wind with ease into and around each another. The adjective, Eurotrash, is outdated now, but Christian Kracht might polish it up again by calling his novel, Eurotrash. Although not all polished performances are for everyone. Its useful to know who Guy Debord was. And Friedrich Durrenmatt. Id never heard of the latter. Kracht is a Swiss novelist whose partner in life and sometimes in art is a filmmaker, and he says, usefully, that he is always a writer performing as a writer. Eurotrash is autofiction. The novel is the narrative of a road trip taken by a mother and son through Switzerland, a picaresque novel of incidents, strung together along the road of the future and the past. The son is called Christian Kracht, although he is happy now and then to be known as an author called Daniel Kehlmann. Kehlmann is real, he has an approving blurb on the back cover and, obviously, Kracht is real. Well, discuss and dissect, or call in the philosophers - and maybe the doctors? 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 In the fictional world of Dog Man, the graphic novel series about a half-man, half-dog hybrid who works as a police officer, we are introduced to both the eponymous hero of the tale, a non-speaking semi-canine, and his arch-enemy, the worlds most evilest cat, Petey. Sitting down with author Dav Pilkey to unpack the great mysteries of life, his literary works, vast global fandom and the new film adaptation of Dog Man, its difficult to go past one of the great existential questions in the anthropomorphic animal world: dogs or cats? I dont know if its possible to be straight down the middle, Pilkey explains, in defiance of centuries of human evolution, which has left us with a cultural divide that makes a discussion of 21st-century global politics look like the easy way out. For me, its more about the particular dog or cat, whether or not I have a connection with it, Pilkey says. You should be a diplomat, I tell him, adding that I am Team Dog, and I have no shame. Like yourself, I kind of grew up in a dog house, but my wife loves cats. So I grew to really appreciate cats, and its become a new part of me. Pilkeys characters in the first book, Captain Underpants. The journey of Petey is actually a journey that is really close to my heart because he started out feeling like a villain and a bad guy, and thats kind of how it was for me too, he says. I grew up with ADHD and dyslexia; I was always getting sent out in the hallway, always being told I was a bad kid. That stuff sticks with you, Pilkey says. I grew up thinking that I was bad, and Ive been on a personal journey myself to become a better person, I think as we all are. And so I think Petey was a good way for me to exorcise some of those challenges. Advertisement It was in that school hallway where he refocused punishment into something more positive and began work on the character of Captain Underpants, the bestselling book that launched his literary career in 1997. More books, including Captain Underpants sequels such as The Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers and The Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers, followed. Now, with legions of fans worldwide, Pilkey is something of a junior literary icon. Pilkey drawing his Captain Underpants characters. Then Dog Man, introduced as a comic-book character created by kindergarteners George Beard and Harold Hutchins in the Captain Underpants books, spun off into its own series. Like Captain Underpants, which sold 90 million books worldwide, it has enjoyed astonishing success, with more than 60 million copies sold. A film seemed almost inevitable, and DreamWorks Animation has made Dog Man real. The film stars Pete Davidson as Petey, Isla Fisher as reporter Sarah Hatoff, Billy Boyd as cameraman Seamus, and Ricky Gervais as Flippy the Fish. Dog Man does not speak, but director Peter Hastings provides his barks and other expressions. A scene from Dog Man: The Musical which will play at the Sydney Opera House later this month. Credit: Peter Wallis For Pilkey, whose life seems more comfortably focused on either writing, the outdoors (hiking and canoeing) or meeting with the armies of children who clamour for his books, walking into a Hollywood recording studio to meet the cast little surreal. I feel really lucky because nearly all the voice actors that Ive been lucky enough to work with are creators themselves, and they come up with their own material, and a lot of them do stand-up, and theyre just constantly writing, he says. I think they put a lot of that into their portrayals of the characters, and I think that just makes it a richer experience. Coming hot behind it is Dog Man: The Musical, a stage adaptation playing at the Sydney Opera House this month and Arts Centre Melbourne from September 30. Overwhelming joy is my takeaway from it all, Pilkey says, of the multi-platform expansion of Dog Man. I try to stay out of any adaptation ... I try to work with people that I trust, and usually based on the work that theyve done before they took on my project. I wouldnt want anybody staring down and looking over my shoulder when I was creating. Advertisement As a kid, Pilkey says curiosity brought him to books. They just happened to be laying around the house, and so I loved looking at the pictures and I would like to just explore the books on my own, he says. As I got older, my mum started to take me to the library, and she always let me pick out whatever books I wanted, and so Id always find books that had great illustrations and wonderful stories, and that kind of helped to develop my love of reading, he says. TAKE 7: THE ANSWERS ACCORDING TO DAV PILKEY Worst habit? Worrying. Greatest fear? Not enough time. The line that stayed with you? How can I turn this into something good? Biggest regret? Worrying too much. Favourite book? Walden by Henry David Thoreau. The artwork or song you wish was yours? The Great Pumpkin Waltz, by Vince Guaraldi (from the soundtrack to the 1966 Peanuts Halloween special Its The Great pumpkin, Charlie Brown). If you could time travel, where would you choose to go? The year 2100. In the creation of Dog Man, Pilkey made a conscious choice to make him a non-verbal character. In the story, he is created after a medical accident that fused an injured police officer with his pet dog. The advantage, Pilkey says, is that Dog Man can explore and express in ways that words, perhaps, cannot express perfectly. I know that children tend to really love dogs, Pilkey says. Even if youre watching a child, and a dog happens to walk by, their whole face lights up, and I think that they connect with the eyes of a dog. Dogs have a lot of emotion, and they never speak, so I wanted to do that with the cartoons. Especially with the character of Dog Man, I wanted him to speak through his emotions, through his eyes, through just his general movement, body movements and things. I thought that might be a better way to communicate, since everyone else is talking. Pete Davidson voices Petey the cat Dog Mans nemesis. Credit: Universal The more you delve into the expanded world of these characters lets call it the Pilkeyverse the individual pieces start to form a mosaic. In Captain Underpants we met two little boys who like to make comic books. And in Dog Man, Lil Petey expresses himself using hand-drawn comics. Is this world and its inhabitants entirely fictional, or some form of autobiographical expression? Can an artist ever escape subconsciously or consciously rendering themselves in some form in their art? I can always just speak for myself, and everything I think I have done has been autobiographical, including the characters that Ive come up with and the stories, Pilkey says. Dog Man, really, the first 12 books are about Peteys arc, and Petey is the cat who starts out as a villain and becomes a hero, and hes based on me, and thats who I used to be. And now Im writing about a new character, Big Jim, who is somebody that Im trying to be, Im trying to be more like this. So I think there is a bit of autobiography in everything that Ive done so far. Advertisement 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 Opposition Leader Peter Duttons intention to live at Kirribilli House is inherently problematic (Albanese mocks Dutton plan for Kirribilli HQ if Coalition wins, April 1). Prime ministers operate out of Canberra because thats where everything is, by design, since 1927. A PM primarily operating out of Kirribilli would need to shift significant numbers of staff to Sydney, despite advances in communications. There is little room at Kirribilli House as its a relatively small dwelling on very sloping ground, which means Dutton will probably have to increase the prime ministerial office space currently located in the Sydney CBD, and install all the communications and increased security that go with those staff. There will be an increase in travel costs when department heads and senior staff are called into a meeting with Dutton in Sydney. How could a prime minister who is preaching about saving on public service expenditure and plans to cut thousands of public-sector jobs look us in the eye and say hes going to move into Kirribilli rather than The Lodge, a stones throw from Parliament House? Unless, of course, part of the Dutton prime ministerial plan is to schedule fewer parliamentary business days. Hypocrisy, not democracy. Bill Brown, Holt (ACT) Peter Dutton would move into Kirribilli House if he were to win the election. Credit: Many people cant afford to buy a home and others are homeless, but Peter Dutton lets us know in no uncertain terms about his choice of housing options if elected to the top job. His snide remarks comparing the harbour views from Kirribilli House to the Lodges Adelaide Avenue are insulting to Canberrans, many of whom have been pioneers of Canberra, while others have come from all over Australia to make their home here. Dutton seems to be ignoring the wishes of one-time Liberal Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies, who is renowned as an advocate and supporter of the development of Canberra as Australias capital. Geri Badham, Waramanga (ACT) I dont think Anthony Albanese needs to kiss too many more babies; Dutton is winning this election for Labor. He wants to work from home at Kirribilli House and build nuclear power plants. The prime minister can relax. Noel Mills, Avalon Beach Counting his seagulls before they hatch, perhaps. Norelle Dixon, Burradoo Trumps poodle I agree with David Crowes assessment of the political mood (Voter concerns rise over Trump effect, April 1). Anthony Albaneses strongest asset is Peter Dutton. On major world issues such as Israel/Gaza and Ukraine/Russia, Dutton continues to blindly support Donald Trump. Albanese has gone more along the European Unions stand on these issues. If Dutton is elected prime minister in May, he will be the lapdog Trump is looking for among democratic countries. Dutton will be a laughing stock in the international community. This will be a total disaster for Australias hard-earned reputation. Bala Superamaniam, Queenscliff Advertisement While agreeing with 60 per cent of voters who feel the Trump victory has been bad for Australia, I think it could also be a blessing in disguise. Apart from it exposing the narrow economic, political and strategic emphasis that we kept on the USA, like its other allies, our training wheels are falling off as our cousin has withdrawn its hands from steadying our bikes. Like a family member, the US knows a lot of our secrets, both defence and strategic, and when family turns foe, there are no barriers. The sooner we connect with Europe, China and some parts of Asia, the better. Manbir Singh Kohli, Pemulwuy I had a dream last night. Peter Dutton was announcing policy after policy, all with no details or costings. Then a stentorian voice boomed, Give us the details. Wheres the money coming from? It sounded remarkably like Sir Robert Menzies taunting the Liberal leader, as he did the Labor Party all through the 1950s and 60s. On reading the Herald this morning, I fear my dream has come true. If Dutton wants any credibility and our votes, he needs to answer Menzies simple requests (give us the details) and questions (wheres the money coming from?). Ted Hemmens, Cromer I note, in his increasingly dubious efforts to denigrate Anthony Albanese while trying to avoid offending anyone else, Peter Dutton recently called the PM weak as water. Mr Dutton, have you noticed what water is currently doing to your home state of Queensland? There are a lot of words for it but weak isnt one of them. Nick Carroll, Newport Instead of seeking a third term, which the US Constitution does not allow, President Trump could copy the late Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada and declare himself president for life. After all, he has a lot of similar tendencies (No joke, third term is an option for me: Trump, April 1). Rajend Naidu, Glenfield I presume it was just a coincidence that Trumps statement about a third term coincided with April Fools Day? Margaret McCabe, Bawley Point Against the Green As a reader of the Herald I find myself in a minority who deeply oppose the Greens. Their position on Palestine and strong stance against Israel is too much for me. But their opposition to defence spending and their desire to defund the ADF is the main reason I must vote Liberal, as a Labor government will be in bed with the Greens. Peter Williams, Sylvania Advertisement Credit: Cathy Wilcox Another round of snake oil promises from our esteemed prime minister on his visit to Perth. He needed the support of West Australians to move into The Lodge, and now needs us again for that privilege. To reward this loyalty, it looks like hes going to jump into bed with the Greens, which will send our agriculture industry and rural communities into oblivion. Again and again, his government has backed away from supporting the powerhouse of this nation farmers. Go home, Albo, you have done enough damage. Mal Taylor, Ardross (WA) Transport trouble Former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance is trying to win the marginal seat of Gilmore. His track record is unimpressive. There were the ferries on which passengers could not use the upper decks in case of decapitation when travelling under bridges, and trains bought that were too wide for platforms going to Lithgow and Katoomba. His past form makes him seem like a duffer (Crucial seats, key players, April 1). Bea Hodgson, Gerringong Captains call As a former ships captain, it is difficult for me to understand why the recent visit of Chinese naval ships to Australian waters should cause so much concern (Australians are clear on our biggest threats. But our leaders dont want to discuss it, April 1). At any one time, there are dozens of Chinese merchant ships travelling our coasts and visiting our ports, and berthing at Chinese-operated terminals and, in one case, Chinese operated ports (Darwin). Many of these ships are very large and equipped with sophisticated technology. During the Cold War, when we still had our own fleet of merchant ships travelling the world, let me just say that we sailed with our eyes open. Bryan Hayes, Dunmore The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea asserts ships, both civilian and military, can transit international waters and straits used for international navigation. Australias participation in the freedom of navigation exercises within the South China Sea, most recently with HMAS Hobart and P-8A Poseidon aircraft, appears lawful under the terms of this convention. Peter Hartcher takes a different view of the perfectly legal navigation by the Chinese navy in our area, describing it is a task force of intimidation. Hartcher must have been included in a Chinese Signal Group by mistake. How else would he know that Xi Jinping has advanced his plans for the domination of Australias near approaches with a survey ship. Graham Cochrane, Balmain Advertisement Nuclear hazard Peter Garrett raises a very important, and not often thought of, issue in relation to Duttons nuclear plan the risk of terrorism (Nuclear folly has echoes of Trump, April 1). Australia is a soft target for terrorism, as evident by the number of foiled plots by ASIO and the AFP over the years, and the recent spate of organised anti-semitic attacks. Australia is a big place, plenty of room for terrorist cells to foment, plan, and hide after an attack, and a damaged nuclear power plant leaking radioactivity into a populated environment, or a meltdown, would be catastrophic. As well, Australia does not have the technical expertise or infrastructure at present to be able to safely develop a nuclear industry, and no one has yet solved the waste disposal problem. Australians need to realise that Duttons plan has so many drawbacks, financially, environmentally, and safety wise, that it is just not feasible. John Frith, Paddington Traditonal owners oppose the Kimba dump site in South Australia. Credit: AAP Garretts appraisal of Duttons nuclear folly shows it is untenable as a plan and extremely dangerous for our country. Dutton, our newest admirer of Sydney Harbour views, seems to think he is the deal maker to free us from the dangers of being Trumped. Garrett rightly raises the spectre of that deal involving our pristine outback being used to house US nuclear waste. I am sure its already on Trumps agenda, hes just a little busy taking over the world. The overwhelming volume of expert commentary against nuclear reactors for Australia provides strong economic, legal, defence, unsuitability and common sense reasons to show it is a bad idea. Such a bad idea that Dutton seems to be distancing himself from it as well. Renewable energy and batteries are the most economical and sensible option to pursue and that penny hasnt dropped for Dutton. Geoff Nilon, Mascot Oil levels low To all the people who are rubbing their hands together with glee at the prospect of a lower fuel excise: Before you sell your vote, write a letter to your future great-grandchildren to apologise and explain why we allowed the worlds oil reserves to be used up so quickly. Why we couldnt sell the stuff fast enough, and gave no thought to what life in a world without out oil would be like. So many chemicals, drugs, paint, plastics, and clothes are derived from oil. Will your great-grandchildren go back to wearing cotton? How will wiring be insulated? Will there be wars fought over the last of the oil? Global leaders should be co-operating to make the remaining oil resources last for hundreds of years to come, but no, much easier to buy votes by keeping the price down. Global warming, crop failure, rising sea levels, starvation, who cares? Weve built a land of McMansions with three bathrooms, four TVs and four cars full of short-sighted people whingeing about the cost of living. David Davis, St Clair If the petrol excise is cut for a year, then much needed funding for essential road maintenance is also going to be cut. If this happens and people realise what they voted for, I can see Dutton being nicknamed Pothole Peter. The budget cannot be a magic pudding if you cut government income you also need to cut government spending. Doug Steley, Heyfield Advertisement Pococks proposal May I suggest those commentators and correspondents who advocate banning politicians from owning residential investment properties have the wrong end of the stick. If the Parliament accepted Senator David Pococks proposal on this issue the problem would be solved immediately - not just for politicians but all so-called investors who take advantage of what is nothing less than welfare for the wealthy. Pococks proposal is to limit negative gearing to one property only, and for capital gains discounts to apply only to new builds. One can only hope enough independents are elected in May to see this very sensible tax reform adopted. Martyn Yeomans, Sapphire Beach Adam Bandt, Peter Dutton and David Pocock. Credit: Charge your batteries Im with Gavin Gilchrist on EVs (Letters, March 21). Two of us drove to the Sunshine Coast from Sydney two weeks ago in an EV purchased two weeks earlier. Because of Cyclone Alfred we drove north via Tamworth and Tenterfield, spending two nights in each town. We had a bit of minor range anxiety but there were no problems, and we had the added bonus of meeting and chatting with people at chargers. A bit like taking your dog to the dog park and meeting new people. EVs have many benefits, personal and for the environment. Sue Young, Marrickville Does Gavin Gilchrist not realise that eventually there will be a new government tax to charge EV drivers for the use of the roads (probably per kilometre) to make up for their lack of fuel excise receipts? So the amount he mentions it cost him to travel to Melbourne will definitely increase. EV owners are getting a bit of a free ride at the moment. Rosalyn Millar, Moss Valet Advertisement A fire-damaged and partly derelict Victorian warehouse on Edward Street is set to be given a new lease on life, 135 years after it was built. Plans have been lodged with Brisbane City Council to convert part of Spencers Building into a four-level, four-bedroom apartment, including a master suite in a new rooftop annex. An artists impression of 47 Edward Street in Brisbane, a heritage-listed warehouse set to be redeveloped as a four-level home with ground floor commercial space. Under the design by Marc & Co, there would be a commercial space fronting Edward Street, and a two-car garage underneath new windows to be cut into the brick facade fronting Spencer Lane. A heritage assessment attached to the plans endorses the buildings reuse, saying the new annex is a sympathetic addition not overly visible to the public. While the external elevations are generally intact and original, the internal fabric of the building is largely modern, due to a fire that caused extensive internal damage and rebuilding some years ago, the assessment states. Spencers Building had only recently been completed when Edward Street flooded in 1890. The Victorian warehouse survived further floods, changes in use, and was almost destroyed by fire in 2002. Credit: John Oxley Library Furthermore, there are minimal changes proposed to the front elevation of the building, with generally the removal of modern glazing elements and their replacement with new elements. The front elevation has the principal characteristics of a late Victorian era warehouse built in Brisbane during the late 19th century. The building will continue to demonstrate these qualities with the redevelopment proposed. The building was purchased by an investor in 2023 for $6 million. Drug kingpin Tony Mokbel has been locked up for 6511 days since he was picked up on the run in Greece in a bad wig, but it will be only three more before he might finally taste free air. On Tuesday, the underworld figure made a bid for bail after being locked up overseas and in Barwon Prison for nearly 18 years for drug trafficking, a prosecution that his legal team argues has been hopelessly corrupted by the Lawyer X scandal. The 59-year-old appeared ebullient as he walked into the Court of Appeal, flanked by no fewer than four specialist prison security guards who had plucked him out of a special armoured BearCat vehicle that transported him from a maximum-security prison cell for the hearing. Another eight or so police and protective service officers were milling around outside court. Mokbel nodded and smiled at his legal team and family members, including sister Gawy, who was on hand for a hug and who put up an $850,000 surety to guarantee that he stays put, in the event the court grants him bail. The Court of Appeal will hand down its decision on Friday. Shortly after Troy Selwoods funeral in February, his twin brother Adam realised he needed to take action. Troy, a former Brisbane Lions player and father of two, died suddenly in February at the age of 40. Adam Selwood is taking part in the HBF Run for a Reason to raise money for mental health charity zero2hero in memory of his brother Troy. Credit: 9News Perth His death by suicide left the Selwood family including Adam, brothers Joel and Scott and their parents Bryce and Maree and the wider football community grieving. For Adam, thats where the HBF Run For A Reason and the challenge of a half-marathon began. The fading divide between religion and politics in Australias outer suburbs is a new, confusing and corrosive development in Australian politics. Politicians courting the votes of Muslim communities in Sydney and Melbourne have encountered a bewildering range of responses, including threats of violence, as identity-based tribalism invaded the opening days of the election campaign with an attack on both Labor and Coalition stances on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Dr Jamal Rifi. Credit: Janie Barrett On Sunday in western Sydney, activist group Stand4Palestine called for followers marking the end of Ramadan to monitor mosques and places of worship for local MPs and to disrupt public appearances. When Labors Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Education Minister Jason Clare did not attend the mosques on Monday, as expected to mark the celebration, the group boasted online. Just like cockroaches when you shine the light on them, they run away! they wrote in an Instagram post. Jamal Rifi, AM, a GP and community leader, told the Herald that elder members of Sydneys Muslim community had remained silent as militant groups such as Stand4Palestine preached divisive messages and used bullying tactics. Just a quarter of public servants hired since Labor came to power have been in Canberra, which will force Peter Dutton to cut 34,000 jobs from the rest of Australia or gut the capital citys bureaucracy to achieve his target for reduced government spending. Dutton this week focused on the federal education department as an example of government waste, questioning why it employed thousands and thousands of people in Canberra when it did not run schools or hire teachers. Peter Dutton has pledged to cut 41,000 public servants from the federal workforce. Credit: Marija Ercegovac However, the department employs just 1639 people about 1300 in the capital while other federal education agencies employ 421 workers. The Coalition has also earmarked the federal health department and new jobs in veterans affairs for cuts but, combined, they amount to about 10,000 jobs. Analysis by this masthead using employment data held by the Australian Public Service Commission, and Average Staffing Level estimates from the federal budget papers reveals Dutton must identify 31,000 more workers in his election pledge to shed 41,000 public servants. Racing officials are investigating an incident at Rosehill in which NSW independent MP Mark Latham allegedly launched an expletive-laden verbal onslaught against a club executive and long-time friend of Premier Chris Minns. Latham, a fierce critic of the proposed $5 billion sale of Rosehill racecourse to the state government to make room for a mini-city of 25,000 homes, allegedly abused the Australian Turf Clubs head of corporate affairs and government relations Steve McMahon. The alleged incident occurred after the pair came across each other in the members area on Tuesday. Independent MP Mark Latham and the Australian Turf Clubs Steve McMahon. Someone had to tell him what everyone thinks of him, Latham told this masthead. The western Sydney racecourse was staging a full meeting, including the group 1 Tancred Stakes and Vinery Stud Stakes after Saturdays racing was postponed by rain. Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine's aspiration to become a member of NATO could have been the cause of Russia's war against Ukraine, CNN reported on Tuesday. "He wants to be a member of NATO, but he's never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that," Trump told journalists. The American leader also expressed the opinion that the issue of Ukraine's membership in NATO "probably the reason the war started." As reported, on February 12, Trump supported the position of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, who called Ukraine's accession to the Alliance an unrealistic scenario for a peaceful settlement. And on February 26, he said that Ukraine should forget about joining NATO. At the same time, during negotiations in Saudi Arabia on March 13, the Ukrainian side assured the United States that it would not consider abandoning NATO membership as part of a possible peace agreement. The Cook Government has simmered down its language on gun reforms significantly with new Police Minister Reece Whitby offering an apology to gun owners and offering to meet with farmer and gun lobby groups while announcing a new buyback regime. I want to say to gun owners, and I think this is important, they need to know that we understand their concerns, Whitby said on Tuesday morning. New Police Minister Reece Whitby with Acting WA Police Commissioner Kylie Whiteley (left) and Commander Lawrence Panaia (right). Credit: Hamish Hastie I want to apologise for the inconvenience and the trouble when you have legislation that is updated after 50 years, of course, things are going to be different. So I say to those gun owners, I apologise for the inconvenience, I apologise for putting you out, but the underlying philosophy and court of this legislation is making the community safe. Seven-year-old Dubai Honour showed he will be a force in the $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes after a brilliant victory in the group 1 Tancred Stakes on Tuesday at Rosehill. In his first race in almost four months, Dubai Honour travelled midfield in the $1.5 million feature before English jockey Tom Marquand found a gap at the 200m mark. If theres a repeat of Tuesdays wet Rosehill track at Randwick on April 12 for the 2000m race, Dubai Honours connections will be filled with hope. Jockey Tom Marquand and Issy Paul, left, bring Dubai Honour back to scale after winning the group 1 Tancred Stakes at Rosehill on Tuesday. Credit: Sam Mooy The 2023 Ranvet Stakes and Queen Elizabeth champion did the rest, surging home to score an almost one-length win over Duke De Sessa. Issy Paul, the assistant to champion English trainer William Haggas, was delighted. For over a decade, Marine Le Pen has fought, scrapped, and clawed her way towards the Elysee Palace. After three failed attempts, the 2027 French presidential race was set to be her best chance until a Paris court seemingly put an end to her dream. The 56-year-old leader of the National Rally has each time built on her hard-right base, pulling in more votes from the fringes, and next time, opinion polls suggest, she might have finally broken through. Marine Le Pen reacts at the National Assembly during a session on Tuesday. Credit: AP Le Pen was found guilty of embezzling European Union funds misusing 4.4 million ($7.5 million) meant for parliamentary duties to further the National Rallys political activities. The court handed down a harsh verdict: an electronic tag and house arrest, a two-year suspended jail sentence, a 100,000 fine, and crucially, a five-year ban from holding public office, effectively barring her from contesting the next presidential election. This wasnt some minor infraction it was a deliberate effort to skew Frances electoral process through a fake jobs scam involving parliamentary assistants. Le Pen may have avoided personal financial gain, but her role in the fraud was undeniable, the court found. The courts decision to bar her from running for office immediately, even before her appeal, was an attempt to preserve the integrity of Frances elections. Explainer Most US presidents are judged on their first 100 days. Donald Trump plans to get plenty done on Day One. But how much can he actually pull off? PHILIPSBURG:--- The Permanent Committee of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry (CAFAH) of Parliament will be meeting on April 1, 2025. The Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 14.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. Mr. Louis Engel will be in attendance. The agenda point is: Presentation on the Soualiga Feed Us - Floating Farms concept (IS/251/2024-2025 dated November 6, 2024) 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:--- SXM DOET and the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) is pleased to announce an exciting collaboration for the 11th edition of this impactful community-driven initiative. In a powerful partnership, the STB will help promote SXM DOET across their social media platforms, while also assisting in the sourcing of exclusive Early DOETi trinkets to organizations that register early for the event. This partnership reaffirms the Government of St. Maartens commitment to volunteerism and community engagement. By supporting SXM DOET, the STB is also championing the concept of volun-tourism an opportunity for travelers to experience more than just the islands famous beaches and resorts. Tourists can now roll up their sleeves, give back, and actively participate in community projects, forging meaningful connections with the island and residents. SXM DOET, slated for May 16 and 17, 2025, has been a signature event for the past decade, bringing together volunteers, NGOs, foundations, and residents to improve and enhance communities across St. Maarten. The event not only boosts the local economy but also strengthens the community ties on the island, making a positive and lasting impact on both residents and visitors alike. "At SXM DOET, we understand the importance of our communities and recognize the power of giving back. By partnering with the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, were highlighting how travelers can make a difference while enjoying everything St. Maarten has to offer," the Project Coordination Team added. "This partnership showcases our shared commitment to supporting local initiatives and engaging visitors in meaningful ways." St. Maarten is more than just a destinationits a community, said May-Ling Chun, Director of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau. Through this partnership with SXM DOET, we invite visitors to go beyond the beaches and experience the heart of our island by giving back. Volun-tourism allows travelers to make meaningful connections while leaving a positive impact on the places they visit. We are excited to support this initiative and showcase the true spirit of St. Maarten. For more information on how to get involved with SXM DOET or to register as a volunteer, please visit www.sxmdoet.com and follow us on Instagram at @sxm.doet and Facebook.com/sxmdoet. For more information on the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, visit www.vacationstmaarten.com. The European Union has officially launched the Ukraine2EU program to support Ukraine in its journey toward EU membership, according to the Office of Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna. "Ukraine2EU is a key EU initiative designed to assist Ukraine in preparing for accession and eventual EU membership. The program was initiated by the EU, Lithuania, and Denmark, with Sweden joining as well," the statement reads. The Ukrainian government is actively implementing comprehensive reforms to align national legislation with EU standards and norms. "In close cooperation with Ukrainian authorities and civil society, the Ukraine2EU program will support Ukraine at every stage of its EU membership preparations, remaining flexible and responsive to the country's needs," the statement continues. In January 2025, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Stefanishyna, the EU, Denmark, and Lithuania reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine's accession to the EU by signing the "Ukraine2EU Ukraine's EU Integration Support Fund" initiative. This joint EU, Danish, and Lithuanian initiative, with a total budget of EUR 14 million, aims to assist Ukrainian institutions in managing the accession process and implementing necessary reforms. Specifically, the program will provide targeted support to key Ukrainian government bodies, including the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Government Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Coordination, the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada and its European Integration Committee, and the Ministry of Justice. The program will run from 2025 to 2027 and will be implemented by the Lithuanian Central Programme Management Agency (CPVA). By Henna Mann, Special to The Post It had long been a dream for Kashif Pasta to be a filmmaker. Since graduating from high school in the Lower Mainland, Pasta and his creative partner, Shyam Valera had been actively generating ideas and making them into independent content. Over time they honed their skills in the trade and attained the technical chops to actually storyboard and create short films. But where Pasta and his partner fell short was in knowing how to break into the film industry. And thats when, at that pivotal moment, TELUS STORYHIVE and Pasta met. We had this idea for a show but didnt know how to get it off the ground, said Pasta, now in his early thirties, in a recent interview. We created a 20-page pitch document for this series and took it to my first film industry event - it was actually like a CRTC regulatory meeting, I truly had no idea where and how to access the film industry. At that event, Pasta met Prem Gill, the CEO of Creative BC. I built up the courage to talk to the one other South Asian person there and it turned out to be Prem Gill who encouraged us to apply to STORYHIVE. That encouragement pushed us to put together a campaign and submit our project, and it all came together from there. TELUS STORYHIVE has been supporting underrepresented storytellers in British Columbia and Alberta for over a decade, and now its announcing the launch of its latest focused Edition, the TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition. This new intake is an exceptional opportunity for new and emerging filmmakers of Pan-Asian heritage to bring their unique stories to the big screen. The program aims to showcase Pan-Asian Canadian perspectives that have often been excluded or misrepresented throughout history, creating a platform for filmmakers to take the lead in telling the authentic stories from their own communities. For Pasta and his partner, STORYHIVE turned out to be a key launching pad for his career in filmmaking. We had heard of STORYHIVE, but we had never made a budget before, had never applied for real funding - it just seemed like something for other people, explained Pasta. But something about Prem believing in us and being encouraging made it feel more possible. I think there was less than a week before the deadline at that point, but we hustled to get our pitch video and documents together and were really fortunate to be selected. STORYHIVE is one of the few programs that not only funds diverse voices but also provides real mentorship and industry support. With the support of STORYHIVE, Pasta co-created a romantic comedy series Welcome to Surrey, about a graduate of medical school who is sent to work in the one place shes trying to avoid: back home to the suburban town of Surrey, Canada. The series, which was funded through a past STORYHIVE Edition, inspired Pasta and his co-creator Shyam Valera to establish their production company, Dunya. Curious to learn more? Next week, join STORYHIVE for an insightful hour-long online session, where they will address as many questions as possible. The STORYHIVE Editions team will be online for an hour-long Ask Us Anything webinar on Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 11am PT / 12pm MT to take your questions. Please submit your questions at the provided link during the session. Register for the event here. TELUS STORYHIVEs latest Edition, the Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition is now open for applications. The selected applicants will receive $20,000 in production funding, training and professional mentorship (in partnership with the National Screen Institute) to produce a narrative short film or documentary. Once the films are completed, they will be featured across TELUS platforms, including TELUS Optik TV with over one million viewers, Stream+ and STORYHIVEs YouTube channel. With the generous support of Creative BC, the B.C.-based filmmakers will also receive top-up funding. This call for applications is open not only to new filmmakers but also to past applicants and STORYHIVE alumni who identify as part of the Pan-Asian heritage. STORYHIVEs goal is to honour and celebrate stories across the Pan-Asian diaspora and to give filmmakers a platform to share their communitys stories while making their mark in the Canadian film industry. If you are a filmmaker with a story to tell, dont miss the opportunity to apply for the TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition by May 8th, 2025. For more details and to apply, visit storyhive.com/apply. US regulators tell 23andMe to protect genetic data San Francisco, March 31 (AFP) Mar 31, 2025 The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Monday warned genetic testing firm 23andMe to honor its promise to protect people's personal information as it navigates bankruptcy. The pioneering US company, which sells a mail-back saliva test to determine ancestry or certain health-related genetic traits for less than $200, filed for bankruptcy this month and is looking for a buyer two years after hackers gained access to millions of profiles. "Any bankruptcy-related sale or transfer involving 23andMe users' personal information and biological samples will be subject to the representations the company has made to users about both privacy and data security," FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a letter to the company's bankruptcy trustees. Ferguson noted that 23andMe assures users that the company does not share their personal information with third parties, including police, without user permission or valid court orders. The FTC has powers to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent business practices and investigate suspected violations. The bankruptcy announcement on March 23 prompted warnings for 23andMe customers to ask the company to delete their data to safeguard privacy. At its height a few years ago, the DNA testing craze saw millions of consumers rushing to discover their ancestry and health information, with tests from 23andMe becoming popular holiday gifts. The Silicon Valley-based company, which went public in 2021, claims 15 million customers and has seen its sales decline in recent months as the testing craze faded and the company suffered a data breach. Faced with the difficulties, 23andMe announced the dismissal of 40 percent of its staff in November, about 200 people. It also suspended its research programs. 23andMe has agreed to pay approximately $37.5 million to settle claims related to the 2023 data breach. The hacking incident saw 6.9 million accounts affected, of which 5.5 million contained information on genetic matches. Using customers' old passwords, the hackers compromised data that included names, sex, birth year, location, photos, health information, and genetic ancestry results. In shift, OpenAI announces open AI model San Francisco, March 31 (AFP) Mar 31, 2025 Artificial intelligence powerhouse OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, on Monday announced it is building a more open generative AI model as it faces growing competition in the open-source space from Chinese rival DeepSeek and Meta. The announcement marks a strategic shift by OpenAI, which until now has been a fierce defender of closed, proprietary models that do not allow developers to modify the basic technology to make AI more adapted to their goals. OpenAI and defenders of closed models -- which include Google -- have often decried open models as more risky and vulnerable to nefarious uses by bad actors or foreign adversaries. OpenAI's embrace of closed models has also been a bone of contention in its battles with former investor Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest person, who has called on OpenAI to honor the spirit of the company's name and "return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was." Putting pressure on OpenAI, many large companies and governments have proved reluctant to build their AI products or services on models they have no control over, especially when data security is a concern. The core selling point of Meta's family of Llama models or DeepSeek's models is addressing these worries by letting companies download their models and have far greater control to modify the technology for their own purposes and keep control of their data. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this month that Llama hit one billion downloads, while the release of DeepSeek's lower cost R1 model in January rocked the world of artificial intelligence. "We've been thinking about this for a long time but other priorities took precedence. Now it feels important to do," OpenAI's chief executive Sam Altman said on X. As it builds its new model, the company plans to gather developer feedback through a series of events starting in San Francisco in the coming weeks, followed by sessions in Europe and Asia-Pacific regions. The announcement came as OpenAI has been riding on the success of its latest image-generation features in ChatGPT, the world-leading AI app and chatbot. Altman posted on Monday that the tool helped add "one million users" in one hour. That claim came days after Altman said the new image features were so popular that they were melting the OpenAI graphics processing units that power the AI due to heavy use. The flurry of announcements comes as OpenAI is reportedly finalizing a $40 billion funding round led by Japan's SoftBank Group that would be the biggest capital-raising session ever for a startup. Russian troops shelled one of the villages of Zaporizhia district with guided aerial bombs, as a result of which a 66-year-old woman died, a 68-year-old man and an 87-year-old woman were injured, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reports "A fire broke out in a residential building and a car at the site of the shelling. Rescuers and firefighters retrieved the body of the deceased from under the rubble and extinguished the fire. Residential buildings, an educational institution, an administrative building, and shops were also damaged," the SES said on the Telegram channel on Monday evening. France's Le Pen defiant after five year election ban Paris, March 31 (AFP) Mar 31, 2025 French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Monday slammed a "political decision" and insisted she had not abandoned hope of standing in presidential elections in 2027 after a court handed her a five-year ban on running for office. The verdict as part of a conviction for creating fake jobs at the EU parliament on behalf of her National Rally (RN) party -- charges she vehemently denied -- stunned Le Pen as the judge ordered the ban come into force with immediate effect. If it stands, this would mean she would be unable to launch a fourth campaign to capture the Elysee, where analysts believe she had her best ever chance of becoming president. In a febrile international climate, the verdict was condemned by the Kremlin, billionaire tycoon Elon Musk and hard-right European politicians ranging from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Geert Wilders of the Netherlands. US President Donald Trump's administration also weighed in with State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce saying: "exclusion of people from the political process is particularly concerning given the aggressive and corrupt lawfare waged against President Trump here in the United States." Le Pen was also given a four-year prison term by the Paris court but will not go to jail, with two years of the term suspended and the other two to be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet. She was convicted over a scheme to take advantage of European Parliament expenses to employ assistants who were actually working for her far-right party in France. Twenty-four people -- including Le Pen -- were convicted -- all of them RN party officials or assistants. - 'Reserved for authoritarian regimes' - Le Pen said she would appeal the "political decision", and vowed that in "no way" would she retire from political life, in a combative interview with the commercial French television network TF1. "I'm not going to let myself be eliminated like this. I'm going to pursue whatever legal avenues I can. There is a small path. It's certainly narrow, but it exists," she said. She said that the appeal would be lodged "as quickly as possible" and said that the judiciary should "get a move on" so it is heard in time. Describing herself as the "favourite" to win the 2027 presidential elections, Le Pen characterised the judge who delivered the verdict as saying: "'I do not want Marine Le Pen elected'" and lashed out at "'practices we thought were for authoritarian regimes". "I am going to appeal because I am innocent," Le Pen said, while acknowledging that as things stood now "I am eliminated" from the presidential race. - 'At the ballot box' - Le Pen dramatically left the courtroom before the judge announced the prison sentence, and a crisis meeting was convened at the party's Paris headquarters. With her RN emerging as the single largest party in France's parliament after the 2024 legislative elections, polls predicted Le Pen would easily top the first round of voting in 2027 and make the second round two-candidate run-off. Incumbent President Emmanuel Macron cannot run in that election because of a constitutional two-term limit. "It's disgraceful! They've destroyed her," Jacqueline Bossuyt, 78, said in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont, the far-right's stronghold. The reaction from Moscow was swift, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying: "More and more European capitals are going down the path of violating democratic norms." Tesla's billionaire owner Musk, who has backed a far-right party in Germany and plays a major role Trump's administration, said the move would "backfire, like the legal attacks against President Trump". There was also unease within the political mainstream in France with the leader of MPs in parliament of the right-wing Republicans, Laurent Wauquiez, saying "political debates should be decided at the ballot box". Prime Minister Francois Bayrou was meanwhile "troubled" by the verdict, a person close to him told AFP, asking not to be named. - 'Fictitious' posts' - If Le Pen is unable to run in 2027, her back-up plan is her 29-year-old protege and RN party leader Jordan Bardella, who is not under investigation in the case. But there are doubts even within the RN over whether Bardella has the experience needed. Le Pen took over the then-National Front (FN) from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2011 and set about de-toxifying its image with voters. Her father, who died in January, was often accused of making racist and anti-Semitic comments. During the court case, prosecutors said the RN used the 21,000-euro ($23,000) monthly EU parliament allowance to pay staff in France, hiding the scheme behind "fictitious" posts in the European legislature's offices. "It was established that all these people were actually working for the party, that their MEP had not assigned them any tasks," said the judge. but-sjw/ach TF1 Iran will have 'no choice' but to acquire nukes if attacked: Khamenei adviser Tehran, March 31 (AFP) Mar 31, 2025 Iran would have to acquire a nuclear weapon if attacked by the United States or its allies, an adviser to the country's supreme leader warned on Monday, following a threat by US President Donald Trump. The comments came after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promised to hit back if Trump carried out a threat to bomb the Islamic republic if it did not make a deal to curb its nuclear programme. "We are not moving towards (nuclear) weapons, but if you do something wrong in the Iranian nuclear issue, you will force Iran to move towards that because it has to defend itself," Khamenei's adviser Ali Larijani told state TV. "Iran does not want to do this, but ... (it) will have no choice," he added. "If at some point you (the US) move towards bombing by yourself or through Israel, you will force Iran to make a different decision." Trump said on Saturday "there will be bombing" if Iran did not agree a nuclear deal, according to NBC News, which said he also threatened to punish Tehran with what he called "secondary tariffs". Despite the sharpening of Trump's comments, it was not clear if he was threatening a US bombing or an operation coordinated with another country, possibly Iran's nemesis Israel. "They threaten to do mischief," Khamenei said of the remarks during a speech for the holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. "If it is carried out, they will definitely receive a strong counterattack." The message was sent to the UN Security Council in a letter by Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani which condemned what he called "warmongering provocations". Iran "will respond swiftly and decisively to any act of aggression or attack by the United States or its proxy, the Israeli regime," the envoy added. - 'Glass room' - Iran's foreign ministry summoned the charge d'affaires of the Swiss embassy, which represents US interests in Iran, "following the threats by the US president", a ministry statement said. "The Americans have at least 10 bases in the region around Iran, and they have 50,000 troops," warned General Amirali Hajizadeh, a senior commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "Someone who is in a glass room shouldn't throw stones at anyone," the man in charge of Iran's ballistic missile programme threatened on state television Monday. Since taking office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy, which in his first term saw the United States withdraw from a landmark agreement on Iran's nuclear programme and reimpose sanctions on Tehran. Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran has denied, insisting its enrichment activities were solely for peaceful purposes. The 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers required Iran to limit its nuclear processing in exchange for sanctions relief. - 'Indirect' channel - On March 7, Trump said he had written to Khamenei to call for nuclear negotiations and warn of possible military action if Tehran refused. The letter was delivered to Tehran on March 12 by a United Arab Emirates envoy, Iran's Fars news agency reported at the time. On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a response had been sent through Oman, without detailing its content. Araghchi said Iran would not engage in direct talks "under maximum pressure and the threat of military action". In his remarks, however, the minister left open the door for "indirect negotiations". According to NBC, Trump said US and Iranian officials were "talking," but he did not give details. President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday said Khamenei, who as supreme leader has the final say in major state policies, had permitted indirect talks. Oman has served as an intermediary in the past, in the absence of US-Iranian diplomatic relations severed after the 1979 Islamic revolution. On Monday, Araghchi said the United States had received Iran's letter. "We have been informed by our friends in Oman that the letter has reached its destination and has been read." Beyond its nuclear programme, the West also accuses Iran of using proxy forces to expand its influence in the region, a charge Tehran rejects. "There is only one proxy force in this region, and that is the corrupt usurper Zionist regime," Khamenei said, calling for Israel to be "eradicated". pdm/smw/tw Taiwan says China deploys Shandong aircraft carrier group near island Taipei, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 China has deployed its Shandong aircraft carrier group and other vessels around Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said Tuesday after Beijing announced military exercises to surround the self-ruled island. Taiwan has dispatched its own aircraft and ships, and deployed land-based missile systems, in response to the drills, the ministry said. The ministry has been "closely monitoring the movements of the Chinese Shandong aircraft carrier group and other aircraft and vessels that entered Taiwan's response zone yesterday", it said in a statement. Taiwan detected 19 Chinese warships around the island in the 24 hours to 6:00 am (2200 GMT Monday), the ministry said in a separate statement. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has refused to rule out the use of force to bring the island under its control. There have been several rounds of drills staged by China since Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te took office in May 2024. Chinese leaders loathe Lai, who they have branded a "separatist". Lai last month called China a "foreign hostile force". China launches military drills around Taiwan Taipei, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 China on Tuesday sent its army, navy, air and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for drills Beijing said were aimed at practising a blockade of the self-ruled island. Taiwan dispatched its own aircraft and ships, and deployed land-based missile systems, in response to the drills and accused Beijing of being the world's "biggest troublemaker". China insists democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. Beijing has increased the deployment of fighter jets and naval vessels around Taiwan in recent years to press its claim of sovereignty, which Taipei rejects. China had deployed 19 warships around the island in the 24-hours to 6:00 am (2200 GMT on Monday), including the Shandong aircraft carrier group, Taiwan's defence ministry said. Tensions between China and Taiwan -- which are separated by the 180-kilometre (112-mile) Taiwan Strait -- have escalated since Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te took office in May 2024. Chinese leaders loathe Lai, who has been more outspoken than his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen in defending Taiwan's sovereignty. Lai last month called China a "foreign hostile force" and proposed measures to combat Chinese espionage and infiltration. Tuesday's exercises were aimed at sending a "stern warning and forceful deterrence" to alleged separatists in Taiwan, Beijing said. They involved "sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade on key areas and sea lanes", said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman of the Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command. Beijing's armed forces "close in on Taiwan Island from multiple directions", he said. The Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command -- which oversees operations along the Taiwan Strait -- shared a graphic with the title "closing in". Another graphic shared by the military depicted Lai as an insect being roasted over an open fire. And a video shared by the military on X-like Weibo showed footage of weapons interspersed with animations of Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King from the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West". The video climaxes with Chinese forces appearing to use satellites to mark targets across Taiwan, before ending with a flurry of rocket explosions while multiple Monkey Kings attack a giant frog monster. China's coast guard said it also conducted "law enforcement patrols" around the island. "Pursuing 'Taiwan independence' means pushing the people of Taiwan into a dangerous situation of war," Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement. Taiwan's Presidential Office "strongly condemned" China's actions, and Premier Cho Jung-tai said "resorting to displays of military force is not what modern, progressive societies should pursue". - Potential flashpoint - This week's drills are the biggest since February, when Taipei said that China staged a "live-fire" combat drill with aircraft and warships in an area about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometres) off the island's south. Taiwan's military responded by sending forces to "monitor, alert and respond appropriately" -- though officials in Taiwan have said no actual firing took place. Beijing at the time rejected "pure hype" from Taiwan over what it called "routine training". China has carried out multiple drills around the island in recent years, often described as rehearsals for a blockade and seizure of the territory. Analysts have speculated that China was more likely to attempt a blockade of Taiwan than launch an all-out invasion, which was riskier and would require a huge military deployment. Taiwan is a potential flashpoint for conflict between China and the United States, which is the island's most important backer and biggest arms supplier. While the United States is legally bound to provide arms to Taiwan -- which Beijing opposes -- Washington has long maintained "strategic ambiguity" when it comes to whether it would deploy its military to defend it from a Chinese attack. There have been concerns in Taiwan about US President Donald Trump's willingness to protect the island. He said last month that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be "catastrophic". US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that the United States would ensure "robust, ready and credible deterrence" across the Taiwan Strait. The dispute between China and Taiwan dates back to 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang nationalist forces fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war with Mao Zedong's communist fighters. Communist China has never ruled Taiwan, where indigenous tribes have lived for thousands of years. The island was partly or totally ruled at various times by the Dutch, Spanish, China's Qing dynasty and Japan. mya-joy/amj/rsc X China's shows of force against Taiwan Beijing, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 China has sent jets and ships around Taiwan in what it said was practice for a blockade of the self-ruled island. AFP takes a look at China's increasing efforts at military intimidation around Taiwan in recent years: - Regular incursions - Relations between the governments of China and Taiwan have ebbed and flowed over the decades. Tensions exploded in 1995 when China began test-firing missiles in the waters around Taiwan to protest against a visit by Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui to his alma mater in the United States. But China has notably ramped up military manoeuvres since the 2016 election of former president Tsai Ing-wen, who considers the island "already independent", including with warplane flights into Taiwan's so-called Air Defence Identification Zone. Taipei said in 2023 it had detected the long-range TB-001 Chinese combat drone and 37 other Chinese aircraft circling Taiwan. That was the first time Taiwan's defence ministry had reported a Chinese military aircraft circling the island from one end of the Taiwan Strait's median line, which China does not recognise, to the other, local media said. Beijing now deploys planes and naval vessels around Taiwan on a near-daily basis. China has also increasingly conducted major exercises around the island -- usually in response to alleged "provocations" by Taipei. Former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island in August 2022 triggered Beijing's largest-ever war games. The drills ran for at least five days and involved what Beijing called a "conventional missile firepower assault" in waters to the east of Taiwan. They were followed by more drills that month after another delegation of US lawmakers visited Taipei. China went on to deploy 71 warplanes in military exercises around Christmas that year, which the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) said were a "strike drill" responding to unspecified "provocations" and "collusion" between the United States and Taiwan. - Simulated strikes - Cross-strait tensions spiked again in April 2023, when China held three days of military drills after a meeting between Tsai and Pelosi's successor Kevin McCarthy. The war games saw Beijing simulate targeted strikes on Taiwan and encirclement of the island, including "sealing" it off. Chinese state media reported dozens of planes had practised an "aerial blockade". One of China's three aircraft carriers, the Shandong, also participated in the exercises. That August, a stopover in the United States by then vice president Lai drew Beijing's ire, with the PLA holding new war games intended to serve as a "stern warning to the collusion of 'Taiwan independence separatists' with foreign elements". Lai was then elected president last January in a contest overshadowed by fears of military threats from Beijing. Following his inauguration in May, China announced two days of drills as a "strong punishment for the separatist acts of 'Taiwan independence' forces". And in October it was a National Day speech by Lai in which he vowed to "resist annexation" that angered Beijing, which sent fighter jets and warships around the island in another round of its "Joint Sword 2024" exercises. - 'Parasite' - Beijing has continued its campaign of military intimidation this year, launching live-fire drills in February which Taipei condemned as dangerous and a violation of "international norms". Last month, China's military vowed to tighten its "noose" around Taiwan should alleged "separatist" activities on the island continue. And this time around it's President Lai's description of China as a "foreign hostile force" that has raised Beijing's ire. The country's military released a crude cartoon describing Lai as a "parasite", warning he was "courting ultimate destruction". Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) warned that independence "means war" -- and blamed Lai for the escalation of tensions. Drills this week feature army, navy, air and rocket forces, as well as an aircraft carrier, Beijing and Taipei have said. They are aimed at, among other things, practising a "blockade on key areas and sea lanes", China's military has said -- a feat analysts say will be essential to victory in the event of an actual war. Senior Colonel Zhang Chi, a professor at the military-linked National Defense University, told Beijing's CCTV state broadcaster that such drills were now "routine". "For the People's Liberation Army and the Eastern Theatre Command it's like a regular everyday meal," he said. burs-oho/jfx Senators to grill Trump pick for top US military position Washington, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 President Donald Trump's nominee to be the top US military officer will testify Tuesday before a Senate hearing, where he will likely be grilled about his readiness for the job given his lack of required experience. Democrats have sharply criticized the dismissal of general CQ Brown -- the previous chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- and other senior officers, accusing Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of seeking to ensure the military is led by people loyal to the president. In an unusual move, Trump nominated Dan Caine, a retired lieutenant general, to replace Brown earlier this year. Nominees for chair of the Joint Chiefs must have served as the head of a military branch, as a commander of a combatant command or as vice chair -- none of which Caine has done -- but the president may waive that requirement. Caine has served in positions including associate director for military affairs at the CIA as well as in various operational and staff roles, and flew more than 150 hours in combat as an F-16 pilot, an aircraft in which he logged more than 2,800 hours in total. A military official who served with Caine said shortly after Trump announced his nomination that the retired general has "never been a partisan actor, always been apolitical and focused on just simply warfighting and whatever the mission success is." - 'Razin' Caine - Trump has described Caine as "an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a 'warfighter' with significant interagency and special operations experience." The president apparently became enamored of Caine after meeting him in Iraq during his first term, where the general told Trump that his nickname was "Razin." "I said, wait a minute, your name is Razin Caine? I love you, I've been looking for you for five years... this is what I want," Trump told an investor forum in February. Trump abruptly fired Brown without explanation, leaving the vice chair to lead the Joint Chiefs in an acting capacity. Hegseth said following Brown's dismissal that the general is "an honorable man" but "not the right man for the moment." In addition to Brown, top US Navy officer admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Air Force vice chief of staff and three senior military lawyers have also been sacked. Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers including Jack Reed -- the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee -- have raised concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally apolitical US military. Taiwan arrests Chinese man in rubber boat off outlying island Taipei, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 Taiwan's coast guard said Tuesday it had arrested a Chinese man in a rubber boat trying to "illegally" enter one of its outlying islands, as Beijing staged large-scale military drills. The man was spotted shortly before 7:00 am (2300 GMT on Monday) off the main island of the Kinmen archipelago, the coast guard said in a statement. The Kinmen islands are administered by Taipei but are located just a few kilometres from China's mainland. "At 6:49 am today a Chinese male was found attempting to illegally enter Kinmen," the statement said. The man was arrested by coast guard personnel and taken in for questioning. He would later be handed to Taiwanese prosecutors for investigation, it said. A short time later, four China Coast Guard vessels were detected in waters around the Taiwan-controlled Matsu islands of Xiyin and Wuqiu. "It can not be ruled out that this is related to the drills, or even part of the drills," the Taiwan coast guard said. "It is very clear that China is adopting a hybrid approach of grey-zone harassment or military exercises." Beijing insists democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. China's latest large-scale military drills around Taiwan come days after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States would ensure "credible deterrence" across the Taiwan Strait. Beijing said Tuesday's exercises were aimed at practising for "precision strikes" and a blockade of the self-ruled island and to send a "stern warning" to alleged separatists in Taiwan. The Taiwan Strait: crucial waterway and military flashpoint Beijing, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 China has launched some of its biggest military drills around Taiwan in months, in what it said was a "warning" to separatist forces on the island. Here, AFP looks at the Taiwan Strait, a critical waterway and growing military flashpoint: - Where is the Taiwan Strait? - The strait separates the eastern Chinese province of Fujian from the main island of Taiwan, home to around 23 million people. At its narrowest point, just 130 kilometres (about 80 miles) of windswept water separates the two major landmasses, and several outlying Taiwanese islands -- including Kinmen and Matsu -- lie just a few kilometres from the Chinese coastline. China and Taiwan have been governed separately since Mao Zedong's communist army won a civil war and sent the opposition nationalist forces fleeing across the strait in 1949. Beijing has maintained ever since that the island is part of its territory, and has not ruled out using force to bring it under control. - Why is it important? - The strait is a critical artery for global shipping through which a huge volume of trade passes every day. Around $2.45 trillion of goods -- more than a fifth of global maritime trade -- transited the strait in 2022, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. Taiwan plays an outsized role in the global economy thanks to producing over 90 percent of the world's most advanced computing chips, used in everything from smartphones to cutting-edge military equipment. Analysts say a Chinese invasion would deal a catastrophic blow to these supply chains. More minor disruptions, such as a blockade of the island, would cause costly shipping cancellations and diversions that would impact worldwide consumers. "In the event of a long conflict over Taiwan, financial markets would tank, trade would shrivel, and supply chains would freeze, plunging the global economy into a tailspin," Robert A. Manning, a China expert at Washington's Stimson Center, wrote last year. A report by the Rhodium Group estimated that a blockade of the island could cost firms dependent on Taiwan's chips $1.6 trillion in revenue annually. An invasion would also endanger Taiwan's way of life, embodied by its democratic freedoms and boisterous elections. It would also risk a wider conflict because the United States, while not recognising Taiwan diplomatically, has an agreement to help the island defend itself. - What do we know about the drills? - China announced the drills early on Tuesday morning, describing them as a "stern warning and forceful deterrent" against alleged separatist forces on the island. Beijing said the exercises -- which unlike previous iterations do not have a formal name -- "focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority" as well as "assault on maritime and ground targets". They also, crucially, practice a "blockade of key areas and sea lanes to test the joint operation capabilities of the troops" in the event of war. Taiwan dispatched its own aircraft and ships, and deployed land-based missile systems, in response to the exercises and accused Beijing of being the world's "biggest troublemaker". - Has this happened before? - China has ramped up pressure on Taiwan in recent years and has staged four large-scale military exercises around the island since 2022. In October, Chinese forces deployed fighter jets, bombers and warships in areas to the north, south and east of Taiwan, and simulated a rocket strike in drills called "Joint Sword-2024B". The manoeuvres came after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te gave a speech on Taiwan's national day that Beijing viewed as a provocative move towards independence. Beijing launched other drills -- "Joint Sword-2024A" -- in May following Lai's inauguration, and encircled Taiwan in April 2023 after his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen met with then-US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Taipei military expert Su Tzu-yun told AFP that Tuesday's drills appeared to be of similar size to the "Joint Sword" exercises in May and October. Taiwan in February also said China had staged a combat drill with aircraft and warships in "live-fire exercises" about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometres) off the island's south. China dismissed the accusations as "hype". Several major crises flared across the strait in preceding decades, most recently in 1995 to 1996 when China conducted missile tests around Taiwan. Sybiha: We start consultations with U.S. side on new text of minerals agreement Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ Ukraine is determined to work with American colleagues to achieve a mutually acceptable text of the minerals agreement for signing, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said. "I confirm that on March 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a new text of the so-called agreement on mineral resources from the American side through diplomatic channels," Sybiha said at a press conference with his Lithuanian counterpart Kestutis Budrys in Kyiv on Tuesday. Sybiha stressed that the Ukrainian side was ready to sign the previously worked out framework agreement, and now Kyiv has received "a proposal for development, and, accordingly, a new text of the agreement." "We have our own legislation on the processing of this type of documents. Accordingly, the necessary procedures have been carried out to begin the necessary domestic procedures. I confirm that we have already begun consultations with the American side on the text of the agreement. One round of these consultations has already taken place," the Foreign Minister said. He also assured that the Ukrainian side is determined to conclude a document that would meet the national interests of both the United States and Ukraine. According to the minister, Ukraine believes that the text of the agreement, which will provide for the further increased presence of large American businesses, is also a contribution to the security of infrastructure in Ukraine. "It is always important to strengthen the presence of American businesses on the territory of Ukraine. Therefore, this process will continue, and we will work with American colleagues to achieve a mutually acceptable text for signing," he stressed. Sweden investing $10 mn to modernise civil defence bunkers Stockholm, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 Sweden, where authorities have warned that the country should prepare for the risk of war, has announced a 100-million krona ($10-million) investment to check and renovate its civil defence shelters. Sweden and other European nations have announced plans to step up defence spending in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and, more recently, over doubts about US President Donald Trump's commitment to NATO. The Nordic country has 64,000 defence bunkers -- more than nearly any other nation in the world -- with space overall for around seven million people. Since Sweden joined NATO in March 2024, its Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has stepped up inspections of the shelters, some of which are large enough to accommodate thousands of people at a time. According to the MSB, civil defence shelters provide protection against shock waves and bomb fragments, the blast and heatwaves from a nuclear weapon, radioactive fallout, gas from chemical weapons and biological weapons. The government is also investing in improving the emergency services' capacity to operate during conflicts, strengthening cybersecurity and replenishing medicine stocks. The MSB said Monday that it had begun a huge project to modernise the nuclear shelters, a task it expected to take "two to three years". So far, work has started on 25 of the 80 especially large shelters, it said. In 2025, the agency plans to replace filters that help protect people in the shelters from chemical and radiological weapons. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in January that Sweden was "not at war but there is not peace either", citing hybrid attacks, suspected sabotage in the Baltic Sea and a proxy conflict fought on its soil. Last week he announced plans to increase defence spending by $30 billion over the next decade. Stockholm slashed military spending after the end of the Cold War but began increasing it again when Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea in 2014. The authorities reactivated Sweden's "total defence" strategy -- combining both military and civil defence activities -- in 2015, and began strengthening it further after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Among other things, the government has created the post of minister for civil defence to work alongside the armed forces minister, so civilians can be mobilised as well as the military. Scandinavian neighbour Denmark announced separately on Monday that it would buy an undisclosed number of Mistral air-defence missiles made by French firm MBDA. It also said it would buy 130 armoured vehicles from Finnish firm Patria for $275 million. Finland to withdraw from anti-personnel mine ban treaty Helsinki, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 Finland's prime minister said on Tuesday that Finland plans to withdraw from the international treaty banning the use of anti-personnel mines, citing the threat from Russia. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said a fundamentally changed security environment in Europe prompted Finland's decision to pull out of the 1997 Ottawa Treaty. "Finland and Europe need to evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defence capabilities, individually and in NATO," Orpo said at a press conference. "We also propose that Finland starts to prepare for withdrawal from the Ottawa Agreement," he added. The announcement comes two weeks after Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia took a first step towards also quitting the treaty, with them all pointing to the increased security risk from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The Ottawa Treaty prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. Finland's parliament needs to back the government's decision, with withdrawal becoming effective six months after that eventual approval. Orpo also said that Finland would boost its defence spending to at least three percent of GDP by 2029 and launch a reform of its defence forces to tackle a deteriorating security situation. "With these solutions, we will ensure that Finland's defence is in good shape for years to come. I am very pleased that these solutions have broad parliamentary support," he said. More than 160 countries and territories are party to the Ottawa Treaty, including Ukraine. Neither the United States nor Russia are signatories. Finland abandoned the anti-personnel mines in 2012 when it joined the treaty and subsequently destroyed more than a million mines. Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) border with Russia, dropped decades of military non-alignment and joined the NATO in 2023. Five takeaways from Marine Le Pen verdict Paris, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 The conviction of French far right leader Marine Le Pen and immediate ban on standing for political office has stunned her movement, sparked impassioned reactions abroad and added further uncertainty to the 2027 presidential race. Here are five takeaways from the verdict which appears set to mark a turning point in modern French political history: - Far right defiant - The verdict, as it stands, would mean that Le Pen would be unable to run in 2027 presidential elections where she would have her fourth and likely best ever chance of winning the Elysee. But she can appeal, and if that fails, she already has a clear "plan-B" in the shape of the National Rally (RN) party leader Jordan Bardella, who would take her place as candidate. Attacking what Le Pen described as a "political decision", the RN's leaders insisted that they could emerge from the situation strengthened. "Don't be intimidated. Don't be demoralised... We will win," Le Pen said in a typically combative appearance before her MPs in parliament Tuesday. Bardella predicted in a radio interview that "millions of people" who did not normally vote for the RN would switch their allegiance to Le Pen. - Narrow but possible path - Le Pen's sole realistic legal avenue is to appeal the verdict, which she has vowed to do rapidly, saying: "I will not let myself be eliminated." But with the election due to be held in April 2027, the timeframe is narrow. This second trial is not expected to take place for at least a year, with a decision several weeks later. "Technically, it's probably possible; it needs to be examined and determined based on the judicial calendar," France's prosecutor general Remy Heitz told broadcaster RTL, adding that the dates would be known "probably fairly soon". But, above all, there is no guarantee that the appeals court will issue a different decision than the lower court. - Start of 2027 campaign - There is little question that the RN, the biggest single party in the French parliament, will play a major role in the 2027 election whichever candidate it fields. But the contours of the election are far from set, with President Emmanuel Macron not allowed to stand a third time. It is currently unclear which candidates will emerge to represent the centre and traditional right. So far, Macron's former prime minister Edouard Philippe is the most high-profile figure to have thrown his hat into the ring from this camp. Polls had forecast Le Pen was on course to easily win the first round of voting. "This was the person who was in pole position in all pre-election polls. This is the first episode of this presidential election," said Frederic Dabi, director of the Ifop pollster. "This cannot fail to have very strong effects on the French." - International cause celebre - The Kremlin reacted even before the full verdict was announced, with Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov lamenting that "more and more European capitals are going down the path of violating democratic norms." His comments were echoed by European far-right figures such as Geert Wilders of the Netherlands, while the world's richest person Elon Musk, an advisor to US President Donald Trump, chipped in, accusing the "radical left" of using their "standard playbook throughout the world". "She was banned from running for five years and she is the leading candidate. That sounds like this country," said Trump, comparing her conviction to the "lawfare" he says was waged against him before becoming president. For Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, leader of the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, the verdict "targets the leader of a major party and deprives millions of citizens of representation." - Spotlight on Bardella - Even if Le Pen insists her 2027 dream is not over, the situation has inevitably increased attention on Bardella, 29, who unlike several other RN officials, was not under investigation in the case. Le Pen has herself said that Bardella has the "capacity" to be president even if her protege refuses to publicly discuss the issue. He said Tuesday that Le Pen "gave me everything in politics and the least I owe her is to continue the fight with her, until the end." "The RN is not in a desperate situation, it affects the RN but they have someone," said Dabi, referring to Bardella. Questions remain over his experience and whether he could hold his own in a presidential debate on policy against the likes of Philippe, although even critics acknowledge his media appearances are consistently smooth. According to a Toluna Harris Interactive poll for RTL, conducted after the ruling, Bardella would garner up to 36 percent of votes in the first round of the presidential election, a score similar to that of Le Pen. sjw/as/fg Trump's pick for top US officer pledges to be nonpartisan leader Washington, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 President Donald Trump's nominee to be the top US military officer told lawmakers Tuesday he would be a nonpartisan leader amid concerns that senior members of the armed forces have been dismissed for political reasons. Democrats have sharply criticized the firing of general CQ Brown -- the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- and other top officers, accusing Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of seeking to ensure the military is led by people loyal to the president. Retired lieutenant general Dan Caine sought to allay such concerns about his nomination, saying that if confirmed, "I'll continue the traditions and standards of my oath of office and my commission as a nonpartisan leader who will always strive to do the right thing." Caine said that guarding against politicization of the military "starts with being a good example from the top and making sure that we are nonpartisan and apolitical and speaking the truth to power every day." "The nation and the Constitution all require a nonpartisan military," he said. Caine also addressed an account that he had put on a "Make America Great Again" hat while meeting with Trump in the past, suggesting the president may have been recalling actions by someone else. "For 34 years, I've upheld my oath of office and my commitment to my commission, and I have never worn any political merchandise," said Caine, who was nominated by Trump to replace Brown in a highly unusual move earlier this year. - 'Razin' Caine - Nominees for chairman of the Joint Chiefs must have served as the head of a military branch, as a commander of a combatant command or as vice chairman -- none of which Caine has done -- but the president may waive that requirement. Caine has served in positions including associate director for military affairs at the CIA as well as in various operational and staff roles, and flew more than 150 hours in combat as an F-16 pilot, an aircraft in which he logged more than 2,800 hours in total. A military official who served with Caine said shortly after Trump announced his nomination that the retired general has "never been a partisan actor, always been apolitical and focused on just simply warfighting and whatever the mission success is." Trump has described Caine as "an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a 'warfighter' with significant interagency and special operations experience." The president apparently became enamored of Caine after meeting him in Iraq during his first term, where the general told Trump that his nickname was "Razin." "I said, wait a minute, your name is Razin Caine? I love you, I've been looking for you for five years... this is what I want," Trump told an investor forum in February. Trump abruptly fired Brown in February without explanation, leaving the vice chairman to lead the Joint Chiefs in an acting capacity. In addition to him, top US Navy officer admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Air Force vice chief of staff and three senior military lawyers have also been sacked. Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally apolitical US military. Denmark buys French missiles during King Frederik's visit Paris, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 France will deliver several hundred Mistral surface-to-air missiles to Denmark, the Elysee Palace said Tuesday, as King Frederik X and President Emmanuel Macron pledged a share commitment to a "stronger" Europe. Denmark has in recent months been seeking European backing to counter US President Donald Trump's threats to take over Greenland. Trump has signalled that he wants the strategically located, resource-rich Danish territory to become part of the United States. A framework agreement signed during King Frederik X's first state visit to France foresees "the supply of 250 to 1,000 Mistral 3 missiles," the Elysee said, without further details. "Today we mark... a shared commitment to create a stronger and more resilient Europe for the future," King Frederik X said in English, speaking at a Franco-Danish economic forum. Macron said Denmark could count on France. "When the winds are blowing hard in Denmark, France is there," he said. "When times are tough, we stand side by side." Denmark, generally perceived as an ally of Washington, has been seeking to ramp up ties with France and boost European security. "Close cooperation with France is absolutely necessary in times of war in Europe and in a constantly changing security situation," the Danish defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, said in Paris. "Strengthening the European defence industry is crucial for the success of the ongoing rearmament," he added. The Mistral 3 is a short-range surface-to-air defence missile used against all types of targets, including fighter jets, transport planes, helicopters, drones and cruise missiles. In 2024, eight European countries including France and Denmark signed an agreement for the joint acquisition of the missile. Denmark, one of Ukraine's main supporters, has said it is in particular need of anti-aircraft defence systems. The country had earlier acquired 19 French-made Caesar cannons, which it handed over to Ukraine. Denmark has also purchased 130 Finnish Patria armoured personnel carriers, said a statement from the country's defence ministry. Last US soldier who went missing in Lithuania found dead: US army Vilnius, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 The last of the four American soldiers missing in Lithuania since last week was on Tuesday also found dead, the US Army said, without providing additional details. The three other soldiers were found dead on Monday after rescuers recovered their armoured vehicle from a swamp. Lithuanian authorities received a report last Tuesday that the soldiers went missing during a military drill at a training ground in the eastern city of Pabrade, near the border with Belarus. "The fourth US Army Soldier assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division was found deceased near Pabrade, Lithuania the afternoon of April 1," US Army Europe and Africa's public affairs office said in a statement. "The Soldier's identity is being withheld pending confirmation of notification of next of kin," it added. The army did not specify where exactly the soldier was found. Lithuania's defence ministry expressed "deep sorrow" over the death. "We extend our condolences to the families of all four soldiers lost in this tragic accident and thank all those involved in the search efforts," it added on social network X. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the "brave servicemembers who enabled this difficult recovery and to our Lithuanian hosts who labored alongside them". "The recovery was conducted with urgency, resolve and deep respect for the fallen," he said on X. "We will never forget these soldiers -- and our prayers are with their families." Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, hosts more than 1,000 American troops stationed on a rotational basis. Two injured in attack on Christians in north Iraq Dohuk, Iraq, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 Two people were injured on Tuesday in an attack on an Assyrian Christian celebration in northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, officials said. The region's Asayesh police force said it was investigating the attack in the city of Dohuk and could not yet determine whether it was a "terrorist" act. A Syrian suspect was arrested, a top government official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Kurdish media said the attacker used a cleaver. According to a police source, the attack took place in a market and targeted the Akitu springtime celebrations observed by members of the Assyrian community to mark the first day of their calendar year. "A 65-year-old woman was hit on the head" and suffered a haemorrhage that did not require surgery, Dohuk medical authorities said, adding that her condition was "stable". Another 25-year-old man suffered a minor scalp wound, the authorities added. Dohuk governor Ali Tatar told a press conference that "our security forces arrested the suspect... the investigation is ongoing". Iraq's Christian population plunged from some 1.5 million before the fall of Saddam Hussein in the early 2000s to about 400,000, the majority having fled successive bouts of violence in the country. Trump nominee says to press UK on Israel arms Washington, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to London said Tuesday he would ask Britain to reverse a partial suspension of arms exports to Israel, a decision taken over rights concerns. Warren Stephens, an Arkansas-based investment banker and political donor to Trump named for the coveted diplomatic posting, said he was "a little perplexed" by the decision of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "What I've read about that, with the UK halting some of their shipments to Israel, is certainly concerning," Stephens said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "I would do my part to encourage them to reinstate those permits and to try to get them, you know, what they need to continue the fight," he said. He was responding to a question of Republican Senator Rick Scott, who said Starmer's Labour Party "treats Israel as a problem and not a solution" and called on Stephens to "try to educate" Britain on Israel. Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, announced in September that Britain would suspend 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel out of fear the weapons could be used in breach of humanitarian law as Israel pounds Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Starmer said at the time that Britain still supported "Israel's right to self-defense" but was "committed to the international rule of law." The decision reversed the position of the previous Conservative government and contrasted with the stance of the United States, which under president Joe Biden voiced concern about Israel's use of US weapons but with one exception maintained shipments. The Biden administration did not criticize Starmer's move, saying Britain made its own sovereign decisions. Trump has vowed robust support for Israel. Despite slashing the vast majority of US aid abroad, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the speeding up of some $4 billion in weapons to Israel. Five takeaways from Marine Le Pen verdict Paris, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 The conviction of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and an immediate ban on standing for political office has stunned her movement, sparked impassioned reactions abroad and added further uncertainty to the 2027 presidential race. Here are five takeaways from the verdict, which appears set to mark a turning point in modern French political history: - Far right defiant - The verdict, as it stands, would mean that Le Pen would be unable to run in 2027 presidential elections, in which she would have her fourth and likely best ever chance of winning the Elysee. But she will appeal, and if that fails, she already has a clear "plan-B" in the shape of the National Rally (RN) party leader Jordan Bardella, who would take her place as candidate. Attacking what Le Pen described as a "political decision", the RN's leaders insisted that they could emerge from the situation strengthened. "Don't be intimidated. Don't be demoralised... We will win," Le Pen said in a typically combative appearance before her MPs in parliament Tuesday. Bardella predicted in a radio interview that "millions of people" who did not normally vote for the RN would switch their allegiance to Le Pen. - Narrow but possible path - Le Pen's sole realistic legal avenue is to appeal the verdict, which she has vowed to do rapidly, saying: "I will not let myself be eliminated." But with the election due to be held in April 2027, the timeframe is narrow. On Tuesday evening, the Paris Court of Appeal said it would examine Le Pen's case "within a timeframe that should allow a decision to be reached in the summer of 2026". This implies that the decision would therefore be handed down before the 2027 presidential election, in which Le Pen wants to run. But there is no guarantee that the appeals court will overturn the lower court ruling. - Start of 2027 campaign - There is little question that the RN, the biggest single party in the French parliament, will play a major role in the 2027 election, no matter the candidate it fields. But the contours of the election are far from set, with President Emmanuel Macron not allowed to stand a third time. It is currently unclear which candidates will emerge to represent the centre and traditional right. So far, Macron's former prime minister Edouard Philippe is the most high-profile figure to have thrown his hat into the ring from this camp. Polls had forecast Le Pen was on course to easily win the first round of voting. "This was the person who was in pole position in all pre-election polls. This is the first episode of this presidential election," said Frederic Dabi, director of the Ifop pollster. "This cannot fail to have very strong effects on the French." - International cause celebre - The Kremlin reacted even before the full verdict was announced, with Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov lamenting that "more and more European capitals are going down the path of violating democratic norms." His comments were echoed by European far-right figures such as Geert Wilders of the Netherlands, while the world's richest person Elon Musk, an advisor to US President Donald Trump, chipped in, accusing the "radical left" of using their "standard playbook throughout the world". "She was banned from running for five years and she is the leading candidate. That sounds like this country," said Trump, comparing her conviction to the "lawfare" he says was waged against him before becoming president. For Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, leader of the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, the verdict "targets the leader of a major party and deprives millions of citizens of representation." - Spotlight on Bardella - Even if Le Pen insists her 2027 dream is not over, the situation has inevitably increased attention on Bardella, 29, who unlike several other RN officials, was not under investigation in the case. Le Pen has herself said that Bardella has the "capacity" to be president even if her protege refuses to publicly discuss the issue. He said Tuesday that Le Pen "gave me everything in politics and the least I owe her is to continue the fight with her, until the end." "The RN is not in a desperate situation, it affects the RN but they have someone," said Dabi, referring to Bardella. Questions remain over his experience and whether he could hold his own in a presidential debate on policy against the likes of Philippe, although even critics acknowledge his media appearances are consistently smooth. According to a Toluna Harris Interactive poll for RTL, conducted after the ruling, Bardella would garner up to 36 percent of votes in the first round of the presidential election, a score similar to that of Le Pen. sjw-as/yad Sybiha: Ukraine to never recognize any territories stolen by Russia, to not agree on army limits Photo: MFA of Ukraine Ukraine will never recognize the occupation of Ukrainian territories by Russia, will not agree to any restrictions on the army and will not allow blocking the choice of alliances and unions, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. "We will never recognize any territories stolen by Russia, will not agree to any restrictions on our army or defense capabilities, will not allow anyone to block our choice of alliances and unions," he said at a press conference with his Lithuanian counterpart Kestutis Budrys in Kyiv on Tuesday. Sybiha stressed that the Ukrainian army should become stronger, and deterrence against Russia should be strengthened both now and after the war. He also informed his Lithuanian counterpart about the results of the negotiations in Saudi Arabia and emphasized Ukraine's principled positions. The Foreign Minister emphasized that Lithuania is one of Ukraine's closest allies. According to him, the total amount of Lithuanian aid amounted to more than EUR 1.5 billion, which is about 2% of GDP. Sybiha expressed gratitude to Lithuania for its unwavering support. The head of the Ukrainian diplomatic service also thanked Lithuania for its readiness for practical participation in the Coalition of the Willing, training Ukrainian soldiers, treating the wounded, repairing damaged equipment, as well as for assistance and leadership in the areas of reconstruction, support and restoration of the energy sector. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its strong protest against the forced mobilisation of Ukrainian citizens into the armed forces and other military formations by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine - the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, as part of the so-called "spring draft 2025." "Russia's 'conscription' in the occupied territories grossly violates international law, particularly the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, which prohibits the occupying power from forcing persons to serve in its armed or auxiliary forces, as well as from exerting pressure and propaganda in favour of voluntary enlistment," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry calls on the international community to increase political, diplomatic, sanctions and other types of pressure on the Kremlin regime. "We call on international organisations, in particular the UN, OSCE and Council of Europe, to take all necessary measures to protect the rights of enslaved Ukrainian citizens, who are subjected to pressure from the occupation authorities, and to document Russian crimes," the statement says. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeals to ethnic Ukrainians who are citizens of the Russian Federation in the Kuban, Starodub region, Northern and Eastern Slobozhanshchyna within the current Krasnodar Territory, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Rostov regions of the Russian Federation: remember your ancestral lineage and roots and do not take part in the criminal war against the homeland of your ancestors. He added: Taking our food security for granted in an increasingly volatile world, an increasingly insecure world, is something which is a risk too far for 70 million consumers living on this island and the Government has got to stand up for agriculture at this moment in these trade deals. One of the things that I think has been disappointing is that the offer thats before everybody has not actually been put to union members to consider, so the ballot that was taken around the principle of industrial action rather than the offer being put to union members for their assessment, Mr Plant said. 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 While working at HMP Liverpool in March 2018, she told the jury she was called to a meeting with the main governor Robert Durgan, after the Prison Service found out she had three County Court Judgments (CCJ) against her, which is against the rules for staff as it may make them vulnerable to financial inducements. "It's shocking, it's unbelievable, but it's also not surprising, the Youth Demand spokesperson told the Standard. What we are trying to show here is solidarity, against a government that is desperately trying to shut us down." The delegation of the Verkhovna Rada and representatives of the lower and upper houses of the Japanese parliament discussed issues of cooperation in the field of security. Tokyo, Japan The visit commenced with discussions involving representatives of both chambers of Parliament Speaker of the House of Representatives, Fukushiro Nukaga, and President of the House of Councillors, Masakazu Sekiguchi A crucial point of discussion was security collaboration. With Japan's evolving security policy, we underscored the importance of expanding dialogue on the Three Principles on Arms Exports to enhance defense cooperation between our nations, head of the Verkhovna Rada delegation, Halyna Mykhayliuk (Servant of the People faction), reported on Facebook on Tuesday. According to Mykhayliuk, the deputies also presented their Japanese colleagues with the Victory Plan - a Ukrainian strategy for achieving a just peace, which is based on two key elements: "strengthening sanctions and further isolation of Russia" and increasing military aid and long-term security guarantees for Ukraine. Ms Kirby thanked the King and Queen, who sent them letters of condolence; as well as David Cameron, the former secretary of state for the Foreign Office; and former Conservative MP Charlotte Leslie for their support. Mother-of-three Ms Giuffre, 41, earlier wrote in the an Instagram post: This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I wont bore anyone with the details but I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can. A traffic accident occurred near Scheiblingkirchen (Austria), according to police, four Ukrainian citizens were killed and four more people were seriously injured, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported. "At about 7 a.m. on April 1, near Scheiblingkirchen, Austria, a traffic accident occurred. A minibus with eight Ukrainian citizens crashed into a truck. The Ukrainian consul immediately arrived at the scene. According to the police, four Ukrainian citizens (born in 1960, 1963, 1970, 1971) were killed, and another four people were seriously injured," the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. It is noted that there were two Spanish citizens in the truck, who were also injured. "The Ukrainian consul is at the scene of the incident, providing assistance to Ukrainian citizens, and is working with the agencies involved," the Foreign Ministry press service added. Earlier, Die Zeit reported, citing Austrian police, that four women were killed in a collision between a minibus and a truck in Austria on Tuesday, the minibus driver and three other women were seriously injured, all passengers in the minibus were from Ukraine. At a meeting on Tuesday, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine considered it appropriate to attract a EUR100 million loan from the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEDB) for the implementation of the project "HOME: Compensation for Destroyed Residential Properties," as well as EUR50 million for the implementation of the project "Housing for Internally Displaced Persons", the government's representative in parliament Taras Melnychuk reported on Telegram. Also on Tuesday, the government considered it appropriate to attract a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the implementation of the project "Ukraine Water Recovery" in the amount of EUR100 million, and the same amount for the implementation of the project "Ukraine Recovery Program III" Tranche B, the purpose of which is to restore and modernize basic social services in the areas of education, healthcare, housing for internally displaced persons, social protection, as well as restore and modernize critical infrastructure in the territories that have suffered significant destruction and in the regions that have hosted the largest number of internally displaced persons. Sybiha: There can be no return to usual business with Russia, whether its Nord Stream or any other projects Photo: MFA of Ukraine Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha confirmed that he had received an invitation to take part in the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, which will take place in Brussels on April 3-4. "We are discussing increasing sanctions pressure on Russia. I would like to emphasize to those who still have illusions about Russia: there can be no return to the old days, to the usual business with Russia, whether its Nord Stream or any other projects," he said at a joint press conference with German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Kyiv on Tuesday. According to Sybiha, "Moscow is an existential threat, any business with Russia is money for the Russian military machine, and therefore a direct threat to the security and well-being of every European family." The minister separately emphasized that Ukraine hopes for further support from Germany in the issue of the full use of Russian frozen assets to help Ukraine. In addition, the heads of the Foreign Ministries separately discussed the importance of bringing Russian criminals to justice, "the need for specific orders, sentences, compensation." "We continue to work together in this direction," said Sybiha. He also congratulated Baerbock on her nomination for the post of President of the UN General Assembly. "I am sure that this is excellent news for Ukraine, for all UN member states that value peace and security," he noted. The role of a journalist is to preserve history and pass on the reality to future generations, AGERPRES Director General Claudia Nicolae said at a cross-border conference as part of BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project. She said Bulgaria and Romania gradually began to understand that cultural and regional peculiarities will lead to other collaborations and common interests, as was the case with BTA and AGERPRES, both of which work for common interests and promote objective information. Beyond the areas of interest that we are talking about today - research, education, cohesion, which actually tell us about our belonging to the EU and joining European policies - I think journalism is the main link that can, on the one hand, promote and encourage all these developments, and on the other hand, defend reliable information, added Nicolae. If we can create a bridge between journalism, research and science, we can see the common goals very clearly and we will see very clearly in the future the footprint on each field, she concluded. BTA Director General Kiril Valchev noted that April has a symbolic meaning for both countries, as the treaty for their EU accession was approved almost exactly 20 years ago by the European Parliament on April 13, 2005 and then signed on April 25, 2005 in Luxembourg. In April 2024, the air and water border controls between the two countries and the EU were abolished, before both countries were fully accepted in Schengen in 2025. In his remarks, Valchev pointed out that the two agencies have been together in the European Alliance of News Agencies for years, and with the support of Agerpres, in September 2022 BTA became the headquarters of the Association of Balkan News Agencies - Southeast Europe (ABNA - SEE), in which 12 agencies participate. Also attending the conference, Bulgarian Ambassador to Romania Radko Vlaykov said that the meaning of such projects, such as that of BTA, as well as the meaning of cooperation with agencies such as AGERPRES, is to resist the enormous power of the hybrid wars that are being waged against us, which aim to provoke Euroscepticism. "Fake news and manipulations can be answered with only one thing, the truth," the ambassador is quoted as saying, adding that this is where the huge role of the media and cooperation in the field of education and science between the two countries lies. Vlaykov also noted the traditionally good contacts between universities in Bulgaria and Romania, which have become much more intensive in recent years and are on very specific issues of the countries' contemporary development. He emphasised that Romania is Bulgaria's second biggest trading partner and Bulgaria is in fourth to fifth place among Romania's trading partners. He also noted the importance of the admission of both countries to Schengen, adding that business is already feeling the free passage, which eliminates waiting times at the borders and reduces the cost of transportation. The ambassador added that currently the best developing area of relations between the two countries is cooperation in the field of security and defence. He stated the importance of their cooperation in the Black Sea and recalled the initiative of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey in the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, as well as the importance of the role that the countries are about to play in restoring security and navigation in the Black Sea. BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. Instead of investing in storage, Romania is paying dearly for the incompetence, lack of transparency and obscure interests in the energy balancing market, representatives of Romania's Prosumers and Energy Communities Association (APCE) argue in a release on Tuesday. According to APCE, in recent months, increasingly more voices from the institutional area and among energy suppliers "have launched direct accusations against prosumers over the so-called energy imbalances", but the APCE considers this is just "an unacceptable way of diverting public attention from the true causes of system imbalances", stressing that "Romania is paying dearly for the incompetence, lack of transparency and obscure interests in the balancing market, instead of investing in storage." Imbalances in the energy system occur when there's a mismatch in a producer, consumer or supplier's declaration and what they really do, thus destabilizing the network, APCE notes, and goes on to say that if less is produced or consumption exceeds the forecast, a negative imbalance is created. "If you produce too much or consume too little, you create a positive imbalance. In both situations, it's the system that pays the price - and it's not a small one. The costs are huge and are paid on the balancing market managed by Transelectrica. Who stands to gain from imbalances? Transelectrica in the first place, and Hidroelectrica is the 'shadow king' of the balancing market due to its enormous flexibility (it can very fast turn on/off capacities) and charges very high amounts for balancing services. Then come the gas-fired power plants. (...) The imbalance is the direct effect of carelessness, lack of commitment, professionalism and general chaos in the system," the document states, stressing also that problems arise when the costs of imbalances are propagated in the chain: the supplier transfers them to the final customers or tries to cover them from the profit, causing the customers' energy bill to rise. "The costs of imbalances are not transparent. Suppliers charge them in bills, and customers pay without knowing exactly for what. Suppliers in Romania are unwilling to inform us clearly and transparently about their cost and in the public space they only threaten both prosumers and consumers. The value of imbalances can vary significantly, and in periods of high volatility (e.g. winter, low winds, unpredictable photovoltaic production), costs can reach RON 800-1,000 per MWh for negative imbalances. According to Hidroelectrica, imbalances can represent up to 5% of a consumer's bill. Other suppliers talk about a cost of RON 0.0185 per KWh. What are other countries doing that we are not? Germany, France or the Nordic countries have created digital ecosystems around balancing: AI software for forecasting, active aggregators, storage batteries, incentives for flexible consumption. Romania is just at the phase of testing pilot concepts and does not provide the real digital infrastructure," the document also states. APCE representatives claim that the information published by transmission and power system operator Transelectrica "is so technical and complicated that you need 2-3 faculties to understand it", and accuse it of doing this on purpose. On the other hand, the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) has a conservative way of regulating, penalizing imbalances without encouraging flexibility solutions. According to the association, the Romanian prosumers' output can be forecasted with high-performance software, some of which is free, but there is no one to do it. "Romania won't be able to become a modern energy market as long as imbalances are treated as a fault and a burden, and the free markt remains just a slogan on paper. As long as the Energy Ministry, ANRE and Transelectrica are not even capable of copying the Western European functional models, a natural question arises: are we talking about gross incompetence, obscure interests in the balancing market or simply bad will? APCE is firmly demanding that, from now on, suppliers and authorities stop blaming prosumers. We will no longer accept being the scapegoats for the failures of an unbalanced, outdated energy system that lacks modern legislation," the document concludes. For more than four years now, Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) MPs and party members have been the target of a veritable "propaganda machine", yet no one has reacted, the party's spokesman, deputy Dan Tanasa said on Monday in a reaction to the request by USR MPs that AUR's Mihail Neamtu be removed as head of the Culture Committee. "Petty people always discuss petty subjects. Since December 6, we have been trying to return to democracy, we have been trying to talk about the coup in Romania, we have been talking to people about the Constitution, about the law. The USR had the opportunity to support a motion of censure against the government led by Ciolacu, but they effectively surrounded Marcel Ciolacu like a defense wall, like a shield," Tanasa declared in a press conference at Parliament. Asked how he comments on Mihail Neamtu's public behavior, with reference to his use of licentious language, Tanasa replied: "For more than four years, a real propaganda machine has been unleashed against AUR MPs and AUR members, putting us through a barrage of curses, abjections, tossing at us all the slurs that can be thrown against a political party or against people. It's regrettable that neither the National Audiovisual Council, nor the Prosecutor's Office, nor the National Council for the Combat Discrimination, for example, didn't react when AUR members were labeled as Putinists, pro-Russians, Russian tins, xenophobes, legionnaires, Nazis; an absolutely abject language was directed against us. We are the target of offensive lingo in TV studios, we are labeled in every way, most often under the indulgent gaze of the moderators of those television channels that blatantly violate professional ethics by refusing to ask those who level such accusations to produce at least a shred of evidence in this regard." "We stick by a principle. Mr. Neamtu is a perfect intellectual, no one can doubt this. He has very well fulfilled his responsibilities as chair of the Culture Committee. Regarding the political approach of those from USR, I repeat, petty people go after petty subjects," argued the AUR deputy. The USR deputies demanded on Monday at the meeting of the Standing Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies the dismissal of AUR deputy Mihail Neamtu from the position of head of the Culture Committee for the public use of "completely inappropriate language." USR mentions that in a video recently posted on social networks, Mihail Neamtu "reacts violently to people's questions regarding his connections and the money allegedly received from the sponsor of pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu." Minister of European Investments and Projects Marcel Bolos declared on Tuesday that Romania is in talks with European Commission representatives for just 13 hospitals of a total of 19 planned health facilities to be built with financing under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and the other six to be built from the loan Romania will take out from the European Investment Bank. "Initially, when we launched the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, we set off with 24 hospitals, which were then cut to 19 after the first renegotiation, and now the discussions with the European Commission are that all those hospitals for which the public procurement contracts were already concluded and construction works have begun to continue with funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. This negotiation is currently underway with Commission representatives, and is due to be finalized this month. The Commission's concern is that these hospital infrastructure projects, which are complex and carry a high implementation risk, will not be completed by August 31, 2026," Marcel Bolos explained at the Palace of Parliament. According to him, solutions are to be identified for these hospitals to be completed either by transferring them to the Cohesion Policy, respectively the Health Program, or to the EIB loan, which is in the contracting procedure. Marcel Bolos was invited on Tuesday to the Chamber of Deputies' European Affairs Committee to present the status of the negotiations and proposals to amend the NRRP. Presidential candidate of the 'Romania Forward' Alliance Crin Antonescu emphasized on Tuesday in Constanta, the importance of the fact that this eastern area of Romania has "three extremely precious assets" - energy, the seaport and an exemplary interethnic coexistence, to which the Mihail Kogalniceanu Base adds - "an essential element in the security system." According to Antonescu, Romania can become a significant energy player in the European Union, alone with Constanta County's resources and facilities. "Three extremely precious assets for today's and especially tomorrow's Europe and implicitly for Romania are first and foremost here in Constanta. Firstly there's energy - as Romania wants to be energy independent and can become an energy producer and supplier for the European Union, for other clients outside Romania. Here, very near in the open sea we have the large Neptun Deep natural gas project. Also here, in Cogealac, we have Romania's largest concentration of wind energy, there's also the Cernavoda nuclear energy facility. So, alone with the energy capabilities in Constanta County, Romania can become a significant energy player in the European Union," Antonescu told a meeting with campaign teams and leaders of the Constanta County administration. He added that the Port of Constanta can become the most important in the European Union "in an economic and strategic construction of the future, the Middle Corridor that goes all the way to Central Asia and all the way to China." The presidential hopeful also praised the model of interethnic coexistence in Dobrogea, as "the third absolutely significant thing, apparently less important, but with deep cultural and spiritual significance, the model Dobrogea and Constanta offer Romania and the European Union, as a traditional coexistence between several cultures, religions, and traditions." "Why is this tradition so important? Because it is necessary in the spiritual architecture, in the cultural architecture of a Europe that is somewhat adrift now, and in the stabilization, settlement, resettlement and health of which we as Romanians believe we are called to have a say," Antonescu explained. He also emphasized the importance of the Mihail Kogalniceanu military base "as an essential element in Romania and NATO's current security system." "And thus, Dobrogea and Constanta can become and assert themselves not only as an economic and energy gateway of the European Union, but simply as a key point on NATO's eastern flank," said Antonescu. According to him, in order to capitalize on the potential of these perspectives - energy, energy independence, energy supplier, commercial openness, gateway to the EU, the Middle Corridor, and interculturality model, a "state policy, governmental policy, foreign policy" is needed, but also a president dedicated to these goals. "All these perspectives are guaranteed by a president who sets his sights on these goals, has the skill to pursue them, the steadfastness to find the fastest and most efficient possibilities to achieve them and who, together with the government, the parliamentary majority and the local administration, can build and carry out large-scale projects for this country. That's what I'm running for", said the presidential candidate of the 'Romania Forward' Alliance. Senate Interim President Mircea Abrudean, who is on an official visit to Paris on Monday and Tuesday, said that Romania's accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) remains a national strategic project. According to a Senate press release sent to AGERPRES, the Romanian official had meetings with the French Senate President Gerard Larcher and with Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Mathias Cormann. During discussions with Gerard Larcher, strategic topics of interest for the Romanian-French bilateral relations were addressed, highlighting the fact that France is an essential partner for Romania. "This year marks 145 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and the intensity of high-level political contacts in recent times demonstrates the solidity of these ties, including at the parliamentary level," the quoted source mentions. Furthermore, deepening the economic dimension of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and France was discussed, in the context of current global economic challenges. The common priority is to develop collaboration in high-added-value sectors such as information and communication technology, aerospace industry, energy and defence industry. The Romanian Senate interim president underlined the importance of cooperation in the regional security area to strengthen bilateral economic relations: "Romania and France share the same values in a continuously changing security context. We discussed regional security, essential for the development of stronger economic cooperation. A key point on the agenda was supporting Romania's accession to the OECD, a national goal we aim to achieve in 2026." During the meeting with Mathias Cormann, Mircea Abrudean reaffirmed Romania's firm commitment to completing the accession process by 2026. At the same time, he thanked the OECD official for the constant support given to Romania and highlighted the significant progress made so far. "Romania's accession to the OECD remains a national strategic project. Being part of this group of countries means more prosperity for Romania and represents a strong indicator of confidence for both domestic and international investors, in terms of the health of our internal economy. I will continue to support this fundamental goal, just as I have done until now: with responsibility, transparency, honesty, and fairness!," the Romanian official also said. Siret Border Crossing Point Police (SPF) - Sighetu Marmatiei Border Police Territorial Inspectorate (ITPF) officers, in collaboration with the Romanian Customs Authority detained a lorry carrying over 2.6 million cigarettes worth half a million euro, Sighetu Marmatiei Border Police Territorial Inspectorate Spokesperson Iulia Stan informed on Tuesday. According to the source, the packs of cigarettes, coming from outside the EU, were hidden in a lorry registered in Ukraine carrying pallets with construction material. The total value of the seizure is estimated at over 2,580,000 lei (approximately 516,000 euro). The lorry and the load were seized until the end of investigations, said Iulia Stan. According to the same source, investigations are conducted under the coordination of a prosecutor with the Prosecutor's Officer near the Radauty Court, for smuggling and fake document use, according to Law No 86/2006 on Romania's Customs Code. British-American influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan left Bucharest for Dubai on Tuesday on a private flight after complying with a judicial control measure requiring them to report to a police station in Romania, where they are being investigated for human trafficking and rape, EFE reports. The Tate brothers recently returned to Romania from the U.S., where they visited with the approval of the anti-crime case prosecutor. According to the judicial control measure, they must report to the police every two months. The two brothers were also summoned to the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism headquarters on Tuesday to have their judicial control extended by another two months. As they took off from Otopeni Airport they shared images of their departure on the social network X. "Tate Force One - taking off," Andrew Tate wrote to his over 10 million X followers, accompanying his message by a video showing the luxury private plane he was flying in. Although their lawyers assured that they would return to Romania, the plane's destination, Dubai, raised suspicions, as the United Arab Emirates does not have an extradition treaty with Romania. The brothers are under investigation in Romania for forming an organised criminal group, human trafficking, trafficking of minors and money laundering. Andrew Tate also faces allegations of rape and sex with a minor. The two also face separate charges of rape and human trafficking in the UK. Police shootings in the St. Louis region in 2025 Outside a St. Louis bar on New Year's Day. Inside a doctor's home in Fenton. At least 12 times in 2025, police across the St. Louis region have shot a suspect. Six of those shootings were fatal. Here is a list of Post-Dispatch news articles about this year's police shootings. Photo: https://mfa.gov.ua/ Ukraine is already ready to open the first cluster of negotiations on joining the European Union, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. "An important topic of the talks was Ukraine's integration into the European Union and NATO. We appreciate Minister Baerbock's support on this path. Ukraine is ready to open the first cluster of negotiations on joining the EU. We are working to ensure that this happens as quickly as possible," he said at a joint press conference with German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Kyiv on Tuesday. Sybiha separately thanked Germany for the new aid packages, emphasizing that the additional EUR 3 billion are "about new air defense systems, artillery, drones, armored vehicles, sapper equipment and much more. And above all, this is what will save Ukrainian lives." "Germany is proving its leadership and providing exactly what we need most, and words never diverge from concrete actions. It is important that Germany has also allocated more than EUR 8 billion for the coming years," the head of the Foreign Ministry said. According to him, this will allow new contracts to be concluded with German defense industry companies already now, and "such decisions guarantee long-term security, and the security of Ukraine, Germany and Europe is indivisible." "I am grateful to the German people and all democratic forces that worked to achieve these decisions. We are confident that Germany's support will continue and grow in the coming years, and we value this genuine German reliability," Sybiha emphasized. ST. LOUIS Mayor Tishaura O. Jones again failed to keep pace with the fundraising of her challenger, Alderwoman Cara Spencer, a task made harder in recent weeks following the mayors distant second-place finish in the March 4 primary. Spencer and her political action committee together raised over $375,000 over the last month, according to the most recent campaign finance filings, compared to about $179,000 Mayor Jones and the PAC supporting her raised. Spencers haul put her campaign at almost $1.1 million in total contributions this election, according to the reports, filed Monday. The PAC supporting her raised another $580,000. Jones campaign has raised $991,000 over the course of the campaign, while her PAC raised another $232,000. Spencers campaign and PAC spent almost $380,000 over the last month, and a combined $1.4 million on the campaign thus far, with about $140,000 left to spend in the campaigns final days. Jones and her PAC spent $280,000 over the last month, bringing their combined spending to more than $1.3 million over the whole campaign cycle and leaving the mayors campaign and PAC with about $80,000 in the bank. Spencer in March won votes from some 68% of voters. Jones finished with 33%. Donors to the two camps followed familiar patterns. Developers in St. Louis have flocked to Spencer. Clayco founder Bob Clark has been a prolific donor to Spencer, with he and his companies sending over $130,000 Spencers way. In March, the alderwomans PAC received another $50,000 from a Clayco affiliated firm, the Lamar Johnson Collaborative, an architecture firm that works with Clayco, according to the Monday filings. Clark, his wife and other Clayco executives donated at least another $8,000 to Spencers campaign. Also kicking in for Spencer, according to the new filings: former Mayor Lyda Krewson; Byron Clemens, with the local teachers union; Tom Carnahan, a Democratic party fundraiser and son of former Gov. Mel Carnahan; Lacy Clay, the former St. Louis congressman; John Dubinsky, a retired banker and civic booster; and Tim Person, treasurer of Comptroller Darlene Greens PAC. Jones, meanwhile, took in big money from her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, which gave $10,000 to her PAC. Also donating to Jones were Ken and Nancy Kranzberg, the Grand Center Arts District boosters; former Build-A-Bear CEO Maxine Clark; political consultants David Barklage and Richard Callow; the United Auto Workers; and Alderman Shane Cohn. For campaign finance reports in the comptroller race, please see Baringer outraises Green in St. Louis comptroller race. Baringer outraises Green in St. Louis comptroller race Former alderwoman and state representative Donna Baringer is the first serious challenger to Darlene Green in decades. ST. LOUIS Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler will endorse Mayor Tishaura O. Jones for reelection this week, giving the incumbent a boost in the final days before voters render their verdict. Butler, who finished third in the March 4 mayoral primary, did not criticize Alderwoman Cara Spencer, Jones opponent in the April 8 run-off. And he acknowledged that the mayor faces an uphill battle after finishing a distant second in the primary to Spencer. But he said he believes in her platform and applauded her administrations investments in fixing up vacant housing and boosting programs aimed at reducing crime by giving young people more to do and helping people getting out of prison find jobs and health care. Im endorsing a platform that I believe in and solutions that I believe in, he said. Jones had been counting on the endorsement. Butler only got support from a quarter of primary voters, but the mayor needs every vote she can get after she finished 35 percentage points behind Spencer in the primary. And her allies have said converting Butler voters and turning out more Jones voters, especially in north St. Louis, is the clearest path to being competitive. Butler was noncommittal in the first few days after the primary. He had said in February that if he couldnt win the election, he would want the mayor to win. He had also campaigned on some of the same issues as Spencer. Both promised to fix city services like trash pickup and road maintenance that have gotten worse under Jones. But Butler said he was moved when he saw 100 local progressives and activists endorse Jones last week in an op-ed in the St. Louis American, a prominent Black newspaper. Among them, he said, were several people he supports and counts as his supporters, including Blake Strode of Arch City Defenders, the civil rights law firm, and Kayla Reed of Action St. Louis, an advocacy group focused on racial justice. I followed community, he said, as I always do. He acknowledged the similarities between Spencers message and his own on city services, but declined to say more. Butler said he would make his endorsement official later this week by signing on to a letter with other elected officials supporting Jones, and writing his own op-ed in the American. He also said he will keep talking about the issues he brought up during his campaign, including a plan to spend Rams relocation settlement to address vacancy in pockets of the near north and south sides by building new homes and fixing up old ones. He didnt rule out another run for mayor, either. Im thinking about it, he said. Im definitely thinking about it. JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri House gave first-round approval to a package of spending bills Tuesday, setting the stage for negotiations with the Senate over Republican Gov. Mike Kehoes budget request. The $47.9 billion blueprint is expected to go to the Senate later this week amid disagreements over education spending, pay raises for state workers and child care funding. Hovering over the plan are possible tax cuts being mulled by Republicans who control the Missouri Legislature, as well as federal budget cuts under discussion by the GOP-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump. Both policy debates could result in a significant loss of revenue to pay for state government programs. Our entire budget will be blown to bits if we lose federal funding, said Rep. Stephanie Hein, D-Springfield. The House plan, muscled through the chamber by Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, is $5 billion less than what Kehoe introduced in January. The measure keeps intact Kehoes decision to short-fund the school funding formula by $300 million, as well as his controversial plan to spend $50 million to jump-start the states private school voucher program, a Republican-backed school choice initiative originally designed to run on volunteer contributions and tax credits, not general revenue. Democrats raged about using taxpayer dollars for private school tuition, saying private schools could discriminate against certain students. This is not political, this is right versus wrong, said Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, D-St. Louis. The budget proposal adds $15 million to help fully fund state reimbursements to school districts for busing costs and leaves a $1.9 billion surplus to help weather fiscal challenges in the fiscal year beginning July 1. Weve been working very hard. Weve made a lot of changes. This is one of those big, beautiful bills you hear about, Deaton said. The ranking Democrat on the budget panel, Rep. Betsy Fogle, D-Springfield, called the plan fiscally responsible, but argued that more money needs to be set aside for education. The plan includes a 1.5% funding bump for public colleges and universities and $28 million to help the institutions with ongoing maintenance costs. The budget package also includes a laundry list of pet projects for lawmakers. Funding for state highway improvements include a $40 million project to build a highway interchange on Interstate 70 to address increased truck traffic associated with a new beef processing facility in Warren County. The plan also includes $150 million to extend Interstate 57 through Poplar Bluff to the Arkansas state line. Rep. Wendy Hausman, R-St. Peters, was able to earmark $1.6 million to increase spending on senior meals programs by 12%. I think this is an example of how both sides can work together, Fogle said. The Missouri State Highway Patrol also would receive $300,000 for a special public order unit that would respond to large-scale events. Patrol spokesman Scott White said the unit will be used for crowd management, crowd intervention and, if necessary, to possibly gain control of crowd disturbances. The House plan also includes up to $4 million for upgrades to restrooms in the Capitol. The plan also includes $10 million to hire a construction manager to oversee a further half-billion-dollar upgrade of the Capitol building. The proposal includes $19 million to buy property for a 1,600-acre state park in McDonald County, which is in Deatons southwestern Missouri legislative district. The money was vetoed by former Gov. Mike Parson last year. Also on tap $2.5 million to study the potential conversion of U.S. 36 in northern Missouri into an extension of Interstate 72. There are potential pitfalls ahead. Federal dollars for Missouris Medicaid and food programs could drop by $2 billion under a budget resolution approved by congressional Republicans in February, according to a report from the Commonwealth Fund and George Washington University. The GOP bill in Congress aims to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion as Republicans in Congress seek $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. In addition, the governors office told the Post-Dispatch he does not support the House plan to reduce his proposed employee pay increase. Kehoe had sought up to 10% wage hikes for employees with 20 years of experience to entice workers to stay on the job. Deaton halved the request, leaving the issue to be negotiated in the Senate. Kehoe is hoping to convince the Senate to back his plan. Governor Kehoe stands by his budget recommendations, including investments into the state workforce with the statewide retention pay plan, spokeswoman Gabby Picard said. The plan also faces headwinds in the state Senate over the school funding formula. Although the first-year governor and the House want to add $200 million to the fund, it remains $300 million short of what lawmakers envisioned last year when they endorsed a sweeping school funding revamp. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, earlier said he plans to push for the additional $300 million. At the same time, GOP lawmakers in both chambers are talking tax cuts, including eliminating the states capital gains tax, the corporate income tax and the individual income tax rate. The longtime Republican initiative and a fixture of Kehoes campaign for governor could cost state coffers over $1 billion annually. No plans have emerged to replace that lost revenue, but supporters say tax cuts will drive investments and boost businesses in the state. The House version also alters the governors plan to change how child care subsidy payments are made to day care facilities, saving an estimated $107 million. Under the current system, the state pays after a child care provider submits attendance-based reports for reimbursement. Kehoe wants those payments upfront to ease a paperwork logjam that has resulted in some day care facilities closing. Democrats sided with Kehoe, saying that stabilizing and expanding child care offerings will help Missouris economy. We can stabilize the child care industry and help our workforce, said Hein said. Our governor trusts that we can do this. Republicans rejected the proposed amendment. Throwing money at the problem is not the issue, said Rep. Darin Chappell, R-Rogersville. The legislation is House Bill 2-17. JEFFERSON CITY The 2025 legislative session has been rife with discussion about how the state can work with monopoly energy companies to meet Missourians power needs. Much of that conversation has been about Republican-sponsored legislation already sent to the governors desk, which consumer groups have warned could dramatically raise costs. But rather than work with utility companies to provide reliable service at reasonable rates, Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, wants to break their monopolies. His bill, aimed at deregulating Missouris energy market so that free enterprise prevails, was heard by a Senate panel on Tuesday. A deregulated energy market allows any company to create power generation so consumers can shop for their utility needs among many providers. Under Missouris current system the utility companies have a monopoly and operate in conjunction with government regulators. A monopoly system ensures companies cant raise rates at the drop of a dime, as the Public Service Commission needs to approve all rate increases. The PSC also works with companies to ensure the state has enough power generation. In a competitive market, Missouris existing utility companies would still have a monopoly over the power lines connecting generation to peoples homes but they would have to sell off all of their power plants. For example, Ameren has power generation and transmission in Missouri, but in Illinois, which is deregulated, they only have transmission. This bill is a monumental shift in how weve done business as usual in the state of Missouri, moving toward the free market to tackle energy costs, consumption and production, Schroer said. Missouris utility companies arent so thrilled about the idea. The local ties in communities, the hundreds of back-office jobs and local control all fade away (when were forced to divest), Jason Klindt, senior director of external affairs at Evergy, said. He added that in deregulated markets, theres far more fraud as predatory companies can confuse people into signing up for bad energy plans. John Coffman, legal counsel for the Consumers Council, which represents Missourians interests on utility issues, said he had mixed feelings about the proposal. If youre going to go down this path, you have to put a lot of effort into making sure that the rules are clear and consistent, Coffman said, echoing a similar concern as Klindt. Residential customers can get scammed, particularly those in vulnerable communities. Under the legislation, the state is required to create an education campaign to teach Missourians about the new system and how to avoid fraud before the competitive market opens up. On a more positive note, Coffman added that, There are certainly benefits to having the entity that is building their power plants have the risk completely on themselves. Representatives of large energy consumers including Ford and General Motors spoke in favor of deregulation, arguing it would lower costs. (The legislation would) shift the risk from the ratepayers to the investor and create options for customers, reducing the costs and allowing you to transition and update your aging infrastructure reliably and affordably, said Abby Foster, vice president of policy and advocacy at the Retail Energy Advancement League. Its unclear whether states with deregulated markets are really cheaper than Missouri. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, energy costs have grown about the same amount in regulated Missouri and Pennsylvania, which is deregulated, over the last 20 years. Pennsylvania does have newer, higher-producing generation than Missouri. Whats unequivocal is the greater number of options provided in other states. Pennsylvania has a user-friendly website where consumers can look through a host of providers to decide which company is right for them. Different providers offer fixed rate plans or plans with more renewable energy. About half of states have some form of deregulated market. The Senate committee didnt vote on Schroers legislation. The legislation is Senate Bill 487. BERKELEY St. Louis County has released the recording of a conversation between its health director and an employee shortly before the director searched the womans car, a search the worker believes violated civil rights laws, leading her to sue the county. In the recording, Director Dr. Kanika Cunningham questions employee Rhonda Belics after Belics was seen removing items from department offices and taking them to her car one morning in September. Belics repeatedly tells Cunningham she can search the car. You can look in my car, Belics says. Its nothing county-owned. Im not like that. The recordings release on Monday marks an unusual move by the county to publicly deny allegations Belics made in her lawsuit last week claiming Cunningham coerced her into allowing a car search. The county usually declines to comment on pending litigation. But the accusations in Belics lawsuit are false, said Doug Moore, a spokesman for County Executive Sam Page, and the recording shows why. There was no coercion, Moore said Monday. No one forced her to do anything against her will. Cunningham, Belics and Deputy Health Director Damon Broadus can be heard on the roughly 12-minute audio recording made on Sept. 6. Cunningham questions Belics about what time she arrived at the John C. Murphy Health Center offices that morning, and about why Belics removed items on a cart. Belics says she had been told to change offices, and wasnt sure where to take her things and indeed offers multiple times to let Cunningham search her car, including her trunk. St. Louis County health director questions staffer about removing items from the office Moore said the search revealed a patient record protected by confidentiality laws as well as documents related to public records requests. But Mark Pedroli, Belics attorney, said she denies having any health department documents in her car. And his clients permission to have her car searched, even if it seems voluntary, was secured through intimidation. When your bosses surround you at work and pressure you, any subsequent consent to search can only be obtained through coercion, Pedroli said. What were you moving? Belics worked as an office service coordinator and helped process public records requests under Missouris Sunshine Law. She quit earlier this year after 15 years with the department. In early September, Cunningham instructed Belics to lie about the existence of a euthanasia plan at the county animal shelter when the record did in fact exist, according to Belics lawsuit. Belics filed a complaint with her supervisor. Cunningham then, in retaliation, reassigned her to another job unrelated to records requests, the suit says. The county denies the allegations, and Cunningham said the accusation that she asked Belics to lie about the euthanasia plan is absolutely not true, Moore said. He said Cunningham reassigned Belics because she wasnt meeting job expectations. Specifically, she was pulling documents not related to records requests, creating delays and a burden on the legal team that reviews requests. Pedroli said Monday he views the tape as evidence that Cunningham targeted Belics. This audio tape not only reveals both the director and deputy director ... confronting Belics one day after she blew the whistle, the tape also substantiates Belics story that she was removed from Sunshine Law duties and retaliated against for refusing to lie about controversial government records, he said. St. Louis Countys elected officials should immediately condemn the actions and retaliation demonstrated on audio tape, Pedroli added. As part of the reassignment, Cunningham told Belics to move from the second floor of the health center to a division on the first floor. Belics said in the recording she arrived at the center at around 7 a.m. and that she often gets there early to walk laps around the building for exercise. After Belics saw Cunninghams email directing her to switch offices, she began moving things, Belics said. What were you moving this morning? Cunningham asked Belics at the beginning of the recording. Im not a thief Belics said she was moving personal stuff. I have, like, a little refrigerator, some file trays that I bought at Dollar Tree, Belics said. It all belonged to her, she added: You are welcome to look at my trunk if youd like to. Cunningham asked Belics why she was moving her items. Im taking some of my stuff home because I dont know what my situation is down there, Belics responded. Im actually taking all my plants home and everything. Cunningham asked her about what time she got there that morning, what she did after she arrived and who she talked to. What have you been working on this morning? Because you disconnected your computer, so what have you been doing? Cunningham asked. Belics said she wasnt sure what she was supposed to do because Im not doing Sunshine anymore. If you would like me to do something, I would be more than happy to, Belics said. Cunningham asked who she talked to as she was moving. Belics said she spoke with a woman on the first floor. She didnt know anything about me coming down there, Belics said. Later in the recording, Cunningham asked, You can show us whats in your trunk? Absolutely, Belics said. I am not a thief and Im offended that this is happening. Im not like that. You can ask anybody. JEFFERSON CITY The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has withheld family planning funding from the Missouri Family Health Council and others in what the group said was an unprecedented move. The organization said nearly $8.5 million in Title X funding for Missouri and Oklahoma is affected by the federal governments action. Withholding these critical funds, even temporarily, threatens the essential sexual and reproductive health care communities depend on, Michelle Trupiano, executive director of Missouri Family Health Council, said in a statement. A news release said without the funding, patients in Missouri and Oklahoma will lose access to birth control, cancer screenings and essential care. Title X is a lifeline for communities in southwest Missouri, providing family planning services to individuals and families who might not otherwise have access to affordable health care, Jennifer Olson, executive director of Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation in Springfield, said in a statement. Funding delays affect our patients the most, people who already face significant systemic barriers to accessing needed health care and who have the most to lose. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that HHS was considering freezing $27.5 million in family-planning grants for organizations, including Planned Parenthood affiliates, as the agency probed whether funds flowed to diversity efforts. The president on Jan. 20 issued an order taking aim at diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the federal government. An HHS spokesperson said Tuesday in a statement that HHS is reviewing all Title X grant recipients to make sure they comply with Federal law and President Trumps executive orders. HHS is concerned about the compliance of several awardees impacting $27.5 million in continuation awards, the spokesperson said. HHS expects all recipients of federal funding to comply with federal law. According to HHS, the Title X family planning clinics have played a critical role in ensuring access to a broad range of family planning and preventive health services for over 50 years. Trupiano said her organization will respond to a request for additional information by HHS and that the group hopes for a swift resolution. However, any funding delays will be dire for the health care safety-net, leading to shuttered clinic doors, untreated illnesses, and communities left with grave outcomes, she said. Family planning services are still available in Missouri and Oklahoma as health centers evaluate options based on this new funding reality. WASHINGTON Harvard University is the latest target in the Trump administration's approach to campus protests, with the announcement of a new "comprehensive review" that could jeopardize billions of dollars for the Ivy League college. A federal antisemitism task force will review more than $255 million in contracts between Harvard and the federal government to make sure the school is following civil rights laws, the administration announced Monday. The government also will examine $8.7 billion in grant commitments to Harvard and its affiliates. The same task force cut $400 million from Columbia University and threatened to slash billions more if it refused a list of demands from President Donald Trump's administration. Columbia agreed to many of the changes this month, drawing praise from some Jewish groups and condemnation from free speech groups, who see it as a stunning intrusion by the federal government. Dozens of other universities were put on notice by the Trump administration that they could face similar treatment over allegations of antisemitism. The federal government is a major provider of revenue for American universities through grants for scientific research. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Harvard symbolizes the American Dream, but jeopardized its reputation by "promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry" and failing to protect students from antisemitism. "Harvard can right these wrongs and restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking, where all students feel safe on its campus," McMahon said in a statement. Harvard President Alan Garber acknowledged that antisemitism exists even on his campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but he said Harvard has done much to fight it. For the past fifteen months, we have devoted considerable effort to addressing antisemitism, Garber said in a statement. We have strengthened our rules and our approach to disciplining those who violate them. Harvard will ensure the government has a full account of the university's work, Garber said. If federal funding is pulled, he added, it will halt life-saving research and imperil important scientific research and innovation. The elite university is among more than 100 colleges and school systems facing investigations for antisemitism or Islamophobia after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel. The Trump administration promised tougher action than its predecessor, naming antisemitism as the top priority for civil rights investigations. Monday's announcement didn't say whether the government made specific demands of Harvard. The Education Department, the Health and Human Services Department and the U.S. General Services Administration are leading the review of its contracts and grants. Those agencies will determine whether orders to halt work should be issued for certain contracts between Harvard and the federal government, the government said. The task force also ordered Harvard to submit a list of all contracts with the federal government, both directly with the school or through its affiliates. "The Task Force will continue its efforts to root out anti-Semitism and to refocus our institutions of higher learning on the core values that undergird a liberal education," said Sean Keveney, acting general counsel for Health and Human Services. "We are pleased that Harvard is willing to engage with us on these goals." Some of the nation's most prestigious colleges faced extraordinary scrutiny from Republicans in Congress following a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that started at Columbia and spread across the country last year. Presidents of several Ivy League schools were called before Congress over allegations that they allowed antisemitism to fester. The hearings on Capitol Hill contributed to the resignation of presidents at Harvard, Columbia and Penn. The interim president who took over at Columbia, Katrina Armstrong, resigned last week after the school agreed to the government's demands. Trump and other officials have accused the protesters of being "pro-Hamas." Student activists say they oppose Israel's military activity in Gaza. Instead of going through a lengthy process that allows the Education Department to cut funding from schools that violate civil rights laws, the Trump administration has found quick leverage by pulling contracts and grants. The tactic is being challenged in a federal lawsuit brought by the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers. In 2009, several board members of the Washington, D.C.-based organization Scenic America drove through Missouri while attending conferences on billboard regulation. What they saw of Missouris ubiquitous billboards made an impression and not the good kind. We had been told by our peers at the state affiliate of Scenic Missouri to expect mile after mile of billboards, even in rural areas. But the blight was even more widespread than we had expected, the organizations national president, Mary Tracy, wrote in the Post-Dispatch in September of that year. Even in rural areas, sign after sign blanketed the journey ... (advertising) everything from adult sex shops to vasectomy reversals. We all agreed that no other state in which we have traveled had so much beauty hidden behind so many billboards. Sixteen years later, the shabby view from major highways in outstate Missouri is much the same. Its especially egregious along Interstate 70, which transects the state from St. Louis to Kansas City. The 250-mile corridor averages some 3.64 billboards per mile, according to Scenic America. Thats well over double the number of billboards in other states through which I-70 runs. Calls over the years to rein in billboard blight in Missouri have always run off the road, but a current effort in the Legislature could finally gain some traction. A multi-billion-dollar project to widen I-70 across the state will unfold over the next five years. It provides the perfect opportunity to rethink and reform Missouris billboard jungle. A resolution moving through the Legislature would create a committee to study the issue and make recommendations that could include more stringent limits on the number and size of the billboards. Among other ideas that have been aired before is to put a five-year moratorium on new billboards. Lawmakers might also consider raising the annual permit fee for billboards, which currently stands at a paltry $100 per year. The issue isnt just the unsightliness of the endless rows of signs. As the Post-Dispatchs Kurt Erickson reported last week, Missouri has a higher-than-average traffic fatality rate compared with the rest of the U.S. Theres no way to know certain how many of those accidents resulted from the distraction of billboards, but surely its a factor. As Scenic Missouri President John Hock put it, per Ericksons reporting, the pending resolution is a chance to have serious discussions about the safety and visual experience of travelers on Missouri roadways. Thats a much better message than the one drivers are getting from the billboard blight that crowds Missouris highway shoulders. Our states natural beauty should be showcased for drivers, not blocked by annoying and unsightly sales pitches. I commend the Post-Dispatch and reporter Ezra Bitterman for highlighting the positive results of psilocybin (mushrooms) in treating mental health conditions. (Missouri lawmakers look to alternative medicine to address high veteran suicide rate," Jan. 8.) Research shows psilocybin is effective in treating PTSD, depression, and substance use. Its crucial we explore this option for veterans in need. With Missouris veteran suicide rate among the highest in the nation, current treatments arent enough. Psilocybin is classified by the FDA as a breakthrough mental health treatment with the potential to dramatically improve lives. Though still illegal, its promising clinical results suggest it could offer a new way to address mental health issues, particularly for veterans. Psilocybin research could give veterans new hope. Oregon has taken steps toward psilocybin legalization, and their process offers valuable lessons. As Missouri considers similar legislation, we can learn from Oregon's experience in crafting responsible, regulated programs to ensure safety, effectiveness, and maximize therapeutic benefits for those in need. Its encouraging to see lawmakers from across party lines work together on this issue, like Republican state Rep. Richard West and Democratic state Sen. Stephen Webber. Helping veterans should unite us all, no matter our politics. Missouri has the chance to lead the nation in providing a new path to healing for veterans. As a 30-plus-year Midwesterner researching the benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy, I urge our lawmakers to support these bills and fund psilocybin research. Ashley Sturm MSW student Washington University in St. Louis Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration teams arrive by small boat to board the China-flagged oil tanker Chang Hang Xi Wang off Guam on March 23, 2025. (Trenton Jones/U.S. Coast Guard) The U.S. Coast Guard on Guam is expecting at least two new cutters next year, an addition that would expand its operations as the service reprioritizes border security. The fast response cutters USCGC Vincent Danz and USCGC Jeffrey Palazzo should join U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guams three existing cutters by the end of 2026, according to sector spokeswoman Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sara Muir. The Coast Guard projects a sixth cutter at Guam, but Congress has yet to allocate funds for it, Muir told Stars and Stripes by email Friday. Congress funded the Vincent Danz and Jeffrey Palazzo in fiscal year 2024. Ahead of the two cutters arrival, Sector Guam is readjusting its priorities to focus more on U.S. domestic security and maritime borders, Muir and Cmdr. Ryan Crose, sector deputy commander, said by phone Friday. Our mission sets have remained the same, but given our limited resources out here in Guam, we cant always focus on all the missions all the time, Crose said. So, we have sort of focused or transitioned our focus to border security and the integrity of our territories. The USCGC Myrtle Hazard sails between Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands during missions from March 13 to March 23, 2025. (Jackson Collins/U.S. Coast Guard) Senior Coast Guard leadership in Washington D.C., ordered the shift, Muir added. The Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security, now under Secretary Kristi Noem. To achieve that goal, Sector Guam is deploying its cutters closer to islands like Guam and Saipan, rather than farther out to sea, Crose said. However, new cutters would allow more flexibility on deployments. Obviously, with more resources, well be able to continue to focus on a larger set of our missions, as opposed to sort of having to pick and choose with the limited number of resources we currently have, he said. The pivot wont affect the Coast Guards commitment to building strong relationships with regional neighbors, which remains a cornerstone for the service, Muir said. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia is responsible for 1.9 million square miles about 60% of the size of the contiguous U.S. with its major focus on Guam, Saipan and the Northern Mariana Islands. Port security, unsafe ocean crossings, illegal immigration and other illicit maritime activity remain among the Coast Guards top concerns. Over the past several years, Saipan has become a pathway for Chinese citizens to illegally enter Guam, enabled in part by a no-visa program that allows them to stay up to two weeks. Coast Guard efforts to close that pathway appear to be paying off, Muir said. Authorities note deterrence is working; weve seen a decrease in these crossings lately, which shows our presence and teamwork are hitting the mark, she wrote. Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha confirmed that he had received an invitation to take part in the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, which will take place in Brussels on April 3-4. "I received an invitation to take part in the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. Of course, I always use any multilateral event to hold bilateral meetings," he said at a joint press conference with German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Kyiv on Tuesday. According to Sybiha, he has already confirmed 14 meetings with his colleagues, NATO foreign ministers. "Of course, we are interested in holding a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio," he added. Sybiha stressed that "Ukraine sees a great chance to accelerate efforts aimed at achieving a just and comprehensive peace." As reported, NATO foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on April 3-4. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in Brussels on April 2-4 to attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Nov. 26, 2024. (Jacqueline Parsons/U.S. Marine Corps) The U.S. Marine Corps plans to deploy its new Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System to the Philippines for the first time during this months Balikatan exercise, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on his recent stop in Manila. Hegeseth, who completed an Indo-Pacific tour of Guam, Japan and the Philippines on Sunday, announced the NMESIS deployment at a press conference Friday with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro. We agreed that the United States will deploy additional advanced capabilities to the Philippines, Hegseth said, according to a transcript on the Department of Defense website. This includes using the NMESIS anti-ship missile system and highly capable unmanned surface vehicles in exercise Balikatan, he said. The annual exercise Balikatan is Tagalog for shoulder to shoulder is scheduled to run from April 21 to May 9. The U.S. is sending 10,000 U.S. troops to participate alongside 6,000 service members from the Philippines, Australia and Japan. The deployment of NMESIS and unmanned surface vehicles will hasten the introduction of the technologies to the Philippine military, Teodoro said in the DOD transcript, which didnt specify the type of unmanned vessels. A Marine Corps video released in February shows the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment at Marine Corps Base Hawaii training with NMESIS ahead of Balikatan. The system arrived at the base in November, according to a news release by the regiment that month. The system allows the unit to make greater contributions to a naval campaign, 3rd Littoral Combat Team commander Lt. Col. Timothy Love said in the Nov. 26 release. In addition to rifle companies capable of seizing and defending key maritime terrain, 3d LCTs missile battery is now armed with mobile precision fires systems to support sea denial operations. NMESIS is a key piece of hardware for littoral regiments, formed as part of the Marines Force Design plan to deploy small units onto the Pacifics first island chain to take shots at Chinese warships in a conflict. The NMESIS system consists of antiship Naval Strike Missiles mounted on Joint Light Tactical Vehicles. The missile alone costs $2.194 million, according to a Naval News report in November 2022. A former Marine general has reservations about the missiles limited reach. Its 115-mile range is inferior to the other services anti-ship missiles, retired Marine Brig. Gen. Jerry McAbee, a former artillery officer, said by email Monday to Stars and Stripes. It will contribute little to nothing if the Chinese invade Taiwan or anywhere else in the Indo-Pacific, he said. The Armys Typhon missile system, positioned in the Philippines since spring 2024, has a range of more than 1,000 miles, said retired Marine Col. Grant Newsham, a senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies. The Chinese are very unhappy with the Typhon, he said in an email Monday. He questioned why the Marines have not acquired the Armys system. Despite its relatively short range, NMESIS could cause a lot of trouble for an enemy force in the Western Pacific, Newsham said. The missiles could be effective in the Strait of Malacca, between Indonesia and Malaysia, or the Bashi Channel, which separates the Philippines from Taiwan, he said. The Philippine geography also has a lot of tight maritime terrain, so theres plenty of places to deploy these missiles usefully - and provide coverage, he said. Miyako Airport and surrounding Miyakojima city, in the Sakashima islands, Okinawa prefecture, Japan, in an undated photo. (Okinawa prefecture) An updated plan recently released by the Japanese government details how and where it will move 120,000 people from the countrys long chain of westernmost islands in the event of a military attack or other emergency. The 110,000 residents of the Sakishima island chains five municipalities would relocate to 32 municipalities in southern Japan, according to the plan posted Thursday on the Cabinet Secretariat Civil Protection Portal site. The plan also accounts for 10,000 tourists who may be visiting during a contingency. The plan does not cite a specific trigger, but U.S. and Japanese military planners consider the islands potentially in the crossfire should China move to take possession of Taiwan. China asserts sovereignty over the self-governing island democracy and this year will likely apply stronger coercive pressure against Taiwan as part of its goal to unify the island politically with the mainland, according to the Annual Threat Assessment released in March by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence. Chinas military on Tuesday announced another round of large drills by navy, air, ground and rocket forces around Taiwan, The Associated Press reported. The 44-island Sakishima chain, part of Okinawa prefecture, stretches southwest of Okinawa island to within 75 miles of Taiwan. Japan in 2023 opened a missile base on Ishigaki island in the chain and deployed Type-12 surface-to-ship guided missiles and Type-03 surface-to-air guided missiles there as a hedge against Beijings increased military presence in the region. The latest evacuation plan would move 20,000 people over six days via commercial airplanes, ships, buses and trains. The plan was developed during tabletop exercises in March 2023, January 2024 and January this year. The plan defines no role for either the U.S. military or Japan Self-Defense Forces. The populations of Taketomi and Yonaguni towns and Tarama village would travel by ship or plane to Ishigaki and Miyakojima cities to meet evacuees there, according to the plan. They would then fly to either Fukuoka Airport or Kagoshima Airport, then travel by bus or train to hotels at the final evacuation sites on Kyushu and Honshu, two of Japans four main islands. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters Thursday that he will work closely with related municipalities and private companies to determine who will pay transportation and accommodation costs, including meals for the evacuees. For the future, we will need to consider how to support education and work in case evacuees need to stay for longer than a month, he said. The plans cost has not been determined yet, a spokesman for Okinawas Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Division said by phone Tuesday. Some Japanese government officials speak to the press only on condition of anonymity. Ishigaki city Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama, in a post Thursday on social media platform X, said, six days is too long, and requested a three-day timeline to save lives. The Nordic nation, which guards half of NATOs land border with its main adversary, is also preparing to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel landmines, Orpo told reporters in Helsinki on Tuesday. (Lisa Ferdinando/DoD) (Bloomberg) -- Finlands government plans to raise the countrys defense spending to 3% of economic output by 2029 to address the risks from a more aggressive Russia, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said. The Nordic nation, which guards half of NATOs land border with its main adversary, is also preparing to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel landmines, Orpo told reporters in Helsinki on Tuesday. The spending move follows similar initiatives to ramp up military outlays by Finlands neighbors, with Sweden - the newest member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - last week unveiling plans to spend an extra $30 billion on its armed forces during the next decade. As a member of NATO, we take care of our responsibilities toward our allies, Orpo said. With these decisions, we strengthen the security of Finland and Finnish people for the future. Last month, the three Baltic nations and Poland took a step toward reintroducing anti-personnel land mines for better protections against the potential threat of Russian aggression, with defense ministers of the four countries recommending a withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention. They cited a significant increase in military threats against members of NATO bordering Russia and Belarus. Still, Norway, which also shares a border with Russia in the far North, has no plans to withdraw from the treaty and regrets the decision by its neighbors, the countrys defense minister, Tore O. Sandvik, told Bloomberg in an interview last week. Finlands border with Russia exceeds 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) and now makes up more than half of NATOs eastern flank. Its defense spending already exceeds the more than 2% level targeted by NATO. The Nordic country has a history of wars with Moscow, and is among the biggest providers of military aid to Ukraine thats in the fourth year of fighting off a full-scale invasion by President Vladimir Putin. Finland, a country of 5.5 million - roughly the size of Minnesota - has more artillery than France and Germany combined and can call on as many as 280,000 troops in time of war. Finlands Finance Minister Riikka Purra said the defense spending aim would require about a 3 billion ($3.2 billion) boost to the military budget, speaking at the same news conference. Among the spending items will be a revamp of Finlands land forces, and additional funding will also be allocated to measures that build the capability of the defense system to sustain long-term combat, the government said. Finland said that the defense forces will not deploy mines in normal conditions, and that a withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention will take effect six months after an instrument of withdrawal has been delivered to the United Nations Secretary General. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks March 31, 2025, in Sochaczew, Poland, at the signing of a $2 billion agreement with the United States for training and logistical support tied to its Patriot missile defense systems. (Polish government) Poland is hailing a $2 billion agreement this week with the United States for training and logistical support tied to its Patriot missile systems as a significant development in a program to upgrade the key NATO allys air defenses. Signed Monday in Sochaczew, the deal includes equipment, technical assistance and simulation-based training tools. The package will help a Polish air defense squadron reach full operational capability by the end of the year, officials said in a Monday statement. Poland is an exceptional example of good cooperation for the defense and security of Poland, the U.S., NATO and Europe, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in the statement. Regardless of political turbulence, Poland will be here ... a country that respects alliances and respects all agreements. Poland now spends over 4% of its gross domestic product on defense, the highest level in NATO. It has purchased U.S.-made Abrams tanks, HIMARS rocket systems, F-35 fighters, and South Korean K2 tanks and K9 howitzers. The latest deal with the U.S. furthers Polands push to modernize its medium-range air defenses and bolster its ability to intercept aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. This is an important moment, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said, adding that the investment will allow Polish troops to train in simulated attacks and respond with increasing readiness. The Polish and American flags hang between a Patriot air defense missile system March 31, 2025, at the signing of a $2 billion agreement with the U.S. in Sochaczew, Poland, under the second phase of the country's WISLA program. (Polish government) Polands Patriot launchers operate within the U.S. Armys Integrated Battle Command System, or IBCS. Poland is the only country besides the United States to field the advanced networked system, according to developer Northrop Grumman. Meanwhile, in the coming weeks the U.S. Armys Germany-based 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is set to become the first operational U.S. Patriot battalion to field the IBCS. The Polish air defense initiative is part of a broader military overhaul that gained urgency following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In recent years, Russian missiles and drones have entered Polish airspace during attacks on Ukraine, including a suspected drone incursion in August. Supporters of Yemens Houthis raise up their arms during a rally in solidarity with the people of Gaza in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on Dec. 13, 2024. (Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) President Donald Trump claimed days of U.S. strikes have decimated Houthi rebels whose attacks have disrupted commercial traffic in the Red Sea but gave no details about the campaign, raising fresh questions about its effectiveness. Many of their Fighters and Leaders are no longer with us, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. We hit them every day and night Harder and harder. Their capabilities that threaten Shipping and the Region are rapidly being destroyed. The latest U.S. strikes against the Houthis began March 15 and are at the center of an uproar after national security adviser Michael Waltz inadvertently included an Atlantic editor on a Signal group to discuss them. Trump and his team brushed off concerns about the Signal leak, saying the important thing was that the strikes against the Houthis were more effective than the hundreds of attacks the Biden administration launched against the group. Houthi officials said dozens of people were killed but otherwise theres been little information about the extent of the strikes. The administration has repeatedly declined to disclose details of the operation against the Houthis, referring reporters to the U.S. Central Command, which is overseeing the strikes. But CENTCOM has also declined to offer details beyond social media posts that feature videos of fighter jets taking off and footage of air strikes on unidentified targets. Trump on Monday urged the Houthis to cease attacks on shipping, warning of consequences for the group and its backers in Tehran. The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran, Trump wrote. Former President Joe Biden began strikes against the Houthis in January of last year in a bid to break the groups choke hold over shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis began targeting ships after Israel attacked Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in response to the Oct. 7 attack, forcing many commercial shippers to rout around the southern tip of Africa. The group eased off attacks after Hamas and Israel signed a ceasefire, and shipments of some fuels began ticking up again. But shippers have so far held off returning most ships through the Red Sea, and theres no sign the groups ability to target commercial vessels has been seriously weakened. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Lt. Gen. Dan Caine talks with President Donald Trump at a base in Iraq in 2018. (U.S. Defense Department) When President Donald Trump announced Lt. Gen. John Daniel Caine as his choice to be the countrys next top general in February, it sent shock waves through the halls of the Pentagon. The president, in a Friday night social media post, said that he had fired Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and other senior military leaders, and was appointing a retired three-star general as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Caine, 56, was a relative mystery man in Washington. He had never overseen a branch of the armed forces, led a major combatant command or managed a division with thousands of troops in combat. Retired Gen. David L. Goldfein, the Air Forces top officer for most of the first Trump administration, said he and other former members of the Joint Chiefs staffed by the four-star officers in charge of the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, National Guard, Navy and Space Force wanted to know for certain that Caine had not done anything to politick for the position. Goldfein, an F-16 pilot like Caine, said he raised the issue with the general directly and came away assured not only that Caine had acted professionally, but also that he had wrestled with whether he should take the job. In the end, Caine told Goldfein, he had found inspiration in a passage from the Book of Isaiah that seeks volunteers: Then I said, Here I am! Send me. Goldfein, who had been considered for the position himself during Trumps first term, noted the sensitivity of the moment and the long-standing norm that the U.S. military remain nonpartisan. I think once we were all confident that there was none of that going on then it was, okay, now its time to roll up our sleeves and do everything we can to help him be successful so the nation can be successful, Goldfein said of his fellow retired Joint Chiefs. I know from our conversations, hes spending a lot of time thinking about the position and the responsibilities of the position. On Tuesday, Caine will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee at a confirmation hearing. It remains unclear how or why Trump selected him for the job, what the vetting process was or when Caine discussed the matter with Trump before his announcement. The role has proved challenging for previous chairmen under Trump - raising the question of what it would take to hold the position for a full four-year term now. Caine did not respond to requests for comment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fiercely defended the presidents choice, saying Caine is the man to meet the moment. Brown, who was appointed chief of staff of the Air Force by Trump in his first term, was removed Feb. 21 after a drumbeat of criticism from Trumps advisers, including Hegseth before he was appointed as defense secretary. The general, who is Black, raised their ire by promoting diversity programs. Browns predecessor, Gen. Mark A. Milley, clashed with Trump repeatedly, notably when the general apologized for appearing with the president outside the White House in June 2020 after federal forces had cleared protesters from Lafayette Square following the police killing of George Floyd. Trump has continued to criticize Milley, and in January, Hegseth removed his security detail, suspended his security clearance and requested a Pentagon inspector general inquiry into his behavior as chairman. The first chairman under Trump, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., kept a low profile, but the president grew increasingly tired of him, too, officials close to Trump have said. He announced Milley as Dunfords replacement in December 2018, effectively undercutting the general nearly a year before he was due to retire. Caine, who goes by Dan and the call sign Razin as in, raising Cain will face questions from senators about the recent controversial use of Signal, the commercial messaging application, by Hegseth and other senior Trump administration officials to discuss highly sensitive policy deliberations and operational details about a bombing campaign in Yemen. He is also likely to be pressed on a number of other issues that have divided the American public: the administrations crackdown on diversity efforts; the purge of numerous senior military officers; the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border; and the pressure campaign on Ukraine to negotiate a peace deal with Russia, on what many see as unreasonable terms. The generals business interests may also be an issue for Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee, including his time as an adviser at Thrive Capital, an investment firm run by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law. No allegations of wrongdoing have been made about Caines brief role at Thrive, but his unusual selection for chairman after retirement introduces business conflicts of interest that otherwise would not exist. Caine will face the moment without the experience of his predecessors. U.S. law states the president may appoint a Joint Chiefs chairman only if they have been a vice chairman of the group, or a four-star officer overseeing an armed service branch or major unified command. The law, however, also allows the commander in chief to waive those requirements if he determines doing so is necessary in the national interest. Caine comes in at a significant disadvantage, said Richard Kohn, a professor of military history at the University of North Carolina. If confirmed, Kohn said, Caine will need to quickly establish confidence among the Joint Chiefs while also navigating the politics and rhetoric coming out of officials in both the White House and Pentagon. In recent weeks, Trump has suggested he could seize Greenland and Panama by force and briefly floated the idea that the United States would take ownership of the Gaza Strip. It requires, Kohn said, some situational awareness. Lt. Gen. Caine with his father, retired Col. Steve Caine, in the early 1990s in Syracuse. (U.S. Defense Department) Caine, who is likely to be confirmed by a Republican majority in the Senate, joined the Air National Guard after graduating from the Virginia Military Institute in 1990. Like his father, retired Col. Steve Caine, he wanted to be a fighter pilot and pursued a career flying F-16s. On Sept. 11, 2001, he was a major in the D.C. National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base, just outside Washington. In an interview with the National Guard inspector general a couple of weeks later, he said he directed maintenance workers to get planes ready and take flight that morning in case it was necessary to take down any hijacked aircraft. Caine deployed overseas in the aftermath of the attacks, flying in support of the war in Afghanistan shortly after the U.S. launched military action there in late 2001. In 2003, he deployed again as U.S. forces hunted for Scud missiles in Iraq, collaborating as a pilot with U.S. Special Operations forces on the ground, said Steven McShea, a retired National Guard officer who has known Caine since the 1990s. Thats a very small, tight world, McShea said. He was introduced to those guys and built strong relationships, and from that point on he kept getting pulled back into that world. From 2005 to 2008, Caine served as a White House fellow and then a policy director to President George W. Bush on counterterrorism. He deployed to Iraq again in 2008 to serve as a commander in a joint Special Operations task force and then shifted to serve as a part-time member of the National Guard from 2009 to 2016. He pursued an eclectic civilian career in those years, including founding a small airline, Rise Air, and working as president of an aerospace company, Mayday Manufacturing. In 2016, Caine returned to full-time military service. As a one-star general, he served as an assistant commanding general at the elite Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Goldfein, chief of staff of the Air Force at the time, said he then sent him to Iraq to serve as deputy commanding general of a Special Operations task force. It is in Iraq that Caine first encountered Trump, at Al Asad air base in December 2018. By then, the Islamic State terrorist groups main strongholds in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, had fallen, but the militants retained control of a small amount of territory along the Iraq-Syria border. Trump has recounted the meeting on several occasions, with ever-changing details. Trump has said Caine told him that U.S. troops could finish the long campaign against the Islamic State in four weeks if they changed tactics, but they just dont let us do our job. At the Conservative Political Action Conference last year, Trump said that Caine looked better than any movie actor you could get and that he loved his call sign. Youre the man Im looking for! Trump said. Trump recalled in the same speech that either Caine or a sergeant it was not fully clear to whom he was referring put on a red MAGA hat. I said, Youre not supposed to do that. You know that, Trump recalled, acknowledging that military officers are directed not to engage in political speech while in uniform. They said, Its okay, sir. We dont care. Numerous current and former military officers who have worked with Caine have questioned the accuracy of that story, saying it is out of character. Caine, they said, is uncomfortable with praise, not a self-promoter and unlikely to allow colleagues to act in a political manner. Weve got to operate between administrations, and we cant be seen as favoring one over the other, said retired Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville, who has known Caine for more than two decades. We purposely avoid those conversations - even with each other. And Dan has always been like that. Caine remained under the radar in Washington after the Iraq deployment, getting a promotion to two-star general and running the Pentagons highly classified black programs, which are so sensitive that their existence is not acknowledged by the U.S. government. He then served as the associate director of military affairs at the CIA, a liaison position that acts as a bridge between senior CIA officials and top military leaders. He held the position from November 2021 until December 2024, a period that included the onset of war in Gaza, Russias invasion of Ukraine and CIA collaboration with Ukrainian spy agencies. Trump has said that President Joe Biden bypassed Caine for promotion. If confirmed, Caines biggest challenge will be to establish himself in that universe of mighty personalities among the Pentagons most senior military officers, said retired Gen. Kenneth Frank, McKenzie, who oversaw U.S. Central Command from 2019 to 2022. Top generals typically coordinate with the Joint Chiefs chairman before communicating with the defense secretary or president, he said, but that has not always been the case, and each chairman will deal with that differently, McKenzie said. McKenzie, who was director of the Joint Staff under Dunford, said Caine is up for the job, possessing an air of fundamental confidence while accepting criticism, hearing new ideas and drawing people to him. When Dunford was chairman, McKenzie said, he ordered a National Defense University study to assess the common characteristics of a four-star general, including time in command, schooling and combat experience. It found no common denominator among those considered to be successful, McKenzie said, aside from intangibles like character. I would argue thats what Dan Caine has, McKenzie said. Is he going to be successful? I dont know. I think its impossible to predict any chairmans success because it is a uniquely difficult job. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/abaerbock Reality shows that Vladimir Putin's strategy is not peace, but the continued destruction of Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during her visit to Kyiv. "The people of Ukraine, the people of Europe, want peace. Ukraine has made it clear that it is not only ready for this, but will accept a ceasefire without conditions. The only one who does not do this is the Russian president. Reality shows that Putin's strategy is not peace, but continued destruction. Unfortunately, nothing has changed in this regard," she said at a joint press conference with her Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha in Kyiv on Tuesday. In particular, the minister noted that even after the meeting in Jeddah and the agreement on an energy truce, new Russian attacks on Ukraines energy sector are taking place. "That's why it's so important that in all these negotiations we always remember that Putin is playing a preemptive game. He is maneuvering to get out of the agreement by continuing his aggressive war, violating international law, and escalating with brutal drone attacks on residential buildings. Putin cannot be trusted in this situation," Baerbock said. She stressed that real and lasting peace in Ukraine will only come when Putin "realizes that he cannot win this war," and that is why it is important for Ukraine to be able to conduct peace talks from a position of strength. Soldiers patrol the U.S.-Mexico border area near Presidio, Texas, on March 25, 2025. (Rueben Gaeta/U.S. Army) The Pentagon has spent about $376 million on new border operations for thousands of active-duty service members since President Donald Trumps return to the White House, Defense Department officials told lawmakers Tuesday. The new military deployments have surged to the southern border since Jan. 20 when Trump ordered the Defense Department to support efforts by the Department of Homeland Security to seal the border. The enhanced military mission will likely be measured in years not months, Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, the commander of U.S. Northern Command, told the House Armed Services Committee. Guillot testified alongside Adm. Alvin Holsey, who leads U.S. Southern Command, Rafael Leonardo, the acting assistant defense secretary for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs, and Robert Salasses, who leads the Pentagons Washington Headquarters Services. The initial results of sealing the border have been fantastic, if you look at the stats, but we need to make sure that thats lasting and goes through all the cycles of illegal migration that we see seasonal impact is significant on this, he said. And then we need to make sure that it is sealed, and it remains sealed. And I think that will take probably a couple of years. Guillot reported a 97% drop last month in migrant crossings at the southern border, according to Customs and Border Protection data that showed only 11,709 crossings in February compared with 189,913 in February 2024. It marked the lowest reported migrant crossings in years, down from a previous high of about 302,000 in December 2023. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, the commander of U.S. Northern Command, testifies on April 1, 2025, during a House hearing about the southern border mission. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) Pentagon officials who testified Tuesday did not provide additional details about the money spent on the new operations, including what the operations might cost in the future. The Pentagon now has about 6,700 active-duty troops deployed to support Homeland Security in their border operations, according to Guillot. The general said he expects the new active-duty deployments to reach about 10,000 troops soon. The National Guard had already deployed some 2,500 forces on the border mission, which dates back years. Another roughly 1,000 troops have been sent to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to support Homeland Securitys operations to detain some migrants there ahead of their scheduled deportations, according to the Pentagon. At the border, troops work with Border Patrol agents to identify and monitor migrant movements, provide transportation and vehicle maintenance, data entry services, warehousing and logistical support, officials have said. Active-duty troops are prohibited by law from conducting arrests on U.S. soil and rarely directly interact with migrants. Guillot said when troops identify migrants crossing the border and Border Patrol agents are not immediately available, they can only continue to monitor the migrants. The general said he has received no orders to expand troops authorities to conduct law enforcement operations. Recent deployments have included helicopter units, which can conduct aerial reconnaissance for Border Patrol agents, and infantry units with Stryker combat vehicles. The mission also includes engineers, logisticians, drone operators and intelligence analysts, defense officials have said. In recent weeks, the Navy has also deployed two destroyers to support border operations. Guillot told lawmakers that his forces could be more effective if they were authorized to shoot down drones along the border. The general said he would like to give troops operating within 5 miles of the border permission to shoot down small drones flown from Mexico. He said it was the only change that he had requested in their ability to use force. For now, troops close to the border carry rifles or handguns and are only authorized to use force for self-defense or to shoot down drones that are flying over military installations. Lawmakers mostly Republicans said Tuesday that the latest Border Patrol data proves the effectiveness of Trumps border efforts, including the use of active-duty forces. Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, said the new border efforts have made him feel safer today than I have in a very long time. We didnt need new policies, said Rep. John McGuire, R-Va. We needed a new president who was serious about protecting the homeland. Others said they worried the deployments could eat away at combat readiness with thousands of troops sitting around at the border with little to do. Last year, Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, then the chief of the National Guard who has since retired, told lawmakers that the border mission provided his force no military training value. Several Democrats on Tuesday told Guillot that they worried the troops along the border would be better off at their home station preparing to fight a war against an adversary such as Russia or China. Having 6,500 troops at the border, said Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., sounds like an excessive number to me. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., whose district includes about 180 miles of the southern border, said he was grateful for the impact the operations have had on drug trafficking, but he was concerned the Defense Department was taking an outsized role in the effort. It is [Homeland Securitys] job to enforce our domestic immigration laws, Vasquez said. And I believe DOD has to remain focused on preparing to fight and win Americas wars. And Im very concerned the department is wasting some of these precious resources. Guillot defended the deployments, saying the operations have proven effective to date in curbing illegal migration and dealing blows to the Mexican cartels, which Trump deemed terrorists earlier this year. Sealing the border has damaged cartel operations, he said, including an estimated 40% drop in drugs entering the United States via the southern border. Theyre now trying to find new ways to get their products, whether thats drugs or people, across the border, because of the seal efforts that have gone on over the last two months, Guillot said. Thats also forced them to have more cartel-on-cartel violence as the limited ability to get across the border has forced cartels to incur into other cartels territories to try to get across, and so were seeing an increase in that violence as well. Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine testifies Tuesday, April 1, 2025, during a Senate confirmation hearing about his nomination to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON Dan Caine, a retired Air Force lieutenant general, committed Tuesday to serving as a nonpartisan leader who would give unvarnished military advice and always strive to do the right thing if confirmed as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Caine, 56, said he will speak truth to power as the countrys most senior military officer and principal military adviser to the president, defense secretary, National Security Council and Congress. The role has been notoriously tumultuous under President Donald Trump. Army Gen. Mark Milley, the now retired Joint Chiefs chairman, repeatedly clashed with Trump during his first term, and the most recent chairman, Air Force Gen. Charles CQ Brown, was fired by Trump in February amid an effort to push out officers who support diversity, equity and inclusion in the ranks. Caine told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that he was willing to give military advice elected leaders might not want to hear and was willing to be fired for following the Constitution. Candor has gotten me here today, and candor will continue to allow me to do my job moving forward, he said during his confirmation hearing. The president doesnt have to accept the military advice or the secretary or the NSC, but we owe it to them for us to deliver that military advice. Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine testifies Tuesday, April 1, 2025, during a Senate confirmation hearing about his nomination to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) Caine acknowledged he was an unconventional nominee for the position and an unknown leader. By law, the job is required to go to a four-star general or admiral who previously served as the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs or the top commander of a service branch or a combatant command. The president, however, can waive those requirements if necessary in the national interest. Trump has praised Caine as an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur and a warfighter with significant interagency and special operations experience. The two first met in 2018, when Caine was serving as a deputy commander in the U.S. campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Trump said he was impressed by Caines assessment that the fight could be ended in weeks rather than years. I said, Why didnt my other generals tell me that? Why didnt they tell me that? Trump said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2019. Trump also claimed Caine put on a Make American Great Again hat while meeting with him in Iraq. But Caine shot that down Tuesday, saying he has never worn any political merchandise. He also disputed Trumps recollection that Caine said he loved Trump and would kill for him. I went back and listened to those tapes, and I think the president was talking about someone else, Caine said. He said he never aimed to become Joint Chiefs chairman, and his nomination came as a surprise. But he believed his 34 years in the military, where his father also served as a fighter pilot, prepared well him for the position. I learned about service from my parents and the other members of my family who served not because it was easy, but because it was the right thing to do, he said. In our family, we serve. When asked, we always say yes. Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, right, shakes hands with Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) Caine commissioned into the Air Force through the ROTC shortly after graduating from the Virginia Military Institute in 1990. He flew F-16 fighter jets and was reportedly so aggressive in the cockpit that he earned the nickname Razin Caine, an idiom for someone who causes trouble. He flew more than 150 combat hours and on Sept. 11, 2001, was the lead aviator protecting the skies above Washington in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, armed with air-to-air missiles. Caine later served in the Air National Guard and worked at senior levels of Joint Special Operations Command. He was most recently the associate director for military affairs at the CIA, where he was the agencys primary liaison to the Defense Department. After retiring in December, Caine joined a venture capital firm called Shield Capital. He was a serial entrepreneur and investor from 2009 to 2016 while serving part time in the National Guard, according to the Air Force. Caine said Tuesday that his background in business made him a better general officer and leader, and he would bring an entrepreneurial spirit to the Joint Chiefs chairmanship. He also noted he served three presidents from both political parties as a general officer in the military. Caines testimony in the Senate came a week after it was revealed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top national security officials used a commercial messaging app to discuss pending airstrikes in Yemen. Several senators questioned Caine about the episode and though Caine largely declined to weigh in on it, he said the element of surprise should always be preserved for military actions. I just know Ive always used the right system for the right kinds of conversations, he said. Candles were placed at Cedar Avenue, near Shields Avenue in Fresno, Calif., after Timothy Wells was killed in a crash. (Anthony Galaviz) (Tribune News Service) Jessica Rivas met her husband, Timothy Wells, while he was riding his motorcycle. It was an instant bond between the two when they locked eyes. They both had two kids together and he was larger than life and made sure he took care of his children, Rivas said. The Army veterans life ended abruptly March 23 when he collided with a white vehicle in Fresno, Calif., on Cedar and Cornell avenues, just south of Shields Avenue while he was on his way to a motorcycle meeting down the street by Arsenios Mexican Food. Wells was taken to Community Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. He was 34-years-old. On Friday, family and friends gathered at the crash site and placed candles and pictures and released balloons to remember Wells who loved hard to anyone that came across his path. He was boisterous, wild and funny, Rivas said. No filter. When I met him, I just met this person who had a sense of adventure and ambition. I saw how hard a worker he was. The best thing with my time with him was watching him being a father. Ive never felt .... the bond between him and his kids was something (special). He made sure he took care of us. Destiny Upton created a GoFundMe account to help the family and funeral costs, especially transportation to bring his body back to his family in the San Fernando Valley. Upton has since closed the account after raising $7,470. She called him a generous man who would go out and help others. If you need something in the middle of the night, you can call him and hell be there, she said. Pretty much shows he has a bunch of different walks of life here: military life, regular and motorcycle family. He has a car club family. Hes a friendly guy with everybody and anybody that you talk to. Wells served in the Army in 2012 and was deployed twice, Rivas said. She hopes he gets to have his military salute at this service. He was decorated, she said. He was a rare person ... a rare breed. He was very loved. 2025 The Fresno Bee. Visit fresnobee.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Photo: https://ssu.gov.ua Ukrainian law enforcement officers, together with their Polish colleagues, conducted a multi-stage international special operation and detained a Russian agent who worked against Ukraine in the information sector, the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on its website on Tuesday. "Initially, he was detained in Poland, and now he is in one of Kyiv pre-trial detention facilities. The person involved in the case is a 'political expert' from the media pool of Viktor Medvedchuk, a suspect in treason," the SBU said on its website without specifying the name of the detainee. As Interfax-Ukraine was informed by law enforcement sources, the person in question is political scientist Kyrylo Molchanov, born in 1987, who previously often appeared on the television channels of former MP Viktor Medvedchuk, and spoke in support of the now banned party "Opposition Platform For Life." "The attacker was recruited and worked simultaneously for two special services of the aggressor country: the FSB and the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. On the instructions of the occupiers, he was engaged in discrediting Ukraine in the international arena and worked to destabilize the internal situation in the partner countries of our state. In 2022, he left for Russia, where he later became one of the key ideologists of the Kremlin media projects "Drugaya Ukraina" and "Voice of Europe." The attacker was also one of the frequent guests of Vladimir Solovyov's talk show. In 2023, he participated in the Kremlin propagandist's live broadcasts 35 times, where he justified the Russian armed aggression and spread fakes about the situation in Ukraine," the SBU said. It is also reported that on the territory of the EU he organized street rallies in the interests of Russia, where he called for the curtailment of international support for Ukraine. "Another important direction of the person involved subversive activities were public calls for the preparation of commissioned terrorist attacks in Ukraine. For this, the pseudo-political scientist used his Telegram channel, on which he regularly reposted chatbots of Russian special services that collect intelligence about the Defense Forces," the service said. The detainee was informed of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 436-2 and Part 6 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants and collaborative activities), the investigation is ongoing. Bank accounts and 540K frozen and 100K in cash seized after brothers convicted of funnelling money into Ireland John Jr (black top) and Jonathan chatted outside the High Court last week A man described as the boss in a 4m Swedish tax scam is now being targeted by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). John OConnor Jr served more than three years in prison in Sweden after being found guilty of dodging tax along with three of his brothers. The siblings had run a successful landscaping business but sent all their money back to accounts in Ireland. Now, John Jr has been named in a High Court case as the Bureau chases down cash and property suspected of being linked to criminal activities. John Jr (black top) and Jonathan chatted outside the High Court last week John Jr, along with his brothers Edward, Mark and James Darren OConnor, were convicted in Stockholm in 2021 following a huge police operation. They were sentenced to three years and eight months in prison. The brothers had run a paving and landscaping business but used false invoices and private bank accounts to funnel cash to Ireland instead of paying taxes. CAB had been part of the international investigation into the Connors brothers following their arrest in October 2020. Europol later revealed that 100,000 in cash was seized during searches, while CAB said 16 bank accounts and funds of 540,000 were frozen. A series of raids and arrests were made in Sweden in October 2020 after authorities initiated an investigation into the transfer of large sums of money from Edward OConnors bank account. Edward OConnors company vehicle At a brief High Court hearing this week, it was heard that there are eight people named in the CAB case John Sr, Margaret, Thomas, John, Edward, Mark, Jonathan OConnor and James Griffin. John Jr and Jonathan OConnor were the only two to appear in court and were deemed as being served notice of the proceedings. Jonathan OConnor was not part of the criminal case in Sweden. Counsel for CAB said the others, who are currently in Canada and the US, had been contacted, and agreed to serve notice by email. Judge Owens told the two men in court that the case would be listed again in May this year and they had time to get organised and to get a solicitor. In the 2021 criminal court judgement against them, John Jr was found to have deliberately transferred cash to avoid paying any tax in an organised and systematic manner. James OConnor The written verdict at Stockholm District Court revealed how a large number of different bank accounts were used and dozens of transfers made between them. The court heard that when the men were arrested there was almost no money left in any of their bank accounts, which had been transferred out of Sweden. James Darren OConnor had also previously run a business in Sweden, leaving a large unpaid tax bill, and had changed his name to James Kenneally. In the published judgement. it was stated the crimes the brothers were convicted of what may be considered very serious. Prosecution documents in the case revealed the meticulous investigation included downloads of information taken from seized iPhones and a Macbook. The trawl of the OConnors Apple devices for information by police used software devised by Cellebrite, an Israeli-based and Japanese-owned company. The company, which sells software to law-enforcement all over the world, has been accused of allowing its products to be used by repressive regimes. Edward OConnor Hundreds of receipts, emails, texts and bank transactions were traced and were used to show how the brothers operated. Investigators also used photographs of the group at work and linked payments from customers to cash transfers to bank accounts controlled by the OConnors. The oldest of the brothers, John Jr was described by the Swedish woman who did administration work as the boss. He had been living in Sweden the longest and was the only one not to be ordered to be deported on completion of his sentence. In 2023, the Sunday World revealed how John Jr had lodged a planning application to build houses on a derelict site in Carrick-on-Suir, even though he was serving time in Sweden. He was sent back to Sweden to finish his sentence after returning to Ireland in July 2022, 647 days into his sentence when on temporary release. He was arrested in Ireland under a Schengen Information Service on Sept 3, 2022. Brian Ibe (23) has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Peter Kennedy The stress of becoming homeless along with cannabis use may have triggered the first schizophrenic episode in a young man who later fatally assaulted a 65-year-old while in a psychotic state, a psychiatrist has told a murder trial. Brian Ibe (23) has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Peter Kennedy, who had taken Mr Ibe's mother into his home after learning that she was sleeping in her car. Mr Kennedy also took the accused man into his home for some months in 2019 but asked him to leave after Mr Ibe became aggressive and threatened him. On April 28, 2020, Mr Ibe took a taxi from the Peter McVerry Trust hostel where he was living in Walkinstown in Dublin to Mr Kennedy's home in Moore Park, Newbridge, Co Kildare. He broke into the house by smashing a window and assaulted Mr Kennedy, who died from his injuries in hospital two weeks later, on May 12. Paul Carroll SC, for the prosecution, has previously told the jury that the State's case is that Mr Ibe was not "within the ingredients" of the special insanity or diminished responsibility verdicts under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act. The trial is taking place at the Central Criminal Court. Dr Stephen Monks, a consultant psychiatrist, today told defence counsel Daniel O'Connell BL that he interviewed Mr Ibe and analysed the book of evidence, details about Mr Ibe's background and his medical records since he went into custody in 2020. He diagnosed Mr Ibe with schizophrenia, a mental disorder. At the time of the assault on Mr Kennedy, Dr Monks said the accused had active symptoms of schizophrenia and had entered an acute psychotic state. He said Mr Ibe's psychotic state was a significant contributing factor to the assault and without the psychosis, it is unlikely the assault would have happened. Due to his delusions, including voices in his head telling him to kill Mr Kennedy, Dr Monks said it is possible that Mr Ibe did not understand the nature and quality of his actions. Under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act, Dr Monks said his opinion is that the court could consider that Mr Ibe meets the criteria for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Dr Monks said it appeared that Mr Ibe's symptoms had evolved from June 2018 when he was homeless for a period and smoking cannabis. The expert witness cited statements by Mr Ibe's mother, Martha Ibe, who described her son as a happy teenager with many friends. After June 2018, she described him as "an entirely different character", irritable, prone to aggression and becoming socially isolated. Mr Ibe also told his mother of bizarre beliefs, including that there were gangs of devil worshippers in Dublin. Dr Monks said it would appear that the stress of becoming homeless, with the use of cannabis, triggered the onset of Mr Ibe's first schizophrenic psychosis in 2018. Dr Monks said the description of Mr Ibe's changing behaviour and personality around that time are consistent with the development of schizophrenia in a young person. In interviews with psychiatrists after he went into custody following the assault on Mr Kennedy, Mr Ibe initially denied hearing voices or any other psychotic symptoms. After a period of taking antipsychotic medication, Dr Monks said the accused became less guarded and began to disclose delusional beliefs, including that his mother had placed a microchip in his ear or brain when he was six years old. Mr Ibe said the chip caused the voices in his head, which he said told him to kill Mr Kennedy. This "bizarre delusional belief" is, Dr Monks explained, a "narrative through which he can explain the disintegration of his cognitive function, the loss of control over his mental processes." Since going into custody, Mr Ibe has been taking medication regularly, resulting in a change in his behaviour and a reduction of his symptoms, Dr Monks said. It would be "very difficult" for Mr Ibe to have feigned his symptoms, Dr Monks said, and there is "no coherence" to a suggestion that Mr Ibe fooled multiple psychiatrists and a psychologist who tested him for evidence of exaggerating or feigning. Dr Monks also disagreed with Dr Mary Davoren, a psychiatrist whom the prosecution will call. The jury has heard that Dr Davoren disagrees with the diagnosis of schizophrenia and found Mr Ibe to have a dissocial personality disorder. Dr Monks said he would not expect Mr Ibe's symptoms to improve under medication if he had a personality disorder rather than a psychotic illness. He said his opinion remained unchanged after reading Dr Davoren's report. Under cross-examination, Dr Monks told senior counsel for the prosecution, Paul Carroll, that lies told by Mr Ibe during his garda interviews 24 hours after the assault on Mr Kennedy did not change his diagnosis. He said lies told to gardai do not have any bearing on the "bigger picture" and there are "copious amounts of evidence for this man's mental illness". Mr Ibe, of no fixed abode but formerly of Moore Park, Newbridge has also pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to assault causing harm to Garda Brendan ODonnell at Newbridge Garda Station on or about April 29, 2020. Gda O'Donnell has testified that Mr Ibe became uncooperative and aggressive during his detention and punched him, leaving him with a bloody nose and a bruise under his eye. The trial continues tomorrow before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury of six men and six women. Ionas Caroleas defence said Anthony Boyle had manufactured the complaint out of hatred for Mr Carolea because he was Romanian A MAN has been acquitted of exposing himself in a shopping centre toilet after a social media influencer and activist wrestled him to the ground in a citizens arrest. Ionas Carolea (39) was charged after Anthony Boyle tackled him and claimed he saw him performing a lewd act at a urinal at Dublin's Jervis Centre. His defence said Mr Boyle had manufactured the complaint out of hatred for Mr Carolea because he was Romanian, and to back up his beliefs about foreigners committing crimes in Ireland. Mr Boyle denied this, insisting theres not a racist bone in my body. Judge John Hughes dismissed the charge against Mr Carolea, saying there was a complete conflict in the evidence and he had a doubt. After hearing Mr Boyle had asked for donations online before coming to court, Judge Hughes also remarked that it was entirely inappropriate for witnesses to seek financial reward. Mr Carolea, a cleaner from St James Avenue, Clonliffe Road, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to exposing his genitals intending to cause fear, distress or alarm on March 13, 2023. Mr Boyle, the only witness to the alleged offence, told Dublin District Court when he looked in the mirror at the toilets he saw Mr Carolea standing with his erect penis in his hand, masturbating in front of me, in plain sight . I got the impression he was asking me, did I want to partake in this or something, Mr Boyle said. He approached Mr Carolea who sprinted off, so he chased after him and apprehended him, telling onlookers to contact the gardai. Mr Boyle said he wanted to stand up to this and do the right thing. In cross-examination, defence barrister Gregory Murphy (instructed by solicitor Michael Kelleher) said some people might describe Mr Boyle as far right. People are entitled to describe me in whatever way they want, I have my political views, he replied, denying that he was a bigot. I have issues with the current political establishments trajectory on immigration policy, its not sustainable, he said. I do have political beliefs but that is completely beside the point, I know what I saw. Its nothing to do with what country hes from. Mr Murphy read out tweets by Mr Boyle, who denied that the theme was against people who are not Irish. 01/04/2025 Ionas Carolea who was acquitted of a charge of exposing himself in a public toilet in Dublin. Photo Collins Courts One said its so cold right now even the Roma gypsies have their hands in their pockets. Mr Boyle said this was a joke. He accepted he had posted on social media about Mr Carolea, describing him as the Jervis Street flute player. Mr Boyle also accepted he had asked for online donations so I can take a few days off work to get that flute player jailed. He said he was an IT consultant setting up a company and though this was not paid, he did odd jobs and was involved in charity work. He had mistakenly thought he would be out of pocket and in the end he got no money at all from the donation request, he said. Asked if he had canvassed for far right election candidates, he said he had helped out Cllr Gavin Pepper for a couple of hours. Mr Murphy put it to Mr Boyle when he saw Mr Carolea in the toilets he decided to take advantage of it and told a lie to suit your social media narrative. Its preposterous and abhorrent to suggest to me that I would make it up and get an innocent man into trouble, he replied. A security guard said when he separated them on the ground, Mr Boyle had his arms and legs wrapped around Mr Carolea. Mr Boyle told him this male had his c**k in his hand and he was w**king. In evidence, Mr Carolea said of the allegation I havent done any of this. He said he was peeing at the urinal and took about two minutes because he was on medication and having difficulty. He said he looked in the mirror and saw Mr Boyle looking at him and smiling. He said he had no interaction with him and thought at the time Mr Boyle knew him from his work. He alleged Mr Boyle punched him in the face and he ran, screaming for help. He said Mr Boyle grabbed him, got him in a choke hold and punched him in the ribs. Mr Boyle denied punching him. Prosecutor Clare Barry said Mr Boyles evidence was clear and it beggared belief that he made it up from absolutely nothing. Judge Hughes said there was a total conflict of evidence, the charge had to be proved beyond reasonable doubt and he had a doubt. Im distinctly uncomfortable with this notion of witnesses seeking to harvest financial reward, privately or publicly, other than through the appropriate apparatus in respect of giving evidence, the judge said. I think its entirely inappropriate. Conor Stevenson (26) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery in Glenageary, Co. Dublin on March 30, 2021 A man who attacked a 15-year-old boy after the teenager refused to hand over his backpack has been jailed for three and half years. Conor Stevenson (26) of Abbot Court, Cualanor, Dun Laoghaire, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery in Glenageary, Co. Dublin on March 30, 2021. He has 72 previous convictions including criminal damage and minor assault. Detective Garda Aoife Lewis told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that the teenager and a friend had been walking to the DART station when two men approached them and said give me the bag lads. The victim grabbed his backpack and told Stevenson and the other man to fuck off but he was grabbed by the neck and pushed to the ground. The teenager hit back in self defence but he was dragged into nearby bushes where Stevenson continued to assault him. The teenager gave in telling Stevenson fine - you can take the bag before the robbers fled the scene. The boy immediately reported the mugging to a nearby garda station. Det Gda Lewis said gardai analysed CCTV footage from the local area and nominated Stevenson as a suspect. He was arrested and questioned but nothing of evidential value came out of that interview. Det Gda Lewis agreed with Oisin Clarke BL, defending, that it was an impulsive robbery and was not pre-meditated. Mr Clarke said his client has no family support and was living in homeless accommodation as a child. He said Stevenson has a heroin addiction that he has since attempted to deal with. Counsel accepted it would have been a terrifying experience for the teenager and said his client had written a letter of remorse. Judge Martin Nolan said Stevenson spotted an opportunity but the teenager did not want to hand over his property and for his trouble he was attacked. The judge said it was a violent robbery before he jailed Stevenson for three and half years. The court heard that Conor Stewart (29) owed the victims brother 50 due to a drug debt when he and another man set upon him. A man who attacked his victim with a samurai sword over a 50 drug debt has been jailed for four years. The court heard that Conor Stewart (29) owed the victims brother 50 due to a drug debt when he and another man set upon him. Stewart, of Kilcross Court, Sandyford, Dublin 18, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm and production of a samurai sword at Kilcross Grove, also in Sandyford, on June 18, 2020. His previous convictions including criminal damage and burglary. Detective Garda Aoife Lewis told Oisin Clarke BL, prosecuting, that the victim saw a van pull up before a man got out and ran after him carrying an adjustable wrench. The man said: You think you and your brother can get away with causing this trouble before he was struck on the back of the head. Stewart then got out of the van carrying a samurai sword shouting: This is because of your brother before he attacked the man leaving him with a cut to the left hand side of his head. The victim protested that it had nothing to with him and the driver of the van shouted at the men to leave him alone. The man was later treated in hospital for a cut to the back of his head and a larger wound to the side of his head which required stitches. He has since made a full recovery and he did not prepare a victim impact statement. Det Gda Lewis agreed with Michael OHiggins SC, defending, that it was his client who owed the drug. She accepted that Stewart and the victim and his brother have since reconciled and that any bad odour that was around at the time has since dissipated. Det Gda Lewis accepted that it was a valuable plea as the case may have been difficult to prosecute. Mr OHiggins said Stewart apologises for his actions adding there had been bad blood between him and the victims brother over this drug debt. He said he has been on remand in prison and only recently got a bed in his cell due to over-crowding there. Counsel said his clients twenties have been effectively written off due to the time he spent in prison and he understands that he needs to break the cycle of offending. Judge Martin Nolan said both men were angry at the victims brother and Stewart armed himself with a vicious weapon. Can he change? Who knows? If he does not, he will keep going back to prison, Judge Nolan said before he sentenced the man to four years in prison, having accepted that his plea of guilty in the case was valuable. They seemed to think it was something enterprising rather than illegal Two grandfathers caught with a combined 23,000 worth of untaxed cigarettes in their luggage in Dublin Airport had come to Ireland to sell them after being told they could make easy money here. Dorel Paun (47) and Nicolae Constantin (45) thought they were being enterprising when they used savings and loans to bulk-buy the cigarettes cheaply in Turkey to sell on the black market here. Judge Peter White sentenced them to a backdated 15 days in prison, after hearing that they had already spent that time in custody. Paun, of Ramnicu Sarat, and Constantin, from Strada Deleni, both in Bucharest, Romania, pleaded guilty to dealing with excisable tobacco products with intent to defraud the State, and evasion of excise duty. Paun had 14,000 cigarettes, worth over 12,000, while Constantins 12,000 cigarettes were worth over 10,000. Dublin District Court heard they were stopped by customs officers on February 19 after they arrived on a flight from Istanbul and an X-ray of their luggage revealed anomalies. Paun said he bought the cigarettes in Turkey and intended selling them to shops in Dublin. Constantin said he intended meeting friends in Dublin and giving them the cigarettes in exchange for money. The combined potential loss to the State was nearly 16,000. The accused were both running to standstill, working long hours in Romania to support their families, defence solicitor Niall Walsh said. They seemed to think it was something enterprising rather than illegal, he said. Asiah Boudakhan (20) of no fixed abode pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Temple Bar Square, Dublin on March 14, 2024 A woman who held a victim down by sitting on his legs while her accomplice attacked him has been given a 20 month suspended sentence. Asiah Boudakhan (20) of no fixed abode pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Temple Bar Square, Dublin on March 14, 2024. She has no previous convictions. The court was shown CCTV footage of the assault which showed Boudakhan punching the victim after he approached her and her co-accused. A scuffle broke out and the victim was brought onto the road where Boudakhan sat on his legs holding him to the ground. She could be seen on footage going through the mans pockets while she restrained him. Both Boudakhan and her co-accused attacked the man and the other man later struck the victim with a bottle in the face. It was accepted that the victims injuries were relatively minor. The man didnt prepare a victim impact statement and there was no medical report before the court. Defence counsel told Judge Martin Nolan that Boudakhan is currently homeless. She started drinking when she was 13 years old and left the family home because of her own challenging behaviour. Counsel said Boudakhan was intoxicated at the time and unable to control her actions. She is deeply remorseful for her involvement. Judge Martin Nolan said that the victim did not have serious injuries and has since made a full recovery. He said Boudakhan had not had the best start in life and it would be unjust to imprison her on her first offence. She is entitled to some form of a chance. Judge Nolan said before he imposed a 20 month sentence which he suspended in full. Alleged UVF boss Stephen Matthews (62) and co-accused Derek George Lammey (60) have both been charged with unlawful assembly, affray and intimidation, dating back to February 2021 A woman who was inside an east Belfast community centre when the building was approached by a gang of up to 40 masked and hooded men said today that the incident left her terrified. Toni Johnston the daughter of Ian Ogle, who was murdered yards from his Cluan Place home in January 2019 was called to give evidence at a trial concerning two men accused of three offences arising from an incident in the Pitt Park/Fraser Pass area of the city, with the gathering an alleged loyalist show of strength. Alleged UVF boss Stephen Matthews (62) and co-accused Derek George Lammey (60) have both been charged with unlawful assembly, affray and intimidation, dating back to February 2021. Both Matthews, from Meadow Park in Ballywalter, and Lammey, of Hill Crest in Bangor, have denied all three charges levelled against them. Its the Crowns case that the pair were part of a group of around 40 men who, on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 2, 2021, acted in a way that was dripping with intimidation and designed to engender terror. Prior to Ms Johnston being called to give evidence, a prosecuting barrister opened the Crowns case against Matthews and Lammey. Derek Lammey at Belfast Crown Court today The barrister told the non-jury trial that on the afternoon in question, a group of men who took precautions to hide their identity gathered in the Pitt Park area. The Crown KC said the threatening and intimidating group then made their way to the Ballymac Centre intent on a fight or a confrontation. With people inside the premises, its the Crowns case that when the group arrived, they started gesturing and shouting out to the occupants inside before milling in the area for a few minutes then turning back in the direction from which they came. The incident was captured both on CCTV and on body cameras worn by police officers at the scene. The barrister said the footage displayed a large group in a sinister context who were acting aggressively and gesturing to those in the centre and who were not deterred by the presence of armed police. The prosecuting barrister added: This was not a peaceful demonstration or a meeting of a social club... this was a large, intimidating and threatening group. The first witness called to give evidence was Toni Johnston, who confirmed that she was present inside the Ballymac Centre that afternoon. Stephen Matthews at Belfast Crown Court today Ms Johnston said she had been in her aunts house in the Pitt Park area when, at around 1.30pm, her aunts friend came rushing into the house and told us it wasnt safe. She said she, her aunt and her mother left the house in a panic and made their way to the Ballymac Centre. When she was asked by the Crown barrister how she found it when they arrived at the centre, Ms Johnston said it was absolute chaos as there were panicking women, children and dogs present. She said that at around 2.30pm she looked out from an upstairs window and saw a crowd of men outside who were covered head to toe in scarves and dark clothing. When questioned about what else she observed, Ms Johnston said that when the group saw police they sort of back-tracked. She was then asked how the incident made her feel, to which she replied: Terrified. Ms Johnston also confirmed that she recognised some of the group but said: I wasnt willing to name them, in fear or repercussions for myself. Also called to give evidence was a police constable who was present at the scene and who said he recognised both Matthews and Lammey among the group. From the witness box, the constable confirmed he knew both men well and that, despite them both wearing masks, he was able to identify both. Concerning Matthews, the officer said he had known him for many years and identified him from his height and build, adding that some of his face was visible. When asked about Lammey, the constable said the accused spoke to him as he passed him as part of the group and that he recognised his voice and his eyes. The police officer was also questioned by the barristers representing both defendants. When asked by Lammeys barrister Joseph OKeeffe if he felt threatened by the group that afternoon, he replied: No, I didnt. He was then questioned by Matthews barrister John Larkin KC and confirmed that the incident occurred during Covid, at a time when many people wore masks. Mr Larkin asked him if, that afternoon, he identified a crime or criminal offence, to which he replied: No. The court also heard that when the defendants were arrested on February 17, 2021, Lammey didnt speak during an interview with police, whilst Matthews didnt answer any questions put to him but gave a pre-prepared statement denying the offences. Blaming the bank: Husband says he should have been alerted to huge amount in his account Adnan Afzal and his wife admitted their roles in the fraud A husband and wife who pleaded guilty to their roles in a scam in which more than 500,000 was stolen from Dublin Zoo have claimed they are patsies who were tricked into the situation. Adnan Afzal (45) and Agate Jansone (32) from Wellington Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, pleaded guilty to laundering 364,894 of the money through their bank accounts and have been remanded on bail ahead of sentencing in May. Mr Afzal claimed to the Sunday World this week that he and his wife, who have three kids together, were tricked into letting their accounts be used by a third party who claimed he wanted to set up a business with them in Tipperary. He said they didnt get any money for their involvement and were living in poor conditions. Fraudster Adnan Afzal pleaded guilty Does this look like the house of some who has 500,000? he said when the Sunday World called to the home this week. You see this position were living in its not a good position for living in. If I had money it wouldnt be like this. He showed our reporter around his house. You see from here. How would I have 500,000? We didnt take [the money] we just trusted someone. Someone was using the bank account, thats true. However, he claimed hes just the patsy in the scam and was conned into taking part by a friend. He was my friend, he cheated me. I think he left the country. It is a very bad nightmare. We are thinking about it every day, he said. Gardai launched an investigation after 511,000 was redirected from Dublin Zoos accounts in invoice redirect frauds. At the time, building work was being carried out on the Discovery and Learning Centre by a construction firm based in Roscommon. However, fraudsters sent an email from a slightly different email address and successfully conned the Zoos finance department into sending money to third-party accounts instead of the builders real account. In total, between November 17 and December 12, 2017, a sum of 511,369.14 was stolen. Funds were subsequently transferred from one account to other accounts. The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau tracked some of the money to an account in the name of Agate Jansone, trading as MJ Traders. The funds were then transferred into a joint AIB account of the husband and wife before being transferred to Afzals AIB account trading as AA Fruits and Vegetables and then into another Bank of Ireland account held in the name of the couple. Gardai got a warrant for the couples home and raided it on February 28, 2018. They came here battering the door down. We were sleeping and 20 guards came, Mr Afzal said. He claimed that was the first he knew that his accounts had been used for fraud. We dont have any criminal record. One thing has happened and our life is destroyed. We got screwed over. We dont have any options [but to plead guilty] because it went into our account. We dont have money. They were using us. Gardai were able to recover more than 360,000 of the money but the rest was gone. He transferred the money on to the UK, Pakistan, India, I dont know where he transferred it, Mr Afzal said. Adnan Afzal and his wife admitted their roles in the fraud Asked why he would let someone else use his bank account, Mr Afzal said a friend of his introduced him to a man from Pakistan who said he wanted to set up a business in Tipperary. He said to me he was starting a business. He said hed give us jobs and wed get good pay and wed be working with him and after a while if we wanted he would give us partnership in the business. I met him a few times. I went to a friends house. He had money and was starting a business. I was greedy at that stage for a job. Afzals wife registered the business and an office was set up in Cashel and Afzal said the third party said stock would be arriving and things would arrive for the office. My wife signed the papers for the office and [the third party] said when everything is complete Ill call you. However, that didnt happen. I called him every two or three days and I think hes probably busy and didnt call for 15 days. One day he called a few times more after 17 or 18 the guards came and were knocking. While Afzal claimed that was the first he knew his accounts had been used to launder hundreds of thousands of euro, he had no proper explanation as to why he would allow a third party to use their accounts and said he had no idea the money was in the accounts. It was a scam. This guy said he was putting money in the bank I was just taking out social and child benefit. When they arrested us I had just 217. He said he didnt look at his bank balance and had just used his cards to spend the small amount of money he knew he had in his account. The friend screwed me as well. Theyre gone and Im still here. He blamed the banks for not letting him know such a large sum was in his accounts and blamed the Zoo for not spotting the different email address. While claiming he was unaware money was being laundered through his accounts until the garda raids, he conceded he had to plead guilty as the money went through his accounts. He said he was naive but repeatedly denied to our reporter that he was paid anything by the scammers to get involved. He said he has been living in Ireland for 13 or 14 years after moving here from Pakistan and he married Jansone, who is originally from Latvia, in 2014. They have three children and Afzal said they struggle to make ends meet. Were paying 1,250 per month rent and are in HAP (Housing Assistance Payments) as well. We need help from HAP. Our home position is very bad. Water is coming down, its a cold house. He said he did food deliveries while his wife worked as a kitchen porter. He added that his work visa was cancelled last year. He added that while others involved in the fraud have disappeared, he has stayed to face the music. If I had a lot of money why would I come back, I could disappear. We are going to the garda station signing on and everything. We had the chance to run away but we didnt. We believe in our lawyers and are standing here still. The case has been adjourned for sentencing in May. Leading Ukrainian pet food manufacturer Kormotech has commenced construction of a new wet pet food plant in Lithuania with a planned capacity of 40,000 tonnes. The first phase is set to launch in the second quarter of 2026, according to the company's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ihor Paraniak, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. "Given the global growth of the wet pet food market, we decided to expand our capacity. We concluded that building a new factory in Lithuania is the most suitable option, as we already have experience in the Lithuanian market and an established team. Additionally, Lithuania offers grant assistance to investors for large-scale projects [20% cashback]. That's why we've decided to build another factory in Lithuania, it will be twice as big as the existing one, located next to," Paraniak stated. Kormotech's existing plant in Kedainiai, Lithuania, has been operational since 2020, with a full capacity of 20,000 tonnes across four production lines. In February, the company secured a EUR 40 million loan from the EBRD to begin construction of a second facility. The total investment in the new project amounts to EUR 60 million. The new plant will be developed in four stages, ultimately reaching a production capacity of 40,000 tonnes and creating 200 new jobs. "The first phase is scheduled for launch in the second quarter of 2026, the second by the end of the same year, with the third and fourth phases to follow depending on demand growth. By 2028, we aim to have all phases operational, bringing our total production capacity in Lithuania to 60,000 tonnes," Paraniak said. The new factory will incorporate several technological advancements, including increased automation. While approximately 80% of production processes at the current plant are automated, the new facility will achieve nearly 99% automation. "Some changes will be made to the manufacturing process itself. Currently, we use steam tunnels to produce chunks in sauce or jelly, but the new facility will adopt a different technology to broaden our range. Additionally, we will optimize packaging processes," he added. Kormotech is a global family company with Ukrainian roots, which has been producing cat and dog food under the Optimeal, Club 4 Paws, Gav!, Miaow! brands since 2003. The company has production capacities in Ukraine and the EU, with an assortment of more than 650 items. Kormotech is a leader in Ukraine, included in the top 50 world producers of animal food and the top 20 most dynamic pet food brands. It sells its own brands and partners' labels in 46 countries. Kormotech Group ended 2024 with $162.7 million in turnover, which is 6.5% more than in 2023. In total, it sold 83,000 tonnes of dry and wet food for cats and dogs last year, which is almost 7.5% more than in 2023. With the participation of CFI, Agence francaise de developpement medias, as part of the Hub Bucharest Project with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Money for nothing: Two members of staff resign as terror group tries to muscle in on public funds A loyalist-linked community group in east Belfast is under investigation over an alleged 80,000 fraud at a centre. A probe has been launched into suspicion of embezzlement of public funds at the Ballymac Friendship Centre in the east of the city. The centre has been mired in controversy in recent times with claims of interference from the UVF. It has also been the scene of so-called UVF shows of strength, staged despite opposition from centre staff. The centre was grant-funded by the Executive Office at Stormont which is now investigating the claims, along with the Charity Commission. The PSNI has also confirmed they are keeping a watching brief with a view to possible criminal proceedings depending on the outcome. UVF and Red Hand Commando exhibition which took place at the Ballymac Centre The investigation is the culmination of a tempestuous period at the centre, which has reportedly seen the UVF force themselves into control. According to sources, the UVF has tried to take control of the centre which was set up to provide community services, including reskilling, and hosting the Christian Fellowship Church with outreach programmes and mental wellbeing projects. The Sunday World can reveal at least two members of staff, including the centres CEO, have resigned, citing undue influence, harassment and intimidation from leading figures in East Belfast UVF. It is claimed that on one occasion a UVF brigadier sat in on a grievance hearing involving a female member of staff. The CEO of the charity and another member of staff have resigned after coming under pressure from the terror group after they tried to investigate allegations of missing funds. Sources also claim that the Christian Fellowship Church, which held a series of weekly events, has been evicted from the centre. A leading member of the congregation was allegedly assaulted during a prayer walk, a regular event at the centre. When contacted by the Sunday World, leading loyalist William McCaughey, who runs the centre, confirmed an investigation by the Executive Office was ongoing, but insisted it was at his behest. I will confirm there is an investigation and it is ongoing, he said. I will also confirm that I initiated the investigation. William McCaughey at lasts years demonstration In reference to the specific allegation of 80,000 in unaccounted public funds, he said he had no comment to make. Sources spoken to by the Sunday World have alleged that the Ballymac Centre has been targeted by criminal elements within the UVF. The Shankill Road chiefs stood down the leadership team of east Belfast in November 2023 and installed a new brigadier and command structure. The new brigadier, who we cannot name for legal reasons, has failed to win over support. There were good, good people in there mindful that this was public money and there had to be a clean-hands approach to everything, in other words, every penny had to be accounted for, said our source. Such was the pressure exerted by UVF-linked personnel that staff members have had to take measures to protect their personal security. Others have sought help because of the impact on their mental health. One of the employees who resigned quit after being summoned to a meeting where she was shocked to be confronted by a UVF commander, which caused her considerable distress. Another employee left after allegedly being coerced to falsify documents and forge signatures. UVF and Red Hand Commando exhibition which took place at the Ballymac Centre Complaints have also been made to the PSNI who confirmed to the Sunday World that their Economic Crime Unit is liaising with the Executive Office with a view to taking criminal proceedings. And now the Sunday World can reveal Ballymac has applied for further public funds for the David Ervine Hub, which will be based at the Fraser Pass premises and which will house a museum dedicated to loyalism. In a startling revelation, an Executive Office source has told us the Hub is likely to be granted the funds even though the applicants, in the shape of Ballymac, are currently under investigation in relation to alleged missing money. The Ballymac Centre has become a battleground between rival UVF factions. Last October a picture was posted on social media showing an event commemorating the loyalist paramilitary ceasefires featuring men in balaclavas in the Ballymac premises. The centre was also at the centre of controversy when pictures emerged of young people holding replica weapons on the charity premises beside a paramilitary emblem. One source told the Sunday World that in a conversation with a senior civil servant, he referred to a good UVF and a bad UVF. This is public money, said our source, they (government) just sign cheques for these people, they know whats going on yet they just let it happen. The UVF is alleged to have infiltrated the Ballymac Centre Centre boss McCaughey is said to be untroubled by the investigations, as he tries to rebrand and relaunch Ballymac as the David Ervine Hub. In using the name of the late PUP leader and peace campaigner, he is hoping to secure additional funding and he is also pitching a scheme to convert the centre into a loyalist museum. The revelations come at a time when there is increased focus on paramilitary organisations and attempts to make them transition away from criminality. Funding community projects is controversial because many ex-paramilitary figures have secured jobs funded by public money. Sources have told us the alleged Ballymac fraud is the tip of the iceberg and is damaging good work. There is so much that was good about Ballymac, but they (UVF) have ruined it, they dont care about what they call their community its all about lining their pockets. McCaughey was pictured taking part in a UVF show of strength in east Belfast last summer which was also attended by convicted UVF gunrunner Winston Winkie Irvine, who is due to be sentenced after he was nabbed with a boot load of guns and ammo. The Ballymac Friendship Centre When contacted, the Charity Commission confirmed they were aware of the allegations. It said: The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is aware of concerns regarding Ballymac Friendship Trust Limited (NIC103722) and we are looking into the issues raised where they relate to the administration of the charity. For confidentiality reasons, and to ensure there is no prejudice caused to any current or future investigations, the commission cannot confirm the nature of the concerns. However, we would highlight that allegations of fraud and embezzlement would be a matter for the PSNI to investigate. The commissions remit does not extend to matters relating to criminal offences. In a statement to the Sunday World, the PSNI said they were adopting a watching brief. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has been made aware of an investigation by the NICS Internal Audit Services investigation team. Our Economic Crime Unit will be liaising with departmental officials, and will determine whether further criminal investigation is required when they have concluded their inquiries, it said. Despite submitting a series of questions on March 7, the Executive Office has yet to respond to the Sunday World. The father of two (41) suffered third-degree burns to 75pc of his body John Murphy's parents Sean and Eileen hold a photo of their son, with sisters Helena (front left) and Jose (front right) and brothers Michael, William and Tadhg (back row) The last word that John Murphy spoke was to say thanks to the paramedics who helped him after the horrific industrial accident that would ultimately claim his life. The father of two (41) suffered third-degree burns to 75pc of his body after an explosion as he worked for contractors on the roof of the Stryker plant in Anngrove, Co Cork, on April 18, 2023. Despite being badly injured, John asked his manager to contact his mother, Eileen, to inform her what had happened. Ultimately, his brother Michael was contacted about the accident. John managed to make it down off the plant roof, with the aid of workmates, to be treated by paramedics before being rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital (CUH). Paramedics were shocked at the extent of his burns and recommended a painkilling injection to help him once the initial shock wore off. John ignored his pain to reply: Thanks. He lost consciousness and never spoke to his family again before dying in the specialist burns unit of St Jamess Hospital in Dublin on June 9, almost two months later. April 18 marks the second anniversary of Johns fatal accident and his family said they are heartbroken at having no idea when they can get closure. A Health and Safety Authority (HSA) investigation mandatory in the case of all fatal workplace accidents remains ongoing. A Dublin coroners inquest into Johns death cannot conclude until it is clear that the HSA investigation and resultant court proceedings, if any, are resolved. The Murphy family are worried that they face months and possibly years of waiting for answers over the circumstances of Johns death. One Irish farming accident that happened in 2020 is still the focus of ongoing HSA/Director of Public Prosecutions proceedings. The Murphy family said no family should have to wait so long for answers and closure over the death of a loved one following a workplace tragedy. We dont celebrate family events any more. We mark them. There is a huge hole left in our family Johns father, Sean, said he feared the worst when he visited his son in CUH. The very minute we went in the door, the nurses were asking us what happened to him. They didnt know. We didnt know anything ourselves at that stage, he said. He was gone for some bit of surgery. When I got in to see him, I lifted the clothes back on one side I should have known then that John was in serious trouble. He was destroyed. His parents initially thought their son had only injured his hand and were horrified to discover the appalling extent of the burn injuries he had suffered. The two-month vigil as John was dying, first in Cork and then in Dublin hospitals, left the family devastated. John Murphy, who died after sustaining burns in a workplace accident in April 2023. His parents and siblings Michael, Helena, William, Jose and Tadhg are still struggling to come to terms with the loss. He was a pure character there wasnt anything he wouldnt do for you, Sean said. John was trained as a plumber and when anyone had a problem, day or night, theyd ring John and hed help them. The Murphy family operate an agricultural contracting business from the familys home at Condonstown, outside Watergrasshill in north Cork. From the time he could walk, John loved machinery and animals. His sister, Helena, said his death shattered a critical link in their family chain. We dont celebrate family events any more. We mark them. There is a huge hole left in our family with the loss of John, she said. He was a treasure. A kind, mild-mannered family man. His family and friends were his life. He had a legion of friends. He had such a great, big, kind heart. John loved spending time with his nieces and nephews, often treating them to a Sunday lunch in McDonalds. His kids were his pride and joy. They were his world. John was also a devoted husband. His brother, William, said the 41-year-old was the glue of the family. He was the swivel the one who kept everyone else from getting tangled up in life. If you met him, he was always smiling. You could hear him laughing from another room, he added. Johns pride and joy was the New Holland 270 tractor he operated while working in the family contracting business. He kept it spick and span he kept it immaculately clean no matter how dirty the job he had been doing. He was so proud of that machine, Michael said. John was such a character that he was the one chosen to record a FarmFlix promotional video to highlight the contracting work undertaken from their Condonstown base by Murphy Agri. The video was published just days after John died in St Jamess Hospital. The images captured by FarmFlix of John happily chatting as he drove his beloved tractor are now among the familys most treasured memories. He would so love to have seen Cork beat Limerick last year. My God, he loved Cork hurling John was also an avid sportsman. He played hurling with Watergrasshill from Sciath na Scol level right up. One of Johns claims to fame was that he played at full-forward and scored 7-11 once in a juvenile match. We joked with him afterwards that it was a girls match he had played in, Tadhg said, smiling. His father said supporting the Cork hurling team was his sons great passion. He would so love to have seen Cork beat Limerick last year. My God, he loved Cork hurling, Sean said. Eileen recalled a young man who lived life to the fullest degree. John was the first one to crack a joke. He was always smiling and laughing, she said. If there was a job needed doing around the house, he would see to it. John only spent 24 hours in CUH before being rushed to St Jamess Hospital in Dublin on April 19, 2023. Subsequent visitation was carefully controlled to protect John from infections as his condition became critical over the following two months. Sean and Eileen Murphy with a photograph of their beloved son, John Murphy We had a meeting on a Wednesday the whole family and we were basically told there was no hope for John, Helena said. They looked for 1pc of an improvement. Just 1pc. But they never even got that. He had burns to 75pc of his body. We were told that day to go in and say our goodbyes. They didnt know how long he would last. I was driving home that night and I said that John would not be there by the weekend. He was gone, God love him. I got to hold his hand in the hospital and even his nails were gone from his fingers. Sean said he is still haunted by the fact his son had a closed coffin and he never got to see John to say a final goodbye at the funeral. That is the one thing that is driving me mad. I nearly got down on my knees to beg the undertaker to open the coffin for me but he would not do it. He was warned in Dublin not to open it, he said. Eileen said all her family wants now are answers. We have no closure. That is all we want. We are two years waiting for answers. We dont want to still be waiting for them at Johns third or fourth anniversaries, she said. In June 2023, Stryker issued a statement expressing sympathy after Johns death. It said it was deeply saddened by the death of John, who was a friend to many as well as a valued colleague. The company extended its sympathies and thoughts to the Murphy family and to everyone who knew John. A spokesperson for the HSA said: The investigation into the fatal incident is ongoing and as such no further information can be provided at this time. The 41-year-old said she is experiencing kidney failure following the incident Virginia Giuffre is said to have been badly injured (Crime+Investigation/Virginia Giuffre/PA) Police in Australia have described the collision that left Jeffrey Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre with four days to live as a minor crash. Police in Western Australia and Queensland, where the 41-year-old has been based in recent years, initially told the publication that they had no record of a bus crash that matched her description occurring in their jurisdiction in recent days. However, Daily Mail Australia reported that a spokesperson for Western Australia Police later said they were aware of a minor crash occurring between a bus and car in Neergabby, north of Perth. There was AU$2000 (1,558) worth of damage to the car but no injuries were reported, the spokesperson added. The collision which occurred on March 24th was reported to authorities by the bus driver the next day. Police in New South Wales and Victoria said they were unable to identify any incidents matching the one reported due to privacy restrictions. The Guardian report that the driver of the car was confirmed to be a 41-year-old woman, and added that Giuffre presented to the emergency department of a Perth hospital on Tuesday April 1st. On Sunday, Giuffre said she was experiencing kidney failure and had four days to live after a school bus hit her car at 110km/h. Taking to Instagram she said she was being transferred to a hospital that specialises in urology. This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I wont bore anyone with the details but I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can, her post began. Ive gone into kidney renal failure, theyve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology. Im ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes, she continued. S**T in one hand and wish in the other & I guarantee its still going to be s**t at the end of the day. Thank you all for being the wonderful people of the world and for being a great part of my life. Godbless you all xx Virginia Her mother Skye commented: Virginia my daughter, I love you and praying for you to get the correct treatment to live a long and healthy life. If there is anything in this world I can do to help you, please let me know. My spirit with you now and holding your hand. In 2015, Giuffre accused Jeffrey Epstein of paying her to have sex with him, Prince Andrew and a number of other men. She also alleged that Ghislaine Maxwell recruited her for the purposes of sex trafficking. In 2021 she filed a sex abuse lawsuit against Prince Andrew in which she alleged that she had been trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell to have sex with him in the early noughties when she was a teenager. The case was settled the following year for an undisclosed sum. Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the claims. In 2022 Ghislaine Maxwell was handed down a sentence of 20 years in prison for sex trafficking. Epstein was arrested and charged with sex-trafficking in July 2019 but died by suicide while awaiting trial. Comedian Sil Fox is suing the State after being wrongly accused of sexually assaulting a fan Sil Fox said he lost friends and became a recluse after the case was taken by a woman with whom he posed for a photo. Photo: Johnny Brew Comedian Sil Fox, who recently fractured his spine, says he will keep fighting for justice until the last breath leaves his body. Photo: Johnny Brew Comedian Sil Fox, who is suing the State after being wrongly accused of sexually assaulting a fan, has accused the State of playing for time in the hope that I die soon and it goes away. In 2020 lawyers for the comedian, who recently celebrated his 92nd birthday, launched High Court proceedings against the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Garda Commissioner, the Justice Minister, the Government and the Attorney General for breaching his constitutional right to a good name. It followed Mr Foxs acquittal in the District Court when a judge threw out the charge against him after viewing CCTV footage which showed that no assault had occurred. In the lawsuit the comedians legal representatives claim that he suffered serious reputational damage arising from false allegations, in circumstances where any reasonable consideration or review of the CCTV evidence would militate against a prosecution. Mr Foxs solicitor, Kevin Winters of KRW Law, has sought discovery of all relevant documents and materials pertaining to the decision to prosecute his client. A civil action of this kind is extremely rare, especially in cases where the accused has been acquitted in court. The DPP lodged its defence against the legal action in May of last year, which means that it intends to fight the claim. Comedian Sil Fox, who recently fractured his spine, says he will keep fighting for justice until the last breath leaves his body. Photo: Johnny Brew 90-year-old comedian Sil Fox takes case against DPP after dismissed sexual assault charge No date has yet been set for the hearing in the High Court. The office of the DPP said that it did not comment on individual cases. Mr Fox said that the fact that another year had passed without any development indicated that the State was running down the clock. They [the State] ruined my life; they ruined my career on TV and radio and on the cabaret circuit overnight I lost friends and my reputation and my life, he said. Even though I was completely cleared of any wrongdoing of any kind, RTE still has me blocked, especially from the hugely popular Funny Friday spots I used to do with Joe Duffy on Liveline. I think this is what people call being cancelled. It shows that the likes of the national broadcaster, despite their claims of being fair and unbiased, have no concerns about the way I was wrongly accused. I am determined to keep fighting for justice until the last breath leaves my body An RTE spokesperson said: The Funny Friday shows are a change from Livelines normal output and are aired as occasional specials. Prior to the Christmas special, Funny Friday took place in August 2024. The editorial team are always reshaping the show and introducing new comedy and musical acts to Irish audiences. Liveline has not blocked any contributors. Mr Fox added: Since this happened back in 2018, when I was 85, I have become a recluse and I dont go out very much everyone turned their backs on me and the phone went dead overnight. Entertaining people was my whole life and I was top of my game and still in demand and attracting large audiences. It kept me young, but then I was thrown under a bus. RTE denied it had 'blocked' anyone My case against the State is going on too long and every day that passes is in the States favour because they are playing for time in the hope that I die soon. They can stretch it out for another two or three years, but I cant and they know that but I am determined to keep fighting for justice until the last breath leaves my body. I used to joke before all this that I had refused to take a seat in Gods waiting room with many of my fans but now that seems to be the States trump card. This week I am 92 and it could be my last birthday. Since before Christmas Mr Fox has been forced to use a mobility aid to get around after he fractured his spine when lifting a gas canister. He has been in constant pain. In relation to the unfounded sexual assault accusation, Mr Foxs nightmare began when he posed for a selfie with some fans following a gig in Dublin on December 17, 2018. As soon as that happened I became a pariah CCTV later showed that it took three seconds for a friend of the woman who accused him of assaulting her to snap a picture. The woman later made an official complaint to the gardai in which she falsely claimed that the comedian had groped her while the picture was being taken. The accusation led to him being questioned by detectives in Pearse Street garda station. He vehemently denied the allegations and, together with his lawyers, protested that the CCTV footage of the interaction with the woman clearly showed that he had not touched her. The gardai sent a file on the case to the DPP, who decided to charge the comedian with sexual assault. When the case first came before the District Court an application by his lawyers seeking an order preventing him being named in media reports was rejected. As soon as that happened, I became a pariah, he recalled. The trial eventually came to hearing on May 27, 2020. After listening to testimony from some witnesses and reviewing the CCTV of the alleged incident, Judge Paula Murphy found there were significant discrepancies between the complainants account of what happened and the footage of the incident. Sil Fox said he lost friends and became a recluse after the case was taken by a woman with whom he posed for a photo. Photo: Johnny Brew She ruled that there was no indication that something untoward occurred in the first place. The veteran comedians accuser made specific allegations that he put his left hand on her groin and assaulted her for 30 seconds, but the CCTV had shown that the encounter had lasted three seconds. Mr Foxs left hand could be seen on the table the entire time. Judge Murphy noted that the woman smiled in the photo and showed no indication of being upset or distressed in the CCTV footage. Moreover, it showed her touching Fox in a good-natured, pleasant gesture as he moved away. Mr Fox has revealed he has recorded a personal statement about his ordeal, which will be circulated in the event that he dies before the action comes before the courts. I am determined that no matter what happens, that the Irish public know how this case destroyed the last years of my life, he added. At the pub, Halliday notched up a few more drinks before making the fatal decision to drive home to Hamilton. Worker Jack Halliday had a few after-work drinks at the companys premises on July 21, 2023, before heading to the pub with his colleagues. The inquiry was made into Matamatas J Swap Contracting after its employee killed a man while driving a work ute when drunk . A WorkSafe assessment into a contracting companys policies around its staffs alcohol use when driving company vehicles has found some inconsistencies. During the drive, he crashed head-on into a vehicle being driven by Sahil Prasad. At the time, Prasad, 24, was travelling to his home in Eureka but was struck by Hallidays vehicle after it crossed the centre line. He died at the scene. Halliday was jailed for 22-and-a-half months when sentenced on a charge of driving with an excess blood alcohol level of 144mg, causing Prasads death. The legal limit is 50mg. Following the criminal proceedings, Coroner Ian Telford held an inquiry into Prasads death, given the stark similarities to two other fatal crashes just two months later. Ronnie Kohi Hoera Takao and Brock Moffat died in September 2023 in unrelated crashes. Both had left social gatherings and, despite being urged not to, had driven anyway. Takaos blood alcohol level was more than five times the legal driving limit. Moffat was three times over. Both were speeding and affected by cannabis. Takao also had methamphetamine in his system. At the time, Coroner Telford said the only blessing was that other people were not hurt or killed. The remains of Jack Halliday's J Swap Contracting work ute after he crashed it into a vehicle driven by Sahil Prasad and killed him in July 2023. But in releasing Prasads findings today, the coroner said his death illustrates that point with tragic clarity and shows the extensive and devastating consequences that can flow from making such high-risk choices. He reiterated NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahis (NZTA) message about drink-driving: Do not do it under any circumstances and do everything you can to stop anyone else. Witnesses: He was using his phone Slightly more detail has been uncovered in the coroners findings into Prasads death, including that witnesses reported seeing Halliday on his phone in the moments before the crash. After finishing work at 5.53pm, Halliday had five drinks with his J Swap Contracting colleagues in their Matamata workshop. CCTV footage showed the 26-year-old leaving his work ute at 8.15pm and heading to a pub in Matamata. There, he met several workmates whom he had dinner with and drank several more handles and at least two whiskeys. One of his co-workers, who was not drinking, was concerned Halliday was over the limit and suggested he stay at his place or another associates, as hed done previously. Rahil Prasad and his family (from left) mother Ashima, father Rajesh, and sisters Shyla, 12, and Seenal, 28. Photo / Prasad family But Halliday declined and left the bar at 10.45pm. He drove back to Hamilton and took the quieter roads on his travel. Around this time, Prasad was travelling from Hamilton to his home, which he shared with family. The tracking system in Hallidays vehicle sent his employer an alert that he was speeding at 101km/h. The employer texted him, telling him to slow down. At 11.19pm, Halliday approached Newstead on State Highway 26, on the outskirts of Hamilton. Prasad was in a line of traffic when the vehicle in front of him took evasive action as Hallidays vehicle drifted across the centre line and into Prasads car. He suffered several brain and head injuries and died at the scene. When spoken to by police, Halliday who had been sentenced for drink-driving seven months earlier admitted to drinking but said he believed he was under the limit. Rajesh and Ashima Prasad at their son's memorial site on State Highway 26, Newstead, last year. The couple remain devastated by their son's death. Photo / Mike Scott As for the crash, he said he remembered looking down and then looking up and then hitting the headlights in front of him. The coroners findings state Halliday couldnt recall why he looked down. This evidence conflicts with other witness statements who reported that Mr Halliday had said that he was using his phone when he crossed the centre line, the coroner stated. Halliday also indicated he hadnt been sleeping well before the crash. A serious crash investigation found that alcohol was a contributing factor, while fatigue and distraction were also elements. WorkSafe assessment some inconsistencies As Halliday was driving a work vehicle, WorkSafe carried out an assessment not an investigation to identify J Swaps level of compliance under the Health and Safety at Work Act and discovered some inconsistencies. WorkSafe found after-work social events were normal practice, typically on a Friday; however, the companys policies didnt detail any controls to ensure workers stayed within the legal driving alcohol limit. J Swap was required to make five changes, including reviewing its policies and procedures and whether alcohol should be allowed in the workplace at all. The company was contacted by NZME for comment this afternoon to confirm whether any or all of the recommendations had been completed, but it has yet to receive a reply. Its like it still freshly happened Meanwhile, Prasads father, Rajesh Prasad, told NZME today that despite Halliday being ordered to pay $4500 reparation, they were yet to receive a cent. The family was declined ACC and Sahils vehicle was not insured, meaning theyve been left not only broke but heartbroken. Rajesh Prasad said his wife, Ashima, was still just as devastated about her sons death almost two years on. She cant accept anything about what happened. Its like it still freshly happened to us. Rajesh Prasad laid some blame about what happened at the feet of J Swap for allowing its employees to drink and then drive from its premises. He said he had previously asked the company for compensation but had been turned down. NZME has also approached J Swap about this. Approximately 10L of diesel has been released into the harbour after a barge capsized at the Tauranga Bridge Marina. In a statement sent by a Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokesperson, it stated proactive absorbent booms were in place to contain the spill. However, A light sheen may be visible near the containment area. At about 2.15 pm on Monday, Bay of Plenty Regional Council staff were notified that a 30-metre-long barge operating at the marina had tipped on its side, resulting in the crane lying in the water, a spokesperson said in a statement. Bay of Plenty Regional Council compliance manager and on-scene commander Matt Harrex said no oil had spilt into the water from the capsize. Out of precaution, the council mobilised spill response equipment, which was deployed when they started to see fuel leaking from the barge. On Monday afternoon, Bay of Plenty Regional Council staff were notified that a 30m barge operating at the Bridge Marina had tipped on its side, resulting in the crane lying in the water. Photo / Supplied Council staff were on site yesterday working with the relevant parties to ensure the barge is safely secured and it would continue to be monitored until it can be salvaged. Harrex said the barge and crane are yet to be salvaged, and the companys insurance agency is in the process of contracting a salvor and arranging a salvage plan. By the end of today, we will have more detail on what the salvage plan will entail and how long it will take. Harrex said it may take time for suitable equipment to be available for the operation. An earlier statement from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council said no one had been injured. Our compliance and harbourmaster staff are currently assessing the situation and will continue to monitor and liaise with the salvage team, the statement said. Maritime NZ is aware of the capsize and is continuing to make enquiries into the incident which will inform their next steps. We were notified of this barge capsize by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council on the afternoon of 31 March and a Maritime Officer attended the scene where they spoke to the barge and tug crew and other witnesses, a Maritime NZ spokesperson said in a statement. Boats have been asked to keep clear of the area. Its two in a row for chef mentor Shane Yardley, who had the privilege of watching his protege Rikayla Bridge-Zwezerynen collect the Judges Choice award at last nights Battle of the Snack event. The innovative culinary competition was a key event to mark the start of this years 18-day Flavours of Plenty Festival. Four aspiring chefs were matched with four of the coastal Bay of Plentys most experienced chefs to produce eight different snack platters during the event at Saltwater, Mount Maunganui. Rikayla Bridge-Zwezerynen (left) and her event mentor Shane Yardley. Bridge-Zwezerynen chargrilled octopus, romesco, potato, herb, and squid ink snack caught the attention of Cuisine magazine editor and owner Kelli Brett, who co-hosted the event and selected the Judges Choice winner. She is a Toi Ohomai cookery graduate who now works as a commis chef at Mount Maunganui restaurant Solera. The chargrilled octopus, romesco, potato, herb, and squid ink snack which earned the Judges Choice title. Its the second time Shane has mentored a Judges Choice winner, after supporting Aditya Raut when he claimed the title during last years Battle of the Snack event. Shanes a renowned chef with global experience who has led some of New Zealands most celebrated restaurants. Hes a chef tutor at Toi Ohomai and also offers private catering, pop-up dinners, and cookery demonstrations. The 125 ticketholders at the Battle of the Snack event were also given the chance to vote for their favourite snack. Nathan Turleys curry Malay-flavoured stuffed chicken wing and sambal mayo snack managed to pip two other close contenders to win the Peoples Choice title. Peoples Choice snack winner Nathan Turley (right) and his event mentor Paul Patterson. Turley is owner of Somethin Somethin cafe in Mount Maunganui. He was mentored by Paul Patterson, who has more than 17 years in the culinary sector and is now the owner of Fishermans Wharf, in Ohope. Flavours of Plenty Festival director Rae Baker said the Battle of the Snack was a fun and tasty evening showcasing the regions beautiful flavours and the talented people who work in its hospitality sector. I want to say a huge thank you to all our incredible chefs who donated their time to upskill our regions rising culinary stars. We also had some generous sponsors and supporters who made this event possible: Saltwater, Bay Distilling, Mount Brewing Co., Leveret & Mills Reef, Herringbone Wines, and Southern Hospitality. Rikaylas win means her octopus dish will feature in an upcoming article in Cuisine, which is really exciting. Its a great way to share her culinary feat with a national audience, Rae said. The Battle of the Snack is one of more than 50 events being held over the next 18 days during the Flavours of Plenty Festival. The annual festival is a key project for Tourism Bay of Plenty. For more information visit flavoursofplentyfestival.com. Jose Luis Piedra Seville Tuesday, 1 April 2025, 19:17 Compartir The Junta's de Andalucia's minister of public works (Fomento), Rocio Diaz, has asked Spain's central government team to "speed up the execution of the railway corridors in order to make the most of the region's commitment to the logistics industry". Diaz said that the logistical potential of Andalucia is well-pronounced and shared by everybody. She believes that the region's strategic position "between two continents, with a thousand kilometres of coastline", can turn it "into the great logistics platform of Southern Europe". Zoom The Junta's de Andalucia's minister of public works (Fomento), Rocio Diaz. SUR She also added that Andalusian ports have formed an alliance and "no longer compete", working for the greater good of Spain's freight traffic. This process will be further facilitated through the Junta's "ambitious plan, with a budget of more than 170 million euros, for the development of a network that promotes trade and industry through logistics activity". Among the advances of this plan, Diaz has highlighted the development of the Antequera 'dry port', with an investment of 35 million euros through public-private collaboration. The first companies are already disembarking and work is being done this year on the tender for the 2nd and 3rd phase of the works. Rocio Diaz has also announced the awarding of the 4.2-million-euro contract for the development of the third phase of the Cordoba logistics area, which will allow direct connection with the El Higueron railway terminal. The network will continue to advance in 2025 with the tender for the works in the Majarabique area in Seville. Maria Jose Diaz Alcala Malaga Tuesday, 1 April 2025, 16:28 | Updated 16:46h. Compartir More than 6,000 women reported being sexually harassed or threatened by a man in Malaga province during 2024. Of them, 5,941 did so before the police, while 139 took their case to the courts. In addition, another 3,011 cases of gender-based violence were reported either by family members, through direct police intervention or following injury reports. With that, the total figure counts 9,901 reports, some 3.75% fewer than in 2023. Despite the slight decrease, the number of victims of gender violence continues to be considerable: 8,284 or, in other words, more than 22 a day in 2024, compared to almost 26 in 2023. Most experts agree that awareness-raising policies and the reduction of tolerance towards this type of incidents result in a greater willingness of women to bring their cases before law enforcement agencies. The number of five fatalities in 2024 is still too high, compared to the zero that the Spanish society strives to achieve through the abovementioned awareness and prevention. Neither of the victims had reported aggression to the authorities prior to her death. Ana was the first of the five. On 12 January 2024, her son found her in her flat in Torre del Mar. She was lying face-up on the bed and her body showed obvious signs of asphyxiation. Ana's partner was found with a rope around his neck only a few metres away, in his house. Gracia was surprised by her ex-partner on her way home after a birthday party she attended with her youngest daughter in Pizarra on 17 March. He was waiting for her with two firearms. On 6 April, Bianca, originally from the US, was murdered by her partner in their tourist accommodation in Malaga city. They were on a holiday together. Petra was strangled to death by her husband in their home in Fuengirola on 28 June. Laila's body was found in a ditch in Antequera on 5 July. Her partner was arrested on suspicion of murder by asphyxiation. The case that spread grief among Benalmadena residents this year was Lina's death in the hands of her ex-partner, with whom she shared three young children. Prior to her death, on 20 January, after some hesitation, she had reported him for raising a hand and threatening her. What is concerning is that more victims are choosing not to testify against their aggressors - 704 in 2024 compared to 661 in 2023. However, almost 2,400 men were sentenced by different judicial bodies in Malaga in 2024, compared to 2,061 in 2023. In 2024, some 1,512 protection measures were requested in the province compared to 1,608 in 2023. These included both restraining orders and communication ban orders. In 91.40% of the cases, it was the victims themselves who asked the judges to agree on measures to preserve their safety. In 42.26% of the cases registered in 2024, the victim and her alleged abuser were no longer in a relationship when the protection order was granted. In contrast, most of the orders in 2023 were granted while the couple was still together. The court also issued a total of 860 civil precautionary measures to protect women and minors while the resolution of criminal proceedings was still pending. Jesus Hinojosa Malaga Tuesday, 1 April 2025 | Updated 03/04/2025 10:28h. Compartir A mural, ceiling paintings and a medieval wall are among the findings during a year-long refurbishment project commissioned by Malaga's provincial authority at the Palacio de Valdeflores, located on Calle Carreteria 60 in the city. Some baroque treasures were expected to be discovered, but what has now been revealed are their richness and ornamentation. The detail and the motifs in these drawings, done only in shades of brown and at a time when the technical means for working on a facade of considerable height were precarious, are astonishing. The balconies and windows of the palace are framed by exuberant friezes with a profusion of rock carvings, vegetal elements and the pomegranate fruit, which appears on numerous occasions. "We believe that these paintings were done freehand because there is nothing symmetrical," said Marina Albaladejo, one of the restorers who, together with Claudia Molero, have been patiently removing the paintings over the last few months. "We have discovered that there were some incisions in the wall that would act as a guide, but most of the drawings do not adhere to these marks. We think that several authors may have been involved," she added. Guided by architect Rafael Salas Pulido, the restorers wanted to add as little as possible to the paintings, so only the areas where there was sufficient information about what the drawings looked like were completed. In the rest, only what has been recovered from under the layers of paint has been reconstructed. However, this is not the only 'treasure' discovered during the process, which has been granted a budget of 1,592,781 euros. Inside, remains of the original paving of the palace stables have been discovered, as well as part of the barbican of the medieval city wall, which runs right along the axis of Carreteria. In one of the rooms on the first floor, a section of this Muslim wall will be showcased behind a ventilated glass, where a curious vertical ceramic canalisation can be seen.. "It is possible that it was used as a fireplace," said Salas. The architect also showed the ceiling of an adjoining room in which, framed by diamond-shaped borders, two 1908 paintings by Jose Fernandez Alvarado have been preserved. The Malaga-born artist was a disciple of Antonio Munoz Degrain and Jose Moreno Carbonero. At the end of his life, he was the director of the Museum of Fine Arts in Huelva. Zoom Rafael Salas, with Andres Gutierrez, head of public works for the provincial authority, next to the section of the medieval wall that will be showcased in one of the rooms. Marilu Baez One of the paintings depicts almond branches and butterflies, while the other depicts vines and birds. Four perfectly preserved ceramic dishes are embedded in the decoration that frames the two works. The guillotine-style window mechanism with lead weights was also restored in the central courtyard windows of the building. The Palace of Valdeflores was built in the mid-18th century and owes its name to Luis Jose Velazquez de Angulo y Cruzado (Malaga, 1722-1772), who in addition to being the second Marquis of Valdeflores, was a prolific archaeologist, historian and writer. As a member of the Royal Academy of History, he participated in the excavations at the Cartama site. He wrote about the origins of Castilian poetry, the annals of the Spanish nation up to the arrival of the Romans and the pre-Roman alphabets. During a three-year trip across the country, the Marquis of Valdeflores compiled the monumental history of the Peninsula. Zoom Ceiling with paintings by Jose Fernandez Alvarado and ceramic plates inlaid into the decoration. Marilu Baez The baroque palace was operated by the marquisate as an inn with stables. It had another owner a bit later, but there are no records. There are records to corroborate its use as a residence when in 1895 it was bought by the Countess of Albarede, who made several major alterations. Almost a century later (1985) and after passing through several hands, it was acquired and restored by the provincial authority, which opened there the provincial women's service, now located in the headquarters of the supra-municipal body, next to the Poniente promenade. At the moment, the future of this building is still under study. What the president of the provincial authority, Francisco Salado, can confirm is that the building, with its wealth of facade paintings, will be a unique tourist attraction and a precious addition to Malaga's heritage. Deputy Head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine Iryna Vereschuk has held a meeting with the head of the delegation of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) Cristian Tabacaru and discussed with him the main areas of work in Ukraine. "I noted two priorities: preferential mortgages for IDPs; development of rehabilitation infrastructure. Particular attention should be paid to preferential mortgages for IDPs. Since this is an effective incentive for the return of able-bodied Ukrainians from abroad," Vereschuk wrote on Telegram on Tuesday. She noted that the CEB was created in 1956 with the aim of helping European countries resolve issues related to the reintegration of refugees, displaced persons and migrants. Ukraine gained membership in this European financial institution in 2023. As reported, at a meeting on Tuesday, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the attraction of a EUR100 million loan from the CEB for the implementation of the project HOME: Compensation for Destroyed Residential Properties, as well as EUR 50 million for the implementation of the project Housing for Internally Displaced Persons. SUR Malaga Tuesday, 1 April 2025, 12:10 Compartir National Police officers have arrested the private hire driver who allegedly assaulted a taxi driver, hitting him with an iron bar to the point that the latter required stitches. The incident happened outside the arrivals terminal at Malaga Airport on the night of 8 March. Both parties have filed complaints against each other. The assault was apparently triggered after a dispute between the pair. The taxi driver received a blow to the head and was taken to the hospital. His aggressor suffered minor injuries after the taxi driver, already with a bleeding wound, took the stick of a female passerby and hit him in response. According to the National Police investigation, the private hire driver was not offering legally authorised services. The dispute started when he and his colleagues became aware that the taxi drivers, recognisable by their yellow waistcoats, were warning tourists of unregulated means of transport. A few days ago, the investigators, with the assistance of witnesses, found and arrested the 'pirate' driver, who had fled after the attack. SUR in English Malaga Monday, 31 March 2025 | Updated 04/04/2025 12:54h. Compartir The province of Malaga alone has more than 40,000 British residents and many more are homeowners and live here part of the year or new arrivals seeking how to make their lives in Spain more permanent. British consular services in Spain are here to help British residents and tourists who need assistance and an important part of their work is to inform British nationals on how to avoid problems while they are in Spain. The UK leaving the EU five years ago changed some of the rights and obligations of British residents in Spain. Zoom SUR in English, in collaboration with British consular services and Marbella town hall, hoped to help UK nationals in Spain with some of the main questions they might have at an informative event this Friday in Marbella. Lucy Gorman, consular regional operations manager for Spain & Andorra, were on the Costa del Sol from Madrid, along with Malaga vice-consul Miram Perez to address a range of issues affecting established, new and future British residents in Spain, from residence permits to welfare. They were accompanied by Jonathan Sutton (Spanish 'abogado' lawyer and partner Decotta Law), Diana Lise Perez Buck (department of institutional relations and sustainability Allianz Insurance), Bryan Wawman (CEO Castle Rock International Law & Investments) and Pablo Espejo Vergara (partner in Andalucia Martinez Echevarria) to address legal matters and questions related to insurance and taxation, among many others. The event was hosted at the Palacio de Congresos fair and conference centre in Marbella (Calle Jose Melia, 2). The Partido Popular conservative party in Malaga province maintains the demand that the PSOE socialist-led central government sets a greater discount on tolls on the Costa del Sol motorway, as a measure to help improve mobility. To support the demand, the party has prepared an economic report highlighting that the government can provide greater discounts for users, given the 29 million euros collected in taxes every year. A mobility meeting on Monday presented an independent report with which the president of the PP in Malaga, Patricia Navarro, demanded that the tax benefit be reversed in bonuses for the people of the province. Relying on the study, she said that, if the sum collected in taxes is correctly reversed, users would be paying 30% less. At the moment, each user is granted a discount of only 8 cents, despite the toll per kilometre on the Costa del Sol motorway being the most expensive in Spain. In addition, the PP said that other motorways in the country are allocated higher subsidies. Navarro highlighted the 84 million euros allocated by the government to improve road access for the Galician AP-9, the more than 15 million euros for the AP-66 between Oviedo and Leon, the 7.6 million euros for the AP-53, also in Galicia, and the extension of free road access for one year on the AP-7 through Alicante. Zoom Navarro during the mobility meeting. SUR Navarro accused central government of accumulating an income higher than the one of the concessionaire of the motorway between Malaga city and Guadiaro (Cadiz) in the 25 years since the facility has been operational. The PP believes that the government has not been transparent with the public. Patricia Navarro urged the new leader of PSOE in Malaga, Josele Aguilar, to put more effort into improving the facilities in the province and work on getting better services for Malaga's residents. Waterloo, N.Y. A man broke into his neighbors mobile home, beat him and stole his firearms before shooting at police, barricading himself in the neighbors home and later firing at propane tanks, troopers said. Around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, state police and the Seneca County Sheriffs Office responded to a report of an assault at 890 Waterloo Geneva Road, Lot 11, in the town of Waterloo, troopers said during a morning news conference. Randy Mark Davis Jr. , 45, of Waterloo is accused of breaking into his neighbors home at Lot 11 and stealing his guns. Troopers said Davis lived next-door, in Lot 10. Davis then broke into another neighbors residence on Lot 12 and stole a cell phone before that resident was able to flee, troopers said. When troopers and deputies arrived, Davis fired multiple shots at law enforcement, troopers said. State police responded by shooting non-lethal bean bag rounds at him. The suspect barricaded himself in his neighbors Lot 12 residence for several hours, police said. A state police special operations response team was brought in to negotiate, troopers said. A shelter-in-place alert was issued to nearby residents through the Seneca County 911 Center, they said. Residents closest to the scene were evacuated, troopers said. Troopers said Davis eventually went back to the Lot 11 residence and began shooting at propane tanks adjacent to the trailer. When police deployed tear gas into the trailer, Davis came outside and was arrested. The man Davis beat in Lot 11 was taken to Geneva Hospital with serious injuries, troopers said. Troopers said Davis has a criminal history and was familiar with law enforcement in the area. Davis was charged with first-degree assault, five counts of attempted aggravated assault on a police officer and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com This 1971 file photo shows Yoko Ono, left, and her husband John Lennon celebrating his 31st birthday before the opening of her art exhibit at the Everson Art Museum in Syracuse, N.Y. (Bettmann Archive | Getty Images) Bettmann Archive Famed artist, musician and activist Yoko Ono is spending her final days on a farm in Upstate New York, according to a new book. Ono, 92, and her late husband John Lennon purchased a 600-acre estate in the Catskills region decades ago. She reportedly moved there from her longtime residence at the Dakota Building in New York City during the Covid pandemic, and has since made it her permanent home. According to The Mirror, family members told Yoko: A Biography author and journalist David Sheff that she is in a happy place at the farm in Franklin, Delaware County. She rarely ventures out and has no need to, her daughter Kyoko Ono Cox said. She believed she could change the world, and she did... now she is able to be quiet listen to the wind and watch the sky," Cox told Sheff. She is very happy... This is well deserved and genuine peacefulness. Yoko Ono and John Lennon at the Everson Museum in Syracuse. In October 1971, the museum displayed an exhibit of the couple's art. (Courtesy of the Everson Museum) Yoko, released last week, is a followup to Sheffs memoir Beautiful Boy, which was adapted into a 2018 movie starring Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet. The new book chronicles Onos life from birth in pre-World War II Tokyo, Japan, to work in avant-garde art, music, feminism and activism, according to publisher Simon & Schuster. Sheff interviewed Lennon and Ono months before The Beatles legends assassination in 1980, and became close with Ono after Lennons death. Ono and Lennon reportedly bought the Franklin farm in 1978 for $178,000, despite still spending most of their time in NYC. When they werent at the Dakota, they were often out promoting music and art, including Lennons works with the Plastic Ono Band and Onos first solo museum show at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse. This 1971 file photo shows Yoko Ono, right, and her husband John Lennon putting the finishing touches on her show, "This is Not Here...An Exhibit of Conceptual Works of Art," at the Everson Art Museum in Syracuse, N.Y. (Bettmann Archive | Getty Images) Bettmann Archive Lennon and Ono had often spoken about their love of Upstate New York. Lennon celebrated his 31st birthday on opening night of the Everson exhibit in 1971 featuring an appearance by Ringo Starr and reportedly once talked about doing a Beatles reunion in Syracuse in 1974. Ono, who called their time in the Salt City a most beautiful memory, even brought her art back to the Everson for a show in 2019. Yokos relationship with Lennon is also the subject of a new documentary, One to One: John & Yoko, produced by their son Sean Ono Lennon. The film is scheduled to be released in UK and U.S. theaters in April. Despite embracing a quiet life in the Catskills, Onos social media accounts remain active, promoting her art, as well as the new book and documentary. The Yin to John Lennons Yang: Half a century after co-writing Imagine with her Beatle husband, Yoko Ono is finally getting the recognition she deserves, an Instagram post said last week. The lineup for a series of summer concerts that will benefit a fund to provide instruments and music lessons to students in need has been finalized. The 10 events include six installments of the Party in the Square, which are Friday night concerts held in July and August in Clinton Square. Two other Clinton Square events are Saturday food-based events and one is a Saturday tribute to the Grateful Dead. (See full schedule below) All those events are free to attend, and proceeds from beverage sales go to the music fund. One other event is a ticketed concert called the Smackfest in the F-Shed at the Central New York Regional Market. That will be Sept. 5. The events are coordinated by 727Instrumental, a nonprofit established last year by Mark DiGiorgio. He previously ran a for-profit concert promotion business called GigSmack. The goal is to help pay for musical instruments and offer music lessons to students whose families cant afford them. In addition to the event proceeds, 727Instrumental is also seeking sponsorships, donations and and state and local grants. The nonprofit is also accepting gently used donated instruments and is seeking volunteers who can help repair and clean them. The plan is to provide both school band/orchestra type instruments, as well as those more suitable to rock/pop or other styles. DiGiorgio, who is also a project manager for a Syracuse architectural firm, said he was inspired to start 727Instrumental by an incident in which his family could not afford to replace a saxophone he was playing while in school. He is hoping to work out arrangements with local schools, and has already been in contact with the Syracuse City School District. Its still early in the process, but we are moving ahead, he said. Pop Rocks performs during Party in the Square in Clinton Square, Friday, July 5, 2024, in Syracuse, N.Y. (Scott Schild) sschild@syracuse.com Event schedule Party in the Square July 11 5-11 p.m. in Clinton Square. R&B Night with music by The Blacklites and Houston Wynn Project, plus food and drink vendors. Mac N Cheese Fest July 12 3-11 p.m. in Clinton Square. Food truck and other vendors with music from Pop Rox, Letizia and the Z Band and the Diana Jacobs Band. Party in the Square July 18, 5-11 p.m. in Clinton Square. Country night with music from the Beadle Brothers and Grit-N-Grace, plus food and drink vendors. Bar-B-Cuse Fest July 19, 3-11 p.m. in Clinton Square. Food trucks and other vendors with music from Transient Kicks, 4 Fellas and a Fifth and Modafferi. Party in the Square July 25, 5-11 p.m. in Clinton Square. 70s & 80s Night (Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks Tribute) with music from Gold Dust Gypsies and Infinity, plus food and drink vendors. The Dead Is Alive fest July 26, 8-11 p.m. in Clinton Square. A Tribute to The Grateful Dead with music from Dark Hollow, Half Past Dead and Dead to the Core, plus food and drink vendors. Party in the Square Aug. 1, 5-11 p.m. in Clinton Square. Rock / Party Night with music from Jess Novak Band and Code Red, plus food and drink vendors. Party in the Square Aug. 8, 5-11 p.m. in Clinton Square. Party / Rock Night with music from The Mid Daze, Crazy Neighbors and Days End, plus food and drink vendors. Party in the Square Aug. 15, 5-11 p.m. in Clinton Square. Rock Night with music from Faceless, Stay Tuned and Plastic Sunface, plus food and drink vendors. SMACK Fest Sept. 5, 4-11 p.m. in the F Shed at the Central New York Regional Market. 10th Anniversary event. Tickets are $25. More details to come. Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook. James Hetfield of Metallica performs at Soldier Field on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Chicago, Ill. Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP For the first time in nearly 30 years, Metallica will perform in Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome on the Syracuse University campus on Saturday, April 19, as part of the bands M72 World Tour. The concert starts at 6 p.m., with special guests Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies opening. The concert will be Metallicas first-ever performance in the former Carrier Dome, and the bands first visit to Syracuse since 1996. It will also be Metallicas only concert in New York State. Where to find cheapest Metallica concert tickets As one of the years most anticipated concerts, tickets to Metallicas Syracuse concert were snatched up quickly after their September 2024 release. Those looking for last-minute tickets to the sold-out concert can check out secondary marketplace platforms such as Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, and StubHub, which offer verified tickets with buyer guarantees. Heres a look at the best prices available (including fees): Vivid Seats SeatGeek StubHub Prices and availability are noted at the time of publishing and are subject to change. More about Metallica As one of the best-selling music acts of all time, Metallica has sold over 125 million albums and boasts 10 Grammy Awards. The bands lineup includes iconic members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Robert Trujillo, and Kirk Hammett. Fans can expect to hear classic hits such as Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, and Master of Puppets, alongside songs from their latest album, 72 Seasons. A complete list of Metallicas M72 World Tour dates is available here. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal expects to open the first three negotiation Clusters on Ukraine's accession to the European Union in the first half of 2025, and all six clusters by the end of the year. "We have already completed bilateral screening within the framework of three negotiation clusters: 'Fundamentals,' 'Internal Market' and 'External Relations.' We expect that these negotiation clusters will be officially opened in the coming months. Actually, we hope that this will happen in the first half of this year," Shmyhal said at the conference titled "Ukraine's EU accession: Choice has been made, matter of time" on Tuesday in Kyiv. The Prime Minister said he still expects that all six negotiation Clusters will be opened in 2025. "We are actively working to achieve this goal. I am sure that there are no real obstacles to this goal. All that is needed is political will and a shared commitment to hard work. We are working hard and I hope that this will be implemented during this year. Ukraine is ready for this," he added. As reported, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos hopes to open the first three clusters of Ukraine's negotiations with the EU on joining the Union in the first half of this year during the Polish presidency, and the remaining three by December. On March 20, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Minister of Justice Olha Stefanishyna stated that Ukraine is ready to open negotiation Clusters on EU accession both sequentially and within the framework of one intergovernmental conference, depending on the progress of negotiations with the Hungarian side. This feature is coordinated by The Post-Standard, Syracuse.com and InterFaith Works of CNY. Follow this theme and author posted Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. All religions share a belief in community, because community provides cohesion and identity, as well as a way for traditions to be passed from generation to generation. Today, in Central New York, whatever our faith tradition, we must act to preserve the ability of people to live in freedom in their communities, to maintain their identity, to observe their faith, and to be safe and secure in their homes, schools, places of work and worship, whatever their beliefs. We must act together to promote religious and cultural understanding and eliminate all forms of prejudice through education, dialogue and social action. We need to work with passion and urgency to put an end to hatred of the other. Let us teach the difference between right and wrong, condemn injustice and promote civility, decency and the values which America stands for one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Barbara Davis, PhD, Interim President/CEO, Jewish Federation of Central New York. Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. President Trump has nominated Caine to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta Syracuse, N.Y. -- President Trumps pick for Joint Chiefs chairman, who got his start as a fighter pilot in Syracuse, today denied Trumps claim that he put on a MAGA hat during an encounter in Iraq and told him he would kill for him. Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Razin Caine, testifying at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Trump must have mixed him up with someone else when he made the claim about their meeting in Iraq during Trumps first term in 2018. When nominating Caine to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Trump said Caine told him he loved him and would kill for him, before putting on a Make America Great Again hat. If true, Caines actions would have been highly unusual for an active duty U.S. military officer, who are prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity. But Caine said the story is not true. For 34 years, Ive upheld my oath of office and my commitment to my commission, Caine told Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), per Politico. And I have never worn any political merchandise. He pledged to provide independent military advice to the president as Joint Chiefs chairman. Candor has gotten me here today, and candor will continue to allow me to do my job, he said. Caine, whose first name is John but goes by his middle name Dan, spent four and a half years flying F-16s with the 174th Fighter Wing of the New York Air National Guard in Syracuse in the 1990s. (They) took a huge risk on me, and hired me at the end of pilot training to come to Syracuse as a young F-16 pilot, he told The Afterburn Podcast in January. I still cant believe they took a risk on me. I just saw all these folks recently and had the chance to tell them again, thank you. He went on to a long Air Force career, logging more than 2,800 hours in the F-16, including more than 150 combat hours in Iraq. Former colleagues of Caine have questioned Trumps account of the 2018 meeting with Caine. I dont believe that for a minute, Onondaga County Judge Ted Limpert, who flew F-16s with Caine as a member of the 174th Fighter Wing, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard last month. Hes apolitical in my view. We all know the president embellishes. Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | X | Facebook | 315-470-3148 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference, Monday, April 26, 2021 at the New York State Fair Grounds in Syracuse, N.Y. (N. Scott Trimble/Syracuse Post-Standard via) AP Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who frequently sparred with Donald Trump in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, is once again leveling harsh criticism at the president, calling him diabolical at a weekend event. Cuomo, who is running to become mayor of New York City, was at a campaign event in Queens on Sunday when he took direct aim at Trump in his remarks, calling him an existential threat to the city, according to AM New York. We all know this man. He came from Queens. I dealt with him for four years. I fought with him for four years. I know him, Cuomo said. He, in many ways, has learned from his first administration to his second, and hes more diabolical in this administration. Cuomo was appearing at the Queens County Democratic Partys headquarters in Forest Hills to pick up the endorsement of Democratic U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks. Meeks said that Cuomo was the best person to stand up to that guy at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. In a video of the event posted by WPIX-TV, Cuomo warned that what Trump has done so far in his second term as president is just the beginning. What hes doing on immigration, what hes doing on the Department of Education, what hes doing with the lawyers, what hes doing with the judges, what hes doing with the federal workers you aint seen nothing yet, he said. An excerpt of Cuomos remarks begins at the 1:40 mark of the video: Cuomo became New Yorks 56th governor in 2011 and was easily re-elected in 2014 and 2018. He achieved nationwide acclaim for his near-daily press conferences in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, and his approval numbers soared. But those numbers took a downturn when Attorney General Letitia James issued a report revealing that the governors administration had significantly undercounted the Covid-19 death toll in nursing homes. Soon after that, six different women publicly accused him of sexual harassment and offensive behavior. Cuomo denied the allegations, but an investigation by James concluded that he had harassed several women, and Cuomo resigned in August of 2021. Cuomo announced his intention to run for New York City mayor earlier this month. Current Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on corruption charges. Though a Democrat, Adams has recently become an ally of Donald Trump, and the Justice Department has urged that charges against Adams be dropped. While Adams has shown a willingness to cooperate with Trump, Cuomo vowed to lead the opposition in New York City. The counter-revolution starts here, Cuomo said, according to AM New York. The home of the opposition is New York City, and were going to push back, and were going to win. Micron Technology plans to build a massive chipmaking complex in the town of Clay. A Trump administration officials has signaled he may withhold CHIPS Act funding from Micron and other companies. (Onondaga County) Onondaga County Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has signaled he could withhold CHIPS Act funding promised to companies like Micron Technology as he pushes the firms for bigger projects in the U.S., according to Bloomberg. Lutnick wants companies that won CHIPS funding to pledge bigger investments. The goal is to generate billions more in commitments without increasing the size of the grants, Bloomberg said. Bloomberg attributed the possible moves to eight people familiar with the matter. Lutnicks team has suggested he could scrap subsidies that have already been agreed upon, Bloomberg said. But the secretary has also expressed interest in expanding a 25% tax credit from the CHIPS Act, which is worth more to most companies that direct grants. Big changes in the tax credit would require action from Congress, Bloomberg said. Lutnick has said previously he plans to review CHIPS Act awards. And Trump signed an executive order on Monday that focused in part on negotiating better CHIPS Act deals, according to Bloomberg. Micron and other big semiconductor companies won billions in federal assistance during the Biden administration to build chip plants in the U.S. under the CHIPS Act. The act passed in 2022 with bipartisan support and set aside $52 billion in incentives to encourage companies to build in the United States. Trump has repeatedly criticized the law, a signature of Bidens presidency, and called it a bad deal. He has said Congress should get rid of it. Micron announced plans in 2022 to build four massive chip plants in the town of Clay. The site, if fully built, would employ 9,000 people. Officials have said the project would lead to another 40,000 spinoff jobs in the region. Micron is in line for billions of dollars in taxpayer support for the project, including from the CHIPS Act on the federal level, New York state and local governments in Central New York. Micron officials have said repeatedly that the incentives, including the CHIPS Act funding, are critical to its project in Clay. The public funds Micron has won so far apply only to the first two chip plants in its plans. The company has said it plans to break ground on the first plant later this year and recently submitted a key environmental study on the project. In addition to Micron, TSMC, Intel, Samsung, GlobalFoundries and Texas Instruments all won CHIPS Act funding. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 A suspect has been arrested after an Upstate New York man and boy found a hidden camera in a Krispy Kreme bathroom. WHAM reports Corey Clark, 34, of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, was arrested Friday after a camera was discovered in an air vent above a toilet in the mens room of the doughnut shop in Summit Township, near Erie, Pa. Police said the camera was recovered by a 44-year-old man accompanied by a 9-year-old boy, both from Macedon in Wayne County, N.Y. They turned the recording device over to restaurant staff, who contacted authorities. Police said Clark approached employees to ask for the camera back, but they refused to turn it over. He was taken into custody by state troopers outside the business. Clark was not a Krispy Kreme employee and had no connection to the restaurant, police said. Its unclear how long the camera was allegedly inside the bathroom. Punxsutawney is located more than 100 miles outside of Summit Township, which is near I-90 and the New York border. WJET/WFXP reports Clark was arraigned on charges of invasion of privacy, attempted invasion of privacy and possession of an instrument of a crime. He was released from Erie County prison after posting bail. Clark is next scheduled to appear in court April 9. Number of front clashes in March decreased by quarter compared to February, but number of shellings significantly increased Photo: https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua The number of military clashes on all fronts of the Russian-Ukrainian war in March increased compared to February to 4,270 against 3,274, and since the beginning of the year there have been 12,631 military clashes, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry website reported on Tuesday. The ministry notes that this reduction occurred against the backdrop of the ceasefire negotiation process. However, in March, Russian army aviation increased the number of strikes with guided aerial bombs on Ukrainian settlements and positions of the Defense Forces to 4,800, compared to 3,370 in February. In just three months of 2025, enemy tactical aviation dropped 10,577 UABs, and over the entire last year - about 40,000. Over the past 24 hours, March 31, some 216 combat clashes were recorded on all fronts, most of them in Pokrovsk direction of Donetsk region, where Ukrainian defenders stopped 79 offensive actions of the aggressor. In Kursk region of the Russian Federation, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped 27 attacks of the Russian invaders over the past 24 hours. In addition, the enemy carried out 37 air strikes on its own territory using 36 guided bombs, and also carried out 266 artillery attacks on positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements in Kursk region. In total, the enemy carried out 2 missile and 99 air strikes on positions of Ukrainian units and settlements in 24 hours, attracted three missiles and dropped 169 guided bombs. In addition, it carried out more than 5,200 shellings. sanemane Newbie Join Date: May 2024 Location: Pune Posts: 4 Thanked: 43 Times Rajasthan Road Trip in a Jetta: Pune to the Land of Kings! The Travelers: Sandip - 34 years Varsha - 33 years Viaan - 6 years The Ride: VW Jetta 2.0 TDI - 2016 Pre-Trip Checklist: - Car maintenance check - Window tint - Stek Action 80 - Sufficient FASTag balance - Stock up on snacks and water The Journey Day 1: Pune to Ujjain Our journey began on March 21, 2025, heading towards Ujjain. Heavy truck traffic persisted until we crossed Dhule, with roads in average condition. The stretch through Madhya Pradesh was decent until Indore; beyond that, it was smooth sailing with minimal traffic. It took us 12 hours, including breaks, starting at 4:15 AM and reaching Ujjain by 4:30 PM. A quick stop at the Godavari River en route: Day 2: Ujjain to Udaipur On March 22, we set off at 7:00 AM, reaching Udaipur by 1:30 PM via Neemuch. The roads were mostly good with light traffic, except for a 20-30 km stretch through small villages that was single-lane. The city of lakes: Day 3: Udaipur - Ajmer - Jaipur We departed at 8:00 AM on March 23, reaching Ajmer by 2:00 PM. The highway was a dream to drive on, so smooth that it's easy to rack up overspeeding fines. Speed limit signs were small and scattered. After a visit to Ajmer Dargah, we resumed our journey at 4:30 PM, arriving in Jaipur by 8:00 PM. Welcome to Ajmer Day 4: Jaipur March 24 was all about exploring Jaipur and taking a break from daily driving. Day 5: Jaipur to Bikaner On March 25, we started early at 7:00 AM with a stop at Shree Khatu Shyam Temple. It was unexpectedly overcrowded, so we had a quick mukhdarshan and left by 11:30 AM, reaching Bikaner at 4:30 PM. The roads were fantastic. Unfortunately, we didnt anticipate the early closing time of the Bikaner Fort, which was a disappointment. Bikaner Fort: Day 6: Bikaner to Jaisalmer Originally, we had planned a two-night stay in Jaisalmer but decided to cover it in one day and start our return the next day. We left Bikaner at 6:00 AM, took a scenic route avoiding major cities, and reached Tanot by 1:00 PM. Most of this route is built by BRO and was in excellent condition, with just a few rough patches. From Tanot, we visited Longewala, just 30 km away, which took only 20 minutes thanks to the great roads. From there, it was another 1 hour 15 minutes to Jaisalmer. Tanot: Longewala: Driving through a small sandstorm: Day 7: Jaisalmer to Surat March 26 marked the start of our return journey, with no sightseeing planned. We left at 5:00 AM, and as soon as we exited Rajasthan, we started missing its well-maintained highways. Gujarat had bypass roads, but they werent sufficient, traffic was heavy, and some expressways led straight into city congestion, making the drive exhausting. Day 8: Surat to Pune (via Mumbai) On March 27, we decided to take the Mumbai route to explore this stretch of the Golden Quadrilateral, which turned out to be a mistake. The traffic was relentless from Surat to Mumbai, and it took us 9 hours to cover 400 km, with 3 hours spent crawling through just 50 km near Mumbai. This made me realize that Mumbai needs a ring road pretty badly. Golden Quadrilateral goes through Mumbai: Expenses summary: Total distance: 3550 kms Fuel (Diesel): 22,000 rupees Toll: 4225 rupees Q&A: Was travelling to Rajasthan in March a bad idea? No, in fact, Rajasthan was cooler than Maharashtra and Gujarat. We had to turn off the AC in hotels at night and use hot water showers. The car's AC was kept at 22-24 degrees throughout the trip, but on the return journey, we had to lower it to 20 degrees while driving through Gujarat. This trip had been in the planning stages for a long time. After our Kerala trip three years ago, my wife (Varsha) and I wanted to explore a northern state. Rajasthan was the obvious choice, packed with places to visit and promising a longer adventure. However, for one reason or another, the plan kept getting postponed. Finally, in March 2025, the time had come.34 years33 years6 yearsVW Jetta 2.0 TDI - 2016- Car maintenance check- Window tint - Stek Action 80- Sufficient FASTag balance- Stock up on snacks and waterOur journey began on March 21, 2025, heading towards Ujjain. Heavy truck traffic persisted until we crossed Dhule, with roads in average condition.The stretch through Madhya Pradesh was decent until Indore; beyond that, it was smooth sailing with minimal traffic.It took us 12 hours, including breaks, starting atand reaching Ujjain byOn March 22, we set off at, reaching Udaipur byvia Neemuch. The roads were mostly good with light traffic, except for astretch through small villages that was single-lane.We departed aton March 23, reaching Ajmer by. The highway was a dream to drive on, so smooth that it's easy to rack up overspeeding fines.Speed limit signs were small and scattered. After a visit to Ajmer Dargah, we resumed our journey at, arriving in Jaipur byMarch 24 was all about exploring Jaipur and taking a break from daily driving.On March 25, we started early atwith a stop at. It was unexpectedly overcrowded, so we had a quick mukhdarshan and left by, reaching Bikaner at. The roads were fantastic. Unfortunately, we didnt anticipate the early closing time of the, which was a disappointment.Originally, we had planned a two-night stay in Jaisalmer but decided to cover it inand start our return the next day. We left Bikaner at, took a scenic route avoiding major cities, and reachedbyMost of this route is built by BRO and was in excellent condition, with just a few rough patches.From, we visited, justaway, which took onlythanks to the great roads. From there, it was anotherto Jaisalmer.March 26 marked the start of our return journey, with no sightseeing planned. We left at, and as soon as we exited Rajasthan, we started missing its well-maintained highways. Gujarat had bypass roads, but they werent sufficient, traffic was heavy, and some expressways led straight into city congestion, making the drive exhausting.On March 27, we decided to take theto explore this stretch of the, which turned out to be a mistake. The traffic was relentless fromto, and it took usto cover, withspent crawling through justnear Mumbai. This made me realize that Mumbai needs a ring road pretty badly.3550 kms22,000 rupees4225 rupeesNo, in fact, Rajasthan was cooler than Maharashtra and Gujarat. We had to turn off the AC in hotels at night and use hot water showers. The car's AC was kept atthroughout the trip, but on the return journey, we had to lower it towhile driving through Gujarat. Attached Thumbnails The big picture: Only days ago we were reporting that ChatGPT's updated image generator was sparking a wave of Studio Ghibli-style recreations across social media. But the wave was just getting started and in mere days it hit the mainstream, becoming a full-blown fad. While CEO Sam Altman is celebrating the newfound attention, the massive growth in GPT's user base, and a fresh round of funding, the tool's explosive popularity is putting serious strain on OpenAI's infrastructure. Altman revealed that demand has been so intense it's been "melting" their GPUs. While Apple faces delays with its Apple Intelligence rollout and Google struggles to impress with Gemini delivering sometimes underwhelming and mostly annoying AI search results OpenAI is charging ahead. The company announced plans to release its first "open" language model since GPT-2, promising a version users can run on their own hardware later this year. Also, OpenAI just closed a staggering $40 billion funding round, the largest private tech deal on record, cementing its position at the forefront of the AI race. OpenAI's latest image-generation tool has taken the internet by storm this past week, although its runaway popularity is putting significant strain on the company's infrastructure. Altman acknowledged the overwhelming response on X. "It's super fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT. But our GPUs are melting," he wrote. the chatgpt launch 26 months ago was one of the craziest viral moments i'd ever seen, and we added one million users in five days. we added one million users in the last hour. Sam Altman (@sama) March 31, 2025 To manage the strain, OpenAI has temporarily limited usage while working to optimize efficiency. Altman assured users that the free tier of ChatGPT will soon allow up to three image generations per day, though he did not specify the exact rate limits being implemented. This latest update to ChatGPT's image generation capabilities launched last week and has quickly gained traction for its ability to produce highly realistic visuals with improved text rendering. However, much of the buzz has centered on users leveraging the tool to create memes and portraits in the style of Studio Ghibli, the iconic Japanese animation studio known for films like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. Social media platforms have been inundated with Ghibli-inspired reinterpretations of people, animals, historical events, and even podcasts. Altman also joined in on the trend, updating his X profile picture to a Ghibli-style version of himself. But this viral phenomenon has reignited debates over copyright infringement in AI-generated art. Critics argue that AI models are often trained on datasets containing copyrighted works without explicit permission from creators. OpenAI is already facing several lawsuits related to this issue. To address these concerns, OpenAI stated that it has implemented safeguards to prevent users from generating images in the style of living artists. However, this policy has raised questions about consistency. For example, Studio Ghibli's co-founder Hayao Miyazaki who famously denounced AI as an "insult to life itself" in a 2016 documentary is still alive. While the free version of ChatGPT explicitly refuses to produce images mimicking Ghibli's style, it appears to allow broader replication of the studio's aesthetic. When I asked the tool to create a Ghibli-style image of the movie Thelma & Louise, it generated the image successfully (above). A few minutes later, I requested an image of Batman and Robin in the same style, and the tool responded with an error. However, many others prompting ChatGPT to create a Ghibli-style image report that ChatGPT sometimes declines, citing content policy guidelines and instead offering an alternative suggestion: "Perhaps a symbolic representation of technology and art clashing in a fantasy setting." OpenAI clarified to TechCrunch that while individual artists' styles are off-limits, broader studio styles remain permissible within its guidelines. TL;DR: we are excited to release a powerful new open-weight language model with reasoning in the coming months, and we want to talk to devs about how to make it maximally useful: https://t.co/XKB4XxjREV we are excited to make this a very, very good model! __ we are planning to Sam Altman (@sama) March 31, 2025 Meanwhile, the tool's meteoric rise has drawn commentary from prominent tech and venture capital figures. David Sacks, a venture capitalist advising President Donald Trump on cryptocurrency and AI policy, responded to Altman's announcement with a link to a blog post stating: "The next big thing will start out looking like a toy." Altman replied humorously: "Yeah, I just didn't think it would be this toy :)." Something to look forward to: Some significant changes are coming to Thunderbird. Mozilla revived the free and open-source email client a few years ago and now is preparing to launch a new set of "Pro" add-on web services designed enhance the experience of using Thunderbird. One of these additions will be the Thundermail email service. In 2023, Mozilla developers announced they were "remaking" Thunderbird's software architecture, aiming to modernize its crumbling and unsustainable codebase. The company later confirmed plans to add new paid professional features available to all Thunderbird users. Mozilla Managing Director Ryan Sipes revealed that the new bundle of services is called "Thunderbird Pro," which includes several features including a new email service called Thundermail (think Gmail). Initially, Thunderbird Pro will be offered for free to "consistent community contributors." Everyone else will have to pay for the Pro tier. However, once Thunderbird Pro establishes a sustainable user base, Mozilla may introduce limited free tiers. Thunderbird was losing users regularly to "rich" ecosystems with local clients and remote services. Gmail and Office 365 are the main competitors. While these platforms lock their customers into their ecosystems, Thunderbird Pro will supposedly offer a 100-percent open source, freedom-respective alternative for those seeking and all-in-one experience. Thunderbird Pro will include the following services: Thunderbird Appointment Thunderbird Send Thunderbird Assist Thundermail Thunderbird Appointment is a scheduling tool that allows users to send a link to someone as an invitation to a calendar event. The service aims to streamline the process of arranging meetings. Sipes noted that he and his team were dissatisfied with the tools currently available. Thunderbird Send is a spiritual successor to Firefox Send, the file-sharing service Mozilla shut down in 2020. The development team has rebuilt the project to provide a more direct and efficient way to send files. Thunderbird Assist is described as an experimental AI service. Sipes offered few details, suggesting it is still in early development. Users will reportedly be able to access some AI features via cloud processing through Flower AI, while more powerful devices may have the option to run models locally. Finally, Thundermail is a new email service that will be an entirely separate offering from the Thunderbird desktop client. Sipes believes the revamped service can provide a better service than any of its competitors while adhering to Mozilla's core values and that is 100% open source. Thundermail will be built on the open-source software stack Stalwart. The email domain for Thundermail will be Thundermail.com or tb.pro In a nutshell: Billy Mitchell, the arcade gaming legend who has been embroiled in controversy for almost a decade now, has been awarded $230,000 in a defamation lawsuit against a YouTuber. Karl Jobst implied in a video that Mitchell's legal battle against a different YouTuber led to that person's suicide after it left him "deeply in debt." But a judge said Jobst had shown a "reckless disregard for the truth." Mitchell has appeared in several documentaries related to his achievements in Donkey Kong and Pac-Man, including King of Kong in 2007. But in 2018, he was accused of using open-source emulator MAME, rather than the original arcade hardware, for some of his Donkey Kong high scores. Retro-gaming records website Twin Galaxies investigated and stripped Mitchell of his records. Guinness World Records did the same a day later. Mitchell vowed to clear his name and threatened to sue Guiness and Twin Galaxies if they did not restore his records. Guiness reinstated his record following an investigation in 2020, while Twin Galaxies did the same in 2024 after Mitchell sued the company and the pair reached a settlement. In 2021, Queensland, Australia-based YouTuber Karl Jobst posted a video titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!" It claimed that one of the lawsuits filed by Mitchell, against the late YouTuber Benjamin Smith, aka Apollo Legend, led to a settlement that involved Smith paying Mitchell a large sum of money, leaving him in debt and contributing to his suicide in 2020. Jobst's video also claimed that Mitchell had "expressed joy at the thought" of Smith's death. Mitchell sued Jobst over the claims made in the latter's video, which had amassed over 500,000 views. Brisbane District Court Judge Ken Barlow awarded Mitchell AU$350,000 (around $230,000) in damages following a trial late last year. "Clearly he wanted to be the knight who slayed the Mitchell dragon," the judge said. "His lance was not as strong as he thought it to be." According to the judge, the 2020 settlement between Mitchell and Smith never involved any money. Smith was told to remove any YouTube videos and social media posts he made relating to Mitchell. He was also required to hand over copyright of those removed videos to Mitchell, and to stop publishing content about Mitchell or face a $25,000 fine for each incident. Jobst had originally claimed that Smith was ordered to pay Mitchell $1 million. Jobst edited the video several times while it was online, once after Mitchell suggested he intended to sue, and again after Smith's brother confirmed no money had been exchanged in the settlement between Mitchell and Smith. Jobst had also made videos about the cheating claims made against Mitchell, but the judge said it was not his role to determine the truth of these allegations. "(Jobst) seems to see himself as a crusader against Mr Mitchell - one of the last people sued by Mr Mitchell and the only one who has not backed down," he said. I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony. From that point on unfortunately there was really nothing that could have saved me. I will now obviously consider my options. I know many of you will be upset with this and I am sorry for Karl Jobst (@karljobstgaming) April 1, 2025 The judge also referred to an interview in which Jobst said, "Billy Mitchell needs to be destroyed in court [] I am the last chance for the public to punish Billy." Nothing like the smell of victory in the evening air. Billy Mitchell (@BillyPacman) March 31, 2025 The judge said he could have awarded Mitchell more than the AU$50,000 for aggravated damages that he won (there was also AU$300,000 for non-economic loss), but that was the amount Mitchell sought. Jobst had written on Twitter that the case would be "an amazing experience." When asked outside court how he was going to pay the damages, he said "with money." Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust What just happened? Have you made the move to an OLED monitor yet? More Quantum Dot OLED models are coming to market in the form of Acer's Predator X32 X2 and X27U X1 gaming displays, both of which offer some very impressive gaming specs. It's the Quantum Dot layer that allows QD-OLED displays to achieve higher peak brightness levels than most WOLED models. QD-OLEDs generate blue light, which is transformed into green and red for the other subpixels through a quantum dot layer. Starting with the Predator X32 X2, the 31.5-inch monitor boasts a 4K resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate, which, if you have the hardware to make the most of that combination, enables an amazing gaming experience. The Predator X27U X1, meanwhile, is a 26.5-inch monitor with a WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution. It retains the same 240Hz refresh rate as its larger sibling. The monitors' remaining specs are pretty much identical. Both offer a 0.03ms GtG response time, 250 nits of native brightness, a peak brightness of 1,000 nits in HDR (3 percent window), a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. Both monitors are also VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified and cover 99% of the DCI-P3 gamut. Port-wise, the Predators come with two HDMI 2.1 inputs and a single DisplayPort 1.4. The X27U X1, the smaller of the two, includes two more powerful 5W speakers, while the X32 X2 uses dual 2W speakers. Although OLED monitors are becoming more affordable, they remain a premium product particularly the larger QD-OLED variants. The Predator X32 X2 will set you back $999 when it arrives in North America this June. It will launch in the EMEA in August, starting at EUR 1,199, and in China in Q2, starting at RMB 5,999. Related reading: IPS vs VA vs TN vs QD-OLED vs WOLED Explained The Predator X27U X1 is available in North America now for $599. It comes to the EMEA in June, starting at EUR 699, and China in March, starting at RMB 3,999. Earlier this month, the Dell Alienware AW2725Q arrived at $900, making it the cheapest 27-inch 4K 240Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor on the market. It seems the Predator X27U X1 has now taken that title. Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust In brief: Just days after Microsoft removed a handy script from Windows 11 Insider builds that allowed people to skip the Microsoft Account requirement for installation, resourceful testers have already discovered a new method. Unlike the previous one, this one is surprisingly simple. The removed "BypassNRO.cmd" script previously allowed users to bypass the mandatory Microsoft Account login during setup and create a local account instead. In a recent blog post, Microsoft justified its removal, claiming it enhances "security and user experience" by ensuring all users complete setup with an internet connection and a linked Microsoft Account. While manually tweaking the registry can still achieve the same result, that method is clunky and not for the faint of heart. Fortunately, one user going by Witherornot1337 has shared a much smoother alternative on X. The workaround involves opening a Command Prompt (Shift + F10) and entering "start ms-cxh:localonly." Improved bypass for Windows 11 OOBE: 1. Shift-F10 2. start ms-cxh:localonly Only required on Home and Pro editions. pic.twitter.com/ZUa89ZPBI3 Wither OrNot (@witherornot1337) March 29, 2025 PC World notes that this command triggers a legacy-style Windows 10 setup window where users can create a local account with a username and password, requiring no registry edits or restarts. Witherornot1337 provided a short video demonstration showing how easily the trick works. Microsoft's removal of BypassNRO.cmd only affects Windows 11 preview builds in the Dev Channel. Stable releases can still use the script. However, if Microsoft sticks with this change and it's Microsoft, so why wouldn't it the script will likely vanish from public releases later this year. Microsoft's apparent hard stance on requiring an online account to install Windows is annoying and unfortunate because not everyone has one. Many users also have privacy concerns regarding the company's potential to monitor their activities. Perhaps more importantly, some users prefer keeping their Windows login tied solely to their device. Having your credentials stored in a company's SSO is just waiting for a leak to happen like the one Oracle recently suffered. Microsoft phased out the official local account option in Windows 11's setup some time ago, leaving workarounds like BypassNRO.cmd as the only alternatives. Now that Microsoft has closed that loophole, the new command-line trick offers a lifeline at least temporarily. The big question is how long it will last before the company patches out this method, too. Air raid sirens were sounded 35 times in Kyiv in March, and three civilians, including a 5-year-old child, were killed as a result of enemy attacks, said Yevhen Ievlev, a representative of Kyiv City Military Administration. "In March, air raid sirens were sounded 35 times in Kyiv. Eleven attacks, using enemy attack UAVs, were recorded. As a result of the attacks, eight buildings and six cars were damaged. Unfortunately, the Russians killed three and wounded ten more residents of the capital. Among the dead was a 5-year-old child," he said at a briefing summarizing the month on Tuesday. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/abaerbock German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, during her visit to Kyiv, called on Vladimir Putin to agree to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, and noted that the first step to building trust would be the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. "That is why I am making an urgent appeal today: whoever kidnaps children and abuses them as weapons of war obviously does not want peace. Whoever wants to make it clear that he wants peace and is ready for it must first return these kidnapped children," she said at a joint press conference with her Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha in Kyiv on Tuesday. Baerbock emphasized that sanctions against the Russian Federation cannot be lifted without peace, and "the first step to building trust would be the simplest and easiest - to return the kidnapped children." She also recalled that Germany supported the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. "We helped initiate the warrant in connection with the kidnapping of children. And we will continue to go down this path, because just peace is also justice for the victims," she emphasized. Speaking about a potential minerals agreement between Ukraine and the USA, Baerbock said the Europeans have long had an agreement with Ukraine on rare earth minerals, and "all other agreements that may be concluded in the future must comply with European law." "After all, this is our European continent. And we, of course, also discuss this accordingly with all interested parties," she noted. As reported by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Sybiha also personally presented Baerbock with the Minister's Award For Assistance to Ukraine's Diplomatic Efforts as recognition of her contribution to consolidating international support for our country. Sybiha, for the first time as head of the Foreign Ministry, personally met his foreign colleague at the railway station, which was a special sign of respect and gratitude. Baerbock made her ninth visit to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression. Mine operator suspends arbitration against Panama Panama City, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 The Canadian-owned operator of Central America's biggest copper mine confirmed Monday it will suspend arbitration proceedings against Panama over its closure, after starting talks with the government on reopening the pit. Following weeks of crippling protests over the Cobre Panama mine's environmental impact, Panama's Supreme Court in November 2023 ruled that a concession contract signed by former president Laurentino Cortizo's government was unconstitutional. Cobre Panama is is controlled by Canada's First Quantum Minerals. In response, First Quantum initiated international arbitration proceedings seeking $20 billion in compensation. But in recent weeks both sides have said they want to negotiate resuming operations at the mine. "After a commitment with the legal advisers of the government of Panama, First Quantum has agreed to halt the arbitration proceedings," the company said in a statement. On March 14 it had said it was prepared to take this step. A day before that, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino announced that he had authorized the firm to export the copper concentrate it had already extracted. Mulino said a suspension of the arbitration was a condition for dialogue on reopening the mine. And he criticized environmental advocates who oppose the reopening under any circumstances, saying the mine is important to Panama's economy and employment. The mine had produced about 300,000 tons of copper concentrate a year, representing 75 percent of the country's exports and about five percent of its national economic output. fj/dw/jgc Latvia has sent another 1,500 combat drones to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Defense Minister Andris Spruds said. "We are sending another 1,500 combat drones from Latvia. Two Latvian companies will supply a total of 12,000 drones to Ukraine in the first half of this year, worth EUR 17 million, as part of the international drone coalition," he wrote on the social network X. The coalition, led by the UK and Latvia, was reportedly launched in January 2024 to strengthen Ukraine's drone capabilities. Greek tourist islands hit by flash floods Athens, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 The Greek islands of Paros and Mykonos were hit by flash floods late on Monday with heavy rainfall set to continue on Tuesday, officials said. There were no reports of injuries on islands, which are popular tourist destinations. Paros mayor Costas Bizas said a creek had overflowed in the fishing village of Naoussa, flooding businesses and homes and carrying off nearly 40 vehicles. "We will need state machinery to clean up the area," Bizas told state TV ERT, adding that local roads were full of debris. "We should cross ourselves that no one was lost," the mayor said. The civil protection agency on Monday had warned Paros and Mykonos residents to stay indoors. On Tuesday, it said the storm front was moving to the islands of Chios, Samos and Ikaria. National weather service EMY said the front, accompanied by gale-force winds of up to 74 kilometres (46 miles) per hour was "dangerous" and would persist on Tuesday. Schools were preventively shut on Tuesday on the islands of Paros, Mykonos, Rhodes, Kos, Kalymnos, Symi and Tilos. 'Can collapse anytime': Mandalay quake victims seek respite outdoors Mandalay, Myanmar, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 After a night sprawled out on cardboard panels under hastily erected plastic tarps, hundreds of Mandalay residents awoke Tuesday to more earthquake recovery work, wondering when they can return safely to permanent shelter. The violent 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Friday near the city in central Myanmar, killing more than 2,000 people, with fears the toll could rise significantly. Initial tremors destroyed many homes across the city, and persistent aftershocks have left the residents of those spared wary of spending time indoors. "We don't dare to go back home because we are worried our neighbouring building will collapse on us," said 57-year-old grandmother Hlaing Hlaing Hmwe. "Children want to go back because the weather is hot here," she said. Temperatures on Tuesday in the city of more than 1.7 million people again approached 40 degrees Celsius. Hlaing Hlaing Hmwe said they won't be able to endure it much longer, so she is considering going to a monastery in search of shelter. "We heard monasteries collapsed too but there is another one we can go to." Though sleeping in the open relieves one of the risk of falling buildings, Soe Tint said that basic amenities such as water, electricity and access to toilets are difficult to come by. Still, it is preferable to the potential danger of being inside. "We don't feel safe to sleep at our home," said the 71-year-old Mandalay resident. "So we moved to this field". The buildings next to his home are as high as six or seven storeys, and he said they are now leaning due to the tremors. "I even think my own heartbeat is an earthquake." - Uncollected belongings - At the U Hla Thein Buddhist examination hall, where part of the building collapsed as hundreds of monks took an exam, at least 60 uncollected book bags were piled on a table outside. Textbooks, notebooks and passports were among the contents. "These are the belongings of the monks who sat the exam," said one attendant, adding there was a second pile elsewhere. Fire engines and heavy lifting vehicles were parked outside and an Indian rescue team worked on the pancaked remains of the building. One Indian officer said there was a terrible smell coming from the building. "We don't how many people are under the structure," he said. A Myanmar fire official confirmed: "Many dead bodies are coming out. There can be no survivors." Complicating recovery efforts is the country's brutal ongoing civil war, sparked in 2021 when a military junta ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government. Since then, fighting between the military and a complex patchwork of anti-junta forces has left Myanmar's infrastructure and economy in tatters. The country is observing a week of mourning, as announced by the junta, with a minute of silence held Tuesday at 12:51:02 (0621 GMT) -- the precise time the quake struck four days before. In a compound on Tuesday next to Mandalay University, a Myanmar flag flew at half-mast, its yellow, green and red stripes stirred by a desultory breeze. Traffic has picked up in the city since the quake, but one driver said it was still less than usual. Soe Tint, who relocated to the field with his family, is eager to return to the comforts of home. "No one knows how long it will take," he said. burs-pfc/aph/hmn Finland closes last coal-fired power plant Helsinki, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 Finnish energy company Helen said Tuesday it had closed the country's last active coal-fired power plant, ushering in "the end of the era of coal" for the Nordic country. The Salmisaari power plant in central Helsinki produced heat and electricity for the country's capital, also emitting carbon dioxide (CO2) that contributes to deadly climate change. As a result of the closure, Helen's yearly CO2 emissions will decrease by an estimated 50 percent compared to 2024 levels and Helsinki's total emissions will drop by 30 percent, the energy company said in a statement. Calling it "the end of the era of coal" and a step towards both cleaner and more self-sufficient energy production, the closure of the power plant also meant that Finland's total emissions will fall by nearly two percent compared to last year. "Giving up coal is a concrete step towards Helen's clean, self-sufficient and affordable energy production," the company's chief executive officer Olli Sirkka said. In 2022, 64 percent of the company's district heating production still originated from burning coal -- which was delivered by ships to Helsinki. Now that smoke has stopped billowing from the plant's chimney, the company's emissions in 2025 will amount to 20 percent of what its total emissions had been in 1990, the company said. However, a coal reserve would be kept in storage to be used "if necessary". Meanwhile some companies in the Nordic country still use small amounts of coal for energy production. Finland has decided that the use of coal in energy production will be banned as of May 1, 2029. UN says has seen no blockage of aid to Myanmar quake victims Geneva, April 1 (AFP) Apr 01, 2025 The UN said Tuesday it had seen no blockage of aid in responding to the catastrophic earthquake in Myanmar that has killed more than 2,000 people in the conflict-ravaged country. Four days after the shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, humanitarians are struggling to deliver assistance, amid mounting fears that attacks and obstruction could hinder the aid effort. The United Nations humanitarian agency however insisted it was not seeing signs of intentional blockage. "So far, we have been able to provide assistance to the people," said Marcoluigi Corsi, the UN resident humanitarian coordinator in Myanmar. "The distribution of different items is ongoing, and we haven't experienced so far any blockage," he told reporters in Geneva, speaking via video link from Yangon. Myanmar's junta said Monday 2,056 people had been confirmed dead, with more than 3,900 injured and 270 missing. At least 20 people died in neighbouring Thailand. But the toll is expected to rise significantly as rescuers reach towns and villages where communications have been cut off by the quake. Complicating recovery efforts is the country's brutal ongoing civil war, sparked in 2021 when a military junta ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government. Since then, fighting between the military and a complex patchwork of anti-junta forces has left Myanmar's infrastructure and economy in tatters. Allegations that the junta has continued using air attacks since the quake have triggered sharp criticism, including from the UN special rapporteur for Myanmar, Tom Andrews. The independent expert, who does not speak on behalf of the United Nations, insisted on X Tuesday that "junta military attacks must stop". "Obstructions to aid must be lifted. Young people should not be fearing arrest or conscription. The international community must step up with greater levels of emergency aid," he said. Asked about those comments, Corsi acknowledged that "there is always... politicisation of aid". But he said that "we have a strong monitoring system... and we have trusted partners that can report on the distribution of aid... even in areas where it is difficult to achieve". "As far as I know, diversion of aid hasn't happened." nl/jhb On Friday, April 4, a meeting of the military teams of those countries that will be ready to deploy a contingent in Ukraine will take place, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "As for the issue of the contingent, we will have a meeting on Friday, there will be a meeting of our military teams, several countries, a narrow circle of countries, those that will be ready to deploy a contingent in one form or another," Zelenskyy told reporters during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. As reported, on March 28, Zelenskyy announced that in about a week, Ukraine will hold a meeting in a narrow circle of representatives of the General Staffs of the main countries that are 100% ready to provide a contingent, after which there will be a meeting at the level of national security advisors. "We have urgently agreed, we are giving it a week, to hold a meeting in Ukraine in a narrow circle of representatives of the General Staffs of the main countries that will be 100% ready to prepare for a contingent on the territory of Ukraine. Not all of them will come, we are inviting a narrow circle France, Britain, Ukraine will definitely be there, this is such a triangle in this matter," Zelenskyy said at a briefing on Friday. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice While everyone has received a wrong fast food order at some point, a study has found that one popular eatery is more inaccurate than others. Intouch Insight, a company known for tracking the speed and accuracy of drive-thru restaurants, recently released their 2024 findings revealing which fast food restaurants are the quickest at handing out orders and which are the most accurate. Chick-fil-A took the number one spot with an accuracy rating of 92 percent. Burger King and McDonalds were tied for the second-highest accuracy rating at 88 percent. At the bottom of the list, with the lowest rating of just 81 percent, was KFC. KFC did, however, record the most improved accuracy score since 2024. Also at the bottom of the list, though slightly higher than KFC, were Taco Bell, Wendys, and Dunkin. Despite the chicken chains low accuracy rating, KFC did have some redeeming qualities such as its shorter wait times. According to the report, KFC averaged just over one car in line before being able to place an order, while Chick-fil-A had an average of five cars in the drive-thru line. That resulted in a wait time of about eight minutes. Taco Bell had the shortest wait time overall with customers receiving their order and then leaving in 4.3 minutes. KFC had an accuracy rating of 81 percent compared to Chic-fil-As 92 percent ( Getty Images ) The report comes almost two months after KFC announced it would be moving its U.S. headquarters from Louisville, Kentucky, to Plano, Texas, causing 100 employees to relocate with the headquarters in the next six months. I am disappointed by this decision and believe the company's founder would be, too, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement. This company's name starts with Kentucky, and it has marketed our state's heritage and culture in the sale of its product. According to the chains owner, Yum! Brands, KFCs relocation is part of a larger plan to eventually have two brand headquarters, one in Plano and the other in Irvine, California. In addition to KFC employees relocating, Yum! Brands are also asking roughly 90 members of their remote workforce to relocate. Those 90 employees are expected to move over the next 18 months. Despite moving the chain from Kentucky to Texas, the company and the KFC Foundation plan to maintain corporate offices in Louisville, Kentucky. The chain is also planning on opening a flagship store in Louisville. These changes position us for sustainable growth and will help us better serve our customers, employees, franchisees, and shareholders, David Gibbs, Yum! Brands Chief Executive Officer said, according to a local Fox outlet. Ultimately, bringing more of our people together on a consistent basis will maximize our unrivaled culture and talent as a competitive advantage. Im confident this is another important step in growing our iconic restaurant brands globally. KFC currently has more than 30,000 restaurants across 150 countries. 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 Jennifer Lawrence is officially a mother of two. The Oscar winner, 34, has reportedly given birth to her second child with husband Cooke Maroney, People reported Tuesday. The two were seen out for a stroll in New York City on Monday, according to the outlet. Further details about the babys date of birth and name havent been revealed. The Independent has reached out to Lawrences representatives for comment. Lawrence debuted her baby bump in October 2024, announcing her pregnancy via Vogue. "Congratulations are in order for Jennifer Lawrence! The Oscar-winning actor will be welcoming her second child with art gallerist husband Cooke Maroney," the outlets Instagram caption read. A source close to Lawrence told People shortly after that the star loves being a mom. open image in gallery Jennifer Lawrence gave birth to son, Cy, in 2022 ( Getty ) She's thrilled to be pregnant again. It feels like the perfect timing to her. Her son will [be] 3 when the new baby arrives." Lawrence and Maroney, 40, married in October 2019. They also share three-year-old son Cy, born in February 2022. The couple tend to keep details of their lives private. But Lawrence opened up about motherhood not long after Cy was born. The morning after I gave birth, I felt like my whole life had started over, Lawrence told Vogue in September 2022. Like, Now is day one of my life. I just stared. I was just so in love. She also shared how the birth of her son deepened her ability to love. My heart has stretched to a capacity that I didnt know about. I include my husband in that," she told the outlet. Lawrence went on to reveal Cy was a rainbow baby, born after the star suffered several miscarriages. The news of her second childs arrival comes days after she was spotted out and about in New York City. Donning a white tee, linen skirt, and pale yellow jacket, Lawrence waved as she crossed the street. She was sporting red-striped Adidas ballet sneakers, a new springtime shoe trend. 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 Jeremy Clarkson has revealed the unlikely snack helping with his weight loss after quitting Ozempic. The Clarksons Farm star, who is determined not to die after undergoing major heart surgery last year, stating that he is determined not to die, has opened about his lifestyle changes as he attempts to slim down. Clarkson said he used Ozempic, the drug that was licenced to treat diabetes but has been co-opted by people as a quick fix for weight loss. However, Ozempic didnt work for Clarkson, who wrote in his Sunday Times column that he actually ended up half a stone heavier after using it. My body lost the ability to deal with gluttony but once the initial enthusiasm had worn off, my mind still wanted to breakfast on Cadbury Fruit & Nut, he said. This meant I was sick a lot. And after I had vomited, I figured I was empty and could have another bottle and maybe another bar of chocolate too. Instead, Clarkson said hes discovered a snack that goes a long way and has helped him get trimmer: snail caviar. He wrote: It is actually unborn snails. But weirdly it does taste and feel like the real deal. So you can pop a teaspoon of that onto half a Ritz cracker and you have yourself the 21st centurys answer to a medieval banquet. Snail caviar is the fresh or processed eggs of land snails, and is luxury gourmet speciality produced in Austria, Czechia, France and Poland. Clarkson previously revealed that he had been encouraged to make positive lifestyle changes by a desire to be around for his grandchildren. The presenter has two grandchildren via his eldest daughter Emily, the most recent of whom was born shortly before Christmas. open image in gallery Jeremy Clarkson has discovered a luxury food item thats helped with his weight loss ( Prime Video ) Discussing his grandchildren, he wrote: I have decided that it is so wonderful that I want it to go on for as long as is humanly possible. Which means I must do everything in my power to not die. Clarkson stated that he had attempted to live a more active lifestyle in the past, with limited success. Michelangelos David burns more calories than I do when Im out and about, so I continued to get fatter and more out of breath, and when you want to see your grandchildren grow up, thats not good enough, he wrote. In the aftermath of the heart surgery, however, Clarkson has taken up Pilates. open image in gallery Jeremy Clarkson underwent major heart surgery in 2024 ( Prime Video ) What weve learnt so far is that my pelvis is so cockeyed I look like a broken shotgun, my legs are very heavy and that my fat can be made to hurt, he continued. The former Top Gear presenter claimed that he had, until now, relied on luck to keep me alive. But Im in snipers alley right now and I have to work at dodging the bullets, he added. The usage of ozempic as a weight loss drug has been decried by eating disorder experts, with Fiona Yassin, eating disorder specialist and clinical director of The Wave Clinic, telling The Independent: It is very important to understand that Ozempic is not licensed for weight loss in the UK for individuals without diabetes. By using these medications to change how we feel about ourselves, were mimicking the behaviour seen in substance use disorders, where substances are used to manage internal discomfort. Its alarming, and the potential medical consequences are enormous. Meanwhile, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20 per cent of patients as many as 1 in 5 may not respond well to the medications. Side effects can include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Its all about explaining that different people have different responses, said Dr Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital. 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 Macaulay Culkin has emotionally opened up about his estrangement from his father, Kit Culkin. The 44-year-old actor spoke candidly about cutting ties with his father during Mondays episode of Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudsons podcast, Sibling Revelry. I havent spoken to him in about 30-something years, the actor, who grew up with six siblings, including Succession star Kieran Culkin, said. Oh, he deserves it too. Yeah. He's a man who, he had seven kids, and now he has four grandkids. Yeah. And, none of them want anything to do with him. The Home Alone star claimed that he has a feeling his father doesnt think he f***ed up his relationship with his children. I have more than an inkling that he does not feel that way. Like, we're wrong, and he's right, he continued. He's one of those kind of like narcissistic, crazy people. He noted that when he was a child, he realized he didnt want to be like his father. Macaulay is now a parent himself, sharing his two sons, Dakota, three, and Carson, two, with his fiancee, Brenda Song. Macaulay Culkin petitioned to remove his mother and father as his legal guardians when he was 15 ( Getty Images ) One of my earliest memories of him was [thinking], When I grew up, this is how I'm not gonna be with my kids, he explained. Now that I have kids of my own, it's like, you know, it kicks up some dust. I kinda go, you know, like, I can't believe he was like that. At the age of 15, Macaulay petitioned to remove his father and mother, Patricia Brentrup, as his legal guardians, which wiped their names from his $40 million trust fund. The trust, filled with Macaulays earnings as a child star, was managed by his familys accountant until he was 18. When Macaulay sued his parents, Brentrup was tied up in a custody battle with her ex, seeking custody of their six minor children and the right to manage their careers. Two years later, Brentrup won custody of her and Kits children. During Mondays episode of Sibling Revelry, Macaulay reflected on his parents custody battle, saying he wanted nothing to do with his father. He was just the worst, and the judge was like: Well, you have to do visitations with him. I didnt say this to the judge I was a smartass, but I wasnt that much of a smartass, he explained. But I told my lawyer: Im not doing that. Hes like: Well, youll be in contempt of court, I go: OK, how about I dare this judge to put me in jail for not wanting to visit [my] abusive father. Actually, Im going to double down on that; I double dare him to arrest the most famous kid in the world, he added. I never played that card, but that was the one time I kind of played that card. Before Brentrup and Kit who were never married broke up, they welcomed six children: Shane, Dakota, Macaulay, Kieran, Quinn, Christian, and Rory. Unfortunately, Dakota died at the age of 29 in 2008, after being hit by a car. Kit and his ex Adeena VanWagoner share a daughter, Jennifer Adamson, who died of a drug overdose in 2000 at the age of 29. Macaulay has previously opened up about his estranged relationship with his father, claiming Kit was physically and emotionally abusive. [He said] 'Do good or I'll hit you.' He was a bad man. He was abusive, physically and mentally I can show you all my scars if I wanted to, the My Girl star said on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast in 2018. Everything he tried to do in life, I excelled at before I was 10 years old. In 2001, Kit's late partner, Jeanette Krylowski, denied claims he was abusive during a conversation with New York Magazine. Krylowski also claimed that Brentrup was envious and resentful, alleging she turned Kits children against him. My analysis is she was the only one not getting famous and she felt left behind, Krylowski claimed about Brentrup. The kids do what Mom tells them to, because through the years, Mom had said, Your father doesnt love you, your father doesnt love you. Although Kit has kept out of the spotlight, following a brief acting stint in the Sixties, he did give a rare comment about his estrangement from Macaulay in 2016. I dont consider him a son anymore, he simply told the Daily Mail at the time. If you are a child and you need help because something has happened to you, you can call the NSPCC free of charge on 0800 1111. You can also call the NSPCC if you are an adult and you are worried about a child, on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adults on 0808 801 0331 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 Machine Gun Kelly has cleared up confusion surrounding the name of his and Megan Foxs baby girl after misleading reports following the news of the childs birth. Kelly announced the birth of the baby on Thursday (27 March). The baby is their first together, but Foxs fourth overall and Kellys second. The couple reportedly split in December, but Kelly has since denied claims that they arent on speaking terms. Kelly, 34, announced the birth of his daughter on Instagram with a video of him holding her hands. The rapper wrote: Shes finally here!! Our little celestial seed. However, many misinterpreted the post believing that Fox and Kelly had called the baby Celestial Seed. On his Instagram stories, Kelly shared a screengrab of a TikTok video, writing in the caption: Wait guysher name isnt Celestial Seed, along with crying with laughter emoji. He added: Her mom is gonna tell you the name when we're ready. open image in gallery Machine Gun Kelly responds to a claim he and Megan Fox have named their child 'Celestial Seed' ( Machine Gun Kelly/Instagram ) Indeed, Kellys original post was swamped by baffled fans who were convinced that the baby had been named Celestial Seed. One person wrote: I really hope thats not her name. Another added: Awww...little Celestial Seed. A third said: Celestial is already a star, what a blessed name she has. She is going to be so loved. Although the name of the baby is yet to be publically disclosed, Kelly did add at the time that she was born into 432 HZ. 432 HZ music produces vibrations that are believed to have a soothing effect on the nervous system, lessen physical discomfort and relax muscles. open image in gallery Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox broke off their engagement in November 2024 months before they welcomed their first child together ( Getty Images for GQ ) Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker confirmed in an Instagram story that he and Kelly had composed the score of the birth. He added: What an epic journey. Praise God. Fox shares three sons Noah, 12, Bodhi, 10, and Journey, 8 with ex-husband Brian Austin Green. Meanwhile, Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, shares a 15-year-old daughter, Casie, with ex-partner Emma Cannon. Kelly and Fox, 38, allegedly called it quits last Thanksgiving, just weeks after announcing the pregnancy. It was reported at the time that they broke up during a trip to Vail, Colorado, where tensions reached a boiling point. TMZ claimed the split stemmed from Fox discovering something upsetting on the rappers phone, prompting her to ask him to leave the trip early. 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 at Ronald Reagan National Airport arrested a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller after he allegedly assaulted one of his coworkers. Damon Marsalis Gaines, 39, was detained by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department and charged with assault and battery, a spokesperson for the agency told The Independent. In a separate statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said the employee, who is from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, remains on administrative leave while officials investigate last weeks incident. Additional details were not provided. The FAA is in the middle of a campaign to recruit air traffic controllers as an employee shortage continues. There are currently 10,800 certified controllers, but the country needs more than 14,000. Additionally, the airport suffered a tragedy on January 29, when an American Airlines commercial plane arriving from Wichita, Kansas, collided with an Army Black Hawk Helicopter over the Potomac River, killing 67 people. The FAA imposed helicopter restrictions for the flight path being used by the soldiers, with exceptions for presidential, vice-presidential, and emergency traffic. But the airport suffered a close call on Friday when a Delta Air Lines flight came close to a US Air Force T-3 jet around 3 p.m. The military jet was one of four flying over the east bank of the Potomac River to participate in a flyover ceremony at nearby Arlington National Cemetery, the FAA said. The commercial flight received a TCAS alert warning that alerts pilots of a potential collision. Controllers cleared the Delta flight for takeoff and later issued corrective instructions to both aircraft. Following the January crash, the National Transportation Safety Board revealed the airport had suffered 15,000 near-misses from October 2021 to December 2024. 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 Police have released shocking images of inside a Connecticut home where a man was allegedly held captive for two decades by his stepmother. Multiple images shared by the Waterbury Police Department show the disgusting conditions in which the man, who remains anonymous, was forced to live. Dirt, mold, mess and debris are present throughout many rooms in the house, including bedrooms, the living room and bathroom. Part of the houses ceiling appears to be damaged, with beams exposed and some windows had been bordered up. Authorities also released multiple pictures of the room where the man was held which were severely fire damaged. open image in gallery Waterbury Police Department have released shocking pictures of the inside of a house where a man was allegedly kept captive for two decades by his stepmother. Mess and detritus are present throughout many rooms in the house ( Waterbury Police Department ) open image in gallery Pictures of a bathroom in the shows showed garbage all over the floor, mold, dirt and pieces of plywood strewn everywhere ( Waterbury Police Department ) The 32-year-old set fire to his room in mid-February, in a desperate attempt to escape. Police and fire officials responded to the scene after his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, called 911. He later told officials I wanted my freedom and said he had been held captive by Sullivan since he was 11 years old. The man claimed he was given minimal food or water throughout the years. It was reported at the time that the man was extremely emaciated and weighed just 69 pounds, despite being 5 foot 9 inches tall. Sullivan, 56, was arrested and charged with assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, cruelty and reckless endangerment. She has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty at her arraignment. open image in gallery Authorities also released multiple pictures of the room where the man was held which were severely fire damaged. The 32-year-old set fire to his room in mid-February, in a desperate attempt to escape his captivity ( Waterbury Police Department ) open image in gallery The man later told officials I wanted my freedom so had set the fire later adding he had been held captive since he was 11 years old ( Waterbury Police Department ) She later posted $300,000 bail and was allowed to leave, though prosecutors requested electronic monitoring as well as house arrest due to flight risk concerns. Following the hearing, Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Don Therkildsen Jr. expressed the victim's bewilderment at Sullivan's lack of incarceration, given the gravity of the alleged crimes. This victim is afraid. This victim lives in fear, Therkildsen said in court. I introduced myself to the victim, explained who I was. His first question in this fear is, Why is she out walking around when I was locked up in a room for 20 years? According to court documents obtained by The New York Times, the man claimed that Sullivan had kept him locked in an eight by nine foot room most of the day, letting him out only to go to school or do household chores. open image in gallery According to court documents, the man claimed that Sullivan had kept him locked in an eight by nine foot room most of the day ( Waterbury Police Department ) The rest of the time, was locked in the small room, and was allegedly forced to defecate onto newspapers laid out onto the floor and urinate in a bottle, while suffering from hunger, the documents claimed. According to The Times, while at school he would beg classmates for food or scavenge from trash cans. The man was later pulled out of school, and began living a life of brutally consistent deprivation, he said and detailed by police. His room was often locked from the outside with no heat or air. open image in gallery Sullivans lawyer previously said that the claims against his client were outlandish and that she was blown away after hearing them ( Waterbury Police Department ) The last time the boy left the property was as a teenager to dump yard waste with his father, per the warrant. He told police he was too afraid to escape and knew his stepmother had a gun. Sullivans lawyer previously told NBC Connecticut that the claims against his client were outlandish and that she was blown away after hearing them. She completely maintains her innocence, from our perspective. These allegations are not true, the lawyer said. We look forward to being able to vindicate her and show that shes done nothing wrong. 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 U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said she intends to seek a 20-year prison sentence against a Colorado man accused of firebombing a Tesla dealership. Cooper Jo Frederick, 24, was arrested in Fort Collins earlier this month on suspicion of throwing an incendiary device between two vehicles outside a dealership in nearby Loveland on March 7. It was one of a spate of recent incidents in which Tesla vehicles or buildings not just in the USA, but also abroad have been vandalized, defaced with Nazi symbols, or set ablaze, apparently in protest against Elon Musk's role in the Trump administration. Bondi has vowed to treat these attacks as "domestic terrorism", while Musk and Trump have both claimed without evidence that the incidents were coordinated. So far, no one appears to have been hurt in such incidents. "I've made it clear: if you take part in the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, we will find you, arrest you, and put you behind bars," Bondi said on Musk's social network X on Monday as she announced federal charges against Frederick. "All of these cases are a serious public threat to public safety. Therefore, there will be no negotiating; we are seeking 20 years in prison... "Let this be a warning: you can run, but you cannot hide. Justice is coming." As well as Frederick, federal prosecutors have charged 42-year-old Lucy Grace Nelson with trying to use Molotov cocktails to light Teslas on fire in Loveland. Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, is accused of throwing eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon, while armed with a suppressed semi-automatic rifle. A third individual, Daniel Brendan Kurt Clarke-Pounder, allegedly wrote profane messages against President Trump and lit Tesla charging stations on fire in Charleston, South Carolina. Despite Musk's claims, law enforcement officials and terrorism experts have said that there is no evidence so far that the attacks are coordinated. Meanwhile, crowds of peaceful protesters gathered outside Tesla buildings across the nation on Saturday, aiming to "tank Tesla's stock price to stop Musk". Protest organizers stressed that they "oppose violence, vandalism, and destruction of property". Musk's fervent support for Trump and his role in slashing budgets and shutting down U.S. government programs without authorization from Congress have made him a lightning rod for criticism across the political spectrum. "Kill Tesla, save the country," wrote anti-Trump Republican Rick Wilson in a blog post calling for "peaceful protests", after which he was quickly banned from X. "Tesla is no longer just a car company; its a bank for fascists, a goose-stepping hedge fund bankrolling the political fever dreams of Elon Musk and DOGE," Wilson said. "Pressure on Tesla is pressure on Musk. Break Teslas stock, and you start to break Elons ability to bankroll authoritarian fantasiesand if that kneecaps Trump in the process, well, boo-hoo." 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 man wanted in connection with the shooting of rapper Sauce Walka, real name Albert Mondane, on March 22 has been found shot dead inside an abandoned building in Houston, police have confirmed. Jayden Dandridge, 21, was found shot multiple times on March 27, the Houston Police Department has said. There have been no arrests, and no motive has been made public. While police in Memphis, where the original shooting took place, have confirmed that they are no longer seeking Dandridge, reports TMZ. Police are still searching for another man, Kevin Brown, 22, on charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and property theft. Surveillance video appeared to show Brown and Dandridge fleeing the scene of the shooting outside of a Westin Hotel in Memphis just over a week ago. During the attack, Sauce Walka was shot in the thigh. A reward of $6,000 is being offered for information that leads to Browns apprehension. The shooting claimed the life of Sauce Walkas ally Sayso P, whose real name was Letorian Hunt, 27. The car the two suspects were driving, a stolen 2021 Dodge Charger, has since been recovered as part of the investigation. open image in gallery Jayden Dandridge, 21, was found shot multiple times on March 27, the Houston Police Department has said. There have been no arrests, and no motive has been made public ( Provided by Memphis Police Department ) In a post on Facebook, Sayso Ps mother, Toya Redwing, said that her son was set up by haters. This is the type of lies and s**t that keep mothers losing their sons. My son never stole anything. Never ran off with anything. Didnt have to. Haters set him up but not because he stole a dime. He would give you his last before he stole anything. Please stop spreading rumors. On March 22, a police spokesperson said that robbery was a possible motive for the shooting. In an interview with KHOU, Sauce Walkas father said, Had it not been for God, my son wouldve been dead. Hours after news of Dandridges death broke, Sauce Walka wrote on his Instagram Story: R.I.P. Sayso P. In the name of my brother. I love Memphis. I love yall. I have no hard feelings. This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has held online talks with his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani, who confirmed continued assistance to Ukrainians, the Japanese Embassy in Ukraine reported. "On March 31, an online meeting of the defense ministers of Japan and Ukraine was held. Minister Nakatani confirmed continued cooperation with the international community to bring peace to Ukraine. Japan will transfer Self-Defense Forces vehicles to Ukraine, as announced in October 2024, and will continue to accept Ukrainian military personnel for treatment," says a message posted on the social network X. After voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have dissolved three eucation trust funds in favor of giving teachers higher salaries, it's unclear whether educators will receive a raise next school year or instead see their paychecks shrink. Pictured: Natalie Cosby, a first grade teacher at Atkins Elementary School in Shreveport, La., works with a group of students Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. Columnist Will Sutton has something to say about Gov. Jeff Landry's third special session this year. It was held to focus on "tax reform." It included SB2, a measure that wouldn't let legislators bypass voters in choosing which crimes committed by minors should be treated as adult crimes. "Some simply want to put more people, especially minors, behind bars. The proposed constitutional amendment, if approved by voters, would allow lawmakers to treat 14-, 15- and 16-year-olds as adults without asking citizens if that's what they want," Sutton writes. Ukrainian and American legal teams are currently working on a minerals agreement with the United States; a NATO issue isnt and wasnt present in this document, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "As for the new draft of this agreement, which our teams are currently working on - Ukrainian and American - it would be more accurate to say that lawyers are working more now. First of all, details about lawyers, this can be discussed with the team of our ministries, because these are the relevant legal companies, there is a request to them, which of these companies will work. There are several very strong companies. A decision will be made in the coming days in terms of which of these legal companies will work," he told reporters during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday. As for this agreement and the NATO issue, there is not and was not a NATO issue in this agreement, the president added. Earlier, CNN reported that US President Donald Trump said that the Ukrainian side allegedly demands NATO membership in exchange for signing an agreement on mineral resources. I spent years trying to stop my daughter from becoming a teacher. Sure, teaching is a noble profession. Sure, our schools need to be properly staffed. And quadruple sure, I confess my grandchildren need to get an education beyond the knee of their doting grandparents. We are doing an excellent job of numeracy mentoring using the NRL scores on Monday morning. Teachers have their hands full with problematic students. And then theres the parents. Credit: Marija Ercegovac But heres what I know about teachers from the point of view of a parent (three kids; six different schools). Too many parents are the absolute worst. You dont even need to go into a classroom to see how awful they are. Come with me and watch parents in action on the sideline of any school-age sporting fixture. That parent shouting, Go yourself, Nathan, is just encouraging their kid to work alone. That parent shouting, Im blind, Im deaf, I want to be a ref, is telling the kid that rules are meant to be broken. Now, it turns out that teachers particularly principals want to leave the education sector. Why? A host of reasons, but heres the one that stands out parents. You can imagine being the school leaders at the UK primary school that just banned two parents. Getting the parents detained in a police cell for 11 hours was a stretch but Id love to have seen all the correspondence before it got to that. We are losing a generation of school leaders because of you and the way you behave when you are in conflict with the school. We are losing a generation of school leaders because the systems the departments of education across the country dont properly support them. Training is poor. Support is worse. And then you have to deal with parents whose children are unrecognised geniuses. You exhaust me. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Australian chefs have fallen in love with oozy, creamy burrata. Here are three easy, cheesy ways to serve it at home. This recipe appears in a collection. See all stories . For those who came in late, burrata is a soft, fresh mozzarella ball that, when split open, reveals an oozing heart of stracciatella, a blend of shredded mozzarella and cream. Cheesemaker Giorgio Linguanti describes burrata as the sexiest cheese on the market. Bonnie Savage The cheese was almost unknown in Australia until the early 2000s. Now, its on menus everywhere, partly thanks to Sicilian cheesemaker Giorgio Linguanti, who founded Thats Amore Cheese in Melbourne in 2008. Linguanti had never encountered burrata, a specialty of the Puglia region, in Italy, but with its reputation spreading globally, he taught himself to make the cheese, whose name means buttered in Italian. He wasnt surprised when it became a hit in restaurants. Burrata is the sexiest cheese on the market and presents beautifully, giving chefs a great hero ingredient to create something unique, he writes in Burrata, a cookbook that makes the cheese the star in everything from entrees and everyday dinners to desserts. Advertisement FoodSalmon Want to avoid farmed Atlantic salmon? Get hooked on these alternatives instead Experts advise against eating the Tasmanian-farmed fish variety following recent catastrophic events. Here are some alternative and more sustainable catches to try instead. Ardyn Bernoth April 2, 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 Australian online seafood sustainability guide, GoodFish, has urged Australians to stop buying farmed Atlantic salmon following an unprecedented fish kill event in Tasmania last month. Adrian Meder, sustainable seafood manager at GoodFish, says the fact that 1 million fish died from a bacterium outbreak sends a strong message to consumers that the Tasmanian farms are not sustainable and the fish should be avoided if possible. Australian salmon should be avoided, according to sustainability experts. People need to change their habits, there are excellent alternatives available, Meder says. These disease outbreaks are becoming more common and are linked to the oceans around Tasmania, which are becoming too warm to farm healthy salmon. Advertisement Adrian Meder of GoodFish says people need to change their fish-eating habits. Criticism of Tasmanias farmed salmon industry has intensified in the past fortnight as evidence emerged that at least 8 per cent of the total annual production in the state died at the farms and was dumped at landfill sites. This followed weeks of reports that fatty chunks of fish were washing up on beaches in the Huon Valley and on Bruny Island. One of Australias largest community-run food networks has stopped supplying farmed Atlantic salmon to its members following the mass mortality event. Advertisement Food co-op Box Divvy, with 13,000 members, says it will now only source New Zealand king salmon, which is rated a more responsible choice. Co-founder Anton van den Berg says the change was a result of pressure from members concerned about the environmental damage caused by the farms and the perceived lack of transparency in the industry. The operators are telling us they are changing for the better, but there is no evidence to suggest anything is improving, and the latest mortalities suggest they are not making progress, he says. Battered Murray cod (dont forget the chips) is a sustainable alternative to orange roughy or flake. Rob Palmer We are worried about habitat degradation, antibiotic use, and fish escapes and the long-term viability of the industry. Advertisement The produce from the three main salmon farm operators in Tasmania Tassal, Huon and Petuna should be avoided, according to GoodFish. To avoid confusion at the fishmonger, here is a guide to more sustainable fish alternatives: Swap Tassie salmon for NZ salmon Say no to: Tasmanian-farmed Atlantic salmon (Huon, Tassal and Petuna) Why? The industry has experienced an unprecedented fish kill event of more than 1 million farmed fish. This is polluting the surrounding environment and resulting in a large release of antibiotic chemicals into the marine environment, says Meder. There is also documented mistreatment of wildlife attracted to salmon farms particularly seals and seabirds in a way not seen elsewhere in Australias aquaculture industry. Say yes to: New Zealand farmed king salmon Why? King (or Chinook) salmon farmed in New Zealand are a more sustainable alternative because, according to GoodFish, they are grown efficiently in locations and at a scale that the surrounding environment is better able to cope with. How to cook it: Farmed king salmon can be served the same way as the more familiar Atlantic salmon. Its orange flesh is meaty and lightly oily, so it remains moist during cooking. It can be pan-fried, barbecued, oven-roasted, steamed or poached. It is often best served slightly underdone and pink inside. King salmon is also suitable for raw dishes such as sushi, sashimi and ceviche. Try: sashimi rice bowls; this sushi-poke bowl hybrid; salmon and lettuce miang. Farmed barramundi with salsa verde a good alternative to flake. Steve Manfredi Swap flake for farmed barramundi Say no to: Flake or shark Why? This fish-and-chip shop staple is caught in a fishery in south-eastern Australia that targets a healthy population of gummy sharks, but catches sometimes include school shark, which is dangerously overfished. GoodFish says many species of shark including endangered species have been mislabelled as flake in seafood retailers. Say yes to: Australian-farmed barramundi Why? Farmed barra are raised in dams across northern Australia or in indoor tanks in conditions suited to their natural tropical habitat, and in a way that has little impact on the surrounding environment. How to cook it: The meaty, white-flesh fish is affordable and easy to find. Fillets or portions can be baked, barbecued or pan-fried. Its also good for steaming and gently poaching, which keeps the flesh moist and tender. Diced barramundi will hold up in a curry or soup, remaining meaty without falling apart. Add cubes five minutes before serving to ensure they dont overcook. Try: pan-fried barramundi with salsa verde (pictured above); lemon butter barramundi; red curry barramundi. Advertisement Murray cod with herb butter. Katrina Meynink Swap orange roughy for Murray cod Say no to: Orange roughy Why? Orange roughy is a popular choice in fish shops. They are very long-lived fish caught by deep-sea trawlers that have damaged ancient underwater coral reefs. Its likely Australias most destructive fishery, Meder says. Say yes to: Australian-farmed Murray cod Why? Murray cod are well suited to the freshwater environment and climate they are farmed in. The fish is even more versatile in the kitchen than orange roughy and is increasingly being seen in our best restaurants. Farming occurs in dams that are also used for crop irrigation, which means the water can be used to produce food twice: the fish farm waste streams become fertiliser for crops rather than pollutants in the water. How to cook it: Murray cod has a pearly white flesh and can be cooked whole or in fillets. It will remain moist when steamed or poached, and can also be pan-fried, barbecued or roasted. It pairs well with Asian flavours try steaming fillets with a little soy, sesame, ginger and spring onion. Try: Katrina Meyninks Murray cod with herbed butter (above); baked Murray cod with basil butter and sweetcorn; steamed Murray cod with red chilli oil. Consider more sustainable fish when ordering your fish and chips. Edwina Pickles Swap John Dory for silver perch Say no to: Wild-caught John Dory Why? These are mostly caught off eastern Australia in bottom trawl nets that scoop up a range of overfished species in an area impacted by rapid climate change. Say yes to: Australian-farmed silver perch Why? This is a native Australian freshwater fish that is farmed by small-scale farmers throughout NSW. Silver perch are grown in indoor tanks and outdoor ponds in a way that has shown little or no impact on the natural environment. How to cook it: With a mild-tasting, soft white flesh, its great for grilling, frying, baking, battering or crumbing. Fillets are often steamed in Asian cooking with strong flavours such as lemongrass and ginger. For a full sustainability guide to Australian seafood, go to goodfish.com.au Advertisement While some key American progressives are busy cooking up ways to fight the Trump administration, not-so-former vice-president Kamala Harris and failed candidate for the big job, will be heading to the Gold Coast to speak at the Australian Real Estate Conference next month. Kamala Harris is about to share her love of real estate at a Gold Coast conference Credit: Bloomberg To be honest, this isnt a sentence we imagined ourselves writing last week, let alone a few months ago, when the pollsters rated Harris a coin-flip chance of winning the White House. And yet, here we are, with US President Donald Trump wreaking havoc, and Harris hanging out with the nations finest realtors at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre while mulling a run for Governor of California. Remarkably, this is her first speaking engagement in Australia, and we hear shes on a tight schedule, jetting in and out of the Gold Coast just for the AREC speech. A husband and wife have been jailed for raping a 15-year-old girl following a party at the couples house. Christopher Luke Hili and Lee Kathleen Hili had pleaded not guilty in 2024 in the Queensland Supreme Court to two counts of rape, one count of exposing a child to an indecent act and one of exposing a child to an indecent film. Justice Paul Freeburn sentenced Christopher Hili to seven years imprisonment and Lee Hili to six years. Credit: FFX Christopher Hili also pleaded not guilty to two counts of supplying cannabis to a child. They held each other in the dock when the jury found them guilty on all counts in April 2024 after deliberating for about two hours following a five-day trial. An independent review into protections against workplace sexual violence within Queensland Health has found the extensive reporting system falls short on victim support, with some reports taking more than a year to resolve. The newly released review found Queensland Health was fulfilling its legal obligations to its workers, in the way it responded to reports, but had created an inflexible and impersonal system. The current reporting and response framework has been primarily built to address grievances, deliver disciplinary outcomes and minimise legal liability and reputational risk, the review states. A review into workplace sexual violence within Queensland Health has found the sectors response and prevention framework is extensive, but doesnt cater well to individual victims needs. Credit: Dan Peled When workplace sexual harassment is viewed through a legal lens, it is often treated as an issue of legal risk rather than human harm. Giant fans and salt water cannons Loading Marine ecologist Dr George Roff, who is studying natural coral heat adaption on the island while Im there, says you can picture the near future of the Great Barrier Reef like so: Imagine that every reef is a light. Its never going to happen that the whole reef will go dark at once. But certain lights will go dim and theyll go out. Some will come back on again. And some will just stay off forever. Scientists are zeroing in on the corals that are doing better the lights that are staying on, for now to see if their genetics could fast-track more heat-adapted larvae through assisted evolution to withstand rapid climate change. A 2021 study found that the large-scale release of heat-tolerant coral, along with action against crown-of-thorns starfish, and shading reefs artificially from sunlight, could extend life support for the reef by one or two decades. But none of those interventions are likely to be useful on an ecosystem the size of Japan. No one has ever restored even one hectare of reef with corals bred in a tank, says coral reef authority Professor Terry Hughes from James Cook University. Wild populations are already responding rapidly to climate change in favour of hardier corals that are more tolerant of heat. Adding a few more artificially bred corals is literally a drop in the ocean. Local solutions to save the reef have often wandered into the outlandish. In 2017, a $2.2 million government grant funded a trial of eight giant underwater fans designed to draw up cool water from the deep and distribute it across shallow-water corals. By 2020, the project had been quietly shelved. Trials continue for marine cloud brightening, another rather radical solution. Scientists have tested spraying salt water from cannons into the atmosphere over the ocean, which causes more water to condense in the air, producing white clouds that reflect more heat and light. Theres no real-world data that proves the technique could protect coral. One of the Great Barrier Reefs 3000 reefs from above. Credit: Janie Barrett Is this work merely fiddling with a fire blanket while the city burns down? Many have long argued such interventions are a convenient distraction from tackling the climate crisis directly. Case in point: Qantas sponsored coral restoration work in 2024. In the same year it produced 17.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 4 per cent of Australias total annual emissions. As politicians hit the campaign trail ahead of the federal election, Hughes is sceptical theyre prepared to reckon with reality. Bleaching and mass mortality of corals along the length of the GBR in 2024 was the worst we have ever seen. Federal government agencies have been very slow to reveal the extent of losses of corals, particularly on the southern region which was devastated, he says. This summer, the northern GBR and major reef systems in WA both suffered major coral bleaching and again it was independent scientists who highlighted the impacts of the record-breaking heat, he says. It should be an election issue but both sides of politics are desperately avoiding the critical issue of climate change. How the reef feeds us There are many reasons the reef should be saved, not least because its one of the most spectacular, ecologically rich, soul-capturing megastructures in humanitys care. But a recent study highlighted a specific example of how the reef supports human nourishment. Dr Jeff Leis, a senior fellow with the Australian Museum, began studying the larvae of coral trout in the 90s. We began to understand that really theyre quite capable little animals and begin to have really meaningful behavioural capabilities quite early, he says. Many of them swim a kilometre in an hour. Lizard Island Research Station director Emily Howells snorkels above a healthy section of the Great Barrier Reef metres away from a stressed section off Lizard Island. Credit: Janie Barrett That discovery led to better modelling of larval movement across the reef. Leis has argued for decades that creating more protected areas would boost fish numbers elsewhere including in commercial fishing areas because more larvae would flow from healthy reefs where big mumma fish are protected from capture. A Science Advances paper just backed up his theory, finding one of every two coral trout caught in commercial fishing zones on the Great Barrier Reef comes from larvae produced on the no-take reefs. Its a win-win for environmental protection and for people who depend on the reef for their livelihood of which there are at least 64,000. But for Pessina, the wrasse-chasing researcher, its not just about people. Letizia Pessina between dives during her research at Lizard Island. Credit: Janie Barrett New school zones have been added or boundaries changed at 20 government schools as families prepare for enrolments for the 2026 school year. Seventeen new school zones have been added across Victoria and three public schools have had their enrolment boundaries re-drawn as part of an updated map released by the state government on Tuesday. With the admission process for 2026 due to open this month, the school boundaries mandate the areas where children will be guaranteed places next year at local schools. Most of the new zones are in regional Victoria or in Melbournes rapidly developing growth corridors. Taking you to some sports news now, and the revelation that West Coast Eagles co-captain Oscar Allen has met with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell. The meeting came as a surprise to the Eagles, but chief executive Don Pyke insists theres nothing unusual about the skipper meeting with a rival coach. Oscar Allen battles Fremantle captain Alex Pearce for the ball during Sundays western derby. Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images Hawthorn (4-0) are enjoying their bye this week and Mitchell headed to Perth and met with Allen, who is a restricted free agent at seasons end. Last year, Mitchell met with Tom Barrass and Josh Battle and later recruited the key defensive pair. Allen meeting with another coach a day after he was kept goalless and had just four disposals in the Eagles loss to Fremantle appears a bad look on the surface. But Pyke indicated the Eagles were unfazed. Its obviously news to us that that may have occurred, Pyke told SEN radio in WA. But I think were working in a world now thats changed from times gone past. I dont think its unusual for clubs to meet with players and if that is the case, then clearly well keep talking with Oscar about his position at the club. Wed love to obviously keep him here and were working towards that with him and his management. That came to bear overnight, I guess, and well work through that as we do with everything. Pyke wouldnt be drawn on whether, as co-captain, Allen should speak to his teammates about his meeting with Mitchell. The 26-year-old has also reportedly attracted interest from the Brisbane Lions, Collingwood and Melbourne. The Eagles are desperate to keep their home-grown captain, who is a superb key forward at his best but has been affected by injuries. Both parties would like to get a deal done and thats always a good start when youre negotiating something, Pyke said. If Oscar wants to be here, wed love Oscar to be here. Its really just down to those terms and weve been in communication with Oscar and his management for a while on that. AAP BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Spain eyes expanded investment ties with Azerbaijan and proposes Boomerang Model, Amparo Lopez Senovilla, Secretary of State for Trade at Spain's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Business, said in an exclusive interview with Trend, as she attended the Azerbaijan-Spain business forum held in Baku on March 11. She pointed out that this long-awaited mission was a unique opportunity to enhance relations between Azerbaijan and Spain. "I am convinced that there are extraordinary prospects to be realized in working and growing together. Along with trade partnerships between our companies, I think that it is essential that we position ourselves as members of a business community that reflects our complementarities and our shared values and aspirations," she said. Senovilla pointed out that on the one hand, Azerbaijan has undertaken major projects in recent years and an ambitious route towards decarbonization. "Azerbaijan has led the development of energy infrastructures critical for Europes energy security and achieved remarkable improvements in the Middle Corridor. Initiatives such as the Caspian-Europe Green Energy Corridor, the Southern Gas Corridor, and the Caucasus Energy Corridor have placed Azerbaijan as a key strategic partner to Europes decarbonization efforts. On the other hand, Spain is one of the biggest and one of the fastest-growing economies of the European Union. Our country is a global reference in renewable energy, infrastructure, transport, and digitalization, among other sectors. Our geographical location and our historical ties make our country the perfect platform for business with Africa and Latin America. We are eager to develop a strong partnership with Azerbaijan in these as well as in other fields," she explained. Spanish secretary of state for trade recalled that during this visit a "Memorandum of Understanding regarding Strategic Economic Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kingdom of Spain was signed. "The purpose of this MOU is to promote cooperation in all strategic economic fields between Azerbaijan and Spain, including cooperation between our respective institutions and the establishment of joint ventures in different areas of cooperation. We will encourage investments and the flow of capital, goods and services. A Strategic Economic Dialogue was established. This Dialogue will be very useful to discuss issues of great importance between the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business of Spain, which I represent," noted Senovilla. She believes that trade relations between Spain and Azerbaijan, not being negligible (bilateral trade surpassed the billion-euro mark in 2022, for example, but the level was lower in the following years), are far from their potential, considering that Azerbaijan is a strategic partner for Spain as a logistic hub connecting Europe with Asia and also an essential partner and an ally, as far as energy security is concerned. "Energy should continue to be a key sector in our future economic relations, linked to the green transition in both our countries. We have a very competitive ensemble of Spanish companies in the renewable energy sector that fit very well with the decarbonization plans of the Azerbaijani government. Agroindustry is also an interesting sector, as the recent visit of AGRAGEX (the Spanish Association of Exporters of Agricultural Machinery and Inputs) to Azerbaijan has proved. Railway transport, water treatment, and information and communications technologies are sectors in which Spanish companies excel and are ready to do great things in Azerbaijan. City development is another of our strengths, very well suited to the revitalization of the Karabakh region," said Spanish state secretary for trade. She noted that more than twenty Spanish companies, headed by representatives of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain and the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE), were present to participate in the Azerbaijan-Spain business forum. "From the Spanish point of view, this is a real success. I am sure that this event will be a milestone and a starting point for future bilateral business meetings and trade missions to Spain and Azerbaijan in the next few years. We have great confidence in the capacity of the aforementioned new Strategic Economic Dialogue framework, to boost cooperation in all relevant sectors. Enhanced cooperation between AZPROMO and the Small and Medium Business Development Agency, on the Azerbaijani side, and the Spanish Agency for Trade and Investment (ICEX), CEOE and the Chamber of Commerce of Spain on our side, will also be fundamental to develop new initiatives in many essential fields. We will encourage our Export Credit Agency (CESCE) and the Spanish Company for Development Financing (COFIDES) to act more decisively in order to promote business activities of Spanish companies in Azerbaijan. Our ministry is also eager to support potential projects to be executed by Spanish companies using the financial resources of the Spanish Official Funding Corporate Internationalization Fund (called FIEM in Spanish), which is a very flexible instrument, able to give financial support to trade and investment operations in favor of public or private Azerbaijani entities," noted Lopez Senovilla. She went on to add that SOFAZ, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan, has shown a great deal of confidence in the Spanish economy. "We are very grateful for this and we hope that Azerbaijani investments in Spain will keep growing as the economic and commercial ties between our two countries increase. We would be delighted to organize a fact-finding trip of SOFAZ to Spain to detect new investment opportunities. We are also very interested in the combination of investments in both directions, the so-called Boomerang model. I firmly believe there is great potential to apply this model to Spanish companies. In this sense, we stand ready to explore co-investment opportunities in Spain with the recently created Spanish Government Fund FOCO (Co-investment fund), managed by COFIDES. The aim of FOCO is to unlock the full potential of strategic sectors that contribute to the green and digital transition as well as to the development of new technologies, by co-investing in private companies in pari passu terms with international investors. COFIDES already has experience in supporting investment projects of Spanish companies in Azerbaijan, and will willingly explore co-investment deals with SOFAZ in both directions," Senovilla concluded. Resolve founder Jim Reed said his latest state survey results were consistent with trends detected by other polling companies. We, and now other pollsters, have been picking up Labor dropping to the low-mid 20s for primary vote, he said. Thats a really bad position to be in, and the strength of criticism in the comments suggests that theres now a hatred of Labor in many parts of the electorate. This brand damage obviously impedes the Albanese governments prospects in the state, which is why the campaign wont feature the premier as they are in places like SA or NSW. Whereas in South Australia and NSW, premiers Peter Malinauskas and Chris Minns are seen as Labor assets, Allan has become a liability for her own party. As Reed put it: There are now loyal Labor voters supporting the party in spite of the leader, rather than because of her. According to Resolves latest national survey, published this week, Labors primary vote of 27 per cent in Victoria is 3 points below its primary support in NSW. At the 2022 federal election, Labor secured 33 per cent of the primary vote in Victoria. Resolve does not publish a two-party preferred figure. Federal Labor ministers and campaigners, speaking confidentially to discuss internal party matters, said the partys own research showed Victorian numbers worsening for Labor recently despite all other states improving for the government. Labor is bracing for the potential loss of eight seats in Victoria. The Liberal Party is hoping to gain up to six. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, pictured in Adelaide on Tuesday, has urged voters to judge his government on its record. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Albanese, in comments to this masthead, urged voters to judge his government on its own record. The prime minister dismissed as a scare campaign plans by the Liberal Party to flood Victoria with advertisements seeking to associate federal Labor with Allan. People will make their own judgment, but what that says to me is that they dont have any criticism of my government, he said. He offered faint praise for Allan, noting she led a government which had built a lot, saving his most scathing assessment for Dutton, referencing claims the opposition leader made in 2018 about Melbourne being unsafe after dark. Opposition leader Peter Dutton and infrastructure spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie have vowed to withdraw federal funding from the SRL. Credit: James Brickwood Peter Dutton is the guy who has run campaigns against Victoria for a long time, including saying that they were scared to go out at night for dinner, Albanese said. He bagged Victorians and the effort they made during COVID. Hes someone whos hostile to Victorians. The Resolve survey also reveals that the once-popular Big Build program, for which Allan was responsible before becoming premier, is now being questioned by voters. Big Build has delivered important rail and road projects: the West Gate Tunnel and Metro Rail Tunnel projects are scheduled to open at the end of this year. But the building spree has also fuelled state debt, forecast to reach $187.3 billion by 2028. The Resolve survey found 52 per cent of respondents agreed Big Build costs were greater than the public benefits and 67 per cent agreed the government needed to focus on cutting spending to reduce debt. Some of the comments from survey respondents were damning. Ten years of corruption, massive debt and now a useless premier have killed the state, said one. Another said: Im not usually a Liberal, but anyone would be a better government than this mob. Worst in our history. State Opposition Leader Brad Battin was preferred premier with 36 per cent of respondents, down 1 point, with a likeability rating of 9 per cent, up 5 per cent. Credit: Matt Golding The survey was conducted in mid-February and late March. Half the respondents were polled after Allans announcement of bail changes to crack down on youth crime and after reporting by this masthead about the infiltration by organised crime of government-funded building sites and the CFMEU construction union. Dutton has already sought to exploit these issues in the campaign. On Tuesday, when he announced his intention to withdraw $2.2 billion in federal funding from the Suburban Rail Loop, he described it as Allans unfunded, cruel hoax of a project and reiterated his promise to deregister the CFMEU. Allan inherited from Andrews a 10-year-old, debt-ridden government. Since the start of this year, she has worked to differentiate herself from Andrews, his political agenda and fiscal legacy. Confronting a rise in youth crime, Allan legislated to reverse changes to bail laws Andrews introduced to reduce the number of young people on remand. Seeking to bring government spending under control, she brought in a former top bureaucrat, Helen Silver, to pare back the public service and government agencies. Loading She remains committed to the Suburban Rail Loop, a long-term project to encircle Melbourne and stimulate higher density housing development and business investment with a 90-kilometre rail line. Two senior state Labor figures, speaking in confidence to discuss internal party matters, said the state government had to rid itself of the SRL but may need a new leader to make the call. Sunset Strip has cleaned up its act. Credit: iStock I cant get on board with the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Its a footpath with peoples names on it. Los Angeles Sunset Strip, however, is my kind of lame attraction. This is a street thats famous because it used to be the hub of LAs hair-metal rock-star culture, where umlauts reigned supreme, where Lemmy from Motorhead hung out at the Rainbow Bar & Grill, various actors and musicians were ODing at the Viper Room, and Motley Crue even had an apartment. Now, like most 80s rock stars, Sunset Strip has cleaned up its act. But I still love its history, its faded but polished glory, and the icons that remain. Eiffel Tower, Paris The Eiffel Tower is not a beautiful piece of architecture. Credit: iStock The Eiffel Tower isnt attractive for any inherent reason. Lets be honest here, its not particularly beautiful (back when it opened in 1889, the British artist William Morris called it a hellish piece of ugliness). Its not an engineering marvel. Its not groundbreaking in any way. Its just really, really popular, the definition of an icon in a city that you could argue is filled with them. So why am I, like so many others, drawn to it every time Im in Paris? Why do I need to see it and photograph it and just be near it? I cant answer that, but I know its true. Trevi Fountain, Rome Arrive early to beat the crowds. Credit: Getty Images The Trevi Fountain is very beautiful that is, if you can see it. If you can push through the crowds or stand on tippy-toes, you might just be able to catch sight of architect Nicola Salvis 18th-century masterpiece. There are so many other attractions in Rome, why bother with the perennially busy Trevi Fountain? But I always do. Get there early in the day and youll have an unimpeded view. And its just one of those places that lets you know youre in Rome. Burj Khalifa, Dubai Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building. Credit: iStock Tall buildings dont impress me much. Im not going to pay $125 to go to the top of the Empire State Building. I regret shelling out almost $150 to stand atop Taipei 101. But Dubais Burj Khalifa is different. For starters, its so tall: theres an observation deck on the 148th floor, 555 metres up. That is stunningly, knee-shakingly high. Its also in the desert, which means in that dry air you can see forever. The city looks like a kids play set. Even at $240, Im in. Any arcade parlour, Tokyo Tokyo arcades: not just for kids. Credit: iStock For such a huge and popular city, Tokyo doesnt have too many lame tourist attractions. I guess you could say Tokyo Tower, and maybe Omoide Yokocho (the bar street also known as Piss Alley), and the Shibuya pedestrian crossing. For me though, its the arcade parlours, which are full of tacky claw machines and baffling dancing games and retro Sega and Nintendo systems. I pretend Im going to these places for my kids sake, but we all know the truth: those games are awesome. The Mona Lisa, Paris Crowds jostle to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Credit: AP Heres another Parisian icon thats written off by many as a tourist trap, despite its position as the most famous painting in the world. Leonardo da Vincis Mona Lisa attracts huge crowds at the Louvre, and for that reason alone it can be an underwhelming experience. However, Im still into it. I still want to see her famously roving eyes with my own eyes. And then move on. Las Vegas Strip Las Vegas Strip: youll have a ball. Credit: LVCVA If you look up tacky in the dictionary, theres a good chance you will find a photo of the Las Vegas Strip. OK, you wont dictionaries dont have photos. Still, this place is the definition of a tourist trap, a series of establishments that are flat-out, honestly designed purely to take your money and as much of it as possible (and thats not even counting the casinos). An yet, theres a hedonistic attraction to the Strip that you cant deny, and as long as you dont stay more than three nights youll probably have a ball. (Read more of my highlights of the Strip here.) Tim Hortons, Canada Tim Hortons: a key part of Canadian culture. Credit: iStock This isnt even an attraction designed for tourists Tim Hortons is a chain of Canadian coffee shops that is genuinely loved by the people it serves (Canadians). Its also, to most snobby Australian coffee palates, terrible. Still, if Im in Canada, you can bet Im heading into Tims for a double-double (double cream, double sugar) and a bad snack. Its culture, eh? De Wallen, Amsterdam Tourists walking in the red light district of Amsterdam, where prostitutes try to lure customers from behind their windows. Credit: iStock Carnival does not have this problem. This is cruising for the people who want to embrace it for what it is buffets, silly deck games, theme nights, towel sculptures, dancing waiters and karaoke. Im on board with my partner and two young kids for a trip up Australias east coast from Sydney to Cairns and back, stopping off at a few ports. Carnival Splendor is based in Australia year-round. Carnival Splendor is one of only a handful of large ships based in Australia year-round, as most cruise lines bring their ships here for summer then depart to Asia or North America to follow the sun. Among the others permanently based in Australia are the former ships of P&O Australia, a subsidiary of Carnival. The parent cruise line controversially announced it was closing P&O last year, with the ships officially rebranded as Carnival last month. Despite P&Os long history in Australia, dating back more than 90 years, Carnival has owned the local version of the line since 2003 and P&O did not operate anywhere else (the UK version of P&O is an entirely separate entity). For that reason, it was a no-brainer for Carnival to bring P&O into the parents fold, allowing for the likes of loyalty schemes, on-board apps and other synergies to be shared. On the Splendor, that on-board app is a must, letting you know whats happening around the various venues, when your table for breakfast is ready and how to find your way around the 3948-passenger, 290-metre-long ship. Ocean View rooms dont feature balconies but young kids can still sit on the window sills to enjoy the view. The other way to find out whats going on is through the ships cruise director, Simon Lindon, who has been with Carnival for 10 years. Lindon is regularly heard though the ships PA, encouraging us to come and join whatever event is about to take place. Typically, Lindon, a boisterous Englishman with a background in theatre, is not just announcing these events but also hosting them, whether its a deck party, MCing a baby race or leading a parade of kids and Dr Seuss characters through the ship before performing in a theatre show. I begin to wonder whether he has a twin brother, as he often appears to be in two places at once, like some cruise-ship version of Christian Bales magician in The Prestige. Before ships, I was so unorganised, he says. This job has certainly made me more organised and thinking ahead. Its all about juggling the plates keeping them spinning. Lindon says the all-inclusive nature of cruising, plus the value for money, are the big selling points for passengers. The Indian restaurant on board. From the kids club to the dining, to the shows, to the areas to just chill out and relax, everythings on board. Plus most of the time youve got calm waters and sunny days youve got a bit of everything in one go, you dont have to go looking for anything. Carnival is reasonable in price, to allow to everyone to join. My mum is now converted to cruising she did it once and never looked back. Shes more than happy to sit on a balcony all day long and read a book and look at the ocean. Indeed, Carnival spruiks itself as the worlds most popular cruising brand, with 29 ships carrying millions of passengers every year perhaps thanks to that price point. As in most large ships, there are abundant dining and drinking options along with Fieris burgers, there are pizza and taco joints, an excellent Indian restaurant, a steakhouse and a buffet presenting ever-changing cuisines. The two waterslides and one of the childrens water play areas. Theres the aforementioned kids club, but my children much prefer the pool and the water play areas. My five-year-old is obsessed with going on one of the two enormous waterslides (she just meets the minimum height requirement) but when she gets to the top of the stairs she gets stage fright and ends up in tears. (I give it a go myself and even the milder of the two slides is incredibly fast.) Our cabin is one of the cheaper options, with no balcony, but a large enough window that we dont miss it too much. And the windowsill is wide enough that our kids can sit up on it and watch the waves, with no fear of falling overboard. Were also down on Deck 1 of 12 passenger decks, which also has its benefits during some rough seas on one night mid-cruise, the effect is lessened by our position lower the ship and in the middle. We sleep through it. Carnival Splendor, despite its American spelling, is adapted for Australian travellers. Every price is in Australian dollars (some seasonal ships keep prices in US dollars during their visits, which can result in bill shock at the end of the cruise); there are Australian power sockets in the cabins and theres no tipping on board, recognising that its not something Australians are comfortable with. (We still leave a tip for our excellent cabin attendant, who comes in a flash to strip the bed, change the sheets and clean the carpet after our youngest throws up one night.) Loading There are a few flaws. For a family-friendly cruise ship, theres no dedicated childrens channel on the cabin TVs and, while there is a kids menu at dinner in the main restaurant, theres no physical version of it nor is it listed on the app, meaning we have to get the waiter to run through the options each night and try to remember whats available. The food in the main restaurant is fine, but nothing to get too excited about at a time when many higher-end cruise lines are spruiking the quality of their meals. You get what you pay for, I suppose. The itinerary, meanwhile, feels like a greatest-hits package of Queenslands coast, starting with Moreton Island where we take a glass-bottom boat tour that also visits the islands famous shipwrecks. From there its a day at Airlie Beach where some passengers opt for an early start to head out to the Great Barrier Reef, but we content ourselves with splashing about in the towns beautiful public lagoon. In Cairns, we head into the hills to visit Rainforestation Nature Park, which includes a drive in an amphibious Army Duck, encounters with wildlife in the small zoo and a culture experience with local members of the Djabugay indigenous community (we all have a crack at throwing boomerangs, but leave the spears to the experts). Celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Credit: John Lee Its our last stop before heading south again. After delighting in the stops along the way, the kids will enjoy a couple more days in the ships pool, as will my partner and I (though we might have enjoyed it more if our children had opted for the kids club instead). Back on the Lido deck, I find myself lining up, again, for a Guy Fieri burger (and the best chips on board). Guys there on the screen, explaining another of his creations. Youre going to dig this bad boy, he says. I do, Guy, I do. There are 29 bungalows and villas, all positioned privately and just footsteps from the water. Ours is comfortable and spacious, with a generous bathroom, lounge area, bar fridge and now-ubiquitous Nespresso coffee machine alongside a television (with on-demand movies), air conditioning and USB-charging outlets. But the most seductive inclusions are the serene outdoor deck; twin sun loungers surrounded by coconut palms on that pristine sand, and the beachside outdoor shower to rinse it off. Food + drink Rapae restaurant is set in an open-air rotunda. Credit: Trudi Jenkins Rapae Bay restaurant is set in a lovely open-air rotunda that can be battened down during a downpour. Open all day, its where you can breakfast on french toast, eggs benedict or pancakes with Tahitian vanilla cream and mango syrup. Lunch or dinner means the chance to try freshly caught fish, often tuna, either as ike mata, marinated in lime juice and coconut milk, or grilled with a homemade tartare sauce. International regulars such as steak, pasta and cheesecake pad out the rest of the menu (beware: the prices are international, too). New Zealand dominates the wine list, and a light Gisborne chardonnay has been made for the resort. Sunset cocktails are best enjoyed at Black Rock bar, where (especially) happy hour is 4-5pm. Out + about Avatea is a rustic cafe much-loved by locals. Aitutaki is tiny at just 18 square kilometres, so its easy to get around (you can rent cars, bikes and snorkel gear). Swimming or snorkelling in the lagoon is the main activity; join a Vaka cruise to visit other islets including One Foot Island with its tiny white terns nesting in the trees. A generous buffet lunch (prayers are said beforehand) and live guitar music and singing is included. Avatea at Tauku is a rustic, laid-back cafe that serves huge plates of butter chicken and fish tacos, plus excellent coffee. Nearby surfie-style Stonefish Studio is the place to pick up a souvenir T-shirt or cap. The verdict Its hard not to relax in an unspoilt, welcoming place where theres little to do except snooze under palm trees and snorkel in that blue lagoon, and at this resort you can do it in style. Essentials Loading From $1360 ($NZ1500) a night. Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Main Road Amuri, Aitutaki. Phone: 1800 105 701. See pacificresort.com/aitutaki Jetstar flies to Rarotonga four times a week from Sydney, increasing to five in May 2025, using the new A321neo LR. Check out their bundle options to include baggage, select your own seat, and add in-flight food and drink. See jetstar.com Air Rarotonga flies daily from Rarotonga to Aitutaki, with fares from $390 ($NZ430) return. The six-hour Vaka Cruise including pick-up from your resort and barbecue buffet lunch is $271 ($NZ299) per adult, $135 ($NZ149) for children aged 5 to 12 years; children and infants up to 4 years free of charge. For general information on travelling to the Cook Islands. See cookislands.travel/au Our score out of five Highlight All the Castaway feels but with a bar fridge, coffee machine and marble bathroom. London: Police say there were no injuries reported in a car crash believed to have involved Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epsteins victims, who claimed an accident left her with only days to live. Giuffre, who also accused Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, of sexually assaulting her as a teenager, posted on Instagram on Sunday saying she was dying from kidney renal failure after being hit by a school bus travelling at 110km/h. Prince Andrew settled a multimillion-pound lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre. Credit: AP, BBC Police in Western Australia, where Giuffre lives, confirmed to the London Telegraph a minor crash occurred between a bus and car in the farming locality of Neergabby, located about 20 kilometres north of Perth, on March 24, just after 3pm local time. However, Kylie Whiteley, acting Western Australia police commissioner, told reporters: There were no reported injuries as a result of the crash. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Posting the flag of the so-called regime, which is already a relic of the past, and the accompanying text on the German Presidents social media have caused serious discontent on the Azerbaijani side. Contacts have been immediately commenced between the Presidential offices and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries. The German side admitted that the post was published due to a technical mistake and was immediately retracted. The letter, addressed on behalf of the Head of the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, expressed apologies for this incident, and consent was given to the release of the letter to the media. Trend presents the letter. HEAD OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY 31 March 2025 To Hikmet Hajiyev Assistant to H.E. the President of Azerbaijan Baku Honourable Hikmet Hajiyev, for a short period of time, the wrong depiction of a flag and the accompanying text in reference to a region of Azerbaijan were published on the Federal President's social media. Once the mistake was detected, the post was immediately retracted. The post was published due to a technical mistake and bears no significance with regard to Germany's well-known position on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. I am very unhappy about this mistake. I would like to sincerely apologise for the wrong impression the post has created among some people in Azerbaijan. The upcoming visit of the Federal President intends to strengthen the Azerbaijan-German partnership and support the ongoing peace process in the region. Yours sincerely, D. Dinger By Henna Mann, Special to The Post For Kent Donguines, the struggles of Filipino nannies and caregivers working abroad, being separated from their own children and families has always been close to his heart. Donguines own mother left the Philippines when he was only six years old, joining the approximately 15 million other Filipinos forced to work overseas due to lack of work opportunities back home. One in seven Filipinos today have migrated abroad for employment, from where they then remit money back home to family in the Philippines. For Donguines, those difficult lived experiences of being apart from his mother would eventually inspire his directorial debut, a documentary called Kalinga (Care), a film featuring Filipino caregivers and nannies in Vancouver. Listening to and capturing their stories helped Donguines understand what his mom had to go through when she left him at age six. TELUS STORYHIVE was the funding partner for Donguines 2019 passion project. His experience with STORYHIVE has led him to continue working with the organization where today he is a Program Manager. Donguines was inspired to apply to STORYHIVE because of its welcoming nature and its ability to make underrepresented communities feel seen and heard. I knew that if I received funding from STORYHIVE, it was more than just the funding that I would be receiving; it also included a mentorship opportunity that allowed me to explore and push my ideas further with the help of our mentor, Donguines explains. TELUS STORYHIVE has been supporting underrepresented storytellers in British Columbia and Alberta for over a decade, and now its announcing the launch of its latest focused Edition, the TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition. This new intake is an exceptional opportunity for new and emerging filmmakers of Pan-Asian heritage to bring their unique stories to the big screen. The program aims to showcase Pan-Asian-Canadian perspectives that have often been excluded or misrepresented throughout history, creating a platform for filmmakers to take the lead in telling the authentic stories from their own communities. The selected applicants will receive $20,000 in production funding, training, professional mentorship (in partnership with the National Screen Institute) to produce a narrative short film or documentary. Once the films are completed, they will be featured across TELUS platforms, including TELUS Optik TV with over one million viewers, Stream+ and STORYHIVEs YouTube channel With the generous support of Creative BC, the B.C.-based filmmakers will also receive top-up funding. For anyone considering applying, Donguines offers simple advice: just do it. He adds, Don't let fear stop you from exploring this opportunity. If you're still brainstorming ideas, don't go too far. Write what you already know and bring your passion into it to experience the magic of the whole process. This call for applications is open not only to new filmmakers but also to past eligible applicants and alumni who identify as part of the Pan-Asian heritage and have not had access to the Canadian Broadcasting system. STORYHIVEs goal is to honour and celebrate stories across the Pan-Asian diaspora. If you are a new and emerging filmmaker with a story to tell, dont miss the opportunity to apply for the TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Storyteller Edition by May 8th, 2025. For more details and to apply, visit www.storyhive.com/apply. Aurangzebs tomb a protected monument, but his glorification will not be allowed: Fadnavis Staff Reporter : We are Indianising education, says Fadnavis dismissing Sonia Gandhis criticism on NEP Whether people like Mughal emperor Aurangzeb or not, his tomb is a protected monument, but his glorification will not be allowed, asserted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while interacting with mediapersons in Nagpur. Fadnavis said that structures outside the purview of law should be removed. Fadnavis was replying to a question regarding demand over the removal of the 17th-century Mughal rulers tomb at Khultabad town in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Dismissing Congress leader Sonia Gandhis remarks in an article criticising the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, claiming that the Centre was using it to communalise education, Fadnavis made it clear, We are Indianising education. The British introduced an education system aimed at making Indians their underlings. There should be no opposition to Indianising education. Any patriot would support it. Sonia Gandhi should gather proper information and support this initiative. Fadnavis also cited a letter by British historian T B Macaulay that stated that unless the then education system was changed, the British would not be able to rule the country. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) demanded the use of Marathi in banks. When asked about it, Fadnavis said, Language should be used wherever expected, and there is nothing wrong with it. But, no one should take the law into their hands. The Chief Minister said that the Government has undertaken tasks for the 2027 Kumbh Mela at Nashik and the cleanliness of rivers. We have undertaken some missions, but these works take time. Effluents from municipal corporations, councils, towns, and industries must be treated before being released into rivers. We support the setting up of treatment plants. When the Kumbh Mela begins, clean water will be available for the holy dip, Fadnavis said. Fadnavis said power tariffs will be reduced step-by-step over the next five years. The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has accepted petitions, and there is a difference of opinion between MERC and the State Government on calculation methods. A revised petition will be submitted to remove confusion. People will get cheaper power, and the distribution company, which is currently under Rs 70,000 crore to Rs 80,000 crore debt, will be debt-free in the next four to five years, pointed out Fadnavis. BMS an epitome for nurturing brave soldiers: CM Fadnavis Staff Reporter : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Monday, applauded the efforts of Bhonsala Military School for nurturing brave officers who are now serving the nation on different borders and places. Fadnavis inaugurated the state-of-the-art auditorium constructed in memory of the founder of the school, Dr Balkrishna Shivram Munje, and General Bipin Rawat at Bhonsala Military School premises on Monday. It is the school that produced many soldiers of the nation who are also the perfect epitome of discipline, said Fadnavis. The objective behind starting the school was to instil military values in the society and to spread patriotism among youth, he added. While talking about General Bipin Rawat, Fadnavis said, The auditorium in the name of General Rawat will help to inspire students to be like him, who sacrificed his life for the country. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is moving towards Atmanirbharta, and as a result we are manufacturing most modern weapons for us and also exporting it to other countries, he added. Air Marshal Shirish Dev, retired Vice Chief of the Air Staff, said, Bhonsala Military School is progressing on the lines of the National Defence Academy (NDA), which instils military ethos from a very young age. He said that the administration is paying special attention to the quality of education for their students, which is equivalent to the Sainik schools of the country. Former Army Chief General Manoj Pande talked about General Bipin Rawat during the programme. General Rawat has done extraordinary work for the country and armed forces. His visionary leadership led the armed forces towards a modern military which gained the respect worldwide. Shailesh Joglekar, President, Bhonsala Military School, welcomed the guests. The guests also inaugurated the statue of founder Dr Balakrishna Munje. Renowned sculptor artist Pradeep Shinde was also felicitated at the hands of Chief Minister during the event. Suryaratan Daga, President, Central Hindu Military Education Society; Kumar Kale; Dilip Chavan; Rahul Dixit; Hemant Deshpande; Vivek Ranade; Sanjay Joshi; Amarendra Hardas and others were present during the event. The programme was conducted by Harshala Rajgire and Rahul Dixit proposed a vote of thanks. Cops reach Kamras Mahim home; havent stayed there for 10 yrs: Comedian MUMBAI : STAND-UP comedian Kunal Kamra on Monday failed to appear before them in connection with the case registered for his traitor jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, while a team went to his Mahim home to check his availability. The comedian later took a jibe at the police saying the visit was a waste of time and public resources as he had not been living there for the past 10 years. Kamra was supposed to appear before Khar police during the day, an official said, adding it was the second time he was summoned. A police team went to his house in Mahim, where his family stays, to check whether he would appear in connection with the case or not. Since he did not, further course of action will be decided soon, the official said. In a post on X, Kamra said, Going to an address where I havent lived for the last 10 years is a waste of your time & public resources. The first notice seeking his appearance was issued last week, and the comedians request for seven days time was denied by police. The Madras High Court on March 28 granted interim anticipatory bail to Kamra on the condition that he execute a bond to the satisfaction of the judicial magistrate at Vanur in Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. Kamra had submitted he moved to Tamil Nadu from Mumbai in 2021 and has been ordinarily a resident of this State (Tamil Nadu) since then and that he feared arrest by police. Last week, three FIRs against him at Nashik Rural, Jalgaon and Nashik (Nandgaon) were transferred to Khar police station, where a case has already been registered on the complaint of Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel. The studio where Kamra shot his video lampooning Shinde over the split in the Shiv Sena is located in Khar in the western part of the metropolis. Shiv Sainiks had ransacked the studio and the hotel in which it is located on the night of March 23. DNLU Jabalpur signs MoU with Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla Officials of Dharmashastra National Law University Jabalpur and Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla (HPNLU) after signing the MoU. Legal Correspondent : Dharmashastra National Law University (DNLU) Jabalpur entered into MoU with Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla (HPNLU). DNLU Jabalpur, known for its strong commitment to academic excellence and holistic development, has recently enhanced its academic standing through a strategic collaboration. Following series of signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with prestigious institutions, DNLU entered into an MoU with HPNLU to encompass exchange of students and faculty members, academic activities, research and publications and develop joint training and research programmes. Established in year 2018 under Madhya Pradesh Dharmashastra National Law University Act, 2018, DNLU aims to advance legal education and uphold the rule of law as per the Indian Constitution. Guided by Judge of Supreme Court of India, Justice J K Maheshwari as its Visitor, Chief Justice of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh Justice Suresh Kumar Kait as its Chancellor, Professor (Dr) Manoj Kumar Sinha as its Vice- Chancellor, Dr Praveen Tripathi as Registrar. DNLU offers B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), LL.M. and Ph.D. programmes. HPNLU Shimla was established by the State Government in the year 2016 located in geographical terrains of the Himalayas, HPNLU, Shimla, is one of the best places for studying law in India it is helmed by Vice Chancellor Professor (Dr) Priti Saxena. Professor Saxena, an accomplished academic, has previously served as Director of the Center of Post Graduate Legal Studies and she is former Head of the Department of Human Rights and Dean of the School for Legal Studies at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow. Professor (Dr) Priti Saxena, Vice Chancellor of HPNLU Shimla, is a distinguished legal academic with over 33 years of experience in teaching, research and academic leadership. A Gold Medalist in LL.M. and a Ph.D. in Law, she has held key positions at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow. She has authored two books, edited four and published over 85 research papers. She has guided 18 Ph.D. scholars and nearly 170 LL.M. dissertations. Recognised with several accolades, including Prashasti Patra by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, she has represented Indian academia globally and was the only law professor selected for the Government of Indias LeAP programme. Actively involved in national academic bodies, curriculum design, social justice and legal aid, she also educates students through her YouTube channel. Her expertise includes Constitutional Law, Constitutional Governance, Torts, and Human Rights. The MoU was signed on March 29, 2025. The agreement was formalised by Professor (Dr) Manoj Kumar Sinha and Professor (Dr) Priti Saxena. She expressed hope that the partnership would bring significant benefits to both institutions. Professor (Dr) Manoj Kumar Sinha reciprocated similar thoughts, emphasising opportunities this collaboration creates for growth and academic cooperation. The MoU signed between DNLU and HPNLU aim to synergise their professional capabilities towards capacity building, education, research, and publications in the legal field. MoU also facilitate exchange programs for students and faculty, collaborative research initiatives, and joint academic events such as seminars, conferences, and moot court competitions. Govt fully prepared to table Waqf Bill in Parlt: Rijiju NEW DELHI : Rijiju accused some political parties and organisations of resorting to lies to mislead society and stoke tensions, while insisting that the Bill is in the interest of Muslims MINORITY Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted on Monday that the Government is fully prepared to table the amended Waqf Bill in Parliament, as he accused some political parties and organisations of seeking to foment unrest in society and mislead people over its provisions. With Parliament reconvening on Tuesday following the weekend and Eid holiday, he said the timing of the Bills introduction will be decided following consultations after Parliament meets but he wants it passed as soon as possible. The ongoing Budget Session of Parliament is scheduled to end on April 4, and the Bill will have to be passed by both the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha to become a law. The Government has indicated that it will discuss with leaders of different parties on Tuesday the timing of the Bills introduction. It is likely to be first introduced in the Lower House, probably on Wednesday. Opposition parties are strongly opposed to the Bill, slamming it as unconstitutional and against the interest of the Muslim community. Several leading Muslim organisations have been rallying support against the Bill, which was scrutinised by a Joint Committee of Parliament and approved with several amendments. Speaking to reporters, Rijiju accused some political parties and organisations, a clear reference to the Opposition and Muslim bodies, of resorting to lies to mislead society and stoke tensions, while insisting that the Bill is in the interest of Muslims. Muslims were urged to wear black armbands during Ramzan and Eid to express their opposition to the proposed law, he said, asserting, inciting them to hit the streets is not good. Rijiju said it is being alleged that the Government will snatch Muslim properties like mosques and graveyards if the Bill becomes a law, dismissing it as propaganda and noting that the Bill to regulate Waqf has been in existence since the British era. He said, a similar campaign was started against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and asked if a single Muslim has lost citizenship since the law came into existence. He urged the Opposition to study the Bill in detail and then engage in discussions with the Government. Asked if all the NDA parties support the Bill, he claimed that not only the ruling alliance but also many MPs of the Opposition INDIA bloc have urged him to table the proposed law quickly. The Bill is in the interest of a majority of Muslims and only a few leaders who have exploited Waqf properties for personal gains are against it, he claimed. Photo: Press service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. On April 1, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Mehdi Sanaei, Political Advisor to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trend reports. Expressing gratitude for the reception, Mehdi Sanaei conveyed the greetings of Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to President Ilham Aliyev. The head of state thanked for the greetings and asked Mehdi Sanaei to convey his regards to the President of Iran. Recalling his previous visits to Azerbaijan, Mehdi Sanaei noted the countrys continuous development. He emphasized that Iran places great importance on strengthening relations with neighboring countries, particularly Azerbaijan, with which it shares historical, religious, and cultural ties. He hailed the positive trajectory of bilateral relations in all areas. President Ilham Aliyev, in turn, highlighted the shared values between Azerbaijan and Iran and positively assessed the dynamics of recent reciprocal visits. The head of state expressed his hope that Mehdi Sanaeis visit to Azerbaijan would provide a good opportunity to discuss the bilateral agenda. The meeting included discussions on cooperation in transport, particularly the development of the North-South Transport Corridor, as well as collaboration in the economic, trade, and energy sectors. The activity of the intergovernmental commission was also reviewed. Additionally, the sides exchanged views on the construction progress of the bridge over the Araz River in the Aghbend direction. Kevradih Robbery 15 arrested in superstition-driven crime, 3 suspects still at large SSP Dr Lal Umed Singh briefing the media about the case. Staff Reporter RAIPUR, Kharora Police have arrested 15 individuals involved in a robbery in Kevradih village, orchestrated under the influence of superstition and greed. Police recovered stolen items worth Rs 20 lakh. The victim, Radhelal Bhardwaj, lodged a complaint that on the night of masked men armed with swords, knives, and pistol-like weapons stormed his residence while his family was asleep on the intervening night of March 27-28. The intruders threatened him and his wife, demanding valuables. Bhardwaj suffered a hand injury in the altercation before the gang looted the house and fled. The crime, registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 310(2) and 331(6) as Crime No 182/25, involved the theft of gold, silver, and cash worth approximately Rs 20 lakh based on his complaint. The case was investigated by a team led by senior police officials, including the Deputy Inspector General of Police and the Senior Superintendent of Police. Ten specialised teams from the Crime Branch and Kharora Police Station conducted a meticulous probe, analysing CCTV footage, forensic evidence, and eyewitness statements. The breakthrough came when Jitendra Pathak, a resident of Tilda Nevra, was identified as a suspect. Initially attempting to mislead investigators, Pathak later confessed and revealed the names of his accomplices. A series of raids across Mungeli, Kabirdham, Baloda Bazar, Mahasamund, and Raipur led to the arrest of 15 individuals. The mastermind, Devraj Dahriya of Kevradih, harbored jealousy and business rivalry against Bhardwaj. Fueled by rumors that Bhardwaj possessed Rs 40 crore and 16 kg of gold, Dahriya plotted the robbery, enlisting Ishwar Ramteke and Sona Barmate alias Sonu, who in turn recruited others, including Alakh Niranjan, Saptarishi, and Jitendra Pathak. The gang incorporated Chapan and Jharna, tantric rituals, believing these would render the Bhardwaj family unconscious during the heist. On the night of the robbery, the criminals arrived in three cars and a motorcycle. While seven of them entered the house, the rest acted as lookouts. They executed the plan and fled with the stolen valuables. The accused are identified as Devraj Dahriya, 30, Kevradih, Ishwar Ramteke, 66, Professor Colony, Raipur; Saptarishi Raj, 52, Bhathiya. (A history sheeter), Alakh Niranjan Rajak 47, Akoli, Jitendra Pathak, 33, Jalso, Tilak Verma, 58, Nardaha, Kishan Verma, 34, Baikunth, Rupesh Sahu, 36, Loharsi, Pinku Rajput, 20, Navgata, Suraj Sen, 25, Dharampura, Chhatrapal Rajput alias Raju, 27, Dharampura, Gajju Chandravanshi, 25, Navghata, Prakash Mishra, 31, Baloda Bazar, Sahil Khan, 27, Kampa and Sona Barmate alias Sonu, 35, Umariya. Police recovered stolen jewelry, cash, weapons, 15 mobile phones, and vehicles used in the crime, including Motorcycle (CG/04/LL/3019), Swift Car (CG 07 MB 1490), Tata Hexa (CG 04 MB 0777), and Wagon R (CG 28 L 9996). Three suspects remain absconding, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend them. The Inspector General of Police, Raipur Range, has issued public advisory urging citizens to beware of fraudulent claims regarding hidden treasures and tantric rituals. The police have appealed for immediate reporting of any suspicious activities related to such superstitions. More than 700 Muslims were killed in Myanmar earthquake MANDALAY (Myanmar) : Deaths from devastating earthquake in Myanmar climb past 2000 A MYANMAR Muslim organisation says more than 700 worshipers were killed when the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country at Friday prayer time during the holy month of Ramzan. Tun Kyi, a member of the steering committee of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network, said on Monday that some 60 mosques were damaged or destroyed when the 7.7 magnitude quake hit near Mandalay, the countrys second largest city. It was not immediately clear whether those killed in the mosques were included in the official toll of more than 1,700 people killed in the earthquake so far. Videos posted on The Irrawaddy online news site showed several mosques toppling during the quake, and people fleeing from the areas. Tun Kyi said most of the mosques damaged were older buildings more vulnerable to earthquakes. Death toll rises to 2000: The death toll in last weeks massive earthquake in Myanmar has passed 2,000, state media said on Monday, as accounts of some peoples last moments emerged: Two hundred Buddhist monks crushed by a collapsing monastery. Fifty children killed when a preschool classroom crumbled. Seven hundred Muslims struck while praying at mosques for Ramzan. The quake could exacerbate hunger and disease outbreaks in a country that was already one of the worlds most challenging places for humanitarian organisations to operate because of civil war, aid groups and the United Nations warned. The 7.7 magnitude quake hit Friday, with the epicentre near Myanmars second-largest city of Mandalay. It damaged the citys airport, buckled roads and collapsed hundreds of buildings along a wide swath down the countrys centre. Relief efforts are further hampered by power outages, fuel shortages and spotty communications. A lack of heavy machinery has slowed search-and-rescue operations, forcing many to search for survivors by hand in daily temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Rescue workers at Mandalays collapsed U Hla Thein monastery said they were still searching for about 150 of the dead monks. Some 700 Muslim worshipers attending Friday prayers were killed when mosques collapsed, said Tun Kyi, a member of the steering committee of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network. He said some 60 mosques were damaged or destroyed. Videos posted on The Irrawaddy online news site showed several mosques toppling. It was not clear whether those numbers were already included in the official toll. Myanmar state MRTV reported that the leader of the military government, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, told Pakistans Prime Minister during a call that 2,065 people were killed, with more than 3,900 injured and about 270 missing. Relief agencies expect those numbers to rise sharply, since access is slow to remote areas where communications are down. The United Nations Myanmar country team called for unimpeded access for aid teams. Even before this earthquake, nearly 20 million people in Myanmar were in need of humanitarian assistance, said Marcoluigi Corsi, the UN Resident and humanitarian coordinator. Devastations full extent is not clear. Myanmar's neighbors and allies send aid: International rescue teams from several countries are on the scene, including from Russia, China, India and several Southeast Asian countries. On Monday, an Indian team jackhammered through slabs of fallen concrete at one site in Mandalay. They could be seen bringing out one body. India on Monday delivered a fresh tranche of 50 tonnes of relief materials to Myanmar to help victims. The relief materials were taken to the Myanmarese city of Yangon by two Indian Navy ships -- INS Satpura and INS Savitri. Three more Indian Navy ships -- INS Karmukh, INS Gharial and LCU-52 -- are enroute to Yangon with over 500 tonnes of additional aid material, officials said The European Union, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and others have announced millions of dollars in aid. NDRF retrieves 7 bodies: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Monday recovered seven bodies from the earthquake flattened buildings in Mandalay region of Myanmar after the Indian rescuers were tasked with launching relief and rescue operations in about a dozen buildings. The NDRF has been asked to work in 13 buildings in Sector D of Mandalay city, the second largest urban area of the country, about 65 kms from the airport in capital Naypitaw. At least seven bodies have been retrieved by NDRF personnel till now who landed in the country on Saturday as part of the humanitarian Operation Brahma launched by India to help its neighbour with which it shares a 1,643-km-long international boundary. The 80 Indian federal rescuers are also working at the U hla thein monastery where 170 monks are stated to be stuck. 3 bodies (out of the 7) were recovered by the NDRF from this location. The squad, armed with plasma cutters, hammers and other equipment used to search beneath collapsed structures, has also deployed four canines to search for signs of life which look to be very bleak. The temperature in Myanmar is high and hence the aim of the NDRF and other local and foreign rescue teams is to quickly retrieve bodies so that an epidemic does not break out due to rotting, the sources said. MP, Gujarat strengthen ties at Sadakal Gujarat-Bhopal event Staff Reporter : Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav welcomed Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at the State Hangar in Bhopal on Monday evening. Patel arrived in Bhopal to participate in the Sadakal Gujarat-Bhopal programme, an event aimed at strengthening the bonds between the two states, particularly by honouring the contributions of Gujaratis residing outside Gujarat. Chief Minister Dr Yadav presented Patel and Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi with bouquets and shawls. He also gifted them a statue of Raja Bhoj. Dr Yadav emphasised that the Narmada river has played a crucial role in enriching both Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. He further noted the significant Gujarati presence in numerous cities across Madhya Pradesh, and highlighted the achievements of Gujarati entrepreneurs and professionals who have made their mark globally. Overwhelmed by the warm reception, Gujarat Chief Minister Patel expressed a feeling of being at home. He underscored the robust tradition of mutual cooperation between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, stating that the Sadakal Gujarat-Bhopal programme adds a new dimension to these relationships. One roof, a hundred healers: Physio Harmonia makes history 100 women physiotherapists pose for photo during the valedictory ceremony of Physio Harmonia event held in Durg. The Hitavada State Bureau Durg/Raipur, It was an event layered in meaningpart reunion, part recognition, and wholly historic. For the first time in Chhattisgarhs medical fraternity, over 100 women physiotherapists gathered under one roof for a celebration of community, contribution, and identity. Hosted by Physio Harmonia, the vibrant event took place at a private restaurant in Durg, and is being hailed as a landmark moment in the states professional wellness circles. From batchmates of 1993 to those from 2020, the gathering brought together multiple generations of women healers. At the heart of this effort were the tireless organisersDr Shipra Patankar, Dr Kumkum Dey, Dr Shweta Deshlahara, Dr Neha Batra, Dr Deepika Patel, and Dr Roma Makhijawhose seamless teamwork made the day both joyful and purposeful. The programme began with a heartfelt welcome speech by Dr Shipra Patankar. What followed was an engaging journey through cultural performances, introductions, and humour, keeping the audience enthralled from start to finish. Stand-up comedy, singing, and dance added rhythm to the professional pride that quietly united every guest in the hall. What elevated the gathering further was the collective reflection on the role of women in physiotherapy. As part of this segment, Indian Association of Physiotherapists Women Cell (IAPWC) State Coordinator Dr Garima Tiwari, along with her team, addressed the gathering and highlighted the cells mission to empower female physiotherapists through representation, leadership, and community support. Interactive games and a lively stage were deftly managed by emcees Dr Kumkum Dey and Dr Shweta Deshlahara. Welcoming responsibilities were warmly undertaken by Dr Deepika and Dr Roma, ensuring that every guest from across Chhattisgarh felt at home. Mementos were presented to all dignitaries in a spirit of remembrance and respect. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Neha Batra, followed by an impromptu dance that turned the evening into a shared celebration. Trump finds fault with both Putin and Zelenskyy WASHINGTON : Tries to push for deal to end war in Ukraine PRESIDENT Donald Trump lashed out at both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, expressing frustration with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders as he struggles to forge a truce to end the war. Although Trump insisted to reporters that were making a lot of progress, he acknowledged that theres tremendous hatred between the two men, a fresh indication that negotiations may not produce the swift conclusion that he promised during the campaign. Trump began voicing his criticisms in an early morning interview with NBC News while he was at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida. He said he was angry, pissed off that Putin questioned Zelenskyys credibility. The Russian leader recently said that Zelenskyy lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal and suggested that Ukraine needed external governance. Trump said he would consider adding new sanctions on Russia, which already faces steep financial penalties, and using tariffs to undermine its oil exports. The Republican president rarely criticizes Putin, and hes previously attacked Zelenskyys credibility himself. For example, Trump has suggested that Ukraine caused the war that began with a Russian invasion three years ago, and hes insisted that Zelenskyy should hold elections even though its illegal under Ukraines constitution to do so during martial law. On his flight back to Washington on Sunday evening, Trump reiterated his annoyance toward Putin but somewhat softened his tone. I dont think hes going to go back on his word, he said. Ive known him for a long time. Weve always gotten along well. Asked when he wanted Russia to agree to a ceasefire, Trump said there was a psychological deadline. If I think theyre tapping us along, I will not be happy about it, he said. Trump soon pivoted to criticize Zelenskyy. Hes trying to back out of the rare earth deal, Trump said, referring to negotiations over US access to critical minerals in Ukraine. And if he does that hes got some problems. Big, big problems. Trump and Zelenskyy were supposed to sign the deal when the Ukrainian leader visited the White House. However, their meeting ended with acrimony that played out in front of television cameras in the Oval Office. Trump suggested on Sunday that Zelenskyy wanted to renegotiate the deal to get better security guarantees. He wants to be a member of NATO, he said. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that. The US has been pushing for a comprehensive ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine to peacefully end their 3-year-old war. Russia has effectively rejected a US proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting, and the feasibility of a partial ceasefire on the Black Sea was thrown into doubt after Kremlin negotiators imposed far-reaching conditions. Trumps comments on Putin come after weeks of intense pressure on Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire. Russian drones hit Ukraines 2nd largest city Kharkiv. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. The massacres organized by the Bolsheviks and Armenian armed groups from March through April 1918 have remained one of the most tragic events in Azerbaijan's history, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend. He noted that these events, particularly in Baku, Shamakhi, Guba, Karabakh, Zangezur, Nakhchivan, and other regions, resulted in large-scale genocides. "In March 1918, under the orders of the Baku Soviet and its leader, Stepan Shaumyan, Armenian Dashnak militants carried out mass slaughters against civil Azerbaijanis. From March 30 through April 2, thousands of Azerbaijanis were killed in Baku, and mosques and residential areas were burned. At the same time, in the Shamakhi district, an Armenian Dashnak-led massacre completely destroyed 58 villages, and more than 7,000 civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, were killed. The brutality of these massacres was such that the Armenian militants tried to erase the traces of their crimes by burning the bodies of the murdered Azerbaijanis. Moreover, Armenian Dashnaks and other armed groups attacked the Guba region, looted villages, and killed thousands of Azerbaijanis. The Guba Mass Grave remains one of the most painful pieces of evidence of this tragedy. In Karabakh, Zangezur, Nakhchivan, and other regions, Armenian armed groups also committed massacres, killing thousands of civilians, burning villages, and destroying homes. In total, as a result of the genocide in 1918, more than 20,000 Azerbaijanis lost their lives, thousands were injured, and more than 115 villages and cities were completely destroyed. This left indelible scars in the memory of the Azerbaijani people," he noted. The political scientist emphasized that the March 31 genocide is one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Azerbaijani people. "In 1998, National Leader Heydar Aliyev declared March 31 as 'Azerbaijanis Genocide Day,' ensuring that this tragedy would be remembered in the historical memory of the Azerbaijani people. Today, the Azerbaijani government and non-governmental organizations continue to carry out extensive work for the recognition of this genocide and its awareness in the international community. Every year, memorial events are organized on the anniversary of the March 31 genocide to honor the memory of the martyrs. The Azerbaijani government also provides financial support for scientific research related to the genocide, prepares documentary films, and organizes relevant exhibitions. Additionally, on December 30, 2009, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the establishment of the 'Genocide Memorial Complex' in Guba city to highlight the territorial claims and aggressive policies of Armenian nationalists against Azerbaijan, expose their bloody crimes to the world, protect the national memory of future generations, and immortalize the memory of the victims of the genocide. The Guba Genocide Memorial Complex was inaugurated on September 18, 2013. The Azerbaijani government continues to make efforts to ensure that this historical tragedy is recognized internationally," Garayev added. Garayev expressed regret that the international community remains indifferent to this tragedy. "While many genocides are recognized worldwide, the March 31 genocide has yet to receive the necessary international legal acknowledgment. As Armenias fraudulent 'Armenian genocide' claims dominate world politics, real genocides committed against Azerbaijanis are ignored. These double standards are one of the main problems faced by Azerbaijani diplomacy. Nevertheless, the Azerbaijani government will continue its efforts to convey historical truths to the world. The March 31 genocide is an unforgettable tragedy in the history of the Azerbaijani people. The Azerbaijani government and society will continue their efforts to ensure that this historical event is recognized globally. It's crucial for international organizations and states to approach this issue with fairness. The dissemination of the truth and its transmission to future generations are key responsibilities to ensure that the crimes committed by the Armenians a century ago are not forgotten," the analyst concluded. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has signed a decree regarding the provision of special scholarships to young talents, Trend reports. The decree allocates funds from the Presidential Reserve Fund for 2025, as outlined in the state budget, to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This funding, amounting to 98,794 manat ($58,114), is designated to provide special scholarships to young talents whose names are included in the "Golden Book." The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Azerbaijan is tasked with ensuring the necessary financing for this initiative. The Ministry of Culture is responsible for addressing the issues arising from this decree. The decree comes into force from the day of its signing. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree aimed at improving the irrigation water supply for agricultural lands in the village of Ivanovka, Ismayilli district, Trend reports. The decree allocates an initial amount of 5 million manat ($2.9 million) from the Presidential Reserve Fund, as specified in Azerbaijan's 2025 state budget, to the State Agency for Water Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The funds are designated for the improvement of irrigation services for 1,250 hectares of agricultural land in the village of Ivanovka. The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Azerbaijan is responsible for ensuring the financing outlined in this decree. The Ministry of Economy is tasked with allocating necessary funds for completing the irrigation improvement project in the 2026 state budget, under capital investment expenses. The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan is required to address any issues arising from this decree. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occassion of Novruz holiday, Trend reports. "Dear Ilham Heydarovich, Please accept my sincerest congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of the International Novruz holiday. This ancient holiday, which embodies the unity of cultural heritage and centuries-old traditions, plays a significant role in fostering ties among the peoples of its geography based on the ideals of peace, security, mutual respect, and support. The eternal creative traditions of Novruz continuously inspire us to strive for the further strengthening of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between our peoples and countries. Tajikistan expresses its satisfaction with the current level of interstate relations with Azerbaijan within the framework of our strategic partnership. I am confident that our countries, guided by the high universal values of this ancient holiday, will continue working together to enrich the content of their multifaceted relations. On these remarkable days, I wish you robust health and continued success in your high state activities. I also wish the brotherly people of your country happiness, prosperity, peace, stability, continuous progress, and well-being," the letter reads. Yes Significant efforts are being made No Much more needs to be done Some progress But there are still critical gaps Vote View Results BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization Asad Majeed Khan has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occassion of Novruz holiday, Trend reports. "Excellency, On the auspicious occasion of Novruz, a festival of renewal and hope, I wish Your Excellency, the government, and the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan a season filled with new opportunities, success, and well-being. May this time of cultural celebration further reinforce our shared commitment to regional cooperation. As we enjoy the blessings of the holy month of Ramadan, I also avail this opportunity to extend Eid al-Fitr greetings to Your Excellency. May this joyous occasion bring peace, prosperity, and happiness to all of us, further strengthening the bonds of unity and solidarity within our region. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration," the letter reads. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, has sent a congratulatory message to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on the occasion of the Ramadan holiday, Trend reports. "Excellency, On the auspicious occasion of the holy month of Ramadan 1446H, the government and the people of the Maldives join me in extending our warmest felicitations to Your Excellency, the government, and the people of Azerbaijan. Ramadan is a time of spiritual renewal, reflection, and unitya month that inspires faith, compassion, and generosity. As we embrace this sacred time, may it strengthen our bonds of friendship, deepen our commitment to service, and bring peace and prosperity to our nations. I pray that Almighty Allah bestows His infinite blessings upon Your Excellency and the people of Azerbaijan, and may this Ramadan bring harmony, good health, and continued success. I also take this opportunity to call upon the Muslim Ummah to mobilize our efforts to ease the suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza this Ramadan and ensure a just and lasting solution for the cause of the Palestinian people in their fight for self-determination and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital," the letter reads. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on the occasion of the Ramadan holiday, Trend reports. "Mr. President, Dear Brother, On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, it is with great pleasure that I send you my best greetings, filled with friendship and brotherhood. May Allah, the Almighty and Merciful, bless our fast and accept our prayers for an Islamic Ummah that is peaceful, prosperous, and united in solidarity and shared happiness! Please accept, Mr. President and Dear Brother, the expression of my highest consideration," the letter reads. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The stand against delimitation False premise unacceptable | The bottomline in the stand against any move to go in for delimitation on the basis of faulty or erroneous headcount should be understood and appreciated. It is not against delimitation perse but anything based on something false and artificial can only lead to more chaos in the already turmoiled State. This is primarily the reason why many have come forward to lay down the necessity of a National Register of Citizens before any delimitation move is initiated. Population invasion, this is what Manipur is standing against and it is primarily to check this unchecked, unregulated movement of people from across the border, that the move of New Delhi to fence the porous Indo-Myanmar border has been welcomed with open arms by the Meiteis though it has been opposed tooth and nail by the Nagas and the Kukis. The reasons are however different. The Nagas are not known to have migrated enmasse and set up new settlements to give a boost to their population strength. Rather it has been one of interaction and keeping the filial ties between kindred tribes alive and kicking, while in the case of the Kuki-Zos it has been more of throwing open the doors to let the illegal immigrants come in and set up new settlements. A point which was brought to the floor of the Assembly by none other than a Naga MLA from Phungyar Assembly Constituency Leishiyo Keishing when he pointed out that refugees from across the border have started outnumbering the local people and how it has drained the resources of the villages at Phungyar and the other settlements near the border. Again it was not without reason why a young Naga researcher and a writer to boot had taken it upon himself to write an illuminating article sometime back in The Ukhrul Times and which was also carried by The Sangai Express. It was in February this year that a young writer and researcher by the name of Dirinamai Liangchi elaborated that out of 30 MLAs in Manipur in 1952-57, there were 7 Naga MLAs, 1 Kuki MLA and 1 Paite MLA. Then in the Manipur Territorial Council of 1957 to 1962, out of 10 tribal MLAs, there were 8 Naga MLAs, 1 Paite MLA and 1 Thadou Kuki MLA. The same trend followed more less in the first Manipur Legislative Assembly (1972-1973) wherein out of the 60 MLAs, 13 were Naga MLAs, while only 6 represented the Kuki-Chin community. Then in the second Manipur Legislative Assembly (1974-1979), the Kuki-Chin MLAs, including one Kom increased to 8. The number of Kuki-Chin MLAs then surged to 9 in the Manipur Legislative Assembly of 1980 to 1985 while the number of Naga MLAs declined to 10. The same trend has followed and now the number of Naga MLAs and number of Kuki-Chin MLAs stand at 10 each. The increase in the number of Kuki-Chin MLAs can be directly correlated to the increase of Kuki villages from 179 in 1969 to 721 villages in 2023 at Kangpokpi alone, which means a jump of 303 percent ! The statistics can be rolled out by picking up any place in the hill districts, such as Tengnoupal and Chandel. One long, hard look at the increasing trend of Kuki-Chin population and settlements say that the first casualty has been the Naga people and it is against this trend that the call to check illegal immigration has been raised. And it is against this reality that opposition has been raised against any delimitation moves based on wrong and erroneous census. While the Nagas and the Meiteis seem to be on the same page, in so far as the conduct of NRC is concerned, it is not the same when it comes to border fencing and the decision to do away with the Free Movement Regime. This is perhaps where the Government of Manipur may rise to the need of the time and see what may be done in areas that come in Naga dominated districts, while there should be no compromise on the drive to keep out all illegal immigrants. Having said this, it should be kept in mind that any delimitation move should be based on legal and authentic headcount and illegal immigrants cannot and should not be counted as genuine citizens of the land. This is precisely the reason why the call for NRC first then delimitation has been raised and those championing the call for NRC first must prepare the case that may be presented to the relevant authority of the Government of India in a manner that is both fitting as well as convincing. The state government has ordered a full-fledged inquiry into the Patharpratima cracker factory blast and also sought a report from the South 24-Parganas district magistrate in which eight people, including children were killed. A high-level meeting today was held at the state secretariat, Nabanna, in which the state DGP Rajeev Kumar took stock of the situation and as sources put it that the DGP had expressed his ire at the alleged role of Sundarbans district police. Advertisement The meeting, which was held this evening, was attended by the CPs and SPs of various districts. The meeting, as sources contended, that a visibly upset Mr Kumar asked the officers concerned to submit a detailed report on the list of alleged unauthorised cracker factories in various districts. Advertisement Sources in the know claimed that Mr Kumar had asked the officers to keep a tab on the alleged storage of illicit crackers and file a report immediately. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is closely examining errors in the case diary of the initial probe conducted by the Kolkata Polices special investigation team in the RG Kar rape and murder case. The CBI is probing whether these errors indicate evidence tampering or manipulation. Advertisement The CBI is set to submit this case diary to the Calcutta High Courts single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh on the third day of the fresh hearing next month. Alongside, the CBI counsel is expected to argue how these mistakes substantiate the theory of deliberate evidence alteration. Advertisement The case dates back to 9 August last year, when the body of a junior woman doctor was found in a seminar hall within the premises of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The Kolkata Polices special investigation team initially handled the probe before the Calcutta High Court transferred the case to the CBI. As part of the transition, the city police handed over its case diary to the central probe agency. Last week, the CBI submitted its own case diary based on its independent investigation. Sources say that upon reviewing the original case diary, CBI officials identified glaring errors so basic that even a rookie officer wouldnt be expected to make them. Such mistakes, if proven deliberate, could invite departmental action against the officers involved. Legal experts believe that a comparative analysis of the two case diaries the one prepared by Kolkata Police and the other by the CBI could lead to crucial revelations. The courts scrutiny could determine whether the CBIs claim of evidence tampering in the initial investigation holds merit. Additionally, it could highlight whether the CBI pursued a completely different line of inquiry or merely expanded on the city polices approach with a more meticulous investigation. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on the occasion of the Novruz holiday, Trend reports. "Dear Ilham Heydar oglu, I extend to you and, through you, to the entire fraternal people of the Republic of Azerbaijan, my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of the International Novruz Holiday! This wonderful holiday, widely celebrated in many countries around the world, marks the beginning of spring and the awakening of nature. Novruz Bayram plays a key role in strengthening good neighborly relations between different peoples and cultures. This bright holiday is a symbol of hope, inspiring creation and the strengthening of humanistic feelings in the modern world. May this significant holiday be marked for you and for all the people of your country with happiness, joy, and new successes!" the letter reads. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The British mini-series crime drama, Adolescence has been over the small screen like wildfire. The Netflix show created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne has transgressed domestic boundaries and emerged as a global hit. Boasting a Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%, the series follows the story of a 13-year-old boy arrested for murder. Despite the majority of viewers lauding the show, a section is also slamming the creators. Some viewers claim that the show is based on a real incident involving a black child. They are accusing the makers of race-swapping and labelling them anti-white. Moreover, a section also stated that the makers should have chosen a black protagonist. Recently, Elon Musk amplified the race-swapping allegations through his X comment. Following this, creator Jack Thorne has slammed the allegations. Notably, both he and Graham have iterated that the series is not based on a real crime. Their inspiration comes from the rapidly escalating juvenile crimes in the world, and they sought to open a discussion about the same. Advertisement Taking to X, a user wrote, Netflix has a show called Adolescence thats about a British knife killer who stabbed a girl to death on a bus and its based on real life cases such as the Southport murderer. So guess what. They race swapped the actual killer from a black man/migrant to a white boy and the story has it so he was radicalized online by the red pill movement. Just the absolute state of anti-white propaganda. Subsequently, Musk commented on the post writing, WOW. Advertisement Netflix has a show called Adolescence thats about a British knife killer who stabbed a girl to death on a bus and its based on real life cases such as the Southport murderer. So guess what. They race swapped the actual killer from a black man/migrant to a white boy and the pic.twitter.com/6EdPFdcLT0 Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 20, 2025 Now, co-creator Jack Throne has opened up on the allegations. Speaking with The News Agent podcast, he said that it is absurd that people believe that only black boys commit knife crimes. They have claimed that Stephen and I based it on a story, and another story, so we race-swapped because we were basing it on her and it ended up there, and everything else. Nothing is further from the truth. He iterated, There is no part of this thats based on a true story, not one single part. Throne also called out people claiming that they should have cast a black protagonist. History shows a lot of cases of kids from all races committing these crimes. We are not making a point about race with this but about masculinity. We are trying to get inside a problem. He added, We are not saying this is one thing or another, we are saying that this is about boys. Meanwhile, previously, creator Stephen Graham also noted that the story is not based on a real-life incident. He revealed how the real stories of juvenile crime bothered him, pushing him to create Adolescence. He talked about coming across multiple news stories about teenage boys involved in violent crimes. This made him wonder about what was happening in their minds and lives. These arent men committing these crimes. Theyre boys. Graham also revealed, I wanted to make one of those social dramas for right now. Because we have a real crisis going on with young men today, and weve got to start talking about it right now. It affects all of us. I just wanted to start a conversation about this, a real conversation. I didnt know if people would be ready to talk about it. But I think they are. And hopefully, this is just the beginning of the conversation. Also Read: Daniel Craig discusses steamy Queer scenes and life after James Bond The four-part mini-series delves into the life of a 13-year-old Jammie Miller who is accused of murder. It focuses on how the facets of the world around him topple as the harrowing details come forward. The show opens a discourse on pressing issues like- juvenile crime, online bullying, and the incel subculture. Despite being rooted and based in the UK, Adolescence struck a nerve with viewers across the globe for the real issues it deals with. Additionally, the single-shot filming process makes the viewers feel a part of the show, elevating its impact. Spider-Man is swinging back into action! Tom Holland and Zendayas fourth Spider-Man film finally has a nameSpider-Man: Brand New Dayand its officially happening. Director Destin Daniel Cretton revealed at CinemaCon that the movie is set to begin filming this summer. While Holland wasnt at the convention in Las Vegas, he sent a video message to tease the upcoming superhero flick. Advertisement Im so sorry I cant be there. Im halfway around the world shooting a movie, Holland said. His next film? Christopher Nolans The Odyssey, where he stars alongside Zendaya, Matt Damon, and Anne Hathaway. Advertisement Marvel is keeping the plot under wraps, but Holland did drop a tiny hint. I know we left you with a massive cliffhanger at the end of No Way Home, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a fresh start. It is exactly that, he said. Thats all I can say. After the events of No Way Homewhere Peter Parker sacrificed his entire identity to fix the multiversefans have been waiting to see where his story goes next. Director Cretton teased that the team is nerding out daily about everything from Spideys suit to how he swings through the city. We want to create an emotional story and a ride we havent seen before, he said. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon (MJ and Ned) are expected to return, but the big surprise? Sadie Sink has joined the cast! Rumors suggest she could play Jean Grey, the legendary X-Men mutant previously portrayed by Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner. If true, this could mark a major crossover moment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As for other MCU characters making an appearance? Thats still a mystery. Mark your calendarsSpider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2026! Cretton promised fans that the creative team is working tirelessly to deliver something amazing. I really wish I could introduce you to everyone who is putting their hearts into this, he said. For now, we waitbecause if theres one thing Marvel knows how to do, its keep us on the edge of our seats. Netflixs British mini-series crime drama, Adolescence has been all rage since its release. The show created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne has crossed domestic boundaries and emerged as a global hit. Boasting a Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%, the series follows the story of a 13-year-old boy arrested for murder. Now, UK Prime Minister Keir Stammer advocates for schools to stream the drama for its students. The four-part mini-series follows the story of a 13-year-old Jammie Miller who is accused of murder. It focuses on how the world around him torpedoes as the harrowing details come forward. The show opens a discourse on pressing issues like- juvenile crime, online bullying, and the incel subculture. Despite the makers creating it for the UK, Adolescence has been amassing laurels with viewers across the globe. This is due to the real issues it deals with. Advertisement Speaking about the film, Stammer said, As a father, watching this show with my teenage son and daughter, I can tell you it hit home hard. Its an important initiative to encourage as many pupils as possible to watch the show. He appreciated the intent and the discourse the film opens on the widespread issue. He also emphasised how such narratives impact drives the conversation towards change. As I see from my own children, openly talking about changes in how they communicate, the content theyre seeing, and exploring the conversations theyre having with their peers is vital if we are to properly support them in navigating contemporary challenges and deal with malign influences. Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix UK & Ireland (@netflixuk) Subsequently, Netflix UK also announced that Adolescence will be available for streaming in schools all over the UK. Taking to Instagram, they wrote, From today we are making Adolescence available to all secondary schools across the UK through Into Film+. Additionally, healthy relationships charity Tender will produce guides and resources for teachers, parents and carers to help navigate conversations around the series. Also Read: Adolescence: Elon Musk accuses the show of race-swapping; creator claps back The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Tuesday, disclosed that a total of 4,719 meetings were conducted with more than 28,000 representatives of political parties across the country till March 31 to resolve pending issues. The poll panel said it conducted a series of structured engagements with political parties at the level of Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), District Election Officer (DEO), and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) across the country. In a span of 25 days and as of March 31, a total of 4,719 meetings were conducted, with 40 meetings by CEOs, 800 by DEOs, and 3,879 by EROs, engaging over 28,000 representatives of political parties nationwide, the ECI said in a communique. Advertisement These meetings were held in accordance with the directives issued by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, during the CEOs conference held on March 4-5, at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) here in the national capital, it said. Advertisement The ECI said the engagements are aimed at resolving any pending issues by the concerned competent authority i.e. ERO or DEO or CEO within the existing legal framework of the Representation of the People Act 1950 and 1951, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 and the manuals, guidelines, and instructions issued by it from time to time. The poll panel said it has sought an action taken report from all State/UT CEOs for further assessment and any issue, if unresolved within the existing legal framework, will be taken up by the Commission. These engagements have been well-received by political parties, with active and enthusiastic participation across Assembly Constituencies, districts, and States/UTs, it added. Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule dismissed Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Rauts claim about Prime Minister Narendra Modis retirement, saying there is no rule in the BJP mandating retirement at 75 years. Sanjay Rauts statement is merely a political stunt. There is no rule in the BJP that Modi should retire from politics after 75, nor has there been any such decision, Bawankule tweeted on his X handle on Tuesday. Advertisement Bawankule stated that the Indian Constitution does not impose any age limit for the prime ministers tenure and cited examples of other politicians. Former BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as prime minister till the age of 79, while Morarji Desai (83) and Dr Manmohan Singh (81) also held the position beyond the age of 75. However, Raut, blinded by his animosity towards the BJP, seems to have forgotten this, Bawankule stated. Advertisement He stated that in a democracy, a prime ministers tenure is decided by electoral mandate, and not by individuals like Raut. The people of this country will decide Modis tenure as Prime Minister, not Sanjay Raut or the opposition, he added. However, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Senas Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, reiterated here on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to retire soon and he is merely a temporary arrangement. He cited Modis visit to the RSS headquarters in Reshimbagh, Nagpur on Sunday, March 30, in this context. Modi being prime minister is only a temporary arrangement. Even Lord Ram and Lord Krishna left after completing their work. Lal Krishna Advani was kept locked away like Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan while Modi became Prime Minister. Todays BJP has reached the peak of its power due to leaders like Advani, who worked for decades. Advani had the rightful claim to be prime minister, but he was sidelined like in a Mughal style takeover, Raut told media persons at a press conference on Tuesday. Devendra Fadnavis is not an RSS leader, he is the Maharashtra chief minister but this is a matter of the entire country, and not merely of Maharashtra alone. Devendra Fadnavis cannot decide this. It is not in his hands. The RSS is the parent organisation of the BJP and the RSS elders alone will decide the future course of action. If Fadnavis has to be told even what the RSS means in politics, then he is a fake RSS volunteer. The term of the BJP president has ended, but they have not appointed a new president yet. The RSS has a crucial role in this matter. So, something is cooking behind the scenes, Raut said. After ten years, the prime minister, who was once a Sangh (RSS) pracharak (organiser), used to work in the RSS office, goes there for the first time after becoming the prime minister. He was summoned. There must be some important work. The prime minister himself has made the rule that after completing 75 years, no one will remain in a position of power. This rule was applied to Lal Krishna Advani. This rule was applied to Murli Manohar Joshi and Thawar Singh Gehlot. This was applied to many people. The prime minister himself will have to follow it. This has definitely been discussed at the Sangh headquarters in Nagpur, Raut said. The Sangh also wants its man to be the BJP president. BJPs national president has not been elected yet, JP Naddas term has ended, there has been a discussion about that. Top RSS leaders want to get their man there because there is a complete mess in the country. This is going on and will continue. The rules Modi has made, he will have to follow them for himself as well, Raut said. Speaking to media persons in Nagpur on Monday, Fadnavis had said, In 2029, we will see Modi as the Prime Minister of India once again. There is no need to search for his successor. He (Modi) is our leader and will continue. Discussing succession when the leader is still active is inappropriate in Indian culture. In our culture, when the father is alive, it is inappropriate to talk about succession. It is a Mughal tradition when children think about succession even when the father is alive. The time has not come to discuss it, Fadnavis said, referring to Rauts claim on Monday that Modis successor would come from Maharashtra. Raut had claimed earlier on Monday that the Sangh (RSS) is preparing to choose Modis successor. Raut claimed that Modi will be asked to step down after he turns 75 years, in line with the BJPs unwritten retirement rule. He said that the Prime Minister never visited the RSS headquarters in the past 11 years but did so on Sunday. PM Modi turns 75 in September this year. Modis successor will be from Maharashtra and RSS will decide about it. PM Modi visited RSS headquarters to discuss his retirement plans. RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and the entire Sangh Parivar want a change in the countrys leadership. Now Modis term is over. The RSS now wants to have a presence in the country. It also wants a say in electing the BJP national president. Therefore, Modi went to the RSS headquarters to see off and say that he is leaving, Raut had claimed. The statement led to the opposition questioning if Modi too would step down like other top BJP leaders, after he completes 75 years in September this year. However, though Fadnavis refuted Rauts claims about Modis impending retirement, it sparked off speculation about whether Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who is from Nagpur and is also seen as being close to the RSS, would replace Modi, if at all anything like what Raut claimed comes close to becoming a possibility. It is being speculated that Nitin Gadkari who was born on May 27, 1957 and is 67-years-old, could be a factor, which could possibly help his case just in case, the RSS probably decides that anybody who is above 75 years old must step down from power. According to the speculations doing the rounds in political circles, if such a consideration gains momentum, PM Modi, who will turn 75 in September this year, would be seen as being in a position of disadvantage. Needless to say, Sanjay Rauts claim that Modis successor will be from Maharashtra is the basis behind all such speculation, which failed to die down despite Fadnavis refuting any possibility of Modis retirement after he turns 75 years in September this year. Political circles noted that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had stated before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections that the BJP had decided not to field any candidates above the age of 75. No one above 75 has been given tickets. This is the partys decision, Shah was quoted as saying while campaigning for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It was also reported in 2019 that during a parliamentary board meeting, the BJP leadership was ready to sacrifice policies like denying seats to candidates over 75 years old to prioritise winnability. Later, Amit Shah changed his stance in May 2024 and said, I want to clarify that there is no such provision in the BJPs constitution and Modi will lead the country till 2029 and he will also lead the coming elections. These points are being talked about in Maharashtras political circles, due to Rauts statement and its immediate rebuttal by Fadnavis. A move that is set to bring relief to industries and businesses that rely heavily on cooking fuel, the oil marketing companies have announced a Rs 41 cut in the prices of 19-kg commercial Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, effective 1 April. As per the reports, the prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking remain unchanged in this revision. Advertisement With the new changes coming into force, the retail sale price of the commercial LPG cylinder in Delhi is now Rs 1,762, in Mumbai the price is Rs 1,714.50, while in Kolkata it stands at Rs 1,872 and in Chennai, it is Rs 1,924.50. Advertisement Notably, the previous revisions came on 1 March, when commercial LPG prices were hiked by Rs 6 after a reduction of Rs 7 in February. LPG prices vary from state to state, depending on local taxes and transportation costs. Oil companies revise the prices of commercial LPG cylinders regularly, based on several factors, including international crude oil prices. The price adjustment will directly benefit restaurants, hotels, and other commercial establishments. A Mumbai Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) Special Court Judge V D Kedar has ordered that 14 properties belonging to Tiger Memon, who is among the alleged masterminds of the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, must be handed over to the Central government. The court passed the order on March 26. Memon, who fled India before the blasts along with his family members, is still wanted in the case. He is reported to be living in Pakistan along with his family members. Advertisement The TADA Special ruled that the possession of the immovable properties needs to be handed over to the central government. Advertisement The court confirmed that the properties forfeited to the central government are free from encumbrances, thereby allowing the competent authority to assume control of these assets on behalf of the government. The properties owned by Tiger Memon and his family members were in the possession of the Bombay High Courts receiver since 1994 after an order of the TADA court. The case pertains to a series of 13 explosions across Mumbai on March 12, 1993, which led to the deaths of 257 individuals and left over 700 injured, which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had probed extensively. The 14 properties owned by Tiger Memon and his family members include a flat in Bandra (West), an office space and an open plot in Mahim (West) where the Memon family had lived, a vacant plot and a flat in Santacruz (East), two flats in a Kurla building, an office on Mohammed Ali Road, a shop and plot in Dongri, three shops in Manish Market, and a building on Sheikh Memon Street, Mumbai. The request for the release of the properties was made by the competent authority under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act or the SAFEM (FOP) Act. The plea highlighted that the SAFEM (FOP) Act is designed to identify illegally acquired assets of smugglers and drug traffickers and facilitate their forfeiture to the central government. Forfeiture proceedings against Tiger Memon were initiated based on a detention order issued by the Maharashtra government in 1992 under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Act, 1974. Following this, the competent authority ordered the forfeiture of various properties in 1993 under the SAFEM (FOP) Act. However, in 1994, these properties were attached by the special TADA court overseeing the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts trial and were subsequently placed under the jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court. The court had issued notices to Tiger Memon and his family regarding the plea from the competent authority, but no response was filed. After reviewing the available documents, TADA special Judge V D Kedar concluded that it is necessary to set aside the attachment order issued in 1994. Judge Kedars order further stated that possession of the immovable properties should be transferred to the central government through the applicant (competent authority) in line with the forfeiture order passed in 1993. According to the CBI, the 1993 Mumbai blasts were orchestrated by fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, in collaboration with his aides Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa, allegedly at the behest of Pakistans intelligence agency, ISI. While Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon remain fugitives, Memons brother, Yakub Memon, was convicted and hanged to death in 2015. As the Narendra Modi-led NDA government prepares to present the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament this week, several Muslim organisations and Opposition parties have opposed the bill, expressing concerns over the Centres alleged intentions to gain control over the properties belonging to the Muslim community. However, the Bill has found an unexpected supporter in Syed Naseruddin Chishty, the chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanshin Council (AISSC) and successor of the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah. Advertisement Speaking to a news agency, Chishty urged the Muslim community to only believe in the official government statements on the intentions of the proposed Bill. He also asked them to ignore the emotional and provocative statements being made against the Bill. Advertisement I believe that the existing Waqf Act needs to be changed, and Muslims need not be afraid of it. When the government itself is saying in Parliament that this is not against the community, and masjids, dargahs will not be seized, then we should believe the official statements only, said the AISSC Chairman. He said that the government has already made its intentions clear that dargahs, masjids under the Waqf board will not be seized under the amended Waqf Bill. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill that the Government is bringing, had already expressed its intention when they had introduced it, and they referred it to the JPC, he said. The successor of the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah further stated that the JPC has heard all parties and that he hopes a good bill will be passed after necessary discussion. His remarks come after Union Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the government is fully prepared to table the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament this week. He also accused some organisations and political parties of trying to foment unrest in the society and mislead the people over the Bills provisions. Meanwhile, reacting to Chishtys remarks, Congress MP Imran Masood, who was also among the members of the JPC on Waqf Bill, has slammed him for furthering the BJPs agenda. Ye dalali band karen BJP ki Masood remarked in Hindi. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to visit London next week, from April 8-10, where she will discuss issues related to bilateral trade and investment, and hold talks under the India-United Kingdom Economic and Financial Dialogue. Sitharaman is likely to hold a meeting with her counterpart, UKs Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. The India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue is an important bilateral institutional mechanism to enhance trade and Investment between the two countries. Advertisement A senior official said issues related to the trade agreement and the bilateral investment treaty may also come up for discussions between the two leaders. Advertisement He said bilateral cooperation on economic and commerce matters is guided by institutionalised dialogues to enhance trade and Investment between the two countries. Both sides meet regularly to review the progress of bilateral trade and investment under the aegis of these mechanisms which includes the Economic and Financial Dialogue (EDF). Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal had announced on February 24 that India and the UK have decided to restart negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) after a meeting in Delhi with his UK counterpart Jonathan Reynolds. All options are on the table. We are in active negotiations on three different aspects the FTA, the Bilateral Investment Treaty, and a Double Contribution Convention Agreement. And all three are in parallel and conjoined with each other, he said. However, Goyal made it clear that India would not rush into a trade agreement in haste. We will have speed but not haste, he quipped when asked whether a deadline had been fixed to sign the deal. There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments, and intellectual property rights. While the UK is seeking a lowering of tariffs on goods such as electric vehicles and Scotch whisky, India wants easier visa rules for its professionals in the services sector to enter the UK. The India-UK EFD is a platform established to strengthen the financial and economic relationship between the two countries, focusing on areas like sustainable development, financial reforms, and regulatory frameworks, with the goal of boosting bilateral trade and investment. Last year in December the third meeting of India-UK Financial Markets Dialogue was hosted by the Finance Ministry in GIFT City, Gujarat. Participants from India and UK touched upon reforms in respective financial services sectors including capital markets, insurance & reinsurance, pensions, FinTech, and sustainable finance. India-UK bilateral trade (both goods and services) stood at 36.3 billion pounds during the FY 2022-23 (April 2022 March 2023), an increase of 34.2 per cent or 9.2 billion pounds from 2021-22. Out of the above, Indias total imports from the UK amounted to 14.7 billion pounds, and Indias total exports to the UK amounted to 21.6 billion pounds. India was the UKs 12th largest trading partner in this period, accounting for 2.1 per cent of the UKs total trade. India invested in 108 projects and created 7,533 new jobs in the UK to retain the position of second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) after the US, according to the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) inward investment statistics for 2023-2024. The UK is the 6th largest inward investor in India after Mauritius, Singapore, the USA, the Netherlands, and Japan, with a cumulative equity investment of $35 billion (April 2000-March 2024), accounting for around 5.17 per cent of all foreign direct investment into India. Amid vehement protests by the Opposition, the BJP-led government is set to table the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Bill aims to introduce reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju made an announcement to this effect on Tuesday even as the Opposition dubbed the legislation as unconstitutional and vowed to resist its tabling in Parliament. Advertisement The Bill will be tabled at noon after the Question Hour for consideration and passing. There will be an eight-hour discussion, which could be increased if needed, Rijiu told reporters. Advertisement The minister said, In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the Lok Sabha, I had proposed before the committee that tomorrow, on 2nd April, we are bringing the Waqf Amendment Bill and for that we have to allocate time for discussion Finally, there was an agreement that the total time to be located for discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill would be eight hours, extendable after taking the sense of the House If the House feels that the time for discussion should be extended, then the time can be extended, but if they (Opposition) do not want to participate in the discussion by making some excuse, then I cannot stop it. We want a discussion. Every political party has the right to express its opinion, and the country wants to hear which political party has what stance on the amendment bill, he added. Rijiju further said, And this will be recorded for thousands of years, this will be on record, who opposed and who supported the amendment Bill. On 2nd April, immediately after the Question Hour, I want to introduce the amendment bill for consideration and passing, after that, we have agreed for 8 hours of discussion Opposition MPs reiterated that they would actively protest the tabling of the Waqf Bill, which aims to implement changes to the existing rules of the state Waqf boards. Rijiju has asserted that the Bill doesnt interfere with religious institutions freedom and is designed to give rights to those who previously lacked them. He said even the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) has supported the Bill. Yesterday, he welcomed the request by KCBC to all MPs of Kerala to support the Waqf Amendment Bill. The Waqf amendment Bill could be passed tomorrow, and then it will be sent to the Rajya Sabha. The Bill has found an unlikely supporter in Syed Naseruddin Chishty, the chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanshin Council (AISSC) and successor of the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah. Speaking to a news agency, Chishty urged the Muslim community to only believe in the official government statements on the intentions of the proposed Bill. He also asked them to ignore the emotional and provocative statements being made against the Bill. Rijiju had earlier briefed BJP spokespersons on the Waqf Amendment Bill at the partys headquarters yesterday. During the meeting. He presented a detailed overview of the Bill, highlighting its benefits for the Muslim community. He asserted that the Bill doesnt interfere with religious institutions freedom and is designed to give rights to those who previously lacked them. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Azerbaijans Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, met with the Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) for Economic and Global Affairs, Simon Mordue, and the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, Magdalena Grono, on April 1, 2025, Trend reports. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting focused on the current state and future prospects of Azerbaijan-European Union (EU) cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. The discussion covered areas of collaboration between Azerbaijan and the EU, including economic, trade, energy security, green energy, and humanitarian matters. Particular emphasis was placed on large-scale energy projects initiated by Azerbaijan, highlighting their significant role in Europe's energy supply and security. The importance of continuing collaboration not only on traditional energy sources but also in the alternative energy sector was underscored. Minister Bayramov also provided detailed information about the current situation in the region following the post-conflict period, noting the extensive reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts underway in Azerbaijan's newly liberated territories. Additionally, he highlighted ongoing humanitarian mine clearance activities in these areas. The cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU on mine clearance and the determination of the fate of missing persons was also discussed. Despite the progress made in the normalization and peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, it was noted that Armenias continued territorial claims against Azerbaijan in its constitution and the rapid pace of its military buildup pose a threat to advancing the peace agenda. The meeting culminated in a comprehensive dialogue encompassing a diverse array of perspectives on ancillary matters of reciprocal significance. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The Telangana Police have detained a cab driver for the alleged rape of a 25-year-old German national in the Pahadishareef area on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The woman, who was on a visit to the city with her friends, was tricked by the cab driver into boarding his vehicle on the pretext of showing her the tourist spots around the city. He is said to to have stopped the car near Mamidipally and raped her. Advertisement The incident took place between 6 pm and 7 pm yesterday. Advertisement The woman had arrived in Hyderabad on 4 March, along with a fellow German friend to visit another friend who had studied with them at a university in Italy. The two were in the Meerpet area when the cab driver offered to take them around and explore the city. However, after visiting a few places and taking photographs, the cab driver dropped off her friend for taking photographs and then drove some distance before stopping and then raped her and fled the spot. The survivor then called her friend and the two lodged a police complaint. The police launched a manhunt for the accused based on the details from the survivors account and nabbed him from Meerpet. The incident happened at a time when Telangana is gearing up to hold the Miss World pageant in the state between 7 May and 31 May. Participants from 144 countries will be visiting the state for the event. BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha lashed out at the state government for the incident, alleging that there has been a 22 per cent rise in crimes against women in the state. I demand that the Congress government should immediately wake up from its slumber and take action to ensure the safety of women in the state, she said. Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Seethakka directed the Police Department to take stringent action against those involved in rape cases. The Kerala High Court on Tuesday refused to stay the screening of Mohanlal-starrer L2: Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, which was released in theaters on March 27. BJP functionary VV Vijeesh had approached the High Court seeking to halt the films screening, citing concerns over potential communal violence. Advertisement Dismissing the petition, a single bench of Justice CS Dias questioned the petitioners bona fides and suggested that the plea was a publicity stunt. Advertisement Was it not certified by the Censor Board? Before a movie is released, the statute requires it to be certified by the Censor Board. It has been released. What is the subsequent objection? You are unnecessarily giving publicity to such things. I suspect your bona fidesThis is all publicity-oriented litigation, the court orally remarked. The Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI) appeared for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, while the State Attorney represented the Director General of Police. However, the court dispensed with the requirement to notify party respondents, including Mohanlal, Prithviraj, and the films producers. The film became a center of controversy after certain right-wing groups objected to its portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots. Following the backlash, Mohanlal expressed regret in a Facebook post and assured that the objectionable portions would be removed. Vijeesh, a member of the BJP Thrissur District Committee, had alleged that Prithviraj Sukumaran deliberately targets the NDA government in his films to tarnish its reputation. Meanwhile, the BJP suspended Vijeesh from the partys primary membership for violating party discipline. Announcing the suspension, Thrissur City District BJP President Justin Jacob clarified that the party had no connection with the petition and had not authorized Vijeesh to file it. Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said on Tuesday that there is a need to avoid the narrative that there is no budget allocation for the health sector and emphasised utilisation of Central funds by states to improve health infrastructure. The Health Minister said this in a reply in Rajya Sabha after Congress MP Rajeev Shukla alleged shortage of funds for the health sector. Advertisement I would like to request the members that this narrative should not be spun that there is no budget allocation for the health sector, he said in the House. Advertisement Nadda said that the states system has to be improved so that they implement programmes in time. The states system has to be improved so that they could implement the programmes in time. The utilisation certificate is most important. The moment you utilise we will give you the funds, the Health Minister said. Pointing the poor utilisation of Central health funds by states, he said under the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) Rs 64,180 crore were sanctioned, but the states managed to utilise only Rs 20,000 crore. He also informed that under the 15th Finance Commission Rs 70,000 crore were sanctioned to states but only Rs 27,000 crore were released as utilisation certificates were not submitted. Earlier, CPI(M) AA Rahim said, For the financial year 2023-24, Rs 1376.70 crore was allotted to Kerala under the National Health Mission (NHM) of which Rs 826.68 crore was the Union governments share. However, Rs 636.88 crore of this amount has not been released to Kerala. In response, Nadda said, Under the 2017 Health Policy, we have enunciated that we will provide equitable, affordable and quality healthcare. For that, what we have tried to do is to see to it that the CHC, the sub-health centre and PHC are being made as Ayushman Arogya Mandir. There are guidelines for it. We have requested the Kerala government to follow those guidelines. The moment the guidelines are followed, the funding will be released accordingly, he added. The Central governments secrecy over the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill scheduled to be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday has baffled Muslims in Bihar. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars continued silence on the issue has further intensified their apprehensions. Community leaders have described it as the Central governments attempt to take control of mosques and dargahs, to dismantle the Waqf system and further marginalise Muslims. Advertisement Certain JDU leaders have said that Nitish Kumar would never allow any injustice to the community. But, Muslims in the state have been expecting him to put it on record. Advertisement On Tuesday, Amir of Imarat-e-Sharia Anisur Rahman Qasimi appealed to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan, and Chandrababu Naidu to put pressure on the Central government to withdraw the Bill. He said the Bill should not be introduced as there are many flaws in it. This Bill is in favour of the land mafia, he said, adding that the government should withdraw the Bill as there are 44 flaws in it. He said that the Waqf Bill is being used as a political weapon to further weaken the Muslim community. Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav reiterated on Tuesday that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is committed to stop the implementation of the Waqf Amendment Bill. We will oppose it at every level. Their conspiracy is to break the country. Those who want to grab the property of Waqf through the Waqf Bill will never be allowed to succeed, he added. The RJD leader said that the Waqf Amendment Bill brought by the Central government is not legal and asserted that everyone who believes in the Constitution of India should remain united in taking forward the Ganga-Jamuni culture. He said, Our party has always opposed such unconstitutional actions and will continue to do so. Even when these matters came up in the JPC, our party opposed this Bill and our opposition against this Bill will continue in the House as well. He also said that those who are in power should realise that the country and the constitutional system of the country are bigger than power. The parties that are supporting this bill for power want to weaken the Ganga-Jamuni culture of the country and want to weaken the country. Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said on Tuesday that he was disappointed by the Oppositions absence in the house during the discussion on an issue for which a notice was submitted by their member Kuldeep Kumar. In a statement, Gupta said, I am deeply disappointed by the oppositions behaviour. It proves that they are not serious about democratic processes and values. Opposition members often raise issues just to gain media attention, but when it comes to actual discussion, they choose to walk out of the House. Advertisement The Speaker said that Aam Aadmi Party MLA Kuldeep Kumar submitted a notice under Rule 54 regarding alleged power outages in several areas of Delhi, and the same was accepted and included in the agenda for discussion. Advertisement According to the Speaker, it was quite surprising that when the matter was taken up for consideration in the House at 4:40 pm, neither Kumar, nor any member of the Opposition was present in the House. He called this conduct of the Opposition completely irresponsible. He said that the House functions according to legislative procedures and rules, and it is inappropriate for the entire Opposition to be absent during the discussion of a topic that was included in the agenda at their own request. Gupta further stated that according to the democratic process, despite the absence of Kumar and other opposition members, the House proceeded with the discussion on the issue. Eight members shared their views and also condemned the behavior of the opposition. Power Minister Ashish Sood presented a detailed statement on the matter, supported by facts, Gupta added. A Mohali Court on Tuesday sentenced controversial pastor Bajinder Singh, known for his viral videos of faith healing and singing Mera Yashu Yashu to life imprisonment in a 2018 rape case. Advocate Anil Sagar, who represented the sexual assault survivor, expressed his satisfaction with the quantum of sentence. Advertisement He was popular as a spiritual leader. His followers used to call him Papa ji. When this kind of crime is committed by such a person, an exemplary punishment must be given, he said after the verdict. Advertisement We are satisfied with the quantum of sentence, which is life imprisonment. He has to stay behind bars until his last breath, Sagar added. The court had earlier found Singh, a self-proclaimed Christian pastor, who runs The Church of Glory and Wisdom at Tajpur in Jalandhar and one in Majri in Mohali, Punjab, guilty in the rape case. Singh, 42, had been convicted under Sections 376 (rape), 323 (punishment for voluntary causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The court had found him guilty of raping a woman in Sector 63 in Mohali on the pretext of helping her getting settled abroad in 2018. Those acquitted in the case include Jatinder Kumar and Akbar Bhatti, both pastors, Rajesh Chaudhary, Sandeep Pehlwan, and Sitar Ali. They, along with Bajinder, were named as accused in the FIR lodged in 2018 at Zirakpur Police Station. Bajinder Singh had been arrested on July 20, 2018, from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, while attempting to flee to London. In February this year, the pastor was booked for allegedly assaulting a woman. A purported video of the incident had also gone viral on social media. In the footage, Singh was seen arguing with the woman before suddenly losing his temper and striking her. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that India and Chile have decided to take steps to create defence industrial manufacturing and supply chains as per each others needs and increase cooperation between their agencies to face challenges like organised crime, drug trafficking and terrorism. On the global front, India and Chile agree that all tensions and disputes should be resolved through dialogue. We agree that reforms in the United Nations Security Council and other institutions are necessary to face global challenges. Together, we will continue to contribute to global peace and stability, he said at a media interaction after talks with visiting President of Chile Gabriel Boric. Advertisement Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on his social media post X that the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions and welcomed the launch of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations to further deepen India-Chile ties in trade, science & technology, critical minerals, health, agriculture and climate change. Advertisement PM Modi said India and Chile may be on different shores on the world map, and there may be vast oceans separating them, but nature has connected them with unique similarities. The Himalayas of India and the Andes of Chile have shaped the course of life in both countries for thousands of years. The waves of the Indian Ocean flow into India with the same energy as the waves of the Pacific Ocean touch the shores of Chile. Both countries are not only connected by nature, but our cultures have also remained close to each other by adopting this diversity, he said. The PM said the growing interest of the people of Chile in Indian films and classical dance is a living example of cultural relations between the two countries. We welcome the agreement reached today on the cultural exchange program between the two countries. We also discussed simplifying the visa process between the two countries. We will also continue to make efforts to increase student exchange between India and Chile, he added. In his remarks, the President of Chile said there are many opportunities to boost India-Chile relations. We want to consolidate Chile as a valued partner in sustainable technology and innovation, where we have a lot of linkages and potential with India. We are working together to bring Indias important audio-visual industry to our country, which we are going to represent with the Shoot in Chile program. What India has done with its presence of Bollywood is tremendously important, he added. Mr Boric said Chile has supported India in its aspiration for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and also backed the proposal for reforming international organisations to make them more efficient. He said the two countries are going to have CEPA and work together in a collaborative manner for mutual benefit. Security forces on Tuesday launched Search & Destroy Operations against a group of three Pakistani terrorists who were on the run after having killed four policemen in an encounter in the Kathua district. The Rising Star Corps of the Indian Army said that the Search & Destroy Operations were launched at the first light on 1 April. Advertisement Acting on intelligence inputs, multiple surveillance and ambushes were deployed in the general area Panjtirthi, Kathua by the Indian Army, J&K Police and CRPF. Suspicious movement was observed on the night of 31 March, leading to an exchange of fire. Search & Destroy Operations were launched at first light on 1 April. Operations in progress, said the Army Corps. Advertisement An encounter had started last night in the Panjtirthi area of the Jathana village in Kathua district between the security forces and the terrorists, who have been on the run for the past eight days. Three terrorists are trapped in the cordon of the Army, CRPF and J&K Police. More details are awaited. Four policemen were killed earlier this week in an encounter with these terrorists. Seven others, including a soldier, were injured. The Opposition INDIA bloc has decided to oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill set to be tabled by the BJP-led government in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The decision was taken at a meeting of the floor leaders of INDIA bloc parties, in the presence of Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on the Parliament premises, convened to discuss the strategy on the Waqf Amendment Bill. Advertisement Congress General Secretary in-charge of Organisation KC Venugopal, who attended the meeting, categorically said that the INDIA alliance has unanimously decided to oppose this Bill. At the introduction stage itself, the INDIA alliance and all like-minded parties had a clear-cut stand on it. This Bill is a targeted legislation and is fundamentally against the Constitutional provisions. We are going to oppose this Bill. This is what has been decided unanimously by the INDIA alliance parties, he told a news agency. Advertisement The Congress MP also urged other like-minded parties to vote against this Bill. Echoing similar sentiments, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ram Gopal Yadav said, We will stand united tomorrow. Accusing the BJP of playing divisive politics, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Kanimozhi said, We know who they are against. We are opposing the amendment bill. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Gandhi, in a social media post, wrote, Today, in the meeting we discussed in detail the Waqf Bill to be presented in Parliament on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Congress had issued a three-line whip asking its members in Lok Sabha to be present in the House on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The United States renewed interest in Greenland signals a strategic shift that Denmark cannot afford to ignore. While Washington frames its engagement as a means to strengthen transatlantic ties, bolster Arctic security, and counter Russian and Chinese influence, the reality is that the US sees Greenland as a crucial piece in the emerging Arctic power contest. This rekindled focus, however, puts Denmark in a complex position ~ caught between preserving sovereignty over the vast, resource-rich territory and maintaining its historically close alliance with the US. Greenlands strategic importance has long been recognised, but its significance has grown as climate change reshapes Arctic geopolitics. Melting ice is opening new shipping lanes and exposing untapped mineral resources, making Greenland a highly contested space among major powers. Advertisement The US, keen to secure a foot hold in the region, has increased diplomatic and economic overtures, seeking to expand its influence beyond its military presence at Thule Air Base. The Trump administrations 2019 attempt to purchase Greenland was dismissed as outlandish, but it highlighted Washingtons long-term ambitions. Today, the approach is more nuanced ~ offering infrastructure investment and economic aid to Greenland, bypassing Copenhagen to directly engage with Nuuk. Advertisement Denmark, as Green lands sovereign administrator, must tread carefully. It relies on its relationship with the US for defence cooperation and economic stability within Nato, yet it also faces growing pressure from Greenlands own political leaders pushing for greater autonomy, if not outright independence. A direct US-Greenland partnership, without Danish oversight, risks undermining Copenhagens control and accelerating Green lands political separation. Denmark must therefore balance between maintaining its Arctic strategy and responding to Washingtons increasing influence. Moreover, the US push into Greenland is not occurring in isolation. China has expressed interest in Greenlands rare earth minerals, and Russia has ramped up its Arctic military presence. For Denmark, this means managing a delicate equilibrium ~ resisting overt US intervention while ensuring Greenland does not drift into Beijings economic orbit or Moscows security sphere. Simply opposing US engagement would not be a viable strategy; instead, Denmark should leverage its position to negotiate joint investments that benefit both Copenhagen and Nuuk, ensuring that any American involvement aligns with Danish interests. The bigger question remains whether Denmark can truly sustain its sovereignty over Greenland in the long term. As Nuuk asserts more control over its economic future, with or without full independence, Denmarks leverage will wane. If Washing ton continues to sidestep Copenhagen in dealing with Greenland, it could set a precedent that weakens Denmarks influence permanently. Denmarks best course of action is to redefine its Arctic policy ~ offering Greenland economic incentives and infrastructural support that diminish the appeal of direct US engagement while reinforcing shared interests within the kingdom. Ultimately, the US interest in Greenland is a geopolitical reality that Denmark cannot dismiss. The challenge lies in ensuring that any future developments in Greenlands governance do not erode Denm arks role in the Arctic, while also preventing external powers from exerting undue influence. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Interim President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on the occasion of the Ramadan holiday, Trend reports. "Mr. President, Dear Brother, I am pleased to extend to you my sincerest congratulations on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. Taking this pleasant opportunity, I wish Your Excellency good health, a long life, and even greater progress, prosperity, and peace for the Republic of Azerbaijan. I pray to the Almighty Allah for the happiness of our countries, our peoples, and the Islamic Ummah through our joint efforts. Happy Holiday!" the letter reads. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The fire at a High Court judges official residence in Delhi that allegedly burnt a large amount of cash has dominated the headlines for the last one week. Every one has his own take on the incident; deja vu is the feeling of the common man who has often faced judicial corruption in his encounters with law; the judicial fraternity is glum, as the carefully crafted mask of absolute impartiality and incorruptibility of the higher judiciary has been ripped away; politicians across party lines are elated that judges, who often excoriate them in open court, have received their comeuppance. Additionally, politicians spy a golden chance of reviving the defunct National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act. To recapitulate: on 14 March 2025, a fire broke out in the outhouse of the residence of a senior judge of the Delhi High Court. The fire did not reach the main building and was soon doused, but along with sundry items, some jute bags containing Indian currency got burnt. For close to a week, till the press got a whiff of the matter, all authorities kept mum, and the first statement issued by the Supreme Court, some days after the fire avoided mentioning the burnt cash. Advertisement Hoping that public feeling could be assuaged by a transfer of the judge, the statement mentioned that the judge in question was being transfe rred to Allahabad High Court. But public feeling was not appeased by such band-aid measures, the Allahabad Bar vociferously protested that the Allahabad High Court was not a trash bin for tainted judges, and certain public-minded citizens mounted an e-mail campaign, which forced the Supreme Court to publicly disclose the videos of burning currency (shared with it by Delhi Police), as also the internal enquiry report of the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court. Last heard, the Chief Justice of India had constituted a three-member committee, comprising two High Court Chief Justices and a High Court Judge, to investigate the allegations against the judge. Justice Yashwant Verma, the man at the centre of the controversy, is of impeccable judicial pedigree ~ son of a High Court Judge, with uncles, nephews and cousins practicing as advocates. Advertisement Those who know Justice Verma find charges against him hard to believe, as he had the reputation of a fearless and honest judge. On his part, Justice Verma has strongly denied all allegations, stating that neither he nor his family members or servants had placed the cash in the outhouse, which was freely accessible to a variety of persons, and that he was at Bhopal at the time the fire broke out, preventing him from witnessing the alleged burning of currency notes. Relatively young, and a High Court judge for ten years, Justice Verma is in line for all top posts in the judiciary. In his defence Justice Verma has stated that the alleged cash recovery, was a conspiracy to malign him, and mar his career prospects. Possession of unaccounted cash is an offence under the Income-Tax Act, which is punishable with seven years imprisonment and penalty. If the source of such money is a bribe, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita also kick in. Also, intentionally burning Indian currency is a criminal offence under the IPC, punishable with seven years imprisonment and fine. Further, the Evidence Act and the Income-Tax Act presume that if someone is found in possession of some article, then the onus is on him to prove that the said article did not belong to him. Despite such stringent legal provisions, it would be an uphill task to pin the existence of the cash, let alone its ownership, on Justice Verma because the remnants of the burnt cash have been swept away. Despite the existence of a video of the burnt cash, a clever defence counsel could argue that the currency notes were, in fact, churan notes. Also, the Delhi Fire Chief has stated that no cash was found at Justice Ver mas residence ~ a statement latched on by Justice Verma for his defence. Further, the alleged open access to the outhouse by servants and maintenance staff, and the conspiracy theory, will definitely help Justice Verma. The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court did visit Justice Vermas residence the day after the fire, but the crime scene was not secured. The three-member committee of learned judges is unlikely to find any solid evidence ~ for or against Justice Verma ~ as the long gap would have enabled evidence to disappear, and everyone would have had time to brush-up his story. Be that as it may, corruption in the judiciary is like a subterranean volcano, only occasionally breaking through the surface. Judicial corruption came into the limelight for the first time in 1993, when Parliament convened to impeach Justice V Ramaswami, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court. The impeachment motion failed, but the weak moral fibre of the judge stood exposed. Noted jurist and former Law Minister Shanti Bhu shan and his son, Prashant Bhushan, filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in 2010, alleging that eight of the previous sixteen Chief Justices of India had been corrupt. Contempt proceedings were initiated against the father-son duo but the Supreme Court did not have the stomach to bring the matter to a logical conclusion. In a sixty-page suicide note penned in August 2016, former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul, detailed the corrupt dealings of some sitting and retired Supreme Court judges, and some senior Congress politicians. Despite the matter reaching the Supreme Court, charges made in the suicide note were never investigated. Many a time, High Court judges have been caught, with their hands in the till. Justice Shamit Mukherjee of the Delhi High Court was arrested in 2003, in a widespread Delhi Development Authority scandal. Justice Nirmal Yadav of Punjab and Har yana High Court was arraig ned on corruption charges in 2011. No decision has been rea ch ed in either case. Then there is the case of Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court, against whom an impeachment motion was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2011, for misappropriation of funds. Justice Sen resigned before the impeachment motion reached the Lok Sabha. There are more such cases, but briefly put, all such instances show that no judge ever received his just desserts. In the present instance, the conduct of all stakeholders has been equally blameworthy. The media is busy conducting its own trial, like in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The Supreme Court, which generally comes down heavily on even a whiff of corruption by public servants, and which finds economic crimes worse than murder, is strangely reticent. Politicians, ignoring the corruption in their own ranks, are hell-bent on subverting the independence of the judiciary, on the pretext of reining-in judicial corruption. The common man finds validation of what he knew all along ~ public functionaries are fighting battles and making merry at his expense. In the final analysis, the issue boils down to striking a fine balance between judicial independence and judges accountability. Constitutional provisions prohibit the discussion of judges conduct in Parliament or State legislatures. A Supreme Court or High Court judge can be removed only on impeachment by Parliament. Also, no FIR can be registered against a higher court judge, without permission from the Chief Justice of In dia. However, there exist no corresponding provisions to ensure accountability of judges. An inhouse enquiry procedure does exist, but is not very effective, as the present case would show. A Judicial Accountability Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in 2010, but could not make the cut in the Rajya Sabha. Similar bills for enforcing judicial accountability were introduced in 2020 and 2023. According to legal luminaries, all judicial accountability bills fall foul of Article 124(5) of the Constitution that provides for impeachment proceedings as the sole punishment for a judge. With more than 1,600 complaints being received against judges, in the year gone by, and several judges being known to be corrupt, the onus is squarely on the Supreme Court to devise a workable and transparent mechanism to identify and fix corrupt judges. Lastly, we should not forget that everyone has a vital interest in having independent and honest judges. As US President Andrew Jackson said more than two centuries ago: All the rights secured to the citizens under the Constitution are worth nothing, and a mere bubble, except guaranteed to them by an independent and virtuous Judiciary. (The writer is a retired Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-Tax) Vanessa Lloyd, chair of Canadas security and intelligence threats to elections taskforce, mentioned recently at a press conference that India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran and China can subvert their national elections through sophisticated disinformation campaigns. The number of countries listed by her suggests that Canadian elections have global significance. However the reality remains that Canada has little or no global voice or significance. No matter who sits in Ottawa, little will change. Snap elections have been called by the new Canadian PM, Mark Carney, and are scheduled for 28 April. Lloyd added, Its often very difficult to establish a direct link between foreign interference activities and election results. About India, she mentioned that it would exploit its networks of allies and proxies in Canada to assert its geopolitical influence and meddle in democratic processes. Advertisement This means little. It also conveys that Lloyd does not trust its citizens to vote freely based on their beliefs and on issues pertaining to Canada and its ties with the US but that they can be swayed by external sources. President Donald Trumps demand for Canada to become Americas 51st state would dominate electioneering, another form of interference. Advertisement It was Trumps comments which speeded up the downfall of the last PM, Justin Trudeau. While Canada has accused India and other states, it remains silent on the US, which will definitely desire a leader who is subservient to Trump. US influence in Canadian elections is a known factor. A country which believes that multiple nations, including non-entities like Pakistan and sanctioned countries like Iran and Russia can interfere in its internal processes is unfit to be termed as an educated and modern democracy. What Ottawa fails to realize is that every democratic election, especially in a nation with large numbers of immigrants, legal and illegal, will have influence on immigrants home states, directly and indirectly. Official Canadian investigations had earlier accused China of interference, which Trudeau amended to include India, mainly due to his disastrous visits and because naming China did benefit him. Immigrant citizens in any country would seek a government which is favourable to their country of origin, as it benefits them and their families back home. In a similar manner, banned Khalistan activists in Canada had attempted to sway Indian voters in Punjab, both in state assembly and Lok Sabha elections, hoping to create a pro-Khalistan government in the state. However, their efforts failed as there were very few takers for the movement in India. Trudeau supported the farmers agitation in India, intending to garner Sikh votes at home. His backing to Khalistan groups also could be termed as interference in Indias internal matters. India removed additional Canadian diplomats as they commented and interfered in Indias internal matters, while granting visas to Khalistan activists and fugitives. Meanwhile Canadian politics is also displaying a bias towards those who originated from India. The Canadian Liberal Party has disqualified Chandra Arya from standing for elections on the grounds that he visited India and met PM Modi in New Delhi. Is this logical? Politicians with roots in India meet Indian government officials on their visits to the homeland. India-Canada relations have been on a downward spiral since the Trudeau government accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan activist. Despite intense investigation and arrests of those possibly involved, no links to India have been established, nor has any proof been provided to back the accusations. The embassies of both nations continue to be understaffed and without High Commissioners. The Biden administration had accused Russia and China of interfering in US elections. It even sanctioned Russian state media executives and restricted Kremlin-linked broadcasters. Trump, on the other hand, denied Russian interference. If nations like the US can face interference and influence from their adversaries, Canada is but small fry. There is also the possibility that the outgoing Liberal government in Canada is exploiting the tool of foreign interference to create confusion in opposition ranks. Rumours doing the rounds in Canada mention that India interfered in the 2022 Conservative party leadership race, with the aim of helping the winner, Pierre Poilievre, a fact which he denies. The Indian government has repeatedly rejected Canadian accusations of interference. China too has rejected Ottawas accusations. Canada and China are currently in a trade conflict, with China announcing additional tariffs on Canadian agricultural and food products in retaliation to Canadian tariffs on its electric vehicles, steel and aluminium products. The outgoing Trudeau government was also pushing to worsen already deteriorating Indo-Canadian ties. When India went in for elections in May 2024, there were multiple instances of nations commenting on Indian matters, whether it be law and order, arrest of political criminals or religious freedom or its pattern of democracy. On Canada, there have been no comments in Indian media or by the government. Indo-Canada relations are presently at an ebb and New Delhi is in no hurry for their revival. Further, with Trudeau out of the picture, India is comfortable with anyone else assuming the mantle, whether it be Mark Carney or Pierre Poilievre. The only interest which India has in Canada is that it should stop supporting the Khalistan movement. The situation could get complicated if Jagmeet Singhs National Democratic Party (NDP) becomes the king maker once again in the next government. In any case, most NDP members are banned from entering India. Canada is the host for the G7 summit this year, which is scheduled in June. India, with its rising economy and global power, has been a permanent invitee for the past few years. Canada has little choice but to invite India. Not doing so would impact its global standing, rather than that of Delhi. By then the new government should have assumed office. With the Trump administration having assumed office, the Khalistan movement has slowed down its activities in both Canada and the US. The new FBI director, Kash Patel, is said to have warned Jagmeet Singh that it he steps foot on US soil he would be deported to India over Khalistan. This has stalled the movement. Hence, no matter who assumes the mantle in Ottawa, India could push its agenda through Washington. For this it does not need to interfere in Canadian elections. (The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.) The recent earthquake in Myanmar has once again un derscored the vulnerabilities of a region prone to seismic activity. As the tremors rattled infrastructure and communities, it raised crucial questions about preparedness, governance, and the broader geopolitical and humanitarian implications of such natural disasters in a politically fragile country. Myanmar sits at the intersection of major tectonic plates, making it susceptible to earthquakes. Despite this well-established risk, disaster preparedness and response mechanisms remain inadequate, particularly in rural areas where infrastructure is weak. The governments limited capacity, combined with on going internal conflicts, has left many communities unprepared for large-scale disasters. In the aftermath of the earthquake, rescue and relief operations face logistical hurdles, exacerbated by damaged roads and strained resources. One of the most pressing concerns is the impact on vulnerable populations, including displaced persons. Advertisement Myanmars ongoing political turmoil has led to internal displacement on a massive scale, with thousands living in makeshift shelters. These fragile structures stand little chance against seismic shocks, making those displaced by conflict doubly vulnerable. With emergency response mechanisms already stretched thin, the earthquake further deepens the humanitarian crisis. Beyond the immediate human toll, the earthquake also has economic repercussions. Myanmars economy has struggled in recent years due to political instability and international sanctions. Advertisement Key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and trade are likely to suffer setbacks due to infrastructure damage. The disruption of transport networks can impede supply chains, affecting not just Myanmar but also its trading partners, particularly China, India, and Thailand. Given that Myanmar is a transit route for regional trade, any disruption can ripple through Southeast Asias economy. International response to the disaster will be telling. While humanitarian aid is expected in the wake of such tragedies, Myanmars po litical situation complicates external assistance. Many Western countries maintain sanctions on the ruling military junta, limiting formal engagement. However, regional powers such as China and India have strategic interests in Myanmar and have stepped in with aid, using disaster diplomacy to strengthen ties. China, in particular, has been expanding its influence through infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, and assistance in earthquake relief could cement its role as Myanmars primary ally. The earthquake also raises broader concerns about Southeast Asias overall disaster re silience. Myanmar is not alone in facing seismic risks ~ neigh bo uring countries such as Thailand were also affected. The event should serve as a wake-up call for greater regional cooperation on disaster preparedness. ASEAN, which includes Myanmar, has mechanisms for coordinated response, but their effectiveness remains limited by national political constraints. A more robust, collaborative approach to earthquake pre paredness ~ ranging from early warning systems to joint em ergency response drills ~ could mitigate future disasters. While earthquakes are unavoidable, the scale of destruction and human suffering depends largely on a nations preparedness and response capacity. Without urgent investments in disaster resilience, Myanmar and the region remain at risk of repeating this cycle of devastation. But who will bell the generals? The recent arrest of journalist and practicing lawyer Dilwar Hussain Mozumder has sparked a heated debate in Assam over press freedom, the treatment of media professionals and the very definition of who qualifies as a journalist. Mozumder, associated with a news web portal and serving as the assistant general secretary of the Gauhati Press Club, was first detained under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, following an incident at the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank. Subsequently, he was re-arrested on charges related to dacoity at the same institution. Advertisement The sequence of events began when Mozumder attempted to question the banks managing director, Dambaru Saikia, regarding alleged irregularities during a protest organised by the Jatiya Yuva Shakti, the youth wing of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP). A video circulating on social media depicts Mozumder seeking answers about a purported recruitment scam, to which Saikia declined to respond. Advertisement Following this interaction, Mozumder was summoned to the Panbazar police station, detained and later formally arrested under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Act. The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from journalistic circles and civil society members. The Editors Guild of India (EGI) and The Press Club of India expressed deep concern over Mozumders detention, emphasising that such actions raise serious questions about press freedom, especially when journalists are performing their professional duties. The EGI urged the Assam administration to clarify the circumstances surrounding the arrest and called for the protection of journalists rights to operate without fear or intimidation. The Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) also condemned the detention, viewing it as an attempt to muzzle independent journalism and dissuade journalists from fulfilling their duty of informing the public. They highlighted that such actions erode public trust in institutions meant to uphold transparency and accountability. In response to the outcry, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that individuals working for online portals are not recognised as journalists under the state governments rules. He referred to Mozumder as just an individual and suggested that he might be a businessman operating as a part-time journalist for a portal promoted by a politician. Sarma further remarked that there is speculation about Mozumder owning dumpers and questioned the legitimacy of his journalistic endeavours. Notably, Assams information and public relation minister Pijush Hazarika added another dimension to the issue by questioning whether a practising advocate could also be a journalist. Dear President / Secretary of @pressclubghy , Will you kindly reveal if Dilwar Hussain is a practising advocate or a journalist or/ also a businessman?, Hazarika wrote in microblogging site X. This incident is not isolated. In recent times, Assam has witnessed several episodes raising concerns about the safety and freedom of journalists. For instance, in December 2024, a peaceful march organised by the Congress in Guwahati turned violent, resulting in injuries to at least eight journalists and camerapersons. The Gauhati Press Club condemned the police action, highlighting the routine nature of such incidents where journalists become victims while performing their duties. Sushmita Goswami, president of the Gauhati Press Club, remarked that it has become almost ritualistic for the press fraternity in Assam to protest against administrative high-handedness in dealing with journalists every few months. She emphasised that cases like Mozumders serve as stark reminders that journalists, who strive to seek justice for the voiceless, are increasingly becoming voiceless themselves. The recurring nature of such incidents underscores the pressing need for a comprehensive dialogue between the state authorities and media bodies to ensure that journalists can operate without fear of retribution, thereby preserving the fundamental tenets of democracy. In the past few days, AI-generated art has skyrocketed in popularity, with one of the notable trends being producing art based on the fantastical, dreamlike aesthetic of Studio Ghibli movies. With AI art continuing to develop, it tends to borrow heavily from the distinctive visual vocabulary pioneered by Hayao Miyazaki, the iconic animator and director. Recognized by his masterpieces like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki has affected not just animation but this budding digital art. But beneath the beautiful imagery there is a person whose career progression through the process of animation and storytelling has brought a lasting imprint to the entire world of global cinema. Advertisement Here is all that you should know regarding Hayao Miyazaki, the creative force behind Studio Ghiblis magic. Advertisement Who is Hayao Miyazaki? Hayao Miyazaki was born on January 5, 1941, in Tokyo, Japan. His childhood life saw the unrest of World War II. His father, a businessman himself, operated a firm that made aircraft components during the conflict, exposing the young Miyazaki to the concept of flight a concept that would become a recurring theme in his subsequent works. Mothers illness when he was a child, affected Miyazaki, which gave him an acute empathy and sense of the vulnerability of life, a feeling that would inform many of his films. Miyazaki continued his studies in political science and economics at Gakushuin University, but his love for art and animation was apparent from the start. His introduction to the world of animation came after graduation, when he became a member of Toei Animation in 1963. This marked the start of an illustrious career that would make him one of the most influential people in the history of animation. The Birth of Studio Ghibli In 1985, following a string of successful productions, Miyazaki and co-animator Isao Takahata founded Studio Ghibli. The studio soon gained a reputation for its capacity to create visually beautiful films that blended fantasy with profoundly human narratives. The studios first production, Castle in the Sky (1986), was the start of an era of revolutionary animation. Yet it was My Neighbor Totoro (1988), a tale of two young sisters who meet a magical being called Totoro, which really cemented the standing of Ghibli and made the studios productions a cultural phenomenon. Iconic films and themes Hayao Miyazakis filmography includes some of the most celebrated animated films in the world, each showcasing his unmatched creativity and storytelling prowess. Princess Mononoke (1997) explored the conflict between nature and industrialization, offering a complex view of both human and animal characters. His most popular work, and one which won him the Best Animated Feature Academy Award in 2001, is Spirited Away, a tale of a young girl who finds herself in a strange, fantasy world. It receives praises for its themes of identity, greed, and the ecological ramifications of human behavior. Miyazakis work has always been rich with themes that challenge the viewer to think deeply about the world around them. Whether through Howls Moving Castle (2004), which critiques the horrors of war, or Kikis Delivery Service (1989), which touches on the pressures of growing up, Miyazakis ability to weave philosophical questions into beautiful, accessible narratives has made him a beloved figure in both animation and global cinema. Even after retiring multiple times, Miyazaki has remained keen to return to filmmaking, and his impact does not seem to subside. Studio Ghiblis latest film, How Do You Live? (2023), directed by Miyazaki, is another reflection of his continued creativity and vision, still captivating audiences globally. A day ahead of his much-touted Liberation Day event, when he will announce a new tariff plan, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that India is going to be dropping its tariffs on American goods very substantially. I think I heard that India just a little while ago is going to be dropping its tariffs very substantially, and I said, Why didnt somebody do this a long time ago? Trump said. Advertisement When asked if his new tariff plan may end up pushing ally countries toward China, the US rejected the assertion, saying it would actually help them do better. Advertisement No, Im not worried about it. I think they have a chance of doing better, actually with the tariffs. It can actually help them in a certain way, and I think a lot of them will drop their tariffs because theyve been unfairly tariffing the United States for years, he added. The US president is all set to announce a new tariff plan on Wednesday, April 2. He has dubbed it Liberation Day in America. Without divulging specific details of the new tariff plan, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday confirmed that the entire cabinet will remain present during the event. Wednesday, it will be Liberation Day in America, as President Trump has so proudly dubbed it, Leavitt said, adding, The President will be announcing a tariff plan that will roll back the unfair trade practices that have been ripping off our country for decades. Hes doing this in the best interest of the American worker. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Court hearings on the criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian citizen charged with crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, were continued on April 1, Trend reports. The open hearings were held at the Baku Military Court and presided over by Judge Zeynal Agayev and a panel of judges consisting of Anar Rzayev and Jamal Ramazanov (reserve judge Gunel Samadova). The accused was provided with an interpreter in the language of his choice, i.e., Russian, as well as lawyers for his defense. During the hearings, the court questioned the victims of the criminal acts committed by the accused Ruben Vardanyan, who is charged with joining a criminal organization in December 2020, which was created under the leadership and direct participation of Armenian state bodies, officials, military forces, and illegal armed formations, in accordance with their verbal and written instructions, orders, and guidelines, as well as material, technical, and personnel support; central management and strict control; and also of committing numerous criminal acts during the war of aggression waged by the Armenian state against Azerbaijan in violation of domestic and international law. Before the questioning, Zeynal Agayev explained to the victims their rights and obligations stipulated by the legislation. In his testimony, one of the victims, the chief of the logistics department of an unspecified military unit of the liberated Kalbajar district of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, Sohbat Shukurov, said that despite the fact that his service location was far from the line of contact with the Armenian armed forces, he had received wounds of varying degrees of severity as a result of mortar fire during the military provocation by the Armenian armed forces. Another victim, the paramedic of the medical department of an unspecified military unit of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, Samir Yusifov, said in his testimony that he had received wounds of varying degrees of severity as a result of a mortar shell fired by the Armenian armed forces exploding while he was trying to retrieve the bodies of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan who were martyred when preventing a large-scale Armenian provocation in the Kalbajar district. The victims questioned during the court investigation, including Samir Karimov, Orkhan Najafov, Aliyar Mammadov, Ali Garazada, Gurban Gurbanov, Huseynbala Sayilli, Rahman Gasimov, Ulvi Musayev, Ruslan Aliyev, Bakhtiyar Salmanov, Ariz Gahramanov, Azer Abdullayev, Tofig Abishov, Asif Mikayilli, Gasim Garibov, Anar Nabiyev, Ehtiram Samadov, Rashmi Humbatov, Jeyhun Rzaguliyev, Yunis Abdiyev, Dilgam Safarov, Ahmad Ahmadzada, and others, said they knew the accused, Ruben Vardanyan, through the media and social networks but did not know him personally. They stated that they had received bodily injuries of varying degrees of severity as a result of shooting from various weapons, including sniper rifles, and explosions of mortar shells during Armenian military provocations in Kalbajar and Aghdam districts while they were in military service. After the questioning, the victims answered the questions of the judges and prosecutors in charge of public prosecution about their places of service, specific areas where the military provocations were committed, and the severity and localization of the injuries sustained as a result of the incidents. Then, the conclusions of the forensic medical examination conducted on the victims were read out. The next court session is scheduled for April 8. Ruben Vardanyan is charged with crimes under Articles 100.1, 100.2 (planning, preparing, initiating and waging a war of aggression), 107 (deportation and forced displacement of the population), 109 (persecution), 110 (forcible disappearance of persons), 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law), 113 (torture), 114.1 (mercenary activity), 115.2 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare), 116.0.1, 116.0.2, 116.0.10, 116.0.11, 116.0.16, 116.0.18 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict), 120.2.1, 120.2.3, 120.2.4, 120.2.7, 120.2.11, 120.2.12 (intentional murder), 29,120.2.1, 29,120.2.3, 29,120.2.4, 29,120.2.7, 29,120.2.11, 29,120.2.12 (attempted intentional murder), 192.3.1 (illegal entrepreneurship), 214.2.1, 214.2.3, 214.2.4 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing of terrorism), 218.1, 218.2 (creation of a criminal group), 228.3 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation and possession of firearms, their components, ammunition, explosives and devices), 270-1.2, 270-1.4 (acts threatening aviation safety), 278.1 (forcible seizure or retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state), 279.1, 279.2, 279.3 (creation of armed formations or groups not provided for by law) and 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan). Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Barely a few days after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned China against its aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, the Chinese military launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan, involving the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), Army and Rocket Force. The Eastern Theater Command of the PLA said it organised its army, navy, air and rocket forces to close in on Taiwan Island from multiple directions, according to spokesperson for the theatre command Senior Colonel Shi Yi. Taiwan says it has detected 19 Chinese warships and the Shandong aircraft carrier group around its island The PLA Eastern Theater Command announced a major exercise near Taiwan. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense Announcement: "The PLA Navy vessels, led by the aircraft pic.twitter.com/RY36LTamPK Indo-Pacific News - Geo-Politics & Defense (@IndoPac_Info) April 1, 2025 He said the drills are a "stern warning" against "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and are a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity. China claims Taiwan to be its territory. The drills mainly focus on "sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade of key areas and sea lanes to test the joint operation capabilities of the troops." ALSO READ: China's Rocket Force and the manifestation dilemma Meanwhile, China's Coast Guard said it conducted law-enforcement patrols, in waters surrounding Taiwan Island. It also claimed that it "carried out drills such as inspection and capture, interception and detention operations against unwarranted vessels." The #PLA joint exercises are reckless & irresponsible in threatening #Taiwan as well as peace & stability in the #IndoPacific. It came without justification, violate intl laws & is totally unacceptable. Democracies need to condemn #China for being a troublemaker. pic.twitter.com/RJxfZN2RMt Joseph Wu (@josephwutw) April 1, 2025 Taiwan condemned the exercise as "reckless and irresponsible." It came without justification, violates international laws and is totally unacceptable, secretary-general of Taiwans National Security Council Joseph Wu said in a social media post. According to Taiwan defence ministry, it tracked as many as 19 Chinese Navy vessels surrounding the island. The ministry also said it has been tracking the movement of China's Shandong aircraft carrier for the past few days and that the carrier group entered Taiwan's air defence zone. Taiwans Defense Minister Wellington Koo called China's actions reflect destruction of regional peace and stability. If one thought that the American F-35 and the Russian Su-57 fighter aircraft operating from the same airbase at the Indian Air Forces Bengalurus Yelahanka air base with just a couple of hundred metres separating their respective parking bays may be an aberration, think again. The Indian military is now exercising its assets with the Russian and American ones in close vicinity in the eastern seaboard. Among other things, it underlines Indias growing heft on the high table of big powers and reinforces the deft success of its mantra of strategic autonomywhich means maintaining equidistance from the two big military powers and yet having its way with both. On Tuesday, India and the US began the 13-day long fourth edition of the tri-service Exercise Tiger Triumph, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise that aims at developing interoperability for conducting HADR operations and for the formulation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to establish a Combined Coordination Center (CCC) that would enable rapid and smooth coordination between Indian and US Joint Task Forces (JTF) during exercises and crisis / contingencies. #TigerTriumph25 Poised for the mega exercise Tiger Triumph-25, the #AmphibiousBrigade of #BisonDivision is set to showcase its formidable Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (#HADR) and amphibious capabilities during the fourth edition of the Joint Indo-US Exercise. pic.twitter.com/6JiXyhB0Hk Southern Command INDIAN ARMY (@IaSouthern) March 31, 2025 The Indian Navys assets and platforms taking part in the exercise are warships Jalashwa, Gharial, Mumbai and Shakti along with the integral helicopters and landing crafts besides the Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I. The Army is sending soldiers from the 91 Infantry Brigade and the 12 Mechanised Infantry Battalion while the Air Forces C-130 aircraft and MI-17 Helicopters besides a Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT). The US warships are Comstock and Ralph Johnson besides troops of the US Marine Division. The week-long harbour phase is scheduled at Visakhapatnam from April 1 to April 7 while the sea phase of Tiger Triumph will see the military men from both sides undertaking maritime, amphibious and HADR operations off Kakinada. Meanwhile, a few hundred kilometers away the Indian Navy and the Russian Navy are engaged in war games at and near Chennai. The port of Chennai hosted a solemn opening ceremony of the INDRA NAVY 2025 Russian-Indian joint exercise. The event took place on board of the destroyer Rana (Republic of India Navy).#INDRA2025 #RussiaIndia #Chennai pic.twitter.com/pcFfPoGORN Consulate General of Russia in Chennai (@Ruschennai) March 31, 2025 As part of the 14th edition of the Indian-Russia bilateral naval exercise Indrawhich epitomises the long-term strategic relationship between the two naviesIndian Navy warships Rana and Kuthar and a P8l will join forces with Russian warships Pechanga, Rezkiy and Aldar Tsydenzhapov to undertake advanced naval drills, including tactical manoeuvres, live weapon firings, anti-air operations, underway replenishment, helicopter cross-deck landings and exchange of sea-riders. While the harbour phase of Indra concluded at Chennai on Sunday, the sea phase began on Monday and will conclude on Wednesday in the Bay of Bengal. A few days ago, the defence ministry signed a contract with US-based military contractor Metrea Management for wet leasing of flight refuelling aircraft (FRA) for providing air-to-air refuelling training to pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy. Wet leasing refers to the leasing arrangement in which one airline offers an aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance to another airline or entity for a stipulated period. Metrea will provide FRA Stratotanker refuelling aircraft within six months. This will be the first FRA to be wet leased by IAF. About KC-135 Stratotanker A crucial component of the United States Air Force's operational capabilities for over 60 years, KC-135 Stratotanker is a military aerial refuelling aircraft developed by Boeing. KC-135 is equipped with a flying boom system for refuelling, which allows it to transfer fuel to other aircraft during flight. It can also be fitted with a multipoint refueling system that enables it to refuel two aircraft simultaneously. ALSO READ: I56 attack choppers incoming soon: When will Indian Army, IAF get to deploy 156 LCH Prachand? Most of the internal fuel could be pumped through boom, which is the aircraft's primary fuel transfer method. The boom operator, who would be stationed near the rear of the aircraft controls the boom during in-flight air refueling. Besides, the drogue attached to and trailing behind the flying boom could be used for refuelling aircraft fitted with probes. The IAF primarily uses the probe-and-drogue system for aerial refuelling. Why KC-135? India is wet leasing a KC-135 Stratotanker in a bid to address the major operational challenges faced by its existing fleet of Soviet/Russian four-engined tanker Ilyushin Il-78MKI tankers, including unreliable refuelling pods, problems with maintenance. India inducted Ilyushin Il-78MKI refuelling aircraft in 2003. Since its induction, there have been major operational and logistic challenges. The operational readiness and flexibility of the Indian defence forces, especially in the wake of the heightened tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control, suffered due to persistent maintenance and serviceability issues which include a lack of adequate manufacturer support. Over the years, the fleet's availability rates has fallen below 50 per cent, much below IAF's target of 70 per cent. India's attempts to procure new tankers have been stuck in bureaucratic hurdles, prompting the defence ministry to look for interim solutions. The wet leasing arrangement is seen as a cost-effective and flexible option, allowing for immediate operational deployment. IIT Roorkee, which started as Roorkee College in 1847, was the first engineering college in Asia. After about a century, the college was elevated to the University of Roorkee, the first engineering university of independent India, on November 25, 1949, and to an IIT on September 21, 2001 BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Azerbaijan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, met with Mehdi Sanaei, the Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on April 1, 2025, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani MFA. During the meeting, various aspects of the current bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran were discussed, including regional and international security matters. The meeting discussed expanding collaboration on areas of mutual interest, including trade, energy security, transportation, and communication networks. Both ministers highlighted the role of joint projects between Azerbaijan and Iran in the development of critical transportation corridors in the region, a testament to the growing partnership between the two countries. The State Commission for Economic, Trade, and Humanitarian Affairs between Azerbaijan and Iran was noted as an essential platform for discussing existing cooperation opportunities in these fields. The meeting also explored opportunities for increased cooperation through international platforms such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and the D-8. Bayramov and Sanaei also exchanged views on other pressing issues that affect both nations. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel As India observed the Prevention of Blindness Week starting today, from April 1 to April 7, THE WEEK spoke to Dr Harshwardhan Ghorpade, Cornea, Cataract & Refractive Surgeon, Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, on various crucial aspects related to the eyes, from infections to longer screen time and eye care. Q: Tell us about the long-term impact of using eye drops without a prescription. A: Many non-prescribed eye drops contain steroids which can increase eye pressure, and cause glaucoma, cataracts and other infections. Q: How can parents tackle excessive screen time in children? A: Increased screen time for children would lead to an increase in the power of prescription glasses, and dry eyes with redness and grittiness. Additionally, the blue light causes inadequate and irregular sleep patterns leading to irritability, attentiveness and reduced mental ability. Q: Can excessive rubbing of the eyes lead to long-term eye problems? A: It can cause infection, and increase eye power and pressure. Additionally, it can cause thinning of the outer layer (cornea) leading to a progressive disease called Keratoconus. Q: What are the different ways of eye care across age groups? To keep eyes healthy the 4 Ps are: Prevention: Consume fresh green and red vegetables and fruits, take intermittent breaks from screen time, do not rub your eyes, ensure adequate sleep and exposure to moderate sunlight but at the same time do not look sunlight directly and early referral to the eye doctor in case of a problem. Protect: Wear protective eye gear in factories, while travelling in intense sunlight, during festivals like Holi and Diwali and while trekking in snow-clad mountains and on high seas. Preserve: Preserve your eye moisture with lubricating eye drops, adequate water and sleep, covering eyes with gear while travelling and in front of the screen, avoiding direct exposure to AC draft and regular eye exercises to improve adequate blood supply. Prioritise: Eye health with limited screen exposure, early detections and treatment with routine eye checkups especially after turning 40 for silent diseases like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. It is essential to control high minus power in children (myopia) with reduced screen time, myopia controlling treatment options like glasses, contact lenses or laser vision correction should be opted for. Q: Which are the five most common eye infections you've observed recently? A: The five most common infections are, viral conjunctivitis, bacterial conjunctivitis, contact lens and trauma-related bacterial and fungal corneal ulcers and post-operative infections. The stage is set for a heated debate on the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill, as the government will introduce the legislation in the Lok Sabha on April 2. The BJP has issued a whip to all its MPs, ensuring their presence in the House for the bill's passage. The bill also seeks to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India, thereby enhancing the efficiency of Waqf boards. BJP issues whip to all Lok Sabha MPs to be present in Parliament tomorrow, 2nd April. On 2nd April, Waqf Amendment Bill will be introduced for consideration and passing. pic.twitter.com/8coAnUDpyg ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025 However, the Opposition parties are opposed to the bill calling it against the interest of the minority community. During the meeting of the Lok Sabha's Business Advisory Committee, the Opposition parties demanded that over 12 hours be allocated for discussion, but the decision has been made to allocate eight hours. The Congress and other parties stormed out of the committee meeting saying the government trying to bulldoze its way through. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadanvis tweets, "Waqf Amendment Bill is in Parliament tomorrow, now lets see if Uddhav Balasaheb Thackerays Shiv Sena follows Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackerays ideology or will follow footsteps of Rahul Gandhi and keep doing appeasement." pic.twitter.com/MpvQEQDDh9 ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025 The bill will be discussed for at least eight hours before it is set to vote for passing. The opposition parties have walked out of the BAC meeting in protest. Why? Because the government is simply bulldozing its agenda and not listening to the views of the opposition parties. We have asked for a comprehensive discussion on the Waqf Amendment Act, but our views are pic.twitter.com/DDB3M649WA Congress (@INCIndia) April 1, 2025 The NDA has the majority in the Lok Sabha, with BJPs allies throwing their weight behind it, even though there have been calls to oppose the legislation. However, as three parties part of the NDA, BJP allies such as Nitish Kumar-led JDU, Paswan-led LJP, and Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM belong to Bihar, where elections are scheduled in next months, they will be under pressure in the manner they frame their argument during the debate. The issue is particularly important in Bihar, where Muslims constitute close to 18 per cent of the population. They had already held a rally in the state against the bill. The Waqf bill was introduced in Parliament by the NDA government and subsequently sent to a joint parliamentary committee for detailed consultations where it was passed with 14 amendments, while those moved by the Opposition parties were rejected. The government will introduce a fresh bill incorporating the JPCs recommendations. The Lok Sabha proceedings will be keenly watched as it will be NDA versus the India alliance as the governments ideological agenda will be tested inside the house. While hearing the bail plea of Shanti Prasad Sinha, the former chairman of the advisory committee of the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC), the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to justify its opposition to his bail in the alleged cash-for-job scam. Sinha was first arrested by the CBI in August 2022 as part of its investigations into an alleged scam. He has been accused of facilitating teaching and non-teaching jobs for unqualified candidates in exchange for money. Former education minister Partha Chatterjee is also behind bars in connection with the case. Earlier in November last year, a two-judge division bench of the Calcutta High Court had delivered a split verdict on a bail plea moved by Sinha, Chatterjee and several others accused in the case. While four of the accused were granted bail, five were denied, as the judges could not reach a consensus. The matter was then referred to the single bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty who rejected the bail plea of Sinha, Chatterjee and others, namely Subiresh Bhattacharjee, Kalyanmoy Gangopadhyay, Ashok Saha. Sinha then knocked on the door of the Supreme Court where the division bench of Justices S.V.N. Bhatti and Sandeep Mehta directed the CBI to explain why it is opposing Sinhas bail in the next hearing which is likely to take place on May 20. On Tuesday, Sinhas counsel argued before the division bench that the chargesheet in the recruitment scam case has already been filed, and under these circumstances, his client should be granted bail. Sinha has been accused of orchestrating the alleged cash-for-job scam within the SSC. Reportedly, his committee recommended names of candidates to be given jobs. He was also arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in April last year as part of its investigation into the same case. The CPI(M) is gearing up for its 24th Party Congress in Madurai. Party delegates from across the country will deliberate on various topicsfrom international relations to internal bickeringsbetween April 2 and April 6. This Party Congress will be crucial in shaping CPI(M)s future direction, strategies, and relevance in Indian politics. A new face for the party CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury passed away in September 2024. The top leadership now faces the critical task of selecting his successor. Yechury had strong ties with leaders from other parties, especially the Congress, and his ability to balance pragmatism with ideological constraints played a key role in shaping CPI(M)s national position for over a decade. As the party elects a new general secretary in Madurai, the key questions will be: who will replace Yechury? And will the new leader continue his approach or signal a shift in strategy? Generational shift in the politburo CPI(M)s internal policy mandates the retirement of leaders above 75 from key organisational positions. If enforced strictly, this rule would result in the exit of senior leaders like Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar, former general secretary Prakash Karat, and senior leader Brinda Karat from the politburo (PB). It is expected that up to seven new members will be inducted into the PB. Preparations are in full swing at the #CPIMXXIVPartyCongress venue in Madurai. pic.twitter.com/bNYnLesiwy CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) April 1, 2025 However, CM Vijayan is likely to receive an exemption from the age restriction, as he did in the last Party Congress, given his status as the partys most influential leader in Keralaits last remaining stronghold. Age restriction mandate would bring significant new blood in the partys Central Committee too. With an entire generation of leadership making way for new faces, this Party Congress will mark a significant generational shift within CPI(M). Policy direction In Kerala, Vijayans market-friendly policiesincluding public-private partnerships to restructure PSUs, private capital inflows including in domains like higher education, and economic modernisation largely following neo-liberal policiesrepresent a major pragmatic shift. Despite concerns that such policies make CPI(M) appear similar to parties such as the Congress or BJP in economic matters, the party in Kerala is embracing this transition. The state conference in Kollam saw overwhelming support for the Pinarayist policies. Nationally, however, CPI(M) seeks to position itself as an ideological counterweight to Hindutvas socio-economic agenda, presenting itself as Indias leading Leftist force. The Madurai Congress will test the partys ability to reconcile these contradictions between its economic pragmatism in Kerala and its ideological stance at the national level. Another key factor will be the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. The Congress remains CPI(M)s main rival in Kerala, and the strategies required to retain power in the state could influence the wordplay in the policy resolution adopted at Madurai. A significant portion of its discussions will be dedicated to criticising and countering Hindutva forces, but crucial decisions regarding the relationship with Congress at the national level may also be part of Madurai's outcomes. This would have an impact on the partys relationship with the Congress and the broader INDIA bloc in other states and at the national level. During the Congress governments tenure, Maharashtra had a strong law enforcement presence, and Mumbai Police were often compared to Scotland Yard. However, ever since Devendra Fadnavis took charge of the Home Department, the state's law and order situation has deteriorated significantly, claimed the president of Maharashtra Congress Harshvardhan Sapkal. He said that the government has been rattled by satirical poetry performed by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, and now, it is reported that even audience members attending his show are being served notices. Issuing such notices clearly indicates an attempt to turn the state into a police-controlled regime, claimed Sapkal. Reacting to the issue, the Congress state president said, that if a comedian makes jokes about political leaders, they should be accepted with a big heart and viewed as humour. Even Indias first prime minister, Bharat Ratna Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Manmohan Singh, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi have been subjected to harsh satire, but never were artists or their audiences harassed in such a manner. Kunal Kamra did not even mention Eknath Shinde by name, yet his party resorted to vandalism and threats against him. What crime have the audience members committed by merely watching his show? Sapkal further said that Those who issued threats to Kamra and vandalised studios roam free, while the police harass innocent viewers. What kind of justice is this? asked Sapkal. According to Sapkal, the government is trying to turn Maharashtra into a police state and this must be opposed and stopped immediately. This administration operates on the principle of punishing the innocent while letting criminals run free, he claimed. Sapkal pointed out that in the three months since the BJP-led government came to power, Beed and Parbhani have witnessed murders of Santosh Deshmukh and Somnath Suryavanshi, Baba Siddiqui, a former minister was killed in Mumbai, celebrities are receiving death threats, and actor Saif Ali Khan was attacked inside his own home. A woman was raped at the Swargate bus station. From celebrities to village heads, no one is safe in this state, opined Sapkal. The Koyta Gang, Aka Gang, and Khoka Gang are running rampant, yet the Home Department and police force are unable to curb crime. From Pune city to the rural areas of Dharashiv district, drugs are being openly sold, but no action is being taken, felt Sapkal. He further criticised CM Devendra Fadnavis, stating, that the Home Minister has no control over his department. His police force is only focused on taking action against political opponents, tapping their phones, preventing democratic protests, and harassing common citizens. Ministers from the ruling party issue open threats, yet the Home Minister sits blindfolded like Dhritarashtra. Both the Home Minister and the Director General of Police have become mere showpieces. If Fadnavis cannot dedicate enough time to the Home Department, he should appoint a full-time, competent Home Minister in the states best interest, he said. The Tamil Nadu government has amended its prayer in a writ petition filed before the Madras High Court against the Enforcement Directorates (ED) searches and seizures at the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) headquarters in Chennai. The amendment petition filed by the state government on Monday and the two writ petitions filed by TASMAC, before the Madras High court, seeking to declare the entire search operations illegal and to inject the ED from harassing its staff, will come up for hearing on Tuesday. The amendment petition filed by the government seems to be a constant decision as the division bench of Madras High Court consisting of Justices MS Ramesh and N Senthilkumar, having the portfolio for hearing PMLA cases recused themselves. On March 20, when the state government and TASMAC filed the petitions, the bench heard it and passed certain comments. Justices Ramesh and SenthilKumar raised questions on the rationale behind the ED detaining long hours the officers and employees of TASMAC during the searches from March 6 to 8, 2025. The Justices had passed comments asking how a blanket order can be passed can be issued preventing the ED from conducting searches and seizure operations in any money laundering case in the state without the governments consent. The state government in its amendment petition had amended its prayer urging the court to interpret or read the definition of person under Section 2(1)(s) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The amendment prayer requests that the definition should be read in a way that it excludes authorities, regulators, or officers of either the Central or State governments. The government also seeks a declaration that officers of the state to be obligated under the PMLA should be limited to providing assistance to ED officials, as per the law. In its writ petition the government has also sought direction to the central investigating agency to call only the officers who are authorised and notified under Section 54 of the PMLA to assist the agency in the enforcement of the Act. The petition also sought the ED to ask officers under section 54 and not under section 17 or section 50 of the PMLA. Section 17 of the PMLA act confers powers on the ED to conduct searches and seizure operations while section 50 gives power to the ED to summon individuals, order of records and record statements. It also sought a direction from the court to direct ED not to enter into the premises of the offices of the state-owned corporations and declare the searches conducted by ED from March 6 to 8, 2025 as illegal, unconstitutional, and invalid the action. Earlier, a week after the raids, the state government and TASMAC had sought a court declaration that the ED raids are illegal, challenging the authority to investigate government departments and entities without prior consent. On March 25, the bench recused themselves from hearing the petitions leading to various suspicions like alleged pressure from Delhi. Meanwhile, S. Muralidharan, an activist from Chennai, has filed an imploding petition before the Madras High Court to include him as a party in the case. On the other hand, fair trade regulator, Competition Commission of India (CCI) has also ordered an investigation against TASMAC over allegations in Beer procurement after an individual filed a complaint. The Commission has directed its Director General to investigate into a complaint filed against TASMAC over allegations that it is restricting competition in the state's beer market by favouring select brands. He has been directed to investigate and submit the report within 60 days. The complaint said that TASMAC has been purchasing and selling only a few beer brands, while limiting access to other brands in the market and discouraging competition in business. He also argued that thus practice violated Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2002, which prohibits abuse of dominant position. The amendment writ petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government, the activists imploding petition and the petition filed by CCI, spell huge trouble for the DMK and its Excise minister V Senthil Balaji, who is already on bail in the cash for jobs scam case. The raging controversy over L2:Empuran refuses to die down with the right wing groups continuing their tirade against the big budget Mohanlal-starrer Malayalam film. The film has become a topic of hot debate over its critique of right-wing politics and the covert mention of the Gujarat riots. Though the Bharatiya Janata Party has not given any open call for a boycott of the film, the RSS mouthpiece, the Organiser, has been publishing a series of articles on its website deriding the film directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran. In the latest article published on Tuesday, author Abhijith Radhakrishnan Nair lashed out at the movie for its troubling portrayal of terrorism and its biased narrative that risks inflaming communal tensions. The article which lauds films like Kashmir Files and Kerala Story for their bold and unapologetic narrative, accused Empuraan of crossing the dangerous line of glorifying terrorism. The portrayal (of the character Zayed Masood) is problematic not only because it appears to justify terrorism as a form of revenge, but it dangerously suggests that such acts are a legitimate response to communal violence, it said. The article further accused the filmmakers of blurring the line between cinematic fiction and ideological propaganda. Rather than condemning acts of terrorism or the ideologies that fuel them, the movie seems to rationalise them as retaliation against an allegedly oppressive state, it said, adding that the narrative has selectively painted Hindus as perpetrators and Muslims as victims. In another article on Tuesday, the Organiser targetted Empuraan director Prithviraj, accusing him of taking double standards in his own films. It said despite Mohanlal, the lead actor, issuing an apology, the silence of Prithviraj is disappointing. Prithvirajs reluctance to address the controversy directly reveals a troubling pattern of evading responsibility when it matters most, said the article. As the controversy raged, Antony Perumbavoor, one of the producers of the movie, said on Tuesday that a little over two minutes of scenes have been deleted from the movie. He, however, added that the decision to carry out the edit was a joint one of all the producers and actors, including Mohanlal and Prithviraj, and it was not out of fear of anyone. Sri Lanka is set to witness a significant milestone in its energy and economic collaboration with India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to visit the island nation from April 4 to 6, at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Addressing the Sri Lankan parliament on March 21, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that Modi is visiting Sri Lanka for the 'stability of the country'. He said that construction work on the Sampur Power Plant in Trincomalee will commence concurrently with Modi's visit, highlighting the stability of Sri Lanka as a key factor in fostering international partnerships. Modi's agenda in Sri Lanka During his visit, Modi and Dissanayake will inaugurate several India-assisted projects, including the NTPC Sampur Solar Project, which is a collaborative initiative between India's National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Sri Lanka's Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). Located in Sampur, Trincomalee, this project marks a significant shift from the previously planned coal power plant at the same site. The solar power project is being implemented in two stages: the first phase involves a 50 MW solar power plant, while the second phase will add another 70 MW, bringing the total capacity to 120 MW. The Sampur project is expected to play a crucial role in addressing Sri Lanka's energy needs while strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries. The leaders will also exchange multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering energy connectivity, digitisation, health, and multi-sectoral grant assistance. Modi's itinerary includes a visit to the historic city of Anuradhapura, where he and Dissanayake will pay respects at the Mahabodhi temple and launch two India-assisted projects, potentially including a railway initiative. Modi is expected to address the longstanding fishermen issue during his talks with Dissanayake. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has urged Modi to sign a new agreement with Sri Lanka to protect the rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen near Katchatheevu. The issue, involving arrests and boat seizures by the Sri Lankan Navy, remains a critical point of contention, with calls for constructive engagement to find a lasting solution. Possible revival of renewable energy projects While reports indicate that Adanis port project in Sri Lanka may be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming visit to the Island Nation, could it also influence the outcome of the Adani Green Energy (AGEL) projects in northern Sri Lanka? Though no official confirmation has been made, the renewable project, which faced challenges due to tariff disagreements and was withdrawn by Adani, remains a topic of interest during bilateral discussions. During a recent televised discussion, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed disappointment over the Dissanayake-led government's handling of the renewable energy project in Mannar with Adani. Dissanayake defended the National People's Power (NPP) coalition government's decision to renegotiate the purchasing price, stating that alternative bids for renewable energy projects offered prices significantly lower than Adani's proposed rate of 8.26 US cents per unit. In late December 2024, the new cabinet opted to renegotiate the purchasing price citing concerns over corruption and high costs. Adani, in response, withdrew from the $400 million project after incurring a five-million-dollar expenditure. The Adani Group remains interested in reviving its $1-billion renewable energy power project in Sri Lanka, despite announcing its withdrawal in February 2025. Sources suggest ongoing negotiations between Adani Green Energy and the Sri Lankan government over tariff rates, with a tentative agreement of 7 cents per kWh being discussed, compared to the originally proposed 8.26 cents. The Indian government reportedly views this project as a strategic investment, advocating for its continuation. The project, which includes 484 MW wind farms at Mannar and Pooneryn and related transmission network expansion, had stalled due to tariff disagreements and a review initiated by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's government. Adani has already invested $5 million in pre-development activities, but discussions broke down over costs. While the company wrote to Sri Lankas Board of Investment about withdrawing, it left the possibility of future collaborations open and retained most regulatory clearances, excluding environmental approval in Mannar. If the ongoing talks succeed, work may begin as early as June 2025. Defence Cooperation and Economic Recovery Interestingly, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri indicated that an MoU on defence cooperation is on the horizon, marking a monumental shift in the trajectory of India-Sri Lanka relations, symbolising a departure from the contentious past of the Indian Peace Keeping Force's withdrawal over three decades ago. It reflects the evolving dynamics between the two nations, particularly in the face of China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean Region. Although the finer details of the pact remain under wraps, it is expected to elevate bilateral defence ties. Economically, the ties remain robust, with bilateral trade reaching $5.5 billion in 2023-24 and cumulative Indian investments standing at $2.2 billion. India has played a crucial role in Sri Lanka's economic recovery, particularly during the severe crisis of 2022. By extending $20.66 million in grant assistance to settle payments for seven completed line-of-credit projects and converting repayments into grants, India has demonstrated its unwavering support. The rehabilitation of Kankesanthurai Port, valued at $61.5 million, will also be executed as a grant, underscoring India's commitment to development in Sri Lanka. Earlier, Indias assistance of nearly $4 billion during 2022-2023 proved instrumental in stabilizing Sri Lankas economy, complemented by collaboration with the IMF on debt restructuring. As co-chair of the Official Creditors Committee, New Delhi continues to play a vital role in these efforts. President Dissanayake's choice of India for his inaugural overseas visit after assuming office in 2024 underscored a deliberate effort to align Colombo's approach with New Delhi's sensitivities and strategic concerns in the Indian Ocean Region. In a reciprocal gesture, Modi, visiting in close succession, will become the first foreign leader to be hosted by Dissanayake, reflecting the significance both leaders attach to their bilateral ties. (The author is a security and economic affairs analyst) A fierce gunfight broke out between security forces and militants in the Ramkot area of Billawar, Kathua district, late Monday night. Reportedly, one militant has been killed and another injured, while security operations continue in the area. The militants are believed to be part of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and two of them were killed in an encounter at Jathuna a few days ago. Four policemen lost their lives in the encounter while seven security forces personnel were injured. Three militants had escaped from the encounter site. Kathua, J&K | An exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists started late last night in the Billawar area of Kathua after security forces launched a massive search and cordon operation in the area. The operation is still underway. More details awaited: J&K Police ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025 The fresh encounter began when police intercepted three JeM terrorists in the Panch Tirth area of Ramkot in Kathua. Police and CRPF personnel launched an operation, leading to heavy gunfire that lasted throughout the night. Special forces of the Army later joined the operation to strengthen the security response. This is the third major encounter in Kathua district in as many days. The first took place in Sanyal village of Hiranagar, where five militants were spotted. A confrontation began when they attempted to kidnap a local couple. The couple escaped and alerted security forces, leading to a gunfight in which two militants were killed at Jathuna, while three others managed to flee. The second encounter occurred in Juthana, under Rajbagh Police Station, where security forces engaged another group of militants Two militants were eliminated, though intelligence reports suggest more operatives may be in the area. Following these encounters, security forces intensified efforts to track down the remaining terrorists. Late last night, three militants were spotted in Jain Tirth, Ramkot. police, backed by CRPF units, launched an operation, resulting in heavy crossfire. The area has been cordoned off to prevent any escape. Amid the surge in militant activity, security has been tightened along highways leading to Billawar from Jammu and Kathua. Intelligence inputs suggest multiple militant groups may have infiltrated from across the border, and authorities fear more attempts could be under way. Earlier, police arrested several individuals suspected of helping militants move from Sanyal, Hiranagar, to Juthana. These individuals are believed to have guided the militants through established infiltration routes. As the Billawar search operation continues, security forces remain on high alert, determined to prevent further infiltration and ensure the safety of residents. The Karnataka unit of Bharatiya Janata Party will launch the 'Janaakrosh Yatra' - a statewide campaign to create awareness about the price rise under the Congress government in the state on April 7. Union Minister Prahalad Joshi will flag off the first phase of the campaign from Mysuru on the day. The yatra will pass through Mysuru and Chamarajanagar on April 7, Mandya and Hassan on April 8, Kodagu Mangaluru on April 9, and Udupi and Chikkamagaluru on April 10. Tumakuru, Karnataka: BJP State President B. Y. Vijayendra says, "The BJP has initiated two major protests against the state government. The first phase focuses on the price hike, with the party opposing the government's policies that have led to increases in the prices of milk, pic.twitter.com/OBkigqKkyc IANS (@ians_india) April 1, 2025 "The first phase of the campaign has been discussed with the Union ministers V. Somanna and Shobha Karandlaje. The second phase will begin on April 13 and cover Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts. A padayatra will be held in each district centre for two to three kilometres followed by a public rally which will be attended by the elected representatives and party leaders," informed Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra. As a precursor to the yatra, an overnight protest will be staged on April 2, at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, to protest against the price rise and "minority appeasement" politics of the Siddaramaiah government. The protest will be carried out by BJP legislators, who will also stage a protest against the suspension of BJP MLAs, in front of the Kengal Hanumanthaiah statue in Vidhana Soudha. As a follow-up to the protest, on April 5, the BJP workers will take to the streets at the district, taluk and mandal levels. Speaking at the press meet held at BJP headquarters in Bengaluru on Sunday, Vijayendra alleged the state budget favoured only the minorities, particularly the Muslims. "The Congress government has reserved 4 per cent of all government civil contracts, enhanced the financial assistance for Muslim students studying abroad from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh and increased the salary of imams. After the 'Shaadi Bhagya' incentive to Muslim women, the Siddaramaiah government is now spending on self-defence training for Muslim girls. Why is the government being selective in its schemes? Religion-based reservations and benefits are against the Constitution. This is not just appeasement politics but also an insult to the Hindu community," said Vijayendra, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modis schemes, including Jan Dhan Yojana, benefitted everyone regardless of religion and the 'Bhagyalakshmi' scheme started by B.S. Yediyurappa government in the state was meant for all communities, not just Hindus. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Interim President of the Syrian Arab Republic Ahmed al-Sharaa has sent a congratulatory letter to President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the Ramadan holiday, Trend reports. "Mr. President, Dear Brother. I am pleased to extend to you my sincerest congratulations on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. Taking this pleasant opportunity, I wish Your Excellency good health, a long life, and even greater progress, prosperity, and peace for the Republic of Azerbaijan. I pray to the Almighty Allah for the happiness of our countries, our peoples, and the Islamic Ummah through our joint efforts. Happy Holiday!" the letter reads. Will expelled BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal launch a new party? The Hindutva Hardliner and a vocal critic of former chief minister and fellow Lingayat B.S. Yediyurappa, Yatnal was expelled from the party for breach of party discipline last week. However, the expulsion has led to resentment among the BJP cadres who feel the party is sidelining the Hindutva leaders. Even as Yatnal hinted that he would mull over the possibility of floating a new party based on Hindutva ideology, going by the past precedent, the regional parties in Karnataka have been short-lived and not seen much electoral success. Also, unlike the other leaders who formed a new party, Yatnal is not a mass leader and cannot hope to get the backing from his own Lingayat community, which holds sway in nearly 100 Assembly constituencies. The Vijayapura MLA had been accusing the Yediyurappa family, especially the state president By Vijayendra, of indulging in corruption and adjustment politics with the ruling Congress. He also alleged that Yediyurappa had sidelined Hindutva leaders in the party Anantkumar Hegde, Pratap Simha and K.S. Eshwarappa. However, it only earned him the wrath of the party high command as his outbursts against Yediyurappa and his son were denting the partys image and spoiling the discipline in the party. While, the cadres and the leaders recognise Yatnals fight for Hindutva and the Hindu community (by leading the anti- wakf protests, or speaking out against 45 per cent reservation for Muslims) and his focus on issues related to the north Karnataka region, his rebellion has caused huge embarrassment to the party by exposing the factional feuds in the open. I would never join the Congress party as it is anti-Hindu. There is a demand of the people for a Hindu-centric party. I will announce on Vijayadashami day if I decide to launch a new party after building consensus among my supporters and wellwishers, said Yatnal adding he was not against Modi or the BJP but the Yediyurappa family. Yatnal, also, argues that he will return to the BJP soon and that the state leaders would urge the partys central leadership to revoke his expulsion. The former union minister and a fiery Hindutva leader from the Kalyan Karnataka region, Yatnal will face many hurdles to float and sustain a political party at a time when the national parties are predatory and flushed with resources leaving little room for startups. Janata Dal Secular (JDS) founded in 1999 by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda is the longest surviving regional party in Karnataka, which has played the kingmaker and also shared power with both BJP and the Congress. It remains a significant regional force in Karnataka as it is backed by the dominant Vokkaliga community in the Old Mysore region, who consider Devegowda as their icon. The party which continues to hold around 19 per cent vote share is in alliance with the BJP in the state and at the Centre. JDS state party president and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is now part of the Modi cabinet. In the 1960s, the Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha (KCVP) founded by Vatal Nagaraj (who has won the Chamarajanagar Assembly seat many times) to focus on Kannada interests, was reduced to a Kannada advocacy group. The Karnataka Congress Party (KCP) founded by former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa in 1994 won 10 seats (voteshare 7.31 per cent) in the 1994 Assembly elections but later lost its clout. Lok Shakti, founded by Ramakrishna Hegde in 1997 after his fallout with H.D. Devegowda, had allied with the BJP in 1998 but eventually merged with the Janata Dal (United) in 1999. Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha (SKP) founded in 1999 by writer Devanuru Mahadeva, aimed to promote social justice and Dalit upliftment, but did not succeed electorally. Karnataka Rajya Ryota Paksha (KRRP), founded by Prof. M.D. Nanjundaswamy, advocated for agriculture, rural development, and farmers' rights until Nanjundaswamy's death in 2004. In the last two decades, three rebel BJP leaders launched new political parties which did not find success though they managed to dent the votes of the saffron party. Badavara Shramikara Raitara (BSR) Congress was founded in 2011 by Valmiki leader B. Sriramulu. The party won four seats (voteshare 2.69 percent) in the 2013 Karnataka elections but later merged with the BJP in 2014. Similarly, the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) was formed by Yediyurappa in 2012, won six seats (vote share 9.79 per cent) and managed to weaken BJP's performance in the 2013 state elections. Yediyurappa joined the BJP in 2014, just ahead of the Parliament elections after dissolving the KJP. The latest entrant is the Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) launched by tainted mining baron Janardhana Reddy in 2022, promising to work for the development and welfare in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. Reddy won the Gangavathi seat and merged the party with the BJP. This time, Yatnal will be pitched against Yediyurappa and the BJP who are favoured by the dominant Lingayat community. Also, the Hindutva plank would not be helpful as the RSSs Hindutva credentials and the cadre strength of the RSS-BJP is unmatched. The JDS clout over Old Mysore region and the Vokkaligas and Yatnals anti-Muslim stance leave him with little scope to build a loyal votebase. For now, Yatnal might have the sympathy of senior leaders and cadres, but expecting the BJP cadres to pick him over the party seems far-fetched. As Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi claims, Yatnal might retrace his steps into the BJP, when the time is right. A remark made by Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on the northeast Indian states has stirred up a political storm in the region with the Congress party alleging that Indias foreign policy has weakened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a video widely circulated on social media, Yunus said Indias seven northeast states are landlocked and Bangladesh is the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. Yunus, who was on a four-day visit to China last week, also invited Beijing to make an extension of its economy in the region. This is disturbing Mohd Yunus says in Beijing that 7 states of India's north east have no sea access Bangladesh is the "guardian of the sea" and invites China to make this area an "extension" The so called democratic uprising in Bangladesh was always an attack against India pic.twitter.com/EoEQIIS8Gp Abhishek (@AbhishBanerj) March 31, 2025 Yunuss remarks were seen by many as a veiled threat to Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity. Senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said it was unfortunate that the country's foreign policy has "weakened" to such an extent that even Bangladesh, whose independence India had supported, has turned against it. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently wrote to Bangladesh on the occasion of its National Day, highlighting the 'strong ties' between the two nations. After that Muhammad Yunus's recent remarks about Northeast India and China are deeply concerning and unacceptable, as they undermine India's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Gogoi, the deputy leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, said. It is unfortunate that Indias foreign policy has weakened to the point where even a nation whose independence India actively supported is now leaning toward strategic opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently wrote to Bangladesh on the occasion of its National Day, Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) April 1, 2025 Leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance condemned Yunuss remarks as "offensive and provocative" "The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh, the so-called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable," said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh so called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable. This remark underscores the Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 1, 2025 Sarma called for exploring alternative routes connecting the northeast to the rest of India, bypassing the 'Chicken's Neck'. Whats Chicken's Neck? The Siliguri Corridor in West Bengal, having width of just over 20 km, is the only strip of land that connects the northeast to the rest of India. This narrow strip is sandwiched between Nepal and Bangladesh, with Bhutan and China a few hundred km away. With the AIADMK warming up to the BJP in Tamil Nadu, the saffron party's state president K. Annamalai is likely to step down. Annamalai, sources say, has been asked to step down, not as a punishment, but to help the BJP align with the AIADMK to face the 2026 Assembly elections. BJPs Legislative Party leader and a former minister under Jayalalithaa, Nainar Nagendran is likely to replace Annamalai. Annamalai was summoned to Delhi last week and he had an hour-long meeting with Union Home Amit Shah. During the meeting, sources say, he submitted a detailed report on BJPs growth in Tamil Nadu, the possible strategies the party can work out in the state and the intra-party equations in the BJP in Tamil Nadu. While the Delhi high command has decided to relinquish Annamalai, he promised his loyalty to the party and in turn the party has promised to retain him as a key figure in the run-up to the 2026 assembly elections. Sources say that the BJP central leadership has come up with the new strategy only to fight the DMK in the state and feels winning more numbers is crucial for the party. Days before Annamalais meeting with Amit Shah, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami had also called on the home minister. One of the major demands of Palanisami was to replace Annamalai, as he was considered to be the major reason for the AIADMK-BJP falling apart in 2024. The other reason for the Delhi high command planning to replace Annamalai is to set right the caste equations in the AIADMK-BJP alliance. While Palanisami and other AIADMK leaders hail from the West, Annamalai too coming from the Gounder community, the dominant caste in the West and has not helped the BJP perform in the South. Nainar Nagendran, who hails from the south from the dominant Thevar community, sources say, could help the BJP and also the AIADMK when the two parties come together. During his meeting with Amit Shah, Annamalai was given his due respect and there was no dressing down as his opponents say, a senior BJP leader told THE WEEK. Annamalais exit, however, may not happen immediately and it will be announced a few days before a new national president is elected. Why Annamalai is an asset to the saffron party In December 2024, soon after his return from his study trip in London, Annamalai whipped himself six times outside his house in Coimbatore. Calling it his penance and protest against a sexual assault case at Anna University in Chennai, Annamalai vowed not to wear any footwear until the DMK is unseated from power. An IPS officer who quit his dream job in Karnataka to join politics, Annamalai first contested from the Aravakurichi assembly constituency in Karur district unsuccessfully. Karur is considered to be the fiefdom of DMKs V. Senthil Balaji. Annamalai even said that he will break Balajis teeth during the 2021 election campaign. After Annamalai took over as the BJP chief in July 2021, there has been no looking back for either the BJP or him. The party had seen steady growth, in the western and the southern regions, which comprise over 114 assembly segments. Annamalai, immediately after he took charge in 2021, sharpened his guns at the DMK, releasing DMK files or the details of the DMK estates. He was one of the most vociferous leaders in Tamil Nadu against the DMK even when the opposition AIADMK remained silent on issues concerning people's welfare. The BJP had a mere two per cent votes until he took charge and he increased it to a double-digit figure. It scored 11.3 per cent vote share in the 2024 elections, though the party could not win from any Lok Sabha seat. Out of the 19 parliamentary constituencies the BJP contested in alliance, in 2024, the AIADMK was pushed to the third position in at least 11 constituencies. The party which was a non-performer in the state, began getting visibility after Annamalai took over as the state president. However, there was unrest within the party as he ensured that the old guards were either silenced or shifted out from the state with governor positions. Incidentally, on Sunday, during a press conference at the Coimbatore airport, Annamalai said that he was ready to work as a cadre in the party. This was just a day after his Delhi visit to meet the BJP high command. Annamalais comments saying that he was no ones enemy and did not oppose any leader personally made it clear that one of Palaniswamis conditions to warm up to the BJP was replacing Annamalai, who had called Jayalalithaa corrupt. During the run-up to the 2024 election, Annamalai said Palanisami will one day lose his leadership and that the AIADMK has been wiped out of the state because of him. Annamalais comments against the AIADMK leadership were one of the reasons for the Dravidian party breaking away from the NDA in 2023. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir on April 7 and 8 to review the security situation in the region. His visit follows a recent gunfight in Kathua, where two militants and four police personnel were killed. Shah will hold a high-level meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, senior officials from paramilitary forces, intelligence agencies, Jammu and Kashmir police, and the civil administration. This will be his first security review in J&K after the recent assembly elections and the formation of the Omar Abdullah-led government. Since December, the Union home minister has conducted five security meetings on J&K in New Delhi, but this will be his first on-ground review. During his visit, the home minister is also expected to visit the international border (IB) to assess the security situation following reports of infiltration attempts from Pakistan. He will review measures to prevent intrusions and neutralise militants who have entered the region. He is also likely to meet families of policemen killed in the Kathua encounter to offer support and recognise their sacrifices. The meeting will also be attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, senior Army officers, and the heads of BSF and CRPF, who will accompany the home minister from New Delhi. Discussions will focus on anti-militancy operations, border security and protecting key infrastructure, especially ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit on April 19, when he is set to flag off the first train to Kashmir from Katra. Ensuring the safety of railway tracks and stations will be a major priority for security forces. Shah last visited Jammu in September 2024, when he launched the Bharatiya Janata Partys election campaign highlighting the partys focus on regional development and security. The detailed itinerary of Shahs visit is being finalised and is expected to be officially announced soon. The Home Minister has been closely monitoring security developments in Jammu and Kashmir and has been regularly visiting the Union territory to fine-tune strategies to counter security threats. The security of Jammu and Kashmir has become a central subject after the abrogation of Article 370 and the home ministry has been taking a keen interest in ensuring peace in the region. The Iranian military is contemplating striking the US base at Diego Garcia to deter the US from using the base to target the Islamic Republic, according to a report. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) plans to target the four long-range stealth B-2 bombers stationed at the base in the Indian Ocean. The discussion among top IRGC officials revolves around Diego Garcia ever since America stationed the bombers there, according to the British Telegraph. "The response to Trump's threats must come through action, not words. Every base in the region is within the range of our missiles," the official said, adding that the commanders have been urging leaders to order an attack on the base if Trump's threats against Iran become serious. The IRGC is preparing for an all-out war and is confident that Iran's missiles can strike any target in the region, be it Bahrain or Diego Garcia. "Commanders have been instructed to ensure that all missile launchers are prepared and that nuclear facilities are protected," the official added. Why has the United States sent half a dozen B2 stealth bombers to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean? Because war is coming in the Middle East, a big war. (File footage of B2 bombers shown here from 2024) pic.twitter.com/20H0zUIo5c Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) March 27, 2025 Satellite images showed at least three Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, along with transport and refuelling aircraft, arriving at Diego Garcia last week. These bombers can evad even the most advanced air defence systems and carrying out lethal strikes. The development comes as Trump escalated threats against Iran, stating there would be bombings if it wouldn't engage in talks. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombings. Bombings of a kind they've never seen before," Trump told NBC, adding that the US would also consider "secondary tariffs" on Iran. To this, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei said the US will suffer a severe blow if they take wrongful action. Advisor's threat A senior adviser to Khamenei has warned that any attack on Iran by either the US or Israel would force the country to develop nuclear weapons. "If the U.S. or Israel bomb Iran under the nuclear pretext, Iran will be compelled to move toward producing an atomic bomb, Ali Larijani said during a televised interview on Monday. "The Leaders fatwa prohibits nuclear weapons, but if the U.S. makes a mistake, Iran, under public pressure, would be forced to move toward building nuclear weapons," he added. Israel issued sweeping evacuation orders in Rafah, Gazas southernmost city, on March 31, prompting tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee at a time when Muslims were celebrating Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The orders, affecting at least 1.4 lakh people according to Philippe Lazzarini of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), hinted at an impending major ground operation. Lazzarini described the situation as treating people like pinballs, with constant military directives upending their lives. The evacuation covered Rafah and the areas between Rafah and Khan Younis. The IDFs Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, asked people to shift out of Al-Shawka, Al-Nasr and the neighbourhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Manara and Qizan an-Najjar. In a post on X, the IDF published a map of the area to be cleared, asking the residents to move to the al-Mawasi area on the southern Strips coast, which is crowded with squalid tent camps. Families fled north, some on foot with children in hand, others piling belongings onto donkeys or cars. The latest evacuation orders followed intensified Israeli attacks in Rafah on March 29, with more troops deployed. In northern Gaza, the IDF claimed to have dismantled a Hamas tunnel and a rocket workshop, killing 50 "terrorists. The last major escalation in Rafah, located close to the Egyptian border, took place last May and left the city in ruins. Israel seized the Rafah crossing, Gazas only non-Israeli-controlled external link, and a border corridor to curb weapons smuggling. A ceasefire signed in January this year under American pressure required Israel to leave the corridor. However, it refused, citing security needs. Earlier last month, Israel ended a two-month truce with Hamas, resuming air and ground attacks. It cut off food, fuel, medicine and aid to Gazas two million residents in order to pressure Hamas into accepting new truce terms. Since March 18, the IDF has targeted Hamas leaders and infrastructure, expanding operations into Rafah and northern Gaza. Israel has proposed a new ceasefire via mediators in Egypt and Qatar, demanding Hamas release 11 living hostages and 16 bodies in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. Fighting would pause for 40 days after the hostages release, with further talks planned. Israel also wants Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza. These are conditions that were not part of the original ceasefire deal and which Hamas rejects. Hamas insists on enforcing the January agreement, which promised a lasting ceasefire and total Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for all remaining hostages (59, with 24 believed to be alive). Talks, however, stalled after preliminary discussions in February. The latest evacuation orders have drawn sharp criticism. The Palestinian presidency called them a violation of international law, warning of dire consequences and holding Israel accountable for rising tensions. The UN human rights office reacted in similar terms, holding Israel responsible for not providing proper conditions such as hygiene, health and safety for the displaced. Israel said that by ordering the evacuation, it was protecting civilians and accused Hamas of using them as human shields, which goes against international law. The IDF, meanwhile, admitted to mistakenly firing on ambulances and fire engines in southern Gaza last week, believing those were Hamas vehicles. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Israels post-truce attacks. Last week, 14 aid workers bodieseight from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), five from civil defence and one from a UN agencywere found in a Rafah mass grave after Israeli attacks. One PRCS medic remains missing. Israel says it aims to limit civilian deaths, but critics, including the UN, argue that its actions fall short of humanitarian standards. Khalistani activist and separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's legal team tried to serve NSA Ajit Doval the summons issued by the US court but the US Secret Service guarding the guest house where Doval was staying with Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to accept it. The US Secret Service agents also threatened to arrest the server. The incident happened when Doval accompanied the Prime Minister to the US on February 12-13 just after President Donald Trump's inauguration, according to an observation made by a New York Court to a letter from Pannuns lawyer, who argued that they served the summons. According to Pannun's lawyers, the first attempt to serve the summons was made on the evening of February 12, just an hour after Modis arrival with Doval. The process server, Ambiko Wallace, presented the court order regarding the summons to the security personnel but was denied access. He was also not allowed to speak to a supervisor though Wallace insisted on it. Wallace had to leave the place after he feared any further action would lead to his arrest. The second attempt happened the next day. A second process server, Wayne Engram, tried again during Modi's meeting with Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy. However, Engram was stopped at the checkpoint by three Secret Service agents who refused to accept the summons. Following this, Engram said he would place the envelope on the ground in front of them, a standard method of service. However, the agents threatened him with arrest even if the document was placed on the ground. Following this, Engram placed the envelope containing the summons in a public seating area outside a nearby Starbucks coffee shop and informed the agents of its location. "One of the agents said 'OK' and gave Mr Engram a military salute," Pannun's lawyer claimed. But, the court dismissed his claim that he managed to get the notice delivered to the top official, stating that did not prove to be enough. Judge Katherine Polk Failla, in the March 3 ruling, said these efforts did not meet the courts requirements for valid service. The judge noted that the documents were neither delivered to Blair House staff nor accepted by any security officers. The court concluded that "the complaint was not delivered to a member of the hotel management or staff or any officers or agents providing security for Defendant (Doval), as required by the court's order". The summons was issued by the US District Court for Southern District of New York on September 18, 2024, against the Government of India and individually to Doval, former RAW chief Samant Goel, former RAW officer Vikram Yadav and detained Indian national Nikhil Gupta. This was in connection to a civil suit filed by Pannun. The US Court had granted Pannun permission for "alternative service" which meant that he could deliver the summons to any Secret Service agents providing security for Doval during his visit. The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier maintained that the NSA wasnt served the summons. So far only Nikhil Gupta has received the summons. On the 75th anniversary of the China-India diplomatic ties, President Xi Jinping spoke with Indian President Droupadi Murmu and stressed that both countries should work more closely together. The relationship should take the form of a "Dragon-Elephant tango", he said. The Chinese and Indian leaders exchanged congratulatory messages on Tuesday marking the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between both nations. Also read | OPINION: Reviving India-China ties: China must take initiative by adopting a problem-solving attitude Chinese Premier Li Qiang and PM Narendra Modi also exchanged congratulatory messages. Chinese Foreign Ministery spokesperson Guo Jiakun while briefing the media said that under the strategic guidance of both countries, China stands ready to work with India to view and handle bilateral relations with a strategic and long-term perspective. Also read | OPINION: China poses the worlds biggest threat Both the countries should "deepen communication and coordination in major international affairs, jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," he said. With the aim of easing the Ladakh standoff between India and China, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Beijing for talks to normalise the relations between the two nations. Also read | OPINION: Kazan meeting with Xi Jinping is a gross mistake by PM Modi The India-China troops completed disengagement at Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh in October last year ending a four-year-long standoff. Misri's Beijing visit came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi held a series of high-level meetings last year. On the sidelines of the BRICS summit last year, Modi and Xi provided strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations at their meeting in Kazan, Russia. Fresh diplomatic talks were held by both countries on March 25 with the focus on ensuring effective border management and early resumption of cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including trans-border rivers and continuance of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Billionaire Elon Musk has claimed that he paid $2.5 million to influencer Ashley St Clair in child support as she claims she is the mother of the Tesla CEO's 13th child. Talking about St Claire's six-month-old boy, Musk posted, "I dont know if the child is mine or not, but am not against finding out. No court order is needed." ALSO READ: How Elon Musk reacted to Ashley St Clair's claim about giving birth to his 13th child He went on to claim that he gave her $2.5 million, besides paying her $500,000 annually. Gold digger and professional gaslighter @stclairashley was caught on camera outside of her ritzy Manhattan condo (paid for by her sugar daddy Elon Musk) selling her $100,000 @Tesla she said was gifted to her by @elonmusk during their romantic relationship. She said shes pic.twitter.com/opNxxZxzUY Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) March 31, 2025 Musk was responding to a video wherein St Clair alleged that she had to sell her Tesla Model S to make up for her expenses after Musk slashed her child support by 60 per cent. "That's his modus operandi, when women speak out." ALSO READ: Did Elon Musk use sex-selective IVF to have sons? DOGE chief's trans daughter Vivian St Clair later posted on X, claiming Musk has ruled out a DNA test to confirm his paternity. "Elon, we asked you to confirm paternity through a test before our child (who you named) was even born," St Clair wrote. "And you werent sending me money, you were sending support for your child that you thought was necessary until you withdrew most of it to maintain control and punish me for disobedience," the influencer added, pointing out that he is actually punishing his own child by not sending her money. ALSO READ: Where did Elon Musk's 14th child get his name from? The origin of Seldon Lycurgus explained The video of St Clair selling her Tesla was shared by MAGA activist Laura Loomer. The Tesla was apparently gifted by Musk and St Clair sold it for $100,000 to cover the reduction in her child support. "Its all about control with you, and everyone can see it. America needs you to grow up, you petulant man-child," St Clair said. ALSO READ: Who are Elon Musk's 13 children and their 4 mothers? X A-12, triplets, two sets of twins and more It was in February that St Clair first revealed her giving birth to Musk's 13th child. Later she made public some text messages with the DOGE chief. One of the messages purportedly sent by Musk read, "I want to knock you up again" while another read, "Well, we do have a legion of kids to make." The eldest six children of Musk are shared with his first wife, Justine Wilson. Nevada Alexander, Musk's first-born, died at 10 weeks. The couple then had twins, Vivian Jenna Wilson and Griffin, as well as triplets, Kai, Saxon and Damian, all via IVF. Musk also has three children with Grimes, including, X A-12, Exa Dark Siderl and Techno Mechanicus. The billionaire's current partner is Shivon Zilis. They have a pair of twins, Strider and Azure, as well as two other children, Arcadia and Seldon Lycurgus. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. A special resolution calling for the protection of landmine victims' rights was introduced within the framework of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva on April 1, led by Azerbaijans initiative and co-authorship, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan told Trend. The resolution was presented during a high-level event on the topic "Landmines, Human Rights, and Environmental Degradation Effective Assistance for Landmine Victims," held within the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The event was jointly organized by Azerbaijans Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva and the Universal Rights Group (URG), with participation from permanent missions to the UN, renowned human rights organizations and experts, as well as international media representatives. Elshad Iskenderov, Azerbaijan's Ambassador-at-Large for Special Tasks, delivered the main speech at the event. He announced that the "Impact of Anti-Personnel Mines on the Full Exercise of All Human Rights" resolution, co-authored by Azerbaijan, had been added to the agenda of the UNHRC. He also highlighted that this was the first time a special report on the issue had been presented at the UNHRC. In addition, a joint statement, supported by 65 countries, was issued last year at the 57th session of the UNHRC under Azerbaijan's initiative. Iskenderov emphasized that due to Armenias occupation of Azerbaijani lands, Azerbaijan ranks as the second most mine-contaminated region in Europe. He also noted that, during the post-conflict period, 383 Azerbaijani citizens had lost their lives and health due to landmine explosions, with a total of approximately 4,000 landmine victims in Azerbaijan. Representatives from Algeria, Gambias Permanent Missions to the UN in Geneva, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Violations, Ambassador Yvette Stevens, and other speakers discussed international cooperation in the fight against landmines, mutual experience exchange, and potential international mechanisms for assisting landmine victims. A presentation of the "Campaign for Landmine Justice" was also held during the event, introduced by lawyer and founder of the International Human Rights Advisers (IHRA) organization, Ben Kit. The campaigns primary goal is to establish an international solidarity mechanism for ensuring the rights of landmine victims. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Italian police are investigating as possible arson a fire that destroyed more than a dozen Tesla electric vehicles at a dealership on the outskirts of Rome early Monday. Tesla Italy said that it is cooperating with police, and that it had turned over surveillance video from the vehicles themselves. The cars internal video operates even when they are off. An Associated Press reporter at the scene counted 16 burned cars. Tesla has been the target of protests around the world against owner Elon Musks affiliation with the Trump administration. European sales of Tesla vehicles tumbled 49% in the first two months of the year even as overall sales of EVs grew. (AP) Pakistan plans to expel 3 million Afghans from the country this year, as a deadline for them to voluntarily leave the capital and surrounding areas expired on Monday. Its the latest phase of a nationwide crackdown launched in October 2023 to expel foreigners living in Pakistan illegally, mostly Afghans. The campaign has drawn fire from rights groups, the Taliban government, and the U.N. Arrests and deportations were due to begin April 1 but were pushed back to April 10 because of the Eid al-Fitr holidays marking the end of Ramadan, according to government documents seen by The Associated Press. About 845,000 Afghans have left Pakistan over the past 18 months, figures from the International Organization for Migration show. Pakistan says 3 million Afghans remain. Of these, 1,344,584 hold Proof of Registration cards, while 807,402 have Afghan Citizen Cards. There are a further 1 million Afghans who are in the country illegally because they have no paperwork. Pakistan said it will make sure that Afghans do not return once deported. Authorities wanted Afghan Citizen cardholders to leave the capital Islamabad and Rawalpindi city by March 31 and return to Afghanistan voluntarily or be deported. Those with Proof of Registration can stay in Pakistan until June 30, while Afghans bound for third-country resettlement must also leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi by March 31. Authorities have said they will work with foreign diplomatic missions to resettle Afghans, failing which they will also be deported from Pakistan. Tens of thousands of Afghans fled after the Taliban takeover in 2021. They were approved for resettlement in the U.S. through a program that helps people at risk because of their work with the American government, media, aid agencies, and rights groups. However, President Donald Trump paused U.S. refugee programs in January and 20,000 Afghans are now in limbo. The Taliban want Afghan refugees to return with dignity No Afghan officials to be made part of any committee or formal decision-making process, one of the documents said about the expulsion plans. A spokesman for Afghanistans Refugee Ministry, Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, told The Associated Press that Pakistan was taking decisions arbitrarily, without involving the U.N. refugee agency or the Taliban government. We have shared our problems with them, stating that unilaterally expelling refugees is neither in their interest nor ours, said Haqqani. It is not in their interest because expelling them in this way raises hatred against Pakistan. For us, it is natural that managing so many Afghans coming back is a challenge. We have requested they should be deported through a mechanism and mutual understanding so they can return with dignity. Two transit stations will be set up in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to help with deportations. One will be in Nasir Bagh, an area in the Peshawar suburbs. The second will be in the border town of Landi Kotal, some 7 kilometers from the Torkham crossing. Afghans are unsure of their future in a country they dont know It is not clear what will happen to children born in Pakistan to Afghan parents, Afghan couples with different document types, and families where one parent is a Pakistani citizen and the other is Afghan. But officials indicated to the AP that social welfare staff will be on hand to help with such cases. Omaid Khan, 30, has an Afghan Citizen Card while his wife has Proof of Registration. According to Pakistani government policy, he has to leave but his wife can stay until June 30. Their two children have no documents, including passports or identity cards from either country. I am from Paktia province but I have never been there and I am not sure about my future, he said. Nazir Ahmed was born in the southwest Pakistani city of Quetta and has never been to Afghanistan. His only connection to the country was through his father, who died in Quetta four years ago. How can we go there? said Ahmed, who is 21. Few people know us. All our relatives live in Quetta. What will we do if we go there? We appeal to the Pakistani government to give us some time so we can go and find out, at least get some employment. (AP) Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is turning his attention to the mystery of Congressional wealth, vowing to investigate how lawmakers have accumulated millions of dollars despite their relatively modest public salaries. Speaking at a town hall in Wisconsin on Sunday night, Musk said that his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will follow the money to uncover how certain members of Congress have achieved generational fortunes while serving in public office. Responding to a question about whether USAID funds had been wired to Rep. Maxine Waters, Sen. Adam Schiff, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Musk outlined his theory. He explained that the government sends money overseas to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which then move funds through multiple channels before some of it mysteriously returns to the United States and into the hands of politicians. While stopping short of making direct accusations, Musk said he was highly confident that this process plays a role in the unexplained wealth of certain members of Congress. It doesnt go directly, but lets just say that theres a lot of strangely wealthy members of Congress where Im trying to connect the dots of, How do they become rich? Musk said. The question is an increasingly pressing one, given that rank-and-file members of Congress make just $174,000 annually, yet many long-time lawmakers are multi-millionaires. The issue of political wealth is hardly new, but Musks comments have reignited scrutiny on high-profile figures in Washington whose personal fortunes far exceed their public paychecks. Among them is former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose estimated net worth of $250 million has been largely attributed to lucrative stock investments in companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. Another example is Senator Rick Scott, whose personal fortune stands at $552 million, stemming from his work in the healthcare industry before his time in office. While some lawmakers amassed wealth before entering politics, others appear to have seen their bank accounts grow dramatically during their time in public service, a trend Musk is determined to investigate. How do they get $20 million if theyre earning $200,000 a year? Musk pondered, promising that DOGE would dig deep into the issue and work to prevent such questionable financial gains from continuing unchecked. Your browser does not support the video tag. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The Trump administration said Monday that it has deported 17 more violent criminals from the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs to El Salvador, as it doubles down on a policy of removing people from the U.S. to countries other than their own despite criticism over lack of transparency and human rights issues. The State Department said the immigrants were removed Sunday night. The statement said murderers and rapists were among them but didnt give details of the nationalities or alleged crimes of those removed. The office of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, however, said Salvadorans and Venezuelans were among the prisoners. These criminals will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the statement. Once again, we extend our gratitude to President Bukele and the government of El Salvador for their unparalleled partnership. The men were flown to El Salvador by the U.S. military, the State Department said. As seen in video from the Salvadoran government, they were transported by bus to El Salvadors maximum security prison, changed into the prisons standard white T-shirts and shorts and had their heads shaven. They were walked by guards into a cell block, the video shows, and some were made to kneel upon the floor with their wrists cuffed behind their backs and ankles shackled. Guards put one or both hands on the mens necks and forced them to walk quickly while bent at the waist and shackled with their heads down. Some men in the video grunted from the exertion, and one appeared to vomit on the floor while listening to instructions. More than 200 Venezuelan immigrants facing deportation were sent to El Salvador earlier this month and are also being held in the maximum security prison. President Donald Trumps administration also has deported immigrants of various nationalities to other countries in Central America. But El Salvador is the only country where the U.S. is sending people so they can be imprisoned there. Bukele offered to jail immigrants the U.S. wanted to deport regardless of nationality during a February meeting with Rubio. On Monday evening, Trump thanked Bukele and told reporters, I got elected on the basis of getting bad people out of our country that shouldnt be here. Trump has claimed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is invading the United States and invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime authority that allows the president broader leeway on policy and executive action to speed up mass deportations. He sent dozens of people to El Salvador before a judge barred further deportations under the acts authority. The administration is now asking the Supreme Court to allow it to resume those deportations. The State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, which handled the removals Sunday, did not give detailed information about who was on the flight, their alleged crimes or under what legal authority they were removed from the country. Immigration and civil rights advocates have challenged the Trump administrations deportations of people to countries other than their own, saying they first need to be given the opportunity to say whether they fear persecution or torture there. Advocates have also sued to prevent use of the Alien Enemies Act. A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting people to third countries without first being allowed to argue that it would jeopardize their safety. The judge ruled that people with final orders of removal must have a meaningful opportunity to argue that being sent to a country other than their own presents a level of danger deemed worthy of protection. On Sunday, the Trump administration asked the court to reverse itself and gave guidance that Homeland Security uses to determine whether someone can be removed to a third country. Anwen Hughes, a lawyer with Human Rights First one of the groups suing the government said Monday her team is still trying to get information about the Sunday removals, including the nationalities of those involved and what authority was used to remove them. In general, Hughes said, when immigrants are deported to their own country, theyre likely to understand the conditions there, and they usually have family or friends to help them. When sent elsewhere, theyre often in a position of vulnerability, Hughes said, because they dont know that country or have the rights of a citizen. On Monday, lawyers hired by the Venezuelan government to represent Venezuelans deported from the U.S. and jailed in El Salvador said they had petitioned El Salvadors Human Rights Ombudsman to verify that their clients were being held at the maximum security gang prison. Neither the U.S. nor the Salvadoran government have released a list of those who were deported to and imprisoned in El Salvador earlier in March. Lawyer Jaime Ortega said their petition also asks the ombudsman to check their health and affirm whether those who need it are receiving medical attention. Last week, the law firm filed habeas corpus petitions on behalf of 30 of the more than 200 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador. Asked about the additional Venezuelans sent Sunday, the lawyers said they had no information. Ortega insisted that the U.S. still had yet to share any evidence that the prisoners were criminals. Also, on Monday, a federal judge paused Trump administration plans to end temporary legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, a week before they were scheduled to expire. (AP) Only one person in U.S. history has defied the two-term example set by the first president, George Washington. And voters responded by forbidding future presidents from being elected more than twice. President Donald Trump has alluded to arcane legal arguments in repeatedly suggesting he could seek a third term. Besides challenging long-settled readings of the U.S. Constitution, a Trump move to run in 2028 would challenge the precedent that voters have repeatedly upheld when given the opportunity. Here is an explanation of the historical and legal tradition behind the presidency being a job for a maximum of two terms and two terms only. Washington set the example of voluntary limits It seemed a foregone conclusion that Washington, president of the 1787 convention that yielded the U.S. Constitution, also would become the nations first federal executive, even as anti-federalists worried that hed be reelected again and again, becoming a quasi-king by acclamation. Washington began his presidency in 1789, leading an executive branch of government that the Constitutions authors balanced with two others: Congress and the judiciary. Besides those structural guards against concentrations of power, Washington put aside his military garb and title, opting for the eras formal attire and the honorific of Mr. President to underscore his status as an elected civilian. He considered not standing for reelection. He even had James Madison draft a farewell address before ultimately seeking and winning another term in 1792. Four years later, he tasked Alexander Hamilton with dusting off and polishing up Madisons farewell draft as he announced his retirement from public life. There was no legal barrier to a third Washington term. But his decision set the tone. Four of the next six presidents won a second term but passed on a third. The last of that group, Andrew Jackson, was the first president not to have worked with Washington or have known him. Yet by the time Jackson endorsed his own successor, Martin Van Buren, two terms had become the standard. A few pushed against the Washington rule and failed Historians have debated whether Abraham Lincoln might have pursued a third term after the Civil War had he not been assassinated in 1865 at the outset of his second term. Ulysses S. Grant, Lincolns victorious Civil War general and president from 1869 to 1877, led Republican delegates initial voting at their 1880 convention. But he could not win a majority. Theodore Roosevelt, elected vice president in 1901, served nearly a full presidential term after William McKinleys death in 1901. When Roosevelt was elected in his own right in 1904, he promised he would not run for what he called a third term. Delegates at the 1908 GOP convention chanted four more years, but Roosevelt kept his word. He backtracked in 1912 but lost the nomination to his successor, incumbent William Howard Taft. Roosevelt launched a failed third-party campaign and lost, pilloried by critics for his broken third-term promise. One scathing political cartoon depicted the ghost of George Washington chiding Roosevelt. FDR used World War II to win additional terms In 1940, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the only president to successfully win a third election, doing so as World War II raged in Europe ahead of the eventual U.S. entry. Biographer H.W. Brands reasoned that FDR saw the global conflict as a chance to write his name in bold letters across the history of the world. But the 32nd president carefully couched his decision as one of necessity, not ambition. Precisely when he determined to try for a third term is unclear, Brands wrote. He never revealed his thinking on the subject. Roosevelt sidestepped reporters questions about his plans in 1940. At that years Democratic convention, his ally Sen. Alben Barkley of Kentucky told delegates, with FDRs blessing: The president has never had and has not today any desire or purpose to continue in the office. He wishes in all earnestness and sincerity to make it clear that all delegates to this convention are free to vote for any candidate. But at the same time, and also with FDRs blessing, Chicago Mayor Ed Kelly was working delegates for the president. After securing a third nomination that had eluded Grant and his distant cousin, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR accepted it in a radio address: I have had to admit to myself, and now to state to you, that my conscience will not let me turn my back upon a call to service, he said. The right to make that call rests with the people through the American method of a free election. Only the people themselves can draft a president. Voters reelected Roosevelt twice more but decided never again FDR won two more terms, though not without critics. His first vice president, John Nance Garner, sought the 1940 nomination in Chicago. Some Capitol Hill allies quietly grumbled as well about a figure they saw as holding power too tightly. And while Roosevelt won Electoral College landslides in each of his four victories, his share of the popular vote dwindled from his 60.8% peak in 1936 to 54.7% in 1940 and 53.4% in 1944. Roosevelt died in April 1945. Vice President Harry Truman replaced him. Not long after Roosevelts death, Congress began earnest consideration of what became the 22nd Amendment, limiting presidents to two elections. Without naming Truman, lawmakers exempted the president serving at the time while also carving out a narrow way for someone to serve more than eight years: Someone who ascends from the vice presidency for less than half of one term could still win and serve two full terms of their own. Truman, who served nearly all of FDRs last term plus his own, did not immediately swear off another term in 1952. But in a stinging defeat for a sitting president, he lost the New Hampshire primary and quickly declared would not seek another term. Every future president has been bound by the 22nd Amendment Lyndon Johnson met a similar fate 16 years later. Because he served less than half of the slain John F. Kennedys term, Johnson was still eligible to be elected twice. He won a 1964 landslide for a full term. But the Vietnam War chipped away at his popularity thereafter. Johnson performed poorly in the New Hampshire primary on March 12, 1968. On March 31, he told a national television audience, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president. There has been occasional talk of repealing the 22nd Amendment since. President Ronald Reagan, another two-term president, publicly supported repeal, telling an interviewer, according to The New York Times, that he wouldnt do that for myself, but for presidents from here on. Trump, on the other hand, makes clear that any changes in law or tradition would be for his benefit. Im not joking, he told NBC News. There are methods which you could do it. (AP) Israel is set to begin the long-promised construction of a new border fence along its frontier with Jordan this June, a project expected to take three years to complete. The Times of Israel reported that the initiative aims to enhance national security and curb the flow of weapons and drugs into the country. The new fence will span from Hamat Gader, at the southern edge of the Golan Heights, to Ramon International Airport, located north of Eilat. A 30-kilometer (18-mile) segment of the border between Eilat and Ramon Airport was previously upgraded in the 2010s, adopting a design similar to Israels existing security barriers along the Egyptian border and the Gaza Strip. The construction project is estimated to cost NIS 5.2 billion ($1.4 billion) and will be strategically positioned as close as possible to the actual border with Jordan, while taking into account security and topographical considerations. The current border fence leaves approximately 170 square kilometers of land between it and the official boundary. Beyond the security barrier, Israel has outlined plans to develop new towns along the border, potentially strengthening its presence in the region. The existing security infrastructure along parts of the Jordanian border consists of an aging chain-link fence equipped with sensors, while other stretches are protected only by barbed wire. The borders current vulnerabilities have facilitated frequent smuggling operations involving firearms and narcotics. According to security officials, tens of thousands of weapons have likely crossed into Israel from Jordan over the past decade, contributing to a rise in violence within Israels Arab communities and being utilized in attacks by Palestinian terrorists. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Israels National Security Council (NSC) issued a travel warning ahead of Pesach, warning that Hamas is likely to escalate efforts to target Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions overseas amid mounting pressure in Gaza and renewed fighting with Israel. The groups deteriorating situation in Gaza and the resumption of fighting are expected to further increase its attempts to conduct attacks, the NSC stated in a newly released threat assessment. The advisory comes amid a string of foiled plots across Europe. In December 2023, Hamas operatives were arrested in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning attacks on Jewish targets. In April 2024, Bulgarian authorities uncovered a hidden cache of weapons tied to four Hamas-linked suspects previously detained in Germany and the Netherlands. The NSC identified Iran as the principal sponsor of global terrorism targeting Jews and Israelis. In recent months, Iranian operatives have reportedly used deceptive business proposals and impersonation tactics to lure Israeli citizens abroad in attempts to harm or kidnap them. Swedish intelligence agency Sapo has previously linked Iran to explosions and gunfire near Israeli diplomatic sites in Sweden and Denmark. In May 2024, Sapo also reported that Iran was recruiting members of Swedish criminal gangs to carry out violent acts against Israeli and Jewish interests a claim Iran has denied. The NSCs warning further highlights the growing threat posed by global jihadist groups such as ISIS. The council noted an uptick in lone-wolf-style attacks across Europe, and cited attempted arson and car bombings in Australia as well as a series of Molotov cocktail and shooting attacks targeting Jewish institutions in Canada. The climate of hate against Israelis and Jews due to the ongoing war continues to fuel terrorist efforts, both from organized cells and individual attackers, the NSC said. It added that the possible expansion of combat zones, including a broader IDF operation in Gaza, could further incite attacks on Israelis abroad. The Sinai Peninsula, a popular travel destination for Israelis, remains classified by the NSC as a high-risk area, and citizens are urged not to travel there. In closing, the council urged all Israelis planning to travel overseas to remain vigilant, review NSC travel advisories before flying, and avoid areas with elevated security threats. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the Novruz holiday, Trend reports. "Dear Ilham Heydar oglu, I sincerely congratulate you and all your compatriots on the great holiday - Novruz! This bright holiday, connecting our countries with centuries-old traditions of friendship, brotherhood and mutual respect, symbolizes the renewal of nature. May our peoples have much joy and fun on this great day. I am confident that the sacred values of Novruz will contribute to the further development of our interstate relations, for the benefit of our peoples and the achievement of high goals and aspirations. On these significant days, I wish you, dear Ilham Heydar oglu, good health and inexhaustible strength, well-being to your family, and to the fraternal people of Azerbaijan - prosperity and flourishing," the letter says. A widening political scandal involving alleged secret ties to Qatar has ensnared two close aides of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, as Israeli police continue their investigation into what is now being dubbed Qatargate. Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, both former senior advisers to the prime minister, were arrested yesterday morning for questioning and subsequently taken into custody. On Tuesday, the Rishon LeZion Magistrates Court extended their remand until Thursday, as authorities probe suspected illicit dealings with Qatari-linked entities during their tenure in the Prime Ministers Office. During a court hearing Tuesday morning, police revealed that Urich is suspected of conveying messages to Israeli journalists under the guise that they came from top Israeli political and security officials. However, according to a police investigator, the content was in fact dictated by a source with financial and business ties to Qatar. The allegations raise serious concerns over the infiltration of foreign influence into Israels highest levels of government communication. Feldstein, already facing charges in a separate national security case involving the leak of classified IDF documents, is alleged to have worked for an international PR firm under Qatari contract while still serving as Netanyahus spokesperson. The firm reportedly paid Israeli media outlets to run content favorable to Qatar, using Feldsteins access and credibility to bolster its efforts. Further, police suspect that Urich participated in a complex web of business intermediaries who funneled payments from Doha in a manner designed to obscure their origin. Details emerging from court proceedings also indicate that both Urich and Netanyahu were questioned yesterday about whether Urich had leaked sensitive cabinet information. While Prime Minister Netanyahu was not arrested, he was asked to testify and, at this stage, is not a suspect. In a related development, a court-imposed gag order over the investigation is set to be lifted tomorrow, following a request from attorney Amit Hadad, who is representing both Urich and the prime minister. Law enforcement sources said they initially sought to extend the aides detention by nine days, indicating the seriousness and scope of the joint police and Shin Bet investigation. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In a joint statement, the Israeli military, Shin Bet, and Mossad announced that an overnight airstrike in Beirut targeted and killed a key operative of both Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force. The IDF identified the terrorist as Hassan Bdair, a member of Hezbollahs Unit 3900 and the IRGC Quds Force, who was taken out by fighter jets. The rare public statement from the Mossad, alongside the military and Shin Bet, revealed that Bdair had recently been working with Hamas, directing the Palestinian terror group to prepare a significant and imminent terror attack aimed at Israeli civilians. The IDF emphasized that the strike was launched due to the immediate threat posed by Bdairs planned attack, underscoring Israels resolve to thwart such dangers to its citizens. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) A Hezbollah operative killed overnight in an Israeli military strike was previously photographed aboard a flight with senior Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, according to images circulating on social media. The operative, identified as Hassan Bdair, was reportedly a member of Hezbollahs elite Unit 3900, working closely with Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force. Israeli security officials stated that Bdair was actively involved in orchestrating Hamas terror attacks targeting Israel. The photograph depicts Bdair seated alongside Soleimani, the former IRGC Quds Force commander, and al-Muhandis, a leading Iraqi militia figure. Both Soleimani and al-Muhandis were killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. Soleimani was widely regarded as the mastermind behind Irans regional military operations and is celebrated as a national hero by supporters of the Iranian regime. Israel has accused Bdair of facilitating coordination between Hezbollah and Hamas under the direction of the Quds Force, specifically highlighting his role in supporting terror operations against Israeli targets. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In a dramatic development in Israels Qatargate scandal, Judge Menachem Mizrachi of the Rishon Lezion Magistrates Court has detailed troubling suspicions involving high-level aides to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. According to Judge Mizrachis findings, there is reasonable suspicion that Yonatan Urich, a close aide to Netanyahu, and Eli Feldstein, formerly the prime ministers spokesman, were involved in questionable financial dealings and unlawful ties with Qatar. The allegations include potential financial crimes and money laundering. Central to the investigation is an American lobbying firm, The Third Circle, headed by lobbyist Jay Footlik. The court documents state that Urich established direct connections with the firm to promote Qatar positively regarding its role in negotiating a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. At the same time, Qatar allegedly sought to tarnish Egypts image as an impartial mediator in the negotiations. Judge Mizrahi outlined that a covert economic arrangement was allegedly set up, facilitated by Gulf-based Israeli businessman Gil Birger, involving monetary payments from The Third Circle to Feldstein, mediated by Urich. The funds, investigators suspect, were intended to incentivize media coverage sympathetic to Qatar, downplaying Egypts constructive role. The judges summary explicitly accuses Urich, Feldstein, and Birger of manipulating the media narrative to benefit Qatar, thus dictating the media agenda and undermining Egypts reputation. The revelations come as Mizrachi lifted a gag order that had repeatedly been breached, declaring that continued secrecy had become detrimental to the proper conduct of the investigation. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Urgent action is required to stem the continued shrinkage of Londons stock market, with the pace of opportunistic takeover bids set to accelerate further, analysts warn. London-listed companies saw almost 9billion worth of takeover bids in the first quarter of 2025, following 52billion worth of deal activity over the course of last year, analysis from Peel Hunt shows. Zero new firms opted to list on the London Stock Exchange during the quarter after just three IPOs in 2024. The UK has been hit by waves of takeover activity in recent years, with bidders attracted by weak valuations in part driven by an exodus of investor capital from UK equity funds. UK equity funds have suffered investor outflows during 44 of the last 45 months, according to the broker, with the sole month of inflows reflecting Autumn Budget tax changes that proved less onerous than feared. Takeovers have been particularly focused on smaller British growth companies, while far fewer new firms are emerging to take their place on public exchanges and many existing businesses are opting to delist. There are 15 bids for London-listed companies worth more than 100million each currently live. It has seen the number of companies listed on Londons AIM market plummet 36 per cent since 2018, while the indexs market cap has fallen 60 per cent since its 2021 peak. Peel Hunt's head of research Charles Hall said: The rate of departure has accelerated in the current year, with 44 companies already considering leaving. Of these, 16 are due to M&A, eight are moving to the main market, and 20 are delisting. The UK has been hit by waves of takeover activity in recent years, with bidders attracted by weak valuations The analyst expects the pace of merger and acquisition activity to continue at heightened levels, with 15 bids worth more than 100million each currently live. He anticipates private equity bids, which represented just 30 per cent of transactions in the first quarter, to increase as financing conditions improve. Hall added: Currently there are willing buyers (attracted by the valuations available and the probability of a successful conclusion) and willing sellers (due to fund outflows and the scale of premia). The broker warned the government takes action to urgently address the importance of UK capital to support UK companies. Peel Hunt said: It seems obvious that there are structural issues in the UK that need to be addressed to retain a healthy UK equity market, particularly for Small & Midcap companies. The UK needs to address the demand side if it is to retain its growth companies and to ensure that the equity market is able to provide long-term growth capital. This can be delivered through pension reform, ISA reform, establishing a national wealth fund, and addressing stamp duty. Real estate investment trusts become prime targets Of the London-listed companies targeted with takeover bids, six have been funds and real estate investment companies, which have seen increased buyer interest from persistently large discounts to net asset value. Peel Hunt also pointed to a focus on increasing scale in order to increase relevance to a broader range of investors. Head of real estate securities at Gravis Matthew Norris said that while many private equity bids in the sector claim to be a generous premium to recent share prices, but such offers may distract from the real value of these assets. He added: The same story is being repeated time and again. A bidder offers a significant premium to recent prices, and dealmakers present it as an undeniable win. We've seen this with Assura, where KKR's private bids were focused primarily on historical share prices, rather than the true intrinsic value of the company. Similarly, with Warehouse REIT, the bids from a consortium of private equity firms were marketed as a premium to past prices with little mention of valuation metrics and no mention of future value creation. It overlooks the long-term earnings power of the companies, and the future potential of the assets involved. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. The first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has sent a congratulatory letter to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the Novruz holiday, Trend reports. "Dear Ilham Heydar oglu, I congratulate you on the magnificent spring holiday of Novruz. May this holiday further strengthen the friendship and unity of our peoples, and bring joy and abundance to every family. I hope that Novruz, based on our shared values and traditions, brings peace and prosperity to our countries. Dear Ilham Heydar oglu, on the occasion of this significant holiday, I wish you strong health, prosperity to your family, and peace and stability to the brotherly Azerbaijani people," the letter says. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 2. Azerbaijan is commemorating the 9th anniversary of the countrys military success in 2016 April battles, Trend reports. On April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions and settlements of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire by the Armenian Armed Forces. As a result of the shelling of Azerbaijans settlements located along the line of contact, six civilians were killed, including two children under the age of 16. Numerous public and private facilities, including civil infrastructure, were severely damaged as a result of the attack. Azerbaijan responded with an armed offensive, which resulted in four days of fighting, as the country liberated several important strategic spots previously occupied by Armenian Armed Forces. Among the liberated territories during the four-day fighting were heights around the village of Talish, as well as Seysulan settlement, and Leletepe hill located in the direction of Fuzuli district. As a result of the April battles, 30 Armenian tanks, up to 15 artillery installations and engineering fortifications were subjected to destruction, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and over 500 enemy soldiers were wounded. Military operations along the line of contact between the Azerbaijani and Armenian forces ceased on April 5, by agreement of the parties. As a result of the successful counteroffensive, more than 2,000 hectares of territory were liberated from the Armenian occupation. The April battles, in general, demonstrated President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev's special attention to the army, the high combat readiness of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces, their ability to liberate the occupied territories. Azerbaijani armys victories in the April battles have laid the foundation for the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from the Armenian occupation during the 44-day war (from late Sept. through early Nov.2020). As part of the Vtn mantlrin Kesiyinddir project, PASHA Holding and the Bravo supermarket chain have delivered holiday gifts to the families of martyrs in celebration of Ramadan. Since 2023, PASHA Holding has been implementing a social support program for the children under the age of 18 of Azerbaijans heroes who fell during the 44-day Patriotic War. As part of this program, families of martyrs are presented with holiday gifts on occasions such as New Year, Nowruz, Qurban Bayram, Ramadan Bayram, and Victory Day. It is worth noting that starting in 2024, children of martyrs who lost their lives during anti-terror operations have also been included in the program. Currently, the project covers over 1,000 families and more than 2,000 children who lost their lives during the 44-day Patriotic War, as well as during the September provocations and anti-terror operations. The program also encompasses sectors such as education and healthcare. Tonight's MSM shocker and yet another glimpse at a frightening level of violence in and around the metro. Here are the basics . . . A Riverside, Missouri, man is accused of killing his parents at a Kansas City, Missouri, motel this past weekend. Clay County prosecutors on Monday charged Jason Christopher Sessoms with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Fox4: Man charged with killing parents at Kansas City motel After a violent weekend . . . Bloodshed persists into the work week . . . Here's the report shared with media and more info from the scene . . . Homicide 9800 block of Marsh This afternoon about 2pm officers were called to the 9800 block of Marsh on a shooting call. On arrival officers located two shooting victims (one adult male and one adult female) in the front of a residence there. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived and took over. EMS transported both victims to the hospital for treatment of life threatening injuries. Initial responding officers took one adult male subject of interest into custody for further investigation. Later this afternoon detectives were notified that both victims were declared deceased at the hospital. Homicide Unit detectives have responded to the scene and are leading the investigation. Detectives are canvassing for any additional witnesses and talking to people who were at the scene when officers arrived. Crime Scene Investigators are processing the scene for evidence. Preliminary investigation indicates that a disturbance took place at the residence, between multiple subjects known to each other, which escalated into gunfire that struck both the deceased victims. Detectives are not looking for any additional suspects and there is not believed to be any ongoing threat to residents in the area. We are committed to assisting victims of violent crimes through use of Missouris Protection Program for Victims/Witnesses of Violent Crime. Funding for temporary, or even permanent relocation, may be available but is subject to pre-approval by the States administering agency. We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents. ########### Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Police investigating deaths of 2 victims in motel room as double homicide The Kansas City Police Department is asking for any information that could aid their double homicide investigation. 2 people shot to death Monday afternoon outside house in south Kansas City, Missouri Two people died in a shooting Monday afternoon outside a house in the 9800 block of Marsh Avenue in south Kansas City, Missouri. Developing . . . Finally, this blog is gaining traction and garnering the kind of funding we need to bring even more quality journalism to the good people of Kansas City. To wit . . . Here's an offer that legendary local Latina columnist Mary Sanchez simply can't refuse . . . A GENEROUS PARTNERSHIP WITH AN ANONYMOUS PATRON WILL FUND THE MARY SANCHEZ COLUMNS APPEARING EXCLUSIVELY ON TKC!!! We can't say much about the terms but it's DEFINITELY more than Nick Haines is paying her and working for TKC she won't have to maintain her DuoLingo streak any longer in order to fake speaking Spanish. Like it or not, www.TonysKansasCity.com is the last bastion of quality journalism in Kansas City and we're happy to secure this effort to bring even more musings of a "wise Latina" to eager readers. Developing . . . Canadians are continuing to turn away from travelling to America amid U.S. President Donald Trumps trade war, according to new data showing plummeting demand for U.S.-bound flights. OAG Aviation, a U.K.-based global travel data company, released findings this week showing a sharp decline in bookings and a more modest downward trend in airline capacity or the number of seats for flights to the U.S. from Canada. The number of bookings made in March for flights to the U.S. between April and September have dropped by an average of 72 per cent compared with bookings made in March 2024 for travel between the same months, according to the OAG data. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Meanwhile, airlines operating between Canada and the U.S. appear to have also reduced their capacity for American-bound flights through October 2025, with the most significant cuts occurring in the peak summer months of July and August. OAG estimates that more than 320,000 seats have been removed between April and October when comparing the number of available seats on March 3 and March 24 this year. Major Canadian airlines contacted by the Star for this story pushed back against OAGs findings. While Air Canada said in an emailed statement that it is experiencing a softening in the transborder market, the airline asserted the decline was not by any means as dramatic as OAG observed. Flair Airlines also hasnt seen as steep of a drop in demand as indicated by the report, Eric Tanner, vice-president of commercial, told the Star. For its part, Porter Airlines said it was seeing passenger numbers grow faster than capacity. Porter is the only carrier with consistent and significant capacity increases, said Robyn van Teunenbroek, senior manager of communications and team engagement for the airline. Teunenbroek added there was a 42 per cent increase in capacity on Canada-U.S. routes year-over-year during 2025s spring period. John Grant, chief analyst at OAG, stressed that the companys data was only preliminary, and that airlines might have more timely information. He also noted that OAGs data came from a major global distributor and booker of airline flights, but said he could not share the name due to a commercial agreement. Even if Canadian airlines arent experiencing the same level of drop in demand the OAGs data suggests, there is evidence they are making changes to their operations in light of Canadian frustrations with the U.S., along with a weakened loonie. Air Canada announced on a quarterly financial call in February it would cut flights to Florida, Las Vegas and Arizona by 10 per cent which the airline confirmed on Friday, adding it was using smaller aircraft for these trips as well. And although Flair remains fully committed to serving U.S. markets, Tanner noted the airline has cancelled its seasonal Toronto-Nashville route and ended some flights to other American airports early while boosting service to places like Mexico and Jamaica to match demand. It is the latest sign that the U.S. tourism industry which has long relied on Canadian travellers, and their money, for its success has become collateral damage from Trumps tariff threats and 51st state taunts. Canadians accounted for 11 per cent of total international inbound travel and spent $20.5 billion in 2024, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Canadians are choosing to spend their tourism dollars with more intention than ever, Amra Durakovic, head of communications for Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, said Friday. While Flight Centre isnt currently seeing widespread cancellations to U.S. travel the agency previously told the Star it experienced a 40 per cent drop in bookings in February compared with last year and 20 per cent cancellation rate between November and January Durakovic said it was clear Canadians were continuing to look to other destinations in Canada or internationally in Europe and Asia for travel. Road trips to the U.S. appear to also be taking a hit, with the U.S. Customs and Border protection recording the number of travellers entering the States by car through the northern border dropping by roughly 500,000 in February compared with the year before. The drop-off in visits and planned trips has tourism agencies across the U.S. worried. Representatives from a Palm Beach travel group were in Toronto last week on a trade mission, while members of the New York state tourism board were in Canada earlier in March for similar reasons. Update - March 31, 2025 This article was updated from a previous version to add additional context about the timeline during which Flight Centre saw cancellations and drop in bookings related to U.S. travel. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. The Azerbaijani National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) discovered an improvised explosive device in one of the abandoned residential houses in Bulutan village of the Khojavand district of Azerbaijan during the operation conducted at the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, ANAMA told Trend. The homemade explosive device was found to be a trap, where a PG-7L rocket was attached to 105 rounds of ammunition with tape, and a hand grenade detonator was used to trigger the device. To divert attention, numerous photographs were scattered around the explosive device in a way that would activate the mechanism upon contact with one of them. The explosive device was safely removed from the area by agency personnel. Such trap devices are typically placed in residential areas to cause powerful and deadly explosions. ANAMA once again urges citizens not to enter areas where their safety is uncertain, not to touch unfamiliar objects, and to immediately report any suspicious items by calling hotlines 805, 102, or 112. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Plenitude has completed the previously announced transaction allowing Energy Infrastructure Partners (EIP) to increase its stake in the companys share capital to 10%, Trend reports. EIP is a Swiss fund manager focused on investments in energy industry trends. The transaction was carried out through a capital increase of approximately 209 million euros. Combined with a 588 million euro investment made in March 2024, EIPs total investment in Plenitude now stands at approximately 800 million euros. The transaction confirms an equity value of around 8 billion euros and an enterprise value exceeding 10 billion euros. It has received approval from the relevant authorities. Plenitude CEO Stefano Goberti stated that the transaction strengthens the companys financial position and supports its growth strategy in the energy transition. EIP Partner Tim Marahrens highlighted confidence in Plenitudes integrated business model and its ability to capitalize on developments in the sector. Plenitude operates in over 15 countries, integrating renewable electricity generation, retail energy solutions, and e-mobility. The company currently has more than 4 GW of renewable capacity, over 10 million European customers, and a network of 21,000 electric vehicle charging points. By 2028, it aims to reach 10 GW of installed renewable capacity and expand its customer base to over 11 million. A speaker discussed current agriculture topics during the 2023 University of Wyoming Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) Program leadership symposium. The next leadership symposium will be Thursday, April 17, at the Laramie Research and Extension Centers Cliff and Martha Hansen Teaching Arena, located at 470 Highway 230. (UW Photo) For those interested in learning about leadership strategies and high-altitude ranching, the University of Wyoming Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) Program will host a symposium in Laramie Thursday, April 17. The symposium, titled Ranching Stewardship at High Elevation: Opportunities and Challenges, will take place at the Laramie Research and Extension Center (LREC) Cliff and Martha Hansen Teaching Arena, located at 470 Highway 230. Presentations will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. People also can attend the presentations via Zoom. Participants will get a broad perspective on the opportunities and challenges ranches in these environments face and how information can inform decision-making, from livestock selection to optimizing grazing strategies to capitalizing on emerging opportunities, LREC Director Derek Scasta says. The symposium will feature more than a dozen speakers experienced with the challenges ranchers face at high altitudes. Scasta and other LREC employees will give an overview of the centers facilities and events, including the annual lamb-a-year program and high-altitude bull test and sale. UW faculty members, staff members and graduate students will address emerging issues and opportunities for high-altitude ranchers in Wyoming. Topics include marketing, cattle pulmonary hypertension and livestock methane emissions. LREC equine manager Elias Hutchinson also will lead a demonstration of feeding livestock using draft horses. Monte Reed, a Wyoming sheep and cattle rancher, will discuss his experience using virtual fence collars for cattle. Community members can register for the symposium here. UW and community college students can register by emailing Randall Violett, associate director of the RMAL program, at rviolett@uwyo.edu. For community members and students not attending the program as part of a course, the cost is $25. The session includes a free meal for registered participants who attend the symposium in person. The symposium is the final event in the 2025 RMAL seminar series. To learn more about the annual series, go here. For more information, call Violett at (307) 766-4239 or email rviolett@uwyo.edu. About the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources UWs College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources serves students and communities through innovative scholarship, research and outreach. Guided by the land-grant principles of discovery and experiential learning, the college facilitates meaningful educational opportunities in the classroom, laboratory and community. The college offers degrees in agricultural and applied economics, animal science, botany, ecosystem science and management, family and consumer sciences, molecular biology, plant sciences, veterinary sciences, and zoology and physiology; and also offers degree programs in agricultural communications, microbiology, and ranch management and agricultural leadership. For more information, call (307) 766-4133 or visit www.uwyo.edu/uwag. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 1. Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, met with the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Eduards Stiprais, who arrived in Kazakhstan on a working visit, Trend reports. In the course of the meeting, special attention was given to the issues of green transformation and the transport and logistics connectivity of the region with the European Union. In this context, the importance of implementing projects aimed at developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route was highlighted. "During the meeting, the parties discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional cooperation issues, including the practical implementation of the Agreement on Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, strengthening economic ties, investment cooperation, as well as regional security topics," the information notes. Murat Nurtleu, confirming the country's commitment to deepening the partnership with the European Union, emphasized the significant importance of the upcoming "Central Asia - European Union" Summit, which will be held in Uzbekistans Samarkand this week. In turn, Stiprais highly appreciated the dynamics of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU, noting the key role of Kazakhstan in the development of interregional cooperation and the implementation of important infrastructure and economic projects. Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue constructive dialogue on all relevant issues of the bilateral and regional agenda. The European Union is Kazakhstan's main trade and investment partner. In 2024, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and the EU amounted to $49.7 billion (+16.9 percent), including exports from Kazakhstan $38.6 billion, imports to Kazakhstan $11.1 billion. The gross inflow of direct investments from EU countries from 2005 to September 2024 totaled $200.7 billion, which accounts for 47.8 percent of total foreign direct investment ($419.5 billion). Of these, in the first nine months of 2024, direct investments from EU countries amounted to $6.4 billion or 50.4 percent of the total volume. More than 3,000 companies with European participation are operating in Kazakhstan 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. (The Center Square) The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency should know when a noncitizen becomes a criminal defendant in Pennsylvania, according to a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The one-page bill cleared the state Senate on Monday 31-18, with four Democrats joining the chambers 27 Republicans in a yes vote. Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Johnstown, said the legislations simple language reaffirms that being in the country without permission is a crime. It also means that defendants would be transferred to federal custody for deportation. This legislation is common sense, he said. If youre in our country illegally, and you violate the laws, you will be held accountable. Lawmakers pointed to high-profile violent crimes perpetrated by noncitizens, including the rape and murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas; the assault of two police officers in New York City; and 22-year-old Laken Riley, a nursing student who was killed while out on a jog on in Athens, Ga., in February 2024. Rileys death inspired an eponymous federal law that requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to detain noncitizens who have been charged with or convicted of theft or violent crimes. Rileys killer, Venezuelan citizen Jose Antonio Ibarra, was arrested after illegally crossing the Texas border in 2022. Federal authorities released him to a migrant shelter in New York City before he relocated to Georgia in an apartment complex roughly 1 mile from where Rileys body was found. Hed faced charges for driving violations and theft before the murder, according to law enforcement. There are too many tragedies, too many American families hurt, that could have been avoided if ICE and our state and local authorities were aligned on upholding our immigration laws, said Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Allentown. A similar bill passed the Senate last year, though it was not considered in the House. South Korea's Constitutional Court will issue its long-awaited ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment Friday, months after he was suspended for declaring martial law. Yoon's December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule plunged South Korea into political chaos after he sent armed soldiers into parliament. Lawmakers defied the troops to vote the measure down and impeached Yoon soon after, but months of political instability have hit South Korea's economy and left the country in leadership limbo, as US President Donald Trump targets the region with sweeping tariffs. The court held weeks of impeachment hearings to determine whether to officially remove Yoon from office and then took weeks to deliberate on the case, giving rise to speculation that the judges were locked in intense disagreements. "The president's impeachment case verdict will be on April 4, 2025 at the Constitutional Court," the court finally said in a statement Tuesday. For Yoon to be removed from office, at least six of the court's eight justices must vote in favour. Confirmation of his impeachment would trigger elections which must be held within 60 days. Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans have been rallying for and against Yoon every weekend in the capital Seoul. Yoon, a former prosecutor, was detained in January on insurrection charges but released in early March on procedural grounds. He has remained defiant throughout and blamed a "malicious" opposition for the case against him. He is also the first sitting South Korean president to stand trial in a criminal case, facing charges of insurrection over the martial law bid. "I expect the Constitutional Court to issue a unanimous ruling to remove Yoon from office this Friday, as the case does not involve complex legality of his martial law declaration," said Noh Hee-bum, attorney and a former Constitutional Court research judge. "The primary role of the Constitutional Court is to protect and uphold the Constitution, which Yoon's declaration of martial law directly violated." - Fresh elections? - Yoon's party said it welcomed the court's move to issue a ruling, saying it hoped the verdict would be "fair and impartial" and would not lead to further social unrest. The People Power Party "will respect and accept the court's decision, and after the ruling, both the ruling and opposition parties... must take the lead in easing public divisions and promoting national unity," PPP party floor leader Kweon Seong-dong said. "After four long months of waiting, the Constitutional Court has finally responded to the people," the opposition Democratic Party's spokesperson said. "We believe the Court will demonstrate its firm resolve to defend the constitutional order and founding principles of the Republic of Korea by removing Yoon Suk Yeol, the insurrectionist, from office." Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is currently frontrunner to win an election that would be triggered by Yoon's formal dismissal. An appeals court last week overturned an election law conviction against Lee, potentially clearing the way for him to mount a presidential campaign. But if it is reinstated on appeal before the election, he will be stripped of his parliamentary seat and barred from running for office for five years, including the next presidential vote. Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said the ruling on Lee may have appeared "to many Koreans to be reading the political tea leaves". "This is the judiciary trying to unwind the lawfare of the past three years to allow South Korea's political crisis to be resolved by an election rather than by the courts," he said. In a separate case, the Constitutional Court last week dismissed the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating him as acting president -- a role he took after the president was suspended for declaring martial law. Experts said the ruling did not have a direct legal correlation with the pending decision on Yoon's impeachment, as it was not focused on the legality of martial law itself. hs-kjk/ceb/cms/mtp BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. The University of Crete in Greece will receive 95 million euros in financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the construction of affordable student housing and the upgrade of campus facilities, Trend reports. The project, part of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the AKTOR Group, will see the development of over 109,000 square meters of student housing and academic spaces at the universitys Heraklion and Rethymno campuses. The EIB financing, backed by the InvestEU programme, will help build 2,833 rooms and apartments, providing up to 4,846 beds. The new buildings will be energy-efficient and incorporate climate adaptation measures, surpassing Greeces Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) standards. The project, which includes a new 800-seat amphitheatre at the Rethymno campus, is part of a broader plan to enhance public university infrastructure in Greece. The Greek government plans to increase the number of available student housing beds to 21,000, up from 12,457, through public-private partnerships with a total budget of 700 million euros. The EIB is co-financing the 190 million euro project alongside Piraeus Bank, with both institutions providing technical assistance to ensure energy efficiency and adherence to EU Taxonomy criteria. This project aims to address the growing need for affordable student housing while improving access to higher education in Greece. The EIBs investment supports the EUs broader goals to tackle housing shortages, enhance infrastructure, and promote sustainability across Europe. 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. Admissions Assistant St Georges British International School is seeking a personable, efficient and highly motivated Admissions Assistant to support the Admissions Office in processing enquiries and applications to St Georges British International School. Duties and Responsibilities Receiving and responding to enquiries from prospective parents seeking admission to St Georges via telephone, email and in person Assisting in the coordination of entrance assessments for prospective pupils e.g. CAT4, English Language Assessment Welcoming and assisting prospective visitors to the school and conducting tours of the school facilities Assisting with the upkeep of the admissions portal, Open Apply, including communicating decisions on applications to families Liaising with the Admissions Officer, Head of Admissions, Heads of School and Principal to schedule meetings with prospective pupils as required Supporting the planning, preparation and execution of key admissions events e.g. New Pupils Day, Open Mornings Maintaining a stock supply of admissions collateral e.g. prospectuses, option booklets Contributing to the production and distribution of documentation for new families e.g. Welcome Pack and admissions forms Tracking the payment of registration fees Liaising with the Infirmary to provide accurate medical information for new pupils Contributing the upkeep, look and feel of the school e.g. notice boards, wall displays and reporting any issues to the Facilities team Personal Skills The successful candidate will be: An ambassador of St Georges at all times A role model in relation to the schools core values of Internationalism, Inclusivity and Excellence Enthusiastic and passionate about education with a sound understanding of UK best practice Reliable and respectful in their dealings with all members of the school community Flexible and adaptable to the varied demands of working in a world-class school environment Proactive in all aspects of school life Able to work both independently and collaboratively independently and collaboratively Creative and innovative across and beyond the curriculum Able to work successfully under pressure, with excellent organisational skills Reliable and respectful Able to demonstrate a positive and proactive attitude towards participation in professional development and the schools induction and professional review processes Able to present a professional image in line with the high expectations of St Georges A talented communicator A confident and competent user of IT in the classroom and for administrative purposes. Formal Qualifications / Experience A university degree or other equivalent professional qualification An excellent standard of spoken and written English A generous and sociable outlook How to Apply Reference Number 250302 Application Deadline Tuesday 22 April 2025, 9.00am CEST Start Date At the earliest Availability (full-time/part-time) Full-time Contract Permanent (starting with one-year contract) We reserve the right to appoint before the closing date. Early application is strongly encouraged. Please complete an online application form via www.stgeorge.school.it/employment. Shortlisted candidates will have references taken up prior to interview. Supporting Statement The Supporting Statement is an instrumental part of our shortlisting process and should address and detail: the reason you are applying for the role, why you feel that you are a suitable candidate for the role to which you are applying, your skills and experience, and an explanation of any gaps in employment during your career. Additional Application Guidance The Education and Qualifications section of the application form must be completed in full (including grades obtained). References provided should always include your current employer. If you are currently working in education, please note that your first referee must be the Headteacher/Principal of the school that you are currently employed with. School Policies Applicants to St Georges should be familiar with the schools Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy available at www.stgeorge.school.it/policies. A copy of the Staff Code of Conduct and Whistleblowing Policy will be made available to shortlisted candidates. Conditional Offer of Appointment Any offer to a successful candidate will be conditional upon the following: Verification of identity, qualifications and professional status A safeguarding check Receipt of at least three satisfactory references (one of which should be from your current or most recent Principal, Head of School or line manager) Verification of medical fitness (completion of a medical declaration) Social media screening Non-EU applicants will be required to produce their university transcript with courses taken and final grade of their first Degree. Remuneration Package details will be available to shortlisted candidates upon request. Equal Opportunities St George's is an equal opportunities employer and is fully committed to a policy of treating all its employees and job applicants equally. Discrimination will not be made on the grounds of age, race, religion, disability, marital status, gender, re-assigned gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy or other basis. Rome blast left tourist gravely injured. Grant Paterson, the Scottish tourist who suffered horrific burns following an explosion at a holiday apartment in Rome more than week ago, died from his injuries on Tuesday. The 54-year-old tourist had been alone in the B&B accommodation in the Monteverde area when it was destroyed in a blast caused by a suspected gas leak on 24 March. Firefighters extracted Paterson alive from the rubble and he was rushed to Rome's Sant'Eugenio hospital with burns to 75 per cent of his body. Paterson, who was from East Kilbride in Lanarkshire and worked for Scottish ferry company CalMac, had been holidaying in Rome on a solo trip. An investigation into the cause of the blast, ordered by Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri, is ongoing. High Court reporters A worker with a contract company at Dublin Airport who was sacked after he told an Aer Lingus customer services check-in representative to "f...off" will get an early hearing of his High Court action challenging his dismissal, a judge said on Tuesday. Mr Justice Brian Cregan, after being told Colm Dunne had not been reinstated pending his challenge, said he was prepared to give a hearing date for his case before the courts Easter break at the end of next week. Mr Dunne, an IT systems engineer, claims his dismissal by his employer, airport support services firm, ESP Global Services Ltd, over the "f...off" remark was extremely harsh and not proportionate. He had an unblemished record with the firm since starting work with it in 2021, he says. He claims the ESP disciplinary process was defective and unfair and that it acted unlawfully in its decision. The case arose over what Mr Dunne said was an unfortunate interaction between him and a male member of the Aer Lingus customer service team at the self-service flight check-in kiosks in the early hours of January 27th towards the end of his night shift. Mr Dunne, St Laurence's Park, Drogheda, Co Louth, said the Aer Lingus employee had approached him while he was working to fix one kiosk about another faulty kiosk. He was concentrating on fixing the printer in the machine and did not respond, he said. When asked by the other man if Mr Dunne could hear him, he admitted that he regrettably told him to go away and ultimately to f*** off. The Aer Lingus worker, in his complaint later that day to Collins Aerospace, which manages the airport on behalf of the Dublin Airport Authority, claimed that after telling him to f...off, Mr Dunne "approached me again and said I deserved it". ESP suspended him on pay and over a week later carried out an alleged gross misconduct hearing. It was held via Microsoft Teams on February 7th, 2025, attended by Mr Dunne, ESP global aviation services manager, Gregor Young, and Louise Morgon, People Partner Lead. Mr Dunne said he apologised a number of times at the hearing for the use of the word, but later that same morning, Mr Young informed Mr Dunne he was dismissed with immediate effect for gross misconduct. Mr Dunne lodged an appeal which was heard by two other senior ESP staff, Mike George, VP People and Ian Essai, VP global operations. He said the appeal failed to address or remedy the very serious defects of fairness of procedure and due process or to address his implied contractual right of an adequate response to an act of misconduct. He says the appeal panel predetermined its decision. Mr Dunne sought a High Court injunction and last week Mr Justice Brian Cregan restrained ESP from taking any steps to give effect to the purported dismissal. When the case returned before the judge on Tuesday, Conor Power SC, for Mr Dunne, said it had been agreed with the ESP side to adjourn the matter for a week to allow the defendant to file a replying affidavit with the injunction to continue until then. Asked by the judge if Mr Dunne was going to be reinstated pending the proceedings, Mr Power said no and this was why a short adjournment for a week had been sought. They were seeking to expedite matters, he said. Asked by the judge if the affidavit could be filed before the end of the week, Hayley O'Donnell BL, for ESP, said her side was prepared to do so. She said the body of the affidavit ran to 20 pages, and while they had initially sought a two-week adjournment, they had agreed to one week. The judge said he would adjourn for a week to allow for the replying affidavit to be filed. He said he would be very keen to have the matter heard within a few days and before the courts break for Easter. Niamh ODonoghue A man who threatened to burn down his partners house has been jailed for two years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Gerard Tier (34) of Casement Drive, Finglas, Dublin, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm on August 21st, 2021. Two other counts of possession of an explosive substance and a threat to kill or cause serious damage were taken into account. A petrol bomb was found at the house, and Tier threatened to burn the house down, the court heard. Garda Paul Higgins told the court Tier was extremely violent and resisted arrest. It took four gardai to restrain him. Tier started to headbutt the floor and said he would make the place look like a murder scene. He said to gardai, Ill have you killed and that hed gotten a garda sacked before. While he was in hospital, he continued to be violent. He said he was drinking and made admissions to taking cocaine on the night, the court was told. Im coked off my head, Im going to have a heart attack, he told gardai. Gardai said there was a distinct smell of petrol when they entered the house. They found a bottle with petrol in it and a rag in the top - a Molotov cocktail as its also known. When asked about the homemade bomb the following day, he denied ownership of it at the time. The woman said she did not want him arrested as he was the father of her children, but she was in shock when she saw the Molotov cocktail. Tier said he consumed eight cans of beer and drank foreign whiskey. An empty bottle of Seadog rum was used for the Molotov cocktail. Justin McQuade BL defending, said his client was on disability benefits since he was the victim of a stabbing. I dont know what General Molotov would say about this device, said Mr McQuade. Some people put sugar in them and its not to sweeten them, he added. He has 12 previous convictions, including one for robbery. Judge Martin Nolan said Tier behaved very badly and noted it took four gardai to restrain him, his animus continued. He had taken certain substances. The incendiary device, although primitive, was very dangerous, the judge said. Possession of this device is a serious matter, said the judge. He said he had to impose a custodial sentence and jailed Tier for two years. A jury in Waterford has found a man guilty of strangling a woman, despite the woman's witness testimony. The man, who will not be named to protect the identity of the victim, pleaded not guilty to five charges at Waterford Circuit Court. The charges included two counts of strangulation, one count of Section 3 assault causing harm, one count of criminal damage and one count of production of an article, to wit a knife. The first four charges all stem from one incident at a domestic residence in County Waterford in late 2023. The jury of six women and six men heard witness evidence from the victim, doctors and Gardai. On the stand, the woman claimed that she had "fabricated" the claims of violence. She was treated as a hostile witness and the jury heard from her initial statement to Gardai in the days following the incident. According to this statement, the man and woman had been in a long-term relationship and shared a young child. They had split up due to the man's infidelity but stayed in contact. On the night in question, the man and woman had a few drinks in a local pub. Later the woman and her child went back to her home, where the man's mother also lived. The man made his way into the home and began attacking the woman, strangling her while shouting: "You will know what it is like to take your last breath." The woman sustained extensive injuries on her body, mainly her neck and head. There was blood on her hair. At one point, he was outside the home and smashed a window, sustaining a cut to his hand. The man's mother called Gardai, who quickly arrived in a white van and observed the victim and took the man into custody. The man's mother's nightgown was reportedly "covered in blood". The jury saw photographs taken by Gardai of the woman's injuries, which were described as "consistent with the statement". There were photos of blood stains on the walls and on her hair. Several months after the attack, the victim tried to withdraw her statement, citing that what she alleged was true but she did not want her child to grow up without a father. At the trial, she told the jury that she was the aggressor and sustained the injuries from "pushing and shoving". State Prosecutor Conor O'Doherty told the jury that it was a "dark and disturbing case" where the "witness is putting herself at fault". Mr O'Doherty said that due to that the complex nature of domestic violence, the victim was "doing everything she can to absolve him [the defendant] of responsibility". The jury returned guilty verdicts on the four charges relating to the incident at the domestic residence, and not guilty of the charge of production of an article. All verdicts were unanimous. He will be sentenced at a later date. New statute Laws against non-fatal strangulation are a relatively new addition to the Irish statute book, having been included in the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 as a stand alone offence. Former Minister for Justice Helen McEntee stated in 2022: "Strangulation is highly prevalent in domestic abuse and frequently used as a tool of coercion, often accompanied by threats to kill." SETU has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Waterford Airport to establish a National Aerospace Academy. The advancement of the plan was announced at the Celebrating Aerospace event held in Carlow on Monday. Speaking at the event, SETU President Professor Veronica Campbell said their aerospace team has "positioned itself as an innovator in this field". Our collaboration with Waterford Airport is perfectly placed and resourced to provide a strong research and development alliance in flight testing small aircraft and unmanned air vehicles, said Prof Campbell. The National Aerospace Academy at Waterford Airport will specialise in Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs). A UAV is an aircraft that doesn't require a human pilot or crew. They are used for a variety of uses in military operations, research and data collection, commercial activities, and even to support emergency services. SETU say the collaboration will support the offshore sector in the southeast of Ireland, "fostering climate-focused research capabilities". Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ni Mhurchu said in a statement on Tuesday that Waterford can be "at the heart" of a global hub for aviation in the Southeast region. She also said that she is confident that Waterford airport is a priority on the new Minister's desk. Speaking at the event celebrating SETUs recent achievements in the aerospace sector, Ms Ni Mhurchu praised SETU's commitment to the industry. SETUs commitment to education, research, and industry collaboration is vital for sustaining this momentum, together with the momentum to quickly progress the Waterford Airport project to lengthen and widen the runway," said Ms Ni Mhurchu. Also announced at the event was the news that SETU had received Irish Aviation Authority approval as an EASA Part 147 Training Organisation. This will allow them to deliver their Aircraft Mechanic Apprenticeship. SETU is one of only two Technological Universities in Ireland to receive this approval. The event in Carlow was well attended, with representatives from airlines, maintenance organisations, engineering companies, Air Corp, Waterford Airport and local government officials. A Waterford woman has been taken into custody after having her bail revoked. In February 2025, Joan Hanrahan, of 21 Woodview Close, Maypark Village, Waterford, pleaded guilty to multiple charges of theft and deception. She was remanded on bail pending her sentencing hearing. On Wednesday, March 26, the 53-year old appeared in court over a bail reapplication order. Detective Garda Stephen Burke gave evidence before State Prosecutor Conor ODoherty and Judge Eugene OKelly. He told the court that Hanrahan had, in her role as a carer, stolen 150,000 from a vulnerable elderly woman from Waterford, diagnosed with dementia, between 2021 until 2024. The deception was uncovered after the victim died in April 2024 and her family discovered multiple sums of thousands of euro taken out of her account under the tag "nursing home". The family were concerned because the elderly woman had never stayed in a nursing home. They alerted An Garda Siochana. Gardai found CCTV footage of Hanrahan taking out thousands of euro from the womens account in the days following her death. Hanrahan made full admissions to the Gardai when arrested. Kilkenny offences Det. Burke informed the court that in 2021 Hanrahan received a suspended sentence of 18 months from Kilkenny Circuit Court. Between 2016 and 2019, Hanrahan had stolen 29,900 from three elderly patients at a nursing home in Tipperary. The court heard that Hanrahan was given a suspended sentence in mitigation of the fact that she paid 30,000 to the injured parties. However, that restitution is now understood to have been gained through theft. Judge O'Kelly expressed concern over this revelation and requested a DAR recording of the 2021 sentencing hearing. Her offending in Waterford has triggered a Section 99 re-entry of this earlier sentence. Inconsistencies At Waterford Circuit Court, Hanrahan claimed that she may have suffered a 'mini stroke', also known as a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) at an earlier bail hearing. Paramedics brought her to A&E and she was discharged several hours later with doctors 'satisfied' with her condition. She also claimed that she was in the care of a Tramore-based psychologist. A letter proclaiming to be from this doctor (with the name misspelled) was presented in court and claimed that Hanrahan was making 'progress'. Det. Burke, an officer with over a decade of experience in Waterford, told Judge O'Kelly that he could find no trace of the psychologist. Taking to the witness box, Hanrahan told Judge O'Kelly that she was a single mother of three children, aged between 12 and 20, had separated from her husband and had no family to support the children. Det. Burke informed the Judge that Hanrahan's husband's vehicle had been seen outside the home multiple times over the past few weeks and as recently as Monday, March 24, directly contradicting her claim that her estranged husband had been "working in Valencia for the last three weeks". Judge O'Kelly ordered for the bail to be revoked, noting that the matter had been going on "for weeks". A headline like this, reminiscent of Donald Trumps Drill, baby drill promise, appeared recently in one of the Cork papers about the proposed development of a light rail (tram) system in that city. The article demanded immediate funding for the project. Like Dickens' Oliver, they want More! There has been a tsunami of state funding channeled into Leeside in recent times, the result of powerful political influence, but its certainly sensible to plan for such a development. I believe that Cork City did have trams in the late 19th century. What would make anyone in this neck of the woods wonder is when will we see progress on our agenda? Spend, baby spend in Waterford? It gets fairly tiresome to be like (again) Dickens Mr. Micawber, waiting for something to turn up! The new government has been remarkably quiet on funding in this area. Newly elected Fine Gael TD, Minister John Cummins confirmed on December 11 last that the government had formally approved a major capital project at SETU's Cork Road campus. This is a 12,800sqm new engineering building. Three and a half months later there is still no sign of the project commencing. Tenders for the work were received in April 2024 and 12 months later, we are still waiting. During his long campaign to get elected Minister Cummins batted away complaints or comment about this project delay using a lexicon of, shall we say, excuses. He is probably as anxious as anyone to see the project get underway. Isnt it about time it actually happened? Nothing has been built at SETU Cork Road for nearly 20 years. An excellent institution, which was on the cusp of independent university status in 2006, awaits equity. What is noticeable since the formation of our new government is the almost deathly silence that has fallen over Waterford projects. Think Waterford Airport! When Matt Shanahan was a TD there were almost daily media updates and Dail reports on matters relating to Waterford. Since the election, silence. The exception is the opening of cath lab facilities at weekends in UHW. We now have seven day, 8am to 8pm cover for emergency interventional cardiology for heart attacks. That is 50% cover on a weekly basis. It turns out, that on the first weekend of operation, a significant number of patients were given emergency cardiac intervention in the cath lab at UHW. This was the first weekend of Saturday / Sunday 8-8 Cath lab opening. Mr Shanahan has posted on social media saying: The activity makes a mockery of those who said only one or two cases a week might occur outside of previous 39 hour schedule! We need to see 24/7 delivered ASAP. Most people know that a major new surgical hub is under construction at Maypark Lane, however, the vertical Out-Patients Department, which has been described in in-house UHW correspondence as the most important project in hand to radically increase patient throughput, which has full planning permission since 2022 and is in the HSE National Capital Plan, is still queued for funding! This, in a week when a tender call for the construction of a new National Maternity Hospital, estimated to cost at least 1 billion, on the grounds of St Vincents Hospital in Dublin, appeared on the government e-tender site. This will add to the already bloated health spending for Dublin with over 2.2 billion on the yet-to-open National Childrens Hospital. Two proposed new major elective hospitals are in the offing. National media generally disregards criticism of the amount of state spending going to Dublin. The capital, like all capitals, has a deaf ear and the national media has been full of comment on the proposed Metro North with various Dublin councillors trying to convince all and sundry that the 23 billion cost is justified. Because were worth it? We await millions, they await billions! The joint Academy of Urbanism (AoU) and Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) conference on the subject of Ireland 2050: Balanced by Design took place last week at Dublin Castle. One report of the proceedings asserts that Local authorities lack the ability to plan big cities. More about that in the coming weeks, meanwhile, Waterford might suggest that government lacks the ability to plan small cities. Other than Dublin and Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford are small cities. Waterford is the smallest of the three. All national planning literature underlines the need to develop Waterford city and government will point to the North Quays as an instance of that support. But the meat in the sandwich is forever slow to arrive. UHW has received support with an uptick in staff and budget, but still lags behind in stroke and other services. The hospital is physically too small for its remit, a situation that has persisted since it was built 30% smaller than originally planned when opened in 1993. SETU has been awarded prestigious new degree courses in veterinary and pharmacy to commence in 2026, but there are extremely worrying reports emanating from the Cork Road that all is not well in terms of IT and other supports. The long financial starvation and resource deprivation, which SETU Waterford suffered at the hands of Fine Gael governments since 2011, have left an indelible mark on our third-level institution and undermined its reputation and capacity. While legacy universities and some favoured Institutes of Technology were bloated with capital investment and new facilities, WIT, the forerunner of SETU and once premier Institute of Technology, was crucified. Rumours of leaking roofs in older buildings persist to this day, although the Cork Road campus is looking immeasurably better. While student numbers doubled at universities like UL, Maynooth and DCU, which were once comparable to WIT, Waterford student numbers and course developments suffered a draconian curtailment. Development was suppressed. Why? Were not supposed to dredge up the past in these matters and must instead hope for a brave new SETU world, but it is extremely hard to be positive while promised capital developments are interminably slow-walked. Completion dates for the long-awaited engineering building, which are drifting towards very late this decade, are alarming. No amount of PR soft soap will ease that. Now, however, the chances of a return to Russia if not the extraction of proper payment for stolen assets has risen with Donald Trump in the White House and new messaging from US officials about reopening economic ties with Russia. Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said last month he expected a number of American companies will return to the Russian market as early as in the second quarter of the year. Some Western businesses have already laid the groundwork to return. French carmaker Renault sold all of its shares in Renault Russia and its 67.69 per cent interest in Russias AvtoVAZ in May 2022, but this agreement includes an option for Renault to buy back its interest in AvtoVAZ that is exercisable for six years. Luca de Meo, the Renault chief, last month refused to rule out a return to Russia. However, officials have since said the carmaker would need to pay $US1.3 billion to do so. Executives should also be wary: analysts warn that Putin is using Western businesses as a pawn in his games with Europe and the US. Lost Western assets and cash have become a bargaining chip in negotiations over a potential peace deal on Ukraine and a way of dividing Europe. Renault chief Luca de Meo has refused to rule out a return to Russia. Credit: Bloomberg As sanctions have proliferated, the Kremlin has increasingly come to the view that Russian assets of multinational firms are useful collateral for frozen assets abroad, says Ian Massey, at S-RM consultants. Europe and the US have frozen some $US300 billion in Russias overseas assets, something that has irked the Kremlin. Austrias Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is battling a 2 billion ($3.4 billion) fine imposed by a Russian court in January, which officials said was compensation for frozen assets in Austria. We had only 10 minutes to make our case in court, says RBI spokesperson Christof Danz. The defendant was flanked by armed people wearing balaclavas. RBI is appealing the ruling and has its next court hearing on April 24. The presence of Western businesses in Russia and the kind of leverage that gives [Putin] over certain European countries has been one of the most useful tools in the Kremlins toolbox for years, says Patrick Sewell, of Control Risks, a consultancy. Loading With the Ariston decision, Putin may also be trying to divide Europe by signalling that countries that take a softer line to Moscow may get their assets back, he says. I think its quite plausible that Putin would be happy to allow certain Western companies to take back their assets in a way that drives a wedge between different members of the EU. Italy has sometimes been a kind of soft target for Russia. Theyve typically been among the more Russian friendly-countries of the EU, the Italian business community has always been very active in Moscow. Putins response to the tidal wave of Western sanctions that hit Russia after the war began was a vicious attack on foreign businesses operating in the state. Of the $US167 billion lost since 2022, $US57 billion has been lost by 30 companies who have had their assets forcibly seized, according to the KSE Institute. These included French yoghurt maker Danone and Danish brewer Carlsberg, both of which have since sold their Russian assets and cut their losses. Putin also imposed blocks on companies trying to escape. Until last autumn, businesses selling assets in Russia had to take a 50 per cent hit on the sale price and pay an exit tax on the proceeds of 15 per cent. In October, Russia raised the discount to 60 per cent and the exit fee to 35 per cent. Transactions are also subject to a protracted approval process involving the finance ministry. It can take 12 months and is often unsuccessful. In other words, many businesses are effectively held to ransom. Western firms are fighting back. Aristons case was backed by major lobbying from the Italian Foreign Ministry. More companies are trying to attack through the legal system. German oil and gas producer Wintershall Dea has begun two arbitration proceedings against the Russian Federation after Putin signed decrees booting the company out of all of its five Russian joint ventures, including in the Nord Stream pipeline. Finnish energy company Fortum similarly initiated arbitration proceedings against Russia in February 2024 for compensation for unlawful seizure after it had its assets seized by presidential decree in 2023. Fortum has since lost all oversight and control over the assets, and we are unaware of who runs these assets nor do we have any other information regarding the assets, says Esa Hyvarinen, at Fortum. These tactics can be legally successful. In June 2024, German energy company Uniper won a $14 billion arbitration ruling against Russias state-owned energy giant Gazprom. But there is a big difference between winning a court ruling and enforcing it. It looks good, it sounds good, but in practice awards of that nature in the current environment are likely to be more symbolic in nature, says Massey. Enforcement and recovery are very challenging exercises in hostile circumstances. If Western businesses cannot get paid for businesses they have lost, would returning to Russia be a viable option? The presence of Western businesses in Russia and the kind of leverage that gives [Putin] over certain European countries has been one of the most useful tools in the Kremlins toolbox for years. Patrick Sewell of consultancy Control Risks There are still $US194 billion worth of foreign assets in Russia, and Trump has suggested he will give businesses the green light to resume operations there. Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said in February there could be incredible opportunities for US business in Russia. All the way up to the election of Donald Trump, companies were lining up to get approvals [to exit Russia], says Alan Kartashkin, who formerly ran the Moscow office of law firm Debevoise & Plimpton and now oversees its Eastern European business. Loading So much has changed. Now, you have a US president saying we should develop economic ties with Russia and investors take notice. No leader in the Western world has said that since [Putins invasion of Ukraine in] February 2022. Hedge funds are exploring how they can make investments in the Russian stock market, he adds. They want to place a bet on a potential peace deal. Sewell says other companies are looking at the feasibility of selling non-sanctioned goods, such as food, in Russia again. Rome: An overnight fire at a Tesla dealership in Rome destroyed 17 cars, while in Sweden two dealerships and cars were also vandalised in the latest of a string of attacks against the companys chief executive, Elon Musk. Italys special police unit, Digos, was leading an investigation looking into the possibility that anarchists set fire to the cars on the eastern outskirts of the Italian capital, a security source said. Destroyed Teslas after a fire at a companys dealership in Rome, Italy, on Monday. Credit: Bloomberg Two Tesla stores and some cars were also vandalised in Swedens capital, Stockholm, and coastal city Malmo, several Swedish media outlets reported. Tesla cars have become targets for vandalism across several countries in response to Musks right-wing activism and his influence as one of US President Donald Trumps closest advisers. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 1. Due to its strategic location, Kazakhstan aims to become the leading trade and logistics hub of Eurasia, said the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaking at the Kazakh-Slovenian business forum, Trend reports. The President also noted that Kazakhstan can provide direct access to markets with over 1.5 billion consumers within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, Central Asia, and China. "Currently, our country ensures 90 percent of land trade between Europe and China. We are actively developing major international transit corridors, such as the Middle Corridor and North-South. Our ports of Aktau and Kuryk play an important role in transit across the Caspian Sea," said President Tokayev at the business forum. According to him, Kazakhstan aspires to become the shining beacon of commerce and the intricate web of logistics that connects the vast expanse of Eurasia. "Today, Kazakhstan produces 19 out of 34 rare-earth elements, which are critically important for the EU economy, and is actively cooperating with leading global companies to unlock the potential of the sector through a pragmatic formula: investments and technology in exchange for raw materials," he added. On March 31, the president of Slovenia arrived on an official visit to Kazakhstan, where she met with President Tokayev. Two leaders held talks in both narrow and expanded formats. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that Natasha Pirc-Musar's visit opens exceptional prospects for deepening and expanding Kazakh-Slovenian partnership. One of the issues discussed by the presidents of the two countries was the potential joining of the Port of Koper to the TITR. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The World Customs Organization (WCO) recently conducted a successful pre-accreditation workshop on Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programmes for Members of the Asia-Pacific region. Held from 17 to 21 March 2025, in Hong Kong, China, the workshop was made possible through the financial support of the WCO Customs Cooperation Fund of China (CCF-China). The event brought together Customs officials from across the region, including representatives from Australia, China, Hong Kong - China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. The participants were selected for their proven AEO-related experience, with the aim of identifying WCO pre-accredited experts who can contribute to strengthening AEO implementation across WCO membership. Throughout the workshop, participants had the opportunity to share their national AEO practices through insightful presentations. These covered a range of critical topics, including the implementation of the SAFE Framework of Standards, innovative approaches to risk management, the importance of inter-agency cooperation, and the establishment of Mutual Recognition Arrangements/Agreements (MRAs). The diversity of practices presented highlighted the dynamic and evolving nature of AEO programmes in the region and provided valuable lessons on how to address common challenges. The workshop also featured interactive and practical sessions designed to assess candidates' ability to develop recommendations for Customs modernization and draft mission reports and web articles related to AEO topics. One of the key highlights was a role-playing exercise that tested participants' advisory skills, focusing on practical guidance for AEO validation and offering support to businesses engaged in cross-border trade. At the end of the workshop, individual feedback sessions were held, allowing participants to reflect on their performance and receive targeted advice on enhancing their advisory capabilities. By selecting a new cohort of WCO pre-accredited experts, the workshop has contributed significantly to the establishment of a robust network of professionals capable of guiding WCO Members in enhancing their AEO programmes. After completing the full accreditation, the experts will serve as a valuable resource in promoting secure and efficient trade environments worldwide, reinforcing the WCOs commitment to fostering capacity building and enhancing global supply chain security. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 1. President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and discussed the development of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, Trend reports. During the conversation, both sides noted the positive nature of the Turkmen-Pakistani partnership across a wide range of areas. Special emphasis was placed on energy cooperation, which is a priority for both countries. As an example of successful interaction, they highlighted transnational projects such as the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, a high-voltage power line, and an optical fiber communication system connecting Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The Prime Minister of Pakistan expressed interest in further developing energy cooperation, highlighting the strategic importance of these projects for Pakistan. He also congratulated the Turkmen side on the UN declaration of 2025 as the "International Year of Peace and Trust," an initiative of Turkmenistan, noting that this decision affirms broad international support for Ashgabat's policy of positive neutrality. Earlier in March 2025, the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Pakistan, Atadjan Movlamov, met with Pakistan's new Federal Minister of Petroleum, Ali Pervaiz Malik. In the course of the meeting, the sides also discussed energy sector cooperation, including joint projects and opportunities for developing mutually beneficial initiatives. Movlamov provided an update on the progress of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline construction in Afghanistan. Both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening ties between the two countries and recognized the significant potential for cooperation in the energy sector. Weber State to freeze tuition and fees for associate degrees March 31, 2025 OGDEN, Utah Weber State University is pausing tuition and fees increases in the 202526 academic year for students with less than 60 credit hours. At WSU, 49% of full-time resident students have fewer than 60 credit hours the number required to earn an associate degree. First-year and sophomore students who attend WSU in the fall and spring semesters will save $135 per year. Thats a modest start to what we hope will be even greater savings in the future, said WSU President Brad Mortensen. We know that every dollar matters for our students, so were hoping this pilot program can serve as a model for the state to follow and eventually get students saving closer to $1,000 per year. Mortensen noted several studies from Texas and Michigan that saw significant enrollment growth when associate degree costs were cut by $1,000. He also highlighted a Utah-focused Cicero study reiterating that cost is a common barrier to pursuing and completing higher education. Weber States partial tuition freeze comes as a result of its dual mission, which sees the university serving two distinct student populations: those pursuing two-year degrees and those pursuing four-year degrees. Mortensen said tuition rates for the two populations should also be distinct in order to help remove cost barriers for those in their first two years of college. Getting an associate degree should be just as affordable at four-year colleges as it is at community colleges, Mortensen said. Utah Valley University and Utah Tech University are also dual-mission institutions. Mortensen said he believes the coming school year will prove the benefits of implementing similar tuition rates across Utahs higher education institutions. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. President of the European Council Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend the first EU - Central Asia summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Trend reports. According to the European Council, the summit will focus on several key areas, including strengthening multilateral cooperation, addressing shared security challenges, and enhancing economic, trade, and investment ties. Discussions will also cover energy, climate neutrality, connectivity under the Global Gateway, and the green transition. Furthermore, the leaders aim to bolster people-to-people contacts and mobility. This summit is part of the EUs broader efforts to deepen its relations with Central Asia, as outlined in the 2019 EU strategy on Central Asia and the 2023 joint roadmap. These evolving ties have grown in strategic importance, with both sides keen to advance cooperation on a variety of issues. At the conclusion of the summit, a joint statement is expected to be issued. Additionally, Presidents Costa and von der Leyen will participate in the opening session of the Samarkand international climate forum, which will bring together global leaders, policymakers, climate experts, and activists to discuss regional and global climate challenges and reinforce commitments to sustainable development. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit By Cillian Sherlock, PA The Department of Health was notified of concerns around unnecessary child surgeries more than seven months after a protected disclosure was made within Childrens Health Ireland, the Taoiseach has said. The Dail heard on Tuesday that an audit of paediatric hip dysplasia surgeries at Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals found that hundreds of children operated on between 2021 and 2023 did not meet the threshold for the procedure. It had previously heard that 79 per cent of those operated on at National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh and 60% per cent of those at Temple Street did not meet the threshold for surgery in that time frame. Taoiseach Micheal Martin told the Dail that concerns were raised under a protected disclosure to CHI, which is primarily funded by the HSE, in September 2023. He said the Department of Health was informed months later, in May 2024. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has questioned why it took almost a year from then for parents to be formally notified that an audit into the matter is taking place. She told the Dail the audit recommends that 561 children be recalled for an independent assessment, adding that parents have started to receive letters about the audit. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (Gareth Chaney/PA) These parents were provided with an email address in the letter, but many tell us theyre emailing and getting no response. Theyre also ringing but getting no answer. Its heaping stress on top of stress. The aail heard that one mother received two letters as her twin daughters both had surgery in 2023, with Ms McDonald adding: It took them months to recover, to learn to walk again, not to mention the agonising pain each of them are in the sleepless nights, crying in pain. During Leaders Questions, she also told the Taoiseach of a girl who had operations on both hips and another mother who was heartbroken to think she may have put her child through surgery days before her third birthday if there was never any need for it. Ms McDonald said Sinn Fein was aware of cases sought second opinions where they were told that not only did their child not need the operation, but they did not have hip dysplasia at all. She said there was now a genuine fear that the problem dates back to years before 2021, as she had heard of parents of children receiving letters about operations from a decade ago. Ms McDonald said parents have lost confidence in Childrens Health Ireland, which she said was mired in scandal. She said: Government sits on the sidelines, incapable of getting a handle on things. A report has uncovered that unnecessary hip surgeries were carried out on hundreds of young children at two Dublin hospitals, the Dail has been told. Mr Martin acknowledged that the clinical audit compounds the original trauma of the surgery which was felt by children and parents. He said the audit is close to final stage and said it makes sense to wait for its completion and presentation to parents. Mr Martin told Ms McDonald that it was deeply worrying for parents. He added: Remember that this is first and foremost, a clinical issue, insofar as these are clinical decisions to take the step of surgery. Thats pre-determined, should be done through multidisciplinary teams who decide that a child needs surgery for a specific condition. So this is an extremely serious situation that the assertion now is that quite a number of operations were carried out unnecessarily. The Taoiseach said it was his understanding that concerns over unnecessary hip surgeries were initially raised internally within CHI under a protected disclosure in September 2023 relating to different thresholds for surgery being applied in different hospitals. He added: The Department of Health was notified about this matter on the 9th of May 2024. Mr Martin said he expected the details of the audit to be published and called for full transparency into the matter. Castlebar councillors are pushing for traffic lights to be trialled at a problematic junction. The Gallows Hill area of the county town has been experiencing traffic backlogs for a number of years with the situation set to get worse with the construction of new housing estates. John Kearns, of Mayo County Councils Road Design Office, told a meeting of Castlebar Municipal District that consultants may be tasked to examine a new orbital route to alleviate traffic issues in tandem with the possible use of traffic lights at Gallows Hill. Gallows Hill, close to the Rathbawn Road and located at the junction of Tucker Street, Chapel Street and New Line, has been a major traffic headache for years. The area is also home to Castlebars largest primary school. Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said consultants should be dispensed with. Can we not try out solutions like traffic lights there and see if it works? Sending it to consultants is just a waste of money, he said. Cllr Ger Deere agreed that traffic lights should be trialled at the location. Lets try the traffic lights to see if that helps. Its been chaotic for a long time and you probably have up to 150 houses coming on stream out there in the next year and a half. On average they will have two cars per house. We have to try something. Cllr Deere said if the traffic lights dont work or cause traffic backlogs then other solutions can be looked at. We have a real crisis on our hands. Its the biggest traffic crisis facing the town, he said. Cllr Donna Sheridan said she feared that a similar situation could occur when traffic lights for roadworks were put in place at the end of Chapel Street. This led to lengthy traffic jams. However, she agreed a traffic light trial should take place. We need to try it quickly. We have been talking about this for the last five years and nothing has been done. Meanwhile, a stacking lane at a dangerous on the N5 at Gortnafolla, Turlough, has been discounted. Mr Kearns said the crossroads are staggered in the wrong direction and renders it impossible to accommodate a right turn lane. He said the solution likely to be backed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland is to close one lane of the junction. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 1. At the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will visit Uzbekistan on a working trip from April 3 to 4, Trend reports. According to the Kazakh president's office, in Samarkand, Tokayev will participate in the EU - Central Asia summit and hold a series of meetings. The summit will focus on several key areas, including strengthening multilateral cooperation, addressing shared security challenges, and enhancing economic, trade, and investment ties. Discussions will also cover energy, climate neutrality, connectivity under the Global Gateway, and the green transition. Works currently underway at the former Scoil Phadraig site in Westport are unauthorised, according to a local councillor. Cllr Peter Flynn has called on Mayo County Council to explain how there are development works taking place at the old primary school site when no planning permission has been approved. The site was earmarked as the location of a new campus for Holy Trinity National School before the Department of Education unexpectedly offered it to the local Sacred Heart Secondary School to accommodate student overflow. Speaking at last week's meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District, Cllr Flynn said hoardings measuring ten feet in height had been erected around the site and it appeared that construction works were taking place. I dont know whats going on behind the hoarding. Nobody knows. It is completely screened out. Cllr Flynn requested that the Director of Planning Enforcement at Mayo Co Council attend the next meeting "to set out the rationale for the Department of Education carrying out unauthorised development. Cllr Brendan Mulroy seconded the call, saying that the situation had gone from shocking to embarrassing and that all anyone could do was hang your head in disbelief. Holy Trinity is the only Protestant primary school left in Mayo. We talk about being inclusive and about a united Ireland, but to see the way they are being kicked from pillar to post is downright shocking, and if ever there was a case for discrimination, that is one there. "Every religious group in Westport is fully supportive of Holy Trinity. They are an integral part of society, yet they are being kicked from one end of the street to the other. It is time the Department of Education stood up to be accounted for. Cllr John OMalley described the treatment of Holy Trinity NS as "awful". "They got those grounds for their school in the first place. The mistake they made was handing it over to the Department of Education in order to get their grant and then the Department reneged on everything. It tried even to get Educate Together to go in along with them and when everybody objected to that, they said they would bring the Sacred Heart in for a few years instead, a few years, mind you. Everything has been worked against Holy Trinity. It is like a conspiracy against them. Cllr Flynn told the management of the municipal district that they "will be held personally liable for any accident arising out of this site". Allentown, PA (18103) Today Mostly sunny and pleasant with refreshingly low humidity! Great weather to celebrate the 4th of July!. Tonight Mostly clear skies and very comfortable overnight. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Mostly sunny and pleasant with refreshingly low humidity! Great weather to celebrate the 4th of July!. Tonight Mostly clear skies and continued very comfortable overnight. Reading, PA (19601) Today Mostly sunny and pleasant with refreshingly low humidity! Great weather to celebrate the 4th of July!. Tonight Mostly clear skies and very comfortable overnight. Reading, PA (19601) Today Mostly sunny and pleasant with refreshingly low humidity! Great weather to celebrate the 4th of July!. Tonight Mostly clear skies and continued very comfortable overnight. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 1. The Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Turkiye, Israel, Albania, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, Ruslan Kazakbaev, and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of North Macedonia, Flakron Bexheti, discussed cooperation in agriculture, forestry, and water resource management, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan. Special attention was given to the prospects of strengthening trade and economic ties between the two countries. Kazakbaev highlighted the significant potential for increasing agricultural trade volumes, emphasizing the competitive advantages and high quality of Kyrgyzstans organic products. The discussion also focused on establishing sustainable logistics chains and sharing expertise in agriculture, forestry, and water resource management. Another key topic was the strengthening of the legal framework for cooperation. Kazakbaev presented the Macedonian side with a draft cooperation agreement, underscoring its importance for advancing joint initiatives. On behalf of the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister for Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan, he also invited the Macedonian delegation to visit the country on an official trip. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 1. The Committee on Transport, Communications, Architecture and Construction of the Kyrgyz Parliament considered and approved in the first reading the draft law on ratification of the agreement on air transportation between the government and Hungary, Trend reports. The agreement was signed on November 5, 2024, in Bishkek. The Deputy Director of the State Civil Aviation Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers, Kanat Tologonov, highlighted that ratifying the agreement would establish a legal framework for operating regular flights, including the transport of passengers, cargo, and mail. He noted that the direct air link would catalyze deeper cooperation between the two countries across key sectors. During the discussion, the member of the parliament Ulugbek Ormonov raised concerns over the ongoing efforts to remove the country from the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) blacklist, pointing to the lack of success despite years of attempts. He also questioned the effectiveness of similar agreements with other countries. In response, it was noted that out of 33 countries, air links currently exist with 15. The lawmaker suggested that agreements should not be made with countries where they are unlikely to be operational and called for further analysis on the matter. In addition, the committee reviewed and approved a bill amending several laws regarding precious metals and gemstones. The legislation aims to reduce the shadow economy surrounding these industries and establish a unified regulatory framework for transactions in these sectors by an authorized state body. 'Lead with purpose in an uncertain world' Celebrated economist and higher education leader, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, delivered a powerful message during Wits Universitys Autumn graduation ceremony. In accepting an honorary degree from Wits, Aryeetey urged graduands to be agents of change in a world grappling with uncertainty and opportunity. You are graduating at a time of profound change, both in South Africa and globally, he said. Do not merely seek personal success; strive to create value for your communities and industries. Against a backdrop of youth unemployment, climate change, and global inequality, Aryeetey challenged graduates to embrace innovation while holding fast to integrity and empathy. True leadership is not about titles or accolades, he added, but about the impact you have on the lives of others. You carry with you the values of critical thinking, empathy, and a commitment to justice that define this university. Wits and a shared journey Aryeetey also reflected on his personal and professional journey one closely linked to Wits. The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana and founding Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) traced his connection with Wits to a 2013 visit by then Vice-Chancellor Professor Loyiso Nongxa. That meeting laid the foundation for what he described as a deep and productive collaboration in building research networks across the continent. Anything we achieved as a network could not have come through without significant support from the University of the Witwatersrand, he said, singling out Wits staff members Dr Robin Drennan, Dr Mahomed Moola, and Ms Nancy Law Rametse for their contributions to ARUAs growth. Wits has not only been a partner; it has been a cornerstone in building Africas research capacity. Aryeetey praised the universitys contributions to global health, palaeontology, and recent efforts to develop an mRNA-based HIV vaccine tailored to the African context. These accomplishments remind us of the power of knowledge to transform our world, he said. Describing Wits as a beacon of inclusivity, innovation, and intellectual rigour, he noted its proud history of producing Nobel laureates, legal pioneers, and social justice champions. In closing, I leave you with a challenge, he said. To be not only the beneficiaries of the Wits legacy, but also its custodians. Congratulations, Class of 2025. May your journey be impactful and your legacy enduring. Read his full graduation speech. Biography and citation: Professor Ernest Aryeetey (Doctor of Commerce) A renowned African economist and a leader in higher education, Professor Ernest Aryeetey has significantly contributed to economic research and institutional development across the continent. As the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, he played a pivotal role in transforming the institution into a research-intensive university. He is also the founding Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), where he has worked to strengthen partnerships among Africas top research institutions. His research on informal finance and economic development has influenced policy decisions in Africa and globally. Click here to read more about this citation. Pioneering tests could improve the assessment of dementia in ageing Africans International researchers have introduced two improved tests that could precisely detect cognitive dysfunction in older African adults. These new tools, part of a comprehensive set of 29 assessments, improve upon conventional dementia evaluations commonly used in developed regions. Experts say the initiative will fill critical gaps in global ageing studies, offering vital insights into dementia prevalence and cognitive health in underrepresented populations. Dementia rates expected to rise in Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to have a dramatic rise in dementia prevalence by 2050 owing to an increasing ageing population. In South Africa, in particular, more than one million people could be living with dementia in the upcoming decades, solidifying what is known about the significant community, social, and economic impact of dementia in rural areas. Specialised tests tailored for the South African context The highly specialised tests tailored for the South African context will show additional neuropsychological, functional, and biomarker indicators to measure dementia in already cognitively impaired study participants. Thus, the extent to which dementia has progressed in people participating in a longitudinal study may be revealed. Linking African studies to a global research network In a bid to add to a global network of ageing studies (including the US Health and Retirement Study HRS), these new, specialised tests form part of the HAALSI Dementia-Harmonised Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HAALSI-HCAP) study, which is nested in the larger HAALSI programme. (The more considerable HAALSI study looks at numerous ageing concerns, including cardiometabolic diseases and HIV. HAALSI is Heath and Ageing in Africa Longitudinal Studies). The urgency for dementia research in Africa By 2050, more than 70% of people living with dementia will reside in low-income and middle-income countries but we have seriously sparse information, on a population level, about the true prevalence of dementia, says Professor Stephen Tollman, Director of the SA Medical Research Council/Wits University Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (MRC/Wits-Agincourt Unit). Agincourt, where the primary research occurs, is a globally significant health and socio-demographic surveillance site in Mpumalanga, in rural northeast South Africa. It comprises 31 villages and about 120,000 people. Advanced-data collection tools to improve dementia testing The HAALSI-HCAP sub-study uses advanced research collection techniques, including data-driven algorithms, to improve the precision of the studys measurements. Senior research analyst for the HAALSI-HCAP study, Dr Tamara Taporoski, based at the Harvard Center for Development and Population Studies, notes that although algorithmic estimation of dementia prevalence is widely used in the USA and other high-income countries, HAALSI is the first to blend expert diagnoses with such predictive algorithms. This pioneering approach is a game-changer for regions with limited healthcare resources, where traditional large-scale testing is often impractical due to funding shortages, lack of specialists, and weak infrastructure. Understanding dementia risk factors in Africa Better testing can reveal what causes dementia in Africans and what to do about it. Risk factors for dementia include limited educational opportunities, a decline in sensory functions (such as sight or hearing), and poorly controlled cardiovascular health. These are common in the Agincourt study area. To minimise or prevent dementia, we need to build cognitive reserve meaningful social connections, being exposed to new experiences, and a solid education throughout life are important, says Harvard Senior Analyst Dr Paul Kojo Ayernor. Ayernor is responsible for managing Agincourt study operations and performing data analysis for the HAALSI Agincourt surveys. The problem of inconsistent testing methods Dementia rates in sub-Saharan Africa differ widely, mainly due to inconsistent study methods. There is a lack of standardised and validated data. Expert diagnosis is the most accurate, but it requires significant resources, making it difficult to use on a large scale. Fortunately, we have access to the best science. HAALSI, as a population-based study, incorporates longitudinal measurements of cognition and everyday functions to characterise the burden of dementia in sub-Saharan Africa. Excellent testing methods now complement this extensive data. We can harmonise data and, broadly, dementia testing globally, says Taporoski. Aligning African research with global efforts In other words, the study is uniquely designed to capture the nuances of ageing in South Africa while seamlessly aligning with global research efforts, including the USs HRS and sister studies in India, China, Brazil, and Europe. Tollman adds that the HAALSI-HCAP study may lead to a national survey across South Africa. This means we can build a virtually non-existent evidence base. Our efforts could provide a foundation to expand our understanding of dementia epidemiology in a region of the world experiencing rapid population ageing. Future steps for the HAALSI-HCAP study The HAALSI-HCAP is now in its third wave and the new battery of tests were piloted in March. The larger HAALSI study follows 4,500 individuals over 40 years of age. HCAP is then administered to a small group of 680 individuals with signs of cognitive decline. The entire study is nationally representative. What is really exciting is that we can get more granular data. We can dig deeper and see how cardiometabolic diseases and HIV interact with dementia, says Toporoski. An interdisciplinary team of collaborators leads the study from the following institutions: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (MRC/Wits-Agincourt) University of Cape Town The INDEPTH global network of health and demographic surveillance systems Columbia University, Department of Neurology DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, April 1. The presidents of Iran and Tajikistan, Masoud Pezeshkian and Emomali Rahmon, discussed bilateral cooperation during a phone conversation, Trend reports via the Tajik presidential press service. During the call, both leaders reviewed the state and prospects of the Tajik-Iranian relations, emphasizing the growing friendship and multifaceted collaboration between the two countries. President Rahmon expressed satisfaction with the current pace of bilateral ties and highlighted the importance of continuous high-level dialogue. In this context, the outcomes of the recent state visit by President Pezeshkian to Tajikistan this January were particularly noted. Both presidents expressed hope that the full implementation of agreements from the visit would contribute significantly to addressing pressing issues in their cooperation. On January 15-16, 2025, President Pezeshkian embarked on a state visit to Tajikistan. During his trip, 23 bilateral cooperation documents were signed in the presence of both heads of state. As regards historical relations between these nations of the near past, Iran was the first nation to open an embassy in Dushanbe after the collapse of the USSR in September 1991. It was also one of the first countries to give diplomatic recognition to Tajikistan after it gained independence in 1991. Iran gave diplomatic help and built new mosques in Tajikistan. Because of the rebirth of Persian culture and language in Tajikistan, Iran has promoted cultural interchange through conferences, media, and film festivals. Iranian television programs, publications, and novels were immensely popular in Tajikistan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 1. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov discussed the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, Trend reports. The news follows the trilateral summit in Khujand (Tajikistan), where President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov. The parties noted the importance of signing the Treaty on the junction of the state borders of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The sides expressed satisfaction with the progress in implementing high-level agreements. Since the beginning of the year, trade turnover has increased by 70 percent. Industrial cooperation is successfully developing across various economic sectors, supported by the Joint Investment Fund. Discussions also focused on accelerating major regional projects in the energy and transport sectors. The heads of state emphasized the importance of maintaining active interregional ties and cultural-humanitarian exchanges. Furthermore, the presidents exchanged views on the schedule and agenda of upcoming high-level events. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 1. Uzbekistans Mortgage Refinancing Company signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to further develop cooperation, Trend reports. The signing took place during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan Jamshid Kuchkarov, and a delegation led by Eugenue Zhukov, Director General of ADBs Central and West Asia Department. The parties discussed the current state of cooperation and explored new stages of partnership. Special attention was given to the development of small and medium-sized businesses, with exchanges on strategies and joint initiatives in this sector. ADB representatives praised Uzbekistans ongoing reforms and expressed their commitment to expanding the banks project portfolio. Areas of focus include state budget support, education, energy, transport, water supply, and urban development. The talks also covered technical assistance for urban master plans in various regions, new ecological transformation initiatives, and sustainable development projects. Additionally, the sides discussed wastewater and educational institution projects implemented through public-private partnerships. Another key topic was the introduction of a super ESCO system aimed at enhancing energy efficiency. The sides agreed to intensify cooperation, support new projects, and strengthen technical assistance initiatives. NASA astronauts got the world's attention when issues with their Boeing Starliner vehicle cropped up during a June test flight to the International Space Station and seen here are astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore at news conference at Johnson Space Center on March 31 in Houston. Pamela Stevenson, the top Democrat in the Kentucky House, launches campaign for the US Senate TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 1. Uzbekistan and China discussed the importance of further developing cooperation in higher and vocational education, including the establishment of branches of leading Chinese universities in Uzbekistan, Trend reports. The matter was reviewed at a meeting between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with a delegation from China, led by Liu Jianchao, Head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. In the course of the meeting, the sides discussed further expansion of multifaceted cooperation and practical interaction between Uzbekistan and China, in line with agreements made at the highest level. The high level of Uzbek-Chinese relations, characterized by friendship and an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership, was highlighted with great satisfaction. Intensive interregional contacts and cultural exchanges were highly appreciated, with upcoming events such as the Forum of Regions and the Educational Forum planned for this year. Special attention was given to the need to further expand inter-parliamentary and interparty cooperation, particularly in areas such as poverty reduction, anti-corruption efforts, accelerated digitalization, and industrialization. Meanwhile, the volumes of mutual trade and investment continue to grow steadily, with an increasing number of joint projects and enterprises involving leading companies in priority sectors of the economy. Practical work is also underway on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project Last week President Donald Trump posted on the White House website new executive orders that target two more major law firms with disabling sanctions, including the termination of all federal contracts with the firms clients. Trump then announced on social media that he and a third firm reached an agreement regarding volunteer services in exchange for not being the subject of a similar executive order. The executive orders directed against Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (known as WilmerHale) and Jenner & Block LLP identify by name the firms attorneys who worked on Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into the Trump campaigns contacts with Russian agents during his 2016 presidential campaign. Late Friday afternoon, two separate federal judges for the District of Columbia issued temporary restraining orders (TROs) preventing the executive orders from continuing in effect. A third judge had issued a similar TRO at the urging of Perkins Coie LLP earlier in March, making Trump 0 for 3 in court challenges to his executive orders targeting law firms. Of course, none of the TROs has been tested yet in the Court of Appeals, or in the Supreme Court, which is stacked with pro-Trump fascists. In contrast to these three major law firms, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, the fifth largest in the world based on its $3.3 billion in annual revenues, surrendered to Trump without a fight. Trump did not reveal his reasons for threatening the firm with an executive order, but on March 23, Elon Musk posted on social media: Skadden, this needs to stop now. Musk was referring to an accusation by the fascist election denier and proven liar Dinesh DSouza that the firms lawyers are waging systematic lawfare in pro bono litigation against his discredited pseudo-documentary 2000 Mules, which claimed to provide evidence that Trumps 2020 electoral defeat was due to ballot-box fraud. According to Trumps post on Truth Social Friday morning, Skadden, Arps will provide a total of at least $100 Million Dollars in pro bono Legal Services, during the Trump Administration and beyond, to causes that the President and Skadden both support. In other words, Trump is being given a seat at the Skadden Arps table and will now be able to direct or veto volunteer legal representation by any of the firms 1,700 attorneys, who are frequently solicited by smaller practices to support impact litigation on behalf of relatively powerless segments of the population or the environment. No doubt litigation intended to protect voting rights and to defend election results will be first up on the chopping block. This was essentially a settlement, Trump gloated during a Friday morning swearing-in ceremony for one of his less-than-stellar criminal defense attorneys, Alina Habba, as the interim US Attorney for New Jersey. We appreciate Skaddens coming to the table, as you know other law firms have likewise settled the case, a jumbled reference to the previous capitulation by one other major law firm, Paul Weiss, which never filed a case. Theyre all bending and saying, Sir, thank you very much. Where do I sign? Where do I sign? Trump added. One might ask in what direction are these unnamed firms bending, and for exactly what are they so grateful? The capitulations of Paul Weiss and Skadden Arps have triggered outrage throughout the legal community, exemplified by an open letter signed Saturday by over 90 Harvard Law School professors that condemns government officials targeting lawyers and law firms for retribution based on their lawful and ethical representation of clients disfavored by the government, undermining the Sixth Amendment right to counsel. The open letter also condemns threatening law firms and legal clinics for their lawyers pro bono work or prior government service, relaxing those threats based on public acts of submission and outlays of funds for favored causes, and punishing people for lawfully speaking out on matters of public concern. At the Friday afternoon hearing, Judge John D. Bates, a George W. Bush nominee assigned the Jenner & Block case, called the executive order disturbing and troubling. His TRO prohibits Trump administration officials from using the statements laid out in the Executive Order in any interactions with Plaintiff or Plaintiffs clients, and directs them to suspend and rescind all guidance or other direction provided to their officers, staff, employees, or contractors to communicate, effectuate, implement, or enforce the Executive Order. Judge Richard Leon, a Clinton nominee assigned the WilmerHale case, wrote that the First Amendment prohibits government officials from subjecting individuals to retaliatory actions after the fact for having engaged in protected speech and the retaliatory nature of the Executive Order at issue here is clear from its face. Leon elaborated that at least 21 of the firms 25 largest clients in 2024 have contracts with federal agencies, and accounted for more than 30% of the Firm's revenue in 2024, nearly $500 million. WilmerHale is currently handling over 100 open government contracting matters involving various federal agencies, and losing these clients would be a devastating blow threatening the firms very existence, according to Leon. The managing partner of Skadden Arps, Jeremy London, wrote in an internal email that the firm was selling out its pro bono clients in exchange for remaining profitable. Not everyone will agree with the decision we made today, he wrote. But I firmly believe that an agreement centered around our pro bono work and complying with the law was an acceptable outcome to ensure Skadden will continue to thrive long into the future. Paul Weiss managing partner Brad Karp sent a similar internal email. After calling the executive order an unprecedented threat to our firm unlike anything since Samuel Weiss first hung out a shingle in downtown Manhattan on April 1, 1875, that could easily have destroyed our firm, by bringing the full weight of the government down on our firm, our people, and our clients, he wrote: We were hopeful that the legal industry would rally to our side, even though it had not done so in response to executive orders targeting other firms. We had tried to persuade other firms to come out in public support ... And we waited for firms to support us in the wake of the Presidents executive order targeting Paul Weiss. Disappointingly, far from support, we learned that certain other firms were seeking to exploit our vulnerabilities by aggressively soliciting our clients and recruiting our attorneys. Karp then got to the nub of the matter. We concluded that even a victory in litigation would not be sufficient to do so, because our firm would still be perceived as persona non grata with the Administration. Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa meets with US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, March 29, 2025 [Photo: @DanielNoboaOk] Ecuadors President Daniel Noboa held what his office portrayed as a friendly and private meeting Saturday with Donald Trump at the US Presidents Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida. The meeting came in advance of an April 13 runoff election being held in Ecuador under conditions of martial law and amid preparations for the deployment of US troops to the country. Noboa, a far-right heir to a banana industry fortune, is polling behind Luisa Gonzalez, a nominally leftist stand-in for former President Rafael Correa. Facing an uphill contest amid an economic crisis and growing opposition to austerity policies imposed to meet IMF dictates and afford a buildup of the repressive state apparatus, Noboas private meeting with Trump should sound an alarm over a threat to use a state of exception and US military intervention to overturn an election and establish an openly fascistic dictatorship. Noboa has acted as a dictator since he was installed after defeating Gonzalez in the 2023 vote. This followed the resignation of Guillermo Lasso, who dissolved Congress amid embezzlement charges and is exiled in the US. In open violation of the Ecuadorian constitution, Noboa has refused to abide by a requirement that an incumbent step down from the presidency until after the completion of an election. The current state of exception has been renewed since January 3, 2025 in seven provinces and the capital of Quito, suspends the right to inviolability of correspondence and the inviolability of the home, allowing the police and armed forces to conduct warrantless inspections, raids, and searches. In addition, a 10:00 p.m.-to-5:00 a.m. curfew has been imposed in 22 municipalities. However, despite the suspension of democratic rights and the presence of the Army in cities, crimes such as extortion and kidnapping continue to multiply. Meanwhile, thousands have been swept up in militarized repression. Popular outrage swept the country after four children disappeared after being picked up by a military patrol in the coastal city of Guayaquil at the end of last year, their burned and mutilated corpses found on Christmas Day. Under the pretext of fighting gangs, Noboa has invited foreign troops to be stationed indefinitely in Ecuador and established a strategic alliance with Erik Prince, the founder of the notorious private military contractor formerly known as Blackwater, to deploy a mercenary army to assist the Ecuadorian military. Noboa has tried to downplay the Blackwater ties by saying that his main hope is for military support from the US, Europe, Brazil, and other regional countries. The involvement of South American militaries in Ecuador adds a new dimension to the continents class struggle. Noboa suggests that far-right leaders like Milei in Argentina, Bolsonaro in Brazil, and right-wing parties in Colombia should unite against what they see as the common enemy: the international working class. Ahead of the meeting with Trump, a top Ecuadorian official revealed to CNN plans for building a naval base in the coastal city of Manta for US military personnel. These facilities are expected to house US soldiers, the official said. The basing agreement was signed under the Biden administration, and new deals have been reached under Trump for a port and base associated with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), as well as significant aid. Manta was the site of the last US military base in the country, which was closed in 2009 under Correa. Recently, Noboa also approved the presence of a US military base in the Galapagos Islands, an environmentally sensitive treasure of biological diversity. Noboa has raised the value-added tax from 12 to 15 percent to pay for new prisons, drawing inspiration from the far-right policies of President Nayib Bukele in El Salvador. Bukele has reached an agreement with Trump to detain deportees from the US in a new maximum-security prison. Among Noboas most notable affronts to democratic rights was the April 5, 2024 assault by Ecuadorian police and military forces on the Mexican embassy in Quito to capture former Vice President Jorge Glas, who was sentenced for corruption. Replicating Trumps attack on immigrant families, on March 11, Noboa signed a decree ending the immigration amnesty that allowed legal residency and visas for Venezuelans who arrived without documents. Such measures will serve to terrorize the nearly half a million Venezuelans residing in Ecuador. After the final debate on March 23, Luisa Gonzalez, the Correista candidate of the Citizen Revolution Movement (MRC), widened her lead over the incumbent Noboa of the National Democratic Action (ADN) party52.9 percent to 44.1 percentwith 7.4 percent undecided, according to the Argentine consulting firm TresPuntoZero. In the first round of voting on February 9, Noboa and Gonzalez were nearly tied, with Noboa receiving 44.17 percent and Gonzalez 43.97 percentless than a 20,000-vote difference. Indigenous leader Leonidas Iza came in third, securing about 540,000 votes, or 5.25 percent. On Sunday the Ecuadorian Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (CONAIE) led by Iza officially endorsed Gonzalez following promises by the MRC to halt the geographic expansion of oil production and cut the regressive value-added tax back to 12 percent. Demonstrating the abject corruption of the indigenous bourgeois leadership, a section of which had previously endorsed Noboa, the CONAIE has accepted these promises at face value even after Correa repeatedly broke similar promises and used the military to crack down on indigenous protests. The Trump regime is placing its weight behind Noboa as a more pliant option for furthering US imperialisms drive to assert its hegemony in Latin America in preparation for war against China. The Asian giant has displaced the US as South Americas number one trading partner and foreign direct investor in what Washington had long regarded contemptuously as its own backyard. Support for Gonzalez stems from the rising discontent among the public regarding the austerity policies that Noboa and his predecessorsMoreno (2017-2021) and Lasso (2021-2023)implemented during their time in office. After years of protests over social inequality and worsening poverty, Noboa took power amid a deepening economic crisis. By 2023, six million of the countrys millions of residents were expected to live on less than $3 a day, and nearly 90 percent of workers earned less than $780 a month. In the face of these conditions, Gonzalez offers populist rhetoric akin to that of the discredited 21st Century Socialism or Pink Tide used by the ruling class to maintain control over the working class and poor and negotiate better conditions with imperialism. This has been combined with her promises to strengthen the state apparatus and assurances to US imperialism of pro-business policies and security collaboration. Reflecting the MNRs class character, Gonzalez has criticized Noboa from the right to defend the Ecuadorian Armed Forces, which have a long record of repressing every protest and strike by Ecuadorian workers. In a video clip on Radio Pichincha, Gonzalez said: Hes [Noboa] mocking the Ecuadorian public forces by wanting to bring in mercenaries and assassins when what we have here are trained individuals who know how to provide security but arent given the proper equipment. No matter which of the two candidates is elected, the next government will remain subordinate to the dictates of the IMF and Trumps policies of aggression toward Latin America. Ecuadors financial crisis, high unemployment, recent massive strikes, and other struggles of the impoverished majority will inevitably lead the working class into a direct conflict with the new administration and the capitalist system that it defends. Army volunteers carry groceries to cars at a food bank distribution by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) As hunger across America grows, the Trump administration has stopped food shipments to food banks, including milk, eggs, meat and other perishables that are already sitting in trucks. At food banks throughout the country, deliveries of millions of dollars worth of food were abruptly stopped last week by the Trump administration. Too stupid for words was how one Cleveland, Ohio-area podcaster described the decision to stop the delivery of 20 semi-truck trailers full of food that was set to be delivered to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Much of that food is now sitting and rotting on trucks. The shipments of food are part of a $1 billion program run by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that buys fresh food from local farmers and provides it to local schools and food banks for distribution. There is not a state or city unaffected by these cuts. Some of the headlines from throughout the country read: Feds cancel $4.3M worth of poultry, cheese, eggs to Michigan food banks Trump administration halts millions of dollars in deliveries to Oregon food banks Trump administrations cuts cancel food deliveries to Harvesters (Kansas City) Food bank in crisis mode after federal cuts cancel food deliveries (Orlando) Too Stupid for Words: Trump pulls back 20 semi-trucks of food from Clevelands food bank Delaware Food Bank loses nearly 1M meals after Trump administration ends food aid funding The list goes on. I come here once a month, said Lori Scott, a young mother with two children who was in line at a food pantry near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where volunteers placed a large box of food into the trunk of her car. Lori works as a caregiver, but between the low pay and the few hours, she says it is not enough to pay her bills and buy food. Grocery prices, rent, clothes, even water keep going up. Food stamps only last about two weeks, and this helps fill the gap. My children dont go hungry, but sometimes I skip meals. Like millions of workers who are part of the uncounted unemployed, Lori only works part-time. They are not counted in the official unemployment rate as long as they work even a few hours each week. If they were, the true unemployment rate would be closer to 26 percent instead of the official 4 percent. I work hard taking care of elderly people in their homes, but we dont get paid enough. Were saving Medicare thousands of dollars a week by keeping people out of nursing homes and giving them a better quality of life. But I only get paid $15 an hour, and I work just four hours a day, four days a week. This is hard work. They depend on you to cook, prepare their meals, help them get dressed, and go to the bathroom. Some clients we even have to bathe. Poverty and hunger have been on the rise, especially in the last two years, as the expanded Child Tax Credit and other pandemic programs were cut during the Biden administration. These politicians dont care about the people, Lori told the WSWS. I see what Trump is doing, and I dont know how people are going to survive. You should be expanding programs for low-income people, not cutting them. In Cleveland, Ohio, the abrupt stopping of the USDA program meant that 20 tractor-trailer trucks, already loaded and on their way to deliver food to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, were pulled back. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, in turn, delivers food to area food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, and other organizations that provide food to those in need. Milk, eggs, poultry, and other perishables were on the trucks and will now have to be thrown away. For the month of January, we served almost 600 people, said Lauren Reese, who works at the Friendly Inn Settlement in Cleveland, Ohio. Thats about an average. The Friendly Inn Settlement has been providing services for over 150 years. In addition to running a food bank, the organization provides a range of services, including youth programs, programs for young mothers and community-building events. Reese lists a number of factors for the increase in need. Prices of food have increased, thats a big, big factor. Just having access because this area is a food desert. From December 2021 to December 2022, food prices increased a whopping 12 percent. For people in lower income brackets who spend a greater proportion of their income on food, rent, gas and other necessities, the increase is even greater. Reese pointed out that the center serves as a primary provider of food for many people but has had to reduce the number of days they give out food from twice a week to just once. We are unable to fully fulfill their needs because of our shortage of resources. She also cited a fact sheet published on their website that highlights living standards in the Central Cleveland neighborhood where the Friendly Inn Settlement is located, noting that 90 percent of the residents earn less than 200 percent of the poverty level. The average household income is just $10,000 a year. In 2023, Cleveland had an overall poverty rate of 30.8 percent, with childhood poverty at a staggering 45.3 percent. Nationally, hunger has been rapidly growing in the United States. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, which advocates for children in the US, found in a recent report on childhood hunger that 19 percent of childrenroughly 13.4 millionlacked reliable access to adequate food in 2022. They noted that this is a 50 percent increase since 2021 and the highest level in eight years. These figures dont capture the full crisis, and they were taken before the cutting of several programs that addressed poverty. Pandemic relief measures, including the expanded Child Tax Credit, [have] expired. The loss of this support contributed to historic increases in poverty, leaving families with fewer resources for food, the Foundation noted. The most recent cuts made by the USDA under the Trump administration will add to an already intolerable situation for millions. These cuts are just the beginning. The Trump administration under billionaire Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has pledged to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. This cannot be accomplished without deep cuts to food stamps, TANF, Medicaid and other social programs. As has already been shown, Democrats in Congress will capitulate to these deepening attacks. Winston Peters, New Zealands deputy prime minister and leader of the right-wing nationalist NZ First Party, delivered a Trumpian state of the nation speech in Christchurch on March 23. Peters statements are an indication of the increasing lurch to the far-right by the entire political establishment, as the economic crisis deepens and as New Zealand is integrated more closely into US imperialisms war plans. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters [AP Photo/Rick Rycroft] Peters, who is also the foreign minister, addressed approximately 750 party members and supporters a few days after his return from the United States, where he met with Trump officials, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The discussions were aimed at strengthening New Zealands alliance with the US, which is preparing for war against China and unleashing war throughout the Middle East. The NZ First event was targeted by pro-Palestine protesters. Peters speech was disrupted on multiple occasions by protesters in the audience, all of whom were quickly removed by security officials. Around 10 people were ejected while Peters shouted for them to be thrown out, in the style of Donald Trump at his election rallies. The government has refused to condemn the resumption of Israels genocidal bombing and starvation of Gaza. Peters has previously indicated that he is amenable to any US-dictated plan for seizing and reconstructing Gaza. Peters speech, in its content, language and delivery, channeled Trump-style far-right politics. Against a backdrop of New Zealand flags, Peters declared NZ First to be a true nationalist party and raised the slogan: Make New Zealand First Again, with the rallying cry: Together we are going to take back our country. His address was pitched as preparing the ground for the next election, which is not due until October next year. In a semi-coherent tirade, Peters lambasted protesters as left-wing fascists, communist, fascist and anti-democratic losers and Marxist whingers. This echoed similar statements made in January by David Seymour, leader of the ACT Party in the coalition government, warning about the danger of Marxism and the hard left, which he said was appealing to young people hit by soaring living costs. Such comments reflect growing fears in ruling circles about the shift to the left among workers and young people, in response to soaring social inequality, austerity, genocide and war. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, a recent global survey, found that only 19 percent of New Zealanders believe the next generation will be better off compared to today, while 68 percent agree that the wealthy dont pay their fair share of taxes. NZ First and ACT are seeking to steer popular anger in the most reactionary direction possible. They are attempting to stoke racial animosity towards indigenous Maori, bigotry towards transgender people, anti-immigrant chauvinism, and anti-science quackery. The two right-wing parties received just 6 percent and 8 percent in the 2023 election and are extremely unpopular, but are largely setting the agenda of the coalition government nominally led by the conservative National Party. Peters promised to carry out a war on wokea term which the far-right uses to refer to everything from identity politics and affirmative action programs, to education about the brutal history of colonisation, protections against discrimination, environmental regulations, science-based public health policies, and other constraints on corporate profit. Peters trumpeted NZ Firsts bill to remove targets related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from the public service, saying that all public service hiring [should] be based on merit, skill, and competence. The implication that people have been given jobs based on race, not merit, is intended to inflame racial divisions and to justify the governments assault on public sector jobs. It goes hand-in-hand with ACT and NZ Firsts false claims that Maori have been given a privileged status due to policies and handouts linked to the Treaty of Waitangiwhich have in fact benefited only a narrow, wealthy layer. Like the Trump administration, the NZ government is exploiting widespread hostility to divisive identity politicsheavily promoted by the opposition Labour Party, the Greens, Te Pati Maori and their supporterswhich blames white people and men for the deeply entrenched social inequality caused by capitalism. While Peters conflated DEI with cultural Marxism, identity politics has nothing to do with socialism. It is a form of middle class politics, which serves to divide the working class while funnelling wealth and resources to a small number of entrepreneurs, public servants, academics and others, based on gender and race. The media and political establishments promotion of identity politics as left wing has enabled the far-right parties to hypocritically posture as the champions of equal rightseven as the government accelerates the assault on living standards and public services, embraces the fascist Trump, and seeks to demonise anti-genocide protesters. In his Christchurch speech, Peters viciously attacked transgender people, declaring that NZ First would stop them from participating in womens sport and using womens bathrooms. The far-right crowd cheered when Peters said the party had been instrumental in removing gender and sex education guidelines in schools. The deputy prime minister also called for a re-evaluation of New Zealands commitments under the 2016 Paris climate accord and dismissed efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as an idealistic flight of futility. The government, with NZ First playing a critical role, is pushing to expand mining for fossil fuels, including in national parks. In an appeal to anti-science quackery, Peters denounced the requirement for councils to fluoridate drinking water. In words that bring to mind the mad general Jack Ripper in the film Dr. Strangelove, Peters called mandatory fluoridation a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. Water fluoridation is a basic public health policy which, according to the Ministry of Health, is estimated to lead to 40 percent lower lifetime incidence of tooth decay among children and adolescents. NZ First and ACT have also attacked the public health measures used early in the COVID-19 pandemic, including temporary lockdowns and vaccine mandates, and are seeking to ensure that such life-saving measures are never used again. Much of Peters state of the nation speech was devoted to attacking the opposition Labour Party, which led the government from 20172023. Labour, he said, did not represent working peoplewhich is undeniably true, but it is equally true of NZ First and all the parliamentary parties, which represent different sections of big business. Peters blamed Labour for the recession earlier this year, claiming that it had lied about the state of the economy and had mismanaged the countrys finances. In fact, the recession was deliberately triggered by the austerity measures and monetary policies supported by the entire parliamentary establishment. After Jacinda Arderns Labour government bailed out the rich during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ruling elite took steps to force the working class to pay the bill, through deep cuts to public services including health and education. These measures, combined with soaring living costs, led to Labours devastating loss in the 2023 election, in which it gained only 25 percent of the votes. A year and a half later, Peters acknowledged that conditions facing workers were still tough, but claimed that there is real hope on the horizon. In fact, the National-led coalition is exacerbating the social crisis with further attacks on healthcare, a reduction in the minimum wage and welfare benefits, smaller and less nutritious school lunches, and mass job cuts and frozen wages across the public sector. Peters attempt to posture as the representative of ordinary workershe declared that some of us know what poverty tastes, feels and smells likeis utterly absurd. The 79-year-old politician is a fixture of the establishment. He founded NZ First in 1993 in a split from the National Party and built his political career on populist nationalist dog whistling and anti-immigrant bigotry. While NZ First has always been deeply unpopular, it receives financial support from some of the countrys wealthiest individuals, including billionaire investor Graeme Hart, real estate mogul John Bayley, fishing magnate Peter Talley, and various property development and horse racing interests. NZ First has also been embraced by both the major parties and sections of the trade union bureaucracy. The party played a major role in the Labour-led coalition government from 2017 to 2020, which also included the Greens. After the inconclusive 2017 election, Peters played a crucial role in bringing Labour into power, with the overt support of Washington. Then US ambassador Scott Brown made extraordinary public statements signalling the outgoing National Party-led government was too soft on China, and supporting a NZ First-Labour coalition government. Ardern then gave NZ First significant power, making Peters the deputy prime minister and foreign ministerthe same position he has today under the National-led government. Labour also adopted NZ Firsts anti-immigrant policies, to shift the blame for the housing crisis, low wages and unemployment onto vulnerable migrants. The elevation of NZ First and ACT must serve as a warning to working people. The extreme right-wing agenda represented by Trump is not a uniquely American phenomenon. In response to the breakdown of capitalism the ruling class in every country, including New Zealand, is embracing the most toxic forms of nationalism, bigotry and racism. The government is seeking to demonise opposition, especially from the socialist left, as it carries out social counter-revolution at home and prepares for imperialist war abroad. There is no shortage of anger and hostility towards the government, but the great danger is that the working class is not politically prepared for the struggles it now confronts. To provide the necessary socialist program and leadership, workers and youth must take up the fight to build a genuine socialist and internationalist party, in opposition to Labour and its allies, including the union bureaucracy, which has suppressed any organised action against war and austerity. The urgent task is to build a section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, the world Trotskyist movement, in New Zealand. French courts convicted National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen and two dozen other leading RN members of embezzling European Parliament funds yesterday. They imposed unusually heavy sentences, including a partially-suspended four-year prison sentence and a five-year ban on running for office on Le Pen. A leading contender in the 2027 presidential elections, Le Pen has pledged to appeal both the electoral ban, which is effective immediately, and the prison sentences. While the RN is an utterly reactionary party, descending from the French collaboration with Nazism in World War II, this ruling is bankrupt and deserves no support. Workers cannot stop fascism, militarism and police-state rule by supporting bans imposed by the courts. The far right can only be fought politically through the mobilization of the working class in struggle. Bitter historical experienceabove all, with measures the German state took against the Nazi party before Hitlers installation in power in 1933show that capitalist state bans against the far right set the stage for even more draconian state attacks on the left and the working class. By setting out to decide the RNs fate over the heads of the workers, the courts strengthen it. They are not exposing the neo-fascists as enemies of the working class, who support imperialist war and police-state repression. Rather, they are letting the RN posture as an aggrieved party, targeted for unusually harsh punishment by the state machine, and who now aims to defend its voters against a regime overseen by Frances deeply unpopular president, Emmanuel Macron. There is little doubt that, from a legal standpoint, the RN is guilty as charged. While the EU has strict requirements that parliamentary assistants work only on parliamentary issues and not for their party, Le Pen tried to use parliamentary assistants salaries to help repay the debts of the RN, which was then largely cut off from bank financing. Some 2.9 million in EU funds were allegedly involved. RN officials warned Le Pen in the 2010s that this exposed her to prosecution. In 2014, RN treasurer Wallerand de Saint-Just emailed Marine Le Pen, stating: We can get out of the hole only if we make important savings thanks to the European parliament. He warned far-right member of the EU parliament Jean-Luc Schaffhauser: What Marine is asking us to do is equivalent [to] signing for fictitious jobs. I understand why Marine is doing this, but we are going to get shot down for it. There is, however, a stark contrast between the harsh sentences imposed on the RN compared to other parties found guilty of organizing similar fictitious jobs. Indeed, the bourgeois Socialist Party (PS) and the Democratic Movement (MoDem) of current Prime Minister Francois Bayrou were both found guilty in the last three years on such charges. While PS and MoDem officials escaped with at most suspended prison sentences, the RN is being targeted for decapitation. Le Pen faces a minimum of 2 years in house arrest with electronic monitoring bracelet plus two years suspended prison sentence, as well as a five-year election ban. RN Vice President Louis Aliot faces three years electoral ban and 6 months house arrest with electronic bracelet plus a year suspended prison sentence, and former RN deputy leader Bruno Gollnisch faces three years in prison including 2 years house arrest. Oddly, while RN accountant Christrophe Moreau was cleared, Le Pens bodyguard Thierry Legier faces a one-year suspended prison sentence. Significantly, while the French presidency was doubtless consulted on the ruling, the government did not publicly defend it. Bayrou, who said last year after his party escaped its fictitious jobs scandal that the charges against the RN were unfair, said yesterday that he was disturbed by what was read out in the ruling against Le Pen. Last night, Le Pen appeared on a prime-time TV interview on TF1 and pledged to fight the ban. I am eliminated [from the 2027 elections], but it is the voice of millions of French people that is eliminated today, she said. She dismissed the charges against her as an administrative disagreement with the European parliament. There was no personal enrichment involved. Noting that the courts could delay two years before taking her appeal, she warned that RN voters would not see a president elected in 2027 in an election from which she had been banned as legitimate. The RN is threatening to organize protests against the ban. Yesterday, RN President Jordan Bardella said French democracy has been executed and, calling for a popular and pacifist mobilization, pledged that he and other RN officials would travel across France to speak to angry RN voters. PS and Green officials are hailing the ban on Le Pen, with PS deputy Jerome Guedj claiming that it defends the principle that elected officials must have exemplary behavior. This phrasemongering will not stop the far right. The RN has risen since 2012 due to the reactionary class dynamic of the governments of PS President Francois Hollande and his successor, Macron. Attacking the working class to fund war and bank bailouts, they rested ever more narrowly on the police and security forces to repress strikes and protests, and on the promotion of far-right politics popular among the security forces. After Hollande resurrected Algerian war-era legislation to impose a two-year state of emergency suspending democratic rights and banning protests, Macron hailed Nazi-collaborationist dictator Philippe Petain as he sent riot police to assault yellow vest protests against social inequality. The crisis of French democracy has reached unprecedented intensity in Macrons second term. In 2023, he imposed a pension cut opposed today by 91 percent of the French people to fund a 100 billion increase in military spending. Now he is pressing for a French military intervention in Ukraine threatening total war with Russia that is rejected by a vast majority of the French people. The harsh sentences meted out to the RN do not reflect opposition to neo-fascism in the capitalist state machine, but bitter conflicts in the ruling class over geopolitical orientation amid deepening tensions between US and European imperialism over Trumps tariffs and war in Ukraine. While Macron works with Germany to spend 800 billion on the EU war machine, Le Pen has previously called for closer relations with the US military. These inter-imperialist conflicts are erupting into the open after the Le Pen ruling. Trump called it a big deal, while his ally, billionaire Elon Musk, denounced the ruling as abuse of the judicial system. Far-right Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and ex-Brazilian Prime Minister Jair Bolsonaro issued statements defending Le Pen. There is deep, historically-rooted opposition among workers to fascism and war, but mobilizing it requires irreconcilably opposing both pro-EU and pro-Trump factions of the capitalist class. France Unbowed (LFI) leader Jean-Luc Melenchon tried to adapt to popular distrust of the ban on Le Pen, saying: The decision to impeach an elected official should come from the people. But Melenchon has not fought for the working class to bring down anti-democratic officials or governments. Tacitly backing the union bureaucracies sell-out of strikes against Macrons pension cuts, and endorsing Macrons candidates in last years elections despite the NATO-Russia war in Ukraine, he blocked a struggle of the working class against fascism and war. Explosive class battles are on the agenda in France and across Europe, as governments slash social spending to fund EU rearmament. Le Pen cannot be fought through the courts, but only through the class struggle and, by freeing these struggles from the deadening grip of the union bureaucracies and political helpmates of Macron, linking these to mounting resistance among workers and youth internationally to fascism and war. Elon Musk holds up a check during a town hall Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Green Bay, Wisconsin [AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps] Financial backers of the Democratic and Republican parties have poured in nearly $100 million to back rival candidates in Tuesdays special election for a vacancy on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. The court is divided evenly between the two parties, three to three, after the retirement of Democrat Ann Walsh Bradley, and the outcome of the election will determine which party gains control. With a Democratic governor and a heavily Republican state legislature, thanks to the most systematic gerrymander of any state, Wisconsin has seen numerous political issues settled in the courts. This bears even on control of the US Congress, where the Republican Party holds a narrow margin that could be overturned by the loss of even a handful of seats. The gerrymander of Wisconsins eight congressional seats is now being challenged in the state courts, and a redrawn map could shift the state from the present 6-2 Republican advantage to an even split that more accurately reflects the party divisionswhile putting Republican control of the House in jeopardy. Trump won the state narrowly in 2024 but lost it by a similar margin in 2020. The Republican candidate for the state supreme court is Brad Schimel, a former state attorney general now serving as a judge in Waukesha County, in the heavily Republican western suburbs of Milwaukee. The Democrat is Susan Crawford, a judge in Dane County, the heavily Democratic county that includes Madison, the state capital and location of the main campus of the University of Wisconsin. The most heavily publicized event of the campaign has been the intervention of President Trumps top financial backer, Elon Musk, the worlds richest man and the spearhead of Trumps effort to slash federal jobs and programs. Musk handed out a one million-dollar check to a supporter of the Republican campaign on Thursday, then two more on Sunday, after the state supreme court turned down a lawsuit by the Democratic state attorney general to block it. This was a reprise, in an even more crass form, of Musks last-minute intervention in the 2024 presidential campaign in Pennsylvania, when he offered $100 to anyone who signed a pro-Trump petition and then staged a supposedly random drawing among all the signers to select the recipient of a million-dollar check. In Wisconsin, the petition was nominally to declare opposition to activist judges, a term of abuse coined by the Republican Party for judges who make rulings it opposes, on issues ranging from abortion rights to Trumps effort to steal the 2020 election. Within the framework of American capitalist two-party politics, Schimel is a conservative Republican and Crawford is a liberal Democrat, both of them conventional pro-business figures. Nonetheless, in a fascistic rant to a Republican rally Sunday, Musk declared that the election was so important that it could decide the future of America and Western Civilization. He cited the danger to the Republican majority in the federal House of Representatives if the Democrats were to control redistricting in the state. There are less apocalyptic concerns as well. Musks electric-vehicle company Tesla is suing the state of Wisconsin over laws regulating car dealerships, a case that could well end up before the state Supreme Court. While Musk has pumped in an estimated $20 million for the Brad Schimel campaign, Democratic billionaires have given millions to Crawford. One of them, JB Pritzker, one of the heirs to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, is also the governor of Illinois and has been positioning himself for a possible presidential run in 2028. The Crawford campaign has actually raised more money than the Schimel campaign, but spending by outside groups like that set up by Musk have given a large edge in total spending to the Republican side. The day after the election, Wisconsin is expected to be hit hard by the tariff warfare launched by Trump against Canada, one of the Midwestern states main trading partners. While agribusiness interests are backing Trump, and he won by a landslide in rural areas, the measures taken by Trump and Musk over the past three months are deeply unpopular, according to recent polls. Musk and Trump apparently made the decision to intervene heavily in Wisconsin after a Republican state Senate candidate lost an election earlier this month for a vacant seat in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where Trump had won by 16 points last November. Polls published ahead of Tuesdays special congressional elections in Florida, to fill the vacancies created by the resignations of Republicans Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz, suggested that Democrats were running well ahead of their 2024 numbers, as well as raising far more money, although neither seat was competitive last year. In Louisiana, where a special election was held Saturday on four constitutional amendments proposed by right-wing Republican Governor Jeff Landry, all four amendments were defeated by 2-1 margins. The most important measure would have placed a ceiling on the state income taxessentially protection for the wealthyand a corresponding ceiling on state spending. Another amendment would have made it easier to send minors to adult prisons. The devastation from the Palisades Fire is shown in an aerial view in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Monday, January 27, 2025. [AP Photo/Jae C. Hong] Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has once again revealed his true allegiancenot to working people, nor to environmental protection, but to corporate interests. His latest executive order, which suspends Californias landmark environmental regulations to fast-track utility infrastructure rebuilding in wildfire-affected areas, is a direct attack on democracy, environmental safeguards and working class communities. It is a measure that aligns perfectly with the interests of private energy corporations like Southern California Edison (SCE) while dangerously mirroring the authoritarian methods of the fascistic Trump administration. Newsoms executive order exempts utility companies from compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act, two of the states most critical environmental protections. The CEQA was designed to ensure that development projects account for their environmental impact, requiring mitigation strategies that protect public health and ecosystems. Similarly, the Coastal Act was established to prevent reckless development that could harm Californias fragile coastal regions. Under the guise of expediting recovery in the fire-ravaged regions of Altadena, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades, Newsom has essentially given large corporations and private equity firms the green light to act with impunity, prioritizing profit over the environment and public safety. This decision did not emerge in a vacuum. In fact, Newsom has repeatedly made concessions that allow large corporations to operate without restriction. In the aftermath of the devastating Camp Fire in 2018, he helped push through legislation that enabled PG&E to exit bankruptcy, shifting the burden of its liabilities onto ratepayers. Now his executive order follows sustained pressure from SCE and other energy companies, which have been lobbying for a relaxation of regulatory requirements in the name of cost-cutting and efficiency. That Newsom would comply so readily only underscores the reality that his administration, like its Republican counterparts, serves the interests of capital. This is made worse by emerging evidence of SCEs negligence and Democrats complicity in the January fires. Environmental advocates have raised the alarm over the potential ramifications of Newsoms order. A week earlier, Shaye Wolf, climate science director for the Center for Biological Diversity, warned: Gov. Newsom should reject the Trump approach of logging and rolling back critical environmental protections. Bruce Reznik, an environmentalist and advocate for sustainable development at Los Angeles Waterkeeper, warned, We have to build recognizing the reality of todays climate change. These laws play a really critical role in making sure as we rebuild were doing it with an eye toward climate resilience. Unfortunately, that hasnt been the way the governor has operated, and you have to worry about what that will mean. Similarly, Susan Jordan, director of the California Coastal Protection Network, stated, I hope that the governor will one day recognize that the Coastal Commission is a willing partner and one of the best tools he has in his toolbox to ensure a quick, informed and coordinated response to establish future long-term resiliency along the coast. Beyond its corporate-serving function, Newsoms executive order represents a blatant abuse of executive authority. The decision to bypass Californias environmental laws mirrors Trumps authoritarian use of executive power to dismantle federal environmental regulations, suppress democratic and workers rights, and shield corporations from legal scrutiny. In both cases, executive authority bypasses legislative power and is being wielded not to serve the public good, but to eliminate any legal constraints on powerful industries. By following this model, Newsom is normalizing a dangerous precedentone in which governors can override long-standing protections at will, without accountability to the public or the legislature. Furthermore, this development is a clear capitulation to Trumps fascistic agenda. Trump repeatedly targeted Californias environmental protections, even calling for the defunding of the California Coastal Commission, which is responsible for enforcing the Coastal Act. Despite Newsoms rhetoric about resilient rebuilding and future fire prevention, the reality is far more sinister. By gutting CEQA and the Coastal Act, he is paving the way for reckless infrastructure projects that will have devastating consequences for Californias environment and building safety. CEQA and the Coastal Act were created to preventat least to some extentharmful and shortsighted development. Without these protections, there will be no meaningful oversight to ensure that the rebuilding process is done in a way that prioritizes sustainability. Instead, utilities will take the cheapest, fastest routes, cutting corners and disregarding long-term environmental risks. This decision could lead to increased pollution, weakened coastal protections, and more infrastructure failures down the line. Newsoms order also fails to acknowledge one of the principal root causes of these devastating wildfires: the climate crisis, exacerbated by corporate greed and decades of environmental negligence. Rather than taking decisive action to curb emissions and hold energy companies accountable for their role in Californias escalating fire disasters, Newsom is enabling further destruction. This executive order is not an isolated incidentit is part of a broader pattern of Newsoms willingness to appease corporate power and his supposed political adversaries. Newsom has previously engaged in public displays of deference to Trump, whether during the former presidents visits to California or Newsoms own trips to Washington D.C. This executive order is a stark reminder that both the Democratic and Republican parties ultimately serve the interests of the capitalist ruling elite. While Newsom postures as a progressive leader, his actions reveal him to be no different from his Republican counterparts who prioritize deregulation, corporate power, and executive overreach. As the World Socialist Web Site has noted, the task of rebuilding Los Angeles cannot be entrusted to politicians who have proven their subordination to corporate interests. Newsoms concessions to companies like SCE are well documented. Nor can it be entrusted to figures like billionaire Rick Caruso, who will do everything in their power to cut through any and all restrictions to their ability to turn a disaster into an unprecedented opportunity for profit. The task must be taken up by the working class on the basis of a social plan that scientifically proceeds to protect the population, the environment, and the future while preventing disasters like the Los Angeles fires from recurring. Only through a mobilization of workers, independent of the Democratic and Republican parties, on the basis of a socialist program can a genuine effort be made to rebuild in a way that prioritizes human lives over corporate wealth. The profit motive must be removed from disaster recovery efforts, and power must be placed in the hands of those who have the greatest stake in ensuring a safe and sustainable futurethe workers, scientists, and community members who truly understand the urgency of protecting both people and the environment. Momodou Taal In a powerful statement released Monday evening, Momodou Taal, a British-Gambian Ph.D. student in Africana studies at Cornell University, announced on social media that he was leaving the United States to escape political persecution by the Trump administration. Taal thanked all individuals and organizations that have supported his case, particularly his legal team. He wrote: Everything I have tried to do has been in service of affirming the humanity of the Palestinian people, a struggle that will leave a lasting mark on me. Today I took the decision to leave the United States, free and with my head held high. Taal, like hundreds of other international students, has been targeted by the government because of his outspoken opposition to the US-backed Israeli genocide. The Trump administration is also seeking to retaliate against him for filing a lawsuit last month, alongside Cornell Professor Mukoma Wa Ngugi and fellow graduate student Sriram Parasurama, challenging two executive orders issued by Trump that suppress free speech and, in particular, criticism of Israel. After Taal filed the lawsuit, the Trump administration vindictively revoked his student visa and began sending deportation thugs to harass and intimidate him. Taals lawyers sought a temporary restraining order to keep the Trump administration from disappearing him to a detention camp in the US, El Salvador or Guantanamo Bay, but the initial request was denied last week by US District Judge Elizabeth C. Coombe. That same day his attorneys, led by Eric Lee and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, filed an amended complaint and new emergency motion. As Taal explained in his statement: Trump did not want me to have my day in court and sent ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents to my home and revoked my visa. We held out but our first motion was denied. We were due to submit a second briefing with the hope that I could stay out of detention whilst the lawsuit progressed. Given what we have seen across the United States, I have lost faith that a favourable ruling from the courts would guarantee my personal safety and ability to express my beliefs. I have lost faith I could walk the streets without being abducted. Weighing up these options, I took the decision to leave on my own terms. He continued: This is of course not the outcome I had wanted going into this, but we are facing a government that has no respect for the judiciary or for the rule of the law. Taal placed his persecution within the context of the broader campaign, which is backed by the entire political establishment, aimed at suppressing opposition to the ongoing genocide. For every person that has remained silent, just know that you are not safe either. Is the imprisonment of those who speak out against a genocide a reflection of your values? Is this the kind of nation you want to live in? We are already seeing the Trump administration exploiting the complicity of those who have remained silent on the Zionist genocide of Palestinians. The repression of Palestinian solidarity is now being used to wage a wholesale attack on any form of expression that challenges oppressive and exploitative relations in the US. In scathing terms, he denounced the political and media establishment for turning reality upside down: It is surreal that we live in a world where you get into trouble for saying killing babies is wrong. Where those advocating for, and celebrating, endless massacres against Palestinians are able to, time and again, present themselves as victims while presenting those fighting against genocide as oppressors. He added: If you have been led to think that your safety is only guaranteed by state kidnap, repression, deportation, the slaughter of children, and the suppression of the global majority, then let Gazas shards of glass be your mirror. Taal warned, History will remember, and we are never going back. He noted that while his future remains uncertain and this now means drastic changes in my personal life, I remain unwavering in my commitment to a liberated Palestine; from the river to the sea. Taals case is part of a sweeping campaign of political repression being carried out by the Trump administration. Under the so-called Catch and Revoke program, hundreds of international students have had their visas revoked for participating in or even expressing support for protests against the US-backed genocide in Gaza. These actions are backed by AI-driven surveillance targeting political speech on social media. Dozens of students have already been seized and sent to ICE detention centers, including Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student and lawful permanent resident; Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts Ph.D. candidate and Fulbright scholar abducted on the streets of Boston by masked agents; and Yunseo Chung, a South Korean permanent resident who has lived in the US since childhood. On Thursday, the World Socialist Web Site hosted an emergency online meeting featuring Taal, his attorney Eric Lee, WSWS Editorial Board Chairman David North and Socialist Equality Party National Secretary Joseph Kishore. The speakers warned that the persecution of pro-Palestinian students is part of a broader drive to establish a presidential dictatorship, denounced the complicity of the Democratic Party, and called for the development of a working class movement to oppose the capitalist oligarchy that is waging a war on democratic rights. Original exhibition at RISD (RISD Students for Justice in Palestine) In the latest blatant attack on free speech, the administration of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) shut down an exhibition expressing support for the Palestinian people and opposition to Israels mass murder in Gaza. The work was moved, without the student artists permission, to a building that is not open to the public. RISD, founded in 1877 in Providence and now affiliated with Brown University, is one of the most prominent art and design schools in the US. The exhibition in question, To Every Orange Tree, was organized by the RISD Students for Justice in Palestine (RSJP) and Carr Haus, a student-run cafe accessible to the public. The exhibition, which features the work of 20 artists, opened March 17. Three days later, the far-right StopAntisemitism posted a comment on X asserting that RISD is facing outrage over an art show promoting violence against Jews and calling for the removal of Israelyet administrators of @risd are doing NOTHING! The outrage, of course, was in the minds of those smearing the exhibition. The artwork included no antisemitic propaganda whatsoever. One piece included the message, There is no peace as long as the Zionist entity exists, a reality confirmed on a daily basis in the blood and misery of the Gazan and West Bank populations. Many of the pieces, in fact, were created by Jewish students at RISD. The exhibition, according to organizers, was shortly afterward shut down. Six days later, RISD President Crystal Williams addressed a letter to the RISD Community, in which she wrote: An art exhibition co-organized by two student groups, RISD Students for Justice in Palestine and Carr Haus, which opened on March 17 in Carr House, has been the focus of negative public attention, including calls for its removal. RISD continues to condemn antisemitism and all forms of hate, and we seek to foster an environment where artistic expression, freedom of speech, and cultures of care co-exist. The statement reeks with hypocrisy and bad faith. Again, the exhibition was a focus for an extreme right-wing outfit, which fully supports the Netanyahu regime and its campaign of genocide. RISD condemns antisemitism, which is dragged in out of nowhere, but expresses no concern for the tens of thousands of Palestinian men, women and children slaughtered since October 2023. RISDs shameful conduct was entirely predictable. The art school has fallen in line with other elite institutions of higher learning in the US, such as Harvard and Columbia, in carrying into practice the policies and demands of the Trump administration. In place of the censored art work at RISD The WSWS noted Monday that these institutions are money-making machines whose administrations are generally dominated by the Democratic Party and closely integrated with the corporate and financial elite. Williams cannot have been pleased to see her name as part of the exhibition. One of the pieces is a simple placard that reads, Crystal Williams & Board of trustees make $100-300/HR / Custodians make $15-17/HR. Indeed, Williams received $412,115 in compensation in 2023. The RISD Board of Trustees is loaded with the usual assortment of well-connected business people, financiers and lawyers, with a few affluent artists thrown in. Hillary Blumberg, one of the five officers of the board, was able to donate $4 million to the school earlier this year, along with her husband, hedge fund manager Alex Ginsburg. One of the members of the board of trustees is Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the sister of Qatars ruling Emir. And so forth. In January 2025, unsurprisingly, the board of trustees voted against a proposal to divest from Israel, a proposal made by the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. A few months earlier, five representatives of the RSJP met with Williams and proposed the institution sever its financial ties to companies linked to Israels war on Gaza and other anti-Palestinian violence and discrimination, according to Hyperallergic. Protest by RISD Students for Justice in Palestine The RSJPs divestment proposal pointed out that 800 of the schools over 2,000 students signed in favor of their demands, including disclosure and divestment, in a petition in fall 2023. Hyperallergic notes that an occupation of RISDs Providence Washington building occurred in May 2024. The RSJP renamed the building Fathi Ghaben Place in honor of the Gazan artist who died after Israeli authorities blocked his travel for medical treatment, students held art-making sessions and teach-ins. The action was disbanded following expulsion warnings. The RJSP explains on Instagram that: Since RISD shut down our exhibit due to our support for Palestinian liberation, we installed a new exhibit in Carr Haus. Following the original dimensions of the artwork, we curated a collection of posters highlighting RISDs hypocrisy and complicity in the genocide and Israeli military occupation of Palestine. Posters have replaced the artwork announcing the act of censorship. Sadie, a Jewish student, told Hyperallergic that the only safety concern she was aware of was related to allegations of antisemitism. She said: It made me really angry, because its a really common thing to conflate antisemitism with anti-Zionism, which are totally different things. ... And its very frustrating that the school doesnt recognize the distinction between those two. The university said the show will reopen on April 7, after spring break, in its new location. Starting on April 2, according to a White House directive, any country that produces or buys Venezuelan oil directly or through third parties will face 25 percent tariffs on all goods imported into the United States, potentially for a year after the last recorded purchase. The secondary tariffs are part of an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump on March 24. Only four days after the Wall Street Journal reported that officials were considering lobbying efforts by US oil giant Chevron to extend its license to operate in Venezuela, the order came as a shock to analysts, with global oil prices increasing about 1 percent after the announcement. The most drastic consequences will be for China, which is currently the largest buyer of Venezuelan oil. Existing US tariffs on Chinathe worlds two largest economieswould increase from 20 to 45 percent, which could further destabilize supply chains globally. The stated aim of the order is to sever the financial lifelines to the government of President Nicolas Maduro to provoke its downfall. But the executive order claims in the most unambiguous terms to date that the United States is fighting an armed invasion launched by the Venezuelan government itself. The Maduro regime aided and facilitated the influx of Tren de Aragua members into the United States during the prior administration by failing to control its borders, permitting the gangs operations to flourish within Venezuela, and refusing to take action against its members, thereby exacerbating the illegal immigration crisis, the order says. Trump had designated the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization and used it as a pretext to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, destroying any semblance of legality in its mass deportation campaign. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will be in charge of selecting the countries targeted for tariffs, summed up the order on X: Any country that allows its companies to produce, extract, or export from Venezuela will be subject to new tariffs, and any companies will be subject to sanctions. The economic war against the Venezuelan government carries with it a direct threat of military aggression. Last Thursday, Rubio traveled to Guyana, a tiny country half of whose claimed territory has been historically disputed by Venezuela. There, Rubio threatened: It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if it attacked Guayana [sic] or ExxonMobil. This follows the announcement by Caracas that it will organize local elections within the disputed territory of Esequibo. In early March, a Venezuelan Navy ship reportedly sailed near the major offshore oil rigs managed by ExxonMobil in the disputed waters. The threat of tariffs comes after the removal of all licenses granted to specific foreign firms to produce and trade Venezuelan oil. The deadline for Chevron, the company with the largest operation in Venezuela, to leave the country was extended to May 27. The Maduro government has denounced the sanctions as illegal for violating international trade rules and a desperate attempt to underpin theVenezuelan fascistic right. Maduro has made the case that Tren de Aragua is essentially defunct and was in the past used by the right-wing opposition. Today it is being invoked as a pretext for the mass deportation of Venezuelan migrants. The Maduro administration has also denounced the deportation of about 238 Venezuelan migrants to the so-called Terrorism Containment Center in El Salvador, a concentration camp overseen by fascistic President Nayib Bukele. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: We urge the United States to cease its interference in Venezuelas internal affairs and to abolish the unlawful unilateral sanctions on the country. The announcement of the renewed sanctions and tariffs is immediately worsening Venezuelas already devastating humanitarian catastrophe. More than seven million Venezuelans, nearly a third of the population, has left, and tens of thousands have died due to the social crisis caused chiefly by US sanctions. The sanctions regime was first launched in March 2015, when President Barack Obama declared Caracas a threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. It was sharply intensified under the Trump administrations maximum pressure campaign in 2017. UN special rapporteur Alfred de Zayas warned as early as 2019 that US sanctions were comparable with medieval sieges of towns and could amount to crimes against humanity under international law. The new measures would represent the most aggressive medieval siege of the Venezuelan economy thus far, demonstrating a willingness to inflict mass suffering and death on a scale comparable to the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza. This course will imminently provoke a renewed exodus out of the country. Far from seeking to avoid such a prospect at a time when migrant arrivals to US borders have dropped to historic lows, the Trump administration sees millions of US-bound migrants as a necessary prop for its fraudulent migrant invasion narrative, which the would-be US Fuhrer has used to justify massive attacks on democratic rights and threats of military aggression abroad. The strategic imperative for the Trump administration, however, is securing its hegemony over the hemisphere and its resources as it prepares to escalate its war preparations against China. Last week, Reuters reported that the loading of crude oil at Venezuelas main ports slowed down, while all oil shipments to China have been suspended. Indian firm Reliance Industries said it would halt its purchase of Venezuelan oil to avoid U.S. sanctions. Several European countries, including Italy and France, whose firms have been trading Venezuelan oil, would also be affected by the tariffs. For its part, Chevron, which is responsible for about a fourth of Venezuelan oil production, has already announced its departure from the country and is reducing its tanker fleet in Venezuela. The state oil firm PDVSA has grown reliant on Chevron for technical equipment and personnel for its operations and maintenance. The informal dollar exchange rate, which is more accurate, has dropped about a third since the announcement of sanctions, its worse depreciation in four years. Prices for staple goods have begun to increase according to several local media reports. Caracas announced a six-week plan to reduce electricity consumption amid daily power cuts of up to eight hours in western states. Renewed sanctions have provoked divisions in the right-wing opposition camp, which fears becoming even more unpopular. However, the dominant faction led by CIA asset Maria Corina Machado and her surrogate presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia has aligned itself behind the Trump administrations actions, hoping that it offers a shortcut to being installed as a US puppet regime. The Maduro administration offers no alternative and has no response other than appealing to US imperialism, even collaborating with Trumps deportation campaign by sending several Venezuelan aircraft to pick up deportees, initially in Texas and now in Honduras. As a representative of a faction of the capitalist ruling elite and relying on the support of the military brass, Maduro will continue to place the economic weight of the crisis on the shoulders of the working class and use police state measures to crack down on social unrest from below. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 1. Uzbekistan and Iran discussed key issues regarding the further development of multilateral relations, in line with the agreed roadmap, Trend reports. The matter was reviewed during a phone call between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian. During the conversation, the sides emphasized the active and continuous exchanges at various levels, highlighting growing mutual trade and cargo transportation volumes, as well as the increase in joint ventures. The regular direct flights between the capitals and the expansion of business and cultural exchanges were also noted. Focused efforts were directed towards expediting the execution of collaborative initiatives across various domains, including the chemical and petrochemical industries, textile production, food processing, agricultural advancements, construction materials, and additional sectors. The significance of the forthcoming Intergovernmental Commission assembly, commercial symposium, and industrial exposition in Tehran was also deliberated. Furthermore, the two heads of state engaged in a dialogue regarding geopolitical dynamics and regional complexities. Meanwhile, Uzbekistans trade turnover with Iran amounted to $66.1 million from January through February 2025. This figure has decreased by 16.6 percent over the year, during which trade turnover was recorded at $77.1 million. Uzbekistan and Iran have profound cultural and historical connections. Both nations are participants in the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). Iran and Uzbekistan have formalized bilateral agreements to collaborate in multiple sectors, including agriculture, transportation, oil and gas extraction, construction, medicines, and finance. The two nations have collaborated on terrestrial connections and several collaborative enterprises. Uzbekistan exports several commodities to Iran, including cotton, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, fertilizers, and chemical fibers. Iran exports construction materials, detergents, culinary products, tea, and fruits to Uzbekistan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel In the federal election called last Friday, Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Coalition leader Peter Dutton are desperately trying to prevent any discussion of the enormous geopolitical, military, social and economic upheavals occurring globally. Both are absurdly presenting Australia as an exception to the international instability, even though it is heavily dependent on the world economy, and is directly involved in all the wars taking place around the globe. As the Socialist Equality Party and its candidates are warning, Albanese and Dutton, together with the entire political and media establishment, are engaged in a conspiracy against the population. They know that every aspect of life, from the already dire social conditions facing workers, to the prospect of their involvement in a catastrophic war, will be shaped by global shocks. However much the ruling elite tries to peddle the sham of Australian exceptionalism, reality is breaking through. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, US President Donald Trump, Australian Opposition Leader Peter Dutton [Photo by X/@AlboMP, AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Facebook/Peter Dutton/] That was demonstrated by Resolve polling, reported by the Sydney Morning Herald today. Some 60 percent of respondents indicated a negative attitude towards US President Donald Trump and agreed that his election had been bad for Australia. That was up from 40 percent in November. The figure was even higher among self-described Labor voters, at 70 percent. It was almost 50 percent among Coalition supporters and 63 percent in the other voters category. Respondents were also asked: Which do you think is the greatest threat to Australia in the next few years? They appear to have been given the options of Russia, China and Trumps America. A negligible portion, 5 percent or less across all voter categories, nominated Russia. That is despite relentless propaganda demonizing Russia and its President Putin, aimed at legitimising the US-NATO proxy war in Ukraine. Australia has been one of the largest non-NATO contributors to that war, stoked and waged by Washington and the European powers with the aim of inflicting a massive defeat on Russia. China has been the subject of an even greater propaganda offensive by the establishment, including endless unsubstantiated claims of Chinese interference in Australian politics and society. The purpose of the barrage has been to justify Australias frontline role in advanced preparations for a US-led war against China, which Washington views as the chief threat to American global hegemony. The impact of this fraudulent campaign found some expression in the poll results, with between 22 and 43 percent across the various voter demographics labelling China as a primary threat. Many respondents stated that they were unsure, or that all three designated countries were equally a threat. But most remarkable were the high number of people who labelled the US under Trump as the principal threat. That was 17 percent across all cohorts. Among Labor voters, 26 percent labelled the US as a threat, as against just 22 percent who named China. Some of the popular concerns motivating those results were pointed to in other responses. Some 50 percent of all respondents agreed that Australia should avoid taking sides in any conflict between the US and China, against just 18 percent who supported Australian participation. In other responses: 42 percent agreed that Australia should rethink its plans to host US nuclear powered submarines at Australian naval bases, against 24 percent who disagreed. Australia should pause or withdraw from its alliance with the US to buy nuclear powered submarines, 34 percent said, compared with 25 percent who signalled support for that arrangement under the AUKUS pact. Polling is inherently limited. The nature of the questions, openly posing the issue of great power conflict, does point to the era of war that we are living through. The references to Australia, as an undifferentiated entity, serve to cover up the fundamental class divide. In reality, there are two Australiasone of the working people, being battered by the cost-of-living crisis and the assault on social conditions, the other of the billionaires, the banks and their political representatives in Labor, the Coalition and the Greens. These two Australias not only do not have the same interests, they have diametrically opposed interests. Despite all that, certain realities come through the poll results. Masses of ordinary people are deeply fearful of Trumps ascension. They have a sense that this is not just a development of US significance, but of global significance. There are clearly deep-going concerns that Trumps trade war policies will exacerbate the economic crisis, leading to job losses and even greater attacks on wages and working conditions. There is also a correct sense that Trumps rule will escalate militarism and war. People have been shocked by his open support for the ethnic cleansing and take-over of Gaza and his threats to seize Panama, Greenland and Canada. The centrepiece of Trumps foreign policy is confrontation with China, which has huge implications for Australia and its population. The pollsters did not ask about Trumps attempt to erect a fascistic dictatorship. But there is no doubt deep-going hostility to his persecution of anti-war students, his mass roundups of immigrants and his attempts to overturn the Constitution. Those are the popular sentiments. But the response of the Australian political establishment is the opposite. Albanese and Dutton are in a contest over who would be best placed to work with Trump. Albanese has declared that he will try to develop a friendship with Trump, and has congratulated him repeatedly. Labor Foreign Minister Penny Wong attended Trumps inauguration, and declared it an honour and a privilege for me to be at such an important event. Labors whole pitch is that it can work with Trump in the confrontation with China. Albanese has touted his governments role in completing Australias transformation into a frontline state for war with Beijing, including through a massive military build-up and the vast expansion of US basing in the country. For his part, Dutton has said he and Trump would share an affinity as strong leaders. Dutton has unveiled several Trumpian policies, including mass public sector sackings and denunciations of a purported woke agenda. The SEP has explained that the fawning over Trump reflects the commitment in dominant sections of the ruling class to the US-Australia alliance. Australian imperialism prosecutes its own predatory interests under the umbrella of the alliance, particularly in the South Pacific. This embrace of Trump is a warning to the working class. Albanese and Dutton are committed to a program that parallels that of Trump, from support for the Gaza genocide, to war with China, an assault on the social conditions of workers and major attacks on democratic rights. Both have been involved in a crackdown on opposition to the Israeli genocide, as well as sweeping attacks on immigrants, in policies similar to those of Trump. The SEP explains that Trump is not the disease but the symptom. He is the sharpest expression of the program of the ruling classes everywhere, amid a breakdown of the global capitalist system. This cannot be fought by supporting those who advocate Australia adopt a more independent foreign policy. That simply means a slightly different foreign policy in the interests of the ruling elite, including an even greater military buildup. Instead, what is required is an independent movement of the working class, against all the capitalist governments and parties. This is a global struggle, posing the need to unite workers in Australia, the US, China and all over the world, on the basis of their common class interests. Above all, what the events in the US demonstrate is the urgent need for socialism: the expropriation of the banks, the corporations and the oligarchs, and the democratic control of society and the economy by the working class. That is the perspective that the SEP and our candidates are advancing in the election, outlined in our statement: Support the SEP in the Australian federal election! Build a socialist movement of the working class against war, austerity and dictatorship! Authorised by Cheryl Crisp for the Socialist Equality Party, Level 1/457-459 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, NSW, 2010, Australia. Exposure of the barbarity of the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza reached a new level with the recovery of the bodies of 15 emergency and aid workers from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), Palestinian Civil Defense and the United Nations from a grave in the sand south of the Gaza Strip over the weekend. On Monday, Palestinians held funerals for the medics and emergency responders, who were hunted down and killed by Israeli troops and buried in a mass grave in a blatant violation of international law. The dead included eight PRCS workers, six members of Gazas Civil Defense emergency unit, and a staffer from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians (UNRWA). According to a report by the Associated Press, the dead bodies and ambulances of the aid workers were gathered, buried and then plowed over by Israeli military bulldozers. The AP report also said video footage released by the UN showed workers from PRCS and Civil Defense, wearing masks and bright orange vests, digging through hills of dirt that appeared to have been piled up by Israeli bulldozers. Displaced Palestinians, fleeing from Rafah amidst ongoing Israeli military operations following Israels renewed offensive in the Gaza Strip, arrive in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Sunday, March 23, 2025. [AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana] The AP report went on: The footage shows them digging out multiple bodies wearing orange emergency vests. Some of the bodies are found piled on top of each other. At one point, they pull out a body in a Civil Defense vest out of the dirt, and it is revealed to be a torso with no legs. Several ambulances and a UN vehicle, all heavily damaged or torn apart, are also buried in the dirt. Jonathan Whittall of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a video: Their bodies were gathered and buried in this mass grave. Were digging them out in their uniforms, with their gloves on. They were here to save lives. Its absolute horror what has happened here. Another OCHA spokesperson responded to questions from Reuters about how the burial site resembled a large mound of sand, which was clearly created by a bulldozer or similar machinery rather than the impact of a blast. The spokesperson said: the available information indicates that the first team was killed by Israeli forces on March 23 and that other emergency and aid crews were struck one after another over several hours as they searched for their missing colleagues. The Palestinian rescue teams had been missing since March 23, when they departed around noon to retrieve casualties after Israeli forces launched an offensive into the Tel al-Sultan district of the southern city of Rafah. The Zionist military had demanded an evacuation of the area earlier that day, saying Hamas militants were operating there, while knowing full well that there was not enough time for civilians to leave and avoid the Israeli onslaught. Alerts at the time said displaced Palestinians sheltering in the area had been hit, and a team that went to rescue them was surrounded by Israeli troops. According to a UN statement on Sunday night, The available information indicates that the first team was killed by Israeli forces on March 23. Additional emergency teams that went to rescue the first team were struck one after another over several hours, the UN said. The murderous campaign against aid workers took place as the Israeli forces attacked the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza. The sky over the area glowed red from Israeli shelling as tanks advanced from all directions, and warplanes rained down missiles without mercy. According to official Palestinian estimates, over 5,000 Palestinians were trapped beneath the air and ground assault. Palestinian residents of Tel al-Sultan thought the worst was over after a ceasefire brought a glimmer of hope. Families returned to their homes and tried to salvage fragments of their lives from under the rubble. But on Sunday, the thin peace proved to be a ruse when Israeli tanks stormed the neighborhood without warning. Drones circled above, issuing orders over loudspeakers for evacuation. Anyone who did not move to leave immediately was met with gunfire. Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, posted on X: 15 emergency & aid workers in Gazafrom @PalestineRCS, Palestinian Civil Defense, and UNwere found buried by their wrecked & well-marked vehicles. Our condolences to their families. They were killed by Israeli forces while trying to save lives. We demand answers & justice. In a statement late on Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was appalled at the deaths. The ICRC said: Their bodies were identified today and have been recovered for dignified burial. These staff and volunteers were risking their own lives to provide support to others. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent said it was the deadliest attack on its aid workers in eight years, which goes back long before the plan to remove all Palestinians from Gaza began on October 7, 2023. Central to the Israeli strategy of killing or removing by force all Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, which has been endorsed by the fascist in the White House Donald Trump, is the murdering of hospital and aid workers. According to the UN, the Zionist regime of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has killed more than 100 civil defense workers and more than 1,000 health workers since the Gaza genocide began 18 months ago. As the WSWS has reported previously, the Israeli military is implementing a plan to fully occupy Gaza, impose starvation and then force the displacement of the Palestinian population to other lands. This program is nothing new in a historical sense. It is a reprise of the systematic extermination of Europes Jews by Germany during World War II. At that time, the Nazis removed Jews from their neighborhoods and concentrated them into ghettos in preparation for their transport to death and extermination camps in Eastern Europe. The Nazi restriction of food rations in the Warsaw Ghetto in occupied Poland, for example, resulted in the mass deaths of Jews. As the crisis of Hitlers mad attempt to invade all of Europe deepened, the Nazis made the decision to move from relocation to slow death in the form of the extermination camps such as Dachau and Auschwitz-Birkenau. Mourners gather around the bodies of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli army airstrike as they are brought to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. [AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana] On the evening of Februarys federal election, designated Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited the war criminal and genocide perpetrator Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Germany. The invitation shows that the next German government will support the Israeli genocide in Gaza and its expansion to the West Bank and the entire Middle East even more resolutely than the previous one. Merz has assured Netanyahu that he will find ways and means not to arrest him in Germany, despite an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Courta clear violation of international law. That Merz can make such provocative statements and invite an indicted war criminal is because all the establishment parties, from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to Die Linke/Left Party, stand behind his pro-war and rearmament programme. On March 21, when the Bundesrat (upper house of parliament) authorised taking out up to 1 trillion in loans for armaments and related expenditures, the representatives of the Left Party from Bremen and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania voted in favour alongside the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU), Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens. Although the fascist AfD voted against it in the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) on procedural grounds, it made clear in its speeches that the Nazi-style rearmament was fully in line with its programme. The antisemitism resolution passed on January 29 in the midst of the election campaign was already clear proof that Germanys ruling class has never broken with its fascist traditions and is once again supporting genocide with its support for the Israeli assault on Gaza. The resolution is intended to intimidate critics of Israels campaign of extermination and to create a legal basis, particularly in schools and universities, to penalise any criticism of Israels war policy with draconian punishments. While Israel has already killed tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, any criticism of it is denounced and criminalised as antisemitic in Germany. Pro-Palestinian groups are falsely accused of creating a climate of insecurity and fear in schools and universities and establishing an antisemitic interpretation of the Middle East conflict. The ideological basis for the semantic inversion of the concept of antisemitism, as noted by David North, is provided by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances (IHRA) reactionary definition of antisemitism. The World Socialist Web Site wrote in a commentary on the IHRAs definition: The IHRA definition is an ahistorical and anti-democratic construct that defines any political opposition to Zionism and to Israels oppression of the Palestinians as antisemitic. It has long been a central element of a right-wing campaign that uses the accusation of left-wing antisemitism to criminalise the growing opposition, especially among workers and youth, to imperialism and war. The Bundestag resolution provocatively states that a purported increase in antisemitism since October 7, 2023 can also be traced back to a relativising approach and an increase in Israel-related and left-wing anti-imperialist antisemitism. If academics express criticism of this unscientific, right-wing definition or continue to criticise Israel, they are then threatened with the cancellation of funding. In point 9, the resolution passed by the Bundestag declares that scholarly excellence and antisemitism are mutually exclusive. And point 10 threatens, in solidarity with the members of the Alliance of Science Organisations and on the basis of the resolutions passed by the German Bundestag to date, to work towards preventing the activities of groups that spread Israel-related antisemitism, whose means include calls for boycotts, delegitimisation, disinformation and demonisation of the Jewish state. This includes activities of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS for short) and similar movements. Supporters of such movements must have no place in German educational and scholarly institutions. Furthermore, so-called reporting and counselling structures that document antisemitic incidents are to be established. The entire nature of the resolution makes clear what it concerns. It is not about combating real antisemitism from the right, but about establishing an apparatus of repression at universities that lists, intimidates and, if necessary, removes critical students. The resolution states: Antisemitic behaviour must have consequences. Schools and universities must therefore be supported in fully utilising their legal options. This includes the consistent application of domiciliary rights, temporary exclusion from lessons or studies and, in particularly serious cases, exmatriculation. This is a blatant attack on the basic democratic right of freedom of expression. Anyone who expresses even the slightest shred of empathy for the suffering of the Palestinians is to be threatened with intimidation and draconian punishments. The debate on the resolution in the Bundestag was a farce, and was passed with a large majority. Only the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) voted against, while the Left Party abstained. But even the obligatory criticism of the BSW and the Left Party MPs was pure window dressing and serves to conceal their own role. Nicole Gohlkes speech was an example of how the Left Party hides its reactionary support for Israels genocide behind empty phrases about academic freedom and dialogue. While she claimed that the resolution was a showcase motion because it allegedly did not provide any additional funding for educational measures, she did not say a word about the actual purpose of the resolution: the criminalisation of any opposition to Israels war of annihilation in Gaza. Her criticism was limited to procedural issuessuch as the lack of expert hearingsbut she did not question the political core of the resolution. Gohlke claimed that it was important to convey different perspectives on the Middle East conflict, but only complained that the Palestinian story was given too little attention. The reality is that the resolution not only promotes a one-sided narrative, but also defames and represses the entire Palestinian liberation movement as antisemitic. But instead of denouncing this repression, Gohlke appealed to the government to make the discourse more balancedas if it were the task of the German state to neutrally moderate the genocide. The last few months have shown that appeals to one capitalist government or another will not end the genocide. In addition, the Left Party has supported Israels war of annihilation from the very beginning. After October 7, the Left Party parliamentary group explicitly expressed solidarity with Israels actions. Despite the massacre of tens of thousands of Palestinians, leading Left Party representatives repeatedly emphasised that Israel naturally has the right to defend itself (Heidi Reichinnek). The fact that Gohlke criticised the call for closer cooperation between universities and the secret service does not change the fact that the Left Party itself is an integral part of this state apparatus. Thuringia, where the Left Party occupied the office of state prime minister for years, in the person of Bodo Ramelow, deported the most refugees per capita and strengthened the state apparatus of repression, which is permeated by extreme right-wing forces. Gohlkes hypocrisy became particularly clear when she feigned outrage that the AfD had approved the resolution. What she failed to mention, however, is that the AfD voted in favour not because it rejects antisemitism, but because the measures adopted identically mirror the far-right partys own repressive agenda. The Left Party has effectively joined this anti-democratic escalation by abstaining. Recently, its representatives in the Bundesrat also voted in favour of the historic 1 trillion arms and war package proposed by the CDU/CSU and SPD. The Left Party is not an opposition party, but an imperialist party and is integral to the machinery that seeks to control and suppress any serious opposition to war and imperialism. The resolution is part of the ruling classs effort to militarise the whole of German society and bring it into enforced conformity. As in the past, all opposition must be suppressed and silenced. As in the US, universities and cultural institutions are being targeted in particular because there have already been massive protests against the genocide in the past and a strong anti-war attitude prevails there. In a recent statement, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) calls for the broadest opposition to these attacks on democratic rights, emphasising: But this battle cannot be waged on the campuses alone. The only basis for the defense of democratic rights is the political mobilization of the working classthe vast majority of the populationindependent of both capitalist parties and based on a socialist program. The working class is an immensely powerful force, which can overturn capitalism and restructure society on the basis of socialism. The turn of the capitalist oligarchy to dictatorship is inextricably connected to the war being waged on the working class, in the form of the massive assault on social programs, the mass firing of federal workers and the elimination of all regulations on corporate profit. The IYSSE, the youth and student movement of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) and its sister parties around the world, is fighting to build a movement among young people aimed at mobilising the working class in opposition to the entire political establishment. Take up this fight now and become a member of the IYSSE! The Indonesian government of President Prabowo Subianto oversaw the passing of amendments to the countrys armed forces law in parliament on March 20. The amendments allow active-duty military officers to serve in a greater number of government roles. President Prabowo Subianto. October 20, 2024 [Photo: Rahmat, Public Relations of the Cabinet Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia] The 2004 TNI (Indonesian Armed Forces) Law reduced the number of civilian posts available to the military, after the collapse of the Suharto military dictatorship in 1998. It originally permitted active military personnel to serve in ten government positions, mostly related to security, such as the Defence Ministry and the state intelligence agency. The new revisions, which were adopted unanimously by parliament, expanded this to include five more institutions: the Attorney Generals Office, National Counterterrorism Agency, Maritime Security Agency, National Agency for Border Management, and National Disaster Mitigation Agency. According to the AFP news agency, serving officers can also take posts in a critical sixth institution: the Supreme Court. Military personnel may be appointed to other areas of government, but must first retire from the military, as stated in the previous TNI Law. Additionally, the amendments raised retirement age by several years for most ranks, with four-star generals now able to serve until 63, up from 60. The change is among the most significant actions taken by the Prabowo government since it came into office last October. The amendments were, however, a watered-down version of an earlier draft proposal, which would have allowed Prabowo the right to appoint serving officers anywhere in the government, according to a Reuters report. The revisions were drafted largely behind closed doors and rushed through parliament in less than two months after Prabowo requested them. The drafting process consisted of a series of secret meetings involving Prabowo, the Defence Ministry, and the Defence and Security Commission, held at a luxury hotel near Jakartas parliament building. The bill was then approved by the Defence Commission and passed unanimously in a special plenary session of the House of Representatives. The amendments immediately sparked protests, as hundreds of student activists camped outside parliament the night before the bill was passed. On the following day, the crowd grew to a thousand, with protesters holding banners reading Against militarism and oligarchy! and The New Order [the name of the Suharto dictatorship] strikes back! One student group present described the law as democracy-killing. By revising the military law, Prabowo, a former general in the Suharto regime, is taking a step towards dictatorial rule, under conditions of a massive social crisis in Indonesia as well as an international political shift to the right by capitalist governments. What is being revived is the total control of every aspect of society by the military apparatus that existed under Suharto, known as dwifungsi (dual function). Military officers held leading positions not only in government, but in the state-owned enterprises, banks, the media, cultural institutions and elsewhere. Since his October inauguration, Prabowo has declared his first term will see a greater political centrality and policy influence for the military-security apparatus. On his very first day in office, he appointed his personal assistant Teddy Indra Wijaya, an active military officer, as cabinet secretary. In blatant violation of the TNI Law, his cabinet is comprised of numerous serving military personnel in posts outside defence including transportation and agriculture. The cabinet includes retired military figures in leading roles, such as Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono, who was previously a first lieutenant in notorious special forces group Kopassus which carried out some of the bloodiest crimes of the Suharto regime. Prabowo himself was once one of its commanders. Prabowo has begun to expand the militarys role to public affairs. He has appointed active officers to the national food agency Bulog. His flagship Free Meal Programa populist measure aimed at feeding 83 million schoolchildrenreceives logistical support from the army. The amendments to the military law have been publicly defended by several government officials, on the grounds that they are necessary due to domestic and geopolitical challenges. Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, another former Kopassus officer, told parliament in March: The geopolitical changes and global military technology require the military to transform to face conventional and non-conventional conflicts. Meanwhile, Budi Djiwandono, deputy chief of the commission overseeing the revisions and Prabowos nephew, dismissed concerns that the law signified a return to dwifungsi. Armed Forces Commander General Agus Subiyanto declared that the pre-existing military law was outdated. Adjustments are necessary to tackle various issues in implementing the fundamental norms of state policy and political decisions, he said. Prabowos moves towards establishing military political dominance take place amid the growth of mass opposition to his policies, as well as intensifying geopolitical tensions as the United States prepares for war against China. The revised military law was passed just weeks after the unveiling of the presidents austerity campaign, slashing up to $44 billion from the state budget, under the false name of combatting inefficiency, targeting education, health, and other vital social services. These measures provoked a widespread student protest movement across the archipelago, against the governments austerity as well as the degradation of social conditions, rising cost of living, poverty, and unemployment. However, attempts to expand the militarys role in Indonesian society predate Prabowo. The 2004 TNI Law was an element of the Indonesian establishments program of reformasi, or democratic reformation after the Suharto junta fell in 1998, and was nominally aimed at containing the armys influence. But reformasi was a farce from the beginning, with military figures retaining powerful positions and much of the dictatorships structure remained intact, behind the democratic facade of elections. Prabowo, who was Suhartos son-in-law, attempted to set himself up as the dictators successor and was one of the bloodiest figures of the regime. Megawati Sukarnoputri, leader of the PDIP (the party most associated with reformasi), rehabilitated Prabowo politically as early as 2009 when she chose him as her vice-presidential running mate. The previous president Joko Widodo, the PDIPs candidate, who was widely promoted as a reformer, accelerated the process. During his time in office, networks of Suharto-era generals and officers played an increasingly prominent role in the government. Widodo frequently violated the TNI Law, appointing an active duty general to head the national disaster agency in 2019. In 2023, nearly 2,600 active-duty officers were serving in civilian roles, according to Imparsial (Indonesian Human Rights Monitor). He effectively gave Prabowo his blessing in last years election when his son ran as vice-president on Prabowos ticket. In the quarter century since the end of Suhartos rule, the entire political establishment has covered up the crimes of the Indonesian military while paying lip service to democracy. It has now unanimously supported the expansion of the militarys role in government. Parents, teachers and students protest school closures outside Acero's Idar Elementary in Chicago on December 11, 2024. On Friday, March 21, Chicago charter school operator Acero Schools and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) signed a transition agreement allowing Acero to close two of its 15 schools, Cruz K-12 and Paz Elementary, at the end of the current school year in June. Acero agreed to continue operating for one more year the five other schools the company had previously sought to close this June as wellthese include the elementary schools Casas, Cisneros, Fuentes, Santiago, and Tamayo. As Acero explained in a communication to families and staff last Monday, the agreement states that Acero Schools will continue to operate these five campuses through June 30, 2026. After this date, these specific schools operations transition to the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). In the course of this announcement, which Acero touted it was happy to share, the schools being closed in little more than two months, Cruz and Paz, are not even mentioned. In the Chicago Teachers Union communication to its members at Acero Schools on March 21, the union begins cheerfully, Happy Spring Break! We want to share the latest updates with you on the status of our schools [and] the layoff process. Acero still plans to close Paz and Cruz at the end of this school year. We have met with Acero twice this week to discuss the layoff process and timeline for the bargaining unit members at Paz and Cruz. The tentative timeline discussed with Acero is as follows: Week of March 31st: A WARN Act notice will be sent to members at Paz and Cruz per Illinois law. The WARN Act requires employers to give employees at least 60 days notice of any mass layoffs. Week of April 7th: Provisional Employee Termination Notices will be sent to Provisional Employees that Acero does not intend to renew. The CBA states, The Employer shall strive to provide notice by the first Friday in May of each school year of the Employers intent to release a provisional employee. Acero expects to notify Provisional Employees much earlier this year as some Provisional Employees will be released due to the layoffs of the closing schools as is the Employers right under the law. Week of April 14th: Layoff notices and meetings will begin for members at Paz and Cruz. Members at Paz and Cruz will be notified on their Acero email of layoff by Acero Human Resources with a scheduled date and time of their virtual meeting. All members are entitled to union representation during these meetings. Acero will inform members of their rights under the contract to accept the layoff, fill a vacancy, or bump another employee based on seniority. This process will take time as each member is entitled to 72 hours to make a decision. We understand this is painful for our entire community as the closure of Paz and Cruz is devastating for those school communities and will impact the entire Acero network. In other words, Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) officials not only plan to do nothing to stop the closure of the two schools, but are committed to enforcing the layoff of teachers and other educators at Acero. On March 12 and 13, CPS and Acero Schools held two informational meetings on the closure of Paz Elementary and Cruz K-12. WSWS reporters were present at the informational meeting at Cruz. During the course of the meeting, at which CTU Chair of the Acero Council Caroline Rutherford was present, the CTU leader raised no objections to the closing of Cruz and Paz; her brief remarks were limited to telling families and staff affected by the school closures that they should be thankful that two CPS board members were in attendance, Debby Pope and Ebony DeBerry. During the meeting, a mother wept as she asked CPS Chief Portfolio Officer Alfonso Carmona through her tears why Aceros millions of dollars in reserves cant be used by CPS to keep schools open, a question which the audience applauded. In his answer, Carmona provided legal cover for Acero, saying legally the only way for CPS to recover those funds would be if Acero closed all of its schools. The mother shook her head, thoroughly unsatisfied with this answer. One Cruz teacher pointedly asked Carmona what CPS will do to support families other than providing a phone number for them to call, and whether Cruz staff members would have to bear the brunt of providing additional support to their students as they navigate the closure of their school and the transition to a new school. The portion of the meeting on resources for staff members impacted by the school closure was brief, consisting of not much more than Aceros human resources representative telling staff members present to simply email HR if they have any questions. Debby Pope, a former CTU staffer appointed to the board by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, himself a former CTU staffer, defended CPS in Carmonas presence as he stood at the lectern at Cruz. In response to Carmonas earlier dismissive answer to the crying mother, Pope laid the blame entirely at Aceros feet. The CTUs complicity in these obscene attacks on Acero raises the need for rank-and-file educators, along with parents and guardians at Acero schools, which have large immigrant enrollment, to build educators rank-and-file committees to mobilize the broadest support in the working class to fight the school closures. For these committees to be effective they must be completely independent of the CTU bureaucracy, which is collaborating with Johnson and school authorities to impose yet another austerity contract on 25,000 CTU members employed by the Chicago Public Schools. CTU executives are trying to ram through a deal based on the lie that such an agreement will protect educators and students from Trumps savage attacks on public education. This is a lie. The district stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for low-income, disabled and English learner students, which Johnson and the Democratic Party intend to wring out of educators in the form of job cuts and school closures. Rank-and-file committees will unite Acero and CPS educators in a common fight and prepare strike action throughout the city as the spearhead of a counter-offensive across the country against Trumps drive to destroy public education. Central to this fight is the struggle to defend students and workers against ICE terror. On February 26, ICE agents abducted the parent of two Acero students as he dropped his children off at the Idar elementary school. Slides from an Acero training in February make it clear that CTU bureaucracy will do nothing as parents or even students and teachers are snatched from school grounds. Educators are being told to politely request that ICE agents not terrorize any students they come to detain: Ask the ICE/federal agent if they can delay engaging and transporting the student until their family member arrives or is notified at minimum. They may choose not to do so. Ask the ICE/federal agent where they will take the student. Agents may decline to provide this information. Advise the ICE/federal agent that you would like to accompany the student to the detention center. If they indicate this isnt possible, advise that you would like to follow the agent to the detention facility as they transport the child. Ask the ICE/federal agent if they will agree to wait in a private room so that you can get the student and facilitate a peaceful exchange. They may decline this request. If ICE/federal agents refuse to allow you to bring the student to a private room, ask if they will agree to an alternative plan that does not disrupt and traumatize the student and other students and staff. Ask the ICE/federal agent if they will agree to not use restraints on the student while they are on school property. They may decline this request. The Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Committee and the Socialist Equality Party are fighting to build a powerful movement in the working class, uniting industrial workers and educators and all sections of the working class, internationally, in a mass movement to defend the democratic and social rights of all. This will require expropriating the ill-gotten wealth of the oligarchy and reorganizing economic life to serve social needs, not private profit. Cover of the German edition of "Sounding the alarm: Socialism against war" (Ein Warnruf: Sozialismus gegen Krieg) On Saturday, March 29 at the Leipzig Book Fair in Germany, David North, chairman of the World Socialist Web Site Editorial Board and national chairman of the Socialist Equality Party (US), introduced the newly released German translation of his book Sounding the Alarm: Socialism Against War. His remarks are published here. Below we are publishing the introduction to North by Johannes Stern, editor of the German language edition of the WSWS. Due to an accident on the train line between Berlin and Leipzig, North and Stern were unable to attend in person. The remarks by North and Stern were read aloud. The German edition, Ein Warnruf: Sozialismus gegen Krieg, can be ordered here. The English edition can be ordered here. * * * On behalf of Mehring Verlag, I would like to welcome you all to this years event at the Leipzig Book Fair. I am Johannes Stern and I am delighted that we once again have our most important author, David North, as our guest. For those who are not yet familiar with David, he has been active as a revolutionary journalist, historian and political leader of the Fourth International, founded by Leon Trotsky in 1938, for what I believe is now almost exactly 55 years. He the chairman of the International Editorial Board of the World Socialist Web Site and current national chairman of the Socialist Equality Party (US). This is the sister party of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei here in Germany. David is the author of numerous important Marxist writings and books, of which I can only mention a few of the most prominent: including The Heritage We Defend: A Contribution to the History of the Fourth International; The Crisis of American Democracy; In Defense of Leon Trotsky; The Russian Revolution and the Unfinished Twentieth Century; The Frankfurt School, Postmodernism and the Politics of the Pseudo-Left; A Quarter Century of War: The US Drive for Global Hegemony 19902016; The Logic of Zionism: From nationalist myth to the Gaza genocide and Leon Trotsky and the Struggle for Socialism in the 21st Century, the book we presented here last year. All of these books are absolutely essential and they can all be purchased at our stand K111 here in Hall 5. Davids latest book, Sounding the Alarm: Socialism Against War, is of particular importance. This book is a collection of May Day speeches given by David North at the International Online May Day Rallies of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site from 2014 to 2024. Representatives of Mehring Verlag read the contributions by David North and Johannes Stern at the Leipzig Book Fair In preparing these introductory remarks, I re-read Daves book, and I must say that one is struck by the almost prophetic nature of each speech. They were all held against the backdrop of the key events of the last decade. I can only mention the most important ones here: the constant escalation of war and militarism, which is currently reaching new heights; the first election of Donald Trump and his rise to become the central figure in US political life; the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago; Trumps first attempt to overturn the constitution on January 6, 2021; the outbreak of war in Ukraine in spring 2022; and finally, the start of the Israeli genocide in Gaza in fall 2023. Sometimes it is embarrassing for authors to be confronted with their earlier speeches and predictions. History and politics are full of surprises, and often those who dare to make predictions are confronted with the fact that they are contradicted by events. This is not the case with these speeches by David North. And indeed, everything David writes is remarkably historical, but also prescient. I would even go so far as to say that there is no other active writer today who has understood so clearly and precisely the significance of the events that are now unfolding. I want to give you a few quotes from the book to give you an impression: When the ICFI and the World Socialist Web Site called for their first International Online May Day Rally in 2014100 years after the start of the First World WarDavid warned: Those who believe that war with China and Russia is an impossibilitythat the major imperialist powers would not risk war with nuclear powersare deluding themselves. The history of the 20th century, with its two devastating world wars and its innumerable and very bloody localized conflicts, has provided sufficient evidence of the risks the imperialist ruling classes are prepared to take. Indeed, they are prepared to risk the fate of all of humanity and the planet itself. In contrast to the official propaganda of Putins allegedly unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, North analyzes the actual historical, economic, social and political background of the war in his speeches. As early as 2014, when Washington and Berlin organized a far-right coup in Ukraine to install a pro-Western regime in Kiev, he explained: The plotters in Washington and Berlin understood that this coup would lead to a confrontation with Russia. Indeed, far from seeking to avoid a confrontation, both Germany and the United States believe that a clash with Russia is required for the realization of their far-reaching geopolitical interests. And specifically on Germanys role, he said: [T]he confrontation with Russia is welcomed as a pretext for the repudiation of the constraints on militarism imposed in the wake of the unspeakable crimes committed during the years of Hitlers Third Reich. ... Definite economic and geopolitical interests are at stake. As in the 20th century, Germany is once again gazing longingly upon the Black Sea region, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Central Asia and the vast land mass of Russia. Also in relation to the genocide in Gaza, Dave rejected the official narrative that Israel was simply defending itself against the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. In his May Day 2024 speech, he said: The genocidal violence unleashed by the Israeli state against the Palestinians has aroused the anger of workers and youth all over the world. But it must be recognized that the genocide in Gaza and the war against Russia are interconnected fronts in the global war unleashed by imperialism. I could quote the entire book here because every speech is as impressive as it is politically relevant. Of course, this is not possible due to time constraints. And we definitely want to let the author himself have his say. But perhaps one last example that I think particularly underlines the analytical strength of the book. His assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now cost more than 30 million lives worldwide. In his speech on May 1, 2020, Dave explained: The pandemic is a historic event that is exposing the economic, political, social and moral bankruptcy of capitalist society. It is laying bare the unbridgeable chasm that exists between the corporate-financial oligarchs who control and determine the policies of capitalist governments and the needs and interests of the working class. He referred to the pandemic as a trigger event and compared it to the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, the event that led to the outbreak of the First World War. He said: The assassination accelerated the historical process, but it acted upon preexisting and highly inflammable socioeconomic and political conditions. The same can be said of the pandemic. And he emphasized that the fight against the pandemic is not just a medical issue, butjust like the fight against social inequality, war, fascism and dictatorshipa class issue and a revolutionary issue. With that, I would like to hand over to our author, but already recommend that everyone here buy the book, study it carefully and then become politically active. Norths collected May Day speeches are not simply the observations and warnings of a passive analyst. They are the concentrated expression of the active struggle of the world Trotskyist movement against imperialism and war over the last decade, which must now be developed with all its might to prevent catastrophe. * * * Read David Norths remarks here. And purchase Sounding the Alarm: Socialism Against War on Mehring Books. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 1. China Southern Airlines is considering increasing the frequency of its flights to Uzbekistan, Trend reports. The matter was discussed during negotiations between Uzbekistan Airports and the Chinese airline, where both sides explored opportunities for expanding cooperation, increasing existing flight frequencies, and launching new routes to airports in Uzbekistan. The airline is evaluating the possibility of raising the frequency of its current routes to seven times per week. At present, China Southern Airlines operates flights from Tashkent to Beijing four times a week and from Tashkent to Urumqi five times a week. Uzbekistan Airports also proposed the development of new routes to Chinese cities from airports in the Fergana Valley, including Andijan, Namangan, and Fergana. China Southern Airlines, based in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, is a major Chinese carrier operating domestic, regional, and international flights. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 2. On April 1, Laziz Kudratov, the Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, held a meeting in Tashkent with representatives from the French company Meridiam, the ministry says, Trend reports. During the meeting, the parties discussed the potential for collaboration in several areas of mutual interest. Meridiam is a global investment and management firm specializing in the development, financing, and management of long-term social infrastructure projects. Its primary areas of focus include transportation and social infrastructure, public buildings, engineering networks, and related services. The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, recently formed by the administration to address complaints of discrimination on college campuses, will review the more than $255 million in contracts between the federal government, Harvard and its affiliates. And it will look at more than $8.7 billion in multiyear grant commitments to Harvard and its affiliates to ensure the school is in compliance with federal regulations, the announcement from the departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and the U.S. General Services Administration said. Harvard affiliates include local hospitals whose physicians teach at Harvard Medical School. The reviews follow dramatic cuts at Columbia University. This month, the Trump administration said it was cutting off $400 million in federal grants because it said the school was not doing enough to protect Jewish students. Colleges across the country struggled last spring to balance students' right to free speech during intense protests over the Israel-Gaza war with the need to ensure student safety on campus, with some Jewish students saying pro-Palestinian protests were at times hostile, antisemitic and frightening. This academic year has been much quieter at most schools. Columbia officials recently agreed to make changes and are in negotiations with the federal government in hopes of restoring funding. A spokeswoman for the Education Department said funding to Harvard and its affiliates is being reviewed, not canceled. Trump has been sharply critical of universities for what he has characterized as a failure to respond to antisemitism - and soon after taking office in January he signed an executive order designed to counter it. The Trump administration has made clear that its actions on this issue would be wide-ranging. Federal agencies warned 10 universities they would be visited by the antisemitism task force, and an additional 60 schools were warned of potential enforcement action if they did not comply with federal civil rights law to protect Jewish students. Higher education leaders have been bracing for hits on an array of fronts from the administration, which signaled during the campaign that elite universities would be targets for failing to stop disruptive protests, give voice to conservative views and other perceived problems. Trump promised to "get this anti-American insanity" out of institutions that he said were indoctrinating students. Now, the Trump administration has shown that federal funding will be used to enforce change. "Harvard's failure to protect students on campus from anti-Semitic discrimination - all while promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry - has put its reputation in serious jeopardy," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a written statement. "Harvard can right these wrongs and restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking, where all students feel safe on its campus." "If this funding is stopped, it will halt life-saving research and imperil important scientific research and innovation," Harvard President Alan M. Garber said in a message to the campus community Monday. He said that antisemitism is an urgent problem that he has experienced directly while serving as president, and he detailed some of the steps Harvard has taken to combat it over the past 15 months. The university will engage with the federal task force and will take measures that will move Harvard forward while protecting its community and academic freedom. Protests at Harvard over the Israel-Gaza war were not as disruptive as some of those at Columbia, but Harvard has come under scrutiny from Republican lawmakers and others over the past year and a half for its response to demonstrations. That scrutiny has had high-profile impact, toppling powerful presidencies: Last year, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned in the wake of a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism, the second Ivy League president to do so. Months later, Columbia President Minouche Shafik resigned, saying the turmoil on campus had taken a considerable toll on her family. Harvard has announced efforts to address complaints of antisemitism and Islamophobia that have emerged during the Israel-Gaza war. The university convened a presidential task force in January 2024 and has since implemented changes in response to the group's preliminary findings, including standardizing its procedures for disciplinary cases, pursuing disciplinary action and updating campus use policies. The school now uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, and communicated to campus that Jewish and Israeli identities are included in its anti-bullying, antidiscrimination policies. Still, the school's task force has faced criticism from students and faculty for missing deadlines to issue final recommendations. And some faculty and others have objected to rules they found overly restrictive of free speech rights. Last fall, some professors chalked messages on campus sidewalks to object to a rule requiring prior approval for such expressions. During the review process, the federal government will work with relevant contracting agencies to assess whether stop-work orders should be issued for any identified contracts, according to the announcement, and Harvard has been ordered to provide a comprehensive list of all contracts with the federal government not included in the initial review. "While Harvard's recent actions to curb institutionalized anti-Semitism - though long overdue - are welcome, there is much more that the university must do to retain the privilege of receiving federal taxpayer's hard-earned dollars," said Josh Gruenbaum, Federal Acquisition Service commissioner and a member of the task force. "This administration has proven that we will take swift action to hold institutions accountable if they allow anti-Semitism to fester. We will not hesitate to act if Harvard fails to do so." Some higher education experts say the Trump administration's efforts to combat antisemitism are politically motivated. "This new review is just one more component of the administration's relentless assault on American higher education," Ethan Ris, an associate professor of higher education leadership at the University of Nevada at Reno. "The idea of canceling federal grants and contracts, almost all of which involve scientific research, in order to root out anti-Semitism at Harvard is particularly absurd." Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, said the administration is sticking to a playbook of making accusations without evidence and threatening without following procedures laid out in federal law. The Trump administration says it is reviewing Harvard for compliance with civil rights regulations, but is sidestepping the process for civil rights investigations, he said. (COMMENT, BELOW) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. If the U.S. takes the wrong step regarding Iran's nuclear program, Iran could take a step toward producing atomic weapons., Ali Larijani, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, told reporters, Trend reports. According to him, in some cases, absurd statements are made about Iran's nuclear program. Iran's nuclear program has been accepted by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has also been reached in this direction, and Iran has announced its readiness to implement an additional protocol under the supervision of the IAEA. Iran has imposed some restrictions on its nuclear program. In return, other countries had to take several steps. However, US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018, which has led to the deterioration of many issues. Larijani noted that Iran claims to have the capability for a nuclear program, but under the Supreme Leader's instructions, it does not seek to develop atomic weapons. "The US makes a strategic mistake and forces Iran to move towards building a nuclear weapon, Iran will do this to defend itself, because Iranian citizens are also pressuring that this work (building a nuclear weapon) should be carried out for the security of the country, which is not in the interest of the US. Iran is currently stating that it has no intention of acquiring a nuclear weapon and continues its activities under the supervision of the IAEA. However, if Iran is bombed in any way, then it will be forced to make a decision that is not in their interest," he noted. 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. On March 30, US President Donald Trump said that Iran would face unprecedented bombing if Tehran did not agree to a deal on its nuclear program. By the end of 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to pursue a strategic plan in the nuclear sector to counter the sanctions, leading to a suspension of additional steps and the Additional Protocol as per the nuclear agreement. Consequently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) faced a reduction in monitoring capabilities by 2030 percent. Iran has officially affirmed that its strategy is not to pursue the development of an atomic bomb and that it does not support the production of weapons of mass destruction. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Queen Mary of Denmark is saying "bonjour" to a busy state visit in France, but she didn't bring a tiara for the trip. On March 31, Queen Mary and her husband, King Frederik, arrived in Paris for a three-day state visit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. The couple was welcomed to the country by the president and his wife, Birgitte Macron, in an official ceremony at Les Invalides, and the first day of their stay was capped with a state dinner. While the Danish Queen, 53, sported a classic black headband with a cream skirt suit for the welcome ceremony and changed into something more formal for the diplomatic dinner, her second outfit didn't include a tiara likely to respect protocol. Jean Catuffe/Getty First lady of France Brigitte Macron, President of France Emmanuel Macron, Queen Mary of Denmark and King Frederik of Denmark in Paris, France on March 31, 2025. First lady of France Brigitte Macron, President of France Emmanuel Macron, Queen Mary of Denmark and King Frederik of Denmark in Paris, France on March 31, 2025. Related: Queen Mary of Denmark Wears Kate Middleton-Favorite Gown to Royal Ball: See Their Twinning History Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though Mary became Queen upon his husband Frederik's accession in January 2024, she is technically a consort, not a reigning sovereign. According to The Court Jeweller, no queen consort has worn a tiara during an official visit to France since 2000, as white-tie dress codes for incoming state visits were phased out around then. France is also a semi-presidential republic without a symbolic monarchy, meaning that Birgitte's first lady role doesn't come with a tiara or crown jewels. Queen Camilla similarly skipped a tiara for the lavish state banquet held at the Palace of Versailles during her state visit to France with King Charles in September 2023. Instead, she brought the sparkle by wearing jewels from the King George VI Sapphire Suite, a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth. Queen Mary and the First Lady of France dressed alike for the state dinner at Elysee Palace on March 31, where they both pulled their hair back in low chignons and wore outfits with long sleeves. Cameras caught a moment where the women warmly greeted one another and held hands. Marc Piasecki/Getty Brigitte Macron and Queen Mary greet one another before the state dinner in Paris, France on March 31, 2025. Brigitte Macron and Queen Mary greet one another before the state dinner in Paris, France on March 31, 2025. Related: Meet Denmark's Royals: Your Guide to the Danish Monarchy's Family Tree Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A more relaxed attitude was evident in the menswear as well, as both King Frederik, 56, and President Macron, 47, sported dark suits rather than tailcoats or tuxedos reflecting a more modern dress code for the state dinner. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Brigitte Macron, Emmanuel Macron, King Frederik and Queen Mary before the state dinner at Elysee Palace in Paris, France on March 31, 2025. Brigitte Macron, Emmanuel Macron, King Frederik and Queen Mary before the state dinner at Elysee Palace in Paris, France on March 31, 2025. The Danish Royal House said that the King and Queen went abroad to strengthen the historical and bilateral relations between the nations, noting that Denmark and France have long been allies. The royal couple has a familial connection to France too, as Princess Marie, the wife of Frederik's younger brother, Prince Joachim, is from Paris. According to the court, the King of Denmark shared warm words for his hosts at the state dinner when he gave a speech. "Long live the French Republic, long live the Kingdom of Denmark, long live the friendship between Denmark and France," King Frederik said in the address. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Danish royal couple's visit continued with a full schedule on April 1, where Queen Mary and Birgitte (a former teacher) stepped out together to visit a school served by an anti-bullying program from the Queen's namesake The Mary Foundation. TERESA SUAREZ/POOL/AFP via Getty Queen Mary and Brigitte Macron visit the Dussoubs kindergarten school in Paris on April 1, 2025. Queen Mary and Brigitte Macron visit the Dussoubs kindergarten school in Paris on April 1, 2025. She launched the organization in 2008 to end social isolation, and it has since expanded to tackling bullying, domestic violence and loneliness. Read the original article on People As Hollywood prepares to unleash its summer arsenal of would-be blockbusters, Kinepolis Group and Imax Corporation are betting big on premium theatrical experiences with a multi-territory expansion announced Monday at CinemaCon. The deal calls for nine new state-of-the-art Imax with laser systems to be installed across the Belgium-based exhibitors international footprint, nearly doubling Kinepolis Imax presence in Europe while extending their partnership into new territories. More from Variety Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agreement arrives as Imax wraps a robust first quarter and positions itself for a summer slate featuring more Filmed for Imax titles than ever before, including the anticipated Sinners, Thunderbolts, Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning, The Fantastic Four, How to Train Your Dragon and Superman. The European expansion includes seven new locations across France (1), Belgium (1), Spain (2), and the Netherlands (3) marking Imaxs first foray into the Dutch market with Kinepolis. Additional locations will open in the U.S. and Canada through Kinepolis subsidiaries MJR Theatres and Landmark Cinemas. We are dedicated to providing premium cinema experiences that cater to the growing demand for richer and more immersive moviegoing, said Eddy Duquenne, CEO of Kinepolis Group, in a statement. Imax has consistently proven its ability to elevate the viewing experience of Hollywoods biggest films. Imax chief Rich Gelfond touted the expansion as further evidence of exhibitors growing confidence in premium formats. As we close out a strong quarter for system sales and enter a blockbuster season full of films made to be seen in Imax, it is clear that demand for our platform is growing, Gelfond said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The nine-theater commitment builds upon a previous 2023 pact that called for eight Imax systems, effectively tripling the partners footprint since early last year. Under the new agreement, eight of the locations will begin operating before years end. All new installations will feature Imax with laser technology, the companys premium 4K projection system with enhanced color spectrum and contrast capabilities specifically engineered for Imaxs large-format screens. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Iran is determined to strengthen its relations with neighboring countries, including Iraq, said the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Trend reports. In a phone conversation on April 1 with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, Pezeshkian reiterated that strengthening economic and cooperative ties with neighboring nations remains a top priority for Iran. The head of state made it clear that Iran is all in when it comes to honoring the agreements struck with Iraq across various sectors, which will surely pave the way for stronger ties between the two nations. Prime Minister al-Sudani also affirmed Iraqs commitment to bolstering friendly relations with Iran, emphasizing that steps are being taken to further cement the two countries partnership. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel President Emmanuel Macron of France and Brigitte Macron played hosts to King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark on Monday in Paris. Frances first couple greeted the Danish royals at the Elysee presidential palace for King Frederik and Queen Marys official visit, focusing on renewable energy, healthcare, defense and culture. For the occasion, both Queen Mary and Brigitte Macron followed suit with particular pieces evocative of their respective styles. Queen Mary of Denmark wore a soft cream skirt suit, with a midi skirt and a coordinated jacket. More from WWD (L-R) Brigitte Macron, President Emmanuel Macron, Queen Mary of Denmark and King Frederik X of Denmark at the Elysee presidential palace on March 31 in Paris. Queen Marys jacket featured such details as three buttons running down the front placket as well as sharp, sinuous lapels. The Danish royal also wore a diamond and pearl brooch, adding a touch of sparkle to her subdued, serious, though feminine, attire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Queen Mary accessorized her look with black and white pumps, along with a black headband. She also carried a black top-handle handbag to complete the look. As for Brigitte Macrons attire, the First Lady of France continued her nautical-inspired style streak. (L-R) Brigitte Macron, President Emmanuel Macron, King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark at the Elysee presidential palace on March 31 in Paris. Macron styled a skirt suit with a bit of a spin compared to Queen Marys attire. Macron wore a darker tone complete with gold buttons running down the front of her suit jacket. Her skirt featured a hemline at the knee. Macron added a pair of pointed toe pumps to her look and accessorized with gold jewelry to boot. Although the two prominent women styled variations on the skirt suit, both spoke intentionally to their respective approach to fashion. (L-R) Brigitte Macron, President Emmanuel Macron, Queen Mary of Denmark and King Frederik X of Denmark at the Elysee presidential palace on March 31 in Paris. While Queen Mary embraced softer femininity, Macron opted for her standard streamlined style-inspo, evocative of utilitarian, nautical fashion. View Gallery Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Launch Gallery: Brigitte Macron's Style Through the Years [PHOTOS] Best of WWD Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Brigitte Macron joined her husband, President Emmanuel Macron of France, for the state banquet alongside King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark on Monday at the Elysee Palace in Paris. The Danish royals are on an official visit to France for Denmark France: Partnering for a Resilient Europe for the Future, discussing renewable energy, culture and more topics. For the special occasion, Brigitte Macron continued her blue style streak with a shimmering touch. Frances first lady opted for a royal blue column gown with sheer long sleeves and sparkling details throughout. More from WWD Brigitte Macron and President Emmanuel Macron attend a state dinner on March 31 in Paris. While the sparkles adorning Macrons gown were seemingly placed randomly on the bodice of the dress, the skirt featured an ornately embroidered pattern with the shimmering motif. The cuffs of the long-sleeve dress and the hemline also included silver, glittering elements for a contemporary spin on formalwear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it came to her glam and accessories, Macron opted for a pair of pointed toe metallic silver pumps. She also wore a pair of statement earrings but forwent other pieces of jewelry to keep her dress the centerpiece of her ensemble. (L-R) Brigitte Macron, President Emmanuel Macron, King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark attend a state dinner on March 31 in Paris. Macrons hair was pulled back into a tight chignon with a few wisps of hair to frame her face and her makeup included a smokey eye and neutral lip. Macrons evening attire was perfectly juxtaposed by Queen Mary of Denmarks feminine and slightly more conservative ensemble. The Danish royal wore an ensemble featuring a voluminous, high-waisted skirt with a bevy of florals cascading down the fabric of the dress in an intricately designed pattern. She also wore a white blouse with a high-neckline and ornate embroidery with billowing sleeves and cinched cuffs. (L-R) Brigitte Macron, President Emmanuel Macron, King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark attend a state dinner on March 31 in Paris. Macrons latest public appearance demonstrated Frances first ladys proclivity for and appreciation of blue tones. Macron regularly wears the hue, styling formal pieces as well as daytime business attire in the color motif. View Gallery Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Launch Gallery: Brigitte Macron's Style Through the Years [PHOTOS] Best of WWD Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Dog owners, take note: starting this week, you may have to keep your four-legged friends away from your local beach. State beaches in Rhode Island ban dogs from April 1 through September 30 every year. This includes eight beaches around the Ocean State, though amenities like restrooms don't open until later in May. Town beach rules may vary, but they are usually posted on site. Other privately-owned beaches may have their own rules about pets as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All the beaches on Block Island allow leashed dogs year-round, according to Visit Rhode Island. 2005: Kelly Dugan, of Brooklyn, and her dog Earl play in the rolling, surf from Tropical Storm Ophelia at Narragansett Town Beach on Saturday morning. [The Providence Journal, file / Kris Craig] Dogs are banned beginning April 1 on these RI beaches Here are the eight state-run beaches in Rhode Island where dogs aren't allowed starting today: Dog-friendly beaches in RI There are other dog-friendly beaches around Rhode Island where furry friends are still welcome in the warmer months. They include the 15 beaches on Block Island. Here's where to find the other spots: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Melina Khan is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY Network - New England, which serves more than a dozen affiliated publications across New England. She can be reached at MKhan@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Dogs are banned from these RI beaches starting April 1. See list Failed relationships are a part of life. However, there are exact moments that make a person realize they are no longer in love with their significant other. Whether you call it a red flag, a dealbreaker, or the "ick," certain behaviors or actions can doom a romantic relationship. The break-up can be sad and stressful, but with a little perspective, one might understand their former partner was making them unhappy in ways they hadn't even realized... ProfessionalStudioImages / Getty Images This is why Redditor u/ExistingWave238 decided to ask the r/TwoXChromosomes community, 'What made you realize the person you were dating was not 'the one?' Women flooded the comments with stories of their long-term romantic relationships gone wrong, and I felt I had to share these cautionary tales. From weaponizing anxiety to moving in after two dates, here are 18 moments that made women realize they no longer loved their partner: 1."When I got super turned on by another man..." Franckreporter / Getty Images "My then-long-time boyfriend had brainwashed me into thinking I was asexual, but the truth was that I was just sexually repulsed by him. He'd slowly convinced me that I was asexual and that no other person would ever put up with my asexuality on top of 'all my other issues.' (Hed also told me that it was normal for an asexual person to just grin and bear it by having sex with their partner even if they didnt enjoy it). Advertisement Advertisement Then one night at a friends birthday, I found myself mind-bogglingly horny over a man Id just met, and I remembered, 'Oh yeah, Im not asexual. I used to be a very sexual person. WTF happened?' I still cannot believe my ex made me think that about myself. I broke up with him immediately after we left." u/SlenderSelkie 2."We were on a date and when he pushed a cassette into the car stereo, the tape deck ate the tape (it sounded awful). Furious, he ripped the stereo panel out of the dash while driving. Even though I was only 16, my first thought was: 'This guy is not father material.'" "I wasnt worried for my own safety Im not sure if that was because I knew he wouldnt hurt me or if I was just completely oblivious to the danger I was in but I knew, at 16, that the guy would never be a good father, and that was reason enough to dump him. I always wanted to be a mother. Advertisement Advertisement I still believe teens when they say they know what they want because I sure did. I was annoyed at how long I had to look to find 'The One.' The candidate pool in high school was shallow, but fortunately, I found that special someone in college, and Im grateful for that every day." u/sotiredwontquit 3."When we took a vocabulary test together from a magazine and he threw a major tantrum because I beat him by a measly two points." "He didn't believe women should or could be smarter than men, and we should never be paid more than them for any reason." u/DogMom814 4."I was at my boyfriend's house one morning after spending the night, and he walked up to me and said in a hushed, aggravated tone that his friend and his friend's girlfriend were making fun of me, and I needed to change because I had a stain on the back of my sweatpants." Westend61 / Getty Images/Westend61 "Rather than roll his eyes at his 'friend' and the 'friends' girlfriend and tell them they left junior high 18 years ago and to treat me as an adult and say, 'Hey, do you know you have a stain on the back of your pants?' No, I was the problem because they were making fun of me behind my back I didnt even realize there was a stain. Advertisement Advertisement I quickly changed into the jeans I wore the day before, then left and never returned. That was the final straw because dating him was like being around an immature child; I was a 30-year-old adult woman. Did I want to spend the rest of my life around people like that? No." u/Master-Dimension-452 5."When I was 20, my boyfriend asked if he could tell me a secret. I said yes, and he told me he looked down on overweight people. I should have ended it right then." "I struggled with my weight throughout my childhood and teen years but had gotten very slim in college. For the rest of our relationship, I was terrified of gaining even a pound. Advertisement Advertisement My view of him completely changed, which was one of the many reasons I ended it." u/moody_gray_matter 6."It was always his way or the highway. He was completely stuck in his ways; he never wanted to do things I wanted to do; hed judge me for how Id do things and my likes/dislikes. I was treated like a helpless child, and he acted like a controlling parent rather than a partner." "I wanted to return to school during our relationship, but he was unsupportive from the beginning. When I first told him I was considering it, he threw a temper tantrum which I now realize was an attempt at manipulating me not to go. After that didnt work, he then proceeded to try and drag me down, refused to relocate, insinuated that Id never make it due to my mental health (I have anxiety but already had earned one degree), and told people that I wouldn't have time to FaceTime him every night because Id be so overwhelmed. Advertisement Advertisement That pissed me off to no end, and when I confronted him about it and broke up with him, he tried to downplay it which made me even angrier. We were together for four years, but I knew I wasnt happy for at least two years of that time. I stayed because I was lonely and thought Id never find anyone else." u/Able_Key1202 7."He told me that I was depressed and anxious because I read horror and sci-fi novels there had been other warning signs, but that one made me want to split." Sutthichai Supapornpasupad / Getty Images "Id been reading horror and sci-fi since I first learned to read turns out, he was making me depressed and anxious. Advertisement Advertisement For the record, I'm still happily reading, but no longer depressed or anxious." u/strapinmotherf*cker 8."He didnt come to my mom's funeral because it was on the same day he was flying out for a family wedding. The wedding was the next day, and he could have changed flights, but that didn't occur to him." "Imagine his surprise months later when he realized I was the 'love of his life.' By that point, I didnt want him back. Ive often felt sorry for his new wife/family." u/Mindfullysolo 9."When I temporarily moved into my own place a few hours away for a study commitment and couldnt see him for several weeks, its like my brain left survival mode, and suddenly I felt peaceful and could eat and sleep properly." Advertisement Advertisement "For the first time, I could think and realized he was actually a predator and emotional abuser (we dated when I was newly 17 and he was 23). I called him and told him it was done, and he lectured me for an hour about how immature I was and that I ruined his life, etc. I was like, "Okay, buddy." Thank God I left." u/necro-asylum 10."This is so dumb in the context of the rest of our toxic relationship, but the moment that made me realize, 'Oh, this guy doesnt pay attention to me at all' was when he made me a cup of tea with sugar in it I hate sweet tea." Rudi_suardi / Getty Images "Im British, I drink several cups of tea daily, and to realize he didnt even know how I take my tea is serious to me! I had builders renovating my house last year, and I knew their tea preferences by the second day; thats how we roll here! It was a moment of realization, not only for the reason that I mentioned but also because we were several months into the relationship, and that was the first 'nice' thing hed done for me. Advertisement Advertisement Did I break up with him immediately after that? No, of course not; I hung on and then got my heart broken by getting dumped on my birthday a few months later. I was young, and this was one of my first 'serious' relationships, but I later realized he was a waste of tears." u/Cessles 11."The day I knew I couldn't continue the relationship was actually my birthday. I was sitting in the same room with him and crying, but he didn't notice because he was too busy playing games on his PC. Perhaps the 'best' part of the whole ordeal is that my birthday is also Valentine's Day, so he screwed up big on two dates. I broke up with him two weeks later." u/bibliophile14 Advertisement Advertisement 12."He couldn't understand the impact of his choices beyond the moment he was in. I used to think he was being malicious, but one day, I realized he fundamentally didn't understand certain things. How I wanted and expected to be loved didn't align with his ability to love me which was the deciding factor in my decision to break up with him. We still love each other a lot, but love isn't always enough." "I'm no longer willing to wait for him to catch up and learn. I don't want to be a learning tool and guide post; I want to have a partner. The divide between the two of us grew too large because I want and need more. He has his own self-exploration to do, and he does it, but the pace is causing consistent unhappiness for me, for him, and us together. We are broken up but still see one another as great friends. Our lease ends soon, and we're trying to just enjoy each other's company before we go our separate ways, although he'll always be in my life and vice versa. After many honest conversations, we decided we'd rather deescalate our relationship into friendship than lose each other because we were romantically mismatched. It still hurts, but I think we both knew it wasn't working. Sometimes, you must face the reality you keep turning away from." u/GhostAnthonyBourdain 13."We loved each other A LOT and wanted to get married eventually. But we were young, finishing college, and our visions of the future didnt quite match up." Juanmonino / Getty Images/iStockphoto "I always dreamed of living in another country. I wanted to visit all the states and travel abroad every year. His familys idea of a vacation was to drive to Disney World in their RV, and he was happy to keep that tradition alive. In the end, we had a very messy break-up and never spoke to each other again. Now hes married (to one of our former mutual friends), lives in the suburbs in a cookie-cutter house, and goes to Disney World with his wife and kid. I dropped my religion, changed my politics, and moved to New Zealand with my partner. We had a helicopter elopement and a four-month-long honeymoon which took us to 21 different countries. I look back and am SO GLAD I didnt marry my ex. He was amazing, kind, and loving, but I just had a lingering feeling that one of us would always be compromising on something, and it didnt seem right. Sometimes, love isnt enough. You must know in your soul that you both want the same things." u/knz-rn 14."My now-ex wanted me to move to Japan with him, which by itself wasn't a problem. We had already talked about it, and I was on board with moving there eventually. I wasn't on board with him returning from an anime convention and deciding he wanted to move there in two years." "I had just been accepted into pharmacy school and had dropped $1,000 to keep my seat pharmacy school takes four years. He then told me that I should be more supportive of his dream. Why is the half-assed dream he came up with overnight more important than mine? I had been working on mine for four years, and he already knew that. But I was supposed to drop everything to move to Japan so he could teach English when he hated teaching and didn't even know what a thesaurus was? I don't think so. We broke up a month later and tried talking about it for the first two weeks. Then I went another two weeks without seeing him, and things fizzled out. I later learned that he didn't become an English teacher but instead joined the military and was stationed in Japan." u/AsgardianOrphan 15."We were arguing in the car, and when I went to walk inside, he said, 'My family is in there!' He had called me his future wife many times before, but suddenly, I wasnt his family because he didnt want his Mommy to hear our argument." "It became crystal clear that he didnt love me the way I loved him, but it took me another month or so to 'pull the trigger' because I loved him so much." u/Same-Entertainer8038 16."My last boyfriend and I were long-distance, so we weren't physically around each other much. I had recently gotten sober, and this was my first time dating again after a highly abusive long-term relationship. While getting sober, I had done a lot of reassessment about what I wanted from future partners and how I wanted to be with them." Yuliia Kaveshnikova / Getty Images "The first time he visited me was for two weeks, and it was great; I thought I was finally with someone who treated me well and was invested in a positive future. The second time he visited, he moved in with me for three months, and I found out he was clingy, needy, and didn't understand boundaries. If I wasn't all over him all the time or if I wanted to do anything solitary, he'd get sulky. He wanted to be mothered and fussed over, and I didn't do that. I later discovered he had a stockpile of illegal weapons and told him I wasn't comfortable moving forward if he didn't get rid of them, which led to him having a toddler-like temper tantrum. He also had incel-like jealousy when it came to other men I'd dated or even simply known. Generally speaking, he wasn't a 'bad' guy. He was never abusive toward me, but it took the three months of cohabitation for me to see his emotional immaturity and realize we wanted very different types of relationships." u/rchl239 17."When he was complaining about work specifically about his employees reporting to him. He talked about how they never really understood what he was asking them to do and gave him reports saying that certain things were impossible, even though he wanted him to do them." "And I suddenly realized that he'd failed upwards his entire life just like my sh*t-for-nothing boss who routinely made my life miserable because he didn't understand what my job was at all." u/question_sunshine 18."When he avoided discussing an important deal breaker topic FOR MONTHS because it was never 'the right time' for him to talk about it. I later told him to set a date soon to discuss it. When the agreed-upon date arrived, he tried to distract me with anything he could to stall including suddenly telling me he needed to go shopping, which I quickly shot down. His next 'distraction' was telling me he wanted to make out. That was the moment I knew it wouldn't work. We did talk it out, but it was too little and too late by then. I broke up with him 48 hours later." LordHenriVoton / Getty Images "A happily married friend of mine told me that when she tells her husband she has something important to discuss, they always find time to talk it out within the next 24 hours, even when they're busy or it's inconvenient and 'not the right time.' I regret being so patient with someone who didn't value me." u/Unique-Engineering49 Which one of these relationship-ending behaviors shocked you the most? Have you ever experienced a singular moment that made you fall out of love with a partner? Let us know in the comments! (Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can answer using this Google Form). Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The National Alliance for Eating Disorder helpline can be reached at 866-662-1235 in the US. The helpline is run by clinicians and offers emotional support for individuals and their family, as well as referrals for all levels of eating disorder care. The idea was simple. Form an association and select Italys most beautiful villages as members. Founded in 2001, I Borghi piu belli dItalia insists on places with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants, a rich cultural heritage, and an historic heart where more than 70 per cent of buildings date from before 1939. Beauty is a given. Over the years, some 940 borghi village is not quite the right word, but its near enough have been evaluated. Around 375 have made the cut. Thirteen were added this year from a shortlist of 32. Not all, note, are yet on the associations website. I cant claim to have visited all 375 villages, but over 35 years Ive enjoyed a fair few. While I take mild issue with some listings, the borghi piu belli forms an invaluable guide: visit a village on the list and youll rarely be disappointed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Below are 10 personal favourites. 1. Orta San Giulio Piedmont Lake Orta is generally quieter than nearby Lake Maggiore - Mats Silvan Piedmont is spoilt for pretty villages across its lakes, pastoral hills and Alpine valleys. My choice, Orta San Giulio, lies on one of the regions smallest lakes, Orta, a quieter retreat than nearby Lago Maggiore. Sit in San Giulios main square for people-watching and views of the Isola San Giulio, the lakes impossibly picturesque island. Next, take a stroll down the single main street, followed either by a loop around the headland or a short, sharp hike past the charming church of Santa Maria Assunta to the hill-top Sacro Monte chapels and more sweeping views. 2. Castelrotto-Kastelruth Trentino-Alto Adige Kastelruth sits about 12 miles (20km) from the city of Bolzano - iStockphoto Were in the Dolomites, and a German-speaking corner of Italy that was formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The look and feel is different to the rest of the country: onion-dome churches, for example, and a Teutonic rigour to the way things are done. Many skip Castelrotto in favour of the better-known Ortisei, nearby. Dont. Both are lovely, but Castelrotto is a living village, Ortisei more a base for visitors. Frescoed houses line the spotless, cobbled streets and in summer window boxes overflow with flowers. Verdant fields frame the village against a more distant backdrop of the Dolomites magnificent and unmissable Alpe di Siusi. 3. San Leo Emilia-Romagna San Leo in Emilia-Romagna: one of Italys loveliest unsung villages - Nickolay Vinokurov A long, wintery journey of delayed flights, slow trains and icy roads brought me, tired and hungry, and in darkness, to San Leo for the first time. Next morning, I looked out over the snow-dusted Apennines and explored one of Italys loveliest unsung villages. As so often, theres not much to see here, just charm, quiet streets and long views. A lofty castle overlooks it all and below lies a vast, precipitous crag the Pietra di Bismantova so striking that Dante, who visited San Leo, used it to evoke the mountains of Purgatory in The Divine Comedy. 4. Tellaro Liguria Tellaro overlooks Ligurias Gulf of La Spezia - iStockphoto Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just eight or so miles from Tellaro, across the Gulf of La Spezia, are the Cinque Terre, among the busiest coastal villages in Europe, never mind Italy. Beautiful, to be sure one of them, Vernazza, makes the borghi piu belli list but often compromised by the weight of visitors. Tellaro, by contrast, is barely known yet shares many of the Cinque Terres characteristics, including colourful houses tumbling down a verdant hillside to a charming seafront. You can hike in peace here and, unlike the Cinque Terre, Monterosso aside, there are beaches and good swimming nearby, not least at Punto Corvo and Fiascherino. 5. Barga Tuscany Bargas beautiful setting, along with a vibrant cultural life, make it well worth a visit - iStockphoto As youd expect, Tuscany has a host of glorious villages, with 30 ranked among the borghi piu belli. Some of these are too busy (Pitigliano, Capalbio, Porto Ercole); a few (Castiglione di Garfagnana, Coreglia, Buonconvento) wouldnt make my list; but others Poppi, Lucignano, Cetona are genuine, little-know treasures. Barga is my favourite, on the edge of the high Apennines in the north of the region, above Lucca. Its perhaps more town than village, but no matter: the cathedral is sublime, the streets pretty, the views glorious, and the vibrant cultural life a sign of a thriving, living community. 6. Scheggino Umbria Scheggino an idyllic village in Umbria, is one of the most recent additions to the most beautiful list - iStockphoto Scheggino is one of the 13 villages added to the most beautiful list this year, a tiny place in the Valnerina, a wild valley in the mountains of eastern Umbria. I first stayed here 30 years ago and little has changed since: a single street, a fortified maze of alleyways, and a hotel-restaurant Del Ponte that combines local trout and truffles to wonderful effect. Drive or walk the riverside path south and take in the eighth-century San Pietro in Valle, among central Italys loveliest abbeys. Or head north, where the Valnerinas Vallo di Nero, Norcia and Preci are also borghi piu belli and others San Felice, Caso, tiny Gavelli could easily make the list. 7. Frontino Le Marche Frontinos creeper-covered Torre Civica is particularly vivid come spring - iStockphoto Frontino is tiny: more or less a single, short street on a fortified rocky spur framed by pretty, pastoral hills. Tiny, and with little to see, but as charming as you like. Aim for the Torre Civica, covered in Virginia creeper; vivid in spring, a beautiful, fiery beacon of colour in autumn. Or visit the Convento di Montefiorentino, home to a sumptuous panel by Giovanni Santi, father of Raphael. Like many borghi piu belli Frontino requires a special journey no-one comes here by accident so combine it with trips to nearby San Leo (see above) or the hill-towns of northern Umbria just across the regional border. 8. Castel del Monte Abruzzo Castel del Monte makes a great base for exploring the Gran Sasso National Park - iStockphoto Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One day, Abruzzo, east of Rome, will get the attention it deserves. Until then, its glorious mountain scenery and high, remote villages will remain largely unvisited. Yet the region claims 27 borghi piu belli, just three fewer than Tuscany. Some on the list suffer from depopulation one, Penne, is among the Italian villages selling one-euro houses to tempt incomers but many (Opi, Scanno, Pacentro, Santo Stefano di Sassanio) cling to ancient ways of life and have unmatched upland settings. Castel del Monte is my standout, at the heart of the Gran Sasso National Park and close to the remarkable grassy uplands of the Campo Imperatore. 9. Cisternino Puglia Distinctive trulli are found throughout the southern region of Puglia - iStockphoto The association behind I borghi piu belli believes a listing adds eight per cent to a villages visitor numbers. Some villages, however, simply dont need more attention. In Puglia, for example, Alberobello, noted for its distinctive conical trulli dwellings, is swamped in season but is due to be listed. Better to head for smaller villages such as craggy and newly listed Gravina or my favourite, Cisternino, which beyond its modern outskirts is a delightful medley of tiny alleys, sleepy squares and dazzling, whitewashed houses. 10. Geraci Siculo Sicily Geraci Siculo sits within the boundaries of the Parco delle Madonie regional nature park - Alamy Ive visited a few of the 21 Sicilian villages on the list over the years and its hard to choose between them. I love Cefalu on the northern coast sipping fresh orange juice in the main square, admiring the Norman cathedral, is a special memory but its more town than borgo. Gangi, moribund when I first saw it, has picked itself up, while I find Petralia Soprana too eerie for comfort. Geraci Siculo, though, spread over its high, remote ridge, half-forgotten in the depths of the Madonie mountains, is the epitome of the timeless Sicilian village. 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. Queen Letizia of Spain brought warm, springtime hues to her latest royal outing on Tuesday in Granada. The Spanish royal visited the Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center of the University of Granada. The royal attended the presentation of the chair in psycho-neuro-immunology-clinical, described as a study in the interaction and communication between the various systems of the body. For the daytime outing, the royal wore a vibrant orange cotton blouse with long sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a crew neckline. Queen Letizia continued the orange color motif with her skirt. More from WWD Queen Letizia of Spain visits the Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center of the University of Granada on April 1 in Granada. The royal favored a cream skirt with an illusion element. Not only did the flowing garment feature pleating throughout, the look also incorporated shades of orange that peaked throughout the cream fabric for an added coordinative element. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Queen Letizia continued to favor warm tones with her accessories. The royal wore a pair of dangling earrings with shades of soft gold and muted warm tones. She also wore a pair of pointed toe neutral beige kitten heels to complete her sartorial statement. Queen Letizia of Spain visits the Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center of the University of Granada on April 1 in Granada. Over the course of the last several weeks, Queen Letizia slowly began to transition to a warmer color palette and feminine elements with the arrival of spring. For a hosting occasion at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid on March 18, the royal wore a knit maxidress courtesy of Spanish label Indi & Cold. The knit garment merged the warm marsala tone with a lightness of fabric that didnt feel or appear to be overpowering for the royal. She paired the garment with over-the-knee boots and added a statement black belt to her waist harkening back to a style often attributed to early 2000s fashion choices. Queen Letizia of Spain visits the Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center of the University of Granada on April 1 in Granada. Queen Letizias style is incredibly versatile. While the Spanish royal is keen on and able to style feminine looks like her attire for Tuesdays outing with ease, she is also known to wear power suits and embrace business attire in looks by Mango and more. View Gallery Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Launch Gallery: Queen Letizia's Style Through the Years: The Best Looks So Far [PHOTOS] Best of WWD Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Spring Break is that time of year when those needing an excuse to cure the winter blues skip town in favor of sunshine and more favorable temperatures. Whether you call them snowbirds, sunseekers, thermal tourists or climate nomads (two new terms for me!), I was fortunate to include myself in that collective bucket during spring break. Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica was my familys destination of choice, and it was the perfect place to embrace whichever winter travel term speaks to you! A painless flight from St. Louis to Miami and on to Liberia where the weather is perfect every day and the views of the Gulf of Papagayo from high vistas made it easy to see why my parents have been enjoying "Pura Vida" for nearly a decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Accessing local journalism is even easier with the State Journal-Register app Costa Ricas slogan, Pura Vida, isnt just a phrase - its a way of life. Roughly translated as the good life, it embodies a deep sense of gratitude, relaxation and enjoyment of the present moment, and that is just what we did. I did not take nearly enough pictures and dont think I made a single post on social media until I returned home. Following good tourist rules, I happily took advantage of the culture benefits of just kicking back. Across Costa Rica, you will hear locals, street vendors, servers, bartenders and catamaran captains saying Pura Vida as a greeting, a farewell or even as a response to How are you? For many reasons connected to great hospitality, I love how Costa Rica does Pura Vida. From the airport porters to beach vendors selling everything from screen printed shirts to trinkets and souvenirs, everyone in Playa Hermosa chirped the same phrase. Maybe it is just my love of good hospitality, but the popularity of the slogan itself is such an impressive, collective effort of an entire community joining together to embrace a feel-good sentiment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After questioning local Costa Ricans, doing a little internet digging and following up with some Chat GPT questions, the slogan has a few renditions. Most notably, the phrase Pura Vida became Costa Ricas unofficial slogan thanks to a 1956 Mexican film called, Pura Vida. More: This Springfield diner has a big menu which includes a daily all-you-can-eat special The movie featured a character, Melquiades Ledezma, who uses the phrase repeatedly in the movie, always with a positive and optimistic attitude, despite facing some uphill battles. It is said that Costa Ricans embraced the expression, and over time, it became a fundamental part of their culture synonymous with the laid-back, happy lifestyle that is not hard to find. During my trip, I saw Pura Vida in action whether it was a friendly conversation with a local shopkeeper, the unhurried pace of a sunset stroll on Playa Hermosa, or the genuine hospitality of the people. More than just a slogan, it is a reminder to slow down, embrace lifes beauty and find happiness in the little things. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In case you need a little nudge to get you into the Pura Vida mindset, the chili guaro, Costa Ricas beloved spicy shot, will make you forget about all the winter blues you thought you had before you arrived. Typically made with guaro (a sugarcane-based liquor), tomato juice, lime and hot sauce; or my favorite way with passion fruit (maracuya) instead of tomato, its the kind of easy sipping shot that wakes up your senses - a little spicy, a little sweet, without much burn and totally Pura Vida. Unfortunately, I have not found an outlet to purchase Cacique Guaro, the Costa Rican liquor in the shot, but below is my closest rendition. Enjoy a little Pura Vida the next time the sunshine tells you to slow down and sip a chili guaro! Chili Guaro - Maracuya Style 2 oz. white rum (Bacardi or Don Q Cristal are closest to Cacique Guaro) 1 oz. passion fruit puree (available on Amazon if not in local Latin American stores) oz. fresh lime juice 3 dashes of Tajin Chamoy (tamarind hot sauce) Pinch of salt or sugar for the rim of your glass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Combine ingredients in a shaker and strain into a shot glass. Word to wise, you may want to double or triple the recipe if you really want to get into the Pura Vida mindset. Sheridan Lane is director of culinary program and operations at Lincoln Land Community College. Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education. Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Get a taste of Costa Rica and 'the good life' with this tasty cocktail ASHEVILLE - A beer and grub hubs spring transformation will bring a new name, menu and refreshed venue to an Arden neighborhood. As of April 10, Voodoo Brewing Co. at 3578 Sweeten Creek Road will become The Flying Squirrel Pub, an entirely locally owned, independent establishment with local and regional bites and imbibes. In October 2023, Bill Osborne debuted the franchise of the Pennsylvania-based brewery. Founded in 2005, the company has locations nationwide, including Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee. Voodoo Brewing Co. in Arden is owned by local franchisee Bill Osborne. Osborne left electrical manufacturing for a career in food and beverage, choosing Voodoo Brewing to usher him into the industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Osborne said his beginning as a franchise owner has taught him a lot, as Voodoo Brewing provided a foundation for Flying Squirrel Pub. He said hes received support from local, seasoned service industry entrepreneurs and credited his team with the business's success. We did a year and a half with Voodoo, and they helped us with a lot of establishing processes and systems we were going to use, Osborne said. Its given me a lot of insight, direction and knowledge into something I hadnt done much coming out of my corporate America job. Osborne said it was an amicable parting between him and Voodoo Brewing. During the in-depth discussions, he shared his desire to deepen roots in the local food and beverage and Arden communities. Customers dining at Voodoo Brewing in Arden, which will become The Flying Squirrel Pub on April 10. A lot of things happening in the Asheville area post (Tropical Storm) Helene were part of it as we looked at being more of an independent, local establishment, Osborne said. Weve been doing good as a little local pub location, but we wanted more of that, and they were supportive of us going in that direction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Osborne shared early details about what guests can expect when returning to the restaurant and bar this spring. Closing out Voodoo Brewing Voodoo Brewing-Ardens final day of operation will be April 6. The establishment will be closed from April 7-9 for cleaning and light renovations, including a fresh coat of paint and changing out signage and other branded materials and products. The Flying Squirrel will open on April 10 with extended hours, beginning at 11 a.m. and staying open daily until 9 p.m. or later with lunch, dinner and drinks. Well be more of a restaurant with 20 taps (than) a brewery under Voodoo Brewing, although we didnt brew here, Osborne said. Introducing The Flying Squirrel Pub The Flying Squirrel Pubs name spawned from a face-off between Osborne and a pair of uninvited guests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two flying squirrels were discovered in the attic of Osborne's neighboring property. He said they were humanely captured and set free. Osborne said his brother, Michael, jokingly pitched the name Flying Squirrel during a brainstorming session, and customers responded most positively to it. A logo from The Flying Squirrel Pub in Arden designed by Frank Whanger. We wanted to be the fun place, Osborne said. We love our regulars. As we started to talk to them, they loved the name of it, and things we could do with it. Frank Whanger, a local marketing and advertising professional and friend, designed the art, including the logo and other brand imagery, incorporating an aviator flying squirrel and a vintage airplane. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The public may have the chance to enter a contest to name the new mascot later. Voodoo beer and food menu nixed and switched Nearly 10 of the 20 beer taps were reserved for Voodoo Brewings craft beer. On April 10, the Pennsylvania imported brews will be replaced, expanding the local and regional brewery offerings across the Southeast. A few domestic beer labels will be added. Osborne said the establishment doesnt have a full liquor license due to alcohol laws designations, but cocktail slushies and other spirited mixed drinks will remain and be revamped. We are going to redo our hard seltzer cocktails because people have come to like those, he said. Theyre gluten-free, and it gives people a different option if theyre not a beer drinker. A bacon cheese burger at Voodoo Brewing in Arden, which will become The Flying Squirrel Pub on April 10. He said bottled craft sodas will be phased out in favor of fountain sodas, which will be more convenient for customers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dining menu will change, but Osborne said it will resemble the offerings diners have come to love and expect, though with original names and recipes. Some dishes will be eliminated while new items will be added. The Voodoo Burger will no longer be available, but a bacon cheddar burger will be offered. Its popular wings and fries are a permanent staple. Osborne said that without being bound by a national franchise agreement, more local vendors and products will be offered, like Lusty Monk, Annie B's Homemade Ice Cream and buns made by local bakeries. The Flying Squirrel Pub reopening celebration Re-grand opening specials and events are being planned for the weekend of April 10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of March 31, the business was in the interview phase for two positions: kitchen and front of house. More job opportunities may open as the pub extends its hours and enters the warmer, busier season. For more, visit asheville.voodoobrewery.com and theflyingsquirrelpub.com and follow @voodooasheville on Instagram. New social media accounts will go live before the reopening. Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram/Bluesky. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Flying Squirrel Pub makes April debut: What to know about food, beer, more NEW YORK One of the many sexual assault lawsuits against Sean Diddy Combs was dismissed Monday in Manhattan Federal Court. The woman who filed the lawsuit as Jane Doe was ordered March 6 to identify herself in court documents, or the case would be dismissed. The woman never refiled, so Manhattan Federal Judge Lewis Liman tossed the case on Monday. In this particular case, Jane Doe opted not to proceed. There is a lot of fear amongst these plaintiffs. I thus cant blame her, the womans attorney, Tony Buzbee, told Rolling Stone. This woman chose not to proceed and subject herself to the media circus and the perceived danger she felt. We have to respect that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doe filed the lawsuit in October 2024, claiming Combs attempted to rape her at a party in 1995 and violently struck her when she refused his advances. Combs denied the claims. Combs, 55, faces numerous civil lawsuits from women who say he sexually assaulted them while building his wide-ranging music business. Several of the cases were brought by Buzbee, a controversial lawyer from Houston. For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by attorneys more focused on media headlines than legal merit, Combs attorneys said in a statement. Multiple women who initially filed anonymous lawsuits against Combs have been ordered to identify themselves in court. Unlike the woman whose case was dismissed on Monday, at least two have refiled under their real names. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the civil suits, Combs was also charged in federal court with sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. His trial is scheduled to begin May 5. ______ (New York Daily News reporter Molly Crane-Newman contributed.) ________ Everyone has their vices, but, in the U.S., some states have residents that particularly struggle to tell the truth at least, thats what one law office tells us. Spartacus Law, a Las Vegas-based criminal defense firm, analyzed data to rank U.S. states by their ostensible dishonesty. The office looked at the rate of fraud and identity theft incidents, as well as at search interest for guidance on how to lie and cheat, to find the least honest states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chandon Alexander, the founding member and principal of Spartacus Law Firm, said that the link between online search behavior and reported cases of fraud and identity theft suggests that digital curiosity about dishonesty often reflects real-world actions. Continue reading to see which states have the most dishonest residents. #10: Michigan Photo: Gregory Shamus / Staff (Getty Images) #9: Alaska Photo: John Moore / Staff (Getty Images) #8: Connecticut Photo: Spencer Platt / Staff (Getty Images) #7: Tennessee Photo: Jason Kempin / Staff (Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement #6: Massachusetts Photo: Scott Eisen / Stringer (Getty Images) #5: Colorado Photo: Maddie Meyer / Staff (Getty Images) #4: California Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Staff (Getty Images) #3: Rhode Island Photo: Brennan Asplen / Stringer (Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement #2: Mississippi Photo: Mike Mulholland / Stringer (Getty Images) #1: Virginia Photo: Win McNamee / Staff (Getty Images) For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Ferdinand Berthoud celebrates 10 years with platinum versions of the FB 3, an horological COSC-certified marvel equipped with a cylindrical hairspring for improved accuracy Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufeles personal initiative to revive one of the most prolific 18th-century watchmakers Ferdinand Berthoud celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Since the very first steps of the brand, Karl-Friedrich wanted to create modern timekeepers, guided by the quest of precision initiated by the master watchmaker back in the 18th century, said General Manager Vincent Lapaire. The first decade is celebrated with three new platinum versions of the FB 3 two of them with PVD-blackened dials, one of which is surrounded by sparkling baguette-cut diamonds. The 18-carat white gold hour and minute hands are diamond-polished, skeletonised and opentipped. Ferdinand Berthoud Despite such glamorous executions, it is of course the movement inside the 42.3 x 8.9-millimetre cases that is the real star. When developing this movement, we were told: it will be impossible to get the Chronometer certification by the COSC for such a movement. But we really wanted to have this certification, just like all our movements, and we successfully made it, Mr. Lapaire said. The biggest challenge was the cylindrical hairspring. Back in the day they were mainly used on marine chronometers, and thus always horizontal thanks to the gimbal system on which they were mounted. With the plethora of angles a wristwatch may have, a lot of variables needed to be adapted. All variables need to be perfectly balanced: numbers of coils of the hairspring, the shape of terminal curves, the mass of the pin and collet, et cetera, Lapaire concluded about the accuracy advantage of a cylindrical spring, which comes from less friction at the balance pivots. The FB 3 collection perfectly sums up the brands pursuit of ultimate precision. This world-first and only wristwatch with variable inertia balance and a cylindrical balance spring is not only chronometer-certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC); it also won the Chronometry prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG) in 2023. Chronometry is part of our DNA, Mr. Lapaire said about the historical watchmaker who was appointed Master clockmaker and mechanic to the French King and Navy back in the mid-18th century. The Chronometry prize means a lot for us. We assume Ferdinand Berthoud himself would have been proud to see that we are respecting this legacy, Mr. Lapaire said. FB 3SPC.3 in platinum has a transparent sapphire 'porthole' at 09 o'clock. Ferdinand Berthoud The watch could potentially also be eligible for design prizes. A rare semi-openworked approach reveals the mechanics on the left half of the watch, flaunting the balance spring, the escapement, the barrel, and part of the gong train. Ten years into the brand, the production is around 30 timepieces per year. This is not only the maximum capacity of the dedicated team in Chopards Fleurier facility, but Lapaire feels that it is a sweet spot, because of the quality criteria we want to maintain: each finished watch requires several hundred hours of decoration and is controlled under 6.7x magnification. There is no exception. The FB 3SPC.3-3 version comes with baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel and the crown, which also has a 0-4-carat briolette-cut diamond in its center. Ferdinand Berthoud Platinum is becoming an under-the-radar material for discreet collectors. Its a case of if you know, you know. Not only from its grey sheen optics, but also about the artisanal achievement: Unlike gold, platinum cannot be polished by pressing hard on the metal with a polishing brush. Doing so creates waves or a dull haze on the surface due to the molecular structure. Said Mr Lapaire: Platinum is a noble material known for its inalterable nature, but is also very delicate to obtain a perfect polishing. For such a complex case as the FB 3, it demonstrates the expertise of our artisans. Incidentally, platinum was widely discovered by a Spanish explorer and writer, also member of the Royal Society at the same period of Ferdinand Berthoud, in the 18th century. If you want to understand the scale of a citys international reach, the IESE Business School has a novel approach: count the number of McDonalds (MCD) within the city limits. In the universitys 2025 Cities in Motion report, the popular fast-food chains presence is used to illustrate the strength of an international citys economy, its openness to international commerce, and the consumption preferences of its residents. In the United States, some economists argue that the fast-food chains popularity is an economic indicator. When McDonalds sales fall, its often the case that Americans are struggling financially and have less discretionary income. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On its own, this theory is still subject to debate, but in the IESE report the number of McDonalds in a given city is one of several metrics used to determine a municipalitys international prominence. The future of cities will depend not only on their size or wealth, but also on their ability to innovate, anticipate, and respond with agility to emerging challenges, said the studys co-authors Pascual Berrone and Joan Enric Ricart. The key to urban progress lies in combining strategic vision with operational flexibility. Other metrics used to determine which cities have the strongest international profiles include the number of passengers per airport, the number of hotels per capita, and the number of meetings and conferences held in each of the 183 cities that the report ranks. This last metric is particularly relevant, the report explains, as such events are typically held in cities with a wide range of international hotel options, suitable infrastructure for large meetings, frequent international air connections, and high security standards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The most internationally prominent cities are distributed across regions, but the U.S. remains a dominant cultural force, per this particular study. In the top 10, there are two European cities, five American cities, two Asian cities, and one city in the Middle East. Click through to see the 10 most internationally prominent cities in the world. 10. Dubai, United Arab Emirates Photo: Asia-Pacific Images Studio 9. Chicago, United States Photo: Fraser Hall (Getty Images) 8. Singapore Photo: Andrey Denisyuk (iStock by Getty Images) 7. Miami, USA Photo: Alexander Spatari (iStock by Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 6. Los Angeles, USA Photo: Michael Lee (Getty Images) 5. Istanbul, Turkey Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images (Getty Images) 4. Paris, France Photo: Lupengyu (Getty Images) 3. Washington, D.C., USA Photo: Allan Baxter (iStock by Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2. New York, USA Photo: M Swiet Productions (iStock by Getty Images) 1. London, United Kingdom Photo: Alexander Spatari For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. SCURRY COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) 10 students were on board a Hermleigh ISD activity bus that crashed in Scurry County early Tuesday morning, and the driver was cited for unsafe speed. None of the students, all ages 14 to 17, were injured during the crash, which happened on County Road 4114 near the intersection of County Road 4123 just before 6:00 a.m., according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Hermleigh ISD bus crash (DPS) DPS reports the driver was traveling east down County Road 4114 when he could not make a left turn due to his speed, as well as the road being gravel and unlit. The bus then traveled into the intersection then off the road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver was cited for unsafe speed, and DPS explained that, unsafe speed is not alleging the driver was speeding, only that the bus was being operated at a speed greater than was prudent for the conditions of the roadway, lighting, etc. Hermleigh ISD released the following statement on the crash: This morning, one of our Hermleigh ISD activity buses was involved in a one vehicle accident while carrying students to a contest. We are relieved to report that no one was seriously injured. We are thankful to Hermleigh ISD staff, Scurry County Sheriff Department, Fire Department, Emergency Management and EMS for a swift response! We want to assure you the safety and well-being of our students and staff is always our top priority in the district. Our team responded immediately to ensure that all necessary protocols were followed. As always, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety for our students during transportation, and throughout the school day. If you have any concerns or questions, please dont hesitate to reach out to Hermleigh ISD at (325) 863-2451. Thank you for your continued support and trust in Hermleigh ISD. No further information is available 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. NILES, Ohio (WKBN) Monday marks 10 years since the brutal murder of Marie Belcastro, but her family continues to remember her for her sense of humor, patience and loving nature. When we remember my grandmother, its happy memories, said Brian Kirk, Belcastros grandson. She was little; she was feisty and just had a heart full of love. I think she was one of the sweetest people to ever live in Niles, and I think everybody loved her, and they were all huge fans of her, said Angelina Kirk, Belcastros great-granddaughter. She was an angel on Earth, I think. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Belcastro was 94 when she died on March 31, 2015, at the hands of Jacob LaRosa. The then-15-year-old beat and tried to rape her in her own home on Cherry Street. Some cases stick with you for forever, said Assistant Prosecutor Chris Becker. Becker said it was one of the most brutal murders that he has ever seen. It tells you a couple of things when you see that. First of all, you know youre dealing with a psychopath, just an absolute animal that needs to be locked up forever No person, no matter what, treats another human being this way, he said Becker added that it wasnt a random crime; LaRosa knew Belcastro and had been to the house previously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jacob snuffed out that life basically for just a couple bottles of booze, he said. LaRosa was prosecuted as an adult. In 2018, he pleaded no contest and was ultimately convicted of the charges. His sentence was life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 30 years. That gave us a great sense of closure, Brian Kirk recalled. For Belcastros family, that feeling only lasted until 2021 when legislation signed into law gave most juvenile offenders, including LaRosa, a chance at parole after 25 years and if denied every five years after that. It feels like the whole situation really definitely ripped open old wounds, Angelina Kirk said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its unfair to families who have already been through enough, Brian Kirk said. It is something that Becker also spoke out against. Our Ohio legislature then retroactively gave murderers like Jacob LaRosa really a break and a reduction in sentence. They retroactively reduced the sentence and threw out all the hard work of the law enforcement officers, the crime scene investigators, the people at BCI, the prosecutors, the judges all the hard work that these people had done, he said. Brian Kirk has been fighting this law. An amendment included in Senate Bill 288 two years later only slightly walked back the change by extending the time frame between parole hearings to every 10 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not enough. It certainly, in my personal opinion, its like putting your finger in a hole as big as a car trying to stop the dam leak, Becker said. It still means that these families every 10 years are going to have to relive that crime and relive that tragedy. If its that loosey-goosey and flexible, I would like to shame these people in Columbus into doing their best to rescind it, Brian Kirk said. As it stands now, LaRosa will be 40 years old at his first parole hearing in 2040. Brian Kirk said he plans to speak at that time. I forgive Jacob on a spiritual basis, and I hope God can use him where he is, but I think society needs to be protected from him and he needs to serve his time, he said. Im still working on forgiveness for the Ohio legislature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Belcastros family pushes to right what they thought was justice, her memory lives on. I know shes in a better place, Brian Kirk 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. One year ago, the first bird flu infection in a human in the United States was reported in a Texas dairy worker, just weeks after the virus had been found in cattle for the first time ever. While the virus has spread in birds for decades, in recent years it has started to infect more and more mammals including cows, bears and racoons -- and even house cats are getting sick. In the 12 months since the first human case, at least 70 people have been infected. There was one death linked to a human infected with bird flu in Louisiana. PHOTO: An H5N1 avian influenza virus molecule. (Ruslanas Baranauskas/Corona Borealis via Adobe Stock) ABC News' medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton was granted rare access inside the race to stop bird flu at Michigan State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. He aimed to better understand how researchers are trying to curb the spread in animals -- and why that may help protect us from an outbreak among humans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're a network of more than 60 academic, state and federal laboratories that are the first line of defense in the case of a high consequence animal disease outbreak," Dr. Kimberly Dodd, dean of the college of veterinary medicine at Michigan State University, told Sutton. PHOTO: ABC News' medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton traveled to Michigan to visit a biosecurity laboratory and milk parlor to get an understanding of how researchers are tracking how the bird flu virus spreads. (ABC News) Watch the segment on ABC News Live PRIME on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. So far, the outbreak has had a devastating impact on animals with 168 million birds affected in every state. Since March of last year, nearly 1,000 cattle herds have been infected as well. With rapid detection of cases, culling of infected birds and isolation of sick cows, there has not been a major outbreak in the last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Dodd points out as springtime approaches, we may see increasing spread as wild birds begin to migrate. MORE: National average wholesale price of eggs drops for 3rd week in a row "Birds don't recognize the state borders. This is a national problem. We have to be able to work together," Dodd said. While most of the human cases in the U.S. have been mild, scientists like Dodd's team continue to track the virus for any mutations that may change that risk. "We are continually tracking not just the virus in animals, but then also monitoring [people] who may have been exposed to those infected animals and birds," she said. "This allows us to have a better understanding if the risk to humans is changing or increasing." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The risk to the general public has so far remained low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet, health officials and experts have long warned that as the virus continues to spread in the environment, it leads to greater chances of mutating and potentially adapting to spread between people, which has not occurred yet. The widespread nature of the virus has also devastated many farming communities and lead to skyrocketing egg prices in the last year. MORE: Amid growing Texas outbreak, how contagious is measles? Doug Corwin's family run duck farm in Long Island, New York, was forced to euthanize 100,000 birds in late January after the virus was found on their property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was devastating -- disease, sickness, death, like I've never seen in my life," Corwin told Sutton during a visit this week. "It was just an ugly, awful, sad time." PHOTO: ABC News medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton traveled to the last remaining duck farm on Long Island to speak to a farmer who lost 100,000 of his ducks to bird flu. (ABC News) Watch the segment on ABC News Live PRIME on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Typically, Corwin's farm sells around a million ducks a year that are served in high-end restaurants. Now, he's left with no income for at least 18 months as he tries to salvage his remaining flock. He was also forced to lay off 45 of his employees. "To try to explain to them why we weren't going to be able to work tomorrow was a tearful, hard thing," Corwin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I've never had a more tearful day. It was just a shocking, shocking experience," he added. ABC News' medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton contributed to this report. 12 months and 70 cases since the first human bird flu infection: Are we any safer? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Over a dozen families were displaced following a raging multi-alarm fire in Waltham Tuesday. Streets around High Street were blocked off mid-afternoon as firefighters battled the four-alarm blaze at the multi-family building. Smoke could be seen circling from the fire. Officials have not said if anyone was injured in the fire. The Red Cross said 15 families were affected by the fire. Members of the Salvation Army also helped out by providing Waltham firefighters with food, hydration, and additional support. 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 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: Larry L. Turner. Image courtesy Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum. We want to remember Larry L. Turner, 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. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Eighteen people aboard a disabled vessel off the coast of San Diego were rescued Sunday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Around 7:55 a.m., a 35-foot vessel with 17 migrants and one American aboard began to take water about 50 miles southwest of San Diego, the Coast Guard said in a news release Monday. Ground order at San Diego International Airport causes delays, cancellations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Coast Guard Air Station San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew and a crew on an inflatable boat from the destroyer USS Spruance responded to the scene. All 18 people were rescued from the water and safely brought aboard the Spruance, according to the Coast Guard. USS Spruance departs San Diego for Texas-Mexico border Irregular maritime migration aboard unseaworthy or overloaded vessels is always dangerous, and often deadly. Do not take to the sea. You could lose your life. We remain steadfast in our commitment to saving lives and discouraging anyone from taking to the sea in ways that are unsafe and illegal, the Coast Guard said in the release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The individuals were then taken to Coast Guard Sector San Diego after transporting them from the Spruance to an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter over two separate flights. All 18 people were transferred to Department of Homeland Security partners. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) The Danville Police Department announced that a 19-year-old wanted in Missouri for murder was arrested in Danville following further investigation into a pair of arrests over the weekend. WCIA previously reported on Monday that Danville Police said they arrested two people for unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of drugs, among other charges. However, Danville Police did not say until the following day that there was a third person in the car. Taylorville man sentenced to 20 years for child sex crimes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That person, officials said, provided false information to officers and was not cooperative. Further investigation identified him as 19-year-old Quartez Washington, who was wanted on a warrant out of Springfield, Missouri, for murder charges. Danville Police officials said they arrested Washington on this warrant and for charges of obstruction of justice. He is currently in custody at the Vermilion County Public Safety Building. Officials explained that they did not initially disclose Washingtons arrest due to ongoing communication with officials in Greene County, Missouri. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. 1950s-themed Leeds Historic Walking Tour set for April 12 LEEDS, Ala. (TRIBUNE) Downtown Leeds will travel back in time to the 1950s for this years Historic Walking Tour, set for April 12 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. We are incredibly excited to offer this immersive experience to our community and visitors alike, said Ron Howard, 2025 History Walk Captain. The 1950s was a transformative decade, and were eager to showcase how Leeds reflected the spirit of that time. This walking tour will bring history to life in a fun and engaging way. According to Nathan Prewett of the Trussville Tribune, the tour will feature: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Historic re-enactors who the public can interact with. Displays showing the architecture, businesses, and daily life of Leeds in the 1950s. Music by Leeds High School Jazz Ensemble and Elvis tribute artist Aiden Joiner Food trucks The self-guided tour will also take walkers past landmarks and historic sites as well as other gatherings including Market on Main, Yellowhammer Antiques Springfest, the Cornhole Tournament Fundraiser, Greenwave Giveaway Dinner, and more. The tour is presented by Leeds Historical Commission, Leeds Redevelopment Authority, Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce, Leeds Jane Culbreth Library, and the Leeds Historical Society with support from Leeds Water Works Board and Leeds Main Street. The walking tour will be held along Parkway Drive between 7th and 9th Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information, visit leedstrailsandtours.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 CBS 42. LAUDERHILL, Fla. (WFLA) Two children were injured in a dog attack in South Florida on Tuesday. The children were taken to the hospital after being attacked by a dog in Lauderhill, NBC affiliate WTVJ reports. Polk County principal accused of skip scanning at Walmart self-checkout Lauderhill fire officials said the children were in serious condition. One child is 12 years old and the other is 8, officials 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 WFLA. BA111OD is about to take another step toward haute horlogerie. True to its daring spirit, the Neuchatel-based Maison continues to push boundaries, venturing into territories where no one expects it. On the occasion of the Spring watch fairs, BA111OD is preparing to unveil its latest masterpiece: the Chapter 4 Infinity Flying Tourbillon. A true symbol of an ongoing quest for perfection, this timepiece designed for aesthetes and collectors goes far beyond simply measuring time, elevating itself to a true expression of mechanical poetry. "When we envisioned the Chapter 4 Infinity Flying Tourbillon, chronometer-certified and equipped with complications, we wanted to break the mould. Very few watch brands dare to offer a flying tourbillon with such scientific rigor especially at such a fair price. That is our strength: defying expectations, delivering unmatched quality while making exclusivity more accessible," explains Thomas Baillod, founder of BA111OD. Excellence, Shaped in the Neuchatel Arc A true masterpiece of ingenuity, the flying tourbillon embodies the very essence of Swiss haute horlogerie. Freed from its upper bridge, it appears to float in weightlessness, each oscillation embodying the pursuit of excellence. With its continuously rotating cage, it compensates for the effects of gravity, ensuring optimal movement stability. Chapter 4 Infinity Flying Tourbillon BA111OD Developed and crafted by the talented watch designer Olivier Mory, based in La Chaux-de-Fonds already behind the Chapter Delta and Chapter 4 Tourbillon the Chapter 4 Infinity Flying Tourbillon by BA111OD stands as a symbol of horological excellence. It reflects the perfection of a singular craftsmanship, where the human hand breathes soul into the mechanics. Housed in a subtly convex 41mm case of polished 904L steel with welded lugs, this timepiece combines elegance with timeless brilliance. Its subtly off-centered sunray-finished cosmic blue dial captivates with its play of light and harmoniously arranged complications: a hammered and polished moon phase at 1 oclock, the flying tourbillon at 7 oclock, and a small seconds at 10 oclock. The polished dome and box sapphire crystal unveil the inner beauty of the mechanism, offering a stunning view of the hand-wound mechanical movement and its finely finished flanks. Excellence, Certified by Timelab This exceptional timepiece stands out through its chronometer certification awarded by Timelab the Observatoire Chronometrique de Geneve a guarantee of unmatched precision, particularly in the complex execution of the flying tourbillon, where technical excellence reaches its peak. Boasting an impressive 120-hour (5 day) power reserve, it perfectly unites aesthetics with performance. Chapter 4 Infinity Flying Tourbillon BA111OD Thomas Baillod, founder of BA111OD, explains: "A true feat of engineering, the Chapter 4 Infinity Flying Tourbillon, chronometer-certified, transcends the mere function of timekeeping to embody the perfect harmony between precision and mechanical poetry. Driven by this pursuit of the absolute, BA111OD continues to push the limits of whats possible an ambition fueled by the excellence and priceless expertise of our watchmakers and local partners, the true protagonists of this adventure." Excellence, Inherited In the spirit of a centuries-old legacy, BA111OD carries forward a savoir-faire deeply rooted in the history of Swiss watchmaking. Research has revealed that the first Baillods were already active in horology within the canton of Neuchatel as early as the 18th century. Today, Thomas Baillod continues to breathe new life into this tradition, exploring uncharted territory while remaining faithful to the values of fine Swiss watchmaking. Driven by a constant pursuit of innovation, daring, and democratization, his brand transcends established norms, continually pushing the boundaries of horological precision and aesthetic expression. Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least two civilians and injured at least 21 over the past day, regional authorities reported on April 1. Ukrainian air defenses shot down two Kh-59/69 guided aerial missiles launched by Russia against Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Air Force repored. Russian forces did not carry out a mass drone strike against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure overnight, marking first such instance in 2025. Russian forces attacked the Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast overnight and on March 31, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. A 54-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman were injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Dontesk Oblast, Russian attacks killed one civilian in the village of Bahatyr and injured one in the village of Drobysheve, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Five people were injured in Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast as a result of Russian attacks, and five houses, two cars, and a garage were damaged, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. This included a 59-year-old man and two women aged 74 and 53 injured in an aerial bombing of the town, and a 63-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman injured in artillery shelling. Six people were injured in Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast, said the regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin. Four high-rise buildings and 11 houses were damaged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian strikes on Sumy Oblast injured two civilians, damaged several houses, and started a fire at a cultural center, the regional military administration reported. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one woman was killed and five people were injured in a Russian attack against the village of Malokaterynivka, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Read also: Russias Black Sea ceasefire demands are a fools errand for Trump, major blow for Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Two students in Nashville were arrested Monday after separate incidents involving threats at local middle schools. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, a 14-year-old student at John F. Kennedy Middle School was charged in Juvenile Court after he allegedly told classmates that he would be the next school shooter. Officials said while talking about his reference list, the 14-year-old pointed at another student. He was charged with false reporting and making a threat of mass violence. Parents have a right to know: Bill to improve communication about school threats advances Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a separate incident, a 13-year-old Wright Middle School student was charged with false reporting after he reportedly told another student he planned to bring an AK-47 to school the following day. A press release from Metro Police said, Threats against schools and institutions are taken very seriously by the MNPD. Those responsible, once identified, will be prosecuted. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. (COLORADO SPRINGS) Since 2009, Give! Pikes Peak has raised more than 19 million dollars for nonprofits in the Southern Colorado region. Tuesday, April 1, marks the first day the 2025 Give! Campaign is accepting nonprofit applications. Applications run through May 9, and any nonprofit is encouraged to apply. Give! is designed to connect organizations with local donors who care about their community, providing visibility at a local level and helping nonprofits stand out in a crowded fundraising landscape. Executive Director Victoria Norton joined Loving Living Local host Justin Antweil to express her excitement. Give! Pikes Peak exists to inspire community philanthropy in fun, fresh, and innovative ways, and support our local nonprofits in our community, said Norton. Our biggest thing is we provide workshops so nonprofits can learn and be so effective at what they want to accomplish. To apply, click here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loving Living Local is an integral part of Give! Pikes Peak because each Wednesday the show spotlights a nonprofit organization that is part of Give! Pikes Peak. We are so thankful for FOX21 and all the station and Loving Living Local does, said Norton. Wednesdays are extra special knowing your show is giving a platform to a local entity 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 FOX21 News Colorado. VICKSBURG, Miss. (WJTV) Dr. Emily Harber Williams, the Remarkable Women winner whos representing Central Mississippi, created a school in Vicksburg called Micahs Mission. The school offers students a comprehensive approach to education by integrating faith-based principles with academic excellence. The facility also provides resources like dyslexia therapy and much more. For many years, Williams taught special education classes in the Vicksburg Warren School District. She has multiple masters degrees and a PhD. Williams recently earned a master in Divinity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2017, she created Micahs Mission. Through her teaching experience, Williams realized many homeschooled children had disabilities or challenges that required extra assistance. She set out to create a program to help them. It is an educational mission that we work with children that are educationally at risk. Its a K-12 micro school, but we have evolved into a learning and resource center, as well. So, we work with kids that might have dyslexia. We work with those that have other learning disabilities or like I like to say, I like to say that theyre different learning abilities, so we just learn in a different way. And so, we just we work with students that maybe were in a space that they they were at risk for failing in their traditional school. They were at risk for giving up on life, she said. The name Micah comes from the Old Testament. God really laid on my heart to read the book of Micah and just break it down. And I came across Micah 6:8, and it says, More to what have I commanded of you to act justly, love, mercy and walk humbly with your God? And that just impacted me in a space of, you know, Ive always been a person of social justice in social change. And I always wanted to be that social change agent, Williams said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Micahs Mission is housed at the Crawford Street United Methodist Church in Vicksburg. What began as a small group now has more than 80 students and a staff of teachers. Some students attend online, and some are enrolled only in the dyslexia program. Some student are autistic. Williams said Micahs Mission focuses not only on the academics but also on the students spiritual journey. I like to call it that. We learn full circle to serve full circle. So our little space is, yes, we work with academics, but we also work our model has expanded to we work on intellectual health, which goes along with our academics. We work on physical health, which is not just like physical education, but also like meditation, maybe some yoga practices that just kind of calm our anxieties, if we have any. And then we work on our emotional health, which is very important. So which also connects with anxieties or different things that that we might need to work through. And but the core, the center of it begins with our spiritual health. And who are we are with God, with our faith, she said. Williams said one of the newest things to come out of Micahs Mission is a student-led podcast called The Teenage Era, which focuses on topics teens are faced with in the real world. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Democratic attorneys general and governors in 23 states and Washington, DC, have filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alleging that the departments sudden rollback of $12 billion in public health funding was unlawful and harmful. In the lawsuit, filed Tuesday, the states are seeking a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief to immediately halt the administrations funding cuts that they say will lead to key public health services being discontinued and thousands of health-care workers losing their jobs. Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pulled back about $11.4 billion in funding allocated to state and community health departments during the Covid-19 pandemic response. The CDC expects to start recovering this money in about 30 days, according to HHS. An additional $1 billion from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration was terminated, according to the attorneys general. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HHS said Tuesday it does not comment on ongoing litigation. The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago. HHS is prioritizing funding projects that will deliver on President Trumps mandate to address our chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again, the agency said in a statement last week. The coalition of states argues that even though these eliminated funds were allocated during the Covid-19 pandemic, they were never intended only for Covid-19 response. Rather, much of the funding was allocated to support the public health system in the long term, as well as for pandemic preparedness and certain behavioral health services, including addiction treatment and suicide prevention. Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients, New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose state stands to lose more than $400 million in public health funding, said in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The funds were building the framework for stronger health responses going forward, including for outbreaks of measles and H5N1 bird flu that are happening now, Dr. Joseph Kanter, CEO of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said when the cuts were announced last week. This funding was appropriated by Congress and obligated to health departments with work plans, budgets, and timelines approved by federal agencies, Kanter said in a statement. His organization is not involved in the new lawsuit. With congressional and executive branch support, these funds were being used to modernize data systems, bolster laboratory capacity, improve electronic case reporting of time-sensitive infectious disease outbreaks, improve H5N1 and measles testing, and enhance biomedical terrorism preparedness, to name just a few examples, he said. We worry the abrupt loss of these activities will impair states and territories in their ability to respond to current and future threats. The new lawsuit claims that the administration is undermining the constitutional power of Congress since the funds were tied to specific congressional allocations. It argues that the administration does not have the legal authority to rescind funding that already had been allocated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its the latest in a wave of litigation against the Trump administration. More than 100 lawsuits have been filed against the administrations executive actions in the first months of Trumps second presidency. Although the latest lawsuit calls for a temporary restraining order as a first step, the coalition of attorneys general may work toward a permanent injunction on these public health funding cuts, said Daniel Karon, an attorney based in Cleveland who is not involved in the lawsuit but has been following cases against the administration. The concern is, of course, if the federal government loses, is the administration going to honor, respect and implement the courts ruling? asked Karon, who teaches consumer law at the University of Michigan Law School and The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. When people talk about there being a constitutional crisis, this is what theyre talking about, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Congress says, Spend on this, the legislative branch has spoken. But lets say the executive branch replies, We dont feel like spending that way. Then the judicial branch gets involved and says, Were the final decisionmaker and have been for centuries, and Congress said to spend this way. Yet the executive branch says to the Supreme Court, We dont care what you think; were still not going spend that way, similar to the way the executive branch ignored the Supreme Courts ruling in TikTok, Karon said. Now you have the three branches of government fighting with each other. Theres your constitutional crisis. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KETK) An East Texas man was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to the shooting of a Nacogdoches police officer. Mugshot of Alexander Rios, courtesy of Nacogdoches County Jail According to the Nacogdoches Police Department, on Dec. 29, 2023 a officer attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 1700 block of S. Fredonia and South Street when a passenger shot multiple rounds at the officer before the vehicle fled the scene. Officials said that the officer returned fire and at least one bullet from the passenger struck the officers patrol car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man sentenced to 50 years in prison after shooting Nacogdoches police officer in 2023 On Friday, Alexander Rios, 23, of Nacogdoches, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a public servant. Rios also acknowledged his involvement in an unrelated aggravated assault that happened on May 12, 2023 in the 2500 block of South Street in Nacogdoches. Rios was sentenced to 50 years in prison, marking the second sentencing related to the officers shooting. Gabriel Ramirez was sentenced to 50 years on March 19 for his involvement in the shooting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. After a recent narcotics investigation, the Murray County Sheriffs Office said three people were arrested for trafficking drugs. Kevin Langford, Jimmy Mantooth and Amy Mantooth were arrested for trafficking methamphetamine after officers undertook three narcotics investigations. According to the sheriffs office, deputies executed a search warrant at Langfords home and found him with five ounces of meth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The Mantooths were arrested for having about 14 grams of fentanyl powder, 13 grams of fentanyl pills and other drug-related objects. The sheriffs office said they were each charged with trafficking in fentanyl, possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possessing drug-related objects. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Parsimony and mastery. After a long focus on the Santos, Cartier returns to its Tank. In parallel, the Panthere reclaims its place in the jewelry world. A magnificent Tressage bracelet slides between the two. The guichet is the opening on a dial that typically displays the date. At Cartier, nothing of the sort. There is no dial, no hands. Instead: a square, a semicircle. Absolute minimalism. The Tank returns to a Spartan vocabulary: the Tank a Guichets. The Tank a Guichets The first iteration of the Tank a Guichets dates back to 1928. It is a style exercise, one that Cartier has always cherished. In the 1930s, Cartier produced a few unique Tank a Guichets models. In 1997, for the brands 150th anniversary, a platinum version was released in 150 pieces. In 2005, the Tank a Guichets aesthetic joined the Cartier Paris Private Collection with 100 pieces in pink gold. This "Cartier Paris Private Collection," once known as "CPCP," is now simply "Cartier Prive." It occasionally reintroduces the brands iconic models in special editions. The new 2025 Tank a Guichets falls under this framework. Cartier Tank, platinum, limited to 200 pieces - Cartier Four versions will share the same movement, the 9755 MC, a manual-wind caliber with jumping hours and trailing minutes, specially developed for this model. The winding crown, just like on the original, is placed at noona detail more commonly seen on certain track chronographs or rare dive watches. Three limited-edition (non-numbered) models feature cases and dials in yellow gold, pink gold, and platinum, with guichets placed at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock. The numbered version (200 pieces) is in platinum, with guichets placed not along the vertical 12-6 axis, but along the oblique 10-4 axis. The Tank Louis Cartier Expands In parallel, a second Tank is introduced, also as a current collection piece. In 1922, Louis Cartier revisited his original 1917 model. He elongated the dial and rounded the lugs. Eventually, both models would coexist, and this revised version would take its name, "Tank Louis Cartier." A century later, the house continues the founders work, offering a revised version. The 33.7 x 25.5 mm model is now expanded to 38.1 x 27.75 mm. On the wrist, the railroad track is longer, the Roman numerals breathe more easily, and the blued "sword" hands float with renewed ease. Cartier already offers two variations, in yellow gold or pink gold, powered by the 1899 MC movement created in 2019, which was also used in the Tank Americaine. New Tank Louis Cartier grand size Cartier Cartier Tressage When it comes to jewelry, watchmaking typically limits itself to placing gemstones on its components: a set bezel, a decorated dial, a paved bracelet, or a jeweled crown. Metal and stone coexist, one on top of the other. Cartier wanted to revisit this model of coexistence. Granted, the limits of physics remain unsurmountable: until further notice, one cannot fuse gold and diamond. Even the adventurers of absolute fusion, from Nyon, have never attempted to melt a diamond. Bracelet Tressage Cartier Therefore, Cartier explored an alternative route: weaving. The two materials remain adjacent, yet form a wholeunique, harmonious, coherent. A sculptural watchmaking piece, serving both design and, in this case, the bracelet. Thus, the Tressage Watch was born. Gold and diamonds intertwine in a magnificent double scroll, adorning the bracelet in a timepiece of High Jewelry sculpture. Double Claw Strike In parallel, the Panthere makes a comeback. Cartier offers two interpretations. The first is a design exercise: at the ends of a wide gold bracelet, the panther leaps toward a black lacquered dial with a paved bezel. One can admire the tension in the panther's muscle, the fluidity of its lines, and the ingenuity of the design that dresses the bracelet with a contained wildness. The piece is elegant, perfectly executed, and timeless. Bracelet Panthere Cartier Finally, with the Panthere watch, the piece breaks free from the iconic feline, retaining only its name. These animal-inspired variations of the icon inspire Cartier to create an abstract fur pattern, neither entirely zebra nor entirely tiger. It is a graphic composition featuring black and golden-brown lacquer motifs, diamond paving, and spessartite garnets in orange and yellow. One can note the coexistence of set stones and lacquer. The union may seem natural, but lacquer requires high-temperature baking, distinct from the setting work on gold, whose expansion becomes sensitive when heated. A beautiful exercise in jewelry that Cartier carries out in-house at its Metiers d'Art workshop (MMA for insiders), located a short distance from its manufacture. AMES, Iowa Police in Ames are investigating after a four-year-old child died after being shot Monday afternoon. The Ames Police Department said a 911 call came in at 2:27 p.m. about the incident. The caller said a four-year-old child had been accidentally shot in an apartment in the 200 block of South Sherman Avenue. Grimes man accused of critically injuring 3-month-old infant When officers and emergency medical service providers arrived, they provided medical care. An air ambulance transported the child to MercyOne Medical Center in Des Moines for treatment, but the child later died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The childs name has not been released. The State Medical Examiner will be conducting the autopsy. The investigation into the shooting continues. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them at (515) 239-5133 or the anonymous tip line 515-239-5533. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. A minibus carrying Ukrainian citizens was involved in a fatal accident in the Neunkirchen district of Lower Austria, killing four people and injuring four others, Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported on April 1. The accident occurred at about 6:20 a.m. local time near the town of Seebenstein on the way to Vienna. According to preliminary police reports, the minibus hit the truck as it was pulling out of a parking lot. There were eight Ukrainian citizens in the minibus, four of whom died, and four others were seriously injured. Following the collision, the passengers were trapped in the vehicle, and rescuers used hydraulic equipment to release them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver and passenger of the truck suffered minor injuries. The injured were taken to hospitals in Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland. Read also: 73% of Ukrainians say Trump is bad for Ukraine, poll shows Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. WIESBADEN, Germany (WSAV) The fourth U.S. Army Soldier assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division was found deceased near Pabrade, Lithuania, the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Public Affairs Office announced on April 1. The soldier was identified on Wednesday, April 2, as Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan. On Tuesday, March 25, four soldiers permanently stationed at Fort Stewart but deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve were reported missing. The following day, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that they were deceased. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, March 31, three of the soldiers were confirmed dead. Their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle were recovered from a peat bog. Knutson-Collins body was discovered on Tuesday, April 1, after a week-long search by hundreds of rescue workers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces, and many other Lithuanian government and civilian agency personnel. Although we are relieved to have found all our Dogface Soldiers, it does not make the pain of their loss any less, said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Inf. Div. commanding general. We will continue to care for and support the Soldiers Families and loved ones as we bring them home and honor their memory. The soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle at the time of the incident in a training area near Pabrade, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First and foremost, we offer condolences to the loved ones of our Soldiers, said Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. I cant say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us. We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies and our own Sailors, Airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers have enabled us to find and bring home our Soldiers. This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends. The U.S. Army continues investigating the cause of the accident. This is a developing story and WSAV will provide updates as soon as they are 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 WSAV-TV. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The 4Warn Storm Team is keeping an eye on severe weather moving into the state Tuesday night. According to KFOR Meteorologist Jon Slater, theres a risk of storms Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Conditions are favorable for all modes of severe weather including possible tornadoes overnight. 4WARN WEATHER: Oklahoma City Weather Officials say the chances of severe storms is closer to Wednesday morning, with low chances Tuesday night. The timeline for thunderstorms in 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. with the threat increasing into the morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The enhanced risk for central Oklahoma Has been expanded. Enhanced risk expanded April 1, 2025. More storms are predicted for Thursday morning but the severe weather threat is for southeastern Oklahoma. Friday and Saturday will be wet and rainy. Visit KFOR.com for weather updates and alerts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Five people with alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel have been charged with multiple drug trafficking and money laundering offenses, according to a news release by the United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California. The release stated two federal grand jury indictments were unsealed in San Diego Monday, naming Alberto David Benguiat Jimenez, 43, Israel Daniel Paez Vargas, 45, Salvador Diaz Rodriguez, 39, Christopher Ortega-Lomeli, 38, and Christian Noe Amador Valenzuela, 36. Sheriffs Homicide Unit probes toddlers death in Lakeside Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictments were turned in in September and October of 2022. All defendants are fugitives, according to the attorneys office. Four of them Benguiat Jimenez, Paez Vargas, Diaz Rodriguez and Amador Valezuela and another individual, Enrique Dann Esparragoza Rosas, 39, were also the target of sanctions imposed Monday by the Department of Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the release added. Esparragoza Rosas was previously charged with conspiracy to launder money. In addition, Paez Vargas was charged with conspiracy to import and distribute controlled substances, the attorneys office stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The OFAC identified all of the above individuals as alleged members of a money laundering network supporting the Sinaloa Cartel. To date, 51 people have been charged due to money laundering investigations. Additionally, more than $4.1 million dollars and nearly 1,400 kilograms of drugs including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl have been seized by authorities. The cases are being investigated by the Imperial County and Mexico City district offices of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Diego office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations San Diego Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Calexico Office and San Diego-Imperial County HIDTA with assistance from the OFAC. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Voters will head to the polls Tuesday in Wisconsin and Florida to decide two House seats and a state Supreme Court seat, races that have attracted immense spending and will be bellwethers for the countrys political pulse in 2025. With that in mind, Score is looking at a few key themes to decipher what tomorrows elections mean and what they dont heading into the rest of the year. The Musk effect Elon Musk has played a key role in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between liberal candidate Susan Crawford and conservative candidate Brad Schimel both as a target for Democrats in campaign ads and as a heavy financial backer for Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Which of those two will resonate more with voters? Tuesday may provide some answers. Musk ramped up his efforts in Wisconsin in the final days and also threw some cash behind Floridas special election as Republicans have faced a string of special election losses, including a shocker in Pennsylvania last week. Despite some high-dollar donations backing Democrats from the likes of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and mega donor George Soros, no one is coming close to Musk. Two Musk-linked PACs have contributed a whopping $17 million in support of Brad Schimel, and Musk himself gave $3 million to the state Republican party. Democrats have poured more into the race overall, though, putting nearly $40 million into television ads compared with $32 million from Republican groups, according to figures reported to AdImpact. Crawfords campaign also outraised Schimel in the final stretch, raising $17 million compared to Schimels $7 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats have used that to their advantage, cutting ads linking Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to Schimel. A plane flying over Milwaukee on Thursday carried a banner reading Go Home Elon. Vote Susan. This is Musks first major political test since helping bolster President Donald Trumps 2024 campaign, where his America PAC spent hundreds of millions. And its also the first test for Democratic messaging against Musk, with the left using the race as a referendum against the worlds richest man and his campaign to slash government jobs and spending. Can Democrats keep the momentum going? Democrats have pulled off a couple big upsets so far this year in special elections. In state legislative races in Iowa and Pennsylvania, they flipped seats that Trump carried by double digits. And theyve been able to hold seats in safe Democratic areas, too. But Tuesday will be the biggest test yet. In a pair of Florida special elections for vacant congressional seats, Democrats Josh Weil and Gay Valimont have vastly outraised their Republican opponents, Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis, despite the districts being viewed as safe by the GOP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans are particularly worried about Fine. An internal poll last week from Trumps pollster Tony Fabrizio showed Fine down three points to Weil, who has raised more than $10 million. Democrats are insisting that Republicans are panicked about the race, but it will still be an uphill battle to notch a win in either district. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin recent polling has shown a statistically deadlocked race between Crawford and Schimel. Eyes on the GOPs House majority Republicans will maintain their control of the House after Tuesdays elections, even if Democrats pull off a miracle and flip both seats in Florida. Still, its a razor-thin margin, and any losses would be a thorn in the side of Speaker Mike Johnson, who is navigating the caucus through crucial policy fights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, Trump pulled Rep. Elise Stefaniks nomination to be U.N. ambassador after he determined he didnt want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elises seat, showing that Republicans are starting to sweat their slim margins. If Republicans are able to keep both seats on Tuesday, that gives Johnson and Trump just a bit more breathing room to pass their most ambitious priorities. Is the Republican brand taking a hit? Much has been written about Democrats brand problem, but if Republicans underperform and members of their own party expect it expect Democrats to rub it in. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis already laid the blame at Fines feet last week. Regardless of the outcome in that, its going to be a way underperformance, DeSantis told reporters. Theyre going to try to lay that at the feet of President Trump. That is not a reflection of President Trump. Its a reflection of a specific candidate running in that race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republican candidate isnt too worried though, telling POLITICO Were going to be fine. Democrats are already painting the specials as a reflection of voter attitude toward Trump, and as evidence that the party will make gains in the midterms. A few weeks ago, they were too scared to face voters at town halls. Now, they are so scared they cant even face voters at the polls, said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Courtney Rice, following Trumps decision to yank Stefaniks nomination. Doesnt bode particularly well for 2026. Voter turnout As is the case with all special elections, voter turnout will prove crucial in all of the races. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Wisconsin, early voting totals were poised to surpass 2023s high-profile race, with in-person early voting already ahead of that race and absentee ballots not far behind. Two years ago, Janet Protasiewicz took the victory in that contest which determined the ideological makeup of the court. Trump participated in a tele-town hall for Fine and Patronis to help get out the vote in Florida with early voting underway. The Democratic National Committee is investing in some last-minute get out the vote work, too, though it didnt specify a dollar amount. So far, Republicans have an edge in early voter turnout, per Decision Desk HQ data. Like this reporting? Subscribe to Morning Score on POLITICO Pro. Limited Edition For the first time ever, CHANEL dresses its iconic watch in blue matte ceramic. Twenty-five years after the J12 revolutionized the watch industry - the black edition launched in 2000 and the white in 2003 - the J12 BLEU explores a new territory where the expert savoir-faire of the CHANEL Manufacture gives rise to a series of exceptional creations in an exclusive colour. Deep and matte. Intense and unique. CHANEL creates the J12 Bleu, giving this emblematic watch a ceramic hue that is as exclusive as it is powerful. Although blue has always been part of the House's palette, present in fashion, beauty and even of the jewellery boxes of the 1932 "Bijoux de Diamants" collection, it is interpreted today in a new shade exclusively made for watchmaking. "In the course of 25 years, CHANEL has elevated ceramic to the level of a precious material" says Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of the CHANEL Watchmaking Creation Studio. "The art of ceramic is undeniably CHANEL watchmaking and our outstanding savoir-faire: it is an inspiring material that, thanks to the genius of our engineers, offers a vast creative playing field". It took five years of research for the CHANEL Watch Manufacture to develop the J12 BLEU's exclusive hue, demonstrating the absolute mastery of the production techniques of this sophisticated material that is scratchproof, highly resistant and durable. "I dreamt of giving a colour to black, of illuminating it with blue. The final choice of this particular blue was like an epiphany" continues Arnaud Chastaingt. "| wanted a blue that has a rigorous elegance, a blue that is nearly black or a black that is nearly blue". The J12 BLEU bears witness to the excellence of the CHANEL Watch Manufacture craftsmanship, perfectly mastering the development and production process of this singular blue ceramic. A blue that reveals its multiple facets with the play of light, adorns nine new creations combining radiance and discretion, excellence and precision. A collection of nine watches, some of which set with bright blue precious sapphires, is casting the spotlight on to the J12 BLEU.... J12 Bleu Caliber 12.1 38 MM Watch and J12 Bleu Caliber 12.2 33 MM Watch J12 Bleu caliber 12.1 38 mm watch and J12 Bleu caliber 12.2 33 mm watch Chanel When the bright blue of the indicator's baguette-cut sapphires meets the matte blue ceramic imagined by the CHANEL Watch Creation Studio, an effortless elegant J12 BLEU appears. Blue in its purest form. Equipped with the Caliber 12.1 for the 38 MM and the Caliber 12.2 for the 33 MM, these black-coated movements are made in the Swiss Kenissi Manufacture, co-owned by CHANEL J12 Bleu Caliber 12.1 38 MM Watch J12 Bleu caliber 12.1 38 mm watch Chanel With its matte blue ceramic finish, 38 MM case, blackened bezel and glossy varnished indicators, the J12 BLEU Caliber 12.1 embodies the very essence of this collection. The ceramic bezel is adorned with a baguette motif for a distinguished elegance. This new watch icon is equipped with the self-winding Manufacture Caliber 12.1 movement, which is chronometer certified by COSC* and has a power reserve of 70 hours. It is produced by the Swiss Kenissi Manufacture, co-owned by CHANEL. J12 Bleu Caliber 12.2 33 MM Watch J12 Bleu caliber 12.2 33 mm watch Chanel This interpretation of the J12 BLEU features a 33 MM watch case set with 12 diamond indicators. Visible through a sapphire crystal case-back, the 12.2 Caliber is adorned and equipped with an oscillating mass presenting a perfect circle, a CHANEL Watch signature. It is a certified chronometer by the COSC, Official Swiss Control of Chronometers, and has a power reserve of 50 hours. J12 Bleu 38 MM Sapphires Watch J12 Bleu 38 mm sapphires watch Chanel The bright blue of the 58 natural baguette-cut sapphires, set on the bezel and indicators of the J12 BLEU 38 MM SAPPHIRES, matches the deep blue of the ceramic in a striking demonstration of the House's expertise in gem-pairing and setting. It is equipped with the COSC* chronometer-certified self-winding Caliber 12.1 Manufacture movement, dressed in a black finish specific to Haute Horlogerie pieces. J12 Bleu Diamond Tourbillon Watch J12 Bleu diamond tourbillon watch Chanel The essence of CHANEL Haute Horlogerie, this J12 BLEU features a flying tourbillon whose hypnotic rotations are magnified by a 65-facet solitaire diamond set in the center of its cage. Gabrielle Chanel's favorite stone lights up the openwork blue dial while enhancing the natural sparkle of the 34 baguette-cut sapphires set on the bezel of this self-winding mechanical watch. This J12 BLEU ceramic is endowed with a special finishing touch - the sides of the case and bracelet have been hand-polished for 8 hours - and beats to the rhythm of the Caliber 5, the result of three years of development at the Manufacture. Comprising 172 parts, this diamond-set flying tourbillon movement is a signature of the CHANEL aesthetic and watchmaking expertise. J12 Bleu X-Ray Watch J12 Bleu X-Ray watch Chanel A tribute to transparency, the J12 BLEU X-RAY conjures a new shade of blue for this collection, inspired by the colours of the sea and the sky on a clear day. Over 1600 hours of work were required to sculpt the case and bracelet of this model from a single block of synthetic sapphire. Crafted in white gold, the bezel and links are set with 196 bright blue baguette-cut natural sapphires. For the ultimate detail, the Creation Studio ties white gold with black and creates an elegant contrast to this symphony of blues. At the heart of the Caliber 3.1, the choice of the colourless sapphire for the plate and the two bridges highlights the beauty of this J12 BLEU X-RAY whose gears seem to float in the air. This impression is accentuated by a floating bridge in a colorless sapphire, adorned with 12 baguette-cut bright blue natural sapphires indicators. J12 Bleu 42 MM Sapphires Watch and J12 Bleu 28 MM Sapphires Watch J12 Bleu 42 mm sapphires watch and J12 Bleu 28 mm sapphires watch Chanel Playing with extremes, the CHANEL Watch Creation Studio has imagined this watchmaking duo that presents two J12 watches, one with a 42 MM case and the other with a 28 MM case. This exceptional Mini & Maxi pair is adorned with blue sapphires that illuminate the bezel, dial and bracelet. An infinite source of brilliance, the bright blue of the natural stones contrasts with CHANEL's matte blue ceramic. More than 110 hours of gem-setting within the CHANEL Manufacture were required to embellish these two J12 cases, with 170 baguette-cut sapphires for the 42 MM and 196 baguette-cut sapphires for the 28 MM. The blackened steel bezels and crowns enhance the depth of the blue of the ceramic by highlighting these subtle nuances. The J12 BLEU 42 MM SAPPHIRES is equipped with the COSC* chronometer-certified self-winding Caliber 12.1 Manufacture movement, dipped in a black finish, specific to Haute Horlogerie pieces. President Trump has dubbed April 2 as Liberation Day, when he plans to announce a package of tariffs. So far, economists and experts are left guessing as to what tariffs will be imposed. Many speculate that the European Union will receive the brunt of the tariffs, but India and Brazil have also been mentioned. States can be hit by tariffs in two ways. On the import side, this means bringing in items becomes more expensive, and shipping items becomes more expensive, which can dampen demand and shake local economies. Not surprisingly, the states least impacted by tariffs on the EU (and expected reciprocal, retaliatory tariffs) are the ones that do little exporting to the EU, Albert Williams, economics professor at Nova Southeastern University, told Quartz. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But which states might escape the brunt of the expected US-EU trade war? Montana Photo: Stacey Revere (Getty Images) Montana does agriculture and trade mostly with other states, Williams says. An analysis by LendingTree of states that would be hit the worst and least by a trade war with the EU showed that Montana gets the least amount of its imports (2.8 percent) from the EU. So, while nowhere in the United States will be immune from a trade war with the EU, if you live in Big Sky country, you wont bear the brunt. Idaho Photo: Mario Tama (Getty Images) According to a LendingTree (TREE) analysis, Idaho receives the second lowest amount of its imports from the EU, coming in at 5 percent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, hit the slopes at Sun Valley and feel a little protected Still, parsing out which tariffs are less painful where is a challenging endeavor. Its difficult to dissect an EU Trade War relative to everything else going on Mexico, Canada, China (and now them together w Japan and Korea). Ita the accumulative affects on supply chains that is the major disruptor beyond any specific element to it, Jack Buffington, a University of Denver professor who studies supply chains, told Quartz. Alaska Photo: Joe Readle (Getty Images) Alaska, according to the LendingTree analysis, gets 6.6 percent of its imports from the USA and its exports, for the most part, steer clear of international borders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Williams says that Alaska generally trades with other states. Still, regardless of where you are, Williams says, get ready for higher prices. From an economists standpoint, tariffs, regardless of origin, will increase prices for consumers, Williams says. Hawaii Image: Mario (Getty Images) According to LendingTree analysis only 10 percent of imports into Hawaii come from the EU. Hawaii trades its tourism with the other states and the Asia-Pacific countries, Williams says. Of course, Hawaii is more exposed to trade wars with surrounding Pacific Rim countries. But if you are attempting to hide out from a trade war with the EU, Hawaii could be as good of a place as any! South Dakota Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images) According to Lending Tree, this prairie belt state gets only 13 percent of its imports from the EU, and its exports dont go over the Atlantic much. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Dakota has very limited exports to the EU region, so the impact is small, Williams says. So, if you are looking to escape the brunt of an EU trade-war, head for the Black Hills. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) The City of Coleman will see a refresh to its downtown area in more ways than one, thanks to a more than $5 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). City of Coleman awarded $5.1M for pedestrian, bicycle safety improvements The City of Coleman devised a plan to improve as part of a rural economic grant from the Department of Agriculture. After starting small projects, like new sidewalks, they applied for a grant with the TxDOT, which would fund improvements to make the city more pedestrian-friendly and accessible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City Manager Diana Lopez said the city was due for an upgrade. Its been several decades since attention has been given to sidewalks and walkability and lighting and things of an infrastructure perspective that cities need to kind of focus on, Lopez said. In the last ten years, Coleman has gone from being just a dot on the map to kind of a destination for families to be able to come and visit. We have amazing restaurants, wineries, shopping, all kinds of wonderful things. The project aims to enhance the median and parking in downtown by making improvements. This includes removing historic lamp posts donated by the Coleman families in memory of loved ones. While the city and TxDOT are still in the design phase for the median and lighting, Lopez stated that they recognize the importance of the lamp posts and are committed to preserving them. The lampposts were donated years and years ago by families in Coleman. In fact, if you get any photos of them, youre going to see little plaques on the bottom that tell the history of the family, Lopez said. Right now, the plans are to first approach every family who donated one. We will ask them their intention Those that are not identified as going to one particular place to maintain the history and preservation, what better place than the District 1876 Park thats coming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 14 counties in Big Country under burn ban due to fire concerns Some downtown business owners, like Annette Carrell, have concerns about the project. Carrell stated that during the last project, when the sidewalks were replaced, she felt there was insufficient communication. The sidewalks are much nicer than they were during the project. It was a problem with trying to get your customers in and out, and there was no good communication from the city as to when your sidewalk would be torn up and for how long. Then the project took too long, Carrell said. If it helps for safety, thats good. Its hard to cross the streets. But again, theyve got to communicate. TxDOT awards nearly $7 million to Coleman & Abilene for sidewalk installation Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lopez said she is being careful with this project, as she recognizes its potential impact on the residents and business owners. Its hard for me to say exactly what that looks like. But we have had extensive conversations with TxDOT to let them know when theyre ready to proceed with the project. We need to have clear communication plans, clear flow of traffic plans, and a clear time of the year, Lopez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is currently no scheduled date for the start of construction on the revitalization project, as it is still in the planning stages. The new park, which is privately funded, will be located in the downtown area and aims to open in the spring of 2026 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the city of 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Can you find this vehicle? [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Sheriffs deputies have asked for the publics help following a bold theft in Ohio. The Franklin County Sheriffs Office wrote on social media that a crane was stolen from a construction site in Columbus. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They said someone stole a 2019 Kenworth 60-ton Long Boom National Crane from the site near the Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs. The sheriffs office states that the theft likely happened overnight or over the weekend. The crane is valued at over $500,000. Detectives believe the person(s) responsible for the theft would have considerable experience and specialized knowledge of how to operate such equipment. Given its size and value, the 60-ton crane would be difficult to conceal and should be easily recognizable, the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post. Anyone with information can call (614) 525-3351. Photo contributed by Franklin County Sheriff's Office (via Facebook) Photo contributed by Franklin County Sheriff's Office (via Facebook) [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Prince George's County school officials said in the audit that they have taken steps to address problems identified, (File photo by Danielle E. Gaines/Maryland Matters) A Prince Georges County substitute teacher was paid more than $7 million in 2022 and two months passed before the school system recouped the funds. That was the most remarkable finding in a new legislative audit of the county school system, which described a number of ongoing issues with the systems payroll, procurement and human resources procedures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Maryland Department of Legislative Services audit also found that the school system failed to consistently complete a screening process for employees who have contact with children, and that it failed to investigate 9,376 missing items identified in a 2023 inventory, which were valued at about $6.3 million. School system contracts also came under the microscope, and auditors concluded that the school districts procurement policies were not sufficiently comprehensive and were not consistently used when obtaining goods and services. The school system did not always prepare written justifications, or seek school board approval for expenses, according to the audit. The audit, dated March 25 and sent to the legislatures Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee, said the 2022 overpayment for the substitute teacher occurred when a school system employee mistakenly entered the teachers identification number in the hours field. That led to the teacher being paid for approximately 73,000 work days, rather than three. School system officials didnt realize the overpayment had occurred until more than 50 days later. They recovered the funds within a few days, the audit said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Payroll problems at the states second-largest school system have been persistent, the latest audit said. Similar conditions regarding the human resource and payroll supervisory reviews were commented upon in our two preceding audit reports, the audit said. In a statement Wednesday, the school district said it has a proven track record of decisive action after the audits, which are conducted for all Maryland public school systems every six years. Superintendent Millard House II is resolute in owning these improvements to ensure lasting change, read the statement. To address the audit findings, PGCPS has overhauled payroll and transportation processes, introduced new systems for routing and payroll accuracy, and implemented monthly audits and preventive checks, according to the statement. In its written response to the audit findings, the system said it has also hired two new payroll staffers, enhanced training and set new limits on payroll data entries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any staff member will be held accountable for overpayments that were caused by their inaccurate entries, the school system added. In 2019, a new Maryland law took effect requiring school systems to conduct special screenings for employees who would have contact with minors. But auditors checked 10 employees who had been hired in Prince Georges after the laws effective date, and only three had been screened, even though they had been working with the system for six months or more, according to the audit. As part of the screenings, school systems must send forms to an applicants prior employers, certifying that the person was never the subject of of a child sexual abuse or sexual misconduct investigation by any employer that resulted in a finding. In Prince Georges County, the process was monitored by an employee who did not send forms to prior employers, and/or failed to follow up with those employers that did not return a completed form, the school system said in its response to the audit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the school system maintained that three of the 10 applicants didnt need forms on file, because they did not have prior jobs wherein they had contact with children. One of the 10 applicants had a foreign employer, to which a form was not sent. The system said it has since debuted an electronic signature program to expedite the screening forms, and it pledged to follow up with the state about instances where prior employers do not return the required form. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In evaluating the school systems procurement procedures, state auditors raised the red flag on two purchases in particular. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Auditors found fault with a contract for cameras aboard school buses because it wasnt put out for a competitive bid, and auditors questioned higher-than-average fees paid per bus. In response, the county pledged to ensure that future procurements comply with state law, and to document the reasoning for fee amounts. In addition, the county paid two nonpublic schools $61.3 million for special education services between 2020 and 2023, but there was no written contract, and no board approval, according to the state audit. The county pledged to require written contracts with each non-public school where we place a student, and to submit an annual report to the Board about the placements and expenditures. Prince Georges school officials also failed to follow the systems policy for equipment tracking, which requires full inventories of any items over $1,500 in value to be conducted every three years. The school system conducted an inventory in 2019, but then skipped 2022s inventory, citing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the district completed a partial audit, but did not follow up on the findings, which indicated more than $6 million worth of equipment was not accounted for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its response, the school system said it initiated a new inventory in spring 2024, beginning with students electronic devices in each school. This spring, the school system will conduct an inventory of other classroom technology. The school system is also finalizing a plan to complete inventories every three years, which will be implemented beginning January 2026 with an estimated completion of January 2029. This story was updated on Wednesday, April 2, to include the school systems response. Around 73% of Ukrainians believe that U.S. President Donald Trump is bad for Ukraine, a major spike from December 2024, when only 21% saw him negatively, a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published on April 1 said. Last December, after Trump was reelected but before he took office, 54% of Ukrainians believed that the new U.S. president would have a positive impact on Ukraine. Only 19% thought so in March, KIIS said. The Trump administration has brought a major shift to Washington's policy on Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pledging to broker a swift peace deal, Trump has sought to renew ties with Russia while repeatedly praising his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The U.S. president has also strong-armed Ukraine into ceasefire negotiations by temporarily cutting off military and intelligence support early in March before publicly berating President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Feb. 28. Between March 12 and 22, 55% of Ukrainians said they expect a rather or completely unjust peace deal from Trump, a minor drop from 58% between Feb. 14 and March 4 but a significant increase from 31% in December. In turn, 23% of Ukrainians believed that Trump would bring a just peace in December 2024, 11% between Feb. 14 and March 4, and 18% between March 12 and 22. March 11 saw the U.S. and Ukraine agree on a 30-day ceasefire, which was perceived positively among Ukrainians, but Moscow has rejected the deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia only agreed to a partial ceasefire on strikes against energy facilities and in the Black Sea. Kyiv has already accused Russia of violating the energy ceasefire, while the future of the Black Sea ceasefire is in doubt as Moscow has linked it to the lifting of some Western sanctions. Ukrainians now see Europe as a more reliable ally than the U.S. While 64% of respondents said they think European partners want Ukraine to achieve peace on acceptable terms, only 24% think this about the U.S. Some 67% of Ukrainians believe that the U.S. is tired of supporting Ukraine and is pushing for concessions on Kyiv's part. The survey reflects the shifting mood in Ukraine regarding Trump's presidency. Earlier research showed that before Jan. 20, many Ukrainians hoped for Trump to be more decisive in pressuring Russia toward a just peace than his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Biden administration donated more than $100 billion in military and economic support to Ukraine during the full-scale war. At the same time, the ex-president's policy has been criticized as overly cautious and self-restricting. Trump has not approved any additional aid packages, only allowing the continued flow of the previously approved support. His administration also gutted various programs that Ukraine benefited from, from USAID programs funding energy infrastructure and civil society to a project tracking abducted Ukrainian children. Read also: Unless you act, its just rhetoric Baltic states skeptical of Western European leadership Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. ST. CHARLES, Ill. The Kane County States Attorneys Office is appealing a decision that placed an 85-year-old man on electronic monitoring after allegedly sexually assaulting five minors. Michael Farris, 85, of Montgomery, was charged in February with 23 counts of criminal sexual assault and 67 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault. Between 2008 and 2022, Farris is accused of sexually assaulting five minors between the ages of 13 and 17. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In one of the allegations, he allegedly sexually assaulted a boy who came to his door to offer snow shoveling services. Farris was a former leader in Boy Scouts of America and police initially said when he was arrested that he could have more victims than five. Last week, a Kane County judge released Farris on electronic monitoring and his next court date is set for April 24. Conditions of the release include allowing court services into his home, possessing no electronic devices and his cell phone cannot have access to the internet. Kane County States Attorney Jamie Mosser strongly opposed the decision and said they will appeal it. Her full statement is below. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My office strongly opposed the courts decision last week to release defendant Michael Farris under Electronic Home Monitoring (EHM). Even the strictest EHM conditions cannot mitigate the threat Farris poses to the community. EHM does not allow authorities to monitor whom the defendant is with or what they are doing, which is especially concerning given the heinous allegations hereincluding the assault of a victim who went to Farriss door to offer his snow shoveling services. The scope and nature of the charges against Farris are extremely serious and deeply disturbing. He remains a danger to the community, and my office will be appealing this 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 WGN-TV. VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) Authorities are looking into the death of a 9-year-old girl that happened shortly after she underwent general anesthesia for a dental surgery at Dreamtime Dentistry in Vista on March 18. A statement from dentist anesthesiologist, Dr. Ryan Watkins, of Dreamtime Dentistry says, in part, The patient was referred to our office for dental treatment under general anesthesia due to her young age and acute situational anxiety. Throughout the procedure she was continuously monitored by our dentist anesthesiologist PREVIOUS: North County dental office releases statement after girl dies post-surgery Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement goes on to say, Following the procedure she was discharged in stable condition awake, with stable vital signs A report from the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office claims the girl was discharged from the facility and remained asleep on the ride home. Once at home, she was placed in her bed where she remained asleep. Family checked on her throughout the day and later found her unresponsive. The girl was pronounced dead upon arrival at Rady Childrens Hospital. A representative for Dr. Watkins says, The medical examiners report leaves out the fact that following the procedure, and after time in recovery, the patient was discharged in stable condition. She was awake with stable vital signs Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement adds that, at this time, the cause of death has not been determined. The medical examiner is conducting a thorough investigation, with which they are fully cooperating. This is not the first incident to make headlines at Dreamtime Dentistry. Back in 2016, a patient in Dr. Watkins care nearly died after a cardiac incident during a dental procedure under anesthesia. FOX 5/KUSI has reached out to the medical examiners office and SDPD who are conducting the investigation and have not heard back. A GoFundMe has been set up to cover the funeral costs, raising more than $15,000 as of Monday. 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. Police in Atlanta are seeking the publics help in identifying a womans voice who called 911 during the incident related to Rapper Young Scooters death. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Young Scooter, whose real name is Kenneth Bailey, died Friday night on what was his 39th birthday, the Fulton County Medical Examiners office confirmed. Atlanta police confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that they were called to a home on William Nye Drive to reports of shots fired and a woman being seen being dragged into a home. Officers never found a woman or confirmed that any shots had been fired. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, a woman called 911 describing an alleged incident during the time of Baileys death. Now, APD is asking the public for help identifying the female caller. According to Atlanta officials, the call was made from a 911-only phone. TRENDING STORIES: Authorities said when officers arrived, a man opened the door and closed it in the officers faces. Two men then ran out of the back of the house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One went back inside, but the other ran from the police and began hopping fences, according to police. Police say, at some point, Bailey seriously injured his leg and was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he later died. Reports circled on social media claiming that Bailey had been shot by police. Atlanta police confirmed that their officers never fired their weapons during the incident. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-8477, submitting a tip online, or texting CSGA and the tip to CRIMES (738477). You do not have to give your name or any identifying information to be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Locals are seeing vast amounts of opportunity in the southwest region of the Las Vegas valley, and they say Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are steering the growth. When Tiffany Biscoe, owner of Tiabi Coffee and Waffle, opened a second location on Rainbow Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue in 2021, she wanted to be part of a thriving area. Were positioned in an area thats still a little central, not too far from Chinatown, like you know, Rainbow. Its such a busy street, so were positioned in a good place where people can find us, said Biscoe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The expansion allows the AAPI community to connect with each other outside of Chinatown, Biscoe said, a welcome change for business owners also. Its an opportunity to recreate some of the experiences we have in other parts of town in a new space, she said. Its the same reason Grace Sugiarto opened Tous Les Jour Cafe in late 2022 on Rainbow Boulevard and Windmill Lane. She said her busy bakery is full of regulars part of a tight-knit community. Everyone kind of knows each other, said Sugarito. Youre only two connections away, so I love that and I love being a part of it. Aside from business, Sugiarto said home construction signals flourishing development in the area, prompting the entrepreneur to open a new location on Blue Diamond near Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sugiarto said construction of more homes is a big sign of development. With business flourishing, shes opening up another eatery nearby at 215 and Buffalo Drive. I am opening up my new Japanese restaurant, its going to be called Nanas Green Tea, Sugiarto said. Ideally, if everything goes well fingers crossed its going to open this summer. Good food and supporting local are reasons to love living in the southwest valley according to Minja Yan. As an AAPI Chamber board member, she said many Asian and Pacific Islander business owners have opened up shop in the past decade as the neighborhood booms. Ive also noticed a lot of the new residents in this part of town are young professionals and young families with kids, said Yan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yan said it takes a collective effort of business owners supporting one another to bring them success. Many of them are first and second generation immigrants, and I think its because of the grit and the hardworking spirit of the immigrant community, said Yan. Other Asian businesses with additional locations in the southwest include 85C Bakery, Shanghai Taste, and Weera Thai. Im a minority in Asian women, so its very empowering, and I love what I do, Sugiarto said. I love meeting everyone in the community, I love getting to know the difference you can make. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Imagine Dragons have just made a big splash with the release of their new concert film, Imagine Dragons: Live From The Hollywood Bowl. The film captures the energy of the four concerts the U.S. band performed last year in Los Angeles, accompanied by a symphony orchestra. And now they are embarking on the European leg of their Loom World Tour. Charismatic vocalist Dan Reynolds founded the band in Las Vegas in 2008, and a year later, guitarist Wayne Sermon and bassist Ben McKee joined the group. Their debut album, Night Visions, was released in 2012 and became one of the best-selling albums of the year in the United States. Since then, they have remained at the top of their game, releasing six albums in 13 years including their latest, Loom (2024) and selling 74 million albums worldwide, with a staggering 160 billion streams. In 2018, they were the most-streamed band on Spotify. Three of their biggest hits Believer, Thunder, and Radioactive are, according to Billboard, the most-played rock songs of the 2010s. If they sound familiar, its because theyve been played relentlessly in clubs, stores, and commercials. Imagine Dragons also hold a rare distinction: they are the only guitar-based band from their generation capable of filling stadiums. In that sense, they are a natural continuation of Coldplay, Muse, and The Killers, but with the added advantage of connecting with a younger audience. I think this is partly due to their ability to adapt their lyrics and messaging, says music critic Rodri Miguez, who has followed the band closely since their early days. Theyve always tailored their on-stage communication to a younger audience, with messages that often go viral. Their lyrics, despite belonging to a different generation, are written from a distinctly youthful perspective. Other big bands have failed to engage younger fans as their careers have evolved, and theyve lost that differentiating factor that Imagine Dragons has been able to capitalize on. Dan Reynolds, frontman of Imagine Dragons, at a concert in Tel Aviv in 2023. Shlomi Pinto (Getty Images) According to Miguez, they have adapted better than anyone to the rules of musical capitalism. They continuously produce special concerts, movie screenings, merchandise, soundtracks, and collaborations a steady stream that keeps them in the public eye, expands their fan base, and builds excitement. Theyre very humble people who have played for a single person, opened for a mime show, and performed 15 concerts in three days. Fame didnt come overnight, and theyve always been deeply grateful to their fans, says Aina (who prefers not to reveal her surname), the administrator of the bands social media fan pages in Spain. Fog no obstacle Marta Vall worked closely with Imagine Dragons on their first three albums as an international marketing manager for Interscope in Spain. She recalls an anecdote that speaks to the bands dedication: In 2013, they were invited to perform at the Los 40 Principales awards in Madrid. The day before, they had a concert in Germany, and the only way they could make it to the awards was by securing a private plane. The plan was to rehearse at noon, open the show, and then leave immediately for another concert the next morning. At 7 a.m. on the day of the performance, their team called me: they couldnt leave Germany due to heavy fog. Then, the tour manager reached out: The guys dont want to disappoint their fans in Spain. Lets find a solution. We started looking for an airport within a 100-kilometer radius that wasnt affected by fog. Once we found one, we arranged for vans to take them there. They finally managed to leave Germany but by then, it was already 4 p.m. By the time they arrived at the venue, the audience was already entering. They barely had time to change, perform, and leave again all for their fans. Many other artists wouldnt have done it, but they went through the ordeal. Imagine Dragons concert at the 40 Principales awards in 2013 in Madrid. They almost didn't make it. Fotonoticias (Getty Images) Vall also highlights the bands commitment to social causes. For example, the Tyler Robinson Foundation, which Dan Reynolds set up in honor of a fan of the band who had cancer, and they do a concert for it every year. The vocalist has always been very vocal in his support of people who may suffer from depression for a myriad of reasons, or other illnesses. Theyre a band very aware of what young people may suffer from. Imagine Dragons is more than music. Its a refuge, adds Aina. It doesnt matter if you suffer from depression, anxiety, maybe youve been bullied or discriminated against. The band and the fans are a family and a place where you dont feel judged. Among us are people who have lost a loved one, who have gone through an illness, who have attempted suicide there are some very tough stories, but we always have this in common: Imagine Dragons music helps us heal those wounds. Last year, I had a relapse of my depression; it was a really tough few months. Dan also suffers from depression. I asked him a question about it during a live show the band did with fans, and his answer helped me get back into therapy. Hes helped so many of us. Whats more, as Rodri Miguez points out, they have always taken a clear and direct stance against discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. While this has led to rejection from certain segments of society, it has also earned them strong support from those affected by these issues. They have also raised the trans flag, adds Sebas Alonso, director of the music website Jenesaispop. Some may argue that theyre capitalizing on the queer community, but I see it as a positive step. Its important for straight, cisgender male rock bands to position themselves as allies and challenge toxic masculinity. Some of their lyrics, like Demons, touch on these themes. Its also true that supporting diversity has been the general tone of artists and brands in recent years, Alonso continues. With the growing backlash in the U.S. and parts of Europe, and with trans rights under threat, lets hope Imagine Dragons continue to fly the LGBTQ+ flag. Over the next four years under Donald Trump, well see who truly supported the cause and who was just along for the ride. Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons with an LGBTQ+ flag in Clarkston, Michigan, in 2018. Scott Legato (Getty Images) Some of the bands actions have also been questioned by progressive sectors. In the summer of 2023, they performed in Tel Aviv, disregarding calls from organizations urging them to support the boycott of Israel. They also faced criticism from System of a Down vocalist Serj Tankian for performing in Azerbaijan, as he believed it legitimized the authoritarian regime of Ilham Aliyev. I dont believe in depriving our fans who want to see us play because of the acts of their leaders and their governments, I think thats a really slippery slope. I think the second you start to do that, theres corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world, and where do you draw the line? responded Dan Reynolds. A style without style Perhaps what has made Imagine Dragons both adored and criticized the most is their sound, which pulls influences from a wide range of genres. Dan Reynolds has cited Arcade Fire, Nirvana, Muse, The Beatles, Paul Simon, Coldplay, Linkin Park, Harry Nilsson, and U2 as inspirations, while also naming Foster The People and Mumford & Sons as examples of alternative bands that paved the way for their commercial success. They make music expressly designed for big stadiums, says Alonso. Its as if theyve taken cues from every band that has ever done it: they mix the drums and vocals of We Will Rock You by Queen with the messianic, feel-good energy of U2 and Coldplay. Some of their phrasing is reminiscent of Eminem, their riffs could be compared to Red Hot Chili Peppers, and their melodies wouldnt be out of place in a Katy Perry song. Imagine Dragons is a band that mixes everything up to please everyone. Except the music critics, of course. Indeed, their albums have never been well received by critics. In 2019, the American magazine Spin published an article titled Is Imagine Dragons the Worst Band Ever?, which particularly criticized their lyrics, describing them as a composite of motivational platitudes and pseudo-dramatic yelps, barely merit repeating, if only because Reynolds seems so willing to do that himself. Their lyrics may explicitly talk about death, cancer, physical pain, a threatened divorce, toxic masculinity... but they tend to be very literal and obvious, very unimaginative. Lets say theyre functional, notes Sebas Alonso. Rodri Miguez, however, sees it differently: A large part of the bands success comes from those lyrics. They are always precise, addressing real issues that resonate with people regardless of the fact that theyre sung by a multimillionaire. They make anyone reflect and empathize. A young Dan Reynolds in the early days of Imagine Dragons at a concert in California in 2012. Amanda Edwards (WireImage) Another controversial aspect of the band is the lack of a clearly defined sound. According to Aina, Imagine Dragons has often been criticized for not sticking to a single genre. They do what they want and play with all kinds of sounds, but Dan is able to give it his own identity. I recently interviewed a Dutch band, Chefs Special, who I understood to be influenced by Imagine Dragons, recalls Sebas Alonso. They told me no, but added: We like how Imagine Dragons tries to give a modern interpretation of what a rock band is. Few rock or so-called rock bands have blended pop, rap, and electronic music the way they have. As a result, theyve resonated with an unprejudiced generation that doesnt get caught up in debates like this is too tacky, this isnt subtle enough, this isnt alternative enough, or this isnt rock enough. He continues: I remember disliking them at first, but then hearing them on New Years Eve at a relatively underground venue like Ochoymedio in Madrid, and thinking: I completely get why theyre successful. They thrive in grand, larger-than-life moments stadiums, massive festivals, New Years Eve celebrations or in this lingering sense of the world ending that weve had since 2020. It doesnt seem like critical approval is a major concern for the band. In Europe, their stadium concerts are expected to sell out despite the high ticket prices. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Sign up for Trumps Return, a newsletter featuring coverage of the second Trump presidency. The Trump administration acknowledged in a court filing Monday that it had grabbed a Maryland father with protected legal status and mistakenly deported him to El Salvador, but said that U.S. courts lack jurisdiction to order his return from the megaprison where hes now locked up. The case appears to be the first time the Trump administration has admitted to errors when it sent three planeloads of Salvadoran and Venezuelan deportees to El Salvadors grim Terrorism Confinement Center on March 15. Attorneys for several Venezuelan deportees have said that the Trump administration falsely labeled their clients as gang members because of their tattoos. Trump officials have disputed those claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in Mondays court filing, attorneys for the government admitted that the Salvadoran man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, had been deported accidentally. Although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error, the government told the court. Trump lawyers said the court has no ability to bring Abrego Garcia back now that he is in Salvadoran custody. Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Abrego Garcias attorney, said hes never seen a case in which the government knowingly deported someone who had already received protected legal status from an immigration judge. He is asking the court to order the Trump administration to ask for Abrego Garcias return and, if necessary, to withhold payment to the Salvadoran government, which says its charging the United States $6 million a year to jail U.S. deportees. Trump-administration attorneys told the court to dismiss the request on multiple grounds, including that Trumps primacy in foreign affairs outweighs the interests of Abrego Garcia and his family. They claim that the court is powerless to order any relief, Sandoval-Moshenberg told me. If thats true, the immigration laws are meaninglessall of thembecause the government can deport whoever they want, wherever they want, whenever they want, and no court can do anything about it once its done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court filings show that Abrego Garcia came to the United States at age 16 in 2011 after fleeing gang threats in his native El Salvador. In 2019 he received a form of protected legal status known as withholding of removal from a U.S. immigration judge who found he would likely be targeted by gangs if deported back. Abrego Garcia, who is married to a U.S. citizen and has a 5-year-old disabled child who is also a U.S. citizen, has no criminal record in the United States, according to his attorney. The Trump administration does not claim he has a criminal record, but called him a danger to the community and an active member of MS-13, the Salvadoran gang that Trump has declared a foreign terrorist organization. Sandoval-Moshenberg said that those charges are false, and that the gang label stems from a 2019 incident when Abrego Garcia and three other men were detained in a Home Depot parking lot by a police detective in Prince Georges County, Maryland. During questioning, one of the men told officers that Abrego Garcia was a gang member, but the man offered no proof and police said they didnt believe him, filings show. Police did not identify him as a gang member. Abrego Garcia was not charged with a crime, but he was handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the arrest to face deportation. In those proceedings, the government claimed that a reliable informant had identified him as a ranking member of MS-13. Abrego Garcia and his family hired an attorney and fought the governments attempt to deport him. He received withholding of removal six months later, a protected status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is not a path to permanent U.S. residency, but it means the government wont deport him back to his home country, because hes more likely than not to face harm there. Abrego Garcia has had no contact with any law-enforcement agency since his release, according to his attorney. He works full time as a union sheet-metal apprentice, has complied with requirements to check in annually with ICE, and cares for his 5-year-old son, who has autism and a hearing defect, and is unable to communicate verbally. On March 12, Abrego Garcia had picked up his son after work from the boys grandmothers house when ICE officers stopped the car, saying his protected status had changed. Officers waited for Abrego Garcias wife to come to the scene and take care of the boy, then drove him away in handcuffs. Within two days, he had been transferred to an ICE staging facility in Texas, along with other detainees the government was preparing to send to El Salvador. Trump had invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, and the government planned to deport two planeloads of Venezuelans along with a separate group of Salvadorans. Abrego Garcias family has had no contact with him since he was sent to the megaprison in El Salvador, known as CECOT. His wife spotted her husband in news photographs released by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on the morning of March 16, after a U.S. district judge had told the Trump administration to halt the flights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oopsie, Bukele wrote on social media, taunting the judge. Abrego Garcias wife recognized her husbands decorative arm tattoo and scars, according to the court filing. The image showed Salvadoran guards in black ski masks frog-marching him into the prison, with his head shoved down toward the floor. CECOT is the same prison that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited last week, recording videos for social media while standing in front of a cell packed with silent detainees. If the government wants to deport someone with protected status, the standard course would be to reopen the case and introduce new evidence arguing for deportation. The deportation of a protected-status holder has even stunned some government attorneys Ive been in touch with who are tracking the case, who declined to be named because they werent authorized to speak to the press. What. The. Fuck, one texted me. Sandoval-Moshenberg told the court that he believes Trump officials deported his client through extrajudicial means because they believed that going through the immigration judge process took too long, and they feared that they might not win all of their cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials at ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. The Monday court filing by the government indicates that officials knew Abrego Garcia had legal protections shielding him from deportation to El Salvador. ICE was aware of this grant of withholding of removal at the time [of] Abrego Garcias removal from the United States. Reference was made to this status on internal forms, the government told the court in its filing. Abrego Garcia was not on the initial manifest of the deportation flight, but was listed as an alternate, the government attorneys explained. As other detainees were removed from the flight for various reasons, Abrego Garcia moved up the list. The flight manifest did not indicate that Abrego Garcia should not be removed, the attorneys said. Through administrative error, Abrego Garcia was removed from the United States to El Salvador. This was an oversight. But despite this, they told the court that Abrego Garcias deportation was carried out in good faith. Article originally published at The Atlantic TAMPA, Fla (WFLA) Million of meals to feed Tampa Bay families could be at risk, due to new federal cuts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency announced they have cut funding to two federal programs, the School Nutrition Association and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). LFPA helps food banks buy food from local farmers. Thomas Mantz, the President and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay said they expect to distribute about 100 million meals this year, but the number could go down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of those 100 million meals, about 20 million of those meals come through partnerships with the federal government that we distribute food for them, said Mantz. These cuts dont affect our funding, they affect food into the community. LFPA was set to distribute about $500 million this year to support food banks. Mantz said without one of their LFPA partners, they would lose about four million meals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The size and scope of the potential loss here is not something we can make up easily or likely. Thats a cap thats really difficult for us to fill. And so we will do whatever we can to step into that challenge but its unlikely we could make up for that big of a loss, Mantz said. The USDAs website said Florida LFPA was awarded more than $24 million to go to 148 unique producers and 131 underserved producers. Ernesto Ruiz with the Farmworkers Association of Florida said these cuts will cause a ripple effect. If they dont have access to this capital or they dont have access to these programs to sell their produce then the farmers are going to struggle, which is going to then affect the farmworkers themselves either with less work, lower wages, Ruiz said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ruiz said there is a risk for greater food insecurities and more stress on the population that feeds the country. We want this population, we need this population to be resilient so the rest of the population can have safety in our food system, and thats not what were doing at all, Ruiz 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 WFLA. Data workers in Africa often have a hard time. They face job insecurities including temporary contracts, low pay, arbitrary dismissal and worker surveillance and alarming physical and psychological health risks. The consequences of their work can include exhaustion, burnout, mental health strain, chronic stress, vertigo and weakening of eyesight. Data work includes text prediction, image and video annotation, speech to text validation and content moderation. The world of data work is built on labour arbitrage exploiting the fact that workers earn less and have less protection in some countries than in others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Large technology firms often outsource this work to the global south, including African countries like Kenya, Uganda and Madagascar, and also India and Venezuela. The result is complex production networks that are generally opaque and shrouded in secrecy. Workers and researchers have issued many warnings about data workers health. Despite numerous court cases in multiple jurisdictions, nothing much has been done to address these issues either by tech companies or by regulators. Read more: For workers in Africa, the digital economy isn't all it's made out to be Still, the news of the death of a Nigerian content moderator, Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, who was found dead in her apartment in Nairobi, Kenya on 7 March 2025, came as a shock. While the circumstances of her death are still unclear, it has renewed calls for wider systemic change. Her death has sparked condemnation from the Kenyan Union of Gig Workers, which demanded an investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since 2015, we have been studying the central role of African data workers in building and maintaining artificial intelligence (AI) systems, acting as data janitors. Our research found that companies rarely acknowledge the use of human workers in AI value chains, thus they remain hidden from the public eye. In other words, the world of AI is built on the toil of human workers most people are unaware of. In this article, we outline key steps needed to protect these data workers in Africa. They include business process outsourcing regulations, ensuring quality rather than quantity of jobs, and providing social protection. There is also a need to name and shame companies that maltreat data workers. Data work needs tighter regulation. Read more: Digital labour platforms subject global South workers to 'algorithmic insecurity' Regulation Business process outsourcing is the practice of procuring various processes or operations from external suppliers or vendors. Firms that do this are sometimes trying to evade local regulations (like minimum wages) and responsibility towards workers welfare (via sub-contracting and the use of temporary employment agencies). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is happening in Africa as some data training firms and digital labour platforms circumvent local labour laws. But there is more to the story. Data work is also seen by lawmakers and practitioners as a solution to the rampant unemployment and informality across Africa. African governments have actively created regulatory environments that enable these practices to thrive, despite adverse outcomes for workers. Nonetheless, new regulations have been proposed lately, like the Kenyan governments Business Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024 targeting the wider business process outsourcing and IT-enabled services sector. Particularly, it makes business process outsourcing firms responsible for any claim raised by employees. It ensures some accountability for firms bringing data work to Africa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other governments should follow with similar measures ensuring worker rights are enforceable. Some data workers are hired on contracts as short as five days and get paid less than the local minimum wage. Firms found violating labour standards should be penalised. In fact, there is an urgent need to create regional or continent-wide regulatory frameworks covering the business process outsourcing sector, limiting the space for firms to exploit workers. Its possible, however, that jobs might be lost as firms relocate to places with favourable laws, an everyday reality in the outsourcing networks. Read more: Most call centre jobs are a dead end for South Africa's youth Quality, not quantity African governments should prioritise the quality of jobs and not quantity. Policymakers should think about wider national economic development plans, particularly structural diversification and upgrading of their economies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Historically, these strategies have resulted in success in some states, addressing social and economic issues such as unemployment, poverty and inequality. Another option for African governments is to enhance social protection among data workers. Financing this is a serious issue, so proper taxation and compliance among workers and employers is urgently needed. Finally, there is a role for naming and shaming firms that treat their data workers poorly. There is evidence that such efforts improve compliance and firms behaviour. Read more: Digital trade protocol for Africa: why it matters, what's in it and what's still missing Worker movements African data workers have taken risks in openly speaking about their experiences. But these kinds of approaches work well when combined with collective bargaining. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Workers have historically won their labour and civil rights after long and hard-fought struggles. There is a long history of African worker movements and trade unions resisting the apartheid and colonial regimes across the continent. While the freedom of association is enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and most governments have legislation committed to collective bargaining, it is rarely implemented in the new outsourcing sectors, particularly data work. It is also difficult to organise workers in the industry, because of the high churn rate. For instance, data training firms like Sama offer short-term contracts to employees, often as short as five days. Some firms are hostile to workers organising activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But numerous data worker-led associations have emerged in Africa recently, some led by the co-authors of this article. Techworker Community Africa, African Tech Workers Rising, African Content Moderators Unions and Data Labelers Association are among them. These initiatives are crucial to ensure workers have decent remuneration, work-life balance, adequate working hours, protection against arbitrary dismissal, safe working environments, and contributions towards their health and welfare. Several high-profile court cases are currently being pursued by African data workers against Meta and Sama. There is precedent. In 2021. Meta was ordered by a Californian court to pay US$85 million to 10,000 content moderators. AI-dependent tools such as ChatGPT or driverless cars would not exist without African data workers. They are tired of being hidden. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mophat Okinyi, Kauna Malgwi, Sonia Kgomo and Richard Mathenge co-authored this article. 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: Mohammad Amir Anwar, University of Edinburgh Read more: Mohammad Amir Anwar receives funding from United Kingdom Research and Innovation, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and British Academy. The entrance to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services in Augusta. Feb. 25, 2025.( Photo: Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star) Maine is facing a barrage of healthcare cuts, possibly losing as much as $93 million in federal funding to a wide array of services, from vaccinations and disease tracking to mental and reproductive health. More than $91 million of these cuts is due to last weeks termination of six federal grants, according to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Three million is in separate cuts to Title X, the countrys only federally funded program that supports family planning services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorney General Aaron Frey announced that the state is joining a multi-state lawsuit, along with attorneys general from 23 states and the District of Columbia, against the Trump administration for abruptly and illegally terminating funding. The legal challenge was filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for withholding nearly $11 billion in critical public health grants to the states, according to a statement from Freys office. Vaccine distribution, disease monitoring and response and rural health services, among other programs, are at risk if funding is not restored. According to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the terminated grants directly impacted work by more than 70 vendors and at least 40 contracted personnel at Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The termination of these grants will compromise Maines ability to respond to disease outbreaks, maintain vaccine availability, address health disparities, and support community-based health workforce efforts, said Maine DHHS Commissioner Sara Gagne-Holmes. Additionally, these cuts threaten critical planned investments in mental health and substance use disorder services. Maine DHHS is continuing to evaluate the full impact of these cuts to these important public health and behavioral services. Most of the funding cuts about $88 million affect the Maine CDC and will impact vaccination programs, making it harder to distribute vaccines and educate the public; reduce the states ability to monitor outbreaks and run lab tests; cut health equity programs meant to help vulnerable communities and terminate community health services, according to DHHS. About $3 million will be cut from Maines Office of Behavioral Health, impacting substance use prevention programs, and school-based mental health and interventions. These actions jeopardize critical public health response capabilities and services, and weaken our states public health infrastructure, said Dr. Puthiery Va, Director of the Maine CDC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congress approved extra funding for health programs during COVID-19, including mental health and addiction services. But on March 24, without legal justification, the federal government suddenly cut off these funds, saying they were no longer needed since the pandemic is over. Frey and other attorneys general are arguing that these cuts are illegal. They say the funding was never meant to end just because the pandemic officially ended over a year ago, and some of the grants werent permitted to be canceled this way. The lawsuit is asking the court to block the funding cuts and stop the government from enforcing or reinstating them, claiming the decision violates federal law. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Attorney General Pam Bondi is coming down hard on alleged attackers of Tesla dealerships. Bondi announced Monday that the Justice Department had unsealed federal charges against Cooper Frederick, 24, in connection with the firebombing of a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado, earlier this month, adding that she planned to seek a 20-year sentence as punishment for his alleged act. Frederick was arrested by Loveland police following a March 7 incident where an explosive was thrown into a Tesla dealership, landing between two vehicles. Cleaners were inside the building at the time, but no one was hurt after a responding officer quickly put out the fire, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loveland police booked Frederick under state law on charges related to possession of an incendiary device, arson, and criminal mischief. Bondi said he was later arrested again in Plano, Texas, after an FBI investigation. Justice is coming. pic.twitter.com/r9D3SobYT1 Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) March 31, 2025 All of these cases are a serious threat to public safety, therefore there will be no negotiating, Bondi said in a video Monday. We are seeking 20 years in prison. The Loveland building had been attacked five other times before the March 7 incident, police told Fox 31. Tesla dealerships have come under fire all over the globe, including one in Rome where over a dozen cars were destroyed in a possible arson. Ive made it clear: If you take part in the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, we will find you, arrest you, and put you behind bars, Bondi said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tesla CEO Elon Musk blasted the attacks as terrorism and called them unequivocally a hate crime in X posts on Monday. It is unequivocally a hate crime Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 31, 2025 In a Wisconsin rally held Sunday for Brad Schimel, the Republican bet for a seat on the states Supreme Court, Musk said it was shocking how much violence and hatred is coming from the left. They claim to be the party of empathy, and yet theyre burning Teslas and shooting up dealerships and calling for the death of the president and me, Musk said. I totally understand if somebody doesnt want to buy a product Its a free country, but you dont have to burn it down. Despite Musk and President Donald Trumps assertions, the FBI has not found evidence that attacks on Tesla dealerships were coordinated. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)The Ohio Attorney Generals Office released its Capital Crimes Report its a snapshot of Ohios death row. The 2024 numbers show that not much has changed, a fact that does not sit well with Attorney General David Yost and Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins. Read next: Insurers raise red flag on Sharon hospital sale The only thing that has changed? The killers got a year older, Yost said in a news release containing the latest numbers. There needs to be some real progress. Until that happens, Ohio cannot fulfill its promise of justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 2024 Capital Crimes Report shows 11 Valley defendants on death row: Stanley Adams Trumbull Sean Carter Trumbull John Drummond Mahoning Scott Group Mahoning Danny Lee Hill Trumbull Lance Hundley Mahoning Nathaniel Jackson Trumbull David Martin Trumbull Donna Roberts (the only woman in Ohio on death row) Trumbull Willie Jean Wilkes Jr. Mahoning Andre Williams Trumbull 2024-Capital-Crimes-Annual-Report-WEBDownload There are 49 death sentences in the northeast region of Ohio, which includes Trumbull and Mahoning counties. Seven are out of Trumbull County and five out of Mahoning County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumbull Prosecutor Dennis Watkins said that there is no good reason for Ohio to delay its executions and carry out justice. Facts dont lie last year, there were 25 executions carried out by 9 states. This year so far, there have been 10 executions carried out by 7 different states. Between March 17th and 20th, there were four executions, including one in Arizona, a Democratic state, which resumed executions. There is no good reason for Ohio not to kick-start its justice system. It is not broken the same system that executed Trumbull County murderers Jason Getsy, Kenneth Biros and Roderick Davie in 2009 and 2010 should be able to execute todays Stanley Adamses, Danny Hills and James Trimbles with will power like other states have shown and the leadership President Trump has shown in executing 13 federal killers in the past and hopefully soon, the Boston Marathon Bomber. Execution drugs are available, and the federal government could help, Watkins said. Danny Lee Hill has been on death row the longest in our region, having been convicted in 1986, followed by the case of Andre Williams out of Mahoning County, who was convicted in 1989. Hill has filed more than 25 appeals since he was sentenced to die nearly 40 years ago. He has an appeal pending right now. The report shows that the average time a defendant sits on death row in Ohio has increased from about 10 years in 2003 to about 18 years in 2019. While the cost of Ohios death penalty system has not been determined, according to the report, the cost of a death penalty case can exceed the cost of life imprisonment by as much as $1 million to $3 million per case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats a stunning amount of money to spend on a program that doesnt achieve its purpose, Yost said in the report. Thats not to say its too much money. Those who oppose the death penalty want it abolished altogether. Those who support it want it to be fair, timely and effective. Neither side is getting what it wants, the report read. As of Dec. 31, 2024, 88 death sentences have been removed by judicial action, resulting in resentencing or release. Most were removed because of legal errors, such as ineffective assistance of counsel, Brady violations, juror errors, or appellate court determinations that the aggravating circumstances of the crime did not outweigh the mitigating factors beyond a reasonable doubt. (Note: Rather than show a flaw in Ohios capital-punishment system, these removals show the appellate process working as it should to prevent an injustice.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report also noted that exonerated and innocent are not the same thing. Innocent is being free of guilt, while exonerated is being legally cleared of wrongdoing. The holdup in conducting scheduled executions in Ohio is the states inability to obtain the drugs needed for lethal injection, the only legal means of execution in the state. Because of that, there has been a moratorium on executions, and Governor DeWine keeps postponing them, pushing execution dates farther down the road as the state legislature mulls over other means of carrying out the death penalty, which has to be approved by Ohio lawmakers. Most recently, Yost and Watkins have appealed to the federal government, notably newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, asking for help with Ohios death penalty conundrum. House Bill 36 would allow death by nitrogen hypoxia, a method both Yost and Watkins want to see happen. The bill passed by both the House and Senate and now sits on Governor DeWines desk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 18, Louisiana used nitrogen to perform the states first execution in 15 years. Since January 2024, Alabama has carried out four death sentences with nitrogen. In addition, Yost says that President Trump directed Bondi to ensure states have access to the drugs needed for lethal injection. There are two paths available to Ohio to enforce the laws on our books, Yost said. Pick one. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, center, joined by U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, left, and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, answered questions from reporters after a roundtable at Becks Hybrids in Colfax, Iowa, on March 31, 2025. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) COLFAX, Iowa As U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins toured Iowa agricultural facilities Monday, she said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is prepared to support farmers while tariffs go into place. President Donald Trump announced plans Sunday to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that have their own tariffs set on U.S. products, set to officially roll out April 2. While earlier statements from members of the Trump administration said the tariffs focus on 10 to 15 countries with large trade imbalances, the president said Sunday the tariffs will encompass all countries that charge fees for U.S. exports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iowans in agriculture have expressed concerns about Trumps original plan later delayed to enact 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Some farmers said the move could hurt Iowa, as the states pork and corn industries are heavily tied to the countries. A spokesperson for the White House has confirmed that the tariffs will not contain exemptions for farmers. Speaking with reporters at Becks Hybrids, a retail seed company in Colfax, Iowa, Rollins tried to assuage concerns about the tariffs impact on agriculture. She said the Trump administration and USDA plan to aid farmers from potential economic fallout using similar strategies as in 2018, when a U.S.-China trade war during Trumps first term led to an estimated $27 billion in U.S. agricultural export losses. Hopefully our farmers and our ag community wont be hurt by at least in the short term by these decisions, Rollins said. But if they are, the presidents commitment is the same today as it was five or six years ago. And we at USDA and our partners across Congress and in Washington will work around the clock to ensure that we have the programs in place to do what we did the last time with the (Commodity Credit Corporation), and we fully expect to do the same this time, but to be determined based on what happens in the next weeks and month. Farmers received $23 billion in federal assistance during Trumps first term The USDA provided farmers more than $23 billion in federal subsidies during Trumps first term to help offset the economic impacts of tariffs. While Rollins said at an earlier stop in Waukee, Iowa, that we dont have quite the funds we had back then, according to the Des Moines Register, she also said there was other work being done by the Trump administration to expand U.S. agricultures international market presence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, who joined Rollins alongside Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig in Colfax, said she and other Iowa officials were very pleased by Rollins commitment to go on trade missions in coming months. We have not seen that the past four years, Miller-Meeks said, comparing Rollins approach to efforts under the Biden administration. Six countries and six months, I think it is because we know we need to open up more markets. Rollins plans to visit Vietnam, Japan, India, Peru, Brazil, and the United Kingdom in 2025. While the agriculture secretary said tariffs are one part of Trumps tool kit to realign the American economy, another component was the reduction in force happening across the federal government including roughly 6,000 at the USDA. Rollins said she supported the effort as a way to make government more efficient and put more economic focus on expanding the private sector, on lifting up free enterprise, on reshoring American jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vision isnt that were putting a lot of people out of work, Rollins said. The vision is that were realigning our entire economy, where the private sector and free enterprise is driving those jobs, rather than bigger and bigger government. Iowa Capital Dispatch, like the Idaho Capital Sun, 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. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, center, joined by U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, left, and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, answered questions from reporters after a roundtable at Beck's Hybrids in Colfax March 31, 2025. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) COLFAX As U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins toured Iowa agricultural facilities Monday, she said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is prepared to support farmers while tariffs go into place. President Donald Trump announced plans Sunday to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that have their own tariffs set on U.S. products, set to officially roll out April 2. While earlier statements from members of the Trump administration said the tariffs focus on 10 to 15 countries with large trade imbalances, the president said Sunday the tariffs will encompass all countries that charge fees for U.S. exports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iowans in agriculture have expressed concerns about Trumps original plan later delayed to enact 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Some farmers said the move could hurt Iowa, as the states pork and corn industries are heavily tied to the countries. A spokesperson for the White House has confirmed that the tariffs will not contain exemptions for farmers. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Speaking with reporters at Becks Hybrids, a retail seed company in Colfax, Rollins tried to assuage concerns about the tariffs impact on agriculture. She said the Trump administration and USDA plan to aid farmers from potential economic fallout using similar strategies as in 2018, when a U.S.-China trade war during Trumps first term led to an estimated $27 billion in U.S. agricultural export losses. Hopefully our farmers and our ag community wont be hurt by at least in the short term by these decisions, Rollins said. But if they are, the presidents commitment is the same today as it was five or six years ago. And we at USDA and our partners across Congress and in Washington will work around the clock to ensure that we have the programs in place to do what we did the last time with the (Commodity Credit Corporation), and we fully expect to do the same this time, but to be determined based on what happens in the next weeks and month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The USDA provided farmers more than $23 billion in federal subsidies during Trumps first term to help offset the economic impacts of tariffs. While Rollins said at an earlier stop in Waukee that we dont have quite the funds we had back then, according to the Des Moines Register, she also said there was other work being done by the Trump administration to expand U.S. agricultures international market presence. U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, who joined Rollins alongside Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig in Colfax, said she and other Iowa officials were very pleased by Rollins commitment to go on trade missions in coming months. We have not seen that the past four years, Miller-Meeks said, comparing Rollins approach to efforts under the Biden administration. Six countries and six months, I think it is because we know we need to open up more markets. Rollins plans to visit Vietnam, Japan, India, Peru, Brazil, and the United Kingdom in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the agriculture secretary said tariffs are one part of Trumps tool kit to realign the American economy, another component was the reduction in force happening across the federal government including roughly 6,000 at the USDA. Rollins said she supported the effort as a way to make government more efficient and put more economic focus on expanding the private sector, on lifting up free enterprise, on reshoring American jobs. The vision isnt that were putting a lot of people out of work, Rollins said. The vision is that were realigning our entire economy, where the private sector and free enterprise is driving those jobs, rather than bigger and bigger government. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is urging Milwaukee-area residents to cut water use ahead of the precipitation moving into the area Tuesday night. To avoid a combined sewer overflow, the sewerage district is asking residents in the city and its surrounding suburbs to take shorter showers, save laundry and dishes for another day, and empty rain barrels regularly. Widespread rain and isolated thunderstorms are expected to start around midnight and last through mid-morning Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Peak precipitation is expected between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. tomorrow, with totals between 1 and 1.75 inches. That may not sound like a lot, but it can be overwhelming in a compressed time period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Milwaukee has a combined sewage system in which both stormwater and wastewater from homes and businesses flow through the same pipes before they are treated. If heavy rains cause the water reclamation facilities and deep tunnel to fill to capacity, the sewerage district must discharge untreated water into Milwaukees three rivers and Lake Michigan to prevent wastewater from backing up into homes and businesses. The sewerage district serves 1.1 million people across 28 communities, including the city of Milwaukee and many surrounding suburbs. By federal law, the sewerage district is allowed six overflows per year. The district has been able to capture and clean an average of 98.6% of wastewater since 1994. A combined sewer overflow discharge point along the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee. Milwaukee's combined sewage system carries both stormwater and wastewater through the same pipes. During heavy rains, if water reclamation facilities and tunnels reach capacity, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District must discharge untreated water into the rivers and Lake Michigan to prevent backups into homes and businesses. So far this year, the sewerage district has treated nearly all of the wastewater. In March, about 9,600 gallons of wastewater were accidentally released into Lincoln Creek near North 32nd Street and West Hampton Avenue in Milwaukee. The incident happened when workers with Veolia Water Milwaukee mistakenly discharged the wastewater into a storm sewer instead of a sanitary sewer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, there was one combined sewer overflow in April when 357 million gallons of untreated wastewater were released into local rivers and Lake Michigan. The sewerage district is taking environmentally friendly steps to prevent overflows and capture more rainfall by restoring habitat and installing green infrastructure throughout the area it serves. Green infrastructure helps nature do its job by absorbing and storing rain and melting snow. It protects against flooding and excessive heat as well as improves air, soil and water quality, which can help the city better adapt to a changing climate. Residents can sign up for alerts to learn when overflows are happening by texting WATERDROP to 414-296-4422. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MMSD asks residents to cut water use to avoid sewer overflow At Mobile World Congress, the telecom industry trade show held each March in Barcelona, AI agents were everywhere. Or rather, signs touting AI agents were everywhere. At the Google Cloud stand, telecom execs could watch demos showcasing how easily companies can build custom AI agents. At Microsofts stand, it was the same story. Qualcomms highlighted its on-device agentic AI. It was a similar scene in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerlandwhere signs pitching tech companies agentic AI offerings practically obscured the view of the surrounding snowcapped mountains. In fact, almost every place tech companies come to market their wares these days turns into an AI-agent fest. Theres simply no buzzier topic in tech and business right now. AI agents are supposed to be what finally delivers AIs long-promised productivity gains. Its still early days, and businesses are being cautious, partly because AI agents carry more risks than other AI products. But if deployment ramps up rapidly, as many analysts expect, AI agents could radically transform how people workand possibly lead to millions of jobs being cut. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But what are AI agents, and is the hype around them deserved? For starters, there is no agreed-upon definition of an AI agentwhich is convenient if you want to claim to be selling one. But generally, its an AI-powered system that can complete tasks using other software tools. These systems have a generative-AI model at their core, but they can do more than the AI model can in isolation. A gen-AI model may be able to suggest an itinerary for an upcoming vacation. An AI agent could do that, too, but then actually make the bookings and reservations for you. This is obviously a more difficult task that involves multiple steps and use of the internetand, to do well, quite a bit of reasoning. This kind of automation is a perennial C-suite fever dream. Over the past decade, companies embraced robotic process automation, or RPA. This was software that could automate repetitive tasks, such as cutting and pasting between database programs. But traditional RPA systems are inflexible and unable to deal with exceptions, and can usually handle only one narrow task. RPA didnt deliver what businesses wanted, says Amit Zavery, president of business software company ServiceNow, which is betting big on agents. He says agentic AI is different: It can be flexible and adapt to how businesses want to operate. The U.S. market for AI agents is expected to reach $7.6 billion this year, according to Grand View Research, and that figure is growing at 46% annually. But those numbers likely underestimate the total impact. Consultants at McKinsey say AI could eventually unlock as much as $4.4 trillion in annual corporate productivity gainswith much of that coming from agentic AI. For the moment, however, adoption remains nascent. The AI-agent discussion is a mix of hype and real technical progress, says Ruchir Puri, chief scientist of IBM Research. Meanwhile, Craig Le Clair, an analyst at research firm Forrester and the author of Random Acts of Automation, a book about the coming world of AI agents, says there are many agent-ish offerings, but few are truly autonomous agents that can adjust their approach to a task on the fly in response to changing conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For now, agents are mostly being used for customer service and resolving internal IT support requests. Theyre not yet good enough, however, to fully automate tasks like writing and debugging software, Puri says. Because agents can take action, such as managing critical databases and engaging in financial transactions, the stakes are high if things go wrong. Big companies are therefore cautious about embracing the technology. Still, agents are creeping into many domainsfrom helping onboard new employees to assisting lawyers to find and update language in contracts. In a pilot project, McKinsey built an AI agent using Microsofts Copilot Studio software that can monitor an email address for incoming project proposals from potential clients. When one arrives in the inbox, the agent automatically assesses the job, estimating the staffing requirements, time to completion, and budget. It even suggests which available consultants should do the job. A human still must check what the agent produces, of course, but the technology has cut the time required to scope out a project from 20 days on average to just two days. Double Agent Spending on AI agents is soaring, but many fear they will kill jobs 32% Share of workers who believe AI will lead to fewer jobs $7.6 billion Expected U.S. spending on AI agents this year Sources: Pew Research Center; Grand View Research What impact will AI agents have on workers? I think it will be really disruptive, Le Clair says. He knows of one Netherlands-based insurance company that had 15 contractors in Bulgaria helping to process claims-related emails. The contractors determined whether an email was about a new claim or an existing one, and made sure any information, including attachments, was uploaded to the appropriate databases. AI agents now do this workand the company fired all the Bulgarian contractors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But such cases may be the exception, at least for now. A recent study by two senior Bank for International Settlements advisors found AI agents underwhelming. While able to perform narrow tasks well, they lack the self-awareness to know when they have gone wrong and change course in light of evidence, the researchers wrote. People make mistakes, too, but theyre better at spotting and correcting their errors. Of course, AI companies are racing to overcome these limitations. The new wave of reasoning models from the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic, Googles DeepMind, and Chinese startup DeepSeek excel at making step-by-step plans and have some ability to reflect on these plans and make corrections. Adam Evans, the executive vice president heading up Salesforces AI efforts, says its latest AI agents, released in March, are starting to incorporate some reasoning capabilities. The company is also working on ways to help businesses orchestrate multiple agents to handle more complex tasks. So, while most of our jobs are probably safe for the next year or two, we may all soon find ourselves shouting that old Hollywood shibbolethCall my agent!to renegotiate our employment contracts. This article appears in the April/May 2025 issue of Fortune with the headline "AI agents are here. How afraid should workers be?" This story was originally featured on Fortune.com On March 31, the Mexican government reported the seizure of 10 million liters of diesel stored on the land of a freight company in the city of Altamira, Tamaulipas, in the northeast of the country. This was part of a multi-site operation carried out at two locations in the city and in the neighboring port of Tampico, where authorities impounded a ship. This is the second massive seizure of contraband fuel in just a few days, following the confiscation of another eight million liters of diesel last week in Ensenada, Baja California. With these blows, Claudia Sheinbaums security cabinet is flexing its muscles, particularly the navy, which in recent weeks has also carried out two major operations against drug trafficking networks operating in the country. This weekend, a boat was intercepted near Acapulco, Guerrero, carrying 1.8 tons of cocaine. A month ago, the navy similarly intercepted a boat off the coast of Oaxaca carrying 1.9 tons of the drug. In the six months of Sheinbaums administration, authorities have seized nearly 30 tons of cocaine at sea. All of these actions have occurred around U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noems visit to Mexico, the first by a senior official in Donald Trumps administration. Noem met with Sheinbaum at the National Palace last Friday, days before the tariffs on automotive products were due to go into effect on April 2. Among other things, the two ratified a memorandum of understanding between the customs agencies of both countries, an agreement that aims, among other things, to improve cooperation against smuggling. The vessel intercepted Monday, related to the fuel seizure, had set sail from Texas. The vessel from which 10 million liters of contraband diesel were seized in Tampico, March 31. SEDENA The recent seizures represent a blow to the criminal groups dedicated to stealing fuel, a practice known as huachicol, directly from Pemex pipelines or smuggled from the United States. Given the scale and locations where the seizures have been recorded, it appears to be the latter modality: smuggling from the U.S., also known as fiscal huachicol. The mafias, allied with customs personnel, smuggle fuel into Mexico undeclared, aiming to avoid taxes, a practice that, according to the National Organization of Petroleum Exporters, amounts to around 1 billion pesos (around $49 million) daily. Reports of fiscal fuel theft along the northern border, especially in Tamaulipas, have been ongoing for some time, and extend beyond the changing of the guard at customs, now in the hands of the army and navy, between late 2020 and early 2021. The operations of recent days, especially Mondays, led by the navy, seek to change perceptions on this matter, in a context of constant negotiations with the U.S. government on security and migration issues, as evidenced by Noems visit, or the various trips of Mexican security czar Omar Garcia Harfuch north of the Rio Grande. These two operations go beyond the seizure of fuel, as they appeared to also dismantle part of the logistical structure of the criminal networks behind it. In Mondays operation, authorities seized the aforementioned vessel, as well as 192 containers, 23 tractor-trailers, various firearms, and ammunition, according to a statement from the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection. In the Ensenada operation, authorities seized 100 container-type boxes, 46 tanker trailers, 19 tractor-trailers of various models, and 12 motor pumps. The security cabinets work on this matter puts the spotlight on the customs agency, headed by a civilian, Rafael Marin Mollinedo, but operated by the military. Businesspeople in the industry who have denounced corruption at the agency in recent years, such as Julio Almanza, president of the Tamaulipas State Federation of Chambers of Commerce, have been murdered. Almanza, who worked in Matamoros, had always criticized the agencys corruption, which has always been linked to fuel theft, and he was killed in July last year. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition There are signs that a new AIM-120E variant of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) may now be in development. Hints that work on the AIM-120E is underway came after the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) put out a notice yesterday regarding a sole-source contract that it had awarded to Raytheon (now formally known as RTX) earlier in March. Raytheon is the current prime contractor for the AIM-120 family, the newest known variant of which is the AIM-120D-3. Within the U.S. military, the U.S. Air Force is the lead service for the joint AMRAAM program. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are also users of these combat-proven missiles. A US Navy F/A-18 fires an AIM-120 during a test. Raytheon The deal in question, valued at just under $95 million if all options are exercised, is for the procurement of the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) Risk Reduction Processor Upgrade for Mission Alliance Risk Reduction, according to AFLCMC. No further details about this particular upgrade were provided in the notice, and it appears to be unrelated to any forthcoming AIM-120E variant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raytheon will produce and sustain the AIM-120 missile variants and associated configurations for US customers, and variants/associated configurations authorized for release to Foreign Military Sales (FMS), notes a redacted Justification & Approval (J&A) document that AFLCMC released along with the contract award announcement and that dates back to 2018. This J&A excludes any potential next generation variants developed after the AIM-120D (i.e. AIM-120E and beyond). In many cases, U.S. military contracting offices (and those elsewhere across the U.S. government) must justify the need for a sole-source contract and receive approval before moving ahead without a traditional competitive bidding process. TWZ reached out to AFLCMC earlier today to clarify whether the AIM-120E designation mentioned in the J&A document reflected a real development effort and, if so, what that might entail, or if this was simply a notional designation for a future AMRAAM variant. We dont have any details that we can provide at this time, an AFLCMC spokesperson told us flatly in response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether or not any future AIM-120E variant might represent a substantial departure from existing AIM-120s is unknown. The Air Force, as well as the Navy, are now required by law to explore whether extended-range variants or derivatives of the AIM-120 and the AIM-9X Sidewinder could help both services meet their future air-to-air missile needs. AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles on a trailer. USAF In particular, a new longer-range version of the AMRAAM could help bridge the gap between existing types and large-scale fielding of the forthcoming AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). The AIM-260 will have the same general form factor as the AIM-120, in large part to make it easier for existing F-22 Raptors and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to carry them in their internal bays. As of 2019, the goal was for JATM to start entering service in 2022. However, there are no indications that this has occurred despite continued active testing of the missile, including live-fire shots. A rendering of the AIM-260 that the US Air Force has confirmed reflects the real design now in development. USN The Navy has also now fielded, at least on a limited level, another very-long-range air-to-air missile, the AIM-174B, which is an air-launched version of the multi-purpose surface-launched Standard Missile-6 (SM-6). You can learn more about the AIM-174B here. Both the AIM-260 and AIM-174B are highly classified, and additional U.S. military air-to-air missile development work is likely to be ongoing in that realm, as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its also worth noting that Raytheon has already developed an AMRAAM-Extended Range (AMRAAM-ER) derivative, which combines elements of the AIM-120 and the surface-to-air RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM). The AMRAAM-ER, which has also sometimes been referred to by the designation AIM-120ER, was designed for surface-to-air use as part of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). Raytheon developed NASAMS, which can fire regular AIM-120s, as well as AIM-9Xs and IRIS-T missiles, together with Norways Kongsberg Defense. The idea of an air-launched AMRAAM-ER was put forward at least as far back as 2021, but what progress, if any, may have been made since then in turning that concept into a reality is unclear. What changes would be required to allow for the missile to be internally carried by a stealthy jet like an F-35 is also not clear. The speed and altitude of an aerial launch platform offer benefits when firing any missile, especially when it comes to range and end-game kinematic performance. Extending the air-to-air reach of U.S. combat aircraft is a particular priority at present. Chinas development of increasingly longer-range air-to-air missiles was a key factor in the decision to start developing the AIM-260. There are concerns now that anti-air missiles with ranges of up to 1,000 miles could be part of the threat ecosystem facing U.S. forces by 2050. When the baseline AIM-120D variant arrived in the mid-2010s, it already offered a significant boost in capability over previous AIM-120 types, including greater range and a two-way datalink with third-party targeting capabilities. In 2021, an F-15C Eagle fighter shot down a target drone with an AIM-120D in what the Air Force described at the time as the longest known air-to-air missile shot to date. An F-15C Eagle fires an AMRAAM. USAF The AIM-120D-3 version offers further improvements, including enhanced seeker performance, and incorporates a new System Improvement Program 3F (SIP-3F) operational flight software upgrade. You can read more about the D-3 here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple follow-on SIPs are planned to provide AIM-120D-3 updates to enhance missile performance and resolve deficiencies, the Pentagons Office of the Director of Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) said in its most recent annual report, which it released in January. A SIP-4 upgrade is already in the works for the D-3, the report notes. Further SIP software updates and other more incremental improvements could be enough to warrant a new designation. The original AIM-120D evolved from a subvariant upgrade effort for the AIM-120C. The AIM-120C-8 subvariant that was subsequently developed for export customers is also understood to have capabilities that are very close to that of the baseline D version. Raytheon The Air Force even just talking about the potential for an AIM-120E variant as far back as 2018 underscores the expectation that versions of the AIM-120 will remain in service for decades to come, even with the introduction of new missiles like the AIM-174B and the future AIM-260. Still-expanding exports of AMRAAMs for air-to-air and air-to-surface use, including now to Ukraine, are also likely to continue driving interest in further improving the design. Whatever the current state of any work on an AIM-120E variant might be, AMRAAM is already a key component of the United States air-to-air arsenal, as well as that of many of its allies and partners. Contact the author: joe@twz.com A fight in the air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport, or DCA, in the Washington, D.C., area led to an employee being arrested and charged with assault. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said in a statement to ABC News that police arrested Damon Marsalis Gaines last week after reports of a fight breaking out in the airport's control tower. Gaines, 40, was ultimately charged with assault and battery, officials said. PHOTO: The air traffic control tower at the Reagan National Airport on February 03, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) MORE: DC plane crash: A timeline of the deadly collision Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that Gaines was put on administrative leave while the agency investigates the incident. Further details about what led to the fight have yet to be released. MORE: Pilots warned of safety concerns at Reagan National Airport for decades The arrest at DCA comes months after the deadly mid-air collision between a regional jet and an Army Blackhawk Helicopter that left 70 dead. Sixty-seven people were on the American Airlines plane, which departed from Wichita, Kansas on Jan. 29 and three Army soldiers were aboard the helicopter, which was on a training flight at the time, officials said. ABC News' Clara McMichael contributed to this report. Air traffic control room fight at Reagan National Airport leads to arrest originally appeared on abcnews.go.com HONOLULU (KHON2) Workers at Romanos Macaroni Grill at Ala Moana said they were surprised when they showed up to work on March 21 and were locked out. There were chains on the door, no notice, nothing, said one employee that KHON2 spoke to outside the unemployment office on Punchbowl Monday afternoon. Honolulu introduces new emergency alert system There were court papers on the door saying the restaurant has been seized and we can no longer work until the issue is resolved, the 16-year employee said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 10 tips foreign tourists need to know before visiting Hawaii amid mass travel warnings Workers say it all appears to stem from a legal battle. Court records show an ongoing 10-month litigation between the new Macaroni Grill owner, the previous owner and Ala Moana Shopping Center. 7 clues revealed by Hawaiis ancient glaciers, the Pacifics only subtropical glacial formations According to court documents, Ala Moana Center was seeking backpay in rent to the previous owner back in May 2024. The documents state the previous owner owed $178,405.04 in rent and legal fees. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Court documents show the new owner paid his rent and is going through litigation with the former owner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 6 things to know about Hawaiis tilt toward gambling Its a legal battle that has left the employees wondering if theyll be able to go back to work, or need to find new jobs. Firewise Hawaii: 10 tips going into the summer months Were just workers, the employee said. The issue between ownership and the mall has nothing to do with the workers, we just wanted a few minutes to go in and grab our personal items. He said employees want to grab things like tip money, knives, and work shoes. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news We have families to feed, bills to pay, were not looking for trouble, we just want this issue resolved so we can move on with our lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The HR representative for Manna Restaurant Group shared a letter to KHON2 that was sent to the Governor as well, urging an investigation into the lockout. In part, the letter reads: On Friday, March 21, the management of Ala Moana Center took the drastic step of chaining the doors of our establishment, leaving our dedicated employees in a state of shock and uncertainty. Many of them arrived for their scheduled shifts only to find the doors locked, with no explanation provided. In response, we filed an injunction on Monday; however, after a week has passed, there has been no progress toward reopening the restaurant. Skateboarder, 38, killed in crash involving two vehicles Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is particularly concerning that the writ filed addresses the previous owners of the restaurant, and it has come to our attention that this writ was not served by a sheriff, raising questions about the legitimacy of the lockout and the processes being followed. This situation has caused immense distress for our employees, who rely on their jobs to support themselves and their families. They are left in limbo, uncertain about their futures and without the means to earn a living. It is disheartening to witness such treatment of hardworking individuals during what should be a collaborative and respectful business environment. We urge you to investigate this matter with urgency and advocate for a resolution that prioritizes the well-being of our employees and ensures that their rights are upheld. The community depends on businesses like ours, and it is crucial that we stand together to protect the rights and livelihoods of those who work tirelessly to serve our patrons. KHON2 reached out to Ala Moana Center and has not yet heard back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said in an email that concerns regarding property access may involve private lease agreements and legal matters and employees may need to consult an attorney or seek assistance from law enforcement if they are being denied access to personal belongings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Rep. Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, making notes in the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee on April 1, 2025, in the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. The committee unanimously approved the 2026 General Fund, which Reynolds sponsors, on Tuesday. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee Tuesday unanimously approved a $3.7 billion General Fund budget for 2026 on Tuesday morning, a $347.9 million (10%) increase over the current years budget. The House Ways and Means General Fund Committees approved budget is about $6 million higher than Gov. Kay Iveys recommendation. Chairman Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, said the proposed budget reduced Alabama Medicaid by $5 million and the Alabama Department of Mental Healths allocation by $3.7 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reynolds said the decrease was removing one-time appropriations to those agencies that are no longer needed. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Dont read anything into that. They absolutely still need the money, Reynolds said. We just worked with those agencies and well spread that allocation out over 2026 and 2027. The representative said most of those funds came from COVID appropriations that are going away, but the state would likely increase those agencies budgets next year. The Department of Commerces budget will be cut by $10 million from 2025 to 2026. The committee substitute and Iveys recommendation cut funding for every line item under the department completely except for the Port of Mobile. That appropriation decreased from $5 million to $3 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We anticipate that to be an annual line item going forward in our General Fund budget, Reynolds said. Rep. A.J. McCampbell, D-Linden, brought up the $350,000 difference in the budgets for each of the legislative chambers. The Alabama Senate is set to receive $300,000 for reapportionment litigation expenses. Im just trying to get an understanding why, if the budget starts here, why do they get more? McCampbell asked. Reynolds said that it was no different than the 2025 budget. He said the additional $300,000 is for the congressional redistricting trial. He said the funds could be used for paying attorneys or for a potential settlement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When they come out of that, we may have to redraw them and theres a big cost associated with that, Reynolds said in an interview. HB 186 is expected to receive a vote in the House on Thursday, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) An Alabama judge ruled on Monday that a police officer did not prove that he was acting in self-defense when he shot an armed Black man who was standing in his own front yard, after body camera footage revealed the officer firing 18 bullets less than two seconds after identifying himself as law enforcement. Mac Marquette, 25, is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Steve Perkins shortly before 2 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2023, while accompanying a tow-truck driver to repossess Perkins pickup truck at his home in Decatur. Morgan County circuit judge Charles Elliott denied Marquette's motion to dismiss the case in a self-defense immunity hearing. The new trial date is set for June, but the defense can appeal Elliott's decision with the state appellate court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alabamas stand your ground law grants immunity from prosecution to any individual who uses deadly force as long as they are in a place they have a right to be and reasonably believe they are in danger. Elliott wrote that the jury will have to consider whether Marquette was acting in his capacity as a police officer when he shot Perkins. It is on this hinge that the door of this case swings, he said. Tow-truck driver Caleb Combs was authorized by Perkins creditor to repossess the truck because Perkins was months behind on his payments, according to lien documents entered into evidence. But the ruling said that Marquette wasnt authorized to assist Combs based on an Alabama law that requires a court order for law enforcement to be involved in a repossession, which the officers didn't have. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge heard conflicting testimony in an earlier hearing about why Marquette and the two other officers, Joey Williams and Christopher Mukadam, were at Perkins' house in the first place. Marquette, Mukadam and Williams were dispatched to help Combs after Perkins pointed a gun at his chest when the tow-truck driver first tried to take Perkins' vehicle, according to testimony from Williams and Mukadam. Combs met the officers at a nearby tow-yard. Combs waited for the three officers to set up covertly around Perkins' house before Combs' returned to repossess Perkins' vehicle for a second time. All three officers were intentionally hidden from Perkins front door when Combs returned and Perkins again emerged from his house with his gun, pointing it at Combs. Body camera footage revealed that Marquette unloaded all the bullets in his gun less than two seconds after he emerged from where he was hiding on the side of Perkins' house. Even then, the judge wrote, Marquette was partially obstructed by the bed of Perkins truck. Perkins turned to face Marquette, and briefly tried to move his gun away from the officer before Marquette started shooting, according to Elliott. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before Combs returned to Perkins house, the order said that the officers should have told Combs that he could take whoever he wanted with him to assist with the repossession, but it could not be law enforcement without judicial process. Both officers who were with Marquette testified that they were there to keep the peace and to investigate Perkins for pulling a gun on Combs, which could be a misdemeanor charge of menacing if Combs had decided to press charges. The state agent who investigated the case testified that it was standard practice for officers to accompany people to help maintain order. But he also said that typically visibility is required to keep the peace, and that the way that the officers set up was unusual for investigating menacing because it is a method typically used for an active crime scene." Because there was no active crime scene when the officers arrived, Elliott ruled that Marquette was acting outside of the scope of his authority to investigate a menacing allegation and was therefore a trespasser when he waited outside of Perkins house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elliott said that the jury will have to decide whether Marquette was at Perkins' house to keep the peace. Based on that determination, the ruling read, the jury will have to decide both whether that means Marquette was acting within the scope of his responsibilities as a police officer, and whether a reasonable officer would have killed Perkins in the same situation. ___ Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. The state of Alabama cannot prosecute groups that help people leave the state for an abortion, a federal judge ruled late Monday. The decision one of the first to explicitly address abortion-related travel marks a significant victory for abortion providers and supporters. If the case is appealed, which it almost certainly will be, it will go to the Atlanta-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, half of whose members were appointed by President Donald Trump. If upheld, Alabamas policy would have violated the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment and its protection of peoples right to travel, Judge Myron H. Thompson wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case concerns statements made by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who threatened to leverage the states criminal conspiracy laws to prosecute people or organizations if they help Alabama residents travel elsewhere for an abortion. Marshall has not filed any lawsuits, but the threat has deterred some reproductive health providers from telling patients about options outside of Alabama, which has a near-total abortion ban in place. It has also stopped abortion funds, nonprofits that help cover the travel and medical costs associated with abortion, from supporting them. That should change, at least for now, said Meagan Burrows, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented two reproductive health clinics among the plaintiffs in the case. The courts decision today should send a strong message to any and all anti-abortion politicians who are considering similar efforts to muzzle health care providers or penalize those who assist others in crossing state lines to obtain legal abortion: Such attacks on free speech and the fundamental right to travel fly in the face of the Constitution and cannot stand, Burrows said. Health care providers in Alabama said they were preparing to start informing patients about their options for out-of-state abortions which they had previously not been able to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are relieved that, with todays ruling, we will once again be able to provide our patients and the communities we serve with the assistance that we feel ethically obligated to provide, without the threat of being thrown in jail for doing so, said Dr. Yashica Robinson, medical director of the West Alabama Womens Center. The right to travel between states is protected by the U.S. Constitution. In a concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, the case that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh explicitly argued that states could not outlaw traveling between them. The Alabama case drew federal attention. The Alabama AGs threatened criminal prosecutions violate a bedrock principle of American constitutional law: states cannot punish their residents for traveling to another state to engage in conduct that is lawful in that state, the Justice Department argued in a legal filing submitted August 19 under former President Joe Biden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Travel for abortion has soared since the Dobbs ruling. In 2023, the first full calendar year without Roes protections, almost 200,000 people traveled to another state for an abortion, according to the nonpartisan Guttmacher Institute, one of the nations largest reproductive health research organizations. The journey can be expensive and confusing for patients, who are often working on a tight timeline while navigating abortion laws in nearby states, figuring out which clinics have availability and finding the money for the procedure and travel. Pregnant patients have increasingly relied on support from clinics and abortion funds. Still, abortion opponents, troubled by the rise in travel, have sought new ways to deter people from seeking care out of state generally by targeting the organizations and individuals who support them. So far, these legal efforts have not stopped people from traveling for abortions. In Texas, some counties have passed ordinances that would outlaw using a particular road to transport someone out of state for an abortion, but this kind of ordinance is difficult to enforce and has not directly resulted in any lawsuits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some opponents have also attempted to use legal filings as an intimidation tactic, using them to seek information about abortion funds and other individuals who help people travel. Funds have challenged these efforts in court and refused to comply. The Texas legislature is also debating a bill that would criminalize giving people money they could use to travel out of state for abortions, a provision aimed at abortion funds. Idaho and Tennessee have passed laws targeting abortion-related travel for minors by threatening prison time for those who help them leave the state if they dont have a parents consent. In December a federal appeals court allowed Idahos law to take effect; Tennessees has been blocked by a separate judge. Still, attempts to limit travel can have a chilling effect, deterring people who are afraid of incurring legal risk. For now, abortion funds have continued to help pay for peoples travel. In fact, some are running low on money because so many people are crossing state lines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The post Alabama cant prosecute groups helping people travel out of state for abortions appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter. An alleged gang member given protected status was mistakenly deported and cannot be brought back, the Trump administration argued in a court filing. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorian national who lives in the United States was extradited to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act. Mr Abrego Garcia was granted permission to remain in America in 2019, despite a judge saying that he was likely part of the MS-13 gang, an allegation he and his attorney deny. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official admitted the removal was an error that was done in good faith, and they cannot get him back because he is in Salvadorian custody. Mr Abrego Garcia, a married father who lived in Baltimore, Maryland, was sent to the notorious CECOT prison, which was recently visited by homeland security chief Kristi Noem. Guards transfer deportees to CECOT prison - El Salvador presidential press office The mistake emerged in a legal case filed by the family of Mr Abrego Garcia, a sheet metal working apprentice who has a disabled five-year-old child with his wife, who are both US citizens. This was an oversight Mr Abrego Garcias case appears to be the only confirmed erroneous deportation so-far. Critics and campaigners claim other men who were removed under the act were done so in error or illegally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a court filing in Maryland, the US government said: On March 15, although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error. This was an oversight, and the removal was carried out in good faith based on the existence of a final order of removal and Abrego Garcias purported membership in MS-13. Mr Abrego Garcia has been in the US since 2011 and in 2019 an immigration judge denied him bond, partly because he was suspected to be a member of MS-13, the brutal transnational gang. Court filings state an ICE informant at the time had said he was an active part of the criminal gang. The ruling was contested by Mr Abrego Garcia. His attorney denies any ties to the gang. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the same judge also ruled that he could not be deported to El Salvador because he had a credible fear he could be persecuted should he return. Grotesque display of power Mr Abrego Garcias family said in their lawsuit that he was deported without any pretence of a legal basis whatsoever. They claimed that he had been sent to a torture centre, referring to the CECOT prison, and said that this grotesque display of power without law is abhorrent to our entire system of justice. In a post on X, JD Vance, the vice-president, said the deportation was justified. In response to a question from Jon Favreau, the host of Left-wing podcast Pod Save America, Mr Vance wrote: Its gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimise. 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. Some organisms mutate radically in order to survive. The current National Rally (RN), for example, a political entity founded 56 years ago as the National Front by former members of the SS, a handful of anti-Semitic collaborators and former OAS terrorists the organization opposed to the French exit from Algeria that tried to assassinate President Charles de Gaulle is today a mainstream political party. But the road to so-called normalization has been plagued by resignations and in-fighting. After denying its origins, expelling its founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and rebranding itself as pro-Israel, the party could now complete its transformation by eliminating the Le Pen name from its ranks. The far-right party suffered its biggest blow to date on March 31 when its leader, Marine Le Pen, was sentenced to four years in prison with two of those years suspended and two to be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet and a five-year ban on running for election. Should the appeals she will file fail or be resolved too late, Le Pen will be out of the 2027 electoral race, just when she was closest to achieving the long-held family dream of moving into the Elysee Palace. In the event, the figure of Jordan Bardella, 29, her protege and president of the RN, will be propelled to the fore, a radical change for a party based largely on family ties, whether blood or sentimental. We are a political party and to nominate a candidate there has to be a congress. But if Marine has chosen him, he cant be left in the gutter in case he has to run, Louis Aliot, vice president of the party and ex-partner of Le Pen, told EL PAIS after being convicted along with Le Pen. Born in Drancy, northeast of Paris, Bardellas career has been defined by his political boss and mentor, but his exaggerated youth also allows him to dissociate himself from that past. A skilled politician with no great knowledge of anything in particular, he was not even born when Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marines grossly anti-Semitic father, called the gas chambers a mere detail of World War II. He was seven in 2002 when the then-party leader succeeded in qualifying the RN for the presidential runoff, which he ended up losing massively to Jacques Chirac. You look to the past. I look to the future, Bardella has consistently responded to those who question the origins of the RN. At the age of 22, he was already its spokesman; at 23, he was at the head of the list for the European elections; and he has been president of the party since he was 26. Jordan Bardella, in Brussels in 2024. Jean-Francois Badias (AP) Excessive youth Bardella is very young, even according to Marine Le Pen, who was thinking he would be succeeding her further down the road. Two weeks ago, in an interview in Le Figaro, she revealed what she would do if she was not elected President of the Republic in the 2027 presidential elections. This will be my last campaign, she explained. Then, smiling, she added: In 2032, Jordan will be 36 years old. That is to say, by then he would be old enough and experienced enough to be the RN candidate. Not now. A boy from a humble family whose narrative is one of self-improvement, Bardella published an autobiography this year that has become a bestseller, promoted by the Fayard publishing house. He is the ideal candidate according to a sector of the French conservative establishment, which views him as the perfect figure to bring together the entire right wing, not unlike Giorgia Meloni in Italy. Having spent months meeting with businesspeople and players in the global economy, Bardella would be the presentable face of the far right and has the support of the main conservative media in France. Le Pens protegee is more than acceptable to the liberal right traditionally put off by Marine Le Pens aggression. Political scientist and expert on European nationalist movements Jean-Yves Camus believes that Bardellas political drift is both an advantage and a disadvantage. An advantage, because it is perhaps a point in his favor among disappointed Republican voters [the traditional right-wing party], who are looking for a more liberal stance on economic issues. However, among populist voters, it would be a disadvantage because Le Pen has always responded to their demand for a social state. In other words, Le Pen is not at all like Donald Trump, who seeks to dismantle the state and the entire social protection system, he notes. Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, in 2024. NurPhoto (NurPhoto via Getty Images) An Odoxa poll for the Public Senat and the regional press, published on March 31 before Le Pens conviction, revealed that 60% of RN supporters prefer Bardella over Le Pen (32%). Among the French as a whole, the RN president gets 31%, compared to 16% for Le Pen. Even more significant: only 3% of RN supporters believe that Le Pens conviction will be a handicap while 69% consider that Le Pens disqualification will be neither a plus nor a minus. And within this group, 25% believe that her disqualification might actually be a good thing because it would allow the party to turn the page on Le Pen and present Bardella in 2027. Having headed the list in the last legislative elections with 11 million votes, Bardella wanted to show his absolute loyalty to Le Pen on March 31, noting that she was the partys best candidate. The conviction with provisional execution of Marine Le Pen, which prevents her from being a candidate in 2027, is a democratic scandal, he wrote on X, launching a request for a peaceful demonstration on her behalf. Bardellas only problem is that he is yet to convince the old guard. Ironically, his main competition might come again from within the Le Pen family. Marion Marechal, Le Pens niece, turned her back on the party and joined Reconquista, the ultra-formation created by Eric Zemmour which fell apart. Now, it looks as though she might return to the fold to claim her inheritance. As Jean-Maries favorite granddaughter, she seems the only one capable right now of disputing Bardellas succession. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Allegheny County Sheriffs Office is honoring one of their K9s who just retired. K9 Zeke retired Friday after seven years on the force. He joined the sheriffs office in 2018 and officials say his bomb detection training kept him busy responding to threats at various facilities and participating in multiple gun searches. On top of his hard work, Zeke was also loved by the community for the hundreds of outreach projects he was a part of. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To know that Zeke and Deputy Perrier worked not only on behalf of the citizens of Allegheny County, but also throughout southwestern Pennsylvania is a testament to their skills as a team and a validation of the crucial role that K9s play in this office and throughout law enforcement, Sheriff Kraus said. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Ukraine's allies must impose stricter measures on Russia "sooner than later" to prevent Moscow from dragging out peace talks and escalating its demands, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told The Kyiv Independent on April 1. "So, in purpose to cut this trend, in purpose to stop this scenario, we have to show and introduce the hard measures sooner than later," Budrys said. His remarks come amid U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite Trump's mediation, Moscow rejected a full 30-day ceasefire agreed upon between Ukraine and the U.S. in Jeddah on March 11, demanding concessions that would weaken Kyiv's defenses, including halting foreign military aid. Although Washington managed to secure a partial ceasefire, Russia went on to strike energy infrastructure in Kherson on March 27, contradicting its own claims that it would refrain from such attacks. Budrys stressed that Western powers must apply direct pressure to force Moscow to negotiate in good faith. "We haven't seen in history that Russia, without exact pressure, would agree on anything," he said. While Trump has floated the idea of additional sanctions and tariffs on Russian oil, he has yet to take concrete action. Budrys called for setting deadlines to prevent Russia from prolonging negotiations and insisted that the West's commitment to Ukraine must remain firm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Now we are pressed in time, and we are pressed in the demand, and it is needed more from Europe to do now. Because we cannot rely, as the U.S. administration is showing us, so much on American capabilities," Budrys added. While the U.S. refuses to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, several European nations have been preparing plans to send troops to Ukraine as part of a "reassurance force" in case a ceasefire is reached. France is advocating for a European-led deployment along the Dnipro River, according to an unnamed French official cited by the Associated Press. Other proposals include stationing forces in western Ukraine or a neighboring country. French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed for the mission even without U.S. involvement, while U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged European allies to secure U.S. backing before moving forward. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. House Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, announces the GOP income tax reform legislation surrounded by House and Senate Republicans at the South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Photo by Travis Bell/STATEHOUSE CAROLINA/Special to the SC Daily Gazette) Editors note: This article has been updated following the bills advancement. COLUMBIA Legislation touted by GOP leaders as making South Carolinas tax code appear more competitive by making it fair and flat would require most tax filers to pay more initially, according to an analysis by state fiscal experts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill easily advanced Tuesday to the full House Ways and Means Committee. An income tax shift The bill proposes collapsing SCs three tax brackets to a flat 3.99% in 2026. How that would shift the liability for tax filings due in spring 2027: 19.4% would see a collective decrease of $1.16 billion 21.2% of tax filers would see no change 59.4% would see a collective increase of $938.7 million Source: S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office It is a conservative revolution of our income tax system, Rep. Brandon Newton, R-Lancaster, said ahead of his subcommittees unanimous vote of Republicans. The panels two Democrats did not attend the hearing. The bill could reach the House floor as early as next week, he said. The goal Collapsing South Carolinas tax brackets into a single flat tax rate of 3.99% in 2026 would reduce state revenues by $216.6 million overall. But the revamp isnt really about cutting taxes at least, not in year one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its about removing what Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister called the states glaring black eye on income taxes: a tax structure that seems to be the highest in the Southeast, even though its not. Despite the Legislatures 2022 law that has cut taxes by $1 billion, this years top marginal rate of 6.2% remains the regions highest number. So, it appears that South Carolinians are taxed higher than residents in nearby states. However, as Bannister explains, thats not accurate. The effective rate what South Carolinians pay is lower. It just doesnt appear that way. The bill would decouple South Carolinas tax code from the federal system and tax adjusted gross income as almost every state with an income tax does, while keeping all of the states existing deductions and exemptions. But untethering from the federal code and its standard deduction means South Carolinians will start their state calculations with more income to report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doing that while collapsing three tax brackets into one allows the state to immediately appear to tax the least in the Southeast other than Tennessee and Florida, which dont have a state income tax even as taxes rise for most South Carolinians. Thats done by broadening and shifting the tax burden: 19.4% of filers would owe less in spring 2027, while a whopping 59.4% of filers would owe more; 21.2% would experience no change, according to the fiscal impact report by the state Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office released ahead of Tuesdays meeting. More people would be contributing to state coffers. Under the proposal, 23% of tax filers would still pay zero in state income taxes. But that compares to roughly 45% currently, according to Revenue and Fiscal Affairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We believe everyone who has sufficient income should pay something for the services of living here in South Carolina, Bannister, R-Greenville, said at Tuesdays meeting. What the analysis shows The fiscal analysis cautions against generalizing who will pay more in what income level or age: The impact on individual taxpayers varies widely within each range depending on the specific tax situation of each tax filer, reads the seven-page summary signed by the offices director, Frank Rainwater. Still, the report provided hard estimates on how many South Carolina taxpayers will pay more versus less and the extent of the swings per taxpayers income levels after all applicable deductions, exemptions and tax credits are applied to reduce their reported earnings. Of the nearly 1.7 million tax filers expected to pay more in state income taxes under the plan, their increase for calendar year 2026 will average $560, with hikes ranging from $98 on the low end of income levels to over $10,000 for taxpayers reporting more than $1 million in adjusted income. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That compares to about 550,000 tax filers who would see an average decrease of $2,110. Several hundred people at the bottom end of the pay scale would see an average decrease of $3,700, while tens of thousands of people reporting $30,000 to $50,000 of income would see a dip of less than $40. On the top end of the scale, roughly 9,900 tax filers reporting more than $1 million would see their income tax liability plummet by an average of $31,000. Gov. Henry McMaster reiterated his support for the bill Tuesday. The rate needs to be flat, broad, low and fair, he told reporters asking about the analysis. We have 40% of our people who dont pay any income tax today under the current system. Everybody ought to pay a little something, at least just to be in South Carolina and enjoy this great state. But nobody should pay an unfair burden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A new personal state adjustment (smaller than the federal standard) would provide a $6,000 deduction for single filers making up to $30,000, then provide some relief up to $40,000 of income. Married couples filing jointly could deduct $12,000 for incomes up to $60,000, with the deduction phasing out at $80,000. Yet, looking at South Carolinians reporting an adjusted gross income between zero and $40,000, nearly 714,400 tax filers will owe more for 2026, while fewer than 20,000 would pay less. Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, said she wants to see more tax relief for working people, to include a tax break for low- and moderate-income workers called an earned income tax credit thats at least partly refundable, meaning it could provide those workers money after they file. We need to be serious about providing tax relief for as many South Carolinians as we can, she said, especially considering public employees could be paying more out of pocket for health care for the first time in 13 years. Thats because the House budget plan does not fully cover employees premium increases for the coming fiscal year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plus, she said, it could be dangerous to the states fiscal health to bet on ever-increasing revenues. Given the chaos at the federal level and uncertainty we may need to tread lightly, said Cobb-Hunter, the Houses longest-serving legislator and first vice-chair of the budget-writing committee. Any tax shift needs to be thoroughly vetted, she said, pointing to the states last huge tax swap as a cautionary example. The 2006 law known by its number, Act 388, increased the state sales tax by a penny on the dollar to reduce homeowners property taxes, creating a host of unintended consequences for real estate, business property taxes, and school district budgets. (And, for years, that extra cent in sales tax didnt cover all the property taxes it was supposed to, requiring the Legislature to use other taxes for the full swap.) Continued cuts The bill promises to keep cutting the tax rate as revenue collections increase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For every year income tax projections rise by 5%, the bill would reduce revenue by another $200 million until the tax rate gets to 2.49%. When and if that happens, then the bill would truly be a tax cut for the overwhelming majority of South Carolinians: More than 77% of tax filers would see a collective decrease in their income taxes of $2.5 billion. Thats compared to what they paid for tax year 2026 after the big revamp; 23% would still see no change whatsoever. After the first-year move to a flat rate, taxes would only go down. That doesnt mean everyone will pay less than they did this year. It means taxes will only go down or stay flat after the reboot. From the change going forward, its a tax decrease, Rainwater said. Rep. Brandon Newton, R-Lancaster, talks to reporters Tuesday, April 1, 2025, after his subcommittee advanced the GOP tax plan. (Photo by Seanna Adcox/SC Daily Gazette) How many years it would take to get to 2.49% would depend on the economy and income growth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked about the likelihood of getting to that number, Newton said, Ill guarantee we get to 2.49%. He couldnt guess how long that might take. He dismissed concerns about an economic slowdown. South Carolinas economy is extremely strong, he said. It isnt slowing down. Rep. Sarita Edgerton, a member of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, argued the state should go to 2.49% immediately for instant relief. The real estate agent said she figured out her familys state income taxes will rise by almost $800 for 2026 under the proposal. I want to see going to 2.49 out of the gate, said the Spartanburg Republican. That would require cutting $2.7 billion from the state budget in a single year. The Freedom Caucus offered amendments during the House budget debate last month that didnt come anywhere close to its own goal of slashing $1 billion. Taxes withheld from paychecks There is another part of the bill that could cause workers to see a bump in their take-home pay. The bill requires the state Department of Revenue to adjust employers withholding tables what businesses are told to withhold from workers paychecks to align with the new tax structure. The state now requires more to be set aside for workers income taxes than is needed, which results in big refunds at tax time. The adjustments would, on average, result in employers setting aside 20% less for state income taxes from workers pay. Its unclear when those adjustments would start maybe sometime next year, maybe not until Jan. 1, 2027. But a full year of those changes would result in all workers across South Carolina collectively getting $1.4 billion more in their take-home pay. Their big, once-a-year refund would go away, but they would see a bump in what goes in their bank accounts every payday, according to Revenue and Fiscal Affairs. Advocates promise to make the Legislatures ruling Republicans feel the pressure to pass the bill. The state chapter of Americans for Prosperity announced last week plans to launch a six figure campaign urging legislators to approve the plan. The groups marketing push will include mailings, as well as online and radio ads and an unmatched grassroots presence going door to door asking residents to call their legislators. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Britains mobile coverage is so patchy that almost half the country struggles to browse the internet, data have revealed. The four mobile network operators have acceptable coverage across just 55pc of the countrys landmass on average, leaving large swathes of the population with sluggish connections, according to figures compiled by mobile data firm Streetwave. The research appears to underscore concerns among Britons that shoddy mobile signal is frustrating consumers and damaging productivity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kester Mann, an analyst at CCS Insight, said the analysis highlights, once again, the disappointing performance of UK mobile networks. He added: This is a combination of several factors, including a lack of investment from the industry, the mandated swap-out of equipment from Huawei, environmental push-back against the deployment of new masts and burdensome planning restrictions. The research found significant disparity between the performance of the UKs four mobile networks. EEs coverage levels were the highest at 69pc, followed by Vodafone at 61pc. O2s acceptable coverage reached just 50pc, while Three lagged well behind on 38pc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overall, however, the results for all providers are below the official data compiled by regulator Ofcom in September stating geographic 4G coverage is in the range of 88pc to 89pc. Sir Terry Matthews, the Welsh billionaire and an investor in Streetwave, said the data were enabling the industry to have a candid conversation around how coverage can be improved in the UK, while empowering consumers to make informed choices about which mobile network best meets their needs. An operator is considered to have acceptable coverage where their network provides users with 5 Mbps download speeds, 2 Mbps upload speeds, and latency below 40ms on any connection ranging from 2G to 5G. These are the speeds at which most mobile functions including browsing the internet, streaming videos and joining conference calls can be carried out. Any drop below this level would be likely to result in a compromised user experience, such as videos buffering and images taking time to load. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The survey was conducted in 113 councils across the UK, representing 37pc of the UKs geography and around 19m people. It was carried out by attaching signal readers to rubbish collection lorries, measuring mobile performance outside virtually every home and business in each council area. Mobile UK, which represents mobile network operators, said it disputed the findings of the research. A spokesman said: While we acknowledge that all models, including our own, involve predictive elements, Streetwaves conclusions are based on an extremely limited dataset, derived from just a third of councils across four nations, and are heavily skewed towards rural, low-population density areas. This significantly restricts its applicability to the broader UK mobile landscape. While we do not agree with these findings it once again puts in sharp focus the need for the Government to better prioritise mobile deployment in its policy making. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Ofcom spokesman said: Streetwaves coverage data isnt directly comparable to ours, which comes from mobile network operators predictions and may not always match peoples real-world experience at a very local level. Were working hard to improve the data we use, and we will relaunch our mobile coverage checker later this year with new and improved information to better reflect what people can expect. Telecoms minister Sir Chris Bryant said: I and many MPs have been worrying about this discrepancy for a long time which is why I have been urging Ofcom to look again at its reporting. Its essential we get this right with the operators so as to deliver a vastly improved service across the nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Poor mobile connectivity has become a major political issue, with MPs lining up to bemoan patchy coverage, especially in rural areas. The first stage of a 1bn government-backed project to stamp out so-called not spots in rural areas has now been completed and a target of reaching 95pc of the UKs landmass with at least one provider by the end of the year has already been met. However, ministers are now discussing watering down the second stage of the programme, the Shared Rural Network, in a move that is likely to anger mobile companies. Vodafone and Three are in the process of combining in a 15bn merger that will create the UKs largest mobile network. The companies have long argued that the tie-up was necessary to upgrade the countrys sluggish 5G connectivity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Angus Hay, the chief executive of Streetwave, said: A collaborative approach is needed to improve mobile connectivity across the UK. This includes continued private and public investment into the networks, as well as local efforts by councils and planning authorities to support infrastructure investments. Our findings raise significant questions around whether there is need for an extension to the Shared Rural Network programme to further support rural communities. 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 21-year-old man who shot a neighbor in a Spanaway cul-de-sac multiple times in what he claimed was the defense of his younger brother was sentenced Friday to eight years in the states custody. Tameron Nelson Rodriguez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Pierce County Superior Court for the July 5, 2023 killing of 23-year-old David Kady. The punishment Judge Philip Thornton imposed was below the standard sentencing range of about 10-18 years of incarceration. Prosecuting Attorneys Office spokesperson Adam Faber said Monday that Rodriguez would go to the custody of the Department of Children, Youth and Families. The defendant was 19 when the shooting occurred. He had no prior criminal history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rodriguezs defense attorney, Michael Stewart, told The News Tribune on Tuesday that Thornton found mitigating circumstances to support a sentence below the standard range. Specifically, Stewart said Thornton found a preponderance of the evidence established that to a significant degree, the victim was an initiator, willing participant, aggressor, or provoker of the incident. Stewart said the court also departed from the standard range based on defense of others and the mitigating factors of youth. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence at the high end of the range. In a sentencing memorandum, deputy prosecuting attorney Matthew Thomas wrote that was warranted because Rodriguez drew a firearm and pursued Kady before shooting him at least three times in the side and back. Rodriguezs younger brother was pepper-sprayed by Kady during the incident, but prosecutors said Rodriguez approached Kady, produced a gun, fired a shot and then chased him before the spray was used. Stewart wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Kady was assaulting the defendants brother when he was shot, and a knife and pepper spray were found by his body. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defense attorney also detailed several prior contacts between Rodriguez, his younger brother and Kady between 2020 and 2022. Those included Kady threatening to stab Rodriguez and a fist fight between Kady, the brother and his friends that left Kadys knuckles bruised and his tooth chipped. The shooting occurred in the 1800 block of 187th Street Court East. According to court records, the defendants younger brother was sitting in a lawn chair at the end of their driveway shortly before 1 a.m. when Kady approached him from the street. Rodriguez was also outside, and a security camera on his familys house showed him position himself behind a column on the porch and remove a gun from a cross-body bag he was wearing. According to prosecutors, the brother stood up, and Kady started walking away from him. Thats when Rodriguez walked into the driveway with his gun in hand. Twelve seconds later, Rodriguez fired a shot, and a second burst of gunfire came 3-4 seconds later. According to court filings from the prosecution and the defense, Kady deployed pepper spray in those intervening seconds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the second burst of gunfire happened, according to prosecutors, Kady was retreating down the street while Rodriguez and his brother followed him. Stewart wrote in a sentencing memorandum that when Kady first approached Rodriguezs brother, Kady said something, and the brother stood up and told him to leave while the man taunted him. While the two argued, Stewart said Rodriguez took out a gun he had for personal protection. Kady then threatened to shank the younger brother, according to Stewart, and Rodriguez fired a warning shot into the air. Rodriguez moved into the street to make sure Kady was leaving when he saw the man reach for his waistband and then pepper-spray his brother. Tameron saw [his brother] immediately react to the assault, Stewart wrote. Tameron fired his weapon in his brothers defense. Mr. Kady dropped to the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rodriguez followed his brother back to his familys house and then ran out of the neighborhood, according to Stewart. He turned himself into authorities two days later. Kady was struck with four bullets including in the neck, lower back and shoulder, according to prosecutors. His parents spoke at Rodriguezs sentencing hearing Friday. In a victim-impact statement also filed with the court, Ken Kady said David was his only child, and his tragic death had caused great suffering. He simply wanted to walk safely through his own neighborhood, Kady wrote. The suffering is immense. In other news out of Superior Court: Man found guilty of domestic-violence murder in University Place A 43-year-old man charged with fatally shooting his 10-year-old sons mother in University Place in the midst of custody issues has been convicted of first-degree murder in a jury trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Duane Dushon Moore was accused of killing Kayla Vallee, 40, on Dec. 9, 2023 in an apartment complex in the 7300 block of 56th Street Court West. According to court records, the trial stretched over two weeks and concluded March 24. The jury began deliberations the next day and reached a verdict the morning of March 26. Aside from the murder conviction, jurors also returned special verdicts finding that Vallee and Moore were intimate partners, that Moore was armed with a firearm when he committed the crime and that it was an aggravated domestic-violence offense. Moore is to be sentenced May 9. Moore and Vallee shared custody of their 10-year-old son. At the time of the murder, their son was living with Moore temporarily. According to previous reporting from The News Tribune, Vallee borrowed her mothers car that morning to drive to the apartment to pick up their son. According to charging documents, they were also supposed to discuss custody arrangements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few hours later, Moore showed up to Vallees mothers home and left the boy and his belongings in the driveway. When Pierce County deputies got access to Moores unit from an apartment manager, they found a bullet on the living room floor and blood on the couch. Vallee was found wrapped in a blanket, reportedly wedged between the couch and a piece of furniture. The Pierce County Medical Examiners Office later determined Vallee died of multiple gunshot wounds. Vallee was a mother to four boys and one daughter, relatives previously told The News Tribune. She worked as a medical dispatcher at the University of Washington and enjoyed helping out on her familys farm in Orting, as well as going to Seattle Kraken games with her loved ones. Man pleads guilty in fatal shooting at Tacoma apartment One of two men accused of murder in the fatal shooting of a 46-year-old man at a Tacoma apartment complex pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser offense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kenneth Wesley Lamar Jr., 30, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the Dec. 20, 2021 killing of Jason Arkell in the citys South End. His co-defendant, Keon Simms, has a trial date in the case for Wednesday, but court records appear to show that the trial will be continued to a later date. Lamar is to be sentenced May 30. According to court records, prosecutors will recommend he be sentenced to time served and 18 months of community custody. He has been in custody since April 2022 when he was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona on an unrelated warrant. In a court filing explaining why prosecutors wanted to amend the defendants charges, deputy prosecuting attorney Scott Harlass said Lamars defense attorney, Emily Gause, had raised several substantive issues regarding Lamar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If litigated, there are concerns about their potential dispositive nature pre-trial, Harlass wrote. At trial, there are additional factual risks to our case as to Mr. Lamar specifically, and how those risks may impact the presentation of evidence in an effort to achieve convictions. Harlass added that given the nature of co-defendant cases, it was in the interest of justice to enter into a plea agreement with Lamar separate from Simms in an effort to focus the issues and secure a conviction short of trial. Arkell was found dead shortly after midnight next to his Honda Accord, which was riddled with more than a dozen bullets in a parking lot. A witness who was interviewed by detectives at the time reportedly said they were at the apartment complex to gather tools to work on his vehicle, and the victim never left his car while the witness searched for tools. The witness reported hearing what sounded like firecrackers and then seeing a vehicle speeding away toward Ash Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further investigation led Tacoma Police Department detectives to believe Lamar and Simms killed Arkell in a case of mistaken identity, according to the probable cause document. The document explains the defendants may have targeted him because they believed he was responsible for shooting a member of a gang the defendants were said to be part of. Simms was also charged with second-degree murder in a separate road-rage shooting that occurred a little more than a month after Arkell was killed. According to court filings, law enforcement confirmed that a bullet casing recovered from the scene of Arkells death was fired from the same gun used in the road rage shooting. Amazon is cracking down on warehouse theft by its own employees. The e-commerce giant is reimplementing measures it had in facilities before the pandemic, Bloomberg reports, including making workers exit warehouses through metal detectors and asking them to register their personal phones with the company so security doesnt think they were pilfered. Were always working to make our facilities more safe and secure for our employees and for companies of all sizes that put their trust in us to store their inventory, Amazon spokesman Steve Kelly told Bloomberg. As one part of that, weve made the decision to restore some practices that we had suspended to support social distancing during the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Workers will soon have to share part of the serial number of their phone with warehouse security and put a sticker on it that confirms its theirs. The companys decision to register phones signals it isnt going reimplement a phone ban it had for warehouse workers before the pandemic. Amazon had wanted to reimplement the policy, Bloomberg reports, but faced worked backlash after six employees died when a tornado hit a company facility. Amazon previously faced a lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court over its employee theft prevention policies. Workers said it could take up to 25 minutes to leave the warehouse because of long security lines and wanted backpay for the time. The highcourt ultimately sided against the employees, who had been hoping for a $100 million-plus payout. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Apr. 1BISMARCK After passage in the North Dakota House of Representatives, an amended version of a bill that seeks to create military compatibility zones will again be considered by the Senate. The Senate approved an earlier version of SB 2398, which if passed will create "impact zones" as well as a committee whose goal will be to "harmonize land, airspace and electromagnetic spectrum use" within those zones, according to the bill's wording. Although it's an issue that would carry significance elsewhere in the state Minot, in particular much of its focus has been on northeast North Dakota and the Grand Forks region due to the location of nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base, Camp Grafton and the Cavalier Space Force Station. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Final passage of SB 2398 would protect existing and future military missions within the zones and "ensure that any proposed developments within the designated radius of the installation will be subject to review," according to Rep. Steve Vetter, R-Grand Forks. During a speech prior to Thursday's vote on the House floor, both Vetter and Rep. Landon Bahl, R-Grand Forks, spoke in favor of the amended version of SB 2398. Vetter told House members that the goal is to "bring every entity to the table," including municipalities, townships, counties and the military. During his speech, Vetter referenced the failed Fufeng corn mill, which was proposed to be built in Grand Forks. With Fufeng's ties to China, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement the Air Force eventually declared the plan a national security threat and in 2023, the city backed out of negotiations with the company's representatives. But before it was scuttled, the Fufeng proposal prompted more than a year of controversy as plans inched forward. "We all remember Fufeng ..." Vetter said. "This bill aims to provide coordination and communication between military bases and the local zoning authorities." Sen. Jeff Barta, R-Grand Forks, also has said the goal is more communication. He introduced SB 2398. During a committee hearing in early March , he said the intent is to pass the bill as a method to get various stakeholders "seated around a table to say 'this is what has to be done in order for you to operate here.' " Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Already, Barta said during committee testimony and Vetter said prior to Thursday's floor vote, SB 2398 can be considered a mild success, since at the very least, it has sparked conversations about the need for collaboration and conversations prior to developments being placed anywhere near military installations. Additionally, Vetter noted, any coordination and cooperation that happens currently can be jeopardized in the future as leadership inevitably changes on various local and county boards. SB 2398 would ensure continuity in the process, he believes. "This bill is needed to ensure that communication continues, regardless of who is in office," Vetter said. Originally, SB 2398 included Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement predetermined "impact zones" that stretched 25 miles in each direction from the Air Force bases in Grand Forks and Minot. That led to initial hesitation from the Grand Forks City Council , whose members were concerned that the long reach of the impact zone could jeopardize future development in and around the city. Grand Forks Air Force Base is about 18 miles from downtown Grand Forks. The size of the impact zones was amended, now to be " established by an assessment in a compatible use study and contingent upon the missions of each military base ." Also amended was the compatibility committee's makeup. In an earlier form, it included the governor among its members; now, members include the state agriculture commissioner, as well as a representative from each county within the boundaries of a zone, to be selected by local county commissions; a township representative, to be selected by the boards of township supervisors; a city representative, to be selected by affected city councils; and, on a voluntary basis, the commander of each military installation, or a designee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House approved the amended version 73-19, returning it for Senate consideration. Its earlier version passed the Senate 47-0 on Feb. 19. Next up for SB 2398, Senate members will vote either "do concur" or "do not concur." Before the House vote Thursday, Bahl noted that other states have moved in the same direction that SB 2398 suggests. North Dakota needs to follow suit, he said. "When we accepted these bases, our state accepted the duty to protect them," he said. "Please vote a 'do-pass' on 2398 to protect our bases and protect our future." Rep. Tom Cole and Sen. James Lankford have been praised for defending their constituencies when Elon Musk tried to close Tinker Air Force Base, Fort Sill, the National Weather Center and the Oklahoma City Federal Building (which replaced the Murrah Building, which was destroyed by the 1995 OKC bombing). But I see their statements as ambiguous at a time when Americans need leaders who openly stand for the rule of law, and the rights of all of us. Yes, Rep. Cole had the nerve to tell Musk that he doesnt have the authority to order those closures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But when it came to restraining President Donald Trump on the budget, Cole told NBC News that Trumps spending discretion is a red line for his party, and I dont think youre likely to see a Republican House and Republican Senate try to limit a Republican president." Mar 22, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The President of the United States Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd during the Division I Men's Wrestling Championship held at Wells Fargo Center. Behind Trump is Oklahoma Sen. Mark Wayne Mullin. Moreover, it is hard to believe that Cole really believes what he also said: President Trump is moving quickly to restore common sense. Sen. Lankford seems to have shown a few more signs that he was willing to stand up for national security, his Christian values (that are not consistent with Christian Nationalism) and his voters interests. Lankford was best known, nationally, for pushing a tough, but bipartisan, immigration bill in 2024. Trump killed it, however, because it would hurt his presidential campaign. Lankford also had the nerve to tell The New York Times, President Trump was president, but its wrong to say, OK, hes the boss. Lankford said: No, hes not. Hes a coequal branch. He also said, I dont work for the president. I work for the people of Oklahoma. ... I think we do have to protect that constitutional integrity of government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion: Trump plan to eliminate 80,000 VA jobs is a betrayal of veterans In a teleconference after President Trumps State of the Union address, Lankford praised the president's approach to illegal immigration and tempered concerns about trade wars and foreign relations by saying Trump is "negotiating." I believe Lankfords ambiguity must be seen in a wider context. As Fox News reported, he still issues an annual book of 'federal fumbles.' Fox proclaimed, Sen. James Lankford's 'federal fumbles' book tackles USAID, NPR and border blunders. And this leads to questions about a crucial national security issue that is currently unfolding. When speaking to a reporter for the Tulsa World, which was recently damaged by a cyberattack, Lankford implicitly criticized Trump and Musk, by saying that Russia has "literally privatized cyberattacks. When asked about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's decision to halt cyberoperations against Russia, Lankford was quick to say he "wanted more answers about that, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, he added he was confident the Trump administration wouldn't abandon national security by dropping cyberoperations. Since then, Trump briefly stopped cyberoperations in support of Ukraine. So, what happens if CNN and other news organizations are correct, and operations and planning for offensive cyberoperations against Russia have been suspended? Will Lankford take a stand on that dangerous policy? And, will Lankford or Cole support an investigation into the use of Signal chat by Hegseth to disclose secret attack plans in a way that upends "decades of military doctrine about operational security." As Lankford and Cole switch back and forth, mildly questioning President Trumps behaviors, and then proclaiming their support for him, we should remember Tom Coles mother, Helen Te Ata Gale Cole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Helen Cole, a Republican mayor, House representative and state senator, was known for her integrity. Democratic Senate Pro Tem Cal Hobson explained in her eulogy: Helen Cole was a woman of great dignity and character and was admired by members of both parties. Her service on the Ethics Commission underscored Senator Coles commitment to making government in Oklahoma something of which our citizens could be proud. Her son Tom continues the family tradition of service in the U.S. Congress and our thoughts and prayers are with Congressman Cole and the entire Cole family." Opinion: Waiting for the other shoe to drop. What will OK-DOGE look like? Previously, Rep. Cole would stand up for his mothers values. The Lugar Center has ranked the younger Rep. Cole as the ninety-first most bipartisan member of the House during the 114th United States Congress, which started in 2015. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I now wonder what Rep. Cole thinks his mother would say about his failure to risk his seat by standing up to the Trump/Musk dictates. After all, during Helen Coles 18-year career in public service, she had victories and defeats in terms of creating a more honest Oklahoma Tax Commission and in the creation of the state Ethics Commission. When she announced that she would not seek re-election, Sen. Cole was praised for her belief that service in the Legislature need not be a lifelong career. I have no idea what Cole or Lankford really think in terms of their pro-Trump positions. But surely they understand that their duty is to represent both their voters and American democracy, and the rule of law. Or to quote Lankford, their job is to protect that constitutional integrity of government. When I was growing up, Republicans like Helen Cole and Henry Bellmon were among our states most honest defenders of civil rights and justice. The voters I know are relieved that Rep. Cole and Sen. Lankford defended the interests of their constituencies. And Democrats like me dont expect them to agree with us on most issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But some point, I believe they need to take a stand, clearly demonstrating that they put our constitutional democracy over political gains. John Thompson John Thompson is a former Oklahoma City Public Schools teacher. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: On Trump, Oklahoma needs Lankford, Cole to speak up | Opinion NEW YORK After two Columbia University presidents resigned in quick succession since campus protests began against Israels campaign in Gaza, the Board of Trustees is playing it safe and tapping one of their own to lead through federal funding negotiations with the Trump administration. The board late last week unexpectedly elevated one of its two co-chairs, Claire Shipman, as acting president. While not unheard of, experts said it is unusual for a trustee to take the helm of a university, with the move being seen as emblematic of Columbias precarious situation. After the federal government cut $400 million in grants and contracts, saying the university had not done enough to protect Jewish students, Columbia is struggling to navigate between President Donald Trumps demands and the preservation of the schools independence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Certainly, it is evidence that Columbia now is beyond skittish, said Ann Marcus, professor and director of The Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy at New York University. The trustees likely dont want to take risks about an interim president. Shipman is the trustee insider. Shipman, 62, a two-time Columbia alumna, is the author of womens leadership books and former television journalist. She will serve in the post until the board can hire a permanent successor to former president Minouche Shafik, who resigned in August. Shafik, who came under fire for her handling of the protests and their fallout, was replaced on an interim basis by Katrina Armstrong, who is returning to lead Columbias medical center. Armstrong stepped down following the universitys decision to give into Trumps preconditions in a bid to recoup the canceled federal grants and contracts over antisemitism allegations. Those funds have yet to be restored. Ornamental language cant disguise the fact that this is a precarious moment for Columbia University, Shipman said in an email Monday to students and faculty. In serving our community and navigating whats to come, I pledge to be as transparent as possible, and to work as hard as I can to do right by a place that is so critical to all of us, and to the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The college presidents last-known address was in Washington, D.C., according to public records. Columbia would not reveal if Shipman has or will move to New York, saying only that she will be on campus. Shipman, who was raised in Columbus, Ohio, attended various state schools before transferring to Columbia the first year it admitted women, according to a 2002 alumni magazine interview, which traced her rise from unpaid intern to television personality earning in the neighborhood of $700,000 annually. She studied Russian and graduated in 1986. She went on to enroll in Columbias international affairs school, but with one semester remaining, took a job at CNN, where she covered the student-led Tiananmen Square protests and the collapse of the Soviet Union. She returned to finish her masters degree in 1994, and spent much of her career at ABC and NBC News covering the White House. Shipman joined the Board of Trustees in 2013 and a decade later, became one of two co-chairs. In that role, she joined then-President Shafik in testifying before Congress on their efforts to combat campus antisemitism: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I can tell you plainly that I am not satisfied with where Columbia is at this moment, she said last April. I am dedicated to addressing these concerns. In her remarks, Shipman said she met weekly last spring with the leadership of Hillel, the Jewish campus organization that offers services for students away from home. After her appointment, its director, Brian Cohen, praised Shipman, saying she has consistently demonstrated concern for the well-being and needs of Jewish students. Michael Thaddeus, a math professor and vice-president of a Columbia faculty group suing the Trump administration to restore the federal funding, expressed concerns that Shipman did not have a background in academia, especially in knowing how to reach out to a broad group of discontented students. In a well-run institution, whether its a university or a corporation, there should be some separation between the executive leadership and the board. And I think in the corporate world also, its pretty unusual for a trustee to step in and become an executive, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nonetheless, Thaddeus continued, Im just glad that someone is willing to do this job. Dealing with the current federal government is an almost impossible task, he said. I wish her well. I wish her courage, but our senior leadership really needs all the courage they can get right now. He called on her to join their lawsuit. Shipman has two college-aged children with one of her ex-husbands, Jay Carney, who served as President Obamas press secretary from 2011 to 2014. They live in Washington, D.C. and attend Carneys alma mater, Yale University, according to their social media accounts. Doctors at the hospital in Bariloche, a paradisiacal Argentinean city at the foot of the Patagonian Andes, were struck by the odd demeanor of a 22-year-old Russian woman who showed up at the emergency room ready to give birth. She was accompanied by two women, also Russian, who became very nervous when asked about their relationship. The pregnant woman did not speak and looked frightened. The doctors immediately reported a possible case of human trafficking. But there was much more to it than that. The police looked into the women and found ties to the Ashram Shambala sect, founded in the 1990s in Russia by Konstantin Rudnev. Rudnev was behind the pregnancy. The police tracked Rudnev down thanks to the documents they came across following the hospital lead. They learned that he was about to travel with six Russian women to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Another man and six women five Russians and one Mexican were to join the group when they stopped over in Buenos Aires. The police arrested all 14 in two simultaneous operations in the airports of Bariloche and Buenos Aires, over 1,000 miles away. About to be arrested, Rudnev tried to cut his own throat with a knife. All 14 ended up in prison, accused of human and drug trafficking. The group was in possession of 130 cocaine pills, as well as a satellite phone, and $15,000 in cash. The investigators challenge now is to figure out what Rudnev was doing in Argentina. Konstantin Rudnev is 57 and an engineer. In the mid-1980s, he enlisted in the Soviet Unions military but ended up in a psychiatric hospital after a night on guard duty when he went berserk and started firing his assault rifle at random targets. In 1989, he returned to Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia, and founded the Ashram Shambala sect. From then on, he described himself as an alien from the binary star of Sirius who held the secret of happiness through a mixture of Eastern religions, esotericism and shamanism. He summarized his thinking in the book The Way of the Madman, which became required reading for all cult members. Konstantin Rudnev in Siberia. Rudnevs followers donated their property to the group, abandoned their families and, in the case of women, gave their bodies to Rudnev in exchange for eternal salvation. Men, on the other hand, were to remain celibate. The recordings of the orgies in which he and his followers participated sold well and were a great source of income. At its peak, the sect had more than 20,000 followers and by the mid-1990s was operating in 18 regions of Russia, including the capital, Moscow. In 1999, Rudnev ended up in a mental institution again, but managed to escape. Five years later, he was arrested, but no one would testify against him. In 2010, Novosibirsk police found a small bag of heroin in Rudnevs trouser pocket. He then faced charges of creating an association whose activities involve violence, rape, and preparing for the illegal sale of narcotics on a large scale. It was also discovered that one of Rudnevs strategies to control his followers involved food: in a pyramid structure, lower-ranking followers fed on the leftovers of those above them. One man who managed to leave the sect revealed in an article published in the Russian press at the time that one of the sects mottos and one of the gurus favorite expressions is eat less, jump more! There was indeed a lot of physical activity, but little food. My body began to wear out and I lost a lot of weight. I looked like a dystrophic alcoholic. I would literally walk and fall down. In 2013, a court sentenced Rudnev to 11 years in prison; in 2021, Rudnev was released. Rudnev came to the medias attention again on October 9, 2024. Having settled in Montenegro, he was picked up in a luxury hotel in the city of Zabljak after guests complained of strange noises coming from several rooms. It turned out that Rudnev was using the hotel to record ritual pornography, as the police defined it. He disappeared again after that incident, until his arrest in Bariloche. He is now in prison, as are the women who accompanied him. Meanwhile, the justice system is trying to determine if Rudnev was the only criminal among the detainees, the rest being his victims. The young woman who gave birth has, however, been separated from the group along with her baby. The headquarters of the Ashram Shambala sect in the city of Novosibirsk, Siberia. Weeks after being impaled in an e-bike crash in Florida, a Pine City father-of-two is showing signs of improvement in his recovery. Andy Carleton was in Key West with his wife, Leah, to celebrate their second wedding anniversary when he was involved in an e-bike crash. A GoFundMe launched by Andy's brother, Aaron, said he was "thrown into a picket fence and... badly impaled through his abdomen." The incident caused severe injuries to Andy's bladder and intestines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to Bring Me The News, Leah she said "Andy is a fighter" as he continues to work his way back to full strength. Monday marked the first meal he had eaten since being hospitalized. "We walked about 100 feet today and today was the first day he went outside in eight days!" Leah told Bring Me The News. She added he still is experiencing issues digesting and is working to get his lungs and breathing back up to full strength. Andy Carleton continues to recover from a serious e-bike crash while on a wedding anniversary vacation in Key West, Florida.Courtesy of Leah Carleton "We have prayed together, we have talked to the kiddos now that he has been able to talk and gave them some happy thoughts and loves," Leah said. "Andy has shown great strength and still has the heart of gold we all know." Andy is currently receiving medical care in Miami after being flown to the city for treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leah says her husband could be discharging from the hospital soon, but that there is still "a long, long road to recovery" and will need to follow up with a general surgeon when they eventually make it back to Minnesota. He will require further management of his bladder injury, as well as a catheter placement and JP drain due to the severity of the injury to his abdominal wall, colon, and inter-abdominal organs. Doctors will also be monitoring a possible hernia. Andy and Leah Carleton.Courtesy of Leah Carleton Leah said that Andy remembers part of the accident, but is still piecing it together. "He remembers snippets of the accident, said the corner was tight and didn't see the fence," she said. "Said all he remembers is not being able to slow the bike down and the next thing was he remembers laying on his back calling for help as he said he couldn't do it himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He said he thinks he remembers standing over himself looking down at himself and watching everyone around him. helping him. He is ready to go home." A fundraiser launched last month has accrued over $5,500 raised as of Tuesday morning. View the original article to see embedded media. There are good, solid political reasons why the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, does not wish to amend or otherwise water down the Governments Employment Rights Bill. It has emerged that the Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, has suggested to business leaders that the elements causing employers the most concern particularly new restrictions to be placed on flexible Zero Hours contracts could be changed further down the line. But Rayner has pushed back on this, insisting that the legislation, currently being scrutinised by the House of Lords, will help grow the economy. Perhaps in recognition that increases in Government regulations rarely achieve that laudable aim, Reynolds tried to assuage employers concerns in a letter to the CBI. But he has run up against the stubbornness of Rayner, who is determined that the Government should have at least one measure in its armoury that the partys stakeholders will welcome. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the cupboard is indeed bare in that respect. What are trade unions getting for their generous contributions to Labours coffers if they cannot rely on a Bill that will vastly change the balance of power between employee and employer in the formers favour? Cuts in the international aid budget? Cuts to welfare? The scrapping of winter heating allowance for pensioners? And the simmering row between two cabinet heavyweights has helped crystallise the Governments contradictory stance on economic growth. Adopting a Keynesian approach to economics, Rayner insists that the 6.7 per cent increase in the minimum wage which takes effect today will put more money into workers pockets and thereby feed into the wider economy. On paper, this is a sound economic argument, but in reality it is rather more complex. Today brings with it increases in a range of bills over which we have little control: council tax among them. If a large portion of the pay rise mandated by the Low Pay Commission is to go on such unavoidable household bills, there will be little cash left to throw around the high street with gay abandon. Further, if the increased cost of employing people not just the increase in national minimum wage but also employers national insurance rates results in fewer people becoming employed in the first place, or even cuts in the size of the existing workforce, that Keynesian model of economic growth starts to look distinctly shaky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This unfortunate consequence will be considered more intently by employers in anticipation of the Employment Rights Bill becoming law, an event that will make statutory sick pay an entitlement from the first day of employment, as well as making it more difficult to fire people during probationary periods and easier to go on strike. It is undoubtedly true that employers opposition to any measures that force them to pay more to their employees is opposed, usually with dire warnings of the imminent collapse of the job market. This was one of the main reasons behind the Conservatives opposition to the introduction of the minimum wage by the last Labour Government in 1998, and, like the annoying boy who cried wolf too many times for his own credibility, such warnings proved baseless. But that was then and this is now. It would be a poor observer of Government affairs who assumed that because the minimum wage confounded its critics, that all new legal changes that restricted the ability of companies to run their businesses, and made employing people more risky and costly, could be introduced without negative consequence. But what else can Labour do? It is already losing members and councillors at an alarming rate, some comrades having decided that Keir Starmers party is not the one they joined and for which they campaigned for years. The question as to whether the Employment Rights Bill should be watered down is now a moot point: the Government must press ahead with it and hope that Rayners optimism will be reflected in future economic data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If that data proves her critics right, she will have to bear the brunt of the economic and political fall-out. But that fall-out has the single benefit of being in the future. For now, the political imperative is to reassure the trade unions who fund the party that their investment remains a wise one, that they are better off under a Labour Government than an alternative one. But the stakes are growing. The turbo-charged economic growth we were promised during the general election campaign has failed to materialise. It may do so yet, in which case Rayner will prove the darling of the Labour movement. If it doesnt, Reynolds may take some solace from the fact that he foresaw the problems ahead and at least tried to do something about them, even if such awareness will do little for a struggling economy. 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. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) We are hearing from another Oklahoman whose SNAP benefits, or food stamps, were stolen. This latest victim was in the hospital unaware of what happened until it was too late. Federal funding to replace SNAP benefits stolen ran out in December. Now, those who continue to get hit by this crime ring, are left with nothing, needing to survive until the next months benefits arrive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reimbursement funds expire for stolen snap benefits I was hospitalized for a week, and when I was released from the hospital a week ago, I went to go check my benefits to get some food, and my benefits had all been stolen, she said. Another Oklahoman was hit by scammers, wiping their benefits right off their card. We are concealing this womans identity due to a domestic violence case. She is already dealing with plenty, so this was the last thing she needed to see once she was released from the hospital. I called the Oklahoma line and she just started apologizing and saying theyve had a lot of calls of a lot of benefits that had been stolen, and that the reimbursement fund or program had been stopped, she said. So, the chances of me ever seeing my food stamp money ever again was going to be very, very slim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She says after hearing this, she wasnt sure what she was going to do, putting her in a bind. I have a rare form of lupus and my appetite does get affected by that, she said. The things that I need right now, I dont have. Special agent explains how thieves profit from stolen snap benefits We reached out to the Department of Human Services to see if there was anything they could do on the state level to stop this. Unfortunately, they said as of now, there isnt much they can do. In our ongoing efforts to protect Oklahoma families, Oklahoma Human Services continues to work diligently with our federal partners to reduce the theft of SNAP benefits. Oklahoma Department of Human Services Many Oklahomans continue to ask for more to be done to protect their benefits. It doesnt feel like the federal governments doing enough to protect the card, she said. Maybe the state does need to have a reimbursement fund for emergencies like this, because right now we cant do anything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DHS also said they are a few months away from rolling out new features for SNAP recipients that will provide more security for every Oklahoman. In the meantime, DHS recommends you lock your card after each 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. On behalf of Coffee County residents and job creators concerned about recent developments in our community, I thank The Tennessean and reporter Molly Davis for their coverage of Middle Tennessee State University's annual Forum on Growth and Regional Challenges, which took place on March 14. On March 11, a short distance southeast of MTSU in Manchester, the Coffee County Commission voted, 10-8, to institute a six-month moratorium on development in rural areas of the county or virtually all the land not located in the cities of Manchester and Tullahoma. While much of that land is not used for agriculture or simply vacant, all of it is now encumbered in the name of protecting farmland. Moratoriums are for emergencies, but ours was passed in the absence of any immediate threat, extenuating circumstances, or even a clear articulation of problems. In fact, officials said there wasnt a major subdivision approved in rural Coffee County over nine years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still pending is a drastic and utterly unworkable overhaul of the countys agricultural zoning and major subdivision requirements. Those resolutions will be the subject of a specially called meeting of the Coffee County Planning Commission on Tuesday, April 1. Closing the door on growth will reduce livability Davis story noted greater Nashvilles feeling that, We dont want to become Atlanta, which echoes an emerging sentiment in Coffee County that, We dont want to become Murfreesboro. Horses graze in a field as Steven Bacheco with Ben Lomand Connect helps install equipment for high speed internet cable in the rural Pocahontas area in northern Coffee County, Tenn., on Aug. 22, 2018. Respectfully, we believe the focus should be on Coffee County, not Rutherford, and what we do want to be, rather than what we dont. Davis did a great job of including a variety of viewpoints. While we dont endorse them all, there were many that we hope our leaders and neighbors will keep in mind: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davis: Housing costs have exploded all over Middle Tennessee. That's making it more difficult for longtime residents to afford to live and work in the area as high-income earners continue to move into the region. Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown: There's this ongoing idea that we can just close the doors and stop the growth. And that is how you lose the livability. Brown again: As we look to the future, we have to make sure we have community leaders who understand the reality of what's happening and what the needs are. Opinion: Taiwan shows how Tennessee with TVA support will be at forefront of innovation. Amen. Let's find common ground on preservation and growth The pending resolutions would, among other things, prevent the subdivision of lots smaller than five acres and impose water infrastructure requirements that are unrealistic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A five-acre lot minimum will not stop growth. It will simply cater to super-rich transplants at the expense of Coffee County residents property values and opportunities. Do we want affordable housing options for our growing families, or to be gradually encircled by farmettes for L.A. lawyers and New York stock traders, one five-acre slice at a time? As it pertains to water, the proposed regulations go far beyond what the state requires, exceed the capabilities of the local utility districts, and do nothing to increase fire protection. Imposing unattainable development requirements will not address Coffee Countys underlying infrastructure needs. Collaborative development and an expansion of the tax base would. The list goes on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The stated purpose of the moratorium is to allow time to review the resolutions. We hope the county will make good on that promise and maximize that opportunity. At a minimum, we believe there are alternative solutions that could achieve the same outcomes, but in a more effective and less burdensome way. Nick Graham We expect that, through working together, we will discover substantial common ground. At the very least, I hope we can align on this common goal: to protect our communitys farming heritage while allowing for sensible growth and development. Nick Graham is a sixth-generation Coffee County farmer and businessman. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Coffee County leaders should not prevent sustainabile growth | Opinion AUSTIN (KXAN) Austin police announced Tuesday that theyre investigating a homicide that happened overnight Sunday into early Monday morning in which a teenage boy died in northeast Austin. This happened just hours after another teenage boy died in a separate homicide in south Austin. The Austin Police Department said in a press release Tuesday that it was investigating a homicide that happened Monday around 3:10 a.m. in the 13000 block of Harrisglenn Drive. This is Austins 11th homicide of the year. According to APD, officers responded to multiple calls reporting a shooting in the area, and when they arrived at the scene, they found an unresponsive male with gunshot wounds sitting inside a black sedan that had crashed into a utility pole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MAP: Where have Austins homicides occurred in 2025? APD identified the victim as Derick Fajardo-Reyes, 15. Police said he was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 7:17 a.m. APD said Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Specialists responded to process the scene and interview witnesses. The initial investigation revealed that Fajardo-Reyes was in a vehicle with other occupants when the vehicle was shot, per APD. The suspect fled the area and remains at large. APD said Fajardo-Reyes was with an unidentified female before the shooting happened, and police are seeking information to help identify her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police ask that anyone who has photos, videos, or potential evidence submit it to police online. Hours before this shooting happened, a 16-year-old boy was killed in a homicide in south Austin. The victim in that case was identified as Matthew Pichardo, and another juvenile male was arrested and charged with murder in connection. 16-year-old identified as victim in Austins 10th homicide of 2025 Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for information that leads to an arrest. 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 KXAN Austin. Mar. 31One man was in the throes of a depressive episode. Another was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood. Both were armed with guns. Both were killed by police. The Albuquerque Police Department provided updates about the two killings from February at a news conference on Monday. They were the third and fourth police shootings of 2025, a year that has had five such incidents. Last year Albuquerque Police Department officers were in 11 police shootings, with four shootings by this time last year, Chief Harold Medina said. The first of the two shootings occurred on Feb. 23 at the 11600 block of Mountain Road, near Juan Tabo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyle Hartsock, a commander in charge of police shooting investigations, said the incident began when police were called to the home of Benjamin Raymond, 48, to investigate a domestic violence allegation. Body camera footage presented at the conference and shared with the Journal showed two officers arriving at the residence looking for Raymond. Inside the home, the woman who appeared to be Raymond's wife showed police bruises across her body. She said Raymond was preventing her from taking her stuff and leaving, police said. "She stated that he was highly agitated, and she was unsure if he was armed or not, but that he is a felon, and he's affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood, and she was very fearful of how he would react to her calling police, and the possible retaliation she could face because she called police," Hartsock said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outside, another officer spoke with Raymond. He told police the woman was drunk and said he was trying to leave the premises, police said. As the two officers told Raymond they were going to arrest him, he took off across the street but did not get far. Before making it to the sidewalk, an officer tackled Raymond and pinned him to the ground. As the three men wrestled, one of the officers noticed Raymond had a gun tucked into his waistband. As he reached for it, the officer pinned his arm to the ground, police said. "I don't want to do this," Raymond said repeatedly. "If you're gonna do it, my finger is on the trigger." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scrum broke up as Raymond's dog approached. At that point, Raymond was able to swing the gun around, police said. As he did, one of the officers shouted "shoot him," separating themselves from Raymond, who was still on the ground, according to APD. In all, the officers fired nine times, police said. "The suspect was able to fire at least one round during this sequence, but it's not clear the exact timing," Hartsock said, referring to Raymond's Ruger pistol that was damaged in the shooting. Neither the Ruger or another gun recovered on scene were immediately traceable, Hartsock said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hartsock said Raymond had been released from parole in 2023 after leaving prison two years prior. During his incarceration, Raymond became a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, a neo-Nazi prison gang and an organized crime syndicate. Fronting his garage, Raymond also had a large "QAnon" flag. Hartstock also said police found 760 pounds of cannabis in a box truck parked in Raymond's driveway. However, Hartstock gave no information about the investigation into the drugs. Hartsock said APD would not name the officers. When asked if there was an active threat against them or if the name withholding was out of caution, Hartsock responded, "Both." He did not provide details about any possible threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said that one officer was hired in 2022 and the other in 2023. Neither has been involved in police shootings before this incident. Medina added that the FBI would assist by providing information to APD. Mental health check ends in shooting The second of the two shootings occurred on Feb. 28 at an apartment complex near the 12000 block of Montgomery Boulevard. David McElvain, 67, had called into work at a local hospital and told his boss that he may be suicidal, according to a statement from Albuquerque Community Safety to an officer who arrived on the scene. The Albuquerque Community Safety worker said they tried to contact McElvain but failed to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The ACS worker, later on, when we interviewed her, said that she had a weird feeling," Hartsock said. That officer, Jonathan Barela, then walked over to McElvain's first floor apartment and knocked on the door. McElvain did not answer, and after a few more knocks, Barela noted that the door was unlocked and opened it, police said. "David, Albuquerque Police Department. Make your presence known. We're here to help. You're not in trouble," Barela said after opening the door. A dog approached Barela as he opened the door before McElvain sauntered over. Barela and another officer noticed the gun and told Barela to put it down before they fired at him. Barela's body camera shows McElvain lifting the gun and pointing it at the officers before they shot him. Later, police discovered the gun was unloaded. Barela, who was hired in 2021, had not been involved in a police shooting before , Hartsock said. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Hendersons city manager said firing former police chief Hollie Chadwick was her decision but otherwise dodged the 8 News Now Investigators questions and offered an as-yet-unscheduled appointment to discuss the matter further. Stephanie Garcia-Vause, sworn in as city manager in December 2024, turned down multiple requests for an in-person, on-camera interview since she fired Chadwick on March 6. Chadwick, who took the citys top law enforcement job in May 2023, refused the citys demand she resign and Garcia-Vause fired her. She said in a statement, the decision was not based upon any finding of specific misconduct by chief Chadwick, and it is not considered a separation for cause.' But beyond that statement, Garcia-Vause has said little to nothing publicly about Chadwick or the search for a new police chief. People speaking at public comment in the Feb. 18, 2025, Henderson City Council meeting demanded transparency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city manager cant look us in the face, one speaker told the council. She added: For this woman to come in here and do what you did, after one month. Karma will come. But before Karma came, the 8 News Now Investigators found Garcia-Vause Thursday on her way into a police awards ceremony. Some of the exchange between the 8 News Now Investigators and Garcia-Vause are as follows: 8NN Investigators: Why is there such secrecy around the police department? Garcia-Vause: Theres no secrecy. 8NN Investigators: Why did you fire the chief? Garcia-Vause: Um, the chief is an at-will employee. 8NN Investigators: What did she do? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garcia-Vause: Theres no, no thing to talk about right now. 8NN Investigators: Well, no, she left, theres been so many chiefs in so few years. So why? Garcia-Vause: I appreciate it. 8NN Investigators: We just want some answers. Garcia-Vause: I appreciate that, and Id love to talk to you. Im just on my way into an event. 8NN Investigators: Whos making the decisions in the city? You? Garcia-Vause: Thank you so much. I appreciate your time. 8NN Investigators: Were you hired to fire the chief? Garcia-Vause: No. Im hired to be the city manager. Chadwick, whose attorney also did not respond to 8 News Nows request for an interview, lowered crime rates in Henderson in the short time she was chief of police, information obtained by the 8 News Now Investigators reveals. Specifically, crimes against the person generally consisting of such offenses as murder, assault, battery, kidnapping went down over 4% between 2023 and 2024, national records show. And property crimes generally consisting of such offenses as theft, burglary, arson went down more than 12.5% in the same time period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city has not responded to a request made after Thursdays interview to speak on camera, in person, with Garcia-Vause and Mayor Michelle Romero, despite repeated offers for the 8 News Now Investigators to schedule a meeting with her assistant saying, Id love to have the opportunity to talk to you 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 KLAS. Caine, 56, was a relative mystery man in Washington. He had never overseen a branch of the armed forces, led a major combatant command or managed a division with thousands of troops in combat. Some top retired military officers quietly worried whether Caine had curried favor with Trump or maneuvered himself politically to get the position. Retired Gen. David L. Goldfein, the Air Force's top officer for most of the first Trump administration, said he and other former members of the Joint Chiefs - staffed by the four-star officers in charge of the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, National Guard, Navy and Space Force - wanted to know for certain that Caine had not done anything to "politick for the position." Goldfein, an F-16 pilot like Caine, said he raised the issue with the general directly and came away assured not only that Caine had acted professionally, but also that he had wrestled with whether he should take the job. In the end, Caine told Goldfein, he had found inspiration in a passage from the Book of Isaiah that seeks volunteers: "Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.'" Goldfein, who had been considered for the position himself during Trump's first term, noted the sensitivity of the moment and the long-standing norm that the U.S. military remain nonpartisan. "I think once we were all confident that there was none of that going on then it was, okay, now it's time to roll up our sleeves and do everything we can to help him be successful so the nation can be successful," Goldfein said of his fellow retired Joint Chiefs. "I know from our conversations, he's spending a lot of time thinking about the position and the responsibilities of the position." Today, Caine will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee at a confirmation hearing. It remains unclear how or why Trump selected him for the job, what the vetting process was or when Caine discussed the matter with Trump before his announcement. The role has proved challenging for previous chairmen under Trump - raising the question of what it would take to hold the position for a full four-year term now. Caine did not respond to requests for comment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fiercely defended the president's choice, saying Caine is the "man to meet the moment." Brown, who was appointed chief of staff of the Air Force by Trump in his first term, was removed Feb. 21 after a drumbeat of criticism from Trump's advisers, including Hegseth before he was appointed as defense secretary. The general, who is Black, raised their ire by promoting diversity programs. Brown's predecessor, Gen. Mark A. Milley, clashed with Trump repeatedly, notably when the general apologized for appearing with the president outside the White House in June 2020 after federal forces had cleared protesters from Lafayette Square following the police killing of George Floyd. Trump has continued to criticize Milley, and in January, Hegseth removed his security detail, suspended his security clearance and requested a Pentagon inspector general inquiry into his behavior as chairman. The first chairman under Trump, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., kept a low profile, but the president grew increasingly tired of him, too, officials close to Trump have said. He announced Milley as Dunford's replacement in December 2018, effectively undercutting the general nearly a year before he was due to retire. Caine, who goes by Dan and the call sign "Razin" - as in, "raising Cain" - will face questions from senators about the recent controversial use of Signal, the commercial messaging application, by Hegseth and other senior Trump administration officials to discuss highly sensitive policy deliberations and operational details about a bombing campaign in Yemen. He is also likely to be pressed on a number of other issues that have divided the American public: the administration's crackdown on diversity efforts; the purge of numerous senior military officers; the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border; and the pressure campaign on Ukraine to negotiate a peace deal with Russia, on what many see as unreasonable terms. The general's business interests may also be an issue for Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee, including his time as an adviser at Thrive Capital, an investment firm run by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. No allegations of wrongdoing have been made about Caine's brief role at Thrive, but his unusual selection for chairman after retirement introduces business conflicts of interest that otherwise would not exist. Caine will face the moment without the experience of his predecessors. U.S. law states the president may appoint a Joint Chiefs chairman "only if" they have been a vice chairman of the group, or a four-star officer overseeing an armed service branch or major unified command. The law, however, also allows the commander in chief to waive those requirements if he determines doing so is "necessary in the national interest." Caine comes in at a "significant disadvantage," said Richard Kohn, a professor of military history at the University of North Carolina. If confirmed, Kohn said, Caine will need to quickly establish confidence among the Joint Chiefs while also navigating the polarizing politics and fire-breathing rhetoric coming out of officials in both the White House and Pentagon. In recent weeks, Trump has suggested he could seize Greenland and Panama by force and briefly floated the idea that the United States would take ownership of the Gaza Strip. "It requires," Kohn said, "some situational awareness." Caine, who is likely to be confirmed by a Republican majority in the Senate, joined the Air National Guard after graduating from the Virginia Military Institute in 1990. Like his father, retired Col. Steve Caine, he wanted to be a fighter pilot and pursued a career flying F-16s. On Sept. 11, 2001, he was a major in the D.C. National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base, just outside Washington. In an interview with the National Guard inspector general a couple of weeks later, he said he directed maintenance workers to get planes ready and take flight that morning in case it was necessary to take down any hijacked aircraft. Caine deployed overseas in the aftermath of the attacks, flying in support of the war in Afghanistan shortly after the U.S. launched military action there in late 2001. In 2003, he deployed again as U.S. forces hunted for Scud missiles in Iraq, collaborating as a pilot with U.S. Special Operations forces on the ground, said Steven McShea, a retired National Guard officer who has known Caine since the 1990s. "That's a very small, tight world," McShea said. "He was introduced to those guys and built strong relationships, and from that point on he kept getting pulled back into that world." From 2005 to 2008, Caine served as a White House fellow and then a policy director to President George W. Bush on counterterrorism. He deployed to Iraq again in 2008 to serve as a commander in a joint Special Operations task force and then shifted to serve as a part-time member of the National Guard from 2009 to 2016. He pursued an eclectic civilian career in those years, including founding a small airline, Rise Air, and working as president of an aerospace company, Mayday Manufacturing. In 2016, Caine returned to full-time military service. As a one-star general, he served as an assistant commanding general at the elite Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Goldfein, chief of staff of the Air Force at the time, said he then sent him to Iraq to serve as deputy commanding general of a Special Operations task force. It is in Iraq that Caine first encountered Trump, at Al Asad air base in December 2018. By then, the Islamic State terrorist group's main strongholds in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, had fallen, but the militants retained control of a small amount of territory along the Iraq-Syria border. Trump has recounted the meeting on several occasions, with ever-changing details. Trump has said Caine told him that U.S. troops could finish the long campaign against the Islamic State in four weeks if they changed tactics, "but they just don't let us do our job." At the Conservative Political Action Conference last year, Trump said that Caine "looked better than any movie actor you could get" and that he loved his call sign. "You're the man I'm looking for!" Trump said. Trump recalled in the same speech that either Caine or a sergeant - it was not fully clear to whom he was referring - put on a red MAGA hat. "I said, 'You're not supposed to do that. You know that,'" Trump recalled, acknowledging that military officers are directed not to engage in political speech while in uniform. "They said, 'It's okay, sir. We don't care.'" Numerous current and former military officers who have worked with Caine have questioned the accuracy of that story, saying it is out of character. Caine, they said, is uncomfortable with praise, not a self-promoter and unlikely to allow colleagues to act in a political manner. "We've got to operate between administrations, and we can't be seen as favoring one over the other," said retired Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville, who has known Caine for more than two decades. "We purposely avoid those conversations - even with each other. And Dan has always been like that." Caine remained under the radar in Washington after the Iraq deployment, getting a promotion to two-star general and running the Pentagon's highly classified "black programs," which are so sensitive that their existence is not acknowledged by the U.S. government. He then served as the associate director of military affairs at the CIA, a liaison position that acts as a bridge between senior CIA officials and top military leaders. He held the position from November 2021 until December 2024, a period that included the onset of war in Gaza, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and CIA collaboration with Ukrainian spy agencies. Trump has said that President Joe Biden bypassed Caine for promotion. If confirmed, Caine's biggest challenge will be "to establish himself in that universe of mighty personalities" among the Pentagon's most senior military officers, said retired Gen. Kenneth "Frank," McKenzie, who oversaw U.S. Central Command from 2019 to 2022. Top generals typically coordinate with the Joint Chiefs chairman before communicating with the defense secretary or president, he said, but that has not always been the case, and "each chairman will deal with that differently," McKenzie said. McKenzie, who was director of the Joint Staff under Dunford, said Caine is up for the job, possessing an air of "fundamental confidence" while accepting criticism, hearing new ideas and drawing people to him. When Dunford was chairman, McKenzie said, he ordered a National Defense University study to assess the common characteristics of a four-star general, including time in command, schooling and combat experience. It found no common denominator among those considered to be successful, McKenzie said, aside from intangibles like character. "I would argue that's what Dan Caine has," McKenzie said. "Is he going to be successful? I don't know. I think it's impossible to predict any chairman's success because it is a uniquely difficult job." (COMMENT, BELOW) The IOmega hard drive used by Spanish police to store information obtained from the phones and computers of David Morales, a former military officer investigated for spying on Julian Assange for the CIA, was tampered with while it was inside a sealed cabinet in the custody of Spains High Court (Audiencia Nacional), according to an expert report by the Australian cyberactivists defense team. The manipulation allegedly deleted 17,256 emails from various accounts, including some of the suspects. This access to the hard drive in the custody of the Investigative Court No. 5 of the Audiencia Nacional, which is investigating Morales for various crimes, allegedly occurred on September 9, 2020. The WikiLeaks founders experts claim they have found modifications and alterations to this disk after September 17, 2019, the date Morales was arrested at the headquarters of his company, UC Global, SL, in Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain. The arrest and search occurred weeks after an investigation by this newspaper published audio and video recordings of the spying on Assange and his lawyers, ordered by Morales, during the activists stay at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The expert report, to which EL PAIS has had access, states that the deletion is not the result of any automated software process, but rather an action carried out by someone within the police unit that was involved in the search and dumping of the devices. It can be said that the police unit involved may have been interested in concealing information, maintain the experts Manuel Huerta and Jose Manuel Martinez. The police have declined to respond to this newspapers questions. Sealed in a cabinet The alleged tampering with this disk, which had been stored and guarded for more than five years inside a courtroom cabinet, was discovered after the WikiLeaks founders lawyers confirmed that the police had only provided the judge with a partial dump of the contents of Morales Samsung S7 G930F phone. This device was key to the investigation because protected witnesses in the legal case against the owner of UC Global, SL confessed that they had configured the device to allegedly communicate with the CIA. The Spanish police officers were informed of this before they arrested Morales. The police handed the judge complete dumps of all the phones, computers, and electronic devices that were seized, except for the aforementioned Samsung. This led to the deletion of the Userdata folder, which contained conversations held by Morales on WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Proton Mail and Skype. This lost material was a treasure trove of information about this former collaborator of Spains National Intelligence Center (CNI). The Samsung S7 was also the only phone from which information was extracted on-site during the police searches, a practice that was not carried out on any of the other phones and devices seized, according to the polices response to the judges questions. A different device was used for the data extraction, which, according to Assanges experts, was registered as a Desktop BOIQ F96. The rest of the material from the other devices was obtained using the tool UFED Touch. Thus, the file uploaded by the police unit to the judicial cloud where all the evidence obtained is downloaded and which is accessed by the parties involved in the case is not the original and complete UFDX file (Universal Forensic Data Exchange) of the Samsung S7, but only the UFDR file (Universal Forensic Data Report), which is derived from the previous one, but which does not represent the complete copy of the device. Police paralysis Carlos Bautista, the lead prosecutor in the case, did not hide his displeasure over the disappearance of this file in his briefs. He described it as essential and, like the plaintiffs, requested that it be located as it contains more information than the information made available to the parties. It is extremely striking that the police unit has handed over UFDR and UFDX files from the other devices, but has not done so specifically from this one, the prosecutor criticized. He also accused the officers of dragging their feet in their cooperation with the court due to their exasperating slowness in analyzing all the seized items. In September, Judge Santiago Pedraz summoned agents from the Cybercrime Unit to appear in court and dump the contents of the IOmega drive they handed over after the arrest. This device, held in judicial custody since 2019, is where the information from the Samsung S7 phone was allegedly stored. The goal was to recover the full image (UFDX), but no trace of the missing file was found. Assanges representatives believe that on the day Morales was arrested, agents used, in addition to the IOmega, another hard drive or parallel electronic device to download information from the Samsung S7, the key phone in the investigation. This other drive was subsequently removed from the judicial investigation, they believe. Pedraz and Pedro Martinez, the new prosecutor in the case, have rejected the plaintiffs request to open a separate case and take statements from the nine police officers who participated in the operation, as well as to inform the General Directorate of Police, because the manipulation of computer evidence is not within the jurisdiction of the National Court. Both have responded to Assanges request that he may file a complaint against the police with the competent body. Other omissions This is not the first time that the plaintiffs have alleged that the Spanish police have omitted relevant information contained in the electronic devices seized from the owner of UC Global, SL. A new dump of the former marines laptop revealed more than 213.1 gigabytes, 551,616 files, and 973 email archives that were hidden from the investigative judge. This is the difference between the two copies, the one dumped by the police and the one obtained by Assanges defense team. Among the new files, Morales had a folder called Operations & Projects, with directories sorted by geographic area and the services to be developed. In the North American section, within the USA directory, there is a folder called CIA and another one named Videos, where the recordings of the WikiLeaks founders meetings recorded by UC Global, SLs hidden cameras and microphones were archived. Since his arrest in 2019, Morales has been released pending trial and is being investigated by the Audiencia Nacional for alleged crimes against privacy, violation of attorney-client privilege, misappropriation, bribery and money laundering. Following his expulsion from the Ecuadorian embassy and imprisonment, Assange, 52, was released on June 25 of this year after reaching a deal with the United States Department of Justice in which he pleaded guilty to a violation of the Espionage Act and accepted a five-year prison sentence that he had already served in Londons Belmarsh prison. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Archaeologists found a new pharaoh's tomb at Anubis Mountain in Egypt. The tomb is from the mysterious Abydos Dynasty of warrior kings in a chaotic historical era. The pharaoh's identity is a mystery for now. Check out his tomb. Archaeologists have discovered a mysterious new king of ancient Egypt, buried in a network of tombs at Anubis Mountain. "Discovering king's tombs, new pharaohs, are few and far between," Josef Wegner, a leader of the team that uncovered the new tomb, told Business Insider. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Researchers don't know this pharaoh's identity because they think ancient grave robbers damaged the marking of his name on the tomb wall. Still, he could help illuminate a forgotten era of Egyptian history from about 1640 BCE to 1540 BCE, when warrior pharaohs battled each other for territory. "It's a really fascinating period of turmoil, conflict," said Wegner, who teaches Egyptian archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania and curates the Penn Museum's Egyptian section. "It gives birth to the new kingdom, the famous golden age of many of the well-known pharaohs like King Tut and the Ramses kings," he added. Take a peek inside this unknown pharaoh's tomb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wegner's team excavated the 3,600-year-old tomb beneath 23 feet of sand at the necropolis of Anubis Mountain. The tomb was buried under 23 feet of sand. Dr. Josef Wegner for the Penn Museum It's part of Abydos, one of the oldest cities of ancient Egypt and once home to the little-known Abydos Dynasty, which archaeologists believe was one of several warring kingdoms across Egypt during the region's Second Intermediate Period. "It's a mystery dynasty," Wegner said of the Abydos kings. This is the ninth Abydos tomb Wegner has uncovered. Dr. Josef Wegner for the Penn Museum Today, the ancient city is home to a sprawling archaeological site, where the Abydos kings turned the necropolis into a royal cemetery. Wegner's team had previously discovered a tomb in the area in 2014, housing the remains of a pharaoh named Seneb Kay. Seneb Kay's tomb during excavation. Courtesy of Josef Wegner, Penn Museum Seneb Kay was evidence for the wars of that time period. Ancient tomb raiders had pulled his body out of its burial site and left it in another chamber. Centuries later, researchers examined the skeleton and found 22 traumatic wounds in his bones, including battle-ax blows that cracked his skull. They concluded he'd died in battle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The walls of Seneb Kay's tomb were adorned with colorful paintings, including hieroglyphs of the king's name. These hieroglyphs recorded the name of Seneb Kay at his tomb. Courtesy of Josef Wegner, Penn Museum Then they discovered seven other undecorated tombs surrounding his, for a total of eight Abydos kings. "We believed we had exhausted all the evidence until this last winter season at Abydos, where we began working in a new section of the site," Wegner said. "Lo and behold, there's another one of these tombs which is much larger in size than the ones we had found previously." Like Seneb Kay's tomb, this one was decorated with paintings including hieroglyphs of the pharaoh's name. The unknown king's name was once painted on ancient plastered brickwork leading to the limestone chamber. Dr. Josef Wegner for the Penn Museum To Wegner's dismay, though, ancient tomb robbers had damaged the hieroglyph painting and made the name illegible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was, of course, a little frustrating that we could see where his name had been preserved," Wegner said. In the tomb, a series of chambers with 16-foot-high vaulted brick ceilings led to the limestone burial chamber. The chambers of the tomb were once capped with unusually large brick vaults. Dr. Josef Wegner for the Penn Museum "It was such a large, impressive structure," Wegner said. He added that the size of the tomb and its vaults "may have ultimately drawn the tomb robbers to this location." This pharaoh was probably a predecessor of Seneb Kay. Passageways led through several chambers to the pharaoh's burial site. Dr. Josef Wegner for the Penn Museum From small dedicated monuments in the region, Wegner knows of two Abydos kings who haven't been found yet, who could be the person in this new tomb. Their names are Senaiib and Paentjeni. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wegner still hopes to confirm the new king's identity. Archaeologists from Egypt and the Penn Museum unearth the new Abydos tomb. Dr. Josef Wegner for the Penn Museum The archaeological team may find clues as it excavates the surrounding area. Wegner said they've finished excavating the tomb's interior since discovering it in January. One detail gives him hope: They haven't yet found this mystery pharaoh's canopic jars, which store a mummy's organs. The resting place of the unknown pharaoh, with its once-decorated entryway. Dr. Josef Wegner for the Penn Museum Sometimes tomb robbers would grab and later discard canopic jars, Wegner said. It's also common for such jars to feature the name of the mummified pharaoh. He hopes to find a fragment of one of those jars with this king's name. "That would be an immediate positive identification," Wegner said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wegner plans to return to the site this summer for further excavation. There could be more tombs and more clues in the surrounding area. Dr. Josef Wegner for the Penn Museum They have a "sizable area" where they want to keep digging, he said, both for further evidence from this tomb and to check for other tombs, too. The Anubis Mountain area has yielded much more history than Wegner expected when he began working there in the 1990s. "We've realized it's a full royal cemetery," he said, "like a Valley of the Kings." Read the original article on Business Insider Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, on Jan. 13, 2025. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror Republican state Rep. Alexander Kolodin on Monday announced his plans to run for Arizona secretary of state in 2026. Kolodin, who was first elected to represent Scottsdale in 2022, is an election denier and a member of the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus. Hes also an attorney who was sanctioned by the State Bar of Arizona in 2023 for taking on lawsuits challenging the 2020 election, including the infamous kraken lawsuit that made implausible and evidence-free claims of massive election fraud. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im Alex Kolodin and Im running for Secretary of State to restore transparency to our elections once and for all, Kolodin wrote in a social media post on Monday. Arizona elections continue to be a laughing stock under (Democratic Secretary of State Adrian) Fontes. Voter confidence is at historic lows. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Im running for Secretary of State to restore transparency, honesty, security, and lawfulness to our elections. In a video announcing his bid for the states top election official, Kolodin walks toward the camera with a slightly blurred Arizona Capitol building in the background. In the video, Kolodin claims that the head of the Arizona Republican Party, Gina Swoboda, asked him to run and endorsed him. But Swoboda issued a statement later on Monday saying that she hadnt endorsed Kolodin and wouldnt endorse any candidate in the Republican primary. She added that she would support Kolodin if he wins the primary, as she had previously said she would. In fact, Swoboda is strongly considering a run for the office herself, something she told multiple reporters on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Since he took office, Kolodin has been an outspoken member of the House Elections Committee, where hes advocated for significant changes to the states election laws, many of them based on conspiracy theories that have fundamentally reshaped how Republicans view elections in Arizona and across the country. During some of those meetings, Kolodin chided those who dont believe claims that elections are marred by widespread fraud or have outcomes that are rigged by elections officials. These days, I feel like Im living in the Orwellian world, Kolodin said during a House Municipal Oversight and Elections Committee meeting in February 2024. We trust our election officials. They would never put their thumb on the scale. They would never try to cheat. Well, we know thats demonstrably false, and its demonstrably false in the way a 6th grader could know that its demonstrably false. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His evidence was that Donald Trump was not on GOP primary election ballots in two states Colorado and Maine after his candidacy was challenged on the grounds that he was ineligible to serve under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because he incited an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. In Maine, the secretary of state determined Trump couldnt appear on the ballot. But in Colorado, the Democratic secretary of state allowed him on the ballot only to have the state Supreme Court rule that he was barred by the 14th Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court overruled that decision, and Trump appeared on the ballot in all 50 states. Kolodin supported legislative changes that would have made it easier for people like Kari Lake to challenge the results of an election, to get rid of no-excuse early voting and to return the state to all-precinct voting with precincts capped at 1,000 voters, an idea that experts at the county level said would be unworkable. For years, representatives of Arizonas rural counties begged Kolodin and the other Republicans on the Elections Committee to consider how difficult and costly it would be to implement some of the election changes that they supported. But Kolodin said during a January meeting that he only really believed the complaints from the rural counties after former Freedom Caucus member Justin Heap took office as Maricopa County Recorder and relayed the same concerns to him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be honest, weve never really had somebody that we trusted on the other side to tell us these things in a way that we would believe them, Kolodin said during a Jan. 15 House Ad Hoc Committee on Election Integrity and Florida-style Voting Systems meeting. Kolodin was the chairman of that panel, and he drafted legislation aimed at speeding up the states election results, based on systems already being used in Florida. The proposal passed through the House and the Senate, both under Republican control, but was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. A similar resolution, which would bypass Hobbs to be sent straight to voters in 2026, passed through the House on a party line vote and is awaiting a vote in the Senate. Kolodin was the driving force behind an election timeline fix bill that passed with bipartisan support in February 2024, which will allow voters who drop off their ballot in person on Election Day to show identification and have their ballot tabulated immediately, instead of dropping it off for signature verification. The change, meant to speed up the reporting of election results, will take effect in 2026. This year, Kolodin sponsored legislation that would repeal the law banning Arizonans from owning machine guns, silencers, sawed-off shotguns and even pipe bombs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was reelected in November. It is unclear if he will resign his legislative post to mount his statewide campaign. Fontes, who has passed on opportunities to run for governor and Congress, has not announced whether hes planning a reelection bid. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, asks a question about House Bill 1489 on the Senate floor Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Youth organizations that promote diversity initiatives would be prohibited from receiving state grants under an appropriation bill approved by a legislative subcommittee Tuesday. Senate Bill 362 states that grant money will not be awarded to an organization that compels a person to subscribe to an idea in violation of Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This would include any requirement that an individual is inherently superior or inferior depending on their race, sex, age, religion, national origin, or other characteristic protected by federal or state law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bill sponsor Sen. Kim Hammer, a Benton Republican, said during the Joint Budget Committees Special Language subcommittee meeting that it was important the grant funding goes to groups that align with the educational goals of the governor and General Assembly. Some of this language is borrowed out of Senator Pettys bill, because I think its good language that kinda identifies that we want youth organizations that are meeting in the afterschool setting to align with the educational goals of the state of Arkansas with any of the programs that they may initiate, Hammer said. The bill also lifts some language from the LEARNS Act of 2023, Hammer said, as far as whats allowable. Nonprofits affiliated with a broader, national organization that wish to receive youth organization funds must submit a memorandum of understanding signed by both that acknowledges the state-level organization intends to comply with the laws provisions prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislators both in Arkansas and across the country have taken aim at DEI in public education in recent years. The On AR Watch blog noted in early March that Hammer questioned representatives of Arkansas Boys and Girls Club affiliates about the national organizations directives on the use of pronouns and other DEI issues in a Joint Performance Review Committee meeting in 2023. The Boys and Girls Club has a longstanding tradition of being built on traditional values. Wed hate to see that lost to any wokeism, he said in that meeting. The LEARNS Act, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signature education law, prohibited indoctrination by the Arkansas Department of Education or state public schools, while explicitly stating that the law did not ban the discussion of the ideas and history of the ideas otherwise banned or public policy issues that some might find disagreeable or offensive. SB 362 would appropriate $4 million for youth organizations. Appropriation measures specify funding amounts but no money becomes available until approved by the Legislature through the Revenue Stabilization Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations that have operated for at least five years, with a record of financial stability, can qualify for the grants, according to the bill. Those operating for less than five years can still qualify for the grants if they provide a financial plan and are in good standing with the Arkansas Secretary of States office. Regular afterschool programming and educational activities in specific categories would also be needed to qualify an organization for the grant funding; an organization would need to provide programming for four days a week, with a total of 12 hours, during the school year. The organization would need to provide regular programming in two out of five categories to qualify for the grants as well: STEM (science, technology, engineering and math); academic support; goal setting and leadership activities; career exposure and workforce readiness; and community service opportunities. The bill was accepted by the subcommittee with no audible dissents, and will go to the Joint Budget Committee next. Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect the original source of reporting on Sen. Kim Hammers interest in the Boys and Girls Clubs DEI policies. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A bill to allocate $750 million to fund construction of a 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County failed on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill had reached the floor after an extended debate in committee, ultimately failing in a 19-10 vote, falling short of the required 27 votes needed for the appropriation. Two additional senators did not vote, and four others cast a vote of present. Arkansas prison funding bill back to Senate after amendment fails in subcommittee Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill requested an allocation of $750 million to fund the remaining funds needed for the $825 million facility, which had already received $75 million in funding during the 2023 legislative session. Throughout the bills process, opponents found fault with what they called a lack of planning for the new prison, including the expenses beyond the prison itself, such as roads and a wastewater system, given its rural location. Those in favor of the prison cited the general county detention center overcrowding leading to a failure of the misdemeanor justice system as inmates assigned jail terms for minor charges were released due to lack of space. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has supported the legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas Sheriffs Association head explains support for proposed prison Under Arkansas law, an appropriation bill may be resubmitted after failing during the session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. (FOX40.COM) The Elk Grove Police Department is asking for the publics help to identify a suspect involved in a bank robbery. Video above: How to report a public safety threat Around 5:37 p.m. on March 28, EPD said the suspect entered Schools Credit Union on Laguna Boulevard and pointed a firearm toward several bank employees. Next, the suspect jumped over the counter, opened various teller drawers, and took an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect fled northbound through the parking lot on a dark-colored motorcycle, possibly a Suzuki. Elk Grove police are searching for a suspect connection to a bank robbery on March 28, 2025./EPD A suspect involved in a bank robbery in Elk Grove fled the scene on a dark-colored motorcycle./EPD New rules at Sutter Health Park amid River Cats and As season in Sacramento Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect was described as a man with a medium build, wearing a black-colored Alpinestars motorcycle jacket, blue or gray light-colored jeans, black-colored shoes, and a gray-colored full-face motorcycle helmet with a dark-colored visor, according to EPD. Anyone with information about the robbery can call the Elk Grove Police Department Detective Bureau at 916-478-8043 or Crime Stoppers at 916- 443-HELP-(4357). Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of 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 FOX40 News. Armenia has refused to pay its contributions to the budget of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for the past year, the country's Foreign Ministry said on March 31, after suspending its participation in the military alliance in August 2024. "Armenia refrains from signing the decision 'On the CSTO budget for 2024' and, accordingly, from participating in financing the organization's activities," a statement from the Foreign Ministry read. The decision comes as the latest in a series of steps the country has taken to distance itself from the Russian-led security alliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CSTO, established in 2002, includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Russia is by far the most powerful member of the alliance. The decision comes as earlier this year Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Armenia had suspended its participation in the CSTO "at all levels." Armenia first announced it would not the bloc's financing in May 2024. Armenia has had a historically close relationship with Russia, especially vis-a-vis its primary regional foe Azerbaijan, and has thus largely refrained from getting involved in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The calculus changed after Russian "peacekeepers" failed to prevent Azerbaijan's offensive into the Nagorno-Karabakh region, primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, in September 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Disappointed with Russia and fearing renewed hostilities with Baku, Yerevan has turned West for new partnerships. On March 26, the Armenian parliament passed a bill "On starting the process of accession of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union" in its second and final reading, though the South Caucasus country is yet to submit a EU membership application. In late January, then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed a strategic partnership commission charter between the U.S and Armenia, establishing a framework for expanded bilateral cooperation in the areas of economic cooperation, security and defense, and democracy, among others. Despite not submitted a statement regarding the suspension of the country's membership, Pashinyan said that his country's return to the CSTO was "increasingly more difficult if not impossible." Read also: Armenias parliament passes bill on EU accession Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Three 3rd Infantry Division soldiers recovered Monday from a Lithianian bog were from Illinois, California and Guam, the Army said Tuesday afternoon. The three soldiers were Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam. All were assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team based out of Fort Stewart, Georgia. A fourth soldier was found Tuesday but the Army has not yet released their identity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This loss is simply devastating, said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division. These men were honored soldiers of the Marne Division. We are wrapping our arms around the families and loved ones of our soldiers during [an] incredibly difficult time. No words can capture the depth of sorrow or gratitude we feel for their service. To the families, please know you are not alone in your grief, as they were immensely loved by this division; we stand with you united in honoring their memory, Norrie said. The soldiers went missing March 25 after they were dispatched to repair and tow another tactical vehicle during an exercise at the Pabrade training ground in Lithuania. It prompted a seven-day search operation with hundreds of U.S. and Lithuanian troops, radar systems, and dive teams that were gathered to help find the four missing soldiers and pull their vehicle from the swamp. Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr. Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, from Illinois, was an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer and served for over seven years. He arrived at Fort Stewart in February 2022 and was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment after previously serving with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Duenez deployed to Poland in 2021 and Germany in 2022. His awards included the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal. Sgt. Jose Duenez will always hold a special place in our hearts. As both a leader and a soldier, he set an example every day always the first to arrive and the last to leave, greeting every challenge with a smile and a readiness to support anyone who required assistance, said Capt. Madyson K. Wellens, diesel forward support troop commander for the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. He was the definition of a silent professional. We remember Jose not just for what he has done for the unit, but for the way he made us feel inspired to give our best each day, she said. His legacy is a personal reminder of the leader we all aspire to be. He will forever be a part of the Diesel Family. Sgt. Edvin Franco Sgt. Edvin Franco, 25, from California, was an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer who served for over six years. He finished initial entry training at Fort Benning, Georgia and was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment in February 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He served with U.S. Forces Korea in 2020 and was based in Germany in 2022. His awards include the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terror Service Medal. Sgt. Edvin Francos legacy will remain with us always. His infectious smile and genuine joy in being with his team were matched only by the tenacity and drive. He never asked more of his Soldiers than he was willing to give himself a true testament to his character, Wellens said. More than an exceptional leader and Soldier, Edvin was a friend whose influence touched so many. Pfc. Dante Taitano Pfc. Dante Taitano, 21, from Guam, was an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer who had served for nearly two years. He arrived at Fort Stewart in October 2023 and was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. He completed his initial entry training at Fort Benning. Taitano was serving on his first deployment in Lithuania. He was previously awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pfc. Dante Taitano will always be remembered as the spark of the team. He wore a smile on his face no matter the environment or task and constantly brought the team together with his charisma and laughter, said Capt. Matthew Lund, a troop commander with the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. Fourth soldier A fourth soldier who died in the training accident was found Tuesday but has not been identified by the Army, pending notification to the next of kin. The soldier was assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. Approximately 3,500 soldiers deployed to locations across Poland and the Baltic states in January 2025. The nine-month deployment was part of a regular rotation of American forces in support of NATO and U.S. European allies, called Operation Atlantic Resolve. Sgts. Duenez, Franco, and Pfc. Taitano were more than just members of our unit, they were family, and we loved them, said Lt. Col. Michael Hefti, commander of the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team. They were known for being the best at their jobs and they have left a hole that cannot be replaced. As we grieve together, we will continue to honor them by showing the same type of selfless love that they demonstrated to our team every single day. Their legacy as Dogface Soldiers will live on forever in our hearts and every time we share stories and memories, their legacy will continue to live on. The latest on Task & Purpose JACKSON HEIGHTS, Queens (PIX11) The arrest of two rookie NYPD officers on Roosevelt Avenue is once again drawing attention to the persistent issue of prostitution in Jackson Heights. Local leaders say the sex trade remains active despite a concerted effort to improve the quality of life in Queens. More Local News Barely two years into their careers, officers Justin McMillen and Justin Colon are accused of betraying the badge allegedly victimizing the very people they swore to protect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They do what they can to stop it, and to take advantage of that its insane, a Queens resident said. McMillen and Colon allegedly stole keys to a brothel operating on 89th Street and Roosevelt Avenue while responding to a prostitution complaint last summer. Prosecutors say the rookie cops returned eight hours later, while on duty, and sexually assaulted a worker. The fact that a beat cop groped a sex worker its horrible. It further speaks to corruption in New York, another resident said. The two officers said nothing during their arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on Monday and have been suspended without pay by the department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This unfortunate indictment will bring more attention to the need here, said Hiram Monserrate, a district leader. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Two months after Operation Restore Roosevelt Avenue culminated with Mayor Eric Adams touting it as a success, open-air sex solicitation was captured on camera in the notorious crime-ridden corridor, Monday afternoon. They popped a cork early, and we need them back. With warm weather, it will be bananas, Monserrate said. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry insisted that the city has not turned its back on the neighborhood. Mission accomplished is when every brothel is closed, Daughtry said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that 17 sex shops have been shuttered and many women have been rescued. A lot of the women are taking services, and thats a win for us. Were not taking them into custody, were looking to save them, Daughtry said. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch emphasized that any officer who violates their oath will be investigated, exposed, and held fully accountable. Meanwhile, the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) urged due process and warned against condemnation based solely on allegations. If convicted, the officers could face up to 15 years in prison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Rep. Mike Turner announced Monday that a public art installation will be on display during the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session in May. Think Freedom, a comprehensive public art project, will be on display in the Dayton Arcade this May. This is the first time the Sarajevo-based art piece will be on display in the United States. The arrival of the Think Freedom art installation in Dayton for Dayton 2025 is a powerful symbol of resilience, unity, and the enduring pursuit of freedom, said Congressman Mike Turner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The piece incorporates sculpture, installation, light, text and new global communication technologies to make a statement. I believe that art still has the universal power to inspire, that art can give impulses of hope, imagination, and creativity in order to build freedom and connectivity simply put, to build a better world, said Edina Seleskovic, Creator, Think Freedom. Local schools and artists of the Miami Valley will help the creator during installation by sharing their words and phrases of peace. Think Freedom will be on display to the public May 21-31 in the Rotunda of the Dayton Arcade at 31 S. Main Street. Click here for updates on viewing times and activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To learn more about the piece and the creator, 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 WDTN.com. Mar. 31Randy Cohen, Vice President of Research for Americans for the Arts, will be the featured speaker at the upcoming Arts Leaders Luncheon, hosted by Odessa Arts on Friday, April 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center, Rea-Greathouse Recital Hall. This special luncheon invites arts leaders, supporters, and the public to hear firsthand the results of a major economic impact study conducted in 2024 by Odessa Arts in conjunction with Americans for the Arts. Cohen will present findings from the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) study, which reveals that in 2024, the nonprofit arts and culture sector in Odessa generated $33.5 million in total economic activity. This includes $15.7 million in spending by arts and culture organizations and $17.8 million in event-related spending by audiences. The study also shows that the arts supported 397 local jobs, generated $13.2 million in personal income, and provided $4.5 million in tax revenue to local, state, and federal governments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is just one of the many insights Randy Cohen will share," Randy Ham, Executive Director of Odessa Arts, said in a news release. "His presentation will highlight how deeply the arts impact our local economy, workforce, and quality of life." Randy Cohen will also be a featured speaker at Odessa Arts' Spectacular! Spectacular! Black & White Ball on Saturday, April 5, at the Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. Event Details Event: Arts Leaders Luncheon featuring Randy Cohen. Date: Friday, April 4. Time: 11:30 a.m. 1 p.m. Location: Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center, Rea-Greathouse Recital Hall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/art-leaders-luncheon-tickets-1272348280959 This event is open to the public, and arts leaders are encouraged to attend to learn how arts investment is fueling Odessa's growth and prosperity. Miguel Palafox describes himself as an optimist. This farmworker doesnt rule out amnesty for undocumented immigrants like himself. He hasnt lost hope, even in the bitter times of Donald Trump. Living in the United States since 1989, the 47-year-old still has faith in being reunited with his father, whom he hasnt seen since leaving his village in the Mexican state of Veracruz. He has had a work permit for 11 years, but hasnt left the country for fear of never being able to return. On March 31, despite the persecution faced by people like him, he marched for the first time. I wont say Im not afraid, but I think its important to do so, says Palafox, who picks citrus fruit in Californias Central Valley. Palafox took to the streets of Delano, a farming town 140 miles north of Los Angeles, on Monday, alongside thousands of others. Its a significant town for Latinos in the country, as the legend of Cesar Chavez the United Farm Workers (UFW) leader who became a figurehead in the 1960s in defense of undocumented workers, a population now under threat from Trumps policies was forged in these lands. In the face of all these attacks, its important to teach people who are afraid that they have to fight back. We have to encourage the people to protect their rights, says Paul Chavez, one of the eight children of the union leader, who died in 1993. Chavezs legacy is so significant that his birthday, March 31, was declared a holiday by Barack Obama in 2014. It is a mandatory holiday in California. We decided to honor his birthday with a big protest, a march to announce to everyone that we are here and that we are going to fight against Trump and his henchmen, says Paul Chavez. The protest drew some 7,000 people, according to organizers. It was a three-mile march from a public park to the Forty Acres Ranch, the first UFW headquarters and where Cesar Chavez held his first fast in 1968. Some 50,000 people made this same journey in April 1993 to bid farewell to the charismatic union leader when he died in his sleep at the age of 66 in Arizona. Historians consider it one of the largest funerals for a union leader in the United States. Workers protest to commemorate Cesar Chavez Day. Luis Pablo Beauregard Mondays demonstration, however, moved the community in other ways. Veronica Tapia and several of her neighbors left their homes to record the protest with their cell phones, filled with flags from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and the Philippines, a nation allied with Chavezs labor movement. I havent seen such a large march in years. It gives me goosebumps, says Tapia, who couldnt hold back her tears. This land, Kern County, has become a battleground. At the beginning of the year, a raid heralded the change of era. A group of Border Patrol agents, over 300 miles away from their base of operations, improvised an operation in the area without the knowledge of their supervisors to demand documentation from farmworkers. This resulted in the arrests of 78 people, many of whom were processed for deportation. It was the final hours of Joe Bidens presidency, and activists claim the operation was carried out with the sole purpose of announcing what was around the corner. Then came the chaos of Trump and a migrant hunt that has touched almost every corner of the country. Alfredo Juarez, who worked with Familias Unidas organization, was arrested in Washington state by ICE agents while dropping his partner off at work. The officers smashed the car window and forcibly removed the 25-year-old, claiming that an immigration judge had ordered his deportation to Mexico in 2018 and he was not cooperating with the arrest. Today, he is in a Tacoma detention center. The local press emphasizes that the only blemish on his record was a traffic violation committed a decade ago. He was a very important voice in the community, speaking out about workers rights. Its an injustice because he didnt do anything wrong, says Teresa Romero, the UFW president. Thats what they want to do: take away our voice, our strength to make us afraid, adds Romero, who received one of the U.S. governments highest civilian awards from Joe Biden. Cesar Chavez at a protest in Seattle, Washington, on December 19, 1969. BARRY SWEET (AP) Alfred Valenzuela attended the march with several photographs of his older brother, Frank Tito Valenzuela, who died in 2024 at the age of 91. In one of them, Tito appeared beaten and handcuffed by Kern County police after a 1973 demonstration at the Giumarra Ranch, a Bakersfield vineyard affected by the grape harvest strike, one of the UFWs most iconic moments. Thats how they left him for defending a pregnant woman who was being beaten by the police, Alfred, who came from Hollister, proudly recounted. The Delano police are no longer a threat. Their officers greeted protesters on Monday. Some officers took videos of the large march. Alfred Valenzuela says the atmosphere was festive: nothing like the protests he attended decades ago with his brother. Today, this demonstration is full of children and people with rights. But those freedoms and rights must continue to be defended in the streets. We cannot lose hope, not even now, he asserts. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A Frederick County District Court judge made several mistakes that should lead to his decision to put a long-vacant building in downtown Frederick into a receivership arrangement being reversed, according to a court filing from the buildings owner. A lawyer for Julia & James Properties LLC, the corporate entity that owns the building at 123-125 N. Market St. in Frederick, the site of the former Asiana restaurant, asked a Frederick County Circuit Court judge in a motion filed Friday to vacate an order made at an August hearing to place the building into a receivership. The city of Frederick is seeking to turn the property over to the developer St. John Properties to be renovated and sold under the citys law regulating abandoned or blighted properties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the filing by Joseph L. Katz, a lawyer for Julia & James Properties, argues that the citys receivership ordinance isnt part of any section of the city code that falls under the district courts authority. On the contrary, the Receivership Ordinance is a stand-alone law of the City of Frederick for which jurisdiction is not granted to the District Court by operation of law, the document said. The motion also argues that District Court Judge Earl W. Bartgis Jr. improperly denied Duk Hee Ro, one of the owners of Julia & James Properties, the chance to speak on the companys behalf at the August hearing, rather than have the company represented by a lawyer. Bartgis ruled that the company had defaulted in the case by not having a lawyer to represent it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Katzs motion argues that Maryland law allowed Ro to wind up the LLCs affairs and to appear on its behalf in court. In a response to a previous filing, Scott Waxter, an attorney for the city, had argued that Ro and Myung D. Ro, the other owner of Julia & James Properties, were individual defendants, and the company itself was a separate corporate defendant. The filing also argues that the city mixes up the uses of vacant and unoccupied in its petition for receivership, defining unoccupied as a building that has no active use and occupancy permit. But Ro testified at the hearing that the building was undergoing renovations, and was actively under rehabilitation and reconstruction, the filing said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview Monday, Katz said that Frederick, with its Revolutionary and Civil War history of people fighting and dying for freedom, should be especially cognizant of the taking of someones property without due process. Ros lawyers have until Friday to file any further arguments, with the city required to respond by May 5. A hearing is scheduled for May 12 in Frederick County Circuit Court. Waxter wrote in an email Monday that he did not expect the city would have any comment on the filings until it sees what has been filed by Friday. Under a receivership, St. John Properties would renovate and sell the property and deduct the expenses of the sale, outstanding taxes and other government assessments, and the amount of the receivers lien. Steve Witkoff, the Trump administrations special envoy to the Middle East, claimed on a recent episode of Tucker Carlsons video podcast that Ukrainian residents in four Russian-occupied territories voted to continue living under Russian rule. While Russian officials did stage referendum elections in occupied Ukrainian territory, in both 2014 and in 2022, the United States and the United Nations refused to recognize their legitimacy and indicated the results were likely fraudulent. First of all, I think the largest issue in that conflict are these so-called four regions: Donbas, Crimeayou know the namesLuhansk, and theres two others, Witkoff said on the Tucker Carlson Show while discussing peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Theyre Russian-speaking, there have been referendums where the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule. I think thats the key issue in the conflict. He continued, So, thats the first thing. When that gets settled, and were having very, very positive conversations. Carlson followed up by noting that Russia considers those regions part of its territory. Thats correct, but this has always been the issue, Witkoff replied. And its sort ofno one wants to talk about it. Thats the elephant in the room. He added, The question is, will the world acknowledge that those are Russian territories? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia invaded Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in February 2014 and staged a referendum the next month. The final tally of that referendum, organized and run by Russian authorities, showed that 97 percent of Crimean voters supported joining Russia and leaving Ukraine. The referendum was widely perceived as rigged in Russias favorone senior official in the Obama administration said at the time there was concrete evidence of ballots arriving to Crimean voting sites pre-marked for Russian integration. The United States and 12 other members of the U.N. Security Council voted in favor of a resolution to urge other U.N. countries not to recognize the Crimean referendum as legitimate, though it failed because Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, opposed it and China, another permanent member, abstained. Two days following the referendum, Russian President Vladimir Putin officially decreed the annexation of Crimea into the Russian Federation. Months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin announced new referendums would be held in parts of four Ukrainian oblasts in the Donbas regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. (Ukrainian separatists had conducted a referendum on self-rule in 2014 in Donetsk and Luhansk, though not all towns participated and the U.S. and Europe did not recognize the results.) The Russian state-run media outlet TASS reported in September 2022 that all four oblasts voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining Russia, garnering 97.5 percent support in Donetsk, 94.2 percent support in Luhansk, 76.9 percent support in Kherson, and 85.4 percent support in Zaporizhzhia. These results were far-fetched. A Ukrainian-based research organization, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), polled residents in those four Ukrainian oblasts between 2021 and 2022, finding that Russian integration was not supported by even one-quarter of the oblasts populations. The poll found Kherson oblast had the most pro-Russian support, at 22 percent. No other oblast polled garnered more than 20 percent. The KIIS report stated that any correctly conducted referendum that would be held in these oblasts would show that the absolute majority of residents of each oblast would oppose the separation of the region from Ukraine and joining Russia. Ukraines vanguard and Russian troops fought battles in the same oblasts where the referendums were held, likely further dwindling voter turnout. Those four oblasts were not fully occupied by Russian forces, and even today, Ukraine controls part of those territories. Towns and regions under Ukrainian authority during the 2022 referendums did not take part. Officials with the U.S., the U.N., and other international organizations condemned the referendums as rigged. Speaking before the U.N. General Assembly in September 2022, former President Joe Biden stated, The Kremlin is organizing a sham referenda to try to annex parts of Ukraine, an extremely significant violation of the U.N. Charter. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres shared the same view. Any annexation of a states territory by another state resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the principles of the U.N. Charter and international law, he said that same month. Any decision to proceed with the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine would have no legal value and deserves to be condemned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the week leading up to the referendum, then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also referred to the elections as a sham, explaining that it was part of a farcical and fanciful Russian plan, where, magically, these contested territories of Ukraine are going to vote in this thrown-together referendum and then be annexed into Russia. And, oh, presto, now theyre part of sovereign Russian territory. In fact, U.S. government officials repeatedly emphasized that these results were not to be trusted. As one unnamed senior official in the Biden administration said that same week, Our focus is on ensuring, specifically on this question of these referendums and this potential annexation, that the world roundly rejects the notion that this is legitimate. Other international organizations, including the European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe, also condemned the referendums as illegitimate and a violation of international law. The only nations to accept the Russian-staged referendums as legitimate and support Putins annexation of the four oblasts were North Korea and Syria, while under the leadership of the pro-Putin and now-deposed Bashar al-Assad. The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based nonprofit research group, found that these referendums were all conducted under an intense Russian military presence and without legitimate election observers, and Russian authorities likely falsified attendance statistics and manipulated ballots. The organization noted that voting was done through a mix of in-person and online voting, enabling more straightforward Russian vote rigging. Current Zaporizhzhia oblast Gov. Ivan Fedorovwho was the then-mayor of Melitopol, a city in that same oblaststated in August 2022 that Russian forces threatened deportation against residents who voted to oppose Russian integration. Days later, Fedorov said that Russian officials planned to have residents vote from their homes, where armed Russian soldiers would interview residents at their homes and threaten to shoot those who vote against joining Russia. Undemocratic and inhumane voting regimens were reported across the oblasts too. Ukrainian official Serhiy Haidai, who at the time was leading the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, said that, in addition to the Russian propaganda widely distributed to Ukrainian residents, Russian officials conditioned humanitarian aidincluding food and wateron electoral participation. The Security Service of Ukraine, the countrys central intelligence agency, also reported that in the Donetsk oblast, individuals as young as 13 years old were permitted to vote. Ukraines Constitution prohibits individuals under the age of 18 from voting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A White House spokesperson did not respond to The Dispatch Fact Checks request for comment. If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com. 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. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore spent 286 days among the billions of stars that make up the universe. But you dont have to leave the planet to immerse yourself in the cosmos. Rather than an astronaut, you can be an astrotourist. Utah has some of the darkest skies on Earth and the highest concentration of certified International Dark Sky parks and communities in the world. For the fifth consecutive year, Gov. Spencer Cox declared April as Dark Sky Month in Utah, touting the tourism benefits stargazing brings to the state and its Western neighbors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Visitors to Utah engaging in astrotourism tend to stay longer, spend more and mitigate harmful tourism impacts on the local community, according to an official declaration Cox signed. A Space.com article says it is impossible to talk about astrotourism without mentioning Utah. The landscape is so varied there are beautiful tall snowy mountains, winding red rock canyons, arches and everything in between, Bettymaya Foott, an astrophotographer and director of engagement at the International Dark Sky Association, told the publication. The juxtaposition of a beautiful starry sky against a breathtaking landscape makes it pretty hard to take a bad photo. What is astrotourism? Astrotourism is traveling to places sometimes remote locales where its possible to see celestial events such as stars, planets, eclipses and meteor showers due to minimal light pollution. It also includes visiting observatories, planetariums and other astronomy-related places. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Preserving the night sky is vital to Utahs long-lasting tourism economy and a dynamic visitor experience, Natalie Randall, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism and Film, said in a press release. Utah State Parks, national parks and local communities have shown tremendous leadership in prioritizing night sky preservation and offering unique year-round programs for both residents and visitors. Astrotourism is anticipated to generate nearly $6 billion and support over 113,000 new jobs in the Colorado Plateau over the next decade, according to the Utah tourism office. The Colorado Plateau, a region that includes parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, is known for its dark, star-filled night skies. Seeing stars A 2019 study found tourists in national parks are increasingly interested in observing the night sky, especially considering that natural recreational amenity is quickly disappearing from the planet. The study forecasts that tourists who value dark skies will spend $5.8 billion over the next 10 years in the Colorado Plateau and create more than 10,000 new jobs in the area each year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Furthermore, as dark skies are an even more intense natural amenity in the non-summer months, they have the ability to increase visitor counts to national parks year-round and lead to a more efficient use of local community and tourism-related resources throughout the year, the study says. All five of Utahs national parks Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion as well as 10 state parks and three communities are accredited International Dark Sky places. While Utahs stunning state parks draw visitors from across the globe during the daytime hours, you dont want to miss out on the magic that begins after sunset, Utah State Parks director Scott Strong said in a press release. Dark sky programs offer visitors a unique perspective. Experiencing state parks like Goblin Valley, Kodachrome Basin and Dead Horse Point under the starry sky is an experience that youre sure to remember forever. What is a Dark Sky place? The International Dark Sky Places program certifies communities, parks and protected areas around the world that preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education, according to DarkSky.org. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DarkSky has certified more than 200 places since Flagstaff, Arizona, was named the first International Dark Sky City in 2001. There are nearly 62,000 square miles of protected land and night skies in 22 countries on six continents. Certified areas are required to use quality outdoor lighting, effective policies to reduce light pollution and ongoing stewardship practices. Natural Bridges National Monument in southern Utah was the first dark sky designated park in the world. According to DarkSky, certification alerts visitors to light pollution and the need to preserve the night sky as a natural resource. It supports management agencies in achieving long-term conservation targets and connecting people to nature. It also serves as an economic driver by fostering increased tourism and local economic activity. The Utah declaration says stargazing, astronomy programs, star parties, dark sky photography and other activities allow Utahns and visitors to enjoy the physical and emotional benefits of the night sky. Dark skies are also integral to the well-being of many animal and plant species, and are shown to have positive health impacts on people. Mar. 31LIMA In February, a jury found Daniel Elliott guilty of complicity to attempted murder. On Monday, Elliott was given a minimum six-year prison sentence for that crime. Elliott's conviction on this first-degree felony came as a result of the attempted murder of Gloria Triana, the mother of Elliott's cousin's children. Elliott's six-year sentence is the minimum prison time allotted with an additional three years possible to be added on. Elliott will be eligible for judicial release after five years, and a probation period of two to five years will follow his release. According to testimony during the trial, in March 2024, Elliott, now 27, created a mixture of household chemicals in a water bottle that his aunt, Sonya Elliott and his cousin, Charleston Elliott, then allegedly tried to force Triana to drink. The family believed that Triana was being an unfit mother to her two daughters she had with Charleston Elliott, according to testimony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Monday's sentencing hearing, Allen County Assistant Prosecutor Joshua Carp noted that, while Triana did not suffer physical harm as a result of this incident, that fact should not have a role in determining an appropriate sentence. "She certainly could have been harmed," he said. "I said this at trial, that it doesn't really matter whether it could have killed her. It's the idea that the defendant wanted it." Carp also noted that the pre-sentence investigation did include a statement from Elliott that he was under the influence of alcohol while also on medication, but this also was a moot point, he argued. "That doesn't lead to wanting to end somebody's life by putting a bunch of different things together for them to drink," he said. "The defendant very clearly told (Lima Police) Detective (Steve) Stechschulte that he knew what he was doing." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When given the opportunity to make a statement, Elliott claimed he and other inmates have suffered harsh treatment and have not had their medical needs met. "It's just a real shame that the needs of the inmates not met medically are the worst part of the existence of cruel and unusual punishment," he said. "I'm sorry to all who have been treated less than a human, as a person and a human being." Elliott also maintained that the girls were still suffering abuse and that it was unjust that he was the only one facing punishment. "This case does leave a black eye, and it gives people, I think, the wrong idea that if you're not from the beautiful state of Ohio and if you're not a resident, then you can come into this state, commit a crime and leave without punishment," he said. "With Sonya Elliott and Charleston Elliott free and with the state willingly admitting that maybe they did have a role in it, and with them being free, I think the girls got the very short end of the stick and they're left with their abusers." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This prompted a question from Judge Jeffery Reed. "So you think what you tried to do to Ms. Triana is okay?" he asked. Elliott replied, "No, your honor." Elliott was given 377 days credit on his sentence for time already served. Featured Local Savings Astronaut Butch Wilmore didnt let getting stuck in outer space keep him from worshipping God. He regularly watched church services online during his unexpected nine-month stay on the International Space Station, and he described the habit as invigorating during a Monday press conference. Well, goodness, the Word of God I need it, Wilmore said. My pastors are the finest pastors on or off, in this case, the planet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added, To tie in and worship with my church family was vital. Its part of what makes me go. "My pastors are the finest pastors on or off in this case the planet." When asked why it was important for him to continue to attend church services while he was aboard the ISS, NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore said it was "invigorating" and "part of what I need." pic.twitter.com/SEzgG7fKQs ABC News (@ABC) March 31, 2025 Wilmore would watch videos of services from his home church Providence Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas, as well as from Grace Baptist Church in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, where a friend of his works, according to Fox News. Hed also call his church friends from space and participate in devotional events, Christian Broadcasting Network reported. Wilmore said on Monday that it was hard to feel close to his church community while on the space station, but that his effort to maintain his relationship to his pastor and others paid off for him and his family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was part of what I need, as a believer in Jesus Christ, to continue that focus ... because I need that fellowship, even though its fellowship from afar, he said. Astronauts stuck in space Wilmore and fellow astronaut Suni Williams traveled to the International Space Station in June for what was supposed to be a nine or 10 day stay. But issues with their Boeing capsule made a return trip impossible until another ship became available. The astronauts were ultimately on the space station for about nine months, at which point the SpaceX Dragon capsule brought them home. Wilmore and Williams landed off the coast of Florida with two other astronauts on Tuesday, March 18, as the Deseret News reported at the time. Butch Wilmore returns to normal life Once home, Wilmore and Williams returned to their normal routines; well, at least the parts of their routines they could safely do as they received physical therapy to recover from their long stay in space. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wilmore was able to attend a worship service in person at Providence Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas, on Sunday, March 23, and spoke about how his time in space shaped his faith. I understand that (God) is at work in all things, Wilmore said, according to Christian Broadcasting Network. Some things are for the good go to Hebrews Chapter 11. Some things look to us to be not so good, but its all working out for His good for those that will believe. WASHINGTON (AP) Attorney General Pam Bondi directs prosecutors to seek death penalty for man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City, after a five-day manhunt. ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images It is the first time the Justice Department has sought to bring the death penalty since President Donald Trump returned to office in January with a vow to resume federal executions. Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, faces separate federal and state murder charges for the killing, which rattled the business community while galvanizing health insurance critics. Advertisement Advertisement The federal charges include murder through use of a firearm, which carries the possibility of the death penalty. The state charges carry a maximum punishment of life in prison. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to a state indictment and has not entered a plea to the federal charges. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state case expected to go to trial first. It wasnt immediately clear if Bondis announcement will change the order. NEW YORK (AP) U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday she has directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4. Curtis Means - Pool / Getty Images After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again, Bondi said. Advertisement Advertisement A message seeking comment was left for a spokesperson for Mangiones lawyers. Thompson, 50, was ambushed and shot on a sidewalk outside the New York Hilton Midtown as he arrived for his companys annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind. Police say the words delay, deny and depose were scrawled on the ammunition investigators found at the scene, mimicking a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. Mangiones lawyer, Karen Friedman-Agnifilo, has said she would seek to suppress some of the evidence seized during his arrest. She has also taken issue with the parallel prosecutions, accusing warring jurisdictions of turning Mangione into a human ping-pong ball. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images Police said Mangione had with him a 9mm handgun that matched the one used in the shooting and other items including a fake ID and a notebook described by authorities as a manifesto in which they say he expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives. Advertisement Advertisement Among the entries in the notebook, prosecutors said, was one from August 2024 that said the target is insurance because it checks every box and one from October that describes an intent to wack an insurance company CEO. UnitedHealthcare is the largest health insurer in the U.S., though the company said Mangione was never a client. Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America, Bondi said in a statement that described Thompsons killing as an act of political violence. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images After his arrest, Mangione was whisked by plane and helicopter back to New York and walked slowly up a Manhattan pier in a highly choreographed spectacle by a throng of officers with assault rifles and a contingent that included New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Advertisement Advertisement Trump, who oversaw an unprecedented run of executions at the end of his first term, signed an executive order on his first day back in office on Jan. 20 that compels the Justice Department to seek the death penalty in federal cases where applicable. Mangiones case is the first time Bondi has ordered prosecutors to pursue the death penalty since she took office in February and immediately lifted a moratorium that that had been imposed under former President Joe Bidens administration. The Trump administration has signaled it will aggressively push for death sentences for certain crimes, accusing the Biden administration of going easy on violent criminals. Trumps administration carried out 13 federal executions during his first term, more than under any president in modern history. Biden campaigned on a pledge to work toward abolishing federal capital punishment but took no major steps to that end. But in his final days in office, the Democratic president commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on death row, converting their punishments to life in prison.This article originally appeared on HuffPost. On Tuesday, Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who is accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year. In December, Mangione, 26, received federal charges of stalking and murdering Thompson after the CEO was fatally shot in New York City, per NBC. State prosecutors also charged him with first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism. Bondi stated that as a part of Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again, she was directing prosecutors to seek the death penalty, according to NBC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America, Bondi said in a statement, per The New York Times. The federal charge of murder through the use of a firearm means Mangione is eligible for the death penalty if convicted, per ABC. Mangione pleaded not guilty to all charges, per NBC. His lawyer has not responded to comment about the attorney generals push for the death penalty. If Mangione is convicted of the state charges, he could likely be imprisoned for life without parole. Attorney General Pamela Bondi wants the death penalty for Luigi Mangione. His defense attorney said the decision supports the "murderous healthcare industry." While New York state doesn't allow the death penalty, it can still be sought by federal prosecutors. An attorney for Luigi Mangione accused the Justice Department of backing a "murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people." The comment came after Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered prosecutors to seek the death penalty for the accused killer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi," defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said in a statement. "By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people." Earlier on Tuesday, Bondi announced that she wanted the government to execute Mangione, who is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. "Luigi Mangione's murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America," Bondi said. "After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump's agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again." The former Ivy League student is facing two parallel criminal cases in Manhattan, one from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and one from federal prosecutors in the US Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New York has eliminated the death penalty for cases brought by state prosecutors, such as the Manhattan District Attorney. Federal prosecutors in the Justice Department can still seek death as a punishment. Friedman Agnifilo's statement said the decision to "murder" Mangione was "political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent." "This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship," she said. "Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young man's life." Law enforcement officials arrested Mangione in Pennsylvania in December, following a manhunt. They say he shot and killed Thompson on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk as he arrived at a conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. While Mangione is in federal custody housed in the same jail as Sean "Diddy" Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried the Manhattan District Attorney's case has been moving more swiftly to trial. Last week, prosecutors and defense attorneys sparred over whether he should be permitted to have a laptop in jail as he prepares his defense. A federal judge had already assigned a lawyer specializing in capital punishment, Avi Moskowitz, to Mangione's defense team in February. A representative for Mangione's legal team didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on Tuesday. President Donald Trump has prioritized the death penalty in the federal criminal justice system. Bondi, in her first day in office, issued a memorandum lifting a Biden-era moratorium on executions. Read the original article on Business Insider AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) The Masters is almost here, and visitors will see the scars across the city from Hurricane Helene. Ive seen a few tarps around the neighborhood, especially over by County Club Hills. They were hit hard, said Keith Stone. Augusta was hit hard, as evidenced by the large debris piles sill stack up across the city, and what you see is what you will get until Easter time. The city has stopped debris pickup in advance of The Masters. We still got some hot spots to hit, everything in south of Tobacco Road might have to finish up on the second pass as well as the root balls. As far as the companies, they are coming back they will address it, said Mayor Pro-Tem Wayne Guilfoyle. Augusta did not finish picking up storm debris by Masters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even after nearly six months of work, so how do residents feel about the citys effort? Did a good job, because Ive seen a lot of areas that were really hard it and its in pretty good condition now, said Alberta Edney. Its been a slow process, its been done I feel to the best of their abilities theyre doing all they can possibly do it was pretty bad, said Rebecca Dent-Jenkins. Ill give them a B-plus, looking forward to the tournament, said Stone. Not an A? No, theyre not done yet, said Stone. If they would have looked at when the storm did hit to what it looks like now, most people would say what a heck of an improvement, we never thought it could done in this amount of time, said Guilfoyle. Helene created a lot of work for the city, and six months some of the work, is still there. 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 WJBF. Were practically kidnapped. They treat us like dogs. This is hell on earth. Testimonies of the conditions endured by detained migrants find their way out of the Krome Detention Center, located on the edge of Miami, where the city merges with the immense swamps of the Everglades. At Floridas largest migrant detention facility originally a Cold War missile base and known for its poor conditions since it began operating as a temporary prison for immigrants no cameras or personal cell phones are allowed. Legal representatives for detainees are the only outsiders allowed in, and official communications are limited. But in recent weeks, viral videos on social media, complaints from family members, lawyers, and activists, and even a couple of deaths at the center since late January have put the spotlight on Krome. The situation is such that some detainees are requesting to be deported rather than spend more time there. Its yet another example of the deployment of cruelty as a deterrent strategy. Last weekend, the first protests took place on the access road to the facility, and dozens of people made clear their rejection of the inhumane conditions at Krome, which have recently come to light. Outrage began to grow precisely with the news of the death of Maksym Chernayak, a 44-year-old Ukrainian who was in the country thanks to the humanitarian parole program, on February 20. As that news broke, so did the death of Genry Ruiz Guillen, a 29-year-old Honduran, who had died on January 23. Both died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and had been detained at Krome before being transferred to a hospital where they could not be saved. Details of each case are limited in that of Ruiz Guillen, there isnt even an official cause of death and family members and lawyers are trying to clarify the sequence of events that led to the loss of life to determine whether the deaths could have been prevented. Suspicions about possible irregularities in the protocols are not unfounded. Florida immigration lawyers have known about Kromes notorious status for years, although the current situation is clearly different. Speaking to a local television station, immigration attorney Katie Blankenship said she would never be able to erase the images of women held at Krome which began admitting female detainees more than 20 years after an investigation into sexual abuse by guards in 2000. Every time I walked in there, there was literally a group of women with no room to move, banging on the window, pleading, because they saw someone who wasnt an agent. They saw that I was a lawyer and said, Please help us. Please help us. Please help us. Blankenship adds that her clients whom she now meets in separate rooms as the meeting rooms have become collective cells for dozens of people are sleeping in the bathrooms: Their faces are literally under the toilet. Other accounts from women collected by various local media outlets describe how they were forced to spend hours up to 16 in some cases with tight chains around their wrists, chests, and hips on buses outside the facilities without water, food, or access to bathrooms. The accounts, which cover different dates, concur that guards instructed them to urinate or defecate inside the buses, and that some women had no choice but to do so. Protesters outside the Krome Detention Center in Miami on March 29, 2025. Jose Iglesias (AP) But, as things stand in 2025, the situation at Krome only sounded alarm bells when a video went viral in late March. In it, Mexican citizen Osiriss Azahael Vazquez Martinez secretly records the room where he is being held with dozens of other migrants. The images show men sleeping on the floor, on waiting room chairs, or even on a table. The subjects speak in low voices to each other, and a bright white light replacing the suns rays makes it impossible to tell the time of day. Then Vazquez Martinez hides under the table and speaks to the camera: We are at the Krome Detention Center, here in Miami, Florida. We are being held captive. We are in deportation proceedings, but we have been here for more than 20 days; there are people who have been unable to communicate for more than a month. Please help us, he says, tears beginning to well up in his eyes and his voice trembling with each word. According to the Miami Herald, which spoke with Vazquez Martinez, he was deported on March 14, three days after posting the video on TikTok. After that video and three others posted by Vazquez Martinez were viewed millions of times, reports of the deplorable conditions at Krome began to dominate local news headlines in South Florida. In all of them, the voices of lawyers, family members, and detainees who have already been deported agree on several points: overcrowding, extreme shortages of food and liquids, lack of sufficient bathrooms, poor hygiene, increasing disease transmission, and poor and slow medical care for those who need it. For Octavio Perez Rodriguez, a Cuban who returned to the United States in 2022 after being deported in 2019, the situation has reached its limit. Titi, Im dying, Im in pain... you cant imagine what Im going through, he says in a call to his wife, Midalys Lopez Corrales, as can be heard in a report on local Miami television. He has been detained for over a month after being arrested while attending a supposedly routine appointment with immigration agents. Now Perez Rodriguez has officially requested deportation, as he cant stand Krome any longer. According to several different reports, there appear to be numerous other detainees who would prefer to be expelled from the country rather than spend more time in the Florida detention center. The overcrowding that everyone is talking about although they cant provide figures because they dont have them has been accepted but greatly minimized by ICE. According to its official figures, there are 605 people detained at Krome, although the capacity is 581. While ICE is looking for ways to increase its current detention capacity of 40,000 nationwide to 100,000, lawyers and activists estimate the real number is much higher. Some speak of double the capacity, others of up to 4,000. ICE has also stated in a generic message that it has strict medical, mental health, and hygiene standards, as well as standards for detention conditions, which include legal representation, abuse prevention, and access to interpreters. Nicole Cubillas and Alejandra Alvarez participate in a demonstration in front of the Krome Detention Center. Jose Iglesias (AP) Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition DENVER (KDVR) Aurora police are investigating a vandalism incident at a Jewish community center that happened early Monday morning and searching for a suspect. A police spokesperson confirmed to FOX31 Monday afternoon the agency is investigating a case of vandalism after windows were reportedly broken at the Ohr Avner Community Center on East Mississippi Avenue. Police received a call at about 6:30 a.m. Monday about the vandalism. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spokesperson said no one broke into the building. Police on Tuesday shared a photo of a suspect that was seen on cameras throwing rocks at the building. The suspect was seen wearing a blue hoodie (possibly The North Face brand), blue jeans, and brown or gray shoes, police said. Aurora Polices Bias Motived Crimes detective has also been notified as part of our standard practice, according to the spokesperson. Anyone with information about this incident can contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or online at metrodenvercrimestoppers.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 FOX31 Denver. NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) A man is accused of breaking into a Nicholasville home and causing up to $100,000 in damage. Deputies said they found Leondus Patrick inside a home on Serenity Circle early this morning, covered in blood and holding a knife. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the arrest citation, Patrick told officers he was bleeding from a bite wound. Investigators said blood was splattered throughout the house, and multiple items were destroyed, causing between $70,000 and $100,000 in damages. Patrick faces charges of burglary and criminal mischief. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Authorities are investigating following an explosion at a home Tuesday on Milwaukee's northwest side. The Milwaukee Fire Department said no one injured in the explosion, which happened at about 1:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of North 51st Boulevard. Fire officials searched the home and extinguished a fire. A side wall on the home could be seen disjoined from the structure. All the windows were also blown out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said the fire department will work with We Energies and the Milwaukee Police Department to determine a cause of the blast. A neighbor said he believed the house had been vacant for the last four or five years. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Authorities investigate house explosion in Milwaukee 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? AUSTIN (KXAN) Just ahead of Autism Acceptance month, the Autism Society of Texas held a day of advocacy at the Texas Capitol. Advocates spent the day visiting lawmakers offices to advocate for their priorities that are coming up in the legislative session. The Autism Society of Texas changes lives by connecting families and individuals to community resources and support through Texas, according to the nonprofits website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the big issues on their minds is special education, especially when it comes to funding. We have a $1.7 billion gap in special education funding here in our state, and were really seeing teachers leaving and things not going well. We got 40% of our teachers are not certified right now, said Jacquie Benestante, executive director for the Autism Society of Texas. The day of advocacy comes as the group launches its Autism Acceptance Is campaign, which is a statewide initiative promoting understanding, acceptance and belonging for those with autism. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) President Donald Trump is calling Wednesday Liberation Day. Trumps Liberation Day of tariffs is coming. What it could mean for you Trump is expected to roll out some tariffs he claims will free the United States from its reliance on foreign goods. This includes goods on foreign vehicles, which will go into effect this week. The Trump Administration plans to implement a 25% tariff on imported vehicles and auto parts. If youre looking to buy your car, one dealership said its better to act now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think that the Trump Administration is going through negotiations with these other countries and manufacturers, I think that, I mean, its again, as I stated before, if you are in the market for a car, you probably want to act sooner than later because we dont know, said Automobile Dealer, Dan Banister. Banister said this is to get manufacturing jobs back in the United States. It will also level the playing field for buying and selling cars, according to the administration. Banister said its uncertain now, but there could be a negative impact on the auto industry. If it does stick, it could have a detrimental effect on the consumer and the businesses and all the workers. But right now, we dont know. I mean, all the- I have five different brands, and we really dont know how its going to impact me because they could put a tariff on it and it may not be passed on the consumer, said Banister. For car parts, industry analysts are expecting costs to jump as early as the next coming weeks or even months. If the part is coming from another country, the price will be directly affected by the tariff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think thats probably going to be a bigger impact than it is the auto sales, because you know what? The average customer keeps their car for five or six years. You know, were talking about the auto parts said, you know, people have to get regular, regular maintenance on it. And unfortunately, a lot of the parts that people need to maintain their vehicle are made overseas, said Banister. Experts say that in February, six in every 10 auto replacement parts came from Mexico, Canada or China. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. VIENNA, Ohio (WKBN) A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who is poisoning cats at a Trumbull County mobile home community. Read next: Lake Milton man facing kidnapping charge Alley Cat Allies, an organization in Maryland, is assisting the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County to offer the reward. AWLs humane agent confirms they are investigating the poisonings at Blue Water Manor in Newton Township. Agents were called there last Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Alley Cat Allies, humane agents discovered three bowls containing tuna mixed with antifreeze and bleach in an outdoor area in the community. A bottle of bleach was discarded on the ground near the bowls. Three cats have died and it is believed that they consumed the poisoned food, according to Alley Cat Allies. Antifreeze is toxic to cats but has a sweet taste that attracts animals. AWLs humane agent says they are also investigating a similar incident in Niles, and he urges people to be careful with outside pets and even children, who could get into these bowls. Anyone with knowledge about the Blue Water Manor incident is urged to contact AWL at 330-539-5300 or humane@AWLTrumbull.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reward terms and conditions are listed on Alley Cat Allies 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 WKBN.com. Last week, a large force of B-2 Spirit bombers and other supporting assets deployed to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, which TWZ was first to report on. The unprecedented stealth bomber deployment comes amid growing U.S. threats to the regime in Tehran, as well as stepped-up strikes on their Houthi proxies in Yemen. Now, according to a recent report from The Telegraph, Iranian officials are exploring options for preemptive strikes on Diego Garcia or at least a show of force aimed near the island. The mounting tensions and high-profile B-2 deployment offer a new and particularly pronounced data point in the already heated debate over whether the U.S. military should be investing more in new hardened aircraft shelters and other fortified air base infrastructure amid rapidly evolving standoff aerial attack threats. A satellite image from Planet Labs taken today, which TWZ has reviewed, shows six B-2s along with six other large aircraft that could include tankers, cargo planes, and other types, parked in the open at the airfield on Diego Garcia. Another Planet Labs image from March 29 shows four B-2s and six KC-135 tankers parked on the apron, as well as three of the bases four specially designed B-2 shelters open. Containers that may be associated with deployable mobile operations centers are also visible. Whether or not there are additional bombers inside the shelters in either image is unknown. The shelters are not hardened, but are climate-controlled, and each are designed to hold a single B-2. A picture from 2020 showing a B-2 inside one of the shelters at Diego Garcia. USAF Tech. Sgt. Heather Salazar The B-2 Spirit looks full on Flight Of The Navigator when stowed in its B-2 Shelter System (B2SS) while operating abroad. pic.twitter.com/mFbnpD8p4x Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) June 23, 2018 Additional satellite imagery has previously been circulating online showing up to five B-2s on the apron along with other supporting aircraft. There are still-unconfirmed reports that seven Spirits may now be at Diego Garcia. The Air Force only has 20 of the stealth bombers in total, meaning that somewhere between 20 and 35 percent of the entire fleet is now forward-deployed in the Indian Ocean. Only a portion of the B-2 fleet is available for operational tasking at any one time due to maintenance and other factors, so this represents an even higher percentage of the bombers that the Air Force has to actually send out on missions. Higher resolution commercial (paid) imagery from yesterday (March 30, 2025) confirms the B2's along with the 6x KC-135's currently forward deployed to Diego Garcia. https://t.co/zaQpTgdHkz pic.twitter.com/RSAbDKqCva S2 Underground (@s2_underground) March 31, 2025 NSF Diego Garcia Latest view of the situation at Diego Garcia (31 March 2025) via Sentinel 2 Appears to be 5x B-2 Spirit Stealth Bombers on the south apron as well as 6x other aircraft (likely KC-135 but could also be C-17A or P-8A)@Schizointelpic.twitter.com/AXaPndoVp2 MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) March 31, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least as of yesterday, an additional B-2 was still at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii after diverting there on March 24 for reasons that remain unexplained. And there she sits. Looks like someone is there for it besides security. https://t.co/VBVf7NA0GY TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) March 31, 2025 As TWZ has previously noted, the B-2s at Diego Garcia is a major show of force aimed squarely at the Middle East, primarily toward Iran, but also Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. There has been a recent surge of U.S. airpower and other forces into the Middle East, including the dispatching of a second U.S. Navy carrier strike group to join the one already in the region. Significant movement from Osan AB, South Korea to Isa AB, Bahrain is underway. At least 13 US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III's have arrived at Osan in the last 3 days. Four have left Osan and arrived at Isa AB. Mission coding is sequential suggesting that these flights are pic.twitter.com/MEA2HCIQ3l TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) March 31, 2025 Six USAF B-2 Spirit stealth bombers 1/3 of Americas fleet forward deployed to Diego Garcia over the last week The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) continues strike operations against the Houthi. Carl Vinson CSG, en route to the Middle East, is 1-2 weeks out. pic.twitter.com/xkRvcOMcAa Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) March 30, 2025 The USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is just days away from entering the CENTCOM/5th Fleet Area of Responsibility. https://t.co/OwLduZuvFH TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) April 1, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the B-2s are an especially large threat to Iran, and specifically their prized nuclear program, which is the primary catalyst for the current tensions. They offer a unique mix of capabilities when it comes to penetrating deep inside hostile territory to conduct precision strikes against deeply buried and otherwise hardened facilities. The B-2 is currently the only U.S. aircraft certified to operationally employ the 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs. The MOP itself provides a unique conventional weapon for prosecuting especially deep targets, such as ones associated with Irans nuclear and long-range missile programs. TWZ has previously highlighted the signals that B-2s, in particular, send to the regime in Tehran, including after the stealth bombers were used in strikes against the Houthis in Yemen last year. B-2 drops a GBU-57/B MOP during a test. USAF Now, top [Iranian] commanders are being urged to launch preemptive strikes on the island and its base if [U.S. President Donald] Trumps threats have become more serious, an unnamed official in Tehran said, according to The Telegraphs report yesterday. Discussions about the island have intensified since the Americans deployed bombers there. Some are suggesting that missiles be fired towards the island, not with the intent to hit anything, but to fall into the water to send a clear message to the Americans that we are serious, the same individual reportedly added. Yesterday, Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei also threatened a strong response to any new attacks by the United States or Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they [Iran] dont make a deal there will be bombing, Trump said in an interview with NBC News Kristen Welker on Sunday. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before. Trump in a strong warning to Iran: "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before." pic.twitter.com/1qi5TfmUQ1 Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 30, 2025 The Trump administration has been using back channels to try to negotiate a new nuclear deal of some kind with Iran while also pursuing a so-called maximum pressure campaign against the regime in Tehran, of which the B-2 deployment is a major part. All of this is primarily focused on pushing the Iranians to abandon any potential of producing a nuclear weapon. U.S. authorities consistently assess that the Iranian government does not have an active nuclear weapons program, but that it could take just weeks or even days for them to produce the requisite fissile material should it decide to change course. A recent letter from Trump to Irans Supreme Leader Khamenei reportedly included a two-month deadline for reaching an agreement, which could come up as soon as the first week of May. We are not moving towards [nuclear] weapons, but if you do something wrong in the Iranian nuclear issue, you will force Iran to move towards that because it has to defend itself, Ali Larijani, an adviser to Khamenei who has served as a top negotiator in the past, said today on state television in Iran. Iran does not want to do this, but [it] will have no choice. Based on the publicly assessed capabilities of Irans missile and drone arsenals, the Indian Ocean island remains largely out of the reach of threats launched directly from Iranian territory. TWZ has highlighted the defensive value the remote outposts physical location offers in the context of previous large-scale bomber deployments intended to send signals to the government in Tehran. A map showing the general location of Diego Garcia. At shortest, the distance between Iran and the Indian Ocean island is some 2,358 miles (3,795 kilometers). Google Maps At the same time, ever-growing threats emanate from Iran, as well as its regional proxies, that are no longer just defined by range rings around the Middle East. Iran has notably commissioned multiple sea base-like vessels that can be used to launch potentially large numbers of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as long-range kamikaze drones, all from hundreds of miles away, in recent years. The Iranians have also demonstrated missile and drone capabilities, including launchers in standard shipping containers, which could be employed from commercial cargo and other civilian ships. Iran already has a history of using converted cargo vessels as motherships for intelligence gathering and covert attacks. There is also the potential for Iranian operatives or proxies to infiltrate an area to launch more localized campaigns, including using smaller and shorter-ranged weaponized drones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Irans sea base-like ship Shahid Mahdavi, a converted container ship that missiles and drones can be launched from, notably made a port visit to Port Klang in Malaysia in February after sailing through the Indian Ocean. The Moudge class corvette Dena accompanied the Shahid Mahdavi on its voyage, which began last year. Ship tracking data suggests the two ships came within 800 miles of Diego Garcia during the trip. Iran's IRGC published a video today of launching a ballistic missile from their forward base Shahid Mahdavi (converted container ship). pic.twitter.com/400Y8DYPlr Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 13, 2024 Location shows it is was approximately 1,200 KMs away from Diego Garcia in 2024. Location: https://t.co/3Jqw7PIIAK 2/2 pic.twitter.com/Wk7jItkXbH Brian (@BrianE6B) March 31, 2025 How successfully any attempted Iranian attacks on Diego Garcia might be is an open question. It is also unclear what the current defense posture on the island is, as well as how it may have been bolstered as part of the deployment of the B-2s. We have multi-layered defense systems to ensure the security and protection of our personnel and equipment, a spokesperson for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) told TWZ. Beyond any ground-based defenses on Diego Garcia, this is also a textbook case for how U.S. Navy ships can be tasked to provide additional bubbles of air and missile defense around a particular littoral area. Surface warships and submarines, as well as maritime patrol aircraft flying from the island, could help provide an additional screen against maritime threats, including vessels capable of launching missiles and drones. A satellite image offering a general view of the airfield on Diego Garcia. Google Earth Iranian ships could seek to overwhelm any defenses on Diego Garcia by launching large-volume drone and missile attacks. Iran used similar tactics against Israel on two separate occasions last year, which required significant Israeli, U.S., and other foreign forces to help blunt those incoming threats. The Houthis in Yemen have also been launching complex drone and missile attacks on foreign warships, including U.S. carrier strike groups, and commercial vessels in and around the Red Sea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any Iranian ships used to conduct attacks on Diego Garcia would quickly become targets for U.S. forces. An overt Iranian attack on the island launched from anywhere would otherwise put the two countries in a state of open conflict. Since it is a British territory, the United Kingdom could be embroiled, as well. Iran attempting to preemptively attack the island still seems like a long shot, although some form of a show of force is more possible, although probably quite unlikely considering the tensions in play at the moment. If the B-2s are used to strike Iran directly, this calculus would clearly change, but the U.S. would be prepared for such contingencies. The use of fighters has played a major role in protecting assets against Iranian and Houthi long-range drone attacks. We could see a fighter contingent deployed to the island prior to May, along with additional defenses. This would also be a possible sign that the administration intends to use the stealth bombers if a deal doesnt move forward. US Air Force members, government employees, and contractors pose in front of a B-2 at Diego Garcia in 2010. USAF Tech. Sgt. Heather Salazar Whatever happens, it is indisputable that aircraft sitting exposed on a flightline are particularly vulnerable to attack even to drone threats leveraging commercially available technology. This is something we regularly highlight and that has been continually demonstrated in the ongoing war in Ukraine. The B-2s are incredibly fragile national treasures and cannot be replaced. Losing even one to a low end drone attack would be a massive hit to Americas standing strategic capabilities. A Maxar satellite image taken on June 8, 2024, showing the aftermath of a Ukrainian drone attack that damaged one and possibly two Russian Su-57 Felon new generation fighters at Akhtubinsk Air Base. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies When it comes to the threat posed by standoff weapons to aircraft on the ground, remember that Irans missile and drone arsenals are more limited in scale, scope and capabilities when compared to those of a near-peer competitor to the United States, especially China. The Chinese armed forces have far more options to hold not only Diego Garcia, but other U.S. bases, particularly those elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region, at risk. This also further reinforces the threat of high-volume strikes overwhelming existing active air and missile defenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As such, the aircraft shelters, or the lack thereof, on Diego Garcia underscore the larger debate ongoing now about whether or not the U.S. military should be building more hardened aircraft shelters and otherwise improving the physical resiliency of its bases at home and abroad. A report published from the Hudson Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C., included an assessment that it might take only 10 missiles with warheads able to scatter cluster munitions across areas 450 feet in diameter to neutralize all aircraft parked in the open, as well as critical fuel storage facilities, at various key air bases. Just five of these weapons would be able to destroy or badly damage every aircraft sitting on the main combat aviation ramp at Diego Garcia. Once again, Iran has the ability to launch its increasingly capable ballistic missiles at sea and within range of the island. For China, it has many options to execute such an attack. A graphic accompanying the Hudson Institutes January 2025 report showing how aircraft parking areas and fuel storage facilities at key air bases could be readily saturated by missiles with warheads packed with cluster munitions. Hudson Institute Depending on their exact construction, semi-hardened shelters could still provide some degree of protection against shrapnel from things like cluster munitions or kamikaze drones. In general, soft shelters help shield aircraft from the elements, which, as already noted, is of particular importance for stealthy types. It also makes it harder for an opponent to track aircraft movements, making it more challenging to target critical aviation assets. Just having the four shelters on Diego Garcia has made it difficult for independent observers to readily confirm how many B-2s are actually there right now. Creating ambiguity around the locations of assets is becoming much harder as satellite imagery becomes increasingly ubiquitous, even to independent observers via commercial providers, as this story makes clear. Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Russian air bases have already prompted the latter country to embark on a major effort to construct new hardened air shelters, particularly at air bases within range of those threats. The Chinese military has also been building thousands of hardened and unhardened aircraft shelters across its air bases. This is a growing trend that includes subterranean hardened facilities, such as ones built into mountains. This is something that has been observed elsewhere globally, too, including in North Korea and Iran. Work underway in December 2024 on new hardened aircraft shelters and other infrastructure at Russias Belbek Air Base on the occupied Crimean Peninsula. PHOTO 2024 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION The Air Force continues to push back on calls to invest in more hardened infrastructure. So far, the service has preferred to keep the focus on distributed and disaggregated concepts of operations, known collectively as Agile Combat Employment (ACE), as the primary means of reducing vulnerability to attack. ACE is heavily based around short-notice and otherwise irregular deployments, often to remote, austere, or otherwise non-traditional locales like Diego Garcia. The Air Force also regularly talks about the importance of active base defenses, such as surface-to-air interceptors, with work now underway on Guam being a prime example. Other branches of the U.S. military, particularly the U.S. Marine Corps, have been focused on similar efforts rather than physical hardening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While active defenses such as air and missile defense systems are an important part of base and force protection, their high cost and limited numbers mean the U.S. will not be able to deploy enough of them to fully protect our bases, a group of 13 Republican members of Congress wrote in an open letter to the Air Force back in May 2024. In order to complement active defenses and strengthen our bases, we must invest in passive defenses, like hardened aircraft shelters Robust passive defenses can help minimize the damage of missile attacks by increasing our forces ability to withstand strikes, recover quickly, and effectively continue operations. An F-16 fighter sits inside a hardened aircraft shelter. USAF There are capacity concerns on that front, as well, with U.S. Army air and missile defense forces struggling to meet current operational demands. Per current intra-service agreements, the Army is the lead for defending Air Force bases against aerial threats. Our forward air bases are fixed. Were using Agile Combat Employment to increase the numbers of [bases] which we have the potential to operate from. But the Chinese have fielded literally thousands of weapons to attack those bases cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hypersonics, former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said on a recent edition of Defense & Aerospace Reports Air Power Podcast. So having an effective, cost-effective ability to defend them is very important. Patriot and THAAD [Terminal High Altitude Area Defense] type of [surface-to-air] systems are not going to get you there. The economics just dont work. So we need something more cost-effective than those, Kendall continued. If we leave our bases vulnerable to attack, the F-22s, the F-35s, and the F-47s will never get off the ground. B-2s at Diego Garcia during a past deployment. USAF The threat ecosystem is only set to continue expanding. The democratization of long-range guided weaponry is already occurring at a rapid pace, and smaller nation states and even non-state actors are increasingly able to employ such systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As it stands now, a substantial portion of the B-2 fleet is in Diego Garcia, and a significant number of them have to be parked completely out in the open due to the lack of shelters there now. Whatever the veracity of Irans threats to target the island might be, this can only add to the already raging debate about the U.S. militarys needs when it comes to new hardened infrastructure in general. Howard Altman contributed to this story. Contact the author: joe@twz.com LANSING, Mich, (WLNS) The city of Lansing has filed 8 lawsuits against an East Lansing landlord. The lawsuits allege the landlord, Christian Nwobu, has violated the citys housing codes. The lawsuits were formally filed in 54-A District Court on Thursday, court records show. Nwobu was featured in 6 News Investigates series in May. That investigation revealed Nwobu was improperly renting out properties throughout the city. The investigation revealed he was renting pink-tagged properties properties that have not been properly inspected and registered as rental properties in the city. The investigation also revealed he was renting red-tagged properties properties considered unsafe to inhabit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City property records reveal Nwobu owns or has control over at least 42 properties in the city. He is listed as the owner of 25 properties, while he is listed as the responsible agent to pay taxes on 17 additional properties owned by a limited liability company. (WLNS) (WLNS) (WLNS) (WLNS) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (WLNS) (WLNS) (WLNS) (WLNS) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lansing Mayor Andy Schor says in a statement this round of lawsuits supports his state of the city statements. Just a couple of weeks ago in the State of the City I said bad landlords are on notice, a written statement from Schor reads. Just a couple weeks ago in my State of the City I said that bad landlords are on notice. My administration Code Enforcement and the City Attorney, have been aggressive, going after bad actors who are taking advantage of residents. We have been investigating, gathering evidence and data, and building cases that we can present to the court for further action. After years of legal actions, we finally won the old Autumn Ridge case and there are new owners now. We are currently in federal court on the Sycamore Townhomes and were successful in getting a receiver in place to begin a massive job turning that complex around. And now we are investigating and asking the court to assist us once again in this current matter. As I said, I am tired of the bad actors in housing, and I am going to continue to push City staff to do everything we can to ensure residents have access to good, safe housing. Andy Schor, Lansing Mayor Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) The Bakersfield Police Department is asking the community to assist in finding a missing teen. Kimora Jackson, 16, was last seen at 7:55 p.m. on March 31 in the 7100 block of East Berkshire Road, according to BPD. Kimora is considered at-risk because she may harm herself, police said. BPD described Kimora as 5 feet, 4 inches and 109 pounds with black hair with gold tips, brown eyes and scars on her left arm. She was last seen wearing a black sweater, gray sweats and rainbow-colored Crocs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage Anyone with information about Jacksons whereabouts is encouraged to contact BPD at 661-327-7111. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Castro has always been an illegal person, a fugitive from the law. Wherever hes lived, hes learned to live in a kind of clandestinity, because the truth is that Castro has always been wanted by authorities for deportation elsewhere. When he left Tercer Frente, in eastern Cuba, to settle in Limonar, at the other end of the country, the police turned on him for not having residency documents in the province of Matanzas. They fined him and confiscated his avocados, lemons, pigs, yogurts, and the charcoal he made with his own hands and then sold from his horse-drawn cart on the broken, municipal streets of Cuba. Now that he is in Texas, they dont want him there either. One might think that Castro is a privileged migrant for being Cuban, one of the thousands who arrived decades ago and became residents, worked hard, acquired property, became U.S. citizens, and contributed not only with taxes, but also with a first, second, and even third generation of family members. But thats not the case. Castro sees no problem revealing his identity, albeit only his last name. He has a deportation order that was issued by a judge some time after he left Cuba, crossed Central America by himself, swam across the Rio Grande, arrived in El Paso, was detained for several months, and then released on $15,000 bail. When he went to his hearing in 2022, the judge informed him that he had missed an appointment with immigration to have his fingerprints taken. I was shocked, says Castro, 34. I was never aware of that appointment. After other failures in his immigration process, scams from lawyers, and confusion, he learned he was in danger of being returned to the island, like 42,000 other Cubans who currently remain under deportation order. From the moment he wakes up around 8 a.m., Castro starts up his white Honda Civic and heads out to deliver food orders. Since he doesnt have legal documents, he rents the Doordash app from an acquaintance and works as many hours as he can, because Castro doesnt go to the movies, or to restaurants, or to parties; all he does and has done since he arrived is work. Recently, due to the announcement of a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, he decided to stay home, fearing that something might happen to him. Castro lives like a specter in the world of Texans, slipping around secretly, getting by however he can, without a drivers license, without a work permit. He never thought it would be like this, because it never was like this for his acquaintances who arrived before him, and even some who arrived after him. He believed that once he completed a year and a day in the United States, he would apply for the Cuban Adjustment Act and obtain his green card, as his fellow citizens have always done. But now I live here like all the people who dont have papers, he says. That is to say, he lives in the shadows, in fear, like the nearly 14 million undocumented immigrants who remain in the United States today. He is one more Latino among the many Mexicans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Guatemalans and Ecuadorians who represent 84% of all illegal immigrants in the country. A group that Cubans, due to their special immigration benefits, have never felt part of. But today there are nearly 550,000 Cubans who are finding it impossible to become residents, something that used to be a relatively easy path. Among the 681,812 Cubans who arrived in the United States between 2021 and 2024 amid the largest exodus from the island of all time many remain not only with I-220B status, or deportation order, but with I-220A status, a supervised release permit granted to some 400,000 Cubans randomly upon their arrival at the border, and which does not allow them to adjust their status. Added to these figures are the nearly 26,000 Cubans who arrived in the country after March 2024 and are in theory prevented from applying for residency following the revocation of protection for parole beneficiaries. Thousands have also requested refugee or political asylum status and, like migrants of other nationalities, will be affected by the pause in permanent residency processes ordered a few days ago by the Republican administration. They are, in some ways, the new Cuban migrants, very different even from their own relatives, but very similar to undocumented immigrants from other communities. Although Cubans in South Florida overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump, he makes no distinction in his fight to carry out the largest deportation in history. Cubans, a group historically protected by laws, could begin to face difficulties finding work, legalizing their status, traveling, or enjoying the advantages that come with not being undocumented, even though a large portion of the community can still adjust their status. Indeed, one could affirm that what has been happening could have a significant impact on social integration processes, asserts the Cuban sociologist Elaine Acosta Gonzalez, an associate researcher at the Cuban Research Institute who is leading a study on new migratory flows. Our community is also being affected by a homogenizing discourse that criminalizes emigration and affects the Latino community as a whole, which includes Cubans, even though many of us do not feel part of that community, precisely because we have not gone through such complex immigration regularization processes as others. This negative environment inevitably equalizes us, or makes us in a way closer to the reality of these migrants, although we still have some comparative advantages. Between fear and hope for a green card When Nasin Simon Boada, 48, arrived in El Paso, Texas, in April 2022, he was completely unbalanced, his high blood pressure worsened, and he suffered several hypoglycemic attacks. After four days in detention after surrendering to the Border Patrol, he signed the documents the authorities placed before him. They never asked me if I was afraid to return to Cuba, he says from his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. When I left, I signed several papers. I dont speak English, so I signed without reading them. I was desperate to get out of there. The day he was released, he was given a document with I-220A status. He had no idea what that meant. Initially, what I knew was that it would prevent me from being eligible for the Cuban Adjustment Act, he says. They could have given me parole, but it was a matter of good luck or bad luck, one thing or the other. Like thousands of Cubans in this same situation, Boada filed a political asylum application, which grants him the permit to work full-time in a factory. After closing his case in court, he applied for the Adjustment Act, passed by Congress in 1966 and allowing Cuban citizens to obtain permanent residency. Although some with the same status have obtained legal status, they are a tiny group compared to the thousands who have no guarantees. Boada worries every day. When he goes out, he carries all his documents in order. He even carries a letter in English, in case a problem arises and he has to explain his case to the authorities and explain that he is an immigrant with permission to remain in the country. I dont feel completely safe, but its what I can do right now, he says. Vivianas parents she asked to change her name for security reasons are the latest Cubans to be harmed by the Trump era. She is 66, he is 69. Near the end of their lives, they left their farm in Sancti Spiritus to join their daughter in Miami. They never considered emigrating, but in early 2023, the Joe Biden administration opened the humanitarian parole program to Cubans, a legal, fast, safe, and inexpensive way for 111,000 Cubans to reach the United States. Less than a year has passed since they arrived, since they met their granddaughters. They never imagined this scenario in which, in less than a month, Trump would declare them illegal like so many others. We never thought this would affect parole, says Viviana. We thought they would be able to benefit from the Cuban Adjustment Act, not that they would be in immigration limbo. They never suspected a thing because even their family, who had settled in Miami before them, assured them that Trump was the best option for everyone, that he would lower gas prices and improve the economy. It was very contradictory; we were afraid, and yet our closest family supported this person who made us feel fear, the daughter says. My dads brother and his entire family, or my moms cousins, they all had the same narrative that we just had to live through a Trump administration to know what it was like to live in a prosperous United States. But even so, without having had any precedents, we knew that with emigration it would be hard, although never at the levels it has reached. Vivianas parents have been advised to apply for political asylum, now that their work permits and any other benefits are also expiring, but their daughter refuses, fearing she might be committing fraud. All Cubans can claim problems in Cuba, but on what basis? What evidence? What arguments? So I dont plan to do it, nor do I have the $4,000 that lawyers charge. Its a risk were going to take. Darien Alvarez at his home in the United States. Of all the Cubans who have emigrated in recent years, those who entered using the CBP One app appear to be safer. Darien Alvarez, 30, who arrived in the country less than a year ago after waiting for his appointment in Hidalgo, Mexico, was lucky unlike some of his acquaintances, who were left behind once Trump took office and eliminated, on his first day as president, the tool Biden had used to alleviate the border crisis. He now has a work permit and a drivers license, and will apply for the Cuban Adjustment Act when he completes one year and one day of legal stay in the United States. Im doing pretty well because I applied for asylum, and in a year and one day Im going to apply for residency, because thats my right, says the young man, who works at a painting company in West Palm Beach. Although everything seems to be going well with his process, he cant deny that he sometimes feels scared, even more so when a new measure against migrants is enacted. Thats why he never liked Trump. I didnt want him to win, he says. He announced the things he was going to do, and now hes doing them. Many people thought about the price of gasoline, but no one thought about the problems it brings to many families who had to start from scratch to come here in search of an opportunity that isnt being offered to them now either. Despite the different categories that keep thousands of Cubans in legal limbo, immigration attorney Willy Allen believes those most at risk are those with I-220B status. These people never had legal entry, so they couldnt legalize themselves. I suspect this year will be very hard for them, says the attorney, who nonetheless remains hopeful that those with I-220A status can adjust their status, especially given that so many South Florida politicians have taken up these cases. My suspicion is that this year may be favorable for them because a federal court has arguments scheduled for September. The I-220A status was used at the border haphazardly. So the inconsistency with which it has been applied provides a much stronger guarantee. Furthermore, Allen recommends that Cubans who entered with the CBP One application and humanitarian parole apply for political asylum as soon as possible. Although, among all communities, Cubans continue to enjoy certain immigration privileges, fear has also taken hold of this group for the first time. There is a growing sense of fear in our community, of hopelessness, of concern, of greater anguish, says Cuban sociologist Elaine Acosta. Its a process that other migrant communities of Latin American origin have experienced for many years, and one that we had not experienced before. However, the researcher says that, according to the study she is conducting, she has noticed that despite the legal limbo in the community, there is a kind of denial of what is happening. I think there is still hope that we will receive differential treatment, like we have enjoyed previously. However, we often lack the legal literacy or political awareness necessary to understand the seriousness of the issue and the consequences it will have. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) A Baldwin County man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute and possessing bulk fentanyl with intent to distribute it, according to the United States Department of Justice. Mobile man sentenced to 51 months in prison for illegally possessing machine gun According to court documents, James Walker Stewart, 38, was arrested on Nov. 18, 2023, following a traffic stop in Atmore, Alabama. During that stop, authorities found Stewart with half a kilogram of fentanyl, a small amount of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. James Walker Stewart. (Baldwin County Sheriffs Office) Court documents said Stewart told authorities that he and a co-conspirator, Zachary Heaton Thaggard, had picked up the fentanyl in Atlanta and were bringing it to Pensacola, Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stewart then said that he had coordinated the fentanyl transaction with another co-conspirator, Justin Brian Melton, who was then serving time in an Alabama prison and made the deal using a contraband cell phone. According to the USDOJ, Stewarts cellphone was seized. It contained text messages, pictures, videos and other evidence of drug-trafficking activities with Melton and others. United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Stewart to serve 10 years of supervised release once he is released from his 10-year prison sentence. During that supervised release, Stewart will be subject to drug testing and treatment. Stewart was also ordered to pay $200 in special assessments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the USDOJ, Melton will spend 210 months in prison, and Thaggard will spend 30 months in prison for their roles in the conspiracy. Florida man arrested for indecent exposure at Walton County beach: WCSO This investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office, the Escambia County Sheriffs Office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller 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. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) Ballad Health CEO Alan Levine offered more insight into why the health system recently increased security at its facilities. On Saturday, Ballad said that concrete barriers placed outside its facilities were among several measures taken in response to a purported national threat to hospitals by a terrorist organization. Woman charged with vehicular homicide in ETSU graduate assistants death Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an email to News Channel 11, Levine acknowledged that some have questioned Ballads response, given that the FBI recently deemed the threat was not credible. If you read the original threat that was published by the AHA (American Hospital Association) and online, it clearly articulated that hospitals are a target, and that the potential threat will come in the form of a vehicle attempting to ram a hospital entrance, Levine said. When we met internally to discuss this matter, it was before the FBI clarified the credibility of the threat. Levine also brought up a February incident at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, when a car crashed into the front of the hospital. Virginia State Police said the driver suffered a medical emergency. I cannot discuss the condition of the person who was driving the vehicle, but the fact that we had that event, combined with the threat literally targeting vehicles attempting such a maneuver, combined with input we received from law enforcement at multiple levels, it was felt this event could not be viewed in a vacuum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Widow seeks answers after getting wrong ashes from funeral home Levine said after reviewing photos and video of the incident, combined with the recent possible national threat, Ballad officials did not want to take any chances. As you can imagine, there is information I cannot discuss with respect to security, but we will not gamble with the safety of people who are on our property, Levine said. We follow the advice of security experts before making decisions this important. Our first priority is the protection of our team members, our patients and our visitors. I believe this is what they would all expect of us. 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. Rick Weiland, of Dakotans for Health, answers a question from moderators during an election town hall at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell on Sept. 19, 2024. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) A ballot question committee is suing South Dakotas top election official over a new law that shortens the window for petition circulation by three months. Dakotans for Health filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal court against Secretary of State Monae Johnson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This new law is just another effort to silence the voices of South Dakotans and deny them the right to make decisions that impact their lives, said Dakotans for Health Chairman Rick Weiland in a news release. Legislation affecting voters Read more about election bills considered and adopted during the legislative session on South Dakota Searchlights 2025 Election Legislation page. South Dakotas Republican-dominated Legislature approved the legislation earlier this month, and Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden signed it into law last week. The law moves the filing deadline up from May to February for petitions seeking to place citizen-initiated questions on the ballot during general election years. It also imposes additional challenges, Dakotans for Health said, including harsher winter conditions and decreased voter interest due to the far-removed election date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dakotans for Health is seeking a court order blocking the enforcement of the law, and the payment of its attorney fees and costs. The law affects initiated measures, which need petition signatures from 17,508 registered South Dakota voters to make the ballot, and initiated constitutional amendments, which need 35,017 signatures. State law says no signatures may be collected more than 24 months preceding the general election. Dakotans for Health has been active in numerous petition drives, including two last year: a constitutional amendment that would have reinstated abortion rights and an initiated measure that would have repealed the state sales tax on groceries. Voters rejected both measures. The main sponsor of the new law, House Speaker Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, helped lead a legal challenge last year against the abortion amendment. The case was scheduled for trial after the election, but the lawsuit was dismissed after voters defeated the amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hansen sent a statement in response to a message Tuesday from South Dakota Searchlight. Disputes over the validity of petition signatures should be decided before the election takes place not after, the statement said. Amending this deadline is a common sense way to give voters the certainty to know exactly what will be on their ballot before they go to vote while still allowing over a year to gather petition signatures. Hansens legislation was one of numerous bills legislators considered to restrict citizen lawmaking. Among those that passed was a resolution that will send a question to the 2026 ballot asking voters to raise the approval threshold for constitutional amendment ballot questions from a simple majority to 60%. Lawmakers also passed but failed to override Gov. Rhodens veto of a bill that would have required constitutional amendment petitions to have signatures from every legislative Senate district in the state. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Bangladeshi government halted the import of yarns entering the country via land ports, throwing the nations apparel exporters up in arms. The governments decision follows requests from textile mill owners who suggested yarn should be imported only via seaports. The mills claim that the land ports lack the necessary infrastructure to vet raw materials and properly identify different categories of yarn. More from Sourcing Journal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), told Bangladeshi publication The Business Standard that the decision will be suicidal for apparel exporters. The BKMEA and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), two of the leading lobbying groups supporting Bangladeshs ready-made garment (RMG) industry, had requested that the imports continue through all ports. But the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) has argued that bringing in the materials through land ports undermines local industry. That industry has propped up Bangladeshs export economy, with garments constituting 81 percent of the countrys total exports, according to the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). Throughout 2024, Bangladeshs RMG exports totaled $38.5 billion, a 7.2 percent increase from $ 35.9 billion in 2023 despite the nationwide unrest that resulted in mass factory closures and the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, the Bangladesh commerce ministry issued a notice directing the countrys National Board of Revenue to halt the yarn imports. In this situation, it is requested to take necessary measures by issuing a notification to stop the import of yarn through all land ports or by issuing a corresponding amendment to the existing statutory regulatory order (SRO), the notice added. The notice established that all types of yarn imported through land ports are significantly undervalued compared to the prices declared at the Chattogram Customs House. Domestic yarn manufacturing companies are unable to compete with the cheaper imports entering the country via land, adds the notice. The average price of yarn produced in China, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Bangladesh is almost the same, but the price of yarn imported using land ports is much lower. This is causing irreparable damage to the domestic textile industry, the notice said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ministry said the notice was based on information provided by the BTMA, which also included stakeholders opinions. Ahead of the notice, yarn imports from India were allowed through seaports and four land portsBenapole, Sonamasjid, Bhomra and Banglabandha. These materials are often stocked in warehouses near the India-Bangladesh border in areas like Kolkata, before being shipped over. Bangladesh is now heavily reliant on India for yarn imports, as roughly 95 percent come from the neighboring country. In total, Bangladesh imported 1.25 million metric tons of yarn in 2024mainly cotton yarnup 31.5 percent from 924,000 metric tons in 2023, the BTMA says. India is suitable as a yarn source for multiple reasons, including the neighboring countrys competitive rates, its capacity to deliver larger consignments on time and local yarn mills struggling with inconsistent gas and power supply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former BGMEA senior vice president Abdullah Hil Rakib told The Business Standard that the governments initiative would force apparel exporters to buy yarn from local markets instead, thus increasing costs for the industry and harming their competitiveness. We have to acknowledge that todays small enterprises will one day grow into large companiescurrent industry leaders are proof of this, Rakib said, warning that making SMBs depend solely on the domestic market could threaten their survival. It is not ethical to force apparel exporters into an economic model that limits their choices, Rakib added. BKMEAs Hatem backed this up in saying that fast-fashion apparel manufacturers would be negatively impacted as well since importing materials through seaports requires a longer lead time. Hatem cited research data noting that the price of 30 single yarn in Bangladesh is $3.40 per kilogram, whereas it is $2.90 per kilogram in India and $2.96 per kilogram in Vietnam. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The BTMA had initially proposed a policy revision that allowed Bangladesh to keep importing yarn through the land ports. Association president Showkat Aziz Russell changed his mind on the subject somewhere before the start of the year. In a letter to the governments finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, Russel said that land ports often lack testing facilities for materials like yarn, enabling importers and exporters alike to take advantage of misdeclaration. Russell warned that allowing continued yarn imports through land ports would cause irreparable damage to the countrys textile sector, increasing reliance on imported yarn and leading to higher import costs and unemployment. We have seen growth in apparel exports in the new fiscal year, yet local mills are struggling due to multiple challenges, including low orders, Russell said. Mangione at his Manhattan arraignment on Dec. 23, 2024 - Credit: Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images On Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangiones legal team, led by Karen Friedman Agnifilo, responded in a statement. More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric, said Friedman Agnifilo. Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent. While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi. By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people. We are prepared to fight these federal charges, brought by a lawless Justice Department, as well as the New York State charges, and the Pennsylvania charges, and anything else they want to pile on Luigi. This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship. Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young mans life. Mangione, 26, is currently being held in Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He is the lead suspect in the murder of Thompson, which occurred in the early morning of Dec. 4. In December, Mangione pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges. He is facing federal charges for second-degree murder as well as weapons charges, but has not been asked to enter a plea. Mangione is also facing state charges in Altoona, Pennsylvania where he was arrested. His next federal court date is scheduled for April 18. Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America, Bondi said in a statement. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again. The federal charges against Mangione include stalking. The murder was an act of political violence, Bondis office said in her statement. Mangiones actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons. The attorney general said seeking the death penalty is in line with her order about reviving the federal death penalty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangiones lawyer, Friedman Agnifilo, has emphasized that Mangione being prosecuted by three different jurisdictions (Pennsylvania, New York, and federal) for one alleged event is unprecedented. In Mangiones last state court appearance in Manhattan on Feb. 21, Friedman Agnifilo said that her team was in the process of speaking to federal authorities as they decided whether or not to seek the death penalty. Obviously, thats an extremely serious matter that were in the process of providing mitigation for the Feds for that purpose, and that is where our focus is, said Friedman Agnifilo. One of the issues here is that the two theories of prosecution are opposite and inconsistent with one another, and by defending ourselves in state court, we are potentially providing fodder for the federal court appearance case and vice versa. The judge in the New York State case has said that if federal authorities permit, Mangione can be granted a laptop while incarcerated in order to view discovery. His next state court appearance is scheduled for June 26. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, his legal team has filed motions declaring Mangiones constitutional rights were violated when he was apprehended in Altoona. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) The Barton County Health Department will host a measles vaccine clinic at its office in Great Bend on Saturday, April 5. The clinic will run from 10 a.m. to noon. The clinic is open to the community, and no appointment is needed. Residents who have questions can call 620-793-1902. Last week, the number of measles cases in Kansas jumped to 23. So far, most cases are in southwest Kansas, but they have started spreading east as far as Kiowa County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Centers for Disease Control, measles is highly contagious. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours. One dead in crash on northbound I-135 near K-96 in Wichita The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says the first symptoms happen seven to 14 days after exposure. Measles typically begins with a high fever, possibly spiking to more than 104, a cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth two to three days after the symptoms begin. The measles rash appears three to five days after symptoms begin. Flat red spots appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Visit the KDHE website for more information about measles symptoms and frequently asked questions. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 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 KSN-TV. Mar. 31Barton Community College's Vice President of Student Services Angie Maddy recently shared her annual monitoring report on the "Barton Experience." The majority of staff and students had positive feedback about student services, the campus climate/environment, and the overall educational experience at Barton. "Our hope is that the Barton Experience is a good one for students, employees and the community," Maddy said. To receive feedback from a cross-representation of the Barton Community, the college relies on a student services survey deployed each fall; graduation exit surveys in the summer, fall and spring; the Noel Levitz Survey every other spring in odd years; climate surveys for students and employees every other spring in even years, and a Pace Survey every other year in odd years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were 610 responses to the graduation exit surveys over the past year. When asked, "Would you recommend Barton to another person?" 98% answered "yes" and "2%" answered no. When asked how they rated the overall educational experience at Barton, 48% said it exceeded their expectations and 51% said it met their expectations. Less than 1% said it did not meet their expectations. When asked, "How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the overall campus climate/environment that you have experienced at Barton Community College within the last 12 months," 84% of employees' responses and 77% of students' responses were "satisfied;" 0% of employees and 7% of students were "dissatisfied." Asked if they agree or disagree with the statement, "I am treated with respect at Barton, 91% of the employees and 90% of the students agreed; 0% of employees and 3% of students disagreed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maddy shared a few of the positive student comments from the survey: "I have truly enjoyed my time at Barton." "I really liked the way they helped me and how they guided/explained things that I, as a first person to go to college in my family, would not have known." Six months before attending Barton, I was a high school dropout. After completing the Adult Diploma Program, I started at Barton unsure of where it would take me. Thanks to Barton, I am now moving forward with a degree and looking forward to earning a Master's degree in a field I am passionate about. I am incredibly thankful for this school and all the staff members who helped me along the way." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Graduating students are also asked to name employees who made a difference in their lives. Last year 10 employees were nominated for the Barton Difference Award. The May 2024 winner was Jessica Fullen, an adjunct instructor at the Fort Leavenworth Campus. One student said, "Mrs. Fullen is the best teacher I have ever had. She always interacted with students, had a class schedule, and knew what she was talking about. She is available to ask for advice, and you will always get an answer for your situation, not a generic answer." Barton President Dr. Marcus Garstecki commented, "This is why we do what we do. We impact people and it changes their lives." How data is used Maddy said the college assesses student and employee feedback and uses the data to make decisions for improvement. This is most useful if there are specific suggestions. For example, comments about the cafeteria said students wanted more fruit options at breakfast. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A Baton Rouge man accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend and her young son pleaded guilty to charges ahead of a trial set for April. Brynnen Murphy, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of a lesser charge of manslaughter and one count of first-degree feticide on Tuesday in connection to the deaths of Kaylen Johnson, 24, and Kayden Johnson, 2. Murphy originally faced two counts of first-degree murder. This is a really horrible set of events, as you can imagine. Anybody that is associated with the case has a hard time discussing the facts, East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the family of the victims was satisfied with the plea deal. Murphys sentencing is scheduled for June 6, but Moore said he has agreed to serve 40 years plus 40 years plus 15 years consecutively. An affidavit states that Kaylens family reported her and her son missing to authorities on March 11, 2022. Murphy was tied to the case after officers learned that he had been in a relationship with her. He reportedly denied knowing her or having any information about her whereabouts. Kaylens car found parked in the area was towed and stored for evidence collection. According to arrest documents, investigators found suspected blood evidence in the car. Murphy went to the precinct on March 14, 2022, and admitted to shooting and killing Kaylen on March 5, 2022, before driving her car with her son Kaden in the back seat to Central Throughway. An affidavit states that Murphy carried Kaden to the side of the overpass and threw him over the side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Autopsy results confirmed Kaylen was pregnant at the time of her death. Suspects in Baton Rouge boys murder pleaded not guilty 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. 31Rep. Michael Baumgartner and other members of a House oversight committee sent a letter to Washington Attorney General Nick Brown claiming the state's "sanctuary law" is preventing local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officials. It's the latest example of confusion and discord as a state government's laws conflict with the second Trump administration's sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, diversity initiatives and protections for transgender students. The letter obtained by The Spokesman-Review is signed by the Eastern Washington Republican congressman, U.S. House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Rep. Tom McClintock of California, who is chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judiciary committee requests the state attorney general's office provide all documents and communications relating to state and local law enforcement agencies' interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection since January 2023. It also asks for the number of ICE detainers Washington law enforcement "declined to honor" during that time and the amount of "taxpayer funding" used to pursue legal action against the Adams County Sheriff's Department. Brown announced on March 10 that his office had sued the Adams County Sheriff's Office, alleging the agency of illegally cooperating with federal immigration enforcement in violation of state law. The letter asks for the information as soon as possible, but no later than April 14. "Federal law explicitly prohibits any restriction on communication between state or local entities and federal immigration authorities relating to an individual's immigration status," the letter states. "The state of Washington not only actively thwarts federal immigration enforcement, but it also targets local law enforcement officials for complying with federal law." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mike Faulk, deputy communications director for the attorney general, said the office is reviewing the letter. Officially called the Keep Washington Working Act, the state sanctuary law forbids local law enforcement from using local resources to help federal officials enforce immigration law. At a town hall in Spokane two weeks ago, Baumgartner hinted that he would try to change that but did not elaborate. In an interview with The Spokesman-Review last week, he said he was concerned about the attorney general's office going after Adams County and that the judiciary committee would take a look at the issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "First, we need to find out exactly what they're doing," Baumgartner said. He said he supports withholding some federal funding for sanctuary states. "If it's not civil rights or immigration, I'm a states' rights guy; I want to have as much freedom, but on this thing, I think there will be some financial implications that we're trying to navigate." Baumgartner did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. David Yost, a spokesman for ICE, declined to comment. The Adams County lawsuit, which was filed in Spokane County Superior Court, alleges the sheriff's office held people in custody based on their immigration status, gave immigration officials confidential information and helped federal immigration officials question those in custody, each of which the lawsuit alleges "expressly violates state law." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit alleges that between May 2019 and January 2022, the Sheriff's Office shared nonpublic information with federal immigration officials at least 212 times, which included sending a "new in custody" list to federal officials "on a near-weekly basis." That violates the state's 2019 keep Washington Working Act, the suit said. That law says state and local law enforcement agencies may not provide nonpublicly available personal information about an individual, including individuals in custody, to federal immigration authorities in a noncriminal matter, "except as required by state or federal law." According to Brown, Adams County was engaged in "good faith settlement negotiations" with the attorney general's office in late 2024, prior to the inauguration of President Donald Trump. In February, the Adams County Sheriff's Office retained attorneys from America First Legal, which was founded by Stephen Miller, a senior aide to Trump. In a Feb. 20 letter, a lawyer representing Adams County wrote in a letter to the attorney general's office the county "simply desires to follow federal immigration law and to cooperate with the lawful requests of federal officials." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the lawsuit, America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers said it was "outrageous" that Washington had worked to subvert federal immigration law. Matt Adams, legal director for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Monday called the committee's investigation "political gamesmanship." He said the state and federal laws clearly do not conflict. The state law does not prohibit local law enforcement from sharing information on immigration status or citizenship, it just says it is not local law enforcement's job to spend resources investigating federal immigration violations, just as it is not their job to investigate federal tax filings. The 10th Amendment prevents the federal government from commandeering state resources. In fact, Adams said, not only is it against state law, it is also against federal law for local officials to enforce federal law, because that is beyond their authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "State officials violate the federal law when they hold on to people or arrest people for immigration," Adams said. Detainers, or federal requests for local law enforcement to continue to detain people in custody for up to 48 hours beyond the time they would have been released so federal immigration enforcement can take over custody, are just requests without any legal authority, Adams said. The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project has a separate lawsuit against the Adams County Sheriff's Office, claiming deputies unlawfully detained their client in 2023 based solely at the request of federal immigration officials to enforce civil immigration law. Spokane City Council passed a nonbinding resolution signaling the city's support of the Keep Washington Working Act at a packed meeting in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Councilman Paul Dillon, who voted in favor of the resolution, said sanctuary policies help ensure people call law enforcement when they need assistance, including in domestic violence cases, and the constant threat of immigration enforcement makes people afraid to call 911 and report crimes. Dillon called the judiciary committee's action a mostly performative measure that continues "to bully cities and counties and states that have taken proactive, legally protected policy positions that do protect the rights of immigrant communities from unnecessary contact with ICE and border control, which is exactly what the Keep Washington Working Act does." Councilman Michael Cathcart, who voted against the city's resolution, said he anticipated some kind of federal action and that Spokane's resolution made it more likely by highlighting the issue. "This isn't necessarily in particular going to come down on Spokane, but this is something we expected to come," Cathcart said. "Some federal dollars are certainly at risk as a result of it, and that's the choice that's been made at the state and local levels." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cathcart said that aspects of the state law conflict with federal law and could be highlighted by the committee's review. Reporters Emry Dinman and Orion Donovan Smith contributed to this article. James Hanlon's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. 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. TALLINN, Estonia (AP) Belarus said Tuesday it will deport an American who is alleged to have illegally traveled into the tightly controlled country in an empty railway car from neighboring Lithuania. Belarus Customs Committee said that the unidentified 27-year-old male was found Monday during an inspection of the train in Maladzyechna, 80 kilometers (49 miles) northwest of the capital, Minsk. Customs inspectors handed him over to the Border Guards Committee, which said in Tuesday's statement that the man had previously tried to cross into Belarus on two occasions on March 24, but had been denied entry because he couldn't prove he had enough cash to cover his travel expenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While illegal crossing of the border could carry criminal charges punishable by a prison term in Belarus, the committee said the man will be deported back to Lithuania. The U.S. State Department has warned Americans against traveling to Belarus, citing Belarusian authorities arbitrary enforcement of local laws and the risk of detention, continued facilitation of Russias war against Ukraine, and the heightened volatility and unpredictable nature of the regional security environment. Belarus authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who was sworn in for a seventh term earlier this month, has ruled for more than three decades, stifling dissent and free speech. Authorities responded to massive protests triggered by the 2020 presidential vote with a crackdown that saw over 65,000 people arrested, thousands beaten by police and independent media outlets and nongovernmental organizations closed and outlawed, bringing condemnation and sanctions from the West. Belarus recently released some political prisoners, including several U.S. citizens in what some observers saw as an attempt by Lukashenko to try to mend ties with the West. BEIJING - China said Tuesday it has launched military drills around Taiwan that serve as a "stern warning and forceful deterrence" against those seeking the island's independence, ratcheting up tensions and slamming its leader Lai Ching-te for his government's "blatant provocations." The military's Eastern Theater Command, which covers the Taiwan Strait, said it has organized its army, navy, air and rocket forces to close in on the island from multiple directions. The drills are mainly focused on blockading key areas and sea lanes, achieving comprehensive superiority, and launching assaults on maritime and ground targets, it said. The command said the exercises are a "legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity." China's Taiwan Affairs Office also said the drills are a "resolute punishment" for the government of Lai, whom Beijing condemns as a separatist. Lai pledged last month to reinstate the island's military court system to prevent Beijing's infiltration and espionage activities against Taiwan's armed forces. At that time, the president categorized the mainland as a "foreign hostile force." A video released by the command showed a Chinese vessel sailing in the sea, warplanes taking off and a missile being put into launch position. Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for China's Taiwan office, criticized Lai for "brazenly labeling the mainland as a 'hostile external force'" and inciting anti-Beijing sentiment. Taiwan independence "means war" and pursuing it means "pushing the people of Taiwan into a perilous situation," she said. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said a naval formation led by the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong entered the island's response zone on Monday, prompting the dispatch of warplanes and vessels to monitor the mainland military activities, while missile systems were also activated. On Tuesday, Taiwan detected 13 Chinese warships, 71 military aircraft and four coast guard vessels, the ministry said, adding the Shandong-led fleet was deployed in the western Pacific about 400 kilometers from the southern tip of Taiwan. Lai's office strongly condemned China's military exercises for escalating tensions, openly challenging the international order and undermining regional security and stability. Beijing is recognized by the international community as a "troublemaker," spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in a statement. Taiwan's president had instructed defense departments to respond to the drills, she said, adding that the government has the "confidence and ability" to protect the people and maintain social stability. Japan has conveyed to China its concern over the military drills, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said. "The peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait is extremely important for the international community," he told a Tokyo press conference. China's coast guard also said Tuesday it had conducted law enforcement patrols around Taiwan. In March, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian officially acknowledged that mainland military activity near Taiwan had "become the norm." Last year, China conducted large-scale military drills encircling Taiwan twice. Lai took office in May 2024. In a move that might be related to the military exercise, a mainland national seeking to illegally enter Taiwan-controlled Kinmen, a group of islands located just off the Chinese coast, on a rubber dinghy was apprehended by Taiwan authorities shortly before Beijing announced the start of the drills, Taiwan's coast guard said. Chinese coast guard vessels also entered waters near the remote islands Tuesday morning, it added. Communist-led China views Taiwan as a renegade province to be brought into its fold, by force if necessary. The democratic island and the mainland have been governed separately since they split in 1949 after a civil war. Related coverage: Australia nuclear subs could sail near Taiwan, Senkakus: ex-PM Morrison Japan, U.S. agree to urgently boost deterrence amid assertive China Japan draws up plan to evacuate 120,000 Okinawa islanders near Taiwan The Docville Film Festival in Leuven canceled the screening of the controversial "Russians at War" documentary after an intervention of the Ukrainian Embassy, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry announced on March 31. Canadian-Russian director Anastasia Trofimova's documentary has faced criticism for what many perceive as an attempt to whitewash Russian soldiers involved in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The embassy appealed to the Belgian federal government, the Flemish government, the local authorities of Leuven, the management of the Docville festival, and the Catholic University of Leuven to cancel the screening of the film. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The movie portrays Russian soldiers in Ukraine as ordinary people, never shows or mentions the war crimes committed by them in Ukraine, and subtly questions the truthfulness of Ukrainian testimonies of them. Earlier in her career, Trofimova worked for Russia Today (RT), a Kremlin-backed propaganda outlet. The movie's past screenings have sparked protests in Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands. Read also: Outright propaganda Dutch university to screen Russians at War and host panel with controversial director Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Senate GOP Floor Leader Max Wise, right, is criticizing Gov. Andy Beshear for vetoing a provision that would have helped private schools hire police. The proposal surfaced in the Senate on March 14, the last day before the veto break. Conferring with Wise on the Senate floor March 14 are Senate President Robert Stivers, left, and Sen. Chris McDaniel. (LRC Public Information) FRANKFORT A former Democratic state lawmaker is no longer sitting on a powerful commission regulating utilities in Kentucky after the GOP-controlled Kentucky Senate took no action to confirm him before the 2025 regular session ended Friday. John Will Stacy Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in September appointed John Will Stacy of West Liberty, a state representative from 1993 to 2015 who later served as the Morgan County judge-executive, to the three-member Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stacy sat on the commission and heard requests from utilities in the months after his appointment but needed confirmation by the Kentucky Senate to continue serving through the end of his term in 2028. No resolution to confirm Stacy had been introduced, confirmation hearing scheduled or vote taken on his appointment by the time lawmakers adjourned Friday. Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Mancester, told reporters Friday the reasons for not confirming Stacy included that the former lawmaker was drawing a pension from his previous time in government on top of a six-figure salary PSC commissioners make. Stivers also said he knew of Stacys business interests and local and government experience, but he considered Stacy to be unqualified for the role given the complexity of topics dealt with by the PSC. What is his background in energy? Stivers said. This is a highly technical field. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republican Senate leader said he hoped Beshear would appoint a new PSC member who has experience in a range of utilities from electricity to drinking water given the technical nature of overseeing the delivery of cheap, dispatchable energy to the consumer. But the Senate is making it harder to recruit PSC candidates, Beshear spokesperson Crystal Staley told the Lantern on Monday. This is now the third Public Service Commissioner that the General Assembly has not confirmed. Each has been qualified, and the failure to confirm them has drastically reduced interest in the positions. The Senate continues to create new structures or take actions to pressure the commission on the outcome of or the reopening of cases. The PSC regulates the rates and services of more than 1,100 utilities, from large investor-owned electric providers such as Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities to small water districts providing drinking water to rural communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislature last year created an 18-member commission, separate from the PSC, charged with examining and making recommendations on requests from utilities to retire fossil fuel-fired power plants. In 2023, the legislature passed a law making it harder for utilities to retire coal-fired power plants. Stacys removal leaves two commissioners on the three-member board, PSC chair Angie Hatton and Mary Pat Regan. Stivers had introduced a bill in this years regular session to expand the membership of the PSC from three commissioners to five but ultimately tabled the legislation. Imagine a scenario in which you meet up with an old friend at a bar one evening. After a great night of laughs, reminiscing, and, admittedly, a bit too much to drink as you relive the old days, you get into an Uber and go home. The next morning, as you get up and immediately remember you arent in college anymore, you message your friend to make sure he also got home okay. No problem, he replies. I drove home right after you left. Youre surprisedyour friend was pretty inebriated by the end of the night. You drove? In your condition? you ask. Sure, he replies. Whats the problem? I got home without hitting anything or getting pulled over. It all worked out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flawed thinking here is obvious. The result (arriving home without incident) is taken as some kind of blanket justification for the risky decisions leading up to it. Yet this is exactly the kind of post hoc justification many in the Trump administration are relying on in the aftermath of The Atlantics release of senior administration officials communications and deliberation via unclassified networks. President Donald Trump said the unsecured communications had no impact at all on the success of the operation against the Houthis. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz called the operation an incredible strike that took out people the Biden team never could. These arguments are being made by the same individuals who, having been placed in positions of trust, are supposed to assess and anticipate risk and use proper judgment to mitigate against that risknot just in terms of known dangers, but on the likelihood of future ones. National security leaders are not supposed to merely look back and chronicle what did happen, they are meant to look forward to what might happen. Several people in the Houthi PC group chat hold positions that were created in the aftermath of 9/11, to combat a future failure of imagination. They are supposed to be leading the way on setting and updating our national security policies based on their assessment of capabilities, threats, and emerging technology. They have been granted access to the best possible information about the capabilities and intents of adversary actors, and they are intended to have the imagination to head off the next unforeseen event. They should also be able to make mature discernments as to what information should be protected. And any of them should have understood that pre-execution policy discussions, especially ones that demonstrate disagreement and dissent, would be exactly the kind of information adversary states would value insight into and, therefore, should be handled as classified. Multiple classification guides, including from CENTCOM and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), have clearly stated timelines or notification of an imminent attack are classified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The minimum standard we should expect from the leaders of our national security apparatus would be to adhere to established security practices, many of them refined and updated over decades of hard lessons learned. Each of them would have received training and acknowledged proper procedures for communicating and handling classified and sensitive material, none of which would allow for the use of unclassified or unsecure devices. Waltz, DNI Tulsi Gabbard, and Joe Kentwho has been nominated but not confirmed to lead the National Counterterrorism Centerwere all serving in the military in 2008 when a malware attack led to one of the largest technical infiltrations by adversary actors and created a massive change in handling requirements across the Department of Defense in the form of Operation BUCKSHOT YANKEE. They all should have considered the vulnerability of devices on the unclassified network. Having not taken any common-sense precautionary measures, those involved have not expressed contrition since their carelessness was exposed. Instead weve seen them shrug their shoulders and gesture vaguely to nameless others who allowed these practices. CIA Director John Ratcliffe testified that the CIA allows for the use of Signal and that the app was already loaded on his device. He seems to have forgotten that he leads the CIA and, therefore, is ultimately responsible for the decisions and policies that agency enacts. Waltz, in an incredible act of double speak, suggested that he would need Elon Musks technical expertise to determine what happened in the same interview where he claimed to take full responsibility. Finally, the biggest problem with claiming that the communications were justified because there were no ill effects is that we dont actually know that there were no ill effects. Despite the (thankfully) successful operation against the Houthiswhich was justified and long overduewe cannot yet know what damage may have been done by the loose handling of classified and sensitive conversation. Adversary intelligence services that may have gained access to or were monitoring the unclassified devices of the members of this chat group (all of whom are no doubt high priority targets for technical monitoring by the Russians, Chinese, Iranians, and other nefarious actors) are unlikely to suddenly announce or telegraph that they gained access (the Germans savage Blitz bombing of Coventry did not mean the U.K. had not cracked Enigma). Further, we do not know how often principals committee conversations have taken place virtually, although recent reporting from the Wall Street Journal suggests this was a common practice by Waltz. And, had Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg not inadvertently been added to the Houthi PC chat, it seems likely that such communications would have continued unbeknown to the American peoplebut possibly with the awareness of foreign intelligence services. The fact that nobody in the chat felt compelled to raise an objection or point to the security risk speaks poorly for their ability to anticipate and mitigate greater dangers, including ones where U.S. lives would be on the line. Right now, the only reflection or admission of fault pertains to adding Goldberg to the chat, not to the fact it took place on unsecure devices and networks in the first place. Such reluctance to admit the problem does not augur well for American security as we enter into more challenging years ahead. Justifying poor decisions rather than exercising good judgment is a fools game, one were bound to lose. 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. VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) At least a dozen vendors at the Vancouver Outdoor Expo contacted KOIN 6 News over what they said were promises made and not delivered. Specifically, organizer Shane Barbour promised thousands would attend but the event was largely empty. The 3-day event at the Clark County Fairgrounds was billed as the biggest show in the Northwest with thousands expected to attend. Vendors said thats not what happened. They want answers. And they want their money back. One of the vendors, Andrea Baker of Likeness of You, said Barbour sold dreams of big exposure for small businesses and promised a major turnout with tens of thousands of pre-sale tickets sold. Andrea Baker is one of the many unhappy vendors from the Vancouver Outdoor Expo at the Clark County Fairgrounds, March 31, 2025 (KOIN) People lost their livelihoods because of this, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Billy Sanborn of Beach Bandit Crab Snares said he was initially on a waitlist. First thing I see is its sold out with all these celebrities, he said. But then he was personally called by Barbour and offered a spot. But when he arrived on Friday, he was hit with an additional $120 cost to turn on the power at his booth. Billy Sanborn is one of the many unhappy vendors from the Vancouver Outdoor Expo at the Clark County Fairgrounds, March 31, 2025 (KOIN) Instead of being busy with foot traffic all weekend, he said, all he got was a 3-day ghost town. He just hooked me. Fast talker, promised the world then ripped it underneath everybody, Sanborn said. Im out a thousand bucks almost, that I probably would have been better off taking and burning in the middle of the street, said another vendor, Billy Sanborn of Beach Bandit Crab Snares. Whered that 55,000 pre-sold $10 tickets go? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baker, who said her business is like $3000 in the hole right now, told KOIN 6 News vendors started dropping off their business cards with her after she went to the Clark County Sheriffs Office booth at the event and filed a police report. A sheriffs office sergeant told KOIN 6 News theyre investigating accusations of fraud but could not provide any more details. One of the empty booths and empty aisles at the Vancouver Outdoor Expo at the Clark County Fairgrounds, March 28, 2025 (KOIN) In a phone interview with KOIN 6 News, Barbour denies any wrongdoing. He maintains he sold 30,000 pre-sale tickets but acknowledged the turnout was under what he expected. Barbour admitted Ted Nugent did not show even though he was advertised to be there, but said five other celebrities were in attendance. He told KOIN 6 News he plans to cancel the first-time show moving forward. These celebrities were advertised to appear at the Vancouver Outdoor Expo at the Clark County Fairgrounds, March 31, 2025 (KOIN) He has more events coming up and they all should be stopped in their tracks, Baker said. It should be criminal to go against single mothers, pregnant women, old people. These are small businesses. 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. President Joe Biden is calling on Democrats to unite, writing, It will take all of us its time to get back up. His message comes as a new tell-all book, Fight: The Wildest Battle for the White House, hits bookstores, revealing behind-the-scenes details of last years election. One of the books claims is that Biden initially refused to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. Co-author Amie Parnes joins NewsNation to discuss. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Big cities seem to be making a comeback as places where people want to buy homes. San Francisco leads the list of the nations most populous metropolitan areas where more homes are selling above their initial listing price in February in a new analysis by Redfin, the nations largest brokerage website. Half of the eight metro areas seeing the uptick are in the Bay Area of California or in New York, according to Redfins listing by percentage point increases in how many homes sold for more than their original listing price: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement San Francisco, up 7.5 percentage points Nassau County, New York, up 4.4 percentage points San Jose, California, up 3.5 percentage points Milwaukee, up 2.7 percentage points San Antonio, Texas, up 2.4 percentage points New York, up 2.2 percentage points Portland, Oregon, up 1.4 percentage points Philadelphia, up 0.8 percentage points Bay Area real estate agent Josh Felder credited the bump that saw 57.2% of homes in San Francisco selling higher than listed in February with pent-up demand. The Bay Area has an unending population of people with enormous swaths of money, Felder told Redfin. A decade or so ago, we all thought the growth in home prices was unsustainable, but they just keep going up and up. The reason for that trajectory, he said, is partly because there arent enough homes for sale, and partly because tech continues to boom despite ups and downs in the stock market and geopolitical uncertainty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Felder said the Bay Area market slowed in March due to buyers holding out for more properties to choose from. And, he said, the market is actually somewhat restrained compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Thats when many residents of American cities, suddenly able to work from anywhere, left for cheaper communities, particularly in the West, impacting Utah. In 2021, The New York Times ranked Heber Citys 4.7% annual change in net in-migration at No. 5 nationally. No Utah cities were included in the new Redfin analysis, which looked at the nations 50 most-populous metro areas. Nationwide, the percentage of homes that sold for more than their original list price in February dropped to 20.5% from 22.8% a year earlier. Just over 15% sold for the asking price, the lowest February share since 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sellers are increasingly getting less than they seek because, Redfin says, 2025 is shaping up to be a buyers market" thanks to high mortgage rates and more inventory. Thats in contrast to the rapid rise in what homes sold for during the pandemic. San Diego topped the list of big cities where more buyers paid below the listing price in February. The Southern California city saw 51.2% of homes sold below the original list price, an increase of 8.9 percentage points year over year. Next up on that list was Anaheim, California, where the increase in homes that sold for less than asking was up 8.7 percentage points, followed by Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, both up 7.3 percentage points; and Sacramento, California, up 6.8 percentage points. HAWAII, Hawaii (KHON2) A nonprofit organization that provides essential equipment to first responders across the country, the Spirit of Blue Foundation, presented Big Island police with a large check last week, totaling over $38,100. The checks amount symbolizes the donation value amount of almost 500 tourniquets, holsters and a new defensive tactics training suit that has been donated by Spirit of Blue Foundation to Big Island police since 2020. Big Island receives four new ambulances Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are extremely grateful to Spirit of Blue for providing this critical life-saving equipment to Hawaii Police Department, said Police Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz. Im proud to say thanks to Spirit of Blues life-saving gift, a tourniquet is now standard equipment on the duty belt of each and every officer in Hawaii Police Department. As a result of the new tourniquets, 20 Hawaii Island residents are alive today, according to the Big Island police. The need for essential devices such as tourniquets was brought to attention following critical incidents in 2018 in 2019, one where a tourniquet was used to save a wounded officer and another where a personal tourniquet was used to save the life of a juvenile female that was severely wounded in an automobile incident. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Following these incidents, volunteer Police Chaplain Renee Godoy applied on behalf of Big Island police for the Spirit of Blue grant. Hawaii Police Department would go on to be one of only 35 agencies nationwide to receive the grant. The foundation will also replace any tourniquet they have supplied with a new one if it is used in a life-saving scenario. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spirit of Blue has granted nearly 8,000 tourniquets since we added them to our grant program in 2014, said Ryan Smith, Spirit of Blues executive director. No other agency has had more saves, nationwide, with tourniquets we granted than the Hawaii Police Department. We never could have known the impact these tools would have made on the island, all thanks to the training and quick thinking of officers who rose to the occasion to help someone else desperately in need. The Spirit of Blue is based in Portland, Ore. For more information on the organization, visit their 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 KHON2. BIG SPRING, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- The Big Spring Police Department continues its search for a shooting suspect. According to the department, around 1:30 p.m. on March 13, officers with Big Spring PD responded to 911 call about a shooting that happened at a convenience store located at 4th and Circle. Through an investigation, Big Spring PD identified the shooter as 21-year-old Clifford Anglin and requested a warrant for his arrest; hes been charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Anglin remained at large as of April 1. Anyone with information on where Anglin can be found has been asked to call Crime Stoppers at 432-263-8477 and reference case number 2-25-00600. You may also submit your anonymous tip online or by using the P3 TIPS mobile app. If your tip leads to an arrest, it could be worth a cash reward. 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 Yourbasin. The Tennessee Capitol (Photo: John Partipilo) A House panel on Monday voted to advance a bill that would abolish the Tennessee Human Rights Commission over objections from some Democrats that the legislation could jeopardize the rights of Tennesseans to seek justice for their discrimination claims. The proposed legislation (HB910/SB861) by Sen. John Stevens of Huntingdon and Rep. Johnny Garrett of Goodlettsville, both Republicans, would transfer the nonpartisan commissions responsibilities to the Office of the Attorney General in a newly-created Civil Rights Enforcement Division. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats on the panel questioned the need to dismantle the 60-year-old, independent commission responsible for enforcing civil rights laws in employment, housing and public accommodations including investigations into claims of discrimination made against the state of Tennessee and shift its responsibilities to Jonathan Skrmetti, who, as attorney general, has aggressively used the power of his office to champion conservative causes. Rep. Johnny Garrett (Photo: John Partipilo) I do have a concern with this attorney general making political decisions rather than legal decisions and to the extent that threatens the civil rights of the citizens of Tennessee I think we need to take a very very careful look at that, said Rep. John Ray Clemmons, a Nashville Democrat. Garrett said the Human Rights Commission was currently doing a fine job but giving the power of civil rights enforcement to the attorney general may serve as a greater deterrent to those accused of discrimination. I think if someone receives a letter or an action that the attorney general is investigating their actions, I think thats going to perk up some people, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed legislation alters the scope of discrimination claims that may be pursued against educational institutions. The bill creates a pathway for those denied admission to schools on the basis of race, color or national origin or participation in clubs or activities to file complaints with the Attorney General, a provision widely understood to give white students a basis to file claims against educational institutions that have diversity, equity and inclusion policies. But in response to a question from Rep. G.A. Hardaway about whether the genesis of the proposed law is somehow related to reverse discrimination, Garrett responded that he did not know how to respond to the question. The bill also excludes disability and religion from the list of discriminatory activities in educational institutions that the attorney general would be required to investigate. Garrett noted that there remain federal avenues for pursuing those claims. The bill would eliminate the Human Rights Commission by July 1, transferring 30 of its employees to the offices of the attorney general, who would then have the option to utilize employees at his discretion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 1,000 pending discrimination complaints before the commission would be dismissed, forcing the individuals who brought them and the employers and institutions who have spent time and money defending themselves to start anew, Muriel Malone Nolen, the commissions executive director testified last week. Individuals who have filed complaints would have the option of restarting their complaint within 90 days of the law taking effect, but Nolen noted that some of those actions may then fall out of a 180-day statute of limitations and no longer be viable. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday there is communication between his administration and North Korea, which he described as a "big nuclear nation," adding he will probably "do something at some point." Trump made the statement in response to a question regarding if he plans to reach out to North Korea or its leader Kim Jong Un in the near future. "You people hate to hear that, but it's very important" to engage with Kim, the president said. "We have a great relationship...He's a smart guy," Trump said. "I've got to know him very well." Trump became the first U.S. president to hold talks with a North Korean leader when he met Kim in Singapore in 2018. He held two more rounds of talks with Kim in the following year, but both sides ultimately returned home empty-handed. Under the previous administration of President Joe Biden, the United States made no tangible progress in curbing North Korea's missile and nuclear ambitions, although it called for dialogue between the countries without preconditions. With North Korea deepening military ties with Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, former Biden administration officials suggested there was virtually no meaningful communication between Washington and Pyongyang during his four-year term. In contrast to Trump, North Korea has not shown any serious interest in reaching out to the United States. There is speculation that during his second presidential term, Trump will seek to revive talks with Kim by no longer seeking the complete dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear arsenal. It remains unclear if his latest description of North Korea represented a departure from Washington's long-held position of not officially recognizing the country as a nuclear weapons state. Related coverage: China eyes teaming up with Japan, South Korea to denuclearize North Korea North Korea's Kim oversees reconnaissance, suicide attack drone tests The main stairway to the third floor of the Montana Capitol building is seen on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. (Nathaniel Bailey for the Daily Montanan) One member of the public said the bill is nothing short of tyrannical, but the sponsor and a planner said it will help counties resolve zoning when numerous districts create an administrative challenge. Monday, the Senate Local Government Committee unanimously passed House Bill 614 on a voice vote, and Chairman Forrest Mandeville, R-Columbus, said he believes its a good bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The problem, as described by supporters, is zoning districts initiated by residents, or part one districts, can start piling up in a county. When residents want certain standards in place, commissioners may create a part one district when 60% of the property owners in an affected area, as small as 40 acres, petition for one. Each one might have its own definition and administrative standards. I think theres a lot of these part one districts that kind of get abandoned, and theres no real way in statute right now for a county to clean those up, Sen. Mandeville said. For example, bill sponsor Rep. Greg Overstreet, R-Stevensville, told the committee last week it used to be quite the rage for citizens to petition and create their own districts in a county. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But counties dont have a way to terminate zombie zoning districts, and they become a patchwork thats difficult to manage, he said. Now, we have, for example in Ravalli County, 48 zoning districts, and they dont match up with countywide zoning, said Overstreet, who also credited Mandeville with the idea for the legislation. But Kendra Keating, who lives in the Spring Hill district in Gallatin County, said she moved there specifically because of its protections. She said it scares her to think the state could give the county authority to take away the interests of the citizens who came together to form the district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The way this is written, where we can completely lose everything that we have, doesnt seem appropriate, Keating said. The bill came from the Montana Association of Planners, and at its hearing last week, it drew support from that organization and from a county commissioner. However, roughly a dozen residents said the bill would negatively affect private property rights, and it would upend the ability of residents to manage development in a way they believe is best for their area. For example, one resident said the district in which he lives is prone to fire, and the district takes wildfire into consideration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill would give counties a way to terminate the zoning districts under a couple of circumstances, and it has earned a lot of support from legislators, although it lost some votes as it passed through the House. In February, it passed unanimously out of the House Local Government Committee. It initially passed 94-4 on the House floor, although it lost some support on third reading, with 80 yes votes and 19 against. The bill would allow a board of county commissioners, after providing notice to the public of a hearing, to pass a resolution to terminate a zoning district under one of two circumstances. It could do so if the county decided to comply with provisions of the Montana Land Use Planning Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adopted in 2023, the Lane Use and Planning Act outlines steps, including public participation, for managing growth and development. It requires some cities to participate, and it allows other local governments to choose to comply. The commissioners could also take action to dissolve a district if theyve established a larger district that encompasses the land thats up for termination. Mandeville said the bill doesnt allow county commissioners to strip a district of zoning altogether. He said the fear is that commissioners will make a change that, for instance, suddenly allows a nuclear plant in a neighborhood, or completely undermines the interests of residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Mandeville said he doesnt believe thats realistic, especially given the public process. He said the bill means counties can consolidate similar districts in a way that retains the unique characteristics of each, but also makes administration more straightforward. It would be unlikely that this process would be used to completely subvert what the part one district had required, Mandeville said. At its hearing last week, the bill received harsh criticism from residents near Bozeman and a district in Gallatin County, who argued the benefits of the districts outweigh the administrative costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least a couple of them suggested the process for terminating districts should remain in the hands of the citizens, and commissioners shouldnt have the right to undo their work. Deanna Campbell raises sheep and chickens on her land, she grazes a few head of cattle, and she said she likes the country life. But Campbell said HB 614 is bureaucratic overreach, and it would affect peoples property taxes and their retirements, all without a vote by the people. To let elected officials change zoning without a vote, maybe just under pressure from developers or state mandates, is nothing short of tyrannical and a betrayal of Montanas tradition of local control and citizen participation, Campbell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Please dont let our country way of life become collateral damage to high density development and government overreach. Wendy Dickson, who described herself as a fifth generation Montanan and property owner in Gallatin County, said some local governments used to respect property rights, but now they even want to dictate who occupies a home. Dickson asked legislators to respect the history of rural zoning and to keep self-governing powers with the people. She suggested counties be allowed to initiate termination, but citizens retain the ultimate authority to do so. Unfortunately, it seems the Montana motto of live and let live is now lost in some parts of our state where newcomers love Montana so much, they want to regulate everything, Dickson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charles Howe, who ranches in Spring Hill, said fire is a concern in the area, fueled by winds that blow into the valley. He said the zoning residents worked on, in place for decades, takes the fire and the landscape into consideration. Howe said he hopes anything the legislature passes will maintain similar protections to avoid blazes such as the Palisades fire in California. Monday, Mandeville said he considered amendments to the bill, but did not see one that would address everyones concerns. He also said he believes county commissioners wont terminate a district if citizens have bought into it. At the hearing last week, Ross Butcher, a commissioner from Fergus County representing the Montana Association of Counties, spoke in support of the bill. Butcher said the bill offers a straightforward process to allow commissioners to end districts when commissioners are seeking a more comprehensive approach or if a county intends to opt into the Land Use Planning Act. Sean OCallaghan, with the Montana Association of Planners and Gallatin County, said the bill doesnt cut out the public because it allows for a public process. OCallaghan said its challenging, time consuming and expensive for counties to maintain all the different zoning regulations that operate independently, with different definitions and administrative standards. Counties are looking for solutions to this situation, OCallaghan said. He said HB 614 allows counties to combine new zoning regulations over the top of existing ones, then dissolve old ones, and it is a simple solution. The bill requiring property tax assessment board of appeals members to live in Indiana passed unanimously out of the House Monday. Senate Bill 187, authored by State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, states the term of anyone serving on county PTABOA who isnt an Indiana resident will expire July 1. The fiscal body, which is the council in Lake County, would then be required to appoint a new member to finish out the members term. The bill maintains Indianas current PTABOA law that states a member has to be at least 18 years old and be knowledgeable in the valuation of property. The bill also maintains that a majority of the members must have the certification of a level two or level three assessor-appraiser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill was amended in the Senate Local Government Committee to include language State Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, proposed to ensure that the PTABOA member lives in Indiana throughout his or her four-year term. Dernulc said he drafted the bill after learning Cook County Board of Review commissioner and Lake County PTABOA member Samantha Steele was arrested for driving under the influence in Chicago late last year. Steele wasnt reappointed to her seat and left the PTABOA board in early January, said Lake County Assessor and PTABOA secretary LaTonya Spearman. The Board of Commissioners appointed Warren Reeder, a local realtor, she said. Steele had served on the Lake County PTABOA since 2020, Spearman said. Steele declined to comment on her leaving the PTABOA board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her Cook County Board of Review biography, Steele states she is a level three assessor and appraiser with more than 15 years of experience in property valuations. Dernulc said Monday that the person that this started with had the qualifications to serve on the PTABOA, but he felt the board members should live in Indiana. I just want Hoosiers to be in these positions, Dernulc said. Senate Bill 187 passed 90-0 out of the House Monday. Lake County Councilman Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, previously said conceptually the PTABOA bill makes sense, and he supports it. The members of the board should live in the community they are serving, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Bilski said he hopes the bill doesnt make it more difficult to find PTABOA members because its not always easy to find level two or level three assessor-appraisers. (The bill) makes sense. I have no issues with it. I hope it doesnt impede our ability to fill the board, Bilski said. Lake County Council President Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, previously said she told Dernulc she supports the bill. Cid said the county uses a state website to find level two and level three assessors, so it would be easy to find qualified people who live in the county or state that could serve on the PTABOA. I believe there are plenty of qualified people here, not just in Lake County but in Indiana, that could serve, Cid said. akukulka@post-trib.com AUSTIN (KXAN) The Texas Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs heard testimony Monday on a bill that would bolster firefighting efforts and better prepare the state for future blazes. State Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, filed Senate Bill 34 to address issues discovered in an investigation conducted in the months following the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the most destructive fire in the states history. In part, investigators found that rural volunteer fire departments were underfunded. Despite the heroic efforts of volunteer firefighters, response times were hindered by a lack of timely air support and poor communication between agencies responders, largely due to incompatible equipment, Sparks said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sparks bill increases the funding cap for the Texas Rural Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) Assistance Program. Run by the Texas A&M Forest Service, the program provides rural volunteer fire departments with funds to purchase firefighting vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry hydrants, computer systems and firefighter training. Sparks said the bill increases the funding cap for that program from $30 million to $40 million. This will ensure volunteer fire departments, which cover more than 85% of the states land, receive the necessary resources to prepare for and respond to increasingly severe fire seasons, Sparks said. The bill would also require more inspections of power lines, which ignited the Smokehouse Creek Fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wildfires started by power lines have been among the most destructive in the region between 2002 and 2024, he said. Austin Firefighter Association President Bob Nicks said he is heartened by the prospect of more funds being pumped into rural volunteer fire departments. These folks are your real heroes in the state of Texas when it comes to firefighting, said Nicks, who was a battalion chief for 37 years. Funding is a constant issue. Their job is harder than ever with the advent of increased wildfires, he continued. Any funds that go to volunteer departments in Texas will definitely provide them the support that will help them do their job better. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nicks said, every year, conditions worsen, increasing the risk of larger and more intense fires. He said it has never been more important to have competent and committed firefighters. They need to be well-trained and have the right equipment, he said. These community heroes really need the support, and Im glad that legislators are looking after them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. AURORA, Mo. A man from Billings has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting southeast of Aurora Sunday night. Austin Stone mugshot courtesy of Lawrence County Sheriffs Office Online court records state that 24-year-old Austin Stone is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. According to the probable cause statement, a 911 caller reported that someone was shot to the Lawrence County Sheriffs Office. Deputies responded to the witnesss location on Farm Road 2240 east of Farm Road 1210 and found a deceased man with a gunshot wound in his chest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE: One arrested after fatal shooting in Aurora Two witnesses told deputies in an interview that the suspect, identified as Austin Stone, stopped his vehicle next to the victims vehicle in a ditch. The victim got out of his car and walked towards Stones vehicle when Stone shot the victim and sped off, according to the probable cause statement. Stone was later apprehended and declined to speak to a detective after being read his Miranda rights. He is currently in Lawrence County jail and has been denied 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. Billy Hayes, whose harrowing ordeal inspired the 1978 film Midnight Express, and his former lawyer, Dick Atkins, join NewsNation to discuss a Michigan couple being held in a maximum-security Mexican prison and the lingering fears of Americans facing imprisonment abroad. Paul Akeo, a 58-year-old U.S. Navy retiree, and his wife, Christy, 60, attempted to cancel their timeshare in 2022 after alleging the company failed to deliver on its promises. American Express refunded their $115,000 payment after an investigation, but when the couple returned to Cancun on March 4, Mexican authorities arrested them on fraud charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Lawmakers from both major parties collaborated in an effort to rescue America's horses from slaughter. Democrats Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) joined forces with Republicans Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) to sponsor the Save America's Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, expanding the Dog and Cat Meat Prohibition Act. The bill seeks to ban the commercial slaughter of horses and burros and their sale to foreign countries for slaughter. It has extraordinary support across Congress and from animal welfare and equine industry groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The SAFE Act would also help people who currently work with or own horses. "Kill buyers" often outbid horse lovers at auctions, with the intention of selling the horses to other countries where horse slaughter is legal. "Many owners are so afraid their horses will end up at slaughter that they may even keep them beyond the point that they can afford basic care, causing further suffering," stated the Animal Welfare Institute. Wild horses are especially under threat. The Return to Freedom organization explained that "private livestock grazing and special interests compete for resources on [public] land, creating constant pressure on the government land management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to remove wild horses from the range." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The BLM often rounds up and displaces wild horses. To alleviate the large numbers of horses they had in captivity, they offered incentives to people who adopted them. This left an opening for kill buyers. World Animal News reported that "an in-depth investigation by American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) uncovered rampant fraud and abuse, revealing that many adopted horses were being sent to slaughter for profit." The SAFE Act might mitigate this particular loophole. Saving horses from this violent death helps conserve rare wild species, said Return to Freedom, which offers sanctuary to wild horses and seeks to educate the public about conservation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The SAFE Act is one step towards ending this killing. Another way people can help horses and burros is by lessening their beef consumption, which would reduce not only planet-warming gas pollution but also the need to use land for livestock, restoring the wild horses' habitat. "The slaughter of horses for human consumption is barbaric and has no place in America," Buchanan said. Schakowsky added, "It is beyond time to end this brutal and dangerous practice. Horses are not food." 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. The Scoop A bipartisan pair of senators is warning the White House that recent US strikes on the Houthis in Yemen risk emboldening the Iranian-backed group and flouted the law regarding congressional oversight of military operations. The letter from Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., shared first with Semafor, concerns the strikes that have made headlines recently for a different reason top Trump administration officials discussion of the operation on a Signal chat that included a journalist. The senators letter made no mention of the Signal debacle. Instead, Merkley and Paul raised concerns about the strikes themselves, as well as the administrations justification, and requested a classified briefing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither the U.S. strikes since October 2023 ordered by President Joe Biden, nor the previous years-long campaign against the Houthis conducted by Saudi Arabia were successful in establishing deterrence against the Houthis, Merkley and Paul wrote in the letter sent to President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Rather, these campaigns only served to embolden the Houthis and rally their recruiting base, they added. The military campaign against the Tehran-backed Houthis over their Red Sea shipping attacks began with strikes on March 15, and administration officials say it will be ongoing. The administration should explain to Congress and the American people its expected path forward given the failure of previous such efforts and statements that the military campaign will continue and possibly expand to include military action against Iran, the senators wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked about the letter on Tuesday afternoon, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the notion that the incredibly successful US strikes could embolden the Houthis. She also insisted that Trump is well within his authority, describing the strikes as defensive. Iran is incredibly weakened as a result of these attacks. And we have seen theyve taken out Houthi leaders, theyve taken out critical members who were launching strikes on naval ships and on commercial vessels and this operation will not stop until the freedom of navigation in this region is restored, Leavitt said. Know More The letter is a fresh sign of alignment between elements of the right and left on foreign policy. Factions in both parties want to see the US reduce military involvement in foreign conflicts, and Trump himself has campaigned on similar broad goals. The senators letter also noted that Congress has not authorized war against the Houthis a consistent point of tension between the legislative and executive branches, in both Republican and Democratic administrations. Merkley and Paul specifically reminded Trump that his administration is required to consult with Congress before bringing the US military into hostilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They requested a briefing within 10 days to discuss the basis for the recent strike, the cost to taxpayers, and other related questions. In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump insisted that the Houthis have been decimated by the relentless strikes over the past two weeks and vowed to continue the campaign until the group no longer pose a threat to international shipping. The White House National Security Council didnt return a request for comment. Notable CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) A bitcoin investor who bought a SpaceX flight for himself and three polar explorers blasted off Monday night on the first rocket ride to carry people over the North and South poles. Chun Wang, a Chinese-born entrepreneur, hurtled into orbit from NASAs Kennedy Space Center. SpaceXs Falcon rocket steered southward over the Atlantic, putting the space tourists on a path never flown before in 64 years of human spaceflight. Wang wont say how much he paid Elon Musks SpaceX for the 3 -day ultimate polar adventure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first leg of their flight from Florida to the South Pole took barely a half-hour. From the targeted altitude of some 270 miles (440 kilometers), their fully automated capsule will circle the globe in roughly 1 hours including 46 minutes to fly from pole to pole. Enjoy the views of the poles. Send us some pictures, SpaceX Launch Control radioed once the capsule reached orbit. Wang has already visited the polar regions in person and wants to view them from space. The trip is also about pushing boundaries, sharing knowledge, he said ahead of the flight. Now a citizen of Malta, he took along three guests: Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge and Australian polar guide Eric Philips. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mikkelsen, the first Norwegian bound for space, has flown over the poles before, but at a much lower altitude. She was part of the 2019 record-breaking mission that circumnavigated the world via the poles in a Gulfstream jet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrins moon landing. The crew plans two dozen experiments including taking the first human X-rays in space and brought along more cameras than usual to document their journey called Fram2 after the Norwegian polar research ship from more than a century ago. Until now, no space traveler had ventured beyond 65 degrees north and south latitude, just shy of the Arctic and Antarctic circles. The first woman in space, the Soviet Unions Valentina Tereshkova, set that mark in 1963. Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, and other pioneering cosmonauts came almost as close, as did NASA shuttle astronauts in 1990. A polar orbit is ideal for climate and Earth-mapping satellites as well as spy satellites. Thats because a spacecraft can observe the entire world each day, circling Earth from pole to pole as it rotates below. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Geir Klover, director of the Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway, where the original polar ship is on display, hopes the trip will draw more attention to climate change and the melting polar caps. He lent the crew a tiny piece of the ship's wooden deck that bears the signature of Oscar Wisting, who with Roald Amundsen in the early 1900s became the first to reach both poles. Wang pitched the idea of a polar flight to SpaceX in 2023, two years after U.S. tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman made the first of two chartered flights with Musks company. Isaacman is now in the running for NASAs top job. SpaceX's Kiko Dontchev said late last week that the company is continually refining its training so normal people without traditional aerospace backgrounds can hop in a capsule ... and be calm about it. Wang and his crew view the polar flight like camping in the wild and embrace the challenge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spaceflight is becoming increasingly routine and, honestly, Im happy to see that, Wang said via X last week. Wang said he's been counting up his flights since his first one in 2002, flying on planes, helicopters and hot air balloons in his quest to visit every country. So far, hes visited more than half. He arranged it so that liftoff would mark his 1,000th flight. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. WASHINGTON (AP) It started as an ordinary D.C. intersection a tourist destination with a modest white church on the corner, notable largely for an unobstructed view of the White House across Lafayette Park. Then, in the pandemic summer of 2020, it transformed. The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police turned the nexus of 16th and H streets into a focal point for decades-old grievances over police brutality and racial inequities. Even before it was named Black Lives Matter Plaza, thousands of protesters descended there daily, many staying around the clock as support tents and infrastructure sprung up. At times, the protests turned violent: A groundskeeper building in the park burned down; the church, St. Johns Episcopal, briefly caught fire; and at least one night saw storefronts destroyed downtown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At other times, the violence was directed at protesters, including when police abruptly used chemical agents to clear out protesters, so President Donald Trump could pose in front of St. John's holding a Bible. Later that year, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered the creation of Black Lives Matter Plaza, with official street signs and Black Lives Matter painted in giant yellow letters on a multiblock stretch of 16th Street. The move was symbolic, but the impact concrete: BLM Plaza became a magnet point for years of political activism. Hundreds of protests started, ended or rallied there. Semipermanent protesters mingled with tourists; crowds brought vendors and food trucks, creating a street-fair vibe. But Bowser's move was derided by local activists, who accused her of co-opting an organic movement whose values she did not share. In a brief game of cat-and-mouse, activists erased the stars from the Washington, D.C., flag painted on the street, creating the image of an equal sign; they temporarily changed the message to Black Lives Matter = Defund the Police. Despite local resistance, Bowser's act of public defiance established her as a prominent foil for Trump in his first term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, the site has changed again, an indicator of Americas political pendulum swings. Bowser announced early this month that the city would remove the words as she struggled with threats of encroachment from Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress. The work was supposed to take at least six weeks, but appears to be finishing ahead of schedule. Workers have completed removing the letters. And the street signs reading Black Lives Matter Plaza have come down. ___ TOKYO - Japan will send dozens of medical workers to Myanmar on Wednesday as part of its emergency support for the Southeast Asian country following a powerful earthquake last week, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said. Iwaya said at a press conference on Tuesday that the 32-member team, including doctors and nurses, is set to leave Tokyo in the early hours of Wednesday. Japan has already delivered 240 waterproof tarpaulin sheets and 450 tents after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake rocked central Myanmar on Friday, killing thousands. Tokyo is also preparing to provide emergency relief supplies such as hygiene kits, water and water purifiers, Iwaya said. "We will continue to carry out as much humanitarian support as possible to help people in Myanmar," Iwaya said. The death toll had risen to over 2,000, according to Myanmar's junta. Tokyo has said two Japanese were injured in Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city and located near the epicenter, and that the whereabouts of one Japanese living there are unknown. Related coverage: Myanmar quake deaths surpass 2,000 as 72-hour window ends When Malik Robinson graduated from high school, the decision to attend college was an easy one. The knowledge of self that you get from an HBCU [historically Black college or university] in terms of being Black is incomparable to other institutions, he told The Root. Now a senior at Alabama A&M University, Robinson said he has no regrets...but hes an anomaly. In fact, when he graduates, Robinson will be the first man in his family with a Bachelors degree, and unfortunately, his story is more common than we realize. Black men attend college at a shockingly low rate compared to any other demographic. And according to Calvin Hadley, an assistant provost for academic partnerships and student engagement at Howard University and 2008 Howard grad, low Black male enrollment is not just an HBCU issue. Hadley told Juana Summers from NPR that while 25 percent of Howards student population is male, recent statistics said around 19% Black male attend the university. This percentage is the same as non-Black students attending the institution known as the Black Mecca. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement American writer Toure shared news of the this shocking statistic on TikTok, and the responses from were shocking. As a high school counselor I see this first hand, @thicc_daddy_68 wrote. They have become so disconnected from school despite all the interventions we try. Unfortunately so many of them think theyll make it as pro athletes & musicians. According to a study by Gallup, the main reasons why Black students drop out of school boils down to emotional stress, mental health, and the cost of higher learning. @the_professionalsmartass responded to Toures video, saying, I think multiple things are happening here. Debt is one but also hustle culture created this narrative that college isnt needed to become successful. Internet is filled with get rich schemes. The average cost to attend a private college or university in the U.S. is around $43,000, according to U.S. News and World Report. tiktok-7487698681756470570 Another user, @actuallyjustashlee, noted how a lack of education also impacts dating within our community. Its also effecting relationships in the black community because education is a sticking point in dating, she said. Black women continue to dominate college enrollment, especially at HBCUs, but this begs the question: what about our Black men who are historically more likely to be left behind academically? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Black males graduate at a lower rate than Black females, according to Ed Trust, and thats across the board. Hadley made clear that this is not a Howard problem. This is not an HBCU problem. This is not a PWI problem, he said. This is an American education problem. Without Black men on college campuses, Hadley noted their growing absence is felt on campus...in our social clubs.... [and] on the yard. And I think many of our male students have commented that in some of their classes, theyre the only male in their class. Devonte Usher, a former Howard student, said in his own experience, being in classes surrounded by women left him feeling like I was the odd one out. He continued saying I felt like I was going to be called out more... because the demographic was not on my side in terms of sex. There are many reasons why Black men in particular arent getting their degrees. But as the New York Times reported, a large reason is a lack of family and community support. We see a lot of school programs and districts that are giving up on students and giving up on Black men before they even give them a chance, said Howards student president, Skylar Wilson. They expect them to be bad, she continued. They expect them to be problems. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) The push continues to save lives by donating blood. On Monday, Versiti Blood Center hosted a blood drive at Co-Hatch Gateway in Columbus University District. The drive comes as blood supplies remain low across the country, with a string of winter storms, wildfires, and other severe weather events causing the cancellation of hundreds of blood drives. Versiti said blood from Mondays drive is going to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, which needs around 60,000 units of blood every year, with one regular blood donation able to save three lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Versiti hosts blood drives across the city. In addition, walk-in donations are welcome at its blood center headquarters in the Mill Run area of Hilliard. For more information on Versiti and how you can donate, visit the centers 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is offering Blue Bike credits to commuters impacted by upcoming MBTA closures. The sponsor of Blue Bikes is now offering $20 credits to use on the bikes around the city. Riders can redeem the credit by entering code BLUECROSSMAMBTA in the Rewards section of the Bluebikes app. The credit applies to both pedal and e-bike trips and can be used across Bluebikes 500 stations across 13 municipalities, including Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Newton, Revere, Salem, Somerville, and Watertown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Credits are available while supplies last and must be used by December 31, 2025. At Blue Cross, we are committed to providing communities with reliable and flexible transportation options, said Jeff Bellows, vice president of corporate citizenship and public affairs at Blue Cross. As the title sponsor of Bluebikes, were proud to provide this free credit to help commuters navigate MBTA closures, while supporting active mobility and wellbeing for our communities. Throughout this month the Green. Blue and Red lines will be affected by service disruptions. For more information, visit the link here. 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 BLUEFIELD, VA (WVNS) Bluefield University announced plans for the restoration of the Alumni Hall dormitory. According to a press release, a $400,000 matching grant from the Hugh I. Shott, Jr. Foundation will help Bluefield University (BU) restore the Alumni Hall dormitory as part of future renewal efforts on the BU campus. Princeton Rescue Squad Educational Institute receives CAAHEP accreditation We are excited to bring new life to Alumni Hall. This restoration aligns with our vision for campus renewal, ensuring our students have a quality environment for learning and community. Dr. Steve Peterson | President of Bluefield University The press release stated that renovations for the residence hall, which was closed for several years because of fire damage and deterioration, will start in April 2025 and is hoped to be finished before classes continue in the fall semester. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The renovation will restore 46 rooms and will let Bluefield University expand their on-campus enrollment. A fundraising campaign was also launched by the university, where all donations will be doubled through the foundations $400,000 matching grant. Every dollar donated up to the match will be doubled, allowing us to renovate the facility completely. We are inviting alumni and friends to participate in this transformation by contributing to the project. Dr. Steve Peterson | President of Bluefield University WVSOM students reach 100 percent residency match rate for third year in a row According to the press release, the Alumni Hall dormitory restoration project is part of the first phase of a broader campus revitalization initiative. Updating amenities and modernized living spaces to meet the expectations of the students will be part of the renovations. People can contribute online, or mail donations to Bluefield University Advancement, 3000 College Avenue, Bluefield, Virginia 24605. 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. The body of the fourth and final soldier from Fort Stewart in Georgia has been recovered. The soldiers went missing on March 25 in their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle in the town of Pabrade, Lithuania. A search discovered the vehicle submerged in a swamp on March 26, and several agencies assisted in the days-long effort to remove it. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Officials confirmed on Monday that three of the four soldiers had been recovered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First and foremost, we offer condolences to the loved ones of our Soldiers, said Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. I cant say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us. We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies - and our own Sailors, Airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers - have enabled us to find and bring home our Soldiers. This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends. The soldiers have not been publicly identified, pending notification of their families. RELATED STORIES: Senator Jon Ossoff shared a statement sharing his condolences with the soldiers families. I join all Georgians in mourning the devastating loss of four brave servicemembers from Ft. Stewarts 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, who tragically lost their lives in Lithuania during a training mission. I send my deepest condolences to their families, loved ones, and fellow servicemembers on their loss. Our servicemembers risk their lives defending our nation and upholding our commitments to our allies. We will never forget their heroism and bravery. May their memories be a blessing. Senator Jon Ossoff [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] SPRINGFIELD, Mo. A Springfield family is getting some sense of closure over a year after their son was killed while fighting in Ukraine. Last year, Ozarks First brought you the story of Ethan Hertweck, a 21-year-old Marine from Springfield who traveled to Ukraine to train civilians, fight alongside them and ultimately give his life for them. Now, the Hertwecks have brought home their sons body. The process took them four weeks; they left in mid-February and returned in mid-March. Ethans mother, Leslie, says this was a big step for their family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We always use moving forward because we have to move forward in life. But of course, well never forget our son. We will always honor him, says Leslie Hertweck. On December 11th, 2023, John and Leslie Hertweck received a phone call that their son, Ethan, had been killed in battle in Ukraine. Over a year later, on Feb. 3, 2025, they were told his body had been recovered. The day I got the call, I started crying and I felt like I hadnt taken a breath in 14 months and sort of finally just had that relief that we can bring our son home, says Leslie Hertweck. The process involved a lot of time and paperwork, so when they bought their plane tickets, they were all one-way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We didnt have a time frame of when we would be leaving there or when we would be going to California for Ethans burial service, says John Hertweck. Ethan was raised in California, and the Hertweck family moved to Springfield a few years ago. So, California is where he is buried. We were able to bring him back to the U.S. soil, lay him to rest and honor him in every way that we imagine of honoring him. Everything turned out amazing, says Leslie Hertweck. Ethan was killed less than two weeks before he was scheduled to come home. When Ozarks First spoke with the Hertwecks last year, they told us their Christmas lights were to stay up until Ethan came home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We put our tree up in the corner right here and we took it down that weekend, says Leslie Hertweck, So itd been up for 15 months. It felt weird, says John Hertweck. You can find the previous coverage of Ethan Hertwecks life and service 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. A body pulled from the Passaic River last week has been identified as a 21-year-old Newark man whod been reported missing in December, police in Montville, N.J. said Monday. The Morris County Prosecutors Office and Morris County Medical Examiners Office said the body was that of Timothy Robinson. He was last seen leaving Essex County Hospital Center in Cedar Grove at around 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 17, New Jersey State Police said in January. Robinsons cause of death remained pending on Tuesday, but was not suspected to be criminal, the Morris County Prosecutors Office said in a statement. Scans of the body were negative for projectiles or foreign objects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two fishermen first spotted the body in the Passaic River near Route 46 on March 23 and notified police, who recovered the remains and appealed to the public for help identifying him. Robinson was not carrying identification when he went missing, but the body bore two unique tattoos, which police circulated in an attempt to get more information. Simultaneously, New Jersey State Police were seeking the publics help in finding the developmentally delayed Robinson, noting he was unaware he is missing and is not a danger to himself or others. A host of agencies collaborated on the investigation to identify the body. Prosecutor Robert Carroll thanked the investigators and the members of the [Morris County Medical Examiners Office] for their assistance on this investigation, and for bringing closure to Robinsons loved ones, the statement said. MANDALAY, Myanmar/BANGKOK - The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck central Myanmar has risen to more than 2,700, with over 4,500 people injured, the country's military chief said Tuesday, according to local media reports. As aftershocks, a shortage of heavy machinery and an intermittent supply of electricity continue to hamper search and rescue operations, junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said the number of the dead is expected to exceed 3,000, adding that more than 440 people are missing, local media reported. Rescue teams from China and Russia have started their operations in Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, near the epicenter of the magnitude 7.7 quake that hit in the early afternoon on Friday. Other countries including Thailand, India and Singapore have dispatched rescuers to the quake-hit country. Search efforts also continued in Bangkok, with the death toll in Thailand rising to 20 on Tuesday. Many of those killed in the neighboring country were crew members working at a high-rise building under construction in the Thai capital, rescue operation agencies said, adding about 80 people are still missing. The Thai industry ministry has launched an investigation at the site of the collapsed building as the steel used in its construction could have been substandard, according to ministry officials. Related coverage: Japan to send medical team to quake-hit Myanmar on April 2 Myanmar quake deaths surpass 2,000 as 72-hour window ends DENVER (KDVR) Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado wants members of Congress to decide where they stand on what she and other Republicans have called a wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla and Elon Musk. Tesla dealerships and showrooms across the country and in Colorado have increasingly been targeted with protests, vandalism and arson since CEO Elon Musk was appointed by President Donald Trump to the Department of Government Efficiency, which has been cutting federal spending across many agencies and departments. Boebert introduced a resolution on Tuesday condemning the Tesla incidents as domestic terrorism. The definition of terrorism is the unlawful use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims. That is exactly what has been going on across the country at Tesla dealerships, and it is what innocent Americans who chose Tesla as their preferred vehicle are facing in the wake of violence from Radical Left-Wing domestic terrorists who hate President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. My House Resolution will make clear where all Members of Congress stand: do they condemn domestic terrorism against Tesla, or do they endorse it completely? The American people deserve to know where their representatives stand when it comes to condemning domestic terrorism. Rep. Laruen Boebert Boebert is not the first Republican to call these incidents domestic terrorism; U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi did so on Monday when she announced federal charges against a Coloradan accused of throwing an incendiary device at a Loveland Tesla facility in early March. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US attorney general announces federal charges, Texas arrest of Tesla crime suspect Ive made it clear: If you take part in the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, we will find you, arrest you and put you behind bars, Bondi said in a video posted to X. Two people from Colorado are now facing federal charges in incidents at that Loveland location, which police told FOX31 had been targeted at least five times. According to Boeberts press release, at least 80 cases of vandalism or arson at Tesla dealerships have been reported. Boeberts resolution accuses Democrats of making calls for their supporters to incite and engage in domestic terrorism by attacking Tesla vehicles and facilities to protest Elon Musk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds protest Tesla showrooms over Musks DOGE work The Tesla Takedown movement has launched a series of demonstrations over the past few months. The movement was organized by a group of supporters that included at least one Democratic Party lawmaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas, The Associated Press reported. Im going to keep screaming in the halls of Congress. I just need you all to make sure you all keep screaming in the streets, Crockett said during an organizing call in March. Crockett and other Tesla Takedown supporters have been stressing the importance of protests remaining peaceful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 FOX31 Denver. Wisconsin State Capitol Police found a bomb threat not credible after a person told an officer they had a bomb on them, but actually had parts to a popular children's toy. The state Department of Administration said in a statement Monday the incident took place around 12:50 p.m. when a visitor inside the Capitol building told an officer they had a bomb. The person had what appeared to be Nerf darts taped to their belt area, officials said. Officers detained the person and took them outside the building. Additional officers arrived on-scene and determined this was a mental health-related crisis not a credible bomb threat. Capitol Police K-9 team swept the person and all their property and no explosives were detected, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No evacuation of the building was ordered and the person was taken to Dane County Jail. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Person with Nerf darts at Wisconsin Capitol in Madison causes bomb scare MILAM COUNTY, Texas (FOX 44) Authorities continue to investigate what turned out to be a bomb hoax on Tuesday morning. The Milam County Sheriffs Office responded to Rockdale High School, located at 500 Childress Drive, around 7:20 a.m. Tuesday. This was following a phone call to the Rockdale Police Department regarding a bomb threat. Out of an abundance of caution, Rockdale Independent School District administrators had students and staff sent to an alternate location. Deputies then conducted a thorough search of the entire campus using bomb-sniffing dogs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sheriffs Office says this search turned up nothing, and it was deemed there was no credible threat to students or staff. The Texas Department of Public Safety began a trace of the number used by the caller, which was found to not be in the area. The Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the scene, which was cleared in about two hours. Students were then allowed to return to campus. Milam County Sheriff Mike Clore is reminding the public that even though Tuesday, April 1 is April Fools Day, this type of threat or hoax is a felony. Deputies, as well as state and federal partners, will continue to investigate and locate the person behind the hoax. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed the Department of Justice to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year. Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America, Bondi said in a statement Tuesday. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again. Bondi described Thompsons alleged murder as an act of political violence. Police believe Mangione was motivated by his views on the U.S. healthcare system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thompsons death and Mangiones criticism of the healthcare system sparked mixed reactions from lawmakers and the public. A proposed California ballot initiative named after Mangione would make it illegal for an insurance company to delay, deny or modify any medical procedure or medication, according to NewsNation. A DOJ news release stated Bondi is seeking the death penalty in line with a Feb. 5 memo, in which she ordered the agency to lift the moratorium on capital punishment in federal cases. Mangione was federally charged with stalking and murdering Thompson. He also faces a charge of first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism at the state level. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in the case against Luigi Mangione, who is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America, Bondi said in a press release. She added: After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione faces federal charges of stalking and murdering Thompson following the CEOs killing December 4 outside a hotel in midtown Manhattan. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The announcement noted that the decision aligns with the Trump administrations efforts to restore the federal death penalty. It took Sen. Cory Booker 25 hours and 5 minutes to make his point: The Trump administrations actions are harmful to everyday Americans and a disruption is necessary. I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able. I rise tonight because I believe, sincerely, that our nation is in crisis, the U.S. senator from New Jersey said toward the start of his record-setting speech that began on Monday night and ended on Tuesday night. In just 71 days, the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy, and even our aspirations as a people for from our highest offices a sense of common decency, he continued. These are not normal times in America, and they should not be treated as such. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bookers protest continued the long and ongoing history of Black political opposition to injustice and inequality. The Democrats defiance brought to mind not only the legacy of former U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia but also the actions of U.S. Rep. Al Green of Texas, who last month interrupted a Trump address, and former U.S. Sen. Hiram Revels of Mississippi, who in 1870 used the Senate floor to attack efforts to deny Black political representation in Georgia. We got civil rights because people marched for it, sweated for it, and John Lewis bled for it, Booker said on Tuesday, referring to a voting rights march in Alabama when a white police officer cracked Lewis skull with a billy club. The overwhelming focus of Bookers disruption was protecting access to health services for everyday Americans. They are trying to gut Medicaid and Medicare, programs on which nearly a third of our country rely all to pay for tax cuts to billionaires and corporations, he said on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration has begun firing 10,000 federal health workers, raising concerns among managers across health agencies about how these cuts might affect entitlement programs such as Medicaid and Medicare government health-insurance programs for lower-income Americans and for Americans who are age 65 or older and younger Americans with disabilities, respectively. While Black Americans make up 14% of the U.S. population, roughly 20% of Medicaid enrollees are Black; about 10% of Medicare enrollees are Black. Over the course of 24 hours, Bookers colleagues in Congress publicly supported him. He mentioned that, before he began his speaking marathon, Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware prayed with him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My sister came over and prayed with me that I could stand for a long time, because she knew what we were trying to do, which was to try to create with who we serve, with John Lewis-type good trouble in this institution, to not do things normal, Booker recalled. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, who has been an advocate of expanding Medicaid in the Peach State, said on Tuesday that hes very proud of Booker for sticking up for ordinary Americans. The administration is working for billionaires, said Warnock, who in 2021 became the first Black American to represent Georgia in the Senate. Theyre working for people like Elon Musk. Warnock is also the senior pastor of Atlantas Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. was a pastor until he was gunned down in 1968. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, on X, the Congressional Black Caucus, long seen as the conscience of the Congress, declared shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Hes still going. Were with you the whole way, @SenBooker. Who is Cory Booker? Booker has represented New Jersey in the Senate since 2013; he was the first Black person to hold that seat. Prior to joining the upper chamber of Congress, he was the 38th mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013. While Booker was born in Washington, D.C., he was raised in Harrington Park, New Jersey. Hes a graduate of Stanford University and Yale Law School. He also attended the University of Oxfords Queens College on a Rhodes Scholarship. In the Senate, Booker has championed a variety of causes, including affirmative action, marriage equality, and economic reforms to reduce the racial wealth gap. He captured national attention in 2022 when he offered passionate support to Ketanji Brown Jackson during her U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Was this a filibuster? Because Booker wasnt attempting to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question, his speech wasnt technically a filibuster, according to the Senate website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His actions were permitted under Senate rules. Unless any special limits on debate are in effect, senators who have been recognized may speak for as long as they wish, according to the Congressional Research Service. They usually cannot be forced to cede the floor, or even be interrupted, without their consent. However, one requirement is that the senator must remain standing and must speak more or less continuously. One way Booker found partial relief was by permitting his colleagues to ask questions, though he still couldnt sit while they were talking. The longest filibuster in U.S. history occurred when U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, a segregationist, spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957. His efforts ultimately failed: Congress passed the bill, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Historically, the filibuster has often been used by opponents of civil rights legislation, and some see it as a relic of the Jim Crow era. Booker mentioned Thurmond on Tuesday, asking, You think we got civil rights one day because Strom Thurmond after filibustering for 24 hours you think we got civil rights because he came to the floor one day and said, Ive seen the light? How have other Black leaders protested the administration? Bookers speech came just weeks after Green of Texas, also a Democrat, protested during Trumps address to a joint session of Congress. Toward the start of Trumps speech on March 4, when the president claimed that the 2024 election offered him a mandate like has not been seen in many decades, Green interrupted. He insisted that Trump has no mandate to cut Medicaid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green, whos represented a district in Houston since 2005, was kicked out of the chamber and eventually censured by the House. But he had no regrets, arguing that incivility is the only path forward for Democrats under the current administration. This is about the people who are being punished by virtue of losing their health care, Green told reporters. This is the richest country in the world, and we have people who dont have good health care. Weve got to do better, and now were about to cut Medicaid, which is for the poor. Toward the conclusion of his speech, Booker again linked himself to Lewis, saying that he told the late civil rights hero during one of their last conversations together that he would do everything possible to make Lewis proud. He added that Lewis would want his colleagues to do something. He wouldnt treat this moral moment like it was normal, Booker said. The post Cory Bookers 25-Hour Speech: Our Nation Is in Crisis appeared first on Capital B News. New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker broke a record Tuesday evening, speaking for more than 24 hours in a marathon speech protesting the national "crisis" he said President Donald Trump and Elon Musk had created. Booker's speech, which began Monday evening, continued for at least 24 hours and 19 minutes, surpassing at 7:19 ET the previous record set by Sen. Strom Thurmond, who filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for 24 hours and 18 minutes. Shortly before he broke the record, Booker spoke about his relationship with Georgia Rep. John Lewis, the longtime lawmaker and icon of the civil rights movement who died in 2020. PHOTO: Sen. Cory Booker speaks on the Senate floor, March 31, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Senate TV) "John Lewis would say something; he would do something," Booker said in an impassioned voice that was beginning to show signs of strain. "He wouldn't treat this moral moment as if it were normal." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added, "This is our moral moment. This is when the most precious ideas of our country are being tested." As the record approached, the Senate gallery above the chamber began filling with onlookers and Senate staffers who had gathered to witness this historic event unfold. At approximately 7:20 p.m., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer interrupted Booker to inform him he had broken the record. "Do you know how proud this caucus is of you, do you know how proud America is of you?" Schumer asked. The chamber erupted in applause, but Booker did not immediately end his speech, but continued speaking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the entirety of his marathon talk-a-thon, Booker occupied the small square of space surrounding his desk. Once the protest speech began, he did not sit down. He did not eat. On his desk, two glasses of water had been refilled at various points. On occasion, he leaned on the lectern, wiped his face with a handkerchief. But by the time the record was broken, Booker, who was wearing a black suit, had still not loosened his tie. MORE: Trump admin live updates "I've got fuel in the tank man," Booker said during the 15-hour mark, Tuesday morning. Booker said at the top of his speech on Monday that he rose "with the intention of disrupting the normal business" of the chamber because he said he believes the country is in "crisis" due to the actions of the White House since Trump started his second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis, and I believe that not in a partisan sense, because so many of the people that have been reaching out to my office in pain, in fear, having their lives upended -- so many of them identify themselves as Republicans," Booker said. "In just 71 days, the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans' safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy and even our aspirations as a people [for] our highest offices, a sense of common decency," Booker said. "These are not normal times in America. And they should not be treated as such."Booker's comments have addressed a wide range of topics, including the Russia-Ukraine war, USAID relief in foreign countries, concerns about cuts to Medicaid and slashes to Social Security offices, among other issues. He also read aloud letters that he said were from constituents and quoted speeches from figures such as the late Sen. John Lewis, who famously advocated for "good trouble" in the fight for justice and equality. MORE: House GOP leaders expected to block proxy voting for new parents Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As long Booker held the floor, the Senate has not been able to conduct other business unless he temporarily yields. He has been joined by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Andy Kim of New Jersey, Peter Welch of Vermont, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Chris Coons of Delaware, Mark Warner of Virginia, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and some others. Booker has entertained questions from the lawmakers, allowing him short breaks in speaking, but he's been careful to note that he's "retaining the floor" so as not to break his continuous hold according to Senate procedural rules. He's had to remain standing during these "question" periods. Sen. Cory Booker breaks Senate record with marathon 24-hour speech protesting Trump and Musk originally appeared on abcnews.go.com SAO PAULO (AP) Brazil's government said on Monday that its intelligence agency spied on Paraguayan authorities during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, the predecessor of incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a move that stopped in March 2023, three months into Lula's administration. The statement from Brazil's foreign ministry came hours after a report by news website UOL accused Lula's administration of spying on Paraguay. The ministry did not detail the specific Paraguayan officials targeted but said the surveillance stopped as soon as the current administration became aware of the fact. President Lulas administration categorically denies any involvement in the intelligence action reported today against Paraguay, a member country of (trade bloc) Mercosur with which Brazil maintains historical relations and a close partnership, Brazil's foreign ministry said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paraguay's Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano told journalists in Asuncion earlier on Monday that he has no evidence that Brazil has attacked our system. Bolsonaro did not make comments about the case. The ministry also said the current director-general of its intelligence agency was waiting for Senate confirmation early in 2023, when the espionage was still active. According to the UOL news report, Brazilian intelligence agents infiltrated Paraguayan computer systems to obtain information regarding tariff negotiations related to the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, one of the worlds largest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brazil and Paraguay share the rights of the energy generated at the Itaipu dam, which has an installed capacity of 14,000 megawatts. Brazil buys much of the energy that Paraguay sells, which has led to tense negotiations in recent years. Bolsonaro currently faces trial by Brazil's Supreme Court on five counts, including attempting to stage a coup after the far-right leader lost the 2022 election. He faces pending rulings in other cases before the country's top court. ____ AP journalist Nayara Batschke contributed to this report from Santiago, Chile. ____ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WBOY) Bridgeport city manager Patrick Ford intends to fight for his job as city leaders have called a special meeting Thursday to discuss his removal from office. In an email sent to City Council and the local media Tuesday morning, Ford said there is a wealth of misinformation being circulated in the media and community about his reputation, work history and character. First, any suggestion that I was not the Town Manager at Wardensville, WV is laughable, said Ford. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ford offered to produce a copy of his West Virginia State Retirement Contribution summary as proof of his employment with the Hardy County town from 2009 through 2013. Second, in 2008 I was part of a team which uncovered corruption in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the context of city officials accepting gifts and campaign contributions in exchange for development permits and other city favors, Ford wrote. Within this framework, the involved parties originally tried to pin their wrongdoing on other parties. After resigning from my position with the City of Pittsburgh, I was part of an investigation related to public corruption, and I was fully exonerated by the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission. In his email, Ford invited questions during the upcoming special meeting to address both topics. Further, wrote Ford, I would appreciate if Mayor (Andy) Lang would cease making buyout proposals/overtures (which I have refused) until City Council has discussed the agenda item and voted Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In closing, Ford wrote, this is my wifes hometown we intend to reside and retire here. Im qualified to serve in this position and want to continue as City Manager of Bridgeport. City officials have not publicly said why they are considering Fords removal. In a letter obtained Monday by 12 News, Ford, who was hired in October of 2024, said he has been working diligently to correct the workplace culture within the City of Bridgeport. Fords letter to council Monday also referenced an internal investigation initiated on February 10, 2025 at the direction of Bridgeport City Council, the initial results of which you are collectively now attempting to hide through my termination. Ford did not provide additional information about the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The special meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. and Fords removal is the only item on the agenda. 12 News will be at the meeting and will bring you the latest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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, Va. (WJHL) The Bristol, Virginia burn ban is still in effect until evaluations are completed after recent rain showers. On March 22, the City of Bristol, Virginia declared a local state of emergency due to high winds and dry conditions. A burn ban was then initiated. Well re-evaluate that after these last rain events that have come through, and the emergency manager will re-evaluate that situation and hopefully be able to lift that burn ban for the city, Bristol Virginia Fire Department (BVFD) Battalion Chief Michael Wise said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Until recent rain, dry conditions still persisted and a house was damaged from a fire that spread to a gas grill. Wise said the BVFD believes that fire was accidental and was probably started due to dry conditions. I think its just a misuse of cigarettes, the butts and its so dry, even the leaves. And we think that a cigarette was thrown down, thought it was out and it got into the leaves and then it set a fire underneath the deck; and then it got up into the porch and then into the house is what we were thinking. I think its just a misuse of materials, smoking materials. Wise said even without the burn ban theres a city code about setting fires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only way that you can have a fire is for heat if you need it for heat, or for cooking or for some kind of a ceremonial process. Thats the only reason we have fires that we allow outside now. Otherwise, fires are always banned in the city. During burn bans, even those usually allowed are not permitted. Wise said because of the ban, theyve had to go extinguish fires that people are setting for those reasons. Our vagrants are still always trying to stay warm and theyre trying to just stay dry. And a lot of times they will just find their way into an abandoned structure and they will set off a fire, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not, just to try to stay warm. And thats what seems like some of the fires weve had has been some of those in the last week or so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BVFD Chief Mike Armstrong sent a press release saying warnings are issued on the first incident of a set fire, and the address will be documented. In the case of a second run-in, the property owners violation will be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Wise said residents can call the city for brush or other trash pick up, so they dont feel the need to burn. If they would just drag that trash and that rubbish to the curb, then notify the city, they will come by with a bucket truck and pick it up, Wise said. So that way we dont have these accidental fires and these burning situations. So if people would just do that, I think that would alleviate a lot of our problems with the burns in the 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 WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. TOKYO - Japan plans to invest over 20 trillion yen ($134 billion) in the five years from fiscal 2026 to enhance the country's resilience to natural disasters such as a Nankai Trough megaquake, a new draft plan showed Tuesday. The planned spending by governments and businesses to expedite the improvement of aging infrastructure and prepare for floods and megaquakes marks an increase from around 15 trillion yen for fiscal 2021 to 2025, reflecting rising prices and construction costs. The government plans to approve the plan in June. Critics, meanwhile, say the move is apparently aimed at bolstering support from the construction industry ahead of the House of Councillors election this summer, as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's minority government seeks to boost its political footing. Moreover, some of the projects could take over 50 years to complete. As the industry has been facing a persistent labor shortage, it remains unclear whether they are feasible. "We must steadily advance measures to mitigate damage," Ishiba said at a meeting of the national resilience promotion headquarters, noting the potential impact of the megaquake and growing public anxiety over aging infrastructure. A projection released Monday showed a Nankai Trough megaquake in the Pacific could kill up to 298,000 people, while decayed underground sewage pipes created a sinkhole in Yashio in Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, swallowing a truck and its driver earlier this year. After a powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day in 2024 resulted in a prolonged interruption of water supply, the government also plans to make 34 percent of water and sewer pipes quake-resistant by fiscal 2030, up from 15 percent in fiscal 2023. Of the around 92,000 road bridges managed by the central and local governments that require urgent or early repairs, 80 percent will be fixed by fiscal 2030, up from 55 percent by fiscal 2023. Related coverage: Up to 298,000 could die in Japan in Nankai Trough megaquake: gov't BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) The region is a step closer to securing a new airline offering at Tri-Cities Airport (TRI). The Bristol, Virginia City Council committed $75,000 on Monday to support a local organization called BRIDGEs efforts to fund an additional airline at TRI. The BRIDGE organization has been working to raise $2 million, which its leadership previously told News Channel 11 would fund the airline for two years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commitment from Bristol, Virginia, comes just days after Washington County, Tenessee, agreed to fund $240,000 to the effort. Sullivan County previously committed the same amount, and Kingsport vouched for $250,000. The organization faces a time crunch, however, as an April 7 deadline looms to meet the $2 million committed fundraising goal. With Bristols commitment, BRIDGE still needs to raise a little less than $1.2 million within the next week to make the deal a success. BRIDGE said previously it relied on donations from local government bodies as well as private sector commitments. Several county and city governments havent decided yet whether to support 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 WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WTNH) The New Britain Legislative Delegation held an event Monday night to recognize outstanding women in their community. 3 dogs dead after apartment fire on Broad Street in New Britain The event, titled Womens History Month: Moving Forward Together, honored five local women for their leadership and the impact theyve had on the community. I think when I am willing to roll up my sleeves and get involved and other people see that and get involved also, Anna Suski-Lenczewski, an honoree, said. Its baby steps and its my small portion, but I think the fact that I can sometimes I can pull people together to get these things done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members with the delegation hope this inspires others in the community to get involved. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Sachin Ravikumar and Sarah Young LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is still hopeful that any tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump will be reversed shortly, if the two sides can agree the outline of a new economic partnership, its business minister said on Tuesday. Britain had sought to avoid Trump's global tariff plan by offering to more closely align with Washington on areas such as technology and artificial intelligence. But business minister Jonathan Reynolds said Trump now appeared to want to impose levies on every country before discussing individual exemptions. He said he hoped those levies, due to be announced on Wednesday, would be removed once the two sides agreed terms. "I believe that the framework of an agreement is certainly in place," he told the BBC. "We could sign heads of terms on that, and then talk about the detail over a specific timescale that would be to the U.S.'s satisfaction going forward. "Whether the U.S. is willing to come to agreement with countries is a decision for the U.S., but I believe the work we have done has made that possible." Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the talks as "well advanced". Unlike the European Union and other major economies, Britain has not retaliated over U.S. tariffs. Reynolds indicated again that London would try to avoid an escalation, saying British companies supported its "calm-headed approach". LIGHT TOUCH As part of a deal, the government has considered softening the impact of its digital services tax on technology companies, as Trump has claimed this is discriminatory against U.S. companies. Britain has also adopted a light touch to AI regulation that is more closely aligned with the United States than with the EU, a policy designed to attract investment from big tech companies and international investors. Britain has the third-largest AI market globally, ranking behind only the United States and China. It is home to companies including DeepMind, owned by Google, and BenevolentAI. But Reynolds said there were red lines to the negotiations, highlighting "sensitive areas" that it would not discuss, such as food standards. Reynolds said Britain had a higher chance than other countries of securing an exemption, and he remained hopeful that a deal would lead to tariffs being dropped in weeks or months, saying: "That would be my objective." Downing Street said Starmer and Trump had discussed the "productive negotiations" towards what they called a UK-U.S. economic prosperity deal on Sunday. Welcome to global Britain, where everything from our car industry and airports to major utilities such as water, telecoms, and electricity generation have been flogged off to the highest overseas bidder as part of a glorified national car boot sale. If the risks of allowing swathes of vital sectors to fall into overseas hands werent obvious at the time to those that presided over this prolonged sell-off, then they surely are now as the country pays an increasingly heavy price for its terrible naivety. Whether its chip-making champion Arm, numerous vital defence suppliers, Thames Water or more recently Heathrow airport, critical decisions over this countrys most important assets are being made thousands of miles away with devastating consequences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No other country on the planet has let itself become so exposed to the whims of unreliable foreign buyers who do not have its best interests at heart. The demise of British Steel, which stands on the brink of insolvency as its Chinese owners prepare to cut and run, is merely the latest example of how dangerously vulnerable it has been left by this bizarre predilection. In fact, it may represent the nadir. Tory ministers were warned repeatedly that allowing China, of all countries, to determine the fate of a large chunk of what remained of our national steel output was unforgivably reckless. This column alone raised the alarm on multiple occasions, as did the trade unions, MPs and industry figures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet the then business secretary Alok Sharma was prepared to take the vague pledges of Shijiazhuang-based Jingye entirely at face value instead of seeking to do what a responsible senior government figure would do and extract some cast-iron guarantees. Never mind that Jingye was practically unheard of outside China, this was a government whose primary objective was to get the cost of supporting British Steel while it was in receivership off its books. The company had been propped up for eight months by the taxpayer at the cost of 1m a day while ministers scoured the globe for a white knight. Faced with no other serious rescue offers, Sharma shut his eyes and hoped for the best, handing away a third of the UKs steel production despite the damage that Chinese steel dumping had wrought on European markets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was another fudge for a sector with a long history of broken promises and failed bailouts, and it exposed something much deeper and more troubling too: the total absence of an industrial strategy in this country. And so, with crushing inevitability, the sale to Jingye in 2020 has proven to be another act of spectacular industrial self-sabotage. Alok Sharma, the then business secretary, took Jingyes promises on British Steel at face value instead of extracting guarantees - Yui Mok/PA British Steels latest accounts, made public over the weekend, prove beyond any doubt how profoundly stupid it was for ministers to believe that Jingye would be any different to previous absentee owners, never mind stand a serious chance of reviving it. Founder and chairman Li Ganpo promised to invest 1.2bn into British Steels dwindling operations over the next 10 years to ramp up production and upgrade existing equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jingye maintains that it has actually put in more than that, but British Steels latest annual report throws fresh doubt on the strength of those claims. Published at Companies House, the 41-page document shows much of that investment if not all has come in the form of loans with British Steel owing a total of 711m at the last count, either directly to its parent company or parties related to it. Its a staggering sum for a business that has racked up a total of 640m of pre-tax losses over the last two years alone. Nor has this arrangement come cheaply. Over the same time frame, British Steel has forked out more than 60m in interest payments to entities controlled by Jingye. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be profiting from what is effectively a process of managed decline is surely not what our then prime minister Boris Johnson envisaged when he gave his blessing to the deal. The decision to raise the white flag via a consultation that could see British Steels two blast furnaces close as early as June, after just five years of the 10 it promised to invest over, is evidence of further broken promises on Jingyes part. Labour ministers may feel they have little option but to step in and nationalise British Steel, but it would be a huge gamble with taxpayers money. Steel-making in this country is in the doldrums laid low primarily by intense overseas competition and high costs, including from the need to go green. Donald Trumps tariffs threaten to be the nail in the coffin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, British Steels neglect stretches back at least a decade and a half to a fairly short-lived yet ruinous period in the hands of Greybull, a private equity fund with a track record of putting the companies it owns into administration. Its time as a foreign subsidiary of Tata Steels overseas empire before that was pretty forgettable too, as the Indian giant struggled to justify the vast debt-fuelled sum it had mistakenly paid for British Steels parent Corus after being dragged into a blind auction for the company in 2007. Reversing this will take billions of pounds of taxpayer money, if indeed it is possible at all. But nor does allowing British Steel to go bust seem like a viable option. The disappearance of its steelworks would leave us as the only G7 nation without the ability to make new steel from scratch at a time when we need more, not less, to rearm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What a woeful indictment of our willingness to allow anyone with a cheque book to own key strategic assets than to see our national security undermined in such a way. When Jingye swooped on British Steel, President Emmanuel Macron refused to allow its plant in Hayange, France, to fall into the hands of the Chinese on the basis that the site was of national importance because it supplies the French railway network. With the prospect of our defence industries left entirely at the mercy of foreign steel markets further upended by Trumps tariff war, the time for Britain to adopt a similarly pragmatic approach is long overdue. 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. Alex Shieh, a student reporter for The Brown Spectator, is being investigated by Brown University. His alleged crime? Asking administrators about their jobs. On March 18, Shieh emailed each of Brown's 3,805 non-instructional full-time staff members, asking them to describe the tasks they performed in the past week. The university began its investigation two days later. With Brown running on a $46 million deficit and annual tuition and fees set to increase to a combined $93,064 this July, Shieh launched the site Bloat@Brown (which is hosted by The Brown Spectator) on March 18. Inspired by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Shieh strives to determine "whether tuition dollars are funding mission-critical functions" and "to expose the bureaucracy to which all 3,805 administrators belong." He would assign each administrator a rating of "low risk," "ambiguous," or "suspect" based on publicly available data used to determine "legality," "redundancy," and "bullshit job" subscores. The full methodology may be accessed here. Kirsten Wolfe, Brown University associate dean and associate director of student conduct and community standards, notified Shieh that a preliminary investigation had been launched into his activities associated with Bloat@Brown two days following its publication. The notice was shared with Reason by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which is advocating for Shieh. Wolfe accuses Shieh of "accessing a proprietary University data system," causing "emotional distress for several University employees," and misrepresenting himself "as a reporter for the Brown Spectator," in the notice. These alleged behaviors violate the university code of conduct's prohibitions on emotional or psychological harm, invasion of privacy, misrepresentation, and violation of operational rules, according to Wolfe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wolfe also accuses Shieh of accessing a data system that contains "confidential human resources, financial, and student information," but does not specify the system she's referring to. Bloat@Brown only published the names and positions of administrators (both publicly available via the staff directory) alongside a subjective valuation of their value to the college. The directory is provided "solely for the information of the Brown University community and those who have a specific interest in reaching a specific individual," according to its acceptable use policy. Shieh is a member of the Brown community and plainly stated his interest in contacting each administrator. Dominic Coletti, a program officer at FIRE, says, "It's hard to imagine howthat information could be confidential if it's also public." Shieh did not even publish the email addressesalso publicly availableof the administrators and went so far as to censor the recipient of one email he shared on X. Brown guarantees students the freedom "of political activity inside and outside the University," including "the right to petition the authorities, the public and the University," per its code of conduct. Brown claims that Shieh misrepresented himself by identifying as a reporter for The Brown Spectator. But Shieh is a staff member of The Brown Spectator; he is its publisher and a reporter. While the publication is not officially recognized by the university, its staff has been working on its revival with The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) Student Journalism Association since the summer of 2024. Shieh tells Reason they are "just trying to figure [out] the printing situation" but "have a bunch of other articles ready to go." Ryan Wolfe (unrelated to Kirsten Wolfe), the director of the Center for Excellence in Journalism at TFAS, confirms this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bryan Clark, Brown's vice president for news and strategic campus communications, tells Reason that Bloat@Brown "appeared to improperly use data accessed through a University technology platform to target individual employees by name and position description" but could not provide additional details about the allegations against Shieh "due to federal law protecting student privacy." Kirsten Wolfe did not respond to Reason's request for comment. Coletti says that the university "needs to actually provide the allegationsit can't use the threat of possible punishment down the line as a sword of Damocles to impose a chill on any student's ability to, one, do journalism and report on the university and, two, talk about the investigation itself." Bloat@Brown's interactive map of administrators was disabled by hackers on the day the site launched. Shieh tells Reason that the hackers bragged about their exploits on Sidechat, an anonymous social media app that sorts users by college community, meaning that the hackers must have "brown.edu" emails. Shieh says he and the team at The Brown Spectator are working to get the information back up. Universities are supposed to be bastions of free speech. Brown's code of conduct reflects this ideal by requiring the university to notify students of charges made against them, affording students the opportunity to review the evidence against them, and recognizing students' right against self-incrimination. By withholding whatever evidence it may have against Shieh while threatening him with an ill-defined preliminary investigation for publishing publicly available information in a critical manner, Brown's behavior belies its values. The post Brown University Targets Student Journalist for Emailing Administrators appeared first on Reason.com. A Texas-based gas station and convienence store known for its friendly beaver mascot is suing yet another business for trademark infringement. On March 19, Buc-ee's filed a federal lawsuit against Barc-ee's, a business in southwest Missouri that offers a dog park, coffee and food shops and a Western-themed miniature city. Buc-ee's claims that the unauthorized use of its trademarks, including a smiling animal mascot, will benefit the Missouri convenience store at Buc-ee's expense, while falsely informing consumers that the two businesses are related. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's what to know about the recently-filed lawsuit and others Buc-ee's has filed against small businesses throughout the country. Why is Buc-ee's suing a Missouri convenience store? Featuring sprawling gas pumps, large bathrooms and a countless array of Beaver-themed merchandise, Buc-ee's has trademarked its cartoon beaver logo and a plethora of retail products. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. Western District Court of Missouri, claims that the use of "Barc-ee's," in connection with merchandise and travel stop services using a "colorful imitation" of Buc-ee's trademark, is an infringement on the Texas-based business's rights. Buc-ee's also alleges that the Barc-ee's logo, which features a cartoon dog inside a pink car, wearing a hat within a yellow circle background, "mimics important aspects of the iconic Buc-ee's logo." Specifically, Buc-ee's references its merchandise that feature its beaver riding inside a red truck. Examples of Buc-ee's trademarks being used in association with a red truck. The lawsuit also claims that Barc-ee's owner John Lopez was inspired by Buc-ee's for his business concept, referencing mention of the inspiration from a Barc-ee's news release before the convenience store opened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Buc-ees has invested heavily in innovation across the company to provide the best quality products and experience for our customers," Buc-ee's General Counsel Jeff Nadalo said in a statement shared with USA TODAY on Tuesday. "Buc-ees will not be an idle spectator while others infringe the intellectual property rights that Buc-ees has worked so hard to develop." On March 12, Barc-ee's announced on social media that it was temporarily closing due to "unexpected construction challenges." The convenience store, as of Tuesday, remained closed, as its owners assess next steps amid the lawsuit. "Although I prefer my business challenges to come with a side of coffee rather than a court summons, this is just a part of the entrepreneur game," Lopez said in a social media statement on March 24. "My legal team believes we are not legally infringing on any trademarks. Very rare does a small dog go into a fight with a big beaver and come out on top." What other businesses has Buc-ee's sued? Missouri's Barc-ee's is one of many businesses that the Texas travel center has sued for trademark infringement. January 2025: Super Fuels in Texas Most recently, Buc-ee's filed a lawsuit against North Texas gas station Super Fuels, claiming that the Super Fuels' logo, which features a brown, smiling dog in a red cape set against a blue background, is too similar to Buc-ee's. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buc-ee's alleges that Super Fuel's anthropomorphic, cartoon mascot could be confusing to consumers upon first glance. "The vast majority of consumers encountering the infringing marks will consist of drivers who are actively operating motor vehicles and are thus incapable of providing anything beyond a brief glance at the infringing marks, which are displayed on the front facade of defendants stores and on defendants gas station canopies, court documents state. As of Tuesday, the lawsuit remained open. 2013: Chicks in Texas In March 2013, Buc-ee's sued Texas-based convenience store Chicks, claiming that Chicks stemmed from similar concepts, including site and store design, product variety, construction and the logo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though the Chicks logo depicted two smiling chickens, back-to-back, against a red, yellow and black background, Buc-ee's claimed that the logo copied Buc-ee's "iconic marks," like color, shapes and fonts. Though Chicks' lawyers moved to dismiss the complaint, Chicks ultimately closed in 2014. 2018: Choke Canyon in Texas In 2018, Buc-ee's won a federal lawsuit against Choke Canyon, a travel center in South Texas. A jury found that Choke Canyon's alligator logo resembled Buc-ee's too closely, according to the Houston Chronicle. Choke Canyon remains open but with a different logo. 2023: Buk-II's Super Mercado in Mexico In July 2023, an image of a Mexican convenience store called Buk-II's Super Marcado went viral on social media for its humorous replication of Buc-ee's iconic logo. But Buc-ee's didn't find the store funny. Razaaa no me lo van a creer!!!! Posted by Ramon Montelongo on Monday, July 24, 2023 Though Buc-ee's threatened legal action, none was taken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since, the Mexican convenience store has changed its name to Mini Super Buk-II's and changed its logo to a different rodent wearing a red shirt and sporting a mullet. According to Google, the convenience store is now closed. 2024: Missouri's Duckees In November 2024, Buc-ee's filed a federal lawsuit against Duckees, a liquor store also located in southwest Missouri. Buc-ee's claimed that Duckees used a similar animal-centric logo on its merchandise a cartoon duck wearing sunglasses in a green shirt and red bowtie, all inside of a yellow circle. Buc-ee's claimed this logo uses "the most important aspects of the iconic Buc-ee's logo," by including a cartoon animal, a yellow circle as the background and prominent black edges for the mascot. As of Tuesday, the lawsuit remained open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buc-ee's sues Missouri Barc-ee's for similar name, logo New Jersey Treasurer Liz Muoio told lawmakers Tuesday that federal funding changes could have "a drastic" impact on the state budget. (OIT/NJ Governors Office) State budget experts warned lawmakers on Tuesday of widespread uncertainty as the state moves to enact a budget for the coming fiscal year. Though officials from the Treasury and the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services expressed optimism about revenue collections in the current fiscal year, which have exceeded expectations, they warned a tightening economy and residents response to it could lead to a revenue slowdown in the fiscal year that begins July 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the broader state economy remains on stable footing, volatility in capital markets, shifting consumer behavior, and potential policy shifts could adversely impact revenue collections, Oscar Mendez, a revenue and economic policy analyst with the Office of Legislative Services, told the Senate Budget Committee. The office estimated $55.33 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year, about $456.5 million higher than Treasurys own projections, with the differences mostly attributed to strong collections from the states pass-through business alternative income tax in the weeks after Treasury issued its estimates. Stronger collections could ease the impact of the $1.2 billion structural deficit Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed for the upcoming fiscal year by expanding the states reserves, which are spent down when state expenditures outpace state revenue. Legislators will receive another update on state revenue reflecting April tax filings in May. That update is expected to have positive news for lawmakers because markets were strong in the 2024 tax year despite the recent tumble fueled by President Trumps tariff policies. Sen. Paul Sarlo (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor) Were going to need those revenues. Any April surprises, were going to need them for next year, said Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), the Senate budget chairman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though the previous stock market hum may be a comfort to the state budget in the coming fiscal year, staggering drops across U.S. markets including the S&P 500s worst quarter since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 could signal a potentially steep decline in income tax collections in the near future. Whenever the financial markets suffer, you can assume that there will be an echo in our revenue collections, said Thomas Koenig, the legislative budget and finance officer. Uncertainty around federal funding particularly on the $14 billion in federal dollars New Jersey receives for Medicaid could also upend the states budget. The future of Medicaid is particularly troubling not only because it sees an outsized share of federal spending but also because those federal funds are often paid to reimburse expenditures already made using state funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fact that many federal cuts have been issued on short notice or even retroactively compounds uncertainty at the state level, said Treasurer Liz Muoio. It is very difficult, A, to predict whats coming through because its coming piecemeal, but then its coming in and its immediate, she said. So when you are dealing with this on a reimbursement level, youve already spent that money, so the potential hit to our budget and our programs, I should say, could be drastic. Legislators continued to express skepticism about some of the revenue raisers Murphy has proposed for the coming fiscal year, with particular resistance to a sales tax expansion that would tax services at laser tag arenas, swimming pools, and speedways, among a host of other recreational businesses. I want to make it clear to everybody whos listening to this. Theres no desire from this Legislature to tax those services, Sarlo said. I think they were a talking point by the governor. I think the governor realizes those will be eliminated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sarlo added he hopes revenue foregone by eliminating the expansion could be made up through governmental efficiencies or spending cuts. Health benefits for public workers are also set to be a major cost driver in the coming fiscal year. The local part of the State Health Benefits Program is projected to see total cost increases of more than 20% for 2026, before even considering increases in the cost of health benefits. Municipalities have increasingly moved off the state plan amid steep cost increases in recent years, feeding a cycle where a smaller and increasingly less healthy pool of subscribers leads to cost increases that spur more departures. There is no doubt that the rate increases our plans have experienced in the past four years outpace what other, similar state and public employers are experiencing, especially in the SHBP local government section, Muoio said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Charlotte detectives are asking for the publics help with identifying the person responsible for a series of commercial burglaries targeting restaurants and bars in the Steele Creek area and west Charlotte. In these incidents, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said the burglar has been stealing large quantities of alcohol, sometimes leaving significant damage behind. The first burglary in this series was reported on February 1. CMPD later discovered an earlier break-in actually occurred on the night of January 30 in the 100 block of Southside Drive. During this incident, CMPD said alcohol was taken from the business. Photos: CMPD Photos: CMPD Photos: CMPD Photos: CMPD Photos: CMPD Photos: CMPD Photos: CMPD Photos: CMPD Photos: CMPD Photos: CMPD But it didnt stop there three weeks later, on February 24, CMPD officers responded to a break-in at a business in the 4000 block of South Blvd. They said the thief, dressed in dark clothing, entered the restaurant but fled after setting off the alarm system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CMPD said the burglary spree continued in the Steele Creek area, with additional break-ins reported on February 28, March 10, March 13, and March 21. CMPD said these incidents happened along Tyvola Road, S. Stream Boulevard, and Westpark Drive. In all cases, CMPD said alcohol was the primary item taken, and the damage to some local businesses has been significant. Anyone who may have information, or can help identify the individual pictured, is urged to come forward and call CMPD at 704-336-7600 or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. MORE FROM QCNEWS.COM Crime & 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 Queen City News. Stephens County Commissioners allowed the burn ban for the county to lapse this week. Chairman Todd Churchman, said after the amount of rain this past week and more rain in the forecast, recommended to not renew the resolution. The burn ban went into effect two weeks ago in the face of wildfires in the area and across Oklahoma. To let the ban lapse, the board took no action. Bids for the Corum Volunteer Fire Departments new building then took the remaining focus Monday with County Commissioners after the board tabled 10 bids March 17. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Construction Manager At-Risk Butch Lawson said he received two quotes back for bid package two for the pre-engineered metal building, supply only. He said he received two active quotes and three other attempts where he received no response. Lawson said hes good with accepting low bids for package one, three, five, six, seven, eight and nine. He said he would recommend to reject package four. The board approved low bids for: concrete and site work from Wade Concrete Construction for $58,364; pre-engineered metal building erection from Ellco for $17,800; overhead doors from Duncan Door for $12,400; electrical services from M&M Electric for $14,500; plumbing from Farmers Plumbing for $28,650; HVAC from Davis Air Conditioning and Heating for $4,283 and spray applied insulation from Edwards Enterprises Rental for $11,500. The board also approved a low quote from Alliance Steel for $49,470 and rejected bid package four for general construction with a 3-0 vote. The painting package didnt bring any bids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In another segment, Commissioners heard from Lawson on a brief update for the work with the Stephens County Fairgrounds and Stephens County Courthouse Annex as part of the American Rescue Plan Act projects. Lawson said the sheet iron is on top of the arena building and crews will prepare to begin trim soon. He said construction crews have the majority of the wall sheets up on the conference center. Moving right along, he said. All of the materials are on-site. Lawson said the drywall crew will get started next on the project. For the Courthouse Annex, Lawson said he talked with electricians and crews look to begin work Tuesday to get the generator up and running. He said the generator sits in place along with the transfer switch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, the board took no action on setting a retirement date for Emergency Manager Gary Curtis. In other news, the board approved: A permit from Oklahoma Corporation Commission in regards to a road location at Anderson between Lawler and Duncan Lake Road in District #1. Accepting a donation for 3,340 tons of oil-based drill cuttings from Back Yard Environmental for District #1. Three cooperative agreements for District #1, District #2 and District #3. Three fairground rental agreements for: the Cord McCoy PRCA Rodeo in the Stephens County Arena May 2-3; the GOP Fish Fry in the Winchester Room, the Heritage Room and the Stephens County Arena May 17; and a family reunion in the Harvest Room May 25. The Stephens County Commissioners will convene again at 9:30 a.m. Monday, April 7 at the Stephens County Courthouse. TSU, Japan - More than 8,000 emails threatening to kill a 27-year-old local assembly member in central Japan were sent after she posted on social media calling for menstrual products to be made available in public restrooms. Ayaka Yoshida, a member of the Mie prefectural assembly, said she filed a complaint with local police on Monday, which was accepted. One of the emails sent to the assembly's secretariat mocked her, saying, "At her age, she should know to carry emergency sanitary napkins." According to the secretariat, emails threatening the life of Yoshida, a member of the Japanese Communist Party, were sent at roughly one-minute intervals between 8:00 p.m. on Friday and 3:50 p.m. on Monday. All were sent from the same email address. Yoshida posted on X last week, "I was caught off guard by my period and was in trouble, as there were no sanitary napkins in the restroom at Tsu City Hall. I hope menstrual pads can be provided like toilet paper." Tsu is the capital of Mie Prefecture. At a press conference on Monday, Yoshida said such emails have "the effect of intimidating me and suppressing my activities as a prefectural assembly member." Related coverage: Japan to take steps to protest U.N. call over imperial succession law Japan reports 1,440 abortions by pill 1 year after introduction Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley of California has introduced legislation designed to protect independent contractors amid uncertainty from the administrative branch. The Modern Worker Empowerment Act would stop the back and forth that freelancers currently experience when leadership at the Department of Labor changes based on who is in power politically. Freelancers are ecstatic about the move. "There is no greater champion than Kevin Kiley for independent contractors in the United States Congress. He is a superhero. He has been trying to stop this freelance busting madness," says award-winning freelance writer and editor Kim Kavin - founder of the grassroots advocacy group Fight For Freelancers and author of the Substack "Freelance Busting." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A freelance journalist with over 20 years of experience, Kavin is one of the approximately 60 million independent contractors in America, a number that makes up about a third of the U.S. workforce. Groups such as the Independent Womens Forum have asked the Trump administration to repeal a Biden-era DOL independent contractor rule within his first 100 days in office. If this rule is not repealed by the Trump administration, its enforcement could wreak havoc upon the independent workforce. The rule, dealing with so-called "misclassification" of independent workers, was implemented in March of 2024. The rule invokes a very narrow definition of freelance work - so narrow that many roles which are currently filled by independent contractors would have to be filled by traditional employees. A state-level version of this rule already exists in Rep. Kileys home state of California. The legislation - known as AB5 - was passed in Sacramento during Kileys tenure as a state legislator. He has seen firsthand how this bill has led companies to stop employing independent contractors, affecting the business of tens of thousands of freelancers in the Golden State. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If this AB5-style Labor Department rule is kept in place by the Trump team, it threatens the livelihoods of freelancers like Kim Kavin across the whole country. Kavin is a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against the former Biden administrations independent contractor rule, represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, a free-market and limited-government legal nonprofit. The suit aims to overturn labor regulations perceived as detrimental to freelancers and small business owners like herself. As previously mentioned, freelancers have experienced increased uncertainty as political administrations have changed. Last month, President Trump nominated Lori Chavez-DeRemer to the post of Labor Secretary. Chavez-DeRemer testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee and was confirmed last month by a vote of 67-32. Yet she received opposition from both Democrats and a few Republicans, including Rand Paul of Kentucky who was concerned about her pro-union bona fides. Chavez-DeRemer was one of only three Republicans who supported the PRO Act in the 118th Congress, which was a part of Kamala Harris campaign platform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Labor unions were a part of the GOPs shifting coalition which supported Trump in November, so whether or not independent workers will be a priority for the Trump administration is still up in the air. The PRO Act was billed as a pro-union piece of legislation, but masked within the labor union propaganda that pushed the bill forward in the last session of Congress was also the creation of an "ABC Test" intended to fix the "misclassification" of freelance workers who were doing the work of employees. The test was designed to be seemingly straightforward, but it has proven to be a disaster for independent workers, who saw their options for work cut as companies did not want to run afoul of regulations. In California, contract work was decimated as self-employment decreased by 10.5%. While independent workers have some concerns over Chavez-DeRemer being confirmed as the head of the Department of Labor, her undersecretary Keith Sonderling is a known ally of the freelance workforce. Kavin told me that "Sonderlings testimony suggested that the administration may be open to reassessing the independent contractor rule." Amid the current uncertainty from the Trump administration, Congress can and should step in. And champions like Kevin Kiley who have a track record of fighting with and for freelancers can solidify the freelance landscape for over 60 million workers - Americans like Kim Kavin - eliminating uncertainty about the kinds of work they will legally be allowed to perform. Victoria Snitsar Churchill is a journalist and Young Voices Social Mobility Fellow based in Arlington, Virginia. Her work has appeared in the New York Post, RealClearPolitics, and The American Conservative. Retired Lt. Gen. Dan Razin Caine, the nominee for Joint Chiefs chair, on Tuesday disputed President Donald Trumps claim that he donned a MAGA hat when they met in Iraq. For 34 years, Ive upheld my oath of office and my commitment to my commission, Caine told Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing. And I have never worn any political merchandise. The hearing, a high-stakes moment after Trump fired former Joint Chiefs chair Gen. C.Q. Brown in a purge of Pentagon leaders, centered on whether Caine could serve as an apolitical military adviser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caine, for the first time, publicly contradicted a story Trump likes to tell about their 2018 encounter in Iraq during the presidents first term. Caine, according to Trump, said, I would kill for you, sir, and slapped a MAGA cap on his head. Trump's story has proven controversial as servicemembers are bound by the Constitution to deliver nonpolitical, nonpartisan guidance to civilian superiors. I went back and listened to those tapes, and I think the president was actually talking about somebody else, Caine said. I've never worn any political merchandise or said anything to that effect. Caine pledged to provide independent military advice to the president, even if he didnt want to hear it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Candor has gotten me here today, and candor will continue to allow me to do my job, he told senators. Wicker expressed confidence in Caine at the outset of the hearing, arguing the retired three-star general would advise the president without bias. But he still faced skepticism over the MAGA hat anecdote, despite repeatedly refuting the story. "It raises questions about whether you were selected because Donald Trump thinks that you would be loyal to him rather than to the Constitution, said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Caine is a former F-16 pilot who has held senior roles in the Pentagon, CIA and in special operations against the Islamic State. He retired last year and has never held the four-star rank that is typically a prerequisite for the role of Joint Chiefs chair. Caine would need to return to service and receive an additional star to take on the role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has since become a partner at venture capital firm Shield Capital. But Caine committed not to work for a defense contractor after his Joint Chiefs term is up. Caine said he is an unconventional choice for the job and did not angle for the position or see himself in it before Trump selected him. He did not indicate why Trump might have chosen a retired officer. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) warned that providing frank advice to this president hasnt gone well for others. Trump dismissed Brown without cause and retaliated against former Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Mark Milley, with whom he clashed, by removing his security detail, clearance and Pentagon portrait, she said. It's always a challenge to stand up to this president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the push back, several Armed Services Democrats appeared open to supporting his confirmation. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an especially vocal critic of the Trump administration, praised Caines experience in the National Guard. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), called Browns ouster unfortunate but said Caine didnt have anything to do with that." He noted the nominee has seen the breadth of our military mission" as an active-duty and Guard officer. Caine sidestepped questions on whether national security leaders should have used a Signal group chat to discuss military plans in Yemen, citing the Senate Armed Services leaders request for a Pentagon inspector general probe into the episode. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked if a top military adviser should have been part of the conversation, Caine argued it was a partisan political chat, and so the joint force should not have been represented in there. Caine, who served as a military liaison to the CIA before retiring, did note the military must protect sensitive information about its operations. "What I will say is we should always preserve the element of surprise, and that should translate across every information domain and format, and never put our war fighters in any harm's way, he said. By Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The nominee to become the highest-ranking U.S. military officer sought to reassure Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday that he would not become a "yes man" for President Donald Trump if confirmed, after being plucked from retirement and relative obscurity. Trump stunned the Pentagon in February by firing Air Force General C.Q. Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and naming retired Air Force Lieutenant General Dan "Razin" Caine to succeed him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "General Brown's dismissal reveals, once again, President Trump's intention to install yes men and women with fealty to him and not to the Constitution or the American people," Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono said at Caine's Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing. At the hearing, Caine, however, presented himself as apolitical, saying he was willing to face dismissal and would push back if President Trump asked him to carry out illegal orders. He pledged to follow U.S. laws and the Constitution. "I've always strived to do the right thing and that's not going to change now," Caine said during the largely uncontentious hearing. Uniformed military officials are supposed to be loyal to the U.S. Constitution and independent of any party or political movement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump recently recounted meeting Caine for the first time in Iraq in 2018 when the general was a senior U.S. military leader there. In the retelling, Trump described how service members put on "Make America Great Again" hats at a gathering to greet the president in a military hangar in Iraq. Some critics have said Trump implied that Caine wore a hat. But at the hearing on Tuesday, Caine was asked whether he had ever donned a MAGA hat, a sign of support for Trump. "I have never worn any political merchandise," Caine said, adding that doing so would "probably" constitute partisan political activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has also claimed that during that visit to Iraq, a service member said he loved the president and, "I'll kill for you, sir." Democratic senators probed Caine on whether he said the words. Caine said that he had relistened to Trump's comments and he appeared to be referring to someone else. Caine is in an unprecedented position. If confirmed, he would replace the first joint chiefs' chairman ever relieved by a president and would be the first to be brought out of retirement for the role. Unlike other nominees before him, Caine neither has the rank nor experience required by statute. So, to be confirmed, he will require the first presidential waiver. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The slim Republican Senate majority means that Caine can lose support from no more than three senators if Democrats and independents unite against him. 'UNCONVENTIONAL PICK' Caine, a retired F-16 pilot, has not followed the traditional path to becoming the president's top military adviser, which entails leading a combatant command or a military branch of service. Caine acknowledged that he was an unconventional pick, but added: "These are also unconventional times." Caine was a part-time member of the National Guard and "a serial entrepreneur and investor" from 2009 to 2016. He was most recently associate director for military affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency, before his retirement late last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But it was his time in Iraq from 2018 to 2019 that helped him gain Trump's attention. Little is known about where Caine stands on major policy issues, but he told lawmakers that he agreed with Trump that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon. Several Democratic committee members asked Caine about senior Trump administration officials' use of the commercial Signal message app to coordinate U.S. attack plans in Yemen, a discussion that inadvertently included a journalist from The Atlantic. Democratic lawmakers have condemned the March incident, saying it showed the Trump administration's cavalier approach to classified information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caine dodged questions about the chat itself but added: "We should always preserve the element of surprise and never put our warfighters in harm's way." (Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Leslie Adler, Mark Porter and Cynthia Osterman) Canada is attempting to school Americans on economics and tariffs, via billboards in red states and political battlegrounds, including multiple locations in Florida. Tariffs are a tax on your grocery bill, Tariffs are a tax at the gas pump, and Tariffs are a tax on hardworking Americans, are among the rotating messages on the electronic billboards. The billboards are aimed at the people who will end up paying the import taxes ordered by President Donald Trump, who has spent much of the early part of his second presidency imposing tariffs, waiving them, reimposing tariffs, and announcing more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre taking their case directly to the public, said Aubrey Jewett, a political scientist at the University of Central Florida, telling the public that that tariffs are indeed a tax, and that Canadians dont pay that tax. It will be Americans that pay that tax. Jewett saw one of the billboards near Tampa on Sunday as he was driving to an academic conference in St. Petersburg. The billboards have also appeared in Hollywood, Miramar and Winter Springs, and in multiple other states. U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat whose district includes Hollywood and Miramar, said via email she hadnt yet seen one of the billboards, but the message was on target. This billboard is dead-on. Trumps tariffs threaten the largest tax hike in history on every middle-class family who drives past this ad. Trump is tanking our economy and ruining our relationship with Canada and all its visitors to Florida, and that ugly truth needs to be shared everywhere, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has expressed particular animus toward Canada the U.S.s second-largest trading partner since his November election, and has imposed tariffs on the countrys goods coming into the U.S. The president has announced plans to impose what he calls reciprocal tariffs on many nations exports on Wednesday. John Babcock, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said the digital billboards were placed in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and in Washington, D.C., and in surrounding areas. Related Articles Babcock didnt say how many were in Florida, where theyre located, when they went up and how long theyre staying up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jewett said the placements in those states, which are either Republican leaning or hard-fought battlegrounds in presidential elections, is notable. Its an interesting strategy for Canada to take their case directly to the American public in a number of red states or battleground states, Jewett said. Babcock described it as an educational campaign to inform Americans of the economic impacts of tariffs. The campaign is a strategic investment in Canadas long-term economic interests, and its trade relationship with the United States. Tariffs are a tax on hard-working Americans in their daily lives. They lead to increased costs on everyday essentials, including fuel and groceries. And, he said via email, the purpose is to increase the understanding of the American public and to counter misinformation. Tariffs end up included in the cost of goods. For the most part Trump has claimed theyre paid by foreign countries or exporters an assertion repeated over the weekend by a presidential adviser though Trump himself has more recently acknowledged theyll lead to price increases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the weekend, Trump told NBCs Meet the Press that he didnt care if the tariffs on automobiles and car parts going into effect this week raise the prices of cars. I couldnt care less if they raise prices, because people are going to start buying American-made cars. He believes that short-term pain will ultimately be offset by an economic renaissance for the United States. Analysts writing on the website of the bipartisan Council on Foreign Relations said tariffs are bad for the economy because they raise costs for businesses and consumers, reduce purchasing power and business profits, which leads to lower spending and investment. Also, the inevitable foreign retaliation damages business competitiveness and lowers exports, and tariffs on foreign competitors mean domestic producers can safely raise their prices. Peter Navarro, the White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, appearing on Fox News Sunday, disputed what once was the accepted truth about tariffs. He said the Trump administrations message is that tariffs are tax cuts, tariffs are jobs, tariffs are national security, tariffs are great, for America tariffs will make America great again. Melanie Joly, Canadas foreign minister, said in a CNN interview her countrys message to people in the U.S. is that tariffs would hurt their livelihoods and have an impact on their wallets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My message to hard-working Americans is please, talk to your senators, talk to your House representatives, to your mayors, to your governors. Send a message that you dont want these tariffs because nobody will win in this approach coming out from the White House, she said. Jewett said going with a medium that developed in the 20th Century, billboards, was a good strategy in the social media world of the 21st Century. Today, you wouldnt normally think of that as being the best way to reach an audience, he said, adding that by going old school theyve been able to generate even more publicity for their cause. A nationwide Fox News poll released March 20 found that 69% of voters said imposing tariffs on products imported from other countries makes the products they buy more expensive. Just 7% said tariffs made products less expensive and 17% said they made no difference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 53% of voters said imposing tariffs on products imported from other countries hurts the U.S. economy. The poll found 28% of voters believe tariffs help the economy. Still, Jewett said he isnt sure the advertising campaign will have an immediate impact. Most Trump supporters are still with the president, Jewett said. Once the tariffs actually go into effect, if he leaves them up for any length of time then prices almost certainly will go up. And its at that point some months down the road that the billboards might make at least a little difference, because theyre sort of priming the pump in the average persons mind that a tariff is a tax. Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon. A Canadian chef-turned-drone pilot fighting for Ukraine shot down a Russian Lancet with a fixed-wing drone. Video footage shows the confirmed hit. The pilot, call sign "Butcher," was originally involved in humanitarian work before enlisting. A Canadian fighting for Ukraine took down a Russian Lancet drone with a fixed-wing drone in a caught-on-camera kill. He says he believes he is the first foreign volunteer to do so. The drone operator, who goes by the call sign "Butcher" and asked for anonymity for security reasons, said that the successful mission came after months of training on a variety of drone models. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Butcher told Business Insider that he was "eager" to get the kill since he was new to piloting drones. When he got it, he posted a video confirming the Russian target was a Lancet, a kind of one-way attack drone. In the combat footage, his drone can be seen approaching the uncrewed aerial system from behind before the feed cuts. It didn't make a kinetic kill, meaning it didn't fly into the Lancet. Instead, it detonated an explosive nearby, scoring a proximity intercept. After months of training and hard work, I got my first confirmed kill as a pilot today. And this one saved lives, given it was a Lancet. Pretty to cool to think that I might be the only non-Ukrainian in the world to have ever taken one down with a fixed wing drone. pic.twitter.com/qLXGilG3in ' (@UAMyasnyk) March 9, 2025 "I got my first confirmed kill as a pilot today," Butcher posted on March 9. "And this one saved lives, given it was a Lancet." Lancets are technically loitering munitions, meaning they lurk above targets before flying into them and detonating. While some loitering munitions like the Iranian-made Shahed-136 are used against cities and critical infrastructure, the Lancets are regularly used tactically against front-like targets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The range, weight, and speed of the Lancet depend on its variant. They have been huge pain points for vehicle crews. The Canadian drone pilot told BI that he was using a monitor instead of a headset, which reduces fatigue for pilots operating drones all day. Monitors also make it easier to determine three-dimensional trajectories and positioning in varying altitudes, as drones can shift, turn, and dive quickly. "There are times when [drone flying] becomes pretty much the same as dogfighting," he said, referring to close-range air-to-air combat between two aircraft, traditionally crewed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flying the drone, he explained, is just like using a video game controller, which other Ukrainian pilots have noted as well. Operators previously told BI that gamers tend to make pretty good pilots. But this war is very different from a game, as battlefield decisions come with very real life-and-death consequences. Drones have defined the war in Ukraine, with Russian and Ukrainian forces adapting to challenges in real time. Paula Bronstein/Getty Images Butcher, originally a chef at home in Canada, traveled to Ukraine in early 2023 and joined up with an organization cooking for troops on the front lines. Ukrainian culture was a big aspect of his upbringing, but he had lost the language and grew away from the community as he got older. But in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and began seizing territories in the Donbas region, "I started paying more attention to what was happening," Butcher said. He was propelled to action after the 2022 full-scale invasion. In June 2023, he began working to provide aid with a non-governmental organization after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam east of Kherson. He remained involved in humanitarian and military aid for months, also helping translate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He first began learning about combat drones by volunteering with the Wild Hornets, a nonprofit organization that is focused on providing uncrewed systems for Ukraine's armed forces. He honed other combat skills before enlisting in basic training last fall. He's now focused on air defenses, often targeting drones used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations, and is deployed in the Donetsk area. Ukraine has been increasingly using drones to intercept and take out Russia's attack drones and loitering munitions, opting to use them as cheaper options over air defense missiles. They've also targeted Russian intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms that provide information on Ukrainian activities. Working with drones has come with a learning curve, one that is far from static. After Butcher decided to start training on drones, he began with different sizes and brands of first-person view drone models. All of these elements of drone warfare, he said, are new and constantly changing. Indeed, it has been a headache for operators to keep up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "What's happening here is there's such an aggressive and fast evolution of things," Butcher said. "You could develop the technology or a tactic or system and implement it," but once Russia has adapted, it becomes "a very fast cat and mouse game," he added. Ukrainian drone companies have been at the forefront of developing new software and hardware technologies to give operators an edge in battle. They have also been at work on ways to counter or completely avoid challenging adaptations like extensive electronic warfare and signal jamming. Operators previously told BI that there is a "hidden electronic warfare battle" raging in Ukraine, demanding more from drone units. "This is an ongoing challenge," one special unit said. Read the original article on Business Insider Investing.com -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney discussed his plans for the Canadian economy and potential tariff responses during a speech in Winnipeg today. The discussions come as U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce new tariff measures after the market closes tomorrow. Carney highlighted the need for Canada to adapt to changes in the U.S. economy, which is currently undergoing restructuring under President Trump. He vowed to reject any attempts to weaken Canada for the benefit of America. In terms of strengthening the Canadian economy, Carney emphasized the creation of high-paying jobs, income growth, and resilience against external economic shocks. He also expressed his shared belief with the Liberal Party that the economy should serve everyone, stressing the need for a leader who can stand up to Trump while also protecting jobs and businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carney discussed measures to make life more affordable for Canadians under a new Liberal government. On his first day in office, he ended the consumer carbon tax, which took effect today. This move is expected to save some families up to CAD$800 in upfront costs, including gas and energy. He also mentioned the $10 a day childcare initiative, which is currently supporting 900,000 children and saving Canadian families up to CAD$10,000 per year. If the election is won, Carney plans to introduce a middle-class tax cut, which could save the average two-income family up to CAD$825 per year. He also reiterated an ambitious housing plan announced yesterday, aiming to make Canada a leader in prefabricated and modular housing, as well as additional efforts to make Canadian housing more afforable. Carney expressed his vision of unifying the 13 provincial economies into one Canadian economy and diversifying Canada's trading partners. He criticized his election rival, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, accusing him of prioritizing ideology over ideals and threatening to undo his new solutions as the election is rapidly approaching, scheduled for April 28. Regarding the new tariffs to be announced by Trump on April 2, Carney said that comprehensive negotiations will begin after the Prime Minister is elected. He confirmed that Minister Dominic Leblanc has been in close contact with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carney also stated that Canada is prepared to respond to any additional U.S. tariff measures with retaliatory measures, but emphasized that his administration will ensure minimal impact on the Canadian economy. Related articles River Financial Corp Ends Consent Order with Regulators Italy stocks higher at close of trade; Investing.com Italy 40 up 1.20% Earnings call transcript: Niu Technologies Q4 2024 sees mixed results, stock rises COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A car crashing into an apartment building has caused a gas leak on the southeast side of Columbus Monday. According to the Columbus Division of Fire, the crash happened on the 600 block of East Morrill Avenue at approximately 6 p.m. Fire battalion chief Jeffery Geiter said there were no injuries reported from the crash. Geiter said three buildings have been evacuated and the residents from 15 apartments are being sheltered at a nearby recreation center. A COTA bus is helping escort residents to the center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By 7:20 p.m., Geiter said the gas leak had been stopped and that people were being allowed back into two of the three buildings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Chinese teams, local rescuers race against time in Myanmar quake relief Xinhua) 08:14, April 01, 2025 NAY PYI TAW/MANDALAY, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Following the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, multiple Chinese rescue teams have arrived in the disaster-stricken areas, working with local responders around the clock to search for survivors. So far Chinese teams have rescued six survivors in severely-hit Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay. The rescuers combed through the ruins of apartments, hotels and hospitals to find signs of life. Continuous aftershocks, power cuts, destroyed roads and communication interruptions made their rescue work even harder. Meanwhile, more Chinese rescue teams are heading to Myanmar, bringing in earthquake experts, structural engineers, medical personnel and canine units, as well as life detectors, demolition equipment and field hospital systems. According to Myanmar's State Administration Council, by Sunday about 1,700 people have been reported killed, 3,400 injured, and 300 missing in the massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the country and its neighbors on Friday. Members from the China Search and Rescue Team and the Rescue Team of Ramunion jointly transfer a pregnant survivor at a quake site in Mandalay city, Myanmar, March 31, 2025. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua) SURVIVORS RESCUED Early on Monday, the China Search and Rescue Team found a woman at a collapsed hotel in Mandalay city after more than five hours of intense work. The survivor had been trapped for nearly 60 hours and had good vital signs when rescued. At another site, members of China's Blue Sky Rescue Team worked with local volunteers and recovered a survivor on Sunday. Satellite images showed that countless buildings were reduced to rubble in the city, located less than 20 km from the epicenter. In the capital Nay Pyi Taw, a 37-member rescue and medical team from China's Yunnan Province arrived on Saturday evening with emergency supplies such as full-function life detectors, earthquake early warning systems, portable satellite phones and drones. The team, alongside local rescuers, rescued an elderly man trapped for nearly 40 hours under the rubble of Ottara Thiri Private Hospital after an emergency rescue operation overnight. On Sunday morning, Myanmar's State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing visited the hospital and expressed his appreciation to members of the Chinese rescue team for their timely assistance. A woman injured in an earthquake receives medical treatment in a tent at a hospital in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, March 31, 2025. (Photo by Wang Shen/Xinhua) CHALLENGES AHEAD Mandalay's Sky Villa is among the most severely affected structures in the city. Two apartment buildings have completely collapsed, and another 12-story building was reduced to six stories by the earthquake, burying many. Among the anxious onlookers was Daw Nan Mya Aye, a 65-year-old retired high school teacher. She stood with a composed yet weary expression, her hands tightly clasped in front of her. "Our house had 11 people. When the quake struck, I wasn't home -- I had just returned from a meditation center and was staying at my daughter's place. My niece and nephew were also at work," she recalled. As of Sunday evening, two of her family members had been pulled from the rubble. One of them was her 76-year-old sister. Her 14-year-old niece, badly injured with broken hip bones, was sent to hospital. "We have lost so many family members. There aren't many of us left," she said softly. At dawn on Monday, a woman was pulled out from the rubble of a condominium after hours of rescue efforts by the China Search and Rescue Team and a civilian team from RAMUNION RESCUE. A girl and a pregnant survivor were also pulled out at the Sky Villa quake scene soon after. Despite challenges like confined working areas, frequent aftershocks, residual fires and dense smoke, local and international rescuers are racing against time, hoping to save more people as the crucial 72-hour window of earthquake rescue closes. Staff members prepare to transport the first batch of disaster-relief material offered by the Chinese government at the Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, March 31, 2025. (Photo by Haymhan Aung/Xinhua) HOPE ENDURES Among the brave rescuers is 19-year-old Pyae Phyo Aung, a member of Myat Thada Rescue. Since 2016, he has dedicated himself to saving lives, but he said nothing has tested him like this disaster. "We are rescuing people trapped in the rubble -- some with their legs pinned, some buried up to their waists, and others completely covered," he said. "We prioritize saving the living before retrieving the dead." His team alone has saved 11 people so far, he said. In Mandalay, more than 100 young overseas Chinese volunteers in Myanmar have started providing technical, information and logistical support such as collecting information under the guidance of the professional rescue team. Officials from the Myanmar rescue department also briefed the rescue team on Myanmar's arrangements for international rescue efforts. Li Wenyang, a member of the China Blue Sky Rescue Team, said they plan to divide the city into several search areas to let volunteers collect information on missing persons, survivors and casualties, so as to facilitate planning and assessment for the incoming rescue forces. On Sunday afternoon, a chartered flight took off from Kunming, the capital of China's Yunnan Province, carrying approximately 7.3 tons of relief supplies for Myanmar, including clothes, medicines, instant noodles, tents and other daily necessities. This was the second batch of provincial-level relief supplies that Yunnan has sent to Myanmar. On Sunday night, 118 members of the China International Search and Rescue Team arrived in Nay Pyi Taw, while on Monday morning, the first batch of emergency humanitarian earthquake relief supplies provided by the Chinese government to Myanmar departed from Beijing. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) PARIS, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The Paris Court on Monday found Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) party in the French parliament, guilty of embezzling public funds by paying ghost European parliamentary assistants. The ruling bans her from running for the French presidency for five years. Alongside Le Pen, eight other RN members of the European Parliament (EP) were also convicted of embezzlement. The 12 parliamentary assistants they had hired were found guilty of possessing stolen goods. According to the Court, Le Pen and her colleagues arranged for the EP to pay salaries to individuals who were working, partially or entirely, for the French far-right party rather than for the European Parliament. The total amount embezzled reached approximately 2.9 million euros (3.1 million U.S. dollars), with Le Pen alone responsible for around 474,000 euros (513,000 dollars), the Court stated. Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison, two of which are to be served under house arrest with an electronic bracelet. She was also fined 100,000 euros. Speaking Monday evening on French public broadcaster TF1, Le Pen said she would "appeal as quickly as possible." Le Pen also affirmed that she would not retire from political life, even if barred from running for the presidency. Earlier Monday afternoon, RN party president Jordan Bardella called on Le Pen supporters to carry out a "peaceful" mobilization. He also launched a petition in support of Le Pen, calling her ineligibility ruling a "democratic scandal." Le Pen was President Emmanuel Macron's main political rival in the past two elections. In 2022, Macron defeated her with 58.5 percent of the vote. In 2017, he won against her in a runoff with 66.10 percent. Le Pen had declared that the 2027 presidential race would be her fourth and final attempt at the French presidency. (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollars) Go behind the headlines as NewsNations Missing investigates missing person cases from across the country, from cold cases to the latest developing stories. Tune into our latest cases digital show each Friday where we speak to loved ones and examine the case. Subscribe to our newsletter here. (NewsNation) Since 2018, Carla Valpeozs family has been searching for her after she disappeared on a vacation in Peru. Legally blind since childhood, Valpeoz was an accomplished traveler, determined to see the world and often traveling alone to locations around the globe. A solo adventurer She kept in close contact with her family while traveling so they instantly knew something was wrong when she disappeared. Now, they fear time is running out to collect crucial evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huisentruit search warrant can be unsealed, judge rules Valpeoz, who as 35 when she disappeared, liked to travel to remote places, unafraid to travel alone. A seasoned adventurer, she used her trips to inspire others. She would go to some extremely remote places, things that Ive never done, said her brother, Carlos Valpeoz. Anywhere she went, she would establish friendships immediately. People would look out for her. After undergoing brain surgery as an infant, Carla Valpeoz could only see shadows, requiring special screens and auditory computers to help her navigate technology. Carla Valpeozs family supported her travels But it didnt stop her from seeing the world or advocating about her experiences on her YouTube channel. She wanted to teach people about how blind people navigate the world and show how capable they could be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her family was proud but nervous, though her father, Carlos Valpeoz, said he kept his fears quiet. Caregiver was at nail salon when autistic woman went missing: Police I never told her that because I respected her independence, you know? he said. Carla Valpeoz and her brother, Carlos Valpeoz. (Valpeoz family) Carla Valpeoz last traveled to Peru. (Valpeoz family) Carla Valpeoz climbed Machu Picchu with people she met on her trip. (Valpeoz family) Calra Valpeoz and he rnew friends climbed Huayna PIcchu. (Valpeoz family) Carla valpeoz frequently made friends on her travels. (Valpeoz family) Carlos Valpeoz, her brother, went to Peru to search for Carla Valpeoz. (Valpeoz family) Carla Valpeozs father, Carlos Valpeoz, searched for her in Peru. (Valpeoz family) Carla Valpeozs parents went to the embassy in Peru. (Valpeoz family) The Valpeoz family went to Peru to investigate. (Valpeoz family) Carla Valpeoz, blind since childhood, traveled the world. (Valpeoz family) Carla Valpeoz traveled the world on her own. (Valpeoz family) Carla Valpeoz encouraged others to travel. (Valpeoz family) Carla Valpeoz had a YouTube channel for travelers. (Valpeoz family) Carla Valpeoz wanted to show how blind people could travel the world. (Valpeoz family) Carla was blind following surgery as an infant. (Valpeoz family) Brain surgery as an infant left Carla Valpeoz only able to see shadows. (Carla Valpeoz) Carla Valpeoz disappears In 2018, Carla Valpeoz flew from her home in Detroit to Peru, going with a friend to attend a wedding in Lima. Then she continued on her own, visiting the ancient ruins at Macchu Picchu. That wedding was kind of an excuse for her to get over there and go see Machu Picchu, her father said. Her family knows she made it to the site. Photos show Carla Vapleoz not just visiting the ruins but joining a group of people climbing to the highest peak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huayna Picchu is a very steep, steep climb all the way to the top of the mountain, her father said. She went all the way up there. Human remains found inside of car pulled from Fox River in Illinois The Valpeoz family later retraced her steps, amazed at the climb. Everybody that ran into Carla on that day was just ultimately impressed by her, how brave she was, how adventurous she was, her brother said. After the climb, Carla Valpeoz and her new friends celebrated with dinner and a night on the town. She was seen by security cameras as the group left a hostel, and more surveillance video the next morning showed her leaving the hostel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was helped outside to a waiting taxi and departed alone. It was the last video of her taken at that location. Searching for Carla Valpeoz For the Valpeoz family, it was a relentless on-the-ground search when they traveled to Peru to personally re-interview witnesses. The family has set up a GoFundMe to fund their own efforts to investigate after being frustrated by the official response. They also printed flyers, their efforts turning up more surveillance footage and a ticket logbook. Ava Grace Baldwin: Father believes daughter hidden by her mother Those place Carla Valpeozs last location on Dec. 12, 2018, in Pisac, Peru, at the entrance to the Incan ruins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know that she got to that point. What happened after that? We dont know, her father said. The night before, Carla Valpeoz sent her last message, a text to her friend. I cant wait to tell you all about it. It was absolutely worth it, 100%, she said. The message was followed by increasingly worried texts from her friends when she didnt return to Lima as scheduled. As for the family, they are desperate for any information as clues and help are running dry. Valpeoz family wants more from investigators The last time I was there and talked to them, they told me, We dont want you here anymore,' her father said. It doesnt matter what we know. Were not going to tell you because we dont want problems with the police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remains found in California decades ago IDd as missing New York 13-year-old The Valpeoz family says the Peruvians wont investigate because negative headlines could hurt tourism. Its been an abhorrent attempt at an investigation, and thats the honest truth about this, her brother said. We know that this case can be solved, and it just hasnt. They are also frustrated that the U.S. government isnt pushing harder with things like getting access to Carla Valpeozs phone data before her inactive accounts are deleted. Theyre hoping to get information from social media accounts as well as location data from her phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They hope it could reveal clues that would help Carla Valpeoz make one last trip, back home to her family. It feels like a part of me is missing; its almost like Im missing a limb, her brother said. I just want to find her and bring her home. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Fox News hosts Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld accused a colleague, Jessica Tarlov, of spending too much time speaking about deportations President Donald Trump has carried out under dubious pretenses, dismissing and joking about her due process concerns on Monday. Last month, the Trump administration flew more than 200 Venezuelan men to a notoriously brutal prison in El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, accusing them of being members of the violent gang Tren de Aragua. Immigration officials reportedly use a checklist to determine whether an individual is a member of the gang; among the items on the list are tattoos of crowns. We now know of two separate cases of people who have tattoos that met that criteria. But it was just, for one of them, a crown that said mom above it, and another one, another crown tattoo, Tarlov said on The Five. It is not clear precisely which individuals Tarlov was talking about. In a piece detailing how the migrants were mistreated upon arrival in El Salvador, Time magazine included quotes from one man who began sobbing when a guard pushed him to the floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im not a gang member. Im gay. Im a barber, the man said. He was reportedly slapped as a guard shaved his head. The mans sexuality is significant because members of the LGBTQ+ community can face greater odds of violence and persecution in El Salvador, Venezuela and nearby nations. The New Yorker also reported details of a gay makeup artist who had been taken to the prison. It is not entirely clear whether the makeup artist is also the barber described by Time magazine, or if they are separate people. At one point in her discussion of the migrants, Tarlov apparently perceived a lack of enthusiasm on the part of Watters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She told her co-host: Oh, am I boring you again? Im sorry. No, Watters responded. But youve been talking about this gay barber from El Salvador with some stupid tattoo for weeks. Weeks, Jessica. Gutfeld then chimed in to add, Yeah, come on. Its just a gay barber, Watters said. Hes not into you, Gutfeld joked. Watters went on: Hes an innocent guy who got swept up in a deportation, and hopefully we get it figured out and straightened out. But a lot of people in this country, Jessica, get arrested for things that they didnt do, get falsely accused, falsely convicted. That doesnt mean you just stop arresting people, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I didnt say that. I said just give people their due process, Tarlov replied. While a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting more immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act, for now, officials have indicated that once that order is lifted, they will immediately resume the deportation flights. The judge, James Boasberg, has indicated that many of the individuals deported under the rarely used 18th century law are likely entitled the chance to plead their case in court. For their part, Trump administration officials have pushed back on the idea that any of the deportations were solely based on tattoos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration admitted this week, however, that the deportation of at least one man a Maryland father was done in error. Related... Maryland educators are reeling at the loss of more than $400 million in funds suddenly rescinded by the federal government, a catastrophic move that would hit especially hard in public schools in Baltimore city and county and other large school districts. Shocked does not begin to describe our reaction when we received the notification late Friday evening, State School Superintendent Carey M. Wright said Monday. This jeopardizes over $400 million in funding. The funds had been given to the state for pandemic relief. State schools officials said the funds were used to help mitigate educational losses as a result of the pandemic, when students took classes remotely from home. The funds were used, for example, for reading assistance, tutoring, wellness programs and summer learning. The funds were also used for construction projects, such as repairing and replacing HVAC systems to make schools safer and cleaner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This sudden action causes significant uncertainty for Maryland, said Joshua Michael, the president of the State Board of Education. This action threatens tutoring, summer programing and health and safety projects for students and families across Maryland. The rescinded funds are part of the $3.2 billion allocated to Maryland for pandemic relief. Of the funds pulled, $305 million were already spent and the rest were committed to being spent, all with the expectation that they would be reimbursed, officials said. But on Friday, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to State Chiefs of Education saying they have had ample time to liquidate obligations for the grants and that the department was ending the period for doing so immediately. Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Departments priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion, McMahon wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State education officials said they are still trying to determine the extent of the damage and what to do next. The state has reached out to the Maryland Attorney General, which has the option to sue the federal government to try to pause the decision, or even reverse it. We are exploring all legal options at this time given the severity of this action, Wright said. Our office is aware of the Trump administrations decision to rescind its promise to repay millions in funds for Maryland students and schools, said Office of the Attorney Generals Spokesperson Jennifer Donelan in an email. We are reviewing the matter and weighing our options. Protecting the States schools and Maryland students is a top priority. Spokespersons for several local school districts said they were trying to determine how to address the funding loss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Baltimore City school district said in a statement that it is deeply concerned about the U.S. Department of Educations sudden decision to rescind previously approved reimbursements. This decision places an immense financial strain on City Schools and directly threatens critical programs and services that support our students, families, and educators. The district, which serves roughly 76,000 students, had a $1.78 billion budget approved by school board commissioners for the 2024-2025 school year. And according to state documents, roughly 75% of the districts funding comes from the state, not its residents. Despite the high budget, losing even a few million dollars could have an impact on the district which is exactly what its employees are trying to figure out, the districts Executive Director of Communications Andre Riley said. Were still assessing the financial impact, Riley said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other districts, like Prince Georges County Public Schools and Montgomery County Public Schools, are in the same position: scrambling to figure out what this means. Prince Georges draws more than 63% of its district budget from state funding. A statement by Prince Georges County Public Schools, which is one of the four districts that will be most impacted by the financial cuts, noted that the funds went to support mental health clinicians and immunization services, technology devices, building services, educator training and Maryland LEADS initiative, which covers teacher recruitment, wrap-around services for community schools, training in the Science of Reading, novice teacher support and teacher retention. We have been advised to freeze any remaining spending tied to these funds, Prince Georges County Public Schools statement read. Impacts could potentially include halting programs already in progress, cancelling or scaling back mental health services and teacher training and resources, and pausing construction projects indefinitely. However, we are financially obligated to pay vendors for goods and services already rendered. We urge the U.S. Department of Education to honor its commitment and ensure school districts can continue providing the services our students need to succeed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Montgomery County Public Schools Public Information Officer Liliana Lopez said officials are working out the details at this point. Our finance department is working with the state to figure out details on how this affects us. _________ CATRON COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) Pets snatched from front yards and livestock killed. Thats what Catron County said is happening because of what they believe is too many Mexican wolves in their area. Now, county commissioners plan on declaring a state of emergency to protect animals and the public. Catron County is saturated with wolves, said Catron County Commissioner Audrey McQueen. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Catron County said there has been an increase in Mexican wolf activity. Theyre worried with the amount of sightings across the county and reports of livestock being killed. Parents dont even let their kids go out to play anymore without supervision. You cant even let your dogs out of the house to just roam free, said Commissioner McQueen. McQueen, who is also a rancher, said that just recently she lost four cows and one calf to wolves. She said the county has a high population of Mexican wolves, which the government has been working to recover since the late 1990s. Since then, McQueen said the wolf population is only growing in her area. In 2024, we had 125 depredations that were confirmed by wildlife services, McQueen said. According to the county, the wolves arent frightened by humans and are hanging out near people, with some sightings near schools. When wolves kill livestock, officials said it costs the county a lot of money every year, even though there is a federal program meant to reimburse ranchers for livestock killed by wolves. Our county right now is paying 150,000 dollars a year because weve hired our own employee to go around doing depredations and try to help ranchers mitigate wolf problems. To this day, we have got zero dollars from the feds to the county, McQueen claimed. The Catron County Commission plans on declaring a state of emergency on Thursday, saying they fear for the safety of kids, the elderly, and pets. They hope that by doing so, they will put pressure on wildlife officials to better manage the population, as well as recoup their losses. We feel we are being treated unfairly and not compensated for all of our losses, said McQueen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission meeting will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Catron County Courtroom. KRQE News 13 reached out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for comment on the state of emergency proposal, but have not heard 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. WARREN, Ohio (WJW) Alley Cat Allies is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the prosecution and conviction of the person involved in what they believe is the antifreeze poisoning of at least three cats. According to a release from Alley Cat Allies, an animal advocacy organization, officials believe three cats were killed by this horrific act of cruelty. Mother arrested after 5-year-old dies from drinking apple juice containing meth: Police Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The release states that on March 26, Trumbull Animal Welfare Humane Agents found three bowls that contained tuna mixed with antifreeze and bleach in an outdoor area at the Blue Water Manor mobile home community. Courtesy of Trumbull Animal Welfare League A bottle of bleach was discarded on the ground near the bowls, the release stated. All signs point to local community cats, or unowned cats who live outdoors, as the target of deliberate poisoning. Three cats are believed to have consumed the poisoned food and died as a result. Police: Woman stabbed by ex at Brunswick Dollar General Officials said it only takes a teaspoon of ethylene glycol, the main ingredient of antifreeze, to poison a cat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alley Cat Allies is working with Trumbull AWL to ensure justice is served for the cats who suffered and died under this act of senseless, disturbing cruelty, said Charlene Pedrolie, president and chief operating officer of Alley Cat Allies. We ask anyone with information to please come forward, for the sake of these cats and the many more whose lives are at risk right now. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Trumbull AWL Humane Investigations Department at 330-539-5300 or humane@AWLTrumbull.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 Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) One-third of a pound of methamphetamine hidden on the body of a 26-year-old man was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Ysleta international crossing on Sunday, March 30, CBP said in a news release. The keen observational skills of a CBP officer resulted in this seizure being made, said CBP Ysleta Port Director Arnie Gomez. Body carriers are a challenge. However, our mix of officer expertise, canine support, and tools and technology all assist us in identifying and stopping these types of smuggling attempts. CBP said the seizure was made just after 4 a.m. on Sunday, when the man, identified as a U.S. citizen, arrived as a pedestrian from Mexico. The primary officer selected the man for a secondary exam following a short interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A CBP drug-sniffing dog searched the man and provided a positive alert to the scent of narcotics, according to the news release. A CBP officer performed a partial pat-down exam and discovered two packages concealed between the mans buttocks, according to the news release. CBP said the contents of the packages tested positive for methamphetamine. The total weight was 0.32 pounds. CBP officers arrested the man. He was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents to face charges of importation of a controlled substance, according to the news release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) On Tuesday, April 1, Sen. Chuck Schumer gave his outlook on how President Trumps tariffs will impact Canadian tourism in Upstate New York. Hotels worry they wont see tourists, we know how during the summer season how many Canadian tourists come and see the beauty of New York, Schumer said. Restaurants worry their cost of food will sky rocket and theyll lose Canadian customers. The president of Visit Syracuse says Central New York hasnt felt a loss yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the summer months coming, the summer and fall tend to be the peak seasons, said Danny Liedka, the president of Visit Syracuse. Thats when well start to see those numbers diminish. Liedka says Canadians are responsible for 10-15% of tourism in the area and generate around $120 million a year. Destiny, certainly, is the biggest destination for them. They love to shop when they are here, Liedka said. But they also love our arts and love our food and music scene here. So, I think restaurants and shopping are going to be impacted the most. Visit Syracuse is preparing to help local businesses with marketing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well take it personally from Visit Syracuses perspective to try and find ways to maximize attendance at local events to try and increase attendance through marketing efforts, Liedka said. Whatever is on the books already, maximize that, and that would be the first step. Because a dip in tourism will impact everyone. If you own a piece of property in this county, tourism generates about $80 million a year in local taxes, Liedka said. If you take 10% of that away, ultimately that falls on local taxpayers because the county budget is balanced with sales tax. Liedka says that Visit Syracuses website has declined by 50% when it comes to Canadian visitors. 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 WSYR. By Stephen Nellis SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Cerebras Systems, a Silicon Valley-based AI chip company, and Canadian chip startup Ranovus said on Tuesday that they had been awarded a $45 million contract from the U.S. military to speed up connections between computing chips. Cerebras, which aims to challenge Nvidia in the AI chip race, has already filed for an initial public offering. Unlike most competitors whose chips are a bit larger than a U.S. postage stamp, Cerebras makes chips the size of a dinner plate. It is betting its roughly foot-wide chip can outperform Nvidia's cluster of smaller chips. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will focus on connecting Cerebras chips together with networking technology from Ranovus, an Ottawa, Ontario-based firm with backing from the Canadian government. Ranovus uses light, rather than electrical signals, to transfer information between chips more quickly and using less power. The challenge of integrating these optical connections directly with computing chips has kicked of a funding frenzy as startups seek different ways to solve the problem. Cerebras and Ranovus would not provide details on how they plan to tackle this, but said DARPA was looking for computing systems capable of simulating complex battlefields in real time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We want to do something that's 150 times faster and uses three watts instead of 30," Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman told Reuters on Monday. "That's why we brought the idea to DARPA. They have a reputation for providing funding for extremely difficult, extremely transformative projects." Ranovus has produced demonstration chips with Advanced Micro Devices and Taiwan's MediaTek, but said the collaboration with Cerebras will involve new technology that it has not yet shown. "What we plan to do together is something very different," Ranovus CEO Hamid Arabzadeh told Reuters. "There are new things that we have developed in the past year that we're going to bring into this project, which we haven't publicly announced." (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Himani Sarkar) JERUSALEM, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Two close associates of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were remanded on Tuesday, a day after being arrested over an investigation dubbed "Qatar-Gate," which centers on their suspected unlawful ties with Qatar. Yonatan Urich, a senior advisor to Netanyahu, and Eli Feldstein, the prime minister's former military affairs spokesman, were arrested Monday on suspicion of contact with a foreign agent, money laundering, bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The probe focuses on suspected improper business dealings between the two and Qatar, a Gulf state that does not have formal diplomatic ties with Israel but has played a key role in mediating talks for the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli hostages. A magistrate's court judge extended the detention of the two until Thursday, citing a "reasonable suspicion" that their release could obstruct the investigation. The judge said that in his decision, there is already "reasonable suspicion" to believe that a U.S.-based company called The Third Circle, owned by Jay Footlik, once a special assistant to former U.S. President Bill Clinton, made direct and indirect contact with Feldstein to promote Qatar's image in the context of the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. According to the court, a "business and financial connection" was allegedly formed between the company -- via Feldstein -- and another suspect, whose identity is under a gagging order. The payment was allegedly transferred from the company to Urich through an intermediary businessman. Investigators believe the suspects sought to promote an influence campaign by making favorable media coverage of Qatar while downplaying the role of Egypt, another regional mediator. Hours following the arrest of Urich and Feldstein on Monday, Netanyahu testified for about two hours before investigators at his office in Jerusalem. According to Israel's Channel 12 News, Netanyahu was questioned as someone with knowledge of the affair rather than as a suspect. The open testimony followed a directive of Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. In his video statement after the testimony, Netanyahu said the probe is "a political hunt designed to prevent the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet (domestic security agency) and also to bring about the overthrow of a right-wing prime minister." A Florida state attorneys office has filed charges against two former educators accused of throwing a wild house party. Police said the house party in Cocoa Beach took place in January, and several teenagers were at the home. Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan and Karly Anderson both worked at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School and are now facing multiple charges related to the party. State Attorney William Scheiner said in part, Floridas laws dealing with open house parties and underage drinking are meant to keep our young people and communities safe. These laws are in place to deter the conduct that exposes our youth to harm. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Charlie Javice faces up to 30 years for tricking JPMorgan into buying her fintech startup for $175M. After Friday's verdict, her lawyers argued wearing an ankle monitor would ruin her Pilates career. A judge Tuesday ordered her to wear the monitor, but suggested he may change his mind in the future. Convicted JPMorgan fraudster Charlie Javice will have a tougher time teaching Pilates, at least for now. US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled Tuesday that Charlie Javice must wear a GPS ankle monitor in the weeks prior to her August sentencing, at which she faces a possible maximum of 30 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also invited Javice's legal team to return to him with a revised bail package and new arguments. "Come up with a package," he advised, after suggesting he would consider ditching the ankle monitor if some other constraints including an electronically monitored home curfew were offered. "If you come up with a successful package you would be able to change the terms," he said. Javice, 33, teaches Pilates in Miami Beach, where she and her mother live in the same waterfront apartment building. In her previous career, she founded Frank, a website that helped students fill out their federal financial aid forms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A jury found on Friday that Javice used fake data to trick JPMorgan, the country's largest bank, into believing her website had gathered the names and other personal data of more than 4 million students. The bank had hoped to market checking accounts and credit cards to these students, but later found that Javice had data for fewer than 300,000 of them. The judge's ankle monitor decision on Tuesday followed some 90 minutes of arguments in federal court in Manhattan complete with court exhibits showing Javice teaching Pilates. In arguing against the ankle monitor, Javice's lawyer, Ron Sullivan, told the judge that Javice has never missed a day of court and is not a flight risk. Wearing the bulky device once again as she had for several weeks before a November decision granting its removal would be a severe impediment to her career as a Pilates instructor, Sullivan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "To have your legs in the air and the monitor going up and down on your leg it is a significant encumbrance," Sullivan told the judge. The lawyer held both arms aloft and waved them back and forth to demonstrate as he stood at a podium. While wearing an ankle bracelet previously, she was only able to teach lessons briefly, and for family and friends, Sullivan said. Her classes require "demanding physical movement and full flexibility and range of motion, specifically around her feet and ankles," her lawyers argued in court filings earlier Tuesday. "Ms. Javice's services are sought after because her instruction is particularly challenging and dynamic," the filing said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Hellerstein's courtroom, an assistant US attorney countered that an ankle bracelet is necessary now that Javice, who holds dual French-US citizenship, has been convicted. "We would be well within our rights to seek remand," said the prosecutor, Georgia V. Kostopoulos. "And we understand that pretrial services would not be opposed to that," she said, referring to the agency that handles post-conviction supervision. France does not have an extradition agreement with the United States, prosecutors have said. Hellerstein said that he had examined a GPS ankle monitor earlier in the day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's not heavy. It probably weighs a pound," he told the prosecutors and defense lawyers. "So I don't know," he said. "I accept what you say, that it's a restriction on her ability to do the advanced Pilates that she does." Still, he added, "I can't say there is no risk of flight." He briefly retreated to chambers holding printouts of photos of Javice teaching to think it over before deciding. The judge also required Javice's codefendant, Olivier Amar, to wear an ankle monitor. As with Javice, Amar's lawyers who'd argued that a monitor "is quite large" and "makes him a pariah" were invited to pitch the judge an alternate bail package. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amar is free on a $1 million bond. Javice is free on a $2 million bond. The judge required both to be fitted with ankle monitors before leaving the courthouse on Tuesday. Read the original article on Business Insider CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A Charlotte City Council member is facing the people in his district days after announcing hes leaving for a post in the Trump administration. Tariq Bokharis new role will be with the Federal Transit Administration. He held his last town hall meeting Monday evening. Theres only so much hes able to share right now. His last day will be soon, but he hasnt announced an exact date yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Bokhari waits until he can share more, hes reflecting on his time serving Charlotte. The last seven and a half years of serving Charlotte in District 6 has been just the honor of a lifetime, he said. Dozens of people gathered at the Southpark Regional Library Monday evening to hear from Councilman Bokhari one last time before he resigns. My biggest takeaway of the last seven and a half years in preparation for who I am today has been, you know, no problem is too small and no problems too complicated that it cant be solved as long as you pay attention and focus on it, he said. Bokhari will leave the council in the coming weeks to serve as the number two transit official in the White House. Its a position his fellow councilmembers are excited about, as they work to get local and federal funding to transform the transportation landscape in Mecklenburg County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It will certainly be a plus for Charlotte to have somebody in that position in Washington as we pursue our mobility goals, said Councilman Ed Driggs. Bokhari said he remains deeply conflicted about the one-cent sales tax leaders are hoping to use to fund transportation projects like the extension of the light rail. Beyond being a transit advocate, Bokhari told Queen City News his commitment to helping first responders is what hes most proud of accomplishing. By far number one has been supporting our police officers and all of our first responders, whether it was outer carrier vests or their pay or just quality of life and it being an employer of choice, he said. Thats number one. The city will accept applications for anyone interested in serving the remainder of Bokharis term, which ends in December. The replacement must be a Republican from the same district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for who it could be, Bokhari said hes heard one name floating around, Krista Bokhari, his wife. She most recently ran for North Carolina House District 104. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. CHATHAM, Ill. (WCIA) The Chatham Police Department is highlighting community partnership after recovering a stolen $24,000 ATV. Department officials took to Facebook to highlight the case. They said that after the ATV was stolen, they used technology, some good old-fashioned police work, and a little help from the public to find the ATV within 96 hours of it being stolen. Decatur Police looking for armed robbery suspect Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was found in a remote location several counties away from Chatham. In addition, officers were able to identify the thief and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. Friends, THIS is exactly what a great public safety and community partnership is supposed to look like! officials said. We would also like to thank the following agencies for their assistance and cooperation with us on this case: The Illinois State Police, the Macoupin County Sheriffs Office, the Greene County Sheriffs Office, and the White Hall Police 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 WCIA.com. Travelers planning to fly in April 2025 might find slightly lower fares compared with March. New data from Hopper, the travel website that tracks airfares, showed the average round-trip airfare for April 2025 will cost $312. That's down $2 from Hopper's forecasted average in March. Fares remain much higher compared with 2024 because of slower flight capacity growth, Hopper's lead economist Hayley Berg said. But spring airfares are only about 4% higher than 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fourteen cities offer base fares below $150 from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in April. Here's where Arizonans can find the best deals. Is April a cheap time to fly? Hopper forecasted round-trip airfares would average $312 in April, down slightly from March, according to Berg. But the average fares are up 15% from April 2024, and more double-digit percentage increases are expected going into the summer travel season. That's because "summer 2024 brought some of the lowest prices on record," Berg said. When to book flights for April? Book as soon as possible for the best fares. Travelers who wait to book, particularly for travel during the week that includes Passover and Easter, can expect to pay 10% to 40% higher prices, Berg said. Passover ends and Easter falls on Sunday, April 20, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Travelers could save money by booking a Tuesday or Wednesday flight instead of peak travel days on weekends, she said. Where is the cheapest place to fly right now? For the sixth month in a row, the cheapest place to fly to from Phoenix is Las Vegas, according to Hopper. It forecasted base round-trip fares as low as $60. A search by The Arizona Republic conducted on March 28 showed the lowest round-trip base airfares available for select dates in early and mid-April, including an April 5-8 itinerary with ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines for $50. Be aware that ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier airlines charge low base fares with additional fees for seat assignments, carry-on and checked bags and other amenities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Get weekend plans. Sign up for our Things to Do newsletter. Cheap flights April 2025 from Phoenix Hopper said these are the cheapest round-trip flights from Phoenix this month: Las Vegas: $60. Los Angeles: $95. Dallas: $103. San Diego: $110. Burbank, California: $116. Show Low: $118. Oakland, California: $121. Orange County, California: $122. Sacramento: $124. San Jose, California: $130. Denver: $135. San Francisco: $136. Minneapolis: $140. Seattle: $145. Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist whos covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republics consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. New cheap flight this summer: Budget airline adds flights in Phoenix This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: April 2025 cheap flights from Phoenix: Fly for under $150 RT (GIF: GIPHY) Another month has passed, which means its tariff watch again. The forever will-they wont-they has returned. Basically everything from the March tariffs that lasted two days will still be in play. The roundup of March tariffs was 25% on Canada and Mexico, 20% on goods from China, and 10% on Canadian energy. The tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico were paused for a month as leaders negotiated a solution. During the pause, some tariffs were introduced that would go into effect April 2. They were 25% on all cars, light-duty trucks and certain auto parts imported into the U.S., plus 25% steel and aluminum tariffs on all countries, effective March 12. This tariff watch is bigger than the tariffs between North American countries. The president is referring to Wednesday as Liberation Day, which is when reciprocal tariffs will go into effect in addition to the originally proposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are 10-15 countries rumored to be part of the new tariffs. There has been speculation as to what countries would be part of this new tariff regimen, but nothing has been confirmed by the administration. Its expected to impact the top trading partners with the U.S. In response to looming tariffs, The Associated Press wrote, Many countries have promised retaliatory measures if not already imposed them, like Canada. Trump has said he wont negotiate with other countries on Wednesdays tariffs until after theyre imposed, though he has said his 25% taxes on auto imports would be permanent. This leaves supply chains in the balance. Manufacturers and shippers are left trying to figure out how to keep operations flowing while mitigating cost increases. Its likely that if tariffs last longer than a week or two, there will be significant impacts to the spot market as outbound tender volumes drop off in key import markets like Ontario, California; Laredo, Texas; and the Port of New York & New Jersey. Some shippers have started moving manufacturing facilities or suppliers to more tariff-friendly countries. However, not everyone has that opportunity, and more importantly it takes time to set up or expand operations in a new country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The industries likely to be the most impacted by these tariffs are automotive, agriculture, produce and health care. The past few months should have bought shippers time to work out a solution, but if automotive is a huge part of your business, it might be a great time to diversify that portfolio, too. In random, less stress-inducing news, if you need something to make you laugh OTR Solutions has asked its workers to do their best impressions. Its hilarious but my personal favorite was Grace. Anything that quotes or references My Cousin Vinny is a winner for me. 10/10 work. No notes. SONAR Key Market Insights: Jacksonville, Florida Market Check. Were heading southeast to Jacksonville, Florida, a market that is the 27th in the country for outbound freight volumes. Jacksonville has seen outbound tender rejections skyrocket 5.18% week over week for an OTRI of 12.26%. The classic month-end push to get everything out the door is as reliable as the sun rising in the east in Jacksonville. At more than double the national average for rejections, capacity is at a premium and outbound lanes have increasing spot rates. Outbound tender volumes have seen little change, which is a great start for stability in the market; however, the yo-yo effect of the OTRI is the primary reason these markets are seeing elevated spot rates and will continue to see rates jump at the end of every month. (GIF: GIPHY) Whos with whom. Given the uncertainty around the corner regarding tariffs, manufacturers and shippers have had to get creative with their supply chain solutions. The on-again off-again tariffs have given importers whiplash but also time to prepare some alternative plans. Apparel maker World Emblem has opted for a manufacturing facility in the Dominican Republic to circumvent possible fees on imported goods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As FreightWaves Noi Mahoney wrote: The Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based apparel maker chose the Dominican Republic city of Santiago for its newest factory due to the countrys business-friendly environment and current tariff-free trade relations with the U.S. The current Liberation Day plans are still unknown, but as the threat or reality of tariffs comes to light, there could be more solutions like this, which would significantly impact economies of smaller countries. In 2024, foreign-owned factories in the Dominican Republic exported goods worth $12.9 billion. For reference, the U.S. exported over $3 trillion worth of goods last year. COO of World Emblem Jim Kozel said The relationship with the DR and the United States, where its different from Mexico, is that the Dominican Republic imports more from the U.S. than they export. So youre not caught up in this whole tariff situation, because in reality, that would hurt the United States more than help them. The DR is easily accessible. Theres just a lot of wins all the way around. The more you know Freight brokers: What your role will look like tomorrow Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China to review sale of Panama Canal shipping terminals to US investor: Report Feds reject investigation into truck side guard recall Yellows new bankruptcy plan revealed, next steps still uncertain The post Check Call: Tariff watch Round 3, the big one appeared first on FreightWaves. GALENA, Kans. Many Cherokee County residents are still assessing damage from Sundays storms. Monday morning brought a lot of work for Grant Deardorff. Weve probably got about 15 claims already that have come in, said Grant Deardorff, State Farm insurance agent. Those claims are from Sunday mornings storms. People that are having loss to homes, or to property, and are looking to have insurance step in, said Deardorff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As people get a better grasp on the damage, hes expecting even more clients to call in claims. Getting that better grasp will likely take clear days, where roofers can get a good look at what may have happened. But with more storms expected this week I think its best to start the conversation with your insurance today, that way theres no surprises. I think assumptions on the part of customers and insurance can create a lot of friction, said Deardorff. If youre not sure about the damage to your home, Deardorff advises contacting your local agent. Galena community cleans up after storm wrecks homes and church Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many times, theyll recommend having a contractor come out and take a look. Dont sign a contract with anybody, just invite them to come out and appraise the damages, said Deardorff. He suggests talking with two or three contractors, because if a claim is approved, youll still have to pick a contractor. And the questions to ask are, how much is it going to be, what are all of the repairs, itemized, that youre going to do, and the other one that people forget to ask is whats the timetable?' said Deardorff. And be patient. With several claims to be processed, adjustors will likely look first at homes that cant be lived in, or need repairs to be made safe to live in. With more storms on the way, that list could grow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take a breath, its going to be ok, were going to work with you to help put your life back together, said Deardorff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. JOPLIN, Mo. A current member of law enforcement in southeast Kansas is honored in Joplin. Cherokee County undersheriff, Chip Root was awarded the Kiwanis Club of Joplins First Responder Award Tuesday. Its for his tireless work and dedication during his years of service as the commander of the Southwest Missouri Cyber-Crime task force. Root recently retired from JPD to join fellow JPD alum, Brian Henderson who, of course, is the current Cherokee County Sheriff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont do this job for the money or for the accolades. Its literally for serving our community, and the citizens of Joplin and Southwest Missouri and Ive been proud to do that every day until I retired, said Root. Root began his law enforcement career in Girard in 1994. In 2008 he was selected to become JPDs first cybercrime detective. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. CHESAPEAKE A 22-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to 67 years in prison for attacking and killing a woman as she was trying to get into her truck. A jury found Raheem Cherry guilty of first-degree murder, robbery, abduction and concealing a dead body at the end of a weeklong trial last year. The maximum he could have received was two life terms plus 15 years. Chief Deputy Commonwealths Attorney D.J. Hansen asked Circuit Judge Rufus A. Banks to sentence Cherry to life in prison; defense attorney Diallo Morris requested a term at the lower end of state sentencing guidelines. The guidelines, which recommend a sentence based on the circumstances of the crime and the defendants background, suggested that Cherry serve between 45 and 76 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The slaying happened around 5 a.m. on May 17, 2021, at the Taylor Bend apartment complex in Western Branch. Cherry, who was 19 at the time, lived there. Laura Miles, 61, a resident of upstate New York who spent weeks at a time in Chesapeake working as a safety supervisor at Craney Island, was attacked as she was stepping into her Ford F150 in the parking lot. Miles was talking on the phone with her husband, Jack, at the time, and he contacted police after he heard a scream and then a struggle. A short time later, he got texts from his wifes phone that he described as being out of character for her. Miles truck was found on the other side of the complex later that day, and her body was discovered in a ditch near the Taylor Bend YMCA. Shed been stabbed 11 times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jack Miles testified at the sentencing hearing, and told the judge about the devastating effects of the murder on him and his family, and how hes still haunted by that phone call. A detective who saw Cherry walking back and forth in the area where the truck was found hours after the murder occurred stopped him for questioning. Cherry became a suspect after fingerprints found on the truck and Miles phone were determined to have come from him. Cherry initially denied any involvement, then later told detectives he was somewhat involved. He said hed smoked marijuana in a car in the parking lot with a man hed never seen before, and that it was the strange man who attacked Miles. He said the man then forced him at gunpoint to help dump Miles body, dispose of her belongings and clean the truck. Cherry testified in his own defense, telling jurors he initially lied to police because he didnt trust them. He also said that he didnt attempt to run away from the strange man, or report what had happened, because he was afraid. On Tuesday, Cherry turned to Miles family in the courtroom and continued to deny doing anything to hurt her. Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com JERUSALEM/GAZA, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said Tuesday it intercepted a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli territory. "One projectile launched from northern Gaza was intercepted by the air force," the military said in a statement. Air raid sirens were activated in the southern town of Sderot and the communities of Ibim and Or HaNer. Meanwhile, Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its "missile force bombarded Sderot and Israeli settlements near Gaza with a barrage of rockets." This was the latest rocket attack by Gaza militants since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire on March 18 and resumed deadly air and ground assaults on the Palestinian enclave. The renewed Israeli attacks have so far killed 1,042 Palestinians and injured 2,542 others, Gaza health authorities said Tuesday, adding the death toll in the enclave since the war began in October 2023 has risen to 50,399, with 114,583 injured. Starting Tuesday, Chicago drivers can pay off long overdue tickets while dodging late fees. Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a ticket penalty amnesty program Tuesday after working the plan into his 2025 budget passed in December. Johnsons budget also calls for adding 50 new speed cameras to raise money from drivers going over the limit. So this amnesty plan will give him a talking point to counter criticism that hes balancing the books by relying on regressive fines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The amnesty program seeks to bring in an influx of cash from drivers who would otherwise not pay off their ticket debt amid mounting fees. Drivers must pay off their base fine balance in full by June 30 to avoid the late penalties and interest they have accrued. Only violations with a notice of final determination issued before 2024 will qualify, according to a news release. This is what it means to build a government thats rooted in fairness and justice, Johnson said at a news conference Tuesday. To the Chicagoans who have old ticket debt, this is your chance for a fresh start. So do not wait. The program mirrors a similar effort made by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to encourage ticketed drivers to finally pay up. A 2019 installment of Lightfoots city sticker amnesty program relieved 12,000 motorists of $11.5 million in outstanding tickets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnsons amnesty effort affects tickets related to non-meter parking, standing vehicle rules and automated speed and red-light cameras. It will also be available to drivers with expired registrations, missing city stickers or license plate issues. However, it will not help drivers fined for expired parking meters or who face debt-collection court proceedings filed by the city. The city is also launching an amnesty program for city stickers available through the end of April. Vehicle owners will be able to purchase the required city sticker with no late fees or back charges, City Clerk Anna Valencia said in a statement. The city is working to collect about $100 million in outstanding vehicle ticket debt, Budget Director Annette Guzman said Tuesday. Johnsons annual budget already assumes ticket revenues will rise with the newly opened amnesty program baked in, she added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We forecasted an amount that we could receive from the revenue above and beyond what we normally get by allowing people who may not pay their debt back in normal course to do so without that penalty, Guzman said. But the same budget that granted drivers ticket relief is far from all good news for Chicago drivers. Johnsons spending plan also counts on $11 million in additional revenue from the installation of the new automated speed cameras around the city. And the 2025 budget included a $5 price bump for city stickers as well as higher taxes on car leases and parking rates. Chinas construction of coal-fired power plants reached nearly a 10-year high in the past year, even as the country also continues a massive expansion of renewable energy installations. A February report from Europes Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), and the U.S.-based Global Energy Monitor (GEM), said China began building 94.5 GW of new coal-fired generation capacity in 2024, the most in any year since 2015. The report said work resumed on another 3.3 GW of generation capacity projects that had been suspended. The groups research noted that Instead of replacing coal, clean energy is being layered on top of an entrenched reliance on fossil fuels, adding that A substantial number of new plants will come online in the next 23 years, further solidifying coals role in the power system. 1. Huaneng Dezhou power station is a six-unit coal-fired facility totaling 2,700 MW in Shandong, China. It was commissioned from 1991 to 2002. In September 2023, plans were announced for Phase IV, which involves adding two 660-MW units to the station by the end of this year. Source: Envato Elements The continued buildout of coal-fired generation is seemingly at odds with declarations from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who a few years ago said his countrywhich receives more than half its power generation from coalwould look to peak its carbon emissions in 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The report from the two research groups said China accounted for 93% of all construction starts for coal-fired power plants (Figure 1) worldwide last year. Coal-fired power generation could decline, yet the coal industry continues to expect growth, setting the stage for an increasingly unsustainable conflict between coal investments and the need to decarbonize the power system, the CREA-GEM report said. The groups also noted that China added 356 GW of wind and solar power capacity in 2024, about the equivalent of the current total of solar and wind installed capacity in the U.S.and about 4.5 times the new renewable energy capacity installed in the European Union. Chinas rapid expansion of renewable energy has the potential to reshape its power system, but this opportunity is being undermined by the simultaneous large-scale expansion of coal power, said Qi Qin, lead author of the report and China analyst at CREA. The continued approval and construction of new coal plantsone driven by industry interests and outdated contracts rather than actual grid needsrisks locking China into fossil fuel dependence at a time when flexibility is crucial for integrating clean energy. Without decisive policy shifts, Chinas energy transition will remain an energy addition rather than a true transformation away from coal. Increasing Industrialization Energy industry analysts who spoke with POWER agreed on the reasons for Chinas continued building of new coal-fired power plants, often citing economics and increasing industrialization, which is increasing energy demand. China continues to build coal-fired plants for three reasons: politics, employment goals, and energy consumption, said Justin Evans, founder and CEO of EvansWerks, an international technology research and development company with primary offices in the U.S., South Africa, and Taiwan. Evans told POWER, The coal-producing regions cannot afford high unemployment rates so the best way to keep people happy is to keep them employed. And Chinas electricity consumption outstrips its ability to produce sufficient solar panels. Its also worth noting that solar is usually purchased by a single building for its specific needs while a coal-fired power plant is built for a region and financed with government debt. Both can happen at the same time without either party consulting each other. Chinas coal mines last year boosted production to record highs, and the country also continues as the worlds leading importer and consumer of coal. The country last year extended its lead in imports over India, the second-largest buyer of coal, to the widest margin since at least 2013, according to industry data. Chinese coal imports reached a record 542.7 million metric tons in 2024, according to customs data, or more than twice as much as the 250.2 million tons imported by India. Data showed that Indias imports of thermal coal, primarily used for power generation, dropped about 3% in 2024. Chinas imports of thermal coal, meanwhile, rose about 13%. Brad Kuntz, senior managing director at Stax Consulting, said, Chinas energy output has doubled since 2011, driven primarily by ongoing industrialization. This growth contrasts with major economies like Japan, Germany, and the U.S., where energy output has remained flat or declined over the same period. To meet its baseline energy needs, China has continued expanding coal-powered plants, making it difficult to envision such a significant increase in output without coal as a key source. However, China is gradually shifting away from coal, reducing its share from 79% to 63% of total output since 2011, while simultaneously increasing its reliance on renewables, which have grown from 17% to 29% over the same period. Chinas economy is growing rapidly, and so is its energy demand, said Irina Tsukerman, a geopolitical analyst and president of Scarab Rising. Coal remains a reliable and affordable source of power to meet this increasing demand, particularly in industrial sectors where renewable energy cannot yet fully replace coal. As one of the worlds largest industrial economies, China prioritizes energy security. Coal is domestically abundant, and using it reduces reliance on imports, ensuring a stable and predictable energy supply. Tsukerman told POWER: China has set ambitious long-term goals for reducing carbon emissions, but it also recognizes the need for short- and medium-term flexibility in its energy mix. Coal continues to be a significant part of this mix, and while renewable energy projects are scaling up, the pace of transition is carefully managed to avoid energy shortages or disruptions to economic growth. While China has committed to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, its current energy needs and infrastructure mean that coal continues to play a central role. The government is balancing international climate goals with the practical needs of economic development. Supporting Coal and Renewables Authors of the CREA-GEM report said China likely is building more coal-fired generation than it needs, particularly as the country also brings massive amounts of renewable energy online. Chinese coal power and mining companies are sponsoring and building new coal plants beyond what is needed to back up the countrys impressive growth in solar and wind power, said Christine Shearer, a research analyst at GEM. The continued pursuit of coal is crowding out the countrys use of lower-cost clean energy, and is threatening to undermine President Xis 2021 pledge to strictly limit coal consumption and phase it down over the next five years. A report from the University of California, San Diego, outlined how politics and economics, along with technical challenges, impacts Chinas energy industry. Researchers said transitioning away from coal must consider not only concerns about climate change, but also the need for a secure supply of energy. The future of coal in China will depend on striking a balance between economic growth, energy security, and environmental sustainability, said Michael Davidson, an assistant professor with a joint appointment with UC San Diegos Jacobs School of Engineering and School of Global Policy and Strategy, and author of the report. The findings of this study provide a roadmap for policymakers and researchers looking to navigate this complex transition. The study noted that coal is still critical for China, supporting a significant number of jobs. The country also has about 140 billion tons of coal available for mining, meaning production and consumption of the fuel is key for the economy. Chinas success in reducing its reliance on coal will be key to shaping the countrys future, said Davidson. Tsukerman agreed that coal will continue to play a major role in China, likely for years. While renewable energy is growing, Chinas electricity grid is still dependent on coal for backup during times of high demand or when renewable energy production is low, said Tsukerman. Coal plants can be ramped up quickly when needed to ensure grid stability. Tsukerman also told POWER: Chinas energy demand and infrastructure needs vary greatly across regions. Some areas, particularly in the northern and western parts of the country, have greater access to coal resources than to renewable energy sources like wind and solar, making coal a more practical option in those regions. Tsukerman added, Coal mining and coal-fired power plants provide significant employment in certain regions. In these areas, continued investment in coal power helps support local economies and industries, especially in provinces with large coal reserves. U.S. Coal Exports to China The U.S. is among the countries exporting coal to China, though Evans told POWER that a trade war and reciprocal tariffs between China and the U.S. likely would have little to no impact on Chinas imports of U.S.-produced coal. Personally, I dont think [President] Trumps tariffs will have any impact on importing coal for two reasons: China imported more U.S. coal in 2024 than ever before, and tariffs, as we all know, are paid by the importer not the exporter. But U.S. imports are still a tiny sliver of Chinas needs. China consumes 50% of the entire worlds annual coal production. Maksim Sonin, an energy executive and Projects Fellow at Stanford University, told POWER: Business comes first. With global competition in energy-intensive sectors such as technology and heavy industry, environmental concerns take a back seat to economic growth. Strategically, developing both renewable and fossil fuel energy ensures greater operational flexibility and more leverage when negotiating with trading rivals. Of course, these tariffs affect exports and imports. But the good thing about coal? Its a commoditythe market adjusts pretty quickly, with more U.S. coal, for instance, likely heading to India. Tsukerman noted that China has plenty of other trade partners when it comes to coal. Trumps tariffs could potentially have an impact on U.S. coal exports to China. During the U.S.-China trade war under the [first] Trump administration, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. coal as part of its broader strategy to target U.S. exports, she said. While U.S. coal isnt among Chinas primary imports, the tariffs made U.S. coal less competitive compared to coal from other countries like Australia, Indonesia, and Russia, which dont face the same tariffs. Tariffs on U.S. coal would increase the price of American coal in the Chinese market, making it less attractive to Chinese buyers, especially when other coal-exporting countries offer more competitive pricing without additional tariffs. That impact already is underway. Mongolian officials recently said that country plans to increase its coal exports to China by nearly 20% in 2025. A new cross-border rail link between the countries will support those exports. Australia also has increased its exports of coal to China, and Indonesia is expected to remain the top exporter, providing more than half of Chinas imports of the fuel. Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command China has depicted Taiwans president as a cartoon bug while launching large-scale military exercises around the island to serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against its independence. Beijings military said the army, navy and rocket force drills would focus on seizing comprehensive control of Taiwan, before releasing a video branding Lai Ching-Te, its president, as a parasite. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The footage shared by Chinas Eastern Theater Command showed Mr Lai as a green insect who appears to give birth to other insects, before being held by chopsticks above a burning Taiwan. The island has long been viewed by China as its own territory, with Beijing not ruling out using force to bring Taiwan under its control. The announcement of the drills comes after Mr Lai, who is considered to be a separatist by China, last month called Beijing a foreign hostile force. Lai Ching-Te, the president of Taiwan, has been branded a parasite by the Chinese military - I-HWA CHENG/AFP The Eastern Theater Command said: The focus is on exercises such as combat readiness patrols at sea and in the air, seizing comprehensive control, striking maritime and land targets, and imposing blockade controls on key areas and routes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taiwans defence ministry said that Chinas Shandong aircraft carrier group had entered the islands response area on Monday, adding that it had dispatched military aircraft and ships and activated land-based missile systems in response. The statement continued: The Chinese Communist Party has continued to increase its military activities around Taiwan and in the Indo-Pacific region... and has become the biggest troublemaker in the international community. Chinas military released a series of propaganda videos in quick succession after the drill announcement, depicting Chinese warships and fighter jets encircling Taiwan, Taipei being aimed at from above, and military vehicles patrolling city streets. A Chinese Shandong aircraft carrier sailing near Taiwan is shown in a video released by the Eastern Theatre Command - Eastern Theater Command/via Reuters A video of a poster accompanying the drills titled Closing In and showing Chinese forces surrounding the island, was released on the Eastern Theater Commands Weibo, or micro-blog. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A video called Subdue Demons and Vanquish Evils features the monkey king from the Chinese epic Journey to the West. The character features in the 1970s cult television series Monkey also known as Monkey Magic. Masaaki Sakai was the face of an ancient Chinese warrior named Monkey who was, according to the shows disco theme song, born from an egg on a mountain top, and was the punkiest monkey that ever popped. Working with a randy pig monster named Pigsy and an ex-cannibal named Sandy, the trio fought all kinds of supernatural villains. This was followed by a video on the Eastern Theater Commands WeChat page titled Shell, which depicted Mr Lai as a green cartoon bug spawning parasites across the island. The animation said: Parasite poisoning Taiwan island. Parasite hollowing island out. Parasite courting ultimate destruction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked about the cartoon depiction of Mr Lai, Wellington Koo, Taiwans defence minister, said such rhetoric was not conducive to peace and shows their provocative character. A third video, titled Subdue Demons and Vanquish Evils, featured Sun Wukong, the magical monkey king from the Ming Dynasty epic Journey to the West as he is depicted in the Black Myth: Wukong hit video game. It opens with the videos title flashing across the screen and the Chinese mythical warrior riding on clouds before cutting to footage of Chinese fighter jets. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for Chinas Taiwan affairs office, said: The joint exercise and training conducted by the Eastern Theater of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in the vicinity of Taiwan Island is a resolute punishment for the Lai Ching-Te authorities rampant independence provocations. Credit: PLA Eastern Theatre Command Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taiwans defence minister told reporters the PLA should focus first on resolving its issues with corruption instead of destroying peace and stability in the region. Chinas military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge over the past few years, which saw Li Shangfu, its former defence minister, ousted in October 2024. Chinas defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Taiwanese defence ministers remarks. The Global Times, which is owned by the Peoples Daily newspaper of the governing Chinese Communist Party, said the drill had not been given a code name to show that Chinese military forces surrounding the island has become a normal practice, while citing Zhang Chi of National Defence University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The article read: Through a series of exercises held in the Taiwan Strait in recent years, the PLA has strongly enhanced its ability to prepare for war and fight battles. 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. HONG KONG The Chinese military conducted large-scale drills around Taiwan on Tuesday in what it said was a stern warning to pro-independence forces on the Beijing-claimed island, as it called Taiwans president a parasite. The Taiwanese government condemned the exercises, in which Chinese army, navy, air and rocket forces closed in on waters to the north, south and east of Taiwan, according to Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). No live fire has been reported. Tensions have been heightened since last month, when Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te described China as a foreign hostile force and proposed 17 measures to counter threats from Beijing, which has not ruled out the use of force to achieve its unification goal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beijing has rebuffed offers of talks from Lai, who says only the island democracys 23 million people can decide their future. The Chinese drills were accompanied by the release of multiple propaganda images and videos. One cartoon video titled Shell depicts Lai, whom Beijing calls a separatist and troublemaker, as a parasite held by a pair of chopsticks over a Taiwan on fire. Parasite poisoning Taiwan Island. Parasite hollowing island out. Parasite courting ultimate destruction, text in the video reads. A poster titled Closing In shows Chinese ships and aircraft surrounding Taiwan, while a video called Subdue Demons and Vanquish Evils features the monkey king from the Chinese epic Journey to the West. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office called the military drills a resolute punishment for the reckless provocations of the Lai administration. Pursuing Taiwan independence means pushing the people of Taiwan into a dangerous situation of war, spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said at a briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. We will not allow any person or force to separate Taiwan from China. A spokesperson for the PLAs Eastern Theater Command called the exercises a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard Chinas sovereignty. These drills mainly focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade on key areas and sea lanes, the spokesperson, Shi Yi, said in a statement Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taiwans Ministry of National Defense said that as of 3:30 p.m. Tuesday local time (3:30 a.m. Tuesday ET), it had detected 71 Chinese military aircraft, 13 warships and four coast guard vessels around the island. Thirty-six of the aircraft crossed the median line that until recent years had served as an unofficial buffer in the Taiwan Strait. We strongly condemn the PRCs irrational provocations, the ministry said in an earlier statement Tuesday, referring to Chinas official name, the Peoples Republic of China. We firmly oppose PLAs actions that undermine regional peace. Taiwan has activated aircraft, navy ships and land-based missile systems in response to the Chinese drills, the ministry said, adding that it has been tracking Chinas first domestically built Shandong aircraft carrier since Saturday. The United States, which has no official relations with Taiwan but is the islands most important international backer, said later Tuesday that Chinas military activities and rhetoric only serve to exacerbate tensions and put the regions security and the worlds prosperity at risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the face of Chinas intimidation tactics and destabilizing behavior, the United States enduring commitment to our allies and partners, including Taiwan, continues, the State Department said in a statement. The drills on Tuesday were higher-profile than the three China has held around Taiwan since President Donald Trump was elected in November. They also did not carry the same Joint Sword code name as exercises of similar scale last October and May, which Zhang Chi, a professor at the PLAs National Defense University in Beijing, told state-run broadcaster CCTV indicates that these exercises have become a new normal for the Chinese military. Beijing very obviously deployed more troops than in earlier joint air and maritime combat-readiness patrols, said Ying-Yu Lin, assistant professor at the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies at Tamkang University in New Taipei City. The exercises were intended to test the U.S. bottom line on Taiwan before a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lin told NBC News in a phone interview Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The drills took place two days after Pete Hegseth concluded his first trip to Asia as defense secretary. During his visit to U.S. allies the Philippines and Japan, Hegseth criticized Chinas growing aggression in the region and called Japan an indispensable partner in deterring it. Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo said Tuesday that Beijing was an obvious troublemaker disrupting peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and that the parasite rhetoric fully demonstrated Beijings provocation. He told reporters the Chinese military should focus on tackling internal corruption rather than holding drills in the region. Last year, Beijing fired two former defense ministers amid an anti-corruption campaign in its military. Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council condemned the Chinese drills, urging Beijing to immediately cease irrational provocative actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chinas militaristic provocations not only escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait but also severely undermine regional peace and stability and threaten global security, it said in a statement Tuesday. Though Taiwanese authorities view Beijing as a serious threat, most people on the island believe China is unlikely or very unlikely to invade in the next five years, according to a poll released last year by Taiwans top military think tank. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com April 1 (UPI) -- China staged surprise military exercises in the sea and skies around Taiwan on Tuesday in what the People's Liberation Army said was a "stern warning" to the island's "separatist" government and those bent on dragging its people into conflict. The joint Navy, Army and Rocket forces maneuvers saw more than 80 aircraft and ships "close in" on what China regards as a renegade province from "multiple directions" in large-scale drills gaming "assault on maritime and ground targets" and "blockade on key areas and sea lanes," said PLA Eastern Theater Command. It said the purpose was to put the joint operations capabilities of the various forces to the test with exercises in waters north, south and east of Taiwan alongside conventional missiles and long-range rocket artillery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No timeline was provided for the duration of the drills. "It is a stern warning and forceful deterrence against 'Taiwan Independence' separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity," added the PLA. The threat came with tensions on the rise over what Beijing alleges is moves toward independence by the Democratic Progressive Party administration of President William Lai who was elected in May. "'Taiwan independence' means war, and pursuing 'Taiwan independence' means pushing the people of Taiwan into a dangerous situation of war," said Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Zhu Fenglian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The foreign ministry said reunifying China -- bringing the island which broke away after the communists took over the mainland back into the fold -- was unstoppable, something that "must happen." China has not ruled out using force to realize its goal. The Taiwan Defense Ministry said it scrambled aircraft and deployed naval vessels and coastal missile systems after 71 aircraft and at least 19 PLA Navy and China Coast Guard ships, including the Shandong aircraft carrier, appeared around the island with some coming close to Taiwan's 24-mile coastal exclusion zone. "The joint exercises are reckless and irresponsible in threatening Taiwan as well as peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. It came without justification, violates international laws and is totally unacceptable," Taiwan National Security Council general secretary Joseph Wu wrote on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outside of Beijing and Taipei's decades-long cross-Taiwan Strait rivalry, Government analysts in Taiwan drew a direct connection to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's pledge to deter "Chinese aggression" during his visit to the region last week. Hegseth said he would strengthen the U.S.-Philippine alliance to "reestablish deterrence" to combat "China's aggression" in the region and praised Japan as an "indispensable partner in deterring communist Chinese military aggression," including in the Taiwan Strait. "They have reaffirmed the importance of security and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and confirmed that the United States is shifting its security focus to the Indo-Pacific region. This has put great pressure on Beijing's intentions," the analysis reads, according to CNN which said a senior Taiwanese national security official had provided it with a copy. "Faced with upcoming U.S.-China trade talks and the expected measures against China, Beijing has opted for restraint to avoid actions that could be seen as directly confronting the United States. Taiwan serves as the perfect pretext, prompting Beijing to launch these military drills immediately after the US Secretary of Defense left Asia," the analysis added. Chinas KD-21 air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM), a shadowy weapon that is widely seen as part of the countrys rapidly developing anti-shipping armory, appears to now be in operational service. The missile, carried by the H-6K bomber, first appeared when it made an official public debut at Airshow China in Zhuhai in November 2022. Until now, however, it had not been confirmed as being carried by aircraft assigned to a frontline unit. Imagery has emerged showing an H-6K aircraft assigned to the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) 10th Bomber Division, carrying a pair of KD-21 missiles under its center-wing pylons. The images, which appear to have been taken during a recent military drill, were brought to our attention by Andreas Rupprecht, a long-term observer of Chinese military aviation and a TWZ contributor. A PLAAF H-6K taxies with KD-21 missiles under the wings. via Chinese Internet The 10th Bomber Divisions 29th Air Regiment, part of the strategically, highly important Eastern Theater Command, flies the H-6K from Anqing, in Anhui province. The aircraft wear codes in the 20x1x sequence, matching those in the images. Another view of a PLAAF H-6K armed with KD-21s. via Chinese Internet Turning to the KD-21, when this was first identified at Airshow China in 2022, the missile had 2PZD-21 stenciled on the side. You can read more about its surprise debut here. One of the inert 2PZD-21 missiles under the right wing of the H-6K at Zhuhai in November 2022. via Chinese Internet Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video of the H-6K carrying an air launched ballistic missile, arrives at the Zhuhai airshow Possibly capable of targeting moving ships pic.twitter.com/SAUy0pYHTZ Zhao DaShuai (@zhao_dashuai) November 3, 2022 Overall, the ALBM concept is far from new, with designs dating back to the Cold War, although they are currently seeing something of a renaissance, with multiple nations around the globe now pursuing their capabilities. At one point, it was suggested that the designation YJ-21 was applied to the missile, but it now appears to be known as the KD-21. Intriguingly, the KD-series designation refers to a land-attack missile, rather than an anti-ship missile (YJ-series). The missile appeared again in a video published in May of 2024, showing an apparent test launch from an H-6K. The KD-21 is, however, only the latest in a series of Chinese ALBMs. These have tended to be considered primarily as anti-ship weapons often referred to as carrier-killers based on their likely high-priority targets, but they can be used against many ship types. Pursuing various ALBMs optimized for the anti-shipping role also fits with their use as part of Chinas fast-evolving anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The KD-21 designation, combined with the fact that the missile is being issued at first to the PLAAF, suggests that it might be primarily intended for land attack, rather than anti-shipping. As such, the KD-21 might be closer in concept to the Russian Kinzhal (known in the West as the AS-24 Killjoy). This is a weapon that is launched from adapted MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors of the Russian Aerospace Forces. Kinzhal, which has been described, somewhat misleadingly, as a hypersonic missile, has been used by Russia in Ukraine, although it seems to have only achieved mixed success. There have been reports that Kinzhal can also be used as an anti-ship weapon, although this remains unconfirmed. A Russian MiG-31 armed with a Kinzhal missile on the centerline. Russian Ministry of Defense Another potential parallel with Kinzhal is the KD-21s possible origins in a surface-launched weapon. While the Russian ALBM is an air-launched development of the Iskander short-range ballistic missile, the KD-21 looks like it might be an adaptation of the CM-401 anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM), otherwise launched from a truck or ship. The CM-401 can also strike static land targets and reportedly has a terminal speed of between Mach 4 and 6. A mockup of a CM-401 on display at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2018. In the background is the truck-based launcher. via Chinese Internet As we have discussed before, whether the air-launched KD-21 is intended primarily to strike land or maritime targets or both the fact that it now seems to be in operational service is significant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whatever the target set, ALBMs are notably difficult to defend against. Like many ballistic missiles, ALBMs arrive at their target with a hypersonic or near-hypersonic terminal velocity and a steep angle of descent. While this is hard enough to intercept, an added problem comes when the missile also maneuvers dynamically during the terminal attack phase. The lessons of the Ukraine war suggest that ALBMs like Kinzhal are not immune to interception by high-end air defense systems. However, in the context of a future confrontation with China in the Indo-Pacific region, the KD-21 would be just one element with a layered and complex A2/AD strategy. Not only would ALBMs arrive in considerable numbers, but they could also be accompanied by other types of missiles, ballistic and cruise, as well as drone strikes. A close-up of an insert version of the KD-21 missile at Zhuhai in 2022. via Chinese Internet Already, China can call upon a huge arsenal of ground-launched ballistic missiles, but having ALBMs delivered by H-6 provides a much greater reach and the possibility of more dynamic, less predictable targeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its surface-launched form, the CM-401 has a reported range of a little over 180 miles, which will be extended when launched from the air. Meanwhile, the H-6K is understood to have a range of 3,700 miles. Certain examples are also equipped with probes so they can be refueled in flight, allowing them to range as far as the coast of Alaska, for example. There are meanwhile suggestions that the basic CM-401 might be able to hit targets at much greater ranges, by using a porpoising or skip-glide trajectory. This involves the warhead pulling up into a steep climb at least once as it begins the terminal stage of its flight. In the case of the CM-401, this could potentially boost its range to around 600 miles. This kind of trajectory also makes it even trickier to intercept. A Chinese graphic showing a ballistic missile with the porpoising or skip-glide trajectory associated with the CM-401. via Chinese Internet Clearly, a missile like this, whether being used against targets on land or at sea, could play a significant role in scenarios involving Taiwan. Even when launched from over the coast of the Chinese mainland, the KD-21 would be able to threaten targets on Taiwans eastern coast. By firing these missiles from other vectors, Taiwans problem of defending air bases, command centers, and other key military targets would be exacerbated. Elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific theater, the KD-21 could be used to strike critical enemy installations along the First Island Chain and further out into the Pacific. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An official video from Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Air Force showing H-6 bombers taking part in a simulated attack on Andersen Air Force Base on Guam: Overall, having H-6s equipped to deliver smaller, more numerous ALBMs potentially against ships makes them a very unpredictable threat to any potential adversaries. In particular, the H-6K/KD-21 provides an alternative where otherwise a longer-range ground-launched ballistic missile would be needed. Meanwhile, the KD-21 is not the only ASBM available to the H-6. There is at least one larger and longer-range weapon known by the Western codename CH-AS-X-13, which may carry the Chinese designation KF-21. You can read more about it here. Due to its size, the missile is carried semi-recessed on the centerline of the fuselage of the H-6N variant. According to a Pentagon assessment, this weapon is likely available in nuclear-capable and conventionally armed versions. Potentially, there exist two further variants of the missile, one with a warhead similar to the land-based DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, and another that may be topped with a hypersonic glide vehicle upper stage similar to that on the DF-17 medium-range ballistic missile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An embedded Tweet with one of the best videos we have seen so far of the much larger CH-AS-X-13 ALBM: Other sources indicate at least two sub-variants of the same weapon, differing in their warhead types. The first variant is thought to feature a double-cone type tip, similar to that found on the land-based DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, while the second variant may feature a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) upper stage similar to that on the DF-17 medium-range ballistic missile. For now, the apparent operational fielding of the KD-21 further underscores the continued importance of more modern versions of the H-6, the original design of which dates back to the 1950s. At the same time, the weapon reflects Chinas continued effort to expand and increasingly diversify its already potent missile armory, with a notable focus on ALBMs. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The News China launched massive surprise military drills around Taiwan days after the US defense secretary on a trip to Asia pledged to counter Chinese aggression. Beijing said its army, navy, and air forces surrounding Taiwan was a stern warning to the self-ruling islands leaders which Chinese state media called parasites who were seeking independence for Taiwan, claimed by Beijing as part of its territory. Yet the campaign is also likely meant to pressure Washington, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Manila and Tokyo last week, promising to reestablish deterrence in the region. Taiwan, in particular, has reportedly grown quietly confident that the White House will back it in any confrontation with Beijing. A chart showing the number of Chinese warships by launch date SIGNALS Taiwan views drills as a signal to the US amid trade war Sources: CNN, The New York Times Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beijing is gearing up for a heightened trade war with Washington ahead of US President Donald Trumps April 2 tariffs announcement, and Taiwan serves as the perfect pretext for China to send a signal to the US without direct confrontation, according to Taiwanese government analysis cited by CNN. Even though China does not want to show weakness to the US, it may not have an appetite for extended military actions that could exacerbate divisions with Trump, The New York Times reported. Still, China will respond with just enough firmness to make sure that an off ramp for it still remains, a Taiwan researcher told the Times. Taiwan concerned over Trumps Ukraine approach Sources: The New York Times, Nikkei Many in Taiwan are concerned that Trump will throw them under the bus, pointing to the US presidents apparent softening toward Russia during Ukraine peace negotiations. If the United States could do that to Ukraine to cozy up to Russia, will it do the same to us to cozy up to China? Taiwans former culture minister, Yingtai Lung, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. While some in Taiwan still believe Trump strongly backs Taiwan against China, US skepticism runs deep, a Taiwanese activist argued, and a slogan seen during pro-Ukraine protests reads: Today Ukraine, tomorrow Taiwan. Trumps upending of traditional alliances means there is a very real risk he casts Taiwan aside to strike deals with Beijing, Lung wrote. Taiwan uses semiconductors as US bargaining chip Source: Financial Times Taiwan hopes its dominant role in the global semiconductor supply chain can curry favor with Trump. We need to put our bargaining chips on the table, one former Taiwanese lawmaker said. The islands security has long relied on the US and other Western allies dependence on its chip industry, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company which produces 90% of the worlds most advanced chips recently promised a $100 billion investment in the US, in an offer that appeased Trump. But the strategy comes with risks, a Taipei-based expert told the Financial Times: Taiwan should be careful. If the silicon shield really exists, wouldnt passing the most advanced technology to the US make it brittle? HONG KONG (Reuters) -The founder of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xiaomi said on Tuesday he was "heavy-hearted" after three people were killed in an accident involving one of the company's SU7s, and said it would fully cooperate with a police investigation. The incident on March 29 marks the first major accident involving the SU7 sedan, which Xiaomi launched in March last year and which since December has outsold Tesla's Model 3 on a monthly basis. In a late-night statement on his Weibo account, nine hours after an earlier company response to the accident, Lei Jun said that "at this point, I feel that I should not wait any longer, I must stand up and promise on behalf of Xiaomi: no matter what happens, Xiaomi will not evade." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lei vowed the company would do its best to "respond to the concerns of families and society". A disclosure from the company earlier on Tuesday said initial information showed the car was in the Navigate on Autopilot intelligent-assisted driving mode before the accident and was moving at 116 kph (72 mph). In a rundown of the data submitted to local police posted on a company Weibo account, Xiaomi said the autopilot system had issued a risk warning of obstacles ahead. A driver inside the car took over and tried to slow it down, but then collided with a cement pole at a speed of 97 kph. Chinese newspaper Economic Observer earlier reported that local traffic police had told the father of one of the victims that the car had caught fire after hitting the cement pole, and the car key had not unlocked the door. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Xiaomi's shares, which had risen by 34.8% year to date, closed down 5.5% on Wednesday, underperforming a 0.2% gain in the Hang Seng Tech index. In a separate statement issued on Tuesday night, Xiaomi said its SU7 standard version has collision warning and emergency braking, but currently does not respond to obstacles such as cones, stones and animals. It also confirmed a fire following the accident. "There is no precise conclusion currently as to whether the car door was able to be opened at the time of the accident," Xiaomi said, adding that it does not have access to the car now. The company has two versions of smart driving systems on its SU7 EVs. Xiaomi said the car involved in the accident was a so-called standard version of the SU7, which has less-advanced smart driving technology. (Reporting by Farah Master in Hong Kong, Zoey Zhang in Shanghai and Qiaoyi Li in Beijing; Editing by Sonali Paul, Jamie Freed and Jan Harvey) The maiden flight of a new Beijing-Vladivostok route launched by Air China is greeted with a water salute upon arrival at Vladivostok International Airport in Vladivostok, Russia, March 31, 2025. Air China has officially launched its new Beijing-Vladivostok round-trip flight service, marking the occasion with an inaugural flight celebration at Vladivostok International Airport.(Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua) VLADIVOSTOK, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Air China has officially launched its new Beijing-Vladivostok round-trip flight service, marking the occasion with an inaugural flight celebration at Vladivostok International Airport. The maiden flight landed smoothly at 5:00 p.m. local time (0700 GMT) Monday and was greeted with a water salute upon arrival. Speaking at the ceremony, Wang Jun, Acting Consul General of China in Vladivostok, said that the launch of the Beijing-Vladivostok route by Air China will further promote in-depth and practical cooperation between China and Russia in trade, culture, and tourism, making a valuable contribution to the overall development of China-Russia relations. Denis Chmutov, General Manager of Vladivostok International Airport, said that Air China's first scheduled flight between Vladivostok and Beijing will create the necessary conditions for strengthening regional business and tourism exchanges. With this route in operation, the total number of flights between Vladivostok and Beijing will exceed 20 per week. The Beijing-Vladivostok route operated by Air China is scheduled to run round-trip flights on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The maiden flight of a new Beijing-Vladivostok route launched by Air China arrives at Vladivostok International Airport in Vladivostok, Russia, March 31, 2025. Air China has officially launched its new Beijing-Vladivostok round-trip flight service, marking the occasion with an inaugural flight celebration at Vladivostok International Airport.(Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua) The maiden flight of a new Beijing-Vladivostok route launched by Air China is greeted with a water salute upon arrival at Vladivostok International Airport in Vladivostok, Russia, March 31, 2025. Air China has officially launched its new Beijing-Vladivostok round-trip flight service, marking the occasion with an inaugural flight celebration at Vladivostok International Airport.(Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is due to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday for talks on the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to hold talks with the visitor from Beijing. "We expect President Putin to receive Mr Wang Yi and for them to exchange views," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the TASS state news agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The talks will focus on "prospects for a resolution of the Ukraine crisis," as well as other international issues, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Bilateral issues were also on the agenda. China is a close ally of Russia but has been critical of the significant international upheaval caused by Russia's war on Ukraine. A peace plan proposed by Beijing's leadership was rejected by Ukraine because it closely aligned with Russian positions. Should the United Nations play a role in resolving the conflict, China - as a veto power in the Security Council - would be involved. TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) The Chinese military conducted large-scale drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan on Tuesday that included an aircraft carrier battle group, as it again warned the self-ruled democracy against seeking formal independence. The exercises involved navy, air ground and rocket forces and were meant to be a severe warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence, according to Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command. No operational name for the drills was announced nor previous notice given. China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, while most Taiwanese favor their de facto independence and democratic status. Any conflict could bring in the U.S., which maintains alliances in the region and is legally bound to treat threats to Taiwan as a matter of grave concern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taiwan's Presidential Office posted on X that Chinas blatant military provocations not only threaten peace in the #Taiwan Strait but also undermine security in the entire region, as evidenced by drills near Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, the Philippines & the SCS. We strongly condemn Chinas escalatory behavior." The SCS refers to the South China Sea, the strategic and disputed waterway that China claims almost in its entirety. China's navy also recently held drills near Australia and New Zealand for which it gave no warning, forcing the last-minute rerouting of commercial flights. Taiwan tracks Chinese navy vessels Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said it had tracked 19 Chinese navy vessels around the island in a 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday. It added that the Shandong aircraft carrier group had entered into Taiwan's air defense identification zone, a self-defined area tracked by the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beijing sends warplanes and navy vessels toward the island on a daily basis, andin recent years it has stepped up the scope and scale of these exercises. Taiwanese officials have recently warned that China could launch a sneak attack under the guise of military exercises. I want to say these actions amply reflect (China's) destruction of regional peace and stability, said Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo. Taiwan has set up a central response group to monitor the latest exercises, Koo said. On the streets of Taipei, people said the atmosphere was tense but they were more concerned about the economy and developments surrounding the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Chinese Communists spend so much time and effort on these things but most people dont pay much attention, said Lin Hui-tsung, a noodle seller in the Tiananmu district. China's Xinhua News Agency said the Eastern Theater Command conducted multi-subject drills in waters to the north, south and east of Taiwan Island. The theater command organized its vessel and aircraft formations, in coordination with conventional missile troops and long-range rocket launching systems, to conduct drills of air interception, assault on maritime targets, strikes on ground objects, and joint blockade and control, Xinhua quoted the command as saying. The exercises were "aimed at testing the troops capabilities of carrying out integrated operations, seizure of operational control and multi-directional precision strikes, the command said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The PLA organized naval and air forces to practice subjects such as sea and land strikes, focusing on testing the troops ability to carry out precision strikes on some key targets of the Taiwan authorities from multiple directions, said Zhang Chi, a professor at Chinas National Defense University in an interview with Chinese state television. Beijing sends a message to Taiwan's president China's Taiwan Affairs Office said the exercises were directed at Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's strongly pro-independence president. Lai Ching-te stubbornly insists on a Taiwan independence stance, brazenly labeling the mainland as a foreign hostile force, and has put forward a so-called 17-point strategy ... stirring up anti-China sentiments, Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement. We will not tolerate or condone this in any way and must resolutely counter and severely punish these actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In mid-March, Taiwans Lai put forward a 17-point strategy aimed at shoring up Taiwans security. The points include allowing espionage cases to be tried by military courts and making immigration rules stricter for Chinese citizens applying for permanent residency. Chinas PLA also released a series of videos to publicize their military exercise, including one in which they depict Lai as a green parasite poisoning the island by hatching smaller parasites. The video shows Lais head on the body of a bulbous green worm, with a pair of chopsticks picking him up and roasting him over a flame set over Taiwan. The U.S. said China's actions were only worsening tensions. Once again, Chinas aggressive military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan only serve to exacerbate tensions and put the regions security and the worlds prosperity at risk. In the face of Chinas intimidation tactics and destabilizing behavior, the United States enduring commitment to our allies and partners, including Taiwan, continues," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement. The United States supports peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo, including through force or coercion." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taiwan and China split amid civil war 76 years ago, but tensions have risen since 2016, when China cut off almost all contacts with Taipei. Philippines should be ready to rescue its citizens In the Philippines, military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. asked Filipino forces to prepare to rescue Filipinos working and living in Taiwan if China invades the island, speaking during a ceremony marking the founding anniversary of the military command that secures the Philippine region closest to Taiwan. If something happens to Taiwan, inevitably we will be involved. There are 250,000 overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan and we will have to rescue them, Brawner said. ___ Wu reported from Bangkok. Christopher Bodeen in Taipei, Taiwan, and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report. When the cost of heating her apartment became too much to manage, a 54-year-old Navy veteran in Mount Auburn called United Way 211, our 24-hour helpline. Overwhelmed and unsure where to turn, she talked to a 211 coordinator who connected her to a local relief program. "It was amazing what happened," she said. We get calls like this every day tens of thousands of requests for assistance a year from individuals and families. We listen carefully and make referrals based on our database of more than 1,200 agencies and 6,000 services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These nonprofits are critical lifelines for our community, offering extensive support and stability to families, often in partnership with the federal government. We recently polled more than 100 of them and found they collectively delivered more than 1.2 million services with federal funding last year. That's the equivalent of providing a service to nearly one in every two people in the Greater Cincinnati region. The challenges we face in our community are complex and interconnected. No single entity, no matter how dedicated or resourceful, can solve these issues alone not the federal government, not local governments, nonprofits, or charitable organizations. Alongside hundreds of local nonprofits, we create a support network that can catch people before they fall through the cracks. Together, we can lift entire communities in ways that an individual organization cannot. Nonprofits are essential to helping the federal government fulfill its obligations to citizens. Recent executive orders and administrative memos have increased the focus on federal grants and contracts. If federal funding is disrupted, two-thirds of nonprofits in our area say they would face tough decisions within six months regarding who gets services and who does not. Federal funding accounts for more than $1 trillion in support for state and local programs. These programs provide services ranging from basic needs and housing to youth education and workforce development. Private philanthropy, however vital, is not a feasible alternative. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were fortunate that the federal government made substantial investments to support our response to the economic challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, United Way partnered with local and state governments over the last four years to administer almost $40 million in federal funding to support our recovery. Federal funding flows to state and local operations by design. This policy approach ensures that federal resources translate to meaningful support. Organizations nearest to communities are equipped to respond to their unique and evolving needs, making them indispensable to our communitys stability. Without this funding, many of our neighbors could lose access to critical needs and support systems that can put them on a path to a better future. We all have a stake in the well-being of our community. The partnership between federal agencies and the nonprofit sector is critical to maximizing impact while minimizing bureaucracy. When were united, we strengthen systems that help our entire community thrive now and in the future. Moira Weir is president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. Moira Weir is president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: United Way: Federal funding cuts would harm local families | Opinion Apr. 1GRAND FORKS The cost of riding a bus in Grand Forks will increase beginning April 14. Fares for all services provided by Cities Area Transit are increasing by 33% following approvals from the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks city councils in March. The first increase since 2013, it was first proposed during the Grand Forks city budget discussions in the summer of 2024 as the costs of running the system have increased. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grand Forks Transit Director Dale Bergman said that most people he's talked to about the change have been understanding of why fares are increasing. "Nobody's called and complained about the rates going up," Bergman said. "There have been many of them that have said that they figured it would have been increased years ago." Two public open houses were held in late January in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks and a total of nine members of the public attended. According to Bergman, the increase will only solve part of the problem of the increased costs of running public transportation systems, especially as there is increased uncertainty in the fuel and vehicle markets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're doing it because of a need, and that's been our issue all along, expenses are going up," Bergman said. "The cost of everything going up, whether it's fuel or parts. Bergman added, "And with tariffs, we have no idea what it's going to end up costing in vehicle parts and no idea what it's going to end up costing us in fuel." Cities Area Transit has a roughly $3 million budget and recorded over 330,000 trips across its fixed route, paratransit and dial-a-ride services in 2024. Because of the size of Grand Forks, the $3 million is split equally between local city funds and federal funds. The city funds are a mix of fares and other revenue from the city, like taxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grand Forks has been seeking additional funding from North Dakota. The state currently gives the city $290,000 a year, which is less than half the cost of a new bus. A proposal in the Legislature would provide grants for paratransit services in the upcoming biennium and for a study to explore how the state could fund fixed-route transit further. Starting April 14, a standard fare for an adult rider will go from $1.50 to $2. Youth fares will increase from $0.75 to $1 and senior and disabled rider fares from $0.60 to $0.80. Paratransit fees will increase from $3 to $4. The 10-ride card, 1-day pass, 14-day pass, monthly pass and summer youth pass will all be increasing 33%. As the session draws closer to its scheduled end, as of Monday afternoon, legislative leadership had not yet come to an agreement to revive more than 100 bills dealing with the state's $7 billion budget or whether to fund a local projects bill. If no compromise is met on the budget, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves will have to call lawmakers back to Jackson prior to July 1, when the state's fiscal year starts, to draw up a budget and fund the government. In order to avoid it, both chambers would need to agree on suspending the in-house rules of the legislature to extend revenue bill deadlines and revive budget proposals. That is not likely to happen, according to members of leadership in both the House and Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "That would be my urged course of action but it takes two," House Speaker Jason White, R-West, told reporters on Monday. "If they don't want to do the budget, that'll be their business. It won't be because we don't have time, and it won't be because we can't do it in an orderly fashion. (Senate leadership) is upset about other things that have happened this session." If it does come to a special session outside of the regular one, which ends on April 6, it would allow Gov. Tate Reeves to set an agenda and lawmakers would have to work within that confine. It would also cost the state tens of thousands of dollars per day. Mississippi House Speaker Jason White, R-West, talks to representatives while gathering items to leave the chamber on the second to last day at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson on Friday, May 3, 2024. Lawmakers scuttle budget: Special session imminent as Mississippi lawmakers scuttle state budget proposals. Read why On Saturday, the legislature essentially came to full stop when House lawmakers did not show up to workout final proposals for the state budget. White said last week he did not want to just quickly pass a budget on a day when members would not have the chance to thoroughly vet the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senate leaders including Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann told reporters they had tried since last Monday to begin budget negotiations with the House but were only met with on Thursday and Friday. Those meetings resulted in about 70 out of 105 handshake agreements on final budget figures, but it was never put on paper and signed by House members, killing the budget by a Saturday evening deadline. Partly as a result, several senators told the Clarion Ledger they would not support extending the session, including Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons, who said he would tell his fellow Democrats to vote against a suspension of the rules. Of 20 senators polled Saturday, most said they would vote against extending the session to has out the budget this week. Two said they would only vote to suspend the rules to consider a budget proposal but nothing else, and three said they could not know how they would vote until it proposed. "The constitution requires us to come here for 90 days to do the people's business, and Senate Democrats, we feel like we've done that, even though we have accepted our wins and our losses, more losses than wins this session," Simmons said. "We don't want to create a situation where people can pick and choose when they want to work." Projects bill might not happen this year. Why? At the same time, because of some of the same political maneuvering that has killed the state's budget by a legislative deadline, so too does it appear to be stalling a bill the legislature passes every year, dubbed the Christmas tree bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This legislation is typically used to funnel state dollars toward local projects. That funding amount usually falls between $100 and $400 million every year. Tax cut signing: Mississippi governor signs income tax elimination bill. How are you affected? Several senators last week told the Clarion Ledger they didn't want to pass a projects bill this year due to several factors. One of them was not wanting to negotiate with the House on items beyond the tax cut error, which saw the House run with blatant errors in a Senate tax cut plan that made it more akin with House leadership's goal of quickly eliminating the income tax. White in an interview with reporters on Monday chastised the Senate for no longer wanting to consider the projects bill, pegging it as a method to fund much-needed local projects around the state. This year, the City of Jackson also has tens of millions of dollars in local funding requests for projects to improve the local airport, parks and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Now they're going to kick (local municipalities) in the teeth without giving them any local projects for roads, other capital improvements throughout their cities and counties," White said. "I think it's short sighted, because you're upset over whatever issues around whether or not you really wanted to cut taxes and whether we cut them or not, and because of that, you're going to penalize local governments not do capital projects." Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: state budget and local project funding fall to wayside as session nears end SEIVERVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) The City of Sevierville has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove a large flagpole at the RV rental company Camping World, which it said violates the citys zoning ordinance. The lawsuit, filed on March 19, states that Camping World, along with Shipps RV Centers, CWI, LLC, Camping World RV Sales, and FHRP Lincolnshire, LLC, violated a city zoning ordinance by having a 130-foot-tall flagpole at the Camping World located on Dumplin Valley Road in Sevierville. The area is zoned to only allow a 44-foot-tall flagpole. Study predicts Sevier Countys employment to grow by 61% over the next 25 years Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In January 2024, the lawsuit claims Camping World and the other defendants applied to the Citys Board of Zoning Appeals through the contractor Flag Systems and asked for a permit to install the flagpole, which was denied during the boards February 1, 2024 meeting. The City claims that the defendants had the pole constructed, despite never filing an appeal to their denial. In January 2025, the Citys Code Enforcement mailed a letter demanding Camping World comply with the zoning ordinance within 30 days, and that not doing that could result in the City seeking legal action, the lawsuit stated. In February, 2025, Camping Worlds CEO Marcus Lemonis spoke with 6 News, saying the flag was not coming down, adding that the flag has been in his family since he was young and that the flag was not a safety concern. He reiterated his stance Tuesday on social media, sharing a copy of the lawsuit captioned the Flag will not come down. Operation Hands Free kicks off across Tennessee Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to requesting an injunction for the flagpole to be taken down or otherwise reduce its height to be in compliance with the zoning ordinance, the City also asked to impose a civil penalty on Camping World and the other defendants. On March 5, 2025, the Sevierville Police Department issued a citation to the RV rental company because of the zoning ordinance violation and resulted in a $50 fine per day for every day of the violation, the lawsuit says. The City shared a further statement with 6 News Tuesday afternoon, clarifying that the focus of the lawsuit is on the structure of the flag pole, not the symbol of the flag. The city wrote in part: Let us be clear: this issue has never been about the American flag. Our community is proudly American, and patriotism runs deep in Sevierville. The display of the flag is not only welcomed its celebrated here. The concern at hand is the height of a flagpole, which exceeds the Citys longstanding zoning regulations by nearly 200%. This is not about symbols. It is about structures. It is about adherence to law. And it is about a corporation that, after being denied a variance by our Board of Zoning Appeals, knowingly and blatantly proceeded to violate our citys ordinance. The suggestion that following established city codes is somehow unpatriotic is not only disingenuous it is a calculated attempt to distract from the facts for the sake of social media engagement and online controversy. Unfortunately, this publicity stunt has resulted in a torrent of vitriol directed at the City of Sevierville that we proudly call our home. This is not civic discourse rooted in patriotism. City of Sevierville The City added that it remains open to productive dialogue, but it will not be pressured by national platforms that may attempt to rewrite the narrative of the case. We believe true patriotism is about more than words or gestures its about honoring the values of integrity, respect, and responsibility. And in Sevierville, that includes respecting the rules we all live by, the city wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated to include a statement from the City of Sevierville. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Clay County just had a meeting over an application to build a new neighborhood in Fleming Island after county commissioners unanimously denied it in December. The property owner filed a petition to the county after its proposal had been denied, arguing there is competent and substantial evidence to support arguments to have it built. Those like John Stangle, whose neighborhood is right next to where theyre looking to build, would tell you otherwise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This just is not going to work, Stangle said. The area is overwhelmed, there are other problems that need to be addressed first. Stangle has been living in Fleming Island for almost 20 years. He has a soft spot for Old Hard Road, where a property owner wants to build a new, 156-home neighborhood, and doesnt think the area would be able to handle the extra traffic from more people living there. This just isnt fair to the people around us, the way we moved in, the way the nature, the way the community was, we want to keep it the way it was, Stangle said. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The land the property owner wants to develop on has an agricultural residential zoning, which, at most, allows one home (or residential unit) to be built for every five acres of land. The property owner wants the county to allow the land to have a planned unit development zoning, using a land development code called rural fringe to allow three units for every acre, instead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Angela Mallory lives even closer to the neighborhood site than Stangle does. She thinks changing the property in this way would create too many homes there. There simply isnt the infrastructure to support more traffic and safely allow that to happen, Mallory said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] In the original application turned in by the property owner, the county did add a comment that there is a high demand for housing in this area of Fleming Island, even recommending a full approval. When county commissioners unanimously denied the proposal, the property owner argued they were relying too much on personal beliefs about what fit for the area versus actual evidence supporting the project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county magistrate is the one now hearing arguments for the neighborhood. If the magistrate agrees with the property owner, the decision to allow it could fall back on county commissioners who, as Florida law says, would need to make their decision in the next 30 days. 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. CLEVELAND (WJW) A heroic teenager from Cleveland is being celebrated for his life-saving actions on Friday. Sixteen-year-old Tyler Sowden wasted no time, quickly pulling out a ladder and climbing a roof to save a mother and her two kids. Now, his local community and even the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to honor the young man. The fire happened last Friday at in the 13900 block of Sacramento Avenue in Cleveland before noon. Sowden just got back home from work when he heard someone screaming for help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He did what his heart told him to, his mom Brittany Cart said. He didnt have to think. My sons always been that way. Hes just, hes awesome. Cart said theres been a lot of people reaching out from all over the world since the fire and news stories about her sons heroism. But theres no one prouder than she is. I cry every time (I watch the video), she said. Its awesome. Because no one expects that from a 16-year-old. And he did it. Harsher penalties for those caught driving under the influence to take effect in Ohio Cavaliers All-Star Guard Donovan Mitchell said he would like to be connected with Sowden after the Cavs win on Sunday. The Cavs also recognized bus driver Dorian Pace on Sunday after he helped save students from a bus fire a few weeks ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nicole Matlus is the founder and president of Operation Lean on Me, a local nonprofit in Cleveland. She said she has raised more than $1,200 for the young man, money that will go toward driving school and a car repair. Im like, what can we do to show him as a community that were proud of him and we support him? Matlus said. All good deeds should not go unnoticed. Driving school is not cheap. So I said I had a goal of $600. I said, OK, lets try $600 for driving. School went from $600 to almost $1,200 and donations are still coming in for him. New Arthur Treachers restaurant opening in Cleveland Heights this week The Cleveland Division of Fire and city of Cleveland are working to recognize Sowden as well either later this week or next week. His mother is overwhelmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want to say thank you to everybody, Cart said. We appreciate everybody. We appreciate the love. We appreciate it all. Matlus is still raising money for Sowden. Those interested to help can contribute through Zelle and Paypal: misslynn85@yahoo.com, Venmo: @Nicole-Matlus, CashApp: $rudegirl216. Matlus said double-check spelling because there are fake accounts being created using her photo. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Anna Schlobohm de Cruder stands for a portrait in March amid the remains of her Altadena, Calif., home, which was destroyed in the Eaton Fire early this year. California is among the states considering bills that would force fossil fuel companies to pay recovery costs for climate disasters. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) For many California residents, the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year were the latest and most searing example of the devastating effects of climate change. Some estimates have pegged the damages and economic losses from the fires at more than $250 billion. Weve had disaster after disaster after disaster, said Assemblymember Dawn Addis, a Democrat. Its the taxpayers and the insurance ratepayers that are bearing the cost. Its not sustainable, its not right and its not ethical. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Addis and Democratic lawmakers in nearly a dozen other states want to force the worlds largest fossil fuel companies to help pay for the recovery costs of climate-related disasters. Last year, Vermont became the first state to pass a climate Superfund law, followed soon after by New York. This session, 10 states have seen similar proposals, several of which have advanced in key committees. Advocates point to legislation in Maryland that has drawn support in both chambers, as well as to strong grassroots support in California after the Los Angeles wildfires. Lawmakers say the rapidly increasing cost of climate disasters from wildfires to floods to sea level rise is more than state budgets can bear. Climate Superfund is the it girl policy of the [2025] session, said Ava Gallo, climate and energy program manager with the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, a forum for state lawmakers. Theres a lot of popularity in the idea of holding polluters responsible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The momentum for these polluter pays bills is tied to the maturation of attribution science. That new field of research can help calculate fossil fuel companies contributions to historic emissions totals, as well as the role climate change played in causing or worsening natural disasters. Vermonts law was the first attempt to use that science to charge emitters for their role in causing devastating floods and other catastrophes. We've had disaster after disaster after disaster. It's the taxpayers and the insurance ratepayers that are bearing the cost. It's not sustainable, it's not right and its not ethical. California Democratic Assemblymember Dawn Addis Fossil fuel companies and their allies have fought back hard. Late last year, the American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit challenging Vermonts measure. The groups argue that emissions are governed by the federal Clean Air Act, precluding states from charging companies over global pollution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither group responded to a Stateline interview request. The Independent Petroleum Association of America also declined an interview request. A separate lawsuit, led by 22 Republican attorneys general, is challenging the New York law. And a conservative group has targeted Rachel Rothschild, an assistant professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School, who helped draft the legal justification for climate Superfund policy. The group, Government Accountability and Oversight, has sought to subject Rothschild to a deposition, The New York Times reported, a move that some experts view as an intimidation tactic. Meanwhile, oil and gas executives asked President Donald Trump during a White House meeting this month to direct the Justice Department to join the legal fight against climate Superfund laws, The Wall Street Journal reported. Industry leaders are also pushing Congress to shield them from more than 30 lawsuits brought by state and local governments that aim to make them pay for some of the results of climate change. While experts expect a bruising legal battle over climate Superfund policies, the threat of lawsuits hasnt deterred more lawmakers from backing the concept. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement States were a little bit wary; they wondered, Is this some new radical plan? said Cassidy DiPaola, communications director with the Make Polluters Pay campaign, a coalition of groups backing such bills. Then one of the littlest states passed it and this powerhouse, New York, passed it. That really set the ball rolling. Fossil fuel companies have cast doubt on attribution science. They also note that their production of oil and other products was done legally under U.S. and international regulations. Manufacturers will see this as a shakedown of any industry you dont like at some point in the future, even though in the past they were licensed and operated under government regulation, Brett Vassey, president and CEO of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, said during legislative testimony about a climate Superfund proposal in that state. It will have a chilling effect on Virginia being able to grow its economy. Proponents of Superfund legislation point to legal settlements with large tobacco companies in the 1990s. Although those companies also sold their products legally, they were held responsible because they knew about the harmful effects of those products and deceived the public. Most climate Superfund proposals target companies for their emissions over the past 30 or so years, after leading experts had documented the dangers of greenhouse gases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres good documentation of how well the fossil fuel industry knew the probable long-term impacts of their product, said Oregon state Sen. Jeff Golden, a Democrat. Should an industry that made such historic profits over a period of time and made so many representations that we had no problem not bear any of the costs? Golden and other lawmakers say its becoming impossible for taxpayers to cover the costs of recovery from wildfires and other catastrophes. In Rhode Island, sea level rise is causing massive damage for coastal communities, said Democratic state Rep. Jennifer Boylan, who has sponsored a climate Superfund bill to help the state adapt. Some advocates also note that Trumps return to the White House has cut off the possibility of federal climate relief. All the states are affected by the disappearance of this federal funding, said Gallo, of the state lawmakers group. States everywhere are going to be looking at some way to fill the gap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This session, climate Superfund bills have been introduced in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Virginia. While the bills are structured differently, they all seek to target the largest polluters often covering companies that produced 1 billion metric tons of emissions over the last 30 or so years. Lawmakers say that applies to roughly 100 companies. The measures also take different approaches to assigning damages. Some direct state agencies to conduct complex studies to determine the costs of climate-caused disasters over a certain period, the approach pioneered by Vermont. Others set a fixed number that represents a conservative baseline for those damages. New Yorks law set that figure at $75 billion over a 25-year period. Many of the bills also require that significant amounts of the funding be directed to the communities hit hardest by pollution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates are particularly optimistic about the measures in California and Maryland. Lawmakers in Maryland modified their bills to commission a study about the financial impacts of climate change. Those measures passed both the House and Senate, and legislators are working to reconcile the versions from each chamber. Figures produced by the study would be the backbone of a climate Superfund policy in a future session. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX From a legislative perspective, its a shot in the dark as to what the costs are, said Democratic Del. David Fraser-Hidalgo, who sponsored one of the bills. This will give us the factual data needed to make a more well-educated decision on policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In New Jersey, an Assembly committee advanced a climate Superfund bill this month. State Sen. Bob Smith, a Democrat who chairs the Environment and Energy Committee and who sponsored the bill, said it will help to rebuild and fortify water treatment plants, schools and firehouses. He noted that Trump has called for the dismantling of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The end of the world is coming; its kind of hard to ignore, Smith said. FEMA has been the backstop to help communities recover from disasters. If the handwriting isnt on the wall to all the states that theyve got to deal with this, shame on them. Lawmakers in many states have heard from mayors and other local government leaders that more climate recovery funding is essential. Municipal officials are getting behind [climate Superfund policies], said Massachusetts state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, a Democrat who has sponsored similar legislation. Theyre facing the costs of flooding, of droughts, of heat waves, and really asking for relief. Stateline reporter Alex Brown can be reached at abrown@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The military exercises of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command around Taiwan Island serve as a resolute punishment for Lai Ching-te authorities' blatant "Taiwan independence" provocations, said a mainland spokesperson on Tuesday. #XinhuaNews NewsNights Abby Phillip shut down an election-denier guest who said that President Donald Trump had the 2020 vote stolen from him. The CNN panel were discussing Trump telling NBC over the weekend that there are methods to get around the constitutional bar on presidents standing for a third term in office. The 78-year-old later clarified that hes not joking. Abby Phillip admonishes Ashley Hayek. / CNN Political commentator Karen Finney spoke about Trumps disregard for the U.S. Constitution, the rule of law, our democracy, and said the public ought to take him at his word. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this point, Ashley Hayek, the executive director of pro-Trump nonprofit America First Works, chimed in with a discredited conspiracy theory about the 2020 election being stoleneven though theres no evidence of widespread voter fraud in 2020, and Trump himself recently admitted he lost fair and square to Joe Biden. He would be elected four times [by 2028], but only serving [a] third since the 2021 [election] was stolen, Hayek said, before she was swiftly shut down by the host. Wait, excuse me. Hold up, Phillip said, shocked by Hayeks comment. Seriously? Were still doing that? asked film producer Franklin Leonard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phillips stern rebuke continued: Hold on, hold on, Franklin. Give me a second here. We are not doing that, OK? An answer to your question, were not doing it. Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. You dont actually have to say the words out of your mouth, but Im gonna say them. But continue." Hayek, suitably admonished, continued and delved into musings about the future of the MAGA movement. Well, if the election were held today, and this is why the left is so worked up about it, is because Donald Trump would win again. If there were an election held today, he had this approval that we just talked about, she said. It was so high he would win again. But I think theres other options for other Trumps, too. In 2028, it could be a JD Vance, Don Jr., down the road in 2044 it could be a Barron Trump. I think that the options are limitless here. The segment rolled on and even token NewsNight Republican Scott Jennings said he wouldnt support Trump going for a third term. No, it would not be constitutional for someone to serve a third term, he said when asked if he would support it. MINOA, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) Concerns among auto repair shops are growing, with a 25% tariff on imported cars, light trucks and auto parts set to go into effect this week. The road ahead is looking bumpy for auto repair shops. Well have to see how bad its going to affect the pricing on everything, said Beth Scott, co-owner of Scottys Automotive in Minoa. Latest local news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trumps 25% tax on imported auto parts is set to go into effect at midnight on April 3. A 25 percent increase, I hope thats it. That should be it. There shouldnt be anymore beyond that. Life is expensive enough, Scott said. Its about to get even more expensive for the mom and pop shop. Its going to be a huge effect for everyone because everything is made outside the U.S. We went through boxes before you got here and Korea, China, India, Mexico. Everything. Tires are made in the U.S. We looked at those, there are tires made in the U.S., but for the most part, this tariff is going to affect those parts coming in will increase and be passed along to the consumer, Scott said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scott says a majority of their car parts are made outside the country and thats been the case for quite some time now. Were talking the early 2000s was when all the manufacturing companies in the U.S., here in Onondaga County, that we lost so many big corporations manufacturing that pulled out and went overseas, Scott said. Scott says right now, prices for imported auto parts are reasonable, and its affordable for people to continue to maintain their car. But Trumps 25% tax will likely change that. As the cost of vehicles has gone up, its gotten to be too expensive to be getting a new car every few years. So more and more people are maintaining their cars and keeping them for longer, 10, 12 years, until our rust factor works into the equation, so thats going to have a huge impact with these parts going up. Its a no-win situation, Scott said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Potentially impacting prices down the road. I dont want to increase costs at all, unless it becomes absolutely necessary, said Scott. Hoping things will turn around. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR. Countries participating in the Coalition of the Willing are set to meet in Ukraine on April 4, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 1. "(We) will hold a meeting on Friday, there will be a meeting of our military teams among several countries, a narrow circle of countries. Those who will be ready to deploy a contingent in one form or another," Zelensky said. The visit will be "the first in-depth meeting" of the coalition, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 31, Zelensky and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed plans to hold a meeting in Ukraine this week with military representatives from the "coalition of the willing." Thus far, the coalition has met in other European countries or virtually. "There were consultations, and this will be the first in-depth meeting. We will (work on) some clarification and some details. It is important that it will be based on the prepared proposals of the Ukrainian side," Zelensky said. The coalition is a group of countries that have pledged peacekeeping troops and other security guarantees for Ukraine in a potential ceasefire. The "coalition of the willing" has met repeatedly to determine security guarantees and a peacekeeping force for Ukraine. Leaders of 31 nations met in Paris on March 27 at a summit for the coalition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several countries, including France and the U.K., which lead the coalition, have pledged to send troops on the ground to enforce a potential ceasefire. The U.S. has been holding peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in separate meetings. Ukrainian and U.S. officials met in Saudi Arabia on March 25. Read also: As Russian troops retake settlements in Kursk Oblast, Ukraine launches attack on adjacent Russian region Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. PINEY POINT, Fla. (WFLA) The United States Coast Guard called off its search for a missing man about a day after his boat was found near Piney Point on Monday morning. Officials said 69-year-old Russell Trudeau left the Palmetto area on Sunday evening. His 17-foot boat was found, but Trudeau has not been located. Crews searched nearly 180 square miles. However, on Tuesday night, the Coast Guard said its search had been suspended, pending new information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Palmetto Police Department was continuing to search the area on land. (USCG) Anyone with information about Trudeaus location is asked to call Sector St. Pete at 866-881-1392. No other information 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 WFLA. BOSTON (WWLP) Sheriffs from across the commonwealth met at the State House on Monday to continue discussions about opportunities for consolidation and collaboration within the states correctional system. Hampden Countys Sheriff Cocchi is the Vice President of the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association. He spoke at the meeting, repeating a similar refrain to previous meetings, saying incarcerated people must receive professional help for any mental health issues before any other issuesincluding criminal activitycan be addressed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then and only then, when the mental health is stabilized, the substance abuse now is being recognized and were starting to do the treatment and the therapy on the substance use side of things, then and only then can we do behavior modification, said Sheriff Cocchi. Sheriff Cocchi noted that re-entry to society after serving time is a hot topic across the country and that Massachusetts has been honing re-entry services for nearly 3 decades, but theres still work to do. Its certainly a new concept, but I can tell you we have not perfected it. It is not perfect. We continue to try to refine with the times, with the incidents that are happening in the community, with the suffering that happens, said Cocchi. Cocchi, joined by several fellow sheriffs, pointed out that far more individuals move through the sheriff system than the state Department of Corrections, but the Department of Corrections receives significantly more funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This group of law enforcement and lawmaking officials was established in the last state budget and will continue to meet throughout the legislative session to discuss the future of the correctional system. 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. Rep. Shannon Bird, pictured speaking in front of the Capitol on April 29, 2024, sponsored a bill to address Colorado's construction defect claim process. (Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline) A bill that aims to encourage condominium construction by lowering litigation risks passed the Colorado House on Monday. House Bill 25-1272 passed on a bipartisan 59-5 vote, with some of the chambers most progressive Democrats voting against it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is the Legislatures second attempt in as many years to pass a policy to reverse the decline in condo construction in the state, which supporters see as an accessibly priced option for first-time buyers who want to stop renting but cant afford a detached single-family home. In February, the median single-family home in Colorado was $640,000 and the average condo was $424,200, according to RedFin. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The number of condo developers in Colorado dropped by 84% between 2007 and 2022, partially due to rising liability insurance costs and frequent litigation from homeowners, according to a report from the Common Sense Institute. The current course that we are on right now is unacceptable. Our kids and our grandkids, for those of us who are older they need a better future than (for) their only hope to ever be a forever tenant, bill sponsor Rep. Shannon Bird, a Westminster Democrat, said ahead of the vote. That is no way to achieve financial security and stability and to become a permanent member of your community. They need the chance to have home ownership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill would create an incentive program for multifamily builders to opt into, dubbed the Multifamily Construction Incentive Program. They would need to hire a qualified third-party inspector to review the project as it is being built and offer a warranty for any defect or damage the owner discovers, ranging from one year for workmanship problems and six years for major structural issues. In exchange, the builder would be protected from construction defect claims unless the damage affects the homes functionality or safety, including an inability to use the property, failure of a building component, injury or death. Under the program, an owner would have six years to bring an action and the builder would need to offer to fix the defect. The idea is to address problems without litigation, encouraging more insurers to back projects in Colorado. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They know that those homes will be built right in the first place, but also that the first mechanism for fixing an issue God forbid if one exists isnt simply litigation. In the case of the program, the expectation is that they exhaust the remedies offered to them through the warranty, knowing that if the warranty is insufficient or doesnt meet the need at stake, a homeowner still has the opportunity to litigate that claim, bill sponsor Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, a Fort Collins Democrat, said during a committee hearing on the bill in March. That incentive program was amended into the bill, as well as a handful of other amendments, to appease some homeowners and the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association. As introduced, the bill would have protected builders during defect litigation as long as they had a certificate of occupancy from a local government. Questions linger A separate bill sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat, would have added more protections for homeowners in defect litigation, but she pulled it when some of its provisions got rolled into HB-1272. That includes a requirement for builders to give a claimant documents related to building plans, soil reports, maintenance recommendations and insurance. Still, Bacon said there are questions lingering about the process and cost to homeowners who find construction defects under the proposed program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her bill would have changed the statute of limitations for defect claims to begin when a homeowner discovers a problem, not when the problem happens in the first place, but that timeline switch did not make it into the amended HB-1272. Were still looking forward to striking a balance where we could confidently say that we have created a program where builders will build, but also the things that were bargained with that have to do with homeowners are not going to leave them in a place where they have to buy at their own risk, and that is incredibly important, she said ahead of the final House vote. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration, where it is sponsored by Senate President James Coleman, a Denver Democrat, and Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Frisco Democrat. Six senators, including three Republicans, are already signed on in support. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A Colorado man has been sentenced to life without parole plus 15 years for the murder of a young man who was walking his dogs in Buckhead in 2023. David Kinney killed Jayden McKinnon and stole his French bulldog. Fulton County Prosecutor Adriane Love told Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne that video played a key role, but the real key was witness testimony. McKinnon died over a dog and greed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kinney was already wanted for a murder out of Colorado days earlier when he shot McKinnon and stole his expensive French bulldog named Bonjour, whom he called Bonjee. McKinnon was walking both his dogs on Aug. 13, 2023, when he was mortally wounded. Its a very tragic case. A young man loses his life trying to protect his animal, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said. The defendant took a gun that Jayden carried with him while he walked his dogs and he shot Jayden, Love said. He loved them dogs, McKinnons mother Sahr McKinnon said. He walked them every day, fed them, they slept with them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Love said Kinney arrived at the Buckhead apartment complex where the McKinnons lived in a stolen Dodge Charger. TRENDING STORIES: The defendant inquired about the cost of the price of the French bulldogs that Jayden was walking. Jayden told him how much each of them cost, but then he was heard on the phone by the person he was speaking to as he walked near the defendant saying no these dogs arent for sale, Love said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Love said after gunshots were heard, the stolen Charger raced out of the apartment complex but ran over a curb and damaged its oil pan. She said an Atlanta police officer encountered the car, pulled up behind the disabled Charger on the Buford/Spring Connector, and spotted a gun in the passengers hand. But the car, driven by a friend of Kinneys, who has not been charged, took off and got away despite a chase though it was later seen on the back of a tow truck having also broken down. FBI spokesperson Jenna Sellito said on Aug. 17, 2023, days after McKinneys murder, the FBI obtained a warrant against Kinney for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution involving a murder in Colorado on Aug. 5 of that year. On Aug. 18, 2023, the FBI arrested him here. We wanna give praise to the FBI, who was the one who actually captured the defendant, Willis said. By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil may continue to challenge the legality of his arrest by immigration authorities in New Jersey, rather than in Louisiana where he is being held, a U.S. judge ruled on Tuesday. The decision by U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark, New Jersey, means any appeals in the Palestinian activist's case will be heard by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has a 6-6 split between active judges appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents, instead of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the country's most conservative appeals court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Khalil's case is seen as a test of Republican President Donald Trump's efforts to deport pro-Palestinian activists who have not been charged with any crime. His lawyers say Trump's administration improperly targeted him for his political views and prominence in student protests. The Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of hundreds of foreign students it says took part in the protests that swept college campuses protesting the U.S. government's military support of Israel. The government says Khalil, 30, and other international students who take part are harming U.S. foreign policy interests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The jurisdictional dispute arose because Khalil, a legal permanent resident who was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, spent several hours in a New Jersey detention facility after his March 8 arrest in neighboring Manhattan. Khalil's defense lawyers said that made New Jersey an adequate forum for him to challenge the government's effort to deport him in a separate case in immigration court. But government lawyers argued that such cases, known as habeas corpus petitions, must be brought in whatever district a detainee is being held. In a 67-page ruling, Farbiarz wrote that there was an exception to the general rule requiring habeas corpus petitions to be brought in the district of confinement in instances where that location is unknown. Farbiarz wrote that failing to apply that exception would have meant Khalil "would not have been able to call on any habeas court. Not in Louisiana, New York, or New Jersey. And not anywhere else, either." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khalil's lawyers have said that shortly after they learned he was taken to New Jersey, authorities told them he was in the process of being moved to Louisiana. Khalil's lawyers have also asked Farbiarz to release him from jail while the case plays out, in part so he can be with his American citizen wife Noor Abdalla for the birth of their first child. Abdalla's due date is April 28, according to a letter from her doctor filed in court. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New YorkEditing by Bill Berkrot) The State Council Information Office holds a press conference on the 8th Digital China Summit in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Pan Xu) BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The 8th Digital China Summit will convene in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, from April 29 to 30, showcasing the nation's digital transformation achievements amid robust growth in the digital sector. The summit aims to address bottlenecks in data utilization and realize market-oriented value creation, said Liu Liehong, head of the National Data Administration, at a State Council Information Office press conference on Monday. China's digital industry generated 35 trillion yuan (about 4.9 trillion U.S. dollars) in business revenue in 2024, up 5.5 percent year on year, with total profit reaching 2.7 trillion yuan, a 3.5-percent increase, official data showed. The summit will release a series of policy documents, including reports on digital China development and the national data resource survey, serving as strategic guidance for future digital development, Liu added. More than 300 professional institutions are expected to participate in the event, with companies constituting over 75 percent of participants and private enterprises exceeding 50 percent, both figures an increase from previous editions, said Guo Ningning, Party chief of Fuzhou. The event will feature over 100 activities centered on digital transformation, data element applications, technological breakthroughs and industrial cluster development. A highlight of this year's summit will be the unprecedented display of cutting-edge technologies, with more than 65 percent of the products on display appearing for the first time. This will include smart robots, advanced drones, brain-like computing and multi-modal large language models, Guo noted. Visitors will experience immersive digital scenarios, including interactive humanoid robot greeters, robot dog performances and digital cultural experiences in Fuzhou's historic and cultural city blocks like Sanfangqixiang, which literally means "three lanes and seven alleys," blending traditional culture with modern technology. The digital economy has become a significant driver of China's economic growth, with core digital industries contributing approximately 10 percent of gross domestic product in 2024, while China's "lighthouse factories" now account for over 40 percent of the global total. Lighthouse factories are plants recognized by the World Economic Forum for their leadership in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The National Data Administration will continue focusing on market-oriented reform of data elements, guiding pilot projects of digital China development in key regions, and promoting international cooperation to further advance digital economic development, Liu said. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Columbus City Council approved a grant program that primarily focuses on women-owned businesses and women entrepreneurs. Columbus Councilmember Nick Bankston said small businesses are the backbone of the community, which is why its important the city gives small business owners the resources they need to succeed. Columbus City Schools reverting to birth names catches students, teachers off guard Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the last day of Womens History Month, Columbus City Council approved the Small Business Boost Grant program. It really focuses on making sure those individual women boost their individual credit scores to be able to provide them the opportunity to be ready for funding when it comes to their individual businesses, Bankston said. The program will provide the funds, training and technical support to the citys local financial empowerment center to create one-on-one free financial counseling. We look forward to seeing women in Columbus realize their dream of entrepreneurship and become a part of a growing local economy known for opportunity and innovation, Columbus Department of Development Assistant Director Hannah Reed said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 60-ton crane stolen from south Columbus construction site According to some council members, women-owned businesses make up approximately 22% of all small businesses in the city, representing $14.1 million in total revenue and employing more than 28,000 community members. Nationally, women-owned businesses generate $2.7 trillion $2.7 trillion, thats with a T in revenue, yet less than 2% of venture capital funding is allocated towards women-owned startups, Columbus City Councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla said. We know that when we invest in women, were investing in our families, were investing in our communities, but most importantly, we continue to make sure that when women succeed, Columbus succeeds, Bankston said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The grant is a private grant from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund in an amount up to $90,000. Bankston said the program is a way for the city to show its commitment to women-owned businesses. Harsher penalties for those caught driving under the influence to take effect in Ohio Oftentimes, businesses dont close their doors because they have a bad product or because theres something wrong with the business per se, but its because they dont have those tools and that access to capital to make sure that theyre able to be sustainable, he said. Bankston said the funding will start to roll out as soon as contracts go into effect. 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. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Columbus City Schools students with preferred names in the district system had their names reverted to what is on their birth certificate. This mainly affected transgender and nonbinary students, and they were not notified that this was happening. Students and teachers were caught off guard on March 19 when attendance was called and they realized preferred names were changed in the districts system, called Infinite Campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This should be a welcoming state: DeWine denies claim of anti-LGBTQ+ climate in Ohio He found out about the rescinded name change policy at school, one parent with a transgender son said. His fourth-period teacher advised him to go to the office because his preferred name was not listed in Infinite Campus. My son started to go to the office and in a panic ran to the bathroom to call me at work. To have that happen on such a grand scale and to not even see it coming, I dont think that there are any words to describe the feelings that folks had when that happened, said Izetta Thomas, the lead organizer with the Columbus Education Justice Coalition. Thomas said she has been talking to parents and students since the day of the change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those names that were in the system were actually there with parent consent and permission, because there was a form that parents had to fill out for that change to even be in the system at all, Thomas said. The parent said the past few weeks since the name changes have been long and difficult for their son and their family. 60-ton crane stolen from south Columbus construction site My son has not physically been back to school since March 19, the parent said. For his safety, we unenrolled from his previous school. Now, his educational opportunities have been taken from him. Columbus Schools Superintendent Dr. Angela Chapman sent out a letter to students, parents and staff on Friday acknowledging that no warning was given. In the letter, Chapman said in part, We did not provide prior notice this was occurring, nor did we ensure support was in place to prioritize the emotional well-being of everyone impacted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chapman also apologized for how the district handled this situation. The letter cited recent Ohio laws like the bathroom bill and the Parents Bill of Rights as reason why the names were changed, but Thomas said that none of these laws require school districts to revert trans students names. Ohio Given Name Act proposes strict rules for names, pronouns in schools A lot of the information that weve been getting from folks at the district is that it was anticipatory, Thomas said. An apology is not enough. An apology is not accountability, and thats what were looking for, is accountability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The parent did say Chapman called them personally to apologize, but they said she offered little in solutions. Thomas said a number of people from the Columbus Education Justice Coalition will be at the next Columbus Board of Education meeting to show their support for impacted students and families. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) The City of Columbus has joined a federal lawsuit in anticipation of funding cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency for a grant that would pay for more than 1,000 trees planted in historically Black neighborhoods. City Attorney Zach Klein announced in a news release that Columbus has spent $393,930 of a $500,000 urban forestry grant it expected the Recreation and Parks Department to reimburse by way of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The City sought the grant to further expand its tree canopy through the purchase and plantings of approximately 1,250 diverse, large-class street trees in disadvantaged areas. Ohio Republicans form own version of DOGE Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Columbus, neighborhoods targeted for tree planting were data driven the areas selected lacked trees compared to other parts of town, Klein said. Yet DOGE algorithms seem to have haphazardly targeted this important initiative that will lead to better health outcomes, air quality and home values for our residents simply because it was a historically Black neighborhood. Columbus is one of more than a dozen plaintiffs in the complaint filed in a federal court in South Carolina. The document names President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, DOGE and other government officials and agencies as defendants. According to the lawsuit, the city became concerned that it would not receive the grant money on Feb. 18, when ODNR sent a letter to the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. The letter stated that the U.S. Forestry Service was not processing Ohios reimbursement requests and that the city should temporarily suspend expenses against their grant, given the risk that expenses would not be reimbursed. However, after submitting a Sub Awardee Request for Reimbursement(s) to ODNR for $393,930, an ODNR email confirmed the grant was approved for implementation on March 13. The court filing reflects the citys fear that the federal government will continue to turn this grant on and off and may well not ultimately reimburse the city for the full amount of eligible expenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DOGEs claim of saving $1 million at Ohio State doesnt fit any records Despite the uncertainty of the Citys request for compensation, the $500,000 USDA-originated grant does not appear on the DOGE website under its grant terminations dashboard. The U.S. governments official spending site also listed the grant as in progress. On its website, ODNR is accepting 2025 applications for Ohios Urban Forestry Grant Program, stating that the funding is a follow up grant program to supplement the original grant program in 2024 to build upon executed awards and fund new projects. Columbus City Council documents reveal that on March 3, the Recreation and Parks Department once again received the go-ahead to apply for grant funding from the ODNR Urban Forestry Grant Program, which will be used to plant up to 250 street trees in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Columbus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will continue to make expanding our tree canopy a cornerstone of our environmental policies, not only to reduce energy usage, but to make healthier, equitable environments for residents in all of our neighborhoods, said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. The city said in the lawsuit that the money for the trees will have to come out of Columbuss capital budget if the grant money fails to materialize. Cat police, a topless barber: Seven of central Ohios biggest April Fools pranks NBC4 has contacted ODNR and DOGE for an update on where the grant money stands. Additionally, Green Columbus was also expecting $50,000 of federal funding through ODNR for trees planted at Columbus City Schools. Columbus City Council announced it will provide the organization $40,000 for its upcoming Earth Day efforts due to the reimbursement delay and Green Columbus having to dip into its Earth Month funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Final-Complaint-Federal-Funding-Freeze-Litigation-3-19-2025Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Andrew Graham WyoFile Its been three weeks since Stephanie Bearstail died under suspicious circumstances on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and the 18-year-olds family is mourning her as they wait for answers from federal investigators. Bearstail was a passionate softball player and determined student eager to graduate high school and enter college she had recently expressed interest in becoming a radiologist, her parents Nikki and Kevin Ferris told WyoFile in a phone interview this week. As a senior, she was already taking courses at Central Wyoming College. Their only daughter was also a certified goofball, a little boss of the house and her three brothers, and a bright light in the lives of the family and many others on the reservation. Even we were surprised how many people knew her, Nikki Ferris said. We knew of her friends, but we didnt know how many she had. On March 15, those friends and others as many as 200 people, according to news reports walked to a fence line along the side of Wyoming 137, a road that cuts across the reservation, running from near the Wind River Casino outside Riverton west to Fort Washakie. Thats the area where authorities say Bearstail somehow exited a moving vehicle on a windy March night. A memorial at a roadside outside Riverton that investigators have connected to the death of Stephanie Bearstail, who is believed to have exited a moving SUV amid circumstances that remain a mystery to the public. (Andrew Graham/WyoFile) At the demonstration, Bearstails supporters wore red the color that has become a symbol for the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women that plagues communities on and off the reservation. They carried signs that read Justice for Steph, some of which still hung weeks later on the barbed wire fence that threads between the sage brush. Bearstails death, her mother said, just blindsided all of us. The Ferrises declined to share details, saying they do not want to publicly reveal information that could complicate the job of investigators. But they have reason to believe their daughter was a victim of violence, they said. The main thing that I think of every day is I just wish somebody would come out and tell the truth about what happened, Nikki said. I dont understand how anyone could know what happened and not say anything. Bearstail grew up and lived her entire life in Fort Washakie, where her father was involved in law enforcement and today is a judge on the Wind River Tribal Court. The night of March 4, Bearstail did not return home by her 10:30 p.m. curfew. The parents could remember only one other time their lively but studious daughter had been late for her curfew, they told WyoFile. They grew worried, and within an hour, left home to look for her. The parents tracked their daughters phone location, which placed her in the area between Riverton and the small reservation community of Arapahoe. She did need help, and we were trying to find her, her mother said. On the drive, they received word she had been hospitalized, and so they headed to SageWest Hospital in Riverton. They were able to spend time with Bearstail before she died, but their daughter was unable to speak or share what happened to her, they said. The Wyoming Highway Patrol, which maintains a list of highway fatalities from around the state, published an entry to the list about a week after Bearstails death, according to news reports. The entry states: An unknown SUV was traveling westbound on Rendezvous Road. The SUV passenger allegedly jumped out of the vehicle while it was in motion for unknown reasons. The entry does not say where investigators learned of the allegation that Bearstail jumped from the SUV. Authorities havent identified the driver. The Wyoming Highway Patrol directed WyoFile to the FBI for comment on the case. The FBI has said only that the case remains under investigation. The Fremont County Coroners office is conducting the autopsy, which hasnt been finalized, a representative of that office said this week. Using the limited information from the highway patrol fatality database, news organizations ran headlines stating that Bearstail allegedly jumped from the car to her death. Those reports disturbed the family, the Ferrises said, because taken in isolation, the information suggests Bearstail was responsible for her own death. The headlines, Nikki said, served to deflect off what happened to her. But Bearstails community appears dedicated to keeping focus on her case and on the issue of domestic violence, which they believe led to her death. Other community events are in the works, the Ferrises told WyoFile. Native American women fall prey to violence, murders and unexplained deaths at disproportionally higher rates compared to other demographics in the United States. Many of the cases go unsolved, and reformers have pointed to the complicated jurisdictional nature of reservations where local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement sometimes overlap in areas that are often economically depressed and, in the West, geographically isolated as leading to a lack of accountability for perpetrators of violence. That does not appear to be the case here, as the FBI swiftly took control of the investigation. In this case, the FBI, they were [at the crime scene] that morning, Nikki said. They got involved quickly. Bearstail was the second oldest of the couples children. Her younger brothers, ages 15 and 13, have tried to return to school, but on some days have had to go home or havent been up for going at all, their mother said. Theyre not doing OK, Nikki said. Its really hard. Since her daughters death, Nikki has made a steady stream of posts to social media, calling for justice, expressing her raw grief and remembering her daughter. There are videos of Bearstail running track, and of her dancing full of life. As the Ferrises have received messages sharing swirling rumors about the night Bearstail died, theyve implored people to take what they know to the FBI. But to date, all the family has been told by officials is that an investigation is active, the parents said. The FBI said it would take time, Nikki said in the March 25 interview. To her knowledge, theyre still out there investigating, she said. In a statement to WyoFile sent Wednesday evening, an FBI spokesperson for the Denver Field Office said the agency appreciate[s] public interest in this incident and encourage[s] anyone with information to contact the Bureau of Indian Affairs/Wind River Police or the FBI. The agency could not offer a time frame for when it would conclude the investigation, the statement read. We methodically and thoroughly address every element of the incident, spokesperson Vikki Migoya said. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy. Correction: This story was updated to correct a misspelling of Nikki Ferris name. Ed. Rutherford County will build a $15 million forensic center for autopsies off Weakley Lane in north Smyrna, officials have decided. The Rutherford County Commission voted 17-3 to approve the forensic center and morgue project, which will use existing government funds instead of borrowing money. Commissioners Robert Peay Jr., Wayne Ervin and Paul Johnson opposed the project without saying why during a meeting held last month. Commissioner Pettus Read was absent because of a viral illness. He watched the meeting on TV in hopes of the forensic center getting approved, he said. A groundbreaking is expected on July 1 for a project that's expected to be completed January 2027 on county property next to the Rutherford County Clerk's satellite office on Weakley Lane, Read said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 'Its for any unexplained death' Rutherford County leaders seek forensic center The county's future forensic center should reduce operational costs, currently $1 million to $1.5 million per year to outsource autopsies to a busy forensic center in Nashville, Read said. I think its going to be a quite a benefit to the citizens of Rutherford County that now we have our own forensic center," said Read, chairman of the commission's public safety committee. "The funds that once went elsewhere can now be used for solving crimes in Rutherford County, providing answers to family members of individuals within Rutherford Couty and speeding up the process for those waiting for their loved ones. Pettus Read Previous forensic center plan in 2021: Rutherford County Commission authorizes mayor to negotiate purchase of old State Farm building for law enforcement Stolen joke about forensic center entices meeting laughter This architect rendering from Kline Swinney Associates shows a future $15 million Rutherford County Forensic Center for autopsies off Weakley Lane in north Smyrna. The forensic center project also had a majority support from the commission Public Safety, Health and Education, Property Management, and Budget, Finance and Investment committees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county property for the forensic center also has space for a future commission-approved Emergency Medical Services station and two ambulances. Read also noted that a joke he told commission chairman Jeff Phillips about the long-time goal for the forensic center ended up being stolen when Phillips repeated the comment during the meeting. "Weve been looking at a forensic center almost 10 years, and I would like to walk into that forensic center with my eyes open instead of laying down," said Phillips, who admitted after the meeting that he stole the joke. Jeff Phillips Many people attending the meeting laughed at the joke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nashville medical examiner in 2020: Mayor Bill Ketron incorrect in comments about backed-up autopsies Commission wants locked-in $15M prices before tariffs start In addition to approving the $15 million forensic center project, the majority of the commission rejected a proposal from Commissioner Craig Harris to assign the project to the county's Public Building Authority (PBA). Harris said the PBA has appointed members with architecture and building experience and it would improve transparency for the project. He only had support for using the PBA from Commissioners Jonathan Beverly, Robert Peay Jr. and Romel McMurry. Commissioner Trey Gooch had concerns that locked-in project prices could go up by using a different PBA process. Gooch noted that expected tariffs involving construction materials from Canada could add to the project costs while waiting on legal agreements with the PBA to be completed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phillips said after the meeting he expects any work order adjustments on the project to come before the county's purchasing committee, where serves with five other commissioners and Mayor Joe Carr as chairman. Project contractors will provide monthly updates to the commission's Property Management Committee, Phillips said. Solid waste transfer center project: Trash-hauling contract reconsidered by Rutherford County Purchasing Committee Video shows forensic center advocates This site plan shows location of future Rutheford County forensic center off Weakley Lane near County Clerk's satellite office. Prior to the decision on the forensic center, commissioners watched a video with public safety officials talking about the benefits of pursuing autopsies in Smyrna. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The future center will improve efficiency so police detectives and fire marshals can be present for autopsies and communicate with a pathologist in Smyrna, officials said on the video. Rutherford is among the more than 60 counties using the Middle Tennessee Regional Forensic Center in northwest Nashville, according to the video. Detectives in Rutherford County face commutes that can take up to 2 hours to be present for autopsies in Nashville, Murfreesboro Police Lt. James Abbott said on the video. Homicide investigation: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation pursues autopsy of inmate who died at Rutherford County Adult Detention Center Grieving mother wants 'compassion' from local forensic center Smyrna Police Chief Jason Irvin mentioned on the video that his detectives will have higher priorities with autopsies at a future forensic center within three miles of his town's department instead of having to wait behind other jurisdictions using the forensic center in Nashville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The local forensic center will provide training to detectives and others in understanding autopsies and building a stronger rapport with a pathologist, the video speakers suggested. The video also included a grieving mother talking about the death of her adult daughter. The mother mentioned the communication challenges to convince the busy medical examiner's office in Nashville that her daughter was a not a suicide victim. The cause of death was proven to be a homicide after the daughter's husband admitted to staging what appeared to be a suicide, the mother said. "I would have loved to be heard," the mother said. "I would have loved someone show compassion. I think thats a huge part thats missing." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homicide of child: Multiple gunshots kill baby and wound mother in Murfreesboro Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription. This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Future $15M Rutherford County forensic center to keep autopsies local Two teams of University of Iowa graduate students will host a community-wide open house at the Burlington Public Library from 12:30-5 p.m. Friday, April 4, a news release says. City of Burlington (burlingtoniowa.org) The students will share their ideas for the cities of Burlington and West Burlington to cultivate a rich arts and culture ecosystem as well as expand transportation options. There will be interactive prompts to encourage residents to share their thoughts and provide feedback on the students ideas. The open house is welcome to residents of all ages, featuring a kids corner where younger attendees can engage in activities, along with interactive stations for everyone to participate. Drinks and snacks will also be provided for residents to enjoy as they are making their way through the different stations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The students will use the feedback in selecting arts, culture and transportation recommendations and priorities that reflect the interests of the community. The arts and culture ideas will guide the future of Burlington and West Burlingtons arts and culture scene to work towards developing the joint community, enhance their identity, and build cohesion between the two cities. The transportation ideas will contribute towards policy recommendations in the two cities that improve the accessibility of alternative transportation modes, such as walking and using public transit. The arts & culture and transportation planning projects are made possible through a collaboration between the City of West Burlington, City of Burlington, and the University of Iowas Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) program. Through IISC, over 100 University of Iowa students are working with community leaders and residents on a wide variety of projects over the course of the academic year. The project list includes a prairie installation in West Burlington, public art, storm-water engineering, and many more. About Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities The University of Iowas Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) is an engaged learning program housed in the School of Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Iowa. IISC pursues a dual mission of enhancing the sustainability of Iowas communities while transforming teaching and learning at the university. To learn more about IISCs partnerships and projects visit 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. Community members came together in Carpentersville to show their support for a family that lost three children in a house fire Sunday. Over 100 people came for a vigil Monday night by the home where the fire happened. Several family members were in attendance, including the mother of the three children who died. Authorities said two young children were pronounced dead at the scene. A third child was taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I wasnt even able to say goodbye. At least I was able to say goodbye to Kayden, mother Josephine Beauchane said. Dont leave without saying goodbye, because you wont know its going to be your last time. It was heartbreaking, because I felt his heart stop and the doctors told me they wont be able to save him anymore. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 3 children confirmed dead from Carpentersville house fire, investigators working to determine cause The house fire started Sunday morning on Kingston Circle. During a news conference Monday, officials did not share their names and ages. However, family members told WGN-TV the three children who died were all under age 3. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We recognize this tragedy profoundly impacts our community. However, we are unable to relay further details at this time, as our investigation is ongoing, Kane County Coroner Dr. Monica Silva said. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines I have grandkids and nieces and nephews that are around this age (of the children who died). The tragedys something horrible, vigil attendee Michelle said. The Kane County Coroners Office announced that its launching an independent investigation into the fire, which could take several weeks to complete. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. By Sonia Rolley (Reuters) - The Congo government and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels aim to hold direct talks on April 9, sources from both camps said on Tuesday, a potential boost to Qatar's efforts to end the Central African country's worst fighting in decades. The meeting in Doha would be the two sides' first direct negotiations since M23 fighters captured eastern Congo's two largest cities in a rapid offensive that has left thousands dead and forced hundreds of thousands more from their homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One Congolese official said that talks were scheduled for April 9 "unless the other side misbehaves". A source inside M23 confirmed the date and said it would present Kinshasa with its demands. Both sides have agreed not to publicly discuss the substance of the talks, the sources said. Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame held a surprise meeting in Doha on March 18. Qatar hosted a second round of talks between the two countries beginning on Friday and met separately with M23 representatives. Congolese officials and M23 have not yet met, sources said. Rwanda denies supporting M23 and says its military has been acting in self-defence against Congo's army and militias hostile to Kigali. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The conflict, which has raged on Congo's eastern border with Rwanda and Uganda, is rooted in the fallout from Rwanda's 1994 genocide and regional competition for mineral riches. M23 has long demanded direct negotiations with Kinshasa, but Tshisekedi had refused, arguing that M23 was merely a front for Rwanda. He reversed his position last month amid mounting battlefield defeats, and agreed to send a delegation to Luanda, the Angolan capital. Those talks were cancelled at the last minute when M23 pulled out after being hit by European Union sanctions. (Reporting by Sonia Rolley, writing by Edward McAllister; editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Mark Heinrich) NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) The push continues for greater action to combat street takeovers, illegal ATV use, and reckless driving. At the New Haven Police Academy on Tuesday, state and local leaders as well as police chiefs from different departments came together to urge the passage of several pieces of legislation. Street takeover shut down Berlin Turnpike Its April Fools Day, but this is no joke, said Mayor Justin Elicker, of New Haven. Drag racing, street takeovers, ATVs, dirt bikes, is no joke. Its dangerous to our community; its dangerous for the folks who engage in this type of activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If passed, these bills would impose stiffer fines and penalties to those participating in or organizing a street takeover; impound vehicles used in street takeovers; destroy impounded dirt bikes and ATVs; among other measures. For those who are thinking of coming into our communities, were fed up with it, said First Selectman Michael Freda, of North Haven. Were disgusted with you. And were not going to take any more of your nonsense. Police work to combat these issues, but they cant do it alone. We say this all the time; the criminals have no boundaries, said Chief Karl Jacobson, of the New Haven Police Department. And we do. So, when we work together, we have a force multiplier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres hope these bills will pass this legislative session, finding bipartisan support. Mike is a Republican from North Haven, said Mayor Elicker. Im a Democrat from New Haven. And we have representation from towns all over the issue who care about this issue. Its a bipartisan issue. New Haven officials and state leaders met Tuesday morning to discuss the rise of dangerous street takeovers. Watch the video 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. PHNOM PENH, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has seen a rise in the number of people arrested in drug cases, but a decline in the amount of narcotics seized in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, said an Anti-Drug Department (ADP)'s report released on Tuesday. The authorities had apprehended 6,048 drug-related suspects during the January-March period this year, up 10 percent from 5,489 over the same period last year, the report said, adding that 192 suspects were foreigners of eight nationalities. "A total of 1.4 tons of illicit drugs had been confiscated from those suspects in the Q1 of 2025," the report said. The amount of seized drugs in Q1 this year dropped 61 percent from 3.65 tons in Q1 last year, the report added. Most of the confiscated narcotics included ketamine, ecstasy, heroin, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine pills, cocaine, and cathinone. The Southeast Asian nation has no death sentence for illicit drug traffickers. Under its law, those found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grams of illicit drugs could be imprisoned for life. ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) A multiple-time convicted felon has been charged in connection with an assault and shooting in Robeson County, authorities said Tuesday. Fabian J. Perez, 40, of Hope Mills, North Carolina, was apprehended Sunday after about a 30-minute standoff with Robeson County deputies, according to the sheriffs office. He was charged with first-degree kidnapping, felonious restraint, assault by strangulation, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, assault on a female, and assault with a deadly weapon. Deputies responded just before 5 p.m. Sunday to Highway 301 N. for a female being assaulted, the sheriffs office said. He was taken into custody after negotiations with authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perez is also charged with discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling. That charge stems from him allegedly shooting into a random house in the area of W. Parkton Tobermory Road on Friday, deputies said. Perez was booked into the Robeson County Detention Center and given a $501,000 secured bond. * * * 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. Momodou Taal, a British-Gambian Ph.D. student who had been studying at Cornell University. - Credit: Courtesy of Momodou Taal Last fall, Momodou Taal, a dual Gambian and U.K. citizen working toward a Ph.D. in Africana studies at Cornell University, was facing suspension and the loss of his F-1 student visa because he had attended a pro-Palestine campus demonstration. As he told Rolling Stone at the time, having his legal status revoked would have been tantamount to an effective deportation, with no grace period for leaving the country. In the end, facing significant public pressure from the student body and beyond, Cornell backed down on its threat and allowed Taal to remain enrolled at the school. But months later, with the Trump administration brazenly arresting foreign campus activists who accuse Israel of committing genocide in their bombardment of Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, Taal had his visa revoked by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents and shortly afterward announced that he had opted to leave the United States for his own safety. More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This of course is not the outcome I had wanted going into this, but we are facing a government that has no respect for the judiciary or the rule of law, Taal wrote in a statement he shared Monday on X. He added: As of now, Im safe and just need time to rest, decompress and process. The longer we waited, it became clear that I was gambling with my freedom, Taal tells Rolling Stone, explaining that ICE agents had previously visited his residence while he was out, according to a housemate who interacted with them. He made the abrupt decision to leave in the wee hours of Monday morning, taking only the essentials while leaving other possessions behind. While Taal is not revealing his current location, he says he will eventually return to the U.K., where he has family and friends. The same day he announced his departure, Thomas Scripps, assistant national secretary of the U.K.s Socialist Equality Party, said on X that he had delivered a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy about Taals case, insisting the British government act to defend the rights of its citizen against the attacks of the Trump administration. Taal is but one of many international student visa holders targeted by Secretary of State Marco Rubios Catch and Revoke program, which has seen White House and ICE officials smear pro-Palestine activists as pro-jihadist supporters of Hamas, the militant group responsible for the deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. As of last week, Rubio said, the U.S. had rescinded at least 300 student visas. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas, he explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some foreign nationals have been snatched off the streets or from their homes by masked plainclothes ICE agents and detained without criminal charges as their deportations are processed. Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student and Fulbright Scholar originally from Turkey who co-wrote an op-ed for a student newspaper urging the school to acknowledge the Palestinian genocide, was picked up while walking alone in Somerville, Massachusetts, and shipped to an ICE facility in Louisiana against a judges order that she not be moved out of state. Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian green-card holder born in Syria and recipient of a graduate degree from Columbia University, where he had negotiated with administrators during pro-Palestine protests on campus, was arrested in front of his eight-months pregnant wife, who recorded the raid on their New York apartment. He, too, was sent to Louisiana. Such cases have unleashed more protests. As these arrests began, Taal and his legal team looked to force a legal showdown with the Trump administration over what civil rights groups have called an unconstitutional crackdown on free speech. On March 15, he and fellow Cornell Ph.D. candidate Sriram Parasurama and Mukoma Wa Ngugi, a literature professor, filed a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing that two of Trumps executive orders titled Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats and Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism flouted the First and Fifth Amendments. Both Orders violate the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike by impermissibly restricting speech based on viewpoint, in violation of the First Amendment, the complaint said. They also raise serious due process concerns under the Fifth Amendment by threatening severe penalties such as deportation or criminal prosecution based on vague, subjective, and overbroad standards that grant unfettered discretion to government officials. The chilling effects of the orders were already evident, the suit alleged, as they were clearly intended to suppress dissenting viewpoints, including criticism of U.S. foreign policy and support for the Palestinian cause. On March 21, Taals attorneys received a court order that their client present himself at a Homeland Security Investigations office in Syracuse and surrender to ICE custody. The government claimed that Taals visa had been revoked March 14, the day before his suit was filed, but that they had been unable to serve him notice of this change in status. Taal doesnt believe this claim is accurate, he tells Rolling Stone. The governments account of events is that its not retaliation or retribution, but rather, we were planning to revoke his visa a day before he filed the lawsuit, he says. But even with that, I was not made aware until a week later. While he accepts that he might have been on a visa cancellation list before the suit, he still thinks ICE targeted him after the legal complaint. I fundamentally reject their timeline, he says. And I think theyre absolute liars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taals attorneys fought the surrender request, moving for a temporary restraining order, but were unsuccessful, with Judge Elizabeth Coombe of the Northern District of New York shooting down their motion on Thursday. We were due to submit a second briefing with the hope that I could stay out of detention whilst the lawsuit progressed, Taal wrote in his statement on Monday. But, he continued, Given what we have seen across the United States, I have lost faith that a favorable ruling from the courts would guarantee my personal safety and ability to express my beliefs. I have lost faith I could walk the streets without being abducted. Taal expressed his gratitude for all who had stood with him, particularly his legal team, which withdrew his lawsuit on Monday. Eric Lee, an immigration attorney on Taals case, shared his statement on X, adding: I feel like a stranger in my country. What is America if people like Momodou are not welcome here? It has been an honor to represent you. Taal included a warning in his letter: For every person that has remained silent, just know that you are not safe either. The repression of Palestinian solidarity is now being used to wage a wholesale attack on any form of expression that challenges oppressive and exploitative relations in the U.S. Still, the activist was not without hope. As sad as I feel right now, I do not despair, Taal wrote. I have never been more confident and sure that we will win and that Palestine will be free within our lifetime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taal says he is not opposed to returning to the U.S. someday but currently has no desire to do so, and that Cornell has agreed to let him finish his dissertation and degree remotely. I dont hate the country, he says. I dont hate the people. Yes, I have a very strong critique of U.S. foreign policy, imperialism, and how the U.S. acts against against communities who are oppressed. But its never a hatred for the place. Update April 4, 4:47 p.m.: This story has been updated with comment from Taal. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A Cornell University graduate student whose visa was revoked after he was involved in a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its actions against pro-Palestinian student protesters announced Monday that he will be leaving the United States voluntarily. Momodou Taal, a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Gambia, said on X that made the decision to leave the country "free and with my head held high." Momodou Taal. "Given what we have seen across the United States, I have lost faith that a favourable ruling from the courts would guarantee my personal safety and ability to express my beliefs," Taal wrote. "I have lost faith I could walk the streets without being abducted. Weighing up these options, I took the decision to leave on my own terms." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taal, 31, said it was not the outcome he wanted after he sued the Trump administration last month along with two U.S. citizens a Cornell professor and a Ph.D. student challenging its executive orders to combat anti-semitism on college campuses and expel foreign nationals who the administration says pose national security threats. In the lawsuit, Taal and the other plaintiffs argued that the administrations sweeping orders unconstitutionally silenced Plaintiffs and chilled protected expression, prohibiting them from speaking, hearing, or engaging with viewpoints critical of the U.S. government or the government of Israel, under threat of criminal prosecution or deportation. The administration has revoked at least 300 student visas of foreign-born people, most of whom were part of the pro-Palestinian movement that swept campuses last year, including Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk. A green card-holder, Mahmoud Khalil, was also detained and has been held in Louisiana since his March 8 arrest. Taal said he decided to sue the Trump administration hoping it would protect him and others in similar situations. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the Justice Department asked Taal to surrender to immigration authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taal and his lawyer, Eric Lee, said the administration sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to his home, revoked his student visa and took actions to prevent the lawsuit from going to court. According to Lee, unidentified authorities arrived outside Taals student apartment building and asked others about him before staff members asked them to leave. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Taal said that the first motion of the lawsuit was denied and that he was going to submit a second briefing to keep him out of detention while the lawsuit was in progress. The lawsuit was dismissed Monday night on behalf of all three plaintiffs following Taal's announcement, Lee told NBC News. "This is of course not the outcome I had wanted going into this, but we are facing a government that has no respect for the judiciary or for the rule of the law," Taal wrote on X. In response to news of Taal's departure from the U.S., White House press spokesperson Harrison Fields said, "Good riddance!" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taal ended his post with a warning that the administration's crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists sets a dangerous precedent. "The repression of Palestinian solidarity is now being used to wage a wholesale attack on any form of expression that challenges oppressive and exploitative relations in the U.S.," he wrote. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com WASHINGTON In 2022, Abraham George was coming after John Cornyn. Texas senior senator had just played a central role in passing the first gun safety bill in a generation a move that the partys right wing denounced as capitulating to Democrats. Members of the state party viciously booed him during their summer meeting that year. George, then leading the Collin County Republican Party in a censure motion against Cornyn, said the senator had crossed over with the Democrats too much and needed to be ousted from office. "The censure calls for his immediate resignation, and also calls for the state party to take actions on it," George said of Cornyn at the time, echoing a sentiment across the right wing within the party that George represented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When George was elected to lead the state party last year on a hard-right platform, he had the support of some of the most vocal Cornyn nay-sayers in the state, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. But as chair of the Republican Party of Texas and an influential spokesperson for the ultra-conservative faction of the party loyal to Donald Trump and skeptical of any wavering, George is not joining the anti-Cornyn chorus. Quite the opposite. Ever since I was elected, Senator Cornyn has been an ally to the party, George said in a statement for this story, in which he praised the senator for showing up before the State Republican Executive Committee. Cornyn promised to support President Trump's agenda and confirm his nominees. He has followed through on that promise. We will continue to work with all Republicans to advance a conservative agenda for our state and nation. The pair met in Cornyns Capitol Hill office last September to discuss election strategy a meeting where George lauded Cornyn for all your efforts in what is such a pivotal election in our nations history. Cornyn hosted the Republican Partys December Christmas party, where in a stark contrast to the boos of the 2022 state party meeting, he got a standing ovation. They met again when Cornyn invited George to be his guest to President Donald Trumps address to a joint session of Congress and discussed ways to get the federal government to reimburse Texas for its border security efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That could neutralize a potential threat as Cornyn faces a challenging primary terrain. The right wing of the party has continued to blast him for his role in the gun safety bill, his doubts about Trumps electability in last years elections and his support for the Ukrainian effort in its war against Russia. Paxton is openly considering a run against Cornyn, and George continues to organize and collaborate with the attorney general, including a statewide tour campaigning for state Rep. David Cook to be House speaker. Officially, the party is staying neutral in the primary. But its leadership has previously weighed in and gone after Republicans they did not perceive as sufficiently conservative. The party censured U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales in 2022 and then-state House Speaker Dade Phelan in 2024. Gonzales was censured for his votes for the same gun safety bill that sparked the backlash against Cornyn, and Phelan was censured for the impeachment of Attorney General Paxton and the appointment of Democratic committee chairs. Even before the censure against Phelan, the state party launched radio ads blasting him for continuing the tradition of allowing Democrats to serve as committee chairs. The move prompted criticism against then-party Chair Matt Rinaldi from other Republicans who did not think it productive to go after one of their own. Rinaldi did not seek reelection for the position during the state party convention last year. George has also expressed a willingness to call out members of his party in the past. He said at a news conference last November that there would be a bloody Republican primary in 2026 if state House members continue to support Democratic committee chairs in the lower chamber. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they support a speaker who appoints Democrats to committee chairs, its time for them to go, George said at the time. We will definitely try our best to work with them, but we have primaries coming in a few months after this, after the session, and I can promise you, if Im the chair, the party will be involved in those. Cornyn and George both declined requests for interviews. They both declined to comment when asked about how their relationship has evolved from the 2022 censure motion to now. Rinaldi said George appeared to be taking the position he had taken as party chair support Cornyn as part of the partys team, even if there are some policy disagreements along the way. Our goal in the Republican Party of Texas is to have a team that's striving to enact conservative policy, and Sen. Cornyn, as our senior senator right now, is a member of that team, Rinaldi said. We had a relationship when I was chair, and Abraham George is continuing that relationship. There will be agreements and disagreements over policy but we have an open channel of communication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rinaldi didnt say whom he would support in next years Senate primary, saying when he sees who will run, he will support the most conservative candidate that I think will serve Texas and the country best. He has cast doubt that Cornyn would win in a primary, writing on social media last November that Cornyn needs to go. Cornyn leads a formidable organizing and fundraising operation that benefits Texas Republicans down ballot. During the 2020 cycle when Cornyn was at the top of the ticket, he and the Republican Party of Texas worked together to send 40 million letters, texts and other messages to voters and register almost 320,000 new Republican voters. Voter contacts that year were important for the party as it was the first election after the state removed straight-ticket voting. He also raised $3.8 million for the Republican Party of Texas that year. Democrats should be running scared with my friend Abraham George at the helm of the Republican Party of Texas, Cornyn said in a statement for this story. Ive worked hand-in-glove with RPT every time Ive been on the ballot, and raised money for RPT when Im not on the ballot, to provide record-setting support for conservatives and turn out millions of Republican voters across Texas, and Im looking forward to reprising our successful partnership this cycle. There is still tension with Cornyn in some corners of the state party that feel his brand of conservatism is at odds with the MAGA movement. Many Republicans in Texas cant shake off his 2023 prediction that Trumps time has passed him by and that Trump potentially would not be able to win in the 2024 general election (Cornyn later endorsed Trump after the New Hampshire primary). Kelly Perry, a member of the SREC, said Cornyn could do better at times and that leaves many of us questioning his intent when he votes on occasion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is a great politician but there seems to be times where he gets lost and loses sight of who puts him in office, Perry said. Id like to know that the Republicans best interest is his first priority. We are all very clear where we stand, its just we question at times where he stands. Perry said that SREC members gave Cornyn a standing ovation at last years Christmas party only because he vowed to support Trumps nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Defense Secretary. Perry stressed she was giving her personal opinion and not speaking on behalf of the SREC or the Republican Party of Texas. Cornyn has been heavily emphasizing his support for Trump since the election. He vowed to support all of Trumps nominations this year. In his official campaign launch video, Cornyn leaned into his time as Republican whip, securing the votes for Trumps legislative agenda. He supported all of Trumps judicial and executive nominees during Trumps first term and voted with the president over 92% of the time. Paxton is the most vocal advocate for a primary challenge against Cornyn from the right and said an announcement on his own run could come in the next few months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its just time, Paxton told Punchbowl of a Cornyn challenge. Hes had his chance. He hasnt performed well, and the voters know it. You can go a long time without people paying attention. And theyre paying attention now. Other potential candidates include U.S. Reps. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, and Wesley Hunt, R-Houston, who have both made moves to increase their name-ID outside of their home districts. Neither has announced plans to run. We cant wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 1315 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey broke the record Tuesday for the longest speech on the Senate floor in U.S. history. His remarks, which focused on what he called a governmental crisis caused by President Trumps second-term agenda, began Monday at 7 p.m. ET; he went hold the floor for more than 25 consecutive hours, eclipsing Sen. Strom Thurmonds 24-hour, 18-minute filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Live from the Senate floor. https://t.co/ZQaixCC8AF Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) April 1, 2025 This is not right or left, it is right or wrong, Booker said more than 20 hours into his speech regarding Trumps sweeping cuts to the federal workforce. This is not a partisan moment, it is a moral moment. Where do you stand? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shortly before Booker announced his plan to deliver what is now the longest speech delivered in the Senate in U.S. history, he posted a video on social media explaining his motivation. Im about to go to the Senate floor, where I intend to be recognized, and when I am, I am not gonna stop speaking. Im going to not stop standing. Im going to go for as long as I am physically able to go, Booker said. Ive been hearing from people all over my state and indeed all over the nation calling upon folks in Congress to do more, to do things that recognize the urgency, the crisis of the moment. And so we all have a responsibility, I believe, to do something different, to cause, as John Lewis said, good trouble, and that includes me. In his speech, the 55-year-old senator singled out actions by the Trump administration to gut federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration, and he read and cited letters he's received from his constituents. I read letters from Social Security workers who now work in inadequate spaces with inadequate staff, unable to do their job that they love, Booker said. Theyre not leeches. Theyre not people who should be demeaned or degraded by the most powerful people in our land. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Booker said he was delivering his address to draw attention to what the administration was doing. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them, he added. Not technically a filibuster While Bookers speech made history, at least in its first hours it was technically not a filibuster, which is a procedural tool that allows senators to delay or prevent the vote on a given bill. The Senate tradition of unlimited debate has allowed for the use of the filibuster, a loosely defined term for action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question, the Senate states on its website. I may be tired and a little hoarse, but as I said again and again on the Senate floor, this is a moment where we cannot afford to be silent, when we must speak up. Whats most clear to me tonight is that this is just the beginning, that Americans across this country, no matter Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) April 2, 2025 Longest Senate speeches After passing the 22-hour mark of what would clock in as the longest Senate speech, Booker quipped that he didn't "have much gas left in the tank." But he did have enough to make history by holding the floor of the Senate for 25 hours and five minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The second longest speech in Senate history was given by Thurmond of South Carolina, who filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for 24 hours and 18 minutes. The third-longest was Sen. Ted Cruzs 2013 filibuster against the Affordable Care Act, which lasted for 21 hours and 19 minutes. Both the Civil Rights Act and the Affordable Care Act were eventually passed. Can a senator eat or take a restroom break during such a long speech? Booker was joined throughout the speech by Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, whose presence, along with appearances by other Democratic senators, allowed Booker to take short breaks from the microphone. But as USA Today reported, Booker's marathon session on the Senate floor did not allow for any food or bathroom breaks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Senator Booker, it has been a wonder to be with you on the floor these last 24 hours," Murphy said Tuesday night as Booker approached the record for the longest Senate speech, adding, "I've been with you for the last 24 hours, but I've sat for most of it. You've done the hard work." Murphy then ended his remarks by asking Booker what he hoped to accomplish with his speech. Booker responded by recounting his exchanges with civil rights icon John Lewis. John Lewis wouldnt treat this moment as normal, he said, then returned to his criticism of Trump and his aide Elon Musk. Yes, there is a man in the White House who is the most powerful man in the land, and his partner is the richest man in the world, but as long as this is a democracy, we can still protect the power of the people [which] is greater than the people in power," Booker said. It was fitting that Cory Booker was recounting a story about the late civil rights leader John Lewis as he entered the 19th minute and 24th hour of a historic speech to the Senate on Tuesday evening. In that moment, the first Black Senator for New Jersey broke a record for the longest speech ever made in Congress, one that was set 67 years ago by the segregationist Democrat Strom Thurmond, who spoke for a day and a night in opposition to the Civil Rights Act. Overcome with emotion, Booker looked up to the ceiling and touched his heart as his fellow Democrats in the chamber applauded his effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All right, I want to go a little bit past this and then I'm going to deal with some of the biological emergencies I'm feeling, he said. Booker, an avuncular 55-year-old who ran for president in 2020, invoked civil rights leaders throughout his marathon speech that he called in protest against the policies of Donald Trump, calling for greater resistance to his unprecedented second term. I don't know what John Lewis would say right now... but John Lewis would say something, he would do something. He wouldn't treat this moral moment like it was normal, Booker said. Booker began his speech in the Senate chamber at 7 pm the night before, promising to talk for as long as I am physically able. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In what he described as Americas moral moment, Booker criticized the Trump administration for its complete disregard for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the needs of the American people. "I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis, he said. I believe that not in a partisan sense, because so many of the people that have been reaching out to my office in pain, in fear, having their lives upended so many of them identify themselves as Republicans. In this image provided by Senate Television, Senator Cory Booker speaks on the Senate floor, Tuesday morning, April 1, 2025. (AP) Booker was still there Tuesday morning, looking tired and wired but still engaged in his suit and black tie, pacing around the podium with his glasses in his hand. "I've got fuel in the tank, man, he insisted at 10 a.m., some 15 hours in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his wide-ranging but targeted speech, the senator painted a picture of an administration that was corrupt, venal and chaotic. Pulling facts and figures from binders prepared by his staff, separated by issue, he laid into Trumps close advisor and tech billionaire Elon Musk, and the oligarchy that surrounded Trump, warning of looming cuts to Social Security and Medicaid that would hit the countrys poorest. This is the people's house. It's Article One of the Constitution, and it's under assault! he said in the 14th hour, with a raised voice, explaining what had motivated him to take his extraordinary action. Our spending powers, our budgetary powers, the power to establish agencies like the Department of Education and USAID, it's under assault by a president that doesn't respect this document, he continued. More than 60,000 people were tuned into his livestream of the speech on TikTok at one point. The video was liked more than 200 million times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He quoted poetry, Bible verses, song lyrics and senators and generals to keep control of the floor. He drew from speeches by iconic American figures such as Harriet Tubman, John McCain and John Lewis. The longer he continued, the more alliterative he became. Booker read personal stories of people impacted by Trumps policies among them a long account by a Canadian woman who was detained by immigration authorities for 12 days. His voice broke occasionally as he read those stories of hardship. These are not normal times in America, and they should not be treated as such, he said. Booker did not leave the chamber the entire time, even for a bathroom break. His only respite from speaking was to hear questions from fellow Democrats, who lined up to show support for Bookers protest and join the condemnation of Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each time they asked a question, Booker would repeat the same words to maintain his control of the floor: Yes, I will yield for a question while retaining the floor. Sen. Cory Booker speaks as Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, was among the many who stepped forward. Your strength, your fortitude, your clarity, has just been nothing short of amazing, and all of America is paying attention to what you're saying, he told Booker. Schumer returned when the record had been broken to break the news to Booker. Do you know you have just broken the record? Do you know how proud this caucus is of you? Do you know how proud America is of you? he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While not technically a filibuster a form of protest in which a lawmaker holds the floor of the legislative chamber to delay a vote Bookers speech did disrupt the work of the Senate, which was due to convene at midday. His speech was both a sign of desperation and a call to arms. Seventy-one days into Trumps second term, the Democratic Party has struggled to find a common or coherent response to his agenda. The party has been overwhelmed by the sweeping Executive Orders to dismantle government agencies and deport immigrants. It is still fighting over how they lost the last election, and how to win the next. The Democratic base has been screaming for its leaders to do something, anything, to put the brakes on the Trump administrations policies, while growing increasingly frustrated with the disconnectedness of its aging leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of that energy has been directed towards Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who have made their partys leaders look impotent as they have held huge rallies across the country in protest against Trump. At the same time, Trump has faced little to no opposition from his own party as he has tested the limits of presidential power, which has made Congress seem more irrelevant and powerless than it has in decades. It was perhaps with all of that in mind that Booker, a known admirer of the Senate process, chose the chamber to make his stand. But he did so with an acknowledgment of its limits. US President Donald Trump takes part in an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 31 March 2025. (EPA/ALEXANDER DRAGO / POOL) How do we stop them? I'm sorry to say we hold powerful positions. We are elected by great states, but we're in the minority right now, he said. It will take three people of conscience on that side, he added, pointing to the Republican side of the chamber to highlight the GOPs control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And he referenced Thurmonds speech in the final hours of his own. "I'm not here because of his speech. I'm here despite his speech, he said of Thurdmond. I'm here because as powerful as he was, the people are more powerful." Booker also repeatedly referred to the Constitution as he railed against Trump, occasionally appealing to the presidents own supporters. He promised to lower your grocery prices they're higher. He promised to be a better steward of the economy it's worse than what he inherited. Over and over, he's breaking promises and doing outrageous things like disappearing people off of American streets, violating fundamental principles of this document, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As he approached 20 hours, Booker became emotional but spirited as he invoked protest movements of Americas past and called for action. What do I want from my fellow Americans? Do better than me, do better than we, in this body. We are flawed and failed people, he said. My voice is inadequate. My efforts today are inadequate to stop what they're trying to do. But we, the people, are powerful. We are strong. We have changed history. We have bent the arc of the moral universe. And now is that moral moment again. Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of Yankees legend Brett Gardner, may have died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning, Costa Rican authorities announced Monday as they revealed that investigators found high levels of the noxious gas in the familys hotel room. Miller died suddenly on March 21 while on vacation in Costa Rica following a mysterious bout of illness that affected multiple members of the Gardner family. Early reports suggested that Miller likely died of asphyxiation in his sleep due to food poisoning, before that theory was ruled out. Costa Rican authorities suggested Miller Gardner (second from right) may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning while vacationing with this family. Instagram / Hunter Gardner Tests have since revealed that there were high levels of carbon monoxide contamination in the familys hotel room, which was located adjacent to a mechanical room, Randall Zuniga, general director of Costa Ricas Judicial Investigative Agency (OIJ), said Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its also important to note that next to [the familys] room there is a specialized machine room, from which it is believed some form of contamination may have reached the guest rooms, potentially causing the incident, Zuniga said in Spanish at a virtual press conference. The investigation, which is joint effort between Costa Ricas OIJ and the FBI, remains ongoing as officials wait for the final toxicology results, Zuniga added. High levels of carbon monoxide contamination were detected in the familys hotel room, Randall Zuniga, general director of Costa Ricas Judicial Investigative Agency, said Monday. Canal OIJ Brett Gardner (right) and his wife posted a touching obituary to their son on Monday. Nonetheless, the initial investigative findings indicate that the incident was due to this contamination, with levels as high as 600 parts per million detected when the appropriate level in this case should be zero, he said. Millers shocking death has confounded doctors and authorities alike. The theorized cause has pivoted from asphyxiation to an allergic reaction, but nothing will be known for certain until the toxicology report is ready which could take months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doctors on site the morning Miller was found unresponsive told The Post that they spent a grueling 30 minutes trying to revive the teenager. The Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort where the Gardner family was staying and reportedly dined the night before the teens death tried to distance itself from the tragedy following the food poisoning reports. But tourism country-wide plummeted in the wake of the high-profile death as vacationers canceled hotel reservations left and right. In another widely covered case just last month, three American tourists visiting Belize were found dead following fatal exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning in their hotel room. Additional reporting by Jared Downing Jerald Devin Braddock Jr shows pictures to pupils at the Hangzhou Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) HANGZHOU, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Warm spring sunlight bathed the bustling square. Standing at a short distance away, I watched a group of Chinese kids surrounding some American photographers, posing for pictures while making the "yay" gesture, with laughter rippling through the crowd. The photographers, who traveled from the United States to east China's Zhejiang Province, were thrilled by the hospitality before entering the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City in the provincial capital of Hangzhou. I joined them on a sightseeing minibus to explore the more than 5,000-year-old world heritage site. On the ride, Jerald Devin Braddock Jr was eager to share what he'd seen and heard. "I never imagined the children here would be so lovely, outgoing and eager to practice English," said Braddock, with a mixture of surprise and admiration in his voice. "You know, back home, we hear about China mostly through the news -- and it's rarely anything good." Just as he finished speaking, a young boy in the distance cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Welcome to China!" Braddock was momentarily caught off guard. For once, the usually talkative man felt like the shy one. As the minibus was about to turn the corner, Braddock quickly pulled out his camera to capture the moment. Through the lens, he saw the boy still sprinting after the bus, as his voice was carried to him by the wind. Braddock was not the only person taken with the people here. For Brian Alan Topolski, who will be 69 in April, this was his first journey outside the United States in his life. "I've heard beautiful stories about China, but what people talk about is sometimes true, sometimes not. I've always preferred to see things with my own eyes," said Topolski. Due to his age, Topolski often lagged behind the group, but he saw this as an opportunity to take in the surroundings more carefully. For me, it means extra time to get to know him better. Unlike others, he liked to linger sometimes, capturing pictures of sanitation workers sweeping the streets, exchanging smiles with passing food delivery riders, and asking shopkeepers how to say "delicious" in Mandarin. "People around the world want the same things in life: love and happiness," Topolski said. "It's important to keep the lines of communication open." Whenever he saw something new, he would quickly make a video call to his wife, holding up his phone so that his family can see exactly what he's witnessing. It was then that I saw a shift in their perspective. The stereotyped China in their mind -- the one shaped by often biased or even fake news and secondhand stories -- was dissolving before their eyes. As we parted, Topolski smiled and said: "I only wish my wife were here. She would tell the story of China far better than I ever could." With the China trip, Daniel Christian Cail and Jack Rush Kelly, both from New York and four years apart in age, have become close companions from mere acquaintances before. The moment they learned I was a journalist, their eyes lit up and they eagerly leaned in to share their whirlwind of experiences. "We've been here for over a week, but it feels like we just stepped off the plane," Cail said, his voice brimming with excitement. "Every day is densely packed, but we wouldn't have it any other way. The scenery here is remarkable." Kelly, unable to contain himself, jumped in. "I've been running on five or six hours of sleep a night, but it doesn't matter. Excitement keeps me awake as I stay up late, sorting through the landscapes I captured during the day. Honestly, five hours of sleep here feels as good as eight back in New York." When I told them that I was from Beijing, Kelly's curiosity went into overdrive, firing off question after question about must-visit places and the best local dishes. At that moment, he seemed more like a journalist. "I think Beijing will be my next stop," he said, with eyes shining. "I just can't wait to go there." As I watched Cail take selfies in a traditional Chinese bamboo hat, I felt his intense curiosity and joy for all the experiences here. "The United States is a younger country and doesn't have stuff that old. It is particularly fascinating to witness the old and the new, the rural and the urban," he said. In their minds, the China I had already known began to take shape -- vibrant and full of warmth, a place where curiosity bridges cultures and laughter erases distances. "I felt ineffable to convey how deeply my love is for you all and the country and how much love I've received. It is a land of opportunity," said Cail. "People-to-people exchanges between China and the United States matter. The photographers are eager to get back again with great enthusiasm," said Winston Zhou, president of the North America Photography Association. "We should organize more such activities to deepen mutual understanding." They came to China with their cameras, expecting to capture a distant, unfamiliar country. Instead, they found themselves within the frame, no longer observers but part of the story. And in that story, the truth was far more vivid than the rumors. Brian Alan Topolski (1st R) experiences a Jingshan Tea Banquet in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 27, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) Winston Zhou (R), president of the North America Photography Association, takes photos in a tea garden in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 27, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) British holidaymakers are facing the worst summer for flight delays in decades due to a perfect storm of air traffic control issues. Last year, European air passengers suffered the worst flight delays since 2021, primarily due to air traffic control staffing issues and routing complications caused by the war in Ukraine. A new Eurocontrol report shows that in 2024, one in three European flights were delayed on departure and 27.5 per cent arrived more than 15 minutes late (the accepted threshold for a flight to be considered delayed in the aviation industry). In the summer months (June to September), only 58 per cent of flights departed on time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aviation insiders arent optimistic about the summer ahead. Brian Smith, a pilot with decades of experience in commercial aviation, says: Delays are going to get worse this year as airline expansion is outstripping the pace of change in the European air traffic management environment. This echoes the words of Ryanairs chief executive Michael OLeary, who recently told The Independent: It will be worse than last summer, particularly at weekends. Europe needs to fix what is a broken air traffic control system, which we pay ridiculously expensive fees for. The author of the new Eurocontrol report, Dr Peter Whysall, has also said airline punctuality is likely to get worse unless structural issues are addressed. Which are the worst destinations for flight delays? According to the new Eurocontrol report, the worst Area Control Centres for delays are Karlsruhe in Germany (responsible for 13.1 per cent of air traffic delays in Europe), Budapest (12.9 per cent), Marseille (7 per cent), Zagreb (6.5 per cent) and Reims in France (6 per cent). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To zoom out and look at the worst countries for air traffic control delays, France (21.2 per cent), Germany (17.8 per cent) and Hungary (12.9 per cent) are the poorest performers. This includes flights that are flying over these zones, not just ones that originate within them. Of the 30 biggest European airports in Europe, Lisbon had the worst arrival delays of 4m 12s per flight, followed by Amsterdam (3m 48s), Gatwick and Heathrow (3m 36s) and Athens (3m 27s). Lisbon, Gatwick and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport all performed under the Europe-wide average flight punctuality rate of 67.2 per cent. What causes flight delays? There are several factors causing air traffic control issues across Europe. Staffing is the most critical problem, which has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. Zagrebs Air Control Centre, for example, cites very high unpredicted traffic growth making it difficult to offer adequate service with existing staffing levels. Bad weather is another cause, accounting for 40 per cent of all delays in 2024. However, the Eurocontrol document highlights an interesting nuance where air traffic control bodies can be penalised for delays due to capacity or staffing, but not due to weather. This means if weather is put down as a cause for delay (but the underlying cause is, in fact, staffing) the controlling body will face no penalty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attributing all ATFM delays to weather, whilst ignoring the underlying capacity constraints that could be mitigated and resolved, diverts attention, and resources, from finding solutions to the actual problems, the report reads. Historically, industrial action particularly in France has caused widespread air traffic control problems across Europe. Some frequent flyers may remember that 2023 was a particularly bad year for this. However, a new law in France requiring air traffic control officers to register their absence before an industrial dispute has allowed French air traffic control providers to plan ahead more effectively. Why does the UK suffer so badly from delays? In terms of traffic volume, Heathrow is the busiest two-runway airport on the planet, and Gatwick is the busiest single-runway airport. So capacity is, unsurprisingly, a problem. Heathrow and Gatwick have the longest queues for aircraft waiting to land of the top 30 airports in Europe: an average of 7m 26s at Heathrow, and 5m 58s at Gatwick. Weather is also a challenge. The south-east of England has between 15 and 19 days of thunder per year, according to Met Office data (the north of England, by comparison, has just 5), and both Gatwick and Heathrow suffer from problems with fog. How can I dodge flight delays? Delays can happen at any time, so there is no fool-proof way to game the system. However, frequent flyers know that reactionary delays are one of the largest contributors to punctuality; this might be due to the late arrival of an aircraft or waiting for crew or baggage. The upshot is that flying earlier in the day could reduce your chances of suffering knock-on delays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You could also consider the destinations that had the best on-time performance records in 2024. Take Spain, for example. It is worth noting that Barcelona and Madrid actually saw increased arrival punctuality in 2024 compared to 2023. As the worlds busiest two-runway airport, Heathrow has a reputation for delays - Shutterstock The Spanish air traffic control zone (ENAIRE) also generated just 10.7 per cent of en-route air traffic delays in 2024. However, when you consider that France generated 21.2 per cent (and your flight will, almost definitely, fly over France) the reliability of Spanish air traffic control should be taken with a pinch of salt. To avoid all doubt, look north. Scandinavian airports seem to perform better than others. Oslo, for example, had a departure punctuality rate of 83.7 per cent. Copenhagen and Stockholm (both 80 per cent) were other high performers compared to Europe-wide averages. What does it mean when my pilot talks about slots? Brian Smith, a pilot who currently flies for a British cargo airline and has previously flown with Ryanair, Emirates and Air2000 (later, First Choice), explains how air traffic control slots dictate on-time performance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Air traffic control units must ensure separation between aircraft, vertically, laterally and in time, to avoid conflicts that could develop into potentially dangerous proximity of aircraft, he says. Although it is heavily computerised, there are many constraints put on the airspace, which do cause some well-known choke points. It boils down to how many aircraft the air traffic control unit can safely squeeze into a piece of airspace. The result is that pilots will be given a Calculated Take Off Time (CTOT), commonly called a slot, in order to fit into the congested flow of traffic. If, for some reason, the slot is missed, say due to a passenger incident, or maintenance, it can put the aircraft at the back of the queue for a long time, which is always very frustrating. Improvements are in the pipeline but they wont be in place any time soon. So this year is going to be challenging for peak time travellers. 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. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) The Tennessee Valley Fair is considering moving to a new location amid recent changes to the property at Knoxvilles Chilhowee Park. The fair has taken place at the park almost every year since 1916, leasing it from the City of Knoxville. Fair marketing coordinator Abby Villas said agriculture is a top priority at the event, and they are running out of room for exhibits. City of Sevierville files lawsuit over Camping Worlds 130-foot-tall flagpole Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The poultry barn was demolished a couple years ago so we lost out on that building, meaning that we had to take the poultry and the rabbits that were inside of that barn and moving it to another facility that we were using for agriculture, she said. Now, another piece of the property usually used during the fair may be unavailable. The city has bought a portion of the property that we owned on the south side of Magnolia Avenue, and they are in works in building that area up, Villas said. So, of course if that takes place, we lose out on some property. The city though has promised us they would work with us. These changes come with a rise in people moving to the area and attending the fair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were seeing a lot of those new people in our area coming to our fair and so we want to accommodate those people, Villas added. Pet owners urged to avoid bait packets: USDA airdropping rabies vaccine Knox County has been in talks with the University of Tennessees Institute of Agriculture about possibly building an agriculture expo park that could have space for the fair. However, no suitable locations have been identified yet. In a statement, a spokesperson for the City of Knoxville said the city would like to see the fair stay where it is. We have supported and subsidized the Tennessee Valley Fair for more than 100 years, and we currently have a three-year lease agreement with the non-profit organization. With the opening of Covenant Health Park, new investments at Zoo Knoxville and The Muse, a new Fire Station in Burlington and Emerald Youths proposed investments we would love to have the Fairs 10-day event remain in East Knoxville. Spokesperson for City of Knoxville Fair staff are also hoping to stay put, but say a new agreement would need to be reached. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to have a good lease, we have previously worked on a five year lease basis and the past couple leases have been shortened, Villas said. This lease has only been two years, so we would like to see a long lease just to give us security because our plans for the fair start well before the fair even starts. See more top stories on WATE.com The fairs current lease will end after the event 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 WATE 6 On Your Side. ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- An Odessa couple was arrested last weekend after investigators said their children were found sleeping in a vehicle early Saturday morning. Martha Aguilar and Alejandro Ortiz have been charged with two counts of Endangering/Abandoning a Child, a third-degree felony. According to an Odessa Police Department report, around 1:50 a.m. on March 29, officers responded to a home on S Texas Avenue to check on the welfare of two children. At the home, officers said they found a five-year-old and three-year-old child asleep in a car parked in the driveway. When investigators knocked on the door of the home, they said Ortiz knew the children were alone in the car. Aguilar then admitted that she left the kids alone when she arrived to bring food to Ortiz; investigators did not specify how long the children had been left unattended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Aguilar and Ortiz were arrested at the scene and booked into the Ector County Law Enforcement Center. They have each been released on a combined $30,000 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 Yourbasin. DETROIT (AP) An appeals court on Tuesday affirmed the convictions of two men who were accused of leading a plot to kidnap Michigans governor in 2020 and start a civil war. Lawyers for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. had argued that their right to pursue a vigorous entrapment defense was greatly diminished by the rulings of a trial judge in western Michigan, among other claims. The court, however, said any errors by the judge were harmless. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The jury saw and heard a host of video and audio recordings of defendants promising violence, planning and participating in trainings, bringing their own weapons and material, and plotting the abduction without reluctance, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 3-0 opinion. The arrests of Fox, Croft and other anti-government extremists rocked the home stretch of the 2020 presidential election. Authorities said the cabal wanted to grab Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at her vacation home and start a civil war. Fox, 41, and Croft, 49, were portrayed as leaders. They were convicted of conspiracy at a second trial in 2022 after the first trial in Grand Rapids ended without a unanimous verdict. Croft, a trucker from Delaware, was also found guilty of a weapons charge. The evidence revealed trips to northern Michigan to scout Whitmers second home and a nearby bridge, tactical training inside a so-called kill house and a digital trail of disgust for public officials, especially during COVID-19 lockdowns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitmer was never physically harmed. FBI agents were monitoring the group for months and keeping state police informed. Fox and Croft are being held at a prison in Colorado the most secure in the federal system after being sentenced to nearly 20 years for Croft and 16 years for Fox. They were described by their lawyers as hapless, pot-smoking, vulgar loudmouths provoked by cunning FBI agents, not rebels. In America, the FBI is not supposed to create domestic terrorists so that the FBI can arrest them, Fox attorney Christopher Gibbons told the jury. The overall courtroom results from the investigation were uneven for prosecutors: There were five acquittals among the 14 people charged in state or federal court. In 2020, Whitmer blamed President Donald Trump for stoking mistrust and fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists. When he was out of office, Trump cast doubt on the kidnapping scheme, calling it a fake deal. Newly filed court documents are revealing what led up to a deadly shooting at a house party in Pierce County. Two people died and four others were hurt. Prosecutors charged a 17-year-old boy as an adult on Monday with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Court documents state that on Saturday evening, a series of neighbors who live on 25th Avenue Court East called 911 to complain about a loud party. They told dispatch that a bunch of teens were wandering their neighborhood and fighting with each other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The documents state there were between 40 and 50 people at the party. Deputies were on their way to the area around 10:45 p.m. when they were diverted to a different call. They then, according to the documents, responded a second time around midnight. A short time later, more 911 calls came in stating that neighbors had heard gunshots. When law enforcement arrived, they found one person dead in the street, out front of the home that was throwing the party. Several others whod been shot were taken to nearby hospitals. Court documents state that one of them died after having emergency surgery. Detectives were able to track down surveillance video of the shooting. According to the court documents, it showed a small group of people was in front of the home, talking with a teen, who then pulled out a gun from his pocket and fired directly at the person next to him, then kept shooting. Those teens returned fire, according to the documents, hitting the 17-year-old in the buttocks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the documents, the brother of the girl who hosted the party said he knew she was having people over, but was told it would be small. He told officers he returned home after getting a series of alerts from their home security system when people kept arriving. Documents state that their mother was reportedly home at the time of the party, but told law enforcement she didnt see what happened. A witness helped identify the shooter, according to probable cause documents. He remains in jail on $2 million bail. Apr. 1A judge on Monday denied former Decatur police officer Mac Bailey Marquette's plea for immunity from the murder charge arising out of his Sept. 29, 2023, shooting of Steve Perkins. Morgan County Circuit Judge Charles Elliott also moved the scheduled date for a jury trial from April 7 to June 9. The ruling, which can be appealed, came after a two-day hearing last week in which officers present at the shooting testified, as did a tow truck driver and an agent with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Marquette did not testify. Bodycams from other officers were introduced into evidence, but not Marquette's bodycam. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Testimony by the tow truck driver, Caleb Combs, was that he attempted to repossess Perkins' truck from his Ryan Drive Southwest driveway. Combs said that Perkins confronted him, pointing a gun at him from 6 to 8 inches away. Combs unhitched Perkins' truck from the tow truck and left the scene. Combs then called Decatur Police Department dispatch and was told to meet DPD officers at the lot of All State Recovery, where he worked. He eventually met with Marquette and former officers Christopher Mukadam and Joey Williams. In his order, Elliott agreed with the prosecution's argument that Alabama law prohibits police from assisting in a repossession unless they have a court order to do so. Decatur police had no court order. Elliott noted that Williams testified "that he was told by Marquette that they were going back to Perkins's home, not to assist in the repossession, but to ensure it happened peacefully." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elliott also highlighted Combs' testimony that he told police he would not return to Perkins' house without a police escort, that he was in no danger from Perkins while away from Perkins' property, and that he would not file a menacing charge against Perkins if he could repossess the truck. In the hearing, Combs testified that police said Combs should wait five minutes before returning to Perkins' house to tow the truck because the police were "going to go set up." In a section of his 17-page order titled "The 'set up,'" Ellliott notes that Marquette had the officers park four to five houses from Perkins' house before approaching on foot through neighbors' front yards at about 1:40 a.m. Marquette directed Mukadam to go across the street, where he concealed himself between two vehicles. Elliott said that when Combs' tow truck arrived, "it appears from Mukadam's body camera video that he lowered himself between the two vehicles to further conceal himself." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elliott also noted that "Combs testified that he was surprised that he did not see any police officers on his approach because he thought that they would be displaying an obvious presence." Combs eventually saw officers at the side of Perkins' house. As Combs tried again to repossess the vehicle, Perkins exited his house at 1:49:03, according to Elliott's order, and the word, "Hey" was shouted twice. Elliott said he concluded from the bodycam audio that Perkins yelled first, then as Marquette yelled the same word the light from Perkins' gun moved under Perkins' truck. "Just before 1:49:05 a.m. ... Marquette shouted, 'Police! Get on the ground!'" and as he shouted the light from Perkins' gun passed over Marquette and then raised up above the roof of Perkins' home, Elliott wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As the word 'ground' is being said ... Officer Marquette fired the first of 18 rounds," the judge wrote. Elliott notes that Perkins fell to the ground after four shots, but Marquette continued shooting until "he had fired every bullet from his gun." "From the time Marquette yelled 'Hey' to Marquette firing his first bullet, the elapsed time is approximately 1.40 seconds," Elliott wrote. Elliott noted that "the second breach of peace did not deter Combs," who hooked up Perkins' truck and towed it away as Perkins lay on the ground. Elliott said the evidence indicated that Perkins would have had an obstructed view of Marquette "from the time he announced his presence until he had fired the first 9 shots from his gun." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Marquette did not testify at the hearing, a statement he gave to Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Special Agent Jamie King was introduced. In that statement, Elliott noted, "Marquette stated the he 'knew I was about to die and that's when I pulled the trigger.' Marquette described the look he received from Perkins as a 'cold stare.'" Elliott cited a decision in another Alabama police shooting case, State v. Darby, in finding that the determination of whether an officer is entitled to immunity, the law enforcement officer's actions should be reviewed through the lens of whether a reasonable police officer would have acted similarly. Citing the same case, Elliott said the law enforcement officer must also be acting in his capacity as a police officer. "It is on this hinge that the door of this case swings," Elliott wrote. Elliott emphasized the legal prohibition against police assisting in a repossession without a court order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When Combs said he was not going back by himself, the officers could have told him that he could take whoever he wanted with him to assist in the repossession, but it could not be law enforcement without judicial process," meaning a court order, Elliott wrote. Elliott also questioned statements by Mukadam that police would not get involved in a repossession, noting the ALEA agent testified that while investigating the case, he found that "providing escorts of this nature were a 'common practice' for the Decatur Police Department." Elliott also discounted defense claims that they were at Perkins' home to investigate Combs' potential menacing claim, citing King's statement that they could only investigate such a claim by speaking with Perkins. Elliott said in considering the claim of immunity, the court must determine whether Marquette was acting in the scope of his employment and whether his actions were consistent with those of a reasonable police officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also referenced the Morgan County district attorney's argument that there were many options the officers could use if their goal was to keep the peace, including using their police vehicles' flashing lights and obtaining Perkins' phone number from the utility company and calling him. "In examining the Defendant's actions ... the questions that must be addressed are: was the Defendant acting within the scope of his employment and were the Defendant's actions consistent with what a reasonable police officer would have done in his situation? Agent King has testified that if the Defendant was going to Perkins's residence to assist Combs in the repossession, then he was acting outside the scope of his employment as a law officer. However, if the officers were going to keep the peace, then these two questions are questions of fact that can only be answered by a jury," Elliott wrote. "The Defense has failed to meet its burden that the Defendant is immune from criminal prosecution." eric@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2435 NEW BERN, N.C. (WNCT) The Early Childhood Educators Club at Craven Community College will be hosting a Planting the Pinwheels event during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This event is in partnership with the Local Interagency Coordinating Council and Craven Early Learning Network and is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of safe, stable, and nurturing environments for children. It will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at the secondary entrance of the New Bern campus. By planting these pinwheels, we are making a visible commitment to protecting and uplifting our youngest generation, Craven CC ECE Club advisor and faculty member, Maria Eid said. Together, through awareness and action, we can create lasting change for children and families in our community. Small acts, strong communities, and supportive policies all contribute to a world where children can reach their full potential. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All community members are invited. Pinwheels will be available at the event for participants to stake into the ground. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) The Springfield Fire Department worked to put out a fire on Euclid Avenue on Tuesday. Springfield man charged after deadly hit-and-run on Parker Street Springfield Fire Captain Drew Piemonte told 22News that no injuries were reported after the fire at 58 Euclid Avenue. Eight people have been left without a home and are being assisted by the Red Cross. MAP: 58 Euclid Avenue in Springfield Two dogs and one cat were rescued, however another cat died in the fire. The Thomas J OConnor Animal Control & Adoption Center is assisting with the animals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was determined that the fire started in the basement. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad. Euclid Avenue was blocked off from Belmont Ave to Dickinson Street, but has since reopened. 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. BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions and growing waves of trade protectionism, foreign enterprises are doubling down on their commitment to China due to the country's economic resilience and innovation-driven growth. A surge in high-profile investments and deepening strategic partnerships reflects a growing consensus: engagement with China remains a path to mutual gain. Recent surveys underscore the sustained confidence among global investors, as the latest surveys show that 76 percent of British businesses operating in China plan to maintain or expand their investment. Similarly, 70 percent of U.S. consumer firms are eyeing expansion in 2025, while an overwhelming 92 percent of German companies intend to continue operations in the country. Executives from major multinational corporations are making frequent visits to China, exploring new opportunities and reaffirming their long-term strategies. Apple's Tim Cook pledged 30 million yuan (about 4.18 million U.S. dollars) to Zhejiang University to support China's next generation of developers, while COO Jeff Williams visited the company's supplier Goertek in east China's Shandong Province and praised its advanced manufacturing. Biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca signed a landmark agreement to invest 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in Beijing over the next five years. German carmaker Mercedes-Benz committed over 14 billion yuan to strengthen its foothold in China. French healthcare multinational Sanofi also unveiled its largest single investment in China -- a 1-billion-euro production base in Beijing. Such moves align with China's push for high-standard opening-up and its efforts to streamline foreign investment approvals. "China is in a phase of very rapid development, and German companies have seized opportunities, with most being quite successful here and satisfied with the results," said Hermann Simon, a German management expert who had led a delegation of over 20 German "hidden champions," small and medium-sized companies with strong market niches, to east China's Anhui Province to explore new partnerships. According to Simon, multinational corporations must identify the optimal global location for each business activity. In many cases, China remains the top choice, offering unparalleled comprehensive capabilities across sectors. Global investors' interest in China's capital markets is also rebounding. A recent report by Goldman Sachs noted that overseas participation in China's stock market has climbed to its highest level in nearly four years, a sign of renewed enthusiasm for Chinese equities amid ongoing economic adjustments. "Investing in China is a two-way street for shared success," said Liu Qiao, dean of the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, citing China's high-standard opening-up policies, robust supply chains and an innovation-driven ecosystem. The influx of advanced technologies, talent and capital is expected to accelerate China's industrial upgrading. From scale expansion to structural upgrading, multinational corporations are ramping up investment in technology-intensive sectors, including the new energy, smart manufacturing and healthcare sectors, a trend aligned with China's strategic pivot toward cultivating "new quality productive forces." This sectoral shift is an inevitable trend resulting from China's accelerated industrial transformation and upgrading, combined with the restructuring of the global supply chain, according to Liu. Official data showed that in 2024, China's hi-tech manufacturing sector attracted 96.29 billion yuan, 11.7 percent of the nation's total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. FDI inflows soared 98.7 percent year on year in the medical equipment and instrument manufacturing sector, 40.8 percent in the professional technical services sector and 21.9 percent in the computer and office equipment manufacturing sector. China has developed sound regulations, policies and procedures for foreign investment, promoted trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and made active efforts to foster a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized. The world's second-largest economy has created a powerful magnet for foreign investment, while multinationals fuel industrial upgrades with tech capital. Analysts note that the growing commitment of foreign investors, particularly to emerging and future-oriented industries, is helping to ensure that economic globalization is inclusive and beneficial for all. You can watch the full press conference in the video player above. UPDATE: MONDAY 3/31/2025 5:00 p.m. (COLORADO SPRINGS) A man was killed in an officer-involved shooting in the Downtown area on Monday, March 31 after police say he was breaking into cars and threatened someone with a gun before police arrived. According to CSPD, officers responded shortly after 2:15 p.m. to a parking lot at the corner of South Nevada Avenue and Pikes Peak Avenue on a report of a man breaking into cars and threatening a community member with a gun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once on scene, CSPD said the suspect exited a car with a gun, and one officer fired shots at the suspect, hitting him. Emergency medical aid was provided to the suspect, but he was declared dead on scene. A gun was recovered from the scene. No other community members or officers were injured in the shooting. The El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPSO) is investigating the shooting, and asked anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact either the EPSO non-emergency line at (719) 390-5555 or the CSPD non-emergency line at (719) 444-7000. Pikes Peak Avenue as well as the parking lot where the shooting took place will remain closed for an extended period of time, CSPD said. Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe ORIGINAL STORY: Officer-involved shooting Downtown MONDAY 3/31/2025 3:42 p.m. The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is responding to an officer-involved shooting in Downtown Colorado Springs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CSPD posted about the shooting shortly after 3:15 p.m. on Monday, March 31, and said the incident took place in the 00 block of South Nevada Avenue, near Pikes Peak Avenue. CSPD said the area of Pikes Peak Avenue and South Nevada would be closed for several hours, likely into the evening. Anyone whose travel plans take them Downtown should consider alternate routes. FOX21 News has a crew on the way to the scene and will update this article when more information 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 FOX21 News Colorado. Federal authorities in Vermont have indicted a Hartford man on a charge that he tried to arrange the murder of a man who stole a kilogram of cocaine from him in a drug deal that went bad. Tremaine Brody Knight, 43, has been indicted on charges that he repeatedly sold cocaine and fentanyl to a customer in Vermont, who was actually a police informant. At one point, according to prosecution papers filed in federal court, Knight paid the customer $1,000 to sweep the (expletive) head off a drug dealer who Knight complained had robbed and disrespected him. The $1,000 was a down payment on a $10,000 murder contract that was not carried out, according to court filings in federal court in Burlington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Knight, who was picked up in a surreptitious law enforcement recording saying he was buying cocaine in Philadelphia in 5 kilogram lots, was observed selling drugs to the unidentified Vermont customer on five occasions between late February and last week, authorities said. The murder for hire was allegedly discussed on three occasions and Knight discounted his last drug sale by $1,000 to cover the down payment, authorities said. Knight has been ordered held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Burlington on Thursday. He has a history of narcotics offenses in Connecticut, according to court records. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A Cuban national was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to more than nine years in prison (111 months) for conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants, conspiracy to harbor migrants, and sexual assault of a migrant, the U.S. Attorneys Office for Western Texas said. According to court documents, Humberto Yosvany Arriola-Rivero, 30, assisted in the harboring of undocumented migrants and managed a stash house in El Paso. He also was an occupant in a vehicle that fled law enforcement that was transporting more than a dozen undocumented migrants in April 2023, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An investigation revealed that Arriola-Rivero sexually assaulted one of the undocumented migrants at the El Paso stash house, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Arriola-Rivero was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 17, 2023 and was arrested Sept. 7, 2023. He pleaded guilty Aug. 27, 2024. Its important to note that Arriola-Rivero is being held responsible not only for the significant role he played in human smuggling operations, but also for his abhorrent decision to further dehumanize and sexually violate one of his victims, said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. This sentence makes it clear to smugglers in El Paso and across the southern border, that if you engage in alien smuggling in our district, you will be held accountable. Justice was served today for a stash house operator who organized the smuggling of hundreds of illegal aliens and sexually assaulted one of them, all while cramming individuals into tractor-trailers in the sweltering Texas heat, said Jason T. Stevens, ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agent in charge for El Paso. HSI is committed to aggressively targeting human smugglers and smuggling organizations that continuously exploit individuals for profit. We will relentlessly pursue these criminals who prey on vulnerable people, ensuring they are held accountable for their actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Border 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 KTSM 9 News. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A customer at a Tampa business was killed Monday night after being shot by an employee, according to police. Officers with the Tampa Police Department said they received a call around 6:14 p.m. regarding a disturbance at the business located off of North Nebraska Avenue. Man wanted for questioning in shooting at Holiday home, Pasco deputies say Police found a man with a gunshot wound once they arrived at the location. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries, according to the police department. Investigators believe the shooting may have been the result of a fight between the customer and an employee. Officers were still trying to gather more information Monday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One man who said he was inside the store when the shooting happened told News Channel 8 that he heard a gunshot and then he and a handful of other people ran outside. Ive been living here for eight years now, and this is the first time Ive seen a crime like this, Christopher Rosaroiro said. I dont know what happened. The employee is cooperating with the investigation, and police said there is no ongoing threat to the public. No further information was immediately available. This is a developing story. Stay up to date on the latest from News Channel 8 on-air and on the go with the free WFLA News Channel 8 mobile app. 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 WFLA. Marian Jarlenski, a professor at the University of Pittsburghs School of Public Health, on March 27 at the Cafe Carnegie in Oakland. (Photo by Anastasia Busby/PublicSource) PublicSource is an independent nonprofit newsroom serving the Pittsburgh region. Sign up for our free newsletters. Deep cuts to Medicaid are being debated on Capitol Hill right now. Lawmakers could slash federal funding for state programs, force enrollees to work to keep their coverage or kick those who qualified under expansions off the rolls, among the options on the table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. House of Representatives, narrowly controlled by Republicans, passed a bill last month requiring the Committee on Energy and Commerce to find $880 billion in spending cuts over a decade a necessity to extend tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy. The committee oversees Medicaid, which means some aspects of the program will likely be on the chopping block. What kind of cuts are we most likely to see? And what could they mean for vulnerable and even well-off people in the Pittsburgh region? We asked Marian Jarlenski, a professor at the University of Pittsburghs School of Public Health and associate director of CONVERGE@Pitt, a research center that studies sexual and reproductive health. Shes an expert on Medicaid whose research explores how its policies and programs could improve pregnancy and reproductive health outcomes. Her team built this dashboard that offers a snapshot of Medicaid reliance in congressional districts nationwide. It shows that about 174,000 people in Pennsylvanias 12th congressional district which includes the City of Pittsburgh and is represented by Democrat Rep. Summer Lee are enrolled in Medicaid and the states Childrens Health Insurance Program [CHIP]. Medicaid is jointly funded by the federal government and states, with each state administering its own program. The generosity of those programs can vary, but Jarlenski said Pennsylvanias program is fairly robust. It covers kids with disabilities regardless of household income, connects people leaving jails and prisons with care, and integrates parts of Medicare and Medicaid plans for those who qualify for both. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those innovative programs could now be at risk, she said. Its hindering our ability in Pennsylvania to move forward and think of new ways to address public health. Instead, [well be] on the defensive and saying, Where can we cut? The following conversation was edited for length and clarity. Q: Medicaid cuts can take many forms. Which ones would cause the most damage? This is a tough question to answer because we dont know the details of how cuts would be implemented. But the three main cuts that Congress could consider would be: 1) Imposing a work requirement, which makes each person document their work status. The evidence shows it doesnt increase employment, but instead creates more red tape and causes people to lose their benefits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2) The block grant option. The federal government gives a lump sum of money to states, and states decide how to allocate the money. Typically, the lump sum would grow more slowly than the cost of medical care would grow. And so over time, states could have to limit whos on Medicaid. Waiting lists for benefits existed before the Affordable Care Act [ACA]. We had whats known as state-only programs and the funding for them was restricted. This happened in Oregon, which had a waiting list for the Oregon Health Plan because there just wasnt enough money to cover everyone. I think the brute force of this cut would cause the most damage. It would make it really infeasible for Pennsylvania and other states to provide the kind of benefits they do now. And thats why 20% of adults were uninsured in the United States before the ACA allowed Medicaid expansion. Because its just so cost-prohibitive for each state to go it alone. 3) And the third potential option is cutting off the federal match for the Medicaid expansion population. (The ACA allows states to expand coverage to adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level.) In Pennsylvania, the Medicaid expansion population is low-income adults who dont have dependent children, and many low-income parents who have dependent children. The federal government pays 90% of the cost of this groups Medicaid insurance, and cutting that off would increase the states spending burden. The increased pressure on our state budget could have negative spillover effects in other areas, such as education, transportation, economic development, all those big-ticket items. Q: A fifth of Allegheny County residents rely on Medicaid. And your labs dashboard shows that more than 174,000 people in the congressional district that includes the City of Pittsburgh rely on Medicaid and CHIP. How do those numbers compare to what were seeing on a national level? Our county and congressional district line up pretty closely with the national average. More than 20% of Americans are enrolled in Medicaid. Who are they? Working class and poor people who need health insurance. It also includes pregnant patients, a lot of kids, and importantly, people in long-term care settings who spent all their assets paying for those services. So a lot of middle- and even upper-middle class people will rely on Medicaid for their long-term care needs in old age. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, about a third of births in Allegheny County are covered by Medicaid. And we have a new policy in Pennsylvania: Any baby whose birth is covered by Medicaid is now automatically enrolled in the program through age 6, which is really exciting. But these cuts would put the health insurance of pregnant women and kids up to age 6 at risk. Q: I want to pick up the thread on older adults with different class backgrounds needing Medicaid. We know that Medicare generally wont pay for nursing home care, but Medicaid will. Our county has a higher concentration of older adults than most other large counties in the country. Could these cuts have a disproportionate impact here because of that? I think it depends on the type of cuts. Some of the proposals to cut Medicaid would exempt people with disabilities, including long-term care residents. For example, a work requirement would not apply to them. If were going into a block grant or limiting per-person spending, it would absolutely hurt the ability of nursing homes in our area to serve all. It can cost up to $100,000 a year per person for nursing home care, not counting additional health care in the hospital and things that may be paid for by Medicare. So I definitely would be concerned if were talking about limiting spending per person, or an overall block grant, for the feasibility of nursing homes to continue to serve the population. Q: You study Medicaids impact on pregnancy and reproductive health outcomes. We know that maternal and infant health outcomes are worse for Black people than their white counterparts in the county. Could these cuts exacerbate the disparities? Thats an excellent question. Before I answer it, I want to emphasize that Medicaid coverage is the same regardless of your race or ethnicity. But because of social and historical factors, such as redlining, we see in the demographic data that people of color might be more likely to be working class and belong to low-income households in Allegheny County. So we do see a slightly higher rate of Medicaid coverage in populations of color. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Medicaid is the single largest program in pregnancy and reproductive health space, so I feel it could really incentivize health care systems or Medicaid health plans to focus on interventions to reduce health disparities. If its a big part of the population you serve, youre going to notice and document the disparities and try to take action to intervene on those. So in that sense, Medicaid coverage is the floor on which we could build interventions to address health disparities and ensure that everybody has high quality care and good pregnancy outcomes. If that floor goes away, those systems will be scrambling for basic insurance coverage instead of trying to build a better future. Q: We know that Medicaid can be a lifeline for people with disabilities especially if their disabilities prevent them from working or if they need assistance with daily living. About 11% of Pittsburghers have disabilities. How could these cuts affect them? Marian Jarlenski on March 27 outside the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh in Oakland. (Photo by Anastasia Busby/PublicSource) There are people with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income, which automatically qualifies them for Medicaid. Typically, a work requirement [for Medicaid enrollees] would exempt those people. Then there are people who have some kind of condition that would be disabling in their daily life, but dont have an official disability determination. And those folks, of course, would be subject to work requirements. The other thing I want to say is that people with a disability determination have to stay under a certain income threshold to keep their benefits. So even if people want to work full time or be promoted, they cant do that because they have to keep their income low enough to qualify. Thats a problem that disability advocates have been talking about for probably 40 years. It has not been fixed yet, and cutting benefits is certainly not going to fix it. Like those in nursing homes, people with disabilities often have complex and expensive health care needs. So any proposal to limit per-person spending or give a block grant is going to hurt the medical systems ability to serve them. Q: Health care facilities power a big part of Pittsburghs economy. I imagine these cuts would significantly impact medical billing at hospitals and in the broader health systems, which employ so many people here. Thats right. It would have spillover effects on the economy and jobs. Health care is a large part of our economy in Pennsylvania. And health care work is the second-most common type of job among people who are enrolled in Medicaid. So people who work as home-care attendants or as medical techs or in long-term care facilities tend to have working-class incomes, and they are actually covered by Medicaid. So its all tied together. Q: The Trump administration vowed not to cut Medicaid and said the budget resolution would only target waste and fraud in entitlement spending. Republicans in Congress have echoed that. Experts said this is misleading, and that its impossible to achieve $880 billion in savings without slashing Medicaid. How is waste and fraud controlled, and do we need these cuts to do it better? What we tend to see is fraudulent billing to Medicare or Medicaid managed care plans. A common type of fraud or abuse involves [a provider] creating a fake patient profile and billing for them. I think we can all agree that fraud is bad I can say that unequivocally. We would all support more fraud investigation funding, and you would think the federal government would be adding jobs to the Department of Health and Human Services rather than cutting them if it wanted to beef up the workload. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] put out a report last week that actually found that Pennsylvania had the highest number of Medicaid fraud and abuse claims. They had investigated around 19,000 claims. (The state also ranked third in convictions of those who abuse its Medicaid program.) So I feel like our program is doing a pretty good job at combating fraud and abuse, and so Im not really sure what else we can be doing there. Were No. 1 in the nation. Q: What can state and local policymakers do to mitigate the damage? Well, its really hard because you need to fund a Medicaid program at scale. Most of our income taxes go to the federal government. And a lot of it comes back through these state and federal programs. One option would be for states to band together to get that scale. There is a mechanism called an interstate compact. Its been done around water rights and things of that nature, but I dont see why that type of agreement cant be developed for medical assistance. I think we need to draw on the expertise of people in our region, in health care and education, to think of the most creative ideas. Absent that, I think everybody has a role to play in educating elected officials about the importance of these programs to our economy and, obviously, to peoples health. Because how devastating would it be if you had a health condition and werent able to get care for it? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Venuri Siriwardane is PublicSources health and mental health reporter. She can be reached at venuri@publicsource.org or on Bluesky @venuri.bsky.social. The Jewish Healthcare Foundation has contributed funding to PublicSources health care reporting. This article first appeared on PublicSource and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. For about a decade or so, Donald Trumps critics have asked what he could do that would finally turn his most devoted followers against him. That includes veterans, who told pollsters in 2024 that they overwhelmingly preferred him over Kamala Harris. We may soon have our answer. On Day 45 of President Trumps second term, we learned that his administration was preparing to massively downsize the Department of Veteran Affairs, the federal agency that, among other things, connects veterans with health care and other services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps Veteran Affairs secretary, Doug Collins, said the president was finally going to give the veterans what they want. He didnt explain why shedding tens of thousands of VA workers brought on to expand services during the Joe Biden administration would give them what they want or what effect the cuts would have on the 2022 PACT Act, a bipartisan law enhancing screening and care for veterans exposed to toxins such as Agent Orange and burn pits. But if the Trump administrations plan is to tell veterans that less is more, it will be a hard sell. Im from North Carolina, which has one of the largest veteran populations in America. My father was a veteran, one of many in my family. Lots of folks here are connected to one branch if not several. And never, never, have I heard one of them say that Veteran Affairs is doing too much for them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the election, Trump promised to serve and protect veterans, but its hard to believe the lie when your VA appointment gets canceled because staff are being fired. Misdirection will only go so far when you cant see a doctor. This also comes from a president who referred to veterans as losers and suckers in private conversation, according to his former chief of staff, a retired four-star general in the Marine Corps. Already, Trumps plans for overhauling Veteran Affairs were not well received by many in my home state, which voted for the third time to give its Electoral College votes to Trump in 2024. North Carolina is home to several large bases, including Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Fort Bragg. These bases are deeply woven into their communities and cultures, and the military is one of our largest employers, too. The news about Trumps plans for the VA came days after his administration temporarily paused billions in contracting cuts at the agency that Collins falsely characterized as going to wasteful consultants writing PowerPoint slides and meeting minutes. Associated Press reporting revealed that the cuts included funds used for veterans cancer care and screening for toxic exposure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was always a Trump man, but when I saw that, that made me madder than hell, one North Carolina reader wrote me recently after we at Cardinal & Pine covered the cuts. When you cover protests, and weve covered lots of them in recent days, its hard to tell sometimes if youre getting the usual crowd at a protest, whether anyone has changed their mind. But you do start to recognize faces and places. Many of the folks were seeing today are new, and many of the people our reporters spoke to characterized themselves as politically agnostic. Theyre angry very angry, as when a North Carolina veteran confronted Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards at a recent town hall in Asheville, North Carolina. You can get away with a lot of things in politics. Trump certainly has. Hes been forgiven for things that no politician in American history has been forgiven for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But when your administration is directly responsible for making people less healthy and more sick as Trumps Veteran Affairs cuts will inevitably do they will not forget you or forgive you. Some veterans knocked Biden for the sloppy exit from Afghanistan in 2021, but the dismantling of Veteran Affairs will be felt so much more keenly. Theyll never get the image out of their head of a billionaire who got out of Vietnam because of a dubious bone spurs diagnosis whos allied with Elon Musk, another billionaire with no military experience harming people who put everything on the line for their country. Theyll protest you. Theyll make you a pariah. And, eventually, theyll run you and your political allies out of office on a rail. Subscribe to Trumps First 100 Days newsletter for weekly updates and expert insight on the key issues and figures defining his second term. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Ring camera footage captured the moment a masked vandal threw a rock at the windshield and slashed the tires of a Cybertruck in Novato, one of the latest in a string of nationwide attacks on Tesla vehicles and the second such incident in the small Bay Area city. The vandal struck around 4:22 a.m. Saturday, appearing to case the truck, which was parked in a private driveway, before returning at 5:41 a.m. to stage an attack, according to the Novato Police Department. The person covered one surveillance camera with duct tape but was filmed by a separate camera throwing a chunk of concrete at the car multiple times and cutting the tires, police said. The person left a handwritten message warning the driver to replace all tires as the car was unsafe to drive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The incident was the second recent attack on a Cybertruck in Novato. The prior Saturday, a different truck was vandalized around midday in a shopping center parking lot, according to Navato Police Sgt. Wes Carroll. The department does not believe the same person is responsible for both incidents, he said. With Elon Musk's controversial rise to power in the White House and subsequent gutting of government departments, his futuristic vehicles have gone from being largely adored by the left and clean-energy advocates to becoming a political punching bag and target of violence. In recent weeks, cars have been set ablaze with Molotov cocktails, shot with guns and defaced with spray-paint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi has called these acts of violence and vandalism "nothing short of domestic terrorism" and threatened harsh consequences. "The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences," she said in a statement. "We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes." Read more: Tesla attacks mark troubling twist in political violence as Musk divides America Jason Bedell, who owns the Cybertruck attacked in Novato on Saturday, told local TV station KTVU that he believes the vandal's anger is misdirected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "All these people who have frustration against the government and Tesla and DOGE are taking it out on the wrong people," Bedell told the station. "Theyre taking it out on their neighbors. They're taking it out on just working people. Most of these people are Democrats that even bought these EV vehicles." He is now personally offering a $25,000 cash reward for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect, the station reported. The Novato Police Department is also seeking the public's help in identifying the vandals who targeted the local Cybertrucks and is asking Bedell's neighbors to check their cameras for any suspicious activity or vehicles between 4 and 6 a.m. Saturday. As of Monday morning, the department was reviewing and following up on tips submitted by the public and had yet to make any arrests in connection with either incident, said Sgt. Carroll. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Tesla's steep fall from California's green darling to hated target of protests, violence, fires In the nearby city of San Jose, a man was arrested March 17 for allegedly keying a Tesla parked in a Costco lot. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan criticized the use of vandalism as a tool of political activism. "If this crime was politically motivated, our residents cant be held accountable for something Elon Musk is doing 3,000 miles away," he said in a statement on X, urging residents to voice their opinions at the ballot box and not in a parking lot. The Federal Bureau of Investigations issued a warning to would-be Tesla attackers after a man threw Molotov cocktails and shot at a Tesla service center in Las Vegas, setting multiple vehicles ablaze. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Specifically to those who might think that something like this is justifiable or potentially even admirable, we want to let you know its a federal crime, said Spencer Evans, FBI special agent in charge of the Las Vegas bureau. We will come after you, we will find you, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law." Musk, for his part, called the attacks "insane and deeply wrong" in a statement on X. "Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks," he 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. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Tuesday on the Daily 8, were looking at power outages impacting West Michigan, the reopening of the Grand Rapids Childrens Museum, a revised plan to revitalize Gaslight Village and more. You can watch the full Daily 8 for April 1, 2025, in the video player above or check out any of the stories mentioned below: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each weekday, the Daily 8 brings you the top eight stories we are keeping an eye on in and around West Michigan. Join us again on Wednesday for the Daily 8. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. DHAKA, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh has sent the second mission of emergency medicines and relief supplies on Tuesday to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Myanmar. These supplies and medicines were sent via three transport aircraft of the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Air Force, following the instructions of Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser (CA) of the interim government of Bangladesh, CA's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said. The mission consists of rescue and medical teams composed of rescue experts from all three services, Fire Service and Civil Defence doctors, Bangladesh Army doctors, and civilian doctors. The total number of rescuers and doctors is 55. Additionally, there are 37 crew members on board in three aircraft. The rescue and medical teams carry their self-sustainment items, including rations, hygiene facilities, communication equipment, cooking utensils, and so on. Besides, eight tons of dry food, 2.5 tons of water, four tons of medicine, one ton of hygiene products, and 1.5 tons of relief tents were sent to the earthquake-stricken people. Earlier on Sunday, Bangladesh sent its first mission of urgent relief materials, including medicines, tents, dry food, and medical teams, to Myanmar through the Bangladesh Armed Forces, led by the Bangladesh Army. A dangerous and potentially historic flooding event is bearing down on 22 million Americans from Arkansas to Ohio, and residents are urged to prepare now. The life-threatening flooding will likely hit from Wednesday night through Sunday morning, with multiple rounds of heavy rain pounding the same spots over the course of the week. Tornadoes, damaging wind gusts up to 80 mph and hail that could get as large as a tennis ball are possible from any severe thunderstorms that move through. PHOTO: flood event map (ABC News) One tornado watch was issued across parts of the southern Plains on Tuesday, including portions of Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma -- including the Oklahoma City metro area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tornado watch was put in effect until 12 a.m. CT Tuesday. Storms are expected to fire up within the next few hours and sweep across the watch area through the evening. PHOTO: A tornado watch was issued across parts of the southern Plains, including portions of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, through 12 a.m. CT on April 1, 2025. (ABC News) Before the flooding moves in, severe storms are heading to the Heartland. More than 80 million American are on alert for this new outbreak of severe thunderstorms on the way. On Wednesday, the hail, wind and strong tornadoes could stretch from Chicago to St. Louis to Indianapolis to Louisville to Little Rock. PHOTO: historic rainfall map (ABC News) More than a foot of rain could rain in the bull's-eye of the storm, which spans from Little Rock, Arkansas, to the Arkansas-Missouri border, to Louisville Kentucky, to Evansville, Indiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents are urged to avoid flooded roads and be prepared for power outages. MORE: 3 life-saving tactics to use if in a car during a flash flood On the north side of the storm, heavy snow is expected across northern Minnesota. Six to 12 inches of snow could fall from Tuesday night to Wednesday night, along with wind gusts up to 40 mph. PHOTO: severe weather outbreak map (ABC News) Wintry conditions persist from the Sierra Nevada in California into the Rockies, with winter weather alerts in effect. Heavy mountain snow and gusty winds could make travel treacherous, especially through mountain passes in the region. Winter weather alerts are in effect from North Dakota to Michigan, with deteriorating weather conditions expected in these areas by Tuesday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Icy roads could impact travel in the region, and there are still hundreds of thousands of people without power following the devastating ice storm that hit parts of the northern Great Lakes region. MORE: Myanmar earthquake death toll climbs to over 2,700, local media reports The National Weather Service said, This is an increasingly significant setup approaching with the potential for high impacts and life-threatening flash flooding spanning the course of several days." There is the potential for a significant and widespread flooding event beginning late Wednesday through the weekend, the NWS said. Tornado watch issued across Plains as other states brace for potentially historic flooding originally appeared on abcnews.go.com DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) After several setbacks in the past year, a homeless shelter in Danville is finally ready to open. Back in January WCIA reported that organizers were struggling to find insurance for the building. Now, the only thing left is to fill the spots and get homeless men off the streets. Monday night the Danville Rescue Mission began providing the unsheltered men a hot meal and a place to lay their heads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two arrested in Danville on weapon, drug crimes The shelter has 24 beds with pillows and blankets for people. Itll also have two rooms upstairs. One will be for single fathers with children and the other room will be for transgender men. The shelters president said he knows this journey may have a few more road blocks but their primary goal is to help put these men on a path to success. Were going to need donations, financial donations. Were going to need volunteers. Were going to need food. We cant do this alone. Were stronger together. And I want the community to know that we talk about the homeless and we see the homeless and we have stepped out on faith. Were asking God to touch the hearts of the people. Were just the workers. Thats all. But its not our baby alone. We need the help of the people, shelter president Michael Ewing said. Champaign gas prices see slight increase: GasBuddy Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ewing said the shelter will be first come first serve. Theyll have rules like no violence, no sex offenders and each person will have chores that include doing laundry and cleaning up the house. Ewing also said theyll be reaching out to Eastern Illinois Food Bank about a partnership. If youd like to donate any money, the organization accepts checks and cash. You can deliver or drop it off at the Vermilion Community Restoration thrift store. Click here to donate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. One-year-old MiVida Vorlicky died of a fentanyl overdose in December 2023 after ingesting her mothers fentanyl at their St. Paul home. An autopsy showed she had a fragment of tinfoil in her colon. On Monday, Assistant Ramsey County County Attorney Ryan Flynn noted in court at the mothers sentencing how tinfoil is used to wrap and smoke fentanyl. He said the room where MiVida slept and the hallway leading to it was peppered with these little tinfoil balls and it is no surprise that a small child would find them fascinating and be curious about them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge Paul Yang went on to give the mother, 21-year-old Tessa Jean Vorlicky, four years in prison for second-degree manslaughter, which she pleaded guilty to in January. Her prison term was the presumptive sentence for the conviction. She was given credit for just over nine months already served in custody. Ms. Vorlicky, youve not only hit rock bottom, you fell through the bottom, Yang said. You killed your own baby. So no matter how much jail time you have to do, it will not be enough. Your daughters life is more than any jail time or punishment the law can impose on you. The childs father, 27-year-old Derrick Marshawn Harrison, faces a child endangerment charge and remains wanted on a warrant after failing to show up at a January court hearing. Where is the (expletive) Narcan? When MiVidas grandmother called 911 about the child not breathing around 7:30 p.m Dec. 1, 2023, Vorlicky could be heard screaming in the background, Where is the (expletive) Narcan? court documents say. Did you give her Narcan? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dispatcher asked why the child needed Narcan and the grandmother said the baby had gotten into some of her daughters drugs. She was told to put the baby on the ground and administer the lifesaving drug, which can reverse the deadly effects of an opioid overdose. Medics were on scene when officers arrived at the home in the 300 block of Toronto Street in the citys West Seventh area. Vorlickys mother, who had called 911, told police that her daughter, MiVida and Harrison were staying in an upstairs bedroom. She said she frequently finds drug residue, straws and burnt tinfoil around the house, the charges say. MiVida was transported to Childrens Hospital in St. Paul. She was given Narcan, but did not regain consciousness. She was transported to Childrens Hospital in Minneapolis. In the bedroom, police found a baggie of methamphetamine, burnt tinfoil on top of a dresser and nasal Narcan. A bag with tinfoil and suspected drugs were in a storage tote in the closet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vorlicky told police she smoked fentanyl the morning of Dec. 1 in a hallway with tinfoil, which she then threw away. Harrison told police he didnt stay at the home, but went there three or four days a week to check on MiVida, who had begun to crawl. He accepted responsibility for not being there for her and getting her into a better situation, the charges say. Police executed a second search warrant at the home on Dec. 4 and recovered additional evidence from Vorlickys bedroom, according to the charges. Officers found four clear plastic baggies on the bedroom floor by the bed and dozens of pieces of crumpled tinfoil with drug residue in a dresser drawer. On the dresser was a loose blue pill and a computer tablet that tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. MiVida was declared brain dead the next day, and died. Organ donation was completed on Dec. 7. Inexplicably, no treatment Vorlicky had several opportunities to go into treatment for her drug addiction, prosecutor Flynn said Monday in court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When MiVida was born, hospital staff noticed Vorlicky was using drugs, Flynn said. Child protection intervened and Vorlicky was required to undergo a chemical use assessment. She never followed through with treatment. According to court records, on April 28, 2023, about seven months before MiVida ingested the drug, Vorlicky was found slumped over in a car in St. Paul and officers found fentanyl and cocaine during a search. Her blood was drawn and she was charged with fifth-degree drug possession and DWI in October 2023 after an analysis by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension came back showing the presence of cocaine. In the meantime, Vorlicky had picked up another charge. Minneapolis police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on May 13, 2023, and saw her asleep in the drivers seat and a white bag with a white substance on top of the center console. She admitted to possessing fentanyl, but the substance field-tested positive for cocaine, the charges in that case say. A Hennepin County judge the following August sentenced Vorlicky to the countys Diversion Solutions program for one year. And yet, inexplicably, no treatment, Flynn said. The defendant again failed to use these opportunities to correct her course in life. And she had the child at that time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July, Vorlicky was released from the Ramsey County jail by a different judge, Flynn told Judge Yang, because she had asked to go into treatment as her manslaughter case progressed through the court. After being released from a hospital treatment program, she absconded and fled the state and was driven back to Minnesota. Related Articles Patricia Hughes, Vorlickys attorney, told Yang that she began using drugs in her teens and first used fentanyl at age 16 and couldnt break the habit. Vorlicky is a broken woman, Hughes said, and didnt just flippantly leave drugs on the floor so her daughter could have access to them. Shes chemically dependent and she needs help for it, and she wants help for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vorlicky addressed the court, saying, Me being heartbroken is very much an understatement. Im going to have to live with this guilt the rest of my life. Every day, she said, she thinks about her daughter in that casket and how I could have prevented it 100%. Im sorry for all the people that I hurt, including myself. April 1 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1826, Samuel Morey was granted a patent on the internal combustion engine. In 1891, the Wrigley Company is founded in Chicago by William Wrigley, Jr., originally selling goods such as soap and baking powder. A year later Wrigley would start packaging packets of gum with each tin of baking powder. The rest is history. In 1918, toward the end of World War I, the British founded the Royal Air Force. Two months later it began bombing industrial targets in Germany from bases in France. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI People run away from an approaching tsunami in Hilo, Hawaii, on April 1, 1946. The tsunami was sparked by an earthquake in the Aleutian Islands about 4 hours earlier. File Photo courtesy of the Pacific Tsunami Museum/Wikimedia In 1924, Adolf Hitler was sent to prison for five years after failing to take over Germany by force in the unsuccessful "Beer Hall Putsch." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1945, U.S. forces swarmed ashore on the Japanese island of Okinawa to begin what would be one of the longest battles of World War II. U.S. Marine reinforcements wade ashore to support the beachhead on Okinawa, Japan, on April 1, 1945. File Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense In 1946, a massive earthquake near Alaska's Aleutian Islands created a tsunami that raced south across the Pacific Ocean, slamming into the Hawaiian Islands causing widespread destruction. The two events resulted in more than 165 casualties across three states. In 1970, President Richard Nixon signed legislation calling for mandatory health warnings on tobacco product packaging and banning cigarette ads on TV and radio, effective January 1, 1971. On April 1, 2003, U.S. Marines rescued Pfc. Jessica Lynch, 19, who had been held prisoner in Iraq since an ambush on March 23. File Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force In 1976, Apple Inc. was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. UPI File Photo Tennis pro sisters Serena Williams (L) and Venus Williams hold up replicas of Wrigley's Doublemint Chewing Gum prior to their March 22, 2001, announcement in Miami that they have signed a deal to promote the product. On April 1, 1891, the Wrigley Company is founded in Chicago, Ill., by William Wrigley, Jr., originally selling goods such as soap and baking powder. A year later Wrigley would start packaging packets of gum with each tin of baking powder. The rest is history. File Photo by Ron C. Angle/UPI Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1979, the overthrow of the shah becomes official as Iran votes to become an Islamic republic. In 1984, Marvin Gaye, whose rhythm and blues hits over nearly 25 years included "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" and "Sexual Healing," was shot and killed by his preacher father. Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi receives her honorary degree along with seven other distinguished figures at the Encaenia ceremony held at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford on June 20, 2012. On April 1, 2012, Aung San Suu Kyi won a seat in Parliament less than two years after being freed from nearly two decades of house arrest. File Photo by Paul Treadway/UPI In 1992, U.S. President George H.W. Bush announced a $24 billion aid package for the former Soviet republics. In 1996, an outbreak of "mad cow" disease forced Britain to plan the mass slaughter of cows. In 1999, Canada created a new territory, Nunavut, as a means of providing autonomy for the Inuit people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2003, U.S. Marines rescued Pfc. Jessica Lynch, 19, who had been held prisoner in Iraq since an ambush on March 23. In 2012, Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel peace laureate and voice of the political opposition in Myanmar, won a seat in Parliament less than two years after being freed from nearly two decades of house arrest. In 2019, Japan announced the name of its new imperial era would be "Reiwa," when Crown Prince Naruhito becomes emperor, which would happen one month later. In 2024, an Israeli strike in central Gaza killed seven aid workers with U.S. non-profit World Central Kitchen. Mar. 31DUCHOUQUET TOWNSHIP A Dayton man was transported to a Lima hospital after he lost control of his vehicle in a construction zone while heading north on Interstate 75 at 6:09 a.m. Tuesday, March 25, according to a crash report. Dustin Williams, 21, Dayton, was northbound on Interstate 75 in the right lane in the construction zone when he struck the concrete wall and then the guardrail face, coming to rest in the right lane. Williams was transported to Lima Memorial Health System with suspected possible injuries. The 2022 Ford F-250 driven by Williams sustained disabling damage. According to the crash report, Williams was not distracted. Reach Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351 Featured Local Savings WASHINGTON (DC News Now) A man pleaded guilty to a series of robberies near Anacostia Park back in 2023, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia (USADC) announced Tuesday. The USAO said now-25-year-old David Crocker robbed two people at gunpoint on Dec. 18, 2023, in separate incidents near Anacostia Park. In the first incident, Crocker robbed someone at gunpoint in the 2200 block of Fairlawn Avenue SE. He took the victims phone, keys and wallet, and demanded the PINs to their Cash App account and credit cards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later that day, a man waved down officers in a U.S. Park Police (USPP) cruiser while on the Anacostia Trail, according to court documents. Man to serve 10 years in prison for stabbing Safe Passage ambassador near DC high school The man told officers he had just been robbed at gunpoint and that the suspect took his bike. He said he was riding the bike on the Anacostia River Walk Trail when Crocker stopped him. Crocker pulled out a gun and asked for cash. When the victim said he did not have any cash on him, Crocker reportedly took his phone, credit cards, keys and ID. He then made the man create a Cash App account and send him $2,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim told officials that Crocker rode his bike south on the path toward the pedestrian bridge. The USPP was able to find Crocker quickly after being flagged down by the victim and found the persons items, as well as the gun used in the robbery. Crocker is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4, 2025. As part of his sentence, he will be required to register as a gun offender. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Black Lives Matter Plaza mural in Washington, D.C., has disappeared as the plazas reconstruction nears completion, just weeks after crews began alterations. German Vigil, the spokesman for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), told DC News Now on Monday that the reconstruction of the plaza in 16th St. NW, between H and K streets, is in its final stage and will be completed ahead of schedule. Vigil noted that efficient project management, good weather conditions and the cooperation of area businesses have allowed the murals removal to progress without delays. Construction on the plaza began on March 10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the work has already been completed, with pavement markings as the final step. Although striping is scheduled to be finished by the end of the week, the roadway has been reopened to traffic, Vigil said, in part. PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Crews begin reconstructing Black Lives Matter Plaza The plazas changes come after Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) introduced legislation at the beginning of March that would withhold federal funding from the city until officials removed the mural and renamed it Liberty Plaza. Following the legislations introduction, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the plaza would be renamed and redesigned. Three days later, DDOT said crews would begin reconstruction on or about March 10 and that the work would take six to eight weeks to complete. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DC News Now spoke with Chris who lives in the area. He says removing the mural wasnt necessary. I dont see how Black Lives Matter on the road is causing a disturbance in any type of way, he said. The plaza and mural (which reads Black Lives Matter in bold yellow letters) were initially designed in 2020 amid protests over the murder of George Floyd. Crowd gathered at Black Lives Matter Plaza in DC to show respect to mural before removal The letters at Black Lives Matter Plaza have been repainted after the street was repaved near the White House in Washington, Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) In her initial announcement, Bowser said the plazas reconstruction will be part of DCs America 250 mural project, where students and artists will be invited to create new murals across all eight wards. 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 | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. NEW YORK Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday said the Justice Department would seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione for the December killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Donald Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again, Trumps AG said in a statement. Attorneys for Mangione did not immediately comment on Bondis announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione has been charged in a federal complaint with murder through the use of a firearm, a death penalty-eligible crime, and other crimes for the Dec. 4 incident outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges as prosecutors have not yet filed an indictment, a charging document handed up by a grand jury. On the state level, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office has indicted Mangione on first-degree murder and terror offenses carrying the possibility of life without parole. He has pleaded not guilty in that case. Trump has been a longtime supporter of capital punishment, even advocating for drug traffickers to be put to death in his first term. After resuming office in January, he issued an executive order indicating his DOJ would forcefully pursue the death penalty in more cases, particularly those involving the murder of a law-enforcement officer and crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, and said the federal government would resume executions for prisoners on death row. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps order came after President Joe Biden converted the death sentences of 37 of 40 prisoners on death row to sentences of life without parole and after Biden in 2021 issued a moratorium on death penalty cases while research was conducted on how executions were carried out. Biden campaigned on a promise of working to pass legislation to end capital punishment on the federal level, but he ultimately did not. Should Mangione face a federal conviction, it will be jurors, not the feds, who will decide at a second trial whether he should be put to death. The Manhattan US attorneys office in March 2023 failed to secure the death penalty against Sayfullo Saipov for killing eight people on a West Side bike path in 2023. _____ NEW YORK Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday said the Justice Department would seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione for the December killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the first sought since President Donald Trumps return to power. Bondi said the decision was in line with her Day 1 memo to DOJ staff outlining the department would revive the federal death penalty and lift a moratorium on executions implemented under President Joe Biden. Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again, Trumps AG said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangiones lead defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, condemned the announcement in a statement. By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric. Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent. While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi. By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people, Friedman Agnifilo said. We are prepared to fight these federal charges, brought by a lawless Justice Department, as well as the New York State charges, and the Pennsylvania charges, and anything else they want to pile on Luigi. This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship. Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young mans life. Mangione, 26, has been charged in a federal complaint with murder through the use of a firearm, a death penalty-eligible crime, and other offenses for the fatal shooting on Dec. 4 outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was arriving for an annual investor conference. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges as prosecutors have not yet filed an indictment, a charging document handed up by a grand jury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the state level, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office has indicted Mangione on first-degree murder and terror offenses carrying the possibility of life without parole. He has pleaded not guilty in that case. Mangione also faces lower-level charges in Pennsylvania related to a weapon and fake ID he allegedly possessed upon his arrest at a McDonalds in Altoona following a five-day manhunt. The Maryland man, an Ivy League computer science graduate, has received an outpouring of support from people frustrated with the expensive health care system in the United States. Authorities allege he carried a manifesto expressing his hostility toward the health insurance industry and that shell casings at the scene bore the words deny, defend, and depose, in an apparent reference to the industry routinely denying claims to maximize profits. Trump is a longtime supporter of capital punishment who advocated for drug traffickers to be put to death in his first term and famously called for the executions of five Black teenagers accused and ultimately exonerated of raping an investment banker who was jogging in Central Park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After resuming office, he issued an executive order indicating his DOJ would forcefully pursue the death penalty wherever possible, particularly in cases involving the murder of a law enforcement officer and crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. It also said the federal government would resume executions for prisoners on death row. Trumps order came after President Biden converted the death sentences of 37 of 40 prisoners on death row to sentences of life without parole and after Biden in 2021 issued a pause on executions while a review of related DOJ policies was carried out. Biden campaigned on a promise of working to pass legislation to end capital punishment on the federal level, but he ultimately did not. Should Mangione face a federal conviction, it will be jurors, not the feds, who will decide at a second trial whether he should be put to death. The effort could prove a challenge for the Manhattan U.S. attorneys office, which in March 2023 failed to secure the death penalty against Sayfullo Saipov for killing eight people on a West Side bike path. In that case, finding a panel of jurors unopposed to capital punishment took around five months, indicating Mangiones federal trial could play out late into Trumps second term. _____ SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. Will the Trump Train derail in the Sunshine State? Republicans are nervous about keeping Florida's Sixth Congressional District. Former Representative Mike Waltz left this seat to become President Donald J. Trump's national security advisor. (Waltz is now ensnared in the so-called Signalgate matter.) State Senator Randy Fine is running for that post in Tuesday's special election. Trump walloped Kamala Harris in FL-6 64.5% to 34.5%. So, Fine's victory should be a snap. But it's not. Thanks to Trump's commanding re-election and his relentless reforms since inauguration, Democrats are enraged, powered by hate, and eager to transform their bile into opportunistic electoral victories. Meanwhile, fat and happy Republicans have been savoring the warm, runny DOGEness of it all. What could go wrong? Plenty. In last Tuesday's special election, Democrats snagged a State Senate seat in a Pennsylvania district that voted 57% for Trump in November. Back in Florida-6, high school math teacher Joshua Weil has converted Democrat fury into $10 million. Fine has gleaned just $987,000. The "smart money" has avoided a seat deemed "too safe to defend." "What you are seeing in Florida's 6th District is the combined result of Republicans being complacent and Democrats being mad as hell," Jacksonville-based GOP strategist Brian Graham of Americana Advisors, LLC tells me. "The Democrat has outraised the Republican tenfold and has been on TV for weeks with an ability to fund an effective grassroots turnout operation." Weil has made himself famous. A March 22-25 St. Pete Poll of 403 likely voters found Weil at 44.3% to Fine's 48.3%, well within the 4.9% margin of error. As of Noon Friday, early voter turnout totaled 13.9% non-affiliated, 39.6% Democrat, and 46.5% Republican. Nothing should be this close in MAGA country. Still, Fine has advantages. FL-6 brims with Republicans. Voter registration is 48.8% GOP, 25.6% Democrat, 22.4% non-affiliated, and 3.1% minor party. All Republicans must do to win is show up. Fine comes well-recommended. Atop widespread support among lawmakers in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., Trump loves Fine. "A Harvard Educated, Successful Businessman, and Highly Respected State Legislator, Randy has been an incredible Voice for MAGA, and the Great People of Florida," Trump crowed via Truth Social on November 23. "Randy Fine has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, RANDY, RUN!" In Florida's state legislature, Fine sponsored America's most ambitious expansion of school choice. He chopped taxes, booted illegal aliens, and shielded the Second Amendment, scoring an A from the National Rifle Association. Fine's far-Left opponent is a self-styled socialist who argues that socialism can "take care of everyone." As a U.S. Senate candidate in 2022, Weil said: "I think ONLY a socialist can win Florida." If elected, his to-do list includes puberty blockers, slavery reparations, and Medicare for All. He also would "end U.S. military aid to Israel." A Weil victory would electrify demoralized Democrats, just as they were lunging for the vodka and sleeping pills. His win would scare GOP members of both houses and spook the Jell-O-spined among them just enough to imperil the Big Beautiful Bill laden with Trump's tax cuts, energy development, deregulation, and many other promises. Nevertheless, campaign consultant Brian Graham is cautiously optimistic: "The circumstances are not ideal for Republicans, and the results may be closer than we prefer, but Randy Fine should still win this solidly red seat. Republicans simply have to turn out their base, w hich has tended to vote closer to or on election day." With so much on the line, Republicans should deploy their biggest guns. Top administration figures should campaign with Fine as Tuesday's vote looms. President Trump should host an election-eve get-out-the-vote rally to propel Republicans, independents, and thinking Democrats to the polls. As for grassroots conservatives, "Calling on folks to vote is critical," Fine tells me. Also vital: From the Golden Gate to the Brooklyn Bridge, Trump supporters should visit VoteRandyFine.com and give as if the America First agenda depended on it. 2025 Deroy Murdock Ren Wei makes an embroidery work at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) This photo taken on March 14, 2025 shows an embroidery work displayed at Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei arranges cultural and creative products at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) This photo taken on March 14, 2025 shows an embroidery work displayed at Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) This photo taken on March 14, 2025 shows an embroidery work displayed at Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) This photo taken on March 14, 2025 shows a cultural and creative product displayed at Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Wang Weijia, daughter of Ren Wei, exchanges with a Han embroidery enthusiast at a park near Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 19, 2025. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) People view an embroidery work by Ren Wei at a park near Ren Wei's studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 19, 2025. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei makes an embroidery work at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei (R) exchanges with a Han embroidery enthusiast at a park near her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 19, 2025. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei arranges cultural and creative products at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei makes an embroidery work at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei views displayed embroidery works at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) Ren Wei makes an embroidery work at her studio in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 14, 2025. Han embroidery, a traditional embroidery having a history of over 2,000 years, was listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2008. Famous for its rough stitching, rich colors and bold patterns, it often outlines the embroidery patterns with gold or silver lines, offering a magnificent visual impact. Ren Wei, born into a Han embroidery family, is a representative inheritor of the art. Since she was 14 years old, Ren had been working at her father's studio and learnt the skills from him. In order to better pass down the craft, Ren and her father have spent dozens of years collecting and restoring the traditional patterns by visiting numerous archives and folk artists. For her, the art should be integrated with modern life instead of only staying in the museums. Since 2014, Ren has opened free Han embroidery classes for about one hundred students at a school for deaf-mutes in Wuhan. In 2015, she cooperated with designer Zhao Huizhou to combine Han embroidery with modern fashion designs. Their artworks have been staged at the Milan Fashion Week. With the support of the local government, she has also designed many cultural and creative products, opened campus classes, and built digital exhibition halls. Nowadays, her daughter has also joined her in the inheritance of the craft. "Although AI technology and 3D printing techniques have impacted on our handwork industry," said Ren Wei, "they can't express the emotions and spirits of Han Embroidery." She hopes more people can join them to embroider a better future for the art. (Xinhua/Du Zixuan) DeepState, a Ukrainian group of military analysts, has estimated that Russian forces occupied 133 sq km of Ukrainian territory in March, a marked decrease compared to the period from July 2024 to February 2025. Source: DeepState on Telegram Quote: "The effectiveness of the Katsap [Russian ed.] troops continues to decline. The monthly loss of territory [by Ukraine] has dropped by almost six times compared to November." Dynamics of Russian occupation by area in sq km Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Photo: DeepState Details: However, the analysts emphasised that this does not indicate a reduction in Russian attacks or an intention to wait for a ceasefire agreement. On the contrary, Russian forces have resumed offensive operations on several fronts. "The intensity on the Pokrovsk front began to escalate significantly in the second half of March, reaching levels seen at the end of 2024, when the defences south of the city occasionally collapsed," the group stated. DeepState also noted that despite considerable fatigue among Ukrainian defence forces and numerous challenges, Ukrainian soldiers continue to "minimise the enemy's success". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group also noted that Ukrainian troops are now capturing Russian soldiers who had received only a few days of training before being deployed to the front. "Unfortunately, they now have a reserve in the form of the Kursk group, and the big question remains where it will be deployed or divided," DeepState concluded. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! By Nate Raymond (Reuters) -A group of Democratic-led states on Tuesday sued Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to challenge its cancellation of $11 billion in federal grants the states were allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorneys general and governors from 23 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Rhode Island argue the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lacks the authority to unilaterally claw back funding the states had already built health programs around. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The grant funding was being used by states to track, prevent and control infectious diseases, including measles and bird flu, as well as track mental health services and fund addiction treatment. "By eliminating billions in critical funding for essential public health initiatives, the administration is effectively telling the American people to fend for themselves," Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a statement. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The slash in funding was the latest wave of cuts to be overseen by new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The department said the funds were largely used for COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and other responses to the pandemic in announcing the termination of the grants last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago," the department said at the time. The funding included money from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for pandemic preparedness, overdose prevention and community health programs, and from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for addiction treatment and suicide prevention. "Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Berkrot) OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Democratic lawmakers at the State Capitol filed joint resolutions on Monday in both the House and Senate in an effort to stop the proposed social study standers for Oklahoma classrooms. The controversial standards were approved by the State Board of Education in February but had been tweaked before being handed over to legislators. Close to 100 changes, said Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City. I mean, thats a deep concern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican lawmakers in the House heard from State Superintendent Ryan Walters Monday afternoon during a closed-door meeting with the House Republican Caucus for nearly an hour. I feel very confident moving forward, said Walters. The 400-plus page standards were given to lawmakers who must approve, reject, or amend the curriculum within 30 legislative days. Were going to review what they worked on, said Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle. Most comments submitted opposed to OSBE Social Studies standards Many Democrats said Monday they were unsure exactly when the documents were handed over to lawmakers, but said the resolutions could be heard on each floor quickly since they were running out of time. With the joint resolutions, Democrats asked to send the standards back to the Board of Education for review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve never seen this level of politics injected into public education that weve seen in the last two years and the slow and methodical approach where everyone has their questions answered and parents feel comfortable is critical, said Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa. The proposed standards emphasize the Bible, discredited theories about the 2020 election, and the origin of the COVID pandemic. Our kids need to look at it and be able to critically think about what happened in 2020. They need to know about where COVID started. They know about the way COVID impacted our elections and that entire cycle, said Walters. So we absolutely stand by it. Last July, Walters announced he had put together an A-list executive review committee, which included PragerUs founder, to overhaul the social studies standards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats questioned the motive behind that move. Only three of folks or three out of the 10 have ever even lived in Oklahoma, said Hicks. It begs the question, do these folks have the people of Oklahomas best interest in mind? Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Democrats head into Wisconsins Supreme Court election projecting confidence that hammering Elon Musk's presence in American politics is resonating, but quietly, they have concerns that the message will hurt them with Black and Latino voters. While nominally non-partisan, Tuesday's Supreme Court race is falling along familiar ideological lines with Musk and President Donald Trump backing circuit court judge in Waukesha County Brad Schimel. Democrats are endorsing Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford. The involvement of Musk, the worlds richest man and a close adviser to Trump, has turned the race into a national referendum on the president and the outcome could determine abortion policy, congressional maps and more in one of the countrys most critical political states. If the outcome of the race is close and polling heading into election day indicates it is low turnout among voters of color could make or break the election. But both Schimel and Crawford are white, and neither party has particularly tailored its message to voters of color. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats a sign, some Democrats worry, that the party hasn't found a way to stop the erosion of support among its voters of color that cost them in battlegrounds across the country including in Wisconsin last year. My biggest concern for the closing stretch is that we [expect] that Elon Musk's hatred is gonna get the job done, said Mandela Barnes, the states former Democratic lieutenant governor who now runs Power to the Polls Wisconsin, which works to turn out diverse communities throughout the state. Amid overall voter exhaustion, that may not be enough. Barnes, a longtime organizer in the state who narrowly lost a bid to become the states first Black senator three years ago, is concerned that by focusing on the negative associations with Musk Democrats are failing to, again, articulate a definitive reason for voters of color to show up to the polls. Progressive activists, including Milwaukee-based Angela Lang, said voters of color might not be fully engaged in the early months of the second Trump presidency. Lang, who heads the community outreach organization Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, said when her organization is canvassing low-propensity voters in some majority Black neighborhoods, there remains a measurable voter hangover from former Vice President Kamala Harris stinging loss just four years after former President Joe Biden beat Trump in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Naturally there's voter fatigue, Lang said. People are still upset about November and are like: Damn, we gotta vote all over again? I don't even want to do any of this there is some of that. Still, she is hoping Democrats can exploit Musks involvement in the contest to their benefit. A motivating factor for some folks is that you have this unelected bureaucrat billionaire who doesn't even live in Wisconsin, a member of the Trump administration, trying to buy our highest court, she said. The Wisconsin Supreme Court race has broken spending records for a judicial election with more than $80 million spent by both sides. Musk himself has spent more than $18 million on the race alone, even offering to give$1 million to two attendees of his Green Bay rally on Sunday who had voted for Schimel only to delete the post when others raised concerns he could be violating state law if he followed through on it. Wisconsin Republicans are laughing off this characterization of Musk, suggesting Democrats are pushing the Musk narrative as a distraction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are scrambling because they are in such disarray at the national level, and they don't know where to go, said a GOP operative granted anonymity to speak freely about the race. Basically, they are doing the same thing they did with Trump, just using a different boogeyman. Theres also some trepidation from Wisconsins Latino community that theyve not been engaged at the level necessary to impact the Supreme Court contest. I think there is concern that while there has been some outreach to the Hispanic community, I don't think anyone's felt that they've been reached out to in earnest, said Darryl Morin, president and CEO of the Forward Latino, a Wisconsin-based organization that engages Hispanic voters. Complicating Democrats push to retain control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court seat is a down-ballot race for the state superintendent of public instruction. It too is a contest that features two white candidates, but the conservative-backed candidate Brittany Kinser won the endorsement of the states largest Black newspaper Milwaukee Community Journal last month over the incumbent and Democrat-backed Jill Underly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reality is, Milwaukee is doing very poorly as it relates to educating minority students, whether they're Black or Brown, said Wisconsin GOP strategist Bill McCoshen. He said Republicans have changed their own strategy since their 2023 state Supreme Court loss, including running stronger candidates that appeal to a broader slice of the electorate like Kinser and Schimel. I don't know that either of the Supreme Court candidates have done a good or even okay job reaching out to minorities, McCoshen said. But if they're breaking anyway, it's certainly for Kinser in the superintendent's race. Both sides are casting the Supreme Court contest as a race about the future of the republic. Indeed, a number of high profile cases are expected to come before the seven-judge body in the near future including on abortion, collective bargaining of public sector unions and a possible challenge to the states congressional maps. But those abstract concepts may not be galvanizing issues to low-propensity voters who tend to be more motivated by kitchen table economic issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's exhausting to have democracy on the line in election after election after election, said Ben Wikler, the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party,, before leaning into rhetoric Democrats were pushing hard in the final weekend before Election Day that a criminal scheme was being hatched by Musk and Trump to buy Wisconsin elections. He then added a familiar line about how the party is, one again, framing the election. This is the make or break election before the midterms, he said. Adam Wren contributed to this report. Congressional Democrats are renewing their push to expand in vitro fertilization access for military service members by introducing legislation that would require the Department of Defense's health care program to fund access to IVF for military service members. The legislative effort, being led in the Senate by Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth and in the House by Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs, would bring IVF access afforded to military service members in parity with the services available to members of Congress. It would also modify current requirements that service members prove that their infertility challenges are directly connected to service, a barrier that the lawmakers say is often cumbersome or impossible to overcome. MORE: Senate IVF bill fails again to advance on mostly party line vote PHOTO: In vitro fertilization or IVF (Peter Hansen/STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images) The legislation, Jacobs said in an exclusive interview with ABC News, could be "life-changing" for military service members who are often forced to choose between continuing their military service and starting a family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think it will be huge. We know so many military families are struggling to make ends meet as it is, and are facing really significant fertility challenges. It would be life-changing," Jacobs told ABC News. "We shouldn't make them choose between serving our country and building their families." PHOTO: Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., is seen on the floor during Speaker of House votes on Friday, January 6, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Duckworth and Jacobs say that some members of the military have been forced to abandon their military careers because of the lack of infertility treatment coverage by their health care program, called TRICARE. It could present a risk to military readiness, they told ABC News. "For too many service members, the lack of TRICARE coverage of IVF has left them with only a few choices: beat the odds and prove that their infertility is directly related to their service, pay tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for a chance at a family, forgo having children, or leave the military. This is wrong," Jacobs said. It's also about parity, they said: Starting this year, members of Congress are afforded access to plans that offer coverage for infertility treatments. Jacobs and Duckworth say the same should be true for military service members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It makes no sense that members of Congress and the rest of the federal workforce will get this, but military families still won't," Jacobs said. This is not the first time that Jacobs and Duckworth have attempted to expand IVF access for military service members. They tried to get this same provision included in the massive military spending package, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, last year as both parties tried to reassure voters of their support for IVF and other infertility treatments. Though the proposal made it through the House Armed Services Committee, it never made it into the final version of the bill that President Joe Biden signed into law during the waning days of his presidency. Similar legislation was separately blocked in the Senate by Republican Sen. James Lankford last year. At the time, Lankford said that while he supports IVF, he was concerned about the indefinite cost of the legislation and the possibility it opened for "future definitions for gene editing or for cloning." PHOTO: Sen. Tammy Duckworth prepares for a hearing to examine the preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board on the Jan. 29, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 27, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Duckworth and Jacobs' newest effort, however, is a stand-alone bill that could be voted on not as an amendment, but as it's own legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, has been vocal about her own experiences using IVF to conceive her two children. She was involved in multiple efforts to expand IVF access last Congress that were ultimately blocked by Republicans. She said this new proposal would give Republicans the opportunity to make good on President Donald Trump's pro-IVF rhetoric that he's used on the campaign trail and at the White House. "President Trump pledged to voters on the campaign trail that he would go even further by making IVF free if elected and has repeated the bold-faced lie that he is governing on the principle of 'promises made, promises kept,'" Duckworth said in a statement. "Republicans can now help him partially fulfill his broken IVF promise by joining our commonsense legislation that would make sure those who answer the call to serve have access to the care they need to build their family." MORE: Trump's push for free IVF may attract suburban women, but questions about covering cost Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No Republican has yet signed on as a cosponsor, but Duckworth and Jacobs are pointing to Trump's comments as recently as last week touting his support for IVF as a possible boon to their efforts. On the campaign trail, as an Alabama State Supreme Court ruling temporarily threw IVF access into question, Trump was vocal about his hope to make IVF continually accessible. He referred to himself as the "father of IVF" and issued a statement that said "I strongly support the availability of IVF for couples who are trying to have a precious baby." PHOTO: Army Soldiers, participate in the Soldier Readiness Process for Mobilization Operation, at the JRC located on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., March 31, 2025. (U.S. Army ) MORE: Trump says he 'strongly' supports IVF after Alabama court ruling Trump has continued to make his support for IVF known. As recently as Wednesday when, during a Women's History Month event, he referred to himself as the "fertilization president." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Fertilization. I'm still very proud of it, I don't care. I'll be known as the fertilization president, and that's OK," Trump said. "That's not bad. I've been called much worse. Actually, I like it, right?" It's at this point unclear if the bill, which if pushed by Democrats to the Senate floor as a stand-alone bill would require the unanimous support of the Republican conference, would have the support it needs to pass. It's also unclear if efforts to include it in this year's National Defense Authorization Act or other major legislative pushes could lead to passage. Democrats renew push to expand IVF access for military service members originally appeared on abcnews.go.com By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Senate Democrats are questioning whether a senior official in Republican President Donald Trump's Justice Department told the truth in his confirmation hearing in February about his knowledge of a plan to dismiss corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, according to a document seen by Reuters. In a March 31 letter addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, 10 senators led by Peter Welch of Vermont and Chris Coons of Delaware said internal Justice Department correspondence made public in court last week may undercut Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's testimony under oath on February 12, before he was in office, that he was not aware of the basis for dropping the charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams, a Democrat, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he accepted bribes from Turkish officials in exchange for political favors. A Justice Department spokesperson said on Tuesday: Todd Blanche was not involved in decision-making at the DOJ prior to his confirmation." During Blanche's confirmation hearing, when Coons asked about the basis for dropping the Adams case, Blanche responded, "I have no idea." When Welch asked if the dismissal was directed by officials in Washington, D.C., Blanche said, "I have the same information you have. It appears it was, yes. I don't know." The Democrats said a draft of a letter to Bondi written by former Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon in mid-February raised questions about that testimony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In that draft, made public in court filings last week, Sassoon wrote that Emil Bove, the acting deputy attorney general at the time, told her that he and Blanche were "on the same page" about the Adams dismissal. In their letter, Welch, Coons and the eight other Democrats on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary asked for any documents the Justice Department has related to the decision to dismiss the charges against Adams that mention Blanche, as well as any communications about Adams between Blanche and Bove, now associate deputy attorney general. "Congress has an obligation to investigate whether Mr. Blanche provided untruthful testimony before the Judiciary Committee, including whether a referral to the Department of Justice for a criminal inquiry is warranted," the senators wrote. Senate Democrats cannot conduct investigations or hold hearings without the support of Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress. It is unlikely the Justice Department, where Blanche is the No. 2 official, would act on any referral from Senate Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. District Judge Dale Ho in Manhattan is still considering the Justice Department's request that he dismiss the case because it is interfering with Adams' ability to help Trump enforce immigration laws. Sassoon and several other Justice Department officials resigned rather than comply with Bove's directive to seek dismissal of the charges. The episode heightened concern among Democrats and some conservatives that Trump was challenging standards of prosecutorial independence that have stood for a half-century. Sassoon's draft letter said she had expressed concern to Bove that a final decision about dropping the charges should not be made before Blanche was confirmed. Her draft letter did not say Bove told her he had spoken with Blanche about the case. The letter Sassoon ultimately sent to Bondi, dated February 12, did not mention Blanche. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York;Editing by Noeleen Walder and Matthew Lewis) Happy Tuesday! Heres your Tuesday Tech Drop, a collection of the past weeks top stories from the intersection of tech and politics. Dems push back on Trumps FCC chairman Democrats on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have opened an investigation into Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr (also a co-author of the far-right playbook Project 2025), citing his attacks on the First Amendment and his weaponization of the agency. Since Trump tapped him for the FCCs top position, Carr has targeted NPR and PBS over underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements, threatened to kill mergers involving companies with DEI policies, and opened an investigation into a San Francisco radio station that reported on a local ICE raid. Carr has also revived complaints, filed by conservative groups, accusing media organizations of bias in favor of Democrats complaints that were dismissed by former FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel and, in one case, were opposed by multiple conservative organizations. Democrats sent Carr a letter demanding answers and documents and asking the FCCs inspector general to open an investigation as well: We write to express deep concern over your actions to target and intimidate news organizations and broadcasters in violation of the First Amendment. These troubling actions assault the Constitutionally protected freedom of the press and violate the Federal Communications Commissions statutory prohibition against engaging in censorship. Moreover, directing FCC staff to devote time and resources to bogus investigations constitutes a violation of the law, gross mismanagement, extreme waste of funds, and an abuse of authority. Far-right militants defend the technocracy Wired reports that members of various extremist groups, referring to themselves as Tesla Shield, formed counterprotests in Elon Musks defense over the weekend, as protesters demonstrated against Musk for his role in gutting the federal government. Among these counterdemonstrators were groups such as the Proud Boys, Wired reports. It certainly suggests some of the worst nightmares of the technocracy have been realized when right-wing militias are showing up to protests on behalf of the worlds most prominent Big Tech oligarch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more on Wired. Tracking the impact of Trumps tariff war The United Parcel Service launched an online tool to help shoppers calculate the import costs of items they purchase amid Trumps haphazard and potentially destructive tariff war. While some Trump loyalists continue to push the lie that tariffs dont result in higher prices for consumers, Trump told NBC News over the weekend that he couldnt care less if foreign car companies raise their prices amid his tariff war because he believes consumers will buy American-made products instead. Tools like the one UPS launched could keep the tariff war front of mind for shoppers as they peruse the internet for products. Read more at The Hill. Hide and Sick A report from ProPublica last week found that leaders at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered staff not to release an expert assessment that the risk of catching measles which is currently spreading in several states is highest in areas with lagging vaccination rates. Its just one example of how anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is distorting the important work of U.S. health agencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more at ProPublica. Trump pardons Arizona EV fraudster In 2023, Trevor Milton, the founder of the electric vehicle company Nikola, was sentenced to four years in prison on fraud charges stemming from falsehoods about the technological capabilities of his product. And last week Milton was pardoned by Donald Trump. The Associated Press reports the decision could wipe out hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution that prosecutors were seeking for defrauded investors. As the Washington Posts Aaron Blake noted, Trumps pardons have resulted in lost restitution for victims exceeding $1 billion. Milton donated more than $1.8 million to Trumps presidential campaign in 2024. Read more at The Associated Press. Lake runs dry (for now) Kari Lake, the far-right influencer Trump tapped to lead the Voice of America news organization, appears to have abandoned her attempt to silence Radio Free Europe. I blogged about a court filing from Lake last week that asked a judge to toss out a lawsuit that would prevent her from terminating grants to the outlet, saying shes withdrawn the cuts for now. However, Lake claimed that the U.S. Agency for Global Media reserves the authority to cut funds later if the agency determines such a termination was appropriate under the applicable law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read my blog on MSNBC. Musks $1 million giveaway winner locks account One of the recipients of Elon Musks $1 million giveaway this weekend was Nicholas Jacobs, who happens to be the president of the Wisconsin College Republicans. On Sunday the Wisconsin Supreme Court chose not to stop the payouts after the state attorney general filed a lawsuit arguing such payments violated state law. Musk had initially suggested that the two million-dollar checks would go to voters before he clarified they would be to spokesmen. Jacobs reportedly set his social media account to private amid backlash over the news that he was a recipient of Musks giveaway. Read more at MeidasTouch. Costly blessings Paula White, who leads Trumps White House Faith Office, came in for widespread criticism last week over her promotion of seven supernatural blessings her followers could purchase from her companys website for $1,000. Seems like even religious freedom isnt always free these days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch video of Whites sales pitch here: If you give White House faith adviser Paula White $1,000 before Easter, she promises that you will receive "seven supernatural blessings.": "God will assign an angel to you ... He'll give you prosperity. He'll take sickness away from you. He will give you long life." pic.twitter.com/eQRkuC9KtG Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) March 24, 2025 Read more about it on Baptist News Global. Musks AI machinations Over at Forbes, cybersecurity journalist Kate OFlaherty published a solid explainer on Musks AI company, xAI, purchasing his social media company, X. OFlaherty spoke with experts who highlighted the potential security concerns related to scraping Xs user data potentially, even their locations to train his AI models. Read more at Forbes. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Tuesday marks 10 years since a commercial logging ban took effect in key state-owned forest areas in the Greater Khingan Mountains in Inner Mongolia. Over the past decade, local people have turned ecological preservation into economic prosperity. #GLOBALink April 1 (UPI) -- Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun agreed North Korea must remain nuclear-free while discussing matters in East Asia via telephone. Landau and Kim discussed "pressing security issues in the region" and "emphasized the American commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a readout of the phone conversation that occurred Tuesday. "The two also discussed opportunities for economic cooperation, particularly on energy issues, and highlighted growing Republic of Korea investments in American industry," Bruce said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Landau also offered his condolences for the loss of life and damage caused by recent wildfires in southeastern South Korea. Landau was sworn in as deputy secretary of State on March 25 and previously was U.S. ambassador to Mexico. During Landau's Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing, Chairman Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, cited North Korea, China, Russia and Iran as "hostile powers" that "formed an authoritarian axis" and threaten the United States and global peace. Tuesday's phone conversation with Landau's South Korean counterpart was held within the context of aggressive actions by North Korea, which seeks to develop nuclear arms and an effective missile arsenal capable of striking South Korea, the United States and their allied states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Landau formerly helped negotiate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement that protected cross-border commerce and supported regional supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic. His father, George Landau, formerly was ambassador to Paraguay, Chile and Venezuela and was stationed with the U.S. Foreign Service in Madrid, Spain, which is where Landau was born. Landau is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School and clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas. He is fluent in Spanish, proficient in French and is married to Caroline Bruce Landau. They have two adult children. TALLAHASSEE One of Gov. Ron DeSantis key programs reshaping how the state handles welfare for Floridians has not been complying with state laws governing its oversight, ethics and fundraising, according to an analysis for a Republican-led House committee. The charity arm of The Hope Florida Foundation, launched by first lady Casey DeSantis, hasnt told state lawmakers or auditors about its activities or structure as required in state statutes. It also appears not to have filed its federal tax returns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The revelations are noted in a House bill analysis about one of the DeSantises top priorities this session and one thats supposed to be a launchpad for Casey DeSantis if she runs for governor in 2026. Hope Florida is the couples conservative answer to welfare, intended to get Floridians off government aid by directing them to faith-based and other charity organizations. Since its creation in 2021, the program has involved more than half a dozen state agencies, and DeSantis wants lawmakers to pass a bill this session enshrining it into law. A separate charity, The Hope Florida Foundation, collects money from businesses and has disbursed at least $375,000 to local churches since 2023. But details surrounding the programs performance, personnel and its foundation have been vague. The Times/Herald wrote last week that the organization has not turned over public records and unlike other charities of significant size, the foundations tax returns are not available online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hope Florida Foundation is operating as a direct support organization under state law, but apparently not complying with any of the provisions of that law, the House analysis notes. Under the law, the foundation must describe its mission, its three-year plan, its code of ethics, its tax returns and other records on its website and in memos to House and Senate leaders. None of that information is online or was sent to the Legislature, the House bill notes. When a House staffer first asked for it in February, the department responded with the organizations bylaws, which the staffer noted were unsigned. Another state law requires the foundation to conduct annual audits and give them to the state auditor general. The foundation has not done that, according to the House analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked by a Times/Herald reporter Tuesday why the foundation had not filed its tax returns, Ron DeSantis lashed out. Were not going to let you try to smear a good program with this stuff on these things, he said, accusing House Republicans of feeding you guys stuff. Its a charitable arm, he added. Theyre going to take care of the paperwork. But while youre worried about filing paperwork, were worried about lifting Floridians up. So far, Hope Florida has been operating under the governors authority. House and Senate committees advanced bills this week cementing Hope Florida into law, although some lawmakers raised concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, who voted against it, said it made her uncomfortable to codify an organization that has not been following the state law up to this point. Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, voted for it but said there were a lot of politics about Hope Florida over the past four years. A lot of concerns that pertain to oversight and accountability and just question marks around where the money comes from, how its being spent, Eskamani said. And I do think those are very concerning questions. Making the program permanent would give Casey DeSantis a legislative victory to tout this summer in a crowded Republican primary. It could also assuage concerns about her lack of experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House analysis raised questions about the state resources being used for the program. Hope Florida says it has 125 hope navigators across state agencies, but it was unknown how many work in which agencies, the author noted. The navigators are supposed to steer Floridians through state resources and toward local charities. The analysis stated that the Department of Children and Families at one point repurposed existing full-time positions established for other (legislatively-directed) department functions for the Hope Florida program. The Times/Herald found that the Department of Juvenile Justices ombudsman was working as a hope navigator. It was not known which state agencies have signed contracts for goods or services with Hope Florida. Doug White, a longtime nonprofit adviser and former director of Columbia Universitys fundraising management program, said information on charities should be easily accessible, particularly when they are affiliated with government entities. From my perspective, if a charity is not going to be aggressively transparent, theres something wrong with it, White said. Gov. Ron DeSantis is paring down his promises to eliminate property tax proposals as he faces rising criticism from within his own party. Monday, the governor proposed cutting $5 billion in property taxes from homesteaded properties only. It would amount to approximately $1,000 per household. The focus, he said, was on the middle-class homeowners who are facing rising costs of living. You got to just keep writing a check to the government just for the privilege of using your own property, and thats an anomaly, DeSantis said. Thats not the way good tax policy should be. It certainly undercuts the idea of private property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the proposal has been dismissed by some Republicans for being a handout, while others aired concerns it would slash funding for police, fire and schools throughout the state. DeSantis brushed aside those concerns, saying the government had enough surplus to make up the difference. Its something that would be really, really meaningful, he said. Some state lawmakers are backing a rival proposal to cut sales taxes by $5 billion instead, which would lower the tax rate from 6% to 5.25%. Esteban Santis, a tax analyst with the Florida Policy Institute, said both plans have drawbacks. DeSantis proposal would just be for Floridians, but it wouldnt include renters, he noted, while the sales tax cut would help low-income Floridians the most but would also cut taxes for tourists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I can say that eliminating property taxes altogether will have such a significant fiscal impact that I think just looking at the sales taxes would be more beneficial, he said. However, he warned Florida has not come up with a long-term plan to pay for either of the proposals. State economists, theyre already thinking about deficits to three fiscal years down the line, he said So if we tap into the money that we have today, because everything looks like it can be balanced, the question is, are you going to be able to balance the budget in two to three fiscal years? Any property tax proposal that passes through the legislature will need to get 60% support on a ballot referendum. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Texas Tech scientist Katharine Hayhoe has spent the past 20 years grappling with the question of how to convince skeptics that global temperatures are rising and that climate change poses a threat to life as we know it. After earning a PhD from the University of Illinois and moving with her husband to deepred Lubbock, Texas, in 2005, she quickly realized that whether someone believes in climate change often boils down to where one resides on the political spectrum. To try to break through those entrenched attitudes, she did something radical: She started talking to people. What we need to fix this thing is rational hope, Hayhoe, now the chief scientist for the Nature Conservancy, said in a 2018 Ted Talk that has been viewed more than 5 million times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To foster that sense of hope, Hayhoe tells her audiences on social media to start their own conversations about why climate change matters, to join climate action groups, to transfer savings accounts to climate-friendly banks and investment funds, to try to hold politicians accountable and to reduce their own carbon footprint. Called one of the nations most effective communicators on climate change by the New York Times, Hayhoe is the author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientists Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World and has been interviewed on Fox News, PBS, Jimmy Kimmel Live and dozens of other outlets. Yahoo News spoke with Hayhoe about why it is important not to give in to so-called climate doomerism, even though temperatures continue to rise. (Some answers have been edited for brevity.) YAHOO NEWS: You spend a great deal of your time talking to people about climate change, explaining the risks, addressing misinformation and giving advice on how people can make a difference. Did you always see that messaging would be a central role in your career as a climate scientist? HAYHOE: No. Within a couple of months after arriving at Texas Tech University, I started to get invitations to speak to groups about climate change. I figured, well, everybody needs to know about this because it affects all of our lives literally the food that we eat and the water we drink, the cost of insurance and the energy that we need. The first invitation was to, if I recall correctly, the League of Women Voters. There was somebody there who invited me to speak to her book club, and then somebody at the book club invited me to speak to a senior citizens home. Pretty soon I realized that most people were actually curious about this, even in West Texas in the second-most conservative city in the country. People were curious about it, but they didnt understand why it mattered, and they didnt understand what they could do about it. Data shows that about two-thirds of the people in the U.S. are worried about climate change, but we havent connected the information we have in our heads with our hearts. Not enough people understand how climate change affects us today our lives, the people, the places, the things we love and hardly any of us have connected our hearts to our hands. We dont know what to do about this. Im not the first person to notice that you have a very sunny disposition. How important is the way that the message is delivered to get people to take action or even to simply believe climate change is happening? Thats a great question. Its this really delicate balance, a nuanced interplay. We have to understand theres a problem because if we dont think theres one, why would we do anything about it? But understanding that theres a problem is not enough. We need to understand what we can do about it. We need positive, practical, actionable solutions that empower us rather than leaving us feeling paralyzed. For the last three years, Ive been trying something whenever I give talks. At the beginning, I use interactive polling software and I ask people, When I say climate change, how do you feel? Ive analyzed the results from thousands of answers, and no matter who Im speaking to 90 to 95% of the responses I get are negative words, like I feel paralyzed or anxious or I feel depressed. Based on that, I have the strong sense that most of the people Im talking to are worried but dont know what to do. At the very end of my talk, after explaining what we can do to make a difference, I ask people again how they feel, and I see a flip to almost 80% who say empowered, activated, determined and hopeful. Im not trying to make people feel positive and cheery about the problem, but I want to make them feel like they can do something about it. Can you talk a bit about how your own evangelical Christian faith has influenced your work on climate change? Specifically, Ive heard you comment on the belief among some people that its arrogant or un-Christian to suggest that humans could be having an effect on the climate. Thats probably the No. 1 most common religiously-sounding myth that there is. In the Bible, in Genesis, Book 1, Chapter 1, it says God gave humans responsibility over every living thing on this Earth. Flip it around. Its actually disrespectful not to fulfill our God-given responsibility to care for every living thing, which includes our sisters and our brothers. Its a mandate to care for each other as well as nature. Youve laid out what you call the five stages of climate denial. What are those, exactly? Just about every single argument [against climate change] that Ive heard falls into one of these five categories. The first is Its just not real. The climate is not changing, or its cooling. The second stage is Warming isnt being caused by humans. Its just a natural cycle, or its being caused by the sun or volcanoes. Of course, scientists have looked at all of these. Denial number three is Its not bad. CO2 is plant food, the world is getting greener, warmer is better anyway. So if its not bad, why do we have to fix it? Number four is Its just too hard to fix. I mean, sure, Id like to fix it, but its just too hard and too expensive and too disruptive. It would harm the economy. We just dont have the technology yet. Category five is Its too late; you should have told us sooner, but theres nothing we can do about it now. Often people think that its a positive thing when people move down that scale, like when someone who used to say, Its not real, now says, Oh, we cant fix it. But every single one of those stages has the same result, which is doing nothing about climate change. Youve also co-authored a paper on what you call the myth that science should remain politically neutral. Why did you conclude that? Philosophers have been discussing this exact topic for thousands of years. Since the dawn of human civilization when leaders have found themselves on the horn of a dilemma, they have consulted experts who sit slightly apart from society for insight on how to proceed. But by providing those insights into a decision that is to be made for political reasons, that expert is then involving themselves in that decision-making process. If youre studying ant behavior, or black holes or something that has no bearing on human decisions today, its possible for that science to remain disconnected from current affairs. But I became a climate scientist specifically to do research that would help people make better decisions to keep people safe. Its much more akin to why some people become a doctor or a medical professional. As a doctor, you want to be objective about the diseases and the cures, but the reason youre doing it is because you want to make a difference in peoples lives. President Trump is going after all of the measures taken by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden to address climate change, ridding government websites of any mention of the subject. Are you worried about whether these changes will impact the scientific goal of keeping global average temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels? Im very concerned about it because a thermometer does not give you a different answer depending on how you vote. As we saw illustrated so vividly with the hurricane that hit Florida and the Carolinas, with the wildfires in L.A., a hurricane does not knock on your door and ask you who you voted for before it destroys your home. A wildfire doesnt look at your voting record before it burns down your neighborhood. Climate change affects us all. While politicians should be arguing, because thats what they do best, they should be arguing about who has the best solution to climate change. I want to hear who has the best case to make for the set of solutions to help people the fastest and keep us safe. Another way to put it is, we can say I dont believe in gravity, but if we step off the cliff, were going down. Defence ministers will discuss an initiative by Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to boost military assistance to Ukraine at an informal EU summit in Warsaw on 2-3 April. Source: European Pravda, citing an official from the European External Action Service (EEAS) Details: The source stated that Kallas' proposal to boost military aid to Ukraine is primarily focused on addressing the Ukrainian Armed Forces' critical need for ammunition: two million rounds of large-calibre ammunition worth 5 billion by the end of 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The agenda for the meeting consists of two sessions. The first is about the EU's military support for Ukraine. The second one is about the White Paper on European Defence [by European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius]," the EEAS official said, adding that "enhanced EU military support and possible security guarantees for Ukraine" will be discussed during the first session. "This includes the high representative's initiative to strengthen military support for Ukraine, opportunities for deepening cooperation between the EU and the Ukrainian defence industry, and cooperation with NATO and other partners. Time will allow us to discuss these topics in depth," the source added. "We've invited Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov to the first session, as well as the NATO secretary general, who, due to his attendance at the ministerial summit in Brussels, will be replaced by Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska," the EEAS official said. According to the official, the second session, which will focus on the White Paper and the ReArm Europe plan, is intended to be a "quick exchange of views between ministers on proposals for their funding" so that a concrete action plan can be drawn up for the European Council summit on 26-27 June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's essential to help Ukraine achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, and this can only be achieved from a position of strength. That's why the EU high representative put forward the initiative to provide enhanced military support to Ukraine, particularly in terms of ammunition," the source added. "Ukraine needs 2 million rounds of large-calibre ammunition worth approximately 5 billion from us in 2025. This request was made directly by Zelenskyy during the last European Council summit," the source said. The official emphasised that ministers do not make decisions during informal summits. However, they intend to lay the groundwork for a decision to be made at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on security issues, scheduled for 14 April. "We want to get more information about what member states are planning to send to Ukraine in terms of ammunition supplies. And to see what we can do more collectively as the EU. Member states have already provided us with quite a lot of information, but we would like to have a complete picture," the source concluded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: Kallas believes that if EU countries find it difficult to approve a 40 billion annual aid package for Kyiv, they should take small steps and initially agree on 5 billion for ammunition for Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A 41-year-old man is facing charges after shooting his coworker multiple times last week in a house in rural Grand Ronde, according to the Yamhill County Sheriffs Office. Authorities say Cesar Flores of Woodburn has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree assault in connection with the shooting at a home on SW Lachance Road on March 27. Flores and the victim, who has only been publicly identified as a Sheridan man, were both coworkers and acquaintances at the time of the incident, investigators said on Monday. Earlier this month, authorities said alcohol was a factor in this incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies say Flores initially left the scene but eventually turned himself into law enforcement. The victim was taken to a regional hospital in critical condition and his current condition is unclear at this time. Flores is still in custody at Yamhill County Correctional Facility and his bail has been set at $750,000. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Yamhill County Sheriffs Office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. DETROIT (AP) Audiences at the Detroit Opera House expecting their performance of Cosi fan tutte" to begin with the overture may be surprised to hear instead a product launch from a tech company CEO. Its Mozart meets Artificial Intelligence, in the latest mind-bending production by Yuval Sharon, the companys adventurous artistic director. The opera, first performed in 1790, was the last of three collaborations between Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, and despite its sublime music it has proved the least popular. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats due In part to the works uneasy mix of light-hearted farce and the cynical worldview it seems to endorse. Even the title, which translates as Women are Like That, suggests a misogyny that is openly expressed by one of its main characters, Don Alfonso. But Sharon rejects the idea that the opera itself is meant to demean women. Its going too far to call Mozart a feminist, he said. But when I listen to the music, it seems to me he doesnt want us to agree with Don Alfonso. He and Da Ponte cant possibly want us to take half the population of humanity and constantly denigrate it. Instead, Sharon believes, the collaborators are representing a character and perspective that might actually not be the perspective were meant to sympathize with. In the opera, Don Alfonso, a jaded philosopher, bets two young friends that, given the opportunity, their girlfriends, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, will prove unfaithful. The men switch identities, adopt disguises, and each pursues his friends sweetheart. Eventually both women succumb to their new suitors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Don Alfonso as AI entrepreneur Sharons production turns Alfonso into the head of an AI company called SoulSync. Under his guidance the younger men have created two female automatons (Alfonso doesnt like the term robots) designed to be perfect companions. This concept of Alfonso as a soulless tech guru may sound far-fetched, but Sharon insists its not so far from the truth. Hes actually a replica of what we see in the tech industry, Sharon said. Theres a messianic belief that we must transcend our own humanity and that AI is making up for all the terrible ways we behave. People really do believe that the future of humanity is robotic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thomas Lehman, a baritone who is singing the role of one of the lovers, Guglielmo, in his fourth production of the work, thinks Sharon is taking the story and turning it upside down in the right ways. The original libretto leans heavily toward the men, he said. Yuval has found a way to give the women the strength they deserve, to make it a level playing field. Mezzo-soprano Emily Fons, who is portraying Dorabella for the third time, sees the updating as part of a broader movement of trying to figure out how to take pieces that are old and do something new. The automatons may be programmed to act a certain way, but were all programmed to some extent, she said. What speaks to me is how they learn to feel things and take those feelings to have a say in what happens next. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sharon said thats exactly what hes aiming for. The women start out incredibly mechanical and become much more human in a way, he said. As if were really watching their consciousness and their emotional life develop before our eyes. The men, on the other hand, increasingly reveal their limitations and become less interesting as the opera progresses. What up with the magnet? The notion of humans as machines is actually embedded in the opera as Mozart and Da Ponte wrote it something Sharon said he first realized while attending a performance years ago. I was watching a traditional production, very crinoline, hoop skirts, big dresses, lots of buffoonery. I was quite bored, he recalled. And then we get to the Act I finale and suddenly theres this magnet. And I thought, whats up with that? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What was up was a medical treatment advanced by Franz Mesmer, an 18th century German physician who was a friend of Mozart and whose name has given rise to the term mesmerism. He believed that the human body contained metals that could be realigned by moving a magnet over the skin. In the opera, a character named Despina poses as a physician and uses a magnet to cure the two suitors who have pretended to swallow poison. Though the production, which opens April 5 for three performances, raises serious questions about the use of AI, Sharon has made sure to keep the tone light. And hes built in some twists and turns of his own devising to take the audience by surprise. Thats why the plot summary in the written program ends abruptly after Act 1. In place of the remainder of the story theres just this note: The director has intentionally withheld a synopsis for Act II to avoid spoilers. Enjoy the drama as it unfolds. ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) Jodi Hildebrandt, a therapist who worked with YouTube vlogger Ruby Franke, is challenging her conviction, saying she didnt know her rights when she pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse in late 2023. Hildebrandt and Franke were both sentenced to up to 30 years in prison on child abuse charges after accepting plea deals. At the time, Hildebrandts lawyers said she was not the person she was being portrayed as but was accepting the consequences for her conduct. She had said one of the reasons she didnt want to go to trial was so the children didnt have to emotionally relive the experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUSLY: Imprisoned Franke, Hildebrandt sued for alleged racketeering abuse scheme Now, Hildebrandt is calling her plea agreement unlawful, with documents saying it was unlawfully induced or not made knowingly and voluntarily with understanding of the nature of the charge and the consequences of the plea. Hildebrandt filed a petition for relief on her own behalf last Monday, March 24, writing, I did not know my rights and my attorney did not inform me of them. The petition listed several other claims, including that her counsel was ineffective and the prosecution failed to give adequate notice of the charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorney Eric Clarke told ABC News that they werent expecting this from Jodi, but I cant say that were super surprised either. Im super confident that the entry of her plea will hold up, and that she wont be able to show that she knowingly, involuntarily didnt enter it, Clarke told ABC. Shes mentally ill: Ruby Frankes prison phone calls reveal evolving stance on Jodi Hildebrandt Hildebrandt and Franke were prosecuted after one of YouTuber Frankes children escaped through a window in Hildebrandts southern Utah house and asked a neighbor for food and water. State prosecutors would later claim that the offenders put Frankes children in a concentration camp-like setting, regularly denied them food and water, and subjected them to physical torture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case which already had a following due to the Franke familys former YouTube Channel 8 Passengers has since garnered greater national attention with the recent release of the Hulu docuseries Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke. Franke and Hildebrandt will have their first parole hearing in December 2026, approximately three years after they pleaded guilty to the charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Tuesday condemned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for persecuting mainland spouses in Taiwan, calling their actions "inhumane." Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to a media query about the recent expulsion of two mainland spouses by the DPP authorities. Zhu criticized the DPP for repeatedly abusing judicial power to target mainland spouses, leading to family separations and violating basic human rights. These actions were part of a broader campaign to silence dissent and escalate confrontation and tensions across the Taiwan Strait, she said. The DPP's so-called "democracy" only serves its own interests and "freedom" exists only for those supporting "Taiwan independence," Zhu added. She urged the public in Taiwan to recognize the dangers and stand up for their rights, warning that those who persecute mainland spouses in support of "Taiwan independence" will be held accountable and face legal consequences. AVERY COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) More than six months after Hurricane Helene devastated multiple counties across North Carolina, taking the lives of more than 100 people, another missing persons body has been recovered in Avery County. On Friday, March 28, 2025, the Avery County Sheriffs Office said a debris clean-up crew working along the North Toe River, near Bent Road in the Ingalls Community, made a startling discovery. While clearing debris, they found the remains of a decomposed body. Authorities suspect the remains belong to a camper who went missing during Hurricane Helene. The person was thought to have been staying at the Buck Hill Campground when the storm struck, launching a months-long unresolved missing persons case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yancey County man finds strength in faith after tragic loss of wife during Helene The remains were sent to the office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh for positive identification. The hope is that further examination will confirm the identity of the deceased and provide some closure to the family and community members, the sheriffs office said. On Monday, April 1, the examiners office identified the remains as 66-year-old Russell Wilbur of Telford, Tennessee. Wilbur had been missing since Helene flooded Avery County on September 27-28. Mrs. Wilbur was recovered along the North Toe River on October 24. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of now, the discovery brings the official count for missing and deceased individuals related to Hurricane Helene in Avery County to one missing person and six confirmed dead. The remaining missing individual is Kimberly Joan Ashby, 58, of Sanford. Ashby and her husband were visiting their vacation home when the home was swept into the Elk River. Local authorities have made it clear that they will continue their efforts to find Ashby. The Avery County Sheriffs Office is actively following any new leads and has urged anyone with information to come forward. Anyone with information regarding the remaining missing person, or any other details, is encouraged to contact the Avery County Sheriffs Office at 828-733-5855. MORE FROM QCNEWS.COM Severe Weather Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Its disgusting: Buckley residents call on village officials to focus on water quality BUCKLEY, Ill. (WCIA) Some people in the Village of Buckley are upset about what village officials are and arent focusing their attention on. The biggest concern is water quality and the amount theyre paying for it. The Village of Buckley has tried to build a new sewer system, but funding the project has been an issue. The Village President said theyve secured millions of dollars in grants, but initial bids are higher than expected. Now, the sewer rate is rising on water bills, and patience is running low for people in town. Iroquois Co. Sheriffs Department warns public of scam increase Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We didnt sign up for this and I feel like thats really cruel, said resident Karin Hall. Several people WCIA spoke with on Monday said sewer charges went from about $5 a month to $17 dollars a month, and thats on top of their usual water bill. They also talked about how they feel the villages focus and money are in the wrong places, with many wanting to focus the attention on pressing issues like water quality instead of a new sewer system. I mean, its unbelievable that nothing has been done about it, Hall said. Ken Rockwood also lives in town and says the increased water rates are meant to pay for the rising costs attached to the planned sanitary sewer system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The town is stuck with it, over $832,000 that we have to pay back on 270 homes, Rockwood said. Thats a lot of money. The village said theyre keeping the sewer billing revenues in a separate account to cover some projected rising costs, or in case the project is halted. But for Rockwood, it creates another issue of raising bills for a sewer system the village doesnt even have, along with water some dont drink. The water quality here is terrible, Rockwood said. I wont even brush my teeth with it. You wake up in the morning, either the water is tinted yellow and it smells. Five students implicated in Pana High School bathroom incident: Police Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearby neighbor Taylor Geren sometimes sees a similar tint and says it often reeks of chlorine. Sometimes I gag in the morning when I get up to go brush my teeth and just have to remember to get the bottled water, shut the water off, Geren said. Its disgusting, you know. Geren feels it is unsafe to use the water for everyday things. I do not give it to my children and my animals,Geren said. It is not safe to drink or brush your teeth with. I soak my fruits and veggies with bottled water. I wont even boil the water here because it smells like the chemical burn really bad. Hall also lives a few blocks away. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lets test our water to see how bad the chlorine actually is in Buckley, said Hall in a video. She recently conducted her own test with a pool kit when the water she used to wash dishes began to burn her eyes. I would say thats about a five or ten. That is so much chlorine, I wouldnt even have that much chlorine in my pool. Wow. And we drink that, said Hall in the video. Richland Clean Energy workforce program welcomes third class Hall said both the issues of the sewage and water quality should be addressed, but the latter is the priority. I really think that they need to work on the water quality first, and then we can talk about the sewage because the sewage is a problem as well. I mean, sometimes the whole town of Buckley will smell like sewage, Hall added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The villages mayor and engineer are planning on showcasing updated sewer plans on April 7th, and the community is curious to know whats next. I want to know their plans. Is this actually holding off until 2028? Because I dont know if I will live here that long, especially if the problems dont get fixed, Hall said. The village attorney has confirmed the sewer billing ordinance is a legal way to fund the project. The village president also encouraged residents to attend the village board meeting and ask questions. That meeting begins at 7 p.m. on April 7th. Buckley President Evan Scott Shockley told WCIA in a statement: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The village has been working with the IEPA recently to add a sanitary sewer system to alleviate failing septic tanks in the town. Although we have found nearly $10,000,000 in grants to pay for the improvement, bids taken at the beginning of the year were higher than expected, and now we need more grant money to help keep the sewer bills low. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) After years of turmoil and uncertainty, the Chattahoochee Circuit District Attorneys office is moving in the right direction. Five DAs have held the top post since December 2020. Current DA Don Kelly has brought stability and veteran prosecutors back to the office. When you consider everything this office has been through in less than three and a half years, its mind-boggling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But now, in the wake of the 2024 election of Kelly, there appears to be stability. As Chattahoochee Circuit, Kelly has worked to stabilize his office, he has turned to people whom he has previously worked with the DAs office. One is Wesley Lambertus, who spent 15 years as a prosecutor in the Muscogee County office. The ability to step into a spot like Wesley has done, Kelly said. Wesley has been a huge help to me since he came onboard, because I know I work with Wesley. I was his supervisor for seven, eight years. And I know that I can give him any case that comes into this office and he will do a good job with it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like Kelly, Lambertus was fired by DA Mark Jones in late 2020. Jones did not make it a year in the DAs office, being convicted of public corruption and sentenced to prison in November 2021. When Don first asked me if I was interested in this position, I asked him what his vision for this office was, and he immediately said he wanted to build this office back to where it was prior to the election of Mark Jones, Lambertus said. And that excited me immediately. First with Stacey Jackson and then with Don. I could see that the office was being built the right way, and I wanted to help continue that. Lambertus says rebuilding the office starts with knowing what you are doing and why you are doing it. Two principles that we try to pursue are to maintain justice and to do what is right, Jones said. And during the tenure of Mark Jones, both of those principles crumbled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A week ago, Lambertus was the lead prosecutor who secured the murder conviction Daequavian Solomon in the shooting death of Dontrell Williams. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) Emergency crews responded to a vehicle that rolled into the Ohio River in Posey County. According to the Marrs Township Fire Department, the unoccupied vehicle rolled into the water on Sunday night and was reported to authorities the following morning. The vehicle was located off the bank and successfully retrieved. (Courtesy: Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department) (Courtesy: Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department) (Courtesy: Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department) (Courtesy: Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department) (Courtesy: Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department) (Courtesy: Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department) (Courtesy: Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department) Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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). The scene shocked the world: President Donald Trump inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Oval Office on February 28, only to verbally attack him in front of the media and accuse him of fomenting World War III. Vice President J.D. Vance, eager to please his boss, dressed down Zelensky over what he considered his unsuitable attire. It turns out Oscar-winning filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov was in the Oval Office with the Ukrainian leader on that stunning day. He joins the latest edition of Deadlines Doc Talk podcast to share his reaction to the shocking exchange that saw Zelensky ejected from the White House. He says the response by the Ukrainian people to that disrespectful treatment may come as a surprise to Trump and his Veep. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chernov, who won the Academy Award a year ago for his documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, tells us about his new film, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, also set in wartime Ukraine. The feature doc, which just won the F:ACT Award at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen, goes into the trenches with Ukrainian soldiers as they try to retake a village seized by Russian invaders. At CPH:DOX we also talk with festival artistic director Niklas Engstrm, an architect behind CPH:DOXs rise to becoming one of the worlds most important nonfiction cinematic showcases. Engstrm explains how the festival presciently chose human rights as the theme of this years event months before the U.S. presidential election that returned Trump to office, where the president has made power the only really important thing in international politics, in Engstrms words. He describes the times were living in as scary and says Europe is reacting with alarm to Trumps efforts to remake the world order strengthening ties with Russia at the apparent expense of Americas NATO allies. Engstrm characterizes the souring of the relationship between the U.S. and Europe as the end of an 80-year marriage. Thats on the new episode of Doc Talk, hosted by Oscar winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Shirley) and Matt Carey, Deadlines documentary editor. The pod is a production of Deadline and Ridleys No Studios. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Listen to the episode above or on major podcast platforms including Spotify, iHeart and Apple. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A man accused of driving around a Ukrainian grocery store in a fake U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle said he did it for a YouTube video and that the whole thing was being blown out of proportion. On March 16, around 5 p.m., Fife Police responded to a 911 call of a suspicious vehicle at the Emish Market on 70th Avenue E. Callers said the vehicle looked like a law enforcement SUV and that it had no license plates but had a prominent ICE emblem on the side of the car, as well as a pseudo-seal of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, suggesting it was a federal immigration agent. There were apparent misspellings on the emblem. The vehicles presence appeared intentional, targeting a Ukrainian grocery store; indicating a deliberate effort to intimidate and draw attention to itself. Witnesses reported that the occupant(s) were recording employees and customers on video, causing alarm and concern, Fife police wrote at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were reports that the driver was honking the horn and that the person inside was video recording the event. The vehicle also was reported to have circled the lot several times and blocked a driveway. The vehicle left before police got to the store. People got a little bit nervous, cause they dont know what to expect, said Emish store manager, Olena Ray, when the incident initially happened. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man arrested for allegedly impersonating ICE, targeting Fife Ukrainian store Its a personal intimidation for people who were just not born here, Ray said. When someone is harassing you this way, it doesnt make it easier to work peacefully, you know, live in a society where we paying taxes when you know we expect to be treated the same way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police spoke to the 26-year-old man they believed was driving the vehicle around Emish. According to a police report, when asked about it, he told police: Either way, the moral of it all is it was for a YouTube video, and [it] obviously got blown out of proportion like crazy. Fife police also asked him specifically about the situation at Emish, to which the suspect said: [I] allegedly just drove in, just drove around in a couple circles and left. Thats all, there is nothing more to it. There was no beef, he told officers, according to a police report. He also told them that he goes there often and said he himself is Ukranian. Police say during their talks with the man, they explained how dangerous it could be for whoever was driving in the vehicle because they could be targeted by someone from the public who thought the driver was a real ICE agent. The man then asked what was the line that was crossed to make this incident considered law enforcement impersonation, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the Emish incident, Fife Police said they were made aware of a video that had a person wearing law enforcement style clothing with ICE on it and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest. In that video, that person was seen putting a handcuffed person into what appeared to be a fake ICE vehicle. Police said the video appeared to be staged for social media. The man arrested told police that the video was filmed on his own private property and it was a skit. He was arrested for second-degree criminal impersonation. Criminal impersonation intentionally creating the impression of acting in an official capacity as a law enforcement officer and causing the community to feel harassed is a serious crime. Such actions create unnecessary challenges for all law enforcement agencies, regardless of jurisdiction, and pose obstacles to effective public safety. There is also a real danger to the individual perpetrating the impersonation, Fife police said. The Elon-Musk led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access over the weekend to the payroll system overseeing the information of 276,000 federal workers. DOGEs continued access to sensitive data has raised concerns about privacy and cybersecurity, but also about the long-term goal of the advisory group, which has continued to espouse eliminating government waste and fraud. The Department of Government Efficiency has continued its charge to obtain sensitive government information, gaining access over the weekend to federal payroll systems, raising concerns about the long-term goals of the advisorys efforts to overhaul U.S. bureaucracy. The Elon Muskled advisory now has entry into the employment information of 276,000 federal employees and is able to view Social Security numbers and more easily hire and fire workers, two anonymous sources told the New York Times. The system, known as the Federal Personnel Payroll System, is inside the Department of the Interior, which processes pay for the Air Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as the departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, and Justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DOGEs access to these systems could compromise cybersecurity of sensitive government information, the sources said. When senior IT personnel pushed back against the move, they were reportedly put on administrative leave; they are now reportedly under investigation for workplace behavior. We are working to execute the Presidents directive to cut costs and make the government more efficient for the American people and have taken actions to implement President [Donald] Trumps Executive Orders, an Interior Department spokesperson told Fortune in a statement. Musk recently doubled down on justifying DOGEs access to government data, claiming it was a necessary part of identifying and eliminating waste and fraud. These databases dont talk to each other, Musk said in a Fox News interview last week. And thats really the source of, thats the biggest vulnerability for fraud, is the fact that these databases dont talk to each other. So we need to reconcile the databases. Its a, frankly, painful homework, but it has to be done, and will greatly improve the efficiency of the government systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, policy and transparency experts warn DOGEs acquisition of private information will have reverberating consequences that have yet to be determined. Being able to amass all of that information will give the federal government unprecedented power and control to do with that information a number of things that we just haven't experienced as a country before, Elizabeth Laird, the director of equity in civic technology at technology policy nonprofit the Center for Democracy and Technology, told Fortune. Whats the long game? Over the past two and a half months, Musks DOGE team has also gained access to the Internal Revenue Service, which stores bank account information and purchase itemizations, and the Social Security Administration, which houses individuals lifetime wages and disability and citizenship status. While one of DOGEs more immediate goals appears to be leveraging AI to streamline administrative tasks, as well as eventually privatizing Social Security, Musks ultimate goal of eliminating fraud and waste remains mysterious to some. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Its] never really been clear what the long game is, Cary Coglianese, an administrative law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, told Fortune. Ostensibly, we've been told it's to try to improve the efficiency, maybe to identify where there are people who are getting paid who are not really living, or methods for auditing payroll systems. This doesn't seem to be following any of those conventions, as far as anybody can tell from the outside, he added. And there isn't really a clear articulation of an overarching vision. DOGE did not immediately respond to Fortunes request for comment. Trumps first-term playbook could offer a hint at the administrations intentions. During his first term, the administration moved to ensure more information was shared among federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to make it easier to identify biological data and immigration status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, Trump signed a similar executive order to eliminate information silos, claiming to give federal officials speedy and full access to unclassified records, data, software, and information systems. If you look at the data environment that DOGE is attempting to create, it looks pretty similar to the data environment that the Trump administration indicated they wanted to create in their first term, Laird said. Except instead of using that information for fraud use, they wanted to use it for immigration purposes. Easier access to private information has raised serious legal questions. More than a dozen lawsuits have alleged DOGEs access to sensitive federal data is a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974, a post-Watergate law restricting agencies sharing of private information with unauthorized entities without the consent of citizens. Even if cybersecurity and legal concerns were assuaged, Laird argued, DOGEs access to sensitive government data still presents unknowns about the governments future use of AI, as well as the true efficacy of massive workforce eliminations. Something can be private, and something can be secure, and it can be legal, Laird said. And it can still be a bad idea. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) Employees of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region 9 Office in San Francisco were seen packing up their offices and wiping away tears on Tuesday. Employees jobs were axed as a result of the Trump administrations decision to shutter the HHS regional office, located in a federal building on 7th Street, officials said. Tuesdays mass firings happened just one week after Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) slashed hundreds of millions of dollars in grants from California public health departments. According to DOGEs database, at least five large federal grants were terminated on March 23 from the California Department of Health Care Services and California Department of Public Health. The grants were worth $204 million, $206 million, $187 million, $238 million and $332 million. Elon Musk holds a chainsaw reading Long live freedom, damn it during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on February 20, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) DOGE also slashed HSS federal grants from the University of California San Francisco and Stanford University, the departments website shows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the public health funding cuts. California stands to lose more than $972 million from HHS grant cancellations, according to Bontas office. Bontas office wrote that, starting last week, HHS abruptly, with no advance notice or warning, issued termination notices to state and local public health agencies across the country, purporting to end federal funding for grants that provide essential support for a wide range of urgent public health needs, including identifying, tracking, and addressing infectious diseases; ensuring access to immunizations; and modernizing critical public health infrastructure. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trumps nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, testifies during his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing on January 29, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Bonta said, Congress explicitly authorized funding for the grants at issue to help keep our country healthy and protect us from future pandemics. HHS and its Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., cannot unilaterally do away with that critical federal funding. Thousands of jobs and key public health programs and initiatives could be eliminated. Kennedy has vowed to Make America Healthy Again, while Musk promised to reduce the national debt by rooting out financial waste and fraud. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said closing the San Francisco HHS office will make America sicker, and potentially axe hundreds of career civil servants from their jobs. Before Tuesday, 318 staff members worked in the office serving millions of Californians. VIDEO: Pelosi slams Trump over San Francisco HHS office closure The Trump administrations decision will have detrimental impacts to our public health response capabilities all in the name of so-called government efficiency. It is notable that this reported decision was made by the Trump Administrations leading vaccine denialist, Secretary Kennedy, Pelosi said. Pelosi continued, This is reckless. And you know what the recklessness springs from? Their ineptitude. They dont even know what theyre doing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A KRON4 news crew outside the building Tuesday morning saw workers leaving and carrying their possessions in boxes. Some laid-off employees in San Francisco said they only learned of the closure upon arriving at work. Julie Fong, who worked of the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for 25 years, said, We all received impersonal emails on April Fools Day and it was not an April Fools joke. It feels intentionally cruel and malicious, to be honest. HHS employees told KRON4 that they believe in their work, and they were stunned so many of their colleagues were let go. They also worry that the cuts will have a much wider impact beyond people who lost their jobs. We oversee federally funded temporary assistance to needy families. We oversee federally funded childcare. Child support enforcement. The people who administer these programs are gone, an employee said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy announced a plan to remake the HHS department, which, through its agencies, is responsible for tracking health trends and disease outbreaks, conducting and funding medical research, and monitoring the safety of food and medicine. Nationwide, layoffs are expected to shrink HHS to 62,000 positions, lopping off nearly a quarter of its staff. On Tuesday afternoon, Kennedy wrote on X, This is a difficult moment for all of us at HHS. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs. But the reality is clear: what weve been doing isnt working. Despite spending $1.9 trillion in annual costs, Americans are getting sicker every year. In the past four years alone, the agencys budget has grown by 38% yet outcomes continue to decline. We must shift course. HHS needs to be recalibrated to emphasize prevention, not just sick care. These changes will not affect Medicare, Medicaid, or other essential health services. This overhaul is about realigning HHS with its core mission: to stop the chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again. 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 KRON4. Federal prosecutors have been directed to seek the death penalty in the case against Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. United States Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the decision Tuesday. "Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America," Bondi alleged in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She continued: "After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again." Pennsylvania Department of Corrections The 26-year-old is facing state and federal charges in connection with Dec. 4 shooting and killing of Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all state charges and is awaiting trial in New York. He has not yet been indicted on federal charges after being charged via criminal complaint and has yet to enter a plea in that case. The Department of Justice has unsealed charges against a man reported to be one of the co-founders of "hacktivist" collective Anonymous for allegedly hacking the Texas GOP website in 2021. Aubrey Cottle, 37, was arrested and charged in connection to the theft of data from the Texas Republican Party and the defacement of the party's official website on Sept. 11, 2021, according to federal court records unsealed last week. Cottle is a security researcher and co-founder of the worldwide hacking group Anonymous, according to records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The records alleged the hackers claimed to be with Anonymous and replaced the website's banner with cartoon characters, a music video and a pornographic image. The hackers also got unauthorized access to Texas GOP data, including personal identifying information that was distributed and made available online. Court records said Cottle claimed responsibility on social media and investigators found the stolen data in his possession. The FBI worked alongside the Ontario Provincial Police in Canada to execute a search warrant and gathered 20 terabytes worth of data from Cottle's home. Cottle was charged under Canadian law for "unlawfully transferring, possessing or using a means of identification with the intent to commit, or aid or abet, or in connection with, unlawful activity under state or federal law." He faces up to five years in prison This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 'Anonymous' co-founder charged for 2021 Texas GOP data theft SYDNEY, April 1 (Xinhua) -- A new economic forecast projects that a 4 degrees Celsius rise in global temperatures could slash world GDP by 40 percent by 2100, a sharp increase from previous estimates of just 11 percent, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) said on Tuesday. The findings by the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response (ICRR) challenge longstanding economic models that have shaped global climate policies, reinforcing the urgency of stronger climate action. Lead researcher Timothy Neal said previous economic models failed to account for cascading supply chain disruptions caused by extreme weather events. Traditionally, economists assessed climate damage by comparing historical weather events to economic growth, overlooking the global interconnectivity of modern economies. "Because these damages haven't been taken into account, prior economic models have inadvertently concluded that even severe climate change wasn't a big problem for the economy," Neal said, adding disruptions in one region will ripple across global supply chains, affecting all nations, including colder ones like Canada and Russia. In reality, "no country is immune," he said. The revised projections bolster the case for limiting warming to 1.7 degrees Celsius, aligning with accelerated decarbonization targets such as the Paris Agreement, and well below the 2.7 degrees Celsius threshold previously deemed acceptable. Neal said economic models must evolve alongside real-world climate impacts, from rising food prices to surging insurance costs. If youre not tired of all the winning already in President Donald Trumps second term, just wait until his third. Constitutionally impossible, maybe, but that hasnt stopped the president from entertaining the idea. When asked by Kristen Welker of NBC News this weekend if he wants to run for a third term, Trump answered cryptically, I like working. Asked to clarify, he said, Im not joking, before adding, it is far too early to think about it. How might Trump get around the pesky problem of the Constitutions 22nd Amendment, which bars presidents from being elected to more than two four-year terms? There are methods which you could do it, he told Welker. A real possibility or the ultimate troll? With Trump you never know for sure, but Im told by one person close to the presidents team that theres a semi-serious effort to at least figure out what options are available for Trump to circumvent the Constitutions two-term limit on the presidency. Who is behind that effort is less clear, with the White House declining to comment on those specifics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the President said, its far too early to think about it and he is focused on undoing all the hurt Biden has caused and Making America Great Again, said White House Communications Director Steve Cheung on Monday when I asked several questions about who at the White House is examining possible paths for a third term. Cheung did not deny that someone, somewhere is looking into it on Trumps behalf. One person who has been outspoken in support of a third term is Steve Bannon, the White House aide during Trumps first term who has built a media empire of Trump loyalism. For the past few months on his daily live show War Room, Bannon has been periodically suggesting Trump could run and win the presidency again in 2028. But it was his recent appearance on Chris Cuomos NewsNation show that seems to have launched the proposal beyond the MAGA mediasphere. Im a firm believer that President Trump will run and win again in 2028, Bannon told Cuomo, adding that a nebulous we are working on a couple alternatives around the Constitutions prohibition. Then, over the weekend, Britains Daily Mail published what it termed an exclusive to explain how Trump could serve two additional terms after his current one. That involves a bankshot process requiring Trump to run as J.D. Vances vice presidential nominee, with Vance resigning as soon as he assumes the presidency in order to allow Trump to succeed him. (A fourth term for the then-86-year-old Trump would involve some similar resignation gymnastics.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From there the idea migrated to the respectable political media. In her Sunday interview with Trump, Welker brought up the idea directly. Thats one method, he reportedly said to her. But there are others too. Its uncertain how seriously Trump is taking the idea right now, and his allies on Capitol Hill seem to think hes pulling the medias collective leg. If his team were honest with him, they would note how many roadblocks stand in the presidents way. Theres not only the 22nd Amendment but also the 12th Amendment, which lays out the conditions for electing the president and vice president. The language at the end of that amendment that no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States appears to rule out the Daily Mails running-mate switcheroo scenario. And the idea that Vance or any other Republican, if duly elected president, would willingly step aside in order to reinstall Trump beggars belief. An attempt to place Trump on the ballot as either a presidential candidate or as Vances vice presidential running mate would prompt legal challenges. Even Trump allies have acknowledged to me that this Supreme Court is unlikely to find a novel reading of the Constitutions words here, though there will undoubtedly be legal theories that say otherwise. In the meantime, while Trump sycophants like Rep. Andy Ogles may push for loosening the presidential term limits via more conventional ways, theres no evidence of the level of broad popular support necessary to further amend the Constitution on such a divisive point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are other political limitations to consider. To start, Trump could be pulled down by the political gravity that often affects two-term presidents. The publics opinion of Trump at the end of 2028 could be so bad that he couldnt win a third term if he tried, much less get there via a stand-in like Vance. (A tariff-driven recession, by the way, may be enough to tank his poll numbers for the long haul.) And even if the next four years are deemed a success, the public could sour on the idea of Trump holding onto power past the constitutional and conventional two terms. So whats really going on with all of this third-term talk? Beyond the glee with which Trump and his team greet the chance to make his opponents heads explode, the conversation may have more to do with how Bannon is positioning himself as a potential successor to the president. Before you laugh, its worth remembering that in the Conservative Political Action Conferences annual straw poll for the next presidential election, Vance was the overwhelming favorite at 61 percent. In second place at 12 percent? Bannon. Talk of a third term flatters Trumps ego, rankles liberals, and redirects the 2028 conversation away from viewing Vance as the heir apparent. And if the president does bow to the reality that he cant keep running, it could be his most dedicated loyalist, the one who insisted Trump should run again, who benefits. 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. Related video above: Dothan Preparatory Academy student recalls moment possible tornado hit school DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) Dothan Preparatory Academys principal took to social media after a suspected tornado hit his school, expressing his gratitude to those who jumped into action. Thank you to everyone who jumped in to help manage the situation. Im not sure why God chose me (us) to be in the midst of this storm. However, I trust him and know that he knows what he is doing, said Principal James Williams. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VIDEO: Tornado hits Dothan, damaging school and injuring 5 students He continued saying, I am grateful for my staff and the care and concern they demonstrsted today! Only the DPA Family was in that building when the tornado hit!!! Williams said that when the tornado hit Monday afternoon, his staff put themselves into gear and protected the students. Five students sustained minor injuries when the storm hit the school. Two of the students were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The other three students did not have to be transported and were treated on the scene. Dothan Prep closed rest of the week after devastating tornado Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DCS Superintendent Dennis Coe announced that Dothan Preparatory Academy and PASS Academy would be closed the rest of the week, as structural engineers make their way through the campus to survey the 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 WDHN - wdhn.com. A nurse gives a measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine at the Utah County Health Department on April 29, 2019 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images) The fallout from the Trump administrations move to claw back about $11 billion in public health funding as part of federal budget cuts targeting COVID-19 response grants has hit Utah. Dozens of public health employees in Utahs state and local health departments will lose their jobs after roughly $100 million in Utah grants were cut short ending funding nearly two years earlier than expected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services received unexpected notification from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that some COVID-related grants stemming from the American Rescue Plan Act had ended effective immediately, state health department officials said in a news release issued Friday. Across the Utah health department, six grants were cut short, totaling about $98 million that remained before the grant period that was supposed to have ended at the close of 2026. The grants, according to the department, funded public health functions and behavioral health services. Out of its roughly 6,000 employees, the Utah health department said it had 187 staff positions funded partially or completely by the impacted funds. Many of the positions were temporary, but on Friday state department officials announced more than three dozen state workers will lose their jobs. Unfortunately, we had to announce today an early reduction of 37 staff in positions funded by these specific COVID-related grants, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services said. These staff positions will end April 11. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Tracy Gruber, director of Utahs health department, called those employees who were laid off public health heroes. We are sorry to see these positions end early, Gruber said in a statement. We consider them all public health heroes, many of whom joined our department when we needed to ramp up operations to keep Utahns safe during the global pandemic. These staff came in to serve the public at an incredibly difficult time. In an email sent to staff on Friday, department officials said the funds had allowed Utah to perform critical functions during the pandemic, including purchasing vaccines, engaging in wastewater testing, and providing critical behavioral health services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the pandemic ended, the federal government extended the funds to retain critical capacity in public health systems across the country and ameliorate the impacts of COVID-19, the staff email continued. Like other states, Utah continued utilizing these funds as we evaluated our long-term strategy to retain this critical capacity. However, the federal government terminated these funds early, it continued. This was not entirely unexpected, but the timing was, state health department leaders said in the staff email. The majority of this funding was set to be expended by the end of 2026 so the department was preparing for this funding to end. The lack of warning from the early cut off is causing some challenges, in the health department as it continues its work, the email said, but we know the staff and our external partners bear the real stress and fear of the sudden decisions by our federal partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This sudden action is disappointing and not what we would expect from our partners, the staff email added. State health officials added that in the days leading up to Fridays announcement, they had been analyzing the impact and waiting to see if the decision would be reversed, but by the end of the week they said the funds were, in fact, being terminated. The state health department also warned that it continues to evaluate the impact of the cuts, and warned it is possible we will need to make additional staff reductions. We anticipate making that decision in the very near future. Impacts reach beyond COVID-19 When federal officials made the announcement last week, they characterized the grants as no longer needed and wasting taxpayer money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement, the Associated Press reported. Carrie Butler, executive director at the Utah Public Health Association, said the impacts of the federal funds ran far deeper than COVID-19 they helped strengthen the public health infrastructure workforce after years of being underfunded. That is something that is really important and critical for people to understand, that a majority of (Utahs public health funding) comes from federal grant money, Butler said. She said the federal cuts will impact Utahs public health system as a whole, including programs focused on proactive or preventative health programs meant to help keep the states population healthy and resilient ahead of the next public health disaster. Let us know what you think... When the pandemic hit, it hit at a time when we were underfunded (for) disease mitigation, or programs meant to reduce preventable health issues, she said. Then when the pandemic hit and we got all of these extra ARPA funds, we were able to build back a little bit of our infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From immunization programs, to diabetes prevention and smoking cessation, Butler said Utah was able to make progress to help make its population healthier, but now with those federal funds drying up early, she said those efforts will become more difficult. While we knew (the funds) were temporary, we also had planned them all out to create and finish the programs and infrastructure, she said. But now, theres a significant amount of sunk cost. Butler said the Utah Public Health Association also had to lay off one employee that was working on building a community health worker certification process. She said that the program was slated to be finished by June. Now, she said we are going to try our best to use volunteer hours to finish the program on time. Were going to try to get it done, she said. We are used to being scrappy. But it also means there are a lot of gaps that wouldnt otherwise exist if we were adequately funded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Butler added that public health workers are also dealing with continued anxiety over what could come next including the likelihood there are more federal funds on the chopping block. Were all a little bit nervous about what this means for future funding and for public health infrastructure, she said. By no stretch of the imagination do any of us think that this is the end of the cuts. More laid off from local health departments At least 32 workers have been laid off from some of Utahs 13 local health departments most of which come from Utahs most populated county. The biggest number will come from Salt Lake County, whose health department will lay off 17 employees in epidemiology, nursing, community health and communications workers, according to the departments spokesperson Nic Rupp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a devastating blow to our workforce, Rupp said, adding that the news left some in the countys offices in tears last week. Its not just folks who are losing their jobs, although of course they are the most impacted. But its everyone around them. Its a work family. Local health department layoffs Salt Lake County Health Department: 17 Bear River Health Department (Box Elder, Cache and Rich County): 5 Southwest Utah Health Department (Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, Washington counties): 5 Southeast Utah Health Department (Carbon, Emery, Grand counties): 2 Tooele County Health Department: 3 positions impacted, but will be kept on until December Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davis County Health Department: Still evaluating Utah County Health Department: No layoffs Central Utah Public Health Department (Juab, Millard, Piute, Sevier, Wayne, Sanpete counties): No layoffs Weber-Morgan Health Department: No layoffs Wasatch County Health Department: No layoffs San Juan County: No layoffs Summit County and the Tricounty Health Department (Uintah, Daggett, Duchesne counties): Did not immediately respond to a request for comment Public health workers have been through a lot together, Rupp said, adding that most of these folks have been with us for many years. They genuinely care about their work. They genuinely care about Salt Lake County, and its really tragic that theyre not going to be able to continue doing what they love and what theyre good at, Rupp said. He added the Salt Lake County Health Department will continue its work just with fewer people. Collectively, it is a significant loss, he said. We in public health will continue to do what we need to to protect community and environmental health in Salt Lake County, but losing these 17 public health professionals doesnt change the amount of work. It just means theres going to be the same amount of work spread across fewer experts. Rupp said these Salt Lake County employees in many cases worked in public health for years. They are investigating diseases. Theyre immunizing children. Theyre connecting community members to health resources. And theyre communicating about health topics to the public, he said. While the COVID-19 grants were expected to eventually expire, the fact that it was an immediate and early end to funds that had been promised to us for another year, in most cases, that is especially challenging, Rupp said. Some of the Salt Lake County workers that will be laid off had expected to finalize certain projects on a defined timeline, and this change upsets that plan, Rupp said, though he added Salt Lake County is working to pivot some additional funding so we can at least appropriately wrap up these projects. He also said county officials are working to at least give the 17 workers 30-days notice so we can appropriately wind down projects, transfer responsibilities, (and) figure out the best way to respond to this. Rupp said Salt Lake County lost roughly $6 million in grants. Later Monday, after county finance officials met to determine next steps, Rupp said county leaders are looking to use about $350,000 in funding from other grants in order to keep the 17 impacted county employees on for about two to 12 weeks, depending on (their) position and how long we expect it will take to conclude the positions projects. The Bear River Health Department (which serves Box Elder, Cache and Rich Counties) laid off five people, and their last day was Friday, according to department spokesperson Estee Hunt. She said the layoffs included people working in epidemiology, front office staff, and community health workers. Of course its sad, Hunt said. We hate to lose our colleagues. It didnt decrease the amount of work that we have to do, it just meant that the work is going to be spread out among fewer public health professionals. So its definitely tricky. The Southwest Utah Health Department (which covers Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington counties), also laid off five community health workers, according to spokesperson David Heaton. The Southeast Utah Health Department (which includes Carbon, Emery and Grand counties), laid off two community health workers. The departments spokesperson, Brittany Garff, said they were given a couple of weeks notice. Were rural, were small, Garff said, adding it will definitely impact our entire department. We will of course make every effort to cover where they helped the community, but it definitely will be a difficult transition to lose them. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US The Tooele County Health Department said three staff members were impacted by the sudden cut off, impacting three staff members in the countys Division of Population Health. However, county officials said in an email that we identified alternative short-term funding to sustain the affected positions until the end of December 2025 and notified the staff members. This approach will give us time to seek more sustainable funding for the important work our Division of Population Health does around epidemiology, data analysis, community engagement, and health strategy in ways that support the whole health department and county, Tooele County officials said, though they added, We are mindful of other health departments throughout the state who have been impacted by these federal funding cuts. The Davis County Health Department is still evaluating its impacts, according to spokesperson Trevor Warner. We knew that this funding was going to come to an end, but we didnt expect it to be this quickly, he told Utah News Dispatch in a text message. At this time, we are still evaluating things. We expect an impact because of the funding cuts, but we just dont know the scale yet. The Utah County Health Department wont have any layoffs, according to spokesperson Aislynn Tolman-Hill, who noted that it had not used federal funding related to COVID-19 since early 2024. Utah County Health Department stopped using all COVID-related funding at the beginning of 2024, Tolman-Hill said in an email. Utah County as a whole made a concerted effort not to rely on COVID funds moving forward from early 2024, and the health department followed suit. The Central Utah Public Health Department (which includes Juab, Millard, Piute, Sevier, Wayne, Sanpete counties), the Weber-Morgan, Wasatch, and the San Juan health departments all told Utah News Dispatch they have not implemented any layoffs at this time related to the federal cuts, though some job responsibilities had to be realigned. Officials at Summit County and the Tricounty Health Department (which covers Uintah, Daggett and Duchesne counties) did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Officers were called to a neighborhood on reports of a person shot this weekend. According to the Dayton Police Department, officers were sent to the 400 block of Five Oaks Avenue on reports of a person shot. This happened around 1 a.m. on March 29. Upon arrival, officers found a 27-year-old female with injuries. She was transported to an area hospital. According to the woman, she was not shot nor involved in any domestic violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DPD is investigating. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Dr. Mae Jemison, former NASA astronaut, author and entrepreneur, will visit the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith on April 9 to deliver a keynote address on "Exploring the Frontiers of Science and Human Potential." The event, which will take place at 6 p.m. in the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center, is free and open to the public. It is made possible by the Winthrop Rockefeller Distinguished Lecturer Program. An audience Q&A and a book signing will follow Jemison's lecture. Attendees can purchase copies of her memoir, Find Where the Wind Goes: Moments from My Life. A Trailblazer in Space and Science Jemison made history in 1992 as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle "Endeavour," becoming the first woman of color to travel to space. During the mission, she conducted experiments in material science, life science, and human adaptation to weightlessness. Her background in engineering and medicine made her NASAs first Science Mission Specialist, a role created to utilize advanced scientific expertise in space missions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before joining NASA, Jemison served as a medical officer for the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone and Liberia, where she managed healthcare programs and conducted vaccine research. She holds degrees in chemical engineering and African and Afro-American studies from Stanford University and earned her medical doctorate from Cornell University Medical College. Advancing Science and Innovation Since leaving NASA, Jemison has continued to push the boundaries of science and technology. She leads the 100 Year Starship initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to developing the capabilities for human interstellar travel within the next century. Funded initially by DARPA, the project integrates advancements in engineering, medicine and social systems to drive space exploration and solve challenges on Earth. Jemison also founded The Jemison Group Inc., a consulting firm focused on incorporating cultural and social perspectives into technology and science projects, and BioSentient Corp., a medical technology company centered on human performance and health innovations. A Commitment to Education and Diversity A passionate advocate for STEM education, Jemison founded The Earth We Share, an international science literacy program reaching thousands of students and educators worldwide. She also leads the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence, named after her mother, which supports various science and education initiatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to her academic contributions, Jemison has served on the boards of major corporations, including Kimberly-Clark, where she chairs the Sustainability Committee and the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. She has also advised NASA on future space exploration projects and chaired multiple technology and business development boards in Texas. Honors and Cultural Influence Jemison's contributions to science and education have earned her numerous accolades, including the 2023 Prix Galien Roy Vagelos Pro Bono Humanum Award for Global Health Equity, the West Point Sylvanus Thayer Award, and induction into the National Womens Hall of Fame, the International Space Hall of Fame, and the Texas Science Hall of Fame. She has received honorary doctorates from institutions such as Princeton University and Stanford University. Beyond science, Jemison has made a cultural impact as well. She was the first real astronaut to appear on a Star Trek episode and has been honored with a LEGO minifigure in the Women of NASA set. She also appeared on Sesame Street as Astronaut Mae and was the space operations advisor for the National Geographic miniseries, "Mars." Jemisons visit to UAFS marks the universitys second speaker through the Winthrop Rockefeller Distinguished Lecturer Program, following Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whiteheads 2023 lecture. Established in 1972, the program brings prominent speakers to Arkansas universities to foster public debate and cultural advancement. This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: NASA pioneer Mae Jemison to discuss science, space, innovation at UAFS BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A driver died after his car sideswiped a trailer being pulled by a pickup on Saturday, according to the California Highway Patrol. CHP said it received calls of a vehicle collision at around 7:29 p.m. on March 29 on Highway 65, south of Famoso Road. Coroner IDs driver who died in 3 vehicle crash in Tehachapi According to CHP, the driver of a Toyota 4Runner was traveling northbound on Highway 65 approaching Famoso Road at an unknown speed. The driver of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup was traveling southbound on Highway 65 south of Famoso Road at the same time, pulling a trailer containing a Chevrolet Silverado pickup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver of the Toyota then drifted into the southbound lane, sideswiping the loaded trailer, CHP said. The driver of the Toyota was ejected from the car and died at the scene, according to CHP. Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage The two passengers in the Toyota suffered minor to moderate injuries and were taken to Kern Medical, according to CHP. The occupants in the Chevrolet were not injured. CHP said it is unknown whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash. Highway 65 was closed and traffic was rerouted for three hours, according to CHP. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Authorities arrested a 20-year-old Minnesota man Monday after he allegedly fled police during a pursuit that spanned more than 30 miles across two counties. The driver, from the rural Morrison County town of Hillman, was booked into jail in connection with the pursuit and driving under the influence, according to a news release. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office said the incident began to unfold around 2:10 p.m. Monday after the Minnesota State Patrol initiated a pursuit on northbound Highway 22, just south of Litchfield. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The patrol terminated the pursuit, but the chase began again when the suspect vehicle was spotted by police in Litchfield, the sheriff's office said. However, that pursuit was also discontinued. The driver allegedly took off again when spotted by a Meeker County deputy and fled Litchfield eastbound on 260th Street at a high rate of speed. According to the sheriff's office, a pursuit intervention tactic (PIT) maneuver was initiated at the intersection of 260th Street and 650th Avenue. The vehicle went into the ditch but the driver allegedly drove back out and continued south on 650th Avenue, making his way into the city of Darwin before heading south on County Road 14 and eventually north on Highway 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a news release, a trooper deployed a tire deflation device as the vehicle entered Stearns County and an additional PIT maneuver by a Meeker County deputy ended the pursuit. The suspect was arrested without incident. "The pursuit by the Meeker County Sheriffs Office reached speeds of 100 miles per hour and traveled just over 30 miles," the sheriff's office alleged. "At one point the driver swerved at a deputy as the deputy tried to initiate a second PIT maneuver." According to authorities, the suspect had a revoked driver's license at the time of the incident. Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcements latest version of events, and may be subject to change. BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to work with India to take the occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to advance the sound and stable development of bilateral relations, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday exchanged congratulatory messages on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Chinese Premier Li Qiang also exchanged congratulatory messages with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In response to a relevant query, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said both China and India are ancient civilizations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South, and both are in a crucial stage of modernization. He said the historical course of bilateral relations shows that being partners of mutual success and a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant is the right choice for both sides and fully meets the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China stands ready to work with India to view and handle the bilateral relations with a strategic and long-term perspective, and take this occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development, Guo said. Advicates with the Youth Action Fund and Florida Student Power Network hold up protest signs outside the House Industries & Professional Activities subcommittee on April 1, 2025. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) A Florida House committee approved a bill to eliminate key child labor protections, in the measures first sign of life in the chamber. A similar bill passed a Senate committee last week to the dismay of critics worried that the measure would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work longer hours, as well as 14- and 15-year-olds who receive permission from their school superintendent or are home schooled or enrolled in online school. The House bill would remove Florida child labor protections by allowing minors to work more than 30 hours per week during the school year; work more than eight hours in a day without a 30-minute break; and work more than eight hours the day before a school day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Monique Miller, a Republican representing part of Brevard County, is leading the bill through the House, which is similar to Sen. Jay Collins version in the Senate, including two amendments made Tuesday in the House. Collins represents part of Hillsborough County. As amended, the House bill, HB 1225, now would prevent students from working overnight before school days. The original filed bill, along with Collins existing language, axes a state law cutting off minors workdays at 11 p.m. The House amendment now proposes cutting off work before a school day at 10 p.m. The other amendment, Miller said, was to include a request from former Sen. Randy Fine, on behalf of his son David, to enable 13-year-olds to work during the summer during the year they turn 14. Regardless of Florida law, employers have to abide by federal minor employment regulations, particularly the Fair Labor Standards Act, which mostly prohibits 13-year-olds from working in jobs outside of agriculture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because federal law says that children cannot work under age 14 except in agricultural settings, this amendment only serves to change the age a Florida child can work on a farm from 14 to 13, Florida Policy Institute CEO Sadaf Knight said in a news release. This alarming development seemingly looks to our youngest teens to fill an agricultural labor shortage gap. If lawmakers truly prioritize the health, safety, and education of Florida youth, they will reject any further undoing of child labor protections in our state. Last week, before the amendment reinstating a prohibition for overnight work was filed, House Speaker Daniel Perez said he had personal concerns with the bill and that he has been kind of going back and forth. Rep. Michele Rayner argued that some children lack guardians who might protect them against exploitation, while Rep. Yvonne Hinson said shes concerned the bill is not considerate of educational outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I really have a problem with this, because the unintended consequence could potentially be exploitation of our children, Rep. Angie Nixon said. As for potential pressure from employers to work excessive hours, God gave us a great barrier for that, and that is parents. Parents can definitely oversee what children are allowed to do, Miller said. However, she confirmed there was no provision in the bill addressing parental rights for employed minors. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DeSantis comment Democrats and some public speakers referenced comments from Gov. Ron DeSantis two weeks ago, when he said, Why do we say that we need to import foreigners, even import them illegally, when, you know, teenagers used to work at these resorts, college students should be able to do this stuff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miller and Collins both deflected that the governors comments addressed a labor shortfall amid stricter immigration enforcement and instead talked about how minors benefit from having a job. Miller said the bill is giving them the opportunity to be productive citizens when they graduate. The bill passed the subcommittee 12-6. The no-votes came from Democrats joined by GOP Rep. Susan Valdes, who switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican before this session. The bill is assigned to two additional committees Intergovernmental Affairs and Commerce. Im once again here speaking on behalf of our students who are currently in class trying to get their education, trying to move forward, and they cannot be here to speak to all of you as adults that are putting their lives at risk, in jeopardy, Laura Munoz, civic engagement director with Florida Student Power, said during public testimony on the bill. The meeting was attended by several youth advocates from Minds Without Borders, Youth Action Fund, and Florida Student Power Network. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Florida Capitol (Photo by Michael Moline/Florida Phoenix) A House committee advanced along party lines Tuesday a bill requiring all employers to use an online system to verify that their new hires can legally work in the country. The proposal, HB 955, from Seminole Republican Rep. Berny Jacques, would expand the use of E-Verify, the system that public agencies, their contractors, and companies with more than 25 employees must use to confirm their new hires are authorized to work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unlike the other two bills expanding E-Verify requirements, Jacques proposal doesnt bring additional fines and penalties against employers hiring immigrants without work permits. However, HB 955 is the only E-Verify bill that has moved in the Florida Legislature this year. Its not a gotcha mission. Its to make sure were compliant, and we wanna make sure that those who are in this country working are authorized to do so, Jacques said during the House Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee meeting. The sponsor, a Haitian immigrant, insisted his bill is not about immigrant workers. One of the things I want to highlight before I end my close is to not conflate immigrant workers with what were talking about here, Jacques said. Just because youre an immigrant doesnt mean youre not authorized to work. Gov. Ron DeSantis gave an early nod of approval to HB 955 before the legislative session started. Still, the proposal drew criticism over its lack of additional penalties from Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo, who is sponsoring a dueling bill imposing tens of thousands of dollars in fines and loss of business licenses for companies hiring immigrants unauthorized to work in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spring Hill Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia also proposed a bill, SB 1498, that would add penalties for those employers and require all companies to use E-Verify. More than 441,000 Florida companies have fewer than 20 employees, according to a 2023 report from the Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration, meaning that they dont have to use E-Verify. The Florida Department of Commerce can already fine employers $1,000 per day if they get caught not using E-Verify three times within two years. Companies hiring people unauthorized to work get placed on probation for a year. Orlando Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani said she was concerned about the national trend of branding immigrants without legal status as dangerous and criminals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course, we want every business to go through these proceedings and to ensure these are workers with visas and so forth, but we also know that the immigration system is dramatically broken, Eskamani said. There are folks who have a visa, and then it expires, and the process to renew is very limited. And these are folks who are also paying taxes, theyre contributing to our economy and, beyond an unregulated status, theyre not dangerous. The bill has one more committee stop before reaching the House floor. Were going to fight and see it through to the very end, and the ball will be in the Senates court as to what they want to do, Jacques told Florida Phoenix. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Eight years after the Eagle Creek Fire scorched nearly 50,000 acres in the Columbia River Gorge, a new report shows the fire helped pave the way for hundreds of dangerous debris flows as more megafires are expected in the future. Debris flows are in the landslide family and occur when a mixture of sediment and water becomes a slurry, similar to wet concrete, according to the United States Geological Survey. In steep canyons, debris flows can carry large boulders that can cause catastrophic damage, while in low-gradient areas, flows can be slow because of drier sediment, but can still rapidly infill channels, divert streams, and destroy automobiles, buildings, and infrastructure, the report states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Portlands imminent return-to-office order faces backlash from city workers After the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire and atmospheric river storms in the burned area in 2021 and 2022 the Columbia River Gorge saw an influx in debris flows, including one that turned deadly, according to the report. We found there were 268 landslides and debris flows that occurred during atmospheric river-type storms in the region that burned in the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, said Bill Burns, an engineering geologist with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. By the way, thats a lot of landslides and debris flows. We also found that the fire influenced these debris flows in a couple of ways. One, it appeared to lower the necessary kind of water input required to trigger debris flows, and two, it seemed to increase the frequency that we saw debris flows happen, Burns explained. A debris flow along the Historic Columbia River Highway occurred in 2021 after an atmospheric river in the area where the Eagle Creek Fire occurred in 2017 (Courtesy United States Geological Survey.) A 2022 debris flow from Leavens Creek buried roadways along the Columbia River Gorge after an atmospheric river in the area of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire (Courtesy Multnomah County Sheriffs Office.) A 2021 debris flow carried boulders and logs along Highway 30 after an atmospheric river storm struck the same area burned in the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire (Courtesy United States Geological Survey.) Geologist Bill Burns, with DOGAMI, inspects boulders carried in a debris flow in 2021 along Highway 30 (Courtesy DOGAMI.) A 2021 debris flow carried boulders and logs along Highway 30 after an atmospheric river storm struck the same area burned in the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire (Courtesy DOGAMI.) The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries released the report after working with researchers from the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the United States Geological Survey, using cutting-edge technology to study how the 2017 megafire influenced the land. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the teams key findings, researchers learned the Eagle Creek Fire helped pave the way for debris flows after the fire burned through dense forest, which increases the rate rain and snowmelt reach the ground and reduced root reinforcement years after the fire. Debris flows have been recorded in the area over the last 104 years with notable events occurring every decade, according to the report. New bill proposes repealing vote-by-mail in Oregon, public invited to testify Before the fire, researchers learned at least 155 debris flows afflicted the area between 1990 and 2014. While debris flows arent uncommon in the gorge, the report notes that wildfires can contribute to the increased frequency and magnitude of debris flows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One case study included in the report shows the danger debris flows can pose. This included a debris flow on Jan. 13, 2021, which left Leavens Creek in Dodson, Oregon and buried Highway 30 along with eastbound lanes of Interstate 84. With recent record warm temps, how are Oregon spring snowpack levels? The debris flow turned deadly after a woman was driving on Highway 30 around 2 a.m. when her car was buried by the debris flow, according to the report, noting emergency response teams were able to recover her body 10 days after the incident. The report comes as climate change is driving more fires and post-debris flows in Western Oregon, an area that has historically been less affected by wildfires, according to DOGAMI, noting scientists are predicting atmospheric rivers will also intensify with climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The one thing that this study is going to do is help Oregon become more prepared for not only non-fire debris flows, but also for post-fire debris flows, Burns said. There are several research teams working in Oregon to better understand what happens, and how do we reduce risk from these types of events. So, I think it is something we need to keep working on. Young girl rescued after being dragged out into ocean at Seaside This area of the Columbia River Gorgeis home for all of us to recreate, right? Theres all the waterfalls and the hiking trails there and to be able to kind of analyze what happened in there Is pretty satisfying and hopefully will help others reduce risk in the area, Burns added. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek also highlighted the importance of this research to help Oregon prepare for future debris flows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Megafires and post-fire debris flows are on the rise. Here in Oregon, we are prioritizing readiness, coordination, wildfire risk mitigation and a comprehensive, statewide approach to protecting our natural working lands and communities, Kotek said in a statement. This leading-edge, Oregon-based research will help us, and researchers across our nation, better understand the hazard of debris flows, reducing risks to community safety. Officials seize 2,500 pounds of fish caught illegally on Sandy River The cutting-edge research involving light detection and ranging, or Lidar, technology is also shaping future research across the United States, according to Burns. We collected Lidar, so we scanned the area with airplanes shooting out laser beams and surveying the area before the fire happened, and then we scanned it again after the fire, and then again after the debris flows. What we were able to do is kind of image the surface of the earth and be able to see exactly where things moved and where things didnt move. This is a very different science than you can imagine happened even a couple of decades ago, we were not able to do something like this. What it allows us to do is very objectively say, Well, this part moved, and that part didnt move, with pretty high confidence, Burns explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other U.S. states are now looking at what we did, and theyre saying, Hey, we should be doing the same thing, like Oregon is, leading the way in this science and understanding of how these fires can influence the landscape, Burns added. Now, Burns said researchers are finishing a similar study to help communities be resilient to these natural disasters. Were really close to finishing up kind of an adjacent study that weve been doing, funded by FEMA, for us to look at post fire debris flow risk and risk reduction in several fires, and that includes the Eagle Creek Fire that this study was done on, but also some of the 2020 Labor Day fires as well, Burns said. In that project, were developing hazard maps just to let people know where that hazard exists. Then were also evaluating risk so that is looking at, well, are there buildings with people living in them in these hazard areas? And then we also developed a whole long list of recommended risk reductionso that these community members can use all those actions to become more resilient in the future. And projects like that are really going to help us become more reduced risk and become more resilient. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. EARLY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Multiple agencies are investigating a missing person case involving a woman who stayed at a motel in Early, Texas, before her disappearance. According to the Early Police Department, Kadejiah Chantelle Henderson, also known as Kadejiah Franklin, stayed at a motel on CC Woodson Road until around 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 21. Her whereabouts were accounted for until Thursday, March 27, after which no further information has been found. The Texas Rangers are assisting with the investigation. Anyone with information about Hendersons location is encouraged to contact the Early Police Department at (325) 646-5322 or Brownwood Dispatch at (325) 646-2525. 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Voters in Mulvane and Haysville are gearing up to vote on multi-million dollar school bonds. Early in-person voting on bond issues for both districts begins Tuesday. KSN breaks down what voters need to know before casting their ballot. Both school districts say they need to make infrastructure improvements. The Mulvane school district has two proposed bonds up for a vote. The first question concerns a $50.39 million bond for HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems improvements, safety and security measures, and renovations at the middle school. If passed, people who own a home worth $100,000 will pay an extra $8.15 in taxes per month, which is a little less than $100 a year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fowl play: Goose attacks 6-year-old visiting Wichita The second question concerns a $9.28 million bond to build an early childhood center. If the second bond passes, it would cost the same homeowner about $3 more per month, or a little over $36 a year. The second question can only pass if question one also passes. In the Haysville school district, voters are considering a $79.725 million bond to fund HVAC and security upgrades and building maintenance. The bond would also fund a new Career and Technology Education Center at Campus High School. If passed, the district says this will not increase the mill levy. Early in-person voting starts April 1 at the election office in downtown Wichita. Election Day is April 8. You can find your polling location 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 KSN-TV. GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) ECU Health will be hosting a Pause to Give Life Event to recognize Donate Life Month. In North Carolina, only 50 percent of adults are registered as organ donors. There are 3,000 people in North Carolina waiting for organ and tissue donations, and more than 100,000 waiting for a donation across the country. During the Pause to Give Life event, ECU Health Medical Center will raise the Donate Life Flag at 10:08 a.m. followed by a 30 second moment of silence to honor donors and their families, those waiting, and recipients who have received the gift of life. This specific start time of 10:08 a.m. is to recognize that one donor can save eight lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At ECU Health, patients with end-stage kidney failure or diabetes can benefit from a kidney, pancreas or simultaneous kidney/pancreas transplant without leaving eastern North Carolina. An average of 80 to 100 living and deceased donor transplants are performed at ECU Health Medical Center every year, with some of the shortest wait times for recipients across the state. The event will take place at the ECU Health Medical Center Flagpole. Please arrive no later than 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. In the end, the leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union accepted a contract that largely mirrored what Chicago Public Schools leadership had offered for months. The spin, of course, from CTU and Mayor Brandon Johnson depicts this four-year labor deal as transformative for Chicagos beleaguered public school system. This is a complete transformation and a move away from school privatization, layoffs, closures, the mayor said Tuesday at a news conference. Hardly. A move away from layoffs and closures? For now. But the future doesnt look bright. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CPS bargaining team, led by CEO Pedro Martinez, agreed to add 800 to 900 new positions rather than the thousands of new union jobs CTU demanded. CTU demanded annual raises of 9%, an absurd request but still one the union maintained over months. The union got annual raises between 4% and 5%, essentially the same amount Martinez offered last summer. There were minor concessions regarding more preparation time for elementary school teachers and pay increases for veteran teachers at the top of the CPS wage scale. Importantly, Martinezs team rebuffed CTUs efforts to constrain principals from being able to run their schools. Its reasonable to conclude Martinez did the best he could to give CPS a fighting chance to maintain solvency over the course of this contract. But there are serious questions as to whether this deal, which will cost an estimated $1.5 billion over four years, will be affordable after the current school year ends. CPS faces a deficit of at least $500 million for the 2025-26 school year and must produce a budget by the end of August. Martinez is leaving as CEO at the end of June; next year will be his successors problem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That person could be left with no choice but to resort to furlough days or layoffs to balance the books. If that comes to pass, how much talk of transformation will we hear? Theres nothing in this contract protecting these teachers from such future cutbacks. And the wage gains theyve won may well make such steps more likely. The average CPS teacher will surpass $110,000 in salary by the end of the contract. Can CPS really afford that? Well find out. The current 21-member school board, made up of 10 elected members and 11 appointed by the mayor, voted last month to require Martinezs successor to hold a school superintendents license. The idea is to ensure that whoever next is running the nations fourth-largest public school system has academic chops instead of just a financial background. We understand the desire to focus more on what schools are supposed to do educate children rather than how to afford to keep them running. But given the challenges ahead, financial and budgeting expertise are likely to be at a premium. The next leader of Chicago Public Schools will confront a brutal situation thanks to a mayor who refuses to acknowledge the urgent need to rationalize a bloated system with far too many schools for the number of students its serving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking of the mayor, the victory lap he took on this labor deal belied reality. He boasted of being the first mayor in 15 years to secure a CTU labor pact without a strike. Given his former employment at CTU and the millions the union spent to propel him to electoral victory, averting a strike was hardly a triumph. Not that Johnson didnt do everything in his power to advantage CTU in these negotiations. He demanded Martinez resign last year; Martinez refused. He pressured his original school board to fire Martinez; they resigned en masse rather than do his bidding. The next board he appointed followed the mayors orders and fired Martinez but felt legally compelled to honor a provision in Martinezs contract giving him six months notice before removal. Martinez then obtained a judges order barring the board from finalizing a CTU contract without his approval. That left CTU in the position of having to strike a deal with Martinez whether they liked it or not. For Johnson, what an abdication of duty to the taxpayers of this city. Over a year ago, this page called on the mayor to recuse himself from this contract negotiation given his obvious conflict of interest. His subsequent fealty to his former employer showed exactly why he should have done so. And the mayor has paid a significant price in his public standing for failing to stand up for taxpayers and leaving that job to Martinez, who admirably did so in the face of grossly unfair attacks, with Johnson now polling at lower levels than any mayor of Chicago before him. And CTUs leadership has managed to take a union that rode substantial public approval to a victorious strike against Mayor Rahm Emanuels administration in 2012 to an approval rating below 30%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martinez did all he could and deserves the publics thanks. It will be up to new leaders, on the school board and eventually at CPS headquarters, to continue to play the bad hand the unholy Johnson-CTU alliance has dealt them. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. All shell is breaking loose amid the nationwide egg shortage as some of the most popular liquid egg substitutes have been pulled from shelves. More than 212,000 pounds pounds of liquid egg products including the Egg Beaters and Bob Evans brands have been recalled over a potential contamination of cleaning solution, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service. The agency said the products could contain sodium hypochlorite, a chemical compound commonly used in bleach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recalled products include Egg Beaters Original Liquid Egg Substitute, Cage-Free Original Liquid Egg Substitute and Cage-Free Original Frozen Egg Substitute, as well as Bob Evans Bettern Eggs Liquid Substitute, all in 32-ounce cartons. The affected items were produced on March 12 and 13 and most had use-by dates of Aug. 9 and 10 of this year, while the frozen Egg Beaters had a use-by date of March 7, 2026. While the FSIS indicated that the products were shipped to Ohio and Texas, as well as for food service use in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Iowa, they may have been distributed nationwide. The agency urged consumers and food service locations to throw away or return any affected products, while noting the risk of adverse health consequences was minimal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider, the FSIS said in a statement. First launched in 1972 as a healthy substitute for whole eggs, Egg Beaters (containing real egg whites, but no egg yolks) have grown in popularity amid skyrocketing egg prices due to a severe outbreak of avian flu. Related Articles The egg shortage has prompted some local New York City stores to sell loosie eggs eggs sold individually or in small quantities, rather than in dozen cartons. In response to the rising cost, some savvy vendors have gone viral on social media for selling bootleg eggs on street corners. KATHMANDU, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Nepal received a total of 121,687 foreign tourists in March, down 5 percent year-on-year, the Nepal Tourism Board said on Tuesday. The board attributed the fall to fewer visitors from India and other countries. Nepal welcomed 21,412 Indian travellers in March, down from 30,698 over the same month of last year. Tourism is a major source of foreign exchange earnings and job creator in Nepal. On March 16, an errant Houthi missile aimed at Israel in protest against its war in Gaza instead struck the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. Cairos response was strikingly measured. In an official statement addressing Red Sea security challenges, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi referred only to regional circumstances affecting Egypts economy, conspicuously avoiding any direct mention of the Houthis. This restraint, while perplexing to some, aligns with Egypts strategy of avoiding costly conflicts while advancing its regional influence through mediation and reconstruction. It is a balancing act that has quietly restored Cairos centrality in regional politics, but that may prove hard to maintain. For Egypt, a missile landing in its popular Sinai tourist destination is no minor incident. Any resulting drop in tourism revenue would compound the economic fallout of the Houthis attacks on Red Sea shipping, which the group began launching after the Israeli invasion of Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. The attacks, which the Houthis recently resumed after having paused them during the short-lived ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, have caused a 60 percent drop in Suez Canal traffic. Egypts monthly losses now exceed $800 million, increasing the pressure on its already fragile economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet Egypt has refused to join Operation Prosperity Guardian, the U.S.-led naval coalition countering the Houthis aggression in order to stabilize Red Sea shipping lanes. Instead, according to news reports, Cairo pursued backchannel diplomacy, holding undisclosed talks with the Houthis to curb Red Sea disruptions. The talks, kept secret to avoid alienating Cairos allies like Saudi Arabia and the U.S., ultimately stalled, but Egypts reluctance to militarize its response to the Houthis stems from hard-learned historical lessons. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. Memories of Egypts disastrous eight-year intervention in Yemen from 1962 to 1970a quagmire that drained its economy and prestigeloom large. The costly involvement, often referred to as Egypts Vietnam, tied down tens of thousands of troops and left a lasting reluctance among decision-makers in Cairo to engage in direct confrontation in Yemen. Egyptian domestic politics further complicates matters. With a deteriorating economy at home and a population highly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, overt alignment with U.S. and Israeli operations targeting the Houthis risks inflaming public anger over Gaza. Instead, Cairo has doubled down on diplomacy. Alongside Qatar, it has helped broker the ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, leveraging its long experience of mediating negotiations between the two sides, as well as its unique status as both a peace treaty partner with Israel and a nation bordering Gaza, to position itself as the Arab worlds leader on the conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And when U.S. President Donald Trump began to push his controversial proposal to turn Gaza into the Riviera of the Middle East, which envisioned displacing Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan, Cairo quickly countered with a $53 billion reconstruction plan for the strip unveiled in March. The 112-page blueprint, which was endorsed by Arab leaders, came complete with AI-generated renderings of rebuilt neighborhoods, desalination plants and tech hubs. By mediating conflicts, rebuilding ruins and outsourcing its security and economic stability to allies, Egypt has masterfully reclaimed prominence without overextending its resources. Yet the foundation is fragile. The plan is both pragmatic and symbolic: Egyptian firms, many military-linked, stand to execute the bulk of the rebuilding, while Cairo burnishes its credentials as Palestines steadfast defender. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has emphasized Cairos unique capacity to deliver, stating that Egyptian companies can draw on over a decade of expertise from megaprojects like the multibillion-dollar New Administrative Capital to restore Gaza to a condition even better than its pre-destruction state within three years. Furthermore, regionally, it positions Cairo as the indispensable architect of Gazas postwar order, a role that reinforces its resurgence as a chief coordinator among Arab states and a bulwark of regional stability in the eyes of Western powers. But Egypts reconstruction diplomacy extends beyond Gaza. Cairo has also positioned itself as the primary rebuilder in Sudan, where civil war has displaced more than one-third of the population and destroyed most of the infrastructure in Khartoum, the nations political and economic capital. In February 2025, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced a joint Egyptian-Sudanese taskforce to oversee reconstruction, saying, What has been destroyed in the devastating war, we hope to rebuild soon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Egypts efforts in Sudan underscore a strategy of low-cost, low-profile military involvement in backing the Sudanese armed forces, or SAF, in the countrys civil war. Unlike its overt and disastrous military intervention in 1960s Yemen, Cairo has opted for discreet support in Sudan, providing the SAF with Turkish-made drones and intelligence, while avoiding any deployments of Egyptian troops. By blending reconstruction diplomacy with behind-the-scenes military support, Cairo seeks to secure its southern flank and Nile River interests without getting bogged down in a costly military entanglement. Egypts involvement in Libya tells a similar story. After years of backing Gen. Khalifa Haftar, the military commander for Libyas eastern factions, Cairo has shifted toward pragmatic engagement with western Libyas United Nations-recognized Government of National Accord, prioritizing economic diplomacy over hard power. This strategic pivot is evident in Egypts expanding role in Libyas $400 billion reconstruction market, where its firms are now leading critical infrastructure projects and have collectively secured contracts worth over $4 billion. Behind Egypts reconstruction diplomacy lies a critical driver: its military-industrial complex. The armed forces wield outsized influence across key economic sectors such as construction, agriculture and infrastructure, through state-owned enterprises exempt from taxes, audits and competition laws. Entities like the Armed Forces Engineering Authority, which is owned and operated by the Ministry of Defense, spearhead major infrastructure projects in Egypt, including the construction of New Administrative Capital and expansions of the Suez Canal, which came in at a combined $66 billion. Since 2014, el-Sisi has directed over $300 billion to infrastructure development, including road and port construction and railway development, much of it by military-owned businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, this military dominance strangles the economy. According to Naguib Sawiris, a prominent Egyptian businessman and telecoms billionaire, the army has advantages that other companies do not have, because it does not pay taxes and does not need a license. As a result, its ability to operate is easier and the competition is unequal. The International Monetary Fund and Egyptian business leaders similarly warn that the militarys privilegesincluding tax exemptions, no-bid contracts and exemption from oversightdistort markets. In 2018, for instance, the militarys expansion into cement production coincided with the collapse of the private firm al-Qumia, costing thousands of jobs immediately, while pushing competitors toward collapse and deterring investment over the longer term. As the IMF and Gulf state benefactors pressure Cairo to boost economic transparency and curb the militarys economic role, Egypts regional reconstruction diplomacy operates on a paradoxical logic: It is corrosive domestically yet self-perpetuating internationally. By hosting Gaza donor conferences and branding itself as the gateway to Africa, Cairo markets its sprawling megaprojects to foreign investors. And its accession to BRICS in 2024 secured access to Chinese financing and strengthened its relationship with Russia, one of Egypts biggest trade partners, further embedding it in global economic networks. Meanwhile, through these maneuvers, Egypt bolsters the perception among global policymakers that it is too big to fail, a narrative that attracts Western and Gulf bailout funds that stave off economic meltdown and sustain its construction boom. But the resulting windfalls are always funneled upward, enriching elites while 60 percent of Egyptians live below or close to the poverty line. The system avoids collapse not through reform, but by framing Egypts stability as indispensable, reinforcing a cycle of dependency and elite enrichment. This perception was starkly underscored by Trumps special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who warned in a recent interview, I think Egypt is a flashpoint. If we have a bad event in Egypt, it could take us back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By mediating conflicts, rebuilding ruins and outsourcing its security and economic stability to allies, Cairo has masterfully reclaimed prominence without overextending its resources. Yet the foundation is fragile. And for all its diplomatic wins, Cairo teeters on the edge of crisis as a result of its resistance to enacting structural economic reforms. As the Middle East fractures, Egypt bets that being indispensable as a mediator, builder and bulwark will keep it solvent. But whether this house of cards can withstand the regions storms depends on forces beyond Cairos direct control: a Gaza ceasefire, a Houthi truce or a victory by the SAF in Sudan. For now, Egypt builds on, quietly and relentlessly, hoping the world wont notice the cracks in its foundations. Elfadil Ibrahim is a writer and analyst on Sudanese politics. His work has previously been featured in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Open Democracy and other outlets. The post Egypts Reconstruction Diplomacy Rests on Shaky Domestic Foundations appeared first on World Politics Review. CAIRO (Reuters) -Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed mediation efforts to restore regional calm which would have a positive impact on Red Sea navigation and end economic losses for all parties, the Egyptian presidency said on Tuesday. The Iran-aligned Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on shipping since Israel's war with Hamas began in late 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Gaza's Palestinians. The attacks have disrupted global commerce and set the U.S. military off on a costly campaign to intercept missiles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said earlier on Tuesday that he had discussed with Sisi the progress made against the Houthis, as the White House continues its biggest military attacks against the Yemeni group under Trump's administration since March 15. Trump said the strikes were a response to the group's attacks on Red Sea shipping, and he warned Iran, the Houthis' main backer, that it needed to immediately halt support for the group. In messages mistakenly shared with a journalist at The Atlantic magazine in March disclosing U.S. war plans against the Houthis, one of the U.S. officials quoted in the chat relayed by The Atlantic said that Trump approved the Yemen plans but we soon make clear to Egypt and Europe what we expect in return. The Egyptian statement made no mention of the messages or Washingtons strikes against Houthis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Egypt has been impacted by the Houthis attacks on the Red Sea area since November 2023, which forced vessels to avoid the nearby Suez Canal and reroute trade around Africa, raising shipping costs. Sisi said in December the disruption cost Egypt around $7 billion in less revenue from the Suez Canal in 2024. (Reporting by Jaidaa Taha, Menna Alaa El Din and Muhammad Al Gebaly; writing by Jaidaa Taha; Editing by Gareth Jones and Leslie Adler) Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) has a new Chancellor. Bryan Renfro, PhD, was appointed the next Chancellor following a special board meeting on April 1. Renfro currently serves as the President of John Wood Community College in Quincy and has over 20 years of experience in community college leadership, academic instruction and workforce development. Renfros career focus has been to expand educational access and strengthen connections between community colleges, local industry and the community. Before serving as President at John Wood, he held leadership roles at Paris Junior College and Tyler Junior College in Texas, including Vice President of Academic Instruction, Associate Vice Provost of Academic and Workforce Affairs and Dean of Professional and Technical Programs. Renfro has also worked at Hawkeye Community College and Colorado Mountain College. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Renfro has taught anthropology and criminal justice courses and served as a department chair. He holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Iowa State University, with a focus on Community College Leadership; a masters degree in Anthropology from the University of Arkansas and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee. Larry Ebers, PhD, led the search for EICCs next Chancellor. District stakeholders took part in forums and gave valuable feedback to help the search committee select the right leader for the college. Bryan Renfro (EICC) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through a thoughtful and inclusive process, we have selected Bryan Renfro to lead EICC into its next chapter, said Michelle Garvin, Board of Trustees Member and Chair of the Search Committee. Im confident his leadership experience, commitment to community engagement, and passion for student success make him the ideal person to build on our strong foundation. We also want to thank everyone who participated, including our search committee and those who attended forums and provided their feedback. Their input was invaluable. Throughout my career, as a faculty member and administrator, Ive been guided by a student-first philosophy, Renfro said. I will continue this approach in a collaborative spirit, with a strategic focus, and with the utmost respect for the transformative power of the community college to change lives. I promise to be a thoughtful steward of this college and of the public resources entrusted to us. I will work to ensure that education remains accessible and affordable, and I will strive to foster innovation that expands partnerships, develops new academic programs, and enhances the support systems our students need to succeed. Renfro starts his role as Chancellor on July 1, succeeding Interim Chancellor Liang Chee Wee, PhD. 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Wayne County's health director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is stepping down from his position as he mulls a bid to run for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat in 2026. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed speaks to the Sterling Heights Democratic Club in Sterling Heights on Monday, March 26, 2018. "I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve under County Executive Warren Evans' leadership and the incredible work we were able to do," the former Detroit health director and Democratic gubernatorial candidate told the Free Press by phone Tuesday afternoon. "I'm resigning in consideration of exploring a Senate future. I have not made a decision yet, but hope to within the next couple of weeks." The county did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: VA Secretary defends plans for massive workforce cuts during Howell meeting with vets More: Explosion in Detroit apartment building caused by gas leak, fire department concludes El-Sayed's last day leading the Wayne County Health, Human and Veterans Services Department is April 3, he said. Wayne County Executive Warren Evans appointed him director in March 2023. El-Sayed highlighted his accomplishments including programs to erase medical debt for residents and install air quality monitors across the county. No candidates have formally entered the open race for the seat U.S. Sen. Gary Peters is leaving behind. Others reportedly considering running include state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2018, El-Sayed ran as a progressive in the Democratic gubernatorial primary won by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He said Tuesday that he was alarmed by President Donald Trump's cuts to federal programs. "Im devastated to see this happening ... but if were willing to stand up for the type of America we need and deserve we can address both this devastation and build the kind of federal government that builds and delivers for us," he said. Violet Ikonomova is a reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at vikonomova@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: El-Sayed leaving Wayne County health department as he eyes Senate bid Several elections will take place in Chicago-area suburbs on Tuesday. The most notable election is in Dolton. Jason House won the primary election for mayor in February defeating incumbent Tiffany Henyard after a series of controversies involving questionable spending. House will now run against Casundra Hopson-Jordan. Heynard is running as a write-in candidate. In Aurora, the current mayor, Richard Irvin will take on Alderman John Laesch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He lost the mayoral race against Irvin in 2021. More News, Weather and Headlines at wgntv.com In Arlington Heights, three candidates will face off to become mayor; Jim Tingaglia, Tom Schwingbeck and Jon Ridler. For decades, current Mayor Thomas hayes has held office, but announced last year that he will not seek re-election. The biggest issue on the table is the future of a potential Bears stadium. In Orland Park, Mayor Keith Pekau is seeking a third term, going against former longtime village trustee Jim Dodge. Pekau says hes helped improve village streets and parks. Dodge says being better stewards of taxpayer money is the goal. He is also critical of spending on a concert venue at Centennial Park West. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Polls will close at 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 WGN-TV. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Out of more than 100 nominations, Elizabeth Shipman was named Las Vegass Remarkable Woman and will participate in the Nexstar Woman of the Year Show. Shipman also received $1,000 to be given to the charity of her choice, and she chose the Nevada Donor Network, where she is seen as a trailblazer for that non-profit. I cant talk without crying, she said. Im so proud. I do it for these other women that I know I inspire and everyone else and all of the staff that are here. Elizabeth Shipman, surrounded by co-workers and volunteers, is named Las Vegas Remarkable Woman for 2025. (KLAS) Shipman walks the talk as the vice president of organ operations at the Nevada Donor Network. The non-profit gives life. Its responsible for coordinating the organ donation process and so much more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shipman is the groups slam dunk leader who wears many hats while also making time for fun. She leads with laughter, dedication and works to improve the organ transplant system in Nevada. Its a very niche area of healthcare, but impacts so many people, she said. There are a lot of patients who dont even have access. They dont even know that transplant is an available option to them. Her most pivotal accomplishment is securing a $15 million grant to develop the Nevada Transplant Institute. Its an initiative to end the wait for organ transplants. Many Nevadans have to leave the state to get these services, so the state got on board, Shipman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her efforts dont stop there. Shipman is also spearheading the adoption of quality technology at the Nevada Donor Network, making them early adopters of every technology available in the organ donation industry. She wants people in need of organ donations to know theres hope. Theres hope. Were here to help and bring hope and continue to fight for waitlists and bring transplantation services to the state of Nevada. Shipman will join 125 finalists from across the country in Los Angeles later in April, where the National Remarkable Woman of the Year will be chosen. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. WASHINGTON Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is headed to Nashville, Tennessee, this weekend for a town hall focused on protecting Medicaid, joining other prominent Democrats fanning out in Republican-held districts across the country to protest the GOPs legislative plans. Warren will join the Tennessee Democratic Party, which is hosting the town hall on Saturday, to fight back against Republicans dangerous agenda to put billionaires over working peoples health care, per an invitation obtained exclusively by HuffPost. While Elon Musk wields a chainsaw in Washington and a Republican-controlled Congress prepares to give tax breaks for billionaires, a town hall gives people the chance to come together, share their stories, and voice their concerns, Warren said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cutting health care for new mothers on Medicaid and threatening Social Security benefits while funding tax cuts for the rich is recipe for disaster. The people of Tennessee deserve to be heard in this powerfully important moment, she added. The event is also aimed at putting some pressure on far-right Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), whose district lies just outside Nashville. Ogles has refused to hold town halls and recently introduced a far-fetched amendment to the Constitution that would allow President Donald Trump to seek a third term in office. Democrats are organizing town halls across the country as part of an effort to exploit GOP lawmakers reluctance to meet with angry constituents face-to-face. Theyre also hoping to make inroads with voters in unlikely areas of the country and flip control of Congress in next years midterms. Over the weekend, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) teamed up for a town hall in Warren, Michigan, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) held massive rallies as part of their Fighting Oligarchy tour earlier this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats are stepping up their activity in the Senate, too. As Republicans prepare to advance a budget resolution this week that will open the door for huge cuts to government safety net programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Democratic senators are getting louder about why Republicans are putting them chopping block: to finance tax cuts for mostly wealthy Americans. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), for example, spoke on the Senate floor overnight starting Monday about the Trump administrations efforts to gut the federal government and programs like Medicaid. Ive taken the Senate floor and will speak for as long as Im physically able to lift the voices of Americans who are being harmed and not being heard in this moment of crisis, Booker said as he began speaking just after 7 p.m. Eastern time. How could we be so abjectly cruel? And why? To push through a tax break plan that families in a neighborhood I live in wont see benefits, he said of the GOP plan. Elon Musk has revealed how much he pays his alleged new baby mama, Ashley St. Clair, after she claimed that the Tesla founder had reduced her child support. The billionaire also made a shocking admission about the child, stating that he was not yet sure if the boy was his son. This comment from Elon Musk comes after a post went viral on X that Ashley St. Clair allegedly plotted to "baby trap" him. Elon Musk Says He Pays Ashley St. Clair $500,000 A Year Gold digger and professional gaslighter @stclairashley was caught on camera outside of her ritzy Manhattan condo (paid for by her sugar daddy Elon Musk) selling her $100,000 @Tesla she said was gifted to her by @elonmusk during their romantic relationship. She said shes pic.twitter.com/opNxxZxzUY Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) March 31, 2025 Musk was recently prompted to speak on his controversial paternity situation with MAGA influencer Ashley St. Clair after she accused him of cutting her child support payments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The billionaire responded to a post by Republican firebrand Laura Loomer, who accused St. Clair of taking a "jab" at Musk and "hiring anti-Trump" lawyers to sue the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Loomer shared a video of St Clair outside her Manhattan apartment, claiming she was trying to sell off her $100,000 Tesla gifted to her by Musk. She wrote, "She said she's selling it to make up for $100,000 in alleged cuts to her child support payments from Elon. [St. Clair] took a jab at @elonmusk telling people to check the Tesla Stock, adding, 'I'm not the only one cleaning up after Elon's messes.'" In response, Musk commented, "I don't know if the child is mine or not, but [I] am not against finding out. No court order is needed. Despite not knowing for sure, I have given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year." Ashley St. Clair Wants The Court To Declare The Billionaire As Her Child's Father Aaron Schwartz - CNP / MEGA Since announcing the news of her and Musk having a child together, St. Clair has taken legal action against the Tesla boss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the New York Post, she filed two petitions against Musk, with one of them asking the Manhattan court to declare Musk as the child's father legally. The journalist also claimed that she and the Space X boss conceived the child during a getaway trip to St. Barths in January of the previous year. St. Clair added a photo of Musk holding an infant, presumed to be the 13th child, to support her claims. She also added flirtatious texts they allegedly exchanged while they were an item. As part of her request, St. Clair also asked the court to compel Musk to submit to a DNA test, which will prove he is the child's father. The Journalist Wants Full Custody Of Her Child Instagram | Ashley St. Clair In her other petition, St. Clair reportedly asked the court to grant her sole custody of the child while calling out Musk for shirking his fatherhood responsibilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The journalist claimed that Musk was a no-show during the child's birth and added messages between her and the Neuralink boss where he only asked "all well" in response to a picture of herself and the newborn she sent to him from the hospital bed. St.Clair also alleged that since the child's birth several months ago, Musk only visited three times, with two of those meetings occurring in Manhattan, where she lives. Her filing turned up more revelations, including why she kept Musk's name out of the baby's certificate. In one of the messages St. Clair included, she could be seen assuring the tech mogul of not being named in the document after he claimed that he receives "credible death threats every day." Did Ashley St. Clair Plot To' Baby Trap' Elon Musk? POOL/EPA / MEGA Musk has previously reacted to discussions about his alleged baby mama, St. Clair. In February, he issued a short response to shocking claims that the journalist plotted to get with him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An X influencer named Isabella Moody alleged that St. Clair had planned for years to "baby trap" the tech mogul in response to St. Clair leaking alleged messages she had with Musk amid their relationship. To add credibility to her claim, Moody shared on her page purported text messages between her and St. Clair where the latter said she wishes to "seduce" Musk and wants his "rocket babies." "She doesn't care about 'privacy.' She planned to seduce him by her own admission, and now she's leaking his texts," the influencer added about St.Clair, which elicited a "Whoa" from Musk. When another conservative influencer, Laura Loomer, slammed St. Clair over the allegations of masterminding her pregnancy for Musk, the tech mogul had another shocking one-word response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This time, he wrote "Yikes" with an exclamation mark, seemingly expressing alarm about the revelation. Ashley St. Clair Claims She Was Told To Keep Her Baby A 'Secret Forever' Aaron Schwartz - CNP / MEGA St. Clair has also revealed that she was asked to keep her pregnancy a "secret forever." According to The Telegraph, the conservative influencer said, "I was completely isolated during my pregnancy. Every part of my career and everything I used to do, I couldn't do anymore. I was told not to tell anybody." St. Clair now expects that Musk will reach an agreement with her about the upbringing of their child, one that they had previously been working on "privately." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are waiting for Elon to publicly acknowledge his parental role with Ashley, to end unwarranted speculation," said Brian Glicklich, the author's representative on X. Glicklich added, "Ashley trusts that Elon intends to finish their agreement quickly, in the best interests of the wellbeing and security of the child they share." A former White House official says Elon Musk's DOGE is destabilizing the Social Security Administrations technology and operations, creating widespread access issues for millions of Americans. The agency has faced website crashes and overwhelmed call centers, leaving many struggling to resolve payment problems. A former White House official says Elon Musk's DOGE is undermining the Social Security Administration's (SSA) technology and operations, making it harder for millions of Americans to access their benefits. Julie Siegel, who served as deputy federal chief operating officer at the Office of Management and Budget under the Biden administration until January 2025, told Fortune that DOGE's actions could be part of a broader effort to discredit the way that Social Security operates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since DOGE staffers entered SSA, some recipients have complained of long wait times on phone lines and website glitches, making it harder to resolve issues with payments or update personal information. The SSA website has crashed multiple times in the last 10 days, blocking millions from accessing their accounts. The agency has also undergone a significant staff reduction, with further plans for the closure of local offices, and the agency's phone system is struggling to handle the surge in calls, the Washington Post reported. All of this has resulted in worsening customer service, Siegel said, particularly affecting vulnerable groups like retirees and disabled Americans. "Millions of Americans rely on Social Security for their most basic income," Siegel told Fortune. "And at a most basic level, they can't get through and they can't get their benefits." Siegel blames staff cuts for some of the issues currently plaguing the Social Security Administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You actually need actual human beings to operate the technology, and they keep firing people," she said, adding under the current administration, "staffing is down and the technology is breaking," which is resulting in a "lot of really angry customers." Siegel added the issues with the SAA's technology were "foreseeable," even for those without a background in tech. "If you take it for granted that they're sophisticated technologists, then this is totally foreseeableyou don't break the old system without building the new system," she said, adding system failures "can't be a surprise." DOGE reportedly plans to go even further with its modernization efforts and overhaul much of the agency systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Wired, the cost-cutting team plans to rapidly migrate the Social Security Administration's systems off COBOL, an outdated programming language, and onto a modern one like Java within months. Experts told the outlet this migration could lead to errors in payments, including people not receiving benefits at all. Alex Jacquez, the chief of policy and advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative and former NEC official, told Fortune the situation was similar to Musk's takeover of Twitter in 2022, but with more serious consequences for millions of Americans. "This is exactly what happened when [Musk] took over Twitter and fired all the engineers; the website was glitching," he said. "When you're running a social media website, outages happen, and then the platform comes back up and nobody's off any worse. But when you're running a massive government bureaucracy, any kind of tinkering or changes in the code on the website could have serious ramifications for people who rely on these checks." DOGE's Social Security overhaul Musk and the DOGE team have accused the Social Security Administration of being engaged in widespread fraud, claiming, among other things, that tens of millions of dead people are erroneously receiving payments. This claim has been widely disputed by experts and former commissioners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To tackle some of this so-called fraud and boost efficiency, DOGE has proposed several changes including enforcing stronger identity-proofing procedures, slashing headcount, and closing several field offices, something that has caused wait times to soar. The changes have been criticized by some, including billionaire Mark Cuban, who called the move a backdoor way to cut payments. After widespread pressure from Democrats and experts, the agency announced on Wednesday it was postponing the rollout of the controversial anti-fraud measure by two weeks and reducing the number of applicants it will affect. A privatization push Critics, including Jacquez, told Fortune they are concerned the cuts and chaos may be part of a long-term plan to privatize Social Security, reducing its effectiveness and accessibility for Americans who rely on it. "My view is that the ultimate goal here is what has been the holy grail for Republicans for decades now, which is to privatize the Social Security Administration and privatize Social Security," he said. "There's already a long list of things that Elon and the administration have basically floated as being services that they want the private sector to take over." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a Thursday interview, Musk defended DOGE's work within the Social Security Administration. The billionaire, who has become the public face of DOGE despite not being listed as its actual leader, said it was "quite achievable" to slash a trillion dollars in federal spending without impacting core services. He went on to claim Social Security recipients will receive more money thanks to their work. But Siegel said she wasn't convinced by Musk's most recent argument. "My view is that if you cant receive your benefits, your benefits are being denied. Every hour you waste on hold on the phone or refreshing a broken website or in line at an overwhelmed walk-in site, your benefits are being reduced because of DOGE," she said. Representatives for the SAA did not immediately respond to Fortune's request for comment. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com JERUSALEM, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday withdrew the nomination of former Commander of Israeli Navy Eli Sharvit as chief of Israel's internal security service Shin Bet, just a day after announcing it. In a statement, Netanyahu's office said he met Sharvit again, thanked him "for his willingness to be called to duty," and informed him that "after further thought," he would consider other candidates to replace current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, whose dismissal is pending a court review. Netanyahu did not give a reason for reversing the appointment announced on Monday, while media reports said the move followed advice from Netanyahu's allies, particularly the United States, to consider "better vetting." Also, notably, following the appointment, several media reports revealed that Sharvit, serving 36 years in the Israeli army, including five years as the navy chief, had participated in mass protests against Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the judiciary. The abrupt about-turn on Tuesday drew condemnation from Israel's opposition, who urged Netanyahu to decide "for the good of the state and its security" rather than "compromising to political pressure." The Israeli government approved the dismissal of Bar on March 21, citing "a lack of trust," which marks the first time in Israel's history that the government has removed a Shin Bet head. However, Israel's top court has suspended Bar's dismissal, with a final ruling not expected before April 8. Tensions between Netanyahu and Bar have heightened over accountability for the failures leading up to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. The friction was fueled by Shin Bet's investigations into the government's wartime decision-making and the "Qatar-Gate" affair, involving alleged undisclosed contacts between Netanyahu's aides and Qatari officials. Amid his latest alleged election meddling initiative, unelected government wrecker Elon Musk was visibly and audibly heckled by a group of detractors. During a pre-election day rally in Green Bay which was nominally held in support of GOP Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel, though most of the billionaire's rhetoric was focused on himself Musk tried to rattle off some lines about the "tremendous amount of waste and fraud" at the Federal Reserve. People in the crowd, however, were not having it. Some began booing loud enough for them to be caught on the South African-born businessman's mic, causing him first to trip on his words and then, cringingly, claim fellow billionaire George Soros was paying the haters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was inevitable at least a few Soros operatives would be in the audience," the 53-year-old shitposter proclaimed, referencing the popular and arguably antisemitic conspiracy theories suggesting that the nonagenerian philanthropist is somehow controlling the world. "Give my regards to George. Say 'hi' to George for me." Musk responds to being heckled: it was inevitable at least a few Soros operatives would be in the audience. Give my regards to George. Say hi to George for me. pic.twitter.com/2sGiaDfwTm Acyn (@Acyn) March 31, 2025 Not long after, people began pointing out that what Musk was suggesting that Soros and his ilk were paying people to protest is what the Tesla and SpaceX owner was actually doing in Wisconsin by paying $1 million to a lucky petition signer during the state's court elections. "Every accusation," tweeted political personality Mehdi Hassan, "is a confession." "Is Elon Musk attacking George Soros," another X user posted, "while he's literally buying an election in Wisconsin... the exact thing that Republicans baselessly claim that George Soros does?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hypocrisy is, obviously, off the charts. Nevertheless, it's telling that Musk responded to his protesters the same kind that are taking their ire out on Teslas and tanking the EV company's stock by accusing them of being paid operatives. The entire gambit might be funny if the obsessive natalist weren't trying to imprison his detractors, but unfortunately that makes the whole thing deadly serious. "It is time to arrest those funding the attacks," Musk posted hours before the Wisconsin rally. "Arresting their puppets and paid foot-soldiers wont stop the violence." The schadenfreude of seeing the world's most annoying man get flustered over hecklers is priceless but there's no telling how long it will last, especially if Musk gets his way with those he (and the Justice Department) considers "terrorists." More on Musk: Mother of Elon's Child So Disgusted With Him That She Sells Her Tesla Tech billionaire and senior Trump adviser Elon Musk appeared to boast of advance knowledge of a planned arrest related to alleged Social Security fraud during an appearance on a live stream Monday night promoted to his more than 200 million social media followers, frustrating top law enforcement officials, multiple sources told ABC News. "Yes. In fact, I believe someone is going to be arrested tomorrow," Musk said in response to a question about whether U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi would prosecute fraud found within the Social Security system. Musk made the comments during a live streamed tele-rally in support of conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Musk hands out $1M checks after efforts to block the giveaways in court are rejected Musk, discussing the alleged planned arrest, said, "This is someone who actually stole 400,000 social security numbers and personal information from the Social Security database, and was selling social security numbers and all of all the identification information in order for people to basically steal money from Social Security." Musk did not say how he came to know about the alleged planned arrest, but sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that Musk was referring to an ongoing federal investigation, and that his public disclosure of the matter disturbed top law enforcement officials with knowledge of the probe. Previewing an arrest before it takes place would conflict with standard practice intended to protect potentially sensitive law enforcement operations and those involved in carrying them out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A White House spokesperson referred ABC News to the Justice Department for comment. PHOTO: Elon Musk attends the Division 1 Men's Wrestling Championship in Philadelphia, Mar. 22, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP) A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. Musk, whose government-slashing Department of Government Efficiency has been working inside the Social Security Administration for several weeks, later reiterated, "And yes, we are going to be prosecuting people. The Attorney General is taking action." His comments came a day after he held a campaign rally in Wisconsin, where he appeared with longtime ally and former Tesla board member Antonio Gracias, who has also been working with DOGE at the Social Security Administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gracias told the crowd that, amid their review of systems inside the SSA, the team had referred to law enforcement targets for prosecution. Gracias alleged that they had identified and reported undocumented immigrants improperly receiving Social Security and registering to vote -- allegations that ABC News has not verified. "The defaults in the system, from Social Security to all of the benefit programs, have been set to max inclusion, max pay for these people, and minimum collection. That's what's happening. We found 1.3 million of them [undocumented immigrants] already on Medicaid, as an example," said Gracias. "We actually just took a sample and looked at voter registration records, and we found people here registered to vote in this population, yes, and we found some by sampling that actually did vote, and we have referred them to prosecution at the Homeland Security investigation service already," Gracias said. Elon Musk's disclosure of planned Social Security fraud arrest troubles top law enforcement officials: Sources originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Blake Hodgen, a participant at Madonna Ability Alliance, caps the lineup of speakers during an event Monday that closed Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Gov. Jim Pillen during a talk after a tour, said a goal he announced last March is nearly accomplished eliminating the state's wait list for services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) OMAHA Gov. Jim Pillen said Monday that, by July, his administration expects to accomplish a goal it announced a year ago: elimination of a long-running wait list for Nebraskans seeking services for intellectual and developmental disabilities. Last March, the list contained about 2,700 people, and a projected wait for available funds stretched for up to eight years. The governor said the number has been whittled to about 700. Gov. Jim Pillen mingles and takes photos with participants at the Madonna Ability Alliance.(Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) This is the first time in the last 35 years that this wait list is going to be eliminated, Steve Corsi, chief executive officer of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, said at a press conference in Omaha that also closed Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pillen, Corsi and Tony Green, director of the DHHS Division of Developmental Disabilities, updated progress on cutting the wait, the public cost and what theyve described as the states reimagining of how services are offered to Nebraskans with developmental disabilities to make things work better. Popped my top After a tour of the recently opened new headquarters for Madonna Ability Alliance, which helps support Nebraskans with disabilities, state officials answered questions from reporters and mingled with Madonna families and participants filling the lobby of the building near 72nd and Pine Streets in Omaha. Among the lineup of speakers was Blake Hodgen, a Madonna participant who stole the show by relaying his educational, music therapy and job-training experiences since second grade at Madonna, which he and others said helped prepare him for his long-time catering job with the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Pillen told the group he took aim at shortening the list, known also as the Developmental Disabilities Registry, because it didnt make sense to him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You break the glass if thats what you have to do, Pillen said. But when the most vulnerable Nebraskans needs werent being met for eight years, (it) popped my top off. Eliminating the wait list, the Pillen administration says, requires a roughly $45 million annual investment, with the state footing about $19 million each year and federal funds covering the rest. The governor foresees Nebraska becoming a model for other states with long waits to access developmental disabilities services though advocates say they see some flaws, and they are still evaluating the full impact of changes. At one time, Green said, the Nebraska registry listed 4,500 names. More immediate support Clearing the wait, he said, means that all the families will have been offered at least some specialized support through a Medicaid waiver program that lets states to tap federal funding for accessing home- and community-based services intended to keep people out of institutions. Tony Green, director of Developmental Disabilities at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, helps update the states quest to eliminate a wait list for services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) Key to the list shrinkage, said Green, is a new approach that meets families where theyre at providing for a more immediate and targeted service, such as funding for child or respite care or vehicle modification. Family advocates have said a family support waiver was created, for instance, as an intermediary solution that provides up to $10,000 a year for such services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the old system, Green said a family would put their name on the registry and wait as long as eight years to get what is known as a comprehensive developmental waiver which is more costly but provides access to a wider array of services, including full-time residential services outside the home, particularly for adults. Green said not all families require such a gamut, and state officials believe that the overall needs of the population are better met by providing more narrow services closer to when a family needs them. Also new and crucial, he and advocates said, is that the state now allows youths with disabilities access to medical care through Medicaid even if their household income is beyond typical Medicaid limits. Said Green: What were working on now is a system that says, Whats your need thats being unmet? And well figure out which waiver has the right service and supports for you. I would say its a continuum of care It will be individualized to the family and child. Misses the mark Edison McDonald is executive director of The Arc of Nebraska, the states largest membership organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. He said the states new approach takes positive steps, including the Medicaid expansion that helps ensure that kids with developmental disabilities get access to health care. Participants at the Madonna Ability Alliance and their family members filled a lobby area and staircase of the organizations new headquarters in Omaha. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) However, he cited drawbacks. For example, he said, the often lengthy wait used to be a pathway to guaranteed access to comprehensive services including the out-of-home residential services. That is no longer the case, McDonald said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They call it innovation when really it is barring a lot of people from that access to residential services. In some cases, it misses the mark and can potentially be harmful, he said. McDonald said the comprehensive service option is still available, but for adults with the highest needs such as being homeless or being a danger to themself. He said advocates are still trying to grasp the breadth of the impact the changes will bring. In some cases, it misses the mark and can be potentially harmful. Edison McDonald, The Arc of Nebraska McDonald said what advocates thought was an intermediary solution the family support waiver offering up to $10,000 of services annually appears possibly to be more of a destination. He also said the states system includes what advocates view as an outdated rate schedule for service providers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alana Schriver, executive director of Nebraska Association of Service Providers, applauded the Pillen administrations commitment overall. But she worries about the state rates allowed for service providers. Without better wages for more workers, she said, this whole conversation is moot. If there is nobody to serve the people, what are we doing? SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Energy supplier Rebel Energy has gone bust after allegedly raiding funds that were supposed to be ring-fenced for paying green levies. It means about 80,000 domestic customers and 10,000 businesses have been abruptly left without a supplier. The Bedford-based firms collapse followed a compliance order imposed a few weeks ago by Ofgem, the energy regulator, and raises new questions about the watchdogs ability to protect customers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rebel Energy marketed itself as fighting for fairness in energy with a website pledging to battle the injustices that burden our customers and the planet. It added: We do this by tackling the true cost of energy head on. Not by fiddling numbers or buying certificates that let us pretend our energy is green, but by taking direct action to make things better. Millions missing from ring-fenced account However, Ofgems compliance order was imposed after an audit showed 2.6m was missing from a ring-fenced account set aside to collect a type of green levy called Renewables Obligations. Ofgems compliance order said a bank statement provided to it in January showed a balance of 679 in the account when it should have held 2.6m. The shortfall has since risen to 4.9m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The discovery prompted Ofgem to issue an order on March 14 banning Rebel Energy from taking on new customers or making most types of payment. That effective freeze on the companys activities, plus the missing money, has now led to the firms collapse with its website updated to state it has ceased trading. The collapse of Rebel Energy comes after Ofgem banned the company from taking on new customers Rebel Energy is ceasing to trade. Ofgem, the energy regulator, is appointing a new supplier for our customers. Customers need not worry; your supplies are secure and funds that domestic customers have paid into your accounts will be protected if you are in credit. Ofgem has said that Rebel Energys customers did not need to take any action and would be protected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rebel Energy was founded by Dan Bates, previously part of the leadership team which ran BPs International Gas and Power business. The company website said: Rebel Energy is about his vision for a fairer world where profits go towards delivering social and climate change and where good customer service doesnt come with a hefty price tag. However a recent survey by Citizens Advice deemed Rebel Energy to have had the industrys worst customer service. Tim Jarvis of Ofgem, said: We are working quickly to appoint new suppliers for all impacted customers. Wed advise customers not to try to switch suppliers in the meantime, and a new supplier will be in touch in the coming weeks with further information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have worked hard to improve the financial resilience of suppliers in recent years, implementing a series of rules to make sure they can weather unexpected shocks. But like any competitive market, some companies will still fail from time to time, and our priority is making sure consumers are protected if that happens. Simon Francis, Coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said the companys failure was just another sign of the underlying failures in our energy market where the wider industry profits to the tune of billions of pounds, yet households face the costs for failed energy suppliers. There are huge questions for Ofgem to answer, including the circumstances around this suppliers collapse and why the regulators new liquidity rules appear to have failed. 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. Theres really nothing worse for the free world than an American president who cannot be taken seriously, whose words are empty and shallow, or who makes absurd proclamations that might even be a few miles past crazy town. And that is why President Trump must invade Canada. Seizing Canada is the only way to let the world know that Trump is a serious man. Heck, if July 4 comes and Canada isnt eating hot dogs and drinking Bud Light, both Trump and Vice President JD Vance should resign. Blame Canada ... for obesity and Nickelback There is good reason to invade Canada. In both 1992 and 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series. That stain on American honor can never be erased. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canada has also maligned us in other ways deserving of armed invasion. Take, for example, its contribution to American obesity through the widespread deployment of Tim Hortons franchises. Trump has complained about the fentanyl that Canadians are secreting into American cities. He should have mentioned that Tim Hortons soup, sandwich and doughnut combo that has caused Type II diabetes. As part of our invasion of Canada, we need to rename all the Tim Hortons as Wayne Gretzkys. Hes the perfect symbol of a real American who has turned his back on both Canada and Ukraine. Hicks: Trump is driving us into recession. It might have already started. Canada has subtlety exported pain to Americans in other ways. Although Canada masks its immigrant flows to America with talents like Michael J. Fox and Mike Myers, it also snuck in Nickelback and Robin Thicke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our last invasion of Canada didnt go to well. In fact, Canada whipped us pretty badly back in 1812. But one way to make Canada surrender quickly would be to broadcast Nickelback on loudspeakers across Lake Erie. Canada is a formidable foe and ally A "Buy Canadian" sign is held up by hockey sticks atop a home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in protest against President Donald Trump's anti-Canada trade policy. I dont want to gloss over the problems of invading Canada. There are many. Our strategically placed troops in Alaska, the 11th Airborne Division, would have to walk about 10 million snow-covered miles across northern Canada to find a town to capture. Or, we could send the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum New York to repeat the 1812 Invasion plan. After all, that was the last time we really planned on invading Canada. Maybe Elon Musk can find that plan tucked safely away in a Washington, D.C. warehouse, right beside an Indiana Jones hat and the Ark of the Covenant. We are also going to have to do a lot of forgetting to make the invasion of Canada successful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are going to have to forget the deadly Canadian attacks at Vimy Ridge in 1917 that helped buy the United States time to ship our Army to France or the two war-weary Canadian Corps who fought with us at the Meuse-Argonne in 1918. Hicks: A Trump recession would hit Trump's voters hardest Were really going to have to forget the 3,700 Canadian sailors and aircrew who died defending American troopships and equipment from German submarines as we sailed to Europe between 1942 and 1945. We are going to also have to forget that on D-Day, Canada sacrificed her sons at twice the rate we did. That should be dammed hard for us to forget unless you think we fought on the wrong side in World War II. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are going to have to forget that Canadian light infantry battalion that earned the American Presidential Unit Citation fighting alongside us in Korea. Of course, that was President Truman, a cursed Democrat, so that fact is destined to be tucked down the memory hole anyway. We are going to have to forget that Canadian troops fought alongside us in liberating Kuwait. And 158 members of Canadas armed forces died in Afghanistan because Osama bin Laden attacked the U.S. Im going to find that hard to forget. So should you. Or, maybe we should just stay friends The U.S. and Canada dont agree on everything. But we are close enough that Trump signed what he called the best and most important trade deal ever made by the USA in 2019. It seems like he might be a bit, um forgetful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There would not have been a Canada if those colonies had joined with us in 1776 to declare independence. They chose to stick with Great Britain and George III, becoming a full-fledged independent democracy less than a century later. The U.S. and Canada have been good neighbors, and good friends, ever since. It is hard for almost any rational American to discern what has now happened to that relationship. Even Trumps closest advisors are puzzled and these are a group specially chosen for their absence of independent thought. Hicks: I'm more qualified than Pete Hegseth for defense secretary. You might be, too. Trumps talk about Canada might be because he admires monarchies and thinks theyll make him king. It might just be the case that as long as Trump is pursuing King George IIIs economic policies, he might as well conquer a part of the British Commonwealth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We wont get anywhere asking why with this administration. They dont know. So that leaves us moving back to our main point. Theres really nothing worse for the free world than an American president who cannot be taken seriously, and whose mumbling half sentences invoke deep signs of dementia or psychosis. That is why Trump must invade Canada or we will be forced to judge him a bumbling, demented psychotic. Michael J. Hicks is the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and the George and Frances Ball distinguished professor of economics in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Tariffs aren't enough. Let's invade Canada. | Opinion BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Commission said on Tuesday it will propose expanding the role of EU law enforcement cooperation agency Europol and boosting law enforcement access to data as part of a strategy to improve the bloc's internal security. Faced with geopolitical challenges, hybrid threats and more digital crime, Europe is looking at ways to better fight organised crime, improve policing and better combat terrorism. In its new strategy, the Commission called for more resources for law enforcement and investing in stronger EU agencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are going to make Europol a truly operational police agency," European Commission Executive Vice President in charge of security Henna Virkkunen told Reuters. "Europol, of course, needs more resources," she said, noting that the agency's current mandate does not include hybrid threats and sabotage and that in the future Europol will be able to help member countries tackle more types of cross-border crimes. The Commission plans to adopt a legislative proposal to transform Europol in 2026, according to the new strategy. Virkkunen also said the Commission is proposing strengthening border agency Frontex and reforming criminal justice cooperation agency Eurojust, as well as helping member countries secure critical physical and digital infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Security is really priority in everything," the executive vice-president said. In its strategy, the Commission said it would present a roadmap "on lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement". Virkkunen said police and law enforcement bodies don't have the necessary tools for the digital era. "But of course, it's very important that we will have the right balance here, when it comes to privacy and then for the access to data," she added. (Reporting by Lili Bayer; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten) The European Commission has formally proposed giving carmakers more time to meet carbon dioxide emission targets, offering a three-year compliance period instead of annual limits. The amendment, which was floated by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen a month ago, must still be approved by a majority of EU member states and the European Parliament. Von der Leyen defended the plan when she spoke in early March, saying it would not weaken the 27-nation EU's climate goals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's a clear demand for more flexibility on CO2 targets," she said, adding that carmakers still "have to fulfil the targets, but it means more breathing space for industry." The measure would allow an average CO2 target to be calculated over the years 2025, 2026 and 2027. The proposal comes as auto firms face the risk of penalties under tightened fleet emission regulations. Since the start of the year, manufacturers have to meet stricter limits for the average CO2 emissions of their entire vehicle fleet. Several car manufacturers are at risk of exceeding the targets as the sales of battery-powered vehicles in the EU have not increased as projected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Manufacturers can avoid penalties by pooling emissions quotas with other companies that stay under the limit at a cost. Critics warn this scheme could benefit non-European firms. Peter Liese, a German conservative member of the European Parliament, voiced concern over US electric carmaker Tesla potentially profiting from emissions trading, saying: "We want to maintain our climate targets, but not by making Elon Musk even richer through European legislation. The European Commission is pushing to significantly expand the authority of Europol, transforming it into an operational law enforcement agency with greater powers and resources. A detailed proposal for the pan-European police agency's new mandate is expected next year and will require approval from the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner made the announcement on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Currently, Europol chiefly acts the EU's law enforcement cooperation agency. It assists EU member states in tackling serious international and organized crime, cybercrime, and terrorism. The agency, based in The Hague, also collaborates with non-EU countries and international organizations. Rising cyber threats drive push for stronger Europol The commission argues that Europol lacks the resources to provide stronger support for cross-border crime investigations. Additionally, its current mandate does not cover emerging security threats such as sabotage, hybrid warfare, or information manipulation. The threat of cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns continues to grow, with state-sponsored attacks on critical infrastructure posing a particularly serious risk, according to the commission. The plans to expand Europols role are part of a broader EU security strategy. Other measures include strengthening cybersecurity protections for hospitals and health care providers, as well as enhancing the security of undersea telecommunications cables. Ukraine has received another 3.5 billion ($3.8 billion) in financial support from the European Union, the government in Kiev said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, writing on Telegram, called it "crucial for maintaining macroeconomic stability." The package includes 3.1 billion in low-interest loans and 400 million in grants, the Ukrainian Economy Ministry said. The funds are part of the EU's Ukraine Facility programme, which is to provide 50 billion in support until 2027. Ukraine has already received 16 billion under the scheme this year. With Western backing, Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's all-out invasion for more than three years. Since the war began, nearly 110 billion in foreign aid has been directed into Ukraine's budget, according to the government. A North Texas man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his role in a human smuggling operation, prosecutors said Monday. Oland Maurice McKenzie, 43, of Euless, was pulled over in Maverick County near the Texas-Mexico border while driving an semitractor-trailer in June 2023, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Western District of Texas. Upon inspection, officers found that McKenzie was not licensed to drive the 18-wheeler and that the trucks grain hopper trailer contained 18 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trailer was an enclosed cylinder, similar to what is used to transport sand or powdered concrete, authorities said. McKenzie was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens placing lives in jeopardy and one count of illegal alien transportation placing lives in jeopardy, according to the news release. The disruption by law enforcement on the front end of this event absolutely saved lives, said acting U.S. attorney Margaret Leachman. Fortunately, there were no injuries beyond heat exhaustion but, if not for our law enforcement partners, this event could have ended much worse potentially resulting in death. BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The military exercises of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command around Taiwan Island serve as a resolute punishment for Lai Ching-te authorities' blatant "Taiwan independence" provocations, said a mainland spokesperson on Tuesday. The exercises are also a stern warning to separatist forces attempting to undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait, and a necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, said Zhu Fenglian, a State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson. "'Taiwan independence' means war, and pursuing 'Taiwan independence' means pushing the people of Taiwan into a perilous situation," Zhu said. Zhu stressed the mainland's rock-solid determination and unshakable capability to resolve the Taiwan question and achieve national reunification. The mainland will neither tolerate nor leave any room for activities seeking "Taiwan independence," she said. The PLA announced earlier on Tuesday that its Eastern Theater Command has started to conduct joint exercises around Taiwan Island, organizing army, navy, air and rocket forces to close in on the island from multiple directions. Europe has a strong plan for striking back at the United States in response to Donald Trumps tariff hikes if necessary, a top official said Tuesday on the eve of a long-anticipated announcement of massive import levies by the US president. For weeks, Trump has promoted April 2 as Liberation Day in America, when a number of hefty tariffs will be unveiled to implement his administrations radical economic agenda. The United States has already announced a sharp increase in tariffs on all imports of steel, aluminum and cars. Europe has not started this confrontation, Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Unions executive, said in a speech. We do not necessarily want to retaliate but, if it is necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate and we will use it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would reveal his tariff plan in a press conference Wednesday. She did not provide any details about what he would announce but suggested, as Trump has said repeatedly, that the president could unveil reciprocal tariffs, matching other countries tariffs dollar for dollar. In her speech, von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said Europe was open to negotiations. We will approach these negotiations from a position of strength. Europe holds a lot of cards, from trade to technology to the size of our market, she continued. But this strength is also built on our readiness to take firm countermeasures if necessary. All instruments are on the table. Von der Leyen did not provide further details of how the EU might retaliate but last month the bloc already walked the talk: It responded to Trumps steel and aluminum tariffs by unveiling countermeasures on up to 26 billion ($28 billion) worth of American goods exports, including tariffs on boats, bourbon and motorbikes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The European Commission is also a powerful regulator that has not hesitated to hit big US tech companies with heavy fines and other bills in the past a fact not lost on Trump, who in February released an executive action threatening to take aim at countries that levy unfair fines and penalties against American innovators. The proclamation labeled such regulation overseas extortion and threatened higher tariffs in retribution. The EU has been a big buyer of US exports last year, it was the largest single market for US goods exports, ahead of Americas neighbors Canada and Mexico, based on figures from the United States Census Bureau. Both Europe and the US have a lot at stake in the escalating trade dispute. In 2024, America was the biggest buyer of European goods, with imports ranging from pharmaceutical products and cars to alcoholic drinks and telecommunications equipment, according to official EU data. The EU, meanwhile, was Americas biggest source of goods imports last year, the US figures showed. In February, von der Leyen emphasized the importance of the US-EU trading relationship. The whole trade volume between us is $1.5 trillion, she said in a speech, also noting that 1 million American jobs depended directly on trade with Europe. Canada and Asian countries to retaliate, too Canada, China, Japan and South Korea are also readying retaliation against Trumps looming tariffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three Asian countries plan to announce retaliatory tariffs in lockstep, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Monday. They held economic talks Sunday for the first time in five years, vowing to bolster fair trade and strengthen economic ties among them just days before the US is set to announce sweeping tariffs on all trading partners. On Wednesday, Trump said he would unveil wide-ranging tariffs that match the ones foreign countries impose on the US so-called reciprocal tariffs. Long-time US allies, such as South Korea, wont be spared, Trump has said. South Koreas average tariff is four times higher, Trump said last month in his joint address to Congress. Think of that: four times higher. And we give so much help militarily and in so many other ways to South Korea, but thats what happens. Meanwhile, Trump has renewed trade tensions with China, levying 20% duties on the country, on top of the tariffs he already imposed in his first term. China has responded swiftly to Trumps tariffs, imposing 15% duties on chicken, wheat, corn and cotton imports from the US. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told Trump that his nation would retaliate against the US with tariffs of its own if Trump pressed forward with his promised levies. In a statement Friday, Carneys office said Canada planned to implement retaliatory tariffs on US goods this week in response to Trumps promised import taxes. But Carney offered no specifics such as timing or the scope of the retaliatory tariffs. The Prime Minister informed the President that his government will implement retaliatory tariffs to protect Canadian workers and our economy, following the announcement of additional US trade actions on April 2, 2025, the Prime Ministers Office said in a press release. Still, Carney and Trump sounded a hopeful note after holding a call Friday a noticeable change in tone from the fractious relationship between former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fridays call was the first between the two leaders. Carneys office described it as a very constructive conversation, and Trump said in a social media post that the call was extremely productive. CNNs Bryan Mena, Max Saltman and David Goldman contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com OTLEY, Iowa Emergency management officials have issued an evacuation/shelter in place order due to hazardous materials burning at a co-op in Otley. Marion County Emergency Management Director Emily Feagins told WHO 13 Tuesday morning the order was issued because of sulfur burning at the Twin Rivers Cooperative. The agency is concerned that the burning sulfur can cause irritation to the nose and eyes. The order pertains to anyone living between Washington Street to Baldwin Street and from Highway 163 and Business 163. If residents need help finding emergency housing, they can contact MCEM at 641-828-2256, ext. 2 and leave their name and number, and they will get a call back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First responder cancer coverage bill advances through Iowa Senate subcommittee The fire began in a building at the co-op in 300 block of Business Highway 163 on Monday. MCEM said several hundred tons of urea, potash, monoammonium phosphate, and sulfur were being stored at the facility. Residents were initially evacuated while fire crews worked to contain the flames but were allowed to return later Monday. Now, MCEM wants them to leave again or shelter in place until the hazardous fumes disperse over the next few days. MCEM expects the fire to smolder for several days. All co-op employees are safe and have been accounted for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause of the fire remains 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 who13.com. Podcaster Joe Rogan offered some surprise criticism of the Trump administration over the weekend, describing the possibility of innocent people getting swept up in mass deportations as horrific. On Saturdays episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan praised President Donald Trump for cracking down on immigration from crime-infested parts of the world at the U.S. southern border while in conversation with British podcasters Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin. Still, he expressed concern that non-criminals could also be targeted, noting: The thing is, youve got to get scared that people who are not criminals are getting like lassoed up and deported and sent to El Salvador prisons, like that kind of shit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rogan then alluded to the case of Andry Jose Hernandez Romero, a gay Venezuelan man who worked as a makeup artist and hairdresser, and found asylum in the U.S. after fleeing his homeland where he was persecuted because of his sexuality and political views. Last month, Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely used wartime law, to target alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua for deportation. Podcaster Joe Rogan described the possibility of innocent people getting swept up in the Trump administration's mass deportations as "horrific." Getty Images Earlier this week, it was reported that Hernandez Romero had been deported without any notice to him or his attorney to a prison in El Salvador because he has a pair of crown tattoos thought by officials to be proof of his ties to Tren de Aragua on his arms. Hernandez Romero, 31, has repeatedly denied any association with Tren de Aragua. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats horrific, Rogan said of the case. Thats bad for the cause. Like, the cause is, Lets get the gang members out. Everybody agrees. But lets not [let] innocent gay hairdressers get lumped up with the gangs. Later in the chat, Rogan an outspoken supporter of Trump who was widely considered critical to the presidents victory in the 2024 election also took a jab at the administrations approach to overall politics, which he described as: Never admit your fault. Never admit youre wrong. This is the thing were seeing with the Signal thing, and this is the thing were seeing with this, he said. I would assume someones alerted them to the fact that they might have rounded up this just random hairdresser and accused him of being a gang member. ... Does the prison know now? Can they talk to that guy? Can they pull him out of there? Listen to Saturdays episode of The Joe Rogan Experience here. Rogans remarks on the Trump administrations deportations can be found at the 2:31:16 mark. Related... Donald Trumps boundary-pushing campaign to summarily deport suspected Venezuelan gang members to a notorious Salvadorian prison has alarmed even Joe Rogan, despite the hugely popular podcaster being a usual backer of the president. You've gotta get scared that people who are not criminals are getting, like, lassoed up and deported and sent to El Salvador prisons, Rogan said during an episode that aired over the weekend. The podcaster called that possibility horrific and admitted sending non-criminals out of the country as part of the Trump administrations attempts to crack down on the Tren de Aragua gang was bad for the cause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the conversation, alongside fellow podcaster Konstantin Kisin, Rogan appeared to reference the case of Andry Jose Hernandez Romero, a gay makeup artist who sought asylum in the U.S. after facing persecution for his sexuality and political views in Venezuela. Hernandez Romero has denied any association with the Venezuelan gang, and was part of the way through getting his asylum claim accepted when he was deported without notice, according to his attorneys, as part of the Trump administrations use of the emergency Alien Enemies Act to fast-track removals. Multiple individuals who were among the hundreds removed from the country this month as part of the operation appear to have been deported over tattoos with relatively common motifs, including the Air Jordan logo, a crown, a star, and a rainbow autism awareness symbol. Homeland Security Investigations claims tattoos, images of which were sourced from the internet and tattoo artists' social media profiles, suggest Tren de Aragua membership (Homeland Security Investigations) The administration has acknowledged that many of the over 200 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador did not have a prior criminal record. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday conceded that the Venezuelans were not all necessarily members of Tren de Aragua, either. He called the group a combination of people whose presence is not productive to the United States and who were removable by law. Further adding to the controversy over the deportations, the Trump administration carried out the flights on March 15 despite a court order telling the administration to turn the planes around, amid an ongoing lawsuit over the White Houses use of the wartime deportation law. On Friday, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to weigh in and allow them to resume such flights, arguing the presidents national security powers are being wrongly infringed. It breaks my brain sometimes, Dennis Rosloniec told me. For half a decade now, the 44-year-old media technician and mountain biker from Green Bay, Wisconsin, has done everything he can to understand the risks of getting COVID. Hes read the published studies. Hes looked at meta-analyses. And heres the truth as far as he can tell: Each time hes infected, the chances that something really bad will happen to his body ratchet up a little higher. Dennis is not immunocompromised. He doesnt have a chronic illness. Hes not obese or hypertensive or unvaccinated. Hes just a thoughtful autodidact, the kind of guy who references both The Simpsons and the Stoics as he talks. Im a fairly large, fit, white dude, for lack of a better term, he said. But even now, in 2025, Dennis Rosloniec is afraid of COVID. Someone else might say hes strangely so. Dennis is still masking quite a bit. Hes wary of attending indoor social gatherings unless they seem especially important. And hes been taking sundry extra measures to protect himself, based on fledgling research that hes either heard about or read online, since 2020, when he bought a tube of ivermectin, the antiparasitic drug that was repurposed as a highly suspect COVID treatment, out of anxiety while awaiting the vaccines. Later on, he tried iota-carrageenan nasal spray, which he used as a hedge against COVID infection until the science became sort of iffy on it. These days, he keeps a bottle of cetylpyridinium-chloride mouthwash in his desk, so he can gargle when he thinks he might have been exposed. And hes got a prophylactic nasal rinse, which, actually, hes come to sort of like for reasons that dont have much to do with COVID. I breathe better through my nose when I use it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a maskerand as a mouthwash guy and a nasal-rinserDennis knows hes out of step with almost everyone he sees in person. You feel pressure from the world, he told me. It makes you question, Is this really worth it? But he also knows that certain others share his sense of caution, or even worry more than he does. He interacts with them online, on message boards for COVID conscious conversation. Theirs is a kind of shadow world where the fears and obligations felt by everyone in early 2020 never really went away, and lockdowns still persist in private. Members of these groups say theyre only doing what theyve always done since the start of the pandemic: In the parlance of the boards, theyre still COVID-ing. But some are also going further to protect themselves than they did in 2020, and seeking out new strategies for staying safe. They share tips online for how to fit their N95 masks, or for taping filters to the spouts of snorkels so they can safely visit indoor pools. They talk about the challenges of COVID-conscious parenting, and meet up for COVID-conscious church events on Sunday Zooms. They share lists of COVID-conscious therapists who would never try to tell you that youre too afraid of getting sick, or that your risk perception is distorted, or that the problem here is not the worlds but your own. The pressure that they feel from others used to be a little worse. Not so long ago, just the sight of someone in a mask was read as a reproach, a sanctimonious demand that lockdowns should continue for us all. Or maybe it was taken as a reminder of how awful the last few years had been, Lauren Wilde, a COVID-conscious therapist in Washington State, told meof how many people had died, of how much it sucked to get COVID. But now that tension has started to subside. When people walk around in masks in 2025, or insist on having lunch outside even in the dead of winter, they find that their cautious habits earn them fewer angry looks. Theyre less reviled than they used to be. Theyre more often just ignored. Amid the nations mass indifference, their isolation has only gotten more intense. Their epistemic bubble has been shrinking too. This used to be the group that was most attuned to what the science said; the ones who paid attention to the dots painted on the sidewalk, six feet apart. In the past few years, as official rules for social distancing have been revoked, theyve had to make up new ones for themselves. As standard COVID medicines grew ever more expensive, theyve had to scour for alternatives. And as basic research on the virus hit a wall, theyve had no choice but to do their own. The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said last week, as local health departments braced themselves for funding cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The COVID-conscious people have not abandoned science, Dennis told me. Its the opposite: Theyve come to think that science has abandoned them. If the evermaskers seem a little weirder every year, thats because, in many ways, they havent changed at all. At a basic level, their COVID-conscious attitudes may not be so far from the mainstream. Twenty-one percent of Americans still think of the disease as a major threat to public health, according to a recent poll from Pew Research Center. Thirty-nine percent say were not taking it seriously enough. But if 50 million to 100 million adults harbor such concerns, very few are doing much about them. Masking rates were once as high as 88 percent; now theyre close to nil. For those who still maintain their masking habit4 percent, says Pewthe whiplash in social norms has been a shock. When masking mandates went away for public transportation, in the spring of 2022, viral videos showed people cheering as they ripped the fabric off their face. Wilde told me she remembered feeling how it was like, nothing has actually changed, apart from the fact that someone with authority has said you dont have to do this anymore. COVID is still risky; its still a new disease; we dont know what happens 10 years after youve had it. Why was everyone so quick to abandon those concerns? The coronavirus never stopped its killing rampage: Hundreds of Americans die from it every week, even now in March of 2025, when the pandemic emergency is over and the virus is theoretically offseason. Nearly 50,000 people died from COVID in the U.S. last year, too. (The disease remains among the nations leading causes of death, on par with traffic accidents and suicides.) Yet even those alarming figures seem to matter less to COVID-conscious people than the vaguer risk of long-term complications. Its less about death, because if you die that sucks but youre dead, said Tess, a 35-year-old public-health researcher who asked to use her first name only, so that her professional work would not be connected to her COVID advocacy. Its disability. Its living through it. Tess told me that she already has long COVID, with brain fog and some loss of function in her lungs. I want to maintain whatever health I have, and not make it worse, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nancy, a 69-year-old woman who runs two weekly Zooms for COVID-conscious people from her home, and who requested to be identified by only her first name out of concern for her privacy, said that she and many members of her groups were less afraid of death than of a reduction in our quality of life. Some of the data shows that if you keep catching it over and over and over again, that your chances of developing long COVID increase, she told me, and it also gradually weakens your immune system. [Read: Long COVID could be a mass deterioration event] Other data tell a different story, though. Some studies do suggest an ever-growing threat of long-term symptoms with each new SARS-CoV-2 infection. But according to the U.K.s Office of National Statistics, which did perhaps the most thorough tracking of long-COVID rates through late 2022, the risk of long-term complications had been going down with reinfection. And although the coronavirus has produced several major spikes of new infections across the past five years, the proportion of those in the U.S. who report having disabilities has been either stable or increasing at a steady pace (depending on which agencys data and definitions you consult). That means it hasnt tracked each COVID wave the way that deaths have. According to one sensible interpretation, the risk of long-term disability was greatest early on in the pandemic, but long COVIDs threat, like the threat of COVID overall, has been fading over time. The truth, or its best approximation, may be, to some extent, irrelevant. How any given person will perceive a threat is a deeply psychological phenomenon, Steven Taylor, a clinical psychologist at the University of British Columbia and the author of The New Psychology of Pandemics, told me, and one that is influenced by values, your past history, your medical history, and your mental-health history. (In the U.S., at least, peoples sense of risk from COVID, in particular, also has a strong connection to their politics.) Unless someones COVID-cautious habits have been causing major problems in their life, theres no point in trying to discourage them, Taylor said. I would let people choose their level of comfort with threats. Thats their decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yes, the evermaskers have assessed the costs and benefits of keeping up precautions. And yes, they say theyre happy with the trade-off, despite the many people who claim to know theyve chosen wrong. There are some things that I miss, Tess told me. I miss a good punk-rock show where were all sweaty in the pit and that kind of stuff. Thats not necessarily something Im gonna do now, but I have an approximation of it when I go to an outdoor punk show and I let everybody else go in the pit. Nancy told me that she and her husband still have active social lives. They converse with neighbors from a distance: We just holler and say hi to each other. Its not like were living as monks or something, in total isolation. And then she has all the people from her Zoom groups. I think I have more friends now than I ever had in my life, she said. Certain challenges persist. Private or domestic disagreements over COVID-conscious choiceshow to navigate the holidays, what to say to friends, which rules apply to kidsnever go away. Nancy and her husband have two grown children and nine grandkids, all of whom have gone on from COVID, as she puts it. Theres always a child thats sniffling or coughing and you dont know whats going on, she said. We dont like to make a big deal about it, so if we meet with them, we usually meet outside and do things outside together, but its hard. Tess said she separated from her husband last year, in part because at one point hed taken off his mask at work without telling her, got infected, and then passed along the illness. Somebody who, literally, I just got married to, who Im supposed to trust, lied to me, took away my agency, and got me sick, she said. But moving out has not been easy: Any roommate she might find would need to share her views on COVID safety. (For now, shes still living with her ex in a small apartment in the Bronx.) Politics provide another potent source of conflict. Many COVID-conscious people are progressives and identify as advocates for those with disabilities. On Instagram, calls for staying COVID safe may be tethered to appeals to anti-racism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Zionism. For a set of people who feel a broader sense of crisis in America and despair at recent actions of the U.S. government, these concerns are additive. Having to accept the risk of getting COVID, Wilde told me, is just one more way to feel like someone is trying to force something on you that you dont want. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A version of that complaint was once associated with people on the opposite end of COVID caution: those who resisted lockdowns and refused to wear masks. They voiced frustration, like the evermaskers do today, at a government that neglected their concerns, and at a public-health establishment that failed to meet their needs. Like the evermaskers, they felt forced to find their own approach to staying safe while other people yelled that they were wrong. I asked Wilde if she thought there might be some affinities between her own mindset and the one of parents who are opposed to vaccination, still another group of those who have come to trust their own judgment more than the governments. Theres a lot of overlap there. There just is, she said. That isnt to say the people who are anti-vax have valid points at all. Its just sayingand I say this a lot to the people I work withbeing human is really hard. People tend to make it easier on themselves by remaining settled in the cultural mainstream. Those who break from that current may end up drifting past the limits of whats agreed upon by scientists. Wilde gargles mouthwash when she feels at risk of an exposure to COVID; she also uses a nasal spray. She understands the weakness of the evidencepublished trials of the cetylpyridinium-chloride mouthwash, for example, have found only the barest hints of its potential as a prophylacticbut what other tools does she have at her disposal? Maybe these things dont have any impact at all, she said. Still, theyve helped her get through some scary situationsand when it comes to scary situations, she treasures any help at all. Dennis has a similar attitude. Does it do anything? Im not convinced, he said of the mouthwash. But, you know, its something that I can do. He doesnt trust everything he sees on COVID-conscious message boards, but at the very least, they let him know that other people in the world see risks the way he does. Thats important in itself. He said he took a recent flight to Ireland, and a small contingent of people were masking on the plane. One couple even tried to kiss each other with their masks in place. Their faces did this high-five kind of thing I was like, Thats really sweet. It just made me smile, Dennis said. Were human beings, we want to belong to a tribe, right? We want to feel that sense of belonging. Five years ago, it felt like everyone was in his tribe; it felt like all Americans were together in their fear of the unknown. Now that fear provides a rarer bond: togetherness in eccentricity, the communion of avoiding crowds. Article originally published at The Atlantic Originally appeared on E! Online On Aug. 5, 2023, Rachel Morin went out for an early-evening walk along a well-trafficked trail in Bel Air, Md., and never came home. Ten months later, Victor Martinez-Hernandez was arrested for her murderand the news that an undocumented El Salvadorean immigrant was allegedly responsible turned Morin's case into a political lightning rod. Amid the defense's stated concerns that their client won't be able to get a fair trial, and after their request for a change of venue was denied, the trial is underway, with opening statements expected to begin April 4. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He "asserts his innocence and looks forward to his day in court," assistant public defenders Marcus Jenkins, Sawyer Hicks and Tara LeCompte told the Baltimore Banner before jury selection kicked off April 1. "There are many unanswered questions in this case and we are prepared to hold the State to its burden." But rabid national interest aside, at the heart of the case was a 37-year-old mother of five whose family wants justice. Celebrity Deaths: 2023's Fallen Stars More from E! Online Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I'm tired from all of this, going through all of this really wears you down, physically and emotionally, Matt McMahon, the father of Morin's eldest child, told Baltimore's Fox 45 News. Her then-boyfriend Richard Tobin and her 19- and -14-year-old daughters were due to testify, according to McMahon, who added, "I see this as an opportunity to stand up for Rachel, defend her, stand up for themselves. So for them, I feel that it's extremely healing to be part of the process." Martinez-Hernandez, 24, is charged with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree rape, a third-degree sex offense and kidnapping. He's facing a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Here is how the investigation into Morin's death unfolded from the beginning: Facebook/Harford County Sheriff's Office What happened to Rachel Morin? A passerby called 911 shortly after 1 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2023, to report finding a woman's body off to the side of the Ma & Pa (as in Maryland and Pennsylvania) Trail, according to Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler, turning what had been an hours-long missing person search for Morin into a homicide investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 37-year-old mother of five was last seen at 6 p.m. on Aug. 5 and her boyfriend reported her missing at 11:23 p.m., Gahler said during an Aug. 6 news conference. Investigators found Morin's car parked in a lot at the trailhead, where the boyfriend indicated the vehicle would be, the sheriff continued, and his office issued a public notice that was shared more than 11,000 times. "That's been a good side of social media," Gahler noted. "The bad side is, there's also been a lot of false or early information shared that we don't want to see. We don't want to see false news out there." But when it came to Morin's case, which he called a "very active criminal investigation," Gahler said, "If you think you have just the smallest tidbit of information, you saw something in this young lady's travels yesterday, to the trail, on the trail, investigators would like to talk to you." At that time, the sheriff added, they had no suspects and he could not definitively say there was no further threat to the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Right now," he said, "detectives continue to work the case as aggressively as they possibly can, and we will leave no stone unturned." Characterizing the trail as a generally safe place that was important to their town, he advised those using it to stay vigilant and pay attention to their surroundings. Yet they were sure that Morin was the victim of foul play, Gahler calling what happened to Morin a "violent homicide." "It was more than obviously apparent to police officers and our detectives who came up that this was not an accidental injury somebody out exercising who's fallen down and sustained a fatal injury," the sheriff told Fox News Digital. "This was not something that was self-inflicted...This was the action of one or more persons who took her life in a criminal homicidean egregious, horrific act in what is very otherwise...a very, very safe area." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were 10 detectives assigned to Morin's case, Gahler shared in an Aug. 10, 2023, video posted to the Harford County Sheriff's Facebook page. Along with forensic investigators and crime analysts, they were working "around the clock" to piece together "the hours, minutes and seconds" leading up to her death. Harford County Sheriff's Office Gahler said some of the hundreds of tips that came in had been "promising and tremendous in advancing the investigation and bringing us closer to getting the answers that we need, the answers that Rachel's family needs and the answers that this community needs." And since many people had asked, the sheriff said, his reply was yes, they had interviewed Rachel's boyfriend, "along with many other people who are close to Rachel. That is the way an investigation is conducted. We start with people in her close inner circle" and go from there. "Together," Gahler concluded, "we will solve this crime and find this heinous coward who took Rachel Morin from her family and friends." What happened during the search for Rachel Morin's killer? Authorities encouraged anyone with information to come forward, though they also reminded people to be prudent when it came to discussing the case publicly, particularly online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If people are putting false information out there or guesses out there, coming up with their own theories of what happened and people are running with that, that can distract our investigation," Harford Sheriff's Col. William Davis told NBC affiliate WBAL on Aug. 11, 2023. "Because if people have leads, we're going to follow up on those leads, and we want our detectives focused on things that are actual facts and not things that are made up by other people." Also on Aug. 11, the sheriff's office shared that detectives had identified and contacted five people who were walking their dogs on the trail between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. the night Morin was headed to the trail and may have been among the last to see her alive. What happened during the search for Rachel Morin's killer? Authorities encouraged anyone with information to come forward, though they also reminded people to be prudent when it came to discussing the case publicly, particularly online. "If people are putting false information out there or guesses out there, coming up with their own theories of what happened and people are running with that, that can distract our investigation," Harford Sheriff's Col. William Davis told NBC affiliate WBAL on Aug. 11, 2023. "Because if people have leads, we're going to follow up on those leads, and we want our detectives focused on things that are actual facts and not things that are made up by other people." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also on Aug. 11, the sheriff's office shared that detectives had identified and contacted five people who were walking their dogs on the trail between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. the night Morin was headed to the trail and may have been among the last to see her alive. In the meantime, authorities increased patrols along the Ma & Pa Trail, Sheriff Gahler telling WBAL, "Not knowing whether this was a targeted event specific to Rachel, we are going to say...be aware, be thinking there could be somebody out here and this is a random event." County officials also acknowledged the clamor for cameras to be installed along the trail, a portion of which goes through a tunnel. "It's unfortunate that it takes a tragedy for us to recognize our vulnerabilities and address those," Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly told WBAL on Aug. 15. "I want the trail to be used," he said. "I want it to remain the wonderful asset that it is for our community, and recognize in order to maintain that wonderful asset. We're going to have to put the money into putting the cameras there and maintaining an appropriate level of safety." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the meantime, authorities increased patrols along the Ma & Pa Trail, Sheriff Gahler telling WBAL, "Not knowing whether this was a targeted event specific to Rachel, we are going to say...be aware, be thinking there could be somebody out here and this is a random event." County officials also acknowledged the clamor for cameras to be installed along the trail, a portion of which goes through a tunnel. "It's unfortunate that it takes a tragedy for us to recognize our vulnerabilities and address those," Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly told WBAL on Aug. 15. "I want the trail to be used," he said. "I want it to remain the wonderful asset that it is for our community, and recognize in order to maintain that wonderful asset. We're going to have to put the money into putting the cameras there and maintaining an appropriate level of safety." Was there a suspect in the Rachel Morin murder case? The person responsible for Rachel's death "could be someone who came to learn that routine and knew where she might be at that time, or it could be a random person," Gahler told Fox News Digital on Aug. 8, noting that the victim led an active lifestyle and "it wasn't unusual for her to be out." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Aug. 17, Col. Davis told reporters that DNA found at the Morin crime scene had been analyzed by Maryland State Police and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), where it matched evidence collected from a March home invasion in Los Angeles, during which a young girl was assaulted. They had not yet identified the suspect, Davis said at a news conference, but they believed the figure seen on doorbell cam footage obtained by the LAPD from the house where the alleged assault occurred is their guy. So far, he explained, the DNA hadn't shown up in any other law enforcement database (from a prior arrest, etc.) and they were working with experts from the FBI crime lab to further analyze the sample. Hartford County Sheriff's Office The doorbell footage, which is posted on the Harford County Sheriff's social media accounts, shows a man wearing pants but no shirt (he appears to be carrying a piece of clothing) leaving through the front door of the house. From their analysis of the video and witness observations, Davis said, they were looking for a male of Hispanic descent in his early-to-mid-20s, height approximately 5-foot-9 and weighing about 160 pounds. "We know nothing about him," Davis said, "other than he was in L.A. and committed that crime in March, and was here in August, and we believe him to be the murderer of Rachel Morin." What has Rachel Morin's family said about her murder? "This was not an accidentally [sic] death, and she did not go willingly, and she deserves a funeral worthy of her beauty," sister Rebekah Morin wrote on a GoFundMe page she set up for funeral expenses and Rachel's kids, which ultimately raised more than $56,000. "If there are any remaining funds, they will go towards things her five children may need." The family also planned a memorial walk on the Ma & Pa Trail for the morning of Aug. 19 "so we can grieve the tragic loss of a woman who was so full of life," Rebekah wrote on Facebook. "Please join us as we pray and mourn for our beloved Rachel." Who is Rachel Morin murder suspect Victor Martinez-Hernandez? On June 15, 2024, Martinez-Hernandez was arrested at a bar in Tulsa, Okla., and taken into custody, where he has remained since. "So far, we have learned that the suspect, now pictured on the screens, is a 23-year-old citizen of El Salvador who illegally crossed the border into the United States in February of 2023" after committing another murder, Gahler said at a press conference. And once he was in the U.S. "and likely emboldened by his anonymity," the sheriff continued, "he brutally attacked a 9-year-old girl and her mother during a home invasion in March of 2023 in Los Angeles." It turned out his DNA was linked to the samples taken from the L.A. and Maryland crime scenes, according to FBI special agent Bill DelBagno, head of the agency's Baltimore Field Office. "Our investigative genetic genealogy team in Baltimore worked countless hours to identify the suspect by using crime scene DNA and tracing that DNA to potential family members," DelBagno told reporters. "Investigators even traveled to El Salvador as part of their efforts to identify this killer." Suffice it to say, Morin's family had been following the investigation extremely closely and continued to do so once an arrest was made. "To see him on TV when we had the bail review hearing across the street is so different when you have him in the room," Morin family attorney Randolph Rice told CBS Baltimore after an October hearing during which the trial was postponed from December until April. "His hands are shackled, his feet are shackled, he's wearing the striped black and white jumpsuit. To be in the same room with the man who is alleged to have killed your daughter, it's just a very emotional day." As for the defense's request to delay the proceedings, Rice said, "You're looking at 10 months of evidence. The state has had this since the day Rachel was found and they've been collecting evidence. The defense is three months and three days, four days into this so they've got a lot of catch-up to do." What has Rachel Morin's family said about her murder? "This was not an accidentally [sic] death, and she did not go willingly, and she deserves a funeral worthy of her beauty," sister Rebekah Morin wrote on a GoFundMe page she set up for funeral expenses and Rachel's kids, which ultimately raised more than $56,000. "If there are any remaining funds, they will go towards things her five children may need." The family also planned a memorial walk on the Ma & Pa Trail for the morning of Aug. 19 "so we can grieve the tragic loss of a woman who was so full of life," Rebekah wrote on Facebook. "Please join us as we pray and mourn for our beloved Rachel." Mom Patty Morin wrote on Facebook, per CBS News Baltimore, "If you have experienced the loss of a dear loved one, then you know how hard it can be to express the pain that you feel in your heart. When it's sudden and tragic, your mind looks for ways to cope. As a mom, I appreciate the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the worldwide community that grieves with me for my young daughter. Thank you for caring. Truly." A celebration of life was held Aug. 27 at Greater Grace Church of Baltimore. "Rachel just didn't deserve this," McMahon, the father of Morin's eldest child (who, he said, was expecting her first child), told CBS Baltimore in October after the postponement hearing. "We shouldn't have to be here. But at the end of the day, it's a good day because this is a day for justice for Rachel." As the trial grew closer, he invited anyone attending to support Morin's family to wear pink and green, the favorite colors of her teen daughters who will be testifying. (Originally published Aug. 19, 2023, at 5 a.m. PT) Channel 9 is learning more about the man who Volusia County deputies say killed his ex-wife before turning the gun on himself. Samuel Vaia is accused of killing Ashley Vaia, 38, then leading deputies on a high-speed chase through two counties. Neighbors say theyve called deputies in the past on Vaia, saying he would shoot guns in the backyard of the Parma Drive home. Monday mornings 911 call came from Ashley Vaias daughters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was the victims 19-year-old daughter on the phone saying she heard screaming, glass breaking and gunshots, said Sheriff Mike Chitwood. Body camera video shows deputies getting to the home just after 2:20 a.m. Monday. Investigators knew Vaia was their guy. He was spotted going more than 100 miles an hour on I-95 before rolling over his SUV in Flagler County--- all caught on camera from a law enforcement helicopter. Then theres a standoff. Hes inside of the vehicle. Flagler SWAT team is out there, said Sheriff Chitwood. It was soon learned that Vaia died from a self-inflicted gunshot. During the investigation, deputies also learned they arrested Vaia last week for a domestic situation involving a weapon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When deputies take him into custody, hes armed with the firearm, said Sheriff Chitwood. Online records show he posted a $2,000 bond. Sheriff Chitwood says Vaia was ordered to turn in all weapons on March 25. He only turned in three. Then you fast forward to the 31st, and here we have a mother of three, a 2-year-old, 19, and 21-year-old who is basically executed, said Sheriff Chitwood. Neighbors we talked to didnt want to go on camera. They said theyre heartbroken for those involved, especially the kids. Sheriff Chitwood says Vaia was determined to kill his ex-wife. Domestic violence inunctions is just this. A protection order is just this. A piece a paper. Its never going to keep any woman safe when somebodys hellbent to kill you. And clearly this guy was hellbent on killing her, said Sheriff Chitwood. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A trial date has been scheduled in August to determine whether former Kern County sheriffs deputy David Keith Rogers will be resentenced to death, or instead receive life without parole. Rogers, 78, appeared in court via video Tuesday wearing a neck brace as attorneys agreed to an Aug. 25 trial date, and a June 17 status conference. In 1988, Rogers was convicted of killing Janine Benintende, 20, in 1986 and Tracie Clark, 15, a year later, shooting them multiple times then dumping their bodies in the Arvin-Edison canal. Both Benintende and Clark, who was three months pregnant when killed, were picked up by Rogers while working as prostitutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was sentenced to death. Man charged under Prop 36 law takes plea deal The state Supreme Court in 2019 overturned his death sentence after determining a prosecution witness whose testimony was used during the penalty phase falsely testified Rogers sexually assaulted her. His murder convictions remain intact. Rogers first penalty phase retrial was held in 2023, ending with a jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of him being sentenced to death. The only alternative is life in prison with no possibility of parole. Gov. Gavin Newsom has halted executions in California. The last execution in the state occurred in 2006. 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. A former Massachusetts State Police trooper has agreed to plead guilty to falsifying records in a bribery scandal for allegedly giving commercial drivers licenses to unqualified applicants, the U.S. Attorney said Tuesday. Calvin Butner, 64, of Halifax, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and aiding and abetting and five counts of making false statements, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled Butners plea hearing for April 7. In January 2024, Butner and five others, including two active Massachusetts State Police troopers at the time, were charged in a 74-count indictment in the alleged conspiracy, Foley said. They include Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Gary Cederquist, 58, of Stoughton, and Trooper Joel Rogers, 54, of Bridgewater, who were taken off the job following duty status hearings in 2024. Retired trooper Perry Mendes, 63, of Wareham, was also charged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cederquist and Rogers were later arraigned in federal court in Boston, where they both pleaded not guilty to the charges. Cederquist retired from the department in 2024 after being suspended without pay. On March 21, Eric Mathison of Boston, a civilian, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. The men were charged in a federal indictment for allegedly giving commercial drivers licenses to unqualified applicants in exchange for personal kickbacks, including a $10,000 driveway makeover, free snowblowers, high-end bottled water, and cases of coffee and tea. 26 drivers stripped of CDLs amid investigation into state police bribery scandal, RMV says Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Commercial Drivers License is required to drive a commercial vehicle, such as a tractor-trailer, a box truck, or a school bus, according to the charging document. Test requirements for Commercial Drivers Licenses are established by the federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Golden handshakes: MSP troopers passed failed CDL applicants in exchange for kickbacks, feds say However, states administer Commercial Drivers License tests and issue the licenses. The CDL test is a demanding, in-person test, officials said. An applicant must prove they have detailed knowledge of commercial vehicles. They must also perform certain maneuvers and safely drive on public roadways, including a highway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only drivers who have passed the test and have proved they are qualified to drive a commercial vehicle may be issued a Commercial Drivers License, because public safety is at issue, officials said. Test scores reported by members of the Massachusetts State Police CDL Unit are material to whether applicants meet federal requirements for, and therefore whether the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles may issue, CDLs. 25 Investigates attempted to confirm state trooper bribery probe 11 months ago According to the charging document, between in on or about May 2019 and January 2023, Butner and three other members of the CDL Unit conspired to give preferential treatment to at least 17 CDL applicants by agreeing to give passing scores on their CDL tests, regardless of whether or not they actually passed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictment showed that the troopers jokingly talked about golden handshakes and golden treatments in text messages, referring to giving guaranteed passes to CDL applicants, regardless of how they scored on the test. Foley released these texts that Butner allegedly sent to others: This guys a mess. . . . Lol. He owes u a prime rib 6inch. Golden mess. Hes a mess Class A truck 2psi loss with truck running truck cut our again while timing Total mess this guy[.] i think some time[s] we should just do what we can but not golden. Ill tell you about it later. In addition to the false records conspiracy, Butner has agreed to plead guilty to three counts of falsifying records, aiding and abetting, by giving passing scores to three applicants who failed the CDL test, and five counts of making false statements by giving passing scores to five applicants who did not take the test at all. Prosecutors said all CDL recipients identified as not qualified during the federal investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to the investigation, state police earlier said theyve taken steps to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability on a department-wide scale. These include: Required use of body-worn cameras for all CDL exams. Increased frequency of unannounced visits by unit supervisors to examiners at training sites. Modernized unit record-keeping with required electronic documentation and the use of the Departments online case management system, allowing for enhanced accountability, accuracy, and supervision. For the charge of conspiracy to falsify records, Butner faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. For each charge of falsification of records, Butner faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For each charge of false statements, Butner faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 MANDALAY, Myanmar, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese rescue teams are continuing to work in the hard-hit Mandalay in central Myanmar following the 7.9-magnitude temblor last week, and have so far saved eight survivors as of 08:00 local time on Tuesday in the country. The China Search and Rescue Team saved four survivors, the Yunnan Rescue Medical Team rescued one survivor, and other civil emergency forces rescued three and assisted the China Search and Rescue Team. To coordinate the Chinese rescue teams in Mandalay, a rescue work mechanism was established to enhance information sharing and joint logistics to ensure the quality and effectiveness of their rescue work. Currently, the weather in Mandalay is hot, with the highest daytime temperature topping 40 degrees Celsius, and there are many mosquitoes at the work sites. Meanwhile, experts from the Chinese Search and Rescue Team have completed the safety assessment of the damage to the four office buildings of the Chinese Consulate General in Mandalay, and offered proposals on emergency disposal. ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ill. A former police chief from southern Illinois pleaded guilty to corruption charges on Monday, admitting to selling several motorcycles that were forfeited to his department for personal gain. Anson Fenton, 46, the former police chief for Wayne City, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of misapplication of property from federally funded programs and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. The motorcycles were acquired as part of an asset forfeiture process, a legal proceeding in which the government can seize property connected to a crime, including money, vehicles and real estate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PHOTOS: Severe storm impacts St. Louis area, beyond In Wayne City, forfeited property is stored at the police department until city officials pass an ordinance allowing for its sale, according to a news release from the United States Department of Justice. As police chief, Fenton was responsible for securing, documenting and maintaining the property in the custody of the Wayne City Police Department. According to court documents, Fenton sold two motorcycles, a 2017 Harley-Davidson and a 2000 Harley-Davidson, valued at more than $5,000 and kept the proceeds without authorization from the Wayne City Board of Trustees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also traded one 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle for a 1991 Ford Mustang for his personal benefit. Additionally, he admitted to driving the Suzuki over state lines to complete the sale from Wayne City to Alexandria, Virginia. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News The U.S. Attorneys Office strongly supports our police, but we must take decisive action when things like this happen, said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft via a news release. By taking unauthorized possession of forfeited property for his personal benefit, the defendant used his position of trust as police chief to deceive the community he was sworn to protect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one is above the law, especially those charged with upholding the law, and the Illinois State Police will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement at all levels to protect the publics trust, said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. After pleading guilty, Fenton could face up to 10 years imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 per charge. He has a sentencing hearing scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on July 30. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The former mayor of Syracuse says then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo forcibly kissed her several times when she was in office, and she angrily describes the encounters as all about power. Longtime Cuomo foe Stephanie Miner, speaking to The Post on Monday about her new book, Madam Mayor, recounted passages in her tome in which she claims she was kissed against her will by the then-governor while they were at loggerheads over policy issues during her two terms. It was clearly unwanted. It was about power with him, the Democrat said of the encounters while blasting Cuomos administration as a total failure. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Ex-Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner talk during a March 2012 bill signing ceremony in the Red Room at the Capitol in Albany. AP Miner, 54, called the busses a kiss from a bully in her book. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I did not find Andrew Cuomos kisses any more objectionable than the other ways he bullied me. It was part of the rules of engagement as a politician, wrote Miner, who was mayor from 2010 to 2018. I chose to be in the arena, and his kisses were the least of his control tactics. Miner recalled being invited to a Cuomo announcement regarding his Start-UP NY program at the SUNY Upstate Medical Center campus in 2013. Under the program, firms could relocate tax-free, including being exempt from local property taxes which Miner opposed because she said it deprived Syracuse of revenues to fund city services. She had previously written an op-ed column critical of the governor, 67, and they were at loggerheads. Miner claims she was kissed against her will by Cuomo while they were at loggerheads over policy issues during her two terms. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post I seethed. At the end of the event, the governors staff grabbed me and ushered me to the receiving line, ensuring the media could see the governor greet me, thus confirming my support of the program, Miner claimed in her book, the details of which were first reported by Politico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was being manipulated but had no real choice, she said. If I refused, it would cement me as someone who could not work with the most powerful elected official in the state. I felt like a trapped animal, and I knew my face gave away exactly how I was feeling. She noted that Cuomo greeted Onondaga County Executive, Joanie Mahoney, with a kiss. Miner, 54, called the busses a kiss from a bully in her book. John Meore/The Journal News I thought, what if he tries to kiss me? When Cuomo got to me, he grabbed my hand and, with a big smile on his face, leaned in to kiss me. I instinctively leaned out, feeling myself flush red, and murmured a hello while the cameras snapped, Miner said. Given that he was about six feet tall, and I was five three, he was able to easily envelop me. To be clear, I was furious about the manipulation and the illusory economic-development promises, not the kiss, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also recalled Cuomo delivering one of his regional State of the State policy addresses in Syracuse in 2017. As his cameraman furiously clicked away, Cuomo greeted everyone with a hug or a kiss. I was in the middle of the row with multiple people on either side of me. There was no escape. When he got to me, he surrounded me and kissed me, Miner said. Did I want that? Miner continued. No. Was it clear from my body language, my facial expression, and everything he knew about me I did not want that? Yes, which is why he did it: to show his political dominance. With Andrew Cuomo, his kissing me was about power. I never viewed it as sexual. We were gladiators in a public ring and thats how he showed he was boss. Miner, who ran as an independent candidate against Cuomo in 2018, said she never brought up the unwanted smooches from Cuomo before, not even while other women, including staffers, accused him of sexual misconduct. Cuomo, though denying the other womens accusations, resigned from office under the threat of impeachment. But anyone who was familiar with the dynamic between us knew the kisses were unwanted, Miner said. The Cuomo camp dismissed Miner as a has-been. Our great city is in crisis and New Yorkers know Andrew Cuomo is the only person in this race with the experience, leadership and the proven record to take on the hard issues and make New York a safer and more affordable place for all, said Cuomo campaign spokesman Richard Azzopardi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Yorkers arent stupid, they have known Andrew Cuomo for decades and are not going to be swayed by an long-since retired upstate mayor who ran against him years ago, lost by 58 points, fell off the face of the earth and has now resurfaced using his name to try to sell a book. Azzopardi also called the claim of unwanted kissing silly. Theres nothing here to suggest that this was anything other than a peck on the cheek. Its the customary greeting since the dawn of civilization, the Cuomo rep said. George John Hanson, also known as John Fitzgerald Hanson, was sentenced to death for the 1999 murder of Mary Bowles. (Photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections) OKLAHOMA CITY An inmate who was transferred to Oklahoma last month to face the death penalty now has an execution date. George John Hanson, also known as John Fitzgerald Hanson, is scheduled to die on June 12 for the 1999 murder of 77-year-old Mary Bowles. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Tuesday set the execution date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The states Pardon and Parole Board has a tentative date of May 7 for Hansons clemency hearing, executive director Tom Bates said. Hanson, now 60, was convicted of kidnapping Bowles, a retired banker and well-known volunteer, from the parking lot of a Tulsa mall and shooting her to death at a dirt pit near Owasso. His accomplice, Victor Cornell Miller, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for killing a witness of the murder, bystander Jerald Max Thurman. Attorneys for Hanson said the jury that sentenced him to death was unaware of evidence that Miller bragged about killing Bowles. Hansons lawyers didnt investigate or present evidence of his autism and related impairments, his current attorneys said. The Tulsa County district judge who presided over Hansons trial, Caroline Wall, wrote that she would have recommended a sentence of life without parole, according to a 2006 report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miller took advantage of Hanson and roped him into a series of crimes, Hansons attorneys said. John Hanson is a peaceful prisoner whom correctional staff believe adds value to the prison community, his attorney Emma Rolls said. He poses no danger to anyone in prison. The jury that convicted him never knew that his co-defendant had bragged about being the real killer, and the trial judge herself felt this omission warranted a life sentence. These are exactly the kind of circumstances for which clemency is needed, to prevent an unnecessary and pointless execution. Attorney General Gentner Drummond requested the federal government transfer Gerald John Hanson to Oklahoma so the state could carry out his death sentence. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) Attorney General Gentner Drummond requested that Hanson transfer to Oklahoma from a federal prison in Louisiana where he was serving a life sentence for an unrelated bank robbery. Hanson initially was scheduled for execution in 2022, but the Federal Bureau of Prisons, then under President Joe Bidens administration, refused to move him to Oklahoma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi approved the transfer request on Feb. 13 after President Donald Trump ordered the federal government to comply with capital punishment sentences. Hanson is now imprisoned at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. The monster who abducted and murdered a 77-year-old woman more than 25 years ago is finally set to pay for his crime, Drummond said. The family of Mary Bowles has waited many agonizing years for George John Hanson to be brought to justice, and on June 12, that day finally will come. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Executive orders and Trump administration policies suggest otherwise, but on Monday in a park in Midtown Detroit, a metro Detroiter named Adrian Lupkiewich sought to make one thing clear about his identity as a transgender person: We do exist. On the Transgender Day of Visibility an annual recognition on March 31 that a Michigan psychotherapist is credited with founding about 30 people gathered at the Woodward | Warren Park at Wayne State University for a rally and march organized by the activist group known as BAMN. The shortened name of the group is derived from the last four words of its fuller title, Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The gathering sought to bring visibility to community members and other areas of concern at a key time. Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has taken swift action on immigration and diversity efforts but has also keenly targeted the transgender community. He has declared that there are only two sexes male and female and reinstated a ban on transgender troops joining the military. He has also taken action to keep entities with federal funding from allowing transgender athletes in womens and girls sports. He has also sought to stop youth gender-affirming care. More: Judge blocks Trump-ordered transfer of transgender women inmates to male prisons Lupkiewich, 23, of Fraser, was among those who fought back on Monday, saying not only do transgender people exist, but we always have and we always will. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Being transgender saved Lupkiewichs life and gave him life and purpose, he said. Women and men obviously still exist, but there needs to be room for more, he told the Free Press. He added that the only other key day recognizing transgender people is the day that remembers all those killed by anti-transgender violence, the Transgender Day of Remembrance in the fall. He also said that attacks on the transgender community will have ripple effects on other groups of people. More: LGBTQ+ advocates call 8 Democratic votes on transgender sports a betrayal More: Hundreds of migrant kids in Michigan may lose legal help after Trump ends program Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lupkiewichs partner, Oliver Webb, 21, of Fraser, said the visibility is important, as it speaks to other peoples self-expression, too. To prove the fact that other people can be visible, too, Webb said. Webb wanted people to know that they arent alone. Even at the small gathering, group members found themselves up against someone calling them crazy while videotaping them. Anton Daniels, 42, of Detroit, had a back-and-forth with several members of the group, who questioned why he had even come to the gathering. Neal and Kay Brannan, 51, and 38, of Bloomfield Hills, came with their 5-year-old daughter, Lydia, who ran a little ahead as the rally turned into a march down the sidewalks of Woodward Avenue. Kay Brannan identifies as nonbinary but said that doesnt affect their family much as they married a man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, their daughter needs to be exposed to the issues they are fighting for, said Kay Brannan, wearing a keffiyeh, a scarf that has become a symbol of Palestinians. The world isnt a fair place and sometimes you have to go out and spend a day doing something to make sure that the people whose voices need to be heard are heard, Kay Brannan said. Speakers at the rally also raised concerns regarding the humanitarian issues in Gaza and the actions of Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war. They also touched on concerns with capitalism, attacks on immigrants, and more. The march continued down Woodward and eventually made its way back to the park with smaller numbers in the end. Members shouted chants along the way, including that Detroit welcomes transgender youths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Brannan family peeled off early, but still about 20 minutes from their initial starting spot and around a boulevard named for one of the most prolific activists of all time, Martin Luther King Jr. This is why we should be proud of having a democracy because we get to show up and say stuff and defend people who arent us, Kay Brannan said. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Transgender rights activists rally in Detroit amid Trump orders SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The South Korean Constitutional Courts decision to formally unseat President Yoon Suk Yeol is another test for the countrys democracy after the conservative-liberal divide deepened over his imposition of martial law and subsequent impeachment. The courts ruling Friday triggers a by-election for a new president. Yoon still faces criminal charges of rebellion, but he's unlikely to fade into the background. He is likely to thrust himself onto the political agenda, rallying his hard-core supporters and influencing the choice of the next leader of his party, which has made intensive efforts to regroup around calls for his reinstatement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres what you need to know about the court decision. Why did the court remove Yoon from office? All eight of the Constitutional Courts current justices upheld the impeachment motion and dismissed Yoon as president. The constitutional crisis began on Dec. 3 when Yoon declared martial law and dispatched troops to the National Assembly. Lawmakers defied hundreds of soldiers and police officers to enter the legislative chamber and unanimously voted to lift martial law within hours. On Dec. 14, the liberal opposition-controlled assembly impeached Yoon and suspended his presidential powers, accusing him of violating the constitution by declaring martial law, deploying troops to the legislature and election offices, and attempting to arrest opponents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The constitution limits the exercise of martial law to times of war or comparable national emergencies. Yoon argued his decree was necessary to bring attention to what he called an anti-state main opposition party that abused its legislative majority to obstruct his agenda. Even under martial law, the president doesnt have the authority to shut down the legislature. Shortly after Yoons martial law declaration, the militarys martial law command issued a proclamation prohibiting all political activities, including those of the National Assembly. Yoon has insisted that he never intended to disable the legislature, saying he sent troops there to maintain order, not to disrupt the vote. He also denied accusations that he sought arrests of rival politicians. Yoons claims were contradicted by testimony from several senior military and police officers, who described a deliberate but poorly executed attempt to seize the legislature. In removing Yoon from office, the Constitutional Court rejected his argument that martial law was merely a temporary warning or an appeal to the public, stating he clearly violated the constitution and laws by mobilizing military and police forces to obstruct the exercise of legislative authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Korea has 60 days to choose a new president South Korea must now hold a presidential election within 60 days potentially one of the most tense votes since the countrys transition from dictatorship in the late 1980s. The countrys electorate is deeply divided along ideological lines and Yoons legal saga has exacerbated polarization. Yoons conservative supporters rioted at the Seoul Western District Court that authorized his arrest in January. Yoons lawyers and the ruling party have openly questioned the credibility of that court and law enforcement institutions, and he has continued to express contempt for his liberal rivals, endorsing baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud to justify his ill-fated authoritarian push. Experts say Yoons actions are fueling severe political division, making compromise unlikely, and threaten to undermine the election by inspiring voter distrust in the results. Theres a high risk of disruption during the voting process, making it crucial to elevate security at polling and counting stations, said Kim Su-min, a politics analyst and former Gumi city council member. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If people start refusing to accept any election outcome that is unfavorable to them, the other side will start doing the same, said Kim Tae-hyung, a professor at Seouls Soongsil University. If that cycle continues, trust in democracy will completely collapse. Yoon may not go quietly Yoon, never one to back down from a fight, may refuse to be ignored. In the coming weeks, he may rally supporters in the streets while trying to tighten his grip on the People Power Party, whose leadership is stacked with his loyalists and which has seen its popularity rebound with calls for his reinstatement. In a statement issued through his lawyers, Yoon said he deeply regrets failing to live up to the publics expectations, but didnt specifically say whether he accepts the courts ruling. Later, in a meeting with the conservative People Power Party leaders at the presidential residence he must vacate, Yoon urged them to prepare well and win the upcoming election, a party spokesperson told local media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Facing a separate criminal trial on rebellion charges punishable by death or life in prison Yoon would strongly prefer a conservative president who could pardon him if convicted and will likely push to ensure his partys primaries are won by a candidate he supports, Kim Su-min said. This would turn the upcoming election into a near-rematch between Yoon and liberal Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in 2022 and has his own legal troubles. Whoever it is, South Koreas next leader will face critical challenges. The turmoil caused by Yoons power grab and impeachment has disrupted high-level diplomacy and hurt the economy, as well as weakening Seouls ability to respond to tariffs and other shifts in U.S. policy under President Donald Trump. Trumps diplomatic lineups for South Korea and neighboring countries are expected to be completed before a new government is inaugurated in Seoul. This could pose a significant foreign policy challenge to South Korea, which wont have a chance to explain its positions to the Trump administration ahead of formal negotiations, said Paik Wooyeal, a professor at Seouls Yonsei University. Yoon still faces criminal charges Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yoon was released from prison in March after the Seoul Central District Court cancelled his arrest and allowed him to stand trial without being detained. But as a former president, Yoon has lost the presidential privilege that protected him from most criminal prosecution except on grave charges like rebellion. Prosecutors can now pursue other criminal charges related to Yoons martial law declaration and seek to detain him. Legal experts said the Constitutional Courts dismissal of Yoon could increase the chance he will be convicted of rebellion charges at the Seoul Central District Court. Yoons defense minister, police chief and other senior military commanders have also been arrested and indicted over their roles in the martial law imposition. An apartment building explosion early Monday that rocked a westside Detroit community and injured a dozen people, including children, was caused by a gas leak, the Detroit Fire Department has concluded. Why no one reported the leak to DTE was unclear. The Detroit-based utility told the Free Press on Tuesday it would have taken a "significant amount" of gas to set off such a powerful blast, and that a leak should have been detectable by its odor, which is added and often described as a "rotten egg" smell. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DTE said the fire department found the leak was on the first floor. The utility added its equipment was in "safe, working condition" and "no natural leak calls were made to DTE prior to this incident." The company has a 24-hour gas leak hotline at 800-947-5000. DTE, which explained it was not responsible for leaks inside a building or a home, added that "interior pipes and appliances are owned and maintained by the building owner or occupants." The utility also did not comment to the Free Press on whether it was providing any kind of help through the company or its multimillion-dollar charitable foundation to survivors who were injured and lost their homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since the 4 a.m. blast, the company said it had shut off gas to the 12-unit building. The blast in the 13000 block of Littlefield Street ripped away building walls, sent several to the hospital, and triggered an emergency alert that was mistakenly sent to residents throughout southeast Michigan. The fire officials the leak's source and what ignited the gas is still under investigation. Personnel from DTE look into what may have caused an early morning explosion on the 13000 block of Littlefield in Detroit on Monday, March 31, 2025. Among those injured: a 30-year-old man with severe burns to nearly all his body, a 27-year-old woman, who is in critical condition, and a 3-year-old girl, who also was harmed in the fire. The two adults, the fire department said Tuesday, are in Detroit Receiving Hospital in critical condition, and the young child is being treated for herburns at Children's Hospital of Michigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Powerful apartment building explosion injures 12, including children, in Detroit It was possible, DTE speculated just hours after the blast, that a gas appliance such as a stove was not hooked up properly or had been disconnected, but that would have been beyond DTE's control. The fire department said what's left of the structure will need to be demolished. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: A gas leak caused Detroit apartment explosion, fire department finds Claim: Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney told fellow Republicans during a June 2022 hearing on the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain." Rating: Rating: Correct Attribution In March 2025, a purported quote by former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney went viral, appearing to criticize Republicans for their support of U.S. President Donald Trump. Cheney, also a Republican, has long been vocal in her opposition of Trump and was vice chairperson of the U.S. House January 6 Committee, which investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Per a Facebook post and Threads post from mid-March 2025, Cheney allegedly said: "I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain." (Image via Facebook) The above quote is real. Cheney made the remark during a June 2022 hearing investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Cheney was criticizing her fellow Republican colleagues for continuing to support Trump even after the former president was accused of inciting the rioters. As such, we rate this claim as a correct attribution. Prior to the statement in question, Cheney blamed the attack on Trump and some members of his team (emphasis, ours): In our final hearing, you will hear a moment-by-moment account of the hours-long attack from more than a half dozen White House staff, both live in the hearing room and via videotaped testimony. There is no doubt that President Trump was well aware of the violence as it developed. White House staff urged President Trump to intervene and call off the mob. Here is a document written while the attack was underway by a member of the White House staff advising what the President needed to say: "Anyone who entered the capitol without proper authority should leave immediately." [...] The White House staff knew that President Trump was willing to entertain and use conspiracy theories to achieve his ends. They knew the President needed to be cut off from all of those who had encouraged him. They knew that President Donald Trump was too dangerous to be left alone. At least until he left office on January 20th. These are important facts for Congress and the American people to understand fully. When a President fails to take the steps necessary to preserve our union, or worse, causes a constitutional crisis, we are at a moment of maximum danger for our Republic. Some in the White House took responsible steps to try to prevent January 6th. Others egged the President on. Others, who could have acted, refused to do so. In this case, the White House Counsel was so concerned about potentially lawless activity, that he threatened to resign, multiple times. That is exceedingly rare and exceedingly serious. It requires immediate attention, especially when the entire team threatens to resign. However, in the Trump White House, it was not exceedingly rare and it was not treated seriously. This is a clip of Jared Kushner, addressing multiple threats by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and his team of White House lawyers to resign in the weeks before January 6th. Cheney then made the statement after showing a clip of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, and then-senior adviser to the president responding to her question about whether he was aware of the White House legal counsel's threats to resign in the weeks before the riot (emphasis, ours): [CLIP STARTS] CHENEY: Jared, are you aware of instances where Pat Cipollone threatened to resign? KUSHNER: I kind of, like I said, my interest at that time was on trying to get as many pardons done, and I know that he was always, him and the team, were always saying oh we are going to resign. We are not going to be here if this happens, if that happens So, I kind of took it up to just be whining, to be honest with you. [CLIP ENDS] [HEARING] CHENEY: Whining. There is a reason why people serving in our government take an oath to the Constitution. As our founding fathers recognized, democracy is fragile. People in positions of public trust are duty-bound to defend it to step forward when action is required. In our country, we don't swear an oath to an individual, or a political party. We take our oath to defend the United States Constitution. And that oath must mean something. Tonight, I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain. The moment took place at the 45:50 minute mark in this C-SPAN video of the hearing. The exact quote can be heard here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, Cheney campaigned for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. In December 2024, after Trump's victory, House Republicans said Cheney should be prosecuted for probing the events of Jan. 6. Sources: "After Investigating Jan. 6, House GOP Sides with Trump and Goes after Liz Cheney." AP News, 17 Dec. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/trump-cheney-capitol-attack-prosecution-0aaba7a8d011115410c544374dd0d57f." target="blank">https://apnews.com/article/trump-cheney-capitol-attack-prosecution-0aaba7a8d011115410c544374dd0d57f.">https://apnews.com/article/trump-cheney-capitol-attack-prosecution-0aaba7a8d011115410c544374dd0d57f. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025. "But Your Dishonor Will Remain" | C-SPAN.Org. https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5019154/but-dishonor-remain." target="blank">https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5019154/but-dishonor-remain.">https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5019154/but-dishonor-remain. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025. "Democrats Promote Liz Cheney to Vice Chairwoman of Jan. 6 Panel." PBS News, 2 Sept. 2021, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-promote-liz-cheney-to-vice-chairwoman-of-jan-6-panel." target="blank">https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-promote-liz-cheney-to-vice-chairwoman-of-jan-6-panel.">https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-promote-liz-cheney-to-vice-chairwoman-of-jan-6-panel. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "First Hearing on Investigation of January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol." June 9, 2022, C-SPAN.Org. https://www.c-span.org/program/january-6-hearings/first-hearing-on-investigation-of-january-6-attack-on-the-us-capitol/612368." target="blank">https://www.c-span.org/program/january-6-hearings/first-hearing-on-investigation-of-january-6-attack-on-the-us-capitol/612368.">https://www.c-span.org/program/january-6-hearings/first-hearing-on-investigation-of-january-6-attack-on-the-us-capitol/612368. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025. "Read: Liz Cheney's Opening Statement at Jan. 6 Select Committee Hearing." Politico, 9 June 2022, https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/09/liz-cheney-jan-6-committee-full-statement-00038730." target="blank">https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/09/liz-cheney-jan-6-committee-full-statement-00038730.">https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/09/liz-cheney-jan-6-committee-full-statement-00038730. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025. BAGHDAD/TEHRAN, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized Tuesday the importance of coordination among Islamic countries in the face of common challenges and risks, in a manner that contributes to achieving security and stability for the Islamic world. Al-Sudani received a phone call from Pezeshkian, during which they exchanged Eid al-Fitr greetings, according to a statement from al-Sudani's media office. Al-Sudani affirmed Iraq's rejection of the threats against Iran and its keenness on Iran's security and stability, said the statement. For his part, Pezeshkian said that "Iran is determined to implement all bilateral agreements and by further strengthening brotherly relations with Iraq and other Muslim and neighboring states, to neutralize the enemies' conspiracies to cause divisions among regional countries," according to a statement published on the website of his office. The two leaders also discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields to serve the interests of both countries and the two peoples. The "Web of Lies" episode of ABC News' "20/20" limited true crime series "Bad Romance," airing April 1 at 10 p.m. and streaming the next day on Hulu, features a case previously covered in a 2021 episode of "20/20." After the brutal murder of his first wife, Mark Winger moved on. After all, he was seen as the hero who tried to save her, subsequently killing her supposed murderer with his handgun moments later. Police quickly concluded the 1995 killing of Donnah Winger was a tragic incident, committed at the hands of a seemingly mentally unwell driver who'd once driven her home from the airport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was an earth-shattering tragedy for Donnah's family and Winger went on to marry the beautiful young nanny that he'd hired to care for his and his late wife's recently adopted newborn. He then had three more children with her in the following years. It wasn't until 1999, more than three years after Donnah's murder, when her best friend DeAnn Schultz came forward to say that she'd had an affair with Winger before her friend's killing that police began to look deeper into the case. MORE: How a Texas woman was slain a week before her wedding At the time, Schultz told police that Winger had made several incriminating comments, including, "It would be easier for us to be together if Donnah just died," and, "All you'd have to do is come in and find the body." Schultz said she felt at the time that the comments were just "crazy talk." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Donnah's family and Winger's ex-wife, Rebecca Simic, spoke to "20/20" about the horrific realization that Mark Winger was a manipulative killer hiding beneath the mask of a brilliant engineer and a kind, loving husband and father. Donnah and Mark Winger fall in love "He was smart, Jewish. He was attractive and he was fun," Donnah Winger's sister, Jenny Levin, told "20/20." "[Donnah] just felt like she had found her person." Donnah was the eldest of three sisters in what they described as an incredibly close-knit family. The Dreschers grew to love Winger too. PHOTO: After Mark and Donnah Winger were married in 1989, he was offered a job and the newlyweds settled in Springfield, Illinois. (Drescher Family) "We always joked about that when one sister marries, that husband marries three sisters," Levin said. "We shared our lives with Mark." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Mark and Donnah Winger were married in 1989, he was offered a job and the newlyweds settled in Springfield, Illinois. Donnah was working as an operating room technician and he was a nuclear engineer. "Donnah couldn't have been happier. The only thing was she would have liked to have had a child," her step-father, Ira Drescher, said. PHOTO: We always joked about that when one sister marries, that husband marries three sisters, Jenny Levin said. We shared our lives with Mark. (ABC) Donnah's mother, Sara Jane Drescher, said her daughter was overwhelmed when she learned that she could not get pregnant. But then, one day while working at the hospital, a doctor told Donnah that a teenager was looking to put her baby up for adoption. Adopting the child was an easy decision for her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: How investigators solved the love triangle murder case of Sabrina and Robert Limon "She looked at me with tears and she said, 'Michelle, I knew it the minute they put that baby into my arms, she has always been mine,'" Donnah's sister Michelle Hansen told "20/20." The Wingers welcomed baby Bailey into their home on June 1, 1995. Donnah's family said the couple loved their new roles as parents. They seemed to have all the makings of a long and happy life together. PHOTO: Donnah's sister Michelle Hansen. (ABC) "Mark was just as excited to become a dad as Donnah was to become a mom," Hansen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Donnah had met the woman who would eventually become her best friend, DeAnn Schultz, at the hospital and with the arrival of Bailey the two bonded over motherhood. August 29, 1995: The day of the murders People were just returning home from work the day Mark Winger called 911 to report that he'd shot a man who "was killing" his wife. When former Springfield police Det. Charlie Cox arrived at the Winger's home, he remembered they could see the victims from the front door. PHOTO: Donnah with her mom and step-dad Sara Jane and Ira Drescher and her two sisters Jenny and Michelle. (Drescher Family) "Donnah was clinging to life," former Sangamon County assistant state attorney Steve Weinhoeft said. "She had been hit no less than seven times in the head with a hammer." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Cold cases that once baffled investigators are getting solved with help of cutting-edge DNA technology The second victim, a white man, had suffered two gunshot wounds to the head but still had a pulse when police arrived, Weinhoeft said. "It was quite chaotic," Cox said. "I knew that they were probably gonna be transporting the victims soon, so I wanted to try and get identification on the male subject." Cox found the man's wallet and was able to identify him as Roger Harrington. PHOTO: When former Springfield police Det. Charlie Cox arrived at the Wingers home, he remembered they could see the victims from the front door. (ABC) Police recovered a bloodied hammer near the two bodies and found Winger's .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun, a yellow mug and a pack of cigarettes on the same dining table. They also noticed that Harrington's car had been parked against traffic, facing the wrong direction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the crime scene, Cox said Winger was "very upset [and] very emotional," and that he repeatedly asked who the man he'd killed was. Cox avoided identifying Harrington and tried to calm Winger down. Winger told police he was on the treadmill in the basement when he heard a noise upstairs, former Springfield police Detective Jim Graham said. Winger went to investigate, first going to the master bedroom in the house, where he found Bailey on the bed, Cox said. Then, he heard more noises and grabbed his handgun from the nightstand before heading to the dining room. PHOTO: Donnah was the eldest of three sisters in what they described as an incredibly close-knit family. (Drescher Family) Winger told police that as he walked down the hallway, he saw Harrington with a hammer swinging at his wife, Graham said. Winger said he shot Harrington, then immediately shot him a second time after he began to sit up, Cox said. As police combed through the scene, Winger asked police if the intruder's name was Roger. Cox confirmed that it was. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Mark was shocked and he said, 'Oh my god! That's the man who has been harassing my wife this week,'" Cox said. MORE: Former preacher admits to cheating on his wife but denies killing her 19 years later Just days prior, Donnah had gone to see her parents in Hollywood, Florida. Her mother had dropped her off at the airport and hired a driver to pick her up in St. Louis, Missouri, and drive her back to Springfield. That driver was Harrington. "It was about a two-hour drive and there was a lot of time to talk," Levin said. "This gentleman started opening up to Donnah about issues he was having. He had a voice in his head named Dahm. ... Dahm would tell him to do bad things. Recently, Dahm was telling him to hurt people." PHOTO: Donnah's parents and sisters grew to love Winger as well. (ABC) Cox said the driver started flirting with her, telling her he liked older women and even inviting her to attend what he described as one of his "sex parties." Donnah had told her family the ride was terrifying and that he was driving erratically at 75 miles per hour. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "After the harrowing ride, Donnah had been the victim of some strange phone calls," Weinhoeft said. "They had believed that the driver had been stalking her and was a danger." Winger called the limousine company to file a complaint and Harrington was suspended. Winger urged his wife to write the story down in case they might need it, Hansen said. Police later found the note describing Donnah's harrowing car ride in her handwriting at the crime scene. Cox, who was familiar with Harrington after he'd lived in a trailer park owned by Cox, believed it was possible that Harrington had "snapped." MORE: Montana woman reflects on her miraculous survival after getting shot several times "I knew him as a very volatile-type subject. ... Him and his wife rented a trailer from me," Cox said. "Knowing what I knew about Mr. Harrington in the past, how quick he was to anger, I thought that he very well could have went over there to try to get his job back ... there's a hammer layin' right there on the table. He picks it up and goes into a rage then the husband shoots the bad guy." PHOTO: After Mark and Donnah Winger were married in 1989, he was offered a job and the newlyweds settled in Springfield, Illinois. Donnah was working as an operating room technician and he was a nuclear engineer. (Drescher Family) After police examined the scene and listened to Winger's story, detectives concluded that he had acted in self-defense. The case was closed in about 48 hours, Weinhoeft said. Harrington's family insisted from the beginning that their son was harmless. "He was no troublemaker. He was a good kid. He wouldn't even strike at anybody," his mother, Helen Harrington said. "I don't think he would hurt anybody and I don't think he was crazy." Donnah's mother spoke to "20/20" about the evening that the family received the news of her daughter's murder. "It was 4 [o'clock] in the morning ... and I said, 'Jenny, it's mom. Something terrible has happened,'" Sara Jane Drescher said of her call to Levin. "We sat there in my room ... just crying at this unimaginable loss," Levin said. PHOTO: I loved [Mark] because he loved Donnah and thats what was important to me, Donnah's mother Sara Jane Drescher said. (ABC) In the following months, Donnah's mother and sister took turns traveling to Illinois to help take care of Bailey. "I loved [Mark] because he loved Donnah and that's what was important to me," Sara Jane Drescher said. "But I had to be very careful, because I did not want to ruin my relationship with him, because I did not want to ruin my relationship with the baby. I wanted to be a grandma and [Bailey] made me a grandma." Over time, they realized it would be too difficult to continue traveling to take care of the baby so they suggested that Winger hire a nanny. January 1996: Rebecca Simic becomes Bailey's nanny and then something more Rebecca Simic was a young and beautiful nanny with a "heart of gold" who wanted to help the family, Hansen said. "I didn't want to like Rebecca, but it was hard to not like her," Levin said. "Seeing her with Bailey, there was really nothing bad we could say about her." Simic told "20/20" she was "blown away" by what the infant had been through in such a short time. PHOTO: Mark made me feel like I was like an angel sent to him from God or Donnah, and it was my purpose to make this family whole again,' Simic said. (ABC) "She lost two mothers by the time she was 3 months old, and she was so smiley," Simic said. "I wanted to get in there and say, 'I'm gonna help and I'm gonna make this little girl's life better.'" But as Simic adjusted to her new role, Donnah's friend, DeAnn Schultz, began to make her feel uncomfortable and seemed to be pushing to stay involved in Bailey's life, Simic said. In January 1996 Winger stopped by the police station to get his gun back. He asked Cox about the status of the case and if it was still open, Cox said. "I just had an uneasy feeling about it," Cox recalled. Meanwhile, Simic's role at Winger's home had begun to evolve. "When you live with someone and you're taking care of a child together, it's very easy to kind of play 'house.' You're already put in those roles," Simic said. "Mark made me feel like I was like an angel sent to him from God or Donnah, and it was my purpose to make this family whole again." PHOTO: Rebecca Simic and Mark Winger eloped in Hawaii. (Rebecca Simic) She said she saw Winger as a hero in the family's tragic story of Donnah's murder, and that she believed he'd tried his best to save her. MORE: How a Colorado man pushing his wife off a cliff exposed decades of lies "I remember asking him how he could move on so quickly, and he explained to me that when you have a good marriage it's natural for you just to want that again," Simic told "20/20." Simic said Winger had told her he wasn't able to have children. So, she said she was "very surprised" when she found out she was pregnant with his child only months after moving in. "Obviously, I wasn't careful ... It was just kind of a shock," she said. Winger, on the other hand, was "thrilled," Simic recalled. "I felt like it was a victory to him," she said. "Mark put pressure on me to marry him and have children with him." PHOTO: Rebecca Simic and Mark Winger eloped in Hawaii. (Rebecca Simic) Simic said that Winger, who was Jewish when they met, even started going to church with her. She said he told her they could raise a family in a Christian home. "'I would be honored to be your husband and blessed if you were my wife,'" Winger wrote in a letter to Simic. Winger's rabbi Michael Datz asked him about his change in faith, and he says that Winger explained, "Judaism is just too difficult and unforgiving." Rabbi Datz didn't understand, asking, "Mark, I don't know what you're talking about. What do you need forgiveness for?" He said Winger didn't respond. The couple eloped in Hawaii. December 1996: Mark Winger and his growing family drift apart from Donnah's relatives Sixteen months after his wife's death, Winger told Sara Jane Drescher that he was going to sell the house where Donnah Winger had died and buy another one just outside of town. He and Rebecca had started a family of their own and he started cutting ties with Donnah's parents. "I received a letter from Mark one day saying to me I could not be called grandma," Sara Jane Drescher said. "I wrote him back and I begged him, 'Please let her call me grandma.' And he said, 'I'm sorry. There's no way that I am going to allow her to call you grandma, and that's the way it is.'" She said she mourned that loss for "a long time." Bailey Simic, now 25, told "20/20" that her grandmother and grandfather, Ira Drescher, would send a birthday card to her every year. "I always remember asking my mom, 'Who's Sara Jane and Ira?'" she said. "My mom would always explain, like, 'Those are Donnah's parents and they just wanna let you know that, like, they love you and that they remember you.'" February 1999: DeAnn Schultz comes forward to police Three-and-a-half years after the murders of Donnah Winger and Roger Harrington, Schultz came forward to police about the affair she'd had with Winger before his wife's death. "Mark was having a romantic relationship with DeAnn -- one of our sisters, as we considered her -- and that was something that we never, ever suspected," Levin said. Schultz told police about the incriminating statements Winger had made to her before the murders. "DeAnn stated that she declined to participate in that," Weinhoeft said, referring to potentially finding Donnah's body. "After Mark learned about the trip that Donnah took with Roger Harrington, he told DeAnn, 'I've gotta get that driver in my house.'" After the murders, Schultz's life went into a downward spiral as investigators claimed she struggled to make sense of the information she knew. She revealed to investigators that she had attempted suicide several times. Once Schultz came forward, investigators decided to reexamine the evidence on the case, but to their surprise, it was gone. The evidence they'd once held from Harrington and Donnah Winger's case had been released to Winger's attorney, who was working on a civil lawsuit against BART Transportation. Winger filed the suit in an attempt to hold the company accountable for his wife's death, presumably committed by Harrington, who was the company's employee at the time. Police reexamined certain aspects of the incident, such as why there weren't signs of forced entry into the home and why Harrrington might've left potential murder weapons inside his car, including a tire iron and a knife, and instead used a hammer belonging to the Wingers, which happened to be on the kitchen table. PHOTO: Former Sangamon County assistant state attorney Steve Weinhoeft worked on the Winger case. (ABC) Harrington's car had also been conspicuously parked the wrong way, appearing to indicate Harrington did not try to hide that he was at the Winger's home. Detectives also discovered Polaroid photos that had been taken by one of the officers first to arrive at the scene on that day in 1995. The three photos revealed the positions of the bodies before they were rushed to the hospital. The images did not fit the story Winger told. "Mark Winger had stated that Roger Harrington was kneeling down right next to Donnah Winger's head, and he was beating her with a hammer," Weinhoeft said. "He stated that he shot him and that the man fell backwards, so that his feet remained near Donnah's head. In reality, the Polaroids photographs show the exact opposite." Cox said the photos showed that Harrington and Donnah Winger were laying in the same direction. "As such, there's no way this murder could've happened the way Mark Winger described," Weinhoeft said. "Mark Winger had concluded that he wanted to kill his wife," Weinhoeft said. "Then, Roger Harrington happened to be the one who drove Donnah Winger. ... Mark saw this as a golden opportunity. And he told DeAnn that he needed to get that man into his house , and that's exactly what he did." December 1999: Mark Winger seen as a suspect in wife's murder In December 1999, more than four years after the murders, the Springfield State Journal Register ran an article based on allegations in the civil lawsuit that Winger had arranged the murder himself and killed both his wife and Harrington. The allegations were based on a blood spatter expert hired by BART Transportation in the case. "Everything came to a head ... It changed everything," Simic said of the article. "I mean, it went from Winger as the hero who was defending his wife -- this noble, stand-up guy -- that every man wanted to pat on the back, to manipulative, deviant murderer." As the detectives continued their reinvestigation, they learned that Harrington's roommate, Susan Collins, had initially told police that someone asked to meet with Harrington on the day of the murders, and that she'd seen Harrington on the phone arranging that meeting. Inside Harrington's car, they found a note written on a bank deposit slip with Mark Winger's name, his address and the time to be there. "Roger Harrington was not an intruder but rather he was lured into that home by Mark Winger," Weinhoeft said. DeAnn Schultz's cooperation with police and evidence that raised questions about Mark Winger's story prompted the voluntary dismissal of the civil suit against BART Transportation. "I didn't see it coming," Simic said. "I didn't know that this whole investigation was brewing. I never thought the whole time that they thought my husband was a diabolical murderer." Aug. 23, 2001: A grand jury indicts Mark Winger A grand jury quickly returned an indictment against Winger for the murders of Harrington and Donnah Winger. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was taken into custody while at work. "I had made plans to go to McDonald's Playland," Simic said. "We were there and I got a phone call. And it was Mark's secretary, and she told me that Mark had just been arrested -- I just was sick. Like, my whole body just kind of went numb, and I just couldn't believe it. ... I was shaking so badly and I just remember feeling so scared." Hansen, Donnah's sister, said she didn't feel relieved following Winger's arrest. "I still wanted to believe he was innocent," she said. "Here's this person that I know ... in handcuffs, and what's gonna happen?" PHOTO: On Aug. 1, 2002, Mark Winger was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for the murder of his wife and Harrington. (Illinois Dept. of Corrections) Simic said when she learned about Winger's arrest, she was "feeling so scared" and didn't feel like "anybody really cared about the kids and I because we were a part of him." "I felt that I owed it to him and to my kids to just stand by him," she said. Bailey was just 6 years old at the time of Winger's arrest. She said no longer having her father home was scary. "I just remember everyone just trying to remain calm and kind of, at the time, being like 'Dad's just going away for a while and that he'll be back soon,'" she said. While he was detained, Winger wrote letters to his children. Bailey remembered how excited she was when they arrived in the mail. PHOTO: Rebecca Simic and Mark Winger had three biological children and one adopted daughter from his previous marriage. (Rebecca Simic) "He would always draw the circle at the end of his letter and then he said that he would kiss it, and then we would kiss it and it was like he was giving us a kiss," she told "20/20." May 20, 2002: Mark Winger's trial begins "The first time I saw Rebecca was at the trial. I wanted to love Rebecca. She adored Bailey," Hansen said. "But, I also wanted to hate Rebecca, because Rebecca took my sister's husband, married him, adopted her child, and then had three more children that my sister wasn't able to do." Levin also said she felt their bond with Simic "was no longer there." One of the key points the prosecution had to prove was that Harrington had gone to the house to meet with the Wingers, not to commit a murder. They presented the cigarettes and coffee mug that he'd brought inside as well as the weapons he'd left in his car and the note with Mark Winger's name and address. Winger's attorney argued that Harrison was mentally ill, that he behaved erratically and that these traits indicated he was capable of murder. PHOTO: The Wingers welcomed baby Bailey into their home on June 1, 1995. (ABC) When prosecutors presented the Polaroids showing the position of the bodies before they were removed from the scene, Winger's attorney argued throughout the trial that first responders could have moved the bodies. "It's our belief that Roger comes to the house, he's allowed into the home," retired Detective Jim Graham said. "There was no signs of forced entry and he was executed at that time. Hearing the gunshot, Donnah Winger then comes from the bedroom to investigate. He then beats his wife to death with a hammer. Mark then calls 911." In the 911 call, Harrington can be heard moaning in the background when Winger tells the operator he can hear his baby crying and hangs up. He had told the operator there was "a bullet in [Harrison's] head," but when police arrived, Harrington had been shot twice. Schultz also gave damning testimony at the trial, saying that Winger told her that "it would be easier if Donnah just died." "I thought it was ... crazy talk," she said during her cross-examination. After a chance meeting years later, Schultz testified she confronted Winger in the hopes of gathering information and asked him how he lived with himself and that he'd replied that he had found Jesus Christ and was forgiven. She said he warned her that if she ever said anything, they would both be in trouble. PHOTO: Rebecca Simic was hired to be a nanny for Bailey but ended up in a romantic relationship with Mark Winger. (ABC) "I didn't think that anybody would believe her," Simic said. "I just thought if Mark truly did that, she would have come forward right away." Winger's defense argued that Schultz was emotionally unstable and just a woman who'd been scorned. "DeAnn Schultz's testimony was able to demonstrate that, in reality, Mark was obviously unhappy, unfaithful and had specifically talked about wanting to kill his wife," Weinhoeft said. "Schultz was granted immunity for her testimony," he added. "There was no direct evidence that directly linked DeAnn to actively participating in this crime. At the end, she was such a valuable witness as it relates to presenting the motive." June 5, 2002: Jury returns verdict on Winger case After a trial that lasted three weeks, the jury found Winger guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. Simic said she believed he would have been going home with them. After hearing the verdict, she said the words "guilty" rang through her head and that she wanted "the earth to open up and swallow me." Sara Jane Drescher said her daughters, Donnah's sisters, were with her when they heard the verdict. "The three of us just embraced and cried," she said. Helen Harrington was relieved and grateful her son had been vindicated of Donnah's murder. "We knew that Roger was innocent, and it finally got proven," she said. "He was branded a murderer at the time, but then all this came to an end." PHOTO: He was no troublemaker. He was a good kid. He wouldn't even strike at anybody, Roger's mother, Helen Harrington said. I dont think he would hurt anybody and I dont think he was crazy. (ABC) The police had to come to terms with the faulty initial investigation. "I was ashamed of the way the investigation went," Cox said. "I hurt Roger Harrington's family. I ran his name through hell for no reason. I mean, he was an innocent victim." "The police department had too hastily closed the case and turned a blind eye to some red flags, and to right such a wrong, it felt great," Graham added. Simic said there wasn't any closure for her or her family. "When we lose someone, you know, we gather. We have a funeral," Simic said. "But when someone goes to prison, well, what do you do? You're just kind of left with this emptiness and this hole that, you can't really-- have closure with that." PHOTO: On Aug. 1, 2002, Mark Winger was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for the murder of his wife and Harrington. (Illinois Dept. of Corrections) On Aug. 1, 2002, Mark Winger was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for the murder of his wife and Harrington. To this day, Winger maintains his innocence. "It wasn't just him being sentenced to life," Simic said. "We were sentenced to a life of a father in prison." A lifetime of consequences following Mark Winger's murders Bailey Simic says she missed having her father around while growing up. "It was really hard being in school seeing all the other kids have their dads and that relationship," she said. "And now, suddenly, I couldn't just go to my dad's room or have him pick us up from school or anything like that." Ben Simic was only a year old when his dad went to prison. PHOTO: Donnah was the eldest of three sisters in what they described as an incredibly close-knit family. (Drescher Family) "I can look at the pictures and look at myself and say, 'That kid had no idea. He was way too young to know anything that was going on,'" he said. Rebecca Simic moved out of Springfield with her kids and the home that she'd bought with Mark Winger was foreclosed. Simic, who had been a stay-at-home mom for seven years, filed for bankruptcy. "I didn't have anything to give my kids. Everything had been taken away. All I had was love," she said. The family changed their surname from Winger to Simic. In 2005, Mark Winger was implicated in a murder-for-hire plot where he allegedly tried to put a hit on DeAnn Schultz and a childhood friend who refused to pay his bail. He was tried and convicted again, this time of solicitation of murder. He was sentenced to an additional 35 years in prison. PHOTO: The family changed their surname from Winger to Simic. (ABC) Bailey has since reunited with Donnah's family. "It was so incredible to see that there's this whole big family that loves me and Sara Jane still has my baby picture on her kitchen counter with all of her other grandkids, even though we've been gone for so long," she said. "We'd been hurt a lot by the same person. But it didn't break us," Rebecca Simic said. Although Sara Jane Drescher says there will never be closure for the murder of her daughter, the family has worked together to set up Donnah's Fund, which is a part of Women in Distress, an organization that works to provide shelter for women trying to escape abuse. "I think her legacy will live on through the people that we help," Levin said. "and through the beautiful memories that we have of her." Families torn apart by killer dad reflect on years they believed he was a hero originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Senate Bill 697, the Caregiver Tax Credit Act, would establish a nonrefundable tax credit for eligible family members for expenditures incurred in their caregiving duties. (Getty Images) Family members caring for aging parents, spouses, veterans and others in West Virginia would be eligible for a tax credit, according to a bill in the Senate. AARP West Virginia backs this bill, estimating that it could help 250,000 caregivers who are helping family members in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as Crossover Day is Wednesday the day legislation must move out of their chamber of origin the tax credit bill sits parked in the Senate Finance Committee. Family caregivers often face significant out-of-pocket expenses, averaging over $7,200 annually, to ensure their loved ones receive the necessary care, said Gaylene Miller, AARP West Virginia state director. A caregiver tax credit would provide significant financial relief to family caregivers, promoting independence and safety for loved ones, and encouraging more individuals to take on caregiving roles. The measure, Senate Bill 697, is known as the Caregiver Tax Credit Act. It would establish a nonrefundable tax credit with a maximum of $2,000 for eligible family members 18 years of age and older for eligible expenditures incurred in their caregiving duties. A fiscal note by the state Tax and Revenue Department estimates that the proposed legislation would result in a loss of General Revenue funds of $160 million to $260 million per year beginning in fiscal year 2028. Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman, R-Ohio While this tax credit will cost the state initially, I believe the savings will more than be made up for it because Medicaid will not have to pay for nursing home residential care, said Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman, R-Ohio, who sponsored the bill. Beyond the savings, our elderly deserve to remain in their homes surrounded by their loved ones for as long as possible. Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell Representatives from AARP West Virginia say their research shows 84% of Republican, Democratic and independent voters support a tax credit for caregivers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The caregiver tax credit bill is a righteous investment in keeping disabled or elderly West Virginians out of institutional care, said Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, a co-sponsor of the measure. This is the most West Virginia bill I have seen in 11 sessions. We are our brothers keepers. The Senate Health Committee advanced the legislation March 19, sending the measure to the finance committee. Senate Finance Chairman Jason Barrett was unavailable to comment for this story. U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., has introduced a bill on the federal level the Credit for Caring Act aimed at providing financial relief for family caregivers. The bipartisan legislation would offer a tax credit of up to $5,000 for eligible working family caregivers to help offset caregiving expenses. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX HARTFORD, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) The family of a Fort Smith man who passed away just days after being involved in a hit-and-run motorcycle crash on March 17 is speaking out for the first time. Warren Campbell, 52, died at 8:50 p.m. on March 20 at Washington Regional Medical Center, after battling with his injuries, according to his mother. Sebastian County Sheriffs deputies arrested John A. Bailey, 52, of Bonanza in connection with the hit-and-run. He was initially arrested on a leaving the scene of an accident with a serious injury charge, but has now received charges of negligent homicide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richard James Campbell Jr., the brother of Warren Campbell, is now speaking out to honor the memory of his younger brother. Fort Smith man dies in hospital following hit-and-run accident When we were kids, we were raised on a little town called Abbot about 15 miles southeast of here, Richard Campbell said. Wed be having a good time just being kids. You know, looking for ponds to fish in or thats creek fishing or squirrel hunting or just exploring. Richard Campbell says theres many things that hell remember his brother by. We went on a ride down, up, around Mount Magazine, down through Paris and stopping and taking pictures, and Ive got pictures of him on the train when we were in at the Paris Park and just acting goofy, like he always did, Richard Campbell said. He was always a daredevil. If everybody else was scared to do it, he wanted to be the one to do it first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richard Campbell says he and his brother found a common interest during their childhood, which has carried over to adulthood, even years later. My older brother, he got us into the hot-rod cars, then we gradually got into the motorcycles, Richard Campbell said. Warren really, really had a passion for the motorcycles and he never lost it. Richard Campbell says every single biker is aware of the risk you take when you decide to step onto a motorcycle. Every time you get on one, you know youre taking your life in your own hands, Richard Campbell said. He says he never imagined that it would hit so close to home, like it did for the Campbells. Richard Campbell says he has one wish for what took place on that night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I hope he was unconscious as soon as he hit that truck. So, I hope he wasnt laying in the middle of the street wondering if this is the last Im going to see my family or my friends, Richard Campbell said. What happened to Warren can happen to any of us: Friend of hit-and-run victim speaks out He says the day his brother was involved in the accident will forever be burned into his memory, especially after the Sebastian County Sheriffs Office said that the suspect left the scene and attempted to cover his tracks by painting over the damage caused to his truck. He left my brother in the middle of the road like a dog hed run over. Then the coward goes home and paints his truck and tried to hide evidence. He left my brother there. And my brother did die because of this coward, Richard Campbell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richard Campbell said he and his mother were confident that Warren Campbell would live through his injuries, but after days, he took a turn for the worse. Me and my mother, we both had no doubt he was going to walk out of that hospital. The you know, the I guess a I guess the good Lord needed him more than we do, Richard Campbell said. Warrens blue Yamaha motorcycle is now hoisted from a tree behind a creek on Richard Campbells property, serving as a constant reminder of what happened. I havent decided whether to bury it or shoot it or both, Richard Campbell said. Richard Campbell says hes felt the presence of his brother while sitting on his front porch, amidst the sound of wind chimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His spirits with us, and no doubt about it. I said, Ill see you all down the road, brother,' Richard Campbell said. However, he says the anger is starting to set in. I know the felony charge theyve got him charged with carries up to 20 years. I dont want him doing five years and being out in 18 months. I dont want no plea bargains. He left my brother for dead, and my brother died. I want him maximum sentence, and I want him behind bars for years John Bailey, I hope youre watching this. And I hope you remember my face, Richard Campbell said. Hes also demanding justice from officials. I want to say this to Linda Ward, the prosecuting attorney. We dont want to plea bargain. We dont want him out a few months. We want him to do serious time for years beyond those bars, I pray that you do your job do, Richard Campbell 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 KNWA FOX24. GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) April marks Child Abuse Prevention Month, and a local non-profit hosted an annual event to kick off the month to raise awareness with the hope of ending child abuse nationwide. Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin invited people to join as they planted pinwheels outside their facility in Green Bay on Tuesday morning for the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. Ophelia is home!: NEW Zoo announces the safe return for one of its two missing otters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pinwheels for Prevention initiative is a nationwide campaign designed to raise awareness of child abuse prevention, as participants plant pinwheels throughout their community. According to a release, about 5,000 suspected child abuse cases are reported in Brown County annually. Kristie Sickel, the Willow Tree Program Manager and Child Forensic Interviewer at the Cornerstone Child Advocacy Center, says the pinwheel is a national symbol of Child Abuse Prevention. The pinwheels joyfulness as it blows in the wind represents the carefreeness that every child should experience, Sickel said. Each pinwheel planted today represents a child who has received a Child Forensic Interview or child maltreatment evaluation as part of an active investigation in 2025 throughout northeast Wisconsin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 2,400 students attend Wisconsin Future Business Leadership Conference in Green Bay Family Services said it hopes this display will bring attention and help prevent child abuse, promoting programs to ensure parents are equipped with proper skills and resources to care for their kids. Visit the Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin website for more details. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. WREG investigators are learning new information about a young woman who police say was sexually assaulted and killed in her Hickory Hill apartment. It happened on July 9, 2024, around 3 in the morning. Aaliyah Kyles was in her apartment on Bald Eagle Drive when someone reportedly climbed through her broken window. Investigators say neighbors reported gunfire and someone in all-black bolting from Kyles apartment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 17-year-old was arrested and could be tried as an adult after he confessed to sexually assaulting and fatally shooting her. Aaliyah Kyles was only 19-years-old. WREG has now learned the victims parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a company out of New Jersey that owns both the Boulevard, where Kyles lived, and Parkway Apartments. The apartment was Kyles first. She had just graduated and was working. 19-year-old killed in shooting; family seeks justice The properties are next door to each other and, according to court records, share a single outer perimeter fence and are NOT separated by any form. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyles parents are also suing the property manager and the security company they employed at the time of their daughters death. Were learning he (the suspect) biked onto the property. He had easy access to the property and broke into her home, said attorney Esperanza King, who is representing Kyles parents. This apartment complex seems to be the epicenter of crime in the Hickory Hill area. King told WREG the properties have a history of concern, and the complaint lists several problems such as a complete lack of security measures, a lack of adequate gates and fences, a failure to provide and/or maintain security cameras and strangers in and around the property. Problems, King says, violate basic tenant rights outlined in the state law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement King states that between July 2019 and July 2024, theyve found a large stack of incident reports, including five homicides, 85 aggravated assaults, 224 assaults, 54 burglaries or break-ins and 28 weapon violations. Suspect in downtown Memphis shooting found dead in Houston: MPD According to the citys public safety map, within a quarter-mile radius of the apartments during the same time, there were more than 2,000 crimes reported. Add another 300 police reports to that pile since then, including three homicides, 18 aggravated assaults and six robberies. We want to make sure that places that are ridden with crime that it is addressed and that it does not continue to grow, King said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WREG contacted the apartment complexes and security company through the contact options on their websites, but havent had any luck. The property management company told us no comment. We also asked the district attorneys office if they are looking into the properties and if they could be declared a nuisance, but they said they are not on their radar just yet. DA will seek adult charges for juvenile in rape, murder case Weve been told that Kyles parents are full of emotion after the suspects arrest and are reliving it all again. Now, theyre left with even more questions. While speaking with WREG after their daughters death, they described her as loving, outspoken and happy-go-lucky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They added that she was the glue to their family and their everything. Their attorney now says based on what theyve discovered, her death could have been prevented. She said its their mission to make sure it doesnt happen again. This is not the only apartment complex in Memphis that doesnt seem to secure their property, provide security to their tenants and has high rates of crime, King said. You have to provide some sort of security. Kyles parents are asking for $10 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in punitive damages. WREG has also learned that the apartments receive a PILOT, which is a break on their taxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators are continuing to dig to find out 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 WREG.com. Maiker Espinoza Escalona, his partner Yorely Bernal Inciarte and their one-year old baby entered the United States last year and requested asylum, hoping that after turning themselves in to authorities they would be released and allowed to begin their new life as a family. But that would never happen. The three have been separated since they turned themselves in, their family told ABC News. Inciarte has been detained at a detention center in El Paso, Texas, the baby has been in government custody and Escalona is at the notorious prison CECOT in El Salvador. Escalona, according to his family and the American Civil Liberties Union, had been detained in Texas since May 2024 and was transferred last week to Guantanamo. He was among 17 individuals who were sent to El Salvador on Sunday by the Trump administration under Title 8 authorities, according to a White House official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration accused Escalona of being a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, an accusation his family denies. PHOTO: Maiker Escalona and his family were separated after entering the U.S. in 2024. (Raida ) "They are liars," said Raida, Inciarte's mother, of the Trump administration. "I cannot believe that half of Venezuela is Tren de Aragua. That can't be." "For them to be sent [to El Salvador] you have to investigate and prove they are what they are being accused of," Raida added in Spanish. "We're distraught, I don't wish this on anyone." "DHS has thorough intelligence assessments to determine if an individual is a member of one of these vicious gangs," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told ABC News in a statement. "These terrorists are a threat to national security and the safety of Americans. The premise that these individuals are not gang members is based on faulty assumptions." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem went to CECOT and said in a video posted to X that the facility in El Salvador is "one of the tools in our toolkit" the administration uses against those who "commit crimes against Americans." Noem praised the U.S government and El Salvador's "partnership" and called the individuals sent to CECOT "terrorists." Raida told ABC News that she found out that Escalona was in El Salvador after she saw a video posted on social media by Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador. MORE: El Salvador prison holding alleged Venezuelan gang members has been criticized for alleged abuses Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They were shaving his head," Raida said in tears. "They had him dressed in all white and he was on his knees." Raida, who said she is taking care of Escalona and Inciarte's 6-year-old son in Venezuela, said she believes the couple were detained because of their tattoos. PHOTO: Maiker Escalona was a barber in Venezuela. (Raida ) "My daughter has a tattoo of the year I was born and the year her dad was born. She also has the name of her son and some flowers on her chest," Raida said. "Maiker is a tattoo artist and he would do her tattoos." Marly, who is Escalona's sister, said her brother was also a barber and traveled to the U.S. for a better life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My brother is a 25-year-old guy, a dreamer, like all Venezuelans," Marly said in Spanish. "He loves cutting hair. He finished high school, he took courses in barbering and set up his barbershop in Venezuela. But things got a bit tough in Venezuela, so he emigrated to have a better life." PHOTO: Maiker Escalona's family recognized him in the notorious in El Salvador on a video posted to social media (Obtained by ABC News) Marly provided ABC News with documents that appear to be from the Venezuelan government declaring to U.S. authorities that Escalona does not have a criminal record in his home country. "He has no criminal record anywhere, nothing at all, he's completely clean," Marly said. Marly told ABC News she wants the Trump administration to send her brother and his family back to Venezuela. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's the American dream they talk about, but it's the American horror," she said. Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the ACLU, previously told ABC News he has serious concerns about what he called the government's "sudden allegations" against Escalona that precipitated him being sent to CECOT. "He and others being sent to the Salvadoran prison must be given due process to test the government's assertions," Gelernt said. Escalona filed a sworn declaration in early March in which he stated that he was not a gang member and asked the government not to send him to Guantanamo. Family of Venezuelan migrant recently sent to El Salvador: 'It's the American horror' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Its been nearly a week since El Paso District Attorney James Montoya announced that his office will no longer seek the death penalty for federally convicted Walmart shooter Patrick Crusius. Since then, more of the victims families have spoken out. Christopher Morales said his mother, grandmother, and aunt were inside the Walmart on that fateful day on Aug. 3, 2019. Morales said all three of them were shot that day, but his aunt, Teresa Sanchez, was killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DA: Victims families want Walmart case done with as soon as possible Crusius killed 23 people that day in a racially motivated attack and injured more than 20 others. In July 2023, he pleaded guilty to federal charges and was sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences. Following the DAs decision, Morales said he and his family wanted to move on, too, after nearly six years. The state case should have never happened in the first place. This shooter is serving 99 life sentences. We got justice. We need to move on from this specific situation so that we can continue our justice journey, because its not over yet, Morales said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morales said that his family wanted the death penalty, but added that a lot has happened behind the scenes over the years. You have to realize this: This case, behind the scenes, was we were basically abused by many different authorities that were supposed to be helping us, he said. Victims family reacts to Walmart gunman not facing death penalty Montoya said that he made the decision not to seek the death penalty at the state level after talking to victims families, who told him that they just wanted the case to be over with and were tired of the delays. Last week, KTSM spoke to family members of Jordan and Andre Anchondo, who died in the Walmart shooting protecting each other and their 2-month-old baby from gunfire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That family disagreed with the DAs decision, saying that the punishment didnt fit the magnitude of the crime. The Walmart gunman is expected to plead guilty to state charges and be sentenced to a life sentence without parole on April 21 in the 409th District Court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. By Elizabeth Pineau and Stephanie Lecocq PARIS/HENIN-BEAUMONT (Reuters) -A Paris court said on Tuesday three appeals have been filed so far in the case against the far-right National Rally party that saw leader Marine Le Pen banned from running for office for five years, but did not provide details on who had filed them. The appeals court said in a statement it would issue a ruling on the appeals in the summer of 2026, ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lower court convicted Le Pen and two dozen people from her National Rally (RN) party of embezzling EU funds on Monday. It imposed an immediate five-year ban on Le Pen running for office that will bar her from standing in 2027 unless she can get the ruling overturned on appeal before then. Le Pen's lawyer said on Monday she would appeal the ruling, but it was not clear if she had done so yet. Monday's ruling was a major setback for the longtime RN leader, who had been a front-runner in opinion polls for the 2027 presidential election. The ban will not be suspended during any appeal she lodges. Le Pen supporters at home and abroad have called the ruling biased and undemocratic and the party's president, Jordan Bardella, called on the French to protest this weekend against the ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The French should be outraged, and I tell them: Be outraged!" Bardella told Europe 1 radio and CNews TV. "We'll take to the streets this weekend." He said there would be leafleting and meetings across France and that RN lawmakers would hold news conferences in their constituencies. The party announced a rally in Paris on Sunday. Le Pen told RN lawmakers she considered the ruling a "nuclear bomb" launched by the establishment against her. A heated debate over the ruling dominated the weekly session of questions in the National Assembly, where the RN is the largest single party. Centre-right Prime Minister Francois Bayrou told parliament he backed the ruling but also that he had questions over Le Pen's election ban being immediate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As a matter of law, any criminal decision with serious consequences should be subject to appeal," he said, adding that he was speaking as a citizen rather than the prime minister. Bayrou said that if lawmakers they did not like the law that allows judges to make such a ban immediate, they should change it. One lawmaker allied with the RN, Eric Ciotti, said he would seek to do just that. President Emmanuel Macron, who beat Le Pen in elections in 2017 and 2022, has made no public comment. OPINION POLL The judge announcing Monday's court ruling, Benedicte de Perthuis, said Le Pen had been "at the heart" of a scheme to misappropriate more than 4 million euros ($4.3 million) of EU funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement De Perthuis said a lack of remorse shown by Le Pen and other defendants was among the reasons that prompted the court to ban them from running for office with immediate effect. Le Pen was also given a four-year prison sentence - two years of which were suspended and two years to be served under home detention - and a 100,000-euro ($108,200) fine, but those will not apply until her appeals are exhausted. Appeals in France usually take months or even years. The defendants were accused of using EU funds illegally to pay the party's staff back home instead of EU parliamentary assistants. They denied wrongdoing and said the money was used legitimately. Bardella could become the RN's de facto candidate for the 2027 election. But Le Pen made clear she was not yet ready to hand him the baton, saying on Monday: "I'm not going to let myself be eliminated like this." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An opinion poll showed a majority of French people agreed with the ruling barring the RN leader. Some 57% of those interviewed by Elabe pollsters for BFM TV said the ruling was normal considering what Le Pen was accused of, while 42% considered it politically biased. In Le Pen's stronghold of Henin-Beaumont, in northern France, RN officials handed out leaflets that read "Let's save democracy. Support Le Pen!" Reactions there to the ruling were mixed. "It's a shame because we needed a different president. We needed the RN to win," 56-year-old resident Pascal Walkowiak said on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another resident, Isabelle, 60, said: "Too bad for her. I think it's a good thing because she made mistakes." (Additional reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro, Sudip Kar-Gupta, Nicolas Delame, Bertrand Boucey and Makini BriceWriting by Ingrid MelanderEditing by Alison Williams and Frances Kerry) Russian forces did not launch a mass drone strike against Ukrainian civilian targets overnight on April 1, according to the Air Force's reports. "We'll keep monitoring; so far, it doesn't mean anything," National Security and Defense Council official Andrii Kovalenko said on his Telegram channel. Russian forces nevertheless attacked Ukraine with two Kh-59/69 guided missiles, targeting Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Air Force said in its regular morning update. The missiles were reportedly shot down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report mentioned no drone attacks, and the Air Force did not announce any alarms connected to drone strikes overnight. This would mark the first instance in 2025 when Russia did not attempt to strike Ukrainian cities, villages, and infrastructure with kamikaze drones en masse. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast officials nevertheless reported drone attacks against the region "between the evening and the morning," not commenting on the number of drones and revealing only limited damage. Despite this supposed pause on mass drone strikes against civilian targets, Russian drones have continued to engage Ukrainian forces in front-line operations. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported the destruction of 46 Russian operational-tactical drones over the past 24 hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian forces also continued attacking Ukrainian towns and villages with other weaponry, including KAB bombs and artillery, inflicting civilian casualties. Moscow's forces have been attacking Ukraine with unmanned aerial vehicles nearly on a daily basis, though there have been sporadic breaks in these strikes. The development follows an agreement on an energy ceasefire concluded by Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. in Riyadh on March 25. Russian forces have repeatedly attacked Ukrainian civilian targets, allegedly including energy facilities, since then. Read also: Russias Black Sea ceasefire demands are a fools errand for Trump, major blow for Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. Democrats continue to exhibit that they've learned little from their November election drubbing. The latest example comes from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who this month went on "The View" to criticize productive Americans. Schumer told the hosts, "The Republican Party is a different kettle of fish than it used to be, and that's why we're fighting them so hard. They are controlled by a small group of wealthy, greedy people." In a disparaging voice intended to mimic those who advocate for lower taxes and regulatory sanity, he added, "I made my money all by myself. How dare your government take my money from me. I don't want to pay taxes. I built my company with my bare hands, how dare your government tell me how I should treat my customers." Democrats have so thoroughly transformed into the party of the government, for the government and by the government that one of their leading lights has no hesitation about openly maligning private-sector entrepreneurs and job creators. Where does Schumer think the trillions in cash that he and his fellow travelers crave to spend every year actually come from? The disconnect and lack of self-awareness are astonishing. Schumer belittles "greedy" people trying to keep more of their own hard-earned money. But it is their money. Schumer, on the other hand, implies that the millions of Americans who pay income taxes should be happy that the government lets them keep any of their earnings at all. If wage earners advocate for lower taxes or less federal intrusion into their daily lives, they are rapacious fat cats or selfish misers. Yet Schumer and his cohorts constantly demand an ever-larger share of private-sector production to feed their addiction to spending other people's money. Exactly who are the "greedy" ones? In fact, many of the working-class and minority voters who have fled the Democratic Party in droves seek to improve their lives through hard work. They embrace the entrepreneurial spirit that has made the country the most prosperous in history. They welcome lower taxes and appreciate the dangers of government overreach. In contrast, Democrats sing the praises of "a large, intrusive state" that micromanages the economy, J.D. Tuccille of Reason recently noted. President Donald Trump made clear to voters his desire to impose a modicum of restraint on a federal government gushing red ink to the tune of $37 trillion. His vision carried the day, and polls show most Americans support his efforts to attack waste and inefficiency while leading the nation toward a more sustainable fiscal path. Democrats scoff at this common-sense agenda at their own risk. (COMMENT, BELOW) BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The drills around Taiwan Island are a serious warning and an act of containment against "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and a legitimate and necessary move to defend national sovereignty and uphold national unity, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. The Chinese People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command on Tuesday started to conduct joint exercises around Taiwan Island. In response to a relevant query, spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a daily press briefing that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory and the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affairs that brook no external interference. The Democratic Progressive Party authorities are hellbent on seeking "Taiwan independence," and attempt to solicit external support for that agenda and divide the country, said the spokesperson. "Such attempt is just futile and doomed to fail," Guo said. "The historical trend that China will and must achieve reunification is unstoppable." Far-right internet personality Stew Peters suggested he wants a final solution to remove Jewish people from the United States. Peters, known for spreading Covid-19 misinformation, promoting white supremacist rhetoric and denying the Holocaust, discussed on his March 27 show about how President Donald Trump is making Israel great again. His guest, Matt Baker, a self-described freedom fighter based in California, interjected: I dont think we should deport all Jewish people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well, Im two years ahead of you on that and in two years, youll come back and say, Yeah you were right about that, Peters said. Im a little bit ahead of people, just like I was with Covid and the bioweaponWe absolutely do need a final solution on that. Earlier in the episode, Peters said: Our country is not being put first, before calling Trumps administration the most anti-American administration of all time. Stew Peters says he wants a 'final solution' for deporting all Jewish people from America in an episode of his show (Stew Peters Network) Baker praised Trumps handling of the border before saying: We did not vote for this Israel-first BS, pointing to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus visit to the White House, the creation of the anti-Semitism task force and the cancelation of sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Peters later accused the administration of propping up this pedophilic, homosexual, genocidal nation state instead of protecting our country and bringing our troops home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A number of notable Trump allies have sat down for interviews with Peters, including FBI director Kash Patel, failed gubernatorial and Senate candidate Kari Lake, and GOP congressmen Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs and Pete Sessions. During Patels confirmation hearing, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin asked if he was familiar with Peters. Not off the top of my head, Patel replied, prompting Durbin to inform him that he appeared on his show eight separate times. The X account Right Wing Watch posted the clip of Peters and Baker, which has been seen 260,000 times. The Independent has reached out to a representative for Peters for comment. On March 31, Peters responded to an X user calling on him to be jailed for threatening people. The podcast host wrote: Hi, jew. Im still walking around and not in prison, for using words, because its my Constitutional right. We need a final solution. The truth is radical. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That same day, Peters posted a screenshot from a Reddit user posting a call to action to report Peters account for incitement of violence. This sort of degeneracy and hate does not belong in civilized society, the Reddit post read, referring to his final solution comment. Peters remarked: Jews are mass reporting my account, claiming Im inciting violence. In the post being shared, I do not mention, condone, or even allude to violence AT ALL. These people are liars and parasites. Later that day, he posted a clip of a rabbi testifying before Congress, seemingly doubling down on his previous comment, writing on X: Rabbis are sitting before congress demanding that free speech be taken away from the American people. These subversives are anti-American and its time for them to be removed from this country. FARMINGTON, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A Farmington man was convicted of rape and sentenced to 25 years in prison with 15 years suspended sentence on April 1. Timothy Phillip, 46 Courtesy: Washington County Sheriffs Office According to a press release from prosecuting attorney Brandon Carter, Timothy Phillips, 46, was convicted of one count of rape and one count of second degree sexual assault after pleading guilty to both crimes. Springdale man sentenced to 30 years for attempted sexual assault, residential burglary Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phillips will be ineligible for parole due to a prior conviction in 2009 for fourth-degree sexual assault. The release says that in April 2023, the Belton, Texas Police Department received a report of sexual abuse against a minor between 2013 and 2016. According to the release, the abuse was reported by the victim and disclosed at the Child Advocacy Center of Bell County, Texas. The Farmington Police Department conducted an investigation to obtain admissions from Phillips in an interview before his arrest. Cases like this with disclosures by children that come sometimes years after the events can be a challenge. The cooperation between the Farmington Police Department and their counterparts in Texas both provided justice for the victim here and protected children today from the threat of abuse by this defendant. I commend their work and the work of DPA Whitney Doolittle in obtaining this result, said Carter. 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 KNWA FOX24. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) The layout of the Fayetteville Public School system will likely look different in the coming years. Woodland and Ramay junior highs are set to be rebuilt, and John L. Colbert Middle School will receive a variety of upgrades before being upgraded to a junior high school. That will eventually balance the district out at three middle schools, three junior high schools and two high schools after the current Ramay Junior High School building is converted into a charter high school. Last year, we did an engagement with our community around boundary lines and feeder patterns within the school district, Dr. John Mulford, superintendent of Fayetteville Public Schools, said. We landed on the decision to add a third junior high and create a pure feeder model [Kindergarten] through [8th grade], so specific elementaries assigned to one middle school thats paired with one junior high. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fayetteville businesses react to College Avenue construction Mulford said the reason for creating the feeder system is to keep groups of students attending the same schools as they go through grade school and going to schools closer to where they live. He added that there wont be any expansion of school district boundaries, but zoning districts within could be adjusted after the new schools are open. Fayettevilles enrollment as of Oct. 1, 2024, was 10,154, which Mulford said has been consistent with population totals across the past six or seven years. In the districts 10-year demographic forecast, projections show student enrollment will remain flattened out. However, Mulford compared the projections to a meteorologist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were really confident in what the next three years will bring, Mulford said. Next five years, a little less confident, but, once you get beyond that, a lot can change. That six-to-10-year range is the cause for concern for the district because enrollment totals could increase like projections of the Northwest Arkansas population. Mulford said he wants to stay out ahead of the chance of enrollment total increases by having adequate facilities and space built now in the event that a spike happens. Woodland and Ramay junior highs are estimated to cost $100 million each with a new parking deck which Mulford said will bring the total number of student parking spaces at Fayetteville High School to around 1,000 is set to cost another $21 million. Trial for Fayetteville McDonalds homicide suspect delayed again Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mulford said these are all paid for through the districts 45 millage rate. He noted that to cover the cost of the new Ramay Junior High School, there will need to be an extension of the millage rate through 2032. That millage rate extension, Mulford said, will be on the ballot in March 2026. The new location of Woodland Junior High School is set to be near the intersection of Joyce Boulevard and Crossover Road, with construction beginning as early as next week. In the field where the school is being built, there are two barns that Mulford said will be incorporated into the design. The current Woodland building will become a middle school, Mulford said. An expected completion date is set for August 2027. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new Ramay Junior High School will be off College Avenue, where the thoroughfare intersects with Poplar Street. Projections estimate it will be completed August 2028. XNA releases renderings for terminal expansion The parking deck which is set to be completed April 2027 will be on a hill on the west side of Fayetteville High School and across Stadium Drive from Bogle Park, where the University of Arkansas softball team plays. Mulford said the future conversion charter high school at the old Ramay Junior High School is probably five-to-seven years out from that actually being a reality. Mulford compared Fayettevilles future conversion charter high school to the Don Tyson School of Innovation, for example. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said applicants would likely be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, as opposed to a merit-based system with enrollment around 800. You can find more proposed school district construction updates 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 KNWA FOX24. ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) Virginia State Police (VSP) are still investigating a vehicle crash into Johnston Memorial Hospital in February amid a reported threat made on social media by a terrorist organization. According to VSP, the vehicle crashed into the Abingdon hospital around 12:53 p.m. on Feb. 22. As of Tuesday, the crash is still under investigation. State police noted in a news release that a medical emergency is being looked at as the potential cause of the crash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VSP stated that on March 18, a post on the social media platform X did make claims that ISIS-K (Islamic State Khorasan Province) was targeting hospitals to attack. In the release, VSP pointed out that no specific hospitals or locations were mentioned in that post, which was shared by multiple accounts with large followings. According to VSP, the post did state that vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices would be used before armed assaults and hostage-takings. Due to the number of times the post was shared and its notoriety, concerns were raised, VSP wrote. As of March 28, 2025, 10:00 AM EDT, the Virginia Fusion Center has received no corroborating information to confirm this threat. Similarly, no official confirmation has been issued by governmental authorities, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or international counterparts, however, given ISIS-Ks history of targeting civilian infrastructure, this claim warrants careful attention and further review despite the current lack of corroboration. Virginia State Police Ballad Health placed concrete barriers outside of its facilities on Saturday, citing a response to a national threat to hospitals by terrorists. Alan Levine, the CEO of Ballad Health, informed News Channel 11 in an email on Monday that the decision to up security was made before the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) deemed the threat not credible. Levine also referenced the February crash into Johnston Memorial Hospital in the email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I cannot discuss the condition of the person who was driving the vehicle, but the fact that we had that event, combined with the threat literally targeting vehicles attempting such a maneuver, combined with input we received from law enforcement at multiple levels, it was felt this event could not be viewed in a vacuum, Levine stated on Monday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A federal judge ruled against a former City of Henderson police chief in her lawsuit against the city and one of its police union supervisors, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. LaTesha Watson, Hendersons police chief from September 2017 until she was fired in April 2019, filed a federal lawsuit in September 2020. The suit claimed, among other things, racial discrimination and hostile work environment, violation of her civil rights, defamation and libel. The city hired an investigator to look into complaints concerning Watson that began in June 2018. Former Henderson Police Chief LaTesha Watson. (Credit: HPD) Wastons lawsuit said: Upon taking her position as chief of police, Dr. Watson was quickly the subject of retaliation and discrimination from a good old boy network that seemed surprised that she was a Black woman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dueling motions propel former police chiefs lawsuit against City of Henderson The city said it terminated Watson for creating an atmosphere of distrust and division between the command team and the unions, which caused more problems and distracted from the departments ability to focus on its job, public records show. Watson claimed, in her lawsuit, that the city had no policy in place to address or identify racism. Although the City acknowledged systemic racism exists, it had no tangible policy to specifically respond to it when it was encountered, Watsons lawsuit said. This was clear because instead of having a clear path for investigation, City employees disagreed about how to address instances of racism or how to proceed according to policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Thursday, a federal judge closed the case against Henderson and one of its former police union supervisors, Kevin Abernathy. Watsons successor, Thedrick Andres, announced his retirement after less than four years. Police unions issued two votes of no confidence against Andres, who said he was retiring but eventually resurfaced as the chief in Cibolo, Texas. Tensions rise at Henderson city council meeting days after unions vote no confidence in police chief The next chief, Hollie Chadwick, was fired after less than two years as the citys top law enforcement officer. Henderson police chief fired after ultimatum Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watsons attorney, the city, and the police department did not respond immediately to the 8 News Now Investigators requests 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 KLAS. A shot of cards on a table at West Alabama Womens Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled Alabama's AG cannot punish residents for aiding out-of-state abortion care. (Vasha Hunt for Alabama Reflector) A federal judge Monday ruled that Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall cannot prosecute people who assist individuals seeking to leave the state to obtain abortion care. U.S. District Judge Myron H. Thompson Monday ruled in a 131-page opinion that the AGs threatened enforcement of the states criminal laws to prosecute those who assist individuals seeking to leave the state for abortion care violates both the First Amendment and the right to travel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At its core, this case is simply about whether a state may prevent people within its borders from going to another state, and from assisting others in going to another state, to engage in lawful conduct there, Thompson repeated from his ruling in May denying the AGs motion to dismiss and added, The court now answers no, a state cannot. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The lawsuit was filed by Yellowhammer Fund; WAWC, formerly the West Alabama Womens Center; Alabama Womens Center (AWC) in Huntsville and Dr. Yashica Robinson, after Marshall in 2022 publicly threatened to criminally prosecute those who assist women seeking to travel out-of-state to get an abortion under Alabamas near-total abortion ban. Marshalls office later defended his power to do so in a court filing in August 2023. An elective abortion performed in Alabama would be a criminal offense; thus, a conspiracy formed in the State to have that same act performed outside the State is illegal, the filing stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amanda Priest, a spokesperson for the Attorney Generals office, wrote in an email that the office is reviewing the decision to determine the states options. Robin Marty, executive director at WAWC, said in a statement Tuesday that that while there is still more work to be done, this was a step in the right direction. Health care providers should be able to support their patients in accessing all of their legally available medical care options without undue political interference, and certainly without the threat of criminal prosecution, she said. Alabama has had an effective ban on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal abortion rights protections in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thompson ruled that the attorney generals threats violated the plaintiffs clients right to travel. He said in the ruling that the right to travel includes the right both to move physically between states and to do what is lawful in those states, and prosecuting those who facilitate lawful out-of-state abortions would violate that right. The court also found that the attorney generals threatened enforcement of Alabamas criminal laws imposes a content- and viewpoint-based restriction on speech, which violates the First Amendment. The attorney general has presented no other reason to deny the plaintiffs First Amendment claim besides his attempt to invoke the Giboney exception, which, as stated, does not extend to speech in furtherance of lawful out-of-state conduct, Thompson wrote. The Giboney exception would restrict speech that is directly part of or essential to committing a crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since the attorney generals threatened enforcement cannot meet strict scrutiny, the court will enter summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs for this freedom-of-speech claim, Thompson concluded. Alison Mollman, an attorney with ACLU representing WAWC, said in a statement that the ruling is certainly a win, but that abortion remains inaccessible to many Alabamians, even when help is provided, as they may be unable to take time off from work or afford a trip out of state for abortion care. In a state like Alabama, which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, the inability to access this often life-saving care can have grave consequences, Mollman said. Thompson, in his conclusion, cautioned against the implications of the attorney generals threats, writing that it is one thing for Alabama to outlaw by statute what happens in its own backyard. It is another thing for the state to enforce its values and laws, as chosen by the attorney general, outside its boundaries by punishing its citizens and others who help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Alabama held the power its attorney general asserts here, it is hard to envision a limiting principle besides what the attorney general personally sees as permissible and impermissible, he wrote. Judge Myron Thompson opinion Yellowhammer v Marshall This story was updated at 12:17 p.m. with comment from the plaintiffs. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The United States is likely to see an uptick in dangerous environmental pollution thanks to the loss of regulatory measures keeping it in check. In February, a federal judge struck a major blow against environmental protections by declaring that the White House Council on Environmental Quality lacks the authority to issue regulations, Reuters reported. It is the latest in a series of judicial decisions weakening the federal government's ability to protect Americans from pollution. What's happening? The decision concerns the CEQ, a body established by the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act. Under that act, the council is to perform environmental reviews for projects that require federal permits or receive federal funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NEPA reviews can delay projects by years, but they help ensure that construction and development don't harm the very communities they're performed in. Since a 1977 executive order by President Jimmy Carter, the CEQ has also established environmental regulations for other federal departments to follow. That is, until now. In February, U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor of North Dakota ruled on a suit filed by 20 Republican-led states. The suit alleged that the CEQ had overstepped its authority with a new rule intended to revise the environmental review process, which would have increased building costs. Traynor ruled that the CEQ never had the power to create regulations in the first place, only to advise the president. This is despite the fact that CEQ and NEPA activities have frequently come before the court, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The truth is that for the past forty years, all three branches of government operated under the erroneous assumption that CEQ had authority," Traynor wrote in his decision. "But now everyone knows the state of the emperor's clothing, and it is something we cannot unsee." Why is this case important? Traynor's baffling decision will damage the CEQ's ability to regulate federally funded development, industry, and infrastructure projects. It will lead to more pollution, which is already a large enough problem. "The court's ruling will weaken environmental reviews and will further harm communities already struggling with polluted land, air, and water," Jan Hasselman, a lawyer for Earthjustice, said in a statement, per Reuters. What can I do to help prevent dangerous pollution? While some of the damage is already done, you can help curb it in the future. Vote for pro-climate candidates who will protect the public from dangerous air, water, and soil pollution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, you can use your purchasing power to make it clear to companies that you support clean, eco-friendly policies. 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. In Mondays ruling on Curling v Raffensperger, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Totenberg credited the plaintiff's role in providing evidence that exposed a major security breach of Georgia election equipment in Coffee County, pictured above, following the 2020 election. (File) A federal judge has dismissed a long-running lawsuit challenging the security of Georgias electronic voting machines even though the judge maintained substantial concerns about the system. According to U.S. District Court Judge Amy Totenbergs ruling issued Monday, the plaintiffs in Curling v. Raffensperger were not able to demonstrate that the states electronic voting system disenfranchises them from exercising their right to vote in elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She wrote that the election activists Coalition for Good Governance and Georgia voters lacked standing in the lawsuit. Totenberg also wrote that some of the plaintiffs legal objections to the touchscreen ballot marking devices are more about policy disagreements rather than constitutional violations. Totenberg, however, wrote that she has substantial concerns about the electronic voting technology that has long faced allegations about the risks of being hacked and potentially compromising elections in Georgia. The states electronic Dominion Voting Systems machines were rolled out statewide in 2019, but by that time the state was already involved in the pre-emptive federal court legal battle with the Coalition for Good Governance and other individual plaintiffs who claim that the electronic system is vulnerable to cyber attacks and operational problems that violate voters constitutional rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Totenberg credited the plaintiffs role in providing evidence that exposed a major breach of election equipment in Coffee County following the 2020 election. Also, she cited a report by a University of Michigan expert on cyber security that detailed the potential threats to ballot marking devices, as well as the possibility that future elections could be compromised by unauthorized access to voter data. Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger applauded Totenbergs ruling in the District Court for Northern District of Georgia case. Raffensperger has long defended the security of Dominion voting machines, arguing that there is no evidence of fraud affecting Georgias 2020 and 2024 presidential election results. Todays ruling is just one more resounding vindication of Georgias elections, Raffensperger said. From day one, we knew these accusations were meritless. All the real-world evidence shows that Georgias paper ballot system works well. Our local election officials are professionals. And the voters of this state know that their votes are counted securely, accurately, and quickly. Paper ballots movement The Coalition for Good Governance has long argued that Georgia elections should use hand-marked ballots, claiming that method is the safest way to vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The debate over electronic voting machines versus paper ballots was the focus of conspiracy theorists who blamed Dominions system for Republican President Donald Trumps loss to Joe Biden in 2020. Conspiracies about the Dominion machines swirled after Fox News settled a lawsuit with the voting machine maker over the networks false reports about the systems reliability. Over the last couple of years, a prominent pro-paper ballot movement has been led by VoterGa, a largely pro-Trump faction that has urged people to request that state officials get rid of the electronic voting system. Totenberg wrote Monday that the case has led to some Georgia legislative action that assuaged some of her concerns, such as the Dominion machines relying on use of QR codes for counting votes on paper ballots, a practice that has been criticized by ballot security advocates. Last year the Georgia Legislature approved Senate Bill 189, which calls for replacing the QR code by July 1, 2026, with a new method of either readable text or a bubble style mark similar to what is currently used for absentee and provisional ballots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Next year, the paper ballot movement could gain traction in the Legislature through Senate Bill 214, which would allow Georgia voters to cast a hand-marked paper ballot at polling places during early voting and on Election Day. The measure, which was approved last week by a Senate Ethics Committee, would give voters the ability to cast their votes in polling places using pen or pencils, which can now be used to complete absentee ballots. This year is the first in a two-year cycle and bills that dont pass this year will be alive in 2026. Although the plaintiffs have not prevailed in this court of law, their advocacy has helped spark real legislative action, Totenberg wrote. If (SB 189) legislative measures are ultimately funded and implemented, they are the type of legislative action that bolster public confidence in the management of Georgias voting system, Totenberg wrote. Through litigation and other means, plaintiffs no doubt played a part in prompting these changes. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A Pennsylvania mail ballot envelope (Capital-Star photo) Pennsylvanias requirement for voters to write the date on mail-in ballots infringes on the constitutional right to free expression, a federal judge in western Pennsylvania ruled Monday. The decision by U.S. District Judge Susan Baxter is the latest in a series on Act 77, which gave voters the option of voting by mail without an excuse for not going to the polls in person for the first time in 2020. Its also the second time Baxer has found the law impermissibly disenfranchises voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People who choose to vote by mail are required to complete a declaration including the date on the outside of the envelope provided to return their ballots. But voters often forget the date or write a date unrelated to the election, such as their birthdate. Such mistakes have caused tens of thousands of ballots to be disqualified even when theyre returned on time. They often form the basis to challenge mail ballots in close elections. In a lawsuit by the national Democratic congressional and senate campaign committees and the American Federation of Teachers against Pennsylvanias 67 county boards of elections, Baxter found the requirement serves no compelling government interest and doesnt justify infringing on voters First Amendment rights. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE She found no evidence to support nebulous claims by Republican groups that intervened in the case that the date requirement bolsters voter confidence or preserves the solemnity of voting. While preventing voter fraud is less ambiguous, theres also no evidence the date requirement serves that purpose, Baxter said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since there is no evidence that the date requirement serves any state interest, even a slight burden on voting rights cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny, she wrote. Put another way, even the slightest burden that results from the enforcement of the date provision is too much when there is no counterbalance. Calls to attorneys for the Republican National Committee were not returned Monday. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Viet Shelton said the ruling was a victory for free and fair elections, protecting Pennsylvanians constitutional right to participate in our democracy. Its also a reminder that while Republicans continue their efforts to disenfranchise voters across the country, Democrats are ready to fight everywhere to ensure every legal vote is counted, Shelton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, Baxter, who is a Trump appointee, ruled in a separate lawsuit the date requirement violated the Materiality Clause of the federal Civil Rights Act, which bans rules that prevent people from voting over meaningless errors on election paperwork. The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Baxters decision, finding the provision applies only when the state is determining who may vote and not to rules, like the date requirement, that govern how a voter must cast his ballot for it to be counted. The date requirement has also been the subject of a web of state court decisions that have, so far, failed to resolve whether the rule violates the Pennsylvania Constitution. In a case last October, the state Supreme Court declined to rule on the issue with the Nov. 5 presidential election less than 30 days away,citing the risk of confusion a change in the rules might cause. In each of the prior cases, the evidence established that counties stamp ballots with the date and time they are received to document that they arrived before the Election Day deadline. The Supreme Court in January agreed to hear an appeal in a case from Philadelphia challenging the disqualification of mail-in ballots in a special election for the state House. The lower Commonwealth Court ruled just before the Nov. 5 election that the date rule violates the state constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In her decision, Baxter noted the right to free expression at issue was separate from the core political speech protected under the First Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court established a test to determine whether rules that infringe on political expression via the ballot are constitutional. That test balances whether the infringement is justified by an interest in orderly elections. The commonwealth has not identified what specific regulatory interest is furthered. Indeed, despite formal notification, the commonwealth has not defended the constitutionality of the dating requirement, Baxter said, noting that most of the county boards of elections had not identified an interest in enforcing the date requirement. (This article was updated at 9:15 p.m., Monday, March 31, 2025, to include comment from the DCCC.) Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, speaks at a launching ceremony for this year's first term of study sessions for NPC deputies in Beijing, capital of China, April 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese legislator Li Hongzhong on Tuesday called for sound understanding and implementation of the newly-revised Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels. Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), made the remarks at a launching ceremony for this year's first term of study sessions for NPC deputies. Li urged people's congresses deputies to fulfill their duties with a focus on the overall work of the Party and the country, promote the high-quality development of people's congresses work, and foster closer ties with the people. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A federal judge in Fayetteville has struck down an Arkansas law that would require minors to get a parents permission before they can create a social media account. NetChoice, a tech trade association based in Washington, D.C. with notable members such as Meta and X, sued the state of Arkansas over Act 689 in June 2023, claiming that it violated the First Amendment. Act 689, also known as the Social Media Safety Act, required certain social media companies to verify the ages of those in the state seeking to create an account and check to ensure that minors have parental permission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Western District of Arkansas judge Timothy Brooks said the law isnt narrowly tailored to address the states interests in protecting minors from objectionable content. Study: Arkansas homebuyers need this much income to afford a typical home On Monday, the lawsuit came to a close after the judge struck down the law, claiming that the law infringed on the First Amendment rights of internet users and was unconstitutionally vague, violating the Fourteenth Amendment. Rather than targeting content that is harmful to minors, Act 689 simply impedes access to content writ large, Brooks said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brooks wrote that since the law drew content-based and speaker-based distinctions to determine which companies had to follow the law, it was deemed unconstitutional under the First Amendment. Arkansas takes a hatchet to adults and minors protected speech alike, though the Constitution demands it use a scalpel, Brooks wrote in a 41-page order on Monday. Brooks also said the law is too vague in defining what online services are covered by the age verification requirements. The law was set to go into effect on Sept. 1, 2023, but on August 31, 2023, Brooks filed a preliminary injunction, preventing the law from taking effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas man arrested, facing 461 counts of child pornography charges After months of motions to extend and motions for summary judgment, Brooks granted Netchoices motion for summary judgment and permanently enjoined the law on Monday, ending the lawsuit. Chris Marchese, the director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, released the following statement on Tuesday morning: The court confirms what we have been arguing from the start: laws restricting access to protected speech violate the First Amendment. And while we are grateful that this law has been permanently struck down and free speech online preserved, we remain open to working with Arkansas policymakers to advance legislation that protects minors without violating the Constitution. This ruling protects Americans from having to hand over their IDs or biometric data just to access constitutionally protected speech online, Marchese noted. It reaffirms that parentsnot politicians or bureaucratsshould decide whats appropriate for their children. I respect the courts decision, and we are evaluating our options, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said in a statement to KNWA/FOX24 on Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. The Justice Department will seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday. Calling the fatal shooting of Thompson on Dec. 4 an act of political violence, Bondi said in a statement that she has directed acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to pursue the death penalty for Mangione, 26, as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again. Mangione has yet to be indicted on federal charges, as federal prosecutors are allowing state prosecutors in New York to pursue their case first. If convicted on the New York charges, he could receive life in prison without parole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also faces state charges in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested days after the killing. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. Mangiones lawyer did not immediately respond to NBC News request for comment about Bondis directive. The Trump administration has been a huge proponent of the death penalty. On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order for the U.S. attorney general to pursue the death penalty where possible, and to encourage state prosecutors to do the same. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com A federal grand jury has indicted a Connecticut man who allegedly canceled a $1,000 drug debt as a down payment on a scheme to murder a man he believed had stolen from him., Tremaine Knight, also known as Brody, 43, of Hartford, will be arraigned this week on charges of distribution of fentanyl and cocaine and murder for hire. According to court records, a confidential informant working with police made five purchases of drugs from Knight in February and March 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first three buys were allegedly in Massachusetts. During one of them, Knight allegedly offered the informant $10,000 man to murder a man who had disrespected and stolen from him, Prosecutors allege Knight shared a plan for the murder during subsequent drug deals, incuding two in Brattleboro. In the first, Knight sold about 140 grams of powder cocaine and over 40 grams of fentanyl to the informant. During the second, Knight sold another 1500 grams of powder cocaine, 30 grams of cocaine base and 85 grams of fentanyl to the informant. He also allegedly canceled a drug debt as a $1,000 down payment on the murder scheme. Knight was taken into custody following that buy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Knight faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the murder-for-hire charge and up to 40 years on the drug charges. Knight is scheduled be arraigned Thursday in Burlington. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Asian Community Development Council based in Las Vegas and Reno was notified on March 27 that it was among groups that would no longer be receiving federal grant money to fund citizenship education classes and services. (Getty Images) Hundreds of lawful permanent residents in Nevada will lose access to critical services that help immigrants become U.S. citizens after $300,000 in federal funding was pulled from the state last week. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the agency has cut all grants awarded through its Citizenship and Integration Grant Program in response to a March 21 agency-wide directive by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to restrict grant funding to sanctuary cities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its no secret that many organizations funded by USCIS grants over the years actively undermined the rule of law and integrity of our nations immigration system by supporting sanctuary cities and open borders, said a spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in an email Monday. The term sanctuary city often describes jurisdictions with law enforcement agencies that refuse to some degree to cooperate with ICE. While there is no standard definition, the Center for Immigration Studies, whose research is often cited approvingly by anti-immigrant activists and politicians, does not include any Nevada jurisdictions among its inventory of sanctuary cities. The Asian Community Development Council based in Las Vegas and Reno was notified on March 27 that the USCIS decided to permanently terminate a $300,000 grant awarded to the nonprofit in November. The funding would have provided citizenship education classes and services to more than 200 individuals during the 24-month grant period. These classes would have provided rigorous background on U.S. history and government, and the naturalization process. The program was designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge required to successfully navigate the naturalization process and obtain U.S. citizenship, said Vida Lin, president and founder of the Asian Community Development Council in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Asian Community Development Council was one of 43 organizations across 23 states to receive a Citizenship and Integration Grant from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2024, for a total of about $12.6 million in federal funding nationally. Lin said if the grant is not reinstated it will jeopardize services in Nevada that help lawful permanent residents become U.S. citizens, including application assistance, English language instruction and civics education. Since the Asian Community Development Council was first established in 2015, it has grown to meet several community needs. The nonprofit has supported immigrant communities in Nevada through food assistance, health insurance enrollment assistance, college readiness boot camps for local youth, and community events like the Asian Night Market, which showcases local Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander -owned businesses. However, the nonprofit has recently had to reduce its staff members due to the uncertainty of funding at all levels, said Lin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the harsh reality that many nonprofits across Nevada and our country are facing currently as we try to navigate this new administration. Nevadans will continue to lose access to services and jobs due to decisions like the one DHS made last week, Lin said. The Citizenship and Integration Grant Program was first established in 2009 under president Barack Obamas administration as a way to tackle the backlog of U.S. citizenship applications and administrative burdens. In a letter earlier this month to the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Democratic House members including Nevada Rep. Dina Titus said the grant funded vital services that helped reduce the naturalization backlogs in recent years. According to the letter, the grant program has helped reduce errors and delays for lawful permanent residents seeking U.S. citizenship by equipping eligible applicants with the tools to navigate the naturalization process more effectively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cutting funding for this program will only increase administrative inefficiencies and add to existing case backlogs, reads the letter. However, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary characterized the grant program as a gravy train that could potentially support unauthorized immigration. Taxpayer funded programs that that (sic) support, or have the potential to support, illegal immigration through funding illegal activities or support for illegal aliens are out of step with the President and Secretary Noems priorities as well as common sense. The gravy train is over, said a spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in an email Monday. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) Numerous employees with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region 9 Office in San Francisco arrived at work on April Fools Day to find that they were no longer employed. The layoffs came as part of the Trump Administrations decision to close the office, which employed 318 people. Former federal worker Julie Fong, who worked of the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for 25 years, told KRON 4 reporter Will Tran that she received a layoff notice by email when she arrived at the office Tuesday morning. We all received impersonal emails on April Fools Day and it was not an April Fools joke, Fong said. It feels intentionally cruel and malicious, to be honest. Which is in line with some of the other things weve experienced recently. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has dubbed April 2 Liberation Day for his tariffs. Heres what to expect Former DHHS employee Michael Charboneau told KRON 4 that he had no idea that the layoffs were coming Tuesday morning. Our badges would let us into the building but not into our suite, Charboneau said. Some people were already inside so they let us in. One of the supervisors came and gave me a hug right away. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi called the reported closure as shortsighted in a public statement Tuesday. Some of the layoffs include employees with the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which provides essential services for people living with HIV in the Bay Area and elsewhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pelosi slams Trump administrations abrupt closure of HHS Regional Office in SF Were all thinking about the communities that we serve, Fong said. We work with some fantastic state governments and tribal governments and I know they will continue the work, but its going to be challenging. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. A walkout in support of a Tufts University doctoral student who was detained last week by masked immigration officials is slated to take place on Tuesday. Workers Strike Back have organized a rally calling for the release of 30-year-old Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national who was surrounded and arrested Tuesday by six undercover federal agents as she walked along a street in Somerville. In this image taken from security camera video, Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, is detained by Department of Homeland Security agents on a street in Sommerville, Mass., Tuesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo) In this image taken from security camera video, Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, is detained by Department of Homeland Security agents on a street in Sommerville, Mass., Tuesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo) In this image taken from security camera video, Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, is detained by Department of Homeland Security agents on a street in Sommerville, Mass., Tuesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo) In this image taken from security camera video, Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, is detained by Department of Homeland Security agents on a street in Sommerville, Mass., Tuesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this image taken from security camera video, Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, is detained by Department of Homeland Security agents on a street in Sommerville, Mass., Tuesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo) In this image taken from security camera video, Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, is detained by Department of Homeland Security agents on a street in Sommerville, Mass., Tuesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo) In this image taken from security camera video, Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, is detained by Department of Homeland Security agents on a street in Sommerville, Mass., Tuesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo) In this image taken from security camera video, Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, is detained by Department of Homeland Security agents on a street in Sommerville, Mass., Tuesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this image taken from security camera video, Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, is detained by Department of Homeland Security agents on a street in Sommerville, Mass., Tuesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo) The brutal abduction of Tufts student and SEIU member Rumeysa Ozturk in Somerville by undercover federal agents has sparked alarm and outrage, walkout organizers said. We need to fight back. Tufts students and the Coalition for Palestinian Liberation plan to walk out during a noon rally at Ballou Hall at 1 The Green in Medford. Ozturk was quickly moved to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in remote Basile, Louisiana, before her attorneys could secure a judges order blocking the transfer. This contributed photo shows Rumeysa Ozturk on an apple-picking trip in 2021. (AP Photo) On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper gave the government until Tuesday evening to respond to an updated complaint filed by Ozturks attorneys. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To allow the Courts resolution of its jurisdiction to decide the petition, Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until further order of this court, the judge wrote. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson has confirmed Ozturks detention and the termination of her visa, saying investigations found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group. 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 sign for the Jameson Prison Annex in Sioux Falls, pictured on April 1, 2025. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) SIOUX FALLS The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is looking into a fight at the maximum security wing of the state prison in Sioux Falls that broke out less than 48 hours before a planned tour of the building by a 22-member prison work group. Its unclear how many people were involved, how long the fighting took place before being brought under control, or how badly anyone was hurt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Staff contained the fight, and no ones life is in danger as a result of their injuries, the Department of Corrections said. That incident is under investigation. DCI has been notified of the fight, spokesman Michael Winder wrote in an email to South Dakota Searchlight. The Project Prison Reset work group is set to convene at 8 a.m. Wednesday for tours of the South Dakota State Penitentiary and Jameson Annex. Its the first portion of a two-day meeting that also includes public presentations and public comments on Thursday at the Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls. The groups mission is to find consensus on whether the state needs new prison facilities. Gov. Larry Rhoden appointed lawmakers, law enforcement representatives, a judge and other stakeholders to the group in late February, after the Legislature shot down an attempt to finalize funding for a proposed 1,500-bed mens prison in Lincoln County. Had it been approved, the $825 million prison campus would have been the most expensive taxpayer-funded building project in state history. It was meant to largely replace the penitentiary, a pre-statehood complex built in 1881. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The work group will tour the Lincoln County site, located 14 miles south of Sioux Falls, at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Details unclear in Monday violence The Monday fighting broke out in the Jameson Annex, a building erected in 1993 that was home to 473 inmates as of Feb. 28. In addition to housing the states highest-security inmates, Jameson has the Sioux Falls prison complexs administrative segregation and mental health units and intake unit. All men admitted to the DOC for any level of crime spend time in the intake fish tank to be assessed before being assigned a cell in one of the states various housing facilities. The Jameson Annex remains on lockdown status after the fight, Winder said Tuesday. He did not say if any correctional officers were among the injured, if any of the injured were transported to the hospital for care, or note which area or areas of the facility where the fight occurred. Winder did not say if the ongoing investigation would keep members of the prison task force out of the building, and did not immediately respond to follow-up questions on the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tony Mangan, spokesman for the Division of Criminal Investigation, said the agency will work to determine the number of people involved and how the incident began. The investigation is ongoing, Mangan said. Attorney General Marty Jackley, who oversees the DCI, is a member of the prison work group, but he wont be on hand for its first meeting. Hes in Pierre this week for the trial of Lonna Carroll, a former Department of Social Services employee accused of embezzling from the state. Recent history of security trouble The states prison system has struggled with a host of security incidents since March of 2024. Two days of unrest broke out at the penitentiary following the temporary shutdown of tablet-based inmate communications with family members that month. One correctional officer was injured in the first of those incidents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few months later, fighting broke out at Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield, which required outside medical care for some inmate victims. Prisoners called out to reporters the following day to express their worries of further violence. Near the end of the summer, the DOC announced an indefinite lockdown at the penitentiary for what turned out to be a weekslong lockdown in search of contraband. Officers dismantled the campus sweat lodges during the search. After the lockdown ended, Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko showed lawmakers images of knives fashioned from nail files and Plexiglas, a tattoo gun, mobile Wi-Fi hotspots and bags of homemade alcohol. During debate on the Lincoln County prison proposal, last year and this year, Wasko argued that the penitentiary is unsafe and unsuited for continued use as offender housing. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Thirty-five years have passed since Erik and Lyle Menendez were arrested and charged with special circumstance murder in the 1989 shooting deaths of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion. A sensational media circusincluding two trials, the second of which resulted in a murder conviction and a sentence of life in prison without parolehas followed ever since. Despite substantial evidence presented to the jury asserting that Erik and Lyle Menendez, then 18 and 21, respectively, suffered sexual abuse at the hands of their parents, and expert documentation stating the brothers have been deemed functionally rehabilitated and pose no threat to society, they remain in prison. A 56-page motion for a recall of sentence and resentencing hearing, filed by then-Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon in October 2024 and co-written by Assistant District Attorneys Nancy Theberge and Brock Lunsford, seemed promising. But weeks after the filing, Gascon was defeated in the November 2024 election by opponent Nathan Hochman. Hochman, who ran on a strong campaign promise to crack down on crime in Los Angeles, has since moved to withdraw the resentencing motion. Within days of taking office, Hochman fired Theberge and Lunsford from their positions, reassigning Thebergeagainst her willto the Office of the Alternate Public Defender and demoting Lunsford to a role overseeing calendar duty in Norwalk. Theberge and Lunsford have since sued Hochman, alleging retaliation for their efforts to secure the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez. Hochmans new appointee to lead the District Attorneys Department of Victim Services is Kathleen Cady, the private attorney who represented Milton AndersonKittys brother and the only Menendez family member, out of more than 30 relatives lobbying for their release, who opposed Lyle and Erik's resentencing. Anderson has since died. This is just one eyebrow-raising detail addressed in the response to Hochmans motion, submitted Monday to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Citing precedent from cases such as People v. Vaesau, in which courts have placed limits on a district attorneys ability to withdraw a resentencing request, the filing argues that Hochmans decision to do so is not based on a legitimate reason but rather on political self-interest. Other key points in the filing include Hochmans omission of the role sexual abuse and adolescent brain development played at the time of the 1989 crime, the argument that Lyle and Erik have demonstrated sufficient insight into what transpired that night, and the assertion that prison infractions cited as evidence of their threat to societylogged between 15 and 30 years agomisrepresent the prison violation classification system and conflate serious rule violations with outdated, technical infractions unrelated to their present risk level. Get the latest news delivered to your inbox daily! Sign up for Los Angeles Magazines The Daily Brief below or click here. BAGHDAD, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani held a phone conversation with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Tuesday, discussing Syria's political process and bilateral ties. During the conversation, al-Sudani stressed the importance of ensuring Syria's political process includes all components of society and that it moves toward peaceful coexistence and social stability, so as to establish a secure future for the country and the whole region, according to a statement from his media office. Al-Sudani congratulated al-Sharaa on forming Syria's new transitional government, reaffirming Iraq's steadfast position in support of the Syrian people's choices. He reiterated Iraq's rejection of Israel's incursions into Syrian territory and its support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Syria without any foreign interventions, said the statement. In addition, al-Sudani emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation in combating threats posed by the Islamic State terrorist group. He also called for strengthening economic collaboration, given the shared opportunities and common factors between the two countries, it added. For his part, al-Sharaa affirmed his commitment to developing bilateral ties, stressing his respect for Iraq's sovereignty and his rejection of interferences in Iraq's internal affairs, according to a statement by his office. Al-Sharaa also highlighted the importance of continued coordination to confront common challenges and to strengthen and institutionalize political relations between the two neighbors. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Gulf World has been under fire more than ever in recent weeks. In late 2023, employees began contacting News 13, saying the paychecks were arriving late. Then, six months ago, three of the parks dolphins died. And in early March, a 4th dolphin died while performing in front of an audience. 4 dolphins in 6 months, and pools filled with thick green algae were too much for some members of the public. There were also stories of penguins being kept in a closet and sea lions with injured flippers crawling across concrete walkways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Destin High School moves to 4-day school week Last Friday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier directed the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to execute a search warrant at the park. The public continues to call for action from the facility with recent protests and petitions. Gulf World Marine Park has yet to take accountability in regards to claims of animal abuse and neglect, but they have been busy preparing to file for bankruptcy. Along with 14 other affiliated companies. The companys assets will be available for distribution to unsecured creditors. The document indicates the estimated number of creditors the entity owes is between 200 and 999. The document also identifies Gulf Worlds estimated assets on a consolidated basis as totaling somewhere between $100 million and $500 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the document, the estimated liabilities fall in that same category, somewhere between $100 and $500 million. So theyre claiming they owe as much as theyre worth. Although Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows for the business to remain operational, its unclear if or when Gulf World will reopen its doors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The last operating large coal-fired power plant in Finland has shut down, with the facility's operator saying it now will use electricity, waste heat, and heat pumpsalong with burning biomassto provide power and heat to its customers. The Salmisaari plant, with a generation capacity of 175 MW of electricity along with its production of heat, has been operated by Helsinki-owned energy group Helen. Finland has transitioned to use renewable energy resources, including solar and wind, in recent years as the country's use of coal decreased after government officials in 2019 passed a law banning the use of coal after 2029. Wind power generation capacity in Finland has more than doubled in the past five years and now supplies nearly 25% of the country's energy. "We have been able to improve our competitiveness by investing in the flexibility of the energy system in line with our strategy and shifting our production to green solutions," said Helen CEO Olli Sirkka in a statement. "This way, we can operate more profitably with lower customer prices. Our success is an excellent indication that, at best, the clean transition, cost efficiency and Finland's security of supply can go hand in hand," said Sirkka. Less than 1% of Energy Mix Electricity from coal-fired power will now be less than 1% of Finland's energy mix. Sirrka told the Reuters news service: "Of course, we cannot say that not a single gram of coal will be burned in Finland anymore, because there are various crisis situation solutions, but this is indeed Finland's last coal power plant that is in daily production use." Sirkka said, "In the long term, we intend to eliminate all burning," noting the utility has a goal to end all thermal generation for power and heat by 2040. The executive said the utility wants to have its carbon emissions reduced to just 5% of their 1990 level by 2030. Helen is the last major Finnish power producer to stop using coal. The Beyond Fossil Fuels environmental group has said there are two small facilities in Finland still burning some coal, along with a third plant that could be used during an energy emergency. Sirkka said that previously there was not enough clean energy available to meet Helsinki's power and heating needs. Sirkka said that during winter, heating for the capital of Helsinki consumes about 20% of the available energy. "It is perhaps necessary to admit that a clean transition does not come cheaply. It is indeed a value choice, and it is one that we have made both as a society and as Helen," Sirkka told Reuters. He said ending the use of coal will cut emissions of carbon dioxide by 50% this year compared to 2024, and will reduce Finland's total CO2 emissions by almost 2%. Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER. The Finnish government announced on Tuesday that it would begin preparations to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention banning the use of anti-personnel landmines in the light of a changed security environment in Europe. "Finland is not currently facing an immediate military threat. Withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention will give us the possibility to prepare for the changes in the security environment in a more versatile way," Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said. Finland has since 2012 been a party to the 1999 Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and governs their destruction. The United States, Russia, China and India are among the countries not party to the convention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Noting that Russia was not a party, the Finnish government said Moscow had used anti-personnel mines in its war of aggression against Ukraine and that as a NATO ally, Finland was also defending the alliance's border with Russia. Finland shares a border of 1,340 kilometres with Russia. A final decision lies with the Finnish parliament, and actual reintroduction of the mines could take some time. Last month, the defence ministers of Poland and the three Baltic republics recommended that their countries withdraw from the Ottawa Convention. The Finnish government also said on Tuesday that the defence budget would rise to at least 3% of economic output by 2029. Sweden and the United Kingdom have recently announced similar targets amid calls for even higher spending by NATO allies. Finland will withdraw from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines and increase its defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2029, President Alexander Stubb announced on April 1. Military spending will rise from 2.41% in 2024 to 3% by 2029 as part of the country's broader defense strategy. "This is a part of Finland's contribution to Europe taking greater responsibility for our own defense," Stubb posted on X. The Ottawa Convention, also known as the Mine Ban Treaty, prohibits using, stockpiling, producing, and transferring anti-personnel mines. Finland initially refrained from joining due to security concerns over its long land border with Russia but ratified the treaty in 2012. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stubb said the decision to withdraw followed a comprehensive assessment by Finland's ministries and Defense Forces. "Finland will always remain a responsible actor in the world, safeguarding its security and defence," he added. Finland joined NATO on April 4, 2023, becoming the alliance's 31st member, significantly altering the security landscape in Northern Europe. As tensions between NATO and Russia escalate following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western intelligence agencies have warned of a potential large-scale war in Europe within the next five years. The move marks a significant shift in defense policy among NATO's front-line states. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland announced on March 18 that they would also withdraw from the Ottawa Convention to enhance their defenses against potential Russian aggression. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Trumps Ukraine ceasefire proposals dont address root causes of war, Moscow claims Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. NEW YORK (AP) A fire burned down a cat shelter in suburban New York, killing its founder and more than 100 of the felines he rescued and sparking a rescue operation for dozens of cats still roaming the destroyed property. As many as 150 cats are believed to have survived Monday's blaze at Happy Cat Sanctuary on Long Island, according to Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is helping coordinate the recovery effort. Some of the surviving animals suffered burns and smoke inhalation and have been taken to local animal hospitals for treatment, he said Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of those in the house perished and others with significant injuries have been euthanized while volunteers work to collect the survivors. The whole place is burned down and there's cats right there on the debris, Gross said. In the coming days, the SPCA plans to deploy its mobile animal surgical hospital, which it used to treat search-and-rescue dogs at ground zero following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, to help triage rescued cats close to the fire site, he said. This is going to be an ongoing situation to get all of these cats cared for and placed in a proper facility," said Gross. "Just a major undertaking after a tragic situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Owner Christopher Arsenault was found in a back room of the shelter, which was located in the hamlet of Medford, more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Manhattan. The property, which included outdoor buildings where cats were also housed, remained cordoned off Tuesday as police and fire officials returned to the charred site. Suffolk County police said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. Arsenault, 65, founded Happy Cat in 2006 after the death of his 24-year-old son, Eric, in a motorcycle accident, according to the sanctuary's website. He described finding his calling when he came across a colony of 30 sick kittens and nursed them back to health. Gross said Arsenault gave over much of the house to the cats, living simply in a room with a bed, microwave and a small refrigerator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every dime he had he put into taking care of those cats, he said. His life was the cats. Gross acknowledged the shelter received its share of complaints, given its location in a residential area. But SPCA staff visited the property around 10 times over the years and found the animals were healthy, well-fed and receiving proper care, he said. He wasn't a hoarder. That's not the case here, Gross said. This was a good man doing the right thing. He was a hero for what he was doing. Officials for the town of Brookhaven, where Medford is, told Newsday Arsenault had removed an unsafe finished basement and was working to bring the premises into compliance with building codes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent months, he had begun relocating some 60 to 80 cats to a 30-acre (12-hectare) farm in upstate New York where he was planning to move, according to Gross and town officials. Unfortunately, this disaster happened and now hes gone, Gross said. ___ Follow Julie Walker at x.com/jwalkreporter. MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2025, 7:15 P.M. OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) One resident was hospitalized after a fire engulfed a home in Oshkosh on Monday afternoon. According to the Oshkosh Fire Department, crews responded to a house fire shortly after 2:15 p.m. in the 1300 block of Liberty Street. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy smoke and flames at the back of the residence. The fire spread rapidly, consuming the entire structure. Green Bay man accused of masturbating in front of children at the Tundra Lodge, officially charged Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The home was occupied by a family of six, five of whom were inside at the time. One resident was taken to a nearby hospital for smoke inhalation, while two others were evaluated at the scene and declined medical transport. Authorities identify woman killed in suspected OWI crash in Wisconsin The house is considered a total loss. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced family. Two dogs escaped the fire safely, but two cats remain unaccounted for. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Firefighters battle major house fire in Oshkosh MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2025, 4:31 P.M. OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) Firefighters in Oshkosh are working to clear the scene after a major house fire on Liberty Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fire broke out Monday afternoon around 2 p.m. in the 1300 block of Liberty Street. Details remain limited, and officials have not yet released information on potential injuries or the cause of the fire. Green Bay man accused of masturbating in front of children at the Tundra Lodge, officially charged Local 5 News will provide updates 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Loira Limbal has been appointed president and CEO of Firelight Media. Limbal succeeds Marcia Smith, who co-founded the nonprofit organization with her husband, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson (Attica) in 2000. Firelight supports, provides resources to and advocates on behalf of documentary filmmakers of color. Smith, who announced her departure from Firelight Media in July 2024, stayed on as interim president and CEO while the company held a nationwide search for her replacement. Limbal will assume her new position on June 1. More from Variety Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We could not be more thrilled with the appointment of Loira Limbal as Firelight Medias next president and CEO, Nelson and Smith said in a joint statement. As Firelight transitions from being a founder-led organization for its 25 years of existence, and at such a pivotal time for the documentary industry, Loira is the ideal person to ensure the longevity of the organization for the next 25 years and beyond. We know Loira will bring visionary leadership, new energy, and organizational acumen to this role, as she has for the last 16 years in her staff and consulting roles. Limbal served as Firelight Medias senior vice president of programs until 2021. The org produced doc hits including Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Freedom Riders, Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple and most recently We Want the Funk, which is screening at North Carolinas documentary festival Full Frame Festival on April 5. The film will air on PBSs Independent Lens on April 8. Limbal originally joined Firelight Media in 2009 and, throughout her tenure, led the expansion of Firelights flagship Documentary Lab as well as the launch of its Groundwork Regional Lab, William Greaves Research & Development Fund, Impact Campaign Fund and the In the Making documentary short film series, produced in partnership with PBS American Masters. Documentary filmmaking is one of our most powerful tools for social change a force that disrupts, reveals, and reimagines, Limbal said. My time at Firelight has only strengthened my conviction in its ability to challenge harmful narratives and sow the seeds of new, transformative ones. At a time when our field faces unprecedented challenges, it is a privilege to stand alongside Firelight Medias brilliant and dedicated staff, championing filmmakers whose work illuminates our present, preserves our past and expands the possibilities for our collective future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Limbal is a multidisciplinary artist who works primarily in documentary film, video installation and as a DJ. Her film Through the Night (2020), a feature documentary about a 24-hour daycare center, premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. Her previous documentary, Estilo Hip Hop, aired on PBS in 2009. As co-chairs of the search committee, we are elated by this outcome, said Firelight Media board of directors members Anne Canty and Rashid Shabazz. We are excited to work with Loira to ensure Firelight Media has the resources it needs to continue to transform the documentary field into a more sustainable and equitable place for underrepresented filmmakers. Recent accolades for Limbal include a 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship, a Creative Capital Award, a USA Fellowship, a NAACP Image Award nomination and a Sundance Institute Fellowship. She received a B.A. in history from Brown University. Firelight Media is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year through a number of public programs. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) Despite all the candidates who announced theyre running for Mayor of Syracuse, only one took advantage of the first day of a key step in the process on Monday. Monday morning, the window opened for the Onondaga County Board of Elections to accept nominating petitions. Around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Sharon Owens walked into the Erie Boulevard office with paperwork in hand. The Democratic Commissioner for the Onondaga County Board of Elections confirms Owens was the first and is the only mayoral candidate to submit petitions as of Monday evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Owens has served as deputy mayor for Mayor Ben Walsh for his entire two terms. Submitting petitions is a major step in the process of being elected. 1,000 unique signatures of the partys enrolled voters are required to appear on Junes primary ballot. Because some voters sign petitions for more than one candidate and their signatures could be invalidated, campaigns often seek a total number far beyond the 1,000 required. In Owens case, the Onondaga County Board of Elections confirms her campaign gathered more than 2,700 signatures. By turning in petitions ahead of schedule and with a surplus of signatures, Owens campaign demonstrates robust grassroots momentum and organizational strength, said a campaign spokesperson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As long as 1,000 of her signatures are verified, Owens will challenge longtime Common Councilor Pat Hogan in the primary scheduled for June 24. Hogan received the endorsement of the City of Syracuse Democratic Committee, which offers its support in the petitioning process. Other candidates whove confirmed to NewsChannel 9 their intent to gather signatures are Common Councilor Chol Majok and Jimmy Oliver, a civilian community engagement director for the Syracuse Police Department. On the Republican side, attorney Tom Babilon has earned the City of Syracuse Republican Committees endorsement. His campaign spokesperson said he expects to submit 100 signatures beyond the required 500 for his party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NewsChannel 9 is waiting to hear back from other candidates about the status of their petitions. The last day to submit signatures is Thursday. The winner of the November election will take over Syracuse City Hall in January of 2026. Independent Mayor Ben Walsh will leave office after completing his two-term limit. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR. BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- China recently held a hearing regarding a safeguard investigation on imported beef, according to the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday. The hearing was held at the request of relevant stakeholders and in accordance with working procedures, the ministry said in response to an inquiry. Around 180 representatives attended the hearing on Monday, according to the ministry. The participants included government officials from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, as well as those from exporters and their associations, Chinese importers and domestic beef producers. According to the ministry, all stakeholders shared their views and concerns during the hearing. Investigation authorities will take these views into consideration and make an objective and fair ruling based on facts and regulations, the ministry said. Last year, China initiated the safeguard investigation into imported beef in response to an application submitted by industry associations. The application claimed that the import volume of the product under investigation saw a sharp increase over the previous five years, growing 106.28 percent in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2019. The applicants said that the sharp increase has significantly impacted China's domestic industry. The domestic industry has experienced substantial damage, and a causal relationship exists between the import volume increase and this substantial damage, they said. HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) Fires, flooding and funding were among the topics discussed at this years Connecticut Emergency Management Symposium. The event provides critical training and networking for first responders at the state and local levels. The state alone provides annual training to hundreds of people to prepare for emergencies from election disruption, to fires, flooding and hurricanes, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz (D-Conn.) said. Our state has faced a growing number of emergencies. West Haven and University of New Haven partner to offer higher education opportunities to first responders, local students Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You never know when the phone rings, what the crisis of the day you may be waking up to, and I believe now more than ever we need to consolidate our efforts, Maj. General Francis Evon, Connecticuts Adjutant General of the National Guard, said. Climate change was one of the symposiums most significant topics, with the state saying it responded to 101 last year compared to 70 in 2023. The Hawthorne Fire in Berlin was among the largest fires the state has seen in recent years. Firefighters from out of the state and the country were brought in to help bring it under control. My takeaway from that is any bit of help you can get in a situation like that is beneficial, Berlin Fire Chief John Massirio told News 8. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But additional help could be in jeopardy, with emergency management and public safety officials at the conference voicing fears about threats to FEMA and federal funding. Connecticut DESPP Commissioner Ronell Higgins says he is concerned about the impact it could have on future disasters. In addition to recovery, just longer-term concerns when it comes to staffing, and equipment, equipment for bomb squads, and other specialized equipment that we need and rely upon, he said. Shelly Carter, who was just appointed to Acting Fire Chief of the Hamden Fire Department, told News 8, It is our job and our responsibility to make sure first we prepare our folks, we prepare our towns and our cities, then we need to make sure we mitigate the problem. Chief Carter said planning and preparedness are critical for the years ahead. 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. GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) A restaurant employee is facing charges after a fight between coworkers escalated into a shooting. According to the Greensboro Police Department, on Sunday evening around 9:30 p.m., they got reports about a shooting at Flemings Steakhouse. When they got to the scene, they claimed that Lemorris Montae McCollum, 31, of Greensboro, shot his coworker after a verbal altercation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim was taken to the hospital and was reportedly stable. McCollum was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injuries and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was given a $20,000 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 FOX8 WGHP. NEW YORK (PIX11) A weather system in the tri-state area is causing delays at airports in New York City and Newark late Monday night. Inclement weather hit parts of the region and brought thunderstorms, heavy rain, strong wind gusts, and even hail. Additionally, parts of New Jersey were under a tornado warning. More Local News Traffic management programs are in effect for all three airports, according to the FAA. In addition to delays, several flights departing the airports have also been canceled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Departing flights out of EWR are experiencing gate hold and taxi delays between an hour and 31 minutes and an hour and 45 minutes, according to the FAA. Flood advisory issued in NYC amid downpours Travelers are encouraged to check with their airlines to see if their flights are affected. Most of the severe threat should diminish by midnight, but rain is expected to linger into the early morning hours. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See 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 PIX11. NEW YORK (PIX11) A flood advisory has been issued until 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. 1-2 inches of rain is expected to cause flooding of low-lying and poor drainage areas. More Local News Any thunderstorms that develop could contain damaging winds of over 55 mph. The National Weather Service also issued weather statements warning of hail in Westchester County and parts of Connecticut. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While a minimal threat, a brief tornado cannot be ruled out as well. The NWS issued a tornado warning for parts of New Jersey, including Middlesex and Monmouth counties. Most of the severe threat should diminish by midnight, but rain is expected to linger into the early morning hours. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See 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 PIX11. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Communities across Middle Tennessee are bracing for potential flooding with storms in the forecast. A flood watch is in effect for numerous Middle Tennessee communities including Gallatin, Portland and Westmoreland from Wednesday until Sunday morning. According to the National Weather Service, areas like Clarksville and Waverly could see up to eight inches of rainfall by the end of the week. Want the forecast delivered directly to your inbox? Sign up for the News 2 Forecast Newsletter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sumner County Emergency Management director Ken Weidner said areas of particular concern include Stop 30 Road, Upper and Lower Station Camp Creek Road, Old Gallatin and some places on Old Highway 31 E. Weidner added that flooding can be especially concerning because people underestimate the power of moving water. We would like for people to stay home if they could, Weidner said. We know people have to work, but if you know a road floods [or] its prone to flood, be careful. Obviously, as weve always said, Turn around, dont drown.' Weidner said Swiftwater personnel will surround areas of concern ahead of Wednesdays storm. 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. 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. FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) A Florence mom filed a lawsuit Monday claiming administrators at one Lauderdale County high school were negligent when they allowed a Kentucky man to check out her daughter without her consent. According to court documents obtained by News 19, the mother of a teen at Central High School has filed a lawsuit against: Central High School Principal Duana Keener Central High School Assistant Principal Greta Erwin Central High School Secretary Elizabeth Shelton Six unnamed parties involved in receiving, processing/facilitating the check-out of the teenager into the custody of Justin Stephens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit also names Justin Stephens, who was arrested in October 2024 and is facing a rape charge, as a defendant. It says that Stephens traveled to Central High School around 9 a.m., called the front office claiming to be the teenagers father and said he needed to check her out of school on September 18, 2024. Court records state that the schools security cameras caught the teen girl leaving school and entering a black Dodge truck. Documents state Stephens took the girl to an abandoned residence in Florence where she was raped and sodomized. Security footage from the school shows her returning to school around 2 p.m. that same day. In the lawsuit, the mother claims that Stephens committed assault and battery on her daughter, intentionally inflicting emotional distress/outrage and invading her privacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She claims the school administrators are guilty of negligence because they failed to follow the written rules provided by the school regarding the check-in and check-out policies, as well as failing to verify the identity of Stephens before releasing the teen into his custody. In the lawsuit, the victims mother states that written rules of CHS require all check-ins and check-outs to be processed in person through the main office and the person checking the student out must present in-person to the main office and provide photo identification. It also says that check-ins and check-outs are not allowed until the check-out has been verified by the parent/guardian of the student and that the person checking the student out must present a note with the parent/guardians signature and phone number. The lawsuit states that these rules are in place to limit and prevent harm to students, which can happen when school officials act beyond their authority and/or fail to follow the written protocols of the school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mother claims that the administration, including Keener, Erwin, Shelton and the six unnamed individuals, were in a position to prevent this incident but failed to do so by not following the check-in and check-out policies. As a direct and proximate consequence of the respective tortious conductof Keener, Erwin, Shelton [and the six unnamed individuals, the girl] has been permanently traumatized, lost her innocence and suffered grievous psychological damage, emotional hurt, and injury. [She] has prematurely lost her childhood, been caused anxiety, embarrassment, loss of trust and an alienation of affection and certain relationships. Lauderdale County Civil Lawsuit Also noted in the lawsuit, the vehicle Stephens picked her up in was distinct and different from the vehicles known to be driven by the girls parents. The lawsuit also says the administration failed to properly train, educate and supervise the staff and administration in how to properly handle check-ins and check-outs as well as failing to oversee, monitor or supervise the staff during the incident. Finally, the lawsuit claims the administration created an environment which allowed written rules and protocols regarding check-ins and check-outs to be ignored by staff and administration, as well as failing to properly monitor security footage to prevent this type of incident from occurring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mother of the teen demands a trial by a jury of all the claims listed in the lawsuit against all defendants. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Spring is in the air and Florida gators are looking for love. Alligators can be found in all 67 of Florida's counties, along with nine other states. In Florida, there's an estimated 1.3 million alligators, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Services. Male alligators start looking for females in April. There have been fatal attacks involving alligators in Florida over the years, and not even Disney is immune. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lane Graves, 2, was grabbed by an alligator while playing in the water at the Seven Seas Lagoon at Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Orlando in 2016. A statue honors Lane and "stands as a beacon of hope and support for families in the depths of despair," the Graves family said. Here's how to safely live with alligators in Florida. Florida alligator mating season starts in April Courtship between alligators begins in early April. Yes, love is in the air, and you might spot alligators on the move as they search for a mate. Alligators are highly aggressive during this time, according to WorldClassWildlifeRemoval.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mating happens in May or June, followed by the females building a nest and laying 32 to 46 eggs in late June or early July. Eggs generally hatch from mid-August through early September. Alligators are most active when temperatures are between 82 and 92 degrees. Alligator attacks: How often do gators bite people in Florida? From 1948 to 2022, 453 unprovoked bite incidents have occurred. In Florida, 26 of these bites resulted inhuman fatalities, the FWC said. Over the last 10 years, Florida has averaged eight unprovoked bites per year that are serious enough torequire professional medical treatment, according to the FWC. "The likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only one in 3.1 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, a 10-foot alligator grabbed an 85-year-old woman walking her dog near a small lake in a St. Lucie County neighborhood. The alligator was later caught and euthanized. Where in Florida are the most alligators? To get a population estimate, Florida Fish and Wildlife using sample data from the state's Alligator Management Units (AMUs), which are established areas across Florida. "The population estimates provided use a set of analyses incorporating the current years size and count data, environmental variables (water levels, etc...), and detection probability to estimate the total population and adult population on a given waterbody," according to an email from FWC. According to data from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, these were top 20 most alligator-infested lakes based on estimated total population in the Sunshine State in 2024: Top 20 most alligator-infested lakes in Florida Lake Okeechobee: Estimated population of about 33,542 Lake Kissimmee: Estimated population of about 16,184 Lake Jesup: Estimated population of about 14,518 Orange Lake: Estimated population of about 12,032 St. Johns River, Lake Poinsett: Estimated population of about 10,951 Everglades WMA: Estimated population of about 8,301 St. Johns River, Puzzle Lake: Estimated population of about 7,585 T.M. Goodwin, Broadmoor Unit: Estimated population of about 7,518 Lake Griffin: Estimated population of about 7,370 St. Johns River, Lake Harney: Estimated population of about 7,110 St. Johns River, Tosohatchee: Estimated population of about 6,198 Lake Tohopekaliga: Estimated population of about 5,716 Lake George: Estimated population of about 5,412 Lake Apopka: Estimated population of about 4,613 Kissimmee River: Estimated population of about 4,570 St. Johns River Upper Basin canals: Estimated population of about 4,063 St. Johns River, Lake Hellen Blazes: Estimated population of about 3,890 Lake Rousseau: Estimated population of about 3,631 Lake Hatchineha: Estimated population of about 3,524 Lochloosa Lake: Estimated population of about 3,218 How big do Florida alligators get? Female alligators usually stay under 9 feet long, with larger ones weighing over 200 pounds. Male alligators typically reach up to 13 feet in length with some weighing more than 500 pounds, according to the Florida Fish and Wildfire Conservation Commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Florida record for length was a 14 foot, 3.5-inch male in Lake Washington, in Brevard County. The Florida record for weight was 1,043 po9unds for a male found in Orange Lake in Alachua County. What do alligators eat? Juvenile alligators eat primarily insects, amphibians, small fish, and other invertebrates, according to the Florida Fish and Wildfire Conservation Commission. Adult alligators are "opportunistic feeders" that eat fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and birds. Does anything eat alligators? Adult alligators are eaten by other alligators. Some videos have shown pythons battling alligators. Hunting accounts for other gator mortalities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Small alligators are eaten by other alligators considered the most significant predator raccoons, wading birds, and fish. The primary predator of alligator eggs are raccoons, although they're also eaten by hogs, otters and bears, according to the FWC. Where do American alligators live? The native range of the American alligator extends from Oklahoma to North Carolina and south. Alligators occur from southeast Oklahoma and east Texas on the western side of their range to North Carolina and Florida in the east. Alligators can be found anywhere there is water, including lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, swamps, and even man-made canals, according to the University of Florida. They prefer fresh water lakes and slow-moving rivers and their associated wetlands, but they also can be found in brackish water habitats. How to safely live around alligators Keep your distance. Never feed an alligator. They'll lose their fear of people and associate humans with food. It is dangerous and illegal to feed wild alligators in Florida. Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours. Alligators are most active at dusk and dawn. Pets can resemble alligators' natural prey. Keep them on a leash and at least 10 feet away from the water's edge. What should you do if you're bitten by an alligator? "If an alligator bites you, the best thing to do is fight back, providing as much noise and resistance aspossible. Hitting or kicking the alligator or poking it in its eyes may cause it to release its grip. Whenalligators seize prey they cannot easily overpower, they will often let go and retreat," the FWC said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seek immediate medical attention if bitten by an alligator. Alligator bites often result in serious infection. Alligators vs crocodiles: How do you tell the difference? Alligators have a broad, rounded snout with no lower teeth visible when their jaw is closed. Adult alligators are primarily dark gray in color with a lighter color underside. The American crocodile has a narrow snout, and the fourth tooth of the lower jaw protrudes when closed. American crocodiles are a brownish gray color, and are generally paler colored than alligators. Alligator nuisance hotline If you encounter an alligator that is believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property, call the FWCsNuisance Alligator Hotline, tollfree at 1866FWCGATOR (3924286). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FWCs Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program uses contracted nuisance alligator trappers throughout the state to remove alligators 4 feet in length or greater that are believed to pose a threat. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Alligators in Florida: Mating season facts, how to avoid attacks OCALA, Fla. (WFLA) A Florida doctor was accused of inappropriately touching a patient last week. The Ocala Police Department was called to the Cardiovascular Institute of Central Florida to investigate a reported battery. Milton one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record, NHC report says The victim, described as a woman in her 50s, claimed that her doctor, Jose Jacob, 65, inappropriately touched her during an appointment, according to an Ocala police Facebook post. Police said she reported Jacob asking her inappropriate questions before he hugged her closely and kissed her twice without her consent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jacob initially denied the allegations and later provided conflicting information, according to OPD. Jose Jacob (Ocala Police Department) Additional information revealed prior allegations of inappropriate conduct by Jacob at this location and another location in North Carolina, Ocala police said. He was arrested in Lake County on March 28 and charged with battery. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. CHENGDU, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Is fermented tofu always salty? Defying tradition, Wangzhihe, a 356-year-old Chinese heritage brand, has introduced a pineapple-infused version of its iconic furu (fermented bean curd). This new take on a classic dish offers a creamy, subtly sweet twist, which is designed to captivate younger palates. This bold reinvention was among the innovations showcased at the 112th China Food and Drinks Fair, held recently in the city of Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Since its inception in 1955, the fair has been dubbed the "barometer" of China's food industry. It featured a dedicated zone for century-old brands, where household names unveiled products blending heritage with novelty, from durian-flavored guobaorou (sweet and crispy pork) to stinky tofu noodles and health-focused honey-infused vinegar. "Time-honored brands carry unique craftsmanship, cultural depth, and enduring consumer trust," said Sun Yueting, vice president of the Beijing Time-Honored Brands Association. "Their vitality lies in continuous innovation." At the event, 15 Beijing-based legacy brands formed a collective presence, reflecting a nationwide trend of revival. A total of 1,455 "China Time-Honored Brands" were officially recognized, averaging 140 years in age and spanning 32 industries, with over 60 percent in food, catering and retail. Many are now going global, amassing overseas followings. To stay relevant, brands like Laitangyuan -- a Chengdu-based sweet dumpling pioneer dating back to the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) -- are reimagining traditions. Known for its sticky-rice balls that "cling neither to chopsticks, bowls, nor teeth," the brand's packaging blends retro aesthetics with comic-inspired art and bold illustrations. Its innovation extends to fillings: panda-shaped dumplings, Sichuan hotpot-inspired flavors, and zero-sugar options catering to health-conscious and adventurous eaters alike. "Meeting diverse demands and riding new trends are keys to longevity," said Luo Yanli, planning director of Chengdu Catering Company, which manages seven legacy brands including Zhongshuijiao (dumplings) and Longchaoshou (wontons). At a recent parkside festival in Chengdu, a city famed for its green spaces, the brands set up stalls amid picnicking crowds, merging culinary heritage with modern leisure culture. The event generated over 100,000 yuan (around 14,000 U.S. dollars) in sales on its first day. Innovation extends beyond products. Luzhou Laojiao, a renowned liquor brand, partnered with various food brands to host an outdoor festival in a Chengdu park, where visitors savored gourmet bites and premium baijiu while enjoying picturesque surroundings. Meanwhile, the 102-year-old Heming Teahouse in Chengdu's downtown People's Park elevated traditional tea culture with an immersive theater experience. For 88 to 128 yuan, guests sip tea while enjoying Sichuan opera face-changing, long-spout tea-pouring performances, and ear-cleaning rituals. "Quality and tradition must remain intact, but we must also embrace evolving consumer needs," said Zhu Yuanqing, who manages the teahouse. While embracing diverse and personalized dining demands, time-honored brands can breathe new vitality into their legacy, Zhu added. A Florida pair of House special elections on Tuesday is the earliest chance Republicans have to build on their fragile majority and one Democrats see as an early voter litmus test of President Donald Trumps second term. The races are taking place in Trumps adopted home state, the source of numerous White House officials. Florida voters supported Trump all three times he ran for president. Democrats whove been all but stomped into irrelevancy there have been trying to regain their footing, knowing the states electoral importance will only grow stronger with projected future population shifts. The newest chance: Floridas 6th District, where recent polling shows a tight race. Predictions of an easy Republican win quickly evaporated in the closing weeks of the campaign, bringing in loads of interest, dollars and surrogates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrat Josh Weil has brought in $10 million in largely out-of-state cash from small-dollar donors. Trump, meanwhile, endorsed Republican state Sen. Randy Fine in the district, which he won by more than 30 points in November. There's no such thing as a perpetual red district or a perpetual blue district, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said after canvassing in the district over the weekend. Everything's in play. The seat became available when Mike Waltz resigned to become Trumps national security adviser. As the race became a heated topic of conversation in Washington, Waltz himself was also making headlines after accidentally adding The Atlantics editor-in-chief to a sensitive group chat discussing attack plans in Yemen. Party turnout on Monday showed Republican early voters outnumbered Democrats by roughly 25,000 people. But another 27,000 voters who were registered as neither Republican nor Democrat had either voted by mail or voted early in person. Fine predicted he would be fine and held numerous interviews with conservative commentators in the campaigns final days, as well as town halls over the phone with Trump and Rep. Byron Donalds, a Trump-endorsed 2026 gubernatorial candidate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a turnout election, and if our side turns out, we will win, Fine said in an interview last week. It's that simple, because there's so many more of us. This isn't a swing seat. If the Trump army turns out, I'll win, and I think they will. The other Florida open seat, in the 1st District, became available after Rep. Matt Gaetz resigned for a short-lived bid at becoming Trumps attorney general. Its a safe Republican district where Trump won 68 percent of the vote in November. The Trump-endorsed candidate, Jimmy Patronis, has been the states chief financial officer since 2017, winning election twice statewide. Patronis easily won the GOP primary over nine other candidates, but he has been significantly outraised by Democrat Gay Valimont, who has used her cash advantage to air TV ads. Valimont, a gun control activist, has criticized Patronis for living outside the district and criticized him over the states property insurance crisis due to his key role in regulating the industry. But Valimont has also hit Patronis over federal spending cuts to the agency that helps veterans, a potential factor in a district with several major military installations. Patronis, meanwhile, has leaned into the Trump endorsement and aired an ad that says Valimont hates Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida carries outsize influence in Congress with its 28 House seats 18 of which are GOP-held. Republicans are already operating under tight margins in the House given the two vacancies and want every vote they can get to help move Trumps agenda. Democrats running in the special elections have accused Trump of wanting to cut Social Security in senior-heavy Florida, even though he has promised not to, and focused their messaging on going after federal cuts pushed through by Elon Musks federal workforce cuts. Democrats are feeling encouraged by strong performances in recent special elections elsewhere, pointing to how Trump withdrew his U.N. ambassador nomination for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) last week amid nervousness about House voting numbers. That election clearly sent shivers down their spines, and it scared them shitless to the point now that Donald Trump and the Republicans are running scared, Martin said, referring to a recent headline-grabbing Pennsylvania state Senate win by Democrats. So every Republican in Florida should wake up and pay attention right now, because Democrats are not feeding any more ground to you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Special elections can be aberrations, given that they are low-turnout elections that can swing differently than those in a typical election year. Both districts are historically reliably red. Gov. Ron DeSantis has largely stayed out of both races, but he made his disapproval about Fine clear publicly, saying he and not Trump was to blame for what appeared to be a close race. The two had a falling out after Fine switched his endorsement during the 2024 presidential primary from DeSantis to Trump. Fine, however, said he didnt hold ill will toward the governor and thought he was successful. The attacks in the race he saw were largely geared toward the president. They're about stopping President Trump, taking control of Congress, ending and impeaching Trump, Fine said. This is an election about the Trump agenda, not Randy Fine versus Josh Weil. Kimberly Leonard reported from Miami. Gary Fineout reported from Tallahassee. TALLAHASSEE One of Floridas largest homeowners insurance companies is paying the state $6.5 million to settle allegations it filed fraudulent Hurricane Irma claims. Fort Lauderdale-based Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Co. was accused of fraudulently submitting numerous ineligible claims for reimbursement from the states Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, the attorney generals office said in a news release. Insurance companies pay into the fund, which covers a portion of the companies hurricane-related claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Universal falsely dated an undisclosed number of claims as occurring as a result of 2017s Hurricane Irma, an alleged violation of the Florida False Claims Act, according to the attorney generals office. Under an agreement with Floridas attorney general, the company admits no wrongdoing but will pay more than $4 million in fines and change its policy and procedures, according to a news release from the attorney generals office. This office is committed to a healthy and stable insurance market for Florida homeowners, meaning insurance companies must play by the rules, Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement Tuesday. The agreement states its more efficient and valuable for both parties to settle the case instead of litigating it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Universal disputed some of the information released by the attorney general. The offices news release said it secured the return of more than $30 million to the catastrophe fund, and spokesperson Jeremy Redfern confirmed to the Times/Herald that the company was repaying $30 million. But a spokesperson for Universal said the company was never paid for the claims, so it had nothing to pay back. As the catastrophe fund analyzed Universals claims, the fund withheld about $30 million. A spokesperson for Universal also disputed that the company was being fined. It said it was settling the allegations for $6.5 million. According to the settlement, $2.4 million of that is going to repay the attorney generals office expenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The allegations first came to light through a sealed whistleblower lawsuit filed in 2020, prompting the attorney generals office to investigate. In a statement, Universal said that it fully and completely cooperated with the state and provided all requested information. It said the former employees allegations contained numerous fundamental factual inaccuracies and gross mischaracterizations. The disputed claims amounted to 1% of its Hurricane Irma claims, according to the company. We are pleased the review has come to a close and the state dismissed the case, Universal CEO Stephen Donaghy said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Universal was fined $1.3 million by state regulators in 2013 for canceling customers policies without justification and shifting profits to affiliate companies. Universal paid more than $86 million in fees to affiliates in 2010. One of those affiliates made $44 million in profit while Universal lost money in 2009. Clarification: This story has been updated to include more information from Universal disputing information from the Florida attorney generals office that it had to repay $30 million to the states Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. Universal also disputed the attorney generals assertion that it agreed to pay more than $4 million in fines. WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) A Freeport man accused of exposing himself at a crowded Walton County beach has been arrested, News 5 has learned. Pensacola woman arrested after ShotSpotter recognizes shooting: police On March 27, the Walton County Sheriffs Office was called to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park following reports of a man possibly masturbating on the beach. LOCATION: When deputies arrived, they allegedly found 60-year-old Martin Earl Lebouef sitting nude between two umbrellas. Martin Earl Lebouef (Photo courtesy of the Walton County Sheriffs Office) Lebouef had several beer cans next to him as well as a pair of womens underwear, although there were no women with him, according to WCSO news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The park was crowded with families, but two adults were the only ones who saw him expose himself, according to officials. Lebouef was arrested and charged with exposure of sexual organs. Womans murder charge upgraded after boyfriend stabbed to death at Mobile apartment He was booked into the Walton County Jail and released on a $2,500 bond the following 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 WKRG News 5. ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP) Republicans Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine won special elections Tuesday in two Florida congressional districts, bolstered by President Donald Trumps endorsement to fill vacant seats in reliably Republican strongholds. Patronis, the states chief financial officer, fended off a challenge from Democrat Gay Valimont even though she far outraised and outspent him. He will fill the northwest Florida 1st District seat vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was chosen to be Trumps attorney general but withdrew from consideration amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. In north Florida's 6th District, Fine won against Democratic challenger Josh Weil for a seat vacated by Mike Waltz when he was tapped to become Trumps national security adviser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The win bolsters Republicans margin to 220-213 in the House of Representatives. Special elections are often low-turnout events that can lead to surprising results. While GOP wins were widely expected in both districts two of the most heavily Republican in the country its notable that Democrats narrowed the margins considerably from November. The races were among the first electoral tests of Trumps new administration. The narrowing margins may signal a shift in public sentiment, driven by unusually strong enthusiasm as Democrats from across the country poured millions into the races. The opposition party hoped that backlash to the presidents overhaul of federal agencies and firing of federal workers would carve into the GOPs margins at the polls. Trump takes credit for the wins Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump congratulated both candidates late Tuesday and said his endorsement helped them secure a victory. THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT, AS ALWAYS, PROVED FAR GREATER THAN THE DEMOCRATS FORCES OF EVIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO AMERICA! he said on his Truth Social platform. At a waterfront restaurant in Pensacola, congratulatory text messages were already lighting up Patronis phone as early results were posted Tuesday night. Patronis worked the crowd of about 100 people, shaking hands and giving hugs, his wife Katie and two sons in tow. Let it be known that this election is a reminder the Florida Panhandle will forever be red, and itll forever be Trump country," Patronis told his supporters. And even their $6 million could not overcome one simple post on social media by Donald Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fine spoke to about 100 supporters at the 2A Ranch Saloon in Ormond Beach, a barn-like building adorned with Trump decor, including cardboard cutouts of the president and a photo signed by first lady Melania Trump. Above Fine, a glowing Trump is still my president sign hung from the overhead balcony. After the speech, Fine downplayed the narrowing margin, saying it was in the double digits and in a special election. I think its hard to say thats an underperformance, Fine said. Weil said in a statement that the race was closer than anyone ever imagined. This result is also a warning sign to Donald Trump, Randy Fine, and the unelected oligarchs taking apart the government, Weil said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What do the results show? Republicans in both districts are on track to win with narrower margins than their predecessors in every county. They also are on track to trail Trumps 2024 share of the vote in the two congressional districts. In the 6th Congressional District, Trump received roughly 65% of the vote in 2024, just behind the 67% Waltz received in his final House reelection bid. In Tuesdays special election, Fine was underperforming Waltz by about 10 percentage points. In Volusia County, Trump received 58% and Waltz received about 60% in 2024, while Fine was hovering around the 50% mark with nearly all the votes reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fine, a self-described conservative firebrand, had faced growing pressure during the races final days as some Republicans publicly criticized his campaign and fundraising efforts, questioning whether this race would embarrass Republicans less than 100 days into Trumps administration. Weils campaign raised an eye-popping $9 million compared to Fines $1 million. National Democratic leaders attributed Weils fundraising success to what they characterized as widespread outrage against Trump. That outrage failed to materialize in large enough numbers to overturn the outcome, foiling Democrats hope to pull off a huge upset that would have buoyed their party. The Democratic National Committees chair, Ken Martin, said the results showed Democrats overperformed. The National Republican Congressional Committee said the victories sent a message that Americans are fired up to elect leaders who will fight for President Trumps agenda and reject the Democrats failed policies, spokesperson Mike Marinella said. What did voters say? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carol Vyhonsky, who drove to Fines election party from her home in Brevard County with a group of her friends, said she had no issues with Fines victory not being as strong as his predecessor's was last year. The polling was looking a little iffy there for a while, but he pulled through, Vyhonsky said. As long as he won, thats the important thing. Retired nurse Brenda Ray and her husband, Vietnam War veteran Mike Ray, made it to the polls to support Patronis earlier in the day. Brenda Ray said she didnt know a lot about him but supported him because she believes hell vote with our president. Thats all were looking for, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who are Fine and Patronis? Fine was first elected to the Florida House in 2016 and ran each year as a representative until 2024 when he successfully won his election to the Florida Senate. He is known for his support of Israel and his efforts to restrict LGBTQ+ rights. Patronis family founded the well-known Panama City restaurant Capt. Andersons, located along the Gulf of Mexico. He has been involved in Florida politics since he was in college, interning in the Florida Senate before being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2006. He was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott to become the states CFO in 2017 and won races to keep the Cabinet-level office in 2018 and 2022. ___ Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. ___ Payne reported from Pensacola. Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) A bill to ban cellphones in Florida schools took a step forward this week after passing a committee vote. Florida is one of the strictest states in the county when it comes to cell phones in school, and the rules are one step closer to being even tighter. If passed, Senate Bill 1296, filed by State Senator Danny Burgess (R-Zephyrhills), would establish a pilot program in six Florida school districts to prohibit students use of cellphones for the entire school day, not just during time in the classroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Students could use cellphones on the bus as well as before or after school hours while on campus. The bill includes exceptions, such as for a student with learning disabilities that need the aid of an electronic device or when necessary for medical emergencies. The current cell phone ban, passed in 2023, varies among grade levels, but this new proposal would apply to all students. The pilot program would involve two small, two medium, and two large districts, which have not been announced yet. Lawmakers would receive the data from the program by December of 2026. Some districts have already taken additional steps to the current cell phone ban, like Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In my district, weve had two schools who implemented on their own a no cell phone policy during the day and it has done remarkable, said State Rep. Susan Valdes, (R-Tampa). The topic of phone-free school days is also being discussed in the house. While it has support, not everyone is on board. Things have changed because of school lockdowns and school shootings, I do have concerns if this ever were to go a step further in terms of the pouches where students wouldnt have access at all to their cell phones, said State Rep. Lavon Bracy Davis, (D-Ocoee). Burgess said cell phones are a distraction and takes away from students focus in the classroo,m . Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the bill is passed, he hoping it can help students pay attention and succeed academically. This bill will now be voted on in the Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee. If it is signed into law, it would affect July 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis touts the Hope Florida program during an April 1, 2025, press conference in the Capitol in Tallahassee. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix) The Florida Legislature for the first time this session on Tuesday took up what is being called the Hope Florida Act, which would create the Hope Florida Office within the Executive Office of the Governor. Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis has led Hope Florida since its creation in 2021. Its a state-run program that links people in need with social welfare and faith-based community groups. Since its creation, the organization says its Hope Navigators have referred more than 100,000 Floridians for assistance, according to the governors office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its also seen as a vehicle that Mrs. DeSantis could campaign on should she decide to pull the trigger and run for governor next year. Committees in both the House and Senate approved the measure on Tuesday. Their votes came shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis called in a large number of state troopers to stand behind him at a Capitol news conference to announce that every sheriffs office throughout the state will have a liaison tasked connecting with those in need. But there are questions about the program. The House bill analysis notes that under Florida law, a direct-support organization (DSO) must submit to the agency it supports a number of items, including a copy of the organizations code of ethics and its most recent tax returns. Existing law also requires each DSO created or authorized with annual expenditures in excess of $100,000 to provide an annual financial audit of its accounts and records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Hope Florida has not submitted those reports. House staff requested DCF provide all statutorily-required documents for the purpose of this analysis, but DCF did not provide them, the analysis says, referring to the Department of Children and Families. Politics of Hope The House measure (HB 1327), sponsored by Palm Beach Republican Anne Gerwin, won unanimous approval in the Human Services Subcommittee on Tuesday afternoon, despite criticism by Orange County Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani. Theres been a lot of politics about Hope Florida over the last four years, she said. A lot of concerns that pertains to oversight and accountability, just question marks around where money comes from, how its being spent, and I think those are very concerning questions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of the Legislature have questioned whether Hope Florida is simply duplicating services already being rendered by other states agencies. Gerwin said the difference is that Hope Florida can address ongoing social service problems, adding that it also creates community. I think its community that we used to have in our society, she said. During his press conference, Gov. DeSantis bristled when asked by a reporter about why Hope Florida hadnt filed its tax returns. This is the nonprofit arm, its a charitable arm. Theyre gonna take care of the paperwork, but while youre worried about filing paperwork, were worried about lifting Floridians up, DeSantis said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were not worried about trying to play phony gotcha games, he added later. Lives changed Dawn Murray is the director of Hope Florida. An employee with DCF for more than 30 years, she told the House committee that the program is different than anything else the state has attempted. Through Hope Florida, Hope Navigators are working with the families based on what they say are their needs, based on what theyre going through, Murray said. And through this program I have seen countless lives changed with people getting jobs, people going back to school, and people just understanding that there is hope and that there is people out there supporting them. The Senate version, sponsored by Tampa Bay Republican Sen. Danny Burgess (SB 1144), was approved in the Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee on Tuesday as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The measure would require all state agencies to participate in Hope Florida if directed to do so by the Executive Office of the Governor. That includes the DCF, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Juvenile Justice, Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, Department of Education, Agency for Health Care Administration, Department of Corrections, Division of Emergency Management, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Commerce, and the Department of Elderly Affairs. Those agencies, according to the Senate bill analysis, would be charged with: Operating the Hope Line, a toll-free hotline for Hope Florida inquiries and referrals; Maintain a website that allows individuals to connect with Hope Florida to request services or volunteer their time or resources; Maintain a Hope Florida case management system that can at least conduct intake for Hope Florida inquiries and referrals; and Work with the Commerce and CareerSource Florida to maintain a portal that integrates with Commerces one-stop delivery system to allow for the designation of employers as Hope Florida Employers and provide clients access to employment and training services. Reporter Jackie Llanos contributed to this report. A multi-pronged attack on food aid by Republican lawmakers could mean more of the nations children will go hungry both at home and at school. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently cut two federal programs that provided roughly $1 billion in funding for the purchase of food by schools and food banks. And the Community Eligibility Provision, which reimburses tens of thousands of schools that provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, may tighten its requirements, potentially pushing some 12 million kids out of the program. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter These moves come at the same time the House Republican budget plan calls for deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The program fed more than 42 million low-income people per month nationwide in 2023. In 2022, 40% were younger than 18. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This recent shift reflects a stark reversal of earlier, nationwide efforts to keep families fed during the pandemic. Many districts, such as Baltimore, organized grab-and-go meals sites days after schools were shuttered in March 2020 with no identification or personal information required. Those initiatives led to the nations food insecurity rate dropping to a 20-year low when it reached 10.2% in 2021, down from a 14.9% high a decade earlier, according to the USDA. Related Hunger Pains: Keeping Kids Fed During the Pandemic Stretches the Limits of Bureaucracy It has since crept back up to 13.5% and now, five years after schools utilized USDA waivers to deliver meals in innovative ways, they are bracing for what could be massive cuts from the federal government. Latoya Roberson, manager at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School in Baltimore (Baltimore City Public Schools) Elizabeth A. Marchetta, executive director of food and nutrition services for Baltimore City Public Schools, said 31 campuses serving 19,000 children would lose out on free breakfast and lunch if the Community Eligibility Provision changes go through. They are among 393 schools and 251,318 children statewide who would be shut out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It would be devastating, Marchetta said. These are critical funds. If we are not being reimbursed for all of the meals were serving the money has to come from somewhere else in the school district, so that is really not great. Map: Eamonn Fitzmaurice/The 74, Data:Food Research & Action Center Nearly 48,000 schools in more than 7,700 districts benefited from the Community Eligibility Provision in the 2023-24 school year. The program reimburses schools that provide universal free meals based on the percentage of their students who automatically qualify for free and reduced-price lunch because their families receive other types of assistance, like SNAP. In 2023, after the COVID-era policy ended where any student could receive a free school meal regardless of income, President Biden lowered the percentage of high-need students required for a school to qualify from 40% to 25%, greatly expanding participation. House GOP Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington now seeks to raise the rate to 60%. The budget proposal would also require all students applying for free and reduced-price meals to submit documentation verifying their family income. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement School meal debt, a barometer of food insecurity among students, is already on the rise. It will almost certainly increase if universal school meals disappear for students whose families make too much to qualify for free and reduced-price lunch but too little to afford to buy meals at school. At the same time, kids who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals could lose that benefit if the required paperwork becomes harder. Related WATCH: Solving Hidden Hunger in an Affluent Coastal Town In the fall of 2023, across 808 school districts, the median amount of school meal debt was $5,495. By the fall of 2024, that amount reached $6,900 across 766 districts, a 25% increase, according to the School Nutrition Association. It was just $2,000 a decade earlier. A trio of Democratic senators is pushing to erase the $262 million annual debt total, with Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman saying in 2023, School lunch debt is a term so absurd that it shouldnt even exist. Thats why Im proud to introduce this bill to cancel the nations student meal debt and stop humiliating kids and penalizing hunger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Research shows students benefit mightily from free meals: those who attend schools that adopted the Community Eligibility Provision saw lower rates of obesity compared to those who did not. Free in-school meals are also credited for boosting attendance among low-income children, improving classroom behavior and lowering suspensions. Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America. Joel Berg, the CEO of Hunger Free America, said further cuts will greatly harm the poorest students. Over the last few years, things have gone from bad to worse, he said. We were all raised seeing Frank Capra movies, where, in the end everything works out. But thats not how the real world works. In the real world, when the economy gets a cold, poor people get cancer. Hunger Free America found the number of Americans who didnt have enough to eat over two one-week periods increased by 55.2% between August-September 2021 and August-September 2024. The states with the highest rates of food insecure children were Texas at 23.8%, Oklahoma at 23.2% and Nebraska at 22.6%. Georgia and Arkansas both came in at 22.4%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The USDA slashed the $660 million Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program for 2025 it allowed states to purchase local foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, for distribution to schools and child care institutions and $500 million from the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which supported food banks nationwide. Diane Pratt-Heavner, director of media relations for the School Nutrition Association, said that as families struggle with the high cost of groceries, the government should be doing more not less to bolster school meals and other food aid programs. Were urging Congress not only to protect the federal Community Eligibility Provision, but to expand it, Pratt-Heavner said. Ideally, all students should have access to free school breakfast and lunch as part of their education. SNAP benefits stood at $4.80 per person per day through 2020 before jumping to more than $6 per person per day after they were adjusted for rising food and other costs. Even then, the higher amount was not enough to cover the cost of a moderately priced meal in most locations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans in Congress seek to cut the program by $230 billion over the next nine years, possibly by returning to the pre-pandemic allotment of $4.80 and/or expanding work-related requirements, said Salaam Bhatti, SNAP director at the Food Research & Action Center. Another possibility, he said, is that SNAP costs could be pushed onto states including those that cant afford them. This would be an unfunded mandate, Bhatti said. States would have to take away from their discretionary spending to offset the cost and if it is not a mandate, then states in rural America and in the South that dont have the budgets just wont do it. Food-related funding decreases come as the child tax credit, created to help parents offset the cost of raising children, is also facing uncertainty, said Megan Curran, the director of policy at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The American Rescue Plan increased the amount of the child tax credit from $2,000 to $3,600 for qualifying children under age 6, and $3,000 for those under age 18. Many taxpayers received monthly advance payments in the second half of 2021, instead of waiting until tax filing season to receive the full benefits. The move cut child poverty nearly in half. The expanded child tax credit was allowed to lapse post-pandemic and now even the $2,000 credit could revert back to just $1,000. Related Child Tax Credit Failure Reaffirms Young Peoples Pessimism About Government All food-related and tax benefit cuts plus the unknowns of Trump-era tariffs will leave some Americans particularly vulnerable, Curran said. Its shaping up to be a very precarious time for families, she said, especially families with children. Researchers have identified forever chemicals in household dust nearby a North Carolina factory indicating that dust may be an additional source of exposure to these compounds. The homes, located in southern North Carolinas Cumberland and Bladen counties, are in the vicinity of the Fayetteville Works fluorochemical manufacturing facility, which has been a known source of contamination in the areas Cape Fear River Basin. The chemicals in question are part of a massive group of substances called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are found in a variety of consumer goods, certain firefighting foams and industrial waste. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some types of PFAS, which are notorious for their persistence in the body and in the environment, are linked to cancers and other serious illnesses. Ingestion of PFAS via groundwater has now been studied for years, but scientists are beginning to look at dust as a potential exposure source. PFAS exposure via contaminated well water is relatively well studied, senior author Nadine Kotlarz, an assistant professor in the civil, construction and environmental engineering department at North Carolina State University, said in a statement. But, given the air emissions from the plant, we wanted to learn whether household dust was also a source of exposure, added Kotlarz, who is also a member of the universitys Center for Human Health and the Environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kotlarz and her colleagues measured the concentrations of 48 types of PFAS in settled dust samples from 65 homes that participated in the institutions broader GenX Exposure Study. While that study was named for a particular kind of PFAS released for years into the river called GenX the project has involved numerous other types of the compounds as well. As for the dust measurements reported in a study released Monday the scientists found that eight types of PFAS were detected in more than 90 percent of the samples they took. Every dust sample had at least one PFAS detected, and GenX was present in 89 percent of the samples, according to the study published in Environmental Science & Technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The authors were particularly interested in a category of PFAS called polyfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs), which include GenX. They found that seven of the 12 PFEAs they evaluated were present in more than 75 percent of the samples. Dust concentrations of six kinds of PFEAs, including GenX, decreased considerably as residential distance from the fluorochemical plant increased. The researchers also identified the presence of another compound called trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in 89 percent of the dust samples. TFA, they explained, is an ultrashort chain PFAS, or a kind of PFAS that has fewer than three carbons and easily evades todays water filtration systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While scientists generally consider TFA to be a type of PFAS, the compound is not officially defined as such in the United States or Europe. The European Food Safety Authority notes that TFA forms during the breakdown of PFAS. Regardless of the substances official PFAS status, its tiny and transportable traits have raised alarms among scientists and utility managers. As a result, co-author Jane Hoppin, a professor of biological sciences at NC State, stressed in a statement the importance of identifying the sources of TFA and other ultrashort compounds. Evaluating the dust exposure route in general, Hoppin explained that generally speaking, contact with dust contributes to overall PFAS exposure and that children tend to have more contact with dust than adults do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This study demonstrates the need for evaluating household dust for PFAS in impacted communities, Hoppin added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. BOSTON (WWLP) A man who formerly served as the Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Lawrence has been sentenced to prison for the possession and transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Pittsfield man sentenced to prison for multiple counts of sexual assault of a child Jhovanny Martes-Rosario, 50, was sentenced on Monday in federal court following an investigation that began in 2023. The charging documents stated that law enforcement had identified Martes-Rosario as the likely user of Apple and Yahoo email accounts that contained child pornography. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In February 2023, officers executed a search at Martes-Rosarios home, where they found an iPad containing child pornography files. Martes-Rosario told law enforcement that he was the owner of the email accounts, and that he used the iPad to search for and download CSAM. He said he would email the pornographic files from his iPad to his email addresses for storage. Charging documents further stated that Martes-Rosario admitted he had been searching for and saving child pornography for years. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023. In December 2024, Martes-Rosario pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced on Monday to 43 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. 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. MOSCOW, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday that the Chinese and Russian peoples made significant contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. In an interview with Russian media group Rossiya Segodnya in Moscow, Wang noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War. In the last-ditch battle between justice and evil, China and Russia were respectively the main theaters of Asia and Europe, and the Chinese and Russian peoples were two major forces in resisting fascism and militarism, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. The two peoples, unafraid of ferocious adversaries, shed blood and fought bravely, making tremendous national sacrifices in stopping and eliminating the invaders and defending their sovereignty and national dignity. They made significant historical contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, Wang noted. He said the profound friendship forged between the two peoples during World War II provided powerful momentum for the comprehensive development of bilateral relations. On the basis of the great victory of World War II, China and Russia, along with other key members of the anti-fascist alliance, jointly initiated the founding of the United Nations, co-drafted the UN Charter, and contributed to a series of important international documents that laid the foundation for the modern international order and established the basic norms of contemporary international relations, he added. Wang called on the two countries to firmly stand on the side of international justice in the face of major changes unseen in a century, defend, together with all peace-loving peoples around the world, the history written with blood and lives, and oppose any attempt or action to deny, distort or revise the history of World War II. He urged the two countries to safeguard the post-war international order, take the 80th anniversary of the United Nations as an opportunity to uphold the authority and status of the world body, practice genuine multilateralism and promote adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter by all countries. Wang also emphasized the need to champion an equitable and orderly multi-polarization, enhance close cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, amplify the powerful voice of unity and self-strengthening of the Global South and march toward the goal of a community with a shared future for mankind. A former Crossville woman was sentenced to prison and to pay restitution in a scheme to obtain COVID-19 relief funds for a fictitious cattle farm while living in Cumberland County. Shelby Lynn Hill, 54, of Crystal Beach, TX, was sentenced earlier this week to one year and a day in prison for fraudulently obtaining and misusing Paycheck Protection Program loans guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Hill also was ordered to repay $264,645 in restitution and a forfeiture money judgment, and she will be on supervised release for one year after she serves her sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hill pled guilty in June 2024 to one count of wire fraud. Hill obtained several fraudulent PPP loans while living in Crossville. According to court documents and evidence presented to the court, Hill fraudulently obtained a $220,645 PPP loan for a fictitious business, Plateau Angus Farms, in 2020. She claimed to be the owner and operator of a cattle farm in Crossville. Hill told the PPP lender that Plateau Angus Farms employed 14 people and that its monthly payroll expenses exceeded $88,000. Hill submitted fake documents, including Forms W-2 and Tennessee Secretary of State records, as proof of her business. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hill received a $42,700 PPP loan for a second fictitious company, Premium Persians of the Plateau. She also misused the PPP loan proceeds awarded to a third company, Shelby Lynn Hill, MD PLLC, using a portion of the PPP loan to begin installation of a personal swimming pool. Hill was employed as a health insurance broker at the time she applied for the PPP loans. Some of the individuals she listed as employees on the Plateau Angus Farms PPP loan application were potential health insurance customers. Hill admitted that she was not authorized to use their names or personal identifiers to obtain PPP loans. The Paycheck Protection Program was created under the CARES Act and was intended to incentivize small businesses to keep their employees on payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP program was administered and guaranteed by the Small Business Association, a federal government entity. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cookeville Resident Agency, Nashville Field Office, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Toussaint prosecuted the case. Former Donkey Kong champion Billy Mitchell won his defamation lawsuit against speedrunning YouTuber Karl Jobst in Australia on Monday, over claims published in videos that blamed Mitchell for the death of another YouTuber. Jobst had also accused Mitchell of being aggressively litigious in trying to shut down discussions of past cheating allegations. A Brisbane, Australia judge ruled Jobst had made recklessly false claims and ordered the YouTuber to pay Mitchell over $275,000 in damages and accrued interest. A long-time competitive gamer, Mitchell was made famous in the 2007 documentary The King of Kong for his high scores in several old arcade games, including the original Donkey Kong, for which he at various points held the champion title. But Twin Galaxies and The Guinness World Records vacated Mitchells scores following a 2017 investigation into whether he used emulated software to achieve them, though Guinness later reinstated them. It wasnt the broad claims Jobst made about Mitchells controversial cheating saga that landed him in court for defamation, but specifically suggestions that Mitchell had contributed to the suicide of fellow YouTuber Benjamin Apollo Legend Smith. Jobst said the following in a May 2021 video about Mitchell: He also sued YouTuber Apollo Legend for $1,000,000. I havent spoken about this publicly but this lawsuit ultimately ended with Apollo giving in and settling with Mitchell. He was forced to remove all his videos about Mitchells cheating and paid him a large sum of money. This left him deeply in debt, which required him to find extra work, but with his ongoing health issues this was all too much of a burden and he ultimately took his own life. Not that Billy Mitchell would ever care, though. In fact, when Billy Mitchell thought Apollo died earlier he expressed joy at the thought. The lawsuit against Apollo was just as frivolous as the rest and Apollo definitely would have won in court, but again he was extremely ill and couldnt handle the ongoing stress. It has since been revealed that no money changed hands as part of Mitchells settlement with Smith. The YouTuber was forced to remove several videos about the cheating saga, but only had to pay potential damages if he published on the subject again. Jobst ended up retracting the claim about Smith going into debt as a result of the settlement, but the court found that Jobsts ongoing behavior around the topic continued contributing to reputational harm against Mitchell. (The former world champion previously claimed his doctor would no longer see him on account of the cheating accusations.) The judge in the defamation case, Ken Barlow, concluded the following: Mr. Jobst defamed Mr. Mitchell by making all the imputations that Mr. Mitchell alleged; (b) Mr. Mitchell has suffered significant personal and reputational harm as a consequence; (c) although he had the previous reputations alleged by Mr. Jobst, and the defamatory video raised other substantially true contextual imputations about him, Mr. Mitchell suffered substantially more personal and reputational harm as a consequence of Mr. Jobsts imputations about which Mr. Mitchell complains; (d) Mr. Jobsts conduct since the first publication of the video, including during this proceeding, has been aggravating and has caused additional personal hurt and reputational damage to Mr. Mitchell. As a result, Jobst has been ordered to pay the former Donkey Kong champion $300,000 in non-economic damages, $50,000 in aggravated damages, and over $40,000 in interest, which amounts to roughly $275,000 in U.S. dollars. Nothing like the smell of victory in the evening air, Mitchell wrote on X. Billy Mitchell always has a plan. Thank you to everyone who supported me. I am grateful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jobst, however, is now facing scrutiny by some who were confused that the judges verdict ultimately didnt come down to claims about whether Mitchell cheated. I lost, Jobst wrote on X. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony. From that point on unfortunately there was really nothing that could have saved me. I will now obviously consider my options. I know many of you will be upset with this and I am sorry for that. Thank you again for all the support I have received and I will endeavor to work as hard as I can to repay all that you are owed. A gofundme campaign to pay for Jobsts defense after a second lawsuit from Mitchell had been filed against him raised over $200,000 AUD. Last year, Billy Mitchell, star of The King of Kong and proven video game cheater, sued me for defamation, reads the description. These lawsuits are unhinged and it is highly likely Billy will ultimately lose, but until we go to trial it requires a lot of money to deal with. I would appreciate any help that you are able to provide, as this affects not only me but my family as well. Obviously its bad enough to attack me when Ive done nothing wrong, but to injure them as well takes things to another level. But some now feel the way Jobst repeatedly talked about the lawsuit on his YouTube channel, including one video titled Cheater Billy Mitchell Just Keeps Losing, misled viewers into thinking the trial was primarily about the cheating allegations. The videos include comments of people donating to his channel specifically over Smiths death. There are a lot of lies being spread that I falsely claimed Billy sued me because I said he cheated, Jobst continued on X after losing the lawsuit. I never claimed this, I only claimed it was relevant as part of my defense. He added that his total legal fees are well over $600k, and that he hadnt used the court case to try to drum up donations. But the criticism that I should have been more transparent is valid and Im sorry, he added. Truthfully I didnt want to repeat or mention any claims regarding Apollo Legend because it may have jeopardized my defense. I never intentionally lied regarding Apollo Legend either. I relied on incorrect information from multiple sources. I retracted the statements once I confirmed it was inaccurate but apparently it was not sufficient. . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Editors note: This story was updated to clarify Metros plans for its own police department. A former Los Angeles Police Department officer was awarded $4.5 million by a jury after he alleged retaliation for reporting overtime fraud targeting Los Angeles Metro. Former Sgt. Randy Rangel, a 32-year department veteran, alerted superiors to alleged overreported overtime by another sergeant, but instead of prompting an investigation, Rangel instead became the target of a months-long retaliation and harassment campaign, the Los Angeles Times reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That alleged fraudster was being paid overtime by Metro even though he was doing his homework instead of police work, Rangels attorney Tamar Arminak told the Times. Having his textbooks out, listening to lectures at his desk, not even giving a s, she said. I mean, his [overtime] hours were insane. Despite that, Rangel was instead outed as the whistleblower in violation of department rules, subjected to rumors about his love life and written up for discipline by the officer he accused of failing to investigate the alleged fraud. The LAPD declined to comment when reached by KTLA. Rangels jury award sits at the intersection of two ongoing crises involving law enforcement in Los Angeles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not only is the city suffering fiscally under the weight of tens of millions of dollars in lawsuit payouts, but a series of prominent violent crimes on and near Metro stations and vehicles has prompted transit officials to approve ending policing contracts with the LAPD, Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department and other agencies. Instead, Metro officials plan to create its own police department, the Transit Community Public Safety Department. The agency previously had its own police force for about 20 years. The objectives of the Metro TCPSD are increased visibility, accountability and consistent service delivery, which will result in a safer transit system for Metro employees and customers using a specialized transit community public safety workforce who are trained specifically to address the needs of transit riders, as well as care-based strategies, a Metro spokesperson said in a statement. By increasing safety layers, the model will enhance coordination, improve response times and ensure that the specific needs of riders are met with a tailored approach based upon the prevalence of quality-of-life incidents on the Metro system. The potential loss of the lucrative Metro contract is the motivation behind covering up alleged overtime fraud, another former LAPD officer who received a jury award after alleging mistreatment in Transit Services told the Times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The culture was terrible. I mean it was all about greed, Heather Rolland, a former Transit Services detective, told the Times. Its a good ol boys club. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. MADISON, Conn. (WTNH) A former school professional at Daniel Hand High School was arrested Friday for allegedly having inappropriate electronic communications with students, according to police. Police: Meriden man charged with child sexual assault Shalena Hastings, 37, was charged with use of a computer to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, misrepresentation of age to entice a minor, risk of injury/impairing morals of children and criminal impersonation. She is being held on a $150,000 bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hastings is no longer an employee at the school, and was placed on leave prior to the arrest, Superintendent Craig Cooke said. Ensuring the safety of our students is our highest priority. We take any threats to that safety very seriously and respond swiftly. Any known parties directly impacted by this alleged event have been contacted directly. We are prepared to provide support to any and all students moving forward, Cooke continued in his statement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) A former South Korean lawmaker who had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2015 has been found dead in Seoul, police said Tuesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Chang Je-won was found dead in a studio in the eastern part of the capital Monday night and that a note was discovered at the scene. Police didnt provide further details, citing the investigation into his death. Chang served three terms as a conservative lawmaker and was a key ally of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. He had been accused of sexually assaulting the woman at a hotel in November 2015, when he was vice president at a university in Busan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chang had denied the accusations, calling them one-sided claims in a Facebook post last month, in which he vowed to take legal action to protect his honor. Kim Jae-ryun, the womans lawyer, canceled a news conference scheduled for Tuesday following news of Changs death. Chang did not run in the elections last year. His terms as a lawmaker were 2008-2012, 2016-2020, and 2020-2024. Apr. 1A former Stockton police officer pleaded guilty last week to four counts of sexually assaulting women he encountered while on the job. Nicholas Bloed, a former sergeant with the department, pleaded guilty to two counts of oral copulation by threat of arrest and two counts of assault by an officer under color of authority, San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas announced last Friday. The convictions for his oral copulation charges are considered serious strikes under California's Three Strikes Law, resulting in Bloed now having two strikes on his record, reports state. Bloed faces an eight-year sentence and will be required to register as a sex offender for at least 20 years. He could potentially apply for termination after that period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This case sends a clear message that no one is above the law, especially those entrusted to uphold it," Freitas said. "Nicholas Bloed abused his authority and betrayed the public's trust, and today's guilty plea ensures he will face the consequences of his actions. My office remains resolute in our commitment to protecting victims and holding offenders accountable, regardless of their position." An investigation into Bloed began after one victim came forward and said that he pulled her over in 2021 because she was driving an unregistered car without plates. Instead of issuing a ticket, Bloed took her phone to get her number. He let her go, but pulled her over again, which resulted in five months of multiple instances of sexual abuse, according to the victim's lawyer. The victim filed a complaint with the Stockton Police Department in May of 2022, and Bloed was placed on paid administrative leave that same month. By the following October, he was no longer with the department, and additional victims had come forward with allegations of abuse, reports state. One woman told KCRA in 2022 that Bloed had assaulted her at the Motel 6 near Interstate 5 and Plymouth Road. She said she was staying with a woman who was afraid to be alone with Bloed because he had been assaulting her since 2017 after meeting on an escort website, reports state. Bloed is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. in Department 6D of the San Joaquin County Superior Court. GILMER, Texas (KETK) The Upshur County Sheriffs Office has arrested a former jailer for alleged improper sexual activity with a male inmate. Photo of Dallas Mosley, courtesy of Upshur County Sheriffs Office. Gregg County jailer arrested for credit card abuse while on duty, sheriffs office says The sheriffs office said they started an investigation into 29-year-old Dallas Mosley on Sunday after a male inmate told jail staff that Mosley performed improper sexual conduct with him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mosley was immediately suspended during the investigation before being fired and arrested on Monday, according to the sheriffs office. Upshur County Justice of the Peace Lyle Potter arraigned Mosley and he was then booked into the Upshur County Jail for improper sexual activity with a person in custody. Mosleys bond was set at $100,000. 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com. BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese government spokesperson on Tuesday strongly opposed and sternly condemned the so-called U.S. "Hong Kong Policy Act Report," and the so-called sanctions on relevant officials of the Chinese central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government. The spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council denounced the so-called report, which smears and vilifies Hong Kong's national security legislation, and the so-called sanctions, as "mere pieces of waste paper." HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) The United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Illinois says a former Wayne City police chief appeared in federal court Monday and admitted to selling forfeited items confiscated by the department for his personal benefit. Officials say Anson Fenton, 46, of Belle Rive, pleaded guilty to one count of misapplication of property from federally funded programs and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. IL spring trout season opens April 5 in Wayne, Wabash counties Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Attorneys Office strongly supports our police, but we must take decisive action when things like this happen, said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. By taking unauthorized possession of forfeited property for his personal benefit, the defendant used his position of trust as police chief to deceive the community he was sworn to protect. Court officials explain asset forfeiture is a legal process to confiscate the means or proceeds of a crime and can apply to money, vehicles, real estate and more. Wayne City stores forfeited items at the Wayne City Police Department until city officials pass an ordinance to authorize the sale of the property. As police chief, Fenton was responsible for safeguarding, documenting and preserving property within the care, custody and control of the Wayne City Police Department. Fairfield woman charged with the death of a 1-year-old According to court documents, Fenton sold two motorcycles, a 2017 Harley-Davidson and a 2000 Harley-Davidson, valued at more than $5,000 and kept the proceeds without authorization from the Wayne City Board of Trustees. Documents say he also traded one 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle for a 1991 Ford Mustang for his personal benefit. He admitted to driving the Suzuki over state lines to complete the sale from Wayne City to Alexandria, Virginia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court officials say for the charges, Fenton could face up to 10 years imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 per count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on July 30 at the federal courthouse in East St. 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). Multiple pedestrians were injured after a Penske truck crashed into a building in Boston and flipped on its side. The wreck happened just before 1 p.m. on Kneeland Street at Harrison Avenue near Chinatown, Boston police said. The Penske rental box truck hit at least six people, with four taken to hospitals and another two others evaluated at the scene of the crash, Boston EMS told NBC Boston. At least one victim was in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation into the incident is ongoing, police said, noting: This is a very active scene and does not have a total number of victims yet. A truck rests against the side of a building in Boston's Chinatown. It crashed into people and left a total of six injured (Boston Fire Department) A Penske box rental truck is turned on its side outside of a store in Boston. There have been no reported deaths (Boston Fire Department) The circumstances leading to the crash are not immediately clear - but authorities described it as a tragic accident and there was no reason to believe it was intentional. Video footage captured the box truck on its side next to a doorway of the Great Wall Kitchen Supplies store as debris was scattered around the street. The driver was freed from the truck by the Boston Fire Department, the agency said. Companies responded to Kneeland & Harrison Ave for a truck that struck multiple poles and was wedged between a pole and the building. Firefighters used extrication tools to remove the trapped driver from the cab of truck, the Boston Fire Department wrote on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputy Fire Chief Steven Shaffer described the process of removing the driver from the vehicle to WHDH: The technical team, if you see the cab there, they actually had to cut the top of the cab and peel it back to get the driver out. It was a bad accident, and hopefully those two people make it, he added. Harrison Ave. and Kneeland Street was closed between Tyler Street and Washington Street, police said, as investigators were at the scene. In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, Penske said the company is cooperating fully with the authorities to support their investigation. Our thoughts are with those who have been injured in this unfortunate incident. Based on our records, the truck involved was out on rent to a commercial trucking company, the statement continued. We have no other information at this time. COPENHAGEN/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A fourth U.S. Army soldier, who together with three others went missing in Lithuania last week when their vehicle sank in a peat bog, has been found dead, U.S. and Lithuanian officials said on Tuesday. The three other soldiers were found dead on Monday after rescuers recovered the armoured vehicle of the four missing soldiers in a military training area near the border with Belarus. "Deeply saddened to announce that the body of the fourth U.S. soldier, who was training in Lithuania, has been found," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote on the social media platform X, offering condolences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also confirmed the fourth death, telling reporters at a White House press briefing that U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration were praying for all of the victims and their families. Nauseda also thanked those who helped "find the one remaining soldier still missing under such challenging conditions." Rescuers had spent days digging to recover the M88 Hercules armoured recovery vehicle the soldiers were using as part of an exercise at the Pabrade training ground, where U.S. units have been rotating since 2019. (Reporting by Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen and Steve Holland and Gram Slattery in Washington; Editing by Gareth Jones, Susan Heavey and Mark Porter) A fourth American soldier who went missing after their vehicle became submerged in a bog during training in the country was found dead Tuesday, the White House announced. Tragically, three soldiers were found deceased in Lithuania yesterday, and it pains me to confirm that today the fourth soldier was also found deceased, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during the daily briefing. She noted President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the entire White House are praying for the victims friends and family during this unimaginable time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Four U.S. soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division went missing on March 25 at the expansive General Silvestras Zukauskas training ground in the town of Pabrade, close to the border with Belarus. Their M88 Hercules vehicle was later found about 15 feet deep in a peat bog on March 26. The bodies of three of the soldiers were initially recovered Monday after a massive, nearly week-long effort to dig the vehicle out. Hundreds of rescue workers from the Army, Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces and many other elements of the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies aided in the retrieval, U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a Tuesday statement. The identities of the soldiers are being withheld pending family notifications and U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. I cant say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us. We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies and our own Sailors, Airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers have enabled us to find and bring home our Soldiers, U.S. Army Europe and Africa Commander Gen. Christopher Donahue said in the statement, noting that the tragic event reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The military command had earlier said Lithuanian armed forces provided military helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems and search and rescue personnel to help locate the missing soldiers. Later, after the vehicle was found, they brought in excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, other heavy construction equipment, technical experts and several hundred tons of gravel and earth to help in the recovery. U.S. Navy divers then maneuvered through thick layers of mud, clay, and sediment with zero visibility to reach the vehicle and hook steel cables to it that were attached to vehicles to pull it out. When the vehicles began to lose traction, several dozers were attached to provide additional grip. It took approximately two hours of this to remove the M88 from the bog, according to the command. The Navy dive team then searched the area using radar for the fourth soldier. All soldiers were deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to provide credible ground deterrence alongside Allies and partners, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart in Georgia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This past week has been devastating, said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, the 3rd Infantry Division commanding general. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier. Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Rescue teams in Lithuania have recovered the body of the fourth and final missing US soldier after pulling a sunken tank from deep mud, the US military confirmed on Tuesday. The soldier was found near the Pabrade military training ground, according to the US Armys European Command in Wiesbaden, Germany. The White House and Pentagon also confirmed his death. The four soldiers, part of an infantry brigade, had been missing since last Tuesday after a training exercise. They were travelling in an M88 Hercules armoured recovery vehicle when they disappeared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A joint US-Lithuanian search effort, involving hundreds of soldiers and rescue workers, located the vehicle five meters deep in a swampy area of the training ground, known for its dense forests and marshy terrain. After days of effort and specialized equipment, the multi-ton vehicle was retrieved early Monday. The deaths of three soldiers were then confirmed later that day. The US Army and Lithuanian authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett has accused publisher Simon & Schuster of engaging in a conspiracy to steal his book proposal about the Democrats lawfare against Donald Trump and giving it to an editor for MAGA outlet Breitbart News, according to a new lawsuit. Besides naming the publishing giant in the lawsuit, the pro-Trump Fox News personality specifically alleges that Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp, executive editor Natasha Simons, and his literary agency Vigliano Associates were involved in the plot to steal his Trump tome. In the complaint filed last week in the Supreme Court of New York and first reported by Politico Playbook, Jarrett claims that he was approached by Simon & Schusters executive editor Natasha Simons in late 2023 to solicit a new book based on his past literary success on topics surrounding Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defendant Simons specifically pursued Jarrett for a current events project. None of this surprised Jarrett, nor did Simons invitation that he propose a topic for the book, the suit states. And so Jarrett did a political book that would capitalize on the political fortunes and lawfare waged against President Donald J. Trump (Trump or the President) by his political enemies in the years after his first term as President. (Fox News) Claiming that Simons loved the concept and felt that the book had all the elements of being a bestseller, the complaint adds that she embraced the idea of Jarrett hiring a research assistant to help write the book to meet an ambitious publishing timeline. It was at this point that Vigliano Associates recommended Alex Marlow, the editor-in-chief of Breitbart News who had written two conservative books of his own. Jarrett accepted the recommendation and, at the urging of Simons, drafted a written proposal for the book and shared it with Simons, Marlow, and the Literary Agents. It was the blueprint for a commercial endeavorwith Jarrett as its recognized architect and driving force, the complaint states. But then, as Jarrett would only discover months later, Defendants conceived, planned and executed a conspiracy amongst themselves and Marlow to publish the book conceived by Jarrett, in violation of their contractual and common law duties. Throughout the lawsuit, Jarrett who has become one of Trumps favorite legal experts due to his bestselling books decrying the Russia probe and witch hunts against the president claims that the defendants pulled a fast one on him to get his idea and move it to Marlow, who was also a Vigliano Associates client. Part of this plan, according to the complaint, involved lowballing Jarrett on his book advance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Insisting that Jarrett had helped to usher this notion of lawfare from its esoteric origins into the forefront of the conservative zeitgeist with his analysis and writing, the lawsuit claims that the process for the book proposal was going smoothly until mid-March 2024 during a call that involved Karp and Jarretts agents. Stopping just short of outright rejection, Karp according to Viglianos retelling offered an absurdly low advance: less than half of what Jarrett received for The Trial of the Century. It was a facially paltry offer given that current events books represent a far more lucrative market than history books, the complaint notes. This sum was not only untethered from the millions of dollars that Simons predicted the book would bring in: it was financially impractical, as well. Most of the proposed amount would go to covering the fees of the Literary Agents and Marlow. Jarrett would eventually reject the lowball offer from Simon & Schuster, instead asking his agents to shop the proposal around to other publishing houses. The complaint states that it wouldnt be until October when the conspiracy was revealed after Jarrett heard back from Thomas Flannery, one of his agents at Vigliano Associates. However, the message was not to inform Jarrett of any progress in connection with his project, the lawsuit states. Rather, it was to let him know that Marlow had sold a book to Simon & Schuster that was somewhat similar to the Proposal. He noted the book was close enough that I dont want you to see it and be surprised. Jarrett had discussed and shared this Proposal, in confidence, with Marlow at a time when the latter was acting as his agent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a separate email sent in February of this year, Flannery told Jarrett that he wanted to apologize for the way things went down on the Trump legal cases book but that when it didnt work out, the publisher wanted to find another author to write it, and I suggested Alex. Flannery added: I should have let you know before approaching him. The upcoming book by Marlow, titled Breaking the Law, is due out this summer. Featuring Alex Marlows prescient insight, Breaking the Law effortlessly demonstrates how the American legal system has been weaponized against former President Donald Trump on purely political grounds, the publishers description states. My proposal was to write a book that shed light on significant political and legal developments affecting the nation the lawfare campaign against President Trump. Unfortunately, I believe my project was co-opted without my knowledge or consent, Jarrett said in a statement about the lawsuit. Vigliano Associates was my fiduciary, advisor, and advocate or so I thought, he added. This lawsuit aims to shine a light on a troubling record and protect the rights and integrity of authors everywhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This case is about betrayal at the highest levels of publishing where those entrusted to champion Mr. Jarretts work instead allegedly conspired to exploit his ideas, misappropriate his opportunity, and enrich themselves at his expense, Jarretts attorney William A. Brewer III declared. The defendants appear to have breached fundamental duties of trust, loyalty, and candor core obligations that define the relationship between an author and his agents, he continued. Jarrett seeks monetary damages, restitution of profits, and full disgorgement of any earnings from the upcoming publication, the lawsuit notes. Representatives for Simon & Schuster, Vigliano Associates, and Marlow did not immediately respond to requests for comment. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A sales tax increase in Franklin County went into effect on Tuesday after voters passed Issue 47 in November to help fund new transportation projects. The Central Ohio Transit Authority placed the 0.5% increase on the ballot to fund $2 billion in new Bus Rapid Transit lines along with hundreds of miles of new sidewalks and bike paths. COTAs share of the sales tax is now 1%, up from 0.5%. Franklin Countys total sales tax rate now sits at 8%, up from 7.5%, tying it with Cuyahoga County for the highest in Ohio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ohio lawmakers look to eliminate highest income tax rate, switch to flat tax The measure passed with about 57% voting in favor of the measure. The increase means consumers will pay an extra 5 cents for every $10 spent. Areas of Delaware, Licking, Fairfield and Union counties that are served by COTA will also see the 0.5% increase. I think its really important for people to realize how this is going to improve their quality of life, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther told NBC4 in July. Its going to connect our entire community, whether you live in Dublin, Grove City, the Near East Side, in a township, all over the COTA service area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The levy is expected to bring in more than $6 billion by 2050, allowing COTA to add new zones and transit lines over the next five years, the company previously stated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. 31A Franklin man indicted Friday is accused of sexually assaulting a young girl in Lebanon. Parker Cole Deaton, 20, is scheduled to be arraigned April 18 in Warren County Common Pleas Court for four counts of rape involving a child younger than 13. Deaton is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with the girl in August 2024, according to the grand jury indictment report released Monday. The Lebanon Police Department opened an investigation when the girl's parents reported it to law enforcement, Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said. Deaton was an acquaintance of the child's sibling, he said. CANBERRA, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Australia has become the second country in the world to print health warnings on individual cigarettes. Under sweeping tobacco packaging laws that came into effect on Tuesday, every individual cigarette sold in Australia will be printed with one of eight health warnings. The new health warnings on individual cigarettes include the phrases "causes 16 cancers," "damages your lungs" and "poisons in every puff." Canada is the only other country to have similar warnings on individual cigarettes. In 2012, Australia became the first country in the world to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products, with branding replaced by graphic health warnings. The new laws that came into effect on Tuesday introduced 10 new graphic health warnings that will be printed on tobacco packaging as well as 10 new inserts that will be placed inside packaging providing information on the benefits of quitting smoking. The new measures were welcomed by the Cancer Council and Quit, Australia's leading support service for smoking cessation. Sarah Durkin from the Cancer Council said that the graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging have proven effective in educating Australians about the harms of smoking but that the effectiveness of the warnings has decreased over time. "We also have new scientific information that extends our knowledge of the health effects of tobacco use," she said in a statement on Tuesday. "The new graphic health warnings feature some of these harms of smoking that people may not be aware of, such as diabetes, erectile dysfunction, cervical cancer, DNA damage, and the impact of second-hand smoke on children's lung capacity." According to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the proportion of Australians aged 14 and over who are daily smokers fell from 25 percent in 1993 to 8.3 percent in 2022-23. INVERNESS, Fla. (WFLA) The Citrus County School Board recently became the target of a sophisticated fraud scheme in which investigators said someone outside of the state almost got away with over $800,000 in fraudulent transfers. The money, totaling $846,864.86, was initially intended to go to a trusted vendor as payment for a construction project, the Citrus County Sheriffs Office said. However, school officials realized something was wrong when the vendor said they had not received the money. This was an email from someone pretending to be the vendor that looked exactly like exactly what the vendor wouldve sent, Dr. Scott Hebert, Superintendent of Schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hurricane-damaged hotel that received $34K Spectrum bill released from collections According to investigators, the school board was able to confirm the payment had been made but realized too late that it was sent to someone pretending to be the vendor. Deputies said the suspect had emulated the vendors email and provided a falsified account number. Dr. Hebert said with the help of the secret service, 92% of the stolen funds have been recovered. But with more money and a suspect still missing, the investigation is ongoing. Its a type of cyber fraud officials said is known as business email compromise, BEC, otherwise known as a phishing scheme. Typically, BEC occurs when suspects use email to trick someone into thinking theyre a trusted figure and have them send money or divulge confidential company information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The moment we discovered this was a fraudulent transaction, we immediately contacted our partners at the Citrus County Sheriffs Office, said Dr. Hebert. Their swift response, along with the expertise of the United States Secret Service, was instrumental in recovering the majority of the stolen funds. A malicious actor will come in and change one or two characteristics of a URL address or an email link something that doesnt totally appear correct, said Detective Cutlip with the CCSO High-Tech Crimes Unit. At first glance, if youre having correspondence you wouldnt pick up all those changes. Federal investigators were able to identify and freeze $779,604 in two separate bank accounts outside of Florida. Authorities said the funds were returned to the school board, and as of Monday night, efforts were ongoing to find the remaining $67,260.86. Based on their findings so far, investigators said they believe the suspect is operating outside of Florida and has no known ties to the Citrus County School Board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheriff David Vincent explained why the sheriffs office initially held off on sharing information with the public in a news release Monday night, stating in part that investigators didnt want to give the suspect an upper hand in realizing we were on to them. While many have argued that transparency was an issue in this case, I would counter that with successful prosecution, protecting victims and recovering stolen property for victims will always be my priority in cases like these, Vincent said. If that means waiting until evidence is secured, property is recovered, and everything wrapped up in a package with a bow for prosecutors, so be it. Dr. Herbert said the school district has since put additional safeguards in place to ensure this doesnt happen again. All school district staff are being provided additional cyber security awareness training, and the district is working to ensure it has a clear protocol for how to detect, report and respond to cyber incidents. The security of our financial resources is paramount, as they directly support our students, staff, and schools, Dr. Herbert said. Again, we appreciate the dedication of law enforcement in protecting our district and our community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 8 On Your Side asked Dr. Hebert if any of district employees will face consequences. Disciplinary action will occur, and those folks that were involved in that will be held accountable for not following any of the procedures that we had in place that they did not do, he said. That disciplinary action could be more training, suspension or even termination depending on the outcome of the investigation. Anyone with further information regarding the case is urged to contact the Citrus County Sheriffs Office or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Citrus County at 1-866-ANY-TIPS (269-8477). 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 WFLA. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) During the month of April, Freedom Credit Union will be collecting donations to help benefit the Springfield-based Way Finders at all of their branches throughout western Massachusetts. Many stores confirmed at Springfield Crossing as construction continues Way Finders mission to create an equitable, thriving region by bringing home stability and economic mobility to western Massachusetts. The agency provides services such as emergency financial housing assistance, support for renters, and help for those facing foreclosure. It also helps people secure employment, economic mobility, and home ownership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The donations that the community is invited to make will help fund the following efforts: Building and managing affordable housing in urban, rural and suburban settings Helping more than 5,000 families access emergency assistance and housing subsidies every year Helping people become first time home buyers Providing emergency shelter to families experiencing homelessness Supporting young parents and survivors of domestic abuse Fostering housing stability through financial education and employment The bank collects donations every month for a different charity as part of its Month of Giving campaigns. Safe and secure housing is a basic essential, said Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch. Financial instability combined with a shortage of affordable housing in our region has forced many people into dire circumstances. We hope they know theyre not alone. 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. Glowing red lava is once again bubbling up from the ground in Iceland as a fresh volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula, south-west of Reykjavik, began on Tuesday morning near the fishing village of Grindavik, the meteorological office said. Live footage from the broadcaster RUV showed the lava making its way to the Earth's surface from a massive fissure. The fissure was initially about 500 metres long, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said, but it was continuing to grow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A helicopter was expected to take off to determine the exact location and extent of the eruption. In the early hours of Tuesday, the impending eruption was heralded by an increasingly intense swarm of earthquakes in the region. The popular tourist geothermal spa, Blue Lagoon, was evacuated quickly, as was Grindavik, where rescue workers reported feeling the tremors on site. There were fears that cracks could open up in the ground within the village. Nevertheless, eight people decided to stay in Grindavik, RUV reported, citing the police. On the Reykjanes Peninsula, such so-called fissure eruptions are no longer a rarity: The current eruption is the 11th since 2021 and the eighth since December 2023 alone. The last eruption occurred in November, lasting about two and a half weeks. Initial signs now point to an even larger eruption than previous ones: According to the meteorological office, the underground magma tunnel is estimated to be a substantial 11 kilometres long. BOSTON (WWLP) As Massachusetts Democrats predict price shocks from President Donald Trumps threatened tariffs on Canadian oil and gas, a Republican senator on Tuesday blamed ballooning ratepayer costs on the states clean energy mandates. During a virtual press conference with New England Republican lawmakers and conservative think tanks, Sen. Ryan Fattman of Sutton proudly noted he voted against the 2021 climate law directing Massachusetts to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. We have to build out tremendous new infrastructure thats going to cost billions of dollars in order to transition to alternatives and away from clean-emission energy, like natural gas, Fattman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paul Craney, executive director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, leaned into April Fools Day as he urged ratepayers, Do not be fooled by what you hear from your State House politicians. The reason why your bills are getting jacked up right now is not because of tariffs, not because of natural gas, not because of who occupies the White House, Craney said. But its because of these mandates, these green renewable mandates, these alternative energy mandates, which are driving up costs because we are funding the transition and it will continue to get worse. Rising natural gas prices have stung Massachusetts ratepayers in recent winters. Regional grid operator ISO-New England last week reported that the average real-time wholesale electricity price was $126.40 per megawatt-hour in February 2025, up 301% compared to February 2024. After energy bills soared this winter, Gov. Maura Healey vowed to file a bill to rein in costs. Her administrations energy affordability agenda also outlines strategies to expand discount programs for moderate-income customers, redirect clean energy infrastructure funding, and stabilize local energy supplies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor on Tuesday praised ISO-New Englands first competitive solicitation for transmission investments, which her office said will address long-standing constraints on the New England power system and integrate new, affordable, onshore wind resources in the coming years. Healey said the procurement will unlock affordable electricity for Massachusetts residents and businesses at a critical time. Meanwhile, Healey has warned Trumps plan to impose a 10% tariff on petroleum and natural gas imports from Canada would cost Massachusetts $370 million annually. Trump is expected to announce his tariff plan Wednesday on so-called Liberation Day. If the Republicans want to lower energy costs the first thing they should do is oppose Donald Trumps tariffs on energy from Canada, MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan said in a statement Tuesday. Donald Trumps tariffs will raise the costs of gas and oil by 20 cents per gallon, and cost Massachusetts ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The Republicans will never oppose these tariffs because the Republican Party is loyal to Donald Trump, not the people of Massachusetts. Fattman, asked whether he supports Trumps planned tariffs, said, Im not a big fan of tariffs in general. He stressed hes focused on state-level climate policies that lawmakers can control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fattman also criticized looming state regulations that will require manufacturers to sell lower-emissions engines, based on Californias vehicle emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. I dont like tying my future to the state of California, which the commonwealth did, Fattman said. Our Legislature did that. They have no ability to change tariffs. They have a big ability to change our standards for vehicles for advanced clean technology in vehicles and heavy-duty operating. In response to Tuesdays presser, the Acadia Center said high natural gas costs this winter stem from the New England regions untenable overreliance on fossil fuels, with rising energy burdens driven by natural gas infrastructure, generous utility profits, and the regions continued fossil fuel investments. Right now, the region has almost all its eggs in the fossil fuel basket, and this offers only the false promise of fools gold in protecting the regions consumers from rising energy bills, the Acadia Center said. The region must double down on its climate and clean energy goals to make the broader northeast region energy independent from fossil fuels, reduce consumer price spikes, and mitigate the economic harms of worsening climate change. 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. FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) By the time the last gavel fell in Frankfort, the 2025 General Assembly had passed more than 140 bills in its 30-day session, including a .5% income tax cut, lowering the age for a learners permit to 15, and a new dedicated state film office. Twenty-eight of 29 of the governors vetoes were overridden; a partial line-item veto on operations during the Capitol renovations was allowed to stand. But there could be a new battle brewing between the two branches of government. In a letter to lawmakers last week, Gov. Andy Beshear said he may not have the funding to execute at least 11 of the newly passed laws: four bills that he signed, five that had vetoes overridden, and two that became law without the governors signature. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What you see is the governor here is pushing back without the power of the purse, without, you know, the ability to get laws changed when his veto is overridden so much that they have got to come up with creative ways to figure out the best way to approach these issues, FOX 56 News Political Analyst Jonathan Miller said. Miller said underlying this is a longtime dispute between the executive and legislative branches, even prior to their current political lean, on unfunded mandates: a legislative decree without money attached. Most of the time what will happen is the executive will find money squirreled away in a rainy day fund or elsewhere in an agency in funds that are not dedicated to one source, and they pay for those services, Miller explained, but said there have been cases in exceptional times that the executive branch has had to come back to the legislature to ask for more funding. However, some of the bills listed in Beshears letter are related to recent social issues that were heavily debated at the end of the session, like HB 495. That bill ended both Beshears executive order banning conversion therapy and Medicaid coverage for transgender-related healthcare. In the letter, the Beshear administration argued that the bill could cost the Medicaid program $6.3 to $9.8 million for increased behavioral and mental health services. LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its an interesting new way of framing the argument the governor has come up with, and Im confident the legislature finds great objection with it, and I imagine well be seeing some court action taken in the next several months, Miller said. So, Governor, when we dont line item an issue or point to an appropriation, its because we feel you have adequate funding in your budget to follow the law, Rep. David Meade (R-Stanford) said on the House floor last Thursday when the letter was sent. In Meades floor speech, he argued that new programs have been implemented by the executive branch before without direct funding. In the letter, the Beshear administration cites a 2005 state supreme court case, Fletcher v. Commonwealth, that limits implementing policy without money attached. The administration also stated that the costs were communicated and requested an appropriation during the final two days of the session. MORE POLITICAL NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dont worry, Governor, because next year when we do the budget, we are going to make it abundantly clear what you can and cannot spend money on, Meade said, suggesting that specific, restrictive line-item spending language will be considered more than in years past. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Funeral arrangements for the renowned tire shop owner, William Bill Simon, who was killed in a crash, have been made. The funeral is set for Friday, April 4, at St. Alphonsus Church, 14040 Greenwell Springs Road. Visitation is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The service will start at 12:30 p.m. The burial will take place at Greenoaks Memorial at 2:30 p.m. An additional visitation is available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, at Rabenhorst Funeral Home on Florida Boulevard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The business owner was known for his commercials for the auto and tire shop, Simple Simon, on Airline Highway. Simon was involved in the community, formerly served as a district governor for the East Baton Rouge Lions Club and contributed to breast cancer awareness fundraisers. 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. A 39-year-old man is facing charges after alleged incidents involving a 7-year-old child. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Andrew Holland was arrested on Friday. This is after Johnson County investigators said they received information on March 24 that between June 2024 and February 2025, Holland sexually abused the 7-year-old four different times. Holland was charged with four counts of aggravated sexual battery on a minor and four counts of grooming of a minor for sexual offense. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We do not take any allegations of this nature lightly and will treat any issues with the utmost importance when it comes to protecting our children. We will continue to work diligently and utilize any and every resource to continue to conduct operations against egregious crimes such as these, Sheriff Greg Rowland said. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can call Inv. Troy Fallin at 478-864-4003. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] In South Central Georgia, a 24-year-old woman is facing criminal charges after authorities say suffered a miscarriage and then dumped the fetus. On March 21, Selena Maria Chandler Scott was charged with one count of concealing the death of another person and one count of throwing away or abandonment of a body. Its unfortunate that the situation unfolded the way that it did, on top of what we agree is a traumatic experience, Tift County District Attorney Patrick Warren said. In this case, the case law would indicate that a person would have to have lived independent of the mother. Separate and independent of the mother. That will be determined based on the medical examiner and the autopsy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tifton County Deputy Coroner Blair Veazy told WALB that the autopsy revealed that the 19-week-old fetus never took a breath. This case is similar to over 200 others nationwide that an organization called Pregnancy Justice is fighting. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Its absolutely tragic and inconsolable, Dana Sussman with Pregnancy Justice said. We certainly hope that this case ends very soon and that these charges are ultimately dropped. The district attorneys office said it is waiting to get a completed case file from the Tifton Police Department. From there, prosecutors will make their decision on how to move forward. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] An Atlanta gang detective testified in court Monday that investigators used social media posts, wiretaps , ballistics , surveillance and interviews with informants to build the case against seven men charged in the shooting deaths of two 13-year-old boys. The suspects in the 2024 killings of 13-year-old Lamon Freeman and his friend, 13-year-old Jakody Davis, took their seats inside a Fulton County courtroom for day 3 of a preliminary hearing to determine if theres sufficient evidence for the men to stand trial. The detective, who works undercover and asked to not be identified, said the accused were members of the Goodfellas criminal gang. Police said the shootings stemmed from a gang war involving rapper Lil Baby. The hip-hop superstar is accused of being affiliated with the rival street gang 4PF. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Channel 2s Michael Seiden reported the detective testified that the two teens were innocent victims, caught in the middle of a gang war that resulted in multiple shootings across Atlanta. In this particular case, prosecutors claim that the July 2024 murders in Atlantas West End neighborhood were in response to rapper Lil Baby, who shot a music video in the rivals area. The rappers attorney has denied any wrongdoing by his client and said they are not in a gang and had nothing to do with the shootings. He told Channel 2 Action News that the claims against his client are complete and total nonsense. Defense Attorney Brian Tevis, who represents one of the defendants, was pushing back against the detectives claims in court that his client is in a gang. He criticized her investigation and claimed that just because his client is in a picture with documented gang members, it doesnt make him a gang member. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] RELATED STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Brunei Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah has celebrated the annual Muslim festival of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, also known as Eid al-Fitr, with foreign envoys. The Sultan, along with other members of the royal family, welcomed foreign delegates from more than 20 countries at Istana Nurul Iman, the royal palace of Brunei, on Monday. Besides foreign diplomats, Brunei's cabinet ministers, senior government officials and other invited guests also joined the first day of Hari Raya celebration at the palace. Hari Raya is Brunei's traditional festival, which falls at the end of the Muslim fasting month. The sultanate celebrates Hari Raya with a three-day national holiday starting on Monday. Istana Nurul Iman opens its gate for two days from Tuesday, enabling the public to meet and convey their greetings to the Sultan and other members of the royal family during the festive celebration. Members of the powerful gang coalition Viv Ansanm stormed a prison in Haiti on Monday, releasing more than 500 inmates after setting fire to a police substation during a day of panic in the central region of the country that sent residents, patients and staff at one of the biggest hospitals fleeing. Haiti National Police spokesman Lionel Lazarre, who confirmed the attack to the Miami Herald, said gangs began their attack on Sunday night in Mirebalais, a rural town not far from Haitis border with the Dominican Republic. They burned part of the police station and several disabled cars in the police station yard, he said. All of the prisoners left. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Videos shared on social media showed panicked residents running through the streets, carrying belongings on their heads. Others were wading through a river to get away from the gunfire. The target of the gangs attack appears to have been the prison, which housed 516 inmates, according to the Port-au-Prince based human rights group Fondasyon Je Klere/Eyes Wide Open Foundation. Of the inmates, only 65 had been before a judge and sentenced. The rest, including 27 women, 410 men and 14 juveniles, were in pre-trial detention, meaning they had not yet been before a judge. Marie Yolene Gilles, head of the foundation, said the armed gang members traveled along the main National Highway and arrived in the city without resistance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They attacked the police station, they penetrated the prison, they burned homes, they burned the businesses of people in the city of Mirebalais she said. After the assault on the prison, she said, they freed prisoners and set fire to it. Gilles said that, as in other instances, armed gangs had announced that they would attack Mirebalais and there was no resistance, there was no response. The attack on the Mirebalais prison followed the same pattern as the attacks a year ago against the National Penitentiary in the capital and the Croix-des-Bouquet Civil prison on its outskirts. More than 4,000 inmates, including gang members, were freed after criminal groups stormed both facilities, Haitis two largest prisons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The same phenomenon was repeated and nothing was done to prevent it, Giles said. Her foundation continues to ask where the countrys money for intelligence is going, Gilles said. The bandits always announce their attacks against the cities, against the prisons, against the police substations and they never have any resistance. Why didnt [the police] take steps to counter the attacks against Mirebalais? Because everyone knew. Frederique Occean, a presidential appointee for the region, said in a press conference that local officials had worked to keep the attack from happening without success. We are working to limit the destruction, he said. The population needs to remain calm; they need to stay home and they should not flee the city. You have to stay and support the security forces, so we can stand and fight together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said for weeks local leaders had been asking for armored vehicles to be deployed to the city to reinforce the security forces in the area. Up until now, we have not yet received any armored vehicles, he said. We have a lot of political will to fight, but we need the means to fight. He blamed the attack on ongoing efforts in the region to stop the illegal trafficking of arms across the border. Tensions increased after a police operation on Sunday in the border town of Belladere led to several arrests, he said. After those arrests, after the weapons were seized, after the vehicles that were confiscated...the threats grew; the guys today went to the prison and broke the prison and freed everyone. When gangs stormed the town residents didnt know where to go. At the University Hospital of Mirebalais, built by the late Dr. Paul Farmer after the devastating 2010 earthquake, some patients and staff fled while others tried to hide. Reports initially suggested that the hospital was under attack, but as of 11:30 a.m., the administration said it was a false alarm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The privately built hospital is run by Boston-based Partners In Health and its Haiti affiliate, Zanmi Lasante. It is one of the few facilities in Haiti that provides cutting edge treatment for cancer, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Mirebalais is among several cities in Haitis Central Plateau, which has become a refuge for those fleeing the violence in Port-au-Prince, where more than 1 million Haitians have been displaced, 60,000 just in the past month. The city is not far from the Haiti-Dominican border, which has become a focal point of illegal arms trafficking and a conduit for gangs to receive high-caliber guns and ammunition. Lazarre said several specialized Haitian police units were flown into the city on a helicopter to battle gang members. As of 1 p.m., he told the Herald, the city was for the moment under the control of the police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police are carrying out operations in areas where the gang members are located, he said. Lazarre said police had killed, wounded and arrested several gang members but did not provide numbers. Weapons were also seized, he said. HONOLULU (KHON2) A trash fire on the morning of March 31 caused by a common household item prompts a message from officials to properly dispose lithium-ion batteries to prevent a potentially dangerous situation. Gray smoke billowed from a large pile of trash as firefighters tried to put it out along Heeia Street in Kaneohe. Honolulu introduces new emergency alert system The Honolulu Fire Department confirmed they responded to the incident after a refuse truck driver saw smoke coming from his load and dumped it. Roger Babcock, director of the Department of Environmental Services, said its been taken care of. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 6 things to know about Hawaiis tilt toward gambling All cleaned up now, and we have the material that we think started the fire, Babcock said. Were trying to figure out what it is. Its something, some sort of lithium-ion device, that were not familiar with. 7 clues revealed by Hawaiis ancient glaciers, the Pacifics only subtropical glacial formations The item, however, was not recognizable to Babcocks team. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Its kind of a large battery pack, and were not were not sure what it is, but its definitely lithium-ion, Babcock said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firewise Hawaii: 10 tips going into the summer months HFD fire inspector Thomas Inouye said fires from those batteries can be very difficult to put out. The smoke that it produces is actually very toxic, Inouye explained. According to Babcock, refuse collection vehicles rarely have to dump their loads due to fires. But he said they deal with fires at the H-POWER disposal site regularly. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Babcock said in 2024, they had 158 fires at H-POWER, 44 of them from lithium-ion batteries. Fires starting in the pit where everything is dumped. And thats the chance, a time when stuff is mixed together and being pushed around, and fires can get can get started, he said. So those are much more common. Those are happening every week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said they are equipped to deal with those fires but they can be volatile, and it only takes one. If we were to really have a a catastrophic fire, that would be really bad. It could burn down a facility, Babcock explained. We had one about two years ago, which took out part of H-POWER for a couple of weeks because there was repairs that needed to be made, and some conveyor belts melted. Ala Moana restaurant employees locked out with no access to personal items Thats why prevention is key. Hes urging everyone to dispose of them correctly. The proper way is to take them to one of our convenience centers, Babcock explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These centers can collect and recycle them preventing potentially dangerous situations. Some common items with lithium-ion batteries include cellphones, digital cameras, laptops and tablets. Convenience Centers are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. They are only closed Christmas and New Years 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 KHON2. Gas prices jumped by about 10 cents per gallon in the Meadville area over the past week to average $3.50 on Monday, outpacing the 4-cent rise in the state average, which was at $3.25. According to GasBuddy.com, prices in Pennsylvania are 5.8 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and 36.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The station in Pennsylvania with the cheapest gas had it priced at $2.69 while the most expensive was $3.95. The national average price of gasoline has risen 2.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.11. The national average is up 2.2 cents per gallon from a month ago and is 39.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve seen the national average inch up for the second straight week, but with renewed refinery issues on the West Coast, gas prices there are likely to jump 10-35 cents per gallon over the next couple weeks. Meanwhile, motorists in the Northeast should consider filling up soon, as the final step in the transition to summer gasoline is just a couple of weeks away and with it, a likely increase in prices, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. As we head into April, Americans should expect gas prices to rise, with a peak that could occur in mid-to-late April. While average prices remain well below last years levels, well likely begin to catch up, with prices expected to increase in most if not all states over the next few weeks. Continued uncertainty around whether tariffs will be implemented on April 2 could also impact pump prices, setting the stage for a volatile period for American drivers. Prices from around the region: Andover, Ohio: Average price is $2.99 per gallon. Ashtabula, Ohio: Prices as low as $2.89 per gallon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conneaut Lake: Average price is $3.59 per gallon. Edinboro: Average price is $3.45 per gallon. Erie: Average price is $3.46 per gallon, with prices as low as $3.25. Mercer: Average price is $3.44 per gallon. New Castle: Average price is $3.39 per gallon. Oil City: Average price is $3.48 per gallon. Pittsburgh: Average price is $3.48 per gallon. Warren: Average price is $3.52 per gallon. Waterford: Prices as low as $3.29 per gallon. A Santa Fe judge declared that records related Gene and Betsy Hackmans deaths could be released to the public but in a mixed ruling handed down on Monday afternoon, they stipulated that images of the very private couples partially decomposing bodies will not be released. Throughout Monday, Judge Matthew Wilson heard arguments at Santa Fes First Judicial District Court from attorneys representing the Hackman family estate, which had asked that footage and documents related to the two deaths in February, which are traditionally part of the public record, be made private. Opposing this in court was counsel representing Santa Fe County, who made a case for state law and ensuring government transparency and accountability. More from The Hollywood Reporter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There shall be no depiction of either body in any video production, Judge Wilson said in his ruling, which allows the release of redacted police body camera video and other documents. No photos or other explicit images from the autopsy reports will be made public, either. In March, police and the medical examiner revealed elements of the autopsy reports on the iconic actor and his wife of 30 years. The bodies of both were found Feb. 26 in separate rooms of their home during a wellness check; neither showed signs of external trauma, police said, but Hackmans pacemaker had sent its last record on Feb. 17, suggesting he had been dead for at least one week before his body was discovered slumped over in a mud room off the couples kitchen. Gene Hackman died of severe cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimers disease as a significant contributory factor and Betsy Hackman died in their living room of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory illness caused by viruses transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents, the New Mexico Medical Examiner said. The couple had strived to live a private life together in their house on Old Sunset Trail Road after withdrawing from Hollywood life in 2004. On Monday, Sante Fe attorney Kurt Sommer told the court that the Hackman estate has a duty to protect Gene and Betsys property, including photographs and videos taken of their dead bodies at the time they were discovered and during their autopsies. The arguments on Monday centered around whether the temporary restraining order Judge Wilson granted on March 17, effectively halting public access to the autopsy reports and death investigation reports for the estate, should become an injunction as their deaths are further investigated and other aspects of their estate are settled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gene and Betsy Hackmans names, likenesses and images are valuable and need to be protected and that is clearly proven out by virtue of the press wanting to get their hands on the documents to exploit them for their own personal profit and gain, Sommer said attorney Kurt Sommer for the estate at a hearing today in New Mexico over releasing materials related to the February deaths of the couple. This estate has a duty to protect Gene and Betsys property, including photographs and videos of their dead bodies, the Sante Fe lawyer asserted. The major question was whether the couple maintained a right to privacy in death, as well as the right to control the use of ones image after dying. The estate also argued that releasing the footage could cause future security issues at the late couples estate. The request for the video is nothing more than backdoor exposure to the Hackmans lifestyle that could not be attained by the press during their lifetime, Sommer said. Theres no damage to the media by waiting until these matters are decided, a significant amount of videos have already been released to the press. Santa Fe County counsel Walker Boyd argued that the couple retains no right to privacy in death, according to the state laws currently on the books. He called it very unusual for a judge to be asked to enter an order to stop state entities from doing their statutorily required jobs, i.e., providing access to the records surrounding the death of a public figure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The estate and intervening family members do not possess the right of privacy being asserted here, Boyd said. The Associated Press, CBS News and CBS Studios had intervened in the matter after the judge issued the temporary order in February. Attorney Gregory P. Williams, representing the news outlets, told the judge that court filings showed that images of the couples bodies would not be disseminated and they would blur to obscure them from other records. There is certainly a public interest in knowing how their deaths were investigated and knowing how that was handled, Williams told the court. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Originally appeared on E! Online Gene Hackman spent his final years surrounded by peace and love. More than a month after The French Connection star and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their New Mexico home alongside one of their dogs, the actors publicist Susan Madore shared a glimpse into how he spent his final years. During the 27 years of working for the legendary actor, Susan saw him move to Santa Fe in the 90s to lead an artistic life outside of the spotlight. Indeed, he even went as far as buying a plot of land next to a garbage dump to go on peaceful bike rides without any disturbances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He wanted the privacy of being able to ride his bike without anyone following him or observing him, Susan said during a March 31 hearing over the public release of investigative records into his death, per Rolling Stone, adding that Betsy had called her personally after the real estate purchase because, she wanted me to be aware if anyone called asking why Mr. Hackman lived at the dump. More from E! Online And beyond having a serene escape, Susan also recalled that Gene would only agree to two hours of publicity for each film he was involved in. But in moving his priorities away from the Hollywood lights, the Unforgivenstar had more time to spend with his friends and his wife of over 30 years. And some of those friends have since shared insight into the late couples loving marriage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He was a gentle giant, very calm, Kevin Bobolosky said of Gene in the March 18 documentary Last Days of Gene Hackman: ABC News Special. Betsy, I think, mostly did all the cooking and cleaning on this big estate out of love. She just adored him. So they had everything they wanted." Following their deaths, Santa Fe Sheriff Adam Mendoza stated that Betsys official cause of death at 65 was hantavirusa pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory illness caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents. Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images One week after her death, the cause of Genes death at 95 was ruled as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with Alzheimers disease being a contributing factor. But according to the couples friends, it was likely that Betsy, who was Genes main caretaker, was not aware of how severe her illness was. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im sure if Betsy knew how sick she was, she wouldve had some backup help, their pal Stephen Marshall said in the documentary. She probably thought she was going to get better. She wasnt worried about herself. She was worried about taking care of Gene. Indeed, it was apparent to many just how much Betsy cared for the Hoosiers actor. She was very protective of him, Genes friend Tim Allin told The New York Times last month, adding that Gene often said that without Betsy, he likely wouldve died long ago. For more on the tragic deaths of Gene and Betsy, keep reading. Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa Found Dead Feb. 26, 2025 Gene Hackman and his wife of 33 years, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their Santa Fe, N.M., home on Feb. 26 by two maintenance workers who spied their bodies through a window from outside the house. According to authorities, they alerted the caretaker in the gated community where the couple lived and that person called 911. "No, they are not moving," the caller told 911, per an audio recording. "Please send someone out here quick." When Santa Fe County sheriffs deputies arrived, they found Arakawa, 65, on the floor of a bathroom to the left of the frontdoor. She was clad in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, according to a Feb. 27 search warrant affidavit obtained by E! News, and there was an open prescription pill bottle and loose pills scattered on the countertop. Hackman, 95, was on the floor in what deputies described as a mudroom near the kitchen, per the warrant. A walking cane and sunglasses near the body. One of the couple's three dogsinitially misidentified as their German shepherd Bear, it was actually their Australian Kelpie mix Zinnawas found dead in a closet of the bathroom, according to the warrant. Another healthy-looking dog was found near Arakawa's body and the other, also seemingly healthy, was running around outside. A search warrant was executed on the house at around 9:30 p.m. Feb. 26 and Hackman and Arakawa's bodies were removed the following morning. Gene Hackman Death Deemed "Suspicious Enough" to Conduct Investigation While the sheriff's office said Feb. 27 that there were no signs of foul play, investigators determined "the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation," the warrant stated. The warrant noted there were no signs of obvious blunt-force trauma, carbon monoxide poisoning or forced entry into the home. Rather, deputies said they found the front door ajar. There were also signs that Hackman and Arakawa had been dead for awhile: One deputy observed that her body was partially decomposed, with mummification around her hands and feet, according to the warrant, while Hackman's body showed "similar and consistent" signs of death. It was also noted that both looked as if they may have fallen to the ground suddenly. The worker who first saw the bodies told investigators he had last spoken with the couple about two weeks beforehand, per the warrant, and that he usually communicated with Arakawa over phone calls and texting. "All I can say is that were in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told the Santa Fe New Mexican. "I want to assure the community and neighborhood that theres no immediate danger to anyone." Items of Interest Found in Gene Hackman's Home Two cell phones, blood pressure and thyroid medications, Tylenol, medical records and a 2025 planner were among the items removed by investigators during the search, according to a warrant summary. A Timeline Slowly Comes Into Focus Sheriff Mendoza said at a Feb. 28 news conference that Hackman's pacemaker last recorded activity on Feb. 17, calling it "a very good assumption that it was his last day of life. They were continuing to analyze "cell phone data, phone calls, text messages, events, photos in the cell phone," Mendoza said, "to try to piece a timeline together." But it wasn't going to be easy. As the sheriff explained on TODAY, "We understand that is a challenge because they were very private individuals and a private family. We're trying to put all that information together right now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gene Hackman's Family Speaks Out "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy," the actor's daughters Leslie and Elizabeth and granddaughter Annie said in a statement. "He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss." Leslie Anne Allenone of three children the actor shared with first wife Faye Maltesetold Fox News Digital that she hadn't seen her father for "a few years" because she lived in California and he no longer traveled much, but they had "been in touch over the last couple of months." I loved him dearly, she said. "He was a genuinely good-hearted person." And, Leslie said she knew him to be in good health, practicing yoga and pilates regularly. As days went by, family members said they were trying to tune out the noise about what might have happened while whey they waited for official answers. "Were waiting on toxicology," nephew Tim Hackman, whose dad was the actor's brother Richard Hackman, told Us Weekly in an interview published March 3. "That will tell us everything. Its hard to theorize. There are lots of theories out there and I dont want to speculate. Its easy to speculate negative theories. He added, "My uncle was 95 years old at an age where you think about, 'OK, its time.' But from the circumstances now things have changed a bit. Its a major change. Inside Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's Private Life in Santa Fe Hackman, whose last film credit was 2004's Welcome to Mooseport, had lived in Santa Fe with Arakawa since the late 1980s. A painter himself, he was active in the local arts scene and sat on the board of the Georgia O'Keefe Museum from 1997 until 2004. He was a pretty low-key individual even though he was someone who had amazing stories to tell about Hollywood and other celebrities, longtime friend and gallery owner Stuart Ashman told the Los Angeles Times. He was just a regular guy." Santa Fe film commissioner Jennifer LaBar-Tapia told reporters that both Hackman and Arakawa were "deeply woven into the fabric of Santa Fe." But sightings of Hackman had become increasingly rare, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Friend Daniel Lenihan told People the actorwho used to walk his dogs and ride his bicycle around their neighborhood and patronize local businesseshad been "essentially kind of home-bound" in recent months. His son Aaron Lenihan said Arakawa "was still trying to keep him as active and engaged and healthy as possible," but Daniel said Hackman was "really slipping." Daniel's wife Barbara Lenihan said Arakawa, a classical pianist, had been in "perfect health" and was "so fit." The last paparazzi shot of a frail-looking Hackman and Arakawa out in public together was published by Page Six in March 2024. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Gas Leak Ruled Out Tests on Hackman and Arakawa's bodies for signs of carbon monoxide poisoning came back negative, Sheriff Mendoza told reporters Feb. 28. But, he noted, complete autopsy and toxicology results could take "three months or longer." The New Mexico Gas Company stated March 4 that, while a "minuscule leak" was found in a stove burner, it didn't emit enough carbon monoxide to have proved fatal, nor did their investigation reveal any further leaks or gas line issues. Investigators said there were several other code violations in the home, but nothing having to do with gas or carbon monoxide. Cause of Death Determined for Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare respiratory infection caused by exposure to rodent feces, urine or saliva, New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said during a March 7 news conference. Hackman, meanwhile, "showed evidence of advanced Alzheimers disease, Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately thats what resulted in his death." Arakawa may have experienced flu-like symptoms before she died, the medical examiner said. New Mexico state public health veterinarian Erin Phipps said the couple were at "low risk" for exposure from their house but there were signs of rodents in other structures on the property. A total of 122 cases and 52 deaths from hantavirus were reported in New Mexico between 1993 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heartbreaking Death Timeline Revealed According to the coroner, it looked as if Arakawalast known to have run errands on Feb. 11had been dead for about a week before Hackman died, seemingly on Feb. 18 going by his last pacemaker activity (a day after originally noted by authorities). Their bodies weren't discovered for another eight days, so 15 days after Arakawa died. As far as authorities know, Hackman was alone in the house with his wife's body until he himself passed. Its quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Hackman didn't have food in his stomach when he died, she noted, but he was not dehydrated. Their dog Zinna had been in a crate in the bathroom and died of starvation and dehydration, according to state vet Phipps. Why Gene Hackman Couldn't Live Without His Wife At this point," Sheriff Mendoza said March 7, "theres no indication that there was a caretaker at the home." Arakawa had basically been managing her husband's life for years, scheduling his golf games and visits with friends, according to pal Tom Allin, who told the New York Times he knew Hackman for 20 years but it was always the actor's wife he spoke to on the phone. She was very protective of him," Allin said," and Hackman would have died "long ago" if not for her. All of us that knew him should have been checking on him," Hackman's friend Ashman told the Washington Post. "I had no idea...Its just really sad. And that she died a week before him. My God." On the apparent last day of Arakawa's life, she emailed her massage therapist in the morning, went to a grocery store in the afternoon and stopped at a pharmacy before going to a pet store. She was back home by around 5:15 p.m., according to authorities, and responded to no emails after Feb. 11. Sheriff Mendoza said he believed she wore a mask while running her errands, which friends said she regularly did for fear of bringing any illnesses home to her husband. Unexpected Timeline Twist While the coroner determined Arakawa died around Feb. 11, a local doctor says he spoke to her the following day. "She called back on the morning of February 12 and spoke to one of our doctors who told her to come in that afternoon, Dr. Josiah Child, who runs Cloudberry Heath in Santa Fe, told the DailyMail in an interview published March 17. "We made her an appointment, but she never showed up." The appointment was not related to hantavirus, he added, noting, "We tried calling her a couple of times with no reply." For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Some records from the investigation into the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, can be released to the public as long as they do not clearly show the couple's bodies after they were discovered in their Santa Fe home in February, a New Mexico judge ruled Monday. Redacted videos of the couple's mummified bodies captured on police bodycam recordings could be released if they are blurred, the court ruled. Records, including autopsy reports, other videos and images from the couple's home, could also be released. That includes photos of the couple's dead dog, Zinna, who was found in a crate near Arakawa's body. But photos from Hackman's and Arakawa's autopsy reports will not be released, the court ruled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Oscar winner and his wife were found dead in their home on Feb. 26. The official causes of death were announced by the medical investigator during a news conference March 7. Arakawa, 65, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and Hackman, 95, died about a week later in mid-February of heart disease with complications from Alzheimers disease. Their partially mummified bodies were found at their home by maintenance workers at their gated Santa Fe community. Although Santa Fe County officials said the couple died of natural causes, records from the death investigation have remained sealed. A New Mexico state judge temporarily blocked the release of any records from the death investigation on March 17 at the request of the Hackman estate. Read more: 'Just a regular guy': Gene Hackman enjoyed a quiet, simple life in Santa Fe, until tragedy struck last week Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, Judge Matthew Wilson heard arguments from lawyers representing Santa Fe County, the Hackman estate, the Associated Press and CBS News on whether to make the hold on the records permanent. Hackman estate attorney Kurt Sommer said the release of videos would force the Hackman family to relive the couple's deaths. He said there are probably future documentaries being made about the deaths and releasing any records now would violate their privacy and make it difficult for the estate to control how these images are released in the future. Gene and Betsy Hackmans names, likenesses and images are valuable and need to be protected and that is clearly proven out by virtue of the press wanting to get their hands on the documents to exploit them for their own personal profit and gain, Sommer said. Hackman's longtime publicist Susan Madore testified that the actor valued his privacy and limited his availability for press junkets and the release of his image and likeness for commercial uses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greg Williams, an attorney for Santa Fe County, argued that the records should be unsealed as called for by state law. "It seems to be clear from the law that, in fact, the right of privacy does not simply succeed in death, and therefore the estate does not have the right to bring a claim of loss of privacy after the death has occurred," he said in closing arguments. Read more: His wife dead, an ailing Gene Hackman was stranded alone in his house for days, authorities believe Scot Sauder, deputy university counsel for the University of New Mexico, which oversees the Office of the Medical Investigator, argued that although autopsy photos are public records, they are "incredibly invasive, are very much disturbing and can be quite traumatic and embarrassing to family and their kin." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wilson ruled that some videos and images could be released, including audio of first responders describing the bodies. But he also ruled that Hackman and Arakawa's family has a right to privacy found in the 14th Amendment. Before the hearing, Arakawa's mother, Yoshie Feaster, said in a motion that since her daughter's death "the significant media coverage surrounding the circumstances of her passing have forced me to relive the experience of her untimely death, repeatedly." She asked the court to not release any video that would show Arakawa and Hackman after they died. "I humbly come before this court to request that this court respect my right to grieve in peace and find that I have constitutional rights to avoid seeing images of my daughter's home, her dead body, her husband's dead body, and their dog's corpse," she 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. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is set to host its semi-annual General Conference at the Conference Center in Downtown Salt Lake City. The event draws in more than 100,000 Latter-day Saints to the Conference Center twice each year. The Church encourages people to use public transit due to the influx of people to the Temple Square area, especially amid ongoing renovations which are not expected to be completed until 2027. North Temple Street will open and close intermittently over the weekend. North Temple between Main Street and West Temple Street will be closed two hours ahead of the start of each session. The road will reopen in a limited capacity during the sessions and then close again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There will be three sessions on Saturday and two on Sunday, all but one of which are two hours long. The first session will begin at 10 a.m., meaning traffic will be impacted as early as 8 a.m. on both days. What is the Latter-day Saint general conference? Gavin Gustafson of the Utah Transit Authority told ABC4.com that those attending General Conference can use their ticket to General Conference sessions as fare to ride to and from the Conference Center. Valid services UTA allows ticket-as-fare for are: Regular bus Express Bus FrontRunner S-Line TRAX UTA On Demand Gustafson said UTA will be ready to provide surge service on an as-needed basis. Along with that, there will be extra TRAX service over the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, UTA will have extra cars on Blue Line trains, and on Sunday there will be two extra Blue Line trains before and after each conference session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Church says online that those attending should consider traffic and plan to arrive early for sessions of General Conference. You can view more about parking for General Conference 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 ABC4 Utah. GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) Residents in Georgetown County should be on the lookout for individuals who may be posing as a county employee to access private property. County officials said Tuesday they have been made aware of an individual(s) possibly posting as a county employee or contractor to access private property under the guise of performing inspections. In one example provided by the county, the person presented a professional-looking business card to a resident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials say county employees who are performing inspections will have an ID issued by the county while also driving vehicles with the countys logo on the door and a unique vehicle number on the front side panel identifying what department they belong to. If residents have questions or concerns about someone on their property claiming to be there on behalf of Georgetown County, you can call the department they say they are working for to verify, or call the HR Department, said county officials. The department phone numbers are listed online at gtcounty.org. You can also call the Georgetown County Sheriffs Office at 843-546-5102 if you have concerns about someone on your property. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- China has collaborated with Southeast Asian nations to jointly monitor and control major crop pests and diseases to ensure food security, ecological safety and biosecurity. Experts attending an annual meeting of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and the Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) said that China has established a platform with the neighboring Southeast Asian countries to combat the trans-boundary migratory major pests, such as the fall armyworm, aiming to achieve cost-effective, green and sustainable pest control. CABI, headquartered in Britain, is an international, inter-governmental, not-for-profit organization providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. Invasive alien species pose significant threats to global agricultural production. The rapid development of global trade, tourism and transportation has further exacerbated the spread of invasive species worldwide, experts said. Lu Yanhui, director general of the Institute of Plant Protection of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IPPCAAS), said that China's cooperation with CABI spans over 40 years, yielding remarkable achievements in plant biosafety innovation, talent training and South-South cooperation. Zhang Jie, deputy director general of IPPCAAS, said, "Through the MARA-CABI joint laboratory, we are expanding collaboration with Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia and other regions to conduct research on early warning, invasive species control and overseas monitoring. This effort aims to build a globally coordinated network." Guo Jingfei, an associate professor at IPPCAAS, who had studied natural enemies of the fall armyworm at the MARA-CABI European laboratory, said the fall armyworm, native to the Americas, does not cause devastating agricultural damage there due to the presence of natural predators. "We studied two species of parasitic wasps that target fall armyworm eggs and larvae. By parasitizing and consuming their hosts, these wasps control the pest population while maintaining ecological balance in farmlands," Guo said, adding that these findings have provided valuable insights that have helped China effectively manage the fall armyworm. According to Zhang Jie, China's experience has also been shared with other countries. "In Southeast Asia, warm and humid conditions allow pests to overwinter and migrate into China during spring. By collaborating with neighboring nations to guide pest control technologies locally, we help reduce crop losses in their countries and minimize pest migration into China. Additionally, installations such as insect radar stations, high-altitude searchlights, ground lamps and pheromone traps form an effective monitoring system," he said. "China was once a recipient of international aid, but now its plant protection technologies lead globally. Through platforms like the joint laboratory, China's expertise is contributing to worldwide agricultural development," Zhang said. "Under South-South cooperation projects, we assist Kenya and Ghana in poverty reduction and green agricultural pest control. Prior to peak fall armyworm seasons, we organize training workshops in Africa and Southeast Asia to teach farmers and technicians advanced green control techniques. We also supply pest control products to support local efforts," Zhang added. Zhang Feng, director of CABI East & Southeast Asia Center, highlighted that China's technological advancements are increasingly benefiting nations in Africa and Asia. "For instance, in partnership with IPPCAAS, we introduced China's mature green biological control technologies to Myanmar and Laos, utilizing Trichogramma wasps to control rice and maize pests. This comprehensive pest management system -- covering production, promotion, and sustainable practices -- continues to enhance crop yields, quality and farmers' incomes," Zhang said. "In Rwanda, East Africa, we established the country's first R&D and pilot production facility for biological control products targeting soil pests, which later played a critical role in combating the fall armyworm," he added. The thought of losing an inch of his family's 600-acre property makes Mark Smith and his wife, Janet, wince. "This is not the first time that someone has came after this land. My daddy struggled to keep it. And now here we are," Smith said. "I can't believe it, 100 years later, still struggling to hold onto it. When will it be over?" Their land in Sparta, Georgia, has been an heirloom for nearly a century. Smith's grandfather, a sharecropper, traded in his cotton harvest for the property in the Jim Crow-era South. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Smiths for years have been leading a coalition opposing a rail company's plan to carve through private property with four and a half miles of new track, citing eminent domain a legal strategy the government or private utility can use to seize citizens' land in exchange for compensation if it's deemed for the public good. While the Smiths and their neighbors are resolved to keep fighting, their options may be running out. About a dozen Sparta residents recently traveled more than 100 miles to an Atlanta courtroom for a legal challenge. But the community's grasp appears to be slipping, as a state judge upheld a ruling in favor of the Sandersville Railroad Company. Ben Tarbutton, president of the company, said that, while he feels the law is on his side, he's open to discussing how both the rail company and the local Sparta community can benefit. "We work really hard to try to come up with the most direct route, which affected the least amount of property," Tarbutton told CBS News. Sparta Mayor Allen Haywood says he has sympathy for people like the Smiths, but he's also looking at the $1.5 million economic bump the railroad company says it would provide to one of the poorest counties in Georgia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, Smith's coalition's legal team is appealing the ruling. For many in the community, it's about what the new track would do to their way of life. For the Smiths, it's about their family legacy being ripped away. "If you don't like what we're going to offer you, then we'll take it and then you'll have to take what we give you. There's something very, very wrong with that," Smith said. Freed Israeli hostages call for end to war, to bring remaining Gaza hostages home What is the future of the Kennedy Center? Elton John, Brandi Carlile on their dream collaboration A German brigade deployed on NATO's eastern flank in Lithuania formally entered service on Tuesday. The 45 Armoured Brigade of the German Army became operational following an activation ceremony in Vilnius. "We have a clear mission," said the unit's leader, Brigadier General Christoph Huber. "We have to ensure the protection, freedom and security of our Lithuanian allies here on NATO's eastern flank." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to the renewed threat from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the German government pledged to permanently station a brigade of up to 5,000 soldiers in Lithuania, a member of both the European Union and NATO. The first troops were deployed in 2024 and the unit is expected to reach full operating capability in 2027. It is to be based in a barracks due to be constructed at a military training area in Rudninkai, close to the Lithuanian border to Belarus. Under Huber's leadership, around 150 members of the German military are currently serving in Lithuania. The number is expected to rise to around 500 by the end of the year. Lithuania borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Russia's close ally Belarus. The war in Ukraine is seen as a direct threat to national security in the Baltic States. A female German soldier and a Lithuanian soldier hold the German flag before it is raised during the formal roll call for the Bundeswehr brigade, tasked with reinforcing NATO's eastern flank, in Lithuania. The ceremony, held in front of an office building, also saw the unveiling of the Panzerbrigade 45 coat of arms, officially establishing it as a large military unit of the army. Alexander Welscher/dpa A hoisted German flag (2nd L) flies on the muster ground as the Bundeswehr brigade, tasked with reinforcing NATO's eastern flank, is officially put into service during a formal roll call in Lithuania. Alexander Welscher/dpa Germanys outgoing Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Ukraine on 1 April for what is likely her final visit in this position her 11th trip to the country. Source: German Foreign Ministry, as reported by European Pravda Details: Baerbock was met at the train station by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and German Ambassador to Kyiv Martin Jager. Upon arrival, Baerbock announced that Germany would provide Ukraine with an additional 130 million for humanitarian aid and stabilisation efforts, reports the German Foreign Ministry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Given the deadlock in relations between the US and Russia, it is absolutely essential that we Europeans show that there are no ifs or buts, we stand with Ukraine and support it now more than ever," the German foreign minister said. In Kyiv, Baerbock is scheduled to meet with politicians and civil society representatives. Discussions will also include Ukraines progress on its path toward EU membership. Background: At the end of March, Baerbock announced that Germany would soon deliver new batches of weapons to help Ukraine defend itself against renewed Russian attacks. Earlier, she welcomed a decision by the Bundestags Budget Committee to allocate an additional 3 billion in military aid to Ukraine for 2025. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys arrived in Kyiv on an official visit on April 1. "Due to the deadlock between the U.S. and Russia, it is absolutely crucial to... show that we... stand by Ukraine and support it even more now," Baerbock said on her 11th visit to Ukraine, the German tabloid Bild reported. Upon her arrival, the outgoing German foreign minister announced additional humanitarian support for Ukraine amounting to 130 million euros ($140 million). She was welcomed at the train station by her Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Arrived to free Kyiv to express Lithuanias unwavering support to brave Ukrainian nation," Budrys said on X. "We will continue standing by your side in your fight for freedom & sovereignty." Both Lithuania and Germany have been staunch supporters of Ukraine since the start of Russia's all-out war in 2022. Berlin has provided the greatest volumes of military aid among all European partners, while Lithuania is one of the leading countries in terms of GDP committed to Kyiv's defense. Read also: Unless you act, its just rhetoric Baltic states skeptical of Western European leadership Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A German police officer has been detained in a coordinated raid targeting Mafia and other organized crime networks in Germany and Italy, prosecutors said on Tuesday. The public prosecutor's office in the western German town of Waiblingen, near Stuttgart, accused the 46-year-old officer of supporting the 'Ndrangheta Mafia group. The 'Ndrangheta, based in the southern Italian region of Calabria, is widely seen as the most powerful Mafia group currently active. The officer's arrest came amid a massive raid by German and Italian police officers against organized crime groups on Tuesday, with at least 29 people detained. Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan would be good for the entire South Caucasus, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday during a visit to the conflict-hit region. On the second day of his trip to Armenia, Steinmeier said he was "firmly convinced" that "the entire region in the South Caucasus would profit" from a peace deal between the warring neighbours. The long-frozen conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh first broke out after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and reignited in recent years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces regained control of the region, with more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fleeing in response. The two countries announced earlier this month they had agreed a draft peace deal, but the treaty is yet to be signed. After talks with Armenian leaders in the capital Yerevan on Monday, Steinmeier visited Sevan Lake on Tuesday. At around 1,900 metres above sea level, the body of water is one of the largest mountainous lakes in the world. The German president was informed about measures taken to improve water quality on the lake, which has suffered due to pollutants such as fertilizers and a sinking water level. He also handed over an automatic measuring station financed with German and EU funds, which is intended to improve water quality control. With Donald Trumps open support for Russia and his turning away from Europe and NATO, the question of the credibility of the American nuclear promise has taken center stage. Unlike during Trumps first term in office, however, this time Europe has recognized the dramatic nature of the situation and developed ideas to strengthen the British and French nuclear deterrent. Both European nuclear powers want to intensify their nuclear consultations and, in addition, French President Emmanuelle Macron has once again called for a dialogue between nuclear and non-nuclear states in Europe. Germany is open to such a dialogue. The German British Defence Agreement (Trinity House), concluded in autumn 2024, already explicitly provides for an exchange on nuclear issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friedrich Merz, Germanys designated chancellor, also spoke out in favor of the nuclear dialogue proposed by Macron at an early stage. The idea of such talks is to send a signal of commitment and determination not only to Moscow, but also to Washington. This is not (yet) about replacing the American extended deterrent with a European version as it is far from certain that Washington will close the nuclear umbrella over Europe, especially as the damage to the USA itself would be considerable. The goal of nuclear non-proliferation, which America has always pursued, would be jeopardized and new nuclear states could emerge in Eastern Europe or Asia, for example. However, the Trump administration is not known for taking the negative consequences of its own impulsive actions into account in advance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What could Germany bring to such talks, and what would be its contribution to strengthening a European nuclear deterrent? Theres certainly nothing along the lines of Germany attempting to develop its own nuclear weapons. Germany has repeatedly and formally renounced this option and, apart from a few academics, there is no politically serious voice in Berlin that would want to change this not to mention the enormous costs of such a project. Even the conceivable possibility of stationing French nuclear weapons on German soil similar to the U.S. nuclear bombs in deployed in Germany is currently only a theoretical one. Paris has not yet abandoned its long-standing skepticism towards the idea of a nuclear umbrella for non-nuclear allies and sees nuclear weapons as a strictly national matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Furthermore, France only has around 40 nuclear cruise missiles and the same number of land-based, nuclear-capable Rafale fighter-bombers. The rest of the approximately 290 French nuclear warheads are intended for use at sea either from submarines or with Rafale bombers from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. The British nuclear arsenal is stationed exclusively on submarines. What Germany can offer London and Paris, however, is to contribute to the considerable costs of both countries nuclear capabilities. Back in May 2017, the Scientific Service of the German Parliament analyzed the co-financing of foreign nuclear weapons potentials from the federal budget in a publicly accessible report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This assessment was commissioned by parliamentarians because the question of the reliability of the American nuclear commitments had already arisen during President Trumps first term in office. The report concluded that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which has been binding for Germany since 1975, does not contain a ban on support or funding from non-nuclear states for nuclear powers. Nor can such a ban be derived from the Two-Plus-Four Treaty, in which Germanys non-nuclear status is enshrined, or from general international law. Only some international treaties on nuclear-weapon-free zones contain indirect prohibitions on assistance. However, Germany is not a party to such treaties. Apparently, Germany has not yet provided such nuclear co-financing, even though there were occasional rumors that the Federal Republic had provided financial support for the development of Israels nuclear weapons potential in the 1950s and 1960s. However, such rumors have never been substantiated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What follows from all this is that financial support for British or French nuclear deterrence is possible in principle. Of course, this would only take place if a direct link were established between the nuclear weapons potential of both countries and the security of Germany and Europe. The corresponding benefits and counter-benefits would have to be set out in legally binding bilateral agreements. It is worth noting that the German Federal Ministry of Finance has already created a branch called Geo-Economics and Security Policy in order to assess the various financial implications of the new security challenges this branch could conceptually assess the implications of such an agreement. If Germany were to include such an option in the planned dialogue between nuclear and non-nuclear states, the talks would immediately be elevated to a politically concrete and presumably mutually beneficial level. It would also be an example of a strategically forward-looking German security policy something that has not often been the case in Berlin in the past. Karl-Heinz Kamp is an associate fellow of the German Council on Foreign Relations and was president of the Federal Academy for Security Policy. German customs have secured and confiscated the Eventin oil tanker that lost power in the Baltic Sea off the north German coast in January, a Finance Ministry spokesman said in Berlin on Tuesday. "With the confiscation, the requirements for realizing the value of the ship and its cargo have been created," the spokesman said. The crew has been switched out, he said, adding that further information could not be provided while legal measures proceeded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement German news magazine Der Spiegel reported in February that the Eventin, said to be part of Russia's sanctions-evading shadow fleet that transports crude for export, had been confiscated along with its cargo. The ministry declined to confirm the report at the time. The European Union has placed the vessel on its list of sanctions against Russia, making it one of more than 150 vessels under sanction. The Eventin drifted without power off the German island of Rugen for hours in January after all of its systems went down. German rescue teams towed the tanker with its 100,000 tons of oil to an anchorage off the town of Sassnitz on the island where it remains. The Panama-flagged vessel had been on its way from Ust-Luga in Russia to Port Said in Egypt. The News in Brief Tuesday, April 1, 2025 The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) has announced the release of Irakli Bebua, a Georgian citizen who had been illegally imprisoned in Russian-occupied Abkhazia for over four years. Bebua is now safe in territory controlled by the central government.Bebua, an ethnic Georgian resident of the occupied Gali district, was arrested on September 30, 2020, by Russian-backed Abkhaz authorities after burning a banner depicting Abkhaz flag symbols. Despite the maximum penalty for flag desecration in occupied Abkhazia being one year, Bebua was sentenced to nine years in prison in December 2020. The so-called court also convicted him of "deliberate destruction of property by arson" and "illegal acquisition and storage of ammunition." However, under an occupied Abkhazia law that reduces sentences for certain detainees, Bebua's time was halved, leading to his release after four years and six months.The State Security Service of Georgia emphasized that "all available diplomatic and negotiation channels, including the 'hotline' mechanism operated by the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), were actively utilized" to secure Bebua's release."The central government continues to work actively for the release of all citizens of Georgia illegally detained in the occupied territories," the SSSG statement reads.The Georgian government, led by the ruling Georgian Dream party, has decided to introduce a bill that will significantly expand the authority of the government administration, according to Levan Zhorzholiani, head of the administration.At a cabinet session, initiated by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, the government approved the creation of a Government Efficiency Department, aimed at strengthening control over the implementation of executive decisions across all levels of government.As part of this restructuring, the existing Internal Audit Service will be transformed into the Government Efficiency Department. According to Zhorzholiani, the move is designed to improve oversight, transparency, and accountability in public administration."We also discussed this with the State Audit Service, where real-time auditing will be introduced," Zhorzholiani explained. "Previously, audits focused on past years, but now the State Audit Service will be able to assess ongoing projects in real-time."Zhorzholiani emphasized that this reform will help ensure more effective budget spending and improve governance across key sectors, including energy and property management."One of the main principles of our governance is transparency and accountability, and the creation of this new mechanism serves to strengthen these two core values," he stated. HELSINKI, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The use of coal in Finland's energy production will end this spring, as energy companies Helen and Vantaan Energia are set to shut down their last remaining coal-fired power plants, the Finnish government announced on Tuesday. According to a press release from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, this move brings the use of coal in energy production to a close four years ahead of the legal deadline of May 2029. "With coal no longer in use, this imported fossil fuel will be replaced with cleaner solutions that reduce climate emissions, while consumers benefit from lower energy prices," said Sari Multala, minister of climate and the environment, during a ceremony marking the closure of Helen's final coal-fired plant. Finland began phasing out coal in electricity and heat production in the 2010s as a key step in cutting fossil fuel emissions. In 2019, the Finnish Parliament passed the Act on Prohibiting the Use of Coal as an Energy Source, which the ministry noted was the first legislation of its kind in the world. The closures of the plants operated by Helen and Vantaan Energia in southern Finland are part of a broader energy transition, the ministry said, in which fossil fuels are being replaced by renewable and low-carbon alternatives. Going forward, these companies will generate heat using electric boilers, heat pumps, energy storage, bioenergy, and waste heat recovery, among other technologies. Electricity production will focus primarily on wind, nuclear, hydro, and solar power. The phase-out of coal is expected to significantly reduce emissions, enhance energy self-sufficiency, and lower energy costs. At the same time, energy companies have improved their competitiveness and laid the groundwork for adopting new technologies. This transition, the ministry added, will provide Finnish society with a more stable, sustainable, and climate-friendly energy system. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Germanys chief diplomat on Tuesday described U.S. President Donald Trumps efforts to secure a truce in the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine as deadlocked, while Chinas foreign minister said that it was encouraging that the talks between Washington and Moscow on finding a settlement are continuing. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, arriving in Kyiv for an unannounced visit, said that due to the deadlock between the U.S. and Russia on forging a ceasefire deal, European allies continued support for Ukraine in the war is absolutely crucial. Trump on Sunday scolded Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing frustration at the continued fighting in a war that he had pledged to swiftly stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump insisted progress was being made in the negotiations, but said that he would consider imposing further sanctions to put pressure on Moscow and accused Zelenskyy of trying to back out of a deal with the U.S. on access to Ukraines mineral resources. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Tuesday that the latest version of the mineral deal remained under discussion and that Ukraine had conducted its first round of consultations on that version. Putin has effectively refused a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting, despite Trumps prodding. Also, a partial ceasefire in the Black Sea that could allow safer shipments has fallen foul of conditions imposed by Kremlin negotiators. We consider the models and solutions proposed by the Americans quite seriously, but we cant just accept all of them as they are, Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moscow is holding out on a deal to ease shipping in the Black Sea in order to stall efforts toward a general ceasefire and extract additional concessions from the West, according to an assessment Monday by the Institute for the Washington-based Study of War think tank. Trump has signaled that he could consider new oil sanctions on Russia a development Ukraine would view favorably. I believe we have reached the point where stronger sanctions are needed, because I believe the Russians are breaking the promises they made to America, Zelenskyy said during a joint press conference with Baerbock in Kyiv on Tuesday. For us, decisive action is crucial. Words are not enough, Zelenskyy added. We are the ones who suffer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin previously has ruled out a temporary break in hostilities, saying that it would only benefit Ukraine and its Western allies by letting them replenish their arsenals. He has insisted that Moscow wants a comprehensive agreement that would ensure a lasting settlement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated Tuesday that a breakthrough in negotiations isn't imminent. The issues that we are discussing in connection with the Ukrainian settlement are quite complex and they require a lot of additional efforts, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. New drone attacks on energy facilities Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, deadly attacks by both Russia and Ukraine have continued, and they are gearing up for spring campaigns in their war of attrition along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Overnight, Russia fired no Shahed drones at Ukraine for the first time in more than five months, according to authorities. But Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation branch of Ukraines Security Council, detected no change in Russian strategy. For now, this means nothing, he said on Telegram. Russias Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of launching new drone attacks on energy facilities in Russias Belgorod region and in the Russia-controlled part of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia region. Zelenskyy accused Russia of failing to uphold its commitment to a ceasefire targeting the energy infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive asked our side to pass information through various institutions about Russias breaches of the agreement not to strike energy facilities, he said, adding that the reports have been sent almost daily. Were sharing this information with the United States, and we see that America is beginning to understand it. Ukraines European backers say they will keep supporting Kyivs efforts to defeat Russias invasion. Zelenskyy said a closed-door meeting with military officials from several partner countries will take place Friday to further discuss the possible deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine as a part of future security guarantees. It will be the first in-depth meeting... based on proposals prepared by the Ukrainian side, he said. A fair, long-term, binding peace Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin is getting military help from North Korea and Iran. China, too, has given diplomatic support to Russia and has provided economic help through trade in energy and consumer goods. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on a visit to Moscow, was quoted as saying Tuesday that certain results have been achieved in Washingtons attempt to stop the war as U.S.-Russia relations have improved under Trump. Beijing supports the goal of a fair, long-term, binding peace agreement acceptable to all parties involved, he said in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. At the start of his meeting with Putin, Wang said they would discuss future relations. The China-Russia relationship will not stand still, but will only become more and more extensive," he said. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday demanded Russia accept a ceasefire in Ukraine without conditions as she visited Kiev for a farewell tour. "Ukraine has shown that it is not only ready for, but that it accepts a ceasefire without conditions," Baerbock said in a meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha. The outgoing foreign minister, who is set to lose her position once German coalition negotiations conclude, arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday morning in a show of support for Kiev. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The visit had not previously been announced due to security concerns. Baerbock said Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy is not peace, but further destruction, as proved by continuing attacks on Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure. "For us Europeans, it is clear: There will be no lifting of sanctions without peace," she said. The comments came amid attempts by the United States in recent weeks to pursue a ceasefire in the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Baerbock warned the United States earlier on Tuesday not to fall for Putin's tactics in ceasefire negotiations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is Putin who is playing for time, does not want peace and continues his illegal war of aggression," she stated. Baerbock emphasized Ukraine's readiness for an immediate ceasefire. About Putin, she said: "He simulates a willingness to negotiate, but does not deviate from his goals one millimetre," adding that "we must not be blinded by Putin." "Because suggesting peace is not peace," Baerbock said. Baerbock called on NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels later this week to reinforce the message to the US that "we must not engage in Putin's stalling tactics." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sybiha echoed her message, calling on EU leaders to reinforce sanctions on Russia and calling Moscow an "existential threat." Baerbock also announced that Germany has committed an additional 130 million ($140 million) in humanitarian aid and stabilization funds to Ukraine in response to continued Russian attacks. The trip was Baerbock's ninth to Ukraine as foreign minister since the war began. It will likely be her last as foreign minister as Germany gets a new coalition government following elections in February. Baerbock is set to remain a figure in global diplomacy, as she was nominated for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has arrived in Kiev in a show of support for Ukraine, in a visit which had not been previously announced due to security reasons. At the start of her farewell visit to the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday, the outgoing foreign minister warned the United States not to fall for Russian President Vladimir Putin's tactics in ceasefire negotiations. Baerbock said that Putin is stalling and persisting with his unlawful war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Germany has committed an additional 130 million ($140 million) in humanitarian aid and stabilization funds to Ukraine in response to continued Russian attacks, Baerbock added. This is Baerbock's ninth trip to Ukraine as foreign minister since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. It will likely be her last as foreign minister as Germany, with negotiations under way in Berlin on a new coalition government following elections in February. She has also been nominated for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly. A video still shows acting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arriving at a special train en route to Kyiv. This marks her ninth visit to Ukraine since the start of the Russian war of aggression-and likely her last. Jorg Blank/dpa A video still shows acting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arriving at a special train en route to Kyiv. This marks her ninth visit to Ukraine since the start of the Russian war of aggression-and likely her last. Jorg Blank/dpa German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kiev on Tuesday morning in a show of support for Ukraine, in a visit which had not been previously announced due to security reasons. At the start of her farewell visit to the Ukrainian capital, the outgoing foreign minister warned the United States not to fall for Russian President Vladimir Putin's tactics in ceasefire negotiations. "It is Putin who is playing for time, does not want peace and continues his illegal war of aggression," Baerbock said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Germany has committed an additional 130 million ($140 million) in humanitarian aid and stabilization funds to Ukraine in response to continued Russian attacks, Baerbock added. Baerbock emphasized Ukraine's readiness for an immediate ceasefire. About Putin, she said: "He simulates a willingness to negotiate, but does not deviate from his goals one millimetre," adding that "we must not be blinded by Putin." "Because suggesting peace is not peace," Baerbock said. Baerbock called on NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels later this week to reinforce the message to the US that "we must not engage in Putin's stalling tactics." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is Baerbock's ninth trip to Ukraine as foreign minister since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. It will likely be her last as foreign minister as Germany gets a new coalition government following elections in February. She has also been nominated for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly. A video still shows acting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock being greeted on arrival by Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha (back) and Martin Jaeger (R), Germany's Ambassador to Ukraine. This marks Baerbock's ninth visit to Ukraine since the start of the Russian war of aggression-and likely her last. Jorg Blank/dpa Annalena Baerbock, Germany's outgoing Foreign Minister, has received a special award from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in recognition of her support for Ukraine in recent years. Source: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Sybiha noted that Baerbock's current visit to Kyiv is her ninth since the start of the full-scale war and the eleventh overall during her tenure. I was pleased to personally greet @ABaerbock at the Kyiv train station this morning. This is a symbol of our gratitude for her personal efforts to support Ukraine over the years. This is her ninth visit since Russia's full-scale invasion, and the eleventh of her tenure. On pic.twitter.com/NM1A2KUPNL Andrii Sybiha (@andrii_sybiha) April 1, 2025 Sybiha added that he personally welcomed Baerbock upon her arrival to express his gratitude for her support of Ukraine. She was also presented with a special award from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I presented Annalena with our special Ministry of Foreign Affairs award for supporting Ukraine's diplomatic efforts in recognition of her personal efforts... I thanked my [counterpart] for her work that has contributed to Germany taking the lead in supporting Ukraine, including the recent 3 billion military aid package, and saving thousands upon thousands of Ukrainian lives," Sybiha tweeted. "I am grateful for Germany's unwavering support and Annalena's courage and commitment. 'Be brave like Ukraine' is a motto that fully applies to her," he added. Sybiha noted that their talks focused on bilateral relations and international issues, including achieving a just and lasting peace, strengthening Ukraine and holding Russia accountable for its crimes. Background: Earlier, the Ukrainian foreign minister confirmed that Kyiv is holding consultations with the United States in order to finalise a "mutually acceptable text" of an agreement on critical minerals. At a joint press conference, Baerbock stated that any potential agreement with the US on Ukraine's rare earth metals must comply with EU law. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Wisconsin is having a not-very-normal election today. It is a spring election with all the trappings of a fall election. It is a state election that feels like a national election. It is a nonpartisan election that is unabashedly partisan. . Its a contest for Wisconsin Supreme Court that some people view as a referendum on the president. It is an election for judge thats costing more money than many races for governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: All our reporting on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between Susan Crawford, Brad Schimel It features two candidates most people knew little about until recently (conservative Brad Schimel and liberal Susan Crawford) but may draw 2 million Wisconsinites to the polls. (Left) Dane County Judge and Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Susan Crawford and (right) Supreme Court candidate and Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel are seen before the WISN 12 Commitment 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court Debate at the Lubar Center at Marquette University Law Schools Eckstein Hall on Wednesday March 12, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. Its also to borrow a phrase Ive heard more than once from people close to the campaign a giant political science experiment. What happens when you spend far more money than anybody ever has on a judicial election? What happens when you do it in Americas most competitive state? What happens when you do it at a moment of extreme political polarization? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What happens when the worlds richest man makes the election his personal project? What happens when voters are told that an election for Wisconsin Supreme Court is really about Donald Trump (at a time when Trump is gradually becoming more unpopular)? What happens when all this occurs in the fever pitch of the most turbulent launch of an American presidency in anyones memory? Well find out. Well find out if Elon Musk can practically hijack a spring judicial race dominate the news coverage, change the financial playing field, and become an organizing force for both sides. Well find out if Musks impact on this race was to spend enough to give conservatives a chance, or propel them to victory, or fuel a backlash that helped seal their defeat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well find out if Schimels remarkable decision to close his TV advertising by framing the election as a way to support President Donald Trump was brilliant, crazy, or a little bit of both. Well find out how powerful the issue of abortion is two years after it fueled a double-digit liberal court victory in Wisconsin. Well find out if Republicans have figured out a formula for getting sporadic Trump voters to vote in low-turnout elections. Well find out if liberals and Democrats have carved out a structural edge in spring elections because their base consists of more reliable voters. Most of all, we will find out which sides voters are more motivated and mobilized at a moment the president is thrilling his political base and horrifying a lot of people outside his base. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Gilbert: What makes Wisconsin's nationalized Supreme Court race a unique political test The outcome of todays election for Wisconsin state Supreme Court wont tell us which side is going to win the 2026 midterms, much less the next presidential race in Wisconsin. It isnt predictive. It is not even a true referendum on Trumps performance in office, since the outcome will be more a measure of enthusiasm and intensity than a barometer of how the electorate as a whole views the president. We have polls for that. But it is probably as close to a referendum on the president as an April state court election can get. It will decide whether liberals continue to control the states highest court or whether conservatives take it back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That has immense consequences for issues ranging from abortion to collective bargaining to how political districts are drawn to how elections are conducted. And it will send a political signal that will register far beyond Wisconsins borders. Craig Gilbert provides Wisconsin political analysis as a fellow with Marquette University Law School's Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education. Prior to the fellowship, Gilbert reported on politics for 35 years at the Journal Sentinel, the last 25 in its Washington Bureau. His column continues that independent reporting tradition and goes through the established Journal Sentinel editing process. Follow him on Twitter: @Wisvoter. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Gilbert: The big questions Wisconsin's Supreme Court race will answer VISTA, Calif. (KSWB/KUSI) Authorities are looking into the death of a 9-year-old girl that happened hours after she underwent general anesthesia for a dental surgery at Dreamtime Dentistry in Vista, California on March 18th. A statement from Dr. Ryan Watkins, a dentist anesthesiologist at Dreamtime Dentistry, says, in part, The patient was referred to our office for dental treatment under general anesthesia due to her young age and acute situational anxiety. Throughout the procedure she was continuously monitored by our dentist anesthesiologist PREVIOUS: North County dental office releases statement after girl dies post-surgery Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement goes on to say: Following the procedure she was discharged in stable condition awake, with stable vital signs A report from the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office claims the girl was discharged from the facility and remained asleep on the ride home. Once at home, she was placed in her bed where she remained asleep, KSWB/KUSI reports. Family checked on her throughout the day and later found her unresponsive. The girl was pronounced dead upon arrival at Rady Childrens Hospital. Where does your neighborhood rank among the 2025 Best Places to Live? A representative for Dr. Watkins said, The medical examiners report leaves out the fact that following the procedure, and after time in recovery, the patient was discharged in stable condition. She was awake with stable vital signs Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement adds that, at this time, the cause of death has not been determined. The medical examiner is conducting a thorough investigation, with which they are fully cooperating. This is not the first incident at Dreamtime Dentistry to make headlines. Back in 2016, a patient under the care of Dr. Watkins nearly died after a cardiac incident during a dental procedure under anesthesia. Nexstars KSWB/KUSI reached out to the medical examiners office and San Diego police, who are conducting the investigation, but had not received a response as of publishing time. A GoFundMe has been set up to cover the funeral costs, raising more than $15,000 as of Monday. 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 Queen City News. Over the past week, Gaza has witnessed unprecedented protests against Hamas, with demonstrators demanding an end to the ongoing war and the groups governance. In the northern city of Beit Lahia, crowds of Palestinians marched through devastated streets, chanting slogans such as Hamas out! and Hamas are terrorists! while waving white flags. Some held banners in both Arabic and English, reading Stop the war, and We want to live in peace. These protests, the largest since the most recent conflict began, have also spread to other areas, including the Jabalia refugee camp, where participants have burned tires and chanted We want to eat!highlighting the dire humanitarian situation. Hamas has responded by detaining protest leaders and journalists. In one case, a 22-year-old protester, Oday Nasser Al Rabay, was reportedly kidnapped, tortured, and executed by Hamas operatives for participating in the demonstrations. His body was left at his familys doorstep, and during his funeral, attendees chanted Hamas out! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These demonstrations, ignored by many self-styled pro-Palestinians, such as Students for Justice in Palestineand even described as traitors by others such as the prominent British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sittareflect not only frustration over the ongoing war in Gaza but a deep-seated animus among Gazas populace that predates the October 7 massacre that launched the war. Hamas position in Gaza and lack of support among Palestinians has looked dire for many months. In recent polling from January 2025, when presented with a range of options for who might rule Gaza in the future, only 20 percent of Gazans supported the idea of Hamas continuing to rule Gaza. This is compared to 75 percent who expressed support for the Palestinian Authority, 60 percent for some kind of special Palestinian government supported by Arab nations and the international community, 29 percent for direct control by the United Nations, 12 percent for Egypt, and 15 percent for a coalition of Arab countries. Direct Israeli rule or American rulethe latter of which was floated by President Donald Trumpwere not even presented as options in the poll. The historical strength of Hamas support in Gaza is a controversial and contested topic. While many polls over the years, including in the wake of October 7, have shown strong support for Hamas, there are credible allegations that these pollsas they so often are under a dictatorshipwere rigged. For instance, in late 2023, polls by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research claimed 62 percent of Palestinians were satisfied with Hamas rule, but documents seized by the Israeli Defense Forces during the war showed that this number had been falsified, and the actual underlying polling showed only 31.9 percent satisfaction. As the Times of Israel wrote back in August 2024: According to the IDF, the documents it recovered in Gaza prove an extensive effort by the terror organization to falsify the results of [the PCPSR] polls, to create a false representation of the Gazan publics support for the terror organization, especially after the massacre [in Israel] on October 7. These documents are part of a systematic process, the purpose of which is to disguise the collapse of the organization, and the collapse of public support for it, the IDF claimed. What Hamas wanted to attain from October 7 and its aftermath was a kind of military victory over Israel. It wanted to destroy the only Jewish state in the world, either by directly conquering the land, or by provoking a regional war in which Israel would be swamped by multiple Muslim nations and non-state actors such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, and by collapsing Western support for Israel. But since its single day of invasion, Hamas has been forced onto the back foot, back down into its tunnel network, forced to fight a guerrilla war in Gaza where it might occasionally be able to snipe an Israeli soldier, or explode an Israeli tank, but not one where it can claim a military victory in any meaningful sense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How could Hamas expect to maintain support from the wider Palestinian population when its war led to thousands of Palestinian deaths, the destruction of Gazas infrastructure, and hundreds of thousands of Gazans now living in tents? Yahya Sinwar, the former Hamas leader, believed that civilian deaths were necessary sacrifices in his war of conquest against the Jews. But it is Yahya Sinwar who is dead, and it is his vision of the end of Zionism that is withering. At the same time, Hamas supporters and militia men in Gaza remain active. Their bizarre hostage handover ceremonies during the most recent ceasefire, where hundreds of Hamas supporters and their families danced and cheered in front of both living and dead hostages, including Israeli children, were an act of trolling aimed both at bolstering Hamas standing as a formidable force in Gaza, and enraging and radicalizing as many Israelis as possible. Hamas wants to convince both Palestinians and Israelis that peace and coexistence is impossible, and violent struggle is the only way forward. So what has changed, and why have Palestinians in Gaza been protesting against Hamas for the last week? One factor is the recommencement of the war. While Israel agreed in January to a temporary ceasefire to facilitate the release of their hostages in Gaza, both Israel and the United States are still unified in their resolve that Hamas rule in Gaza is over, and that Hamas must be organizationally destroyed. (The Israeli government has even gone as far as to promise to kill each and every Hamas operative.) Hamas perhaps hoped that the war would now be over, and it would be able to rebuild its military strength and maintain control of Gaza over the coming months and years. But rather than relenting, Israel and the United States have sought to increase pressure on Hamas, enforcing a siege on the Gaza Strip, with Trump promoting a plan that would result in permanent American control of Gaza, while either permanently or temporarily displacing the Palestinian inhabitants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other words, I think Palestinians in Gaza are scared that they may be driven out wholesale by Israel and the United States and involuntarily resettled to another part of the Islamic world. To be very clear, I strongly disagree with this approach. I believe that Palestinians have a right to freedom and self-determination in the places they live today, in much the same way that the Israelis do. And I believe that in a potential future with no more jihadist groups like Hamas trying to wage a perpetual holy war against the Jews, it will be possible for Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace across the border from one another. Displacement would also be deeply politically unpopular. Involuntarily removing more than 2 million Palestinians to Egypt, Jordan, or some other Arab state is unacceptable to the wider Middle Eastern and international community, which tends to favor a peaceful two-state solution, as shown by the Arab Leagues institutional endorsement of the Arab Peace Initiative. Many Americans on both sides of the political aisle are also deeply opposed to such proposals. At the same time, there can be no future whatsoever for Hamas or any other such jihadist group next door to Israel. Nobody can be expected to live side-by-side with radicalized fundamentalist killers. Some Palestinians, such as myself and Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib of the Atlantic Council, have long made clear that there is no future for Hamas and its fellow travelers, including ISIS, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Muslim Brotherhood. These groups do not believe in a two-state solution; they do not believe in coexistence. Rather, they believe in permanent warfare and false antisemitic conspiracy theories about Jews ruling the world or controlling the media, and they are Islamic supremacists who oppose Israel on the basis that the Middle East is an Islamic land where Muslims must reign supreme. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To unlock the possibility of peace and coexistence with Israel, there needs to be a proactive effort to rid Palestinian society of this jihadist leadership, which is exploiting the plight of the Palestinian people and making it impossible to have any kind of coexistence with their neighbours. This is why the anti-Hamas protesters must succeed. Of course, the majority of Western self-styled pro-Palestinian groups do not seem interested in this idea. They continue on with the same path they have pursued since October 7: that there should be only a Palestinian state, and that Israel should be boycotted and sanctioned out of existence. But a lot of this nonsense is not about supporting Palestinians; in fact, it is not even aligned with the interests of Palestinians. Yes, Palestinians have suffered a huge amount, and their suffering should not be downplayed or minimized. But they have suffered because of what, exactly? One key factor blighting the entire region is jihadism. Jihadist groups, including Hamas, have sought to impose Islamic ruleand violently. This same affliction has affected not only Palestinians, but also Yemenis, Afghanis, Iranians, Yazidis, Kurds, Alawites, and a whole host of countries and groups across the Middle East where we have seen militant uprisings seeking to impose fundamentalist Islam by the sword. There is no Zionism in Yemen, or Afghanistan, or Sudan, or Iran. No, the common thread is jihadism, often violently forced upon those who dont want it. Hamas was hungry for conquest, victory, and the destruction of Israel. But after gaining a toehold in Gaza since seizing power there in 2007, it overplayed its handboth by oppressing the Palestinian population in Gaza, and by starting multiple wars against their neighbor, Israel. It is essential that Gazans and Palestinians more generally move beyond Hamas rule, and ensure a brighter and free future not only for Palestinians, but also for the entire region. Now is not the time for platitudes or procrastination. Now is the time to support the protesters and demand international pressure and maximum diplomatic efforts to achieve the end of Hamas rule in Gaza. As Moumen Al-Natour, a Palestinian lawyer and one of the leaders of the protests, wrote in the Washington Post on Sunday: If we fail to remove Hamas now, then I fear that I will never know another time without Hamas in charge of my life. Whether I am killed by an Israeli missile or a Hamas bullet, I refuse to die without trying to be free again. If we miss this opportunity, I fear we risk condemning both Palestinians and Israelis to perpetual conflict. Allowing Hamas to regain its footing would simply give the group a chance to continue its war, sooner or later. But expelling Palestinians from Gaza to somewhere else would also be seen as a terrible, generational grievance and would surely become a rallying cry and recruitment tool for future generations of radicalized jihadists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now is our chance to support a genuine Palestinian movement demanding peace. It is a rare moment, fragile yet powerful. Let us seize it togetherfor the sake of Gaza and Palestinians, for Israel, and for the future stability of the entire region. 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. At the 2025 Autumn/Winter Shanghai Fashion Week, 22 African fashion brands debuted their latest collections here for the first time in hopes of entering the Chinese and even Asian markets. #GLOBALink DANVILLE, Va. (WFXR) Gods Pit Crew will be heading to Marion, North Carolina, to rebuild a home for the Greene Family, who lost everything during the impact of Hurricane Helene. Gods Pit Crew and volunteers headed to Marion, North Carolina, on Sunday, March 30, with all the materials needed to rebuild and furnish the home for Brian and Melissa Greene. They were displaced for six months after Helene hit the area. (Photo Credit: Gods Pit Crew) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gods Pit Crew continues storm relief efforts after Hurricane Helene Teams will remain in Marion until Friday, April 10, in hopes that the home reveal will take place on that Friday morning. The familys home was completely swept away during the landslides triggered by the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. The family had to climb out of the window to escape before the home was carried off the mountainside due to the slides. Photo Credit: Gods Pit Crew Photo Credit: Gods Pit Crew Gods Pit Crew has been working to rebuild 25 new homes for areas that are still in the process of recovering, such as Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and Southwest Virginia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These homes are free of cost to the families and individuals receiving them. Gods Pit Crew aids tornado and wildfire victims with supplies President of Gods Pit Crew, Randy Johnson, has extended his gratitude to those who have made the projects possible. A historic storm like Helene called for a historic response, and our ministry is only able to do that thanks to the care and support being shown to our group, remarked Johnson. Projects like this wouldnt be possible if not for the amazing volunteers, donors, and supporters that answer the call to provide hope in what may seem like hopeless times. 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 WFXRtv. The citys seismologist turned climate disaster expert wants better building codes but isnt waiting around for them. Homes in Altadena, California, lie in ruins two weeks after the Eaton Fire ripped through the Southern California community. For decades, seismologist Lucy Jones was best known for coming on live TV after an earthquake to reassure a shaky Los Angelesand remind Angelenos to prepare for the "big one." But in recent years, shes been broadening her area of expertise. In 2016, Jones founded the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society, which works with governments and nonprofits on disaster resilience plans, and not just for earthquakes, she says. "Ive been moving more into the climate space because whats coming from climate change is going to be worse than what earthquakes could do to us." In January, one of the worst-case scenarios that Jones had been preparing for came to pass as the Palisades and Eaton Fires ripped through different corners of L.A. County. A Pasadena resident and longtime Caltech faculty member, Jones watched as at least 235 members of her scientific community lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, leading Caltech to sign a master lease of a newly built apartment building to house 80 families. Now, as L.A. moves from response to recovery, Jones remains a trusted resource for her own colleagues as well as local policymakers working to restructure a society that can more quickly bounce back after a disaster. Its a topic she explored in depth in her 2019 book, The Big Ones: How Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them). Dr. Lucy Jones is a Los Angeles seismologist who works with local nonprofits and government to develop disaster resilience plans. Photo courtesy of Dr. Lucy Jones On a rainy March morning, as debris flows coming out of burn areas triggered emergency alerts, I met Jones at her former workplace on the Caltech campus. A small exhibit in the entrance of the Seismology Laboratory provided haunting echoes of previous calamities the region had faced. "Food rushed to ruined cities" screams the front page of a 1933 issue of the Los Angeles Times after the Long Beach earthquake killed as many as 125 people. With the fire-scarred San Gabriel Mountains before us, Jones explains how we can better prepare for worsening climate disasters and why the best way to recover from them remains the same: by forming even stronger community ties. Youre a seismologist who has warned L.A. for many, many years about the importance of preparing for a major earthquake. Why will climate change be worse? Dr. Lucy Jones: I first really heard about climate change in 1992. I was put on something called the Board on Natural Disasters, which was part of the National Academy of Sciences, advising on research about disasters. So I was the seismologist, and an atmospheric scientist came and talked about climate issues. Even then, he said, the first sign is going to be an increase in extreme events. When you raise a degree centigrade, you dont notice it so much, but that degree is heat. Heat is energy. Weve increased the amount of energy in the atmosphere, and that amount of energy to drive storms has gone up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And thats really changed [Los Angeles]. Were starting to recognize the inevitability of wildfires, and our ecosystems are all experiencing a slightly different climate than they evolved for. The way ecosystems shift is, you have a big wildfire, it kills all the plants, and new plants come in. It is, in a sense, natural. But in California, as I learned while working with fire ecologists, we do not naturally have wildfires during the strong northeast Santa Ana winds. Natural wildfires start from lightning strikes, which happen at a different time of year. So weve really changed the nature of fires in Southern California by adding more human sources of ignition. I think thats a reality that everyone needs to come to terms with. When it comes down to it, the human presence is the problem. That said, I think people underestimate how much you can make your house stronger. I was talking to a structural engineer who works for the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, which is funded by insurance companies in Canada. He was saying that the 2008 building code in California, which we still use, is really goodthat its still way ahead of all the other states. And theres not a lot that they would recommend adding to it. He said one thing would be requiring a five-foot apron of noncombustible material around the house. After talking with him, my husband and I are actually pulling out some plants near our house and taking down a wooden fence. "I think wildfires are going to be what gets us to finally act on climate change." Dr. Lucy Jones You were a mile away from this fire, but there were embers that traveled that far. Im not in Altadena, but I was a mile from the evacuation zone. We have a gorgeous 1948 midcentury modern with these really big windows and molding underneath. The embers did come down here. There was another fire that started up by the Trader Joes in San Gabriel, which is as close to us as the Eaton Fire was. The neighbors tree came down on our house because of the winds. We were getting ready in case we got evacuated. In 2009 we were the first block evacuated in the Station Fire, which is part of why we left La Canada. That fire was not wind-driven; it was heat-driven. It was in August, and it was 110 degrees. Nobody lost their houses. The L.A. County Fire Department did an amazing job. They stopped it in our neighbors backyard. We were out of the house for three days and when we finally got home, it smelled like an ashtray. And then there were debris flows. We were trapped one day where one had gone down the Angeles Crest Highway. It was so disruptive. We decided to move after our kids left for college. We thought about moving to Altadena, because everybody lives in Altadena, because you want to be by the mountains. We loved living by the mountains. But I couldnt do it. I didnt want to go through that again. We now have the state fire maps changing, with these new boundaries in Altadena. But does that warning of risk really change peoples decisions about where to live? Immediately after a fire, everybodys thinking about it. The danger also fades really quickly. We recognize the need for fire departmentswe don't always recognize the need for fire building codes. Disaster response has an emotional connection. Prevention doesnt, because its abstract, in the future, and coming out of an analytical side of the brain. I saw one study that said we spend $8 on response for every dollar we spend on prevention and each dollar spent on prevention saves $6 for response. It would be way more cost-effective if we were willing to do the prevention. But we do seem to process this preparedness for earthquakes differently compared to other hazards. Is it because we have these little ones all the time that remind us of the danger? It helps. What is going to get us to focus on the danger? If its catastrophic, if it affects a lot of people or future generations, or if its a particularly awful way to die. So earthquakes really check a lot of these boxes. With earthquakes, you have absolutely no notice, and youre being trapped in a downed building as a fire comes through. Floods kill as many people as earthquakes in the United States, but whos afraid of the rain? Its predicted. You can see it coming. You have an illusion of being more in control, and all of those things make it feel safer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fires are somewhere in between. Theres a type of fire weather, so we know when they might come. But fires are now spreading so fast. These wind-driven ones like what happened in Santa Rosa, Lahaina, or here have a pattern of starting in wildlands and moving through an urban environment, because the winds have gotten so strong. These types of fires are going to become a lot more common, and its changing our perception. People are more afraid of fires now than they were a decade ago, and theres more belief in the inevitability of climate change, because weve seen the evidence. I have been saying for a few years that I think wildfires are going to be what gets us to finally act on climate change. So while this fear is fresh in peoples minds, isnt this a good time to have conversations about whether or not we should be moving back into these areas? Or, maybe what we should be doing as a government to help people not move back? Philosophically, Americans have a really hard time with this. We are very individualistic. We dont like the government telling us we can do with our property. The government steps in when something becomes a life safety issue, but the problem is that those mechanisms are 30 years old. We don't like to fund regulators. We have a lot of people who try to get around them, and this is what happens when you dont fund them well enough. One thing about climate right now is there are not going to be federal initiatives for a while, and one could take that as a reason to despair. But, in fact, a lot of what has to happen has to happen locally, and we dont have to wait for the feds. A lot of the local action is around housing issues. Enforcement of building codes is still a local jurisdictional issue. There are a lot of local jurisdictions that do not have an engineer in their building departments, and the chief building official is a political appointment, a developer or someone who comes out of the construction industry. I want the building code department to be the strongest department. Dr. Jones was focused on earthquakes before broadening her scope to include all natural disasters, which she discusses in her 2018 book. Image courtesy of Dr. Lucy Jones And it needs to happen pretty quickly. After Lahaina happened you said L.A. would be next, that it was only a matter of time. Yes, I just didnt think it was going to be within the next year. The thing about climate change is that this is an exponential growth curvewhen we think about how its changing, were underestimating how fast its going to happen. How will we cope if the next fire that does this literally burns down to the 210 freeway and then the next one burns down to San Marino? How far into the city can it go? Were going to have something worse than this, and were going to have a lot of bankrupted people because they wont be able to rebuild. Were now moving from the response phase to the recovery phase. The next phase is resilience. So what does a better approach to resilience look like? Southern California doesnt do community very well. Were famous for our freeway culture. But Ive been really impressed at how communities have come together and how much people want to dothere was this huge outpouring. Now its starting to fade. People are recognizing there needs to be more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But thats the idea: you are surrounded by community hubs. It could be a faith- or church-based community, or other sorts of organizations where people come together for their neighborhood. That sort of community then connects you back to people, and makes you want to stay with it as youre trying to deal with all of this. And then its easy to figure out whos helping who. A couple of years ago, I had been asked by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles to help them develop a disaster preparedness program for churches as part of their climate response. On the night of the fires, I activated a disaster cohort from that program and stepped in and helped. I realized how much better I just felt that Id done something. L.A. was facing many more challenges before the most current disaster. How realistic is it that we will actually learn from this one? One of the things that we like to say is that disasters dont break systems. Rather, they reveal whats already broken. I can imagine a future in which we do this, in which we survive here, and we figure out how to restructure into something more sustainable. I can also imagine a future in which we dont. Top photo courtesy of Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Related Reading: What Were Watching Burn The Grassroots Race to Save Altadenas Historic Batchelder TilesBefore the Bulldozers Move In Republican candidates are projected to win both special elections for U.S. House seats in Florida, though by smaller margins than expected in two GOP-dominated districts. State Sen. Randy Fine is projected by The Associated Press to win in Floridas 6th Congressional District while the AP projects Jimmy Patronis will win in the 1st District. The races to fill vacancies left by former Republican Reps. Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz heated up in recent weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Trump weighs in on House special election races in Florida as GOP fights to keep majority Both lawmakers resigned to join the Trump administration, although Gaetz withdrew his nomination as attorney general when it became clear that he did not have sufficient support in the Senate to be confirmed. PHOTO: Rep. Randy Fine closes on a gambling bill during a special session, May 19, 2021, in Tallahassee, Fla. Democratic nominee Josh Weil speaks during a campaign stop at the Silver Springs Shores Community Center, March 26, 2025, in Ocala, Fla. (Steve Cannon/AP | Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Ahead of the election, Republicans had 218 seats in the House -- a slim majority. The GOP would hold onto its majority no matter what the results of the Florida elections, but if they lost a seat, that will make legislating more difficult, especially on measures where every Republican doesn't vote with the party. While Republicans will hold on to their majority regardless of the results in Florida, the election comes amid concerns over maintaining that power -- a concern that spilled into the public when President Donald Trump recently asked Rep. Elise Stefanik to withdraw from her nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations rather than give up her seat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: 'Proud to be a team player,' Stefanik says after Trump pulls UN nomination Trump endorsed both Republican candidates and campaigned for them by phone, although he had also expressed concerns on Monday that one of the races would be "a little bit close." He touted the power of his endorsement in a post on his Truth Social platform, writing, "BOTH FLORIDA HOUSE SEATS HAVE BEEN WON, BIG, BY THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE. THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT, AS ALWAYS, PROVED FAR GREATER THAN THE DEMOCRATS FORCES OF EVIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO AMERICA!!!" The 6th District race was in play more than expected, with uncertainty among some Republicans over whether Fine could keep the seat in GOP hands, given that he lagged far behind Democrat Josh Weil in fundraising. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fine had about 57% of the vote while Weil had 43%. Waltz won the district in 2024 by just over 30 percentage points and Trump carried it by 30 points. And while the race in the 1st District was not forecast to be competitive, the initial vote count showed it closer than expected. Patronis had 57% of the vote, while Democratic candidate Gay Valimont had 42%. Gaetz won over Valimont by 32 percentage points in 2024, and Trump carried it by almost 40 points. Fine pushed back against insinuations that he had underperformed in his race. I won, last time I looked, by 14 points. So I think its hard to say thats an underperformance by any stretch ... I won by 14 points. Thats not an underperformance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Special elections usually have lower turnout than on-cycle elections and turnout and results can be tough to predict. MORE: Florida State Sen. Randy Fine says he doesn't think he disagrees with Trump on anything On the fundraising front, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission, Fine has raised or received around $987,000 from late November 2024 through mid-March, while Weil has raised or received more than $9 million since Oct. 1, 2024 through mid-March. Fine also donated $600,000 to himself, according to later filings. PHOTO: Rep. Randy Fine answers a question about his House Bill 3-C: Independent Special Districts in the House of Representatives April 20, 2022, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (Phil Sears/AP) Weil's campaign has spent more than $8 million of what he's raised, per the filings; Fine's campaign had also spent much of its cash on hand before his donations to himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Fine does have Trump's strong endorsement. Trump said on Thursday of Fine: "He will be there whenever I need him, and he wants to be there whenever we need him. He wants to be there for you." Fine has expressed confidence. He told ABC News Live anchor Diane Macedo on Monday, "We're doing great," and later added, "What we're seeing is angry Democrats, and Republicans having to understand what's at stake." Weil, who was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Friday, told ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis on Monday night, "People want someone who will fight for them in Washington and that's what we're offering." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said that Sanders' endorsement, which Fine had criticized, seemed to be an asset when talking to voters who appreciated the senator's message. PHOTO: Josh Weil, a schoolteacher and Democratic candidate for Florida's 6th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, speaks at a town hall event in Ocala, Fla., March 26, 2025. (Octavio Jones/Reuters) MORE: Republicans raise concerns about Florida special election as candidates vie to replace Mike Waltz MORE: Democrats host town halls to hear from voters, fire up supporters -- but is their message resonating? PHOTO: Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis speaks during a meeting between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state cabinet at the Florida capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., Mar. 5, 2025. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP, Files) The president said in a telephone rally on Thursday, "Jimmy's done an outstanding job as the Chief Financial Officer of the state of Florida, helping to guide your state to tremendous economic success. And now he wants to keep on fighting for Florida in Congress, and he's going to do that, and he'll vote to defend Social Security, protect Medicare, all these things ... under great danger with the Democrats." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patronis, speaking after Trump, told listeners, "Look, if you're not fired up to hearing the president right now, then you need to get your pulse checked with President Trump and the White House. A Republican majority in Congress, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform this country." Meanwhile, Valimont has raised more than Patronis, per Federal Election Commission filings -- which show Valimont has raised around $6 million while Patronis raised around $2 million. PHOTO: Democratic candidate Gay Valimont poses for a portrait outside her campaign office in Pensacola, Fla., March 17, 2025. (Kate Payne/AP, FILE) "In Congress, I will show Florida's 1st District what it looks like when the government truly works for the people and our needs," Valimont wrote on Monday. -ABC News' John Parkinson, Lauren Peller and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report. Republicans win in both House special elections in Florida originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Some GOP lawmakers are quietly hoping Elon Musk will soon be out of the spotlight over fears that hes damaging the partys electoral chances, according to Politico. As voters cast their ballots in crucial races in Wisconsin and Florida Tuesday, one House Republican even told the outlet that an April 1st massacre would be a beautiful thing because it would alert their congressional colleagues to the damage Musk is causing. In Florida, one special election is being held to replace former Rep. Mike Waltzwho stepped down from the seat to become Trumps national security adviser and had an unfortunate starring role in Signalgatewhile another will be held to fill the vacancy left by Matt Gaetz, Trumps scandal-scarred first pick for attorney general. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In another major test for the Trump administration Tuesday, control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court will be decided after an almost $100 million race. That ballot has been framed by many as a de facto referendum on Trumps agenda, with Musk himself pouring millions into a race he described as a turning point for civilization. With polling showing Musks unpopularity with voters and angry protests around the country against his government-cutting DOGE task force, some Republican lawmakers wonder how much longer theyll have to deal with him. U.S. President Donald Trump's adviser Elon Musk speaks during a rally in support of a conservative state Supreme Court candidate of an April 1 election in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. March 30, 2025. / Vincent Alban / REUTERS The GOP lawmaker who told Politico that bad results Tuesday would underscore how much Musk is harming the party also said around 26 of their colleagues in the most vulnerable seats will be watching the races. [T]heyll decide how they want to be part of the team going forward, they added. Another House Republican told the publication that the White House needs to draw a line under Musk and DOGE. Elons work needs to wrap up, and he needs to exit stage left, they said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MSNBCs John Heilemann similarly said on Tuesdays Morning Joe that the Wisconsin Supreme Court race has turned into a referendum on Elon Musk, even more so than the Trump agenda. There are Republicans all over Washington who quietly would be perfectly happy to see the Republican lose that race in order to take some of the wind out of Elon Musks sails, Heilemann said. There are a lot of Capitol Hill Republicans who are concerned about having an increasingly unpopular Elon Musk put around their neck like an albatross going into the midterm elections, Heilemann added. And they would like to be done with him and give the president, President Trump, a sense that perhaps its not in his or the partys best political interest to be seen as the party of Elon Musk. He added that losing the Wisconsin race would have various negative implications for the Republican Party, but it would also take Elon Musk down a peg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And I can tell you, as I say, there are a lot of Republicans who wouldnt mind that happening, Heilemann said. Much harder to shake, though, is the financial backing the worlds richest man has provided the president. He has bankrolled his election campaign to the tune of $291 million and poured a further $20 million into Wisconsin for what has become the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history. Trump also clearly feels some sort of affinity with his first buddy, recently calling Musk a wonderful patriot who can ask him for a favor whenever he wants. An Idaho Republican is speaking out after a local party official boasted online about reporting her familys farming business to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Idaho state Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen told KTVB in an article published on Monday that she is one of the few that have stood up to the far right extremism and because of that, she has become a target. Mickelsen is listed online as the CFO for her familys potato farming business. She maintained in an op-ed for the Idaho Statesman that the business complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding employment and immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, she said she became the target of intimidation tactics designed to silence her when Ryan Spoon, Ada County GOP vice chairman, announced Jan. 21 on X that he was reporting her businesses to ICE. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Baltimore Field Officer director Matt Elliston listens during a briefing on Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Maryland. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Attention, Mr. Homan, could you please send some illegal immigration raids to the businesses owned by Idaho State Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen? Spoon wrote on X, referring to President Donald Trumps border czar Tom Homan. She has been bragging about how many illegals her businesses employ. Here is a list of the businesses to raid, he continued, linking to an about page on Mickelsens political website. In a follow-up post, he wrote that he was filling out ICE tip forms for all of Rep. Mickelsens businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICE showed up at Mickelsen Farms three days later, Mickelsen told Investigate West. One immigrant worker employed there was detained by ICE as of Jan. 27, according to the news outlet. Mickelsen said that the man was detained because of a criminal record, and she did not know his immigration status. The lawmaker did not respond to a request for comment from HuffPost. Spoon told HuffPost that he really did report Mickelsens family business to ICE. I reported her to ICE, because she bragged about hiring illegals, he said in an email. He also told Investigate West that Mickelsens own testimony drew attention to herself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That testimony, he told HuffPost, was when Mickelsen spoke out against a bill that would let local law enforcement detain and possibly deport undocumented immigrants. (Mickelsen ultimately voted for the bill, which has yet to pass the state Senate.) Spoon pointed to video of Mickelsens testimony posted by political group Stop Idaho RINOs. RINO is an acronym used to mean Republican in name only. I think everybody needs to be aware that when we keep going down this road of attacking illegal immigrants, youre mainly attacking Hispanics in this case, she said in the clip. She continued, If you guys think you havent been touched by an illegal immigrants hands in some way, through either your traveling or your food, youre kidding yourselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spoon also told HuffPost that his actions had nothing to do with political rivalry. She lives on the opposite side of the state from me. There is no position for which she would be my rival. Mickelsen said Spoon targeting her business represents a broader issue. These attacks arent just about me, Mickelsen wrote in her op-ed. They represent a dangerous shift in our political discourse. When elected officials can be bullied into silence because of false statements and threats to their livelihoods and safety, we all lose. Related... Freshman Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) acknowledged that President Donald Trumps proposed tariffs would bring short-term pain to Americans including his own constituents in Montana. In an interview Monday on CNNs The Source, anchor Kaitlan Collins asked Sheehy whether Trumps tariff plans would hurt people in his state. Theres absolutely gonna be short-term pain, Sheehy replied. The presidents been clear about that. Everyone has. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former Navy SEAL and millionaire businessman likened the economic disruption to a home renovation. I mean, if youre gonna remodel your house to make it better in the end, its gonna be really annoying in the short term when your house is getting remodeled and theres drywall dust everywhere and theres workers in your living room, he said. The reality is that remodel has gotta happen in order to make things stronger and more stable on the back end. Sheehy echoed Trumps frequent claims that foreign countries have been taking advantage of the strong American economy for years and predicted that investment would return to the U.S. But Collins noted that uncertainty has already caused many companies to hold off on making decisions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She then highlighted what could be a major crack in his analogy. You liken this to a remodel. Sometimes those take longer than you plan for, she pointed out. I mean, if youre an American and youre waiting to see, what does short-term pain mean? I mean, how long do you expect that to last? I mean, we dont know, Sheehy admitted. Watch the exchange here: GOP Sen. Tim Sheehy on Trumps tariffs: Theres absolutely going to be short term pain. The presidents been clear about that. Everyone has. If youre going to remodel your house to make it better in the end, its going to be really annoying in the short term when your house is pic.twitter.com/0qkKVmxcu0 Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 1, 2025 Related... ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) Rockford Police arrested Rodney Beese, 67, for robbing a Starbucks for $10 after indicating he had a firearm, according to court records. On March 19th, officers were called to the Starbucks located at 7474 East State Street for an aggravated robbery incident. Employees told authorities the suspect handed them a note that read, Give me your money that in your till now. Dont say nothing, got a gun. Beese proceeded to put his hand in his sweatshirt pocket and act like he had a firearm, court documents show. Photo: Winnebago County Jail He stole around $10 out of the businesss tip jar and left on foot, police reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video surveillance footage corroborated the witnesses accounts. Authorities found Beese near East State and Mulford before taking him into custody on March 27th. Beese is currently on Federal probation for a 2021 bank robbery in Rochelle and was convicted in 2012 for attempting to rob a Janesville motel. He is charged with aggravated robbery while indicating possession of a firearm. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. In what would be Floridas fourth execution this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for a man who in 1998 murdered his girlfriend and her three children in Okaloosa County. DeSantis issued the warrant Monday for Jeffrey Hutchinson, who received three death sentences and one life sentence after being convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Renee Flaherty, and her children, Geoffrey, Amanda and Logan Flaherty, according to documents posted Tuesday on the Florida Supreme Court website. The execution is scheduled May 1 at Florida State Prison, with the warrant likely touching off a legal fight in the coming weeks about whether Hutchinson should be put to death. The state this year executed James Ford on Feb. 13 and Edward James on March 20 and is scheduled to execute Michael Tanzi on April 8. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 2001 sentencing order included in the documents posted Tuesday said Hutchinson lived with Renee Flaherty and the children in Crestview. The couple had an argument on Sept. 11, 1998, causing Hutchinson to pack his belongings in a pickup truck and leave the home, according to the sentencing order signed by Circuit Judge G. Robert Barron. After going to an AMVETS bar, where he drank beer, Hutchinson went back to the home and used a 12-gauge shotgun to kill Renee Flaherty, 7-year-old Amanda Flaherty and 4-year-old Logan Flaherty in a master bedroom, the judge wrote in the order. Hutchinson then fired two shots to kill 9-year-old Geoffrey Flaherty, who stood in a doorway of the bedroom. The death sentences were imposed in the childrens murders. The sentencing order said Hutchinson, now 62, is an Army veteran who served in the Gulf War. He had been diagnosed with a condition that affects veterans known as Gulf War Illness, but the judge wrote that there had been no correlation between the murders of these victims and the defendants diagnosis of Gulf War Illness established. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A letter dated Monday from Attorney General James Uthmeier to DeSantis outlined a series of appeals filed over the years on behalf of Hutchinson. Courts rejected the appeals. The Hutchinson death warrant came as the Florida Supreme Court considered arguments about whether Tanzis execution should proceed next week. As of Tuesday morning, the court had not ruled. Tanzi was convicted in the 2000 murder in Monroe County of a woman he kidnapped in Miami. The four executions carried out or scheduled this year came after Florida executed one inmate in 2024. Florida did not execute any inmates in 2020, 2021 and 2022 but put to death six men in 2023. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. JERUSALEM, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said during a tour of the occupied West Bank on Tuesday that Israel would not allow the Palestinian Authority to control the territory. Katz was accompanied by Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said Israel was "here to stay." "Just as we're crushing terrorism in the camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams, we will prevent any attempt by the Palestinian Authority to take control of areas in Judea and Samaria and harm Jewish settlements," Katz said. Judea and Samaria is an administrative division used by Israel to refer to the entire West Bank. The Palestinian Authority is an internationally recognized body that exerts governance in parts of the West Bank, a Palestinian territory Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel has controlled the territory ever since, despite international criticism. Since late January, Israeli forces have launched a large-scale military operation in the West Bank. The Israeli military frequently describes such operations as counter-terrorism measures aimed at militants. CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS) There is a new focus on north Louisiana under Governor Jeff Landrys office. Governor Landry appointed Shane Cheatham the Regional Director for the Office of Rural Development. Cheatman previously served on the Bossier City Council and the Bossier Parish School Board. More Louisiana News He addressed the Caddo Commission on Monday, telling commissioners he was told by Governor Landry to communicate the needs of north Louisiana to better serve the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of my goals is to get Caddo and Bossier Parish to work together so we can draw down some of that federal funding, Cheatham said. Once the session gets underway in two weeks, commissioners will have the chance to meet with Governor Landry and the state legislature for Caddo 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 KTALnews.com. On March 29, four proposed constitutional amendments were on Louisiana ballots for residents to vote upon. These amendments, relating to crime, courts and finances, were highly supported by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. However, by a 60% margin, Louisiana voters rejected each amendment, according to preliminary results released by the Louisiana Secretary of State after voting ended. Governor Jeff Landry reaction to proposed constitutional amendments being rejected After the four amendments that Governor Landry advocated for failed to pass, he released a statement via the newsroom from the Office of the Governor expressing his contempt for the March 29 election results. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Unfortunately, Soros and far left liberals poured millions into Louisiana with propaganda and outright lies about Amendment 2, said Landry in the statement released after the March 29 election results. In his statement, Landry goes on to say that positive change within the state is still the end-goal, despite the fact that such changes may be difficult. Although we are disappointed in tonights results, we do not see this as a failure. We realize how hard positive change can be to implement in a State that is conditioned for failure," reads Landry's statement. To finish his statement, Landry says he will continue to work towards a better future for Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will continue working to give our citizens more opportunities to keep more of their hard-earned money and provide a better future for Louisianians. This is not the end for us, and we will continue to fight to make the generational changes for Louisiana to succeed," concludes Landry's statement. Gov. Jeff Landry said he will not give up on his efforts for passage of the four constitutional amendments he asked voters to approve Saturday, March 29. All four amendments failed in the election. Proposed constitutional amendment 1 Constitutional amendment 1 outlines disciplinary actions for out-of-state attorneys, and creation of courts of specialized jurisdiction. If this amendment had passed, the Louisiana Supreme Court would be allowed to discipline out-of-state attorneys, as well as authorize the legislature to create specialty courts at a regional or state level, according to Council for a Better Louisiana. Proposed constitutional amendment 2 Constitutional amendment 2 proposes an entire rewrite of Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution, which lays forth state and local tax, as well as fiscal, policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This amendment, if it had passed, would have primarily focused on five changes to Article VII of the state constitution. Such changes include creating new constitutional protections, limitations or requirements regarding taxes, expenditures and revenues. As well as removing certain items from the constitution and placing them instead in statute, according to Council for a Better Louisiana. Additionally, significant changes would have been made to existing trust finds or "savings accounts" in the constitution. Also, a one-time cash incentive would have been created for local governments to eliminate, or phase out, the local business inventory tax. Lastly, the amendment would have required a substantial payment to the Unfunded Accrued Liability (UAL) in the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana in an effort to make a year-to-year stipend permanent, says Council for a Better Louisiana. Proposed constitutional amendment 3 Constitutional amendment 3 is regarding the legislative authority to determine the crimes for which juveniles can be tried as adults. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the amendment had passed, legislature would be allowed to decide by statute the crimes for which a juvenile can be tried as an adult on behalf of the limited list of crimes that are enumerated within the state constitution, says Council for a Better Louisiana. Proposed constitutional amendment 4 Constitutional amendment 4 is a proposal for election dates for filling judicial vacancies. This amendment would have required that, when there is a judicial vacancy or a new judgeship is created, the position be filled by calling a special election at the earliest election date available, according to Council for a Better Louisiana. Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: What was Gov. Jeff Landry's response to amendment rejection? What he said With an eye toward an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearing over what could be the nations first Catholic virtual charter school, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt has issued an executive order with the intent, he says, to position Oklahoma as the nations strongest defender of religious liberty. Groups that support the long-standing principle of the separation of church and state arent so fond of Stitts order, which directs all state agencies to root out laws, regulations and policies that exclude religious individuals or institutions from public programs, funds or benefits, especially what the governor calls outdated provisions in public education, arts funding and historical preservation programs. Religious freedom is foundational to our way of life in Oklahoma, Stitt said. Its not a privilege handed out by the government its a God-given right that the government must protect. We will not stand by while faith-based organizations including faith-based schools are pushed to the sidelines by activist bureaucrats or hostile politicians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Pride puppies and a charter school: a look at the blockbuster religion cases at the Supreme Court Gov. Kevin Stitt has issued an executive order regarding "religious freedom" in Oklahoma. Gov. Kevin Stitt's support for Catholic charter school, other public religious backing It's not the first time Stitt has inserted Christianity into the public square. After he won reelection in 2022, he drew both praise and criticism for claiming "every square inch" of Oklahoma for God and Jesus as he said a prayer on the steps of the state Capitol. In November, he announced the creation of a new Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, which he described as a "clearinghouse" to connect churches and nonprofits to state agencies, with the goal of addressing pressing issues such as substance abuse. That announcement did draw some bipartisan support, from Rep. Ajay Pittman, D-Oklahoma City. Stitt also has been an outspoken supporter of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which is at the center of a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled an existing contract between a state board and St. Isidore had to be rescinded, saying taxpayer money cannot be used for religious purposes. St. Isidore and the Statewide Charter School Board appealed to the nation's highest court, which will hear arguments in the case later this month. Stitt has filed a brief with the court supporting St. Isidores position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre opposed by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, whos announced hes running to succeed the term-limited Stitt as governor. Drummond, also a Republican, said Stitt was being disingenuous in saying the executive order concerned religious liberty. "Gov. Stitt has been clear that he supports our tax dollars funding radical Muslim schools teaching Sharia Law, and I couldnt disagree with him more, Drummond said. If a taxpayer-funded religious charter school is allowed to open in Oklahoma, it will only be a matter of time before taxpayers are funding schools dedicated to Sharia law, Wicca indoctrination, Scientology instruction even the Church of Satan. A spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma said that group had no comment on Stitt's order. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt issues executive order on religious freedom OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Monday directed state agencies to move forward identifying laws, regulations, and policies excluding religious individuals or institutions regarding programs, funds or benefits. The Executive Order is set to build on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that uphold that states cannot discriminate against religious entities in public life. According to the Governors office, the action comes as the United States Supreme Court prepared to hear oral arguments in the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond. Oral arguments on April 30, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 4Warn Storm Team tracking severe weather moving into Oklahoma Religious freedom is foundational to our way of life in Oklahoma. Its not a privilege handed out by the governmentits a God-given right that the government must protect, said Stitt. We will not stand by while faith-based organizationsincluding faith-based schoolsare pushed to the sidelines by activist bureaucrats or hostile politicians. Governor Stitt filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the charter board and St. Isidore, noting faith-based institutions have the same right to participate in public programs as any other entity. This executive order mandates a full review and revision of any state law or regulation that excludes religious entities. Additionally, outdated provision areas under review will include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement public education arts funding and historical preservation programs The Executive Order follows the Legislatures 2023 amendment to Oklahomas Religious Freedom Act (RFA) which acknowledges denying access to government programs based solely on religious character constitutes a substantial burden on the free exercise of religion, says Stitt. Attorney General Gentner Drummond released the following remarks after Gov. Stitt issued an executive order presuming to be about religious liberty. Gov. Stitt has been clear that he supports our tax dollars funding radical Muslim schools teaching Sharia Law, and I couldnt disagree with him more. If a taxpayer-funded religious charter school is allowed to open in Oklahoma, it will only be a matter of time before taxpayers are funding schools dedicated to Sharia law, Wicca indoctrination, Scientology instruction even the Church of Satan. As a devoted Christian and a strong supporter of religious liberty, I can tell you that the only way to protect religious liberty is for the state not to sponsor any religion at all just like our Founding Fathers intended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heads Up Oklahoma theres a risk for severe thunderstorms this evening through tonight into early Wednesday morning. The full text of the Executive Order is available here. Read the amicus brief in full 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Opening the door to Dragana Perisics eponymous boutique on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch feels like stepping into a former and many would say better version of London. The space is small and dimly lit, with just six rails of beautifully tailored, handmade clothes. Perisic herself sits at the till, immaculately stylish with one streak of blue in her brown bob, having hand-sewn all the skirts, dresses and jackets in the studio space at the back of her store. Compare this to the faceless corporations that crowd much of central London, filled with clothes made in China, Vietnam or Turkey that have been designed by people in Los Angeles or Hong Kong (or sometimes even by AI) and pumped out to identikit shops in major cities around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And yet it is Perisics store that is closing down after 19 years, crippled by business rates the relief for which dropped from 75 per cent to 40 per cent on April 1. For Perisic, this translates to an increase in charges from 9,000 a year to 18,000, and along with astronomical rents and rising national insurance for employers, it spells the end of her much-loved boutique. She is not alone. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has predicted that store closures will rise to around 17,350 in 2025, from 13,479 in 2024, as business rates strangle smaller retailers. The CRR warns that the majority of the shops shutting down this year will be independents or those with fewer than five stores, and that on average business rates will increase from 3,589 to 8,613. For people in the fashion community many of whom voted Labour in the last election this feels like a betrayal. I first opened here in 2006, says Perisic, back when there were so many independent designers like me in this area. And I weathered so much: the financial crisis, Covid, Brexit. But what I was not expecting was for this government to destroy independent businesses like mine. I have never voted Conservative in my life, but what they have done is worse than the Tories, and I wont vote Labour again. The business relief drop means Perisic will be liable for 18,000 in rates, double what she previously paid - Geoff Pugh for The Telegraph Another Soho-based store owner who sells contemporary clothing and jewellery for men and women is also on the brink of closing down because of the damaging cocktail of higher business rates and national insurance contributions starting this week. He believes it is now almost impossible to be successful in the capital as an independent brand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre anywhere in central London you need to make a million quid a year just to break even, he says. To rent a halfway decent space in Soho and pay the business rates alone will cost you nearly half a million pounds, which means you need to sell a hell of a lot of clothes just to keep your head above water. In homogenised Britain, where chain restaurants, identical coffee shops and fast-fashion brands dominate every high street, this should be a problem the government wants to solve. Not only do small stores boost the value of properties nearby (according to a study by Strutt and Parker, independent shops and restaurants are rated, alongside parks, as one of the most desirable local attractions), they also bring in tourists. About 60 percent of my customers are here on holiday, says Perisic, who tells me that clients from expensive American cities like New York and San Francisco regularly complain to her about the lack of designer-owned stores in their cities. Now, London is going the same way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Britain makes it almost impossible for small fashion businesses to exist, says Patrick Grant, an author and journalist and former owner of Savile Row store Norton & Sons, who was forced to shut down his ready-to-wear business E. Tautz & Sons in 2021 because running costs were simply too high. These days, only huge companies can afford the astronomical rents and business rates, and as a result London has the exact same clothes on offer as every other city. Its so dull, which is sad because we have an enormous amount of creativity here. Fast-fashion brands now dominate Britains high streets - Getty Grant talks about spending a weekend in Bordeaux recently (in France, independent businesses have a reduced corporation rate). I couldnt believe how interesting the shops were, he says. There were almost no global brands and thousands of small places selling charming clothes tailored to the local market it was really fantastic. For Grant, these impending closures will lead to a dearth of tourists picking London as a fashion destination. Choices like [increasing business rates] stifle creativity and economic activity, he says. Were already struggling to encourage people to come here and shop but if theres nothing interesting to buy then why would they bother? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government has to revise its entire business model, he continues. In an era where online shopping already dominates, a business rate tax is not fit for purpose as it punishes brick and mortar instead of encouraging it. And, yes, from next April the government intends to drop business rates for companies valued at less than 500,000 and increase them for everyone else but given the price of renting a space in central London even independent designers with very low margins are likely to fall into the second category. Debra McCann is one of them. She is the founder and owner of The Mercantile, an independent store selling quirky, stylish clothes sourced from brands in Britain and around Europe. It is on the edge of Spitalfields Market and on a sunny weekday morning, this treasure trove of affordable, interesting fashion attracts groups of tourists as well as local office workers popping in to browse the rails with a coffee. It feels like a breath of fresh air compared to the foreign-owned chain stores that take up so much local real estate. The high street is already very homogenous in most towns and cities, she says. And these new government policies are only going to increase its blandness. The Mercantile, a quirky independent store on the edge of Spitalfields Market in London The Mercantile has been in the same spot for more than 15 years and while footfall is at a record high, the sheer rate of taxation means she has never been more worried. This last national insurance rise was a real disappointment coming from a Labour government, she says, I voted for them and I feel like Rachel Reeves has just shot us one last blow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCann sources clothes from around Europe and has seen first hand the power that good government policies can have. She cites both Denmark and Spain as countries where independent designers have been given tax reliefs and as a result creativity has flourished. We get no help at all in this country, just higher and higher taxes, she says. My biggest costs are rent and staffing. I cant do anything about the rent and I also cant let go of staff because theft rates have skyrocketed in the last two years, so I need people with eyes on the customers all the time. Hence also needing to stay near Spitalfields, which has a security team on hand. Like everyone I speak to for this piece, McCann is in despair about these new policies. At this point, I feel like Im firefighting all the time, she says. Perisic, at least, can take some time off when her store closes its doors for the last time at the end of the month. She simply doesnt have the capital to invest in the marketing needed to launch an online-only store, so instead she is going travelling. As for the space she has made her own for nearly two decades: a cupcake chain is reportedly taking it over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And in the future, life abroad sounds increasingly appealing. For now, Athens sounds like a good place to start looking, she says, I dont think this government cares about creativity its too busy trying to make Amazon happy. 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. (WHTM) Governor Josh Shapiro is joining a multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration, saying $500 million in health funding for Pennsylvania was canceled. The Shapiro administration says the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notified the Commonwealth that the CDC was abruptly terminating funding for health grants. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania The Shapiro administration says the grant money is owed to the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), Human Services (DHS), Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), and programs that work to prevent the spread of Avian Flu and measles. Funding was also designated for mental health and substance abuse services, long-term care, and ensuring access to immunizations. The federal government broke its half-billion-dollar contract with the Commonwealth and as a result of this unlawful action, is undermining our ability to protect the health of Pennsylvanias children and families, said Governor Josh Shapiro. It is my job to defend the taxpayers of this Commonwealth, and this is funding owed to the people of Pennsylvania. But the Trump Administration abruptly canceled congressionally appropriated federal funding that supports critical Pennsylvania-based initiatives like infectious disease prevention, long-term care for our seniors, and immunizations for children. When I sign a legally binding agreement, I follow through with it and with todays action, Im just asking our federal government to do the same. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit alleges $11 billion of critical public health funding was terminated across the country. The lawsuit is co-led by Colorado, Rhode Island, California, Minnesota, and Washington and joined by Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Wisconsin. The Shapiro administration sued the Trump administration in February over the freezing of $1.2 billion. Last month, Shapiro and State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding filed an appeal with the USDA over the termination of the Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) Program. This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available 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. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Two officers will not face charges relating to a fatal officer-involved shooting last June. According to the Montgomery County Prosecutors Office, the Grand Jury has declined to indict two Dayton police officers in relation to the fatal shooting of a teen last summer. On June 29, 2024, officers were dispatched to the 500 block of Negley Place on reports of a block party at a vacant home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One individual fled from the area, during which police say he turned around and allegedly pointed a weapon at officers, prompting them to discharge their weapons. The individual, identified as 16-year-old Brian Moody, later died at the hospital from his injuries. Police say Moody had a modified handgun with an extended magazine that was said to be fully automatic. During the investigation last summer, Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal said both officers had six years of experience with the department. One officer had six commendations and one written reprimand (related to his bodycam), while the other had 12 commendations and one written reprimand (for incorrect taser usage). The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office handled the investigation before handing the case over to the Prosecutors Office. The Grand Jury concluded no charges would be brought against the two officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DPD told 2 NEWS that the two officers have returned to duty and the department will now conduct an internal investigation into the incident. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. ATHENS, Greece (AP) Men in Greece will be barred from having children via surrogacy if they are single or in a same-sex relationship, the justice minister said Tuesday, asserting that it's intended to eliminate legal ambiguity over the concept of inability to carry a pregnancy. Giorgos Floridis said the proposed changes will be submitted to parliament soon as part of broader civil code reform. We are now clarifying unequivocally that the concept of inability to carry a pregnancy does not refer to an inability arising from ones gender, Floridis told reporters. In other words, a woman may be unable to carry a pregnancy whether she is in a male-female couple, a female same-sex couple or on her own." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greece legalized same-sex marriage last year the first Orthodox Christian-majority country to do so. The marriage equality law was opposed by Greeces powerful Orthodox Church and conservative groups. Parliament approved civil partnerships for gay couples in 2015. In contrast to growing consensus in support of same-sex marriage, Europes legal landscape for surrogacy varies widely. Many countries prohibit all forms of the practice or impose restrictions. GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) After power outages were reported to be affecting traffic lights on the west side of Green Bay, police say power has been restored and all the impacted traffic lights are back to working properly. At 8:40 a.m., the Green Bay Police Department first sent out a release warning drivers that traffic lights on Green Bays west side were being affected by power outages. As of 9:44 a.m., a recent release now states that the power has been restored and all the impacted traffic lights are back to operating properly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No other information is available at this time. Green Bay Police Department: Power outage affecting west side traffic lights TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2025 8:56 a.m. GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) Police in Green Bay are alerting drivers of a power outage affecting traffic lights on the citys west side. According to a release from the Green Bay Police Department, drivers are reminded to treat intersections with lights not working properly as if they are four-way stops. The cause of the outage is not known at this time. The Wisconsin Public Service is said to be aware of the issue and is en route to the area. Green Bay man accused of masturbating in front of children at the Tundra Lodge, officially charged Officials say the City of Green Bay Public Works Department is responding to the impacted areas as well and is placing temporary stop signs at the following intersections: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mason Street & Military Avenue Military Avenue & Shawano Avenue Fisk Street & Shawano Avenue Fisk Street & Bond Street Military Avenue & Bond Street The Green Bay Police Department says they will provide updates when power is restored. In the meantime, drivers in the area are asked to proceed with caution. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. CAIRO, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed on Tuesday developments in the Middle East. During a phone conversation, the two presidents discussed mediation efforts to restore calm to the region. This, they noted, would have positive effects on navigation in the Red Sea and help prevent economic losses for all parties involved, according to a statement from the Egyptian Presidency. The two presidents also exchanged views on ways to strengthen bilateral relations, emphasizing the depth and strength of their ties. They stressed their keenness to continue the cooperation in a way that achieves the common interests of the two peoples. The U.S. military has resumed airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in northern Yemen since March 15 in a bid to deter the group from attacking Israeli targets, the U.S. Navy, and international shipping lanes in the region. But the Houthi group kept its attacks on Israeli targets and U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea after Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas and restarted military operations in Gaza. Earlier in March, the Egyptian president said that the monthly losses of the Suez Canal revenues reached around 800 million U.S. dollars due to the regional "situation." Greenlands new prime minister wants President Trump to back off talks about the U.S. taking over the arctic island, after Vice President Vances recent visit and Trumps latest claim that the U.S. will get Greenland 100 percent. Let me be clear: The United States will not get that, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who was sworn in on Friday, said in a social media post Sunday. We do not belong to others. We decide our own future. Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, has been on a path toward sovereignty, which is widely supported among the islands nearly 58,000 residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The center-right Demokraatit party, led by Nielsen, unexpectedly won this months parliamentary elections and supports a gradual move to becoming an independent country. Trump has argued since his return to the White House in January that the U.S. needs to annex Greenland for national security reasons because of its location in the Arctic. Trump told NBC News in an interview Saturday he absolutely has had serious discussions with members of his administration about ways to claim Greenland. Well get Greenland. Yeah, 100 percent, Trump said, adding that he wouldnt rule out the use of military force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nielsen wrote on Facebook that the country wont be shaken by Trumps remarks. We must react with calm, dignity and unity, he wrote. And it is through these values that we must clearly, distinctly and calmly show the American president that Greenland is ours. Vance traveled to Greenland on Friday for a visit that included second lady Usha Vance, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and national security adviser Mike Waltz. The delegation was initially expected to meet with Greenlanders and take in cultural events, but the trip was cut short after officials in Nuuk and Copenhagen spoke out and residents reportedly refused to welcome the American leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Greenland Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede called out the visit last week while still in office, arguing the trip was part of a very aggressive American pressure against Greenlandic society. While touring an American military defense site on the island, Vance downplayed the U.S. takeover talk. We do not think military force is ever going to be necessary, Vance said at Pituffik Space Base. What we think is going to happen is that the Greenlanders are going to choose, through self-determination, to become independent of Denmark, and then were going to have conversations with the people of Greenland from there. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. GRIMES, Iowa A Grimes man has been accused of critically injuring a 3-month-old infant in early March. On March 7, nurses at a Des Moines hospital contacted the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) after a 3-month-old was admitted to the emergency room with critical injuries. According to the Polk County Sheriffs Office, the infants injuries included broken bones and a brain bleed. The infant was later life-flighted to Iowa City for further treatment. Des Moines officers cleared in fatal February shooting by Iowa AG, Polk County Attorney Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office said an investigation into how the injuries occurred was launched shortly after the infant was hospitalized. The investigation spanned three weeks and on Monday resulted in the arrest of the infants father Brett Pettit, 33. Pettit was booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of child endangerment with serious injury and neglect of a dependent person. 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. A rendering of a new men's prison proposed for an area of Lincoln County about 15 miles south of Sioux Falls, presented to state lawmakers on Nov. 14, 2024. The complex would house about 1,500 inmates. (Courtesy of SD DOC) Members of a prison work group say theyll need to leave the past in the past if they expect to find consensus on new facilities for South Dakotas correctional system. Theres plenty to leave behind, they acknowledge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Larry Rhoden wanted lawmakers to greenlight a 1,500-bed, $825 million mens prison in Lincoln County during this years legislative session. He needed support from two-thirds of them. He didnt get it. That proposals critics some of whom now serve on the work group complained about a lack of transparency, as well as the price tag, facility size and the plans focus on a single site. Backers, meanwhile, argued that waiting will only cost taxpayers money. The $825 million price tag was guaranteed through Monday. Money questions will loom large. Lawmakers have set aside nearly $600 million for prison construction since 2023, and the states already spent $55 million on the Lincoln County prison plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The work group has four planned meetings between now and July. The first, a two-day affair in Sioux Falls, begins Wednesday morning. State Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff, R-Pierre, a work group member, backed the Lincoln County site during the legislative session. He said itll be hard to unlearn things, start fresh, and accept that the road may or may not lead back to Lincoln County. The conversation might end, he said, with boy, we really screwed up when we wasted all that money on that Lincoln County site. If everybodys going in there with the preconceived notion of where were going to wind up, its going to be pretty difficult to reach consensus, Mehlhaff said. Three goals for work group The Rhoden executive order that created the Project Prison Reset work group lists three goals: decide if the state needs a new facility, work with a consultant to figure out its size and location, and report findings to a special legislative session on July 22. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wednesdays meeting starts with a morning tour of the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls, the 1881 structure the proposed Lincoln County prison was meant to largely replace. A tour of the Lincoln County site, located 14 miles south of Sioux Falls, will start at 2 p.m. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US The penitentiary tour is not open to the media or the public for security and logistical reasons, the meeting agenda says. Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen, who will chair the work group, said there are too many people already to add media to the mix. The media will be able to tour the penitentiary in the weeks between now and July 22, Venhuizen told Searchlight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were very open to the idea of, at some point, coordinating another tour for media members, Venhuizen said, adding that hed need to check in with Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko to find a suitable time. The groups first session will continue Thursday at 8 a.m. at the Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls with a series of informational sessions on inmate job training, behavioral health, prison industries and re-entry programs. A public comment period will start at 12:30 p.m. that day. Critics: Site could be wrong Neighbors to the site of the now-paused prison project sued the state because it didnt ask for the countys permission to build there. They lost at the local level, and the state Supreme Court heard arguments on their appeal last week. The plaintiffs are constituents of House Speaker Pro Tempore Karla Lems, R-Canton, who voted against funding the project this year. Shes also appeared at the groups public events. Shes now one of 11 lawmakers on the 22-member work group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $55 million spent on that site gives Lems heartburn. Lawmakers approved $62 million for prison planning in 2024, but Lems said the executive branch spent more than it shouldve, given that the Lincoln County site lacked a final legislative blessing. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Lems is encouraged that Rhodens office has committed to a palms up process for the meetings, and that the groups been advised to start from scratch. But the Lincoln County site is out there and will need to be addressed. I dont want to be the NIMBY person, Lems said, using an acronym for not in my backyard. But I do want to have a site that actually makes sense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lems argues that some of the money spent for the site, such as the funds used to buy a stake in electrical and rural water infrastructure, wont be completely wasted if the state can find a better plan. The rural customers will still benefit, she said. The site makes no sense to me at all, she said. Rhoden called the site near Sioux Falls a gift from God because the state already owned the land, and because of its relative proximity to the interstate. Backers: Find a way to yes More than once during the 2025 session, Mehlhaff called on lawmakers to avoid analysis paralysis on the prison issue. The state hired a consultant, the DLR Group, to review its prison needs in 2021. A small group of lawmakers digested the findings and recommended a 1,500-bed prison the following summer, adopting the guidance of the Department of Corrections on the best path forward. Theres broad agreement that the state needs to do something, he said and fast to ease the overcrowding issues dissected throughout that report, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im going to be focused on finding a solution rather than focusing on finding a problem that prevents us from finding a solution, Mehlhaff said. You can go down that rabbit hole, and thats what was done before. Some opponents to the Lincoln County plan have zeroed in on the DLR reports recommendations for multiple, smaller facilities across the state. Lawmakers funded a medium-security womens prison in Rapid City nearly three years ago based on that report, and construction on that $87 million facility is ongoing. Mehlhaffs not convinced that smaller facilities for male inmates would make more sense than a centralized location. If you spread them out among four different places, youll have to duplicate programming, youll have to duplicate food service, youll have to duplicate prison industries, he said, but added that he and every other member needs to be ready to hold preconceived notions in abeyance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were supposed to be taking a fresh look at it, right? Rehabilitation, safety questions Assistant Senate Minority Leader Jamie Smith, D-Sioux Falls, led an effort to rename the Department of Corrections the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation during the legislative session. The pitch sailed through the Senate but failed in the House of Representatives. Smith, now a work group member, had hoped a name change would set a tone for the department. There is programming now, but Smith said the ideal is a department that focuses as much on preparing inmates to succeed on the outside as it does on housing them. Smith said he intends to honor the groups three stated goals, but hopes issues surrounding rehabilitation and finding ways to reduce the states long-term need for prison beds are in the mix. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I do believe that we need to make sure that is the focus, and ultimately what were trying to do, Smith said. House Minority Leader Erin Healy, of Sioux Falls, is the work groups other Democrat. Shes concerned about crowding and security in the 1881 facility. She got a letter recently from a Sioux Falls inmate concerned about safety in the current building, as well as a lack of access to rehabilitation and their ability to live a dignified life. During her last tour of the penitentiary, locked-down inmates let loose similar concerns as lawmakers walked by. They know that if you are with Secretary Wasko, youre probably somebody whos making decisions for them or our state, Healy said. Thats kind of what I witnessed last time. Law enforcement: We need to work with the DOC The current penitentiarys condition is top of mind for Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead as he prepares for the first work group meeting. He works closely with the DOC as the elected overseer of a county jail that serves as a pretrial waystation for future penitentiary inmates or parolees nabbed and detained for violations. Milstead has questions about the price tag and the DLR reports alternative options, but said the aging facility up on top of the hill is in need of replacing. In 1998, the sheriff had a similar problem on his hands, though on a much smaller scale. His jail was old, inefficient and dangerous, he said, so he went to the public to ask for support. The Argus Leader newspapers photographers and cameras from local TV stations were invited to visit. That gave Milstead a chance to make the case that a new jail, built with room to expand in the future, would be preferable to upgrades at the old one. I am so glad we did not try to cobble together the old jail above the public safety building, Milstead said. Yankton Police Chief Jason Foote heads the South Dakota Police Chiefs Association. Hell represent local law enforcement on the work group. Hes hoping to learn more about how the DOCs crowded facilities and operations might play into the systems handling of the parolees his officers deal with regularly. He wants parolees held accountable for their actions, he said, which can be pretty severe. Law enforcement has a lot of interactions with those that have been in and are now out. So I think its important to look at the recidivism, and what the prison system can do to maybe change some of the behaviors of people, Foote said. Like Milstead, though, hes coming to the group without having gone through the legislative battles on what kind of facility the DOC might need. He hopes to offer a different perspective as a result. Im coming in with an open mind, Foote said. Im not biased either way. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX AUSTIN (KXAN) The Save Our Springs (SOS) Alliance filed a lawsuit in civil court Friday against the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) to try to prompt the release of information related to the proposed MoPac South Expansion, accusing the authority of withholding information that should be released publicly. The 8-mile project could add express lanes in each direction between Cesar Chavez Street and Slaughter Lane. The SOS Alliance said in a press release Monday that because the project runs directly over the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone from Enfield Road to Slaughter Lane, it threatens iconic landmarks and public spaces, including Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park, Austin High School, the Barton Creek Greenbelt, and Barton Springs, and that its years-long construction will harm air and water quality, public and student health, and critical habitat of the endangered Barton Springs and Austin Blind Salamanders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The expansion project has been in the works for over a decade but has faced delays due to legal reviews and the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent development was an open house held from Nov. 12, 2024, to Jan. 28, 2025, according to the project website. New renderings for MoPac South Project released KXAN reached out to the CTRMA to ask for a comment on the lawsuit. The authority responded with the following statement: We will respond to the lawsuit through the legal process. While we typically dont comment on pending litigation, we assure you that CTRMA follows all of the requirements of the Texas Public Information Act, including seeking a ruling from the Texas Office of the Attorney General when appropriate, and we are complying with the Attorney Generals ruling with regard to Mr. Levinskis and Mr. Bunchs requests. Jori Liu, Director of Communications for Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority The next steps, outlined in the open house document, are to publish the Draft Environmental Assessment Document for public review, then hold a public hearing on it, and then finalize and submit the Environmental Assessment Document. After that, CTRMA would receive the Environmental Finding. There are no projected dates for these steps to occur, other than all except the last being identified to happen sometime in 2025. Receiving the finding is projected to occur in 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SOS Alliance said in its release that it filed the lawsuit based on CTRMAs refusal to provide factual data and traffic modeling analyses that underpin CTRMAs public claims on improving traffic flow and avoiding any significant environmental damage made during its recent and ongoing public engagement process. The suit details three separate public information requests made to CTRMA by the SOS Alliance. The suit says CTRMA has refused to fully respond to the three requests, with CTRMA citing deliberative process or draft document privileges, according to the release. Those requests were detailed in the lawsuit as follows: June 26, 2024: SOS, through its Senior Staff Attorney Robert Bobby Levinski, submits a request for records to CTRMA regarding the proposed MoPac South Express Lanes Project July 11, 2024: CTRMA, through its attorney, requests a letter ruling from the Texas Attorney General on the information requested by SOS Sept. 16, 2024: Texas AG determines CTRMA could withhold the requested information Dec. 23, 2024: SOS, through its Executive Director, William Bill Bunch, submits another request to CTRMA seeking information relating to and serving the basis for CTRMAs decisions to reject alternative proposals for the Mopac South Lanes project and to adopt the recommended 2C option. Dec. 31, 2024: SOS, through Bill Bunch, submitted a request to CTRMA for the release of memoranda or reports on the Mopac South project summarizing or analyzing modeling results that predict travel times and travel-time changes under different alternatives, including both tolled and free lanes. Jan. 15, 2025: In a letter to the Attorney General, CTRMA stated that it had provided SOS with certain information requested on Dec. 23, 2024, and would withhold the remaining information. The lawsuit also claimed that CTRMA mischaracterized Bunchs Dec. 31 request as a clarification to the Dec. 23rd request. CTRMA then requests a ruling from the Texas Attorney General regarding the withheld material. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit said that as of the date of the suits filing, while Defendant [CTRMA] has released some limited responsive information, the vast majority of the requested information continues to be withheld. The Texas Attorney Generals office issued preliminary opinions supporting CTRMAs denial, but SOS Alliance said in its release that those opinions are not binding and are often misapplied, noting that the deliberative process exception does not shield factual information or technical observations from public disclosure. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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) HomeAid Sacramento and First Step Communities are hosting a celebration at 11 a.m. on Friday in honor of the enhancements made to The Grove, a transitional-age youth shelter for 18 to 24-year-olds experiencing homelessness. Video Above: How much does California spend to combat homelessness? The North Sacramento shelter provides 50 young adults with their own tiny cabin, wraparound services, and a pathway to independence and stability, according to officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The celebration comes after the completion of a two-week project that transformed The Groves cabins with major exterior and interior enhancements. Californias new plan for developmental services aims to reduce barriers for people with intellectual disabilities HomeAid Sacramento and 33 companies helped with the implementation of full hardscape installation to provide concrete pathways throughout and gutter systems on each cabin. The celebration also comes after the addition of an onsite laundry facility, further enhancing the shelters ability to provide a dignified and stable environment, according to First Step Communities. The Grove is more than just a shelter; its a community where young people can rebuild their lives with dignity and hope, said Executive Director of HomeAid Sacramento, Amber Celmer. The support from our trade partners and the community has been incredible, and we are thrilled to take this next step toward making The Grove an even more welcoming and empowering space for our residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers said the event will feature speakers from First Step Communities, HomeAid Sacramento, Assemblywoman Maggy Krells office, and a participant from The Grove. Guests will also have the opportunity to tour the cabins and food from Marios Early Toast will be served. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) A plan to build a 3,000-inmate prison in Arkansas hit a roadblock in the state Senate on Tuesday, while the Alabama Legislature gave final approval to ensure funding for another mega-prison. The Republican governors in both states have proposed building new prisons as a partial solution to problems in the state corrections system. The proposals come as Republican governors in several states grapple with how to increase funding for overcrowded facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas prison plan stumbles The Arkansas Senate voted 19-10 in favor of a bill that would have given state authority to spend up to $750 million for the prison. The bill needed at least 27 votes to advance to the House. The vote was a setback for the prison that Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and corrections officials have said is needed to ease state prison overcrowding, which has caused a large number of inmates to be housed in county jails. The project has faced a backlash from local leaders who said they were blindsided by the decision last year to purchase 815 acres (330 hectares) for the prison site. Opponents have questioned the viability of the site and how the state will be able to afford the total $825 million estimated cost of the facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state has set aside about $405 million for the project, but has not identified the source of the remaining funds. I cannot imagine letting go of almost a billion dollars without any detail specifics, said Republican Sen. Bryan King, an outspoken opponent of the measure. It wasn't clear whether the Senate would take up the proposal again. Sanders' office vowed to keep pushing. Governor Sanders and a bipartisan majority of legislators agree: its time to fund the Franklin County prison, fund public safety, and fund the future of Arkansas, Sanders' spokesperson Sam Dubke said. The governor will continue to work with the legislature to get this appropriation passed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alabama prison legislation advances The Alabama House of Representatives voted 72-14 for legislation that would give the state the ability to borrow an additional $500 million for prison construction. Republican Rep. Rex Reynolds, the chairman of the House budget-writing committee, said the increased borrowing capacity will ensure the state has enough money to finish a second 4,000-bed prison in addition to one under construction. Reynolds said the state hopes to pay for the prison out of money in state coffers, but that increased borrowing capacity could be tapped if needed. This is a bill we hope we do not have to use, but its a safeguard, Reynolds said, adding that the state will not issue the bonds unless its absolutely needed. The bill now goes to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Alabama Legislature in 2021 approved a $1.3 billion prison construction plan to build two supersized prisons as a partial solution to the problems in its violent and overcrowded prison system. However, the cost of building one prison, and the medical and mental health facilities that accompany it, rose to more than $1 billion, potentially jeopardizing plans to build the second facility. Some Democrats questioned the decision to put so much money into prison construction and said the state has other pressing needs in health care, education and mental health. Im kind of disturbed about the state of Alabama investing billions of dollars in prisons and rural hospitals are closing. Education is 43 in the nation, Rep. Thomas Jackson, a Democrat, said. Alabamas new 4,000-bed prison now under construction in Elmore County, Alabama is expected to open in 2026. ___ Associated Press Writer Kim Chandler reported from Montgomery, Alabama Vice President JD Vance sold a Washington, DC-area home for over asking price in less than three weeks. Its buyer worked for the last Trump administration and benefits from government contracts. A rep for the buyer has said he and Vance had no direct communication during the transaction. JD Vance sold his home just outside Washington, DC, for $1.87 million after less than three weeks on the market, according to property records. The buyer is a former deputy director under Trump's first administration who now works as a government contractor and paid $172,000 over asking price. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christopher Garcia manages a domestic limited liability company registered in Nevada that purchased Vance's home in Alexandria, Virginia, a Washington, DC, suburb about 8 miles from the nation's capital. Garcia was the national deputy director of the US Department of Commerce from 2017 to 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile. Garcia who still owns other property in Washington, DC, records show is listed as the president and CEO of Health Supply US, a government-contracted manufacturer and distributor of medical devices, personal protective equipment, and consumables. According to government spending data, Health Supply US received nearly $179 million in government contracts between 2020 and 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for Garcia confirmed to Forbes that Garcia was behind the purchase and that the sale price was based on the market. The spokesperson also told Forbes that Garcia and the seller had no relationship and no direct communication. Garcia did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The history of JD Vance's house in Alexandria Vance and his wife, Usha, bought the Alexandria house in 2023 for $1.64 million. The couple made $228,025 more than they paid on the sale, but it's unclear whether they spent any money on renovations or upgrades that would cut into their profit. The five-bedroom, 3-bathroom, farmhouse-style home hit the market on February 27 listed at $1.69 million, according to its Redfin listing. The sale officially closed on March 17, just 18 days later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justin Tanner, an agent with ReMax Allegiance, who represented the buyer, told Business Insider that he heard there were nine offers on the home. The Alexandria, Virginia, home that Vance sold this week. Jordan Pandy/Business Insider Robert Crawford and Tyler Jeffrey of TTR Sotheby's International Realty listed the property. Crawford and Jeffrey did not respond to a request for comment. Vance will spend most of his time in the official home of the vice president, which is on the grounds of the Naval Observatory. Property records show, however, that Vance still owns a home in Washington, DC. In 2014, Vance and his wife purchased a townhome for $590,000 in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, within walking distance of the National Mall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The house was listed for rent in October 2023 for $3,700 a month, according to Redfin. In 2024, the Vances' renter at the time told The Washington Post that she planned to stay there for a while and that her landlords were responsive. "I love this house. I love this block. I want to be here for a long time," she said. "So I want to be a good tenant. And I have great landlords Usha's great." Read the original article on Business Insider PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) Gulf Coast State College will be celebrating area high school seniors during its third annual Senior Night, which is set to take place next week. This event is specifically designed for high school seniors in Bay, Gulf, and Franklin County. Attendees will get the chance to enjoy food, music, games, and giveaways. More importantly, representatives from all the departments at the college will be in attendance ready to meet with prospective students and answer any questions they may have. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Panama City police to hold bike rodeo to teach road safety skills This is a perfect opportunity to find out about some of those opportunities here at Gulf Coast. A fantastic springboard, like I said, 120 degree programs, said Gulf Coast State College Executive Director of Recruitment Jason Hedden. Weve got about half a dozen bachelors degrees as well. AA degrees transfer to university, AS degrees will send you right into the workplace. Weve got a little something here for everybody. The Senior Night event will be held in the Charles Hilton Center on Tuesday, April 8th from 4 to 6 p.m. If you pre-register for Senior Night, you will be entered into a drawing and have the chance to win prizes like a Nintendo Switch, AirPods, and more. 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. This photo provided by Florida Department of Corrections shows Jeffrey Hutchinson. (Florida Department of Corrections via AP) ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) A Gulf War Army veteran convicted of the shotgun slayings of his girlfriend and her three children has been scheduled for execution in Florida, the fourth death warrant signed this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Jeffrey Hutchinson, 59, is set to die by lethal injection May 1 at Florida State Prison near the city of Starke. DeSantis, a Republican, signed the death warrant Monday night. On the night of Sept. 11, 1998, in the panhandle town of Crestview, Florida, Hutchinson had an argument with his girlfriend, Renee Flaherty, and left to go to a bar, court records show. A bartender recalled that Hutchinson made remarks about their argument, drank some beer and then left abruptly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 40 minutes later, investigators said, there was a call to 911 from Hutchinson's home in which someone later identified as him said, I just shot my family. Police arrived to find Flaherty, 32, and her three young children Geoffrey, 9; Amanda, 7; and Logan, 4 dead from shotgun wounds. Hutchinson was found sitting in the garage with a phone in his hand, still connected to the 911 operator, the court records show. The murder weapon, a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun, was found on a kitchen counter, and police say Hutchinson had gunshot residue on his hands. The Florida Supreme Court in 2022 rejected Hutchinson's appeals, which claimed new evidence had surfaced that could exonerate him. After his sentencing, Hutchinson said in court that he didn't kill anyone. I did not kill Renee and the kids and I believe I was framed, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge's sentencing order noted that Hutchinson served eight years in the Army, including in the Gulf War, and that he had been diagnosed with Gulf War Illness, which produces a range of problems including pain, memory loss and insomnia. Two other executions have taken place in Florida this year, with a third upcoming next week. All are by lethal injection. On March 20, 63-year-old Edward James was executed for killing an 8-year-old girl and her grandmother in 1993. James Dennis Ford, 64, was put to death Feb. 13 for the 1997 slayings of a married couple while out on a fishing trip. A third inmate, 48-year-old Michael Tanzi, is scheduled to die by lethal injection April 8 for the kidnapping and murder of a woman in the Florida Keys in 2000. AMMAN, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Tuesday welcomed the European Parliament's approval of a 500-million-euro Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) package for Jordan. Sufian Qudah, the foreign ministry's spokesperson, said the European Parliament passed the aid package with 571 votes in favor. He also noted that the European Commission will soon propose an additional 500-million-euro package for Jordan. Qudah expressed Jordan's appreciation for the European Union's support, emphasizing that it strengthens the strategic partnership between the two sides and acknowledges Jordan's role in promoting peace and stability in the region, according to a ministry statement. In January, Jordan and the European Union signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, under which Jordan would receive a total financial aid package of approximately 3 billion euros for 2025-2027. April 1 (UPI) -- Buffalo supermarket gunman Payton Gendron is seeking a venue change to New York City for his federal trial that could result in the death penalty for the racially motivated attack that occurred in 2022. Gendron, 19, of Conklin, N.Y., in November 2022 pleaded guilty to state charges against him and was sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole, but the federal trial against him seeks the death penalty. "Due to the overwhelming amount of pretrial publicity, combined with the impact of this case on Buffalo's segregated communities of color, it is impossible for Payton Gendron to select a fair and impartial jury in the Western District of New York," his attorneys said in the motion for a venue change that was filed Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gendron admitted to shooting and killing 10 Black people and injuring three others during a racist attack at 2:30 p.m. local time at the Tops Friendly Market at 1275 Jefferson Ave. in Buffalo on May 14, 2022. He attributed the murders to his beliefs in a "White replacement" conspiracy, fascism and White supremacy. A federal grand jury on July 14, 2022, indicted Gendron on 27 felony counts, including 10 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, three counts of hate crimes while attempting to kill three who survived with injuries and one count of hate crimes. The grand jury also indicted him on 13 counts of using, carrying or discharging a firearm in relation to a hate crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal trial is slated to start in September in the U.S. District Court for Western New York in Buffalo, but he says he can't get a fair trial there. Instead, he wants the venue changed to the U.S. District Court for Southern New York in New York City's Manhattan Borough and on Tuesday filed a motion for a venue change. His attorneys said New York City is sufficiently far from Buffalo to make it possible to seat an impartial jury. "There was media coverage of the video of Gendron's guilty plea and sentencing where his victims express their agony and suffering," his attorneys argued. "There has been extensive coverage of the stories of the surviving victims, much of which includes information that will be inadmissible at trial." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because federal prosecutors seek the death penalty, Gendron's attorneys said the stakes are higher in the federal case and moving the trial to New York City addresses a "heightened need for reliability" among potential jurors. The attorney cited several instances of high-profile people commenting on the mass murders, including Gov. Kathy Hochul calling it an "act of terrorism." Former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said he supports the death penalty for Gendron, and former Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said Gendron only apologized for the murders during his state sentencing hearing to "save his life." Gendron's attorneys also said it's likely that a "large percentage of potential Black jurors will be excludable for cause." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state of New York does not have the death penalty, but federal law allows for the death penalty in hate crimes. The case was the first in which the Biden administration's Department of Justice sought the death penalty, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. For Sandra Martin, sharing a name with three other women in Broward County seemed like a harmless coincidence until it made her the target of identity theft. According to NBC 6 South Florida, the 62-year-old snowbird from Maryland learned that her Deerfield Beach home was fraudulently listed as a rental. Apparently, it was tied to thousands of dollars in COVID relief funds money she never applied for. Don't miss Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was very surprised, I had no idea," Martin told reporters. Investigators discovered that another Sandra Janet Martin from Lauderhill had assumed the identities of multiple Sandra Martins in Broward County. She assumed the identity of all these people that owned all these other properties to apply for rental assistance to the tune of $80,000," said crimes against property investigator Ralph Capone. Broward woman targeted by namesake Sandra Martin learned of the identity theft last year after a call from the Broward Sheriffs Office. Official records showed her Deerfield Beach home had a homestead exemption, was rented out, and received rental assistance relief funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a startling turn of events, multiple women named Sandra Martin received rental assistance for four properties in Broward County. Each individual had different birth dates and Social Security numbers, which made investigators suspicious. This person has multiple properties in Broward County, all homesteaded. Which would never fly coming out of our office," Capone said. While the honest Sandra Martin didnt lose personal funds, her identity was exploited, leaving her to clear her name. On the other hand, the suspect Sandra Janet Martin from Lauderhill faces theft and organized fraud charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martins case highlights a surge in COVID-related scams. Scammers have used stolen identities to file fraudulent unemployment claims and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. According to the U.S. Department of Labor estimates, $191 billion in pandemic benefits was lost to fraud. Read more: Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here's the net worth you need to rank among Americas wealthiest plus 2 ways to build that first-class portfolio How scammers steal your identity Identity thieves can trick victims into giving their personal information, often without awareness. Fraudsters can pretend to be a bank representative with a text like, Hi, we have a question about your recent purchase. If you keep the conversation going, they could end up stealing sensitive data. They have also been known to pretend to be a distressed family member to gain your trust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even with publicly available information, the FTC warns consumers that identity thieves can impersonate victims in fraud schemes. Other than draining your bank account, they can even file a tax refund in your name and claim the benefits. The best way to protect your personal information is to stay vigilant. Here are a few ways to safeguard your personal information: Limit the personal details you share on social media : Scammers use online information to collect your details. Monitor your bank and credit card accounts regularly to identify suspicious activity : A good tip is to set up alerts for transactions to receive notifications about unusual transactions. Be cautious with unsolicited communication : Whether its an email, phone call, or text message, always verify the source before responding. Dont click links or download attachments from unknown senders. Protect your accounts: Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication to safeguard your information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you believe your identity has been stolen, report it to the FTC, bank, or law enforcement. Early detection and reporting can protect you from further damage. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. New research shows that Hamas has quietly dropped thousands of deaths from its Gaza war casualty figures. Salo Aizenberg, from the US-based non-profit organisation Honest Reporting, said that Hamass March 2025 casualty update had removed thousands of people it previously listed as having been killed last year. Hamass new March 2025 fatality list quietly drops 3,400 fully identified deaths listed in its August and October 2024 reports including 1,080 children. These deaths never happened. The numbers were falsified again, Mr Aizenberg wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The casualty lists are released as PDFs by the Hamas-run Gaza ministry of health, which has been cited by international media as a source for fatality figures in the enclave since the start of the war. A report by the Henry Jackson Society in December said that the number of civilians killed in the Gaza conflict had probably been inflated by Hamas in order to portray Israel as deliberately targeting innocent people. Andrew Fox, the author of the report, said the latest deletions are likely to have been an attempt by Hamas to retain credibility. We knew there were rafts of errors in their reporting, Mr Fox said. Theres a reasonable explanation in that their computer systems went down in November 2023, so its been challenging for them to report accurately, but the lists are so unreliable that the worlds media shouldnt be quoting them as reliable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added: The UN also just takes Hamass figures and publishes them with a note stating the figures are unconfirmed. The Hamas lists contain information such as names and ID numbers, and can be filled in by anyone with a link to the Google form for the document. Hamas will have gone through the list, trying to make it as convincing as possible. Theyve been accepting names onto that list with no evidence whatsoever, explained Mr Fox. So what Im guessing theyre trying to do is thin out the names they cannot substantiate at all. Mr Fox, a former British paratrooper who has worked with Mr Aizenberg on previous research, said the teams use the publicly available Hamas data and cross-check it name by name. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Salos research would be looking for names that were on previous lists but have now disappeared, Mr Fox explained. Hamas releases lists as PDFs, so its harder to do comparisons but we transfer names to an Excel sheet to do a mass comparison this way. The IDF says it has killed 20,000 Hamas combatants during the fighting - ATEF SAFADI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Mr Fox noted that data within Hamas lists undermines its claim that most casualties have been civilians. The demographics are the most important thing in all this. Weve heard the claims that about 70 per cent of the deaths are women and children, and these lists, especially the most recent, show thats complete nonsense, he said. About 72 per cent of fatalities aged 13-55 are men, which is the rough age range of Hamas combatants, Mr Fox said. We know that Hamas uses child soldiers, and these statistics show clearly that Israel is targeting fighting-aged men. In previous conflicts, Hamas figures have often been corroborated by external organisations, Mr Fox said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Henry Jackson Societys December report said: The ministry of health, operating under Hamas, has systematically inflated the death toll by failing to distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths, over-reporting fatalities among women and children and even including individuals who died before the conflict began. This has led to a narrative where the Israel Defense Forces are portrayed as disproportionately targeting civilians, while the actual numbers suggest a significant proportion of the dead are combatants. Hamas has claimed the number of deaths in Gaza since the start of the war is now more than 50,000. The IDF says it has killed 20,000 Hamas combatants during the fighting, and does all it can to mitigate civilian casualties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The IDF makes great efforts to estimate and consider potential civilian collateral damage in its strikes. The IDF has never, and will never, deliberately target children, the IDF said in a statement. 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. HAMMOND, Ind. (WGN) Children on trains, an overpass and an urban forest are at the center of a fight between activists and the mayor of Hammond, Indiana. For more than a century, freight train traffic has meant delays for motorists and pedestrians in this heavily industrialized Northwest Indiana city of 76,000 residents. The problem was so bad that in the summer of 2023, Hammond secured a federal grant of more than $7 million for the construction of a new overpass aimed at alleviating the impact of frequent and prolonged blockages caused by stopped trains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The original grant was for a pedestrian bridge over the Norfolk Southern crossing at Grand Avenue near Greenbriar Lane. The crossing was highlighted in a Pro Publica investigation [Blocked Crossings Force Kids to Crawl Under Trains to Get to School ProPublica] in April 2023, which showed school children forced to crawl over and under stopped trains in order to get to three different schools in the vicinity. Thats a safety hazard, says Carlotta Blake-King, president of the Hammond School Board. She was one of the many advocating for a pedestrian bridge at Grand Avenue. Shes also one of those unhappy with the plan the city ultimately decided to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additional grant money, from the State of Indiana, expanded the scope of the project and moved it about a mile away from the problematic Grand Avenue crossing and right into a nearby urban forest known as Briar East Woods. The 32-acre woods is predominately owned by the city of Hammond and Purdue University Northwest. Briar East Woods is the location of the proposed Governors Parkway, an overpass that would link 173rd Street and 169th Street between Parrish Avenue and Grand Avenue. On its website, the city says Governors Parkway would reduce travel time for motorists and emergency response vehicles. It solves the long-standing issue of standing trains in Hammond. Critics say it doesnt solve the original issue of the young pedestrians trying to get to school. The parkway overpass is about a mile from the problematic Grand Avenue crossing. The mayor, and his administrators, are not looking at the core reason why were here: safety, says Blake-King. Thats what brought us to this point at the beginning safety of students. So dont use my kids as a prop to get your point across to do something else that does not address safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Governors Parkway plan pushed a group of Hammond residents to form the Dune Dusters. The grassroots groups mission is to save Briar East Woods. The groups founder, Ken Rosek, has also become a target of long-time Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott. McDermott is leading the charge of building the Governors Parkway. Rosek says a Freedom of Information Act request uncovered what he believes is the true reason for the Governors Parkway. This is about development, says Rosek. A plot map of the Briar East Woods site showed the Governors Parkway along with nearly 70 new home sites. Its been a thinly veiled hidden agenda from the very beginning, says Rosek. The mayor has backed off talking about development anymore. He says its just a road but we know better than that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Repeated requests for interviews of McDermott, city attorney Kevin Smith, and Hammond Chief of Staff Scott Miller went unanswered. During an in-person visit to Hammond City Hall, WGN was told all three were out to lunch and would get back to us. They never did. WGN Investigates: Investigating public corruption, crime & fraud McDermott has made his feelings on the Parkway and the Dune Dusters clear on his podcast, however. Talking about the benefits of the project and of the protests he and his staff have faced over the years from the Dune Dusters. Even though I get all these people showing up. Even though theyre terrorizing and calling me names and insinuating things and theyre lying, said McDermott during the January 25, 2025, Left of Center podcast. Even though all these things are happening, Im still trying to nice to themin public. Im trying to be professional and Im making it clear Im doing this f*ing bridge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McDermott continued: Im sorry Dune Dusters, Im building this bridge. I dont care how many meetings you show up. Im building this bridge . Its going up. The Feds are paying for the pedestrian bridge. The states paying for the traffic bridge. God bless America. McDermott says his plan gets vehicles over the tracks more conveniently and replaces by three to one the more than 200 trees that will be cut down to make way for the parkway. Rosek, and his Dune Dusters, say thats an issue. Clearing old growth woods for development, in a city he says lacks sufficient greenspace and nature. We are a landlocked island here. We have steel mills and refineries and heavy industry all surrounding us and this is the last little haven that we have left, says Rosek, This is the last area thats left and we will lose our soul. Well use our character. 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 WGN-TV. Legislation cracking down on distracted driving appears to be stalling in the Florida House during the 2025 session. (Stock photo by Getty Images) Distracted driving incidents led to the deaths of more than 3,000 Americans in 2022, according to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In hopes of reducing those corresponding statistics in Florida, individuals and families who have lost loved ones to distracted driving incidents have galvanized this year behind bipartisan legislation that would ban drivers from operating a motor vehicle while using a cellphone in a handheld manner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate version (SB 1318), sponsored by Southeast Florida Republican Erin Grall, would expand the existing prohibition on texting while driving to include using, while driving, a wireless communications device in a handheld manner except to activate, deactivate, initiate, or terminate a feature or function of the device, including a hands-free accessory. It passed in the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday, and now will go the Senate floor for final passage. Its another story in the House, however. Its version (HB 501), sponsored by North Florida Democrat Allison Tant, has gone nowhere to date, and advocates are concerned that another year will go without doing anything to change driver behavior when it comes to our obsession with not being able to look at our phone for 10 minutes. The public wants and expects these common-sense laws to pass, and not even allowing it a hearing or the public a voice in this debate is not right, said Jennifer Smith with StopDistractions.org, a nonprofit group made up of families who have been harmed by distracted driving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, the legislations trajectory has been the exact opposite of what occurred last session. Thats when a version of Tants bill won approval in three House committees before dying on the floor, while its Senate companion never was heard in committee. Other states continue to act. Last week, the Iowa Senate passed a bill expanding an existing ban on texting while driving to cover any handheld use of a cellphone, with the measure now headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds desk. Once it is signed, Iowa will become the 32nd state to adopt such laws. Steve Kiefer (photo courtesy of Kiefer Foundation website) It took years for Florida to pass a texting-while-driving law during the last decade, and it took Michigan five years to pass a hands-free law, said Steve Kiefer, whose son Mitchel was killed in 2016 at 18 by a driver who was on Snapchat when she rear-ended him. He now runs the Kiefer Foundation, dedicated to ending distracted driving, from his home in Naples. Police officers want laws that they can enforce, and hands-free laws are really the only law that we know that will make it very visual, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That sentiment was shared by William B. Smith, a state trooper from Miami, when speaking at the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development last week. It is a problem. Distracted driving is a current problem and it will continue to be problem as long as we dont pay attention to what were doing when were driving a 6,000 pound killing machine, he said. Stalled in the House Tants bill has landed in two House committees, starting with the Government Operations Subcommittee, chaired by Pinellas County Republican Linda Chaney, as well State Affairs, chaired by Manatee County Republican Will Robinson. Neither returned requests for comment. The legislation would authorize law officers to stop motor vehicles and issue citations to persons who are using wireless communications devices in a handheld manner while driving. That concerns GOP Sen. Tom Leek, who said while discussing Gralls bill last week in the committee hearing that while he voted to advance the measure, he struggled with giving the ability of a government actor to pull you over for doing something that is entirely legal, like holding a telephone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Kiefer blasts that take. He was basically saying, Its a primary offense to hold a phone. Something that is absolutely legal to do,' said Kiefer. If I was in the room, I would have pointed it out to him that its also legal to drink, and its even legal to be drunk in your home, but its not legal to drink and drive in a car where youre going to harm other people, he said. So, I think its just very uninformed politicians that dont really understand what the law would do and how effective it has been in every other state. During Tuesdays meeting, GOP senators Jonathan Martin and Blaise Ingoglia were the only members of the committee to oppose the measure. Both said that they thought it was too incremental, and didnt go far enough in terms of attacking all distracted driving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we were going to crackdown on distracted driving, we would be including things like shaving, which weve all seen, Ingoglia said. Doing makeup in your vehicle. Eating while driving. Those are all distractions. Anything that takes somebodys attention off of the road into something else in the vehicle should be a form of distracted driving, and it should be dealt with as such. Leon County resident Christopher Chapman, who testified earlier in the meeting to describe how life has been much tougher for him after he was injured by a distracted driver, shook his head while listening to Ingoglias and Martins quibbles. I will agree that this bill is imperfect, but its the bill that we have in front of us, he told the Phoenix following the meeting. And it does give us a platform to build upon where we can invoke more stringent requirements or more stringent penalties. Change of Heart Demetrius Branca lost his son Anthony to a distracted driving accident in 2014, and has made it his mission in his life to get the state to enact tougher laws. That includes attending legislative delegation meetings throughout the state. Tallahassee resident Demetrius Branca addresses the Hillsborough County legislative delegation in Tampa on Jan. 10, 2024. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix) In January, he publicly confronted Pinellas County Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie for his failure to agenda the bill in a committee he chaired last year. The two had words after the meeting, and DiCeglie said he wasnt happy with Branca calling him out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in Tuesdays committee, DiCeglie said his conversation with Branca changed his attitude on the issue. I tried to take the emotion out of it, DiCeglie told Branca. I looked at the statistics. I looked at the data, and I looked at what 31 other states did. And I thought of you and I thought of your son Anthony. Im proud that youre standing here in front of us today telling your story, DiCeglie added. That has translated into what I believe is good public policy, and I think thats going to translate into saving lives. And regardless of what happens this point forward, I think that you can look yourself in the mirror and know that you did what was right in your heart. If Tants bill doesnt get heard soon in the House, such legislation is likely dead for 2025, something Kiefer says will be an irresponsible decision by lawmakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It took us five years to get it done in Michigan, he acknowledged. Weve got people playing politics in the House and they wont hear it in the subcommittees, which of course will block it. State Sen. Tracie Davis, of Duval County. Credit: Florida Senate. Jacksonville Democratic Sen. Tracie Davis revealed during Tuesdays committee meeting that her sister was killed by a distracted driver while jogging in Tallahassee. Although the proposal doesnt address the entire problem, she said, it is a necessary first step. Colleagues, we need your help in ensuring that the House chamber understands how important this is as well, she said. Grall ended her close on the bill Tuesday by getting intensely personal with her colleagues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If its not your family who has someone taken from you, what if its you who takes someone from someone else? How will you carry that with you? We must change our behavior. This is to me is not acceptable any longer. If we cant be examples from this chamber, with this legislature, then we have a problem. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE GOSHEN Area residents alarmed by the bulldozing of government agencies by the Trump administration will join a national protest on Saturday. The gatherings in Goshen, South Bend, Fort Wayne and other cities in Michiana are part of the Hands Off movement, formed in protest of mass layoffs at federal agencies and other action taken by Elon Musk. The protest in Goshen will be at the Elkhart County Courthouse, 101 N. Main St., starting at 3 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the federal government slashes policies and agencies that protect and benefit American citizens, many find themselves in vulnerable situations where their needs are going unmet, said organizer Gabrianna Gratzol. As they rip away safety nets, its up to our communities to make sure our neighbors dont fall through the cracks. She said the goals of the rally include sending a message to the federal and state governments that they dont support taking a chainsaw to federal bureaucracy, as Musk threatened while waving a saw through the air at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 20. While we all want more efficiency from government, we are not OK with the most vulnerable being sacrificed in the name of so-called progress, Gratzol said. In this country, veteran care is not waste. In this country, diversity is strength. In this country, children being educated and cared for is not waste. In this country, immigrants are viewed as humans who work hard and strengthen our communities. In this country, all are entitled to free speech. In this country, everyone pays their fair share, even if they make billions of dollars. In this country, all are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The other goal of the event is to invite all groups who are focused on helping those affected by the cuts and to work together to connect local communities toward the goal of taking care of each other, she said. She said there are several nonprofits and organizations that are coming to raise awareness and to provide opportunities for people to get involved with their efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Together we are strong and when the federal government decides that the most vulnerable are no longer worthy of support and protection, we will step up and do what we can, Gratzol said. President Donald Trump formed the Department of Government Efficiency by executive order on Inauguration Day and placed Musk at the head of it as a special government employee. Its actions have impacted numerous departments and agencies including the Treasury, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Labor. A House bill introduced in February to appeal the executive order says DOGE exceeded its authority when it froze payments to different federal agencies and programs, acquired personnel information for federal employees and gained control over the Department of Treasurys Bureau of Fiscal Services federal payment system. The department took action to terminate federal agencies, bureaus and programs created and funded by Congress, locked federal employees out of their computer systems and offered numerous federal employees a buyout to persuade them to quit, according to the act introduced by Rep. Dave Min of California. DOGE has also tried to dismantle USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau without congressional approval and removed public health information from the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration, according to the bill. It says Musk does not appear to be complying with any rules or laws that would apply to federal employees or officials, such as disclosure or conflict-of-interest requirements. Criminal defense attorney Jeff Rosenzweig (left) speaks against the Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester (right), R-Cave Springs, before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, March 31, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated which amended version of SB 426 was approved in committee. An Arkansas Senate committee approved a bill Monday that would impose harsher penalties on undocumented migrants who commit serious felony crimes involving violence in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under a previous version of Senate Bill 426, the Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act, undocumented migrants with initial charges of Class Y felonies the most serious would have faced two to 10 extra years of prison time. Felony charges under the lower four classes would have been upgraded one class. Some felonies also are unclassified. The bill amended and passed Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee would create the following penalties for people illegally or unlawfully in the United States at the time of an offense: A person convicted of a Class D felony, or an unclassified felony with no more than six years of prison time, would get up to four years added to the sentence A person convicted of a Class A, B or C felony, or an unclassified felony with a prison sentence between six and 30 years, would get up to 10 years added to the sentence A person convicted of a Class Y felony, or an unclassified felony with a prison sentence of longer than 30 years or life, would get up to 20 years added to the sentence. SB426-S2 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SB 426 includes a list of violent felonies that would precipitate enhanced penalties, including first-degree and second-degree murder, rape, arson, terroristic acts and threatening, first-degree battery and aggravated assault, among other things. The bill would also mandate that Arkansas law enforcement agencies participate in a federal program that deputizes them to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the apprehension and deportation of undocumented migrants held in local jails and state prisons. The 287(g) program, specifically the Warrant Service Officer Program, authorizes participating agencies to serve administrative warrants under federal immigration law. The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas opposes the bill because it would divert local resources from public safety to federal law enforcement and prevents cities and counties from determining what is best for their residents, policy director Sarah Everett told the Senate Judiciary Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont feel that bills like this really do anything to help public safety, said Everett, one of two people to speak against the bill. I dont think most people are doing a whole lot of math when theyre thinking about committing a crime. What we really need to be focusing on is preventing crime in the first place. All these gangs The sheriffs offices in Craighead and Benton counties already have 287(g) cooperation agreements, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements webpage. U.S. House Republicans have been vocally supportive of the program. Local law enforcement officers would not be required to participate in the program until after they have someone arrested and in custody, Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, a Cave Springs Republican and the primary sponsor of SB 426, said in response to questions from the committee. We do not want to make this a place where violent criminals come, Hester said. We do not want to be a place where were seeing all these gangs start to move to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trumps administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court last week to allow the deportations of Venezuelans accused of gang ties to continue. Cracking down on illegal immigration, including with mass deportations, was a primary talking point of Trumps reelection campaign last year. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was Trumps press secretary during part of his first term, held a press conference earlier this month expressing support for the Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act, which she previously named as a policy priority during her State of the State address. The bill would also expand the states ban on sanctuary cities, which signify a lack of cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and prohibit all local governments from adopting such policies, even in unincorporated areas. The state would withhold discretionary grants or other funds from any local government that adopts or enacts a sanctuary policy until the policy is repealed. Similarly, Trump signed an executive order Jan. 20, his first day back in the White House, saying the federal government must withhold funds from sanctuary jurisdictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sanctuary policies are largely symbolic and do not enable local officials to prevent ICE arrests, Stateline reported in February. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 426 with no audible dissent. The committees sole Democrat, Sen. Clarke Tucker of Little Rock, was absent during the discussion and vote. Taxpayer money and due process Increasing the length of criminals incarceration does not prevent crime, Everett said, and she questioned how much SB 426 would cost taxpayers since incarceration itself costs money. Sarah Everett, Policy Director for ACLU of Arkansas (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate) The Senate is set to vote Tuesday on a $750 million appropriation to begin construction of a new 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County that has generated frustration from lawmakers and Arkansans. The Sanders administration has said the prison is needed to address overcrowding in county jails. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everett said SB 426 will have unintended consequences. Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, said not controlling the border between the U.S. and Mexico also has unintended consequences. No members of the public spoke for the bill. Besides Everett, the other opponent of SB 426 was criminal defense attorney Jeff Rosenzweig, who said the bill lacks a strong enough definition of what makes an immigrant illegal. The Trump administration has recently been canceling the visas and green cards of legal immigrants, Rosenzweig noted, and he said SB 426 could be improved by requiring authorities to provide notice to individuals whose legal status was revoked. You can be lawful one day and unlawful the next, depending on what some ICE agent or some Cabinet official or someone in between said, Rosenzweig said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also noted that everyone on U.S. soil, not just U.S. citizens, is subject to due process and a jury trial if they face criminal charges. Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, said he disagreed with Rosenzweigs suggestion to add a notification requirement to SB 426. Its their job [as immigrants] to know whether theyre here legally or not, Johnson said. The Senate Judiciary Committees next meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese government spokesperson on Tuesday strongly opposed and sternly condemned the so-called U.S. "Hong Kong Policy Act Report," and the so-called sanctions on relevant officials of the Chinese central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government. The spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council denounced the so-called report, which smears and vilifies Hong Kong's national security legislation, and the so-called sanctions, as "mere pieces of waste paper." The egregious act of the United States has grossly trampled on international law and basic norms governing international relations, interfered in China's internal affairs including those related to Hong Kong, and infringed on the rule of law and judicial independence of Hong Kong, said the spokesperson. This once again exposed the hegemonic mentality and hysterical behavior of the United States to the whole world, the spokesperson added. The national security law in Hong Kong and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance have strengthened the legal barrier for Hong Kong to ensure national security, enhanced the solid foundation for the steady and continued success of the "one country, two systems" policy, and protected the law-based rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents under a safe environment, the spokesperson said. The United States has repeatedly violated freedom, democracy and human rights under the pretext of national security, the spokesperson said, adding that rather than reflecting upon itself, the United States points fingers at the legitimate actions of the Hong Kong SAR to safeguard national security. This lays bare the U.S. hypocrisy and double-standard as well as its vicious intention of destabilizing Hong Kong to contain China, said the spokesperson. The so-called report and sanctions by the U.S. can not shake the determination of the Chinese central government and the Hong Kong SAR government to safeguard national security and the rule of law in Hong Kong, stressed the spokesperson. Hong Kong's increasingly secure and stable development environment continues to attract growing investment from global capital and businesses. A series of economic and financial events held in Hong Kong over the past week had gathered a number of top international investors, demonstrating the global community's confidence in the city, the spokesperson said. The Chinese central government has always firmly supported the Hong Kong SAR in safeguarding national security and its prosperity and stability according to the law, the spokesperson said, stressing that it also resolutely supports relevant officials of the Hong Kong SAR government in fulfilling their duties according to the law, and spares no effort in protecting their legitimate rights and interests. Any attempt to block the progress of the cause of "one country, two systems" will be vigorously countered, said the spokesperson. The News The White House has launched a review of Harvard Universitys handling of alleged antisemitism on its campus, which could see around $9 billion in federal funding for the university frozen. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Harvard Universitys failure to protect students from antisemitic discrimination had put its reputation in serious jeopardy. The review is the latest move by the Trump administration to tackle woke ideology and alleged antisemitism at elite US higher education institutions, after a review of Columbia University saw $400 million in federal grants frozen in March. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though Columbia took disciplinary action against the student protesters who sparked a wave of demonstrations last year at universities across the nation against Israels war in Gaza and made governance changes, the federal grants have yet to be reinstated. Florida Capitol The Florida Senate Rules Committee tackled health care scopes of practice and a longstanding fight between optometrists and ophthalmologist once coined the eyeball wars. The latest iteration of the battle is contained in SB 172, a 10-page bill that broadens the states authority to prosecute professionals regulated by the Department of Health who mislead, deceive, or fraudulently misrepresent their qualifications to the public. The Rules Committee approved the bill by a 22-1 vote. It now heads to the full Senate for consideration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill would amend legislative intent language to make clear the public health, safety, and welfare could be harmed by health care providers who misrepresent their ability to practice a profession. Broad authority Although he voted for the bill, Sen. Jason Pizzo, an attorney, noted the broad regulatory power it would give the Florida Department of Health when prosecuting health care providers for advertising. If a person engages in the unlawful practice of law, its because they actually took up a matter, conducted a transaction, gave advice, all of that stuff. I guess very specifically for legislative intent, the wording of your bill sort of suggests just using the title alone without actually like seeing a patient or engaging in any conduct or behavior standing alone just using the titles is the unlawful practice of medicine, he said. In addition, the bill amends the laws regulating allopathic physicians, referred to as M.D.s, and osteopathic physicians, referred to as D.O.s, to include a list of 39 specialities practitioners are authorized to call themselves. It would be a violation for any other health care professionals to use those titles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill provides exceptions for chiropractic physicians, podiatric physicians, dentists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and anesthesiology assistants, allowing them to call themselves by certain titles already in their practice acts or included in their specialty certifications. There is no exception for optometrists, who are often referred to as eye doctors or, according to Florida Optometric Association lobbyist David Ramba, optometric physician. The list of 39 protected titles does not include the term physician or medical doctor but includes a variety of specialties such as anesthesiologist; cardiologist; dermatologist; endocrinologist; and gastroenterologist. It also includes the term surgeon. The optometrists did not publicly oppose the bill in committee Tuesday but Ramba said the group isnt on board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill says we can use whatever titles are in our practice act. Never before in state law has it required titles to be in a practice act or even in state law. Since the Senate has blocked any optometry practice act updates since 2013, we are opposed to legislation that would not allow us to use titles commonly used in the field such as optometric physician,' he said. Eyeball wars Scope of practice refers to the range of health care services authorized by statute and the educational requirements these providers must attain. Proposals to change scope of practice can be some of the most controversial bills legislators deal with, as they balance economic interests against patient care. Sen. Don Gaetz iconically dubbed the long-standing fight between optometrists and ophthalmologists and the care the two professions can offer patients as the eyeball wars in the mid-2000s, when he served as Senate president. Sen. Kathleen Passidomo said shes been working on this for nearly a decade. A 2023 version of the bill was passed when Passidomo was Senate president but it was vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pizzo asked whether there were assurances that this years version of the bill wouldnt be vetoed. Passidomo said, We shall see. Before the governor could approve the bill, it first it has to pass. As the 2025 session approaches its midway point, the House companion, HB 1341, has yet to be heard. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The first German woman in space has fielded questions from students, hours after she launched into orbit on board a SpaceX vehicle. Students from the amateur radio society of the Technical University of Berlin contacted Rabea Rogge via radio signal as she passed over the German capital on the SpaceX Dragon capsule early on Tuesday. Rogge is one of four "international adventurers" who launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida late on Monday on the Fram2 mission, seeking to conduct 22 scientific experiments while travelling over the polar regions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Can you hear me?" asked the 29-year-old robotics researcher after making contact with the students, as part of an experiment designed to motivate students worldwide to participate in scientific communication in space. Rogge responded to two questions, including one from Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner on how more people can be inspired by space travel. The PhD candidate, who grew up in Berlin, advised people to not be "the person that says no to other persons' dreams." "Be the person that always says yes and lift up people if they have a new idea," she added. Rogge also had time to share details on what her tasks are on board the spacecraft. "My tasks on board this spacecraft are piloting and research coordination," she said, before the signal cut out. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Springboro authorities have provided information after a heavy police presence was reported in a residential neighborhood. According to the Springboro Police Department, officers were in the 100 block of Factory Road in Springboro this morning. Officials confirmed officers were in the area to conduct a lawful search warrant as part of an ongoing investigation. We want to assure the community that there is no danger to the public and no reason for alarm, said the Springboro Police Department. This operation was conducted as part of an ongoing investigation, and there is no active threat to the neighborhood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No additional details were available at the time of 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 WDTN.com. According to Vanderbilt University polls, a majority of Tennesseans favor the legalization of pot, even as the General Assembly restricts hemp products. (Photo: Getty Images) Tennessee lawmakers are headed for a showdown over hemp legislation that, under a Senate version, could heavily restrict products containing intoxicating derivatives. Both measures are to be considered Tuesday in House and Senate finance committees and could impact a regulated industry that nets the state tens of millions in revenue from an estimated $280 million to $560 million in yearly sales. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The biggest difference in the bills lies with THCA, a derivative that delivers a high similar to marijuana once it is heated or burned. The House version would allow THCA to continue to be sold in some stores while the Senate bill would restrict it. Clint Palmer, a hemp industry attorney, said Tennessee could become the first state in the nation to regulate the THCA market, a move generally supported by the industry because it would enable sales to continue. Both versions of the bill would move the policing of hemp-derived products under the Alcoholic Beverage Commission from the Department of Agriculture and enact a wholesale tax of one cent per milligram on hemp products. Originally, both versions would have prohibited THCA, but an amendment placed on the House bill was designed to keep hemp farmers from losing their businesses. House Majority Leader William Lamberth, sponsor of the House version, confirmed Monday the biggest sticking point between the two versions is the level of delta-9 THC that would be allowed in products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hemp is distinguished from marijuana based on the concentration of a compound called delta-9 THC. Cannabis with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC is defined as legal hemp in Tennessee as well as federally. Cannabis with greater concentrations is classified as marijuana and is illegal to grow, sell or possess in the state. Sen. Richard Briggs, sponsor of the Senate version, amended the bill late last week, to ensure the measure wouldnt hurt the state financially. Its expected to maintain a surplus of up to $14 million from fees and taxes on growers, wholesalers and sellers, he said. Briggs, a Knoxville Republican, said the bill would ban marijuana but not hemp. He bases his view on a 2024 letter from the U.S. Department of Justice stating the Controlled Substances Act classifies THCA as controlled. Yet the act excludes hemp from the definition of marijuana as long as it has a THC concentration of no more than 0.3%. Were not interested in recreational marijuana, Briggs said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If both measures move through their respective chambers unchanged, the bills could be resolved with a conference committee to work out differences as the legislature adjourns for the year. The matter remains tied up in litigation after the state required new testing of hemp products last year for delta-9 THC. The Tennessee Growers Coalition and the Tennessee Healthy Alternatives Associations said rules set to take effect in late December 2024 amounted to state overreach that would lead to a ban on products. Dispute also centers on a move by the liquor store industry to take over most of THC drink sales from convenience and grocery stores. Those stores are trying to stay in business as the law allows, said Rob Ikard of the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grocery stores and convenience stores who are already in this business under the current law do a really good job of age enforcement and regulation, Ikard said. Briggs said Monday he believes too many products on store shelves contain higher THC levels than the law allows. He believes the Alcoholic Beverage Commission should get involved in regulating the industry, and he added that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation could play a role in enforcement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Theres another election right around the corner for Texans in cities such as San Antonio and Fort Worth. During the May 3 elections, voters in many parts of Texas will cast their ballots for local leaders or initiatives. Heres how to see if there are elections in your community and how to register to vote by the April 3 deadline. Whats on the ballot? Though some cities and school boards held elections in November, many local governments in Texas hold their elections in May of odd-numbered years. Thats why some communities will have elections and others will not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to school boards and cities, some other special districts, which help manage services like water, hospitals and libraries, may also hold elections. To see if there are any local elections in your community, check your countys election website for notices of local elections. You can also check out the League of Women Voters local chapters to see if they have information about elections in your area. These elections may be to elect local leaders or for initiatives that require voters approval, such as tax increases and taking on bond debt to fund projects. Some notable elections include: * San Antonios mayor and city council (San Antonio Report voter guide) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * Fort Worth city council (Fort Worth Report candidate guide) * Dallas city council (D Magazine voter guide) * Dallas ISD school board (D Magazine voter guide) * Northside ISD (San Antonio Report school board elections guide) * San Antonio ISD school board (San Antonio Report school board elections guide) * El Paso ISD school board (El Paso Matters school board elections guide) * Denton city council (Denton Record-Chronicle) * Denton ISD school board (Denton Record-Chronicle/KERA) Here are the county election websites for Texas largest counties: * Harris County * Dallas County * Tarrant County * Bexar County Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * Travis County * Collin County * Denton County * Fort Bend County * Hidalgo County * El Paso County What dates do I need to know? April 3 is the last day to register to vote and to submit an address change for the May local election. How do I check if Im registered to vote? You can check to see if youre registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of States website. Youll need one of these three combinations to log in: * Your Texas drivers license number and date of birth. * Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. * Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Generally speaking, if you registered to vote in a previous election, you should still be registered, but there are various reasons why you may want to verify your registration status. You also need to update your registration after a name or address change. What if I moved after the voter registration deadline? You must reside in a Texas county or political subdivision by the voter registration deadline to vote in the upcoming election unless you qualify for absentee voting. You can read more about absentee and mail-in voting here. You can vote at your previous polling location if you moved within the same political subdivision, such as your city or school district. If there are elections you would qualify to vote in at both polling locations, you may be able to vote at your new location on a limited ballot. But limited ballots are available only during early voting at the main polling place, which should be noted in a county or political subdivisions list of early voting locations. How do I register to vote? U.S. citizens in Texas can register to vote in the election if they are 18 or older or if they will be 18 by election day, which is May 3. Learn more about voter registration eligibility requirements here. Typically, voters have to submit a paper application 30 days before the election. For this election, the deadline is April 3. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are several options to submit a last-minute application by the deadline: * Visit the voter registrar office in your county (find yours here) * Register through a volunteer deputy voter registrar (for instance, local chapters of the League of Women Voters often hold voter registration events) * Mail the application to the voter registrar in your county If you decide to mail an application, it must be postmarked by the April 3 deadline for you to vote in the May 3 election. You can request a postmark at your local post office. Applications left in mailboxes or mail drop off boxes may not always be postmarked the same day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can ask for an application at county voter registrars offices and some post offices, government offices, or high schools. You can also print out the online application and mail it to the voter registrar in your county. This will require an envelope and postage like regular mail. Download your application here. To avoid any issues, some local voter registrars in the past have recommended completing or delivering an application in person if you're registering close to the deadline. If you are renewing your drivers license, you may be able to register to vote through the Texas Department of Public Safety. If youre allowed to renew your license online, you may also be able to register online. This is the only form of online registration in the state. After you register to vote, you will receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eligible people experiencing homelessness can vote, as long as they provide on their registration an address and description for where they are residing, such as a shelter or a street intersection. If needed, their mailing address can be different, but P.O. Box addresses are usually not considered residence addresses. What does it mean if my voter registration is in suspense? If a county receives a non-deliverable notice after sending a voter registration certificate or suspects an address change, a voter is placed on a suspense list and asked to confirm their address. Voters on the suspense list can still vote if they update or confirm their address before the voter registration deadline or fill out a statement of residence when voting. But they may have to vote at their previous polling location or vote on a limited ballot. If no action is taken by a suspended voter, they are removed from the voter rolls after about four years, according to the Texas Secretary of States office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre concerned about your voter registration, you can verify it online here. What do I do if I run into issues with my voter registration? If you have questions or concerns about your registration, you can find your countys voter registration contact here. Inside polling locations, there are typically resolution desks where poll workers can address registration issues. You can also find answers to frequently asked voting questions at votetexas.gov. April 22 is the last day to apply to vote by mail. This option is limited in Texas. Read more about who qualifies here. When do I need to drop off or mail an application? Applications must be received by the early voting clerk in your county not postmarked by April 22. Applications can also be submitted by fax or email, but the county must receive a hard copy within four business days. They can also be dropped off in person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can download an application here or request an application to be mailed to you here. If youre looking to vote by mail, give yourself as much leeway as possible. Youll need to budget for the time it may take your county to get your ballot to you in the mail after you apply. What is the deadline to mail my ballot? The deadline for mail-in ballots to be returned to the county is election day, May 3. If a ballot is postmarked by 7 p.m. locally that day, itll be counted if the county receives it by 5 p.m. on May 5. Absentee ballots can also be delivered to county election offices in person with a valid form of ID while polls are open on election day. Completed ballots from military or overseas voters are accepted if theyre received by May 8. (Military and overseas voters can go through a different ballot request and return process.) Early voting in person runs from April 22-29. If you cant vote inside of a polling place because of COVID-19 or a disability, you may be eligible for curbside voting. Read more here. Election day is May 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day. What dates do I need to know for possible runoffs? Runoffs will take place on June 7 in any race where no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes. The last day to register or update your voter registration for the runoffs will be May 8. Applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk in your county not postmarked by May 27. Early voting is scheduled for May 27-June 3. What do I need to know about mail-in voting? How do I know if Im eligible to vote by mail? This option is fairly limited in Texas. Youre allowed to vote by mail only if: * You will be 65 or older by election day. * You will not be in your county for the entire voting period, including early voting. * You cite a sickness or disability that prevents you from voting in person without needing personal assistance or without the likelihood of injuring your health. * Youre expected to give birth within three weeks before or after election day. * You are confined in jail but otherwise eligible (i.e., not convicted of a felony). College students who are registered at a residence in Texas, such as a parents home, but are studying out of state can apply for absentee ballots. Students studying in Texas who are from other states can also choose to register to vote with their dorm or Texas address. If you are voting absentee, such as from out of state or overseas, and want to see what will appear on your ballot, you can get a sample ballot from your county. In most cases, sample ballots can be found on your countys election website. What identification do I need to vote by mail? Voters must provide an ID number on both their application for a ballot and the carrier envelope used to return a completed ballot. This must be one the following ID numbers: * A drivers license number * A state ID number * The last four digits of their Social Security number * Texas election ID certificate number (a photo ID issued by DPS and which is different from the number found on your voter registration certificate) If you dont have any of these, you can also check a box indicating you have not been issued that identification. This identification rule was added by the Texas Legislature in 2021. Some voters have had their ballots or applications rejected because they didnt provide an ID number or the number they provided did not match the one the state had for the voter. If you dont have a license number on file or are unsure about which ID number you provided, the secretary of state has previously suggested contacting your local voter registrar to ask about how to add one to your voter registration record. Other voting advocates have suggested voters include both their drivers license or state ID number and the last four digits of their Social Security number, if they have both, to avoid issues. Whats the states definition of a disability ? The Texas election codes definition for disability is broader than other federal definitions. A voter is eligible to vote by mail if they have a sickness or physical condition that prevents them from voting in person without the likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring the voters health. Its up to the voter to decide this, and election officials dont have the authority to question a voters reasoning. While a lack of immunity to COVID-19 alone does not allow a voter to request a ballot based on disability, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that it was up to voters to decide if that lack of immunity, combined with their medical history, meets the states eligibility criteria. What kind of postage do I need to return my mail-in ballot? It depends on where you live. Postage for mail-in ballots will vary by county because the style and size of the ballot could be different from county to county and some counties may pay postage for you. Local elections offices should have the specifics once ballots are finalized. That said, if you dont have enough postage, your ballot is not supposed to be returned to you. Instead, the Postal Service is supposed to deliver the ballot and bill the county for the insufficient or missing postage. What if theres an issue with my mail-in ballot? Texas will allow voters to correct their mail-in ballots if the ballots are at risk of being rejected for a technical error, including missing information or signatures. This also applies to issues with the applications for those ballots. County officials are responsible for alerting voters if there is a defect with their application or ballot. Voters can use an online ballot tracking tool to check the status of both their application to vote by mail and their ballot. The tracker can also be used to make corrections. You can access it here. The deadline to correct mail-in ballot applications is April 22. The deadline to correct a mail-in ballot is May 9. What do I need to know about going to the polls? Who is eligible to vote early? Anyone registered to vote may vote early, but it must be done in person unless you qualify to vote by mail. How do I know where to vote? Local political subdivisions, such as school districts, are not required to use county election precincts or polling locations for the May 3 election, so voting may be limited to one or a few polling locations run by that governing body. For instance, school districts may use one of their buildings for voting. Polling locations for early voting and election day should be listed on your countys website or on a governing bodys notice of an election on their website, such as on a school districts webpage or announcement of a bond election. What form of ID do I need to bring? Youll need one of seven types of valid photo ID to vote in Texas: * A state drivers license (issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety). * A Texas election identification certificate (issued by DPS). * A Texas personal identification card (issued by DPS). * A Texas license to carry a handgun (issued by DPS). * A U.S. military ID card with a personal photo. * A U.S. citizenship certificate with a personal photo. * A U.S. passport. Check out this story for more details. What if I dont have a valid photo ID? Voters can still cast votes if they sign a form swearing that they have a reasonable impediment from obtaining a proper photo ID. However, those voters will also have to present one of the following types of supporting identification documents: * A valid voter registration certificate. * A certified birth certificate. * A document confirming birth admissible in a court of law that establishes your identity (which may include a foreign birth document). * A copy of or an original current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other document that shows the voters name and address. (Any government document that contains a voters photo must be an original.) If you have a valid photo ID but forgot it, you can cast a provisional ballot but will have to visit the local voter registrars office within six days of the election to present an acceptable ID or documentation in order for the ballot to be counted. A registered voter without a valid photo ID or any of the supporting documents can also cast a provisional ballot. We cant wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 1315 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. On Friday, a massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, sending shockwaves throughout the nation and into neighboring Thailand, including its capital city, Bangkok. Several powerful aftershocks also followed the initial quake. According to the Associated Press, the death toll from the earthquake has surpassed 2,000, with Myanmar officials telling the news agency that this number is expected to rise. Relief to the region will likely be slow, as the area is still suffering through power outages, while Myanmar has been embroiled in a civil war since 2021. However, there are still ways in which you can help citizens of both Myanmar and Thailand now and into the future. World Central Kitchen World Central Kitchen announced that its teams are en route to both Myanmar and Thailand to assist in recovery efforts. As always, its teams offer victims hot meals and a helping hand. It's asking for donations to ensure its mobile teams can bring in the supplies they need to provide people with much-needed care. International Rescue Committee (IRC) The IRC is working with local organizations to bring essential supplies and services, including medical care and hygiene kits, to areas that are most in need. It noted that its "teams on the ground are reporting staggering humanitarian needs." For now, it's asking for monetary assistance to ensure it can continue bringing critical supplies to those who need them now and into the coming months. Save the Children Save the Children specifically focuses on ensuring children and their families receive essential resources after a disaster. Following the earthquake, it began distributing kits containing "toiletries, blankets, tarpaulin for makeshift shelters and learning and recreational materials for children." It too is asking for monetary aid. World Food Program (WFP) The WFP is already on the ground distributing ready-to-eat food and is preparing to dispatch to more earthquake-hit areas with meal kits to keep them sustained for as long as possible. As the organization noted, those living in Myanmar have already been hard-hit with food insecurity due to the war, making donating to this organization all the more important. Doctors Without Borders A critical issue right now is that regional hospitals are completely overwhelmed. That's where organizations like Doctors Without Borders become absolutely essential. The non-profit's teams of medical experts have already deployed to provide frontline medical care in hard-to-reach communities, including via mobile clinics. It's also coordinating with local health authorities to assist with any existing medical services, which you can donate to and assist here. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) IFRC is working with local Red Cross chapters to provide medical supplies, temporary shelter, and emergency kits to displaced people. Its teams are also helping to reunite families separated by the earthquake. "Despite facing damage to their own homes and facilities, Red Cross volunteers have acted with courage and speed to help their neighbors, Alexander Matheou, Regional Director for Asia Pacific at the IFRC. shared in a release. The magnitude of this disaster is substantial, and the need for support is urgent. You can read more about its efforts and donate here. World Vision World Vision, a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization, is also on the ground to assist. A representative shared with F&W, "We are in Myanmar responding immediately with food assistance, clean water, shelter, and more." See more abut what the organization is doing and donate here. Mercy Chefs Mercy Chefs, a Virginia-based disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization known for serving chef-prepared meals in response to emergencies and natural disasters, is also responding to the Myanmar-Thailand earthquake. A representative shared with F&W that for two years, Mercy Chefs has been "providing meals in Myanmar as part of its global efforts, working alongside trusted local partners to support vulnerable communities. Now, in the wake of this devastating disaster, the organization is scaling up its relief operations to meet the urgent needs of those affected." See more and donate here. This story will be updated with additional resources as they become available. Read the original article on Food & Wine Phoenix police officers pointed their guns at minors almost 1,600 times over nearly four years and most of the kids who faced police firearms in the city were children of color, an Arizona Republic investigation found. The number of gun points at kids rose sharply in recent years: Between 2021 and 2023, gun points at minors more than doubled, the Republic's analysis of police data found. That surge happened even as the Phoenix Police Department was under investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice for how officers use force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phoenix police spokesperson Donna Rossi said there were many possible contributing factors to the jump in the number of gun points, one of which would be the improvement of reporting. She did not respond to a request to identify any other contributing factors. Police and some experts said evaluating the incidents without knowing the details of each was difficult. But obtaining those details from the Phoenix Police Department can take months, and sometimes years. The Police Department has no specific policy outlining when officers can point their guns at people. And facing a police gun can have lasting effects on kids mental health, worldviews and perceptions of law enforcement, according to one child psychologist interviewed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres what you need to know. What are the rules for Phoenix police about gun pointing? The Phoenix Police Department doesnt have a specific policy outlining the circumstances under which officers can draw and point their firearms at individuals. Officers instead comply with a host of state laws governing self-defense and use of force, police spokesperson Rossi said. Police in Phoenix have the discretion to decide when to point guns at someone, another department spokesperson confirmed. Neighboring agencies in Mesa, Scottsdale and Glendale also dont have policies explicitly addressing when officers can point their guns in policy. But some departments in the state do: For example, the Chandler Police Departments use of force policy bars officers from "exhibiting" firearms unless they have a "reasonable belief" that they may imminently use them. Officers also have to report whenever they draw their guns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Researchers have found that when agencies have more restrictive use-of-force policies, it happens at lower rates. But one expert The Republic spoke with said an attempt to create a more specific policy on gun points in Phoenix would likely lead to a quite lengthy policy that wouldnt contemplate all circumstances anyway. There is no single action that guarantees proper use of force, Michael Scott, director of Arizona State Universitys Center for Problem-Oriented Policing and a former police chief, wrote in an email. And no matter what is done, mistakes of judgment (or good judgment but unfortunate outcomes) will sometimes occur. Read the full investigation: 'Terror' at gunpoint: Here's how often Phoenix police are aiming guns at kids Do Phoenix officers have to record every time they point guns at people? Yes. The policy requiring officers to record and report when they point guns at someone went into effect in August 2019, after the Police Department faced national scrutiny over officer use of force twice in quick succession: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First, because Phoenix officers shot at more people in 2018 than law enforcement in any other city in the nation. The city commissioned a study to help understand the sudden jump, and the authors of that study recommended tracking pointed gun incidents. Then, because a bystander-filmed video showing Phoenix officers pointing guns and screaming expletives at a family went viral. Police stopped the family because their 4-year-old was accused of stealing a doll from a dollar store. A Police Department spokesperson said the department started tracking officers' gun points in 2021. But the agencys posted data stretches back to mid-2020. A new use-of-force policy the department adopted in February requires officers to report each show of force every time they point not just their firearms but also less-lethal weapons at people. What kids did Phoenix police point guns at most, and where? Phoenix police officers pointed guns at people an average of 14 times a day, at least once at a minor, between January 2021 and November 2024, the Republics analysis found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the minors who Phoenix police officers pointed guns at were people of color: More than eight out of every 10 times police pointed firearms at a minor during The Republics analysis period, the child was Black or Hispanic. When asked why kids of color were disproportionately represented in gun point incidents, a police spokesperson said he did not want to speculate. I can assure you that every incident has circumstances specific to that event, he wrote in an email. Justin Nix one of the researchers who recommended that Phoenix police start tracking gun point incidents in 2019 said it was likely the result of place and race-based policing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everywhere that weve ever studied this, across decades and across different places, different sites, you find that people of color are overrepresented in areas that are structurally disadvantaged, Nix said. And so, you know, when the police get called, or when the police go out and try to fight crime, they do so in places that are going to set them up to disproportionately come into contact with people of color. Nearly half the times officers have pointed guns at children in Phoenix, they have done so in two police precincts: the Maryvale/Estrella Precinct, which encompasses much of west Phoenix, and the South Mountain Precinct, which covers a wide swath of the south-central and southeast part of the city. Both precincts have some of the citys largest shares of Black and Hispanic residents, according to a Republic analysis of 2023 census estimates. How many kids aimed weapons at officers? We dont know for sure. The Phoenix Police Departments published data doesnt track whether kids who had a gun pointed at them were armed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But half of the times they pointed guns at kids, police didnt report referring charges to a judge or prosecutor or leveling a civil traffic citation, according to The Republics analysis. A department spokesperson in an email noted that officer gun points are tracked as "part of administrative reports, not criminal reports. Young people can and do commit serious crimes: Incidents of some violent crimes by juveniles increased between 2022 and 2023 in Phoenix, according to the Police Departments 2024 crime reduction plan. A study from the Council on Criminal Justice found a 21% increase in the number of juvenile offenses involving firearms across the nation between 2016 and 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But that same study found that overall, youth offending in 2022 was 14% lower than it was six years earlier. What are effects can facing a police gun can have on kids? Facing a police officers loaded firearm can constitute a significant traumatic life event for pretty much anyone who experiences it, including children and teens, said Paula McCall, an Arizona-based psychologist and certified Clinical Trauma Professional who has worked extensively with children and adolescents. For younger kids especially those taught that police officers are there to protect them and are safe people to go to trauma from a gun point incident has the potential to alter their worldview and perception of law enforcement, McCall said. Childhood trauma is very powerful in how we make connections and understandings in the world, right? McCall said. If we have something significant that happens in our safety, then the world is not a safe place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Department investigators said in their report that Phoenix polices problematic tactics and unlawful conduct can have particularly harmful consequences for childrens physical and mental wellbeing. What is the DOJ report, and what did it say about gun points? Last June, The U.S. Department of Justice released a 126-page report about the Phoenix Police Department the culmination of a three-year investigation in the agency that looked at how officers use force. The report documented multiple instances of Phoenix police officers engaging in discriminatory policing and escalating interactions with youth with combative language and needless force. It includes details of interactions where police officers cursed at children, tackled them, slammed them against various surfaces, used neck restraints and cuffed them so tightly that their wrists bore marks for months. A sergeant in the department said Phoenix police officers dont really treat youth any differently than adults, according to the report. The Justice Departments investigation into Phoenix police did not delve deeply into police gun pointing. However, the report notes that supervisors charged with reviewing certain kinds of officer uses of force including gun-point instances fail to scrutinize the force used or the officers tactics. Have a tip? Text Sahana Jayaraman at (602) 529-6338. Follow her or dm her on X @SahanaJayaraman. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Here's how often Phoenix police point guns at kids. What to know BEIRUT, April 1 (Xinhua) -- As dawn broke over southern Lebanon on Eid al-Fitr, Nadine Nasrallah walked through the shattered street to the cemetery in her hometown Khiam, Nabatieh Governorate. Instead of the usual festive preparations, she started the holiday at the gravesite, whispering prayers for her relatives who had perished in the ongoing conflict. "There is no Eid for us here," Nasrallah told Xinhua. "The war hasn't ended. It's still ongoing." For communities along Lebanon's southern border, the Islamic holiday of renewal has become a grim ritual of survival. Despite a U.S.- and French-brokered truce between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel having been in place since Nov. 27, 2024, local residents continue to live under the constant threat of Israeli drone surveillance and near-daily bombardments, justified by Israel as targeting Hezbollah operatives. The Lebanese Health Ministry has reported 120 deaths and 300 injuries since the truce began, compounding a staggering toll: 3,961 killed and 16,520 wounded since the conflict erupted in October 2023. In Khiam, charred buildings and cratered roads are telling a story of relentless violence. "Just yesterday, phosphorus shells rained down on our town, setting fire to the school's power generator and damaging buildings," Nasrallah recounted. "The shells landed randomly in different neighborhoods." During the fiercest bombardments, Nasrallah's family fled to the city of Nabatieh, spending all their savings and even selling their gold to pay for shelter. Nasrallah's husband now labors on a poultry farm for 300 U.S. dollars a month, a sum barely enough to cover necessities. "Our life is full of grief and suffering," Nasrallah murmured. In Kfar Tebnit, another village in Nabatieh Governorate, 25-year-old Dalal Fakih shuddered as she recalled an Israeli airstrike on Friday targeting a house, which she saw with her own eyes. "It killed the homeowner and his wife. It was terrifying," she said. "He was a retired army officer. We don't know why they targeted him. The randomness of these attacks has left us in constant fear." Eid traditions have also withered under the strain in the nearby village of Taybeh. "We aren't celebrating this Eid," said Raed Abdallah, a father of three. "Instead, we placed wreaths on the graves of loved ones lost to Israeli strikes." "We couldn't afford new clothes for our children, as we do every year," he added. "My wife and I made Eid sweets at home. Our children understand our situation, hoping for a better Eid next year." Markets once bustling with holiday shoppers now stand desolate. Hassan Tabaja, a business owner in the city of Nabatieh, said this holiday "is nothing like the prosperous Eids of the past." "The Israeli strikes have disrupted daily life, and most people simply don't have money to spend. Many have lost their homes and livelihoods," Tabaja said. In Kafr Kila, Mayor Hassan Chit described how Eid traditions have been reduced to mourning. "People only visit the graves of those who were martyred," he said. "Many cemeteries themselves have been bombed." Eid prayers in many towns took place amidst rubble. "About 90 percent of the homes, mosques, and community halls in the frontline villages are damaged or destroyed," Chit said. "Even the prefabricated homes set up for displaced families are being targeted." As Israel has maintained a military presence at five "strategic" locations along the Lebanese border, failing to complete a full withdrawal from Lebanon's south as agreed under the ceasefire, Chit called for the Lebanese army to assume full control over the region and urged Israel to abide by the ceasefire agreement, including UN Resolution 1701. SMITH COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) A culvert will be installed on Highway 37 in Smith County. The highway will be closed from Tuesday, April 1 at 8:00 a.m. to Friday, April 4 at 5:00 p.m. Leake County gets van to boost litter removal efforts According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), the work will take place on Highway 37 between Dallas Street and Central Street. Detour signage will be in place to direct drivers in the area. 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. Former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton finally joined Bluesky on Monday, and within 6 hours amassed more than 120,000 subscribers, enough to break into the social media sites top 500 users. By 645 p.m. Monday night, the 2016 presidential candidates follower count hit 121,607, which put her just above Senator Corey Booker, who was until then#498, according to VQV, an app that measures statistics on Bluesky. The speed of Clintons follower counts growth indicates she is very likely to rise through the ranks quickly. Though shell need almost 2 million more if she wants to dethrone current #1 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who as of this writing has 2,076,431 followers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course these numbers are nothing compared to the follower counts for power users on X (formerly Twitter), though for Blueskys population it currently has just under 34 million total users they represent significant reach. Meanwhile, Clinton explained that she joined Bluesky to engage with users about the critical Wisconsin Supreme Court election, happening on Tuesday. As of this writing, these are here only posts: For comparison, Clintons 2016 Democratic primary rival Bernie Sanders is currently at #47 with 460,057 followers. MSNBC star Rachel Maddow is at #8 with 982,510. And Kamala Harris running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is at #58 with 404,081. The post Hillary Clinton Joins Bluesky, Shoots to 120k Followers in 7 Hours appeared first on TheWrap. Statement: Hillary Clinton was sending classified documents that were stamped TS or TSSCI. After top U.S. national security leaders erroneously messaged a journalist sensitive operational details about impending military action, political figures on both sides of the aisle called to mind other classified documents incidents. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., posted a video on X, asserting that the Trump administrations use of the commercial messaging app Signal to discuss bombing Yemen was incomparable to Hillary Clintons use of a personal email and private email server when she was President Barack Obamas secretary of state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "To compare the two, between Hillary Clinton and what President (Donald) Trumps cabinet members were doing is absolutely absurd," Mullin said March 26. "Hillary Clinton was sending classified documents that were stamped TS or TSSCI." The acronyms are intelligence shorthand for "top secret" and "top secret/sensitive compartmented information." On the contrary, in the Signal conversation among Trump administration officials, Mullin said no classified information was shared. That Clintonemailed information marked "TS or TSSCI" was not borne out in any of the investigations into her emails. Although FBI and State Department reports found that some classified material was included among some Clinton emails, none of them were clearly marked as classified or top secret, as Mullin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As secretary of state, Clinton used a personal email address ending in @clintonemail.com, which meant its data was housed on private servers in her New York home. The emails have been the subject of FBI and congressional scrutiny for years. A 2019 State Department report rebuts Mullins statement that Clinton sent classified information. In 2016, the FBI reported that 113 of the approximately 30,000 emails it reviewed contained information that was classified at the time they were sent or received. Of the emails, the FBI reported that "a very small number" of emails containing classified information were duly marked signaling their classification. The State Department report said "instances of classified information being deliberately transmitted via unclassified email" were "rare." "There was no persuasive evidence of systemic, deliberate mishandling of classified information," it said. Thomas Blanton, the director of George Washington Universitys National Security Archive, said the National Security Archive team has reviewed thousands of the now-public emails from Clintons private server. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "None of them were stamped TS (Top Secret) or TSSCI (Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information) at the time they were sent or received," Blanton told PolitiFact. "None of them were even marked as classified at the time she sent or received them." He added that the State Department concluded the same thing after reviewing all the emails. We emailed Mullins spokesperson and received no response. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, questions Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Defense Secretary, during Hegseth's confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on January 14 in Washington, D.C. State Department review didnt show Clinton sending emails marked as classified From July 2016 to September 2019, the State Departments Office of Information Security reviewed "tens of thousands" of documents, gathered statements from hundreds of past and current State Department employees and conducted dozens of interviews. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The State Department team concluded that Clintons "use of a private email system to conduct official business added an increased degree of risk of compromise," because a private system lacked the security capabilities of State Department networks. For the sake of speed, classified information was in some instances "inappropriately introduced into an unclassified system," but the people involved were "aware of security policies and did their best to implement them in their operations," the report said. The State Department report also said that "a typical security violation involves pre-marked classified information discovered" at the time of the incident, none of which was found. "None of the emails at issue in this review were marked as classified," it said. What did the FBI and Justice Department reviews find? In 2016, the then-FBI Director James Comey said that of the approximately 30,000 emails the agency analyzed, eight email chains containing an unspecified number of individual emails contained information classified "top secret" at the time they were sent or received. Other email chains contained information classified at levels below top secret. Comey did not specify how many emails containing classified information Clinton sent compared to how many she received. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Comey said that emails containing classified information werent properly labeled. "Only a very small number of the e-mails containing classified information bore markings indicating the presence of classified information," he said, without providing the number of emails marked appropriately. Comey testified on July 7, 2016, that classified documents come with headers signaling their classification level and acknowledged that the documents in Clintons emails had no headers. He also said that three of the approximately 30,000 emails had classification markings. When asked whether emails lacking headers would have told Clinton that the material wasnt classified, Comey replied, "That would be a reasonable inference." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Justice Departments 2018 report on the FBIs handling of the Clinton email investigation said prosecutors found no evidence that Clinton or her aides intended to "communicate classified information on unclassified systems." The 2018 report also said that the classified emails werent appropriately marked. "The emails in question lacked proper classification markings," it said. "The senders often refrained from using specific classified facts or terms in emails and worded emails carefully in an attempt to talk around classified information." The 2018 report said prosecutors recommended against prosecuting because "none of the emails contained clear classification markings as required." Three email chains included paragraphs marked "C" for confidential. But thats not a complete or sufficient classification marking. PolitiFact's ruling Mullin said, "Hillary Clinton was sending classified documents that were stamped TS or TSSCI." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mullin provided no information supporting his statement and FBI and government reviews contradict him. In 2016, Comey testified that three of the approximately 30,000 emails reviewed had any classification markings at all, and those markings did not signal the documents were top secret or TSSCI. A 2018 Justice Department report reiterated that the emails "lacked proper classification markings." And a 2019 State Department report said "none of the emails" reviewed "were marked as classified." We rate this claim False. Our sources This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Claim that Hillary Clinton sent emails 'stamped' Top Secret is false Given that a hallmark of the Trump administration is the gulf between its appointees' responsibilities and their qualifications for their jobs, it may be hard to pick out the quintessential example of the wrong person in the wrong place. But the Department of Health and Human Services may have a winner. He's David A. Geier, a well-known anti-vaccine activist who has reportedly been assigned the job of reviewing the supposed link between vaccination and autism. In fact, Geier along with his late father, Mark had long been among the promoters of that very claim, despite overwhelming evidence from scientifically validated research that there is no such link. It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies. Former FDA official Peter Marks, referring to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Geier's assignment to review the purported link was first reported by the Washington Post last week. Since then, the department has not commented on the assignment, either to confirm or deny it. I asked Geier to confirm his assignment, and also to state whether he still believes in the link and if so, what evidence he would cite to establish it. I received no reply from the department or Geier. What is known, however, is that Geier is an employee of the department. In the agency directory he is listed as a "senior data analyst" with an official department email address, which I used to reach him. One other thing should be understood: Given his history with healthcare regulatory agencies, there's no way he should be permitted anywhere near healthcare policymaking. More on that in a moment. The reported accession of Geier isn't the only indication of how the department, whose programs were until recently celebrated as the gold standard of government science, has become a haven of a repugnant anti-science mythmaking and a threat to public health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Hiltzik: Trump's assault on science will make Americans dumber and sicker On Friday, Peter Marks, the top vaccine scientist at the Food and Drug Administration, announced his resignation in a scathing letter to the acting FDA commissioner, citing "the unprecedented assault on scientific truth" at the agency. "Undermining confidence in well established vaccines that have met the high standards for quality, safety, and effectiveness that have been in place for decades at FDA is irresponsible, detrimental to public health, and a clear danger to our nations health, safety, and security," Marks wrote. He stated that he had tried to develop a modus vivendi with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but "it has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the [Health] Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That brings us back to Geier. He and his father, Mark, collaborated for years on articles claiming a connection between vaccines containing a compound called thimerosal as a preservative and a rise in autism diagnoses. No such connection was ever established. Studies by the Geiers that claimed to have found one were widely refuted and their methodology questioned. At least one paper was retracted. Both Geiers ran afoul of medical regulators in Maryland, their home state. The Maryland State Board of Physicians revoked Mark Geier's license to practice medicine in 2012, after finding that he had been treating young patients with Lupron, a drug commonly prescribed for patients with precocious puberty, and with chelation, a procedure aimed at clearing heavy metals from the body. Those treatments corresponded to a pet theory of the Geiers that autism stemmed from the interaction of mercury in thimerosal with testosterone, and therefore that reducing testosterone would address autism. That theory has never been scientifically validated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mercury scare, moreover, was something of a red herring. Thimerosal degrades into ethylmercury, which was judged not to be a danger at the level that would come from a vaccine. No study ever established a link between thimerosal and autism. Read more: Hiltzik: Opposing vaccine mandates, Trump exposes kids to disease To address public concerns, thimerosal was removed from childhood vaccines in 2001. As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted, thimerosal was never present in the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine that was most commonly blamed for autism. Nor was it ever used in vaccines against chicken pox, polio or pneumonia. After the revocation by Maryland, Mark Geier's medical license was also suspended or revoked by California, Indiana, Virginia, Texas, Missouri, Washington, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Florida and Kentucky. Geier died March 20, according to an obituary published by Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group founded by Kennedy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for David Geier, the Maryland medical authorities charged him in 2011 with practicing medicine without a license. He never had held a medical license or attended a medical school, according to the state board. But he met and consulted with an autistic patient and the patient's mother, who apparently was under the impression that he was a doctor. According to the board, David Geier advised that the patient undergo 22 blood tests; the mother balked when lab technicians told her the blood work would require "an insane amount of blood." The medical board fined Geier $10,000. RFK Jr.'s relationship with the Geiers dates at least to 2005, when he cited their vaccine studies in a discredited article he wrote titled "Deadly Immunity," an anti-vax screed published by Salon.com and Rolling Stone. Both publications eventually retracted the article. In the piece, Kennedy asserted that "the Geiers have completed six studies that demonstrate a powerful correlation between thimerosal and neurological damage in children." The correlation proved to be untrue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Geier record in itself would invalidate any "finding" from the department claiming evidence of a vaccine-autism link. The absence of any such link is as close to settled science as one could hope for, given the volume of evidence against it. That in itself makes the department venture a waste of time and money, as well as a danger to public health. Anyway, why would a secretary of Health and Human Services want to put on his payroll someone found to have practiced medicine without a license? These recent personnel moves at the department raise the question of whether Kennedy gaslighted Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician, when he pledged to Cassidy that he and Cassidy would have what Cassidy described to his colleagues as "an unprecedentedly close collaborative working relationship if [RFK Jr.] is confirmed." In explaining his vote to confirm Kennedy on Feb. 4, Cassidy said further, "We will meet or speak multiple times a month. ... Mr. Kennedy has asked for my input into hiring decisions at HHS, beyond Senate-confirmed positions." I asked Cassidy's office whether the senator actually had input into the changes and, if not, whether he felt rooked by Kennedy. I haven't received a reply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Hiltzik: After smearing Anthony Fauci, House Republicans proceed to defame a prominent vaccine scientist A couple of crucial points about the supposed connection between vaccinations and autism. As I reported in 2014, its original source was an article published in 1998 in the British medical journal the Lancet by a group led by physician Andrew Wakefield. The study involved 12 children. The paper has been retracted by the Lancet, 10 of its 12 authors have disavowed its findings, and Wakefield was stripped of his medical license in the U.K. The British Medical Journal in 2011 documented how Wakefield systematically falsified the data about his subjects to fabricate an association between the vaccine and autism. The goal? To help a group that hoped to profit by suing the vaccine makers. The paper was fatally flawed both scientifically and ethically, the BMJ stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite these revelations, the Wakefield study has caused no end of problems for public health. It led to a long-term decline in measles vaccinations in Britain and necessitated years of costly studies to analyze and, ultimately, refute its claims. Nevertheless, it remains the father of the vaccine-autism claims. One further driver of the supposed vaccine-autism connection is that autism is far more frequently diagnosed today than in the past. President Trump has cited this supposedly inexplicable trend. In a Feb. 18 executive order, he asserted that "autism spectrum disorder now affects 1 in 36 children in the United States a staggering increase from rates of 1 to 4 out of 10,000 children identified with the condition during the 1980s." The truth is that there is no mystery about the rise in autism diagnoses; it's the result of a reconsideration of the very nature of autism. As Holden Thorp, the editor in chief of Science, wrote recently, "The rise in diagnoses is the result of greater awareness, better identification (especially among women and girls) and a broader definition that now includes a range of neurodevelopmental conditions under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thorp didn't come to this conclusion casually. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of 53, seven years ago. The diagnosis prompted him to think about how thinking about autism has changed over the decades, including how the diagnosis no longer carries the stigma that it did during his childhood in the 1960s. In part that's because of greater recognition of the diversity of autism itself "neurodiversity," as it's often termed. During his childhood, he wrote, "autism was mostly diagnosed among children who had huge difficulties in daily functioning and needed extensive support. I wasnt flagged for evaluation or diagnosis, but that might be different today." It is becoming plain that Kennedy is turning the department from a beacon of science-based medicine and public health into a hive of conspiracy theorists and, as Marks wrote, peddlers of "misinformation and lies." 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. A 29-year-old robotics researcher from Berlin has become the first German woman in space, blasting off on board a SpaceX rocket late on Monday. Rabea Rogge was one of four "international adventurers" setting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in a launch broadcast live by SpaceX. According to the German Aerospace Center, Rogge is the 13th German national to achieve space flight - but the first woman among them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the three- to five-day mission on board SpaceX's Dragon capsule, the team will look at the Earth's polar regions to examine a phenomenon known as "Steve" involving purple ribbons in the sky, resembling the northern lights. Rogge studied electrical engineering and information technology at ETH Zurich before transferring to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, where she is completing her doctoral thesis. She was invited on the flight by the Chinese-born Maltese national Chun Wang, a cryptocurrency billionaire who funded and commissioned the mission. Wang and Rogge reportedly met during training for an expedition to the northern Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Norwegian filmmaker and an Australian polar explorer are also on board, but none of the crew members are trained astronauts or hold pilot licences. "Our crew is strong, our training is intensive and our goal is not only to overcome boundaries, but also to create new opportunities for space travel and science," Rogge told dpa ahead of the launch. "History was made today," said Walther Pelzer, director general of the German Space Agency. Rogge will "inspire many young people to get excited about science and technology," he said. However, a former head of the European Space Agency (ESA) warned on German radio station rbb24 against the misuse of space travel for tourism purposes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every rocket launch is a burden on the environment, said Jan Worner, who led the ESA between 2015 and 2021. "I hope that we don't start moving cruise ships into space now," said Worner. SpaceX said the mission, called Fram2 after a 19th-century Norwegian polar research ship, will produce the first X-ray images of humans in space and investigate how mushrooms grow in zero gravity. It will travel at an altitude of 425 to 450 kilometres. "With this mission, we want to show a pioneering spirit, arouse curiosity and demonstrate technological innovation," Rogge told dpa. She added: "I find it really encouraging to see how far we have come as a human race - if it is possible to build autonomous spaceships, then anything should be possible." A 29-year-old robotics researcher from Berlin has become the first German woman in space, blasting off on board a SpaceX rocket late on Monday. Rabea Rogge was one of four "international adventurers" setting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in a launch broadcast live by SpaceX. According to the German Aerospace Center, Rogge is the 13th German national to achieve space flight - but the first woman among them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the three- to five-day mission on board SpaceX's Dragon capsule, the team will look at the Earth's polar regions to examine a phenomenon known as "Steve" involving purple ribbons in the sky, resembling the northern lights. Rogge studied electrical engineering and information technology at ETH Zurich before transferring to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, where she is completing her doctoral thesis. She was invited on the flight by the Chinese-born Maltese national Chun Wang, a cryptocurrency billionaire who funded and commissioned the mission. Wang and Rogge reportedly met during training for an expedition to the northern Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Norwegian filmmaker and an Australian polar explorer are also on board, but none of the crew members are trained astronauts or hold pilot licences. New opportunities "Our crew is strong, our training is intensive and our goal is not only to overcome boundaries, but also to create new opportunities for space travel and science," Rogge told dpa ahead of the launch. "History was made today," said Walther Pelzer, director general of the German Space Agency. Rogge will "inspire many young people to get excited about science and technology," he said. However, a former head of the European Space Agency (ESA) warned on German radio station rbb24 against the misuse of space travel for tourism purposes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every rocket launch is a burden on the environment, said Jan Worner, who led the ESA between 2015 and 2021. "I hope that we don't start moving cruise ships into space now," said Worner. SpaceX said the mission, called Fram2 after a 19th-century Norwegian polar research ship, will produce the first X-ray images of humans in space and investigate how mushrooms grow in zero gravity. It will travel at an altitude of 425 to 450 kilometres. "With this mission, we want to show a pioneering spirit, arouse curiosity and demonstrate technological innovation," Rogge told dpa. She added: "I find it really encouraging to see how far we have come as a human race - if it is possible to build autonomous spaceships, then anything should be possible." 'Can you hear me?' Hours after launching into space, Rogge fielded questions from students from the amateur radio society of the Technical University of Berlin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The students contacted Rogge via radio signal as she passed over the German capital on the Dragon capsule early on Tuesday. "Can you hear me?" asked the 29-year-old, before responding to two questions - including one from Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner on how more people can be inspired by space travel. The PhD candidate, who grew up in Berlin, advised people to not be "the person that says no to other persons' dreams." "Be the person that always says yes and lift up people if they have a new idea," she added. Rogge also had time to share details on what her tasks are on board the spacecraft. "My tasks on board this spacecraft are piloting and research coordination," she said, before the signal cut out. HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) As the weather starts to warm up, the city of Holyoke is warning the public about areas that need to be cleaned before any penalties are issued. All hands were on deck in Holyoke on Monday as spring street cleanup began, so residents and business owners will see trucks conducting their regular street sweeping. That also means more parking enforcement signs will be posted. Sheriffs office recruits clear yard waste in Blandford and Chester Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its that time of year again when leaves and branches start to fall, and trash builds up and clogs our sewer system. Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia is reminding residents and business owners about the shared responsibility to keep the city clean. As a municipality, we try our best to keep it clean, said Holyoke City Council Member Juan Anderson-Burgos. You know, we have our trucks passing by and cleaning and sweeping. Depending on what parts of the city need more attention, street sweeping can take up to two weeks to complete. But Anderson-Burgos says it can be quicker if neighbors get togethera tip Holyoke resident Jonathan Ventura has been following since 2008. We try to rake up, clean up, and even after the floods and everything, the water comes down the streets, even if the gutter gets cleaned up, we try to rake up all of those leaves and everything else, Ventura said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And if its too much for one neighborhood, anyone can call the city to help. Who doesnt want to live in an area thats not clean? said Anderson-Burgos. So if we do our part, it just leaves to better results. The city of Holyoke wants residents and business owners to keep common areas such as sidewalks and drains clear of trash and debris. According to the city ordinance, Holyoke public works is not responsible for keeping alley ways and other private properties clean. And if your property is not clean, a task force called Flex Squad will notify you before any fees or penalties come into play. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a way to say, hey, this came to our attention, and we remind the public of the ordinance law, said Mayor Garcia. And of course, if landlords or property owners dont come around and comply, then thats when the fines come in. If everyone works together to beautify the city for the upcoming summer season, it will help to eliminate hazards for future generations. Because if little kids get ahold of those, thats really bad, Ventura said. Thats a bad influence on younger generations to come and everything else. So we all as adults should clean up our waste, not tossing it out to the streets and everything. Theres bins all over the corners. If you see an area that has not been cleaned, you can file a complaint online through the citys SeeClickFix app. 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. HONOLULU (KHON2) March 31 marks the debut of the City and County of Honolulus new mass notification system entitled HNL Alert, as a part of the citys Emergency Operations Center. According to the city, the system will allow residents and visitors alike to sign up for updates regarding severe weather, emergencies and other notable community news through text messages, push notifications and email. 38-year-old skateboarder killed in crash involving two vehicles Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In times of emergency, getting accurate, timely information can make all the difference, said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. HNL Alert is a critical tool that allows us to provide residents and visitors with real-time updates, helping them make informed decisions on their safety. But it is not just about receiving alertsit is about taking personal responsibility and acting on them. We urge everyone to sign up, stay informed and be prepared. The more we work together as a community to stay aware and proactive, the safer we will all be. 6 things to know about Hawaiis tilt toward gambling HNL Alert will be used in addition to emergency warning systems that do not require users to sign up, such as Wireless Emergency Alerts that sound on mobile phones and sirens. It is also in addition to the Emergency Alert System messages that sound on radios and televisions. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The new system can also include multiple sources of information, such as photographs and links to real-time information. The alerts also stay on the mobile device for a longer amount of time, rather than disappearing quickly, allowing users to have more time to read and understand information and share it with loved ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 7 clues revealed by Hawaiis ancient glaciers, the Pacifics only subtropical glacial formations HNL Alert allows the city to communicate much more detailed instructions and updates with residents and visitors. We want to give people as much information as we can to help empower them to make the best choices for their safety, said Department of Emergency Management Acting Director Jennifer Walter. With HNL Alert, we can send you updates about developing situations so you can make the decision to leave early if you feel unsafe or need more time. HNL Alert is a tool that we can use in addition to our existing emergency systems. Users can sign up for HNL Alerts through two methods: For customized alerts, create an account on the HNL Alerts website. On the website, users can select which topics they would like to be alerted about and pick how they would like to receive the messages. Users can also put specific addresses into the website to get targeted alerts about specific areas, whether that be home, work or school. For urgent alerts only, users can text HNLALERT to 888777 to subscribe in a quick and easy fashion to get the most important safety information via text message. There is no registration required for this option. The new system is replacing the citys previous notification system, HNL Info Alerts. For more information, visit the Department of Emergency Managements 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 KHON2. HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) The family of a man who was shot and killed in 2022 in Myrtle Beach is speaking out after his assailant last week agreed to a 20-year prison term. Quentin Ahmad Jean, 38, pleaded guilty on March 13 to voluntary manslaughter in the death of 40-year-old West Virginia resident Joshua Wilson. He was killed while vacationing with family members over the July 4th weekend. Little did his wife Staci know it would be their last time together. She said the couple was leaving a late dinner and stopped at a Circle K gas station when Jean approached and asked for a ride. Wilson agreed but took his wife and son back to their hotel before returning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At about 1 a.m. on the morning of July 6, officials say they heard gunshots and found Wilsons vehicle crashed near 8th Ave N. and Kings Highway. Hed been struck several times and died days later. Jean was located by his vehicle through the use of city cameras. Sgt. Chris White and the entire Myrtle Beach Police Department did an outstanding job with this investigation, Senior Assistant Solicitor Mary-Ellen Walter said after Jeans sentence. Numerous officers responded to the scene within minutes. Not long thereafter, they had identified and located the defendant and taken him into custody. While no sentence will bring Mr. Wilson back, we hope that this gives his family some measure of closure. His widow said Jeans plea brought some closure, but the pain of never saying goodbye lingers. She spoke in court ahead of his sentencing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our speeches were for us, not for him, she said. Part of me wanted him to listen. I hope, honestly, that he suffers and thinks about this the rest of his life. Staci said she heard Jean apologize for the first time nearly 3 1/2 years after killing her husband, though he wouldnt call himself a murderer. Wilsons family is doubtful theyll ever get an honest answer about what happened that night and are trying to move forward. Stacis 14-year-old son Lincoln also took the stand. It was raining earlier this morning, and I was like, maybe thats your dad crying for us, you know, letting him know that were here, she said. And then afterwards, its going to be all beautiful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mom and son went to the beach later that day. I said, see Dad? Hes smiling, and hes proud of you,' Wilson said. Because even though hes got autism, he stood up and he said his speech to the judge and everybody. I was really proud that he did that. The 15th Circuit Solicitors Office said Jean must serve 85% of his sentence before hes eligible for release. * * * Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read 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 WBTW. SANAA, April 1 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed in fresh U.S. airstrikes on Yemen's western province of Hodeidah on Tuesday night, Houthi media and residents said. The strikes targeted a "water project and its building" in the district of Mansouria in central Hodeidah, they said. Residents of the district told Xinhua that the search for possible survivors under the rubble is underway. The U.S. military also carried out a series of airstrikes on several locations in the northwestern provinces of Hajjah and Saada, with no casualties reported, according to Houthi media. Earlier in the day, Houthi media reported a new wave of U.S. airstrikes on several locations in northern Yemen, including Mount Nabi Shu'ayb in Bani Matar district, west of the capital Sanaa, and sites in Saada province. No casualties were reported. The U.S. military has not commented on the airstrikes. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have been fighting the internationally recognized government since 2014. The U.S. military has resumed airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in northern Yemen since March 15 in a bid to deter the group from attacking Israeli targets, the U.S. Navy, and international shipping lanes in the region. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis would continue "for a long time." Originally appeared on E! Online The Costa Rica hotel where Miller Gardner passed has responded to the latest update in his case. After the 14-year-old son of New York Yankees alum Brett Gardner died during a family vacation last month, the general director of the country's Judicial Investigation Agency shared that he "may have died from inhaling" carbon monoxide. Now, the resort has shared a statement, noting that theyre continuing to work with officials amid the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are heartbroken by the tragic loss that recently occurred on our premises due to causes that have not yet been confirmed, a spokesperson from the Arenas Del Mar Resort said in a statement to NBC News. We are diligently cooperating with the Costa Rican judicial authorities, who have taken over the investigation. We trust that the forensic process will objectively, clearly, and conclusively clarify the causes of this unfortunate incident. However, the hotel noted that they would not be continuing to comment on unconfirmed hypotheses or possible causes of Millers death out of respect for the ongoing judicial process and the familys privacy. More from E! Online Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our guests and staff, the statement concluded, and we reaffirm our ongoing commitment to the highest operational standards within our facilities. We appreciate your understanding given the sensitivity of this situation." Millers exact cause of death will not be confirmed until an official autopsy and toxicology report are concluded. However, in a March 31 press conference, general director of Costa Ricas Judicial Investigation Agency Randall Zuniga said investigators found high levels of carbon monoxide contamination" in the hotel room where the Gardner familywhich also includes Millers mother Jessica Gardner and brother Hunter Gardnerhad stayed. Yankees / X The initial investigative findings indicate that the incident was due to this contamination, with levels as high as 600 parts per million detected, the director said, when the appropriate level in this case should be zero. In the weeks since Millers March 21 passing, his family and loved ones have come forward with tributes to the young teen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miller's time here with them was brief but his spirit will carry on forever through those who were impacted by the way he lived, the family shared in an obituary. The Gardner family will forever cherish the places they visited, the people they met, the friends they made, and the memories they created together. Keep reading for everything to know about Millers death (E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.) Miller and his brother Hunter were raised in South Carolina. Despite Brett Gardner spending his entire MLB career as a member of the New York Yankees, the outfielder and his wife Jessica Clendenin Gardnerwho tied the knot in 2007kept their sons Hunter and Miller largely out of the public eye in South Carolina. Still, they occasionally stepped out in support of their dads career, attending the CCandy Children's Clothing Line Launch at MLB Fan Cave in New York in 2013. Miller was known to live "life to the fullest every single day. In a statement announcing his tragic death, Millers family described the 14-year-old as having an infectious smile and someone who lived life to the fullest every single day. He was similarly remembered by the New York Yankees in a March 2025 statement, who emphasized Millers outgoing and feisty personality. Miller was following his father Bretts footsteps. Like his dad, Miller was athletic, though in addition to baseball, he also took up football, golf, fishing and hunting. In a TikTok post he shared earlier this year, he emphasized his love for football by sharing photos of himself on the field, adding, "Miss it." Miller made an impact on the New York Yankees. In a March 2025 statement by the Yankees confirming Millers death, the organizationfor whom Brett played from 2008 to 2021remembered the teen for the "spark in his eyes" as well as a "warm and loving nature. The team continued in their statement, "It wasn't just Brett who literally grew up in this organization for more than 17 yearsso did his wife, Jessica, and their two boys." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Gardner family is still looking for answers after Millers sudden death. In a statement shared by Bretts former team, the outfielder and his family shared that after Miller and others had fallen ill while on vacation, the 14-year-old passed "peacefully in his sleep the morning of Friday, March 21." "Miller was a beloved son and brother, they wrote, and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile." And amid their grief, the Gardner family expressed how they are still trying to determine what happened. As they added in their statement, "We have so many questions and so few answers at this point." U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica confirms why the Gardner family was in the country. The day after Brett and Jessica revealed that Miller had died, the U.S. Embassy of Costa Rica told Inside Edition that the family was vacationing in the Central American country for spring break at the time of his death. The Embassy also confirmed that it was in discussions with the Gardner family about transporting Millers body back to the U.S. Costa Rican officials release Miller's preliminary cause of death. One day after Brett and Jessica announced the sudden passing of Miller, Costa Rican officials said the teenager likely died from suffocation after possibly ingesting a toxic substance. Preliminarily, apparently the manner of death would be by asphyxia after a possible intoxication after apparently ingesting some food, an Organismo de Investigacion Judicial spokesperson told NBC News in a statement translated from Spanish. At the moment it is a death under investigation and is awaiting the results of the autopsy, as well as the analysis of the Toxicology Section, to determine the exact cause of death. Miller's cause of death as suffocation is ruled out. However, authorities soon ruled out suffocation as his cause of death, because they did not find any obstruction in his airways. They shared instead that Milleras well as his parents and siblinghad fallen ill on March 20 after returning to their hotel from a restaurant, agency spokesperson Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia told NBC News March 25. Hotel medical staffers treated all four family members before Miller's body was found in his room the next morning. The investigation is ongoing and pending medical test results. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resort where Miller died releases a statement. Two days after the Gardner family announced Miller's death, the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort where the family was vacationing in Costa Rica shared their condolences. We are deeply saddened by this loss, and our hearts go out to the family during this incredibly difficult time, a representative for the hotel said in a March 25 statement to People. The factors that led to this tragic incident are unknown, and we are fully cooperating with authorities as they investigate. The resort added, We remain committed to supporting our guests and staff, prioritizing their well-being and safety, while respecting the privacy of those affected. The hotel also denied responsibility for the Gardner family getting sick at a nearby restaurant hours before Millers death. "The family did not eat at any of Arenas Del Mars restaurants for lunch or dinner the previous day, the resorts rep continued. Additionally, on March 14th, we had an inspection by the Health Ministry in which the hotel passed with a 98.5 out of 100. A Costa Rican official provides multiple major updates. The day after the resort where the Gardner family was staying spoke out, Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia, a spokesperson for Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency (JIA), confirmed that Miller's autopsy results will be delayed by months due to high crime in the area. We're having a hike in homicides as these drug gangs battle for territory, he told DailyMail.com, and every one of them needs an autopsy. He added, I can confirm that an autopsy has been carried out on Miller, but the full analysis and results, as in every one of them, will take at least two to three months due to these constant killings causing a backlog of cases. That's the reality. Alvarado Garcia did confirm, though, that there was no indication Miller's death was a result of recreational drugs or alcohol. Though the results will be delayed, the official explained that, since all the samples necessary had been taken for Millers autopsy, his body can be repatriated to the United States, however, the Gardner family has been held up by the U.S. Embassy in Costa Ricas processing of their request. New York Yankees pay tribute to Miller. During their Opening Day 2025 festivities March 27, Brett's former team took a moment of silence to honor Miller. During the tribute, players stood with their hats removed along the edge of the baseball diamond at Yankee Stadium while a picture of Miller smiling was shown on the big screen. Accompanying the snap were the words Remembering Miller Gardner. Investigators discover another possible cause of death. Miller "may have died from inhaling" carbon monoxide, according to the general director of Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency Randall Zuniga, who said in a March 31 press conference that "high levels of carbon monoxide contamination" were found within the family's hotel room. Noting that a "specialized machine" was located next door, Zuniga said authorities believe "some form of contamination may have reached the guest rooms, potentially causing the incident." "Nonetheless, the initial investigative findings indicate that the incident was due to this contamination, with levels as high as 600 parts per million detectedwhen the appropriate level in this case should be zero," he continued, adding that officials will "wait for the final results from forensic toxicology" before releasing Miller's cause of death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) compared President Trumps suggestion he could run for a third term to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is in his fifth term, saying Trump is not imagining a democratic election. I dont think, by the way, that hes imagining a democratic election for his third term. He is trying to be Vladimir Putin, Goldman, a frequent critic of the president, said Monday during an appearance on MSNBCs Inside with Jen Psaki. And we all know Vladimir Putin is in a democracy. He runs for election. Its a bogus election. But thats Donald Trumps goal, he told host Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary. Thats sort of his you know, the ideal for who he could become, which is to ostensibly have an election, but not really. And thats where hes heading. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has floated the idea of a third term several times since returning to the White House earlier this year. He made his most expansive comments on the topic during an interview with NBCs Kristen Welker over the weekend. The president said he was not joking about the idea, adding that there are methods which you could do it, as you know. It was at least the fifth time he has addressed the issue since being sworn into office in January. U.S. presidents are prohibited from being elected to more than two terms by the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution. Goldman said Monday that Trump is not a comedian and contended the president is not joking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And he has a very set M.O, which is to float a crazy idea, claim that hes joking, have some sycophantic Republicans start to run with it, like in this case, Representative [Andy] Ogles [R-Tenn.], and then all of a sudden it becomes normalized and socialized, Goldman told Psaki, referring to Ogless proposed amendment to Constitution that would permit Trump to serve another term. In the January proposal, the Tennessee Republican wrote that no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice. Goldman seemingly scoffed at the idea, suggesting that is how Trump moves it forward. He did it with self-pardoning back in 2018. And this is just yet more of his effort to break our democracy, the Democrat told Psaki. That is what hes trying to do. He is trying to undermine the very fabric and the foundation of our democracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans in Congress are dismissing the idea as something meant to enrage the left and own the news media. Weve got this little problem thats probably going to prevent that from happening. Its called the Constitution, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), a Trump ally, said. I think its more tongue-in-cheek than anything else. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) stated that the commander in chief has a great sense of humor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) slammed the Trump administration over its response to the fallout from high-level officials use of the Signal app to discuss military plans, saying the White House has done nothing to prevent a repeat mistake. Theyve done nothing to show the American public and most importantly, our troops and intelligence professionals who risk their lives every day, Moulton, a Marine veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, said Monday in an interview with CNNs Anderson Cooper. Theyve done nothing to show that this will not happen again. This is a gross violation of the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His comments come after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters otherwise, saying steps have been taken to ensure something like that can obviously never happen again moving forward, without elaborating. The administration is no longer looking into why national security leaders used an outside app to relay sensitive details about a then-impending military strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen last month and how a journalist was inadvertently given access to their chat. This case has been closed here at the White House, as far as we are concerned, Leavitt said. None of the officials involved has faced public disciplinary action, and President Trump has indicated no one will lose their jobs over it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported Sunday that national security adviser Mike Waltz used the app for other high-level discussions about military operations, but its unclear whether those chats included classified information. This puts American lives at risk. The troops are in danger because of this behavior, Moulton said. It absolutely has to stop. The Massachusetts Democrat also noted Congress could launch a probe, but he doubts GOP leaders will move forward with one because of possible backlash from Trump and his supporters. Its certainly possible, if our Republican colleagues werent total cowards and so afraid to confront this administration, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moulton said he thinks Signal which facilitates encrypted text messages, phone calls and video calls can be useful when chats are about information that is open. He also acknowledged he has used it for government discussions. But anything about future operations, future decisions, thats classified and theres good reason thats classified, he said. When you put it on an unclassified phone in an unclassified space, on an app that is not cleared for classified information because it may have holes that allow our enemy to compromise it theres a lot of ways in which this is very, very wrong and incredibly dangerous. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Rep. Jon Eubanks, R-Paris, attends a House Judiciary Committee meeting on Jan. 28, 2025. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate) The Arkansas House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that would clarify state public meetings law by specifying what members of city councils, quorum courts or school boards can discuss outside of a public meeting. Senate Bill 227, sponsored by Sen. Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock, and Rep. Jon Eubanks, R-Paris, would also allow a court to nullify any decisions made by a public body if it was in violation of open meetings laws, would add a cybersecurity breach as a reason to meet in executive session, and would regulate remote meeting attendance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under current state law, the number of people needed for a meeting to qualify as public is not defined, but has generally been interpreted to mean a meeting where at least two members of a governing body meet. Tuckers bill would make that more explicit. The legislation passed with 87 out of the 99 members present voting for the bill; five voted against it and five voted present. Two lawmakers abstained and Rep. Stephen Magie, D-Conway, was absent. The bill, which already passed the Senate once, was amended to add co-sponsors after it was sent to the House, so it will be returned to the Senate for another vote. While the measure passed with broad margins in the House, Rep. Jim Wooten, R-Beebe, stood to urge colleagues to vote it down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were starting down a slippery slope when we start fooling around with the Freedom of Information Act as it relates to the public knowledge and transparency in government, Wooten warned. Wooten expressed concerns that the language of the bill would allow board members to discuss their positions on public business, and then pressure other members behind the scenes. A separate bill, SB 376, would define a public meeting as one where more than two members of a government entity met. That bill is awaiting a hearing in the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee, and has been opposed by government transparency advocates. Eubanks said that provisions included in the bill would prohibit that kind of behavior while providing needed clarity to local officials alongside transparency. I spent 10 years on a school board, and I can assure you I did not know what the rules were, and I dont think anybody else did either, Eubanks said. I think this is important, and its going to allow school board associations, counties, Municipal League to have clear understanding of what is allowed so that they can give the proper training to the members of those boards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act of 1967 gives Arkansans the right to obtain government records, such as emails. However, vague definitions of what exactly constituted a public meeting has led to litigation as local government bodies ran afoul of sunshine provisions. Tuckers bill has garnered support from state FOIA advocates, including the Arkansas Press Association. The associations president, Andrew Bagley, called Tuckers bill a very good piece of legislation during a committee meeting March 12. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) suggested his colleague Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) should be censured for referring to Texass governor as Governor Hot Wheels during a speech at the Human Rights Campaigns Los Angeles Dinner last week. Its absolutely a disgrace. I mean, the fact that she would talk about someone thats got a disability with such a callous, rude tone, she should be ashamed of herself and she should be censured, Langworthy said Tuesday to independent journalist Nicholas Ballasy. Crockett has faced significant backlash for the remarks about Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who was paralyzed from the waist down in 1984 after being crushed by an oak tree while jogging. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They have nothing to sell but hate, Abbott said of Democrats in response to Crocketts comments. Despite criticism, the Texas Democrat has doubled down on her provocative statement. I wasnt thinking about the governors conditionI was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable, Crockett posted on the social platform X on March 25. At no point did I mention or allude to his condition. So, Im even more appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trumpa man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilitiesare now outraged, she added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Throughout her tenure in office, Crockett has been known to make headlines with remarks about Republican leaders, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), President Trump and Elon Musk. Shes emerged as a vocal and progressive Democrat who breaks with party leadership. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 (NEXSTAR) House Republicans are going on the attack against federal judges who rule against the Trump administration. One activist judge should not issue a nationwide injunction against the presidents policies, said House Speaker Mike Johnson, (R-La.). U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, (R-Calif.), is sponsoring a bill that aims to limit the ability of lower-court judges to issue temporary blocks on policies with nationwide implications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Let me be clear: it should never have come to this, Issa said during a hearing on the topic Tuesday. Issa accused judges of ignoring the will of the voters. President Trump was elected to assert many policies, including the deportation of criminal aliens, Issa said. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt weighed in during Tuesdays briefing on a judges recent ruling against one deportation case. Are you saying that it is OK to ignore a judges ruling if you dont like it?, a reporter asked. Uh, who does that judge work for?, Leavitt responded. It was an immigration judge who works for the Department of Justice at the direction of the attorney general of the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Democrats oppose Issas legislation and argue Republicans appointed many of the judges in question. These judges from across the political spectrum are showing up to work, and theyre showing America why we have an independent judiciary, said U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, (D-Md.). Raskin and U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, (D-Ga.), stressed during the hearing that judges do not work for any administration. MAGA Republicans in Congress have called for judges to be impeached not because they committed a high crime or misdemeanor, but simply because they ruled against Trump, Johnson said. On the Senate side, Republicans are working on similar legislation and plan to hold a hearing Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump and his allies in Congress have recently called for the impeachment of several federal judges who have issued injunctions against the administrations deportation efforts and DOGEs moves to gut the federal government. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Three years ago, Anthony Lowe lost his legs to amputation after a run in with police only to have another run in with the cops which cost him his life. Conflicting accounts dispute whether Lowe was truly a threat to the police. Now, the real decision makers must come to that conclusion. A Los Angeles judge ruled March 21 that Officers Paul Munoz and Joshua Volasgis are to face a jury in connection to the January 2023 incident. The two responded to a report of a stabbing by a suspect in a wheelchair. Once the cops identified Lowe, 36, as their guy, authorities claimed he wielded a 12-inch butcher knife in their direction. Family members say his legs were amputated after a 2022 altercation with Texas police, per ABC 7. In this encounter, Lowe was Tased twice but to no effect until ultimately, he was shot 11 times in his upper torso. Lowe was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind a teen son and daughter, per The Los Angeles Times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the chain of events wasnt that simple, according to a lawsuit his family brought against the police as well as a ruling from a superior court judge. The suit claims Lowe moved away from the officers as they approached him. The suit also says one officer grabbed Lowes wheelchair and dumped him onto the sidewalk. At that point, a knife fell, landing by him, wrote Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Virginia Keeny. Keeny also wrote in his ruling that Lowe retrieved the knife and moved away from the officers. That moment is when the Tasers deployed, per The Sacramento Bee. Screenshot: Mike Sington (X) Additionally, bystander video footage of the incident shows Lowe out of his wheelchair, attempting to waddle down the sidewalk away from the cops. The video cuts off as the shots ring out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge Keeny sided with the family in his March 21 ruling, arguing the incident raised the question of whether the use of lethal force was necessary, the report says. The video reflects that officers shot Lowe within seconds of arriving on the scene of the incident, and it shows no measured attempt at de-escalation, his ruling reads. The video does not clearly show Lowe threatened the Officers with a knife. After the incident, the officers were placed on leave but had since returned to full duty, the reports say. Now, the officers are headed to a civil trial in January 2026. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. On Monday afternoon, hundreds of transgender Minnesotans and allies gathered at the State Capitol in honor of Transgender Day of Visibility, with speakers including Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota State Representative Leigh Finke. Trans Day of Visibility is held every Mar. 31 to raise awareness of and celebrate transgender people, and on Monday it attracted a large crowd to a rally organized by OutfrontMN, one of the state's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. "It's a holiday, queer people are holy, and we need to be reminded of that," Sister Christmas Morningwood, founder of the volunteer organization Ladies of the Lakes, said. Sister Morningwood's organization is part of a bigger collective of queer nuns called the "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence," who made it their mission to protect queer and trans people across the state and beyond. Photos by Izzy Canizares Over 1.6 million adults in the United States identify as transgender, representing less than 0.5% of the U.S. population, but the community has found itself targeted by the new Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On his first day back in office, the president issued an executive order that denies the existence of transgenderism, and his administration has since been removing mention of transgender people from government websites, refusing to issue federal identity documents confirming to an individual's gender identity, and seeking to remove trans people from the military. At the state level, 26 states have already passed laws banning transgender youth from acquiring gender-affirming care. Since 2023, Minnesota has been legally declared a sanctuary state for residents and transplants alike. Governor Tim Walz spoke at the State Capitol, affirming his support for the transgender community and presenting a proclamation officially recognizing Monday as Transgender Day of Visibility in Minnesota. "I'm grateful you're here; I'm grateful some of you put your own personal safety at risk to stand up for those who don't have a voice," Governor Walz said. "Those of us who have a platform, some authority, who have the power to make a difference, now is the time to stand up. I am proud to fight one small part and stand alongside you in this fight." Tim Waltz giving remarks at the TDOV rally.Photos by Izzy Canizares Minnesota State Representative Leigh Finke, who in 2022 became the first openly transgender legislator elected to the Minnesota Legislature, said: "Thank you for continuing to show up. I have to say the circumstances of being trans in America have changed dramatically since 2023 when we were here fighting for something positive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We have done something bold, good, and powerful in Minnesota, and we would not have been able to do that without the vocal and continued support of Governor Tim Waltz." Minnesota Rep. Leigh Finke giving her remarks at the TDOV rally. While protections are in place for trans people in Minnesota, some transgenders residents spoke of the oppression and bullying they still face for their identity. This includes 17-year-old Ru Larson, who spoke about his experience as a trans male and the bullying he faced while attending school. "I have been out as a trans man for seven years now, which is crazy to me to think of. Coming out at such a young age has had its ups and downs; the school district let me down as a youth trying to get an education," Larson said. "That's all I wanted: to go to school and feel safe. Going through this means mistreatment lit the flame that I needed to step into my power and be here today. That's why I show up as my authentic self everywhere I go." After rounds of speakers, attendees of the event went outside of the Capitol for a special drag performance put on by local drag artists The Other Jeannie Retelle, Andre 1000, and Del the Funky Homo. Andre 1000 View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I have trans family and friends, and I'm a queer person, so it's deeply important to me these times to show up," attendee Josh Loar said after the rally. For those who aren't able to attend events, he says there are still ways you can support your trans community. "There are so many online communities people can get involved in and write your lawmakers. Contact your lawmakers and help insist that they stand with the trans community against the things that are going on." NAIROBI, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The number of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Horn of Africa region stood at 24.5 million at the end of March, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a report on Tuesday. The UN agencies observed a decline from 26.3 million initially due to increased returns and improved security in some affected countries, noting that the relatively improved security situation in Sudan allowed for returns from abroad and South Sudan. Of the 24.5 million, 18.9 million are internally displaced, while 5.6 million are refugees and asylum seekers, according to the report. The agencies also detected a rise in the number of those displaced following the escalation of conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in February. The UNHCR and the IOM said approximately 69,854 new IDPs from North Kivu and South Kivu provinces in the DRC have arrived in Burundi since the conflict started, while prior to the conflict, the country was hosting some 89,000 refugees from the DRC. Egypt hosts the largest number of refugees from Sudan with 1.5 million, followed by South Sudan with 1.08 million, and Chad with 769,716. Other countries hosting refugees from Sudan are Libya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic. The main causes of displacement in the region include conflict, the effects of climate change such as floods and droughts, and food insecurity. Several hundred German police officers are carrying out raids against the Mafia and other organized crime in four German states, with raids also taking place in Italy, police said on Tuesday. Sites were raided in the states of Baden-Wurttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland. Police said suspects had been detained during the operation. Hundreds of German police officers have conducted raids targeting Mafia and other organized crime networks, with simultaneous operations in Italy, authorities said on Tuesday. Raids were ongoing in the western states of Baden-Wurttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland. Police said suspects were detained during the operation. The operation results from investigative cooperation with Italian authorities to combat organized crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Stuttgart public prosecutor's office and the police are to hold a press conference at 2 pm (1200 GMT) at the district administration office in Waiblingen. Approximately 170 individuals in Baden-Wurttemberg are believed to have ties to criminal organizations, including Mafia groups such as the 'Ndrangheta, Cosa Nostra and Camorra. Many are concentrated around Lake Constance and the greater Stuttgart area. Criminal groups exploit the state's economic and geographical advantages for various illegal activities. Offences documented range from fraudulent food trading to drug trafficking, weapons violations, money laundering and tax evasion. While no evidence of cooperation between different organizations has been found within Baden-Wurttemberg according to the Interior Ministry, Italian anti-Mafia experts believe temporary alliances do sometimes arise. By Krisztina Fenyo and Gergely Szakacs BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Thousands of Hungarians protested in Budapest on Tuesday against a law that aims to ban the annual Pride march by LGBTQ+ groups, and which is seen by critics as part of a wider crackdown on democratic freedoms ahead of a 2026 parliamentary election. Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who faces a strong challenge from a surging opposition party ahead of the vote, has criticised the LGBTQ+ community and pledged to curb foreign funding of independent media and non-governmental organisations in Hungary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parliament, dominated by Orban's Fidesz party, passed a law last month to ban the Pride march on the grounds that it could be harmful to children. Orban, who has been in power since 2010, promotes a Christian-conservative agenda. The law says police can use facial recognition cameras to identify people who attend the event, and impose fines on participants, which critics say could become a tool to target Orban's political opponents. Orban has said the fact that rallies such as the one on Tuesday could take place meant there was no threat to democracy, calling opposition protests against the new law "provocation." However, some demonstrators attending the protest, the third rally over Orban's reforms, voiced concerns about the health of Hungary's democracy more than two decades after it joined the European Union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A group of embassies in Budapest, including European states but not the United States, has also expressed concern over the changes. "We, the undersigned Embassies, are deeply concerned about the legislation...that results in restrictions on the right of peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression," 22 embassies including France, Germany and the United Kingdom said. Festival organisers say the Pride march poses no threat to children and they are planning to hold the event despite the ban. (Writing by Gergely Szakacs; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) NEW YORK (PIX11) New Yorkers may finally get relief from one of urban lifes most frustrating struggles: finding a public restroom. City Councilmember Sandy Nurse is leading a bold push to dramatically expand access to clean, functional bathrooms across the five boroughs. More Local News Her proposed legislation would require the city to provide one public restroom for every 2,000 residents by 2035a major improvement from the current ratio of one bathroom per 7,000 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Public restrooms in New York City are notoriously scarce, forcing residents and visitors alike to resort to desperate measures. Last year, the NYPD issued 3,698 criminal tickets and 5,672 civil tickets for public urination. The problem hits vulnerable groups especially hard, including the homeless, elderly, and people with medical conditions who cant easily wait to find a bathroom. Under Nurses bill, the city would conduct a neighborhood-by-neighborhood assessment to determine the best locations for new restrooms. Instead of costly brick-and-mortar facilities, the plan emphasizes quicker, more affordable solutions like single-stall modular units. These would be free to use, ADA-compliant, and maintained for cleanliness. The proposal also calls for greater private-sector collaboration, potentially requiring businesses that serve the public to allow restroom access. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Downtown Brooklyn residents voiced strong support for the initiative. Its always a hunt to find a bathroom when you need one, one local said. Others highlighted the challenges faced by women, seniors, and parents with young children. If I wanted my grandparents to visit me here, Id worrythere just arent enough restrooms for them, another resident shared. The bill is scheduled for a City Council vote on April 10th. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. A Maryland man with protected legal status was sent to the notorious prison in El Salvador following an "administrative error," a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official admitted in a sworn declaration on Monday. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia who has a U.S. citizen wife and 5-year-old child is currently at CECOT, the notorious prison in El Salvador. The filing is part of a new lawsuit filed by Abrego Garcia's attorneys who are requesting that the government of El Salvador return him to the U.S. after being sent there "because of an administrative error." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Venezuelan migrant recently deported to El Salvador had final order of removal Abrego Garcia's attorneys said that he "is not a member of or has no affiliation with Tren de Aragua, MS-13, or any other criminal or street gang" and said that the U.S. government "has never produced an iota of evidence to support this unfounded accusation." In response to the error, the government has acknowledged the error but said in a filing that because Abrego Garcia is no longer in U.S. custody, the court cannot order him to be returned to the U.S. nor can the court order El Salvador to return him. According to Abrego Garcia's attorneys, in 2019, a confidential informant "had advised that Abrego Garcia was an active member" of the gang MS-13. He later filed an I-589 application for asylum and although Abrego Garcia was found removable, an immigration judge "granted him withholding of removal to El Salvador." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But earlier this month, Abrego Garcia was stopped by ICE officers who "informed him that his immigration status had changed." After being detained over gang affiliations, he was transferred to a detention center in Texas. He was then sent to El Salvador on March 15. PHOTO: Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center prison, in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, obtained Mar. 16, 2025. (Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia via Reuters) "Abrego Garcia, a native and citizen of El Salvador, was on the third flight and thus had his removal order to El Salvador executed," said Robert L. Cerna, acting field office director for ICE in a sworn declaration. "This removal was an error." In response, the government said Abrego Garcia had the opportunity to present evidence to show he was not a part of MS-13. "Abrego Garcia had a full and fair opportunity to litigate the issue," the government said. "He had the opportunity to give evidence tending to show he was not part of MS-13, which he did not proffer." Vice President JD Vance said in a statement on X that Abrego Garcia was a "convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right" to be in the U.S. Vance added that "it's gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the filing, Yaakov M. Roth Acting Assistant Attorney General Civil Division for the Department of Justice said the court lacks jurisdiction to review the removal of Abrego Garcia and said that the plaintiffs are seeking his release from Salvadoran custody by "financial pressure and diplomacy." Roth also added in the filing that there is no clear showing that "Abrego Garcia himself is likely to be tortured or killed in CECOT." "While there may be allegations of abuses in other Salvadoran prisons -- very few in relation to the large number of detainees -- there is no clear showing that Abrego Garcia himself is likely to be tortured or killed in CECOT," Roth said. "More fundamentally, this Court should defer to the government's determination that Abrego Garcia will not likely be tortured or killed in El Salvador." MORE: Documents appear to show how Trump admin identifies Venezuelan gang members: ACLU Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the sworn declaration, Cerna said the removal was "carried out in good faith." "This was an oversight, and the removal was carried out in good faith based on the existence of a final order of removal and Abrego Garcia's purported membership in MS-13," Cerna said. ABC News' Justin Gomez contributed to this report. ICE admits to an 'administrative error' after Maryland man sent to El Salvador prison originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended a video she took while touring a mega prison in El Salvador, arguing that it was an image people needed to see for transparencyand to scare those in the country illegally. She filmed the promoduring which she insisted that the facility was part of the Trump administrations toolkit for dealing with undocumented immigrantsat the countrys infamous Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). Yes, people need to see that image, Noem said during an interview with Bret Baier on Fox News on Monday, agreeing that images she posted last week of her standing in front of cells full of prisons were sending a message. They need to see that the United States is going to use every tool that we have to make our communities safer. That that is a consequence of someone who is a terrorist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president has declared Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as terrorist organizations and the president of El Salvador has as well. The only people allowed in that prison are terrorists, Noem continued. And to tour that and to look at that was giving the American people the transparency that they want out of their government. I toured the CECOT, El Salvadors Terrorism Confinement Center. President Trump and I have a clear message to criminal illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW. If you do not leave, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and you could end up in this El Salvadorian prison. pic.twitter.com/OItDqNsFxM Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 26, 2025 They were able to see exactly where were sending these people who have murdered and raped Americans, that have decimated communities, and theres going to be consequences for individuals who continue to do that. In a jarring publicity move last week, Noem filmed herself talking to a camera right in front of a crowded prison cell at CECOT as its occupants looked on toward her. If you do not leave, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and you could end up in this El Salvadorian prison, Noem captioned the video which she posted on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the past few months, the Trump administration has launched an increasingly hostile crackdown on migrants allegedly living in the country illegally. In March, the administration deported hundreds of migrants it claimed were members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though several reports have since come out claiming that some were wrongfully deported and had no affiliation with the gang or criminal record. While Noem has not been a stranger to a photo op since her secretary tenure began, her stunt last week drew immediate criticism onlinewith many likening the images to a concentration camp. Those are human f---ing beings behind you, not f---ing props, one X user wrote to Noem. That looks like a concentration camp. This is utterly reprehensible. Shame on you. The administrative error that caused a Maryland mans deportation to a notorious prison in El Salvador has prompted backlash in Congress and beyond. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old citizen of El Salvador, was arrested March 12 after working a shift as a sheet metal worker apprentice in Baltimore. He was deported three days later to the Terrorism Confinement Center in his home country, which activists say has been wracked with human rights abuses under El Salvadors president, self-described dictator Nayib Bukele. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin brought up Abrego Garcias deportation Tuesday during a joint hearing of two House Judiciary subcommittees about federal judges injunctions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes a Marylander married to a U.S. citizen who has a 5-year-old son with autism and he went to pick up his son, but he was picked up first by ICE, Raskin said. And then he was shackled and put on that airplane and shipped off to the torturers of El Salvador without ever having the benefit of those two most beautiful words in the English language: Due process. A Raskin aide told The Baltimore Sun that Abrego Garcia lives in Beltsville. Abrego Garcias wife and 5-year-old child are U.S. citizens, according to the court filing. Abrego Garcias attorney, Silver Spring lawyer Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, says his client was granted Withholding of Removal status and had a legal work permit issued by the Department of Homeland Security. A judge ruled in 2019 that Abrego Garcia could not be deported because it was more likely than not that he would be persecuted by gangs, according to a complaint filed by Sandoval-Moshenberg. The complaint said Abrego Garcia left El Salvador at age 16 to escape gang-sponsored violence and the extortion of his family, but Sandoval-Moshenberg told The Sun he does not recall when his client immigrated to the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the filing, Abrego Garcias wife did not know where her husband was until she saw him in photos and videos from the prison last month. She was able to identify her husband by his unique tattoos and scars on his head, the filing said. Though he has no violent criminal history in the U.S. or El Salvador, the extent of Abrego Garcias involvement with gangs seems unclear. The filing shows that during a previous bond hearing, a confidential informant advised U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that Abrego was an active member of MS-13. During this hearing, the judge ruled he was a danger to the community a ruling Abrego Garcia never legally challenged. In an overnight X post Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance implied Abrego Garcia had no legal right to remain in the U.S. because he is not a citizen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My comment is that according to the court document you apparently didnt read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here, Vance wrote in response to actor Jon Favreaus post about the situation. My further comment is that its gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize. Sandoval-Moshenberg claimed the Trump administration has no substantial evidence of Abrego Garcias supposed status as an MS-13 member, or of his involvement in any crimes committed by the gang. We dispute that hes a gang member, we think those are baseless allegations from a confidential informant that never amounted to anything, Sandoval-Moshenberg told The Sun. But regardless, there are immigration courts where they could have made that argument, where they could have filed that evidence. They didnt. Public records show Abrego Garcia was charged with four driving-related offenses in Maryland between 2016 and 2018. These offenses include three separate charges of driving on a suspended license during a 40-day period in the summer of 2016, and as well as a driving on a highway without a license charge in April 2018. _____ The University of Minnesota international graduate student detained last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had his visa revoked over a drunk driving case, not due to participation in pro-Palestinian protests on campus, according to a senior Trump administration official. This is not related to student protests, an official from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told The Hill on Monday. The individual in question was arrested after a visa revocation by the State Dept. related to a prior criminal history for a DUI. University officials confirmed that the international student, who was not named, was detained by ICE agents last Thursday. The school called the arrest a deeply concerning situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The student, who was enrolled at the Carlson School of Management on the Twin Cities campus located in Minneapolis, was arrested off-campus. We are actively working to gather more details about this incident, University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham said in a Friday update that was also co-signed by Vice President for Student Affairs Calvin Phillips and Vice President for Equity and Diversity Mercedes Ramirez Fernandez. The University had no prior knowledge of this incident and did not share any information with federal authorities before it occurred, the trio wrote in the release. The student, later identified as Dogukan Gunaydin, filed a lawsuit in federal court on Sunday, contesting the lawfulness of his arrest, The New York Times reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICE arrested another student in Minnesota last week. Edward Inch, president of Minnesota State Universitys Mankato campus, said a student was detained Friday at an off-campus residence. The institution was not in touch with the administration and ICE officials did not speak with the school, per Inch. This action hurts what we try to accomplish as a university supporting all learners to receive the education they desire to make the impact they want in their communities, he said Monday an emailed statement. Inch said he has reached out to both federal and state-level officials to share my concern and ask for their help in curbing this activity within our campus community of learners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know this news may be upsetting for members of our community, he wrote. If you or someone you know needs support, please use the campus resources available to you. The two arrests of students in the North Star State come as President Trump has accelerated his crackdown on international students and faculty who have shown support for Palestinian causes during protests on campus. At least 300 foreign student visas have been revoked since Trump took office, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 volcano began erupting in southwestern Iceland on Tuesday as tourists at the nearby Blue Lagoon and residents of local communities were evacuated. Flames and smoke shot through the air as a fissure opened near the town of Grindavik, about 50 kilometres southwest of the capital, Reykjavik, where roughly 40 homes have been evacuated, according to national broadcaster RUV. Residents mostly vacated the community, located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, in 2023 when the volcano came to life after lying dormant for 800 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A swarm of small earthquakes began at around 6:30am local time on 1 April, similar to previous eruptions. The eruption just north of the protective barrier near Grindavik then began at 9:45am, according to Iceland's Met Office (IMO). Warning sirens started to sound when the orange-red fissure reached the town's defence walls at around 10am. IMO has said that the fissure is now around 700 metres long, and it cannot be ruled out that it may continue to open further south. Emergency responders in Grindavik have reported that earthquakes can be felt in the town, and signs of deformation are also visible there, suggesting that fault movements could occur within the town itself, it added. Runolfur orhallsson, Icelands director of civil protection, has said the eruption has the potential be much larger than recent ones because the magma tunnel is more extensive and a lot of magma has built up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related Iceland sits above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic and, on average, sees one eruption every four to five years. Experts have warned that volcanic activity in the Reykjanes peninsula has entered a new era, with the frequency of eruptions having surged. This is the 11th such event to have occurred since 2021, when this new eruption period began. Icelands Blue Lagoon closed until further notice The Blue Lagoon is one of Iceland's biggest tourist attractions. Authorities evacuated guests from the geothermal spa, moving them to nearby hotels when it became clear an eruption was imminent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It will remain closed through 1 April, and the situation will be assessed later on, according to a message posted on the Blue Lagoons website. All guests with bookings during this temporary closure will be contacted. An areal view of the volcanic eruption near the town of Grindavik, on the Reykjanes Peninsula. - AP Photo/Marco di Marco A 'red alert' has been issued for the town of Grindavik, and the area around it is closed off. It will remain closed until further notice. Travellers have been asked to respect the closures and instructions from local authorities and to stay away while conditions are being assessed, according to Safe Travel Iceland. During previous eruptions, tourists and locals keen to see the majestic event first-hand have been repeatedly warned to stay away from Reykjanes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related Though it is yet to be updated for the most recent eruption, the UKs FCDO says eruptions and earthquakes are common in Iceland due to the countrys nature geography. In the event of an eruption or wider seismic activity follow the latest advice issued by the authorities, it says. It adds that travellers should regularly check for alerts and advice from the Icelandic Tourism Board, Icelandic Met Office, Safe Travel Iceland and the Almannavarnir Facebook Page. The effects of the eruption are currently localised and have not caused any problems for the nearby Keflavik airport- Iceland's main international airport. Though ash clouds from previous volcanic eruptions in Iceland have had disrupted international air travel, this one is not expected to do so. A lava fissure appears to have halted its growth and movement toward a town in southwestern Iceland on Tuesday, but not before forcing evacuations of residents and tourists alike. The volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula has erupted on and off since reawakening in 2023 for the first time in 800 years. The latest fissure grew to about three-quarters of a mile long just north of the town of Grindavik, which has largely been evacuated since 2023, according to BBC.com. (MORE: Hundreds Dead Following Devastating Myanmar Earthquake) A fissure of orange lava and white smoke is seen with a town in the background About 40 homes were ordered to evacuate again Tuesday, in addition to the famed Blue Lagoon spa just north of Grindavik, the Associated Press reported. Seismic activity reportedly broke a hot water pipe on the northern side of Grindavik, Iceland's Met Office said in a statement obtained by the AP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This confirms that significant fault movements have occurred within the town," the Met Office also said. After previous eruptions, protective barriers were built using large boulders in hopes of keeping lava from flowing into Grindavik, according to the New York Times. But on Tuesday morning, a Met Office photo showed lava on both sides of the barrier, indicating that the fissure had expanded further toward the town. There haven't been any impacts to European air travel or to Iceland's capital city, Reykjavik, which is located about 25 miles northeast of Grindavik. KAMPALA, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Uganda is engaging with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after militants fired at a humanitarian aircraft in eastern DRC, killing one person, a military spokesperson said. Chris Magezi, a Ugandan military spokesperson, said in a statement issued late Monday that the International Committee of the Red Cross had contracted the Ocean Heights Aviation Training Center in Uganda to evacuate its humanitarian staff caught in the conflict in South Kivu province in eastern DRC. As the aircraft, a Cessna Caravan flying from Uganda's Entebbe International Airport to Kavumu Airport in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, approached its destination on Thursday, it came under attack, Magezi said. "They (the pilots) flew there but landed when the security situation had dramatically changed. Reports suggest that one person on the aircraft was shot and succumbed to the injuries. The government of Uganda, through relevant diplomatic channels, is following up on this matter," Magezi said. "The Uganda Peoples' Defense Forces are not involved in this at all, but we are concerned that our fellow citizens have been harmed. We will do everything necessary if we are asked to provide any assistance," he added. The plane was piloted by a Ugandan and a South Sudanese national. In February, the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group seized control of Kavumu Airport, located about 30 km from Bukavu city. The airport serves as a crucial hub for humanitarian and military flights. The ongoing crisis in South Kivu and North Kivu provinces in eastern DRC has led to mass displacement, increased instability, and heightened diplomatic tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. Diplomatic and military efforts are underway to restore stability in the DRC. A SNAP welcomed here sign is seen at the entrance to a Big Lots store in Portland, Oregon. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is a federal program. (Getty Images) A bill to ban a food assistance program from covering candy and soda in Idaho is headed to Gov. Brad Little for consideration. Idaho also needs federal approval for the proposed ban. House Bill 109 would require the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to seek federal approval to exclude candy and soda from foods eligible for coverage by the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur dAlene, presents House Bill 345 before the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on March 10, 2025, at the Idaho Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) Idahos bill is part of the national movement coined Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, promoted by U.S. health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the bills cosponsor Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur dAlene has told lawmakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And, he said, soda is the number one commodity spent on SNAP. Business industry representatives oppose the bill. Arguing the bill wouldnt be workable, Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, has said it would cause grocery stores to stop accepting SNAP. But bill cosponsor Senate Majority Caucus Chair Ben Toews, R-Coeur dAlene, says hes skeptical the bill would be hard on retailers. He said the bills candy definition is used in 24 other states sales tax laws. The Idaho House passed the bill on a 48-20 vote on Monday, after the chamber had already narrowly approved the bill. It came back to the House after the Senate amended the bill to tweak the candy definition. The Idaho Senate passed an amended version of the bill on a 25-10 vote last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Idaho Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, critiqued the bill as another way to control poor people. Sen. Camille Blaylock, R-Caldwell, suggested it isnt likely Idaho would make the change alone. Idahos waiver, she argued, would join other states requests, applying pressure for a nationwide change. When the bill is transmitted to the governor, 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 July 1. Bills candy definition is broad, and would ban granola and power bars, critics say Pushback has largely focused on the bills broad candy definition, which critics say would also ban granola bars and power bars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill defines candy as a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners combined with chocolate, fruit, nuts or other ingredients or flavorings in several forms. Under the bill, candy would not include items that contain flour or need refrigeration. The Senate amended the bill to tweak the candy definition, removing an exemption for items with more than 10% flour by weight. The bills soda definition also appears to be broad. Under the bill, soda includes nonalcoholic beverages with sweeteners, artificial or natural. But the bill doesnt consider soda to be drinks with more than 50% juice, contain milk or milk substitutes, or that need preparation, such as powders or concentrates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 132,000 Idahoans are enrolled in SNAP, according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare figures, receiving an average of $177 in monthly program benefits. If the federal U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, doesnt grant Idahos candy/soda SNAP ban waiver, the bill says Health and Welfare shall request such a waiver annually until such a waiver is granted. The bills fiscal note estimates it would not have a fiscal impact. Republican legislators in Arizona, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming introduced similar bills, Stateline reported. Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com. 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 passed and sent to the governor a bill to prevent unauthorized immigrants in Idaho from accessing publicly funded assistance. Bill cosponsor Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur dAlene, has said the goal of House Bill 135 is to prioritize people who are living in the U.S. with proper authorization to access welfare benefits. Last year, Redman brought a similar bill that failed in committee. 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) To receive public assistance in Idaho, state agencies are largely required to verify the lawful presence of adults applying for benefits. But, Idaho law spells out exceptions for certain services, including emergency health care, immunization, communicable disease testing and treatment, prenatal and postnatal care, and food assistance for dependent children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Bill 135 would remove some of those exceptions, requiring state agencies to verify someones immigration status for access to health assistance for immunizations, communicable disease testing and treatment, prenatal and postnatal care, and food assistance for dependent children. Under the bill, some emergency services would still be exempt from the immigration status verification requirement. Idaho state Sen. Phil Hart, R-Kellogg, (right) 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) Another bill cosponsor, Sen. Phil Hart, R-Kellogg, told Idaho senators the bill doesnt prevent people from accessing services. What it does do is it would prevent the state of Idaho for paying for those. So you could still access these types of services through a nonprofit. You could pay for them yourself, or you could get somebody else to pay for them, Hart said. And so the impact of the bill, from a financial standpoint, is actually fairly minimal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Idaho Senate passed the bill on a 26-9 vote Tuesday, with all six Senate Democrats opposing the bill, joined by three Republican senators. The House already passed the bill on a 46-22 vote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Sen. Guthrie was among three Senate Republicans to oppose bill Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, opposed the bill. He argued it could affect the public health of Idahos entire population by denying public vaccine coverage for undocumented immigrants. Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, on the Idaho Senate floor on March 25, 2024. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun) And he argued the bill, by denying food assistance coverage, conflicts with U.S. Supreme Court precedent that says children born in America are U.S. citizens, regardless of their parents citizenship status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this building, we take a great deal of pride in being a pro-life state, and I share in that objective, Guthrie told senators. But in this case, the legislation denying prenatal care could compromise lives of the pre-born. And so I guess, unless were becoming selective in our application of when pro-life is important, maybe thats a point to consider. Democrats paint the bill as cruel. Arguing in favor, Sen. Zito says compassion should come earlier. Sen. Christy Zito, R-Mountain Home, said she kept hearing the word compassion come up in debate on the bill. She argued that should come earlier. Idaho state Sens. Christy Zito, R-Hammett, (left) and Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, talk on 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) If Im a mother and I have children or Im pregnant and getting ready to have a child, why would I put my children into a position where they were in a country where I had no way to take care of them? Why would I have them in a position where I was a fugitive from the law, where I was already breaking the law by being where I am? Zito told senators. I think the compassion begins long before these children are in a position where they need these services. The compassion begins with making sure that were good with the law. Democrats cast the bill as cruel. Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, said when lawmakers debated the issue nearly two decades ago, they were careful to ensure children wouldnt be denied services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Ron Taylor, D-Hailey, said he asked himself two questions on the bill. Have we as a society lost all respect for decency? I havent been able to answer that one yet. I think that question remains to be answered. The second question I asked myself was, What would Jesus do? Taylor said. I answered that question. Ill be voting no. When the 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 July 1. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) The voting for the 2025 Illinois Makers Madness contest to name the coolest thing made in Illinois has narrowed to its final four products. Theres just one week left in the competition, so make sure to cast your vote before its too late, said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers Association. This contest is about celebrating the incredible creativity, innovation and versatility of our states manufacturers attributes that are well represented in this years Top 4. We wish the finalists the best of luck as we prepare to unveil the winner of the 2025 title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois. According to the state, the final four products are: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pumps Manufactured by MTH Pumps in Plano, the Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump was designed to reduce the refill time of helicopter-based water tanks from over a minute to as little as 30 seconds, increasing the number of water drops that aerial firefighters can place on a wildfire. This time advantage improves the chances of slowing or stopping fires from endangering lives, property and habitats. When wildfires in California left a trail of destruction, MTH Pumps helped by providing rapid and reliable water access for aerial firefighting teams. Joint Combined Aircrew Systems Tester (JCAST) Manufactured by Chemring Energetic Devices in Downers Grove, the Joint Combined Aircrew System Tester (JCAST) is a stand-alone, benchtop tester capable of evaluating flight equipment for many aircrew flight systems. It provides mission critical data and simple go/no-go information for complete system verification. JCAST is used to assess the critical safety of flight for Aircrew Flight Equipment components used in conjunction with military flying operations. Donor Milk Collected, pasteurized, packaged and distributed by Mothers Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes in Elk Grove Village, Donor Milk is a life-saving product provided to premature and critically ill babies to save young lives and improve pediatric health. Donor milk is essential for some babies with complex medical needs and required in situations where there is low milk or delayed supply by mothers, parental absence or separation and in cases of adoption and surrogacy. ROV Skimmer Remote Operated Oil Skimmer Manufactured by Elastec in Carmi, the ROV Skimmer is a remotely controlled device designed to provide an effective method of oil recovery in aquatic spills and a variety of other pollution situations. It can be maneuvered into spaces where it would be difficult to deploy a traditional fixed oil skimmer, making the ROV Skimmer an effective tool for pollution control, environmental protection and safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can cast your vote here until 11:59 p.m. on April 6th. More than 250 products were nominated this year. Last years winner was the Komatsu mining truck, built in Peoria. Previous winners included the Rosenberg Moon Habitat, made by Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford, and the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck, made by Rivian in Normal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) Illinois legislators are considering a law that would prohibit cities from imposing fines or criminal penalties against homeless residents occupying public property. House Bill 1429 would amend the Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act to prevent local governments from creating ordinances or giving fines, or criminal penalties to unsheltered homeless occupying or engaging in life-sustaining activities on public property. The language of the bill does provide exceptions to maintain access to public property or address risks to public health or safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) and the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness issued a letter to public officials and local governments, after it learned several units of local government have enacted or are considering enacting ordinances that may restrict access to public spaces by creating penalties, fines and, in some instances, providing for the incarceration of persons experiencing homelessness. In the last 15 months, at least 25 Illinois communities have passed ordinances criminalizing unsheltered homelessness. These approaches lead to increased isolation, additional barriers to housing and unnecessary cycles of incarceration, said Chief Homelessness Officer Christine Haley. Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) told The Center Square, Youre going to see people doing what you see and hear about in different parts of California, where people are defecating in the streets. Theres going to be homeless camps all over the place, and the police wont be able to do anything about it. Cabello said the language of the bill, in relation to life-sustaining activities, is too broad, adding, Bathing in a public area could necessarily be life-sustaining. Relieving yourself in public, life-sustaining. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that many homeless people have a mental illness and are unaware of their actions. In 2024, Illinois launched the Home Illinois Anti-Homelessness Initiative, a $360 million initiative to reach functional zero levels of homelessness (meaning that the community can house more than the number of homeless people in the area.) Rockford has already taken strides, becoming the first community to reach those levels among veterans and the chronically homeless in 2017. The Home Illinois program uses $118 million to support unhoused populations seeking shelter and services. An additional $40 million is used in the Emergency and Transitional Housing Program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The program also spends $37 million to build 460 shelter units, $30 million on court-based rental assistance, and $21 million in homelessness prevention services. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Illinois and a coalition of other states have sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over terminating public health grants. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul argues that the recent grant terminations, totaling nearly $12 billion for states, have caused chaos for state health agencies. Illinois and states across the nation rely on federal grants to provide state public health services that protect our children and residents from serious diseases or health crises, Raoul said. The abrupt termination of this funding that impacts millions of American lives is both callous and unlawful. I am absolutely committed to standing with other state attorneys general to fight the Trump administrations ludicrous and unlawful actions that threaten the health and safety of Illinois residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raoul went on to say that Illinois stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars due to the recent grant cuts. He said programs funded by the grants include services for providing vaccines to children, supporting public schools ability to share information about communicable diseases, administering tests for diseases like Ebola, constructing lab facilities for disease monitoring and addressing public health situations. Layoffs begin at US health agencies responsible for research, tracking disease and regulating food Feds rescind $125M in previously awarded grants to Chicago health department In a federal lawsuit filed in Rhode Island, the coalition asserts that the grant cuts violate the law because using the end of the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason is not a for cause basis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raoul claims that none of the appropriated funds are tied to the end of the pandemic. The coalition is seeking a temporary restraining order. Other states involved are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Washington. The District of Columbia is also involved. The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that employees across HHS began receiving notices of dismissal in an overhaul ultimately expected to lay off up to 10,000 people. 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 WGN-TV. EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) Illinois State Police released the results of their Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement (ACE) patrols in Effingham, Richland and White counties for March. State Police said that the patrols allowed them to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking action against impaired driving and the illegal transportation or consumption of alcohol or drugs. Richland clean energy workforce program welcomes third class Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In total, 30 people were arrested/ cited and 64 people received written warnings. State Police broke the violations down further. They said the enforcement included: Two Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Citations 16 Other Alcohol/Drug Citations Two Occupant Restraint Offenses Nine Registration Offenses Six Drivers License Offenses One Insurance Violations 21 Speed Violations State Police added that alcohol and drug impairment are estimated to be a factor in over 47% of fatal crashes in Illinois. The project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (KRQE) The Los Alamos National Laboratory Historical Society is releasing new photos that John Mike Michnovicz took during the Manhattan Project. Michnovicz captured some of the most iconic images of the top-secret project, from portraits of key figures like J. Robert Oppenheimer to the critical documentation of fatal radiation accidents. While many of his photographs have long been archived, LANLs historical society uncovered additional images. Weve been kind of underrepresented: The state of New Mexicos pecan industry These photos are now being shared with the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, revealing previously unknown aspects of the secret citys history. Michnovicz arrived in Los Alamos in 1944 and was entrusted with photographing not just the scientists and daily life but also sensitive medical cases. 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. CCTV: On March 31, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on the website of the State Department, saying that China has refused to afford U.S. diplomats, journalists, and others access to the "Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR)" and other Tibetan areas of China, so he is taking steps to impose additional visa restrictions on Chinese officials determined to be substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to "Tibetan Areas," pursuant to the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018. Does China have any comment on this? Guo Jiakun: The U.S. move blatantly interferes in Xizang affairs, which are Chinas internal affairs. This gravely contravenes international law and the basic norms governing international relations. China strongly deplores and firmly rejects this. Let me stress that Xizang is an open region. We have never issued regulations restricting foreigners from entering Xizang. Every year, Xizang receives a large number of foreign tourists and people from various sectors. In 2024 alone, 320,000 foreign tourists visited Xizang. In light of the regions special geographical and climatic conditions, the Chinese government has taken some regulatory and protection measures in accordance with laws and regulations regarding foreigners entering the region. This is completely necessary. Foreigners are welcome to visit, travel and do business in Chinas Xizang region, but they must abide by Chinas laws and relevant regulations. We reject groundless vilification of Xizangs human rights, and religious and cultural cause, and oppose foreign officials interference and sabotage in the name of performing their duties in Xizang. China urges the U.S. to honor its commitments on issues related to Xizang, stop abetting and supporting Tibet independence forces, and stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs under the pretext of issues related to Xizang. China will take necessary reciprocal countermeasures against the U.S.s wrong move. TVB: The U.S. State Department released the 2025 Hong Kong Policy Act Report and announced sanctions against six Chinese officials. Whats Chinas comment? Guo Jiakun: This so-called U.S. Hong Kong Policy Act Report is composed of falsehoods and disinformation. It is a vicious attack on Chinas One Country, Two Systems, the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The report seeks to smear Hong Kongs democracy, rule of law, exercise of freedoms, and human rights conditions. It interferes in Hong Kongs handling of national security cases and mischaracterizes the extraterritorial application of the law. The announced U.S. unilateral sanctions on officials representing the central government in Hong Kong and officials of the Hong Kong SAR government are groundless and unjustified. The sanctions and the report constitute grave interference in Chinas internal affairs, including Hong Kong affairs. China firmly rejects and strongly condemns this. It must be pointed out that since the return of Hong Kong, the Chinese government has fully, faithfully and firmly implemented the principles of One Country, Two Systems, Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy. The central government adopted and put into force the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR and the HKSAR government formulated and implemented the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The aim is to put in place a stronger legal system of upholding national security, better safeguard the rights and freedoms legally enjoyed by Hong Kong residents, and ensure the steady and sustained implementation of One Country, Two Systems. This move also fully reflects the shared aspiration of all Chinese people, including our Hong Kong compatriots. The HKSAR police took measures in accordance with the law against anti-China rioters who have fled Hong Kong, and the HKSAR judicial authorities have handled national security cases in accordance with the law and in an independent and just manner. Such practice is in line with international law and common practice and brooks no interference from the U.S. The U.S. on the one hand keeps overstretching and abusing the concept of national security, stepping up illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, yet on the other hand deliberately smears and attacks the effort of Chinas central government and the HKSAR government in upholding national security in Hong Kong in accordance with the law, and abuses sanctions. This once again exposes the U.S.s hypocritical double standard and domineering nature. Let me stress that Hong Kong is Chinas Hong Kong and Hong Kong affairs are purely Chinas internal affairs. The Chinese government has unwavering resolve in upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests, implementing the principles of One Country, Two Systems, and opposing interference in Hong Kong affairs by any external forces. We urge the U.S. to abide by the principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations, and stop interfering in Chinas domestic affairs including Hong Kong affairs in any form. We will take resolute countermeasures in response to the U.S.s erroneous practice. CCTV: Yesterday, presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed a treaty establishing the junction point of the three countries borders, marking the final resolution of border issues among the three countries. Whats Chinas comment? Guo Jiakun: China congratulates Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan over the signing of the agreement defining the tri-border point of the three countries and the final resolution of their border issues. We commend the three countries effort of resolving state border issues through peaceful consultation. This approach echoes the trend of the times for peace and development and is conducive to further promoting regional peace, stability, development and prosperity. As the three countries friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner, China stands ready to take this opportunity to work with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries in advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepening practical cooperation in various fields and delivering more benefit for the local people. The Paper: Recently, many foreign friends have visited China, including some top influencers on social media. They shared what they saw in China by writing and through camera lens. In response, some Internet users overseas said they saw a China that is different from what they had heard about. Did you notice these reports and whats your comment? Guo Jiakun: Recent months witnessed a packed agenda in Chinas diplomacy and a continuous variety of events of people-to-people exchanges. The one-shot livestreaming by foreign influencers presents China as it is in a panoramic view, one that has not been edited or put in any filter. This again spurs growing enthusiasm for China. This shows that the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries enjoy profound support from the people, and such bonds cannot and will not be severed. Having been inspired by virtual tours to China online, more and more foreign friends decide to get a first-hand experience of China and take an on-a-whim trip. Take Beijing as an example, since December 17, 2024, the ports at the city have handled over 1.3 million inbound and outbound trips by foreigners, and more than 310,000 of them were made under visa-free policy, an increase of 150 percent year on year compared with before the implementation of the policy was put in place. We will further expand our visa-free circle of friends and roll out more facilitation measures for cross-border travel. We welcome more foreign friends to visit China in this beautiful spring. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting: Donald Trump recently threatened Iran. He says he will bomb Iran, which is completely contrary to the Charter of the United Nations. Does Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs have any comments about it? Guo Jiakun: Earlier this month, China hosted the Beijing meeting on the Iranian nuclear issue where a joint statement was issued putting forward Chinas five-point proposition on properly settling the Iranian nuclear issue. China maintains that resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means is the only right option and that new consensus needs to be reached under the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The implementation of the JCPOA has been disrupted by the U.S.s practice of insisting on withdrawing from it. The U.S. needs to show political sincerity and resume talks as soon as possible. Slapping sanctions, pressuring, and threatening with the use of force will lead nowhere. The Iranian nuclear issue is once again at a key crossroads with the risk of escalation and also the important opportunity of reaching political and diplomatic solution through dialogue and negotiation. The current priority is that parties concerned need to have a forward-looking and constructive attitude, expand diplomatic effort and create condition for the resumption of talks. China will continue to promote talks for peace, work for the early resumption of negotiation, and find a fair, balanced and sustainable solution that accommodates reasonable concerns of all sides, so as to uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and promote peace and stability in the Middle East. Xinhua News Agency: Today marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and India. How does China characterize the overall development of the bilateral relations? What does China expect of the bilateral relations in the future? Guo Jiakun: Today marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. President Xi Jinping and Indian President Droupadi Murmu, and Premier Li Qiang and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged congratulatory messages respectively. Both China and India are ancient civilizations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South, and both are in a crucial stage of modernization. The historical course of our bilateral relations shows that being partners of mutual success and a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant is the right choice for both sides and fully meets the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of our two countries, China stands ready to work with India to view and handle the bilateral relations with a strategic and long-term perspective, and take this occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to enhance strategic mutual trust, step up exchanges and cooperation in various fields, deepen communication and coordination in major international affairs, jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development. Bloomberg: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently said that he would provide credible deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the Taiwan Strait. And then today we had China holding its latest drills around Taiwan. Im wondering if you wish to comment on this current situation. Guo Jiakun: The PLA Eastern Theater Command and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council have made announcements on the joint exercises. The drills are a serious warning and an act of containment against Taiwan independence separatist forces, and a legitimate and necessary move to defend national sovereignty and uphold national unity. Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The Taiwan question is purely Chinas internal affairs that brook no external interference. The DPP authorities are hellbent on seeking Taiwan independence, and attempt to solicit external support for that agenda and divide the country. Such attempt is just futile and doomed to fail. The historical trend that China will and must achieve reunification is unstoppable. On the remarks made by certain person in the U.S., Ive made a response yesterday. Let me stress again that military and security cooperation between the U.S. and Japan should not target any third country, or endanger regional peace and development. By calling China a threat and using it as a pretext, the U.S. has been instigating ideological antagonism, and stoking division and confrontation. Regional countries need to stay on high alert and guard against such practice. On the Taiwan question, we urge certain people in the U.S. to give up the illusion of using Taiwan to contain China, abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques with concrete actions, and honor the commitment made by the U.S. on Taiwan-related issues. AFP: I just have a couple of other questions on the drills that were announced this morning. I wonder if you could give any more information on them specifically, on whether they will or have included live fire exercises and also how long they will go on for. And then the second question is about the cartoon that was posted by the Eastern Theater Command online that shows Lai Ching-te as an insect being roasted over fire. I wonder how you think that kind of imagery will be interpreted abroad. Guo Jiakun: I have answered the question about the joint military drill just now. As for the specifics you mentioned, Id refer you to competent authorities. PTI: Further to what you said about the 75th anniversary, previously the indication was both countries plan to start a series of events coinciding or probably to celebrate this particular event. Can you just outline probably when these particular events are going to start and if you can just throw some light on that? Guo Jiakun: As I just said, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. Both sides are willing to further advance the bilateral relations at this important juncture. Last October, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a successful meeting in Kazan, providing strategic guidance for improving and developing China-India relations. You also noticed that recently the two sides have been earnestly implementing the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries and strengthening exchanges at various levels as well as practical cooperation. A series of tangible progress has been made in these areas. Regarding the celebration activities on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, we will release relevant information in due course. Please stay tuned. NEW DELHI, April 1 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and over 50 others taken ill following the inhalation of toxic gas leaked from a tanker parked at a chemical factory in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, police said Tuesday. The incident took place late Monday at Badiya locality in Beawar district, about 218 km southwest of Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. A senior local government official in Beawar, Mahendra Khadgawat, told reporters that nitric acid leaked from the tanker at an illegal chemical factory. Officials said following the gas leak, people in the area complained of breathing problems, heaviness in the chest and vomiting. People in the area around the factory have been evacuated. Reports said some stray animals in the vicinity were killed after inhaling the toxic gas. The local administration has ordered the formation of a committee to investigate factories operating without proper licenses. If ANY judge ANYWHERE can block EVERY Presidential order EVERYWHERE, we do NOT have democracy, we have TYRANNY of the JUDICIARY, posted a clearly frustrated Elon Musk on his X platform in late February. Musk appeared to be reacting to multiple US federal court rulings that have since reversed or put on hold the DOGE-recommended sacking of federal employees, the cancellation of federal grant payments, and even the mere review of federal spending by constitutionally appointed members of President Donald Trumps new administration. Additional rulings by US federal judges have reversed or stayed the deportation of illegal immigrants identified as violent criminals belonging to gangs with which Trump has said America is at war. In one controversial case, US federal judge James Boasberg, who sits in Washington as Chief Judge of the District Court for the District of Columbia, ordered that aircraft carrying illegal immigrant gang suspects to detention in El Salvador to turn around in mid-air, possibly over international waters where he has no jurisdiction. As of last week, the Trump administration has suffered 46 adverse rulings out of 67 filings to block his executive actions. Joe Biden, in contrast, faced only 14 nationwide adverse rulings in the entire four years of his presidency. Abroad, judicial action has targeted populist leaders or parties in countries ranging from Brazil and Romania to France. On Monday Marine Le Pen, leader of the largest party in the French parliament and favoured to win the countrys presidency in 2027, was judicially barred from running for public office for the next five years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is no stranger to these lawfare tactics. He was prosecuted in two impeachment cases in his first term and, while running for re-election, prosecuted in four criminal cases launched either by Bidens Justice Department or by local Democratic prosecutors. Now back in office, Trump faces renewed lawfare, the only means of official resistance left to a desperate Democratic opposition. Even as Trump denounces judges like Boasberg, whom he has called a radical Left lunatic, he has said he will follow the courts. This means that any of Americas 677 district court judges can reverse or suspend his initiatives at will and with national effect. Some have already done so as emergency measures in rulings that the Trump administration must appeal to higher-level circuit courts and, if unsuccessful, to the Supreme Court. Republican-appointed justices hold a 6-3 Supreme Court majority, though some occasionally side against Trump. As a branch of government, the judiciary is empowered to interpret laws but not make them. Over time, however, it has clearly become prone to overreach and abuse. Presidents can appoint jurists expected to follow ideological dictates rather than objective legal interpretations. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recently boasted that his party installed 235 progressive judges more than one-third of the total who are ruling against Trump time after time after time. Even when controlled by the opposing party, the Senate, which must confirm federal judges, rarely votes down nominated candidates. Chuck Schumer speaks at the US Capitol on Tuesday - JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Plaintiffs seeking a partisan ruling can forum shop, or file lawsuits in districts where they believe it more likely that an ideologically sympathetic judge will be assigned to their case. A considerable number of the lawsuits filed against the second Trump administration so far have been filed in Washington, where the judges and, potentially, juries, are thought to skew dramatically to the Left. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In view of recent cases, there appears to be no limit on the scope of a judges actions if the other branches of government take no corrective action. The appeals process can take months or years, sometimes so long that the root issue becomes moot before any final decision is reached. In 2024, public opinion polls registered that a majority of Americans no longer have confidence in the judiciary. Judges can only be removed by impeachment proceedings. As in presidential impeachments, removal from office for a federal judge requires a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate, a threshold so high that only 15 judges (at all levels) have ever been impeached, with just eight removed from office. Nevertheless, impeachment is surely a valid option for Trump, particularly against judges who are seen to usurp his constitutional prerogatives. Recall that the Democrats assiduously impeached Trump twice, both times knowing full well that they did not have the votes to remove him from office or deny him future office. As would be the case with overstepping judges, the process alone is the punishment: exhausting, expensive, nerve-wracking, discrediting, and dissuasive to others. Some Republicans have introduced impeachment resolutions in the House of Representatives. For now, however, the House leadership seems to prefer legislation to curtail judicial power by statute, a method used in other countries with overweening judiciaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But that may take too long or, given the narrow Republican House majority, not pass at all. If Trump wants to fulfill his promise to save America, he may come to realise that impeaching the judges may be the only answer. Paul du Quenoy is a historian and 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. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)Action is being taken to improve late-night safety downtown. The Shreveport Downtown Development Authority and Shreveport police are working together to increase security following recent violent incidents. Officers will be more visible to bolster late-night safety measures and increase the presence of law enforcement downtown. It is very important for the citizens and everybody that comes to Shreveport to feel safe in our downtown area, said SPD Cpl. Chris Bordelon. A vibrant downtown Shreveport is what its gonna take for our city to move to the next level. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Business owners like Dr. Chelette Holden, owner of Club Haze, are stepping up and personally paying for the additional security. Club Haze owner speaks to Public Safety Committee about proactive steps taken to secure her business Out of those conversations came the opportunity to partner with SPD to be able to add extra officers downtown at night from the hours of 10 p.m. To 3 a.m., the prime club hours, Holden said. So with that, four SPD officers will be added to the downtown detail on Friday and Saturday nights. Shreveport police say theyre bringing in new tools to help with the challenges of policing downtown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the things we can use and were gonna begin to implement is the use of our ATV vehicles that were purchased last year, so we have two of those that will be getting driven in the downtown area over the next coming weeks, Bordelon said. Another business owner says the changes will be welcomed, especially the part about addressing people hanging out outside of the clubs. If you look at the, the crime and you see the, the, the very few isolated incidents that have happened, its not people who are inside the establishments or people walking to and from their cars, its people who are hanging out outside and, and, you know, large groups that are hanging out outside. said, Tim Huck, owner of Sand Bar and Phoenix nightclub. If you do see someone thats in the clubs or in that area and is brandishing weapons, contact the Shreveport police department. Allow us to do our jobs and get those individuals and those weapons off the street. Bordelon said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The extra patrols are already in effect. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. India Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently reiterated his pledge to more than double his countrys current renewable energy capacity, telling delegates to the India Energy Week 2025 conference in New Delhi that he wants to increase generation from renewable resources to at least 500 GW. Modi said there are five key pillars to reach that goal: resource availability, a skilled workforce, economic strength, political stability, and strategic geography. Modi said increasing development of energy is a necessity for Indias economy, and he talked about how renewable energy is key to economic growth. India is now the worlds third-largest generator of solar power, behind China and the U.S. Government officials in February said the country now has more than 100 GW of solar power generation capacity installed across the country. Government data shows the solar power sector in India has experienced a 3,450% increase in capacity over the past decade, increasing from just 2.82 GW of capacity in 2014. Officials said that 100.33 GW of solar power capacity was in place at the end of January, with another 84 GW being built, and about 47.5 GW in the tendering stage. Government data shows 24.5 GW of solar power capacity was added last year alone. Modi at the New Delhi event acknowledged the importance of legacy power generationcoal-fired power plants continue to produce most of the countrys electricityand said his country will continue to work on sustainability as part of energy development. He said that the 500-GW goal for renewable energy will support a target of 5 million metric tons of green hydrogen production annually by 2030. The prime minister also said his country continues to look at the potential of its hydrocarbon resources, and is expanding its natural gas infrastructure via pipelines and power plants in an effort to increase the share of natural gas in Indias energy mix. Challenge of Transitioning from Coal Karuna Singh, regional director for Asia with EARTHDAY.ORG, told POWER: India is making significant progress in the field of renewable energy; however, the transition away from coal presents a complex and ongoing challenge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that India aims to achieve net-zero emissions by the year 2070. Nevertheless, a rapid decommissioning of thermal power plants is not anticipated in the near future. Indias coal-powered fleet is the worlds second-largest behind China, at about 240 GW of installed capacity. Even with an expansion of renewables, the country is building more coal-fired generation, primarily state-owned facilities. A 2024 report from Carbon Brief said nearly 100 GW of new coal-fired generation is proposed or under construction in the country. Singh told POWER that the Indian government demonstrates a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, recognizing the imperative to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. To address this conundrum, India is increasingly turning to renewable energy sources, particularly solar energy, having made and fulfilled ambitious pledges to enhance its renewable energy capacity under its Nationally Determined Contributions framework, as part of the Paris Climate Agreement. This commitment includes an objective of meeting 50% of the countrys total energy requirements through non-fossil fuel sources by the year 2030. Indian renewable energy and solar power are on the transformative curve of major change in meeting the ambitions set by an energy-hungry nation with the raised demand for continuous power, said Manav Mittal, senior engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project manager at Ampirical, a Louisiana-based engineering firm that does EPC work on large-scale electric sector projects. India ranks among the top countries of the world according to population, and it is an ever-growing economy that has posed immense hurdles to the energy requirements of its people. It has thus managed to strike at one time the recognition that solar power forms part of the solution for the buoyed power demand in the country, as well as the reduced dependence on fossil fuels, coal being the major one. Further, the country has set itself an ambitious goal of achieving 500 GW of renewable power capacity integrated with solar power as the backbone of the strategy. Mittal told POWER: Solar is emerging as an affordable alternative to coal. Solar energy is becoming cost-effective quickly, and the prices of solar modules are continuing to come down, which is making diversification of the power mix just favorable for India. Since the sun is available throughout the year, India stands to boast the highest solar potential rates. Solar energy is also very eco-friendly. Mittal continued, Coal has been Indias core power generation source and has been synonymous with as much as 70% of electricity generation over the years. Naturally, with the expanding solar sector, a gradual displacing of coal from Indias energy mix is predicted. Solar power is not only economically viable but also has to be part of the environmental necessity of Indias future. The energy scenario in the country has a challenge directly posed to it because of expanding solar energy. Leader in Solar Power Capacity Simon Stiell, executive secretary for climate change at the United Nations, at a meeting in New Delhi in mid-February, noted that India, China, the U.S., and Germany are the only countries with more than 100 GW of installed solar power generation capacity. He said the focus on an expansion of renewable energy should be on better living standards, and job creation, not just on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. India is already headed firmly in this direction, but an even stronger embrace of the global clean energy boom will supercharge Indias economic rise, said Stiell. Pralhad Joshi, the New and Renewable Energy union minister, in mid-February said, Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indias energy journey over the past 10 years has been historic and inspiring. Initiatives like solar panels, solar parks, and rooftop solar projects have brought about revolutionary changes. As a result, today India has successfully achieved the target of 100 GW of solar energy production. In the field of green energy, India is not only becoming self-reliant but is also showing the world a new path. Gilbert Michaud, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago, told POWER, India is pushing for more renewables, especially solar energy, as a means to reduce emissions and gain energy security and independence. India also has a growing population and new business developments, which is increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions. Michaud said, Renewables are now cost-competitive with fossil fuels, making this transition even more viable. Clearly, this will have an impact on the coal sector in India. Coal-fired power generation will likely decline in the coming years. This will impact jobs in coal-heavy regions, and it will also create stranded assets for utilities. The costs and challenges of both of these are substantial. A program launched last year called PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana brought a surge in solar power capacity. The effort supported residential rooftop solar; officials said that as of mid-February it has resulted in almost 900,000 rooftop solar installations. Modi in an address in New Delhi said, Every expert of the world is saying that the 21st century belongs to India. India is not only driving its own growth but also driving the worlds growth, and our energy sector plays a very big role in this. 1. Tata Power last year commissioned this 101.6-MW floating solar power project in the Indian state of Kerala. Courtesy: Tata Power Tata Power, a leading Indian energy company also known for its floating solar photovoltaic projects (Figure 1), via its TP Solar subsidiary, recently commissioned a 4.3-GW solar cell and module manufacturing facility in the state of Tamil Nadu in southeast India. The new factory is the largest single-site solar manufacturing complex in the country. The new facility is much larger than TP Solars Karnataka plant, which is now the countrys second-largest solar equipment manufacturing plant. Karnataka has an annual capacity of 682 MW of modules and 530 MW of cells. TP Solar said the new plant will make both tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) products, but did not specify the manufacturing capacity for each technology. We are immensely proud to launch this advanced solar manufacturing facility, which is a testament to Tata Powers commitment to building a sustainable and self-reliant India, said Dr. Praveer Sinha, CEO and managing director of Tata Power. Not only does it showcase innovative technology, but it also plays a crucial role in community development by creating job opportunities, with 80% of the workforce comprising women. Incentives for Domestic Manufacturing India is incentivizing greater domestic production of several renewable energy products, including solar cells and modules. The government in 2023 launched a production-linked incentive program, which has supported 48 GW of module manufacturing capacity. Government officials earlier this year announced a National Manufacturing Mission designed to support more domestic manufacturing of renewable energy equipment. India-based Jupiter Renewables, along with Tata Power, is taking advantage of government incentives. The company in January announced plans to build a $231 million cell and module manufacturing plant in India, with an annual production capacity of 4.2 GW and 3.6 GW, respectively. Premier Energies, another Indian solar equipment manufacturer, recently paused plans to build a solar equipment manufacturing plant in the U.S., citing uncertainty about whether U.S. government support is still available under the Trump administration. The muddled U.S. regulatory environment could help Indias solar sector attract foreign investment. Mittal told POWER, Most importantly, transitioning to solar power will be vital to Indias energy security. Considering solar energy investments, India is actually becoming self-sufficient even with a reduced import of coal and oil, conditioned on globally indexed prices. Thus, more energy independence brings India into a position of control over its future energy scenario and stabilizes the countrys energy grid. Mittal said Indias solar industry is seeing foreign investment, particularly in large-scale solar projects. The solar sector is one big driver for rural economic growth and job creation because solar projects are most constructed in rural places. Mittal noted that coal-fired power remains a major part of Indias energy mix, but said the country is doing its utmost to ensure that the renewable energy transition is a just one: cleaning up the dirty coal plants, investing in clean technology, and retraining the affected workers into new jobs in renewables. Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER. Indian refiners are seeking new suppliers of crude oil after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia, Bloomberg reported on April 1. India, now the biggest importer of Russian oil, benefits from discounted grades like Urals, enabling significant cost savings for its refiners. India's state-owned Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. are looking for additional options for May deliveries from regions such as the Middle East, North Sea, and Mediterranean, undisclosed traders told Bloomberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week's tenders were seen as outside the regular procurement cycle, as barrels for next month's delivery are usually bought in early March. The emergence of such rapid demand for non-Russian cargoes probably signals concerns about India's ability to obtain all the barrels that refiners previously purchased from Moscow, traders said. Trump previously threatened to impose additional tariffs against Russia, threatening a "25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil." The U.S. president has said he is "pissed off" by the Kremlin's attacks on President Volodymyr Zelensky's credibility. The Trump administration recently tightened sanctions on Russia's oil and gas industry, letting lapse an exemption that allowed Russian banks to use U.S. payment systems for energy transactions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, as Trump attempts to set up a quick ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow could receive relief from some of the previously imposed sanctions, Ihor Burakovsky, head of the board at the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting, told the Kyiv Independent. The Trump administration officials have also signaled that some of the sanctions imposed on Russia could be lifted as part of a ceasefire or peace deal. Read also: What Russia really wants from the Black Sea ceasefire deal Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Activists from Indivisible Wabash Valley parked outside the Vigo County Annex a few minutes after noon Monday amidst a cacophony of car horns and security sirens merging as an automotive orchestra. The brief rally or protest inspired accompaniment from approving passing motorists laying on their own horns. The spectacle was attempting to live up to its name: "Sound the Alarm for Democracy." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "More people have honked at us than ever," said Deborah Sitarski, one of the participants. "The first time, people didn't know what we were up to, and last time, we received a few honks." The Indivisible movement or organization began in 2016 as a reaction to the first election of Donald Trump as U.S. president. Indivisible Wabash Valley later joined a nationwide group to unite via noise during the COVID pandemic shutdown. After a period of seeming hibernation Indivisible Wabash Valley has reunited with different leaders for a contrasting reason: to decry what members perceive as the Trump Administration's eviscerating the federal government by cutting funding and attempting to fire tens of thousands of civil servants. "Overall, the national organization is meant to be non-partisan, but pro-democracy," local event organizers Karina Moffett and Jenny Dickison said in an email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are many members of the Indivisible movement who are former or current Republicans who are not happy with what today's Republicans have done to disregard the rule of law and weaken the power of our democracy. ... This is a crisis, and the time to act is now." Rex Gambill, who said he served in the Marine Corps for 3 1/2 years, proposed the event, and was the first demonstrator to reach the Annex. He planted his American flag which was upside down on its pole, a symbol of distress. "I think our country right now is on a very, very dangerous path and I'm going to do whatever I can to steer it back on the right path," he said. He said he particularly worries about how the Veterans Administration is going to be affected by funding cuts. "They've done a great job," he said of the VA. "It scares me when I hear that they're thinking of cutting tens of thousands of jobs of people." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Besides the roughly 25 folks outside the Annex, people who couldn't show up were encouraged to protest loudly wherever they were. "In a way, it is cathartic," Moffett and Dickison said. "But in a much bigger way, it is meant to foster a sense of community. "Even if you are unable to join us, whether you are home-bound, unable to leave work or school, caring for small children or the elderly, are ill that day, or for any other reason, you can know that all over town, at the exact same time, there are others who share your love and concern for our country, and are far from ready to give up on her." Organizers said more than 200 people have already signed up for a similar event Hands Off! is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Vigo County Courthouse. Indivisible members will return to the Annex 147 Oak St. and raise a racket Mondays at 12:05 p.m. Those wanting further information can email indivisiblewv@gmail.com. A changing policy landscape presents challenges for moving away from fossil fuels. Executives say that may slow, but wont halt, the momentum to electrify. Remember the slogan electrify everything? It wasnt that long ago when the push was on to replace technologies burning fossil fuels with electrically powered equivalents. Electric vehicles (EVs) would take over the roads from cars and trucks with internal combustion engines. That furnace burning natural gas in a home would be replaced with a heat pump (Figure 1). Neighborhoods and downtown business districts would be filled with all-electric homes and office buildings. 1. Heat pumps are some of the best-known equipment for electrification, enabling homeowners to replace gas-powered furnaces and energy-intensive air conditioners. Heat pumps provide a more efficient way to heat and cool homes and businesses. Source: Envato Elements Electrification would be key for energy efficiency and decarbonization. Utilities offered rebates for energy-efficient appliances, states offered tax breaks for buying an EV, and some cities said they would ban or at least restrict the use of natural gas in new residential or commercial buildings. The International Energy Agency called electrification one of the most important strategies for reducing CO 2 [carbon dioxide] from energy. But then... that all-electric world met up with political reality. Governments backtracked on climate initiatives and energy-efficiency targets, many of which aligned with increased electrification. The Trump administration paused billions of dollars in funding for a nationwide network of fast chargers for EVs, money already allocated to states by Congress through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. Even before that order, some states pre-emptively said they would pause their participation in the program. Uncertainty about the future of federal (and perhaps state) tax credits for buying an EV, and the future of rebates for energy-efficiency appliances, threatens the electrification growth curve. In the current political climate in the U.S., a balanced approach that leverages both government policies and market forces is likely the most effective way to drive electrification, said Coryn DeGrands, vice president of business development of energy at Bureau Veritas. Government policies can create a supportive environment by providing incentives, regulations, and funding for electrification initiatives. However, market forces play a critical role in fostering innovation, competition, and scalability. Ideally, a synergistic relationship where government actions stimulate market adoptionwhile the market drives efficiency and cost reductionscould yield the most significant advancements in electrification. If we look back at some of the most transformative technological changes of the past century, most have been driven by the private sector but enabled by a policy environment which did not restrict their growth, said Joseph Vellone, CEO of ChargeScape, a global vehicle-grid integration platform. For example, the discovery and production of new antibiotics was funded by five private pharmaceutical companies with market access granted by public health agencies. A more recent example is the widespread adoption of distributed solar power, which was driven largely by private R&D [research and development] but supported by public utility commissions that allowed households and businesses to export solar back to the grid. Vellone continued, I think weve seen the private sector really step up to push electrification forward in the current political climate. For example, although the Department of Transportation has recently frozen NEVI funding, eight of the worlds largest automakers have committed to deploying 30,000 EV charging bays across the U.S. by 2030. Similarly, despite uncertainty as to the future of the EV tax credit, four of the worlds largest automakers have invested in a joint venture called ChargeScape, which unlocks thousands of dollars in cash incentives for EV drivers when they smart charge at home, effectively making up for much of what these drivers would have received from the EV tax credit. I think government policies can accelerate adoption, but at the end of the day, market forces will drive the real, scalable change, said Scott Macwilliam, founder and CEO of Kite Mobility. So, while policies are helpful, I believe market-driven solutions will move faster than regulations. The key is to create models... that make financial, logistical, and environmental sense all at the same time. Dan OBrien, senior vice president, Energy Solutions-Direct for DSD Renewables, told POWER: Government policies currently play a role in making electrification more accessible, but market forces are already driving adoption and will continue to do so. Aside from the obvious environmental benefits of electrification, many businesses investing in solar, storage, and other renewable energy solutions are looking to them as a means to cut costs and protect against volatile energy prices. Its a bonus that this approach also enables companies or municipalities to contribute sustainably, benefitting their operations and the impact on the surrounding community. Proven, Available Technologies Many technologies already are in place for electrification, as companies look at how to provide energy thats more efficient and less costly. Paul Lambert, co-founder and CEO of Quilt, told POWER, The key is starting with proven, available technologies that deliver immediate benefits. For heating and cooling, mini-split heat pumps are a perfect exampletheyre incredibly efficient, provide both heating and cooling, and qualify for substantial rebates and incentives. At Quilt, were seeing that these solutions are being embraced because theyre an all-around upgrade compared to traditional systemsmore precise control, more efficient, greater cost savings, and better comfort. These electrified systems arent just alternatives to fossil fuel systems, theyre superior in almost every way. Accomplishing electrification goals with the right mix of technologies is particularly important for resilience, reducing the cost of local energy supplies, and in defining the new role of utilities in the emerging energy arena, said Rinaldo S. Brutoco, founding president and CEO of the World Business Academy. Municipalities should be taking the lead in these efforts by using fuel cell-assisted microgrids based on local renewable energy resources and supplemented by a hydrogen fuel cell. Having these safeguard technologies in place will ensure energy access for the times when The wind dont blow, and the sun dont shine. Clearly for direct energy supplies, the future is with localized distributed energy microgrids, said Brutoco. For individual homes, solar panels are a solution for providing reliable electrical supply. Paired with a backup storage system and a heat pump for cooling and heating requirements, individual homes would be more energy independent and resilient to the changing climate. 2. The new GE Vernova FLEXINVERTER manufacturing line is designed to produce both 1,500V and 2,000V FLEXINVERTER models, which the company said enable utilities to seamlessly connect renewable energy sources to the grid, ensuring stable and consistent energy supply for homes and businesses. Courtesy: GE Vernova GE Vernova in late January announced it would invest more than $10 million in a facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to expand the capabilities of the companys Electrification unit. The money will support a new manufacturing line for the companys FLEXINVERTER product (Figure 2), which GE Vernova said is a key technology for utility-scale solar and energy storage applications. GE Vernova is launching a new Power Conversion & Storage business, one of three business segments within the Electrification division. The company said the move is in response to demand from customers for more power stability and energy storage solutions, tied to the rise of renewable power generation. It also noted the continuous electrification of energy-intensive industries. Expanding our Pittsburgh operations reflects our commitment to building a robust domestic supply chain for electrification technologies, said Ed Torres, GE Vernovas Power Conversion & Storage business leader. This investment not only reinforces our role in supporting the energy transition but also aims to create jobs in the heart of the U.S. industrial base. As part of GE Vernovas Electrification segmentour fastest-growing division with immense potentialPower Conversion & Storage expects to play a critical role in building the electrification backbone essential for achieving world climate goals. Siemens eMobility in mid-January said it has been selected as the technology partner for two major EV charging infrastructure projects in Italy. The group is partnering with Autolinee Toscane and IPLANET to drive the electrification of public transportation, and also support making fuel stations into strategic service areas, further advancing sustainable mobility in the region. Siemens eMobility is electrifying multiple bus depots for Autolinee Toscane, a major public transport operator and part of RATP DEV Italia Group, in the cities of Florence, Prato, and Lucca, supporting the rollout of the companys zero-emission bus fleet. The project will use Siemens vehicle battery charging infrastructure technology to support operations across Tuscanys public transport network. It consists of a total of 73 SICHARGE UC charging points, capable of supplying 100 kW and 150 kW of power to charge EVs. Siemens also supplies medium- and low-voltage electrical distribution systems with switches equipped with Internet of Things (IoT) modules to ensure a transparent energy supply. Siemens eMobility also provides DepotFinity, a software platform for monitoring, reporting, programming, and managing charging operations within the depots. 3. The IPLANET electric vehicle charging network includes hundreds of 300-kW to 400-kW charging points, all fully remotely monitored through independent connectivity channels. Courtesy: Siemens AG IPLANET, an energy transition solutions provider, has asked Siemens eMobility to equip more than 120 logistics sites (Figure 3) with advanced charging infrastructure. Projects like these underscore Siemens eMobilitys mission to integrate sustainable mobility into everyday life. By combining cutting-edge technology and strong partnerships, were helping to transform the transportation and logistics sectors for a more sustainable future, said Markus Mildner, CEO of Siemens eMobility. Data and Digital Tech Experts from Piclo, a UK-based decarbonization group, told POWER that electrification technologies play a crucial role in enhancing grid flexibility and overall system reliability. By integrating distributed energy resources [DERs] like solar, wind, and batteries, utilities can better balance supply and demand and minimize infrastructure upgrades. The group added, Technologies such as grid automation, AI [artificial intelligence]-based forecasting, and real-time energy analytics help utilities anticipate fluctuations in energy production and consumption, which can then be combined with a marketplace to give even more options to maintain grid stability. Data is the keythe grid needs both megawatts and megabytes to maintain reliability with increasing loads, said Molly Jerrard, head of Flexibility, Enel North America. Predictive and automated technologies inform energy users and grid operators to effectively integrate flexible loads. This also requires openness from utilities to share relevant data, especially to facilitate the growth of virtual power plants [VPPs]. Electrification, when paired with flexible and digital technologies, can enhance grid stability rather than strain it, said Jerrard. Automated demand response and DERs allow utilities to shift flexible loads away from peak demand periods, reducing congestion and improving overall system reliability. Managed EV charging, smart thermostats, and AI-driven forecasting help balance electricity supply and demand in real time. VPPs can also help by aggregating and optimizing distributed energy assets, providing utilities with additional flexibility. By integrating electrification with data-driven solutions, utilities can turn new electric loads into an asset rather than a challenge. Electrification also is part of the equation for helping utilities manage electricity, and for flexibility of the power grid. OBrien told POWER, Leveraging renewable distributed generation like solar and storage can enhance grid flexibility by reducing peak demand and improving overall system efficiency and reliability. Battery storage is the key here, as it enables businesses to manage their usage and participate in demand response programs, shifting their energy consumption based on periods of high demand. By switching to batteries during these peaks, they can help reduce grid stress, and even supply energy back to the grid, further helping utilities balance supply and demand more effectively. Widespread EV charging infrastructure offers another important piece to the puzzle, especially as we see greater adoption of EVs and the potential for vehicle-to-grid charging capabilities in the near future. What is actually driving electrification today is that it makes sense for everyones bottom line. The path of electrification mirrors other technological revolutionscosts decrease while performance improves, said Lambert. Unlike fossil fuels, which grow more expensive as supplies dwindle, electric technologies become more accessible and powerful over time. Its the same pattern we saw with smartphones and computerscontinuous innovation drives down costs while enhancing capabilities. Fossil fuels cant match this trajectory of improvementtheyre limited by nature, while electric technologies are only limited by human ingenuity. Strategic planning, technology adoption, and infrastructure modernization are all necessary to achieve electrification objectives. Entities should commence by conducting energy audits to determine the most feasible and advantageous areas for electrification, said Kevin Gast, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of VVater, a water treatment group. Heat pumps are a highly-efficient alternative to gas-fired systems in the heating and cooling industry, as they maintain performance while substantially reducing energy consumption. In industrial environments, thermal processes that are powered by fossil fuels can be replaced by electric furnaces, induction heating, and plasma-assisted processing. The transportation sector should prioritize the integration of charging infrastructure, the electrification of vehicle fleets, and the utilization of battery storage to optimize grid demand. In water treatment, substituting energy-intensive chemical processes with electrically driven purification technologies can significantly reduce energy consumption, said Gast. Smart grids, energy-efficient motors, and demand response systems should also be integrated to guarantee that the transition to electrification is effective and optimized for operational efficiency and cost reductions. A Combined Approach Several executives told POWER that to achieve electrification goals, entities should adopt a comprehensive approach that includes a combination of technologies and strategic investments. In the current U.S. political landscape, achieving electrification cannot depend solely on market forces or government policiesit requires a combined approach where strategic government actions foster an environment for markets to flourish, said Manav Mittal, senior engineering, procurement, and construction project manager for Ampirical, an engineering firm that works on power grid solutions. While innovation driven by the market has certainly propelled advancements in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and battery technology, relying only on market dynamics falls short in overcoming systemic obstacles, said Mittal. For example, private companies are unlikely to invest in comprehensive nationwide EV charging networks or modernizing the grid without some form of incentives, and sectors like green hydrogen encounter a chicken-and-egg dilemma where costs wont decrease without initial public funding. Additionally, fossil fuel infrastructure remains deeply rooted due to years of subsidies and regulatory inertia, which market forces alone cannot dismantle, said Mittal. Even in a politically divided environment, government policies are crucial to rectify these market failures. Tax credits, grants, and regulations such as emissions standards offer certainty for private investmentsillustrated by the expansion of Tesla and the renewable energy sector following federal support. Effective policies that utilize market dynamics to promote public benefitssuch as clean air, climate stability, and equitable accessare not only essential but also attainable, even in todays divided environment. The U.S. does not have to choose between government intervention and market forces; instead, it should adopt approaches that capitalize on the strengths of both. Lambert said that even amid challenges to adoption, Electrification represents the next great energy transition in human progress. Just as society evolved from burning wood, to coal, to gas, were now moving to electricity. This isnt just about decarbonizationits about advancing how we power our lives. When businesses and municipalities adopt smart electric systems, theyre participating in this historic shift while gaining more intelligent, responsive infrastructure. Like the transition from flip phones to smartphones, the benefits are transformative. Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER. As Texas' industry and economy grow, so too do its infrastructure needs. This week, industry leaders are convening to discuss the state's pressing transportation, energy, water, and digital infrastructure issues. Infraday Texas is returning to Austin on Wednesday, where industry leaders, lawmakers and engineers will address how Texas' unprecedented growth is impacting the state's infrastructure systems and explore sustainable solutions to these challenges. Texas recently received a "C" grade on its 2025 infrastructure report card from the nation's premier society of civil engineers. The report rated Texas' overall infrastructure as better than the national average but urged lawmakers to increase investment in water, wastewater and transit systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Texas infrastructure fares better than U.S. average but needs major investment: report The increasing need for investment in infrastructure across the state comes as Texas experiences exponential population growth and rising resource demands, particularly for water and energy. According to the 2022 State Water Plan, Texas' population is expected to increase by more than 22 million people by 2070, raising water demand by 9%. However, water supply is projected to drop by 18% over the same period. Texas lawmakers are addressing the state's looming water crisis this session, with bills aiming to invest billions of dollars into upgrading and repairing aging infrastructure or developing entirely new water projects. Along with increased population, businesses particularly technology and artificial intelligence companies have turned to Texas to build large data centers that require massive amounts of energy and water to operate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This, coupled with necessary transportation needs and digital protection, has created an urgent need for investment in the state's infrastructure industry. "Texas is at a pivotal moment where bold investments, smart planning and technological innovation must come together to modernize our infrastructure," Infraday CEO Ken Bauco said. Infraday will feature over 75 speakers to discuss leveraging AI to solve infrastructure problems, climate resilient policies and planning, water conservation and grid reliability from Texas municipal leaders, state lawmakers and industry experts including from CapMetro, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin Energy and Accenture. "We provide a platform for public sector agencies to talk about new technologies, new capital programs, new initiatives and what's coming down the pipeline in terms of growth and new projects that their cities are involved with," Bauco told the American-Statesman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Infraday Texas is all day Wednesday at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin. Those who are interested can register for the event online. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Infraday Texas to host sixth conference in Austin this week GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Pitt County and City of Greenville leaders hosted a public information meeting Monday night, Mar. 31, 2025, to discuss a project that could make an economic impact on the area. The meeting was informational about a potential mega site for industrial park development in the county. Community officials and meeting attendees agreed meetings like this one are necessary for a thriving community. I think things like this are super important regardless of where people may decide on this overall plan and then the specific details, Wade Wilson said. But its important for people to show up to things like this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The projects investment will be worth around $5 billion and on more than 1,000 acres and on a 3,300-acre plot of land near the intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 264. Many types of manufacturing are being discussed for the project. Wilson, who lives in Greenville, said hes excited for what it could bring to the community. Its very positive. Its an ambitious proposal. Its inevitably going to raise concerns, he said. However, not everyone is as excited. Many have concerns about how neighbors would be impacted. Greenville City Manager Michael Cowin said people working on the project will keep those concerns in mind. I think one of the things is, is that how is this going to impact my quality of life? And thats why we have to be cognizant of the fact that we will do everything we can to create buffer zones and separation from the industrial site, Cowin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The megasite is not yet a done deal and the process could take about a decade to come about. The next informational session will take place Thursday, Apr. 3 in the Ayden Middle School Media Center at 6 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 WNCT. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) About 200 miles northwest of New Orleans sits the town of Jena, Louisiana. In its 2020 report, the U.S. Census reported Jena had a population of a little over 4,000 people. Travel a ways down Pinehill Road, however, and youll hit the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center, also known as Jena/LaSalle Detention Facility, which on any given day has at least 1,170 inmates locked up inside, the majority of whom are people whose citizenship in the U.S. is questioned. Last Friday, officers with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took Alireza Doroudi, a 32-year-old doctorate student studying mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama, over 5.5 hours from the Pickens County Jail in Carrollton, where he had been since being picked up by ICE officers outside his home in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday morning, to the Jena facility. Its the same place where Mahmoud Khalil, an outspoken Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate who was arrested earlier this month in New Jersey, is staying. (Courtesy of LinkedIn) Doroudi is staying in the facility following allegations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that he posed significant national security risks after his visa was revoked months following his arrival in the U.S. from Iran in January 2023. Doroudis attorney, David Rozas, said, however, his client has not been charged with anything and that despite his visa being revoked, he could have legally stayed in the country as long as he was in school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has not been arrested for any crime, nor has he participated in any anti-government protests, Rozas said in a statement to the Associated Press. He is legally present in the U.S., pursuing his American dream by working towards his doctorate in mechanical engineering. The facility has had its own share of issues over the years. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigated four deaths at the jail between 2016 and 2017, which the department identified as following a trend of delayed medical care, lacking detail to training on suicide prevention and a failure of nursing staff to report abnormal vital signs. The report was unearthed in an NPR investigation in 2023. In a piece published Saturday in The Guardian, Southern bureau chief Oliver Laughland covered immigration court hearings at LaSalle, putting the facility within the context of many ICE centers located across the Southeast known as Detention Alley. These distant detention facilities and court systems have long been associated with rights violations, poor medical treatment and due process concerns, which advocates argue are only likely to intensify during the Trump administrations immigration crackdown and promise to carry out mass deportations that has already led to a surge in the detention population, Laughland wrote. But rarely do cases within these centres attract much public attention or individual scrutiny. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a 2023 report by the Louisiana Illuminator, sources described the jails suicide watch unit as having cells secured behind a large metal door with a small rectangular window for guards to look through, as well as a small window looking outside offering a sliver of sunlight. Theres nothing in there that is remotely warm. Its all just metal and concrete, said then-Freedom for Immigrants Associate Executive Director Mich Gonzalez. Its really like a concrete cage. The Jena facility, which opened in 2007, is the second largest ICE facility in Louisiana. No information has been given on when Doroudis first immigration hearing will be. 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. COLOMBO, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The Board of Governors of Sri Lanka's President's Fund, under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has decided to provide financial aid to children from families affected by frequent elephant intrusions, the President's Media Division (PMD) announced on Tuesday. This assistance will cover families impacted by elephant intrusions occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2025, the PMD said, adding that priority will be given to families who have lost a family member or experienced injuries due to elephant intrusions. Children from families that have faced property or crop damage as a result of elephant intrusions will also be eligible to apply for this support, the PMD said. Under the initiative, selected students from Grades 1 through 11 will receive a monthly allowance of 3,000 rupees (approximately 10 U.S. dollars) for a maximum duration of 12 months, while students in Grades 12 and 13 will receive 5,000 rupees (17 dollars) per month for the same period, according to the PMD. The financial aid is expected to be distributed starting April 1 and relevant officials have been instructed to gather information on eligible children within their divisions, carry out individual assessments, and promptly submit applications along with recommendations to the secretary of the President's Fund. A total of 3,477 wild elephants and 1,190 people died in Sri Lanka between 2015 and 2024 due to the ongoing human-elephant conflict, Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi told parliament earlier this year. (NewsNation) Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the gym experience, and its already taking over workouts in California. Fred Fitness, located in Santa Monica, claims to be Los Angeles first AI-powered fitness club. The gym uses software known as Genius, which is integrated into all the cardio and strength machines to enhance members workouts. Genius guides members toward their fitness goals by adapting to their progress and ensuring maximum efficiency. Its like a digital network that supports them throughout their training, helping them achieve their goals faster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheriffs office uses AI to make suspects photo appear to speak Fitness tailored to each member Fred Fitness offers a highly personalized, AI-driven experience. Potential members undergo a full-body assessment with Genius, establishing a fitness baseline. Afterwards, a human trainer takes them through circuits on machines that test your strength, cardio, and flexibility. Based on all this data, Genius assigns members a biological age different from your actual age. Genisus AI knows members names and body analysis data and configures personalized workout programs customized to their goals and fitness abilities. Members set their fitness goals, for example, weight loss or muscle gain, and Genius calculates how to achieve them. It offers a customized training program that adapts to their body, adjusting the machines seat and handles based on height and limb length. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As members progress, Genius adapts, evolving with their fitness journey. Youngkin vetoes AI regulation legislation in Virginia Trainers provide oversight The machines also incorporate gamification, where members can earn points, similar to a Pac-Man game, with the added bonus of helping regulate your workouts pacing. This keeps members training at the right speed, maximizing the time under tension for a more effective workout. While AI plays a major role in precision and efficiency, human trainers still provide essential support, offering form corrections and personal consultations. Andre Enzensberger, the CEO of Fred Fitness, told the LA Times that this blend of technology and personal touch is key to the gyms success. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fred Fitness, which opened in mid-February, already has around 400 members, each paying $150 per month, Enzensberger said. The gym draws inspiration from the European-based chain Clever Fit, founded by Enzensbergers brother Alfred. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. WASHINGTON As Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, arrived at the Pituffik Space Base on the northwest coast of Greenland last week, one of the first thoughts that crossed his mind: Wow, its cold. Utahns are no strangers to snow, but amid the frozen natural beauty of Greenland, I can tell you one thing: Ive never felt a cold like that! Lee told the Deseret News in a statement. It was just under 20 degrees Fahrenheit when Air Force Two landed at the military base and Lee deplaned the aircraft alongside Vice President J.D. Vance and other top Trump administration officials. The trip was historic as Vance became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Greenland, and traveled farther north than any senior U.S. leader has ever gone for an official visit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The short trip, lasting only a few hours, comes as President Donald Trump has continually proposed the United States taking over Greenland for strategic and economic purposes. The territory has been controlled by Denmark since 1721, but has had home rule since 1979, giving local leaders authority over much of the territorys day-to-day affairs. We met with some outstanding men and women serving at Space Base Pituffik, the DoDs northernmost permanent facility, Lee said. The Space Force is critical to protecting Americas satellites and the communications, national security, and economic infrastructure they provide. The United States has vested national security interests in Greenland, according to Lee. Not only does the country benefit from its vast natural resources, particularly its rare earth minerals, but it also has an advantage with its strategic position in the Arctic. That location, according to Lee, is crucial in the face of increased activity by Russia. Utah Sen. Mike Lee, right, along with Vice President JD Vance, third right, and second lady Usha Vance, second right, tour Pituffik Space Base, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Greenland. | Jim Watson Lee was invited to join the delegation along with second lady Usha Vance, energy secretary Chris Wright, and national security adviser Mike Waltz. In his opening remarks, Vice President Vance joked that when he invited Lee to accompany him, he told the senator Id give him a ride to Utah, and we ended up in Greenland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Utah senator said he jumped at the chance to join the vice president, particularly because of his positions as the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and sitting member of the Foreign Relations Committee. When Lee addressed the service members at the station, he joked that the country looked a bit like his home state. When we flew in, it did look a little bit like Utah in the wintertime, he said with a laugh. Only there (are) substantial portions of this land that are always covered in ice, and it doesnt change. Lee thanked the troops for their service, telling them he was assured the American people are indeed in good hands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre in your hands, Lee told service members at the station. What you do here makes us safer, and when were going about our business in our day-to-day lives at home, we dont have to worry about the things that you worry about, because youre doing it for us. Vice President Vance made history today, venturing farther north than any U.S. president or vice president has traveledever! I was honored to be there and grateful for the invitation from @JDVance https://t.co/g4oeLeTQ2w Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) March 28, 2025 Vance told the U.S. troops he supports Trumps effort to increase U.S. influence in the area, arguing Denmark has not done a sufficient job in protecting the area from foreign adversaries. However, the vice president hedged on suggestions from Trump that military force would be necessary to annex the island. We do not think that military force is ever going to be necessary, Vance said. We think this makes sense. And because we think the people of Greenland are rational and good, we think were going to be able to cut a deal, Donald Trump style, to ensure the security of this territory but also the United States of America. Such an honor to address our American heroes in Greenland with @JDVance https://t.co/7aJ6N1s1Ll Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) March 28, 2025 Lee also hinted at learning more about the militarys role in the country and discussing the future of the U.S. and its interaction with this amazing land in this part of the world. BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) The inspector generals office is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting Monday evening in Bridgeport, according to the citys emergency management office. Photos show living conditions of Waterbury man allegedly held captive by stepmom for over 20 years The shooting happened shortly before 6 p.m. when officers were called to a report of a large street fight involving weapons in the 1600 block of East Main Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Responding officers spotted a suspect vehicle near Kossuth and Beecher streets and conducted a felony motor vehicle stop, officials said. According to officials, the suspect fled from the vehicle and led an officer on a foot chase along Kossuth Street, at which time an officer shot the suspect in a driveway. The suspect was taken to Bridgeport Hospital and underwent surgery, but died later Monday night. A gun was found in the driveway, according to officials. Officials said the suspects name is not being released at this time. Darnell D. Crosland is representing the family of the person shot. We are demanding justice for this tragic and unnecessary loss of life, he said. This family deserves to know why their loved one was shot down in the streets of Bridgeport. We will not rest until we get the truth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police ask anyone with any information on the shooting to contact the inspector generals office at (203) 806-1595. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. This undated photo shows the death chamber at the Georgia Diagnostic Prison in Jackson, Ga. Photo by Georgia Department of Corrections/Getty Images Georgia is the only state with the death penalty that requires defendants to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they are intellectually disabled to be spared execution a high legal standard that no one charged with intentional murder has cleared. But that would change under a bill that is now sitting on Gov. Brian Kemps desk that would lower the standard of proof. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates have pushed for the change for two decades, but a south Georgia lawmaker, Glennville Republican state Rep. Bill Werkheiser, was able to convince his colleagues that the states law was incompatible with the constitutions prohibition against executing people who are intellectually disabled. Werkheiser often pointed to a 2021 Georgia Supreme Court case where a judge wrote in a dissenting opinion that using the highest possible burden of proof increases the risk that someone with an intellectual disability is executed. House Bill 123 lowers the standard of proof for proving someone has an intellectual disability to a preponderance of the evidence, ending Georgias outlier status as the only state that requires beyond a reasonable doubt. The measure also creates a pre-trial hearing where a judge would focus only on the question of whether the defendant is intellectually disabled. Today, a jury is determining whether a defendant is intellectually disabled at the same time they are hearing grisly details about the alleged crime and deciding the persons guilt or innocence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill was changed in the Senate to require 60 days of information sharing between the prosecution and defense before the newly created pretrial hearing. Prosecutors had fought the pretrial hearing, arguing it was adding another step in an already lengthy legal process. And it also now requires defendants who prove they are intellectually disabled but are found guilty will be sentenced to life in prison or life without the possibility of parole. Defense attorneys and others opposed adding life without the possibility of parole as an option. A life sentence in Georgia must be served for a minimum 30 years before a person can even be considered for parole, and thats considered, not necessarily released, Mazie Lynn Guertin, executive director and policy advocate with the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said to lawmakers last month. The bill sailed through the Senate Monday and was finalized by the end of the day in the House. The proposal also drew support from Catholic groups and a tag-team advocacy effort from the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities and Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Southern Center for Human Rights, which has long advocated for changes to Georgias law, celebrated the bills passage Monday and is already planning the party. This change will put Georgia in line with twenty-six other states that have protections for people with intellectual disability, said Terrica Redfield Ganzy, the centers executive director. We are deeply grateful to Chairman Werkheiser for his compassion and leadership on this issue. It is our honor to partner with him on this effort. Werkheiser, who chairs the House Industry and Labor Committee, has developed a special interest in the states prison system and the people involved in it, recently visiting all the states prisons. He sponsored a version of the bill last year that went nowhere and spent the last year working to work through reservations about the changes. He thanked House leadership and the lawmakers in the committees who spent time this session getting the bill done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were so many advocacy groups that joined along the way that were not only encouraging, but provided assistance in so many ways. It was a team effort from so many, Werkheiser said Monday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE MEXICO CITY (AP) Online recruiting techniques and complicit local authorities have been among the details revealed by the renewed investigation of a ranch in western Mexico where authorities say the Jalisco New Generation Cartel trained its recruits. Lured by fake job offers, those who resisted risked death. One of Mexico's most powerful cartels, which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says has some 19,000 in its ranks, developed rapidly into an extremely violent and capable force after it split from the Sinaloa cartel following the 2010 killing of Sinaloa cartel capo Ignacio Nacho Coronel Villarreal by the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Jalisco cartel is led by Nemesio Ruben el Mencho Oseguera Cervantes, for whom the U.S. government has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture. Oseguera drew renewed attention this week after his image was projected as a band played at a music festival in Jalisco over the weekend. The Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels have battled for control of various parts of Mexico, including Mexicos southern border with Guatemala. Both are among six Mexican organized crime groups recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the U.S. government. One of authorities recent advances against Jalisco was the arrest of Jose Gregorio Lastra, allegedly in charge of the cartels recruitment. How the Jalisco cartel recruits Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Jalisco cartel employs three recruiting methods: there are volunteers drawn by the pay and imagined lifestyle, which experts say make up the bulk of their number; theres targeted recruitment of ex-military and police forces, who because of their professional training enter the cartel as trainers and leaders of squads of gunmen. Finally, there's the kind of forced recruitment that investigators say happened at the Jalisco ranch. For that last category, authorities say the cartel uses social platforms theyve identified at least 60 pages to offer fake job opportunities, especially as security guards, with weekly salaries of $600, well above the average for such positions. Once they have the applicants, they force them to join the cartel. One recruit who reportedly survived the ranch has said that the cartel picked up recruits at bus stations under false pretenses and took them to the ranch where they were trained for a month in the use of weapons in addition to fitness training, Mexicos Public Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said. Those who refused or tried to escape were beaten, tortured and killed. The cartels structure Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Security analyst David Saucedo said Jaliscos structure is vertical, with Oseguera at the top. Last weekend, pictures of Oseguera were projected as a band started playing at a regional music festival in Jalisco. Some in the crowd cheered and on Monday President Claudia Sheinbaum, as well as Jalisco's governor, condemned the act. The Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office said it was opening an investigation. Such displays of respect for cartel leaders are not uncommon. Below Oseguera are regional commands, as well as areas responsible for drug production and sales, Saucedo said. The DEA says the cartel has a presence in 21 of Mexicos 32 states, exceeding the Sinaloa cartels 19. Some analysts believe Jalisco is actually in as many as 25 states, including its home base in the state of the same name. It also maintains a presence in some 100 countries, according to the DEA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How the cartel expanded In less than two decades, Jalisco became one of Mexicos most powerful criminal organizations and even managed to take control of some traditional strongholds of the Sinaloa cartel. Sinaloa has been weakened more recently by infighting among its factions following arrests of key leaders, including Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the U.S., and Ismael El Mayo Zambada, who was arrested last July along with one of Guzmans sons and is awaiting trial in the U.S. Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology researcher Carlos Flores said Jaliscos capacity for violent action and style of irregular warfare aided its speedy rise, which coincided with the emergence of fentanyl as a highly profitable revenue stream. Saucedo says that Jalisco has also successfully allied itself with other criminal groups, allowing it to penetrate some territories with a sort of franchise model as in the central state of Aguascalientes and the key border city of Tijuana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ties to authorities and security forces The case of the ranch also serves as an example of how the Jalisco cartel is able to operate with impunity in territory it controls thanks to the complicity of local authorities, Flores said. Despite being discovered in September 2024 and 10 people being arrested, the ranchs investigation stalled until family members searching for their relatives went there themselves in March and raised the alarm about hundreds of clothing items they found, as well as apparent bone fragments. Since then, authorities have detained three local police officers who were allegedly tied to disappearances at the ranch. There are signs that show publicly how those kinds of deals have allowed the Jalisco cartel to establish itself in certain states, while they go about eliminating their rivals, sometimes with the help of public safety forces, Flores said. LAKE CHARLES, La. (KLFY) An Iowa man has been arrested in connection with the theft of four dirt bikes in Lake Charles, authorities said. Jaquaileen L. Victorian, 22, of Iowa, is charged with three counts of theft $1,000-$5,000 and one count each of theft $5,000-$25,000, simple burglary, attempted theft of a motor vehicle $1,000-$5,000 and simple criminal damage to property less than $1,000. Calcasieu Parish Sheriffs Deputies were dispatched March 24 to a business on Kirkman Street in Lake Charles on a report of thefts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies were told four dirt bikes had been stolen and the suspect attempted to steal a four-wheeler, which was ultimately recovered nearby. Investigators said the suspect cut a fence to gain access to the property. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Detectives identified Victorian as a suspect after he was seen driving one of the stolen dirt bikes in the Iowa area, officials said. Investigators said Victorian was seen on surveillance video in the area on the night the burglary occurred. Detectives found Victorian at home March 27, and were also able to recover two of the stolen dirt bikes near his residence, authorities said. He was booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center on $114,500 bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation is continuing and more arrests are likely, officials said. 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. State Rep. Sami Scheetz, a Cedar Rapids Democrat, resigned Tuesday from his Iowa House seat after he was appointed to immediately fill a vacancy on the Linn County Board of Supervisors. Scheetz rose to the top on a list of four finalists for the empty county seat and was appointed Tuesday afternoon by a panel of Linn County officials. including the county recorder, auditor and treasurer. He was officially sworn into office at 3:30 p.m. In a letter to House Speaker Pat Grassley, Scheetz wrote, "It has been an honor to serve the people of House District 78 and work alongside my colleagues to improve the lives of Iowans." His resignation took effect 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House District 78 encompasses downtown Cedar Rapids, surrounding areas east of the Cedar River and a sliver of the west side. Iowa law requires Gov. Kim Reynolds to call a special election to fill his House seat. The election must be held "at the earliest practical time, giving at least 18 days' notice of the special election," the law states. Rep. Sami Scheetz speaks during discussion on HR3, a resolution affirming Iowa's support for the State of Israel, on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the Iowa State Capitol. With Scheetz's resignation, Iowa House Republicans maintain a 67-32 supermajority. Scheetz, 28, was first elected to a two-year Iowa House term in 2022, making history as Iowa's first Arab-American lawmaker, and was reelected in November. He has experience as a community organizer and working with a local union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Over the past three years, Ive worked hard to address food insecurity, advocate for workers rights, and improve the lives of working and middle-class Iowans," Scheetz said in a statement. "As a Supervisor, Ill continue to fight for working people, invest in our communitys future, and make sure Linn County remains a place where families can thrive. Scheetz is the second former Iowa House member serving on Linn County's three-member board, alongside Democrat Kirsten Running-Marquardt. The third member, Republican Brandy Zumbach Meisheid, is the daughter of former state Rep. Louie Zumbach, a Coggon Republican. Linn County supervisors' salaries for fiscal year 2025, the budget year ending June 30, are about $135,294. Scheetz succeeds Ben Rogers, who resigned from the the Linn County District 2 seat after serving 16 years. District 2 covers eastern parts of Cedar Rapids and part of Hiawatha. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of 17 applicants for the role, other finalists included: Anne Harris Carter, of Cedar Rapids, Linn County health equity program manager Margaret Molly Jessen, of Cedar Rapids, Linn County human resources analyst Joan McCalmant, of Hiawatha, retired Democratic Linn County recorder The remainder of the county District 2 term runs through December 2026. The county district's electors may file a petition requiring that the vacancy be filled by special election. A petition must be filed within 14 days after an appointment is made and meet the requirements outlined in Iowa Code. Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @marissajpayne. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Sami Scheetz resigns from Iowa House seat to fill Linn County role Iran will develop nuclear weapons if Donald Trump launches military strikes against the country, a senior official has said. Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker and senior adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans Supreme Leader, warned the United States to change its behaviour after a military build-up on the UK-US base on Diego Garcia, in the Chagos Islands. Tehran insists it is not developing nuclear weapons, but Mr Larijani said: If they [Americans] move toward bombing Iran themselves or through Israel, they will force Iran to make a different decision, which is also not in Americas interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the US makes a mistake regarding Irans nuclear issue, it will force Iran to move toward nuclear weapons because Iran must defend itself. The United States has deployed stealth bombers to the Diego Garcia military base, in a warning to Iran and its rebel proxies. Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen have been attacking Israel and terrorising dozens of merchant vessels with missiles, drones and small boat attacks in the Red Sea. Mr Trump ordered a campaign against the group of sinister mobsters and thugs. Credit: TV.SNN.IR Mr Larijani said the Islamic Republic adheres to a religious edict, or fatwa, issued by Khamenei prohibiting nuclear weapons development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Leaders fatwa says that we will not pursue nuclear weapons. A fatwa is different from political directives, and his letter has already been registered once at the United Nations, he said. The senior adviser claimed that Irans nuclear programme remains under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision, but warned that military action could change this stance. He said: We now say that we are not moving toward weapons, and the IAEAs oversight can continue indefinitely. He added: However, if they [Americans] move toward bombing Iran themselves or through Israel, they will force Iran to make a different decision, which is also not in Americas interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Therefore, by any calculation, this is not to their benefit. What we are saying is that America can find another way rather than confronting Iran and change its behaviour for once. Never going to be pretty Mr Trump warned Iran on Sunday that there would be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before if it rejects his nuclear weapons deal. While flying on Air Force One, he told reporters: Well see if we can get something done. And if not, its going to be a bad situation. He added: I would prefer a deal to the other alternative which I think everybody in this plane knows what that is, and thats never going to be pretty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khamenei is also under pressure from hardliners to lift a ban on building nuclear bombs. The Telegraph has previously revealed that several senior commanders have U-turned in recent months, since the election of Donald Trump, and are now pressing the supreme leader for the development of an atomic bomb. Khamenei said on Monday: The enmity from the US and Israel has always been there. They threaten to attack us, which we dont think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow. Credit: X/Social Media Tensions between Iran and the US have escalated since Mr Trump returned to the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iran is seeking ways to revive the 2015 nuclear deal that Mr Trump withdrew from in 2018, while the US is pushing for complete disarmament. Mr Larijani said: They [Americans] are doing this with their own hands Iran does not want to take this step, but when they apply pressure, it creates a secondary justification. While acknowledging that Khamenei believes the likelihood of war is low, Mr Larijani insisted that Iranian military commanders remain fully prepared for any scenario. He questioned what benefits the US would gain from military conflict, pointing to Americas experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq as cautionary examples. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Larijani dismissed Israels capability to confront Iran independently, describing the country as a tool for the US in the region that exaggerates situations to drag Washington into a direct conflict with Iran. Addressing concerns about Irans nuclear industry, Mr Larijani claimed that the countrys nuclear technology has been designed to withstand potential attacks without significant delays. He said: The wise figures on the opposing side understand that if they attack Iran, they will push us toward nuclear weapons. 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. (Reuters) -Relations between Iran and the United States - once strong allies - have often been mistrustful and sometimes openly hostile since Iran's 1979 revolution. Here are some key dates: 1953 - The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency helps orchestrate the overthrow of Iran's popular Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, restoring to power Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. 1967 - The United States provides Iran with a nuclear reactor and enriched uranium fuel. Iran signs the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, allowing it a civilian nuclear programme but not a military one, in 1968. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 1972 - U.S. President Richard Nixon visits Tehran to strengthen security relations between the countries - part of a policy to make Iran and Saudi Arabia "twin pillars" of the U.S. strategy to contain Soviet influence in the Middle East. 1979 - Iran's Islamic Revolution forces the shah to flee. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns from exile and becomes Supreme Leader. Students seize the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and hold staff hostage. 1980 - The United States cuts diplomatic ties with Iran, seizes Iranian assets and bans most trade with it. A hostage rescue mission ordered by President Jimmy Carter fails. The hostages are released minutes after Carter steps down. 1983 - Lebanon's Hezbollah group, founded and backed by Iran, is accused by the U.S. of bomb attacks on its Beirut embassy and marine barracks that kill about 300 people, mostly Americans. Hezbollah has said other groups were responsible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 1984 - The United States restores ties with Iraq, giving it diplomatic backing in a war against Iran. 1986 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan reveals secret arms deal with Tehran in violation of an arms embargo. 1988 - The U.S. Navy destroys two Iranian oil platforms and sinks a frigate in retaliation for damage to a U.S. vessel that hit an Iranian mine. U.S. warship Vincennes mistakenly shoots down an Iranian passenger plane over the Gulf, killing all 290 aboard. 2002 - President George W. Bush declares Iran, Iraq and North Korea an "axis of evil". U.S. officials accuse Tehran of operating a secret nuclear weapons program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2003 - Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim militias gain wide sway in parts of the country and stage attacks on U.S. forces. 2011 - The FBI says it has uncovered an Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington. Iran denies any involvement. 2012 - U.S. law gives U.S. President Barack Obama, who has offered to extend a hand if Tehran "unclenches its fist", power to sanction foreign banks if they fail to significantly reduce imports of Iranian oil, leading to an economic downturn in Iran. 2013 - Hassan Rouhani is elected Iran's president on a platform of improving its relations with the world and boosting the economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2015 - Iran and six major powers, including the United States, agree to a nuclear deal curbing Iran's nuclear work in return for limited sanctions relief. 2016 - Iran releases 10 U.S. sailors who ended up in Iranian territorial waters. The United States and Iran swap prisoners. 2018 - U.S. President Donald Trump withdraws from the nuclear deal and reimposes economic sanctions on Iran. 2019 - Oil tankers are attacked in the Gulf in May and June. The United States blames Iran, a charge Tehran denies. 2020 - The United States kills Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force head Qassem Soleimani with a strike in Iraq. Iran strikes back with missile attacks on Iraqi bases housing American troops, injuring about 100. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2022 - Major protests grip Iran. The United States imposes sanctions on entities it says are involved in the crackdown. 2023 - Iran releases five imprisoned Iranian-American dual citizens in return for a sanctions waiver. Washington releases five detained Iranians days later. On October 7, Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas attacks U.S.-ally Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing around 250 hostages, prompting an Israeli military campaign in Gaza that Palestinian health authorities say has killed more than 50,000 people. Iran-backed Hezbollah starts firing on Israel in what it calls solidarity with Gaza. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group attacks Red Sea shipping and fires drones at Israel in support of Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2024 - Israeli attacks on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel in Syria and the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah prompt two direct Iranian attacks on Israel. The United States helps shoot down Iranian missiles and drones. 2025 - Trump threatens to bomb Iran if it does not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear programme. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says any U.S. attack on his country would prompt "a strong reciprocal blow". (Compiled by Arshad Mohammed and Angus McDowall; Editing by Janet Lawrence and William Maclean) THE HAGUE, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Dutch prosecutors announced on Tuesday that the suspect, who injured five people with a knife in central Amsterdam last week, is facing charges of manslaughter with "terrorist intent." The 30-year-old man of Ukrainian nationality was charged with "five counts of attempted murder or manslaughter with a terrorist intent" and will remain in custody for at least 14 days, the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service said in a statement. The attack occurred on Thursday near Sint Nicolaasstraat in the city center. Authorities arrested a male suspect shortly after the incident with the assistance of bystanders. Four foreign nationals -- two Americans, a Belgian, and a Pole -- were among the five injured. "Of the five victims of the stabbing, four are still in hospital and their condition is stable," the statement said, adding that police are continuing the investigation. DUBLIN (Reuters) - The speaker of the lower house of Ireland's parliament defeated a no confidence motion laid down by the main opposition parties as expected on Tuesday after maintaining the support of the coalition government. Verona Murphy, an independent lawmaker whose elevation to the post after a November general election was backed by the ruling Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and their independent allies, rejected calls to quit last week over a dispute about speaking rights that has impacted the workings of parliament. Opposition parties have protested against a new rule that government-supporting independents retain extended speaking rights previously afforded to them in opposition, interrupting sittings and delaying the appointment of all committees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The opposition accused Murphy of bypassing parliamentary rules last week by hastening a vote on the government's speaking proposals. She categorically rejected the allegations. Lawmakers voted confidence in Murphy - the first time a speaker in the parliament has faced such a motion - by 96 to 71. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Catarina Demony) (Refiles to remove truncated bullet point; story text unchanged) By Thomas Escritt BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's interior minister claimed success for her outgoing government in efforts to curb irregular immigration, saying deportations were up and asylum claims down in an apparent centre-left pitch to be part of the next ruling coalition. Nancy Faeser, a Social Democrat, remains as acting minister until her party and the election-winning conservatives agree on a new coalition deal, with how to handle immigration the sharpest dividing line between the would-be partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Conservative leader Friedrich Merz, seeking to win back voters his Christian Democrats (CDU) lost to the far right, pledged during the campaign to turn away at the borders people with the wrong documents. The SPD opposes this hard-line approach, saying it violates European Union law. "Migration policy isn't something for jokers, but a management assignment you have to work on seriously," Faeser said in a statement on Tuesday asserting that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government had successfully curbed irregular migration. While the number of asylum claims halved over the past two years, she said, the number of people illegally present in Germany who were then repatriated had risen 55% and the number of skilled workers who had immigrated legally had risen by 77%. "The numbers speak for themselves," she said. "Today we are a country that invests more in integration and is more attractive to talented and qualified workers from the world over." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talks between the two parties last week went into a second round after leaders acknowledged the drafts prepared so far fell far short of what was needed for a government programme. Merz has said he wants to form a government by Easter. FAR RIGHT RISES IN POLLS Merz, the likely next chancellor, won the February 23 election but with a poorer-than-expected 28.5% of the vote. That left the SPD as Merz's only possible partner if he sticks to his pledge not to cooperate with the runner-up far-right AfD party, or form an unstable three-way coalition as Scholz did. Leaked drafts of coalition negotiating positions show the parties far apart on immigration policy. The conservatives demand more powers to expel and turn away migrants, while the SPD is focusing on integration of migrants and steps to recruit foreign skilled workers for labour-short German industries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Concerns that commitments on migration and fiscal rigour could be watered down under the next government have preoccupied right-wing voters in particular - the AfD has gained three points in the polls since the election while the conservatives have lost three. A series of deadly street attacks during the election campaign, blamed in some cases on foreigners illegally present in Germany, ensured the contest was dominated by a raw and angry debate over migration. "We must carry out the migration debate without rancour, always in the awareness that we're talking about people here," said Faeser, who could stay on as interior minister or in another senior cabinet role if a conservative-SPD "grand coalition" comes to fruition. (Reporting by Thomas Escritt; editing by Ludwig Burger and Mark Heinrich) A Terre Haute man was jailed after a police chase Friday evening, according to Indiana State Police. Edwin B. Phillips, 69, was booked on Class 6 felony charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, prior conviction; resisting law enforcement with a vehicle; battery against a public safety official; and a Class A misdemeanor charge of resisting law enforcement. About 6:20 p.m. a trooper stopped a passenger vehicle on Maple Avenue near 19th Street for the driver not wearing a seat belt, ISP said in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver was identified as Phillips, and the trooper detected the odor of alcoholic beverage. The driver failed field sobriety tests, troopers said. As the trooper was was retrieving an article from his vehicle Phillips returned to his vehicle, locked the doors and drove away. A vehicle chase ensued ending when Mr. Phillips came to a stop behind a residence, got out of his vehicle and attempted to leave. The trooper followed on foot, eventually shocking Phillips with a Taser. Once Mr. Phillips was placed on his feet, he lunged towards and kicked the trooper, ISP said. Phillips was taken to a local hospital where he was medically cleared. He was then taken to the Vigo County Jail and booked. By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations on Tuesday dismissed as "ridiculous" an assertion by Israel that there was enough food in the Gaza Strip to last for a long period of time, despite the closure of all 25 bakeries in the enclave supported by the World Food Programme. No aid has been delivered to the Palestinian enclave since March 2. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said it would not allow the entry of all goods and supplies into Gaza until Hamas releases all remaining hostages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then later in March Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza after a two-month truce and sent troops back into the enclave. COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid deliveries, said on Tuesday that during the truce some 25,200 trucks entered Gaza, carrying almost 450,000 tons of aid. "That's nearly a third of the total trucks that entered Gaza during the entire war, in just over a month," COGAT said in a post on X. "There is enough food for a long period of time, if Hamas lets the civilians have it." When asked about the statement, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters: "As far as the UN is concerned, that's ridiculous ... we are at the tail end of our supplies." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You know, WFP doesn't close its bakeries for fun. If there's no flour, if there's no cooking gas, the bakeries cannot open," Dujarric added. AID DIVERTED? Before the two month ceasefire, global food security experts warned in November that there was a "strong likelihood that famine is imminent in areas" of northern Gaza. Throughout the war, the U.N. has described its humanitarian operation in Gaza as opportunistic - facing problems with Israel's military operation, access restrictions by Israel into and throughout Gaza and looting by armed gangs. "The UN aid was less than 30% of the total amount of aid that entered. Meaning, when the UN say they have 2 weeks worth of aid left in Gaza, there are plenty of other aid organizations and other actors with food aid," COGAT said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COGAT said it continues to monitor and assess the humanitarian situation in Gaza in coordination with the international community. It also said much of the aid delivered to Gaza during the ceasefire had been diverted. "The U.N. has kept a chain of custody and a very good chain of custody on all the aid it's delivered," Dujarric said. Hamas said Gaza has reached a "famine phase," describing it as "one of the worst humanitarian crisis in modern history." It said it held Israel full responsibility for the "catastrophic human consequences increasing by the hour." The war in Gaza was triggered on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel, and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols, additional reporting by Menna Alaa El Din; Editing by Nick Zieminski) At least three people were killed and seven wounded as a result of an Israeli airstrike that hit a suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, the Lebanese Health ministry said. It was the second airstrike on areas in Beirut's southern suburbs since the the ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militia came into effect in November. Eyewitnesses said the airstrike targeted the top three floors of a building with two missiles in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, a known Hezbollah stronghold. It also caused damage to nearby buildings, they added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ibrahim Mousawi, a member of Hezbollah bloc in the Lebanese parliament, has condemned the latest Israeli strikes, describing them "as a major act of aggression" that has pushed the situation into an entirely different phase. He placed full responsibility for what he termed a crime on the international community and the United States, the local Lebanese pro-Iranian al-Mayadeen and Hezbollah-run al-Manar television channels cited him as saying. He asserted that Israel has effectively declared the ceasefire agreement null and void through its continuous airstrikes and violations in the south of Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley region and the southern suburbs of Beirut. The situation has become intolerable. The world is watching as our people are targeted in their sleep, and there is no justification for attacking civilians, Mousawi said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the escalation, he reaffirmed Hezbollahs commitment to its stance, emphasizing that Lebanon still has a full opportunity to respond to these violations through state institutions. We are not war enthusiasts, he added. Mousawi urged the Lebanese government to take decisive diplomatic measures. "When the state acknowledges that the enemy is breaching the agreement, it must activate the highest levels of diplomacy to find solutions, he added. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said earlier it targeted a Hezbollah terrorist who had supported members of the allied Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in planning an imminent attack on Israeli civilians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man posed a direct threat and was "eliminated," the IDF said in a statement on X. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun strongly condemned the Israeli strike, which hit in early hours of the morning. He described the attack as a "serious warning" that signals premeditated intentions against Lebanon, particularly given its timing. "We must intensify our engagement with Lebanons friends around the world to uphold our right to full sovereignty and prevent any violations - whether from external forces or infiltrators within Lebanon who provide justification for further aggression," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, the Israeli military said it hit a Hezbollah facility in Dahieh used to store drones. Shortly before that, the IDF said it had intercepted two projectiles aimed at northern Israel from the direction of Lebanon. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia had fired rockets at Israel for more than a year since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023 in support of Hamas. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive. People inspect destroyed cars after an Israeli airstrike hit a building in Beiruts southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, damaging its upper floors. The attack, which occurred around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, killed at least three people and wounded seven, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The strike marks Israel's second such attack on Beirut in a fragile four-month ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa People inspect destroyed cars after an Israeli airstrike hit a building in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, damaging its upper floors. The attack, which occurred around 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, killed at least three people and wounded seven, according to Lebanon's health ministry. The strike marks Israel's second such attack on Beirut in a fragile four-month ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa PARIS, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The Paris Court on Monday found Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) party in the French parliament, guilty of embezzling public funds by paying ghost European parliamentary assistants. The ruling immediately bans her from running for public office for five years. Le Pen stormed out of the courtroom even before hearing her sentencing. Speaking to the French public television channel TF1 on Monday evening, she assured that she would "appeal as quickly as possible" and would not retire from political life even if barred from running for the presidency. Le Pen was expected to make her fourth attempt to be the first female president of the French Republic in 2027. Yet the ineligibility ruling has dashed her hopes of clinching a victory that many had already anticipated. WHAT IS LE PEN CONVICTED OF? The French prosecution accused Le Pen, along with eight other RN members, of embezzling public funds during their mandate as members of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2017. During Monday's trial, the Court said that Le Pen and her colleagues had the parliament pay salaries to individuals who were working, partially or entirely, for the French far-right wing party instead of the parliament itself. The Court said the total embezzled funds was 2.9 million euros (3.1 million U.S. dollars), adding that Le Pen alone has embezzled some 474,000 euros. The Court sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison -- two years suspended and the remaining two to be served with an electronic bracelet at home. She was also fined 100,000 euros. The five-year public office ban cannot be suspended by appeal, although she can continue to serve in parliament until her term ends. "For thirty years, I've been fighting for you. For thirty years, I've been fighting against injustice. I will continue to do so, and I will do so until the end," Le Pen said on her X account on Monday night. A POLITICAL OPPONENT'S SETUP? Among the nine RN members convicted on Monday, Le Pen received the most severe sentence given her role "at the center" of a system that embezzled European Union public funds, the judge said. In her interview with TF1 on Monday evening, Le Pen noted that the trial launched against her and her party was a plot by her political opponents. "There is no personal enrichment, there is no corruption, there is none of that," she said, calling the "embezzlement" verdict an "administrative disagreement" with the European Parliament. Le Pen was President Emmanuel Macron's main political rival in the past two elections. In 2022, Macron defeated her with 58.5 percent of the vote. In 2017, he won against her in a runoff with 66.10 percent. Le Pen had declared that the 2027 presidential race would be her fourth and final attempt at the French presidency. If Le Pen's appeal fails to clear her before the 2027 presidential election, she would have no choice but to bet the RN's future on rising star Jordan Bardella, the current RN party president. According to Le Monde, Bardella has indeed driven up the popularity of the RN. In 2024, the RN broke its records in the European Parliament elections with 31.37 percent of the votes and gained an unprecedented number of seats in the French National Assembly. "Yet behind the shining facade, Bardella has, so far, failed to transform the RN into a 'party of government,'" Le Monde said. Bardella, a protege of Le Pen, called on Le Pen supporters to carry out a "peaceful" mobilization on Monday afternoon. He also launched a petition in support of Le Pen, calling her ineligibility ruling a "democratic scandal." DOES LE PEN HAVE SUPPORT? Right-wing European leaders have voiced support for Le Pen following the court decision. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban posted "I am Marine!" on his X account, while Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said that Le Pen's conviction was "a declaration of war by Brussels." Dutch politician Geert Wilders said via X that he was "shocked" by the "incredible tough verdict" against Le Pen. "I support and believe in her for the full 100 percent, and I trust she will win the appeal and become President of France," he wrote. Across the Atlantic, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Monday that the "exclusion of people from the political process is particularly concerning" when a reporter asked about Le Pen. "We have got to do more as the West than just talk about democratic values. We must live them," she said. Within France, reactions from different political camps vary. According to Le Figaro, Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, Macron's centrist ally, said that he felt "troubled" by the ineligibility ruling. Jean-Luc Melenchon, who leads the hard-left party La France Insoumise (LFI), has yet to comment. But in mid-March, he told reporters that an immediate ineligibility ruling, without waiting for the appeal judgment, "would not be fair." Speaking on his X account, LFI national coordinator Manuel Bompard said Monday that the party "acknowledges the court's ruling decision, even if we refuse on principle to accept that it should be impossible for anyone to appeal." "La France Insoumise has never had the option of using a court to get rid of the National Rally. We are fighting it at polling stations and in the streets," he said. Apart from the LFI, left-wing parties generally support the court's ruling. Former President Francois Hollande, now a deputy for the Socialist Party, said that respect for judicial independence must be guaranteed. "The French can be paradoxical. They think that justice is too lax towards the powerful. And the day they are convicted, they think it's an injustice. But justice must be done," he told BFMTV. At least three people were killed and seven were wounded as a result of an Israeli airstrike that hit a suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, the Lebanese Health ministry said. It was the second airstrike on areas in Beirut's southern suburbs since the the ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militia came into effect in November Eyewitnesses said the airstrike targeted the top three floors of the building with two missiles, in the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, a known Hezbollah stronghold. It also caused damage to nearby buildings, they added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it targeted a Hezbollah terrorist who had supported members of the allied Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in planning an imminent attack on Israeli civilians. The man posed a direct threat and was "eliminated," the IDF said in a statement on X. Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, strongly condemned the Israeli strike which hit in early hours of the morning. He described the attack as a "serious warning" that signals premeditated intentions against Lebanon, particularly given its timing. "We must intensify our engagement with Lebanons friends around the world to uphold our right to full sovereignty and prevent any violations - whether from external forces or infiltrators within Lebanon who provide justification for further aggression," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, the Israeli military said it hit a Hezbollah facility in Dahieh used to store drones. Shortly before that, the IDF said it had intercepted two projectiles aimed at northern Israel from the direction of Lebanon. The Iran-backed Hezbollah militia had been firing rockets at Israel for more than a year since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023 in support of Hamas. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive. An Israeli airstrike hit a suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday for the second time since the ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militia came into effect. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it targeted a Hezbollah terrorist who had supported members of the allied Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in planning an imminent attack on Israeli civilians. The man posed a direct threat and was "eliminated," the IDF said in a statement on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strike hit the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, and was the second such attack since the ceasefire began in November. According to unconfirmed Arab reports, a residential building was struck. There were no immediate reports of casualties. On Friday, the Israeli military said it had hit a Hezbollah facility in Dahieh used to store drones. Shortly before that, the IDF said it had intercepted two projectiles aimed at northern Israel from the direction of Lebanon. The Iran-backed Hezbollah militia had been firing rockets at Israel for more than a year since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023 in support of Hamas. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive. An Israeli airstrike killed four people in Beirut early Tuesday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, rocking an already shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The operation marks the latest threat to a fragile four-month truce during which both Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violating its terms, and came the day after United Nations officials demanded answers and justice over the discovery of the bodies of 15 aid workers found in a mass grave in the Gaza Strip. In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet Israel's internal security agency and its Mossad intelligence agency, said the strike on the southern Beirut suburb and Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh had killed Hassan Ali Badir, who they said was a Hezbollah militant and member of Irans Revolutionary Guard who had recently assisted Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told a press briefing Tuesday that Badir was a ticking bomb for an attack in the immediate future, adding that Israel expected the Lebanese government to act against any terrorists operating within its territory. While Hezbollah did not confirm whether Badir had been killed, Ibrahim Al-Moussawi, one of the group's members of Lebanon's Parliament, condemned the operation that left seven people injured and said it violated international laws. What happened was a major aggression that took the situation to a completely new phase, Al-Moussawi told NBC News. We hold the international community and the United States responsible for this crime. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also criticized the bombardment, saying in a post on X on Tuesday that Israels growing aggression in Lebanon had prompted the country to seek support from its international allies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel did not issue any evacuation warnings for the area ahead of the strike, while the State Department said in a statement Tuesday that hostilities had resumed because terrorists launched rockets into Israel from Lebanon, Reuters reported. The aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on a building in Beirut's southern suburbs Tuesday. Israel and Hezbollah's yearlong conflict was paused in November by a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which required both Israeli troops and the Iran-backed militant group to vacate southern Lebanon while Lebanese troops were deployed to the area. Both sides have accused each other of violating those terms after Israel delayed its withdrawal in January and said it had intercepted rockets fired from Lebanon in March, for which Hezbollah denies responsibility. The current conflict between Israel and Lebanon erupted after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with its ally Hamas, following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of Oct. 7 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, Israels ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 50,000 people, including thousands of children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave run by the militant group. The ministry said Tuesday that Israeli forces had killed 42 people in the past 24 hours, with many victims still trapped under rubble. That figure has continued to climb since Israel's military shattered a two-month-old ceasefire last month, with its assault on the enclave having since intensified with the stated aim of eliminating Hamas to prevent a repeat of the Oct. 7 attacks. Four medics who came under Israeli fire while on a rescue mission, are mourned outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Monday. On Monday, U.N. officials demanded answers and justice from Israel after the bodies of 15 aid workers were found buried in a mass grave in the southern Gaza Strip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The humanitarian workers, who worked for the Red Crescent, Palestinian Civil Defense and the U.N., had been killed and buried in the sand near wrecked & well-marked vehicles while trying to save lives, U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said in a post on X on Monday. The bodies included eight of the nine aid workers who had gone missing when tending to the injured in Rafah on March 23, with one worker still unaccounted for, the Red Cross and the Palestinian Red Crescent said in a statement Monday. They added that the bodies of six civil defense members and one U.N. employee had also been recovered. Israels military has not yet commented on why the bodies were buried beneath the sand or why the vehicles were found crushed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian Refugees, said the discarded bodies had amounted to "a profound violation of human dignity in a post on X om Monday. The incident has brought the death toll of aid workers in Gaza to 408, he added. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com ISTANBUL (AP) Istanbul's public prosecutors office Tuesday launched an investigation into recent opposition calls for a boycott of pro-government businesses following the arrest of the city's mayor. The prosecutors office determined that divisive rhetoric" on traditional and social media aimed at hindering the economic activity of a segment of society constituted hatred and discrimination and incitement to hatred and hostility, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Anadolu added that the new investigation is to be merged with ongoing investigations into physical and verbal violence committed against certain businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month saw Turkeys largest protests in more than a decade, following the arrest of Istanbuls opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu was jailed pending trial on corruption charges that many see as politically motivated. The government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference. Ozgur Ozel, the head of the main opposition Republican Peoples Party, or CHP, to which Imamoglu belongs, held multiple rallies attended by hundreds of thousands to protest the arrest. Criticizing pro-government media for not covering the rallies, Ozel called for a boycott of over a dozen companies that ran advertisements with the outlets. A website set up on March 25 listing the companies to be boycotted was blocked by court order two days later. On Tuesday, hours before the prosecutors office launched its investigation, Ozel posted on social media a call for a general boycott ending all purchases on Wednesday. The boycott is in protest of the arrests of both Imamoglu and 301 university students who were rounded up in the protests. Meanwhile, Trade Minister Omer Bolat, referring to the boycott as economic sabotage, told Anadolu that any businesses losing money due to the calls for a boycott will be able to sue for damages. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have said that the United States, Ukraine and Russia are unlikely to agree on the terms of a full ceasefire within the next three weeks. Source: ISW Details: US President Donald Trump has spoken of a "psychological deadline" for Putin to agree to a ceasefire. Trump, answering a question about whether there is a deadline for Russian ruler Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire, said that "it's a psychological deadline". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump added, "If I think they're [Russia ed.] tapping us along, I will not be happy about it". Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that during his meeting with Trump, he suggested 20 April as a potential deadline for a complete ceasefire. Quote from the ISW: "Russia is unlikely to agree to a full ceasefire without any conditions within three weeks given that Russia has demanded that the West provide some sanctions relief as a precondition for a temporary Black Sea ceasefire." Details: The ISW analysts pointed out that on 25 March, the Kremlin said it would not implement the agreed ceasefire in the Black Sea until the United States lifted sanctions on the Russian state agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank and other financial institutions involved in international food and fertiliser trade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bloomberg reported on 28 March that Russia was demanding that the European Union reconnect Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT international banking system as a prerequisite for implementing the Black Sea Agreement. Analysts stressed that Russia wanted to determine whether the United States would meet its demands and encourage European partners to support the easing of sanctions. On 11 March, during talks in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine declared its readiness to introduce a 30-day ceasefire, provided that Russia also adheres to it. Analysts added that Ukrainian and American officials continued to discuss the terms of the ceasefire for three weeks after 11 March. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the analysts opinion, this indicated that the terms of the ceasefire had not yet been fully finalised. Quote: "It is also unlikely that the United States, Ukraine, and Russia could negotiate the terms of a general ceasefire within the next three weeks." To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 31 March: US President Donald Trump stated on 30 March that there is an unspecified "psychological deadline" for Russia to agree to a general ceasefire. Russian officials continue efforts to undermine the proposed US-Ukrainian mineral deal by promoting potential US-Russian rare earth mining projects. The Kremlin continues efforts to sow division between the United States and Europe. Ukraine's European allies continue to provide financial and military aid to Ukraine. Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Toretsk. Russian forces recently advanced in Kursk and Sumy oblasts and near Kupiansk, Kurakhove and Velyka Novosilka. Russia is reportedly struggling to restore what few tanks remain in its stocks. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! For travel tips, recipes and more insight on Italian culture, sign up for CNNs Unlocking Italy newsletter. This eight-part guide will have you packing your bags in no time. A great-grandparent or even a great-great grandparent from Italy used to be all it took to guarantee Italian citizenship. A surprise decree has now changed all that, making it much harder for those with Italian ancestry to use blood line as a pathway to become Italian. On March 28, the Italian government tightened regulations for claiming citizenship by jus sanguinis, or descendent blood line, effective immediately. The law will go to parliament to be ratified in 60 days, and some changes could be introduced, but for the moment new applications for citizenship must meet new requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sudden change affects thousands of people all over the world hoping for or preparing to obtain an Italian passport, which ranks third in the world for visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel, according to the Henley Passport Index, making it one of the most coveted and, until now, easiest to acquire. Under the new regulations, applicants must have at least one Italian parent or grandparent to apply under jus sanguinis. They must also demonstrate Italian language proficiency, which was previously only needed for naturalization through residency or marriage. The proficiency test is a five-part state exam held several times a year, or a higher level equivalency test for those not living in Italy. At the moment applicants do not have to be currently living in Italy, but do need to have previously lived in the country for three years to be eligible. Previously, anyone with an Italian ancestor who was alive after March 17, 1861, when the Kingdom of Italy was created, qualified for citizenship, a process that takes about two years with expenses ranging from the cost of notarizing and translating documents to to thousands of dollars to hire companies to do all the legwork. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That meant that even if ones parents and grandparents did not obtain citizenship, people could still apply based on a great-grandparent or a generation even further back. The decree, published in Italys official gazette of laws on March 28 is meant to crack down on abusers who become Italian as a novelty or to ease travel restrictions, according to Italys foreign minister Antonio Tajani. Being an Italian citizen is a serious matter, the granting of citizenship is a serious matter, Tajani said Friday. Unfortunately over the years there have been abuses and requests for citizenship that went a bit beyond the true interest in our country. A sense of loss Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani says previous citizenship rules were open to abuse. - Antonio Masiello/Getty Images Between 2014 and 2024, the number of Italian citizens residing abroad increased by 40%, from 4.6 million to 6.4 million, mostly in Argentina and Brazil, the foreign ministry said. The Italian consulate in Argentina processed 30,000 applications in 2024, up by 10,000 from the previous year. And in Brazil, consulate officials processed 20,000 requests in 2024, up from 14,000 in 2023, the ministry said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of those people have no direct contact with the country, do not pay taxes in Italy, and do not vote, Tajani said. He added that the reform was necessary because citizenship cannot be automatic for those who have an ancestor who emigrated centuries ago, without any cultural or linguistic ties to the country. Italy does not allow citizenship based on jus soli or birthright, meaning even people born in Italy are not automatically granted citizenship and must instead wait 18 years to apply and prove that they lived legally in the country for 10 of those. The new regulation does not impact any of the 60,000 applications currently pending in consulates across the world, but it does impact how those who do qualify for citizenship apply in the future. Consulates will no longer process applications, which will be centralized and processed online via the national government in Italy, and which will require an in-person interview. Consulates around the world have cancelled many blood line citizenship appointments scheduled after March 28, according to the Foreign Ministrys office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Samantha Wilson, CEO of Smart Move Italy, which helps facilitate citizenship applications, says she is telling her clients who are pursuing citizenship by descent not to give up at least not yet. The Tajani Decree has created fear, confusion, and for some, a sense of loss, she told CNN. This decree, in our view, is constitutionally weak. It was rushed through as an emergency measure, bypassing the normal democratic process, and we fully expect it to be challenged by the courts, by the legal community, and by us. She says one of her clients who had been planning to move to Italy to apply in person on April 1 has now canceled her trip because of the uncertainty. Another of her clients in her property division just closed on a property in Italy, she says, but now doesnt want to buy it since she wont be able to get her Italian citizenship under the new rules. She has already signed contracts and is obligated by law to carry on with the purchase, says Wilson. Worst mistake of my life Italy has one of the world's most powerful passports. - Riccardo Milani/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images The law also extends to Italian citizens who were not born in Italy. They can now only pass on citizenship to children born outside of Italy if they have lived in Italy for two consecutive years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, Italian citizens with dual nationality will lose their Italian citizenship if they dont engage by paying taxes, voting and renewing their passports and ID cards. That means people who were granted citizenship but dont ever come to Italy may not be able to keep it, according to the decree as it is currently written. Those who marry an Italian must live in Italy for at least two years to qualify for citizenship through marriage. And the cost to apply has doubled, from 300 to 600 euros (from $324 to $648). Italians who were born in Italy, but now live abroad, can still pass their citizenship on to their own children, but must register the birth in Italy. For those who are applying through court and are ready, were doing everything we can to file their cases before the decree is ratified. That short window could make a difference if transitional provisions are expanded when the law is converted, Wilson told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For those who are not yet ready to file, the only option now is to wait for Parliaments decision within the 60-day window, for the Constitutional Courts hearing in June, and beyond that, for the outcomes of what will likely be years of court challenges. Well be filing many of them. CNN interviewed one person, who did not want to be named in case it hurts their case, who has just moved to Rome in March in the hope of getting citizenship from a great-grandmother, who moved to South America during World War II. Under the new regulations, they do not qualify even though their father, who was born in South America, has Italian citizenship. Theyre hoping to find a lawyer who can act as a guide through the complicated process. I have all the paperwork, everything translated, notarized, and ready for my appointment in mid-April, they told CNN. If they dont cancel it, I will have a chance, but I feel like Ive made the worst mistake of my life. CNN also reached an American family of seven en route to Italy aboard a cruise ship to pursue citizenship based on a great-grandparent who emigrated to the US but never became a US citizen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family, which includes teenagers and young adults, signed a long-term lease to establish residency and have booked appointments with the local community in Italy to apply for permits to stay based on their quest for citizenship requirements for applying for citizenship prior to March 28. They also say they spent tens of thousands of dollars to translate and notarize all the documents relating to the great grandfather. Now, under the new regulations, they no longer qualify and have no idea what obstacles they will face once they arrive since everything they plan to do is based on requirements no longer recognized. We were following Italian law, and we were following the procedures at the Italian government and uprooted our whole lives to move to Italy under the laws at the time when we got on the ship March 23, they told CNN. Making this change with no notice at all has stranded a bunch of families in Italy who now dont have a legal standing and has essentially made us homeless in the middle of the Atlantic on a cruise ship. Salvatore Livreri, an Italian who works as an orthodontist in South Carolina, told CNN that he feels the new law isnt carefully thought out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This not only crushes the dreams of the children of the Italian diaspora who seek recognition of citizenship in order to return to their ancestral homeland, but also strips the rights of citizens such as myself who have children abroad to transmit my Italian citizenship to them, he told CNN after posting his thoughts on an online community for Italian citizens abroad. It creates a two-tier caste system whereby some citizens can transmit their citizenship to their children, but second-class citizens like myself cannot do so. For generations, Italian culture has endured because of the strength of family ties. These ties are in the blood. Italians have always known this. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com INDIANA, Pa. Indiana University of Pennsylvania has partnered with the Center for Rural Pennsylvania to survey rural physicians on what draws them to that type of position and keeps them there. The findings will be used to help develop the schools proposed college of osteopathic medicine, which is in the accreditation stage and expected to welcome students in fall 2027, and to recruit students with shared commitments to rural practices. No one has really ever done a survey like this before, founding IUP medical school Dean Dr. Miko Rose said in a release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been a few studies about demographics of rural physicians in practice, but this is something much deeper and more comprehensive. We want to determine common backgrounds, shared values, mindsets and identify why physicians stay in rural practice. Rose added that once the results are collected, her group can recruit and build teams that will contribute to success and retention of rural health care providers throughout rural Pennsylvania. She said that past approaches were aimed at recruitment and retention for more students, while this survey is geared toward learning what keeps doctors in rural settings and building recruitment strategies to find students that meet those criteria. The universitys applied research lab and its director, Paul Hawkins, helped Rose to develop the questions in the survey and will compile and analyze the data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves the commonwealths General Assembly, is funding the statewide distribution of the study this spring to more than 6,500 physicians in rural practices and 2,000 other physicians. This survey will help us better understand experiences of physicians who choose to practice in rural communities, providing important insights to inform and steer our continued work to encourage current health care providers to continue practicing and future providers to consider establishing roots in our rural communities, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Valerie Arkoosh said in the release. Kyle Kopko, the centers executive director, said the organization is honored to partner with IUP on this endeavor and described the initiative as a significant step toward addressing the challenges of rural health care and ensuring greater access to physicians in underserved, rural areas. The surveys findings will likely be released in the summer, Kopko said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Expected outcomes include improving rural health care through retention strategies, understanding why physicians choose rural practices, enhancing rural communities and health systems and shaping policies for rural health care stability. IUP pursued a college of medicine to help address the statewide shortage of medical professionals compared to patients often more than 1,300 patients to one primary care provider and provide students more access to osteopathic medicine studies. For more information about the IUPs proposed college of osteopathic medicine, visit www.iup.edu/proposedCOM. By Leika Kihara TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan will keep up a strong push for the United States to exempt it from auto tariffs, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Tuesday, while vowing to take the necessary steps to cushion the blow to the economy and jobs. The export-reliant economy could take a severe hit from a planned tariff of 25% on automobile imports unveiled last week by U.S. President Donald Trump, who also promised to announce on Wednesday reciprocal tariffs targeting every nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Measures such as offers of funding support to cash-strapped firms are among those the government could take to protect the economy from the higher tariffs, Ishiba told a news conference. "The government will negotiate with the ruling coalition at an early date specific measures we can take to respond," Ishiba said, in case Japan is slapped with higher levies. Government agencies are negotiating with U.S. counterparts to secure more details on Washington's tariff plans, he said, adding that he "would not hesitate" to visit the United States again to voice a direct call for exemptions. Ishiba, grappling with sliding approval ratings ahead of an upper house election expected in July, is also under pressure to counter economic headwinds from U.S. tariffs and protect households from rising living costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Japan's headline inflation of 3.7% in February was among the highest in advanced economies, fuelled largely by steady rises in food costs, including those of staple rice. While big firms have offered bumper pay hikes in this year's wage talks with unions, it is uncertain if smaller peers will follow suit, as Trump's tariff threats cloud the business outlook. Ishiba said the government would compile measures by May to push up Japan's minimum wage, and a separate package by June to allow smaller firms to smoothly pass on rising costs. "Achieving wage hikes is at the core of our growth strategy," Ishiba said, stressing the need for pay hikes sufficient to compensate for the rising cost of living. (Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Clarence Fernandez) Video above from Jan 2, 2025 post about Daiso opening in Santa Fe. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) Japanese value retailer Daiso is expanding its footprint in New Mexico by opening its first store in Albuquerque. Daisos new store is set to open Saturday at the Cottonwood Commons, 3601 Old Airport Rd NW D, in the North Valley. The shop will sell Japanese-inspired home decor, kitchenware, beauty products, stationery, snacks, and other items. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Albuquerque Isotopes upcoming homestand features first Mariachis game of the season Thanks to the enthusiasm of our loyal customers, were excited to expand in New Mexico, John Clarke, chief development officer for Daiso USA, stated in a news release. We continue to see growing demand in the region, and were proud to be opening more stores in 2025. With 185 stores now operating across the U.S., were excited to serve new communities and bring the Daiso experience to even more customers. Store hours will be Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daiso opened its first New Mexico location in Santa Fe in January. That store is slightly bigger, coming in at 9,438 square feet, compared to the Albuquerque location, which spans 9,268 square feet. 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. MOSCOW, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Russia and the United States are continuing talks to resolve the Ukraine conflict, calling it a "complex issue." "We are continuing to maintain contact with the United States," Peskov said at a daily briefing, commenting on reported threats from the United States to impose additional sanctions on Russia's oil industry if ongoing peace talks fail to make substantive progress. "This is a very complex issue," he added. "The resolution of the Ukraine conflict we are discussing now requires further efforts." Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview that Russia could not simply accept the U.S.-backed proposal on Ukraine, as it fails to address Russia's demands for resolving the root causes of the conflict. TOKYO (AP) Japans Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday his government is making last ditch efforts to get U.S. President Donald Trump to exclude his country from an increase in auto tariffs due to take effect from Wednesday. Ishiba told reporters he is willing to fly to Washington to negotiate directly with Trump. The U.S. will begin collecting 25% tariffs on auto imports on Thursday, with taxes on fully-imported cars kicking in at midnight, U.S. time. The tariffs are set to expand to applicable auto parts in weeks to come. So far, Japan has not managed to win exemptions from the tariffs hitlist despite its status as the biggest U.S. ally in Asia. Japan has stepped up cooperation with other countries that also are being affected. Japanese Trade Ninister Yoji Muto flew to Seoul to meet with his counterparts from South Korea and China and agreed to promote a free and fair trade and investment, saying Trumps trade policies are fueling protectionism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The higher tariffs are a worry for Japan and major automakers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. Their exports to the United States are a major driver for the Japanese economy. A quarterly survey by the Bank of Japan released Tuesday showed business sentiment among large manufacturers worsened in the past quarter for the first time in a year. I dont mind going to Washington, if necessary," Ishiba said. He said officials from all related ministries, including foreign, trade and finance, are working day and night, to negotiate with their U.S. counterparts to resolve the issue. "When I see the overall picture and judge that it is appropriate for me to go, I must do so without hesitation, he said. If the tariffs are imposed, he said the government will do what it must to minimize their impact on Japanese industries and jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As short-term measures, the government plans to set up 1,000 consultation windows across the country to respond to concerns of small to medium-size auto parts makers and other manufacturers that would be affected by the U.S. tariff increase. In case of damage to actual businesses, the government will do its utmost to support cash-strapped business owners, Ishiba said. Japans Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Tuesday his government is making last-ditch efforts to get US President Donald Trump to exclude his country from an increase in auto tariffs due to take effect from Wednesday. Ishiba told reporters he is willing to fly to Washington to negotiate directly with Trump. The US will begin collecting 25% tariffs on auto imports on Thursday, with taxes on fully-imported cars kicking in at midnight, US time. The tariffs are set to expand to applicable auto parts in weeks to come. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, Japan has not managed to win exemptions from the tariffs hitlist despite its status as the biggest US ally in Asia. Japan has stepped up cooperation with other countries that also are being affected. Japanese Trade Minister Yoji Muto flew to Seoul to meet with his counterparts from South Korea and China and agreed to promote free and fair trade and investment, saying Trumps trade policies are fuelling protectionism. The higher tariffs are a worry for Japan and major automakers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. Their exports to the United States are a major driver for the Japanese economy. Related Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A quarterly survey by the Bank of Japan released Tuesday showed business sentiment among large manufacturers worsened in the past quarter for the first time in a year. I dont mind going to Washington, if necessary," Ishiba said. He said officials from all related ministries, including foreign, trade and finance, are working day and night to negotiate with their US counterparts to resolve the issue. "When I see the overall picture and judge that it is appropriate for me to go, I must do so without hesitation," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the tariffs are imposed, he said the government will do what it must to minimise their impact on Japanese industries and jobs. As short-term measures, the government plans to set up 1,000 consultation windows across the country to respond to concerns of small to medium-size auto parts makers and other manufacturers that would be affected by the US tariff increase. In case of damage to actual businesses, the government will do its utmost to support cash-strapped business owners, Ishiba said. Whats worse than admitting a potentially deadly deportation mistake? Laughing it off. You already know that Trump and his folks never own up mistakes. That ought to tell you the magnitude of admitting in court that the administration erroneously sent a man to El Salvador prison hell. This removal was an error, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official wrote in a statement to a federal judge about deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia under the Alien Enemies Act invoked by Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abrego Garcia, who lived in Maryland under protective immigration status, was on one of three flights to El Salvador in mid-March, using rarely invoked war powers. Trump doesn't need war powers to deport people Federal Judge James Boasberg stopped further deportations under the Alien Enemies Act pending review, which unleashed Trumps fury. The president called for the impeachment of judges that rule against him, prompting a rare rebuke from U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts. But back to Trumps human trafficking. Yes, lets call it that because it is. Nobody denies that the president has the power to deport those living in the U.S. illegally. Does he need war powers to do it, though? Certainly not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And, even worse, should Trump and his folks make up things or ignore court orders to put them behind bars here or send them to notorious prisons abroad and get away with it? I say hell no. He sent immigrants to El Salvador's worst prison In 2019, an immigration judge deemed Abrego Garcia to be a likely member of the MS-13, according to various media reports. Trump has more recently designated that gang as terrorists. But Abrego Garcia contested those gang affiliation claims in 2019 and argued that he would be persecuted and tortured back home in El Salvador. A judge ordered that he couldnt be deported to El Salvador, and thus he was released from ICE custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That made no difference to the Trump administration, which rounded him up in March and is now fighting Abrego Garcias legal claims against his imprisonment, saying the U.S. cant do anything to bring him back because hes now under El Salvador custody. They even have the gall to argue that hes not likely to be killed. What? You dont have be a lawyer or legal expert to know thats BS. Trump made a deal with El Salvador to send deportees to its mega prison where the worst criminals are housed along with others who spend 23.5 hours a day in the harshest conditions. Vance treats Abrego Garcia as less than human What do you call actions of picking up people merely accused of a crime or just being in the U.S. illegally and turn them over to a foreign nation to do whatever it wants with them? Abrego Garcia happens to be Salvadoran, but Trump also sent Venezuelans to that prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats human trafficking at its worst. Im not naive. I know that MAGA hails Trumps worst instincts and actions against immigrants because, to them, these folks are less than human, not deserving the most basic rights. Vice President JD Vance even said as much. Opinion: No joke: Trump wants to sell citizenship for $5 million Its gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize, Vance wrote on X, formerly Twitter, responding to Pod Save America host Jon Favreau about the error. Whats Vance smoking? Talk about ignoring basic facts. Who did Abrego Garcia victimize? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If he was such a horrible criminal, why not prosecute him here in the U.S. and put him behind bars here? After all, the U.S. has all the resources to prove such things, right? Again, as president, Trump has the power to deport undocumented immigrants. He doesnt need an excuse to do so or war powers to speed up the process. But all of us should be terrified of a president and an administration that not only shrugs off basic human rights but blatantly makes things up against people. Weve seen this movie before where groups of people are targeted for political purposes. It never stops with the initial targets, and it never ends well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elvia Diaz is editorial page editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @elviadiaz1. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kilmar Abrego Garcia may die in El Salvador. That's 'gross' | Opinion JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) The Jefferson County Sheriffs Office is honoring its first female sheriffs deputy. According to a news release, Sgt. Betty Butler was sworn in as the departments first female sheriffs deputy on April 16, 1969. In the late 1960s, Butler worked for the FBI in Washington as a fingerprint technician for two years before returning to Birmingham. Michael Pickett named new chief of Birmingham Police Department Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When she came back, she worked as a fingerprint technician for the Birmingham Police Department and then at the JCSO in the same role. You can learn more by watching the video 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 CBS 42. Tourists visiting Spain and its islands are being warned of an increase in jellyfish washing up on its popular beaches ahead of the peak summer season. Spanish news outlets, such as theMajorca Daily Bulletin and Canarian Weekly, are warning beachgoers of larger amounts of jellyfish, including a jellyfish-like creature that can cause powerful pain, appearing on the Spanish shoreline. Rising sea temperatures and climate change have been identified as the cause for a higher volume of jellyfish appearing on Spanish coastlines, prompting swimming bans in recent years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last summer, nearly 7,500 swimmers sought medical treatment for jellyfish stings across some of Spains most popular beaches on the Catalan coast, a 41 per cent increase from the previous year. Most of the jellyfish that were spotted along the Catalan coast are relatively harmless species, including the fried egg (Cotylorhiza tuberculata) and barrel (Rhizotoma pulmo) jellyfish. However, local authorities were also forced to close two beaches in Tarragona, Catalonia, in July 2024 after Portuguese man o war (Physalia physalis) were spotted. While not technically jellyfish, the colonial hydrozoans sting can be very painful. The UKs Wildlife Trusts says the Portuguese man o war can be identified as a large translucent purple float, the crest tipped with pink, and long blueish-violet tentacles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They can be seen bobbing on the surface of the sea, sometimes caught in mats of seaweed, but lose their colour quickly after washing up, and can appear translucent with just a tinge of purple after a while ashore. Its the creatures tentacles that beachgoers need to watch out for, as they can sting long after the animal has died. This year, warning flags have already been raised over in the Canary Islands at Las Teresitas Beach in Santa Cruz de Tenerife after several Portuguese man o war was spotted on the shore, Canarian Weekly reports. The marine creature has also been spotted on the Costa del Sols beaches, with members of the Aula del Mar Mediterraneo Foundation recently detecting specimens of Physalia physalis in the Mediterranean Sea off the Costa del Sol in Marbella (Puerto Banus), Fuengirola and Benalmadena, Sur in English said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It added that the Portuguese man o war had been dragged to the Malaga coast from the Atlantic by recent storms that have been hitting the province since the start of March. Climate change and rising sea temperatures are the most prominent factors behind the increase in jellyfish, Macarena Marambio, a researcher at the Institute of Marine Science in Barcelona, told The Guardian last year. The jellyfish are becoming more common and are increasing both their seasonal and regional distribution, said Ms Marambio. Warmer seas aid reproduction and as a result, were seeing increasing numbers of the purple barrel jellyfish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All the research shows that the numbers are cyclical and some years jellyfish are much more numerous than in others, she said. However, what were seeing in the Costa Brava is the cycles are getting shorter. The cycle of years with abundant jellyfish is shortening in some species from eight or 10 years to just two. She added the focus was on the Catalan coast because there was more data available but there were similar increases in jellyfish populations elsewhere in the Mediterranean. Josep Maria Gili, Marambios colleague at the institute, said: Theres no short-term solution because its about climate. Well have to get used to sharing our beaches with jellyfish. For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calders podcast NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) The abandoned building that once housed a beloved New Bedford dessert shop will soon be transformed into affordable housing, 12 News has learned. The former Jerrys Dessert and food shop off Ashley Boulevard will eventually be converted into nine two- and three-bedroom apartments, according to the developers project application. The apartments would be reserved for households making anywhere between 60% and 100% of New Bedfords Area Median Income, which the U.S. Census Bureau estimates is $53,583. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $3.6 million project is being spearheaded by Green Miles Properties, which is owned and operated by Audley Bodden. The New Bedford City Councils Committee on Finance preliminarily approved a $100,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) money, which will allow the developer to leverage $2 million in state and private funding for the project. The CPA funding still needs to be greenlighted by the full New Bedford City Council. Jerrys Dessert and food shop, which was first built in 1902, brings back fond memories for many local residents, which is why the developer plans to preserve as much of the retail shop as safely possible while transitioning the building to residential use. Construction on the apartments is slated to begin this summer and finish up in December 2026. 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. BERLIN (AP) A Jesuit priest says he prefers going to prison than paying a 500-euro ($541) fine for participating in a climate activists' street blockade in the southern German city of Nuremberg. The Rev. Jorg Alt started serving his nearly monthlong prison sentence on Tuesday in Nuremberg. Today, I am starting my 25-day alternative custodial sentence in Nuremberg prison, he said before entering the prison. I dont like doing this, especially as my health is no longer the best at the age of 63. But I see no alternative, because its the last form of protest I have left in this specific case to draw attention to important issues such as climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In November, Alt said that "as a priest, I have no income and no bank account due to my vow of poverty and that I do not want to harm the order and my fellow brothers by paying my fine, German news agency dpa reported. His remarks came after a Bavarian Higher Regional Court rejected his appeal to a lower court's decision and confirmed Alt's conviction for coercion for participating in a sit-in blockade. After the court's decision, authorities repeatedly asked Alt to pay the 500 euros, before the fine was eventually commuted to the 25-day prison sentence. The court ruling in November was in connection with a street blockade in August 2022, when the Jesuit priest and about 40 other activists blocked traffic in Nuremberg by gluing their hands to a street in front of the city's train station to draw attention to climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Numerous similar protests have taken place across Germany and other countries in recent years, as activists try to draw attention to the urgency of tackling climate change. The public and political response to such road blockades has been mixed. While some Germans have said they support the protesters cause, if not their means, activists have also faced violence from enraged motorists and calls for tough punishment from conservative politicians. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has sharply criticized climate activists as nutty for drastic protests such as blocking streets or gluing themselves to famous paintings in museums. Last year, activists belonging to one of the main protest groups, the Last Generation, announced that they would abandon the tactic and move on to holding what they call disobedient assemblies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alt has said that he had also decided to serve the prison sentence instead of paying the fine "in solidarity with those climate activists who are treated similarly by the administration and the judiciary it may all be lawful, but it is unjust. It's not the first time, that Alt was convicted for his activism. In May 2023, a court also convicted him of coercion after he participated in a road blockade in Munich and ordered him to pay a small fine. April marks a special time for Make-A-Wish Hawaii, as they join forces with other Make-A-Wish chapters worldwide to celebrate World Wish Month. This global celebration brings attention to the incredible impact of granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. To help make as many wishes come true as possible, Maui Divers Jewelry is kicking off the month with a generous donation initiative that is sure to make a difference for keiki in Hawaii. World Wish Month is an annual event where Make-A-Wish chapters around the globe come together to highlight the transformative power of wishes. During the month of April, we will join other Make-A-Wish affiliates and supporters to celebrate the power of wishes. Wishes dont come true by luck or chance; they come true because of WishMakers. These wish supporters, including corporate partners like Maui Divers Jewelry, help raise the funds necessary to grant wishes to children facing critical illnesses, says Trini Kapouiki Clark, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Hawaii. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This year, Maui Divers Jewelry is making a big impact by donating 100% of their online sales on April 1, 2025, to Make-A-Wish Hawaii. Last year, we raised more than $35,000 for Make-A-Wish Hawaii during the inaugural World Wish Month. It was an incredible experience to see our community come together to support such an important cause, says Cole Slater, Creative Director and CEO of Maui Divers Jewelry. Support Make-A-Wish Hawaii by visiting MauiDivers.com to shop on April 1 and Dont miss the World Wish Month Telethon on KHON2 on Thursday, April 17. For more information about how you can get involved and support Make-A-Wish Hawaii, visit hawaii.wish.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 KHON2. Joe Rogan is worried that legal migrants could be wrapped up in the Trump administrations deportation spree. On a March 29 episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, the host praised President Donald Trumps crackdown on illegal immigration but expressed horror at the news that the administration had deported a gay Venezuelan asylum-seeker along with suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang. You got to get scared that people who are not criminals are getting lassoed up and deported and sent to El Salvador prisons, Rogan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its horrific, he added. Its horrific. Andrya 31-year-old gay, Venezuelan make-up artistsought asylum in the United States but was instead deported to El Salvador without due process. According to Andrys attorney and founder of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Lindsay Toczylowski, the make-up artist had no criminal history and was wrongfully deported this month on the belief that he was part of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Immigration officials reportedly thought that the tattoos Andry had were a sign of gang affiliation, though Toczylowski denied this and told MSNBC last week that they are normal tattoos that you would see on anybody at a coffee shop anywhere. Toczylowski further noted that her client was sent to El Salvadors Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, which is notorious for its harsh living conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the thing, you know, measure twice, cut once, Rogan said. This is kind of crazy. Thats bad for the cause, Rogan added. The cause is: Lets get the gang members out. Everybody agrees. But lets not get innocent gay hairdressers lumped up with the gangs? Another Venezuelan asylum-seeker, Franco Jose Caraballo, was a barber who was also reportedly deported to CECOT despite having no criminal record, according to CBS News. How long before that guy can get out? Can we figure out how to get them out? Is there any plan in place to alert the authorities that theyve made a horrible mistake and correct it? Rogan said, prompting his guest, political commentator Konstantin Kisin, to reply that the government isnt likely to admit that it may have made a mistake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats the thing about politics, right? Never admit your fault. Never admit youre wrong, Kisin said. Its so dumb, Rogan said. And this is the thing were seeing with the Signal thing, and this is the thing were seeing with this. Its like, I dont know if its been brought to their attention. I mean, I would assume someones alerted them to the fact that they might have rounded up this just random hairdresser and accused him of being a gang member, he continued. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) John C. May, 97, passed away peacefully, Tuesday morning, March 25, 2025, at Hospice House, surrounded by the love of his family. John was born September 3, 1927, in Youngstown, a son of the late John and Catherine Stefen May. Find obituaries from your high school A proud graduate of East High School, Class of 1945, he left shortly after graduation to serve his country in the United States Navy aboard the U.S.S. Vogelgesang DD862. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement John was a pioneer and visionary in the recreational vehicle industry. He began his career working in the family business, May Trailer Co. and in 1958, relocated to Missouri to manage Sharp Mobile Home Sales. Two years later, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish Spacecraft Trailer Co. in Independence, Missouri. John designed and manufactured a wide range of innovative RV productsfrom pickup truck caps and cab-over campers to travel trailers and the worlds first aluminum frame motor homes. By 1964, his business had expanded to multiple locations across Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Kansas. In 1970, he introduced the first cab-over fifth wheel travel trailer, specifically designed with retirees in mind. Ever the innovator, John later patented the electronic push-button slide-out room, a feature that revolutionized RV living and became standard in commercial and retirement RVs worldwide. In 1976, he built a new RV plant and home in Concordia, Missouri, followed by the development of an RV campground complete with a beauty shop and craft shop, always thinking about the needs of the community he served. In 1994, John and his beloved wife, Alice, retired to Gulf Harbors in New Port Richey, Florida, where they enjoyed 14 years of sunshine and seaside living before returning to their hometown of Youngstown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement John is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Alice (Breznai) May; his children, John (Carolyn) May, Jr. and Linda Singh; his grandchildren, Stephanie (Eric) Cramer, Steven (Stephanie) May, and Shaun May and seven great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind his sister-in-law, Dorothy Bartfai; nieces, Kathy Wetzl and Sandy (Doug) Wachter; nephew, Tom (Joan) Wetzl and many extended family members. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister and brother-in-law, Kathleen and Tom Wetzl; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Andy and Nancy Breznai; his grandson, Devin Frerking and his first wife, Ann Vacca. Johns legacy lives on in the innovations he brought to the RV industry and the family he cherished above all else. He will be remembered for his hard work, creative mind, devotion to family, and deep love of country. Private family services were held at Kinnick Funeral Home in Youngstown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Entombment took place at Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown. To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. ADEN, Yemen, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The Houthi group reported Tuesday that U.S. forces have carried out 22 airstrikes on its targets in Yemen's northern Sanaa and Saada provinces over the past several hours. According to a brief statement broadcast by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, five airstrikes at dawn targeted the Jarban area in the Sanhan district southeast of Sanaa, while two others hit the Bani Matar district west of the capital. The statement further indicated that Saada, a stronghold of the group, was subjected to 15 U.S. airstrikes overnight, but did not disclose specific locations targeted. The attacks came one day after U.S. airstrikes killed two people and injured a child in Bani Qa'is in Yemen's northwestern province of Hajjah on Monday, according to residents and local health authorities. The U.S. military has resumed airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in northern Yemen since March 15 in a bid to deter the group from attacking Israeli targets, the U.S. Navy, and international shipping lanes in the region. However, the Houthi group responded by affirming its unwavering support for Gaza. It has resumed attacks on Israeli targets and U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, as Israel ended a January ceasefire with Hamas and restarted military operations in Gaza. U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Monday that strikes on Yemen's Houthis will continue until they are no longer a threat to U.S. ships. "The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you," Trump said on his Truth Social platform, declaring that the Houthis had been "decimated" by "relentless" strikes over the past two weeks. April 1 (UPI) -- Retired Lt. Gen. John "Dan" Caine promised to stay out of politics and only provide President Donald Trump with honest assessments if confirmed as general and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Members of the Senate Armed Forces Committee subjected Caine to a 2.5-hour confirmation hearing Tuesday morning at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. During opening comments, ranking member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said he was "deeply concerned" that the Trump administration fired former JCS chairman Gen. C.Q. Brown and several other JCS members with no reason cited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reed suggested the firings were politically motivated but said he is "encouraged" by Caine's qualifications as a former F-16 pilot with thousands of flight hours and multiple deployments followed by many years of experience in the Pentagon. Honest assessments, even when unpopular Retired Lt. Gen. John Caine said he only would provide honest, candid and potentially unpopular advice if confirmed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during his Senate Armed Services Committed confirmation hearing Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI "If confirmed, you will serve as the principal military adviser to the president, the National Security Council and the secretary of Defense," Reed said. "I expect you to pledge to always provide your best military advice to the president and secretary of Defense, even if that advice is not what they want to hear." He said the military has been dragged into political fights, public trust in the military is eroding, and military trust in civilian leadership has been shaken. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., looks on as retired Lt. Gen. John Caine speaks during a hearing on his nomination to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI "I'd like to know how you would improve the civilian-military relationship," Reed said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caine said his father flew F-4 Phantom fighters in Vietnam, his mother was a pediatric critical care nurse, and he learned about service from his parents and other family members who served. Retired Lt. Gen. John Caine speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI He said the nation faces a rising global threat and mentioned the then-current times in Beijing, Moscow, Pyongyang and Tehran. "Our nation faces an unprecedented rising global risk," Caine said. Legislative Assistant to the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Col. Matthew Jemmott (R) looks on as Retired Lt. Gen. John Caine speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI "Our adversaries are advancing, global nuclear threats are on the rise, and deterrence is paramount," he added. "Our national defense requires urgent action and reform across the board." He said the nation's number-one job is to "create peace through overwhelming strength and if need be fight and win our nation's wars." Sen. Deb Fisher, R-Neb., and Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., look on as Retired Lt. Gen. John Caine speaks during a hearing on his nomination to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI 'Proper information' only in 'proper channels' Reed asked if the Yemen strikes on Houthi positions should have been conducted using the unsecured Signal app. Retired Lt. Gen. John Caine looks on during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caine said he always has "conveyed the proper information in the proper channels" and the military always should preserve the element of surprise. Reed also asked Caine if he ever said he "loved" Trump, would "kill" for him and wore a Make America Great Again hat. Retired Lt. Gen. John Caine looks on during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Caine said he never said such things and never wore political merchandise. He agreed with Reed that the military should stay "apolitical" and said he would keep the military non-partisan and "speak truth to power every day." Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., asked Caine how he would improve the military's nuclear efficiencies and maintain the nuclear threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said it would be an area of "emphasis" and supports adding options to the nation's nuclear arsenal to enhance the military's deterrence capabilities. Caine told Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., he does not consider the Women Peace and Security legislation as a "DEI program" when asked if he does and said it helps the military understand the "full spectrum of challenges ahead of us." Shaheen asked if the United States should continue to control NATO, to which Caine said he would defer to the president on policy but said it's important for U.S. forces to be commanded by U.S. leaders. "I value our allies and partners," Caine said, adding that consulting with them regarding NATO-related decisions is a "significant portion of the job." 'Candid and best military advice' only Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., described Caine as the kind of person who did not seek the nomination as chairman of the JCS and asked if Caine would provide his "candid and best military advice" even if it's not what the president of secretary of defense want to hear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caine said he attended the Virginia Military Institute and his barracks overlooked a statue of Gen. George C. Marshall. "If I failed to provide my candid advice to the secretary [of Defense], the [National Security Council] or the president, I think Gen. Marshall would climb out of his grave and hunt me down." The matter of the recent Signal app chat among members of the Trump administration continued to be raised, but Caine declined to comment further and noted that an inquiry into the matter is active. Caine became a commissioned officer after completing the ROTC program at VMI in 1990 and earned a master's in Air Warfare from the American Military University, according to his U.S. Air Force biography. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He served as an F-16 pilot and logged more than 2,800 hours of flight time, including more than 150 combat hours. Caine also was a part-time member of the National Guard, an entrepreneur and an investor from 2009 to 2016. He has been a national security adviser and taught courses related to national security, military leadership and joint warfare. Ways and Means The Oregon Legislature's Joint Committee on Ways and Means listens to public testimony on Friday at the Liberty Theatre in Astoria. On Friday evening, The Liberty Theatre in Astoria was filled with people seeking to testify and to hear testimonies in front of the Oregon Legislatures Joint Committee on Ways and Means, which determines state budget policy. As of that morning, 130 people had signed up to testify about funding needs for programs at the local and state levels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though not everyone who signed up got the chance to speak, a clear emphasis on funding for education and infrastructure projects became apparent throughout the two-hour hearing. Jarrod Hogue, the president of Clatsop Community College, asked the committee to support a state investment of $920 million in the Community College Support Fund, which is the primary source of state funding for Oregons 17 community colleges. Some folks here might be surprised to learn that the Community College Support Fund accounts for just about 5.5% of the states total education spending, he said. Yet, investing in a community college delivers in one of the highest return on investments, producing skilled workers who become the backbone of our workforce and the taxpayers of tomorrow. Today, were facing rising operation costs. Labor, benefits, insurance, utilities, technology continue to climb ... This investment is critical to keeping tuition affordable, filling workforce gaps and producing more taxpayers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Students and education advocates also asked that the committee support House Bills 3182 and 3183, the Student Basic Needs and Workforce Stabilization Act. If passed, the bills would make an investment of about $22 million toward basic needs support programs, affordable student housing and textbook initiatives. Funding requests also came from representatives for K-12 education programs, who pivoted to disability resources for students. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek recently proposed a State School Fund allocation of $11.4 billion from the Legislature for the next two years, but some are concerned its not enough. Please know that the $11.4 billion budget proposal should be a starting point for the State School Fund, but education in Oregon deserves more funding, said Craig Hoppes, the Astoria School District Superintendent. Another priority is adequate funding for special education services. Currently, 17% of our students in the Astoria School District have been identified as special education. Since just 11% of students with disabilities are entitled to specialized funding from the state, he said that the district has had to seek out more special education and support staff to fill the gap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The issue is a statewide one. Tyler Reed, the Neah-Kah-Nie School District Superintendent, told The Astorian that 30% of the districts incoming kindergartners had been identified as students with disabilities. In addition to supporting the State School Fund allocation though the Neah-Kah-Nie School District does not qualify for those funds Reed sought to encourage the committee and legislators to do away with that 11% cap and fully fund students with disabilities. Infrastructure requests ranged from the expansion of Columbia Memorial Hospital to roads and wastewater treatment. Last October, Columbia Memorial Hospital broke ground on a $300 million project which would see the hospital designed to withstand and remain operational during a Cascadia Subduction Zone event, and could shelter up to 1,900 people in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While 97% of the projects funding has been secured, Columbia Memorial Hospital CEO Erik Thorsen requested a match of $6 million to leverage a $20 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to aid with the construction. This request represents just 2% of the total project budget, brings $14 million worth of federal funds into the state and completes the funding for this important project, he said. Thomas Jenkins is the chief steward of a local chapter of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, a union representing public and nonprofit employees. He urged the committee to see the condition of Oregons roads as a workplace safety issue. Our very hardworking friends, sisters, brothers in labor at the Oregon Department of Transportation have warned us of challenges to the budget, particularly when it comes to emergency maintenance during winter months, Jenkins said. For those of us who must travel to work and work with travel, I urge you to continue funding transportation and to allow Oregonians to get to work safely and get home at the end of their shift. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to transportation, the discussion of sewage treatment was a recurring one. David McCall, city manager in Bay City, for just over half a million dollars for a sewer lift station, while Warrenton Mayor Henry Balensifer requested $18 million to help build a $35 million wastewater treatment plant that would support planned housing projects. Another frequent topic was wildlife preservation in the face of federal funding uncertainty Graham Klag, the executive director of the North Coast Watershed Association, encouraged the committee to continue supporting the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. Watershed councils get the majority of their funding from the board, and 30% of the boards funding is federal. We are in need of the continued support of OWEB in the face of some of the funding challenges that would come down the road, he said. And ultimately, some of the challenges will come from not being able to implement some of our work without that funding. The North Coast Watershed Association does habitat work for salmon and other species, as well as invasive species management. Klag said the work is incredibly important for the countys natural capital, and that the association has some crucial partnerships Hampton Lumber, for instance, allows habitat work on their lands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others urged the committee to support the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife with a $1 million investment in wildlife services and a $20 million investment towards their Private Forest Accord grant program, which supports projects that benefit fish and aquatic wildlife species as well as habitats covered by the anticipated Habitat Conservation Plan. Kent Doughty, a former Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Employee who works with wildlife organization Seven Capes Bird Alliance, asked the committee to support and fund House Bill 3580 for a task force on eelgrass resources and House Bill 3587 for rocky habitat management. Other testimonies throughout the hearing included a request for $1.5 million by Consejo Hispano toward a $3 million Casa Mariposa building in downtown Astoria , capacity at the Oregon State Hospital, food insecurity, better wages for healthcare and social services workers and funding programs for domestic violence survivors. Present at the hearing were state Rep. Cyrus Javadi and state Sen. Suzanne Weber, Tillamook Republicans whose districts encompass all of Clatsop and Tillamook counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To my colleagues on the committee, thank you for making the trip to Astoria tonight, Javadi said. I know its a haul, but hearing directly from the people we serve is worth every mile. Nothing replaces a real conversation with real people who live with the outcomes of our decisions. State Sen. Kate Lieber, a Beaverton Democrat and a co-chair of the state Joint Committee on Ways and Means, said the committee would focus on aiding crucial organizations and initiatives that will be hit hardest by cuts to federal funding. So much of our budget is tied to federal funding, and it is, slowly, going away right now, Lieber told The Astorian. And I think those things are really, really going to affect the ability for the state, because youre going to feel it Oregonians on the coast are going to feel that federal funding going away, and our budget is not made to backfill the federal funding. The committee recently released a budget framework for the 2025-27 biennium that emphasized uncertainty surrounding federal funding and projected a budget of $987.5 million to support key investments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ways and Means State Rep. Tawna Sanchez, right, and state Sen. Kate Lieber, co-chairs of the state Joint Committee on Ways and Means, open up a hearing in Astoria on Friday. To those of you who maybe paid attention to that framework we put out, we have just under a billion dollars, said state Rep. Tawna Sanchez, a Portland Democrat, the committees other co-chair. And if you were doing any math doing these last two hours, you might notice that the asks are a lot more ... theyre more like two or three billion. The commissioners said the committee will do its best to provide for core mandatory state services in the face of potential federal cuts. We do our best to tell our own folks in the Legislature, theres no bright and shiny new objects, theres no fluffy stuff, Sanchez said. Were just going to try and make sure that Oregonians have what they need as much as possible. Theres not a lot that shocks Jon Stewart, but Donald Trumps musings about potentially serving a third term as president have made the cut. After repeatedly floating the idea, Trump clarified on Sunday that hes not joking. Im sorry considering the options? Are you trying to order off menu from the Constitution? Stewart asked Monday night on The Daily Show. During an interview with NBC News, the sitting president said, There are methods which you could do it. One of those, which has been floated, would be to urge his Vice President, JD Vance, to run for president and then cede his power back to Trump. He further stated there were additional methods, but did not elaborate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yes, there are other methods. I think you tried one a few years ago, Stewart said, alluding to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. There are other methods for staying in power beyond when you are legally allowed to be there. Historically, some of them involve catapults. The Comedy Central host then wondered if Trump had something more creative in mind for his pursuit to stay in power. Have you guys heard of the movie Face/Off?' he joked. Though Stewart focused on the Signal scandal and the weekly progress emails government workers now have to send to DOGE, most of the monologue focused on accountability. In classic Daily Show fashion, the series posted clip after clip of everyone from National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to Vance and Trump himself dodging questions about how a journalist was added to a group chat about attack plans on Yemen. The segment ended with multiple clips of Trump saying some variation of I dont know. The topics Trump claimed to be unaware of were the Signal group chat; the Justice Department pausing its case against New York Mayor Eric Adams; his own cryptocurrency; Project 2025; E. Jean Carroll, the woman whom Trump raped; and the Jan. 6 insurrection, just to name a few of the many examples Stewart highlighted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So many things that Trump has seemingly no involvement in. Is it possible that hes been severed? Stewart asked. He then called Trumps repeated claims not to know about these important topics a cynical strategy to avoid the buck stopping anywhere near you and evading accountability at all costs. Watch the full monologue above. The post Jon Stewart Aghast at Trumps 3rd Term Comments: Are You Trying to Order Off Menu From the Constitution? | Video appeared first on TheWrap. JOPLIN, Mo. Joplin School Board candidates participate in a Q&A at City Hall one week before voters head to the polls on April 8. The hour-long forum featured the four candidates who are running for two seats on the Joplin School Board. The candidates are Lori Musser, Derek Gander, Thomas Ross, and current board member whos current term expires this year David Weaver. Derek Gander Thomas Ross David Weaver Lori Musser Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each one was given time to introduce themselves and tell the audience why theyre running. They then answered questions from tonights moderator, Lisa Olliges, the general manager at KGCS-TV at Missouri Southern State University. We also asked each one some questions of our own: Why are you running for Joplin School Board? What are some issues or concerns facing Joplin Schools? Why should Joplin voters participate in this election? Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. With Marine Le Pen politically executed in the words of her dauphin in a shock court ruling on Monday, her National Rally was in crisis talks over its plan B for Jordan Bardella. However, even those at the top of the party quietly fret that Ms Le Pens 29-year-old spiritual son may not yet be up to the task. Ahead of the verdict in the European parliamentary fake jobs trial, Ms Le Pen, who has spent years detoxifying her party, for the first time explicitly gave her blessing to Mr Bardella becoming president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course he has the capacity to become president of the republic, she said. Louis Aliot, the ex-party number two and Perpignan mayor, added: Its no mystery that Jordan Bardella would be the best placed-today, obviously, to succeed [Marine Le Pen] as a presidential candidate. He was speaking before the ruling, even though the subject had been taboo in recent days among party leaders. But privately some beg to differ. The only person with the stature to take the party to the Elysee Palace is Ms Le Pen herself, confided one. After three cracks at the top job, many saw 2027 as Ms Le Pens best shot yet. With Emmanuel Macron unable to run for a third straight term, the latest polls saw her easing into the second run with a fair chance of clinching the run-off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Bardella, they fear, however, would find the going far tougher. Mr Bardella has amassed a huge following on TikTok - Ludovic Marin/Getty Ms Le Pen picked her dauphin to handle the day-to-day running of RN, leaving her to pursue the loftier ambition of becoming Frances first female president while he ran the party. The former geography student has since charmed swathes of younger voters with his clean-cut good looks and a slick TikTok onslaught that has seen him mobbed during trips around France, notably at signings of his recent best-selling autobiography, Ce Que Je Cherche (What Im Looking For), on his rise to the top from humble beginnings in a deprived Paris suburb with a significant immigrant population.. In it, he said he saw his calling as seeking to unite French working-class people and part of the conservative bourgeoisie in a single movement to unite the patriotic camp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The MEP also won plaudits for fighting a solid European election campaign last year that saw the RN come first with its highest ever score. When Mr Macron called snap elections in the wake of the European ballot, RN made historic gains to become the largest party in the National Assembly with 123 MPs compared to 94 for the Presidents Ensemble Pour La Republique group. But during the legislative campaign, Mr Bardella was underwhelming in a televised debate against Gabriel Attal, 34, Mr Macrons then prime minister who ran rings round his young rival. The pair may yet clash again if they both run for the presidency. Since then, his attempts to build an international stature have seen mixed results. Mr Bardella has charmed swathes of younger voters with his clean-cut good looks and slick TikTok onslaught He ended up abruptly cancelling a speech in Washington last month after ex-Trump aide Steve Bannon made a gesture that has been described as a Nazi salute at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This month he became the first RN party leader to visit Israel, speaking at a seminar on the fight against anti-Semitism in a trip that some said saw as tarring him with the Israeli far-Right brush. I dont think he has all the necessary qualities yet, observed one MP who was nevertheless close to him. Theres a Marine doctrine, not a Jordan Bardella doctrine, another told AFP, pointing to a pop star image that needs to change. However, in an encouraging poll for the party on Monday, two thirds of French questioned said that Ms Le Pens ineligibility would not pose a problem for RN as Mr Bardella could do the job as well if not better. The figure is even higher among RN supporters (69 per cent). With the pair in crisis talks at party headquarters, their next move will likely become clear in the coming hours. The runners and riders for the 2027 election With Marine Le Pen unable to run in the presidential election in two years, the chances of those likely to have run against her have drastically improved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Le Pen would have finished top in round one of the 2027 ballot, according to an Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche published on Sunday, clinching between 34 and 37 per cent of the vote depending on who she faced. Without her in the frame, heres a look at whos left: The poll did not factor in the possibility of Le Pen not running, but another Odoxa poll found that two thirds of French people thought that her 29-year-old protege would fare just as well, if not better. However, some supporters and party leaders worry that Mr Bardella is too green for a crack at the Elysee. He recently published an autobiography about his upbringing in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, where there is a high volume of immigrants, which he said represented all that was wrong about France. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the centre-Right, Edouard Philippe has long let it be known that he intends to run in 2027. The former prime minister of President Macron and the mayor of Le Havre was essentially fired by his ex-boss for being too popular and is regularly ranked among Frances most popular political figures. The poll suggests Mr Philippe, 54, who has his own Horizons movement, would have reached round two against Ms Le Pen with 20-25 per cent of the vote depending on the line-up of other candidates. Gabriel Attal, another of Mr Macrons former prime ministers, is a potential runner at just 34 years of age. He was forced to relinquish his post as government leader when Mr Macron called snap elections in June. However, he remains a high-profile figure as head of the Macron Renaissance parliamentary group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Attal would clinch 20 per cent of the vote should he run instead of Edouard Philippe. The hard-Left firebrand has run for president three times and was within reach of the second round in 2022, clinching 22 per cent of the vote in round one only to see Macron go on to beat Le Pen in the run-off for the second time. The Ifop poll suggests he would come third at around 12-13 per cent, which is a far lower figure than in the previous ballot. Mr Melenchons France Unbowed party is the largest political party in parliament and formed the New Popular Front alliance with the Greens, Socialists and Communists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Mr Melenchon has courted controversy for failing to condemn Hamas for the October 7 attacks and refusing to apologise for a recent party poster that was deemed anti-Semitic. The Socialist former French president chose not to run for a second term in 2017 due to his dire approval ratings. But the 70-year-old weeble his nickname after the roly-poly toys that wobble but dont fall down is basking in renewed popularity after returning to parliament as an MP and outspoken critic of Macron. He went on a protracted tour of France to tout his memoirs and found that the public had warmed to the Left-winger, who was famed for having a secret affair with actress Julie Gayet. The 45-year-old MEP represented the Socialists in last springs European elections and scored a surprise third with 13.8 per cent, just behind the Macron camp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A staunch supporter of Ukraine and critic of Vladimir Putin, he would clinch 11 per cent of the vote should he join forces with the Socialists, whose party leader Olivier Faure would fare half as well should he run. The current Right-wing interior minister has seen his popularity rise on the back of hardline rhetoric over immigration and crime, which has seen the National Rally accuse him of stealing their ideas. The Ifop poll saw the 64-year-old finish fourth in round one on 11 per cent if the presidential first round took place today. To run in 2027, Mr Retailleau will have to beat fellow Right-winger Laurent Wauquiez in the current Republicans leadership contest in May. Mr Wauquiez, 55, a former minister in the Sarkozy administration, is president of the Auvergne-Rhone Alpes region. The former enarque has long held presidential ambitions but the Ifop poll suggests he would only muster 5 per cent. 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. SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) A New Mexico judge has decided to block the release of any public records showing the bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, Nexstars KRQE reported. Santa Fe-based Judge Matthew Wilson issued the decision at a court hearing Monday. He said autopsy and investigative reports that do not show the couples bodies can be released, along with audio captured on the video. In making his decision, Wilson said that the families of Mr. Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa Hackman would suffer irreparable injury unless the court grants a preliminary injunction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A representative for the Hackman family estate urged the court to block the release of the records to protect the familys privacy. Authorities say Hackman died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimers disease. Arakawa died from a rare, rodent-borne disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa are pictured in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. (Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Opening statements from the Hackman estate argued the footage could give a full blueprint of the home, making the property vulnerable to theft and break-ins. Family representatives also stated that images and videos of the body would be exploited in the media, which could jeopardize Hackman and Arakawas name, image, and likeness. My clients have a right of privacy for their fathers death images to not be cast over the internet in perpetuity, as well as audio recordings about his decomposing body, said Greg Mackenzie, attorney for Gene Hackmans children. They brought two witnesses in. One was a New Mexico lawyer, who described previous accounts of homes being burglarized due to video being released to the public. The other witness was Hackmans publicist, who attested the couple valued privacy and even moved to Santa Fe for that value. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representing the defense were the Office of the Medical Investigator and the County of Santa Fe, who say public records law requires them to comply. Ultimately, the judge denied the locking request, allowing the records to be out, as long as they did not depict the deceased couple. A court had put a temporary restraining order on the release of the records pending Mondays hearing. Hackman, Arakawa, and their dog Zinna were found dead inside their Santa Fe home on Feb. 26. Deputies responded to the home around 1:45 p.m. to find Hackman, 95, on the floor of the homes mudroom alongside a walking cane and sunglasses. Arakawa, 65, was found on the bathroom floor. In the bathroom closet, deputies found one of the couples three dogs dead inside a crate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The medical investigation would later reveal that Arakawa died first of hantavirus. Authorities said Hackman died more than a week later of heart disease with complications from Alzheimers. It was determined that the dog died of starvation and dehydration. Groundskeeper to deputies outside Hackman home: I knew something was wrong Authorities have released portions of the body-camera footage taken by deputies who responded to the home on the day Hackman and Arakawas bodies were discovered. Only video from outside of the home has been released, after a judge granted a temporary block of footage from inside the house or of the couples bodies at the request of the family. 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 PIX11. A federal judge ordered that the Federal Emergency Management Agency could not have an Atlanta lawsuit filed against it dismissed. The City of Atlanta was suing FEMA to get back $1.2 million for losses sustained in flooding in 2009. On Monday, Judge Steven D. Grimberg ordered FEMA to answer the lawsuit in court by April 14. Then, Atlanta and FEMA will have to have a disclosure conference by April 28 and must together present a preliminary report and plan for how to submit discovery for evidence by mid-May. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] According to the lawsuit filings, Atlanta was seeking the $1.2 million as repayment for needed repairs at the Robert M. Clayton WAter Reclamation Plant and submitted the claim to FEMA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In late 2009, FEMA approved estimated costs of $1.1 million, but did not provide the funds. TRENDING STORIES: Then, in 2010 the agency told the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) that theyd determined repair costs to be less than $37,000. GEMA informed Atlanta of this in March 2011, and Atlanta appealed the decision soon after. Court records show that while Atlanta moved to appeal the determination within the statutory 60 days, GEMA did not forward the appeal in time and did not notify Atlanta about FEMAs denial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After years of waiting on the still-pending appeal, Atlanta learned in 2014 that FEMA had issued a document for repairs less than $37,000, then the agency deducted anticipated flood insurance proceeds, and said Atlanta would only be able to get $200.61 back, of the requested $1.2 million. Atlanta again appealed the decision, with GEMA delivering it to the federal agency in January 2015. After years of continued delays and denials, Atlanta sued FEMA in May 2024, seeking a judges review of FEMAs refusal to substantively consider its appeals. FEMA filed in court to dismiss the case but a judge has now denied that effort, meaning the case moves forward. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed in August by almost 30 New Mexico landowners over PFAS contamination. The Curry County property owners, who live near Cannon Air Force Base, allege the U.S. Department of Defense contaminated their properties by using firefighting foams containing substances known as "forever chemicals" which amounted to a "taking" of their property by the federal government without sufficient compensation. Aqueous film-forming foam, a firefighting foam that contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, was used at Cannon Air Force Base for decades, according to the lawsuit. PFAS was discovered both on the base and in surrounding areas in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A local dairy farmer, Art Schaap, had to euthanize thousands of cows on his farm as a result of the plume of contamination. Schaap was a plaintiff in the case. U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Armando Bonilla wrote in an order the claims of several plaintiffs were "unripe." "While these plaintiffs have been alerted to the possibility of serious PFAS contamination on their property and have been working diligently to determine the extent of that contamination and hold the Government accountable for its contribution they have not yet been able to confirm the extent of the contamination through complete groundwater and soil testing," Bonilla wrote. Furthermore, the judge wrote, there wasn't sufficient evidence the Air Force intended to spread contamination or was required to dispose of PFAS in any particular way at the time of use, the chemicals had not been deemed hazardous. A bill passed this year by the New Mexico Legislature includes PFAS under the state's hazardous waste definition. A Boston Municipal Court has held an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in contempt after he tried to arrest a defendant during their trial. Judge Mark Summerville held ICE agent Brian Sullivan in contempt on Monday night, The Boston Globe reports, after he arrested Wilson Martell-Lebron on the first day of a trial related to 2020 charges for filing a false application for a drivers license. Martell-Lebron, 52, appeared in court on Thursday for his trial, but when he went to leave the court that night, plainclothes ICE agents detained him, placed him in an unmarked SUV and drove away, the Globe reports. ICE alleges Martell-Lebron is a citizen of the Dominican Republic living in the U.S. without authorization with a fake identity, according to the Globe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Summerville found Brian Sullivan in contempt of court because he violated Martell-Lebrons right to due process and a fair trial. Martell-Lebron was on trial for 2020 charges related to a false drivers license application when ICE agents arrested him Thursday night (Google Maps) The finding of contempt is a consequence of Agent Sullivans intentional and egregious violations of the defendants rights, Summerville said. Martell-Lebron is still in ICE detention as of Tuesday, his defense attorney Ryan Sullivan told The Independent. Summerville also found that two Massachusetts State Police troopers knew about ICEs plans to arrest Martell-Lebron. He did not hold them in contempt, the Globe reports, but said the Suffolk District Attorneys Office should give their staff better ethics training. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Massachusetts State Police trooper testified that Brian Sullivan informed their office and the district attorneys office of his plan to arrest Martell-Lebron, Ryan Sullivan told The Independent. Last week, two State Troopers testifying as part of their duties in a criminal trial in Boston Municipal Court became aware of federal officials intention to detain the defendant during the proceeding, a Massachusetts State Police spokesperson said in a statement to The Independent. As in any situation where a member becomes aware of federal immigration enforcement, the Troopers responded appropriately by neither assisting nor obstructing the federal action. However, the Suffolk District Attorneys Office denies they ever knew about the plan, spokesperson James Borghesani told The Independent. We were dismayed and surprised when our prosecution of Wilson Martell-Lebron was interrupted by ICE apprehending him in the middle of our case, Borghesani said. As soon as we were made aware of the detention we contacted ICE and requested his return to court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We filed a motion this morning requesting that the court also demand his appearance, he added. Any claim that we were aware of an attempt to prevent Mr Martell-Lebron from exercising his right to a trial is false. Borghesani said ICE should not have detained him and interfered with our efforts to hold [Martell-Lebron] accountable. In light of Brian Sullivans actions, Summerville has dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the case is over. Its the best results we as his attorneys could ask for, but it's not the result [Martell-Lebron] wanted, Ryan Sullivan said. The result he wanted was to be acquitted by a jury of his peers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I can't think of any greater injustice than a man who is taken away from his trial in the middle of it by the government, he added. The Independent has contacted ICE and the Massachusetts State Police for comment. WASHINGTON, March 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Monday that strikes on Yemen's Houthis will continue until they are no longer a threat to U.S. ships. "The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you," Trump said on his Truth Social platform, declaring that the Houthis had been "decimated" by "relentless" strikes over the past two weeks. Trump's threat came as his administration battles a scandal after a text chat was leaked involving senior security officials on the Yemen strikes. The airstrikes were discussed among Trump's national security team on Signal, a commercial messaging app, which accidentally included The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who released the contents of the chat last week. Tensions between the Houthis and the U.S. military have escalated since Washington launched fresh airstrikes on Yemen on March 15. BOSTON (AP) A judge in Boston is holding a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in contempt after he detained a suspect while the man was on trial. ICE agent Brian Sullivan detained Wilson Martell-Lebron last week as he was leaving court. But a Boston Municipal Court judge issued a ruling Monday against Sullivan, arguing that he had deprived Martell-Lebron of his rights to due process and a fair trial by taking him into custody. It's a case of violating a defendant's right to present at trial and confront witnesses against him," Judge Mark Summerville said from the bench. It couldn't be more serious. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge acts following arrest Summerville dismissed the charge against Martell-Lebron of making false statements on his drivers license application -- namely that he wasn't Martell-Lebron. After that, Summerville filed the contempt charge against Sullivan, which could lead Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden review the case to determine if any charges should be filed. It's reprehensible, Ryan Sullivan, one of Martell-Lebron's lawyers said. Law enforcement agents have a job to see justice is done. Prosecutors have a job to see justice is done. There is no greater injustice in my mind than the government arresting someone, without identifying themselves, and preventing them from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right to a jury trial. A spokesman for ICE did not return a call seeking comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move by ICE is the latest effort to target Boston over its handling of immigration. President Donald Trumps border czar Tom Homan and Republicans in Congress have accused the city of failing to cooperate to get people charged with violent crimes deported. Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat up for reelection this year, said she wants Boston be a welcoming place for immigrants and that city policies limit cooperation with immigration enforcement. Tense scene outside courthouse Sullivan described a tense scene, in which ICE agents pounced on Martell-Lebron without identifying themselves, put him into a pickup truck and sped away. The trial Thursday had just begun with opening statements and the first witnesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sullivan said Martell-Lebron, who is from the Dominican Republic and living with family in Massachusetts, is now at the Plymouth detention facility for allegedly being an undocumented immigrant, he said. What we were challenging is that they arrested him in the middle of his trial and did not return him, he said. If he had been brought to court on Friday morning by ICE, we would not have moved to dismiss. We would not be asking for sanctions. We would have just finished the trial." ICE can make arrest outside courthouses Immigration officers were a growing presence at courthouses during Trumps first term, prompting some pushback from judges and other local officials. Trump has gone further in his second term by repealing a policy in place since 2011 to generally avoid schools, places of worship and hospitals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under current policy, immigration officials can make arrests in or near courthouses when they have credible information that leads them to believe the targeted alien(s) is or will be present and as long as they are not prohibited by state or local law. During the two-day hearing, Sullivan said that the lead prosecution witnessed confirmed that both the Massachusetts State police and prosecutors were aware of ICE plans to arrest Martell-Lebron. What did Massachusetts officials know about arrest? In a statement, state police said they acted appropriately after learning of the plans of ICE. As in any situation where a member becomes aware of federal immigration enforcement, the Troopers responded appropriately by neither assisting nor obstructing the federal action, the statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement James Borghesani, a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said we were dismayed and surprised when our prosecution of Wilson Martell-Lebron was interrupted by ICE apprehending him in the middle of his trial." Any claim that we were aware of an attempt to prevent Mr Martell-Lebron from exercising his right to a trial is false., he said in a statement. It was our intention to try Mr. Martell-Lebron and hold him accountable for the crimes alleged in the complaint. Federal authorities should not have detained him and interfered with our efforts to hold him accountable. The contempt case has been referred to the Suffolk district attorneys office and a spokesman there said they were looking into it. During Trump's first term, the judicial system in the state wrestled with how to respond to ICE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two district attorneys in Massachusetts sued the federal government in 2019 seeking to prevent arrests at courthouses but dropped the case when former President Joe Biden took office. Newton District Judge Shelley Joseph also faced charges which were later dropped of helping a man who was living in the U.S. illegally evade an immigration enforcement agent. The charges were dropped after she agreed to refer herself to a state agency that investigates allegations of misconduct by members of the bench. Last month, actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their deaths attracted national attention and sparked a high-profile investigation, and now a judge has made a pretty important final determination about one aspect of the case. The investigation into their passing has since concluded that Hackman "was in very poor health," grappling with numerous medical conditions. Heather Jarrell, New Mexicos Chief Medical Examiner, disclosed that Hackman succumbed to hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's disease playing a significant role in his death. Meanwhile, the investigation determined that Arakawa died several days prior to Hackman, succumbing to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome a rare illness typically transmitted from animals to humans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following their deaths, Santa Fe-based Judge Matthew Wilson had to decide whether or not to seal photos, video, and documents including photos and video that showed Hackman and Arakawa's bodies to protect the familys privacy. LOS ANGELES - 1986: Actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa pose for a portrait in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Donaldson Collection/Getty Images During a court hearing on the matter on Monday, lawyers for Hackman's estate argued the dissemination of images, video or audio showing or discussing the deceased would cause an "unnecessary media frenzy." "What we're really talking of, Judge, is my client's father, who lay dead for some amount of time, and all of the grotesque pictures that go along with that and the conversations of deputies discussing that," a lawyer for Hackman's family said, according to Fox News. "There is no limit to the trauma that could cause my clients for years to come with that information, as the media publicist already testified to, would likely show up on the internet or in podcasts etc." The county, meanwhile, argued that the right to privacy does not carry on in death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It seems to be clear from the law that, in fact, the right of privacy, does not simply succeed in death, and therefore the estate does not have the right to bring a claim for loss of privacy after the death has occurred," Greg Williams said in closing arguments. Ultimately, the judge ruled that the photos and video showing the couple's deceased bodies along with audio discussing the topic would not be released to the public a victory for the Hackman family. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Its a last-minute reprieve for Venezuelans across the country. On Monday, a federal judge in California issued a temporary injunction, postponing a Trump Administration effort to rescind deportation protections. Legislation aimed at protecting Florida state parks stuck in committee The ruling allows some 350,000 Venezuelans to remain in the country legally under whats known as temporary protected status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Immigration Attorney Danielle Hernandez said, This is a temporary measure, but at least people have one sigh of relief that they know next month they wont have to pack their bags and leave. A temporary protected status, TPS, is granted to people from countries experiencing extraordinary conditions that make it unsafe for them to return home. In 2021, Venezuelans were granted TPS, given their countrys political turmoil. Gary Cabrera says his brother lives in Tampa Bay under that protection status. Hes been here for a while, he said. Hes got 10 years here working, paying taxes. Also, hes got his own business, Cabrera continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, the Biden Administration extended the TPS designation for another 18 months. But in February, Kristi Noem, the new secretary of homeland security, reversed those protections, giving Venezuelans, like Cabreras brother, until next week to leave the country. Hernandez explained how a judge in California temporarily postponed that decision Monday. Essentially this court said, Hey you cant do that; you cant take away that second extension by the Biden Administration, she said. At least for now. Still, with an uncertain future, Cabrera said if his brother loses his TPS, hed leave the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said, at that point, itd be too big of a risk to stay. It doesnt matter if he works or has his own business, he could get caught by ICE and have to get out with nothing basically, Cabrera explained. The California judge called Noems decision unprecedented, noting that the U.S. government had never abruptly terminated a TPS program before without a significant transition period. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. A federal judge in New Jersey has retained the case of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, rejecting the government's request to move the case to Louisiana, where the Palestinian activist is being held following his arrest last month. "The Petitioner was in New Jersey on March 9 at 4:40am. And Congress has required that the Petition must be taken as having been filed in New Jersey at that same moment. That vested this Court with jurisdiction. The Court's jurisdiction is not defeated by the Petitioner having been moved to Louisiana," Judge Michael Fabiarz wrote in a 67-page opinion on Tuesday. The opinion, unless appealed by the government, would clear the way for Fabiarz to decide the more substantive issues of Khalil's continued confinement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Trump administration claims Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil misrepresented information on green card application Khalil, a leader of the encampment protests at Columbia last spring, was detained on March 8 at his student apartment building in New York. He was taken to 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan, then to an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, before ending up in a Louisiana detention center, his attorneys said. After his lawyers filed a petition for Khalil's immediate release, a federal judge in New York last month moved the case to New Jersey. Lawyers for Khalil urged a federal judge to keep his habeas case in New Jersey to prevent the government from a "Kafka-esque" moving of Khalil from one detention facility to another. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are grateful the court wisely understood that the government cannot try to manipulate the jurisdiction of the United States courts in a transparent attempt to shield their unconstitutional -- and frankly chilling -- behavior," Baher Azmy, an attorney for Khalil, said in a statement on Tuesday. "We look forward to the next phase of this case, which is to get Mahmoud out of detention and into the arms of his family, and then to prove the Trump administration's attempted deportation of Mahmoud and others is nothing but unconstitutional retaliation for protected speech." New Jersey is also closer to Khalil's wife, who is about to give birth. "I am relieved at the court's decision today to keep my husband's ongoing case in New Jersey," his wife, Noor Abdalla, said in a statement Tuesday. "This is an important step towards securing Mahmoud's freedom, but there is still a lot more to be done. As the countdown to our son's birth begins and I inch closer and closer to my due date, I will continue to strongly advocate for Mahmoud's freedom and for his safe return home so he can be by my side to welcome our first child." FILE PHOTO: Mahmoud Khalil speaks to members of media about the Revolt for Rafah encampment at Columbia University during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza, in New York, June 1, 2024. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters, FILE) During a hearing on Friday over whether the case should remain in New Jersey, Azmy told the judge there is a "prohibition on forum shopping" to find a court that might be most sympathetic to the government's position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outside court, Azmy said the government is simply trying to delay the adjudication of the actual legality of Khalil's detention. An attorney for the government, August Flentje, argued that "for jurisdictional certainty, the case belongs in Louisiana" because that is where Khalil is being held. "The clearest route is to have the case heard in Louisiana," Flentje said during Friday's hearing. MORE: Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil calls himself a 'political prisoner' in new letter After deciding on the jurisdictional question, the judge can now consider the substantive question of whether the detention of Khalil, a green card holder, was lawful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khalil is due to appear before an immigration judge for a removal proceeding on April 8. He is among a half-dozen international students who have supported Palestinians to be detained by the administration in recent weeks. No charges have been filed against any of them. The administration has argued the students' continued presence in the country undermines American foreign policy and revoked their status. Attorneys for the students have argued the administration is punishing them for lawful activity. Judge rejects government's request to move Mahmoud Khalil's case to Louisiana originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Fewer than half of employees of the federal judiciary believe court workers are willing to report instances of workplace misconduct, according to results of a long-awaited survey conducted by the judicial branch. The judges who spearheaded the review said, in a press call shortly after the report was released, the judiciary branch compared favorably to the other two branches of the US government when it comes to employees workplace happiness, with 84% reporting that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. Still, judiciary leaders concede that more has to be done to encourage workers to report any professional misconduct that theyre subjected to. The survey, released Monday and conducted by Federal Judicial Center researchers, was part of a larger effort launched by Chief Justice John Roberts in 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement, to address harassment, abuse and other misconduct judicial employees suffered in their jobs including harassment they received from judges. With their lifetime appointments, judges wield at times seemingly untouchable power within their chambers, and some have retired rather than face scrutiny of allegations brought against them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The survey was sent to all employees of the federal judiciary in January 2023, and 13,895 employees responded, according to the report. Mondays report said that, out of the 272 survey takers who reported discriminatory harassment, 63 said that harassment came from judges. Judges were behind 166 instances of abusive conduct reported by 900 survey-takers, according to the report. And 49 of the 290 respondents who said they were subjected to employment discrimination said it came from a judge. On the press call, Senior US Circuit Judge Margaret McKeown a member of the workplace conduct working group established by Roberts said as a statistical figure, the number of workplace conduct complaints connected to judges was quite small, as she emphasized there are about 30,000 judiciary employees. Those who indicated experiencing misconduct were much more likely to identify managers and direct colleagues as the source of the issue, the report said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aliza Shatzman, the founder of the Legal Accountability Project, a nonprofit that considers itself a watchdog for abusive conduct in courtrooms experienced by clerks, said that the release of the survey findings was a positive step, but pushed back on the claim that that it showed judges were behind only a small number of workplace misconduct issues. I cannot even underscore for you how stark the power disparity is between a law clerk and a judge, Shatzman told CNN. There is no greater power disparity in the legal profession, probably in white collar workplaces period. A federal judge in Alaska resigned last year amid an investigation showing he had created a hostile work environment for his clerks, while having an inappropriately sexualized relationship with one of them. Only 42% of survey-takers said that employees were willing or very willing to report workplace misconduct, a number that the workplace conduct working group was concerned about, US District Judge Julie Robinson said Monday. Almost two-thirds of respondents said that management at their courts or judicial workplaces encouraged employees to report misconduct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to see a much higher number in people who are comfortable Robinson, who sits on the federal court in Kansas, said. The key is that it is important to build trust and confidence in the system. The Supreme Courts press office did not respond to a CNN request for comment from Chief Justice Roberts. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com TOPEKA (KSNT) A company based out of New York is recalling one of its juice products sold in Kansas this week as it may be contaminated with a potentially fatal form of food poisoning. Walkers Wine Juice LLC, based out of Forestville, New York, is recalling its pumpkin juice as it may contain botulism. The product was distributed to a limited number of commercial wineries in twelve states including Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Botulism can cause people to experience, weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble speaking or swallowing, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). People who come into contact with botulism may also find it hard to breathe, have abdominal distension and constipation. Botulism can cause potentially deadly bouts of food poisoning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WATCH: Satanic Grotto leader taken away in handcuffs at the Kansas Statehouse The FDA reports no illnesses have been reported yet in connection to the recalled pumpkin juice. Inspectors with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food discovered the pumpkin juice pH was too high, resulting in no adequate step was taken to reduce the threat of microbiological hazards. Walkers Wine is recalling the following products under the recall: 2.5 gallon bag in box and five gallon hot pack that are labeled pumpkin with all lots impacted by the recall. 30, 60 and 275-gallon bulk containers that are tagged pumpkin with all lots impacted by the recall. People who purchased any of the recalled juice are urged to reach out to Walkers Wine to find out what to do with the remaining product and receive a reimbursement. You can get in touch with Walkers Wine by heading to its website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kansas gov. vetoes two bills, allows for three new laws For more Kansas 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 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. CORRECTION: This story originally said that the defendant arrived at the courthouse dressed in jail clothing and was shackled. That was incorrect. Reporter Bob Mercer apologizes for the error. PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) A jury is now in place for the trial of the former employee accused of stealing more than $1.7 million from the South Dakota Department of Social Services. Trial starts Tuesday for accused DSS thief Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 12 jurors and two alternates who will decide whether Lonna Carroll is guilty were seated shortly before noon. They were selected from a pool of more than 50. Opening statements were set to begin after the criminal proceeding reconvenes at 1:15 p.m. State Attorney General Marty Jackley is leading the prosecution team. Carrolls court-appointed defense attorney is Tim Whalen of Lake Andes. Carroll, looking gaunt and pale, appeared in court on Tuesday wearing a brownish-red top and black slacks. She has been in the Hughes County Jail since her arrest last year because she hasnt been able to post bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Circuit Judge Christina Klinger ordered that Carroll be allowed to wear street clothes for the trial. Carroll arrived at the Hughes County Courthouse from jail around 8 a.m. in an unmarked white sedan driven by deputies. Deputies immediately took Carroll downstairs through a side entrance to the courthouse basement. Her defense attorney arrived a few minutes later. Questions asked by Whalen and Jackley to prospective jurors made clear some of the strategies they intend to use at trial. Whalen said the burden of proof is on the prosecution. As a defendant, I dont have to prove anything, he told them. Will anybody hold it against my client if she elects not to testify? No one raised a hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whalen went through the list of state witnesses several times, asking whether anyone in the jury pool knew them and asking whether that would prevent them from reaching a fair decision. He also asked whether they had heard news media reports about the case. One of the pool who eventually was excused was a recently retired DSS employee who said he had heard a lot of talk about the case by others in the department. I kind of got an opinion early on based on what people were talking about, he said. Whalen then asked the man, In your heart of hearts, can you get it out of your head? No, the man replied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jackley then questioned the man and objected to Whalens challenge. Responded Whalen, Trying isnt good enough. Judge Klinger decided to excuse the man. Thank you for your honesty, she told him. Another woman who identified herself as a state government employee said shes familiar with the states voucher process because thats one of her responsibilities in the department where she works. She said that knowledge could influence her decision. You think shes guilty? Whalen asked. I do, the woman replied. Whalen asked whether there was anything he could do in Carrolls defense to convince the woman otherwise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Put on a pretty good case, the woman replied. Jackley asked some questions and objected. Judge Klinger then questioned her. Im sad to say Ive already made up my mind about her guilt, the woman said. The judge then excused her. Whalen also asked prospective jurors about the statute of limitations, whether they were uncomfortable in a case involving a large amount of money, and memberships in organizations that advocate for changing laws. Jackley likewise asked about media coverage. Almost every prospective juror raised a hand when asked whether they could separate what they had heard and read from what they would hear in the trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jackley then asked a series of questions about whether any of them had ever left their keys in their vehicles. Would it be OK if someone stole that vehicle? No one raised a hand. He also asked about leaving their houses unlocked when theyre not there. Would it be OK to have someone come in and steal their possessions? Id be upset, one answered. Said another, Nothing gives the right to come into my house. Next Jackley asked about a small bank where the teller goes to the bathroom and leaves open the till, then returns to find that money is missing. No one agreed that was OK, either. Jackley then asked about direct evidence and circumstantial evidence. He used as an example embezzlement from an office checkbook. Whalen objected. Jackley tried to go through some examples of ways that embezzlement could be proven, such as looking at the account balance and bank statements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then Jackley asked, How about the way somebodys living? Judge Klinger told him to move on to another question. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday said that it will take reciprocal countermeasures in response to announcement by the United States of visa restrictions on Chinese officials over access to southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. What the United States has done constitutes gross interference in Xizang affairs, which fall under China's internal affairs, and is a serious violation of international law and the basic norms governing international relations, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular news briefing. "China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this," Guo said. He noted that Xizang is open to all, and there has been no restrictions on the entry of foreigners, adding that the region receives a large number of foreign travelers and people from various sectors every year, with 320,000 foreigner tourists entering in 2024 alone. Considering the region's special geographic and climate conditions, it is entirely necessary that the government takes certain lawful measures to manage and protect visiting foreign nationals, Guo said. He said that China welcomes foreigners to Xizang for visiting, tourism and business purposes, but they must abide by Chinese laws and relevant regulations. "We oppose the groundless slander of the status quo of human rights, religion and cultural development in Xizang, and oppose the interference and sabotage practices of foreign officials in the name of performing their duties in the region," he said. China urges the U.S. side to honor its commitments on Xizang-related issues, stop conniving or supporting "Xizang independence" forces, and stop using Xizang-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs, the spokesperson said. Jurors in the second murder trial of Karen Read on Friday visited the Massachusetts neighborhood where her Boston police officer boyfriend was found dead more than three years ago. Prosecutors say Read backed her SUV into John OKeefe, 46, in 2022 after dropping him off at a party hosted by a fellow police officer and returned hours later to find him dead. Defense attorneys say she was a victim of a conspiracy involving the police and they plan, as they did in the first trial, to offer evidence pointing to the real killer. Read, 45, has been charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene. A mistrial was declared last year after jurors said they were at an impasse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The second trial has thus far looked similar to the first. It is being held in the same courthouse before the same judge, and dozens of Reads passionate supporters are again rallying outside. The primary defense lawyers and many of the nearly 200 witnesses will also be the same. Jurors view the crime scene On Friday, jurors traveled to Canton, where O'Keefe's body was found outside the home of Brian Albert on Jan. 29, 2022. Read's SUV also was parked there for the viewing. Prosecutor Hank Brennan told jurors to view the scene from different vantage points and reminded them that it would have looked different at night, during a snowstorm. Defense attorney David Yannetti asked jurors to consider the distance between the home's windows and doors and the front lawn. Jurors also should take a good look at Read's vehicle, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Size it up, he said. Take it in. Doctor describes testing Read's blood alcohol level Dr. Garrey Faller, former lab director at Good Samaritan Medical Center, testified Friday that Read's blood alcohol content was 93 milligrams per deciliter, or 0.093%, at 9 a.m. the day O'Keefe was found dead. The legal BAC limit in Massachusetts for driving is 0.08%. In cross-examining Faller, Read's attorney suggested that the lab wasn't using the most reliable type of test or that the results could have been skewed by Read's medical conditions anemia and multiple sclerosis. Our methodology is just as good, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That testimony came a day after prosecutors showed clips from interviews in which Read described pouring extra shots of alcohol into cocktails she deemed too weak but denying that she was driving recklessly the night O'Keefe died. Friend describes OKeefe and Read as an affectionate couple OKeefes close friend, Michael Camerano, testified Thursday about the relationship between OKeefe and Read and their interactions the night he died. He said the couple greeted each other with affection at a Canton bar, and that OKeefe put his arm around Read and kissed her. He certainly never told you or even suggested that he was thinking about or planning to break up with Karen, right? defense attorney David Yannetti asked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No, Camerano said. And during the month before Johns passing, that January of 2022, you observed their relationship in your presence to be normal, caring, and affectionate, right? Yannetti asked. Yes, Camerano said. Texts tell a different story At the first trial, prosecutors called witnesses who described how the couples relationship had begun to sour before OKeefes death, including his brother and sister-in-law, who testified that Read told her the couple had argued in Aruba after she caught OKeefe kissing another woman. On Thursday, a state police forensics investigator read a long series of tense text messages between Read and O'Keefe in the hours before they met up at a bar on the night he died. Jurors also saw screenshots of the messages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sick of always arguing and fighting, O'Keefe wrote. It's been weekly for several months now. So yeh I'm not as quick to jump back into being lovie dovie as you apparently. I know your heart isn't in this anymore, Read wrote. I've felt it for awhile and esp lately. I am willing to try more but not if you approaching the point of Indifference. New evidence to be offered Prosecutors are relying on witnesses from the scene in the early days of the trial, counting on testimony from police officers and firefighters who recalled Read making comments that implicated her in the killing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are also introducing evidence of a broken taillight on Reads SUV that prosecutors argue was damaged when she hit OKeefe and possible DNA from OKeefe found on her vehicle. The defenses goal is to raise doubts about the prosecution case and plant the seed that she was framed. They are expected to suggest that a hair found on the taillight was planted and the police investigation was marred by a conflict of interest. The defense blames a third party for O'Keefe's death The defense's approach has been to portray the investigation into OKeefes death as shoddy and undermined by the close relationship investigators had with the police officers and other law enforcement agents who were at the house party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the key witnesses they will call is former State Trooper Michael Proctor, who led the investigation but has since been fired after a disciplinary board found he sent crude and sexist texts about Read to his family and colleagues. He is also on the prosecution's witness list. Proctors testimony was a key moment during the first trial, when the defense suggested his texts about Read and the case showed he was biased and had singled her out early in the investigation, ignoring other potential suspects. BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) A local and beloved ice cream shop continues its celebrations leading up to a big anniversary this summer. Read next: Local Children Services workers set to go on strike Handels Ice Cream will turn 80 years old in July. The beloved ice cream shop started when Alice Handel began making ice cream out of her Youngstown home in 1945. What was once just a small corner ice cream shop near the intersection of Market Street and Midlothian Boulevard in Youngstown is now a national brand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A group gathered at Handels Creekside location in Boardman on Tuesday with WKBN to film segments for their 80th-anniversary campaign. One of those in the group was Leonard Fisher, president and chairman of Handels Homemade Ice Cream, who says the company is showing no signs of stopping. Ive been associated since 1985 when I first purchased Handels, and we had the one location on the south side of Youngstown, said Fisher. It has grown from one location in 1985 to approximately 155 locations now coast to coast. By the end of the year, we should have 170 locations. When Fisher started, he says he knew the brand was definitely going to expand because it was such a loved product locally. Well, actually, this is just the beginning. I would say by the end of 2027, we should have 235 locations, said Fisher. And then from there were going to grow exponentially because everybody loves our product. Its homemade, made fresh on the premises. People love it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Handels Ice Cream will celebrate its 80th anniversary in July, and while Fisher says what theyre planning for the big day is still a surprise, he credits the success of 80 years back to the woman who started it all. It all goes back to Alice Handel. You know, she started making ice cream one batch at a time, using strawberries from her own backyard. She had one machine making two quarts at a time, said Fisher. She loved the product. She loved the community. She actually loved what she was doing. And when I met her, she said, Lenny, do me one favor. Dont ever change anything. And I never did. Its just a great brand, a great community. Without Youngstown, we wouldnt be where we are today. Its a community ice cream that has grown to be a national brand. Locally, Handels has locations in Poland, Canfield, Boardman, Youngstown, Austintown, Liberty, Columbiana, Niles, and Hermitage. To learn more, visit HandelsIceCream.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 WKBN.com. TYLER, Texas (KETK) Senate Bill 16, which was filed by East Texas State Sen. Bryan Hughes on March 11, requires proof of citizenship when registered to vote. East Texas Senator files bills to clarify abortion law The Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs passed the bill and now it will head to the full Senate chamber for discussion. Senate Bill 16 says were going to require proof of citizenship when you register to vote, Hughes, a Republican representing Mineola in the Texas State Senate, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The League of Women Voters stated that this proposal could hinder more than a million Texans by making it more challenging to vote. The right to vote is one of the most basic promises of our democracy. When you think in terms of a democratic government, every person is considered equal and is empowered to both participate in their government, president of the Tyler/Smith County League of Women Voters, Rubye Kendrick said. Democrats and Republicans call for changes to the voting system If the law passes, a person who wants to vote must submit an application and prove their citizenship with a passport or birth certificate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When you think about it from a female perspective, when you are married, your birth certificate does not have your married name on it. It definitely would be an area that would be disenfranchising to citizens, Kendrick said. Similar bills filed at the state and federal levels have received pushback because it is against the law for non-citizens to vote. Washington is talking about changing the law. Theres a bill called the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship when you register to vote. We hope they pass that, but were not waiting on Washington, Hughes said. On March 25, President Trump signed an executive order that mandates a check of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The order is expected to meet challenges in the courts. 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com. ITHACA, N.Y. (WETM) A juvenile has been arrested on an arson charge following an investigation into a structure fire that occurred on Thursday in Ithaca. In a release from the Ithaca Police Department, police say that officers were called to the West Village Apartments near Abbott Lane on Thursday, March 27, around 5 p.m., for the report of a suspicious structure fire. Steuben County man arrested after attempted arson in Bath Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Upon further investigation, police say that IPD and New York State Fire determined that the cause of the fire was arson. In addition, no injuries were reported, but the building did sustain significant property damage as a result of the fire. On Tuesday, April 1, police say that the juvenile was arrested by the Ithaca Police Investigative Division on the charge of arson in the first degree, a class A-I felony. Due to the age of the juvenile, police have not disclosed their name. Elmira fugitive arrested on Pennsylvania burglary charge As a result, the juvenile had their charges read to them in the Tompkins County Court and was later released to their guardian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the fire or has additional information regarding the incident to contact IPD by any of the following means: Police dispatch: 607-272-3245 Police administration: 607-272-9973 Police tip line: 607-330-0000 Anonymous email tip address: www.cityofithaca.org/ipdtips Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Mar. 31Police cited one juvenile for disorderly conduct after receiving more than one report of a student at Southwest Middle School who reportedly had a gun. A message from Principal Tyler Johnson sent out Friday morning stated a parent had called police stating that their child had heard from another student about another student possibly having a gun in their backpack. "School administration and the school resource officer immediately brought the alleged student to the office and investigated the situation," Johnson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No gun was found, and the student stated they had "joked" about having a gun in their backpack to the student. "School safety is our top priority, and we take all allegations seriously," Johnson said. "The student was given consequences." He thanked those who called in to the school. Juveniles cited at high school Police cited one juvenile for possession of marijuana under 21 at 12:21 p.m. Thursday at 2000 Tiger Lane. Police cited one juvenile for possession of marijuana under 21 at 12:35 p.m. Friday at 2000 Tiger Lane. Police cited one juvenile for possession of a vaping device on school property at 2:12 p.m. Friday at 2000 Tiger Lane. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dog reportedly attacks another dog Police received a report at 4:44 p.m. Thursday of a loose dog that attacked another dog at 2165 Highland Ave. Storage unit broken into A storage unit was reported broken into at 7:14 p.m. Thursday at 301 Rezin Ave. 1 injured after car goes in ditch One person was reportedly taken to the hospital after his vehicle went into the ditch at 7:45 a.m. Friday near the intersection of 180th Street and 705th Avenue. Scam reported Deputies received a report at 12:40 p.m. Friday of someone who had been scammed out of money during an attempt to buy a puppy over Facebook. Grass fires reported Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A grass fire was reported at 5:08 p.m. Friday at 76303 170th St. A grass fire was reported at 6:41 p.m. Friday in the wildlife management area near 875th Avenue and 320th Street in Blooming Prairie. 1 arrested for DWI Deputies arrested Taylor Wayne Spooner, 33, for third-degree driving while intoxicated and open container after a traffic stop at 11:42 p.m. Friday at 498 E. Main St. in Clarks Grove. Robbery reported Police received a report at 5:48 p.m. Saturday of two people who attempted to rob an individual at 407 First Ave. NE in Geneva. Damage reported A mailbox was reported broken off at the base at 6:58 a.m. Friday at 510 W. Richway Drive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A cable box was reported damaged at 7:30 a.m. Friday at 2024 Greenwood Drive. Wallet reported missing A wallet was reported missing at 10:04 a.m. Friday at 25 Katherine St. Checks stolen Police received a report at 10:45 a.m. Friday of checks that were believed to have been stolen at 1619 Blake Ave. 1 arrested after domestic incident Police arrested Luis Fred Cardenas, 34, after receiving a report of a domestic incident at 12:44 p.m. Friday at 510 Grace St. 3 arrested on warrants Police served a warrant on Ashta Ashante Kane, 45, at 6:43 p.m. Friday at 411 S. Broadway. Police arrested Pah Ne Gay on warrants at 9:07 p.m. Friday at 1205 James Ave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police arrested Trini Cortez, 52, on a local warrant at 9:11 p.m. Friday at 2740 Bridge Ave. Damage reported Damage was reported to a vehicle at 10:38 a.m. Saturday at 1020 Swanhill Drive. Damage was later reported inside the house at the same address at 7:19 p.m. Sunday. Packages reported stolen Police received a report of stolen Amazon packages at 1:29 p.m. Saturday at 418 Columbus Ave. 1 arrested on A&D hold Police arrested Micah Hildon Ogren, 32, on an arrest and detain hold at 10:36 p.m. Saturday at 616 James Ave. 1 arrested for DWI Police arrested Lachelle Ann Swenson, 37, for driving while intoxicated after a traffic stop at 1:30 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of East Main Street and Wilson Street. 1 arrested for domestic assault Police arrested Christopher Gutierrez for domestic assault at 10:16 p.m. Sunday at 710 Jefferson Ave. The site of the former Rule High School in Lonsdale is one step closer to welcoming students again. The Knox County Commission on March 31 approved an agreement with Knox County Schools to hand off the vacant property so KCS can build a new K-8 school in its place. In return, Knox County gets the Beaumont Magnet Academy and the Maynard Elementary School. Those schools will close, and students will instead attend the new K-8 school KCS will build at the Rule School site at 1919 Vermont Ave in Lonsdale. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2026 and be completed by 2028. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plans for the new school are moving along as the Beaumont, Lonsdale and Mechanicsville neighborhoods prepare for an influx of students. In 2022, Knoxville received a $40 million federal grant for its Transforming Western Heights project, an affordable housing development that is projected to be home to 400 school-age kids. The development will add 740 low- and mixed-income homes to the neighborhood northwest of downtown., The new school also will fix atypical school zones where peer groups in the Mechanicsville, Lonsdale and Beaumont communities are split up as they progress through elementary, middle and high school. Students who now attend Beaumont Magnet Academy, Maynard, Lonsdale and West View elementary schools are split up to Bearden, Northwest, Whittle Springs or Vine for middle school, which then feed into Central, Fulton and West high schools. There are no standalone middle schools in those neighborhoods, a challenge a new K-8 school could address. KCS allocated $66 million in its capital improvement funds last year in anticipation of a change in the neighborhoods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When you have a larger school, you have more teachers and more resources," Assistant Superintendent of Operations Garfield Adams said at a Jan. 22 community meeting. A new K-8 school "is a very innovative, creative idea," he said. Under the state's funding formula, money follows individual children. At a bigger school, there would be greater flexibility of programming such as arts and science, Adams said. Rule High School is now just a field on Vermont Ave. on Thursday, January 30, 2025 in Knoxville, Tenn. The school building was demolished in 2023. What is the current and projected enrollment at the schools involved? Beaumont Magnet Academy: current enrollment - 507, projected enrollment by 2029 - 523 Maynard Elementary: current enrollment - 110, projected enrollment by 2029 - 200 Lonsdale Elementary: current enrollment - 547, projected enrollment by 2029 - 357 West View Elementary: current enrollment - 202, projected enrollment by 2029 - 203 Bearden Middle: current enrollment - 1,222, projected enrollment by 2029 - 1,348 Northwest Middle: current enrollment - 797, projected enrollment by 2029 - 1,107 Vine Middle Magnet: current enrollment - 456, projected enrollment by 2029 - 544 Whittle Springs Middle: current enrollment - 458, projected enrollment by 2029 - 439 What will Knox County do with the the land it received? A new charter school could come in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In exchange for giving KCS the empty Rule School site, Knox County will receive the Beaumont and Maynard buildings and the land they're on. The Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation that requires vacant public school properties to be made available for purchase by charter school sponsors before it can go on the market for everyone else. Former Knox News reporter Areena Arora contributed to this report. Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County property swap to provide space for new Lonsdale K-8 school HONOLULU (KHON2) The ongoing eruption at Kilaueas Halemaumau crater entered its 16th episode late Monday night. Lava began overflowing from the north vent at 10:57 p.m., following a period of spattering that began earlier in the day. 7 clues revealed by Hawaiis ancient glaciers, the Pacifics only subtropical glacial formations The eruptions precursor activity started around 5:20 p.m., with weak spattering observed at the north vent. By 6 p.m., the spattering intensified, evolving into continuous low fountaining that reached heights of 15-30 feet. As the lava level rose, it eventually spilled over the vent cone and spread across the crater floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This new episode follows a series of dramatic eruptions, including Episode 15, when lava fountains soared more than 1,000 feet into the air. Experts believe similar high fountains are likely to develop within 24 hours. 6 things to know about Hawaiis tilt toward gambling Weak winds in the summit area may cause volcanic gases to linger around Kilaueas summit, potentially affecting visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and nearby residents. Since December 2024, each eruption episode has lasted anywhere from 13 hours to eight days, with brief pauses in between. The current eruption episode is still unfolding, and scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) are closely monitoring the situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kilauea Volcanos alert level remains at WATCH with an ORANGE Aviation Color Code. All volcanic activity is currently confined to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. For a timeline of eruption episodes since December 23, 2024, click here. For a livestream of Kilauea click here and 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 KHON2. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been charged with murder after investigators said he was involved in a shooting that left one woman dead on Saturday. Damien Carter is facing the following charges: Second-degree murder Two counts of armed criminal action Unlawful use of a weapon Kansas City police identify woman killed in Saturday shooting near church According to the Kansas City Police Department, the shooting happened on Saturday, March 29, around 7 p.m., near Blue Valley Park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers were dispatched to a home on East 29th Street and Oakley Avenue, where they found a woman who had been shot lying in the front yard. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said video surveillance showed a Chevrolet Tahoe arriving and parking in front of the residence around 6:49 p.m. The driver who Johnson said was later identified as Carter was seen exiting the SUV with a handgun. She said the victim could be seen walking out of the residence toward him, which is when the driver pointed the gun at the victims head and began to shoot. The victim then fell to the ground as the suspect continued firing before getting back in the car and driving from the scene. According to court records and a witness statement, it is believed that the incident could have been a possible drug deal gone wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carter is being held in a Jackson County jail with no bond. His first court appearance was on Tuesday at 1 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 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Kerrie Lonard, director of the Kansas office of child advocate, told a joint committee of the Kansas Legislature law enforcement officers have taken on a major role in determining whether children threatened by abuse or neglect were placed into protective custody rather than have those determinations made by the Kansas Department for Children and Families. DCF operates a 24-hour abuse hotline, but refers calls to law enforcement outside weekday business hours and on weekends. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA The Kansas child advocate urged the Kansas Legislature to narrow the front door to state custody of children by striking a better balance between harm individuals could face by remaining in a home versus trauma resulting from removal from that residence. Kansas child advocate Kerrie Lonard said lack of clarity in definitions of neglect and harm led to inconsistent removal decisions by the Kansas Department for Children and Families and the state courts. On Monday, she told the Joint Committee on Child Welfare System Oversight the challenge extended to law enforcement officers making protective custody decisions about children potentially in harms way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lonard said reports suggested Kansas relied too heavily on police officers and sheriff deputies to make time-critical determinations about the welfare of children. They were drawn into this role with limited information about families and, in some areas of the state, lack of access to alternative services. Kansas is relying on law enforcement to not only act as public safety officer, but also that of a social worker, Lonard said. Lonard said questions had been raised in Kansas about the percentage of children being removed from homes by law enforcement. Questions also have been posed about whether child trauma could be reduced if DCF personnel were more readily available to be involved in removal decisions, she said. Lonard said DCFs protection center hotline operated 24 hours a day, but after-hour calls regarding the possibility of a child in imminent danger were referred to law enforcement. DCF staff was available 40 hours per week to make decisions on child safety and removal, which left 128 hours per week to be managed primarily by law enforcement officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Law enforcement does not have in-real-time access to DCF resources or historical information to enable consideration of safely vetted alternative options that would prevent children from being placed into police protective custody, she said. Wichita region dominates DCF deputy secretary Tanya Keys said the 10-county region of the state that included Wichita had 47.1% of the states police protective custody placements in fiscal year 2024. In terms of the other five regions of the state, the proportion of protective custody cases ranged from 7.3% in the northwest to 12.7% in the southwest. In other words, 1,182 of the 2,509 Kansas children placed in protective custody by law enforcement in the last fiscal year were in the Wichita region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, Keys said, the Kansas Department of Corrections reported 39% of children dropped off at juvenile facilities last fiscal year by law enforcement officers across the state were subsequently released to a family member. Forty percent of those children are returned to a parent or relative. Thats their placement outcome after a juvenile intake an assessment worker is alongside that family, Keys said. The Legislature unanimously voted last week to send Gov. Laura Kelly a bill amending state law concerning when officers could take a child under 18 into custody for suspected abuse or neglect. Under House Bill 2075, Kansas law enforcement officers would be required to explore other options for shielding a child from harm before turning to protective police custody. The bill also would add a more direct procedure for law enforcement to report suspected neglect or abuse of a child to DCF for purposes of investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Real-time decisions Ron Paschal, the deputy district attorney in Sedgwick County responsible for the Child In Need of Care division, said the state should be wary of latching onto a set of statistics and deciding too many children were being taken into protective custody by law enforcement agencies. He said a significant portion of children in protective custody were later returned home, but that didnt mean initial decisions of law enforcement officers were flawed. We can all agree in a perfect world no child should experience removal from home. We all agree that is a traumatic experience, Paschal said. But, I think, if we look at the reality, sadly, many childrens lives and safety are at risk at home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Topeka police chief Ed Klumpp, who lobbies on behalf of three law enforcement associations in Kansas, said the power to place a child in protective custody wasnt used by officers without exploration of other solutions. Taking a child into police protective custody can be traumatic not only for the child and family, but also to the officer, Klumpp said. Klumpp said the issue came before the Legislature due to assertions Kansas use of police protective custody might be high compared to other states. He said he wasnt aware of data supporting the conclusion protective custody was used in Kansas when it was not justified based on information available to the officer at the time of the decision. He agreed DCFs limited availability from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday required law enforcement officers to grapple with a heavy load in terms of child protection. DCF should be more engaged in the custody process outside normal business hours especially when there was no criminal element to a case, he said. He also recommended Kansas develop a risk assessment tool for use by law enforcement when determining whether a child could safely be left in the home. KIEV, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced Tuesday that his country has started consultations with the United States on a revised minerals agreement, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. Sybiha confirmed that Ukraine received a new draft of the minerals agreement on Friday from the U.S. side, adding that "consultations with the United States on the agreement text have already begun, with the first round having already taken place." He said the deal is expected to boost the presence of major U.S. businesses in Ukraine and strengthen the security of the country's infrastructure. Sybiha noted that Kiev is committed to signing a document that would meet the national interests of both Ukraine and the United States. The agreement, initially scheduled for signing on Feb. 28 in Washington to grant the United States access to Ukraine's mineral resources, was delayed following a tense exchange of words between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Former Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez apologizes at a April 1, 2025, disciplinary hearing before the Kansas Supreme Court for making "petty" comments about a judge four years ago. (Molly Adams/Lawrence Times) TOPEKA Former Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez told members of the Kansas Supreme Court on Tuesday that she never in my craziest of nightmares thought she would be standing before them at a disciplinary hearing. Valdez, who lost a reelection bid last year, faces potential discipline for a news release and Facebook post in March 2021 that included a personal attack on a judge. During a 10-minute speech before the court on Tuesday, she described the chaotic time in which she took office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She told justices she was emotionally fragile in 2021 because her brother had died from a drug overdose, her predecessor refused to help with the transition of power, and the district court without her input had decided to resume jury trials on her first day in office, even though COVID-19 vaccines were not yet widely available. Douglas County District Judge James McCabria issued a news release that said the court had consulted with all the stakeholders, the Lawrence Times reported. Valdez wanted the public to know she wasnt involved. In a Facebook post, she wrote: Women of the world- be prepared! If you are hardworking, outspoken, honest, AND in a position of authority, the INSECURE MAN will try to tear you down. Not me, says I!! On Tuesday, Valdez said she should have taken the high road but was petty instead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im sorry. I apologize. I made a grave mistake when I allowed myself in my frustration and the turmoil and COVID and all the anxiety and all of that to get the better of me, Valdez said. Thats not who I am. Im a very passionate person. Im a very honest person. I am all those things, and I am sorry. She wiped away tears as she sat down, took a deep breath and stared at the notebook in front of her. Kim Bonifas argues during an April 1, 2025, disciplinary hearing that Suzanne Valdez should be sanctioned for her petty criticism of a judge in a 2021 social media post. (Molly Adams/Lawrence Times) Five members of the court heard arguments from Kimberly Bonifas, a Wichita lawyer who prosecuted Valdez on behalf of the Office of the Disciplinary Administrator, and Stephen Angermayer, a Pittsburg lawyer who defended Valdez. Justice Evelyn Wilson, who plans to retire July 4, is not hearing any more cases, and Justice K.J. Wall recused himself. Bonifas had argued that Valdez should lose her license, but a three-member disciplinary panel recommended she face public censure instead, leaving a blemish on her record that could limit a lawyers professional career. Angermayer asked for an informal admonishment instead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Tuesdays hearing, Justices Caleb Stegall and Dan Biles questioned the legitimacy of an ethics rule that prohibits undignified or discourteous conduct by an attorney that is degrading to a court. Bonifas said personal comments about a judge would be inappropriate even in a closed-door meeting, let alone a public news release and social media post. Stegall said the rule in question has to do with big ideas, like maintaining the integrity of the judicial system. But even if Valdez comments were stupid and foolish, he said, does it really serve the legitimacy and integrity of the judicial branch to punish speech that we find offensive? It just strikes me that we potentially do more harm than good when we punish speech, Stegall said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bonifas said Valdez could have criticized the judge without resorting to petty criticism and name-calling. Stegalls response: Is it wise to punish petty criticisms? Doesnt that make us look petty? Kansas Supreme Court Justice Dan Biles appears at a April 1, 2025, disciplinary hearing for Suzanne Valdez, where he questioned the government interest in preventing lawyers from criticizing a judge. (Molly Adams/Lawrence Times) Biles asked how the violation in question could survive a First Amendment test, especially since it was about an individual judge and his press release and not about an adjudication. And he said Valdez comments were off-campus, meaning on Facebook, rather than in a court proceeding. Whats the government interest in preventing a lawyer from criticizing a judge? Biles said. Bonifas argued that Valdez harmed the public. She said the judge was speaking on behalf of the court and was trying to educate the public about the courts plan to address health and safety concerns. That communication was met with name-calling that left members of the public appalled, Bonifas said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Eric Rosen said we seem to be forgetting that courts in 2021 were struggling to figure out how to protect constitutional rights while dealing with a public health crisis. When we were in the throngs of that stuff, we were desperate to try to get just the process going to meet all of the needs of both prosecutors offices, defense counsel and criminal cases and just all cases, Rosen said. Mar. 31LIMA Allen County students wrote about why schools should ban cell phones, the pitfalls of social media dependency and why laws targeting LGBTQ youth are worsening mental health for the annual Lima Rotary Club's Four-Way Test speech and essay contest. The club invites middle and high school students to write essays and speeches focused on society's most pressing problems, using the Rotary Club's four values as a test: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Shawnee High School's Alex Karapondo won the speech contest for her speech on the backlog in America's court system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Liberty Arts Magnet School's Lily Emerick claimed first place for her essay on why too much social media is harmful for her peers. Other finalists include: Kyla Fallis, second place speech about implementing a new oath for politicians focused on Rotary values. Daniel Schiel II, third place speech about the dangers of book bans. Kimara Shurelds, second place essay about why schools should ban cell phones in the classroom. Rayne Saylor, third place essay about the challenges new laws create for LGBTQ youth. Featured Local Savings CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) Jury selection for Karen Reads second trial begins Tuesday, this comes as the first trial ended in a hung jury. This case has been the subject of scrutiny and speculation on both sides. 22News spoke with an attorney to help clarify whats new and what hasnt changed. A case shrouded in mystery takes center stage as Karen Reads second trial for the 2022 death of her boyfriend and Boston Police Officer John OKeefe will start Tuesday. We spoke with Bob Murphy, an associate attorney in Springfield, to get a better understanding of the case. He told 22News that one of the most difficult parts of the process starts at the beginning with jury selection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murphy states, So this is a case thats had a ton of media attention. You know both sides are very vocal concerning the ongoing case and I think getting a jury is going to be a big undertaking. The Free Karen Read movement has taken the country by storm, with protests over the weekend across Massachusetts. Despite a wave of both public support and criticism, this case is not as cut and dry as other homicide cases. In the context of these motor vehicle homicide cases, that tends to be very rare, Murphy adds. Its not very often that you hear you know an alleged victim couldve been inside of a house when they were killed as opposed to being struck by a car and killed.> A second trial comes as a double-edged sword for Karen Read. On the one hand, there are not many surprises left in the tank that the prosecution hasnt heard already. On the other hand, a new addition to the defense team gives Read a slight edge. Victoria George, who was an alternate juror in Reads first trial, will now serve as a part of her defense team. While second trials are often a disadvantage for defendants, Murphy said this could give her team much-needed insight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murphy told 22News, The defense team now has an opportunity to have this juror, be part of the defense team to know exactly what those deliberations look like what were the jurors focusing on during their deliberations. This trial is expected to last at least five weeks, but that does not include the jury selection process. The first time read stood trial it lasted 10 weeks. 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. BOSTON (WWLP) Karen Read will be back in the courtroom Tuesday morning to be tried for murder for a second time after the jury couldnt come to a verdict in her first trial. Granby man held pending dangerousness hearing following alleged murder threats Tuesday begins jury selection in Karen Reads second trial but that task may be a little more difficult than expected. Read is on trial for the alleged murder of her boyfriend and Boston Police Officer John OKeefe who was found dead in the snow back in 2022. She is accused of backing into OKeefe with her car before leaving him to die in the snow at the home of another Boston Police Officer in Canton after a night out with friends, but her defense team alleges she is being framed in a wide-scale law enforcement cover-up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Normally when choosing jurors, a judge will ask questions to make sure potential jurors are free of bias and will remain fair and impartial. Last time it took four days to pick 12 jurors. This case has garnered widespread attention across the country with a docuseries, dateline episodes, free Karen Read movement, so finding a panel of impartial jurors will probably be easier said than done. The second trial is expected to take at least five weeks but that does not include jury selection which may take several weeks itself. 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. Donald Trumps press secretary has said evil forces were working against him during his presidential election campaign. Karoline Leavitt said she saw this first-hand in 2024 and that she believes spiritual warfare is taking place in America. During an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Ms Leavitt who is at 27-years-old, the youngest White House press secretary ever also spoke of her guilt at being away from her eight-month-old son, Niko, while she is at work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Leavitt spoke of the difficulty of juggling her career and motherhood, but said she always tries to come home for Nikos bedtime. Ms Leavitts role hosting the daily press briefings has turned her into a lightning rod for criticism from those who take umbrage with her no-nonsense approach at the podium. Credit: CBN News But her pithy retorts to journalists from Left-wing media organisations have made her a hero among Mr Trumps supporters. The president himself strongly backs Ms Leavitt, a former Republican Congressional candidate, and said last week she is knocking them dead. She attended a Catholic high school in Lawrence, Massachusetts followed by Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire on a softball scholarship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I certainly believe in spiritual warfare. And I think I saw it first-hand, especially throughout the campaign trail with President Trump. And I think there certainly were evil forces. Karoline Leavitt says she prays before press briefings - Andrew Harnik/2025 Getty Images Referring to the attempt on Mr Trumps life, she added: And I think that the president was saved by the grace of God on July 13th in Butler, Pennsylvania, and hes in this moment for a reason. Ms Leavitt said that on the mornings she does the daily press briefing, she spends hours talking to the president and his senior advisors to understand their take on current events. But just before she goes to the briefing room, she holds a group prayer to steady herself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think that team prayer before is just a moment to be silent and still and ask God for confidence and the ability to articulate my words, knowledge, prayer, protection, and it is a nice moment to reset, she said. Its the last thing I do before I go out there, and then it just gives me the confidence to do a briefing. Ms Leavitts clashes with the Left-wing media have been turned into memes and celebrated by Maga supporters: during one exchange about former president Joe Bidens pardons, she quipped to CNNs Kaitlan Collins: Youre a reporter, you should find out. In the interview, Ms Leavitt said that she knew what Left-wing outlets like MSNBC were going to ask because their questions were predictable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taking aim at legacy media outlets, Ms Leavitt said during the 2024 election, US voters sent out a very strong message that we dont listen to you. In more personal comments, Ms Leavitt said that working in the White House there were often hard days and long days and tiring days but every day is a good day. Of her busy lifestyle, in which she gets around five or six hours of sleep a night, she insisted: As President Trump says, when you love your job and you love your life, you dont need to sleep much. Ms Leavitt says there are often hard days and long days working in the White House - JIM WATSON/AFP However she did admit to a sense of guilt at not being able to spend more time with her baby Niko that she shares with her husband Nicholas Riccio, 59, a property developer. She said: Saying no when you have to say no to take care of your family is something Ive had to learn the hard way in a very short amount of time. I try to make it home for bedtime during the week. Ms Leavitt paid tribute to her hard-working, blue collar parents who did not go to college and instilled the value of hard work into her from a young age. She said that being the White House press secretary put to bed the fallacy that Mr Trump does not surround himself with strong and intelligent women. The presidents chief of staff is Susie Wiles, the first woman to hold the role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Ms Leavitt saw it, God had a plan when she lost the election for a US House seat in New Hampshires 1st district in 2022 as it led to her getting her current job. Donald Trump speaks to reporters alongside Ms Leavitt on Air Force One on Jan 27 - MANDEL NGAN/AFP Out of all of Mr Trumps policies, tackling illegal immigration was the one that meant most to her, Ms Leavitt said. She was especially moved by the Laken Riley Act which orders ICE to detain migrants charged with theft-related crimes. It was inspired by the murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley, a nursing student who was killed while out jogging in January 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. The killer, 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan migrant who was in the US illegally, had previously been arrested for theft but was released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Leavitt said: Ive watched as the president has taken out a lot of time to know these mothers who have lost their children (to migrant crime). As a mother myself I cannot imagine anything like that happening, especially at the hands of someone who should have never been in the country in the first place. 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 Trump administration is continuing to lie about the Venezuelan nationals they deported on claims they were all Tren de Aragua gang members. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked on Tuesday about the case of Kilmer Armado Abrego Garcia, the Maryland-based Salvadoran national who was deported to El Salvador earlier this month based on a clerical error. The administration has expressed a complete confidence in how all the deportations flights to El Salvador were conducted, a reporter asked Leavitt. But now that the administration has conceded that there was an error of one Salvadoran national, will there be any reviews conducted, and does the president express any thoughts on the one error that was disclosed in court last night? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well first of all, the error that you are referring to was based on a clerical error, it was an administrative error. The administration maintains the position that this individual who was deported to El Salvador and will not be returning to our country was a member of the brutal and vicious MS-13 gang, Leavitt replied. That is fact number one. Fact number two: We also have credible intelligence proving that this individual was involved in human trafficking. And fact number three: This individual was a member, actually a leader, of the brutal MS-13 gang, which this president has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. Leavitt admits Abrego Garcias deportation was a clerical error while simultaneously claiming that he is some evil MS-13 mastermind. Whats most likely is that the Trump administration sent another immigrant to rot in a brutal megaprison without any due process. You said youd seen evidence that this man was a convicted gang member. In what court was he convicted and for what? a different reporter followed up. This individual was an MS-13 ring leader. This individual was engaged in human trafficking. And Im glad you brought up this point again, because if you just saw the headline from insane, failing Atlantic magazine this morning, you would think this individual was father of the year, living in Maryland, living a peaceful life when that couldnt be further from the truth. They didnt even mention in the title of that article, or even in the first paragraph, that this individual is an illegal criminal who broke our nations immigration laws. He is a leader in the brutal MS-13 gang, and he is involved in human trafficking. And now MS-13 is a designated foreign terrorist organization. Leavitt rambled on spitefully, coming nowhere close to answering the basic question she was asked about which court identified Abrego Garcia as a leader of MS-13. President Donald Trumps administration is done with talking about the group war chat scandal. And so should everyone else now, too. That appeared to be the message on Monday from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, after she was asked for an update on any review into the fiasco that saw the number of The Atlantics Jeffrey Goldberg accidentally added to an exchange on the messaging app Signal in which top Trump officials discussed a war strike on Yemen. This case has been closed here at the White House, as far as we are concerned, said Leavitt. There have been steps made to ensure that something like that can obviously never happen again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leavitt didnt detail exactly what the steps were. Were moving forward, she added. Leavitt on Signal Gate: This case has been closed here at the White House as far as we are concerned pic.twitter.com/RaML4Wk6Ku Acyn (@Acyn) March 31, 2025 Critics, though, argued the case hadnt really been opened and demanded accountability for the security gaffe that, so far, appears not to have seen any official face consequences. Ah damn I forgot they could just declare that a major national security scandal is over now. https://t.co/lDDWej36RA Andrew Bower (@AndrewBower42) March 31, 2025 On today's episode of "We don't discuss things that make us look like complete, incompetent and bumbling fools..." Milenka~ (@MilenaAmit) March 31, 2025 It also was never opened. Cork Off! (@CorkYou) March 31, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not so fast, @PressSec. The case is NOT closed. Where is the accountability? How come the Secretary of Defense and National Security Advisor have not been released from their posts? https://t.co/f3qot0xTvJ Allen J. Wilson (@AllenJWilson) March 31, 2025 Closed? Where are the wall-to-wall hearings @RepJamesComer ? Dianne Callahan (@DianneCallaha16) April 1, 2025 We have investigated ourselves and found no wrongdoing Stevie Enzymes (@mikniks24) March 31, 2025 I should have become a Republican in politics so I can do whatever I want with no consequences. https://t.co/N6CzNY3nJy John Lindgren (@John_Lindgren) March 31, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So they are just going to sweep it under the rug as if nothing bad happened at all. Bill the Beaver (@TrueNorthStr0ng) March 31, 2025 Resident minister of propaganda says case has been closed. Parviz Malakouti-Fitzgerald (@ParvizMalakouti) March 31, 2025 You dont get to leak war plans on Signal and just say were good here. Thats not how national security works. Nikos (@NikosReggae) March 31, 2025 Doesnt work that way. Jeff McCutcheon (@mcjeff42) March 31, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I must have missed the investigation Spark After Dark (@SparkdaPhilly) March 31, 2025 The case was never opened. Lucas Sanders (@LucasSa56947288) March 31, 2025 Steps have been taken. Nobody will ever know what these steps are though. Nothing to see here, move along. Its only up to the media to make sure this doesnt go away. Don McGowan (@donmcgowan) March 31, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related... KANSAS CITY, Mo. A 24-year-old Kansas City, Missouri man has pleaded guilty in federal court for possessing and transferring three machine gun conversion devices. Demetrius Harris, also known as Meech, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of illegally possessing machine guns, an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 multi-caliber firearm with an AR-type machine gun conversion device and two AR-type machine gun conversion devices. Kansas City man charged with murdering woman in potential drug deal gone wrong Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court documents say on Jan. 24, 2024, Harris sold an AR-style firearm containing an auto sear, two additional auto sears, and ammunition to an undercover agent for $1,060. Last November, Demetrius and his brother Darius R. Harris, also known as D and D2, 22, of Raytown, were charged in two separate indictments returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. Those indictments were unsealed and made public following the arrests and initial court appearances of both suspects. Darius Harris was charged with two counts of illegally possessing and transferring a Glock-type machine gun conversion device on two separate occasions, on Oct. 30, 2023, and on Nov. 9, 2023. FOX4 Newsletters: Sign up for daily forecasts and Joes Weather Blog in your inbox Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Department of Justice, machine gun conversion devices, also known as switches or auto sears, are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. The DOJ said whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices. A sentencing hearing for Demetrius Harris will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. SOMERSET, Pa. A penalty phase proceeding has been rescheduled in the trial of a former SCI- Somerset inmate convicted of fatally beating a corrections sergeant in 2018. One crucial participant in the trial has contracted COVID-19 and another participants spouse has also tested positive, prompting court officials to delay the proceeding by one week, Somerset County Court Administrator Tammy Escalera said. The capital sentencing phase for Paul Jawon Kendrick, which is now set to begin next Monday, is anticipated to take several days to complete, attorneys have said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jurors were notified through the countys automated alert system about the change, Escalera said. The county switched to a new system earlier this year that enables group notification by email and text messages. Kendrick is the first person in Somerset County in decades facing the possibility of a death sentence. He was convicted of first-degree murder and four assault-related charges Friday following four days of trial. Jurors issued a verdict after nearly three hours of deliberation, convicting him for intentionally killing Sgt. Mark J. Baserman, who was 60. A jury of nine women and three men who sat for last weeks trial will return next week to consider whether Kendrick should face the death penalty or life in prison without parole as punishment for the crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys in the case and Senior Judge Patrick Kiniry spent five days selecting a panel of jurors willing to listen to both sides arguments. By law, aggravating circumstances including the fact that Kendrick was convicted of killing another person in 2014 and mitigating circumstances that might lessen culpability for the crime must be weighed by jurors before rendering a decision. The fact Kendrick has also now been convicted of killing a law enforcement official is another aggravating factor jurors will be able to consider. Under Pennsylvania law, all 12 jurors would have to decide in favor of the death penalty for the verdict to be issued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Death row listJust one person is on death row for a crime committed in Somerset or Cambria counties. Stephen Rex Edmiston was sentenced in 1989 for the rape and murder of a 2-year-old child. Edmiston, now in his mid-60s, was sentenced to death after jurors found that Edmiston took the toddler from Clearfield County and left her body in Reade Township. The last person to be executed in Pennsylvania was Gary Heidnik, remembered as the House of Horrors killer who raped and murdered women in his Philadelphia basement in the 1980s. He was executed in 1999. Over the past decade, Pennsylvania has had a moratorium on executions, but 95 people are currently on death row, according to a state execution list. Just this past weekend, Kate Middleton released a brand-new video (in a major break from tradition) to honor Mother Nature on the U.K.'s Mother's Day. But that wasn't the only social media post to get royal fans buzzing. This morning, Kensington Palace's Instagram account released its March Rewind, a social media review of the past month, and it's quite clear that the royals have been busy. With surprising and striking looks at Princess Catherine, 43, and her husband, Prince William, 42, the March Rewind was one for the books. Here, a few highlights from their Instagram Stories. Instagram / princeandprincessofwales Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first slide showed a video of Prince William like we've never seen him before from St. David's Day at the start of the month. This was followed up by a striking image of the prince from his visit to the Royal Berkshire Hospital on March 5. But perhaps the first image that truly caught my eye featured both the prince and princess on Commonwealth Day. Instagram / princeandprincessofwales The notable image shows Princess Catherine in her recycled red coat dress by Catherine Walker. If you'll recall the event from earlier this month, there was not only a major shift in Catherine's body language, but she and her hubby showed off some serious PDA as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also included in the March Rewind roundup was a gorgeous pic of the princess enjoying a pint alone for St. Patrick's Day. Instagram / princeandprincessofwales But besides drinking on St. Patty's Day, Kate also resumed her royal duty as Colonel of the Irish Guardsa role passed onto her by King Charles and Prince William following his accession to the throne in September 2022for the first time since 2023. She took the salute and inspected the front rank before raising a pint of Guinness at the Wellington Barracks in London. We also got a look at Prince William's trip to Aberdeen. Earlier this month, Kensington Palace shared an emotional video from the outing along with the Instagram caption, "An inspiring day in Aberdeen yesterday seeing all the work being done by Homewards and their partners in the area to support those in the city with lived experience of homelessness." Things were rounded out with the aforementioned Mother's Day video from Princess Catherine. The vid originally came with a personally signed message from the princess that read, "Over the past year, nature has been our sanctuary. This Mothers Day, let us celebrate Mother Nature and recognise how our bond with the natural world can help not only nurture our inner selves, but remind us too of the role we play within the rich tapestry of life. C." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instagram / princeandprincessofwales Naturally, things ended with a "thank you" slide from the Palace. Now let's see if the royal couple can top themselves in April... Buckingham Palace Issues Rare Statement on King Charles Health Want all the latest royal news sent right to your inbox? Subscribe here. WASHINGTON, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Uncertainty around U.S. tariffs risks denting global economic activity, Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of International Monetary Fund (IMF), said on Monday. The longer the uncertainty persists about U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to tariff policy, the greater the risk to the outlook, Georgieva was quoted by Reuters as saying. "Uncertainty, our research shows, the longer it goes, the more it may negatively impact growth," she said in an interview with Reuters. The IMF is seeing signs in recent data that consumer and investor confidence is weakening, and that then translates into impacts on growth prospects, which may be enough to trigger a "small correction" downward in the IMF's global growth forecast, Georgieva said. Trump has announced a wide array of tariff threats, with some already in place and more expected to be announced on Wednesday. DENVER (KDVR) A leader who has helped people with substance abuse and mental health challenges has been named the 2025 Remarkable Woman of Denver. Dr. Kiara Kuenzler, president and CEO of the Jefferson Center, was announced this years winner on Tuesday morning. FOX31 and Colorados CW2 received nominations for women who have made significant contributions to local communities. Its part of a nationwide initiative from Nexstar, the stations parent company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meet all of this years local nominees Kuenzler has dedicated her life to helping others. Jefferson Center puts people first and that means caring for each other on our team. It means caring for our community. It means understanding whats needed and how we can be a good partner to be able to fill in the gaps in the community, she told FOX31. Mandy Carlson has worked with Kuenzler for nearly three years and described the leadership that led to Kuenzler being honored this year. Theres nobody else like her in terms of a leader. She is really, truly one of a kind and so rare in what you see in a leader and how she just treats people and her empathy and how she acts every single day to just connect with people, Carlson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kuenzler was able to select a charity of her choice to receive a $1,000 check from FOX31 and CW2. She will also receive a trip to Los Angeles for a Remarkable Women event with other local winners from across the country. During the trip, regional winners will be announced along with Nexstars Remarkable Woman of the Year. FOX31s Genelle Padilla contributed reporting to this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. BERWYN, Ill. (WGN) Immigration rights activists, community members and elected officials are calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release a detainee who was preparing to make an organ donation to save his brothers life. A vigil was held in Berwyn Monday evening for JoseGregorio, a 43-year-old from Venezuela, who has been held in an immigration detention center for nearly a month. Gregorio was preparing to donate a kidney to his brother, Jose Alfredo Pacheco, 37, who has end-stage renal disease. Pacheco said his brother is his lifeline to surviving, and the only family member he has here to help him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is literally a matter of life and death, Attorney Peter Meinecke with The Resurrection Project said. According to Meinecke, Pacheco came to the United States in 2022 and applied for asylum, which is still pending. In 2023, he was given the news that his kidney had stopped functioning. He currently receives dialysis treatment three days a week, four hours at a time to stay alive. If he were to leave the country, Pachecos application for asylum would be void, his attorney said. Gregorio came to the country in 2023, not long after his brother learned of his diagnosis, attorneys said. He came with the goal of helping his brother and was initially denied entry at the southern border, reportedly failing to prove to immigration authorities he had a reasonable fear of returning to Venezuela. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More News, Weather and Headlines at wgntv.com He tried again and was eventually released due to there being no deportation flights at the time and allowed to come to the Chicago area under immigration supervision, his attorney said. He has no criminal record, and ICE has been aware of his movements since. Earlier this month, ICE agents reportedly detained Gregorio at the home in Cicero where he had been living with Pacheco. On March 3, I witnessed six ICE agents ambushing two brothers as they were simply trying to get to their dialysis appointment, Leslie with the Berwyn-Cicero Rapid Response Team said. This isnt about immigration policy or legal status; this is about family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates with The Resurrection Project said Gregorios main concern is staying in the country long enough for immigration agents to consider his case. They filed a stay of removal to delay or prevent his deportation, which was denied without reason Monday. While Gregorios attorneys plan to ask for a review of the decision, they are also asking immigration officers to consider releasing him on humanitarian parole so he could stay for up to a year in the United States to complete the kidney transplant. Relief in this case is not necessarily that Jose Gregorio gets to stay, it still very much could mean that he goes back, Meinecke said. [Gregorio] has actually said that hes willing to return to his home country after being able to do the donation, said Tovia Siegel, Director of Organizing and Leadership for the Resurrection Project. He was almost his brothers full-time caretaker. He wants to do the ultimate act of love and generosity to quite literally give a part of his body. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pacheco and Gregorio were set to continue medical appointments this upcoming month related to the transplant process at the UIC Medical Center. According to advocates with The Resurrection Project, even if Gregorio was not an exact match for his brother, he would still be able to donate his kidney to save someone else. As part of the kidney swap program, another persons family member or close friend could donate a kidney in return, saving two lives in the process. Advocates said Gregorio has no criminal history and is currently being held at a detention facility in Indiana. They started an online petition in hopes of appealing to the public for more help. WGN TV News reached out to ICE for a comment on the case. Due to the Privacy Act of 1974, WGN TV is told federal agencies are generally prohibited from sharing private information about individuals without their written consent, unless pursuant to a statutory exception. 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 WGN-TV. BERWYN, Ill. (WGN) Immigration rights activists, community members and elected officials are calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release a detainee who was preparing to make an organ donation to save his brothers life. A vigil was held Monday evening for Jose Gregorio, a 43-year-old from Venezuela, who has been held in an immigration detention center for nearly a month. More US and World News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gregorio was preparing to donate a kidney to his brother, Jose Alfredo Pacheco, 37, who has end-stage renal disease. Pacheco said his brother is his lifeline to surviving, and the only family member he has here to help him. This is literally a matter of life and death, Attorney Peter Meinecke with The Resurrection Project told Nexstars WGN. According to Meinecke, Pacheco came to the United States in 2022 and applied for asylum, which is still pending. In 2023, he was given the news that his kidney had stopped functioning. He currently receives dialysis treatment three days a week, four hours at a time to stay alive. If he were to leave the country, Pachecos application for asylum would be void, his attorney said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gregorio came to the country in 2023, not long after his brother learned of his diagnosis, attorneys said. He came with the goal of helping his brother and was initially denied entry at the southern border, reportedly failing to prove to immigration authorities he had a reasonable fear of returning to Venezuela. He tried again and was eventually released due to there being no deportation flights at the time. he was allowed to come to the Chicago area under immigration supervision, his attorney said. He has no criminal record, and ICE has been aware of his movements since. Earlier this month, ICE agents reportedly detained Gregorio at the home in Cicero where he had been living with Pacheco. On March 3, I witnessed six ICE agents ambushing two brothers as they were simply trying to get to their dialysis appointment, Leslie with the Berwyn-Cicero Rapid Response Team said. This isnt about immigration policy or legal status; this is about family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates with The Resurrection Project said Gregorios main concern is staying in the country long enough for immigration agents to consider his case. They filed a stay of removal to delay or prevent his deportation, which was denied Monday. While Gregorios attorneys plan to ask for a review of the decision, they are also asking immigration officers to consider releasing him on humanitarian parole so he could stay for up to a year in the United States to complete the kidney transplant. Relief in this case is not necessarily that Jose Gregorio gets to stay, it still very much could mean that he goes back, Meinecke said. [Gregorio] has actually said that hes willing to return to his home country after being able to do the donation, said Tovia Siegel, Director of Organizing and Leadership for the Resurrection Project. He was almost his brothers full-time caretaker. He wants to do the ultimate act of love and generosity to quite literally give a part of his body. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pacheco and Gregorio were set to continue medical appointments this upcoming month related to the transplant process at the UIC Medical Center. More US and World News According to advocates with The Resurrection Project, even if Gregorio was not an exact match for his brother, he would still be able to donate his kidney to save someone else. As part of the kidney swap program, another persons family member or close friend could donate a kidney in return, saving two lives in the process. Advocates said Gregorio has no criminal history and is currently being held at a detention facility in Indiana. They started an online petition in hopes of appealing to the public for more help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WGN reached out to ICE for a comment on the case and was told that, due to the Privacy Act of 1974, federal agencies are generally prohibited from sharing private information about individuals without their written consent, unless pursuant to a statutory exception. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Dr. Kim Carter-Tillman, founder of the Time for Change Foundation in San Bernardino, has been named KTLAs Remarkable Woman of the Year for her significant contributions to the community. Carter-Tillman, who has overcome homelessness, incarceration, and addiction, established the foundation in 2002 to help homeless individuals regain self-sufficiency. The foundation provides shelter and supportive services, and its Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit Center and Business Academy offers resources to entrepreneurial women of color. Thousands have benefited from the foundations programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aimee Durante, who nominated Carter-Tillman for the award, credits her with saving her life 12 years ago. Durante, now a program administrator at the foundation, overcame addiction and abuse with Carter-Tillmans support. She welcomed me with open arms. Im a completely different person today than I was when I got here, said Durante. I probably would be dead. Kim Carter-Tillman is surprised as KTLAs 2025 Remarkable Woman of the Year. Carter-Tillman expressed her gratitude and commitment to helping others, stating, Im here today so other women can be there tomorrow. The award includes a $1,000 donation to the charity of Carter-Tillmans choice, which she has directed to her own organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remarkable Women is a Nexstar Media initiative to honor the influence that women have had on public policy, social progress and the quality of life. Dr. Carter-Tillman now joins dozens of regional winners from across the nation who will meet in Hollywood for a ceremony naming Nexstars Remarkable Woman of the Year. The national winner receives $25,000 to donate to the charity of her choosing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. After a weekend spent resting at Highgrove, his Gloucestershire estate-turned-retreat, King Charles returned to work today following his brief hospitalization last Thursdayand it was to carry out a beloved royal tradition. The monarch was on hand at Windsor Castle for an investiture ceremony honoring members of the community across the U.K. It was his first official appearance after being treated at the London Clinic for side effects related to his ongoing cancer treatment on March 27. While he was forced to reschedule his Thursday afternoon and Friday engagements last week as a precaution, one thing is clear from the photos from todays event: Charles, like his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was eager to get back to work. In fact, the pics show the king looking downright gleeful as he bestows a CBE on Alan Titchmarsh for services to horticulture and to charity. Given the unexpected turn his weekend took, health-wise, it makes sense that hes thrilled to return to business as usual. Its also reminiscent of the late queen and her preference to keep calm and carry on. She famously remarked in a speech made on her 21st birthday (and just shy of her accession to the throne in 1952) that her whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your serviceand it became her guiding light. Charles, of course, was only recently named king, but he, too, subscribes to a similar work ethic. Jonathan Brady/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His son, Prince Harry, described it in his 2023 memoir, Spare: [My dad] had always been a worker. He believed in work. Everyone must work, he often said. But his own work was also a kind of religion...Countless times, late at night, [Prince William] and I would find him at his desk amid mountains of bulging blue postbagshis correspondence. More than once we discovered him, face on the desk, fast asleep. Wed shake his shoulders and up hed bob, a piece of paper stuck to his forehead. Looking at the events of the past week, but also the past year since his cancer diagnosis in early February 2024, Charles has to mind his health. But its clear from events like today that hes also motivated by his royal diary and embarking on all he hopes to achieve. Aaron Chown/Getty Images Next up? The king is going to continue to temper his schedule and take it easy this week ahead of his state visit to Italy with Queen Camilla on April 7. But according to People, he still plans to travel to London for events at Buckingham Palace and more. Like his mother, he wouldnt have it any other way. King Charles Is Out of the Hospital & This Royal Was the First to Visit (Its Not Who You Would Expect!) Less than a week after his brief hospitalization due to side effects of his ongoing cancer treatment, King Charles welcomed the U.K.s best and brightest to Windsor Castle for an investiture ceremony. Though this is a return to front-facing work for the King, it has been reported that as soon as Thursday eveningjust hours after his March 27 hospitalization at The London ClinicCharles was working at his desk at home at Clarence House. His minor health scare forced the monarch to cancel engagements in Birmingham on March 28, and after a weekend of rest at his country home, Highgrove, the King returned to his normal schedule of work this week, including the aforementioned investiture on April 1. This marks Charles first official appearance since his hospitalization, though he was seen in public on March 28 riding in a car. According to People, the King is pacing himself before he and Queen Camilla depart for a royal tour of Italy on April 7, with the outlet citing palace officials as saying that some engagements for the end of this week have been moved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the investiture ceremony on Tuesday, Charles is expected to also have his weekly in-person meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and is also expected to take part in outings in London, according to People. Getty King Charles on March 28, 2025 King Charles on March 28, 2025 Charles and Camillas royal tour will begin on Monday, and will include their milestone 20th wedding anniversary on April 9. One part of the trip will not take place as planned, thoughfollowing Pope Francis own health issues that left him hospitalized for 38 days, the King and Queen will no longer be meeting with the Pope at the Vatican as previously planned, as the Pope has been advised to rest. The King and Queen are believed to have sent him their best wishes for his recuperation, People reported. Getty Queen Camilla on April 1, 2025 Queen Camilla on April 1, 2025 For her part, Camilla spent April 1 on an Easter egg hunt at Buckingham Palace. Per People, the Green Man Humpty Dumpty Egg installation is part of an art project being put on in support of the Elephant Family, set up by Camillas late brother Mark Shand. Both Charles and Camilla are patrons of the organization, and the egg at Buckingham Palace was painted by Alice Springs, who was commissioned by the King and Queen. It is installed by the Kings Gallery and is part of the Big Egg Hunt, which sees more than 120 giant egg sculptures make up a trail across London, according to People. Read the original article on InStyle SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) Here are the top headlines from this morning. The Sioux City Marina could be open by Memorial Day. Also, members of the Sioux City City Council agreed to reconsider the $140,000 budget cut to the citys human rights commission. Sioux City council votes to approve settlement agreement with former marina operator Shoppers in Norfolk, Nebraska, can expect to pay more in sales tax starting today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Voter-approved sales tax increase takes effect in Norfolk April 1 South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden announced a new proposal to address rising property taxes. SD Gov. Rhoden: County sales tax can reduce property tax Local law enforcement is cracking down on littering. Sioux City police issue reminder that littering is illegal Check out these headlines and more in the video 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. It looked like a scene from an action movie: lightning flashed in the distance as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A. "Go for launch," a voice on the SpaceX livestream called out seconds before the rocket soared into the sky Monday night. Atop that Falcon 9 was a Dragon spacecraft carrying four first-time astronauts on a journey no other space traveler has taken an orbit around Earth's poles. The Falcon 9 flew directly into a 90-degree circular orbit, rumbling straight overhead those watching from the ground in Florida. In the 64 years of humans launching to space, this trajectory with humans onboard has never been done. The Fram2 crew pose at the SpaceX training facility in Hawthorne, CA. Making history on this mission was commander Chun Wang. Wang purchased the flight from SpaceX. His crew included Eric Philips, who is the mission specialist and medical officer, Jannicke Mikkelsen, the vehicle commander, and Rabea Rogge, the spacecraft pilot. All four are explorers of extreme places on Earth, such as the polar regions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are some interesting things we know about this mission, which still remains shrouded in mystery. Fram2 watched a SpaceX rocket launch on the way to their launch While SpaceX did not provide media footage of the crew suiting up and heading to the launch pad as in previous private missions, Wang posted on X about the crew's unique experience they got to watch a rocket launch on the way to their own launch. Just hours prior to their scheduled liftoff, a Starlink mission launched atop a Falcon 9. The Fram2 crew was on their way to the SpaceX launch facility from Merritt Island when they spotted the rocket flying overhead. When is the next launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Starlink launch had been delayed from Sunday due to weather. But its 3:52 p.m. Monday launch came just as the Fram2 crew were riding in SpaceX Telsas right past Merritt Island High School. Wang recorded the launch, and posted it to X. In just over six hours, they would be riding on a Falcon 9 themselves. "Above the clouds in a minute. There! There," one of the crew members can be heard calling out on top of video of the rocket flying into the sunny afternoon sky. "We're gonna watch a rocket launch while on our way to a rocket launch," wrote Wang. Were gonna watch a rocket launch while on our way to a rocket launch. pic.twitter.com/G1IfJdGt1f Chun (@satofishi) March 31, 2025 Fram ship to SpaceX spaceship As for the mission, it is named after a record-breaking Norwegian ship from the early 20th century. The Fram ship sailed to the polar regions in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To pay tribute to the original Fram crews, the Fram2 crew carried a piece of the Fram ship to orbit with them. This tribute was in partnership with the Fram museum in Norway. Even more intriguing, the four Fram2 crew members, who are all explorers of extreme places on Earth, met in Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago. Wang said he was inspired to orbit the polar regions after watching Jared Isaacman's Inspiration4 mission in 2021 which was the first all-civilian mission to orbit Earth. In an interesting note, Wang originally wanted to name his mission 'Polaris' as they were planning to fly over the poles but that name had already been taken by Isaacman for the Polaris Dawn mission. What is Fram2 doing in space? The crew will take imagery of Earth's poles from orbit, as well as focusing the auroras. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the mission, they also plan to conduct some health experiments. This includes taking the first X-ray image of the human body off-planet called the SpaceXray study. Medical studies will also look at women's health, the health of astronauts with diabetes, motion sickness, blood flow in microgravity, brain health, and bone health. Fram2 will also grow the first oyster mushrooms in space, as part of Mission MushVroom. Fram2 mission patch The Fram2 mission is full of nods to polar explorations. The mission patch recreates an iconic photo. Roald Amundsen and crew reach the South Pole in 1911. The four astronauts looking at the tent is a recreation of a photo of the first people to successfully venture to Earth's South Pole. Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer, and three companions, posed in front of their tent upon reaching the South Pole in December 1911. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just less than 114 years after the first crew reached the South Pole, Fram2 became the first to reach it from space. SpaceX Fram2 mission patch. First astronauts to reach a polar orbit The Fram2 mission also marked a rare launch for Florida's Space Coast. While imagery and weather satellites have launched to polar orbit from Florida, it is extremely rare. The first time a SpaceX polar launch occurred from Florida was the launch of an Earth imaging satellite in August 2020 the first polar launch from the Cape in 60 years. During a polar launch, the rocket must fly extremely south over Cuba. After an accident during a satellite launch in late 1960 that caused a Thor rocket to destruct over Cuba, polar launches were shifted to California. The last time a polar launch occurred from Cape Canaveral was for NASA's PACE mission in February 2024. That mission traveled south, directly over Florida and Cuba. Fram2 to break multiple records Orbiting the poles isn't the only uncharted territory for these astronauts: Fram2 will be setting another first for human spaceflight upon returning to Earth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fram2 will splash down off the coast of California after three to five days in orbit another first for SpaceX human spaceflight. When NASA's Crew-9 returned on March 18, it marked the final time a SpaceX Dragon would return off the coast of Florida, as SpaceX is moving recovery operations to California. Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: What we know about the SpaceX Fram2 mission, a mission of firsts KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) Nearly a decade after the Knox County Regional Forensic Center opened, local and state leaders will gather on April 4 to break ground on a new forensic center to accommodate a growing number of cases requiring a medical examiner or autopsy in East Tennessee. According to the Knox County Government, the new 33,000-square-foot Knox County Regional Forensic Center will be constructed in the Karns Valley Business Park in Northwest Knox County. Compared to the current facility, which is 18,000 square-feet, this new facility will provide nearly twice as much office and laboratory space. Knoxville restaurant owner dedicates time to supporting the community Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Knox County Regional Forensic Centers current facility was initially funded under the state and current U.S House Representative Tim Burchett, who was Knox County Mayor at the time, in 2014, when the center needed to be moved from the University of Tennessee Medical Center. A growing population has led to an increasing number of cases, with the number of cases growing from 1,900 in 2019 to nearly 3,000 last year. Knox County Regional Forensic Center Chief Administrative Office and Director explained that since the beginning of the overdose epidemic in 2019, the forensic center has seen a dramatic rise in cases that has overwhelmed the medical examiner system. Not all of our increase has been in overdoses, but it represents a lot of our cases. This combined with population increase has led to the need for additional staff to investigate deaths, perform autopsies, assist with the examinations, as well as respond to the public, Thomas said. He explained that they made room for the growing staff by building makeshift offices and adding desks to overcrowded rooms. His assistants office is inside a records closet, he said. In addition to having enough space for the forensic center operations once construction is complete, the new center will have additional space planned to allow for growth in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This new facility is being built with many vacant offices and space that we can grow into over many years, and we have designed the new facility to be able to easily expand should we need to in the future, Thomas said. Daughter pleads for closure six years on from moms death in Knoxville hit-and-run Currently, the forensic center has 35 staff members. Thomas said he still needs additional staff to handle the centers current caseload, but there is no space in the center to house them. In 2022, Thomas, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Darinka Mileusnic spoke with Governor Bill Lee about the need for a new facility and to request funds. In February 2023, $20 million was approved for the new facility. This came after changes were made to increase space in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Knox County Regional Forensic Center serves as the medical examiner for Knox and Anderson counties and conducts autopsies for 21 other counties in Tennessee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. By Qabil Ashirov Azerbaijani military positions came under fire from multiple directions overnight, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry. According to the statement, between 5:00 PM on March 31 and 4:45 AM on April 1, units of the Armenian armed forces intermittently opened fire using small arms. The attacks originated from positions in Armenias Basarkechar and Gorus regions, specifically from the settlements of Zarkand, Zod, Ashagi Shorja, Yukhari Shorja, Istisu, Khanazakh, and Khaznavar, targeting Azerbaijani military positions. No casualties or significant damage have been reported as of now. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces took necessary defensive measures in response to the attacks. MEXICO CITY, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Mexico is prepared to respond to the tariffs on Mexican products that the U.S. government plans to announce on April 2, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday. "Let them know that we are prepared. We meet two or three times a week with the team (of government and business experts) to strengthen the various measures," Sheinbaum said at her usual morning press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City. "What we want is to protect the people of Mexico and jobs," the president said, adding however that retaliating with similar measures is not the solution to the tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles that her U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, has threatened to impose. She noted that the United States is slapping tariffs on goods from countries around the world, not just Mexico. "It's not about a conflict with the United States, but rather about the strengthening of our economy," Sheinbaum said, stressing that her administration's strategy is to wait and see "exactly" what measures the United States government takes on Wednesday. "Our economy is highly integrated with the United States economy," she said, reiterating that "we must wait" because "there is still dialogue." "We are prepared," she said, adding that the idea is to continue ongoing talks with the northern neighbor, which forms part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade. The government is also talking with Mexican business leaders with the goal of protecting the country's people and jobs, she said. A 44-year-old woman who allegedly used a U.S. passport stolen from a car in Las Vegas to hide her identity and move methamphetamine and money between Hawaii and the mainland is scheduled to plead guilty today in federal court. Jillian Pecika, aka Mango, was charged March 18 with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, according to federal court records. Pecika was initially charged by federal prosecutors May 14 with misuse of passport and aggravated identity theft. Hawaii police and Homeland Security Investigations agents, who were aware she was wanted on a state warrant and the subject of an an ongoing investigation, caught her May 12 at the Kailua-Kona airport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pecika was indicted in May 2023 for using a friends drivers license, driving without a license and insurance, and possession of a dangerous drug : methamphetamine. As she tried to drive out of the airport, a Hawaii Police Department officer pulled her over and asked for her identification. Pecika allegedly handed the officer a U.S. passport. The photograph of the individual depicted in the passport, although somewhat similar to Pecika, did not depict Pecika, according to an affidavit authored by an HSI agent. 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. A search of her belongings revealed a plane ticket from Las Vegas to Los Angeles with the name of the person whose passport was stolen. Her luggage was tagged with the same name. Officers called the person who owned the passport, and they told police it was taken in 2022 when their car was broken into in Las Vegas. According to court documents filed March 18, between May 2023 and May 2024, Pecika allegedly knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with at least one other person to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Slack is prosecuting the case. Pecikas attorney, Michael Green, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that his client is remorseful. These drug cases basically start with greed. Thats how it starts. You dont really think about what happens to the people who get their hands on what they are selling, Green said. Shes obviously come to terms with the damage shes caused in the community. I truly think she is remorseful. There is a reckoning and a penalty to be paid. U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie of Bowling Green is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee which this week is set to begin marking up the budget bill. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) Among the powerful committee leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives, no one ships nearly as much campaign money to his partys political caucus as Kentuckys 2nd District Congressman Brett Guthrie. Thats a finding in a report released last week by the Washington-based political reform group Issue One. And, in the context of the report, its not a flattering distinction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report is the latest of five that Issue One has released since 2017 that decry a system employed by both parties in which House members find themselves under relentless fundraising pressure to raise money for their party caucus committee if they want to be appointed to powerful and prestigious committees. A little-known fact about members of Congress is that they must constantly raise money not just for their own reelection bids but to help their respective political parties accumulate power, the report says. Both the Democratic and Republican parties lean on their most powerful legislators to boost their political war chests, under something called the party dues system. This forces members to devote vast amounts of time to fundraising time sometimes spent pleading for money from wealthy interests that lobby Congress and appear before congressional committees, the report says. The pressure comes from the Republican and Democratic leaders who control committee assignments of their members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last December Republican leaders of the U.S. House picked Guthrie to chair the important Committee on Energy and Commerce, the oldest continuous standing committee in the House and one with broad jurisdiction over the countrys health care, energy and environmental policies, telecommunications and technology innovation, and consumer safety. Issue One examined the contributions of 11 top Republicans and Democrats on four powerful House committees to their partys caucus political fund since Jan. 1, 2023. Rep. Brett Guthrie topped the list, transferring $2.5 million from his campaign committee to the National Republican Congressional Committee during the period. (Source: Issue One analysis of Federal Elections Commission data) GOP leaders have handed Guthrie and his committee a big assignment: cut $880 billion in spending, much of which will have to come from Medicaid, the federal-state program that pays for about 72 million Americans health care, including almost 1 in 3 Kentuckians. The savings are needed to reduce the federal budget by $2 trillion as Republicans seek to renew and make permanent $4.5 trillion in tax cuts from the first Trump administration. Issue One examined the contributions of top Republicans and Democrats on four powerful committees of the House since Jan. 1, 2023. The report found that about $1 of every $6 spent by the campaign committees of these 11 key committee leaders (seven Republicans, four Democrats) was in contributions to the party caucus political fund. (For Democrats, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee or DCCC; for Republicans, the National Republican Congressional Committee, or NRCC.) Among the 11 committee leaders, the report shows Guthrie gave by far the most, transferring $2.5 million from his campaign committee to the NRCC during the period. That amounted to a bit more than half of all of the spending by Guthries committee during the period. (None of the other 10 committee leaders whose campaign finances were examined transferred more than $1.5 million or more than 39% of their total spending during the period to their caucus political fund.) More than half of Guthries campaign expenditures during the two-year period were to the National Republican Campaign Committee. (Source: Issue One from analysis of Federal Elections Commission data) Guthries Washington office referred questions from Kentucky Lantern last week to a Guthrie campaign spokeswoman who did not reply to an email from Kentucky Lantern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issue One reported that in his recent bid for chairmanship of Energy and Commerce, Guthrie was opposed by U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, an Ohio Republican. Online records of the Federal Election Commission show Lattas campaign committee transferred nearly $1.3 million to the NRCC in 2023-24. Thats a large amount, but still far less than the $2.5 million transferred by Guthries campaign committee during the same period. Fundraising prowess is one criteria that party leaders consider when deciding whom to elevate into important leadership roles , said Michael Beckel, one of the authors of the Issue One report. Rep. Guthries massive fundraising for the NRCC ahead of the 2024 election certainly didnt hurt him as he made a bid to become the next chairman of the coveted House Energy and Commerce Committee. Punchbowl News reported soon after last Novembers elections that Guthrie appeared to be the favorite over Latta. While Latta had an advantage in experience, Punchbowl News reported Guthrie leads the fundraising race this year by leaps and bounds. Profound conflicts of interest Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentuckys 4th Congressional District, says the party dues system is extortion and should be illegal. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) In 2016 USA Today reported that the process involves legislative leaders setting quotas for members. Lawmakers are supposed to dip into their own reelection accounts to meet these fundraising quotas, USA Today reported. Those who make or exceed their dues are considered team players, a label that lifts their chances of landing plum committee assignments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That same USA Today report said another Kentucky Republican, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, refused to pay his dues. They told us right off the bat as soon as we get here, These committees all have prices and dont pick an expensive one if you cant make the payments, Massie said. Thats part of orientation. On Monday, Massie, in response to questions emailed him by Kentucky Lantern, said, My opinion of the dues system is still the same: its extortion and should be illegal. As for how his refusal to participate in the system has affected his committee assignments, Massie said, Ive been able to maintain committee assignments to B and C committees without giving to the NRCC, but participation on an A committee is understood to be off the table, so Ive never sought an A committee. Issue One CEO Nick Penniman said in last weeks report, Its a betrayal of public trust for legislative leaders in Congress to be constantly worried about fundraising and regularly soliciting wealthy and well-connected donors who have business before their committees. These fundraising demands lead to profound conflicts of interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guthrie, of Bowling Green, is a former state senator who first won election to Congress in 2008 by beating Democrat David Boswell in a competitive election for the right to succeed retiring Republican Congressman Ron Lewis. Since then Guthrie has never been seriously threatened in eight reelections. This gives him the luxury of being able to transfer his campaign funds to the NRCC. Last November he won reelection with 73.1% of the vote despite transferring more than half of his campaign war chest during the two-year election cycle to the NRCC. Beckel of Issue One described the organization as bipartisan and called it the leading cross-partisan political reform group in Washington, D.C. We unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system and build a democracy that works for everyone, he said. We are fiercely bipartisan, working with current and former members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. Kentucky school districts had been told they had until March 2026 to be reimbursed for projects they are funding with COVID-19 relief funds. But last week the Trump administration abruptly ended the payments a year earlier than expected. (Getty Images) Kentucky Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher on Tuesday urged school superintendents to contact their lawmakers in Congress about a sudden halt in payments from federal pandemic relief funds. His call to action comes after U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon notified state education departments on March 28 that they no longer had another year, as expected, to spend COVID funds and that the U.S. Education Department (USED) was immediately halting nearly $3 billion in COVID-relief fund reimbursements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McMahon said the Education Department would consider extending the deadline for spending the money on an individual project-specific basis. Kentucky Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) Fletcher wrote in his Tuesday letter that after the federal department changed how states could request COVID relief funds in February, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has not received COVID grant funding the next business day as was previously the case and was paying district grant recipients and asking the federal government to reimburse us. At this point in time, we have asked to be reimbursed for nearly $5 million, with no response from USED, Fletcher said. This latest message from USED will harm a variety of our schools and districts across the state even more. KDE and/or our school districts have already committed or spent these funds because we were promised a liquidation period ending March 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fletcher said 19 districts asked for an extension to fully spend their COVID relief dollars totaling $84.1 million. Thirteen districts have $34 million remaining that should be accessible to spend for the benefit of students, primarily on construction projects or bus purchases before the original deadline of March 2026. Shortening the fund liquidation date by a year leaves our districts and KDE in a difficult position, Fletcher said. Some of the projects that are now in jeopardy include providing educational technology services to public schools, including online school registration services and e-transcript services for high school seniors. The state has also used COVID funding for programs to help students make up for learning loss outside of regular school hours. Fletcher ended the letter encouraging superintendents and other stakeholders to contact their federal legislators, along with contact information for the offices of each member of Kentuckys congressional delegation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take the time to explain to our federal legislators how the sudden change in the liquidation deadline for COVID relief funds by the U.S. Department of Education will negatively impact our schools and districts, particularly the most vulnerable populations in the Commonwealth, Fletcher wrote. The pause in COVID funding reimbursements comes days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing McMahon to close the U.S. Education Department. A blockbuster second murder trial is slated to begin for Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman charged with killing her Boston cop boyfriend by backing into him during a blinding blizzard on Jan. 29, 2022, a case that ended in a hung jury last year after her L.A. based attorneys argued she was framed. The controversial case is the subject of a Max documentary A Body in the Snow which details Read's unfettered insistence that she did not kill Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe after a night of drinking and the real killers were fellow cops who hosted a party inside the Canton, MA home where he was found in a snowbank. Jury selection in the case will not get underway until Tuesday, but pre-trial motions have already made headlines - including an announcement this week that an alternate juror, an attorney who sat on Read's first trial, will join her defense team. Victoria Brophey George, a Princeton educated lawyer from Boston who was an alternate when fellow jurors led the judge to declare a mistrial, told Vanity Fair she "waited for nearly a year after the mistrial hoping the court system would work as intended to remedy some of the wrongs in this case." She also added, "If as a lawyer I was too afraid to stand up for what I believed in, who would?" She will join Read's team, which has been led by L.A. criminal defense attorneys Alan Jackson and Elizabeth Little, along with hard-hitting former Boston prosecutor, David Yanetti. The trio have steadfastly maintained that their client is the victim of a deliberate police coverup aimed at cops protecting their own, while prosecutors say Read hit her boyfriend after a night of drinking and left him to die in the cold. They maintain O'Keefe's cop colleagues - who were drinking all day after attending a funeral in New York City for a fallen NYPD brethren - killed him, dragged him outside and framed Read for his death by planting evidence, including broken bits of her SUV's taillight, at the scene. Jackson called it a case of "extraordinary government misconduct." The prosecution also has a new lead, one added to the team from the private sector: Hank Brennan, a criminal defense lawyer who famously defended notorious Boston Irish mobster James "Whitey" Bulger, who was captured in Santa Monica in June 2011 after more than a decade on the lam, and murdered by a coterie of his enemies at a federal prison seven years later. From the time Read was taken into custody, the case exposed a myriad of problems in the investigation at the hands of Massachusetts State Police troopers who are assigned to the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office, currently run by Michael Morrissey. The troopers assigned to that unit investigate homicides alongside their local police counterparts Norfolk County, which is comprised of 27 insular cities and towns that make up what is known locally as the south shore of Boston. The lead investigator, MSP Trooper Michael Proctor, was suspended without pay after Read's first trial ended in a hung jury last July. Under cross examination by Jackson, after he was forced to read a slew of vulgar and dehumanizing remarks he made about Read in a text chain with other cops, including his supervisors, on the stand. In that text chain, which began on day one of the O'Keefe murder investigation, he called Read a "wack job cunt," and reported that he had not located any nude photos on her phone, while remarking that she was "hot" but had "no ass." This month, a State Police Trial Board fired Proctor after finding him guilty of sending "derogatory, defamatory and disparaging and/or inappropriate text messages" about Read while leading the investigation into her. He was also found guilty of providing sensitive and confidential information about the case to people outside of law enforcement - including to his sister, to whom he wrote that he hopes Read kills herself. Proctor was also found guilty of drinking alcohol on duty, in a state police vehicle, with Canton Police officer Kevin Albert, who is the brother of Brian Albert, the Boston police officer who owned the home where O'Keefe's body was found. The incident exposed a close relationship between Proctor and the Albert family, which raised questions about why the homeowner at 34 Fairview Avenue was not interviewed about the dead body on his lawn. Albert and Proctor were working on a cold case when they began drinking, which led Proctor to text Kevin Albert about finding his Canton PD badge in the cruiser. Albert told him to leave it in his mailbox, and then wrote, "Did I take my gun?" along with a wincing face emoji. Evidence showed that Kevin's brother Brian Albert sold his house and got rid of his dog Chloe - who Jackson claims may have mauled O'Keefe - after the sensational case began to be debated across the country. There were also questions raised about a Google search made by his sister-in-law Jennifer McCabe, "hos [sic] long to die in cold," at 2:27 a.m., hours before O'Keefe's body was found. McCabe, who was called by Read to look for O'Keefe when he didn't come home, said she conducted the search after Read asked if she "hit him," when the body was found. Proctor's sister, Courtney Proctor, is also connected to the Albert family. She is the the best friend of Julie Albert, whose husband Chris, brother to Kevin and Brian, is a Canton town official. Albert is still a Canton police officer. Brian retired from the Boston Police Department in 2023. All of it, Read's lawyers say, exposes layered corruption within the Massachusetts law enforcement community. "I am fighting for my life," Read said in the Max documentary. The Read case has also raised questions about two other high-profile homicides handled by the Norfolk County DA's office. During another blizzard in February a year before O'Keefe died, another body was found in Canton. The victim was 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore, a pregnant teacher's aide with a dark secret: the father of her child was a married Stoughton Police Detective. Stoughton is the neighboring town to Canton in Norfolk County. Sandra Birchmore was found dead in Feb. 2021. Her former mentor in the Stoughton, MA Police Explorer's program, disgraced Detective Matthew Farwell, killed her the FBI says and staged the scene to look like a suicide. Birchmore was found in her bedroom with a duffle bag strap tied around her neck. The Norfolk County DA's office troopers, and Canton police, among them Kevin Albert, who responded to the scene immediately declared her death a suicide despite multiple signs that she was not suicidal at the crime scene. Among them, she was doing a load of laundry, had cleaned snow off her car for a morning drive to work, was making plans for an ultrasound, and setting up care for her cats when she was scheduled to give birth, on the night of Feb. 1., 2021 when Matthew Farwell showed up at her home and became the last person to see Birchmore alive. Her phone registered its last activity in the minutes before her apartment building's surveillance cameras spotted his rapid exit. Hours after that visit, his wife gave birth to the couple's third child. The lead investigator for the State Police Lieutenant John Fanning, who was among the supervisors in Proctor's troubling text chain, also had a conflict of interest that should have led him to recuse himself from the Birchmore investigation. Before joining the MSP, Fanning had been a Stoughton Police Officer, like Farwell, and enjoyed a personal and professional relationship with him. Farwell's twin brother, William, and their longtime friend Robert Devine - both now disgraced Stoughton cops - also had inappropriate sexual relationships with Birchmore while on duty, according to an internal affairs report that led to their firing in 2022 due to their "deeply disturbing pattern of behavior," in the years before the young woman died. All had been her mentors in the Stoughton Police Explorers Academy, a national mentoring program which advised children seeking careers in law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement It was only when the FBI took over the Birchmore investigation did the sexual misconduct of the Farwell brothers and Devine come to light. The FBI arrested Matthew Farwell last August on charges that he strangled her and staged the body to look as if she took he own life. He remains held without bail with his next court appearance scheduled for May. A third case in the same DA's office, the disappearance of a mother-of-three in the ultra exclusive town of Cohasset, also in Norfolk County, has ties to both Boston and Los Angeles. Ana Walshe disappeared on New Year's Day 2023, but her body has never been recovered. What investigators did find in the mansion she shared with her husband, a convicted art fraudster named Brian Walshe, who was accused not only of bilking an L.A. art gallery owner with fake Warhol paintings but who also scammed his own father's estate, was blood. Lots of blood. They now believe Walshe dismembered his wife and disposed of her remains at several incinerators across MA. Brian Walshe is charged with the 2023 murder of his wife Ana Walshe was indicted in March 2023 on charges of misleading a police investigation and obstruction of justice and improper conveyance, or transport, of a human body. But with Proctor's firing, that case has also been called into question. Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone, the judge on the Karen Read case, was also slated to sit on Walshe's murder trial later this year but has been reassigned by the court. Walshe's lawyer, Larry Tipton, is demanding that court hand over information related to Proctor and the Norfolk County District Attorney's questionable handling of the investigation into the death of Sandra Birchmore. Get the latest news delivered to your inbox daily! Sign up for Los Angeles Magazines The Daily Brief below or click here. State Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara, chair of the Legislature's Agriculture Committee, center, meets with Speaker John Arch of La Vista. March 31, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN A bill banning lab-grown meat from Nebraska advanced Monday to a second round in the statehouse after a two-hour debate. Legislative Bill 246 advanced 33-4. Nebraska would join a handful of states that have introduced legislation banning cell-derived meat. The bill was introduced at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen, who owns a major hog operation based in Columbus. Several lawmakers expressed concerns over the safety of lab-grown meat, while others called the bill a waste of time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed law doesnt ban alternative-meat products like Impossible Burger, which is made entirely from plants. The cell-derived meat it targets is produced from animal cells, enabling the cells to multiply and differentiate into muscle, fat, and connective tissue without slaughtering animals. The bill would ban the production, import, distribution, promotion, display or sale of any cultivated-protein food in the state. Gov. Jim Pillen, center, greets State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha after his annual State of the State Address. Jan. 15, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) If passed, Nebraska would be the fourth state to implement a ban on lab-grown meat. Mississippi is expected to be the third once its governor signs the measure into law. Florida and Alabama have banned cultivating and selling meat grown in laboratories in recent years. Bill author State Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara, said the bill aims to protect the Nebraska meat industry and consumers from adulterated foods effects. Our goal is not to throw people in jail or impose heavy monetary penalties, DeKay said. Its just to keep the product off the shelves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mississippis ban punishes anyone growing or selling lab-grown meat with a $500 fine and up to three months in jail. Lab-grown meat has been a subject of culture war politics, as some national Republicans say a ban is an attempt to stop the elitist class from promoting unnatural foods. State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman said she had leaned toward voting no before researching the topic. On Monday, Storer said not banning lab-grown meat is sending a message to the people of Nebraska that we believe its safe. I cannot look someone in the eye right now and tell them that self-cultivated meat is safe, Storer said. Nebraska is the second-largest cattle-producing state in the U.S., behind only Texas. Cattle and other livestock production are among Nebraskas largest industries, bringing nearly $31.6 billion to the state, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln. Jan. 28, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) The Food and Drug Administration approved lab-grown meat for human consumption in 2022. DeKay alluded to a ban in France and other European countries as proof that his concerns over the safety of lab-grown meat are valid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln said lab-grown meat is a non-issue, because the product is not yet in stores and is just an issue that gives the governor a win. Conrad suggested other possible solutions, such as labeling the meat as lab-grown. I think its beneath the Legislature its out of touch with what most Nebraskans want, Conrad said. The Nebraska Farm Bureau supported legislation that would label lab-grown meat but not ban it. Pillen has said he supported the bill as a way for the state to protect consumers and defend agriculture as the lifeblood of Nebraskas economy. After the vote, the governor said on X, The creation of this bioreactor meat is simply a dishonest attack on producers in our state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair said the state has bigger issues to deal with. Beer and bugs, tackling the important matters that matter to Nebraskans, Hansen said sarcastically. Im hoping well get to property taxes. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX LEAVITTSBURG, Ohio (WKBN) A LaBrae student beat the competition and won a national art contest. Mars Bustard drew a duck with the message Wash Your Wings. The contest was to encourage students to recognize the importance of handwashing. First News featured the 9th grader in February when she was announced as a finalist. Her design won the middle and high school category. Bustard gets a $300 gift card, and her school will receive a $1,000 donation. It will also get up to a thousand soap and sanitizer dispensers featuring Bustards winning artwork from SC Johnson Professional. 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. Ohio's lack of affordable child care is hurting more than working parents. It's costing the state's economy $5.48 billion in untapped taxes and employer earnings each year, according to a new U.S. Chamber Foundation report. "Child care is a national crisis. Everyone is struggling with child care," Aaron Merchen, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's executive director of early childhood education policy, told those gathered for an Ohio Chamber of Commerce child care summit. "You're in good company." The report estimated the economic drag for multiple states: Michigan is losing $2.88 billion each year in economic potential, Florida is seeing a $5.38 billion hit to its economy and Texas is losing $9.39 billion a year in economic output. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new Ohio-specific report details the struggles that working parents know too well. Families spent an average of $572 each month on child care and 70% use some financial assistance program to pay for it. The most popular was the federal child tax credit. One in four parents reported that they or someone else in their families shifted their schedule or worked fewer hours to accommodate for child care. About 22% worked while caring for a child, according to the new report. Even if child care issues are not forcing parents out of the workforce, they do have an impact on employment, said Blanche Delrieu, a business analyst for the Cicero Group, which conducted the review. About 40% of parents attending school or training had a disruption to their education because of child care issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the report also details the overall economic impact of that child care access problem, estimating that Ohio is losing out on $1.52 billion in tax revenue and businesses are losing $3.97 billion in earnings from turnover and absenteeism. What is Ohio doing to fix this problem? Publicly funded child care is less accessible in Ohio than in other states. Ohio sets eligibility at 145% of the federal poverty level, which is about $46,600 for a family of four. All surrounding states have a higher threshold, making public assistance easier to access. Ohio does offer child care vouchers for families up to 200% of the federal poverty level, a new program that Gov. Mike DeWine championed. Merchen said that cutoff, wherever a state decides to put it, impacts who can access affordable child care and who can't. "There is a correlation between the line at which you are eligile for state investment in child care costs and the accessibility," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeWine proposed a refundable tax credit of $1,000 per child in his two-year budget. But House Republicans axed that idea along with the cigarette tax hike that paid for it. Instead, they proposed a pilot program where businesses, state government and families each pay a portion of child care costs. The chamber report is the latest sign that businesses are taking child care access seriously. A recent Groundwork Ohio poll found 86% of Ohioans believed that increasing access to high-quality, affordable child care would strengthen Ohio's economy. Business groups like the U.S. Chamber and Ohio Chamber of Commerce are prioritizing access to child care in their discussions with state lawmakers. That's a good sign as child care providers, business leaders and legislators work toward solutions, Merchan said. "Ohio is taking this seriously." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read the report here: U.S. Chamber Foundation report on the cost of child care in Ohio by Jessie Balmert on Scribd State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@gannett.com or @jbalmert on X. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lack of child care costs Ohio economy $5.48B each year, report finds MILTON TWP., Ohio (WKBN) A Lake Milton man is facing charges of kidnapping, strangulation and assault after an alleged incident last month. Read next: Insurers raise red flag on Sharon hospital sale Milton Township police responded to reports of an intoxicated man hitting a woman in the 16500 block of Ellsworth Road on the evening of March 11, according to a police report. When officers arrived, witnesses said they were sitting around a fire when they heard 37-year-old Hunter Hodson screaming at a woman, pulling her hair, and shoving her to the ground, according to reports. The witnesses then said they attempted to intervene, which allowed the woman to hide behind a tree for a brief moment, but Hodson walked over and held the woman in a chokehold, they told police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reports state that Hodson then dragged the woman to a vehicle, threw her in the passenger seat and drove off heading eastbound. Officers were able to locate the woman who had a bloody eye, cuts on her ear, and red marks around her neck, outside a trailer, reports state. The woman confirmed that Hodson had taken her against her will and that he had continued to assault her while he was driving to the residence, the report stated. Trumbull County Sheriff deputies arrested Hodson Monday at a gas station in Newton Falls on charges of kidnapping, strangulation and assault. Reports state Hodson said to investigators while entering the Mahoning County Jail, I should have my friends jump you when you get out of here. Hows that for a statement? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hodson failed to post $50,000 bond, and he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 9. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Canadian steel and aluminum plants are grappling with significant job losses as a result of recent tariffs imposed by the U.S. According to Reuters, around 200 workers have already been laid off, with more layoffs expected in the coming weeks. The tariffs, implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump on March 12, have created a ripple effect across the Canadian metals sector, forcing companies to scale back operations and reduce their workforce. Early Layoffs and Economic Uncertainty Marty Warren, national director of the United Steelworkers union, told Reuters that about 200 of his members have already lost their jobs due to the tariffs. Among the affected companies is Canada Metal Processing Group, or MPG Canada, which in February announced a workforce reduction of 140 employees in Ontario and Quebec. The company cited the threat of incoming tariffs from the United States on steel and steel derivatives as a key reason for the cuts." Don't Miss: Inspired by Uber and Airbnb Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets with $1,000 you can invest at just $0.26/share! The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement How do you compare? MPG Canada's reduction includes a mix of permanent layoffs, temporary layoffs, work share arrangements, and retirements. A company spokesperson told Reuters that MPG Canada has also implemented a hiring freeze to help stabilize its financial position. Algoma Steel, another major player in the Canadian steel industry, confirmed that it had laid off about 20 workers and could face additional cuts if it cannot find new Canadian customers. Scott Noseworthy, a worker at MPG Canadas Ivaco plant, described the situation as stressful and uncertain. "When Trump imposed the tariffs, it kind of hit us and brought us to a halt," he told Reuters. Noseworthy, who has a young daughter at home, said that the uncertainty about future work is weighing heavily on employees. Trending: BlackRock is calling 2025 the year of alternative assets. One firm from NYC has quietly built a group of 60,000+ investors who have all joined in on an alt asset class previously exclusive to billionaires like Bezos and Gates. Government Response and Calls for Action In response to the layoffs and economic strain, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently announced measures to provide earlier access to employment insurance for affected workers. The federal government has also rolled out a multibillion-dollar aid program targeted at businesses and introduced a work-sharing program to help companies manage reduced hours while retaining staff. The family of an elderly British couple detained in Afghanistan have urged David Lammy to publicly condemn the Taliban and demand the couples release. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his 75-year-old wife Barbie, were captured by the Taliban while returning to their home in Bamiyan, central Afghanistan, in February. Faye Hall, an American citizen who was detained alongside them, was released last week in a deal cut with senior US officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sarah Entwistle, the Reynoldss daughter, told The Telegraph that if American officials were able to free Ms Hall, the Government should be able to free her parents. We understand that there have been reasons for caution over previous weeks, but now that America has Faye back, we are desperately hoping there is more the British Government can do. We are asking the Foreign Secretary to make a public statement condemning the Taliban for detaining Mum and Dad without any evidence of wrongdoing, she added. When asked by The Telegraph if Mr Lammy would condemn the Taliban, a spokesman said: We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan. Victims of deepening internal power struggle Peter and Barbie were detained by the Talibans interior ministry on Feb 1 for allegedly travelling on fake passports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Telegraph has subsequently learnt, however, that they are victims of a deepening internal power struggle within the Islamist regime. Their arrest was ordered by a commander linked to the Haqqani network, a powerful Taliban faction led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister. All of them [Ms Hall and the Reynolds] were arrested by the Haqqani network to extract concessions from their respective governments and put pressure on the supreme Mulla, a senior Taliban official said They are now satisfied after the [Americans] lifted sanctions on Sirajuddin [Haqqani] and are waiting to see what they can get from the British. The couple, who married in Kabul in 1970, have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and have joint UK-Afghan citizenship Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pair set up Rebuild, a company that provides education and training programmes for government and non-government organisations. They remained in the country when the Taliban took power in 2021. The couple were taken to court separately last month in Kabul but did not appear before a judge. Ms Entwistle said her mother is suffering from malnutrition, receiving only one meal per day compared with three meals provided to male detainees. Ms Entwistle said, We are delighted that Faye has been released and will be able to return to America in time for the birth of her granddaughter. We continue to hope that the Taliban will embrace all that is decent and just by granting clemency during this meaningful time of Eid. 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 recently introduced California bill aims to require landlords to provide stoves and fridges in rental housing. State law doesnt require units to include a refrigerator, a standard in other parts of the country. A 2022 Los Angeles Times story found that L.A. and Orange Counties have the fewest refrigerator units among large urban areas nationwide. Assembly Bill 628 was introduced by State Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood); if passed, it would require California landlords to provide stoves and refrigerators for all apartment leases after Jan. 1, 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Los Angeles County sales tax hike takes effect: What you need to know The bill initially called for landlords to provide stoves and fridges purchased within the last 10 years, but after pushback from the California Apartment Association, that was removed, according to LAist. Now, the bill specifies that stoves and fridges must be in good working order and capable of safely generating heat for cooking purposes and capable of safely storing food, respectively. However, the bill will include some exemptions. Permanent supportive housing, single-room occupancy, a unit in a residential hotel, and a dwelling unit within a housing facility that offers shared or communal kitchen spaces to its residents, like an assisted living facility, would be exempt from the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill is currently undergoing a first committee review. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. THONOTOSASSA, Fla. (WFLA) One person is dead after their car hit a utility pole on Morris Bridge Road early Tuesday morning, the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office announced. Deputies responded to Morris Bridge Road just south of Cory Lake Boulevard around 3:43 a.m. in regards to a crash with injuries. Tampa Fire Rescue arrived at the scene first to find a car that hit a utility pole. TFR assessed to see if life-saving measures were possible, but the driver suffered fatal injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lanes in both directions are shut down while investigators are on scene, HCSO said. This is a developing story. Stay up to date on the latest from News Channel 8 on-air and on the go with the free WFLA News Channel 8 mobile 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 WFLA. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A judge has ordered the estate of late Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh to pay his former lawyer hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of a contract signed months before the entrepreneurs death. Hsieh, who founded and then sold the online shoe retailer, died in a house fire in November 2020 in Connecticut. He was 46. Since then, several people have filed creditors claims and lawsuits against the estate for payment. Previous court filings estimated his wealth at nearly $850 million. Hsieh died without a will. Lawyers for Hsiehs estate have repeatedly written in court documents that Hsieh did not have the mental capacity to sign off on contracts in the months and years leading up to his death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court documents filed by Hsiehs family in 2021 indicated Hsieh used ketamine and nitrous oxide in the years before his death. According to friends, Hsieh used as many as 50 cartridges of nitrous oxide a day, often in public, or during meetings with people, documents said. Court documents also said Hsiehs bedroom was littered with hundreds of spent nitrous oxide cartridges. As the 8 News Now Investigators previously reported, throughout 2020, lawyers for Hsiehs estate said continued [abuse of] hallucinogenic and dissociative substances, including nitrous oxide, which combined with his delusional thinking, fundamentally destroyed Tonys ability to exercise reasonable diligence and judgment, and rendered him vulnerable to those seeking to take advantage of him. In 2023, a Clark County judge ruled in attorney Puoy Premsriruts favor in her lawsuit over a $2.2 million fee a contract she signed with Hsieh in August 2020, documents said. In 2024, lawyers for the estate argued Premsrirut committed malpractice because she represented an incapacitated party, transcripts said. On March 28, Clark County District Court Judge Susan Johnson granted Premsriruts partial summary judgment, ordering the estate to pay her $366,000 plus late fees. Johnson wrote in her order that arguments about legal malpractice failed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representatives for the Hsieh estate previously said in court that appeals were likely. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Harvard constitutional law scholar Laurence Tribe issued a stark warning Monday, cautioning why he believes dismissing the possibility of a third term for President Donald Trump is a mistake. Anyone discounting a 3d Trump term per the 22d am + the 12th am is thinking magically, Tribe wrote on X (formerly Twitter), referencing the 22nd and 12th amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Anyone discounting a 3d Trump term per the 22d am + the 12th am is thinking magically: The 22d dsnt bar *serving* a 3d term, only being *elected* 3 times. The 12th dsnt bar running for VP unless ineligible to serve as Pres, but Trump isnt ineligible. QED! Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) March 31, 2025 The 22nd Amendment states that no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice. It also restricts someone from being elected again if theyve already served more than two years of another presidents term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Tribe pointed out the amendment only prohibits being elected to a third term and does not explicitly ban serving one. The 12th Amendment, meanwhile, says that no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States. Tribe noted this would only bar someone from running for vice president if they were ineligible to run for president. Trump isnt ineligible, noted Tribe, who this weekend signed on to a letter to students at Harvard Law School, where he is a professor, that warned the rule of law is under serious threat amid Trumps second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement QED! he added, using the abbreviation for the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandum, indicating his point was proven. Other law experts, however, disagree. Northeastern University constitutional law professor Jeremy Paul has said of Trump that there are no credible legal arguments for him to run for a third term. And Notre Dame professor Derek Muller has argued there isnt any one weird trick to getting around presidential term limits, suggesting Trumps rhetoric is, as a lame-duck president, just intended to show as much strength as possible. Trump has repeatedly teased the idea of a third term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press, the president told anchor Kristen Welker that he was not joking about the idea and suggested there are methods which you could do it. One such way, Trump acknowledged, could involve a scenario where Vice President JD Vance tops the ticket, wins the election, and then transfers power to Trump. But there are others too, Trump said, though he declined to elaborate. Related... Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Tuesday reaffirmed good relations between the two countries and prepared the ground for a Russia-China summit in May. Meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping always gave a strong boost to the relations, he added. In February, the Russian ambassador to Beijing, Igor Morgulov, said that Xi had accepted an invitation to the May 9 military parade in Moscow marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The parade is held on Moscow's Red Square on that date every year. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said later that a visit by Putin to China was also in preparation. This is expected to take place after celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese war. Ahead of the meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the ministers would also discuss "perspectives on regulating the Ukraine crisis" as well as other international issues. According to Peskov, Putin was also preparing to meet with Wang. RALEIGH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Lawmakers in North and South Carolina say more needs to be done to protect children from what they describe as harmful material. House Bill 595 was filed Monday at the General Assembly in Raleigh, called Parental Rights for Curriculum and Books. Two big changes in the legislation include defining materials that are harmful to minors and the people who can be charged with North Carolinas obscenity laws. The Scopes monkey trial took place 100 years ago, but the fight isnt over Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A crossed-out section from the bills text would allow charges for school employees, including librarians, for disseminating harmful materials to minors, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Convicted offenders could face more than a month behind bars. The measure is Gaston County state Rep. John Torbetts second attempt in two years to limit obscene material in libraries. Were just trying to make sure that parents understand what their rights are and give them full access and give them an opportunity to make sure their children are educated the way they would like them to be educated, Torbett said in 2023. In South Carolina, lawmakers filed a bill in December that would deny funding to public libraries that do not follow a state mandate from summer 2024. That mandate restricts access to books that are sexual in nature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its necessary to pass this bill in order to make sure we protect our children from state taxpayer dollars being used to provide something to children they shouldnt be provided, said Sen. Rex Rice. Columbia Universitys interim president steps down and returns to former post Democrats in Columbia argued the bill could interfere with students having access to materials they need for studying or research. I think we need to be looking at ways that we encourage education and support education, not trying to threaten them and hold a heavy stick if theyre doing something we dont particularly approve of, said Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both bills are still in the very early stages of the lawmaking process, neither has gone through any votes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 lawsuit accuses Caseys General Store of exploiting workers through the discriminatory practice of imposing a tobacco-use surcharge for health insurance coverage, according to The Capital Dispatch. Caseys workers who fail to certify as non-smokers pay more for insurance, the lawsuit says. The surcharge, which is alleged to be $35 per pay period, amounts to an illegal cash grab by Caseys that is masquerading as a wellness program, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit, which was filed Friday in U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, seeks class-action status but is currently filed on behalf of one Caseys employee, Elizabeth Blalock of Carroll County, Missouri. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys for Blalock say that all Caseys workers are automatically assumed to use tobacco unless they submit to a process in which they provide a sworn affidavit stating they do not. Any worker who fails to complete that process by a specified deadline is then required to pay a tobacco surcharge for the entire calendar year, even if they do not use tobacco, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit claims Caseys fails to provide the federally required options that would allow employees to avoid the surcharge. The surcharge is structured as a penalty rather than a legitimate wellness incentive, the lawsuit claims, because the workers who miss the enrollment deadline are penalized for the entire year without any opportunity to later demonstrate compliance or avoid the surcharge. The lawsuit is based on the requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. ERISA allows employers to deduct from workers pay a tobacco-use surcharge, but only in connection with wellness programs that meet specific federal guidelines established in 2014. Those regulations state they are intended to ensure corporate wellness programs actually promote health as opposed to being a subterfuge for discriminating based on a health factor. The lawsuit alleges Caseys is illegally shifting the costs associated with less healthy workers from the company back to those same workers who end up subsidizing their healthier colleagues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ERISA bars any health insurer or medical plan from discriminating against participants by charging premiums based on a health-related factor, including tobacco use. It does, however, allow group health plans to establish premium discounts or rebates in return for adherence to programs that promote wellness and disease prevention. The lawsuit claims Caseys does not meet that standard. There is no smoking-cessation program, waiver, or alternative route for tobacco users to avoid the surcharge, the lawsuit alleges. The only avenue for smokers to avoid the surcharge is to quit smoking and then submit that change in status to the benefits department. Thus, tobacco users are penalized based solely on their status as smokers, which violates ERISAs nondiscrimination provisions. The lawsuit goes on to allege that allowing companies like Caseys to exploit their participants and unlawfully extract millions from them under the guise of a wellness program that is, in reality, a cash grab, directly contradicts ERISAs purpose of protecting workers from health-based discrimination. If unchecked, this practice would permit employers to manipulate wellness programs as revenue generating schemes rather than genuine health initiatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the lawsuit, Blalock has forfeited to Caseys $35 in earnings per pay period roughly $910 per year in order to maintain health coverage through the company. Caseys, which is headquartered in Ankeny, is one of the nations largest convenience store chains, with more than 2,600 locations in 16 states. There are more than 18,000 employees enrolled in the companys health plan, according to court records. In seeking class-action status for their lawsuit, the plaintiffs attorneys argue the amount of money at issue exceeds $5 million, and the number of Caseys workers who might potentially join the case is more than 1,000. Caseys has yet to file a response to the lawsuit. The company did not immediately respond Monday requests for comment from The Capital Dispatch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plaintiff is represented by attorney Adam J. Wachal of the Koley Jessen law firm in Omaha. To read The Capital Dispatch article, visit 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) A lawsuit has been filed against a new petition deadline passed by state lawmakers and signed into law last week by Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden. Jury chosen in DSS embezzlement trial House Bill 1184 passed the House 59-9 and passed the Senate 19-15 before being signed into law by Rhoden on March 25. The bill amends the filing deadline for proposed ballot measures from six months ahead of a November election to nine months ahead of a November election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorney Jim Leach, Rick Weiland and Dakotans for Health filed a lawsuit against South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson in federal court on Tuesday asking a judge to stop the nine month deadline from going into effect. A notice of the lawsuit has also been sent to Johnsons office. The rollback means that petition circulators must seek final signatures nine months before an election instead of six months before an election, when there is less interest in political matters because the election is farther away, the lawsuit said. No deadlines or hearings have been set in this case. You can view the complaint in the document below. Johnson-lawsuitDownload Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We believe in the power of the people, and the people of South Dakota have consistently used the initiative process to bring about important reforms, from healthcare access to minimum wage increases, Weiland said in a news release. This new law is just another effort to silence the voices of South Dakotans and deny them the right to make decisions that impact their lives. The lawsuit cites a previous ruling in the case SD Voice v. Noem where South Dakotas 12-month deadline was struck down as a violation of the First Amendment. Weiland and Dakotans for Health have won in court against state lawmakers before with a state law requiring registration for paid petition circulators. What is House Bill 1184? In proponent testimony in favor of House Bill 1184, Republican Rep. Jon Hansen said courts struck down the 12-month deadline, but the states six-month deadline, passed in 2023, wasnt long enough to complete petition signature verifications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were not going outside of the bounds of whats currently being conducted in other states, Hansen said in a House State Affairs Committee meeting on Feb. 7 in Pierre. Hansen helped South Dakota lawmakers pass a law allowing people to remove a signature from a petition. Zebadiah Johnson, a lobbyist with the Voter Defense Association, testified only the state of Florida would have an earlier filing deadline for direct initiative ballot measures. In a news release announcing HB 1184 was signed into law, Rhoden also announced his veto of another petition-related bill in HB 1169 and that he signed 20 other election-related bills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Dakota continues to be an example of free and fair elections. Our election system has integrity, and these bills improve our already strong system, Rhoden said in a news release. America is founded on the principle of freedom, and I am proud that we live in a nation and a state where we can choose our leaders. Rhoden said a reason for issuing a veto on HB 1169 was because he was concerned the bill wouldnt withstand scrutiny in the courts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. French far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen has condemned her court-imposed election ban as a politically motivated attack by her opponents. "The establishment has dropped a nuclear bomb. If they're resorting to such extreme measures, it's because we are on the verge of winning," Le Pen said in Paris on Tuesday, referring to the presidential election in 2027. She accused her rivals of escalating their efforts after previous attempts to undermine her had failed. Le Pen was seen as a front-runner in the race to replace Emmanuel Macron, who cannot stand for a third term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Le Pen, 56, was found guilty of embezzling EU funds and sentenced to a five-year ban from running for office on Monday. The ruling takes immediate effect. Le Pen was also given a four-year prison sentence, but it will only begin once no further legal recourse remains. Two years are to be served wearing an electronic monitor, while the two further years were suspended. Le Pen, who is one of France's best-known politicians, said she would continue to fight: "This is about defending the French people, who have the right to choose their leaders, and about protecting a nation that is faltering." Calling the court's decision "insane," she vowed to challenge it. Her political protege, National Rally party leader Jordan Bardella, urged supporters to resist "peacefully and democratically" what he called a grave injustice. "Nothing will stop us from fighting to take power," he declared, adding that the party would explore all legal options to overturn the ruling. French far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen has condemned her court-imposed election ban as a politically motivated attack by her opponents. "The establishment has dropped a nuclear bomb. If they're resorting to such extreme measures, it's because we are on the verge of winning," Le Pen said in Paris on Tuesday, referring to the presidential election in 2027. She accused her rivals of escalating their efforts after previous attempts to undermine her had failed. Le Pen was seen as a front-runner in the race to replace Emmanuel Macron, who cannot stand for a third term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Le Pen, 56, was found guilty on Monday of embezzling EU funds and sentenced to a five-year ban from running for office. The ruling takes immediate effect. Le Pen was also given a four-year prison sentence, but it will only begin once no further legal recourse remains. Two years are to be served wearing an electronic monitor, while the two further years were suspended. Le Pen, who is one of France's best-known politicians, said she would continue to fight: "This is about defending the French people, who have the right to choose their leaders, and about protecting a nation that is faltering." Calling the court's decision "insane," she vowed to challenge it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her political protege, National Rally party leader Jordan Bardella, urged supporters to resist "peacefully and democratically" what he called a grave injustice. "Nothing will stop us from fighting to take power," he declared, adding that the party would explore all legal options to overturn the ruling. Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou expressed doubt about the court's decision to ban Le Pen from political office at once. "It is true that there are questions," Bayrou said in the French parliament. "According to our legal system, every serious decision in criminal cases must be subject to appeal." But even in the event that the ban is ultimately reversed, a quick outcome to the appeal process is considered unlikely. Bayrou said this aspect of Le Pen's case raised questions that he believed ought to be considered by parliament. By Gabriel Stargardter PARIS (Reuters) -When French far-right leader Marine Le Pen accused the judiciary of deploying a "nuclear bomb" to blow up her presidential hopes, she added France to the countries where accusations of "lawfare" - political meddling by judges - are gaining currency. A Paris court convicted Le Pen and two dozen figures from her National Rally (RN) party of embezzling EU funds on Monday. It handed Le Pen an immediate five-year ban on running for office that will bar her from the 2027 presidential election unless she can get the ruling overturned on appeal before then. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Le Pen, RN allies and her supporters around the world including former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro - who is himself barred from office until 2030 - accused the trial judges of interfering in democracy. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou told lawmakers on Tuesday that he "unconditionally supported" the judiciary. He said the ruling had not undermined democracy, but said he personally had "questions" about Le Pen's ban. If politicians didn't like the law that allows judges to impose such bans, they should change it, he said. Eric Ciotti, an RN-allied lawmaker, said he would seek to do just that. Nearly 60% of respondents said the ruling against Le Pen was fair given her crimes, according to an Elabe opinion poll, conducted for BFM TV and published after Monday's ruling, while 42% considered it was politically biased. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The poll said 42% of voters were happy with the verdict, with around a third unhappy and another third having no view. Mathieu Carpentier, a constitutional law expert at Toulouse Capitole University, rejected the idea that Le Pen was a victim of "judicial warfare". The evidence against her was strong, he said, and her punishment was commensurate with those faced by a growing number of convicted politicians who have faced immediate bans, based on toughened anti-corruption laws passed in 2016. Carpentier said France's independent justice system, along with its robust appeals process, provided a safeguard against rogue judgements. However, France was no longer immune from political attacks on the justice system, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's clear something is starting to rot in France," Carpentier said. "We are starting to assume that by default, as soon as judges deliver a decision we don't like, this decision is necessarily politically motivated." He pointed to death threats before Monday's ruling against the prosecutors in Le Pen's case and one of the judges as evidence of France's civic malaise. Those threats continued after Judge Benedicte de Perthuis delivered her ruling, with her photo plastered across X and other far-right websites. "Benedicte de Perthuis is the ugly leftist witch who banned Le Pen from running for office," one user posted on X, in one of many examples. Le Pen, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin and the High Council for the Judiciary condemned the threats. Paris police confirmed a probe was underway, referring queries to the Paris prosecutor's office, which did not respond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 'PURE LAWFARE' Bolsonaro called the Le Pen ruling "pure lawfare", adding: "This movement is spreading around the world. The left has found an easy way to perpetuate itself in power by using judicial activism". U.S. President Donald Trump also drew links between the Le Pen ruling and his own court battles. "She was banned for running for five years, and she's the leading candidate," he said. "That sounds very much like this country." Trump was never banned from seeking office. He was convicted last year for falsifying documents to cover up payment to silence a porn star ahead of the 2016 election. He has described that case and his other legal headaches as a leftist witch-hunt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vice President JD Vance and Trump's ally Elon Musk have also brandished accusations of lawfare against other European nations, including a bar by Romania's top court on far-right politician Calin Georgescu from running for president. "You cannot win a democratic mandate by censoring your opponents or putting them in jail," Vance said in a February speech to the Munich Security Conference. "I believe ... shutting down elections, or shutting people out of the political process protects nothing. In fact, it is the most surefire way to destroy democracy." While Le Pen railed against her sentence, she has pledged to pursue legal means to re-open her path to 2027, underlining her commitment to playing by the rules of France's Fifth Republic. Her protege, 29-year-old party president Jordan Bardella, who is now the RN's de facto candidate for the 2027 vote, called on the French on Tuesday to rally in support of Le Pen but said they would be "democratic, peaceful, calm mobilisations". (Reporting by Gabriel StargardterEditing by Frances Kerry) (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday about Canada's plan to "fight unjustified trade actions" by the United States, the prime minister's office said. "With challenging times ahead, Prime Minister Carney and President Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of safeguarding North American competitiveness while respecting the sovereignty of each nation," Carney's office said in a statement. "Prime Minister Carney also highlighted his plan to fight unjustified trade actions against Canada." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, since returning to the White House in January, has announced and delayed tariffs on Canada and Mexico. He has also proposed hitting global trading partners with reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Ryan Patrick Jones; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) BANGKOK (Reuters) - All leaders of member countries of the BIMSTEC grouping are still scheduled to join this week's summit in Bangkok, although the attendance of Myanmar's junta leader remains unclear after an earthquake in that country, host Thailand said on Tuesday. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing could still attend remotely, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson told a regular briefing. The summit of BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, is due to take place from April 2-4. The grouping includes Thailand, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Writing by Martin Petty) Ex-Sen. Justine Wadsack is suing the city of Tucson for daring to stop her last year as she barreled down a local roadway at twice the speed limit. For daring to give her a ticket, as if she was just anybody. And for daring to say she pronounced herself a victim of political persecution. Wadsack filed suit in federal court over the weekend, claiming wait for it political persecution. It is believed that this was all part of a plan of members of the TPD to act in concert with not yet known City officials to ruin Plaintiffs good reputation because she was introducing legislation these members of TPD felt were adverse to their interests, says her lawsuit, which fairly oozes with entitlement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, because shes a woman. Also, because shes a conservative. There was a conspiracy against Wadsack, all right Then state Sen. Justine Wadsack on the Senate floor at the state Capitol in Phoenix on June 15, 2024. Sure, it was a conspiracy starting with the Tucson police officer who clocked her going 71 mph in a 35 zone and dared to pull her over on a Friday evening last March. Do you have your drivers license, registration and insurance? Officer Ryder Schrage asked as Wadsack sat in her red Tesla just off Speedway in midtown Tucson. Yes, I do, she replied. My name is Sen. Justine Wadsack and Im racing to get home because I have four miles left on my charger before Im about to go down. Wadsack, in her lawsuit, says she wasnt speeding and even if she had been, that Schrage had no right to pull her over given the placard displayed beneath her license plate the one identifying her as an Arizona state senator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislators, after all, are immune from such minor annoyances as the need to follow traffic laws while the Legislature is in session. They like it that way. A bill that would have allowed voters to put a stop to this immunity nonsense recently disappeared in the state Senate, where not one but two speedy senators have thus far avoided tickets this year. She claims police wanted her to lose the election But I digress. Back to Wadsacks legal tantrum. Whether they admit it or not, she should never have been stopped, her lawsuit sniffs. And how dare police Lt. Lauren Petty call her three months later, 12 days after the Legislature adjourned, to arrange a time to bring her a ticket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opinion: Speeding ticket is just another piece of paper for senator She (Wadsack) demanded to speak with the chief of police and said that she was under political persecution, Pettey wrote in a summary of the phone call. She also said that I was being aggressive and got upset when I called her Mrs. Wadsack and not Senator Wadsack. She then abruptly ended the conversation and hung up the phone. Wadsack, in her lawsuit, says she never told Pettey she was being politically persecuted. Its just that she was being politically persecuted, as part of a conspiracy to run her out of the Legislature. Maybe they pulled her over for speeding? Defendants hatched a scheme to influence an election, with their own version of an October surprise, her lawsuit says. This leak led directly to Senator Wadsack losing her police union endorsement and ultimately her reelection primary. These actions of wrongful prosecution were deliberate and purposeful and designed to affect a coup by TPD for political reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She wasnt finished. All of Defendants retaliation occurred because Plaintiff was investigating the Tucson police, was an outspoken critic of the Tucson City government, was a member of the legislatures Freedom Caucus, and because she is a woman and her primary opponent was a man who TPD officials felt could be controlled better than Plaintiff. It couldnt possibly be because Wadsack was screaming down a Tucson street, clocked at twice the speed limit. The irony, probably lost on Wadsack: Had she not pulled the Im a state senator routine and just accepted a ticket in March 2024, it might not have been big news in July, just weeks before she stood for reelection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She lost handily and later took a defensive driving class to avoid prosecution. Wadsack wants taxpayers to pay for her pain Now, Wadsack wants Tucson taxpayers to hand over $8 million to compensate her for her damages not inclusive of emotional distress, and psychic trauma and other general damages incurred. Defendants formed a conspiracy to deprive Plaintiff of her civil rights by seeking to have her maliciously prosecuted by the City of Tucson for allegedly violating Arizonas criminal speeding statute," her lawsuit says. "They engaged in this conduct in order to further their own political goals. Was there ever a victim such as this? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRobertsaz, on Threads at @LaurieRobertsaz and on BlueSky at @laurieroberts.bsky.social. Like this column? Get more opinions straight into your email inbox by signing up for our free opinions newsletter, which publishes Monday through Friday. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tucson shouldn't have to pay for ex-senator's entitlement | Opinion LEAKE COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) Mississippi Transportation Commission Chairman Willie Simmons recently presented Leake County Sheriff Randy Atkinson with a van to be used for inmate litter removal efforts. We are proud to collaborate with Sheriff Atkinson by presenting him with this vehicle that will contribute to the removal of trash from our roadways, said Simmons. I am grateful for the Leake County Sheriffs Department and Keep Mississippi Beautiful for their commitment to keeping our state beautiful and litter free. CenterPoint Energy finalizes sale of Louisiana, Mississippi utilities Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The program is part of a partnership between the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) and local counties that aims to remove litter from state Right-of-Way. Each year, MDOT spends more than $3 million picking up litter on state highways. One of the most frequent complaints we get is regarding litter. This unit will be utilized to help remove trash from Leake County roadways, but we need the public to do their part as well, said Simmons. Please do your part by not throwing trash on our roadways and keep an eye out for any roadside crews working to clear litter. Close Thanks for signing up! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN) A new Lebanon ordinance limits when residents are allowed to buy and set off fireworks. Phil Morehead, city councilmember for Ward 6, told News 2 he sponsored the ordinance after hearing repeated concerns about pets scared by fireworks and concerns about veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. VIDEO: New Lebanon, TN sports complex to open this spring The ordinance states that fireworks can only be discharged between July 1 and 5. It also restricts when tent vendors could sell fireworks, eliminating the previous New Years Eve sales season between December 10 and January 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jeffery Walpole, who is the third generation of his family to operate Surefire Fireworks, has concerns with the ordinance. Although they can continue to sell out of their storefront, seasonal tents they manage will be impacted by the ordinance. We do like serving the community and having them come through. We see a lot of volume and we see a lot of the same faces every year, Walpole said. What its going to do for winter sales is cut [those] down a good bit because we wont be able to sell in the city at all and the people that live in the city wont be able to light fireworks off at all, so theyre going to have to go to Nashville to see any kind of display. Walpole and his family plan on attending Tuesdays city council meeting to voice their concerns with the new policy. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Fireworks are safe. Theyre a good thing for families to do together [if] they dont like to travel for them [and] they want to do something at home, Walpole said. They need to allow it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morehead told News 2, for now, the goal is to encourage compliance. Police plan to start with warnings when it comes to enforcement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 university lecturer is suing her own union for stopping a gender-critical film being shown to students. Dr Deirdre ONeill, a lecturer at Hertfordshire University, and Michael Wayne, a professor at Brunel University, were criticised by the University and College Union (UCU) over their film, which argues against claims made by trans rights activists. An employment tribunal, which is being held remotely, heard that in November 2022 the pair released Adult Human Female, which examines claims made by trans rights activists that trans women are women and should be treated as women in all legal and social contexts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UCU condemned the film as an attack on trans identity. Protesters, including some wearing balaclavas, twice blocked screenings at the University of Edinburgh and hurled insults at those trying to attend, documents presented to the tribunal said. The academics say the UCUs public opposition to them amounted to unlawful discrimination on grounds of their gender-critical belief that there are only two sexes. When UCUs Edinburgh branch became aware of a planned screening at the university in December 2022, a letter was sent to principal Peter Mathieson demanding that the screening be halted, the tribunal heard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The union also launched a series of social media posts denouncing the screening, describing it as transphobic hate, and encouraging protests, the tribunal was told. On the day of the screening, protesters, including students, blocked the entrance to the venue as well as a back-up venue. Between 100 and 150 people who had arrived to watch the film were stopped from doing so, the tribunal heard. A scene from the film, which examines claims trans women should be treated as women Grant Buttars, the UCU Edinburgh branch president, later published an article describing the victory of having blocked the screening, the tribunal was told. When the screening was rearranged for April 2023, it was again blocked by protesters, who shouted insults at those trying to attend, the tribunal heard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The screening was eventually able to go ahead in November 2023, but Dr ONeill said the university had to bring in extra security for the event. Women who wanted to go to the toilet during the screening had to be escorted by security for their own safety, the tribunal heard. Defending the film, Dr ONeill told the tribunal it was very important to hear both sides of the argument. Theres no hate in the film A lawyer representing the UCU questioned the academic on some of the opinions shared by contributors in the film. Dr ONeill continued: The bar is so low now that any attempt to discuss (this area) and you get accused of being a transphobe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The academic told the tribunal she wanted to start a discussion about the topic. We wanted people to be able to come along and say, Actually, youre not quite right there, she added. Theres no hate in the film. Trans rights in some areas clash with female rights, we wanted to work out how we address that. The tribunal continues. 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. This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Affirm Holdings wasnt interested in competing with Klarna for Walmarts business because doing so wouldnt have made economic sense, the buy now, pay later companys chief operating officer said during a recent presentation. Walmart accounts for only a sliver of San Francisco-based Affirms business, COO Michael Linford told a William Blair analyst during a March 20 question and answer session hosted by the investment firm. We felt like it was important to draw the line and not do deals that we thought were uneconomic, Linford told analyst Andrew Jeffrey. Walmart, which Affirm first partnered with in 2019, made up about 5% of the companys gross merchandise volume and 2% of its adjusted operating income in the second half of last year, Affirm said in a March 17 SEC filing. We will be able to replace a meaningful portion of that GMV, Linford said, although he provided few details. An Affirm spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of Affirms partnership with Walmart. Affirm also works with major e-commerce players like Shopify and Amazon, Linford noted. Buy now, pay later company Klarna disclosed on March 17 that it would be the sole provider of installment loans through OnePay, a Walmart-backed app that customers of the retail behemoth can use to pay in-store or online. OnePay is a service provided by One, the fintech Walmart and venture capital firm Ribbit Capital established in 2021 that is majority owned by the retailer. We think that Klarna was offering something on the order of $200 million to $300 million of equity in warrants [to Walmart], and that was a deal that just didn't make sense for something that had so little contribution to us, Linford said. Klarna, which has the bulk of its operation in Stockholm, did not disclose the terms of the deal, but in a March 14 SEC filing Klarna said it had entered into an agreement with a global partner this month. The filing says the BNPL granted that partner 15,343,932 Klarna warrants, each of which can be exercised to buy a share of stock for about $34, in exchange for certain services. A Klarna spokesperson declined to say whether or not the filing refers to the Walmart partnership. Affirm is still an option at checkout for Walmart customers, and the company will continue to work with the mega-retailer, Linford stressed, although he did not say how long the partnership will last. WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (Trussville Tribune) A Leeds woman is facing multiple charges in Florida after she allegedly tried to have sex with a minor, according to the Walton County Sheriffs Office. Tracey Renee Heinfeld, 53, has been charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex, using an electronic device to solicit a child, cyberstalking, and tampering with evidence. On Saturday, March 29, deputies were called to a residence in Santa Rosa Beach after they received a 911 call about a juvenile drinking and smoking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When deputies arrived, they spoke with Heinfeld, who reportedly said she drove from Orange Beach to check on a teenager who was friends with her son. She reportedly told the deputies she was worried and wanted to ensure the teenager was ok and that she was able to find his location from someones Snapchat account. When deputies spoke to the juvenile, the teenager reportedly said he was scared of Heinfeld and that she was trying to have sex with him. The teenager then showed deputies text messages allegedly sent from Heinfelds phone stating she wanted to have sex with him. While deputies were reading the text messages on the victims phone, Heinfeld sent two pictures to himone of a WCSO patrol vehicle at the scene and one of deputies standing in front of the house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Inside the ICE detention center in Louisiana where Alabama student Alireza Doroudi is being held Heinfeld was read her rights and continued to speak to deputies, saying again that she was able to get the victims address from Snapchat. She then allowed deputies to access her phone, where they reportedly saw she had deleted some text messages from her conversation with the victim. After recovering the text messages, the sheriffs office reported they clearly matched the text messages on the victims phone. At one point, the juvenile reportedly begged Heinfeld not to come to the house and told her he did not want to see her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the sheriffs office Heinfeld wrote in text messages, Im coming to see you. Im already halfway there, so when I get there, do you wanna go to the club? Ill go to the pub with you. Maybe Ill pick you up a drink and get you drunk and take advantage of you, or maybe I wont. Maybe Ill just let you see me and then just turn around and go home. Heinfeld was subsequently arrested and is now being held at the Walton County Jail with a $500,000 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 CBS 42. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Legislation supported by the Arkansas secretary of state intends to stop foreign money from funding ballot initiatives. Secretary of State Cole Jester said House Bill 1837 would correct an existing problem. Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from donating money to the political elections of candidates, whether it be federal or state, but exploiting the loophole, foreign billionaires have been donating tens of hundreds of billions of dollars to statewide ballot initiatives across this country, including Arkansas, Jester said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. judge aims for April in decision on Pope County casinos future The Arkansas bill was filed before President Donald Trump signed an executive order to tackle the issue, but it goes hand in hand, Jester said. President Trump has taken action on this. In his recent executive order on election integrity, he said that the foreign funding of ballot initiatives is a serious problem that states need to address, he said. Jester says there was Swiss foreign influence in the initiated act increasing the minimum wage in Arkansas in 2018. In the future, foreign billionaires will be prohibited from donating to our ballot initiatives, so the voice of the Arkansas people can be heard, Jester said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additional Arkansas constitutional amendments filed in legislature Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R-Centerton) is sponsoring the legislation. She said the bill would run this week. The legislation has some restrictions in its language, such as disclosure requirements to certify groups arent accepting money from a foreign donor of over $10,000. New laws going into effect in Arkansas from the 95th General Assembly Secretary Jester said other states have experienced foreign influence in their ballot measures and expect more to come. In Arkansas, if you are a wealthy foreign national, we welcome your tourism, we welcome your friendship, but our constitution is not for sale, Jester 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 KARK. If approved by voters, the change would result in significantly more money for local governments and school districts, who rely on property tax for funding, without changing the states tax rate or the beloved tax cap. (Photo: Ronda Churchill/Nevada Current) Another legislative session brings another swing at reforming Nevadas seemingly untouchable property tax structure. Among this years proposals: Letting voters in 2028 decide whether the taxable value of property should reset when a home is sold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Currently, it does not, meaning the benefits of a depreciation factor and abatements used when calculating property tax stays with a home after it is sold to a new owner. Assembly Joint Resolution 1, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Natha Anderson, proposes changing that by essentially establishing a reset button on property taxes whenever a home is sold. The resolution requires amending the state constitution, meaning it must pass the Legislature in two consecutive sessions (this year and 2027), then go before voters for final approval in the 2028 general election. If approved by voters, the change would result in significantly more money for local governments and school districts, who rely on property tax for funding, without changing the states tax rate or the beloved tax cap that limits the increase of homeowners tax bills to no more than 3% a year regardless of how large the increase in property valuation. Anderson told lawmakers on the Assembly Revenue Committee, which heard the bill Thursday, that the change is needed because the states property tax structure is complex, cumbersome, not efficiently used and most importantly not meeting the needs of our local communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To illustrate the inequities created by the current property tax structure, Andersons co-presenter, Dylan Shaver of New Day Nevada, highlighted two properties in Carson City that, as of last week, were listed for sale. The first, a 3,500-square-foot historic mansion listed for $2.4 million, has an assessed value for property tax purposes of around $75,000. The second, a new build with just under 2,000 square feet of living space, is listed for $550,000 and an assessed value around $84,500. For the municipalities serving both neighborhoods, this property tax structure creates holes that cannot be resolved, said Shaver. We have painted ourselves in a corner that is very difficult to get out of. Nevada is the only state in the country that applies a depreciation formula to real estate, Anderson noted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AJR1 would not remove the depreciation formula and would not affect any current homeowners. Certainly at that point of sale, the depreciation clock would restart, said Shaver. Realistically, thats just how property value works under state law The property tax rate for a homes new owner would be baked into the home at the time of purchase just as it is for purchasers of new homes. Republican Assemblymembers Greg Hafen and Danielle Gallant said the end result is people paying more in property taxes. Shaver, who previously worked for the City of Reno and whose current clients as a lobbyist include the City of Las Vegas and the Washoe County School District, noted that property taxes pay for municipal services like sewers, roads, police, fire and schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The thing that funds all of that is property taxes, he said, which is a problem because property tax is linked to a ticking clock that ticks ever downward. Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson, a longtime critic of the states property tax system, said his citys expenses have increased 54% in the last five years while revenue has gone up only 16%. I challenge any of you to run any kind of government or business with those kinds of numbers, he said. In a letter he submitted to committee, Lawson wrote that the 2005 Legislature implemented property tax caps as an emergency response to rapidly rising property values and said they intended to study the property tax statutes for a longer-term solution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, the Great Recession began, devastating local government budgets. No significant changes were ever made. Calen Evans, president of the Washoe Education Association, which also supports the resolution, called the current property tax structure regressive and frankly absurd. It shields the wealthiest property owners and starves the public services our communities rely on, he added. They weakened the systems meant to support us. Nowhere is that more obvious than in education. Other education advocates pointed to the Commission on School Funding, which has identified property tax and sales tax reform as the clearest ways to boost the states education funding to national average. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resolution also saw support from groups representing municipalities and their workers, including the Nevada League of Cities & Municipalities and the Urban Consortium, which includes the cities of Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno and Sparks. I dont like to pay for anything I dont have to either, said Todd Ingalsbee, a lobbyist for the Professional Firefighters of Nevada, but the fact is we have to invest in ourselves, we have to invest in our communities. The Retail Association of Nevada is also supporting the resolution on the grounds that when local governments cannot raise the revenue they need, they often turn to raising licensing or business fees. Those in opposition, which include Nevada Families for Freedom, the Nevada Republican Party, and Nevada Realtors, argued that people are paying enough in taxes and that the change would further strain the housing market. Previous attempt fizzled Andersons resolution is nearly identical to 2017s Senate Joint Resolution 14, which was sponsored by then-state Sen Julia Ratti. Rattis resolution passed the full Legislature in 2017 but was not reconsidered and passed again during the 2019 session. If it had, it would have appeared on the 2020 ballot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2017,the Legislature commissioned a report from Applied Analysis to analyze the expected revenue impact of Rattis proposal. In an exhaustive 377-page report, the researchers documented that resetting the property taxs assessed value after a sale would result in $13.2 billion in additional revenue over a 12-year period. That estimate includes nearly $3.2 billion for the states education budget, $601 million for Clark County and $75.4 million for Washoe County. A more recent analysis, conducted by the City of Reno in support of AJR1, estimated a reset of property tax after the sale of 4,000 parcels sold in the city in the last fiscal year would have brought in an additional $11.9 million in property tax revenue. The City of Renos share of that would have been approximately $3.9 million. The State of Nevada, Washoe County, and the Washoe County School District also would have benefitted, though the citys memo did not include what their share was estimated at. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Lena Dunham stepped out for a good cause. The Girls creator and feminist advocate made a rare public appearance on Sunday to lead a rally for trans rights outside of the U.S. Capitol. The event was hosted by Christopher Street Project, which builds and leverages political power to make equity a reality for transgender people across the country, to mark Trans Day of Visibility, which fell on March 31. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dunham wore a pink sweater and matching eyeshadow in solidarity with the movement (the trans flag is baby-pink, sky-blue, and white), plus black pants and a top knot. Kayla Bartkowski - Getty Images The writer and director wasnt the only person to speak at the rally. Other who took to the podium included U.S. representatives Summer Lee (Pennsylvania), Katherine Clark (Massachusetts), Robin Kelly (Illinois), Val Hoyle (Oregon), Jill Tokuda (Hawaii), Sara Jacobs (California), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (Florida), and Senator Brian Schatz. Kayla Bartkowski - Getty Images Among other things, the speakers called out President Donald Trump and his administrations attacks on diversityspecifically his recent moves to strip away trans rights. BRYAN DOZIER - Getty Images Timed to Trans Day of Visibility, several celebrities have also joined in supporting Mother, Daughter, Holy Spirit (MDHS), a three-part fundraiser for the Trans Justice Funding Project which includes a fashion show, an online pop-up, and a party celebrating trans joy. The online store with limited-edition T-shirts designed by artists, activists, and public figures in support of the trans community is now live here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can find a list of queer and trans resources to consult for support, aid, and more, here. You Might Also Like KINSTON, N.C. (WNCT) A Lenoir County man pled guilty today to larceny and identity theft charges and will spend the next few years in prison before being extradited to Georgia. Michael Bridwell, 41, received prison sentences of 16 to 29 months after pleading guilty for larceny and obtaining property for false pretenses and 20 to 33 months for identity theft today. The sentences will be served consecutively; he will be extradited to Georgia after his time is served in North Carolina. On Jan. 8, the LCSO posted on its Facebook pages to request assistance from the community in identifying a vehicle involved with the theft of a wheelchair ramp from Rivermont Baptist Church Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through many tips and leads received by the LCSOs General Investigations Unit, Bridwell was identified as the culprit. He was charged with felony larceny, possession of stolen property and conspiracy to obtain property by false pretenses. Bridwell was arrested Dec. 28 by Lenoir County Sheriffs Office deputies for an arrest warrant out of Georgia. He gave a false name and date of birth to deputies in an attempt to avoid extradition and prosecution. Bridwell was soon identified and taken into custody for identity theft, as well as for the out-of-state 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 WNCT. As a parent of three children in public schools, I know firsthand the concerns and challenges families face when it comes to education. Conversations around public education in Oklahoma are often negative: underfunded schools, teacher shortages, declining test scores. While these are very real issues, they dont tell the full story. Every day, educators and administrators are working tirelessly to innovate and improve educational experiences for our children. With that commitment in mind, Oklahomans should shift the focus from challenges to solutions: the educators, programs and initiatives proving positive change is possible. Supporting public education should be at the heart of the mission for organizations, communities, business leaders and policymakers across Oklahoma because we know that when schools thrive, families and communities do, too. More: Poor math and reading skills in our public schools must improve and quickly | Opinion Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a community, we can celebrate how local teachers are improving literacy through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) curriculum. Reading proficiency is a pressing concern, so local schools are integrating hands-on, interdisciplinary learning to engage students in new ways. By combining literacy with interactive projects, teachers are making reading come alive for students who might otherwise struggle with traditional instruction. We should all be concerned about chronic absenteeism, which has become a state and national concern. What community members may not realize is that many students miss school due to challenges far outside their control, whether its the need to work to support their family, mental health struggles or a lack of transportation. Rather than taking a punitive approach, local school districts are creating opportunities for students to share whats keeping them from coming to school, then addressing those barriers by implementing support systems that make a real impact. From creating bilingual family outreach teams to working with local businesses to encourage scheduling flexibility for parents, our schools are working creatively to ensure students stay engaged and in the classroom. As a community, we also can celebrate the ways teachers are incorporating social-emotional learning, innovative workforce development programs for students pursuing non-traditional careers, and creative approaches to teacher recruitment and retention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats truly remarkable? Educators are making positive strides across these issues while facing some of the lowest levels of funding in the nation. Oklahoma ranks 43rd in the country for average teacher pay, despite raises in recent years, and the average salary falls $3,000 below the living wage, according to the National Education Association. Plus, Oklahoma has one of the lowest per-pupil spending rates in the country, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Imagine how much more our educators could accomplish if we funded public education properly! More: Can Ryan Walters be trusted with federal education money? His record says no. | EDITORIAL Investment in public education is an investment in our collective future. As a parent, I want my children to grow up in a community that values education and that means funding schools adequately; paying teachers, support staff and paraprofessionals competitive salaries; and advocating for solutions that help all students succeed. We must amplify our schools successes to encourage future investment. By sharing whats right with our schools, we can create a ripple effect of hope, engagement and progress. And thats worth celebrating. Erin Page Erin Page is CEO and publisher of MetroFamily Magazine, a resource for family and parenting support, which recently launched a series called "What's Right With Our Schools. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: It's time for constructive action to improve our schools | Opinion American patriots fought the British monarchy in a war that resulted in the establishment of a constitutional democracy and a government of laws. For more than 250 years the rule of law has served this country admirably. But now the rule of law is being severely tested as never before. Individual liberties are under siege, the press is under attack and judiciary and legal profession are being subject to intimidation, threats of violence and, in the cases of judges, impeachment. Judges should not be immune from criticism nor are their decisions always correct. But as a retired attorney I have witnessed judges struggling mightily to reach the right result and do justice for the parties before them. As Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has remarked, when a lawyer loses a case, his or her remedy is to appeal the decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is important for lawyers individually, and as members of firms and local and state bar associations, to insist upon and stand up for an independent judiciary and to call out any harassment and intimidation of judges. We are a nation of laws and, as was said by Chief Justice John Marshall, it is the duty of the courts to say what the law is. Until the current administration that principle of our democracy has never been seriously challenged. The future of our democracy depends on our willingness to stand up for the rule of law. Louis M. Shucker Bern Township All this term's cases Supreme Court justices official portrait Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court justices In its 2024-2025 term, the U.S. Supreme Court has heard or will hear four cases centered on LGBTQ+ rights. They included a challenge to Tennessee's law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors; a case in which a woman claims she suffered discrimination because she is straight; one on whether employers' insurance plans have to cover drugs used for pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, to prevent infection with HIV; and one on whether parents have to be notified if LGBTQ-themed books are read in their children's classes and if they should be able to opt their children out of those lessons. Decisions are expected near the end of the court's term in June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, the court has only released its decision on the "reverse discrimination" case. The other are expected in the coming weeks. U.S. v. Skrmetti Demonstrators at the Supreme Court building during the gender-affirming care case Nikki Aye for The Advocate Demonstrators at the Supreme Court building during the gender-affirming care case In December, the court heard a case challenging Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. Families with trans children, plus a doctor, had sued over the law, which was signed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee in 2023. The case is known as L.W. v. Skrmetti, L.W. being the trans daughter of Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville, and Skrmetti being Jonathan Skrmetti, the attorney general of Tennessee. It was briefly known as U.S. v. Skrmetti when President Joe Biden's administration joined the case on behalf of the plaintiffs, but under Donald Trump, the federal government has changed sides and now supports the Tennessee law. The plaintiffs argue that the law violates the U.S. Constitutions guarantees of equal protection and due process as well as the Affordable Care Acts Section 1557, which bans sex discrimination in health care. It seeks to overturn the law's bans on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for trans youth and does not address a ban on gender-affirming surgery, which is almost never performed on minors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson granted a preliminary injunction in June 2023, blocking the law from being enforced. However, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit lifted that in September 2023. So the plaintiffs asked the court to review the Sixth Circuits decision. Attorney Chase Strangio of the American Civil Liberties Union, representing the plaintiffs, became the first out trans person to argue a case before the Supreme Court. The plaintiffs are also represented by Lambda Legal, the ACLU's Tennessee affiliate, and the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. As Biden was still in office when the case was heard, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar also argued on behalf of the plaintiffs. The court's three liberal justices appeared sympathetic to trans youth and inclined to overturn the law, the conservative majority skeptical of overturning it. However, LGBTQ+ rights groups remain cautiously optimistic. The arguments at the Supreme Court made it unequivocally clear: banning medically necessary care for transgender youth is unlawful discrimination that puts their health and well-being at risk, said a statement from Naomi Goldberg, executive director of the Movement Advancement Project. There are several possible outcomes, Lambda Legal attorney Sasha Buchert said in an interview on the group's website. "A ruling in favor of the families would return the case to the lower courts to apply the appropriate standard of review for improper sex-based classifications," Buchert said. "If the Court upholds the ban, the Tennessee law would remain in effect, depriving trans minors from receiving hormone therapy, greenlighting similar bans already enacted in other states, and potentially emboldening even more states to pass similarly restrictive laws and perhaps even more draconian bans. However the case is decided, it is likely to have a significant impact on how much deference courts give to bans on medical care to treat gender dysphoria." Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services LGBTQ-friendly workplace shutterstock creative Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LGBTQ-friendly workplace Earlier this month, the court sided unanimously with a woman who claimed she had been discriminated against for being straight. In February, oral arguments were heard in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, a case that could redefine how discrimination claims are handled under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. At issue was whether so-called majority-group plaintiffs such as heterosexual employees alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation or white employees claiming they were discriminated against because of their race must meet a higher evidentiary standard than other plaintiffs in discrimination cases. The case, brought by Marlean Ames, a former Ohio Department of Youth Services (the states juvenile justice department) employee, challenged a rule the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit applies, requiring majority-group plaintiffs to demonstrate additional background circumstances to establish a discrimination claim. Ames, who is heterosexual, alleges that she was denied a promotion and later removed from her position while less qualified queer employees were given the roles she sought. Her case was dismissed under the Sixth Circuits heightened standard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the high court, Ohios attorneys argued that there was no clear evidence that Ames's sexual orientation was a factor in the employment decisions against her. However, her attorney, Xiao Wang, argued that the additional requirement imposed by the Sixth Circuit is inconsistent with Title VII. This court has said that Title VII aims to eradicate all discrimination in the workplace, Wang told the justices. An attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice also argued in Ames's favor. Both liberal and conservative justices asked probing questions about the background circumstances rule. Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett wondered that if the rule was scrapped, there would be a flood of cases alleging discrimination. Wang said more than half of the circuits do not use the background circumstances test, yet they have not seen a surge in litigation. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote the opinion for the court. Jackson wrote that the court's case law "makes clear that the standard for proving disparate treatment under Title VII does not vary based on whether or not the plaintiff is a member of a majority group. ... The 'background circumstances' rule flouts that basic principle." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Allen Morris, policy dreictor at the National LGBTQ Task Force, said the decision "underscores the need for congressional action, and the prioritization of federal non-discrimination protections." Kennedy v. Braidwood Management man holding blue prep HIV medication pill rtem evdokimov/shutterstock The court agreed in January to hear Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, a case hinging on the Affordable Care Act's requirement that employers' insurance plans cover, among other things, preventive medications specifically for PrEP without employee cost-sharing. Braidwood Management and some other Texas-based employers claim that the mandate for this coverage violates their religious freedom. "The PrEP mandate forces religious employers to provide coverage for drugs that facilitate and encourage homosexual behavior, prostitution, sexual promiscuity, and intravenous drug use," says the lawsuit, filed in 2020 in U.S. District Court in Texas. "It also compels religious employers and religious individuals who purchase health insurance to subsidize these behaviors as a condition of purchasing health insurance." The companies are represented by Jonathan Mitchell, the former solicitor general of Texas, who has targeted marriage equality, abortion rights, and the right to private sexual behavior. He crafted a Texas law that bans most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected and allows private citizens to sue anyone who aids or abets an illegal abortion. Initially, U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor sided with the plaintiffs , ruling that the ACA mandate violated their religious rights. However, the Department of Justice swiftly appealed, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld the district courts decision but limited the scope of its effect. The decision meant that while the plaintiffs are exempted, the broader mandate requiring insurance providers to cover preventive services, including PrEP, remains in effect nationwide. The federal government appealed last year, while Joe Biden was still president. The government, perhaps surprisingly, is still expected to argue in favor of the mandate, or at least the process that created it. The Kennedy named in the case, which has undergone several name changes, is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of Health and Human Services appointed by Trump. Kennedy inherited the case from Xavier Becerra, Biden's HHS secretary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the heart of the case is the structure of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which issues recommendations for preventive services like PrEP. The Fifth Circuit ruled that the Task Forces structure violated the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Under Biden and Becerra, the government maintained that the Task Force operates within constitutional bounds, with members serving as inferior officers under the secretarys supervision, that this structure is consistent with constitutional requirements, and that it is vital to ensure that essential preventive services are covered under the ACA. Kennedy filed a brief in February with a similar argument, saying, Task Force members are inferior officers, because the Secretary of HHS a quintessential principal officer remains responsible for final decisions about whether Task Force recommendations will be legally binding on insurance issuers and group health plans. The court has scheduled oral arguments in the case for April 21. Mahmoud v. Taylor LGBTQ-themed books OJUP/Shutterstock Oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor are set for April 22. In this case, a group of religious parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, are seeking the power to opt their children out of lessons that include books with LGBTQ+ themes. In October 2022, the Montgomery County Public Schools approved several such books for its language arts curriculum. Parents would be notified about when these books would be part of lessons and could opt their children out if they objected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "At first, teachers and principals sought to accommodate these requests by excusing students when the books were read in class," says a Montgomery County schools brief filed with the Supreme Court. "The growing number of opt-out requests, however, gave rise to three related concerns: high student absenteeism, the infeasibility of administering opt-outs across classrooms and schools, and the risk of exposing students who believe the storybooks represent them and their families to social stigma and isolation. These consequences would defeat MCPSs 'efforts to ensure a classroom environment that is safe and conducive to learning for all students' and risk putting MCPS out of compliance with nondiscrimination laws." After the district ended the opt-out policy in 2023, parents from various religious faiths Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Ukrainian Orthodox sued in U.S. District Court in Maryland, saying that exposing their children to this material violated their religious freedom and parental rights. The named plaintiff is Tamer Mahmoud, a Muslim with three children in the district, but several other parents are involved. The named defendant is Thomas W. Taylor, the Montgomery County superintendent of schools. The parents are represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Eric Baxter, senior counsel at Becket, has accused the district of cramming down controversial gender ideology on three-year-olds." In August 2023, U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman denied the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction that would restore the opt-out policy. She said the parents were unlikely to succeed in proving the merits of their case. "With or without an opt-out right, the parents remain free to pursue their sacred obligations to instruct their children in their faiths," she wrote. "Even if their childrens exposure to religiously offensive ideas makes the parents efforts less likely to succeed, that does not amount to a government-imposed burden on their religious exercise." The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld her ruling, so the parents appealed to the Supreme Court. The books include Pride Puppy, Uncle Bobby's Wedding, Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope, and Love, Violet. The authors and illustrators of these and the other books in the curriculum released a statement of support for the district through PEN America, a group that advocates for freedom of expression. "We created our books with love and care," it reads in part. "Children and their parents need to see families like their own in books. We have all had the experience of meeting a child and their family who are delighted by our books. We have been told about children hugging our books and carrying them everywhere they go. We have heard emotional stories from adults who wish they had had our books when they were growing up. These were the books we ourselves needed when we were young." ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Li-Cycle, the Canadian battery recycler that paused construction on the Rochester Hub in 2023, has released its 2024 year-end financial report. The company reported a 53% increase in revenue year-over-year, reaching $28.0 million in 2024. In addition to increasing revenue, the company also reported a 13% decrease in expenses. Li-Cycle attributes both to the pause of the Rochester Hub. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Li-Cycle pauses construction of Rochester facility due to costs However, the company acknowledged that without additional resources, Li-Cycle will need to significantly modify or terminate its operations and may need to dissolve and liquidate its assets under applicable bankruptcy laws or otherwise file for bankruptcy protection. In the report, Li-Cycle said that is not aware of additional financial resources. Li-Cycle was de-listed from the New York Stock Exchange in early March. As part of that acknowledgement, Li-Cycle said that a special committee is investigating a letter from the Swedish material company Glencore regarding its intent to enter into a special transaction involving Li-Cycle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Glencore previously invested $75 million into Li-Cycle. In 2024, the company also said it closed on a new $475 million loan from the federal government. That loan would not be paid out until construction on the Hub is finished. Li-Cycles Q2 2024 report We believe we are well-positioned to support, and are aligned with, the energy priorities of the U.S. government as they look to bolster and onshore the energy supply chain through the domestic production of critical minerals, said Ajay Kochhar, CEO of Li-Cycle, in a statement. Looking ahead, we are focused on managing our cash position while considering our financial and strategic alternatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Construction on the Rochester Hub was paused in 2023 due to ballooning construction costs, which hit nearly one billion dollars. Stick with News 8 on this developing story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. AGI Greenpac, an Indian packaging products company, has revealed plans to invest Rs7bn ($81.8m) to build a new glass-manufacturing unit in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Once completed, the new facility will not only help meet the demand for premium glass packaging in India, but will also boost the companys production capacity for container glass by 25%. The proposed facility will be able to produce 500 tonnes (t) of container glass daily. It will primarily focus on manufacturing glass containers for industries such as alcoholic drinks, food, and pharmaceuticals. The company aims to initiate production within the next two years, ensuring it meets the markets evolving needs on time. Madhya Pradesh was selected for the opening of the new unit due to its central location and easy access to the necessary raw materials, which will help optimise production. According to the company, the new plant will feature advanced manufacturing processes and environmentally sustainable practices as part its commitment to reducing its environmental footprint while driving long-term expansion. The new facility will complement the companys current operations in Telangana. The project is expected to create more than 1,000 employment opportunities, both direct and indirect, which will in turn contribute to local economic growth. AGI Greenpac chair and managing director Sandip Somany said: Madhya Pradeshs favourable business environment and strategic location align with our growth strategy. This state-of-the-art plant will enable us to meet the rising demand for tailored glass packaging solutions, providing our customers with enhanced quality products and will further expand our share in the Indian container glass market. In December last year, AGI Greenpac opened its new regional office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, boosting its Middle East expansion. "AGI Greenpac to invest $82m in new glass plant in Madhya Pradesh, India" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand. President Donald Trump is set to unveil his "reciprocal tariffs" plan on major trading partners of the U.S. on Wednesday, a day he has dubbed "Liberation Day." The full impact for consumers and businesses from the tariffs, details of which Trump has not yet publicly revealed, remains unclear, but many experts anticipate the far sweeping tariffs stand to fall flat on Trump's goal of providing Americans financial reprieve and having the tariffs paid by other countries. Companies along the supply chain, ranging from raw materials to manufactured goods, will most likely pass the higher prices on to consumers when tariffs hit, though some aren't convinced consumers will be able to support the increased prices, St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President and CEO Alberto Musalem, who oversees the region which includes Louisville and much of Kentucky, said last week. Advertisement Advertisement "Donald Trump has made clear that he does not care if tariffs hurt American workers or families, and the reckless, sweeping tariffs he will announce tomorrow, which are not backed by any comprehensive strategy to return manufacturing jobs to America, will cause Americans real economic pain," U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey told the Courier Journal in an email Tuesday. "This is not a pro-worker agenda the tariffs will make groceries and homes more expensive, kneecap our signature bourbon industry and other economic drivers in Kentucky, and further drive us away from the allies we should be working with, not against." Farmers, auto workers and bourbon distillers all stand to be greatly impacted by Trump's tariff plan, as do consumers. In addition to some key Kentucky industries that stand to struggle, the Ohio River Valley Institute found in a new analysis that the deployment of tariffs could cost the equivalent of "suddenly raising taxes by $2,307 on every Kentucky household." Robert Maddox picks up eggs in the Cash Saver grocery store on Wilson Avenue. I used to live in the west end so I still come to shop at this store just to give back to the community, Maddox said. Here you might get eggs for 99 cents, but theyre 79 cents at Kroger. Sept. 25, 2018 The looming uncertainty surrounding the tariffs is partly due to the inconsistent way they have been continuously threatened and backtracked since Trump took office, said Nick Messenger, an economist and senior researcher who authored the ORVI report. Advertisement Advertisement "They have to be stable. They have to be something that businesses can count on existing, to justify their large capital investment," he said. "That's not really what we've seen play out. What we've seen play out is this more haphazard, uncertain and sometimes chaotic-feeling approach, which I don't know it helps the cause to bring large amounts of private investment back to American shores." Here's a look at how Liberation Day tariffs could impact Kentucky. How will tariffs impact Kentucky farmers? Joseph Fischer steps in with the cows to feed them on Sunday, March 17, 2024 at his familys farm in Henry County. Fischer is at least a fourth-generation cattle farmer. Tariffs have continued to cause extreme uncertainty across industries as Trump has floundered back and forth on enacting and pausing the proposed tariffs. Farmers stand to face retaliatory tariffs from U.S. trade partners as Trump imposes tariffs. Key foreign markets are expected to sour on American goods, and imported agricultural inputs, like some fertilizer products, are likely to increase in price. Advertisement Advertisement Kentucky ships about $3 billion in agricultural goods abroad, largely consisting of soybeans, livestock products, corn, tobacco, and feed grains. Retaliatory tariffs will make those goods more expensive in foreign markets, driving down exports and increasing domestic supply meaning farmers will receive a lower price for their goods in U.S. markets, The Courier Journal previously reported. More: Trump tariffs: How much will they cost Kentucky businesses and households? Nobody likes change, and this change comes with an unknown. And were definitely always scared of an unknown, said Jim Tom Galbreath, a Fleming County farmer. The tension out here is increasing every day. Its got farmers getting more jittery, not knowing what decisions to make, and rethinking decisions theyve already made. How will tariffs impact Kentucky bourbon? Signature Old Fashion made with bourbon, demerara syrup, bitters, orange and lemon. Served at the Courier Journals At The Table event at Proof on Main at the 21c Museum Hotel. January 31, 2025 Kentucky's marquee bourbon industry is also facing threats of retaliatory tariffs as Trump continues to push tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Additionally, the bourbon industry is impacted by the European Union, which is dealing with new tariff threats from the Trump administration while also combating tariffs that were instituted during Trump's first term in 2018. While those were suspended under former President Joe Biden, they are set to return, at 50%, this month. Advertisement Advertisement In Canada, the immediate response to the threat of tariff was removing America beverages, including Kentucky bourbon, from its shelves. "That's worse than a tariff, because it's literally taking your sales away, completely removing our products from the shelves ... that's a very disproportionate response," said Brown-Forman CEO Lawson Whiting said during the company's earnings call in March. Industry advocates have repeatedly called for spirits to be left out of the trade war and to allow zero-for-zero tariffs on the products. More: Kentucky bourbon industry braces for European Union tariff. Where things stand Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, the three largest export markets for U.S. distilled spirits were the European Union, Canada and Mexico, respectively, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Now, each of these faces U.S. imposed tariffs. "At the end of the day, tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry just as these businesses continue their long recovery from the pandemic," Distilled Spirits Council of the United States President Chris Swonger said in a November statement. Evan Williams Masters Blend, center, alongside two other bourbons available at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience at 528 W. Main St. Major bourbon distillers in Kentucky such as Brown-Forman, one of the leading exporters of U.S. spirits globally, reaps 55% of its net sales from outside the U.S. It stands to feel a substantial impact from the tariffs. Other major Kentucky bourbon companies that are big exporters and could be impacted include Heaven Hill, the maker of Evan Williams; Beam Suntory, which produces Jim Beam and Maker's Mark products; and Diageo, the owner of Bulleit Bourbon. McGarvey previously said Kentucky "will feel the pain even more acutely" when tariffs, especially retaliatory ones on bourbon, take place. How will tariffs impact Kentucky's auto industry? A semi-truck is parked and idles outside Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant on Thursday night in Louisville, Ky. Sept. 14, 2023 The auto sector, which employs hundreds of thousands of people in Kentucky and is supported by more than 550 facilities across the commonwealth, including the two Louisville-based Ford Motor plants and Toyota in Georgetown, is another industry bearing the weight of the Trump tariffs. Advertisement Advertisement A 25% tariff on all cars and light-duty trucks imported into the U.S. is expected to raise the price of new and used vehicles and deplete the supply of lightly used vehicles, the Detroit Free Press previously reported. "We're sitting at this point where supply is tight," Jeremy Robb, senior director of economic and industry insights at Cox Automotive told the Detroit Free Press. "Sales are running higher. People were already a little bit worried about increased prices for used vehicles." President Donald Trump's announcement of a 25% tariff on imported vehicles will "probably put a little bit more fuel on the fire," he said. Ford Super Duty trucks in line for inspection at the Ford Truck Plant on Chamberlain Ln. in Louisville, Ky. May 24, 2023 More: These car brands, auto suppliers will be hit by Trump's auto tariffs Advertisement Advertisement In a March 27 memo to employees, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company is still studying impacts on the Dearborn-based automaker from the tariffs. "While Ford supports the presidents vision of building a stronger auto industry and manufacturing base in the United States, the situation is dynamic and the impacts of the tariffs are likely to be significant across our industry affecting automakers, suppliers, dealers and customers," Farley's memo which was obtained by the Detroit Free Press stated. What countries will have tariffs placed on them? Over the weekend, Trump said the tariffs would start on "essentially all of the countries," USA TODAY previously reported. What tariffs already exist? The Canadian government paid for billboard ads in 12 states including Florida and some of those ads are on billboards next to heavily traveled roads in Jacksonville. One billboard along Rossevelt Blvd and I-295 near NAS Jax, displays a message that taxes at the gas pump are tariffs as traffic makes its way along the road Monday March 31, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Tariffs have already been levied on some countries and products including: 25% on Mexico and Canada, 10% on Canadian energy, 25% on steel and aluminum imports, and 20% on China. Advertisement Advertisement More: 'Getting more jittery': How Trump tariffs could affect Kentucky farmers What tariffs will come on Liberation Day? On April 2, Trump is expected to share his reciprocal tariff plan. Details of these have not yet been made public. Is the U.S. facing retaliatory tariffs? Yes. China, Canada, and the European Union currently have retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @oliviamevans_. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky farmers, bourbon and automakers brace for Trump tariffs Idaho Statesman / Contributor/Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images The American Library Association called the proposed cuts a shortsighted" "assaul." Librarians have a bone to pick with President Donald Trump. On Monday, the Institute of Museum and Library Services placed its entire staff on administrative leave at the Trump administrations behest a move that comes two weeks after the president proposed eliminating the IMLS as part of his ongoing efforts to slash the federal governments workforce and funding. That matters to local librarians because the majority of libraries federal funding comes from the IMLS. Of the agencys $290 million budget, about $160 million goes directly to the nations libraries, where its used to develop literacy programs, workforce training and civic engagement initiatives. Museums and archives get a cut of IMLS funding, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As The New York Times reports,the IMLS which employs roughly 70 people also provides competitive grants directly to libraries of various type: Recently, thats included things like $250,000 to the Seattle Public Library to support teen mental health and $150,000 to the University of South Florida to develop library resources for autistic patrons. The American Library Association called the proposed budget cuts short-sighted and an assault by the Trump administration that would be deeply felt throughout local communities. By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Trump administrations executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer, it said. Shortly after issuing the executive order, Trump appointed Keith E. Sonderling as acting director of IMLS. Sonderling said that, under his leadership, the agency will be in lockstep with this Administration to promote American exceptionalism and restore focus on patriotism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nancy Schram, a public librarian in Ventura, California, is among the librarians deeply troubled by the attack on IMLS and what she sees as the administrations ongoing efforts to censor literature. Make no mistake about it, the elimination of funding for libraries is a political assault on First Amendment rights, access to information, and the freedom to read, Schram told HuffPost. The attack on public libraries is another example of how Trump has never had to rely on government services and finds no value in them, Schram said. It is a stark reminder of how easy it is for someone who has apparently never utilized the services that libraries provide, to deprive those who desperately need those services from accessing them, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amanda Jones, a school librarian in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, is livid about the efforts to dismantle the IMLS as well as the Department of Education. Jones works in the school system in Louisiana, and reduced funding from IMLS could have a devastating impact for public libraries across her state, as is true for many states. In 2024 alone, IMLS provided $2,726,161 to public libraries in Louisiana to help them expand access to information, improve library services and foster community engagement. Without this funding, patrons and students in the most rural of areas, and those of lower socioeconomic status will be the ones who suffer the most, she said. Its only going to further the divide between the haves and the have-nots. Libraries provide so much more than books to communities. Alana Phelan, a former librarian in New Jersey whos a full-time author now, spoke to the essential services libraries provide to communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For people without cars, without printers, without computers, a library can be the closest and most inexpensive way to take care of so many needs, all this while maintaining patron confidentiality, Phelan said. Reference can help finding aid for almost any situation. Online services help those who are homebound. For students, libraries offer summer reading programs, early literacy development and grade-level reading programs. For job seekers and returning veterans, theres employment assistance. For those with visual impairments, collections of Braille and talking books are invaluable. I think many people in this country dont realize what happens at their local library beyond taking out books and story time, Phelan said. I have former co-workers who have created makerspaces and taught kids how to code. Its more than just books. After years of right-wing pressure campaigns to ban books, theres a predictability to the Trump White House targeting libraries, said Chelsea Heinbach, a teaching and learning librarian in Las Vegas and one of the creators of the resource site The Librarian Parlor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We tend to take them for granted, but theres something quietly radical about even the idea of a library and the intellectual freedom these local institutions inspire, she said. Public libraries are critical cornerstones of democracy, equipping people with critical thinking and information literacy skills while ensuring equitable access to information and education. Providing these services with no upfront cost to all citizens regardless of their race, gender, citizenship status, or other demographic has become an inherently radical act, and it is for that reason that libraries are being targeted, Heinbach said. Bloomberg via Getty Images After years of right-wing pressure campaigns to ban books, theres a predictability to the Trump White House targeting libraries, said Chelsea Heinbach, a teaching and learning librarian in Las Vegas, Nevada and one of the creators of the resource site The Librarian Parlor. Librarians we spoke to were also peeved that the Trump administration has tried to claim theres never been a right-wing book ban push. Over the past few years, local news channels have broadcast the heated rhetoric at community meetings where parents and school boards lobby to censor and control decisions on library materials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since 2022, the American Library Association has seen an unprecedented number of book bans and challenges of books, including classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird, books about the Holocaust like Maus,picture books about diverse families, and more. In February, the Department of Defense circulated a memo to parents of students at DOD-operated schools that said it was examining library books potentially related to gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology topics. Even Freckleface Strawberry may not be immune. The actor Julianne Moore claimed that her 2007 childrens book about a girl who learns to stop hating her freckles had been targeted for the potential ban at schools serving U.S. military families. Jones knows that these banning efforts are happening; she and her fellow librarians have been personally targeted and harassed as part of such campaigns. Jones even received death threats for speaking out against such censorship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a school librarian who was already reeling from these book bans, it feels completely like gaslighting to have the U.S. Department of Education put out that social media post about the ending of the alleged Biden Book Ban Hoax, she said. The public needs to wake up before our libraries are gone, she added. Heres what you can do to help your local library. The librarians we spoke with encouraged people to rally for their local libraries. Patron numbers matter, so if you dont already have a library card, consider getting one. Libraries are free you pay for them through your taxes, and theres bound to be a service thats useful to you, even beyond book checkouts. Get a library card, tell your friend, your family to get library cards. Visit the library, said Mychal Threets, a librarian in Northern California and the current resident librarian for PBS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once you have a card, you can also use digital services to borrow material. You absolutely are helping the library by using things like Hoopla Digital, Libby, and Kanopy, the video streaming service, Threets said. Email and call your local leaders and state leaders and tell them how much your local library means to you. Attend school board and library board meetings and voice your opposition to cuts and book bans there, Jones said. On social media, follow the work of PEN America, Authors Against Book Bans, EveryLibrary, and the American Library Association for more ways to help within your own community. Dont let local and national politicians use librarians and libraries as political pawns to further their own agendas agendas that go against the best interests of their constituents, like you, Jones said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Correction: A previous version of this article misstated what portion of library funding comes from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The IMLS provides the majority of federal funds for libraries, though a large portion of financial support for libraries comes from state and local sources. Related... MAGA election conspiracy theorist and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell has eyes on what could be his next gig. And it isnt selling pillows. Lindell on Monday teased a run for Minnesota governor, a race that could see him face off against popular incumbent Tim Walz, who is said to be sizing up a third term in the post. I live here in Minnesota, Lindell said of his potential opponent. Everywhere I go, no one wants Tim Walz. They dont. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lindell rose to prominence in the MAGA world by offering conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being rigged against President Donald Trump with the help of voting machine companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic. His documentary, Absolute Proof, alleges without evidence that it was a Chinese cyberattack that gifted the election to Joe Biden and the Democrats. Lindell was subsequently sued by the voting companies. Lindells announcement, made Monday on his eponymous Mike Lindell Show which is situated in his media network, isnt the first time hes flirted with a run for the states top job. He previously considered a run for the governorship in 2022 at Trumps urging he said. Lindell also weighed a run in 2018. Walz enjoys a 52% approval rating in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The governor built a national profile after being tapped by former Vice President Kamala Harris as her running mate on the Democratic ticket last fall. Im looking at every single thing, option and doing my due diligence, Lindell said. During his visit to Kyiv, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has called for deterring Russia to avoid war with the Russian Federation or the potential occupation of the Baltic states. Source: Budrys at a press conference on Tuesday 1 April with Ukraines Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, as reported by European Pravda Details: When asked how Lithuania assesses the threat of a Russian attack or destabilisation attempt against it and how realistic such a scenario might be for the Baltic countries, Budrys said that NATO intelligence services had reached a consensus that Russia represents a long-term direct military threat to the Alliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said this assessment was well-founded, citing Russian plans and military capabilities that are being developed and deployed in close proximity to NATO borders. He added that Russia had invested in these capabilities over decades and was clearly preparing for a long-term confrontation with NATO. Budrys stated that Russia uses military force to achieve its political goals. He explained that those political objectives were clear and that Putin had expressed them repeatedly including his desire to see the US removed from Europe and to dominate the continent. Budrys said Putin did not want to see Lithuania thrive as a country. The minister stressed that the Russian threat is real and long-term, and therefore deterrence is necessary, as Russia will remain a neighbour in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He stated that there were three possible scenarios in relations with Russia: war, threat or occupation. To avoid the latter, it was essential to be in a position of deterrence; otherwise, one would find oneself in a state of war. Budrys added that Lithuania viewed long-term support for Ukraine and its NATO membership as part of this deterrence strategy. He also remarked that he had no illusions about the Russian regime or its intentions, regardless of what narratives it might offer about cooperation. He said Russia was not interested in partnership it wanted territory and aimed to subjugate its neighbours. Budrys concluded that this was the reality Lithuania faced, and Ukrainians understood it better than anyone. Background: Media outlets have previously reported growing concern in the Baltic states over the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine. A recent assessment by Germanys Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and the Bundeswehr concluded that Russia views itself as being in a systemic conflict with the West and is preparing for a major war with NATO. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! LITTLE ROCK, Ark. With each scoop of dirt each planted tree and each lot reclaimed, the scars of an EF-3 tornado are fading. March 31 marks two years since an EF-3 tornado struck central Arkansas. One person died in North Little Rock. Four more passed in Wynne. Damage reported after tornadoes touch down throughout Arkansas on Friday The severe weather outbreak on March 31, 2023 made the top three list for the number of tornadoes produced in twenty-four hours, with 137 tornadoes documented across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the first areas hit in central Arkansas was the Walnut Valley neighborhood and its fire station, Fire Station 9, which began reconstruction with a groundbreaking on Monday. City leaders, community members and firefighters attended the ceremony. Mayor Frank Scott Jr. gave the opening and closing remarks From response to recovery to rebuilding. Thats what weve seen the last two years, and it all started when the tornado hit, Scott said. Little Rock fire station starts rebuilding process after being destroyed during March tornado Demi Penor and some others in attendance had also been to the fire stations first groundbreaking in 1985. Penors interior bathroom was the only room undamaged after the storm tore her home away around her. Her family was not alone for long. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The firemen from here were unbelievable. They were down in my house even faster than I could turn around, Penor said. From Fire Station 9 help descended, but the damaged building had to be razed to the ground. Little Rock Fire Chief Delphone D. Hubbard said he would not call the event a tragedy. Ill call it an opportunity to display who we are as a city, and I saw some of the most caring beautiful people come together under the most crazy circumstances, Hubbard remarked. The rebuilding process is what the Walnut Valley neighborhood hopes continues in the years to come. I wish more people had started to build back, Penor said. I never thought about going any place else, its still home. It will be home until Im gone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Little Rock Fire Department Station 9 reflects on March 31 tornado nearly a year later The new fire station is expected to open in about a year and a half. It will have more space for vehicles and a built-in tornado shelter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. (NewsNation) Two House Judiciary subcommittees are holding a joint hearing Tuesday examining judicial power, with a focus on the recent blocks of President Donald Trumps policies. Federal judges have been halting President Donald Trumps actions at a rapid pace. In many cases, the courts are questioning whether the firings of federal workers, the freezing of federal funds and the shuttering of long-running federal offices are unlawful actions by the executive branch and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency. Does Canada really have tariffs above 200% on US dairy products? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet and the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government hearing, called Judicial Overreach and Constitutional Limits on the Federal Courts, can be streamed in the video player above. Before Tuesdays hearing, the GOP House Judiciary Committee posted a letter that chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, sent to the House Appropriations Committee asking it to include language in upcoming funding bills that would limit the ability of rogue judges to misuse nationwide injunctions. House Republican leaders say all options are under consideration as they rush to rein in judges. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said in his opening statements for the hearing that theres been a major malfunction in the judiciary. He called the judges rulings a new resistance to the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal judiciary isnt interpreting the law; it is impeding the presidency, Issa said. However, Rep. Hank Johnson, a Democrat from Georgia, said Trumps actions have been authoritarian, dictatorial and an unprecedented use of presidential power to instill fear, intimidate, exact revenge against and punish those who dare to stand up to him. Republicans bracing for close call in Floridas District 6 election A climate of fear and trepidation has descended upon the nation, Johnson said, adding that Americans are afraid for the state of democracy. One witness, Kate Shaw, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Penn Carey Law School, told lawmakers the Trump administration has lost in federal courts overseen by judges appointed by Democratic and Republican parties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This broad consensus, Shaw said, makes it clear that the rulings are not because of disagreements with Trumps policy choices, but because many of the challenged actions have been taken without regard for, and often with outright contempt for, both statutes and the Constitution. In my view, the premise of this hearing, that courts have overreached or transcended the limits of their authority, and that this overreach calls for some response, is badly mistaken, Shaw said. Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, another witness, argued in front of lawmakers that a lot of these issues should be hashed out in Congress, not micromanaged by random single judges. Legislators also heard from Cindy Romero, a woman who said she was a victim of criminal activity perpetrated by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua while living in Aurora, Colorado. One of the legal challenges the Trump administration is facing is over the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act. 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. Florida voters are heading to the polls to choose a replacement for former Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), the current national security adviser, in what has shaped up to be a major referendum on President Trumps first few months back in office. Though the district went for Trump and Waltz by around 30 points last year, Democratic candidate Josh Weil has far outraised his Republican opponent, state Sen. Randy Fine (R), spurring GOP concerns. Follow live results from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ 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 The Hill. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A group of suspects deputies believe to be in a gang have been arrested after a shooting in Bogalusa. According to the Livingston Parish Sheriffs Office, narcotics agents have been investigating a local gang known as the Motion Gang. LPSO Sheriff Jason Ard said the group primarily engages in illegal narcotics distribution and street violence. The group is commonly found in Springfield, Ard said. On March 21, LPSO deputies were contacted by Bogalusa Police trying to find Ivan Fletcher, 19, who is believed to be connected to a shooting in their jurisdiction. BPD investigators said Fletcher and his girlfriend, Maya Price, 23, arrived in an area for Price to fight someone. Investigators said Fletcher fired rounds into a vehicle occupied by five people, including a 5-month-old baby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BPD issued arrest warrants for Fletcher and Price. Fletcher was wanted on five counts of attempted first-degree murder and Price was wanted on five counts of principal to attempted first-degree murder. On March 24, LPSO agents conducted surveillance of the known hangout in Springfield. Fletcher was seen at the hangout and deputies followed. Fletcher continued into Tangipahoa Parish, where he was stopped on I-12 at the Hammond exit and taken into custody by Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office. Search warrants of the hangout and Fletchers car were conducted. The following items were seized: 180 grams of marijuana 30 fluid ounces of Promethazine 4 dosage units of Oxycodone 2 dosage units of pressed fentanyl pills 2 THC vape carts 6 guns, including one that was reported stolen $4,561 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additional arrests include Terry Finnely, 20, Dennis Mitchell, 19, Alyssa Theodore, 18, and two juveniles. Ard said more arrests are likely as the investigation continues. This is not the type of activity we want to see here. Were investing our time & attention into making sure gang members are not comfortable here, said Ard. Gang-type activity will NOT be tolerated. Were watching. Were sharing information with our partner agencies. Citizens, see something? Say something. Lets work together to protect our community. 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. Alstom has secured a contract from the Moroccan National Railway Office (ONCF) to provide 18 Avelia Horizon very high-speed trains. Financed by the French Treasury, the deal is valued at 781m ($845m). The expansion of Morocco's high-speed rail network, with the addition of Alstom's Avelia Horizon trains, is expected to enhance connectivity for travellers between Tangier and Marrakech. The double-decker trains are designed to operate at speeds exceeding 300km/h, enabling the reduction of travel times while also minimising environmental impact. Avelias design includes compact power cars and two-level articulated cars, providing operational flexibility and a better passenger experience. This new fleet will offer a more sustainable option for Morocco's rail infrastructure, aligning with global efforts to reduce carbon emissions, according to the company. The Avelia Horizon model is claimed to offer lower operating costs due to its reduced number of bogies, which typically represent 30% of maintenance expenses. Alstom has also stated that the train offers the highest seating capacity on the market, helping to reduce the total cost of ownership per seat. Meanwhile, in Poland In a separate development, Alstom has agreed to provide rail traffic control systems for the Poznan freight bypass under a contract with Krakowskie Zakady Automatyki in Poland. The project includes the delivery of railway traffic control devices at stations and the Poznan Franowo Local Control Centre, as well as the reconstruction of devices at the Poznan IV Local Control Centre. Alstom will also supply new line devices and modernise existing ones, including line block devices and equipment at rail-road crossings. Last month, Alstom signed a two-year contract with Swedish state-owned rail operator SJ for the maintenance of night trains, enhancing its presence in northern Europe. The agreement covers the upkeep of 75 carriages and 12 RC6 locomotives servicing routes between Stockholm, Umea, Lulea, and Narvik. "Alstom to deliver Avelia Horizon trains to Morocco under $845m contract" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Central State University Extension in Wilberforce hosts a Community Marketplace to support local families in supplementing their food budgets. The marketplace is run through partnerships with The Dayton Foodbank, United Way of the Greater Dayton Area and Montgomery County. It is held on the second Tuesday of each month at the Norman E. Ward Senior Center parking lot on campus. It is open from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. The next will be on April 8. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fire hits trailer, dock at Dayton food pantry There is no proof of income required for people visiting, but they must fill out an Eligibility to Take Food Home form at the event. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own bags or boxes for the items they receive. The food is distributed according to household size. CSU said it is committed to fostering community well-being and to help fight food insecurity in the Maimi Valley. To learn more Central State University Extension programs, 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 WDTN.com. COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) Over the weekend, Alabama Power and Friends of Lake Eufaula (FOLE) hosted their 20th annual shoreline cleanup. The event is a part of Alabama Powers Renew Our Rivers campaign. According to a press release, community members and local organizations removed approximately three tons of trash from Lake Eufaulas shorelines and waterways in two days. We were incredibly fortunate to have a beautiful day that allowed volunteers to cover significant ground around the lake. FOLE President Brad Moore said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The clean-up effort began in 2000 as a community river cleanup organized by Alabama Power employees from Plant Gadsden concerned about litter found along the Coosa River. This weekends participating volunteer groups included individual volunteers, local 4-H Club students, Alabama Power Service Organization, TowBoatUS, Eufaula Water Works, St. James Episcopal Church, Chattahoochee River Conservancy, Elite Sonar, Eufaula VFW Post and the Alabama Marine Patrol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pictures courtesy of Teisha Wallace. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The Pennsylvania State Senate passed a bill that seeks to restrict bail options for some defendants. Local lawmaker Devlin Robinson (R-37) introduced Senate Bill 490, which limits bail options for people with a history of violent crimes, less than two weeks ago. It passed in a 32-17 vote on Monday. Before the vote, Robinson addressed his colleagues and stated that the bill is a direct response to the actions of a controversial Allegheny County Magestrial District Judge, Xander Orenstein. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Orenstein was barred from hearing arraignments last April after a slew of controversial rulings involving releasing criminals on non-monetary bond. RELATED COVERAGE >>> Local magistrate Xander Orenstein pulled from arraignments until further notice, sources say Two of those criminals, a man accused of trafficking millions of collars of drugs into Pittsburgh on a bus and a high-speed chase suspect, went on to flee from Pennsylvania after being released. Robinson says extraditing the men back after their arrests in New York City and Florida, respectively, cost the Allegheny County Sheriffs Office up to $70,000. Robinson also spoke about Orenstein opting to release Anthony Quesen on non-monetary bond after a 2023 assault at Point State Park. Police later arrested Quesen in connection to the stabbing death of off-duty state liquor enforcement officer Benjamin Brallier along the Montour Trail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is just unacceptable that these dangerous criminals were released on a non-monetary condition despite their violent history of crime. This is just one example of a high-level threat to our constituents and its a shame that our current law doesnt provide better safeguards for these extreme circumstances, Robinson said on the Senate floor. The bill only limits bail options for people with a history of violent crime, who have injured or run from authorities, or who possess 10 grams or more of fentanyl. Senate Bill 490 is simply a safeguard put into place to keep our Pennsylvania residents safe in a significant way by ensuring the most dangerous individuals arent released without bail, Robinson said. The bill now heads to the State House. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins is fighting the release of three Trumbull County defendants serving prison time in Ohio. Read next: Witnesses report man jumped on cars near Boardman plaza John Whisonant and Roy Green have parole hearings in April, and Deavery Lyons has a parole hearing in May. Whisonant was convicted of raping several children between the ages of five and nine years old in Howland Townshp in 1985. He was sentenced to 21 to 75 years and has served 39 years and nine months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time of Whisonants sentencing, the maximum sentencing per count was seven to 25 years. He got lucky with his sentencing, when viewing his serial rapes of children under contemporary standards, Watkins wrote in his letter to the Ohio Parole Board. Watkins opposes Whisonants parole due to the magnitude of his crimes, calling him the worst of the worst of pedophile rapists we have ever seen. Roy Green is 73 years old and serving 18 years to life on charges of murder, abuse of a corpse and receiving stolen property in connection with the 1994 killing and dismemberment of Devin Griffin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green put Griffins body parts in bags and threw them in a lake to conceal his crime. It would be ridiculous to place inmate Green on on parole because it is as true today as it it was yesterday thatthough the motive may have involved money or drugs or both for killing his friend, the sheer brutality and inhumanity in the defendants contious conduct, exceeds belief, Watkins wrote. Green has served 30 years of his sentence. Deavery Lyons is serving a life sentence for rape, kidnapping, possession of cocaine and receiving stolen property in connection with the 2002 assault of a 12-year-old girl. The victim suffered from depression and anxiety following the crime that she carried with her throughout her life and died of a drug overdose in 2020, Watkins said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (The victim) did not die directly at the hands of inmate Lyons; her blood is still on his hands, Watkins wrote. He stripped her of her innocence, her psychological well-being and her future. Inamte Lyons sent (the victim) into a death spiral from which she never recovered. Lyons has served 22 years and seven months of his 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 WKBN.com. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A handful of research projects at two local universities and the County of San Diego were among those which lost federal funding under the Trump administration, according to a list by the National Institutes of Health. The list includes three NIH-funded projects at the University of California, San Diego and four at San Diego State University. North County dental office releases statement after girl dies post-surgery Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The project topics range from HIV treatment interventions and how hormones affect a crucial system in the human body that regulates reproduction, to suicide prevention for minority youth. Also impacted by the grant cuts was a national initiative to address COVID-19 health disparities among high-risk and underserved populations, of which the county was a part of. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, President Donald Trumps nominee to lead the NIH, was questioned at his confirmation hearing on March 5 about the slashes made by the nations largest backer of medical research. I love the NIH but post-pandemic, Americas biomedical sciences are at a crossroads, Bhattacharya told senators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The following is a list of the affected research projects in San Diego, along with their grant amounts and effective termination dates, in the order they appear on the Department of Health and Human Services website: Recipient Name Project Name Date Terminated Total Amount Obligated University of California, San Diego CHAMPION Combining HIV And Stimulant Prevention and Treatment Interventions Optimized for HIV-Negative MSM 3/21/2025 $202,308 San Diego State University Minority Stress Stimulant Use and HIV among Sexual Minority Men: A Biopsychosocial Approach 3/21/2025 $76,512 University of California, San Diego Androgen effects on the reproductive neuroendocrine axis 3/3/2025 $841,549 University of California, San Diego NEXUS: A novel social network approach to study the effects of intersectional stigma on HIV prevention among Latino MSM 3/20/2025 $3,464,530 San Diego State University The Socioecology of Sexual Minority Stigma: Data Harmonization to Address Confounding Bias and Investigate Cross-Level Mental Health Effects 3/12/2025 $919,070 San Diego State University Suicide Prevention for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth 3/21/2025 $2,874,727 San Diego State University eSTEP: An integrated mHealth intervention to engage high-risk individuals along the full PrEP care continuum 3/21/2025 $703,794 County of San Diego National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities 3/24/2025 $24,255,805 The department, which houses the NIH, recently laid off thousands of workers as part of a restructuring effort by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Theres an update on the condition of a Cedarville University student and his father, each of whom were on-board of a plane that crashed on its way to Springfield a few weeks back. According to the Leigh Valley Health Network, both Judah White and his father, Matthew White, are now in good condition. White was on the Beechcraft Bonanza single-engine plane flying from his hometown of Manheim, Pennsylvania, to Springfield, Ohio. He was with five passengers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His father, Matthew White, the pilot, had radioed air traffic control requesting an emergency landing. He said there was an open door on the aircraft. The plane banked hard to the side before nose-diving to the ground. Faith flea market to be held in Washington Court House They crashed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the Brethren Village retirement home parking lot. The aircraft was engulfed in flames, and several cars were damaged in the fire. According to our sister station WHTM in Lancaster, the smoke from the crash was visible for miles. All five passengers survived the crash, but three were taken to the burn center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cedarville University president, Thomas White, was thankful for the outcome. We thank the Lord that, by Gods grace, all survived this accident, said Thomas White. Please join me in lifting up Judah, his family, and everyone involved in this accident to the Lord. We are praying for full recoveries and for Gods peace and strength to surround them. The crash is still under active investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (WKBN) Some in the local Amish community are concerned that someone may be targeting them, as Pennsylvania State Police reported that an Amish buggy was robbed at gunpoint recently. The sound of hooves hitting the road and the sight of Amish buggies are common in New Wilmington. Susan Hougelman runs Simple Life Amish Tours in the area and first heard of the armed robberies of Amish buggies from her Amish friends. Last Thursday evening, there was an armed robbery. A vehicle stopped an Amish buggy, pulled up in front of him, pulled him over and by gunpoint, he robbed an Amish man, took his wallet, said Hougelman. Hougelman says what they believe to be the same vehicle a small black car also tried stopping another buggy but that buggy got away. Police described the suspect as a male with dark clothes and a medical mask. Hougelman believes the buggies were targeted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no one else going to be driving an Amish buggy but an Amish person so I think they were targeting the Amish, Hougelman said. Hougelman said some within the Amish community are concerned the women more than the men. She also asked permission to do the interview. And they felt it was a good thing for me to make the public aware that we are being vigilant, said Hougelman. To help her Amish friends, Hougelman started a social media campaign with the slogan I Stand With Our Amish Community. She says its gone viral. I wanted them to, the Amish community, to know that we do support them and we are going to be out there, Hougelman said. And I think, primarily people in the United States know the Amish are such a peace-loving, kind group of people and they definitely want to support and help the Amish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hougelman also wants people to be alert if theyre driving around New Wilmington and, if they see something suspicious, to call the 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 WKBN.com. People in a quiet Camarillo neighborhood were told to stay inside on Wednesday after a mountain lion was spotted roaming through backyards and streets. It took several hours and a few close calls before the wild cat was safely captured. What's happening? The mountain lion was first seen around 8:40 a.m. local time under a backyard playset on Lomita Street, as reported by VC Star. Wildlife officials tried to sedate it around 1 p.m., but missed and the animal took off, wandering through nearby neighborhoods and heading toward Pheasant Hill Road. At one point, it got stuck trying to squeeze through a gate at a housing complex. "I see this cat with his head stuck between the rebar," said Timmy Chifos, a local resident. "The way it ended, it's a miracle no one got hurt." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eventually, officials were able to get a tranquilizer dart into the animal just after 1:30 p.m. They loaded it into a truck and said it would get a health check and GPS collar before being released back into the wild. Why is habitat restoration important? Wild animals like mountain lions usually keep their distance from people. But when their habitat gets smaller or food gets harder to find, they end up wandering into towns and suburbs. Officials said this was a young male lion likely just trying to find his own space. According to the Mountain Lion Foundation, mountain lions are getting hit by cars more often as they cross the roads between shrinking wild areas. And studies show that changes in climate, drought, and wildfire are also pushing animals out of their usual ranges. What's being done about shrinking habitats? There are ways to make things safer for both people and animals. One big step is creating safe passages for wildlife. In California, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing has been built over the 101 Freeway near Agoura Hills. In Arizona, conservation groups are setting up remote water stations to help wildlife survive extreme droughts which also keeps them from heading into towns and neighborhoods looking for help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People can help too by keeping trash locked up, not leaving pet food outside, and avoiding anything that might attract wild animals. And by supporting projects that protect open spaces and give animals safe paths to travel, we help reduce run-ins like this one. Most wild animals don't want to be in cities. But if we keep taking away their space, they don't have many other places to go. 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. FRANCIS, Utah (ABC4) The U.S. Forest Service has imposed the maximum penalty of $16,000 on the logging company it holds responsible for starting last autumns Yellow Lake Fire. The penalty comes after a three-month-long investigation conducted by fire investigators with the U.S. Forest Service. The final report was released to ABC4.com through a public records request. Friction from logging equipment sparks wildfire Spot fire spreads through the Uinta Mountains Logging equipment sparks Utahs largest wildfire of 2024 Logging equipment sparks wildfire (Courtesy: USFS) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At about 11 a.m. on Sept. 28, 2024, the only person on shift at the Duchesne Ridge Fuelwood Sale Site in the Uinta Mountains left for the day. Just over four hours later, dispatch received the first report of smoke in the area. VIDEO: Fire officials provide aerial view of 3,100-acre Yellow Lake Fire The report came in from a Division of Wildlife Resources officer who was nearby and arrived as the first official on the scene. When the officer arrived, the fire was just one acre in size and spreading to the northwest near harvesting equipment. By 6:45 p.m., the fire had spread to six acres, with flames reaching five feet. Flames spread from wood harvesting operation in the Uinta Mountains (Courtesy: USFS) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the report, the fire was most likely started by friction from the logging companys equipment. Despite having officials on the scene early, the fire grew to 150 acres overnight. The report cites high winds as a factor. Logging equipment believed to have sparked Utahs largest fire of 2024 (Courtesy: USFS) While the logging company, whose name was redacted from the final report, was fined for causing the blaze, the U.S. Forest Service listed the cause as operational rather than negligent due to the company being unaware of the initial fire start. ORIGINAL STORY: Yellow Lake Fire jumps to 1.5K acres, closes Highway 35 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple witnesses reported a suspicious individual in their mid-to-late 30s, wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and a ballcap, who was at the scene on the day of the fires discovery. Others at the scene described the individual as avoiding eye contact and being unfriendly. Its unclear if officials attempted to locate the individual. The fire eventually became Utahs largest wildfire in 2024, growing to over 33,000 acres. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. New London Mayor Michael Passeros proposed 2025-26 city and school budget of $105.6 million would drop the tax rate by 0.30 mill through a series of austerity measures such as not increasing education spending, re-routing surplus funding and eliminating up to 15 municipal employees. The goal is to not raid our fund balance and not raise taxes, Passero said Monday, hours before he unveiled his spending plan to the City Council. As expected, Passeros budget keeps school district spending flat at $47.4 million. The Board of Education previously approved a $54.7 million budget with $22.5 million covered by state Educational Cost Sharing (ECS) monies. Since ECS funding is not increasing for next year, the school board's proposed budget increase of $7.3 million would be shouldered entirely by taxpayers, Finance Director David McBride said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Passero is proposing a $58.2 million city budget that is $1.2 million higher than the current budget. Digging out from a $1.5 million budget hole" Passero and McBride said the city is grappling with the expected loss of $2.4 million in state funding under Gov. Ned Lamonts proposed biennial budget though the city hopes to recoup $1 million of that money coupled with another $1 million drop in motor vehicle reimbursements. "Such a drastic cut in a single fiscal year is nearly impossible to overcome," Passero said. In addition to the potential state funding loss, the city also has local increases to manage in the 2025-26 budget. For example, McBride said the city is budgeting nearly $500,000 in 2026 compared to $50,000 this year to help cover years of owed payments to Ocean Beach Park operators to offset revenue losses the city is required to subsidize. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The police department budget is increasing $1.1 million to $14.4 million due to contractual raises and the hiring of a new deputy police chief and two patrol officers. The fire departments budget is jumping by $526,000 due to contract re-negotiations, while union contracts for public works employees require a $290,000 increase in that department's salary budget. To offset the increases, Passeros budget calls for funneling $1.75 million in excess revenue from 2024 into a new tax rate stabilization fund. That transfer would preclude poaching from a $24.6 million fund balance, which will contain $19.6 million after a series of planned transfers to a Board of Education non-lapsing fund and other designated areas. Another $500,000 is expected to be saved by not filling employee vacancies this fiscal year. That still leaves us with a $1.5 million hole, Passero said. City officials plan to institute a reduction in force initiative that calls for working with various unions to identify those full-time workers police officers and firefighters are excluded willing to take early retirement by July 1. Those retirements will hopefully fill the $1.5 million gap, McBride said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The average city employee makes $80,000 a year, so it would take between 10 and 15 employees, once benefits, taxes and other things are included, to reach that goal, McBride said. If there are employees making more than the average who opt to retire, it will require fewer retirements. If Passeros budget passes without changes, it would translate to a tax rate of 27.2 mills, down from 27.5. Tax increase "not a reasonable option" In his council address, Passero highlighted his administrations continued investments in neighborhoods, parks and open spaces, as well as a commitment to a green future through solar panel projects at the high school and near Bates Woods. He said the city's stock of vacant downtown buildings and empty commercial spaces is giving way to a "thriving urban center" marked by new sidewalks and increased foot traffic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Passero said said while the local and state housing markets presented challenges, New London has built 800 new units in the last six years, with another 1,300 permitted, planned or under construction. Despite our citys recent rise in influence and financial stability, the budget I deliver to you today is extremely grim, Passero said. It requires that we adjust our expenses to match a substantial drop in projected revenues. Passero said it will require a "renewed commitment" to meet budgetary challenges. He said with 60% of New London families living paycheck to paycheck and 20% below the poverty line raising taxes was "not a reasonable option" this year, even to offset potential state funding losses. "I intend to double-down on the strategy of growing the tax base and recruiting investment to ease the local property tax burden," he said. "The strategy will remain: more taxpayers, not more taxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The City Councils Finance Committee will meet with city department heads next week to discuss their respective budgets. The Finance Board will meet in late April ahead of the council approving a budget on May 12. j.penney@theday.com By Abigail Summerville and Anton Bridge NEW YORK/TOKYO (Reuters) - Convenience store chain giants Couche-Tard and Seven & i, who are taking steps to divest thousands of stores they collectively own in North America to ease regulatory concerns ahead of a potential merger, are faced with an early test for the plan - attracting rival suitors for the stores. The two store operators are likely to struggle to solicit offers from other convenience store chains that might be wary of their own potential antitrust risks arising from such a deal, according to people familiar with the matter and several antitrust experts. Seven & i owns the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, which has more than 12,000 stores in the U.S. So far, most of the interested buyers for the stores are private equity firms, the sources said. This creates a potential headache for Canada's Couche-Tard and Japan's Seven & i as U.S. antitrust regulators typically frown upon private equity firms as buyers of divested stores, as they are unlikely to be long-term owners. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission does not normally view investment firms as desirable acquirers of divested stores since the private-equity business model prioritizes short-term returns, the experts added. "The agency will have a strong preference for a strategic buyer," said Michio Suzuki, an antitrust partner at Baker McKenzie in Tokyo. "From their point of view, the divestiture purchaser should be strong enough to run the divested stores as a viable competitive unit." The divestiture package proposed by the companies consists of more than 2,000 U.S. stores. However, there is no precedent for private-equity ownership of convenience stores carved out in the aftermath of a big merger, experts said. Financial acquirers have bought divested grocery and dollar stores out of bigger retail mergers, but they have a mixed track record of running them successfully. For example, when Dollar Tree acquired Family Dollar in 2015 for around $9 billion, the FTC made the companies divest hundreds of stores. Dollar Tree picked investment firm Sycamore Partners as the buyer for 330 stores, but two years later, Sycamore sold the stores to Dollar General because it could no longer operate them as a viable standalone business. Sources familiar with Couche-Tard and Seven & i have argued that their divestiture package consists of competitive stores in many states that a private equity firm can operate successfully. The companies, so far, have received early interest from buyout firms, who are keen to explore the chance to own scaled-up convenience store operations with a nationwide footprint, according to five sources. However, some of the firms are cautious about bidding on an asset coming out of a merger that is not even close to being signed, three of the sources said. My house was dark. Tinfoil covered the windows. The only light I could tolerate came from dimmable red bulbs. Ten weeks before, I had tested positive for COVID. On week three of my infection, I went to the emergency room with a debilitating migraine. On my third trip to the ER, I was hospitalized for seven days. I came home to a changed life. All the cliches about headaches are truea pile of bricks on the head, a vise grip on the temples, an axe through the skull. The pain altered my consciousness. Trying to move or access a thought was like trying to see past a flashlight shining in my eyes. It was 2024a point at which most people in America considered the pandemic long since over. But it wasnt for me. Some days, I couldnt stop crying. It was more than despair at my circumstance: Long COVID can dysregulate mood and has been linked with depression. And the disease hijacked my stress-response system, leaving my body in a constant state of alarm. Any unexpected sound, even getting a text message, would set off a jolt of panic through my body, the same sensation as slamming on the brakes while driving. I lost my ability to cope. I broke a window in my house. I put a hole in the wall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Researchers know more about long COVID than they once did, but it is still hard to define. The clearest consensus is that its a complex collection of symptoms that can affect almost every organ system in the body. Theories of why COVID can linger abound, and include ongoing inflammation, the virus never fully going away, and tissue damage. Many scientists agree that multiple factors likely contribute. Meanwhile, doctors are still struggling to treat the disease; less than half of doctors know how to diagnose long COVID and even fewer28 percentreport knowing how to treat it, according to one 2023 survey. Long-COVID patients are still reporting that medical professionals dont believe them, and though in some cases patients self-diagnosis might be off the mark, the reality is that many people living with long COVID simply arent getting the care they need. In my case, that person who was in mind-numbing pain, unable to read, unable to write, unable to Google things or look at screens, unable to drive, drained by talking on the phone, spiraling in despair, and barely able to leave the house had to navigate the American health-care system. That I needed care for long COVID only made my predicament worse. From hearing chronically ill and disabled people speak about their experiences, I knew that to be sick in this country is a hell unto itself. But knowing something is true and experiencing it are different. I know that the Grand Canyon is deep, but I have never seen it with my own eyes. For our health-care system, I have been to the bottom. According to the latest federal survey as of September 2024, more than one in 20 adults in the United States had long COVIDdefined as symptoms that last longer than three months. (The survey does not ask about the severity of symptoms.) Vaccines may help protect against the disease, but getting COVID still means risking long COVID. The coronavirus can leave patients with blood clots, brain dysfunction, organ damage, immune problems, and more; about a quarter of people with the disease report that it significantly disrupts their ability to perform daily activities. There are no FDA-approved medications to treat long COVID. Many medical institutions created specialty clinics to see patients with the disease, but much of what even the best clinics can offer is symptom management. Pinning down recovery rates from long COVID has been difficult, but according to several studies, after two years, the majority of people living with long COVID had not fully recovered. Three months into my illness, I had been treated for migraines and a concussionCOVIDs impact can mirror a traumatic brain injurybut not long COVID. The tribe that I belong to, Cherokee Nation, runs the largest outpatient facility of any tribe in the U.S., but my primary-care provider there told me she didnt know how to treat long COVID. I was referred to my tribes specialty clinic for rare and infectious diseases. When I managed to get that appointment, however, the provider told me he knew how to treat only pulmonary long-COVID symptoms (which many long-COVID patients dont have). Nowhere in Indian Health Services, the treaty-based federal program that serves 2.8 million Native Americans nationwide, is there a long-COVID clinic. (An IHS spokesperson said the Biden administration would have needed to set up such a clinic.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I started looking outside Indian Health Services and found a long-COVID clinic an hours drive from my house. When I called, I learned the clinic had shut down. The state where I live, Oklahoma, does not have a long-COVID clinic. My dad found one in Arkansas. Like many long-COVID clinics, it required that patients apply to get in. But after I submitted all the paperwork, I didnt hear back. I realized that to access care, I would need to travel. At the time, I was unable to drive, and my symptoms limited how much time I spent outside my house. When I called the Cleveland Clinic, I was transferred four times until I was accidentally forwarded to the customer-satisfaction survey. I spoke with one receptionist who told me her clinic didnt take patients from out of state, and another who warned that traveling to her clinic probably wouldnt be worth the time and money. (A spokesperson for the Cleveland Clinic wrote that patients should be able to make an appointment without a referral, and that the clinic and its staff strive to provide patients with timely access to scheduling and care.) In my first telehealth appointment with a nationally recognized COVID clinic, the doctor wouldnt discuss her recommendations but said I could read them in the patient visit notes. When I explained that my symptoms made reading impossible, she asked me if someone could read the notes for me. Later, my mom read me a copied-and-pasted list of healthy-lifestyle information, such as the benefits of taking a daily probiotic and the importance of getting enough sleep. The list included the doctors favorite bedtime teas. I told my mom to stop reading. A few months into the pandemic, some patients reported that their symptoms werent going away. Through their advocacy, long COVID got its name. By 2022, hundreds of long-COVID clinics had opened across the country. There is no standard for what kind of care these clinics provide: Some are multidisciplinary teams, but many are one specialist or one nurse practitioner. This patchwork system of care has only deteriorated as attention on the disease has dwindled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of the long-COVID clinics that popped up during the pandemic have closed. As part of my reporting for this story, I compiled a list of 171 clinics, drawing from the Survivor Corps website, a patient-led resource-and-advocacy group, and from searching online for long-COVID clinics by state. I then called each clinic to verify which ones were still operating. Of those, 79 were still open and accepting new patients, five were not accepting new patients or outside referrals, 61 had closed, and 15 were unreachable after two attempts. Eleven more were advertised as long-COVID clinics but dont have a medical doctor or nurse on staff; they provide services such as speech or occupational therapy. (My assistant Sydney Anderson and intern Cheyenne McNeil, who have been helping me work through my illness, contributed to this reporting.) Based on the list we assembled, 22 states have no long-COVID clinics accepting new patients. Given COVID rates in those states, we estimated that almost 3 million people who currently have long COVID reside there. Because of insurance policies, licensing and telehealth laws, and the cost of travel, not having a nearby clinic can easily mean that patients wont access care. Of the long-COVID clinics that are still open, some have wait lists, do not accept outside referrals, do not take insurance, treat only specific long-COVID symptoms, or do not take patients from outside of their geographical area. Getting in touch with the long-COVID clinics that are still open is another barrier. I spoke with operators who had never heard of their institutions long-COVID clinic; I got transferred to the office that schedules COVID tests; I got transferred to disconnected lines; I called numbers that rang and rang and rang and rang. One day, I spent two hours on the phone and spoke with only three people who could provide information. When I called Yale New Haven Health Systems clinic, one of the most well-known in the country, I got transferred to a disconnected line. I called back and got transferred to the customer-satisfaction survey. I called a third time and left a message. I called a fourth time, trying a different number, and spoke with a receptionist who said the clinic was closed. (The clinic is still open; in a statement, Yale New Haven Health said that the phone number for the long-COVID clinic is on its website, that the volume of calls the clinic receives is very high, and that it had not previously heard of patients having difficulty accessing the clinic.) If you are healthy, this might all sound like the familiar nightmare of customer service to which we have all become accustomed. But for people who are sick, it is a wall that stands between them and the care they need. When you are sick, you look at that wall and think, I am not well enough to climb it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The closure of long-COVID clinics in recent years has affected patients who need care. I talked with people who, like me, have been living with long COVID later in the pandemic. Ryan Parker lives in Portland, Oregon; is a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe; and used to work in philanthropy. Like many people with long COVID, Parker tried to work through his illness. He told me he returned from one work trip so sick that he couldnt get out of bed for a month. Last fall, the long-COVID clinic that was treating him closed. Because of the disease, Maeve Sherry has been disabled and unable to work for three years. They found a long-COVID clinic in Great Falls, Montana, three hours from where they lived at the time, but it closed in December of 2023, they said. There are now no long-COVID clinics in Montana. When Myisha Hill was still struggling to do household chores, take care of her kids, and even talk weeks after a COVID infection, she looked up the long-COVID clinic near where she lives in Las Vegas, she told me. But it, too, had closed. There are now no long-COVID clinics in Nevada. A spokesperson for the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada wrote that the clinic closed amid low demand. Other clinics echoed this response, saying they suspended operations after patient numbers dwindled. A few clinics also stated that they now refer long-COVID patients to primary care. Several spokespeople told me as a reporter that their clinics were still open, but when I called as a patient, I was told the clinic was closed. And even when clinics are open, patients still face barriers: I spoke with people with long COVID who told me they couldnt access care because a clinic didnt take their insurance, their doctor didnt send a referral, or the clinic rejected them as a patient. The alternative to enrolling in a clinic is to try to see a regular neurologist or cardiologist. But many specialists have lengthy wait times, and long-COVID patients are twice as likely as the general public to report that this is why they cant get care. Parker, for instance, is trying to see a specialist for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, a form of debilitating fatigue that is common with long COVID. The first available appointment is nine months out. And when patients are finally seen, the care itself might not be competent. Parkers primary-care provider suggested that his debilitating fatigue was a product of anxiety. Several doctors have also told Kelly Rider that her problem was just anxietyand one said it was perimenopause. Sometimes doctors prescribe things that exacerbate symptomssuch as exercise for chronic fatigue. When Diem-Han Dinhs doctor ordered a stress test, she explained that she was unable to run. He didnt believe her. At the stress test, she almost fainted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eight months into my illness, I boarded a plane and traveled with my mother to Rochester, Minnesota. The long-COVID clinic I finally got into was Mayo. The off-label medication they prescribed didnt do much, but I learned about my illness and how to manage my symptoms, which has improved my quality of life. Other things have helped too. Thanks to an arsenal of migraine treatments, my headachealthough not goneis less severe. Thanks to eight months of vision therapy, I can now focus my eyes and am practicing reading. And, in writing this article, I have gotten back to reporting. What I had to go through to get here, I would not wish on anyone. The resources our system of medical care can offer to those wanting to learn about, cope with, and heal from what COVID has done to their body are beyond inadequate, and are likely to get worse. In February, the Trump administration ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to dissolve its advisory committee on long COVID. In March, the department announced it would close its Office for Long COVID Research and Practice, and began canceling grants from the National Institutes of Health for COVID studies. Sick and disabled people have been pushed to the margins of our society for a long time. There was a moment during the pandemic when I saw our collective concern focused on the ill. Living with long COVID, I sometimes wonder where that concern went. I feel like the wounded antelope picked off from the herd. Everyone else has moved on, while I am stuck in my illness. I could be angry at each individual hypocrisyeach person who preached the importance of masks only to go back to normal without mebut I am not. Instead, I am sad that what is more powerful than our concern for the sick is the indifference of our health-care system. Article originally published at The Atlantic Utah has now banned fluoride from the water supply and will no longer add it. Hawaii has never added it to its public water, while other states mandate its addition. In most of the country, adding fluoride to water to prevent cavities has been a patchwork decided by cities and municipalities, where sometimes cities or states sitting side by side made different decisions. About three-fourths of the U.S. population have been getting water with extra fluoridation. Meanwhile, many Western European countries no longer fluoridate public water after years of doing so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adding fluoride to water has long been controversial and is hot again, fueled in part by appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a fluoridation opponent, as U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services. And the science, it seems, is not as settled as either critics or supporters would like folks to believe. Last November, Deseret News took a deep dive into the science of fluoridation. Today, were looking again to see whats known and what questions remain about fluoride and its potential risks and benefits when added to municipal water supplies. What is fluoride? Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in water, soil and certain foods. Its the 13th most common element in the Earths crust, so theres no shortage of it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was first added to drinking water in 1945 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the rate of cavities among children dropped. In 1950, other communities began adding fluoride to public drinking water supplies. By the mid-60s, many toothpaste and mouthwash manufacturers were also adding fluoride to products. One now must peruse the drug store shelfs ingredients carefully to avoid the addition. The benefit of fluoride to oral health derives from the fact it resists cavity-causing acids produced by mouth bacteria. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel by forming a mineral called fluorapatite. It also has the ability to remineralize teeth that have been damaged by the acids, reducing risk of cavities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesnt mandate community water fluoridation, nor does it set safe levels. Thats done by the U.S. Public Health Service. And the level is not a mandate either. Nor is it enforceable. The CDC lists fluoridation of drinking water among the 10 great public health interventions of the 20th century. How much is too much? No one questions that the mineral in the mouth hardens enamel and reduces the effect of acid in saliva. Thats been shown by numerous studies. In a systematic review of 20 studies published in 2007, scientists reported that water fluoridation was associated with a 27% decline in cavities among adults, and a 2018 study found that it led to a 30% reduction among children," per The New York Times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But even in the mouth, fluoride can cause problems. Too much can cause dental fluorosis, which leaves white spots on the teeth. Thats why children are told not to use more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to which fluoride has been added and parents are told to make sure smaller children know to spit it out. Children under 6 are more likely to swallow toothpaste, instead, so parents are told to be vigilant if using fluoridated toothpaste. About 40% of adolescents are estimated to have some spottiness on their teeth, according to the Associated Press. Its considered a cosmetic issue that doesnt affect tooth strength or function. The Cleveland Clinic notes that while fluoride can be harmful in large quantities, its difficult to reach toxic levels due to the low amount of fluoride in over-the-counter products like toothpaste and mouth rinses. Besides toothpaste and mouthwash, a dentist can apply fluoride in the form of foam, varnish or a gel. In Utah, which just banned adding fluoride to the water supply, fluoride is also available without prescription from pharmacies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fact that so many products for teeth and oral health contain fluoride, however, is one reason that opponents of adding the mineral to municipal water argue its not needed. The benefits can be gained in other ways, without incurring any of the risks. And as Washington Post columnist and contributor Dr. Leana S. Wen recently wrote, with so many products available, its not clear how much benefit fluoridated water provides now. Wen also noted that while she disagrees with many of Kennedys ideas on health, she thinks questioning fluoride isnt such a bad idea. She said she was a proponent of fluoridation who is no longer so sure. Per the earlier Deseret News article, "KFF Health News quoted David Bellinger, a Harvard Medical School neurology professor and professor in the Harvard School of Public Healths Environmental Health Department, said the calculation of benefit and risk would be different depending on the amount of fluoride and whether typical exposure levels lead to the concerning conditions or if that only happens when exposure levels are higher. In toxicology, the dose makes the poison is a long-standing principle, he said. So a general statement that fluoride is associated with diseases X, Y and Z is not very helpful unless the dose that might be responsible is specified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Institutes of Health says getting too much fluoride, outside of a rare accident, is unlikely. As AP reported, NIH calls it virtually impossible to get a toxic dose from fluoride added to water at appropriate levels. Appropriate levels is key. In 2019, a power surge in Sandy, Utah, led to a high level of fluoride in drinking water. As Deseret News reported, fluoride was detected at 40 times the federal limit after the release, and two weeks of free blood testing for lead showed one person with elevated levels, according to Salt Lake County health officials. And per AP, Floridas surgeon general last year recommended against community water fluoridation because of what he called its neuropsychiatric risk. That guidance came after a federal judge ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children." Dueling studies, positions Kennedy has called fluoride an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders and thyroid disease, as well as a neurotoxin. Critics of his assertion say the amount of fluoride added to water doesnt approach the level that would be needed to create the assorted risks mentioned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Besides tooth discoloration, higher levels of fluoride have been tied to bone and thyroid problems. Consequently, as Deseret News earlier reported, the U.S. Public Health Service lowered the levels of fluoride that could be added to drinking water back in 2015. The National Toxicology Program did a systematic review of published studies on a link between fluoride exposure and brain development and cognition and published a program monograph on the topic. The program monograph concluded with moderate confidence that higher levels of fluoride exposure, such as drinking water containing more than 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter, are associated with lower IQ in children. It said the review was designed to look at total fluoride exposure from all sources and was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoridated drinking water alone. In bolded text, the study emphasized that it is important to note that there were insufficient data to determine if the low fluoride level of 0.7 mg/L currently recommended for U.S. community water supplies has a negative effect on childrens IQ. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Study critics note that the level studied that led to the finding is twice that of the recommended amount to be added to water. A number of professional organizations, including the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics responded by reaffirming their support for added fluoridation of water. And one of the academys Section on Oral Health, Dr. Charlotte W. Lewis, said the review ignored large population-based studies that did not link fluoride to childrens brain development. A study published in JAMA Network Open considered 229 mother-child pairs in Los Angeles and looked at maternal urinary fluoride in the third trimester, an accepted marker of fluoridation intake, then compared it with the childs behavior at 3 years old, finding prenatal fluoride exposure was linked to increased neurobehavioral problems. The study authors wrote that findings suggest that there may be a need to establish recommendations for limiting fluoride exposure during the prenatal period. As the Post reported, This study, which was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency, generated significant controversy. Anti-fluoridation groups seized upon it to justify their crusade, while organizations such as the American Dental Association issued statements doubling down on the benefits of water fluoridation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many agree, however, that fluoride might be risky for women who are pregnant, as it may impact the brain development of the babies they are carrying. And some have expressed concern about the impact on babies whose formula is made with fluoridated water. A study on childrens IQ conducted alongside the work by the authors of the monograph was published in JAMA Pediatrics study in January. The pediatric study of Canadian women concluded that those who drank fluoridated water while pregnant had children who at age 3 to 4 years old had kids with lower IQ, though the effect on girls was not statistically significant. For boys, the IQ scores for those whose mothers had higher fluoride consumption was 4.5 points lower on average. The dental association said Utahs new law banning fluoridation shows wanton disregard for the oral health and well-being of their constituents, according to the Associated Press. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others remain staunch in support of adding fluoride for the sake of teeth. Joe Schwarcz, professor and director of the McGill Office for Science and Society at McGill University in Quebec, dismisses most of the claims about bone cancer and weakened bones, but acknowledges that fluorosis is a real concern. He said some people are getting more fluoride than needed because its also added to toothpastes, mouth washes and can show up in foods because it is added to water. The other claims against fluoridation are much more nebulous. While laboratory studies and some animal experiments suggest that fluoride can trigger cancer, extensive epidemiological investigations in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities have shown no difference in cancer rates, he wrote. Schwarcz said that while fluoride can incorporate into the bones, not just teeth, the claim is that it weakens bones. Again, epidemiological studies have shown that if there is a risk of increased fractures, it is a very small one. Fluoride does interfere with enzyme systems; after all that is the way it controls bacteria in the mouth. In theory then, it can have a negative effect on various body functions. But theory is not the same as evidence. He, too, notes that fluoride can be toxic and has even been used to poison rats. But he counters that dose determines toxicity and context matters, adding that chlorine, which is used to clean water, at high dose becomes a chemical weapon, for example. What are states and cities doing? AP reported last week on Utahs ban, noting that of Utahs 484 water systems reporting data in 2024, only 66 added fluoride to their water. The biggest one that did is Salt Lake City. The article said that Florida, Ohio and South Carolina are considering banning adding fluoride to drinking water, while New Hampshire, North Dakota and Tennessee rejected similar proposals. A Kentucky bill that would have made fluoridation optional stalled in that state Senate. Portland, Oregon, is among cities that have never added fluoride, while Sheridan, Wyoming, recently started adding it. Its still a national patchwork of responses that seems to be in flux. Lord Kalms, who has died aged 93, was one of Britains most enduringly successful retailers; over half a century he built Dixons, his family business, from a single camera shop in north London into a nationwide chain of what he called electronic toy shops for adults. He was also an ardent Eurosceptic who acquired high influence in the Conservative Party before shifting his allegiance towards Ukip. Stanley Kalms was a quintessential Jewish entrepreneur whose toughness in business was balanced by a commitment to philanthropy, particularly in the field of education. His stores 1,200 of them in his heyday, including Currys, PC World and The Link, as well as the Dixons chain itself sold annually more than 3 billion worth of televisions, microwaves, mobile phones, laptops and other gadgetry. Kalms was a corporate autocrat who could be a steadfast ally but who dealt harshly with those who opposed him, intellectually or commercially. His peers regarded him as the consummate retail professional, in command of every detail of his operation though he could not work a personal computer, and in the days when he chiefly sold cameras, acquired no skill at taking pictures. Nor did he like to work above the shop, running his empire from a quiet, chintz-filled office in Farm Street, Mayfair. But he never took his eye off the core of his business. As treasurer of the Conservative Party from 2001, he presided over ruthless cuts at Central Office - Chris McAndrew / UK Parliament His philosophy was firmly grounded in Jewish family values, and he found himself strongly in sympathy in the early 1980s with Margaret Thatchers credo of free enterprise and personal responsibility. Later, however, he was one of the first of her business supporters to take a revisionist view: I dont think [she] gave enough thought to the consequences of adopting the market system. The system works but it is very crude We have to find a better way of helping those who cannot make the adjustments necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kalms was chairman of Dixons until 2002, and president until 2014. In 2001 he took on the role of treasurer of the Conservative Party, to which he was already a long-standing donor, and became a close ally of the then leader Iain Duncan Smith, whom he described as a great patriot. But as other donors became increasingly disillusioned at the ebb in Tory fortunes, Kalms presided over ruthless cuts in Central Office expenditure. He was one of several large donors nominated for peerages by Duncan Smith after his ousting (to be replaced by Michael Howard) in October 2003. Though Kalms continued to serve the party for a time as a vice-chairman, his relationship with it was increasingly rocky. In the 2005 leadership contest he backed David Davis rather than David Cameron, for whose modernising tendency he made plain his dislike; and in 2006 he called the shadow foreign secretary William Hague ignorant for criticising Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Matters came to a head on the eve of the European elections in June 2009, when Kalms described the poll as an opportunity to vote for personal priorities in which for myself, I am considering lending my vote to Ukip. It was unclear whether, as was sometimes reported, he was expelled as a result, but his connection with the Tory party was certainly severed. Toy shops for adults: Kalms in the Marble Arch branch of Dixons - jim winslet Harold Stanley Kalms was born in London on November 21 1931. His paternal grandfather migrated to England from Lithuania the family name was shortened from Kalmovitz and his mothers family, the Schlagmans, came from Poland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stanley was educated at Christs College in Finchley, where by his own account he showed little academic promise but developed his trading skills in the playground. At 11 he set himself up as a stamp dealer, offering items from his own collection through adverts in philatelic journals. Stanleys father, Charles, opened a photographic studio at Southend in 1937. During the Second World War, which brought a boom in portrait photography, the business expanded to seven outlets, trading as Dixons Studios, a company name Charles had bought off the shelf. But in the immediate postwar years it contracted again to one studio in Edgware, which struggled to find supplies and turned over barely 100 a week. At 16, Stanley worked with his father for a summer and proved such an asset that he never returned to school. He soon persuaded Charles to start selling cameras and accessories. Bold advertising, keen prices and easy credit terms for customers helped the business to expand. Stanley was particularly astute on the buying side: on his first trip to the Far East, in 1958, he found he could buy camera tripods at a quarter of the price offered by British distributors. So he cut out the distributors and imported directly, adding his own labels. In an era of rapid growth in consumerism, and particularly in hobby photography, the problem was not so much how to sell the merchandise, but how to find sufficient prime shop sites to keep pace with demand. By the time the business was floated on the stock exchange as Dixons Photographic in 1962 making Stanley Kalms a millionaire at 30 it had 16 branches, and soon added 40 more by buying two rival chains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In due course the stores began to sell audio and hi-fi equipment as well. Stanley succeeded Charles as chairman in 1971, and growth continued with the acquisition of another electrical chain, Wallace Heaton. The step which took Dixons into the top rank of retailers came in 1984 when Kalms won a hard-fought 300 million bid battle for Currys, which had 600 stores, many of them in out-of-town shopping centres. Two years later, Kalms launched a 1.8 billion hostile bid for Woolworth, which failed amid accusations that Dixons advisers had bugged Woolworths executives to gather damaging information about them. Kalms knew nothing about the bugging operation, and was deeply embarrassed by it. In due course Woolworth (renamed Kingfisher) launched a counter-bid for Dixons, but was thwarted by the Monopolies Commission. Campaigning against the single currency with Lord Owen (left) in 2000 - JONATHAN EVANS Kalms, meanwhile, made a self-confessed mistake by buying Silo, a leading US electrical retailer, for 240 million in 1987. The venture accumulated huge losses until it was abandoned in 1993, contributing to something of a fall in Kalmss reputation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he remained determinedly in charge, and another consumer boom in the latter part of the decade restored his good standing. In 1999 he achieved a brilliant coup with the launch of Freeserve, an internet service provider which was profitably spun off from Dixons. Asked whether he would ease back as he approached retirement age, Kalms replied: The time to step down will be when I get tired of doing the 70- to 80-hour week I do now. I still feel I have something more to contribute... I would like my epitaph to be something more than just he sold a lot of cameras. He was also a director of British Gas, chairman of the Kings Healthcare NHS Trust in south London, a member of the Funding Agency for Schools, a governor of the National Institute for Economic & Social Research and treasurer of the Centre for Policy Studies, the free-market think tank. Kalms supported a wide range of Jewish causes and established a foundation to support the study of Jewish culture and values. He was also passionately interested in business ethics, funding a chair in the subject at London Business School and a centre for ethical studies in Jerusalem. I would like my epitaph to be something more than just he sold a lot of cameras - Justin Sutcliffe Among his many other endowments, he regarded the Dixons Bradford Technology College, founded in 1988, as my greatest single success. The college aimed to take in teenagers of varying ethnic backgrounds and abilities and equip them to find jobs; Kalms saw it as a virtuous circle of capitalism, in which private wealth funded a project which nurtured the skills necessary to generate future wealth for others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was part of Kalmss larger view that businessmen have a duty to act as good citizens, but should also be free to run their businesses in the interests of shareholders. He was a vigorous opponent of the centre-left stakeholding school of corporate governance briefly embraced by Tony Blair which claimed that staff, customers, suppliers and local communities had rights in companies equivalent to those of shareholders. Capitalism has lots of warts, he observed, but you mustnt clip its wings and prevent it functioning. Having been knighted in 1996, Kalms was created a life peer in 2004. He kept a handsome apartment overlooking Green Park, holiday homes in Jerusalem (where his sister lived) and Portugal, and a yacht in Antibes. For relaxation in London he enjoyed opera, ballet and bridge. Lord Kalms married, in 1954, Pamela Jimack, who worked for Barnet Health Authority and was appointed MBE in 1995. They had three sons, all three of whom worked briefly for Dixons but chose not to make careers there. Its not the right thing for kids to be with their dad if hes rather single-minded, Kalms observed. But the family remained close, eating together every weekend in the Jewish tradition. Lord Kalms, born November 21 1931, died March 30 2025 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 Cornell PhD student who was threatened with an immigration arrest during the middle of a constitutional lawsuit against the Trump administration announced on Monday he was fleeing the country. Given what we have seen across the United States, I have lost faith that a favourable ruling from the courts would guarantee my personal safety and ability to express my beliefs, Momodou Taal wrote on X. I have lost faith I could walk the streets without being abducted. I feel like a stranger in my country, his attorney Eric Lee added in a separate statement on X. What is America if people like Momodou are not welcome here? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taal, a citizen of the UK and The Gambia, is one of three academics who sued the Trump administration earlier this month, alleging a pair of January executive orders have the effect of unconstitutionally threatening to deport non-citizens who protest the administration and its allies like Israel. The directives at issue call for agencies to investigate and potentially remove non-citizens in the U.S. who bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles and advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security. Taal argued the orders violated the First Amendment and Fifth Amendments based on vague, subjective, and overbroad standards that grant unfettered discretion to government officials. Momodou Taal and two fellow Cornell academics sued the Trump administration, alleging it was unconstitutionally trying to censor non-citizen protest (Eric Lee) In the midst of a lawsuit, federal officials informed Taal he was due to surrender to immigration agents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A federal court on Thursday denied an emergency request from the Cornell activist to temporarily pause any arrest attempts, as well as the enforcement of the executive orders, while the case plays out. A judge argued that Taals visa was revoked before he filed the suit, and that the court didnt have jurisdiction to pause the process at this point, noting he could challenge his final removal order in an immigration or appeals court. Lee, the attorney, previously told The Independent the case was an alarming erosion of law and order. Their response to the filing of the suit was to go to his house and threaten to arrest him, Lee said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government has maintained that that the State Department revoked Taals visa the day before he filed the suit, citing his participation in campus pro-Palestine protests. Advocates across the country have been alarmed by what they see as a Trump administration that has defied court orders, given families and lawyers little notice, and flouted normal notions of due process as it pursues a sweeping campaign of deportations. Rumeysa Ozturk , a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University who was arrested last week by masked immigration agents on Tuesday, was moved to a detention center in Louisiana, the same day a federal judge ordered she not be moved for 48 hours amid an ongoing legal challenge. Her lawyers say they were unable to locate her for nearly 24 hours. Based on existing public evidence, Ozturks main involvement in protest activity was co-writing an op-ed critical of the Israeli war effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elsewhere, the Trump administration has invoked a rarely used wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to fast-track the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador once dubbed a tropical gulag. Multiple individuals sent to the prison appear to have been deported over having tattoos with relatively common motifs, including the Air Jordan logo, a crown, a star, and a rainbow autism awareness symbol. The administration has acknowledged that many of the more than 200 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador did not have a prior criminal record. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week the individuals were not necessarily members of that gang Tren de Aragua, either. He called the group a combination of people whose presence is not productive to the United States and who were removable by law. Further adding to the controversy over the deportations, the Trump administration carried out the flights on March 15 despite a court order telling the administration to turn the planes around, amid an ongoing lawsuit over the White Houses use of the wartime deportation law. Louisiana legislative leaders have said yet whether they will look at prevent public school teacher pay from being cut. (Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images) Gov. Jeff Landry tied public school teacher pay to a constitutional amendment on budget and tax policies that failed spectacularly at the polls Saturday. Now the question is: Are the governor and legislators willing to cut teachers compensation? Landrys budget proposal does not contain money for stipends of $2,000 and $1,000 that teachers and school support staff have received, respectively, over the past two years. They were relying on financial benefits reaped from Amendment 2 passing to help cover the cost of that compensation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the amendment now scuttled, the governor and lawmakers would have to take money from other items in Landrys budget to cover the expense. But its not clear what type of appetite they have to do so. Legislators in leadership declined to say Monday whether the states 59,000 public school teachers should expect a pay cut as a result of Amendment 2 not passing. That is probably going to end up being the lynchpin of the session, said Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, author of the failed Amendment 2. I really dont know how that is going to go. Keeping teacher pay level with the current year would be expensive. Lawmakers would have to find $200 million in Landrys proposed budget to cover the expense of another temporary, yearly stipend or to make a similar permanent salary increase on July 1. Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, is asking legislators to let him know if funding the additional teacher pay is their primary concern. He is one of the state budget architects as the House Appropriations Committee chairman. If [the lawmakers] priorities are the teachers stipends, then Im going to have to know it, McFarland said. To do the stipend, I would have to look at everything in the budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even though teachers are facing potential pay cuts, Landry has included funding increases for other education initiatives in his budget. For example, hes set aside an additional $50 million for a new private school voucher program called LA GATOR for the next academic year. The initiative will allow more than 5,000 students to use public money to attend private schools or to pay for other private school education expenses such as uniforms and tutoring. The average salary of a Louisiana teacher is already below that of other southern states. It was $54,248 for the 2022-23 school year, when the regional average was $59,145, according to the latest numbers from the Southern Regional Education Board. The additional $2,000, first awarded in the 2023-24 school year, was meant to bring teachers closer to that pay range. The decision to cut teacher pay would be especially unfortunate this year, said Ronnie Morris, president of the Louisianas Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Louisiana made major gains in reading comprehension on national tests larger than those seen in any other state this year. Morris said the states public school teachers are responsible for that success, which legislators and Landry have already celebrated, and they shouldnt have their pay cut after reaching such a milestone, he said. It would be a shame not to recognize our teachers for the work theyve done to better position our state, Morris said. I think thats the wrong message. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisianas biggest teachers unions also endorsed the failed constitutional amendment that Landry and lawmakers were backing because of its ties to teacher pay. Louisiana legislators will begin to debate state budget priorities in their legislative session that starts April 14. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Originally appeared on E! Online Luigi Mangione could soon be sitting on death row. As the 26-year-old faces murder charges in the December 2024 shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced the Department of Justice will pursue the death penalty if Mangione is convicted of the crime. Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompsonan innocent man and father of two young childrenwas a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America, Bondi said in a statement April 1. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the decision, Mangiones lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo accused Bondis office of defending the broken, immoral and murderous healthcare industry with the move. By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric, she said in a statement obtained by NBC News. Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law and historical precedent. Keep reading for a closer look at the Brian Thompson murder case. (E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.) More from E! Online Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Agnifilio went on to reaffirm her commitment to defending her client, who pled not guilty to murder and terrorism charges in New York in December, per NBC News. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images We are prepared to fight these federal charges, brought by a lawless Justice Department, as well as the New York State charges, and the Pennsylvania charges, and anything else they want to pile on Luigi, she continued. Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young mans life. For his part, Mangione recently spoke out via a website launched by his legal team, saying he was overwhelmed by and grateful for the outpouring of support. While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive, he said in a message shared on the site in February. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write. I look forward to hearing more in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keep reading for a closer look at the Brian Thompson murder case. (E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.) Who is Brian Thompson? Brian Thompson was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. He first joined the company in 2004 and held several positions before taking on the role of CEO in 2021. Prior to working at UnitedHealthcare, Thompson was employed at PwC, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also graduated with honors from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's degree in business administration as an accounting major in May 1997, the school's public relations manager Steve Schmadeke told NBC News. Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, was married to Paulette Thompsonthough according to public records viewed by E! News, they had been living in separate homesand was the father of two sons. He was shot and killed in New York on Dec. 4, 2024. Thompson was 50 years old. How did Brian Thompson die? Patrol officers from the New York City Police Departments Midtown North Precinct responded to a 911 call at 6:46 a.m. on Dec. 4, 2024 regarding a person who was shot in front of the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said in a media briefing later that morning. Kenny noted officers arrived at the scene at 6:48 a.m. and found gunshot wounds on Thompsons back and leg. The chief detective said Emergency Medical Services transported Thompson several blocks to Mount Sinai West, where the CEO was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m. The victim was in New York City to speak at an investor conference," NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said during the media briefing. "It appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes. And as the victim was walking to the conference hotel, the suspect approached from behind and fired several rounds, striking the victim at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf. Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target. Tisch said the shooting appeared to be a pre-meditated, pre-planned, targeted attack and not a random act of violence. The full investigative efforts of the New York City Police Department are well underway, she noted, and we will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case. What do investigators know about the shooting of Brian Thompson so far? According to Kenny, the shooter headed to the New York Hilton Midtown on foot and arrived outside the hotel five minutes before Thompsons arrival. In a video, Kenny continued, Thompson was seen walking alone towards the Hilton at 6:44 a.m. after exiting his separate, nearby hotel apparently for a UnitedHealth Group investors conference that was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. that day. The chief detective added the shooterwho ignored "numerous other pedestrians"approached Thompson from behind, shot him, walked towards him and continued shooting. Kenny said the gunman then fled on foot before getting on an ebike, and the shooter was seen riding into Central Park at Center Drive at 6:48 a.m. Kenny said three live nine-millimeter rounds and three discharged shell casings were recovered during the investigation. During a Dec. 6 press briefing, Kenny said the words depose, delay and deny were written on the shell casing in marker. However, hes noted the motive for the killing has yet to be confirmed. What have investigators revealed about the gunmans timeline? During the Dec. 6 press briefing, Kenny said investigators have footage of the shooter arriving at Port Authority in New York the night of Nov. 24. We believe that that bus originated in Atlanta, Kenny continued. It has several stops along the way, so were not sure where he got on the bus. After the shooter arrived at Port Authority, Kenny continued, the gunman took a cab to the vicinity of the Hilton hotel, where he was for about half an hour before traveling by cab to an Upper West Side hostel. On the morning of the shooting, Kenny added, the gunman left the hostel at 5:30 a.m. and arrived at the Hilton hotel at 5:41 a.m. Kenny said the gunman continued to walk in the vicinity of the hotel before then going to a nearby Starbucks, where he purchased a bottled water and a snack. He then returned to the hotel, and the shooting occurred at 6:44 a.m. Immediately after, the gunman fled the scene. Kenny said the shooter was seen entering Central Park at 60th St. and Center Drive at 6:48 a.m. and exiting the park through W. 77th St. and Central Park West at 6:56 a.m. At 7:00 a.m., Kenny added, the gunman was spotted on W. 86th St without the bike. And four minutes later, the chief detective continued, the shooter got in a cab at 86th St. and Amsterdam Avenue. Kenny said the gunman was then seen in the vicinity of the George Washington Bridge at 7:30 a.m. Kenny told CNN on Dec. 6 investigators thought the shooter left NYC after he was seen at Port Authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who were investigators looking for? During the Dec. 4 briefing, Kenny said the shooter appeared to be a "light-skin male" who wore "a light brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a very distinctive gray backpack." Over the next few days, the NYPD released a series of photos of the individual they were looking for with the person's face was covered with a mask in many of the pictures. A senior law enforcement official told NBC News Dec. 5 the photos with the lowered face mask came from surveillance video at an Upper West Side hostel, and two separate law enforcement officials noted to the outlet investigators were trying to determine if the individual used a fake ID and cash for a hostel room. As for what led the individual to lower the face mask? "Apparently, there was an interaction while he was checking in, making casual conversation," Kenny said at the Dec. 6 briefing. "At some point, he pulled his mask down and smiled at the clerk." Kenny has also said a cellphone was found in an alley where the shooter fled before heading to the ebike, but it's unclear if it belonged to the gunman. Two law enforcement sources told NBC News a backpack was also found in Central Park. Kenny said investigators are "looking at everything"including Thompson's social media and interviews with employees and familythat could help the case. They're also working with Minnesota and Atlanta law enforcement. Why was Luigi Mangione arrested? Pennsylvanias Altoona Police Department arrested Luigi Mangione on firearm charges Dec. 9. According to a criminal docket obtained by NBC News, these include two felony chargesone of forgery and one of firearms not to be carried without a licenseas well as three misdemeanors: tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of a crime and providing false identification to law enforcement. NYPD commissioner Tisch said a McDonalds employee recognized Mangione and that the Altoona police were then called. When asked if he had been to New York recently, Mangione "became quiet and started to shake," police said per NBC News. Tisch also called Mangione a "person of interest" in Thompson's murder and spoke about the efforts to find him, with her thanking law enforcement partners and the public. "For just over five days, our NYPD investigators combed through thousands of hours of video, followed up on hundreds of tips, and processed every bit of forensic evidence: DNA, finger prints, IP addresses and so much more to tighten the net," she said. "We deployed drones, canine units, and scuba divers. We leveraged the domain awareness system, Argus cameras and conducted aviation canvases, and our detectives also went door to door interviewing potential witnesses and doing the good old fashioned police work that our investigators are famous for. This combination of old school detective work and new age technology is what led to this result today." What did police find on Luigi Mangione? In addition to "acting suspiciously," Tisch added, Mangione was "carrying multiple fraudulent IDs as well as a U.S. passport." Upon further investigation, officers recovered a firearm on his person as well as a suppressor, both consistent with the weapon used in the murder," she continued in the Dec. 9 briefing, per a video shared by NBC News. "They also recovered clothing, including a mask consistent with those worn by our wanted individual." Tisch added officers also recovered a fraudulent New Jersey ID that matched the one the individual used to check into the New York hostel prior to the shooting. "Additionally, she continued, officers recovered a hand-written document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset. What other charges is Luigi Mangione facing? On Dec. 9, Manhattan prosecutors filed a murder charge against Mangione, according to court documents obtained by NBC News. The 26-year-old is also facing three counts of criminal possession of a weapon (two in the second-degree for loaded firearm and one in the third degree such as for a silencer) and one count of possessing a forged instrument. He has yet to enter a plea for any charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What did Luigi Mangione state in his writings? According to NBC News, citing the NYPD, Mangione had three pages of writings on him that totaled less than 300 words when he was taken into custody. Three senior law enforcement officials told the outlet these writings read, in part, "Frankly these parasites had it coming." In the writings, the officials continued, Mangione said he acted alone. However, the officials told NBC News they haven't ruled out other actors at this time. To the Feds, Ill keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country," Mangione's writings read, officials told NBC News. "To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasnt working with anyone. Officials said Mangione also added, "I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. However, Tisch noted Mangione's motive has yet to be confirmed. "I think when we look at the manifesto, or that three-page written document that was recovered, you see anti-corporatist sentiment, a lot of issues with the healthcare industry," she said in a Dec. 10 Today interview. "But as to particular specific motive, that will come out as this investigation continues to unfold over the next weeks and months." Has Luigi Mangione appeared in court? Mangione attended a hearing at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania on Dec. 10. As he arrived, NBC News reported, he yelled out to families, "Its completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people." Per the outlet, Mangione did not waive extradition to New York and was denied bail. As a result, he will remain in Pennsylvania's SCI Huntingdon prison. His lawyer Thomas Dickey told reporters that Mangione will plead not guilty in Pennsylvania and will likely do the same in New York. "I havent seen any evidence that says hes the shooter, he said, per NBC News. Remember, and this is not just a small thing: A fundamental concept of American justice is the presumption of innocence, and until youre proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." Who is Luigi Mangione? Mangione is a suspect in the murder of Brian Thompson and is facing several other charges in both Pennsylvania and New York, including forgery and criminal possession of a weapon. He's an Ivy League graduate, having received a Bachelor of Science in engineering in 2020 and a Masters of Science in engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, the school confirmed to NBC News. NYPD Chief of Detectives Kenny shared additional details on Mangione's upbringing, saying he was born and raised in Maryland. His most recent address is listed as Honolulu but he also has connections to San Francisco, Kenny told NBC News. After Mangione's arrest, his family released a statement on X. "Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione," they said in the Dec. 9 post. "We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news." What has Brian Thompsons family said about his death? After learning of the shooting, Thompsons family mourned his passing. We are shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian, a family statement obtained by NBC affiliate KARE in Minneapolis on Dec. 5 read. Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives. Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed. We appreciate your condolences and request complete privacy as our family moves through this difficult time. Thompsons wife Paulette also recalled how her husband had received threats prior to his death. "Yes, there had been some threats," she told NBC News Dec. 5. "Basically, I dont know, a lack of coverage? I dont know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What has UnitedHealth Group said about Brian Thompsons death? UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, also expressed how it was "deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend" Thompson, flying its flags at half-mast at corporate headquarters in Minnesota. "Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him," a Dec. 4 statement from the organization read. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brians family and all who were close to him. And while the company noted "our hearts are broken," it shared in a Dec. 5 statement that it has also "been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place." "So many patients, consumers, health care professionals, associations, government officials and other caring people have taken time out of their day to reach out," the message read. "We are thankful, even as we grieve. Our priorities are, first and foremost, supporting Brians family; ensuring the safety of our employees; and working with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator to justice. We, at UnitedHealth Group, will continue to be there for those who depend upon us for their health care. We ask that everyone respect the familys privacy as they mourn the loss of their husband, father, brother and friend." However, there's also been public criticism about UnitedHealthcare, Thompson and America's healthcare system overall. This has included online conversations about insurance companies' claim denial rates as well as a look at accusations against Thompson. For instance, in a class-action lawsuit filed by the City of Hollywood Firefighters' Pension Fund in May 2024 and obtained by NBC News, Thompson was accused of selling more than $15 million of his personal UnitedHealth shares after allegedly learning of an investigation of the company by the U.S. Department of Justice before the public did. When asked about the trades allegedly made by Thompson and other executives, a UnitedHealth spokesperson told Bloomberg in April 2024 "these directors and officers followed our protocols and received approval from the company." The lawsuit, per the BBC, remains active. And while a motive for the shooting hasn't been revealed, many outlets have noted the words depose, delay and deny on the shell casings are similar to the title of the 2010 book Delay Deny Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro slammed "deeply disturbing" online reactions to the killing: "In America," he said at a Dec. 9 press conference, per NBC News' video, "we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint." (E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family). For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, has asked for Luigi Mangione to face the death penalty over the alleged killing of an American healthcare chief executive. Mr Mangione was arrested following a five-day manhunt after Brian Thompson, 50, of UnitedHealthcare, was shot dead outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan as he arrived at the healthcare companys investor conference last year. Mr Mangione has pleaded not guilty to New York state charges of murder as an act of terrorism and weapons offences. New York does not have the death penalty for state charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However Ms Bondi on Tuesday asked federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty. Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America, Ms Bondi said in a statement. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case. The 26-year-old also faces federal charges for stalking and firearms offences. Cold-blooded killing Ms Bondis statement comes after Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office directing his administration to restore the federal death penalty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal executions had been on pause since a moratorium was imposed by Merrick Garland, the former attorney general, in 2021. Only three defendants remain on federal death row after Joe Biden, the former president, converted 37 of their sentences to life in prison. In December, Mr Trump called Mr Thompsons murder cold-blooded. Luigi Mangione is escorted by officers in New York on Dec 19 - XNY/Star Max/GC Images He said: Just a cold-blooded, horrible killing. And how people can like this guy [Mangione] is thats a sickness, actually. Mr Mangione is accused of killing Mr Thompson on Dec 4, sparking a manhunt that lasted for five days until his arrest at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the seriousness of the charges, Mr Mangione has received $775,000 towards his legal defence fund from supporters. The Trump administrations decision to seek the death penalty will likely inspire a flood of donations from supporters, many of which see Mr Mangione as a hero who tried to take on the US healthcare system. At his court hearings dozens of his fans, mostly young women, waited for hours to get a glimpse of him and cheered when his lawyers entered the room. The Telegraph has contacted Mr Mangiones lawyers for comment. The US attorneys office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the federal charges, declined to comment. Mangiones motivation The three inmates on federal death row that Mr Biden did not pardon include those who have committed some of the most heinous crimes in recent years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving bomber from the 2013 Boston Marathon attack; Robert Bowers, the gunman who killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, and Dylann Roof, who shot dead nine people at a predominantly black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. The federal case against Mr Mangione accuses him of 11 charges including first degree murder in furtherance of terrorism. Mr Mangione has pleaded not guilty to a state indictment and has not entered a plea to the federal charges. His motivation is likely to be a key part of the trial which will take place after the charges in the state court as prosecutors are likely to claim he was driven by a hatred of the health insurance industry. Mr Mangione had severe back problems and police said the gunman wrote the words delay, deny and depose on the ammunition used to kill Mr Thompson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The phrase is believed to refer to tactics critics say health insurance companies use to avoid paying out to policyholders. Corrupt web of government dysfunction Karen Friedman Agnifilo, of Agnifilo Intrater LLP, Mr Mangiones lawyer, said in a statement: By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric. Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent. While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorise the American people. We are prepared to fight these federal charges, brought by a lawless Justice Department, as well as the New York State charges, and the Pennsylvania charges, and anything else they want to pile on Luigi. This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship. Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young mans life. 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. Emmanuel Macron has been urged to grant Marine Le Pen a presidential pardon after a judge banned her from standing for election for five years. The French president has not yet commented on the ruling, but could reverse the decision handed down to the National Rally (RN) leader. Ms Le Pen was found guilty of embezzlement by using European Parliament funds to pay party expenses. She has been banned from running for office for five years and was also handed a four-year prison term by the Paris court, but will not go to jail. Two years of those years will be suspended, and another two served outside jail with an electronic bracelet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge specified that the politics ban should come into force with immediate effect, even if an appeal was lodged. On Tuesday, Ms Le Pen told party MPs: The system has pulled out the nuclear bomb... because were about to win the election. Intimating that she was the victim of an establishment conspiracy, she added: Theyre thinking that everything theyve put in place hasnt worked and that maybe we need to move up a gear. So things are clear, we wont let ourselves be pushed around. Credit: Reuters This means she cannot run in the 2027 presidential race, despite being the favourite to reach the run-off, according to a poll out on Sunday. Mr Macron will also not be running because of a two-term limit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Le Pens current main hope of running for president is if an appeal reverses the decision before the 2027 election. The constitutional council could also potentially be asked to look into whether the decision somehow contravenes the French constitution. But experts say there is a third way: president Macron could step in and grant her a pardon. Speaking to CNews, Henri Guaino, a key figure in the Sarkozy administration, said, Im issuing a solemn call on the president to do so. The solution, which is legally perfectly acceptable, which is constitutional, this solution is called article seventeen of the constitution, the right of pardon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said thousands of people had benefitted from it over the past century, including murderers and drug traffickers who had committed far worse things than Ms Le Pen. Mr Macron would be right to do so, Mr Guaino said, because French institutions are under threat, the foundations of our democracy are being undermined with this ruling. Look at whats happening in the United States: when the justice system comes into violent conflict with politics or society, its the justice system that loses, he went on. During his presidency, Mr Macron has only pardoned one person a former prostitute convicted of murdering a client in 1988, who was granted a pardon in 2018 on humanitarian grounds as she had mental health problems incompatible with her incarceration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Herve Mariton, the former Right-wing minister, agreed that the proposal would break the political deadlock, however the caveat, he added, along with other legal experts, is that Ms Le Pen must accept the verdict and not launch an appeal as a presidential pardon can only be granted once the conviction is final. On Monday night, Ms Le Pen appeared to be reluctant to go down that route. I intend to fight, she stressed. I will not allow myself to be eliminated in this way. When asked if she would ask the head of state to pardon her, Ms Le Pen said: No and no again, because a pardon affects the final decision, but the case is not at this stage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, the party has been distributing plans for popular and peaceful protests on Saturday. We are calling for a popular and peaceful mobilisation: sign our petition of support. You have always been able to count on Marine Le Pen, on her willingness to defend you, on her patriotism. Now shes counting on you, it reads. The French electorate does not appear to share Ms Le Pens indignation, polls suggest, with a total of 65 per cent telling the Odoxa-Backbone institute that they were not shocked by the verdict. These came as Jordan Bardella, the National Rally chairman, refused to rule out taking Ms Le Pen as his de facto running-mate in the 2027 presidential election, despite her conviction and ban on her standing for office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I make you a promise this morning: we started this job together and we will finish it together, he told Europe 1. The ban on Ms Le Pen from standing for office would not prevent her from taking the prime ministers job because incumbents are appointed by the head of state rather than elected by voters, say legal experts. All of this will be peaceful because we are not fascists, said Mr Bardella, the so-called plan B for a run at the Elysee should Ms Le Pens bid fail. The slick 29-year-old protege and RN party president ruled that out in the short term, however. Were down on one knee, but were far from dead. I will be totally loyal to her, he told CNews. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marine Le Pen is going to play a leading role in the coming months, and were going to continue to work together, hand in hand, he said, slamming a disproportionate decision, saying that judges have decided to simply eliminate the RN candidate. Our democracy is sick, and I say to the French people: dont lose hope. Marine Le Pen met Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris in June 2022 - AFP There has been disquiet across the political spectrum in France over the decision, with Francois Bayrou, the prime minister, making it be known he was troubled by the provisional ban. French media quoted him as telling aides: France is the only country where this is done. However, Remy Heitz, one of Frances two highest judges, said: The justice system is not political. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This decision is not a political decision but a judicial one, handed down by three independent, impartial judges, he told RTL. An appeal by Ms Le Pen in 2026 is certainly possible, he added. That is a matter for the Paris court of appeal, but judicial time is not political time, said Mr Heitz. The Paris appeals court said on Tuesday it had received three appeals for a court decision against the far-right National Rally party that saw its leader Marine Le Pen banned from running for public office for five years. It added in a statement it should be able to provide a decision by the summer of 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, nationalists in Europe and beyond expressed support for Ms Le Pen. Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister and leader of the far-Right Brothers of Italy party, said the verdict targets the leader of a major party and deprives millions of citizens of representation. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the US president, waded into the controversy, saying: Its a very big deal. She was banned from running for five years and she was the leading candidate. That sounds like this country, that sounds a lot like this country. 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. It might seem like the Signal chat scandal has been around for a long while, but it was early last week when the public first confronted the details of the White House fiasco: Donald Trumps national security team participated in an unsecured group chat about sensitive operational details of a foreign military strike and they accidentally included a journalist in their online conversation. A week later, plenty of lingering questions remain, though officials in the West Wing no longer appear especially eager to answer them. NBC News reported: Asked about the status of the investigation into how a journalist was added to a high-level group chat about U.S. military plans in Yemen, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that the president was moving on. Mike Waltz continues to be an important part of his national security team, and this case has been closed here at the White House, Leavitt told reporters, adding that steps had been taken to ensure the situation is not repeated. She did not appear to be kidding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The press secretarys use of passive voice was notable Leavitt said the case has been closed, instead of saying who closed it but putting that aside, her comments suggested that the Signal debacle is no longer of interest to the White House. Lets not forget that after the scandal broke, the National Security Council said in a statement that it had launched a review of what transpired, and the president himself told reporters that his administration would investigate the incident. A week later, it appears that review either wrapped up with remarkable speed, or it was cut short by an incurious White House. In her comments to reporters, Leavitt went on to say, There have been steps made to ensure that something like that can obviously never happen. Again, the press secretarys use of passive voice stood out: She said there have been steps made, instead of saying who took the steps and what those steps entailed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats more, the White House has not yet offered the public any information on what, if anything, the administrations internal review uncovered. What were left with is an unsettling image in which Trump fires no one as a result of this fiasco, the Justice Department ignores the alleged crimes associated with this scandal, and the White House offers assurances without any details. In theory, this would be about the time that Congress exercises its oversight authority. In practice, Republicans control Capitol Hill, and the odds of a meaningful investigation in the House or Senate effectively do not exist. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Action Against Hunger: Forecasting Potential Hunger Crises Originally published by Action Against Hunger. One in 11 people are dealing with severe levels of food insecurity, which the United Nations reports poses "grave risks to their health and well-being." But how can we prepare for - or better, prevent - further deteriorations in communities facing this chronic problem? Monitoring situations and forecasting where things are set to get worse is crucial to saving lives. That is why Action Against Hunger is working to identify the early warning signs of rising hunger and malnutrition. By forecasting hazards and predicting likely emergencies, we can work with our partners to pinpoint when and where to focus our resources for the greatest impact. Predicting hunger and malnutrition In Eastern Africa, Modeling Early Risk Indicators to Anticipate Malnutrition (MERIAM) is Action Against Hunger's latest early warning tool under development. It aims to forecast elevated malnutrition prevalence rates and caseloads up to 12 months in advance, significantly longer than the 3-4 months projection horizons offered by existing systems. It complements other analytical processes by zooming in on the condition of children under five, who are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, and enabling more frequent updates of how the situation is set to evolve. Pilots are currently under development in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan. In Central America, Action Against Hunger's PREDISAN tool is monitoring and nowcasting food security across Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. The platform utilizes advanced machine learning tools, satellite imagery and remote sensing to identify the most vulnerable areas and estimate the number of people at various levels of food insecurity. Together with DATAface, it helps to better understand which populations are most affected by food insecurity so we can take targeted action. Developing early warning systems Early warning systems are crucial tools that integrate hazard monitoring, disaster risk assessments, forecasting and communication to enable individuals, communities, governments, businesses and others to take timely actions to reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events (see e.g. REAP, 2022). In South Asia, Action Against Hunger is focusing on new prediction capabilities in places most at risk. For example, an estimated 23.6 million people are food insecure in Bangladesh. Hunger is made worse by the country's vulnerability to climate shocks. Cyclones and floods are a recurring threat to agriculture and livelihoods - and one that is growing worse due to climate change. By leveraging machine learning and predictive modeling, AI can detect early warning signs of potential hunger crises, such as those caused by extreme weather events in Bangladesh. Rep. Pramila Jayapal talks with Rachel Maddow about teaching her constituents practical, hands-on lessons in non-violent protest, drawing on the principles of Martin Luther King Jr., in a series of "resistance labs," as an increasing number of Americans feel they can no longer sit idly by while Donald Trump dismantles the United States government. On the fifth night of his second term, Donald Trump executed his first Friday Night News Dump, firing at least 18 inspectors general who were responsible for rooting out corruption, ethical lapses and mismanagement in federal agencies throughout the government. The president did not appear to have the legal authority to take such steps, but the Republican did it anyway. Roughly 10 weeks later, the White House still needs to replace many of the IGs who were ousted, and it was against this backdrop that Politico reported: President Donald Trump tapped a former House member who lost a scandal-tinged re-election bid last year to serve as the Labor Departments internal watchdog as part of a slate of nominations for top jobs at the agency announced late Monday. Former Rep. Anthony DEsposito, who worked as a New York City Police Department detective before being elected to Congress, was selected to serve as Labors inspector general. The Politico report added that DEsposito might be an awkward fit for the position, and its worth appreciating why. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New York Republican arrived on Capitol Hill in early 2023, and it didnt take long for the congressman to run into some trouble. Indeed, The New York Times reported in September 2024 that DEsposito hired his fiancees daughter to work as a special assistant in his district office, paying her $3,800 a month in taxpayer money. Around the same time, the GOP congressman also reportedly added his mistress to his official payroll, generating a series of questions about the legal and ethical lines he apparently crossed. The Times report, which was not independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, added that his fiancee eventually found out about the affair and briefly broke up with him, at which point the New York Republican stopped paying both women. DEsposito didnt explicitly deny the accuracy of the reporting, though he did issue a statement that read in part, My personal life has never interfered with my ability to deliver results for New Yorks 4th district, and I have upheld the highest ethical standards of personal conduct. This was not persuasive to his constituents: DEsposito, after having served just one term, narrowly lost his re-election bid in his competitive Long Island district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roughly six months later, Trump who has a curious habit of finding jobs for Republicans whom voters have rejected has decided that DEsposito should be the inspector general at the Department of Labor, where he would be expected to serve in an independent capacity, investigating ethical lapses, despite his own alleged ethical lapses. This is a Senate-confirmed position. DEspositos confirmation hearings are bound to be interesting. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com When Donald Trump told NBC News over the weekend that hes serious about pursuing a third term the plain language of the U.S. Constitution notwithstanding the president suggested to Kristen Welker that his public support was helping shape his perspective: You have to start by saying, I have the highest poll numbers of any Republican for the last 100 years. Were in the high 70s in many polls, in the real polls, and you see that. And, and you know, were very popular. And you know, a lot of people would like me to [seek a third term]. As this week got underway, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared on Fox News and endorsed Trumps line, arguing that the American people love the job this president is doing. Days earlier, Alina Habba, an acting Trump-appointed U.S. attorney, similarly argued on Fox that the presidents public support is skyrocketing, with an approval rating thats reached an all-time high of anyone. This morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters, "I understand why so many Americans do wish he could run for a third term." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The obvious problem with these claims is that theyre utterly irrelevant. Americans have had popular and unpopular presidents, but they all had to follow the law. The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says, No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice. It does not say, No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice unless people really like the president, at which point all bets are off. But just as notable is the fact that Trump, who has a habit of making up generous approval ratings for himself out of whole cloth, seems oddly unaware of just how weak his public standing actually is. Ten weeks into his second term, the presidents average approval rating is below 50% which is a far cry from the high 70s claim the Republican peddled to NBC News. His disapproval rating is also higher than his approval rating, which is a problem pollsters refer to as being under water. Recent national surveys from prominent pollsters Gallup, NBC News, Reuters, CNN, and Quinnipiac University found Trumps support in the low to mid-40s. An Associated Press report added as this week got underway, About 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, and more than half disapprove. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putting aside the question of whether that number deserves to be higher or lower, its a woefully unimpressive level of public backing, given the presidents second term only began 10 weeks ago. When he told NBC News, I have the highest poll numbers of any Republican for the last 100 years, that wasnt just wrong, it was the opposite of reality: At this point in their terms, every other Republican president since the dawn of modern polling enjoyed stronger support than Trump does. Yes, other presidents have reached lower depths Richard Nixon at the height of Watergate, George W. Bush after the economic crash in 2008, etc. but those poll collapses happened well into their presidencies, not 10 weeks in. By any objective measure, Trump simply isnt especially popular right now. He can either a) not care; or b) take steps to improve his standing. Instead, the president is choosing to c) make stuff up, which probably wont help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for why you should care about the polls measuring the popularity of an incumbent who cant run again, its worth re-emphasizing that the White House needs people to believe this weird lie. As weve discussed, members of Congress who, unlike the incumbent president, have to worry about re-election care a great deal about the prevailing political winds. If the public really were rallying behind Trump and he really did enjoy 70% support, Republican lawmakers might be that much more inclined to follow his lead, while Democratic lawmakers in competitive districts would be that much less inclined to put up a fight against the White House agenda. But with Americans expressing their dissatisfaction with Trump, it effectively creates a permission structure for Congress to defy the presidents wishes. In other words, the more voters turn against Trump, the harder it becomes for him to get his way, and the greater his need to make up approval ratings that dont exist, hoping people will fall for the transparent con. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Todays installment of campaign-related news items from across the country. * Its Election Day in Wisconsin, where voters will decide a closely watched state Supreme Court race, as well as in Florida, where there are a pair of congressional special elections being held in traditional Republican strongholds. There are also some down-ballot contests that election watchers will be keeping an eye on. * The day before Election Day, Donald Trump said in reference to the Wisconsin race, I hope you get out and vote for the Republican. (Technically, the contest is nonpartisan, though the president was clearly referring to conservative judge Brad Schimel.) Trump went on to say that he won the Badger State three times, which was a familiar lie: He has falsely claimed countless times that he carried Wisconsin in 2020, despite election results that proved otherwise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * On a related note, at the same White House event, the president also publicly endorsed a proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution that would enshrine an existing voter ID law. * Last week, Trump signed an outrageous executive order related to election administration policy, and this week much of the Democratic Partys institutions including the DNC, the Democratic Governors Association, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic leaders in the House and the Senate filed a federal lawsuit challenging the White House power grab. * In Arizona, there will be a special election to replace the late Rep. Raul Grijalva, and this week his daughter, Adelita Grijalva, announced that shes running to succeed him. Shes currently serving as a Pima County supervisor. * In Georgia, Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath recently launched an exploratory bid for governor, but this week, she suspended the effort in order to focus on her husbands health problems. Its still possible, however, that the congresswoman could revive the 2026 bid in the near future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * And speaking of Georgia, the U.S. Justice Department had filed suit against voting restrictions imposed by Georgia Republican policymakers after the 2020 cycle. This week, Trump-appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the demise of the case. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Kilmar Arbrego Garcia came to the United States in 2011. He lived in Maryland with his wife and 5-year-old child, who is autistic and intellectually disabled. He worked a full-time job and was a legal resident of the United States, and thanks to a 2019 court order, he could not be sent back to El Salvador, his country of origin. Garcia was also recently apprehended by the Trump administration and put on a plane to El Salvador without due process to be held behind bars. This week, in a court filing, administration officials conceded that his deportation was the result of an administrative error. It was against this backdrop that JD Vance decided to add some related thoughts to the public conversation, which did not go especially well for the vice president. NBC News reported: Vice President JD Vance weighed into the case and falsely said on X Tuesday that Garcia was a convicted MS-13 gang member. Garcia has no criminal convictions in the U.S. or in El Salvador, his legal team said in the lawsuit. In a follow-up post on X Tuesday, Vance stood by his comments and called Garcia an illegal immigrant with no right to be in our country, despite the 2019 protection order against his removal from the U.S. Even for a vice president who routinely struggles with factual details, this was a mess. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Initially, the Ohio Republican, by way of social media, took aim at a journalist who'd fact-checked him and said that Garcia was a convicted gang member, which wasnt true and which was not supported by the administrations own court filing. Vance then tried again in a follow-up tweet, claiming that a journalist had been apparently unable or unwilling to look at the facts here. The vice president not only doubled down on his dubious claim for which there does not appear to be any evidence, he also suggested the Biden administration was in office in 2019. Usually, when Republicans get this wrong, they claim that Joe Biden was in the White House in 2020, despite the fact that the Democrat was inaugurated in January 2021. Vance flubbed this even more dramatically, however, suggesting that Biden was president in the third year of Trumps first term. As for Garcia, he remains in El Salvador, though his case is scheduled to be heard this week by a judge in Maryland. Watch this space. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com MSNBCs Rachel Maddow mocked former Fox News host and now U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for using $40 million worth of taxpayer money in just one month to fund a migrant detainment facility in Guantanamo Bay that has since been shut down. The [New York] Times reporting tonight that Hegseths failed gambit to stand-up a U.S. military role at Guantanamo, specifically to make it look like Guantanamo has something to do with [Donald] Trumps deportations. That gambit has thus far cost taxpayers about $40 million in its first month, Maddow said Monday as she outlined the TV personality-to-politicians recent actions as defense secretary, also mentioning how Hegseth ordered two Navy destroyers to hover around the U.S. border doing nothing. Now, this whole Guantanamo thing is a plan that has essentially been scrapped now, but only after Pete Hegseth moved nearly a thousand U.S. troops there and then back and had them sent up a tent city and then kind of dismantled it, because these guys dont forget government efficiency, cant allow old people to call the social security office anymore, The Rachel Maddow Show host said sarcastically, referring to the Elon Musk-ran Department of Government Efficiencys decision to downsize Social Security Administration with office closures and phone services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But hey, we gotta save money. Pete Hegseth needs to fuel up the C-17s to fly, like, five guys around so they can make TikTok vides about how tough they are. See my tattoos?' Maddow mocks. In addition to slamming Hegseth over his controversial decisions, Maddow also called him out for casually bringing his wife Jennifer Rauchet and younger brother Phil Hegseth into his everyday and very private government duties. Alongside him, Rauchet attended two meetings with foreign military counterparts where sensitive information was discussed, per The Wall Street Journal. Does she have a security clearance? This is the same wife, you may recall, who Mr. Hegseth brought with him to his meeting with U.S. senators ahead of his confirmation process for this job, Maddow said. That, of course, made it socially awkward for those senators to ask him at those meetings about the rape allegations that he faced in California and his alleged serial infidelity and problems with drinking on the job. He has denied the rape allegations in California, and of course he was never charged in conjunction with those allegations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She then moved on to his baby brother, whom she joked is completely qualified to participate in Hegseths responsibilities. Phil has been given key role as liaison and senior advisor in the Pentagon. He also joined Hegseth on his trips to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Hawaii. What is his little brother doing there? Good question. His past career experience includes starting a podcast, production company, Maddow shaded. So, naturally it makes sense that he is paid by the U.S. taxpayers to go everywhere with his brother, the defense secretary, who has assured us that he definitely wont drink on the job anymore, and who apparently thinks its OK to bring his wife to NATO meetings. You can watch the full The Rachel Maddow Show segment in the video above. The post Maddow Mocks Hegseth for Wasting $40 Million on Guantanamo Migrant Efforts: Government Efficiency! | Video appeared first on TheWrap. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) Judge Charles Elliott determined that former Decatur Police Officer Mac Marquette did not meet the burden of proof for his self-defense claim in the shooting death of Stephen Perkins. Madison County District Attorney Chief Deputy Tim Gann is not involved in the Marquette case but broke down the 17-page ruling for News 19. Gann said that the case is either a question of law or a question of fact, and the judge ruled the latter, saying a jury needs to decide the outcome. Decatur woman indicted for corpse abuse after baby found dead in dumpster in 2023 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marquettes attorneys cited the case of former Huntsville Police Officer William Darby, who pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge for a 2018 on-duty shooting. Attorneys said this case justified Marquette shooting Perkins. Gann was a prosecutor on the Darby case. He said that case serves as an example of the difference in self-defense standards for an officer versus an ordinary person. Youre talking about what a reasonable officer would do placed in that situation, the same situation, Gann said. And that could be different than a regular citizen because of their training and experience. An officer may react different in a high stress situation than an ordinary citizen that doesnt have the training and or experience. Gann pointed out that the judge posed an overarching question in his ruling: was Marquette acting within his job duties or not? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two HPD officers injured, woman arrested following chase on Pulaski Pike The threshold question for him was, was the officer acting in the scope of his duties or, was he not?' Gann said. And I think the argument was, was he there to keep the peace or was he there to assist in a repossession? And if he was there to assist in a repossession, then hes not acting in the scope of his duties. If he was keeping the peace, then he was. And the judge felt like that was a question for a jury and not him. The ruling details that Marquette fired at Perkins less than two seconds after he told him to get on the ground. While that decision-making time may seem very fast, Gann said it is not abnormal for self-defense cases. Do they feel like their life is being threatened or someone else is being threatened in that moment? Gann asked. And that is, thats something that happens in a split second. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge delayed Marquettes trial until June 9 to give his legal team adequate time to appeal. If they do appeal, the appellate courts will reevaluate the evidence and decide if Judge Charles Elliott was correct in his decision. For a full breakdown of the ruling or to read the 17-page document itself, 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 WHNT.com. The U.S. State Department is under fire from MAGA supporters for embarrassing Melania Trump and Marco Rubio. The first lady and secretary of state hosted the annual International Women of Courage Awards ceremony at the Department of State on Tuesday. But state officials faced accusations that the award recipients werent thoroughly vetted. Leading MAGA voices including Laura Loomer and Lara Logan complained that the Women Student Protest Leaders of Bangladesh were awarded the Madeleine Albright Honorary Group Award at the ceremony attended by Rubio and Melania. Melania Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend the 19th annual International Women of Courage Award ceremony at the Department of State. / nathan Howard/REUTERS Wearing a leopardskin coat, Melania spoke in the Benjamin Franklin room at the State Department about the universal language of love, heralding the award winners and saying that love transcends territories and boundaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group winners were mentioned at the ceremony but were not present to collect their award, and did not take part in the presentation. That did not stop MAGA from expressing outrage. Unbelievable, wrote Laura Loomer on X, This event needs to be canceled going forward. Why is the US State Department awarding Soros tied, Islamist USAID funded female protestors for their role in ousting a democratically elected female prime minister in a country that is now plagued by rape & misogyny? asked Loomer in another lengthy X post. EXCLUSIVE US State Department set to embarrass @marcorubio and @MELANIATRUMP tomorrow by having them give an award to a group of Islamist female protesters who were funded by USAID to create a color revolution in Bangladesh alongside members of the Islamic terror group pic.twitter.com/6rU4KmPSkt Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) March 31, 2025 She appealed to Rubio to rescind the award. Otherwise, she claimed, both he and the first lady are going to be accused of supporting Islamic terrorist backed color revolutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hopefully these award ceremonies can be canceled in the future. They are very problematic, she wrote in another post before the ceremony. So where is U.S. counter-intelligence? asked former CBS News correspondent Lara Logan on X. We have exceptionally well-trained, military professionals (not FBI) whose job is to protect this nation. Have they abandoned their mission? I hope Im wrong but for years weve watched one act of treason, sedition & subversion after another & no one yet held accountable. So where is U.S. counter-intelligence? We have exceptionally well-trained, military professionals (not FBI) whose job is to protect this nation. Have they abandoned their mission? I hope Im wrong but for years weve watched one act of treason, sedition & subversion after another https://t.co/jeIlcXGgqs Lara Logan (@laralogan) March 31, 2025 The ceremonies need to be canceled ASAP. We cannot embarrass Rubio or Melania! wrote another MAGA supporter. The International Women of Courage Awards ceremony is in its 19th year, recognizing women from around the world who have shown outstanding bravery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finalists were selected and approved by senior state department officials. The Women Student Protest Leaders of Bangladesh were described in the awards program as: A valiant group of women who were key drivers in the student protest movement against violent repression in Bangladesh in July-August 2024. They demonstrated extraordinary bravery, including standing between security forces and male protestors in spite of threats and violence. When male counterparts were arrested, these women found innovative ways to continue communication and lead the protests, defying censorship efforts, even during the complete shutdown of the internet. The bravery and selflessness of these women amid uncertainty was the very definition of courage. Other award recipients included women from Israel, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Sudan, and Yemen. The case against pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil will remain in New Jersey after a judge denied a government motion to have the case transferred to Louisiana where the Columbia graduate student remains in federal custody. Nearly a month after Khalils arrest, US District Judge Michael Farbiarz concluded the New Jersey district court has jurisdiction over the case because Khalil was in the state when his attorneys filed a habeas corpus motion seeking to challenge the legality of his detention, according to a 67-page decision filed Tuesday. Khalil, a negotiator for pro-Palestinian student protesters in talks with Columbias administration over last springs contentious campus encampment against the Israel-Hamas war, was arrested outside of his apartment on Columbia Universitys campus on March 8. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khalil is one of several foreign nationals affiliated with prestigious universities who have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of the Trump administrations immigration crackdown. Rumeysa Ozturk, a graduate student with a valid student visa studying at Tufts University in Massachusetts, was taken into custody by masked immigration agents last month. In a filing Tuesday, the US Attorneys Office in Boston opposed Ozturks habeas petition, saying the Boston court does not have jurisdiction in the case because the Tufts University student was transferred out of the state shortly after her arrest. Both Khalil and Ozturk were arrested near their homes, were transferred across state lines and eventually brought to an immigration detention facility in Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like Khalil, the Fullbright scholar is accused of being a threat to national security due to purported ties to terrorist organizations, such as Hamas. Following a brief detainment in Manhattan, Khalil, a legal permanent US resident married to a US citizen, was transferred to an ICE facility in New Jersey. Several hours later, he was finally transferred to a detention center in Louisiana where he remains today. Attorneys for the government argued in proceedings last week that the motion needed to be filed in Louisiana because that is where Khalil is located. But, Judge Farbiarz disagreed. The Petitioner was in custody in New Jersey as of March 9 at 4:40am, Farbiarz wrote. And under a federal statute, the Petition, though filed in New York, must be treated as having been filed in New Jersey on March 9 at 4:40am. Therefore, this Court has jurisdiction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is the Department of Justices second attempt at moving the case. Shortly after his arrest, attorneys for the Trump administration argued the case should be moved from New York to New Jersey. A New York federal district court judge granted the motion. The government then moved to file another motion to transfer the case from New Jersey to Louisiana. The judges decision is welcome news to Khalils legal team and wife, Noor Abdalla, who is pregnant and due to give birth to the couples first child this month. This is an important step towards securing Mahmouds freedom, but there is still a lot more to be done, Abdalla said in a statement Tuesday. The next phase in Khalils case is to get him out of ICE detention, according to his attorney, Baher Azmy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are grateful the court wisely understood that the government cannot try to manipulate the jurisdiction of the United States courts in a transparent attempt to shield their unconstitutional and frankly chilling behavior, Azmy said in a statement to CNN. Ozturks freedom hangs in the balance Unlike Khalil, who was in New Jersey when his motion was filed, Ozturk, 30, was already taken across state lines when her attorney filed a similar legal order that is used to challenge the legality of a persons detention or imprisonment, attorneys for the US Attorneys Office in Boston said in the filing Tuesday. This court lacks habeas jurisdiction over this Petitioner because Petitioner was not in the District of Massachusetts when she filed her original petition seeking release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, the attorneys wrote. The government did not provide any new information about the case or charges against Ozturk in their latest filing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the US Attorneys Office in Boston declined to comment. The filing shows ICE officers determined there would be no available bedspace for Ozturk in the New England region prior to arresting her, according to court documents. The lack of bed space set off a dash across three states, and after two days of travel, Ozturk was eventually sent down south to Louisiana. The governments filing details their struggle to find a place to hold her. First, Ozturk was moved to Methuen, Massachusetts; then to Lebanon, New Hampshire; and then to St. Albans, Vermont, where she was held overnight, according to court documents. From there she was transferred to Alexandria, Louisiana, followed by a final stop at the South Louisiana Correctional Facility in Basile, where Ozturk remains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This means Petitioners Amended Petition should have been filed in her district of confinement, the Western District of Louisiana, and any transfer of this Petitioner must be to such district, attorneys for the Department of Justice wrote in their motion. Ozturks attorneys will file a response to the governments opposition Wednesday at 5 p.m., according to an order by Judge Denise Casper. Khalils attorneys, some of which are also representing Ozturk, have accused the government of venue shopping and setting up jurisdictional fights in order to delay courts from hearing their motions for release. The government is trying to play a cruel game of jurisdictional musical chairs with Ms. Ozturks life, and her rights and freedom hang in the balance, Brett Max Kaufman, senior counsel with ACLUs Center for Democracy said in a statement. We hope the court shuts this effort to manipulate our basic rights down and proceeds to addressing our clients urgent claims. CNNs Bob Crowley contributed to this report This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Maine man charged in alleged sexual abuse of 2 minors in Willimantic WILLIMANTIC, Conn. (WTNH) A Maine man is facing charges after turning himself in to police on Tuesday in the alleged sexual abuse of two minors, according to police. Brandon Morris, 29, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault in the first degree, two counts of illegal sexual contact of a minor and sexual assault in the fourth degree. Man arrested on assault charges at New Haven Union Station Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said this comes after a months-long investigation into the allegations. An arrest warrant was issued on Thursday. Morris is being held on a court-set $375,000 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 WTNH.com. Austrian wine exports declined both in terms of value and volume in 2024 due to the difficult market situation around the world, the countrys industry association said. According to data from Statistics Austria, cited by the industry group, the value of the countrys wine exports dropped by 6% to 233.3m ($252.4m). Volumes fell by 1.7% to 64.2 million litres. Austrian Wine Marketing Board CEO Chris Yorke said in a statement: All wine-producing countries are facing major challenges at the moment: costs that have risen sharply, reduced purchasing propensity and changes in consumers drinking habits around the world, to name just a few. On top of that, the economic situation worldwide is extremely volatile at the moment, making it difficult to come up with long-term sales strategies. A report from the Austrian Wine Marketing Board in January projected Austria's wine exports for 2024 would decline from the record levels reached in 2023. Austria's wine exports, which had grown by 62.7% or nearly 90m since their last decline in 2015, have experienced their first downturn in eight years, the report said. The country experienced a general decline in bottled wine exports, with volume falling by 5.1% and value by 6.3%. Bottled red wines were particularly impacted, registering a 12.5% drop in volume and a 14.4% decline in value. In contrast, bulk wine exports rose by 16.1% in volume but at a lower price, leading to a 1.4% decline in total bulk wine export value, the figures showed. Germany continued to be Austrias largest export market, accounting for 60.2% of total wine shipments and 42.3% of export revenues. However, the value of exports to Germany fell by 13.6% to 98.8m, despite remaining higher than the 2022 figure of 94.5m. Export volume dropped by 4.4%. Yorke added: In 2023, our wine exports came within a hair's breadth of reaching a quarter of a billion at 248m. The main driver for this was exceptionally high exports of bottled wine to our main export market, Germany. Since a higher volume of cheaper wine in bulk was sold to Germany again last year, we soon realised that we were not going to be able to match the exceptionally high export value achieved in 2023. The global economic situation as a whole is just too volatile for that at the moment. Switzerland, previously Austrias second-largest export market, saw painful losses, with export volume down by 33.1% and value falling by 18.2%. A general decrease in Swiss wine imports, particularly red wines, contributed to these figures. Meanwhile, the US overtook Switzerland as Austrias second-largest wine export destination, accounting for 8.5% of revenues. NARROWS, Va. A major clean-up campaign will be getting underway this weekend along the New River in Giles County. Called "ReNew The News Ramps N Roads," the river clean-up will be held Saturday, April 5, and will focus on areas along the New River impacted by Helene and recent flooding events. According Cora Gnegy, tourism director for Giles County, registered volunteers for the clean up will gather Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. at Eastern Elementary Middle School in Pembroke. She said all interested volunteers are encouraged to sign up for the river clean-up campaign online at www.ReNewtheNew.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the river clean-up campaign is a long standing community event, this year organizers will focus on debris and other areas along the river impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Helene last fall and the recent February flooding. Gnegy said volunteers will drive their own vehicles or convoy to specified locations. Project coordinator Charlie Mullins said in a press release that there will be 15 sites throughout the county to include four islands that will be the focus of the weekend clean-up effort. Supplies and gloves will be provided, and those wishing to volunteer should wear appropriate clothing, including closed toe shoes, according to event organizers. The organizing committee is still seeking volunteers with their own Jon boats who would be willing to assist with the on-water transportation of the Virginia Tech Corp of Cadets, who will be supporting the effort with 500 individuals. All debris will be left bankside where the Giles County Public Service Authority, in partnership with ReNew the New, will collect and dispose of it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those individuals who are interested in volunteering with their boat are asked reach out to Mullins at cmullins@gilescounty.org. Lunch will be provided for all volunteers around noon at their worksite as a thank you for their donated time and efforts. ReNew the New held its first clean up in 2001 and since then has removed thousands of pounds of trash and tires from the New River. Giles County is home to 37 miles of the New River. As Donald Trump's administration continues to gut scientific funding and diminish the role of research all while installing crackpot anti-vaccine figureheads to lead entire federal agencies scientists are starting to look for greener pastures. According to a Nature poll of more than 1,200 scientists, a startling 75 percent said they're now considering leaving the United States. Europe and Canada emerged as top choices for relocation. And if that wasn't enough sign of intellectual erosion, a whopping 79 percent of postgraduate researchers and 255 of 340 PhD students said they'd consider leaving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Anywhere that supports science," one respondent wrote of where they'd go instead. "This is my home I really love my country," another graduate student at a top US university wrote. "But a lot of my mentors have been telling me to get out, right now." It's a sad reality for researchers, who are increasingly seeing no future with Trump at the helm. The poll highlights the threat of a massive brain drain as scientists are forced to pursue opportunities abroad instead. Experts have warned that the country's reputation as a world-leading place to conduct scientific research has taken a massive hit under the current Trump administration, which could also have disastrous long-term economic consequences in the years ahead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While thousands of scientists have been rehired following mass firings at federal government agencies, concerns over future layoffs are still widespread. Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency is still laying waste to one agency after the next. Earlier today, hundreds of federal health workers were told they'd be losing their jobs. Massive cuts to grants and stipends, in particular, have US-based scientists reeling. Studies and clinical trials have ground to a halt. Countless projects are being canceled. "Seeing all of the work stopped is heartbreaking," the graduate student quoted above wrote. "Ive been looking very diligently for opportunities in Europe, Australia, and Mexico." "If I want to work in that space, Im going to have to find somewhere else that prioritizes that," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, institutions outside the US are counting their lucky stars and are expecting a massive influx of talent. "From what Im hearing from the places were talking to, and other people who are looking to take international jobs, a lot of universities in these countries are seeing this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity," another researcher, who has been in touch with a Canadian university after his National Institutes of Health grant was terminated, told Nature. "I think it has gone from 'Can we recruit a few people?' to 'How many people can we actually take?' because the demand is there," he added. The hit to US universities could threaten the country's competitiveness, especially when it comes to high-interest areas like AI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Universities are tremendously important engines of innovation," New York University professor Sabrina Howell told the New York Times. "This is really killing the goose that lays the golden egg." In short, the Trump administration's attack on science could be a devastating and potentially unprecedented self-own. "Weve had a pretty good run over the past 60 to 80 years," Duke University economist Daniel Gross, who found in a working paper that Trump's cuts could disproportionately affect institutions with the most successful research programs, told the NYT. "Sometimes you dont realize the value of something until its gone." More on brain drain: NASA Disgusted by Elon Musk's Disrespect A 54-year-old man was stabbed to death at his Bronx home, and police have taken a man believed to be his stepson into custody, cops and sources said Tuesday. Police were called to Craeg Robinsons apartment building on Lyon Ave. near Zerega Ave. in Westchester Square at 7:03 p.m. on Monday. Robinson was suffering from a stab wound to the torso, cops said. Robinsons stepson, who lives in the same apartment and is in his 20s, fled the scene, according to police sources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When officers arrived Robinson was in critical condition. Medics rushed him to Jacobi Medical Center, but he could not be saved. Shortly after the stabbing, police nabbed a suspect about a block away from Robinsons apartment, though it was not immediately clear whether this individual was the stepson. The suspect was later hospitalized to undergo a likely psychiatric evaluation, according to police sources. Charges against him were not immediately filed. Before his death, Robinson had a warrant out for his arrest, according to sources. He had 21 prior arrests in the city. RUSK COUNTY, Texas (KETK) A man was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a child family member multiple times a week for almost two years in Rusk County. According to the arrest affidavit, on March 24 deputies took a report from a woman that her daughter had been sexually assaulted by a family member starting when she was eight and reportedly stopped in February 2023. AFFIDAVIT: Smith County couple arrested after stepfather accused of sexually assaulting stepdaughter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The document said during a forensic interview the child explained that the abuse started when she was eight but almost nine which would have been around the summer of 2021, and that the acts took place two or three times a week. Mugshot of Humberto Martinez, courtesy of Rusk County Jail The affidavit said February 2023 was the last time the child remembered it happening because it was at another family members home in Price. The victim said she was sexually assaulted at the RV trailer of Humberto Martinez in Price most times. Legislator proposes Audrii Law to strengthen sex offender guidelines After the interview, the victim made a third party consent call to the suspect where he made incriminating statements that made him at risk of prosecution, the document said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martinez was arrested on March 26 for continuous sex abuse of a child under 14 and an ICE detainer. He is being held on a $100,000 bond at the Rusk 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 KETK.com | FOX51.com. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) A man was taken into custody after he was accused of stabbing a person in Northwest D.C. on Monday morning. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said the stabbing happened just minutes before 11 a.m. on March 31 in the 1100 block of F Street. Police investigating suspicious death in Laurel According to police, 45-year-old Ricky Camacho allegedly approached the victim and stabbed them before leaving the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Medics took the victim to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. As detectives continued their investigation, Camacho was arrested shortly after the stabbing. Police charged Camacho with assault with a dangerous weapon (knife). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) A man arrested on home invasion charges in Southwest Michigan is also accused of killing his parents in Missouri, police say. The break-in happened on March 29 around 12:45 a.m. at a home on Blue Star Highway, police said. Covert Township police say Jason Sessoms went into the home and was confronted by the homeowner, who was armed. Sessoms tried to flee but was met outside by officers. Officers say Sessoms fought back when they tried to arrest him and to disarm an officer. Sessoms was found with two handguns, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After his arrest, officers found a juvenile family member traveling with him. Investigators questioned the juvenile to try and locate family, at which point they learned Sessoms had shot and killed his own parents in Kansas City, Missouri. Clay County, Missouri, prosecutors have charged Sessoms with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action, WDAF, WOOD TV8s sister station in Kansas City, reports. WDAF reports the killings happened at an Extended Stay motel. Talking to investigators, Sessoms said he couldnt find some of his money and found out his mother spent it on the motel room, which disappointed him, WDAF said, citing court documents. Sessoms told investigators he crept up to his mother while she was sleeping and shot her twice in the head, the documents said. His father woke up and tried to disarm Sessoms, but was shot in the back of the head, WDAF reports. Sessoms is being held at the Van Buren County Jail on charges of first-degree home invasion, attempting to disarm a police officer, car theft, carrying a concealed weapon and resisting and obstructing a police officer. He was arraigned on those charges Sunday in South Haven. 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. Authorities have arrested a man suspected of wounding at least three people during a two-state shooting rampage that ended Tuesday morning near the California desert town of Baker. The string of shootings is believed to have started Monday night in Blue Diamond, Nev., and continued south into California, where the suspect was taken into custody by San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies, according to authorities. In a statement, the Sheriffs Department identified the suspect as Antonio Chaidez, 35. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the attacks, Chaidez is believed to have shot at people asleep in their vehicles, but it's unclear what sparked the shootings or why the people were targeted. . The chain of events began about 10:25 Monday evening in Blue Diamond, where Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officials say a shooter fired multiple times toward a person who was asleep in his truck. The incident occurred in the 13500 block of Blue Diamond Road, and the target was not harmed, police said in a statement. A few hours later, officials say, a second shooting took place in Jean, Nev. sometime around 2 a.m. A man told Las Vegas police he was asleep in his car when someone began to shoot at him. He was uninjured, and the shooter fled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few minutes later, a third shooting was reported in California. San Bernardino County deputies found a man about 2:30 a.m. who they believed had been shot in his car while sleeping, off Cima Road not far from the Halloran Springs area. The Sheriff's Department's statement didn't disclose the man's condition. Read more: L.A. County sheriff's deputy shoots man in West Hollywood About 10 minutes later, according to the statement, deputies responded to a a Chevron gas station in Baker, where a shooter had fired several rounds into the gas station through a back door and hit a clerk, and also shot into two parked big rigs, hitting one of the drivers. All three victims were taken to hospitals. Their status is unknown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol spotted the suspect's vehicle heading south on Interstate 15 near Afton Canyon Road and began a pursuit; deputies assisted and arrested Chaidez about 20 miles away, off Harvard Road. 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. EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) A man was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in East Hartford, according to police. 1 person injured in possible arson in East Hartford The incident happened just prior to 5 a.m. at the Margaritas Mexican Restaurant parking lot on Roberts Street. The victim told police that she was assaulted by an Uber driver. Detectives were able to locate the suspects vehicle in a commuter lot in Manchester, leading to his arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 38-year-old Isaac Boafo was charged with sexual assault in the first degree and disorderly conduct. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Editors Note: RPD re-clarified that the incident happened on St. Paul Street. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) A suspect was arrested after an attack on St. Paul Street sent one man to the hospital. On March 31, Rochester police responded to the area around 8:31 p.m. for reports of a stabbing. They found the victim, a 62-year-old man, with at least one laceration. He was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital and is expected to survive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators said an altercation happened between the victim and suspect inside a home on St. Paul Boulevard, which resulted in the suspect hitting the victim with an object. A 49-year-old man was found in the area and was arrested. His name was not revealed. RPD said he was charged accordingly. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 U.S. bankruptcy court judge has denied Johnson & Johnson's settlement plan related to baby powder containing talc, providing another setback in the company's efforts to resolve the matter. This is the third bankruptcy case for a J&J company as it relates to the baby powder issue. Red River Talc LLC, a J&J subsidiary, was seeking confirmation of a proposed prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan that would have been one of the biggest mass tort settlements in history, if approved. Red River and J&J proposed to pay $9 billion to settle ovarian cancer and other gynecological cancer litigation claims based on talc-related products. But Judge Christopher Lopez of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston division said in a court filing that J&J used a faulty voter solicitation process when dealing with personal injury claimants. J&J said in a statement that it will not pursue an appeal, and instead will return to the civil law system to litigate and defeat these meritless talc claims. It will also reverse about $7 billion of a previous reserve. The company said that it has settled 95% of filed mesothelioma lawsuits, concluded all state consumer protection claims, and all talc-supplier disputes. Last year a subsidiary of J&J proposed to pay approximately $6.48 billion over 25 years as part of a settlement in the U.S. to cover allegations that its baby powder containing talc caused ovarian cancer. The lawsuits filed against J&J had alleged its talcum powder caused users to develop ovarian cancer through use for feminine hygiene, or mesothelioma, a cancer that strikes the lungs and other organs. The claims contributed to a drop in J&Js sales of baby powder, prompting the company to stop selling its talc-based products in 2020. In 2022, J&J announced plans to cease sales of the product worldwide. J&J said at the time that the reorganization plan for the subsidiary was significantly different from a previous reorganization that was announced. The company said that the plan would resolve 99.75% of all pending talc lawsuits against it and its affiliates in the U.S. At the time, J&J said that the remaining pending personal injury lawsuits that relate to mesothelioma would be addressed outside of the plan. Shares of J&J declined more than 3% before the market open on Tuesday. The nepo baby in charge of America's healthcare ascribes to homophobic conspiracy theories about the origins of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and he's purportedly planning to close the office that helps prevent its spread. According to federal health officials who spoke to CBS News, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr is slated to lay off the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department's entire Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, as well as its minority health office. This move comes amid a broader "restructuring" that will, per a recent announcement, eliminate 20,000 positions at the agency. It also comes just a few weeks after the Food and Drug Administration, which is part of HHS, raided a manufacturer of amyl nitrate, the scientific name for the popular and legal-ish sex and club inhalant better known as "poppers." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement that circulated on social media, poppers company Double Scorpio announced that it was closing following the raid and said that other manufacturers may also have been impacted. Not long after, RFK Jr.'s past claims about poppers resurfaced, which included his insistence that the inhalant causes AIDS and not, as per decades-established medical science, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). "The initial signals of AIDS, Kaposis sarcoma and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), were both strongly linked to amyl nitrite 'poppers' a popular drug among promiscuous gays," the political scion wrote in a book he penned about Anthony Fauci, the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "Other common 'wasting' symptoms were all associated with heavy drug use and lifestyle stressors." Ironically, president Donald Trump was, during his first administration, seemingly a huge advocate for HIV prevention and research. In 2019, Trump launched the "Ending the HIV Epidemic" initiative, which made pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications free for low-income Americans and made him the first president in American history ever to make HIV and AIDS a federal priority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When announcing the initiative during his state of the union address that year, Trump boasted that "scientific breakthroughs" funded by his program would help "defeat AIDS in America." With Trump 2.0, however, it seems that dream has all but died. A few weeks ago, insider sources told the Wall Street Journal that HHS is reducing or eliminating entirely its funding for HIV prevention including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's free PrEP program. As The Guardian reported soon after claims of the forthcoming HIV and infectious disease office cuts, the National Institutes of Health, which is also under HHS, terminated at least 145 grants for HIV research worth a cumulative $450 million. Between these slated HIV prevention rollbacks and the resurgence of AIDS denialism, it's starting to feel a lot like the 1980s and 90s again an era marred by the loss of nearly half a million people in the United States while their government turned away. More on the new HHS: Government Hires Crackpot to "Study" Nonexistent Link Between Vaccines and Autism KANSAS CITY, Mo. A Riverside, Missouri, man is accused of killing his parents at a Kansas City, Missouri, motel this past weekend. Clay County prosecutors on Monday charged Jason Christopher Sessoms with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action. Man charged with murder in connection to shooting of KC store owner Just before 4 a.m. on Saturday, March 29, Kansas City police officers responded to the Extended Stay motel near North Corrington Avenue and Northeast Parvin Road to follow up on a missing persons investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When officers arrived, they were taken to a motel room where a man and woman, identified as 42-year-old Marvin Sessoms and 38-year-old Maleeka Sessoms, were found dead from gunshot wounds. Court documents say Jason Sessoms was taken into custody in Michigan for home invasion, attempting to disarm a police officer and resisting a police officer. At the time he was taken into custody, court documents say Jason was armed with two handguns. Jason told detectives he couldnt find some of his money and realized his mother spent it on the motel room, which disappointed him, court documents say. Jason stated he crept up to his mothers side of the bed and shot her twice in the head. His father woke up and tried to reach for his own gun, at which time he shot his father in the back of the head, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Court documents say detectives contacted Jasons roommates who stated last week something made Jason snap. They attributed it to the pressure from his family, saying he was very upset when he learned his mother went to Philadelphia, picked up his brother and father and returned without a plan or money. Jason is currently being held at the Van Buren County Detention Facility in Paw Paw, Michigan on a $2 million 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 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. DENVER (KDVR) A man who tried to flee after he was faced with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents outside the Denver County jail has been charged with forcibly assaulting a federal officer with physical contact. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Colorado said it had filed a charge against Abraham Gonzalez Romero, 23, of Venezuela. He appeared in federal court on Monday, according to the office, although he was arrested in late February. Man sentenced in deadly 2024 US 285 crash detained by ICE Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The charge comes as ICE continues to make statements online warning anyone faced with federal agents that assaulting an officer is a serious federal crime. The agency has posted images telling individuals to think before you resist, and assaulting a federal officer may cost you your freedom. The U.S. Attorneys Office said that ICE Denver Fugitive Operations Unit and Homeland Security Investigation Denver encountered Gonzalez Romero on Feb. 28 as he was being released from the Denver County jail. Its unclear why he had been in jail. The U.S. Attorneys Office said that the officers present had ICE badges and placards visible when they approached Gonzalez Romero. One officer attempted to contact Gonzalez Romero, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, and the suspect jumped over a nearby handrail and ran. Officers pursued, and one officer positioned himself to block his exit. The U.S. Attorneys Office said Gonzalez Romero ran straight at the officer rather than swerve to avoid him, which resulted in the pair colliding. The officer was knocked backwards from the impact and both fell to the ground. The U.S. Attorneys Office did not say if the officer was injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US attorney general announces federal charges, Texas arrest of Tesla crime suspect Gonzalez Romero was subsequently subdued and arrested, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The U.S. Attorneys Office, citing an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, said Gonzalez Romero entered the U.S. without documentation at or near Eagle Pass, Texas, on or about Sept. 20, 2023. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. A Colorado man facing two federal felony charges for allegedly firebombing a Tesla dealership denies a suggestion from the US Attorney General that he was trying to run from authorities. Cooper Frederick, 24, of Fort Collins, is charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious attempted destruction of property in the March 7 attack on Tesla property in Loveland, Colorado. An incendiary device was ignited and thrown at the Tesla building, landing between two vehicles, the Loveland Police Department said in a news release. Several people inside, who were cleaning the building, were put at risk; however, our responding officer quickly extinguished the fire, preventing further harm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple Tesla locations around the country have been attacked in recent weeks with gunfire and Molotov cocktails, law enforcement agencies report. The Trump administration is calling those incidents domestic terrorism intended to intimidate White House adviser Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. Cooper Frederick - Larimer County Sheriff's Office Frederick was arrested March 13 on state charges in the Colorado case, charged with multiple felonies and released on bond the following day, Larimer County jail records show. He was arrested March 28 in Plano, Texas, on federal charges. Let this be a warning. You can run, but you cannot hide, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video statement posted to X Monday night. Fredericks attorney called Bondis suggestion that Frederick was on the run a material misrepresentation of the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Frederick lived in Colorado until March 19 when the decision was made for him to move home to Texas to live with his parents, attorney Kelly Page told CNN. Despite the insinuation by Ms. Bondi that Mr. Frederick fled and was apprehended in Texas, DOJ was notified of this move by counsel, and Mr. Frederick remained fully cooperative with the courts and the investigation until he was arrested on the warrant at his home in Texas. The Justice Department has mounted a furious response to the attacks on Tesla, launching an FBI task force, promising that attackers would face federal charges and suggesting there would be no plea bargains. All of these cases are a serious threat to public safety. Therefore, there will be no negotiating, Bondi said Monday. We are seeking 20 years in prison. Frederick has not yet entered a plea in the case and is currently in federal custody without bond. A hearing in the federal case had not yet been set in Colorado as of Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are still in the process of gathering information and facts about the allegations and will rely on the professionalism of the U.S. Attorney in our district to treat Mr. Frederick fairly despite the recent inflammatory press statements from Washington, D.C., Page said. We intend to litigate this case in court, like any other federal criminal matter, and not in the media. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Kansas City man has been charged with murder in the shooting of his parentsin a Northland motel room over the weekend. Jason Sessoms, 20, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal actions in the death of his father, 42-year-old Marvin Sessoms, and his mother, 38-year-old Maleeka Sessoms. Officers responded to the Extended Stay Kansas City motel in the 4300 block of North Corrington Avenue around 3:45 a.m. on March 29, where they discovered the Sessoms unresponsive with gunshot wounds. Paramedics pronounced the husband and wife dead at the scene, according to Kansas City Police Department spokesperson Capt. Jake Becchina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jason Sessoms was arrested on March 29 in Michigan on a burglary charge, court documents read. When Michigan police interviewed his 10-year-old brother, who was traveling with Jason, the juvenile allegedly told officers that Jason had killed their parents earlier that day. Marvin and Maleeka Sessoms had reportedly left Kansas City Wednesday to visit Marvins sister in Georgia, according to court documents. Marvins sister filed a missing persons report with the Gladstone, Missouri Police Department Friday, after the couple stopped contacting her and Marvins phone was found in Illinois, court documents read. The family reportedly drove part of the way to Georgia but returned to Kansas City to retrieve a school laptop belonging to their younger son, according to court documents. Marvins sister also told investigators that part of the motivation behind the planned trip was that Jason believed someone in Kansas City had put out a hit on him, court documents read, which was also why Marvin and Maleeka had been staying at Extended Stay Kansas City. When a relative attempted to contact Maleeka on March 28, Jason answered her cellphone, according to court documents. Video surveillance captured at the hotel show Jason and his young brother packing items into a black Mitsubishi car and driving away that night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jason Sessoms initially told police that a man had entered the motel room and killed his parents, according to court documents.. He then told investigators that he had shot his parents in their sleep after realizing he was missing some money, which he believed his mother spent on renting the motel room, court documents read. Jason Sessoms is currently being held in the Van Buren County Detention Center in Paw Paw, Michigan, according to the Clay County prosecutors office. Plans for his extradition to Missouri have not yet been determined. Marvin and Maleeka Sessoms deaths were the 34th and 35th homicides reported in Kansas City in 2025, according to data collected by The Star. At the same time last year, 30 homicides had been reported in the city. Previous reporting by Kendrick Calfee contributed to this article. PORTLAND, Tenn. (WKRN) A 20-year-old man has been charged in connection with the shooting death of a teenager in Portland in February. Austin Dill, 19, was shot on Saturday, Feb. 22 at around 5 p.m.at a home on Founders Lane and died from his injuries the next day at TriStar Skyline Medical Center. According to court records, 20-year-old Trevor Ethan Choate was arrested Monday night and charged with reckless homicide in Dills death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Forever 19: Portland community mourns teen who died after shooting Austin Dill (Courtesy: Dill family) Austin Dill (Photo: WKRN) Austin Dill (Courtesy: Dill family) According to court documents, witnesses at the scene told officers Dill shot himself accidentally though the Medical Examiner determined his cause of death was homicide. Three witnesses later spoke a detective at the police station and said Dill was shot by Choate, according to Portland police. He would give you the shirt off his back if you asked for it, Dills uncle Darrin Moss told News 2. No matter you was, young or old, he would walk up to you and just hug you and tell you he loved you and start talking to you. Dill was beloved by his family and in his community. According to his obituary, the 19-year-olds ability to light up a room was unparalleled, and he had a unique gift for making others feel valued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moss said his nephew loved cars and was known for driving his Camaro. In fact, Dills friends put together a car show in Bowling Green on Saturday, March 1 to honor his legacy. When Austin got shot, we thought that everything was going to be okay, but God must have had bigger plans for him, Moss told News 2. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Hundreds of people have donated more than $19,000 to a GoFundMe set up to help Dills family cover their medical bills, funeral expenses and other essential costs. If you would like to contribute, click here. Portland Police Chief Jason Arnold told News 2s Andy Cordan Choate confessed and turned himself in to authorities. Choate was booked into the Sumner County jail Monday night on no bond. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) An accused serial shoplifter is behind bars after reportedly stealing over $19,000 in merchandise from Bath & Body Works stores in Davidson County. Elijah Mann, 20, faces various felony and misdemeanor charges spanning 21 counts in connection with the thefts. According to court documents, on at least eight occasions, Mann was captured on surveillance video entering Bath and Body Works stores often with two to three other people and filling baskets with thousands of dollars in merchandise before leaving without attempting to pay. Investigators said most of the thefts lasted under three minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee Oct. 8, 2024: Nashville West Shopping Center Bath & Body Works, 75 three-wick candles, 108 fragrance sprays, 19 scent boosters, one fragrance plug and shopping baskets totaling $3,550.75 Jan. 5, 2025: Nashville West Shopping Center Bath & Body Works, 112 three-wick candles and shopping baskets totaling $3,158.40 Feb. 24, 2025: Gallatin Pike North Bath & Body Works, 45 three-wick candles and shopping baskets totaling $1,252.75 March 1, 2025: Nashville West Shopping Center Bath & Body Works, 45 three-wick candles and shopping baskets totaling $1,252.75 March 6, 2025: Nashville West Shopping Center Bath & Body Works, candles and shopping baskets totaling $1,144 March 10, 2025: Nashville West Shopping Center Bath & Body Works, candles and shopping baskets totaling $1,804.80 March 14, 2025: Nashville West Shopping Center Bath & Body Works, candles and shopping baskets totaling $1,602.25 March 24, 2025: Nashville West Shopping Center Bath & Body Works, 160 three-wick candles, 100 fragrance sprays and ten shopping baskets, totaling $5,407 During an investigation of the January theft, detectives recognized Mann from other incidents at the location. Investigators confirmed his identity by comparing surveillance footage to his drivers license photo and social media posts. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Officials said Mann posted in multiple Nashville buy-and-sell Facebook groups on dates consistent with the shoplifting incidents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was arrested Monday and booked into Metro Jail on a $52,500 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 WKRN News 2. PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) A federal court has denied a request by one of three men convicted in a Berkshire County triple murder to have his conviction overturned. David Chalue was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder, kidnapping and witness intimidation in the 2011 killings of David Glasser, Edward Frampton, and Robert Chadwell. Chalue filed a petition with the federal court saying that his 6th Amendment rights were violated during his trial in 2014. The federal court disagreed, finding error in a judges jury instructions but saying that didnt affect the outcome of the case. The information from the Berkshire County District Attorneys Office states Chalue filed a request based on the following: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trial judge gave an erroneous instruction to a lone juror and then to the rest of the jurors concerning the reaching of a unanimous verdict. The United States District Court found that, while this instruction was erroneous, there was not proof that the instructions altered the final guilty verdict. This decision was based on the fact the jury continued to deliberate for a lengthy period following the judges erroneous instruction to the lone juror. The trial judge repeatedly allowed the admission of irrelevant and prejudicial bad-act evidence. The United States District Court found this challenge to be unfounded. While a photo of a weapon that was not used in the murder was admitted, the Court found that said photo had no effect on the outcome of the trial. The prosecutor made several misstatements of evidence, inferences, and emotional appeals in his opening statement and summation. The Court found this challenge to be unfounded. No new trial for Caius Veiovis in triple murder case Robert Chadwell, David Glasser, and Edward Frampton (22News 2014 file photo) The District Court also declined to issue a Certificate Of Appealability, blocking any further federal appeal of his claims. Chalue is serving three consecutive life sentences for the murders. Two other men, Adam Lee Hall and Caius Veiovis, are also serving consecutive life sentences. The Supreme Judicial Court had earlier denied the appeals of Hall and Veiovis. Adam Lee Hall, Caius Veiovis, and David Chalue (22News 2014 file photo) Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue praised the decision, noting that these three defendants each received a fair trial and were properly sentenced for crimes that are assuredly among the worst ever committed in Berkshire County. Shugrue added, A great team of investigators mounted the single largest investigation in the history of Berkshire County that enabled District Attorney Capeless and his team of prosecutors to present the damning evidence that convinced three juries to return the proper verdicts. An equal effort over the past ten-plus years has been expended to maintain those verdicts, and all involved should have the grateful thanks of Berkshire Countys citizens. 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. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) WSAV spoke with the brother of one of the three 3rd ID soldiers found dead after their training vehicle sunk in a bog in Lithuania. On Monday, Joshua Jr. Mafnas said he received news of the worst possible outcome. His brother, Dante Taitano, who hed watched out for and cared for his whole life, had been found dead in Lithuania. I helped raise him since he was born actually. Ive been there with him as much as my mom and my sister. Us three basically raised him. I was there with him up until I left for the Army, Mafnas said. He was known to be very energetic and caring. He loved to cook for his friends, and he was a fighter too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mafnas talked with WSAV from his home in Texas. He was in the military as well, and he was a role model for Dante. He actually joined the army because I joined the army as well. He told my mom thats why he wanted to join, Mafnas said. Taitano was a mechanic in the First Armored Brigade combat team of the 3rd Infantry Division. His brother said he was full of excitement the day of his Army graduation. I was very proud of him. He loved the Army. He was very excited and proud to be in the military as well. Taitano was stationed at Fort Stewart, but his family couldnt wait for him to come home. He was going to finish his current term and move in with us. We always video timed and talked about it. He was excited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, though, they are mourning a life lost and what could have been. I know these things. Ive been in the military. I know it doesnt end well if you go missing in the military, Mafnas said. Just before he left for his training, he was letting me know that he was going there, and I told him be safe, I love you and stay out of trouble. The search for the last of the four soldiers, who hasnt been found yet is still underway, according to US Army Europe and Africa. The names of the other two soldiers have not been officially released. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. BREAUX BRIDGE, La. (KLFY) A man has died in a deadly crash involving an impaired driver in St. Martin Parish. Officials said the crash claimed the life of 44-year-old Brad Madere of St. Martinville. Louisiana State Police investigated a single-vehicle fatality crash shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday involving a pedestrian on La. 353, just north of Rookery Road. According to officials, Madere was walking on La. 353 near the southbound fog line. At the same time, 58-year-old Troy Alfred of Lafayette, was traveling south on La. 353 in a 2019 Ram 1500. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Investigators said Madere entered the southbound lane as the Ram approached. Despite the driver taking evasive action to avoid a collision, Madere was struck by the vehicle. Officials said Madere died at the scene. Alfred was uninjured. During the investigation, officials said Alfred provided a breath sample that revealed a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit and was sent to the St. Martin Parish jail on the charges of driving while impaired and obstructed view through windshield/windows. A standard toxicology sample was also collected from Madere and submitted for analysis. 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. By Qabil Ashirov Mehdi Sanai, the Political Adviser to the President of Iran, has arrived in Azerbaijan for an official visit. His itinerary includes meetings with Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, as well as Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and other high-ranking officials. The visit is expected to focus on bilateral relations, regional developments, and political cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran. TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / Black Iron Inc. ("Black Iron" or the "Company") (TSX:BKI) is please to announce the appointment of Stephen Woodhead as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective immediately. Mr. Woodhead is a graduate of the University of Cape Town and a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. Mr. Woodhead has over 30 years of experience in the resource sector, having worked for Trans Hex Group, a South African diamond producer, before relocating to Canada in 1997 as Chief Financial Officer of Trans Hex International. Mr. Woodhead is a director of Lipari Mining, and has worked as Chief Financial Officer / VP Finance with various public companies, including Desert Sun Mining, from 2003 until it was acquired by Yamana Gold in 2006, developer and operator of the Jacobina gold mine in Brazil, Homeland Energy (developer of a coal mine in South Africa), Crocodile Gold (developer, operator and acquiror of gold mines in Australia), Trigon Metals (developer of a copper mine in Namibia), and Gratomic (focused on graphite exploration and development in Namibia and Brazil). Mr. Woodhead also served as a director of Apogee Minerals (silver) and Vaaldiam Mining (diamonds). Mr. Woodhead's appointment follows the resignation of Paul Bozoki as the former Chief Financial Officer of the Company. The Company's management and board of directors thank Paul for his years of dedication to the Company, and wishes him the best in his future endeavours. Matt Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, "it has been a real pleasure working with Paul, as in addition to being a highly competent CFO, he took on a number of important tasks outside of his core role with strong leadership and follow-through, plus shared extensive experience in land-transfer related matters. On behalf of the Board and myself, we welcome Stephen Woodhead to our team and look forward to leveraging his international experience." About Black Iron Black Iron is an iron ore exploration and development company, advancing its 100% owned Shymanivske Iron Ore Project located in Kryviy Rih, Ukraine. Full mineral resource details and projected project economics can be found in the NI 43-101 technical report entitled "(Amended) Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Re-scoped Shymanivske Iron Ore Deposit" published in March 2020 with an effective date of November 21, 2017 under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Project is surrounded by five other operating mines, including Metinvest's YuGOK and ArcelorMittal's iron ore complex. Please visit the Company's website at www.blackiron.com for more information AUSTIN (KXAN) A Williamson County man pleaded guilty on Monday in connection with the murder of his parents at their Georgetown home in January 2024. A Williamson County District Attorneys Office press release said Seth Carnes, 47, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. According to the press release, Carnes was indicted in connection with the death of his parents, retired District Court Judge Alfred Carnes and Susan Carnes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Detective: Son allegedly admitted to shooting mother, father with shotgun On January 8, 2024, the Williamson County Sheriffs Office said it received a call that Carnes had shot his father. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Judge Carnes and his wife dead; both were victims of shotgun wounds. Carnes confessed at the scene, and in a later interview, said he had killed his parents, the press release said. This guilty plea ensures that Seth Carnes is held accountable for his actions in this heartbreaking case, District Attorney Shawn Dick said. Judge Carnes and his wife Susan were beloved members of the community where they lived and served. The loss of their lives in this manner devastated not only their family but many within the community who loved and respected them. While nothing can undo the profound loss suffered by the family of Judge and Mrs. Carnes, this outcome brings a measure of justice and finality to a deeply tragic situation. We hope this resolution can offer some small degree of peace to the family members as they continue to heal. 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 KXAN Austin. The U.S. government accidentally deported a man to El Salvador because of an "administrative error," landing him in a notorious megajail and leaving him stuck there in legal limbo, according to legal papers filed Monday. Kilmar Abrego Garcia came to the United States from El Salvador in 2011 and is a legal resident protected by a 2019 court order that prevented him from being sent back to his home country. But in court papers filed Monday, the government admitted that "on March 15, although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abrego Garcia lives in Maryland with his wife and 5-year-old child, who is autistic and intellectually disabled. The couple both work full-time, the filing says. NBC Washington first reported the deportation, and The Atlantic first reported the "administrative error." Garcias deportation comes as The Trump administration continues to deport hundreds of people to El Salvador, many of them from Venezuela and almost all bound for the maximum-security Terrorist Confinement Center, known by its Spanish acronym CECOT. Men arrive at the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, in an image released Monday. The deportation appears to coincide with the departure of three planeloads of people to El Salvador on March 15. Lawyers for some of those who were deported said they were falsely accused of gang affiliations because of their tattoos. Garcia, his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, and their legal team filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Maryland last week calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to ensure his return to the United States and for the government to stop paying El Salvador to keep him in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its filing Monday, the government said the U.S. courts do not have jurisdiction to seek his release. Salvadoran government images show masked guards marching crowds of men with shaven heads inside the largest jail in Latin America. To her shock, Garcia's wife learned her husband was being detained only after she spotted him in an image in a news article with his head shaved and wearing white overalls, the lawsuit says. The men were kneeling, their faces obscured but she said she spotted his tattoos and two scars on his head. The government, however, alleges that Garcia was an "active member of the criminal gang MS-13," citing an unidentified informant at a 2019 bond hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garcia's lawyers strenuously deny that and claim the government "has never produced an iota of evidence to support this unfounded allegation." Garcia left El Salvador to escape gang violence, his lawyers say, after gangsters threatened to kill him in an attempt to extort his parents. Vice President JD Vance weighed into the case and falsely said Tuesday on X that Garcia was a "convicted MS-13 gang member." Garcia has no criminal convictions in the United States or in El Salvador, his legal team said in the lawsuit. In a follow-up post Tuesday, Vance stood by his comments and called Garcia "an illegal immigrant with no right to be in our country," despite the 2019 protection order against his removal from the country. "We disagree that he is an MS-13 gang member. The only basis of his gang membership was a confidential informant, there was never any hard and fast proof," Garcias attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said in a statement to NBC News in response to Vances posts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is a judicial process. They could have gone back to the judge who, in 2019, gave him an order of protection and could have asked that judge to lift that order. They didnt do that, they just put him on an airplane," Sandoval-Moshenberg added. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also addressed the case Tuesday, reiterating the claim that he was a member of MS-13. On March 12, after he finished his shift as a sheet metal worker and picked up his child, Garcia was pulled over and arrested by Homeland Security agents, one of whom told him his "status has changed," says a lawsuit calling for his release from last week. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers told him that his wife had to collect the couple's child within 10 minutes or he would be handed over to Child Protective Services, the filing alleges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She arrived and found Garcia "confused, distraught and crying," but she got no explanation for his arrest, the filing says. Garcia was interviewed and repeatedly asked about gang affiliations but told his wife that he was due to appear before an immigration judge and expected to be released. He then called her from a detention center in Texas, telling her he was about to be deported, the filing says. Garcia's lawsuit accuses the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and several Cabinet members named as defendants of deciding to deport him without following the law, in full knowledge that "El Salvador tortures individuals detained in CECOT." "Upon information and belief, they did so knowing and intending that the Government of El Salvador would detain Plaintiff Abrego Garcia in CECOT immediately upon arrival," the lawsuit says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government's court filing Monday said members of Garcia's legal team "have not clearly shown a likelihood that Abrego Garcia will be tortured or killed in CECOT." The human rights organization Cristosal reported last year that at least 261 people have died in Salvadoran prisons since 2022, while Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other groups have documented extreme crowding and torture at Salvadoran prisons, including CECOT. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A DHS spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday that "the individual in question is a member of the brutal MS-13 gang we have intelligence reports that he is involved in human trafficking." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Whether he is in El Salvador or a detention facility in the U.S., he should be locked up," the spokesperson added. "Remarkable that The Atlantic and other MSM continue to do the bidding of these vicious gangs and ignore their victims." A judge in Greenbelt, Maryland, is due to hear the case Friday. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com WASHINGTON (DC News Now) A man will serve 10 years in prison after he stabbed a Safe Passage Ambassador multiple times near a high school in D.C. last year, said the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia (USADC). The USADC announced Friday, March 28, that 43-year-old Roy Stover was sentenced to 120 months in prison. In February 2025, Stover pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill at the D.C. Superior Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Government evidence revealed that on June 5, 2024, a worker for D.C. Safe Passage, a program that supports students travel safety to and from school, was standing at his post on 45th and Meade Street NE near Ron Brown High School when Stover approached him. Court docs: Man confesses to stabbing, strangling, killing 87-year-old grandmother in Potomac According to the USADC, Stover began yelling and cursing at the man. Thats when Stover took out a knife and swung it at the mans leg, causing him to fall. Once on the ground, Stover continued to stab the man six times in his chest, back and leg. After the incident, neighbors found the man and called 911. He was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for multiple stab wounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ring camera video from a home nearby captured the stabbing and identified Stover as the attacker. The attorneys office noted that Stover and the victim did not know each other. About a month later, Stover was arrested and has been in custody since then. On Friday, a judge also ordered Stover to serve three years of supervised probation upon his release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A man in the eighth year of a 12-year prison sentence for three robberies is asking a court for an early release. Read next: Lake Milton man facing kidnapping charge Lawyers for Terrance Tucker, 56, filed the motion Monday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court before Judge Anthony DApolito. Judge DApolito sentenced Tucker on Oct. 23, 2017, to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated robbery, all first-degree felonies, along with a firearm specification. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details of the robberies are not immediately available. The cases were bound over to common pleas court from Youngstown Municipal Court. Court records show that Tucker, acting as his own attorney, asked for an early release in 2021. That request was denied. This time, he is represented by attorney Walter J. Ritchie, who filed Mondays motion on his behalf. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. BROOKHAVEN, Miss. (WJTV) A man wanted in connection to a homicide at a Brookhaven apartment complex has been captured in Atlanta, Georgia. The Daily Leader reported James Lewis Levi, Jr., 30, was arrested in Atlanta on Thursday, March 27. He was transported to the Fulton County Jail and was extradited back to Mississippi. Suspects sought in Mississippi home invasion; victims tied up, robbed Police said Levi shot and killed Deleatric Quarles, 21, on March 12 during a fight at Cloverdale Apartments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quarles was transported to Kings Daughters Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. 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. JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) Jackson police have issued an arrest warrant for a registered sex offender in connection to the stabbing death of a woman inside her home. Detective Tommie Brown said officers are searching for Denarius McDonald. He will be charged with capital murder. Man killed, another injured in Jackson shooting Brown said the victim, Margaret Washington, 58, was found deceased inside her home on Exchange Drive on September 23, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police believe the Washingtons vehicle was stolen by the suspect, and it was later found in South Jackson. Denarius McDonald (Courtesy: JPD) Margaret Washington (Courtesy: Washingtons family) Jackson police previously said they were searching for Anthony Bunzy in connection to this case. Brown said detectives interviewed Bunzy and ruled him out as a suspect. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of McDonald can contact the Jackson Police Department (JPD) at 601-960-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477). 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. MANCHESTER, Tenn. (WKRN) Some in the rural Coffee County community of Manchester are upset at a local businesss decision to paint over a mural for a teenager who died by suicide after being bullied six years ago. For years, the image of 16-year-old Channing Smith has smiled at drivers on Woodbury Highway off I-24 in Manchester while being lifted up by the hands of the community on the side of the Foothills Crafts building. The mural also included the phrase YOU ARE NOT ALONE and the number for the suicide prevention hotline. Channing, a 16-year-old student at Coffee County Central High School, died by suicide after he was bullied for a leak of explicit text messages he was exchanging with another student, his father, David, told News 2. The nature of the messages and their recipient is less important than the subsequent bullying Channing received, he added, because the outcome is still the same: his son took his own life after feeling like he had no other way out due to the bullying he received. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Channings death, a local art nonprofit, DMA-Events, assisted in fundraising for a mural to be painted in Channings honor. A location was found, funds were secured, and muralists Sarah Painter and Cosby Hayes were brought in to create the mural. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts I really appreciate the people for organizing that, Smith told News 2. It was a beautiful mural. But at the end of March, some in the community noticed painters spraying a new coat of white paint over the mural, erasing what was once a memorial for a teen gone too soon and a message for those struggling with their mental health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Cathy Green, the president of the Coffee County Craft Association, the murals condition had deteriorated significantly, prompting the board to make a decision on what to do with the art. She told News 2 whole sections of the murals paint were flaking off, and there was mold and mildew growing on the concrete and vinyl siding that make up the building. It was in poor condition, she told News 2. In addition to the mold, mildew and flaking paint, Green said parts of the mural were beginning to look unrecognizablethe phone number, for instance, was so damaged, it was nearly impossible to tell what the numbers were supposed to be. This was a sad situation, she said. The painting just did not last. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green said the organization attempted to make contact with the original artist, but any contact attempts were unsuccessful. According to Smith, no one with the crafting board reached out to him about the idea to repaint over the mural. If I had been informed of [the paintings condition], I would have joined in the efforts of other concerned people and had it repainted or restored, but I wasnt contacted, he said. I dont think any honest effort to contact me was made. DMA-Events President and Founder Kristin Luna also told News 2 they were never contacted regarding the mural. Had they been, Luna said she would have worked with the building to restore the mural using whatever funds they had available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Akilahs Law: TN gun safety bill inspired by Waffle House shooting victim clears first legislative hurdle Further, Luna said most of the contracts her organization uses for the murals they install include specific easements requiring the art to stay in place for a specific number of years. When they first began installing murals in Tennessee in 2018, Luna said they were using 10-year easements, meaning Channings mural likely would have the same provision. When the mural was installed in 2019, the craft organization had a different president, who died in 2024. To make matters more complicated, Green said Foothills Crafts could not find any documentation or point of contact for the muralist or the family associated with the mural. And with the passing of the previous president, there was nothing in the shop that would indicate who to contact about mural repairs. But, Green stressed, the decision to paint over the mural was not done out of malice or ill intent. Rather, the board opted to repair the side of the building, and they hired a professional painter to come clean and repaint the side of the building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was not done as a slam to the child, she said. Luna said she was disappointed that the overall message to teens facing bullying and needing help is now erased off the side of the building she passes by on a regular basis. Its just really disappointing because the piece was so significant, she said. Not only with honoring Channings memory, but it was also a piece that was raising awareness about suicide prevention. Of all pieces to be painted over, the fact that its this one is truly heartbreaking. Luna added that out of the more than 60 murals DMA-Events has worked to install across Tennessee, this was the first time any of them have been painted over without prior notification or consent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alyssa Schooley, who attended Coffee County High School at the same time as Channing, said she loved seeing the mural and the message it brought to the community. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com It served as a reminder for the bullies who still live in Manchester to see it every time they drove by, she told News 2. It also gave an even bigger message to the school buses who take that route to and from school and see the mural every day. While she acknowledged a mural painted on vinyl siding likely wouldnt last forever, she was bothered by the lack of communication regarding the decision to paint over the mural. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They didnt tell the family they were painting; they didnt tell the public they would be painting it, so no one knew to come take some last pictures of it, and they didnt even have another memorial in place or anything lined up in the future, she said. She found out about the repainting through a friend on Snapchat. That friend snapped a photo of painters with half the mural already coated in white and sent it out. Schooley posted about it in a local forum page on Facebook, where it garnered a significant response. The owners of the craft store left an explanation under my post, she said. Their explanation was really just disappointing to me. They said it was a hard decision and that it was to upkeep the appearance and integrity of the building. I think that it was only six years old. It probably has deteriorated some, but I think the owners could have gone about it in a way more respectful way, to the family and to the public. Friends and supporters of Channing and his family, like Schooley, have since started a petition to install a more permanent memorial for Channing somewhere else in Manchester. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I love Manchester. Its my hometown, she told News 2. I am just not okay with seeing his story swept under the rug or covered up with white paint. He needs a permanent structure, statue, or memorial in some way, in the town that failed him. David told News 2 he wasnt angry at the craft boards decision, just disappointed in the lack of communication. He added he would like to see more awareness of the dangers of bullying, as well as more action from state lawmakers to increase the penalties for bullying if it results in the death of a minor. In 2024, Tennessee lawmakers passed a law that raised bullying and cyberbullying offenses to Class A misdemeanors, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine up to $2,500. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a prevention network of 161 crisis centers that provides a 24/7, toll-free hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.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 WKRN News 2. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Dozens of community activists marched down the streets of South El Paso and Downtown El Paso to honor civil rights idol Cesar E. Chavez, and to protest the policies and actions of the Trump Administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The march happened on Monday, March 31, the federal holiday that honors Chavez. Its a convergence of immigration and labor, something that Chavez dealt with directly. Its also accentuated by the fact that its a human rights issue. And so right now, the Trump Administration has demonstrated itself to be a fascist force, said Javier Miranda, a marcher and retired teacher from El Paso. The Cesar Chavez Day March for Democracy and Against Fascism, as it was termed by organizers, was led by El Chuco Habla, a local group that says it is a non-partisan and grassroots coalition that was launched in December 2024 in response to the election Trump for a second term as president. The march began at the corner of South Campbell Street and 6th Avenue in the Segundo Barrio neighborhood in South El Paso. Organizers first congregated by the mural depicting the Chicano civil rights movement of the 1960s. The procession of marchers walked down 6th Avenue to El Paso Street, and then made its way north to San Jacinto Plaza in Downtown El Paso, where the march concluded. At the plaza, advocates from different backgrounds spoke on a stage to denounce Trumps policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates included farm and federal workers, immigrant advocates, teachers unions, LGBTQ and reproductive right advocates, and other human rights advocates. They spoke out against Trumps calls for massive deportations of undocumented immigrants, the retreat from DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) advances, the firing of members of the federal workforce, efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, cuts to social service programs and threats to free speech on college campuses. They also called for people of the El Paso region to raise their voices. The march was as much a protest of the Trump Administration as it was a celebration of Cesar Chavez Day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The chairman of the ElPaso County Republican Party, however, praised Trumps efforts so far from the presidents promise to end government fraud and waste, to his crackdown on illegal immigration and everything in between. Ending all the illegal crossings and sending all these criminals back, crime rates are going to go down. Were not going to have all these illegals, wandering around and causing a problem and a drain on our economy, said Michael Aboud, chairman of the El Paso County Republicn Party. As for Cesar Chavezs legacy, Aboud had a different take on what it all means. Give an honest days work and get an honest days pay. Work hard and feed your family. Thats what his legacy is. Its not the socialist garbage that people are trying to say, Aboud said. To help honor and remember Cesar Chavez, marchers said it is important to practice activism, especially in todays political climate. Some people may feel the same way today. Why are you marching over another one this weekend? The importance is to show solidarity. The importance is to make people uncomfortable if they stand against freedom and justice and goodness. We dont care if youre annoyed by us. We dont care if youre bothered by us beating on our drums. Were going to continue to stand here, said Ruby Montana, a UTEP lecturer in the Department of Chicano Studies, Languages and Linguistics. The marchers gathered at San Jacinto were also treated to dance performances and live music. 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 KTSM 9 News. The US dollar risks losing the status of the worlds reserve currency to digital assets like Bitcoin, said BlackRock CEO and chairman Larry Fink. Fink made the remark in the chairmans annual letter to investors. Fink wrote in the letter that the U.S. has benefited from its national currencys status as the worlds reserve currency for decades. However, its not guaranteed to last forever as the national debt has grown at three times the pace of GDP since 1989. He further claimed that mandatory government spending and debt service will consume all federal revenue by 2030, creating a permanent deficit. If the U.S. doesnt get its debt and deficit under control, the USD could lose its worlds reserve currency status to Bitcoin, Fink added. While decentralized finance is an extraordinary innovation that makes markets faster, cheaper, and transparent, it could undermine America's economic advantage if investors begin seeing Bitcoin as a safer bet than the USD, warned Fink. Fink also highlighted the success of BlackRocks Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). A spot Bitcoin ETF is an investment fund that tracks the price of Bitcoin. Its shares are traded on traditional stock exchanges. Notably, BlackRock is not only the worlds largest asset manager but is also the largest issuer of spot Bitcoin ETFs. As of March 28, BlackRocks spot Bitcoin ETFs held $48 billion in assets under management as per SoSoValue. It is one of the largest institutional investments in cryptocurrency so far. In fact, BlackRocks traditional funds have also reported owning the firms Bitcoin ETFs. Meanwhile, Bitcoin was trading at $83,560.55 at press time as per Krakens price feeds. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed a former Mesa Public Schools Governing Board member to finish the remaining state Senate term in Legislative District 9. Kiana Sears beat out former Mesa Councilman Ryan Winkle and Dr. Laura Metcalfe, an East Valley Institute of Technology Governing Board member, for the job vacated by Sen. Eva Burch, who resigned March 14 after winning election in November. Sears, whose district includes part of West Mesa and northeast Tempe, will come into the Legislature as it nears the critical end of the 2025 session. The Republican-controlled Legislature will soon be jostling with Gov. Hobbs over a budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I served 10 years in the Arizona Legislature, Supervisor Kate Brophy McGee said at the March 26 meeting. I have some words of wisdom: My advice would be dont just do something. Stand there and listen. There is so much to take in. Do not be discouraged. Work your hardest and meet with everyone who wishes to meet with you and you will be a better legislator. Supervisor Mark Stewart, a former Chandler councilman, said that all three candidates came highly qualified and deeply committed to public service. He said that he received hundreds of positive comments about them and that he was grateful for the LD 9 Democrats for nominating them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because Burch was a Democrat, the board has to fill the position with another Democrat. Burch, a registered nurse, said she couldnt afford the $24,000 annual salary legislators earn. Steward, whose district includes part of Mesa, said it was a difficult decision to make but after thoughtful deliberation Sears was picked because of her exceptional leadership, deep understanding of key issues like water, housing and education. She also has a lifelong record of community service, he added. Sears has nearly 30 years of experience in public policy, government relations and civic engagement, according to the county. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sears, the director of Community Connection and Partnerships at Arizona State University, opted not to run for a third term on the school board in November. Instead she unsuccessfully sought the judges job for North Mesa Justice Court. Supervisor Steve Gallardo noted that he and two others on the dais - Brophy McGee and Debbie Lesko - all formerly served in the Legislature. We all agree on the importance of this position, Gallardo said. The Legislature is so critical on the work that they do. Its a tough job but its really important to have people that are on the Legislature that are willing to work on behalf of not only the legislative district but on behalf of the entire state folks that are going to dive into very tough issues and be able to really work and hammer out good pieces of legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gallardo added that he knows all three candidates well and considers all three are qualified to do the job. Thats what makes these appointments so hard, said Gallardo, the sole Democrat on the board. But yes, I totally agree with Supervisor Stewart. Kiana Sears would be an excellent member in the Legislature. Supervisor Lesko, who also served a term in Congress as a representative, noted the jobs salary. Its a fun job and its an interesting job, Lesko said. Its a low-paying job. It pays $24,000 a year. They claim that its part time. Believe me its not part time just like they say this job is part time. Its not really part time. So I congratulate her and wish her the best. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont think Ive seen an LD vacancy get more attention and interest than this one, said Board Chairman Thomas Gavin, whose District 2 includes the part of Mesa not represented by Stewart. I received more phone calls from folks I know that in any other vacancy and we have done a lot. In my three, four years, weve probably done 30 to 40 of these. How Sears handled her job interview Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin sent a list of questions for the three candidates vying for the vacant state Senate seat that represents Mesa. The following are excerpts from those questions and Kiana Sears responses. The full questions and responses are at content.govdelivery.com/accounts/AZMARIC/bulletins/3d8756e. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Q: How can you assure the Board of Supervisors that, if appointed, you will not engage in disorderly behavior but will conduct yourself in a manner consistent with a proper code of ethics? A: I am a very proud academic and professional public administrator, with exceptional character and integrity who has served in this capacity for over 25-plus years.I can assure the Board of Supervisors that if appointed, I will not engage in disorderly behavior and will conduct myself in a manner consistent with a proper code of ethics. I lead with love because I believe most of the issues affecting our communities start with a lack of love for yourself and a lack of love for others. I hold myself to a higher standard because of my values and morals, which are reinforced by my faith. My life and career are heavily influenced by my favorite scripture, To whom much is given much is required. I live, love, and serve all of the members of my community guided by this principle. Q: If you have served in elected office before, please detail any ethical or disciplinary actions related to your term in office. Please provide context on the events that led to those actions and what the outcome was regarding those proceedings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A: I do not believe I have experienced any ethical violations or disciplinary actions related to my term in office. Q: Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, there continues to be a dramatic increase in anti-Semitism, around the world and in Arizona. The disturbing rise of anti-Semitism can be found in all segments of society, on both ends of the political spectrum. What will you do to combat and condemn anti-Semitism in our community? A: This work is not new to me, so I will continue the work I have been doing in the community for over 20 years. Long before these tumultuous times, I have been a friend and partner to Arizonas Jewish community, Arizonas Anti-Defamation League and Arizona State Universitys Hillel student organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I love people and this is not a political game. I have friends in the community who I love. As a community and civil rights leader, I am actively engaged in the work of ending discrimination and committing myself to the Anti-Defamation Leagues mission, to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. I have been a part of ensuring Mesa and East Valley Schools participate in No Place for Hate. During this most difficult time I have been visible and have met with ADL leaders to discuss the need of ASUs Hillel chapter to be connected with Arizonas local ADL. I will also participate in the ADLs Desert Regional Conference in April. 4. Q: The housing crisis is an important issue in Arizona, and in LD 9. There have been recent attempts at the legislature to overhaul zoning laws. What reforms do you think the Legislature can get passed to address the housing issue? A: The housing crisis is complex and needs to be addressed on many levels. This is an area in which I am interested in delving into the data the Legislatures research staff has put together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have worked with Rapid ReHousing, using models studied in Washington that have proven to be unsuccessful in Arizona. Q: In recent cycles, election volunteers were under considerable pressure because of state election laws that drag out ballot processing and tabulating for up to two weeks after election day. Reform is sorely needed. What reforms do you think are essential to speed up the tabulation of votes by election night? A: Vote tabulation requires an approach with several mechanisms. First, we should invest in modern, secure ballot-processing equipment capable of handling higher volumes of ballots without sacrificing accuracy. Second, we need to streamline state election laws that prolong processing, such as allowing earlier counting of mail-in ballots under strict security measures and updating deadlines so results can be delivered more quickly. Arizona also needs additional training for our dedicated paid poll workers, whose service is vital to our democracy, no matter whose name is on the ballot. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Mario Joseph, a human rights attorney in Haiti known for his involvement in high-profile cases, has died. He was 62. Joseph was in a car accident over the weekend and died on Monday, according to the Boston-based nonprofit Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, where he worked as managing attorney. Joseph also co-managed the Bureau of International Attorneys in Port-au-Prince, Haitis capital, which represented victims of human rights violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mario never forgot the humble beginnings he came from. Although he won international awards and honorary degrees, he worked tirelessly every day against the injustice that afflicted too many Haitians, said Brian Concannon, the institute's executive director. Joseph represented dozens of political prisoners in Haitian courts and before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, according to the institute. He led the prosecution of the Raboteau massacre in 2000, a landmark trial in a country where high-profile politicians and officials are rarely charged, let alone prosecuted. The massacre occurred in April 1994 in the coastal town of Gonaives following a demonstration in support of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. More than a dozen people were believed to be killed after soldiers and paramilitary forces raided the neighborhood of Raboteau. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fifty-nine people were accused, including former coup leader Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras, who had overthrown Aristide in September 1991. Cedras and 37 others were tried in absentia, with a jury eventually finding 16 guilty. Haiti's Supreme Court later overturned the sentences in a decision that Amnesty International called politically motivated, describing it as a major setback in the fight against impunity in Haiti. Joseph's law firm also was involved in a claim on behalf of 5,000 cholera victims who blamed the U.N. for introducing the disease that killed nearly 10,000 Haitians. In addition, he represented women who had children fathered by U.N. peacekeepers and sought child support against the absentee fathers and the U.N. State Superintendent Carey Wright, second from left, at a September news conference at the Maryland State Department of Education building. Board of Education President Joshua Michael, left, listens. (File photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) The U.S. Department of Education told states Friday that it was canceling previous approvals to spend down remaining COVID-19 recovery funds, a change that could mean $418 million to the Maryland Department of Education. The change was announced in a letter from U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon that was dated Friday at 5 p.m., and said the decision to cancel the pandemic funding was effective Friday at 5 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shock does not begin to describe our reaction when we received the notification late Friday evening, Maryland State Superintendent Carey Wright said Monday. This jeopardizes over $400 million in funding. Wright called the federal agencys decision catastrophic, noting that the money has already been spent or at least committed to the states 24 school systems. She said the money is being used for tutoring, reading materials, after-school programming, even some construction projects such as repairs for heating and air conditioning units, among others. State officials said about $305.2 million has already been spent but not reimbursed by the federal department. Another $112.8 million is in encumbered funds not paid out by the state, which means school systems must immediately stop any ongoing work on capital projects, or educational programs. It may be a tutoring program thats going on right now in schools that was intended to go through this school year, or it might be an improvement to a health room in a school, said state Board of Education President Joshua Michael. Theres going to be significant disruption. Officials said it remains unclear if the state would need to cover costs for ongoing programs, or if the local school systems may have to return any money already spent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal government is breaking the trust that it has once held strong with states across America, Michael said. School officials said they are consulting with the Office of the Attorney General on the possibility of filing suit against the federal department. I think its fair to say that we are exploring all legal options at this time given the severity of this action, Michael said. He said the majority of the money comes from the American Rescue Plans Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ARP ESSER, program. The state last year requested and received approval for an extension on how it would draw down the ESSER funds it had left over. Wright said the state sought extensions because of supply chain issues and construction delays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The approval was given before a Jan. 28 deadline set by former President Joe Biden (D) before he left office that month. But in her letter Friday, McMahon dismissed the approvals by the previous administration. The extension approval was issued recently, so any reliance interests developed are minimal, McMahon wrote. Moreover, an agency may reconsider its prior decision. So you could not rely on the Department adhering to its original decision. That is especially true because the extension was a matter of administrative grace. She said that extending deadlines to allocate COVID-related grants years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Departments priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion. But McMahon also wrote the department would reconsider funding for states if the could explain how a particular projects extension is necessary to mitigate the effects of COVID on American students education, and why the Department should exercise its discretion to grant your request. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wright said ending the program at 5 p.m. Friday and offering to consider appeals from states seemed to be contradictory, but she said her department plans to send a letter to justify why money for Maryland is necessary. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A U.S. department spokesperson said that specific projects would be assessed if funds are used directly to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. COVID is over. States and school districts can no longer claim they are spending their emergency pandemic funds on COVID relief when there are numerous documented examples of misuse, said Madi Biedermann in a statement Monday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Biden Administration established an irresponsible precedent by extending the deadline for spending the COVID money far beyond the intended purpose of the funds, and it is past time for the money to be returned to the peoples bank account, Biedermanns statement said. In part because of the Education Departments decision, the Maryland Senate approved an amendment to a budget bill Monday that would require the governors budget team to track federal cuts and, if they hit $1 billion, recommend state spending cuts to the General Assemblys Legislative Policy Committee. If we have a $1 billion problem from combined actions by the federal government, we would begin a process of review through our policy committee, and work with the governor to come up with solutions, said Sen. Guy Guzzone (D-Howard), chair of the Budget and Taxation Committee. We have to be wide-eyed open about what could be happening because it is happening. Sen. Chris West (R-Baltimore and Carroll) asked if any recommendations that may come from the policy committee would be for the legislature next year. Could very well be, Guzzone said. ARLINGTON, Va. (DC News Now) An investigation is underway as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employee faces assault charges after an incident in the air traffic control (ATC) tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) last week. Police said they arrested the man allegedly involved after receiving reports of an incident in the ATC tower on Thursday, March 27. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) said Airport Authority police arrested 39-year-old Damon Marsalis Gaines, of Upper Marlboro in Maryland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kite reportedly makes contact with United flight near Reagan National Airport, airline says MWAA said he was charged and taken to the Arlington Detention Center, where he was released by the magistrate on a summons for assault and battery. The alleged incident in the tower comes just over two months after the deadly midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people on January 29. Travelers we talked to say recent events at the airport make them think twice about their travels. Im feeling kinda uneasy, but I chose to fly out of this airport, said Scottee Church, traveling from DCA to Texas on Tuesday. [That incident is] pretty insane, not in that professional environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its concerning if we have to worry about security down here in the terminal, what about security up there for the air traffic controllers? We dont need any more distractions in that area, said Kevin Knowles, the Mayor of Martinsburg, W.Va., traveling to Alabama on Tuesday. Former airline pilot Keith Mackey says air traffic control towers are high-stress environments, especially in complicated, busy airspace like that over DCA. These controllers now, because of these recent accidents and near misses, are under a lot more pressure than they are normally. The air traffic doesnt decrease, the flights increase. Washington National has increased the range of the distance the flights can go from there. So that just adds to the complexity and the stress on the controllers, said Mackey. DC News Now reached out to Gaines for comment and we did not hear back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charging documents for the case were not available at the Arlington County Courthouse on Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. MARYLAND (DC News Now) The United States government mistakenly deported a Maryland man to a notorious prison in El Salvador, leaving him stuck there, the Department of Justice (DOJ) admitted in court papers filed Monday. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia is a citizen and native of El Salvador who lives in Maryland with his wife (a U.S. citizen) and their five-year-old child. Both Abrego Garcia and his wife work full-time to support their family. According to the filing, on March 12, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers stopped Abrego Garcia and informed him that his immigration status had changed. When he was arrested, he had just completed a shift as a sheet metal worker apprentice at a construction site in Baltimore, according to a report from the Associated Press. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RELATED STORY | Trump administration admits it wrongly deported man to prison in El Salvador After he was detained, the DOJ said authorities questioned him about gang affiliations before transferring him to a detention center in Texas. A few days later, he was sent to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison in his native country. In 2019, Abrego Garcia was served a notice to appear in removal proceedings. During a bond hearing, ICE said a confidential informant reported that Abrego Garcia was an active member of the violent MS-13 gang, according to the DOJ. That came after a March 2019 incident, when the court filing indicates Abrego Garcia went to a Hyattsville Home Depot to solicit employment. He was alongside three men, two of whom he recognized from previous occasions at that Home Depot. Prince Georges County police handcuffed all four, and ICE officers took them into custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to last months court filing, the Gang Field Interview Sheet from that case explained that the only reason to believe Plaintiff Abrego Garcia was a gang member was that he was wearing a Chicago Bulls hat and a hoodie. They also said a confidential informant advised that he was an active member of MS-13 with the Westerns clique, though he never lived in New York state, where that clique operates. An immigration judge granted him protection from deportation, called withholding of removal, because he could face serious harm or persecution if sent back. Despite the judges 2019 order, the DOJ acknowledged that Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador. On March 15, although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error, DOJ attorneys wrote in Mondays filing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The next day, a news article showed a photograph of people entering intake at the El Salvador prison. Abrego Garcias wife identified her husband from the picture based on his tattoos and head scars, the DOJ said. Federal prosecutors to seek death penalty for Luigi Mangione in UnitedHealthcare CEOs killing Now, Abrego Garcia and his two U.S. citizen family members are suing multiple government officials who lead immigration enforcement. The family is requesting that Abrego Garcia be brought back to the U.S. and that the federal government immediately stop paying El Salvador to detain him. However, the DOJ argues that the court lacks jurisdiction to make a judgment because Abrego Garcia is not in U.S. custody, according to the filing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the DOJ said the family has not shown they are likely to succeed on the cases merits and that using financial pressures or diplomacy to free Abrego Garcia would threaten U.S. foreign policy. The heavy interest in the Presidents primacy in foreign affairs outweigh the interests on the Plaintiffs [Abrego Garcia and his family members] side of the scale. Although the Defendants recognize the financial and emotional hardships to Abrego Garcias family, the public interest in not returning a member of a violent criminal gang to the United States outweighs those individual interests, said the DOJ. The administration says theres nothing they can do about it now because hes no longer in U.S. custody, said Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee. This guy who lives in my state, married to a U.S. citizen with citizen children. Hes stuck with the dictator of El Salvador. This individual is an illegal criminal who broke our nations immigration laws, said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who defended the deportation. He is a leader in the brutal MS-13 gang. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin released a statement on the deportation of Abrego Garcia, saying in part: The individual in question is a member of the brutal MS-13 gang we have intelligence reports that he is involved in human trafficking. Whether he is in El Salvador or a detention facility in the U.S., he should be locked up. Tricia McLaughlin A complaint filed on Abrego Garcias behalf denied administration claims, saying he never served in the group and came to America to escape gang violence. A judge in Maryland is scheduled to hear the case during a hearing 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 DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. The chief addressed the agencys grief and what he says is the need for change. (FOX40.COM) On Monday, the Marysville chief of police and city leaders held a press conference at City Hall honoring 27-year-old Officer Osmar Rodarte who was killed in the line of duty last week. They also thanked the community for the outpour of support theyve received. The Chief of Police shares how the department has been holding up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marysville police officer killed in Yuba County We are wrapping our arms around each other and being able to tell the funny stories about Rodarte and cry together, laugh together, sit there in silence together, Chief Sachs told reporters. Thats whats helped us get through the last five days. Sgt. Ryan Souza worked closely with Officer Rodarte and was there on the day of the tragic shooting. Officials Discuss First Responder Mental Health Following Tragic Death of Marysville Police Officer I wish more people got to know him, you know, what a great guy is, Sgt. Souza said. The Sergeant adds that Rodarte, who was also an army veteran, died doing what he loved most. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Experts say the second stage of grief is anger and frustration. That emotion was also present on Monday and aimed at what the Chief says are lawmakers who care more about making a name for themself than stopping transnational drug traffickers. Maybe I shouldnt say this, but Ill be completely transparent with you, it starts at our legislature, the Chief bluntly shared. If there was better legislation at the capitol instead of some of the bills and stuff that we see come down the line that are absolutely ridiculous instead of the wellbeing and the safety of the people in our community, then our communities would be a lot better off. He believes there needs to be harsher penalties to keep people like the shooting suspect who is a convicted felon, Rick Oliver, in prison. (hyperlink to our previous coverage of suspect) The Chiefs message to lawmakers: Sacramento needs to wake up before more people die of an opioid overdose or the actions of those trafficking them. 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. A Massachusetts father and son who own two Woburn restaurants have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to smuggle migrants into the United States from Brazil, the U.S. Attorney said. Jesse James Moraes, 67, and Hugo Giovanni Moraes, 45, both of Woburn and the owners of Taste of BrazilTudo Na Brasa and The Dog House Bar and Grill, were sentenced in federal court in Boston, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement Friday. Another man was also sentenced in connection with a money laundering conspiracy. The conspiracy involved recruiting undocumented migrants in Brazil to come to the U.S. through Mexico without authorization in exchange for fees of between $12,000 and $22,000 per person, Foley said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jesse Moraes was sentenced to eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, Foley said. Hugo Moraes was sentenced to five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, with the first five months in home confinement, and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine. U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs handed down their sentences. In November, both father and son pleaded guilty to conspiring to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law, for commercial advantage or private financial gain, Foley said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jesse Moraes also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the migrant smuggling conspiracy. The migrants were encouraged to make fraudulent claims of asylum and familial relationship (e.g., parent and minor child) in the United States and were given fraudulent information about U.S. points of contact to give to immigration authorities when they were caught in the United States, Foley said. Once migrants were in the U.S., Jesse Moraes and Hugo Moraes helped them secure long-term housing, including in apartments owned by relatives of Hugo Moraes. The father and son arranged for some of the migrants to work at Tudo Na Brasa/Taste of Brazil and The Dog House Bar and Grill and paid the migrants either entirely or partly in cash, unless and until the migrants obtained identification documents, at which point they would be paid at least partly by check, Foley said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two men encouraged the migrants working for them to obtain fake identification documents and referred them to another man, Marcos Chacon Gil, a/k/a Marquito, to obtain such fake identification documents, Foley said. The co-conspirators agreed that some of the migrants could pay off some of their smuggling fee once they reached the U.S., which they did by direct payment, having their wages withheld, or by collection by relatives and other associates within and outside the U.S., Foley said. The money laundering conspiracy to which Jesse Moraes was sentenced involved transferring funds into and out of the U.S. with the intent to promote the migrant smuggling conspiracy and conducting financial transactions with the proceeds of the smuggling conspiracy that were designed to conceal the ownership and control of the proceeds, prosecutors 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 Shoddy cyber security at Ukrainian vehicle inspections has exposed hundreds of thousands of personal documents for the past four years, placing reams of personal data at risk of exploitation by bad actors, including Russian intelligence and hackers. Largely scans of passports, taxpayer identification numbers, drivers licenses and vehicle registrations, the documents span a broad stretch of Ukrainian geography and demography. Mostly, they identify people who were buying or selling used cars internationally. Up until April 1, the documents were available, unprotected and unencrypted, on a server of one of the largest cloud storage providers in the world that, though tough to get to for regular users, is easy enough to find for bad actors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If it hasn't already been accessed, it's just a matter of time before it is and can be abused to ruin a lot of people, says cybersecurity and access management specialist Jake Dixon, who spotted the documents. And I know that there are teams of people in Russian intelligence and Russian cyber commands that are looking for stuff like this. The earliest documents date to the start of 2021. Dixon found them and informed Ukrainian authorities back in April 2022, but said it went nowhere. Only now, three years later, once contacted by the Kyiv Independent, authorities appear to have started securing them. The documents in question currently number 992,978. They all seem to come from vehicle inspection sites, which check and certify used foreign cars sold into Ukraine. Ukrainians buy upwards of 300,000 such vehicles per year, per Interior Ministry data. Documents gathered for those vehicle inspections form the core of the database. Many of the documents are relatively harmless, like photos of cars and receipts for transactions, or certifications themselves. But the database includes core identifying documents like passports and taxpayer cards (similar to a U.S. Social Security Card) for likely tens, and possibly hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, as well as foreign entities who sold cars into Ukraine. Unprotected, it was a ripe target for identity theft. There is no way of knowing the extent to which it has been accessed or what data has been taken from it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of publication, the most recent batch was uploaded on March 11. The earliest documents date back to the beginning of 2021. On April 1, 2025, what seems to be all of them were taken private. Cyberwartime measures The data leak comes as Ukraine has been in theory on high alert about cyber security for over three years. Formerly public data for many Ukrainian services have gone dark since Russias full-scale invasion. This is in large part out of concerns that Russian intelligence or hackers will use information from sources like property registries to locate, blackmail, and extort Ukrainians. At the same time, personal data of thousands of Ukrainians have been endangered through what appears to be sloppy security at vehicle inspections centers. The centers are private businesses certified by the Development of Communities and Territories Ministry that provide inspections of the condition of a car a government requirement when a car is brought into Ukraine from abroad. Border security personnel stand guard at the Krakivets-Korczowa car checkpoint on the Ukraine-Poland border, about 70 km from Lviv, on Aug. 16, 2022. (Yuriy Dyachyshyn / AFP / Getty Images) The cloud storage provider in question is regarded as a highly secure system for data management. However, that is not the case when the data collected is not protected by basic security like a password. For obvious security reasons, the Kyiv Independent is not including links to the cloud server containing the documents in question. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, its relatively easy for individuals with fairly cheap specialty software to navigate it and find the documents. Dixon himself located the bucket using software that scans for sensitive data left vulnerable, software that he says certainly exists in Russia and elsewhere. Scanning for unsecured personal documents has been a risk since people started moving to the cloud. It's something that threat actors actively watch, says Dixon. I would be surprised if it hasn't been discovered by someone else in the frame of time since I discovered it. And they're still uploading files to this container. The way the data in question is arranged makes it more complicated to use en masse, or search through for names of specific people listed. It is, however, easy to go through and find individual identifying information for random individuals. I think there was a drive for digitization and this (system) just got pushed because someone needed access to this data quickly, and then some connection got opened, some configuration got changed. It's just been sitting there ever since, collecting, Dixon said of the exposed batch of documents. Whos responsible? Dixon warned the Ukrainian cyber authority Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine, or CERT-UA, of the exposure back in 2022, per emails reviewed by the Kyiv Independent. After responding to Dixon asking for more information, CERT-UA went quiet for, apparently, three years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anton Kobyliansky, a representative for the State Special Communications Service which oversees CERT-UA, told the Kyiv Independent that the responsibility for both was cyber incidents, which did not include this leaked data. Kobyliansky said this data was likely the responsibility of the Digital Transformation Ministry and declined to comment. The Digital Transformation Ministry is the agency that launched Diia, a mobile application that digitizes government services and documents. Announced in 2019, Diia launched in early 2020 with passports and drivers licenses the first documents to be digitized. Viktoriia Savchenko, a representative for the Digital Transformation Ministry, similarly denied her agencys responsibility for the data involved. The documents come from a number of privately-owned Ukrainian vehicle inspection centers, almost all relating to government-mandated certificates for the import of used vehicles. A number of phone numbers for service centers listed including Center Auto and AutoTechnoServis were dead. A staffer for Euro-Center, one of the inspection centers that appear most frequently in the leak, did not return a request for comment when reached. The contact number for another servicer, VK-Auto, hung up on the Kyiv Independent, when asked about the data leak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government authority licensing the vehicle inspections stations is the Development of Communities and Territories Ministry, previously called the Infrastructure Ministry. When reached, Ruslan Kyrychenko, head of the Technical Regulation Department of the Road Transport and Safety Department within the ministry, said: We note that the vehicle inspection centers do not report to the Development Ministry. Currently, Ukrainian government data is heavily centralized. A hack that came to light in December took the bulk of Ukraines federal government registries offline for weeks, stalling services ranging from incorporation to vehicle sales to marriage registration. Responsibility for that government data is, however, thoroughly dispersed. The Kyiv Independent contacted the relevant authorities on March 26 including the above, representatives for Ukraines State Security Service and the Justice Ministry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All denied ownership of the data. Yet, after repeated follow-up, the data on the server began to go private on April 1, 2025 just shy of three years after Dixon, an Irish national living in Estonia, first reported the problem to Ukrainian authorities. As of publication, none of the officials contacted would acknowledge involvement in taking the data offline, but someone was clearly responding to inquiries. Sloppy, says fellow cybersecurity specialist and sometimes hacker on behalf of Ukraine Karla Wagner, upon reviewing the open data. Theres a high probability that someone set this up in a hurry, perhaps even deployed a demo, with data replication turned on by default, and they didn't take the time to secure it. It is not complicated to make one of these databases private, or guard it with a password. These days, whenever you go into that configuration, it comes up with a big warning saying, do not leave this as public because of how many times this has occurred for people, says Dixon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It shouldnt be open like this, especially in a time of war. Note from the author: Hi, this is Kollen, the author of this article. Thanks for reading. Ukrainians responses to Russias invasion showcase a society that is deeply resilient and inventive, despite pullbacks in aid. If you like reading stories highlighting those features from on the ground, please consider supporting our work by becoming a member of the Kyiv Independent. Read also: 89 hours of non-stop work Ukrainian Railways battle against a cyberattack by the enemy Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Leadership of Joplins largest employer traded hands Monday as Paula Baker, president and CEO of Freeman Health System for the past 14 years, passed the torch to her successor, Matt Fry. Fry, who last served as president and CEO of St. Johns Hospital and St. Johns Childrens Hospital in Springfield, Illinois, assumes leadership duties at Freeman on Tuesday. I feel great. Im ready for tomorrow, Fry said Monday. I have quite a bit of energy, so Im really looking forward to joining this system, and I think we have tremendous potential. Its already a storied enterprise with 100 years of legacy, and I think we have a ton of potential to take this to new heights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fry said he has spent the past month since moving to Joplin meeting with Freeman officials and physicians as well as working with Baker to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible. If I showed you my phone, youd see a list of top initiatives about 20 deep right now, Fry said. Really, what it comes down to is the first 30 days about meeting the team, getting out, meeting the physicians, getting immersed in the community, learning as much history as I can about the organization warts and all so we can better understand how we strategize going forward. I think over the course of the next couple of months, well want to sit down and formulate a strategic plan and that will invariably lead to other subgroup strategic plans that well draft together as a team. Baker took a farewell tour of Freeman Hospital West on Friday. Today is an amazing day for me, and its bittersweet, she said. Although Im very excited about a new chapter in my life, I find it very difficult to say goodbye at the same time. All the people at Freeman who have been so wonderful to work with over the past 14 years, its really difficult to say goodbye to them. But it wont be goodbye because Ill still be around and Ill be so excited to see all the accomplishments yet to come at Freeman Health System. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baker said she has countless memories from her time at Freeman, but some stand out: One was when we opened the (Bill and Virginia Leffen) Autism Center (in 2007) and we began that transformation in the lives of children living on the spectrum, and seeing those children come as well as their families, and after a period of time seeing their development and progress, Baker said. That will forever be a big part of my heart. Then secondly, although its not a real positive thing, but our staffs response both to the tornado (in 2011) and to the COVID-19 pandemic (in 2020). Those were difficult times both uncharted waters but I have always been and will always be immensely proud of the way the staff stepped forward to take care of those issues for our community and region. On Monday, Fry said hes already learned firsthand the care that hospital staff, physicians and technicians put into the patients who come through Freemans doors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also noted that a relative who moved to Joplin with his family had to be admitted to Freeman Hospital West through the emergency department last week and was still in the hospital as of Monday. That experience gave him great insight to the inner workings of Freeman. They dont know who I am, they dont know what Im here for, Fry said. But if every patient in Joplin and the surrounding communities who comes to Freeman gets this level of care, I feel really, really good about where this organization is. Bonduelle has confirmed the sale of its packaged salads business in Germany as part of plans to return the group to profit. The disposal of the assets to Taylor Farms was completed yesterday (31 March) for an undisclosed sum, the France-based fruit and veg group said in a statement. Taylor Farms is a North American producer of salads and fresh foods, with production facilities across the US, Canada, and Mexico. The family-owned business is based in Salinas, California. Bonduelle said today the sale of the packaged salads business in Germany marks an important step towards improving the group's operating profitability under a programme put forward in October. Taylor Farms announced the acquisition as a deal it carried out with Foodiverse, the Spanish group in which it invested in 2023. In a statement, Taylor Farms said the companies had acquired two production plants that make ready-to-eat salads. A spokesperson for Bonduelle confirmed with Just Food that the sites are located in Straelen and Reutlingen, with each employing 130 production staff, along with another 40 in administration. Taylor Farms said Foodiverse would "within its European business operations manage all activities for the unified businesses". The company added: "This strategic move allows Foodiverse, along with the partnership of Taylor Farms, to strengthen its position in the German market and boost innovation in the fresh and healthy food sector." Bonduelle announced two prospective deals in August: one in Germany, now confirmed, and another, with salad maker Les Crudettes, a subsidiary of French food-and-beverage company LSDH Group, concerning the disposal of a clutch of assets in France. The Bonduelle spokesperson said the Saint Mihiel facility ended production on 28 February, while the deal with Les Crudettes is awaiting competition approval in France. After the transaction with Taylor Farms, Bonduelle said it will continue to market canned and frozen vegetables in Germany and has entered a licensing agreement with the buyer for packaged salads. It described the packaged salads business in Germany as structurally loss-making and represented sales of 60m ($64.8m). Bonduelle showed some progress in returning the group to profitability in the first half of its current fiscal year under the guidance of CEO Xavier Unkovic, who joined the business in June 2023. Net income from continuing operations climbed to 17.2m from 6.4m a year earlier, although on a consolidated basis Bonduelle delivered a loss of 5m versus a 4.5m profit in the corresponding period. MCKEE, Ky. (FOX 56) A McKee man is facing his fifth DUI charge after allegedly leading deputies on a drunken high-speed chase Sunday evening. Laurel County deputies said dispatch was called just before 8 p.m. about a domestic violence complaint at the 400 block of Morentown Road by a woman hiding in a closet. Dispatchers told deputies that a Timothy Pilkin, 38, was fleeing in a purple truck. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As deputies were arriving, the purple truck came around the corner and almost crashed into them at a high speed, according to an arrest citation. Despite turning on the police lights and siren, Pilkin allegedly continued around the corner with his tires squealing. The sheriffs office said Pilkin blew through a stop sign near KY Highway 80 and sped through a red light at the intersection of KY 80 and KY Highway 30, tires still squealing before stopping. Pilkin then reportedly surrendered without further incident. In the citation, deputies noted that he smelled like alcohol and he had pinpoint eyes, slurred speech, and watery eyes. Pilkin told deputies he drank two Natty Daddys. Records show that Pilkin had four previous DUI charges, and his drivers license was suspended. Pilkins was noted as having a blood alcohol level of 1.00. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more of the latest Kentucky news The sheriffs office said he was booked into the Laurel County Correctional Center and charged with: First-degree fleeing or evading the police Reckless driving Disregarding a stop sign Driving under the influence Court documents show that he is being held on a $25,000 cash bond and is due to appear in court at 11 a.m. on April 8. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. MCLEAN COUNTY, Ill. (WMBD) McLean County Sheriff Matt Lane confirms there is a complaint accusing McLean County Schools public officials of election interference. According to Lane, his department opened the investigation earlier in March. But he said there would not be an outcome before the election. The investigation is in connection to the proposed County Schools Facility Tax. Normal Public Radio Station WGLT first reported that Bloomington resident Dean Fletcher filed a complaint with the Regional Office of Education and the Illinois State Board of Education back in February. That complaint alleged the school district was violating the election code by sharing a website that asked voters to approve the tax. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriff said that sometime after that complaint, the website changed the wording from approve to consider. According to the Illinois Council of School Attorneys, districts can spend money on public referendums but that is only, provided district funds are not used to advocate for or against a referendum. The 1% tax was approved to be put on the April 1 ballot by Unit 5 and District 87 school boards back in December. The tax would be applied to items currently subject to sales tax, including dining, online sales and gasoline. If approved, the money will be distributed to schools based on student enrollment. Referendum could lower property tax in McLean County Lane said the election interference claim is a Class B misdemeanor, which could result in a fine. It is unlikely it will have any impact on the outcome of the election, but Lane said that doesnt change the fact this may be a valid complaint, and we will investigate. 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 CIProud.com. GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) The Mesa County Sheriffs Office (MCSO) has released its report on crime statistics for 2024, comparing county figures to the state of Colorados using data gathered from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Without the trust of our community and the partnership we have with many of the community members, theres no way we can see the results that weve seen, said MSCO Sheriff Todd Rowell. The report highlights property crimes, violent crimes and the departments clearance rate (crimes solved). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rowell says overall crime has gone down, but violent crime is up. Violent crime did creep up a hair year over year from 24-25. We did see a little bit of an increase, still a little below our 2008 number, but we did see a little bit of an increase in some of our violent crime. The increase in violent crime has been attributed to aggravated assault and nonconsensual sex offense cases. Property crime, on the other hand, has gone down, hitting its second lowest year on record since 2008, decreasing by 28.89%, compared to 38.45% statewide. MCSOs clearance rate on all cases has been high. MCSO successfully closed 23.11% of all property crime cases, compared to the states 14.63%. MCSO also surpassed the state in closing violent crime cases, closing 62.86% compared to the states 42.96%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rowell says even with the high clearance rate, there is still room for improvement. I feel like we can do better on fraud. MCSO has been reaching out to vulnerable community members, educating people on what scams are and showing them videos and programs to help prevent them from becoming a victim. One area the county has seen a huge decrease is in auto theft. Rowell says high clearance rates have deterred future crimes from being committed. This year, 2024 stats, we solved those crimes at four times the rate the rest of the state did. Weve seen a constant decrease in the number of auto thefts over the last several years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The decrease is the direct result of MCSO implementing a crime center, equipped with cameras across the county. We have been able to solve crime at a much higher rate. Rowell wants residents to know that without their help none of this is possible. None of this is accomplished without the amazing community relationships we have. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. March 31 will go down as a terrible day for Marine Le Penand a good one for French democracy. A French court on Monday found Le Pen and more than 20 officials from Frances far-right National Rally (RN) guilty in a sprawling embezzlement scheme that prosecutors said involved siphoning off 2.9 million ($3.1 million) in E.U. funds over a decade. Judges applied the French law as written: they barred the nine politicians involved from running for office from three to five years. And presiding judge Benedicte de Perthus offered a clear explanation for why the court decided to apply the condition of automatic ineligibility to the plots ringleader Le Pen: the gravity of the case coupled with the RNs longstanding refusal to take the allegations seriously suggested the far-right party was at risk of repeat offense. The message was clear: Nobody is above the law, not even a popular presidential contender who stood at the gates of power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The verdict significantly complicates Le Pens chances of standing in the 2027 presidential election, to say nothing of the four-year prison term she faces (two suspended and two that could be served under house arrest). But despite her claims of being targeted for misusing public funds, her case isnt all that unique. Former President Jacques Chirac and former Prime Minister Alain Juppe were both found guilty for similar cases, while former President Nicolas Sarkozy has also been convicted for corruption and influence-peddling. And following new laws in 2016 and 2017, French courts have routinely barred politicians found guilty of corruption from running for office. Like everyone else, Le Pen retains the right to appeal. The RNs temper-tantrumLe Pen stormed out of court before the full verdict was readis rich from a party that likes to paint itself as tough on crime. And as many observers in France have noted, it smacks of hypocrisy. Back in 2013, Le Pen herself called for all politicians found guilty of misusing public funds to be barred from running for office for life. But more generally, those complaining about the verdict should ask themselves the following: Is it a sign of democratic vitality to allow political corruption to go unpunished? Or should elected officials be held accountable when they are convicted for breaking the law? The political fallout of Le Pens conviction will play out over the coming months. But at this stage, it seems fair to state the obvious. Le Pens conviction doesnt necessarily reduce the chances of her party winning the next presidential election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Le Pens supporters from MAGA-world may think of her as the French Donald Trump, this view fundamentally misreads the source of the RNs popularity. The partys strength has less to do with a cult of personality around its leader than the mainstream appeal of its platform. Its the product of ideological victories that are years in the makingand they wont vanish without her. Read More: Jordan Bardella Is the New Face of Europes Far Right In fact, last years snap legislative elections were a prime demonstration of the RNs ability to excel without Le Pen. Her name appeared only once on the ballotin her parliamentary district in northern Francebut that didnt stop millions from endorsing the RNs anti-establishment, anti-immigrant message across the country. Detailed opinion polls revealed the impressive scope of the partys electorate, stretching from disaffected working-class voters to radicalized upper-middle-class conservatives ditching the mainstream right in droves. Th RNs mainstream success also flows from an increasingly sympathetic media landscape. Following in the footsteps of Rupert Murdoch, billionaire Vincent Bollore has built a powerful media empire in service of a hard-right agenda. His properties like newspaper Le Journal du dimanche, radio network Europe 1, and TV channel CNews (now Frances most-watched 24-hour news network) pump out right-wing content on a daily basis, devoting outsized attention to crime, immigration, and Islam. And sure enough, journalists, panelists, and interview subjects at Bollore outlets were quick to denounce the verdict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Much like the Republican Party in the U.S., Frances RN also benefits from the weakness of its rivals. Politicians associated with President Emmanuel Macron will be fighting an uphill battle to overcome his broadly unpopular legacy, and the palpable anger at incumbents around the globe. Under Macrons presidency, French authorities have failed to address voter concerns over the rising cost of living or meet the publics relatively high expectations of state services. His top-down governing style has further complicated matters. And despite joining forces last summer to win more seats in the National Assembly than any other coalition, Frances left-wing parties are once again divided over minor differences and competing strategies over the next presidential election. These divisions were even visible in their reactions to Le Pens conviction. While leaders of the Greens, Socialists, and Communists all applauded the ruling, Jean-Luc Melenchon of left-populist La France Insoumise said he disagreed with the principle of courts preventing politicians from running for office. Of course, the RN has another huge advantage. If Le Pen exhausts the appeals process and truly cannot run for the presidency in 2027, the party already has an obvious candidate-in-waiting in Jordan Bardella. Groomed to run for office, the 29-year president of the party can already count on support from the RN base. And if anything, the absence of the controversial Le Pen family name is a plus for the rest of the French electorate. While Bardella lacks experience, expertise, and mastery of the subjects at-hand, these may not be such flaws in todays climate. Ultimately, the RN will still need to be defeated politically one way or the otherwith or without Le Pen. And this wont be an easy task for its opponents. But the RNs criticism of the verdictand call for nationwide protestsis a reminder of whats at stake in France. Like the Kremlin, Trump, and Hungarys Viktor Orban whove all rallied to the RNs defense, the party shares a deep mistrust for the rule of lawand a healthy democratic society should be capable of rejecting it at the polls. Contact us at letters@time.com. DENVER (KDVR) The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced Monday evening that a case of measles has been confirmed in Colorado. The case was found in an unvaccinated adult resident of Pueblo, who had recently traveled to an area of Mexico experiencing an ongoing measles outbreak, according to the state health department. Denver health department tracking increase in nonfatal overdoses Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department also provided some locations the infected individual went to and when. So, anyone who went to those locations can determine if they may have been exposed to measles. Anyone who is concerned or who was at the locations is asked to monitor for symptoms for 21 days. Location Date/time Southwest Deli and Cafe 1873 S. Pueblo Blvd. Pueblo, CO 81005 Monday, March 17 Tuesday, March 18 Wednesday, March 19 Thursday, March 20 Friday, March 21 Southern Colorado Clinic 109 South Burlington Drive Pueblo West, CO 81007 Saturday, March 22 3:30 6 p.m. Anyone who was at the locations is asked to immediately contact their health care provider by phone, or call an urgent care or emergency department, where you should explain youve likely been exposed. Calling ahead prevents additional exposures. At this time, we have no other known exposure locations. The good news is that this individual has not traveled outside of Pueblo, and so we believe it is limited to Pueblo, said Randy Evetts, the public health director for Pueblo County, in a press conference. In February, a Texas child, who was unvaccinated, died of measles, which health officials said was the first death from the illness in about a decade. CDPHE told FOX31 in February that the last confirmed case of measles in the state was reported in December 2023, and that most of the time, measles cases occur in Colorado after travel or in under-vaccinated communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 93.7% of Colorado children have the MMR vaccination, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. Thats below the goal threshold of 95% for community immunity. Colorado now has an official state mushroom, and no, its not psychedelic Two doses of the MMR vaccination are about 97% effective in preventing measles, CDPHE said in its Monday announcement. Coloradans can check their own or their childs immunization records through the states Immunization Information System public portal. If your provider has not reported vaccines, some records may be incomplete. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases we know, but it is also highly preventable, said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, deputy chief medical officer and state epidemiologist, in the measles case announcement. The MMR vaccine provides excellent protection and helps prevent outbreaks like the one we are seeing globally. We urge Coloradans to review their vaccination status and take steps to protect themselves, their families, and their communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CDPHE said measles symptoms typically take seven to 21 days to develop and include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a characteristic rash that usually starts several days later on the face and spreads. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. (Reuters) - The Texas health department reported 422 cases of measles in the state on Tuesday, an increase from 400 on March 28, as the United States battles one of the largest outbreaks of the disease in the past decade. Cases in Gaines County, the center of the current measles outbreak in the U.S. that started in late January, rose to 280 from 270 on Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. New Mexico reported four additional measles cases from March 28, taking the total to 48 in the state, its health department said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of New Mexico's cases were reported in Lea County, which is adjacent to Gaines County in Texas. Oklahoma also reported an additional case since its last report on Friday, bringing the total in the state to 10. On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were a total of 483 confirmed measles cases in the country as of March 27, more than last year's nationwide count of 285. Infectious disease experts warned last week low vaccination rates can make the population vulnerable to the highly contagious measles and expect the outbreak to spread further in the next few weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Measles cases have been reported in 20 U.S. jurisdictions so far this year - Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington. (This story has been refiled to remove the stray word 'spread' in paragraph 7) (Reporting by Mariam Sunny, Christy Santhosh and Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Krishna Chandra Eluri) The Milwaukee advocacy group African American Roundtable has long pushed for the city's government to adopt participatory budgeting allowing residents to decide how to spend part of a budget. It moved closer to that goal Monday. The Common Council's Finance and Personnel Committee unanimously backed legislation that includes money for participatory budgeting. The full council is expected to take up the measure Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its obviously been a long, long time coming for us, Devin Anderson, AARTs campaign and membership director, said. To even get it to the Finance and Personnel Committee is really an exciting step for us. People have been asking and weve been demanding participatory budgeting for years. We are just really excited about the possibility of this being a thing. The resolution allocates $600,000 for a resident-led community budgeting program, which includes funding to establish a steering committee to oversee the program. The money would come from the $2.4 million Council-Led Transformational Fund meant to be spent on programs that "uplift the residents of Milwaukee and transform the community by strengthening support to residents most in need," according to budget documents.The resolution also includes funding for these and other programs: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement $100,000 for Hanan Refugees Relief Group for refugee services $75,000 to Diverse and Resilient for violence and homelessness prevention services $50,000 to Teens Grow Greens for urban agriculture apprenticeship programs $50,000 to Friendship Circle of Wisconsin for suicide prevention training $15,000 for wage increases for City of Milwaukee Earn & Learn participants $300,000 to finance housing rehabilitation projects in the Metcalfe Park community Devin Anderson, membership and coalition manager, left and Markasa Tucker-Harris, executive director, right, both from the African American Roundtable in Brown Deer on Monday, March 6, 2023. The Transformational Fund spending has been a long time coming for one of the legislation's main co-sponsors, Ald. Milele Coggs. Discussions of getting residents to weigh in on budget spending date to the city's ARPA Funding Allocation Task Force. The then-group was tasked in 2023 with getting resident input on how to use the city's remaining money from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Transformational Fund's money comes from the ARPA funding. Coggs said she never lost sight of what residents said was important to them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is just one other opportunity to make sure that we are using resources to address some of the concerns residents have brought to us," she said. Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa called the allocation of these funds a "love letter" to city residents. "This is our investment in the people of the city of Milwaukee," she said. "This expresses our commitment to the people of the city of Milwaukee." Ald. Scott Spiker expressed some reservations about allocating $2.4 million if there's a budget shortfall. But the legislation, he said, funds many good programs, some of which are urgent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I do have concerns about what we potentially are giving up," Spiker said. That's not something anybody can solve without a crystal ball. AART's Anderson is confident the Common Council will pass the participatory budgeting measure. Milwaukee wouldn't be the first Wisconsin city to use participatory budgeting. That title goes to Eau Claire, which in 2020 did one phase of grants, limited due to funding constraints. Across the U.S., nearly 300 participatory budgeting initiatives exist at the city and county levels, according to the Participatory Budgeting Projects website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If it passes in Milwaukee, it'll take several months to get the initiative started. The process includes establishing a steering committee that would include both residents and city officials, and setting up voting eligibility and project parameters. Anderson said the steering committee will have purview on what projects are eligible for funding. Having the money there is one thing, he said. We want to make sure that this process can engage as many residents as possible, to make sure that we are reaching all residents in all parts of the city to have them engaged and participate in this. AART has long pushed to devote fewer city dollars on policing. But a 2023 state law known as Act 12 puts the city at risk of losing funding if it doesn't increase its police staffing to state-imposed levels. With this $500,000, we really want to prioritize other ways we can improve our communities that dont include funding the police anymore, Anderson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The effort to get the city to adopt participatory budgeting came in fits and starts over the last six years. AART first proposed the concept in 2019 through its Liberate MKE campaign. The campaign sought to divert funds from the Milwaukee Police Department to community programs. A 2019 proposal aimed to create a $100,000 participatory budget pilot giving residents input on city violence prevention funds for the 2020 budget before being withdrawn. During the pandemic, the group made several pushes to allocate some of the citys federal pandemic aid from the American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA money to fund community programs through participatory budgeting. All of those moments were unsuccessful, but we continued to keep the momentum, Anderson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AART even went as far as to front its own money to educate people about how participatory budgeting works. The group had residents propose projects and then vote on which one would share in $40,000 in grant money. Four community-led projects got $10,000 grants each. The effort, Anderson said, showed whats possible when funding resident-driven projects and trusting them to decide as well as execute programs that help their communities. Organizing works, he said. Anderson said it also shows what can happen when the government makes people part of the process, instead of excluding them. I think we are in a time where people feel like government is not working for more and more folks," he said. "This is an opportunity to empower residents." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement La Risa Lynch is a community affairs reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Email her at llynch@gannett.com This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee participatory budgeting measure advances to full Council CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) The Meck Pre-K program says attendance has more than tripled since it launched in 2018. This year alone, officials said the program had over 200 more applications each week when families could start to apply. Mary-Margaret Cantor is the Chief Early Education Officer of Smart Start Mecklenburg County. She said the growth is threefold: a deeper understanding of the need for education after the pandemic, recognizing how demanding kindergarten is these days, and understanding how much a childs brain grows in the first few years of his or her life. I think parents really began to understand wow, they need something to help them sort of get back up and par and get ready for kindergarten, Cantor said. Little kids suffered just like our school-aged children did. A lot of the aspects of their growth and development were slowed down, hindered by the lack of exposure they had to the outside world, the lack of exposure to people they met. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cantor said that although the program was cut in half during the pandemic, since 2018, attendance has grown from 600 to nearly 1,900 students in Meck Pre-K. We expect a lot, we expect kids to come in with a lot at the beginning of kindergarten because we need to move them forward in all of the other things that are happening in elementary school, Cantor said. [Meck Pre-K] does send them into kindergarten more prepared because kindergarten demands are pretty high. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Cantor said advances made in understanding brain development also play a role in the programs demand. Use it or lose it by age five, Cantor said. Over 90 percent of your brain is developed by the time you hit age five, so there better be a lot happening in those first five years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If your child will turn four on or before August 31 this year, you can apply to take part in the program. You must live in Mecklenburg 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 Queen City News. NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)A medical manufacturing company has opened a new facility in North Charleston to build autoinjectors. Swiss-based SHL Medical recently inaugurated a new 360,000-square-foot facility that features medical device injection molding technology and fully automated assembly capabilities. According to the company, the $220 million investment has already brought 300 local jobs to the area and is expected to continue creating employment opportunities. A release from 2024 announcing the build said that once the facility is open, an additional 165 jobs will be opened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SHL Medical built the facility to help meet the growing demand for its product in North America. The autoinjectors will be used for medications for endocrine and metabolic disorders, dermatology, musculoskeletal diseases, and therapy areas. The facility, just off Palmetto Commerce Parkway on Trade Center Court, is the first autoinjector production site the company has opened in the United States. The most trusted autoinjector brand is now made in the USA. We are proud to be contributing to the growth of the local economy and becoming a key player in the area while contributing to our sustainability goals, adds Kimberlee Steele, Managing Director of North America at SHL Medical. Several leaders, including North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, attended the grand opening. 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 WCBD News 2. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Were proud to announce the local Remarkable Women winner for this years contest! Lauren Williams is a Baton Rouge woman who started a foundation with other families after losing her son to a rare disorder. Williams was shocked when she was surprised by family and friends holding a sign that read four special words: Youre going to Hollywood. Im grateful for this opportunity to be on this kind of platform to get our legacy out and everything were doing in Louisiana for rare diseases, CureGRIN Foundation Director of Family & Donor Experience Lauren Williams said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Williams lost her only child, Carter, to a rare disorder called GRIN1. She used her pain for something greater when she started an organization with several other families. The organization is committed to improving the lives of people living with GRI Disorders. Well, it doesnt feel like work to me. I wake up in the mornings and want to do this. Its incredible, Williams said. Although Carters life cant be replaced, Williams said her heart is full knowing CureGRIN is touching many lives across the globe. He may not be here in body but in spirit, and hes forever loved by so many people, Williams said. Williams gets $1K donation for CureGRIN As our Remarkable Women winner, Williams got a check for $1,000 to continue research efforts for CureGRIN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were so proud of everything that youve accomplished and the fact that youre going to represent all of southeast Louisiana as our Remarkable Woman, Louisiana First News General Manager Tim Ingram said. Grateful for the award, she said she lives for the chance to connect with people and continue Carters legacy. Thank you guys so much. Its an incredibly emotional moment for me to see how far weve come. But I want to dedicate it all to our kids who are continually fighting and our parents that fight every day and advocate for their kids, said Williams. The date of the awards ceremony has an even more special meaning to Williams since its on Carters birthday. She believes its all fate. Now shes left with tears of joy and a suitcase to pack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That means the world to me. I wish you wouldve known Carter. Hes the catalyst for everything that I do, Williams said. Williams leaves for the Hollywood trip on Sunday, April 13. Map: Remarkable Women winners for 2025 Louisiana First News celebrated Womens History Month by sharing the stories of women who are doing amazing work in the community in the Capital Region. Williams, along with 124 other women from across the country, will travel to California for a few days of fun, networking, and a chance to become the national Remarkable Women winner. The map below shows this years Remarkable Women winners throughout the U.S. More Remarkable Women in Baton Rouge: 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. Brazils top financial policy body banned some pension funds from investing in cryptocurrencies because they are too risky. The National Monetary Council (CMN) forbade closed pension entities known as Entidades Fechadas de Previdencia Complementar (EFPCs) from allocating any portion of their guarantee reserves into bitcoin (BTC) or other digital currencies. The EFPCs manage retirement savings for tens of thousands of unionized and company-employed workers and their reserves are typically made up of bonds and equities. The resolution also prohibits investments in virtual assets, considering their specific investment characteristics and associated risk, a Ministry of Finance notice circulating among local news outlets reads. The ruling was published last week under under Resolution 5.202/2025 by the National Monetary Council (CMN). In contrast, last year British pension specialist Cartwright guided the countrys first pension fund to make a bitcoin allocation worth 3% of its assets. Several U.S. states have begun experimenting with crypto allocations for their pension systems, despite federal-level caution. Wisconsins state investment board, for example, revealed in February it had invested $340 million in bitcoin through BlackRocks ETF (IBIT). The ruling does not appear to apply to open pension funds or individual retirement products sold by banks and insurers. These are regulated separately and may allow indirect investment through exchange-traded funds or tokenized asset platforms. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) News 8 honored some of Connecticuts remarkable women during the month of March. Laura Hutchinson introduces our final remarkable woman, who has turned her dark and difficult past into a brighter future for our youngest and those who care for them. If you walk down the hallways of the Friends Center for Children in New Haven, youll notice lots of natural light, bright spaces to play, happy kids, and perhaps even more importantly, happy teachers. Allyx Schiavone is the executive director and the creative mind behind an innovative child care model. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I was younger, I was in unsafe situations a lot of my early life, and as a result of that, I felt like I had no voice after a really, particularly hard event, really traumatic event, Schiavone said. And when I was 15, I made the decision that if I was going to get out of this and make it to be an adult, I was going to create safe spaces for children. The product of that determination is the Friends Centers for Children in New Haven, which has multiple locations around Elm City. Its not just a safe space for kids; its chipping away at a nationwide problem of underpaid caretakers and expensive tuition. We have a sliding scale tuition, which means some families pay nothing, and some families pay for tuition based on their income, she said. We also work with multiple funding sources. Teachers get to live for free. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yeah, right now, we have nine educators living rent-free and 16 residents, Schiavone said. So, its their children or their dependents who are living with them in housing in New Haven, all in New Haven. Returning to the theory: the kids thrive when the adults around them thrive. So 62% of the teachers we have in housing are now back in school, she said. Thats just, I mean, the first time theyve been able to further their career because we have stable housing. They have extra money now, you know, all the things that they should have been getting from in the beginning, but thats a pretty high statistic. Schiavone is changing the landscape for educators to provide a brighter future for kids and their families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its what makes her remarkable and why shes our remarkable woman for 2025! Shes receiving a check to a nonprofit of her choice and the chance to share her story on a national stage. To me, theres nothing more important than how we treat the youngest members of our society, and if we can talk about that and shed some light and share some experiences, that would be amazing, Schiavone said. She joined REMARKABLE WOMEN Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. CLEVELAND (WJW) On a sunny, winter day, Jowan Smith thought she was meeting her son for a rare lunch date at Kitchen Social in Pinecrest. It wasnt long before she realized it was a set-up. Click here for more Remarkable Women coverage Hey, so a couple of months ago I nominated you for a Remarkable Woman award, said 24-year-old Trayvon Porter. Remarkable Women is part of a nationwide Nexstar Media initiative to honor the influence that women have had on public policy, social progress and the quality of life. We asked the community to recognize the fantastic women making a difference here in Northeast Ohio by nominating them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is one winner. During the lunch date, Porter read a beautiful essay hed written us about how much he admires his mom: Jowan Smith is a remarkable woman whose profound impact on her community and relentless dedication to serving others are truly inspiring. Despite battling lupus and triumphing over cancer, she continues to uplift families and youth, demonstrating resilience, passion, and an unwavering commitment to making a difference. Jowans community impact is extraordinary. She is the founder of 1,000 Ties, a nonprofit organization that mentors young men ages 10-17, teaching them life skills such as dining etiquette, budgeting, interview preparation, and social-emotional development. Since 2020, Jowan has also hosted Family Resource Events, providing over 15,000 families with free items and crucial information. These events create a welcoming environment for the community, featuring food, music, and support from over 25 local organizations. Her educational consulting firm, Getting Our Babies to College 101, further highlights her dedication to helping young people achieve success. Through this initiative, Jowan guides families through the college application process, ensuring that students, especially those from underserved communities, have access to higher education and the tools to thrive. Jowans achievements speak to her remarkable contributions. She is a multi-award-winning community leader whose work has been recognized on national and international stages. She has been featured on multiple media outlets, including national PBS, and her inspiring efforts have taken her across the country, where she continues to share her story and impact lives. Jowan has authored seven childrens books, including an award-winning title, using her books as educational tools to inspire literacy and STEM learning. She is an inductee of the prestigious John Hay Hall of Fame and has been highlighted in The Soul of Philanthropy, showcased at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Her innovative and entrepreneurial spirit is evident in every endeavor. Jowans programs incorporate mentorship, literacy, and STEM education to create meaningful, transformative experiences for youth. Her Entrepreneur Academy teaches young people to develop and pitch business ideas, equipping them with essential life and career skills. She is a master of collaboration, partnering with organizations, businesses, and individuals to amplify her impact and create lasting change. Through all this, Jowans strength and determination stand as a testament to her character. As her son, Ive seen her face incredible challenges, including the pain of lupus and the fight against cancer. Yet, she never let her health struggles stop her from showing up for her community. Her perseverance, selflessness, and passion inspire everyone around her, proving that even in the face of adversity, one person can make an extraordinary difference. Jowan Smith is more than a remarkable woman; she is a trailblazer, a changemaker, and a beacon of hope for countless families and young people. Her unwavering commitment to improving lives and overcoming obstacles makes her profoundly deserving of this honor. She has shown that remarkable women dont just persevere, they transform the lives of everyone around them, leaving a legacy of hope, resilience, and kindness that inspires generations to come. When he was finished reading, Porter looked at his mom and smiled, and if you havent noticed the camera, hes here because you won. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith is no stranger to Fox 8. Her 1,000 Ties organization was featured in our Voices of Unity series, and we interviewed her during the pandemic when her group distributed hygiene kits to students around Cleveland. Her work in the community began more than two decades ago as an advocate for her daughter, who struggled with dyslexia in the Cleveland Municipal School District. The resources werent there, Smith said. I had to work and learn how to help her. And that led to working on different committees, meeting with [former CMSD Schools CEO] Eric Gordon, and just being a parent voice for the district. That led to the creation of her educational consulting firm called, Getting Our Babies to College 101, guiding families through the college application process and ensuring students in underserved communities have access to higher education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Years later, as a single mom, she identified another need in her household as her son learned to properly tie a tie. As Im watching him, Im thinking about all the other things that I see him and his friends not do, she said. The handshakes, the eye contact, being able to interact with your peers. Read more about last years Fox 8 Remarkable Woman winner That led to the creation of the nationally recognized 1,000 Ties. Smith and her son now conduct weekly workshops in schools throughout the Cleveland school district, mentoring young men ages 10 to 17, and teaching them life skills, dining etiquette, interview prep and budgeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My goal was to eliminate barriers, starting with something as simple as tying a tie. We can take these ties and thats the conversation starter, and then help them with workforce development, job skills, networking skills, social skills, and basic life skills. Maybe we can help them not become a statistic and see there are possibilities. Despite all her accomplishments, Smith has no plans to slow down. I definitely will continue the work here in Cleveland, but the goal is to start hitting all the poverty rate cities, she said. We want 1,000 Ties all over. We want to be able to let the young men in these communities see the men in their communities that actually care and help be the change. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. COLCHESTER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) ABC22/FOX44 has named Katherine Bramhall as this years Remarkable Woman! Bramhall, who received a degree from an accredited midwifery school, has devoted much of her life to supporting women through out-of-hospital births. She has assisted in delivering over 900 babies at her birthing clinic in New Hampshire, and in Vermont. I am so honored, especially since about two hours ago we welcomed a little baby girl at the birth center one more little miracle, Bramhall noted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She is actually one of two Vermont midwives who had to cross the border to open a birth center for access to care. Bramhall, who has two daughters, says that she just wants everybodys daughter to have the option, the choice. Bramhall received a check for $1,000 this morning, April 1, and plans to donate this money to the Womens Choice in Care Initiative. The organization offers grants to under-insured women so that they can have access to childbirth choices. She says this initiative was organized when we decided to set up this birthing center. Its [the organization] actually a group of women whove actually had their babies with us, and so know the value of this model of care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bramhall will join over 100 other Remarkable Women on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Los Angeles, CA for a special award ceremony. Check out our national map of winners. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 City of Kissimmee is inviting residents and business owners to a meet-and-greet event for its new police chief. Chief Charles Broadway will be sworn into office Tuesday evening. Before that happens, city leaders will host a reception where folks can engage with Broadway and get to learn a little about his vision for the community. City leaders selected Broadway in March to lead the department. He brings 29 years of law enforcement experience to the role, most recently as Clermonts police chief, where he led since 2012. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Broadway also served as a special agent supervisor with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He will serve as the Kissimmees 35th police chief, replacing Betty Holland, who resigned in November. Broadways meet-and-greet will happen at Kissimmee Civic Center located at 201 East Dakin Avenue in Kissimmee. It starts at 5 p.m. Broadways swearing-in ceremony will follow at 6 p.m. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. First Lady Melania Trump underscored the power of love at the International Women of Courage Award ceremony as her husband President Donald Trump continues to deport people en masse. The first lady and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the 19th annual awards ceremony Tuesday, honoring eight women from all across the globe. Throughout my life, I have harnessed the power of love as a source of strength during challenging times, Melania said. Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy, and exhibit bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles. Today we celebrate courage, a strength that is based in love. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their remarkable stories speak to the power of love, she said. The award recipients came from diverse backgrounds and regions yet love transcends boundaries and territories, she continued. Melania Trump attends the 19th annual International Women of Courage Award ceremony at the Department of State in Washington, DC on April 1, where she touted the power of love (REUTERS) Their courage propels us of humanity forward by advocating to end violence against women and girls, promoting democratic governance, defending human rights, championing education and fighting injustice, the first lady said. The first ladys comments come in sharp contrast to many of her husbands policies. Before returning to the White House, Donald Trump vowed to conduct the largest deportation operation in American history. Now, just two months into his second term, his deportations have already sparked legal battles while many families across the country plead with the president to find empathy as their relatives run the risk of deportation or have, in some cases, already been deported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the latest example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement admitted to accidentally sending Maryland father Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to a prison in El Salvador which his lawyers described as a torture center claiming he was a member of the MS-13 gang. He fled El Salvador in 2011 to escape gangs that allegedly stalked, assaulted, and threatened to kill and kidnap him, court filings say. On March 15, although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error, the government wrote in a filing Monday in a lawsuit brought by Abrego Garcias family. His relatives are demanding the U.S. government request the country return him to the United States. The White House has defended his deportation saying he was a member of a gang. In another example that has rocked the nation, the federal government has moved to revoke the green card of Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The student activist, who says he mediated discussions between the university and pro-Palestine students last year, was arrested and detained in early March. The Trump administration has labeled him as pro-Hamas and accused him of antisemitic activities. Protests have erupted across the country, calling to free Khalil. Her comment at the womens award event are in contrast to her husbands mass deportation push (AFP via Getty Images) Meanwhile, some fear the state of human rights and democracy in America is at stake as the U.S. was recently added to a global watchdogs watchlist of countries of faltering civic freedoms as the Trump administration pushes the bounds of executive authority and implements sweeping executive orders. The first lady also spoke of championing education, despite how last month the president ordered the closure of the department of education. Melania added that the recipients taught that while courage drives us forward, it is love that lays the groundwork for lasting impact, each act of love can spark a ripple of transformation. Eight women were honored at Tuesdays ceremony: Henriette Da of Burkina Faso, Amit Soussana of Israel, Major Velena Iga of Papua New Guinea, Angelique Songco of Philippines, Georgiana Pascu of Romania, Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit of South Sudan, Namini Wijedasa of Sri Lanka and Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj of Yemen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rubio also spoke at the ceremony, thanking the recipients for their contributions toward creating a safer and more secure and just world. The importance of protecting women and girls and promoting their wellbeing are American goals but they also happen to be a strong goal of our president, the Secretary of State said. First lady Melania Trump honored women from around the world during an award ceremony at the State Department, calling the eight honorees' love "a powerful catalyst" for their work to fight injustice and advocate women and girls. The first lady said she is inspired by "the women who are driven to speak out for justice, even though their voices are trembling," and "the women who are motivated to rise up for their community when others remain indifferent." "Through their efforts, they instigate progress for all of humanity," Trump said while speaking at the ceremony for the 19th International Women of Courage Awards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The State Department says the awards are given to women who have "demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls, and more, often at great personal risk and sacrifice." PHOTO: First Lady Melania Trump speaks at the State Departments 19th annual International Women of Courage Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C, April 1, 2025. (Pool via ABC News) MORE: After months of cuts, State Department says it's officially shuttering USAID "Throughout my life, I have harnessed the power of love as a source of strength during challenging times," Trump said. "Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy and exhibit bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles." Among the recipients was Romanian Georgiana Pascu, who has been an advocate for institutionalized children and adults with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities, working toward their deinstitutionalization over the past 25 years, according to the State Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Georgiana is a watchdog who defends the dignity of Romanians whose voices cannot be heard," Trump said. "She fearlessly enters facilities designated as care centers to rescue people with disabilities who are unwittingly held captive." Pascu "usually shows up unannounced and discovers the unimaginable: helpless adults and children bound, sedated, starving and, in extreme cases, dying," she said. PHOTO: Melania Trump during the International Women of Courage award ceremony, April 1, 2025, held at the State Department in Washington, D.C. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he "affirm[ed] the importance of protecting women and girls and promoting their well-being [as] American goals." "They also happen to be a strong goal of our president, President Donald Trump," Rubio said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He honored Amit Soussana, an Israeli woman kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. After surviving 55 days of captivity and her release, Rubio noted that Soussana "shared details of the sexual violence she endured as a hostage, which allowed medical professionals to document the atrocities that she suffered." Soussana said it is an "an honor I never imagined receiving and one I wish I didn't have to accept under these circumstances," calling the moment overdue for the Israeli hostages who remain in captivity. "In captivity, I had no control over my body, no control over my life," she said. "I resisted as best as I could, but it was not enough to stop what happened to me. The darkness was suffocating. Yet even in the darkness, there was one thing they could not have taken from me: the strength my mother instilled in me, the belief that we must always stand for what is right, no matter the cost." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Video Trump highlights first lady for her work with foster care, 'Take It Down' Act The awards honored eight women from as far as Papua New Guinea and Burkina Faso and included a Filipino woman who helps protect coral reefs from illegal fishing and a Sri Lankan investigative journalist whose work combats corruption, according to the State Department. While the first lady's appearance marked a rare public showing, she is no stranger to the International Women of Courage Awards. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted earlier Tuesday that this was the fifth year the first lady would participate in the award ceremony. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer were also in attendance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rubio noted that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was not in attendance, joking that she was "probably spying somewhere right now." Melania Trump honors women who bring 'progress for all of humanity' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com WASHINGTON (AP) Courage is based in love, Melania Trump said Tuesday as she recognized eight women from around the world for bravery, including an Israeli citizen who was held captive by Hamas for nearly two months after the militant group's deadly raid on her country in October 2023. These extraordinary women illuminate the transformative power of love in shaping our world, the first lady said during a ceremony at the State Department, which created the International Women of Courage Award. Their journeys remind us that true courage is born from a deep commitment to others, showing the love fuels the call for justice. The public appearance was her first in Washington since she sat in the gallery for President Donald Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress on March 4. Tuesday marked her fifth time speaking at the awards ceremony; she participated every year during the president's first term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Melania Trump defined courage as a strength that is based in love, and she sought parallels with the diverse group of honorees. She said that, in her own life, I have harnessed the power of love as a source of strength during challenging times. Love has inspired me to embrace forgiveness, nurture empathy and exhibit bravery in the face of unforeseen obstacles. Trump singled out recipient Georgiana Pascu, of Romania, as someone who exemplifies love in action." Pascu advocates for the rights of institutionalized children and adults with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities, the State Department said. Georgiana is a watchdog who defends the dignity of Romanians whose voices cannot be heard, Trump said, telling the audience that Pascu fearlessly enters facilities designated as care centers, often dropping in unannounced, to rescue people with disabilities who are unwittingly held captive. Thanks to Georgiana's brave work, dozens of offenders have been charged with human trafficking, exploitation and even organized crime, the first lady said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another honoree, Israeli lawyer Amit Soussana, has publicly described being sexually assaulted during the 55 days that Hamas kept her in Gaza after the attack. On Tuesday, she delivered a passionate plea for freedom for the hostages still held, saying, My friends remain in the dark after more than 540 days, still suffering, still waiting, still hoping. Every single day that passes is another day of unimaginable suffering, she said. With every passing moment, their pain deepens, their hopes fades and their chances of survival diminish. I call on the world to act, to bring them home now, not tomorrow, not next week. Now. The other award recipients are: __Henriette Da, of Burkina Faso, a human rights advocate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement __Major Velena Iga, of Papua New Guinea, an advocate for combatting violence against women and human trafficking. __Angelique Songco, of the Philippines, also known as Mama Ranger," because she leads a small team of rangers protecting Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park from illegal fishing and poaching. __Zabib Musa Loro Bakhit, of South Sunday, a women's rights leader. __Namini Wijedasa, of Sri Lanka, an investigative journalist. __Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj, of Yemen, who works to bring international attention to the plight of thousands of abducted and forcibly detained Yemenis. A group award named for Madeleine Albright, the late former secretary of state, went to female student leaders who protested against violent repression in Bangladesh in July and August of 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now in its 19th year, the International Women of Courage Award recognizes women from around the world who have shown exceptional courage, strength and leadership, often at great personal risk and sacrifice." More than 200 women from over 90 countries have been recognized since the first awards in 2007. ___ Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has voiced her irritation over a temporary ban preventing French far-right icon Marine Le Pen, who has been convicted of embezzlement, from running for office. Meloni told the newspaper Il Messaggero in comments published on Tuesday that she was neither aware of the accusations against Le Pen nor the reasons for "such a harsh decision." "But I don't believe that anyone who values democracy can be pleased with a ruling that impacts the leader of a major party and denies millions of citizens their representation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The nationalist politician Le Pen was found guilty on Monday of embezzling public funds. Part of the penalty is a five-year ban from seeking public office. The ruling likely ends Le Pen's plans to compete in the 2027 presidential election, with the lengthy legal process unlikely to conclude before the vote. Le Pen condemned the ruling, which centres on the misuse of European Union funds by her party, as "political" and plans to appeal. The judge sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison, two of them suspended and the other two with an electronic tag rather than in custody. Le Pen was also given a 100,000 ($108,000) fine. Mergers and acquisitions in financial services are set to stay strong in 2025. After a year of big-money deals in 2024, companies are still looking for ways to grow, stay competitive, and adapt to market shifts. While economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions remain, financial firms are using M&A to keep up with new technologies, changing customer expectations, and regulatory changes. Many banks and financial institutions are eyeing fintech acquisitions to stay ahead in the digital space while selling off underperforming parts of their business to free up capital for high-growth opportunities. Larger deals are becoming more common, especially as potential financial deregulation in the US could shake up global markets. According to Morgan Stanley, capital markets are making a big comeback in 2025, strengthened by lower interest rates, easing inflation, and steady economic growth. After a period of uncertainty, companies and investors are finally feeling confident enough to jump back into mergers, acquisitions, and major spending. With more cash flowing into the market, demand for private credit and infrastructure investments, especially in AI, is on the rise. Private credit is also having a moment, offering companies more flexible financing options. It is growing fast, with assets under management expected to double in the next few years. Many businesses are using private markets to refinance debt and fuel expansion. 2025 is shaping up to be a huge year for strategic deals, leveraged buyouts, and capital raising. Financial stocks had a great run in 2024, jumping over 30% by mid-December and outpacing the broader market. Fidelity noted that concerns about bank failures faded as the economy stayed strong, and improving fundamentals kept the sector on track. With the Fed cutting rates for the first time since the pandemic, lower borrowing costs could boost economic activity, even if they squeeze bank profit margins a bit. There are still risks, like commercial real estate exposure and loan defaults, but the post-election landscape looks favorable, with lighter regulations and more deal-making. Heading into 2025, financial stocks have solid momentum and plenty of tailwinds. This shift is creating fresh opportunities across the financial sector, from capital markets to private credit. We recently published a list of 10 Best Financial Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF) stands against other best financial stocks to invest in. Story Continues Some of the wealthiest billionaires have built some of the worlds largest financial firms or continue to hold major ownership positions in them. These companies specialize in asset management, financial data services, and cryptocurrency trading. Take Warren Buffett, for instance. Investors around the world look to his portfolio for guidance. His investment strategy heavily favors financial stocks, with significant holdings in banks, payment technology firms, and insurance companies. By the end of 2024, he had committed over $100 billion to the financial sector, representing a substantial share of his estimated $267 billion portfolio. Like Buffett, there are lots of billionaire portfolios to watch out for. So, lets dive into the best financial stocks that Wall Street moguls are backing. Capital One Financial Corporation (COF): One of the Best Financial Stocks Billionaires are Investing In A smiling face of a customer as they make a deposit at this company's branch. Our Methodology To collect data for this article, we scanned Insider Monkeys database of billionaires stock holdings and picked the top 10 companies operating in the financial services industry with the highest number of billionaire investors in Q4 of 2024. The stocks are ranked in ascending order based on the number of billionaire investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF) Number of Billionaire Investors: 22 Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF) is a financial services company that operates in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, offering a range of banking and lending products. It has three main segments Credit Card, Consumer Banking, and Commercial Banking. BTIG analysts see huge potential for COF, predicting it could jump over 137% to $427 per share if the Discover merger goes through. They upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold, believing Capital One could use Discovers payment network to take on Visa and Mastercard. Even if the deal doesnt happen, the analysts still see upside, expecting Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF) to use its excess capital for $25 billion in stock buybacks. Bullish analyst sentiment, paired with the favor of 22 billionaire investors, makes COF one of the best financial stocks. Capital One reported $1.1 billion in Q4 earnings, or $2.67 per share, and $4.8 billion for the year, which comes in at $11.59 per share. Adjusted earnings were $3.09 per share for Q4 and $13.96 for the year, factoring in Discover integration and legal costs. Credit loss provisions increased to $2.6 billion, while reserves dropped to $16.3 billion. Liquidity reserves also fell to $124 billion due to seasonal spending. Credit card performance remained strong, with purchase volume up 7% and revenue increasing 9% year-over-year. Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF)s net income was impacted by loan growth, dividend payouts, and $150 million in share buybacks. The company has consistently paid quarterly dividends since 1995. On March 18, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods maintained an Outperform rating and $232 target on Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF), dismissing antitrust concerns over its Discover deal as overblown. The firm noted the DOJs role is advisory, with final approval resting with the Fed and OCC, and remains bullish on the deals approval. Overall, COF ranks 3rd on our list of the best financial stocks to buy according to billionaires. While we acknowledge the potential of COF to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that certain AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than COF but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. AUSTIN (KXAN) As the Austin Police Department continues to search for whoever shot and killed 47-year-old Edward Espino in an apparent road rage incident earlier this month, his friends and family have organized a memorial event for him, set to take place later this week. Espinos close friend and roommate, Steven Slyter, described Espino as kind, hard-working and fun. Slyer said the last thing Espino did before he died was give a friend a ride home from a South by Southwest (SXSW) event instead of her having to take an Uber. Family members clutch photo of Edward Espino as police provide update on his homicide. Steven Slyter, left, says Espino, right, was hardworking and kind. (Courtesy: Steven Slyter) Edward Espino (Courtesy: Steven Slyter) (Courtesy: Steven Slyter) So the last thing he did before he died was something nice for a friend, Slyter said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police found Espino dead in his car a black Mitsubishi Mirage on Interstate 35 North just north of Braker Lane, around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 16. Investigators initially responded to what was reported as a crash with the Mirage and a Ford Bronco, but then found Espino with gunshot wounds. Police do not believe the driver of the Bronco had anything to do with the homicide. Based on our preliminary investigation, we believe road rage was involved, APD said. Espino was part of the Austin Gay Mens Chorus, and the group will sing at his memorial event on Wednesday, Slyter said. The event is set for 7 p.m. at St. Johns United Methodist Church on Allandale Road. Eddie was full of love and life. A hard worker, super sweet. Everyone always loved him. Steven Slyter, Espinos friend APD is now seeking community help for any information related to the homicide that could further the investigation. Anyone with information should contact APD at 512-974-TIPS. A reward of up to $1,000 is possible for information leading to an arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eddie loved this city. He found his people in this place. And I think its our turn to support him, Slyter said. A Go Fund Me page has been set up for Espinos family. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman's move to stymie a bid for freedom from Erik and Lyle Menendez ignores the facts of the case and is motivated by political self-interest, the brothers' attorneys argue in a new court filing. Hochman's predecessor, George Gascon, sought resentencing for the brothers in the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents. Before losing to Hochman in November's election, Gascon asked a judge to rescind the Mendendezes' sentences of life without the possibility of parole. He urged they be given 50 years to life. Since they were youthful offenders 18 and 21 when they gunned down Jose and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home, resentencing could make them eligible for parole and lead to their freedom after three decades in jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Hochman took over as district attorney, he has opposed the brothers getting a new trial, and last month filed a motion to rescind Gascons resentencing request. Read more: Menendez brothers' bid for freedom hits roadblock: D.A. Hochman opposes resentencing Hochman said when filing his motion that the brothers had repeatedly lied about the crime, even claiming the murders were carried out by the mafia. He questioned whether their self-defense claims were valid their "purported actual fear that their mother and their father were going to kill them the night of the murders." The brothers have maintained they were subject to years of sexual and emotional abuse by their parents. Hochman said the brothers had not demonstrated complete insight and acceptance of responsibility of their crime and that the previous prosecutor team ignored significant rule violations in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The brothers lawyers, led by Mark Geragos and Cliff Gardner, paint Hochmans action as motivated by politics, not legal reasoning, as case law requires. The question here is whether the record shows the decision to withdraw the request for resentencing motion was based on 'legitimate reasons,'" they write, "or instead: 'a change of political winds.' They point to Hochman's reassignment of two prosecutors, Nancy Theberge and Brock Lunsford, who worked with Gascon on the Menendez motion and recommended the brothers be freed. Hochman appointed a private attorney, Kathy Cady, as head of the D.A.'s victims services unit. Cady represented the only Menendez relative who voiced his opposition to resentencing for the brothers. Her client, Milton Anderson, was Kitty Menendez's brother, and has since died. The defense attorneys say Hochman is trying to rewrite history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The motion to withdraw contains serious factual and legal errors, the attorneys write, "and it ignores Erik and Lyles consistent taking of responsibility and expressions of remorse over decades in prison. Hochman, the defense team notes, has continued to focus on falsehoods [the brothers] told in the aftermath of the crime, and even during 1993 and 1996 trials. The defense acknowledges the pair lied and they tried to fabricate evidence, but in the three decades since, they have been forthcoming about the crime. Read more: The Menendez brothers spent decades fighting for freedom. Why they suddenly have a chance In 1989, the Menendez brothers bought a pair of shotguns with cash, walked into their Beverly Hills mansion and shot their parents while they were watching a movie in the family living room. Jose Menendez was struck five times, and Kitty Menendez crawled across the floor, wounded, before the brothers reloaded and fired a fatal blast. Prosecutors during the trials argued the murders were motivated by a multimillion-dollar inheritance, while the defense argued it was a form of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hochman's motion to withdraw the resentencing request maintains that Erik, now 54, and Lyle, 57, pose an unreasonable risk of danger to the community," their lawyers say, but makes no reference to them having scored the lowest felony risk assessment scores zero. They further say that rules violations the D.A. has referenced are petty and were made over the course of decades in prison. Hochman has cited Gov. Gavin Newsoms decision to deny Sirhan Sirhan parole in the murder of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, saying the Menendez brothers' lack of insight about their crime is comparable to that of RFK's killer. But Geragos and the brothers legal team say that Sirhan has, over the years, flip-flopped about his guilt and, while in prison, insisted he is innocent. The Menendezes, however, have owned their crime since their conviction, their attorneys say, citing a quote during the brothers' 1996 Barbara Walters interview: What we did was awful, and I wish we could go back." Read more: New evidence may back Menendez brothers' sexual abuse claims. But can it free them? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The brothers lawyers repeatedly noted that some 30 members of the family supported their release and claimed that Hochman misunderstood what the two trials of Erik and Lyle Menendez were about, arguing that Both the prosecution and the defense recognized that the question of sexual abuse was the centerpiece of the whole case. Resentencing is just one of three routes the brothers are seeking for freedom. They are pursuing a new trial, citing new evidence: a letter written to a cousin by one of them prior to the killings that detailed the abuse, and an allegation by another man a former member of boy band Menudo that he was sexually abused by Jose Menendez. They are also pursuing clemency with Newsom, who has directed the state parole board to launch a risk assessment into whether the Menendez brothers would pose an unreasonable risk to the public if they were released. That would be a first step in their bid for clemency. If the brothers were to receive clemency and eventually have a parole hearing, Hochman said, he would oppose their release. 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. VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) Mental Health America of West Central Indiana has received a grant that will help current or former citizens whove been in the criminal justice system. The grant comes from the federal government and is categorized as home funds. It will help residents who currently, or have been, in the criminal justice system with short-term rental assistance. Myra Wilkey is the CEO of Mental Health America. She said the grant will not provide long-term money but will be a short-term solution for residents to get back on their feet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think people that are in the criminal justice system, once they get in, it is very hard to get out, Wilkey said. It is increasingly hard, in todays housing market, to get housed and on their feet. Thats what we are invested in, is getting them housed, getting them on their feet, so they can be productive citizens. Wilkey said the grant was appropriated by congress in 2023. She hopes it will stay in the budget for the near future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com. An Ellenwood man being served warrants opened fire on deputies Tuesday afternoon, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Around 1:35 p.m., Monroe County deputies were called to the CVS at the corner of Tift College Drive and Patrol Road in Forsyth, Ga. Deputies were searching for 34-year-old John Monroe Barnes, of Ellenwood, who had terroristic threats warrants out of Monroe County, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As deputies arrived at the store, the GBI said Barnes fired at the deputies. Authorities said deputies shot back, hitting Barnes. TRENDING STORIES: Barnes was taken to a Macon Hospital, with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries, the MCSO said. No deputies were injured. Barnes is facing additional charges. The GBI is conducting an independent investigation. Once the investigation is complete, it will be given to the Towaliga Judicial Circuit District Attorneys Office for review. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Connecticut commuters are getting minutes of their days back, as Metro-North on Tuesday announced that new super-express trains are now running between New Haven and Grand Central Terminal. Six trains a day will run the route in roughly 90 minutes an average of 10 minutes faster than before making stops at New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford and Grand Central, railroad officials said. Heres the punch line: Metro-North is now faster than the Acela coming from New Haven, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber told reporters, referring to the luxe Amtrak line, adding, Not to mention cheaper, by a lot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overall, its about 3 minutes quicker than the Acela, said Justin Vonashek, president of Metro-North. Three super-express trains will run to New York City from New Haven each morning at 5:08 a.m., 5:32 a.m. and 7:32 a.m.; and three will run back to the Nutmeg State in the evenings at 4:16 p.m., 4:49 p.m. and 6:26 p.m. Our team spent a lot of time simulating the trains, figuring out the best routing patterns to make this the premier service on the New Haven Line, Vonashek said. The increased speeds of the super-express trains are also made possible by so-called positive train control, Vonashek said, referring to an automated train safety system mandated by federal regulators as of 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There really wasnt a cost. We really utilized the resources that we had available to us, Vonashek said. It was really bringing in the right people to be able to fine-tune [the simulations]. The Metro-North boss told the Daily News that his team hoped to roll out similar improvements on the railroads other lines going forward. Commuters can expect the same strategies to yield 90-minute train rides on the Hudson Line between Poughkeepsie and the Big Apple early next year, he said. If anyone knows how to generate a headline, it's New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez. From his involvement in a lawsuit to stop Elon Musk's "unconstitutional power grab" to litigation challenging President Donald Trump's federal funding freeze, Torrez has garnered widespread media attention in his role as AG. Torrez learned late last week not all press is good press. The New Mexico Democrat became the poster boy of a CNN story about international trips sponsored by lobbyists for corporate giants, some that have been sued by states. But he managed to dodge a reporter's questions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "New Mexico's attorney general is on his way into a public meeting," CNN's Kyung Lah says as she ambushes Torrez on the stairs of a gated building. So begins her investigative report about a bipartisan group of attorneys general who joined corporate lobbyists on an exclusive trip to South Africa in 2023. "We gotta run," Torrez tells Lah, with a nervous laugh. "We've reached out to your office. We hadn't heard back," Lah informs Torrez. cnn1.jpg The CNN report lists the names the attorneys general who participated in a trip to a South African resort in 2023. The full story is at www.cnn.com/2025/03/28/politics/video/state-attorney-general-trips-luxurious-invs Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Sure, let me do this, and then we can have a talk," Torrez says before he starts to walk away. "Afterwards?" Lah asks; Torrez appears to nod his head in agreement. "OK, thank you, sir," she says. Lah's report questions why Torrez and other attorneys general would accept invitations to join corporate lobbyists on a cost-covered trip to South Africa featuring a safari, a stay at a five-star hotel, wine tours and gourmet restaurants that serve Wagyu steaks. 'Companies the AG's have sued' CNN had obtained text messages about the trip, including a guest list of more than a dozen attorneys general, whom Lah notes were the chief law enforcement officers of their states. But they weren't alone, she reports. A long list of corporate lobbyists and lawyers from some of America's most powerful companies, such as Amazon, Pfizer, TikTok and Uber, were also invited, "some of the same companies the AG's have sued," Lah says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She reports the group that "put it all together" is the Attorney General Alliance, which is "funded by those private businesses." "It calls donations 'sponsorships,' " she reports, adding, "the more corporations pay, the more they get." The alliance began as the Conference of Western Attorneys General, which describes itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and bipartisan group of 15 western states and three territories. Torrez serves as vice chairman of CWAG's executive committee. A spokesperson for Torrez and what is now known as the New Mexico Department of Justice defended his participation in the trip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement cnn3.jpg The corporate lobbyist-funded trip to South Africa for attorneys general featured a safari, a stay at a five-star hotel, wine tours and gourmet restaurants that serve Wagyu steaks. Watch the full story at www.cnn.com/2025/03/28/politics/video/state-attorney-general-trips-luxurious-invs "Attorney General Torrez has been and will continue to be one of the most active consumer protection advocates in America and his participation in bipartisan, international events sponsored by a 501(c)(3) has had zero impact on his aggressive approach to protecting New Mexicos citizens from corporate abuse," Lauren Rodriguez said in a statement Monday. "Every recent New Mexico Attorney General has participated in delegation trips that include training programs on a variety of critical issues including human trafficking, narcotics interdiction, money laundering and the regulation of the digital economy," she added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rodriguez said the nature of their work demands that attorneys general, both Republican and Democratic, learn from and build connections with international law enforcement partners and regulatory experts in other nations. "The fact that Attorney General Torrez routinely sues private sector guests of the AGA is evidence enough that his participation in these events has had no impact on his steadfast commitment to protecting New Mexicos families," she said. Rodriguez did not immediately respond to follow-up questions, including whether Torrez has participated in any other AGA-sponsored international trips or whether he planned to attend any in the future, including the AGA's annual meeting in June in the U.S. Virgin Islands or what is listed in its events calendar as a "chairs initiative" in Alaska in August. 'Focused on fostering collaboration' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lah says in her report no Republican attorney generals agreed to interviews and she "caught up" with Torrez and other Democratic attorneys general at an unspecified public event. "His office is part of a multistate case against Amazon," she reports. "The company had a representative invited to the AGA's South Africa trip." Lah reports the alliance "would not talk to CNN on camera" but issued a statement saying "foreign delegations have a key goal of strengthening bipartisan relationships" and "educate all delegates on pressing civil and criminal issues." In response to questions from The New Mexican about the corporate lobbyist-sponsored trips, Tania Maestas, deputy executive director and general counsel for the alliance, sent a statement Monday saying the nonprofit, which is over 40 years old, is "focused on fostering collaboration and providing educational trainings for our AG members and their staff on complex issues in law and public policy." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our foreign delegations strengthen bipartisan relationships within the attorney general community on issues that range from human trafficking, anti-corruption, money laundering, cybersecurity, as well as all types of organized crime," the statement continued. "Because our mission is educational, it centers around promoting the rule of law, training law enforcement, and exploring emerging legal issues." The CNN report includes an interview with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who was among the elected officials who attended the South Africa trip and who was also at the event with Torrez. "I understand how this game is played," Ellison tells the reporter. "I mean, us reporters and politicians [and questions about], 'Oh, you went on a trip,' and try to embarrass the politician. I understand that thing. But I will say that there is real work that we're doing that is important for our constituents. It has a lot to do with the fact we live in a globalized world." Lah questions the ethics of such trips. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I get it. I know where you're coming from," responds Ellison, who appears visibly annoyed. "I'm just telling you that we have substantive programs; our constituents are disadvantaged if we are not having meaningful conversations with international partners." Ellison then tells Lah he'd like to "end the conversation right there." When Lah thanks Ellison for his time, he responds with a smile and says, "Whatever." In the final 45 seconds of her report, Lah notes "New Mexico's AG did not stick around like he promised to respond to our questions." New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez addresses reporters at a July 16 press conference in Las Cruces. (Photo by Justin Garcia / Las Cruces Bulletin) New Mexico on Tuesday joined a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration in Rhode Island federal court challenging billions in lost funding to state health departments including about $60 million to New Mexico. The U.S. The Department of Health and Human Service last week announced it was pulling $11 billion in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 era grants for infectious disease research, along with $1 billion in cuts for federal grants in mental health and substance use. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New Mexico Department of Health told Source NM the federal cuts will not affect its measles programs, but confirmed on Monday the estimated $60 million in lost funding impacted 37 temporary contract staff positions. We are using state and federal funds to cover all other positions to ensure public health services for New Mexicans are not interrupted, Nott said in a written statement. The loss of the grant money has led to the cancellation of some contracts, but nothing that will impede our efforts to deal with the measles outbreak. We are still evaluating the potential impact of the cancellation of those contracts. Our goal is to continue to provide needed public health services for New Mexicans, and we remain confident we will be able to do so despite this challenge, Nott said. Nott deferred comment on the lawsuit to the New Mexico Department of Justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a Tuesday news release announcing the suit against HHS and its Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the New Mexico Department of Justice said funding loss would jeopardize state vaccine programs for school enrollment, testing, disease prevention and infectious disease treatments. Cuts to HHS will have a devastating impact on our state, slashing critical funding for infectious disease research and response, Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement. At a time when measles cases are on the rise, restricting these resources endangers public health and weakens our ability to prevent outbreaks and protect our communities. According to the lawsuit, DHHS informed states the infectious disease grants were canceled immediately and no longer necessary now that the pandemic is over. The funding cuts for the mental health grants used nearly identical language, the suit noted, but said they had been terminated to reduce the overall federal spending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The notices from the federal government did not include any allegations of misspending or other graft, which is required to cancel them, according to the complaint. The cuts to grants, some of which extended into 2027, occurred simultaneously with the announcement that the agency would lay off 10,000 federal public health employees. The attorneys general requested a judge order the federal government to reinstate the funding, arguing the sudden federal budget cuts were unlawful and would cause irreparable harm. Some of the states in the lawsuit described the impact the lost grants would have, such as a 12% reduction in workforce in Minnesota and $2 billion in lost funding in California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement Tuesday, Attorney General Peter Neronha of Rhode Island, who is co-leading the lawsuit, characterized the cuts as massive and egregiously irresponsible and said they should put everyone on high alert to the depths this Administration is willing to go. First and foremost, Americans expect their government to protect them from harm. By eliminating billions in critical funding for essential public health initiatives, the Administration is effectively telling the American people to fend for themselves. 2025-0401_ECF-No.-1-(2025.04.01)-Complaint SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX MEXICO CITY (AP) Six years ago Mexicos president disbanded the countrys Federal Police and handed security responsibilities fully to the military. Now, his successor has quietly begun to build an elite civilian investigative and special operations force to fight the drug cartels. President Claudia Sheinbaum had already shown a willingness early in her presidency to move away from former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors oft-criticized hugs, not bullets strategy. It focused on addressing the social roots of crime rather than directly confronting Mexicos powerful cartels. Sheinbaum's security chief, Omar Garcia Harfuch, is drawing on his law enforcement contacts mostly from the former ranks of the Federal Police to claw back security capabilities from the armed forces with a civilian force under his direct command. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government has yet to formally announce the new National Operations Unit, known by its Spanish initials UNO, but its existence is an open secret among former members of the Federal Police, where Garcia Harfuch started his career. Three Mexican officials, all of whom requested anonymity to speak about the still unannounced force, confirmed its existence to The Associated Press. Security analyst David Saucedo, who has spoken with people who have joined the force, said he believes Garcia Harfuch's main objective is to have an armed force that allows him to meet demands from Washington. UNO takes shape Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The unit began to form shortly after Sheinbaum took office and it hopes to have 800 members by the end of the year, said one federal official, who is familiar with many of the units details. On Monday, while Garcia Harfuch was in Washington meeting with the Trump administration, the security ministry published a call for college graduates to make up the first generation of investigative and intelligence agents, saying only they would be part of a specialized group to strengthen the countrys security. UNO will have three branches distributed geographically across Mexico, as well as a high-impact team that will be the elite of the elite, the federal official said. Its current members are mostly former Federal Police and members of the special operations team Garcia Harfuch created when he was Mexico Citys police chief. Most have previously received training from security forces from the United States, Colombia, Spain or France. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His challenge is rebuilding the trust of his U.S. counterparts after Lopez Obrador limited U.S. agents movements in Mexico and do it as President Donald Trump pressures Mexico to step up the fight against fentanyl trafficking. A controversial past Shortly after taking office, Lopez Obrador replaced the Federal Police with a new force, the National Guard, that he sold to the public as civilian, but that was always led by and made up of the armed forces. He lambasted the Federal Police as too corrupt to save and made Mexicos former security chief Genaro Garcia Luna, then facing trial in the U.S. and eventually convicted of working for the Sinaloa cartel, the poster child. He cut funding for training and equipping local police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What followed were six years of what critics decried as militarization that effectively concentrated unprecedented authority in the hands of the armed forces. Despite that, levels of violence remained stubbornly high and critics said the cartels grew stronger, fueled by soaring revenue from fentanyl. One of the main criticisms of the National Guard and military was that while they had numbers and fire power they did not have the investigative skills needed to dismantle large criminal organizations. Garcia Harfuch was initially a toothless tiger, who was frequently denied resources, information and investigative files by other security entities, said Saucedo, based in Guanajuato state, Mexicos most violent. UNO puts an elite force under his direct command. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mexican federal official denied that UNOs objective was to satisfy Trump, but noted the unit was involved in the unprecedented delivery of 29 high-profile cartel figures to the United States at the height of negotiations between the two countries to suspend threatened tariffs. They were pulled out of prisons all over Mexico, assembled and sent to the U.S. without incident. The challenge: avoid corruption Special operations forces, be it from the Navy, Army, Federal Police or state police, have a checkered history in Mexico, having been involved in many scandals and abuses of power, extrajudicial killings and infiltration by cartels. There have been a lot of cases that were bad, said the previously quoted federal official, who added that there were also honest police. He said the security ministry is emphasizing stricter screening, exhaustive background investigations and better pay once theyre in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garcia Harfuchs influence also extends to states where Sheinbaum's party holds power. People he trusts are taking key security positions and UNO will train state special operations teams that are also made up of many former Federal Police. The southern state of Chiapas, where Mexicos most powerful cartels are battling for control of smuggling routes, announced a special operations force in December called the Pakal with some 500 members. Two members told the AP they were ex-Federal Police and did eight months of specialized training to join the Pakal. But doubts remain. For Saucedo, since the new elite force doesnt yet have effective internal controls and accountability mechanisms, theres no guarantee that this elite group wont commit the excesses committed by other special operations groups. ___ Associated Press writer Edgar H. Clemente in Tapachula, Mexico contributed to this report. By Ella Cao and Tom Polansek BEIJING (Reuters) -China said it would deliver a "fair and objective" ruling following a hearing in its ongoing investigation into beef imports that could lead to higher tariffs or import limits if it finds domestic producers are at risk. Launched last year, the review covers all imported beef rather than that from any specific country and coincides with slower demand and a domestic supply glut that has hit China's beef market - the world's largest for imports and consumption. Monday's hearing brought together around 180 representatives, including officials from major suppliers Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Uruguay and the United States, China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. Exporters, trade associations, Chinese importers and domestic beef producers, also attended, the ministry said. China imported a record 2.87 million metric tons of beef in 2024, according to customs data, heightening concerns over possible trade restrictions that could affect leading suppliers. U.S. Meat Export Federation spokesman Joe Schuele said U.S. beef primarily served China's high-end food service and retail sectors, and did not compete directly with domestic beef that is often priced lower. "We don't feel that any restrictions on U.S. beef are going to benefit the domestic industry," Schuele said. A Brazilian beef consultant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Brazilian beef was price-competitive and overlapped with segments of China's domestic market. The consultant added that everyone in the Brazilian sector was worried about China's investigation and expected more measures. The industry's concerns were amplified after Chinese customs last month temporarily suspended beef imports from six companies in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, ABIEC, said in March the domestic suppliers hit by the suspension had failed to meet Chinese requirements for the registration of foreign establishments. A spokesperson for the association on Tuesday said by phone the ban is temporary, and that the three affected Brazilian slaughterhouses hoped to resume beef exports to China later this month. The factories concerned include one in Brazil's Goias state that is owned by meat packing giant JBS and is one of the biggest beef exporting plants to China. The meat investigation, which began on December 27, is expected to last eight months but could be extended under special circumstances. Meanwhile, China has yet to renew export registrations for U.S. beef facilities that expired on March 16, causing traders to hesitate to strike deals for U.S. beef produced after that date. The U.S. beef industry is already navigating a 10% tariff imposed as part of China's retaliatory duties on U.S. farm goods worth some $21 billion. The Michigan Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Heres a look at March 31, 2025, results for each game: Winning Daily 3 numbers from March 31 drawing Midday: 2-9-5 Evening: 9-4-2 Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Daily 4 numbers from March 31 drawing Midday: 5-8-5-9 Evening: 4-2-5-1 Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Lucky For Life numbers from March 31 drawing 08-31-39-40-42, Lucky Ball: 04 Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Poker Lotto numbers from March 31 drawing QD-JH-9C-3D-4H Check Poker Lotto payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from March 31 drawing 01-17-18-24-38 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 06-14-17-18-37 Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Daily Keno numbers from March 31 drawing 06-13-14-20-29-32-42-47-49-50-52-56-58-60-61-62-64-69-71-77-78-79 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. Our News Automation and AI team would love to hear from you. Take this survey and share your thoughts with us. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Lottery Daily 3, Daily 4 results for March 31, 2025 MEMPHIS, Tenn. The Mid-South has already seen severe thunderstorms, bringing with them heavy rain, large hail, and some tornadoes. Another round of storms is expected to hit Memphis with a High Risk (level 5/5) for severe weather on Wednesday afternoon into the night. This comes as March kicked off tornado season, which will last through June. Severe Threat Wednesday, Late-Week Flooding Concerns Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many people in the Mid-South are now bracing for strong winds and the possibility of flash flooding. You dont want to wait until the storm is actually taking place to be ready, you want to prepare on days like today, said Keith Staples with Shelby County Emergency Management. It is important to be aware of the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. A tornado watch is issued when all of the elements needed for a tornado to form are present, meaning one could form in the area a watch was issued. Those in the area should be prepared and stay alert in case a tornado warning is issued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A tornado warning is issued when a tornado has been spotted on the ground in the specified area, or is about to form, as indicated by a weather radar. If a tornado warning is issued, those in the area should take shelter immediately. Stay away from the windows, get into a center room, preferably a closet or the center of your home, said Staples. 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. And if you find yourself driving when the storms hit, Staples says you should turn around and dont drown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just six inches of flood water can knock over an adult, and twelve inches of rushing water can carry your car away. It is never too early to prepare, but it can be too late. It is recommended to keep an emergency kit in your car and important to have multiple ways to receive weather information. Download the WREG weather app for real-time updates and alerts. As Wednesdays weather event has the potential to move into the overnight hours, you should keep your phone volume up and your ringer on while you sleep in case a severe weather alert is issued in your area, prompting you to take action. Below is a list of tornado shelters that will be open in DeSoto County, Mississippi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Southaven Community Safe Room 7312 Highway 51N, Southaven, MS. 38671 Hernando Elementary 455 Riley Street, Hernando, MS. 38632 Horn Lake Elementary 6341 Ridgewood, Horn Lake, MS. 38637 Hope Sullivan Elementary 7985 Southaven Circle West, Southaven, MS. 38671 Lewisburg Elementary 1717 Craft Road, Olive Branch, MS. 38654 Walls Elementary 6131 Delta View Rd. Walls, MS. 38680 Olive Branch Elementary 9549 Pigeon Roost Olive Branch, MS. Check the latest forecasts from WREG Weather Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) As boating season approaches, The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is encouraging anyone planning on operating a motorized boat to complete the Ohio Boating Education Course (OBEC). The course is a legal requirement for anyone born on or after January 1, 1982, who operates a boat with over 10 horsepower. But, ODNR says anyone looking to improve their boating skills can benefit from the course. We want to make sure that everybody enjoys a day out on the water and has fun with their family, but we want to make sure theyre doing it safely by avoiding the alcohol, avoiding the drug usage, and just make it an enjoyable experience for everybody, said Andy Foos, ODNR Boating Education Coordinator.. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each session concludes with a test to ensure participants are well-prepared for their time on the water. If you get stopped on the water, and youre required to have the boat or education, and you dont, theres a good chance you may end up with a citation and fine associated with that, said Foos. Some courses might carry a small fee, depending on the location. There are several dates for courses across the Valley. Next Saturday, April 12, you can take the course at Wick Recreation Center at Mill Creek MetroParks. There will also be another course on April 26 in Columbiana. Registration is required. You can find a complete list of OBEC dates on the ODNR 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 WKBN.com. Sir Keir Starmer has evidently taken a shine to Lancaster House, the imposing mansion in Londons St Jamess district. It has hosted two Government summits in short order, its lavish interiors offering a distraction from the paucity of the achievements. It is so ornate that Queen Victoria remarked to the owner on visiting: I have come from my House to your Palace. A few weeks ago it provided the backdrop for the Prime Ministers efforts to cobble together a coalition of the willing to send peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, an initiative that has foundered on the rocks of Russian intransigence. On Monday, Sir Keir was back to launch a 40-nation summit aimed at curbing illegal immigration. A more incongruous setting for talks about how to deal with the flow of people from Africa and Asia desperately seeking a new life in Europe is hard to imagine. The austere surroundings of Dover Castle, the key to England, would have been better. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, these meetings are not convened to do anything but to give the impression of doing something. They seem to be a vehicle solely to extol the soi-disant diplomatic skills of the PM himself and to show that he really understands what people feel about illegal immigration. It makes them angry, he told delegates. It makes me angry, frankly, because it is unfair on ordinary working people who pay the price, from the cost of hotels to our public services struggling under the strain. So far, so good. But the analysis that followed was fundamentally flawed and is at the root of all the problems. Its unfair on the illegal migrants themselves because these are vulnerable people being ruthlessly exploited by vile gangs, Sir Keir said. The answer, therefore, is to smash the gangs and the problem will go away. Everyone knows this is rubbish, including, one assumes, Sir Keir himself, though you do wonder. The gangs may be vile and ruthless but they exist to meet a demand. Only when that is suppressed will the traffic abate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moreover, the idea that the gangs only come into being when the migrants get to the Channel is absurd. Everyone trying to get across will already have travelled thousands of miles to the French coast, paying people smugglers along the way for transport and visas. This is hardly new. It was captured brilliantly as long ago as 2002 in Michael Winterbottoms docudrama In This World, which followed the journey of two 14-year-old Afghani boys from a refugee camp in Peshawar. What they wanted was to get to Britain, using a long chain of smugglers to make the journey. The gangs facilitate this traffic; they do not create it. So the answer is to suppress the demand. A policy that is rhetorically, or even practically, aimed primarily at smashing the gangs is doomed to fail. Why do politicians do this? Labour ministers in particular are reluctant to acknowledge that it is not the gangs but their clients who perpetuate the problem, just as cocaine users are responsible for the drugs trade and all the crime associated with it. If people did not take drugs there would be no smugglers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illegal migration is driven by the demand of potentially millions who want to come to the UK because they think they can get work and start a new life, underpinned by a welfare state that anyone can get access to whether they have contributed or not. If, having made a journey from central Asia, you know you will be picked up in the Channel, taken to the UK, given a hotel room to stay in and pocket money on which to live, why would you not do it? Moreover, you also know from friends or relatives who have made the trip that if you get to Britain you will almost certainly be allowed to stay because so few are ever deported. Indeed, more than half are given asylum, even though most have arrived as economic migrants and do not obviously qualify on the grounds, laid out in the Refugee Convention, that they face a real risk of persecution. If you fail then you can use human rights laws to challenge any refusal. It was notable that Sir Keirs anger on this subject did not extend to lawyers who make a good living trying to thwart efforts to remove people whom the Home Office has decreed should be deported. The best way of stopping the traffic would be to blockade the beaches and return every migrant to France, but the French wont allow that whatever international deal is struck. So the solution lies in Britain where only by addressing all the pull factors can progress be made. This means holding migrants in camps, not hotels, clamping down on working in the black economy, denying access to free health care, removing all benefits, blocking any prospect of long-term settlement and swiftly removing illegal immigrants, with no appeal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But no one is prepared to do any of this because it is politically difficult and in breach of many of the UKs international treaty obligations. That is why the Conservatives in the end decided the only deterrent left was to process asylum seekers somewhere else, in Rwanda, a scheme that Labour undermined and then scrapped. All that Sir Keir is proposing is to replicate past failure with a new border agency, a crackdown on rogue employers, further international agreements to deal with criminality and repackaged co-operation among intelligence agencies and police. It is as if none of this has been tried before. The Prime Minister seems to believe that flinty-eyed determination and strong words about vile gangs will succeed where past governments have failed. It is Einsteins definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. In his speech on Monday, Sir Keir recalled visiting a refugee camp in Calais in 2016 where people were waiting to make the crossing to Britain. That infamous camp has long since gone but the evil of the people smuggling businesses that put people there, that remains, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The gangs remain. That exploitation of desperation, misery and false hope that all remains. But the point is that it is not a false hope. For many thousands who have paid a lot of money to get here it is a risk worth taking. Until Sir Keir understands this, and acts accordingly, he faces precisely the same failure that confounded his Tory predecessors. 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. Donald Trumps national security adviser Mike Waltz and one of his aides reportedly conducted government business using their personal Gmail accounts. Mr Waltz, who faced calls to resign after accidentally leaking top secret war plans to a journalist, is said to have used his personal email to handle his schedule and other work documents. A senior aide to Mr Waltz also used the commercial email service to discuss sensitive military positions and powerful weapon systems relating to an ongoing conflict, according to emails seen by The Washington Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is the latest example of questionable security practices by the national security adviser and his team, who are under fire for adding the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic magazine to a Signal group chat used to share sensitive details of a strike on Houthi targets in Yemen. The use of personal devices and applications including email, is strongly discouraged by the US government owing to the risk of interception by foreign adversaries. Waltz didnt and wouldnt send classified information on an open account, NSC spokesman Brian Hughes told The Washington Post. Mr Trump did not dismiss Mr Waltz, the first Green Beret elected to Congress, after the Signal-gate furore, insisting he had learnt a lesson, and hes a good man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, members of the administration have privately called for the resignation of Mr Waltz, who has taken full responsibility for adding Jeffrey Goldberg to the Signal chat. Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, characterised the leak as a big mistake while the White House attempted to shift blame to Mr Goldberg and minimise the breach as a glitch. The incident will likely draw comparison to Hilary Clinton, who used a private email server to handle classified information during her time as Secretary of State, a fact which was widely weaponised by Mr Trump when he ran against her in the 2016 election. In the wake of Signalgate, Der Speigel claimed to have found the mobile phone numbers, email addresses and some passwords belonging to top US government officials using hacked customer data that has been published online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The German news outlet said it found the contact information for Mr Waltz, Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Hegseth. Some of the phone numbers were linked to Signal accounts, they claimed. Elsewhere, a Venmo account belonging to a user named Michael Waltz was discovered by Wired. The account is linked to other users with names of those closely associated with the national security adviser plus a number of journalists. The account was publicly accessible until Wednesday afternoon, Wired reported. The National security council was contacted for comment. 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. Nearly one out of every four of the more than 8,000 near midair collisions in U.S. airspace reported from 1987 to 2021 involved at least one military aircraft, a CBS News analysis of Federal Aviation Administration data has revealed. For near midair collisions involving one commercial aircraft and one military aircraft, those accounted for about one out of every 10 reported incidents. Overall, there were more than 2,000 near midair collisions involving military aircraft and 258 involving a military aircraft and a commercial aircraft. Of the 258 incidents between military and commercial aircraft, 34 of them, or 13%, were considered critically close. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About one in six of all the near midair collisions involving at least one military aircraft were considered critically close. The analysis also found that military flights only accounted for about 2% of all flight miles over that time period, giving its aircraft an outsized role in close calls during that time. The analysis followed two incidents involving commercial planes and military aircraft at Reagan National Airport, just outside of Washington, D.C. The first, a Jan. 29 midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight that was coming in to land that killed 67 people, making it the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since 2001. And last Friday, a Delta Air Lines flight departing the airport experienced a close call just after takeoff as four Air Force jets were headed toward a flyover at Arlington National Cemetery. National Transportation Safety Board investigators are looking into the Army's handling of close calls in the wake of the January collision. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy noted in testimony before Congress last week, "We have found, so far, that a lot of the conversation and safety discussion at the battalion level is really focused on OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) slips, trips and falls. There is a disconnect." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Friday's incident, former NTSB Chair Robert Sumwalt told CBS News, "Again we have conflict between a military aircraft and a civilian airliner and that's not acceptable." Following the January crash, military helicopters were banned from flying in the area where the collision occurred, except in the case of law enforcement action or the transportation of important personnel such as the president. As the investigation into the collision goes on, it was not immediately clear if similar action could be taken for military jets as well. Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told Congress last week that warning signs were missed leading up to the January collision and they're working to understand how they were missed and to prevent another collision from happening again. Democratic-backed candidate wins record-breaking Wisconsin Supreme Court seat Canadian car dealership depicts anger over Trump tariffs Is Crawford's win in Wisconsin Supreme Court race a rebuke of Musk? Miller Gardner may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning after tests revealed elevated levels of the potentially lethal gas in the hotel room he had been staying in, according to Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency, or OIJ. Gardner, the youngest son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, died March 21 at the age of 14 while on vacation with his family. According to a statement from the Gardners, he died in his sleep after he and several other family members fell ill. OIJ Director Randall Zuniga said Monday that a team testing the family's hotel room found high levels of carbon monoxide, and that the room where they stayed was situated next to "a specialized machine room" that could have caused the contamination. The test results led the OIJ's investigators to believe Gardner "may have died from inhaling these highly dangerous gases," Zuniga said in a video statement in Spanish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is also important to highlight that this entire investigation has been closely coordinated with the United States FBI, and we await the final results of the forensic toxicology to determine exactly what caused this young man's death," Zuniga said. The hotel said in a statement Monday to CBS News, "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss that recently occurred on our premises due to causes that have not yet been confirmed. We are diligently cooperating with the Costa Rican judicial authorities, who have taken over the investigation. We trust that the forensic process will objectively, clearly, and conclusively clarify the causes of this unfortunate incident." "Out of respect for the ongoing judicial process and the family's privacy, we will refrain from commenting on any unconfirmed hypotheses or possible causes," the hotel added. "Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our guests and staff, and we reaffirm our ongoing commitment to the highest operational standards within our facilities." Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is produced when fossil fuels are burned. Cars, furnaces, stoves, certain heaters and generators can all produce carbon monoxide. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and confusion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An official cause of death has yet to be determined. OIJ previously said autopsy results could take two to three months. The Gardners were vacationing at the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio, which is along Costa Rica's Pacific coast, some 50 miles south of San Jose. The family did not provide further details about who else had gotten sick or what symptoms they experienced. An obituary posted online described Miller Gardner as an Honor Roll student who played football and baseball and loved traveling with his family. "The void Miller's passing leaves in the hearts of his family, friends, teammates, teachers, coaches and others will be felt for years," it said. "Miller's time here with them was brief but his spirit will carry on forever through those who were impacted by the way he lived." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OIJ had said earlier in the investigation that the cause of death may have been food poisoning, but the investigation was ongoing. The update on a possible cause of death comes days after authorities in Belize said three American women who were found dead in their hotel room in the country last month had died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Freed Israeli hostages call for end to war, to bring remaining Gaza hostages home Poll finds most American think Trump not focusing enough on loweirng prices Breaking down Trump's tariff strategy and how the stock markets are preparing A serious road accident involving a truck and a minibus carrying Ukrainian citizens occurred on the motorway near the Austrian village of Seebenstein towards Vienna on the morning of 1 April. Source: Austrian national public broadcaster ORF with reference to police data, as European Pravda reports Details: Law enforcement reported that the minibus and the truck collided head-on. Four people died in the accident, and six others were injured, four of them seriously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rescue workers said that some of the passengers in the minibus were trapped, so they had to be rescued using special equipment. Police spokesperson Johann Baumschlager said that the truck was probably pulling out of the car park when the minibus collided with it. He noted that there were Ukrainian citizens in the minibus. Meanwhile, the police representative clarified that it was not a case of smuggling or a chase. All people affected in the accident were taken to hospital. Three helicopters, three ambulances, nine rescue vehicles and nine fire appliances were involved in the operation. Background: In mid-February, a Kyiv-Chisinau bus was involved in a road accident, injuring 16 people. A similar accident occurred in January. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! (Reuters) - Chinese automakers Dongfeng Motor and Chongqing Changan Automobile are in advance discussions to combine their operations, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The two companies, both controlled by the central government, have conducted detailed discussions on how to merge their operations and informed their foreign partners of the merger discussions, the report said. Dongfeng has a market capitalisation of $4.89 billion, while Changan Auto is valued at $15.65 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. In February, speculations of a merger between the two companies had emerged after they announced that their respective parent companies were planning a restructuring. The central government fully owns the parent companies, and holds majority ownership of Dongfeng Motor and Changan Auto. China has been urging its state-owned automakers, which have been relying on their foreign joint venture partners to generate sales and profits, to become more independent in terms of technology, innovation and competitiveness, especially in new energy vehicles. (Reporting by John Biju in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli) Taxes are the price of civilization. Pictured: The Lowry Ave Bridge over the Mississippi River. Photo by Getty Images. The Minnesota Legislature is in session, and it is a budget year, so state and local taxes are a big part of the deliberations. Many cite taxes in surrounding states, which are lower than those in Minnesota, to argue that we should lower our taxes to achieve the sort of prosperity surrounding states enjoy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This updates the data from a 2023 article, also published by the Minnesota Reformer. The purpose here is to demonstrate that there is evidence that higher taxes in Minnesota do buy us benefits not enjoyed by residents of surrounding states. Are Minnesota taxes significantly higher? As shown in the chart, state and local taxes in Minnesota are indeed higher than those in surrounding states. The tax burdens include state income taxes, local and state property taxes, sales taxes, business taxes, and others like cigarette and gasoline taxes. Data for 2022 is the latest available. Consider a household paying the average tax rate on $80,000 of annual income. A Minnesota family would pay about $3,000 more than a family with the same income in South Dakota. That same Minnesota family would pay about $850 more each year than a family living in Iowa or Wisconsin. Have Minnesota taxes always been higher than those of the other states? Prior to 2010, Wisconsinites had a higher tax burden than Minnesotans. (More on this later.) Residents of the other states have consistently faced lower tax burdens than Minnesotans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When compared to our previously reported 2021 data, tax burdens dropped by about 0.3% of income in all of the states except North Dakota, which rose from 7.9% to 8.8%. Are there differences in prosperity across the five states? Table 1 compares 2021 annual median household incomes in the five states. Middle income Minnesota households enjoy higher incomes than those in surrounding states. The Minnesota median household income is more than 15% higher than Iowas and South Dakotas. The median household in Wisconsin has over $10,000 less income than the median household in Minnesota. North Dakotas median is closest to that in Minnesota, but still 10% less. Maybe surprisingly, all of the states bordering Minnesota have lower median income than that of the median family in the United States. Minnesotas median exceeds the U.S. median by 9%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course, these incomes are all pretax, so Minnesotas higher income is offset by Minnesotas higher tax burden. For example, our hypothetical median Iowa household would have about 15.6% less income ($13,653) than the Minnesota household offset by tax savings of about 3.7% of that income ($3,150), for a net difference of roughly 12% (about $10,500). Is Minnesotas Prosperity a result of the higher taxes? First, consider the possibility that the income comparison above is simply an oddity. Table 2 shows the relationship of Minnesota median income to surrounding states incomes and the national median for two years prior to the pandemic. Minnesotas median income has exceeded that in all surrounding states and the U.S. in all three reported years, and we see this consistently since 2000. While the relative numbers change from year to year, incomes in surrounding states except the Dakotas are not converging to incomes in Minnesota. Comparisons with North Dakota and Wisconsin deserve attention. North Dakota had very low income relative to Minnesota and its other neighbors in 1999, but not in 2012 and 2023. That relatively low income in 1999 was consistent with North Dakota in other years around 1999. The increased income after 2000 likely reflects development of the oil fields. In 1999, Wisconsin income was essentially the same as Minnesotas. That was true prior to 2010. For example, in 1995, median income in Wisconsin was higher than that of Minnesota. As noted earlier, the tax burden in Wisconsin was higher than Minnesotas until the early 2000s. As Wisconsins tax burden declined so did its income relative to its neighbors and the nation as whole. At least since the early years of this century, Minnesotas middle-income households had higher incomes than surrounding states. Minnesota is the only state with a consistently higher median income than the U.S. as a whole. So, the higher incomes in Minnesota are not an oddity; its been this way for awhile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finally, can we relate the higher taxes to the higher income and possibly other social characteristics? Table 3 considers some indicators of poverty, health care, education and crime that would seem to reflect relative public investments and residents opportunities to generate higher incomes. Minnesota and our surrounding states all have overall and youth poverty rates lower than the U.S. rates. Minnesota has the lowest overall rate of the five. Our youth poverty rate is less than all but North Dakotas. The differences here are significant. If Minnesota had Wisconsins overall poverty rate, about 80,000 more Minnesotans would live in poverty. If Minnesota had South Dakotas overall poverty rate, about 140,000 more Minnesotans would live in poverty. That is almost twice the population of Duluth. Unfortunately, poverty rates of the young folks exceed overall poverty rates in all states. Only South Dakotas health care coverage falls well short of that of the other states in this comparison, just shy of the coverage rate of all Americans. Minnesotans complete high school at rates similar to surrounding states. A significantly higher proportion of Minnesotans have gone on to complete bachelors degrees than folks who live in the other states. Minnesota higher incomes reflect past educational opportunities and achievements. The higher incomes now improve current Minnesota students access to higher education. The quality of Minnesotas K-12 education has provided another advantage: Minnesota students have the third highest college entrance exam scores in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finally, Minnesotas 2020 violent crime rate compares favorably to those in surrounding states and the country as a whole. South Dakota and Wisconsin are the only states with a higher violent crime rate than the U.S. as a whole. Violent crime rates in all of the states have dropped since 2021. What conclusions can we draw? Minnesotans pay higher taxes than folks in surrounding states. The higher income of the Minnesota median household covers the extra taxes several times over. There is no indication that the incomes in states with lower taxes are catching up to Minnesota. Wisconsin, the only state to see a substantial income decline relative to both Minnesota and the U.S. has reduced its tax burden over the same period. Minnesota has lower poverty; a slightly higher proportion of its population with health coverage; better education outcomes; and lower violent crime rates. These achievements are all expensive. It is hard to conclude that our higher taxes did not make these achievements possible. I sought to test the ongoing claims that our taxes are higher than those around us, making us unable to compete with surrounding states. The first claim is true. The second is not. In fact, the extra taxes appear to be a net benefit to Minnesotans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That Minnesota compares favorably with other states and the U.S. should not lead any of us to complacency. Significant segments of Minnesota rural communities and cities have low incomes, high poverty, poor educational opportunities, and endure high crime. The results here do indicate that Minnesota puts its taxes to good use and could productively invest more in improving outcomes for every Minnesotan. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Hampton Roads, Va. (WAVY) A survivor of abuse is sharing her story after having her voting rights restored. Gina Sederwall Dobson is a Hampton Roads mother and wife. Dobson was awarded the Courageous Activist Award during the 2024 Women of Impact Gala. When I was originally contacted by Focus on Women Magazine that they wanted me to come to Baltimore and give a speech and be honored at the gala, I thought it was a fake call because I hadnt considered my story significant. Its tragic, but as a personal loss for me of what I lost with my family and being a felon afterwards, said Dobson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In May 1998, Dobson was arrested in Virginia Beach for a crime she said she did not commit. Leading up to her arrest, Dobson recalled experiencing extreme abuse at the hands of her childs father. I had been living in Virginia with my boyfriend, who was also violently abusive. He said he wanted to move to Tennessee. Everything was always making my circle smaller. Id been isolated from my family in Illinois and now, going to be isolated from the friends Ive managed to make in Virginia, she said. Dobson confided in her supervisor at Nations Bank during that time. The two coordinated a plan for her to safely escape her abuser shortly after the move out of state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats the first time I told somebody I was being abused. I went to work because it was the only people I had contact with. I went to my boss, and I said, My boyfriend is beating me, and Im scared, said Dobson. The plan was to leave while her childs father was at work. Her job would be on hold, and she would return to Virginia. She even set up another bank account for me so I could put my last checks in there so he wouldnt have access to them. I left [to TN], but he never got a job. Three weeks had passed. I was getting worried. On Easter of that year, Dobsons abuser pulled out a shotgun. That night, she drove with a piggy bank of change back to Virginia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My boss had got me a safe house to stay in while we got ourselves together, said Dobson. Two weeks later, a SWAT team showed up and I was arrested for murder. He [Her childs father] had called the police and reported the miscarriage Id had five years earlier, which was actually before Id even met him. He reported that it was not a miscarriage, that Id had a life birth and that I had killed the baby. Without evidence, she was extricated from Virginia to Illinois where she went to college. A bond was set at $3 million. The detectives who questioned me didnt believe that I was abused. They said I didnt act like an abused person, said Dobson. During those ten days, I was exchanged between overcrowded prison vans, sometimes in a cage, always shackled and handcuffed with very little food and water. By the time I made it back to Illinois, the newspapers were reporting me as the Murdering Mommy. After several months in jail, her parents even started getting hate mail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During that time, I was locked up in Illinois. My abuser comes forward and says, I want full custody of our son,' said Dobson. Since the odds were stacked against her, she entered the guilty plea to a lesser felony of concealment of a homicide, for a crime she said she never commit. I didnt trust the process anymore. I took that deal. Thats how I got to go home and raise my children. I dont regret that. I raised my two children very quietly. I decided a quiet life was the best life. I did not want to battle anything, she said. As a convicted felon, she took up acting with her daughter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I found the opportunity to be someone else, to be a relief. Then, also being the truest of myself, said Dobson. While acting, she met an acting buddy turned friend, Carla Kelly Turner. Gina has a way of holding on to her joy despite, said Turner, who encouraged her to share her story. Her story is everybodys story, said Turner. Thats not supposed to happen to you and if that can happen to you, whats the chances for me? Now 25 years later, Dobson is working to address domestic violence. As her daughter is now at the age she was when convicted, the mom-daughter duo voted together for the first time in the November election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Women are actually being charged. Physicians are scared to treat women whove had miscarriage, said Turner. Thats a conversation we need to have because there are women who are dying because physicians wont treat them, or theyre scared to be arrested. Dobson and Turner hope to empower women through film. We try to bring women and marginalized voices onto our film sets, said Dobson. To learn more, click here. If you or you know someone who may be a victim of domestic violence or child abuse, click here for a list of local and national 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 WAVY.com. AUSTIN (KXAN) More than 100 felony cases since 2021 had bonds modified or charges dropped as a result of the Travis County District Attorneys Office missing indictment deadlines, a KXAN investigation found so far. It comes as Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a new rule that enhances reporting requirements for District and County Attorneys to ensure accountability and promote public safety, according to a press release issued Monday. RELATED: 2 murder suspects released after missed indictment deadlines, an explanation KXAN began its investigation following reports of two murder suspects released from the Travis County Jail in recent months after bonds in the amounts of $800,000 and $1 million were reduced to $100 and $1 respectively, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The substantial bond reductions in these two cases were a result of the district attorneys office not meeting the 90-day indictment deadline for felony offenses outlined in Art. 17.151 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. The Travis County DAs office told KXAN Tuesday it takes seriously the timely and responsible presentation of cases to the grand jury. In the last several weeks, we have put in place additional oversight measures to ensure that instances where cases are unindicted remain a rare occurrence. Missed indictment deadlines With no uniform, statewide system in Texas to track how often defendants are released or cases are dismissed because of missed indictment deadlines, KXAN instead obtained Travis County criminal case data specific to modified or reduced bonds and dispositions for felony offenses since 2021, totaling nearly 120,000 cases. So far, weve reviewed fewer than 2,000 cases and are continuing to comb through the others. The Travis County District Attorneys office emphasized in its statement that the cases KXAN found represent a small fraction of the total caseload over those four years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to Art. 17.151 cases resulting in bond modifications and the release of defendants facing felony charges, KXAN also found felony charges dismissed or rejected because of missed indictment deadlines per Art. 32.01 and Art. 12.01 of the states criminal code. Art. 17.151 states a defendant who has been detained and is in custody for a felony offense must either be released on a personal bond or a reduced bond if the state has not produced an indictment on the charges on or before 90 days . Art. 32.01 dismissals apply to cases where a defendant has been detained in custody without being presented an indictment within 180 days or by the last day of the next grand jury term. Art. 12.01 outlines the statute of limitations for different degrees of felony offenses. At a minimum, the State has three years from the date the offense occurred to present an indictment on a felony charge. So far, KXAN has identified nearly 150 felony cases where missed indictment deadlines due to one of these three categories have been a factor in the process or outcome of the case. Many of those were first degree felonies, violent offenses or both. Conducting a review While there hasnt been a uniform system to track these kind of cases, Paxton announced a new rule Monday aimed at improving transparency by requiring County and District Attorneys to submit detailed performance reports in an effort to hold rogue DAs accountable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The information collected under the adopted rule will assist citizens in determining whether their local elected officials are inadequately prosecuting certain categories of crime, releasing dangerous criminals back into the community, engaging in selective prosecution, or otherwise failing to uphold their obligations, the release stated. This move and KXANs review follows widespread publicity about the two cases and recent questions raised by Texas State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, about how District Attorney Jose Garza handled them. In February, Eckhardts office told KXAN reporter Nabil Remadna she has unresolved concerns about fairness, integrity and public accountability and is continuing to gather information about the situation. She has sought clarity about the number of times deadlines have been missed, as well as wanting to know how the district attorney plans to remedy the issue moving forward, Eckhardts office told KXAN in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Responding in a statement to KXAN at the time, Garzas office said it rejects any suggestion from the State Senator and others that our office does not take equity, fairness, or accountability seriously, further acknowledging lingering questions about (its) indictment process. The statement continued, in part, Our office is currently conducting a review of all of our in-custody cases to ensure that prosecutors are working to secure indictments both quickly and also responsibly. While there are reasons a case may take longer than 90 days to present to the grand jury, including because of a lack of evidence, it is unacceptable for a case to remain unindicted due to a lack of care. KXAN asked the Travis County DAs office about the results of that review while reporting this story but it has not yet shared that information. Previously, the office blamed management problems surrounding the two cases, namely their handling by a prosecutor with around 20 years of experience who resigned the day after issues came to light. Officials claimed they have identified no other similar cases, despite KXANs latest discovery. However, we take this seriously and will continue our review while putting more systems in place to ensure this does not happen again, the statement from February added. KXAN asked the DAs office for more specifics on the additional oversight measures it mentioned this week and will update this story when we receive a response. Violent and first-degree felonies With the volume of felony crime data and the absence of a uniform tracking system in Texas, KXAN focused its review on first degree felony offenses and violent charges since 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the cases KXAN found, so far, more than 40% involved violent offenses like eight murder cases, including the pair initiating this investigation. List of eight murder cases KXAN identified where indictment deadlines were missed. All but the one where a suspect was arrested on June 22, 2022, were released under article 17.151; the June 22, 2022, case was dismissed under article 32.01. Source: Travis County court records. (KXAN Interactive/Dalton Huey) More than 90 of the remaining felony cases KXAN found specific to 17.151 and 32.01 involve various crimes related to the following charges: Aggravated offenses: Sexual assault (adult and child) Robbery Assault Kidnapping Burglary of a Residence Felony Driving While Intoxicated Felony Drug-Related offenses Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The majority of the cases KXAN found Rejected Statute of Limitations has Run since 2021 were drug and property-related offenses that went unindicted within their three-year statute of limitations, according to Travis County data. KXAN provided the district attorneys office with the number of cases referenced in this story and, again, awaits a response. KXAN spoke with multiple attorneys who have decades of combined experience working as assistant district attorneys in Travis County, as well as other jurisdictions, to get context about the indictment process and what we found. They told KXAN missing indictment deadlines was something that rarely occurred, in their experiences, and said there were always systems or processes in place to ensure this didnt happen. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Update: The man has since been found, according to police. WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) A Warren man was found after a missing adult alert was issued Monday night. Police said the 71-year-old man had walked away from his home on Bane Street Southwest in Warren at 7 p.m. As of Tuesday morning, police said he was found 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 WKBN.com. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) The fourth U.S. Army soldier who went missing in Lithuania was found dead Tuesday, the U.S. Army confirmed. The Army did not release the soldiers name Tuesday, but his family identified him as Troy Smith Knutson-Collins, a father of five originally from the Battle Creek area. West Michigan family hopes soldier missing in Lithuania is found safe The four soldiers were on a tactical training exercise when they went missing March 25, the Army said. An undated photo of Troy Smith Knutson-Collins. (Courtesy Trevor) Three of the soldiers were found dead in their armored vehicle Monday. The fourth was found Tuesday after a seven-day search that involved hundreds of rescue workers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces and other agencies, the Army said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier, said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie in a statement. Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them. Knutson-Collins was stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. He went into the Army in 2017 at the age of 20, his family said. He even grew more as a man and a man that I totally respect. He just turned out to be awesome, Robert Collins, the father of Knutson-Collins, 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 WOODTV.com. Small-business owner Clarence Cocroft budgeted for advertising when he launched his company in DeSoto County, Mississippi. He even purchased billboards. But when the time came to announce his presence, state regulators silenced him. Cocroft is prohibited from talking about his business on the radio or television or advertising in newspapers, the internet, or outdoors. He is only permitted to hang a sign on his property and have a website with basic information. The state is targeting Cocroftwho obtained all the proper business permits during a tedious startup processbecause his industry is medical marijuana. Mississippi lawmakers legalized medical marijuana in 2022. But at the same time, they empowered the state Department of Health to control advertising. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The extent of the ban was not immediately clear. The rules took shape as Cocroft worked to launch Tru Source Medical Cannabis, Mississippi's first black-owned medical marijuana dispensary. By the time he opened his doors, the speech police were ready to pounce. "I own this billboard," Cocroft said during a 2023 interview, pointing to one of his highway signs. "But I cannot advertise because it is a medical marijuana business." Normally, when pot dispensaries face discrimination, the tension is due to an ongoing power struggle between federal and state governments. This began in 1996, when California set its own pot policy in defiance of the federal Controlled Substances Act, and since then, 40 states have followed with marijuana laws of their own. The issue in Mississippi is different. Nobody in Washington, D.C., is meddling and federal agencies do not enforce against state-legal medical marijuana businesses. Mississippi is engineering its conflict entirely from within, claiming that medical marijuana is legal to sell but not advertise. This gamesmanship leaves Cocroft in limbo. He can run his business legally, but he cannot talk about it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When you can't advertise, it's a disaster," Cocroft said. "They're setting you up for failure." Besides defying logic, the censorship is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court held in Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation v. Public Service Commission of New York that the First Amendment protects truthful advertising about legal products. Mississippi wants to argue that medical marijuana is legal under state law, while clinging to federal rules that make the product illegal. In other words, Mississippi wants to have its pot brownie and eat it, too. Cocroft challenged the absurdity in a First Amendment lawsuit in 2023, represented by our public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice. Despite Supreme Court precedent, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Cocroft in November 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because marijuana is federally illegal, a three-judge panel held, "the state faces no constitutional obstacle to restricting commercial speech relating to unlawful transactions." Mississippi can defy Congress when it wants, and then turn around and hide behind Congress to silence people like Cocroft, singling them out for restrictions that other small-business owners do not face. "You will see billboards from casinos to gentlemen's clubs to whatever," Cocroft said. "This is the only industry they will not allow advertising." If the ruling stands, the discrimination will continue. But Cocroft is not done fighting. On March 21, 2025, he petitioned the Supreme Court to hear his case. His ultimate goal is to help patients who cannot find his shop if they do not know it exists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Chemo patients, patients suffering from depression, patients that are suffering from [post-traumatic stress disorder], a lot of veterans, and patients with neurological or neuropathy pain," Cocroft said. "They have a story, and it hits home." Other states could also use clarity from a Supreme Court decision. As things stand, pot dispensaries cannot advertise on highway billboards in California. They cannot have online pop-up ads in Colorado, show images of cannabis plants in Connecticut, or pass out fliers in Maine. Minnesota even requires dispensaries to submit advertisements to the government for pre-approval. All Cocroft wants to do is speak truthfully about his legal business. Mississippi ought to let him. The post Mississippi Says Medical Marijuana Is LegalJust Don't Talk About It appeared first on Reason.com. A polling location in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). The Missouri House on Monday advanced legislation that would reinstate state-run presidential preference primaries and extend the no-excuse absentee voting period from two to six weeks. Supporters of House Bill 126 cited a widespread positive response to the recently enacted no-excuse voting period as a motivating factor. They also noted negative feedback on the 2024 party-run caucuses, which replaced the state-run primaries after they were eliminated as part of a law passed in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The no-excuse absentee voting period has been in effect since August 2022 and allows voters to cast their ballot in elections in person or by mail starting two weeks before Election Day. Supporters of the bill said they hoped that extending the no-excuse voting period would further alleviate stress on election workers and encourage voters to cast their ballot. The state of Missouri ran March presidential primaries from 2000 until 2020. A 2022 law signed by former Gov. Mike Parson eliminated them. In 2024, the Republican Party held in-person caucuses in Missouri to select their delegates, while Democrats opted for a hybrid caucus with in-person voting and a mail-in ballot. Low participation in these caucuses, alongside vocal blowback from residents who preferred the state-run primaries, were cited as motivators for reinstating the primaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I believe its a lot simpler for our residents of our state going to cast a ballot like they do it in every other way for their preference for the presidential primary, said state Rep. Brad Banderman, a Republican St. Clair. Under the bill primaries would be held on the first Tuesday of March during presidential election years. The estimated cost to the state for conducting the primaries is $8 million. The bills supporters also noted that unlike previous years, where the primary results have not been binding to party delegates, both political parties have agreed to adhere to the results for the first ballot at their respective party conventions. The House needs to approve the legislation one more time before it heads to the Senate. This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online. US drive-through coffee chain Dutch Bros aims to double its store count to 2,029 outlets by 2029. The announcement was made at the company's annual investor day held in Tempe in the US state of Arizona on 27 March 2025, at which the potential for more than 7,000 stores in the US was also highlighted. The company reached 1,000 outlets in February 2025 and has a presence across 18 states in the US. At the annual investor day, Dutch Bros chief executive officer and president Christine Barone stated: We are pleased to deliver quarter-to-date Q1 [first quarter] same-shop sales above our expectations, supported by positive traffic and strong business momentum. This positive trend is a testament to the strength of our brand and the dedication of our team. Last month [March 2025] we proudly opened our 1,000th shop, and with a strong roadmap ahead, we are focused on our bold goal of reaching 2,029 shops in 2029. Led by field operations teams deeply rooted in our culture and hungry to grow and supported by a leadership team with complementary skills and firsthand knowledge of scale, we are well positioned to deliver sustainable, long-term value while staying true to our mission of making a massive difference, one cup at a time. In February 2025, Dutch Bros appointed former KFC executive Brian Cahoe as chief development officer. Cahoe's role includes spearheading new store openings and implementing the coffee chain's broader development strategy. So far in 2025, Dutch Bros has opened 27 new stores, with three more expected to launch in the coming days. In line with its growth objectives, Dutch Bros previously set a goal of at least 160 new stores in 2025. For the full year 2024 (FY24), the companys total revenues grew 32.6% to $1.28bn as against $965.8m in 2023 (FY23). Its net income was $66.5m in FY24 as compared to $10m in FY23. It opened 151 new shops, of which 128 were company-operated, across 18 US states in FY24. The coffee chain expects total revenues to be between $1.55bn and $1.57bn for the full year 2025, and capital expenditures to be between $240m and $260m. "Dutch Bros targets 2,029 stores by 2029" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand. State Sen. Brad Hudson, a Cape Fair Republican, listens during the first day of the 2025 legislative session his first year as a state senator (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Legislation that would bar Missouri universities from penalizing student groups for their beliefs faced pointed criticism during a Monday evening House committee hearing from Democrats who say it would open the door for discrimination and hate speech. Some people call it religious beliefs, and some people call it discrimination, said state Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs, a St. Louis Democrat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Sen. Brad Hudson, a Republican from Cape Fair, has sponsored the bill for four years. This is the first year he has presented it as a state senator, after it cleared the Missouri Senate for the first time last month. Hudson worked with Democratic senators and added a provision to the bill that carves out viewpoints that would materially and substantially disrupt the educational environment or interfere with the rights of others from protection, avoiding a filibuster that could have doomed the legislations chances. Similar proposals have been heard in the state legislature for a decade, passing both the House and a Senate committee in 2022 and 2023. A nearly identical bill already passed the House in February on a 108-47 party-line vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Hudson said the bill codifies legal precedent allowing student groups to enforce religious beliefs under the protection of the First Amendment. Passing the bill, he said, would help the state avoid needless litigation. Curtis Cole, campus access specialist with Chi Alpha Campus Ministries from Springfield, said his group has been threatened with removal from campuses for holding biblically based views and standards of leadership. He alluded to a situation at the University of Virginia, where a student was kicked out of leadership for being in a same-sex relationship. More recently, a Chi Alpha chapter in Texas became the target of a lawsuit after a student accused a staff member of sexual assault. The staff member was a registered sex offender during his employment with Chi Alpha. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cole said the bill was important to protect a marketplace of ideas on college campuses although were going to disagree with each other from time to time. Fuchs said it went beyond disagreement and instead infringes on the rights of LGBTQ+ students. You want one group to be able to organize, to not be discriminated against, even if theyre organizing and discriminating against others, she said. Lance Kinzer, director of policy and government relations for the Washington, D.C.-based 1st Amendment Partnership, said the bill holds up to court precedents. It mirrors constitutional protections, and it really is just common sense, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Wick Thomas, a Democrat from Kansas City, asked whether the bill would allow for beliefs that discriminate against other people groups. Wouldnt this bill theoretically open it up for discrimination based on any sincerely held religious belief? Thomas said. If people believe in eugenics, they might say disabled people are not allowed to be in leadership in this organization. Kinzer felt judicial rulings set reasonable bounds. I dont see a scenario where this would allow discrimination based upon someone being handicapped, he said. That is status-based and not really belief-based. The committee did not immediately take action on the bill Monday evening. LAWSON, Mo. (WDAF) The sponsored son of a Missouri pastor has been informed by the government that he will be deported before the end of the month. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security decided to terminate certain parole programs for aliens who are nationals of certain countries, including Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The specific parole program granting Missouri resident Wendy (Wendsy) Desrivieres two years in the U.S., starting April 2024, is now set to expire in one month a year earlier than anticipated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Morris family runs VCU Church in Ray County, Missouri. Pastor Ralph Morris said he understands there are people in the U.S. who have entered illegally, but said his son is here legally. Despite that, a new document says Desrivieres has one month to leave the United States. Born and raised in Haiti, Desrivieres left because of the crime. Desrivieres met the Morris Family more than 10 years ago. Soon after, the Morris family began sponsoring him. They replaced my family, my mom and dad. I lost my mom when I was 11. I lost my dad when I was 8, Desrivieres said. I dont know what can I say to let them know how much I love them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leavenworth Police await autopsy in suspicious death of 3-year-old boy Hes been in the United States since April of 2024, under the impression of at least a two-year stay. Desrivieres says as hes using his faith to help navigate whats next. I follow Him, he said. This is the only thing I can do. Its not just Wendsy, Morris said. There are 530,000 people that have received this notification. They have to be gone. They have to leave our country within the next 30 days. Morris has been with the church for 34 years. Hes also a board member for a mission group thats established a number of programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Weve] established seven churches, four schools, enrollment of about 2,000 children, Morris said. We have a feeding program. We also meet all the Haitian criteria for being a school. Morris said it was through that program that he met Desrivieres and his younger brother. He needed the support, and Diana and I chose to support him, Morris said. The Morris allege they have done everything the right way, and they dont know why theyre facing this now. Do we welcome immigrants in, if they come legally, and are pursing the citizenship process? Is that true or is that not? Morris asked. Because we have done everything legally; we used a government-sanctioned program, the Refugee Parole Program, to bring him to the United States, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morris said the only way to bring him to the United States was through the Refugee Parole Program. Morris said thats because the U.S. Embassy in Haiti was closed on Aug. 8, 2023, so he couldnt get a visa. He has appeared twice within the Immigration Service, he said. Hes been interviewed. Hes been fingerprinted. He has a permanent residence. They know where he is. They know what he is doing. He said Desrivieres has a Social Security card and is employed full-time. But on Friday, the letter came stating that his son must leave the country by April 24. Weve had people write letters, notarize them. We have affidavits, people verifying his character. We just want somebody to listensomebody to hear us and answer some questions, Morris said. In my mind, Im thinking, weve got everything processedwhy is he getting a letter of deportation? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morris said a green card has been applied for but there hasnt been much correspondence regarding it. The Morris family is hoping hes not sent back to Haiti. If he is returned to Haiti on April 24, when he walks off that plane, he is immediately homeless, because he has already surrendered his apartment, Morris said. He has given up his transportation, his motorcycle that he owned. He has no job [in Haiti], no source of income whatsoever. Weve been given 30 days to do this; its just not enough time, and we dont understand what weve done wrong. The Homeland Security document, obtained by Nexstars WDAF, says in part, If you have not obtained a lawful basis to remain in the United States and do not depart the United States by the date your parole terminates, you will begin to accrue unlawful presence in the United States unless you are otherwise protected from such accrual. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Desrivieres situation, his document states Your parole will terminate upon the earlier of (1) your original parole expiration date or (2) April 24, 2025. You should depart the United States now, but no later than the date of the termination of your parole. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. ST. LOUIS In the past week, Planned Parenthoods around Missouri resumed their surgical abortion services, despite major legal pushback from the state health department blocking access to other types of abortion. Despite recent legal victories for abortion rights in Missouri, certain medical access is still restricted around the state, but abortion affiliates say theyre not giving up the fight. The Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis Planned Parenthood locations are prepared to begin their surgical abortion services, with the St. Louis clinic performing the service last week for the first time since 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Medication abortion remains blocked in Missouri due to state-imposed restrictions, meaning those looking for a more private and less invasive abortion option will have to cross state lines for access. The disagreements between pro-life and pro-choice activists only heated up in November when Missourians voted to enshrine abortion into the state constitution that same day, the state health department effectively blocked medication abortions around the state. This topic has carried over into the new year after a judge struck down the licensing requirements for abortion facilities in Missouri. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Planned Parenthood submitted paperwork to provide medication abortions back in February. After delaying their response, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services introduced a new emergency rule on March 13. Whats on the ballot for the St. Louis area April 8 election? By the end of the month, DHSS rejected Planned Parenthoods applications for medication abortions, citing compliance issues under the new restrictions. In a statement from President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, Margot Riphagen said, When state officials move the goalposts on us time and time again, their intentions become clear: they will stop at nothing to block Missourians access to critical reproductive health care, even when the voters enshrine that right into the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX 2 reached out to the State Department of Health and Senior Services and has not heard back as of Monday 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 FOX 2. Mar. 31MITCHELL Mitchell Technical College has seen its fair share of construction work on campus over the past several years. Just about a year ago the school dedicated its new Ag Power Diesel Lab building, a 36,000-square foot facility that expanded the available for the ag diesel program and free up space for other programs. Now with springlike weather arriving, the school is resuming another large-scale campus project. Excavators and workers on site are working on the second phase of a three-year drainage enhancement project. "We had ARPA funding to address drainage issues on campus, and this is Phase 2," Theresa Kriese, interim president of Mitchell Technical College, told the Mitchell Republic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Using American Rescue Plan Act funds from the State of South Dakota, Mitchell Tech is working on a three-phase drainage improvement project to protect campus buildings and equipment from catastrophic water events. Phase 1, enclosing the drainage ditch between the Nordby Trade Center and the energy field, was started in 2023. The project is now in Phase 2, which will reroute drainage from the Muth Electric Technology Center and the Campus Tech Apartments to the retention pond on the north side of campus. Work will focus on the retention pond, where excavators and crews can be seen working from Interstate 90. The work is necessary in part because of the many changes that have taken place on campus since the school moved from its original location across the street from the current Mitchell High School building to its current location just south of Interstate 90 in 2001. Since more buildings and facilities have been built in the past two-and-half-decades, the campus runoff needs to be redesigned to keep up with new flow patterns. "They will be draining and cleaning out the retention pond, as well as elongating it and deepening it," Kriese said. "They will also be working to get better drainage on the part of campus that goes under the interstate into the Jim River, which needs a little work. When the pond was developed, we didn't have as much real estate developed, and there are a lot more hard surfaces for runoff instead of absorption." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school has been using ARPA funds for the project. About $5.8 million of those funds is expected to be used across the entire three-year drainage project, with about $2.3 million to be used during the current Phase 2 part of the project, which is expected to continue through the fall of 2025. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill that provided $350 billion for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With dry conditions and relatively little snow falling during the winter of 2024-25, Kriese said the work has progressed nicely. "It's been really good. One of the benefits of the dry and moderate weather this past winter is we've been able to get in earlier than expected," Kriese said. Work is also expected to be done on sidewalks around campus and to MTI Drive, for which the school recently petitioned to have the name changed to Mitchell Tech Drive, to improve drainage along the main eastside entrance into campus. That work will entail resurfacing the street and making sure the slope is appropriate to handle water moving alongside it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The work may not be as exciting as seeing a new diesel building rising on campus, but the work is crucial, Kriese said. As new buildings go up and other changes are made to the appearance of the school property, drainage needs have changed in tandem. Kriese said that water had not caused any significant issues on campus outside inconvenience, but doing work now is important to making sure problems don't become worse. Without staying in front of the problem, the campus could experience water in its buildings, or even just standing on campus, Kriese said. "If it hadn't been addressed (we could experience) building water penetration, and standing water is not a good situation on any campus. It was definitely necessary. Each (previous) project that we've done has impacted the campus, and now it's time to address the entire thing to make sure we have it addressed," Kriese said. Work will continue into the summer and next year, Kriese said, but it won't be the end of ground work at Mitchell Tech. Kriese said that in the next few days the state will be releasing a notification for bids to the Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement school's planned underground energy training facility. That new facility will encompass about 23,000 feet and is associated with the Powerline Program at Mitchell Tech. It will give a boost of about 75 jobs in the region. In addition to the benefits to the programs at Mitchell Tech and the addition of new jobs to the market, students in the Powerline Program will gain the advantage of a modern educational environment for their studies that will be accessible year-round, including during frosty South Dakota winters when the ground is frozen. QUICK WEATHER FORECAST: Today: Partly cloudy, high 54 Tonight: Mostly cloudy, low 43 Wednesday: Evening t-storms, high 77 (63) Thursday: Rain & rumbles, high 72 (51) Friday: Scattered rain, high 64 (52) Saturday: Rain w/ few rumbles, high 68 (48) Tuesday will be the driest of the week and the coolest. Partly cloudy skies stick around with high reaching the mid 50s. More clouds will return during the overnight hours with lows in the mid 40s. Plenty of rain moves through the rest of the week. A few spotty showers will pop up from midday through the afternoon. Then there will be a dry period with very gusty winds that will help to bring warm moist air into the area. Highs will reach the upper 70s. By Wednesday night through early Thursday morning a line of strong thunderstorms will move into central Ohio. Columbus and points west will see an enhanced risk for severe weather. That goes down to only a slight risk east of the city. The biggest threat will be strong damaging winds where gusts at times can reach 75 mph or more. Best chances for those speeds will be west of the city but seeing it within Franklin County is still very possible. In addition there will be an elevated large hail and tornado chance. Again, the worst of these will be west of the city. On top of that will be the amount of rain on the way. Most of the area from Wednesday night through Sunday morning will see up to 5 inches of rain. Flood watches will go into effect for that same duration of time across all of central Ohio. Even with the back-to-back rounds of rain and storms, a good portion of the week will still stay in the 60s. This will change by next week. A large dip in the jet stream is going to return central Ohio to well below average temperatures by the second week of April. 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. LAWSON, Mo. Effective last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has exercised its discretion to terminate certain parole programs for aliens who are nationals of certain countries, including Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The specific parole program, granting Missouri resident, Wendy (Wendsy) Desrivieres two years, starting April 2024, is now set to expire in one montha year earlier than anticipated. Leavenworth Police await autopsy in suspicious death of 3-year-old boy Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX4 met with the Morris family, who run VCU Church in Ray County, Missouri. Pastor Ralph Morris said he understands there are people in the United States who have entered illegally, but said his son is here legally. Despite that though, a document the family shared with FOX4 says he has one month to leave the United States. Born and raised in Haiti, Desrivieres left because of the crime. We are not safe by the gangs, Wendsy Desrivieres shared. Desrivieres met the Morris Family more than 10 years ago. Soon after, the Morris family began sponsoring him. They replaced my family, my mom and dad. I lost my mom when I was 11. I lost my dad when I was 8, Desrivieres said. I dont know what can I say to let them know how much I love them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes been in the United States since April of 2024, under the impression of at least a two-year stay. Desrivieres says as hes using his faith to help navigate whats next. I follow Him, he said. This is the only thing I can do. Its not just Wendsy, Morris said. There are 530,000 people that have received this notification. They have to be gone. They have to leave our country within the next 30 days. Morris has been with the church for 34 years. Hes also a board member for a mission group thats established a number of programs. [Weve] established seven churches, four schools, enrollment of about 2,000 children, Morris said. We have a feeding program. We also meet all the Haitian criteria for being a school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX4 Newsletters: Sign up for daily forecasts and Joes Weather Blog in your inbox Morris said it was through that program that he met Desrivieres and his younger brother. He needed the support, and Diana and I chose to support him, Morris said. We dont understand what weve done wrong The Morris allege they have done everything the right way, and they dont know why theyre facing this now. Do we welcome immigrants in, if they come legally, and are pursing the citizenship process? Is that true or is that not? Morris asked. Because we have done everything legally; we used a government-sanctioned program, the Refugee Parole Program, to bring him to the United States, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morris said the only way to bring him to the United States was through the Refugee Parole Program. Morris said thats because the U.S. Embassy in Haiti was closed on Aug. 8, 2023, so he couldnt get a visa. He has appeared twice within the Immigration Service, he said. Hes been interviewed. Hes been fingerprinted. He has a permanent residence. They know where he is. They know what he is doing. He said Desrivieres has a Social Security card and is employed full-time. But on Friday, the letter came stating that his son must leave the country by April 24. Weve had people write letters, notarize them. We have affidavits, people verifying his character. We just want somebody to listensomebody to hear us and answer some questions, Morris said. In my mind, Im thinking, weve got everything processedwhy is he getting a letter of deportation? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morris said a green card has been applied for but there hasnt been much correspondence regarding it. The Morris family is hoping hes not sent back to Haiti. If he is returned to Haiti on April 24, when he walks off that plane, he is immediately homeless, because he has already surrendered his apartment, Morris said. He has given up his transportation, his motorcycle that he owned. He has no job [in Haiti], no source of income whatsoever. Weve been given 30 days to do this; its just not enough time, and we dont understand what weve done wrong. The Homeland Security document, obtained by FOX4, says in part, If you have not obtained a lawful basis to remain in the United States and do not depart the United States by the date your parole terminates, you will begin to accrue unlawful presence in the United States unless you are otherwise protected from such accrual. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Desrivieres situation, his document states Your parole will terminate upon the earlier of (1) your original parole expiration date or (2) April 24, 2025. You should depart the United States now, but no later than the date of the termination of your parole. Ogletree Deakins is an employment law firm. You can read more from Ogletree Deakins about the Parole Programs background and its termination here. According to Ogletree Deakins, The Trump administration has decided to end these programs, citing a lack of significant public benefit and inconsistency with foreign policy goals. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The law firm also states a lawsuit challenging the termination of CHNV (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela) parole has been filed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) The Mobile County Health Department is warning residents of a possible sanitary sewer overflow after strong storms moved through the area Sunday night and Monday morning. First steel ship comes off the line at Austal in Mobile MCHD officials said the heavy rains could result in bacteria entering streams, creeks and other waterways from manholes overflowing. Although skin contact with floodwaters does not, by itself, pose a serious health risk, there is some risk of disease from eating or drinking anything contaminated with floodwater, read an MCHD news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The release said anyone who has open cuts or wounds and is exposed to flood waters should keep them clean by washing with soap. Whether there is a flood or not, anyone who gets a wound and has not had a tetanus shot within the past 10 years should get one, continued the release. Multiple flights canceled, delayed at Pensacola International Airport Residents are urged to use caution when using water for recreational purposes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) A Mobile man was sentenced to 51 months in prison for illegally possessing a machine gun. Spring Hill College, Rockhurst University team up for new majors, career paths According to court documents, Nijel Malik Smith, 22, was arrested by Mobile Police Department officers in April 2023 following a traffic stop. During that stop, police seized marijuana and a Glock .45 caliber pistol Smith had in his possession. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pistol was fully loaded and equipped with an illegal machine gun conversion device, commonly referred to as a Glock switch, which rendered the pistol a fully automatic weapon. The slide of the pistol was marked with Gretna PD, and had previously been reported stolen by a law enforcement officer in Louisiana. Womans murder charge upgraded after boyfriend stabbed to death at Mobile apartment During an interview with police, Smith admitted that the marijuana and the illegally modified pistol were his. He further admitted that he knew what a switch was and suspected that the pistol might be stolen due to the Gretna PD markings on it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In January 2025, while under federal conditions of release and pending sentencing, Mobile police again arrested Smith following a traffic stop. During that stop, Smith again possessed marijuana and a pistol. The January 2025 incident led to the revocation of Smiths bond and the denial of credit for acceptance of responsibility at his sentencing. In addition to the 51-month prison term, United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer ordered Smith to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Smith to pay $100 in special assessments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Truck hits Brewton man, children: BPD U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. SPRINGFIELD, Mo The Missouri Department of Transportation will host the ceremony kicking off construction of the I-44 corridor upgrades this Friday, April 4. The project will add a third lane in both directions between U.S. Route 65 and Missouri Route 13 in both directions. It will also repair three bridges over the I-44 at Broadway, Grant, and National avenues. A pedestrian underpass will also be constructed under Grant Avenue, and make improvements to the trail. The groundbreaking ceremony will start at 10:30 a.m. on the grounds of Crossway Baptist Church at 2900 N. Barnes Avenue in Springfield. Several officials with the State of Missouri will speak at the event: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe Congressman Eric Burlison, Missouri Congressional District 7 Senator Lincoln Hough, Missouri Senate District 30 Representative Bill Owen, Missouri House Rep. in District 131 Warren K. Erdman, MO Highways and Transportation Commission Chair Sara Fields, Ozarks Transportation Organization Executive Director The project has a $70.7 million price tag, including $13.4 million from General Revenue funding. MoDOT is working through a study to see what improvements are necessary from the Missouri/Oklahoma stateline up through the Franklin County/St. Louis County line. For a timeline of the project and some frequently asked questions, 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. When Jackie and Anthonie Talarico moved their family into privatized housing at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, Jackie Talarico said she quickly noticed floors lifting and mold inside their bathroom. Over the next couple of years, the problems got worse: an HVAC system continued to leak and the ceiling over her daughters bed began to cave in by several inches. Anthonie Talarico, a Navy cryptologist, developed a respiratory infection and when Jackie cleaned out an air filter in the air conditioning system, she had an allergy attack so severe it sent her to the hospital. Her 7-year-old daughter had nosebleeds and vomiting fits, while her 4-year-old son had developmental delays while living in the home, which was managed by private housing contractor Balfour Beatty, which oversees housing at 55 Army, Navy, and Air Force installations in the U.S. Four months after moving out, Talarico tested positive for mycotoxins or toxins from mold exposure. She still suffers from joint pain, chronic hives and abdominal issues, she told Task & Purpose. Now, she is waiting for more test results that could indicate if she has underlying autoimmune disorders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As they prepare their new home, theyve spent most of Anthonies reenlistment bonus replacing mold-laced furniture and other household items. The Talaricos are one of dozens of families who have joined a lawsuit against Balfour Betty for fraud and gross negligence, alleging that they were exposed to mold, water damage, lead paint, asbestos, structural defects, and other serious unsafe conditions because of systematic neglect by the company. What I hope to see is that all of our families get to see at least justice and accountability be served. I just want the acknowledgment that it wasnt my fault, that I know, as a mother, I didnt harm my babies. I thought they were in a safe home, Talarico told Task & Purpose. We are aware of the complaint and intend to defend ourselves vigorously, a spokesperson from Balfour Beatty Communities said in an emailed statement to Task & Purpose. The Navy declined to comment on the pending litigation. Black mold and denials Jackie Talarico said she hired her own mold inspector for their home, who discovered Stachybotrys in their walls, otherwise known as black mold a type that medical experts say can lead to allergic reactions, fatigue, light-headedness, irritability, and sleep issues or even fungal airway infections for those with weakened immune systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regardless of the outcome, I should have never been put in this position to even have that thought in my head, she said. What Im going through now with all of my symptoms and the things Im experiencing, I feel like thats something people dont realize. It doesnt end when you leave Key West. Lawyers representing more than 190 current and former residents of Balfour Beatty homes in Florida allege that the company misled families about their repairs and never actually performed necessary remediation work. The company, the families allege, falsely marked work orders as finished. Balfour misled Plaintiff families into believing that repairs were made, knowing that families living in the homes would likely suffer serious health problems as a result of the conditions, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit lists a host of physical ailments the families ascribe to the unaddressed housing issues like asthma, respiratory issues, sinusitis, migraines, memory loss, brain fog, blurred vision, and compromised immune systems. In addition to the physical effects, the families are also seeking damages for emotional and psychological injuries such as depression and anxiety they are suffering as a result of the housing conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last September, the Talaricos moved out of the Balfour-run home but not because they wanted to. Instead, they were given a 45-day notice that August to vacate so that Balfour Beatty could perform necessary maintenance work. Moved to a temporary home, Jackie Talarico and her two children spent months sleeping on an air mattress while her husband was sent to Texas for work. Reenlistment bonus spent on new furniture The Talaricos now live in Maryland, though the permanent change of station, or PCS, move to get there brought a final mold-related nightmare: when planning their household goods shipment to Maryland, the moving company told the Talaricos that they couldnt expose our crews to the potential health concern, and instructed her to remove, clean and put her furniture in a mold-free environment, according to an email viewed by Task & Purpose. The entire bonus that Anthonie received for reenlisting has gone to replacing furniture, decor, couches, mattresses and sheets, Jackie said. A bonus that should have been given to him for all his hard work and dedication to service, Talarico said Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talarico said in addition to the common replacements, theyve also lost family heirlooms and other sentimental, handmade decor. As she shops for new furniture, Talarico said the mold effects still haunt her psychologically. Now Im terrified of farmhouse furniture and decor. Im in the store and Im trying to go shopping for this new house after everything has been out on my curb. Im looking in the store and Im like, I cant buy this. Can it be remediated if this were to ever happen to me again? Talarico said. Im in this new house, and I know its safe, but I am constantly everywhere I go I walk into your house, Im looking at your HVAC, Im in your bathroom. Im checking for leaks. That is what it does to you. Its not the first time that Balfour Beatty has come under fire for tenant housing issues. The company pleaded guilty in December 2021 to major fraud against the U.S. and agreed to pay more than $65 million in fines and restitution for falsifying its performance data and destroying resident comment cards to pocket performance incentive fees. The scheme, in part, led to the creation of the Tenant Bill of Rights for families living in private military housing and specifies that housing for military families must meet health and environmental standards, have working appliances and utilities and receive proper landlord management. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talarico said she now advocates for all military families dealing with housing issues to document and get it in writing. If you dont, they will continue to gaslight you. You wont have the proof. And unfortunately, when companies decide to continue to put that greed and corruption above the health and safety of the families, youre forced to do something like start a lawsuit, she said. Youre not crazy. The latest on Task & Purpose The number of patients receiving gene therapies is expected to fluctuate over the next decade. In 2020, 16,244 patients were treated, with this figure projected to rise to 94,696 by 2025 before gradually declining to 65,612 by 2034 as existing patient stocks deplete. Over the next decade, an estimated 1.09 million patients could benefit from gene therapies, with cancer patients making up approximately 48% of recipients. Several breakthrough therapies are paving the way for advancements in gene editing. Precision BioSciences PBGENE-HBV represents the first FDA-cleared in vivo gene-editing trial for chronic hepatitis B. Early data from the trial indicate a 70% reduction in the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in two out of three patients at the lowest dose (0.2 mg/kg), targeting covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) to address the root cause of HBV persistence. YolTech Therapeutics has also made strides with its hyperoxaluria treatment, demonstrating a 70% reduction in harmful oxalate levels in patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 through lipid nanoparticle-delivered gene editing. Additionally, AccurEdits cholesterol therapy has shown promising results, achieving a 70% reduction in LDL cholesterol with a single-dose treatment by silencing PCSK9. The U.S. gene editing market has experienced significant growth, valued at $3.19 billion in 2024, while genome editing stood at $3.55 billion in 2023. Looking ahead, projections indicate a substantial surge, with gene editing expected to reach $13.99 billion and genome editing forecasted at $16.49 billion by 2034. These growth trends reflect compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of 15.93% and 16.6%, respectively, underscoring the increasing adoption and investment in gene-editing technologies. According to IMARC, the U.S. healthcare infrastructure has adapted to support gene-editing therapies. IQVIA reported that 114 gene therapy trials were initiated in 2023, with approximately 77% sponsored by the healthcare industry. Kella Kapnisi, Head of Cell and Gene Therapy at Team Consulting, noted that the FDA has approved 38 cell and gene therapies, many of which have reached commercialization through predominantly manual laboratory manufacturing processes. Gene editing is an advanced medical technique within gene therapy that involves precisely modifying an individuals DNA to treat or prevent diseases. This approach directly alters genetic material to correct mutations, enhance cellular functions, or eliminate disease-causing genes. Industry experts believe that gene editing has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of genetic disorders, cancers, and various other conditions. We recently published a list of 8 Best Gene-Editing Stocks to Buy . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) stands against other best gene-editing stocks to buy. Story Continues From a financial and economic standpoint, annual spending on gene editing therapies is anticipated to peak at $25.3 billion in 2026 before stabilizing at $21.0 billion by 2034. These therapies are projected to yield an additional 5.12 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) per patient, with each QALY valued at $43,110. Insurance coverage is expected to play a crucial role in facilitating access, with Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers projected to cover $8.1 billion, $5.44 billion, and $12.2 billion annually, respectively. Despite these advancements, the gene-editing industry faces key challenges. Delivery risks remain a concern, as adverse events associated with viral vectors and conditioning regimens pose safety hurdles. Regulatory scrutiny is also increasing, with the FDAs pending decision on Abeona Therapeutics recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) therapy, expected by April 29, 2025, highlighting the evolving standards for gene-editing approvals. Our Methodology For this list, we scanned Insider Monkeys database of over 1,000 hedge funds as of Q4 2024 and selected companies involved in the development and commercialization of gene-editing technologies. From there, we picked eight companies with the highest number of hedge fund investors and ranked them in ascending order. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). Is Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) the Best Gene-Editing Stock to Buy? Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 115 Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) tops the list of the best gene editing stocks. It is a global pharmaceutical leader focused on developing and selling medications for various conditions, including diabetes, obesity, oncology, and neuroscience. With a strong emphasis on scientific innovation, the company is at the forefront of gene editing and biotechnology, positioning itself as a key player in these fields. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is making significant advancements in genetic medicine through initiatives like the Lilly Seaport Innovation Center in Boston, which fosters collaboration on gene-based therapies. The company is also expanding its capabilities through acquisitions, such as the purchase of Morphic Therapeutics, and partnerships, like the one with OpenAI to develop novel antimicrobials. In its Q4 2024 earnings call, the company reported impressive growth. Revenue increased by 45%, which was driven by strong demand for new products like Mounjaro and Zepbound, contributing over $3.1 billion to the growth. The company also saw solid performance across the oncology, immunology, and neuroscience segments. Key regulatory approvals were achieved, and positive Phase 3 trial results for several drugs were announced. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) continued investing in manufacturing, committing over $23 billion since 2020 to expand its capacity. It also returned $3 billion to shareholders through dividends and repurchases and introduced a $15 billion share repurchase program. The companys successful international expansion, particularly in Europe, Japan, and China, contributed to its growth. Overall, LLY ranks 1st on our list of best gene-editing stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of LLY, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LLY but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Workers fill food orders at a restaurant in San Rafael, Calif. Republicans looking to cut federal spending on Medicaid are eyeing work requirements as one possible option. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Under an emerging Republican plan to require some Medicaid recipients to work, between 4.6 million and 5.2 million adults ages 19 to 55 could lose their health care coverage, according to a new analysis. The study, conducted by Urban Institute researchers with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, calculated that up to 39% of the 13.3 million adults in that age group who became eligible for Medicaid when their states expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act would lose coverage if Congress required states to impose work rules. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report suggests that most of those people would lose coverage not because they arent complying with the rules, but because they would struggle to report their compliance to the state. Most adults who would lose eligibility for federal Medicaid funding are working, engaged in work-related activities, or could qualify for exemptions not readily identifiable through state databases but could still face disenrollment because of the reporting requirements, it states. The study identified several barriers to reporting, including lack of broadband access and lack of transportation. Forty states plus the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid under the ACA. Overall, nearly 72 million people, about a fifth of Americans, are enrolled in the program for low-income people, which is funded jointly by the federal government and the states. Traditional Medicaid insurance was mainly available to children and their caregivers, people with disabilities and pregnant women. But the ACA, commonly known as Obamacare, allowed states to extend coverage to adults making up to 138% of the federal poverty level about $21,000 a year for a single person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nationwide, more than 21 million people with low incomes have health insurance because of expanded Medicaid eligibility. U.S. House Republicans in February pushed through a budget plan, now under consideration in the Senate, that would require about $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the next decade to help cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. The budget doesnt contain specifics on how that target would be met. But work requirements are a likely money-saving option: A 2023 analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that imposing work rules on Medicaid recipients ages 19 to 55 who are not parents or caregivers would cut federal spending by an estimated $109 billion over the next 10 years. The Congressional Budget Office based that projection on a plan the GOP-controlled U.S. House approved in 2023. That bill, the likely blueprint for the work requirements Republicans are considering now, would have required adults ages 19-55 to work, participate in a job training program or perform community service for at least 80 hours per month for three or more months in a calendar year. Parents and caretakers of dependent children, and those unable to work because of a health condition, would have been exempt. Many Republican-led states are eager to impose work requirements on able-bodied Medicaid recipients. Thirteen states received permission to impose work rules on at least some Medicaid enrollees during the first Trump administration. Nine additional states requested permission to enact Medicaid work requirements during Trumps earlier term but had not won approval by the time it ended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the Biden administration came into office, it rescinded all the approvals. Supporters say requiring Medicaid recipients to work, study or train for a career gives them a boost toward self-sufficiency and financial stability. Critics, however, say such rules end up hurting far more people than they help. The researchers from the Urban Institute mostly based their analysis on the experience of Arkansas, which in June 2018 became the first state to require some Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer, go to school or participate in job training to receive benefits. By the time a federal judge halted the policy in April 2019, 18,000 adults had lost coverage. The researchers also looked at New Hampshire, which began implementing a work requirement but halted the program in July 2019 before suspending anyones coverage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What was found in a lot of qualitative research on the previous work requirement programs is that a lot of people were unaware of the policy, or they didnt understand the policy, said Michael Karpman, an Urban Institute researcher who co-authored the study. People who need coverage the most would do the most to try to maintain it. On the other hand, those people could also face the most difficulty with the administrative barriers, Karpman said. In a 2020 study examining how Arkansas last experience with work requirements played out, researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found no evidence that the policy succeeded in its stated goal of promoting work and instead found substantial evidence of harm to health care coverage and access. Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced in January that she would ask the federal government for permission to institute work requirements, regardless of what Congress decides. The state submitted the request last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Especially for a rural state like Arkansas, work requirements fail to take into account a lot of the realities that people may face. Christin Harper, policy director for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families Arkansas Republican state Rep. Aaron Pilkington, who serves on the health committee in his chamber, said lawmakers learned our lesson from the last go-round. Pilkington said that under the new proposal, the state will only pause coverage instead of canceling it, giving recipients an opportunity to prove they are complying. And, he said, the online portal for reporting will be a lot more user-friendly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its a reasonable thing to ask for able-bodied people to look for work, or try to obtain work, Pilkington said. But Christin Harper, policy director for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, said even the new version would be a challenge for many enrollees. Many people on Medicaid are juggling multiple jobs, and having to report to the state every month would be a significant burden. Especially for a rural state like Arkansas, work requirements fail to take into account a lot of the realities that people may face, Harper said. She added that with the overall job market, job opportunities may or may not be available in some of these rural towns. Stateline reporter Shalina Chatlani can be reached at schatlani@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The world has changed. The combination of the war in Ukraine and President Trumps approach to European security have shaken the foundations of Britains national security. Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have accepted this reality, with the Chancellor of the Exchequer announcing a 2.2 billion increase in defence spending as part of last weeks Spring Statement and the Prime Minister making clear his aim for Britain to lead the way in this new era of national security. While we support this ambition, to achieve it the Government needs to make use of all its powers of influence not just those of arms alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, such efforts are having to swim against a strong current. Our international standing has been damaged by the cuts to the foreign aid budget over recent years, which taxpayers have increasingly come to see as a frivolous waste of money. But those changes have made it all the more critical that the remaining funds be carefully targeted on where they will have the greatest impact. Namely, by supporting the work of the UKs soft power agency: the British Council. Founded 90 years ago, the Councils mission remains the spread of peace and prosperity through education and cultural relations. We both know from long experience in the diplomatic service the strength of the Councils reputation across the world. In Ukraine for example, the Council is helping schoolchildren learn English amidst the trauma of war and protect the countrys cultural heritage that Vladimir Putin wants to erase. Such efforts have yielded tangible results: In 2023, Volodymyr Zelensky made English the second official language in Ukraine. More importantly, its cheap. All the British Councils work in Ukraine costs just 2 million a year equivalent to a single Storm Shadow missile. In the Middle East, the British Council runs a range of programmes designed to improve literacy and social cohesion: mental health programmes in Morocco, classes teaching digital skills in Iraq and improving media literacy in Tunisia. These programmes tackle radicalisation in both the Middle East and the UK. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In China, the Councils programmes in English, education and the arts reach almost 200 million young people across the country every year. These classes help promote our values in the worlds second largest country. Putting aside the individual merits of these efforts, the Council also produces a large return on investment. Last year, it generated 1 billion in direct benefits to the British economy. The Council also independently funds itself from its commercial activities such as English classes. Last year, it received 162 million from the Foreign Office but made 1 billion in income. That means for every 1 the British Council receives, it generates 5. None of our close allies have an asset with the global reputation and income generating potential of the British Council. But after a decade of gradually reduced funding from the Government, the British Councils work is under imminent threat. Such cuts could mean the Council closing offices in many countries, which would serve as a major blow to the UKs ability to wield influence for good around the world. We are already losing ground. China is spending billions across the developing world to make itself the partner of choice for non-aligned countries stepping into the void left by the retreating US. Any other countrys Government with a national asset as respected as the British Council would be increasing its funding at such a moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soft power is the cheapest weapon in our arsenal of international influence. It needs to be fully integrated with the hard power provided by our armed forces to produce a coherent national strategy. In an increasingly unstable world, the need for the British Councils unique contribution to our security is greater than ever. General the Lord Richards of Herstmonceux was Chief of the Defence Staff (2010-2013) Lord Ricketts was the UKs first national security advisor (2010-2012) and permanent secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2006-2010) 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. Getty Images Louisianas eviction process is being put on trial, with critics hoping to remove the financial incentive for low-level elected officials to rule on dozens of cases each week. Attorneys for a Baton Rouge woman facing eviction filed a lawsuit March 24 in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. They take issue with how local justices of the peace can supplement their budgets and salaries through the fees they charge for adjudicating evictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State law allows justices of the peace to charge defendants $120 for each eviction case they handle plus another $20 for each additional defendant. To execute the eviction, their courts receive $60 per case and another $20 per defendant. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The organizations suing Steven Sanders, an East Baton Rouge Parish justice of the peace, say he handles 300 to 400 evictions a month. They want their case designated as a class action to bring more tenants on board as plaintiffs. As of now, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Housing Law Project and New Orleans civil rights attorney William Quigley represent just one tenant: Latoria George, who currently faces eviction in Sanders court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anjana Joshi, a Southern Poverty Law Center attorney representing George, sat in on other eviction cases Sanders handled to track his pace. He will often schedule [multiple] evictions filed by the same landlord for the same morning and those will all be decided kind of in rapid succession, Joshi said. What we observed was that often tenants dont show up, so theres a default judgment that Justice of the Peace Sanders signs, she said. Sometimes tenants do show up, and he may try to work out a payment plan with them. But when he does that, he still issues a judgment of eviction against them. Sanders moved through cases without tenants in seconds, according to Joshi. When tenants did appear, It could take, like, up to a couple minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The seemingly expedited eviction process is at the heart of the lawsuit against Sanders, whose caseload generated nearly $2.7 million in court fee revenue between 2019-23 based on figures from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. The state attorney generals office, which represents local justices of the peace in legal matters, declined to comment on the lawsuit. Reached by phone Monday, Sanders said he could not discuss the pending litigation under advisement from the attorney general. A very, very lucrative business Sanders total court expenses averaged less than $20,000 annually over that same period, leaving ample revenue for him to tap into to augment his base salary of around $5,000 a year that the state allocates. Sanders take-home pay from 2019-23 averaged $232,419 a year, making him the highest paid justice of the peace in East Baton Rouge Parish according to reports filed with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. That places him well ahead of the average salaries for state district court judges ($173,788) and Louisiana Supreme Court justices ($193,227). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a very, very lucrative business, said Hannah Adams, a plaintiffs attorney with the National Housing Law Project. Sanders is not alone among Louisiana justices of the peace who churn out a high rate of evictions and see a corresponding increase in personal compensation. Three justices of the peace in Jefferson Parish were featured in a WDSU-TV report on their court revenue-boosted salaries. Kevin Centanni presided over 60 eviction cases in his Kenner district during one week in February. In 2023, he reported a total salary of $147,637, with $115,000 coming from fees. Vernon Wilty III, who presides over a West Jefferson justice of the peace court, added $202,543 in fees to his base pay of $24,134. Charles Chuck Cusimano II of Metairie reported his salary was $21,600 with an additional $327,588 in fee income . If Judge Sanders or any of the other justices of the peace are dependent on the money that landlords pay them to file evictions, they have a financial incentive to get as many landlords as possible to file evictions, Adams said. And even more insidious, they have potentially a financial incentive to grant as many evictions as possible, because they get an extra $40 or so every time they grant an eviction. Landlords preferred venue There are nearly 400 elected justices of the peace in Louisiana. In addition to evictions, state law allows them to preside over auto repossessions, small claims cases and marriages. They dont have to be lawyers, and their courtrooms can be based out of home offices and other nondescript places. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of going before a justice of the peace, landlords can file eviction cases with city or state district courts. But the plaintiffs attorneys say justices of the peace are their preferred venue because they dont have to follow evidence rules. For example, a landlord could testify that a tenant is being evicted for excessive noise based on a neighbors complaints. A justice of the peace could accept the landlords word as fact, while the neighbor would be required to testify in district court. Also, a tenants ability to appeal a ruling from a justice of the peace is limited. State district court decisions can be challenged all the way up to the Louisiana Supreme Court. But if an evicted tenant wants to appeal a justice of the peace ruling, they essentially have to start a new trial in district court because there are no records to review from the justice of peace. Plus, the district courts ruling is final. The financial conflicts of interest that [are inherent] in justice of the peace courts and the unequal access to appellate rights granted to tenants in justice of the peace courts create a two-tiered system of justice in Louisiana, the plaintiffs attorneys argue in the lawsuit. Due process and funding concerns Georges legal team is leaning on two precedents in which the U.S. 5th Circuit ruled courts violated the constitutional right to due process when they funded their operations with fees and fines assessed against criminal defendants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In one case, appellate judges ruled against Orleans Parish Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell, who was running his court on non-reimburseable fees collected from bail bond businesses. The plaintiffs attorney noted Cantrell frequently steered defendants to bondsmen, rather than accept cash. The judge also routinely set high bonds and advised accused parties not to seek lower ones, according to court records. The other case found Orleans Parish Criminal District Court collected fines and fees from defendants for its Judicial Expense Fund. The 5th Circuit ruled the system violated defendants due process rights and presented a conflict of interest under the 14th Amendment. It would take a change in Louisiana law to keep justices of the peace from dipping into their revenue accounts to pump up their salaries. State Rep. Jerome Zee Zeringue, R-Houma, has been the most outspoken among lawmakers on the topic of judicial compensation. He has also been a critic of courts that rely on revenue thats self-generated through punitive measures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This speaks to the issue of how we fund the judicial process in Louisiana, Zeringue said in an interview. We need to get away from focusing on fines and fees to fund the essential parts of the judicial system. Steven Procopio, head of the nonpartisan Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, notes that any changes to the laws that dictate what fees justices of the peace collect could have a ripple effect on state resources. Denying access to the fees for salaries might also impact how these low-level courts pay for their operating costs. To address it though, it means you have to find other sources of revenue that arent fee-based. That usually means state funding, Procopio said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE WASHINGTON (AP) While most Americans disapprove of President Donald Trumps handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the conflict is not weighing as heavily on his public perception as it did on President Joe Biden, a new poll shows. Thats because of Trumps solid support from his base on this issue. The survey of U.S. adults from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 8 in 10 Republicans approve of Trumps handling of the conflict. Only about 4 in 10 Democrats approved of Bidens handling of the conflict last June, shortly before Biden dropped out of the presidential race. During Trumps first administration, we did not actively start any wars. And theres a stark difference between his history and his first term versus the Biden presidency. And I think Trump is just trying to fix things that Biden let get out of hand, said Patrick Vigil, a 60-year-old Republican from New Mexico who voted for Trump in November's election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The poll suggests Republicans are growing more satisfied with the countrys foreign policy actions as Trump pulls back U.S. support for Ukraine and puts new pressure on allies notably with his talk of annexing Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal. Trump has warned Hamas that there would be hell to pay if Israeli hostages werent returned immediately and urged Israel to wrap up their offensive and get it over with. He has supported ceasefire talks in both conflicts and said hed end the war between Ukraine and Russia within 24 hours or even before taking office. Since becoming president again, Trump has publicly torn into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but also tried to pressure Russia's Vladimir Putin to accept a peace deal. Broadly, Republicans are more content with the U.S. on solving global issues now that President Trump is in office. About half of Republicans say the U.S.s current role in world affairs is about right, up from about 2 in 10 last February when Biden was president. There's a greater consensus that the U.S. should be focused on ceasefire negotiations in Israel and Ukraine than there was last year too. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say its extremely or very important for the U.S. to negotiate a permanent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, up from about half in an AP-NORC poll conducted in February 2024, with a similar uptick on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans have grown more committed to both foreign policy goals since Trump took office, according to the poll. For instance, about 6 in 10 Republicans now think it's highly important for the U.S. to negotiate a permanent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, up from about 4 in 10 last year. I think we really need to step back and figure out a way just to bring everybody to the table so that they can use their own resources and figure out what they need to do to compromise, said Lisa Major, 61, a registered Republican from Kentucky who voted for Trump in November. Keith Willey, a Republican-leaning registered independent from Florida who voted for a third-party candidate for president, said peace deals in Ukraine and Gaza have become more important to him over time amid mounting death and destruction. But Willey said he doesnt support a deal that allows Hamas to stay in control in Gaza and he doesnt support a ceasefire in Ukraine that divides it up with Russia or hinges on the U.S. taking control of Ukraines rare earth minerals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He still supports strong American intervention on Ukraines behalf against Russia, supports strong U.S. backing of Israel and doesnt like Trumps friendly relationship with Russia or Russian President Vladimir Putin. Im not tired of giving weapons to Ukraine. I think we should support where we can to have them fight for their own country. But, generally speaking, I would like to see a ceasefire, Willey, 63, said. Many Republicans don't want more investment in Ukraine, though only about 2 in 10 think providing aid to Ukraine's military to fight Russia is extremely or very important and not all of Trump's voters are satisfied with Trump's ceasefire efforts. Michael Johnson, a 36-year-old registered independent from North Carolina who voted for Trump, isn't happy with Trump's handling of Israel's war in Gaza or the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson said Trump had held himself out as a president who could bring the wars to an end quickly but hasn't. I dont think he went through with what he said he would do, Johnson said. He said he would stop it, but its still going on. Theres a lot of people losing their lives out there, young kids and stuff. And many Republicans want Trump to continue shrinking American involvement abroad. About 4 in 10 Republicans now say the U.S. should take a less active role in world affairs. That includes Major, who supports Trump, likes how hes handling foreign conflicts and sees him trying to reduce the role the U.S. plays in the world, as she wants him to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For one, it takes our attention off of the citizens of America, but also it may be sending a really negative message where we keep involving ourselves in other peoples issues when we cant figure out our own issues, Major said. ___ Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,229 adults was conducted March 20-24, using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. The News Moscow cannot accept a US proposal to end the war in Ukraine in its current form, a senior Russian official said, arguing Washingtons offer failed to address Moscows concerns. The remarks are the latest sign that ceasefire talks have stalled after US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was pissed off with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his approach to negotiations. The proposal does not solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict, deputy foreign minister Sergei Rybakov told Russian magazine International Affairs. Putin has previously said his root cause demands are for Ukraine to withdraw from territories that Russia has sought to annex, to abandon its NATO bid, and to agree to demilitarize all of which Kyiv has rejected. Moscow will not accept U.S. proposals to end Russia's war against Ukraine in their "current form," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview released on April 1. "As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict. It is completely absent, and that must be overcome," state media quoted Ryabkov as telling the Russian magazine "International Affairs." In the same interview, Ryabkov claimed Russia has not seen the U.S. give Ukraine a "signal" to end the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moscow has shown signs it is unwilling to move forward on a peace deal with Ukraine, and Russian authorities have listed maximalist demands in ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and the U.S. Ryabkov alleged that peace talks led by the U.S. are not addressing Russia's main concerns. "We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we can't accept it all in its current form," Ryabkov claimed. On March 31, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia remains willing to engage with the U.S. despite reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is "very angry" over Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest remarks on Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 27, Putin claimed a temporary government should be introduced in Ukraine to hold new elections and questioned President Volodymyr Zelensky's legitimacy. "If he himself (Zelensky) is illegitimate, then all the others are too," Putin added. A temporary government under the supervision of the United Nations (U.N.), and several nations should be introduced in Ukraine to hold elections, Putin said. Putin's calls to establish a temporary government in Ukraine to replace Zelensky were "not appreciated" by Trump, U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said on March 31. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Ukraine is... a constitutional democracy. Governance in Ukraine is determined by its constitution and the Ukrainian people," Bruce said. Ukraine has agreed to a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying on March 11 that Kyiv is ready if Russia also agrees to the terms. So far, Moscow has refused. Read also: The rise and fall of Ukraines Kursk gambit Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A 30-year-old man, who was featured on the Most Wanted fugitives list several times recently, was arrested over the weekend with 13 outstanding felony warrants, El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPCSO) said. EPCSO said on Saturday, March 29, deputies located and safely arrested Alex Montoya, 30, at his residence in the 14300 block of High Rock Drive. Montoya was wanted on 13 outstanding felony warrants including the following, according to EPCSO: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theft of property Abandoning/endangering a child Evading arrest/detention with a vehicle Forgery Tampering with government records/fraud He was subsequently booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with no bond, EPCSO said. The El Paso County Sheriffs Office remains dedicated to protecting the community and ensuring fugitives are held accountable. Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a similar crime involving Alex Montoya is urged to come forward and contact local law enforcement at (915) 273-3448, ext. 1698, read the news release. EPCSO said residents are also reminded that aiding or harboring a fugitive is a crime. 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 KTSM 9 News. AUSTIN (KXAN) As the investigation continues into the the deadly 18-vehicle pileup on I-35 in north Austin, were learning more about those who were killed and seriously hurt. This is a terrible tragic, avoidable situation. Concepcion Joaquin is a mother of 11 children, grandmother of 40, said Domingo A. Garcia, the attorney representing Joaquin, who died in the crash. Garcia said her son and grandson were also in the car and seriously injured. Concepcion Joaquin was killed in the March 13 crash on I-35 in. (Courtesy: Domingo Garcia) She died in her 16-year-old grandsons arms, Garcia said. So you can imagine the trauma the family has been going through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS: It was hard to see this: Bystanders help after fatal 17-vehicle crash Quick facts about the crash Below is a summary of the deadly March 13 crash. Five killed, including a child and an infant At least 11 injured Driver of tractor-trailer hauling Amazon load arrested on intoxication manslaughter, assault charges Driver: Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, worked for third-party carrier ZBN Transport LLC Crash happened on I-35 southbound near Parmer and Howard in a construction zone where traffic merged from three lanes to one Lawsuit on behalf of Joaquin and her family The lawsuit Garcia filed is one of four current lawsuits related to the crash. Its against Araya, ZBN Transport LLC, Amazon and Pulice Construction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RELATED: I-35 crash victim spent 25th birthday in a coma, attorney says I mean, this man driving the truck charged with manslaughter, hes not the only truck driver out there high on drugs, Garcia said. Because they get paid per load, and companies need to be held responsible. According to Arayas arrest affidavit, investigators believe he was on some sort of depressants at the time of the crash. Amazon said Araya was hauling an Amazon load, but was not an Amazon employee. This is a horrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with all those involved. Were cooperating with all investigations, the company said in a statement. It could not comment further citing the ongoing investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its Amazons responsibility to verify the worthiness of the vehicles being used to deliver their products, we believe there was negligent hiring, Garcia said. Amazon directed us to a portion of its website that lists out what Amazon requires of third-party carriers that haul Amazon loads. Garcia said he hopes the defendants reach an agreement outside of the courtroom, so the family does not have to endure the civil legal process. No amount of money will bring back a grandmother or a mother, but at least there would be some closure for the family, Garcia said. If the case stays open, this family still have to live with this, theyll have to go give depositions, they might have to speak in trial. 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 KXAN Austin. RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (WJW) A woman faces charges after investigators said her five-year-old child died after drinking apple juice containing methamphetamine in Florida last week. According to the Riviera Beach Police Department, on March 23, officers and paramedics responded to a hotel in the 2400 block of Beach Court after a caller said a child there wasnt breathing. When they arrived, paramedics started treating the child, who was taken to St. Marys Hospital in critical condition. The child later died at the hospital, police officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man pleads guilty to stealing Amazon van, killing local doctor in wrong-way crash As reported by People and other news outlets, investigators said the childs mother, identified as 37-year-old Heather Opsincs, allegedly left an open bottle of apple juice, containing meth, in the hotel fridge. Courtesy of Riviera Beach Police Department The young boy reportedly opened the fridge and drank the apple juice while his mother wasnt there. According to an affidavit obtained by People, a babysitter noticed the boy started shaking and shivering before his head tilted down. Opsincs is also accused of waiting an hour after learning her son was sick to call 911, People reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Riviera Police Department confirmed in a Facebook post that the child died after ingesting meth. Police showed a photo of drug paraphernalia in the post, including multiple apple juice bottles and meth pipes. Police: Woman stabbed by ex at Brunswick Dollar General Officers arrested Opsincs, who is charged with aggravated manslaughter in connection to her sons death. She was taken to the Palm Beach County jail. According to People, court documents showed that Opsincs will make her next court appearance on April 22. Her bond was set at $100,000. Police officials said last week that the investigation is ongoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Riviera Beach Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the child during this difficult time, the Facebook post concluded. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The mother of Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, is breaking her silence regarding the tragic death of her daughter. After Arakawa, 65, and Hackmann, 95, were found dead in their Santa Fe home in February, Yoshie Feaster, mother-in-law to the Oscar-winning actor, made an urgent plea to the court to protect the couple's privacy. SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Feaster requested that any photos or videos of her deceased daughter and son-in-law not be released to the public, insisting that doing so would cause her "a magnitude of trauma" as a parent in the situation. "I humbly come before this court to request that this court respect my right to grieve in peace and find that I have a constitutional right to avoid seeing images of my daughter's home, her dead body, her husband's dead body, and their dog's corpse," Feaster said in the statement, while adding, "The public spectacle surrounding my daughter's death is one that no parent should have to live through." "No reasonable person could avoid seeing or hearing these images and videos. Undoubtedly, I would be forced to relive and face my daughter's last few days, a countless number of times," Feaster's statement also noted. "Society should respect not only its dead, but the family who are left behind to grieve their lost loved one." Following the deaths of Hackman and his wife, autopsy reports revealed Arakawa had died of Hantavirus, likely several days before her husband's death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mississippi Burning actor's cause of death was ruled as cardiovascular disease, with advanced Alzheimer's disease as a "significant contributory factor." The couple's dog, a Kelpie mix named Zinna, was also found deceased inside their home, having likely died of dehydration and starvation. Following Feaster's request, a New Mexico judge ruled on Monday that video, audio and photos and other investigative documents regarding Arakawa and Hackman's deaths may be released publicly, as long as the bodies are not clearly shown. Any photos or videos to be released must block or edit out the bodies of Arakawa and Hackman, the Associated Press reported on Monday. By Milana Vinn, Max A. Cherney and Amy-Jo Crowley NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO/LONDON (Reuters) -SoftBank-owned chip tech provider Arm Holdings recently sought to acquire UK-based Alphawave to secure a crucial technology for building its own artificial-intelligence processors, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Alphawave, a supplier of semiconductor intellectual property, has been working with its investment bankers to explore a sale after receiving acquisition interest from Arm and other potential acquirers, one of the sources told Reuters. Arm, however, has decided not to pursue a takeover of Alphawave after its initial discussions with the company, two of the sources said. Arm approached Alphawave recently with the aim of acquiring its technology that determines how fast information can get onto and off a chip, which is crucial for AI because chatbots such as ChatGPT and other applications can require thousands of chips strung together at once to operate smoothly. Known as "serdes" - short for serializer-deserializer - the tech is one of the competitive advantages Broadcom boasts, which has helped it win AI chip customers such as Alphabet's Google and OpenAI. SoftBank and Arm declined to comment. Alphawave declined to comment Alphawave share jumped 21% on the news, the biggest gain since September 2021. The shares closed at 93.5 pence on Monday, valuing the company at about 707 million pounds ($914 million). Alphawave has a joint venture in China called WiseWave that it operates with the Chinese investment firm Wise Road Capital, which American officials placed on a U.S. blacklist due to national security concerns last year. Arm's ties to China served to complicate its public listing in 2023, Reuters reported at the time. BIG BET ON SERDES UK-headquartered Arm, which is 90% owned by Japan's SoftBank Group, does not make chips itself but sells the fundamental building blocks and other intellectual property. It generates revenue by billing companies for a license to use its tech and collects royalty payments for each chip sold. Through a range of tactics Arm has sought to improve its profit margin and expand revenue. These include exploring the idea of designing and selling a chip of its own, signaling a departure from its business of licensing intellectual property to other chip design firms and the possibility of competing directly with Arm's customers. Executives disclosed specifics about the company's fresh approach to its future plans during a December trial in a civil lawsuit over a contract with Qualcomm. ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) The mother of Anton Brown, a man tackled to the ground and arrested by Roanoke Police during a traffic stop, is reacting to body camera footage of the arrest. The footage was released Friday after a TikTok video spread online. I begin to scream, hes giving me a bag of batteries, in case theyre thinking somethings happening that is not, said Bernadette Lark. So, its my duty to inform what is happening here, hes giving me a bag of batteries. Her son had pulled into the parking lot of her workplace to give her batteries, with police officers following behind. The officers allege that they saw Brown going 50 mph in a 25 mph zone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of staying in his car, Brown got out to hand her the bag. Police called for Brown to get back in the car, and when he continued walking toward his mother, they tackled him to the ground. Brown is charged with Obstruction/Resisting without Force. There are no other charges according to Virginias Online Case Information System. ORIGINAL COVERAGE | Roanoke City Police release body cam video of controversial arrest Hes actively squeezing and choking my sons neck in such a way that you see his body lean in, the weight of his body is bearing down on this part of my son, his face is full into the ground, said Lark. Police released the full body cam footage In the interest of transparency and fostering trust within our community. It shows the officers arms wrapping over Browns shoulder and under the opposite armpit, in what Police called a seatbelt hold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Lark feels her son was in an unsafe position. He spent multiple days in jail after the incident. My sons biggest cry for help was, I need to get out, and I need to tell you what you need to know so I can get help, he said, Please get me a private attorney. said Lark. She said she filed a complaint after the incident, but went public when she felt the City wasnt taking her seriously. Now, she says what she wants is simple. Holding accountability, and that looks like one, acknowledging your wrong and harm, she said. Two, trying to make amends, meaning some type of healing to heal the trust, and three, this one is huge, promise to never do it again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How do you bring about goodness? Lark asked. Not better, because better has never been good. Goodness for all, the very same protections that my dear, loved non-black or labeled-white friends, children, or themselves get, my son deserves the same treatment. The City and Police Department shared a joint statement Sunday, echoing the transparency they promised when they released the full body camera footage. In part, they said, Trust between our residents and public safety personnel is essential, and we will continue working to strengthen this relationship through transparency and dialogue. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. A lawsuit recently filed in the death of a Spectrum News reporter is being challenged. Spectrum News filed a motion on Monday to have a lawsuit dismissed over the killing of journalist Dylan Lyons. Lyons and two others were allegedly shot and killed by Keith Moses in 2023. Spectrums parent company, Charter Communications, said it is not liable under Floridas Workers Compensation Act. Attorneys for Lyons family argue the case involves gross negligence and systematic failures that put the journalist at risk. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) The Town of Mount Pleasant is discussing how to protect wetlands at the local level. The flood resilience committee agenda item comes as the Town of Bluffton has lost nearly 500 of acres of wetlands. Officials are attempting to take a proactive approach on one of the towns most valuable natural resources. You cannot wait on resiliency issues until you need it because if you wait until you need it, youre years behind the curve, said Will Haynie, mayor of Mount Pleasant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ordinances the town is considering includes zoning permits, development restriction, enforcement, and staff to facilitate this initiative. Two things. One is wetlands are important even quote isolated wetlands because they can hold a million and a half gallons of water. So, theyre important one as part of our ecosystem, but also part of green infrastructure, Haynie said. If that water gets displaced, guess who has to pay for it to be managed, collected, and dispersed and thats the taxpayers. The mayor added he has spoken to his constituents, who prefer these potential ordinances rather than bearing the cost of losing these wetlands. Environmental organization, Charleston Waterkeeper, said this is a step in the right direction. This great news, the Town of Mount Pleasant should be commended for this great effort. At the federal level, were losing protections for wetlands and as everybody knows the Lowcountry is one big wetland, Andrew Wunderley, executive director of Charleston Waterkeeper, said. So, anything we can being doing at the local level to protect wetlands from being destroyed is going to be wonderful for our community both in terms of water quality and habitat quality. But also in terms of resiliency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, in San Francisco v. EPA, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Water Act applies to continuous connections of bodies of water. This is what states used to protect water quality, but officials said the ruling puts more of the Lowcountry at risk for losing protections. I think its also important for folks to remember what it was like before the Clean Water Act. Before the Clean Water Act, we had no sewage treatment. Raw sewage was discharged straight into the Charleston Harbor. Rivers in the industrial Northeast and Midwest often caught on fire because they were so polluted, Wunderley said. Over the last 50 plus years, the Clean Water Act has done a lot to protect water quality at the local level. Haynie believes by moving this initiative forward, it will allow other municipalities to follow suit. A lot of things of resiliency are done this way. One municipality takes the lead and others see it and follow. That was the case when we did plastic bags, six-seven years ago, Haynie 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 WCBD News 2. HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) Madisonville Police are sharing more details to the capture of a wanted fugitive from Hopkins County. As previously reported, Jonathan Ruby was wanted by the Hopkins County Sheriffs Office and Kentucky State Police. According to police records, he was taken into custody at 6:25 p.m. on Monday. MPD says officers responded to the 800 block of South Main Street for a white Nissan Rouge believed to be transporting Ruby. Upon arrival, MPD says after having a male and female step out, another male was in the rear passenger seat. The male reportedly began asking why and providing a social security number. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The male claimed he was Stephen Ruby and was detained. However, authorities found out his real name was Jonathan Ruby. He was subsequently searched and was found to have one large bag of marijuana, one baggie of suspected meth, one baggie of synthetic marijuana, multiple clear empty baggies and currency. A digital scale was reportedly found in the vehicle as well. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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). MSNBC has chosen longtime political analyst Elise Jordan and veteran political correspondent Antonia Hylton to fill the two remaining co-host seats on its upcoming The Weekend: Primetime, TheWrap can exclusively reveal. The pairs selection came as new MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler is continuing to revamp the cable channels lineup after being named boss in February. Hylton and Jordan will join longtime MSNBC anchor Ayman Mohyeldin and Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell as the four co-hosts of the show, which is launching in May. The Weekend: Primetime will air from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET on Saturdays and Sundays and be broadcast from New York City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hylton and Jordan are both already familiar faces to MSNBC fans, as they frequently appear on shows like Morning Joe. Jordan, who is currently an MSNBC and NBC News political analyst, worked for several years in press and communications roles across the White House and State Department during the George W. Bush administration. The Yale graduate was also a comms and policy advisor for Sen. Rand Pauls 2016 presidential campaign, and her work has appeared in outlets like The Atlantic, Time and Vanity Fair. Hylton is an NBC News and MSNBC correspondent who has reported on Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign and protests at several college campuses, among other national stories. Before joining the NBC family, the Harvard alum was a correspondent and producer for Vice News Tonight on HBO. Hylton has won an Edward R. Murrow Award for her work as a co-host of the Grapevine podcast and is the author of Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum, a New York Times best-seller. At this critical moment in our media and politics, its an honor to join this show and be at the table, shaping the conversation and asking the important and hard questions, Hylton said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jordan echoed Hyltons comment, saying, This is an inflection point in our countrys history, and MSNBC viewers are looking for well-rounded news, critical context and fresh ideas. I couldnt be more excited to join this well-respected group of journalists and co-hosts as we cover the issues impacting viewers daily lives. In a statement to TheWrap, Kutler said both hires have built stellar reputations and will bring their invaluable perspectives and experiences to MSNBC viewers. Hylton and Jordans addition to The Weekend comes as the current morning version of the show hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele and Alicia Menendez is being moved to primetime during the week, starting later this month. Jonathan Capehart, MSNBC senior Washington correspondent and WHCA President Eugene Daniels, and MSNBC Washington correspondent Jackie Alemany will also host a morning version of The Weekend starting in May. The launch of the new primetime version of The Weekend comes as Kutler has been rearranging MSNBCs lineup. MSNBC announced several major changes in late February, including giving former Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki a bigger role in primetime. Some of Kutlers other recent moves, like jettisoning longtime MSNBC personality Joy Reid from her show, have grabbed headlines and caught the attention of President Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An MSNBC source familiar with the decision to select Hylton and Jordan said the hirings as well as other recent moves signal to viewers that Kutler and MSNBC are doubling-down on personalities that are well-liked and respected in Democratic and left-leaning circles. In other words, MSNBC is not changing its flavor. MSNBC, as well as CNN, was rocked by a viewership exodus following the 2024 election. But MSNBC has been enjoying a strong ratings run since President Trumps inauguration on Jan. 20, with its average primetime viewership increasing from 539,000 viewers in December to 1.13 million viewers in February an increase of 109%. While Fox News has continued to lap its competition when it comes to primetime ratings, Kutlers changes to MSNBCs lineup, coupled with viewers being interested in what President Trump is up to, have helped the channel recoup much of the momentum that was lost at the end of last year. Now, MSNBC and Kutler are betting that the expansion of its Weekend franchise will give viewers another reason to tune in. The post MSNBCs The Weekend: Primetime Taps Antonia Hylton and Elise Jordan as Co-Hosts | Exclusive appeared first on TheWrap. BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) An MTA conductor was attacked during a robbery on a train in Brooklyn on Monday, according to the NYPD. It happened on a northbound F train near 9th Street and 4th Avenue around 1:15 p.m. Sources said two suspects got into a train car with burglary tools so that they could break into the cabin. More Local News When the suspects got into the cabin, one was accused of punching the 51-year-old conductor in the face, according to sources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said Farhan Chowdury was arrested and charged with robbery, assault, burglary, possession of a forged instrument, possession of burglary tools, criminal possession of stolen property, unlawful possession of radio devices and criminal trespassing in connection with the incident. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Chowdury had the conductors keys and radio scanner on him when he was arrested, sources said. A second man, who was wearing all black during the robbery, is still being sought, according to authorities. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber calls on the court system, prosecutors, and judges to be tough on suspects convicted of assaults. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency is also planning upgrades to secure facilities and train cars. We are putting locks on the doors. Its really time for biometrics, but the old trains need to have modern security,y and we will spend money in the next capital plan, he said at a media availability on Tuesday. The MTA, state, and city have increased police patrols and added cameras to all train cars. 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 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. With their funding source under review by the Trump administration, states and the federal government are continuing a mission to better understand how much water flows in the Colorado River, and how much of that water gets used before it reaches Arizona. As the possibility of legal battles on the Colorado River grows, competing states could use water data to back up their arguments, including claims that Arizona should bear the most water cuts in future shortages The Upper Colorado River Commission a body that represents the four states in the upper Colorado River basin is in its third year beefing up the measurement of stream flows, water consumption by crops, and water diversions that its states use to regulate their water use. Though the Trump administration is reviewing the federal funding designated for the projects, the commission says it has continued its work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, the commission and its member states (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming) began installing and re-activating stream gages, eddy covariance towers and other measurement technology that will ultimately cost around $50 million. The new and re-activated systems measure the water consumption of hayfields, hookup river level gages to the internet, and count the cubic feet of water that run down ranchers and farmers diversion ditches. One of the critical paths to successfully managing water in an uncertain future is having the best available information to guide decisions," the commission's executive director, Chuck Cullom, said in a written comment. So far, the commission has spent close to $40 million, with the largest share going to measuring the water upper basin users divert from the Colorado and its tributaries. The commission has also sought contractors to integrate all the information from these tools and create an online data portal for public view. The new data will help the Upper Basin fine-tune its water management, but it could also play a role in lawsuits between Colorado River states if ongoing negotiations break down. A lawsuit could drag on for years, partly because states would interpret the new data differently, at a time when some experts say the river needs shared understanding and basin-wide action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quantifying the river's flow is also critical in the short term, as the seven states try to reach an agreement on how to divide up the water during times of shortages. The current plan expires in 2026, but the states have been unable to reach a consensus on most of the key issues. And the agency that oversees the river's operation, the Bureau of Reclamation, is still without a commissioner, further slowing work on a new deal. Law of the River: As the Colorado River is stretched thin by drought, can the 100-year-old rules that divide it still work? How do you measure the water in the Colorado River? Measuring water use has challenged Upper Basin water managers for decades. A network of almost 70 major creeks and smaller rivers feeds into the Colorado before it reaches Arizona. Cities and farms divert water from more than 20,000 points along those tributaries. Plants and trees also take their share, and so do the soil and atmosphere. The amount nature provides, and the amount ecosystems and people consume, changes each year depending on the weather and human development. When the river hits Arizona, water dynamics become much easier to measure. Nearly all the water in the river system has naturally collected in one channel, and there are far fewer points of diversion (though those diversions are larger). Some Lower Basin tributaries like the Gila River are not included in the overall measurement of the river for interstate legal purposes, a difference in accounting that Upper Basin states commonly say is unfair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the last century, governments and scientists have developed an immense network of sensors, gates, and webpages to communicate the vast, ever-changing reality of the Upper Basin to the millions of people who rely on that river every day. Across four states, federal and state officials monitor and operate more than 125 snow measurement sites, 325 real-time streamgages, 20,000 water diversions, 22 large dams, nine eddy covariance towers, and four high orbit satellites that transmit data from those sites to data centers and ultimately computers. There are at least four federal departments involved in this network, along with the four state governments and thousands of water users. We feel responsible for providing this real time, reliable public information, said Matt Ely, director of the US Geological Surveys Colorado Water Science Center, which operates streamgages throughout the state of Colorado. The streamgages, some of which are more than a hundred years old, transmit data to satellites or cellphone links every 15 minutes. The data is then bounced back to a database called the National Water Information System, where it then becomes visible to the public through the internet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The data from the gages and related systems is a bedrock resource for communities in the Upper Basin. Rafting companies and anglers check the flows every morning before they hit the river, and state water officials use the meters to decide who gets water every day. I took a fly fishing course once, and the instructor said, The first thing you do before you head out is you look at the USGS streamgage. I didnt say anything, but that was a point of pride, Ely said in an interview. State officials use the network to decide who gets water during dry times. When the water level gets too low to provide for everyone, they pick up the phone, or hop in their trucks, and tell water users with the lowest-priority water rights to shut down. Some folks aren't extremely excited to be shut off, Colorado State Engineer Jason Ullmann said. Its a difficult job, because the (water officials) have to make that decision, and each year is completely different based upon the snowpack we receive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The data also indicates how much water Arizona will get each year, as Arizonas water allocation relies on the amount of water that flows out of the Upper Basin. Still, the system is not perfect, and officials are filling gaps. Until recently, Colorado had no strict requirements for measuring water diversions in some parts of the Colorado River basin (diversion records were kept through more informal or situational methods by local officials). Now, the state is expanding water measurement devices into more corners of the state and establishing rules everywhere, using money from the same Biden-era law that is funding the UCRC project. Utah is also expanding the number of its measurement sites that can transmit data remotely, according to Utah State Engineer Teresa Wilhemsen. "The expansion of water measurement and monitoring in the Upper Division States is improving the information available to water managers and users to adapt to changing water supplies," Cullom said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Water shortages: Colorado River states fear a long legal battle as talks falter over shortage rules Why the new tech matters for Arizona All of this data and the way its interpreted has gained special importance in the last two years as Colorado River basin states negotiate who should bear the brunt of an ongoing megadrought and long-term unpredictability in water supplies brought on by climate change. The negotiations have been strained, but states have met to discuss their positions as recently as mid-March, according to a river commission spokesperson. If the talks break down, the data could be critical in understanding the reason for the dwindling supplies in the Colorado River, and how much of a cut Arizona should take in dry times. Flows in the Colorado River have dropped 20% over the last century. Scientists believe a warming climate will have an overall drying effect on the river system, though it will happen through dramatic swings of intense drought and intense wetness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legally, the Upper Basin and the Lower Basin (Arizona, California, and Nevada) should split a fixed, equal amount of Colorado River water, but that split has become physically impossible as water levels swing and drop. Someone has to take less than they are entitled to a cut and the states are debating who that should be. In their first climate-related argument, the Upper Basin states claim they should not have to take administered cuts because climate and geography have constrained the river, not them. The Upper Basin has pushed this argument in two forms. In their first argument, Upper Basin states say that because their geography and climate already curtails their water supply in dry years, they shouldn't have to take additional cuts. Unlike the Lower Basin states, the Upper Basin cant rely on large reservoirs like Lake Powell and Lake Mead in dry years, which is why they have state officials who cut off water users frequently. Upper Basin states say they already take these nature-caused "involuntary cuts" each year. When you are a headwaters state and all your water comes from snowpack and follows gravity throughout the state, you dont have a lot of choice and sometimes it sucks, Colorado's negotiator Becky Mitchell said at the annual Colorado River Water Users Association conference in December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In their second climate-related argument, the Upper Basin says it cannot be held responsible for what climate change does to the river. According to the 1922 Colorado River Compact, which divides the river between the two basins, the Upper Basin states must not cause the river to be depleted below a certain amount. If climate change depletes the river to the point that downstream states like Arizona dont get their promised amount of water, the Upper Basin says it isnt at fault. Data is critical in making both arguments work, according to John Fleck, a professor of water policy at the University of New Mexico. At this point, Fleck said the data isnt totally clear cut. New data has already complicated the Upper Basins argument about water shortages in dry years. In 2014, the Upper Basin states began pushing the federal government to update its methods for calculating those states agricultural water consumption on the Colorado River. Under the old methods, the data did not show that Upper Basin states use less water in dry years, taking involuntary cuts. Rather, it indicated that thirsty farm fields used slightly more water in dry years. The new methods were supposed to clear that up, but the story is still complicated. Colorado has pointed out that in the new consumption data, the Upper Basin has used 200,000 acre-feet less in the five driest years than the five wettest. The basin used 3.8 million acre-feet in dry years and 4 million in wet ones. But the data also challenges the Upper Basins narrative in some way. Two of the Upper Basins five highest-use years are also among the five driest. In addition, the basin seems to use the same amount in average years that it uses in dry years (3.8 million acre-feet). Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Ashley National Forest, Wyoming, on March 24, 2022. The reservoir that straddles the Wyoming-Utah state line is a key storage bank that helps send water to Lake Powell, but it got only 57% of normal inflows during this years runoff season. As for the climate change argument, Fleck said negotiators will need more than data to distinguish between the effects of climate change and the effects of human water consumption. If climate change dries the river, thirsty crops could require more irrigation, blending human use and climate into a combined drain on the river. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is one of the huge scientific uncertainties, Fleck said. Theres an unanswerable question Lets say my field takes three acre feet of water for alfalfa this year, and it used to take two and a half. Is that climate change, or is that me? I mean, I'm the one taking more water, but I have to because of climate change. And you know, we'll just argue about that. Drought in the West: Could wet winters start to refill Colorado River reservoirs? What researchers are saying Entering the Red Zone If states cant reach an agreement about how to distribute cuts, the Supreme Court may wade into these undefined and thorny data questions, an outcome public figures in the basin frequently say they want to avoid. Trials and litigation are expensive in terms of dollars, resources, and trust, said Jeffrey Wechsler, a litigator focusing on water law at the New Mexico-based law firm Spencer Fane at the water users association event. Conflicts over data analysis can make those trials costlier, Wechsler pointed out. In a 1995 Supreme Court case between Kansas and Colorado over water allocations in the Arkansas River, the states fought for more than 100 days just to determine which hydrologic model the court would use for measuring water use. Wechsler estimated that a lawsuit between states over the Colorado River could run five to seven years before the actual trial even begins. And along that same timeframe, said New Mexico Deputy State Engineer Tanya Trujillo in the same event, the hydrology is shifting, operations havent ceased, and people havent stopped planting crops or drinking water in their homes. The engineers and water experts at the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that manages the Colorado Rivers largest dams, have signaled they are unlikely to make their own reading. In releasing their alternatives for the next set of operating guidelines for managing the river, the Bureau did not include an option that would place cuts on the Upper Basin, as Lower Basin states have proposed. The Bureau has also not firmly stated how or whether it would enforce the Colorado River Compact, something Lower Basin states have repeatedly asked the agency to do. That enforcement would require the federal government to interpret the compact in relation to the Upper Basins climate argument, drawing legal resistance. The Bureau may also be losing time and effectiveness as the Trump administration has still not appointed a commissioner to lead it. With the Upper Basin hardening its arguments, producing more data for both sides to interpret in their own ways, the federal government declining to intervene and interpret the compact for the states, or otherwise threaten to enforce it in some way, the states could be headed toward the litigation nightmare described by Wechsler, and that litigation nightmare could arrive soon. Official projections from the Bureau of Reclamation show that flows from the Upper Basin could drop below the amount required to satisfy allocations to the Lower Basin and Mexico as soon as 2027, depending on changes in dam operations. Given the current stalemate between the Upper and Lower Division States over how the reservoir system should be operated, it means the potential for basin-wide litigation is now in the Red Zone, Fleck wrote in a January blog post. A brighter alternative Instead of fueling conflict, the data could help states collaborate on basin-wide reforms, argues Mark Squillace, a law professor at the University of Colorado. Squillace has argued that states should simultaneously enact reforms to their water laws to discourage waste and maximize efficiency, stretching water supplies to serve more users. Doing so, he has written, would require a consensus around how to legally quantify water consumption, something new measurement technology could help water managers do. My view is that no state wants to get out front on efforts to conserve water, because they don't think it's fair that they should do those conservation measures when another state is not doing them, Squillace said. And so if the states were able to reach agreement about changing their laws in ways that would better conserve water, then everybody would have, I think, an equal sort of incentive to do it. Referencing the late sociologist Elinor Ostrom, Fleck pointed out that data can be as useful for collaboration as it is for conflict. Ostrom argues that you don't need a centralized government to make decisions for you and impose solutionsthat it works better if the management regime emerges from the people who are using the water, Fleck said. And one of the things Ostrom thought was crucially important for the success of these water management regimes was a shared understanding of the numbers, a shared understanding of the measurement and quantification of the resource. Austin Corona covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to austin.corona@arizonarepublic.com Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Sign up for AZ Climate, our weekly environment newsletter, and follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Upper Colorado River states are measuring their water use better Multiple people were injured Tuesday afternoon when a box truck jumped a curb and crashed on a sidewalk in front of a row of Boston businesses in what the citys top cop described as a tragic accident. Emergency crews responding to a report of a crash involving pedestrians on Kneeland Street in the citys Chinatown section just before 1 p.m. found a Penske rental truck flipped over on the sidewalk and lodged against a building that houses multiple businesses, according to the Boston Fire Department. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said during a late afternoon news conference that his office doesnt have any reason to believe that this was an intentional act. Boston EMS said six people were hurt, and four were taken to area hospitals. Two people were treated at the scene but refused transport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three of the victims were taken to Tufts Medical Center, where hospital officials said one person was in critical condition, one in fair condition, and one in good condition. The fourth victim was said to be in stable condition. Right now, were thankful that people other than one person seems to be doing OK, Hayden said. This easily could have been a far worse circumstance given the time of day. Firefighters said they used extrication tools to remove the driver from the wrecked truck. A preliminary investigation seems to indicate this a tragic accident more than anything else, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Surveillance video provided to Boston 25 News shows the Penske truck racing down Kneeland Street at a high rate of speed before it jumps the curb and hits a pole. The video shows onlookers racing to the crashed truck. Officers closed Harrison Avenue and Kneeland Street between Washington Street at Tyler Street to accommodate the large emergency response. As of 7:30 p.m., traffic traveling east on Kneeland Street is open while the westbound lane remained closed. Video captured by a Boston 25 News photographer showed the heavily damaged truck wedged between a building and a pole, debris and dislodged fire hydrants scattered in the road, and the area roped off with yellow police tape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boston truck rollover Boston truck rollover Boston truck rollover This is a very active scene and does not have a total number of victims yet, police said in a statement. Please seek an alternative route. Homicide and fatal accident detectives have been called in to help with the investigation. Cox said that crews would work to get the area reopened as soon as possible. Witnesses likened the sound from the impact of the crash to a bomb going off. A Penske spokesman Alen Beljin told Boston 25 News that the truck involved in the crash was out on rent to a commercial trucking company. We are aware of the incident that occurred in Boston. This is an ongoing situation that were monitoring closely. Penske will be cooperating fully with authorities to support their investigation, Beljin said in a statement. Our thoughts are with those who have been injured in this unfortunate incident. Based on our records, the truck involved was out on rent to a commercial trucking company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing. Companies responded to Kneeland & HarrisonAve for a truck that struck multiple poles and was wedged between a pole and the building . Firefighters used extrication tools to removed the trapped driver from the cab of truck . pic.twitter.com/VgqMPBkFrI Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) April 1, 2025 BPD Traffic Advisory: Kneeland Street between Washington St. & Tyler St. is currently closed due to a motor vehicle crash with injuries. Please seek an alternative route. Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) April 1, 2025 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 Commenting on the adoption by the Armenian parliament of a draft law on the start of the EU accession procedure, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said that if Armenia is going to Europe, then, accordingly, it will be necessary to review the entire range of economic relations between Russia and this country. And this will affect the standard of living in this country. In any case, Overchuk warned, it would not be possible to sit on two chairs. Armenia will have to make a choice. The figures given by the Russian Deputy Prime Minister speak for themselves. Armenia's trade turnover with Russia increased by 50 percent last year to $12.7 billion, while turnover with the EU, on the contrary, decreased by 12 percent and amounted to only $2 billion. It is no secret that the European Union is not interested in Armenia economically at all. The 2 billion that we managed to scrape together last year is the limit of possibilities. However, the fantastically increased trade turnover with Russia is not based on the real capabilities of Armenia and the interests of the Russian side. And with the easing of anti-Russian sanctions, experts expect a sharp decline in indicators. It has been written and said many times over the past three years how the Armenian economy and the trade turnover between Armenia and the Russian Federation have grown. The "Armenian economic miracle" is a soap bubble, and today it is impossible to hide it. Recently, the RA Statistical Committee reported that in January-February, economic activity in the country increased by 4.1 percent. However, economists advise against rushing to rejoice, because industry has collapsed at the same time - by 19.4 percent! There is no detailed decline yet, according to experts, it is a matter of reducing the volume of roughing of gold. According to Armenian media, since the end of 2023, gold bars have been actively processed in Armenia, from which blanks were made for further export to third countries. That is, the growth of indicators was ensured by re-export. And now the volume of this activity is decreasing. Because of this, the indicators of foreign trade began to decline, which has fallen 2.5 times since the beginning of the year, while imports decreased by 45.8 percent. Armenian experts state that the Armenian economy is entering a phase of gradual subsidence after a period of rapid growth caused by external factors, in particular, the influx of Russian relocators due to the war in Ukraine. According to expert Emmanuel Mkrtchyan, about 20 percent of businesses opened or relocated to Armenia remained in the country, having established their offices and infrastructure. However, this positive effect was accompanied by significant stress for local producers, especially exporters. And the sharp strengthening of the Armenian dram led to an increase in the price of export products and a decrease in their competitiveness. According to Armenian media, in addition to the relocation of Russian capital, the war in Ukraine has led to Armenia becoming one of the main transit routes for importing goods produced in Western countries to Russia and exporting Russian precious stones and gold to third countries. This line of business operations increased dramatically at the end of 2023 and reached its peak in mid-2024, when the re-export of gold and precious stones reached more than 70 percent of total Armenian exports. Today, many Armenian analysts are writing about the sad fate of the "economic miracle" in Armenia. Aghasi Tavadian, a member of the Eurasian Expert Club, believes that the bubble of economic growth in Armenia, which has inflated amid the worsening situation in Ukraine, is gradually deflating, and exports are expected to decline this year compared to 2024. So far, the re-export of gold from Russia has largely offset the decline in exports to other countries. So, in 2024, exports to the EAEU countries decreased by 15 percent, and to the EU countries - by 25 percent. And now the re-export of gold has "sunk" almost 10 times: if in March 2024 gold was exported (re-exported) for $ 1.4 billion, then in November last year this figure "slipped" to $ 110 million. According to the economist, 95 percent of Armenia's industrial growth was accounted for by the production of re-exported gold. Tavadian bitterly states that the share of industrial production in the Armenian economy is negligible and it mainly lives off the 17 percent increase in trade and services last year, which together accounted for about 70 percent of the total growth. It is noteworthy that the international rating structures, publishing their forecasts for Armenia in the previous three years, made it clear that the West is aware of where everything comes from. They know that Armenia's fantastic economic performance is just a soap bubble inflated by Yerevan's violation of sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and the European Union. In other words, Armenia's violation of sanctions was tacitly welcomed. In November last year, Armenian media published an interview with Elisabetta Falcetti, Managing Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for Turkey and the Caucasus. According to Ms. Falcetti, the EBRD expects that after several years of ultra-high growth, Armenia's GDP growth will be moderate in the short term, with real GDP growth falling to 6.2 percent in 2024 and 4.8 percent in 2025. The representative of the European Bank diplomatically noted that "temporary capital inflows related to the war in Ukraine have decreased," and "geopolitical uncertainty poses significant risks to the prospects for economic development." She also carefully advised Armenia to open its borders as soon as possible. The EBRD saw that due to the outflow of Russian capital and relocations from Armenia, as well as a reduction in transfers from the Russian Federation, the Armenian economy is facing a collapse in indicators. Armenia is one of those countries that profited from the war in Ukraine, but its name has never been mentioned in this list by international organizations and world capitals, remaining only a line in analytical ratings. Although the facts are obvious and simply egregious. Last year, the German DW conducted an investigation into a complete ban on direct imports of non-industrial natural and synthetic diamonds and diamond jewelry from Russia to the European Union. According to the information received, billions of dollars worth of Russian gold is exported by Armenia under the guise of Armenian. This affects the fantastic performance of exports and imports, as well as the rise of the manufacturing industry. In addition to the re-export of Russian gold, Armenia also supplies mobile phones, household appliances and cars of European, American and other production to the Russian Federation on the basis of murky schemes. How will the Armenian economy turn out when the easing of anti-Russian sanctions begins (which is just around the corner)? In the aftermath of a mass shooting that left two people dead and four injured in Pierce County on Saturday, prosecutors have charged a 17-year-old boy with murder. Prosecutors charged the teenager with two counts of first-degree murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, court records show. The teen has been charged automatically as an adult due to his age and the severity of the charges. During the teens arraignment on Monday at Pierce County Juvenile Court, Judge Joseph Evans ordered his name not be released by the news media. That was in response to a defense attorneys argument that there are issues regarding the shooters identification. There are also concerns of retaliation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The teens attorney, Michael Stewart, referenced charging documents that said a witness came forward to identify the shooter through the an Instagram account but did not know his name. Documents show detectives believe the user of that Instagram account is the 17-year-old. Its not my client. Its a young man who looks a lot like my client, Stewart argued. A plea of not guilty was entered on the teens behalf. He is being held on a $2 million bail. During the hearing, Stewart said that a number of the teens family members and mentors were in the courts gallery. The identifications of the two males who had been killed have not yet been released, pending confirmation from the Pierce County Medical Examiners Office. Charging details A detective was dispatched at 12:55 a.m. to the 17000 block of 25th Avenue Court East near Spanaway for a homicide investigation. There was a large party in the area with about 40 to 50 mostly young people in attendance, according to charging documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prior to the call for the homicide, multiple neighbors reported a loud party about 10:46 p.m., saying several teens were walking around. Two deputies had been dispatched at 11:45 p.m. but were diverted to another call, documents show. Deputies were dispatched when neighbors reported teens fighting in the street. More 911 calls were placed after shots were fired at about 12:24 a.m. Four people were taken to local hospital with gunshot wounds, documents show. One male was dead and lying in the street. Another person later died at a local hospital from the gunshot wounds. The 17-year-old boy also reportedly was shot in the hip and buttocks. Shell casings were scattered in the roadway. Several vehicles parked in the area were struck by bullets. Detectives noted that the garage door of a home had also been struck several times. Detectives obtained surveillance video from the shooting, which allegedly showed a small group standing by a home and talking to one another. The 17-year-old was allegedly in the footage, and detectives say he pulled a handgun from his pocket, firing at the person in front of him. That was determined to be the boy who died at the hospital, documents show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shooter then fired at the second victim, who immediately fell to the ground, documents show. The footage allegedly showed the first victim pulling out a gun and firing back. The 17-year-old eventually ran into the home where the party was taking place. Footage also later showed him flagging down a patrol car for his injury. Prosecutors wrote it is unclear if the 17-year-old fired any shots that struck the other injured people or if they were by the victim. Detectives noted the shooter appeared to have an injury to the hip from the video footage, which they believe is consistent with the 17-year-old. Another video allegedly confirmed that the shooter was wearing the same type of clothes as the 17-year-old, documents show. The 17-year-old was detained after he was treated at the hospital, documents show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives spoke to a 17-year-old girl who held the party at the home. Her mother was also at the home at the time but told detectives she did not see the shooting happen, documents show. Documents show that additional counts of first-degree assault will be filed if the investigation finds that the 17-year-old fired the shots that injured the other party-goers. BANGKOK The death toll from a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar climbed to more than 2,700 Tuesday, as the scale of the destruction in the isolated, war-torn Southeast Asian nation became clearer. The military-led government declared a national week of mourning Monday, three days after the midday earthquake shook Myanmar and neighboring Thailand. Hopes are fading for people trapped beneath rubble in both countries with the passing of a crucial 72-hour rescue window after which survival rates fall sharply. A Buddhist monk walks past the damaged Mandalay Palace on Monday. Nonetheless, a 63-year-old woman was found alive early Tuesday in the Myanmar capital, Naypyitaw, more than 90 hours after the quake. Dozens of monks are believed to be trapped under rubble after the quake sent monasteries in the Buddhist-majority country collapsing under their own weight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rescue efforts are also continuing in the Thai capital, Bangkok, where the quake sent high-rises swaying and collapsed a 30-story building under construction. At least 20 people died in Bangkok, most of them at the site of the collapsed building, where on Tuesday rescuers were using heavy machinery to move big slabs of cement as scores of workers remained trapped in the rubble. Rescue teams scouring through the rubble of a collapsed building in Bangkok on Tuesday. Thai authorities said Monday they were investigating how the building collapsed amid questions about its design and compliance with safety codes. Myanmars ruling junta, which grabbed power in a 2021 coup, said the government is expecting deaths in excess of 3,000 across the country of 54 million, where search-and-rescue efforts have been complicated by crumbled roads, power outages and lack of heavy machinery. Large parts of the country are also under the control of rebel forces that have been battling the junta in a four-year civil war. A Muslim woman cries while offering morning prayers to mark the end of Ramadan in Mandalay on Monday. The earthquake has further damaged infrastructure in Myanmar, one of the worlds poorest countries, making the full extent of the damage difficult to assess. Telecom networks have been disrupted nationwide, slowing aid delivery, the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Myanmars second-largest city of Mandalay, which is near the epicenter of the quake, 50 children and two teachers at a preschool were killed when the earthquake struck, the United Nations humanitarian office said. More than 10,000 buildings have collapsed or suffered severe damage in central and northern Myanmar, it added. Buddhist monks clearing rubble at the damaged Thahtay Kyaung monastery in Mandalay on Tuesday. Images from the city showed towering buildings and temples collapsed, roads cracked and sprawling tents set up for surviving residents to find refuge after their homes were reduced to rubble. While rescue teams from China, Russia, India, Thailand and other countries were in Myanmar within the first day or two after the quake, the U.S. team appeared to still be en route as of Tuesday evening. The State Department denied Monday that the delay was due to President Donald Trumps dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which administers civilian foreign aid. Residents took shelter in a makeshift tent camp in Mandalay on Tuesday. I would reject the premise that the sign of success is that we are physically there, spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. Nat Sumon reported from Bangkok, Mithil Aggarwal from Hong Kong and Max Butterworth from London. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Myanmars ruling military junta has been accused of blocking the delivery of aid to victims of Fridays earthquake, which killed at least 2,700 people and devastated the country. Locals and humanitarian groups said recovery efforts had been hampered by the regime setting up military checkpoints and requiring relief workers to gain official permission to enter areas where aid was most needed. The situation is particularly acute in Sagaing, a city close to the quakes epicentre that has been at the frontline of the countrys four-year-long civil war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a stronghold of opposition support, the Sagaing region has borne the brunt of junta airstrikes and contained roughly one million internally displaced people more than any other area of Myanmar even before the tremor hit. Dr Min, the founder of an organisation responding in Sagaing and Mandalay, said: Sagaing [has] almost completely collapsed, it is like a ghost city. When you drive through you are getting the smell of the dead bodies. It means not enough rescue is happening, Dr Min said, amid reports that rescuers were running out of body bags. Credit: Myanmar Fire Services Department via Facebook Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added: The military regime is blocking access, restricting aid, and using the disaster to entrench power. Funding routed through the junta will not reach those in need. Another doctor, who works with a humanitarian network in Sagaing but asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said the military had blocked support trucks coming from Monywa, a city about 70 miles west. There are also concerns that doctors who took part in protests against the coup, called the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), are at risk of arrest if they attempt to help. CDM doctors are secretly assisting while disguising themselves as ordinary civilians. If the military finds out we are CDM, we could be arrested, another doctor in Sagaing said. This has become a country where even saving lives must be done in hiding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a rare survival story, a 63-year-old woman who was trapped for 91 hours was pulled from the rubble of a building in Naypyidaw on Tuesday in a joint rescue effort by the Myanmar fire department and teams from India, China and Russia. A bridge connecting Sagaing with Mandalay was destroyed, hindering access for relief workers, with the only other crossing closed by the regime for what it said were safety reasons. It has since reopened, but with two military checkpoints. Locals said it was necessary to communicate with the junta in advance and receive permission to enter. Credit: U NAUNG The internet has been cut in Sagaing since the start of the war four years ago and phone signals are weak, meaning the scale of destruction was only fully revealed on Monday, when the first aid arrived. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richard Horsey, a Myanmar researcher at the Crisis Group think tank, said: There are many examples of the regime not just failing to help with the rescue and relief effort, but actively getting in the way. He said many of the juntas restrictions were in place even before the earthquake hit, but the decision not to pause phone signal shutdowns and ease counterinsurgency checkpoints has been deadly. I dont think [the junta] is trying to gain advantage from the earthquake actually it is in considerable disarray, unable even to remove the bodies of the dead from government housing. He added: But it seems paranoid that its opponents may use this opportunity to infiltrate and expand their reach even though that would be unlikely and there is absolutely no evidence of it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For locals in Sagaing who are now sleeping on the streets, with little food or water and overwhelmed hospitals the limited response has compounding an existing humanitarian crisis. A rescue team from Malaysia finally arrived in Sagaing [on Monday], but it was not enough, said Su Wai, who lost her husband, son, daughter and father in the earthquake when their mosque collapsed on top of them. Local rescue workers also lack the skills to operate heavy machinery, making search and rescue efforts ineffective. She added: I am now just someone left behind, living like a person who is neither alive nor dead. I will never be able to forget this tragedy. Human Rights Watch on Tuesday urged the military to allow aid teams immediate unfettered access to disaster areas. The UK has committed 10 million to the response, but chose not to send an emergency team amid concerns about aid access. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Telegraph understands that the Government is giving money to existing partners on the ground, rather than the regime, to ensure no British taxpayer money is misused by the military authorities. 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. (Reuters) - A major rebel alliance in Myanmar on Tuesday declared a unilateral ceasefire in its conflict with the ruling military to support an international humanitarian response to last week's devastating earthquake. The Three Brotherhood Alliance, which comprises the the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, and the Arakan Army, said it would not initiate offensive operations for one month to allow the rescue effort, and would only engage in combat in self-defence. "We strongly desire that urgent humanitarian efforts, which are immediately needed for the earthquake-affected population, be carried out as swiftly and effectively as possible," it said in a joint statement. (Reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal, Poppy McPherson and Wa Lone; Writing by Martin Petty) By Poppy McPherson and Shoon Naing (Reuters) - On Thursday night, Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing stood astride a jeep, touring columns of saluting soldiers as fighter jets shot flares and helicopters buzzed overhead in an annual display of military might in the capital, Naypyitaw. The general was riding high, set to join a regional leaders summit in Thailand this week, a rare overseas trip four years after seizing power in a coup that ushered in a ruinous civil war and made him an international pariah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But within 24 hours, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake had reduced parts of Naypyitaw to ruins, dealing a major blow to the home of Myanmar military power in the purpose-built, isolated capital whose Burmese name means "Abode of Kings". Without electricity, water or internet, junta officials are working from the lawns beside the ruins of the foreign ministry while residents sleep on the street for fear of aftershocks. The quake Myanmar's strongest in a century has killed around 2,000 people and dealt widespread devastation including in Naypyitaw, a city unveiled in 2005 after being secretly built by previously ruling generals who wanted an impregnable fortress. The city was built to evoke the grandeur of ancient Buddhist architecture and former royalty, with wide manicured boulevards including a little-used 20-lane highway and monumental government buildings with colonnades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It had stood mostly protected from the chaos of civil war that has rocked other parts of the country since the coup: a rare drone attack last year was foiled. Satellite images and photos published by local media show collapsed hospitals and government housing compounds, while at least one ministry has been severely damaged. "Water is scarce, food scarcer," said a source in Naypyitaw who, like others, requested anonymity. "Electrical power is absent. Fuel, medicine, shelter luxuries now." The damage extended to the giant presidential palace, where photos published by local media show the wreckage of a gold-lined spiral staircase and chandelier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A junta spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. MINISTRY DAMAGED The foreign ministry, shaped with other ministries like a scorpion's claws believed by some to augur good fortune, has suffered "severe damage" and fatalities, according to a U.N. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The ministry is without power or water and everyone from the minister down is sitting and working at the entrance, the official said. State-run media showed a picture of the foreign minister, Than Swe, participating in an emergency meeting with regional counterparts on Sunday by video, sitting outside a visibly damaged building, curtains dangling from the frames of smashed-in windows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ministry "tells us they are no longer in business, no comms or building," said a source with knowledge of the matter, adding that staff in Yangon, the former capital and biggest city, had been delegated responsibilities. Initial reports suggest damage to military infrastructure in Naypyitaw has been limited, said Morgan Michaels, Research Fellow for Southeast Asian Security and Defence at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The airport control tower has crumbled, but aircraft hangars appear intact, he said. "Across the earthquake zone, roads are damaged, and this could impact logistics and deployments in the short term," Michaels said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But so far it doesn't look like the earthquake will have dealt a serious blow to the military's fighting capacity, from a hardware and infrastructure standpoint." The military continued to bomb towns even in the aftermath of the disaster, an armed opposition group said on Sunday. Nonetheless, in Buddhist-majority Myanmar - where many ascribe deep astrological significance to natural disasters and successive military leaders have looked to prophecies to guide decisions some may divine a symbolic blow. "Even for a rather superstitious country, Min Aung Hlaing is known to be particularly superstitious," said Richard Horsey, senior Myanmar adviser at International Crisis Group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Even if he doesn't believe the earthquake is some form of karmic retribution, he knows that others in his inner circle and the military elite - and the country at large - may well draw that conclusion." FULL MORGUES The severe impact on Naypyitaw is likely part of the reason the junta quickly appealed for international aid, said Horsey. "Min Aung Hlaing also knows that this is a moment of considerable risk for his regime - his own patronage networks and the military elite are affected," said Horsey. Some commentators have said Naypyitaw appears to be receiving more assistance than the densely populated city of Mandalay and region of Sagaing where entire neighbourhoods were flattened and residents say there has been no visible signs of military mobilisation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in the capital, too, residents described scenes of unabated suffering. It was mostly children and the elderly who died when several multi-storey buildings housing government staff collapsed during the quake, one resident told Reuters. They heard people among the debris but no help arrived to retrieve those trapped until the following evening. Rescue didn't arrive in time to so many places," she said. The next day, police came to retrieve the dead bodies. Meanwhile, the morgue is full, and has no electricity to keep bodies cold, so many rot on the street outside. "We didn't receive any food, water, or medical help yet," the resident said. "We are still living on the street outside our building." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (This story has been refiled to add the name and title in paragraph 22) (Reporting by Poppy McPherson in Bangkok and Shoon Naing. Additional reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal. Writing by Poppy McPherson. Editing by Lincoln Feast.) RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCT) North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson has filed a lawsuit against the federal government over healthcare funding in the state. Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notified the state it was immediately terminating more than $11 billion in healthcare funding nationwide. Attorney General Jeff Jackson released the following statement: My job is to be a shield for the people of North Carolina and that includes protecting their healthcare. The federal government cant just cancel nearly a quarter billion dollars that have already been congressionally allocated to our state. Its unlawful and dangerous. That money supports rural hospitals, healthcare workers, emergency services, and public health programs that protect seniors and families across North Carolina. There are legal ways to improve how tax dollars are used, but this wasnt one of them. Immediately halting critical health care programs across the state without legal authority isnt just wrong it puts lives at risk. Thats why were going to court. 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. ALBUQUERQUE Standing before a scorched entryway, Republican Party of New Mexico officials said Monday a suspected arson at GOP headquarters early Sunday morning is a symptom of a much larger problem: unchecked crime across the state. We must reject the rhetoric that fuels division and instead come together to restore law, order and respect for one another, GOP Chairwoman Amy Barela said during a news conference outside the charred headquarters in northwestern Albuquerque. Lt. Jason Fejer, a spokesperson for Albuquerque Fire Rescue, said Sunday an arson investigation was underway a joint effort between the fire department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. No one was injured in the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement Sunday, Barela suggested Democrats were to blame. She took a different tone Monday. This isnt about the left or the right. Its about right or wrong, she said. She might have spoken too soon. 033125_GC_Presser02rgb.jpg Drew Tagliapietra and her husband, Danny Tagliapietra, hold up a flag at Mondays press conference at state GOP headquarters in Albuquerque. While Barela was at the lectern, the Democratic Party of New Mexico threw more gas on the fire, issuing a no-holds-barred memorandum accusing the states Republican Party of a history of political violence and associations with extremism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the Democratic Partys bullet points: Calling for murder. Republican Reps. John Block of Alamogordo and Stefani Lord of Sandia Park and Sen. Nicole Tobiassen of Albuquerque have all been active on social media spreading a false narrative about the vandalism of the RPNM office and all three were at a 2023 rally and were part of an agitated crowd that called for the murder of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, the memo states. Block and Lord were incensed. The Democrat Party of New Mexico has sunk to a new low by sending out a libelous email with ludicrous accusations, Lord said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Block issued a statement saying, Democrats are now victim-blaming in an attempt to hide their own Teresa Leger Fernandezs inciting words to agitate mere hours before the New Mexico Republican headquarters was firebombed. He was referring to a town hall the Democratic congresswoman hosted Saturday in Santa Fe, where she encouraged supporters to legislate, litigate, agitate in response to changes made under President Donald Trump. When radical Democrats dont get their way, they get desperate and violent, Block said. 033125_GC_Presser03rgb.jpg The scorched entryway doors of the Republican Party of New Mexicos Albuquerque headquarters. Shortly after Mondays press conference at the site, Democrats issued a release accusing the states Republican Party of a history of political violence and associations with extremism after some GOP members had blamed the fire on Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tobiassen said in a statement Democrats are grasping at straws because New Mexicans are fed up with their failed leadership, especially here in crime-ridden Albuquerque. I have never called for violence let alone for the murder of anyone and DPNM knows that. Rhetoric out of hand The Democratic Partys memo cited other examples of the close associations the New Mexico GOP has had in recent years with violent extremism, including a series of shootings targeting Democratic politicians homes in Albuquerque that were orchestrated by a failed Republican candidate. Solomon Pena was convicted of federal charges in March in a series of drive-by shootings after the 2020 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The memo also pointed to a shooting that wounded an Indigenous protester in Espanola by a man wearing a Make America Great Again hat. Can RPNM Amy Barela ever be counted on to call out extremism from Republicans? the memo asked. We know she looks up to GOP leaders who have called for violence against Democratic elected officials like Kari Lake, who said Americans should strap on a glock ahead of the 2024 elections, and Marjorie Taylor Green who indicated support for FBI agents to be hung for treason and the execution of prominent Democrats, the memo said. 033125_GC_Presser04rgb.jpg Antony Aemisegger rests his U.S. flag over his shoulder outside the Republican Party of New Mexicos Albuquerque headquarters on Monday. Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer of Farmington called for civility after a suspected arson at the site. The time is now, he said. Lets turn the temperature down and work together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It included photos of Barela with Lake, who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat, and Taylor Green, a far-right Georgia congresswoman. GOP spokesperson Ash Soular said the Democratic Partys memo was the opposite of turning down the rhetoric. Its time to put as much of that as we can behind because the problem is the crime, she said. Obviously, the rhetoric is getting out of hand nationally and possibly contributed to [the suspected arson]. We dont know. Were not saying it did, but we just want it to stop. The Republicans are not free of blame. In a news release announcing what the GOP called a deliberate act of arson on its headquarters early Sunday, Barela threw shade at the Democratic Party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Let us not forget: it was the Democrat Party that once supported the formation of the KKK, pushed Jim Crow laws, and defended slavery, she said in a statement. Today, we see the same dangerous tendencies play out in new forms. In addition to the fire, the words ICE=KKK were spray-painted on the GOP building. State Senate Republican leaders also pointed to Democrats after the incident, citing Leger Fernandezs town hall. They said in a statement it appears some unhinged supporters took her message to heart and acted out in a violent manner. They called on Democrats to turn down the rhetoric and restore civility to our political process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senate Minority Leader Bill Sharer of Farmington reiterated the call for civility during Mondays news conference, where Republicans waved a figurative white flag. The violence thats brought us here today is yet another example of New Mexicos ongoing crime crisis, Sharer said, adding Republican leaders in both chambers urged the governor to call a special session the day the regular 60-day session ended to address ongoing crime. The time is now, he said. Lets turn the temperature down and work together. In an interview after the news conference, Sharer said Republicans came in here to tone the rhetoric down. Thats today, he said. I think thats important. Their crafts mechanical issues led to a stay in space that was 35 times longer than originally scheduled, an eight-day mission that ultimately clocked in at 286 days. Yet both of NASAs unlikely celebrity astronauts say theyd go againon the same Boeing Starliner that failed them once. We're going to rectify all the issues that we encountered. We're going to make it work, astronaut Butch Wilmore said on Monday at a news briefing held at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Boeing's completely committed. NASA is completely committed. And with that, Id get on in a heartbeat. During a wide-ranging news conference, Wilmore and Sunita Suni Williams disclosed that they will meet with Boeing officials on Wednesday to review their issue-plagued Starliner flight. But Williams echoed Wilmores sentiment about being willing to go up in the craft again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spacecraft is really capable, Williams said. There were a couple of things that need to be fixed, like Butch mentioned, and folks are actively working on that. But it is a great spacecraft, and it has a lot of capability that other spacecrafts don't have. The Wednesday meeting is the latest and perhaps most important step in determining why the Starliner experienced thruster failures and helium leaks last June on its maiden voyage to the International Space Station. Those issues, some of which had been observed during previous launch attempts, prompted NASA officials to keep the astronauts at the ISS and, after weeks of delay, to return Starliner to Earth without crew members aboard. Wilmore and Williams instead splashed down off the Florida panhandle in a SpaceX craft on March 18, more than nine months past their initial return date, after putting in extended crew time at the ISS. They were joined on the flight home by NASA astronaut Nick Hague, who commanded the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Wilmore, who commanded Starliners test flight, attempted to absorb blame for its failures, saying, I'll start with me and noting that he did not ask certain questions that I did not, at the time, know I needed to. The primary issues with the craft, though, land squarely with Boeing, its manufacturer, and with NASA, which bears the final responsibility for every aspect of the U.S. space program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Williams and Wilmores experience cast an unusual spotlight on the astronauts, who became largely known as Butch and Suni by Americans avidly following their story. Their saga became the subject of tense conversations between NASA and Boeing executives about what to do, and President Donald Trump later blamed the Biden administration for leaving the astronauts abandoned at the ISS. In a social media post, Trump also implied that SpaceX founder Elon Musk would personally travel to space to retrieve Wilmore and Williams. (He didnt.) The stuck, marooned narrativewe heard about that, Wilmore said. We had a plan, right? The plan went way off, but because we're in human space flight, we prepare for any number of contingencies. This is a curvy roadyou never know where it's going to go. Hague added that at the International Space Station (ISS), You dont feel the politics. You dont feel any of that. Its focused strictly on mission. He said that with the additions of Wilmore and of Williams, who became commander of the ISS in September, It took everything I had every day to keep up with themThe reality is they are highly skilled, very technically competent. The ISS is the site of hundreds of experiments and exercises, many of them tied to longer-term goals of pushing farther out into space and, potentially, remaining there. Suni Williams told Fortune in the months before her Starliner launch that the next frontiers are a sustained presence on the Moon and, in time, on Mars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She touched on that theme again Monday in answering a reporters question about the attention NASA has receivedflattering and otherwisein the time since she and Williams departed last summer. Its an honor that people are paying attention, Williams said. Good news, bad newsits just news, and it's good for space exploration, and that's what we're all about. Our mission [of] building and working on the International Space Station was just awesome, and we all had the opportunity to do that. But we also have bigger goals of exploring our solar system, going back to the Moon, going on to Mars, and to get people understanding that it is hardit is difficultand what we do up there is really awesome. And I think at least that we had a little bit of that [understanding] with the interest in this mission. If we can perpetuate that and tell people a little bit more and have the opportunity, the forum to do that, I'm very thankful for that. Both Williams and Wilmore credited NASAs exercise and nutrition experts for keeping their bodies in shape during their space stay, with Williams noting that she peeled off a three-mile run recently, less than two weeks after returning to Earth. Too, the astronauts acknowledged the hardship placed on their families by the extended mission. One of Wilmores daughters is a high-school senior; he missed most of her school year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And both veterans said they remain intrigued by the Starliners capabilities, a strong suggestion that NASA, as it has publicly maintained, will continue along its program of using two private companiesBoeing and SpaceXcompete for the contracts to carry astronauts into space. Williams and Wilmores comments Monday make it even more imperative for Boeing and NASA to answer the continued questions around Starliners readiness. Wilmore said that Starliner has the most capability of any available craft, partly because of its easy switch from manual to automatic operation. And then we have a backup mode where we can go directly from controllers to the reaction control system jets and maneuver the spacecraft, he added. There's no spacecraft that has all of this capability. I mean, I jokingly said a couple of times before we launched that I could literally do a barrel row over the top of the Space StationIf we can figure out a couple of very important primary issues with the thrusters and the helium system, Starliner is ready to go. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. No property taxes? A homeowners dream or a fiscal nightmare? It could be a reality in Florida if some lawmakers have their way, according to The Wall Street Journal. Homeownership has become increasingly difficult in Florida, where median prices have tripled and even quadrupled in some major metro areas since 2012. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is a major proponent of real estate tax reform, urging action from the legislature in his recent State of the State address. Is it your property or not? Just for being on your property year after year, youve got to write a check to the government every year, he said. So youre basically paying rent to the government to live on your own property. Don't Miss: Hes not the only one expressing outrage. State lawmakers have filed dozens of bills on the issue. People are getting crushed not just by home insurance but by property taxes, GOP state Sen. Jonathan Martin, who is sponsoring a bill that would require a study on the elimination of property taxes be completed by October, told the Journal. That American dream in Florida is taking five figures a year in local taxes. The Overwhelming Cost Of Living Statewide property taxes vary, with the average homeowner paying 0.79% of their homes assessed value. For a home assessed at the state average of $385,000, this amounts to a tax bill of $3,041. According to Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation, insurance costs range from over $3,000 to $7,000 per year, depending on your county. This makes the cost of home ownership, even before a mortgage payment has been made, overwhelming to many homeowners. Trending: Its no wonder Jeff Bezos holds over $250 million in art this alternative asset has outpaced the S&P 500 since 1995, delivering an average annual return of 11.4%. Heres how everyday investors are getting started. Property taxes help pay for state services such as schools, safety, open space maintenance, street maintenance, sanitation, and other services. Florida has been attractive for many people to move to because of the lack of personal income tax. Removing property taxes would make the state more reliant on sales taxes. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for portions of Middle Tennessee ahead of a week-long period of storms. The watch is in effect from 7 p.m. Wednesday through 7 a.m. Sunday. Counties in the watch include: Cheatham, Clay, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lewis, Macon, Maury, Montgomery, Perry, Pickett, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne, Williamson and Wilson. Heading into Wednesday, the region will move into a "very unsettled and uncertain weather pattern," said the weather service, periods of heavy rain will bring a flooding threat to the area, particularly in the northwest where some locations could receive over five inches of rainfall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the weather service, the best chances for severe weather are Wednesday and Thursday; damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes are all possible. When will storms move into Middle Tennessee? Cold front will bring along thunderstorms, severe weather Wednesday A cold front will move south towards Middle Tennessee Wednesday evening into Wednesday night, said the weather service. However, it is currently uncertain how quickly the front will reach the region and how far east it will progress. "Right now it looks like the front will make it to the northwest part of the area by the later evening and there is some indication that it will not get much further east than Nashville," said the weather service. The front is expected to bring along widespread storms, some of them severe. "All modes of severe weather remain possible," the weather service said Wednesday. This includes damaging winds, large hail, tornadoes and flooding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Areas along and west of Interstate 65 are anticipated to see the greatest threat, said the weather service. We are still forecasting a severe threat for this evening and overnight. All modes of severe weather remain possible today, including damaging winds, large hail, tornadoes, & flooding. NOW is the time to make sure you have multiple ways to receive warnings! (2/6) pic.twitter.com/rOoikJR0lD NWS Nashville (@NWSNashville) April 2, 2025 Heavy rain is expected from Wednesday to Sunday, with totals possibly exceeding 8 inches. The northwest area, including Clarksville, will see the most rain between 5 to 8.5 inches however there's a 20-40% chance of the area receiving over 9 inches, which could lead to major flooding said the weather service. Rain amounts will decrease towards the southeast, with Nashville expecting 3 to 6 inches and the southeast getting 1.5 to 3.25 inches. Nashville-area radar Nashville 7-day forecast Wednesday: Partly sunny with a high near 85 and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, some of them severe, after 4 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wednesday night: Showers and thunderstorms through 3 a.m. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy with a low around 66 at night with a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms. 1-2 inches of rain possible. Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m., followed by possibly a thunderstorm between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and ongoing showers and storms after 3 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 79. Rain continues overnight. Low around 68. Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86 and a 50% chance of showers and storms, some of them severe. Then partly sunny with a low of around 69 at night and a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, some of them severe, mainly after 1 a.m. Saturday: Partly sunny with a high near 85 and a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, some of them severe. Then a low of around 60 at night and a 90% chance of showers and thunderstorms, some of them severe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sunday: Mostly cloudy with a high near 70 and a 60% chance of showers. Then mostly cloudy with a low of around 43 and a 20% chance of showers. Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville weather to be 'very unsettled and uncertain' this week A man arrested by Nassau County Sheriffs Office on Sunday has ties to a drug operation called The Miami Boys, the sheriffs office said. Nathaniel James, also known as Bo Dilley and Bo Didley was arrested Sunday during a traffic stop on US Highway 1 in Callahan, the sheriff office said. Hes being held on $1 million bond. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The arrest stems from an investigation initiated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in October 2023, the sheriffs office stated in a social media post Tuesday. The investigation established probable cause that James was involved in trafficking fentanyl (28 grams or more) and cocaine (200 grams or more). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation began after James allegedly sold narcotics to a confidential source in Jacksonville, the sheriffs office said. A subsequent controlled purchase tested positive for fentanyl, the social media post states. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The Miami Boys, which first emerged in the 1980s and operated throughout Florida and Georgia, where they allegedly played a significant role in illicit drug distribution, the sheriffs office said. Investigators reported that in October 2023, they received intelligence indicating James was traveling between Florida and Georgia, delivering cocaine and fentanyl to Jacksonville, the sheriffs office said. A warrant for his arrest was issued in November. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read: Men riding ATVs arrested, accused of killing hunting dogs in Nassau County Read: Man charged with attempted murder after shooting at Jacksonville motel during prostitution deal Read: Body of young girl found 10 days after boat capsized on St. Johns River [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. National security adviser Mike Waltz reportedly used his personal Gmail account for government communications, adding to a growing list of digital security failures in President Donald Trumps administration. Waltz, along with at least one senior aide to Waltz, used the commercial service instead of their government-issued email, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. Interviews with several anonymous U.S. officials, along with documents reviewed by The Post, revealed that Waltz used his Gmail account to send his schedule and other work documents. Officials added that Waltz would also copy and paste from his schedule into the messaging app Signal to coordinate meetings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More alarming, a senior aide to Waltz reportedly also used Gmail to send more sensitive information. More from the Post: A senior Waltz aide used the commercial email service for highly technical conversations with colleagues at other government agencies involving sensitive military positions and powerful weapons systems relating to an ongoing conflict, according to emails reviewed by The Post. While the NSC official used his Gmail account, his interagency colleagues used government-issued accounts, headers from the email correspondence show. The potential security breach is yet another self-inflicted wound from the Trump administration. Waltz is already under intense scrutiny after he added a journalist to a Signal group with other high-level officials to discuss war plans. And last week, German news outlet Der Spiegel reported it was able to find phone numbers, email addresses and even passwords for accounts belonging to Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard from commercial databases and password leaks available online. Waltzs Venmo account was also discovered by Wired and was publicly available until the publication informed Waltzs team about its report. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes told The Post that Waltz didnt and wouldnt send classified information on an open account. Read the full story at The Washington Post. National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and other members of the Trump administrations national security team used personal Gmail accounts for government communications, according to a report from The Washington Post. The news follows a major security breach when Waltz accidentally invited the editor in chief of The Atlantic to a Signal group chat in which top administration officials discussed attack plans against Yemen. Gmail is even less secure than Signal, the encrypted messaging app thats available to the public. The use of the email service is the most recent instance of top national security officials using less-than-secure methods of communication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A top aide to Waltz also used Gmail, a commercial email service, to conduct highly technical conversations with co-workers at other agencies, which included sensitive military positions and weapons systems in connection with an ongoing conflict, according to emails seen by The Post reveal. Headers from the emails show that while the official at the National Security Council used his Gmail account, the colleagues at the other agencies used government-issued accounts. Less sensitive information, but which may still be exploitable by the nations enemies, has been sent to Waltzs Gmail, including his schedule and other work documents, anonymous officials told the newspaper. They added that Waltz would at times copy and paste from his schedule into Signal for the purpose of setting up meetings. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz speaks during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. last week. The Washington Post found that he has used his personal Gmail account for government communications (Getty Images) The use of personal email accounts, even if its for unclassified information, is perilous, as foreign intelligence services place a high value on the communications and schedules of top officials, experts told the paper. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the National Security Council, Brian Hughes, told The Post that he hadnt seen any evidence that Waltz had used his personal email in an inappropriate way. He said when materials connected to work are sent to Waltz, he copies his government email to make sure he follows federal records laws requiring officials to archive official messages. Waltz also didnt and wouldnt send classified information on an open account, Hughes told the paper. He added that staff at the National Security Council have guidance regarding the use of only secure platforms for classified information. A senior administration official told The Post, however, that Waltz has also created other Signal chat groups with members of the Cabinet on other sensitive issues, such as Somalia and the Russian war in Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal initially reported on those chats on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hughes insisted that the use of Signal is approved and in some cases is added automatically to government devices. He said Signal is not intended to be used for classified material and insisted that Waltz had never done so. While Trump has publicly backed Waltz following the Signal debacle, he reportedly met with Vice President JD Vance and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, as well as others, to discuss whether or not to keep the national security adviser in his post. He told aides Thursday that he was keeping Waltz, but a senior administration official told The Post that it was mostly to avoid giving the liberal media a scalp. Wednesdays meeting was initially reported by The New York Times. The director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Eva Galperin, told The Post that unless you are using GPG, email is not end-to-end encrypted, and the contents of a message can be intercepted and read at many points, including on Googles email servers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Waltz has previously slammed the Department of Justice for not pursuing charges against Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state. What did DOJ do about it? Not a damn thing, Waltz said in a social media post in June 2023. Trump said Sunday about Waltz: I dont fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts. The American landing on Guadalcanal on Aug. 7, 1942 and subsequent seizure of the airbase they would name Henderson Field marked the first American offensive in the wake of the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. What followed was six months of savage fighting on land and a succession of naval engagements that cost 48 total warships between U.S. and Japanese forces. Among numerous naval heroes who emerged from both sides, Rear Adm. Norman Scott stood out for his role in two of the campaigns most critical naval duels. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Aug. 10, 1889, Scott chose to leave his landlocked home for the sea and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1911. That same year saw the graduation of Daniel Judson Callaghan, born in San Francisco on July 26, 1890, whose destiny would converge with Scotts some 31 years later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scott first found action during World War I as the executive officer of USS Jacob Jones, which, on the night of Dec. 6, 1916, was torpedoed by the German submarine U-53. The Jacob Jones holds the distinction of becoming the first American destroyer loss in history. Of 110 crewmen, 64 lost their lives. Scott was among just five officers who survived. Rear Adm. Scott was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command) After a succession of sea and land assignments during the 1920s-30s, Scott took command of the heavy cruiser Pensacola until just after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when he served at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He was promoted to rear admiral in May 1942, and ordered to the Pacific in June. By that August he commanded San Juan, a specialized anti-aircraft light cruiser with 16 five-inch guns in twin turrets and the latest SG (screen grid) radar, designed to accompany and defend aircraft carriers such as Hornet and Enterprise. On the night of Aug. 9, a Japanese force of cruisers and destroyers under Vice Adm. Gunichi Mikawa surprised an Allied cruiser squadron off Savo Island, sinking USS Astoria, Quincy and Vincennes and His Majestys Australian Ship Canberra. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It left the Allies demoralized. Fortunately for them, Mikawa departed rather than take full advantage of his success. In September, Scott was placed in command of Task Force 64, or Task Force Sugar, charged with patrolling the southern approaches between Rennell Island and Lunga Point. On Oct. 7, he took position and, keen to get revenge for Savo, trained his men hard for the next several days. Finally, on Oct. 11, aircraft reported Japanese reinforcements coming down the island chain the Allies called The Slot, as well as an escort of cruisers and destroyers. Flying his pennant from heavy cruiser San Francisco, Scott led heavy cruiser Salt Lake City, light cruisers Boise and Helena and five destroyers around the western end of Cape Esperance to cover entry into Savo Sound. At 2325 hours Helena made contact with the enemy, but that was 15 minutes later than it should have although (or perhaps because) it had the latest SG radar, it was stationed at the rear of Scotts column. One of San Franciscos floatplanes confirmed that enemy warships were coming directly toward the Americans, putting Scott in the enviable position of crossing the T, bringing more guns to bear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Approaching was one of the victors at Savo Island, Rear Adm. Aritomo Gotos Sentai (cruiser division) 6, comprising heavy cruisers Aoba, Furutaka and Kinugasa, plus two destroyers. As he closed in, Scott ordered Left to course, 230 degrees, but while most of his ships performed the right turn perfectly, three of his destroyers made wider turns that placed them behind Scotts column and within range of the Japanese. Amid the uncertainty, at 2346 Helena reported its radar contact and asked to open fire. Scott replied Roger, meaning hed received the message, but Helenas skipper interpreted it as open fire. And fire he did joined by guns on both sides. USS San Francisco (CA-38) at Pearl Harbor, with her crew manning the rails, Dec. 4, 1942. (U.S. Navy) Four American destroyers were caught between the opposing columns and one, Duncan, was demolished by heavy cruiser Kinugasa and destroyer Hatsuyuki as well as some American shells. It sank the next day with 50 of its 195 crewmen, though destroyer McCalla rescued the rest. Damaged were Salt Lake City, Boise and destroyer Farenholt. The Japanese suffered worse, with heavy cruiser Furutaka and destroyer Fubuki sunk, flagship Aoba badly damaged and Adm. Goto mortally wounded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gotos sacrifice accomplished his primary mission, however. Unnoticed by the Allies, the troop transport ships he was protecting reached Guadalcanal unmolested, but Scotts tactical success over Goto directly avenged Savo and, as the first major American cruiser victory in the Pacific, did much to restore Allied confidence. There were, however, more sea battles to come. On the night of Oct. 13, the Japanese battleships Kongo and Haruna pummeled Henderson Field, followed by a night bombardment by Chokai and Kinugasa on the 14th and another by heavy cruisers Myoko and Maya the following day. This was followed by a carrier confrontation off the Santa Cruz Islands on Oct. 26, in which the Americans lost the USS Hornet, but the Japanese again failed to follow through. While Japan repaired or re-equipped their four carriers and the Americans hastily fixed up Enterprise, the Japanese gathered what they had left for the next bombardment: battleships Hiei and Kirishima, light cruiser Nagara and 14 destroyers, commanded by Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As this formidable fleet approached on the night of Nov. 12, three American cargo ships were en route to Guadalcanal, escorted by Scott aboard the anti-aircraft cruiser Atlanta alongside five destroyers. Upon reaching their objective, Scott and his warships were ordered to join Task Group 67, led by Rear Adm. Daniel J. Callaghan from aboard his hometown flagship, San Francisco, with heavy cruiser Portland, light cruiser Helena and anti-aircraft cruiser Juneau, along with another three destroyers. As they entered the combat zone the Americans took up a column like the one used so successfully at Cape Esperance, but also once again holding their three cruisers and two destroyers with SG radar at the rear. The Japanese battleships, on the other hand, had no radar at all. Add a rain squall to obscure both sides vision and their vanguards passed one another just after midnight on the ominous date of Friday the 13. At 0124 Helena made first contact, but defective radar resulted in excessive reliance on talk between ships (TBS) until 0141, when destroyer Cushing made out enemy destroyers Yudachi and Harusame silhouetted in the starlight 3,000 yards away and turned left to bring its torpedoes into play. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Atlanta, next in line, also turned hard left. As his formation began falling apart, Adm. Callaghan signaled on the TBS, What are you doing? Avoiding our own destroyers, Atlantas Capt. Samuel P. Jenkins reportedly responded. With mounting confusion on both sides, at 0145 Callaghan signaled Stand by to open fire! At 0150, however, a searchlight from Hiei pierced the darkness and fell on Atlanta, 5,000 meters away. Scott, true to form, ordered a full broadside, but all 12 of his shells fell 2,000 meters short. Thirty seconds later Hieis eight 14-inch guns, devastated Atlanta in one of the wars most accurate salvos, killing Scott and all senior officers on the bridge save for a wounded Capt. Jenkins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although Atlanta was out of the fight, Hiei paid for its searchlight as destroyers Cushing, Laffey, Sterett and OBannon, finding themselves anywhere from 2,000 to a few hundred meters away, engaged the battleship in a desperate point blank duel to the death. The Japanese destroyers were also embroiled in the fight, including Amatsukaze, which scored two torpedo hits on destroyer Barton that sank it with 90 percent of its crew. Noticing Yudachi under fire from Juneau, Amatsukaze fired more torpedoes that drove the cruiser off with a broken back. Cushing attacked Hiei but was sunk by a broadside from destroyer Terutsuki. Destroyer Laffey almost collided with Hiei, then raked its mast and bridge, killing Abes chief of staff, Capt. Masakane Suzuki, and wounding several officers, including Hieis Capt. Masao Nishida and Abe himself. Laffey was in turn hit by Hieis guns and sunk by a torpedo from Terutsuki. Sterett was badly damaged but managed to fight its way clear, while the Lucky O OBannon escaped serious destruction from the battleship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At 0200 hours Abe called for a retirement, but Hiei was dead in the water after some 50 hits on its superstructure and having its internal communications knocked out. In contrast, Kirishima was grazed by a single eight-inch shell. We want the big ones, Callaghan ordered, but some of San Franciscos shells fell on Atlanta and Callaghan added to the confusion with a general order: Cease firing own ships. Rear Adm. Daniel Judson Callaghan was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. (National Archives) Destroyer Akatsuki also scored torpedo hits on Atlanta, but was then caught between San Francisco, Portland and a destroyer whose combined fire sank it; the Americans later rescued 18 of its survivors. Portland also fired at Inazuma and Ikazachi, but a torpedo from Yudachi jammed its rudder. Yudachi was in turn hit in the stern, probably by Aaron Ward, and ground to a halt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amatsukazes luck ran out when it was hit by Helena, retiring with 43 of its crew dead. Destroyer Monssen was sunk by Asagumo. San Francisco was also struck by Hiei and Kirishima, including a bridge hit that killed Callaghan, Capt. Cassin Young and other officers. The next day revealed a grim tableau, but the carnage wasnt over. San Francisco was still afloat and retiring with Juneau when a spread of torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-26 came at them, missing San Francisco but blowing up Juneau, leaving only 10 survivors of its 700-man crew, which included the five Sullivan brothers. Portland, still circling, came within range of the abandoned Yudachi and finished it off with a broadside. To demonstrate the strategic outcome of the battle, however, Marine aircraft from a still-operational Henderson Field swarmed over Hiei, compelling Abe and surviving crewmen to relocate to the destroyer Yukikaze, leaving behind the first Japanese battleship loss since 1904. Ahead lay a second naval battle of Guadalcanal, which would seal the islands ultimate fate and place the initiative in the Pacific in American hands for the duration. Vice Adm. Abe and Captain Nishida were both subsequently retired from the navy for their lack of aggressiveness. Norman Scott and Daniel Callaghan were both posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Nicholas Hemachandra listens to his father Ray talk about the needs of people with disabilities at the NC Legislative Building. (Photo: Lynn Bonner) The issue of how best to provide services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is, admittedly, a challenging one. Complex questions about the roles played by institutions and sheltered workshops, and the leeway given to families to chart their own courses in finding services, give rise to many competing and legitimate opinions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That said, theres one simple truth about IDD services in North Carolina thats indisputable: they are inadequate. Thanks to chronic underfunding by state legislators, the waiting list for coveted slots in the Innovations Waiver program is absurdly long. Indeed, there are more people waiting over seventeen thousand than there are people enrolled. It takes years to get through the waiting list and many people die before they ever do. The bottom line: Several factors may feed into this scandalous situation but ultimately, theyre all rooted in the fact that our states cheapskate legislature refuses to appropriate the funds that would make it possible to attract and hire enough support workers. And until it does, thousands of families will continue to suffer. For NC Newsline, Im Rob Schofield. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined a lawsuit Tuesday to prevent the federal governments termination of more than $230 million in health care funding for the state, his office said. The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to the Office of the North Carolina Attorney General, the lawsuit was filed in response to the DHHS announcing it was immediately terminating $11 billion in health care funding across the country, including more than $230 million in funding for North Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state attorney generals office argues the federal governments actions are unlawful because the DHHS is required to pay out funds Congress appropriated and because the federal government has failed to follow the legal process for ending funds. These funding cuts will cause immediate and dire harm to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, local public health departments across the state, and community-based organizations, the North Carolina Attorney Generals office said in a statement. Health departments may need to end public health programs and lay off staff, ultimately making it harder for North Carolinians to get the health care they need. According to the state attorney generals office, the loss of more than $230 million in health care funding for North Carolina would result in a loss of funding to: Local health programs in at least 77 of North Carolinas 86 health departments, particularly in the rural counties Community-based organizations and community health workers providing care and resources to people impacted by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina County-based nurses investigating disease outbreaks Collection and analysis of infection control data for people and North Carolinas farming economy and livestock industry EMS programs in six counties (Davie, Durham, Gaston, Surry, Orange, and Cumberland counties) Response to outbreaks of infectious disease in high-risk places such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities, where North Carolinas older population is at risk Effective control and prevention of the spread of infections, such as the flu Substance use disorder treatment programs, especially in rural areas, and the loss of behavioral health therapists and substance use treatment specialists Collegiate substance misuse recovery programs that operate in 14 North Carolina colleges and universities (Appalachian State University, Elizabeth City State University, East Carolina University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina A&T State University, NC State University, North Carolina Central University, UNC Asheville, UNC Charlotte, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Greensboro, UNC Pembroke, UNC Wilmington, and Winston-Salem State University) (Office of the North Carolina Attorney General) My job is to be a shield for the people of North Carolina and that includes protecting their health care, Jackson said in a statement. The federal government cant just cancel nearly a quarter billion dollars that have already been congressionally allocated to our state. Its unlawful and dangerous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That money supports rural hospitals, health care workers, emergency services, and public health programs that protect seniors and families across North Carolina, Jackson continued in his statement. There are legal ways to improve how tax dollars are used, but this wasnt one of them. Immediately halting critical health care programs across the state without legal authority isnt just wrongit puts lives at risk. Thats why were going to court. Jackson is joined in the lawsuit by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C., and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The full lawsuit can be viewed below: DHHS, RFK Jr. lawsuitDownload 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 CBS17.com. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) A bill in the North Carolina General Assembly looks to remove certain books around gender identity and sexuality. The bill bans books considered to have harmful material for students in kindergarten through sixth grade and requires parental consent for students to get access to those books if theyre in seventh grade or older. Additionally, the bill would allow school teachers or staff to be criminally prosecuted if they distribute certain materials to students, including books around gender identity and sexuality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill also lays out strict requirements for how health and puberty subjects are taught to students, including requiring teachers teach that a mutually faithful monogamous heterosexual relationship in the context of marriage is the best lifelong means of avoiding sexually transmitted diseases. CBS 17 did not receive a response from state Democrats, who have previously opposed similar bills, saying books around gender identity and sexuality are helpful for students who are learning who they are. Supporters of the bill though said these topics shouldnt happen in schools. If parents want to expose their children to these types of books, I think thats their prerogative, Tami Fitzgerald with the NC Values Coalition said. They can do it at home, but the rest of the children and their parents shouldnt be made to suffer through this radical gender ideology, sexual activity, and sexuality in K through grade six. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Furthermore, the bill requires a review system for library books to be regularly reviewed and monitored. The bill has been referred to 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 Queen City News. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/NJ Monitor) The North Carolina House Judiciary 2 Committee approved a bill Tuesday that would allow individuals to carry handguns at private schools, the latest in a growing list of gun proposals this session. House Bill 193, Firearm Law Revisions, authorizes those with a valid concealed handgun permit (along with those who are exempt from the requirement to have a permit) to possess or carry a handgun on educational property owned, used, or operated by a private school, according to the bill text. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its primary sponsors are Reps. Jeffrey McNeely (R-Iredell), Reece Pyrtle (R-Rockingham), Charles Miller (R-Brunswick, New Hanover), and Todd Carver (R-Iredell). Rep. Jeff McNeely (Photo: ncleg.gov) McNeely said that while the bill is currently broad, its objective is to allow security guards or others with training to provide reassurance in the event of a shooting at a private school. This would allow some of these smaller private schools to have somebody that they designate to be able to add some layer of protection to them until the law enforcement can get there, McNeely said. As worded, the bill would allow anyone lawfully entitled to carry a concealed handgun including a school official, teacher, or even a student to carry it on the premises of a private school below the college level, with written permission from the school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislations impact could expand if either of two pending bills authorizing so-called constitutional carry Senate Bill 50 or House Bill 5 were to be enacted into law. These bills would allow individuals 18 or older to carry concealed handguns without obtaining a permit, a deviation from current law. Senate Bill 50 has passed through the upper chamber and is now in the House, while House Bill 5 awaits another committee hearing in its original chamber. Rep. Laura Budd (D-Mecklenburg) asked if the legislation is too broad, given that there are no requirements pertaining to training or background checks. What were hoping is this will allow for security guards who are not able, people who do have training, but they do not fall under law enforcement, to be able to be there on hand and hopefully offer some level of protection, McNeely said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sponsor emphasized that the bill does not circumvent existing concealed carry laws in the state security guards would need to have permits in order to carry concealed handguns. Rep. Deb Butler (D-New Hanover) pointed out that polling shows the bulk of North Carolina teachers do not favor guns in schools. This bill endangers students, it endangers teachers, and people dont want it, she said. Youre telling the teachers of North Carolina that we dont really care what you say. McNeely responded that the bill is not a requirement. While it allows private schools to employ these security guards, it does not make it mandatory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill also includes a provision that would insulate certain law enforcement-operated shooting ranges from civil liability or criminal prosecution relating to noise or noise pollution. House Bill 193 now heads to the House Education K-12 Committee for further debate. Social media restrictions approved The House Judiciary 2 Committee also voted to approve House Bill 301, Social Media Protections for Minors Under 16, moving the measure to the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee. This legislation would ban social media accounts for children under 14 and require parental permission for children between the ages of 14 and 15. This story was originally published on Banking Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Banking Dive newsletter. Charlie Javice and Olivier Amar, whose student loan application fintech Frank was purchased by JPMorgan Chase for $175 million in 2021, were found guilty Friday of defrauding the bank by greatly inflating Franks customer numbers. Nearly two years after Javice, Franks founder, was charged with fraud and 20 months since Franks chief growth officer Amar was added to an amended Justice Department complaint, a jury found that the duo lied about Frank having millions of customers and then fabricated data to back up the claims before selling their firm to JPMorgan. JPMorgan saw Frank which claimed to simplify the complicated student loan application process as a way to connect with the 4 million customers Javice and Amar said it had. But in reality, Frank only had around 300,000 customers, and its owners had purchased millions of students data to pass off as customer data. [W]hile Javice and Amar may have thought that they could lie and cheat their way to a huge payday, their lies caught up with them, and they now stand convicted by a jury of their peers in federal court, Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said in a prepared statement Friday. Its purchase of Frank resulted in just 10 new customers for JPMorgan, Bloomberg reported. Frank garnered Javice, who was in her twenties when she created the app, a spot on a Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2019. Fellow convicted fraudsters Elizabeth Holmes and Sam Bankman-Fried are also list alumni. Neither Javice nor Amar took the stand during their five-week trial. On March 27, Javices attorney, Quinn Emanuel Partner Sara Clark, filed a letter requesting a mistrial on the grounds that the closing arguments of Javices co-defendant painstakingly reiterated the governments evidence against [Ms.] Javice walking through every piece of evidence against Ms. Javice for a second time, but removing Mr. Amar from the narrative. This resulted in the jury hearing prosecutions case against Ms. Javice twice from two different prosecutors, Clark wrote. Between the government and Mr. Amar, the jury heard over 270 minutes of argument about the alleged fraud perpetrated by Ms. Javice, and Ms. Javice only received 125 minutes to defend herself. Amars antagonistic defense has continuously prevented Ms. Javice from receiving her constitutional right to a fair trial, Clark wrote. North Carolina lawmakers will debate a bill Tuesday that would ban social media accounts for kids under the age of 14. To create an account, WRAL News reports companies that own social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram already have a minimum age of 13, in compliance with federal law. House Bill 301 would require parental permission for kids who are 14 or 15, WRAL says. ALSO READ: Man accused of trafficking teenage girl he met on social media, investigators say Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill would hold social media companies responsible for stopping kids who are too young from getting an account. If they fail to do so, they could face a $50,000 fine for each instance. Parents would also be able to sue for up to $10,000. The bill is scheduled for a hearing in a House committee Tuesday, WRAL reports. Citing the Pew Research Center, WRAL says some 95 percent of kids ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. report using a social media platform. More than one-third saying they use social media almost constantly, Pew researchers add. WATCH BELOW: Why you should avoid sharing too much about your children on social media ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) A North Carolina man pleaded guilty on Monday to charges he impersonated a police officer and sexually assaulting a woman in Asheville. According to the Buncombe County District Attorneys Office, Dwight Eugene Morgan Jr. was sentenced to 132 219 months in the state prison system following a guilty plea on Monday. Morgan was charged in a 2014 case in which a woman working in Asheville claimed Morgan pretended to be a police officer and threatened to take her to jail unless she had sex with him. The district attorneys office said Morgan forced the woman into his vehicle, drove to another location and sexually assaulted her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case went unsolved until 2019, when a combined DNA index system hit was able to link DNA evidence to Morgan. In addition to his prison sentence, Morgan will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Photo: Getty Images Legislators were divided Tuesday over a move intended to smooth the way for North Carolina to require people who gained health insurance though Medicaid expansion to work. Republicans on the House Health Committee voted in favor of House Bill 491, which its sponsor, Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth) described as a signal to Washington decisionmakers that state legislators support work requirements. Nearly all Democrats on the committee voted no. Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg) abstained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Garland Pierce (D-Scotland) said after the committee meeting the bill wasnt fully vetted. Rep. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg) said the bill wasnt ready for prime time, though Lambeth did what he thought was right. North Carolinas 2023 Medicaid expansion law already includes a provision requiring the state Department of Health and Human Services to pursue work requirements if it seems federal administrators will allow them. The federal government sets baseline requirements for Medicaid coverage and pays most of the bill. States must ask permission before changing their Medicaid programs. NC Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth) (Photo: ncleg.gov) Under President Donald Trumps first administration, state requests to impose Medicaid work requirements were approved. Courts overturned some of those approvals and President Joe Bidens administration later rescinded others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congressional budget-cutters are now considering work requirements as a way to save money in the Medicaid program. Along with work requirements and other cuts, Congressional Republicans are also considering a reduction in the 90% in funding support the federal government currently provides to states for people covered under Medicaid expansion. North Carolinas Medicaid expansion law includes a trigger that would end Medicaid expansion, which would withdraw health insurance from more than 600,000 people, if the federal governments support falls below 90%. None of the money for people insured under Medicaid expansion comes from state coffers. Lambeths bill requires the state Department of Health and Human Services to tell the legislature how much money is needed to implement a work requirement and says it would be imposed regardless of another state law on income thresholds and eligibility categories. It basically reiterates what the current expansion bill already says, signaling to the folks in Washington wed be supportive of that if we got to that point, Lambeth told the committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im hoping by signaling were okay with a work requirement, they will get off the idea of changing our funding formula. If the funding formula is changed, even a small tenth of a percent, one percent, it is a major impact to North Carolina, and we hope we dont have to go down that path. Lambeth has stated previously that a reduction in federal support would be a disaster. Rep. Sarah Crawford (D-Wake) co-sponsored a bill that would get rid of the trigger. Under that bill, Medicaid expansion in North Carolina would be spared if the federal governments financial support falls below 90%. Crawford voted against the work requirement bill. A failed experiment in other states Rep. Sarah Crawford (D-Wake) (Photo: ncleg.gov) There is no evidence that work requirements actually increase work participation, Crawford said after the committee meeting. Most adults who use Medicaid as their insurance and are able to work already do. About eight percent of people on Medicaid who are able to work are not working, so its a relatively small number of people. Those individuals typically have a number of barriers to employment that include a whole host of things where they live, their health, access to transportation. All that weve seen in the past, when other states have tried to implement work requirements, it actually leads to be people being left without coverage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas imposed a Medicaid work requirement for less than a year in 2018 before a judge ended it. About 18,000 people lost their health insurance, according to a study, and the work requirement did not lead to increased employment. Arkansans were not able to report their work hours due to lack of internet access, didnt know about the requirement, or didnt think it applied to them, a 2019 study said. Stateline reported Tuesday that between 4.6 million and 5.2 million adults ages 19 to 55 could lose their health care coverage under an emerging congressional Republican plan to impose Medicaid work requirements nationwide. A necessity to gain Republican support Lambeth said after the meeting that the work requirement would cover people who gained insurance under Medicaid expansion. In that case, people with disabilities who are insured under special Medicaid programs would be exempt. Lambeth worked for years to extend Medicaid coverage to more adults, and for a long time he was one of the few Republicans in the legislature openly supporting it. He sponsored bills that were precursors to the 2023 Medicaid expansion law that included work requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Including the requirement for at least 90% federal funding in the 2023 expansion law was one of the conditions for winning greater Republican support, he said. The only way we got that bill approved was to have triggers in there, Lambeth said. The 90% trigger and work requirements were necessary to cobble together enough Republican votes. WASHINGTON (AP) Nearly two dozen states sue Trump administration over decision to rescind billions in health funding. A branding battle is emerging in Nebraska over whether feedlots should pay branding fees. (John Moore/Getty Images) LINCOLN A divide between rural Nebraska lawmakers is rustling in the statehouse. State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner, in west-central Nebraska, has proposed a bill that would exempt a significant sector of agriculture in the state feedlots from branding and inspection fees under the states livestock branding law that she has said she aims to modernize with Legislative Bill 646. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LB 646 simply provides an exemption for [feedlots], so [they] are treated uniformly across Nebraska, Ibach said during the bill Agriculture Committee hearing. She has faced opposition from State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman, a freshman rural lawmaker from north-central Nebraska who proposed an amendment to essentially kill the bill and let lawmakers make a more informed decision later regarding one of the states biggest industries. Her reason: Most lawmakers dont deal with cattle. The reality is theres only about four in this body of 49 that understand that, Storer said. Nebraska is the second-largest cattle-producing state in the U.S., generating $13.2 billion from cattle and other livestock, according to the latest tally from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Parts of that industry are regulated by the Nebraska Brand Committee, which is tasked with investigating cattle theft and verifying ownership through branding when cattle are bought, sold or moved in or beyond the brand zone in state law, essentially covering the western two-thirds of the state. Its services are funded entirely through fees, not by taxpayers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The divide on the Ibach bill is that it would exempt feedlots in the states brand inspection area from paying branding-related fees, replacing them with a one-time payment of $500 to apply for feedlots to get exempt status. The Brand Committee called the legislation an attempt to severely weaken the cattle industrys checks and balances, and several cattle industry groups have opposed it. Invitation for abuse During the bills hearing before the Agriculture Committee, Nebraska Farmers Union president John Hansen said the Brand Committee provides security from cattle theft. He added the whole state should be under the Livestock Brand Act because the areas not in the branding area are an invitation for abuse. State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman, center, listens to State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus. March 26, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) If I were stealing cattle, I know that I would be trying to sell them in the area of the state that does not have brand inspection, Hansen said. So the viability of the system will be undermined if this bill goes forward as is. The Nebraska State Dairy Association testified in support of the bill and requested its own exception from the state Livestock Brand Act, calling the system a time and economic burden on the dairy industry because the branding committee hasnt updated its ID Program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our producers are tired of waiting for the change to pay for a program that has no value to our industry, said Steve Wolfe, who testified on behalf of the Nebraska State Dairy Association. Bill sponsors initially included all eight of the Legislatures Agriculture Committee members, though only six of the eight voted it out of committee for a floor debate: two original sponsors, State Sens. Mike Jacobson of North Platte and Dan McKeon of Amherst withdrew their names from the bill last week. Jacobson said it because his constituents wont like it. The only reason I signed on to begin with was to try to get to the point where we could negotiate something better than what we have today, Jacobson said. Every email and phone call Ive gotten on this issue, except from the feed yards who stand directly to benefit, have been not only no but hell no. Thats a pretty strong message. Nebraskas quirky branding law Other cattle-feeding states, including Texas and Oklahoma, deal with cattle branding differently. In those states, its not mandatory but encouraged to deter theft, while brand inspections are mandatory in Wyoming and Colorado. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elliott Dennis, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor of livestock marketing and risk management, said Nebraskas cattle branding approach is unique because some parts of the state dont have to deal with the inspection fees. Dennis said the quirk is because areas in the eastern parts of the state have fewer cattle than most of western Nebraska. He said consumers wouldnt feel the proposed changes to the branding law. Feedlot owners and beef and dairy cattle growers tried but failed in 2020 and 2021 to comprehensively update state branding laws. Dennis said feedlot owners have historically been against brand inspection due to the frequency of fees they must pay based on their cattle numbers and because getting an inspector can slow down production. He said who proposed the bill tells a lot about its intention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This isnt a person unfamiliar with the cattle industry, Dennis said. Explaining her stance Ibach, a first-term senator, is married to the longest-serving state agriculture director Greg Ibach. She and her family own a cattle operation in Dawson County. She said the legislation is about updating the state brand law, not getting rid of it. State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner, right, meets with State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln. Aug. 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) To be clear, [the] bill does not do away with brand inspection inside the brand area, nor does it impact anyones ability to own or use a brand, Ibach said. In an op-ed last month on KRVN Rural Radios website in Lexington, Ibach said she worked with the Nebraska Brand Committee and the Nebraska Farm Bureau after the bills Agriculture Committee hearing to add amendments to address the concerns from the committee, farm bureau, and other groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I believe the amendment addresses legitimate concerns raised by the testifiers and others, Ibach wrote. Her amendment, AM 829, to LB 646, would cap the amount the Brand Committee can charge feedlots. Currently, the committee can charge for each additional increment of 250 cattle above the total of 1,000 cattle, which represents the lots one-time capacity. Feedlots are charged a $1,000 annual permit. If the bill becomes law, its estimated the committee would lose $1.6 million annually, roughly 25% of its operating budget. Discussions continue Nebraska Farm Bureau Senior Director of State Legislative Affairs Bruce Rieker said the Bureaus stance on the bill could change as negotiations between stakeholders in the cattle industry continue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are very sincere conversations going on between many of the parties now, Rieker said. Much more so now than maybe they were earlier in the session. On Tuesday, the Farm Bureau released a statement expressing disapproval of the amendment to the bill, signaling that it still opposes the changes. For more than 80 years, the Nebraska Brand Committee has played a vital role in overseeing livestock brand registration, enforcement, and proof of ownership. The statement reads, We support the work of the Brand Committee and believe the Committee should have the fee authority necessary to adequately fund its programs. Nebraska Cattlemen also expressed continued opposition to the bill. Still, the group said it would remain committed to working with Senator Ibach toward a solution that could be acceptable to the membership as we work to modernize brand laws in Nebraska.After a Tuesday meeting, the Cattlemens Board of Directors voted to support the agriculture committee amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Storer announced an amendment late last week to Ibachs bill that would delay immediate action on the bill and call for a study by the Nebraska Brand Committee for potential solutions. Storer said she was frustrated with how the bill was initially crafted without the input of the Brand Committee and the cattle industry. She said her amendment was reasonable and would give more parts of the cattle industry a say. I believe it is vitally important that we have an agency in place to provide oversight that prevents fraud and theft in that industry, Storer told the Nebraska Examiner. So at the end of the day, anything thats going to weaken that agencyto prevent fraud and theft is problematic. The legislation is set to be debated on the floor Wednesday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) A neighbor said a woman and child were never allowed to leave their apartment, and thats not all. Unfortunately, it started at the very beginning. There was something very off, Nikki Bauman said. On Thursday, 43-year-old Kyle Huff and Amanda Huff were booked into the Minnehaha County Jail. Kyle Huff is accused of raping the same woman for nearly five years. Amanda Huff was initially charged with domestic abuse. As of Monday afternoon, shes also charged with abuse or neglect to a disabled adult and misprision of a felony, or concealing a crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All hands on deck as Pierre hospital treats patients from bus crash Bauman said shes lived next door to the Huffs in a central Sioux Falls apartment building for almost a year. She said she hardly ever saw the victim or child. The yelling throughout the night, slamming things around, Bauman said. The only time [the victim] ever was allowed to leave is if the fire alarms went off in the building, and she was never properly dressed. Bauman told KELOLAND News she had some interactions with Amanda Huff. She said sometimes Amanda would ask her for a ride or to borrow something. The man really would not let anyone in. They would be afraid when the door knocked. Amanda was the only one allowed to leave the apartment to get groceries or to go places. No one else was allowed to leave, Bauman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bauman said she called Child Protective Services a couple months ago after multiple interactions with the Huffs. When officials arrested both of them, Bauman said she later drove the victim to court and told detectives what shed been noticing. 4 candidates in Sioux Falls school board election The most interaction I had is actually after they were arrested. She came to my place, Bauman said. She asked for a ride to court. She didnt have a ride, and she said that she didnt have any food in the place, so I made her a plate. While Bauman played an important role in getting the alleged victim assistance, non profits across South Dakota are also ready to help in the healing journey. The Compass Center is one of those places. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Filing protection orders, immediate access to housing, financial assistance, a variety of other pieces that are for those immediate things where if somebody says, I need to get out of here, I need to leave, then I can go someplace and there will be people that understand, the Compass Center executive director Michelle Trent said. Amanda Huff is now being held on a $20,000 cash only bond. Kyle Huffs bond is set at $200,000 cash only. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Young performs at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. - Credit: Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images In a little over two months, Neil Young is crossing the Atlantic for his first European tour in six years. In light of recent actions by the Trump administration, hes worried he wont be allowed back in once it wraps. If I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket, he wrote on the Neil Young Archives. That is happening all the time now. Countries have new advice for those returning to America If I come back from Europe and am barred, cant play my USA tour, all of the folks who bought tickets will not be able to come to a concert by me. More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats right folks, he continues. If you say anything bad about Trump or his administration, you may be barred from re-entering USA if you are Canadian. If you are a dual citizen like me, who knows? Well all find that out together. Youngs message comes after the Trump administration deported Venezuelan migrants it alleged were part of organized gangs, sometimes merely due to tattoos or clothes associated with the gang. In one case, makeup artist Andry Jose Hernandez Romero was sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador despite there being no credible evidence he was part of a gang. His tattoo was in honor of his mother. Others were deported merely for voicing their political beliefs, including Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish graduate student at Tufts, who co-authored an op-ed for The Tufts Daily that asked the schools president to divest school funds from Israel. Young is worried he might meet a similar fate for voicing his views while overseas, even though hes a dual citizen. If the fact that I think Donald Trump is the worst president in the history of our country could stop me from coming back, what does that say for freedom? he asked. It seems to me that if you voted for Kamala Harris over Trump, that makes it possible for you to go to jail or be detained, punished in some ways for not showing allegiance to what? How spineless is that? Trump is not able to stand up to anyone who does not agree with his ideas? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He ended his note by quoting the Pledge of Allegiance. One country, indivisible, with Liberty and Freedom, for all, he writes. Remember that? I do. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Shortly after appointing a new intelligence chief in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reversed the decision. Netanyahu thanked the former naval commander, Vice Admiral Eli Sharvit, for his willingness to take on the role during a meeting, the prime minister's office said on Tuesday. "However, he informed him that after further consideration, he wants to review other candidates." No reasons were given for the reversal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to media reports, there had been criticism of Sharvit's planned appointment because he had participated in protests against government policy and criticized US President Donald Trump for his climate policy. On Monday, Netanyahu's office announced that Sharvit was to succeed Ronen Bar as head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency. The government had decided at the beginning of the month to dismiss Bar, which triggered mass protests. The Supreme Court recently temporarily suspended Bar's dismissal with an injunction. Despite the injunction against Bar's dismissal, the Supreme Court allowed interviews with successor candidates. Netanyahu justified Bar's dismissal with a "lack of trust" in the intelligence chief. The relationship between the two has long been considered strained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shin Bet is investigating Netanyahu's aides for alleged ties to Qatar. The Gulf emirate, alongside Egypt and the United States, is one of the mediators in indirect talks with the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, but is also considered a supporter of the militant organization. In another investigation by the intelligence agency into the failures that enabled the massacre on October 7, 2023, in Israel, Netanyahu also did not come off well. The terrorist attack was the trigger for the war in the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, the United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi, stated that prosecutors would pursue the death penalty in Luigi Mangione's case, sparking an online debate. Mangione is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot outside a hotel in New York on December 4, 2024. He faces 11 state criminal counts in New York and two federal charges. Mangione, who is awaiting trial in a New York prison, has pleaded not guilty to all the state charges but has yet to enter a plea for the federal charges. US Prosecutors To Seek Death Penalty For Luigi Mangione PA State Police/MEGA In a statement, Pam Bondi revealed plans to pursue the death penalty in Mangione's case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said, "Luigi Mangione's murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America." Bondi continued, "After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump's agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again." President Donald Trump Wants The Death Penalty Pursued When Possible MEGA Bondi's statement serves as one of President Donald Trump's administration's first actions toward the death penalty after he issued an executive order soon after taking office in January directing the attorney general to "pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use." In the executive order, Trump asserted that restoring capital punishment was essential for justice and public safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also reversed former President Biden's moratorium on federal executions and condemned the latter to commute 37 death row sentences. The order ensured states had access to lethal injection drugs, called for overturning Supreme Court rulings that restricted capital punishment, and mandated strict imprisonment conditions for violent offenders. It also prioritized prosecuting violent crime and strengthening law enforcement coordination. Netizens React To US DoJ's Decision To Seek The Death Penalty For Luigi Mangione U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi directs prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione. pic.twitter.com/hXH3whoRkx Pop Base (@PopBase) April 1, 2025 After news of Bondi's statement went viral, several people shared their thoughts about it on various social media platforms. Some netizens commented under Pop Base's post about Bondi's statement. One person opined, "They are violating his [Mangione's] rights because they want to maintain capitalism." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another person asked, "Yet they pardoned the January 6 rioters who killed a cop?" A third X user said, "It's a scare tactic. They're pushing this to make an example out of him. They want us supporters and him being scared. They want us and him to crash out. It's gonna backfire in their face in the end." Another person shared, "So a cop can kill innocent people and just gets off with it and then we have to hear how hard it is on their mental health but someone kills a CEO who is ripping people off and they give him the death penalty. Joke of a country." A fifth netizen wrote, "Tragic all around, but let's not ignore the deeper issue. Luigi Mangione's actions, while extreme and unjustifiable, shine a harsh light on a broken healthcare system where profit often trumps patient care. This case should be a wake-up call for reform, not just punishment." Mangione Pleads Not Guilty MEGA On December 23, 2024, Mangione pleaded not guilty to murder and terrorism charges in a New York court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He faces 11 state charges, including first-degree murder and murder as an act of terrorism, which carry a mandatory life sentence without parole if convicted. Additionally, federal prosecutors charged him with using a firearm to commit murder and interstate stalking, resulting in death, offenses that could lead to the death penalty. Authorities allege Mangione shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson in Manhattan before fleeing. He was later arrested at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania. Both state and federal cases are to proceed simultaneously. Luigi Mangione Thanks Supporters MEGA Mangione has received massive support and a cult-like following since his arrest and detention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The support for the murder suspect has been linked to public dissatisfaction with the health insurance industry and claim denial practices. The case has also intensified calls for healthcare reform. Due to the growing number of people supporting Mangione, his defense team created a website to provide information and answer questions about his case. In February, Mangione released a statement on the website thanking his supporters. He said, "I am overwhelmed by - and grateful for - everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support. Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions, as mail has flooded MDC from across the country, and around the globe." The 26-year-old concluded, "While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write. I look forward to hearing more in the future." Bankers fear a three-year slowdown in deals will drag on. Globally, investment banking fees through Wednesday fell 4.9% to $21.47 billion from the year-ago period, the Dealogic data showed. The deal total for 2025 has fallen 25% to 7,629, a 20-year low. Analysts have already started trimming first-quarter earnings forecasts for some of the biggest banks that advise on M&A deals. Verwey said M&A markets need confidence and some potential deals were abandoned because of the uncertainty. Wall Street executives and analysts had predicted a banner 2025, expecting Trump to slash regulations, lower taxes and enact more pro-business policies. But U.S. stocks have fallen sharply since his inauguration, and the hoped-for scenario looks less likely by the day, analysts and dealmakers said. "Given the developments over the last weeks the reality is that exuberance has left the market and more uncertainty has creeped in." "A lot of the deals that were announced in the first quarter were generated last year at a time when there was increasing exuberance with a potentially new administration in the U.S., with the expectation of tax cuts and deregulation," said Cassander Verwey, JPMorgan's co-head of M&A in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. New stock offerings rose about 4.1% to $160.22 billion, but some recent initial public offerings have failed to impress and the number of offerings fell 17.7% to 1,065 according to Dealogic data. "Could they go public? Sure anybody can go public at any time, if the fundamentals are good. But is it worth the brain damage and potential price that you go public at? Probably not," Witheiler said. Bankers worldwide are paring back deals and generating less revenue. In the U.S., which accounts for almost half of global M&A transactions, first-quarter volume slipped 13% to $436.56 billion. And while IPO activity increased, a prolonged trade war will make it less palatable in the future, said Matt Witheiler of Wellington Private Investments. First-quarter mergers and acquisitions volume rose 12.6% to $984.38 billion from year-ago period, Dealogic data compiled for Reuters showed. This was due almost entirely to the Asia Pacific region where three large state-run deals announced by China on Sunday and a ports deal driven by Trump helped nearly double M&A volume from last year. (Reuters) - A global trade war kicked off by U.S. President Donald Trump and the ensuing market turmoil soured bankers' predictions for a robust start to a blockbuster year for deals on Wall Street. Story Continues "There's probably a bit more caution if you've got significant tariff exposure with regards to either launching a process or frankly executing a transaction," said Jens Welter, who heads North American investment banking coverage at Citi. Some Wall Street banks are positioning for job cuts if M&A activity does not rebound or at least improve in the coming months, analysts and recruiters told Reuters. Still, there is reason for optimism. Google's $32 billion acquisition of cloud security company Wiz, the quarter's biggest, came together largely because of Trump. The deal was sidelined last year over fears it would not survive the Biden administration's antitrust scrutiny, but those close to the deal believed the odds of approval would improve under Trump, Reuters reported. "There is still a great deal of liquidity in the market between both sponsors and strategics, as well as a desire to put cash to work. There is also pent-up demand from a few slower years of M&A," said Ivan Farman, co-head of global M&A at Bank of America. "We were a little more cautious before March but after the activity we've seen in the last few weeks we're more optimistic." A burst of megadeals in March and hot Asia Pacific IPO activity saved the industry from a moribund quarter. Deal volume in Asia surged 92% to $264.46 billion from the year-ago period, thanks in a large part to the state-run deals in China and Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's $19.2 billion sale of ports, including those near the Panama Canal, to a BlackRock-led group of investors. That deal, however, appeared less solid after reports surfaced on Friday that it will not get signed as planned this week, due to pressure from Beijing. The three acquisitions announced by China's Ministry of Finance on Sunday also accounted for more than $55 billion, combined. Big European deals helped boost activity 7% from a year earlier to $190.18 billion, including Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena's $13.8 billion bid for Mediobanca. The deal total for Europe, however, fell 32% from a year earlier to 2,647. Stalled deals activity led Jefferies on Wednesday to miss first-quarter earnings estimates. The investment bank's revenue from equity underwriting declined 39%, foreshadowing what may be in store when larger rivals Morgan Stanley, Goldman and JPMorgan Chase, report results next month. Last year's "momentum has been slowed by the uncertainty that has arisen as a result of the policy statements and actions of the government and geopolitical events," Jefferies President Brian Friedman said in an interview. VOLATILITY THREAT TO IPOS Since Trump's January 20 inauguration, the S&P 500 is down more than 6% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 has fallen more than 10% through Monday's close, LSEG data showed. This dampened optimism for 2025 IPOs after many companies waited for years to go public. "Issuers and investors would both like certainty," said Keith Canton, JPMorgan's head of Americas equity capital markets. "Then they can understand how business models will be impacted and then they can start to price equity appropriately." Two major IPOs, by liquefied natural gas exporter Venture Global and artificial intelligence startup , largely drove volumes in the quarter, but their performance has been disappointing. Venture Global shares have tumbled nearly 60% since it went public, erasing about $33 billion in value. CoreWeave's highly anticipated debut on Friday also fell short of expectations, with the stock falling more than 7% below its IPO price. This sent a chill through the IPO pipeline and raised concerns about weakening sentiment toward AI infrastructure. "If you put the combination of tariffs and overall economic uncertainty together, it makes it harder as a management team to have real comfort in the trajectory of your own business and your ability to perform in those critical first few quarters post-IPO," said Robert Stowe, head of Americas equity capital markets at Barclays. Some European companies have delayed IPO plans. German pharmaceutical company Stada postponed going public in Frankfurt last week because of market volatility. German bank OLB, another IPO candidate, opted instead to sell itself this month to French banking group Credit Mutuel Alliance Federale. "There have been some big and successful deals that have happened in the last 12 months," said Martin Thorneycroft, global co-head of equity capital markets at Morgan Stanley. "They're still relatively few and far between, and I think there are quite a few issuers who would want to see a bit more proof in the pudding." (Reporting by Echo Wang in New York and Charlie Conchie and Anousha Sakoui in London; Additional reporting by Lananh Nguyen in New York and Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Dawn Kopecki, Anirban Sen, David Gregorio and Richard Chang) Newark officials accuse Geo Group of wanton and unlawful occupation of Delaney Hall, a facility the company wants to turn into a new migrant jail. (Photo by New Jersey Monitor) A private prison company aiming to open a massive immigration detention center in Newark is renovating the building without securing proper permits, has barred city inspectors from entering the facility, and is flouting city code to finish construction, Newark officials allege in legal documents filed Tuesday. Geo Groups wanton and unlawful occupation of Delaney Hall the building where the company plans to open the east coasts largest migrant jail by this summer exposes Newark to potential liabilities, the city says in a nine-page complaint filed in state Superior Court in Essex County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city will suffer greater harm if not permitted to inspect the property than defendants will suffer if delayed in their use of the building pending inspection and compliance, city attorney Morrison Kent Fairbairn wrote in the complaint. The filing comes one day after Newark engineering officials issued a stop-work order to halt all construction on the site. As I have stated in the past, without compliance with requirements, Delaney Hall cannot lawfully open, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who opposes plans to open the new immigrant jail, said in a statement. We will not tolerate federal attempts to ignore or evade our laws and statutes, which apply to everyone. In February, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it signed a 15-year contract with Geo Group to house immigrant detainees at Delaney Hall, a 1,000-bed facility located next to the Essex County jail. ICE officials said the detention center would help manage the influx of migrants arrested and detained under President Donald Trump, who recaptured the White House in January after pledging a mass deportation effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Immigrant advocates have protested Geo Groups plans, with Baraka who is one of six Democrats running for governor joining activists in their calls to keep the jail from opening. He told reporters at a protest in March that hed padlock the building to block its opening if Geo Group didnt obtain the proper approvals. New Jersey has a state law barring private and public companies from contracting with ICE to house immigrant detainees, but a federal judge struck down part of the law pertaining to private companies in 2023. The state has appealed the ruling, and the appeal is scheduled to be heard in a few weeks. On Monday, Newark officials told Delaney Halls director theyd visit the facility for inspections of the fire alarms and elevator functionality, but Geo Group staff stopped them from entering, according to the complaint. While inspectors werent allowed inside the facility, they saw electrical and plumbing work occurring outside despite no permit to do such work, which creates a serious health risk, the complaint says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Geo Group employee told city officials that the building is currently being used as a training facility, according to the complaint. But without certified and properly working elevators that pass inspection, the building is a life safety hazard for every occupant, according to the complaint. City officials also note that HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and other systems have not been used in the building for years, and the city has had no way to check whether these are functional, the complaint says. Delaney Hall held immigrant detainees between 2011 and 2017. Its also unclear whether any upgrades are up to city and state code, considering no permit has been taken out, the city says. The lack of an inspection presents an immediate and significant risk to life safety, including fire hazards due to improper electrical wiring, risk of electrocution due to unpermitted electrical work, insufficient plumbing which may yield to low water pressure and environmental issues due to improper disposal of wastewater and solid waste, inability to conduct an elevator recall in case of fire placing occupants at risk of injury during evacuation procedures, just to name a few hazards to the safety of the occupants, city engineering director Dolores Martinez Wooden said in an affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city is asking a judge to order Geo Group officials to allow inspectors into the building, halt all construction, and comply with all local fire, health, and safety regulations. ICE and Geo Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Delaney Hall would be the states second private detention center for immigrants. Elizabeth Detention Center, which holds about 300 detainees, has been used as a processing center before people are deported or sent to other detention centers. Fears are mounting about the potential of a third migrant lockup in New Jersey. In Union County, the board of commissioners has moved to sell its unused jail, fueling concerns from immigrant activists that it could become another detention center. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Several hundred participants held signs and marched around the New Mexico Roundhouse on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025 for the 'Not our President's Day' protest. On April 1, the New Mexico congressional delegation called on the Office of Management and Budget to release more information about how many of roughly 30,000 New Mexico federal employees have been fired in federal cost-cutting measures. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) All five members of New Mexicos congressional delegation signed a letter sent Tuesday to the federal Office of Personnel Management, calling on the agency to provide as much information as possible about federal firings that members said threaten the effective functioning of critical federal services and will harm our constituents. According to the letter, about 30,000 federal employees live and work in New Mexico. But the federal government, in several waves of attempted mass firings since President Donald Trump took office in January, has refused to provide updates about how many of them have been fired, placed on leave or accepted deferred resignations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Administrations executive overreach could cripple federal agencies, including in critical areas of disaster preparedness, public health, public safety, and national security, the letter says. The letter asks OPM Acting Director Charles Ezell to provide detailed information about how many personnel in New Mexico have been affected by the federal cuts. According to the Department of Workforce Solutions, 29,630 employees work in buildings owned by the federal government. A little more than 15% of all employees in rural Catron and Hidalgo Counties, for example, work in federally owned facilities. A large proportion of Hidalgo County residents work for United States Customs and Border Protection, and a large proportion of Catron County residents work for the United States Forest Service, according to economic base analyses from New Mexico State University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (The state data says that just 277 employees in Los Alamos County work in federally owned buildings. A DWS spokesperson said thats because the national labs in Los Alamos and Albuquerque are owned by federal government but operated by contractors, so employees are employed by the contractor, not the federal government.) Regardless, cuts have affected numerous federal agencies with big footprints in New Mexico. Dozens of probationary Forest Service employees, for example, have been fired, only to be brought back for a court order and then placed on leave. Congressional staffers in a recent meeting about the upcoming wildfire season described stonewalling by Forest Service leaders on the question of how many people were fired. Specifically, the letter seeks the following information from OPM by April 14: The number of federal employees in New Mexico who have been fired, taken early retirement, placed on leave or been subject to a reduction in force since Jan. 20, 2025. The letter seeks that information broken down by agency, county, congressional level, paygrade and veteran status. A detailed plan explaining how OPM will work with agencies and the state government to ensure force reductions dont delay or disrupt programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Weekly updates on the above that highlight the impacts of federal personnel cuts to New Mexico. A spokesperson for OPM did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from Source New Mexico. Mar. 31While officials investigate if a New Mexico Republican Party office was set aflame intentionally, state GOP leaders are calling for turning down the political temperature and strengthening the state's crime laws. High-profile acts of political violence like the 2024 assassination attempts against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and the 2021 Capitol riot have made headlines in recent years. In recent weeks, following Elon Musk's national political presence alongside Trump, several people have been arrested for setting fire to Tesla cars and charging stations in Nevada, South Carolina, Colorado and Oregon. A Tesla dealership in Santa Ana Pueblo also dealt with vandalism in February. Photos posted online show a burned car and a swastika spray-painted on the side of a Cybertruck. The U.S. Department of Justice's prosecutions of threats of political violence against political leaders increased fivefold during Trump's first term and continued to rise under Biden, according to a 2023 survey from the Chicago Project on Security and Threats. But most Americans still reject political violence, according to the 2024 American Values Survey conducted by market research company Ispos's Knowledge Panel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This isn't just about Republicans," said Party Chair Amy Barela at a news conference on Monday. "This is about every New Mexican that has suffered because of a system that fails to hold criminals accountable. From car-jackings in Albuquerque to tragic murders in Las Cruces, the crisis is escalating, and time for action is now." State Senate Minority Leader William Sharer of Farmington said legislators should work together to strengthen the state's juvenile code, target street gangs and cartels and support law enforcement. House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong of Magdalena said Republicans are still ready to come "to the table for solutions." Sharer and Barela both said they would support a special legislative session focused on crime, which Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham hinted at after the end of this year's regular session when she voiced disappointment with a lack of movement on public safety bills. Sharer thinks the governor should bring Republicans in before calling a session to talk about what can be accomplished. "I hope for that, because actually at this point, the governor and me are closer than the governor and my Democrat counterparts on this issue," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no cost estimate for the damage yet, but the building's doors burned, the roof was compromised, there is smoke and water damage throughout the office and it needs a complete remodel, Barela said. An ignition device was definitely used for the fire, Barela said. There is a "revealing" video of the fire from inside the office that was turned over to the FBI, the agency investigating the fire, according to party spokesperson Ash Soular. An official investigation into the incident is ongoing. New Mexico has other recent examples of political violence. Two weeks ago former Republican state representative candidate Solomon Pena was convicted on 13 counts for planning and participating in shootings at four Democratic politicians' homes in 2023. In 2022, Conservation Voters New Mexico received a mail threat with a substance containing an ingredient known to be used in terrorist attacks. The New Mexico State Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO and EDF Action Votes received similar letters. CVNM Chief Operating Officer Molly Taylor condemned the suspected arson at the GOP office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although the arson investigation has yet to be completed, New Mexico Senate Republicans tried to pin blame for the fire on rhetoric from Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez at a town hall Saturday in Santa Fe. "In the wake of a prominent Democrat official calling for her supporters to be 'agitators,' it appears some unhinged supporters took the message to heart and acted out in a violent manner," the group's leaders said in a statement. The claim echoes one made last year, when Trump claimed former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris inspired an assassination attempt with their rhetoric. Leger Fernandez did call for her supporters to "agitate" with specific actions like coming to town halls, following Democratic politicians on social media and calling Republican members of Congress. In a statement Monday, Leger Fernandez said "political violence of any sort is unacceptable, including this attack. The perpetrators must be held accountable." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is a ludicrous leap to twist encouraging democratic participation, calling your representatives and showing up at town halls into an insinuation of violence," Leger Fernandez said. Democratic Party of New Mexico Chair Jessica Velasquez called on Republicans to apologize for implicating Leger Fernandez's rhetoric in the fire. DPNM also condemned the fire. "Everyone who participated in the Congresswoman's town hall knows how peaceful and community-oriented it was participants were even invited to rise and pass the peace," Velasquez said in a statement. An apology is not warranted, according to Sharer. "She said, legislate, litigate and agitate," Sharer said, before staring at the burned office doors. "That wasn't litigating, but I do stand by (that) it's time for everybody to calm down, take a breath and stop the rhetoric that creates things like that." Amy Barela, chair of the Republican Party of New Mexico, gestures toward the charred front entrance of the party's Albuquerque headquarters on Monday afternoon. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) Republicans from across New Mexico gathered in front of charred front doors to the partys Albuquerque headquarters Monday, saying a weekend fire they believe is arson is more proof that Democrats in charge of the Legislature failed to adequately address crime during a 60-day legislative session that ended a little over a week ago. State Republican leaders say the fire early Sunday morning was politically motivated arson. According to Albuquerque Fire Rescue, the blaze occurred a little before 6 a.m., causing damage to the front entryway and smoke damage throughout the building. No one was injured and the fire was extinguished within five minutes, according to AFR. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause is being investigated, AFR and Republican leaders said. The FBI and ATF are investigating, according to AFR and Republican officials. As of Monday afternoon, no search warrants had been filed, according to a Source New Mexico review of federal court records. Along with the fire damage, someone stenciled ICE=KKK in red spray paint on the side of the building. The stencil was partially covered with plywood before the news conference Monday afternoon. The news conference came after a day of sniping between Democrats and Republicans over who is to blame for the deterioration of political discourse here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans cited a Santa Fe town hall meeting Saturday when U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) called on attendees to agitate as part of a strategy to combat President Donald Trumps agenda, along with legislate and litigate. The party also circulated a fundraising appeal with the headline They tried to silence us. The Democratic Party of New Mexico condemned the alleged arson but said Republicans were maliciously and falsely claiming the congresswomans call for political organizing amounted to incitement of violence. The front doors of the Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters in Albuquerque. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) Nothing could be further from the truth, Chair Jessica Velasquez said in a statement. The New Mexico Democrats statement also cited the recent conviction of Solomon Pena, a failed Republican state House candidate, for shooting up the homes of prominent Democratic lawmakers. (No one was injured.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked Monday afternoon whether the Republican party overreacted by blaming Leger Fernandezs town hall meeting, Sen. Bill Sharer (R-Farmington), the New Mexico Senate minority leader, said he wished to take the temperature down. What Im looking for right now is to tone down the rhetoric by everybody. Calm down, he said. Because somebodys going to get hurt. Multiple speakers sought to link the alleged arson to what they say is out-of-control crime, adding it to a list with the March 21 mass shooting in Las Cruces, plus murders and carjackings. This attack is a symptom of something far larger, said Amy Barela, chair of the Republican Party of New Mexico. A growing wave of emboldened, unchecked crime across our state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A report last summer by the Legislative Finance Committee found that violent crime in Bernalillo County has plateaued since 2017. Right after the final gavel of the 60-day legislative session, Republican leaders called on Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to call lawmakers back for a special session focused on increasing criminal penalties. Lujan Grisham has said she shares Republicans concerns and will likely call such a session. She hasnt yet said when it would occur. Lena takes the No. 2 spot on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list for its unique, personal approach to Spanish cooking. When a restaurant draws inspiration from a particular country or region, it can be difficult not to veer into kitschy territory. Lena, the new Brush Park neighborhood restaurant with Spanish influence, strikes a beautiful balance. There are elements that honor the most darling qualities of Spanish culture: tapas that embrace a penchant for sharing, menu items written in Spanish and interpretations of classic dishes youd devour throughout the Catalan and Basque Countries. Still, meals at Lena feel entirely their own. The usual suspects are M.I.A. There are no gambas al ajillo or papas bravas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Spanish tortilla made an appearance in the restaurants early days, but was bumped for a more seasonal item fancied by Executive Chef Mike Conrad. The brainchild of the team behind Shelby, Lena instead places an emphasis simply on wood-fired cooking and farm-fresh ingredients. Conrad takes squid to the fire, charring it until the tips curl. He trusts Detroit-based farms, such as Core Citys Fisheye and Hio Farms for produce that shows up in plates of ensalada verde, or bright gem lettuce punched up with fresh herbs, sweet Manchego and briny boquerones. And pastry chef Lena Sareini takes a playful approach to dessert. An early arroz con leche, or rice pudding with a walnut praline center and dots of fig leaf oil, was served in a colorful caviar tin. [ Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining. ] Lena menu highlight A winter dish, the butifarra, was a simple pleasure. A single swirl of pork sausage sat in a sea of stewed chickpeas, golden raisins and pine nuts for a sweet-savory world of flavors. Lena address 2720 Brush St., Detroit. 313-262-6082; lenadetroit.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Save the Date: On Thursday, May 1, Lena, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Stay tuned for ticket information at Freep.com. For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit chevydetroit.com/community/giveaways/roy25. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Best New Restaurants 2025: Lena in Detroit Norm's Diner in Detroit takes the No. 3 spot on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list for its old-school feel and dedication to housemade breakfast staples. Theres something endearing about a retro diner. Maybe its the simplicity of those ubiquitous diner foods thick, whipped milkshakes, malts and floats, patty melts and all-day pancakes. Or, maybe its the old-fashioned decor the counter-service stools, leatherette-backed banquettes and vintage accessories like jukeboxes plucked from before your time, and soda machines from an era youd give anything to relive. Whatever the reason for the gravitational pull, everyone longs for a neighborhood diner, and Norms has all the makings of a great one. The family-friendly eatery was just what the neighborhood needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With a quaint cafe, ice cream shop, pizzeria and variety store just next door, all that was left to complete the Agnes Street dining ecosystem was a go-to breakfast joint. Norms isnt just any breakfast joint, though. Yes, there are staples, like pancakes, to which you can add chocolate chips or blueberries. And lunch favorites, like a turkey club cut into triangles and skewered with cornichons. But cooks here take the art of diner food seriously. Nearly everything is made in house, from fluffy biscuits to pork sausage and lox, and ingredients are sourced from local farms and purveyors when possible. A classic egg salad, for example, features eggs from a Michigan farm. The crowds that form outside Norms on a Saturday morning are the best indication of the diners mark on the community. If youre hoping for a seat, just carve out some time in your day. Put your name on the list, then visit the nearby small businesses. Its going to be a while. [ Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining. ] Norm's Diner menu highlights Rotating specials at Norms are the real stars. One giant, crunchy chicken cutlet over an equally large cornmeal pancake drizzled with hot honey and punctuated with scoops of salty whipped butter has left a lasting impression. Norm's Diner address 8029 Agnes St., Detroit. 313-332-0347; normsdiner.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Save the Date: On Thursday, July 24, Norm's Diner, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Stay tuned for ticket information at Freep.com. For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit chevydetroit.com/community/giveaways/roy25. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Best New Restaurants 2025: Norm's Diner in Detroit La Fonda Street in Detroit takes the No. 4 spot on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list for its variety of classic Latin American dishes. Its apropos that La Fonda Street operates out of one side of a former two-family home. Dishes served at the 16-seat restaurant are like home-cooked meals representing the Latin American diaspora. When you enter the space, youll first pass through La Fondas sister coffee shop, Encarnacion Cafe, which brews coffee beverages with a Latino flair. Theres the standard cortado, just equal parts espresso and steamed milk but done damn well, iced coffee sweetened with horchata and the Encarnacion Original, espresso, steamed milk and a very precise 3/4 teaspoon of brown sugar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The coffees here remind me of the cups I sipped at my Puerto Rican grandmothers house when I was well below the standard drinking age for caffeine. The food at La Fonda is equally nostalgic. Ive long lamented the lack of Latin American cuisine beyond Mexican in the Detroit area. La Fonda Street has managed to bring many of the classics under one roof. There are the best maduros Ive had in the region by far the ripened plantains are perfectly sweet, plump and lined with a beautiful caramelized char around the edges, just how its done on any Caribbean island. Theres stewed chicken made the Dominican way, slow-cooked in a tomato base, punched up with sofrito and served with a creamy, garlicky pinto bean slurry and salty white rice. And theres tender Cuban ropa vieja, shredded like paper and served alongside congri, black rice tinted by its tousle with black beans. [ Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining. ] La Fonda Street menu highlight The Venezuelan cachapa is a sweet-savory dream for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Queso de mano, a chewy, buttery, white cheese is stuffed inside a sweet corn cake either on its own or with beef or pork and scrawled with crema. La Fonda Street address 8016 Kercheval Ave., Detroit. 313-499-8844; lafondastreet.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Save the Date: On Tuesday, June 24, La Fonda Street, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeout event. Stay tuned for ticket information at Freep.com. For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit chevydetroit.com/community/giveaways/roy25. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Best New Restaurants 2025: La Fonda Street in Detroit Ayiti Spaghetti, a Detroit pop-up, takes No. 5 on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list for proudly bringing authentic Haitian dishes to a market ripe for more Caribbean cuisine. The finishing touch on each plate created by Franchesca Lamarre is a toothpick flying the Haitian flag. As if the dishes themselves arent indication enough, the garnish reaffirms the first-generation Haitian American chefs cultural pride. Lamarres signature, the Haitian spaghetti that inspired the pop-ups name, is her interpretation of a classic. Unlike an Italian spaghetti dinner, Haitian spaghetti is a traditional breakfast food made with a sweet tomato base and hot dog rounds. Lamarres rendition is sweet and spicy in a peach jerk, tomato sauce laden with hunks of the stone fruit. Its topped with an epis chimichurri, a verdant slurry of bell peppers, scotch bonnets, garlic, green onions, cilantro, pikliz a spicy pickled slaw and various herbs. Diners can opt for the addition of a jammy egg, slices of turkey sausage or cotija cheese. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With little Haitian representation in Detroit, and in the wake of Donald Trumps disparaging and baseless accusations about Haitian immigrants eating cats and dogs, Ayiti Spaghettis mere existence is like an act of defiance. Lamarre took to places like Two Birds in Detroits West Village, Foxglove in the North End and La Ventana near Eastern Market to showcase the true beauty of Haitian food. [ Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining. ] Ayiti Spaghetti menu highlight Haitian spaghetti and a moist rum cake flavored with pineapple. Ayiti Spaghetti address Follow @ayitispaghetti on Instagram to keep up with Lamarres latest pop-up stops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Save the Date: On Thursday, Aug. 7, Ayiti Spaghetti, the Detroit Free Press and Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers will host a Top 10 Takeover dinner. Stay tuned for ticket information at Freep.com. For a chance to win five $100 gift cards to dine at restaurants on the 2025 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list, visit chevydetroit.com/community/giveaways/roy25. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Best New Restaurants 2025: Ayiti Spaghetti in Detroit US-based contract chipmaker GlobalFoundries is reportedly exploring a potential merger with Taiwanese chipmaker United Microelectronics (UMC), Nikkei Asia reported, citing sources. If realised, the combined entity would establish a larger, US-based company with production capabilities spanning Asia, the US and Europe, the news publication added, citing an assessment plan. This strategic move is said to be motivated by the need to ensure continued access to mature chips for the US, particularly amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan, as well as China's increasing self-sufficiency in chip production, the plan says. The merger could also pave the way for significant investments in research and development within the US, positioning the new company as a potential competitor to chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC). Tim Breen, who is set to take over as GlobalFoundries CEO, has expressed openness to exploring various deal options including a possible tie-up with UMC, sources said. However, it remains uncertain whether the deal will come to fruition as financial and regulatory hurdles could present significant challenges. GlobalFoundries, with a market value of approximately $20bn, would face difficulties in financing an outright acquisition of UMC, which is valued at around $17bn. According to industry experts, the merger would likely face regulatory scrutiny, especially from Taiwan and China. A similar attempt by Intel to purchase Israel's Tower Semiconductor was blocked by China due to concerns over the expansion of foundry capacity. In January, tech giant IBM and GlobalFoundries announced a settlement, resolving all litigation matters including breach of contract, trade secrets and intellectual property claims. The lawsuits alleged that GlobalFoundries breached a contract with IBM, while IBM was accused of misusing GlobalFoundries trade secrets. In February 2024, the US Government awarded $1.5bn to GlobalFoundries to expand its semiconductor production as the country looks to boost its domestic chip manufacturing. "GlobalFoundries explores merger with United Microelectronics, reports say" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. Australian officials said there were no reported injuries in a car crash believed to have involved Virginia Giuffre, one of the women who accused Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of sexual abuse. Giuffre, one of the most prominent victims of the disgraced Hollywood mogul, shared on social media Sunday that she had gone into kidney renal failure following a serious car crash involving a school bus. According to the American-Australian mother of three, her car was hit by a bus driving 110km (68 mph) as she was slowing to take a turn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Doctors) have given me four days to live (and are) transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology, she wrote in an Instagram post. She also shared a photo of her severely bruised face in what appears to be a hospital bed. She added she was ready to go, but still wanted to see (her) babies one last time. Giuffre, who lives in Perth, on Australias southwestern coast, didnt say where the crash occurred. A source familiar with the matter told CNN that the 41-year-old is currently being treated at a hospital in Perth, but added that her injuries were not life-threatening. The Western Australia Police Force confirmed a minor crash involving a bus and a car in a rural area north of Perth on March 24 just after 3 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Acting Police Commissioner Kylie Whitely told reporters at a news conference that a 71-year-old woman was driving the car and a 41-year-old woman was in the passenger seat, ABC News Australia reported. Authorities have not confirmed if the incident was the one mentioned by Giuffre. Earlier on Tuesday, her spokeswoman Dini von Mueffling told the BBC that Giuffre was being treated at a hospital following a serious accident. Just days before the alleged crash, Giuffre took to social media to say she missed her kids so very much in an emotional post that hinted at a familiar dispute. My beautiful babies have no clue how much I love them and theyre being poisoned with lies, she wrote on Instagram. Hurt me, abuse me but dont take my babies. My heart is shattered and every day that passes my sadness only deepens. According to the BBC, recent reports suggest Giuffre and her husband of 22 years may have ended their marriage. _____ Police say there were no injuries reported in a car crash believed to have involved Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epsteins victims, who claimed an accident left her with only days to live. Ms Giuffre, who also accused the Duke of York of sexually assaulting her as a teenager, said on Sunday that she was dying from kidney renal failure after being hit by a school bus travelling at nearly 70mph. Police in Western Australia, where Ms Giuffre lives, confirmed to The Telegraph a minor crash occurred between a bus and car in the farming locality of Neergabby, located about 12 miles north of Perth, on March 24, just after 3pm local time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Kylie Whiteley, acting Western Australia police commissioner, told reporters: There were no reported injuries as a result of the crash. The collision was reported by the bus driver the following day and the car sustained approximately $2,000 AUD (968) worth of damage, police said. It has not been officially confirmed that this is the crash Ms Giuffre claims she was involved in. After the incident, posting a picture of herself lying in a hospital bed, with her face covered in bruises, the 41-year-old expressed a deep wish to see her three children, from whom she is believed to be estranged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive gone into kidney renal failure, theyve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology, she wrote on Instagram. Im ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes. Shes depressed because she misses her kids Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffres father, told The Telegraph on Monday that his daughter was depressed and wanted to be reunited with her children. Shes not doing good. Shes depressed because she misses her kids, the Florida-based retired engineer added. Shes got four days unless she gets another opinion from another doctor. It could be that she could pass away in four days, like she said. But if she gets another doctor, they could probably do other things for her. So thats all Im waiting to hear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Roberts said he was trying to stay strong for his daughter, whose last known address was with her husband whom she is now separated from in Western Australia. Ms Giuffre recently separated from Robert Giuffre, her husband of 22 years. She is believed to have been living in a small town north of Perth since 2020. A spokesman for Ms Giuffre on Monday said: Virginia has been in a serious accident and is receiving medical care in the hospital. She greatly appreciates the support and well wishes people are sending. Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell posing for a photograph - AFP Ms Giuffre spent decades speaking out about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein. In 2021, she filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew accusing him of raping her when she was 17 after Epstein and his long-time accomplice and lover Ghislane Maxwell trafficked her to London. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years for sex trafficking in 2021. A year later, Ms Giuffre agreed to an out-of-court settlement with Prince Andrew, understood to be worth millions of pounds. The joint statement contained no admission of liability. The Duke has always denied the allegations, insisting he has no recollection of meeting Ms Giuffre and questioning the authenticity of an infamous picture of them together in 2001. After the settlement, Ms Giuffre retreated from public life and was reported to be briefly under a one-year gag order. A week ago, Ms Giuffre posted online about how much she missed her children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My beautiful babies have no clue how much I love them and theyre being poisoned with lies, she wrote. I miss them so very much. I have been through hell & back in my 41 years, but this is incredibly hurting me worse than anything else. Overwhelmed with gratitude According to MailOnline, a spokesperson for Ms Guiffre said on Tuesday: Virginia thanks everyone for the outpouring of love and support. She is overwhelmed with gratitude. Today she remains in serious condition while receiving medical care. On March 24, in rural Western Australia, a school bus hit the car in which she was riding. The police were called but said that there was no one available to come to the scene. They asked if anyone was injured and suggested that if they were, they should make their way to the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement continued: The school bus driver had a bus full of distraught children and left the scene to get them back, saying he would file a police report, which he did later. Virginia was banged up and bruised and returned home. Virginias condition worsened and she was admitted to the hospital. Concerning her Instagram post, Virginia thought that she had posted on her private Facebook page. Virginia and her family thank everyone for their concern. 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. Last month, tragedy struck as an American Airlines commercial airliner crashed into an Army Black Hawk helicopter, killing everyone aboard each craft. Since then, there have been a few other crashes and near-misses that sparked concern, and now, another tragic plane crash has occurred. On Saturday afternoon, a small plane crashed into a home in a residential area of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, which is a suburb of Minneapolis. While nobody on the ground was hurt or killed as a result of the crash, there were no survivors on the plane, Brooklyn Park Fire Chief Shawn Conway said in a press conference. "There are no survivors from the aircraft which struck the home," Conway said. "There were no occupant fatalities, everybody was exited the home safely." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's not clear what caused the crash or how many people were on board the aircraft. The FAA said that the National Transportation Safety Board would be investigating the crash. "A SOCATA TBM 700 crashed in a residential area in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, around 12:20 p.m. local time on Saturday, March 29," the Federal Aviation Administration wrote in a statement. "The plane departed from Des Moines International Airport in Iowa and was headed to Anoka County-Blaine Airport in Minneapolis. We do not yet know how many people were on board. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates." While none of the deceased have been officially identified, a spokesperson for Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank said Sunday that Chief Administration Officer Terry Dolan was believed to have been on the crash. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and friends, and anyone who may have been affected by yesterday's tragic incident," the spokesperson said, according to CBS Sports. "We are grateful that there were not any injuries to residents of the home that was impacted by the crash, and we thank all the first responders who have provided service." Obviously, the investigation into the crash has just begun, but it's certainly a tragic incident. DES MOINES, Iowa As the 91st General Assembly quickly approaches one month left in the 2025 legislative session, Iowa House Democrats held a news conference Monday morning to announce two bills. The proposals would make tips and overtime wages no longer subject to state taxes. Were talking about giving a tax break to people struggling to pay rent, to pay off student loans, to make a name for themselves, to make a life for themselves in Iowa and get ahead, said State Representative Dave Jacoby, (D) District 86 from Coralville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Democrats say that the two bills would impact 39,000 Iowa workers that rely on tips to make ends meet, and often these jobs come with overtime work. Iowa Democrats want to make sure that the folks that are working for minimum wage in the service industry dont have to pay taxes on their tips, said State Representative Eric Gjerde (D), District 74 from Cedar Rapids. Multiple crews battle large fire at co-op in Otley Iowa House Republicans had a bill that would end the tax on overtime wages that advanced out of subcommittee earlier in the session, but there has been no movement on it since. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know Representative Sexton has a bill that would deal with the overtime tax, but he did mention in our Ways & Means committee the price tag, said State Representative Sami Scheetz (D), District 78 from Cedar Rapids. And its really interesting to hear Republicans talk about price tags for tax bills, when again, the flat tax is going to cost the state potentially billions of dollars. And any time were going to talk about a tax break that actually impacts and would help working people that work hour by hour every single day, then we raise the flags and say, hey, the price is too expensive. House Democrats hope that these two bills will be considered as the session progresses. Two women who work in the serving industry explained at the news conference how these two bills would impact their day to day. When income ultimately depends on the discretion of customers, workers can cling to cash tips during slower points of the year in order to pay for their living expenses, said Catherine Pollard, a Drake undergraduate student who works as a waitress. I work around 70 to 80 hours a week in order to do that. I am very aware of each paycheck I receive and the amount of money that gets taken out. It would benefit many individuals including myself who rely on tips to make ends meet, said Campbell Stepan, a college graduate who works as a server and bartender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can view both of the proposals that would be amendments to other bills below: Tips-HF94.596 Overtime-HF94.502 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. DELAWARE WATER GAP, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) April is sexual assault awareness month and one non-profit in the Poconos is standing up for the voiceless. Signs that read No is a complete sentence and I march with survivors are scattered inside Safe Monroe Tuesday. The nonprofit in Delaware Water Gap serves as a safe haven for those affected by domestic and sexual abuse. They are making sure their voices are heard during the month of April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have served over 150 people just last year, adults and children for sexual violence, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse so it does happen regardless of where you are. Executive director Lauren Peterson is getting ready for its Take Back the Night event that kicks off at 5 pm Thursday at Courthouse Square, ending at East Stroudsburg University. We demand justice, we support survivors. We want safe streets, safe homes, safe communities, safe schools. The march has been happening for more than 30 years. T-shirts here hold powerful messages, made by survivors in Monroe County. Theyll be on display Thursday at ESU, all part of the marchs clothesline project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sometimes people think with sexual violence, Well what were you wearing? Was it something that was revealing? nine times out of ten, it was something as simple as a t-shirt and jeans, or pajamas, or a sweatsuit, things like that. One in three women and one in six men are affected by rape or attempted rape. A difficult topic, but Peterson says she hopes people start feeling comfortable with being uncomfortable to work toward prevention. The more we talk about it and the more that people are open to having the conversation, were able to shine a light where theres only darkness before. In addition to Safe Monroes Take Back the Night event in Stroudsburg on Thursday, the nonprofit is also hosting its annual gala on the 25th. 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 PAhomepage.com. PRINCEVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) A man was arrested Monday, Mar. 31, 2025, after a lengthy investigation into selling/delivering pressed fentanyl pills around the Tarboro/Princeville areas. Deputies with the Edgecombe County Sheriffs Office made numerous controlled buys of the pills from Jamarion Smith. Smith was arrested in Princeville and charged with: Three counts trafficking heroin Three counts selling/delivering heroin Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three counts possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver heroin Two counts selling/delivering within 1,000 feet of a school Smith was jailed without bond due to him having a pending attempted first degree murder charge out of Tarboro. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Chevrolet BrightDrop commercial delivery vans are built at GM Canadas CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ont. The company announced April 11 that production will be halted until the end of summer. Stung by years of low production volumes and frequent shutdowns, General Motors woefully underutilized CAMI Assembly Plant is a potential beneficiary of a commercial vehicle tie-up between the U.S. automaker and Hyundai, according to industry analyst Sam Fiorani. The Ingersoll, Ont., plant produced an estimated 3,500 electric Chevrolet BrightDrop delivery vans in 2024, according to the Automotive News Data & Research Center in Detroit, with 2,000 sold for the year and fewer than 500 sold in the first quarter of 2025. With slow sales and excess inventory, GM Canada announced production will be idled through to the summer months for most of the 1,200 workers. CAMI output falls far short of its heyday producing hundreds of thousands of Chevrolet Equinox crossovers a year, but that represents an opportunity as GM advances a potential commercial van partnership with Hyundai, said Fiorani, vice-president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions in Pennsylvania. If they need a place to build vans in North America, CAMI fits into that plan as having enough space, and the ability to build electric vehicles. Sign up for the Automotive News Canada Daily to get the top news of the day in your inbox each business weekday afternoon. Production dockets are filling up at GMs U.S. plants, Fiorani said, making CAMI the best choice for the vans. GM Canada did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Hyundai Canada would not comment on the possible partnership or the prospect of Canadian production. Companies continuing discussions Top company executives signed a preliminary collaboration deal centred on the co-development and production of certain vehicles last year. The two companies are continuing discussions; nothing has been determined at this time, Hyundai Canada spokesperson Brad Ross said in an email to Automotive News Canada. But according to a March 20 Reuters report that cited Hyundai documents and a source familiar with the talks, the proposed partnership would cover two sizes of commercial electric vans destined for the North American market under both the Hyundai and GM brands. The vans would initially be imported, but manufacturing could shift to North America in 2028, the source told Reuters. Hyundai is exploring building a new plant, adding production to an existing facility or contracting out the manufacturing, the source said. Long-term imports would not be a viable option, Fiorani said, given the historic 25-per-cent tariff on truck imports into the United States, known as the chicken tax. When Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina last September, a local radio station played a critical role in keeping residents informed. Their work didn't stop there. In the last six months, WWNC's Mark Starling and Tank Spencer have become the voices of recovery, amplifying the messages of groups such as Valley Strong Disaster Relief, a nonprofit run by Jason Ward and his partners. Before Helene, a Wilmington amphitheater was a crowd favorite for music. Now, it's a place where folks can stock up on essentials like food and diapers, Ward said. But even the most well-organized relief efforts are only as effective as the number of people who know about them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That's where Starling and Spencer come in, taking to the airwaves to connect the relief with the people who need it most. "You don't really notice until times of disaster what your community is really made of," Spencer said. "They're gonna make sure that everybody in that community, that nobody wants for anything." In the aftermath of the devastating storm, the AM radio host and producer manned the phones around the clock for days. With cell towers down and communications iffy at best, they became a way for people to ask for help. "The access to the information saved lives," Starling said. "The only thing that was left standing was AM and FM radio, and I think there's been a rediscovery of that." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Six months later, they're still at it. "You guys are really the only voices we had coming across the airwaves. There's good that comes from the bad," one caller said. Like most everyone in western North Carolina, the last six months have been an intense reminder that no one gets through this alone. Freed Israeli hostages call for end to war, to bring remaining Gaza hostages home What is the future of the Kennedy Center? Elton John, Brandi Carlile on their dream collaboration The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, part of the Catholic Diocese of Bismarck, sits on Raymond Street on Sept. 18, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Bishops from the Catholic dioceses of Bismarck and Fargo signed a joint letter Sunday urging parishioners across the state to contact their legislators and advocate for Education Savings Accounts. Senate Bill 2400 and House Bill 1540 both passed their respective chambers during the first half of the legislative session and would allocate state tax dollars to student Education Savings Accounts that could be spent on a variety of services, including paying tuition for private schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter, signed by Bishop David Kagan of Bismarck and Bishop John Folda of Fargo, states the church teaches that parents are the primary educators for their children and they should have the freedom and resources to choose the best educational setting for their kids. They do not divert money from public schools, do not hurt rural schools and would be a great help to many families across the state of North Dakota, the letter stated. The letter was read from the pulpit at Catholic churches across the state, said David Tamisiea, executive director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference. It shouldve been read by everybody, Tamisiea said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said it is the job of bishops as teachers of the faith to educate the faithful. People of faith have a voice to be heard in the public sphere, Tamisiea said. Its OK for our faith leaders to encourage the people to exercise that voice and thats what they are doing. He also said public-private partnerships are a staple of state government in North Dakota and the education system should not be any different. There are all kinds of public-private partnerships where we use public funds to pay private organizations to carry out important tasks, Tamisiea said. The Catholic dioceses of Fargo and Bismarck encompass about 220 churches across North Dakota, according to their websites. The state also has more than 35 private Catholic schools, including pre-K. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United, which represents public school educators and opposes the bills, said the call to action by the Catholic diocese was not unexpected. What we are preparing for is to defeat these bills in each of the two chambers, Archuleta said. Weve never been a fan of using public dollars to support private school tuition and were not going to start now. He added North Dakota United conducted polling in December that showed 68% of respondents were somewhat or strongly opposed to using tax dollars to pay for private tuition. A separate poll in March by the North Dakota News Cooperative found that 64% of likely voters support school choice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both bills are scheduled for committee work on Tuesday in the Senate and House Education Committees, which are expected to make recommendations in the coming days. This story was updated to include poll results on school choice. bishop letter SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea criticised a recent agreement by Japan and the United States on co-producing air-to-air missiles as aggravating regional security risks and another example of Washington's push to militarize Japan, state media said on Wednesday. At a time the United States is upgrading its military command in Japan, the two countries' cooperation in munitions production clearly has military and aggressive intentions aimed at countries in the region, KCNA state news agency said. The comments were attributed to an unnamed vice general director of the North's defence ministry and did not name specific countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the official referred to the AIM-120 air-to-air missile system that the United States and Japan have agreed to accelerate co-producing during U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to Tokyo on Sunday. Advancing the deployment of such a weapon used by aircraft involved in frequent military drills in the region that already pose a grave security threat adds a "new element of strategic instability to the Asia-Pacific region," the official said. "Certainly, the centre of gravity of the U.S. hegemony-oriented military security strategy is changing and it is a new warning signal for the Asia-Pacific regional society including the countries in Northeast Asia," the official said. The agreement comes as "the U.S. has connived at and encouraged Japan's moves for a military giant since last century," the official said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Tokyo, Hegseth and his Japanese counterpart agreed to accelerate a plan to jointly produce beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles and to consider co-producing other surface-to-air missiles. Hegseth stressed the importance of Japan's role in deterring China including Beijing's threat across the Taiwan Strait, calling it a "cornerstone" of security in the region. Such a positive recognition of Japan by Hegseth was in contrast with his criticism against European allies and U.S. President Donald Trump's complaint that Tokyo has not done enough to support the presence of U.S. military in the country. It is a priority for North Korea to counter growing instability by bolstering its military deterrence, the Defence Ministry official said, without elaborating. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Sandra Maler) The tip of Michigan's mitten struggled through another day without electricity Tuesday as restless residents tried to stay warm while utilities scrambled to restore power in a region waylaid by weekend freezing rain that brought down countless trees and poles. Schools in several counties were closed again at the top of the Lower Peninsula. Sheriff's deputies armed with chain saws cleared roads and were even delivering oxygen for the homebound. Drivers idled their vehicles in gas station lines that were blocks long. Northern Michigan lives with crazy weather Gaylord got 199 inches (5 meters) of snow this winter but this wave is much different. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's an ice situation. The trees and power lines are loaded, literally, Charlevoix County Sheriff Chuck Vondra said. "Everything is caving in." More than 170,000 power outages were reported statewide Tuesday night in Michigan, according to poweroutage.us, down from 300,000-plus earlier in the week. But in some areas, entire communities have been without electricity since Saturday. The Cheboygan County sheriff said residents should consider leaving town if they have another place to stay. Running on generators, Petoskey City Hall and part of Odawa Casino were turned into 24-hour havens for people to warm up and charge phones. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she was sending the Michigan National Guard to help with restoration efforts. The challenge is the debris, impassable roads, and hundreds of downed poles. Each pole takes hours to replace, said Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op, one of many utilities in the region Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Petra Tank, 32, of Petoskey said she finally decided to drive 25 miles (40 kilometers) to a friend's home for warmth and a shower Monday. I realized, Oh, this is a big deal. Were not going to be back at work this week, said Tank, who has a tailor shop. We've been sitting ducks for three days without power, and the morale is officially starting to lower because our homes are only getting colder. It's just kind of free-for-all, she told The Associated Press. The Alpena News in Alpena couldn't publish a newspaper Monday or Tuesday, but it planned to finally have a print edition Wednesday. Managing Editor Torianna Marasco said she posted stories online by traveling outside the area for internet access. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mackinac Bridge, a 5-mile (8-kilometer) span connecting Michigans two peninsulas, has been closed at times because of thick ice falling from towers and cables. A relief agency, Convoy of Hope, was loading trucks with food and water for a trip to northern Michigan, said Mike Way, pastor of Center Point Assembly church in Charlevoix. Everybody right now is on pins and needles. It's my understanding that more snow and ice are coming," Way said. We're not out of the woods yet." The staff at Tom's Family Market in Onaway used flashlights to help desperate customers find food in a pinch. Dont tell the governor," owner Bryan Madison told The Detroit News, "but we aint collecting tax. ___ Associated Press writer Tammy Webber contributed to this report. Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) About a hundred people gathered in Springdale Monday in support of immigrant workers, a group that rallygoers said have been the target of recent policies at the state and federal levels. The event was organized by Venceremos, a worker-based organization with a mission to ensure the human rights of poultry workers. The organization, whose name is Spanish for we will overcome, is led by executive director Magaly Licolli, who told the Advocate Friday that immigrants who were honored as essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic are now being demonized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Five years ago these workers were called essential workers, heroes, that without their jobs we wouldnt have food on the table, and now they are being attacked and being called criminals, Licolli said. President Donald Trump promised mass deportations on the campaign trail, and has followed through by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1789, supporting high-profile raids and revoking an extension of Temporary Protected Status for some immigrants, among other things. Trumps policies have left immigrants living in fear as theyre being treated as second-class citizens or no citizens at all, Licolli said. While the national rhetoric started by targeting immigrants who were criminals, Licolli said the discussion has devolved into labeling all immigrants as criminals regardless of their immigration status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are seeing really that they are deporting anyone just because they are brown and being detained because they look brown until they prove they have the paperwork to stay in this country, she said. It is not fair that they are treating everybody as equal as criminals and without recognizing that criminals, murderers, all of these criminals can be [anyone] it doesnt matter the race. Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers in Springdale on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers that made a stop outside Springdale City Hall on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Venceremos hosted a rally and march in support of immigrant workers that made a stop outside Springdale City Hall on March 31, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders tied Arkansas immigration policy to Trump when she announced legislation two weeks ago to impose harsher penalties on undocumented migrants who commit crimes in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act makes it clear: Arkansas will not tolerate violent, criminal illegals and will do our part to help the Trump administration keep our citizens safe, Sanders said during a March 17 press conference. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Senate Bill 426 Monday morning, but an amendment in the afternoon means the bill will need to be reheard by the committee. Licolli told reporters Monday that when Sanders says its her job to protect citizens, shes only referring to the white community. We are also citizens, we are also humans, Licolli said. And shes been enjoying the chicken that these immigrants are producing, so I wonder what shes going to do with her chicken if they are targeting the immigrants. She enjoys the benefits from the labor of these immigrants, so its a hypocrisy and its very racist that she is condemning all of these people for feeding her family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Springdale is home to Tyson Foods, one the worlds largest food companies, and Licolli said poultry companies, like Tyson, should speak out for immigrants because they benefit from their labor. In addition to calling for better working conditions and for immigrants humanity to be respected, Licolli said they also deserve a path to citizenship for all theyve done to support the economy. Vladimir Rivera Lopez, District 4 Justice of the Peace for the Washington County Quorum Court, said he became really interested in workers rights after reading Life and Death of the American Worker, a book by Alice Driver that shares the challenges faced by immigrant workers at Tyson. Rivera Lopez, a Springdale Democrat who won his first-ever election by 10 votes in November, said that he will attend any event that affirms the dignity of someone else in my community. Its very easy to exploit people who cant vote, who dont have that opportunity to represent themselves come November, but that doesnt mean that these people dont exist, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rivera Lopez joined dozens of Northwest Arkansas residents at Mondays rally, including Angela Hickman of Bella Vista, who decided to spend her day off marching to city hall dressed as Lady Liberty alongside her boyfriend and dog. Hickman said shes taking every opportunity to show support and fight back because theres a lot wrong with whats happening in the country. Letting our people that represent us know that we are not okay with whats going on, she said. And Trump and [Elon] Musk need to not be where they are. Theyre doing a lot of damage, and I cant just sit idly by. Even when policies dont directly affect her, Hickman, who teared up during her explanation, said that one day it could be me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have children, they need a future, and I have to make that happen for them, she said. My grandmother did it, my mom did it, my aunt, its in the family all the way back to the Civil Rights Movement and everything in between. My grandmother cant be here to do it, she is no longer with us, so Im doing it for her. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP) Republican Jimmy Patronis won a special election Tuesday in Floridas 1st Congressional District, bolstered by President Donald Trumps endorsement to fill a vacant seat in reliably Republican northern Florida and despite national Democrats pouring millions into the race. Patronis, the states chief financial officer, fended off a challenge from Democrat Gay Valimont even though she far outraised and outspent him. He will fill the northwest Florida seat vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was chosen to be Trumps attorney general but withdrew from consideration amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. Valimont benefited from the outrage of national donors alarmed by the early months of Trumps second term but was ultimately not able to pull off what would have been a massive upset in a district both Trump and Gaetz won by more than 30 points last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mood was celebratory at a waterfront restaurant in Pensacola, where congratulatory text messages were already lighting up Patronis phone as early results were posted Tuesday night. Patronis worked the crowd of about 100 people shaking hands and giving hugs, his wife Katie and two sons in tow. NORTHWEST FLORIDA (WKRG) Polls opened Tuesday morning at 7 for the Special Election for Floridas First Congressional District and the Special Primary Election for the open District 3 seat in the Florida State Legislature. Polls close at 7 p.m. Heres everything Northwest Florida voters should know before heading to the polls. Candidates Florida District 1 Special Election: Jimmy Patronis (Republican) Gay Valimont (Democrat) Stephen Broden (No Party Affiliation) Florida District 3 State Representative Special Primary Election: This only accounts for most of Santa Rosa County and the top half of Okaloosa County. This seat came open after Joel Rudman resigned from his seat to run for the open Florida District 1 Representative seat following Matt Gaetzs resignation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reminder: Florida is a closed primary state, so voters will only be able to vote for candidates within their party. Nathan Boyles (Republican) Hayden Hudson (Republican) Rena McQuaig (Republican) Wade A. Merritt (Republican) Shon O. Owens (Republican) Joshua Sik (Republican) Cynthia Cindy Smith (Republican) Jamie Lee Wells (Republican) Dondre Wise is the only Democrat who has qualified, so the Special Primary Election for the Democratic Party has been canceled. Florida District 1 Special Election Coverage Full Patronis interview: Full Valimont interview: Sample Ballots Escambia: sampleDownload Okaloosa: FINAL-2025-April-Special-Sample-BallotDownload Santa Rosa: Santa Rosa County voters can go online to see their sample ballots by entering their name and date of birth. How to find your polling place: Voters in Escambia, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa Counties can all find their designated polling location online: 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 WKRG News 5. Take a trip back in time when the first Whole Foods Market opened in 1980 and you'd experience a small, independent grocery store championing small farmers and producers, and selling organic food. This was virtually unheard of in the early '80s and set the store apart from its competitors, beginning its journey to the huge chain it is now. But, today, there's a not-so-wholesome reality behind Whole Foods Market. It isn't the friendly neighborhood store it once was -- rather it's part of a huge conglomerate. If you've been thinking that Whole Foods Market is still the underdog, just wait until you learn who owns it. And think it's sustainable and always supports small farmers? Well, you've got a nasty surprise coming your way. That's before we even get to employment issues and various other scandals the chain has been embroiled in. So, anyone shopping at Whole Foods Market to avoid supporting a huge corporation should reevaluate things. We're going to examine the truth behind this supposedly eco-friendly and ethical grocery chain so you know who you're really giving your money to. It might not be any worse than shopping at Walmart, but it's no better and it will cost you a lot more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: False Things You Believe About Shopping At Aldi Whole Foods Is Owned By Amazon Whole Foods Amazon sign - Smith Collection/gado/Getty Images Whole Foods Market was once an independent chain but it has been under Amazon's umbrella since 2017. That's why you can buy some of Whole Foods' 365 line at Amazon. While this acquisition has brought certain conveniences, such as streamlined delivery options and integration with Amazon's technology, it's definitely not a wholesome move. Many ethically minded shoppers have raised concerns about the implications of shopping at a store owned by a corporate giant like Amazon. One of the issues is that Amazon's vast scale overshadows small, independent suppliers, squeezing them out of the market. This consolidation might mean fewer opportunities for local farmers and artisans. Amazon has an extremely bad track record with workers rights. It fights unions and underpays employees. Conditions can be dangerous for employees, with a greater rate of injuries in its warehouse workers and delivery drivers compared to people working in similar roles for other companies. That's before you even get to its carbon emissions and its tax-dodging ways. All this leads to concerns over the potential dilution of Whole Foods Market's original ethos. None of this aligns with the values that the chain seemed to value. Many customers were drawn to the chain for its emphasis on quality, sustainable sourcing, and a strong connection to community health. Under Amazon's ownership, there's a fear that profit-driven decisions could compromise these standards. Whole Foods Pretends To Be More Sustainable Than It Is Whole Foods produce department - Jeff Bukowski/Shutterstock Whole Foods Market has built its reputation on a promise of sustainability, with sleek marketing campaigns that emphasize organic, local, and eco-friendly practices. However, critics argue that the store's sustainable image is more about style than substance. Despite its glossy portrayal as an ethical store, measurable data suggests that some competitors, such as Aldi, actually deliver better environmental performance. So, really, Whole Foods makes you think it's more sustainable than it really is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aldi's supply chain and business model, for example, centers around efficiency and minimal waste. By streamlining operations, reducing packaging, and maintaining a lean product range, Aldi achieves a smaller carbon footprint and less food waste compared to the Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods' upscale image and focus on premium, locally sourced products certainly resonate with ethical consumers, yet the underlying practices sometimes fall short when put to the test of sustainability metrics. High energy consumption across numerous store locations and the complexities of managing a diverse supplier network can dilute the positive impact Whole Foods aims to project. So, next time you think you should shop at Whole Foods more often because it's a sustainable choice, you should question whether it really is more sustainable or it just wants you to think that. Being owned by Amazon means that sustainability is no longer a core concern, and even if the chain itself has some sustainable practices, these are negated by its parent company's polluting ways. A Shift To Centralized Buying Has Left Less Space For Regional Brands Whole Foods shoppers - Tada Images/Shutterstock Whole Foods Market has been shifting its operations toward a centralized business model, a move that has raised concerns for regional brands and local farmers. In a centralized model, purchasing and product selection decisions are made by a head office rather than by individual store managers. This means that instead of each region curating products that reflect local tastes and produce, decisions are made by a corporate team looking to make the chain more efficient and increase profits. While centralization can streamline operations and reduce costs, it also strips away the local flavor that once made Whole Foods special. Regional brands and local farmers thrive on relationships built through decentralized buying practices, where store-level buyers could support locally produced items. With the new model, these suppliers may find it harder to meet the broader, one-size-fits-all criteria imposed by a central office. As a result, local products that once gave stores more variety might be sidelined in favor of large-scale, standardized options that align with national trends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This change is an issue because it does away with the platform that local producers once had. Getting a regional Whole Foods contract was once seen as a stepping for small producers not yet ready to move into national production. It also means you're less likely to see regional specialties and hyper-local produce in stores, which is a loss. Whole Foods Has Been Accused Of Overcharging Customers customer at Whole Foods Market self checkout - nomis_h/Shutterstock Whole Foods Market has faced serious allegations of systematically overcharging customers. And it's not just a one-off glitch multiple investigations have pointed to a pattern of mislabeling that leads to inflated prices. For instance, back in 2015, the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs uncovered widespread inaccuracies in the weighing and labeling of pre-packaged foods at Whole Foods stores. Inspectors found that items like meats, dairy, and even baked goods were consistently recorded at weights that didn't match reality, resulting in customers paying extra. The scandal reached a tipping point when Whole Foods was forced to settle with NYC, agreeing to pay $500,000 and implement rigorous in-store audits to ensure pricing accuracy. Customers weren't shy about voicing their frustration, with many vowing to boycott the chain for what they saw as deceptive pricing practices. And it wasn't only New York other states, like California, also took notice. Investigations there led to hefty penalties, with the chain having to cough up to settle cases. For many consumers, these repeated incidents have reinforced the store's "Whole Paycheck" reputation. While these cases happened around 10 years ago, it's still a reputational hit that's sticking with the company. It makes consumers second-guess whether they're really getting what they're paying for or if it would be better to shop elsewhere. Whole Foods Employees Complain Of Being Overworked And Underpaid employee protest at Whole Foods - Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock On the outside, Whole Foods might seem like the kind of company that cares about its workers. However, numerous employees have voiced concerns about being overworked and underpaid. It paints a picture of a company struggling to live up to its ethical promises, and it's not the kind of thing many conscious consumers want to support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Workers in many Whole Foods stores claim that the pressure to maintain high standards in a fast-paced environment often comes at the expense of a healthy work-life balance. They report long hours, understaffing, and an increased workload, especially in the wake of cost-cutting measures implemented after the Amazon acquisition. In 2021, paid break times were reduced from 15 minutes to 10 minutes, hardly giving workers time to grab a snack. This seems to be in contrast to the brand's image of nourishing both people and the planet. Instead of being a harmonious workplace dedicated to promoting organic and sustainable values, many team members feel that the company is more focused on profit margins than on employee wellbeing. The truth isn't part of the wholesome image the store wants to portray. A Longtime Whole Foods CEO Believed An Odd Government Conspiracy John Mackey talking - Dustin Finkelstein/Getty Images John Mackey, co-founder of Whole Foods Market and longtime CEO who stepped down in 2022, once made headlines for his controversial and offbeat political commentary. In one memorable instance, Mackey suggested a hidden government conspiracy was at work. He claimed that socialists had stealthily taken over the reins of power. According to his wacky theory, policies that appeared to favor expanded government control were part of a calculated takeover by socialist elements. Mackey argued that these supposed socialists were undermining the very free-market principles that his company, and countless other American enterprises, had long championed. He maintained that what many saw as progressive policy changes were actually deliberate moves to transform the economy, imposing restrictions that he believed would hurt innovation and individual freedom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ex-Whole Foods CEO also caught flack from Gen Z by ranting about how they don't have the work ethic of previous generations. Considering the accusations about long hours and unrealistic workloads at the chain, it's hardly a surprise that younger workers aren't happy with conditions. Everyone deserves to have a healthy work-life balance and it seems that Mackey has lost sight of that. Whole Foods Repeatedly Faced Allegations Of Racism Black Lives Matter flag - Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock Whole Foods Market has faced multiple allegations of racial discrimination that challenge its wholesome image. In 2019, a federal lawsuit was filed by Jaleel McFadden, an employee who claimed that the company's promotion policies systematically discriminated against Black employees seeking advancement. McFadden, who began his career as a baker in 1997 and rose to associate store team leader by 2007, alleged that despite his extensive experience, he was repeatedly overlooked for store team leader positions in favor of less-experienced white colleagues. In 2020, during the height of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, Whole Foods disciplined employees for wearing BLM masks and attire. The company cited a longstanding dress code prohibiting visible slogans unrelated to the company. However, employees argued that the dress code had been inconsistently enforced, pointing out that other non-company-related messages had previously been tolerated. This led to a class-action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. A U.S. District Court dismissed most of these claims, stating that the company's actions, though perhaps unwise, were not unlawful. But the incident still sparked widespread debate about corporate responses to social justice issues. Another scandal that Whole Foods can't live down involved calling the police to kick out a non-English-speaking immigrant from a store for alleged oversampling. The store has a "sample almost anything" policy. This stands along other stories of racial profiling and people from the global majority feeling unwelcome in Whole Foods Market stores. Whole Foods Used To Sell Foods Produced Using Prison Labor Whole Foods Market prepared foods counter - Brooks Kraft/Getty Images Despite its wholesome exterior, Whole Foods Market has had its share of controversy over the years. One troubling chapter in its history involves allegations that the company once sold products produced using prison labor. While Whole Foods has since distanced itself from such practices, this part of its past casts a long shadow on its image as a seller of ethically sourced foods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reports emerged that certain products sold by Whole Foods were sourced from suppliers who relied on prison labor to meet the growing demand for low-cost, high-volume production. This raised serious ethical concerns. The use of prison labor often involves complex issues, including poor working conditions, minimal wages, and a lack of legal protections for workers. It contradicts the virtuous, health-focused brand image that Whole Foods projects. Detractors argued that by selling these products, Whole Foods was indirectly supporting an exploitative system that takes advantage of incarcerated people. It led to public outcry, prompting calls for greater transparency in the sourcing practices of major food retailers. So, Whole Foods did change its practices, but for some, it's too little, too late. There Was Once Arsenic Found In Bottled Water Sold At Whole Foods bottled water at Whole Foods - The Image Party/Shutterstock In one unsettling incident that threatens the upstanding reputation of Whole Foods Market, reports emerged that bottled water sold at the chain was found to contain arsenic. While arsenic is a naturally occurring element, consuming enough of it can be fatal. So its presence in bottled water raised alarm among health-conscious shoppers who expect every product on the shelves to meet strict safety standards. Whole Foods claimed that there was not a problem with the water because it was within the limits set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, independent tests showed that two samples were just below the FDA limit and one just exceeded it. It's worth noting, however, that the maximum amount of arsenic allowed in bottled water is more than the legal amount for tap water. So, all these samples would contain more arsenic than would be allowed in water from your faucet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consumers began questioning how such contamination could slip through the rigorous quality checks typically associated with a brand like Whole Foods. Critics argued that the incident underscored a potential gap in the company's oversight and testing procedures, especially when it comes to products that are marketed as pure and natural. Whole Foods responded swiftly, asserting that the levels detected were within federally acceptable limits. Still, repeated exposure to even safe levels of arsenic could cause issues over time, so it's quite a shock revelation. Some Of The Buzzwords Used At Whole Foods Don't Mean Anything grocery store produce section - Sdi Productions/Getty Images Terms like "responsibly grown," "natural," and "sustainably sourced" are plastered across Whole Foods Market products and promo materials. However, when you dig a little deeper, these phrases often lack clear, measurable definitions. They're more about evoking an emotional response and aligning with consumer ideals than providing concrete information about how the product is actually produced. They're just buzzwords and can even be perceived as misleading. For instance, "natural" can mean almost anything in the food industry. Lots of things are natural, but it doesn't mean they're all good for you. As we've already mentioned, you might find arsenic in your Whole Foods water. Natural, yes, but not something you want to be swigging. "Responsibly grown" is another label that seems appealing but it doesn't necessarily guarantee that the environmental practices or labor standards behind the product are significantly better than conventional alternatives. This lack of specificity can leave shoppers confused about what they're truly buying. Instead of offering transparent, standardized criteria, the terms are often used loosely, allowing suppliers and retailers to interpret them in ways that boost their market appeal. Some folks might see it as harmless, but critics say this approach lets Whole Foods ride on a wave of trendy terminology without committing to any high standards that these buzzwords might imply. Customers may pay higher prices assuming they're supporting environmentally and socially responsible practices, even when the reality might be far less clear-cut. Whole Foods Has Failed To Display Proper Allergen Warnings Whole Foods Market bakery - Smith Collection/gado/Getty Images You might think you can trust Whole Foods Market but the brand failed to display proper allergen warnings on various products. It's possible you might not think too much about these warnings yourself, but consumers with food allergies rely on clear and accurate labeling to safeguard their health. An error in allergen labelling could cause death in serious instances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's not just once or twice, either, between 2019 and 2020, the grocery chain failed to correctly label allergens in 32 known cases. These products were eventually recalled, but it could have caused serious allergic reactions in the interim. Whole Foods even got a warning from the FDA for these failures to adhere to proper allergen labelling. Products affected included Chantilly key lime tartlets, gelato, and minestrone soup. Warnings like this from the FDA come with a requirement that the store in question puts a plan in place to avoid issues like this happening again. But whatever steps the store takes in future, this breaks consumer trust. Anyone with a serious food allergy might be reluctant to shop at Whole Foods in future because they can't be certain the allergen labelling is accurate. Read the original article on Mashed. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The now former head of Oklahoma Forestry Services is speaking out after he was fired by Governor Kevin Stitt. Mark Goeller was criticized over his agencys response for the March 14 wildfires. Hes the head of the forestry department and we had a horrible, horrible wildfire in the state of Oklahoma and, you know, didnt think they did a really good job, said Stitt. Goeller says hes shocked, angry and anxious over the decision and says he is being falsely accused. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Governor Stitt told News 4 in a statement At the forestry directors direction, firefighting resources were delayed, unused, or even called back during critical moments. Goeller responded to that claim on social media, Preparations were made well in advance, the public was notified of the impending fire danger, firefighting resources were ordered and in place. Nothing was held back as the events of the 14th and following days unfolded, said Goeller. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who is running for governor, also weighed in. I think it is an absolute lie and an overstatement, the director deployed every available resource in a remarkably challenging environment, said Drummond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Questions surround resignation of state forester weeks after devastating wildfires Drummond says as a cattle rancher he has first hand fought fires and knows what its like. I have inhaled a lot of smoke and its clear to me the governor has not done that. I think his ranch burned up and hes angry and has to vent and as a consequence the state of Oklahoma is injured and that is not acceptable behavior by our governor, said Drummond. He also believes its similar to what happened during the California wildfires. When I first heard it, it was almost like he was following Governor Newsoms lead who fired his DEI fire chief. Mark Goeller is a professional, he is not a DEI appointment, he has been doing this every year for 40 years, its just a huge act of disrespect, said Drummond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters have also been showing their support and standing with Goeller. Unfortunately the one that we have to blame is Mother Nature. Thats the only one we have to blame for this event, said Jason Dobson, Olive fire chief. News 4 reached out to the Governors Office for examples of what resources werent used and was told to submit an Open Records Request. We are waiting 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Zohran Mamdani, the most left-leaning candidate in this summers mayoral primary, proposed Tuesday to launch a new city agency that would be tasked with using nonpolice emergency responses to combat problems such as mental illness, homelessness and gun violence. The agency would be called the Department of Community Safety and have an annual budget of $1.1 billion, according to a public safety plan rolled out by Mamdani, an assemblyman representing western Queens whose mayoral campaign has gained significant traction recently, especially among younger voters. Setting himself apart from many other candidates in the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary, Mamdani, a socialist, isnt proposing to hire more NYPD officers as part of his public safety plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That drew pushback from several fellow mayoral candidates, who have called for beefing up the ranks of the NYPD, which is seeing its lowest head count in decades amid high retirement rates, low retention figures and spikes in some crime categories as compared with the pre-COVID-19 era. Mamdanis blueprint argues more cops wont be necessary, though, as his newly envisioned agency would absorb certain responsibilities currently in the NYPDs wheelhouse, including responding to mental health emergencies. That will, in turn, free up officers who have a critical role to play to focus on more pressing police work, the plan maintains. This does not have a relationship with any reduction in the Police Departments funding, Mamdani said at a news conference in Manhattan. This is clearly a new department that will provide public safety and will ensure that police can actually focus on their jobs. According to the 18-page plan, $605 million of the agencys imagined budget would come from existing programs that would be transferred into the Department of Community Safety regime. That includes entities like City Halls Public Safety Division. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The remaining $455 million would be new spending. Mamdanis plan says he wants to allocate that tranche by making better use of existing funding, finding government efficiencies and cutting waste combined with newly generated revenue where needed. Mamdani spokesman Andrew Bard Epstein said tax hikes on New Yorks wealthiest individuals and corporations which would require state government action could be part of a formula to secure that funding. Bard Epstein wouldnt name specific agencies thatd be targeted for cuts to bankroll Mamdanis new agency. During the anti-police brutality protests of the pandemic era, Mamdani supported the defund movement to scale back funding from the NYPD. His new plan doesnt use such rhetoric, but Bard Epstein did note Mamdani continues to believe the NYPDs budget contains lots of bloat, including too much money earmarked for overtime and specialized police units like the Strategic Response Group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Adams, whose bid for reelection faces serious headwinds amid his federal corruption indictment and surrounding scandals, argued jacking up taxes on the rich to bankroll Mamdanis plan is a poor policy choice. You want to continue hemorrhaging the higher-income earners that pay into our tax base. That hurts the economy, Adams said at City Hall. These pie-in-the-skies ideas that people are running prior to coming into the real work of running a city of this level of complexity is just unrealistic. The largest expenditure floated in Mamdanis plan is a $362.8 million commitment to expanding the citys mental health outreach programs. Among various other initiatives, that money would be spent on launching a Community Mental Health Navigators program, under which the city would set up outposts in every neighborhood across the five boroughs and in the subways where trained professionals would serve individuals suffering from mental health crises. Additionally, Mamdanis plan proposes a 150% increase in funding for the B-HEARD program, which deploys health professionals, like EMTs and paramedics, in response to 911 mental health calls. With such an expansion, there would be at least one B-HEARD team in every neighborhood in the city, according to Mamdanis team. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Demands for mental health professionals to handle emergency calls related to mental health incidents have mounted since NYPD officers last year shot and killed Win Rozario, a Brooklyn teen, after he summoned police to his home while in distress. As it relates to emergency dispatch calls, Mamdanis plan proposes expanding the 988 hotline, which New Yorkers can currently use to request non-NYPD responses during nonemergencies related to mental health. Mamdanis plan says that hotline should be expanded so nonpolice responses can be requested during emergencies, too. On homelessness, Mamdanis plan contains few new policy proposals, but argues his pushes for increased outreach combined with a Housing First policy focus would help stabilize individuals lives and put them on a path to permanent housing. On gun violence, Mamdani proposes increasing spending by 275% on the citys Crisis Management System, made up of teams of violence interrupters who aim to prevent shootings before they happen. The plan cites data showing decreases in shootings in areas where such teams are operating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ex-city Comptroller Scott Stringer, one of Mamdanis other fellow candidates in the mayoral race, didnt blast Mamdani directly, but told reporters outside City Hall on Tuesday afternoon that he believes the NYPD needs more cops. I do believe that we need a robust mental health plan, but I also think we need policing. I think its not either-or. I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time, said Stringer while rolling out his own public safety plan calling for 3,000 more cops to be added to the NYPD ranks. Most of the candidates in the mayoral race have called for hiring more cops. That includes ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whos polling as the front-runner and has vowed to hire 5,000 new NYPD officers if elected. The number of people arrested in New York City for low-level offenses who are being put through the system rather than being given desk appearance tickets rose sharply in the first two months of 2025, a trend the Legal Aid Society is linking to two in-custody deaths. In January and February, according to a snapshot of the trend, the number of people put through the system for minor drug possession has spiked 59% and the number of people held to arraignment on noncriminal violations has jumped 188%, figures cited by Legal Aid show. The public defense group pointed to the statistics Monday in calling on the citys inspector general, which has oversight of the NYPD, to open an investigation into whether the department is violating a law requiring desk tickets to be issued for a range of low-level arrests like shoplifting, possession of small amounts of drugs and noncriminal violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The NYPDs practice of conducting full custodial arrests and detaining New Yorkers who should be issued appearance tickets and released represents a blatant violation of New York law, wrote Meghna Philip, director of Legal Aid s special litigation unit. And this practice is subjecting vulnerable New Yorkers to unnecessary arrests and risks to their health and safety, including death. The letter ties the trend to the two recent in-custody charges that of Soso Ramishvili on March 21 in a holding pen in Brooklyn Criminal Court, and a Senegalese man whose identity has not been released in a similar holding pen in Manhattan Criminal Court on March 26. Under criminal procedure law 150.20, the police are supposed to issue desk appearance tickets ordering a suspect to return to court at a future date for many low-level charges. The law contains a number of exceptions, the chief one being that police can hold people who they cannot immediately identify. But, as Legal Aid points out, the law also says [t]here is no requirement that a person present photographic identification in order to be issued an appearance ticket in lieu of an arrest, and that a persons self-identification can be sufficient. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to figures cited by Legal Aid, the number of people arrested for misdemeanor drug possession who were put through the system rose 59% in January and February 2025 compared with the same months in 2024 2,086 arrests versus 1,312. Similarly, 248 people arrested for noncriminal violations were put through the system in the first two months of 2025, compared to just 86 people in the same two months in 2024 an increase of 188%. And, Legal Aid states in the letter, 75% of petty larceny suspects were put through the system in the first two months of 2025, compared to just 45% on average in 2021. During the period of time described in the letter the Legislature amended the law and expanded the criteria for a custodial arrest, an NYPD spokesman told the Daily News. The statistics cited are a direct result of that change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter mentions several specific examples of the trend appearing in cases involving the subway system. In one case, a man with no prior record was charged with disorderly conduct for taking up two seats on an R train. He did not have photo ID but gave his name and date of birth to the officer. The man ended up spending 24 hours in custody before he was arraigned. A judge immediately dismissed the case. A second person was arrested for taking up two seats on an F train. He was not given an appearance ticket even though he showed photo ID. That case was also dismissed. On March 22, the letter states, 13 people were arraigned in Brooklyn for failing to pay their subway fare when they all should have been released with appearance tickets, Legal Aid claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ramishvili, 32, had been in custody for roughly three days and had gone back and forth to a hospital before he died, the Daily News previously reported. The West African man had been in custody for a shorter period. The city medical examiners office has yet to issue a cause of death in either case. By Anmol Choubey (Reuters) - Gold prices rose to touch a new record high on Tuesday, as investors turned to the safe-haven asset ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned announcement of sweeping tariffs on countries that have a trade imbalance with the U.S. Spot gold was up 0.3% at $3,132.43 per ounce as of 11:07 a.m. ET (1507 GMT), after hitting an all-time high of $3,148.88 earlier in the day. U.S. gold futures were 0.4% higher at $3,164.20. "As long as we see weakness in the U.S. equity markets and continued unease about the tariffs and the geopolitical situation, gold will likely continue to push higher," Marex analyst Edward Meir said. Markets and consumers are waiting for details of Trump's planned tariffs, set to be announced on Wednesday. White House aides have drafted plans for tariffs of around 20% on most U.S. imports, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. "It's possible we could see a bit of a retracement tomorrow on the announcement," said Meir, adding that gold is likely to rebound on continued uncertainty around Trump's tariffs. Gold, traditionally seen as a hedge against geopolitical and economic uncertainties, closed out its strongest quarter since 1986 on Monday, and climbed over $3,100/ounce, marking one of the most significant upswings in the precious metal's history. Goldman Sachs raised the probability of a U.S. recession to 35% from 20% on Monday, and said it expected more rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Non-yielding bullion thrives in a low-interest-rate environment. "We continue to see the gold prices moving higher," due in part to increasing gold holdings by physically backed ETFs and robust central bank purchases, said Ryan McIntyre, senior portfolio manager at Sprott Asset Management. On a technical basis, gold's Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands above 70, indicating the metal is overbought. Job openings fell to 7.568 million by the end of February, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a Tuesday report, compared with economists' expectation of 7.616 million. Investors are also awaiting Friday's non-farm payrolls report for cues on the Fed's rate cut trajectory. Silver fell 0.3% to $33.97 an ounce, platinum was down 0.5% at $987.30. Palladium gained 0.5% to $987.68. (Reporting by Anmol Choubey in Bengaluru; Editing by David Evans and Vijay Kishore) Rep. Andrew Ireland, R-Indianapolis, introduces a bill barring public entities from funding 'obscene performances' on March 31, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) A bill that left the Senate with near-universal support picked up a barnacle in committee, as one House Democrat put it last week, leaving the House on a 71-20 vote Monday. The House additions widen the scope of the underlying bill beyond an effort to replace a criminal term throughout Indiana code to include a focus on obscene performances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As originally written, Senate Bill 326 would have replaced child pornography with child sex abuse material, acknowledging that children are being sexually abused in such images. But a House committee added a new provision: barring government entities from using public money to fund, organize or host obscene performances. A House floor amendment, which moved largely along party lines, also added a method of enforcement by allowing people to sue Indiana entities for alleged incidents. Language shapes the way we understand and confront these issues and the term child pornography is not only inaccurate, it minimizes the horror of the crimes committed. Pornography implies a level of consent and children cannot consent, said House sponsor Rep. Andrew Ireland. were taking an important step to save our Hoosier children. The Indianapolis Republican said the language regarding obscene performances would ensure that public funds are never used to support the exploitation of children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defining something as obscene has to meet a high bar, known as the Miller Test. That work must be based on an average persons reaction and consider the entire work, not just an isolated portion. But critics maintained that such performances arent happening, noting there are already penalties regardless of someones government affiliation. More and more this General Assembly is taking itself to an alternate reality where it legislates against problems that dont exist, said Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington. We create a strawman and then we knock it down and Look at us! We really solved that problem! The problem never existed. But it appeals to somebody out there, so we do it now. Further discussion Ireland didnt cite specific instances of obscene performances using taxpayer dollars on Monday nor in his testimony last week when he introduced the penalty language. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also doesnt limit such legal action to only Indiana residents, meaning that, according to Pierce, any person in the universe can sue your local government when theyre offended by somebody and try to make an argument that its obscene. Pierce was one of the committee members to advance the bill, noting the high bar to meet the states obscenity standard, which he dubbed a barnacle on the House floor last week. In addition to the Miller test, a litigant would generally need to prove they have been harmed by obscene performances a barrier meant to tamp down on frivolous lawsuits. Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, speaks on a bill on March 31, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) But Pierce said the language eviscerates that and says we dont care if theyre harmed or not. We dont care if they have a direct injury. Municipalities may still need to spend their dollars defending themselves from such accusations, which could include plays, poetry and drag shows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keep in mind, anybody involved in this supposed obscene performance that local government might be funding can already be arrested and imprisoned under our current (law), Pierce continued. I would think the fear of going to prison would keep local officials from going into the smut-peddling business. Ireland agreed with Pierce that such obscene performances have never occurred and I hope never occur in part, thanks to this bill. This is nothing new under the sun, concluded Ireland. The final vote tally split both parties, though only Ireland and Pierce spoke on the measure. It now goes to the Senate, which must vote to accept or reject the House amendments before the bill can advance. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- An Odessa man was arrested late last month after the mother of his unborn child called for help through a neighbors Ring Doorbell camera. Corey Alan Lance has been charged with Burglary of a Habitation with Intent to Commit another Felony Family Violence, a first-degree felony. According to an Odessa Police Department report, around 10:00 a.m. on March 29, officers responded to the 2500 block of E 11th Street after a woman called 911 and said that a neighbor had used her doorbell camera to ask for help. The victim told her neighbor that someone had broken into her house and was still inside. While en route to the scene, officers learned that a man had broken into the victims home through the backdoor and assaulted her. At the scene, investigators found a woman with injuries to her face, including a bloodied mouth, bruises to her forehead, and strangulation marks to her neck. The woman told officers that Lance, the father of her unborn child, had broken in and confronted her about the status of their relationship; the victim said when she tried to run out of the front door, Lance grabbed her by her hair and began punching her. The woman said she tried to scream in hopes that the neighbors would call the police, but she was unable to do so when Lance began to choke her. Eventually, the woman escaped and ran to a nearby home for help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Inside the home, officers said they found evidence of the struggle, including a large hole in the sheetrock from where the victim was slammed against the wall. Additionally, officers discovered that Lance had left the home with the victims property, including her keys, wallet, and cell phone. Investigators quickly requested an arrest warrant and Lance was taken into custody later that same day. He remained in the Ector County Law Enforcement Center as of Tuesday afternoon on a $50,000 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 Yourbasin. HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) Town halls are a way for people to come together and talking with their elected officials and get questions answered. But many feel politicians on the federal level arent really doing this anymore. Our federal lawmakers are elected to represent everyone in a district, not just the people who voted for them, not just the people who write to them or email them or call them. And thats why its so important to have town hall meetings, said Democratic Political Consultant, Danielle Gross. With todays technology, town halls can be held not only in-person, but virtually. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some incumbents find it easier to do telephone townhalls or online townhalls rather than in-person because it allows them to reach more people in a shorter amount of time, said Republican Political Consultant, Christopher Nicholas. Its my opinion that an in-person town hall is probably the most effective, not only because it sends a message that lawmakers are listening, but it also shields them from criticism, said Gross. Gross says, for example, Senator Dave McCormick (R) recently held a telephone town hall and gave people a 30-minute notice. And a lot of the criticism that I saw was of people who said this whole thing was recorded. It sounded like the questions were prerecorded and they only took questions that they liked, said Gross. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senator John Fetterman (D) hasnt held a town hall since taking office. Congressman Dan Meuser (R) last held his town hall on August 7 and participated in a townhall on March 19 in Germantown. Meusers team says he will be holding another telephone town hall soon. A spokesperson for Congressman Llyod Smucker (R) says since taking office in 2017, he has had nearly 100 town halls. No mention of one scheduled in the future. Congressman Scott Perry (R) is hosting a virtual town hall on Wednesday. Scott Perry is my state representative. Hes announced a tele town hall, but he hasnt had a actual town hall in, I dont know, the exact number, but I know its a really long time. And do I think that Scott Perry cares what I say? No. But what I like to have a forum where I can could address him in a public manner. Sure, said Gross. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nicholas says if you have something you need to get off your chest to members of Congress, dont wait for a town hall. abc27 reached out to Congressman Glenn Thompson (R) to ask about any future town halls planned, we have not yet heard 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 ABC27. Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Rent Free. This week's newsletter takes a look at Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's plans to create a federal homebuilder and all the ways that it's a terrible idea. A Nationalized Developer Is Not the Answer to Canada's High Housing Costs Yesterday, Carney unveiled a new campaign-trail plan to boost home construction through the creation of a federal development agency. The prime minister's proposed Build Canada Homes (BCH) entity would double annual Canadian housing production by providing grants and loans to affordable housing projects and placing bulk orders for modular homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My new Liberal government is flipping the script on housing with a new approach to build faster, build smarter and to build more affordably," said Carney at a campaign stop, per the CBC. By the prime minister's own description, this would be a massive expansion of the Canadian government's role in housing production. It would be accompanied by a federal effort to slash local and provincial fees, building restrictions, and permitting processes. The deregulatory aspects of Carney's plan are encouraging. It is evidence of a cross-ideological consensus that governments have overregulated homebuilding. It's an improvement from his predecessor's eagerness to scapegoat foreign homebuyers as the cause of Canada's high home prices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the prime minister realizes that restrictions on private development are holding back home production, one wonders why he's so eager to expand the government's role in creating new units. There's plenty of evidence that when the market is allowed to build the homes people want, and are willing to pay for, housing becomes broadly affordable. Deregulation would accomplish the government's aims without requiring the creation of a new bureaucracy and the spending of billions of tax dollars. Supporters of a massive government homebuilding program might argue, "Why not both?" The Canadian government could liberate private homebuilders and invest lots of tax dollars into building new affordable housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Studies of U.S. development have shown that new affordable housing construction raises the cost of nearby housing. Affordable housing advocates point to this as a positive development: Affordable housing is built to high design standards and therefore acts as an amenity that improves the quality of a neighborhood. An alternative explanation is that affordable housing is consuming land that would have otherwise been used for market-rate development. Absent new market-rate construction, market-rate buyers and renters end up bidding up the costs of nearby homes. Lower prices for some mean higher prices for others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That's under the best-case scenario where a government developer is placing homes where people most want to live. There's good reason to think a state-led building effort wouldn't be so accurate. A government that can finance its building projects with tax dollars and doesn't have to earn a profit on the new homes it builds would theoretically be less resource-constrained and more able to build lots of homes. But it would also lack the information that private financing costs and profit incentives would give it to know how much housing to build, what kind of housing to build, and where to build it. Planning would have to substitute for price signals. And there's plenty of history to suggest that planning is an inferior substitute for price signals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grim Soviet apartment blocks on the edge of cities and dilapidated public housing in the U.S. are two examples of planning gone awry. While everyone likes to praise Vienna's social housing model, that too has many drawbacks and failures. A government homebuilding effort's need to rely on planning would also undercut the additional choice and freedom that zoning reform offers. Critics of zoning rightly argue that the government shouldn't be in the business of deciding where people should live, or the kinds of homes they should live in. If the government is building a significant share of new homes, it would be making all the same decisions it does under zoning about the location, density, and design of new housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The main difference then is that the government would also be paying for new housing construction with taxes. The use of tax dollars would also likely create more NIMBYism, not less. Taxpayers could reasonably say, "It's my money being used to fund new housing. I should get more of a say, not less, about what gets built." Already in Canada, there's transpartisan opposition to foreign citizens buying homes in the country. How much stiffer would that opposition be if foreigners were competing for government-built units? Perhaps a federal developer would have the political might to overcome that opposition all on its own. Perhaps, in order to overcome that opposition, it'll fall into the "everything bagel" trap whereby government housing projects become a vehicle for rewarding special interest groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To counter the NIMBYs, the government promises that new housing will be union-built to the highest environmental and design standards and offered at ever-steeper subsidized rates to homebuyers and renters. That would all raise per-unit construction costs. The country would end up spending more money on less housing. Liberal readers might well dismiss these concerns as trite libertarian gripes. I think they're pretty likely problems that will track any significant government homebuilding effort. The government doesn't need to be a major developer in order for housing to be broadly affordable. And if it doesn't need to act as a developer, then it shouldn't. Quick Links A handful of New York City councilmembers are suing to overturn a suite of zoning reforms passed last year. Plaintiffs are predictably alleging that the city did not conduct a thorough enough environmental review of allowing new accessory dwelling units and apartments in the country's largest city. Boston's mayoral candidates offer competing, flawed rent control plans. Eric Kober writes in City Journal about the legacy of Robert Moses. Cambridge, Massachusetts' abolition of single-family-only zoning is already inviting developers' interest in redeveloping single-family homes. A federal judge has halted the Trump administration's termination of grants to fair housing groups. The post Oh, Canada appeared first on Reason.com. An Ohio teacher is facing criminal charges after allegedly following a students bus home to check if they finished their homework, according to our CBS affiliate in Toledo, WTOL-11 TV. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] William Hilt is a sixth-grade teacher at Hull Prairie Intermediate School in the Perrysburg Exempted Village School District. He was placed on administrative leave in March and police opened an investigation. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WTOL-11 reports that Hilt pleaded not guilty to a criminal trespassing charge in Perrysburg Municipal Court Tuesday morning. He was also issued a no-contact order. Perrysburg police said a parent contacted the Hull Prairie Intermediate School principal about the incident last month. The students father got home and reportedly found Hilt at his front door, according to WTOL-11. Hilt allegedly told the father that he was making sure the student finished their assignment because the class would get a pizza party if everyone finished their work. A police report obtained by WTOL-11 found that the parent told the principal they didnt know Hilt was planning on coming to this house and found it to be really weird and concerning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hilt has taught in the district since September 2021, according to WTOL-11. The schools website indicates that he is a leader with the Ohio Council for Social Studies and has testified before the Ohio House Primary and Secondary Education Committee. Perrysburg Schools Superintendent Tom Holser released a message to the community on Tuesday, which was obtained by WTOL-11. We would like to provide an update on the matter we reported to you on March 21 regarding a situation involving a staff member at Hull Prairie Intermediate School (HPI). We have been informed that the Perrysburg Schools teacher who was recently placed on administrative leave is now facing a charge of criminal trespassing as described in the Ohio Revised Code Section 2911.21. As we shared previously, a report was made by the family of a current HPI student, who informed school administrators that the teacher arrived unannounced at their home after the school day. According to the police report, the teacher requested the student retrieve a missing homework assignment. During this interaction, a parent arrived home, confronted the teacher on the front porch, and later emailed the building administrators. The teacher was placed on administrative leave before the start of the next school day and a police investigation was opened about the incident. The teacher will remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the school districts investigation, which is still underway. We remain in close communication with law enforcement and are continuing our internal review, consistent with the Ohio Revised Code and the applicable collective bargaining agreement. As this remains an active legal matter, and due to the protections afforded by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and employee due process rights, we are limited in the details we can provide. However, we want to reiterate that Perrysburg Schools takes this situationand any concerns involving student safetyvery seriously. Student safety and well-being are at the heart of everything we do. Perrysburg Schools expects all staff to act with professionalism, good judgment, and respect for appropriate boundaries. When we become aware that an employees actions may not align with those expectations, we respond promptly and follow all required legal and contractual procedures. This ensures accountability, protects due process, and maintains the integrity of any investigation. We are thankful to the family who brought this matter to our attention promptly and encourage all students and families to speak up if they ever feel uncomfortable or have concerns about any aspect of their educational experience. We will continue to keep our community informed as we are legally permitted to do so. Thank you for your support as we work to uphold the trust placed in our schools and maintain a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment for all Perrysburg students. Holser said in a statement. The police report shows that Hilt said he asked the student if he could follow their bus home and sometimes does this for other students. In an email to the principal, the students parents said they found it strange that a teacher would do this as the district uses an online portal that allows students and teachers to upload and email assignments, according to WTOL-11. News Center 7 will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A CDC sign about naloxone, an overdose-reversing medication, hangs on the side of a bus stop in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Sierra Pfeifer/ KOSU) The Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board is preparing to give out a new round of grants to statewide applicants. Soon, local governments will be able to take a bid at $29 million designated to address the opioid crisis. Applications for a chunk of the money will open May 12 and run through June 11. All Oklahoma counties, municipalities, public school districts, technology school districts and public trusts are eligible to apply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Housed in the Attorney Generals Office, the Opioid Abatement Board (OAB) is one of the states mechanisms for addressing the opioid crisis that has plagued Oklahoma over the last decade. Funds won from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors are appropriated to the board by the state Legislature. The board is then responsible for choosing how to distribute the money from the Opioid Abatement Revolving Fund . Board members Dr. Atul Walia, Dr. Kelly Dunn and Carol Bush have volunteered to be part of the subcommittee that will review the next round of applications. Where did the last round of grants go? So far, the OAB has awarded over $12 million in grants throughout the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The money the board has already distributed is divided among 85 different grantees. Grants ranged from almost $20,000 to $700,000, with the largest sum awarded to a joint application from the City of Tulsa and Tulsa Public Schools. The second largest grant of $600,000 went to Tulsa County. Of the 85 political subdivisions awarded money, 15 were granted funds only after making edits to their initial proposals. The board reported it received more than 100 grant applications in total, despite more than 250 groups initially expressing interest . Each grant proposal looked different, but had to address one of the boards approved uses , including treatment and recovery programs, opioid abuse education, naloxone training and distribution and mental health care. Terry Simonson, special counsel to the Attorney General, said around 1,400 political subdivisions are eligible to apply for grants. Still, many dont have dedicated grant writers or available staff to put together a proposal for the money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said these barriers have deterred some potential applicants. Probably the most common reason, Simonson said, was, I dont know what we need, so how do I know what to ask for? Simonson said the board is updating its website for the next grant cycle, adding answers to commonly received questions and resources about how to complete a needs assessment. Still, he said hes proud of the impact initial community investments have already made. Six months ago, there wasnt anyone sitting here who said, Ive been hired to work in the opioid space for my county, and now youve got several of them, Simonson said during the most recent OAB meeting. Thats where we got to go. I need some generals on the ground. Whats different about this round of grants? During the first round of grants, the legislature appropriated $23 million to the OAB, of which the board awarded $12 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Kelly Dunn, who helped decide which projects to spend the money on, said she hopes the board will be able to give out more this go-around. Wed love to give all $29 million out if theres appropriate projects applied for, Dunn said. She said the board will now accept proposals that extend over three years. Previously, only one-year projects (that could be spent over two years) qualified for grant money. Depending on its population size, each applicant will also be able to apply for three times as much money as before. Bill to expand uses, eligible applicants A bill expanding the authority of the board and its decision-making capacity cleared its first legislative hurdle earlier this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Requested by the Attorney Generals Office, Senate Bill 574 expands uses for grant money and adds colleges and universities to the list of eligible applicants. The bill passed with a 39-7 vote in the Senate and can now be considered by the House of Representatives. If adopted, the board can establish new criteria to determine how grants are disbursed an expansion from previous considerations, which included metrics like the number of opioid-related deaths in a given area. The bill would also allow the board more flexibility in spending. It opens up funds to approved uses authorized by opioid-related settlement agreements involving the state and earmarks 10% of funds for statewide projects. The genesis of this bill is lessons learned from when we deployed the first time, AG Gentner Drummond said. We had $20 million and we didnt get it all deployed; how can we make it more effective, more efficient for us and give staff the opportunity to touch more lives? This article was originally published by KOSU. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX It's election day in Oklahoma, with several local races happening throughout the state. Some elections include Edmond's next mayor between Tom Robins and Mark Nash, the Ward 7 race for the Oklahoma City city council, District 1 county commissioner in Oklahoma County and some school district spots as well. Here's what to know when going to the polls. Where do I vote? Can I see a sample ballot? Use the OK Voter Portal to find your polling place, change an address, change your political affiliation and view a sample ballot. What are we voting on today? A number of races will appear on Oklahomans' ballots today. Check which races will appear on your county's ballot on the Oklahoma Election Board website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Edmond, residents will elect their next mayor, parts of Oklahoma County will select the District 1 county commissioner, and in Oklahoma City, northeast area residents will choose between two candidates to represent Ward 7 on the city council. Many school districts will be voting on their Board of Education Members. What do I need to bring to vote in Oklahoma? Anyone voting in person must provide proof of identity. Voters can choose one of three options: A valid photo ID issued by the federal, state or tribal government. A voter identification card. Sign an affidavit and vote a provisional ballot; if the information on the affidavit matches official voter registration records, the ballot will be counted after Election Day. How to check your voter registration Make sure your voter registration is up to date, including your current address, name and political affiliation, by going to okvoterportal.okelections.gov. Election results Polls close today at 7 p.m. As votes are counted, the Oklahoman will share the results online at Oklahoman.com. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma elections today: See sample ballots, where to find results Banco Itau Chile SANTIAGO, Chile, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BANCO ITAU CHILE (SSE: ITAUCL) ICR has assigned a "Positive" outlook to Banco Itau Chile's risk rating, reflecting consistent improvements across key financial indicators, such as asset quality, profitability, solvency, funding, matching, and liquidity. Despite the ongoing challenging economic environment, the bank continues to demonstrate strong performance and resilience in these metrics. Additionally, ICR reaffirms Banco Itau Chile's solvency and long-term instruments at the AA+ rating, subordinated bonds and related series at the AA rating, and short-term instruments at the N1+ rating. The outlook has been revised from "Stable" to "Positive." For detailed information, please visit Banco Itau Chiles Investor Relations website at ir.itau.cl. Investor Relations Banco Itau Chile IR@itau.cl | ir.itau.cl OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Food banks across the state are feeling the impact of federal budget cuts to food assistance programs. Literally, weve seen less food, said Stacy Dykstra, the CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. So, its really unsettling When we lose these resources, it directly impacts people facing hunger in our state. LOCAL NEWS: One of the most impactful Oklahomans ever: Public service held for David Boren Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Agriculture Department slashed two federal programs that spent over $1 billion annually to help schools and food banks buy food from local farms and ranches. Theyre [food banks are] taking some of the hit now, but its going to be over time that it builds, because they already have higher demand than theyve ever had, said Chris Bernard, the CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma. In a statement to KFOR earlier this month, the USDA said: 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 What thats going to do is make them [food banks] have to scramble to try and raise more money, said Bernard. But honestly, theres only so much money you can raise as a charity, and so youre not going to be able to fully fill that gap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LOCAL NEWS: Okla. Innovation Expansion Program opens applications March 31 April 11, 2025 The cuts come as Oklahoma is ranked the 6th hungriest state in the nation. More than 15 percent of households across the state are considered food insecure. Weve got to support our most vulnerable Oklahomans, who are, you know, falling on hard times and need a little support now and then, said Dykstra. Bernard said while the loss of the programs is significant, its not world ending. However, he is worried more federal programs could eventually be cut as well, leading to a bigger issue. It will be a pain point, but something that you can try and kind of figure out how to address over time, said Bernard. The problem is, its not in a vacuum, and there are lots of other things happening that are putting more pressures on households and reducing the amount of resources going to folks in need. And thats where youre going to see the system start to crumble. 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. KANSAS CITY, Mo. An Olathe man has been charged with manslaughter after investigators said he was involved in a shooting that left a 21-year-old man dead on Saturday. According to court records, 25-year-old Armando Guerrero is facing one count of voluntary manslaughter after Landen Roggenkamp was killed in a shooting. Man killed overnight in east Kansas City homicide Previous reporting said that just before 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, officers with the Olathe Police Department were dispatched to a neighborhood near East Mart-Way Circle and North Mart-Way Drive for an unknown call. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Upon arrival, OPD said a victim, later identified as Roggenkamp, was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Two people killed in south KC shooting, KCPD investigating According to OPD, Roggenkamp was taken to a hospital after emergency responders arrived. He later died from his injuries. Guerrero is now being held in a Johnson County jail on a $1 million bond. His first court appearance is Tuesday at 1:30 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 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Filmmaker Oliver Stone called on Congress to fully reinvestigate the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, following the Trump administrations release of newly declassified JFK documents last month. Stone, who directed the award-winning 1991 film JFK, made the comments on Tuesday while testifying before the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets in the House of Representatives. He argued that past efforts like the 1964 Warren Commission had not done their job properly Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reopen what the Warren Commission failed miserably to complete, Stone said. I ask you in good faith, outside all political consideration, to reinvestigate the assassination of this President Kennedy. Stone claimed the commission, created by Kennedys successor Lyndon Johnson and chaired by then-Chief Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, got us to second base, with a lot of unknowns. The 1964 effort concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in shooting the president and was not involved in any conspiracy, a finding thats been hotly debated ever since. The director argued on Tuesday that there remained inconsistencies and new facts to be disclosed on issues like Kennedys autopsy and the chain of custody around Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, who was killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby two days after his arrest. Stone and his fellow witnesses maintained that U.S. intelligence agencies are still concealing key facts surrounding the JFK assassination (Getty Images) Elsewhere in the hearing, JFK researcher and former Washington Post reporter Jefferson Morley said the Trump administrations release of the documents, which didnt include about two-thirds of withheld documents that researchers hoped would be made public, nonetheless contained disturbing new revelations that top officers at the Central Intelligence Agency were culpable or complicit in Kennedys death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I did not start with a conspiracy theory and I did not go looking for a smoking gun, Morley testified. I started with an open mind and looked for a fact pattern. Documents show that officials, including the CIAs then-director Richard Helms, counterintelligence chief James Angleton, and Miami-based CIA officer George Joannides, misled investigators about the extent of the agencys awareness and contacts with Oswald in the run-up to the assassination. Three false statements by top CIA officers about Kennedys accused killer. That is a pattern, Morley said. Its a pattern of misconduct. It's a pattern of malfeasance. He called on the CIA to release Joannidess full personnel file, and asked that the congressional committee ask the intelligence agency why it would lie to the JFK investigators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Independent has contacted the CIA for comment. The government has investigated the JFK assassination and records surrounding the killing multiple times, including through the Warren Commission, the House Select Committee on Assassinations in the late 1970s, and the Assassination Records Review Board in the 1990s. Filmmaker Oliver Stone on Tuesday called for Congress to reopen the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, trying to revive unfounded conspiracy theories more than six decades after the 1963 killing that shook the nation. Stone, who raised the theories in his 1991 movie "JFK," testified before a House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets hearing on last month's release of recently declassified records of the investigation. "I ask the committee to reopen what the Warren Commission failed miserably to complete. I ask you, in good faith, outside all political considerations, to reinvestigate the assassination of this President Kennedy, from the scene of the crime to the courtroom," he said in his opening remarks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stone, as he's done before without providing conclusive evidence, took aim at the Central Intelligence Agency. "Let us reinvestigate the fingerprints of intelligence all over Lee Harvey Oswald from 1959 to 1960 his violent death in 1963 and most importantly this CIA, whose muddy footprints are all over," he said. PHOTO: Oliver Stone arrives to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability's Task Force on the declassification of federal secrets on the JFK files on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 1, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) MORE: Released JFK files reveal Social Security numbers of former staffers In March, the government hastily released more than 2000 documents totaling approximately 80,000 pages. Most of what the government released was not new -- in fact, much of what attracted attention on social media and in news reports had long been in the public domain, except for minor redactions, such as the blacking out of personally-identifiable information of CIA sources or employees (names and addresses) that have now been disclosed. The newly-declassified versions of these documents did not substantively change what is known about the central Warren Commission finding that Stone has called into question: that Oswald was the lone gunman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But they did shed light on details of mid-20th century espionage that the CIA had fiercely fought to keep secret and that are treasure trove for historians and scholars. Republican committee members on Tuesday pushed claims, also without evidence, about the investigations into JFK's death, repeatedly getting facts surrounding the probes wrong and even yielding their time to allow witnesses to freely talk about theories rather than asking questions. PHOTO: In this May 20, 2024, file photo, Oliver Stone attends the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. (Daniele Venturelli/WireImage via Getty Images, FILE) MORE: Government releases thousands of declassified pages related to JFK assassination While praising the Trump administration for the release of the JFK documents, they also pushed unfounded claims that not all information has been made publicly available, questioning whether the public would ever truly know what happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats on the subcommittee sought to focus on what they referenced as the truth, dissuading their colleagues and witnesses from drifting into conspiracy theories while criticizing the rollout of the declassified documents. Stone's film focused on the work of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who conducted an independent investigation of the assassination, resulting in his failed prosecution of New Orleans businessman Clay Shaw, who Garrison alleged was involved in a CIA conspiracy to kill the president. The film was a commercial and critical success, grossing $205 million and winning two Academy Awards. It was credited with popularizing conspiracy theories of FBI and CIA involvement in the Kennedy assassination. MORE: Trump's promise to release JFK files sets off all-night scramble by DOJ's National Security Division Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The film was credited by the Assassination Records Review Board as being at least partially responsible for the passage of the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992. Stone testified before Congress in support of that bill. The act mandated the release of all documents related to the assassination by 2017, though that timeline was delayed several times. The movie's release also coincided with an increased degree of public skepticism in the Warren Commission finding that Oswald acted alone. Gallup polling as recent as 2023 has consistently shown that a majority of Americans has consistently believed more than one person was responsible for the assassination. The number believing the official conclusion of a lone gunman saw a sharp decline in the 1970s and 1980s, reaching an all-time low of 10% in 1992. ABC News' Ely Brown contributed to this report. Oliver Stone calls on Congress to reopen JFK assassination investigation originally appeared on abcnews.go.com DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) The site of a former Northwest Dayton high school has been purchased. According to a press release, Omega Community Development Corporation (Omega CDC) has purchased the land at 501 Niagara Avenue. The corporation calls the acquisition a strategic one that will help cultivate growth in the area. This acquisition marks an important step forward in our ongoing mission to support the families and individuals of Northwest Dayton. As we continue our work in the Hope Zone, we are excited about the potential this site offers for future opportunities that align with our core focus areas of education, health and wellness, economic stability, and community engagement, said Rachel Ward, vice president of Omega CDC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Art installation to be displayed during NATO summit in Dayton There are currently no immediate plans for the site. Omega CDC says that they will consult residents, community leaders and strategic partners to establish a use for the location. Our priority is to engage the community, listen to their input, and carefully assess opportunities that will provide the greatest benefit to Northwest Dayton, said Dr. Vanessa Ward, President of Omega CDC. Omega CDC has established other projects throughout Dayton including the Hope Center for Families and the Omega Senior Lofts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Labours pledge to slash NHS waiting lists is being sabotaged by a litany of administrative errors, pension delays and punitive tax rules, Telegraph analysis shows. With millions waiting months for treatment, doctors are turning down shifts out of fear they could be stung with exorbitant tax bills due to a cap on pension contributions which would leave them effectively paying to go to work. And despite being given three years to prepare, an overhaul of the NHS Pension Scheme remains months behind schedule and does not know when it will catch up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As NHS waiting lists stand at almost 7.5 million, eight months after Labour took power, Telegraph Money can reveal: A quarter of doctors have reduced their overtime because of potential five-figure tax bills, leading to a 10pc reduction in NHS capacity. 62,000 crucial pension statements are now six months overdue, despite extra NHS spending on overtime and additional staff. A statutory deadline given three years in advance will be missed, leaving NHS workers and retirees in the dark over how much their pension will be. Thousands of doctors and dentists are in line for first-time tax bills. Labour swept to power last July with a huge majority after promising a raft of reforms in an election manifesto entitled Change. The 136-page document included a firm pledge to save the NHS and cut waiting lists by providing an extra 40,000 appointments a week in England alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, waiting lists have fallen by just 3pc since Labour took power and currently stand at 7.4 million. More than three million people have waited over 18 weeks for treatment. Experts are now warning that the refusal to tackle draconian legislation and a pension scheme racked with delays is obstructing progress with serious knock-on effects for patient care. 10pc reduction in NHS capacity Doctors have long warned that convoluted pension rules were forcing them to turn down work or even retire early. The Conservatives responded by removing the Lifetime Allowance a cap on pension contributions before tax charges became due. However, like all workers, NHS staff can still only contribute 60,000 or their salary whichever is higher into a pension each year and receive tax relief. Worse still, the limit can be reduced to just 10,000 for high earners and any breach incurs a tax charge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the British Medical Association, the rule has led to doctors reducing their workloads and turning down overtime because it creates a cliff edge where just 1 in extra earnings can generate a 22,500 tax bill. Its latest research, released this week, found that the NHS had lost the equivalent of 5,400 full-time consultants, representing almost 10pc of the available workforce, and around four million GP appointments as a result. Dr Vishal Sharma, the organisations pensions committee chairman, said: It is an absurd situation when the Government is promising to bring down near-record waiting lists, yet doctors are being forced by complex and unfair pension tax rules to turn down or reduce extra work. Doctors want to do more to help patients and do as much as they are able to, but no one should be expected to pay to work, which is the bizarre scenario that this cliff edge can create. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a real, not hypothetical, issue affecting the capacity in hospitals and GP practices right now. The British Medical Association is calling on the Government to remove the annual allowance reduction. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: Current tax arrangements mean doctors can take on extra hours and stay within tax-free pension saving limits. The tapered annual allowance, meanwhile, applies only to those whose taxable earnings exceed 200,000 per year. We have already made progress on our Plan for Change delivering an extra two million appointments and cutting waiting lists by 193,000. Six-month delays to pension statements Doctors who work privately or pick up overtime rely on remediable pension savings statements to track their income and pension contributions, helping them avoid excessive tax bills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The NHS Business Services Authority which runs the NHS Pension Scheme was required to send statements to 137,000 staff by Oct 6 last year. At the end of January 2025, it said 57,000 had been sent, 56,000 were still outstanding and another 25,000 had been calculated but not yet posted. It also said extra resources had been taken on to deal with the backlog, including offering overtime and recruiting more staff, and that most of those outstanding would be issued by the end of February. By mid-March, however, Karin Smyth, health minister, admitted that just 61,000 had been sent and the number calculated but not posted was actually 2,000. The true backlog stood at 75,000. The mix-up in the figures was attributed to some statements being categorised as issued when they were in fact still undergoing quality checks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr Sharma said: Doctors pensions are incredibly complex and without clear records. It is almost impossible to make any decisions about finances and work commitments. Theres no doubt that without up-to-date information, doctors will be pre-emptively reducing or turning down extra work to avoid additional pension tax bills that they might not even be due. Dr Luke Evans, shadow health minister, said it was time for The Pensions Regulator to intervene. He said: The delays and confusion mean that some doctors are actively choosing not to carry out further vital work in the NHS. This will have a direct impact on patients and waiting lists, simply because of admin errors with pension calculations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the sake of patients and doctors alike, the NHS Business Services Authority and ministers need to get their figures right and work urgently to issue the remaining statements, and the regulator needs to take swift action to work out what has gone wrong. The previous government made progress on the annual allowance to remove perverse disincentives stopping our most senior and experienced doctors from working. I would urge Labour ministers to get a grip of the reality of NHS pensions, their administration and their impact on doctors providing care. An NHS Business Services Authority spokesman said: A total of 75,000 Remediable Pension Savings Statements have been dispatched as of March 25. The NHS Pensions Service has assigned additional resources to issue [statements] as a matter of urgency. Were prioritising the [statements] that are more complex and require manual calculations. These will be dispatched in batches in the coming weeks. Pension statement delays leave retirees in the dark In 2015, the government introduced reforms to curb pension costs. Public sector workers, including NHS staff, were moved from gold-plated final salary pensions to less generous schemes based on their average earnings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2018 however, the Court of Appeal ruled that the changes were implemented in a way that amounted to age discrimination in what is known as the McCloud judgment. The result is that eligible workers can now choose between the two available pension schemes for service between 2015 and 2022. When the necessary legislation was passed in March 2022, the NHS Pension Scheme was told to contact those affected and outline their choices by March 31 this year. However, the NHS Business Services Authority has now confirmed it will miss the deadline. Anyone in or close to retirement wont know how much pension theyll receive until their statement arrives. Dr Evans said that just 21 statements had been issued by mid-March, which he described as astonishing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said: Its simply not good enough that there are over 381,000 doctors still waiting for statements ahead of the statutory deadline of March 31. This matters, as it means they cant make an informed choice on how to plan their futures. Ministers and the NHS Business Services Authority must look at this urgently. This is clearly just the tip of the iceberg. With the NHS Business Services Authority being referred to the Pensions Regulator, deadlines constantly missed, and Ministers getting their numbers wrong, there is a wider issue with NHS pensions that the Government needs to get hold of. An NHS Business Services spokesman said deadlines were being discussed with the Department for Health and Social Care. He added: We will update NHS Pension Scheme members directly to confirm delivery timelines as soon as possible. McCloud changes lead to thousands of new tax bills According to figures from financial specialists Wesleyan, provided exclusively to The Telegraph, 4,120 doctors and dentists are also in line for a new pensions tax bill. As a result of the McCloud judgment, NHS workers 2015-2022 service will be temporarily rolled back into the old pension scheme until they make their choice at retirement. This means that some will now receive higher pensions than they expected leading to a tax bill if this makes them exceed their allowance. Madeleine Dowling, of Wesleyan, said: Were seeing clients not able to get the paperwork they need, or when they do, critical information is missing or incorrect. We even know of some people who are having to retire without an accurate understanding of how much they have in their pension a worrying position for anyone to be in. When it comes to McCloud, there isnt one path that will be right for everyone. Some people will be better off in one scheme, and some in another, even if that means having a tax charge to pay. The challenge is that working out what the right option is can be very complicated. 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 unclear what impact President Donald Trumps Liberation Day tariffs will have on the U.S. economy, but if things go badly, members of the administration are reportedly ready to blame Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. Lutnick, a businessman and former CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, is aligned with the president on tariffs, believing they will balance the U.S. budget and reduce its deficit. Despite fears that they could plunge the U.S. stock market or worse, incite a recession Lutnick has said they are worth it and produce revenues, though from American businesses that pay the tariffs, and U.S. consumers who have to help cover them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lutnick has even advocated for them, allegedly pushing for more aggressive tariffs one person close to the administration told Politico. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has championed tariffs while speaking with reporters on TV (REUTERS) While Peter Navarro serves as Trumps trade adviser, the Commerce secretarys positive position on tariffs has now made him the de-facto fall guy should the economy or stock market respond poorly to Trumps tariffs, two people told Politico. A spokesperson for the White House told Politico that every member of the Trump administration is aligned on finally leveling the playing field for American industries and workers. Spokesperson Kush Desai added: President Trump has assembled the best and brightest trade team in modern American history to reignite American Greatness, and they are hard at work following the same playbook President Trumps playbook to deliver for the American people,. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each time Trump has threatened to impose, or briefly imposed, 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico the nations largest trading partners the markets have responded poorly. Trump has not revealed what tariffs he will impose on which countries or if he will stick to reciprocal tariffs those proportional to tariffs imposed by other countries. The president has mentioned the reciprocal tariff plan multiple times, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated there could more narrowly tailored tariffs for the countrys largest trading partners by volume. The economic impact of Trumps sweeping tariff plan will become clear on Thursday morning (Getty Images) Bessent has remained a measured voice in the tariff talks, according to Politico. A worst case scenario would be Trump implementing a 20 percent tariff across the board, a Moodys analyst told The Washington Post. This would disproportionately hit lower-income consumers and businesses that rely on imported goods, send stocks plummeting and hurt U.S. jobs essentially sending the U.S. into a recession. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While White House aides have reportedly drafted that proposal, its unclear how likely the scenario is. Trumps tariff plan will become clear on Wednesday afternoon when Trump hosts his Liberation Day event. Although the tariffs will go into effect immediately, the stock market will be closed by that point so the economic impact will become clear on Thursday morning. One person was killed during an officer-involved shooting in Bridgeport on Monday following a foot pursuit while police were investigating the report of a street fight involving multiple armed individuals. Officers at 5:50 p.m. responded to the 1600 block of East Main Street after receiving reports of a large street fight, according to the Bridgeport Police Department. Reports indicated the individuals involved were in possession of firearms. Shortly thereafter, responding officers spotted a suspect vehicle near the intersection of Kossuth Street and Beecher Street where they attempted a felony motor vehicle stop, police said. According to police, a suspect quickly got out of the vehicle and led at least one uniformed officer on a foot pursuit along Kossuth Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The foot chase led to a driveway in the 1400 block of Kossuth Street where an officer-involved shooting occurred, police said. A firearm was recovered at the scene. According to police, one person was taken to Bridgeport Hospital where he underwent surgery and was pronounced dead later in the evening. He has not been identified. When a police officer employs deadly force in the line of duty, it is imperative that a thorough and impartial investigation be conducted, police said in a statement. The Connecticut Office of the Inspector General is investigating the shooting with assistance from the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a statement issued by the police department, Chief Roderick Porter Sr. has full confidence that the Office of the Inspector General will ensure a transparent, comprehensive, and unbiased review of this incident. Any loss of life is a profound tragedy, and we extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased, police wrote. Police did not specify how many officers were involved in the shooting. Under the departments policy, any officer involved will be assigned to modified duty in Porters office pending the outcome of the inspector general investigation, police noted. The Bridgeport Police Department remains committed to supporting our officers as they continue to work alongside the community, delivering professional law enforcement services and fostering public safety through fair and equitable policing, police wrote. Anyone with information about the shooting has been asked to contact the Office of the Inspector General at 203-806-1595. I remember returning from serving in support of the Iraq War, while my ship was undergoing a maintenance period, and seeing news of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal breaking on CNN. The scandal was the worst thing to happen to the U.S. Army since the Vietnam War. Sitting on my ship that day, I realized that a year of all the hard work and loss of life had just been undone in one photo. That photo Private Lynndie England holding a leash attached to a naked, hooded Iraqi man nicknamed Gus by soldiers became a defining image of the war. It shattered any illusion that we were there as liberators. It put every service member in greater danger and undermined the very values we claimed to defend. That single image embodied everything America is not supposed to be. And then came Kristi Noem. Noem, Donald Trumps Homeland Security Secretary, added her own flair to what might be the worst photo-op ever taken by a Cabinet secretary. Sporting a hat with a badge (thankfully not the Paw Patrol kind), she posed in front of shirtless, caged men held at El Salvadors infamous gulag and threatened to send more immigrants to America there. I felt that familiar gut-punch. Another photo. Another war lost this time, for basic decency and American democratic ideals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1775, George Washington personally warned British General Thomas Gage not to mistreat Continental prisoners, invoking the obligation arising from the Rights of Humanity. Even amid the brutalities of war, Washington understood that how we treat captives speaks to the soul of what American democracy was supposed to be. Washington went even further to instruct his own commanders not to treat British soldiers the way they were treating Americans, sometimes letting them starve to death, among other terrible things. Today, Trump-aligned Republicans like Noem have discarded the principles Washington and our framers set so long ago. Since the outset of Trumps entrance into politics, Republicans have become more and more comfortable with embracing authoritarian theatrics and cruelty as political branding. What was once a republic grounded in honor and decency now flirts with tyranny, far removed from what was intended for our great nation. The war were losing isnt just for hearts and minds its for the American soul. The photos from Abu Ghraib became a recruitment tool for our enemies. As veterans, we remember the shame, the hearings, the apologies and the consequences. We remember the Americans who paid the price: junior soldiers who were just following orders, a cautionary tale that militaries around the world have learned, forgotten, and too often repeated. Whats most troubling is that Noems actions are setting the tone from the top. Shes setting the tone for every Border Patrol agent and sworn American officer involved in immigration enforcement many of whom are veterans of the Iraq War and witnessed the consequences of places like Abu Ghraib. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Veterans understand that mistreating prisoners, no matter how deserving they may seem, makes us all less safe. By encouraging this mindset, Noem is putting border agents and others she is responsible for protecting at risk. Every American should be asking: What happens when we normalize sending people without hearings or trials to cages in foreign countries known for torture? What happens when we rely on authoritarian regimes to do the dirty work we cant legally carry out on U.S. soil? And who do we become when this is not only accepted, but promoted by leaders at the highest levels of our government and military? More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. One of the many sexual assault lawsuits against Sean Diddy Combs was dismissed Monday in Manhattan Federal Court. The woman who filed the lawsuit as Jane Doe was ordered March 6 to identify herself in court documents, or the case would be dismissed. The woman never refiled, so Manhattan Federal Judge Lewis Liman tossed the case on Monday. In this particular case, Jane Doe opted not to proceed. There is a lot of fear amongst these plaintiffs. I thus cant blame her, the womans attorney, Tony Buzbee, told Rolling Stone. This woman chose not to proceed and subject herself to the media circus and the perceived danger she felt. We have to respect that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doe filed the lawsuit in October 2024, claiming Combs attempted to rape her at a party in 1995 and violently struck her when she refused his advances. Combs denied the claims. Combs, 55, faces numerous civil lawsuits from women who say he sexually assaulted them while building his wide-ranging music business. Several of the cases were brought by Buzbee, a controversial lawyer from Houston. For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by attorneys more focused on media headlines than legal merit, Combs attorneys said in a statement. Multiple women who initially filed anonymous lawsuits against Combs have been ordered to identify themselves in court. Unlike the woman whose case was dismissed on Monday, at least two have refiled under their real names. In addition to the civil suits, Combs was also charged in federal court with sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. His trial is scheduled to begin May 5. With Molly Crane-Newman The automotive industry is experiencing accelerated change across its supply chain - from OEMs to dealers and consumers. While headlines often focus on the challenges of transitioning to new energy vehicles (NEVs), tariffs, regulatory shifts and changing consumer preferences, the evolving landscape presents growth opportunities for those ready to innovate and adapt. In this landscape, OEMs and distributors recognise the growing importance of reaching customers efficiently, data-driven decision-making, and sustainable solutions. A focus on high-growth markets, technological agility, and sustainability is more critical than ever for long-term success. Recent commentary on our industry has been dominated by the potential impact of tariffs on its complex and interconnected global supply chain. Whats clear is the role of independent automotive distributors, such as Inchcape, has never been more crucial in helping OEMs navigate complexities in markets to unlock new growth opportunities. An industry in transformation The transition to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has not been linear, with societal, industry, and customer challenges differing across markets. Some markets, often supported by government incentives, have embraced BEVs, while others face challenges to widescale BEV adoption and currently favour hybrids and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. For OEMs, the high cost of research and development adds financial pressure, while regulatory shifts and geopolitics can create further complexity. Consumers increasingly seek seamless omnichannel purchasing, more sustainable options, and enhanced connectivity. They also want a greater understanding and reassurance of how electrification fits their lifestyle and mobility needs. Meanwhile, Chinese OEMs are reshaping the global landscape, requiring other OEMs to adapt at pace. The increasingly critical role of distributors Inchcape has a front-row seat to this transformation as the distribution partner for over 60 OEMs in nearly 40 markets, from the Philippines to Chile. Rising costs in mature markets and the need for innovation are driving OEMs to partner with specialist distributors, like Inchcape, for complex and hard-to-reach markets where local knowledge is vital. Inchcape partners with established brands like Toyota and Mercedes-Benz, and newer entrants including Changan and BYD, to unlock growth in diverse markets through its in-market knowledge, global scale, advanced digital and data capabilities, and brilliant people. These OEMs benefit from having a trusted partner to build market share, deepen customer relationships, and showcase their brands through omnichannel strategies - while optimising efficiency and effectiveness. One person was rushed to the hospital in life-threatening condition after a stabbing in Boston Tuesday afternoon. Boston police officers responded to the area around Columbus Avenue and Heath Street for the reported stabbing just after 2:00 p.m., a department spokesperson told Boston 25 News. Homicide detectives are assisting with the investigation. No arrests have been made as of yet, according to BPD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boston 25 News has reached out to MBTA Transit Police for more info. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Onslow Memorial Hospital will host the 2nd Annual Hop into Health event on Saturday, April 5. The free community health screening and Easter egg hunt will be from 1pm-4pm event on Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The health screenings will take place inside the Onslow Memorial Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, with the egg hunt being on the front lawn. Several routine health screenings will be available, including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, hearing tests, and STI screenings, as well as cancer screenings for skin, colorectal, and prostate cancers. There will be two waves for the Easter Egg Hunt: the first will begin at 2:00 p.m. for ages 0-3, where parents can assist, and the second at 2:45 p.m. for ages 4-8, where assistance from parents is not allowed. Participants should bring a basket or bag for collecting eggs. For more information, visit the OMH Facebook page. 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. COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) A regional job fair is being hosted by the Opelika Career Center on Tuesday, Apr. 8. The job fair will feature multiple private companies as well as government agencies. The event will be held at the Opelika Public Library at 1100 Glenn St, Opelika, Alabama 36801 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Some employers include Arkal Automotive, Lee County DHR, Webster Fulfillment, John Souls Foods, Auburn Facilities Management, Plains Electric, Golden State Foods, Premier Tech and On Time Staffing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those who wish to learn more about the job fair should contact the Opelika Career Center at 334-749-5065. Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Workforce Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The operators of a tanker contracted by the U.S. military that was struck by a Portuguese-flagged container ship off Englands coast filed suit Monday in a London court, according to Reuters. Crowley-Stena Marine Solutions and Stena Bulk Marine Services (USA) are suing MS Solong Schiffahrtsgesellschaft M&Co. KG, a subsidiary of the owner of the container ship Solong, shipping company Ernst Russ. One member of the crew of the Solong is missing and presumed dead after the March 10 accident, the news agency reported, and the Solongs captain has been arrested and charged with gross negligence manslaughter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The anchored tanker Stena Immaculate, operated by Crowley, was carrying jet fuel for U.S. war planes when it was struck by the Solong, Reuters reported. Dozens of crew members were rescued from the burning ships, and one was hospitalized, according to Agence France-Presse. The Evening Standard reported that ruptured containers on the Solong released thousands of plastic pellets used for producing plastics. The pellets can harm animals that ingest them. One of the Immaculates tanks was damaged and spilled jet fuel into the North Sea. News accounts said more than 200,000 tons of fuel from the damaged ship is being transferred to another ship. The suit was filed at Londons High Court. Damages sought were not specified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crowley directed questions to investigators but previously said it was working with authorities to respond to the spill. Ernst Russ did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Related: VIDEO: US military support tanker involved in fiery collision off English coast The post Operators of US military-contracted tanker sue over deadly UK collision appeared first on FreightWaves. Theres nothing Washington likes better than a good, old-fashioned, juicy scandal. Ask Richard Nixon about Watergate. Ask George H.W. Bush about Irangate. Ask Bill Clinton about Whitewatergate. And, today, ask Donald Trump about Signalgate. Trump says its not a big deal. But it is. He complains that media coverage of Signalgate is old and boring. But its not. He wishes it would just go away. But it wont. And the reason it wont just go away is that it was so wrong, so dangerous and so stupid. At issue is the group chat Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held on Signal, an encrypted but insecure app, to discuss plans for a U.S. military strike against Houthi rebels in Yemen. In that chat, two hours before launch, Hegseth revealed details of the attack to Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security advisor Mike Waltz, director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Also on board was journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, mistakenly invited to join by Waltz. The result was what you might expect from a bunch of amateurs who have no experience in military leadership or national security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres why it was so wrong. First, because you dont discuss state secrets in commercial chatrooms. There are secure rooms sensitive compartmental information facilities, or SCIFS located in the White House, Pentagon, U.S. Capitol and federal agencies for just that purpose. Why werent they used, instead of Signal? Second, you dont talk about going to war without having at least one senior, uniformed, member of the military on the call. Where was the acting chair of the Joint Chiefs? Or the secretary of the Air Force? Or the commanding general in the Red Sea area? Were they unavailable? Did they even know what Hegseth was up to? Heres why it was dangerous. As many current and former military leaders have noted, revealing details of a military strike hours before it happens gives a huge advantage to the enemy giving them time to flee and endangering the lives of American troops. As Barry McCaffrey, a retired four-star general, told MSNBC: This was an egregious breach of security that put Navy combat flyers at risk. The Wall Street Journal called it security malpractice. On BlueSky, former CIA operations officer John Sipher said the move 100% provides Moscow information on U.S. capabilities and personalities. Information they can use down the line or share with Iran the Houthi enablers. And heres why it was so stupid. Remember the old Washington adage: Its not the crime, its the cover-up? Its so true in this case. Signalgate might have quickly gone away if the Trump administration had simply admitted it made a mistake, apologized and fired somebody. Instead, they made matters worse and kept the scandal alive by resorting to Donald Trumps tired, old bag of tricks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First, Trump, Hegseth and others insisted the call contained no classified information. A ridiculous claim. If the targets, timings, type of fighter aircraft and weapons used in a military operation are not classified, what is? The Hegseth chat posed a direct threat to our national security. If a member of the military had leaked, or allowed to leak, this information, he would have been court-martialed. Then, in pure Trumpian fashion, the president launched a personal attack against Jeffrey Goldberg, calling him a total sleazebag and insisting The Atlantic was failing and would go out of business soon. Neither of which is true, much less relevant. And remember, Goldberg didnt sneak onto the call, he was invited to join by Waltz. When that didnt fly, Trump pulled the old witch hunt chestnut out of the fire, suggesting he was once again the victim of some Democrat-inspired media storm. But few bought that, either. Because the evidence is too clear. Nobody inflicted Signalgate on the Trump administration. They brought it on themselves. Its an embarrassing breach of national security followed by a ham-handed, amateur-hour cover-up. Now heres the worst part. Any other time, under any other administration, cries of outrage would be heard from Capitol Hill. Multiple congressional hearings would have already been scheduled, coupled with demands for a presidential apology and a list of heads that must roll. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But not this time. Afraid to voice any criticism of Trump, GOP leaders have remained largely silent; many have been supportive. Which means that its likely nobody will be held responsible for Signalgate. The only lesson learned is that, under Trump, you can share national security secrets with impunity. Bill Press is host of The Bill Press Pod . He is the author of From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire . Follow him on BlueSky @BillPress.bsky.social . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. After Republicans lost to Barack Obama in 2008, the tea party a combative conservative grassroots movement came together almost overnight, primaried establishment Republicans and remade the party. Today, Democrats on Capitol Hill are feeling pressure from their base. Angry Democratic voters are flooding town halls held by lawmakers of both parties. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pack stadiums at their Stop the Oligarchy rallies. The first notable progressive primary challenger of 2026, Kat Abughazaleh, raised $200,000 on her first day in the race. And headline after headline is calling this movement a Democratic tea party. But the comparisons to the tea party are mistaken. Democratic leaders have a better relationship with their base than the GOP of 2009 did. If they play their cards right, theyll end up with a retooling of the party not a revolt. Establishment Republican leaders lost control of their party because they failed to serve their base. Though Republican voters wanted to see decreased immigration, GOP leaders pursued immigration reform in 2007 and 2013. Though less than a quarter of Republican primary voters wanted cuts to Medicare and Social Security, Republicans put Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the partys chief entitlement-cutter, on the 2012 presidential ticket. And though, as Republican pollster Patrick Ruffini wrote, the Republican base wanted maximum confrontation on culture war issues, GOP leaders (prior to Trump) frequently pursued more of a tactical retreat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todays Democrats have a better relationship with their base. Theres no issue like immigration or entitlement cuts, where elected leaders openly defy their voters clearly articulated wishes. Swing voters disagree with the scope of Democrats support for trans rights, and believe the party lacks credibility on immigration. But the base mostly wants a Democratic Party that will take the fight to Trump. And Democrats already have leaders, like Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, who want to meet that need. Another core feature of the tea party movement was that it fought the establishment everywhere. They challenged establishment Republicans in red and swing states, even when it cost the party winnable elections. Richard Mourdock, who beat the Republican incumbent, Richard Lugar, in Indianas 2012 GOP Senate primary, went on to say pregnancies due to rape were something God intended and lost the seat. In Delawares 2010 Senate election, establishment Republicans wanted to run former Gov. Mike Castle, but the tea party pushed a little-known and inexperienced candidate named Christine ODonnell. She won the primary, but lost the general after declaring in a campaign ad I am not a witch. The list goes on. Democrats have a healthier pattern: Experiment with insurgents in safe seats and nominate electable candidates in tough races. The most famous progressive primary challengers Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Marie Newman dethroned long-serving Democrats in safe blue seats. Abughazaleh, the first progressive primary challenger of the 2026 cycle, is running in a district Kamala Harris won by 37 percentage points. There was never any danger of these candidates losing to a Republican. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In swing states, Democrats coalesce around less progressive candidates. Rising stars like Josh Shapiro, Ruben Gallego, Elissa Slotkin, Mark Kelly and Gretchen Whitmer either ran unopposed or won their primary handily. Progressives havent made too much trouble in these races. There are exceptions to both these rules. The tea party backed some electable swing state candidates, like Marco Rubio, then a senator from Florida. Progressives and moderates end up in occasional fights, like the 2022 Senate primary between John Fetterman and Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania. But, in general, the Democratic insurgency is acting more strategically and working more effectively with the establishment than the tea party ever did. The Democratic retooling might be painful but it doesnt look like a tea party yet. Leading Democrats wont get out of this moment unscathed. Some high-profile, aging Democratic leaders likely will face primary challenges. Some may lose. But younger, savvier Democratic politicians will find ways to get more combative with the Trump administration and stop a primary challenge before it materializes. And in 2028, Democratic presidential contenders will try to move on from the playbook of the Obama-Biden era and fashion a new strategy that more effectively leverages voter anger. But a new approach is not a tea party. Its a slightly-more-turbulent-than-usual reshuffle. And if Democrats can stay close to their voters reflecting their values on the key issues, shedding unpopular positions, staying on top of potential new issues (e.g., job losses to AI) and satisfying the desire for fierce opposition to Trump the party may come out of this tumult in good shape. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com UPDATE (April 1, 2025, 10:20 p.m. ET): On Tuesday night, Susan Crawford defeated Elon Musk-backed rival Brad Schimel to preserve the Wisconsin Supreme Court's liberal majority in a high-stakes race with national implications. Trailing $1 million checks, Elon Musk descended on Wisconsin on Sunday night as part of his final bid to buy Tuesdays state Supreme Court race and solidify his positions as MAGAs enforcer and kingmaker. Despite his almost nonexistent relationship with the Badger State, Musk has put himself at the center of the campaign that will determine control of the states high court dumping in at least $20 million, according to The Associated Press, to elect a Trump-friendly candidate making it the most expensive judicial campaign in American history. Despite warnings that it might be illegal, Musk handed out two checks for $1 million each to voters who had signed his petition against activist judges. (State courts had turned down efforts by the states Democratic attorney general to block the handouts.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Wisconsin, the stakes are monumental: A win by conservative Brad Schimel over liberal Susan Crawford would flip control of the seven-member court, which now has a 4-3 liberal majority, with consequences for the fate of abortion rights, as well as redistricting. But the vote is also important for Musk, who has effectively made the contest a referendum on himself and his DOGE crusade. Sunday night, during an elaborately choreographed rally in Green Bay, the worlds richest man cast the Wisconsin vote in near-apocalyptic terms. The outcome will determine who steers the course of Western civilization, he declared. I feel like this is one of those things that may not seem that its going to affect the entire destiny of humanity, but I think it will. Victory in this crucial swing state would be wind beneath Musks wings. Republicans would read it as an endorsement of DOGE, and it would quiet growing GOP anxiety about the unpopularity of that agenda. For Musk, it would be definitive evidence of his political clout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defeat, on the other hand, would be seen as a humiliating setback for both Musk and President Donald Trump. Understanding the stakes, Musk has flooded Wisconsin with cash and paid volunteers who are knocking on doors and trying to persuade low-propensity Trump voters to turn out Tuesday for Schimel. Hes all-in and he has taken Trump with him. (Trump has endorsed Schimel but not campaigned here on his behalf.) Even though the race is technically nonpartisan and judges are supposed to be apolitical and independent, almost every piece of literature supporting Schimel features pictures of Trump. One flyer by a Musk-backed Super PAC declares: Conservative Brad Schimel will support President Trumps agenda! As part of their effort, a Musk-backed group has also posted fake pro-Susan Crawford ads implying shes a woke progressive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In turn, Democrats have made Musks attempt to buy the election a centerpiece of their campaign accusing Schimel of selling himself to the billionaire. They have also pointed to Schimels devotion to the Republican president. Schimel a judge in Waukesha County told a group of Turning Point USA activists last month that Trump needed a support network around him. They filed over 70 lawsuits against him since he took the oath of office barely a month ago, over 70 lawsuits to try to stop almost every single thing hes doing because they dont want him to get a win, Schimel told the group. Theyre so desperate for him to not get a win that they wont let America have a win. Thats what theyre doing. The only way were going to stop that is if the courts stop it. Thats the only place to stop this lawfare. Early voting has already set records, and because this is Wisconsin, the race is likely to be close. A poll by Marquettes Law School in early March found that many voters were unfamiliar with the actual candidates. But the same poll found deep skepticism over the scope and speed of the DOGE spending cuts. And while Trumps approval rating was 48% favorable to 51% unfavorable, Musk himself was further underwater. Only 41% of Wisconsin voters viewed the mogul favorably; 53% had negative impressions. As for Wisconsin voters who have been enduring a tsunami of spending on the court race: The state will have elections for the Supreme Court every year now, for the next six years. Each election could flip control of the court. So whatever happens Tuesday wont be the last word. By a long shot. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Democrats were quick to pounce on the complete breakdown in standards when top Trump administration officials were caught discussing war plans on a group chat, to which a reporter was accidentally admitted. One of those Democrats was Hillary Clinton. In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Clinton talked about the hypocrisy and stupidity of the Signal leaks and how it seems that President Trump and his team dont actually care about protecting classified information or federal record retention laws. It was interesting to have Clinton, of all people, opine on this. Clinton and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth both committed major lapses in national security safety, and both seemed to make every excuse under the sun when caught. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clinton eventually apologized. Hegseth is trying to speak the idea into existence that war plans arent war plans. Playing politics with clearances, classified information and state secrets has become an absolute disaster, and Congress needs to step in and hold our politicians and their political appointees to the highest standards. And by that, I mean the same standards that thousands of Americans in the military and civil service are held to. When I was a young Lance Corporal in the Marines, I had a file on my desk marked Secret. I got up and poked my head out of one of the doors to my office to ask another Marine a question. While I was chatting, an officer walked in through the other door and saw the file on my desk, my back turned to it. I almost lost my rank that day and was extremely lucky just to escape with enough chewings-out for a lifetime from that officer, my lieutenant, from my staff sergeant and from my sergeant. This is a common story among many who have served either in the military or the civil service. Some of us made mistakes and there were dire consequences when it came to handling classified materials. That is why there is so much anger, frustration and confusion when political appointees get away with being reckless with national secrets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clintons opinion piece was a great message, but it was carried by the wrong person. Of course, a lot of Democrats dont care, and that is also part of the problem. As we are seeing from the Trump administration, their spin on the Hegseth-Michael Waltz fiasco has already had some voters rushing to defend the indefensible by claiming that it isnt that serious. This partisanship is already frustrating when you are dealing with corruption, crimes, scandals and lying. But it is on a whole other level when you realize that these politicians dont understand that what they did absolutely put the country in danger. When Barack Obama became president, he famously refused to give up his Blackberry and his incoming administration tried to find a way for him to keep using it. After modifications were made and rules set, Obama got to keep his phone. Of course, they had to ensure that the leader of the free world wasnt using an unsecured device, but it seems that the security protocols have failed to keep up with an ever-evolving world of smartphones, social media, encryption apps and nefarious hackers. We know that, with everyone from the Russians to the North Koreans to dark-web hackers looking for valuable information to steal and sell, this fear has been a part of our lives for some time. But the conflict of having a smartphone or easier access to communications has led to serious lapses that everyone wants to blame solely on those in the opposite party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The use of Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities seems to be an inconvenience for politicians, except when they use them as a political stunt, like the one disgraced former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) pulled. Clintons emails, despite her repeated assurance that none contained classified materials, did in fact contain classified materials. She claimed some type of ignorance of the markings, and she might have been truthful in not knowing, but that doesnt absolve the fact that it was classified. Hegseth and crew have tried to pin blame on everyone from Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to aides, and finally settled on arguing that the obvious war plans were not in fact war plans. That last straw should break the camels back, but in the world we live in, Congress will just stir up anger on one side or downplay the gravity of the situation on the other. When I applied, I had to go through so many steps just to get the lowest clearance one could get. And even then, as a young lance corporal, the one thing that tripped me up was that I had a bad credit score. I had no idea I even had a credit score until a federal investigator showed me a printout. I also saw an officer plug an iPod into an computer on a classified network to charge it and promptly lose the iPod to the government. I had another officer run into a problem renewing a clearance because she had married a foreign national. I could go on, but like any military veteran or civil servant can tell you, these things need to happen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congress needs to find bipartisanship on this issue by updating and enforcing standards for politicians and political appointees when it comes to handling classified information. More importantly, they need to have strict and enforceable punishments for violating such standards, whether it applies to a Clinton or to Hegseth. In the meantime, every country, group or individual with the capacity to attack American security assets on a cyber level, just got a tremendous boost of confidence. It seems that our own elected politicians and political appointees the very ones tasked with keeping us safe instead keep making it easier for the bad guys to steal secrets, spy on us and cause overall harm to the U.S. Jos Joseph is a masters candidate at the Harvard Extension School at Harvard University. He is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and lives in Anaheim, Calif. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 a world increasingly shaped by miscalculation and momentary advantage, the leak of a private Signal chat among senior U.S. officials detailing an upcoming airstrike in the Middle East was more than a security lapse. It was a strategic blunder, yes, but more concerning still, it was an unfiltered glimpse into how American power now communicates, coordinates and sometimes confuses itself. Much has been said about the optics: that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared too many operational details; that Jeffrey Goldberg, a left-leaning journalist, was mistakenly included; that the Trump administrations response wavered between bluster and dismissal. But few have stopped to consider what our allies and adversaries learned from watching the fallout unfold. And fewer still have explored how this kind of breach doesnt just undermine an operation it reshapes the intelligence calculus of capitals around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Tel Aviv to Tehran, from Kyiv to the Kremlin, national security teams now analyze that Signal thread and its aftermath for something more valuable than launch windows: personality profiles, fault lines, leadership gaps, crisis management and real-time insight into how power is exercised inside the Trump administration. We have shared too much. There is an intelligence term for this: personality mapping. And our adversaries just got an upgrade for free. The problem began with enthusiasm, not betrayal. Secretary Hegseths tone in the chat conveyed a youthful exuberance, a watch-this energy that belongs in a war movie, not a war room. His mistake wasnt malice; it was misalignment. His job is strategic, not operational. The right move would have been a general alert and a reference to the classified network. Instead, specifics flowed timelines, objectives, strike packages all shared on a platform better suited for activists and journalists than architects of war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this isnt about a single slip. Its about a culture that hasnt fully adapted to the modern rhythm of power. In an administration fueled by urgency, with senior officials juggling crises, media obligations and direct lines to the president, secure communication can fall victim to convenience. Thats not a tech failure. Its a leadership failure. The administrations response added another layer of risk. President Trump initially addressed the issue decisively, paraphrasing: It was an error, I have taken action, no ones losing their job, next question. But then came the attacks on the journalist who reported the leak. That changed the story from a resolved internal mistake to a running media battle. That was a misstep. Attacking the press rarely ends a controversy. It fuels it. The administration should have stuck to its original line, kept the focus internal and let the news cycle move on. Instead, the issue lingered, with just enough drama to raise new questions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And those questions multiplied. National Security Advisor Mike Waltzs public denial that he had prior contact with Goldberg has become a test of credibility. If its proven that Waltz did in fact speak with Goldberg before while vehemently denying it then the matter isnt just political. Its principled. He must resign. Credibility is the currency of national security. When it evaporates, so does effectiveness. Senior officials cant operate in gray zones of truth, especially when the stakes include lives, allies and deterrence. Still, the most lasting damage may not be the content of the leak but the context it revealed. To adversaries and allies alike, that Signal thread was an unexpected roadmap into our internal power dynamics. Who leads. Who defers. Who reacts quickly. Whos wired into the presidents thinking. Thats intelligence gold and they didnt need a mole to get it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We werent hacked. We gave it away. None of this is to suggest that those involved arent capable or committed. They are. And its clear they are operating at an extraordinary pace. In this administration, the tempo is relentless. Officials are under enormous pressure to respond quickly, juggle overlapping responsibilities and maintain near-constant availability. Its easy to understand why a shortcut, like a Signal chat, feels like a solution. But thats exactly when mistakes happen. Because when everything is urgent, judgment is the first casualty. The answer isnt to fire people over a misstep. Its fixing the system that makes missteps likely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres what should happen next: The administration must clearly state that no future operational discussions will take place outside of secure systems. Full stop. That message should come from the president or national security advisor in one sentence, delivered once, without elaboration, blame or drama. Then: Move on. Do not re-litigate the issue in public, attack the press, or feed the story. Let it die. Congressional hearings, however tempting, would keep the incident in the public eye and offer partisan opponents a platform for theater. The best path forward is quiet correction, not political spectacle. The goal is discipline, not drama. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This wont be the last crisis. The world is moving too fast. But its how we manage challenges in the first few minutes that sets the tone for what follows. Its time for this administration to tighten its grip, quiet the noise, and draw clear lines between convenience and command. Operational updates belong in secure rooms, not group chats. And credibility belongs in truth, not talking points. The world is watching. Let them see professionalism, not improvisation. Ron MacCammon, Ed.D., is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel and former political officer at the Department of State. He has more than a dozen years of diplomatic service in four different countries and has written extensively on security, governance, and international affairs. 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. In the first quarter of 2025, healthcare stocks were among the strongest performers in the S&P index, outpacing the broader market. This marks a sharp contrast to their struggles in recent years. In 2024, the healthcare sector saw a modest gain of 2.06%, trailing the market's 25.02% return. A similar pattern was seen in 2023, with healthcare stocks rising just 2% while the overall market climbed 26%. Despite these challenges, healthcare remains a vital part of the economy, driven by increasing demand for medical products and services as the population ages. It is the fourth largest sector in the market, following technology, financials, and consumer discretionary. In the Russell MidCap Index, which tracks about 800 companies, healthcare ranks fifth, while in the small-cap Russell Index, it holds the third spot behind industrials and financials. Rob Haworth, senior investment strategy director for US Bank Asset Management, said : Additionally, companies specializing in life sciences tools and services faced lower demand, as COVID-19 testing declined and pandemic-related inventory levels were still being reduced. Policy concerns also weighed on the sector, particularly for insurers offering Medicare Advantage plans, as reimbursement rates fell short. Uncertainty surrounding upcoming elections further contributed to the healthcare sectors struggles. On a positive note, innovation remained strong, as the biotech industry saw promising clinical developments, and advancements in treatments for conditions like obesity and diabetes fueled significant growth in the pharmaceutical sector. Healthcare stocks experienced a challenging year in 2024, lagging behind high-growth sectors like tech and AI. Market uncertainties and policy challenges also created obstacles for certain segments within the industry. In the first half of the year, investors focused on technology and communication services, drawing attention away from healthcare. While the sector showed some improvement in the latter half as the market rally expanded, certain segments continued to struggle with supply and demand imbalances caused by the pandemic. One major factor was the increased demand for delayed medical procedures, as patients sought treatments they had postponed. This benefited healthcare facilities and medical device manufacturers but put financial pressure on managed-care insurers. We recently published a list of 10 Best Healthcare Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) stands against other best healthcare stocks to invest in. Story Continues Investors can gain exposure to the healthcare sector by owning the S&P 500 through a passively managed index fund or ETF. Investors may also want to take a more selective approach, as the record demonstrates there can be varied performance within the healthcare sector. Investors are taking a cautious approach as they assess potential policy shifts under the new administration. With a change in leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services, major healthcare companies could face greater scrutiny and may need to adjust to evolving policies. As the Trump administration's policies come into focus, concerns are emerging over potential budget cuts that could directly affect healthcare organizations. With the Department of Government Efficiency tasked with cutting $1 trillion from a $6 trillion budget, reductions in healthcare spending appear likely. On January 17, the House Ways and Means Committee released a list of possible cuts to support the extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Among the proposals are eliminating the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds and potentially revoking the nonprofit status of hospitals and health systems. At the same time, hospital mergers and acquisitions have been steadily rebounding from pandemic-era lows, despite strict federal antitrust policies. However, it remains to be seen how future changes in regulatory leadership might influence M&A activity. Despite policy concerns, some billionaire investors remain confident in the healthcare sectors future. Carl Cook, with an estimated net worth of $10.3 billion, is among the wealthiest figures in the healthcare industry. He took over as CEO of his family's medical device company in 2011 following his father's death. In 2017, the company sold one of its subsidiaries to a drug delivery technology firm for $950 million. Cook also serves as president of a life sciences division focused on developing a cell therapy for urinary incontinence. Another billionaire investor in the healthcare sector is Ronda Stryker, with a net worth of $8.4 billion. Known for her contributions to medical technology and philanthropy, she has played a major role in advancing healthcare innovation. As the granddaughter of Dr. Homer Stryker, founder of a medical technology firm, she is committed to improving lives through medical advancements and social initiatives. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): Among The Best Healthcare Stocks To Buy According To Billionaires A smiling baby with an array of baby care products in the foreground. Our Methodology To collect data for this article, we scanned Insider Monkeys database of billionaires stock holdings and picked the top 10 companies operating in the healthcare sector with the highest number of billionaire investors in Q4 of 2024. The stocks are ranked in ascending order based on the number of billionaire investors. We have also mentioned the value of billionaire holdings for further insight. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) Number of Billionaire Investors: 18 Value of Billionaire Holdings: $2.9 billion Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) conducts research, develops, manufactures, and sells a range of healthcare products worldwide, operating through its Innovative Medicine and MedTech segments. On March 21, JNJ announced plans to invest over $55 billion in US manufacturing, research, development, and technology over the next four years, a 25% increase from the previous investment period. The company projects that these investments will contribute more than $100 billion annually to the US economy. As part of this expansion, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) will build three advanced manufacturing facilities in addition to an existing site in North Carolina. In 2024, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) saw a 7% increase in operational sales, excluding its COVID-19 vaccine. SPRAVATO surpassed $1 billion in annual sales, bringing the firms total number of billion-dollar revenue platforms to 26. Its Innovative Medicine segment exceeded $14 billion in sales for the third consecutive quarter, with 10 brands achieving double-digit growth. In Q4 2024, JNJs net earnings amounted to $3.4 billion. By the end of 2024, the company held around $25 billion in cash and marketable securities, with $37 billion in debt, resulting in a net debt position of about $12 billion. A strong focus on cash flow helped JNJ generate approximately $20 billion in free cash flow in 2024, an increase of $1.6 billion compared to 2023. On March 25, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) introduced the FDA-cleared Dualto energy system, a surgical platform that integrates multiple energy modalities for open and minimally invasive procedures. Designed to work with the companys Polyphonic Fleet software for device management, Dualto offers an advanced surgical solution. Looking ahead, JNJ plans to integrate Dualto with its highly anticipated Ottava surgical robot. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is considered one of the best healthcare stocks, attracting investments from 18 billionaires. Overall, JNJ ranks 4th on our list of the best healthcare stocks to buy according to billionaires. While we acknowledge the potential of JNJ to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that certain AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than JNJ but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) The Oregon Legislature first approved mail-in voting in 1981 and it was adopted by a majority of counties by 1987. But it wasnt until 1998 that Oregon voters approved a measure requiring that all elections be vote-by-mail. The state then became the first to conduct a presidential election by mail in 2000. But Republican State Sen. David Brock Smith of Port Orford introduced a bill that, if passed, would put an end to a vote-by-mail system that has been in place in Oregon for decades. We think its time, which is why this is a referral for Oregonians to either reaffirm or deny vote by mail in this state, Smith said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mondays public hearing gave the public their first chance to testify for or against Senate Bill 210, which proposes scrapping mail-in voting in favor of in-person voting on Election Day. It would still retain mail-in voting for military and overseas voters, as well as those with a mailing address outside Oregon. Oregon state legislators invited the public to submit testimony on SB210 either online, remote, or in-person. More than 150 people signed up to testify Monday, but the committee chair said most of them were opposed to the plan. READ MORE: New bill proposes repealing vote-by-mail in Oregon, public invited to testify Supporters of the measure say after Oregons DMV was found to have registered more than 1000 non-citizens through the motor voter program its time to return to the way it was a generation ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This bill also would require any mail-in ballots to be returned by Election Day. Currently they just need to be postmarked by Election Day. It would also get rid of the state postage-paid return envelopes for ballots. Only seven other states and Washington, D.C. even send mail ballots to all registered voters without requiring them to request one first: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Vermont and Washington. Young girl rescued after being dragged out into ocean at Seaside This bill comes at a time when President Trump has issued executive orders requiring proof-of-citizenship when registering to vote and restricting mail-in voting deadlines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If SB 210 makes it through the legislature, it would be a referral measure for voters to decide on. Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to update this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Time is running out for Jose Alfredo Pacheco, a dialysis patient in Illinois who needs a lifesaving kidney transplant. His donor and brother, Jose Gregorio Gonzalez, has been in an immigration detention center for nearly a month and is at risk of being deported to Venezuela. Community members in the Chicago area have been rallying in support of the brothers. They're gathering at a vigil Monday evening organized by The Resurrection Project, a Chicago-based nonprofit group representing the brothers, to demand Gonzalez's release on humanitarian parole so he can donate a kidney to his sick brother. With deportation flights to Venezuela resuming following a brief suspension on March 8, "there's incredible urgency because Jose Gregorio could be deported at any time now," Tovia Siegel, director of organizing and leadership at The Resurrection Project's Immigrant Justice Department, told NBC News. The group is providing legal representation to Gonzalez. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gonzalez, 43, arrived in the United States from Venezuela last year to reunite with his brother, who was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure, in December 2023. Since then, Gonzalez had been caring for his younger brother. They share the same mother. Pacheco, 37, goes to a center three times a week at 4 a.m. for four-hour dialysis sessions. On March 3, he was returning home from his dialysis session and Gonzalez greeted him with breakfast, Siegel said. After having eaten, Gonzalez stepped outside his home and was approached by several Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who arrested him and took him to the Clay County Detention Center in Indiana, where he is being held. Jose Gregorio Gonzalez and his brother, Jose Alfredo Pacheco. Gonzalez sought asylum in the United States. But after he did not pass an initial credible fear interview, immigration authorities placed a deportation order on him. He was still allowed to remain in the United States under ICE supervision, which is not uncommon. Siegel said ICE was aware of Gonzalezs location because he had been wearing a GPS ankle monitor as part of his order of supervision. ICE uses such orders to place immigrants in one of its supervision programs, allowing it to monitor and keep tabs on undocumented people. The programs, which are meant to serve as alternatives to detention, help immigration officials keep track of those who are not priorities for deportation or need more time to seek legal alternatives to remain in the United States. According to ICE, nearly 179,000 people are being monitored through such programs nationwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Siegel said Gonzalez has no criminal record and had been complying with the requirements of his order of supervision since he was first placed in the program last year when he entered the United States. He was really here taking care of his brother and preparing to donate his kidney to his brother, she said. ICE and DHS did not respond to a request for comment. Without Gonzalezs kidney donation, Pacheco will most likely need to wait years to receive a transplant, according to a letter from Pachecos doctors obtained by NBC News. "The waiting time on the cadaver kidney transplant waiting list for Mr. Pacheco is about 4 to 5 years in his blood group. Unfortunately, the mortality on dialysis while waiting for kidney transplantation is extremely high," the letter reads. "Living donor kidney transplantation ensures the highest chance of survival." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gonzalez is the living kidney donor Pacheco desperately needs, because, according to the letter, even in the case of blood group incompatibility with his brother, Gonzalez could secure a transplant for Pacheco by participating in a paired kidney exchange, which connects pairs of compatible recipients and donors. Jose Gregorio Gonzalez and Jose Alfredo Pacheco. Participating in a paired kidney exchange means Gonzalez could save two lives, his brother's and a second kidney recipient's, Siegel said. "So there are multiple lives, multiple families being harmed, being separated and being denied the lifesaving medical care they need if Jose Gregorio is deported. "I think it speaks to Jose Gregorio's character," Siegel added. Its under ICEs discretion whether or not to release him, even temporarily, for him to be able to save Alfredos life. Gonzalez told Telemundo Chicago in Spanish last week in a phone call from inside the detention center: I hope I can go out and achieve that goal of giving my kidney to my brother. I hope he has a lot of faith and patience that we will soon be together and do the transplant." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the same interview, Pacheco told Telemundo Chicago he feels like "the world fell on me" since ICE detained his brother. "Give my brother a chance and me a chance to continue living. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com While Jose Alfredo Pacheco, a dialysis patient, desperately waits for a lifesaving kidney transplant in Illinois, his donor and brother, Jose Gregorio Gonzalez, is being held in an immigration detention center in Indiana, facing the risk of imminent deportation. Pacheco, 37, was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure, in December 2023. Soon after learning of Pacheco's diagnosis, Gonzalez, 43, traveled from Venezuela to the United States to care for his younger brother. They share the same mother. On March 3, shortly after Pacheco returned home from a dialysis session, Gonzalez was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents outside their home. Gonzalez was then taken to the Clay County Detention Center in Indiana, where he is still being held almost a month later. Jose Gregorio Gonzalez and Jose Alfredo Pacheco Now, attorneys for Gonzalez are concerned that Pacheco's health may be thrust even further into jeopardy since the 43-year-old could be sent back to Venezuela at anytime, after the Trump administration resumed deportation flights to the country last week. Theres incredible urgency because Jose Gregorio could be deported at anytime now, Tovia Siegel of The Resurrection Project, a Chicago-based nonprofit group representing the brothers, told NBC News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gonzalez was in the United States under ICE supervision. The elder brother sought asylum in 2023 but did not pass an initial credible-fear interview, a screening in which asylum-seekers demonstrate a significant possibility of persecution or torture if they're deported back to their home country. Despite failing that interview, Gonzalez was still permitted to remain in the U.S. and was mandated to wear a GPS ankle monitor. As NBC News reported: ICE uses such orders to place immigrants in one of its supervision programs, allowing it to monitor and keep tabs on undocumented people. The programs, which are meant to serve as alternatives to detention, help immigration officials keep track of those who are not priorities for deportation or need more time to seek legal alternatives to remain in the United States. According to ICE, nearly 179,000 people are being monitored through such programs nationwide. According to Siegel, Gonzalez has no criminal record and has been complying with the requirements of his order of supervision. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to NBC News' request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Gonzalez is deported, Pacheco will most likely need to wait years to receive a kidney transplant, according to a letter from his doctors obtained by NBC News. Unfortunately, the mortality on dialysis while waiting for kidney transplantation is extremely high, the letter notes. As NBC News reported: Gonzalez is the living kidney donor Pacheco desperately needs, because, according to the letter, even in the case of blood group incompatibility with his brother, Gonzalez could secure a transplant for Pacheco by participating in a paired kidney exchange, which connects pairs of compatible recipients and donors. A stay of removal to delay or prevent Gonzalez's deportation was denied without reason on Monday. His attorneys say they plan to ask for a review of that decision. They're also urging immigration officers to consider releasing him on humanitarian parole to complete the kidney transplant for his brother. [Gonzalez] has actually said that hes willing to return to his home country after being able to do the donation, Siegel said. He wants to do the ultimate act of love and generosity to quite literally give a part of his body. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, Gonzalez spoke to Telemundo Chicago from inside the Indiana detention center and said he still has hope he will be able to carry out his promise to his brother. I hope I can go out and achieve that goal of giving my kidney to my brother. I hope he has a lot of faith and patience that we will soon be together and do the transplant. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com ALBANY, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) An incident involving New York State Police in which a Barneveld man died in police custody is now being investigated by the New York State Attorney Generals office. Attorney General Letitia James office released a statement on Tuesday, April 1 that says their Office of Special Invesigations will be investigating the death of Matthew Brown of Barneveld. Brown died while in police custody on Monday, March 24. Troopers were called to a 911 call at approximately 11:30 pm on Monday, March 24. According to the Attorney Generals release, troopers talked with Brown. Troopers then attempted to take him into custody for a mental health evaluation after he lunged for a troopers firearm, which was in its holster at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Troopers then got him into custody, when he became unresponsive. Troopers then attempted lifesaving measures and called for an ambulance. Brown was then taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1 am. Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSIs assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident. The New York State Attorney Generals Office, in a statement. The investigation into Browns death is ongoing. This is an ongoing investigation. We will provide more information as it becomes available 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 WUTR/WFXV - CNYhomepage.com. Funny situation: Armenian parliamentarian Sarkis Khandanyan was offended that Baku rejected his populist proposal. Khandanyan, who heads the parliamentary committee on foreign policy, suggested holding a meeting with the Azerbaijani parliamentary committee on the border. In Baku, Khandanyan's idea was rejected and labeled as populism. That's what Khandanyan seems to be upset abouthe's already written a separate post on X. Why is he offended? There are no relations between the two countries, and although a peace treaty exists, it hasnt been signed. What exactly should the deputies discuss? Issues related to the signing? That's not really within their area of expertise. And if not a peace treaty, then what? Or does Khandanyan not understand that this meeting would just turn into a tea party in front of the cameras? He probably understands. So, is his idea not populism? Of course, it is. So why is he offended, then? We recently published a list of 12 Best FMCG Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Kenvue Inc. (NYSE:KVUE) stands against other best FMCG stocks to buy according to billionaires. Historically, the consumer-packaged-goods (CPG) industry outperformed most of the other industries, mainly due to the high growth and consistent margins, says McKinsey. However, since 2012, numerous factors, such as inflation, market saturation, significant competition, fluctuating consumer tastes and behaviors, along with a fragmented consumer base resulted in growth challenges. Given increased interest rates and elevated industry multiples over the previous few years, there has been lesser deal activity, says the firm. Furthermore, a range of leading CPG companies continue to take a more measured approach, emphasizing midsize deals and aiming to achieve cost and growth synergies. What Lies Ahead? The broader downward trend of rates, along with strong, cash-rich balance sheets (and increased capability to take more affordable debt) of CPG companies can result in higher deal activity over the near future for the sector, says McKinsey. The firm expects a mix of 3 types of transactions, i.e., signature, sector-shaping deals, sizable horizontal deals allowing for greater subcategory consolidation, and targeted spin-offs of brands and business units possessing limited synergies or growth enablers with their current owner. While the consumer sector remains broad, much of the analysis was focused on the F&B sector. McKinsey anticipates to see increased activity throughout CPG sectors, mainly in the personal care and beauty sectors. However, it also expects that the F&B sector might continue to capture a significant share of deals. READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In. Different Levers for Growth Deloitte believes that, in 2025, the consumer products companies are likely to address the product portfolio and mix in a bid to entice the consumer and invest across the broad set of demand-generation capabilities. Furthermore, the businesses are projected to develop transformative efficiency so that savings can be produced, which can help finance such investments. Deloitte points out that increasing the unit volume sold remains an important lever that can support in driving profitable growth. Notably, some consumer products companies, mainly the profitable growers, remain focused on innovation to re-engage consumers. Deloitte also highlighted that high-performing companies seem to be adopting a clear-eyed view of their portfolios, and they continue to divest and acquire as needed. Apr. 1Four months after losing her case against the village of New Lebanon in the Ohio Second District Court of Appeals, ousted village manager Glena Madden is suing New Lebanon once again. Madden recently filed a new lawsuit in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas against the village, as well as co-defendants Mayor David Nickerson, former interim manager Rob Anderson, law director Mike McNamee, administrative assistant Shannon Bemis, and council members Nicole Adkins, Timothy Back, and Melissa Sexton. The lawsuit, filed in March, includes multiple accusations against the defendants, including claims of breach of contract, defamation, tortious interference with an employment relationship, promissory estoppel, abuse of process, malicious prosecution, violation of charter, and civil conspiracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Madden was put on administrative leave, and ultimately fired, by the village in early 2024, along with Chief Financial Officer Phillip Hinson, Law Director Ronald Keener, Police Chief Curtis Hensley and Service Superintendent Scott Brock. The votes to oust them were all 4-3 votes by village council, with Mayor David Nickerson, Vice Mayor Nicole Adkins and council members Melissa Sexton and Timothy Back voting in favor. Madden at the time categorized her firing as a "personal vendetta" led by Nickerson, who she had previously fired from a village position in 2019. In March 2024, Madden filed a writ of quo warranto with the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas against both Anderson and the municipality of New Lebanon, calling for her reinstatement to the position of village manager and the ousting of Anderson. This request was ultimately rejected by the court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Madden's new lawsuit argues she was put on administrative leave without a 7-day advance notice, which she asserts was required as part of her contract with the village. She further contends she was defamed by Nickerson, Bemis, and McNamee in various incidents cited within the lawsuit. The suit claims Nickerson made statements accusing Madden of altering the village budget, falsifying records, and making unapproved purchases, among other things. Bemis is accused in the lawsuit of alleging Madden "unlawfully took, misplaced, lost, or mismanaged (village) funds." These allegations were not substantiated by the Ohio Auditor of State, according to its October special investigations report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit accuses McNamee of making multiple false allegations against Madden, including that she violated public records laws, engaged in misconduct and abuse of power, and "generally breached her fiduciary duty." Nickerson declined to comment on the lawsuit Monday, referring all questions to law director McNamee. McNamee, Adkins, Bemis, Back, and Sexton did not respond to a request for comment. Former Police Chief Curtis Hensley, who was fired at the same time as Madden, filed a similar suit against the village in August, alleging breach of contract, deprivation of rights, defamation, tortious interference with employment relationship. and promissory estoppel. A mediation conference for that court case is scheduled for Sept. 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Madden's lawsuit further claims: -That defendants Nickerson, Back, Adkins, Sexton, and McNamee intentionally interfered with Madden's employment relationship by conspiring to terminate her in violation of her contract. -That the village "failed to uphold its representations and promises" to Madden by allegedly terminating her without cause and "failing to provide the bargained-for compensation" following her firing. -That Nickerson's Feb. 2, 2024, request for an emergency audit by the Ohio Auditor's Investigations Unit was a "perverted attempt to accomplish an ulterior purpose to justify" Madden's firing, and that the reporting of allegedly illegal activities to the auditor by Nickerson and McNamee was done so "with malice" and without probable cause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement -That Nickerson engaged McNamee to be special counsel in February 2024 without consent of council. "McNamee interrupted council members, told them what to do and behaved as if he was the mayor and law director of the (village) on Feb. 20, 2024," the suit states. -That McNamee, Nickerson, Anderson, Adkins, Back and Sexton conspired to take over the village government in violation of the Ohio Revised Code, the New Lebanon Charter and New Lebanon ordinances. Madden is requesting judgment against the defendants in an amount in excess of $25,000, along with punitive damages, costs, attorney fees, and any further relief deemed just and equitable by the court. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) Why are some in the film industry saying production is at a low point? Industry professionals say its simply ebbs and flows. While others suspect oversea productions are pulling projects away from the United States. Weve survived the worst of it, I think, said Stephen Mullen, Business Representative, IOTSE Local 480. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mullen admitted there has been an overall national decline in film production. Were seeing a cyclic readjustment that happens periodically as they reassess their products and what kind of products theyre going to put out, said Mullen. Mullen said this happens every ten to 12 years. But a higher-up in the film industry, who wants to remain anonymous, said overseas productions are stealing projects from the United States, in part because of health care insurance costs, making it less expensive to film. Mullen responded to the rumors, saying, The fact is that Ive been doing this for 40 years here in the state. Theres a hundred times more products being put out now than there was when I started. So, it seems like all these productions are going over there, but the fact is the market has changed. One source within the union, who does not want to be named, told KRQE News 13 the market is extremely slow. He is currently looking for other means of employment due to the lack of work. He also shared that industry professionals are fighting to be a part of the upcoming Young Guns 3 production, due to scarce opportunities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Mullen said the industry has its ebbs and flows. Of course, we had the strikes, we had the renegotiations, and all those things always have an effect and an after effect, said Mullen. Mullen said as of this week, things are looking up with several projects in the pipeline heading into summer. Were in a good place, I think well always be one of the major centers in this country on filmmaking from here on, said Mullen. The Albuquerque film office said in a statement: New Mexico remains a top destination for film and TV production, offering skilled crew, diverse locations, and competitive incentives. The film sector generated over $740 million in direct spending in FY24, with Albuquerque being home to 90% of the states film industry vendors and 50% of New Mexicos productions. The city has also dominated MovieMaker Magazines rankings for seven years, earning the #1 spot as the Best Large City to Live and Work as a MovieMaker five timesreinforcing its status as a premier choice for filmmakers, including independent productions. Cyndy McCrossen, Film Liaison, Albuquerque Film Office Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Elected leaders in two of Seminole Countys largest cities Sanford and Oviedo are blasting proposed state legislation that would make it easier to develop the countys rural lands. They are certainly developer driven, Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek said regarding proposed Senate Bill 1118 and companion House Bill 1209, which would overturn many land development regulations, including some that have been in place for decades. On Monday, she joined fellow council members and Sanford commissioners in support of sending sharply worded letters to state legislators, calling on them to reject the bills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would rather increase density in the city, where it is less costly to provide services than in rural areas. This is what our constituents have said they want, Sanford Mayor Art Woodruff said before his citys commissioners also voted unanimously in opposition to the proposed legislation at a separate meeting. David Bear, president of the non-profit Save Rural Seminole, urged Oviedo and Sanford whose borders either abut or are close to the countys rural boundary to send the missives. He called the bills horrendous. The proposed legislation doesnt automatically eliminate Seminoles [rural boundary] line. However, it makes the line functionally irrelevant through a Tallahassee approval process, Bear said. A developer wouldnt have to come in front of a Seminole County board for a public hearing. Established by voters in 2004, Seminoles rural boundary covers nearly one third of Seminole, much of it east of the Econlockhatchee River and Lake Jesup. Development densities within the boundary are mostly limited to one home per five acres or one home per 10 acres. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last November, Seminole voters overwhelmingly approved charter amendments to tighten the rules, requiring supermajority votes by county commissioners or at least four votes on the five-member board to remove and develop property within the boundary. The proposed Senate bill, filed by Sen. Stan McClain, R-Ocala, would wipe out the 2024 referendums. It would leave Seminoles 2004 rural boundary in place, but with a significant modification. Under the legislation, a developers request to develop an agricultural enclave land that abuts existing zoning for residential, industrial or commercial development would not even require a public hearing, Oviedo officials said. Local governments have long been required by the state to have land development regulations known as comprehensive plans that can be amended only through public hearings before local boards, Oviedo City Manager Bryan Cobb said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the proposed legislation says that doesnt matter. You will approve this [development] without any due process, he said. In Orange County, the proposed Senate bill would undo two charter amendments approved by voters last year one that created a rural boundary and another that limited annexations initiated by developers. The proposed bills have been a priority for the Florida Home Builders Association and Deseret Ranches, the real estate arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which owns hundreds of thousands of acres of land spread across east Orange. The Senate bill was quickly approved in its first committee hearing last month. But as of Tuesday, neither bill has been scheduled for additional committee hearings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They would like to develop in the rural boundary, Oviedo Council member Natalie Teuchert said of bill supporters. It disregards what voters voted on. Sanford Commissioner Claudia Thomas was more blunt. Put it in all caps and in bold face, she said in recommending how Sanford should write the letter in opposition. CAROLINA FOREST, S.C. (WBTW) Monday officially marked Day 31 of the Covington Drive blaze that has filled the skies of Carolina Forest with smoke. I dont even think there are words to describe exactly how I was feeling. I was just terrified, Carolina Forest resident Mackenzie Mantone said. We are on our own little island. Thats what it feels like. Carolina Forest residents say theyre still on edge, but fire officials have kept a close eye on any flare-ups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Horry County is extremely busy right now. There have been 247 calls a day in the last week, Horry County Fire Rescue spokesperson Tony Casey said. Thats a record pace for us. So were obviously stretched thin responding to all of the emergencies that people [have] across the county. In the Upstate, South Carolina Forestry Commission officals say the Table Rock fire is just shy of 14,000 acres and 30% contained. The Persimmons Ridge Fire is just over 2,000 acres and is 64% contained. With limited resources, many counties have been going to the Upstate to help, including Horry County Fire Rescue. Were going to send teams of four currently, Casey said. Theyre going to do a couple of hard days up there and come back down, and well do that until theyre not needed anymore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doug Wood with the Forestry Commission says its a sight to see when everyone comes together for a common goal. And while residents in Carolina Forest are still nervous, they are also looking at the positives. Mackenzie Mantone said its not only brought her community together, but also something else. I think its definitely brought our family together, Mantone said. When it came to shoving everything we had in our car, we were like, OK, well, if this is the time were going to lose our house, we have everything meaning we have our pets and our family and thats all that mattered at the end of the day. While the burn ban was lifted in 41 counties on Monday, Horry County is still one of the five that currently have a burn ban. The biggest thing officials are stressing is that the community sticks to the burn ban, so no open burning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * * * Gracie is a multimedia journalist at News 13 and is from Cleveland, Ohio. Gracie joined the team in June 2023 after graduating from the University of Alabama in May. Follow Gracie on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, & 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. (Photo by Getty Images) The Oregon Legislature is expected to advance two bills this week that could provide electric utilities with a financial safety net and some level of protection from bankruptcy-inducing lawsuits if their equipment starts a catastrophic fire. The bills bear striking resemblance to others being considered and passed by legislators in three other states, as well as controversial laws passed in Utah in 2020. PacifiCorp, owner of Pacific Power in Oregon, contributed to all of the bills and the Utah law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each of those bills confers upon utilities some version of state-sanctioned approval for acting reasonably to prevent wildfires, if they get wildfire mitigation plans approved annually or every few years by the state. Cooperative and private investor-owned utilities such as PacifiCorp say they need this to ensure that they are making smart investments in wildfire prevention and grid reliability, and to ensure they dont go bankrupt. Thats the argument being used by Oregons bill sponsors, too. But trial lawyers across the West, who represent victims of utility-caused wildfires, say the bills are meant to shift the costs of utility-caused wildfire damages from companies to customers. Oregons House Bill 3666 would grant utilities a state wildfire safety certificate for having annual wildfire mitigation plans approved by the Oregon Public Utility Commission, while House Bill 3917 would set up a catastrophic wildfire fund that utilities pay into. Victims of utility-caused fires could collect from the fund 80% of allowable damages, as long as they agree not to sue the utility that caused the fire. The utilities would be allowed to raise customer rates to pay for the fund. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reps. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland and Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, are sponsoring both bills, which could be voted out of the House Judiciary Committee as early as Tuesday. Marsh contends Oregons bills do not in any way infringe on wildfire victims ability to sue utilities for maximum damages for causing wildfires. She said in an email that legislative attorneys assured her House Bill 3666, offering utilities state certificates for having approved wildfire plans, would not provide immunity or limit liability to utilities. Trial lawyers do not agree. This sort of regulatory compliance defense is a standard thing that corporations across the country are always asking for. This is what they would love, said Daniel Hinkle, a lawyer and senior state affairs counsel for the American Association for Justice. They would love to check a box and get it rubber-stamped by an agency without opposing counsel, without anybody there to sort of push back on it, and then be able to use that prior certification as a complete, total defense against any claims for accountability later on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Washington, D.C.-based association made up of trial lawyers has been tracking bills across the country that were introduced this year to limit utility-caused wildfire liabilities, including in Oregon. The overall goal, as I see it across a lot of these bills, is to shift the cost of this (utility-caused wildfires) onto ratepayers, Hinkle said. Insurers, as well as timber, farm and ranchland owners have come out against the bills in Idaho and Wyoming and expressed concerns about Oregons bills. Kenton Brine, president of the NW Insurance Council, said in an email Oregons bills would likely impact policy holders and insurance companies. The group has not taken a formal stance on them yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The impact for property owners of bills that limit or grant immunity from liability is significant, he said in an email. He said he shares concerns with the trial lawyers over Oregons approach, and that legislation as proposed is likely to impose a new burden of proof on a property owner seeking recovery after a utility-ignited wildfire. PacifiCorp involvement In Oregon, PacifiCorp lobbyist Annette Price and lawyer Jennifer Hudson participated in Marshs work group on the bills, along with representatives of Oregons cooperative and public utilities and lobbyists for the two other electricity monopolies operating in the state, Portland General Electric and Idaho Power. Combined, the three monopoly utilities control 75% of Oregons electricity market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Omar Granados, a PacifiCorp spokesperson, said in an email that the companys work on bills such as Marshs are business as usual. Consistent with our long-standing practice to provide information to lawmakers who are considering energy policy legislation that could impact the utility and our customers, we provide comments, answer questions and participate on a number of proposed energy policy bills in the states we serve, which include Oregon, Washington, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, he wrote. Marsh has said in public hearings that she started working on House Bill 3666 and House Bill 3917 after hearing from constituents about lackluster wildfire prevention work being done by Pacific Power, her areas monopoly utility, and to ensure utilities operating in the state dont go bankrupt. She said House Bill 3666 will hold utilities to a high standard of performance through implementation of a safety certification. Marsh said House Bill 3917, establishing the catastrophic wildfire fund, is needed so wildfire victims have options. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without the fund, individuals have these paths: 1) Those with insurance can use their coverage. 2) Those without insurance will, most likely, struggle to cover basic needs with savings, government assistance, or friends and family. 3) All affected individuals can choose to take the utility to court, she wrote in an email. About 2,300 homes burned up in her southern Oregon district during the 2020 Labor Day Fires. Because no cause of the fires in that area were identified, her constituents werent able to collect any damages from an at-fault party and those without insurance have been left with nothing. She added that she sees the bill as a starting point. If people agree that a fund of some kind could be useful, we will need to discuss questions around structure and operations, including coverage, administration, the mix of fund contributions, and so forth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cody Berne, a governor at large for the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and an attorney at Portland-based law firm Stoll Berne, said Oregons catastrophic wildfire fund as proposed would likely encourage low-income fire survivors and those without insurance to forgo collecting maximum damages in a lawsuit against a utility in a powerline-ignited fire and instead settle for less from the fund a fund seeded with victims own money, collected through rate increases by utilities. This bill would charge customers to create a fund and also make them pay the next time Berkshire Hathaway burns down an Oregon town, Berne said. Berne is representing survivors of the historic 2020 Labor Day fires that killed 11 and destroyed more than 4,000 homes. Some of those fires were found to have been started by PacifiCorp equipment. PacifiCorp is owned by the multinational conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway. A jury in 2023 found the company guilty for negligence and recklessness. A recent report from the Oregon Department of Forestry concluded that PacifiCorp did not start fires it was previously found to have started in the Santiam Canyon, refuting statements from first responders from the U.S. Forest Service and trial testimony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PacifiCorp executives estimate the 2020 Labor Day Fires and 2022 wildfires caused by the companys equipment in Oregon cost them nearly $2.7 billion. Berkshire Hathaway estimates it could face up to $8 billion in claims related to lawsuits over California and Oregon wildfires since 2020. Thats a bit more than half of Berkshires 2024 revenue a record $14.5 billion. Most people including fire victims have to live with the justice system as it is. But when the justice system holds billionaires and their trillion-dollar corporations accountable, they think they can change the rules, Berne said. Starting with Utah PacifiCorp had its first success in contributing to legislation that limited its liability and the damages wildfire victims can collect in a powerline-ignited fire in 2020. PacifiCorp lobbyists provided comments and answered questions for lawmakers working on Utahs House Bill 66, according to spokesperson Granados. Granados did not answer questions about whether the lobbyists or company lawyers participated in bill workgroups or helped with the bills in the drafting stage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was an effort by a broad coalition, he said. The Utah law offers electric utilities statutory protection from negligence charges in powerline-ignited wildfires if the utilities have an approved wildfire mitigation plan. It also limits damages that survivors of wildfire can collect in suits against utilities as the lesser of either the cost to rebuild, or the difference of the fair market value of the home before the fire and the fair market value of the property after the fire. That means if it costs $300,000 to rebuild a burned home, but the fair market value of the home before the fire was $100,000 and the fair market value of the scorched property after the fire is $20,000 a victim only gets to claim $80,000 in damages. In the years since Utahs law passed, PacifiCorp attempted to pass liability limits via states utility commissions. In Idaho in 2024 the company asked the states commission to include language that would have made its electric utility Rocky Mountain Power liable only for actual economic damages in a powerline-ignited fire, excluding noneconomic, punitive and incidental damages. It made nearly identical requests to commissions in Washington, Oregon, California and Wyoming, according to reporting from Boise State Public Radio. Idahos commission declined to approve the changes, so the company went to the Idaho Legislature. Other state legislatures followed. Reasonable and prudent Oregons bills share similarities to that original 2020 Utah law. House Bill 3197, establishing a catastrophic wildfire fund, also limits recoverable damages from the fund to the lesser of either the cost of repairs or the difference in the fair market value of the property immediately before and immediately after a catastrophic wildfire. The goal has been in a lot of these bills to restrict the recovery to the loss of fair market value, which is always going to be less than the cost of repair, said Geoffrey Louden, a lawyer with the American Association for Justice. All of the bills requiring approval or certification for wildfire mitigation plans that PacifiCorp has weighed in on in the West include language that describe the utilities as having acted reasonably and prudently to prevent fire in securing state approval. Trial lawyers take the greatest issue with those words, as they are often used to establish a statutory presumption that an entity has not acted in a negligent, grossly negligent or reckless manner in cases of civil wrongdoing. Hinkle, of the American Association for Justice, said getting laws passed with language like this is standard corporate behavior 101. Marsh recently amended House Bill 3666 to remove language that previously said a wildfire safety certificate from the state establishes that an applicant is acting reasonably with regard to wildfire safety practices, to instead say a certificate indicates the utility was consistent with the commissions wildfire safety standards, and cut off a provision making the certificate valid for 12 months. She said she worked with trial lawyers on the amendment. But Berne of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and large landowners say this is not enough. If the goal is safety, this bill wont accomplish it, Berne said in an email. It recycles fire safety rules that are already in place. There are no resources to investigate and make sure that investor-owned power companies are following the rules. The bill just gives the appearance of safety. Betsy Earls, a lobbyist for timber giant Weyerhaeuser, said issuing safety certifications to the utilities could have unintended consequences for companies like Weyerhaeuser even with Marshs amendment. It will amount to perhaps a thumb on the scale when juries are deciding and people are thinking about whats being introduced and proven in court, she told lawmakers at a March 18 public hearing for House Bill 3666. The companys 1.5 million acres in Oregon are prohibitively expensive to insure, she said, and though it deals every year with all kinds of fires and losses, sometimes the fires are caused by utility equipment, and the only recompense the company has for its losses is to sue the utility. We have no other way to recoup losses that are due to others negligence unless we go to court, Earls said. How are Californias utility and wildfire damage bills different? In 2019, California passed laws creating a wildfire safety certification program for utilities as well as a catastrophic wildfire fund. But the policies in California are far different than those being proposed in Oregon and other states in the West, according to Berne of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association. Wildfire safety certificates in California cannot by law be used to limit utilities liability in lawsuits because monopoly utilities in California are considered strictly liable for any fires they start. Having an approved plan and certificate from the California Public Utility Commission means the utility is allowed to raise rates to pay for wildfire prevention work and to participate in Californias catastrophic wildfire fund. The fund is available for qualifying utilities to recoup costs after theyve paid fire victims damages. The fund does not send money directly to victims, who are never forced to give up their lawsuits, and who face no artificial caps on what they can collect in damages from utilities. PacifiCorp did not contribute to Californias legislation, according to Omar Granados, a company spokesperson. This article was first published by the Oregon Capital Chronicle, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Shumway for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. FAIRMONT Austin Mullins will serve 40 years in prison for the 2022 murder of Henry Silver. In January, while on the witness stand, Mullins confessed to killing Silver in self defense, the night of Sept. 9, 2022 at Carolina Arbors Apartments in Carolina. Mullins trial began with his defense working to keep three jailhouse letters he wrote to another defendant in Silvers death, Ryan Lane. In the letters, Mullins admitted he killed Silver. However, after the prosecution was able to introduce the letters into evidence, Mullins defense changed tack from finding reasonable doubt that Mullins pulled the trigger, to why Mullins acted out of self defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marion County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Sean Murphy said aside from the 40 years Mullins received on the second degree murder conviction, Mullins also received 15 years on use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Murphy added that Marion County Circuit Court Judge Matthew Delligatti ran the sentences concurrently, contradicting the prosecutions request the sentences run consecutively. Mullins also was handed up to five years on a recidivist charge. The Times West Virginian reached out to Kevin Tipton, Mullins lawyer, but did not receive a response by press time. Mullins was one of six people charged for the killing of Silver. The prosecutions argument in each of the cases so far has revolved around connecting Silvers murder to sanctioned activity by the Pagans Motorcycle Club, of which Mullins is a member. The state also accused Ryan Lane, John Wolfe, Derek Clem, Matthew Biller and Dane Hull of participating in the murder. The state alleges all six men came together at a meeting in 2022 where they agreed to kill Silver in retaliation for Silver committing infidelity with Wolfes romantic partner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state was able to convince the juries in the Wolfe and Clem trials of the link between the two defendants ties to the Pagans and how it connected to Silvers murder. However, the state couldnt convince the jury in the Hull trial that he bore responsibility for Silvers murder. However, the state did convict Hull of conspiracy and a firearm charge. Biller and Lane have yet to face trial. Clem and Hull face sentencing on Tuesday. Lane faces whats expected to be a lengthy hearing on April 11, when Judge Delligatti will hear several motions put forth by Lanes defense. Lanes defense is working to have their client relieved of the charges, since Mullins told the jury he was solely responsible for Silvers death. What impact Mullins confession has on the verdicts the state has secured remains to be seen as well, since there is a good chance the defendants may appeal their convictions with the information provided during the Mullins trial. Pam Bondi announced charges against a man who is accused of throwing a firebomb at a Tesla dealership. The attorney general said the DOJ would seek 20 years in prison. She condemned what she called "the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties." Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Department of Justice will seek a 20-year prison sentence for a man accused of throwing a firebomb at a Tesla dealership. Bondi said Monday that Cooper Jo Frederick, who is accused of attacking a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado, on March 7, would face federal charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I've made it clear: if you take part in the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, we will find you, arrest you, and put you behind bars," Bondi said in a video statement published on X. Tesla facilities face attacks, vandalism, and protests in a backlash to CEO Elon Musk's political interventions, including championing Donald Trump's cost-cutting agenda with the Department of Government Efficiency. In a statement on March 14, the Loveland Police Department said Frederick, a Fort Collins resident, was arrested after an "incendiary device was ignited and thrown" at the Tesla dealership, landing between two vehicles. "Several people inside, who were cleaning the building, were put at risk; however, our responding officer quickly extinguished the fire, preventing further harm. The building and several vehicles were also damaged by rocks during this same time," the statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was booked on five state charges, including possession of explosives or an incendiary device, police said. Bondi said Frederick was arrested in Plano, Texas, following "great investigative work by the FBI." She did not specify what federal charges he was facing, and the charging documents were not available to the public when this article was published. Frederick isn't the only one facing charges relating to the Loveland dealership. Lucy Grace Nelson, 40, was charged in February with criminal intent to commit a felony, criminal mischief, and using explosives or incendiary devices during a felony at the dealership, according to Colorado police records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, Bondi said the DOJ had charged multiple suspects accused of attacking Tesla property, including some with crimes that carry mandatory minimum sentences of five years. Paul Hyon Kim, 36, is also facing state and federal charges, including arson, unlawful possession of incendiary devices and a firearm, property destruction, and discharging a firearm into a vehicle at a Tesla dealership in Las Vegas last week, per reports from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the DOJ. Last month, Musk told Fox News he was shocked by the violence . He called it "insane and deeply wrong" on X writing, "Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks." A fire at a Tesla dealership in Rome destroyed 17 cars on Monday. Local firefighters told BI the cause was under investigation. Musk posted to X it was "terrorism." Read the original article on Business Insider HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)- Kentucky House Minority Leader Pamela Stevenson officially launches her campaign for the seat now held by Senator Mitch McConnell, who announced in February he would not seek re-election. Runaway fugitive found with trafficking-level amounts of illegal narcotics Stevenson is a Democrat from Louisville and is a retired Air Force Colonel, attorney, and minister who has served in the Kentucky House since 2021. She previously ran for Kentucky Attorney General in 2023, but lost to republican opponent, Russell Coleman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican and former Attorney General, Daniel Cameron is also running for McConnells seat, and several other in the GOP are considering to run for the position. The senate election will be held 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). We recently published a list of 12 Best FMCG Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) stands against other best FMCG stocks to buy according to billionaires. Historically, the consumer-packaged-goods (CPG) industry outperformed most of the other industries, mainly due to the high growth and consistent margins, says McKinsey. However, since 2012, numerous factors, such as inflation, market saturation, significant competition, fluctuating consumer tastes and behaviors, along with a fragmented consumer base resulted in growth challenges. Given increased interest rates and elevated industry multiples over the previous few years, there has been lesser deal activity, says the firm. Furthermore, a range of leading CPG companies continue to take a more measured approach, emphasizing midsize deals and aiming to achieve cost and growth synergies. What Lies Ahead? The broader downward trend of rates, along with strong, cash-rich balance sheets (and increased capability to take more affordable debt) of CPG companies can result in higher deal activity over the near future for the sector, says McKinsey. The firm expects a mix of 3 types of transactions, i.e., signature, sector-shaping deals, sizable horizontal deals allowing for greater subcategory consolidation, and targeted spin-offs of brands and business units possessing limited synergies or growth enablers with their current owner. While the consumer sector remains broad, much of the analysis was focused on the F&B sector. McKinsey anticipates to see increased activity throughout CPG sectors, mainly in the personal care and beauty sectors. However, it also expects that the F&B sector might continue to capture a significant share of deals. READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In. Different Levers for Growth Deloitte believes that, in 2025, the consumer products companies are likely to address the product portfolio and mix in a bid to entice the consumer and invest across the broad set of demand-generation capabilities. Furthermore, the businesses are projected to develop transformative efficiency so that savings can be produced, which can help finance such investments. Deloitte points out that increasing the unit volume sold remains an important lever that can support in driving profitable growth. Notably, some consumer products companies, mainly the profitable growers, remain focused on innovation to re-engage consumers. Deloitte also highlighted that high-performing companies seem to be adopting a clear-eyed view of their portfolios, and they continue to divest and acquire as needed. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) For decades, Clark County School District students could only attend public schools near their homes. However, a new law could change the dynamic by giving families a choice. Nevada lawmakers have proposed a bill to make sure a zip code doesnt determine a childs academic success. AB 533 would allow children to go to any school that has room through a lottery system. Parents would have to apply first and if theyre denied, there would be a mechanism where they could appeal the decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters said this proposal is about creating no address discrimination, which has some parents on board. Previously, Ive been against what they deem as school choice or vouchers. But this district has too many schools that are failing the students that go there. And so, by at least allowing parents to choose other public schools in the district, I think its a step in the right direction, Leonard Lither, who has two children enrolled in the Clark County School District, said. One of Lithers children is in middle school, the other is in high school. Parents should not be bound to that school if the school is going to fail the kids and the district is not taking action to correct it, Lither said. Parents should have the freedom to choose a different school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a letter submitted in support of the bill, Matt Turner of Clark County told lawmakers he supports the bill as a father of two children. Because we dont qualify for any transfer programs and remain on the magnet school waiting list, weve had no choice but to pay for private school, something thats financially unsustainable for our family, Turner said. The idea of open enrollment appears to have bipartisan support. Democratic Assem. Selena Torres-Fossett proposed the changes to open enrollment. Shes also the chair of the Assembly Committee on Education. In an interview with the 8 News Now Investigators, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo signaled his support for open enrollment as part of school choice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement School choice is, you know, all-encompassing. Its charter schools. Its different education opportunities. Its open zoning, the ability to receive transportation, to go to a different school versus a traditional place where you reside, Lombardo said. According to the bill, it would be up to a school board to decide whether it will provide a school bus for kids participating in open enrollment. Some western states with open enrollment are Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oregon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) An Oakland County Circuit Court judge sentenced Jacob Gean, 28, and Jessie Gean, 29, of Madison Heights to probation Monday for breaking Michigans Safe Storage gun law. The Secure Storage Law requires gun owners to keep their unattended weapons unloaded and stored in a container if it is reasonably known that a minor is likely to be present on the premises. The couples 9-year-old son shot himself in the hand with Jacob Geans gun, which was left unattended in a jacket pocket at their home in August 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They were sentenced to two years of probation in addition to time served for three days in Oakland County Jail. Prosecutor charges mother of children left alone, could get life in prison According to the court, the two must maintain or seek employment, they cannot engage in assaultive behavior or possess any firearms or deadly weapons, and they must follow all conditions imposed by the Family Court. Gun violence is a public health crisis and a leading cause of death among children. It only takes 10 seconds to install a cable lock or a few minutes to properly secure a firearm. Those few moments could prevent an accidental injury or death, said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald in a news release sent to 6 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 WLNS 6 News. Paris Hiltons nonprofit is helping 50 women-owned small businesses affected by the Los Angeles wildfires get back on their feet. Hiltons 11:11 Media Impact, in partnership with GoFundMe.org, is donating $1 million in grants to 50 women-owned businesses. Each business will receive $25,000 each. The grant will help businesses like childcare centers, neighborhood restaurants, florists, fitness studios, boutiques and more. Richard Shermans family robbed at gunpoint Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, I had the incredible honor of meeting some of the inspiring women whose small businesses were devastated by the LA Firesand are now getting a second chance, she wrote on Instagram. I personally read every application, and I just want every single one of these women to know: I see you, I believe in you, and Im so honored to support your journey. According to L.A. Countys Economic Development Corporation more than 1,800 businesses were located in the Eaton and Palisades Fire zones employing thousands and generating nearly $1.5 billion in annual sales. The recovery grants aim to help those businesses rebound. Lets keep showing up for women entrepreneursbecause when women thrive, we all thrive, she continued in her post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Full House star Dave Coulier says hes cancer free In the wake of the fires, the heiress also worked with the Pasadena Humane Society to help reunite families with their pets. Hilton herself lost her Palisades home during the January wildfire. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Food recalls are serious business. Food recalls signal that a food is not safe for consumption, whether that means the food is unsafe for the entire population in general or unsafe for just specific parts of the population (such as if a food recall is issued due to an undeclared allergen being included in the food, which could pose issues for those with certain allergies). Eat risky recalled foods and you could not just fall seriously ill. People have died in connection with recalled foods. Luckily, most food recalls are widely publicized so that you can take precautions if a food you've recently eaten or purchased has been recalled. Keep an eye on the news and you'll see major recall warnings reported on a regular basis (unfortunately, the number of recalls has been increasing). If you haven't been paying attention to recalls as of late, though, you may've missed some of the biggest or most important. These are just a handful of the pasta recalls that have affected millions over the last 15 years. Not a big pasta eater? Consider reading up on the biggest fast food recalls, the seafood recalls, or Kraft Foods recalls in recent history, instead. Read more: 8 Best Frozen Lasagnas You Should Definitely Buy And 8 You Shouldn't Reser's Fine Foods Macaroni And Cheese (2024) Plate of macaroni and cheese - Costi Moculescu / 500px/Getty Images It's important to keep your perishable foods cold. If you don't, and leave perishable foods outside of your fridge for more than two hours, you could risk food poisoning. The same rules around proper refrigeration that apply to home cooks apply to major food manufacturers, as well. That's why, in late 2024, when Reser's Fine Foods discovered that some of its macaroni and cheese (specifically its 12-ounce American Classics Macaroni & Cheese White Cheddar and 12-ounce American Classics Macaroni & Cheese products) had been affected by a refrigeration unit malfunction, the brand decided to issue a voluntary recall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorized the recalled products as a Class II risk, which means the FDA feels that use of the products could "cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences," while the chances of a "serious" health consequence is "remote." The recall didn't only apply to macaroni and cheese, though. They were part of a greater recall that impacted more than 10 refrigerated food items distributed throughout California, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Seviroli Foods Chicken Alfredo (2024) Chicken Alfredo on a plate - OlgaBombologna/Shutterstock Listeria bacteria is a major cause of food-borne illnesses and can cause a range of serious symptoms, from the typical expected gastrointestinal distress to even convulsions, and the symptoms can pop up as late as a month after you've eaten contaminated food. A listeria infection is particularly serious for pregnant individuals, infants, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems, for whom an infection can be fatal. In other words, listeria isn't something you want to mess around with. Accordingly, when Seviroli Foods discovered that the chicken in its chicken Alfredo kits were contaminated with listeria, the brand issued a voluntary recall impacting 1.36 million pounds of the kits. The FDA gave the products its highest, most dangerous risk ranking, Class I, which means that the FDA feels using a product could result in "reasonable probability" of serious, adverse health consequences or death. The recall was connected to a greater recall at the time, from BrucePac, the company that supplied the chicken for the Alfredo kits. BrucePac recalled 75 items, including the kits, that contained a total of nearly 10 million pounds of listeria-infected meat. Hungryroot And Mama Mancini's Stuffed Shells (2024) Plate of stuffed pasta shells - New Africa/Shutterstock In November 2024, the FDA recalled Hungryroot Ricotta Stuffed Shells and Mama Mancini's Stuffed Shells with Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese, two products both produced by Joseph Epstein Food Enterprises, Inc. Both pasta products were found to be potentially contaminated with listeria. As such, the FDA gave the products a Class II risk ranking, meaning eating the pasta products could cause temporary or reversible health issues, though more serious health issues are less likely. More than 2,000 cases of pasta were impacted, throughout California, New Jersey, Delaware, Minnesota, Arizona, and Indiana. The good news? The brands said that the pasta never made it to consumers, and the issue was caught before the items reached store shelves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So what's the difference between a brand's voluntary recall and an FDA-mandated recall? Simply put, if the recall is voluntary, the brand is taking it upon themselves to recall the item. In an FDA-mandated recall, the FDA has told the brand they must recall the item. However, in both instances, the FDA is involved and makes sure that consumers are protected and the issue that caused the recall is addressed. Michelina's Frozen Fettuccine (2024) Skillet of fettucine with chicken and broccoli - Atsushi Hirao/Shutterstock Apparently 2024 was a big year for listeria. Yet another pasta product was pulled from shelves due to potential listeria contamination, this time the Michelina's brand's frozen Fettuccine Alfredo Entree with Chicken & Broccoli. Unfortunately, no, freezing doesn't kill listeria bacteria; it does, though, stop the bacteria from spreading further. Michelina's was one of the many brands impacted by the aforementioned BrucePac meat and poultry recall as, yes, the listeria-infected chicken made its way into Michelina's fettucine Alfredo. Shortly after the recall was announced in October 2024, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against BrucePac, with a woman claiming that her 12-year-old daughter had died after eating one of the impacted products. Another individual filed a class action lawsuit against BrucePac; the individual who filed the lawsuit noted that she became ill after eating one of the impacted products, and that the products sold to her were "worthless" due to the contamination. Whitson's Food Service Chicken Alfredo (2023) White plate of chicken alfredo with parsley garnish - Riverrockphotos/Getty Images In some cases, a food recall isn't due to the food being contaminated by some horrible, food-borne illness-causing bacteria. In some cases, a recall occurs simply because the food's packaging does not specify if the food contains a particular allergen. This was the case in 2023 when Whitson's Food Service recalled nearly 9,000 pounds of frozen, ready-to-cook chicken Alfredo with broccoli and penne pasta meals. The meals contain eggs, but that fact was not clearly made known on the product's labels. Unfortunately, these products went out to institutions like schools, creating possibility for extensive impact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Egg allergies are one of the most common food allergies particularly in young children under the age of six, with estimates that about 2% of children have an egg allergy. Egg allergy symptoms can be as mild as hives or they can be as extreme as fatal anaphylaxis, necessitating the use of an EpiPen and similar medical care. Bellissio Foods Spaghetti (2021) Plate of pasta with meat sauce - MauDC/Shutterstock Very similarly, in 2021, Bellissio Foods recalled nearly 4,000 pounds of spaghetti with meat sauce products sold under the Michelina's brand, due to the product containing soy, without soy being listed as a contained allergen on the product's label. Instead, the label only calls out wheat as a contained allergen. The manufacturer specified that this product doesn't typically contain soy, which is why the label doesn't list it, but suspected that perhaps the product's ingredients "co-mingled" with some other, soy-containing ingredients. Soy allergies are less common than egg allergies, with less than a half-a-percent of children exhibiting a soy allergy. Like egg allergies, soy allergies affect young children the most, but those who do have a soy allergy are more likely to have another major food allergy, as well, such as an allergy to milk, egg, or peanuts. Allergic reactions to soy range from mild to severe and life-threatening. Avanza Pasta Pasta Products (2021) Gloved hands making filled pasta - Roman Dombrowski/Shutterstock In 2021, Avanza Pasta recalled more than a ton of meat-containing pasta, like ravioli and tortellini, that was not produced without the proper inspections conducted by the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Without these inspections, the products could be dangerous, or they could not, but the chance is there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recall covered a large swathe of products, produced over a very long time period, from October 2019 to March 2021. Affected products were sold under an array of brand names, too, including Ambrosino's, Calabria Imports, Conte Di Savoia, Countryside Fresh Markets, Frankie's Deli Italian Market and Cafe, Frank's Deli, Gene's, MarketPlace on Oakton, Minelli Meat & Deli, Nature's Best, Piatto Pronto, Prisco's Family Market, Tony's Italian Deli, Vesuvio Bakery and Deli, and Fratello's. The products were distributed in stores and restaurants in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Lean Cuisine Fettuccini Alfredo (2020) Lean Cuisine chicken fettuccini at Target - Colleen Michaels/Shutterstock In May 2020, Nestle issued a recall for its Lean Cuisine frozen fettuccine Alfredo meals due to undeclared ingredients, including a major allergen. Due to a packaging issue, Nestle said, some of the wrong frozen pasta meals ended up in the frozen fettuccine Alfredo boxes. The included meals were actually frozen chicken fettuccine, not fettuccini Alfredo (sans chicken). As such, these boxes' ingredients labels were wrong and the contained meals included both chicken and soy. While the chicken perhaps is not such a big deal though you'd certainly like to know if you're accidentally going to be eating chicken, if you're trying to avoid meat products the mix-up could have been fatal for anyone with a soy allergy. Thankfully, Nestle said that the recall only impacted boxes produced on one day, April 22, 2020, and then apparently the packaging issue was realized and addressed. At the time of the recall release, there had been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions related to the mix-up. Conagra Brands Spaghetti And Meatballs (2017) Cans of Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs - Billy F Blume Jr/Shutterstock Another major food manufacturer churning out a large number of household name brands, Conagra likewise issued a recall related to undeclared allergens and misbranding, in 2017. The recall impacted a range of canned pasta and meatball products sold under brands such as Chef Boyardee, Essential Everyday, Libby's, Hy-Top, Del Pinos, Hannaford, Food Club, and Food Hold. The problem? The items contained milk, though that wasn't listed on the label. Uniquely, Conagra wasn't at fault this time. Instead, the supplier who provided the bread crumbs for the items contacted the manufacturer to let them know that there was potential milk contamination on their end. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like egg allergies, milk allergies are one of the most common allergies among children. While wheezing, vomiting, hives, and gastrointestinal distress are common symptoms of a milk allergy, fatal anaphylaxis is also possible. The FSIS gave the recall a Class I risk ranking, indicating "reasonable probability" of serious, adverse health consequences or death. Home Maid Ravioli (2016) Ravioli - La Bicicleta Vermella/Getty Images Home Maid Ravioli Company, Inc., had really committed a litany of food safety sins when it needed to issue a recall in January 2016. The brand recalled boxes and bags of a whole host of pasta products, more than 20 different products in total and nearly 40,000 pounds of product, that had been distributed to wholesale and retail customers throughout California. Not only had the products not been produced under proper federal inspection, but they'd also been mislabeled without declaring certain ingredients, including whey and pork. Whey is one of the proteins in milk that can cause a milk allergy (the other is casein), so if an individual has a milk allergy, there's a chance that eating foods with whey in them could cause them to have an allergic reaction. While pork is not a major allergen, there are still plenty of individuals who refrain from eating pork due to religious or cultural reasons. Lean Cuisine Frozen Meals (2016) Lean Cuisine spinach and mushroom pizza - Geri Lavrov/Getty Images Nestle had another major Lean Cuisine recall in 2016, when the brand recalled not just Lean Cuisine products but several of its most popular brands due to a fear that consumers might find broken glass in their food. Specifically, Nestle thought that the glass pieces may've been mixed in with some spinach used in products like DiGiorno pizzas and Lean Cuisine pastas. Lean Cuisine products impacted included Lean Cuisine's Spinach and Mushroom Pizza, Mushroom Mezzaluna Ravioli, Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli, Spinach Artichoke Ravioli and Spinach, Artichoke & Chicken Paninis. The recall also impacted a few Stouffer's frozen pasta items, including the brand's vegetable and chicken frozen lasagnas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While many recalls are issued before consumers notice any problems, or even before products get to store shelves where consumers may buy them, this wasn't the case for Nestle with this recall. The recall was only issued after consumers began reporting finding glass in pizza and ravioli products. Kraft Macaroni And Cheese (2015) Boxes of Kraft mac and cheese on store shelf - Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images In another case of "recalls occurring due to sharp and scary non-food items ending up in your food," in 2015, Kraft Foods Group recalled about a quarter of a million cases of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese boxed dinners due to worries that they may contain metal shards. The cases of mac and cheese had been shipped out to not just consumers in the United States, but also several other countries, Kraft reported. The company also said, at the time of recall release, that it had received consumer complaints from eight different people who'd found metal in their mac. How exactly did the metal get into the macaroni and cheese? A spokesperson for Kraft told the Los Angeles Times that it was theorized a piece of stainless steel was trapped against a piece of metal equipment, and the equipment's movement resulted in small pieces of the metal essentially being shaved off and then falling into the food during the manufacturing process. Kraft Cheeseburger Mac (2014) Velveeta Skillets boxes on store shelf - The Image Party/Shutterstock In 2014, Kraft well, technically one of Kraft's food processors voluntarily recalled nearly 2 million pounds of cheeseburger mac, specifically Kraft Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Singles Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac. The affected products were produced over nearly a year's time, May 2013 through January 2014, before being distributed to retail locations all across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The issue for Kraft this time was the product's labels did not declare the inclusion of two allergens, hydrolyzed soy protein and dried soy sauce. Obviously, these are going to be a problem for anyone with a soy allergy, but what exactly is hydrolyzed soy protein? It's a food additive that is used in a vast number of manufactured food items and that's typically used as a flavor enhancer for items that contain meat. Even if the hydrolyzed soy protein is used in small amounts, it can still cause an allergic reaction in those that have a soy allergy. Real Pasta (2013) Pile of ravioli - David Silverman/Getty Images Real Pasta produced a number of branded pasta products that were recalled in 2013 due to multiple issues, including the fact that the products were processed without benefit of inspection, and they were misbranded when repackaged. Some of the products could have contained soy, but that was not declared on the packaging. Approximately 25,000 pounds of pasta products were impacted (though only about 7,500 pounds of pasta products were recovered over the course of the recall), under brands including Angelina Foodservice, Deer Park Ravioli, K-Bella, La Gustosa Ravioli, NY Ravioli and Pasta, Pasta Del Mondo, Queen Ann Ravioli, Raffetto's, San Marco Ravioli, Serino's Italian Foodservice, and Vitamia. The FSIS deemed the recall a Class I risk, indicating that there was a reasonable probability that eating these products would cause serious, adverse health consequences or death. This could largely be due to the lack of benefit of inspection. Stouffer's Lasagna (2012) Stouffer's lasagna box - Geri Lavrov/Getty Images In 2012, Nestle recalled nearly 17,000 pounds of Stouffer's frozen lasagna boxes that contained, not lasagna, but stuffed peppers. It's not the box mix-up that resulted in the recall, though. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, the issue lies within the fact that Stouffer's stuffed peppers contain Worcestershire sauce, which contains anchovies, a possible allergen. If someone were to buy one of the frozen lasagnas, open it up, see that it was stuffed peppers instead, and decide to heat and eat it anyway, they could've suffered an allergic reaction, as there's no information on the packaging to warn them of the peppers' ingredients. Nestle reported that it had received multiple complaints of the wrong items being in the lasagna boxes, and theorized that someone had left the lasagna packaging materials in their machinery, after moving on to packaging stuffed pepper entrees, resulting in lasagna boxes going out containing the stuffed peppers. Lean Cuisine Meatballs (2011) meatballs in pan - Istetiana/Getty Images In 2012, Nestle recalled even more Lean Cuisine frozen meals. This time, it was the Lean Cuisine Simple Favorites Spaghetti with Meatballs meals that were affected. Nestle reported that it had received multiple consumer complaints of red plastic bits being found in the meals' meatballs. While the consumers did not report any injuries that had occurred due to the plastic, it's still not exactly what you want to find in your meatball. It seems, though, that Nestle didn't quite learn from this incident, as, more recently, in mid-March 2025, the brand issued a recall for Lean Cuisine and Stouffer's frozen meals that contained "wood-like" foreign materials. Again, consumers complained to Nestle, bringing the issue to the company's attention. Unfortunately, in this case, one consumer did report choking on the material. Impacted items include: Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli, Lean Cuisine Spinach Artichoke Ravioli, Lean Cuisine Lemon Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry, and Stouffer's Party Size Chicken Lasagna. For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) In March, we recognized four Remarkable Women in central Illinois as part of Nexstar Medias nationwide initiative to honor influential women across the country. On Tuesday, we announced this years winner was Patricia Cutilletta. She retired after 35 years in the investment business and has been spending her retirement volunteering at Midwest Food Bank. She is on the food banks advisory board and its National Development Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2025 Remarkable Woman to be announced Tuesday She also serves as a board member with the OSF Healthcare Foundation and the Peoria Riverfront Museum Foundation. All of this, while dealing with breast cancer. As the winner she was awarded $1,000 to donate to the nonprofit of her choice, but said she would like to match the gift and give $1,000 to two other nonprofits of her choice. Cutilletta will also be invited to an awards ceremony in Los Angeles, where she and 124 other Remarkable women will have a chance to win $25,000. 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 CIProud.com. AUSTIN (KXAN) Attorney General Ken Paxton adopted a new rule Monday that enhanced reporting requirements for Texas district and county attorneys, according to a press release. Paxton said the new rule would ensure accountability and promote public safety. KXAN reached out to Travis County District Attorney Jose Garzas office for a comment regarding the new rule. We will update this article when a comment is provided. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Missed deadlines leading to 100+ suspects being released, charges dropped in Travis County The rule would require district and county attorneys representing a county with a population of 400,000 or more to provide specific performance reports to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). The OAG said this rule would give the office access to detailed report information upon request, specify a process to attain any overdue reports and outline consequences if a district or county attorney intentionally seeks to violate the enhanced reporting requirements. District and County Attorneys have a duty to protect the communities they serve by upholding the law and vigorously prosecuting dangerous criminals, Paxton said. In many major counties, the people responsible for safeguarding millions of Texans have instead endangered lives by refusing to prosecute criminals and allowing violent offenders to terrorize law-abiding Texans. This rule will enable citizens to hold rogue DAs accountable. 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 KXAN Austin. A REAL ID driver's license sample. (Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation) Its getting down to crunch time for Pennsylvanians to get their REAL ID card. As the May 7 deadline for REAL ID approaches, state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll provided an update on Tuesday about the process. Starting May 7, if you dont have a Real ID or a passport, then youre not going to be able to board a commercial flight anywhere in Pennsylvania, Carroll said on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Next month, the federal law mandating a REAL ID card or drivers license goes into effect. Not only will it be needed for domestic flights, but also to enter a federal building or military installation, following the May 7 deadline. Carroll said a REAL ID card will have a gold star in the corner of the ID. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE At this point, about 26%, or about 2.5 million drivers in the state, have already secured their cards or licenses. The REAL ID is optional for Pennsylvanians, if they have a passport. Without either one, a person will not be able to board a commercial flight in the state following the deadline, even if a ticket was purchased prior to May 7. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So a little more than a month before the deadline, Carroll issued a warning about the current wait times for people waiting until the last minute. Theres a lot of procrastinators out there and our drivers license centers now have real serious issues with respect to a lot of folks showing up, even before the driver center opens, Carroll said. Well do our best to get you in and out of there quickly. And Im hopeful that folks that dont have to go to the drivers license center that can take advantage of renewals online or via the mail, will take that opportunity. Carroll said PennDOT is being aggressive with respect to opening drivers license centers on Mondays, when were traditionally closed. But 57 drivers licenses across the state will be open on Mondays through April and the first Monday in May, Carroll said, with the exception of Easter Monday, April 21, when the centers will be closed. Gov. Josh Shapiro nominated Michael Carroll to be PennDOT secretary. (Photo via Gov.-elect Josh Shapiros transition team) PennDOTs website lists which ones will be open those extra days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I hope that people take advantage of this opportunity, Carroll said. He said the PennDOT website provides a checklist of the documents needed to bring with you to acquire the REAL ID, including if you had a name change during your life. When acquiring a REAL ID, youre also renewing your drivers license at the same time, which means it costs $30 and the renewal fee. So, youll renew your drivers license, youll pay the $30 for the REAL ID in addition to your renewal fee, and then we add four years to your current license, Carroll said. So, you could have a scenario where you have a license thats good for seven or even eight years, depending on when you re-newed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So you dont lose time on the current license that you have, he added. We simply add four years to the license time that youve already paid for. A Pennsylvanian can acquire a REAL ID after the deadline, but would not be able to fly commercially without the ID or passport. In an effort to get the word out, Carroll said they have done events in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with similar ones planned in Allentown, Erie, and Scranton leading up to the May 7 deadline. A lot of folks wait to the last minute, but that last minute is now, Carroll said. Were about a month away from the deadline here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuesdays update from Carroll is the first in a series of virtual events that will be held regularly in the weeks leading up to the start of the federal enforcement date. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX (WHTM) Its been two decades since Pennsylvania legalized casinos with the promise of property tax relief for homeowners. Has that law paid off, and are residents cashing in? Slot machines have been operating in Pennsylvania casinos since 2006 and online since 2019. Every commonwealth homeowner has cashed in whether theyve gambled or not, as 34% of all slot revenue goes to what the original law called property tax relief, now approximately $1 billion. Experts say too few people even know what theyre getting. I think people heard what they wanted to hear, and I think the nomenclature of property tax relief rather than what it really is, property tax reduction, that is what they heard, said Doug Harbach, spokesman of the Pennslyvania Gaming Control Board. They thought this gambling was going to get rid of my school property taxes. That was never going to be the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harbach calls it a PR problem, as slots are never specifically mentioned on tax bills. Its oddly called a homestead exclusion and deducted off the top before those bills go out. Instead of sending a check out to everybody, now, if I send a check out to everybody from the state, youd remember getting that, said Harbach. Barry Heckard has collected taxes in Mechanicsburg for 32 years. Whats the benefit to his residents? When it was first started, it was like $120, and now its up to $160, said Heckard. I dont know what it will be this year, but its not significant that the taxpayers will notice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Department of Revenue newsletter from 2004 estimated that slots could generate $1 billion a year in property tax reduction, which it is now doing, but a few paragraphs later, it also estimated it would reduce school property taxes by 20%, which is not occurring. Well, the average for a homeowner statewide is probably about $350, said Harbach. But because of the equation thats used to deliver money to the school districts, that can vary Some could be up over $600 per year. It depends on what school district that you live in. It also depends on how you define relief. In two decades, slot machines have pumped nearly $7 billion into property owner rebates. They could definitely give more than what theyre giving, said Heckard. Thats just my feeling. I dont think its enough. I really dont think its enough. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gambling critics in 2004 argued it wouldnt deliver enough. As he signed the Gaming Act into law, then-Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell said this: Its a wonderful step forward for Pennsylvania. You tell a senior citizen who is making choices between paying property taxes and paying for prescription drugs. You tell her that $500 isnt a lot of money. The program has worked exactly the way it was supposed to work, added Harbach. Whether average homeowners believe that isnt exactly clear. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Election boards in Pennsylvanias 67 counties may not invalidate mail-in ballots simply because they lack accurate, handwritten dates on their exterior return envelopes, a federal judge ruled Monday. The decision by U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter, the latest in a long-running legal dispute over what is a small percentage of votes cast in the state, was issued more than two months after the state Supreme Court announced it also would consider the issue. Baxter wrote that most counties did not try to argue that the exterior dates, which are not used to show whether a ballot was received in time, serve an important state interest in regulating elections. The Republican National Committee and one county, Berks, did argue the dates help combat voting fraud, Baxter wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Absent from the record, however, is any evidence demonstrating how this requirement furthers that purported interest, the judge wrote. The exterior envelope dating mandate violates the U.S. Constitution, she ruled, by impairing the right to vote under the First and Fourteenth amendments. Jeff Bukowski, Berks Countys lawyer, said he will discuss a potential appeal with the county commissioners. Phone messages were left Monday with lawyers for the state and national Republican Party groups that intervened in the case and lost the ruling. The voter and groups that sued, including Democratic campaign organizations and a teachers union, called the exterior envelope dates nothing more than a compliance test to show how state voters can follow written instructions, Baxter said. She ruled there is no state interest in requiring the signatures and noted that more than 10,000 votes statewide were invalidated as a result of the dating mandate in the 2022 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such disenfranchisement burdens the right to vote and there is no valid state interest to weigh this against, Baxter wrote. A decision by Baxter throwing out the envelope date mandate in a separate case was eventually reversed by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but it was decided on a different issue. Lower courts have repeatedly deemed it unconstitutional or illegal to throw out such ballots. But higher courts including the state Supreme Court most recently on Nov. 1 have blocked those decisions from taking effect. New envelope designs have helped reduce the number of invalidated votes. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Ave Maria Mutual Funds, for example, applies a proprietary moral screening process to exclude companies involved in activities deemed inconsistent with its guiding principles. As of December 31, 2024, it managed $3.5 billion in assets, with its Ave Maria Growth Fund delivering a 14.77% return over the past year and a 9.44% return over five years. Similarly, the Timothy Plan, recognized as the oldest values-based mutual fund family, offers investment products that cater to investors seeking alignment with biblical principles. GuideStone Funds integrates a life-focused component into its portfolio, appealing to those who prioritize such considerations in their financial strategies. On the other side of the spectrum, values-based investing sometimes called morally responsible investing (MRI) -has expanded as an alternative for investors who prioritize faith-driven or ethics-based financial decisions. This niche overlaps with broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies, which aim to integrate social values into investment choices. Within this space, funds like Ave Maria Mutual Funds, Timothy Plan, and GuideStone Funds have carved out a place by offering investment options aligned with specific moral and religious standards. According to the Sustainable Investments Institute , major U.S. companies and their PACs poured over $515 million into political candidates opposed to reproductive rights over two election cycles. These firms were among those balancing both pro-choice and pro-life initiatives, showcasing the complex and sometimes contradictory nature of corporate influence. The 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade brought corporate policies on reproductive rights into the spotlight. Some Fortune 250 companies publicly committed to covering travel costs for employees seeking abortions, yet financial disclosures revealed many of these same companies donated millions to lawmakers supporting restrictive abortion laws. This contrast between public messaging and political contributions has fueled a push for greater transparency in corporate decision-making, prompting investors to scrutinize where their money flows. Investing isnt just about numbersits also about values. As socially responsible investing (SRI) gains traction, a growing segment of investors is looking to align their portfolios with their ethical beliefs. One such approach focuses on pro-life investing, where individuals seek to support companies that reflect their views on life-related policies while aiming for strong financial returns. We recently published a list of 10 Pro-Life Companies to Invest In Now . In this article, we are going to take a look at where LandBridge Company LLC (NYSE:LB) stands against other top pro-life companies to invest in now. Story continues For those looking to blend finance with philosophy, pro-life investing represents one of many ways to tailor a portfolio to personal beliefs. Whether an investor is motivated by ethical considerations, political leanings, or financial strategy, the rise of values-based funds suggests a growing demand for options that go beyond traditional profit-driven decision-making. As the investing landscape evolves, the conversation around corporate responsibility and political influence will likely remain a key factor in shaping financial choices. With these points in mind, we look at the pro-life companies to invest in right now. LandBridge Company LLC (LB): Among the 10 Pro-Life Companies to Invest In Now? An oil refinery at night, its chimneys creating a smoky silhouette against a starry sky. Our Methodology To create our list, we focused on the top holdings of the Ave Maria Mutual Funds, which applies a fundamental security analysis filtered through pro-life and pro-family criteria. These screens exclude companies involved in abortion, embryonic stem cell research, Planned Parenthood, and pornography. Beyond moral considerations, the fund focuses on companies with a strong potential for price appreciation. We then ranked these companies according to the highest number of hedge funds ownerships. We have used Insider Monkeys Q4 2024 exclusive proprietary database of hedge funds to arrive at our rankings. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). LandBridge Company LLC (NYSE:LB) Number of Hedge Funds: 20 LandBridge Company LLC (NYSE:LB) is a Houston-based firm specializing in land and resource management to support and enhance oil and natural gas development in the United States. The company owns extensive surface acreage in and around the Delaware Basin in Texas and New Mexico, holding a portfolio of oil and gas royalties. Additionally, LandBridge generates revenue through the sale of brackish water and other surface composite materials. Since its initial public offering (IPO) on June 28, 2024, at $17 per share, LandBridge Company LLC (NYSE:LB)s stock has experienced remarkable growth. The stock closed its debut at $23.15, a 36% premium over the IPO price. As of March 22, 2025, LB is trading at $77.05, reflecting a substantial increase since its IPO. It is among the best Pro-Life companies to invest in. In its Q4 2024 earnings report, LandBridge Company LLC (NYSE:LB) reported revenues of $36.5 million and a net income of $8 million, marking significant growth. For the full year 2024, the company delivered revenue growth of 109% year-over-year. Looking ahead, LandBridge projects an EBITDA of $170-$190 million for 2025 and anticipates earnings per share (EPS) of $1.70, with expectations of rising to $2.11 in 2026. On March 21, Barclays issued a Hold rating for LandBridge Company LLC (NYSE:LB), but overall analyst sentiment remains positive. The median price target is $80.00, with a Moderate Buy rating from nine analysts, 67% recommending a Buy. Overall, LB ranks 9th on our list of the pro-life companies to invest in now. While we acknowledge the potential for LB as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LB that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) A Pittsburgh man who was wanted is now facing drug charges after prison officers found fentanyl hidden in his pants. Devin Davis, 32, was arrested after officers with Pennsylvania State Police saw him at a Sheetz and knew he was wanted on a warrant, according to a criminal complaint. On Wednesday, March 26 officers saw a blue Buick parked at a Sheetz and saw Davis in the passenger seat. Officers made contact with the driver and Davis and asked Davis to step out of the vehicle. Davis allegedly told officers his name was Terrance Jackson and denied having an ID or drivers license. When the driver was questioned he allegedly told officers that the passenger was Davis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Somerset County duo facing new home improvement fraud charges Davis was arrested and searched by officers. They allegedly found suspected marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and his drivers license. Police noted that once his warrant was confirmed he was taken to PSP Somerset and then transported to Somerset County Jail. Before he was transported Davis was asked if he had any additional drugs or contraband on him and he allegedly admitted that he had two Xanax pills in his shoe. He was then taken to jail and released to prison staff. At the prison, a correction officer found a yellow bag in his underwear. The bag contained multiple smaller bags containing a white crystal substance, according to the affidavit. According to the complaint, the contraband was 212 individually wrapped packets containing suspected fentanyl and heroin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davis is in the Somerset County Prison with bail set at $35,000. He is facing charges of contraband, possession with the intent to deliver, intent to possess a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and false identification to law enforcement officers. 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 8. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The holy month of Ramadan has come to an end. Muslims who spent the past month fasting from sunrise to sundown are now celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the festival that marks the end of Ramadan. The day starts with performing a special prayer service at the mosque, according to Harvards Pluralism Project. After the prayer service, many mosques host festivals and carnivals with food, games, and rides for children, along with bazaars and other vendors. Here are images from 2025 Eid events around the world. Muslims perform an Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Chennai, India, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Mahesh Kumar A. Muslims share Eid al-Fitr greeting after attending Eid prayer, marking the end of the Muslim's holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the historical Sunehri Mosque, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Muhammad Sajjad Muslims attend an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the Muslim's holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Anjum Naveed Muslims attend an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the Muslim's holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the historical Sunehri Mosque, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Muhammad Sajjad Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Muslim boy performs with others an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the Muslim's holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Anjum Naveed Iranian women perform Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the Muslims holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Vahid Salemi Muslims perform an Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Jama Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Mahmud Hossain Opu A baker prepares "maamoul" cookies for celebrations for the upcoming Muslim Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 30, 2025. | Hadi Mizban Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Muslim woman attends an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the Muslim's holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the historical Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, Monday, March 31, 2025. | K.M. Chaudary Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Bankra, Howrah district, India, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Bikas Das Iranian women perform Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the Muslims holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Vahid Salemi Muslims perform an Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Feroz Shah Kotla Mosque in New Delhi, India, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Karma Bhutia Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kashmiri Muslim young girl pray during the Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Hazratbal shrine on the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, March 31, 2025. | Mukhtar Khan CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Emergency crews responded to a water rescue in Mallard Creek Monday night. According to Medic officials, they responded around 10 p.m. to the 9700 block of North Tryon Street, near the Cookout restaurant. No one was transported from the scene. Queen City News observed a vehicle flipped over in the water down a steep embankment. After emergency crews left, clothes were found on the side of the road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police also were at the scene. This is a Developing Story . Check back for updates Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) Dozens of photos obtained by Nexstars WTNH show the living conditions authorities found in the Waterbury, Connecticut, home where a man says he was held captive by his stepmom, Kimberly Sullivan, for over 20 years. According to authorities, the victim was starved, abused, and locked in a small room for most of his life. In February, he admitted to setting his room on fire to escape the alleged captivity. More Local News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When he was examined, according to court documents, the 59 man weighed under 70 pounds, and he was malnourished and emaciated. PHOTOS FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE Waterbury Police shared the photos seen in the slideshow below with WTNH. They were taken inside the home but authorities did not clarify which room the victim was allegedly held in. Some doors do, however, have locks on them. Many of the photos also show what appears to be damage caused by Februarys fire. Kimberly Sullivan was released two weeks ago after posting bond and has been on intensive pretrial supervision. She pleaded not guilty on Friday to multiple charges, including assault and kidnapping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The presiding judge decided Sullivan would be outfitted with a GPS tracking monitor/bracelet but would not be subject to house arrest. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Sullivans attorney Ioannis Kaloidis said he was fighting to keep court proceedings impartial. I know everyone wants to crucify her, everyone has already convicted her, but thats not how this works, and its not how its going to work, Kaloidis said. The burden is not going to shift to the defense. The burden rests on the state. Theyve got to prove these allegations in court, and were a long way from that. The victim has received an outpouring of support from the Waterbury community and beyond, with more than $200,000 raised for him. 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 dynamics that drive the global semiconductor supply chain have become highly fraught, complex and geopolitical. Intellectual property, as well as manufacturing, has come under the scope of the Trump administration's protectionist measures. However, most if not all major chips including CPUs, GPUs, HBM, and DDR RAM come from Taiwan, Japan or Korea. For example, Qualcomm Snapdragon chips and the Apple iPhone processors and NVIDIA GPU chips are made by TSMC or other Taiwanese fabs, says Rojas. In other words, most all consumer and data centre premium products would be penalised if Taiwan were hit with tariffs . So tariffing Taiwan would be self-harm, he says. Tariffs on Chinese chips would not impact premium products in the US, according to Bill Rojas, GlobalData Strategic Intelligence research director who notes that China supplies less than 8% of the worlds supply chain. Many tech industry leaders maintain that tariffs on semiconductors and countries of strategic importance in the supply of chips to the US, would be an act of self harm for the US, while others see it as a redressing of the global trade balance. The comments also follow a statement in February, signalling that Trump may impose a "25% or higher" tariff on all semiconductors imported into the US. The prevailing narrative which suggests not taking Trump at his word is the global tech industrys best-case scenario. A raft of new tariff announcements are expected on 2 April, dubbed Liberation Day by Trump, in the administration's most significant rolling back, yet, of US open trade policy in favour of trade protectionism. If the Presidents habit of dropping breadcrumbs before a big reveal on tariffs is anything to go by, what he said next should create cause for concern within the tech industry as he referred to further tariff announcements: Having also to do a little bit with lumber down the road, lumber and chips. We're gonna get all those chip companies coming back, they are already come back without even doing it, so its been very good, but we will be announcing some others. For the most part April 2nd will be a big day. The event preceded an announcement a few days later (26 March) of 25% global tariffs on all automotive imports into the US, part of Trumps economic strategy to re-shore manufacturing lost to past decades of globalisation. On 24 March US President Trump addressed a group of reporters announcing a $5bn automotive plant investment in Louisiana while making reference to forthcoming tariffs for the industry. Story Continues On 27 March, the US added over 50 Chinese tech companies to its export blacklist in an attempt to hamper Chinas ability to develop advanced technology, particularly AI. At least 13 of those on the list are associated with semiconductor production. According to the US Bureau of Industry and security, 12 entities11 under the destination of China and one under the destination of Taiwanwere added for engaging in the development of advanced AI, supercomputers, and high-performance AI chips for China-based end-users with close ties to the countrys military-industrial complex. Two Chinese entities were added for selling products to parties on the blacklist, including Huawei and its affiliated fabless semiconductor company HiSilicon. Chip tariffs will distort global supply chain Knowledge transfer into into the US, as well as chip manufacturing capacity, were the driving forces behind the Biden era US CHIPS ACT which encouraged foreign chip makers, namely Taiwans TSMC, to invest in US chipmaking capacity to lessen reliance on chips from Asia. Since 2020, TSMC has announced $65bn of investment in three semiconductor fabs in the US state of Arizona, representing the largest foreign direct investment project in US history. Sigma Intel founder, Mike Orme, says TSMCs US investment means that the big deal-making and compromise has already been done. In return for a deal on tariffs imposed on chip imports from TSMC in Taiwan, TSMC is to invest $160bn by 2030 or so, he explains. Liberation Day decisions, none of which is set in cement, will do little or nothing to make the US more self-sufficient in semiconductors, rather to simply further distort the industry's global supply chain and raise the end-user prices for US customers of critical chips, says Orme. Nothing is known about potential exclusions and what might be included in tariffs apart from chips, such as wafers, specialist chemicals, and base materials, or whether exceptions might be made on ASML EUVs, which the US is not developing itself but which are critical for making sub-5nm chips, for example. According to Orme, TSMC's frontier R&D and its most advanced chip-making is more effective in Taiwan than in US fabs. "For one thing the US made chips will cost the US consumers, Apple, Huawei et al, more than if supplied direct from Taiwan," says Orme. Current US onshore capacity for chip production cannot fulfil domestic demand. Exacerbated by Intel's decline, the US lacks strong foundry capabilities, according to GlobalData Strategic Intelligence principal analyst Isabel Al-Dahir. This fact becomes particularly apparent in the context of AI chip production, which is dominated by TSMC. Consequently, the implementation of tariffs would likely lead to increased costs for semiconductors, ultimately impacting the prices of electronic end-products for US consumers. The argument for imposing the short-term pain of tariffs for long-term gain is weakened by Trump repealing Bidens US CHIPS Act, which aimed to re-shore chip manufacturing without raising costs. The elimination of CHIPS Act subsidies could adversely affect future investments, leaving many industries uncertain about whether to invest in a country where policies may be rescinded unpredictably. Moreover, relying solely on the financial disincentives of tariffs will likely compel semiconductor companies to scale back their investments in the US, says Al-Dhahir. Tariffs are a risky negotiating tool The US Semiconductor Association, representing 99% of the US semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-US chip firms, echoed this warning in a February statement: If not approached carefully, tariffs could make it significantly more expensive to develop and produce Made-in-America semiconductors and the many critical technologies they enable, including artificial intelligence. It is hoped that Liberation Day will bring clarity on exactly which countries and industries will incur greater tariffs. Meanwhile, semiconductor companies awaiting this clarity are loathe to comment in any detail. Global semiconductor company NXP told Verdict: We are closely monitoring US tariffs to swiftly determine what if any impact there may be to our business and our customers. NXPs focus continues to be providing our customers with dependable supply to support their businesses. As with all commercial engagements, we will work collaboratively with each of our customers to achieve an effective solution. A spokesperson from chip company Arm said: Arm supports US and other government efforts to increase resiliency in the supply chain. While it is clear that this is a priority for the new Administration, we are not going to speculate what policy tools they may use to address that, including tariffs. Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director of the European Centre for Economic Policy, LSE Senior Fellow and an experienced negotiator on international trade, cautions focusing on the tariffs as an endgame. Its important to distinguish between threats and objectives, says Lee-Makiyama. Trump may threaten tariffs, but the objective is to force the other party to the negotiation table, he says noting that Trump may receive concessions without actually having to implement tariffs on semiconductors at all. Every trade negotiator in the world is discussing whether this is a bluff, says Lee-Makiyama, albeit a very risky bluff. Trump risks market turmoil as signalling is often enough to crash an economy. In addition, if the threat tactic fails, Trump must then follow through to maintain his administrations credibility. All of which highlights the fact that tariffs are a blunt instrument for trade negotiations at best, and at worst, spell disaster for the global semiconductor supply chain. "Liberation Day: What would Trump tariffs on semiconductors mean for the tech industry?" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. Pinellas sheriffs deputies shot and critically wounded a woman who fled from a traffic stop, waved a gun at law enforcement officers and rammed vehicles with her car early Tuesday, authorities said. Marina DeFilippo, 65, was hospitalized in critical condition after deputies shot her several times in Indian Shores, St. Petersburg police Chief Anthony Holloway said during a news conference later Tuesday. Holloways department is investigating the shooting as part of an agreement among member agencies of the Pinellas Countys Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force. A deputy stopped DeFilippos Toyota hatchback about 1:30 a.m. after she ran a red light at the intersection of 113th Street North and Park Boulevard, according to details released by Holloway and included in a news release later Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeFilippo told the deputy that the CIA was after her and drove off, heading west toward the beaches, Holloway said. Deputies deployed stop sticks to flatten DeFilippos tires, but she continued driving on flat tires and made it to Gulf Boulevard and turned north. An Indian Shores police officer stopped DeFilippo and she pointed a gun at him, rammed his vehicle and continued north on Gulf Boulevard, Holloway said. Near the area of 20254 Gulf Boulevard, the sheriffs office used an armored vehicle to stop DeFilippos car. Deputies then fired less-lethal beanbag and pepper ball rounds at DeFilippo. They were talking to her, trying to get her out the car shes still waving the weapon around, Holloway said. She then tried to get away again, ramming several vehicles, and thats when the deputies used their weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seven deputies opened fire during the incident, and DeFilippo was hit several times. She was taken to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg. Holloway said she is expected to survive and will face charges including aggravated battery, aggravated assault and fleeing to elude law enforcement, Holloway said. A deputy was also treated for minor injuries. The deputies who fired their weapons were placed on routine administrative leave while the investigation is underway. They are: Lt. Thomas Montgomery, K-9 Corporal Justin Fineberg, Corporal Brian Hirshman, Corporal Tyler Reidy, Deputy Melanie Leib, Deputy Kyle Kilian and Deputy Alberto Ortiz. NEW YORK (PIX11) Welcome to PIX on Politics Daily with Dan Mannarino, where we break down the days political news, headlines, and issues that matter most to you through in-depth conversation. Join us daily on PIX11+ streaming at 1:00 p.m. as we invite the newsmakers, lawmakers, and key players shaping policies that impact local communities. On Tuesday, Dan joined PIX11 NJ State House Reporter Jim Vasil to discuss the latest political news in New Jersey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch the video player for the full interview. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Polish authorities said Tuesday they charged a 47-year-old Ukrainian citizen with working for Russian intelligence after he was discovered last month conducting reconnaissance of military facilities in Poland. The National Prosecutors Office did not name the man but said that he was born in Russia, and that he was arrested and charged on March 20. The suspect's activities involved "reconnaissance of military facilities in Poland on behalf of Russian intelligence, a crime punishable under Polish law by prison terms 5 to 30 years, the prosecutors office said in a statement. The office added that the suspect explained that he had "ideological motives for his activities resulting from his ties with Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for Polands Interior Ministry and security services, said on X that the 47-year-old Ukrainian citizen was arrested by security agents in the Mazovian province near the capital, Warsaw, in central Poland. He told The Associated Press that the arrest was not announced immediately because certain steps had to be completed first, for the good of the investigation. Polish officials say the country is the target of espionage and hybrid war attacks initiated by Moscow that have grown more serious since Russias invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The Internal Security Agency has detained 44 people on suspicion of espionage or sabotage for Russia or Belarus in Poland since the start of war. Among them are Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians and Poles, Dobrzynski said. WARSAW (Reuters) - Prosecutors in Poland have charged a Ukrainian man who was born in Russia with participating in activities linked to Russian intelligence, they said on Tuesday. The Polish Internal Security Agency had detained the man earlier in March, and a district court in Warsaw decided at the time to detain him for three months. "The suspect's activities consisted in reconnaissance of military facilities in Poland on behalf of the aforementioned intelligence," prosecutors said in a statement, adding it was a crime punishable by imprisonment from five to 30 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Warsaw's support for Kyiv in its defence against Russia's invasion has made Poland a target for Russian espionage and sabotage. Prosecutors indicted two men in November in a case tied to cooperation with Belarusian intelligence services. "The suspect admitted to committing the act he was charged with and provided an explanation in which he described the ideological motives for his activities resulting from his ties with Russia," prosecutors said. (Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Bernadette Baum) Poland's internal security service (ABW) detained a Ukrainian suspected of spying on Polish military facilities on behalf of Russian intelligence services, Polish news outlet RMF24 reported on April 1. Polish prosecutors in eastern Masovian province charged the suspect with espionage, with a possible penalty of five to 30 years in prison. The Ukrainian admitted to the charges, saying he worked for Russia for ideological reasons, RMF24 wrote. Polish authorities placed the suspect under arrest for three months as the criminal proceedings are ongoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arrests of suspected Russian intelligence agents in Poland have spiked over the past years as Warsaw has become a crucial ally of Ukraine in its struggle against Russian invasion. Russian intelligence has also been accused of orchestrating an arson attack against a shopping center in Warsaw in 2024. NATO member Poland borders Russia's ally Belarus and the heavily militarized Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. As warnings about a potential clash between Moscow and the alliance mount, Poland would stand at the front line of such a conflict. Read also: Unless you act, its just rhetoric Baltic states skeptical of Western European leadership Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Propagandist Kyrylo Molchanov, a Russian agent and so-called "political expert" from Viktor Medvedchuks media pool, has been handed over to Ukraine at the request from the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), the first such case since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. [Medvedchuk is a Ukrainian businessman and pro-Russian politician to whose daughter Putin is godfather ed.] Source: SSU; Ukrainska Pravda source in law enforcement Quote from the SSU: "He was initially detained in Poland and is now in one of Kyiv's pre-trial detention centres. The case involves a 'political expert' from the media pool of Viktor Medvedchuk, who is suspected of treason. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to case materials, the individual was recruited and worked simultaneously for two intelligence agencies of the aggressor state: the FSB and Russias Foreign Intelligence. Under the occupiers' instructions, he was engaged in discrediting Ukraine on the international stage and destabilising the situation in partner countries." Details: The SSU did not name the propagandist, but Ukrainska Pravda has information that it is Molchanov. In 2022, Molchanov left for Russia, where he became one of the key ideologists behind Kremlin-aligned media projects The Other Ukraine and Voice of Europe. Molchanov was also a frequent guest on talk shows hosted by Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, appearing 35 times in 2023 alone, where he justified Russias armed aggression and spread disinformation about Ukraine. Additionally, Molchanov organised street protests in the EU to promote Kremlin interests, calling for an end to international support for Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He publicly called for orchestrating targeted terrorist attacks in Ukraine, using his Telegram channel to regularly share Russian intelligence chatbots that collect reconnaissance data on Ukraines defence forces. Molchanov was served a notice of suspicion under Article 436-2.3 and Article 111-1.6 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants and engaging in collaborationist activities). Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! A Carbondale man was charged Thursday after police said he had a loaded gun inside his vehicle in a parking lot at Scranton High School. While working as the school resource officer at the high school, Scranton police Patrolman Chris Kaushas was contacted by Lt. Michael Perry about the report of a threat at Veterans Memorial Stadium, police said. Additionally, the schools security officer told police that Thomas McDonough, a school employee, had threatened to shoot another employee, and had a gun in his vehicle, according to a criminal complaint. Kaushas confronted McDonough, who confirmed he had a gun in his vehicle, officers said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With McDonoughs permission, officers searched his vehicle and found a gun with seven live rounds in the magazine, police said. An employee who contacted school administrators told officers he was concerned about McDonoughs mental health after McDonough sent an email regarding how upset he is with them, according to the criminal complaint. The employee also told officers McDonough did not make any threatening statements toward any employees, police said. Police charged McDonough, 54, with possession of a weapon on school property. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 7 at 11 a.m. The U.S. is not in a recession yet. But with threats of high tariffs on U.S. imports, policy uncertainty, mass deportations and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts, some economic observers believe the odds are rising. Weve got a real uncertainty problem, its going to be hard to fix that, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said in an interview on Bloomberg Televisions Wall Street Week with David Westin. Were looking at a slowdown relative to what was forecast, almost for sure, and a serious, near 50% prospect of recession. J.P Morgans chief economist Bruce Kasman predicts a 40% chance of a U.S. recession this year. If we would continue down this road of what would be more disruptive, business-unfriendly policies, I think the risks on that recession front would go up, he told reporters. Of CFOs polled in the latest CNBC CFO Council Survey, the majority (95%) said government policy is impacting their ability to make business decisions. Three-quarters expected the economy to enter a recession in the latter half of this year or in 2026. So what exactly defines a recession? In the U.S., recessions are officially declared and dated often retroactively by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Business Cycle Dating Committee. The committee defines a recession as a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months. In wider practice, two consecutive quarters of negative gross domestic product (GDP) growth point to a recession. Though there hasnt been an official declaration, there are three warning signs all pointing to a potential recession: Don't miss The yield curve is signaling a recession. One predictor of a recession is when the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds falls below that of the three-month Treasury bill. This occurred in late 2022 and lasted until late 2024, and occurred again in late February and the yield spread between the two remains negative. The time from when this situation occurs until the onset of a recession can vary, but its a strong indicator of a recession in the coming 16 to 20 months. Mar. 31Liberty Lake Police arrested a Spokane Valley woman outside a Tesla dealership over the weekend after she sped by protesters of company owner Elon Musk while flipping them off and ignoring officers' sirens, nearly causing a "significant" crash, police reports say. Louise Powell, 68, was taken into custody Saturday near Spokane County's Tesla dealership and cited on suspicion of reckless driving and driving without a license. At the time of her arrest, Spokane County citizens were gathered outside the dealership to protest Musk, who is President Donald Trump's adviser behind the controversial Department of Government Efficiency. Musk, an unelected billionaire, began working with the U.S. government after Trump's victory and made decisions to cut federal programs and jobs without congressional approval through DOGE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk's actions have angered a number of citizens, federal workers, unions and Democratic leaders, spurring frequent anti-Tesla demonstrations across the nation known as "Tesla Takedowns." In the last couple of months, Spokane County has seen these protests outside the Tesla dealership at 1805 N. Pepper Lane in Liberty Lake. Previous protests outside the local hub have remained peaceful, according to coverage from The Spokesman-Review. An officer stationed outside Saturday's protest wrote of seeing Powell speeding through the Tesla parking lot in a blue Volkswagen Beetle. The officer started following Powell until she entered another parking lot across the street at a high speed, the police report says. The officer turned on his lights and sirens in an attempt to stop her, but said she entered the main roadway without slowing down. A separate officer documented Powell speeding and weaving in and out of the roadway, yelling out the window and flipping off protesters. She made a sharp right turn onto North Bitterroot Street and then a wide, illegal U-turn, which "nearly caused what would have been a significant accident," according to the police report. When Powell came back, she was allegedly driving towards the sidewalk, swerving towards the center lane at a high speed and still making gestures at the protesters. Liberty Lake Police Chief Damon Simmons was traveling south in his patrol car and tried to intercept Powell with his emergency lights on, the report states. Powell initially tried to drive around him, but there was no room to keep going. At that point, she was asked to exit her car and placed under arrest, the police report says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Powell, pictured during her arrest wearing a top emblazoned with Trump's "You're Fired" slogan, had no valid driver's license, according to the report. She was taken to the Spokane County Jail for booking, but jail staff advised they could not take her due to a medical issue, so her brother was called to pick her up. Her Volkswagen Beetle was also towed and impounded for blocking the roadway. "I am certainly glad that no one was hurt and that the Liberty Lake police were present and able to take her into custody. Thanks to the Liberty Lake police for taking our safety seriously," a Facebook post from an anti-Tesla group said. "... Her behavior is reckless and could have seriously injured someone." The same day, a man in Florida sped his car into an anti-Musk group protesting outside a Tesla dealership in Palm Beach, according to the Washington Post, and a counter protester was found brandishing a stun gun outside a Tesla showroom in California. No injuries were reported. Later that same day, an anti-Musk protester was arrested in Meridian, Idaho, for allegedly hitting a pro-Trump counterprotester with his car. The man was treated for non -life-threatening injuries, the Idaho Statesman reported, and the protester was booked into jail on a felony charge of aggravated battery with use of a deadly weapon or instrument. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Tesla protests grow and vandalism against Teslas have gained more traction in the last few weeks, Musk has accused ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform, of a coordinated effort to fund the demonstrations. He's also taken to his social media platform, X, to claim any vandalism against Teslas or its stores should be considered "an act of terrorism." U.S Attorney General Pam Bondi, a longtime Trump ally, announced charges last week against three people from Oregon, Colorado and South Carolina for allegedly setting Teslas or its charging ports on fire, calling it a "wave of domestic terrorism." Although there is no federal domestic terrorism law on the books, prosecutors are able to use state law to attempt to convict a defendant. Experts have long argued domestic terrorism in the U.S., like hate-based acts from far-right and white supremacist groups, should be tracked and treated with the same concern as foreign terrorism, especially after increasingly hostile race-based rhetoric following Trump's first term. Many were outraged in 2015 when former FBI Director James Comey refused to call the mass murder of nine Black South Carolina churchgoers an act of domestic terrorism because he said there was a lack of political motivation. The government has shown no urgency around domestic terrorism committed by white supremacist groups in the past, according to research from Mike German, a former FBI special agent and fellow in the Brennan Center's Liberty and National Security Program. "We need a smarter approach that ensures resources are directed toward the deadliest terrorist threats," German and his colleague, Sara Robinson, wrote in 2018. "And we need to evaluate those threats based on objective evaluations of potential harm, not political considerations that prioritize some communities over others." [See violent crime statistics in the player above.] BRUNSWICK, Ohio (WJW) A Burton man is accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend at a Dollar General Market on Monday morning. Brunswick and Brunswick Hills police responded to the store at 1733 Pearl Road just after 8:30 a.m., for a report of an employee who had been stabbed, according to a news release. One of Ohios most abundant snakes ready to mate, give birth to 20-25 young The woman, who is an employee of the store, was transported to a hospital for injuries she suffered in the attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man was quickly identified as the womans ex-boyfriend, Arthur Velasquez, 55, of Burton. His description and that of his vehicle were broadcast to police units. New Arthur Treachers restaurant opening in Cleveland Heights this week While they patrolled, Velasquez contacted police to arrange for his surrender, according to the release. He was arrested without incident at the location he provided. He was also transported to a hospital, then to the Medina County jail, where he was booked on a first-degree felony charge of attempted murder. He is due for arraignment on Tuesday, April 1, in Medina Municipal Court, records show. 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. (Reuters) - More than 50% of Ukrainians are critical of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace efforts, fearing they are likely to lead to a partly unjust or completely unfair end to Russia's war on their country, a Ukrainian pollster said on Tuesday. Trump has promised to bring about a quick end to the three-year-old war but he has at times repeated Kremlin lines regarding the conflict - and at one point he blamed Kyiv for starting it. He also temporarily suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) said it based its findings on a survey of 1,326 people on Ukrainian-held territory from March 12-22. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It said that 32% of respondents expected "rather an unjust peace, although with the fulfilment of some of Ukraine's demands", while 22% expected a "totally unjust peace". Only 3% said they believed Trump could bring about a just peace with 15% expecting a "rather just peace, although with some concessions to Russia", it added. The figures suggest Ukrainians have grown less optimistic about Trump's efforts since he took office in January. In December, 20% had said they expected a "rather unjust peace" with 11% expecting a totally unjust outcome, KIIS reported of its surveys. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Even before 2025, there was some disappointment with the US actions in Ukraine, and the Trump administration is quite decisively cementing the disapproval of the U.S.," KIIS's executive director, Anton Hrushetskyi, said in a statement. Separately, 67% Ukrainians believe the U.S. is getting tired of Ukraine and trying to press it to accept concessions, KIIS said. (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Voters at the Wilmar Neighborhood Center on Madison's East side cast their ballots. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner) Wisconsins spring election takes place Tuesday, with voters across the state weighing in on the races for state Supreme Court and superintendent of schools, a constitutional amendment and local offices. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters who are already in line to vote when polls close should remain in line and will still be able to cast their ballots. Absentee ballots must be returned by the time polls close and can be returned to a voters polling place or municipal clerks office. Information on polling places can be found at MyVote.WI.gov. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites have already cast their ballots, surpassing the early vote turnout of the 2023 Supreme Court race when 1.8 million people voted. On the Monday before the election that year, more than 409,000 ballots had already been cast. This year, more than 644,000 votes have already been cast, with Dane and Milwaukee counties each seeing the most turnout. More than 100,000 votes have already been cast in both counties. While the lower turnout of spring elections means results usually come faster than in presidential elections, state law still doesnt allow election officials to begin processing absentee ballots until polls open on Election Day. Last year, Republicans in the state Senate killed a bill that would have allowed absentee ballots to start being processed on the Monday before the election. This means that especially in Milwaukee, where all absentee ballots are processed and counted at one central count location, results may take longer to come in. Supreme Court race The race for Wisconsin Supreme Court is the most consequential on the ballot on Tuesday, with the ideological balance of the body up for grabs. Liberal-backed Dane County Judge Susan Crawford is taking on conservative-backed Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel. The winner will replace retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. Wisconsin is holding the first statewide election in the country since President Donald Trump was elected last November. That opportunity to test the voting publics mood, and the $20 million that Trump adviser Elon Musk has pumped into the race to support Schimel, has turned the race into a referendum on the first months of the second Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk appeared at a rally in Green Bay on Sunday night to advocate for Schimel, give $1 million to two attendees and hype up his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been making drastic cuts to federal agencies and programs. Schimel has said he is running to remove partisanship from the Court and that if elected he would treat Trump like any other litigant in a case. But he also told a group of canvassers associated with Trump-aligned Turning Point USA that hed be a support network for Trump on the Court and, the Washington Post reported, told a group of Republicans in Jefferson County that Trump was screwed over by the Court when it ruled against Trumps efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Democrats and Crawfords campaign have accused Musk of attempting to buy a seat on the state Supreme Court. They point to Musks current litigation in Wisconsin challenging a state law that prevents Tesla from selling cars directly to consumers. Democrats have held People v. Musk town halls across the state where attendees said they were worried about DOGEs cuts to Social Security, Medicaid and education. At the only debate between the two candidates in March, Crawford called her opponent Elon Schimel. Crawford has said if elected shell be a justice who seeks to protect the rights of all Wisconsinites while Schimel has said hes running to counter the alleged partisanship of the Court since liberals won a majority in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The race for Supreme Court has set the record for most expensive judicial campaign in U.S. history. The race recently surpassed the $100 million mark, nearly doubling the record set by Wisconsins 2023 Supreme Court election when more than $50 million was spent in the race between Justice Janet Protasiewicz and former Justice Dan Kelly. While the race has been nationalized, the winner will hold a deciding vote in cases that could decide how Wisconsins congressional maps are drawn, how pollution is regulated, the collective bargaining rights of the states workers and if Wisconsin women have the right to access an abortion. Superintendent of Schools Also on the ballot on Tuesday is the race for superintendent of schools. The race is between incumbent Jill Underly, supported by the state Democratic party, and Brittany Kinser, an education consultant whos been backed by the state Republican Party. The two candidates appeared together at just one virtual forum, with Underly declining to attend a number of proposed events. Kinser has criticized Underlys effort to change the standards used to assess student progress and advocated for more support for the states school choice programs including taxpayer-funded private school vouchers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Underly is endorsed by the states teachers union and says she will defend public schools against privatization efforts by school choice advocates such as Kinser. Voter ID amendment Voters will also weigh in on a proposed constitutional amendment to codify the states voter ID law. The Republican-authored proposal would require that voters provide a photo ID to register to vote, which is already the law. Republicans say the amendment is necessary to prevent the state Supreme Court from striking down the voter ID requirement. Republicans have increasingly used the constitutional amendment process in recent years as a way to shape state law, avoiding Democratic Gov. Tony Evers veto. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Broward Sheriffs Office homicide detectives are investigating the shooting of a Pompano Beach smoke shop employee who was found dead inside the store early Sunday morning. Deputies and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue paramedics arrived at the Fire Up Smoke Shop, located at 1251 East Sample Road, shortly after 12 a.m. and found 27-year-old Sayf Abelaziz suffering a single gunshot wound, said sheriffs office spokeswoman Miranda Grossman. Paramedics declared him dead at the scene. A person came into the shop, approached the front counter holding a handgun and shot Abdelaziz, Grossman said, adding the shooter then ran away. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office asks anyone with information about the shooting to call Detective Kevin White at 954-321-4210 or submit a tip through the SaferWatch app. Those wanting to remain anonymous should contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online at browardcrimestoppers.org, or dial **TIPS (8477) from any cellphone in the United States. In time for National Burrito Day on April 3, Chipotle has relaunched its popular game offering the chance at free food. "Last year, our Burrito Vault drove unprecedented fan engagement that resulted in our highest digital transaction day of all time," said Chris Brandt, chief brand officer. "Now, we are giving them another chance to crack the code and score more free burritos." Here's how to play and win. Chipotle Burrito Vault offers BOGO codes at UnlockBurritoDay.com Chipotle is giving away more than $1 million in free burritos through the Burrito Vault game, the company states in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Every hour through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, the restaurant chain is offering 2,500 buy-one-get-one free entree codes to Chipotle Rewards members who unlock the vault at UnlockBurritoDay.com. Chipotle is giving away up to 157,500 BOGO codes. To unlock the vault, players must guess the exact burrito order combination, ingredient by ingredient. And that combination changes every hour. What you can win with the right Chipotle Burrito Vault answers In addition to the BOGO codes, Chipotle has two new prizes waiting in the Burrito Vault this year. First, players who unlock the vault after all the BOGO codes have been redeemed will receive 25 points in their Chipotle Rewards account one time during the campaign, while available. Advertisement Advertisement Second, the first player to unlock the vault each hour will win free burritos for a year (awarded as 52 rewards credits for regular entrees). Hot to get the right answer and win free burritos You only get four chances to guess the correct combination to the vault. Fortunately, there are systems to help you narrow it down. Food influencer snackolator shared his "patented strategy" on Instagram. Here's what he suggests: Entree: "It doesn't matter what you choose because you get 4 tries, so don't worry about this one." Rice: "Choose both because they'll let you know what's wrong." Beans: "(Same as rice)." Protein: "Choose any two to help narrow it down." Salsa: "Choose all four on first try." Toppings: "Same as Salsa." Extras: "Choose both." Advertisement Advertisement Once players submit their guess, the website will them what needs to be fixed for choices 2-4, snackolater writes, putting an "X" over what's wrong. And if they're all wrong, choose none. "If you use my patented strategy you should be able to get this solved in 4 times or less almost every time," snackolater writes. How many Chipotle restaurants are in Ohio? Chipotle has 258 restaurants around Ohio, according to its website. Those include six in Akron, four in Canton, 23 in Cincinnati and 21 in Columbus. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The right Chipotle Burrito Vault answer unlocks free food. How to win Mechanics Bank and HomeStreet have announced an all-stock merger, which will create a combined entity with $23bn in assets and168 branches. The deal values HomeStreet at $300m and Mechanics Bank at $3.3bn in equity. It will see HomeStreet Bank merging with and into Mechanics Bank, which will become a fully owned subsidiary of HomeStreet. HomeStreet will be renamed Mechanics Bancorp post-merger, while remaining publicly traded. Post-merger, HomeStreet shareholders are expected to own about 8.3% of the combined entity, while legacy Mechanics Bank shareholders will hold around 91.7%, with Ford Financial Fund and its affiliates owning roughly 74.3%. HomeStreet, founded in 1921 with 56 branches across Washington, Oregon, Southern California, and Hawaii, brings approximately $8bn in assets to the table. Mechanics Bank, a 120-year-old institution based in Walnut Creek, California, has 112 branches and more than $16bn in assets. In 2019, Mechanics Bank acquired Rabobank NA for $2.1bn, expanding its US retail, business banking, mortgage, and wealth management services. Mechanics Bank board of directors chairman Carl Webb said: This is a very significant milestone for Mechanics Bank and we are excited through this transaction to extend our market presence with a full West Coast footprint from San Diego to Seattle. The combined company's board will include directors from Mechanics Bank and one director from HomeStreet, to be named later. Mechanics Bank's officers will lead the new entity, while HomeStreet's chairman, president, and CEO, Mark Mason, will serve in a consulting role. Mason said: This merger validates the intrinsic value of HomeStreets loyal customer base, strong management and dynamic markets in which we operate and allows our shareholders to participate in the benefits of the combination going forward. The combined company will have a strong branch footprint and deposit market share in the best markets in the west, strong core deposit funding, a well-diversified, conservatively underwritten loan portfolio and a growing wealth management and trust business. Subject to regulatory approvals and shareholder consent, the merger is anticipated to conclude in the third quarter of 2025. Ford Financial Fund and its affiliates, along with certain other Mechanics Bank shareholders, have agreed to support the merger. "Mechanics Bank, HomeStreet agree on merger" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. COFFEE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) Drivers traveling on Interstate 24 in Coffee County will need to find alternate routes, as construction in the area will spawn extended road closures. According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) part of the US 41 (SR 1) bridge replacement project over I-24 at Exit 105 will see contract crews conduct full directional closures of the interstate at mile marker 105 along with the US 41 bridge during the night hours. At first, the nightly closures will be to install new beams for the bridge. During these closures, traffic will detour around the closure using the Exit 105 interstate ramps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Voyeurism Victims Act signed by Gov. Bill Lee The closures will be from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day and are expected to last through April 11, according to TDOT. Here is the tentative schedule from TDOT: April 1 : Closure of left lane on I-24 in both directions April 2-3 : Total closure of I-24 East April 4-5 : Total closure of I-24 West April 7 : Total closure of I-24 East April 8-9 : Total closure of I-24 West April 11: Total closure of I-24 East From April 2-11, the US 41 bridge over I-24 will be closed, according to TDOT. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Drivers should use caution as they travel that section of roadway and be ready to expect significant delays. Signage will be posted directing drivers through the work zone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The work is also weather-dependent. Should inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances cause delays, the work will be rescheduled to take place at a later date. Uniformed police officers will be present to assist with traffic control and law enforcement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) A construction project could close a portion of a very busy road in downtown Dayton for more than a month. The city of Dayton announced that Main Street between First Street and Monument Avenue will close April 2. The portion of the road will be closed for upwards of five weeks. According to the city, crews will work on the center median and utility trenches will span across both directions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drivers in downtown Dayton can expect detours posted 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 WDTN.com. HONOLULU (KHON2) Whale watchers are crossing their fingers for another glimpse of what could be an albino whale. We noticed there was a white baby with them, stated Travis Woo, a safety diver on Iruka Hawaii Dolphin Snorkeling Tours. My initial reaction was euphoria. Ala Moana restaurant employees locked out with no access to personal items This particular whale species known as blackfish resides in Hawaii year round, but what divers saw on March 28 off Makaha was an extremely rare sighting, according to marine biologists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 6 things to know about Hawaiis tilt toward gambling Its one of four species that we call Blackfish because theyre all kind of black in color and hard to distinguish, said Dr. Jessica Jacob, assistant professor at Hawaii Pacific University. Based on the shape of the fin and the white lips, I would say its a pygmy killer whale. 7 clues revealed by Hawaiis ancient glaciers, the Pacifics only subtropical glacial formations Experts said there has never been a sighting of a true albino whale of any species in Hawaii. There is however more common sightings of leucistic or lighter colored whales. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You It is potentially an albino individual, but theres really only two ways to confirm that. One is to do genetic sampling and look for that mutation that would cause a lack of pigmentation and lack of melanin production, which produces the color of individuals. Or, sometimes, you can examine the eyes of those individuals and the lack of color in their eyes makes them appear pink, said Pacific Whale Foundation Chief Scientist Jens Currie. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firewise Hawaii: 10 tips going into the summer months The Cascadia Research Institute stated the calf is in pretty rough shape with major sunburns and blistering. Jacob said its hard for albino whales to reach adulthood because they are easier prey for predators. Maui dog makes an unlikely friend a whale Usually these dolphins, they go and hunt off of kind of far off shore and we dont see them that often, but were seeing them hanging in closer to shore trying to guard this calf, Woo said. So, theyre sticking with it. Were all rooting for it and hopefully it makes it. Its unlikely, but it is possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These whale species are protected and it is illegal to get within 100 feet of the animals, according to marine biologists. If they approach you, thats different. You know, if youre idling, but youre not allowed to approach them, Jacob 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 KHON2. Late last month, former New York Yankees star Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica, announced the death of their 14-year-old son, Miller. "With heavy hearts we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller. He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation," a statement from the family through the Yankees said. "We have so many questions and so few answers at this point, but we do know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st. Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile." Costa Rican Judicial Investigative Agency official Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia told NBC News that the 14-year-old died by asphyxiation after possibly having gotten sick from eating something during the family vacation in Costa Rica. In an amended statement, Garcia revealed asphyxiation was ruled out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The preliminary ruling ruled out asphyxiation as the cause of death. No macro-level abnormalities were observed in the respiratory tract upon inspection of the body," Garcia said. New York Yankee Brett Gardner, his wife Jessica and son attend the CCandy Children's Clothing Line Launch at MLB Fan Cave on August 8, 2013 in New York City. JP Yim/Getty Images In a virtual communication with the press on March 31, Zuniga revealed an update in the case, suggesting Miller may have died from inhaling carbon monoxide. General Director of the OIJ Randall Zuniga confirmed high levels of carbon monoxide contamination were detected in the familys hotel room as part of testing carried out by a specialized hazardous atmosphere team," according to Us Weekly. Its also important to note that next to [the familys] room there is a specialized machine room, from which it is believed some form of contamination may have reached the guest rooms, potentially causing the incident, he suggested. Zuniga made it clear an official cause of death can't be determined until the toxicology results are revealed, but signs point to carbon monoxide playing a role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nonetheless, the initial investigative findings indicate that the incident was due to this contamination, with levels as high as 600 parts per million detectedwhen the appropriate level in this case should be zero, he said. Related: Sydney Sweeney Makes Final Decision on Relationship With Jonathan Davino Key Points Consumer Reports analyzed USDA data and identified 56 poultry plants in 22 states with high Salmonella contamination levels. Some of the worst-performing plants supply major brands like Tyson, Perdue, Butterball, and even Costcos poultry supplier. While the findings are concerning, experts emphasize that proper food handling, cooking, and storage can help reduce the risk of illness. Consumer Reports has released its report on the most contaminated poultry plants in the United States, and the results are concerning for anyone who enjoys chicken or turkey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In March, Consumer Reports shared its findings after evaluating data from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The data, it noted, is publicly shared by the organization, which "posts the category status of individual plants based on Salmonella test results." Within the FSIS data, the plants are classified into three categories: category one includes the "best performing plants that have achieved 50% or less of the maximum allowable percent positive for Salmonella during the most recent one-year window." Category two includes average-performing plants, which meet the "maximum allowable percent positive but have some results greater than 50% of the maximum allowable percent positive for Salmonella." Lastly, category three plants represent the worst-performing facilities with "results that exceed the maximum allowable percent positive for Salmonella." This also means that "the conditions at these plants make it very difficult to control Salmonella contamination." Related: This Food Safety Bill Would Require Food Companies to Fess Up About Food Additives According to the data, there are 56 plants located in 22 different states that fall within the dreaded category three designation, which means they have had above-average contamination risks for at least six months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's always gonna be a handful of plants. But in this case, there were over 50 that just really have an extremely difficult time controlling salmonella prevalence in their establishments," Brian Brian Ronholm, the director of food policy at Consumer Reports, shared with Food & Wine. "It was somewhat alarming to see that it was over 50." Some of the worst-performing plants include the Butterball facility in Mount Olive, North Carolina, which produces ground turkey; the Tyson Foods facility in Springdale, Arizona, which processes young chicken carcasses under its own brand; Perdue Foods in Washington, Indiana, which processes turkey; and the H-E-B Meat Plant in San Antonio, Texas, which processes chicken. The list also includes Lincoln Premium Poultry in Fremont, Nebraska, which processes chicken for Costco. "That was surprising to see because, honestly, Costco is one of the better-performing companies when it comes to food safety standards," Ronholm said. Food Safety Tips by Consumer Reports Wash your hands in warm, soapy water throughout the cooking process. Wash knives used on meat before using them to cut other foods. Use separate cutting boards for meat and other food products. Cook poultry to an internal temperature of 165 F, using a meat thermometer to verify. When shopping, keep raw meats in a disposable bag, away from other foods. Store raw meat in a bag or bowl to prevent leaking in the fridge. Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator so that it stays below 40F. Avoid rinsing raw meat because it can spread bacteria around your sink or counter. While this information may seem overwhelming, it's essential to recognize that there are many ways to protect yourself.In fact, you should be implementing all these measures regardless of where your meat products originate.This is because, as Ronholm explained, the U.S. government essentially places the responsibility on us to prevent salmonella by properly cooking our food. "The burden is on the consumer to make sure that chicken is safe because the regulatory system certainly isn't in a position to ensure that at all," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consumer Reports didn't leave people hanging on how to stay safe. It noted that there are easy ways to stay safe, including washing your hands with warm, soapy water during the cooking process and cleaning knives used on meat before using them for other foods. Additionally, consumers should always use separate cutting boards for meat and other food items, ensure poultry reaches an internal temperature of 165F (using a meat thermometer for verification), and store raw meat in a bag or bowl in the fridge to avoid leaks.It's also important to thaw frozen meat properly in the refrigerator to keep it below 40F to "impede the growth of bacteria." That way, you can still thoroughly enjoy your dinner tonight. The Most Contaminated Poultry Plants in the United States Adesa International (USDA Plant ID No: M44127+P44127), Ontario, California Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Al-Kawthar Poultry (USDA Plant ID No: P48466), Stevens, Pennsylvania B&R Meat Processing (USDA Plant ID No: M46910+P46910+V46910), Winslow, Arkansas Baffonis Poultry Farm (USDA Plant ID No: P9378+V9378), Johnston, Rhode Island Best Chicago Meat Company (USDA Plant ID No: M1791+P27353), Chicago, Illinois Butterball (USDA Plant ID No: M8727+P8727+V8727), Carthage, Missouri Butterball (USDA Plant ID No: M7345+P7345), Mount Olive, North Carolina Butterball (USDA Plant ID No: M46870+P46870), Raeford, North Carolina Cargill Meat Solutions (USDA Plant ID No: M13289+P963), Springdale, Arkansas Cargill Meat Solutions (USDA Plant ID No: P18), Dayton, Virginia Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Campo Lindo Farms (USDA Plant ID No: M27297+P27297), Lathrop, Missouri Certified Meat Products (USDA Plant ID No: M31932+P31932), Fresno, California Cola Foods (USDA Plant ID No: M5268+P5268), Cranston, Rhode Island Country Ranch Food Products (USDA Plant ID No: M20091+P20091), Marietta, Georgia David Elliot Poultry Farm, Inc. (USDA Plant ID No: M7559+P134+V7559), Scranton, Pennsylvania Encore Sausage (USDA Plant ID No: M46966+P46966), Hyattsville, Maryland Fieldale Farms Corporation (USDA Plant ID No: M12650+P12650), Gainesville, Georgia Foster Farms (USDA Plant ID No: P6137A), Fresno, California Foster Farms (USDA Plant ID No: M6137+P6137), Livingston, California Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Foster Farms (USDA Plant ID No: P6164A), Kelso, Washington Goffle Road Poultry Farm (USDA Plant ID No: P44974+V44974), Wyckoff, New Jersey H-E-B Meat Plant (USDA Plant ID No: M7231+P7231), San Antonio, Texas Heatherfield Foods (USDA Plant ID No: M4846+P4846), Ontario, California Holly Poultry (USDA Plant ID No: M1305+P1305+V1305), Baltimore, Maryland IHSAN Farms (USDA Plant ID No: P46897), Princess Anne, Maryland James River Correctional Center (USDA Plant ID No: M31843+P31843), State Farm, Virginia J & Q Food (Evergreen Poultry) (USDA Plant ID No: M45457+P45457), Fort Worth, Texas Koch Foods of Cumming Georgia (USDA Plant ID No: P19378), Cumming, Georgia Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement La Belle Farm (USDA Plant ID No: P19150+V19150), Ferndale, New York Leyen Foods (USDA Plant ID No: M4177+P4177+I4177), La Puente, California Lincoln Premium Poultry (USDA Plant ID No: P48304), Fremont, Nebraska Locust Point Farms (USDA Plant ID No: P39915+V39915), Elkton, Maryland Mar-Jac Poultry (USDA Plant ID No: P1307), Jasper, Alabama Martins Specialty Sausage Co (USDA Plant ID No: M5351+P5351), Mickleton, New Jersey Michigan Turkey Producers Co-op (USDA Plant ID No: M20935+P20935), Wyoming, Michigan Misty Knoll Farm (USDA Plant ID No: P18978), New Haven, Vermont Misty Lea Farm Poultry Processing (USDA Plant ID No: P40345), Pembroke, Kentucky Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mulberry Farms (USDA Plant ID No: M12604+P12604), Gainesville, Georgia New Market Poultry (USDA Plant ID No: P4602A), New Market, Virginia Palmetto Pigeon Plant (USDA Plant ID No: P211), Sumter, South Carolina Pelleh Poultry (USDA Plant ID No: M44121+P44121), Swan Lake, New York Perdue Foods (USDA Plant ID No: P286), Washington, Indiana Pitman Farms (USDA Plant ID No: M27389+P27389+V27389), Sanger, California Prestage Foods, Inc. (USDA Plant ID No: P22000), St. Pauls, North Carolina Red Bird Farms Distribution Co (USDA Plant ID No: M8139+P8139), Englewood, Colorado Samuel Holmes Inc. (USDA Plant ID No: P1525), Everett, Massachusetts Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simmons Prepared Foods (USDA Plant ID No: M5837+P5837), Van Buren, Arkansas The 29ers Provisions (USDA Plant ID No: M18994+P18994), Vernon, California Tide Mill Organic Farm (USDA Plant ID No: P1605), Township of Edmunds, Maine Tyson Foods (USDA Plant ID No: M5842+P5842+V5842), Springdale, Arkansas Union Foods (USDA Plant ID No: M34371+P34371), Rocky Mount, North Carolina Vital Foods (USDA Plant ID No: M18237+P18237), Abbeville, South Carolina Wabash Poultry Processing (USDA Plant ID No: P46248A), Forrest, Illinois White Lake Foods (USDA Plant ID No: M48281+P48281+V48281), Ferndale, New York Windy Meadows Family Farm (USDA Plant ID No: P44992), Campbell, Texas Read the original article on Food & Wine The Scoop A power struggle within South Africas coalition government over the control of key parts of Africas most industrialized economy is one of the main issues at the center of the countrys unprecedented budget deadlock. Negotiations over port and rail infrastructure have been a major sticking point, three people familiar with the matter told Semafor. The impasse over the budget, which was first due to be presented in February, has become the sternest test faced by the national unity government since it was formed nine months ago. South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana eventually unveiled the budget this month without the support of the Democratic Alliance, the second-largest party in the coalition, after an initial backlash over a proposed VAT hike caused him to delay its presentation on Feb. 19. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Negotiations were ongoing on Tuesday, a day before Parliament was due to discuss the latest version of the fiscal plan. The people familiar with talks behind the scenes two senior officials from the African National Congress and one from the DA said the coalitions two biggest parties had been at loggerheads over the handling of vital infrastructure. A key point of contention has been the DAs request for a guarantee that the Cape Town port would be among entities targeted for partial privatisation, in line with a new public-private partnership strategy, the three people told Semafor. The port South Africas second-biggest harbour after Durban is a major export hub for fresh fruit and wine. The DA has in recent weeks said it would not support the budget if their demands were not met. Know More On Sunday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote on X that he remained confident about his governments ability to develop a shared approach to unlock inclusive growth, job creation and a secure fiscal future. Control of port and rail privatization is just one of the main issues of contention. The DA wants the controversial expropriation law to be amended to remove the possibility of land seizures without compensation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One senior ANC official with direct knowledge of the budget talks told Semafor that the party had agreed to a number of the DAs demands including hiking VAT by only 0.5% rather than the previously proposed rise of two percentage points. The official also said the ANC were prepared to make other concessions which include increasing personal income tax, and abolishing medical aid tax credits. But the budget deadlock persists. Time is almost up, DA leader John Steenhuisen wrote on X on Tuesday. Last night, the ANC refused to finalise an agreement on growth and spending reforms The DA will oppose the budget unless and until a written agreement is reached. Step Back South Africas coalition government was formed after the African National Congress lost its majority last year for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994. The budget negotiations have exposed fissures within the coalition between the left-leaning ANC and the center-right DA, its longtime rival. The governments broad structural reform plans have identified increasing the performance of the countrys logistics infrastructure, by attracting private sector equity partners, as well as through the devolution of the political oversight of the Cape Town port from the national to the Western Cape province, which the DA controls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Transport Minister Barbara Creecy on Mar. 23 invited private sector players to submit details of their interest in partnerships in the rail sector. This is ahead of officially inviting businesses, including mining companies, to formally bid for rail lines and ports. The DA wants oversight of the Cape Town port to be devolved from the national governments authority and fall under the control of the Western Cape government, which is solely run by the Democratic Alliance, the three people said. But, they said, the ANC is wary of handing over such levels of economic power to the party. Sams view On the budget-specific issues, the parties may be closer together than they make out. The contentious issues include VAT and personal income tax, which the ANC believes have been settled. It looks like pure brinkmanship to include the partial privatisation of the logistics infrastructure in negotiations about the budget. Under normal circumstances, such discussions would not be considered part of the annual fiscal plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Privatizing aspects of the public rail infrastructure is one of the governments plans to improve the economys performance. Most of the infrastructure is owned by state rail and ports company Transnet, which is facing a debt cliff. Therefore, the government needs to recapitalize it as a shareholder or strategic equity partner. The DA is being shrewd in naming the ports and logistics reforms as one of the conditions for its support of the fiscal plans. But it could also make things difficult for itself by voting against the budget. In the event the ANC and the DA did not resolve the budget deadlock, this could seriously jeopardize public and financial market confidence in the coalition government at a time when investors are already concerned about the impact of tariffs expected to be imposed by the US. As with so much in this coalition government, its almost unthinkable that a compromise will not be reached. The main players need the coalition too much to let it fall apart. The View From An Analyst Tussling over the budget exposes deep disunity in the governing coalition, according to Peter Attard Montalto, managing director of Johannesburg-based consulting company Krutham. The Democratic Alliance is trying to get a quasi-coalition agreement when the ANC doesnt want one. Its a bizarre fight because, looking at the asks, there isnt much distance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is clear is that there is a complete lack of trust, and its not going to improve. We are in an undead coalition where no one can leave, but no one is especially happy, he said. Notable WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has dubbed April 2 Liberation Day, promising to unveil a new round of aggressive tariffs on Wednesday, which he claims will free the U.S. from its reliance on foreign goods and bring hundreds of billions of dollars to the government. But many congressional Republicans arent feeling very excited about being liberated. Like most economists, they worry about the negative effects of imposing across-the-board taxes on imports from other countries, fearing they will hike prices for their constituents and wreck the economy. Probably not, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said when asked if hell be joining in Trumps celebrations. Its a high-risk move on his part. I dont know what his strategy is, but look at what the markets reaction is. I have a similar reaction. Im concerned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other Republicans said they werent planning anything special forLiberation Day. Every day is a reason for celebration, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) deadpanned. Markets have nosedived amid uncertainty over what Trump intended to do this week. Two of the three major U.S. markets closed out their worst quarter in March since 2022, back when Trump spent a large amount of his time blaming his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, anytime there was a selloff on Wall Street. Even Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), a stalwart Trump ally, acknowledged that his constituents would feel pain if the presidents reciprocal tariffs are levied on nearly all American trading partners around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My people back in Alabama, you know, theyre all concerned about car tariffs, all those parts, Tuberville said. We have seven car manufacturers in our state, so you got parts that are coming in, its gonna raise prices. Prices are gonna come up. Trump defended his approach over the weekend, saying he couldnt care less if his looming 25% tariffs raise the prices of foreign-made vehicles for Americans. I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars. We have plenty, he told NBC News. No cars sold to American consumers are fully made in the U.S. Most vehicles are assembled with imported parts that cross the countrys borders, sometimes several times, particularly across the U.S.-Canada border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans will get an opportunity to rebuke Trump over his tariffs on Canada, a longtime U.S. ally the president has threatened to annex, on Tuesday. The Senate is set to vote on a privileged legislation offered by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) that would block them from going into effect. President Trumps taxes on Canadian goods have sent our economy into chaos, and Americans arent buying what hes selling, Kaine said in a statement ahead of the vote. They know they will pay the price with higher costs for everyday items, and their confidence in the economy is the lowest it has been in recent years. The bill has no chance of making it to Trumps desk even if it passes in the Senate, however. The GOP-controlled House changed its rules to disallow the possibility of taking up such a challenge to the presidents trade authorities in the government funding bill Congress passed last month. Still, a few Republicans could join Democrats in voting against the Canada tariffs, including Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), and possibly others. If the measure does pass, it would mark the first time Congress has pushed back against the Trump administrations policies, even if symbolically. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That might be a bridge too far even for some Republicans who dont like Trumps tariffs. Johnson told reporters on Monday, Im not going to be signing up to join Democrats in trying to poke a stick in President Trumps eye. Related... An ex-girlfriend of Prince Andrew has mocked his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, after she claimed to have just days to live following a brutal car crash. Giuffre, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein who made headlines around the world when she sued the British royal for sexual assault in 2021, posted on Instagram on Sunday that she had been given "four days to live" due to kidney failure following the wreck. Prince Andrew has always denied those allegations and settled out of court with Giuffre in 2022 for an unknown amount of money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday morning, Victoria Hervey a British aristocrat, model, cryptocurrency promoter, sometime Covid-19 conspiracy theorist, and Donald Trump fan who briefly dated Prince Andrew in 1999 offered her thoughts on Instagram. "KARMA," wrote the 48-year-old over Giuffre's hospital selfie, adding the mocking soundtrack of Europe's 1986 glam rock smash 'The Final Countdown'. "If Virginia Giuffre really does have days to live, then a complete confession is needed. I don't believe it though. The FBI are on her right now and arrest warrants are incoming: she's conveniently dying to evade jail." Hervey, who is the eldest child of the 6th Marquess of Bristol and the product of more than two centuries of aristocratic breeding, gave no evidence to support that claim just as she offered none in 2022 when she accused Giuffre of using an "Irish body double" to fake a famous photo that appears to show Giuffre with Prince Andrew. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Mondays post, she called Giuffre the queen of the fake photo and again accused her of inventing her accusations, as well as her injuries. She claimed to have heard from reliable sources that the FBI was preparing to arrest Giuffre, and that it was almost time to celebrate her downfall. Hervey has previously claimed that Epsteins web of sexual favors was not a trafficking operation, and that all his accusers were "fame-hungry drug addict prostitutes". In her 2021 lawsuit, Giuffre alleged that Jeffrey Epstein had forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, on at least three occasions when she was 17 years old and he was 41. Andrew has vehemently denied that, and claimed in 2019 to have "no recollection of ever meeting this lady". Nevertheless, the scandal led to Andrew being stripped of his military roles and the title "His Royal Highness". He later said he regretted his association with Epstein, and that he would make a "substantial donation" to Giuffre's charity. The Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) is urging all factory owners, managing directors, members and company entrepreneurs to provide cash donations to those that need "help and support" after the earthquake. The organisation explains that people are in need of help in Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and the Sagaing region and states that it has partnered with sister associations to achieve this. It urges its companies to donate money in a "round-robin manner" and to "arrange these donations as quickly and efficiently as possible" either through the association or in collaboration with partner organisations. The association is eager for its members to send cash donations direct to its headquarters in Yangon by Wednesday 2 April. MGMA's managing director Aye Mi Shein tells Just Style that on a more international level it is in the process of receiving help with its rescue operations from international organisation from the UK, US, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, India and China. But, Shein adds: "We still need to cover many areas to support by immediate assistance." The Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association also shares that it held a seminar on the 'Current Situation of Myanmars Garment Sector' with participants observing a one-minute silence to express their condolences for the victims of the recent earthquake. During the seminar, U Aye Win, Chairman of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), delivered opening remarks and U Myint Soe, Chairman of the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association, gave a keynote message regarding the garment industry sector in Myanmar. U Aye Tun, Chairman of the Myanmar Industries Association, gave a keynote message on CMP (Cut-Make-Pack) businesses in Myanmar and Daw Khine Khine Nwe, Secretary General of UMFCCI and MGMA presented The Current Situation of Myanmars Garment Industry and CMP Businesses. The seminar was attended by the Chairman of UMFCCI, Chairman and Secretary General, executive committee members of MGMA, KOGAM, CTGA, JGMA, representatives from MGMAs member factories and representatives from MIAs member factories. Speaking to Just Style the day after the Myanmar earthquake, Jacob Clere, team leader at Smart Myanmar explained most garment and footwear factories are in Yangon and Bago and are, in most cases, steel frame structure buildings of two stories. He said: About 95% of the facilities have been built within the previous 10 to 15 years or less, so the build quality is generally quite decent." On March 26, Prince Harry resigned from Sentebale, a charity he cofounded. He resigned in solidarity with the board of trustees, who stepped down after the chair refused to. Now, the chair, Sophie Chandauka, has accused Prince Harry of bullying her. One of Prince Harry's charitable organizations has become the center of controversy. On March 26, Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho announced they were resigning as patrons of Sentebale, a charity they cofounded in 2006. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pair said in their announcement that it was "devastating" they had to step down and pointed to issues with the organization's chair, Sophie Chandauka, as the reason for their resignation. Days later, Chandauka accused Prince Harry of "harassment and bullying at scale" in a Sky News interview. Sentebale in turmoil When it was founded, Sentebale aimed to support children and young people living with HIV or AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. In 2024, it expanded its mission to help young people more generally in southern Africa. The princes confounded the organization in honor of their late mothers and have maintained a close relationship for decades. Prince Seeiso even appeared in the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan" in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harry and Seeiso have been patrons of Sentebale for nearly 20 years, with Harry frequently traveling to Africa to support the organization. However, in recent months, tensions have been mounting between Sentebale's board and Chandauka, who was appointed chair in July 2023. Chandauka, a lawyer and biotech founder, had previously been a Sentebale board member from 2009 to 2015, according to the organization's website. Prince Harry and Sophie Chandauka in October 2024. Brian Otieno/Getty Images for Sentebale Five former Sentebale trustees said in a statement shared with Business Insider that they "made the difficult decision to unanimously resign," adding that they saw "no other path forward as the result of our loss in trust and confidence in the Chair of the board." "Our priority has always been, and will always be, what's in the best interest of the charity, and it's desperately sad the breakdown in relationship escalated to a lawsuit by the Chair against the charity, to block us from voting her out after our request for her resignation was rejected," the trustees said. "We could not in good conscience allow Sentebale to undertake that legal and financial burden and have been left with no other option but to vacate our positions." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CBS News said the trustees asked Chandauka to resign because of "a change in Sentebale's mission." On Tuesday, the BBC also reported that financial issues led to tension at the organization. Harry and Seeiso announced their resignation in a joint statement "in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees." "It is devastating that the relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation," their statement said. "What's transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale's beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about." "Although we may no longer be Patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care," the princes said. Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry in October 2024. Brian Otieno/Getty Images for Sentebale Chandauka said in a statement shared with People that she refused to step down at the board's request because "beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir and the coverup that ensued." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chandauka did not respond to a request for comment from BI. The New York Times also reported that Chandauka replaced the board with four new members following the resignations and filed a report against the former trustees with the Charity Commission, which regulates and registers charities in England and Wales, including Sentebale. Harry and Seeiso said in their statement that they also intended to file a report to the commission. When contacted by BI for this story on Tuesday, the Charity Commission said, "We can confirm that we are aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale. We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps." On Thursday, the Charity Commission announced it had opened a compliance case "to examine concerns raised about the charity Sentebale." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The regulator's focus, in line with its statutory remit, will be to determine whether the charity's current and former trustees, including its chair, have fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law," the Charity Commission said. "The Commission is not an adjudicator or mediator and is guided by the principle of ensuring trustees fulfill their primary duty to their charitable purpose and beneficiaries." A source close to the trustees told BI that the board "fully expected this publicity stunt and reached their collective decision with this in mind. They remain firm in their resignation, for the good of the charity, and look forward to the adjudication of the truth." Then, last weekend, Chandauka accused Harry of "bullying" her by going public with Sentebale's problems. Sophie Chandauka said Prince Harry was 'bullying' her On Sunday, Chandauka appeared on the Sky News program "Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips" to discuss Sentebale, focusing on Harry in her interview even though Seeiso and the board members also resigned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chandauka said in the interview that her relationship with the prince had largely been "fantastic" but accused him of "harassment and bullying." Specifically, she said he did not inform her of his decision to resign as patron before he and Seeiso released their statement publicly. "At some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorized the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my country directors or my executive director," she said. "Can you imagine what that attack has done for me, on me, and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organizations and their family?" Sophie Chandauka and Prince Harry at a charity polo match in April 2024. Yaroslav Sabitov/PA Images via Getty Images "That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale," Chandauka said, adding that she believes Harry activated "the Sussex machine" to publicize Sentebale's issues. A source familiar with the events told BI that despite Chandauka's comments, Harry and Seeiso had sent their joint resignation letter to the trustees and the chair on March 10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the same interview, Chandauka also said she had issues with Prince Harry since she became chair and believed he had been trying to oust her for months. She said his step back as a senior royal put Sentebale at financial risk and that his Netflix series about polo interfered with a Sentebale charity fundraiser, pointing to a venue change. However, a source close to the production said the show's involvement ultimately led to another player participating and Sentebale being featured in the docuseries. Chandauka also said Meghan Markle's unexpected attendance became a problem at the match. Cameras filmed an awkward interaction between her and Meghan as they tried to fit onstage together during an awards ceremony, which led to negative press stories about Meghan. Chandauka told the Financial Times that Harry asked her to release a statement in support of his wife at the time, but she refused. "I said no, we're not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine," she told the outlet. As of Thursday, Chandauka remains chair of Sentebale's board. Read the original article on Business Insider Amid controversy surrounding his charity Sentebale, Prince Harry is speaking out in support of another cause close to his heart. The Duke of Sussex was seen for the first time since resigning as patron of Sentebale, an organization he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 dedicated to supporting children affected by HIV/AIDS in not only Lesotho but also Botswana and other parts of southern Africa. On April 1, a video showing Harry outside of his Montecito, California home saw him speak on Travalysts five-year milestone report, outlining its achievements and its plans for the year ahead. Travalyst, an eco-tourism nonprofit, was founded by Harry in 2019, and in the video Harry said, per The Daily Express, that Travel can do a tremendous amount of good. It connects us to the destinations we love and to the communities that call these places home. Courtesy of Travalyst Prince Harry at a Travalyst event in 2024 Prince Harry at a Travalyst event in 2024 When I started Travalyst six years ago, the goal was simple, Harry said. I wanted to harness travels power and potential to help create a more resilient work. And Im proud of what we have accomplished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are just five years away from the 2030 deadline for the sustainable development goalsthe global blueprint for creating a more resilient planet and, quite literally, saving ourselves, Harry said in the video, per The Mirror. But it is quite clear we are not progressing as quickly as needed, and the economic impacts are only growing. These realities leave us with a choicefind practical solutions to climate change or accept the massive financial and human losses that it is causing, he continued. I think we all agree the latter isnt the answer. Getty Prince Harry on February 16, 2025 Prince Harry on February 16, 2025 Its unclear when the video was recorded, but Harry continues speaking about the advantages of travel and how Travalyst is bringing sustainable solutions to the mainstream by allowing travelers to make more environmentally conscious choices. He highlights Travalysts achievements over the past five years, but added that there is still much more to be done to protect the people and places we all depend on. Per The Mirror, Harrys clash with Sentebale chair Dr. Sophie Chandaukawhich includes accusations by Chandauka of harassment and bullying at scalehas left the Duke of Sussex beyond heartbroken and flabbergasted. Alex Rayner, an old school friend from Eton who traveled all the way to the North Pole with Harry in 2012, said hed been in contact with Harry over the weekend and said of his friend, The way he feels is as if he has had one of his fingers cut off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the moment, he is just in total shock about what is being said and the accusations being made, Rayner added. Getty Prince Harry Prince Harry Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Prince Harry on March 28, 2023 Prince Harry on March 28, 2023 Harry founded Sentebale two years after traveling to Lesotho for his 2004 gap year, and named it Sentebalewhich means forget-me-not in Sesotho, the official language of Lesothoin honor of his mother, Princess Diana, who had died just years before and whose favorite flower was the forget-me-not. On March 25, news broke that Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso were resigning from their roles as patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same, the two men wrote in a statement. We are truly heartbroken to leave. Getty Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry in Lesotho on October 1, 2024 Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry in Lesotho on October 1, 2024 It is devastating that the relationship between the charitys trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation, the princes continued. Whats transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebales beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although we may no longer be patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care, they added. Read the original article on InStyle The News Princeton University said the Trump administration has suspended funding for dozens of research grants, making it the latest target in the escalating government assault on higher education. The full rationale for this action is not yet clear, University President Chris Eisgruber said in an email to staff and students Tuesday. The cuts came weeks after Eisgruber argued that the administrations crackdown on Columbia University is a radical threat to scholarly excellence and to Americas leadership in research, adding that college leadership must stand up for academic freedom. Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have also been targeted for federal funding cuts. More than 50 schools across the country, including Princeton, are being investigated amid allegations of antisemitism following a nationwide wave of campus protests against the war in Gaza. Its no April Fools. Progressive groups including The Legal Aid Society are putting the squeeze on New York lawmakers to reject Gov. Kathy Hochuls proposals on involuntary commitment and discovery reform and helping hold the state budget past its April 1 deadline. Progressive groups are pressuring lawmakers to reject Gov. Kathy Hochuls proposals on involuntary commitment and discovery reform. Andrew Schwartz / SplashNews.com The budget impasse comes after lefty groups such as the largely taxpayer-funded nonprofit, mounted a pressure campaign involving well-paid backroom lobbying in Albany and even a high-profile think piece from author John Grisham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representatives for the Legal Aid Society blamed Hochul for the expected delay and applauded lawmakers in the state Assembly and Senate for holding the line. Rolling back discovery reforms should not, and must not, be the reason New York States budget does not get passed promptly, a statement from Legal Aid states. Twyla Carter, Legal Aids CEO, wrote in a post on X last month: We cannot allow @GovKathyHochul to roll back vital discovery laws that prevent NYers from languishing in jail without evidence. We should demand more from our legal system, not less. Twyla Carter / facebook Governor Hochuls insistence on exploiting the budget process to push through policies, including repealing New Yorks modernized and widely successful discovery statute, is misguided and delays the critical fiscal policies New Yorkers need especially now, as Albany faces the loss of federal support. State Sen. George Borrello (R-Chautauqua) argued that Legal Aid has a conflict of interest in its opposition to the discovery laws, which were passed in 2019 and require prosecutors to turn over evidence to defendants within 20 or 35 days after arraignment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have district attorneys offices that are starved, underfunded, understaffed. But were going to make the Legal Aid Societys job easier with the discovery law, he lamented. The Legal Aid Society bills itself as the largest, most influential social justice law firm in New York City and it helps 2 million city residents every year through its defense services, litigation and advocacy, according to its annual report. The organization has received $290 million from the state to represent indigent New Yorkers since 2012, records show. Legal Aid lists a few dozen of its attorneys as lobbyists for the organization, as well as paying CMW Strategies another $5,000 a month, according to a lobbying filing from this year. Representatives for the Legal Aid Society applauded lawmakers for holding the line. Stephen Yang Contracts also show Legal Aid helps represent domestic violence victims a group that prosecutors argued have suffered under the discovery laws, as convictions statewide on that crime fell from 31% to 6% since their passage, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New York Citys five district attorneys support Hochuls plan to tweak the laws to reduce the scope of evidence that prosecutors have to hand over to defense, limiting it to only whats relevant to the charges. A grab bag of progressive and criminal justice groups including Legal Aid, the NAACP and the Innocence Project that have coalesced into the Alliance To Protect Kaliefs Law argue that relevant language gives prosecutors too much power. Passage of Hochuls proposal would be an affront to due process as it will risk that more evidence will be withheld, resulting in the likelihood that more innocent people will be unjustly convicted because a prosecutor focused on proving their case decided it was not necessary to disclose such information, Grisham, who is a board member at the Innocence Project, wrote in a New York Daily News op-ed. Twyla Carter, Legal Aids CEO, wrote in a post on X last month: We cannot allow @GovKathyHochul to roll back vital discovery laws that prevent NYers from languishing in jail without evidence. We should demand more from our legal system, not less. Progressive and criminal justice groups argue that relevant language gives prosecutors too much power. James Keivom Assemblyman Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan) said opponents to Hochuls discovery plan, like himself, are waiting on her to make a counterproposal on the topic before they budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were only late because we dont have the language, he said. I dont think were going to disagree a lot on the money, so if she wants to move something, shes got to tell us what she wants to say, so its really up to her. The progressive groups have also pressured lawmakers to oppose Hochuls plan to expand involuntary commitment laws. Hochul has argued Albany needs to deal with violent mentally ill people, especially in the subway. Many lawmakers have argued that the state should make it easier to send people suffering from psychiatric issues who are a danger to themselves or others like Michael Medlock, who battled mental illness for years before he shoved a straphanger onto the tracks in 2020 into treatment against their will. The progressive groups have also pressured lawmakers to oppose Hochuls plan to expand involuntary commitment laws. Stephen Yang But two high-profile groups the Mental Health Association in New York State and The Alliance For Rights and Recovery have opposed Hochuls proposals as unnecessary, given existing laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Alliance has tapped Brown and Weinraub, one of the more powerful lobbying firms in Albany, to help fight Hochuls involuntary commitment proposal, records show. They will pay the firm $4,000 a month through the end of the year, per lobbying filings on top of the $2,000 a month they pay for another lobbyist, Kevin Cleary, and roughly $5,000 they spend on in-house lobbying monthly. The group also issued an action alert Monday to everyday New Yorkers, urging them to email and call Hochul and lawmakers in opposition to involuntary commitment. These proposals will traumatize more New Yorkers, especially those struggling with homelessness and mental illness, by extending policies that deploy police to make what are termed mental hygiene arrests and initiate involuntary treatment, the alert states. Involuntary hospitalizations are not the most appropriate way to provide the food, shelter, or long-term support people need and deserve. The Alliance urged New Yorkers to contact Hochul and lawmakers in opposition to involuntary commitment. Hans Pennink Glenn Liebman, CEO for the Mental Health Association in New York State, said his group is instead pushing for more funding to help expand and provide better benefits for existing mental healthcare resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes also pitching incident review panels as a way to help identify and patch holes in the continuum of care for mentally ill people. What will impact these services is a 7.8% budget enhancement for mental health and an accountable critical incident review process, Liebman said. Hochuls budget director Blake Washington said Monday the governor is willing to hold up the budget as long as it takes to get her proposals on discovery and involuntary commitment passed in the face of stiff opposition. Her principles out of this budget are steadfast and there are things that she just cant compromise on, Washington said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well take as long as it takes to deliver. Existing state laws as well as rights to due process and fairness must be followed, said Justin Harrison, senior policy counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union. The governors proposals are driven by fearmongering and would send us back to an era of widespread wrongful convictions and forced hospitalizations, he said. Locking more vulnerable New Yorkers away because they are experiencing mental health crisis or simply because the government is hiding the ball in court doesnt advance public safety. We are gratified that our lawmakers have rejected the changes so far, and we will continue to raise awareness on their harms and urge our state officials to invest in solutions that work. (WHTM) A Pennsylvania Lawmaker proposed a bill that would require all political advertising in Pennsylvania to be subject to state sales tax. The End the Free Ride for Annoying Political Ads Act, proposed by Pennsylvania Representative Robert Matzie (D-16), would let Pennsylvanians know that political ads help pay for schools, build roads, and help in local communities. Close Thanks for signing up! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Morning Weather Forecast Representative Matzie said that $1.2 billion was spent on political ads in 2024, which is more than 10% of the ads bought in the country. Additionally, out-of-state political action committees arent paying sales tax on political ads. While these ads can be bothersome to many, they arent going away. Matzies bill aims to at least inform the public on how they are assisting Pennsylvanians. Through the bill, all political advertising on TV, radio, cable, print, and social media would be subject to state sales tax. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Recently, a California ballot initiative proposal named after suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione has been going viral. Pool / Getty Images Yes, you read that right. According to the initiative document, the proposed name is the "Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act." XNY/Star Max / GC Images It proposes: "No insurer may delay, deny or modify any medical procedure or medication... recommended by a treating or attending physician where the delay, denial or modification could result in disability, death, amputation, permanent disfigurement, [or] loss or reduction of any bodily function." Advertisement Advertisement Further, any decision made to delay, deny, or modify medication or a medical procedure must also be made by the physician themselves, on behalf of the insurer. AND employing "any person who is not a physician to review a decision made by a treating or attending physician shall be a felony." This would be a significant shake-up for insurance companies some of which have been found by ProPublica to reject claims without even reading them. On average, families in the US spend thousands of dollars every year on healthcare insurance, yet, according to the limited data mined by healthcare policy non-profit KFF, about one in five in-network insurance claims were denied in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Depending on the insurance provider and state, the denial rate reportedly reached up to about 54% that same year. And why does this happen? Well, when speaking to ABC Action News, one doctor shared his personal insight: The national average, as well as my physician billing company average, is 20 percent of claims are denied, Dr. Bill Hennessey shared. Its based primarily on one thing... price tag. The more expensive the care, the more likely the denial. It's a fraught subject, and reactions to the proposal have been wide-ranging as with most news attached to Mangione's name. Bloomberg / Bloomberg via Getty Images His name, in association with the proposal, appears to bring immediate discomfort from opposition online. One response on X reads, "Naming a bill after a murderer wont stick. If it does, it tells our children killing others is how you enact change. Society is turning sociopathic. Not good." However, in response to someone claiming that the proposal is "GLORIFYING assassinations in the street," others pushed back, suggesting it instead aims to quell future unrest and dissatisfaction with the US healthcare system. Advertisement Advertisement "The point of this act is so that people DON'T feel the need to kill healthcare CEOs. It's called the Luigi Mangione act because LUIGI MANGIONE IS THE REASON THEY NEEDED TO WRITE A BILL ABOUT THIS," someone wrote. Overall, a middle-of-the-road faction ignored the name and expressed they believe "this act could significantly improve healthcare access" by holding "insurance companies accountable for patients' well-being and needs." What are your thoughts on the ballot initiative proposal and its name? Let us know in the comments. WHITLEY COUNTY In the ongoing trial of Alexandra Ward, prosecutors finished out their case last Friday and have laid out a harrowing timeline of the final days and hours of 3-year-old Amoura Smallwoods life, culminating in the presentation of a disturbing video on Day 4 that left many in the courtroom including some jurors visibly shaken. Ward, 22, of Corbin, is charged with complicity to commit murder and complicity to commit first-degree strangulation. Her boyfriend at the time, Jordan Taylor, has already pleaded guilty to murdering the child and is serving life in prison without parole. Text messages read by witness Kentucky State Police Detective Logan Gay, who led the digital investigation, show a months-long pattern of threats and admissions of abuse from Taylor messages Ward repeatedly received and acknowledged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In one exchange, Taylor wrote, I whooped Amoura, to which Ward replied: Baby, please tell me you didnt leave a mark. Please. Other messages from Ward show concern but no action, stating, Be nice to her. Seriously, dont whoop her no more. Put her in the corner. The messages also include direct threats of violence toward Ward and the child. Texts show Ward confronting Taylor for domestic abuse against her, to which Taylor denied and threatened to leave the relationship. Ward texted back, I dont want you to leave. I want you to work on it. The most critical evidence centered around February 19, 2023 the day Smallwood died. That morning, Ward received a messages from Taylor stating, Im gonna choke you, Dont question me, and, Im about to flip on her. Ward replied, Shes just a baby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to testimony, there was a FaceTime call between Taylor and Ward shortly after that exchange. While the contents of that call remain unknown, what followed provided insight to the death of the three-year-old. Despite the alarming message and a string of missed calls, according to testimony, Ward remained at work. She called and texted Taylor multiple times Hello? You doin ok? Baby youre scaring me. but reportedly never called 911, never left her workplace, and never asked anyone to check on her daughter. Just two hours later and a few missed calls to Ward, Taylor texted, Answer dude Amoura wont wake up. Det. Gay also testified that photos recovered from Wards phone revealed Amoura with visible bruises and a noticeable decline in motor function. In one live photo taken shortly before her death, the toddler struggled to eat cereal evidence, Gay said, of a loss of fine motor skills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further data showed Ward had Googled how to quickly cover bruises and reduce swelling, searches prosecutors say were made in anticipation of Amouras grandmother visiting and seeing the injuries. In question about the strangulation charge, Det. Gay revealed there was video evidence to back the charge. The courtroom fell silent as prosecutors played the video recovered from the data dump recorded by Taylor and showing him committing the act to Smallwood days before her death. Many in the courtroom were visibly in shock and tears, with some having to leave the room. Defense attorney John Combs cross-examined Det. Gay about Wards initial interview, asking whether she had been informed she was a suspect. Gay responded that its standard practice not to notify subjects during active investigations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked if Ward had been informed after Amouras death about the seriousness of the injuries, Gay testified, Multiple people told her the injuries were serious and that they are lethal. Other prosecution witnesses included the emergency department physician who treated Smallwood at Baptist Health Corbin as well as the forensic pathologist who performed her autopsy. The trial was expected to continue into this week. Ward remained lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center. A Northern Kentucky man accused of sexually assaulting more than half a dozen young women perpetrated a pattern of sexual violence that evolved and escalated over several years, prosecutors said. Paul Snow Jr., 43, is facing charges of rape, strangulation, sodomy, unlawful imprisonment and tampering with a witness in Gallatin County Circuit Court, where his trial started on Monday before Judge James Schrand. Snow is accused of raping a woman at his Verona, Kentucky, home. Hes also facing charges in Kenton County in connection with the sexual assaults of six other women, court records show. 'Praying to God he wasnt going to kill me' Snow arranged a date at his house with a 29-year-old woman in February 2020 after the pair began messaging over social media and eventually exchanged flirtatious and, at times, sexually explicit text messages, prosecutors said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the victim told investigators she planned on having sex the night she arrived at Snows home, she said what happened after wasnt consensual, prosecutors said in a July court filing. After making lasagna and offering the woman a beverage, which she initially refused to drink, Snow forced the woman to perform oral sex while the two were sitting on his couch, the document states. Snow then handcuffed the woman and took her into his basement where he made her change clothes at gunpoint, prosecutors said, adding that he tied the woman to his bed and strangled her until she passed out. I remember in my head just praying to God he wasnt going to kill me, the woman said in a written statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors said that Snow raped the woman again at gunpoint after she awoke and strangled her a second time until she lost consciousness. When the woman woke up again, Snow was seemingly intoxicated and she was able to grab her belongings and leave. Paul Snow Jr., 43, appears in for his rape trial in Gallatin County Circuit Court on Monday. While Snow was sexually assaulting the woman, he threatened to harm the womans kids and told her that he bought the house far enough out so that nobody would hear someone screaming for help, the document states. The two exchanged what appeared to be flirtatious messages shortly after the incident, although the woman said she only responded that way to protect herself and her children, prosecutors said. Snow later sent threatening messages to the woman, including threats to send nude pictures of her to her employer, according to the court filing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Snow was arrested in April 2023 after the woman reported the sexual assault to the Gallatin County Sheriffs Office. She said she previously tried to report the incident to authorities in Boone County, but nothing came of it. When authorities searched his home, they found a handgun, handcuffs and a sex toy hidden in his bedside nightstands all consistent with the woman's story. No one could have known what they were walking into that night, because this is a formula the defendant has perfected over years, Joseph Dolgas, assistant Gallatin County Commonwealths Attorney, said during the trials opening statements. Investigators uncover additional sexual assaults in Kenton County While the case in Gallatin County only involves one victim, prosecutors have pointed to statements by six victims in Kenton County, who described similar incidents of Snow luring them to his home, forcing oral sex and threatening to post compromising images online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several other women came forward as a result of the investigation in Gallatin County and described similar assaults in Kenton County. The Kenton County Police Department launched its own investigation and uncovered a series of sexual assaults that happened while Snow was a resident there. The earliest incident happened in December 2014 and the victims ranged in age from 19 to 29, court filings show. Prosecutors say Snow even sexually assaulted two of the women while his son was in the house. Some of the women reported to authorities that Snow sent numerous friend requests via social media even years after their assaults. One woman said that Snow, who allegedly lured her to his home by offering to fix her phone, followed her to the mall after he assaulted her. Attorney says victim 'wanted to be dominated and controlled' Snows attorneys have argued that what happened was not rape, but sex between two consenting adults. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deanna Dennison, one of Snows lawyers, said the woman went over to Snows house specifically for sex and that she wanted to be dominated and controlled." I am dominant, but would never want to make someone do anything that they didnt want or didnt find pleasurable, Snow said in messages to the victim read aloud in court by his attorney. Dennison added the victims characterization of the flirtatious texts after the alleged sexual assault doesnt add up. Snows attorneys also alluded to what they described as inconsistencies in the victims story about what happened and pointed to texts showing Snow rejected the victim and repeatedly told her to leave him alone. Snows trial is expected to continue this week with witness testimony. Hes expected to appear for an arraignment on April 14 in Kenton County, where he faces 42 counts including sodomy, cybercrimes, sex abuse, human trafficking, rape and kidnapping. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NKY man facing serial rape case had formula he 'perfected over years' NEW YORK, N.Y. (WSAV) U.S. Attorney General Pan Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to see the death penalty against the man accused in the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Luigi Mangione is facing federal charges of stalking and murdering Thompson on December 4, 2024, in New York City. According to a statement, Bondi says, Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her statement goes on to say, After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and make America safe again. Mangione is also charged with first-degree murder by state prosecutors. He has pled not guilty to all charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. AURORA, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) Alumni of Wells College toured the campus on Tuesday as prospective buyers. Wells College in Aurora abruptly announced that it was closing in May 2024. Since then, several groups have toured the property, presenting offers to acquire the campus. On March 28, seven former students and members of the Cleveland Commission for Wells met to tour the campus and assess the condition of the buildings and furnishings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The campus was listed as a 127-acre property with 25 buildings and 1,585 feet of lake frontage property along Cayuga Lake. The Cleveland Commission for Wells placed a bid last week and plan to restore the college as an institution for higher education. The Commission, a pending non-profit organization, is seeking public support in the form of pledges or donations. It is asking supporters to reach out to the New York States Attorney Generals to voice their support of the Commissions initiative to save Wells College. An online petition can be found 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 WIVT - News 34. SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A protest was held on March 31 that included a march to city hall and eventually to outside of Tyson Foods in Springdale. A general strike and protest were held by Venceremos, a worker-led organization advocating for the rights of meatpacking employees. Protestors marched for better treatment and recognition of immigrants in the industry from their employers like Tyson Foods and the Arkansas government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everything that is happening in the world, we need to go back to being humans and to have that empathy for others, especially knowing these workers have not done anything but to put themselves at risk in order to bring food to our tables, said Venceremos executive director Magaly Licolli. Tyson responded to the protests with a statement. Our highest priority is to provide a safe, positive and productive work environment for all team members and to insinuate in any way that we would threaten or exploit team members is patently false. We take the concerns of our workforce seriously and have established multiple channels to report misconduct and provide feedback, both directly and anonymously. Tyson Foods In December, Tyson and eight other poultry companies settled in the second largest labor antitrust class action lawsuit. The eight companies were accused of suppressing pay for more than 20 years. Tyson and Keystone Foods were ordered to pay a combined $115.5 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A total of $398.05 million was settled, making it the second-largest settlement in a labor antitrust class action. More than $200 million was spent on attorney fees, administration costs, and litigation fees. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) Fans are planning a protest in New York City Tuesday morning, calling for the end to Wendy Williams guardianship. Please join us for a peaceful protest in honor of the Queen of Media, Wendy Williams, a Free Wendy organizer said on Instagram. Lets come together and make our voices heard for Wendy! More Local News The group plans to meet on West 35th Street outside the Coterie assisted living facility in Hudson Yards, where Williams is reportedly staying. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The star has been in a legal guardianship since 2022, which controls her finances and health, People reported. She was diagnosed with dementia last year. A slew of Change.org petitions call for Williams release from guardianship, including one with over 26,000 signatures. A GoFundMe fundraiser has raised nearly $50,000 for Williams legal efforts. Her situation is not just a personal struggle but also an issue that resonates with many who believe in the importance of personal freedom and family ties, organizers of a Change.org petition wrote. 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. JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Honolulu police arrest Maximo Ramos Arango on suspicion of third-degree assault Sunday outside the Tesla showroom in Waikiki. JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM Honolulu police arrest Maximo Ramos Arango on suspicion of third-degree assault Sunday outside the Tesla showroom in Waikiki. A man was arrested on Sunday in front of the Tesla showroom at the International Market Place in Waikiki during a rally against Tesla that drew a crowd of around 200 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Honolulu police records show the arrest of 45-year-old Maximo Ramos Arango at around 12 :50 p.m. on suspicion of third-degree assault. The rally, which began at noon Sunday in front of the Tesla dealership on Kalakaua Avenue was advertised as a protest & boycott of President Trump and Elon Musk, according to a flier posted by grassroots group 50501. On Saturday, news outlets reported hundreds of Tesla Takedown rallies as part of a global day of action protesting the Department of Government Efficiencys firing of thousands of federal workers, and of billionaire Musk using his wealth to fund political actions perceived as a threat to democracy.RELATED : However, there were crowds of both anti-and pro-Trump and Musk protestors in Waikiki Sunday. In front of the Tesla dealership, protesters chanted, Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Elon Musk Has Got To Go ! and held signs such as, No One Voted for Elon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 ! 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. Across the street, in front of the Outrigger Waikiki, Trump supporters with red caps waved U.S. and Trump flags, including one that said, Jesus Is My Savior, Trump Is My President. They said they supported what Trump and Musk were doing to end government waste, fraud and abuse. Police officers were on hand during the rally, which generated attention as tourists walked past, many of them taking photos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No further information on what caused the arrest was available. 200 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? . This story was originally published on CFO.com. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO.com newsletter. The Trial Balance is CFO.coms weekly preview of stories, stats and events to help you prepare. Part 1 NYSE Texas opens trading The New York Stock Exchange Texas, the first securities exchange to be incorporated in the Lone Star state, is now live and open for business. Just last month, the New York Stock Exchange announced it was reincorporating its electronic exchange NYSE Chicago to Texas and renaming it NYSE Texas. The rush to create an exchange in Texas comes as no surprise. The state is currently undergoing unprecedented growth in labor and business. Its capital of Austin, which has become a technology hub near the finance-centric Dallas metro area, has been credited as one of the few growing cities in America that has created successful initiatives to build affordable housing at scale amidst expansion. The exchanges creation and rapid launch come as the Texas Stock Exchange awaits SEC approval after announcing its plans in June 2024. In an inquiry on March 14, a TXSE spokesperson told CFO.com the firm had recently filed registration with the SEC and would only provide insight on plans and access to leadership once their Form 1 application is publicized by the commission. The TXSE has publicly said they tend to launch in early 2026. Trump Media & Technology Group, the operator of social media platform Truth Social and founded by President Donald Trump, is the first company to be listed on the exchange. The company will trade under the ticker DJT. We are thrilled to open NYSE Texas to corporate issuers and to welcome Trump Media & Technology Group to our NYSE community through a NYSE Texas listing, said Lynn Martin, president of NYSE Group. This new offering, which we announced just last month, will allow companies to capitalize on the pro-business dynamics in Texas. As the NYSE notes in its release, the decision comes in tandem with organizations that are moving their headquarters to Texas as well. Within recent years, legacy brands with established headquarters in other areas have moved to Texas for its business-friendly environment, including Chevron, SpaceX, Yum Brands, Fisher Investments, Tesla and Oracle. Institutional investors are also expressing interest in the states expanding economy. Leaders from the TXSE or the organization as a whole have yet to comment on the NYSE Texas launch. They also chose not to comment earlier this year on the announcement of the NYSE Texas creation. TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) Protestors gathered in Tuscaloosa on Monday to call for the release of Alireza Doroudi. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested the University of Alabama doctoral student last week. A group gathered outside the Richard Shelby Federal Building and Courthouse in the afternoon. Doroudi was placed in the Pickens County Jail on Tuesday before he was taken to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, Louisiana, on Friday. We have been seeing these international students who have been forcibly ripped from their campus communities and their homes and their friends so many times in the nation in the past couple months, and that has been very disheartening, said Jessica Perez-Ferman, a policy fellow at the Alabama Coalition of Immigrant Justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its scary, Perez-Ferman continued. Its scary to think that that is acceptable here on my campus and in my community, and what does that mean for the future? Inside the ICE detention center in Louisiana where Alabama student Alireza Doroudi is being held The U.S. Department of Homeland Security alleged Doroudi posed significant national security risks after his visa was revoked months following his arrival in the U.S. from Iran in January 2023. Doroudis attorney, David Rozas, said, however, his client has not been charged with anything and that despite his visa being revoked, he could have legally stayed in the country as long as he was in school. Outside of a speeding and reckless driving charge that he pleaded guilty to and paid a fine for two years ago, Doroudi does not have a criminal record since arriving in the U.S. in January 2023. 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. BIG FLATS, N.Y. (WETM) Over 50 protestors gathered outside the Social Security office in Big Flats on Monday, March 31, demanding clarity on its future after concerns surfaced about possible cuts. According to protestor Ira Manhoff, this comes as questions remain about the offices lease status. This location in Big Flats was listed on Elon Musks closure list, so they were listed as going to be closed, that their lease was not going to be renewed, Manhoff said. So, this is the only office in all of Chemung County so thats why were here to protest that, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Social Security office in Big Flats listed on DOGE website; lease to not be renewed The Social Security Administration office in Big Flats, at 3345 Chambers Road #19, was posted to a receipt list for the doge.gov website on Feb. 21. The website lists that the lease would not be renewed, which protestor Matt Guagliardo says raises fears of closure. With threats to this office closing and then to general threats that DOGE is making on social security as well, said Guagliardo. With it being potentially at risk and just having that ambiguity, were here to make sure our voices are heard, there should not be cuts and there should be no closing of offices for social security administration at all, he said. However, Congressman Nick Langworthy has since stated the office is not closing but rather relocating to a more cost-effective location. Manoff said they want concrete proof. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well then lets see the paperwork, why dont you tell the workers. These workers work hard and deserve the respect that theyre not getting, so that they know whats happening day-to-day rather than getting an email one morning saying goodbye, he explained. Veterans Affairs facility in Bath hit by DOGE job cuts The Big Flats office, listed as Horseheads on the website, reportedly has an annual lease cost of more than $300,000. Guagliardo said if relocation is truly the plan, there should be better communication. So, it has now been changed where its not on the official closures list, but as we heard and also talked with the employees, theyre not sure yet, when, or if it will close, Guagliardo said. Its been walked back; DOGE has taken it off the list, but we still arent certain of that and with the threats to social security in general and against other programs like, Medicaid, Medicare and everything that is used to support the lowest class. We want to make sure that were protesting and make sure that we sustain those systems, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For protestors like Manhoff, its not just about cost-cutting, its about making sure changes happen in a way that protect those who rely on these services. Yes, lets cut the waste, lets cut where things could be cut but do it responsibly. What is the rush? Youre affecting people and harming people, Manhoff said. Protesters said they wont stop pushing for answers until they get a firm commitment that the office will remain accessible to 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 WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A public comment period has opened for the Shelby County Health Department as xAI works to expand its footprint in south Memphis. This comes as the property has applied for an air construction permit for the existing Colossus Data Center, which operates 15 natural gas-fired solar turbine generators. But the permit has some environmentalists and those living in the area concerned as they spoke at a Shelby County Commissioners meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Young proposes using xAI tax funds to benefit Boxtown South Memphis resident, Barbara Denton, wants to know what will happen to the health of South Memphians. Ive been in Memphis 72 years and ever since I been here south Memphis has always been the underdog for everything, said Denton. All yall want is money. Its all about politics and money when it comes to south Memphis. Shelby Countys Health Director encouraged people to look at the 90-page application submitted for the project, saying her staff is ready to answer questions from the public. Public meeting possible on xAI environmental concerns Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I can assure you and everybody in this audience that the Shelby County Health Department will do everything possible to stay within the rules and regulations while also providing the technical expertise that this commission requested, said Dr. Michelle Taylor, Shelby County Health Dept. Director. Its gonna be a problem and Im not playin because I dont agree with this and Im not going to agree with it and its not gonna happen on my watch and in my neighborhood, said Denton. And Im ready to stand my ground. A public hearing will also be held, but a date has not been set yet. For more about air pollution control in Memphis, click this link. To submit a comment, 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 WREG.com. Punch out your coupons and brace for that signature key lime pie. Another Publix supermarket is opening in Hampton Roads, the company announced Tuesday. The Florida-based, employee-owned grocer is set to open a store off Cedar Road, near its intersection with South Dominion Boulevard, on April 23. We are thrilled to continue our growth across Hampton Roads, said spokesperson Jared Glover in a prepared statement. We look forward to delivering Publixs legendary service and quality food as well as being active members in this great community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is the fifth Publix to open in the region. The last, a Virginia Beach location, opened in December 2024. Publix first broke into the region in 2018, opening a store in Williamsburg. The supermarket also has locations in Suffolk and Carrollton. The 49,000-square-foot location in the Dominion Plaza will bring in an estimated 140 new jobs. A grand opening is scheduled for 7 a.m. April 23 at 1620 Cedar Road. PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. Law enforcement in Pulaski County arrested a person of interest in the investigation of a homicide that occurred on Saturday, March 29. In a Facebook post, the Pulaski County Sheriffs Office (PCSO) says 21-year-old Colin Mar who was wanted on a $1 million arrest warrant was apprehended at a Richland hotel at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The Pulaski County Sheriffs Office Detective Bureau, the Pulaski County Special Reaction Team, the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group and the Richland Police Department all helped with the arrest of Mar. PCSO also thanked the Dixon Police Department in Illinois and the Illinois State Police for helping in their investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This arrest is the result of tireless work, dedication, and countless man-hours put in by our detectives, deputies, and task force officers, PCSO said in their post. Their commitment to this case working around the clock demonstrates the professionalism and determination we stand for. Billings man charged in fatal Aurora shooting Court records say that someone called PCSO about a suspected break-in at a residence in St. Robert. When deputies arrived, they found the victim lying on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. According to the probable cause statement, there was a physical altercation between the victim and Mars partner after the victim tried to intervene in a prior altercation. Mars partner told detectives that Mar later shot the victim to defend her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pulaski County detectives found five bullets that struck the victim and another that struck through the door frame of the witnesss bedroom. Detectives concluded that the evidence was inconsistent with the witnesss defense claim for Mar. Mar was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to online court records. PCSO says the investigation into this case is still ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Survivors and families of victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub mass shooting will get the opportunity to visit the building this summer. Orlando City officials say its part of the healing process, but one survivor wants to make sure the building is structurally safe to enter. We already know its going to be a challenge. We already know its going to be tough. said Darelis Torres, who was there the night of June 12, 2016, when a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 53 others. Families and survivors feel the private visit is important for their mental health and continued healing. Torres agrees but knows it will be challenging. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As much as I want to go there to heal, I also fear a little bit for the safety of families and survivors when it comes to the buildings structure integrity, she said, specifying concerns about the floors, ceiling and walls. Thats why she says she wants city officials to provide an inspection report or some kind of paperwork showing that the building is safe to be in. She said she wanted some sort of transparency that they actually care to let us go into the building and not add to the weight of what we lost there that night. The city sent a statement saying, We dont have any indication that the building is unsafe to enter. Planning is still in its early phases and the city continues to consult with other communities who have experienced tragedies. Darelis also acknowledged the citys statement that the visit is in line with other survivors visits to mass casualty locations, saying At this point, its like some sort of big stunt, like were doing this because other places have done it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But she wants answers after her friend Jonathan was killed during their visit. Thats why she says its important to go inside. My physical health will be at risk there, but its something I have to do in order to be able to push through mentally, she said. The city says the visit is planned for the week of June 9. Officials say they will provide more details to survivors and victims families as they become available. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. The Puma medium support helicopter, one of the longest-serving aircraft in the history of the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF), was retired by the service today, after 54 years of operations. While the workhorse helicopter was seen off in style, with farewell flights in the United Kingdom, as well as in Brunei and Cyprus, the Ministry of Defense is yet to decide on a replacement for the Puma. At the time of its formal withdrawal today, March 31, the RAF had 23 Pumas on strength, all of which had been upgraded to the definitive HC2 standard. However, months in advance of the retirement, the main operating base at RAF Benson, England, had already begun putting Pumas into storage. The announcement that the Puma fleet would be withdrawn by the end of this month came last November, as part of sweeping cuts of the U.K. Armed Forces, as you can read about here. By that time, the frontline Puma fleet was reduced to 17 active aircraft. A pair of Puma H2 helicopters return home to RAF Benson after a long day supporting Exercise Wessex Storm, moving troops from 2 Para, in December 2020. Crown Copyright Sgt Andy Holmes As well as the Pumas, 14 of the oldest Chinook heavy-lift helicopters used by the RAF were also slated to be removed from service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The farewell flight by three Pumas callsign WARLOCK flight out of Benson on March 26 took in various locations that held an important place in the types RAF career. Among them was Northern Ireland, where the Puma was heavily involved during The Troubles, providing support and transport for the British Army, as well as during subsequent peacekeeping efforts. Key training bases and exercise areas, including Cranwell, Halton, Honington, Shawbury, and the Stanford Training Area (STANTA), were also included. Meanwhile, Boscombe Down and Airbus Kidlington were on the itinerary, these sites were central for the maintenance and operational upkeep of the RAF Pumas in their last years of service. A No. 33 Squadron Puma HC2 flying over the Derwent reservoir bridge, during the final flight from RAF Benson on March 27, 2025. Crown Copyright AS1 Jake Hobbs This flight route is via various locations of significance, said Wing Commander Nick Monahan, commanding officer of No. 33 Squadron and Puma Force Commander. Each place reflects the rich history and contributions that the Puma has made during its time in service. The aircraft has been a cornerstone of global defense operations for more than five decades. We want to celebrate its contribution to supporting our people around the world over the past 54 years. RAF Pumas from 33 Squadron depart from @RAFBenson for the final time. The Puma has been in Service for 54 years and begin its draw down on 31 March. Introduced in 1971, it has been successfully deployed in various Operations & humanitarian missions. https://t.co/kRXSDV7Rripic.twitter.com/3tlEsl8mVI Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) March 27, 2025 Two more farewell flypasts took place at the RAF Pumas other final operating locations: Brunei, on the island of Borneo, where the helicopter supported a battalion of the British Armys Royal Gurkha Rifles, and Cyprus, where the type equipped the RAFs last remaining dedicated search and rescue squadron. The Cyprus-based Pumas were also used to support British military activities on the island and for aerial firefighting. A No. 84 Squadron Puma HC conducts a farewell flight over Cyprus on March 27, 2025. Crown Copyright AS1 Natalie Adams RAF Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Designed by Aerospatiale of France and built in the United Kingdom by Westland, the Puma first entered RAF service in 1971. Initially, its primary mission was carrying troops and logistics, as well as casualty evacuation, which it was expected to do on the battlefield if NATO had ever gone to war with the Warsaw Pact on the Central Front. The Puma could carry 12 fully equipped troops or up to 4,400 pounds of freight, the latter moved as internal cargo or underslung, or a mix of the two. For casualty evacuation, it could be configured with up to six stretchers. The helicopter soon gained a reputation for agility, speed, and versatility during the course of multiple overseas operations and humanitarian relief missions. As well as in Northern Ireland and Belize, the RAF Puma saw notable operational service in Rhodesia, in the 1991 and 2003 conflicts in Iraq, and in the former Yugoslavia, where it contributed to the U.K. effort as part of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR). Of the 48 original Puma HC1 variants, 24 were upgraded to HC2 standard, one of these being lost on operations in Afghanistan. The Puma HC2 featured more powerful Makila 1A1 turboshaft engines, increased range, new composite tail rotor blades, and a modern digital cockpit, among other changes, collectively known as the Puma Life Extension Programme (LEP). A formation of 10 Puma HC2s departs RAF Benson in July 2021 as part of a training sortie. Crown Copyright SAC Emma Wade The first upgraded Puma HC2s entered RAF service in September 2012, followed by an initial release to service in August 2015. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once upgraded, Pumas saw extensive service in Afghanistan between 2015 and 2021. The RAF Puma helicopters and personnel that formed the Toral Aviation Detachment in Kabul, Afghanistan have returned to @RAFBenson after over 6 years service in support of @NATO Operations. Read more: https://t.co/3HtzNNpp0t pic.twitter.com/BTLEo2xc1v Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) July 16, 2021 Its a great aircraft for the operations weve been on, Squadron Leader Niall Davidson, second-in-command of No. 33 Squadron, told Forces News. Be that Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan. He continued: Its a great aircraft for getting in and out of really tight urban sites, even in high altitudes of Kabul we are able to lift troops out of really tight sites and keep them off the roads. "Still looks great" after 54 years The RAF is bidding farewell to the Puma after it has served for more than 50 years. Sqn Ldr Niall Davidson has commended the outgoing aircraft on its years of service. Read more https://t.co/nbB1F9cB70pic.twitter.com/QQbSLK44Pt BFBS Forces News (@ForcesNews) March 30, 2025 Other recent Puma assignments included Operation Ruman, providing humanitarian support in the Caribbean after Hurricane Irma struck in September 2017. In the United Kingdom, the Puma was active in the response to the COVID pandemic, under Operation Rescript in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Belize and Cyprus, the Pumas role will be taken on as of next year by six Jupiter (Airbus H145) helicopters, a type that the RAF otherwise primarily uses for advanced training. Wearing a 50th-anniversary special color scheme, a Puma HC2 flies over the Oxfordshire countryside in July 2021. Crown Copyright Hannah Smoker As for the bulk of the RAF Puma fleet, a replacement is still to be decided. Last month, it was reported that the United Kingdom was close to deciding on a type for its New Medium Helicopter (NMH) requirement. This is the program to replace the Puma, but its been dogged by delays, cost concerns, and the withdrawal of two of the three bidding vendors. Expected to be worth $1.5 billion, the NMH competition calls for up to 44 new rotorcraft, although, should the program survive, its likely to be trimmed down to 2330 helicopters. As well as the Puma, the NMH is intended to replace the six shadowy Blue Thunder AS365N3 Dauphin IIs that are used in support of special forces operations, notably by the Special Air Service (SAS). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Previously, the Airbus Helicopters H175M, Leonardo AW149, and Lockheed Martin S-70M Black Hawk were all in the running for NMH, but last year, both Airbus Helicopters and Lockheed Martin withdrew their participation. The companies said that they couldnt fulfill the requirement within the budget provided. While it might be expected that Leonardo has now sealed the competition, there are still questions about whether it will survive, at least in its current form, amid a time of tough defense procurement decisions. As for the retired Pumas, its also unclear what will happen to them. While old, the airframes have been upgraded and well looked after, and they could well be attractive on the secondhand market, provided they are not scrapped. An alternative might be to donate them to Ukraine, which would surely find a use for them. Kyiv has also previously received helicopters retired by the U.K. Armed Forces, specifically former Royal Navy Sea Kings. Meanwhile, Portugal has also donated eight Pumas to Ukraine, so there would be some useful type of commonality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whatever happens next to the ex-RAF Pumas, theres no doubt that these venerable rotorcraft provided invaluable service to the British Armed Forces over a remarkably long period. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com US-based AI company OpenAI has raised $40bn in a new funding round, propelling its valuation to a post-money total of $300bn. The funding round was led by Japanese multinational investment holding company SoftBank Group, with participation from existing investors including Microsoft, Coatue Management, Thrive Capital, and Altimeter Capital. In a statement, SoftBank said it will syndicate up to $10bn of the $40bn investment to co-investors, with its effective investment amount expected to reach $30bn. OpenAI said in a blog post that it intends to use the funds to support ongoing AI research and infrastructure scaling efforts, with a focus on delivering increasingly advanced tools to the 500 million people who use ChatGPT weekly. The funding will also help the company continue building AI systems that drive scientific discovery, enable personalized education, enhance human creativity, and pave the way toward AGI that benefits all of humanity, according to OpenAI. In January 2025, OpenAI and SoftBank announced plans for a $500bn AI infrastructure project in the US, named Stargate. The project was unveiled at the White House and involves an initial investment of $100bn, with plans to increase the investment to $500bn over the next four years. According to OpenAI, the Stargate initiative aims to develop new AI infrastructure within the US, with the initial funding being deployed immediately. SoftBank has invested $2.2bn in OpenAI through the SoftBank Vision Fund 2 since September 2024. In alignment with this initiative, and to both further support OpenAIs growth and capture the benefits of that growth in SoftBanks NAV, SoftBank has decided to make follow-on investments in OpenAI, the Japanese multinational investment holding company said. OpenAI introduced new image-generation features in March 2025 with the GPT-4o model, enhancing the system's ability to create photorealistic visuals with improved precision. "OpenAI secures $40bn in SoftBank-led funding round" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. Chinese President Xi Jinping is to be the guest of honour when Russia marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with the annual Victory Day parade on Moscow's Red Square on May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. "We are preparing a good and extensive programme," Putin said on receiving Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Moscow. He highlighted the significance of relations between the two countries. China is Russia's most important ally, and the two leaders are seen as close on a personal level. Moscow and Beijing constantly stress the depth of their bilateral relations and have continued to do so following a change of course in Washington since US President Donald Trump took office in January and revived ties with Moscow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China has not imposed sanctions on Russia in relation to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Xi visited Russia the next year, when the two leaders signed an agreement on economic cooperation up to 2030. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Wang to prepare the ground for the summit in May. Meetings between Putin and Xi always gave a strong boost to the relations, Lavrov said. The foreign ministers were to discuss "prospects for a resolution of the Ukraine crisis," as well as other international issues, the Russian Foreign Ministry said ahead of the meeting. Bilateral issues were also on the agenda. In February, the Russian ambassador to Beijing, Igor Morgulov, announced that Xi had accepted an invitation to the celebrations marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said later that a visit by Putin to China was also in preparation. This is expected to take place after celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese war. Surprise, surprise: Russia has not turned out to be a reliable negotiating partner in ending the war in Ukraine. Peace talks between the United States and the world power have seemingly stalled, Reuters reported Tuesday. The interrupted discussion suggests that the White House and the Kremlin have been unable to broker a new deal since Russian President Vladimir Putin objected to Americas last proposal some two weeks ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moscow cannot accept the current proposal to end the war because it fails to address problems that the Kremlin believes to have caused the conflict, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview published Tuesday with a Russian state-sponsored magazine, International Affairs. We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we cant accept it all in its current form, Ryabkov said. As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict. It is completely absent, and that must be overcome. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated on Tuesday that a breakthrough in talks between the nations isnt imminent, according to PBS. The issues that we are discussing in connection with the Ukrainian settlement are quite complex, and they require a lot of additional efforts, Peskov said during a conference call. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House appears to be growing increasingly frustrated with the situation. In a weekend spat more akin to a high school fight than a diplomatic negotiation, Donald Trump told NBC Newss Kristen Welker that he was pissed off with Putin over insults the Russian dictator had tossed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The ordeal inspired Trump to pitch secondary tariffs between 25 and 50 percent on buyers of Russian oil, blaming the nations continued efforts to evade an end to the war. If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russias faultwhich it might not bebut if I think it was Russias fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia, Trump said on Sunday. Trumps threat followed a call by Putin on Friday in which the Russian ruler demanded a transitional government to be put in place in Ukrainea threat to Zelenskiys leadership, reported Agence France-Presse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskiy lambasted Moscow in an address late Sunday, arguing that the Kremlin blatantly makes a mockery of our partners efforts to advance a peace agenda. The conflict began when Russian forces crossed the Ukrainian border on February 24, 2022, which Putin tried to justify by falsely claiming that he needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine. The U.S. and Russia opened peace discussions at a meeting in Saudi Arabia in February, seeking a conclusion to the three-year war, but from the jump, the assembly conspicuously excluded Ukrainian leadership. Russia has made a series of demands in order to end the warwhich Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blunderingly signed off on and then gently walked back at a February NATO conference in Munich. At the time, Hegseth said that the administrations peace talks with Russia had taken several chips off the table, including Ukraines possible NATO membership (something the military alliance had promised in 2008), the possibility of a U.S. presence in Ukraine to enforce postwar security guarantees, and the end of NATO missions to Ukraine. Since then, Putin has also insisted on taking complete control of the four Ukrainian regions Russia partially occupies as a result of the war, and that the Ukrainian army be limited going forward.* Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement European leaders have been watching the negotiations closely. On Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described the deal as a deadlock and urged the U.S. not to capitulate to Putins stalling tactics. * This article has been updated to clarify how much territory Russia controls. BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) A man from Raleigh County was sentenced for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization. According to a press release, on Monday, March 31, 2025, 32-year-old Demetrius Terrell Burns, of Beckley, was sentenced to ten months in prison, followed by three years of parole, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base. Three Raleigh County men plead guilty to drug trafficking crimes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burns acknowledged his involvement in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as crack, in the Beckley area of Raleigh County and elsewhere in southern West Virginia. The press release stated that according to court documents, Burns received fentanyl in April 2024 from a supplier in Beckley that was used to supply co-defendant Tilford Joe Bradley Jr. Burns revealed that he informed Bradley over the phone on April 12, 2024 that he received a raw fentanyl shipment, and that he offered to sell Bradley $1,800 worth of raw fentanyl as well as discussing adding a cutting agent to make more money when selling the fentanyl. Burns admitted that he knew Bradley planned to redistribute the drugs throughout southern West Virginia. According to the press release, Burns and Bradley were two out of 12 people who were indicted on charges that alleged the defendants planned to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack in the southern part of West Virginia from around June 2023 to approximately May 2024. The 12 people pleaded guilty, as well as two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raleigh County man sentenced to prison for role in mine plant theft The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, who thanked the the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit for their work on the investigation. Members of the Beckley Police Department, Raleigh County Sheriffs Office, and the West Virginia State Police make up the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Today, Florida voters could shake up the balance of the U.S. House of Representatives. Two special elections are being held to replace seats left vacant by former Rep. Mike Waltz, who moved on to become President Donald Trump's national security advisor, and former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned after Trump nominated him to serve as attorney general amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Gaetz ended up withdrawing his nomination. Waltz's seat in the first congressional district will be filled with either Republican candidate and Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis or Democrat Gay Valimont. Republican Florida State Sen. Randy Fine, who just won election last year after four terms in the state House, is up against Democrat and Orlando school teacher Josh Weil for the sixth congressional district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fine was expected to easily take the seat in a reliable Republican district where every county it touches went at least 60% for Trump in the last election. That's especially after Trump enthusiastically gave Fine his "Complete and Total Endorsement. "RUN, RANDY, RUN!" Trump added in his post to his social media site, Truth Social. The other GOP challengers quickly dropped out. But Fine has faced an unexpectedly tough battle against newcomer Weil, who has reportedly raised 10 times the campaign contributions as the veteran lawmaker. Fine is well-known in the state as one of its more outspoken legislators, especially on Israel, LGBTQ+ issues, COVID measures in schools and protection of the Indian River Lagoon, as well as his frequent public feuds and his aggressive style. Who is Randy Fine? Florida Sen. Randy Fine of Melbourne Beach describes Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration as "the kickoff of the great American renewal." Randall Adam Fine, 50, was until Monday the state senator for District 19, which includes Central and South Brevard County. He resigned his seat to run for the U.S. Congress in U.S. House District 6, a six-county area that includes Daytona Beach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fine was born in Tucson, Arizona but was raised in Lexington, Kentucky where his father H. Alan Fine was a professor of engineering and researcher at the University of Kentucky. His mother, Harriet Sandra Fine, died last November. He graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts in government magna cum laude in 1996 and was active in student politics. He went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was named a Baker Scholar, the highest award for academic achievement from the school Fine's early career included working as a consultant for McKinsey & Company and a Harvard Teaching Fellow before moving to the casino gambling industry, where he founded the Fine Point Group, a Nevada-based casino consulting and management business. For the last 10 years, Fine has devoted much of his time to politics. He worked as a page and then an assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives while he was in high school, and in 2016 Fine decisively won the first of his four terms in Florida's House representing District 53. He won subsequent reelections from his increasingly Republican-leaning district in 2018, 2020 and 2022. In the House, Fine worked tirelessly to protect the Indian River lagoon from sewage contamination and ban the local use of fertilizer containing solid matter from sewage treatment that have been linked to toxic algae blooms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has also worked to forward Gov. Ron DeSantis' agenda, filing or supporting multiple bills to block mask mandates during the COVID pandemic (although he urged people to get vaccinated), eliminate mention or accommodation of LGBTQ} students or staff in schools, ban drag shows, and legalize concealed carry. After hitting his term limit in the House, Fine stood for the heavily Republican Senate District 19, which encompasses all of Brevard County except the northern third. Fine defeated Democrat Vance Ahrens by a 59% to 41% margin. Last October, a Brevard County circuit judge found Fine in contempt of court after he was caught on camera allegedly mouthing expletives and giving the finger during an August virtual hearing and was ordered to complete eight hours of in-person anger management courses through the Florida Safety Council. What has Randy Fine said about Israel? Fine, who is Jewish, is a prominent and unwavering supporter of Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, he accompanied Gov. Ron DeSantis on a trade mission to Israel, Also that year, he attacked a progressive Jew who had participated in a panel discussion on Israel-Palestine issues, labeling Paul Halpern a "Judenrat," a derogatory term for Jews who facilitated Nazi oppression in the leadup to the Holocaust. Fine has frequently described any criticism against the government of Israel as antisemitic and has a long history of making anti-Muslim statements. Fine has also encouraged and celebrated the bombing of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip following the brutal Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals with 251 people taken hostage. Since then, an estimated 50,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 110,000 injured from Israeli bombing and gunfire, with large parts of the region destroyed, key infrastructure wiped out, and remaining inhabitants suffering from a severe hunger crisis and loss of healthcare due to blockades against humanitarian assistance. In frequent social media posts, Fine has responded to reports of Israeli initiatives, as well as pleas for ceasefires and assistance for Palestinians, with the hashtag #BombsAway. After a Turkish-American human-rights activist was killed in the West Bank, Fine tweeted: "Throw rocks, get shot. One less #MuslimTerrorist." When someone shared an image of an apparent dead baby being uncovered from rubble and asked how he slept at night, Fine replied, "Quite well, actually! Thanks for the pic!" In 2023, Fine led the charge to expel Florida college students who protested Israel's actions in the war. Does Randy Fine support DeSantis or Trump? Fine has been one of DeSantis' most dependable legislative supporters, but during the primaries for the 2024 presidential race he became the first Florida lawmaker to break from the governor's unsuccessful bid and switch his endorsement to Trump, leading to bad blood between the two and apparent loyalty from Trump. What is Randy Fine's net worth? Fine lists his net worth at more than $30 million on a financial disclosure form he filed on May 31. He made his millions primarily from his work in the gambling industry. His current consulting company, Jayvid Holdings LLC, is worth $21 million, according to the financial disclosure. Where does Randy Fine live? His home is in Melbourne Beach, according to property records, roughly 90 minutes south of the southern edge of the 6th Congressional District. However, his opponent, Weil, doesn't live in the district either. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state Constitution does not require a representative to live in the district they represent, it only requires them to live in Florida. Where is Florida's 6th U.S. Congressional District? Florida's U.S. Congressional District 6 including all of Flagler and Putnam counties and parts of Lake, Marion, St. Johns and Volusia. The 6th U.S. Congressional District in Florida covers all of Flagler and Putnam counties and portions of Volusia, St. Johns, Marion and Lake. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Randy Fine battles Josh Weil in Florida special election. What to know By Alimat Aliyeva The Armed Forces of the People's Republic of China have begun conducting extensive military exercises around the island of Taiwan, Azernews reports. Shi Yi, the official spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), announced this on the WeChat social media platform. It is noted that the exercises involve ground and missile forces, the Navy, and the Air Force. "This is a serious warning and a powerful deterrent to separatist forces advocating for Taiwan's independence," Shi Yi stated. These exercises are part of Chinas ongoing efforts to demonstrate military strength and assert its territorial claims over Taiwan. They also come amid rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, with increasing international attention on the region's security. The drills include a variety of simulated combat scenarios, including amphibious landings, missile launches, and aerial operations. Taiwan, which has its own democratically elected government, views such military actions as provocative and an infringement on its sovereignty. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, with calls for de-escalation from countries such as the United States and Japan. Patagonia Gold Corp. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patagonia Gold Corp. (Patagonia or the Company) (TSXV:PGDC) announces that it has returned three of the fourteen properties comprising the Nico project to Mirasol Resources Ltd. (Mirasol) and has relinquished the remaining eleven properties. On 15 April 2021, Patagonia entered into a definitive transfer agreement to acquire the Nico properties in Santa Cruz, Argentina, from Mirasol. The transfer agreement with Mirasol provides that Patagonia can relinquish the Nico properties by giving 90-day prior notice to Mirasol during which notice period Mirasol can elect to keep the properties. The Company has been unable to carry out any exploration work on the properties primarily as a result of the unwillingness of some of the surface landowners to grant access to the property, and others to grant such access on reasonable terms. On 10 December 2024, Patagonia notified Mirasol of its intention to abandon the Nico properties. On 27 February 2025 Patagonia was notified by Mirasol that Mirasol intends to keep some of the properties comprising the Nico project, and on 13 March 2025, after further analysis, Mirasol reported its intention to keep three of the fourteen properties. The three Nico properties have been transferred to Mirasol without additional consideration and at Mirasols expense, while the remaining eleven properties which Mirasol does not intend to keep have been relinquished by Patagonia. About Patagonia Gold Patagonia Gold Corp. is a South America focused, publicly traded, mining company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company seeks to grow shareholder value through exploration and development of gold and silver projects in the Patagonia region of Argentina. The Company is primarily focused on the Calcatreu project in Rio Negro and the development of the Cap-Oeste underground project. Patagonia, indirectly through its subsidiaries or under option agreements, has mineral rights to over 400 properties in several provinces of Argentina and is one of the largest landholders in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. For more information, please contact: Christopher van Tienhoven, Chief Executive Officer Patagonia Gold Corp. T: +54 11 5278 6950 E: cvantienhoven@patagoniagold.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the intention to relinquish the remaining eleven properties which Mirasol does not intend to keep, advancement and development of gold and silver projects in the Patagonia region of Argentina and the anticipated growth in shareholder value. Wherever possible, words such as may, will, should, could, expect, plan, intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict or potential or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. A Reading man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for murdering his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend on Valentines Day in 2023. Melvin Ojeda, 41, of the 300 block of Elm Street was sentenced Monday by Berks County Judge Patrick Barrett to life in prison plus 10 to 26 years for the killing of Richardson Rivera-Lugo, 23. Rivera-Lugo died of two gunshots wounds to the chest and a single gunshot wound to the head. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ojeda was convicted by a jury in February of first-degree murder, burglary, aggravated assault and possessing instruments of crime following a four-day trial. According to police: Ojeda broke into his ex-girlfriends apartment at West Windsor and Gordon streets about 5:50 a.m. on Feb. 14, 2023, while the woman and Rivera-Lugo were sleeping. The woman awoke and went to the living room, where she saw Ojeda wearing a mask and holding a handgun. Ojeda asked her where Rivera-Lugo was, and she told Ojeda to leave and that she was calling the police. While the two spoke, Rivera-Lugo was hiding in the kitchen. The woman was shot in the leg as she tried to block Ojeda from entering the kitchen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once Ojeda entered the kitchen, the woman heard Ojeda and Rivera-Lugo fighting and then several gunshots. Ojeda fled through the back door. Ojeda turned himself into police at City Hall about an hour after the shooting. He told police that he drove to the apartment before dawn and became upset when he saw Rivera-Lugos vehicle parked in the block. He told investigators that he had lived with the woman he shot but had moved out about a year ago. They rekindled the relationship the previous month, but she abruptly ended it the day before the shooting. He said the woman was in a relationship with another man the same man he shot and killed. Michigan travelers must obtain a "Real ID" to fly or access federal sites in the U.S. this spring, with the deadline fast approaching. Real ID compliance is part of a larger act passed by Congress in 2005 to set minimum security standards for the distribution of identification materials, including drivers licenses, USA TODAY reported. The law means certain federal agencies, like the Transportation Security Administration or the Department of Homeland Security, wont be allowed to accept state-issued forms of identification that don't include a Real ID seal. U.S. residents have until May to update their driver's license or state ID card to be compliant. In Michigan, 73% of driver's license or ID holders have already upgraded to Real ID as of March 21, according to the Michigan Department of State. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michigan is well above the national average in compliance with the REAL ID standard. If your license or ID has the star, you are REAL ID ready, said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in a news release. We want to ensure Michiganders are aware of the approaching deadline and can take the steps needed to avoid possible inconvenience and delays. The Michigan Department of State is ready and available to help Michigan residents easily convert their drivers license to a REAL ID ahead of this deadline. Here's what to know about the Real ID deadline and how you can ensure you can travel or enter federal buildings. When is the Real ID deadline? The deadline to have a Real ID-compliant identification is May 7, 2025. What is Real ID? Real ID is a driver's license or state ID card that is federally approved for travel security. Where do you need Real ID? Real ID will be required for domestic flights and access to federal facilities, military bases and nuclear power plants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Where can you fly with Spirit Airlines? New routes coming this spring for Michigan flyers The law does not require individuals to present identification where it is not currently required to access a federal facility (such as to enter the public areas of the Smithsonian) nor does it prohibit an agency from accepting other forms of identity documents (such as a U.S. passport or passport card). Do I need Real ID to vote? All state-issued identification will be accepted when voters are asked to show valid ID when voting. Regardless of whether a voter has a standard, enhanced or Real ID-compliant driver's license or ID card, the voter's card will be accepted as valid identification. Voters who do not have valid state-issued identification or another accepted identity document may sign an Affidavit of Identity, the Michigan Secretary of State said. Will I need Real ID to serve on a federal jury? No, a Real ID will not be required for jury duty, even if it's in a federal building, the Michigan Secretary of State said. Do children need Real ID to fly? No. TSA does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling with a companion within the United States. The companion will need acceptable identification. Does Real ID work for international travel? No. Real ID cards cannot be used for border crossings into Canada, Mexico or other international travel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you are traveling internationally you will still need your passport. I'm not a citizen, but I am a permanent resident. Can I get a Real ID? If you are a lawfully present non-U.S. citizen, including permanent and nonpermanent residents, you are eligible to apply for a Real ID driver's license or ID card or turn your current Michigan driver's license or state ID into a Real ID, the Secretary of State said. Is the government building a database on citizens? No. Real ID is a national set of standards, the Department of Homeland Security said, not a national identification card. Real ID does not create a federal database of driver's license information. Each jurisdiction continues to issue its own licenses, maintains its own records, and controls who gets access to those records and under what circumstances. What does a Real ID look like? Michigan's Real ID recently got a redesign, though the old version remains valid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Initially, Real ID-compliant Michigan driver's licenses or state ID cards had an image of the Mackinac Bridge and a star in a gold circle in the upper right-hand corner. Under the new design, the upper right-hand corner of IDs feature a star in a gold map of the state of Michigan. The old design will be valid until the ID expires, with the state phasing the old design out by January 2029, according to the Michigan Secretary of State. All new IDs will be issued with the new Real ID-compliant design. What if my ID doesn't have a star? If your ID is missing the star in the upper right-hand corner, it is not Real ID compliant and you'll need to update your identification in order to fly or access certain buildings. The license remains valid for driving in the U.S. You can update your ID by visiting your local Michigan Secretary of State branch office. You'll need to bring the following documents: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Your current Michigan driver's license or ID. A valid, unexpired U.S. passport, birth certificate, or other proof of legal presence document. A certified legal name-change document, if your name is different from what is on your birth certificate. How long does it take an ID or passport to arrive in the mail? The Michigan Department of State offers the option to renew driver's licenses or state IDs by mail for those eligible. A Real ID will take weeks to arrive via mail, the Michigan Department of State says. If you're looking to renew your U.S. passport via mail, expect the process to take four to six weeks, the U.S. Department of State said, including multiple mailings, the number depending on the type of documentation requested. How much does Real ID cost in Michigan? To update your driver's license or state ID card to Real ID while renewing or replacing your driver's license or state ID, there's no additional cost, the Secretary of State's Office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Spring markets welcome the season to Michigan. Where to find arts, crafts, food If you choose to update your driver's license or state ID card to Real ID outside of your renewal or replacement, there is a $9 fee for a driver's license and a $10 fee for a state ID card, the Secretary of State's Office said. What other forms of ID are acceptable? If you don't have a Real ID-compliant driver's license or state ID, you can carry other documents, including a U.S. passport or passport card. A full list of TSA acceptable documents is available online. USA TODAY contributed. Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How to update your license ahead of Real ID deadline in Michigan BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Kern County residents can contribute to raise awareness about efforts to stop human trafficking in the community on Friday. Project Rescue will host the 11th annual Red Bucket Day from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 4, according to a news release. Bakersfield woman shows resilience, strength after traumatic experiences of her youth Project Rescue, a campaign put together in collaboration between CityServe and Canyon Hills Assembly of God Church, partnered with local businesses and volunteers to receive donations, CityServe said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The donations will go to Kern Coalition Against Human Trafficking and Redeem Home to prevent trafficking and support victims, according to the release. Volunteer groups will be stationed at the following locations: Hodels Restaurant: At the intersection of Knudsen and Olive drives Sullys Chevron: On Coffee Drive at the intersection of Stockdale Highway and Gosford Road, across from Trader Joes Compassion Corner: Across from KGET at 22nd and M streets Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage Breakfast burritos will be sold at Compassion Corner on Friday, according to CityServe. Those who are interested can apply to volunteer on Red Bucket Day at the Project Rescue 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 KGET 17 News. At 29, the Scranton-born soldier succumbed to injuries received in battle. Creeping up on nearly two centuries later, the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Association of Scranton and Civil War Museum are vying to bring Lt. Ezra S. Griffins sword home. Theyre asking the community to help recover the lost sword by donating funds. The story goes, the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Association of Scranton is the legal successor to the Grand Army of the Republic Post 139 named after Griffin, who served in Company E of the 143rd Pennsylvania and was present in battles at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * The GAR Memorial Association and the Civil War museum in the Marketplace at Steamtown are raising funds to purchase a Civil War era sword that once belonged to Lt. Ezra Griffin. (Lt. Ezra S. Griffin Camp #8 SUVCW / Submitted) * Lt. Ezra S. Griffin served in Company E of the famed 143rd Pennsylvania and was present in Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. Lt. Griffin was wounded at the siege of Petersburg, Virginia on June 18, 1864, and he died at the age of 29 on July 11, 1864, in Annapolis, Maryland due to complications from his injury. (Lt. Ezra S. Griffin Camp #8 SUVCW / Submitted) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Show Caption 1 of 2 The GAR Memorial Association and the Civil War museum in the Marketplace at Steamtown are raising funds to purchase a Civil War era sword that once belonged to Lt. Ezra Griffin. (Lt. Ezra S. Griffin Camp #8 SUVCW / Submitted) Expand At one time, the sword was in the associations possession, but following several moves, the sword was misplaced, explained Charlie Spano, a volunteer with the Civil War Museum, who added hes not sure how it landed in its current home with an auctioneer in Arizona. Its one of those unsung mysteries of the Civil War, Spano said. Were not sure how it separated from all the other Civil War memorabilia and wound up in this guys hands, but there it is. Were just glad we found it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spano added that the auctioneer has promised to keep the sword, scabbard, belt and sash until June 12, but if it is not purchased for the $6,000 asking price by that time, it will be sold at auction to the highest bidder. Griffin was born in Scranton in 1835 in a frame house between Court Street and Providence Road. Tax records showed he worked in farming, said Nicholas E. Petula, a retired history teacher with the Scranton School District, and author of Forgotten Hero, The Life, Letters and Diaries of Lt. Ezra S. Griffin. Petula wrote the book after serendipitously coming into possession of Griffins letters and journals written during the Civil War, including among them nearly 50 family letters and at least one letter from his former regiment captain. Petula explained that Griffins letters and diaries were meticulously written, sharing much information about his experience while at war. On June 18, 1864, the group was charging across an open field when Griffin was injured by bullet, said Petula. Griffin entered into his journal that he had been wounded in charge that day, and kind of poo pooed it, Petula said. It was Griffins final entry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Probably infection set in pretty quickly, Petula said, adding that Griffin was moved to a hospital in Maryland for treatment where he died about a month later on July 11. In his book, Petula outlined the short but extraordinary life of the local Civil War soldier. His whole life was a real mystery, thats why I called the book Forgotten Hero, Petula said. The letters that he wrote and his diary entries, he was so well-written, he was very articulate, he was at every major battle. He was at some kind of affair in Washington and shook hands with Lincoln. The guy really was quite the guy, and his letters extremely patriotic. Petula said a lot of people would be interested in seeing the sword recovered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they knew the background story and got to really know what this guy stood for as far as patriotism at the time, and the way he died, and the story behind the sword, if its truly the sword, its certainly an interesting story of how it was taken, how it went, how it got into the hands of this guy, how people found out about it and how people raised the money to get it back, Petula said. Its really a testament to the guys who are raising the money. Spano said fundraising efforts are, so far, going well. We have about 50% of the $6,000 we need to purchase the sword from the auctioneer in Arizona, he said, adding that two museum fundraisers, in-person donations and an online fundraising initiative will hopefully help them bring in the rest of the money needed to return the sword to its rightful place in history. On April 15, Scranton Art Haus at 301 Lackawanna Ave. will present a screening of the Academy Award winning feature film, Lincoln, at 6 p.m. While the screening is free to the public, the museum hopes it will bring in donations toward the swords purchase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On May 3, a pasta dinner fundraiser will take place at the Northeast Detachment Marine Corps League, at 1340 Alder St. from noon to 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person and can be picked up at the GAR Museum, or by calling 570-604-1812. In-person donations for the sword will be accepted at the museum during business hours, and online donations are being accepted via Zeffy.com. The fourth U.S. Army soldier who went missing during a scheduled training exercise near Pabrade, Lithuania, last week was found dead on Tuesday, according to the Army. "The Soldier was found after a search by hundreds of rescue workers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces, and many other elements of the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies," the Army said in a statement. The bodies of the other three soldiers were recovered on Monday. They've been identified as Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam. PHOTO: Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California, Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam. (U.S. Army) MORE: 3 missing US soldiers found dead in Lithuania, search continues for 4th soldier Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The identity of the soldier found on Tuesday has not yet been released. "This past week has been devastating," Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, said in a statement. "Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them." PHOTO: The U.S. Army is searching for four soldiers who went missing during a scheduled training exercise near Pabrade, Lithuania. (U.S. Army) The soldiers, who are all based on Fort Stewart, Georgia, went missing on March 25 while operating an M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle, the Army said, and the next day, their 63-ton vehicle was found submerged in about 15 feet of water and mud in a training area. "Most likely, the M88 drove into the swamp," and the vehicle "may have just gone diagonally to the bottom," Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told ABC News via phone last week. PHOTO: The U.S. Army is searching for four soldiers who went missing during a scheduled training exercise near Pabrade, Lithuania. (U.S. Army) MORE: Army bringing in more assets to reach missing US soldiers' vehicle in muddy bog in Lithuania Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The soldiers' vehicle was removed from a swamp early Monday morning after six days of work to retrieve it, the Army said. The search effort -- which included law enforcement and military personnel from several countries -- was complicated by the muddy conditions and unstable ground, officials said. PHOTO: The U.S. Army is searching for four soldiers who went missing during a scheduled training exercise near Pabrade, Lithuania. (U.S. Army) "It has been truly amazing and very humbling to watch the incredible recovery team from different commands, countries and continents come together and give everything to recover our Soldiers," Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commanding general, V Corps, said in a statement Tuesday. "Thank you, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, the U.S. Navy and the Army Corps of Engineers. We are forever grateful." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at Tuesday's briefing, "The president, the secretary of defense and the entire White House are praying for the victims, friends and family during this unimaginable time. This is another stark reminder of the selfless sacrifice of our brave military men and women who risk their lives around the world every day to keep us safe. God bless them." Remains of 4th missing US soldier found in Lithuania originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Odessa Perkins was named KGETs 2025 Remarkable Woman. Her story is one of resilience and strength after a traumatic upbringing. Im doing what wasnt done for me: Bakersfield woman shows resilience, strength after traumatic experiences of her youth Watch an interview with Perkins and a surprise meetup with the woman who helped changed her life as a high schooler. Watch the full interview in the video player above. 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. Lidar interpretation has identified at lease three levels of terraces developed during sea level change. The Tapanahony River is eroding and dissecting these terraces and as Figure 2 illustrates, the Randy trend and a parallel trend noted in historical auger data is not visible southeast of the Randy's Pit because a high-level older terrace covers the gold mineralization. This observation warrants significant additional exploration of the Poeketi-Randy trend along strike to southeast and northwest and will be used in exploration methodology for drill evaluation. Dr. Dennis LaPoint, Peak's Suriname Country Manager, commented: "In preparation for the upcoming drill program planned in the next few months, a Lidar survey, sampling, field mapping and logistical ground work are underway. The Lidar results have uncovered three parallel structures to the north and south of the existing visible previously drilled structure, significantly enlarging the existing targets. Lidar resolution also better defined mineralized structures, timing of structural events, and the evolution of the landscape allowing us to more efficiently explore." An aim of the Lidar survey is to acquire high-resolution geospatial data for topographic mapping and detailed terrain analysis. The resulting data significantly supports ongoing drill planning by providing accurate terrain models, and enhancing the understanding of surface features essential for project planning, exploring, drilling and decision-making processes. Roads, trails and areas of mining by the local community are highly visible and accurately located (Figure 1). The Tapanahony Project, located in the eastern part of the Marowijne greenstone belt, is a highly prospective exploration property located on both sides of the Tapanahony River in Suriname. Peak contracted with Altoa of French Guiana to conduct a high-resolution Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) survey. Altoa is in the process of completing the survey and has provided provisional datasets to aid in drill planning and interpretation. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2025) - Peak Minerals Ltd. (CSE: PEK) ("Peak" or the "Company"), announces that ground work has started in preparation for an upcoming drill program at its Tapanahony Project in Suriname. Story Continues Figure 2: Two mineralized trends parallel to the Randy's Pit with high level terrace identified by Lidar survey to southeast. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10997/246870_a9e11c71a4578973_004full.jpg In this deeply weathered environment, lithologies and structure are obscured when mapping, but are visibly shown on the Lidar survey. In Figure 3, a contact of the volcanic-sedimentary rocks with a granitic intrusion is easily recognized by the contrasting topographic expression. Near this contact are a cluster of workings in weathered bedrock produced by local miners. Like other deposits on the Guiana Shield, such as at Founders Metals' Antino Project (see Founders Metals website, March 25, 2025, Combes technical presentation), multiple host structures and lithologies for gold are being located for further evaluation and drilling at Peak's Tapanahony Project. Figure 3: Two mineralized trends around granite-volcanic-sedimentary rock contact with new pits mapped from new Lidar elevation model. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10997/246870_a9e11c71a4578973_005full.jpg Qualified Person Dr. Dennis J. LaPoint, Ph.D., P.Geo. a "qualified person" as defined under National Instrument 43101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this release. Dr. LaPoint has reviewed and verified the data disclosed in this release and no limitations were imposed on his verification process. About Peak Minerals Peak Minerals Ltd. is engaged in the business of mineral exploration and the acquisition of mineral property assets in Canada. Its objective is to locate and develop economic precious and base metal properties of merit and to conduct its exploration on the Aida Project. The Aida Property consists of 5 mineral claims covering an area of 2,335.42 ha located on the Shuswap Highland within the Kamloops Mining Division. Peak Minerals is also actively exploring the highly prospective Tapanahony Project located in the heart of Suriname's modern-day gold rush. Tapanahony covers 29,000 hectares in one of the oldest and largest small-scale mining areas in Suriname. There is significant production from saprolite by local miners along a 4.5km trend where several areas of mining have been opened. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Jonathan Yan Director Information Contact Oscar Louzada, CEO +31 6 25438975 THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENT OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. Forward-looking statements Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws including, without limitation, the timing, nature, scope and details regarding the Company's future exploration plans. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release. Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246870 The heat is on Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales. Questionable spending and missteps have, in recent weeks, captured the attention of lawmakers in charge of his budget for the next two years. Things are adding up, and Republicans known for fiscal conservatism are taking note. Morales office said Thursday he stands by all the financial decisions the office has made. To be clear, some of the information isnt novel but seems to have gained new life recently. For instance, IndyStar broke the news in February 2023 that Morales hired his brother-in-law for a position with a six-figure salary. It isnt illegal under nepotism laws because in-laws arent covered. But optics are another thing altogether. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Briggs: It sure looks like Diego Morales voted illegally And in October 2023, the Indiana Capital Chronicle first revealed Morales liberal use of spot bonuses. Indiana executive branch agencies adhere to guidance from the State Personnel Department when it comes to the bonuses, which dictates that awards range from $100 to $1,000 to recognize outstanding performance on the spot. That year, the Secretary of States office doled out 80 bonuses to 68 employees out of a staff of roughly 75. They ranged from $500 to $12,000, for an average of $4,540 per employee. Nearly a dozen employees received two bonuses from Morales within the 10 months scanned by the Capital Chronicle, and one got two in one month. Morales brother-in-law received a total $12,500 from two bonuses. Morales said the bonuses were needed due to promises made before his tenure for salary adjustments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Ed DeLaney seized on these things when questioning Morales during a House Ways and Means budget hearing on Jan. 15. The video has made the rounds on social media. The Indianapolis Democrat also focused on another Capital Chronicle story about no-bid technology contracts in which the winners then gave campaign contributions to Morales. No-bid contracts are not illegal. Morales indicated he thought DeLaneys questions were inappropriate for the setting, replying that we dont mix political and official business. Sen. Fady Qaddoura, another Indianapolis Democrat, continued the questions in Senate Appropriations on March 18. Only this time, Morales didnt show up sending his deputy instead. Lawmakers were told Morales was on an economic development trip, according to State Affairs Indiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Qaddoura noted it was the second time Morales had missed a meeting before the panel, and that every other elected statewide official showed up. Its not the job of the secretary of state to be traveling for economic development, he said. Morales was still on the trip Tuesday when he missed a prayer breakfast for which his office was a sponsor. But he sent his staff to take photos of his table for social media. Secretary of State Diego Morales at the Indiana Statehouse on Org Day, or organization day on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Indianapolis. Well, it turns out he was in India. Thats according to a post on X from the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, and a press release issued by Morales on Thursday. Republicans also took Morales office to task. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, started with questions on bonuses, leading to a promise that no new bonuses are planned. Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, then pointed to paper maps that Morales office printed with his name in large, bolded letters. Staff said less than $15,000 was spent on the maps, which were distributed at the Indiana State Fair and to county offices. Garten said maps should be printed by the Indiana Department of Transportation. I have no idea why weve spent any amount of taxpayer money on a road map that nobody knows is a road map because, quite frankly, to me, it looks like a campaign sign, Garten said. The biggest thing on here is a name. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He went on to say Morales budget should be decreased by whatever amount was spent on the maps, and dinged the office for overaggressive compliance fines. Thats not Morales only promotional spending, though. The office previously spent $35,000 to send glossy spiral-bound election security guides to hundreds of election administrators, lawmakers, law enforcement officers and others across the state. They were accompanied by a lanyard and card saying Blow the Whistle on Election Interference with Morales name. Federal election funds were used. Morales office sent a statement to me on Thursday saying, The Secretary of States Office is committed to its outreach efforts through the distribution of informational materials like papers, pamphlets, and brochures. Featuring the elected officials name on the materials fosters trust and accountability, much like the annual mail sent by members of the Indiana General Assembly to their constituents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It added that the office returned $400, 000 to the General Fund at the end of fiscal year 2024. The office is currently on track to return a similar amount to the state at the end of the current fiscal year. Its not unusual for questions to arise in legislative committee hearings that require research and follow up. We appreciate thoughtful questions from legislators about any aspect of our budget and operations and respond as promptly as possible, the statement said. It remains to be seen whether another Republican will step up to challenge Morales in 2026. He was chosen at a party nominating convention over sitting Secretary of State Holli Sullivan in 2022. GOP delegates voted against Sullivan, who then-Gov. Eric Holcomb had appointed into the role as a revolt against him and his pandemic-era policies. I wonder if they are now regretting that decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Niki Kelly is editor-in-chief of the Indiana Capital Chronicle, where this column first appeared. She has covered the Indiana Statehouse since 1999. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Diego Morales' budget faces scrutiny from Indiana lawmakers | Opinion The News Wisconsin voters will decide Tuesday whether to add their 10-year old voter ID requirement to the states constitution. Soon after that, lawmakers will vote on whether to require a government ID that proves the holders citizenship before registering to vote. Both are Republican priorities, opposed by Democrats. But the two major parties coalitions are shifting and the old assumption that Republicans appealed to the affluent voters most likely to have their paperwork in order, while Democrats mobilized less educated, poorer Americans who sometimes lack documents like drivers licenses and passports, is no longer clear. An academic study last year suggested that ID requirements especially in the sort of lower-turnout races where Democrats now thrive dont threaten the party as they used to, when it has sued on the grounds that the rules discriminated against Black voters. Rick Hasen, an academic critic of GOP actions in the voting wars, has suggested that some sort of voter identification rule could be part of a compromise to end them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats are appealing more to higher income, higher educated voters who are more likely to have ID, Hasen told Semafor. Democrats and their allies have invested significant resources in getting IDs to the people who need them though thats money they could be using on other priorities. The people who dont have ID are the least likely to vote anyway. But that hasnt changed the politicking around ID rules. Democrats warn that theyre suppressive or wasteful. Republicans suggest that the rules are needed to stop inevitable, anti-GOP election rigging by the far left. You can sort of tell where voter fraud is happening, where they ban ID, you know? Elon Musk said at his Sunday night rally for Republicans in Green Bay. Like, why would you ban ID? Like, New York and California, its illegal to show ID at an election! Earlier, Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairman Ben Wikler told Semafor that the voter ID ploy deserved to fail though he was confident that Susan Crawford, the judicial nominee backed by Democrats, could win with the current requirement in place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its an attempt to cement in the Constitution something that they passed into law on false pretenses, and in bad faith, years ago, in order to suppress the votes of people that they didnt want to cast ballots, Wikler said. Davids view Republicans put the voter ID measure on Wisconsins ballot to drive up turnout from their base, a common tactic for them in off-year elections that most people skip. They were clear about why: It was popular, and Crawford had worked with the League of Women Voters to temporarily block their 2011 ID law. (It only went into effect in 2015.) Any supposedly nonpartisan candidate who opposes simple constitutional voter ID requirements disqualifies themselves from elected office, Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos explained in January. Yet while in the state last month, I was struck by how little paid messaging I saw on voter ID. Democrats were urging a no vote. Republicans were much more loudly urging a yes vote. It hadnt become a decisive issue in the race between Crawford and GOP/Musk-backed Brian Schimel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of that was Democratic triage. Opposing voter ID polls worse than basically any other issue in this race, with a 2021 Marquette Law School poll finding 74% support for the current requirement. Wiklers party sees a larger Trump-led effort to undermine confidence in elections when Republicans dont win, and other parts of that agenda like the nearly-successful effort in 2020 to throw out absentee ballots in liberal strongholds are less popular and easier to campaign against. But ID remained at the front of mind for Republicans, who like Musk warned that their party might not win again if election workers didnt get to see photo ID at the polls. The only states that Kamala Harris won in the last election were states that did not have voter ID, former Gov. Scott Walker told voters at a rally last month. Thats a popular but incorrect factoid. Harris won New Hampshire and Rhode Island, where voters must show ID to cast ballots, and carried other states like Colorado where ID is required to register. Democrats won the 2020 presidential race in Wisconsin, and the 2018 and 2022 races for governor, with ID requirements in place. The ballots Republicans need today are from the less-frequent Trump voters who usually skip elections; they need them to overwhelm high-turnout liberals who dont misplace their paperwork. Democrats are not the only ones who have an outdated view of who their electorate is, said Hasen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where they control state government, Democrats remain opposed to voter ID requirements, citing the potential threat to lower-income and non-white voters. Republicans enjoy baiting them on the question, which is why the SAVE Act will get a vote this week, and why the president signed an executive order last week attempting to add more identity requirements for registration. Thats being challenged by groups that, by and large, support Democrats. Trumps endorsement is a good way to get Democrats opposing any election reform idea. But the electoral calculus here is different than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Democrats have done more work than Republicans on getting their less-reliable voters in line with state election law. What happens if Musks candidate loses this race, while the Musk-endorsed voter ID amendment passes? Thered be some clarity about the impact of these rules on the current red and blue coalitions, whether or not they want to see it. Room for Disagreement When he was campaigning in Wisconsin last month, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that it was still essential for Democrats to oppose strict voter ID requirements. They were, he believed, fruit from the poisoned tree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its voter suppression to us, he told Semafor while campaigning in the state last month. It makes it more difficult to vote, which usually tends to fall upon Democratic voters. They want to shrink the electorate rather than expand it. Notable Republican congressional leaders suffered an embarrassing defeat Tuesday when they failed to kill a bipartisan effort to allow remote voting by proxy for new parents in Congress. Nine GOP lawmakers joined Democrats in defeating a legislative sleight of hand that would have blocked the parental voting measure that is vocally supported by arch-conservative new mom Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) and her liberal colleague Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colorado). The Republican rebels included Westchester County Rep. Mike Lawler (R-New York), whose wife recently had their first baby, and Rep. Nick LaLota (R-New York), a father of three who represents the East End of Long Island. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two new moms and their allies were pushing for a separate vote on the parental voting measure as soon as possible, although it was unclear when that might happen. If we dont do the right thing now, itll never be done, said Luna, who gave birth to her son in 2023. Pettersen held her four-month-old son, Sam, in her arms as she stood on the House floor and pleaded with colleagues to turn back the GOP leaderships effort to stop their resolution. It is unfathomable that in 2025 we have not modernized Congress, she said. Were asking you to continue to stand with us. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who believes proxy voting is unconstitutional, adjourned the entire House for the rest of the week, a move that will likely allow him to twist arms to try to defeat the voting effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 218 House lawmakers have signed onto an effort to force a vote on the bill that would allow new parents to vote remotely for 12 weeks immediately before and after they or their spouse give birth. To many parents and younger lawmakers it seems like a commonsense solution to a modern problem for lawmakers who may live thousands of miles from their workplace in Washington D.C. But many conservative Republicans fiercely oppose the measure because it reminds them of the mitigation measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, when Democrats led by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed remote voting. It violates more than two centuries of tradition and institution, Johnson said. And I think that it opens a Pandoras box, where ultimately, maybe no one is here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters of the remote voting bill note that the Supreme Court declined to hear a conservative challenge to the practice during the pandemic, casting doubt on Johnsons claim. The GOP leadership, led by Johnson, tried to block consideration of the bill by adding a provision to table it and bar it from being reconsidered for two years into an unrelated bill mandating proof of citizenship to register to vote. That bill, which had been expected to pass with perhaps unanimous Republican backing, was passed by the rules committee and was expected to win approval on the House floor. But Luna and eight other Republicans voted against the separate bill that would have blocked the voting measure. Under House rules, the body should have to consider the new parent proxy voting measure when lawmakers return next week. But Johnson may try some other maneuver to block a vote. A prominent Canadian politician told conservatives in Florida that if President Trump succeeds in making Canada the United States 51st state, voters up north would make sure no Republican ever lives in the White House again. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith shared her theory with conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro during a Florida fundraising event. That would be like adding another California to your electoral system, and [you] would never have a Republican president in the White House again, the United Conservative Party leader said in a private speech delivered last week, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith reportedly said Canadians have hurt feelings after Trump insulted their former leader by referring to him as a governor and slapped tariffs on goods coming over the United States borders. She also suggested that compared to Americans, Canadians tend to lean liberal, which may not work out well for the GOP when elections roll around. With its population of just under 40 million people, California is represented by 52 lawmakers in the House of Representatives 43 of whom are Democrats. Both of the states Senators sit on the same side of the aisle. Canada, which is home to roughly 41 million citizens, would presumably be represented by at least that many members of Congress if it became a U.S. state. Considering that nations relatively progressive sensibilities, getting Canadians to support the Republican party would appear to be a heavy lift. So I would just caution you that its probably best for us to just stay friends, and friends should never move in together, Smith told Republicans in Florida. Shapiro reportedly agreed that conservatives in Canada would probably have a stronger showing in Aprils Canadian elections if Trump scaled back a looming trade war. We recently published a list of 12 Best FMCG Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) stands against other best FMCG stocks to buy according to billionaires. Historically, the consumer-packaged-goods (CPG) industry outperformed most of the other industries, mainly due to the high growth and consistent margins, says McKinsey. However, since 2012, numerous factors, such as inflation, market saturation, significant competition, fluctuating consumer tastes and behaviors, along with a fragmented consumer base resulted in growth challenges. Given increased interest rates and elevated industry multiples over the previous few years, there has been lesser deal activity, says the firm. Furthermore, a range of leading CPG companies continue to take a more measured approach, emphasizing midsize deals and aiming to achieve cost and growth synergies. What Lies Ahead? The broader downward trend of rates, along with strong, cash-rich balance sheets (and increased capability to take more affordable debt) of CPG companies can result in higher deal activity over the near future for the sector, says McKinsey. The firm expects a mix of 3 types of transactions, i.e., signature, sector-shaping deals, sizable horizontal deals allowing for greater subcategory consolidation, and targeted spin-offs of brands and business units possessing limited synergies or growth enablers with their current owner. While the consumer sector remains broad, much of the analysis was focused on the F&B sector. McKinsey anticipates to see increased activity throughout CPG sectors, mainly in the personal care and beauty sectors. However, it also expects that the F&B sector might continue to capture a significant share of deals. READ ALSO: 7 Best Stocks to Buy For Long-Term and 8 Cheap Jim Cramer Stocks to Invest In. Different Levers for Growth Deloitte believes that, in 2025, the consumer products companies are likely to address the product portfolio and mix in a bid to entice the consumer and invest across the broad set of demand-generation capabilities. Furthermore, the businesses are projected to develop transformative efficiency so that savings can be produced, which can help finance such investments. Deloitte points out that increasing the unit volume sold remains an important lever that can support in driving profitable growth. Notably, some consumer products companies, mainly the profitable growers, remain focused on innovation to re-engage consumers. Deloitte also highlighted that high-performing companies seem to be adopting a clear-eyed view of their portfolios, and they continue to divest and acquire as needed. It has often been said that spending time in nature can do wonders for our mental health. Data even suggests that short walks may decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. But according to a recent study published in the journal Environmental Research, exposure to green spaces may have a positive relationship with the Mitochondrial DNA copy number, or mtDNA-CN, in children and adolescents. MtDNA-CN is defined as the measure of the number of mitochondrial genomes per cell. It is thought to be the indicator of mitochondrial function and has been associated with several aging-related diseases. In many cases, the greater the mtDNA-CN, the higher the likelihood of a more positive prognosis when facing certain medical issues, including cardiovascular diseases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Researchers based out of China conducted a cross-sectional study involving 1,151 participants from the ages of 6 to 18 out of Liuzhou, China. The researchers recruited participants from eight schools based on a random selection. The schools comprised three primary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. In an effort to better understand the relationship between green spaces and mtDNA-CN, the researchers compared the normalized difference vegetation index, or NDVI, with measurements of mtDNA-CN. They reported that the higher the NDVI, the higher the mtDNA-CN. While the study provided optimistic results regarding exposure to green spaces, additional factors may have influenced those results. "We found stronger relationships of green space exposure with mtDNA-CN in children, females, individuals with normal weight, and those not exposed to passive smoking," the study reported. The researchers acknowledged that information on the relationship between green space exposure and mtDNA-CN is still "limited," noting that only two studies have investigated the association. However, they appear to stand behind their initial data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Given the significance of mtDNA-CN during childhood and adolescence, it is essential to implement strategies that enhance green environments to support the health and development of children and adolescents," the researchers stated. 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. DENVER (KDVR) A man is facing several charges after law enforcement said a resident stopped him from attacking a woman after a rollover crash on Interstate 70. Summit County Sheriffs Office deputies, Colorado State Patrol troopers and officers from the Frisco Police Department responded to a rollover crash on I-70 between the two Frisco exits on Wednesday at 7:42 p.m. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While they were on their way, the sheriffs office said deputies received two more reports of a man and woman fighting in the backyard of a home near the interstate. Law enforcement split up and responded to both scenes. Deputies responded to the crash site and found an overturned vehicle in the median with no one inside. They found a man, identified as 20-year-old Jovany Enriquez of Leadville, near where the fight was reported. Deputies also found a woman whom a resident had let into their home. The sheriffs office said that before authorities arrived, the resident heard a commotion in their backyard and saw a man slamming a womans head into the ground. The resident got a handgun and ordered the man to stop, and he fled the scene. Speeding driver caught with nearly 8 lbs of drugs in Clear Creek County Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We always encourage people to be aware of their surroundings and to keep their doors locked for safety, said Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons. In this case, the resident was not only aware of their surroundings and prepared but also chose to intervene to assist someone in danger, which was truly remarkable. Enriquez was booked in the Summit County Detention Facility on 11 charges and remains in custody as of Tuesday, with a bond set at $25,000. Some charges include first-degree assault with extreme indifference, domestic violence, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and driving under the influence. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Pacifica, a beachside town south of San Francisco, is in danger of losing property value due to coastal erosion and rising sea levels, yet no one can agree on the best way forward. What's happening? A Californian town is caught in a debate on how to protect itself from rising sea levels, as The San Francisco Chronicle reported. Some argue that "managed retreat" is the only option, meaning that at-risk people, businesses, and homes are evacuated out of the area and rehomed. Others believe that this is accepting defeat, and wish to build stronger sea walls and fight to protect Pacifica's community and land. Gary Griggs, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz, said he believes it is impossible to build sea walls high enough to protect the town permanently. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's either going to be managed retreat or unmanaged retreat," he said, according to the Chronicle. "It's up to each community to decide." Why is the impact on Pacifica important? Towns across the world are being impacted by increasing global temperatures just like Pacifica. Whether through droughts, extreme weather conditions, or rising sea levels, it is always the most vulnerable communities who suffer the most. Although unexpected extreme weather events have occurred throughout history, the rising global temperatures are said to act "like steroids" to storms, supercharging them and making them more dangerous to local communities. Unsustainable actions such as burning fossil fuels that overheat the planet have a tangible knock-on impact on extreme weather impacting towns like Pacifica and the lives of the people who live there. What's being done about extreme weather? Critical issues pertaining to this problem, such as rising sea levels and other forms of extreme weather, are constantly being researched by scientists and other experts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homes are being designed to be wildfire-proof and hurricane-proof, as great steps in the right direction. MIT has also developed a free web tool that allows people to check how the changing weather will impact how much they can enjoy the outdoors. But the most important thing that must change is the rate of carbon dioxide and methane pollution rates that are causing global average temperatures to rise in the first place. If people are more attuned to the physical ways pollution is impacting themselves and their neighbors, they may become empowered to make personal lifestyle changes to benefit the environment and also to hold corporations and governments to account and call for greater regulations. Suzanne Drake, a Pacifica local campaigning for new seawalls, told the Chronicle, "The stakes really couldn't be higher. We're talking about the future of our community here." How concerned are you about the plastic waste in our oceans? Extremely I'm pretty concerned A little Not much Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. 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. An anesthesiologist accused of trying to kill his wife on a popular Hawaii hiking trail last month pleaded not guilty to attempted murder during a brief hearing Monday. Gerhardt Konig, 46, is charged with attempted second-degree murder after the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorneys office said he bashed his wifes head repeatedly with a rock and tried to inject her with syringes filled with unknown substances. Konig was not present in the courtroom for his hearing. He appeared via a video feed from the Oahu Community Correctional Center, where hes being held without bail following a grand jury indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After entering the plea, Konigs defense attorney, Thomas Otake, indicated hed be filing a motion for Konig to be granted bail, saying its commonplace in attempted murder cases for bail to be set. Konigs trial has been scheduled for the week of June 9, before Hawaiis First Circuit Court Judge Paul Wong. He is also facing a domestic abuse suit filed by his wife and related to the same incident. The first hearing in that case has been continued to May 23. According to a temporary restraining order petition filed by his wife on March 27, Konig had previously accused her of having an affair, which led to extreme jealousy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said while the two were hiking along a scenic trail in Oahu, he tried to push her toward the cliffs edge. She stated, When I got close to Gerhardt, Gerhardt grabbed me by my upper arms and started pushing me back towards the cliff edge. He was yelling something to the effect of, Get back over there, lm so f**king sick of you! and continued to push me. If I had fallen off the cliff, I would have likely died. Konigs wife also wrote in the petition that Konig grabbed his bag and attempted to inject her with a syringe containing an unknown substance. During their struggle, she said, she tried to grab the syringe and throw it out of his reach, but he had a second vial in his hand and was searching for a second syringe in his bag. CNN is not naming Konigs wife as she may be a victim of domestic violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple, who live in Maui, were in Oahu celebrating his wifes birthday, according to the petition. Konigs wife said that beginning in December 2024, Konig attempted to control and monitor all of her communications after he accused her of having an affair. She also accused him of sexual abuse and assault over the last few months, the petition says. A judge Friday granted the temporary restraining order filed by Konigs wife, who said she was seeking protection for herself, her two young children and other family members. According to a police affidavit, Gerhardt was standing close to the edge and asked (his wife) to take a selfie with him just before the attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman told police she was uncomfortable taking a photo there so she declined and began to walk back, the petition says. At that moment, she said, he began yelling at her, pushed her into nearby bushes, then picked up a rock and struck her on the head approximately 10 times while also grabbing the back of her hair and smashing her face into the ground, according to the affidavit. She was yelling for help when she heard two other hikers and was able to start crawling toward them, she told police. One of the hikers, a woman identified as Amanda, told police she heard someone yelling, Help! Help me! and began running up the trail. She found a woman with a man on top of her, hitting the woman in the head, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amanda said the woman she encountered told her, He is trying to kill me. He is hitting me in the head with a rock, according to the affidavit. The second hiker, identified only as Sarah, called 911, Amanda told police. The woman was able to get away from her husband and toward the hikers, and they were all able to move up the trail and toward help, the document says. She was in serious but stable condition when EMS arrived to transport her to the hospital, police said. The Honolulu Emergency Services Department confirmed it treated a 36-year-old woman for head and facial injuries after being assaulted. Before Konigs arrest, police said, they searched for him for several hours in the area near the hike. According to the petition filed by Konigs wife, Gerhardt FaceTimed his adult son while covered in blood and said, I just tried to kill (his wife) but she got away. The petition also says he told his son he wanted to kill himself by jumping off a cliff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This indictment reflects the serious nature of crime that is alleged this case, prosecuting attorney Steve Alm said in a statement. Domestic abuse cannot be tolerated. Our office is committed to ensuring that justice is served for the victim and that the defendant is held accountable. Konigs attorney declined CNNs request for comment on the criminal case. CNN has also reached out for comment about his wifes allegations in her petition. Police said they arrested Konig on Monday near Pali Highway after a brief foot pursuit, more than seven hours after the attack. Konigs Hawaii medical license, which he obtained in September 2022, was in good standing as of April 7, according to the states professional vocational licensing database. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Konig is suspended from working at Maui Memorial Medical Center, where hes employed as an independent contractor, according to a representative from Maui Health. We have been made aware of the allegations against Gerhardt Konig, MD, the representative said in a statement to CNN. Dr. Konigs medical staff privileges at Maui Memorial Medical Center have been suspended pending investigation. Maui Health takes these concerns and the safety of its patients very seriously and will cooperate with authorities as appropriate. A representative from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center confirmed Konig worked there previously but said he has not worked with UPMC for more than two years. A verified GoFundMe was created by a friend of Konigs wife to support her and her young children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Editors Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, there are resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Los Angeles County jury has awarded a former LAPD sergeant $4.5 million after finding that department officials retaliated against him when he reported another officer for billing Metro Transit for overtime work that was never performed. The lawsuit by Randy Rangel, who spent 32 years with the department before retiring in 2023, was the latest in a string of lawsuits involving officers from the department's Transit Services Division over allegations of overtime fraud, gender discrimination and lax supervision. Often, the officers who sued alleged they faced backlash from their bosses after having pointed fingers at their own colleagues. In Rangel's case, he said his troubles started in February 2018 when he alleged a sergeant, Humberto Najera, was overreporting overtime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rangel claimed he reported the issue up the chain of command on at least two occasions in 2018 and 2019 but the department never launched an investigation. Read more: Judge tosses police union lawsuit against LAPD commander accused of computer fraud Instead, he said in his lawsuit, he became the target of a months-long retaliation and harassment campaign. He eventually lost his position as captain's adjutant, considered a springboard to promotion, and suspects that someone from the command staff started a false rumor that he was sleeping with a civilian secretary. Fearing further retaliation, Rangel said, he filed a complaint anonymously with Internal Affairs in February 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After taking some paid time off to recover from shoulder surgery for an injury sustained on the job, Rangel's suit said, he returned to work in September 2020 and discovered that his name was circulating as the source of the complaint. Under department rules, such information is supposed to be secret to protect whistleblowers. The suit says that a supervisor informed him he was in the "crosshairs" of Najera and Lt. Leonard Perez, whom Rangel had accused of failing to investigate the overtime fraud. The retired sergeant said he endured sarcastic quips about his work injury and, after an encounter in which officers under his command were accused of using force and not reporting it, colleagues mocked him about what they dubbed the "Rangel incident." Read more: LAPD cops shot 21 bystanders in 10 years. How does it keep happening? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perez, he said, wrote him up for potential discipline, a move that hung over Rangel's head until department higher-ups cleared him. Perez denied the allegations in court documents. Rangel's attorney, Tamar Arminak, said her client felt vindicated by the jury's decision, after spending years trying to blow the whistle about a division that was essentially run as its own fiefdom. Najera in particular, she said, benefited from his close relationship with Perez, the lieutenant, and other senior leadership. Even though he was being paid overtime by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Najera spent some of his shifts doing homework and other activities not related to his job, she said. "Having his textbooks out, listening to lectures at his desk, not even giving a s," she said. "I mean, his [overtime] hours were insane." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When reached on Monday, Najera said he'd been told not to discuss the case and directed questions to the LAPD's press office, which didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The city attorney's office, which defended the officers listed as defendants in the suit, also did not respond to a request for comment. The final amount that the city pays out to Rangel may change, as such figures are often appealed and later hashed out in post-trial hearings. Although some lawsuits are inevitable, the tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money spent to pay verdicts or settlements over police behavior has increasingly angered city officials and the public, particularly given the city's dire financial straits. On social media last week, City Controller Kenneth Mejia reported that the city had paid out more than $107 million so far this fiscal year to settle police-related court cases. Department officials are said to be quietly studying the problem of growing legal payouts, with the hope of figuring out ways to clamp down on behavior that can lead to such lawsuits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The culture was terrible. I mean it was all about greed," said Heather Rolland, a former Transit Services detective. "It's a good ol' boys club." Rolland herself sued the city, alleging she faced retaliation and gender discrimination during her time with Transit Services, and a jury awarded her $949,000 last year. She said the division's leaders went to great lengths to hide the complaints from the MTA, out of fear that it would void its lucrative contract with the LAPD. The Police Department is one of several local law enforcement agencies that contract with MTA to patrol the county's sprawling bus and rail system. The LAPD is responsible for nearly three-quarters of the system and deploys, on average, 386 officers daily, more than half of whom are working overtime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Secret recordings reveal LAPD cops spewing racist and sexist comments, complaint alleges Apart from Rolland and Rangel, numerous other current and former division officers have filed lawsuits in recent years. One female officer alleged that the department went after her after she reported being groped under her ballistic vest and other sexual harassment on the job, while another officer alleged in his lawsuit that he was harassed after his colleagues found out that he was bisexual. Brian Pratt, a Transit Services captain who supervised Rangel, filed his own retaliation lawsuit against the city. So did a former Internal Affairs detective who says he was pressured by senior department officials to substantiate allegations made against Pratt. A sergeant who has been listed as a defendant in several suits, Ashraf "Andy" Hanna, took his own legal action against the city, claiming he was discriminated against because of his Egyptian heritage. Hanna's case and the Internal Affairs detective's claim both remain pending, with the city denying wrongdoing. 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. Jury selection started Tuesday morning in the retrial of Karen Read, the Mansfield woman who says she was framed by law enforcement in the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend. Watch video from court: Reads second murder trial began with Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone introducing the case against the 45-year-old Mansfield woman and issuing instructions to 92 prospective jurors. Good morning from the courthouse in Dedham, MA where jury selection begins in the Commonwealth vs. Karen Read 2.0. -We are in the main courtroom for jury selection. Larger and more comfortable courtroom compared to where the trial will take place. Defense and prosecution Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) April 1, 2025 Cannone read the names of all 150 potential witnesses that the defense and prosecution could call in this case and asked the prospective jurors to disclose whether they knew anyone on the witness list. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the 92 prospective jurors called to court on Tuesday, 40 indicated that theyve already formed an opinion of the case, 16 indicated theyve already formed a bias, and 78 indicated that theyve heard or spoken about the case. Candidates for the jury were then asked to fill out a jury questionnaire with at least 30 questions to gauge how much they knew about the case. Clerk told us there are 92 jury candidates in the courtroom today -40 indicated they've already formed an opinion of the case -16 indicated they've already formed a "bias" -78 indicated they've heard or spoken about the case The candidates are filling out the questionnaire now. Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) April 1, 2025 In an update at 1:45 p.m., Boston 25s Ted Daniel reported that one juror had been chosen so far out of 17 screened jurors. New: Court clerk tells me 1 juror has been chosen in the Karen Read case out of the 17 screened so far. #boston25 Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) April 1, 2025 Judge Cannone also announced that she expects Reads second trial to last six to eight weeks, with 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. court sessions, Monday through Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One hundred thirty prospective jurors are being summoned to court every day this week until a jury is seated. Jury selection in Reads first trial lasted five days, but this time, it could last weeks due to the high-profile nature of the case. Read is accused of hitting John OKeefe with her Lexus SUV in Canton on Jan. 29, 2022, and leaving him to die in the cold after a night of drinking. The defense has sought to portray Read as the victim, saying OKeefe was actually killed inside the Albert family home at 34 Fairview Road in Canton and then dragged outside and left for dead. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The questions include whether theyve already made up their mind about the case, whether they have family or close friends in Canton, how they might believe or disbelieve the testimony of a police officer, or if theyve been involved in groups critical or in support of law enforcement and police officers. Dedham, MA - April 12: Karen Read at her pre-trial hearing at Norfolk Superior Court. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Karen Read watches attorney Robert Alessi make a point during her trial at Norfolk Superior Court at Dedham, Mass., on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge approves joint motion to delay start of Karen Reads 2nd murder trial Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dedham, MA - July 1: Karen Read looks toward the jurors, as they are greeted by Judge Beverly J. Cannone (not pictured) in Norfolk Superior Court. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All stand as the jury files out to the courtroom, to start their fifth day of deliberations in the murder trial for Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Karen Read jurors tell judge theyve been unable to reach unanimous verdict Day 3 of jury deliberations finishes without verdict in Karen Read trial Karen Read awaits the juries verdict in her murder case at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defense attorneys in Karen Read murder trial argue with judge over jury verdict slip Some witnesses are in the courtroom on Tuesday include Brian Albert, Colin Albert, and Jennifer McCabe. Karen Read Karen Read, center right, is seated Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court, in Dedham, Mass., during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool) Karen Read is seated Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court, in Dedham, Mass., during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool) Karen Read Karen Read smiles after listening to her attorney Alan Jackson during her trial at Norfolk County Superior Court, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool) Karen Read Karen Read Karen Read sits with her legal team team in court Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool) Karen Read sits with her legal team team in court, Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool) Judge Cannone ruled Monday that Reads defense team will not be allowed to blame others for John OKeefes death by name during opening statements. According to Cannone, Reads lawyers could potentially name Brian Albert and Brian Higgins as suspects in front of the jury. But she noted only if evidence supporting it comes out at trial. Cannone also ruled that there was no evidence to show Collin Albert was ever in the house at Fairview Road at the time of OKeefes death. In a separate court filing Monday, Cannone said she would not allow Michael Easter, a retired FBI agent, to testify on behalf of the defense about the quality of the investigation into the death of OKeefe. Reads lawyers wanted Easter to talk about flaws and procedural issues. The start of jury selection comes after several failed attempts by the defense to get the case thrown out. Reads first trial ended with a hung jury in July 2024. Hundreds are expected to gather outside the courthouse over the next several weeks in support of Read. Its worldwide; the world is watching, said Bonnie Fitzgibbon in Dedham. Get caught up with all the latest news in the Karen Read case. RELATED Karen Read tells her story in exclusive one-on-one interview: Watch the extended cut: Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW AKRON, Ohio (WJW) A reward is being offered for information that helps investigators find those responsible for a December 2024 fire that killed a 20-year-old woman in Akron. Teenager pointed loaded gun at group of kids at Crocker Park: police The Akron Fire Department responded to a home on Vernon Odom Blvd. on Dec. 7 just before 6 p.m. to find flames shooting from the top window and side of the house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim was identified as 20-year-old Haleigh Horger. Another person inside the home was hurt along with two firefighters battling the flames. (Credit: State Fire Marshals Office) (Credit: State Fire Marshals Office) The Blue Ribbon Arson Committee and Crime Stoppers are offering a combined reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the indictment and conviction of those responsible, a Tuesday press release from the State Fire Marshals office said. Wildlife officials try to save deer stuck in bucket Anyone with information is urged to contact the State Fire Marshals tip line at 800-589-2728. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. On at least two occasions, in June 2023 and June 2024, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he had read "articles" and "evidence" linking the start of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, known as the Spanish flu, to vaccine research. Kennedy described these articles as "strong" and "good evidence" while also noting he did not think they were definitive and that "we'll probably never know" if they were correct. In both instances, Kennedy did not specify what evidence he meant. However, based on a comment he made in one of them about "testing a new vaccine in Kansas," it seemed likely he was referring to a debunked conspiracy theory about meningitis vaccines causing the first U.S. cases of the 1918 flu pandemic. Although researchers continue to debate the exact location where the pandemic began, there is no credible evidence that anything other than H1N1, a type of influenza A virus, was responsible for it. For years, internet users have shared a rumor about U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claiming that vaccines caused the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic known as the Spanish flu. One Facebook post (archived) with around 105,000 reactions at the time of this writing featured a photo of Kennedy with the caption: This pathetic moron claims the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by flu vaccines. The first flu vaccine was introduced in the 1930s and they weren't widely available until the 50s. This is the idiot the Orange Buffoon put in charge of our Department of Health and Human Services. (Facebook page Occupy Democrats) Examples of the claim also appeared in posts on social media platforms including X (archived), Threads (archived) and Reddit (archived), as well as in reporting by The New York Times and Rolling Stone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Snopes readers searched our site and wrote messages to the newsroom asking if Kennedy really said vaccines, or vaccine research, caused the 1918 pandemic that killed an estimated 50-100 million people worldwide, according to a 2002 estimate (a more recent estimate in 2018 placed the death toll lower at around 17.4 million). In short, on at least two occasions in June 2023 and June 2024 Kennedy said he had read what he described as "strong" and "good" evidence linking the 1918 influenza outbreak to vaccine research. However, he also noted he did not think the evidence was "definitive" and said that "we'll probably never know" if vaccine research caused the pandemic. Kennedy did not specify what evidence he meant. However, based on a comment about "testing a new vaccine in Kansas" in one of the instances linking vaccines to the 1918 flu, it seemed likely he was referring to a debunked conspiracy theory about meningitis vaccines not flu vaccines supposedly causing the outbreak. We've reached out to Kennedy to ask for details about the alleged "evidence" and will update this story if and when we hear back. Here's what Kennedy said First, on June 27, 2023, Kennedy brought up what he described as "very, very strong articles" linking the 1918 pandemic to vaccine research during a health policy-focused Zoom roundtable organized by his 2024 presidential campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy made the comment around the 31:48 mark in the video embedded below, just after he outlined how, as president, he would prioritize funding research into chronic rather than infectious diseases and end gain-of-function research (research that involves altering how organisms, including disease-causing microbes like viruses, function). After describing those goals, Kennedy said (emphasis ours): Everything from Lyme disease to COVID, and many many other diseases, like RSV, which is now one of the biggest killers of children, came out of, you know, a vaccine lab, and we can go down the whole list of diseases. There's good evidence that even Spanish flu came from vaccine research, and you know, we don't know, and we'll probably never know, but, you know, there are very, very strong articles suggesting that now. Around a year later, Kennedy repeated the notion during a June 15, 2024, appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast. Kennedy's remarks about the alleged "evidence" linking vaccine research to the 1918 pandemic began around the 1:53 mark in the video embedded below, just after he and Rogan discussed their shared belief in the inefficacy of vaccines. Kennedy said (emphasis ours): There's good evidence that the Spanish Flu there's, you know, not definitive but very very strong evidence the Spanish Flu was vaccine-induced flu, the deaths were vaccine-induced. Originally they said it was a flu but when they've gone back and actually they have all the samples from thousands of people, they died from bacteriological (sic) pneumonia. Kennedy then brought up a 2008 article that Anthony Fauci, who served as U.S. President Donald Trump's chief medical adviser in 2021 and 2022, cowrote. That article, which we'll discuss in further detail below, examined the prevalence of secondary bacterial infections among victims of the 1918 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy returned to the false notion that vaccines caused the pandemic around the 1:54:54 mark in the video above, saying, "The article that I read made a very strong case that the illness came from testing a new vaccine at a military base in Kansas, and again I'm a little hazy on the detail " Rogan and Kennedy then went back to discussing the 2008 article by Fauci and his coauthors, which did not mention any theory about vaccines supposedly causing the pandemic. A debunked conspiracy theory In his comments both in the podcast episode and Zoom webinar, Kennedy did not elaborate on the alleged "evidence" supposedly connecting the 1918 flu pandemic to vaccine research. In other words, it was not clear what type of vaccine he believed may have been responsible for the outbreak. Some internet users assumed he meant a flu vaccine something that did not exist until decades after the 1918 pandemic, as some social media posts linked above correctly pointed out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Rogan interview, Kennedy's mention of a Kansas military base suggested he was referring to a debunked conspiracy theory involving a vaccine to prevent bacterial meningitis. According to that theory, the 1918 pandemic was the result of a meningitis vaccine that medical officers distributed to soldiers at Camp Funston, a Kansas military camp, in fall 1917. That conspiracy theory spread in 2020 due to an article by chiropractor Sal Martingano. In that article, titled "The 1918 'Spanish Flu': Only The Vaccinated Died," Martingano claimed that "the 1918 flu was NOT a 'FLU' at all," but that the disease "was caused by random dosages of an experimental 'bacterial meningitis vaccine', which to this day, mimics flu-like symptoms." It's unknown if Kennedy came across the theory about the 1918 pandemic origin via Martingano's article or another way, but as Reuters and History of Vaccines (a project of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia) have pointed out, Martingano's argument was full of misleading and outright incorrect information. For example, to raise suspicions about the pandemic's origin, Martingano asserted that autopsies showed the pandemic's victims did not have influenza at all. That was false. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's true, as Fauci and his coauthors noted in the 2008 article, that many of the people who lost their lives during the pandemic technically died from secondary bacterial infections a common phenomenon in outbreaks of viral diseases. A press release about Fauci's article quoted him explaining: "The weight of evidence we examined from both historical and modern analyses of the 1918 influenza pandemic favors a scenario in which viral damage followed by bacterial pneumonia led to the vast majority of deaths," says co-author NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "In essence, the virus landed the first blow while bacteria delivered the knockout punch." In other words, while many of the pandemic victims officially died from pneumonia, claims that these individuals did not have influenza were false. Over email, Michael Worobey, a professor in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona, described Martingano's theory as "incorrect," writing: We have remarkably clear evidence that the pandemic was caused by an influenza virus, specifically a subtype H1N1 influenza A virus. In fact genetic material from this virus has been recovered by scientists from numerous autopsy tissues from victims of the 1918 flu. Researchers first extracted viral genetic material from the remains of a victim in 1997, and scientists have subsequently recovered additional samples of the virus from other victims. That evidence definitively proves the pathogen behind the pandemic was the H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus. Notably, Martingano falsely stated the 1918 pandemic was the result of soldiers at Kansas' Camp Funston receiving experimental vaccines for bacterial meningitis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's true, according to a report from an Army medical officer published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine in 1918, that some soldiers at Camp Funston voluntarily took meningitis vaccines in October and November 1917, several months before records show people at the camp fell ill with the flu at the center of the 1918 pandemic (that happened in March 1918). Although researchers continue to debate the outbreak's starting location, there's evidence that the strain of flu that caused the pandemic was already in circulation before the cases at Camp Funston just not at a level that attracted significant attention at the time. For example, in 2004, historian and pandemic researcher John M. Barry argued that the real origin site was not Camp Funston but around 270 miles southwest in Kansas' Haskell County, where people suffered from a severe type of influenza in January and February 1918. Some researchers have suggested that the flu strain was present in the U.S. or other countries even earlier. In a 2019 article published in the peer-reviewed journal Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, coauthors Worobey, Jim Cox and Douglas Gill cited a February 1918 flu outbreak in New York City that may have been caused by the same viral strain that led to the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other researchers have argued that outbreaks of flu-like respiratory diseases in China, France or other countries in as early as 1915 marked the true beginning of the pandemic. (The exact cause of those outbreaks remains uncertain.) The rumor about Kennedy suggesting the 1918 pandemic was the result of vaccine research was not his first questionable statement about viruses that we've investigated. We previously looked into the claim that Kennedy said COVID-19 was targeted to "spare" Jewish and Chinese people. Sources: "Bacterial Pneumonia Caused Most Deaths in 1918 Influenza Pandemic." National Institutes of Health (NIH), 22 Sept. 2015, https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/bacterial-pneumonia-caused-most-deaths-1918-influenza-pandemic. Barry, John M. "The Site of Origin of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic and Its Public Health Implications." Journal of Translational Medicine, vol. 2, no. 1, Jan. 2004, p. 3. Springer Link, https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5876-2-3. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Check, Reuters Fact. "Fact Check: A Meningitis Vaccine Trial at a U.S. Military Camp Did Not Cause the 1918 Spanish Flu." Reuters, 13 Apr. 2021. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/a-meningitis-vaccine-trial-at-a-us-military-camp-did-not-cause-the-1918-spanis-idUSL1N2M62BG/. "Deep Reform: RFK, Jr. to Host Health Policy Roundtable Online Tuesday, June 27, 2023, 7:00PM ET." Kennedy24, https://www.kennedy24.com/health-policy-roundtable. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025. Durr, Eric. "Flu Outbreak Killed 45,000 U.S. Soldiers during World War I." National Guard, 30 Aug. 2018, https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/1616713/flu-outbreak-killed-45000-us-soldiers-during-world-war-i/. Frenkel, Sheera. "Where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Delivers His Fringe Views: Not on the Trail." New York Times, 12 Sept. 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/12/technology/rfk-jr-campaign-vaccines.html. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From Our Mailbag: Did the Influenza Virus Cause the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic? https://historyofvaccines.org/blog/from-our-mailbag-did-the-influenza-virus-cause-the-1918-1919-influenza-pandemic/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025. Gates, Frederick L. "A REPORT ON ANTIMENINGITIS VACCINATION AND OBSERVATIONS ON AGGLUTININS IN THE BLOOD OF CHRONIC MENINGOCOCCUS CARRIERS." The Journal of Experimental Medicine, vol. 28, no. 4, Oct. 1918, pp. 44974. PubMed Central, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2126288/. History of Influenza Vaccination. https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/history-of-vaccination/history-of-influenza-vaccination. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025. Johnson, Niall P. A. S., and Juergen Mueller. "Updating the Accounts: Global Mortality of the 1918-1920 'Spanish' Influenza Pandemic." Bulletin of the History of Medicine, vol. 76, no. 1, 2002, pp. 10515. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1353/bhm.2002.0022. Klee, Miles, and Nikki McCann Ramirez. "RFK Jr. Claims 'Vaccine Research' Likely Responsible for HIV and the Spanish Flu." Rolling Stone, 28 June 2023, https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/rfk-kennedy-anti-vaccine-panel-conspiracies-hiv-spanish-flu-1234779689/. Kolata, Gina. "Genetic Material of Virus From 1918 Flu Is Found." New York Times, 21 Mar. 1997, https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/21/us/genetic-material-of-virus-from-1918-flu-is-found.html. Morens, David M., et al. "Predominant Role of Bacterial Pneumonia as a Cause of Death in Pandemic Influenza: Implications for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness." The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 198, no. 7, Oct. 2008, pp. 96270. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1086/591708. National Museum of Health and Medicine (NMHM): Centenary of the 1918 Influenza: Pathologist Is Working To Create New Vaccines. https://medicalmuseum.health.mil/index.cfm?p=media.news.article.2018.centenary_of_1918_influenza. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025. Purple Death: The Great Flu of 1918 - PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization. https://www.paho.org/en/who-we-are/history-paho/purple-death-great-flu-1918. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025. Sciences, Board on Life, et al. "Gain-of-Function Research: Background and Alternatives." Potential Risks and Benefits of Gain-of-Function Research: Summary of a Workshop, National Academies Press (US), 2015. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK285579/. Secondary Infections: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002300.htm. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025. Spreeuwenberg, Peter, et al. "Reassessing the Global Mortality Burden of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic." American Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 187, no. 12, Dec. 2018, pp. 256167. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwy191. The Influenza Epidemic of 1918. https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025. Worobey, Michael, et al. "Genesis and Pathogenesis of the 1918 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza A Virus." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 111, no. 22, June 2014, pp. 810712. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1324197111. Worobey, Michael, et al. "The Origins of the Great Pandemic." Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, vol. 2019, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1825, https://academic.oup.com/emph/article/2019/1/18/5298310. Wrona, Aleksandra. "The Facts Behind Claims RFK Jr. Said COVID-19 Was Targeted to 'Spare' Jewish, Chinese People." Snopes, 30 Jan. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//news/2025/01/30/rfk-jr-covid-19-chinese-jewish-people/. Xiao, Yongli, et al. "Two Complete 1918 Influenza A/H1N1 Pandemic Virus Genomes Characterized by next-Generation Sequencing Using RNA Isolated from Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Autopsy Lung Tissue Samples along with Evidence of Secondary Bacterial Co-Infection." mBio, vol. 15, no. 3, Mar. 2024, p. e0321823. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.03218-23. PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) Gov. Larry Rhoden says giving county governments the local option to add a half-percent of sales tax would reduce property taxes in those counties that choose that path. The Republican governor outlined his proposal on Monday to Capitol reporters. Senate nixes House attempt to override HB 1169 veto He wants state lawmakers to allow counties to levy a sales tax for the first time and have that revenue dedicated to reduce the countys tax levy on owner-occupied property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some legislators have proposed county sales taxes in the past. I would say it was met with not very much support. Thats why the property tax system was set up in the first place it was to be the funding source for counties, Rhoden said. The governor said his proposal would mean a 21% reduction in current property taxes on a $325,000 owner-occupied home if adopted in Minnehaha County and a 22% reduction in Pennington County. KELOLAND News asked Rhoden whether the greater evil was a sales tax increase or property taxes. Its not a tax increase. It is supplanting property tax dollars with a sales tax, at the option of the local government, their choice, Rhoden said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His approach would allow a county to tax purchases including by people from outside the county. His lieutenant governor, Tony Venhuizen, while still a legislator, had proposed earlier this session a statewide sales tax increase as a way to reduce property taxes. The House prime sponsor changed after Rhoden selected Venhuizen to be his second in command. The Venhuizen approach also intended to tax purchases, including by people from outside South Dakota. Rhoden, after he became governor in mid-January, brought property-value legislation that was developed with a group of 10 legislators. Lawmakers eventually passed Senate Bill 216, which calls for capping growth of property values, limiting growth of property taxes and expanding income thresholds for people age 65 and older to qualify for property-tax assessment freezes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rhodens new proposal of a county-tax option will be presented to the Legislatures new task force that will study property taxes later this year. He discussed it with the Legislatures leadership on Sunday night. Two of the governors Cabinet members, Finance Commissioner Jim Terwilliger and Revenue Secretary Mike Houdyshell, accompanied him to the news conference on Monday. Terwilliger will have a seat on the Legislatures property-tax group. Former Rep. Kirk Chaffee, a retired Meade County director of equalization, will represent the governor. Directors of equalization determine property values in each county. The 16 legislators on the task force havent been publicly announced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rhoden said that, if legislators approve his plan, a county commissions decision to adopt a sales tax could be referred to a county-wide vote. He said a county sales tax also could be initiated by voters in that county if his plan becomes law. The Legislatures tax-study resolution includes the statement that responsible stewardship requires a thorough review of government spending at both the state and local levels to identify inefficiencies, redundancies, and non-essential expenditures that contribute to an excessive tax burden on homeowners. According to the state Department of Revenues most-current annual report, more than $1.6 billion of property taxes were levied in calendar year 2023. Those included: 22.53% ($365,459,648) from agricultural property 43.11% ($699,352,214) from owner-occupied property 31.11% ($504,713,597) from other property such as businesses 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. Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) has announced the opening of a new hotel in Gyumri, Armenia, marking the namesake brand's debut in the country. The inauguration of the Radisson Hotel & Spa Gyumri marks RHGs expansion strategy in Armenia and an extension of the group's hospitality offerings. It follows the successful 2016 launch of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Yerevan. The Gyumri property elevates the group's portfolio to 17 hotels across the Caucasus and Central Asia, either active or in progress. Radisson Hotel & Spa Gyumri offers 64 rooms featuring Scandinavian-inspired design. The hotel is designed to cater to both leisure and business travellers. Radisson Hotel Group business development senior director Maria Znova said: "We are thrilled to introduce the Radisson brand to Armenia with the opening of Radisson Hotel & Spa Gyumri. "We are proud to collaborate with Alecpol Projects Management and look forward to a successful partnership as we continue expanding in this dynamic region." Guests at the hotel have exclusive access to the iconic Alexandra Spa Centre, a historically protected building from the late 1880s. Radisson Hotel & Spa Gyumri also provides meeting and event spaces for corporate meetings to special celebrations. Alecpol Projects Management director Arman Barseghyan said: "Transforming Shiraz Plaza Hotel & Spa into Radisson Hotel & Spa Gyumri is an exciting step for us. "Partnering with Radisson Hotel Group on this landmark project allows us to introduce a world-class hospitality experience to Gyumri, contributing to the citys growth as a premier destination in the region." Last February, RHG signed the Radisson Collection Resort & Spa, Jaipur, India. This will be the group's fourth venture in the city and the third Radisson Collection property in South Asia. "Radisson Hotel & Spa launches in Gyumri, Armenia" was originally created and published by Hotel Management Network, a GlobalData owned brand. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Richard Alfred Benson a.k.a. Pappy, 78 of Youngstown, Ohio, who left us on Saturday, March 29, 2025, surrounded by his beloved family. Rick was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, who was a model and inspiration for his entire family. Rick was born on February 7, 1947, in Youngstown to Carl Arthur Benson and Maude Edith Benson (Storey). Rick spent his childhood on Thornill Road, with his siblings, Arthur T. Benson, Virginia Benson Ladig, R. Thomas Benson and Herbert L. Benson. Find obituaries from your high school Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He graduated from The Rayen School in 1965 and attended Youngstown State University. Rick went on to serve in the U.S. Navy up to the rank of Petty Officer Third Class, with a rating as a radarman. He was stationed on the USS Hancock, where he received several honors and awards, and was honorably discharged in 1969. Rick went on to a lifelong career at AT&T, where he was proud to serve as a union representative for the Communications Workers of America. Rick also was very involved with his church, First Presbyterian of Youngstown, where he served as both a Deacon and an Elder, and the American Legion and VFW Post 419 out of Girard, Ohio, where he served as Commander of the VFW Post for 16 years, up until his passing. Finally, Rick was a prior member of the Vasa Club, and was involved in the Boy Scouts of American Troop 55, where he was an Assistant Scoutmaster, District Commander of the Mahoning Valley Council, and currently was the charter organization representative with First Presbyterian Church. He also was previously affiliated with Troop 46 based out of Churchill United Methodist Church, where he served as Scoutmaster. As a result of his lifetime commitment to the Boy Scouts, he was awarded the Celtic Cross Award in 2021, from the National Association of Presbyterian Scouters. Rick loved camping, with some of his favorite memories taking place with his family and friends at Holiday Camplands in Andover, Ohio. He also enjoyed crossword puzzles, attending off-Broadway theater, and playing darts and bowling in local leagues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rick is survived by his loving wife, Sandy (Milicich); his sons, Josh (Kim Burke), Matthew (Sarah Beasley) and Lucas (Libby Fawcett); his brother, R. Thomas Benson and his sister-in-law, Cindy Milicich. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Sydney (Jeremy), Olivia, Emily, Bridget, Jack, Maggie, Mary, Caroline and Cindy, who provided him with untold joy and happiness in his final decades. He additionally leaves behind his cherished pets, Zeke, Ruby, Louie, and Kato. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl Arthur and Maude Edith; his brothers, Arthur and Herbert; his sister, Virginia and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Stephen Milicich and Mildred Milicich (Adamovich). Rick will be remembered for his kind heart, his jovial (and irreverent) sense of humor, and the endless love he had for his family. Though he is no longer with us, his legacy and spirit will live on in the hearts of those he leaves behind. Calling hours will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown on Friday, April 4, from 5:00 7:00 p.m. There will be additional calling hours on Saturday, April 5 at 10:00 a.m., to be followed by a service at 11:00 a.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown, Ohio. Arrangements handled by Lane Family Funeral Homes. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Richard, please visit our floral store. A television tribute will air Wednesday, April 2 at the following approximate times: 6:47 a.m. on WYTV, 9:43 a.m. on WKBN, 10:58 a.m. on FOX and 8:12 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) Richland Community College welcomed its third round of students for the new clean energy workforce training program. To see us go from a simple 18 student cohort to having over 82 students in classes right now is absolutely amazing, Tamika Thomas, one of the program directors said. Decatur Police looking for suspect of vehicle robbery In 2021, the state passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. The policy set clear guidelines for when the state would reach net zero carbon emissions, and it included loads of new investments in different clean energy sectors. However, there is a critical workforce shortage in these sectors as well. Richland is one of several schools in the state trying to address that with the help of state investments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It gives us opportunities to to fulfill those workforce needs because every company is still in need of good workers and workers that are reliant on will stay, Dr. Cristobal Valdez, President of Richland Community College said. The program is still in its infancy, but there are already a handful of students learning the ins and outs of clean energy HVAC systems and electric vehicles. The difference in technology, everything is super engineered, Jacob Pennington, a student in the program said. Theres hardly no moving parts, so a lot less wear, a lot less maintenance involved. Macon Co. election judge prep honing in on double voters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Students are trained both in clean energy infrastructure and mechanics, as well as the current technology people are relying on as well, including gas powered cars. The college is partnering with local manufacturer TCCI to find job opportunities and open up new resources. Thats extremely important because we know even though the future is green energy, theres still a lot of homes, a lot of businesses that are using current technology and they wont changeover, Dr. Valdez said. So our students need to be able to be conversant in both technology today and technology in the future. The Richland program is one of 14 across the state of Illinois. The programs are helped by state investments. Newly-elected State Representative Regan Deering joined the tour on Monday. She said she wanted to see how the taxpayer dollars are being spent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No matter where I go on the trail, workforce is the number one issue, right? From a variety of employers. Deering (R-Decatur) said. As a fiscal conservative, my concern is always what those dollars are being put towards. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 Gilles Guillaume PARIS (Reuters) -Automakers Renault and Nissan said on Monday they had agreed to further amend their two-decade-old partnership to allow for a reduction in their cross-shareholdings in a move aimed at helping Nissan's recovery. The change in terms, lowering the required shareholding to 10% from 15% previously, comes a day before Ivan Espinosa takes over as CEO of the struggling Japanese carmaker, under pressure to significantly boost its competitiveness. Nissan will also be released from its commitment to invest in Renault's electric vehicle unit Ampere, for which it had pledged 600 million euros ($648.96 million). "As a long-time partner of Nissan within the alliance and as its main shareholder, Renault Group has a strong interest in seeing Nissan turn around its performance as quickly as possible," said Renault CEO Luca de Meo in a statement. Renault also announced its intention to buy out Nissan's majority stake in their joint Indian business, Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL), with the expected completion of the deal by the end of the first half of this year. As a result, Nissan will cease making cars in the world's third-largest auto market and will focus on sales and service. Renault will continue to make cars for Nissan at the venture's factory in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu. The plant can produce over 400,000 cars a year but is only running at about a third of that capacity, industry data shows. "Nissan is committed to preserving the value and benefits of our strategic partnership within the Alliance while implementing turnaround measures to enhance efficiencies," said incoming CEO Espinosa in the statement. Espinosa, previously Nissan's chief planning officer, was appointed in early March to succeed Makoto Uchida, after deteriorating results at Japan's third-largest automaker and unsuccessful negotiations for a merger with Honda . Nissan, in which Renault is the largest shareholder with 17.05% of the capital held directly, has been plagued for years by declining sales. It has struggled to recover from the downfall of former boss Carlos Ghosn, architect of the Renault-Nissan alliance, who was accused by the Tokyo prosecutor's office of financial misconduct, which he denies. Renault confirmed its forecast of free cash flow of at least 2 billion euros in 2025, despite an impact of approximately 200 million euros from acquiring Nissan's stake in the Indian business. "The decision today gives Nissan additional flexibility, which would be the possibility for Nissan to sell assets and increase their cash position," Renault CFO Duncan Minto told journalists. He said having such ability would help Nissan restructure. HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) A manhunt in Hopkins County that began less than a week ago has come to a close. Authorities say Jonathan Ruby has been located and taken into custody. As previously reported, Kentucky State Police and the Hopkins County Sheriffs Office were attempting to locate Ruby after he allegedly fled on foot following a vehicle collision. According to the Madisonville Police Department, a credible tip on Rubys whereabouts led to his arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were told Ruby is also facing drug-related charges in addition to his outstanding warrants. It is said officers discovered trafficking-level quantities of illegal narcotics during his arrest. Ruby was booked in the Hopkins County Detention Center and faces new charges including: Trafficking in Marijuana Trafficking in Controlled Substance Possession of Synthetic Drugs Theft of Identity of Another Without Consent Drug Paraphernalia Courtesy: Madisonville Police Department Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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). MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry on Tuesday accused Ukraine of attacking Russian energy infrastructure twice in the past 24 hours despite a U.S.-brokered moratorium on striking each other's energy facilities. Ukrainian drones hit electricity substations in part of Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia in southeast Ukraine, and in Russia's southern Belgorod region, leaving residents without power, the ministry said. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which accuses Russia in turn of violating the moratorium on such attacks, and Reuters could not independently verify the reports. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Andrew Osborn) Russian forces increased their attacks on Kharkiv in March, doubling the number from February. Source: Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov on social media Quote: "The number of attacks on the city in March doubled compared to February. In total, the Situation Centre recorded 42 attacks and 172 air raids an average of five per day. Recent weeks have revealed a shift in Russian tactics. Shahed [loitering munitions] fly into Kharkiv's airspace in groups and carry out combined strikes on residential areas, critical infrastructure and business premises. Within 30 to 40 minutes, after emergency workers, medics, police and utility staff have arrived on the scene, another attack follows. A cold and cynical calculation: more casualties, more destruction, more human fear." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Terekhov noted that 99 Kharkiv residents, including 12 children, had been injured and two killed in Russian attacks over the past month. Quote: "I know that the enemy won't stop and will keep looking for new ways of terror. But they cannot break our unity and support for each other. Together, we shall survive, no matter what!" Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Russian tactical aircraft dropped 10,577 guided aerial bombs on Ukrainian territory in the first three months of 2025. Source: Ukraines Defence Ministry website Quote: "Enemy airstrikes on Ukrainian settlements and defence forces positions continue unabated. In March, Russian aircraft increased its use of guided aerial bombs to around 4,800 (compared to 3,370 in February)." Details: The ministry noted that Russia used approximately 40,000 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, it highlighted that amid ceasefire negotiations, the number of combat clashes on the front increased in March compared to February: 4,270 versus 3,274. A total of 12,631 combat clashes have occurred since the beginning of the year. Background: Over the past day, Ukraines defence forces had been repelling Russian attacks along the entire front line, with the most intense fighting taking place on the Pokrovsk and Lyman fronts. A total of 216 combat clashes were recorded. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Russia launched no long-range strike drones into Ukraine on Monday night and into Tuesday morning, Ukraine's air force said, marking the first night since December 2024 in which zero such craft targeted the country. Ukraine's air force reported two missiles launched into the southern Zaporizhzhia region, both of which were shot down. The air force sent out no drone warnings during the night. The air force also said that Russia attacked front-line communities in Zaporizhzhia with five guided bombs on Monday evening, killing one person and injuring five others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The absence of attack drones represented a notable departure from recent weeks, which have seen Russia launch massed drone attacks -- often of more than 100 drones in the course of a night -- against Ukrainian cities. PHOTO: This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian State Emergency Service on March 31, 2025, shows firefighters manning a hose as they work to extinguish a fire following an aerial guided bomb attack in Zaporizhzhia region, (Handout/Ukraine's State Emergency Servic) "There were no strike UAVs," Andriy Kovalenko -- the head of the Counter-Disinformation Center operating as part of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council -- wrote on Telegram. "We are monitoring the situation, but this doesn't mean anything yet." Both Kyiv and Moscow have continued to launch massed cross-border drone strikes in recent months, despite U.S. efforts to facilitate a ceasefire and eventual peace deal to end Russia's 3-year-old invasion of its neighbor. Last week, all three parties -- the U.S., Ukraine and Russia -- said they agreed to pause any attacks in the Black Sea and freeze strikes on energy infrastructure. Both Kyiv and Moscow have since accused the other of violating the pause on energy attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that its forces downed three Ukrainian drones overnight over the territory of its western Bryansk region. The ministry also alleged that Ukrainian drones targeted energy facilities twice over the previous 24 hours. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha also accused Russia of attacking energy infrastructure, telling journalists Monday that a strike on a facility in the southern Kherson region left 45,000 residents without power. MORE: Zelenskyy urges 'tough' Russia measures after Trump shows frustration with Putin Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly cited Russia's near-nightly bombardments as evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no real interest in the ceasefire and peace being proposed by President Donald Trump and his administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a Sunday evening video address, Zelenskyy reported "more strikes and shelling" in seven Ukrainian regions. "The geography and brutality of Russian strikes, not just occasionally, but literally every day and night, show that Putin couldn't care less about diplomacy," he said. "For several weeks now, there has been a U.S. proposal for an unconditional ceasefire," Zelenskyy added. "And almost every day, in response to this proposal, there are Russian drones, bombs, artillery shelling and ballistic strikes." PHOTO: This file photo shows a Ukrainian soldier standing on a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft cannon in the Sumy region near the Russian border on Aug. 17, 2024. (Thomas Peter/Reuters) In recent days, Trump hinted at frustration with Moscow, telling reporters he was "very angry" at Putin after the Russian leader again criticized Zelenskyy and called for his removal in favor of a transitional government. Trump added he would consider applying new sanctions on Russia's lucrative oil exports and on any nations purchasing its oil. China and India are among the most significant customers for Russian oil products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president later told reporters on Air Force One that his administration was making significant progress toward ending the war. Asked about his relationship with Putin, Trump responded, "I don't think he's going to go back on his word." MORE: Russia launches 'hellish' overnight drone bombardment of Ukraine Asked if there was a deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire, Trump suggested there was a "psychological deadline." He added, "If I think they're tapping us along, I will not be happy about it." Russia launches no strike drones into Ukraine for first time since December originally appeared on abcnews.go.com By Zaheer Kachwala (Reuters) - Roblox on Tuesday launched a new format of video advertising on its gaming platform and announced a partnership with Google to help boost the growth of its nascent ad business. Gamers can choose to watch video advertisement, up to 30 seconds long, in exchange for boosts, lifelines or resources in a particular game through rewarded videos. In the coming weeks, brands and agencies will be able to purchase this new form of marketing either directly or through Google's ad platform, making Roblox's offerings more widely available to a larger set of advertisers. With Roblox's main videogame platform seeing strong engagement and monetization, the company has been looking to expand its overall business with advertising to take advantage of its large Gen Z user base. Roblox had 85.3 million Daily Active Users on its platform as of its quarter ended December 31, with the majority these users being above the age of 13. "Because gamers are so entrenched in the experience itself, traditional ad formats haven't always been the right choice for app publishers, because they don't want to pull their audiences out of those games," Scott Sheffer, vice president of sellside monetization at Google said in a roundtable briefing. Amid stiff competition in the gaming industry, the advertising business has allowed Roblox to diversify revenue streams and position itself as an attractive option for marketers in search of a large audience. Reuters reported last year the company hired former Roku executive Louqman Parampath to aid its advertising business. Roblox has also partnered with data measurement firms such as Cint, DoubleVerify and Nielsen to help brands track the performance of their campaigns. Over the coming months, other ad formats such as billboards will come to Google Ad Manager, the company said. (Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore) Russian forces' advance into Ukraine has slowed significantly in the past few months, with Moscow seizing just 133 square kilometers in March, the lowest monthly total since June 2024, battlefield monitoring group DeepState reported on April 1. The pace of Russia's offensive had steadily increased since July, peaking in November when Russian troops captured 725 square kilometers, overrunning a badly overstretched Ukrainian defense in several areas, especially in the south of Donetsk Oblast. Gains have consistently declined since the beginning of winter, with the Russian army seizing 401 square kilometers in December, 321 in January, and 189 in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This relative stabilization of the front line was achieved thanks to the winter conditions, effective work of Ukrainian drone units, and a temporary exhaustion of Russian offensive potential. Russian forces continue offensive operations, particularly around the city of Pokrovsk in in Donetsk Oblast, where fighting intensified at the end of March. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on March 31 that Russian forces are "stalling" and failing to advance in the area. Pokrovsk, located about 70 kilometers northwest of Donetsk, remains a major flashpoint. While Russia's advances in Ukraine have slowed, its forces have nearly reversed Ukraine's territorial gains in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Ukraine controlled 407 square kilometers there in early March but held just 70 square kilometers by month's end, DeepState reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine had initially seized 1,300 square kilometers of Russian territory before Moscow, reinforced by North Korean units, launched a counteroffensive. Since launching operations in Kursk Oblast, Russian forces have suffered over 55,000 casualties, Syrskyi said on March 27. DeepState warned that Russian forces previously engaged in Kursk may now be redeployed elsewhere, posing additional threats along the front line. Read also: Some Russians celebrated Ukrainian drone strikes on Moscow, intercepted calls suggest Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Marines partially blamed Charles Tre Del Pizzo for the loss of his F-35B Joint Strike Fighter that flew pilotless for nearly 12 minutes before slamming into the ground following his ejection back in September 2023. Now the 48-year-old retired colonel is giving his side of the story. In a truly amazing piece by Post and Courier reporter Tony Bartelme, Del Pizzo pushed back on the Marine Corps findings, saying he was essentially blinded in bad weather by cascading equipment malfunctions while returning to Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, from a training sortie over the Atlantic Ocean. Before the incident, Del Pizzo was putting the jet through its paces as he was learning its strengths and weaknesses before taking command of VMX-1, a key operational test and evaluation squadron in Yuma, Arizona. The mishap occurred as Del Pizzo was attempting an instrument landing in the F-35Bs vertical mode in zero-visibility conditions during a raging storm. Unlike the Air Forces F-35A and the Navy F-35C carrier variant, the B version flown by the Marines possesses short takeoff, vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, allowing it to take off, land and hover in a manner similar to the AV-B8 Harrier jets that Del Pizzo used to fly. An F-35B stealth jet like the one piloted by then-Marine Col. Charles Del Pizzo taking off. (Lance Cpl. Kyle Baskin) Both the Marine Corps final report on the mishap and Del Pizzos version note problems with the nearly half-million-dollar helmet that displayed the jets speed, altitude and targeting information. It is the severity of the malfunctions and how much it contributed to Del Pizzos decision to punch out of the aircraft on Sept. 17, 2023 where the two accounts greatly differ. Two other Marine investigations into the incident backed up Del Pizzos contention (more on those later). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contributing factors to the mishap included an electrical event during flight, which induced failures of both primary radios, the transponder, the tactical air navigation system, and the instrument landing system; and the probability that the helmet-mounted display and panoramic cockpit display were not operational for at least three distinct periods, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) stated last year in a press release announcing the results of the third and final investigation into the incident. This caused the pilot to become disoriented in challenging instrument and meteorological conditions. The investigation concluded that the mishap occurred due to pilot error, the release continued. The pilot incorrectly diagnosed an out-of-controlled flight emergency and ejected from a flyable aircraft, albeit during a heavy rainstorm compounded with aircraft electrical and display malfunctions. A timeline of events compiled by the Marines for their Command Investigation into the Sept. 17, 2023 mishap. (USMC) Del Pizzo said he had no choice but to eject. Starting suddenly shortly after 1:30 p.m., the helmet failed three times in 41 seconds, the now-retired Marine pilot stated. At first, he said his helmet flickered, then the visor erupted in flashes of alerts, Bartelme wrote. Failures in flight control systems, avionics, cooling, navigation, GPS, communications. Audio alerts sounded: whoop, whoop, whoop. Then the helmet and main displays went dark; the audio alerts stopped. About 15 seconds had passed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 15 seconds later, the helmet failed for a second time as the jet was in clouds about 750 feet off the ground and descending in vertical mode at about 800 feet per minute. He opted to execute a missed approach procedure and get away from the ground. Del Pizzo pulled back the stick to climb, pushed the throttle forward for thrust, Bartelme wrote. Raised the landing gear. Pressed a button that converts the jet from vertical mode to conventional. Then the helmet display went dark again, as if rebooting. He tried to radio his wingman, the control tower. Nothing. Coms out. Then it flashed on, along with another thunderstorm of alerts, more than 25 messages telling him that the jet was in deep trouble and getting worse. Whoop, whoop, whoop. Just 11 seconds later, the equipment failed again, Del Pizzo stated to Bartelme. The helmet and main display failed a third time, differently now, as if powering down for good, Bartelme wrote. Instruments gone, a sea of gray outside his window. Is the plane responding? He pulled the throttle back. He glanced at the small backup panel between his legs. He heard what sounded like a motor spooling down. The engine? He felt the nose of the aircraft tilt upward. He felt a falling sensation. He still couldnt see the ground. Was he still over the base? Over the trees? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Forty-one seconds. Decide, act: The jets going into the trees, and Im going with it. In one quick motion, he reached between his legs for the yellow handle, put his left hand over his right wrist. And pulled. You can hear audio feeds from emergency responders and air traffic control audio of the incident below. To go along with the ATC audio put together by Aeroscout, here's the full radio traffic from Charleston County EMS/Fire for the #F35 pilot ejection beginning from the initial dispatch until they cleared the scene. Units: Medic 8 (Charleston County EMS), Engine 210 (North https://t.co/zzJiybqlOy pic.twitter.com/6HY4CAg7jF Chris Jackson (@ChrisJacksonSC) September 19, 2023 Del Pizzo was injured by the ejection as shards of metal dug into his neck from the canopy blown open by explosives. He was hurt some more when his helmet and face mask were ripped off by the force of the wind. He also broke his back. He initially feared he would be killed by the out-of-control jet falling on top of him as both came back to Earth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I remember feeling the precipitation on my face, and then just being pulled back as the drogue chute opened and slowed me down, Del Pizzo noted And I could hear the engine noise from the airplane. With my helmet off, it was pretty loud. What I heard was complete chaos. Things falling around me. And thats when I thought the airplane is going to come down and hit me, because I felt like the airplane was out of control, right? I thought the airplane is going to hit me, and Im going to die here in this parachute. However, he said his biggest concern wasnt for himself. Uppermost in his mind as he talked to the dispatcher and arriving paramedics: What happened to the jet? Bartelme wrote. My biggest fear was that Id hurt someone, Del Pizzo told him. Unbeknownst to him at the time, however, the jet continued flying unmanned for another 11 minutes and 21 seconds before impacting in a rural area approximately 64 nautical miles northeast of the airfield in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, the Marines said in their press release last year. The investigation concludes the mishap aircrafts extended unmanned flight was due to stability provided by the F-35s advanced automatic flight-control systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The aircraft was discovered more than 24 hours later, crashed in a heavily wooded area. The mishap resulted in no ground-related injuries, but it did result in property damage in the form of lost forested land and crops, the Marines noted in their press release. Part of the lift fan, nose landing gear, and other debris found in the area where the F-35B impacted the ground. (USMC crash investigation document) The exact cause of the electrical malfunction may never be publicly known, because the Marines redacted it for national security purposes, Bartelme pointed out. Unredacted portions ruled out some causes, though, he wrote. Thunderstorms were in the area, but bolts at the time of the mishap were 20 miles away and couldnt have fried the planes electronics. Investigators noted that the aircraft entered heavy rain five minutes before Del Pizzo ejected. But a Marine spokesperson said its investigation found no evidence that rainwater caused the electrical malfunction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The F-35 fleet as a whole experienced issues with lightning over concerns about the aircrafts fuel system. You can read more about that here. The Marines final investigation report said that there were no punitive actions recommended as a result of this mishap. However, more than a year later, the Marine Corps relieved Del Pizzo of command of VMX-1. U.S. Marines with Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) 1 pose for a photo at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, March 12, 2025. VMX-1 is responsible for assessing all Marine Corps aviation systems and platforms, contributing to the development of Marine aviation tactics, techniques, and procedures. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Christian Radosti) The decision was made even though two of three Marine investigations into the incident concluded that Del Pizzo was not at fault, the Post and Courier explained. That conclusion was based on statements from Del Pizzo, officials knowledgeable about the reports contents and documents obtained by the publication through open records laws. Del Pizzos aircraft experienced a significant electrical malfunction, one that knocked out key systems including displays and navigation aids he needed to land in severe weather, the newspaper noted. Knobs to radios werent working, making it difficult to contact air traffic controllers or his wingman for guidance. A small backup display was partially functional, but Del Pizzo had to look down to see it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This and zero-visibility conditions likely contributed to a phenomenon known as spatial disorientation, where your inner ear tricks you into feeling that youre dizzy or falling, Bartelmes story continued. The Navy Aviation Mishap Board and the Field Flight Performance Board each noted that nothing in the militarys training and simulator work prepared pilots for a crescendo of systems failures in severe weather at a low altitude, according to the Post and Courier. In fact, the F-35Bs flight manual said, the aircraft is considered to be in out of controlled flight (OCF) when it fails to respond properly to pilot inputs, adding, if out of control below 6,000 feet AGL (above ground level): EJECT. Both of those investigations concluded that most highly experienced pilots with similar levels of experience in an F-35 would have punched out of the plane. One even lauded Del Pizzo for his handling of the event. After the accident, superiors also praised Del Pizzo for his command of VMX-1 Still, last October, he was suddenly and immediately relieved of command, based on the services Command Investigation, the third of the three that looked into the accident, Bartelme reported. The Marines explained the sudden and immediate relief of command was due to a loss of trust and confidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Del Pizzo, caught off guard and hurt by the decision, opted to retire given that his future options in the Marine Corps would be severely limited. Marine Col. Charles Tre Del Pizzo at his retirement ceremony. (Rachael Piatt photo) Asked by The War Zone for a response to the Post and Courier story, the Marines offered the following: The Commandant of the Marine Corps continually assesses matters associated with commanders and their units. Following his detailed review last August of the command investigation into the 17 September 2023 F-35 mishap, he made the decision to relieve the Commanding Officer of Marine Operational Test & Evaluation Squadron 1 (VMX-1) at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, due to the unique mission of VMX-1. Despite everything, Del Pizzo remains a fan of the controversial F-35 and its technology. However, he is concerned that the outcome of his situation will send the wrong message to other pilots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We needed to take a hard look at that to prevent it from happening again, Del Pizzo told Bartelme. In aviation, we have a culture. When there are errors, when things dont go as planned, we learn from them. If you dont do that, then you have a culture of fear. And if you have a culture of fear, then people are going to be paralyzed and not be able to make decisions. And thats how people end up getting hurt. Thats how people end up getting killed. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com Wayne Griffiths, CEO of VW-Group owned brands SEAT and CUPRA, is leaving the company at his own request, effective yesterday March 31, 2025. Markus Haupt, Executive Vice-president Production & Logistics of SEAT S.A, will assume interim leadership of the company, with a successor to be announced at a later date. In a statement, SEAT said Griffiths has decided to leave the company to pursue new challenges. Under Griffiths leadership, CUPRA became an independent brand within the Volkswagen Group. SEAT said a significant milestone during his tenure was the market launch of the brand's first all-electric model, the CUPRA Born, in 2021. This marked CUPRA's commitment to sustainable mobility and innovative vehicle concepts. Thomas Schafer, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Core Marque Group & CEO of the Volkswagen Marque and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SEAT and CUPRA, said: Wayne Griffiths has done a great job in building the CUPRA brand and restructuring the company. His understanding of the brand is remarkable. He is, in the best sense, a true car guy. We thank him for his excellent contribution and wish him all the best for the future. "SEAT CEO Wayne Griffiths exits" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) One more city in Alabama is now equipped to give infants a second chance. On Monday, Decatur Morgan Hospital staff members and local and state leaders gathered for a blessing of the new Safe Haven Baby Box. It was installed at Decatur Morgan Hospital between the entrance to the emergency department and the ambulance bay. It is strategically located in an area without any security cameras, so any woman who is surrendering an infant can do so anonymously. 10 year old shares inspiration behind award winning artwork The Safe Haven Baby Box in Decatur, Alabama at Decatur Morgan Hospital. Under the Safe Haven law in Alabama, a mother can safely surrender their child without being prosecuted within the first 45 days of the childs life. This can be done at any fire station or hospital, however, a Baby Box ensures the process is anonymous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When a mother places an infant in a Safe Haven Baby Box and shuts the door, the child is safely locked inside, and an alarm sounds inside the hospital or fire station. This lets emergency personnel know that a child is inside. When a child is placed inside, the goal is to have a first responder get to the child within a few minutes. The child is then immediately given a medical evaluation. We will make sure that baby is taken care of, Decatur Morgan Hospital President Kelli Powers said. U.S. Space & Rocket Center opens exhibit explaining weather tracking The new Baby Box in Decatur is the 16th to be installed in the state of Alabama. However, it is only the second to be installed at a hospital. All others are at fire stations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Powers told News 19 that when the idea to bring a Baby Box to Decatur was brought up, the hospital seemed like the perfect location. We are open 24/7/365 and we already have infants here every day, Powers said. We already have formula, diapers, everything the baby already needs right here. The Safe Haven organization was founded by Monica Kelsey. At the blessing of the new Baby Box on Monday, Kelsey shared her heartfelt story of being left as a baby. She said she has made it her mission to ensure no infant is illegally surrendered or worse. Kelsey said it is important to bring awareness to Safe Haven laws and to let mothers know what their options are. She said it is about giving a second chance to both the mother and the child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I will forever walk with these moms as they chose to do something safe for their kids, Kelsey said. And Ill forever walk with these kids to show them their worth. The Baby Box in Decatur is now functional. Safe Haven Baby Boxes have also recently been installed in Madison, Athens, and Muscle Shoals. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) The weather has been helpful, but the Table Rock fire continues to burn. For more than a week and a half, its been all hands-on deck as helicopters and smoke fill the air. We practice command presence which means calm in the chaos so really, it is not so much hitting the panic button, but it is realizing at what point are the local resources being utilized to their full capacity and you need help, said South Carolina State Fire Marshal Jonathan Jones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The South Carolina National Guard have been fighting to protect homes, getting water out of local lakes and dumping it onto dry areas which are hard to reach. Jones said the effort to fight the Table Rock fire is the largest fire mobilization effort South Carolina has ever seen. With the rain, however, progress is being made as some containment has finally been reached and a staggered demobilization effort has begun. We will basically be able to turn things back over to local units local fire departments going forward, Jones said. At one point, the Table Rock fire surpassed 13,000 acres. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2016, we had the Pinnacle Mountain fire, said Russell Hubright with the South Carolina Forestry Commission. The Pinnacle Mountain fire was the largest wildfire in the Upstates history, burning 10,000 acres of Pickens County. It cost the area around $5 million. The Table Rock fire has required a lot more help, but in a much shorter time frame. There have been around 350 to 375 people, Jones said. They are made up of a lot of different assets. Crews on the ground and in the air have played an instrumental part in containing a fire the wind quickly carried out of hand. What they do is they buy you time, Hubright said. They can inundate 600 to 800 gallons at a time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1998, Jones said the Palmetto State hadnt yet adopted fire mobilization resources we rely on now. With more than 30 years in the field, Jones says hes happy to help those who rely on these services in a time of desperation. It is a sense of service above self, Jones said. Folks dont care they have been eating bagged lunches for how many ever days. They are appreciative of the fact the local community is providing those kinds of meals. Mop-up operations are now underway, South Carolina Forestry Commission said crews are adding more water to the fires edge and removing burning material near the perimeter, ensuring embers dont get hot and blow across containment lines. 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. (WTAJ) Those neer-do-well scammers are impersonating law enforcement to try and get your money or personal information, and the FBI issued a warning to everyone. The FBI Philadelphia Field Office is warning the public of these scams where the scammers impersonate law enforcement or government officials in an attempt to extort money of personal info. Oftentimes, these culprits can mimic official phone numbers so your caller ID looks real. Most commonly, these scams come in the form of emails or phone calls. On occasion, youll be told someone will come to your home to pick up money. No taxpayer-funded agency, including your local police, will ever ask for money over the phone or come to your house to get payments they will also never ask to settle fines or debts with gift cards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you get a phone call, even if the caller ID looks legitimate, and you are asked for money or to send a payment, you should hang up immediately and call the agency back. No law enforcement agency, including county sheriffs, will call and threaten arrest or demand money. If there are legal issues, they will either come speak with you or call to request that you come to their station to talk. To avoid becoming a victim of this scam: Be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize. Do not send money to anybody that you do not personally know and trust. Never give out your personal information, including your Social Security number, over the phone or to individuals you do not know. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FBI will never: Call or email private citizens to demand payment or threaten arrest. You will also not be asked to wire a settlement to avoid arrest. Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal. Never request you send money via wire transfer to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency, or gift/prepaid cards Call you about frozen Social Security numbers or to coordinate inheritances. If you believe you are a victim of a law enforcement or government impersonation scam: Cease all contact with the scammers immediately Notify your financial institutions and safeguard any financial accounts Contact your local law enforcement and file a police report File a complaint with the FBI IC3 at www.ic3.gov. Be sure to keep any financial transaction information, including prepaid cards and banking records and all telephone, text, or email communications. Stay up to date with the latest news in the palm of your hand. Click here to download the WTAJ app for Apple and Android devices. If you think you are a victim of this, or any other online scam, please file a report with your local law enforcement agency and the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. 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 WTAJ - www.wtaj.com. SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Police say a Scranton School District employee is being charged with having a gun on school property after an alleged argument with another employee. According to the Scranton Police Department, on March 27, officers were called for a threat/gun report at Memorial Stadium. Police say they were told by a school employee that 54-year-old Thomas McDonough, of Carbondale, made a threat to shoot another employee, and McDonough had a gun in his vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once police arrived, McDonough was questioned, and he permitted officers to enter his vehicle. Inside, officers said they found a .40 caliber handgun in the glove box. Wanted man allegedly found with various drugs at gas station Investigators stated another Scranton School District employee informed them that he was concerned for McDonoughs mental health due to an email he sent to administration regarding how upset he is with them. That employee informed officers of the threat and the gun McDonough had in his car; however, the employee later claimed McDonough did not make any threatening statements towards any employees, including the alleged victim of the argument, as stated in the affidavit. The Scranton School District released the following statement on the matter: In accordance with applicable laws governing personnel matters and out of respect for employee confidentiality, the district will not be providing additional comment regarding a recent incident involving a district employee and the presence of a firearm within their personal vehicle on school property. We understand certain information has been made public through court documents, and the Scranton School District is fully cooperating with law enforcement as they continue their investigation. As always, the health, safety, and welfare of our students remain our highest priority. We are committed to maintaining a secure and supportive learning environment for every child in our care. Scranton School District Superintendent Dr. Erin Keating McDonough was arrested and faces the charge of possession of a weapon on school property. 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 PAhomepage.com. SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah (ABC4) The Alpine School District is helping students mourn the loss of their 8-year-old classmate, Eli Painter, who went to Riverview Elementary in Saratoga Springs. Painter was identified as one of the two victims who were found in a Saratoga Springs home on Friday. Police identified the other victim as Jessica Lyman, 44. Officials determined Painter was deceased without chance of revival at the scene, and Lyman was flown to a local hospital in critical condition. As of Sunday, police said Lyman is still in critical condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUSLY: Officials identify dead 8-year-old boy, injured woman found in Saratoga Springs home Personally, I dont know Eli. I can tell you that, of course, like, you know, were deeply involved in the lives of our students, Alpine School Districts director of student support services Amie Sisam said. As educators, we spend a good portion of the day with children, sometimes more than what their parents even spend with them. Grief counselors are at the elementary school this week. Sisam says parents are reaching out about taking their kids in over the next few days. Our focus really is to provide those post-convention supports that help to heal after a traumatic event and help our communities and families and students heal from the loss of one of their classmates, Sisam said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sisam continued: Just very invested emotionally in our kids, each of them. and theyre all important to us. and so any time a crisis impacts our schools, everyone that works with the child is deeply affected. Background According to a March 30 press release from the Saratoga Springs Police Department, the identification of possible suspects is on-going and evidence is still being processed. Officials have said family members and those present in the home have been interviewed or will be interviewed. Police said the two victims were found in a home on the 1200 block of Willowbrook Lane with apparent gunshot wounds. According to officials, a 17-year-old had just returned home and called 911 after discovering the victims. Officials were initially called to the home around 10:15 a.m. on March 28 for a medical assist call. After officers had responded to the area, the home was sealed off as a crime scene, and several other officials (including detectives, forensic technicians, and the medical examiner) arrived and began investigating and collecting evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said the area was canvassed for witnesses and checked for surveillance cameras, but the investigation is continuing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. ATHENS -Schools and kindergartens were closed on several Greek islands including Paros and Mykonos on Tuesday after severe weather brought torrential rain, flooding and hailstorms to the Aegean Sea. Authorities in Paros were struggling to remove vehicles stranded by the muddy waters after torrential rain swept through the island, a popular tourist spot in the summer, late on Monday. "Roads have been damaged and we need help with more machines so that we can clear the streets," Paros' mayor Costas Bizas told public broadcaster ERT. "All this catastrophe happened in two hours." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The severe weather continued until the early hours of the morning, blanketing grasslands in nearby Mykonos with white balls of ice and prompting civil protection authorities to order the closure of schools there and on other islands, including Syros, Symi, Kalymnos and Kos. Greece has been ravaged by floods frequently in recent years, with scientists attributing the extreme weather to warming waters amid rising global temperatures. A devastating rainstorm, the worst to hit Greece in nearly a century, killed 17 people and caused extensive damage across the central agricultural region of Thessaly in 2023. (Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Kate Mayberry) On Friday, Dr. Peter Marks announced his resignation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Director of CEBR (Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research) citing differences with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kennedy regarding vaccines. The New York Times, Washington Post, and other media outlets such as STAT News breathlessly reported that FDAs top vaccine scientist had been pushed out. We have been told that science is at risk. The irony of these reports is that Marks didnt resign and is not a vaccine scientist. Dr. Marks was asked to leave and then subsequently wrote that he did not want to become subservient to [Secretary Kennedys] misinformation and lies. Peter Marks is not a hero of the resistance but instead has been subverting the scientific process at FDA for years. The media proclamation that Dr. Marks is FDAs top vaccine scientist is ironic because he decided to give himself that position. Marks is a physician but has no clinical or scientific training in vaccines or immunology. Dr. Marks trained as an oncologist, a field far from the important and complex area of vaccine biology. At FDA in 2021, Dr. Marks removed top career vaccine scientists so he could force through the approval of the COVID vaccine to meet an arbitrary Biden administration deadline. He also declined to convene the FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee to review his decision. These events are clearly outlined in the June 2023 House Judiciary Hearings. Marks ousted Dr. Gruber and Dr. Krause, the top scientists at the Office of Vaccine Research, due to intransigence of these real vaccine experts to not ram through the approval of the vaccine. Drs. Gruber and Krause had voiced concerns that they needed more time to understand the safety of the vaccine especially as it relates to inflammation of the heart, now a well known and accepted toxicity of the COVID vaccine. Marks approved the use of the vaccine in children despite the known fact that children have an extremely low risk of serious health effects of COVID-19 infection and yet a known significant increased risk of serious vaccine related toxicity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On at least three additional, documented occasions during the Biden administration as Director of CBER, Marks disregarded the opinions and expert advice of long-time career scientists to advance his own dangerous agenda. In addition to ignoring and overruling FDAs top vaccine scientists during the pandemic, Marks also overruled FDA career scientists and supported the approval of the Alzheimers drug ADUHELM; a decision later overturned. In 2023, he overruled his own staff scientists amid their concerns and those raised by an FDA Advisory Board to grant approval of ELEVIDYS, a gene treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Furthermore, in 2024 Marks expanded the approval of ELEVIDYS despite FDA staff objections and without FDA Advisory Committee input. As tragic evidence of Marks failed judgement, just 2 weeks ago, the company that markets the therapy ELEVIDYS announced that a treated patient died of fulminant liver failure. Marks overruled his own career staff and experts to drive through a risky and unproven therapy that has now killed a patient. This tragedy should not have happened. After the initial FDA approval, the company conducted a subsequent trial which failed to meet the primary efficacy endpoint. On top of that, ELEVIDYS has proven toxicity including liver failure (22% of patients) and increase in serious adverse events. Despite the lack of proven efficacy and the concerning toxicity profile, Dr. Marks rammed through the initial ELEVIDYS approval and the full approval in June of 2024 against the counsel of his staff and the expert panel. While advocates point to the need for new therapies in severe debilitating diseases such as DMD, giving patients and families hope on a toxic therapy that does not provide a clinical benefit rises beyond simple incompetence. A patient died needlessly, and others have been harmed due to this incompetence. Dr. Marks also failed to protect public health when he overruled career FDA scientists and supported the approval of the Alzheimers treatment AUDHELM, a controversial approval that was subsequently overturned. ADUHELM was approved in June 2021 despite strident objections from FDA staff and against the recommendations of an Advisory Board. In fact, two prominent members of that advisory board resigned in protest of the decision. These members cited a lack of clear efficacy and the risk of serious toxicity including brain swelling and bleeding that can be life threatening. These events led to a congressional investigation which found that FDA had unusually close interactions with Biogen, the AUDHELM sponsor and applicant. In January 2024, Biogen decided to remove ADUHELM from the market after confirmatory trials failed to show patient benefit. So, Dr. Marks again supported a dangerous and ineffective therapy that cruelly gave patients hope and provided nothing but risk and cost to Americans. Both the ADUHELM initial approval and the ELEVIDYS approvals demonstrate that ignoring basic tenants of the use and interpretation of clinical trial data can be very damaging to public health. By ignoring these well-tested tenants of FDA review and approval, Marks endangered patients, gave false hope to those in desperate need and cost vast amounts of money that our health case system can ill afford. It cannot be overstated how destructive this practice is to drug development. This uneven application of basic clinical trial data interpretation calls into question the impartiality and credibility of the FDA. This is particularly relevant now as a patient who otherwise could have lived many more years died from an expected toxicity. And we have yet to fully determine the harm caused by Dr. Marks decision to remove the most experienced and trusted vaccine scientists that simply wanted more time to understand the, now proven, risks of the COVID vaccine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Dr. Peter Marks may try to claim differences with Secretary Kennedy on vaccines and the legacy media try to paint Marks as the FDA hero, the real reason he was terminated is that he made bad decisions that were contrary to FDA long-standing policies and which ran counter to the evaluations of professional career staff at FDA. Thanks to Dr. Marks terrible decisions, we are left with a drug that has no proven benefit and that just killed a young patient, a vaccine that is not completely safe is being administered to children that have no significant risk of harm from the underlying infection, and an overburdened healthcare system that had to pay billions for another unproven, harmful therapy. Advocates for Dr. Marks claim that he has acted to help patients with life-threatening conditions which have no alternative treatments. But in reality, he catered to industry and hurt patients. Of course, we should strive to advance safe and effective therapies for such conditions, but we should not approve ineffective and dangerous therapies simply to put something out on the market. Unfortunately, Dr. Marks has repeatedly disregarded long-held FDA policy that is in place to protect patients. That is malpractice not heroism. George F. Tidmarsh, MD, PhD, Stanford University School of Medicine, Adjunct Professor, Pediatrics and Neonatology. In Central California, a team of adorable, tail-wagging conservationists is helping scientists protect an endangered fox from the effects of solar farms in its habitat. These rescue dogs, trained by Working Dogs for Conservation, help sniff out signs of the hard-to-track San Joaquin kit fox a cat-sized, big-eared carnivore whose numbers have dwindled to fewer than 3,000 in the wild. As Yale Climate Connections reported, these dogs use their powerful noses to detect scat samples left behind by the foxes in the desert valley without ever disturbing the animals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since the kit fox is nocturnal and lives underground, it's elusive. However, this noninvasive method allows researchers to better understand the species' habitat and population needs and inform eco-friendly land management decisions in the valley, which is the foxes' only habitat. "Just like the children's book says, everybody poops," Pete Coppolillo from Working Dogs for Conservation told Yale Climate Connections. "And so we don't have to catch them. We just find their scats and that can tell us a tremendous amount about the population and how they're doing and how what we're doing affects them." The problem these teams are helping solve is urgent. The San Joaquin Valley is a hub for solar farm expansion, which can bring clean, affordable energy to millions of homes and help us move away from polluting dirty energy sources, which include coal, oil, and gas. But as more of the land is developed, it's critical to make sure wildlife is not paying the price. So far, the team has found the fox is resilient in the face of these changes. "So that's a really nice outcome because it means we can do both make our energy more climate-friendly and do it in a way that is wildlife-friendly," Coppolillo told Yale Climate Connections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Working Dogs for Conservation is on a mission to harness canine talents in a way that makes conservation more efficient and effective. All the dogs are rescues, so not only has the group given them forever homes, but it has also given them meaningful work. Plus, many of the dogs are cross-trained for multiple projects. These include tracking invasive species, detecting guns, finding poachers to defend animals at risk, and identifying harmful chemicals and toxins in the environment. For anyone inspired by these four-legged eco-warriors, there are plenty of ways to make a difference in causes you care about. You can also directly help Working Dogs for Conservation by donating or volunteering your time or skills. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. As the group's Endangered Kit Fox Project puts it, "We are helping make green energy even greener; not only is solar energy carbon-neutral and infinitely renewable, but our dogs are helping our partners make sure that it's also wildlife-friendly." 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. Construction company Skanska has landed two new project contracts, one in the US and the other in Finland. In the US, the company has received a $421m contract from the New Jersey Transit Corporation for the Raritan River Bridge Replacement project in Middlesex County, US. Work includes demolishing the existing swing bridge's superstructure, as well as building new vertical lift bridge towers, a lift span, two flanking spans, and communication and signal systems. The project also encompasses overhead catenary work, landside earthwork, and rail system work. The project is scheduled to start this month and be completed by the third quarter (Q3) of 2029. The deal will be recorded in the companys US order bookings for Q1 2025. Additionally, Skanska has secured a contract to construct a new backup water treatment plant in Turku, Finland, for Turku Region Water, a wholesale water company supplying drinking water to the nine municipalities in the region. The contract, worth 48m ($51.81m), will be included in the company's Nordic order bookings for Q1 2025. This construction contract includes the building of the facility, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems installation, process piping and machinery, as well as all ancillary structures. The new plant, covering roughly 8,400m, will replace the existing backup facility. Construction on the project is set to commence in Q2 2025, with completion expected in Q3 2028. Last month, Skanska secured contracts for two projects, one in the US with Sutter Health, to transform an office building into an ambulatory surgery centre and speciality clinic space. The second one, in Norway, is a contract to construct a new school in Vesterya, south of Oslo, on behalf of the Municipality of Sandefjord. "Skanska awarded new construction projects in US and Finland" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. This story was originally published on Manufacturing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Manufacturing Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: The maker of Ski-Doo snowmobiles is bracing for the impact of tariffs on its operations, as it navigates higher costs for the steel and aluminum needed to make its powersport vehicles. Bombardier Recreational Products CFO Sebastien Martel told investors in a March 26 earnings call to expect a $40 million impact on the business, assuming the current tariffs in effect were unchanged throughout the upcoming fiscal year. However, Martel said, the situation is very fluid and we are continuously refining our assessment of the potential cost of these tariffs on our business and as they relate to BRPs tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers. Dive Insight: BRP provided no official outlook guidance in its earnings report for the fiscal year that ends Jan. 31, 2026, citing trade policy uncertainty among the worlds leading economies. The Canada-based company operates 14 manufacturing sites around the world, including locations in Lansing, Michigan; St. Peter, Minnesota; Spruce Pine, North Carolina and Sturtevant, Wisconsin, according to an investor filing. The U.S. facilities primarily make pontoon and aluminum fishing boats, as well as aircraft systems and components for Rotax combustion engine products. So far all of BRPs vehicles produced in Canada and Mexico are compliant with the United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement and exempt from President Donald Trumps additional 25% tariffs on imported goods from the countries, Martel said in a recent earnings call. We currently have operations in a supply chain across all three countries and consequently the ongoing tariff disputes are impacting our business, our suppliers and our customers, Martel said regarding the companys North American operations. Sea-Doo watercraft and offroad vehicles, such as ATVs and side-by-sides, are mostly made in Mexico, while Ski-Doo snowmobiles are made in Finland or Canada, according to the investor filing. Currently, BRP has limited exposure to tariffs on imports from China into the U.S. and imports from the U.S. into Canada, Martel said. The company is also affected by the 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel imported into the U.S., mostly in its parts and accessories business, he added. To mitigate tariff effects, BRP began front-loading U.S. shipments and renting warehouses for additional capacity last year, CEO Jose Boisjoli said on the call, which has created about a month-long supply buffer for the company. Boston Police are seeking the publics help in identifying a suspect in the vandalism of a Tesla vehicle in South Boston over the weekend. Police on Tuesday released photographs of the woman, who has long dark hair and is wearing dark-colored jeans, an exposed brassiere, a dark-colored jacket and boots. She is holding an unidentifiable object in her hands. The vandalism of the Tesla vehicle happened on Sunday at 10 O Street in South Boston, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sundays incident is among several reported incidents of vandalism of Tesla vehicles in the region, with attacks directed at Tesla vehicles and dealerships. Last month, multiple Cybertrucks were vandalized at a Tesla dealership along Route 1 in Dedham. That vandalism happened after several Tesla charging stations were set on fire in Littleton. The FBI has created a task force to crack down on the crimes, with Attorney General Pam Bondi describing the attacks as domestic terrorism. Police are investigating. Anyone with information is urged to contact Boston Police detectives at 617-343-4742. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Community members may also submit information, photos and videos anonymously by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS, texting TIP to CRIME (27463) or leaving a tip on the departments CrimeStoppers website. 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 SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R) is breaking into the music industry for April Fools Day with 11 minutes and 43 seconds of lofi Mike Lee radio. Lee posted a video featuring the relaxing beats on social media early Tuesday morning. The video shows a Studio Ghibli-esque cartoon version of Sen. Lee sitting at a desk in what appears to be Washington D.C. Accompanying the video are lofi beats that include quotes from a speech Lee gave on the Senate Floor regarding the REINS Act, a bill he sponsored alongside several Republican senators earlier this year. A Studio Ghibli-esque cartoon version of Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) sitting at a desk in what appears to be Washington D.C. (Courtesy: Sen. Mike Lee via X) The video was posted to Sen. Lees official account, captioned lofi mike lee radio and beats to relax/study to a reference to the YouTube channel Lofi Girl which helped popularize the music genre through its live music radio. Lee reposted the video to his personal account saying, Soothing. What is lofi? Vaughn College, a New York-based institution that did a study on lofi music, described the genre as having intentional imperfections. This means it could have some misplayed notes, a low background hum, environmental noise, or other audio imperfections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The popularized genre of lofi music is down-tempo, taking influences from jazz and hip-hop among other genres. Vaughn College says the relaxing and non-distracting nature of lofi music makes it perfect as background noise to those intense study sessions. lofi Mike Lee radio and the REINS Act While most lofi music does not have any lyrics, Sen. Mike Lees lofi Mike Lee radio is overlayed with his speech supporting the REINS or Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act. Proponents of the Act say it would help take away power from unelected bureaucrats, requiring an up-or-down vote in Congress on federal regulations with an economic impact of $100 million or more. In his support of the bill, Lee said the REINS Act would restore the constitutional law-making role to Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through the bill, both chambers of Congress and the President of the United States would have to approve any new major rules before they could take effect. Critics call the REINS Act redundant and needlessly time-consuming. Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, said REINS would delay or shut down the implementation of critical new public health and safety safeguards, work protections, and financial reforms among others. They also argue the bill would weaken the separation of powers. According to the Congress bill tracker, a version of the bill has been introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both have since been referred to a committee for further review. Utah Sen. John Curtis (R) joined Lee as one of the 21 Republican Senators to sponsor the bill. Meanwhile, Utah Rep. Blake Moore (R) was the only one from the Utah delegation in the House to co-sponsor the bill. 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 ABC4 Utah. More than 30 Senate Democrats have called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to appoint a special counsel to investigate the Houthi Signal chat scandal, as the White House insists the case is closed on how a journalist was looped into high-level military discussions. In addition to the reckless inclusion of a journalist in the chat, we are deeply concerned about this serious breach in the proper handling of such information and deliberations, 31 Senate Democrats wrote in a 6-page Monday letter to Bondi. Given the extraordinary circumstances of this shocking incident and the significant public interests at stake, it is imperative that you immediately appoint a Special Counsel to thoroughly and impartially investigate whether any of the government officials involved violated federal criminal law, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawmakers said appointing a special counsel is appropriate in cases where the Department of Justice (DOJ) may have a conflict of interest or extraordinary circumstances are present, a criminal investigation is warranted, and it is in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to investigate the matter. Such circumstances are clearly present here, they added. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday that the White House had wrapped up its probe into how The Atlantics top editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently added to the thread where upcoming military strikes in the Middle East were discussed. Leavitt said steps have been taken to make sure something like that can obviously never happen again moving forward and this case has been closed here at the White House, as far as we are concerned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senators argued in the letter that these shockingly reckless breaches of security protocols for protecting classified and sensitive information clearly warrant an investigation into whether any of the government officials involved violated federal laws pertaining to the proper safeguarding and preservation of such information. For example, gross negligence in handling national defense information may violate the Espionage Act. Importantly, other laws, including the Federal Records Act, require the preservation of certain government records, the lawmakers said, adding that destruction of government records or property may constitute a violation of various criminal statutes. In the House, Intelligence Committee Democrats asked for an independent assessment of the officials use of Signal to talk about airstrikes in mid-March. They asked Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to spearhead the process and then hand it to another official. The Monday letter to Bondi was signed by Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), along with Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin (Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Adam Schiff (Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Ben Ray Lujan (N.M.), Peter Welch (Vt.), Jack Reed (R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Andy Kim (N.J.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.), Chris Coons (Del.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Tina Smith (Minn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (Del.), Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Alex Padilla (Calif.), Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.), John Fetterman (Pa.), Elissa Slotkin (Mich.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Ruben Gallego (Ariz.) and Gary Peters (Mich.). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hill has reached out to the DOJ 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 The Hill. The Scoop Senate Democrats are probing President Donald Trumps pick to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte, over sweeping changes at FHFA and the mortgage firms he oversees in a pair of new letters shared with Semafor. Given that our nation is facing one of the worst housing affordability crises in history, it is essential to carefully examine any actions that could potentially increase housing costs, Delaware Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester led seven colleagues, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, in writing. Blunt Rochester and Warren also signed onto another letter, led by Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, alleging that staffing changes at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae do not appear to be consistent with federal law. The senators asked Pulte to appoint new board members and provide a full explanation of his actions including any plans to release the firms from conservatorship. Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, was one of five no votes on a bill prohibiting the sending abortion medication to West Virginia residents, except when the abortion is legal. Tarr said the bill's private cause of action would be a deterrent for companies that might consider operating in West Virginia. (Will Price | West Virginia Legislative Photography) The Senate has signed off on a bill that would target out-of-state health care providers and others who send abortion-causing medication to people in West Virginia, except in the few circumstances when its legal. The Senate passed Senate Bill 85 with a vote of 28 to 5 and 1 person absent. The bill would make it a felony to prescribe or distribute medications used for abortion to people in West Virginia unless the abortion is legal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In West Virginia, abortion is illegal except for medical emergencies and in cases of rape and incest. Abortion via telehealth is also illegal. Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, a sponsor of Senate Bill 85, said the important legislation is designed to protect life in West Virginia and stop the practice of abortifacients being sent and delivered to West Virginia residents without a lawful prescription. The penalty for violating the law would be three to 10 years in prison for a person who is not a licensed medical professional. Licensed medical professionals would face the revocation of their license, according to the bill. The Senate on Monday adopted an amendment from Rucker that allows a pregnant woman in West Virginia who receives an abortifacient to sue the sender and requires circuit courts to award injunctive relief and damages of $10,000 for each abortion that results. It clarifies that a person need not be indicted or convicted in order to pursue civil remedies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, was one of five no votes on the legislation. Tarr said private causes of action like what is in the bill dissuade companies from locating in the state. Senators had also adopted Tarrs amendment that allows a public cause of action the attorney general pursuing civil penalties of $150,000 per offense. Had the private cause of action, the job killer in this bill, not been in here, man, Id have been the biggest champion for this bill, Tarr said. Id have been all over it. Because we can still come back and do this without making this mistake. Because if you want young families having babies over here in West Virginia, we need jobs, Mr. President. Rucker said the private cause of action in the bill is not unique to West Virginias legislation. Its a deterrent for people wishing to ignore state law, she said. This legislation does not further expand abortion restrictions, Rucker said. It does not create new law regarding abortion, it is enforcement of the existing law that West Virginia legislators have supported and voted for in the past. So just like we have lots and lots of laws in the books, we expect those laws to be followed. What this legislation does is give a pathway for enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An attorney for the Senate Judiciary committee told lawmakers that federal courts are likely to decide the issue of criminal penalties for bills like this one. Louisiana last month charged a New York doctor with a felony for allegedly sending abortion pills to a pregnant minor in the state, according to reporting by the Associated Press. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul refused to extradite the doctor to face the charges. New York has a shield law to protect abortion providers who prescribe the medication to patients in states where abortion is outlawed. Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, was another of the five no votes on the bill. Garcia said the legislation chips away at people getting health care in West Virginia. Health care providers testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the states existing abortion ban makes it difficult for patients to get access to drugs like misoprostal, one of two drugs used in a medication abortion, which is also used to manage hemorrhaging and treating a miscarriage. The bill would make it even more difficult to access the medications, Kelly Lemon, a nurse midwife, testified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is just muddying the waters and making it harder to be a medical professional in the state of West Virginia, Garcia said. And its another step back. And yeah, there are going to be job losses, not because of trial lawyers, but because of the fact that were doing something again to just hurt the people of the state of West Virginia. The bill next goes to the House of Delegates for consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Elizabeth Balcarcel, a member of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, was joined by other members of the organization April 1, 2025, while speaking in opposition to a bill creating a new criminal offense of human smuggling. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Immigrant rights and religious advocates at a Senate subcommittee meeting Tuesday said legislation establishing a new crime for the act of human smuggling could penalize people working with undocumented communities. The measure, House File 572, would establish human smuggling as a criminal offense, including acts of transporting a person in violation of federal immigration laws with the intent to conceal them from law enforcement, encouraging or coercing a person to enter or stay in the U.S. against the law by concealing or harboring them, and directing multiple individuals to be on agricultural lands without the landowners consent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crime would be charged as a Class C felony. A higher charge of a Class B felony would be brought in some cases, such as when the crime is committed for monetary gain, if the victim is put in danger of serious bodily injury or death, or if the case involves minors. A Class A felony charge would apply for situations where the victim is sexually abused and in cases where the crime results in the victim suffering serious bodily injury or death. While advocates said no one is in support of smuggling, they said the bill could lead to people who work with immigrant communities being charged with smuggling crimes and that Latino Iowans engaged in this work could be targeted by law enforcement. Elizabeth Balcarcel, a member of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, an immigrant rights organization, said that there are already federal laws in place to address human trafficking, and that creating this new offense would not help victims in Iowa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These new state-level criminal offenses would just lead to increased targeting of immigrants and their allies in our state, increased fear in immigrant communities, and additional cost to the taxpayers, Balcarcel said. If we want to protect victims of human trafficking, we should direct those resources to centers that provide direct services to victims and to fix the immigration system. Multiple speakers with churches and religious organizations said their work and their religious freedom to provide assistance to undocumented people could also be impacted by the bill. Tom Chapman with the Iowa Catholic Conference said though Catholic teachings recognize the right of a country to maintain its borders, their religious practice also teaches providing help and services to newcomers, which could be penalized under the bill. Does encourage or induce a person to remain in the U.S. mean providing food or shelter to an immigrant? Chapman said. We dont want to get into a situation, as we have seen in at least one other state, where authorities, based on a similar bill, are trying to shut down some Catholic ministries that are helping migrants with basic needs. In Texas, a Catholic shelter network, Annunciation House, the state attorney general alleged the nonprofit had violated a similar anti-smuggling law in 2024 for its efforts to help people suspected of being undocumented immigrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Sen. Scott Webster, R-Bettendorf, argued that the bill will not have the effects that some advocates describe. He said some speakers were describing a 2024 bill that was passed by the Iowa House but did not survive in the Senate and which had much broader implications for groups serving immigrant communities. Webster said the 2025 legislation was much more narrowly tailored to address actual labor, sex and human traffickers, pointing to the fact that individuals must knowingly commit these crimes. This bill is much more tailored than last years, where, essentially, if you put them put somebody in a car and you didnt know their immigration status, you could have been thrown in jail, Webster said. This one is much more narrow to somebody trying to smuggle somebody who knows that theyre illegal, and they broke those laws not that theyre undocumented, but that theyre actually (illegally in the country.) Lucas Asbury, an attorney with Iowa MMJ, said if the concern really is to support victims then what we need to do is we need to create protections for them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need to get ways for them to come forward and talk to the police, rather than creating this myriad of fear which is going to create a chilling effect, Asbury said. Its going to make law enforcements job harder, because they wont be able to go into these communities. They will be distrusted, disliked, and no one here wants that. Though many speakers Tuesday said the bill would negatively impact immigrant communities, Sen. Julian Garrett, R-Indianola, said the measure is meant to provide protections to such groups. I want to re-emphasize this bill is aimed at the smugglers, the people that are taking advantage of the immigrants, Garrett said. This bill is not aimed at the immigrants. The bill came before the Senate subcommittee after passing the Iowa House 75-14 in March. During floor debate in the House, Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, said the measure was needed to address situations occurring in Iowa, such as the alleged human trafficking of six Guatemalan nationals at Centrum Valley Farms who claimed the company denied them overtime pay and threatened them with deportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Labor advocate groups said the measure would not necessarily help law enforcement stop labor trafficking in the state. Peter Hird with the Iowa Federation of Labor said a labor trafficker isnt likely the person whos driving the van of workers, its the larger entity whos financing the entire operation. Felicia Hilton with the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters said measures that would increase enforcement worker compensation laws and other labor protections would more effectively uncover and penalize labor traffickers in Iowa. The bill moved forward with support from Webster and Garrett. Sen. Izaah Knox, D-Des Moines, did not sign off on the bill. Webster told advocates he was open to amendments to the bill, but that he supported enacting harsher punishments for people committing these crimes. Instead of sitting back looking at this and saying, Dont do this bill, figure out ways to get this to actually (target) smuggling if youre concerned about the situations, Webster said. The Social Security Administration has announced changes to its identity verification requirements following criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups. The new rules, which were initially set to take effect on March 31, have been revised to make it easier for certain beneficiaries to verify their identity without visiting a Social Security office in person. Key Changes to Identity Verification Requirements The SSA announced last week that starting April 14, individuals applying for Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare, or Supplemental Security Income who cannot use a personal my Social Security account will be able to complete their applications over the phone. This change aims to accommodate vulnerable populations and improve customer service. Don't Miss: "We have listened to our customers, Congress, advocates, and others, and we are updating our policy to provide better customer service to the country's most vulnerable populations," SSA Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek said in a statement. He added that the agency is also extending the policy's effective date to allow time for employee training on the new procedures. Who Still Needs to Verify Their Identity in Person? While the updated policy makes it easier for SSDI, Medicare, and SSI applicants to complete their claims without visiting an office, other beneficiaries will still need to verify their identity in person if they are unable to do so online. This includes individuals applying for: Retirement benefits Survivor benefits Auxiliary benefits (for a spouse or child) However, the SSA said that in extreme cases such as terminal illness or a prisoner pre-release scenario the in-person requirement may be waived with proper documentation and management approval. Trending: The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement How do you compare? Pressure From Lawmakers and Advocacy Groups The policy adjustments come after widespread criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups of the SSA's initial announcement to remove the capability for over-the-phone identity verification altogether. This would have required millions of beneficiaries to verify their identity in person. Critics argued that this would have created unnecessary barriers for vulnerable populations, including older Americans and people with disabilities. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) Wednesday, Chatham County District Attorney (DA) Shalena Cook Jones issued a statement on the settlement of the discrimination suit against her. After much deliberation and consulting with my attorney, I chose to end the plaintiffs allegations against me personally for a settlement of $100. This minimal settlement allows me to get on with my second term and continue doing the important work the citizens have elected me to do. The total settlement awarded to the plaintiff was for $345,000. The state of Georgia will pay all but $100, which Jones is responsible for personally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones maintains the claims against her are false and goes on to say she agreed to the settlement to move on with the work she was elected to do. A settlement agreement has been reached in a gender discrimination lawsuit between the Chatham County District Attorney (DA) and a former Chatham County Assistant DA. The settlement stems from a 2022 gender discrimination case where Attorney Skye Musson said she was passed over for a lead attorney position by a much less qualified male attorney while working for Jones. Musson further alleged that Jones fostered a bro culture when she took over the DAs office in January 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Savannah Morning News reported that a $345,000 agreement has been reached, $344,900 in Jones official capacity as District Attorney and $100 in Jones individual capacity. Jones was sanctioned by Judge R. Stan Baker, of the Southern District of Georgia, for what the judge claimed was attempting to avoid appearing for a deposition in the case in Oct. 2023. A notice of appeal requesting the court ignore a judges order was filed in federal court one month later by attorneys for Jones. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A Downtown bar that shut down after being struck by a car seven months ago has set a reopening date. A driver ran into Char Bar, located at 439 N. High St., on Sept. 1, according to Columbus police. After seven months to repair the damage, the bar announced on Instagram that it will reopen on Thursday for its regular hours 3 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Cat police, a topless barber: Seven of central Ohios biggest April Fools pranks Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are SO excited to welcome you back! the post reads. Join us this Thursday! No one was injured in the crash. The driver of the car, a 42-year-old man, was identified by police shortly after the incident and charged with failure to control, failure to stop after an accident and two charges related to operating a vehicle impaired, which are all misdemeanors. The case remains open, according to Franklin County court records. (NBC4 Photo/Katie Millard) The incident at Char Bar was part of a series of car crashes into buildings in 2024, which garnered widespread attention on social media. Despite this, the total number of car crashes into structures last year was lower than years past, according to Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Jeffrey Geitter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With social media and just some of the buildings that have been struck, it may seem that weve seen an uptick, but as the data shows, we actually have not, but it doesnt lessen the situations, Geitter previously told NBC4. In 2024, the fire department was dispatched to 139 total incidents involving a vehicle crashing into a structure. In 2023, the fire department was dispatched to 279 incidents and in 2022, 313. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. In pics: China's "city of future" concentrates high-end industries Xinhua) 08:19, April 01, 2025 An aerial drone photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows Zhongguancun Science Park, a hub for innovation and business, in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) SHIJIAZHUANG, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Since China announced plans to establish the Xiong'an New Area in April 2017, it has evolved from a blueprint into a vibrant city. The Xiong'an New Area has been designed to take on functions transferred from Beijing that are not essential to its role as China's capital. In Xiong'an, dubbed China's "city of the future," sci-tech innovation and industrial development synergistically promote each other. The Zhongguancun Science Park in Xiong'an has attracted over 140 enterprises. The sci-tech Innovation center in the new area has built an achievement transformation system with close integration of various innovation entities. Staff members work at a workshop in a pilot testing base in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, March 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) A staff member of a sci-tech company in Zhongguancun Science Park demonstrates an industrial robot in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, March 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Staff members work at a chip production workshop in a pilot testing base in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, March 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) A staff member adjusts a patrol robot at a pilot testing base in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, March 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Staff members work at a laboratory of a bio-tech company at Zhongguancun Science Park in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Staff members of a sci-tech company in Zhongguancun Science Park demonstrate an enterprise safety operation system in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) People visit an exhibition themed on Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) at Zhongguancun Science Park in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, March 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) David Krause, a longtime finance professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee who recently published a study of World Liberty, said that the structure of the project pretty much excludes public investors or token holders from any meaningful financial participation. "It's hard for me to see any economic benefit to the owner of these tokens," said Jim Angel, an associate professor at Georgetown University who has written about DeFi regulation. The arrangements, including the Trump familys large share of the projects revenues and the non-tradeable nature of the governance tokens, make World Liberty unusually centralized for the industry, according to a survey of the practices of the five largest DeFi lending platforms and interviews with four U.S. academics who study the crypto industry. Overall, the Trump family now has a claim on 75% of net revenues from token sales and 60% from World Liberty operations once the core business gets going. The arrangement means the Trump family is currently entitled to about $400 million in fees. After World Liberty's co-founders take their cut, the crypto venture will be left with 5% of the $550 million raised to date to build the platform, according to Reuters calculations. As its fundraising got traction, World Liberty disclosed in January that the Trump family had taken control of the business, a review of changes in the fine print on World Libertys website shows. Two of its co-founders, crypto entrepreneurs Zak Folkman and Chase Herro, were replaced as the controlling parties of World Liberty by an entity in which the Trump family holds a 60% stake. The tokens, which go by the symbol $WLFI, give holders the right to vote on changes to the projects underlying code and to signal their opinion on its direction and plans. They cannot be traded. Even so, World Liberty said in mid-March it had raised $550 million selling so-called governance tokens. Most of those sales took place after Trumps election win in November, Reuters calculations show. Launched last fall, World Libertys goal is to allow people to access financial services using cryptocurrencies and without intermediaries like banks in what is called decentralized finance, or DeFi. But it has yet to launch a public platform and has reported only a small staff, a review of the project shows. LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - As World Liberty Financial raised more than half a billion dollars, President Donald Trumps family took control of the crypto venture and grabbed the lions share of those funds, aided by governance terms that industry experts say favor insiders. Story Continues A White House spokesperson referred questions about World Liberty to the Trump Organization. The Trump Organization's chief legal officer and the president's two older sons, who are executives at the company, did not respond to requests for comment. The Trump Organization announced in January that the president's investments, assets and business interests would be held in a trust managed by his children and he would play no role in day-to-day operations or decision-making. The family's business also retained an attorney to serve as an ethics adviser to "avoid any perceived conflicts of interest." Folkman and Herro did not reply to Reuters questions in person and in writing. In a post on social media platform X on March 14, World Liberty said it is a DeFi project with a tremendous mission to build and democratize a new financial system for the benefit of millions. At a conference in February, Herro said the plan was to open crypto investing to everyday Americans such as teachers, dentists and firemen. His business partner, Donald Trump Jr, the president's son, has complained about the family being excluded from traditional banking in the aftermath of his father's first term. CRYPTO PRESIDENT The Trump familys investment in World Liberty ties the personal fortunes of a sitting U.S. president to an asset class that sits at the outer edges of both risk and regulation. Trump has promised to be the crypto president, who will popularize its mainstream use in America. He has said he backs crypto because it can improve the banking system and increase the dominance of the U.S. dollar. At the same time, the Trump family, long rooted in skyscrapers and country clubs, has opened beachheads in crypto, quickly gaining hundreds of millions of dollars. A so-called meme coin promoted by Trump has generated at least $349 million in fees for entities connected to the president, according to crypto data firm Chainalysis. On Monday, the Trump family deepened its crypto interests, as a company formed with the president's elder sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., took a minority stake in a newly-formed bitcoin producer called American Bitcoin. Eric Trump will become the chief strategy officer of the new firm, which will focus on mining bitcoin and aims to become publicly listed, the statement said. The prospect of Trump and his family benefiting from deregulation has drawn criticism from his political opponents and some government ethics experts who say it creates the potential for conflicts of interest and influence peddling. "You've got the guy in charge who is responsible for his own regulation," said Ross Delston, a former U.S. banking regulator who has acted as an expert witness on anti-money laundering issues for the government. Delston also pointed to the potential for people buying $WLFI tokens to earn political favor. It would be the perfect vehicle, he said, for governments or oligarchs overseas to funnel money to the president." World Liberty has attracted well-heeled buyers: Almost 70% of the money raised came from wallets that spent at least $100,000, and more than 50% was buys of $1 million or more, according to a Reuters analysis of publicly available information on transactions. While buyers of $WLFI gave their names to the venture, the identity of nearly all of those big spenders is hidden from public view by anonymous crypto wallets. Among a handful of buyers that Reuters was able to identify, several said they bought into the token because they believed Trumps involvement would help it succeed as a business. LETS GO PURSUE IT World Libertys beginnings lie in the convergence of two obscure figures on the crypto scene and some of the most powerful people in American politics. Folkman and Herro entered Trump circles via the family of New York real estate mogul Steve Witkoff, a longtime Trump friend who is now also his envoy to the Mideast. The two crypto entrepreneurs had already collaborated on several companies together focused on making money from online ventures. Their business background includes past instances of dissolution, litigation and unpaid debts, according to corporate records, state filings and U.S. court documents. Early in his career, Folkman offered seminars on how to date hotter girls. Steve Witkoff said he was introduced to the pair by one of his sons, when speaking about how the deal came together on a crypto podcast hosted in September by the Trump family. After meeting the two crypto businessmen and hearing them speak about the difficulties of getting credit in traditional finance, Witkoff said he thought of the Trumps. He set up a meeting with Donald Trump and his two oldest sons for Herro and Folkman to describe the opportunities of DeFi. The Trumps, Witkoff said, were smitten: We said, Lets go pursue it. Witkoff did not respond to requests for comment. Despite Trumps backing, token sales were slow at first. According to a U.S. regulatory filing by the company dated October 30 - around two weeks after World Liberty sales had begun - the ventures total amount sold was only $2.7 million. Then, on November 25, less than three weeks after Trump won the U.S. election, Justin Sun, a Hong Kong-based crypto entrepreneur who was fighting a U.S. securities fraud lawsuit, announced that hed sunk $30 million into $WLFI - the amount the company said it needed to jumpstart operations. His amount was pretty meaningful at that point, said Ogle, a World Liberty security adviser who only goes by that pseudonym and has appeared in video interviews with his face obscured by a bandana and sunglasses. Sun has said his investment has since risen to $75 million. As well as its single-largest known investor, he has become an advisor to the project. Meanwhile, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in February paused its case against him, citing public interest. Sun didnt respond to a request for comment. The SEC declined to comment. TAKING CHARGE Initially, Herro and Folkman were listed as the sole directors and members of World Liberty Financial Inc, the main entity developing the platform, according to World Libertys terms and conditions, last updated in October. On January 19 and 20 - the day of Trumps inauguration - World Liberty raised almost $300 million in a frenzy of token sales, according to a Reuters analysis of blockchain data. Around that time, its website was updated to say WLF Holdco LLC now controlled World Liberty Financial Inc. And DT Marks DeFi LLC Trumps company now held about 60% of WLF Holdco. It did not disclose who owns the rest. The presidents son, Eric, also gained a seat on WLF Holdcos board of managers. Reuters could not ascertain the terms of any deals between Trump and his partners that led to the changes. Angel, the Georgetown professor, said the corporate structure had put several layers of entities between Trump and World Liberty, protecting the president from any potential legal action should something go wrong. He can say: You can't sue me because I'm not involved, Angel said. AN OUTLIER The five largest DeFi lending platforms, as ranked by data site DefiLlama, all have governance tokens that give holders voting rights. But unlike World Liberty, those five platforms either allocated the majority of their governance tokens to be given away for free to users, sold them to venture capitalists in return for money to build the platform, or paid them to partners in return for building the project. World Liberty governance tokens lack another critical feature of those issued by other DeFi platforms the ability of token holders to vote for the platform to pay them a share of its profits. World Liberty has told token holders any vote to breach its existing deals with Trump and other backers would have no force, according to a 13-page description of the business released in October. Folkman told a New York audience on March 18 that the company is working on three main products, including a lend and borrow market that would be announced soon and a personal finance application. World Liberty also said in March that it is planning to launch a stablecoin, known as USD1, that will be backed by assets such as U.S. Treasuries and redeemable for a dollar. One company that World Liberty has collaborated with is Ondo Finance. The startup, founded in 2021 by former Goldman Sachs employees, lets users buy blockchain-based tokens backed by U.S. Treasuries and other assets such as money market funds, thereby earning interest. The two companies said in a statement that they would collaborate to advance the adoption of tokenized real-world assets. They're all in early stages, but we're exploring what they're doing at a very high level, Nathan Allman, Ondos CEO, told Reuters. While World Liberty has also used some of the money it raised to invest in other cryptocurrencies, it has yet to launch a DeFi platform. Two software developers listed on World Liberty's website are based in Romania, according to their social media profiles. Octavian Lojnita was previously a developer at Dough Finance, a Herro and Folkman project that collapsed last year after being hacked, according to Lojnita's online profile and the publicly available source code of Dough. The online handle for a second developer at Dough matches that of Bogdan Purnavel, also at World Liberty. Lojnita declined to discuss his involvement in World Liberty. Purnavel referred questions to World Liberty. The coding for contracts posted to the projects blockchain a public-facing database shows that World Liberty appears to still be in development, with several functionalities not yet implemented or fully operational, according to a review in late March by CertiK, a cybersecurity company that audits projects for security flaws. (Reporting by Tom Wilson and Tom Bergin in London, Lawrence Delevingne in Boston and Michelle Conlin in New York; Additional reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft in Paris and Hannah Lang in New York; Editing by Paritosh Bansal, Tom Lasseter and Daniel Flynn) COPENHAGEN, Denmark Widespread anger over the Trump administrations push for U.S. ownership of Greenland is prompting shoppers in Denmark to boycott American products and services such as Tesla, Netflix and Coca-Cola. Supermarkets are making homegrown products more visible, cellphone apps are helping consumers work out where their purchases originate from, and Facebook groups have been set up offering tips on how to avoid American goods and services. Among them, Boykot Varer Fra USA or Boycott goods from the USA, which has gained almost 93,000 members since it was set last month to protest President Donald Trumps repeated suggestions that the United States should take over the Arctic territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We love the U.S. and the culture, but we just dislike the president, one of the groups co-administrators, Bo Albertus, told NBC News in a telephone interview Saturday. He added that the Trumps treatment of Greenland, which is part of Denmark, and has a set of values that we do not share with Trump was inspiring people to join the group, which has a crushed Coca-Cola can as its main image. Albertus, who works at a school for children with autism in Albertslund, a suburb of the capital, Copenhagen, added that the group was working with a similar campaign in neighboring Sweden. On both groups, users offer suggestions about alternatives to American products, such as locally made soft drinks, footwear or streaming services. Others have listed alternative burger chains and internet search engines. Many have taken inspiration from Canada where some people have been boycotting U.S. companies and products. Protesters wave Danish and Greenland flags during a demonstration in Copenhagen on Saturday. Aware that the group had been set up on Facebook, an American social media company, he said the group was building our own infrastructure and working on a newsletter to avoid it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elsewhere in Europe, similar movements have sprung up, including Le Boycott in France, and Tesla Takedown protests, similar to those in the U.S., have taken place in the United Kingdom and Germany, along with several other countries. But in Denmark, the anger is particularly acute after Trumps repeated suggestions that the U.S. should take over Greenland, a vast, sparse island around the size of Alaska and California combined but with only 56,000 people. Tensions rose further after Vice President JD Vance suggested that Greenlanders would be better off being under the protection of the U.S. than under Denmark in a speech Friday to American service members at the Pituffik Space Base in the islands northwest. Denmark controlled Greenland for 300 years before it became a formal territory in 1953. Greenland gained home rule in 1979, although Copenhagen still controls its foreign and defense policy and contributes just under $1 billion to its economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People started to boycott American products after Trumps inauguration, according to a March 1 survey by the market research firm Megafon for the Danish TV2 show. It found that every second Dane had refrained from buying American goods since then. And 1 in 5 also said they were less likely to visit the U.S. Elon Musks Tesla appears to have been one of the companies hit. Sales of the companys vehicles in Denmark were down by almost half compared with last year, according to auto industry experts Bilstatistik.dk. As has been the case in other countries, some Danish Tesla owners have adorned their vehicles with stickers saying, Not a Elon Musk supporter. Tesla did not immediately respond to NBC News request for comment. NBC News has also reached out to Netflix and Coca-Cola. Others are switching out more basic items such as canned goods, cola drinks and potato chips, while some stores have started to highlight where their products originate from. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spar convenience store chain locations have marked items produced in Denmark with the countrys flag, and the supermarket chain Salling group, which has 1,700 stores dotted around the country, has marked products with a star if they originate in Europe. Stressing that the stars were not a call for consumers to boycott American goods, Henrik Vinther Olesen, the Salling Groups director of communication, said in an email Saturday that the stars were aimed at providing consumers with information about the origins of their products. We are generally experiencing that customers shop like they usually do, he added. A Tesla makes the views of its owner clear. Two Danes, Henning Madsen and Ian Feldt, have also developed the Made Ometer app which allows people to take photos of the goods they are buying so they can find out where the product originated from. However, it is currently paused because it labeled American goods as European. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consumers like Peter Kolby were also thinking longer term, particularly when it came to the tech they are using. I dont have a problem with American goods as such, he said in a telephone interview Monday. But the 31-year-old from the island of Fyn said he asked himself what he would do if Trump closed all American tech down for us overnight? When I hear this talk about Greenland, then I have to find alternatives to gmail, cloud, IOS, Microsoft, he said, adding, We have to be able to stand on our feet, as Trump has said. And that is what we are doing. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Happy Monday, Utah! Our Monday afternoon will feature warm and breezy conditions across the region ahead of a strong cold front moving in. This afternoon, winds could gust up to 55 mph across parts of the west desert region and southeastern Utah. Wind Advisories have been issued for these locations through Monday night. Along with the gusty winds, blowing dust could be an issue for western Utah along with choppy lake waters across southeastern Utah. A strong cold front will move into the Beehive state starting late this afternoon, then progress south throughout Monday evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of the front, increasing coverage of valley rain and mountain snow is expected. The rain in the valleys could be locally heavy at times with a chance for a few isolated rumbles of thunder. Snow will begin light, but is expected to pick up for a period of heavy snow in the mountains for our Monday evening. Snowfall rates could possibly peak in the 0.50 to 1.00 range through the night. Colder air will work south, so rain will change over to snow for the central mountains and even the I-15 corridor from Nephi down through the Richfield area near I-70. Overnight the colder air works its way down to the valley floors. We expect rain to mix with and changeover to wet snow, even in the valleys just in time for our Tuesday morning commute. Accumulations in the valleys should be mostly light but will have to keep an eye out for any potential lake enhancement. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for the Wasatch Mountains, north and south of I-80. The Advisory also includes the Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs, central mountains, and southwestern Wyoming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The upper Cottonwoods are expecting anywhere from 10-20 of snow, with most northern mountains looking at 6-12 on average. The Wasatch Back will see around 2-6 while Park City could see over 6. The east Benches could see 1-4, while the Wasatch Front Valleys could see up to 2. All in all, not a big snow producer for valley locations, but some accumulations will be very possible. Snow showers will continue across northern Utah off and on through Tuesday afternoon. A secondary wave moves into the area on Tuesday night into Wednesday bringing one more round of possible light accumulating snow. Beyond Wednesday, the overall pattern is for drier and warmer conditions. Just how much? We will finetune over the next few days. The upcoming weekend is looking nice with the return of sunshine and temperatures warming into the 50s and 60s across the north, with 60s and 70s across southwestern Utah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay tuned! Well keep you posted on the latest information in our 4Warn Weather forecast both on-air and online, we are Good4Utah! Wind Alerts Issued Wind Gust: 25-55 MPH Valley rain on Monday evening Mountain accumulating snow Monday evening Winter Weather Advisory for N. Mtns. Possible Mtn & valley wintry mischief Tuesday Scattered snow showers through Wednesday morning Drier and warmer late-week into weekend Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Editors note: This story has been updated with statements from Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Gov. Patrick Morrisey. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is laying off hundreds of workers, according to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). Although specifics are limited, the UMWA International President Cecil Roberts said in a statement Tuesday that NIOSH began laying off hundreds of workers who are engaged in research and the improvement of products and practices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement also said that NIOSH announced significant downsizing of offices in Morgantown, W.Va., and Pittsburgh, Pa. on Tuesday. 12 News has reached out to officials and representatives for more specific information on the downsizing. Fairmont Novelis plant closure is major loss after more than 100 years in community West Virginia Delegate John Williams (Monongalia, 080) told 12 News that he has seen no official statement but that he does believe the reports are accurate. Gov. Patrick Morriseys office released the following statement to 12 News: As we gather more details about job losses at NIOSH in Morgantown, we will work with the federal government and stakeholders across West Virginia to ensure these employees have relevant job opportunities elsewhere in their communities. Governor Morrisey continues to prioritize attracting high-paying jobs to West Virginia and training our workforce for the high-skilled jobs needed for the future. Gov. Patrick Morriseys deputy press secretary Drew Galang Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., released the following statement to 12 News: While I believe in the broad vision set forth by the Trump administration to right size our government, Im concerned that todays cuts at CDC/NIOSH could impact vital health programs that are important to many West Virginians, especially our coal miners. During my meetings with Secretary Kennedy prior to his confirmation and as recently as last week, we discussed how important the health of coal workers is to West Virginia. Any cuts that impact their health monitoring need to be restored immediately. I am working with the Department of Health and Human Services to understand the depth of these cuts, both to programs and the workforce in Morgantown. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., also provided a statement on the matter. Ive seen the news regarding layoffs in Morgantown, and with it have seen the plan put together by Secretary Kennedy to restructure to entire Health Department. I am in favor of cuts to waste across the federal government, and Im sure Secretary Kennedy understands how important coal miner health programs run by the department are to West Virginia. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va. The Morgantown NIOSH facility has been operational since the organizations inception in 1970, and grew from 20 to about 600 employees by 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Morgantown facility, as well as the Pittsburgh facility, focus on research relating to health and safety issues affecting workers and coal miners, including respiratory disease. Roberts said in his statement that the coal industry relies on the research done there to improve its safety practices. Roberts also said that the layoffs, compiled with closures in the Mine Safety and Health Administration and fees and tariffs expected to be placed on West Virginia coal that is exported to China, give the appearance that miners have a target on their backs. I do not think that these actions are being done in a coordinated way to hurt the American coal industry and those who work in it. But that is the effect. Miners have and can continue to produce the materials to power American homes, produce American steel and so many other products our society uses every day, Roberts said in the release. 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 WBOY.com. More concerning news from the traumatic brain injury (TBI) front: a new study shows that kids who experience just one concussion are 15 percent less likely to end up going to college the latest research to ring alarm bells about various ways that the long-term impacts of TBIs might manifest. The study, published last week in the European Journal of Epidemiology, was conducted by a cohort of Finnish scientists and physicians. Using data from the Finnish Care Register for Health Care, they analyzed data collected from patients aged 17 and under who received hospital-level care for a brain injury, ranging from emergency visits to the ER for seemingly mild concussions to treatment for more severe head traumas. What they found, according to lead study author Julius Mottonen, was alarming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A mild, single concussion is often considered a relatively harmless event, but our research suggests that it can have long-term effects on learning and cognitive abilities," Mottonen, a doctoral researcher at the University of Tampere in Finland, told New Atlas of the study's findings. "This should get more attention in both healthcare and schools." According to New Atlas, the researchers obtained the records of 136,828 patients from the Finnish registry; 24,039 of those records, they found, contained details regarding higher education for patients over the age of 26. Within that group, researchers found that 8,487 received hospital treatment for pediatric TBIs, or "pTBIs." About 7,600 patients in that cohort were treated for more generalized concussions, while the remainder had a "specific intracranial injury" like brain bleeding, according to the study. The average pTBI patient age at the time of their treatment was 13 years old. The pTBI group was then compared against a reference group of 15,552 pediatric patients who, instead of a head injury, had received hospital-level treatment for limb injuries like broken ankles and wrists. The results were fascinating and troubling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overall, the scientists concluded that individuals from the pTBI cohort attended higher education at a 15 percent lower rate than their non-brain-injured counterparts. Within that group, the small cohort that experienced a specific cranial incident like a brain bleed were even less likely to engage with higher education, entering college and university at a rate 22 percent lower than those who experienced concussions. And even when someone with a pTBI did go to college, they were 19 percent less likely than their peers to go on to receive an advanced degree. "People with pTBI had lower education attainment at all higher educational levels than the reference population with orthopedic injuries," reads the study, noting that the level of "education attainment" achieved by pTBI folks "was lower regardless of the injury severity." In other words, even a mild concussion was correlated with a lower likelihood of pursuing education beyond high school. Of course, the decision to seek higher education is complicated, and layered in factors like a person's socioeconomic background and identity. (That said, we should note that Finnish universities and all Finnish education is free for Finnish citizens, as well as citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area member states, and Switzerland.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But while the study's findings remain correlative, they add to an ever-growing body of scientific literature revealing the long-term consequences of brain injuries from seemingly low-level concussions to life-threatening traumas and their connection to learning disabilities, mental health challenges and disorders, behavioral changes, and long-term impairments in cognitive function. Hopefully, the Finnish paper leads to further study of how even comparatively minor head injuries may continue to impact someone's life years after their incident and how kids grappling with life after a TBI might be best supported by schools and leaders in education. "For future monitoring of pTBI patients," write the study authors, "it is important to pay attention to the possible long-term negative cognitive impact that can lead to lower educational attainment." More on brain injuries: One Out of Three Former NFL Players Think They Have CTE, the Traumatic Brain Disease Linked to Murders and Suicides Growing tensions between the US and UK over freedom of speech may soon reach boiling point with America warning there will be no trade deal without a rollback on the power of Britains thought police. In a highly unorthodox step, the US State Department has issued a statement saying it is concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. The warning comes after JD Vance, the vice-president, said in February that he feared free speech in Britain and across Europe was in retreat. Meanwhile, Trump-supporting podcaster Joe Rogan has compared UK thought-crime arrests to Soviet Russia accusing the Government of terrible overreach. Here are six cases which have convinced the White House inner circle that Britain has a problem with freedom of speech. Livia Tossici-Bolt A key case that has caught the eye of Trump officials is that of Livia Tossici-Bolt, 64. The pro-life campaigner is being prosecuted after she held a sign saying here to talk if you want outside the British Pregnancy Advisory Service abortion clinic in Bournemouth in March 2023. The retired medical scientist claimed she was there to offer support, but refused to leave when she was asked to do so by police. Livia Tossici-Bolt was prosecuted after holding up a sign outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth - BNPS Ms Tossici-Bolt, who is the leader of the Bournemouth branch of the anti-abortion charity 40 Days of Life, has been prosecuted for failing to comply with a Public Spaces Protection Order and a verdict is expected to be given on Friday April 4. On Sunday, in an extraordinary intervention ahead of her forthcoming hearing, the US state department for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour wrote on X: We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression. Adam Smith-Connor At the Munich Security Conference in February, JD Vance lectured European governments over free speech, accusing them of being hostile to the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion or, God forbid, vote a different way. As an example of Britains totalitarian crackdown on free speech and basic liberties of religious Britons, he name-checked Adam Smith-Connor, a 51-year-old Army veteran convicted in October 2024 for praying silently outside the same Bournemouth abortion clinic as Ms Tossici-Bolt, a most concerning case. Adam Smith-Connor was namechecked by JD Vance after the US vice-president sympathised with him - BNPS Smith-Connor was given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay 9,000 for breaching a ban on protests within a legal buffer zone. Responding to Vances comments, Smith-Connor said he was deeply moved. Tyler Kay Last August, Elon Musk drew attention to the imprisonment of Tyler Kay, posting on X that it was all messed up. Kay, 26, was jailed for 38 months after writing an offensive anti-immigration post on X during the Southport riots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His post read: Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f---ing hotels full of the ba---rds for all I care If that makes me a racist, so be it. He also responded to several comments posted by others after his post, adding that it was 100% the plan. At Northampton Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to publishing material intending to stir up racial hatred. But after the case, Musk criticised the sentence, calling it messed up with his post attracting more than 31 million views. Tyler Kay was jailed for 38 months after writing an offensive anti-immigration post on X during the Southport riots - Northamptonshire Police/PA He also questioned whether this was Britain or the Soviet Union, and attacked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as two-tier Keir referring to his belief that the UK operates two-tier policing, with white far-Right protesters treated more harshly than minority groups. Tommy Robinson In the UK, Tommy Robinson is known for his extreme views on Muslims and his propensity to stir up racial hatred. Yet in January, Musk called for the release of the far-Right activist from prison. He pinned a message to the top of his X feed, writing Free Tommy Robinson! after he was jailed for 18 months for contempt of court for repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee. Tommy Robinson was jailed for 18 months for contempt of court for repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee - Chris J Ratcliffe/REUTERS The judge told Robinson that nobody is above the law and added that his false claims had been carried out in a sophisticated way to ensure they would reach tens of millions of people. Musks support for Robinson caused a rift between him and Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, after Farage had said he would refuse to admit Robinson into the party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trumps own son Donald Trump Jr appears to have some sympathy with Robinson. Right-wing activist Kurt Schlichter tweeted about Robinsons arrest in May 2018: Man arrested and imprisoned in England for reporting on a court case. Reporting on his case is also illegal. The US media doesnt care. Why? Because they support it, because they disapprove of his politics. They want the same thing here. Don Jr retweeted it, writing: Reason #1776 for the original #brexit. Dont let America follow in those footsteps. Allison Pearson Another free-speech case that has riled those over the pond was that of The Telegraphs columnist Allison Pearson. Pearson, an award-winning writer, was being investigated for allegedly stirring up racial hatred with a social media post made in November last year. Two police officers called at her home at 9.40am on Remembrance Sunday to tell her she was under investigation and invited her to a voluntary interview. Allison Pearsons encounter with police was labelled by Boris Johnson as an appalling attack on free speech - Heathcliff O'Malley The officers refused to tell her any details about which post on X, formerly Twitter, was being investigated, or who made the complaint against her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After a major backlash, including from Boris Johnson, who called the inquiry an appalling attack on free speech, Essex Police announced in March that it had closed its investigation. After bringing the investigation to the publics attention, Musk weighed in to support her, posting on X: This needs to stop. Darren Brady Army veteran Darren Brady, 51 at the time, was supported by Musk after being arrested by Hampshire Police for causing anxiety by a post he put on social media. Brady reposted a meme of a swastika digitally manipulated to be made up of four LGBT pride flags. Darren Brady was arrested after reposting a meme of a swastika manipulated to be made up of four LGBT pride flags - Instagram It was originally posted on far-Right activist Laurence Foxs account, who said he felt the LGBT pride month was enforced with a sense of hectoring authoritarianism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a viral video of Bradys arrest at his home in Aldershot in 2022, he could be heard asking the three police officers: Why am I in cuffs? to which one officer answered: Someone has been caused anxiety based on your social media post. On X, Musk then rallied to his defence, writing: Elderly man arrested in Britain for causing anxiety with a social media post. This is insane. He added: Thank God there is a constitutional right to freedom of speech in America. Brady was later released without any further action taken. 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. MILAN (Reuters) - Swiss bank UBS informed unions in Italy on Tuesday of plans to cut 180 jobs in the country, around a third of the total, documents reviewed by Reuters showed. One of the letters to unions seen by Reuters showed that UBS planned to shed 18 jobs out of 34 at UBS Fiduciaria, an asset custody services company that, according to its website, merged with Credit Suisse Servizi Fiduciari. The bulk of the reductions will be at the Italian arm of UBS Europe SE, with 162 of its 568 jobs set to be cut, another letter showed. The cuts will be from some group functions, the letter said, while the rest are in global wealth management, excluding corporate advisory and front office positions. Investment banking will not be affected, the letter added. UBS confirmed in a statement that it was planning "a business model alignment and operational harmonization of the structure of the Italy Branch and UBS Fiduciaria SpA, as well as the aligned functions". "Italy remains a strategic geography for the group's future growth," it added. (Reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by Giulia Segreti and Jan Harvey) Increased Interest in These Destinations Leads to Added Destinations and Villa Options WAKEFIELD, Mass., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Villas of Distinction continues to elevate luxury travel with the addition of new luxury villa options in London, Costa Rica, Sweden, and Japan, providing discerning travelers with more opportunities to experience their dream vacations in ultimate privacy and comfort. "Today's luxury traveler craves exclusivity, personalized experiences, and accommodations that seamlessly blend comfort with cultural immersion," said Jamie Cash, chief operating officer for Villas of Distinction. "With our latest villa additions, we're ensuring that our guests have access to some of the most spectacular properties in the world, whether they're seeking an elegant urban retreat in London, a secluded rainforest hideaway in Costa Rica, or a serene waterfront estate in Sweden." London remains one of the world's premier luxury destinations, and Villas of Distinction has expanded its portfolio to offer travelers an unparalleled stay in the city. New villa options include an elegant historic townhome in Kensington and a modern penthouse with stunning skyline views. One of the most coveted additions, Draycott Place III, is a sophisticated two-bedroom residence that captures the essence of London's charm and contemporary style, making it the perfect home base for exploring the city in luxury. Costa Rica's breathtaking landscapes and rich biodiversity have made it a top choice for travelers seeking adventure and relaxation. To meet this growing demand, Villas of Distinction has expanded its offerings with stunning properties in Puntarenas and Guanacaste. Among the new additions is Villa del Cielo, an eco-luxury retreat with panoramic ocean views, a spectacular infinity pool, and a tranquil jacuzzi. Whether exploring the rainforest, unwinding on a private beach, or indulging in world-class dining, these villas provide the ultimate Costa Rican escape. For travelers looking to experience the beauty and tranquility of Sweden, Villas of Distinction introduces its first-ever luxury villa rental in the country. The Lily Croft, a 750-square-meter architectural gem, offers a serene escape in the secluded bay of Mahraviken. Surrounded by pristine nature, this exclusive retreat provides panoramic sea views and direct access to Sweden's diverse wildlife. Whether guests are seeking adventure or relaxation, this villa delivers an unparalleled Scandinavian luxury experience. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a high-stakes case this week that could affect how some low-income women in South Carolina have access and autonomy over their health care as Medicaid recipients. The Medicaid Act gives its recipients the choice to obtain services from any qualified Medicaid provider that undertakes to provide the services to them. South Carolina is challenging that provision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, for which SCOTUS will hear arguments on Wednesday. The state wants to block clinics like Planned Parenthood from being considered a qualified Medicaid provider because they also provide abortion services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Medicaid consists of federal and state funds that help low-income people help cover medical costs. Under federal law, in a provision known as the Hyde Amendment, Medicaid funds can cover abortion only in cases of rape, incest or to preserve the life of the pregnant person. At the state level, South Carolina does not allow for Medicaid funds to cover abortions, whereas some states like New York and California do. South Carolina has a strict abortion law in place, banning the procedure at six weeks and later. Planned Parenthood has two clinics in South Carolina, both of which are in compliance with this state law. The locations also provide reproductive services like prenatal and postpartum exams, STI testing and treatment, and provide birth control and emergency contraception. But if Planned Parenthood is cut from the Medicaid program in South Carolina, these non-abortion-related services also wont be covered for recipients in the state. Medicaid is a significant source of health coverage for women who have higher rates of abortion in the U.S. including women with low incomes, and women of color, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The high-profile case comes before the high court as Congress weighs a budget plan that could cause sweeping cuts to Medicaid funds that provide coverage to 72 million low-income and disabled people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres what to know about the case. Explain it to me in two sentences In Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, the Supreme Court will weigh whether states can remove providers like Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program because they offer abortion services, regardless of the fact that they also provide non-abortion-related services like gynecological and obstetrical care and cancer screenings. If the high court rules in favor of South Carolina, health care options will be jeopardized for Medicaid patients in the state and could embolden other states to remove Planned Parenthood from the program, effectively defunding it. Give me a bit more information The Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic case stems from a 2018 order by Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who declared that any health clinic in the state that also offers abortion services be cut from the Medicaid program. Medicaid consists of federal and state funds that help low-income people help cover medical costs. McMasters reason for the order was because the payment of taxpayer funds to abortion clinics, for any purpose, results in the subsidy of abortion and the denial of the right to life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A South Carolina Medicaid recipient and a patient at Planned Parenthood argued that McMasters order violates a provision of the Medicaid Act that allows any Medicaid-eligible person to receive health care from any qualified provider. Now, the justices will decide in the coming months if any Medicaid recipient has the right to sue to enforce the Medicaid Acts provision that enforces their right to choose their health care provider under the program. Take me through a deep dive Medicaid helps cover medical costs for qualified people who have limited income and resources. Its a joint federal and state program. Under a federal law, known as the Hyde Amendment, Medicaid funds can cover abortion only in cases of rape, incest or to preserve the life of the pregnant person. At the state funding level, most states, like South Carolina, limit Medicaid coverage for abortions to those federal law exceptions. But some states, like California and New York, do use specific state funds to cover abortions for Medicaid enrollees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In South Carolina, abortion is currently banned at six weeks and later. The state currently has three clinics that also provide abortion services, two of which are Planned Parenthood locations that also provide gynecological and obstetrical care, STI testing and cancer screenings. Back in 2018, Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order for the states Department of Health and Human Services to ban clinics that also provide abortions from participating in the Medicaid program. McMaster argued that the payment of taxpayer funds to abortion clinics, for any purpose, results in the subsidy of abortion and the denial of the right to life. Women make up 63% of Medicaid recipients in South Carolina and of all the women in South Carolina who are of reproductive age, 20% of them are enrolled in Medicaid, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights. One of those Medicaid recipients in South Carolina is Julie Edwards, who suffers from diabetes. She went to a Planned Parenthood clinic for birth control and wanted to return to that location to continue receiving care. Because of McMasters order, she couldnt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Edwards, along with Planned Parenthood, took their case to federal court in South Carolina to argue that the governors order violated the Medicaid Acts provision that recipients should have the freedom to get health care from any qualified provider. At stake are the rights of Medicaid recipients to choose their health care provider under the program. Republican-led states like Arkansas, Missouri and Texas have already terminated the eligibility of some health clinics, like Planned Parenthood, to be Medicaid providers because they have provided abortions. If SCOTUS rules in favor of South Carolina, other red states could be emboldened by the decision and also aim to restrict from the Medicaid program any health clinics that currently or have provided abortions in the past. Greenville and Pickens County Emergency Management and fire crews continue to address the Table Rock Complex Fire, with ongoing efforts from the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the Southern Area Blue Team, and partner agencies, according to a social post from Greenville County Emergency Management. Monday's rainfall and the progress made by fire crews have created changes to evacuation orders and roadway access. Update on evacuations GCEM reports: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement --Mandatory evacuations in Greenville County have been downgraded to voluntary evacuations. --Voluntary evacuations in both Pickens and Greenville Counties have been lifted. Homeowners who return home are asked to remain vigilant and to stay aware of any changes in the wildfire conditions, according to GCEM. This is smoke and haze at the Grant Meadow Overlook area in Pickens County near Hwy. 11 on March 30, 2025. The skies in the area are turning dark as a chance of rain raises near the Table Rock Complex fire area. Updates on roads near wildfires --Highway 276 remains open to local traffic only, according to GCEM. Residents should use caution, as emergency fire response vehicles continue operations in the area. --Fire personnel and equipment remain active in affected areas, according to GCEM. Residents must avoid blocking roadways to allow continued fire suppression efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Table Rock Wildfire in Carolinas: See livestreams of state park amid growing fires More: Why was burn ban lifted in 41 SC counties but not in the Upstate? Forestry Commission explains State park closures According to GCEM: --Table Rock State Park, Jones Gap State Park, and Caesars Head State Park remain closed until further notice. --Sassafras Mountain Lookout remains closed. Further updates will be provided as conditions evolve. South Carolina National Guard help battle the Table Rock fire with helicopters Monday's update on Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires Table Rock FireSize: 13,191 acres (SC)574 acres (NC)Containment: 30 percentFire Start Date: March 21, 2025Cause: Human-caused Persimmon Ridge FireSize: 2,078 acresContainment: 64 percentFire Start Date: March 22, 2025Cause: Human-caused This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Evacuations, road and state park closures related to SC wildfires COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) In the state battles to adopt the lowest and most attractive tax policies, South Carolina Republicans are making an interesting gambit: they want to raise income taxes for about 60% of filers in 2026. Supporters say it's short term pain for the long term gain of establishing a flat income tax rate. To get there, some of the state's most heavily taxed people would get a significant cut as the state's top 6.2% rate drops next year to 3.99%. The eventual goal is to slash that flat income tax rate to 2.49%, a level authors of the plan say would mean three out of four taxpayers would pay less than they do now. It's a rate lower than even taxpayers on the bottom rung currently pay. However, reaching that objective would take several years and each downward tick in the tax rate would depend on the state seeing significant economic growth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislation proposing the changes advanced Tuesday to the House Ways and Means Committee. The goal is to get the bill through the House next week and on to the Senate. Republican Rep. Brandon Newton called it a conservative revolution" when it comes to income taxes. Its all about fairness, he said. We should have a simple tax system that is flat, fair and that everyone takes part in. We should not have a progressive income tax system where a group of the population is paying the entire tax while another is not. Democrats were still processing the proposal Tuesday, but were alarmed that initially taxes would be raised on 60% of people in the state many of them middle class especially without a firm time set to bring them back down. I am real nervous about what we are going to find out later went into paying for this tax cut," said Democratic Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A number of states, especially in the South, are looking to cut taxes, with each striving for the lowest rates. Georgia and Kentucky are looking at smaller income tax reductions paid for with extra revenue from their booming economies. Mississippi is eliminating its state income tax over more than a decade and increasing gas taxes. Louisiana's income tax cut is based on a sales tax increase. However, North Carolinas Democratic governor is suggesting pausing his states planned income tax cuts because of the economic uncertainty surrounding the impact of President Donald Trump's policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans in South Carolina have been nervous about how the states tax rate looks compared with its neighbors for years. The state computes taxes based on federal adjustable tax income, which makes the rate look higher when compared with most states that use adjusted gross income. Newton said South Carolina's plan was the best of all worlds, emphasizing that when economic growth triggers cutting the income tax rate to 2.49%, nearly four out of five taxpayers would pay less. This is a simple cut for the hard working taxpayers of South Carolina, not swapping it for another tax, Newton said. Cobb-Hunter said the rush to cut taxes everywhere is dangerous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im troubled by this notion weve got to out tax relief North Carolina and Georgia and all these other Southern states. I dont think we should willy-nilly be talking about providing tax relief giving the uncertainty of the economy," she said. South Carolina's Republican governor and House and Senate leadership held a press conference on March 25 announcing the flat income tax proposal. But details were sparse until late Monday, when the state Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office released its analysis of the plan. It found that the majority of taxpayers in seven different income bands ranging from $10,000 to $150,000 would pay more, with the average increase somewhere between about $300 and $800. Most of the impact comes because the state currently has a top income tax rate of 6.2% and a bottom rate of 3%, although about 1 million taxpayers currently pay nothing. Backers of the Republican tax plan want those people to pay something. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster told reporters Tuesday that he supports a "broad, flat, simple-to-understand low tax. Everybody ought to pay something a little something. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Koreas Constitutional Court will rule Friday on whether to formally dismiss or reinstate impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol a decision that either way will likely deepen domestic divisions. The court has been deliberating on Yoon's political fate after the conservative leader was impeached in December by the National Assembly, which is controlled by the liberal opposition, over his brief imposition of martial law that triggered a massive political crisis. Millions of people have rallied around the country to support or denounce Yoon. Police said theyll mobilize all available personnel to preserve order and respond to possible acts of vandalism, arson and assault before and after the court's ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Constitutional Court said in a brief statement Tuesday that it would issue its ruling at 11 a.m. Friday and allow TV stations to broadcast it live. Removing Yoon from office requires support from at least six of the court's eight justices. If the court rules against Yoon, South Korea must hold an election within two months for a new president. If the court overturns his impeachment, Yoon would immediately return to his presidential duties. Jo Seung-lae, a spokesperson for the main liberal opposition Democratic Party which led Yoon's impeachment, called for the court to demonstrate its firm resolve to uphold the constitutional order by dismissing Yoon. Kwon Youngse, leader of Yoons People Power Party, urged the courts justices to consider the national interest and produce a decision that is strictly neutral and fair. Many observers earlier predicted the courts verdict would come in mid-March based on the timing of its rulings in past presidential impeachments. The court hasnt explained why it takes longer time for Yoon's case, sparking rampant speculation on his political fate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the heart of the matter is Yoons deployment of hundreds of troops and police officers to the National Assembly after imposing martial law on Dec. 3. Yoon has insisted that he aimed to maintain order, but some military and military officials testified Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to frustrate a floor vote on his decree and detain his political opponents. Yoon argues that he didnt intend to maintain martial law for long, and he only wanted to highlight what he called the wickedness of the Democratic Party, which obstructed his agenda, impeached senior officials and slashed his budget bill. During his martial law announcement, he called the assembly a den of criminals and anti-state forces. By law, a president has the right to declare martial law in wartime or other emergency situations, but the Democratic Party and its supporters say South Korea wasnt in such a situation. The impeachment motion accused Yoon of suppressing National Assembly activities, attempting to detain politicians and others and undermining peace in violation of the constitution and other laws. Yoon has said he had no intention of disrupting National Assembly operations and detaining anyone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martial law lasted only six hours because lawmakers managed to enter the assembly building and voted to strike down his decree unanimously. No violence erupted, but live TV footage showing armed soldiers arriving at the assembly invoked painful memories of past military-backed dictatorships in South Korea. It was the first time for South Korea to be placed under martial law since 1980. Earlier public surveys showed a majority of South Koreans supported Yoons impeachment. But after his impeachment, pro-Yoon rallies have grown sharply, with many conservatives fed up with what they call the Democratic Partys excessive offensive on the already embattled Yoon administration. In addition to the Constitutional Courts ruling on his impeachment, Yoon was arrested and indicted in January on criminal rebellion charges.Yoon was released from prison March 8, after a Seoul district court cancelled his arrest and allowed him to stand his criminal trial without being detained. Ten senior military and police officials have also been arrested and indicted over their roles in the martial law enactment. __ Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report. 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of modern special education. In 1975, Congress passed whats now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. Throughout the year, Boston 25 News is celebrating the achievements of students and educators. Were also highlighting the challenges and barriers that still exist in our state for young people with special needs. Advocates say the number of students with autism in Massachusetts has more than doubled in the last 10 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schools and school districts are working to understand and meet each students needs. For students on the autism spectrum, the needs are varied. Some students with autism dont thrive in a typical school setting. Districts work hand-in-hand with area collaboratives for student who might need another option. Boston 25s Kerry Kavanaugh recently visited Pilgrim Academy in Plymouth, part of the area collaborative serving the South Shore. 6th grader John Luciano was her tour guide. To say John was proud to show off his classroom would be an understatement. The markers of success are built into the routine for this classroom of students with autism, visible reminders of what than accomplish even if they make a mistake. And feels kind of nice to just know that even if you go down, you can always rise back up, Luciano told Kavanaugh. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats an important reminder for any student, especially those who are neurodivergent and, before they landed at Pilgrim Academy, struggled just to get through the day. I just couldnt envision myself, like, having a future, at all, if any, said 11th grader Francisco Kasameyer-Kelly. He says it was around 7th grade when his typical school setting was triggering anxiety and panic attacks. The right fit for his education was a game changer. I can just hold a conversation with anyone randomly, he told Kavanaugh. All these other minor things that other people dont worry about that I used to dread having to do a normal school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Francisco told Kavanaugh he has both an autism diagnosis and ADHD. Its not just their needs from being on the autism spectrum, says Lauren Mathisen, Director of Clinical and Therapeutic Services for the Plymouth Area Collaborative. Mathisen says students often have a variety of needs. Students that come from difficult families or who have suffered trauma, who have comorbid disabilities, she said. We have students who also have social emotional difficulties and behavioral struggles. But when their needs are met success is sweet. It allows for a great deal of understanding and compassion, as I have experienced very the same struggles that they have at one point or another, says former student, Dan McMahon. McMahon now works at Plymouth Academy as education support professionals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So does former student Elijah White. Its like being in the middle of a mirror. You see both sides. You see where the adults come from where the students come from, said White. Yeah, theres tough days. Yeah. We push through. I try to let them know that they are not alone, said McMahon, And theyre not alone in a supportive community. Just ask John Luciano. Like if somebody got hurt, somebody can help them up. If somebody is not doing good at work, somebody has to help them with the work, said Luciano. As the need for more specialized education grows on the South Shore and across the state, many collaboratives say physical space is in short supply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So thats one of our biggest needs, is finding space, said Mathisen. The Pilgrim Academy can serve students Kindergarten through Grade 12. Currently Mathisen says they dont have a Kindergarten or Grade 1 cohort because of the current lack of room. Another challenge as communities work to find the best fit for all students. Coming to this school and being able to confidently be who I want to be, its kind of opened up that passageway for me to walk through, said Kasameyer-Kelly. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW COURTLAND, Va. (WAVY) The murder trial of James Goodwyn, Jr. is underway in Southampton County Circuit Court. He faces one count of first-degree murder in the 2019 death of Cynthia Carver of Newsoms. Commonwealths Attorney Eric Cooke admonished the jurors to be prepared to see graphic images that were gathered as evidence from both Carvers home and a swampy area in the southern region of Suffolk, where her body was recovered. In her opening statement Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Toni Colvin told the jurors that Carvers home on Everett Street in Newsoms had blood in almost every room. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Colvin said Goodwyn, who is now 44, dumped Carver like trash. Covin added the evidence of Goodwin and Carvers cell phone records will show both of their phones took a backroads route from Carvers home to a swamp in Suffolk. Carver had stab wounds on both sides of her neck, under her jaw, to her chest and her vaginal area. She was last seen when she dropped her children off with a babysitter around 9 p.m. She was scheduled to report to her new job as a corrections officer at the Deerfield Correctional Center the next morning, but she never showed up for work. In June 2019, police arrested Goodwyn and charged him with murder in the death of Carver, a mother of two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Goodwyns defense attorney James Ellenson told the jurors not to make up their mind, and that the Commonwealths opening statement is not evidence. Ellenson said that DNA potentially matching Goodwyn was found under one of Carvers fingernails, but so was the DNA of another man. Colvin mentioned other evidence that included a knife, several blood stains and drag marks in Carvers home. The case is expected to last at least until the middle of next week, and the prosecution will need the remainder of this week to get through all of its witnesses, which a total of more than 36. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. However, the company also hinted at margins improving sequentially in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2025 as it potentially raises prices during the second quarter of calendar 2025 and simultaneously manages the NAND supply. For those who arent aware, Microns consumer-oriented business has struggled due to a delayed upgrade cycle. The recovery is underway but isnt complete. As it recovers and consumers upgrade their cars, phones, and PCs to newer models with AI functionality, we might see improvements in the supply and demand imbalance. Micron posted another solid beat on March 20 and reported earnings of $1.56 per share on sales of $8.05 billion for the fiscal second quarter of 2025. However, the stock has been tanking because of some weak guidance issued by management related to gross margins for the next quarter. Management projected gross margins of 36.5% due to NAND underutilization. This means that the company is facing margin pressure because of a supply and demand imbalance in NAND chips, leading to an oversupply and underutilization. Likewise, I am bullish on Micron stock because of its industry leadership in memory products and growing market share in HBM chips. Micron is a leader in memory chips that are used in everything from smartphones and computers to large-scale data centers. The company specializes in DRAM, NAND, and HBM chips, all of which enable memory management in computing. These chips are essential for applications in AI and high-performance computing. Micron is already making HBM chips for Nvidia (NVDA), and I wouldnt be surprised if it wins other AI chipmakers as customers in the upcoming years. Given the recent sell-off in tandem with chip stocks still being highly sought after, MU stock is perfectly positioned for bulls to buy the dip. The all-encompassing tech selloff that pushed the Nasdaq index 5% lower last week has done even worse with Micron Technology (MU). The stock took an 8% plunge last week and now stands 44% lower from its 52-week high. Despite the company performing well in recent quarters and posting solid numbers, MU stock is falling and remains volatile. Given the strong fundamentals juxtaposed against a broody macroeconomic background, I believe market participants are mistaken about Micron. Story Continues High Bandwidth Memory Opportunity Several market analysts are projecting a looming recession, which would likely slow sales of electronics products. MU stock sellers shouldnt discount the fact that Micron is making significant progress in the HBM or high bandwidth memory market. These chips are highly specialized and currently supplied by Micron and South Koreas Samsung (SSNLF) and SK Hynix. Both Korean manufacturers currently command a higher market share than Micron, and its expected to stay that way for the foreseeable future. According to an analysis from Bloomberg Intelligence, the HBM market is expected to grow from $4 billion in 2023 to $130 billion in 2033. According to analysts, Micron is expected to account for about $30 billion of the HBM market in about eight years. Microns Compute and Networking Business Unit, or CNBU, comprises the HBM chips it sells and some other products, including DDR, LPDRAM, and GDDR chips. Micron (MU) revenue, earnings and profit margin history The CNBU unit logged a revenue of ~$9.5 billion in fiscal 2024, up 67% year-over-year, and accounted for 38% of total revenue. Thats not even a third of the expected market share, and stripping out the other products within the segment, focusing solely on HBM chips, its clear there are untapped opportunities for Micron. Micron is Making Substantial Progress in HBM The company is making HBM chips for Nvidia. Chief Executive Sanjay Mehrotra confirmed during the recent earnings call that the company is shipping HBM chips to a third large customer. The company is also growing its HBM capacity, and rightfully so. In January 2025, Micron began constructing a new HBM packaging facility in Singapore, where operations are expected to commence in 2026. The companys HBM capacity for calendar 2025 is already sold, and thats a classic case of demand exceeding supply. Moreover, the companys chips are superior to competitors offerings in terms of technology. Its HBM3E chip is 30% more power efficient than similar products in the market, and those are the chips used in Nvidias GB200 and GB300 systems. The companys upcoming HBM4 technology provides a bandwidth increase of 60% compared to its predecessor, HBM3E, and its seeing strong demand for these products into 2026. Therefore, these chips will likely sell out in advance, as the previous generation did. MU Stock is Absurdly Cheap Right Now At 8x its fiscal 2026 EPS estimate, this is the cheapest MU stock in the past five years. For added momentum, MU now has an expanding HBM market share and growing AI demand. The sellers are overlooking the long-term enterprise opportunity. Micron (MU) vs. S&P 500 (SPY) However, as enticing as it may be, I wouldnt go all-in on MU stock just now because of recession risks. A recession might put pressure on the consumer side of the business and lead to sluggish sales revenues in the near term. Is Micron Technology a Good Stock to Buy Now? On Wall Street, MU stock carries a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 21 Buy, three Hold, and zero Sell ratings over the past three months. MUs average price target of $129.65 per share implies more than 46% upside potential over the next twelve months. On March 26, Aaron Rakers from Wells Fargo reiterated his Buy recommendation on MU stock and reaffirmed his bullish price target of $130. Rakers noted that Microns strategic initiatives to reduce NAND wafers have started to manage the supply-demand imbalance and see improvements in its financial metrics due to projected growth in chip shipments. Long-Term Outlook Requires Ignoring the Noise The dip in MU stock has created an attractive entry point for long-term investors who can look beyond the near term. While the weak margin guide for the upcoming quarter and the companys challenges in its consumer-oriented markets have taken over investor sentiment right now, I see the trend reversing as the HBM business gains more traction. Microns progress in HBM should not be overlooked by investors; theres a lot of untapped potential yet to be realized. Disclosure Disclaimer & Disclosure Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue March 31 (UPI) -- SpaceX on Monday launched another batch of satellites from Starlink mission launches from Florida on Monday afternoon, about 5 1/2 hours before another Falcon 9 nearby sent a privately funded crew into space. The SpaceX rocket lifted off at 3:52 p.m. EDT, sending 28 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from Page 40. This was the 17th flight for the first stage booster, including 11 Starlink missions and resupply missions to the International Space Station. Watch Falcon 9 launch 28 @Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida https://t.co/HQpWJPkSMp SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 31, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About eight minutes later, the first-stage booster landed aboard SpaceX's Just Read the instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. From Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX launched Fram2 from pad 39A, the first crewed mission to orbit Earth's poles, at 9:46 p.m. The afternoon liftoff was SpaceX's 451th Falcon 9 launch since debuting in 2010. Before Monday's launch, there were 7,135 Starlink satellites in orbit, of which 7,105 are working, according to Astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who tracks the constellation on his website. Starlink satellites orbit approximately 342 miles above Earth By Sergio Goncalves LISBON (Reuters) -Spain will increase its defence spending to 2% of gross domestic product well before an original target date of 2029, but it is not setting any specific new deadlines, Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on Tuesday. Among the 32 members of NATO, Spain has the lowest defence spending as a share of its economic output, at just 1.3%. Getting to the alliance's 2% target would require spending roughly an additional 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion) a year. Last week, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a speech in Warsaw that Spain was now expecting to meet the 2% target by the summer. This prompted the Spanish government to tell Rutte it would do its best to get closer to the target by that time, according to a government source. "It's not so much a problem of deadlines, but I believe that well in advance, before 2029, we will meet our obligations... We are working on it in a serious and rigorous manner," Robles said on the sidelines of an event in Lisbon. Her Portuguese counterpart, Nuno Melo, whose country spent 1.55% of GDP on defence last year, also promised more spending in the coming years to bolster production and procurement of military equipment and technology in Europe. "We will reinforce spending on defence, ensuring the balance of the budget and the preservation of social benefits," Melo said. "Investors have an opportunity in the defence sector in Portugal". The head of Spain's main business association CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, said Spain's more pacifist policies should not prevent it from spending more on defence. "The only way to have peace is to have prevention so that we aren't attacked," he said. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has assured the alliance that Spain will play its part in Europe's efforts to bolster its defences, but he has also argued that countries located further away from Russia geographically should focus their spending on countering cyber attacks rather than stockpiling weapons. However, in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said: "(Although) Russian tanks are not reaching the Pyrenees, we have to stick together on this." "All Europeans helped Spain and other countries during COVID and now we must be united on military spending," she said, adding: "Solidarity is our greatest defence." In his comments last week, Rutte criticised what he called "a sort of two-tier NATO", with countries on the eastern flank that are more exposed to a potential attack from Russia spending a lot more on defence than others. Rutte added: "the difference between a missile attack on Warsaw or on Madrid is 10 minutes". ($1 = 0.9269 euros) This story was originally published on Supply Chain Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Supply Chain Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Williams-Sonoma sees an opportunity to achieve higher product margins under increased tariffs, President and CEO Laura Alber told analysts during a March 19 earnings call. Because Willaims-Sonoma designs most of what it sells, Alber says the home products retailer can leverage its scale, supply chain capabilities and exclusive product line to get ahead of competitors and not be stuck in price wars with people. We also have long relationships with our vendors overseas and our own sourcing organization on the ground, which I don't think any of our competitors have, the CEO told analysts. Dive Insight: Like many other retailers looking to curb tariff impacts, Williams-Sonoma has been moving its sourcing footprint away from China in favor of areas that are cheaper and un-tariffed, easier to do business in, Alber said. In 2020, the company said it was going to reduce its China-based production by 50% by the end of that year. Williams-Sonoma CFO Jeff Howie outlined a six-point plan to offset tariff impacts on the March 19 call, building off strategies the company discussed back in November. Since then, the Trump administration has instituted a wide swath of new tariffs, with more promised. Howie said the retailer is focused on obtaining cost concessions from vendors, re-sourcing goods away from China to lower-cost countries and identifying supply chain efficiency. The retailer also aims to move some production back to the U.S., which is already one of its major manufacturing hubs. Howie said Williams-Sonoma procures 18% of its products coming from the country making it the retailers second largest source of goods. As it leans to produce more goods domestically, it also sees opportunities to expand its Made in USA assortment which garnered scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission in 2020 production and partnerships, Howie told analysts. That product got a lot more appealing now from a margin perspective given these tariffs, and it makes it very hard to compete with us because we have great price[s], said Alber. She also highlighted the companys Sutter Street Manufacturing subsidiary, which produces a large portion of Williams-Sonomas upholstery. The retailer reported supply chain savings of 10 basis points in Q4, Howie told analysts, due to efficiency in manufacturing, warehousing and delivery. The CFO added that those savings will help offset the impact of tariffs as key metrics, such as returns, out-of-market shipping and multiple deliveries per order, continue to improve year over year. BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) Binghamton Restaurant Week continues with an eatery that offers elevated bar food. Stadium 138 on Washington Street is offering a three-course lunch for $18 dollars and a three-course dinner for $30. New appetizer offerings include a blooming onion and jalapeno poppers. The lunch menu features a French dip sandwich while dinner options include Delmonico steak, lemon pepper salmon and a pair of pasta dishes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Manager Kennedi Graboski says the big screen TVs and games make for a fun and welcoming atmosphere. People come in to hang out, they can have drink, come in by themselves, come in in big groups. Its just a great place to hang out, catch a game on the TVs, its phenomenal. Its a great place, I come in all the time on my days off and Im just hanging out here, having a drink, enjoying the food, said Graboski. Stadiums kitchen is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 on Fridays and Saturdays. For a complete list of Restaurant Week eateries and their special menus, go to EatBing.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 WIVT - News 34. About 100 people gathered at the Allen Street gates Monday to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility, a national event that took on new meaning this year in the wake of federal action that seeks to roll back transgender rights and recognition. The gathering was organized by Centre LGBT+ amid what board member and transgender woman Michel Lee Garrett said in a press release is a moment of profound fear for transgender and nonbinary people. Trans people deserve the same fundamental rights and freedoms as all people, and it has never been more important for our community and allies to come together to support transgender people, Lee Garrett said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In President Donald Trumps first three months in office, he has issued executive orders saying the government will recognize only female and male sexes, banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth, has tried to remove transgender people from the military and more. Those in attendance at Centre LGBT+s nearly two-hour event Monday held signs with messages such as, you are valid and protect trans kids, and attendees signed advocacy letters to be sent to local politicians and UPMC. Kerry Weissmann holds a sign that reads honk to support trans rights during the Centre LGBT+s Transgender Day of Visibility at the Allen Street gates on Monday, March 31, 2025. State College Mayor Ezra Nanes spoke and read a statement from state Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township. State College, a trans sanctuary city, issued a proclamation for the Day of Visibility. State College Mayor Ezra Nanes speaks at the Transgender Visibility Event, March 31, 2025 at the Allen Street gates During the event, at least one person was in attendance with signs such as children cannot consent to puberty blockers and engaged in discussions with rally attendees. Jason Maas, left, having conversation with Matt Stumpf, second from left, and Cricket Hunter on Allen Street during the Transgender Day of Visibility event on March 31, 2025. After the crowd gathered with Centre LGBT+ had mostly dissipated Monday, another, smaller group formed after Central PA Trans United posted on social media about the event to organize to fight back against anti-trans legislation and oppression. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For about 30 minutes, more than two dozen people marched through downtown State College, blocking traffic. On Beaver Avenue, drivers attempting to get through blocked and yelled at the group, with one driver exiting a vehicle to confront marchers. There was no police presence during the march, which appeared to end without incident at the State College Municipal Building. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) State prosecutors have dismissed a misdemeanor criminal charge of driving under the influence against state Rep. Enrique Sanchez, court records show. The dismissal of the charge was first reported by The Boston Globe. The dismissal comes days after the lawmaker pleaded guilty to a traffic violation related to the drunk-driving case at the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal. Sanchez, 28, pleaded guilty to refusing a breathalyzer test on Friday in exchange for prosecutors dropping one count of failing to obey traffic control devices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As is common with first offense DUI cases, since the defendant admitted to the civil charge of refusing to submit to a chemical test at the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, the state dismissed the criminal charge, Timothy Rondeau, a spokesperson for R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronhas office, said in an email to Target 12. The dismissal filed on Monday in Superior Court states that in addition to the plea in traffic court, the state was unable to meet its burden at trial, citing factual and legal issues. The lawmakers attorney, John Harwood, told Target 12: He wanted to put it behind him, move forward, and focus on representing the people from his district to the best of his ability. Sanchez did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment, but later addressed the dismissal in a post on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thank you to my family, friends and all people of Rhode Island for your support. Never give up and keep going, Sanchez said. The Providence Democrat was arrested last month and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Cranston. The officer who made the arrest in February said Sanchez was disoriented and smelled of alcohol. Body-worn camera footage showed Sanchez initially denied hed been drinking, but later admitting to having some alcohol after the officer told him he smelled like booze. A few weeks after Sanchezs arrest, the case was transferred to Providence Superior Court, where he had been awaiting a formal arraignment. Sanchez was scheduled for a pre-trial conference hearing on Thursday, but that was cancelled in light of the latest developments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, court records showed that Cranston Magistrate Mark Welch ordered Sanchezs license suspended for 30 days, but its retroactive to his arrest date, meaning it was actually reinstated. He had held a conditional license since his initial hearing, which allowed him to drive to work and the State House. Sanchez was also ordered to undergo alcohol treatment, perform 10 hours of community service, and keep an ignition interlock system for another six months pay more than $900 in court fees, according to court records. Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook. 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. DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) Dothan City Schools has declared a state of emergency on Dothan school campuses after a suspected tornado ripped through Dothan Preparatory Academy. According to DCS officials, this state of emergency will allow the DCS Board of Education to move forward quickly with the bid process and expedite repairs to DPA, PASS Academy, and Dothan City Virtual School. The suspected tornado touched down Monday afternoon, ripping off portions of DPAs roof, uprooting several trees, and damaging other parts of the campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UPDATE: Dothan students injured after suspected tornado hits school Five students sustained minor injuries when the storm hit the school. Two of the students were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The other three students did not have to be transported and were treated on the scene. We are so thankful we didnt have any serious injuries or fatalities. Thats the most important. Thanks to our staff for getting students to safety quickly, Dr. Dennis Coe said. Officials say the HVAC system and schools interior also sustained damage, and power is expected to be out in the DPA area for several days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VIDEO: Tornado hits Dothan, damaging school and injuring 5 students A structural engineer will be at DPA Tuesday morning to assess the damage and examine the infrastructure. The district is aware that the storm caused damage to the homes and property of some of our students. For some, the power may remain out for several days. The district will work with these families and staff members on absences going forward, said DCS officials in a release. Officials say they will also allow students to return to the school son to pick up their belongings when the buildings are deemed safe. Students, faculty, and staff is not allowed into DPA, PASS Academy, or Dothan City Virtual School until a structure assessment is completed. Video above courtesy of Michael Gordon Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. A state district judge granted a small win Monday to the estate of the late actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa-Hackman, in its request to prohibit the release of public records from the high-profile investigation into the couple's deaths. Judge Matthew Wilsons order, handed down after several hours of testimony and argument in a Santa Fe courtroom, prohibits the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator from releasing images of the couples deceased bodies in response to records requests. Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gene Hackman, right, and Betsy Arakawa take a look over the Berlin Wall in 1989 in Germany. However, the order does not bar the agencies from producing other public records related to the investigation, meaning they can release images of the couples home, a deceased dog and portions of autopsy reports normally public by law as well as recordings captured by officers' lapel cameras. Wilson had granted a preliminary injunction in March shielding the information and was considering whether to make the injunction permanent Monday. His reasoning for the split decision: The family's 14th Amendment rights to due process and prior U.S. Supreme Court rulings gave them authority over the death scene photos, but the estate did not prove any authority exists to justify withholding other records, including images of the interior of the couple's home, where they died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bodies of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa-Hackman, 65, were found in February in their home off Hyde Park Road. Investigators determined Arakawa-Hackman died from the rodent-borne illness hantavirus and Hackman died about seven days later from heart disease complicated by advanced Alzheimer's disease. One of the couple's dogs, which had reportedly undergone a recent medical procedure, was found dead in a crate in the home. The dog likely died from hunger and dehydration, according to a report from the state Department of Agriculture's veterinary lab. The unusual circumstances of the deaths have drawn intense media coverage and multiple requests for records by news organizations, including The Santa Fe New Mexican. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 033125_MS_Hackman Estate Hearing_004.JPG Julia Peters, a representative of Gene Hackman's estate, and attorney Kurt Sommer listens to testimony Monday in district court over the release of public records related to the investigation into the high-profile deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa-Hackman. The estate had sought to block the public from being able to request a wide range of records. The estate's petition filed by local attorney Kurt Sommer on behalf of estate representative Julia Peters also named the University of New Mexico Board of Regents as a defendant due to its oversight of the Office of the Medical Investigator. The Santa Fe County Commission filed a response to the petition asking the court to quash the preliminary injunction and deny the petition for a permanent injunction. The county argued the case "lacks merit, and undermines the clear rules public bodies need to consistently respond to public records requests." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UNM regents did not file a response to the petition. They were represented by an attorney at Monday's hearing but took no position on the request to block release of the records. Several other parties, including Arakawa-Hackman's mother, Yoshie Feaster, and Hackman's three adult children Christopher Hackman, Elizabeth Hackman and Leslie Allen filed motions last week seeking to intervene in the proceeding, online court files showed. 033125_MS_Hackman Estate Hearing_003.JPG Greg MacKenzie, an attorney for Gene Hackman's children, listens to Judge Matthew Wilson in district court on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the family had joined the estate in seeking to block the release of a wide range of records, Wilson ruled only images of the bodies could not be released. He also clarified for Santa Fe County attorneys the release of lapel camera video with blurred images of the bodies would be in compliance with his ruling. The estate called two witnesses Monday. One was attorney Dan Cron, who testified images of the inside of the Hackmans' home could make the property vulnerable to being burglarized. The other was a longtime publicist for the couple who testified about helping them manage their public image over the years. An attorney representing Hackmans children argued all records of the investigation should be kept from public view in honor of the couple's privacy rights. The estate's attorney, meanwhile, argued the images and likeness of the Hackmans and their home was property with financial value transferable to the estate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Santa Fe County Attorney Walker Boyd argued in both the written response and in court Monday the estate's request to keep the information out of the public eye put the county in a tricky position of having to choose between breaking state law the Inspection of Public Records Act or violating a court order. And, he argued, it was unnecessary for the court to intervene because the Inspection of Public Records Act already allows for the redaction of images of dead bodies in all cases except those in which the person's death was alleged to have been caused by a law enforcement officer. "Investigation Records are subject to disclosure under IPRA," the county argued in its response, adding, "any failure to produce the Investigation Records to the Public Records Requestor Defendants, even if required by a court order, may constitute a denial of inspection and subject Plaintiff to liability for damages and attorney's fees if the denial is found to be a violation of IPRA." Zurich Insurance Group has picked a significant minority stake in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) insurer Icen Risk to support its growth plans. The investment is intended to help Icen grow its presence in both Europe and North American markets. Established in 2018 by Dawn Bhoma and Rob Brown, Icen Risk has built its presence in private company M&A insurance. The company reports gross written premiums (GWP) of 70m ($90m) and employs a team of 25 professionals. Icen operates in Spain, Italy and Austria, and is a coverholder at Lloyds of London. Leveraging their existing partnership, Zurich will acquire an equity stake in Icen to support the expansion of new products into more regions. The M&A insurer will maintain its current leadership and brand, as well as retain its operational independence. Icen managing principal Dawn Bhoma said: Icens talented team and our blue-chip capacity providers have helped accelerate our growth in a market which has expanded 50% in the last five years. We are delighted that our success to date has culminated in this investment by one of the worlds leading insurers. Zurichs global brand, international network and product expertise will take us to the next level in the specialist M&A insurance market and deliver more choice for clients. The deal is set for completion by the third quarter of 2025, contingent on regulatory approval. Zurich Insurance Group Financial Lines and Cyber global head Stephen Moss said: This partnership is ideally timed to capitalise on market shifts and the long-term growth potential in M&A insurance. Icen has become the quality player in this niche sector in a short space of time and Rob and Dawns track record in the market is unrivalled. Zurichs investment also aligns with its strategic growth ambitions in the Specialties market and helps enhance our capabilities and service offering for our customers. As part of the deal, Moss will join Icen's board of directors. "Zurich takes stake in M&A insurance specialist Icen Risk" was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand. The median sales price of homes in the U.S. has reached over $400,000. So, if you want to take out a conventional loan and make a 20% down payment to avoid private mortgage insurance, youll need to put down more than $80,000. For many Americans, saving tens of thousands of dollars for a down payment can take years. Fortunately, you dont need a 20% down payment for a mortgage and you might not need any down payment at all. A zero-down mortgage can help expedite your journey to homeownership. This embedded content is not available in your region. In this article: What is a zero-down mortgage? A zero-down mortgage is exactly what it sounds like: a mortgage loan that requires no down payment. In other words, it allows you to finance 100% of a homes purchase price. Not everyone qualifies for a zero-down home loan, but for those who do, its a great way to become a homeowner without spending years saving just so you can get your foot in the door. Read more: The best mortgage lenders for low/no down payments Types of zero-down mortgage loans VA loans and USDA loans are two mortgage options that allow you to buy a home without putting any money down. VA loans VA loans are insured by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and are available to eligible active-duty service members, military veterans, past or present members of the National Guard or Reserve, or surviving spouses of deceased veterans. To qualify for a zero-down VA loan, you must have a Certificate of Eligibility from the VA. While the VA has no minimum credit score requirement, most VA mortgage lenders like to see a credit score of at least 620. Youll also want to keep your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) under 50% to maximize your chances of loan approval. USDA loans A USDA loan is backed by the United States Department of Agriculture and is specifically designed for borrowers with low-to-moderate incomes who want to buy homes in rural areas. Though these home loans don't require a down payment, theyre pretty strict about your household income. This income limit depends on the location of the property and your household size. Check the income limits for the county where you plan to buy your home to see if youre eligible. Besides meeting financial requirements like income limits, your home must be located in a rural or suburban area for you to qualify. Check out the USDAs map of eligible areas to determine if your home is eligible. The 2025 USDA loan limit in most areas is $419,300, but it can be higher in more expensive counties. For example, the limit is $970,800 in Santa Cruz County, Calif. Pros and cons of zero-down home loans Though zero-down home loans lower the barriers to homeownership, they come with a few downsides that could be deal-breakers. Make sure youre aware of these pros and cons before making a decision. Pros Buy a house with $0 down: Since the federal government backs USDA and VA loans, they allow lenders to be more lenient with down payment requirements. This means you get to keep more cash on hand. No private mortgage insurance: Zero-down mortgages do not come with private mortgage insurance (PMI), which conventional loans require if you put down less than 20%. PMI can be expensive and add to the cost of homeownership. You can become a homeowner sooner: With the median home price in the U.S. being over $400,000, saving up for a down payment can take years. Zero-down home loans make it possible to buy a home sooner. Cons Youll pay fees. VA loans come with a funding fee ranging from 1.25% to 3.30% of the amount borrowed, which youll pay at closing. USDA loans charge a guarantee fee of 1% of the loan amount at closing, then an annual guarantee fee of 0.35% of the remaining balance. Youll take on more debt. Financing your homes entire purchase price means your mortgage balance will be higher. This will lead to higher monthly payments and more interest paid over the life of the loan. Youll have little to no equity in the home. Without making a down payment, youre essentially starting with no equity. This can be risky because if the market plummets shortly after you buy the house, your equity could fall below 0% since you didn't have much in the first place. This puts you in the tricky situation of being underwater on your mortgage. No-down-payment mortgage alternatives Zero-down mortgages arent your only option when you have little saved for a down payment. Here are some other loan types to consider. 3% down conventional loans Certain conventional loan programs only require you to come up with a 3% down payment, including the following: Fannie Maes HomeReady program . Fannie Maes HomeReady mortgage program is a great option for lower-income buyers. To qualify for this 3% down conventional loan, your income cannot exceed 80% of the areas median income, and your credit score must be at least 620. Conventional 97 . This 3% down conventional mortgage backed by Fannie Mae has no income limits and is designed for first-time home buyers. Freddie Macs Home Possible program. Freddie Macs Home Possible program is similar to Fannie Maes HomeReady program but requires a credit score of at least 660. FHA loans FHA loans are insured by the Federal Housing Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Since the FHA backs them, these types of mortgages are less risky for lenders to issue and, as a result, come with more lenient borrower eligibility criteria. With an FHA loan, you only need to put 3.5% down if your credit score is 580 or higher. And if your score falls between the 500 to 579 range, youll need to put 10% down. However, one downside you should be aware of is that FHA loans come with mortgage insurance premiums (MIPs) that typically last for the life of your loan. 1% down programs A few mortgage lenders have started offering mortgage loans that only require 1% down down payments. Remember how many conventional loans only require 3% down payments? Well, in this case, you cover 1% of the down payment, and the lender covers the other 2% by giving you a grant. Each lender will have its own requirements surrounding income limits and credit scores to qualify for these programs. If youre interested in a 1% down mortgage, check out Guild Mortgage, Rate (previously Guaranteed Rate), and Rocket Mortgage. Down payment assistance programs Many states and counties offer home buyer incentive programs that provide down payment assistance, low-interest-rate home loans, and more. For example, The Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, or MassHousing, offers up to $25,000 in down payment assistance to eligible borrowers. If youre looking for down payment assistance in Texas, consider the My First Texas Home program. This program provides up to 5% of the mortgage amount in down payment and closing cost assistance. Are no-down-payment home loans right for you? A zero-down loan can be a great way to help you break into the housing market if you are eligible and have little to no money saved for a down payment. However, youll likely face higher monthly payments and pay more interest over the life of the loan since youre financing the full purchase price. Plus, starting with no equity can be risky if home values fluctuate. Talk to a financial adviser or mortgage broker who can help you weigh your options and find the best fit for your needs. Zero-down mortgage FAQs Which type of mortgage does not require a down payment? VA loans and USDA loans typically do not require down payments. What credit score is needed for a zero-down mortgage? The USDA doesnt set a minimum credit score requirement, but most lenders require a score of at least 640. VA lenders also have their own minimum requirements for VA loans, and most require a score of at least 620. However, there are lenders out there that will accept lower scores. Can you put zero down on a conventional loan? Unfortunately, no. Conventional loans require at least 3% down. If youre looking for a no-down-payment mortgage, consider USDA or VA loans. This article was edited by Laura Grace Tarpley. NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) Some students at the University of Oklahoma are dealing with bed bugs in their dorm. One parent talked to News 4 and said she flew from out of state to help her daughter and other students clean their rooms. Theyre sleeping in it and then carrying it along to class. And girls have got their bedbug bites, its horrible, said Laura Westemeyer, a concerned parent. ODOT road closures and on-going highway construction projects Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Laura Westemeyer first learned her daughter had a bed bug infestation over winter break. Shes like, mom, you know, we have a housing staff that theyre professionals. They handle this Fast forward to March 9th when she texts me and says, Mom, I have bedbugs,' said Westemeyer. Westemeyer sent multiple emails to the university and received responses saying theyre working on the cleanup, but she believes this could have been prevented from the beginning. If they would have handled this correctly out of the gate and done product, done a preventative treatment and checked the other rooms around, which is to me what I would have immediately done, said Westemeyer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Housing officials were supposed to meet with students last Thursday. Instead, a cancellation email was sent that detailed what the university plans to do on April 3 for a follow-up treatment. News 4 tried to talk to students living in the David L. Boren Hall and were told they were not allowed to speak with us. Trae Young named assistant general manager of OU Basketball A student at OU who doesnt live in the dorm said this isnt the first time hes heard of an infestation. On my first year, one of my buddies, he was living here and had some roommates of his, or like, down the hall that were having them, said Kyle Garibaldi, an OU student. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday afternoon, Westemeyer learned the university is now working on a plan to move the impacted students to temporary housing. OU sent News 4 a statement on the situation: The University of Oklahoma is addressing an isolated pest-related issue affecting fewer than 10 rooms on a single wing of one of our residence halls. Immediate action was taken upon discovery, including thorough inspections and professional pest control treatments. Our priority is the safety, comfort, and health of all residents. OU housing remains vigilant and continues enhanced inspection measures to ensure a safe environment. Residents are encouraged to report any concerns promptly so issues can be swiftly addressed. University of Oklahoma Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. Updated at 5:20 p.m. ET on April 1, 2025 One day this fall, while on campus at Brown University, I was met by two studentscellphones raised, cameras recording. They had spun off from a larger group protesting Browns decision not to divest from Israel. They recognized me as a trustee of the university and saw an opportunity to take me to task. They followed me for perhaps a block or two, calling me a hypocrite. For at least one of the students, the war in Gaza was not some cause du jour that hed picked up from TikTok. He has Palestinian relatives on the ground. I knew this because Id spoken with him before. That time, he was passionate but measured. Now, in protest mode, he was angry. Im sure he felt betrayed by the decision, and I was one of the only people he could holdat least verballyaccountable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Understandably, some of my colleagues who were singled out by protesters were more rattled by the experience. But in my view, these were students in America doing what students in America should do: questioning authority (in this case, me) and using their rights to free speech and free assembly to engage with issues they are passionate about. That is not to say I didnt find this period of campus unrest unpleasant or this particular incident annoying. No one likes to be called a hypocrite and accused of being indifferent to human suffering. And certainly no one wants to be shouted at. But I never for a moment felt that these students were a threat to me, let alone to Americas national security. And yet, that is the justification the United States government is offering for its decision to revoke the visas and green cards of international students who have spoken out against the war in Gaza. When I read about the detention of Rumeysa Ozturk, the first thing I thought is that she must have been very hungry. The Tufts University doctoral student had been fasting since dawn when a group of hooded and masked plainclothes officers surrounded her near her home in Somerville, Massachusetts. I imagine that the friends who were planning to host her for iftar that evening were merrily preparing their table, oblivious that Ozturk had been seized in the street, handcuffed like a criminal, and put inside the back of an unmarked car in what looked, to passersby, like a kidnapping. Perhaps, when Ozturk didnt respond to their texts, the friendsall hungry themselvesbegan without her. Their concern must have curdled into fear as the night wore on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ozturks friends and colleagues were shocked when they learned what had happened. They must have known, of course, about the detentions of students at other universities that began in early March with the seizure of Mahmoud Khalil from his New York City apartment. Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate and a green-card holder born in a refugee enclave in Syria, was a pro-Palestinian activist and one of the organizers of a march where some attendees praised Hamas. Although the Trump administration has not accused Khalil of any crime, it has portrayed him as a radical terrorist. But Ozturk was different. The only thing I know of that Rumeysas organized, one of her friends told reporters, was a Thanksgiving potluck. No one seemed more stunned than Ozturk herself, who was chatting on the phone with her mother when the officers swarmed. Undocumented immigrants are used to living in fear of ICE knocking on their door. But Ozturk is not undocumented. She is one of the roughly 1 million international students studying in the United States this academic year. She came from Turkey at the invitation of an American university, an invitation made possible by the State Department through the student-visa program. As long as Ozturk stayed out of legal trouble (which she had) and remained enrolled in school full-time (which she had), she had no reason to expect that she could be removed from the life she had been building here. Ozturk was apparently detained because she co-wrote an op-ed for The Tufts Daily last year. When a reporter asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio why Ozturks visa was revoked, he replied that if a student applying for a visa said up front that the reason youre coming is not just because you want to write op-eds but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus, were not going to give you a visa. If a student took part in that sort of activity once here, he said, the government has the right to remove you. He added, Were looking every day for these lunatics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one has alleged that Ozturk vandalized or took over any buildings. Did the op-ed create a ruckus? It urged the administration to take more seriously a vote from the student senate calling on the university to divest from Israel. In the context of the Israel-Palestine discourse of spring 2024, the op-ed is civility at its finest. In the context of op-eds, it is a snooze. Rubio has been leaning on a Cold Warera law that he says allows him to personally revoke green cards and visas. The law refers to immigrants whose presence in this country the government has reasonable grounds to believe could have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States. A former head of Americas Immigration Lawyers Association pointed out that this provision of the law has not been applied since 1997. Welcome to Donald Trumps America, where the Cabinet texting about war plans on a nongovernmental messaging app is not a big deal, but an op-ed in a school paper is a threat to national security. [Read: The Trump administration accidentally texted me its war plans] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rubio says he has signed off on deporting or revoking the visas of 300 or more people, an unknown portion of whom are student activists. Some have been snatched from their home or the sidewalks outside. Others, such as Rasha Alawieh, a medical-school professor at Brown whose H1-B visa was sponsored by Brown Medicine, have been turned away at the airport. In at least a few cases, more than a day went by before anyone figured out where the disappeared students had been taken. Rubios interpretation of the law is just one more example of the Trump administrations attempts to change America from a nation of rights to a nation of privileges that can at any moment be revoked. We gave you a visa to come study and get a degree, Rubio said about the students, not to become a social activist that tears up our university campuses. Green cards may be a privilege, but once they reach American soil, these students also have rightsto speak freely, to peacefully convene, to enjoy due process under the law. Those rights dont depend on citizenship status; they are embedded in the founding of this country. The students do not, as Rubio correctly points out, have the right to tear up campuses. But they absolutely can become social activists about any political issue they choose. Criticismeven at its most odiousdoes not imperil a nation any more than being yelled at by students imperiled me. How could I hold my head high as an American if I didnt defend their right to tell me what they think? This article originally misstated which institution sponsored Rasha Alawiehs visa. Article originally published at The Atlantic A new study into the effects of biodiversity loss and human activity on global pathogens has experts sounding the alarm. Neil Vora, senior director of One Health at Conservation International, told Mongabay that "humanity's broken relationship with nature is driving global changes that have severe consequences for our own health." What's happening? The study, published in the journal Nature Reviews Biodiversity, found a link between declining biodiversity and increased risk of pandemics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We know that biodiversity loss is increasing. We know that the climate is getting warmer and harder to predict, and that these things are all happening at the same time," Daniel Becker, assistant professor of biology at the University of Oklahoma and one of the study's authors, told Mongabay. "So we've entered what we call this polycrisis." Why is the link between biodiversity loss and pandemics important? Drier hot seasons and wetter rainy seasons are the perfect conditions for another global pandemic, the researchers said. "Above all, climate change affects the distribution, the abundance, and the spread of vectors," Dr Tim Endy told the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Worsening heat conditions could force bats, mosquitoes, and rats out of their locales, spreading diseases like Lassa fever or the Nipah virus to populations without natural immunity over a much wider area. The problems are also apparent closer to home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lyme disease, an acute concern in the northeast, may be exacerbated by habitat and biodiversity loss. Opossums, which feed on the ticks that carry the disease, are one of the best natural defenses against it. Woodland loss makes them less abundant and also reduces red foxes, which hunt the carriers of the ticks. What's being done about the polycrisis? The study's authors first called for further research and education to form effective strategies to combat the risk, such as avoiding unhelpful practices like mass culling of local wildlife. Additionally, the authors suggested more international cooperation to stem habitat destruction and biodiversity loss. The World Health Organization has been working to create a binding international pandemic agreement. International cooperation can and has worked in the past; take the success of the Montreal Protocol, for example. The United States' withdrawal from the WHO in January may complicate those efforts, though the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could still apply its own protections. Either way, individuals can take action locally to help protect the environment against some of these domino effects as well. 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. SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) An inmate at the Summit County Jail died after she was hospitalized for a medical emergency. According to the Summit County Sherriffs Office, 24-year-old Leah Kay Allison had been booked into the jail on March 28. Teenager pointed loaded gun at group of kids at Crocker Park: police On March 31 around 4:30 p.m., Allison experienced respiratory distress, the sheriffs office reported. Jail medical staff contacted the Akron Fire Department EMS and Allison was taken to a hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was conscious and responsive when she arrived at the hospital, but died later that day. Her death 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 Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Cass County saw heavy rain and high winds Sunday amid a tornado watch and three severe thunderstorm warnings. The main hazards, according to the Cass County Emergency Management Agency, were hail and high wind. No injuries, no fatalities. Thats always the most important thing, said Rocky Buffum, director of the Cass County Emergency Management Agency. Multiple properties sustained cosmetic damage, he added, as well as damage to their siding and roofing. A few pole barns lost portions of their roofs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although Cass County went into a tornado watch, and someone reported seeing a tornado in a field in the southern part of the county, nearby spotters who were dispatched to the area did not see one. Additionally, the Cass County EMA wrote in a Facebook post, post storm analysis of the area didnt show any damage to the field, powerlines or trees in the area. I know a lot of people, they dont give a severe thunderstorm warning the same level of alarm as they might a tornado warning. But a severe thunderstorm warning, it is still a significant event, Buffum said. The storm does still have a lot of power, and as we saw yesterday, a severe thunderstorm is very capable of causing widespread issues without any kind of tornado being involved in it. A significant number of trees and power lines down were reported across the county during the storm, the local agency noted. The number of calls it received exceeded public safety resources to provide a timely response to each hazard, which led to the issuance of a travel advisory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Assessment and review was delayed by a hazardous materials situation and two burn complaints EMA also responded to. Everything that we found so far is consistent with straight line wind damage, Buffum said. According to a post by the National Weather Service, its fairly common for people to mistake straight line wind damage for tornado damage. The main difference, the post explained, is that wind flows into a tornado but out of thunderstorms. With straight line winds, the damage starts with a downdraft from the middle and upper levels of a thunderstorm, which begins to roll like a wave and compress as it reaches the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At times, the post noted, straight line winds can be stronger than tornado winds. Several locations also reported pea-sized hail and at least one reported quarter-sized hail. The Cass County Highway Department listed 26 sites Monday afternoon where county employees went out to clear roads. We had people out for most of the night, said Highway Superintendent Jeff Smith. He noted Highway Department employees started clearing roads at the outset of the storm and worked until about 3 a.m. They continued work Monday morning, he added, mostly cleaning up brush that wasnt restricting access to the roads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buffum said the community has been doing a great job sending emails to the Cass County EMA and commenting on the agencys Facebook page to report damage. That helps us with our damage assessment, he said, adding it helped the local agency and the National Weather Service determine damage was from straight line winds instead of a tornado. More storms likely Wednesday According to the National Weather Service, similar storms could affect Cass County on Wednesday. A weather outlook posted to the NWS website Monday afternoon states moderate to high confidence exists in a line of strong to severe thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The outlook also notes all severe weather hazards are possible for the Wednesday storm, with strong, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes posing the greatest concerns. However, the agency is still uncertain what the peak potential intensity of the storms could be. At this point, its hard to put any details per se into stone, said Chris Roller, a representative with the NWS Northern Indiana office. Locally heavy rain could lead to some ponding on roadways, tornadoes havent been ruled out and hail is a possibility, he added. Roller said residents can prepare for the upcoming storms by making sure they have enough batteries to power radios and flashlights. Residents should also have a plan in case power goes out and review their safety plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cass County residents can monitor weather updates on the Cass County Emergency Management Agencys Facebook page. As the storm gets closer, Buffum said, the agency will also likely release information via local radio stations. Prior to the Sunday storms, Buffum noted, the local agency monitored how the storm affected communities between Illinois and Cass County as the storms rolled in. He said keeping an eye on how the storms affected other communities helped the local agency know what to expect. Brian Baumgartner, who played the endearingly dim-witted accountant Kevin Malone on NBC's "The Office," can't escape the role that defined him for nine seasons. He even recently appeared in an episode of the NBC drama "Suits LA," playing himself. In the show, he asked his attorney to find a way to do away with the character so he could realize his dream of becoming an Oscar-worthy dramatic actor. Loyal "Office" fans surely caught the inside gag. In fact, Baumgartner has for years served as a happy ambassador for the beloved mockumentary about the employees of a Scranton, Pennsylvania, paper company. He hosted a podcast celebrating "The Office" and turned it into a bestselling oral history book. Kevin Malone's famous chili paved the way for two cookbooks. Many hit shows from decades ago have been embraced by audiences thanks to exposure on Netflix and other streaming platforms. But even among that group, "The Office" which is celebrating its 20th anniversary lives in rare air. While never a blockbuster hit during its initial run that began on March 24, 2005, streaming has helped turn "The Office," an adaptation of the eponymous British series, into an enduring pop culture touchstone. 'A very powerful thing' The familiar cast members have ridden the wave, evoking their famous roles in TV commercials for Cheerios, Panera Bread, Bush's Beans, Fox's telecast of the 2020 Super Bowl and AT&T Business. The show is being licensed for toys (Lego, Little People, Funko Pop! and Polly Pockets) and children's books including "The Office: A Day at Dunder Mifflin Elementary." Tickets for an annual unofficial fan convention known as the Reunion, to be held in New Jersey this year, go for as much as $400. "The Office" continues to have a stylistic influence on TV comedy as well. Its faux-documentary style reminiscent of Christopher Guest movies became a template for other successful sitcoms including "Modern Family," "Abbott Elementary" and most recently NBC's "St. Denis Medical." While fans have been content to rewatch "The Office," they will finally get a spinoff series from executive producer Greg Daniels. The still-to-be-named series, set at a Midwestern newspaper that depends on citizen journalists, will premiere this year on Peacock. The series will take place in "The Office" universe with alum Oscar Nunez joining the cast. (Daniels, protective of "The Office" canon, noted that Oscar Martinez was the only character who did not have a life-changing resolution in the finale). Baumgartner has helped feed "The Office" popularity machine for years, but he's still taken aback at how much the show means to fans who have discovered it since it ended. "They have an intense need to tell me how the show helped them through a difficult time," Baumgartner said. "A medical condition, a family issue, a domestic problem. It's a very powerful thing." Streaming juggernaut Even with its cringe-generating moments, often created by Steve Carell's malapropism-prone Michael Scott, the familial atmosphere of Dunder Mifflin is a welcome escape at a time of political division and angry social discourse. "In this fractured society, just seeing and feeling a disparate group of people who care about each other is rare, particularly in TV right now," Baumgartner said. While streaming services entered bidding wars for "Friends," "Seinfeld" and other hit sitcoms of the past, "The Office" quietly outperformed them. Nielsen data showed it was the most streamed show in 2020, a time when more consumers were turning to Netflix, where "The Office" was streaming, during the COVID-19 pandemic. That demand translated into a big-money deal. Comcast Corp. shelled out $100 million to its own Universal Television unit that produced "The Office" to bring the series to its Peacock streaming service in 2021 five times what Netflix was paying, according to people familiar with the deal who were not authorized to comment publicly. The series is the most popular program on the service. NBC says the average Peacock viewer has watched 59 episodes of the series. Peacock enlisted the show's producers to create "super fan" episodes that restore material cut for its original 22 minute broadcast run-time (they are just getting to the ninth and final season). They have helped drive 1.7 billion hours of viewing of "The Office," accounting for 7% of all Peacock usage. "The Office" also has remained a staple of traditional TV, currently running on three cable networks: E!, Comedy Central and Freeform. The show airs on more than a dozen international broadcast services. A hit with the kids The durability of vintage TV sitcoms such as "I Love Lucy" and "Friends" are driven in part by the nostalgia of fans who grew up with them. But some audiences flocking to the "The Office" are discovering as if it were a new show. As streaming video gained audience, Daniels heard from coworkers on his other projects about how their preteen kids were watching "The Office" obsessively on Netflix which first bought the rights in 2011. Being trapped in a cubicle and forced to deal with a buffoonish boss resonates with the junior high crowd. "It's like your experience in school, when the teacher is lecturing you and you're unable to avoid it," Daniels said. "Or the person at the desk next to you is someone you didn't necessarily choose to be your best friend and you're kind of stuck there." Jim Donnelly, executive vice president for comedy at Universal Television, said the show's youthful appeal helps replenish the audience. "I do think that as television viewers come of age, they are finding the show," he said. "We haven't really seen any drop-off in interest." The practical jokes on the show appeal to a younger generation that devours prank videos from MrBeast to Dude Perfect across YouTube and other social media platforms. The official TikTok account for "The Office" has 4.2 million followers, nearly 1 million more than "Friends." Enduring 'dynamic' Ash Tavassoli, executive vice president and creative director of ad agency BBDO LA never caught "The Office" during its network run. But when he was recovering from surgery he went down the series rabbit hole of 192 episodes. "I'm like, 'I can't turn this thing off,'" Tavassoli said. "I had to immediately tell anyone who I knew who hadn't watched it, 'You need to go watch this thing.'" The on-screen alchemy between the cast members inspired him to use them in an ad campaign for AT&T Business that started running last year. "The Office" co-stars Baumgartner, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Craig Robinson, Kate Flannery and Creed Bratton appear in the series of trippy commercials depicting the launch of a line of pillow speakers called Sleep with Rainn. Tavassoli said it didn't take much to get the tight-knit group to make their own creative contributions to the spots. "You put them on a set together and they have their own dynamic," Tavassoli said. "When we shot with them, they didn't even feel us on set. We let them cook for three days." The driver of an SUV lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a New Jersey home early Tuesday morning, causing it to burst into flames, police said. The crash occurred around 5:02 a.m. on Craig Road near Symmes Drive in Manalapan. Police said the driver just missed a utility pole before the vehicle plowed into a single-family home not far away. Video from News 12 captured the aftermath of the incident and the subsequent fire, showing the burnt-out remains of the SUV and the giant hole it made in the Manalapan home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shawnee Fitch, who lives next door, said her husband, a retired FDNY paramedic, helped another Good Samaritan pull the unconscious driver from his vehicle. She told News 12 she was sleeping in a room not far from where the crash occurred. She was not injured, but another person sleeping in another room did receive treatment for smoke inhalation. The lone resident of the home was also rescued while firefighters battled back the blaze, police said. A dog also escaped the residence. The driver, meanwhile, was treated on the scene and rushed to an area hospital. Their current condition was not clear, nor was the cause of crash, which remains under investigation. During the cyberattack on Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian railways), tactics, techniques and procedures typical of Russian secret services had been used. Source: Yevheniia Nakonechna, Head of the State Centre for Cyber Defence of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSIP) Quote: "Experts from the Government Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA), operating within the State Cyber Protection Centre of the SSSCIP, determined during the incident investigation that the attack employed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) characteristic of Russian intelligence services. Furthermore, the cybercriminals utilised unique malware specifically designed with the attacked infrastructures specifics in mind. The execution of such a cyberattack required significant resources for preparation," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nakonechna noted that the implementation of such a cyberattack required significant resources for preparation. She also emphasised that the cyberattack on Ukrzaliznytsia, which serves millions of Ukrainians, can be equated to a terrorist act. Background: On 23 March, Ukrzaliznytsia's online systems suffered a large-scale targeted cyberattack. Tickets were sold through ticket offices at railway stations. On 27 March, Ukrzaliznytsia's online sales system was restored in a backup format for the purchase of new train tickets and their refund. On 30 March, Ukrzaliznytsia restored two more online services after a large-scale cyberattack. In particular, the Ukrzaliznytsia app and website offer discounts for disabled people again, and online displays of all railway stations are now available in the app. Ukrzaliznytsia assures that there was no leakage of military or personal information during the cyberattack, as it is not stored in the system. Ukrzaliznytsia CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said that it may take from four to six weeks to several months to fully restore all systems after the cyberattack on Ukrzaliznytsia. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) - China could find a "pretext" to stage new war games around Taiwan this year, coinciding with sensitive dates such as the anniversary in May of a year since President Lai Ching-te took office, a senior Taiwan coast guard official said. China, which views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, regularly holds exercises around the island, including one begun on Tuesday it said was to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, China did not give a name to those drills, unlike two war games last year that it dubbed "Joint Sword-2024A", held in May, following Lai's inauguration, and then "Joint Sword-2024B" in October, after his national day speech. Beijing's pretext could include "special occasions" such as diplomatic events or incidents related to Taiwan's sovereignty, Hsieh Ching-chin, the deputy head of its Coast Guard Administration, told a small group of reporters. He added there were two key dates this year around which China could either launch named war games - "Joint Sword-2025" - or what he called "de facto" drills. Apart from the May anniversary, these included October, around the time of Taiwan's national day when Lai gives a keynote speech, and August, when China ends a routine annual ban on fishing, ostensibly to protect fish stocks, Hsieh said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither China's defence ministry nor Taiwan Affairs Office responded to requests for comment on the likelihood of such war games. A separate source, a senior Taiwan security official, said the assessments were based on past experiences and Chinese actions, adding China this year could seek "excuses" to hype up its "grey zone" pressure on Taiwan on those sensitive dates. Beijing faces a "dilemma", however, in balancing its grey zone aggression on Taiwan while avoiding blowback internationally, the official added. "On one hand they want to exert extreme pressures on Taiwan but on the other hand they must be extremely careful not being labelled as an aggressor internationally." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The coast guard is heavily involved in Taiwan's response to Chinese military drills and civilian "grey zone" activities such as illegal fishing in its waters, and coast guard ships now support the navy in shadowing Chinese warships during drills. In case of war, the coast guard would be pressed into service and ships armed to help defend against a Chinese attack. Hsieh said Taiwan has been alarmed by a recent uptick in Chinese activities around the Pratas Islands, an atoll controlled by Taiwan and protected as a marine reserve that lies strategically at the top part of the South China Sea. China also claims the Pratas, as it does most of the busy waterway, and its coast guard ships have entered the atoll's restricted waters several times this year, denounced by Taiwan as "coercive harassment." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China's coast guard has no publicly available media contacts. Outlining a new response strategy, Hsieh said the coast guard will evaluate the Philippines "transparency" policy to give details on China's actions to draw greater international attention. (This story has been refiled to insert the dropped word 'did,' in paragraph 3) (Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. While a lot of different headlines have been grabbing attention during this legislative session, a series of bills have helped the states economic capabilities navigate the corridors of the capitol. Talk Business & Politics host Roby Brock met with Arkansas Secretary of Commerce, Hugh McDonald, to talk about the impact of tariff decisions coming out of Washington D.C. and perspective on legislation passed so far in Arkansas that affect the Natural States economy. Roby then talks with Washington Regional Medical Center CEO Larry Shackelford to talk about health care in Arkansas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talk Business & Politics airs Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on FOX 16. For more coverage, head to TalkBusiness.net. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLRT - FOX16.com. Last year, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna fought for Congress to send millions of dollars back home to Pinellas County. Fresh off two devastating hurricanes, the city of St. Petersburg was set to get $9 million for a project to help keep residents from being inundated by floodwater. Clearwater Beach was slated for nearly $1.8 million in improvements to keep storm water at bay. Earmarked community projects like these allow congressional elected officials to directly help their communities. The Tampa Bay regions five U.S. representatives secured at least $105.5 million in combined special projects this fiscal year. They got federal money for projects ranging from cancer research to local police department improvements to fixing local bridges and sewers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, earlier this month, congressional Republicans voted to cancel funding for every project. As is often the case in Washington, the local dollars were collateral damage in a broader political struggle. Funding for the federal government was slated to expire March 14. Republican leaders crafted a spending bill to keep the government running. President Donald Trump pushed for Congress to pass it. The bill didnt include local projects. Almost every Republican voted for it. Many Republicans didnt love seeing their communities lose out, but they tolerated the cuts in the name of what they characterized as good government. While Congressman Buchanan was disappointed that the latest government funding bill failed to include community project funding nationwide, he believes that the alternative allowing the government to shut down would have been far worse, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanans spokesperson Josh Gregory wrote in an emailed statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buchanan, a Republican who represents parts of Manatee and Hillsborough counties, lost more local money than anyone. He had secured more than $28 million, only to see all of it nixed by his colleagues bill. Among the sacrifices: $3 million for a Longboat Key storm resiliency project. All but one House Democrat voted against the bill. They argued a vote in favor would mean tacit approval of moves by Trump and his top deputy in charge of DOGE, the billionaire businessman Elon Musk, to keep withholding congressionally approved spending. Democrats now say the local cuts are the fault of Republicans who were desperate to find cost savings they could use to finance massive tax breaks. The House Republican budget framework includes room for about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts most of which would benefit the wealthiest Americans, who pay the highest marginal tax rates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everything is about paring back government services and community needs to make sure they have enough for their billionaire tax giveaway, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said. Castor, a Democrat who represents parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas, lost out on more than $20 million. She said in an interview that she was particularly upset to lose $3 million for affordable housing for seniors in St. Petersburg. Local projects can be controversial. Theyre sometimes referred to as pork or earmarks. Congress essentially banned such local spending in 2011, only to bring it back in 2021 with different rules. Representatives must sign forms indicating they dont benefit financially from the projects. The money is administered by federal agencies at the direction of Congress. These projects can be an indication of how effective elected officials are at working the D.C. system. U.S. House members can submit up to 15 local requests. The proposals work their way through the appropriations committee to one of several funding bills. As the final figures are negotiated, representatives coordinate with the entities that stand to gain funding, updating them on the progress of internal talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this month, Castor sent apologetic letters to those seeking funding. I am frustrated that the Republicans advanced partisan legislation that included billions of dollars of cuts to important services and will not do enough to support and lower costs for our neighbors, Castor wrote. Tampa Bays representatives, Republican and Democrat, have proven adept at securing local funding in recent years. U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, who represents parts of Pasco, Hillsborough and Polk counties, got $13 million her first year in office. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who represents Citrus, Hernando and part of Pasco, routinely brings back millions. Hed secured $19 million this year before voting for the bill that cut local project funding. The lone exception during the 2024 budget talks was Luna. She secured just $2.5 million the lowest figure of any first-term U.S. representative from Florida who sought local funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this fiscal year saw a reversal of fortune for the Republican from Pinellas County. Luna fought for six projects and saw each one at least partially funded. Then she voted to keep the government open and to scrap the funding. With hurricane season looming, a spokesperson for the city of St. Petersburg said it will look for flood mitigation funding elsewhere. The $9 million secured by Luna would have gone to installing a pump station at the Salt Creek Basin. Machinery would help Salt Creek and Lake Maggiore drain faster, keeping nearby homes high and dry. The project could be funded by utility increases, city bonds or money from elsewhere in the city budget, a spokesperson said. But it will be funded, the spokesperson, Samantha Bequer, wrote in an email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clearwater Beachs stormwater mitigation project can go on without immediate federal funding, too, a city spokesperson said. But many other projects remain in limbo. Congressional Republicans and Democrats alike are unsure whether local project funding will be a part of next years budget talks. We really have no interest to discuss or be interviewed or to answer any of your questions, says Attorney Samuel Gordon, the administrator at JAMS Denver office. I see no need for that and I would advise them not to speak with you. Pull Quote NOLAN COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A teen was killed during a single-vehicle crash in Nolan County. Samuel Paul Martins, 19, of Hale Center, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on State Highway 70 outside of Sweetwater just north of mile marker 334 around 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, according to a press release from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The press release states Martins was traveling north down the highway when he failed to stay in his lane and veered off the roadway into an embankment and through a fence before striking multiple trees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No other vehicles were involved in this crash, which is still under investigation, and 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. An Ohio teenager is being hailed a hero after saving a young family from a burning home last weekend, Cleveland Fire and Rescue shared on X. Sixteen-year-old Tyler Sowden was at home near West 140th Street and Sacramento Avenue around 11 a.m. on Friday when he reportedly heard screams for help. Grabbing a ladder from his own house, Sowden rushed across the street and scrambled into the second floor of the burning home. There, he found a woman trying to escape the blaze with her seven-year-old child and 10-month-old infant. With Sowdens help, everyone was able to make it out of the burning house without injury. The mother and her three children, including a 12-year-old who jumped from the home before Sowden arrived, were treated at a nearby hospital. Related: Teenager Dies After Injecting Himself with Wildlife Remains Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was in my house, and I heard screaming, Sowden told Cleveland 19. Id seen the [12-year-old] kid on top of the roof. The house was on fire. I took a ladder, ran over, put the ladder up, grabbed the kids, and helped the mom down the ladder. I wasnt thinking, I just took the ladder and ran. He just jumped into action, no questions asked. Risked his life to save the others," Sowden's stepfather, Matt Stamber, said. "He valued other peoples lives more than his own at the time, to just do what he needed to do. He knew what needed to be done, and he did it. Im so proud of this boy." Approximately 60 firefighters responded to the scene. The home next to that of the one Sowden helped to evacuate was also grazed in the fire. First responders helped an elderly man and his dog out of the home and to safety. None of the victims or firefighters suffered serious injuries, but one first responder injured his shoulder in the process. Hes currently in stable condition. Related: 'Hero' Wrestling Coach Dies Saving Son From Oklahoma Wildfires Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cleveland Division of Fire Public Information Officer Lieutenant Mike Norman praised Sowdens selfless actions and expressed a desire to recruit the 16-year-old as soon as possible. Its amazing. He saved their lives. He was heroic this morning. I give him a lot of credit," Norman said. "To react, to think ahead, to bring the ladder he brought the right ladder to the scene and help that woman and her children down. He saved three lives today." Norman continued: Everybody working over here has been through the training academy. They're all well-equipped. But for that young man to come and do what he did, it's outstanding, Signups are open for Cleveland Fire. He's too young at this time, but hopefully, in a couple years, we'll bring him on board. WESTLAKE, Ohio (WJW) A 16-year-old boy was taken into police custody after he allegedly pointed a gun at a group of kids in Crocker Park. Amazon truck rollover closes I-76 According to a police report from the Westlake Police Department, the incident happened March 28 at the Dicks Sporting Goods. Westlake police officers were called to assist Crocker Park security, who were attempting to remove a group of five juveniles from the store, the police report stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police were told that a male in a camo hoodie pointed a gun at another group of juveniles. Westlake officers encountered the individual outside the store. He was ordered to walk to one of the officers patrol cars. The teen admitted to having a firearm and pointing it at two people. Police recovered a Taurus G2C 9 millimeter handgun from his jacket pocket. The firearm had a round in the chamber and nine more rounds in the magazine, according to the police report. Credit: Westlake Police Department The teen was taken to the Westlake Police Department Jail where officers learned he also had outstanding juvenile warrants for burglary and theft. Local scratch-off ticket wins $1 million top prize Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center was contacted but declined to accept the child into custody so the boy was released to his parents, according to Westlake Police. Recommended charges included Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Aggravated Menacing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) Four teens were arrested Tuesday for allegedly starting a wildfire at Table Rock State Park on March 21. The fire began while Pickens County deputies were searching for Stephanie Womacks, a hiker who was last seen on March 3. SC National Guard shares birds-eye view of Table Rock fire According to the South Carolina Forestry Commission, Nyzaire Jah-Neiz Marsh, 19, Tristan William Tyler, 18, and Isaac David Wilson, 18, were arrested and charged with negligently allowing fire to spread to lands or property of another. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The wildfire, officials said, was started after the four were smoking on a hiking trail at the state park and did not put out their cigarettes. Sheriff Tommy Blankenship said the group of teenage hikers alleged action has cut short efforts to locate Womacks. A snapshot of what crews with the South Carolina National Guard have been seeing while fighting the Table Rock fire. (Snapshot/South Carolina National Guard) FILE The landscape of Table Rock State Park after a wildfire blazed through more than 13,000 acres of land. Table Rock fire expands to 4,500 acres, aerial crews battle blaze Greenville County Emergency Management (GCEM) said it is urgent for people in the northern parts of the county to heed evacuation alerts due to the spread of the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires. Trees burn due to the wildfire at Table Rock State Park In Pickens County, S.C., march 26, 2025. (WSPA File Photo) Helicopter seen in front of smoke from Table Rock Fire in Pickens County, S.C., March 26, 2025 (WSPA Photo) Smoke billows across the sky in Pickens County from the Table Rock State Park wildfire. (WSPA Photo) Smoke billows across the sky in Pickens County from the Table Rock State Park wildfire. (WSPA Photo) Greenville County Emergency Management (GCEM) said it is urgent for people in the northern parts of the county to heed evacuation alerts due to the spread of the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires. Credit: Jackson Gosnell (WSPA Photo) Another minor was arrested and charged in connection to the wildfire, but was not booked into jail. He was released to his parents. They will be held accountable for their actions, Blankenship said. I can promise you that. Why cant rain extinguish the Table Rock, Persimmon Ridge wildfires? Marsh, Tyler and Wilson were booked into the Pickens County Detention Center and released on bonds of $7,500 each. If convicted, the teens could get between 5 and 30 days of jail time, with fines ranging between $25 to $200. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Tuesday afternoon, the Table Rock fire is more than 13,000 acres and is 30% contained. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. LUBBOCK Telehealth is going to the dogs. Or, at least, state Sen. Nathan Johnson wants it to. The Dallas Democrat has proposed legislation that would expand telehealth practices to veterinary medicine. Animal health experts, however, are not throwing him a bone, and say the bill could do more harm than good. At a Senate committee hearing Monday, Johnson said his legislation would update Texas law to align with a court decision that allows veterinarians to establish a veterinary-client-patient relationship through electronic means. Texas law effectively bans using veterinary telemedicine without an initial physical examination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Nancy Carter, president of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, said the bill is framed as a magic bullet to fix problems from rising costs for animal owners and limited access to veterinary care. She called it a false promise. There are conditions that could be misdiagnosed without physically examining an animal and listening to its heart and lungs, she said. This runs the risk of missing a serious illness or prescribing medications that do not treat the animal's condition or even threaten its health, Carter said. Colleen Vera, an animal rescue volunteer and vice chair of the Tyler County Republican Party, supported the bill. She said when she moved to rural East Texas, she found a great vet. However, the vet provides only basic care. This often leaves Veras rescue animals and pets without the medication they need. I realize most pet owners will never use telemedicine, and it wont reduce the need to see a vet in person for vaccines and testing, Vera said. But for those of us in rescue, especially in rural Texas, telemedicine would be such a blessing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Monica Janacek, a rancher and veterinarian in La Grange, testified against the bill. She worries about dangerous diseases that could be missed by virtual veterinarians. It was veterinarians on the ground, she said, who identified the connection between dead birds at Panhandle dairies and the Avian Influenza. Other dangers cant be discovered through a zoom call, she said, such as the invasive screwworm that burrows into living animals can affect livestock, pets, and in rare cases, people. This presents a concrete danger to our states $15 billion animal agriculture industry, Janacek said. Johnson said hes speaking with both rural and large animal veterinarians about the bill and is still working to evolve it so experts are more comfortable with what it does. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Would it be nicer to have somebody in person? Yes, Johnson said. Thats not always practical. The bill was left pending in the Senate committee. We cant wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 1315 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. The measles outbreak in western Texas is continuing to grow, with 22 new cases confirmed over the last five days, bringing the total to 422 in the state, according to data published Tuesday. Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). At least 42 people have been hospitalized so far. Just four cases have occurred in people fully vaccinated with the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and one case has occurred among someone vaccinated with one dose, health officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Measles outbreak in Texas is spreading beyond the Mennonite community: Officials Children and teenagers between ages 5 and 17 make up the majority of cases at 169, followed by children ages 4 and under at 141. "Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities. DSHS is working with local health departments to investigate the outbreak," the department's release stated. PHOTO: A sign is seen outside a clinic with the South Plains Public Health District, on Feb. 23, 2025, in Brownfield, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP, FILE) In nearby Colorado, the state reported its first case of measles this year in an international traveler on Monday. The person was an unvaccinated adult Colorado resident who traveled to an area of Mexico that is dealing with a measles outbreak, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, in Ohio, Knox Public Health confirmed on Monday two additional cases of measles found in international travelers. As of Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has so far confirmed 483 measles cases this year in at least 19 states: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington. This is likely an undercount due to delays in states reporting cases to the federal health agency. MORE: What to know about measles breakthrough cases and why vaccination is still important Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the nationally confirmed cases by the CDC, about 97%, are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, the agency said. Of those cases, 1% are among those who received just one dose of the MMR inoculation and 2% are among those who received the required two doses, according to the CDC. The CDC currently recommends that people receive two vaccine doses, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective, the CDC says. Most vaccinated adults don't need a booster. Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to the highly effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. However, CDC data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years. ABC News' Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report. Texas measles outbreak hits 422 cases with 22 new infections confirmed over last 5 days originally appeared on abcnews.go.com You are the owner of this article. AUSTIN (Nexstar) The Texas Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would require law enforcement in counties with more than 100,000 people to join the Immigration and Customs Enforcements 287(g) program that assists the federal government in enforcing immigration laws. ICEs website says the program helps to identify and remove criminal aliens who are amenable to removal from the U.S. There are three different models underneath the program: Jail Enforcement helps identify unlawful residents who are already inside a jail and notify ICE officials. Warrant Service Officer allows local law enforcement officers to serve warrants on unlawful residents in jail. Task Force Model allows local law enforcement officers to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during routine duties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill, authored by State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, would provide a state-funded grant program to help counties under one million in population to pay for the training associated with joining the program. Counties over the one million threshold would be required to fund it from their own budget. Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, lays out Senate Bill 8 in the Senate State Affairs committee (Photo Courtesy: Texas Senate). According to 2020 Census data, 40 counties in Texas reached the 100,000 threshold to be a part of the 287(g) program. Its time for Texas to take a very bold and powerful stance against criminal aliens and illegal immigration, Schwertner explained. He said the goal of the program is to get criminals out of Texas communities. However, some in the law enforcement community brought forward concerns when the bill was being discussed in committee. Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne, who serves as Legislative Chairman for the Sheriffs Association of Texas, testified on the bill earlier this month in a committee hearing, saying sheriffs are worried about unfunded mandates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We think that financial relief portion shouldnt be in a grant program, it should just be a part of the program, Hawthorne testified. And it should cover all 254 counties that get into the program. Hawthorne said it cost $10,000 to train each officer in his department. Calhoun County Sheriff Bobbie Vickery shares the same concerns. His county of about 25,000 people joined the 287(g) program in 2017 and said it works very well, but he, too worried about the cost. This could potentially put a very harsh monetary strain on our budgets every year, Vickery testified. Part of the issue is that jailors and officers would need to leave their day-to-day duties to get the proper training for the program. That means it can be hard to fill in for the missing officers with limited staffing. When asked about opponents to his legislation, Schwertner said, I ask them if they want criminal aliens running around and causing violence and crime against citizens that they know, Texans they know, and I would hope their answer would be no. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill passed along party lines in the Senate chamber as Schwertner faced questioning from his Democratic colleagues. Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D San Antonio, questioned Schwertner about the amount of crime migrants commit in the United States, saying it is less than U.S. citizens. We need to as a state be much better at identifying, detaining, prosecuting and deporting criminal aliens from Texas, Schwertner said in defense of his bill. Gutierrez responded, I hope you get as impassioned when it comes to mass shooters as you do with a couple of migrants with some DWIs. El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugartes office said in an email to Nexstar that immigration enforcement is not the focus of the office. The El Paso County Sheriffs Office brought up an additional concern: space. If counties are required to house migrants in county jails, we are concerned about our capacity, as we do not have the personnel or resources to take on this additional burden, the statement read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Cesar Blanco, a Democrat who represents El Paso County, said on the Senate floor that El Paso County Sheriffs Office estimates the cost of implementing the program in its first year will be between $1.2 and $2.2 million. He offered two amendments to the bill that would require the Comptroller to provide an estimate to each sheriffs office of how much money it could receive from the grant program, and allow sheriffs to opt out of the program if the grant does not sufficiently cover the cost. Both of those amendments failed. The bill was amended twice to clarify the Comptrollers rulemaking authority for the grant application and clarifies the attorney general offices enforcement authority. If a sheriff is not compliant with the law then the AG can file a suit against that sheriff, but it must be filed in the district court of which that sheriff is 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 KXAN Austin. MAULDIN, S.C. (WSPA) It was the factories or the service for Army veteran Luke Todd Jr. I think it was one of those types of things where at that particular time when I got out of high school in 1975, [there] wasnt a whole lot that was available, Todd Jr. told 7 NEWS. An Upstate kid wanting to make a future for himself, he checked out the Marines. The Army guys saw me come out of the office and asked me, How much money did he offer you?' explained Todd Jr. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It wasnt a hard wager to make up his mind. At that particular time as a kid, not having any money He offered me, I want to say, 15 to 25 hundred dollars, Todd Jr. said. You can imagine at that particular time, that type of money. I was like, Hey, I think I want you guys instead of the Marine Corps!' Todd Jr. joined the service as an 11-Charlie, which is an indirect fireman or mortarman. When you go in and you want to serve and you want to make the highest ranked that you possibly can, said Todd Jr. But that job only took him so far. So he got reclassified as a Pershing launcher repairman and deployed to Europe. Going all over Europe, protecting Europe from the Soviet Union before the strikes from the SS-20s that they had, Todd Jr. said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His leadership skills quickly moved him up the ranks. I was able to serve from a squad leader to a section sergeant to a motor sergeant, platoon sergeant, and a master patrol sergeant, Todd Jr. shared. Hed eventually become a first sergeant. As a young E-7 at Fort Stewart and the 24th Infantry Division, Todd Jr. said. I got a chance to serve with the 1st of the 75th Ranger Battalion. Then he shipped off to Korea. And then from there, I was blessed to go to China with the 82nd Airborne. And that was where they really made things happen, Pop. And Im really proud of that because that was the place I wanted to go That job took Todd Jr. everywhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 18 Airborne Corps, within 18 hours of notification, you can be anywhere in the world, Todd Jr. explained. And I found that very challenging. Very rewarding and gratifying. He traveled to three continents and visited more than 40 countries. I dont want to say much, but it was something that I felt that I had to do, but I knew that I had to do something better than here, he shared. And that would complete Todd Jr.s 20-year career. After his service, he went to work at the Postal Service for 20 years. I decided to retire in 2021, Todd Jr. said. I found out that I had prostate cancer. Then came treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And recovery. And so now I just look forward to taking care of my grandkids and picking them up every day and doing whatever they want to do, said Todd Jr. He added its all about perspective. You know, its not my plan. I think its Gods will, Todd Jr. said. Because I realize that I have less time ahead of me than I do behind me. Todd Jr. said he owes it to his faith and his family and their support for getting him to where he is today. He said hes grateful for the opportunities he was given and for being able to turn each lesson into growth. Luke Todd Jr., Thank you for your service. To nominate a veteran like Todd Jr. to be featured in our Thank You for Your Service series, 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 WSPA 7NEWS. Mar. 31The corner of Sprague Avenue and Park Road was home to early tire factories until the 1920s, then was followed by a business combining war and peas. Washington Tire and Rubber started up in 1918 believing that Spokane could challenge Akron, Ohio, as a home of tire manufacturing. Although the factory did open, the property was foreclosed on around 1920. A new company, Jack Tire & Rubber, took over in 1922 and lasted until 1926. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then came the Morrison Bros. Seed Company. E.H Morrison, a pioneer of Fairfield, Washington, was born in 1848, grew up in Connecticut and New York and studied engineering in Europe. He worked around the country before coming to the Northwest in 1878. He moved to Fairfield in 1891 and started his own farm, which grew to 1500 acres. He was friends with Chicago merchant Marshall Field and other well-known business partners. Morrison died in 1914 and his sons, Norton and Edward, founded Morrison Bros. Seed in 1926. The pea operation took over the old tire factory along the railroad tracks at Sprague and Park for storing and processing peas. In 1930, the Morrison company's E.H. Hughes told The Spokesman-Review that the company had taken in hundreds of car loads of sacked peas and it had 50 employees, mostly women, who picked through them to cull the undersized and discolored ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Morrisons' business exploded in the 1940s with the start of the war Europe. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Lend-Lease Act of 1941 immediately sent war materiel, oil and food to Britain, France, the Soviet Union and other countries with the promise of payment later. Along with weapons, vehicles and fuel oil, the government sent thousands of tons of flour, dried peas, beans, sugar, canned meats, butter, vegetable shortening, margarine and more. Peas, both dried and canned, could survive long shipping voyages. By 1942, according to Time Magazine, the Department of Agriculture was buying $5 million of food each day. The Spokesman-Review wrote that the program turned pea farming from "a normal crop business into a gold rush." Edward Morrison died in 1944 and Norton Morrison died in 1952. Morrison Bros. Seed was sold to Asgrow Seed of Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1983. A hospital in Cortez cannot itself be liable for negligence in the death of a Montezuma County jail detainee, a federal judge ruled last month. This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. Freedom is a fragile thing, and its never more than one generation away from extinction, Ronald Reagan said in 1967, in his inaugural address as governor of California. Kevin D. Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, approvingly quotes the speech in his foreword to Project 2025, the conservative think tanks blueprint for the Trump administration. Roberts writes that the plan has four goals for protecting its vision of freedom: restoring the family as the centerpiece of American life; dismantling the federal bureaucracy; defending U.S. sovereignty, borders, and bounty; and securing our God-given individual rights to live freely. Project 2025 has proved to be a good road map for understanding the first months of Donald Trumps second term, but most of the focus has been on efforts to dismantle the federal government as we know it. The effort to restore traditional families has been less prominent so far, but it could reshape the everyday lives of all Americans in fundamental ways. Its place atop the list of priorities is no accidentit reflects the most deeply held views of many of the contributorsthough the destruction of the administrative state might end up imperiling the Trump teams ability to actually carry out the changes the authors want. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A focus on heterosexual, married, procreating couples is everywhere in Project 2025. Families comprised of a married mother, father, and their children are the foundation of a well-ordered nation and healthy society, writes Roger Severino, the author of a chapter on the Department of Health and Human Services and a former HHS and Justice Department staffer. (The document is structured as a series of chapters on specific departments or agencies, each written by one or a few authors.) He argues that the federal government should bolster organizations that maintain a biblically based, social-science-reinforced definition of marriage and family, saying that other forms are less stable. The goal is not only moral; he and other authors see this as a path to financial stability and perhaps even greater prosperity for families. Project 2025s authors identify a range of ways to achieve the goal across the executive branch. Changes to rules for 401(k)s and other savings programs would be more generous to married couples. HHS would enlist churches and other faith-based organizations to provide marriage and parenting guidance for low-income fathers that would affirm and teach based on a biological and sociological understanding of what it means to be a fathernot a gender-neutral parentfrom social science, psychology, personal testimonies, etc. Through educational programs, tax incentives, and other methods, the child-support system should strengthen marriage as the norm, restore broken homes, and encourage unmarried couples to commit to marriage. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the lead federal welfare program, would track statistics about marriage, healthy family formation, and delaying sex to prevent pregnancy. [Jonathan Rauch: One word describes Trump] In this vision, men are breadwinners and women are mothers. Without women, there are no children, and society cannot continue, Max Primorac writes in his chapter on USAID, where he served in the first Trump administration. (Primorac calls for ridding the agency of woke politics and using it as an instrument of U.S. policy, but not the complete shutdown Trump has attempted.) Jonathan Berry writes that the Department of Labor, where he previously worked, would commit to honest study of the challenges for women in the world of professional work and seek to understand the true causes of earnings gaps between men and women. (This sounds a lot like research predetermined to reach an outcome backing the traditional family.) The Labor Department would produce monthly data on the state of the American family and its economic welfare, and the Education Department would provide student data sorted by family structure. Severino suggests that the government either pay parents (most likely mothers) to offset the cost of caring for children, or pay for in-home care from family members; he opposes universal day care, which many on the right see as encouraging women to work rather than stay home with kids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All of this fits a very conservative worldview, but in some places common ground emerges that might cut across typical partisan lines. For example, in a convergence of the crunchy left and natalist right, Severino wants doulas to be available to all expectant mothers. Contra Severino, Berry suggests that the Labor Department create incentives for on-site child care at work. He also wants Congress to require employers to let workers accumulate paid time off when working overtime, in place of time-and-a-half pay, and to encourage rest time for workers by mandating time-and-a-half compensation on a Sabbath. (The suggested default would be Sunday, but the rule would allow for alternatives such as a Jewish Sabbath, running from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.) Turning these ideas into reality would require substantial engagement from the federal bureaucracy. Yet Trump and Elon Musk have spent the first months of the presidency haphazardly demolishing large swaths of the workforce at just the departments that would be necessary to make these things happen. Trump is attempting to dissolve the Education Department altogether; HHS has offered a buyout to every employee. The parts of this family-oriented agenda that the Trump administration has already moved to enact are some of those that enforce a strictly binary concept of gender, aiming to drive trans and nonbinary people underground; open them up to discrimination at work, at school, and in the rest of their lives; and erase their very existence from the language of the federal government. In the past, the word gender was a polite alternative to the word sex or term biological sex, Primorac writes. The Left has commandeered the term gender, which used to mean either male or female, to include a spectrum of others who are seeking to alter biological and societal sexual norms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order that purports to define sex as binary. It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality, the order states. Efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex fundamentally attack women by depriving them of their dignity, safety, and well-being. The order also dissolved the White House Gender Policy Council, created by former President Joe Biden. Trump also signed an executive order banning transgender women from womens sports. The Defense Department says it will not accept transgender recruits for the armed forces, and will begin kicking out transgender service members currently in the military. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has moved to drop a discrimination case focused on gender identity, and the Education Department says it will enforce Title IX only to consider biological sex. [Peter Wehner: Trumps appetite for revenge is insatiable] Right-wing leaders have made attacks on trans people and nontraditional expressions of gender a cornerstone of right-wing politics over the past few years. They have spread disinformation about trans people and panicked over the prospect of children adopting different gender identities or names at school. What is the reason for so much fear? Transgender people make up less than 2 percent of the population, and their presence in society doesnt evidently harm other people. Project 2025s pro-family orientation helps explain why the right considers them such a threat. A worldview that sees gender roles as strictly delineated and immutable cannot acknowledge the existence of trans people or anything else that contemplates an alternative to a total separation between what it means to be male and what it means to be female. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has not yet made stricter abortion policies a focus in his new term. Though he has boasted about appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, he seems wary of pushing further, for fear of political backlash. Project 2025 has no such qualms. Severino recommends withdrawing FDA approval for abortion drugs, banning their prescription via telehealth, and using 1873s Comstock Act to prohibit their mailing. He also recommends a strong federal surveillance program over abortion at the state level. Project 2025 also calls for the return of abstinence-only education and the criminalization of pornography. With a little imagination, we can glimpse the America that Project 2025 proposes. It is an avowedly Christian nation, but following a very specific, narrow strain of Christianity. In many ways, it resembles the 1950s. While fathers work, mothers stay at home with larger families. At school, students learn old-fashioned values and lessons. Abortion is illegal, vaccines are voluntary, and the state is minimally involved in health care. The government is slow to police racial discrimination in all but its most blatant expressions. Trans and LGBTQ people existthey always havebut are encouraged to remain closeted. It is a vision that suggests Reagan was right: Freedom really is a fragile thing. This article has been adapted from David A. Grahams new book, The Project. Article originally published at The Atlantic FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2020, file photo, a droplet falls from a syringe after a health care worker was injected with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Providence, R.I. An untold number of Americans have managed to get COVID-19 booster shots even though the U.S. government hasn't approved them. They're doing so by taking advantage of the nations vaccine surplus and loose tracking of those who have been fully vaccinated. BOSTON (SHNS) The states top public safety official advised lawmakers and Gov. Maura Healey to take a closer look at a pivotal Supreme Judicial Court decision as officials grapple with how to respond to the Trump administrations immigration policies. The SJCs 2017 Lunn decision, which created guardrails for how Massachusetts and federal law enforcement can work together, is a significant issue, said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy. And we have spoken to federal authorities, and they recognize that thats an issue relative to criminals, Reidy said during a Friday budget hearing in Clinton. And again, the governor, and the Senate, and the House are going to have to discuss this. I know there are some bills that have been proposed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reidy, in response to questions from Rep. Todd Smola, emphasized that his answer was focused on individuals who are in the states criminal justice system and not those embroiled in civil immigration matters. Its having a discussion, and a debate, and a decision of what the Legislature and the governor can do relative to Lunn. Its what the SJC asked when they decided that case, Reidy continued. But that would be my focus, representative, is that decision, which could potentially alleviate some of the stressor and pressure that seems to be building between not just Massachusetts and the federal government, but a lot of states. But were the ones that have that Lunn decision. The Lunn ruling, which drew a response at the time from former Gov. Charlie Baker, found that Massachusetts state law provides no authority for Massachusetts court officers to arrest and hold an individual solely on the basis of a Federal civil immigration detainer, beyond the time that the individual would otherwise be entitled to be released from State custody. Reidys testimony comes as Trump border czar Tom Homan sharpens his focus on Massachusetts, which he visited this month as federal law enforcement agents arrested 370 people here. Homan called those individuals illegal aliens, describing the majority of them as significant criminals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Maura Healey said in a TV interview that aired Sunday that she is very comfortable removing violent offenders from the streets, including those who should not be here, who are here unlawfully. But she also suggested the states laws where immigration and public safety overlap are sufficient. The governor reiterated that we are not a sanctuary state and made clear that she does not see it as her role to get involved in efforts to reshape state law in response to a court ruling that effectively limits cooperation between state officials and federal immigration authorities. We have a law in place thats similar to many laws in place around this country, and it basically says, Look, state law enforcement, you work on crimes, you work on criminal investigations. We regularly do investigations with local and federal authorities, Healey said. Public outcry over Trumps immigration tactics escalated last week after masked federal agents arrested a Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk, whos from Turkey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smola, a Warren Republican, did not directly invoke Ozturk, but he broadly acknowledged the highly politically charged issue and new approach from the federal administration relative to migrants and to going after individuals when theyre classified as serious criminals. He pressed Reidy whether there is something that the commonwealth can or should be doing that would help this process the way it is unfolding now. Reidy told Smola he sees some value in the sense of what ICE has spoken about, of not wanting to go into the communities. Still, Reidy cautioned his answer could change in a heartbeat depending on shifting federal policy, as the secretary attempted to explain current strategy at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. What their focus is, is that if individuals who have detainers and have paperwork to be removed from the country, if they dont have to go into neighborhoods and into homes to apprehend those individuals, and they can get them whether its at the police station, the house of correction or the DOC its safer for everyone, Reidy said. But its the Lunn decision. Im not minimizing anyones perspective on it. We need to have a discussion and a debate on what to do, if anything, on that particular SJC case. Rep. Steven Owens, who said Ozturks arrest happened blocks away from his district, asked Reidy whether any state dollars were used in that operation and whether any state dollars recommended in Healeys fiscal 2026 budget could back similar operations. The secretary said there wasnt any state involvement in the arrest, including from Massachusetts State Police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no funding in the governors budget proposal to allow state law enforcement, first responders to go against the law, Reidy said. In Massachusetts, theyre precluded from acting, whether its ICE detainers or whatever that action was in Medford. They are not allowed to do that. After speaking at a Charles River Chamber event on Monday morning, Healey responded to a reporters question about Ozturks arrest, calling it very concerning and deeply disturbing, saying we need answers from the Trump administration. Healey last week wouldnt give a specific comment on the arrest, saying she needed more information. Public safety and due process are not mutually exclusive, she said Monday. Donald Trump said that he was going to target criminals, get them off the streets. Im all for that. But, increasingly, what were seeing is not that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Healey said that Ozturk had a valid visa and was not aware that it had been revoked, and had been taken out of Massachusetts by federal officials. The Department of Homeland Security needs to provide information, Healey said. We know nothing about the circumstances here. It appears that shes been targeted not because of crimes she committed, because she hadnt committed any crime, but shes been targeted because of what is free speech, and something that she signed onto in a student newspaper. So that is deeply concerning, deeply disturbing. We need answers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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. The lawyer working for Donald Trump and Elon Musks so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) who now leads the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has a history of violence and racist remarks, 10 people who knew him allege. Jeremy Lewin recently became deputy administrator for policy and programs for whats left of USAID, according to an email sent by the State Department. Lewin previously helped DOGE dismantle the agency, according to news reports. On Friday, Lewin signed an email officially shuttering USAID and announcing a major reduction in force. In the email, which indicated most of USAIDs staff would have their roles eliminated, Lewin wrote that he, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other top officials are grateful for your continued service to our great nation. He continued: I would like to offer a special thank you to those of you who, even amid considerable personal and professional uncertainty, have remained steadfastly committed to serving the agency and its important mission. You exemplify the very best ideals for public service and will not be forgotten or overlooked in this transition process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewin has prestigious institutions and law firms on his resume, and hes worked with a renowned liberal scholar and clerked for a progressive jurist. But his ascension at USAID, Americas foreign aid bureau, has sparked concerns among people who have known him over the years. Rolling Stone spoke with 10 such people, who allege that Lewin had a history of violent outbursts and racist remarks. Police records show he was also once accused of threatening a girl with a knife, asking why he shouldnt gut [her] and cut [her] right now. The girl told police she feared for her life. Lewin and the Trump administration have not responded to repeated requests for comment. As deputy administrator of USAID, Lewin functions as its chief operating officer. Rubio said that 83 percent of the agencys programs have already been canceled, but sources told The New York Times that some programs involving life-saving medication and national security are likely to be preserved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewin, a 28-year-old attorney, attended Harvard Law, where he worked as an assistant to prominent legal scholar Laurence Tribe. He also clerked for a D.C. federal judge and worked brief stints at several high profile law firms during his two-year career as an attorney. The son of a world-renowned classical pianist, Lewin attended the prestigious Massachusetts preparatory high school Buckingham Browne & Nichols School. The Cambridge private school is one of the top feeder schools for Ivy League universities like Harvard, according to The Harvard Crimson. Six people who knew him then described a troubled teen who made outlandish claims and expressed racist remarks. I have a vivid memory of him telling me that he believed non-white people were inherently of lower value than white people, a former acquaintance who describes him as blatantly racist tells Rolling Stone. Five other former acquaintances agree that Lewin expressed views they considered racist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of those former classmates remembers Lewin claiming that white people were biologically more intelligent than non-white people. Another person who knew Lewin well as a teenager recalls him being ejected from classes for espousing racist ideals. He was into the Great Replacement Theory before it was a thing, they say, referring to the racist, far-right conspiracy theory that the elite want to allow in hordes of immigrants to erode the political power of white people. Hearing that he is in charge of USAID now gives me the chills, a former acquaintance of Lewin tells Rolling Stone. I thought he had no empathy. He was fashy, misogynistic, [and] really believed Western civilization was superior. I can see him enjoying taking away humanitarian programs in Africa. Its frightening. Its like letting Hannibal Lecter mind kids or something. Seven people also allege that Lewin has a history of violent outbursts. While he was at Buckingham Browne & Nichols, Lewin allegedly hit another student with a bowl in the cafeteria and was suspended, seven people tell Rolling Stone. One witness to the bowl incident says Lewin attacked the student in the school cafeteria after the student said something that upset him and recalled the students nose bleeding profusely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A different classmate tweeted in 2013 that Lewin had thrown a chair at him. In another tweet, that classmate tagged the boy who was hit with the bowl, inviting him to the club of having [Lewin] throw things at him, and adding the hashtag #angrylewin. Violent rages were kind of his thing, another former classmate says. I definitely saw him throwing things at people. Another incident took place out of school, at a party Lewin threw in July 2015 at his parents home in Newton, according to a police report and three witnesses who spoke to Rolling Stone. It was the summer after he graduated high school, when he was 18. Police were called to Lewins parents home after he allegedly brandished a kitchen knife at a girl, three witnesses say. They remember Lewin making threatening comments toward the girl, who was a minor at the time, and describe it as feeling like a sudden overreaction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can never really tell when hes gonna fly off the handle, says one of those witnesses. Jeremy started yelling at her and blamed her for his missing belongings, says the police report. [Redacted] states during the argument Jeremy pulled out a knife with an Orange [sic] handle and said Tell me why I shouldnt gut you and cut you right now. [Redacted] continued to tell [police officers] that she felt threatened by Lewins actions and she was in fear for her life. [Redacted] then left the party and had her friend drop her off at the Newton Police Station. In the report, Lewin told police that the girl threatened him during an argument and threw a notepad at his head. He admitted taking out a knife, but said he slammed it on the kitchen countertop and asked her to leave in response. The knife was confiscated by police, the report says. The police officer who investigated the incident called for a hearing to be scheduled for the charge of assault by means of a dangerous weapon. One of the party witnesses tells Rolling Stone the hearing was ultimately canceled, for unknown reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representatives from the Newton Police Department and Newton District Court both said they could not provide further information on the case. At least eight people tell Rolling Stone that Lewin regularly presented fanciful and dubious claims. He told people in high school that he was in talks to design body armor for the U.S. government with a multimillion-dollar contract, they say. An archived version of Lewins biography at his most recent law firm, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, claimed that Lewin confidentially advised senior global policymakers, including former President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. After high school, Lewin pursued an educational and career trajectory that spanned the ideological spectrum, despite his own personal politics. At Dartmouth University, he was a member of the College Republican Club, and contributed a piece to the conservative Dartmouth Review, but while at Harvard Law, he penned liberal-leaning op-eds with prominent liberal congressional scholar Laurence Tribe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of those editorials, published in The Guardian, warned that the conservative-dominated Supreme Court has climate protection in its sights. Another piece the two wrote for The New York Times argued that the U.S. should liquidate Russias federal reserves and give it to Ukraine in response to Russias invasion. While at Harvard Law, Lewin wrote a 2021 opinion piece titled The Progressive Case for Libel Reform, in The Wall Street Journal, arguing that progressives should support overturning New York Times v. Sullivan, the landmark press protection 1964 decision. Lewin argued that rather than harming liberal values of free expression, overturning Sullivan would increase the medias incentive to be honest. Progressives should eagerly embrace such movement toward a more truthful society, he wrote. Lewin worked as Tribes assistant, a position also famously held by former President Barack Obama as well as Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney indicted as part of Trumps legal plot to overturn the 2020 election. Tribe has not responded to requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After law school, Lewin clerked for Judge Judith Rogers, the first Black woman appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and who is known for her progressive stances. Some of those who knew Lewin say they arent surprised that Lewin achieved such early success. At least six of the people Rolling Stone spoke with describe him as intelligent and driven as he was difficult to get along with. A fellow former Dartmouth College Republican member, Michaelle Knesbach, tells Rolling Stone she thinks Lewin has a chance to improve the U.S. foreign aid apparatus and make it work for the United States interests. I was in a few classes with Jeremy and always found him to have nuanced and educated views, she says. He seemed to be a very smart guy, and I am excited to see what he makes of his career. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewin is now playing a leadership role at USAID, which has already been gutted to the bone. His appointment to the deputy administrator position was viewed by some pundits to be a legal maneuver, after a federal judge found that Musk and DOGEs efforts to shutter the agency were likely unconstitutional. That federal judge, however, indicated that appointing Lewin to USAID didnt exempt Lewin from any decisions about the illegality of DOGEs actions at USAID. The judge specifically included Lewin in his order prohibiting DOGE from continuing to shut down the agency. It is unclear if Lewins Friday email violated that order, though an appeals court ruling that same day allowed the administration to keep dismantling the agency. Prior to his hiring as USAIDs deputy administrator, Lewin was reportedly earning a salary of $167,000 as the DOGE lead at the agency, seeking daily approvals from Rubio for billions of dollars in cuts, according to Bloomberg. The Trump administration plans to fold the scraps of USAID into a new agency within the State Department, to be named the U.S. Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance, according to The New York Times. A source close to the agency tells Rolling Stone that supervisors recently began onboarding the few remaining USAID staffers onto State Department systems. Those left at the agency are wondering whats coming next. We are petrified, a staffer tells Rolling Stone. Honestly, we are just broken. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Each year, an essential first stop for veterans skiing in adaptive equipment at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is the Sea Trevor Lock, who has died aged 85, was the police constable taken hostage by terrorists during the siege of the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980; for his bravery he was awarded the George Medal, although many in the force felt that his six days of sustained courage merited the highest award of all. Lock was born in Gants Hill on April 14 1939 and educated locally. Later described in the 1980 Hamlyn publication SIEGE! as one of the solid, dependable and unambitious men on whom the Metropolitan Police relies, he joined the force in 1965 and was posted to Dagenham police station. He served there for 15 years as a beat constable before volunteering for duty with the Diplomatic Protection Group, which is responsible for guarding the premises of diplomatic missions in central London. It was on Wednesday April 30 1980, while still on six months probation with the DPG, that Lock was assigned to guard the Iranian Embassy at Princes Gate, off Knightsbridge, regarded at the time as one of the less vulnerable targets for terrorism in the capital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having taken advantage of the door-keepers offer of a cup of coffee, Lock was actually inside the front entrance of the embassy when six armed men burst in and overpowered him. Locks commanding officer, Chief Superintendent Roger Bromley, head of the DPG, later said that that cup of coffee undoubtedly saved Locks life, for the chief superintendent was well aware that if Lock had been at his post and had drawn his pistol, he would have been shot down in cold blood. Trevor Lock gives a press conference with his wife Doreen after the end of the siege - Gary Weaser/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images The terrorists, the self-styled Group of the Martyr Muhyiddin al-Nassr, whose object was to secure the release of political prisoners in Iran by their actions, seized the embassy and took hostage the 26 persons who were there at the time. Apart from Lock, the hostages included two BBC men, Simeon Harris, a sound recordist, and Chris Cramer, a news organiser, who were in the embassy applying for visas to go to Iran; and the embassys British chauffeur, Ron Morris. Throughout the six days of the siege, Lock managed to keep his service revolver secreted, and acted as a calming influence on the volatile terrorists and a pillar of strength to the agitated hostages. Properly dressed at all times, he presented to them, and subsequently to the world at large through the medium of television, the image of the archetypal London policeman in the mould of the fictional Dixon of Dock Green. At one stage, when technicians were placing listening devices in the wall of the embassy, the leader of the terrorists became suspicious of noises. He suggested to Lock that police were trying to break in and ordered him to investigate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With superb theatrical mime, Lock took a plug from a wall-socket and listened. Then he took up the carpet and pointed to a hole in the floorboards that ran beneath the skirting. This building is over a hundred years old, he said. I expect its mice. Everybody laughed, including the terrorists, and calm was restored. PC Lock with his wife as he returns home to Dagenham following the siege - Ron Burton/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images During the six days, five hostages were released by the terrorists, but a violent resolution to the siege became inevitable when they murdered Abbas Lavasani, the press attache at the embassy, and left his body on the steps of the mission with a promise to murder further hostages at the rate of one every 30 minutes. A detachment of the Special Air Service, which had been standing by at Duke of Yorks barracks, was called in by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to resolve the impasse. The assault by the SAS, captured on television as it happened and broadcast around the world, began when black-uniformed figures abseiled down to the first-floor balcony from the roof of the embassy while others effected an entry at the rear. As the first SAS man entered the building, PC Lock grappled with the leader of the terrorists, his action undoubtedly saving the soldiers life. The SAS man shouted to Lock to stand away and promptly shot the leader dead. Four further terrorists were killed by the SAS and the sixth taken prisoner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Within 11 minutes the attack was over. While it was going on, one Iranian diplomat was shot dead by the terrorists and another wounded, but the remaining 19 hostages were released unharmed. When Lock was made a freeman of the City of London, he had to seek an advance from the Commissioner to buy a suit for the ceremony, never having owned one before - Colin Davey/Getty Images Lock was subjected to the attentions of the worlds press, his first interview taking place at Scotland Yard in the presence of the Commissioner, Sir David McNee who, having told viewers that they had heard of courage, invited them now to look upon it. Lock, at times bemused by all the attention, appeared as solid and reliable as he must have been during the siege itself, and captivated the nation by his very ordinariness. To the world at large he was the genuine London bobby, living up to all the impossible expectations of a fickle public. His fluency in the face of television cameras belied his true feelings, for Lock was a shy man, and said on more than one occasion that he was looking forward to getting back to work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was totally unprepared for the adulation and praise heaped upon him. Almost immediately he was made a freeman of the City of London, but had to seek an advance from the Commissioner to buy a suit for the ceremony, never having owned one before. Lock and his wife Doreen with his George Medal - Bill Rowntree/Mirrorpix/Getty Images Interviews with television and press followed in abundance, but throughout, Lock, with typical self-effacing phlegm, played down his own courage, more or less dismissing his actions as part of his job. Not unnaturally, he was somewhat nervous about resuming duties with the DPG, and a post was found for him as an observer with the police helicopter unit. While waiting for this posting to take effect, Locks award of the George Medal was announced, and his fellow officers in the DPG, who in common with all policemen will allow a colleague to be a hero for a day but no longer, marked the occasion with a cartoon. Appearing anonymously on the DPG noticeboard, it depicted Lock in a helicopter with a distinct list to port. The caption was: Youre not supposed to wear it up here, Trev! Although police regulations allow the Commissioner to promote, out of turn, any officer who has displayed exceptional qualities, there is a perverse impediment: the officer must have passed the qualifying promotion examination. Despite the outstanding leadership displayed by Lock during those six days, he was never able to pass that examination and joined the M11 motorway control unit, retiring from the force in 1992. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the death of his first wife in 1971, Trevor Lock married a nurse and former policewoman, Doreen, who died in 2024; he had three children with each wife. Trevor Lock, born April 14 1939, died March 30 2025 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. 31Testimony is expected to begin Tuesday in the retrial of a former Albuquerque police officer accused of illegally arresting a disabled man attempting to purchase a bicycle at a Target store in 2022. Jurors failed to reach a verdict in April 2024 when Kenneth Skeens, 30, was tried on felony charges of false imprisonment and perjury and a single misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report. Skeens' retrial is scheduled through Friday in 2nd Judicial District Court before Judge Britt Baca. The New Mexico Department of Justice is prosecuting the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a weeklong trial last year, prosecutors argued that Skeens lacked the authority to forcibly remove Matthew McManus, then 53, from a Target as he struggled to make a purchase at a self-checkout register. Skeens was fired from the Albuquerque Police Department in February 2023 following an investigation into the Aug. 19, 2022, incident at the Target at Coors and Paseo del Norte NW. Jurors last year viewed a lengthy store security video showing McManus handling a pile of cash at a self-checkout register as he attempted to buy a blue Huffy bicycle at his side. The video showed Skeens make contact with McManus, then tell him "Albuquerque police, you are not free to leave," and begin gathering up McManus' cash. Skeens and a second officer then physically removed McManus from the store and forced him to sit on a curb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A central issue in the first trial was whether Skeens had authorization from Target's loss-prevention officer to remove McManus from the store and issue a criminal trespass notice, which essentially prohibits someone from entering a store or face arrest. A police officer must have permission from store management to issue a criminal trespass notice, witnesses testified. Skeens testified in his own defense that he believed Target's loss-prevention officer had given him authorization to make contact with McManus. Skeens also testified that he had reason to believe that McManus was attempting to steal the bicycle. Assistant Attorney General John Duran told jurors last year in closing arguments that Skeens asked 11 times for permission to make contact with McManus before the loss-prevention officer told Skeens, "Ok, you can make contact." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Skeens' attorney, John D'Amato, told jurors that police officers are obligated to remove anyone a store owner wants removed and are authorized to issue the person a criminal trespass notice. McManus was charged in August 2022 with misdemeanor charges of resisting, evading or obstructing an officer and concealing identity but the charges later were dismissed, court records show. Skeens wrote in a criminal complaint that McManus refused to leave the store and had to be escorted out by officers. McManus also refused to identify himself to officers, the complaint said. McManus, now 56, was charged in May 2024 with aggravated assault for allegedly throwing rocks at trailers in the 9000 block of Zuni SE, court records show. A Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court judge in December ordered an evaluation to determine McManus' competency to stand trial in that case. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) A trial for a Sioux City woman accused of killing her own mother started Monday morning in the Woodbury County Courthouse. Neighbors of the women and investigating officers were among those to take the stand. Angela Bino has pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge. She and her daughter Jessica are accused in the Oct. 2023 death of Suzette Occhibone, 77. The pair is accused of attacking the women inside an apartment that the three lived in together. During testimony on the trials first day, neighbor Oscar Alvarez testified to hearing loud noises and fighting coming from the next door apartment rented by the three women. He also gave his thoughts on seeing Bino and her daughter carry a box to their car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What did you say when you saw the strands of hair and the fingers? asked Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis. Cherokee man accused of killing infant will have trial moved to Woodbury County No. I was scared, I was in shock. I said no, Im going to go inside and call the police because they could kill us too, Alvarez said through a translator from the witness stand. The trial is being heard by District Court Judge Tod Deck instead of a jury. Much of Mondays testimony involved an online Spanish interpreter. The trail continues Tuesday. The murder trial of Jessica Bino ended in January, though a judge has yet to issue a verdict. 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. A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit seeking to overturn regulations for achieving energy reductions in large buildings, finding the plaintiffs' allegations about their injuries were too vague to sustain their legal challenge. Industry groups representing Colorado's apartment owners, hotel operators and real estate developers sued the state and the City and County of Denver in April 2024. They took issue with two related programs designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions or otherwise reduce the energy usage of large buildings: Energize Denver, whose performance goals were enacted in 2021, and Regulation 28, the state's emissions benchmarks. In each instance, the plaintiff groups alleged the only way many of their member buildings could achieve compliance was to replace items like washing machines or furnaces with ones that are more energy efficient than federal standards. That unwritten mandate, they argued, violated the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, in which federal energy efficiency regulations for "covered products" override state regulations. However, U.S. District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez found a fatal flaw with the plaintiffs' complaint. Even though multiple industry executives submitted statements about the significant costs of compliance, there were no specific allegations why any member building necessarily had to replace federally covered products and appliances. The plaintiffs "do not allege how they determined that the only way to comply is to install Covered Products that exceed (federal) efficiency standards. Indeed, Plaintiffs concede there are multiple compliance pathways," she wrote, "but neither the Complaint nor the Declarations identify the chosen compliance pathways for any individual building." She added in her March 28 order that the underlying case presented the "as yet unanswered" question of whether federal law for covered products overrides state and local regulations that affect building emissions holistically. But Rodriguez did not resolve that question because none of the industry groups had pointed to a specific building that could only comply with the programs by replacing covered products. Rodriguez dismissed the plaintiffs' claims without prejudice, meaning the industry groups have 21 days to file a new complaint addressing the deficiencies she identified. Regulation 28, which came in response to a 2021 state law, generally requires owners of buildings larger than 50,000 square feet to reduce energy usage or greenhouse gas emissions by 20% in 2030, compared to 2021 levels. Similarly, Energize Denver requires benchmarking and energy reduction for buildings mostly over 25,000 square feet, with a goal of achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 for existing buildings. Denver recently extended compliance deadlines as the motions to dismiss were pending. Featured Local Savings In their lawsuit, the industry associations alleged the "only feasible way for the vast majority of Covered Buildings to meet the energy reduction (or emissions goals) is to install electrified Covered Products that exceed federal" standards. The plaintiffs attached statements from numerous industry executives stating they will need to take action to become compliant, they will incur significant costs and they will expend thousands of dollars per building, if not hundreds of thousands. The defendants countered that one piece was missing: Any discussion of the federally covered products and appliances. "Plaintiffs specify no particular Plaintiff association member, no particular building, no particular Covered Product nor do they give any details, other than that the information came from energy audits, as to how they have determined that Energize Denver 'effectively' requires the installation of Overly Efficient Products," wrote the Denver City Attorney's Office. The defendants also questioned the plaintiffs' reliance on a recent decision out of the San Francisco-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which found a local energy ordinance in Berkeley violated the federal law for covered products. While Berkeley prohibited the installation of natural gas piping, "Energize Denver contains no express prohibition regarding any type of energy source," Denver wrote. Rodriguez agreed with the defendants that there needed to be some specifics backing up the assertion that buildings will have to satisfy an unwritten mandate by replacing covered products and appliances in order to comply with the programs. "Plaintiffs members do not allege they have spent any costs replacing any of their existing Covered Products with those that exceed the (federal) efficiency standards," she wrote. "Thus, Plaintiffs have failed to show that at least one of their members will suffer an injury." The case is Colorado Apartment Association et al. v. Ryan et al. Denver Gazette reporter Scott Weiser contributed to this article. April Fools' Day pranks come in all shapes and sizes, and on Tuesday Colorado businesses, county governments and even the governor himself pulled out the stops with some hilarious jokes. From a new portrait of Gov. Jared Polis hanging in the state capitol building to alpaca service up Peak 8 at Breckenridge to Red Rocks becoming Blue Rocks, April Fools' Day pranks made the city and state laugh on Tuesday. Manitou Incline Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services announced new plans to make the Manitou Incline more accessible with the addition of a new escalator in an epic April Fools' Day prank. By adding an escalator, alongside the legendary 2,768-step climb, views from the iconic staircase will be accessible to all to enjoy breathtaking views of the summit. Construction is "set to begin" next week and continue into 2026, although the city has said it will minimize disruptions to hikers, there will be some closures. Pikes Peak America's Mountain Perhaps one of the most iconic views in Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak made an announcement of a new discovery deep within Americas Mountain. According to their Facebook page, newly released geo-imaging data reveals what may be a vast man-made chamber buried beneath Pikes Peak. The symmetrical formation was said to span hundreds of feet below the surface and shows signs of advanced engineering unlike any known natural formation in the region. Downtown Colorado Springs Humpty Dumpty was helped off his wall in downtown Colorado Springs. With hundreds of complaints about the artistic statues in town, the city is removing all of the Humpty Dumpty sculptures beginning today, as part of a taxpayer-funded project. As part of the taxpayer-funded project, the bronze egg sculptures will be melted down and repurposed into something the public finds less disturbing. What will replace Humpty? Maybe a stack of pancakes, honoring the historic tradition of the Western Street Breakfast. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Ahead of their April 12th match with Monterey Bay F.C., the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC have announced a Massive Multi-Dollar Trade. The Switchbacks FC and Monterey Bay FC have reached an agreement to trade mascots in a league-shattering multi-dollar deal. Ziggy the mountain goat will be going to Monterey and Colorado Springs will be receiving Kelpie in the trade deal. Gov. Polis portrait Not everybody gets a portrait of themselves hung on the walls of their state capitol building, but Gov. Polis released a rendering of his new portrait hanging at 200 E. Colfax Ave. "No one likes an unflattering photo or painting of themselves, which is why I went in a different direction for my official portrait," Gov. Polis said in the post on X. "Im proud of the final product and want to thank the artists for their artistic vision, and personally feel that I have never looked better." Gov. Polis' new portrait depicted him as a South Park character wearing a light blue polo t-shirt with the Colorado 'C' emblem as the chest logo. Red Rocks becomes Blue Rocks Perhaps the most popular music venue in the United States, Red Rocks was renamed Blue Rocks on Tuesday, giving the massive sandstone monoliths a new color. "This year, Red Rocks is out and the iconic Blue Rocks is in," the City and County of Denver posted on X. An 'eco-friendly' dye was said to have been used to cover the rocks around the amphitheater to make them blue. Denver to study moving iconic art indoors Denver mayor Mike Johnston played an April Fools' Day joke by announcing the city wants to study moving iconic public art, including Mustang (aka Blucifer) and the Big Blue Bear inside for preservation. Featured Local Savings "After years of braving Colorado's unpredictable weather, city officials have launched a study to explore relocating two of Denver's most beloved art pieces," Mayor Johnston said on an Instagram post. "The effort, led by the Joint Operations for Keeping Exhibits Safe (JOKES) task force, will assess the impact of local weather patterns and consider climate-controlled alternatives." The mayor also said early proposals include moving the Big Blue Bear directly into the Colorado Convention Center and Mustang inside Denver International Airport. A final decision was expected April 1, 2026. Alpacas carry your gear to Peak 8 summit In Summit County Breckenridge Mountain offered up a new way to haul skiers' and riders' gear up Peak 8's ridgeline to the top. The resort introduced My Epic Alpaca, which would be new for the 2025-26 season. "Peak 8 Pacas will help take a load off so you can hike that boot pack fast and in style all the way to 13,000 ft," the resort's Instagram post said. "Epic Pass holders get 20% off and have access to the added benefit of Alpaca rides when conditions allow." Wanna be on a reality show? Fellow Summit County ski area Arapahoe Basin Ski Area took to Instagram on April Fools' Day with a casting call, asking coeds between 20-35 to register for a new reality series launching on a major online streaming service next year. "Were dropping a crew of young, hot, singles into the ultimate winter playground where the powders deep, the altitudes high and the tensions are even higher," the Instagram post said. "Were partnering with a major streaming service to show the world what makes us who we are." The ski area asked, "Do you want to be the face of A-Bay?" listing four qualifications it was looking for in applicants. Must be able to ski or ride intermediate or above terrain No acting experience required Comfortable with close quarters and limited privacy Will be assigned a role at the resort with other duties as assigned The ski area went as far as to create a link to register for the reality show. The Aspen Uniform is coming Deeper in Colorado's high country, Pitkin County posh ski resort Aspen/Snowmass posted that staff uniforms were seriously lacking flair. "Starting next season, every Aspen Snowmass employee will proudly sport The Aspen Uniform," the resort's Instagram post said. "Think faux fur everything. Goggles at night. Boots that may or may not be designed for actual snow. Functionality? Questionable. Fashion? Undeniable. Statement? Loud enough to echo from the Highland Bowl." The resort said it wants its guests to have a maximized experience from their employees from arrival to apres like "James Bond meets a snow leopard in a disco." Pet snowballs up for adoption Copper Mountain announced on Tuesday it is going to allow skiers and riders to adopt a pet snowball to bring good luck for the 2025-26 season. "Meet Copper Mountains Pet Snowballs," the resort said on an Instagram post. "These frosty friends are here to add some extra magic & companionship to your life. No feeding, no walking, just keep em cool." About Pet Snowballs: No feeding necessary: They only eat snow. No walks required: They're already perfectly content staying in the snow. Perfect for snowball fights: They're basically the ninja warriors of snow. Won't ever bark or meow: They're just there for the chill vibes. The resort said the pet snowballs will only be available until May 11 (coincidently the resort's closing day), and that the pet snowballs won't last (literally). DIA to hire a Mustang Handler Denver International Airport needs a Handler for Mustang, aka, Bluecifer. The 6th busiest airport in the world posted Tuesday for April Fools' Day a job posting on social media platform X. "We're looking for someone to keep our blue-tiful boy in top shape, from his sparkling blue shine to those glowing red eyes," the airport said. "Head to http://flydenver.com/handler to apply." DIA gave information regarding the job, including the salary, job description and duties associated with the role. Job Description: Denver International Airport (DEN) is looking to hire a Mustang Handler who will be tasked with keeping our blue horse in pristine condition. From maintaining his signature sparkling blue shine to ensuring his glowing red eyes are always at their brightest, we are looking for a multi-talented individual willing to commit time and effort to ensure Mustangs self-care routine is being followed. Salary: $60,000 $85,000, depending on experience. Some of the job skills required for the preferred candidate: Must be knowledgeable about horses Must not be easily spooked Flexible schedule (weekdays, weekends, or evenings) Comfortable being on a ladder, lift or crane, with no fear of heights Able to stand for long periods of time Must be photogenic and comfortable having your picture taken Strong photo and video skills to take photos of visitors Confident speaking in front of a group with great storytelling skills Ability to identify brands of airlines and types of airplanes Location: In this position you can expect to work in-person at Denver International Airport (DEN) five days a week. While President Trump has previously praised Putin, he said he was pissed off at the Russian president this week for seemingly slow-walking a possible peace deal by suggesting a UN-run transitional government be installed in Ukraine. While its unclear whether his recent comments mark a change in tone on Russia, one expert said Trump is threatening Russia and cornering Putin to try to reach a peace deal immediately. Despite fostering a cordial relationship with Vladimir Putin since his reelection, Trump changed his tone this week, saying he was angry at the Russian president for comments that were not going in the right location on Ukraine. Trump told NBC News he was pissed off after Putin reportedly said Russia would finish off Ukraines troops and that a UN-run transitional government should be installed that would remove President Zelensky from power, according to AFP. In response, Trump threatened to impose secondary tariffs of up to 50% on all countries that import Russian oila move that would likely cripple the countrys government revenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russias faultwhich it might not bebut if I think it was Russias fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia, he told NBC. It's unclear whether Trumps recent comments mark a change in tone on Russia given his previous comments praising Putin and recent U.S. policy actions, said Carnegie Mellon University public policy professor Sarah Mendelson. In February, the U.S. stunned allies in Europe when it twice sided with Russia in voting against a resolution drafted by European leaders condemning Russias actions and advocating for an independent Ukraine. Yet, Putins suggestion that a UN-run transitional government be installed in Ukraine clearly has ulterior motives. Who knows how serious he is about a UN mandate, but he probably imagines that maybe he could manipulate a UN mandate. If it were a NATO peacekeeping force, he obviously wouldn't accept that, but he also couldn't manipulate it, Mendelson told Fortune. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, one expert says Trumps sudden rebuke of Putin shows he's serious about striking a peace deal in the near term. Last month, Trump berated Zelensky in the Oval Office in part because he was reportedly pushing back against U.S. conditions for a peace deal. But Trumps most recent comments about Putin and his threat of imposing secondary tariffs, a threat never wielded by the Biden administration, shows he is playing both sides and pressuring Putin to stop slow-walking a possible peace deal, said BCA Research chief strategist Marko Papic. Trump is basically saying, I blew up at Zelensky in my office about this very same thing, Im going to blow up at you [Putin] as well. I want peace right now, Papic told Fortune. Trumps secondary tariffs of up to 50% on Russian oil would essentially eliminate half of the countrys government revenue as companies, especially in India and China, look for other sources of crude, said Papic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While this move will raise oil prices internationally, as more countries and companies compete for the same non-sanctioned crude as before, Papic added that Trump is willing to allow a short-term price hike for oil above $100 per barrel, from its current $75. I think Trump can very comfortably cause a lot of geopolitical risks to risesee oil prices go north of $100 in the interest of putting those geopolitical risks to bed permanently and then focus on getting more supply on the market, Papic said. A forever war would not benefit the West or Ukraine, and ensuring Ukraine remains an independent state, even with vast areas of its territory ceded to Russia, is a U.S. priority, Papic said. Despite Putins ambition of conquering the entirety of Ukraine, and particularly the politically significant Donbas region, he is likely to cave and agree to a peace deal given Trumps serious threats, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My view here is that Putin will have to back down and accept the borders as they are, which is already as good of a deal as he's ever going to get, Papic said. I think that he's starting to realize very, very clearly how focused Trump is on the deadline and the timelinehe really wants this over right now. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered New York prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter. Luigi Mangiones murder of Brian Thompson an innocent man and father of two young children was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America, Bondi wrote in a statement on Tuesday. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trumps agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again. Mangione was charged with first-degree murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism by state prosecutors. He has pleaded not guilty to all state charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mangione has a history of severe back pain and noted in an alleged manifesto that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world but ranks #42 in life expectancy. United [Healthcare] is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart. It has grown and grown, but [h]as our life expectancy? No the reality is, these [indecipherable] have simply gotten too powerful, and they continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allowed them to get away with it, he wrote. The U.S. actually ranks even lower in life expectancy at sixtieth in the world. It is by far the most expensive. A jury trial date has not been set. This story has been updated. One person was displaced in an apartment fire early Tuesday morning at the Santa Fe Apartments at 1224 Delaware Drive off North Academy Boulevard, according to a social media post by the Colorado Springs Fire Department. Crews responded to the fire around 4:45 a.m. and had it knocked down in less than 10 minutes. Surrounding roads were closed and the building was evacuated while firefighters and multiple fire vehicles extinguished the blaze. They said one minor injury was reported and they were treated on scene. Crews say the cause is under investigation. Colorado Springs police are asking for help in finding missing 14-year-old Ethan Rogers, who was last seen walking south from 2121 East La Salle St. by Constitution Avenue in Colorado Springs. Police say Rogers is about 5-foot-4-inches and 140 pounds. He was last seen wearing a navy-blue T-shirt and black sweatpants. If anyone has seen or knows of Rogers' location, call Colorado Springs police at 719-444-7000. Residents of the United States who arent citizens and even some who are have become increasingly worried about traveling abroad under the Trump administration. The number of enforcement actions carried out by Customs and Border Protection so far this year is lower than prior years, according to CBP statistics posted online. But disturbing reports of people being shackled, detained and threatened with deportation, some of whom have permanent residency and some without due process, have raised global concern. Several countries, including Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom, have issued travel advisories for the U.S., with warnings of potential detention, arrest or denied entry at U.S. border points. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. colleges also have advised international students against leaving the country due to the risk of deportation when they try to return. Secretary of State Marco Rubio estimated Thursday that at least 300 foreign students have had their visas revoked in relation to their alleged involvement in political protests. People wait to speak to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in San Diego. Several countries have issued warnings to its citizens of potential detention, arrest or denied entry at U.S. border points. Bloomberg via Getty Images Theyre sensational cases and they should be, immigration attorney Richard Herman with Herman Legal Group told HuffPost of such reported instances, which include people being imprisoned in detention centers for weeks and pressured to relinquish their green cards by border guards. I think the administration is trying to make an example out of them. HuffPost spoke with three immigration attorneys about the risks of traveling right now as a non-U.S. citizen. Heres their advice on what to do and what not to do. Whats Happening Right Now? Trump terminated past catch-and-release policies upon taking office, with U.S. border agents instructed to instead detain anyone found violating immigration laws and hold them until they are removed from the U.S. The goal is to not only prevent illegal entry but to deter it, according to the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This has resulted in people being detained for hours to weeks, if not indefinitely, while awaiting court hearings. Some permanent residents, or so-called green card holders, also have been threatened with deportation for political activism and past nonviolent offenses, including DUI, according to their loved ones. Understand that when they go in detention, theyre not getting out. Theyre sitting there and theyre being pushed out of the country, said attorney Robert Sichta with the Council on American-Islamic Relations Florida chapter. The Trump administration is expected to unveil a travel ban targeting as many as 43 countries in the coming days. The ban, a draft of which was obtained by The New York Times, would flatly bar citizens from 11 countries from entering the U.S. People with permanent residency in the U.S., so-called green card holders, have been detained, threatened with deportation, and pressured to relinquish their permanent residency upon returning to the U.S. from abroad, attorneys say. picture alliance via Getty Images U.S. visa holders with passports from any of those countries could consequently be denied reentry if they are out of the U.S. when the travel ban goes into effect, warned Sichta. What Travelers Could Expect At Checkpoints Travelers arriving through border security may be taken in for secondary questioning if officers have any uncertainty about the individual. This questioning could last minutes to hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Non-U.S. citizen do not have the right to an attorney while being questioned about their immigration status at the border, though attorney David Nachman with the Nachman Phulwani Zimovcak Law Group in New Jersey, told HuffPost that there have been instances where an officer allowed his client to call him for help. Phones, electronics and any other belongings may be searched and even confiscated. Though border control cant stop Americans from reentering the U.S., their electronics can be searched and confiscated, Herman said. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection sign is seen in Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. NurPhoto via Getty Images What Could Possibly Go Wrong? A traveler could have a spotless record and all the paperwork needed for reentry, but the final say comes down to the border officer conducting the review. That officer could misinterpret information found on a travelers phone, including in photos, social media posts, emails or text messages. Such information could be discussions about future work plans or political protests, whether the information is about the individual or not, Nachman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We cant get into the heads of what these officers are thinking, he said. They are allowed to use discretion, or theyre allowed to interpret whatever the policy was the way they would interpret it. This can result in mistakes, especially if the border officer is not properly educated on the rules, which both Nachman and Herman said they have experienced. While they do deserve a great deal of respect because our nations security is first and foremost, you have to understand that they are not receiving the salary levels where they are going to go home and take the books and really learn the rules, so theyre really flying by the seat of their pants, Nachman said. He recalled one recent incident where a client of his returning to the U.S. from Dubai was stopped and told that she didnt have the correct paperwork. The officer fortunately allowed her to call his cellphone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officer started telling me what was missing, and I said to the officer, I hate to tell you, but the stuff youre asking her, she didnt need to have, he said. I had to educate the officer on what it was that he really needed to see in order to permit her to enter. Those who are denied entry with a tourist visa likely would just be sent back to their country of origin. Those with other kinds of visas, like student or work visas, could be sent back and instructed to obtain additional paperwork before trying again, which can be an extremely lengthy, costly and tedious process, Herman said. I have some clients who have been denied for weeks waiting for visas to be issued and they cant get back into the U.S., he said. Some green card holders have been pressured by border officers to sign an I-407 form if they have stayed outside the U.S. for more than six months. Signing this form relinquishes their permanent residency, Nachman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do not sign anything, and demand to see an immigration judge if pressured to do so, the attorneys said. Stand your ground and explain to the officers that you understand the rules and the rules are that only an immigration judge can take away the green card, Nachman said. If You Must Travel Travelers are advised to seek legal counsel before leaving the U.S. if there are any questions or concerns about being detained during reentry. Such concerns could relate to a prior arrest, their name being similar to someone elses, a paperwork issue such as a passport having an incorrect date or misspelled name or their country of origin being on Trumps proposed travel ban. If theres any ambiguity, seek legal counsel before going, Herman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys will go over travelers information and prepare personalized documents for them to carry should issues arise. Nachman said he also requests clients itineraries and for them to text him before and after they go through border checkpoints so he is on standby to help. If you obtain legal aid, ask a friend or loved one whos on the ground nearby to reach out to you within a certain time of you reaching a border checkpoint to ensure you got through securely, Sichta advised. Herman said he hopes that the information he supplies clients before their travel could serve as a kind of virtual representation since he cant otherwise be there if something goes wrong. I couldnt be physically there, even if they paid me, he said. But they could have virtual representation, in terms of, Hey this is what the lawyers are saying. We would hope that if they go into secondary inspection then that packet could be used and shown to a supervisor and the supervisor could intervene. Say, OK the lawyer is saying this and this. This looks legitimate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys also recommend leaving electronics at home, carrying a secondary cold phone that contains no personal information or even mailing a clean phone to yourself at your final destination to avoid potential issues. Is it a pain and expensive? Yes. Whats worth more: Having to get you out of jail or having to get a new phone? Sichta said. He also recommended turning off the facial recognition feature that unlocks the phone so it cant be opened without the users consent. Lock that phone, even if its a cold phone. Let them have it if youre a green card holder but know that you dont have anything in there thats going to harm you anyway, he said. The Short Advice Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen should avoid nonessential travel right now. This includes permanent residents, or so-called green card holders, the attorneys said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im telling my clients, you cannot put your families through this, or yourself. Do not go, Sichta said. Thats the bottom line, because the border is very volatile right now, Herman said. If you want to reduce the risk of having your visa revoked at the border or encountering problems, if you want to reduce that risk 100%, dont travel, Nachman said. If A Problem Arises Reach out to an attorney for help. Organizations like CAIR can help provide legal representation for clients with lower financial means. Those who dont qualify can still be referred to an accredited lawyer. If nothing else, we take pride in getting them into good hands, Sichta said. A list of pro bono (free) legal service providers also can be found here on the Justice Departments website. If you feel like your civil rights, or the rights of someone else, have been violated by a U.S. Border Patrol officer, complaints can be filed with the Department of Homeland Security. Anyone searching for a missing loved one after they passed through border security can search the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements database of detainees. The website lists those who are currently in custody or who have been in CBPs custody for more than 48 hours. If the individual cannot be found there, contact an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field office. Related... April 1 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump wants to require voters to prove their citizenship in future elections but experts say that is outside of his authority. The president signed an executive order last week to make changes to the U.S. election system, including a proof-of-citizenship requirement. According to Trump, the goal is to end election fraud. The executive order directs the Election Assistance Commission to require voters to provide government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. Documents that meet the criteria include a U.S. passport, a REAL ID that indicates citizenship, an official military identification card or a valid federal or state government-issued photo I.D. that indicates citizenship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. attorney general is directed to prioritize prosecuting crimes related to non-citizen voting. Ballots received after Election Day are not to be counted. How voters are affected Voters cast their ballots in the 2024 Presidential Election on Election Day at the Robious Elementary School in Midlothian, Va., on Nov. 5. President Donald Trump wants to require voters to prove their citizenship in future elections but experts say that is outside of his authority. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Trump's executive order aims to curb voting from ineligible people, including noncitizens. Arizona enacted a proof-of-citizenship requirement in 2022. Last year the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it does not apply to federal elections because it would violate the U.S. Constitution. In February, the 9th Circuit of Appeals ruled the state's proof-of-citizenship laws are a voter suppression measure. "If a state adopts proof of citizenship, there are definitely thousands, if not tens of thousands of people in the state that will not have access to the required documents in a timely way," Bob Brandon, founder of the Fair Elections Center, told UPI. "That means otherwise eligible people would not be able to vote." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Noncitizen voting has been banned in the United States for more than 100 years. It is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and can result in deportation. Noncitizen voting is also rare. Last week, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced the results of the state's audit of the 2024 general election. It found that out of 1.67 million votes cast, 35 were cast by noncitizens. A 2022 report by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said there were 1,634 cases of potential noncitizens registering to vote between 1997 and 2022. The registrants were blocked from voting due to Georgia's citizenship check law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The American Civil Liberties Union responded to the order, warning that it could "upend elections and disenfranchise millions of eligible voters." Adriel I. Cepeda Derieux, deputy director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, told UPI a proof-of-citizenship requirement will make it harder for millions of otherwise eligible voters to cast ballots. "It would increase the burdens on everyday Americans to be able to register so they can have a voice in their elections and their government," Cepeda Derieux said. "It would do that for very little benefit. It is shown and known that the kind of problem that this order claims to be targeting is just something we have not seen." Less than half of U.S. citizens had a valid passport in 2023 with 160.7 million in circulation. About 53% of Americans have REAL ID compliant identification. These do not automatically prove citizenship alone as non-citizen residents such as lawful permanent residents and visa holders may obtain a REAL ID. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington issue Enhanced Driver's Licenses. These identification cards work as proof of citizenship. Dianne Pinderhughes, professor of Africana studies and political science at Notre Dame, told UPI that the voting requirements in most states and the penalties for non-citizen voting are effective ways to deter ineligible votes from being cast. Increasing the burden for proving eligibility will make it harder for some groups of people to cast votes, such as the elderly, disabled, people in rural areas and the lower-income voters. "Voting is not an easy thing to do in the United States," Pinderhughes said. "Since the 1960s, there's been broader representation and incorporation of people of color into the political system. President Trump's positions have been to try to undermine, weaken or withdraw all the assumptions we've been operating under for basically the last 50 years. He's tightening requirements for ordinary participation, as if there's something wrong with walking into a voting site and voting." "The goal is to prove that you're not to be verified as a routine participant in American politics," she added. A president's role in elections Much of the executive order is unlawful, according to Justin Levitt, a constitutional law professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Levitt served as a deputy assistant attorney general in the civil rights division of the Justice Department under President Joe Biden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're used to seeing this president take pretty big swings. He's taken some pretty big swings in areas where he's got unquestioned authority," Levitt told UPI. "Areas like immigration, commerce, tariffs, he has an awful lot of authority, both constitutional and statutory." "When it comes to any elections, frankly, the president has extremely little power," he added. The rules around the administration of federal elections are shared by Congress and state legislatures, based on authority granted by the U.S. Constitution. States are charged with establishing the times, places and manner of holding elections while U.S. Congress may make changes to regulations. The Elections Clause of the Constitution has been interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court to say states also hold the authority to create and enforce code related to preventing fraud and corrupt election practices. States may not pass or enforce laws that go beyond protecting the integrity of elections and "disadvantage a particular class of candidates." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Election Assistance Commission is established by Congress to be an independent and bipartisan commission that aids elections officials in improving U.S. elections. It is meant to be independent from influence by the president. "The president purporting to direct them is lawfully no more than a suggestion," Levitt said. Trump's executive order says that mail-in ballots received after Election Day cannot be included in final vote counts. This includes ballots that are postmarked before Election Day but not received until after. More than a dozen states permit mail-in ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked before Election Day and received within one to 14 days of the election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republican National Committee challenged a statute in the state of Mississippi that allows absentee ballots to be counted if they are received up to five days after Election Day. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal statute preempts Mississippi's statute and ballots must be received by the end of Election Day. In March, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request to rehear the case. SAVE Act Congress is also discussing legislation to require proof of citizenship to vote. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, introduced last year, would require voters to provide identification that is in compliance with the REAL ID Act of 2005. This includes a passport, military identification or a government-issued photo ID card that shows their place of birth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is overlap between the president's executive order and the SAVE Act but they have some key differences. The executive order applies to federal voter registration. The SAVE Act applies to state voter registration and federal voter registration. The SAVE Act explicitly says a birth certificate is a compliant form of proving citizenship though it must be provided with other forms of identification. The executive order does not explicitly mention birth certificates. "Both impose similarly grave and illegal barriers to voting, including: requiring terrifically hard to obtain forms of proof of citizenship to register to vote, essentially ending online and mail voter registration, making it very burdensome for those in rural communities and those with disabilities to vote," Cepeda Derieux said. "This is unlawful, even if Congress were doing it. What is incredibly clear is that the president can't do this." Colorado Springs police confirmed the death of one person in an officer-involved shooting downtown in the parking lot across from the post office Monday afternoon. More than a dozen police department vehicles were seen around Nevada and Pikes Peak avenues around 3 p.m., including an ambulance and firetruck in the parking lot to the north of the post office. Colorado Springs police report being notified of a situation in the parking lot at 2:21 p.m. Monday. Dispatch received a call about an adult male breaking into vehicles and threatening community members with a firearm, said Caitlin Ford, CSPD public communications specialist, at a news conference Monday. There were only two officers here at first, and they were kind of like hiding behind a car, said Jerod Godfrey, who says he was in the area when police arrived. My buddy was next to them and he was like, Hey Jerod, you cant come to the car, theres a guy with a gun. Officers tried to approach the suspect, who was in a vehicle, and take him into custody, Ford said. The man then left the vehicle with a gun and an officer fired at least one shot, hitting him. Officers administered emergency medical aid until medical personnel arrived on scene, at which point the man was declared dead, Ford said. Nobody else was injured in the incident and police recovered a firearm on-scene. Featured Local Savings Godfrey added that he heard shouting and multiple gunshots while the situation was unfolding. I just hid behind that car because I was like, Im not risking my bloodline. No stray bullets can get me, Godfrey said. Police said streets in the area were expected to be closed for the next several hours, possibly up to eight hours, while the investigation continues. In accordance with state law, the El Paso County Sheriffs Office will be investigating the officer-involved shooting. After the investigation into the officers use of force is completed, it will be sent to the 4th Judicial District Attorneys Office to determine if the officers use of force was in compliance with Colorado law. State law and city policy also compels the department to release pertinent officer body camera footage from the incident, within 21 days. The incident was the third officer-involved shooting involving Colorado Springs police in 2025. The Trump administration has admitted that it mistakenly deported a man to a notorious prison in El Salvador due to an administrative error, despite the governments repeated insistence that there were no errors in their flight determinations. A sworn statement filed late Tuesday from a top Immigration and Customs official said that the removal of Kilmer Armado Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorean national, had been the result of an administrative error. In 2019, Abrego Garcia was arrested, and although he was not charged with anything, he was served a notice to appear at removal proceedings. At the time, Abrego Garcia was denied bond because a confidential informant advised that he was a member of MS-13, according to the filing. No actual evidence of Abrego Garcias gang membership was provided. He was not, as Vice President JD Vance suggested on X, a convicted member of MS-13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abrego Garcia then filed an I-589 application for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture. He had come to the U.S. in 2011, fleeing threats of gang violence at the age of 16, according to The Atlantic. Although he was found to be removable, the immigration judge granted him a withholding of removal, a protected legal status meaning he could not be deported to El Salvador, where he would likely become a target for gang violence. Abrego Garcia was released from custody and has been living in Maryland with his wife and 5-year-old child, who is disabled. He and his wife work full-time to support their family. Robert Cerna, an acting field office director at the Harlingnen Field Office in Texas, where the flights ferrying 261 alleged gang members to El Salvador were staged, said in a statement that Abrego Garcia should not have been included in the flight manifest and that ICE was well aware of the hold on his removal, as it was referred to on internal forms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, Abrego Garcia was included as an alternate for removal, Cerna said. As others were removed from the flight for various reasons, he moved up the list and was assigned to the flight. The manifest did not indicate that Abrego Garcia should not be removed. Through administrative error, Abrego-Garcia was removed from the United States to El Salvador. This was an oversight, and the removal was carried out in good faith based on the existence of a final order of removal and Abrego-Garcias purported membership in MS-13. A judge denied his familys request for an injunction because the U.S. no longer has custody of Abrego Garcia, who now wrongfully sits in Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, or CECOT, a Salvadoran prison notorious for human rights abuses. Vance went on the defensive Tuesday morning, repeatedly claiming in posts on X that an immigration judge had determined that Abrego Garcia was a gang member, but again he got his facts wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, an Immigration Judge (under the Biden administration) determined that the deported man was, in fact, a member of the MS-13 gang, Vance wrote, apparently forgetting that Donald Trump, not Joe Biden, was president from 2016 to 2021. He also apparently had multiple traffic violations for which he failed to appear in court. A real winner, Vance continued, as if that somehow made Abrego Garcia a worthy candidate for torture and gang violence. OTTAWA Donald Trump has defined the terms of Canadas federal election, and the next test will be how the candidates hoping to be Canadas next prime minister respond to the presidents Liberation Day tariffs. A snap election in the middle of a trade war is underway. On Wednesday, Trump is expected to introduce 25 percent tariffs on automobiles, as well as so-called reciprocal tariffs. The threat to Canada makes the 2025 election the most consequential, single-issue, foreign-facing Canadian ballot since the 1988 campaign over the countrys decision to sign a free trade deal with the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mark Carney, who replaced former Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on March 14, has already overcome a massive hurdle: He achieved a peaceful first contact with the president without being abused or ridiculed. Meanwhile, since Trump's return to the White House, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has been bedeviled by lingering associations between his right-wing base and MAGA loyalists. Carney and Trump held their first phone call last Friday, amid warnings the new leader should avoid an in-person White House visit to remove the risk of a devastating photo-op akin to what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy endured in February. I don't think it's in anybody's interest in Canada to get Zelenskyy-ed, Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association of Canada told POLITICO. Now, in Week 2 of the campaign, Carney, Poilievre and Canada are bracing for the runaway freight train of Trumps tariffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canadas next prime minister will become Trumps political foil at a time when Canadas economic future and its status as a sovereign country are at stake. Canadians realize this, too; they have become defiant flag-waving nationalists, who are boycotting American products and canceling travel to the U.S. at record levels. These are not ordinary times. We are facing the biggest crisis of our lifetime, Carney said Monday in Vaughan, Ontario, as he announced plans to build 500,000 affordable homes annually, evoking the post-World War II effort that was launched to shelter a generation of returning Canadian war veterans. As I made clear to the president in our call last week, I will reject all attempts to weaken Canada, to wear us down, to break us so that America can own us, he said a line hes repeated since the start of the campaign. When Trumps auto sector tariff resurfaced last week, Carney paused his campaign and returned to Ottawa to convene meetings with his Cabinet and Canadas provincial premiers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Trumps tariffs land, he will again leave the campaign to respond to Washington in the role of Canadas prime minister something that for now Poilievre can only aspire to be. On the stump, Poilievre talks repeatedly about a lost Liberal decade arguing that although Carney is a new leader, hes far from a change candidate. Trump trolled Trudeau repeatedly during his final weeks in power, energizing Poilievres base, more than one-quarter of which has a favorable opinion of Trump, according to a recent poll. That, I think, explains why Donald Trump keeps endorsing Mark Carney. He keeps giving Carney support, Poilievre said Tuesday in Newfoundland, adding that Liberal policies have made our economy more weak and reliant on the Americans than ever. Poilievres Conservatives held a double-digit lead in the polls earlier this year until Trudeau stepped down and the Liberal Party elected Carney their leader. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, the candidates woke up to the latest example of the shifting political landscape, encapsulated by one leading pollster showing the Liberals leading the Conservatives by a 43.6-to-36.1 percent margin. Kory Teneycke, a veteran Conservative strategist, told a podcast Monday that this could be the most important week of the campaign. Tariffs are coming on Wednesday, and we've gotten some very mixed messages coming out of the Trump administration as to what that looks like, he said. Teneycke also noted the more positive comments coming from Trump after the call with Carney. Canadian punditry spent the weekend parsing Carneys long-awaited phone call with Trump. Carney had made it clear he wasnt interested in talking to Trump unless the president showed respect for Canadian sovereignty, after months of referring to Trudeau as governor and Canada as the 51st state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a debrief with the media after the call, Carney reported that while Canada still faced Trumps tariffs, their conversation was constructive. The president respected Canada's sovereignty today, both in his private and public comments, Carney said. Trump posted on Truth Social that he and Carney agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canadas upcoming Election. An Ohio man without a concealed carry permit is accused of trying to bring a gun through the Pittsburgh International Airport. The Allegheny County police Department says TSA officers spotted the handgun within a passengers backpack at the main security checkpoint around 2 p.m. Monday. TSA officials say the gun was loaded, with one bullet in the chamber. Since the passenger, identified as Christopher Wells Jr., 30, didnt have a valid concealed carry permit, hes facing a felony charge on top of a possible federal fine for bringing the gun to a checkpoint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Passengers can travel with guns only in checked baggage if unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case. Then, the locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm on its website. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Latvia has committed to sending a further 1,500 combat drones as supplies to Ukraine's Armed Forces. Source: Latvia's Defence Minister Andris Spruds on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: On Tuesday 1 April, Spruds announced that Latvia will deliver a further 1,500 combat drones to Ukraine. Quote: "Two Latvian companies will provide Ukraine with a total of 12,000 drones worth 17 million as part of an international coalition of drones in the first half of this year," he added. Latvian supplies en route to Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Photo: Spruds on X For reference: The drone coalition, led by the United Kingdom and Latvia, was established in January 2024 to enhance Ukraine's unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities. Background: On 24 March, it was reported that the coalition had allocated 20 million from a joint fund to procure tactical-level reconnaissance drones for the Ukrainian defence forces. On 28 March, the Swedish government directed its Armed Forces to contribute funds to coalitions focused on mine clearance and unmanned aerial vehicles under the Ramstein support framework for Kyiv. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Ukraine received the text of the U.S.'s expanded deal on mineral resources on March 28 and carried out the first round of consultations with U.S. partners, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on April 1. "Ukraine was ready to sign the previously developed framework agreement. Now we have received a proposal for development and a new text of the agreement," Sybiha said at a press conference. "I confirm that we have begun consultations with the United States on the text of the agreement. Ukraine is determined to conclude a document that would meet the interests of both countries." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement confirms earlier comments made by the Kyiv Independent's source in the Presidential Office, who said that work on the deal is ongoing and that the first round of talks took place on March 28. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on March 30, U.S. President Donald Trump accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of wanting to back out of the deal and claimed Kyiv wants to link the agreement to NATO membership. "We are not tying (the minerals deal to NATO), it's a misunderstanding," the Kyiv Independent's source commented. According to Sybiha, Ukraine would benefit from the presence of U.S. businesses, as this would contribute to the country's security infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest version of the deal reportedly grants the U.S. unprecedented control over Ukraine's natural resources through a joint investment. The Trump administration has touted the minerals deal as an essential part of Ukraine's path to peace but has failed to offer concrete security guarantees in exchange for broad access to resources. Ukrainian media also reported that the agreement could contradict efforts to join the EU due to severe restrictions on Ukraine's economic sovereignty. Zelensky said he would not sign a deal endangering Ukraine's EU accession. Kyiv and Washington were set to sign an earlier version of the agreement on Feb. 28, but the plan fell apart after a heated Oval Office dispute between Zelensky, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance. Read also: What Russia really wants from the Black Sea ceasefire deal Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter. When Ed Miliband returned to the shadow cabinet to join Sir Keir Starmers team in April 2020, he was still getting over Labours general election loss five years earlier. The man memorably labelled Red Ed by the Conservatives had been out of the frame since the aftermath of the 2015 vote, relegated to the back benches to watch the rise of Jeremy Corbyn. He described his final years leading Labour memorialised in a photograph of him eating a bacon sandwich during the 2014 local elections as quite traumatic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now his return to the front bench, having been appointed as Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary last year, has put Starmer in an awkward position. On the one hand, the danger represented by the Doncaster North MP is far removed from the threat posed by younger thrusters such as Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner, who are considered leading contenders to replace their boss when the time comes. Hes a man who isnt ever expected to wield the knife, because hes done the job before and was found wanting, says John Curtice, a professor of politics at Strathclyde University and a respected pollster. If Starmer was to go tomorrow, we could identify some people who would be somewhat more likely to be leader than Ed Miliband. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As ever with members of the Cabinet at any one time, there are some whispers in Whitehall that Miliband would still fight again for the leadership, but even his closest allies are unsure it would be worth it. In the meantime, however, his position in the Cabinet carries a danger of a different kind. Miliband has become a Marmite figure both because of the radical policies he pursued while Labour leader and his championing of a net zero agenda that polls show is becoming increasingly unpopular with the public. Unhelpfully, he carries the baggage of an embarrassing general election loss, after a campaign in which the Conservative Party had successfully portrayed him as a dangerous socialist or in the pocket (quite literally) of the SNP. A Conservative Party election poster from 2015 showing Ed Miliband in the pocket of Alex Salmond Now, he has the challenge of selling one of the most difficult policy areas, net zero, which surveys show is popular with Labour members but increasingly problematic when it comes to the general public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While voters might support the idea of reaching net zero emissions in principle, they are loath to make the lifestyle changes Miliband has championed, including the installation of heat pumps to replace their gas boilers and inconvenient low-range electric vehicles instead of petrol and diesel cars. On March 21, Miliband insisted that the Government was absolutely up for the fight over net zero. But the extent to which Starmer and Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, will remain in the trenches with him is in doubt. The most recent recommendations of the Climate Change Committee, the Governments official adviser on net zero, were that the public should cut back on the equivalent of two doner kebabs worth of meat each week to help the country reach its target. Even Starmer, a pescatarian who has always signed up to the net zero target, rejected the latest advice, saying that achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2050 does not mean telling people how to run their lives. But there was no such attempt by Miliband to distance himself from the recommendations. Miliband and Keir Starmer on a boat trip on the River Tees last April - Getty The data show that the public would tend to agree with the Prime Minister. A recent poll, by Freshwater Strategy, found that 70 per cent of the public would rather the Government prioritise economic growth a matter seen more as the business of politicians over achieving net zero. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starmer and his top team have undergone something of a conversion when it comes to net zero, championing the kind of pragmatism advocated by Rishi Sunak in response to the cost-of-living crisis. Labours manifesto was underpinned by what advisers saw as a new form of industrial strategy, focused on using clean energy to help boost economic growth. Milibands National Wealth Fund, which he personally drove into the manifesto, was one of the campaigns main announcements. Nine months on, with the growth forecast slashed in half, the Treasury is becoming increasingly sceptical about any net zero policies that could have an impact on economic growth. I think reality is hitting home, says Graham Stringer, a veteran Labour backbencher and net zero sceptic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once a pariah on the Labour benches, Stringer is finding himself aligned more closely than ever with parts of the Government particularly advisers working on economic policy. The tight financial situation means people in the Treasury and people elsewhere are realising we cannot carry on with net zero, he says. We need to have policies that reduce the cost of energy, before we have no industry left. Net zero battle scars The same trade-off has long been an issue for Westminsters political operators. Former Tory net zero advisers have battle scars from trying to persuade the public of the merits of the policy during the Johnson and Sunak administrations. After Sunak had created a stand-alone energy and net zero ministry in February 2023, he appointed two of his closest allies in quick succession to run it first Grant Shapps, then Claire Coutinho, who was special adviser to Sunak during his time as chief secretary to the Treasury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contrast that with the role of Miliband, who has gravitas and respect within the party but lacks the close relationship that Shapps and Coutinho had with Downing Street. When he objected to the idea of the Heathrow expansion, he was overruled. His concerns about delaying electric vehicle mandates have fallen on deaf ears in Downing Street. He has installed a heat pump in his own north London home, but few others have followed suit. When the Government needs a minister to go and defend Starmer on television, Miliband is almost never chosen. With that in mind, the Energy Secretary is one of the most obvious candidates for a demotion at the next Cabinet reshuffle. But despite the best work of some mischief-making government advisers, no one in Westminster really expects him to leave unless he resigns on his own terms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vasil Lazarov, a pollster at Survation, has been running a Cabinet favourability survey directed only at Labour members. The results, published for the first time in March in the house journal LabourList, found that Miliband is the most popular member of the Government, alongside Rayner. Reeves, who is relied upon the most by Starmer, came last. Cabinet favourability questions tend to be decided partly by favourability, but also by name recognition, says Lazarov. Miliband is obviously known by most of the membership, which helps his figures. In other words, Miliband has something that few voters ever anticipated when they watched him on the 2015 campaign trail, memorably telling Jeremy Paxman: Hell yes, Im tough enough. He has star quality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a former leader, Miliband is much less popular than Sir Tony Blair, or even Corbyn, but he has a long association with the party that most of the Cabinet lack. One way you can interpret it is that, compared to the current Cabinet, he is doing quite well, but compared to past leadership he is not doing that well, says Lazarov. Nationally, 96 per cent of people know who Miliband is, according to a YouGov survey from January, in which he was given a popularity rating of 22 per cent one point behind Rayner, who was recognised by only 80 per cent of the public. But even at the time that Miliband was appointed last July, YouGov pointed out that 42 per cent of the public held an unfavourable view of him. So what does a prime minister do about a man like Ed Miliband? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two men seem destined to drift inexorably apart on policy, with one scrambling for economic growth, and the other wedded to his net zero principles. Despite this, Milibands popularity within Labour virtually guarantees his safety for now under a prime minister who will be nervous about further conflict with his partys grass roots, amid damaging rows over cuts to the welfare and foreign aid budgets. Those close to No 10 say that Starmer is fiercely loyal to his old ally, and values his advice as a former party leader. Milibands friends likewise maintain that he would never resign to cause trouble for the Government. But Starmer has long been known for his willingness to be ruthless, eventually. If the public turns on Miliband, the next emission from No 10 may yet be the man himself. 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 David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Senate Republicans will ask their chamber's nonpartisan referee this week to weigh in on a controversial plan to make President Donald Trump's expiring 2017 tax cuts permanent, which critics say could lead to trillions of dollars in additional debt. It is not clear whether the Senate parliamentarian will go along with the request, which would make it easier for Republicans to pass Trump's ambitious package of tax cuts and spending hikes for border security and the military through a closely divided Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To bypass Democratic opposition, Republicans are relying on a complex budget process that requires them to meet a thicket of conditions -- including one requirement that they must not increase budget deficits beyond a 10-year window. Lawmakers would violate that condition under current rules by making the 2017 tax cuts permanent before they expire at the end of this year. Senate Republicans are expected to ask parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to overlook those losses, expected to be $4.6 trillion over the next 10 years, on the grounds that they are just extending tax policies already in place. That plan has staunch backing from Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson, top Republicans on tax policy and business lobbyists. Independent analysts and some fiscal hawks in Congress warn that the unprecedented approach could make the $36.6 trillion U.S. debt spiral out of control in coming decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans hold a narrow 53-47 majority in the Senate, which means they need Democratic support to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary for most legislation. But Democrats vehemently oppose the Trump agenda as a plan to benefit the wealthy. "Republicans love to talk about fiscal responsibility until they're the ones in charge," Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon said in a statement. If MacDonough opposes the Republican plan, lawmakers could opt to extend the Trump tax cuts for another 10 years, or try to overrule her and forge ahead anyhow. Senate Republicans will have to reconcile any plan they manage to pass with a dramatically different version that has already passed the House of Representatives. (Reporting by David Morgan; editing by Andy Sullivan and Shri Navaratnam) Looking for a break? Test your knowledge of this week's news from the Yakima Valley. Support Local News Reporting Journalists at the Yakima Herald-Republic bring you timely, in-depth and credible local news. Your generous donation supports their work. The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project offers direct legal services and legal education for immigrants. One of the group's many services is providing free legal aid to immigrant youth released from federal custody. The group will continue to represent its current clients; however, due to a loss of funding, it has temporarily paused this legal representation for new clients. Becky Tallent was a journalism faculty member at the University of Idaho for 13 years before her retirement in 2019. She is of Cherokee descent and is a member of both the Indigenous Journalists Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. Mahindra XUV700 Electric (XEV 7e): Mahindra & Mahindra introduced its first born-electric SUVs, the BE 6 and XEV 9e, last year. Now, the company is preparing to expand the lineup by introducing the XEV 7e, the electric version of the XUV700. It is expected to arrive in the second half of 2025. Before the official launch, leaked images have revealed some key design details of the SUV. Heres what we know so far: The leaked images suggest that the Mahindra XEV 7e will have design elements borrowed from the XEV 9e, while retaining the original essence of the regular XUV700. At the front, it features LED headlamps split setup, inverted L-shaped connected LED DRLs, and a blacked-out grille. The SUV will have aero-optimized alloy wheels instead of regular ones. It will also come with flush-fitting door handles like the XUV700, contrast-colored ORVMs, new skid plates, and LED light bars. The cabin will have a dual-tone Black and White theme with White seat upholstery, as seen in spy images. It will get a three-screen setup, similar to the XEV 9e. One screen will be for the driver, another for infotainment, and the third for the front passenger. The two-spoke steering wheel with an illuminated infinity logo will remain the same as the XUV700. It is expected to get a VisionX HUD, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, a panoramic sunroof, powered front seats with memory function, a tyre pressure monitoring system, an electronic parking brake, level 2 ADAS and more. The XEV 7e is expected to share its powertrain with the XEV 9e, which comes with two battery options 59kWh and 79kWh offering a claimed range of 542km and 656km, respectively. It may also get an optional AWD system. Mumbai: 'Andaz Apna Apna', one of Bollywood's most beloved cult comedies, is set to make a spectacular return to theatres 31 years after its original release. The film, starring Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, will be re-released on April 25 in a brand-new 4K remastered version, complete with enhanced Dolby 5.1 sound for an upgraded cinematic experience. The exciting news was confirmed by the film's makers on social media, generating a wave of nostalgia among fans. "Get ready to relive the madness! Andaz Apna Apna Re-releasing in cinemas on 25th April 2025! Experience the cult classic on the big screen! Restored & Remastered in 4K & Dolby 5.1. Trailer out soon!" the caption read. The remastered version of the 1994 comedy will be screened across India, offering fans a fresh perspective on the hilarious antics of the iconic characters. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, 'Andaz Apna Apna' quickly became a fan favourite after its release on November 4, 1994, and over time, it has achieved cult status, solidifying its place as one of the most loved comedies in Indian cinema. Along with Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, the film features memorable performances by Raveena Tandon, Karisma Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, and Shakti Kapoor. The plot follows two charming yet scheming men who attempt to win the heart of an heiress in hopes of inheriting her father's fortune. However, their plans go awry when they discover that the heiress has swapped identities with her secretary, leading to a series of comic misunderstandings. The screenplay of 'Andaz Apna Apna' was inspired by the 1972 film 'Victoria No. 203'. In celebration of the re-release, the official Instagram account for Andaz Apna Apna also shared a poster of the film, which was met with enthusiastic reactions from fans eagerly anticipating to watch the classic on the big screen once again. This is more than just a photo its a monumental shift in the way education is evolving. Standing tall at the center is Mr. Manas Dubey, the founder and director of The Mind Sync and Mental Health Education Inc. A powerful force of change surrounds himthe teachers of Maxfort School, New Delhi, who have transformed into Certified Mental Health Educators. Each certificate they hold is not just a documentits a pledge. A pledge to champion emotional intelligence, resilience, and well-being, ensuring that many young minds grow not just in knowledge but in strength, empathy, and self-awareness. To earn this certification, teachers underwent rigorous training, learning how to identify, understand, and support students mental and emotional well-being. Through interactive sessions, they have been empowered with the tools to create safe, supportive, and emotionally enriching classrooms. This transformation has been made possible through the visionary leadership of Mr. Manas Dubey and Dr. Shivam Dubey, a Harvard-trained child psychiatrist. They have pioneered the Mental Health Education Curriculum, an unprecedented initiative designed to equip students with emotional intelligence, resilience, and important life skills needed to thrive in the 21st century. By integrating The Mind Syncs research-backed curriculum, Maxfort School is setting a new benchmark in student development, preparing students to navigate lifes complexities with confidence and emotional strength. The curriculum is focused on prevention, aiming to equip students with the tools they need to independently manage stress, complex emotions, and lifes challenges rather than relying on interventions. At the heart of this initiative is Ms. Mansi Narang, the vice-chairman of Maxfort School, whose commitment to student well-being has been instrumental in driving this change. Her vision aligns with the schools broader mission of nurturing not only academic excellence but also the emotional and psychological well-being of every child. Maxforts dedication to mental health education is further strengthened under the leadership of Ms. Dipika Sharma, Principal of Maxfort School Dwarka. She has been a key advocate for integrating The Mind Sync curriculum, ensuring that students benefit from scientifically backed mindfulness exercises and skill-building activities designed to enhance emotional intelligence and mental well-being. Reflecting on the programs impact, Ms. Dipika Sharma shared, At Maxfort School Dwarka New Delhi, we strive to create a holistic learning environment that nurtures both academic excellence and emotional well-being. As part of this commitment, we collaborated with The Mind Sync Program, a transformative initiative designed to enhance students emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and focus. Throughout the program, students engaged in mindfulness exercises, guided visualization techniques, and emotional intelligence workshops that helped them develop self-awareness, resilience, and a positive mindset. These scientifically backed techniques enabled them to manage stress, improve concentration, and foster empathy in their interactions. By the end of the program, our students experienced a significant boost in emotional intelligencethey became more aware of their emotions, practiced self-regulation, and demonstrated greater confidence in their academic and personal lives. The incorporation of guided visualization helped them set clear goals, enhance memory retention, and approach challenges with a growth mindset. This initiative has been a valuable investment in our students overall development, reinforcing our belief that mental and emotional well-being are essential components of a successful education. We appreciate the efforts of The Mind Sync team for this initiative. Moving forward, we aim to continue integrating such innovative programs that empower our students to excel academically while maintaining emotional balance and inner peace. The progress students have made since adopting this curriculum speaks volumes about its impact. Recent Self-Awareness Assessments for Grades 6 to 8 indicate a notable transformation, with 98.96% of students demonstrating strong self-awareness skillsa fundamental component of emotional intelligence. Many students face challenges in understanding and managing their emotions, recognizing negative thought patterns, and coping with the psychological demands of adolescence. However, after engaging with The Mind Sync program, students exhibited a deeper grasp of complex emotions, the ability to identify and reframe negative thoughts, and an improved understanding of neuroscience concepts. These developments have led to increased self-confidence, enhanced self-esteem, and a measurable improvement in emotional resilience, fostering a generation of emotionally intelligent, mentally resilient individuals. By implementing The Mind Sync curriculum, Maxfort School is integrating mental health education into daily learning. With visionary leadership and strong management support, Maxfort is shaping self-aware, emotionally intelligent individuals ready for the future. This initiative proves that education isnt just about academics but also emotional strength and personal growth. By prioritizing mental well-being, schools prepare students for life. More than a milestone, this is a transformative step in redefining education in India, making mental health a core pillar of learning. (This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Lts consumer connect initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.) Virtual Filaments Private Limited, a pioneering EdTech startup revolutionizing interactive learning in India, was recognized for its innovation and excellence at the India Education Summit & Awards 2025 held at The Lalit, New Delhi. The event, known for celebrating impactful transformations in the education sector, featured industry stalwarts, thought leaders, and policy influencers. Virtual Filaments Private Limited stood out among the most promising EdTech startups in India, securing two esteemed awards: Most Innovative EdTech Startup Recognizing its groundbreaking approach to AI-powered interactive learning. Excellence in Online Learning Platform Honoring its commitment to delivering high-quality, engaging, and effective educational content. The awards were received by Jawaharlal Prasad on behalf of the company, marking a significant milestone in its mission to redefine education through AI-powered interactive content. Virtual Filaments Private Limited, a pioneering EdTech startup revolutionizing interactive learning in India, was recognized for its innovation and excellence at the India Education Summit & Awards 2025 held at The Lalit, New Delhi. The event, known for celebrating impactful transformations in the education sector, featured industry stalwarts, thought leaders, and policy influencers. Virtual Filaments Private Limited stood out among the most promising EdTech startups in India, securing two esteemed awards: Most Innovative EdTech Startup Recognizing its groundbreaking approach to AI-powered interactive learning. Excellence in Online Learning Platform Honoring its commitment to delivering high-quality, engaging, and effective educational content. The awards were received by Jawaharlal Prasad on behalf of the company, marking a significant milestone in its mission to redefine education through AI-powered interactive content. A Landmark Event for Indian Education The India Education Summit & Awards 2025 brought together top educators, policymakers, and innovators to discuss the future of education and digital learning. The summit featured insightful discussions by renowned speakers, including: Amitabh Shah (Founder, Yuva Unstoppable) Amitav Virmani (Founder & CEO, The Education Alliance) Anshul Pathak (Vice Chairman, DPS Ghaziabad Society) Bhanu Potta (Senior Consultant, AI Samarth, CSF) Chetna Sabharwal (Director, Association of Indian Principals) Jaskiran Arora (Dean-Education Quality, BML Munjal University) Shubhra Mittal (Head - Government Partnerships, Khan Academy India) and many other influential voices shaping the education landscape. Leading the Digital Learning Revolution Virtual Filaments Private Limited continues to be at the forefront of transforming education with AI-driven, interactive 2D & 3D content that enhances learning experiences for students across India. These awards reinforce its vision to bridge the learning gap with technology and make education more engaging, inclusive, and effective. Looking Ahead: The Future of AI-Powered Education With its award-winning platform, the company aims to expand its reach and impact by integrating cutting-edge AI tools, personalized learning experiences, and immersive interactive content. This recognition at the India Education Summit & Awards 2025 is a testament to its dedication to reshaping the education landscape for future generations. Contact Information For more information, media inquiries, and collaborations, reach out to us: Website: www.virtualfilaments.com Email: info@virtualfilaments.com Contact: +91-9879791288 Together, Were Building the Future of Learning! Disclaimer- (This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Lts consumer connect initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.) New Delhi: India's goods and services tax collections surged by 9.9 per cent to Rs 1.96 lakh crore during March this year compared to the same month of the previous year, reflecting the higher level of economic activity and better compliance. Sequentially, the GST collections were 6.8 per cent higher than the Rs 1.84 lakh crore revenue recorded in February this year. Gross GST revenue in March included Rs 38,100 crore from Central GST, Rs 49,900 crore from State GST, Rs 95,900 crore from Integrated GST, and Rs 12,300 crore from compensation cess. In comparison, February saw Central GST collections at Rs 35,204 crore, State GST at Rs 43,704 crore, Integrated GST at Rs 90,870 crore, and compensation cess at Rs 13,868 crore. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh were the top five contributors to GST collections in March. Maharashtra paid Rs 31,534 crore in March, a 14 per cent increase compared to March last year while Karnataka paid Rs 13,497 crore, a 4 per cent increase year-on-year. Gujarat contributed Rs 12,095 crore, a 6 per cent rise from March 2024. Tamil Nadu paid Rs 11,017 crore, reflecting a 7 per cent increase, while Uttar Pradesh collected Rs 9,956 crore, a 10 per cent year-on-year growth. Delhi was the sixth-highest payer, contributing Rs 6,139 crore, which represents a 5 per cent increase from March 2024. Bihar recorded the lowest GST payment, with dues amounting to just Rs 2.6 crore in March 2025. Lakshadweep and Andhra Pradesh fared a shade better with Rs 3 crore and Rs 4.033 crore, respectively. However, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands recorded a 60 per cent rise in its GST payments, at Rs 51 crore. Goods and services tax collections rose 9.1 per cent to Rs 183,646 crore during February after recording a double-digit rise of 12,5 per cent in January to Rs 1.96 lakh crore, compared to the same period last year. SBI Clerk Mains Exams 2025: The State Bank Of India has officially released the Admit Card for the SBI Clerk Mains Examination 2025 on 1st April, 2025. Students who cleared the SBI prelims examination can now download their hall ticket from the official website, which is sbi.co.in. The SBI Clerk Prelims examination was held on February 22, 27, 28 and March 1, 2025. The results for the Preliminary examination were released on 28th March 2025. Candidates who have cleared the preliminary examination are eligible to appear for the main exam. This recruitment drive aims to fill 13,735 Junior Associate vacancies at SBI. Steps to Download SBI Clerk Mains Admit Card 2025 Step 1- Go to the official SBI website- sbi.co.in and click on the careers section. Step 2- Go under the section of Current Openings and then click on SBI Clerk Mains Admit Card 2025 Step 3- Enter all your required credentials like registration number/roll number and password/date of birth and submit the details. Step 4- Fill the application form and make the required payment of the application fee. Step 5- Submit and Download the page for the future reference. SBI Clerk Mains Exams 2025: Important Dates and exam pattern The State Bank Of India will conduct the SBI Clerk Mains Exams 2025 on 10th April 2025, Thursday and 12th April 2025, Saturday. The SBI Clerk Mains Exam comprises four sections with a total of 190 questions and a maximum of 200 marks. The total duration of an exam is 2 hours and 40 minutes. The exam will take place at multiple centers across India and all the candidates must reach their designated center on time, at least 30 minutes before the time of the examination. Students are advised to carry the printed copy of their admit card along with a photo ID proof and students should not forget to stick their recent passport size photo on an admit card. Also note that Electronics items like Mobile phones, Smartwatches and calculators are not allowed inside the examination center. Candidates must check all the details mentioned on the Admit Card are right and should contact the SBI helpline number incase of any discrepancies. Bengaluru Garbage Tax: The Bengaluru residents are now set to pay a new tax starting today after paying more for Bus and Metro rides. Starting today, the residents will have to pay a mandatory Solid Waste Management (SWM) fee. The fee being termed as 'Bengaluru Garbage Tax' is a part of the Congress government's initiative to improve waste collection and disposal in the city. The garbage tax comes after a hike in prices of essential items including milk, electricity tariffs, and public transport fares. The BJP has launched a scathing attack against the Siddaramaiah Government terming it 'Khata Khat' model. "After Toilet Tax in Himachal Pradesh now Congress will charge Garbage Tax in Bengaluru. Khata Khat Model! After hikes in metro fares, petrol, diesel, electricity, milk and water prices. One more Jhatka by Congress to residents," said BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala. According to media reports, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the municipal body looking after Bengaluru's civic issues, has made it mandatory for all property owners to contribute waste management fees. The 'Garbage tax' will be collected alongside the property tax. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is hoping to earn Rs 685 crore from the initiative. The BBMP has decided SWM fee as per the built-up area of residential properties: Up to 600 sq ft: Rs 10 per month 6001,000 sq ft: Rs 50 per month 1,0002,000 sq ft: Rs 100 per month 2,0003,000 sq ft: Rs 150 per month 3,0004,000 sq ft: Rs 200 per month Above 4,000 sq ft: Rs 400 per month BBMP will be deploying marshals carrying point-of-sale machines to collect waste management fees. Bulk waste generators who fail to process their waste on-site will be charged an extra Rs 12 per kilogram. On the other hand, those who adopt in-situ composting will receive a Rs 3 per kilogram rebate as an incentive. Telugu Desham Party (TDP) national spokesperson Prem Kumar Jain on Tuesday said that the party is in support of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and assured that Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu is in favour of Muslims. This comes as the centre is likely to table the Waqf (Amendment) Bill before Budget session come to a close on April 4. Speaking about the bill, Prem Kumar Jain said, "The whole Muslim community is waiting for the Waqf Amendment Bill to be tabled...Our party will support it. Chandrababu Naidu has already mentioned that we will work in interests of the Muslim community. Tomorrow, the bill will be tabled, only then we will make any comments on it. I assure you that Chandrababu Naidu is in the favour of Muslims." On the other hand, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said that the party will oppose the bill. He also added that their objections about the bill was not accepted by the JPC. "We (Congress) have a very clear stand on Waqf. When the JPC was formed, we had presented all our objections but they were not accepted there. When this (Waqf Amendment Bill) comes to the House, we will oppose it in the same way as we did in the JPC." Pramod Tiwari said. BJP's national spokesperson CR Kesavan lashed out at the Congress party accusing it of spreading "poisonous propaganda" against the bill. "Will Priyanka Gandhi Vadra counsel the Communal Congress Party to stop its poisonous propaganda against this bill and make the Communal Congress Party support this transformative bill which will help the poorer sections of the Muslim community. This is in the context of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council and the Catholic Bishops Council of India supporting this Amendment Bill. In fact, the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council has said that every MP from Kerala should support this Bill. So it is high time that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is an MP from Kerala, makes her stand clear on this," Kesavan said. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also called the 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill', aims to address key challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a strong response against those challenging his administrative decisions, particularly regarding religious practices and public order. In his latest interview, Adityanath stated that roads are meant for walking and added that those opposing the decision should learn discipline from Hindus. The controversy began after the Yogi government imposed a ban on blocking roads for prayers during Eid, aiming to maintain public order. This decision drew criticism from some sections of the Muslim community, with many accusing the government of targeting their religious practices. In response to the governments order, Tauqeer Raja, said, "I will pray anywhere... let's see who stops me." Watch Today's Full Episode: While citing the example of the Maha Kumbh, CM Yogi Adityanath urged Muslims to learn religious discipline from Hindus, who participated in the massive Maha Kumbh Mela without any incidents of crime, destruction, or harassment. "Roads are meant for walking. And those who are speaking (against the decision) should learn discipline from Hindus. Sixty-six crore people arrived in Prayagraj. There was no robbery, destruction of property, arson, abduction This is called religious discipline. If you want benefits, you should also follow discipline," he said during the interview with PTI. A BJP delegation was prevented from visiting the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) campus on Tuesday as students clashed with police over the redevelopment of 400 acres of land near the university. The Congress-led Telangana government faced mounting criticism as security forces were deployed to contain the agitation. Alleti Maheshwar Reddy, the BJP's floor leader in the Telangana Assembly, alleged that the police prevented him from leaving his residence without prior notice. "Other BJP leaders were also stopped from leaving their houses," he claimed, speaking to news agency PTI. Videos surfaced showing police detaining BJP MLAs outside their party headquarters, blocking their march towards the university. BJP, Congress Trade Barbs Over Land Ownership BJP MLA Payal Shankar questioned the government's decision to auction the land, asserting that it should be allocated to the university. "That 400 acres of land belongs to the government, but that doesn't mean the government has the power to sell it," he told ANI. "Today, students and environmentalists are demanding that the land be given to the university, but why is the government not listening to them? The government can bring money from wherever it wants, but it cannot generate another piece of land adjacent to the university. They should withdraw their thoughts of selling that 400 acres of land." However, Congress MP Kiran Kumar Chamala defended the government's stance, arguing that legal rulings had confirmed state ownership of the land. "In 2024, after coming into power, in the month of March, we got an order from the court that this land can be taken by the state government. Since the land was vacant for 18-19 years and nobody was taking care of it, trees grew there. Now, these political parties, including BRS and BJP, are trying to project as if it is forest land," ANI quoted Chamala as saying. He further accused opposition parties of misrepresenting facts. "Yesterday, we gave all the documentation showing that this is state government property, which has been given to the Industrial Development Corporation for development activities. I request the opposition parties to go on facts. Do not criticize the government or defame the Congress government in Telangana." The controversy escalated as students vowed to continue their protests, demanding that the land be officially registered under the university. They announced a class boycott until bulldozers and police personnel were removed from the area. The situation turned volatile on Sunday when bulldozers arrived to level the land. Students, chanting go back slogans, climbed onto the heavy machinery, leading to a confrontation with the police. Several protesters were detained but later released. Justifying the police action, an official stated that the students were obstructing government officials from carrying out their duties. Personnel Ministry has appointed Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Nidhi Tewari as the Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A Personnel Ministry order issued on March 29 said that Tewari is currently serving as deputy secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Her appointment as private secretary on a co-terminus basis was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. Who Is Nidhi Tewari? Nidhi Tewari is a 2014 batch IFS officer and hails from Mahmoorganj, Varanasi, which is also Prime Minister Modis parliamentary constituency. She secured 96th rank in the 2013 Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Before joining the Indian Foreign Service, she served as an Assistant Commissioner in Varanasi. Tewari has been serving as a Deputy Secretary in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) since January 6, 2023, after initially joining as Under Secretary in 2022. Prior to her tenure in the PMO, she worked at the Ministry of External Affairs, specifically in the Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly criticised the Bangladesh Government's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus' remark about northeastern states saying that the statement was offensive and provocative. CM Sarma called upon the central government to develop better connectivity at the 'Chicken's Neck' area to allow northeastern states to remain connected to India in case of eventualities like war. "The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh so so-called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable. This remark underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with Indias strategic Chickens Neck corridor. Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically," said CM Sarma. The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh so called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable. This remark underscores the Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 1, 2025 The Assam CM further said that it is imperative to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chickens Neck corridor. "Additionally, exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to mainland India, effectively bypassing the Chickens Neck, should be prioritized. Though this may pose significant engineering challenges, it is achievable with determination and innovation. Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," he said. The Assam CM's remark came in the wake of Muhammad Yunus' statement in China where he said that 7 northeastern states of India are landlocked with no connectivity to the sea and thus Bangladesh is the only 'Guardian of the Ocean' in this region. Yunus invited China to set up its economic base in the region as an extension. Defence expert Praful Bakshi said that India created Bangladesh and did not take any cartographic advantage while creating Bangladesh. He said that Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan have, of late, been talking about the chicken's neck (Siliguri corridor) and about strangling India and taking advantage. "Now Bangladesh is saying that China must help and get into the seven landlocked Indian states, which depend on the Siliguri corridor... They don't realise that we can do a similar thing on the opposite side of Bangladesh. We can cut across the sea and strangle them...Yunus is thinking that he will involve China in creating problems for the seven states, which they are already doing. Not just China, many other agencies are at work in the northeast," said Bakshi. The defence expert further said that Indian government will not go running to the media and create noise about it; the government has already gotten into the action. "Even Yunus knows what India is going to do..." he said. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah clarified that Union Home Minister Amit Shahs upcoming visit to Jammu and Kashmir is a routine engagement, pre-scheduled well in advance. Abdullah made this statement while inaugurating free State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) and Smart City buses for women in Srinagar, highlighting the multifaceted nature of Shah's visit. "Previous Home Ministers have regularly visited J&K for governance and security reviews, and this visit is no different," Abdullah stated. Shah's itinerary includes attending a public rally in Jammu, engaging in security discussions, reviewing development projects in Srinagar, and inaugurating several new initiatives aimed at enhancing public welfare. Abdullah emphasized that the Home Ministers visit is not linked to the Kathua encounter; it is solely focused on security concerns as well as the review of overall development and welfare initiatives in J&K. "This visit represents a commitment to both safety and progress for the people of Jammu and Kashmir," he added. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir on April 7-8 to review the security situation and counter-insurgency operations of the security forces. He will also hold a public rally in Jammu. While speaking with reporters, Abdullah also addressed concerns regarding the transportation sector in Srinagar, particularly the impact of Smart City initiatives on SRTC bus operations. He assured that while some restrictions have been implemented, the government will compensate SRTC for free tickets in the upcoming budget. "We are committed to ensuring safe and free transportation for women in Jammu and Kashmir, whether for education, shopping, or sightseeing," he stated. In addition to transportation issues, Abdullah expressed concerns regarding the upcoming Wakf Bill in Parliament, which he believes could adversely affect religious charities for Muslims. He urged that charity organizations should not be viewed with suspicion based on their religious affiliations. "The bill should not target any one religion. We cannot support this Bill, and our MPs will voice our opposition in Parliament," he said. Pastor Bajinder Singh: A court in Punjab's Mohali has sentenced self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh to life imprisonment in a 2018 rape case. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Vikrant Kumar. Bajinder Singh was found guilty on March 28 under sections 376 (rape), 323 (causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. He was sent to Patiala jail after his conviction. The case was filed in 2018 based on a woman's complaint at Zirakpur police station in Mohali. The complainant alleged that Singh lured her with promises of taking her abroad. She accused him of raping her at his residence in Sector 63, Mohali, and recording a video of the act. She also claimed he threatened to release the video online if she did not comply with his demands. Tight security was in place at the court complex for the verdict. Five co-accused in the caseAkhbar Bhatti, Rajesh Chaudhary, Jatinder Kumar, Sitar Ali, and Sandeep Pehlwanwere acquitted. Meanwhile, Singh is also under investigation for another sexual harassment case filed on February 28. A 22-year-old woman has accused him of misconduct, and a three-member special investigation team has been set up by Kapurthala Police to probe the matter. Singh has dismissed the allegations as false. On March 25, Mohali Police booked him for assault after a video surfaced showing him slapping a woman. The footage, reportedly from February 14, shows him arguing with the woman, throwing papers at her, and hitting her. Bajinder Singh, who became a Christian preacher in 2012, runs The Church of Glory and Wisdom in Jalandhar and another church in Mohali. His supporters claim his church has several branches in India and abroad. His congregations, where followers seek healing, are streamed live on his YouTube channel, Prophet Bajinder Singh, which has 3.74 million subscribers. (With PTI inputs) DHAKA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a heartfelt message, expressing his warmest wishes to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and the people of Bangladesh, on the joyous occasion of Eid-al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Muhammad Yunus shared the letter on X and wrote, "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sends the following message to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to wish people of Bangladesh on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitar." In the letter, PM Modi wrote, "As the blessed month of Ramadan comes to a close, I take this moment to extend warm greetings and felicitations to you and the people of Bangladesh on the joyous occasion of the festival of Eid al-Fitr." "Over the holy month, 200 million Indians of Islamic faith joined their brothers and sisters across the world in spending pious time in fasting and prayer. The joyous occasion of Eid al-Fitr is a time of celebration, reflection, gratitude and unity. It reminds us of the values of compassion, generosity and solidarity that bind us together as nations and as members of the global community," he added. PM Modi expressed his wishes for peace, harmony, good health, and happiness for people worldwide and emphasised that the bonds of friendship between India and Bangladesh would continue to grow stronger. "On this auspicious occasion, we wish for peace, harmony, good health and happiness for people across the world. May the bonds of friendship among our countries grow stronger," he said. Earlier, PM Modi also shared the post on X, wishing Eid to everyone and wrote, "Greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr. May this festival enhance the spirit of hope, harmony and kindness in our society. May there be joy and success in all your endeavours. Eid Mubarak!" Eid-ul-Fitr is a time to reinforce the values of charity, kindness, and compassion. In addition to giving Zakat (charity), many people choose to help others by providing meals, clothing, and support to those less fortunate, reflecting the Islamic principles of empathy and care for others. The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticised the Uttar Pradesh government and the Prayagraj Development Authority for demolishing homes in the city, calling the action inhuman and illegal. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that the demolitions were carried out in a high-handed manner and violated the rule of law. This shocks our conscience. There is something called right to shelter, due process of law, the bench remarked. The court ordered the authorities to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to each house owner within six weeks. Earlier, the apex court had slammed the state government for demolishing homes in Prayagraj without following legal procedures, saying it sent a shocking and wrong signal. The petitioners counsel argued that the state wrongly assumed the land belonged to gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed, who was killed in a police encounter in 2023. The court was hearing a plea by advocate Zulfiqar Haider, professor Ali Ahmed, and others whose homes were demolished. The Allahabad High Court had earlier rejected their challenge to the demolition. According to reports, the petitioners were served a notice on March 6, 2021, regarding certain constructions in Lukerganj, Prayagraj district. (With PTI inputs) The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday issued a letter appealing to all the secular political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) alliance and members of Parliament, to strongly oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. This comes as the centre is likely to table the Waqf (Amendment) Bill before the Budget session comes to a close on April 4, with discussion and passage in the Lok Sabha on April 2. The AIMPLB has urged secular political parties and MPs to vote in favour of the bill under any circumstances. "All India Muslim Personal Law Board has appealed to all secular political parties, including BJPs allies and members of Parliament, to strongly oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill and to not vote in its favour under any circumstances," the AIMPLB said in a post on X. Do Not Support the Waqf Amendment Bill All India Muslim Personal Law Board President Appeals to MP's New Delhi : April 01, 2025 All India Muslim Personal Law Board has appealed to all secular political parties, including BJPs allies and members of Parliament, to strongly pic.twitter.com/Xya9FxBh4B All India Muslim Personal Law Board (@AIMPLB_Official) April 1, 2025 The President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, has appealed to all secular parties and members of Parliament to not only strongly oppose the Waqf Amendment Bill when it is presented in Parliament tomorrow but also to vote against it to prevent the BJPs communal agenda, AIMPLB added in a released statement. Meanwhile, TDP national spokesperson Prem Kumar Jain stated that his party is in support of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and assured that Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu is in favour of Muslims. Speaking about the bill, Prem Kumar Jain said, "The whole Muslim community is waiting for the Waqf Amendment Bill to be tabled...Our party will support it. Chandrababu Naidu has already mentioned that we will work in interests of the Muslim community. Tomorrow, the bill will be tabled, only then we will make any comments on it. I assure you that Chandrababu Naidu is in the favour of Muslims." On the other hand, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said that the party will oppose the bill. "We (Congress) have a very clear stand on Waqf. When the JPC was formed, we had presented all our objections but they were not accepted there. When this (Waqf Amendment Bill) comes to the House, we will oppose it in the same way as we did in the JPC." Tiwari said, ANI reported. BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai may step down from his post as discussions on a possible alliance with the AIADMK gain momentum ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections. According to a report by the Indian Express, the decision is linked to caste considerations in Tamil Nadu, where the BJP is working to expand its presence. Annamalai is seen as one of the key factors behind the split between the BJP and AIADMK in 2023, the report stated. Annamalai and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami belong to a dominant backward community called Gounder. This community is mainly concentrated in the Kongu region of western Tamil Nadu. As per IE, the BJP leadership is concerned about both alliance leaders having same caste. Sources cited in the report said Annamalai was informed of the leaderships decision in a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. This meeting followed Shahs discussions with Palaniswami. Annamalai was reportedly told that "Delhi sees a bright future for him." A BJP leader told the Indian Express that regardless of whether Annamalai remains in his current role, he will continue to be an important part of the partys long-term plans in Tamil Nadu. His future role, whether at the national level or in the state, is still undecided, the leader added. Annamalai, a former IPS officer from the 2011 Karnataka batch, joined the BJP in August 2020 and was appointed state president within ten months. By Puja Mehrotra Bihar Politics: When he speaks, his words reflect sensitivity. He raises issues that directly affect common people. Fearless and outspoken, he serves as a voice for manywhether its his own party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), migrant laborers, or ASHA workers. Bihar runs through his veins, and while he refrains from taking names, he frequently takes jabs at the BJP and its leaders. He openly admits that contesting elections makes him anxious. A strong admirer of Tejashwi Yadav, he believes that Tejashwi has significantly changed Bihars political landscape and that this election will be different. Today, we sat down for a conversation with RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha. During the COVID-19 pandemic, one of his speeches went viral for its emotional depth. Since then, whenever he speaks in Parliament, both the ruling and opposition parties listen attentively. His speeches frequently turn into viral reels. In an exclusive interview with India.com, he candidly discussed the Womens Reservation Bill, historical figures like Aurangzeb, Babur, and Rana Sanga, and how revisiting outdated pages of history cannot solve today's unemployment crisis. Is Tejashwi in a Hurry? Ahead of the Bihar elections, the RJD has launched the Maa-Bahin Maan Yojana, promising Rs 2,500 in financial aid to economically weaker women. Additionally, Tejashwi Yadav has announced 200 units of free electricity in the state. With the Bihar Assembly elections expected in October or November, some see these announcements as a sign of political urgency. However, Jha firmly dismisses this notion, drawing a contrast between Tejashwi Yadav and Delhis AAP leadership, asserting that Tejashwi has set a high benchmark that the opposition is struggling to counter. RJDs Journey from Largest Party to Second Place In the last election, despite emerging as the single-largest party, the RJD couldnt hold its ground. When asked about the reasons, Jha did not acknowledge it as the partys weakness but instead criticized the system itself. He advocated for strict enforcement of the Anti-Defection Law, demanding that leaders switching parties should be banned from contesting elections for six years. According to him, political defections, once considered mere horse-trading, have now escalated to a point where entire political stables are being transferred. Fear of Contesting Elections Manoj Jha also spoke about his own hesitation in contesting elections. He stated, I am prepared. If my party asks me to contest, I will. But the high cost of elections is intimidating. He further claimed that BJP has made elections even more expensive, making it difficult for many to compete. RJD's Setback Reflecting on RJDs failure to secure the top spot, Jha pointed fingers at Nitish Kumar and the overall political system. He reiterated the need for stricter anti-defection laws, arguing that any leader who switches parties should be barred from contesting elections for six years. He also recalled the 2015 Bihar elections, where RJD and Nitish Kumars party contested together, focusing on job creation. Tejashwi had pledged five lakh jobs, and the campaign gained traction. However, taking a dig at Nitish Kumar, Jha remarked, "Nitish Ji's conscience wakes up and goes back to sleep frequently. He is a leader who falls asleep without needing a lullaby." On Political Horse-Trading and Iftar Politics Jha humorously noted how horse-trading in politics has evolved, saying, "Earlier, it was about buying a few horses, but now entire stables are being shifted." Amidst the Eid season, several political parties hosted Iftar gatherings in a bid to woo Muslim voters. Commenting on this, Jha emphasized that Iftar should remain separate from politics, stating, "Lalu Ji and Bihars culture have always embraced festivals like Chhath, Holi, and Iftar. Whether we win or lose elections, Iftar gatherings continue regardless of the political climate." As Ram Navami is set to be celebrated on April 6, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has planned over 2,000 rallies, 200 tableaus, and Sree Ram Mahostav events at 5,000 locations in West Bengal. VHP South Bengal secretary Chandranath Das on Tuesday expressed concern about "security" and said "We will retaliate if attacked during our celebrations. In the past years, we have seen our rallies attacked, and stones were pelted. Though talks are on with the police, we believe they will not be able to give us adequate security. It is upon us. We will retaliate if attacked during our celebrations, Das said, Indian Express reported. We plan to celebrate Ram Navmi like never before and will also organise Sree Ram Mahotsav, a pan-India programme in Bengal too. From Ram Navami on April 6 to Hanuman Jayanti on April 12, the programmes will take place at various places. Apart from pujas and rallies, religious songs, speeches about Lord Rams life will be held in different parts of the state, said added. Das further said that the organization has sent letters to the police detailing the rallies and the routes they will take. We have made our own security arrangements. I must say, if we are attacked, we have the right to defend ourselves, he said. Reacting to a recent communal clash in Mothabari, Das said, "Look what happened in Mothabari. The preparatory rally for Ram Navami had passed the area when a section of people targeted shops and vehicles." In a significant development, UK MP Bob Blackman has urged the British government to formally apologize for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, a century-old atrocity that continues to haunt the annals of colonial history. While this call for accountability is commendable, it also compels us to reflect on India's own oversight in honoring one of its bravest sonsSir C. Sankaran Nair, whose relentless pursuit of justice in the aftermath of the massacre remains largely unrecognized. The Man Who Defied an Empire Born on July 11, 1857, in Malabar (present-day Kerala), Sankaran Nair was a distinguished lawyer and a fervent nationalist. His tenure as a member of the Viceroys Executive Council provided him with firsthand insight into the workings of British colonial rule. However, the horrific events of April 13, 1919, at Jallianwala Bagh, where hundreds of unarmed Indians were mercilessly gunned down under General Dyer's orders, became a turning point in his life, as per data available in public domain. In a bold act of protest, Nair resigned from his esteemed position, refusing to be complicit in the colonial administration's brutality. But his defiance didn't end there. He took it upon himself to expose the atrocities committed by the British regime, authoring Gandhi and Anarchy, a scathing critique that laid bare the oppressive policies and inhumane actions of the colonial government. This fearless endeavour led to a libel suit against him in London, a battle he fought with characteristic resilience. A Legacy Overshadowed Despite his monumental contributions, Sankaran Nair's legacy has been overshadowed and his courageous stand against colonial tyranny and his efforts to bring international attention to British atrocities have not received the wide recognition they deserve. His instrumental role in advocating for home rule alongside leaders like Annie Besant, and his involvement in the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919, which aimed to increase Indian participation in governance, are pivotal chapters in India's journey to independence. Yet, these contributions remain underappreciated in mainstream historical narratives. Time to Honor His Memory The valour and integrity demonstrated by C. Sankaran Nair set a precedent for resistance against injustice. It is imperative that we acknowledge and celebrate his legacy through inclusion in educational curricula, establishment of memorials, and national recognition of his contributions. Sir C. Sankaran Nair's unwavering stand against imperial oppression is a beacon of courage that deserves to shine brightly in the annals of our nation's history. Los Angeles: Disgraced rapper Sean Diddy Combs seems to have lucked out as a New York judge dismissed one of the many sexual assault lawsuits against him. The lawsuit was dismissed after a victim, who uses the proxy name, Jane Doe, chose not to reveal her identity by pursuing the case, reports Variety. In the lawsuit, originally filed by attorney Tony Buzbee in October 2024, Jane claimed that Combs attempted to sexually assault her at a New York City party in 1995 and violently struck her when she refused his advances. As per Variety, in January, Buzbee filed a motion for Jane to proceed anonymously, which the court denied, stating that the very gravity of the charges combined with no evidence of specific and concrete harm undermin(ed) her claim to proceed anonymously. After the court ordered Jane to file a complaint under her name by March 20, the judge dismissed the case on Monday as she chose not to pursue the case further. Buzbee explained in a statement that she did not feel comfortable revealing her identity and ultimately decided not to refile. In this particular case, Jane Doe opted not to proceed, he said. There is a lot of fear amongst these plaintiffs. I thus cant blame her. These are tough cases and they are many times re-traumatizing for those who pursue them. Each case stands on its own merit. This woman chose not to proceed and subject herself to the media circus and the perceived danger she felt. We have to respect that. The rappers legal team shared with Variety that this dismissal is a sign of whats to come with other pending cases. Today a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against Mr. Combs by Texas attorney Anthony Buzbee and his local counsel Antigone Curis on behalf of an anonymized plaintiff, reads the statement. This is now the second case brought by these attorneys against Mr. Combs that has been dismissed in its entirety. It will not be the last. For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by attorneys more focused on media headlines than legal merit. The other claims, like the one dismissed today, also will not hold up in a court of law. Mumbai: There's great news for the fans of 'Shin Chan'. The beloved franchise's latest film 'Shin Chan:Our Dinosaur Diary' is all set to be released in India. The movie will hit the theatres on May 9, 2025. Directed by Shinobu Sasaki, Our Dinosaur Diary transports audiences to "Dino's Island," a futuristic theme park in Tokyo where dinosaurs have been brought back to life. What starts as an exciting summer quickly turns into chaos when Shinnosuke and his family take in a baby dinosaur named Nana. As a sinister force hunts Nana for its hidden secret, Shinnosuke, his loyal dog Shiro, and the Kasukabe Guard must embark on a thrilling mission to protect their new friend--while rampaging dinosaurs wreak havoc across Tokyo and Kasukabe, as per a press note. Speaking about the Indian release, Director Shinobu Sasaki shared, "The Shin chan movie, which has a history of over 30 years, is finally being released in theaters in India! Thank you very much! Our Dinosaur Diary is a heartwarming story about the kid's summer memories. Led by the mischievous Shin chan, the Kasukabe Guard causes quite a ruckus. Please enjoy the cuteness of his beloved dog Shiro, and the baby dinosaur Nana, as well as the grandeur and coolness of the dinosaurs, and the meticulous hand-drawn lines by the animators on the big screen. I would be thrilled if this movie inspires the people in India to visit Japan or to explore the past series of Shin chan. My heart is pounding with excitement!" Maiko Sumida, Head of Animation Sales & Development at TV Asahi commented, "We are extremely excited to partner with PVR Inox Pictures on this Shin chan film release! We are thrilled that the children who are currently watching Shin chan on TV, as well as those who grew up watching it, will be able to enjoy Shin chan's adventures on the big screen. To enhance the excitement for the Indian audience, we have dubbed the movies into Hindi, Tamil and Telegu. We hope that this will provide fans with an unforgettable cinematic experience!" Shin-chan: Our Dinosaur Diary was released last year in Japan, garnering great reviews. Now it's to be seen how it performs in Indian market. The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has decided to increase the auto settlement of advanced claim (ASAC) ceiling from the present Rs 1 lakh by five times, sources told ANI. EPFO members can withdraw PF up to Rs 5 lakh through ASAC soon. This revision will enhance the ease of living for crores of members of EPFO. PF withdrawal limit may be raised from Rs 1 Lakh to Rs 5 lakh As per ANI sources, Sumita Dawra, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, had approved the proposal to raise the limit from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh in the 113th meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) of Central Board of Trustees (CBT), held last week. Ramesh Krishnamurthi, Central Provident Fund Commissioner, EPFO, attended the meeting, which was held in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir on March 28. The recommendation will now be sent to CBT for approval. EPFO members can withdraw PF up to Rs 5 lakh through ASAC after the approval of CBT. In April 2020, the auto mode of claim settlement was introduced for advance for illness. The EPFO raised the auto settlement of the advanced claim limit from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh in May 2024. Auto mode settlement of advance claims for 3 more categories The EPFO has also introduced auto-mode settlement of advance claims for three more categories: education, marriage, and housing. Earlier, members could only withdraw their PF for illness/hospitalisation purposes. Auto-mode claims processed within three days With 95 percent of claims now being automated, the auto-mode claims are processed within three days. Any claim involving KYC, eligibility, and bank validation is automatically processed by IT systems for payment. As a result, the claim settlement periods are shortened from 10 days to within 3-4 days for such advances. As of March 6, 2025, the EPFO has settled 2.16 crore auto-claims, a record high for the current fiscal year up from 89.52 lakh in 20232024. According to ANI sources the rejection of claims ratio has also decreased from 50% to 30% last year. Auto-claim solution without human intervention With the EPFO's auto-claim solution, claims are handled automatically by an IT system without the need for human involvement. The centralization of member databases under Centralized IT Enabled further streamlines the claim settlement procedure. Human intervention is eliminated as the entire auto-settlement process is driven by an IT system. Validation formalities for withdrawing PF reduced from 27 to 18 According to ANI sources, the validation formalities for withdrawing PF have also been reduced from 27 to 18. It was decided in the meeting to bring it down to 6. Certain upfront validations have been developed which would guide members about the eligibility /admissibility of claims and ensure that they do not file ineligible claims. Claims that systems cannot verify are not rejected or returned. They are further carried out for a second degree of review and approval. Members to soon withdraw PF through UPI and ATM The EPFO plans to launch a ground-breaking new PF withdrawal method via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Last week, Labour and Employment Secretary Sumita Dawra said that the ministry has approved NPCI's recommendation, and members may withdraw PF through UPI and ATM by the end of May or June this year. This may also be a good pilot for members of other schemes like the General Provident Fund (GPF) of Govt Employees of the Public Provident Fund (PPF) of Banks. New Delhi: Unified Pension Scheme will be rolled out for lakhs of central government employees from today 1 April 2025. Central government employees with at least 25 years of service will be eligible for a fixed pension equal to 50 per cent of their average basic salary from the last 12 months before retirement under the new Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) had couple of weeks ago notified the regulations for Operationalisation of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). "The PFRDA vide gazette notification dated 19th March, 2025 has issued PFRDA (Operationalisation of the Unified Pension Scheme under NPS) Regulations, 2025," said a Ministry of Finance release. This follows the UPS notification dated 24th January, 2025 by Government of India for Central Government Employees covered under NPS . The regulations shall come into effect from 1st April, 2025. PFRDA Regulations enable enrolment of three categories of central government employees in Unified Pension Scheme --Check Major cut-off dates (i) an existing central government employee in service as on 1st April 2025, who is covered under NPS ; (ii) new recruit in the central government services, who joins service on or after the 1st day of April 2025 ; (iii) a central government employee who was covered under NPS and who has superannuated or voluntarily retired or has retired under Fundamental Rules 56(j) on or before 31st March 2025 and is eligible for UPS or the legally wedded spouse in case of a subscriber who has superannuated or retired and has demised prior to exercising the option for UPS. Unified Pension Scheme enrolment and claim forms direct link The enrolment and claim forms for all these categories of central government employees will be available online from 1st April, 2025 on website of Protean CRA - https://npscra.nsdl.co.in The employees also have the option to submit the forms physically. Pension Under UPS Employees, who have served for more than 10 years but less than 25 years, will receive a minimum pension of Rs 10,000 per month. In case of the pensioners death, their family will be entitled to 60 per cent of the last pension drawn as a family pension. NEW YORK: India is amazing from space, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams said and voiced optimism that she will visit her father's home country and share experiences about space exploration with people there. Sunita made these remarks during a press conference Monday. She was responding to a question on how India looked from space when she was in the International Space Station and on possibility of her collaborating with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on space exploration. "India is amazing. Every time we went over the Himalayas, and I'll tell you, Butch got some incredible pictures of the Himalayas. Just amazing, Sunita said. The 59-year-old NASA astronaut and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore addressed reporters at their first joint press conference days after they returned to Earth as part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, having been stranded in space for over nine months. "And you can see, like I've described it before, just like this ripple that happened, obviously when the plates collided, and then as it flows down into India. It's many, many colours," she said. "I think, when you come from the east, going into like Gujarat and Mumbai, the fishing fleet that's off the coast there gives you a little bit of a beacon that here we come, and then all throughout India, I think the impression I had was it was just like this network of lights from the bigger cities going down through the smaller cities. Just incredible to look at at night as well as during the day, highlighted, of course, by the Himalayas, which is just incredible as a forefront going down into India, she said. Sunita added that I hope, and I think for sure, I'm gonna be going back to my father's home country and visiting with people and getting excited about the first, or not the first, but the Indian national who's going up on the Axiom Mission coming up, pretty awesome, she said. She made those remarks while referring to the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station that will include Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India. Lucknow-born Shukla will be India's second astronaut after former Indian Air Force officer Rakesh Sharma to go to space since 1984. "They'll have a hometown hero there of their own that will be able to talk about how wonderful the International Space Station is from his perspective. But I hope I can meet up at some point in time, and we can share our experiences with as many people in India as possible, because it's a great country, another wonderful democracy that's trying to put its foot in the space countries, and we'd love to be part of that and help them along, she said. Sunita's father Deepak Pandya hailed from Gujarat and came to the US in 1958 where he did his internship and residency training in Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. She was born in Ohio to Deepak and Ursuline Bonnie Pandya. When Wilmore asked Sunita if she plans to take her crew members on the trip to India with her, she replied with a laugh "Absolutely. You might stick out a little bit but that's okay. We'll get you all primed with some spicy food, will be good. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had welcomed Sunita and her fellow Crew-9 members as they returned to Earth after the prolonged mission to the International Space Station, saying their unwavering determination will forever inspire millions. Welcome back, Crew9! The Earth missed you, Modi said in a post on X. NASA astronauts Sunita, Nick Hague and Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth March 18 onboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which splashed down in the sea off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. For Sunita and Wilmore, test pilots for Boeing's new Starliner capsule, an eight-day mission stretched to more than nine months as a series of helium leaks and thruster failures deemed their spacecraft unsafe. The spacecraft returned without them in September. Theirs has been a test of grit, courage and the boundless human spirit. Sunita Williams and the #Crew9 astronauts have once again shown us what perseverance truly means. Their unwavering determination in the face of the vast unknown will forever inspire millions, Modi had said. He had said space exploration is about pushing the limits of human potential, daring to dream and having the courage to turn those dreams into reality. "Sunita Williams, a trailblazer and an icon, has exemplified this spirit throughout her career, the prime minister said. We are incredibly proud of all those who worked tirelessly to ensure their safe return. They have demonstrated what happens when precision meets passion and technology meets tenacity, Modi had said. Apple iOS 18.4 Update In India: Apple has introduced the iOS 18.4 update for iPhone models in India. The new update comes with a support for new Apple Intelligence features for users such as Priority notifications. Notably, the Apple Intelligence features will only be available to all iPhone 16 models which includes the iPhone 16e, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, the Apple Intelligence was already available to users in the US, UK, Europe, and Canada. The Cupertino-based tech giant Apple has also expanded Apple Intelligence to more regions with support for additional languages including localised English (India). The new update also adds support for ten new system languages including Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. iOS 18.4 Update For iPhone: Availability iPhone users in India can now access AI features without switching their device language, making the experience more seamless and convenient. The company has also integrated ChatGPT into Siri and Writing Tools. Users can enable ChatGPT access for certain requests, such as generating content or analysing images. Apple Intelligence Features- What's New Phone users can finally gain access to a suite of AI-enhanced tools designed to improve productivity and personalisation. Apple's Intelligence features bring a smarter and more intuitive experience across devices. Genmoji lets users create personalized emojis, while Image Playground and Image Wand in the Apple Pencil tool enhance creativity. Writing Tools refine text effortlessly, and Clean Up in Photos ensures clutter-free images. Users can also Create a Memory movie and leverage Natural Language Search to find photos quickly. Notification Summaries and Reduce Interruptions Focus help manage distractions, while Intelligent Breakthrough & Silencing ensures only important alerts come through. Email and messaging become more efficient with Priority Messages in Mail, Smart Reply, and Summaries, making communication seamless and productive. How To Enable Apple Intelligence? Step 1: Unlock your iPhone and go to Settings. Step 2: Tap General > Software Update to see if iOS 18.4 is available. Step 3: Select Download and Install, then follow the on-screen instructions. Step 4: Once installed, restart your iPhone and explore the new AI features. Luxembourg-based satellite communications provider SES and Singapore startup SpeQtral have signed an MoU to develop an interoperable Optical Ground Station (OGS) to establish long-distance satellite-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) between Asia and Europe. A spinoff from Singapore's Center for Quantum Technologies (CQT), SpeQtral is developing a satellite-based QKD system for secure communication and cybersecurity. SpeQtral is working on two QKD satellites, SpeQtre and SpeQtral-1, which are supported by the Office for Space Technology & Industry, Singapore. SES, in collaboration with a consortium of European partners, including ESA and European Commission, is leading the development of the EAGLE-1 project to enable early access to long-distance QKD for ultra-secure data transmissions. Under the agreement, the development of an interoperable OGS will enable SES and SpeQtral to connect both companies current and future QKD satellite missions. According to the partners, this will result in easier access to, and diversity in the supply of long-distance QKD to end users in Asia, Europe and other future compatible ground stations worldwide. "The integration of this proposed OGS with Singapores fibre-QKD network will help future customers integrate their networks with satellite QKD networks and demonstrate a practical pathway towards enabling a global QKD connectivity once the QKD satellites are operational," the partners say. The first OGS is anticipated to be built in Singapore which already hosts government sponsored quantum-safe activities such as the National Quantum Safe Network Plus initiative. SES and SpeQtral say fibre-based QKD networks that are being deployed in major cities around the world will require a satellite-based QKD solution to form an interconnected global QKD network. "QKD satellites operate in Sun-Synchronous Orbits approximately 500 km away from the Earths surface, enabling global interconnectivity and laying the foundation for highly secure communications in the age of quantum computing," they say. Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES said satellite-enabled Quantum Key Distribution is a fundamental technology for next-generation cyber security, allowing long-distance transmission of encryption keys. "At SES we are delighted to bring our innovative expertise in developing secure, interoperable networked solutions, joining efforts with like-minded ecosystem partner SpeQtral in implementing the next milestone of our quantum-secure vision," Al-Saleh said. "The agreement allows SES to expand into non-EU markets and serve commercial customers, including facilitating secure exchanges between entities based across different geographies. Chune Yang Lum, CEO of SpeQtral, said the partnership with SES represents a significant step towards realising commercially viable space-based QKD. "It is important that we build on each others expertise, to unlock synergies in this initial phase of enabling the interconnection of localised fibre-based quantum networks," Lum said. "By developing a shared OGS infrastructure, we are reducing costs and strengthening the foundation for a truly global quantum-secure network." Chinese Foreign Minister spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that the bilateral relationship between China and India demonstrates how both nations have contributed to each others growth, with the cooperative dance of the "dragon and the elephant". This statement was marked on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of their bilateral relations. He added that President Xi Jinping and Indian President Droupadi Murmu, along with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, exchanged congratulatory messages on the occasion. Today marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, PTI reported. During the media briefing, Gao stated that both China and India are ancient civilisations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South and both are in a crucial stage of modernisation. Reacting to both country's historical courses, he said, "The historical course of our bilateral relations shows that being partners that contributed to each others success and the cooperative dance of 'the dragon and the elephant' is the right choice for both sides." Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of our both countries, China stands ready to work with India to view and handle bilateral relations with a strategic and long-term perspective and take this occasion as an opportunity to enhance strategic mutual trust and step up exchanges and cooperation in various fields, Guo added, PTI reported. Responding to a question about the plans by both the countries to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, he said the two sides have the willingness to take the occasion to advance the bilateral relations. WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday (local time) the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese officials responsible for limiting the access of US officials to Tibetan areas. This move is in response to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) long-standing refusal to allow US diplomats, journalists, and international observers into Tibet while Chinese officials enjoy unrestricted access to the United States. "Today, I am taking steps to impose additional visa restrictions on Chinese officials determined to be substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to Tibetan Areas, pursuant to the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018," Rubio said in a statement. "For far too long, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has refused to afford US diplomats, journalists, and other international observers access to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas of China, while China's diplomats and journalists enjoy broad access in the United States. US diplomats are also unable to provide services to US citizens traveling in Tibet," he added. Further, the US urged the CCP to immediately address this issue and allow diplomats and others unrestricted access to TAR. "This lack of reciprocity is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. I urge the CCP to immediately address the lack of reciprocity and allow diplomats, among others, unrestricted access to the TAR and other Tibetan areas of China," he said. Earlier in the day, a spokesperson from the US Department of State slammed China's call for informants on Taiwan independence as 'irresponsible and reprehensible' According to a report by the Taipei Times, he described the Chinese government's request that citizens report individuals advocating for "Taiwan independence" as "irresponsible and reprehensible." In an email referenced by the Taipei Times, the spokesperson stated, "China's urging for private individuals to inform on alleged 'persecution or suppression' by so-called 'Taiwan independence henchmen and accomplices' is both irresponsible and reprehensible." The spokesperson indicated that this action is part of Beijing's "intimidation campaign" against Taiwan and its allies, which they claim is "threatening free speech globally, destabilising the Indo-Pacific region, and intentionally undermining the cross-strait status quo." The United States Secret Service Officials, who were guarding the Blair House during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington in February, thwarted Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's plan to serve summons to Indian NSA Ajit Doval who was accompanying the PM. Pannun claimed that he had managed to get the summon delivered to Doval, but India rejected the claim. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri had earlier described the claims as 'unwarranted and unsubstantiated'. According to a report by Time of India, when the Pannun's agent/server was trying to place the summon at the gate of Blair House, the US Secret Service agents guarding the presidents guest house threatened to arrest him, following which the server left and dropped the summons with a nearby Starbucks store. The details were revealed during a US court's response to a letter from Pannuns lawyer. The court noted that dropping the summons at a Starbucks store didnt prove to be enough for the court to continue the case. The US court noted, 'the complaint was not delivered to a member of the hotel management or staff or any officers or agents providing security for Defendant (Doval), as required by the court's order'. The summons was issued in September 2024 after Pannun filed a lawsuit alleging a murder plot against him. The American authorities had earlier blamed an Indian government agent named Vikash Yadav but a probe by New Delhi confirmed that Yadav was an ex-employee. Another Indian national Nikhil Gupta is in US custody for his alleged involvement in the case. Pannun is a wanted criminal in India and poses a security threat to the country. 360 Privacy, provider of the leading digital executive protection platform, today announced the appointment of three key executives to strengthen its leadership team. These strategic appointments will support the company's ambitious growth plans following its recent funding round from FTV Capital and advance its mission to provide comprehensive protection of executives and their assets and reputations. The appointments include Sean Damaso, who joins as Chief Financial Officer, Chuck Randolph, the new Senior Vice President of Strategic Intelligence and Security, and Fred Burton as Strategic Advisor. These appointments demonstrate 360 Privacy's commitment to expanding its executive team with industry veterans who bring decades of specialized expertise in finance, security intelligence, and executive protection. "We're thrilled to welcome Sean, Chuck, and Fred to the 360 Privacy team," said Adam Jackson, founder and CEO of 360 Privacy. These hires represent a significant investment in our future growth, and their collective experience and strategic vision will enable us to scale operations and deliver innovative solutions that address the evolving privacy and security challenges faced by our customers." Sean Damaso, Chief Financial Officer As Chief Financial Officer, Sean Damaso will oversee financial strategy and operations through data-driven decision-making, supporting the company's accelerated growth trajectory. With his extensive financial leadership and strategic planning background, Damaso will play a pivotal role in driving the company's financial performance, scaling operations efficiently, and ensuring responsible stewardship of company resources. Previously, Damaso served as Vice President of Finance at Minuteman Security and Life Safety where he oversaw all of finance and accounting. He was also Vice President of Finance at Advarra. In both roles he focused on business partnering and aligning financial strategies to achieve long-term company objectives. Chuck Randolph, Senior Vice President, Strategic Intelligence and Security Chuck Randolph joins 360 Privacy as Senior Vice President of Strategic Intelligence and Security. He brings decades of experience as a seasoned strategic risk leader, military officer, author, and respected voice in the security and intelligence community. A recognized thought leader, he has advised Fortune 500 companies and helped shape best practices across the industry. Randolph most recently served as Chief Security Officer at Ontic. He also led the Center for Thought Leadership and hosted the Protective Intelligence podcast. He previously spent 20 years as Senior Director of Global Protective Operations and Intelligence at a Fortune 20 company, overseeing risk programs across 56 countries. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, having served over 30 years in both active and reserve capacity with recognition for valor. His career has been defined by operational leadership, adaptability, and a deep commitment to protecting people and organizations. Fred Burton, Strategic Advisor Fred Burton, widely recognized as the father of protective intelligence and a New York Times best-selling author, joins 360 Privacy as a Strategic Advisor. He will provide counsel to enhance 360 Privacys security intelligence capabilities, supporting the company's commitment to safeguarding client privacy and mitigating corporate risks. Burton's extensive background in advising security executives strengthens the companys ability to deliver actionable insights and tailored solutions for enterprise security leaders. Throughout his career, Burton has been at the forefront of high-profile investigations, including the hunt for and arrest of Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind behind the first World Trade Center bombing; the 1988 plane crash of PAK-1 that killed U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel and Pakistani President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq; and the search for Americans kidnapped by Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon. About 360 Privacy 360 Privacy, the leader in digital executive protection solutions, provides the essential security layer that bridges the gap between cybersecurity and physical security, protecting identities, assets and reputations of corporate executives, athletes, high net-worth families, and other high-profile individuals. Its tiered approach to managing digital identity combines proprietary technology and automation with human expertise to prevent, monitor, and remediate high-risk threats across the attack surface, and both the deep and dark web. With decades of experience in military special operations, law enforcement, intelligence, technology, and executive protection, 360 Privacy is trusted by Fortune 500 companies, professional sports organizations, and ultra-high-net-worth families, to safeguard their assets, reputation, and sensitive information. To learn more, please visit: https://www.360privacy.io On March 29, 2025, Sihoo , a global leader in ergonomic furniture, successfully held its 2025 Brand Globalization Strategy Conference and Overseas Market Customer Appreciation Banquet in Guangzhou. Themed Driving Growth, Win Future, the event brought together global partners, corporate executives, and industry leaders, serving as a strategic milestone in Sihoos ongoing transformation from a domestic e-commerce leader to a globally integrated brand ecosystem. This event marked a defining moment in Sihoos international development, opening a new chapter in its globalization strategy. From Innovation to Impact: Sihoo Launches 2025 Strategy The summit began with a keynote speech by Sihoo Chairman Luo Huiping, titled The Health Revolution of a Chair In his opening remarks, Luo officially introduced Sihoos 2025 global brand strategy, marking a new chapter in the companys international development. Sihoo constructs its competitive barriers through product iteration and innovation, Luo stated. We are redefining the chair industry with technological strength, and fulfilling our commitment to protecting users health through technology with ongoing innovation. This strategic direction reflects Sihoos long-term focus on merging ergonomics, engineering, and user-centric design to drive the evolution of healthy seating solutions. With over 1.5 million ergonomic chairs sold annually and a presence in 85 countries, Sihoo has not only demonstrated remarkable commercial success but has also reshaped global perceptions of Chinese innovation in the health-tech furniture space. Its consistent dominance on major e-commerce platforms like JD.com and Tmallwhere it has ranked first in its category for four consecutive years. At the heart of this momentum is the C300, a flagship product that has led category sales across major e-commerce platforms for multiple consecutive years. Driving Innovation Through Strategic Investments Sihoo has invested 1215% of its annual revenue into R&D, with a team of nearly 100 engineers and experts developing patented seating technologies. From its groundbreaking M18 with multi-dimensional lumbar support to the intelligent T6, which integrates massage, audio, and health monitoring systems, Sihoo has progressed through four generations of innovation. The company is now advancing toward a 5.0 all-scenario workstation to deliver comprehensive workplace wellness solutions. Luo emphasized the importance of offline expansion in supporting this evolution. Over the past five years, Sihoo has refined a single-store model and opened over 160 experience centers in China. Globally, the brand plans to open 200 new stores in 2025, reinforcing both its physical presence and its health-centric mission: Every store we open brings us closer to protecting the well-being of more people. Sihoo Advances Global Strategy with Local Precision During the summit, Sihoos leadership team presented a comprehensive overview of the companys strategic roadmap for international growth. General Manager Liu Shuai outlined the brands long-term vision, emphasizing Sihoos dual commitment to expanding its global presence while deepening its specialization in ergonomic innovation. The company aims to lead across product development, brand influence, and market performance in key international markets. Building on this foundation, Sihoos 2025 strategy reflects a clear evolution from leading in isolated markets to orchestrating coordinated, multi-market growth. This next phase of expansion is underpinned by a business model transformation. Sihoo is evolving from a traditional distributor-led export structure to a hybridized partner + regional entity model. This structure enables more agile decision-making, tighter operational alignment, and deeper cultural and market adaptation across regions. It also signals a shift in the nature of Sihoos global partnershipsfrom transactional relationships to integrated, co-invested collaborations that align on long-term value creation. Sihoos global blueprint also integrates data-driven market selection, strategic store placement based on ergonomic awareness maturity, and differentiated product assortments tailored to local consumer profiles. With an infrastructure built for flexibility and supported by consistent branding, Sihoo aims to standardize excellence while allowing space for market-specific innovation. Chen Zhuo, General Manager for the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America regions, elaborated on Sihoos strategic approach to overcoming globalization challenges. He emphasized that with a consistent annual growth rate of 30%, Sihoo is advancing its positioning as a global leader in ergonomic seating by combining diversified channel development with robust technological innovation. Chen noted that Sihoos flagship product lines continue to gain strong traction among high-end consumers, with brand recognition steadily rising. In 2024, the Doro series experienced year-over-year sales that more than doubled, signaling both growing brand equity and increasing acceptance of premium ergonomic solutions in international markets. As Sihoo expands its global retail presencewith its first overseas flagship store opening in 2023, followed by a second in 2024the company is achieving balanced growth across both retail and contract sales channels. This integrated, omnichannel strategy drives comprehensive improvements in Sihoos global market performance. Global Partner Perspectives: Strategic Alignment Through Shared Success As part of the summit, partners from three key international marketsAustralia, Thailand, and the Philippinesjoined the event to share practical insights from their collaboration with Sihoo. Their contributions provided firsthand perspectives on how localized execution, combined with Sihoos global brand strength, has driven market success. Together, these insights reveal that Sihoos global ambition is powered not only by product strength but by its ability to co-create value with local partners. The depth of collaborationrooted in strategic alignment, market insight, and shared long-term visionis what enables the brand to adapt, thrive, and lead in diverse global markets. Recognizing their contributions, Sihoo presented awards to its partnersBrand Navigator, Strategic Guardian, and Market Pioneerreinforcing a shared commitment to mutual growth and lasting value. Looking Ahead: Advancing Global Strategy Through Innovation and Partnership The successful conclusion of the 2025 Brand Globalization Strategy Conference and Overseas Market Customer Appreciation Banquet marked a key milestone in Sihoos internationalization journey. The event facilitated in-depth communication between the company and its global partners, showcased its technological leadership, and reinforced its commitment to long-term strategic collaboration. With strong engagement from industry stakeholders and partners across multiple markets, the summit provided a clear affirmation of Sihoos global positioning and strategic direction. At the same time, Sihoo will maintain high investment in R&D and innovation, advancing its transition from hardware manufacturing to integrated intelligent product ecosystems. With a clear strategic roadmap, strong execution capabilities, and trusted international partnerships, Sihoo is positioned to lead the next phase of growth in the global ergonomic industry. Over the long-term horizon, Sihoo will remain focused on delivering value through product innovation, market responsiveness, and ecosystem collaboration, ensuring its solutions continue to meet the evolving needs of global users. GUEST OPINION by Peter Graves, Area Vice President ANZ, UiPath: AI wont take your job. Its somebody using AI who will. This powerful statement from leading economist Richard E. Baldwin cuts to the heart of a growing reality; workplaces are being reshaped by the balance between machines and humans. Leaders must now focus on determining which tasks are best suited for automation and which require human creativity, strategic thinking and relationship-building. This shift, referred to as the great work reallocation is about changing how work gets done. For instance, machines are very good at repetitive, data-heavy tasks, freeing humans up to concentrate on high-value tasks that drive innovation and collaboration. The next evolution of this has already begun through agentic automation, which combines agents, robots, AI and people to automate complex business processes end to end. It is already delivering transformational outcomes, making businesses more autonomous and productive while enhancing the experience of customers and employees. William Payne, Chief Digital Officer of Mirvac, is seeing early signs of success by engaging agentic automation across multiple business processes. Its not so much that people are doing their jobs differently, its that theyre thinking differently. Theres been a surge in creativity, in ideation. You start with one use case, and suddenly, it sparks five more ideas for how we can apply AI elsewhere. Its an endless stream of possibilities, he said. However, William cautions that succeeding in this new era requires more than simply adopting technology. It calls for leaders to rethink operational models, redesign workflows, and prepare the workforce for a future defined by human-machine collaboration. This also isnt a change that businesses can tackle in isolation unions, governments, academia, and policy makers are all grappling with the ripple effects of this new workforce design. McKinsey projects that sectors like STEM, healthcare, legal and creative industries stand to benefit the most from AI. For organisations, this means proactively managing the talent reallocation, and ensuring machines augment human capabilities to achieve optimal business results. Here's how Australian businesses can lead this transition: 1. Map out the workforce of the future Begin by identifying roles that will evolve due to automation. Process mining and task mining technologies are critical for analysing workflows, uncovering inefficiencies, and pinpointing tasks suitable for AI. For example, Omega Healthcare used these technologies to eliminate workflow bottlenecks, reducing process documentation time by 80% and enabling employees to focus on cognitive decision-making rather than repetitive tasks. 2. Select the right technologies A cornerstone of the great work allocation is adopting agentic automation where agents, robots and humans work together. Agents need people to oversee performance, provide approvals and refine workflows. Meanwhile, robots handle many of the repetitive tasks that agents need to do, such as data entry or document processing. To select the right technologies, the partnership between agents, robots and humans is critical. A useful (though simplified) analogy is the left and right parts of the brain working together. In the emerging autonomous enterprise, important and logical left-brain tasks, like data gathering, entry, and migration, will be done by robots. Creative and dynamic right-brain tasks - forecasting, comparison, innovation, and problem solving - will be performed by agents. However, keeping humans in the loop is essential, as it ensures that AI-driven processes maintain accountability, allow for human judgement where necessary, and align with business goals. This combination of capabilities makes agents and robots a power couple poised to automate process-based work while preserving the critical role of human oversight. 3. Upskill and empower your workforce Invest in targeted training programs to prepare employees for the great work reallocation. Focus on technical skills like managing AI tools and data analysis, as well as uniquely human capabilities such as creativity, problem solving and critical thinking. Fostering a culture of innovation is equally important. Involve employees in automation initiatives, ensuring they understand how these changes enhance their roles and benefit the business. Share success stories and build momentum to create a workforce that embraces technology as an enabler. 4. Redesign workflows for human-machine collaboration Redefine processes to capitalise on the unique strengths of both AI systems and people. Breaking down siloes across departments is also essential. Encourage collaboration between HR, IT and business line leaders to ensure the smooth integration of AI systems and alignment with broader organisational goals. The great work reallocation is already underway and businesses must act smarter, not harder to remain competitive. Businesses that strategically integrate automation, empower their workforce and embrace human-machine collaboration will be one step ahead. COMPANY NEWS: Rapid7 , a leader in extended risk and threat detection, today announced the winners of its 2025 Partner of the Year Awards. Now in its 5th year, the annual awards program recognises both private and public sector partners for exceptional collaboration as well as their positive influence on customers security postures. Rapid7 recently announced significant updates to its global PACT partner program, uniting and energising partners with tailored engagement programs and specialisations, an all-new Partner Training Academy, and a modernised and expanded partner portal. The new program was rolled out to Rapid7s full channel community, which includes resellers, distributors, systems integrators, and service providers, in a series of in person and virtual events that took place around the world. The global Rapid7 partner community is essential in furthering our mission to give customers command of their attack surface with the most adaptive, predictive, and responsive cybersecurity platform, said Alex Page, vice president of global channel and emerging technology sales, Rapid7. Through the annual Partner of the Year Awards, we acknowledge the various ways our partners excel in specialisation, collaboration, and, most importantly, customer outcomes. This year, Rapid7 is recognising 27 partners across 17 categories in four major geographic regions. North America Partner of the Year: SHI Canada Partner of the Year: Softchoice Public Sector Partner of the Year: CDWG Best Customer Retention Partner of the Year: GuidePoint Security Cloud Security Partner of the Year: SHI Detection & Response Partner of the Year: CDW Exposure Management Partner of the Year: SHI MSSP Partner of the Year: Novawatch Distributor of the Year: Carahsoft Emerging Partner of the Year: The Redesign Group Latin America Region Winners: Latin America Partner of the Year: Netconn EMEA Region Winners: APJ Region Winners: APJ Partner of the Year: DGplex Best Customer Retention Partner of the Year: CyberRisk Detection & Response Partner of the Year: Telstra Exposure Management Partner of the Year: Wysetek Systems Technologists MSSP Partner of the Year: Cythera Distributor of the Year: APTSecure Technologies Emerging Partner of the Year: ctrl:cyber North America Partner of the Year - Jared Crowley, senior director of partner software and security sales, SHI, said: "It is an honour for SHI to be recognised as the North America Partner of the Year, Cloud Partner of the Year, and VM Partner of the Year. These awards are a reflection of our team's dedication and expertise in delivering innovative solutions to our customers. We are excited to continue strengthening our partnership with Rapid7 to drive even greater success together in the future." EMEA Partner of the Year - Will Day, cybersecurity alliances lead at Softcat, said: I am delighted that the hard work and commitment of the teams has been recognised in this award. It is testament to the strength of partnership between Softcat and Rapid7, refined over the last 10-plus years, yet still fuelled by a joint desire to win new customers and provide them with market-leading SecOps solutions. Im looking forward to seeing what the next 12 months of growth in the partnership will bring. APJ Partner of the Year - Jordan Del-Grande, CEO and founder, DGplex, said: "We at DGplex are incredibly honoured to be recognised as the APJ Partner of the Year by Rapid7. This award is a testament to our team's dedication and expertise in delivering innovative cybersecurity solutions. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Rapid7 to drive excellence and provide unparalleled value to our clients across the region." To learn more about Rapid7 partnerships and to explore partnership opportunities, visit https://www.rapid7.com/partners/. About Rapid7 Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD) is on a mission to create a safer digital world by making cybersecurity simpler and more accessible. We empower security professionals to manage a modern attack surface through our best-in-class technology, leading-edge research, and broad, strategic expertise. Rapid7s comprehensive security solutions help more than 11,000 global customers unite cloud risk management and threat detection to reduce attack surfaces and eliminate threats with speed and precision. For more information, visit our website, check out our blog, or follow us on LinkedIn or X. For more information, visit our website, check out our blog, or follow us on LinkedIn or X. As did lots of people, Patrick Harris came to R.E.M. through the bands biggest hit song, Losing My Religion. The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard charts in 1991 and turned what had been a beloved indie band, one with strong Winston-Salem ties, into bona fide rock stars. That was real big, Harris said recently from his home in the small Surry County community of State Road. And then, I started going back and listening to older stuff. Harris has such a love for the band from Athens, Ga., that he is curating an art exhibition around its lyrics and songs. Fables for the People: Artwork Inspired by the Lyrics of R.E.M., opens on April 3 at the West Salem Art Hotel, 912 Albert St. For those unfamiliar with the space, the West Salem Art Hotel is a funky, art-filled boutique hotel with rotating art exhibitions in a large common room. Haydee Thompson, a local artist and musician, owns the hotel, which started above Krankies in 2017 and moved to its current location in the West Salem neighborhood in 2021. Taking its name from R.E.M.s 1985 album, Fables of the Reconstruction, the exhibition will include contributions from about 12 artists, including artists Zach Lance, Chris DeMaria, Kat Lamp, Cindy Taplin and Tom Patterson. Artists from as far as Massachusetts answered Harris call for contributions. Harris, a portraiture artist who describes his work as pop expressionism, said he has long wanted to do an R.E.M.-centric show. Formed in 1980, the band traveled to Winston-Salem to record its first album, Chronic Town, at Mitch Easters Drive-In Studio. Easter, who now lives in Kernersville, also produced Murmur and Reckoning, with Don Dixon. Cult classics at the time, the two albums were a refreshing antidote to some of the formulaic arena rock made by such bands as Boston, Kansas and the Eagles and helped launch the indie rock movement. The band went on to record a large and varied body of work that includes forays into glam, electronica and unabashed pop. A lot of the artists dont necessarily listen to R.E.M., or havent in a long time, but they went back to it to create a work, Harris said. So Im excited to listen to it and get inspired by how they approached. Michael Stipes lyrics are often difficult to decipher and can be intentionally obtuse, so seeing how some of the artists find inspiration in Stipes sometimes muttered ramblings will be part of the fun. Some of his lyrics arent supposed to make sense, said Harris, who is contributing paintings based on Nightswimming and Cant Get There from Here, two of the bands most beloved songs. As for other artists in the show, Harris said he doesnt know what lyrics are inspiring them. Itll be a surprise to me, but that will be the fun of it, he said. I want it to be a fun show because R.E.M. is fun to me. Lance loved the idea of the exhibition when Harris pitched it to him. I thought it was the coolest idea, he said. As part of Lances research, he took a deep dive into the bands lyrics, eventually finding his inspiration in Wendell Gee from Fables of the Reconstruction. He chose to paint it in the folk-art style that Stipe has long championed. Though Lance said he listened to harder music than R.E.M., growing up in Winston-Salem, it was hard to ignore the bands local reach. A lot of us know someone who knows someone who knows R.E.M., Lance said. The group show will be a first for the Art Hotel, Thompson said. Ive always been a fan of Patrick and his work, she said, so when he mentioned it, a light went off in my head, and I thought that Id like to host that show. The opening of the exhibition will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Rooms in the hotel also will be open for people to visit. Local food truck Kuya Bear Food will be on hand and Cakes ov Light will perform. Expect a few R.E.M. cover songs, too. Since the hotel is private, its best to email (westsalemarthotel@gmail.com) to set up a time to see the artwork if you cant make it to the opening, Thompson said. Nebraska lawmakers gave first-round approval Monday to a bill prohibiting the manufacture, sale or distribution of lab-grown meat products across the state. The bill (LB246) from Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara, which advanced on a 33-4 vote on Day 53 of the 90-day legislative session, would ban "cultivated-protein food products" from being sold in Nebraska grocery stores and restaurants. Brought on behalf of Gov. Jim Pillen, who named it one of his legislative priorities for 2025, DeKay said LB246 was not about barring a food product that could potentially compete with Nebraska agricultural products. Lab-grown meat products are not currently commercially available in Nebraska, several agricultural and grocery advocacy groups have said. Nor is there currently a way to manufacture cultured-protein food products at scale. How they voted Thirty-three senators supported a bill (LB246) from Sen. Barry DeKay of Niobrara that would ban "cultivated-protein food products" from being made or sold in Nebraska. DeKay said he wanted to protect consumers from "lab-grown meat" until it was proven safe. Voting yes (33): Andersen, Arch, Armendariz, Ballard, Bosn, Bostar, Brandt, Clements, Clouse, DeKay, Dorn, Dover, Guereca, Hallstrom, Hardin, Holdcroft, Hughes, Jacobson, Kauth, Lippincott, Lonowski, McKeon, Meyer, Moser, Murman, Prokop, Sanders, Sorrentino, Storer, Storm, Strommen, von Gillern, Wordekemper. Voting no (15): Conrad, Hunt, Juarez, Raybould. Present, not voting (12): J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, DeBoer, Dungan, Fredrickson, Hansen, Ibach, McKinney, Quick, Riepe, Rountree, Spivey. Still, DeKay said his bill intends to erect guardrails "until or unless there are clear labeling and marketing rules that adequately disclose that cultured meat is not real," and not allow those products to capitalize on the success of naturally-raised products. "Meat itself allows synthetic meat protein products to unfairly benefit from industry investments in marketing and production," said DeKay, the Agricultural Committee chairman. "We need not fear competition, but we want the competition to be fair and honest." Senators, both those intimately involved in agriculture from rural areas of Nebraska as well as a handful from urban areas, said they supported the effort to ban "cultured-protein food products" in Nebraska until more was known about them. Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth said she was initially skeptical about a wholesale ban on a product until she began reading more about those products and how they are made. Lab-grown meat products are typically derived from taking cells from a living animal or fertilized egg and fertilizing them in steel tanks. Kauth said the chemicals used to culture those protein cells have been linked with certain adverse health effects, which she said could hurt consumers. "Right now, there are not studies on this," Kauth said. "There's nothing saying that all of these chemicals aren't going to hurt people." Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman, whose Sandhills district is one of the top cattle-producing areas in the country, said the regulation of lab-grown meat products is in its early stages. Nebraska should ban lab-grown protein products until consumers can be assured of its safety, Storer said. At that point, a future Legislature could lift the ban if warranted, she added, rather than allow Nebraskans "to be the guinea pigs." "I am not willing to take that approach," Storer said. "I don't think that's responsible, I don't think that's scared either. We're not scared of that product; I think it's called responsibility." Opponents of DeKay's bill called it an unnecessary intrusion that would stymie research, innovation and economic development opportunities across the state. They also said that as the Legislature races into the back half of its long session there were more pressing issues for lawmakers to take up. "This is not an issue that Nebraskans are crying out for us to address," said Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad. "This is not an issue Nebraska ag groups are crying out for us to address. If anything, they're asking that we would take this up with a truth-in-labeling approach, not a restrictive, punitive ban." The labeling approach Conrad and others referred to was a bill (LB658) from Sen. Bob Andersen of La Vista requiring lab-grown products to be clearly labeled when they appear in stores. The Agriculture Committee advanced Andersen's bill on a 8-0 vote but it has not yet been scheduled for debate. Conrad, in a back and forth with DeKay during floor debate, said the Legislature would be better served in curbing cigarettes and alcohol, as well as tackling the state's nitrate problems if it was concerned about health outcomes for Nebraskans. "If your primary concern is regarding Nebraska consumers' health with these particular products, if we have a ban in place, don't we prevent any sort of research and development that could address potential health effects?" Conrad asked. Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt called LB246 "a big government, nanny-state, reactionary policy" brought by Pillen that limited opportunities for Nebraskans in the future. "We're talking about banning innovation before it even has a chance to compete in the workplace," Hunt said. "That should raise red flags for any Nebraskan, especially in America's breadbasket, in the place that feeds the rest of the world." Hunt said the development of a new food product in a state with expertise like that of researchers at the University of Nebraska could have created jobs up and down the supply chain. "This bill doesn't solve a real problem," she said. "It doesn't address food safety, it doesn't protect ranchers from unfair competition and it certainly doesn't stop companies from selling plant-based or lab-based products across state lines. "All it does is make Nebraska look hostile to innovation and closed off to emerging industries," Hunt added. DeKay's bill, which was designated an Agriculture Committee priority this year, easily advanced to the second round of debate after about 2 hours of discussion on Monday. Pillen called the vote "a major victory for Nebraska agriculture" and thanked DeKay for leading the charge. "The creation of this bioreactor meat is simply a dishonest attack on producers in our state and has no place on Nebraska's grocery shelves," Pillen said in a statement. The Legislature will reconvene for all-day floor debate Tuesday. Country Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. 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 On 31 March Mexicos Foreign Ministerheld a phone call with US Secretary of State End of preview - This article contains approximately 400 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options Macaus flag carrier, Air Macau, closed 2024 with losses exceeding MOP656 million, according to Air Chinas interim report for the last quarter and full year of 2024. The reported losses represent a 240% year-on-year increase compared to 2023. As the Times reported, by mid-year 2024, Air Macaus losses attributable to its parent company, Air China, had already reached MOP427 millionmore than double the MOP197 million loss recorded during the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, Starting April 8, all passengers traveling on Air Macau flights are prohibited from placing power banks in checked luggage. Additionally, the use of power banks is banned during the entire flight. Power banks with an on/off switch must remain turned off throughout the journey. Air Macau stated that dor power banks with a rated energy capacity between 100 Wh and 160 Wh, passengers are allowed to carry up to two units, but they must notify the airline in advance. These power banks can only be brought onboard after receiving approval from check-in staff. Passengers are prohibited from carrying power banks exceeding 160 Wh or those without a specified rated energy capacity. RM The Hong Kong & Macau Pastry Challenge 2025, organized by Anchor Food Professionals, has officially begun, with the event set to take place in June 2025. This competition will bring together top pastry chefs from Macau and Hong Kong to showcase their skills and compete for recognition in the pastry world. The competition will feature Anchors grass-fed dairy products from New Zealand, which participants will use to create their pastry masterpieces. This years theme, Touching Moment, encourages chefs to convey emotions and tell stories through their creations. The challenge will feature categories for both students and professional chefs, with participants required to submit their creations by April 11. The competition will take place on June 18 for student participants and June 20 for chef participants. Maggie Lau, director of Anchor Food Professionals, said, We are honored to host the Hong Kong & Macau Pastry Challenge once again, providing a platform for pastry chefs to showcase their talents and driving the development of the industry. The Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibitions (MIECF) matching sessions on the opening day attracted several enterprises and organizations, with 65 business discussions arranged. The Debut@MacaoProject Launch x Innovation Matching Session, held on the first day of the exhibition (March 27), promoted green debut projects and provided a matching platform. Over the three-day event, the forum held five themed matching sessions, focused on debut projects such as international green and low-carbon development, environmentally friendly project matching for public institutions from Macau and Hengqin, supply and demand of green buildings, and collaboration among integrated tourism and leisure enterprises. Meanwhile, roadshows were arranged for nine key debut projects that showcased cutting-edge technologies such as new biodegradable materials, liquid-cooled ultra-fast charging technology, self-driving electric yachts, and smart energy management, providing exhibitors with an opportunity to present and promote their offerings. Additionally, the on-site business discussions facilitated interaction between exhibitors and traders to explore new opportunities for green collaboration. An exhibitor participating in the roadshows noted that the project launch activity significantly enhanced cooperation in green technology and expressed the hope that more enterprises would be able to showcase their innovative capabilities through this platform. According to traders who attended the activities, the matching sessions presented potential partnership opportunities and stimulated business interactions. International green business opportunities One of the activities that was said to have had a significant attraction factor was the International Green and Low Carbon Project Matching Session, which targeted international buyers and brought together enterprises and organizations involved in environmental protection. This session covered a range of critical areas, such as waste management, water resources and wastewater management, and renewable energy. This international green matching platform enabled participating enterprises to seize business opportunities. The usual festive mood of Eid al-Fitr holiday to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan has been subdued in Indonesia this year as people grapple with soaring prices for food, clothing and essential goods. Consumer spending ahead of the biggest religious holiday for Muslims, which was celebrated on Sunday in Indonesia, has declined compared to the previous year, with a predicted slowdown in cash circulation due to fewer travelers. Each year in Indonesia, nearly three-quarters of the population of the worlds most populous Muslim-majority country travel for the annual homecoming known locally as mudik that is always welcomed with excitement. People pour out of major cities to return to villages to celebrate the holiday with prayers, feasts and family gatherings. Flights are overbooked and anxious relatives weighed down with boxes of gifts form long lines at bus and train stations for the journey But this year the Transportation Ministry said Eid travelers reached 146 million people, a 24% drop from last years 194 million travelers. The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry projects that money circulation during Eid will reach 137.97 trillion rupiah ($8.33 billion), down from 157.3 trillion last year. The weakening purchasing power is also reflected in Bank Indonesias Consumer Confidence Index which dipped to 126.4 in February from 127.2 in January. Bhima Yudistira, executive director of the Center for Economic and Law Studies, or Celios, said those trends indicate the economy is under strain, driven by economic hardship, coupled with currency depreciation and mass layoffs in manufacturing. These have weakened both corporate earnings and workers incomes that suppress consumer spending, Yudistira said, adding he expects a less vibrant festive season. He said the festive spirit has been stifled by harsh economic realities, as soaring prices and dwindling incomes force residents to prioritize survival over celebration. Traditionally household consumption is a key driver of Indonesias GDP. It contributed over 50% to the economy last year, helping push annual growth to 5.11%. However, consumer spending in 2025 is expected to be more subdued, Yudistira said. Despite the downturn, the government remains optimistic that the Ramadan and Eid momentum will support economic growth in the first quarter of 2025. Eid usually boosts the economy through increased spending, Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said ahead of the Islamic holiday. The government recently introduced incentives to stimulate economic activity, including airfare and toll road fee discounts, nationwide online shopping events, direct cash assistance for 16 million households, electricity bill reductions for low-consumption customers, and tax exemptions for labor-intensive sectors. With these programs in place, the government hopes to sustain consumer spending and support economic stability, Hartarto said. The situation has also affected Endang Trisilowati, a mother of four, who said her family had to scale down their festivities budget. Honestly, the economic hardship is affecting us, Trisilowati said. She described how she used to cook different dishes every Eid and invite neighbors, but now she can only afford a simple meal for her family. Many have resorted to just finding a way to eat on that festivity, but the spirit is low, she said. Muslims in India grapple with discrimination In India, Muslims are marking the celebration of Eid with special prayers, family gatherings and festive meals. The holiday comes as the minority community faces vilification by hardline Hindu nationalists. Muslim groups are also protesting against a proposal by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government to change laws governing Muslim land endowments. The government says it wants to weed out corruption and mismanagement in hundreds of thousands of Muslim land endowments. But Muslim groups say the proposal pending approval in Indias parliament is discriminatory. Muslims, who comprise 14% of Indias 1.4 billion population, are the largest minority group in the Hindu-majority nation. Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party launched a nationwide initiative called Saugat-e-Modi, or Modis gift, during Ramadan that is expected to provide food and clothes to over 3 million underprivileged Muslims to celebrate Eid. In New Delhi, thousands assembled in the Jama Masjid, one of the countrys largest mosques, to offer Eid prayers. Families came together yesterday morning and many people shared hugs and wishes. This is a day of giving and receiving love. Even if you meet an enemy, meet them with love today, said 18-year-old student Mohammed Nooruddin. NINIEK KARMINI, JAKARTA, MDT/AP The government will use the Peking Union brand to boost the Macao Medical Center of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, also called Macao Union Hospital, in attracting medical tourism patients and enhancing cooperation with universities on research and investigation, the director of the Health Bureau (SSM), Alvis Lo, said in a written response to an inquiry from lawmaker Lei Chan U. In the response, Lo remarked that the local unit will fully leverage the strong brand of Peking Union Medical College Hospital to build partnerships with universities, research institutions, insurance providers, tourism stakeholders, and integrated leisure enterprises, adding, It also aims to align with current medical visa policies to provide convenient access for patients. The SSM director also noted that the facility, combining cutting-edge technology, advanced equipment, and regionally competitive pricing, seeks to boost medical tourism and expand Macaus health and wellness sector. He further explained that the hospital is gradually launching private services under its International Medical Center, including a Health Management Center offering aesthetic medicine services focused on facial rejuvenation. This includes 16 advanced treatments, such as picosecond laser and radiofrequency microneedling. Expected developments this year Addressing the upcoming developments expected to be implemented this year, Lo mentioned the expansion of aesthetic medicine and vaccination services, as well as the introduction of new services such as weight management and cancer prevention. Lo also stated that private hospital rooms and personalized health management services would be introduced this year. Regarding medical tourism, the director emphasized that the hospital would benefit from creating wellness-themed travel packages and accommodation discounts, which the Macao Government Tourism Office is preparing to target specific markets. In his inquiry, Lei wanted to know the status of using the new hospital to develop the healthcare industry in Macau, with a focus on medical tourism, and asked for specific measures toward this goal. Passenger and vehicle traffic through the Zhuhai highway port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) reached a new high in the first quarter of this year, setting the highest numbers since the bridges opening in 2018, as reported by CCTV yesterday. According to Zhuhai border authorities, the port recorded 7.5 million passenger crossings in the first quarter, marking a 23% year-on-year increase. Vehicle crossings also soared by 31%, reaching 1.56 million, both setting new records. As of yesterday, over 170,000 drivers and more than 140,000 single-plate vehicles from the two special administrative regions (SARs) had been registered, fueling the surge in port traffic. This increase is largely attributed to sustained policy incentives. Guangdong Province introduced the Northbound Travel for Macao Vehicles policy on January 1, 2023, allowing Macau-registered vehicles to enter the mainland via HZMB. This was followed by a similar policy for Hong Kong vehicles in July 2023, further boosting traffic. In the first quarter of 2024, the HZMB Border Inspection Station processed 880,000 crossings by single-plate Hong Kong and Macau vehicles, a 34% year-on-year rise. Additionally, the expansion of mainland cities eligible for individual travel to Hong Kong and Macau has fueled tourism growth, with 1.5 million mainland travelers crossing the bridge in Q1, a 14% increase from last year. Inbound travel has also surged, with the HZMBs direct connection to Hong Kong International Airport and new visa policies attracting more international visitors. In the first quarter, the station processed over 120,000 foreign travelers, up 22% from last year, including a significant rise in visa-free entries. Staff Reporter A Macau resident has been sentenced to 13 years and 9 months in prison for a fatal stabbing in Gongbei back in 2023. The Court of Final Appeal (TUI) revised the sentence after partially granting his appeal, which initially resulted in a 15-year prison term for homicide. The incident occurred after a night out with friends at a restaurant and a mahjong establishment. A minor dispute escalated into a physical altercation. The man later retrieved a pair of scissors from a nearby shop and attacked the victim multiple times, causing fatal injuries. Police and medical personnel arrived, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The attacker returned to Macau, sought medical treatment, and later attempted to leave but was intercepted by authorities. Initially convicted of homicide under Article 128 of the Penal Code, he appealed, claiming he had no direct intent to kill. The TUI ruled that his actions demonstrated eventual intent rather than direct intent, leading to a reduced sentence. However, the guilty verdict was upheld, and he remains sentenced to over 13 years in prison. Staff Reporter Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai will present the 2025 Policy Address on April 14 at 3 p.m. in the Legislative Assembly. A press conference will follow at 5:30 p.m. at the Government Headquarters. On April 15 at 3 p.m. Sam will attend a plenary session to discuss the policy programme, as stated in the governments announcement. The public can watch live via TDM, government websites, and social media. Legislative Assembly debates on policy guidelines will take place from April 17 to 30. Related Some senior residents have raised concerns over the latest version of the Macau Pass Senior Citizen Card, which does not include a printed photo. During a TDM radio program, concerns were raised that the lack of a photo on the card could result in unauthorized use or misuse. In response, the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) clarified that the decision to issue photo-free cards was made to expedite distribution during the citywide consumption boost scheme. Due to a surge in applications, authorities opted for pre-printed cards to ensure seniors could access benefits without delay. Officials acknowledged that many applicants had outdated records, and under normal procedures, updating personal details and submitting a new photograph would have been required before issuing a new card. However, to streamline the process and avoid delays, the photo requirement was temporarily waived. The government affirmed that seniors will be able to exchange their temporary cards for personalized versions with printed photos free of charge at any Macau Pass shop once the program concludes on June 1. Authorities also assured the public that the temporary measure does not affect the cards functionality or the consumption benefits associated with it. Staff Reporter * Rising unemployment Unemployment sees nearly a 10% increase over a three-month period, according to official stats * Gaming | Govt ensures rigorous oversight of casinos non-gaming investments * Courts | Man sentenced to over 13 years in prison for fatal attack * Govt to use the Peking Union brand to boost the Macao Union Hospitals efforts to attract medical tourism patients * Debut@Macao facilitates 65 business matches, creates a platform for green projects * Wang visits Moscow as Russia and Ukraine discuss Trumps proposal to end war DOWNLOAD PDF Tuesday, April 1, 2025 edition no. 4692 Foreign Minister Wang Yi traveled to Moscow yesterday for talks with his counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, as Russia and Ukraine discuss U.S. President Donald Trumps proposal to end the 3-year-old war. Wang is scheduled to meet with Lavrov today, days after Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire after Trump spoke with the two countries leaders. It remains to be seen when such a truce might take effect, how long it might last and what targets would be off-limits. Trump lashed out at both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, expressing frustration with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. Although Trump insisted to reporters that were making a lot of progress, he acknowledged that theres tremendous hatred between the two men. He said he was angry, pissed off that Putin questioned Zelenskyys credibility. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, in comments consistent with Chinas position, emphasized Beijings assertions of neutrality in the Ukraine conflict. We always believe that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way out of the crisis. Chinas cooperation with Russia does not target a third party and should not be affected by any third party, Guo told reporters at a daily briefing. China did not mention Ukraine in its announcement of Wangs trip, saying only that the two countries continue to deepen back-to-back strategic coordination and expand practical cooperation across various fields, as well as upholding the basic norms governing international relations. The Chinese side is ready to take this visit as an opportunity to work with the Russian side on international and regional issues of common concern, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying. China has provided strong diplomatic support for Russia in the more than three years since it launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor, along with an economic lifeline through the trade in energy and consumer goods. However, it has not knowingly provided Russia with weapons or military expertise and has put forward a vague peace plan that was swiftly dismissed by most observers. Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed his unwavering support for Russias war in Ukraine during a meeting with a top Russian security official in Pyongyang on Friday. That came after South Korean intelligence assessment in late February that North Korea had likely sent additional troops to Russia after its forces suffered heavy casualties fighting Ukrainian forces. MDT/AP Despite recent military gains in Khartoum, the conflict in Sudan shows no signs of abating as both sides reaffirm their determination to continue fighting. RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hamditi) declared on Sunday March 30 that his forces, although temporarily retreating from the capital, would return with even stronger resolve. His comments follow the armys assertion that it had eliminated the last pockets of RSF forces in Khartoum after nearly two years of intense warfare. The RSF leaders statement serves as a stark reminder that the conflict remains far from over, with both factions refusing to engage in negotiations. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan echoed this sentiment, vowing not to compromise or negotiate until the last rebel is eliminated from Sudan. Despite the militarys reclaiming of significant sites in Khartoum, including the presidential palace and war-damaged airport, the country remains deeply divided. The army controls the east and north, while the RSF retains control of much of Darfur in the west and parts of the south. The conflict has devastated the nation, causing what the United Nations describes as the worlds worst hunger and displacement crises, with over 12 million people displaced and tens of thousands killed. International efforts to broker peace have faltered, with multiple ceasefires collapsing and US officials lamenting the failure of previous diplomatic attempts. Pope Francis has called for renewed negotiations, emphasising the need for dialogue, but with both sides entrenched in their positions, the prospects for peace remain uncertain. Recent RSF attacks in Blue Nile state and El-Obeid city highlight the ongoing violence, with civilian casualties continuing to rise. As Sudans military and paramilitary forces remain locked in a brutal struggle, the humanitarian toll of the war grows ever heavier. In Ghana, growing calls for accountability within the armed forces have emerged after multiple reports of soldiers attacking civilians in retaliation for military casualties. The recent incidents, particularly in Bawku, have raised serious concerns about the reputation of Ghanas military, once known for its professionalism and discipline. In mid-March, soldiers from the 11th Mechanized Battalion were accused of beating women, children, and the elderly following the killing of a military officer. Local MP Thomas Anaba condemned the indiscriminate violence, emphasizing that punishing innocent civilians was not justice. This is not an isolated incident similar attacks on civilians have occurred in other regions, including Ashaiman-Taifa and Ejura, where soldiers have been involved in excessive force against the public. Security analysts and lawmakers have expressed concern that such actions are becoming normalized and that those responsible are rarely held accountable. Ibrahim Abode, a local reporter, and Adib Sanni, a security expert, argue that the militarys tendency to retaliate without restraint is undermining the rule of law and public trust in the armed forces. In response to the growing concern, president John Dramani Mahama recently tasked the newly formed seven-member Ghana Armed Forces Council with emphasizing discipline, integrity, and ethical leadership. He urged the council to address misconduct and ensure that the military upholds its reputation for professionalism and respect. As calls for a transparent investigation into these incidents intensify, many urge the government to take swift action to restore accountability and prevent further civilian harm. In a surprising turn of events, Sophie Chandauka, chairperson of Sentebale Charity, has publicly accused Prince Harry of orchestrating a campaign of harassment aimed at removing her from the organization. The charity, established nearly two decades ago to honor Princess Dianas legacy, now finds itself embroiled in controversy following the Duke of Sussexs abrupt resignation. During a televised interview, Chandauka expressed shock at Harrys departure, describing it as an act of harassment and bullying at scale that blindsided her completely. She alleged serious misconduct within the organization, citing concerns about power abuse, harassment, and discriminatory behavior directed at Black women. The conflict reportedly intensified after a Miami polo fundraiser where complications arose involving Harrys Netflix commitments and an awkward trophy presentation involving Meghan Markle. According to Chandauka, the charity experienced a significant decline in donations following the Sussexes withdrawal from royal duties in 2020. In their resignation statement, Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho cited an irreparable breakdown in the relationship between board members and Chandauka. They expressed heavy hearts but maintained that the situation had become untenable, noting that Chandauka had initiated legal action to retain her voluntary position. Sentebale, whose name means dont forget me in Sesotho, was originally founded to support youth affected by AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. The organization has since evolved to address broader issues of youth health, wealth, and climate resilience throughout southern Africa. Sources familiar with the situation suggest Harry and Seeiso had privately communicated their resignation two weeks before making it public, anticipating Chandaukas response. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Congolese peer Jean-Claude Gakosso in Beijing last week, reinforcing commitments to enhance the quality of China-Africa cooperation through continued partnership initiatives. The high-level diplomatic exchange highlighted the strategic importance both nations place on their bilateral relationship. During the talks, Wang characterized the China-Congo relationship as exemplary of the solidarity and cooperative spirit defining broader China-Africa relations. He emphasized the crucial role of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) as the premier platform facilitating mutual development between Chinese and African nations. The Chinese diplomat reaffirmed Beijings commitment to implementing outcomes from last years FOCAC Beijing Summit, with particular focus on the comprehensive Ten Partnership Actions program. These initiatives aim to create tangible economic and developmental benefits across the African continent through coordinated policy frameworks. Against the backdrop of global uncertainty, Wang called for stronger unity among China and African nations to safeguard collective interests of developing countries while promoting international stability and prosperity. This appeal underscores Chinas strategic vision of South-South cooperation as a counterbalance to traditional Western-dominated international systems. For his part, Gakosso expressed the Republic of Congos dedication to its role as FOCAC co-chair, pledging cooperation in preparing upcoming coordination meetings and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo. These platforms serve as critical mechanisms for translating diplomatic agreements into actionable economic partnerships. The meeting represents the latest development in Chinas long-term African engagement strategy, which combines diplomatic outreach with infrastructure development and economic investment throughout the continent. Zimbabwean authorities have arrested 95 individuals on charges of promoting public violence following protests calling for president Emmerson Mnangagwas resignation. The protests, organized by former ZANU-PF member Blessed Geza, took place on Monday (31 March) in Harares Freedom Square, where demonstrators chanted Mnangagwa Must Go and clashed with police, throwing stones and briefly blocking roads. The demonstrations were sparked by growing tensions within the ruling ZANU-PF party, with factions opposing plans to extend the 82-year-olds rule beyond 2028. Security forces swiftly contained the protests, with heavy police presence across Harare and other major cities. In response, many businesses and schools closed in what observers described as a stay-away protest. Geza, a former liberation war hero, has called for Mnangagwas immediate resignation over alleged corruption and his attempts to prolong his presidency. Although he has been forced into hiding by authorities, Geza praised his supporters for their participation in the protests, vowing to continue efforts to challenge the government. The Zimbabwean government has condemned the protests, calling them part of a terrorist plot fueled by external actors. The arrest of opposition leaders like Geza, along with ongoing factional disputes within the ruling party, reflects deepening political instability in the country, particularly as Mnangagwas administration faces mounting calls for change at the top. Carnival opens to mark Sanyuesan Festival in Nanning, Guangxi Xinhua) 08:24, April 01, 2025 An aerial drone photo taken on March 31, 2025 shows the opening ceremony of a carnival in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The carnival opened in Nanning on Monday to celebrate the Sanyuesan Festival, a festival celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month, which falls on March 31 this year. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) An aerial drone photo taken on March 31, 2025 shows the opening ceremony of a carnival in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The carnival opened in Nanning on Monday to celebrate the Sanyuesan Festival, a festival celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month, which falls on March 31 this year. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) A folk song troupe from central China's Hubei Province perform during the opening ceremony of a carnival in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, March 31, 2025. The carnival opened in Nanning on Monday to celebrate the Sanyuesan Festival, a festival celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month, which falls on March 31 this year. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang) Robots dance during the opening ceremony of a carnival in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, March 31, 2025. The carnival opened in Nanning on Monday to celebrate the Sanyuesan Festival, a festival celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month, which falls on March 31 this year. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) Actors perform during the opening ceremony of a carnival in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, March 31, 2025. The carnival opened in Nanning on Monday to celebrate the Sanyuesan Festival, a festival celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month, which falls on March 31 this year. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang) A boy performs drum dance during the opening ceremony of a carnival in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, March 31, 2025. The carnival opened in Nanning on Monday to celebrate the Sanyuesan Festival, a festival celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month, which falls on March 31 this year. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang) A folk song troupe from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province perform during the opening ceremony of a carnival in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, March 31, 2025. The carnival opened in Nanning on Monday to celebrate the Sanyuesan Festival, a festival celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month, which falls on March 31 this year. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) An aerial drone photo taken on March 31, 2025 shows a floating bazaar at the opening ceremony of a carnival in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The carnival opened in Nanning on Monday to celebrate the Sanyuesan Festival, a festival celebrated on the third day of the third lunar month, which falls on March 31 this year. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) As Gabon gears up for its presidential election on April 12, 2025, the Rassemblement des Batisseurs (RDB) movement, led by transitional President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, continues to gain traction. Several civil society organizations, political groups, and prominent figures have rallied behind the movement, which is seen as a vehicle to support Nguemas candidacy. Despite not being a formal political party, the RDB is positioning itself as a key force in the election, with widespread backing from various sectors of society. Marc Ona Essangui, Coordinator of RDB associations, emphasized that the movement is fundamentally tied to Nguemas vision for Gabons future, framing it as a path to national reconstruction and sustainable development. Thierry Akendengue, a member of the RDB, noted that the movements appeal lies in its promise to implement ideal public policies and build necessary infrastructure. He highlighted the significant progress seen in Gabon in the last 18 months under Nguemas leadership, which has fuelled optimism among supporters. Political analyst Modeste Abagha suggested that the surge in support for the RDB reflects strategic positioning by various factions seeking to maximise their influence post-election. With a field of candidates that includes Nguema, former prime minister Alain-Claude Billy Bizet, and a mix of other candidates, this election marks a departure from the norm, as none of the candidates represent a traditional political partya shift not seen since Gabon embraced multiparty politics in the 1990s. The outcome of the race is expected to shape the nations political landscape for years to come. It will be recalled that the electoral campaign started over the weekend. The United Nations Security Council has condemned an attack on UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic that resulted in the death of one Kenyan peacekeeper. The attack occurred on Friday March 28 morning in Tabane village, located in the Haut-Mbomou Prefecture, during a long-range patrol by the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). The peacekeepers were ambushed by an unidentified armed group. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Security Council expressed its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased, as well as to the governments of Kenya and the United Nations. The council reiterated that attacks on peacekeepers could constitute war crimes and called on all parties involved to uphold their responsibilities under international humanitarian law. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also strongly condemned the attack, urging authorities in the Central African Republic to take all necessary measures to identify and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. The attack underscores the ongoing risks faced by peacekeepers working to stabilise the region amid ongoing conflicts. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A recent study from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health reveals significant racial and sex disparities in drug overdose mortality rates. The research found that both Black men and Black women have been disproportionately impacted by overdose deaths, with their mortality rates rising sharply compared to their white counterparts. This study expands scientific understanding of how race, sex, and regional factors intersect to affect overdose outcomes. The study's findings are published in JAMA Network Open. "Efforts to reduce drug-related mortality must address the specific needs of marginalized communities, especially Black men," said Kechna Cadet, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Epidemiology. "Addressing these disparities requires a comprehensive, multifaceted approach that targets social, economic, physical, and policy risk factors." The study examined trends in drug poisoning mortality between Black men, Black women, white men, and white women across all 50 states from 2010 to 2020. Data on unintentional drug poisoning deaths were sourced from the CDC's Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. The analysis included 518,724 fatal drug poisoning cases, broken down as follows: 46,776 Black men, 20,087 Black women, 150,405 white women, and 301,456 white men. The study accounted for 11,820,781 years of potential life lost during the 10-year period. For the entire time period, findings show Black men had the highest mean age-adjusted mortality rate at 23 deaths per 100,000, followed by white men at 22 per 100,000, with lower rates for white women (12 per 100,000) and Black women (nine per 100,000). The study revealed that Black men mortality rates saw the most dramatic increases, particularly in Maryland (+485%) and the District of Columbia (+360%). In contrast, white women mortality rates declined in states like Alaska (-23%), Wyoming (-20%), and Oklahoma (-19%). "Our goal was to identify the specific sociodemographic groups and regions that have faced the highest levels of inequality and are in urgent need of intervention," said Dr. Cadet. The study found that in 2016, Black men overdose mortality rates surpassed those of white men, with Black men rates nearly 60% higher by 2020. Similarly, Black women saw a steady increase in mortality rates, surpassing those of white women by 2019. The opioid overdose epidemic, which has caused nearly one million deaths in the U.S. since its onset, remains a leading contributor to the country's declining life expectancy. In 2021 alone, roughly 107,000 lives were lost to overdoses involving fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Historically, the majority of opioid-related deaths have been among white individuals. However, overdose rates involving opioids and cocaine have plateaued among non-Hispanic white populations while rising among Black and Hispanic groups. In addition, men have experienced consistently higher overdose rates than women. "Our analysis of intersectional race and sex disparities over the past decade offers crucial insights for directing much-needed resources such as harm-reduction services and tailored treatment programs to the populations most in need of urgent targeted interventions to decrease unintentional drug overdoses," said Silvia Martins, MD, professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School, and senior author of the study. Dr. Bianca Smith, a co-author of the study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, also contributed to the research. More information: Unequal Toll: Intersectional Racial and Sex Disparities in Unintentional Overdose Mortality, JAMA Network Open (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.2728 Journal information: JAMA Network Open This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Autoencoder model architecture. Credit: Nature Methods (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41592-025-02627-0 Researchers from Tel Aviv University have developed an innovative method that can help to understand better how cells behave in changing biological environments, such as those found within a cancerous tumor. The new system, called scNET, combines information on gene expression at the single-cell level with information on gene interactions, enabling the identification of important biological patterns such as responses to drug treatments. The article published in Nature Methods explains how scNET may improve medical research and assist in the development of treatments for diseases. The research was led by Ph.D. student Ron Sheinin under the supervision of Prof. Asaf Madi, from the Faculty of Medicine, and Prof. Roded Sharan, head of the School of Computer Science and AI at Tel Aviv University. Today, advanced sequencing technologies allow the measurement of gene expression at the single-cell level and, for the first time, researchers can investigate the gene expression profiles of different cell populations within a biological sample and discover their effects on the functional behavior of each cell type. One fascinating example is understanding the impact of cancer treatmentsnot only on the cancer cells themselves but also on the pro-cancer supporting cells or, alternatively, anti-cancer cell populations, such as some cells of the immune system surrounding the tumor. Evaluation of gene representation using malaria-associated B cell dataset. Credit: Nature Methods (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41592-025-02627-0 Despite the amazing resolution, these measurements are characterized by high levels of noise, which makes it difficult to identify precise changes in genetic programs that underlie vital cellular functions. This is where scNET comes into play. Sheinin says, "scNET integrates single-cell sequencing data with networks that describe possible gene interactions, much like a social network, providing a map of how different genes might influence and interact with each other. scNET enables more accurate identification of existing cell populations in the sample. Thus, it is possible to investigate the common behavior of genes under different conditions and to expose the complex mechanisms that characterize the healthy state or response to treatments." Prof. Madi explains, "In this research, we focused on a population of T cells, immune cells known for their power to fight cancerous tumors. scNET revealed the effects of treatments on these T cells and how they became more active in their cytotoxic activity against the tumor, something that was not possible to discover before due to the high level of noise in the original data." Prof. Sharan adds, "This is an excellent example of how artificial intelligence tools can help decipher biological and medical data, allowing us to gain new and significant insights. The idea is to provide biomedical researchers with computational tools that will aid in understanding how the body's cells function, thereby identifying new ways to improve our health." In conclusion, scNET demonstrates how the combination of AI with biomedical research could lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches, reveal hidden mechanisms in diseases, and propose new treatment options. More information: Ron Sheinin et al, scNET: learning context-specific gene and cell embeddings by integrating single-cell gene expression data with proteinprotein interactions, Nature Methods (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41592-025-02627-0 Journal information: Nature Methods This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Overview of the study protocol and system. Credit: npj Digital Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41746-025-01436-1 A new study has for the first time tested the use of an artificial intelligencepowered eye scan in general practice clinics to screen patients for cardiovascular disease. Results of the research, published in npj Digital Medicine, found that the fast, noninvasive AI retinal scan could be readily integrated into primary care settings to screen for risk of heart attacks and stroke. "The ease of use of the retinal camera and high acceptance by doctors and patients demonstrates that it could be integrated into clinic workflow to screen patients before appointments with their GP," says the study's first author Wenyi Hu. "However, more work needs to be done to improve accuracy in some groups of patients, particularly men over 60." About the study Hu conducted the research as part of her University of Melbourne Ph.D. studies in CERA's Ophthalmic Epidemiology team, along with colleagues including her supervisor Associate Professor Lisa Zhuoting Zhu. The research involved 361 people, aged 4570, who were patients at two GP clinics and had received a full or partial cardiovascular risk assessmentsuch as a blood pressure or cholesterol testin the previous six months. Each patient had an eye scan taken with a desktop retinal camera, which scanned the blood vessels at the back of the eye, and received a real-time AI-generated report of their cardiovascular disease risk. They were also assessed using a widely utilized clinical risk toolWorld Health Organization's CVD risk chartwhich considers age, sex, smoking status, blood pressure, diabetes and total cholesterol. The risks calculated from retinal images were then compared against the World Health Organization's CVD risk chart to measure the correlation between the two methods. Both scoring approaches were then validated against more than 27,500 records from the UK Biobank, revealing that the retinal scan-based scores demonstrated similar accuracy to WHO CVD risk scores in predicting risk of heart attack or stroke over 10 years. The patients and eight GPs from the participating clinics were also surveyed on their satisfaction with the technology and likelihood of using it in the future. The study found: Moderate correlation between the accuracy of the retinal scan and the WHO risk scoreswith 67.4% of participant results matching, 17.1% having their risk overestimated by the retinal scan and 19.5% having their risk underestimated. Similar ability between the retinal scan and WHO method to predict 10-year risk of coronary heart disease or stroke when compared to data from the UK Biobank A 93.9% imaging success rate, with the most patients receiving a retinal scan which could be graded for cardiovascular risk 92.5% of patients and 87.5% of GPs were satisfied with the technology. General practitioner involvement Camberwell general practitioner Dr. Malcolm Clark's clinic took part in the research and is a co-author on the paper. He says retinal scanning has great potential to increase the number of Australians who are assessed for cardiovascular risks. Dr. Clark says in the future retinal scanning could be used as an early triaging tool to alert GPs to patients who need further investigation or tests. "In the future, I would see patients receiving an SMS, reminding them to have an eye scan which would send a report on their risk to their doctor, who could then follow up with further tests if needed. "This could become part of regular health screenings like a cervical screening test or a fecal occult blood test." A broader vision for clinical AI Associate Professor Zhu says the integration of AI-based eye scans into general practice workflows marks a significant step toward precision public health. "We are building a future pathway that could offer low-cost, scalable and equitable cardiovascular screening for everyone, including those in remote and underserved communities," she says. "AI-powered eye checks could also provide insights into brain and kidney health and part of routine preventative health care." More information: Wenyi Hu et al, Real-world feasibility, accuracy and acceptability of automated retinal photography and AI-based cardiovascular disease risk assessment in Australian primary care settings: a pragmatic trial, npj Digital Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41746-025-01436-1 Journal information: npj Digital Medicine Provided by Centre for Eye Research Australia This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Over half of U.S. adults say that regularly consuming alcohol increases your chances of later developing cancer. From Annenberg Public Policy Center ASAPH surveys in September 2024 and February 2025. Credit: Annenberg Public Policy Center Public awareness of the link between drinking alcohol and an elevated risk of cancer has grown since last fall, with more than half of Americans now saying that regularly consuming alcohol increases your chances of later developing cancer, according to a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania. In the survey, conducted Jan. 30Feb. 10, 2025, with over 1,700 U.S. adults, 56% say the regular consumption of alcohol increases your chances of later developing cancer, up from 40% in an Annenberg survey in September 2024. The percentage of those who say alcohol consumption has no effect on your chances of later developing cancer fell to 16% from 20% in September 2024, and fewer are not sure how alcohol consumption affects cancer risks (26%, down from 40%). The survey was fielded less than a month after U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy's advisory on alcohol and cancer risk on Jan. 3, 2025. It called for updated warning labels on alcoholic beverage containers to indicate that drinking alcohol carries an increased risk for at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colon, and liver cancer. The Surgeon General's warning, which was widely covered in the news media, was not the only report issued on alcohol and cancer in recent months, but the survey found it was the only one to gain significant public awareness. Of the people who say they had "read or heard about" one or more recent reports on the impact of alcohol on health, nearly 3 in 10 (29%) say they would be less likely to accept an alcoholic drink on a social occasion if one is offered to them. "Our data suggest that the Surgeon General's synthesis of the science showing that alcohol consumption increases one's risk of cancer got traction," said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. "The Surgeon General's impact is a reminder that what health officials communicate about science can affect behavior." Reports on alcohol consumption and health Nearly half of our survey respondents (48%) say they had "read or heard about" one or more reports on the impact of alcohol on health. In a separate question, 46% of those who say they were exposed to at least one report say the report they knew about was the Surgeon General's, though 44% were unsure which report they had encountered. In its own report in December 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) reviewed the scientific evidence on the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and health impacts, including mortality, cancer, weight, and cardiovascular disease. While this report noted the connection between moderate alcohol consumption and a higher risk of breast cancer, it listed positive and negative findings about alcohol consumption and various other health conditions. Another federal report from U.S. health agencies, led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, on Jan. 14, 2025, found that even moderate drinking carried health risks, including liver disease, cancer, and injuries. The survey found that very few among the public say they knew of those other reports. After noting that moderate alcohol use is defined as one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men, the survey asked those who had seen or heard of only one report what it says about moderate alcohol use. Nearly half of those individuals (47%) say that, according to the report, moderate alcohol use "has harmful effects" and a quarter (25%) say it has some harmful and some positive health effects. One in 5 (20%) were not sure what the report says. Did the reports have an effect? The respondents who knew of at least one report on alcohol and health were asked if "anything that you have heard or read about the report(s)" made you more or less likely to accept a drink if one is offered on a social occasion, or if it had no effect. As noted above, nearly 1 in 3 (29%) say they would be less likely to accept an alcoholic drink if one is offered. But 61% say the report(s) would have no effect on whether they would accept an alcoholic drink. A very small group (9%) say they would be more likely to accept a drink. Among the small group who report that something they heard or read about the report(s) made them more likely to accept a drink on a social occasion, most (73%) say they also would be more likely to accept a second drink if one is offered. About 1 in 5 (22%) say they'd be less likely to accept a second drink if offered. APPC's Annenberg Science and Public Health knowledge survey The survey data come from the 23rd wave of a nationally representative panel of 1,716 U.S. adults conducted for the Annenberg Public Policy Center by SSRS, an independent market research company. Most have been empaneled since April 2021. To account for attrition, small replenishment samples have been added over time using a random probability sampling design. The most recent replenishment, in September 2024, added 360 respondents to the sample. This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge (ASAPH) survey was fielded Jan. 30-Feb. 10, 2025. The margin of sampling error (MOE) is 3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All figures are rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add to 100%. Combined subcategories may not add to totals in the topline and text due to rounding. More information: Download the topline and the methods report. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Thirdman from Pexels A new study by investigators at Mass General Brigham shows that clues about hypertension may be buried in electronic health records (EHR). Using natural language processing, a form of artificial intelligence, researchers identified patients who had a heart ultrasound indicating thickening of the heart muscle, a condition frequently caused by hypertension. When physicians were notified of these results, they were almost four times as likely to diagnose hypertension and prescribe medications to control high blood pressure. This study highlights the potential for innovative, automated approaches that can use preexisting electronic health data to enhance treatment for patients with heart conditions. The results are published in JAMA Cardiology and were simultaneously presented at the 2025 American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session & Expo. "Hypertension is known as the silent killer because people can have blood pressure that's too high without having any symptoms from it," said senior author Jason H. Wasfy, MD, MPhil, of the Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. Wasfy is also a physician investigator at the Mongan Institute at MGH. "If they're not getting checked for it enough, then high blood pressure can damage the heart and the vessels over time in a way that would have been preventable had the blood pressure been detected early." In the United States, nearly half of individuals with hypertension are unaware of or untreated for the disease. "There is so much information that's generated through routine clinical care, such as when you see your doctor or undergo a test. And there are often subtle clues in this information that may indicate a patient has hypertension. But it's impossible for clinicians to master the entire medical record," said lead author Adam Berman, MD, MPH, who conducted the study while in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "The premise of our trial was that the data are likely hiding in plain sight, and we wanted to validate methods of bringing it to light to improve the care of our patients." At the time, Berman was the David F. Torchiana Fellow in Health Policy and Management at the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization. Berman is now an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. The research team created and then used natural language processing that could sift through data from echocardiograms (heart ultrasounds) to identify cases of left ventricular hypertrophy, a thickening of the heart muscle often caused by hypertension. The algorithm identified 648 patients at Mass General Brigham who were not previously known to have any heart muscle problems and were not being treated for hypertension. The average patient age was 59 years and 38% were women. They randomized half of the patients to receive the intervention, and, for those patients, a population health coordinator notified the patient's doctor of the finding. They also provided resources for additional care, including facilitating a 24-hour blood pressure monitoring test or scheduling an evaluation with a cardiologist. The clinicians for patients in the non-intervention control group were not contacted, and their patients were monitored under usual care. Patients in the intervention group were nearly four times more likely to receive new hypertension diagnoses (15.6% vs. 4.0%) and to be prescribed antihypertensive medication (16.3% vs. 5.0%) than those in the control group. There was no meaningful difference in the number of follow-up appointments with primary care physicians between the groups. Clinicians mostly viewed the intervention positivelyof the 82% who responded to the initial notification, qualitative scoring showed 72% had a positive reaction. "There was a strong interest from our team in making sure this is something that physicians and patients would value," Wasfy said. "Clinicians are often overloaded with alerts that can cause fatigue and burnout, so we intentionally designed our outreach to be delivered by a person." More work is needed to determine if this notification delivery method could be altered or automated for larger reach and easier implementation in other health care settings while maintaining effectiveness. "The goal is to augment traditional care, using the data that already exist," said Berman. "These patients have undergone testing, and their data are sitting there in a digital library gathering digital dust. Our trial demonstrates that we can harness these data to improve health care delivery and the treatment of our patients." More information: Adam N. Berman et al, Leveraging Preexisting Cardiovascular Data to Improve the Detection and Treatment of Hypertension, JAMA Cardiology (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2025.0871 Journal information: JAMA Cardiology This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Kampus Production from Pexels Dr. Fred Levin has been watching with growing alarm the national debate around federal cuts to Medicaid. He's responsible for the medical care of about 100 older adults at the Community PACE center in rural Newaygo, Michigan. For his patients, Medicaid isn't just a safety netit's a matter of life or death. "If left to see to their own needs, a lot of them would stay in their homes and would slowly die," he said. "They wouldn't be able to get to their doctors' appointments unless they had a family member to help. They wouldn't get social care. They wouldn't have people coming into their homes and seeing the bed bugs or the lice in their hair. They wouldn't get their medications." The care at Community PACE is paid for by Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for people with low incomes or certain disabilities, and Medicare, the federal insurance program for people 65 and older. The center is a one-stop shop that provides medical and social services to older adults during the day, allowing them to continue living safely in their homes. If Congress cuts funding to Medicaid, Levin expects his center would probably close. Unlike traditional nursing home care, which state Medicaid programs are required by federal law to cover, the services at PACE centers like his are an optional benefit that 33 states have opted to cover. Around the nation, doctors, lawmakers, advocates and patients are watching anxiously as Republicans in Congress consider proposals to slash billions of dollars from federal Medicaid funding as they look to offset trillions in proposed tax cuts. The specific nature of the funding cuts are still being hammered out. But any reductions to federal Medicaid spending would shift those costs to states. The additional financial burden could blow billion-dollar holes in state budgets, forcing state lawmakers to slash health benefits or restrict who's eligible for them. Nearly a fifth of Americans rely on Medicaid, and the percentage is even higher in some states. "There are a lot of people who don't pay attention to this because they think it doesn't affect them personally," Levin said. "But 1 in 4 people in Michigan are on Medicaid. It's very likely you have friends or family on Medicaid." Nearly all Americans over age 65 are covered by Medicare, which Republicans have pledged not to touch. Medicare doesn't cover most nursing home or other long-term care, however. Neither does most private insurance. But Medicaid does. "If you have an older adult in your life who has been in a nursing home or received help at home with cooking, bathing, dressing, chances are Medicaid was involved," said Natalie Kean, director of federal health advocacy for Justice in Aging, an advocacy group focused on addressing poverty among older people. "Many of us have a connection to the program or will one day," she said. A divided front Conservatives have long argued for reducing the reach of Medicaid. They say the program is too expensive and that its expansion under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, diverts too much money toward able-bodied adults and away from the more vulnerable populations it was originally intended to help. But policy experts say that reducing coverage for some Medicaid recipients, such as the working adults who got coverage under expansion programs, will have ripple effects on vulnerable groups such as children and older adults. Republicans aren't united in a desire to see massive cuts. Last month, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican governor in a purple state, publicly called on Congress not to slash Medicaid funding. Last week, Washington Republican state Rep. Michelle Caldier wrote a letter to Trump asking him to reconsider cuts to Medicaid and expressing her concern about the large number of military retirees and senior citizens in her district. Caldier, a dentist who has worked with nursing home patients, told Stateline she believes the most likely cuts would be a reduction in the amount the federal government matches state spending for working adults who are covered under Medicaid expansion. That, she said, would have little impact on older adults. "The only caveat is that I am very worried that the leadership in our state does not have a good relationship with our president," Caldier said. Democrats control the offices of governor and both legislative chambers in Washington state. Caldier worries that if Washington lawmakers defy the president over issues such as gender-affirming care for transgender youth, the feds could retaliate by slashing their Medicaid payments to the state. "If we got into a political match with the president, we would lose, no matter how you slice or dice it," she said. In Idaho, Republican state lawmakers shot down a bill that likely would have repealed Medicaid expansion, before passing one that will introduce sweeping policy changes in an effort to control costs. Even in Congress, some Republicans are balking, publicly defending Medicaid and warning about the consequences of deep cuts. Some who have high percentages of Medicaid recipients in their districts have urged party leaders not to cut funding for the program and have vowed to vote against any budget plan that does so. Medicaid covers 72 million Americans. A majority of American adults, including two-thirds of Republicans, say they want Congress to either maintain current Medicaid spending or increase it, according to a February 2025 poll from KFF, a health policy research group. President Donald Trump has said in recent months that he won't touch Medicaid. But last month, U.S. House Republicans pushed through a budget plan, now under consideration in the Senate, that calls for about $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the next decade to help counterbalance the Trump administration's desired $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. Facing cuts that large, states would have to figure out which benefits to chop in order to keep their budgets balanced, which is a constitutional requirement in most states. Older adults and people with disabilities already account for more than half of states' Medicaid spending, on average. In some states, including Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi and North Dakota, those groups account for two-thirds of state Medicaid spending. Idaho state Sen. Melissa Wintrow, a Democrat on the state Senate Health & Welfare committee, said her biggest concern is Congress reducing the federal match rate. This is the amount of money the federal government chips in to help states pay for Medicaid. How much a state receives mainly depends on how wealthy its residents are. Richer states such as California and Connecticut get less help, while poorer states get more. In Idaho, on the poorer end of the spectrum, the feds pay about 67% of traditional Medicaid costs and 90% of Medicaid expansion costs. "It is all a domino effect," Wintrow said. The federal government covers about $3 billion of Idaho's $4.2 billion Medicaid budget. "If the feds start chopping that off, it's going to impact everything." Cutting care at home All state Medicaid programs have opted to cover at least some home-based and community care, such as home health aides who assist people with bathing, toileting and other daily living activities, transportation and adult day care. Kean and other experts worry that because federal law doesn't require state Medicaid programs to cover home-based care, state lawmakers might sharply reduce spending on those servicesor even eliminate coverage. "When states have budget shortfalls, they start to tighten eligibility for the home-based programs," said Kean. "We're certain those would be the first to go if federal funding is cut for Medicaid." Paying for home-based services out of pocket would exhaust the median Medicare recipient's savings in less than two years, according to KFF. The median cost for a year of a full-time aide to help is about $62,400, far above the median income for Americans over 65, which is about $36,000. The median life savings for Medicare beneficiaries was $103,800 in 2023. Home-based services are a popular benefit for state Medicaid programs, because most enrollees prefer to remain in their homes. And despite the expense, home care can be more cost-effective than nursing homesabout $38,000 vs. nearly $54,000 per year in 2021, according to a KFF analysis. Cutting Medicaid could also make it harder to recruit and keep a workforce of nursing home and home health employees. Over the past two years, most stateseven those led by Republicansincreased their Medicaid payment rates for those services, in an effort to combat the nationwide shortage of long-term care workers. But federal funding cuts could jeopardize what states are able to pay those workers. "There's already a direct-care workforce crisis," Kean said. "Even if eligibility isn't directly cut or programs aren't cut, there wouldn't be enough workers to provide that care. At home and in nursing facilities, the quality of care will go down." In rural Michigan, Levin said the PACE center where he works employs about 100 people. Its closure would impact not only those workers, but also would mean his patients would be left to find transportation and other health services on their own, even if those services are still covered by Medicaid. "Without access in rural areas, how are these individuals going to get to the bigger cities where they can get to their health care? It's going to overwhelm other parts of the health care system," Levin said. "Everybody's going to be responsible for taking care of the people who don't have health insurance, in some indirect way or another. It's going to affect us all." 2025 States Newsroom. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Orange County pediatrician Dr. Eric Ball still feels guilty about the Disneyland measles outbreak of 2014. At the time, his office allowed children whose parents refused to vaccinate them to still remain as patients. Many took advantage of the policy, leaving the children in his practice well below the 95% threshold that experts say is needed to achieve herd immunity. In the end, a single measles case at the theme park spread to 145 people across the country; several were part of his practice. "I was traumatized," said Ball. "I felt like we didn't do enough as a practice, and I didn't do enough as a pediatrician, to convince families to get vaccinated." Not only were the children of his anti-vaccine parents left vulnerable to the measles, but they had also exposed other children in his waiting room who couldn't receive the vaccine because they were too young or immunocompromised. As a doctor, Ball felt torn: he had a moral obligation to care for all his patients, regardless of their parent's vaccine choices. But he also had a duty to protect his other patients, as well as the rest of the community, from a deadly virus that was almost entirely preventable. With another measles outbreak continuing to spread in Texas and New Mexicobringing the first two U.S measles deaths in a decadeand eight cases already in California this year, physicians are again facing a moral quandary: Should they refuse to see families who don't want to vaccinate their children, or keep them in their practices in the hopes of changing their minds? After the Disneyland outbreak, the doctors at Ball's practice decided to crack down. In 2015, they instituted a new policy: Southern Orange County Pediatric Associates would no longer accept patients who did not plan to immunize their children. Existing patients who didn't want to vaccinate would need to find a new doctor. A growing trend of dismissing unvaccinated patients "Dismissal" policies were once discouraged by the medical establishment, both because pediatricians have a duty to care for all their young patients, and because some anti-vaccine parents can be convinced over time to change their minds. But in 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics came up with new guidance: Vaccines against preventable diseases like the measles were so important that if, after repeated attempts, a pediatrician couldn't convince a parent to get their child immunized, a practice could righteously kick them out. "I think that made a big difference to a lot of us. It gave us cover," said Ball. Since then, dismissal policies have grown much more popular. In 2013, some 21% of pediatricians reported that they often or always dismissed families who refused vaccination, according to a survey published in the journal Pediatrics. By 2019, the share had grown to 37%; the 2019 survey, published in JAMA, also found that just over half of pediatricians said their office had a dismissal policy in place. For families that seek to spread out vaccines with an alternative schedule, dismissals are much less common: just 8% of individual pediatricians reported often or always dismissing these families, while 28% reported that their office has such a dismissal policy, according to the academy. Dismissal policies are much more common among private practices. Academic medical institutions, including UCLA, large health systems like Kaiser Permanente, rural clinics and safety net systems for low-income patients generally accept all patients, regardless of whether the parents intend to vaccinate their children. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is an exception and discourages pediatricians in their clinics from treating unvaccinated patients. The question of whether to dismiss has become increasingly pressing amid growing anti-vaccine sentiment and a decline in coverage. The proportion of kindergartners nationwide who completed their measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine series dropped from about 95%the federal coverage targetbefore the pandemic to less than 93% last school year. In California, 96.2% of kindergartners were fully vaccinated against the measles in the 2023-24 school year, a slight decline from the year before. "No matter what your policy, you feel ethically justified," said Dr. Sean O'Leary, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, who co-wrote the American Academy of Pediatrics' latest guidance on vaccines. In January, the New England Journal of Medicine presented arguments on both sides of the debate, with O'Leary writing a statement in favor of accepting unvaccinated patients. "I personally understand both sides." Why doctors dismiss vaccine-hesitant families These days, many pediatric practices are upfront about their policies, and some announce it on their website, letting prospective patients know to stay away if they don't want to vaccinate. At Larchmont Pediatrics, for example, Dr. Neville Anderson requires all patients to be vaccinated. If parents refuse to vaccinate their infants after a final conversation at the three-month visit, the practice sends them an official dismissal letter. "If a parent is truly anti-vax and does not want to vaccinate their child, our values and our goals and our beliefs are so antithetical to each other that we're not a good team," said Anderson. "I'm not the right doctor for them, and they're not the right patient for me." Larchmont dismisses only one to four patients each year, she said, since most anti-vaccine families know their reputation and tend to go elsewhere. But for some patients, the dismissal policy is a real draw. "We get a lot of people who will come to us because we have this policy and we enforce it," said Anderson. "They're afraid of bringing their 7-month-old into a waiting room where there's an unvaccinated child." Doctors should make every effort to convince a family to vaccinate before dismissing them, said Dr. Jesse Hackell, a retired pediatrician in New York who also co-wrote the pediatric academy's report on improving vaccine communication. The problem, he said, is that these conversations are time-consuming and unpaid for busy pediatricians who often only have 20 minutes with a patient. "It's frustrating, and it's one of the issues that leads to moral injury and burnout." Hackell, 74, remembers a time before vaccination, when many of his young patients ended up hospitalized with measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. "I don't want to ever go back to those days of worrying about the 2 a.m. phone call about a kid with 105-degree fever. That's that's not good for me as a physician. It's not good for the kid or the family." His practice had a dismissal policy long before the pediatrics academy said it was acceptable. One ethical argument in favor of dismissing is based on parents having a moral obligation to vaccinate their children to reduce the risk of infecting others, said Dr. Doug Opel, a bioethicist and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Another point is that "vaccination is viewed as a social contract," he said. "So it's not fair to share in the collective benefits of vaccination without accepting the small burdens of vaccination by getting your child vaccinated themselves." The moral case for accepting vaccine-hesitant families Opel said that, as a bioethicist, he comes down on the side of keeping families in a practice. "In what other area of medicine do we even expect patients or parents to hold the same values and beliefs that we have?" he asked. "Instead, we approach differences with humility and respectfully explore those values as a way to find common ground and shared understanding." Opel said about 30% of parents do end up changing their mind. "Vaccine hesitancy is a modifiable behavior." O'Leary said there is also little evidence that accepting unvaccinated children leads to the transmission of vaccine-preventable illnesses in an office setting. And it isn't clear whether the threat of dismissal actually convinces parents to get vaccinated, or whether patients who get kicked out of a practice end up finding other sources of care. In San Diego County, Children's Primary Care Medical Groupa large practice with 28 offices in the regionhas a policy of accepting all patients, regardless of vaccination status. "The basic philosophy is it's not the kids who refuse, it's the parents. And we don't punish kids for the decisions of the parents," said Dr. Adam Breslow, the group's president and CEO. About 90% of the group's patients are vaccinated on schedule, Breslow said. Of the 2-3% who refuse all vaccinations, most come from wealthier areas where parents can afford to homeschool or send their children to private school. He said it's rare that he's able to convince them to vaccinate in a single office visit, but over the course of several years in his practice, some parents do eventually change their minds. "By keeping them in the practice, there's a chance they're going to get vaccinated," said O'Leary. "But if you kick them out, who knows what's going to happen?" Where do parents who don't vaccinate kids go? Widespread dismissal policies can make it difficult for vaccine-hesitant families to find regular sources of care. In local Facebook groups, parents often exchange tips about practices that are more tolerant of spreading out or refusing vaccines. Some advise using concierge practices, which charge thousands of dollars in annual fees on top of insurance payments but may allow more flexibility with vaccination schedules. Some of these practices offer unproven alternatives to vaccination with little or no evidence to back them up. Whitney Jacks, a mother in Escondido, recently posted in a moms' group on Facebook for help finding a new pediatrician who would accept her preference to limit vaccines. With her older child, who is 7, she used to pay for a concierge doctor in Maryland whom she saw over Zoom. But her son doesn't have a regular pediatrician and therefore skips his annual well visits, though he does see a specialist several times a year. Now pregnant with her second child, she was hoping to find someone local who would accept her insurance and support her decision to wait until the baby turns 2 before starting vaccinating. Other moms in the Facebook group were hesitant to share the names publicly for fear that the doctors could get into trouble, she said, preferring to direct message her instead. One mom sent her a list of names, which she used to set up meet-and-greet appointments with the four closest to her home. But as she began to meet with them, one after another gave her the same response: "We won't kick you out, but we don't like this," said Jacks, who is an acupuncturist. "So they're already putting it at you that they disapprove of your point of view." None made her feel welcome. She picked the most convenient office. But Jacks worries that every visit will focus on vaccination instead of other issues like feeding and sleeping that are important in the first years. "It doesn't give me any confidence or faith in the provider." 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Mari Villar was slammed by a car that jumped the curb, breaking her legs and collapsing a lung. Amy Paulo was in pain from a femur surgery that wasn't healing properly. Katie Kriegshauser suffered organ failure during pregnancy, weakening her so much that she couldn't lift her baby daughter. All went to physical therapy, but their health insurers stopped paying before any could walk without assistance. Paulo spent nearly $1,500 out of her own pocket for more sessions. Millions of Americans rely on physical and occupational therapists to regain strength and motor skills after operations, diseases, and injuries. But recoveries are routinely stymied by a widespread constraint in health insurance policies: rigid caps on therapy sessions. Insurers frequently limit such sessions to as few as 20 a year, a KFF Health News examination finds, even for people with severe damage such as spinal cord injuries and strokes, who may need months of treatment, multiple times a week. Patients can face a bind: Without therapy, they can't return to work, but without working, they can't afford the therapy. Paulo said she pressed her insurer for more sessions, to no avail. "I said, 'I'm in pain. I need the services. Is there anything I can do?'" she recalled. "They said, no, they can't override the hard limit for the plan." A typical physical therapy session for a privately insured patient to improve daily functioning costs $192 on average, according to the Health Care Cost Institute. Most run from a half hour to an hour. Insurers say annual visit limits help keep down costs, and therefore premiums, and are intended to prevent therapists from continuing treatment when patients are no longer improving. They say most injuries can be addressed in a dozen or fewer sessions and that people and employers who bought insurance could have purchased policies with better therapy benefits if it was a priority. Atul Patel, a physiatrist in Overland Park, Kansas, and the treasurer of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, said insurers' desire to prevent gratuitous therapy is understandable but has "gone too far." "Most patients get way less therapy than they would actually benefit from," he said. Hard caps on rehab endure in part because of an omission in the Affordable Care Act. While that law required insurers to cover rehab and barred them from setting spending restrictions on a patient's medical care, it did not prohibit establishing a maximum number of therapy sessions a year. More than 29,000 ACA health plansnearly four in fivelimit the annual number of physical therapy sessions, according to a KFF Health News analysis of plans sold last year to individuals and small businesses. Caps generally ranged from 20 to 60 visits; the most common was 20 a year. Health plans provided by employers often have limits of 20 or 30 sessions as well, said Cori Uccello, senior health fellow at the American Academy of Actuaries. "It's the gross reality in America right now," said Sam Porritt, chairman of the Falling Forward Foundation, a Kansas-based philanthropy that has paid for therapy for about 200 patients who exhausted their insurance over the past decade. "No one knows about this except people in the industry. You find out about it when tragedy hits." Even in plans with no caps, patients are not guaranteed unlimited treatment. Therapists say insurers repeatedly require prior authorization, demanding a new request every two or three visits. Insurers frequently deny additional sessions if they believe there hasn't been improvement. "We're seeing a lot of arbitrary denials just to see if you'll appeal," said Gwen Simons, a lawyer in Scarborough, Maine, who represents therapy practices. "That's the point where the therapist throws up their hands." Rationing therapy Most people who use all their sessions either stop going or pay out-of-pocket for extra therapy. Amy Paulo, a 34-year-old Massachusetts woman recovering from two operations on her left leg, maxed out the 40 visits covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts in 2024, so she spent $1,445 out-of-pocket for 17 therapy sessions. Paulo needed physical therapy to recover from several surgeries to shorten her left leg to the length of her right legthe difference a consequence of juvenile arthritis. Her recovery was prolonged, she said, because her femur didn't heal properly after one of the operations, in which surgeons cut out the middle of her femur and put a rod in its place. Amy McHugh, a Blue Cross spokesperson, declined to discuss Paulo's case. In an email, she said most employers who hire Blue Cross to administer their health benefits choose plans with "our standard" 60-visit limit, which she said is more generous than most insurers offer, but some employers "choose to allow for more or fewer visits per year." Paulo said she expects to restrict her therapy sessions to once a week instead of the recommended twice a week because she'll need more help after an upcoming operation on her leg. "We had to plan to save my visits for this surgery, as ridiculous as it sounds," she said. Medicare is more generous People with commercial insurance plans face more hurdles than those on Medicare, which sets dollar thresholds on therapy each year but allows therapists to continue providing services if they document medical necessity. This year the limits are $2,410 for physical and speech therapy and $2,410 for occupational therapy. Private Medicare Advantage plans don't have visit or dollar caps, but they often require prior authorization every few visits. The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found last year that MA plans deny requests for physical and occupational therapy at hospitals and nursing homes at higher rates than they reject other medical services. Therapists say many commercial plans require prior authorization and mete out approvals parsimoniously. Insurers often make therapists submit detailed notes, sometimes for each session, documenting patients' treatment plans, goals, and test results showing how well they perform each exercise. "It's a battle of getting visits," said Jackee Ndwaru, an occupational therapist in Jacksonville, Florida. "If you can't show progress they're not going to approve." 2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Rural communities in the United States face a dire health crisis that threatens the population's well-being, says the American College of Physicians, in a new policy published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "Improving Health and Health Care in Rural Communities: A Position Paper from the American College of Physicians," says that it is critical that policymakers prioritize and direct attention to improving rural health and health care. "Rural residents face a higher risk for death from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke compared with their urban counterparts. Rural communities are particularly affected by 'diseases of despair' and have had a dramatic increase in maternal mortality rates," said Isaac O. Opole, MBChB, Ph.D., MACP, president, ACP. "More needs to be done to help our patients who live in rural communities. Policymakers must invest in the economies, social services, and infrastructure of these areas, especially those programs that provide health coverage and services to them." Among the recommendations that ACP makes, they call for efforts to identify and address challenges that disproportionately impact rural populations. ACP reaffirms its call for policymakers to evaluate and implement public policy interventions that address underlying social drivers of health that disproportionately and negatively impact rural communities and perpetuate rural health inequities. Additionally, ACP urges policymakers to consistently and sufficiently fund and support health care programs and facilities that serve rural communities. The paper goes on to highlight the need to better support physicians and other members of the health care workforce in rural areas, noting that medical education should incorporate education on rural health issues. ACP calls for increased efforts to increase and retain the rural physician workforce, including for efforts to expand opportunities for additional international medical graduates. ACP recognizes the role that reimbursement plays in recruiting and retaining physicians in rural areas and urges policymakers to adopt incentives that support physician recruitment and retention. Finally, ACP says that appropriate exceptions should be made to licensure requirements for interstate care, in order to ensure access to telehealth services in underserved areas. "While we are discussing the needs of rural communities overall, it is important to remember that these communities are very diverse," concluded Dr. Opole. "They differ in demographics, culture, geography, isolation levels, and economic activity, meaning that there will not be a single policy approach that works for all of them. The public policy efforts aimed at rural populations must reflect the diverse needs of the communities they serve." More information: Josh Serchen et al, Improving Health and Health Care in Rural Communities: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians, Annals of Internal Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-03577 Journal information: Annals of Internal Medicine This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new study found that reported diagnoses of tuberculosis were consistently lower than expected throughout the pandemic, even though incarceration rates remained largely consistent and TB detection among the general population managed to reverse after an early-pandemic decline. Incarcerated populations have a high risk of developing tuberculosis (TB), with past research suggesting that this burden could be as much as 10 times greater than the general population. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, reported TB cases among incarcerated people in Europe and the Americas were much lower than expected, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Published in The Lancet Public Health, the study found that tuberculosis diagnoses plummeted by as much as 100% in Central and North America in 2021, and nearly 87% in Western Europe in 2022 (compared to expected levels). This pattern was distinct from tuberculosis diagnoses among the general population, which experienced a decline in 2020, but generally began increasing again in subsequent years. Incarceration levels, meanwhile, remained largely consistent from 20202022, suggesting that the reduction in reported TB cases was likely due to other factors, such as reduced capacity for prisons to test and diagnose TB during the unprecedented global crisis. People with undetected and, therefore, untreated TB are at greater risk of spreading the disease to people they encounter, progressing to severe forms of the disease, and dying. With at least 11 million people incarcerated each year, disease spread and detection in carceral settings has implications for incarcerated people, as well as the wider communities. "When countries are unable to detect tuberculosis in high-risk populationssuch as people who are incarceratedit increases the risk of transmission, both within prisons and to the broader community, when people are released from prison," says Amy Zheng, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Epidemiology at BUSPH and co-lead author of the study, along with Dr. Lena Faust, a postdoctoral fellow at LSHTM. Prior to the pandemic, health disparities between prisons and the general population were already vast, and the pandemic widened these inequities even further, Zheng says. "Investing in health care systems within prisons is critical to diagnose and treat tuberculosis, ultimately protecting both the individuals incarcerated and the public." TB has returned to being the world's deadliest infectious disease (after COVID-19 took the leading spot for three years), causing 1.25 million deaths worldwide in 2023. A bacterial infection that is usually found in the lungs, it is treatable and preventable, but, without treatment, it has a death rate of nearly 50%. While the U.S. has one of the world's lowest rates of the disease, experts say rising global TB rates could also lead to an increase in TB in the U.S.which is already experiencing an unusual outbreak of the disease in Kansas. The study is the first to assess how the pandemic affected TB detections among incarcerated people in multiple countries. For the analysis, Zheng and colleagues worked with the World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization, and European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, utilizing international TB reporting data to examine TB detection trends among people who were incarcerated from 2010 to 2022 in 47 countries in Europe and the Americas. This study sample represented almost five million incarcerated people annually, or 42% of the world's incarcerated population. Using novel modeling, the team calculated the differences between observed and predicted reported TB cases, case rates in prisons, and prison populations. The researchers were surprised to find that incarceration levels remained consistent (and, in some countries, increased) throughout the pandemic. "Our prior thinking was that incarceration dropped during the early stages of the pandemic due to decarceration efforts to prevent COVID-19 transmission," Zheng says. "We were also surprised to see that tuberculosis diagnoses continued to be missed in 2021 or 2022." The 10 countries that reported the largest percentage decrease between observed and expected TB diagnoses were Slovakia, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Bulgaria, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Romania, Uruguay, and Ukraine. These results come at a time of international apprehension among health advocates and aid groups, as they scramble to respond to the Trump administration's massive funding cuts and dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provided substantial funding towards the global TB response, primarily to governments with high rates of the disease. According to the WHO, global efforts to fight TB have saved about 79 million lives since 2000. A digital tracking tool that estimates the real-time effects of the USAID funding cuts on TB worldwide has estimated that (as of Monday, March 31), the cuts have contributed to more than 15,000 additional TB cases and more than 12,000 TB deaths. "Recent federal cuts to USAID funding and programming have already significantly impacted tuberculosis control and will severely harm the progress made to reduce tuberculosis globally over the past few decades," says the study's senior and corresponding author Dr. Leonardo Martinez, assistant professor of epidemiology at BUSPH. "Future studies will be necessary to better understand how these funding cuts may negatively affect tuberculosis control in prisons." The researchers remain concerned that this loss in funding threatens to reverse the global goal to end TB by 2030, and urge the U.S. and international governments to prioritize TB screening and diagnoses among historically neglected populations. "Given the current disruption in funding, achieving the 2030 global goals to end the tuberculosis epidemic may no longer be feasible," Zheng says. "As a result, the tuberculosis field must come together globally and regionally to set new, realistic targets and identify new, alternative funding mechanisms to reach those targets." More information: Changes in incarceration and tuberculosis notifications from prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and the Americas: a time-series analysis of national surveillance data, The Lancet Public Health (2025). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00325-6 , www.thelancet.com/journals/lan (24)00325-6/fulltext Journal information: The Lancet Public Health This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Half of the participants practiced weight training twice a week, with moderate to high intensity and progressive loads. Credit: Isadora Ribeiro The benefits of weight training are many: it promotes gains in strength and muscle mass, reduces body fat, and contributes to well-being and mental health. And now a study carried out at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, has demonstrated another important effect: it protects the brains of older people against dementia. The results are published in the journal GeroScience. The study involved 44 people with mild cognitive impairmentan intermediate clinical condition between normal aging and Alzheimer's disease in which cognitive decline is greater than expected for age, indicating a higher risk of dementia. The results showed that strength training not only improved memory performance but also altered brain anatomy. After six months of twice-weekly weight training, the participants showed protection against atrophy in the hippocampus and precuneusbrain areas associated with Alzheimer's diseaseas well as improvements in parameters that reflect the health of neurons (white matter integrity). "We already knew that there would be physical improvement. Cognitive improvement was also imagined, but we wanted to see the effect of weight training on the brains of older people with mild cognitive impairment. The study showed that, fortunately, weight training is a strong ally against dementia, even for people who are already at high risk of developing it," says Isadora Ribeiro, the first author of the article. The work was carried out within the framework of the Brazilian Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (BRAINN) and is the first to demonstrate what happens to the integrity of the white matter of individuals with mild cognitive impairment after weight training. "As well as neuropsychological tests, we also performed MRI scans at the beginning and end of the study. These results are very important because they indicate the need to include more physical educators in the public health system at the primary health care level, since increased muscle strength is associated with a reduced risk of dementia. It's a less complex and cheaper treatment that can protect people from serious diseases," comments Marcio Balthazar, BRAINN researcher and study supervisor. "For example, the new anti-amyloid drugs approved in the United States, indicated for the treatment of dementia and for people with mild cognitive impairment, cost around USD 30,000 a year. That's a very high cost. These non-pharmacological measures, as we've shown is the case with weight training, are effective, not only in preventing dementia but also in improving mild cognitive impairment," the researcher adds. Protocol The research participants were divided into two groups: half underwent a resistance exercise program with weight training sessions twice a week, at moderate to high intensity and with progressive loads; the other half did not exercise during the study period and were part of the so-called control group. In the analyses carried out at the end of the intervention, the volunteers who practiced weight training had better performance in verbal episodic memory, improved integrity of neurons and areas related to Alzheimer's disease protected from atrophy, while the control group showed a worsening of brain parameters. "A characteristic of people with mild cognitive impairment is that they have volume loss in some brain regions associated with the development of Alzheimer's. But in the group that did strength training, the right side of the hippocampus and precuneus were protected from atrophy. This result justifies the importance of regular weight training, especially for older people," Ribeiro says. The researcher believes that a longer period of training could lead to even more positive results than those reported in the study. "All the individuals in the bodybuilding group showed improvements in memory and brain anatomy. However, five of them reached the end of the study without a clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, such was their improvement. This leads us to imagine that longer training sessions, lasting three years, for example, could reverse this diagnosis or delay any kind of dementia progression. It's certainly something to be hopeful about and something that needs to be studied in the future," Ribeiro argues. According to the researchers, weight training can protect the brain against dementia on two fronts: by stimulating the production of neural growth factor (an important protein for the growth, maintenance and survival of neurons) and by promoting global disinflammation in the body. "Any physical exercise, whether weight training or aerobic activity, is known to increase levels of a chemical involved in brain cell growth. It can also mobilize anti-inflammatory T-cells. This is key. After all, the more pro-inflammatory protein that is released in the body, the greater the chance of developing dementia, accelerating the neurodegenerative process and forming dysfunctional proteins that eventually kill neurons," Balthazar explains. To assess these issues, the volunteers' levels of irisin and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)substances whose synthesis is stimulated by muscle contraction and which are associated with neural protection and synaptic plasticitywere measured. The results are currently being analyzed. "It's a continuation of this study in which we'll try to better understand how these factors are related to changes in brain anatomy. We believe that it's a set of anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective factors that lead to these changes," Ribeiro predicts. More information: Isadora C. Ribeiro et al, Resistance training protects the hippocampus and precuneus against atrophy and benefits white matter integrity in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, GeroScience (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01483-8 As many as 609 private hospitals have decided to voluntarily opt out of the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), citing various reasons, including delays in settlement of claims and low package rates, the Union government says. Gujarat tops the list with 233 private hospitals opting out of the AB-PMJAY scheme, followed by Kerala at 146 and Maharashtra at 83. Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Prataprao Jadhav, minister of state in the ministry of health and family welfare said, The reasons for which hospitals have voluntarily opted out of the scheme include empanelment only for the COVID period, hospitals were closed or non-functional, changes in hospital entity, the hospital relocated, ongoing reconstruction or renovation in the hospital, shortage of supporting or nursing staff, unavailability of specialist doctors, voluntary withdrawal from the scheme, package rates, opting out due to certain treatment packages reserved for public hospitals only (Chhattisgarh and Gujarat), and no referral from public hospitals (Karnataka). Priyanka Chaturvedi, member of Parliament (MP), had asked for information about the amount pending for hospitals under the AB-PMJAY services for both private and government hospitals. She also asked for the number of hospitals that have opted out of the scheme, state-wise and year-wise, since 2019 and with reasons, including pending dues. Without sharing any financial details, Mr Jadhav, the minister of state, merely stated that settlement of claims is an ongoing process and under AB-PMJAY, claims are settled by respective state health agencies (SHA). The national health authority (NHA) has laid down guidelines for payment of claim to hospitals within 15 days of claims submission for the intra-state hospitals (hospitals located within state) and within 30 days in case of portability claims (hospitals located outside state). Claims are required to be settled within the timeline specified under the scheme. Notable improvements have been recorded in the overall average turnaround time (TAT) for claim settlements year on year. Regular review meetings are organised to take stock of the progress with regard to the claims. Further, capacity building activities are organised for efficient claims settlement, he added. Separately, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had asked for information about the implementation and monitoring of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. In his reply, the minister said, as of 28 February 2025, the number of empanelled hospitals under PM-JAY is 30,957, while the total operational ayushman arogya mandir (AAM) is 176,573. The Union government provides approval for the proposals in the form of record of Proceedings (RoPs) as per norms and available resources. However, the primary responsibility for engagement and availability of human resources in public health facilities lies with the respective state government, Mr Jadhav says. Data provided by the minister shows that the number of community health officer (CHO) posts vacant in AAM- sub-health centres in rural areas in various states and Union territories (UTs), as of 28 February 2025, was 12,491. A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered the Delhi Police to further investigate Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Delhi law minister Kapil Mishra's role in the Delhi riots of 2020. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasiya of the Rouse Avenue Courts observed that a cognizable offence was found against Mishra, and therefore, further investigation must be conducted. The Court passed the order on a plea filed by Yamuna Vihar resident Mohammad Ilyas. Ilyas sought the registration of a first information report (FIR) against Mishra on allegations that he took part in the riots, as well as against the then Station House Officer (SHO) of Dayalpur police station and five others. The Court passed today's order directing further investigation despite the Delhi Police's claim that Mishras role had already been investigated and that nothing incriminating was found against him. Ilyas claims that he saw Mishra and others blocking a road in Northeast Delhi's Kardampuri and destroying vendors carts during the riots. He also said the then Delhi Police DCP was standing next to Mishra. On Tuesday, 2708 stocks advanced, 1344 declined and 143 remained unchanged, with an advance decline ratio of 2.0 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), indicating positive closing of stocks in broader markets. The trend of the major indices on Tuesdays trading is given in the table below. On NSE, 49 securities advanced and closed at a new 52-week high whereas 113 securities sank to close at their new 52-week lows. In sectoral indices, Nifty IT, Nifty Pharma, and Nifty FMCG were among the biggest losers. Nifty Media was the only gainer Larsen & Toubro (L&T) (-1.55%) secured large orders for its power transmission & distribution (PT&D) vertical in India and abroad. It has won an order for setting up a 765kV gas insulated substation (GIS) in western India and another order for the turnkey construction of a transmission line associated with evacuation of power in the same region. In Saudi Arabia, the vertical received orders for setting up two 380kV overhead lines. The combined length of these transmission lines exceeds 130 route kilometer and are meant for ensuring reliable power supply to the key townships around Riyadh. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) (-0.97%) reported 23% rise in its overall auto sales (including exports) at 83894 vehicles for the month of March. In the utility vehicles segment, Mahindra sold 48048 vehicles in the domestic market, a growth of 18% and overall, 50835 vehicles, including exports. The domestic sales for commercial vehicles stood at 23951. The company closed the year with 551487 SUVs, the highest ever in its history, with a growth of 20% year-on-year. AGI Greenpac (+5.84%) received approval for setting up a new container glass plant (greenfield project) in Madhya Pradesh. It will be adding 500 TPD capacity, while the existing capacity stood at 2000TPD. The proposed capacity is to be added within two-year period. The investment required for the project is around Rs700 crore. The board of directors of the company at its meeting held on 31 March 2025 has inter-alia approved the same. Ola Electric Mobility (-0.57%) registered 23,430 units in March 2025 (as per the VAHAN portal), reflecting strong demand across urban and rural markets. As shared earlier, the shift to in-house vehicle registrations in February led to temporary disruptions. While the transition continues, daily registration volumes and backlog clearance are steadily improving. Sterlite Technologies (STL) (+5.29%) successfully completed the demerger of its global services business. The services business will transition from Sterlite Technologies (STL) to STL Networks under the brand name Invenia. This milestone marks the culmination of a strategic initiative to create two specialised, future-ready organisations poised for accelerated growth. ITC (-0.79%) acquired Century Pulp & Paper from the Aditya Birla Group for Rs3,498 crore. Century Pulp & Paper with manufacturing capacity of 480,000 tonnes per annum. Aditya Birla Real Estate divested the business to streamline its focus on real estate development and unlock value for shareholders Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (-2.34%) US-based subsidiary -- Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc, USA launched Vancomycin Hydrochloride for injection USP, 750 mg/vial, 1.25 g/vial and 1.5 g/vial (Single-dose vial). Glenmarks Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection USP, 750 mg/vial, 1.25 g/vial and 1.5 g/vial (single-dose vial) is bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to the reference listed drug, Vancomycin Hydrochloride for Injection USP, 750 mg/vial, 1.25 g/vial and 1.5 g/vial of Mylan Laboratories, NDA 209481. Morepen Laboratories (+3.55%) received approval from the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China for its Loratadine (anti-allergy API). Adani Green Energys (AGEL) (-2.70%) wholly-owned stepdown subsidiary --Adani Renewable Energy Fifty Seven operationalised incremental solar power project of 25 MW at Khavda, Gujarat. With operationalisation of this plant, AGELs total operational renewable generation capacity has increased to 14,242.9 MW. Eicher Motors (-0.80%) motorcycle division has reported 34% rise in sales at 1,01,021 units in March 2025 as compared to 75,551 motorcycles sold in March 2024. The companys sales of models with engine capacity up to 350 cc increased by 32% at 87,312 units in March 2025 against 66,363 units in the same period year ago. The sales of its models with engine capacity exceeding 350 cc increased by 49% at 13,709 units in March 2025 as against 9,188 units in March last year. The companys sales from International Business increased by 36% at 12,971 units in March 2025 against 9,507 units in the same period year ago. Kalpataru Projects International (+0.56%) secured new orders of around Rs621 crore. The company has received orders in the buildings and factories (B&F) business in India. It has also received order in the railway business in India. HBL Engineering (+8.99%) received five letter of acceptances from Central Railway. The total value of all the five contracts is Rs762.56 crore. Each of the contracts has to be completed in 18 months. It received letter of acceptances for the provision of Kavach across 413 stations, covering 3,900 kms. Waaree Energies (-1.07%) inaugurated advanced 5.4 GW solar cell gigafactory facility in Chikhli, Gujarat. Spread across 150 acres, with a built-up area of 101 acres, this facility stands as a testament to its commitment to a sustainable energy future for the nation. The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) conducted a routine current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) inspection at the Unit 2 Facility of OneSource Specialty Pharma (-7.61%) located at Bangalore. The inspection has concluded with four observations. The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below: The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below: In a significant ruling, the Mumbai bench of the income-tax appellate tribunal (ITAT) recently held that income additions cannot be made solely based on a statement given by a builder's accountant. The decision reinforces the principle that unverified third-party statements cannot be the sole basis for tax assessments. The case pertained to Aarti Sudarshan Soni, who had challenged the income-tax (I-T) department's addition of Rs33 lakh as income based on a statement given by an accountant of Shah Housecon Pvt Ltd, a builder, without corroborative evidence. In an order, the ITAT bench of Amit Shukla, judicial member and Padmavathy S, accountant member, says, "It is relevant to mention here that it is a settled position that the assessee (Ms Soni) cannot be required to substantiate a negative fact and that the assessing officer (AO) ought to have conducted necessary further enquiries in support of the alleged claim that the assessee has made on-money payments. In view of this discussion and respectfully following the decision of the co-ordinate bench, we hold that the addition made by the AO is not sustainable and liable to be deleted." Ms Soni, who reported income from house property and interest, filed a tax return for assessment year (AY)14-15 with an income declaration of Rs615,200. She purchased a flat from Shah Housecon for Rs1.27 crore as per an agreement dated 15 February 2014. A survey on 11 November 2024 at the premises of Shah Housecon by the I-T department led to the recording of a statement from Binesh Balakrishnan, a senior accountant, alleging that Ms Soni had made an additional payment of Rs33 lakh as 'on-money' over the agreement value. Based on these claims and documents found during the survey, the AO added this amount as an unexplained investment under Section 69 of the Income Tax Act in Ms Soni's tax returns. She denied the allegation, submitting bank statements and an affidavit confirming that she had made no such extra payment. She also requested the AO to summon relevant parties for cross-examination, but the AO refused and confirmed the addition, citing the non-appearance of the summoned parties. The commissioner of I-T (appeals) (CIT(A) upheld this decision, prompting Ms Soni to approach the Mumbai bench of ITAT. She reiterated that there is no difference between the registered value and the stamp duty value of the property and, therefore, the AO is not correct in making an addition under section 69 of the Act without any basis. The ITAT ruled in favour of MS Soni, holding that income additions cannot be made solely based on an accountant's statement without corroborative evidence, reinforcing that tax assessments must be supported by verifiable proof rather than assumptions or third-party claims. (Case No. ITA No3233/Mum/2024 Date: 21 February 2025) The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that recoveries of money under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) related to fraudulent transactions by Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) must be paid to the successful resolution applicant, Piramal Capital & Housing Finance Ltd, not the DHFL's creditors. A Bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma made the observation while upholding the resolution plan for DHFL. The top court has thus set aside a judgment of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which had held that such monies must go to creditors. "Judgment and order by NCLAT is set aside. Order passed by NCLT is upheld. NCLT shall decide avoidance applications. Recoveries from avoidance shall be given to CoC, while recoveries from fraudulent transaction must be paid to Successful Resolution Application (Piramal)," the Court ordered. The Bench also emphasised the limited role of an Adjudicating Authority (National Company Law Tribunal) while approving or rejecting a resolution plan that has passed the muster of the Committee of Creditors (CoC). The Supreme Court has further ruled that the resolution plan, in this case, is compliant with the banking laws in force. The case concerns the insolvency resolution process initiated against DHFL in 2019 on an application by the Reserve Bank of India, which claimed a default by DHFL in the repayment of an External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) loan to the State Bank of India (SBI). The CoC eventually approved a resolution plan submitted by Piramal Capital. The plan assigned a token value of Rs1 to potential recoveries from fraudulent transactions under Section 66 of the IBC, effectively allowing Piramal to retain any future proceeds from such recoveries. The NCLT upheld this resolution plan. This provision was challenged by 63 moons Technologies Ltd and other fixed deposit holders (creditors), who argued that any proceeds from fraudulent transactions should rightfully be distributed to creditors rather than the resolution applicant. According to 63 Moons, the CoC ascribed a value of Rs1 to recoveries that could amount to Rs40,000 crore. The NCLAT ruled in favour of the creditors, making several key observations: Recoveries from avoidance transactions are intended to benefit creditors, not resolution applicants. Sections 43-51 and 66 of the IBC provide mechanisms to reverse fraudulent or preferential transactions that unfairly deplete the corporate debtors assets. The purpose of these provisions is to restore value to the insolvency estate, ensuring creditors receive their rightful dues. The CoC cannot override statutory mandates. By assigning a nominal value of 1 to potential recoveries from avoidance applications, the CoC attempted to circumvent the law and unjustly benefit the resolution applicant. The tribunal emphasized that statutory provisions take precedence over commercial decisions made by the CoC. The NCLT failed in its duty to scrutinize the resolution plans legality. Under Section 30(2) of the IBC, the adjudicating authority must ensure that a resolution plan complies with legal provisions before approval. The NCLAT found that the NCLT failed to properly examine the legality of the 1 valuation of avoidance recoveries. The NCLAT thus sent back the resolution plan to the CoC for reconsideration. This prompted Piramal to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, which had in April 2022 stayed the order of NCLAT. The Trump administration in the US has announced a 25% tariff on imports of automobiles and some components to protect its industry, supply chains and national security. However, given Indias relatively small share in exporting vehicles and components to the US, the 25% tariff on imports by the US will have a slightly negative impact on domestic manufacturers, says a research note. In a report, rating agency CRISIL says, The share of exports in Indias automotive production stands at just 15%, which means the exposure of domestic component manufacturers to the US is small at 4.2%. Further, accounting for the components under tariffs, this exposure would whittle down further to 3.5% of the annual revenue from auto components, thus limiting impact. This limited exports to the US is what will shield the revenue of component makers. However, a potential reduction in the competitiveness of domestic component makers because of increased prices in the US will have a bearing. This impact on India and some other countries would, in turn, benefit Mexico and Canada, which are covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and account for about 46% of overall imports to the US, it added. In FY23-24, Indias exports of passenger vehicles (PVs) and commercial vehicles (CVs), as a percentage of overall production, stood at about 15% and around 8%, respectively, while the share of the US in these exports was relatively small at 0.21% and 3%, respectively. For passenger cars and light trucks, the majority of Indian exports are to the Middle Eastern, African and Latin American countries, such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, Mexico and Chile. After the exit of General Motors and Ford from India, no US major had an Indian manufacturing base for exporting back to their country. Given the meagre share of Indias exports of PVs and CVs to that country, the tariffs imposed would have minimal impact on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) here. However, Indias share of auto component exports to the US is significant at 28%. Within this, powertrain parts, transmissions, engines, and electricals account for 40%, 29%, 13% and 2%, respectively. Cumulatively, they account for about 84% of all automotive component exports from India to the US, CRISIL says. The new US tariffs will apply from 3 April 2025 on imports of PVs and light trucks and a date to be announced but not later than 3 May 2025 on components such as engines, transmissions, powertrain parts and electricals. However, imports from Mexico and Canada will get preferential treatment under the USMCA and remain tariff-free till a procedure is devised to apply tariffs only to the non-US components. A state senator has suggested talks take place between backers and opponents of a bill that has raised decades of animosity between paid and volunteer firefighters in Butte-Silver Bow to its highest level in years. Republican Sen. Forrest Mandeville of Columbus said Friday theres a week-and-a-half before amendments on bills are due time enough to see if something can be worked out on a bill paid firefighters in Butte support and volunteers oppose. Mandeville chairs the Senate Local Government Committee, which didnt act on House Bill 547 after a Friday hearing that lasted more than two hours. The bill previously passed the full House on a 72-26 vote. Rep. Scott DeMarois, D-Anaconda, is carrying the bill at the request of Sen. Derek Harvey, D-Butte. The Senate committee can still vote to advance the bill in the coming days but its fate this session is uncertain. House Bill 547 would effectively give the chief of Buttes paid firefighters clear command over that department and the nine volunteer departments in Butte-Silver Bow County. Many volunteer firefighters here are vehemently opposed to it. It sounds like theres maybe disagreement on the bill and it sounds like a lot of that might be because a lot of the opponents havent had time to review the bill and point out possible suggestions, solutions, amendments, Mandeville told DeMarois on Friday. Are you willing to work with the opponents to make sure theyre comfortable with the bill as written or if there are any amendments that need to be put in the bill, to work through some of those? Mandeville asked. Are you willing to do that in the next week, week-and-a-half? DeMarois said volunteer firefighters are important to Butte-Silver Bow and he is always willing to have conversations with them and any others involved. Harvey, a paid firefighter in Butte, said he and DeMarois spoke with some of the volunteers after Fridays hearing and hes open to more dialogue. I am always up for further discussions around solutions, Harvey said in a text to The Montana Standard on Monday. The Standard has detailed the fight over House Bill 547 at length in previous stories. In a nutshell, Butte-Silver Bows charter gives the chief of the paid fire department administrative authority over all departments, including the volunteer ones. But a state law enacted in 1979 effectively allows volunteer departments to retain their own elected trustees and some autonomy. House Bill 547 repeals that law, giving the paid fire chief clear command of all departments. Supporters of House Bill 547 say it is needed to clear up decades of disputes over who has final say on matters such as training requirements, response plans and chain-of-command decisions at fire scenes. The bill gives final say to the chief. Harvey, Fire Chief Zach Osborne and county Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher back the bill, saying it could end 48 years of animosity and improve fire protection. Volunteers say the bill will strip away any sense of their autonomy and decision-making, a lot of that currently resting with elected trustees. The paid fire chief still answers to the chief executive and the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners, but many volunteers are wary of changes they could make to their departments and operations if House Bill 547 passes. There still seems to be some fear about giving control back to the commission (Council of Commissioners), Harvey said Monday. I assured them we will be able to work with the commission to further define their operations within the system. The Charter is pretty clear but there is always room for further definition. Gallagher, Osborne and numerous paid firefighters for Butte-Silver Bow testified in support of the bill during Fridays Senate committee hearing. Numerous volunteers, including some chiefs of those departments, were among those who spoke in opposition. Several reiterated claims that backers kept word about the bill quiet until it got its first House hearing in late February. A few senators posed questions to those on both sides. One of them, Republican Sen. Greg Hertz of Polson, said he manages about 225 employees as a CEO and suggested that passing a bill wouldnt close the rift between paid and volunteer firefighters in Butte. I know when I lay down words it doesnt fix problems, he told Gallagher, who oversees more than 500 Butte-Silver Bow employees. So can you tell me, why would you think if we put just words in a code that say, Now all of a sudden this one individual fire chief is in charge of everybody how is that going to solve all the relationship issues that we are seeing here and have talked about here today? Gallagher said the system has been broken for many years because of conflicts between the Butte-Silver Bow charter and state law, not because paid or volunteer firefighters were at fault. But, he said, Sen. Hertz, theres going to be some challenges towards what were talking about here. The Montana Standard left a voice mail with Rep. DeMarois on Monday seeking comment. A bill that sought to establish an unlimited wolf hunting quota in Montana in order to reduce the population to about where it was 15 years ago failed to pass a Senate vote Monday, while two other bills aimed at cutting the population cleared the chamber and are close to going to the governors desk. The two bills that passed the Senate will have to go back to the House for a vote on whether the states representatives agree with the changes made to them by the Senate Fish and Game Committee amendments the sponsors may agree with, but for which the full House might not have as much of an appetite. Dillon Republican Rep. Shannon Maness House Bill 176 failed to pass its final vote in the Senate on Monday in a 23-27 vote. Nine Republicans joined Democrats to oppose it. The bill seeks to create an unlimited wolf hunting quota when Montanas wolf population is above 550; it currently sits around 1,100 to 1,200, according to the state. The only area exempted from the unlimited quota would be the areas north of Yellowstone National Park that are currently Wolf Management Units 313 and 316, where hunting is restricted to only a handful of animals each season. The bill initially cleared the House when lawmakers changed language requiring the Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt such a policy to a may meaning it was optional. But the Senate Fish and Game Committee changed the may back to a shall, which drew bipartisan concerns on the Senate floor on Friday that the state was getting overzealous and might end up getting wolves put back under federal Endangered Species Act protections. Sen. Bruce Gillespie, R-Ethridge, who has worked intensively on trying to get grizzly bears delisted the past several sessions, told his colleagues they might think hes going bonkers because he opposed the bill over the livestock industrys concerns and possible worry at the federal level that Montana was doing too much to limit its predator populations. If we overdo this thing theres a great likelihood the wolves get back on the endangered species list, he said. Several senators from northwestern Montana who supported the proposal said the wolf population there has been increasingly encroaching on the elk population in that area of the state. But Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, a former longtime Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks employee and Region 3 supervisor, said those complaints were being turned into a sweeping bill that wrongly applied to the entire state. He told the Senate he had been in the middle of what he called the first round of wolf wars in the 2000s and early 2010s when Montana was first allowed to manage the animal. Flowers told senators the wolf population has been stable or declining for the past six years while multiple polls have shown Montanans have increasing tolerance of and support for the states wolves. Flowers showed that livestock losses to wolves have also been going down in recent years and echoed Gillespies sentiments that a state wolf policy that was focused too much on reducing the population might trigger the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to come back in to manage the animal. Why do we want to flip the table over and start all over? he asked. Three GOP senators flipped from yes on Friday to vote against the bill on Monday, killing its progress for the time being and possibly for the rest of the session. But the Senate did pass Rep. Paul Fielders House Bills 258 and 259 on their final votes in the chamber. The first bill from the Thompson Falls Republican seeks to align the close of wolf hunting season with that of bear hunting season, meaning the wolf season could run into either late May or early June when wolves are denning and raising pups. The respective FWP regions would be able to modify their season to their own needs. The second, HB 259, would allow the Fish and Wildlife Commission to give wolf hunters on private property the option to use thermal and infrared scopes when hunting at night a new addition to the already allowed night vision scopes. The Senate Fish and Game Committee changed the new scope allowances back to being an option for the Fish and Wildlife Commission to consider instead of a requirement. That means the House will have to consider the bill again in its current form and either adopt it and send it to the governor, or hand it to a conference committee to be hashed out by members of both the House and Senate. The bill cleared the Senate in a party-line 32-18 vote, with all Republicans in favor. It also sent Fielders HB 258 back to the House with changes in a 31-18 vote, with Great Falls Sen. Wendy McKamey the only Republican opposed. In the Senate Fish and Game Committee, lawmakers struck out language added before the bill passed the House that exempted areas around Yellowstone and Glacier national parks from the lengthier hunting season. Much of the debate over the bill on the floor on Friday surrounded the tourism in Montana related to wolf watching specifically. Last year when FWP was setting its wolf regulations for this season, Yellowstone National Parks superintendent told the commission that an analysis found tourism and wildlife viewing brings in about $80 million every year to Gardiner and the surrounding area. Several Democrats said people from other states and countries would be hesitant to come spend their money in a state trying to so drastically reduce the wolf population when thats part of the reason they come to Montana in the first place. Multiple Republicans who spoke about the bill on the floor brushed those concerns aside, saying there needed to be a balance between wolf conservation and tourism and the conservation of other animals, like elk, for viewing and hunting opportunities. Since when did Montana care what the rest of the world thinks when it comes to determining whats best for Montanans? said Sen. John Fuller, a Kalispell Republican. After nearly two school years, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges has hired its new chancellor. During a special meeting Tuesday, the EICC Board of Trustees approved Bryan Renfro, president of John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois, to assume the role effective July 1. He will succeed interim Chancellor Liang Chee Wee, who was appointed to lead EICC in August 2023 after former chancellor Sonya Williams resigned. With 20 years of experience in higher education, Renfro plans to focus on students and workforce readiness at EICC. "Throughout my career as a faculty member and administrator, I've been guided by a 'student first' philosophy," he said Tuesday. "I vow to continue this approach with a collaborative spirit, strategic focus and with the utmost respect for the transformative power of community colleges. We meet students where they are and help them get to where they want to go." EICC's student-centered environment drew him to the position, Renfro said, citing each campus' food pantry as a "stand-out" example. He was also drawn in by the college district's dual-credit enrollment and graduation rates, noting EICC has the highest percentage of high schoolers graduating with college credits nationwide. "That really promotes more students going to college; and (when) students go to college, they're more likely to graduate and have a better life," Renfro said, noting EICC serves both urban and rural communities. "There are very different challenges (imposed) on those students for them to succeed, and I think (EICC) is positioned really well to help do that." Before his tenure at John Wood, Renfro held multiple leadership roles at Paris Junior College and Tyler Junior College in Texas, including as vice president of academic instruction; associate vice provost of academic and workforce affairs and dean of professional and technical programs. He also previously served as the dean of business and public services at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa, and was an instructional chair at Colorado Mountain College, based out of Glenview Springs, Colorado. In addition to his leadership roles, Renfro has taught anthropology and criminal justice courses and served as a department chair. He holds a Ph.D. in higher education with a focus on community college leadership from Iowa State University, a masters degree in anthropology from the University of Arkansas, and a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from the University of Tennessee. Once he starts at EICC, Renfro said his initial goals will be getting to know faculty, staff, students and community members. "I don't really have any big, huge goals at first (other than) just to listen and understand where we're at," he said. "Then, try to help develop a plan together." Renfro said he suspects some challenges with his transition, but he views those as "early opportunities." "I promise to be a thoughtful steward of this college and of the public resources entrusted to us," he said. "I will work to ensure that education remains accessible and affordable. I will work and I will strive to foster innovation that expands partnerships, develops new academic programs and enhances the support systems that our students need to be successful these days together, we will carry forward the incredible legacy of this college." During a press conference following Tuesday's special meeting, Renfro gave a shout-out to his family for their support. His wife, Jennifer, and youngest son, Blake, attended the event. "It's really about our families, so when we provide these educational opportunities to our students it really comes back to supporting their families," he said. "I'm very excited to be here, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity. I'd like to thank the (Board) for believing in me and giving me a chance to do this." EICC's Chancellor Search Committee made up of faculty, staff, students and community members brought three candidates to the Board for consideration last month. This followed an extensive national search. The three finalists participated in forums at each of EICC's main campuses along with one virtual session and met with the Board for on-site interviews throughout March. The other two finalists were EICC's Muscatine Community College President Naomi DeWinter and Oakland Community College Provost Jennifer Berne. Michelle Garvin, search committee chair and a member of EICC's board, thanked those who participated in the various forums, calling their input "invaluable." "Our new chancellor brings a wealth of experience from his current roles (and) his previous roles in Texas and Iowa," Garvin said Tuesday. "His career has focused on enhancing student success, workforce development and community partnerships and I think that that embodies a lot of what we are here at (EICC)." Renfro will make his EICC debut with the help of a "chancellor transition team" led by Ann Lawler, president of EICC's Scott Community College. Wee, the current interim chancellor, formerly served as the president of Northeast Iowa Community College for 11 years, retiring in 2022. Garvin also took time to thank Wee for his leadership over the past two years. "On behalf of all of us, I appreciate your steady guidance and commitment to (EICC)," she said. "You definitely will be missed. I think you've made a mark on all of us in a way that we can never take back." KATHMANDU, April 1 As the dust seemingly settles after the violent incidents that occurred during the pro-monarchy protest in the Tinkune area of the capital on Friday, where two individuals died and scores were injured, contradictory remarks on what triggered the violence have emerged across social media platforms. Please log in or register to access the full content. TOL backs naval forces revamp to fortify West PH Sea security Senate Majority Leader Francis 'Tol' Tolentino has expressed full support to the reorganization of the Philippine Navy forces to fortify the country's defense in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), amid the increasing aggressiveness of China. "The strengthening of our Western Philippine Sea order of battle, as announced by the Philippine Navy, proves the dynamism of our armed forces, and their commitment to perform their mandate to protect our country's territorial integrity and sovereignty," said Tolentino, the Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones. To recall, it was Tolentino who first called for the creation of a West Philippine Sea Command by unifying the armed forces' Western Command and Northern Luzon Command. "For purposes of implementing the Philippine Maritime Zones Law, we need a new command dedicated to maritime security and improving our response capabilities in the WPS," Tolentino said last February. "This will also enhance coordination among the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, and Philippine National Police Maritime Group," added the senator, a Brigadier General reservist in the Philippine Army. Tolentino stressed that a unified command for the WPS would provide focus, leadership, resources, and operational capabilities to secure our maritime domain. Based in Puerto Princesa City, the Naval Forces West oversees maritime security in Palawan, including the country's claim over the Kalayaan Island Group in the WPS. Meanwhile, the Naval Forces Northern Luzon based in San Fernando, La Union, has jurisdiction over Panatag Shoal, Balintang Channel to the north facing Taiwan, and the Talampas ng Pilipinas in the eastern seaboard. Tolentino is the principal author and sponsor of the landmark Philippine Maritime Zones Law (Republic Act 12064), which was signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last November. A recent audit has uncovered shocking irregularities in government cash transfer programmes, raising serious concerns over financial mismanagement and lack of accountability. The audit report, issued by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu, revealed multiple discrepancies in the spending of Ksh28.7 billion allocated to these programmes, with notable issues such as overpayments, dubious beneficiary records, and ineffective financial controls. Gathungus audit for the 2023/2024 financial year specifically highlighted several troubling areas within the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs. Among the key findings were overpayments to beneficiaries, violations of operational rules by caregivers, repeated unsuccessful credit transactions, and insufficient data validation procedures. These issues paint a troubling picture of mismanagement in programmes designed to support vulnerable populations. A number of unsatisfactory issues were flagged, including overpayments, unverified beneficiary data, and poor controls over financial transactions, the report states. Audit Reveals Overpayments, Fraudulent Records One of the most alarming revelations was that 919 beneficiaries were overpaid a total of Ksh896,500 in February 2024. According to the report, each beneficiary under the Consolidated Cash Transfer Programme is entitled to Ksh2,000 per month. However, the audit showed that some payments exceeded the prescribed amount, indicating a serious breakdown in financial oversight. Further analysis of the Older Persons Cash Transfer Programme uncovered even more discrepancies. The report found that 15,243 caregivers were supporting multiple households, which directly violates the departments operations manual. The rules are clear: each caregiver is supposed to represent only one household. In addition to these irregularities, the audit also revealed that 1,719 beneficiaries had more than three failed credit transactions, amounting to Ksh34,799,500. This failure was attributed to weak controls within the financial disbursement system, leaving large sums of money unpaid and unaccounted for. The audit also scrutinized the Persons with Severe Disabilities (PSD) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) payrolls, revealing that 646 orphans and 3,812 vulnerable children were registered with invalid national identification numbers. This raises significant concerns about the effectiveness of data validation controls over beneficiary enrolment. In the circumstances, the effectiveness of data validation controls over beneficiary enrolment could not be confirmed, the report notes. Land Encroachments Beyond financial irregularities, the audit uncovered that several parcels of land intended for childrens remand homes, rehabilitation centres, and rescue centres had been encroached upon and lacked proper ownership documents. For instance, the Getathuru National Reception, Assessment, and Classification Centre, located in Nairobis Westlands sub-county, had a 17-hectare property partially occupied by a Chinese construction company. The report reveals that the company built a permanent double perimeter wall and continued occupying the land three years after the completion of the Redhill-Waiyaki Way bypass projectwithout a lease agreement. At Wamumu Rehabilitation School, approximately 40.5 hectares of land were allocated to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), while another 26 hectares are set to be given to a local group. However, no approval documents were provided for these land allocations, further highlighting the lack of proper oversight. Other land-related issues were discovered at Othaya Rehabilitation School, where a 9.8-hectare plot was found to be unfenced and lacking ownership documents. In Muranga, private developers had encroached on the 0.9-hectare plot of the Childrens Remand Home, building permanent structures on the land. Similarly, the Thika Rescue Centres 10.1-hectare property remains only partially fenced. Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu emphasized the urgent need for reforms in the administration of these government-funded social protection programmes. She called for better data verification processes, stronger financial controls, and legal action to recover encroached public land. With these findings, a parliamentary investigation into the mismanagement of funds and land meant for vulnerable groups is expected to follow. Detectives have arrested 29-year-old house help Fleviar Muhonja Anaya, who vanished with Ksh2.2 million from her employers home in Nairobi. A coordinated operation by officers from the DCI Nairobi Regional Headquarters and the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau led to her capture. The heist unfolded on March 16, 2025, after Muhonjas employer left her at home. Hours later, a security guard noticed the house help leaving with a large carrier bag and alerted the employer. When questioned, she claimed she was running an errand for her boss. The employer tried calling her but found her phone switched off. Sensing something was not right, since she had not given such instructions, she quickly tried to reach her house help, only to find the phone switched off, the police reported. She rushed home, where her worst fears were confirmed; the Ksh2.2 million she had kept in her bedroom was gonealong with her house help. The Chase and Recovery Detectives launched an investigation, using forensic leads to track Muhonja down in Malava, Kakamega County, where they arrested her. During questioning, she led officers to Kapsoi, Vihiga County, where Ksh700,000 was recovered from her grandmothers house. The operation extended to Kipkaren, Uasin Gishu County, where detectives found three chain links bought using the stolen money. Finally, in Nairobis South B, Fuata Nyayo area, officers recovered Ksh800,000 from her rented house. Now in custody at Capitol Hill Police Station, Muhonja is undergoing processing as she awaits her court appearance. Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has urged President William Ruto and his new political ally, Raila Odinga, to bring former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua into national unity talks. Speaking to residents at Makutano Market in Mautuma Ward, Lugari Constituency, on March 30, Khalwale emphasized that true national cohesion requires inclusivity and open dialogue. The Senate Majority Whip warned that sidelining Gachagua could fuel feelings of exclusion, allowing him to rally support around a divisive narrative. He insisted that engaging Gachagua would reinforce Rutos commitment to national unity and dispel fears that his alliance with Raila is designed to isolate the Mt Kenya region. When Your Excellency, the President, and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga decided to work together, your goal was to unite all Kenyans, Khalwale stated. If you genuinely want to unite the country, President Ruto, reach out to Rigathi, sit down with him, and hear him out. Khalwale stressed that dialogue among Ruto, Raila, and Gachagua is crucial for fostering inclusivity. We dont want Rigathi to keep claiming that Kikuyus are being excluded from the national agenda. Kikuyus should receive the same treatment as Luhyas, Luos, Kalenjins, and all other Kenyans, he said. At the same time, Khalwale criticized security agencies for attempting to disrupt Gachaguas public rallies in Kajiado and Naivasha on Friday and Saturday. I saw Gachagua holding meetings in Kajiado and Naivasha, and I noticed a heavy police presence. No! That is not right, he remarked, highlighting the need for fair political participation without intimidation. Retired Chief Justice David Maraga has taken a major step in his 2027 presidential campaign after earning the endorsement of his Bonyamatuta clan. In a gathering at Ibara Viongozi Kebirigo Pastoral Centre, over 250 opinion leaders from the clan pledged their unwavering support, giving Maraga their blessings to vie for the presidency in the upcoming general elections. Maraga convened the meeting to consult his clansmen and seek their backing before extending his campaign efforts to the national stage. Former councillor Nelson Onyancha Onduko, who led the meeting, commended Maraga for valuing his communitys input and seeking their advice before officially launching his bid for the presidency. The leaders unanimously supported Maragas candidacy and vowed to rally the entire Gusii community behind him. As leaders from his Bonyamatuta clan, he has sought our views, and we have given him the go-ahead to pursue the top seat in the country, Onduko told journalists. He praised Maragas impeccable record in the judiciary, stating that his dedication and service to Kenyans make him well-suited for the presidency. Maraga served this nation with integrity while in the judiciary, and we believe he can do even better as the sixth president of the Republic of Kenya, Onduko added. Speakers at the meeting lauded Maragas leadership, emphasizing that his tenure as Chief Justice demonstrated his ability to lead with integrity and fairness. His key allies, including advocates Dennis Matara Abincha and Joseph Ombasa Kiangoi, described him as the ideal candidate to address Kenyas political and economic challenges. They stressed that Maragas leadership qualities and experience would help steer the country in the right direction. Maraga Confirms 2027 Presidential Run On Sunday, Maraga officially declared his intention to be on the ballot in the 2027 presidential election. Speaking in Kisii after attending a church service, he affirmed his readiness to contest for the top job, expressing confidence in his ability to initiate transformative change. However, he maintained that the final decision lies with the people while dismissing claims that he is a political project. At the end of the day, it is the people who will decide. Just relax, wait, and in due course, you will make up your mind on whether or not Im a state project, he said. Maraga also called for transparency in the electoral process, hoping for a credible Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). We are praying that they (IEBC Selection Panel) select fit peoplehonest peopleto deliver a free and fair election, he added. President William Ruto is set to embark on a five-day tour of the Mt. Kenya region starting today(Tuesday, April 1) where he will launch and inspect development projects worth billions of shillings. This marks his first visit to the region in nearly six months, with his itinerary kicking off in Laikipia County. During the tour, Ruto will visit nine countiesLaikipia, Nyeri, Meru, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Muranga, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, and Kiambuwhere he will oversee key projects aimed at boosting the regions economy. His agenda includes major investments in road infrastructure, affordable housing, fresh produce markets, last-mile electricity connectivity, water supply, and irrigation. After touring Laikipia and Nyeri counties on April 1, 2025, Ruto will move to Meru and Kirinyaga on April 2, 2025. On April 3, 2025, he will visit Nyandarua and Muranga, followed by Tharaka Nithi and Embu counties on April 4, 2025. The final day, April 5, 2025, will see him return to Nyeri and Kiambu. On the first day, Ruto will inspect modern fresh produce markets at various stages of completion, fulfilling his pledge to small-scale traders. This initiative ensures they have adequate workspace and proper sanitation, as part of a broader government plan to roll out 500 such markets nationwide. Several of these markets will be launched and assessed in the counties he will visit. The president will also review the ongoing construction of the Mau Mau Road in Lari Constituency, Kiambu. This road network, which recently received a Ksh5 billion allocation, cuts through the Aberdare and Mt. Kenya forests, linking Kiambu, Muranga, Nyandarua, and Nyeri counties. In addition, Ruto will assess the progress of County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) in all nine counties. These parks, developed through a joint investment of Ksh500 million per countysplit equally between the national and county governmentsaim to boost local industrialization. The president is also expected to launch new affordable housing projects as part of his wider development strategy. Addressing Political Tensions in Mt. Kenya Beyond his development agenda, Rutos visit is also expected to address the evolving political landscape in Mt. Kenya. Many anticipate that he will clarify his strained relationship with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, a key figure in his 2022 election victory. A section of Rift Valley leaders allied to Ruto has openly criticized Gachagua, accusing him of making divisive remarks that could turn the region against the president. Nandi Governor Stephen Sang called out Gachagua, saying, We want to tell Gachagua to leave the President alone. You cant keep saying he is a one-term President, yet you also did not finish half a term. Ruto will be elected for a second term. Muranga Woman Representative Betty Maina called for unity, urging leaders to support the presidents visit. Let us welcome the President well, she said. Nominated MP Sabina Chege echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the need for a peaceful and respectful reception during Rutos tour. Three killed in Beirut as Israel targets top militant The airstrike targeted a Hezbollah militant in the top three floors of a building in south Beirut. Photo: AFP At least three people were killed and seven wounded in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Tuesday, the Lebanese health ministry said, further testing a shaky four-month ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The Israeli military said in a statement that it attacked a Hezbollah militant "who had recently directed Hamas operatives and assisted them." The attack took place a few days after a previous strike by Israel on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh. There was no immediate statement from Hezbollah on the identity of the target. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the latest Israeli airstrike, calling it a "dangerous warning" that signals premeditated intentions against Lebanon. Aoun said Israel's growing "aggression" requires Lebanon to intensify diplomatic outreach and mobilise international allies in support of the country's full sovereignty. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also condemned the Israeli strike and said it was a flagrant breach of UN Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire arrangement. Nawaf said that he has been closely monitoring the aftermath of the strike in coordination with the ministers of defence and interior. The strike appeared to have damaged the upper three floors of a building in Beirut's southern suburbs, with the balconies of those floors blown out. The glass on the floors below was intact, indicating a targeted strike. Ambulances were at the scene to recover casualties. There was no evacuation warning issued for the area ahead of the strike, and families fled in the aftermath to other parts of Beirut, according to witnesses. November's ceasefire agreement halted the year-long conflict and mandated that southern Lebanon be free of Hezbollah fighters and weapons, that Lebanese troops deploy to the area and that Israeli ground troops withdraw from the zone. But each side accuses the other of not entirely living up to those terms. The US-brokered truce has looked increasingly flimsy lately. Israel delayed a promised troop withdrawal in January and said that it had intercepted rockets fired from Lebanon in March, which led it to bombard targets in Beirut's southern suburbs and southern Lebanon. The Iran-aligned Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the rocket firings. (Reuters) Assyrians Celebrate 6775th New Year Assyrians celebrating 6775th new year in Noohadra (Dohuk), north Iraq. Duhok province in the Kurdistan Region hosted a major celebration on Tuesday for the Akitu festival, marking the Babylonian-Assyrian New Year 6775, drawing a large crowd of local and international attendees. The festive procession kicked off in front of the "Virgin Mary" Church in downtown Duhok, with participants marching along the main street to the celebration venue at the Mazi complex. During the march, attendees waved flags and banners in celebration, while performing traditional folk dances in the streets, proudly showcasing Assyrian heritage and customs. Ninos Odisho, a member of the organizing committee, noted that over 5,000 Christians from the diaspora took part in this year's celebrations, explaining that the event aimed to send a clear message to local governments and the international community that Assyrians remain rooted in their homeland. "Any attempts to erase their identity or deny their presence is a crime against them," he stated. Odisho called on the international community to "protect Christians, safeguard their rights, and ensure the preservation of their national and cultural heritage," highlighting that Assyrians continue to face significant challenges, particularly migration and political marginalization, which have led to a steady decline in their numbers. On April 1st, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Syriacs in Iraq celebrate the "Akitu" festival, marking one of the oldest known religious festivals in Mesopotamia. Historically dating back to the 5th millennium BCE, some believe the Sumerians celebrated it as early as the Ubaid period (5300 BCE). The festival, tied to the renewal of the land and agricultural cycles, was named "Akitu," derived from the Sumerian word for barley. Celebrated over 12 days, it honors the creation myth and the resurrection of the god Marduk, symbolizing the restoration of life and nature. The festival is still referred to as "Res Satte" by Iraqi Christians. In a congratulatory message, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani considered Akitu "a historic occasion for a valuable civilization, with deep cultural and human roots from one of the oldest components of our region, which have contributed since the dawn of history to the development of the region's civilization and the preservation of its diversity." SIU alum to discuss how he launched a successful business while in school by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumnus Adam Wolfe will discuss his journey from student to successful businessman at 6:30 p.m. April 10 at Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 1740 Innovation Drive. The public is invited to the free event hosted by the Saluki Entrepreneur Corps, an SIU registered student organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. A 2016 graduate of SIU with a bachelors degree in automotive technology, Wolfe also has a minor in marketing. As a student, he saw an unmet need and conceived plans for Boost Auto, which has become a leading designer and manufacturer of high-quality aftermarket auto accessories. The company launched in 2015, while he was still in college, and has grown into a successful West Chicago enterprise employing more than 30 people. Wolfe is still involved with his alma mater, serving on the Saluki Automotive Advisory Board, where he works to help ensure the universitys automotive technology program continues to meet the needs of todays students. He has also established a scholarship through Boost Auto to support current SIU students. Along with sharing valuable business insights, Wolfe will discuss his passion for giving back to SIU and the entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow. For more information, contact Michael Jessup, director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at SIU and adviser of the Saluki Entrepreneur Corps, at Michael.jessup@siu.edu or 618-536-2424. Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) has approved a major renewable energy project to set up a solar power plant in Rajasthan. The company will invest Rs 2,066 crore in this project as part of its strategy to expand into clean energy and achieve its net zero targets. The company on Monday said that the proposed 500 MWp solar power plant will be established in partnership with Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL), a state-run power company. The project will be developed through a joint venture, where IGL will hold a 74 per cent stake, and RVUNL will own the remaining 26 per cent. RVUNL will provide land for the project at its upcoming solar park in Bikaner and will also assist in power transmission. The company in a statement said "A 500 MWp greenfield solar power plant is proposed to be set up in partnership with the Rajasthan state-run Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL) in Bikaner district. With an estimated capital outlay of Rs 2066 crore, the project will be financed through a mix of debt and equity and is slated for completion within 18 months from the formalization of the JV". The project is expected to be completed within 18 months after the joint venture is officially formed. The Rajasthan state cabinet is currently reviewing the proposal, and once approved, work on the plant will begin. The funding will come from a mix of debt and equity. This move is part of IGL's plan to build a 1 GW renewable energy portfolio in the next two to four years. By expanding into clean energy, IGL aims to strengthen India's efforts towards sustainability and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Currently, as per the company, IGL supplies about 10 MMSCMD (Million Metric Standard Cubic Meters per Day) of gas across its markets. The company continues to invest in infrastructure and marketing to maintain its leadership in the city gas distribution sector while also embracing renewable energy for a greener future. (ANI) PRNewswire Ho Chi Minh City/ Hanoi [Vietnam], April 1: Reeracoen Vietnam, a leading recruitment agency, has reported a significant surge in local hiring as Vietnamese companies intensify their focus on domestic talent acquisition in 2025. According to the newly released Vietnamese Company Hiring Trends 2025 report, nearly 62% of businesses plan to expand their workforce through local recruitment, highlighting Vietnam's strengthening labor market and the rising confidence of global investors. Despite a modest 3% decline in registered foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, Vietnam achieved record-breaking disbursements, up 9.4% year-over-year, demonstrating strong confidence from international enterprises. Major players, including Google, Siemens, Qualcomm, and Ericsson, have reaffirmed their commitment to Vietnam following high-level government engagements. These trends reinforce Vietnam's growing status as a "thi truong beo bo" (promising market) for foreign investment and sustainable growth. As companies seek to scale, many are turning to recruitment agencies to efficiently fill talent gaps. Reeracoen's report indicates that 57.3% of companies are leveraging these services to secure skilled professionals faster. Furthermore, to attract and retain top talent, 37.2% of businesses plan salary increases of 5-6% with many also enhancing Tet bonuses beyond the traditional one-month standard. "The robust surge in local hiring and the strategic use of recruitment agencies underscore Vietnam's emerging strength as a dynamic labour market," said Mr Kosuke Soejima, General Director of Reeracoen. "Our report shows that companies are not only securing essential talent but also investing in competitive compensation to drive growth in 2025. This proactive approach is vital for sustaining operational success and reinforcing confidence in our domestic workforce." Alongside local hiring, Reeracoen's report outlines essential considerations for international businesses entering Vietnam. These include compliance with local laws, respect for Vietnam's territorial integrity (especially in official maps), culturally attuned labor practices, transparent tax and contract management, and strong corporate social responsibility. "Vietnam is rapidly evolving into a magnet for both local innovation and global investments," added Mr Masato Sekine, Country Manager of Reeracoen Vietnam. "With record FDI disbursements and our comprehensive hiring strategies, businesses can effectively navigate the complexities of local regulations and cultural nuances. This integrated approach not only propels company growth but also enriches the overall talent ecosystem." Reeracoen Vietnam plays a pivotal role in this transformation by offering tailored recruitment solutions that align with both local market dynamics and international business expectations. The report further reveals that: * 84.9% of businesses focusing exclusively on domestic recruitment * 70.6% of businesses successfully hiring local employees * 76.6% of companies cited profitability as the main driver behind salary increases These trends highlight Vietnam's emergence as a sustainable growth engine, offering companies a balance of skilled labor, economic resilience, and increasing international credibility. To download the full report or explore Reeracoen's recruitment services, visit: * Vietnamese Company Hiring Trends 2025 * Think of jobs in Vietnam, think of Reeracoen Vietnam About Reeracoen Reeracoen is an award-winning leader in Asia's recruitment landscape, celebrated for connecting top-tier talent with forward-thinking organisations. With a strong presence across the region, we leverage our expansive networks and deep industry expertise to deliver innovative recruitment solutions tailored to the evolving needs of our partners. Operating across 9 offices in 6 major Asian countries, Reeracoen upholds the highest standards of professionalism and service excellence. Our accolades and proven track record underscore our commitment to providing exceptional service quality and cross-border talent solutions, making us the preferred recruitment partner for businesses looking to thrive in the dynamic Asian market. For more information, visit https://www.reeracoen.com.vn/ and follow us on social media for the latest updates and insights. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) India stands at a crucial juncture in the evolving global trade landscape, and to maximize its position in trade realignments, it must strategically defend its key sectors while leveraging shifts in global supply chains, said Brad Staples, Chief Executive Officer of APCO Worldwide. Answering exclusive questions of ANI, Staples said, "India must fast-track its bilateral trade negotiations, "Fast-tracking Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and ensuring a stable, predictable trade environment will enhance India's appeal as a trusted global trade partner." The US is increasingly using tariffs as a strategic tool; it imposed 25 per cent duties on steel and aluminium and recently extended the same 25 per cent tariff to imported automobiles and automobile parts. It is also considering additional levies on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. This presents both challenges and opportunities for India's trade landscape. Unlike China and the EU, which responded with retaliatory measures, India has so far avoided the tariff threats from the US despite repeated voices by U.S. officials of India imposing one of the highest duties on US imports. India and the US have an ambitious goal to double bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030. While tariff disputes, data protection policies, and supply chain realignments present challenges, both nations recognize the importance of fostering a balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship. Brad said, "Moving forward, both nations should prioritize deeper cooperation in digital trade, supply chain diversification, and strategic sectors like clean energy and advanced manufacturing to strengthen economic ties." Brad added that India should capitalise on the ongoing shifts in global supply chains and maintain an edge over competitors by implementing stable key policy measures. He stated, "To fully capitalize on this shift and maintain an edge over competitors in East and Southeast Asia, India must focus on key policy measures. Ensuring a stable and predictable policy environment will be critical in attracting long-term investments. He added, "Ensuring a stable and predictable policy environment will be critical in attracting long-term investments. Additionally, the government must continue to offer strong incentives for both domestic and foreign investors to encourage large-scale manufacturing," he added. India has a unique opportunity to attract investments in critical industries such as semiconductors, textiles, and chemicals, all of which are witnessing growing export volumes. Brad also noted that, "Additionally, the government must continue to offer strong incentives for both domestic and foreign investors to encourage large-scale manufacturing" Challenges such as infrastructure gaps and regulatory complexities continue to hinder large-scale commitments from global corporations. On the shifting of global trade due to ongoing US-China trade tensions, Brad said Companies like Apple have steadily increased their iPhone manufacturing in India, with production reaching 15 per cent as of early 2025 and projections indicating growth to 25 per cent by 2027. Similarly, Tesla's recent decision to lease its first showroom in Mumbai signals the increasing interest of high-tech manufacturers in the Indian market. These developments emphasize India's growing role in global supply chains. But before committing to large-scale investments, India must ensure its trade policies remain stable, transparent, and investor-friendly. (ANI) BusinessWire India Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 1: L&T Technology Services (BSE: 540115, NSE: LTTS), a leading global engineering and technology services company, has announced the signing of a pivotal deal worth EUR50 million with a prominent European Automotive OEM. This milestone agreement marks a significant achievement for LTTS in its Mobility segment, strengthening its position as a trusted engineering partner in the global automotive ecosystem. The latest large deal engagement focuses on the development and operation of next-generation software platforms tailored to both current and upcoming vehicle models. The comprehensive scope of this transformational deal includes the establishment of a development center, which will play a critical role as part of the client's global right shoring strategy. The client's advanced technology stack includes a unified architecture, a proprietary operating system, and an automotive cloud. Alongside this, the client is spearheading the development of cutting-edge vehicle features such as driver assistance systems, standardized infotainment platforms, software solutions integrating powertrains, chassis and charging infrastructure, and an expansive digital ecosystem delivering enhanced in-car digital services. L&T Technology Services secured this prestigious deal through its expertise in Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) development, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and Software Defined Everything (SDe). Its strategic investments in driverless car technologies have enabled the development and launch of an integrated ADAS stack along with cutting edge solutions in AI and SDVs, helping clients accelerate time-to-market and stay competitive. LTTS' state-of-the-art EV lab in Bangalore, India serves as a hub for the development and testing of advanced electric vehicle technologies. Recently, the Company launched LTTSiDrive for global clients in Mobility, a framework for SDV implementation across Auto, Trucks, and Off-Highway vehicles, further underscoring LTTS' innovation-driven approach. Commenting on this landmark partnership, Amit Chadha, CEO & Managing Director, L&T Technology Services and nasscom Executive Council Member stated, "We are thrilled to collaborate with one of the most influential automotive leaders in Europe. This deal underlines LTTS' proven competencies in software-defined mobility and reflects our commitment to enabling transformation in the global automotive landscape. Our expertise in EV technologies, SDVs and ADAS, complemented by our robust digital engineering capabilities, positions us to create powerful impact for our customers, making future-ready mobility a reality." Over the years, LTTS has built a strong reputation for delivering innovative solutions in autonomous driving, connected vehicles, e-mobility, and digital twin technologies. This new strategic engagement reaffirms LTTS' position as a trusted engineering partner for leading automotive enterprises across the globe. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) The possible trade agreement between India and the United States could include key sectors such as agriculture, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals, says a report by Jefferies. These sectors are considered politically and economically sensitive for India due to high tariff rates. The report said "A trade agreement with the US would likely include the high tariff items, which could be politically / economically sensitive for India. These include agri commodities" The report highlighted that India has maintained high import duties on many goods, including automobiles and electronics, to protect domestic industries from competition, particularly from China. However, in trade negotiations with the U.S, India may have to reconsider its tariff policies. Additionally, India must ensure that any concessions offered to the US should align with similar trade agreements that are being discussed with the European Union and the United Kingdom. Pharmaceuticals could be a major sector for discussions, particularly regarding intellectual property rights (IPR). The US may push for stricter patent regulations, which could impact India's generic drug industry. To balance the trade deficit, the agreement with the U.S. may also involve increased defence and oil or gas imports. The report says, while the deal could provide certain advantages to India, it may also pose challenges for specific industries such as automobiles, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and alcohol. Additionally, reducing import duties on agricultural commodities like corn, soybeans, wheat, and dairy products could have political implications in India, particularly for local farmers. However, some Indian consumer companies may benefit from lower-cost of imports. The report cites data from the World Trade Organization (WTO) for 2023, which shows that India's trade-weighted average tariff rate is 12.0 per cent. This is significantly higher compared to other emerging markets like China, Mexico, and Indonesia, which have tariffs in the 3-5 per cent range, and the US, which has an average tariff rate of just 2.2 per cent. India's trade surplus with the US stood at USD 46 billion in 2024, accounting for 1.2 per cent of the country's GDP. The US remains India's top export destination, accounting for 18 per cent of India's total goods exports. As India continues trade discussions with multiple global partners, including the US, UK, and EU, the final terms of these agreements will be crucial in shaping the country's trade policies and economic growth in the coming years. (ANI) VMPL New Delhi [India], April 1: Aludecor, India's foremost and premium brand in the metal composite panel industry, has introduced a refreshed visual identity, marking a pivotal moment in its journey of innovation and excellence. At the heart of this transformation lies the introduction of a distinctive star in its logo, a powerful emblem of excellence, aspiration, and innovation. The star represents more than just a design change; it embodies Aludecor's enduring commitment to empowering architects, designers, fabricators, and industry partners. It is a badge of honor that celebrates the creativity, craftsmanship, and vision of those who shape the architectural landscape. "Our new logo is a reflection of our brand's journey and our future aspirations," said Ashok Kumar Bhaiya, CMD of Aludecor. "The star symbolizes our dedication to excellence and our promise to stand as a North Star for those who continue to push the boundaries of design and innovation." The star in Aludecor's logo embodies excellence, symbolizing the brand's pursuit of quality and perfection, while also reflecting shared aspirations with its collaborators to achieve new heights in design and sustainability. It acts as a guiding light for the industry, representing leadership, unity, and a collaborative spirit that drives architectural innovations and progress. A Renewed Purpose, A Clear Commitment Aludecor has always been synonymous with cutting-edge technology, sustainable practices, and aesthetic brilliance. This new brand identity reaffirms its role as a beacon of inspiration and a trusted partner in architectural advancements. The star signifies not just the brand's legacy but its forward-looking approach to enhancing services, communication, and its promise of delivering unmatched quality. This transformation will be seamlessly integrated across all brand touchpoints, including marketing materials, corporate communications, and digital platforms. It sets the tone for a series of forthcoming innovations, including an enhanced product portfolio designed to meet the evolving needs of the architectural world. Reinforcing Innovation and Sustainability As part of this evolution, Aludecor is doubling down on its commitment to sustainability and innovation. Over the coming months, the company will introduce pioneering solutions that blend design excellence with environmentally conscious practices, solidifying its position as a thought leader in the industry. About Aludecor Founded in 2002, Aludecor has been a trailblazer in the Indian metal composite panel industry, delivering high-quality, innovative facade and cladding solutions. The brand's expertise has contributed to numerous landmark projects across the country, making it a trusted name among architects, builders, and designers. To explore Aludecor's new logo and learn more about its journey of transformation, visit www.aludecor.com. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL Kutch [India], April 1: JK Events & Advertising successfully conducted its third Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Josh 1.0 - at the scenic Evoke Dholavira, Kutch. This milestone event marked a momentous occasion for the company, celebrating achievements, unveiling strategic initiatives, and setting the course for future growth under the visionary leadership of CEO Mr. Jay Pandya. The AGM was attended by key stakeholders, including Mrs. Krishna Pandya, Ahmedabad Branch Head, Pune Branch Head, National Brand Head, and representatives from the Sales, Operations, Finance, Graphic & Digital Marketing teams. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on JK Events & Advertising's journey, discuss future plans, and recognize outstanding team members. A Legacy of Excellence and Expansion Founded in 2015, JK Events & Advertising has grown exponentially, expanding its footprint across 18+ states and partnering with over 48 national brands and 320+ domestic brands. With its headquarters in Pune, Maharashtra, the company has established regional offices in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and branch offices in Rajkot, Gujarat, and Delhi. The organization has successfully executed campaigns for industry giants, including Reliance Smart Bazaar, Reliance Digital, Flipkart, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, Pantaloons, Poonawala Fincorp, Muthoot Finance, Yes Bank, HDFC Bank, IIFL, LG, Sony, BPL, Kitchen Xpress, Hathi Masala, Sintex, Astral, Intune, Azorte, StyleUnion, Max Fashion, Giva, Indian Oil, HPCL, and many more. Key Highlights from the AGM 1. Planning for the Future The AGM served as a strategic platform to outline the roadmap for the upcoming financial year, ensuring continued growth and innovation. The leadership team discussed expansion strategies, emphasizing digital transformation, operational efficiency, and stronger client engagement. 2. Unveiling the New Brand Logo One of the most significant moments of the event was the grand reveal of JK Events & Advertising's new brand logo. The refreshed identity symbolizes the company's evolution, commitment to innovation, and vision for nationwide expansion. 3. Expansion Through FOFO Model The organization is set to revolutionize its operations with the Franchise-Owned, Franchise-Operated (FOFO) model. This initiative will enable partnerships with local branding experts in various states and cities, fostering a wider reach and impactful hyperlocal campaigns. 4. Employee Felicitations Recognizing the hard work and dedication of its employees, JK Events & Advertising honored top-performing team members across departments. This culture of appreciation and equal opportunity remains a cornerstone of the company's values. JK Events & Advertising's USP: Revolutionizing ATL & BTL Marketing JK Events & Advertising specializes in Below-The-Line (BTL) marketing, offering brands a competitive edge through experiential and direct consumer engagement. The company's expertise includes: * Retail Activations - Boosting footfall and in-store sales. * Mall & Society Promotions - Direct consumer interactions in high-traffic locations. * Roadshows & Van Campaigns - Expanding brand visibility with mobile marketing. * Influencer & Micro-Marketing - Leveraging local influencers for targeted impact. * Hyperlocal Advertising - Precision-targeted brand promotions. * Sampling & Product Demonstrations - Encouraging product trials and direct engagement. * In-store Branding & Promotions - Enhancing customer experience with strategic branding. JK Events & Advertising is placing a strong emphasis on Above The Line (ATL) advertising, ensuring high-margin and large-scale brand visibility for its clients. * Outdoor & Transit Media, Digital LED & DOOH, Cinema Advertising - Maximizing visibility across platforms. Future Vision: Becoming India's Leading Branding Solutions Agency As India's marketing landscape continues to evolve, JK Events & Advertising is setting its sights on becoming the nation's leading branding solutions agency. The company aims to establish offices in all metro cities, grow its team to 100+ professionals, and expand its nationwide presence through the FOFO model. "Our mission is to redefine branding and advertising solutions across India. With a robust presence in every major city and an extensive partner network, we aim to provide seamless, high-impact marketing strategies for brands looking to dominate their markets," stated Mr. Jay Pandya, CEO of JK Events & Advertising. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and client satisfaction, JK Events & Advertising is poised for remarkable growth, shaping the future of branding and advertising in India. For media inquiries, please contact: JK Events & Advertising Email: inquiry@jkeventsandadvertising.com Website: www.jkeventsandadvertising.com (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PNN New Delhi [India], April 1: The 17th NAR-India Annual Convention, NARVIGATE 2025, concluded successfully, reaffirming its position as India's premier real estate gathering. Held in the nation's capital, the two-day event brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and professionals from across the country. The convention culminated in a grand closing ceremony, graced by renowned actor Divya Dutta as Guest of honour for the grand closing ceremony. The event was inaugurated by Manohar Lal Khattar, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, who delivered an inspiring keynote address, marking World Real Estate Day. He emphasized the real estate sector's pivotal role in shaping India's future, stating, "As envisioned by our Prime Minister, India's journey towards becoming a prosperous nation by 2047 relies on a strong economic foundation, with the real estate sector--contributing nearly 18% to GDP--playing a key role in this transformation." Keynote speaker Samir Jasuja, Founder and Owner of PropEquity, shared valuable insights into market trends and innovations shaping the industry. Industry Leaders Share Their Vision Speaking at the event, Amit Chopra, President, NAR-India, extended gratitude to all delegates and emphasized the importance of collective progress in the real estate industry. "On this momentous occasion of World Realtors Day, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all delegates for their presence and to APP Delhi NCR for hosting NAR-INDIA's National Convention for the fourth time. It is an honor to have the Central Cabinet Minister for Housing & Urban Development as our Chief Guest, and I look forward to the day when the Prime Minister addresses us. While we have initiated several efforts to drive our industry forward, true progress requires collective ownership. Together, we must strive for clean, ethical realty and the respect that professional realtors rightfully deserve." Gaganpal Singh, President of APP Delhi NCR and Co-Chair of the Convention, stressed the role of professional education in real estate. "While RERA has significantly improved transparency, we must continue strengthening knowledge-building and ethical standards to ensure every real estate agent is well-equipped to serve clients," he remarked. Unparalleled Networking & Knowledge Sharing The convention brought together over 800 delegates, providing a platform for meaningful discussions, networking, and collaborations. Notable speakers included Aman Gupta (co-founder, boAt) and bestselling author Chetan Bhagat, who engaged audiences with their unique perspectives on entrepreneurship and innovation. In a significant step toward professionalizing the industry, twenty participants from across India were awarded Certificates from RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) for successfully completing an advanced real estate course. Reflecting on the success of the convention, Tarun Bhatia, Vice Chairman & Chair-Global, NAR-India, shared, "NARVIGATE 2025 will always hold a special place in my heart. To see our real estate community come together in such strength--with delegates from across the country and abroad--was deeply humbling. The presence of Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Guest added immense gravitas to our efforts. More than just an event, this was a shared moment of learning, connection, and inspiration. I walk away filled with gratitude, new ideas, and a renewed belief in the power of what we can achieve together." A Landmark Event for the Real Estate Sector Building upon its pre-event commitment to innovation, connectivity, and transformation, NARVIGATE 2025 exceeded expectations, fostering dialogue on policy reforms, technological advancements, and market trends. With the backing of esteemed sponsors, including Hero Homes, Max Estates, Esperion, MVN Luxury Residences, and Ram Ratan Group, the event successfully delivered impactful discussions and strategic insights. As NAR-India continues to champion professionalism and growth in the real estate sector, the success of NARVIGATE 2025 sets the stage for even greater advancements in the industry. The association looks forward to next year's convention, where the real estate community will once again come together to shape the future of the industry. If you have any objection to this press release content, kindly contact pr.error.rectification@gmail.com to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 24 hours. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PRNewswire Trivandrum (Kerala) [India], April 1: Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Ltd. (Star Health Insurance), India's largest retail health insurance provider, has been honoured with the prestigious CM Excellence Award 2025 in recognition of its diligent efforts to compliance and the welfare of labour standards. This esteemed award celebrates Star Health Insurance's unflinching resolve for creating a labour-friendly ecosystem and maintaining the highest possible standards of employee welfare. xpressing his gratitude, Anand Roy, MD & CEO of Star Health Insurance, said, "This recognition highlights our commitment to upholding the highest labour standards and compliance in the industry. At Star Health Insurance, we believe that an ethical, strong base is essential to provide excellence in healthcare insurance. Our people are the key to our success, and we work towards creating an environment that enables them to excel. This acknowledgement reaffirms our dedication to creating a workplace culture that is founded on integrity, fairness and inclusivity. In the future, we will continue to execute innovative policies and best practices that not only serve our employees but also improve our capacity to care for and serve our customers with the best quality care and reliability." With an unwavering commitment to the well-being of employees and corporate ethics, Star Health Insurance has always adopted policies and practices that foster a healthy work environment. By strictly following compliance protocols and encouraging equitable labour policies, the company has raised the bar in the insurance industry. This achievement is a reflection of Star Health's tireless efforts towards creating an industry that cares for both employees and customers. This milestone affirms Star Health Insurance's leadership in corporate accountability, regulatory professionalism and total well-being among its employees and stakeholders. The organization is consistent in its determination to create new standards for the insurance and healthcare industries. About Star Health and Allied Insurance Star Health Insurance (BSE: 543412) (NSE: STARHEALTH) is India's leading standalone health insurer, operating since 2006. The Company offers Health, Personal Accident and Travel Insurance, with specialized products for cancer, diabetes, cardiac illnesses, senior citizens, women and children. Star Health has a strong distribution network, including 910 offices, 14000+ network hospitals, ~17000 employees, 7.6 lac+ agents, and robust bancassurance partnerships. The Company is also among the first in India to settle over 1 .2 crore claims amounting to INR 54000 crores. In FY24, Star Health reported a gross written premium of Rs 15,254 Cr and a net worth of Rs 6,339 Cr. For more information: http://www.starhealth.in Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2654929/CM_Excellence_Award_2025_SHAI.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2401495/4977585/Star_Allied_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Two Assyrians Injured in Axe Attack in New Year Celebration The assailant being tackled by Assyrians after striking two people with an axe. ( Rudaw) (AFP) -- Two people were injured on Tuesday in an attack on an Assyrian Christian celebration in northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, officials said. The region's Asayesh police force said it was investigating the attack in the city of Dohuk and could not yet determine whether it was a "terrorist" act. A Syrian suspect was arrested, a top government official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Kurdish media said the attacker used a cleaver. According to a police source, the attack took place in a market and targeted the Akitu springtime celebrations observed by members of the Assyrian community to mark the first day of their calendar year. "A 65-year-old woman was hit on the head" and suffered a haemorrhage that did not require surgery, Dohuk medical authorities said, adding that her condition was "stable". Another 25-year-old man suffered a minor scalp wound, the authorities added. Dohuk governor Ali Tatar told a press conference that "our security forces arrested the suspect... the investigation is ongoing". Iraq's Christian population plunged from some 1.5 million before the fall of Saddam Hussein in the early 2000s to about 400,000, the majority having fled successive bouts of violence in the country. PRNewswire Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 1: Give Grants, India's leading platform for CSR solutions, has released in-depth recent research titled 'Understanding the People with Disabilities (PwDs) landscape in India,' mapping the complex realities of disability inclusion in the country. The research combines national data sources with sectoral insights to offer a structured lens into the lives of PwDs, highlighting the unmet needs, systemic barriers, and solutions that define the current landscape. As per NFHS-5 (2021), India has 63 million PwDs, or 4.5% of the population. Non-government estimates suggest this could be as high as 8%. Despite this diversity, disabilities are officially classified into just 21 types across 5 categories, highlighting a systematic underrepresentation of the varied needs of PwDs. The research reveals that over 32% of the PwD population falls within the economically active age group of 30-49 years, yet they face multiple barriers to employment, healthcare, and social engagement. Children and youth with disabilities face high dropout rates, lack of specialist care, and limited inclusive education options, while elderly PwDs are vulnerable to health, isolation, and caregiving challenges. Key insights from the research include: * Budgetary Gaps: Government spending on PwDs remains under 0.02% of the total national budget (INR 1015 Cr in 2022). CSR allocations toward disability stand at just 0.9% (INR 234 Cr of INR 26,000 Cr total CSR spend). * Access to Education: 50% of children with disabilities, and over 66% of children with severe disabilities, remain out of school--underscoring the need for stronger support systems, including special educators, infrastructure, and assistive technology. * Workforce Inclusion: Only 5 of the Nifty 50 companies reported employing 1% or more PwD staff in 2023, pointing to persistent challenges in skilling, accessibility, and job-role mapping. * Fragmented Ecosystem: Despite efforts from government, corporates, non-profits, and institutions, interventions remain scattered, with several high-need areas still underserved--particularly in early detection, education continuity, vocational training, and recreational access. Speaking on the release, Sumit Tayal, CEO, Give, said, "Disability is a spectrum, not a singular identity. Through this research, we aim to equip decision-makers, funders, and implementers with a more nuanced understanding of the gaps--and a roadmap for inclusive action." The research also offers a framework of stakeholder-led solutions and calls for enhanced collaboration to build a more inclusive India. Key recommendations include increased R&D for assistive technologies, wider access to disability-inclusive education and employment programs, and a holistic approach to caregiver support and accessibility infrastructure. To read the full research or explore partnership opportunities, visit https://give.do/givegrants/understanding-indias-disability-landscape/ About Give Grants: Give Grants enables corporates, foundations, and HNIs to deliver maximum social impact. Amplified by technology and anchored in impact, we support the entire grantmaking lifecycle. Together with our network of 3000+ trusted nonprofits, we have served 300+ partners to make their grantmaking journey convenient, compliant and the most impactful it can be. Over the last 20 years, Give has partnered with hundreds of companies - from large ones like ICICI, HDFC, TCS, Google, Microsoft, Amex, KPMG to new-age startups like Flipkart, Ola, Myntra and others - to drive corporate giving in India. Give Grants is an end-to-end giving partner with offerings that include: * a comprehensive SaaS platform for grant management, monitoring & evaluation, and compliance * services for partner identification, monitoring & evaluation, impact reporting, compliance and impact assessment * extended CSR teams. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2654947/Give_Grants.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PRNewswire Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 1: In a groundbreaking discussion among leading psychiatrists in Mumbai, non-conventional approaches to stress and anxiety management took center stage. The spotlight was on GoRoga, India's first anti-stress wearable, which is redefining mental wellness through advanced technology. Breakthrough Insights from Leading Experts The session was spearheaded by Dr. Avinash Desousa, Founder & Trustee of Desousa Foundation Mumbai, a distinguished mental health expert. Sharing firsthand clinical experiences, Dr. Desousa highlighted the remarkable impact of GoRoga: - Just 20 minutes of daily use led to a significant reduction in stress and anxiety levels, as measured by GAD-7 scores. - Case Study #1: A patient reduced smoking from 7 to 3 cigarettes per day after just one week of use. - Case Study #2: A 23-year-old male with Bipolar Mood Disorder (BMD), experiencing persistent headaches and visual disturbances, found relief after conventional migraine treatments failed. "Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) is a proven, USFDA-approved technology with over 40 years of clinical research. With GoRoga, stress management is now more accessible than ever in a compact, easy-to-use wearable," stated Dr. Desousa. Live Demonstrations & Engaging Discussions The session featured interactive Q&A sessions, where psychiatrists explored the device's efficacy, clinical applications, and user benefits. A live hands-on demonstration allowed attendees to experience GoRoga firsthand, solidifying confidence in its potential. Compelling Data from Retrospective Study A retrospective study on 100 patients suffering from stress, anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, and depression revealed groundbreaking results: - 85% of users reported a notable reduction in stress levels. - 73% continued using GoRoga for over six months, citing long-term benefits. - 90% recommended it to friends and family, showcasing high trust and satisfaction. At a recent Psychiatry Conference, Dr. Sagar Karia, a renowned Mumbai-based psychiatrist, endorsed GoRoga's effectiveness: "Even a single session demonstrated remarkable improvement in acute anxiety symptoms. CES presents a promising non-invasive therapy for stress and anxiety management." A Game-Changer for Corporate & Student Wellness Tania Mazumdar, Executive Director of GlobalSpace Technologies, shared GoRoga's success in the US market, particularly in corporate wellness programs aimed at reducing workplace stress, anxiety, and burnout. In India, GoRoga is already making an impact, being integrated into one of the country's top engineering institutes to help students manage stress and anxiety. Mrs. Mazumdar emphasized GoRoga's potential to enhance productivity and mental well-being in both academic and corporate settings. Now Available in India: A New Era in Digital Therapeutics Manufactured and patented as RogaLife in the USA, GoRoga is developed in collaboration with GlobalSpace Technologies Ltd, a leader in digital pharma and healthcare for over a decade. This FDA-approved wearable is now available in India, promising to revolutionize stress management and mental wellness. Media Contact: Media Inquiries & Partnerships: 02246006568 | info@goroga.in | www.goroga.in About GoRoga GoRoga is an advanced anti-stress wearable built on USFDA-approved CES & NIBPS technologies. Designed for managing stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and more, it has also shown promising results in alleviating pain, headaches, fibromyalgia, smoking cessation, and opioid withdrawal. With a mission to make mental wellness accessible and effective, GoRoga is setting new benchmarks in digital therapeutics. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2654966/5245517/GoRoga_Logo.jpgLogo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2654967/5245518/GlobalSpace_Technologies_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PNN New Delhi [India], April 1: CollegeDekho has secured INR 30 crore in funding from Lighthouse Canton to fuel its next phase of growth. This strategic financial move will support the company's plans to enhance its technological infrastructure, expand its reach, and ensure seamless operations during the upcoming admission season. The company recently announced its financial results, wherein CollegeDekho's revenue from operations surged 32.2% to Rs215.6 crore in FY24, compared to Rs163 crore in FY23. The latest round of funding underscores CollegeDekho's market position and its commitment to empowering students and colleges through guidance and skill-based degrees through partner colleges and universities. CollegeDekho has a track record of facilitating over 200,000 admissions in the last 7 years to India's Higher Education Institutions. It also offers skill-based Degree programs with partner institutions and has contributed to over INR 5,000 crore in fee income for India's higher education institutions. Ruchir Arora, CEO & Co-Founder of CollegeDekho stated, "This round of funding is a strategic step to ensure we are fully prepared for the upcoming admission season and beyond. Our mission has always been to provide access to quality skill-focused higher education and empower students to make informed decisions. With this funding, we believe that we will be able to scale new heights and deliver value to our students and partner institutions." The latest financing round comes on the heels of two experienced industry veterans recently joining the CollegeDekho leadership team to accelerate its growth. -Arshad Mumtaz joined CollegeDekho as Chief Operating Officer, Enrolment Business, and brings 26 years of experience in sales, operations and outsourcing with experience leading teams at market-leading organisations. He joins CollegeDekho from IGT Solutions and has had successful stints at Spanco and Bharti Airtel, amongst others, in leadership roles. Arshad will be responsible for leading both Operations and Sales for CollegeDekho's Retail business. -Deep Prakash has joined CollegeDekho as Head of Sales - Retail business and GetMyUni. Deep brings over two decades of experience leading sales organisations across companies like SMC Real Estate, Cloudfarm and Agent Hero. He is a strategic acquisition and growth expert and will drive sales across the country for CollegeDekho's Retail and GetMyUni businesses. On the recent leadership hires, Ruchir said, "I'm really excited about Arshad and Deep joining our team to spearhead our core Retail Admissions vertical. Their addition would add tremendous experience in our team, enhancing our ability to drive efficiencies and growth in our business. We believe that now we have a fine leadership team that will help us further establish our long-term commitment towards profitable growth and help us achieve our mission to be the trusted guide for students to help fulfil their higher education aspirations." On his joining, Arshad Mumtaz, Chief Operating Officer - Retail Business commented, "I am extremely grateful to Ruchir for allowing me the opportunity to contribute to the nation's growth through Higher Education. I really look forward to contributing to CollegeDekho's growth and helping students to achieve their true potential by joining the right college to pursue their higher education dreams" Speaking on the occasion, Deep Prakash, Head of Sales - Retail Business and GMU said, "I have been very impressed with the way CollegeDekho has shaped up over the years. I look forward to working closely with Ruchir and the leadership team to drive growth and market expansion for CollegeDekho while helping in nation building through demoratisation of higher education." The company's recent recognition with the Growth Award at the EdTechX London Fest highlights its global impact and innovative approach. About CollegeDekho.com CollegeDekho was started by Ruchir Arora (CEO and Co-Founder), Rohit Saha (Co-Founder) and Saurabh Jain (Co-Founder) in 2015, for students to get guidance to reach the right college and for colleges to teach them better. CollegeDekho has a Common Application Form that enables students to apply to thousands of colleges using a single form. This helps students save time, money and effort required while submitting individual forms. By empowering them with valuable insights, students are enabled to make well-informed decisions regarding colleges, courses, and career trajectories. Additionally, CollegeDekho helps universities and colleges to offer future-skill oriented degrees thereby enhancing the student's overall learning experience and equipping them with the necessary skills to thrive in the job market. With a vast database of information on 35,000+ colleges and numerous courses, CollegeDekho serves as a rich resource for students. Last year, the platform garnered a massive 225+ million website sessions. CollegeDekho offers free counselling services to over 12 million students, ensuring that they receive the guidance they need to make informed decisions about their higher education. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL New Delhi [India], April 1: Fun Flips, the popular snack brand from JK Foods, is igniting a wave of bold flavor with the launch of its latest snack creation, Ghost Puffs. Infused with the potent heat of Bhut Jolokia, also known as Ghost Pepper--one of the hottest peppers in the world--these spicy, crunchy puffs promise to deliver an unforgettable snacking experience for those who dare to take on extreme flavors. A Unique Combination of Flavor and Heat Ghost Puffs are crafted with the finest ingredients and packed with the flavor intensity of Bhut Jolokia, balanced perfectly with the satisfying crunch of corn. The product promises not only an intense heat but a delightful aftertaste that lingers long after the snack is finished. Whether you're a spice connoisseur or just looking to step up your snack game, Ghost Puffs offer an experience that's as unforgettable as it is delicious. Ghost Puffs are designed to challenge even the most seasoned spice lovers. With a unique flavor that's both intense and addictive, these puffs go beyond traditional snacks, offering an adventure for the taste buds that's sure to excite and surprise. "Ghost Puffs are not just another snack - they're an immersive, bold experience for anyone who loves to explore intense flavors," says Mr. Chaitanya Singhania, Director at JK Foods. "We've reimagined the classic puff, infusing it with Bhut Jolokia to create something entirely new for our consumers. For spice enthusiasts, this is the next level - a snack that promises an intense, thrilling ride for the senses." Fun Flips has long been loved for its Signature Puffs, a snack that has been a favorite of the youth of India for decades. Known for its irresistible crunch and flavorful appeal, Signature Puffs have become a nostalgic go-to for generations of snack lovers. Over the years, the brand has built a loyal following, becoming synonymous with fun, bold flavors that resonate with India's young and energetic demographic. With the introduction of Ghost Puffs, Fun Flips continues to push the envelope, delivering an innovative, daring snack that speaks directly to the boldest, trendsetting snackers. By combining intense spice with the signature crunch of their puffs, the brand is not just offering a snack; they are crafting an experience that challenges the limits of taste and flavor. Ghost Puffs represent a new chapter in Fun Flips legacy of exciting snacking, ensuring that the brand stays ahead of the curve in a world where flavor is ever evolving. "At Fun Flips, our goal has always been to offer something different and exciting. With Ghost Puffs, we're catering to the boldest trendsetters - the ones who crave flavor that packs a punch and adds an element of fun to their snacking experiences," says Mr. Partha Biswas, Director at Foods Business. "This is the snack that's perfect for those who are looking to impress their friends, share something unique, and challenge their taste buds. Whether you're sharing it with friends or trying it out yourself, Ghost Puffs deliver an experience you won't forget." The product will be available for purchase across quick commerce platforms and retail stores in the following cities during the first phase of the launch: Chandigarh, Delhi, NCR, Bengaluru, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Chennai, Lucknow, and Hyderabad. Fans of the bold and the spicy can easily access Ghost Puffs from their favorite online retailers and local stores. With Ghost Puffs, Fun Flips continues to push the limits of snacking, delivering bold and thrilling flavors that excite with every bite. A perfect snack for the boldest trendsetters, Ghost Puffs are ready to set the snacking world on fire. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL New Delhi [India], April 1: The dream of studying abroad is a cherished aspiration for countless students, but navigating the dense challenges of applications, visas, scholarships, and cultural adjustments can often feel overwhelming. Aspire Each Overseas, founded by dynamic visionaries Aniket Shinde and Kranti Joshi, aims to revolutionize the study-abroad process by merging cutting-edge technology with personalized, expert counseling. Aniket Shinde comes from a business background, holding a BCom degree with a specialization in accounting and a postgraduate degree in International Business. After working with companies like Geebee Education and Yocket Study Abroad, he developed a passion for helping students achieve their educational goals. This passion led him to successfully guide over 1,500 students into their preferred international schools. With over 10 years of experience, Aniket has secured $1 million in overseas education scholarships. His students have shared numerous glowing testimonials, reflecting a remarkably high satisfaction rate. Kranti Joshi has over a decade of experience in student counseling and international education. She leverages her background as a former overseas student to empathize with the challenges students face. After studying in the UK, she gained valuable experience working with organizations like Kenilworth Global Consulting and Yocket Study Abroad, deepening her passion for educational counseling. She incorporates psychometric assessments into her counseling approach, successfully guiding over 800 students in securing admissions to overseas colleges. Additionally, she is a British Council certified IELTS trainer. Her expertise includes career mapping, profile building, and visa navigation, making her a comprehensive guide for students aspiring to study abroad. Both founders personally engage with students, providing comprehensive guidance through every stage of the admissions process, from University shortlisting to visa applications and pre-departure preparations. This hands-on approach ensures that students receive tailored support and expert advice, helping them navigate each step with confidence and clarity. Several Overseas Education consultants have increasingly relied on AI tools to assist students in securing admissions. However, this approach also comes with several drawbacks. For instance, AI systems may lack the nuanced understanding and empathy that counselors provide, potentially leading to less personalized advice. In contrast, Aspire Each Overseas takes a more holistic approach by combining the efficiency of AI with the depth of human intelligence. This gap is where Aspire Each Overseas truly shines. By combining the analytical power of AI with the expertise of experienced counsellors, the company ensures every student embarks on a journey tailored to their needs and aspirations. Aspire Each Overseas understands that while AI is a valuable tool, the human touch is irreplaceable. "AI can't write the story of why a student deserves a scholarship or help them rebuild confidence after a setback. That's where we come in. We blend the best of technology with heartfelt guidance," Kranti Joshi explains. This integrated strategy allows us to effectively guide students through several critical aspects of the application process: Finding Suitable Universities: AI tools help analyze vast amounts of data to recommend universities that align with a student's academic goals and preferences. Meanwhile, counselors provide context and insights that AI might miss, ensuring that recommendations are tailored to each student's unique needs. Budget-Friendly Options: The firm uses AI to identify budget-friendly universities that fit within a student's financial constraints. counselors then assess these options based on additional factors such as quality of education and future opportunities instead. Navigating Visa Complexities: AI can streamline the process of understanding visa requirements and deadlines, but counselors are essential for handling complex visa-related issues that require personal attention, consideration of immigration history, goals, and financial background. Furthermore, certain countries require an interview at the time of applying for a visa, which counselors can scrutinize and provide insights on, offering personalized support throughout the process. Admission Process Assistance: Beyond just finding universities, Aspire Each Overseas provides comprehensive support throughout the admission process. This includes helping with application forms, essays, and interviews--areas where human guidance is invaluable for ensuring that each student presents their best self. Visitor Assistance: Aspire Each Overseas helps parents obtain visitor visas to reunite with their children abroad by providing comprehensive guidance and personalized support throughout the application process. Every student has a unique story, a dream, and a challenge. Counselling that doesn't reflect individuality is a disservice to those dreams," says Aniket Shinde, Co-Founder of Aspire Each Overseas. With her significant experience in career mapping, student profiling, and visa navigation, Kranti Joshi boasts an excellent track record with a visa success rate of 100%. Co-Founder Kranti Joshi shares, "Having been an international student myself, I understand the struggles of finding the right fit, understanding application timelines, and preparing for the cultural leap. Aspire Each Overseas isn't just about ticking boxes; it's about ensuring every student feels supported and confident throughout their journey." Alongside Aniket Shinde, who has mentored over 1,500 students and brought in $1 million in scholarships, securing their admission to prestigious universities such as The University of Texas at Austin, Columbia University, University of Michigan, Duke University, UCLA, King's College London, and the University of Auckland, each institution stands for reliability and success. Aspire Each Overseas has achieved an impressive 80% success rate in securing scholarships. Why Does Aspire Each Overseas Stands Out? The approach of the company is refreshingly transparent and holistic. Aspire Each Overseas guides students through every stage, from shortlisting universities to preparing all documentation and securing scholarships. Students are empowered to dream bigger with the confidence that Aspire Each Overseas will help them achieve their dreams. - For those ready to unlock limitless possibilities, Aspire stands as a guiding light, merging technology with heart to turn dreams into reality. Key achievements include: * 100% visa success rate: Kranti has an unparalleled track record in navigating even the most challenging visa scenarios. * Scholarship success: Aniket has secured $1 million in scholarships, ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder aspirations. * Top admits: Students have gained entry to world-class institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin, Columbia University, University of Michigan, Duke University, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), King's College London, and the University of Auckland. "Our mission is to enable students to unlock limitless possibilities. It's not just about admissions--it's about creating transformative educational experiences that shape their futures," Aniket Shinde emphasizes. Aniket Shinde further explains, "AI can be a game-changer in identifying the right programs or organizing complex data, but it can't empathize with a student's emotional journey, navigate the intricacies of visa rejections, or craft a compelling Statement of Purpose (SOP) that tells a unique story." Their team is composed of certified counselors with international degrees, providing step-by-step support tailored to each student's profile. Aspire Each Overseas guides students on how to secure scholarships and research assistantships, providing expert advice to enhance their chances of success. Beyond these core services, Aspire Each Overseas offers value-added support, including career mapping to align academic pursuits with long-term career goals. Also Aspire Each Overseas assists with practical aspects such as accommodation and travel arrangements, ensuring a seamless transition abroad. With personalized guidance and comprehensive support, Aspire Each Overseas helps students make informed decisions about their futures, making a trusted partner for those seeking to study and succeed internationally. Aspire Each Overseas's vision is to catalyze learning across the world. "Each one can Aspire," Results will speak for themselves, but the success of Aspire Each Overseas is evident in glowing testimonials from students and parents, as well as excellent reviews on platforms like Trustpilot and Google. Securing scholarships and overcoming visa hurdles have made many students' dreams come true thanks to Aspire Each Overseas. For those ready to unlock limitless possibilities, Aspire Each Overseas shines as a beacon of inspiration, seamlessly blending technology with heart to transform dreams into tangible realities. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) The data revealed that the collections in the month of March collections were 6.8 per cent higher than Rs 1.84 lakh crore recorded in the previous month. The GST collections for the month of February rose by 9.1 per cent to Rs 183,646 crore. According to the data, the Gross GST revenue in last month included Rs 38,100 crore from Central GST, whereas the State GST stood at Rs 49,900 crore while Rs 95,900 crore came from Integrated GST. As per the data, Rs 12,300 crore were collected from compensation cess. The data shows that the February, in comparision, witnessed Central GST collections standing at Rs 35,204 crore while State GST stood at Rs 43,704 crore. The integrated GST at Rs 90,870 crore, and compensation cess stood at Rs 13,868 crore. The recent GST collections reflects a positive trajectory for India's economy, underscoring robust domestic consumption and buoyant import activity. The figures bode well for the country's fiscal health and economic recovery efforts, signalling resilience amidst global uncertainties. The Goods and Services Tax was introduced in the country with effect from July 1, 2017, and states were assured compensation for loss of any revenue arising on account of the implementation of GST. The GST Council, a federal body comprising the Union Finance Minister as its Chairman and Finance Ministers of all States as members, has played its part in the forum. The latest meeting of the GST Council was held on December 21 at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Hair oil, toothpaste, soap; detergents and washing powder, wheat; rice; curd, lassi, buttermilk; wristwatches, TV up to 32 inches; refrigerators; washing machines, mobile phones, are among key items on which GST rates have been slashed substantially, or for some kept at zero, benefiting people. From time to time, the list is being revised with the approval of the Council. (ANI) NewsVoir Bhiwadi (Rajasthan) [India], April 1: Su-Kam Power Systems Limited, one of India's leading power solution providers, has launched its bold new campaign, "Feel The Power". The company's renewed dedication to innovation, sustainability and excellence is reflected in this revolutionary campaign. Su-Kam 2.0 is a journey of advancement and rediscovery, built on the fundamental pillars of recharge, reinvention and revival. More than just a slogan, "Feel The Power" is a declaration of transformation. The campaign is aimed at inspiring trust and redefining the future of power solutions industry. It has perfectly captured Su-Kam's vision to lead the power solutions industry with boldness and dynamism. As part of the move, "Feel The Power" will also serve as the new theme for all of Su-Kam's future marketing campaigns, collaterals and social media campaigns. The promoters of Su-Kam--Vishnu Prakash Goyal, Rajneesh Bansal, Ashok Gupta and Navraj Mittal--serve as esteemed Directors, steering the organization toward remarkable success. Leadership roles are Mr. Sanchit Sekhwal, Yajan Bansal, and Anish Gupta, further enriching Su-Kam's management cadre with depth and strategic vision. In line with this campaign, Su-Kam hosted its Distributors Meet 2025 at Ramada By Encore, Bhiwadi. The three-day event brought together Su-Kam's extensive network of distributors and dealers from across the country. The meet focused on unveiling the company's new growth strategies and reinforcing ifts vision for the future of power solutions. The event's theme "The time has come to amplify our energy, ignite new possibilities and supercharge our growth!" came alive with power-packed knowledge sessions and high-voltage strategy discussions. It was complemented by dynamic networking opportunities. These back-to-back sessions provided a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration, emphasizing the collective strength required to propel the future of sustainable energy solutions. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sanchit Sekhwal Goyal, Director, Su-Kam Power Systems Limited, said, "Our goal is to empower our distributors with the right tools and knowledge. This meet has served as a key platform to strengthen our partnerships. The outcomes of these thought-provoking sessions will also help us collectively shape the future of the power solutions industry. More than just a slogan, 'Feel The Power' is a declaration of transformation. The campaign is aimed at inspiring trust and redefining the future of the power solutions industry. It has perfectly captured Su-Kam's vision to lead the power solutions industry with boldness and dynamism. As part of the move, 'Feel The Power' will also serve as the new theme for all of Su-Kam's future marketing campaigns, collaterals, and social media campaigns." The Distributors and Dealers attending the meet also had the opportunity to engage with Su-Kam's leadership team and gain their valuable insights. They also got an insight into the company's roadmap for more aggressively expanding its presence in renewable energy, e-mobility, solar and other sustainable segments. Prominent participants at the Distributors meet were Mr. Ashok Choudhary, All India Head (Sales & Marketing), Mr. Shubhanshuman Pratab Singh Head Brand & Communication, Mr. Simranjit Singh (Service Head) and Mr. Deepak Omer (Sales Head, Lithium). Their presence highlighted the significance of the event in aligning Su-Kam's countrywide distributor network with its future growth strategy. The meet also featured an award ceremony designed to acknowledge the excellent work of the top-performing dealers and distributors It also highlighted Su-Kam's diverse product range and outlined its future plans. The company reaffirmed its commitment to driving innovation and expanding its market presence. Su-Kam is dedicated to expanding its presence in Bhiwadi and driving progress in the green energy sector. Supported by its 37 years of experience and government-sanctioned R&D centre, Su-Kam continues to focus on providing innovative solutions and strengthening its leadership position in India's power solutions market. Website: www.su-kam.com. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) BusinessWire India Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 1: BankersKlub, an innovative fintech aggregator platform redefining corporate financial advisory with seasoned bankers, announces its expansion into two major Indian markets - Greater Mumbai and Indore. Aligned with company's broader pan-India growth strategy, BankersKlub is also onboarding retired and former banking experts from across India to provide tailored financial advisory services to MSMEs, startups and large legacy businesses across the country. Located at Kandivali West, the Mumbai office serves as a strategic hub for the company, catering to a vast and diverse market, while the Indore office at South Tukoganj focuses on unlocking opportunities in central India. With its mission to bridge the experience and expertise gap between seasoned banking professionals and growing businesses, BankersKlub offers a unique platform exclusively to former bankers. Sharing more details about the company's strategic expansion plan, Rajat Chopra, Founder and CEO, BankersKlub, said, "Expanding into Mumbai and Indore has been a strategic move for us, enabling us to tap into booming local markets, strengthen our unique community of bankers, and enhance our talent pool. Our experiences in Delhi and Chandigarh reaffirmed the importance of having a physical presence in key locations, which has proven critical for growth. As a fintech aggregator with a pan-India model, meeting clients in person is vital for building trust and credibility. Mumbai, as India's financial capital, presents significant opportunities that we could not overlook, while Indore's rapidly growing market in Madhya Pradesh further solidified our decision. With senior colleagues leading both offices, we are confident that these expansions will contribute significantly to our growth and success." BankersKlub's services include debt and equity fundraising, debt restructuring, international expansion, NPA resolution, mergers and acquisitions, MSME advisory, regulatory compliance, and more. Through these services, the start-up is not only offering financial advisory but is also contributing to the broader economic growth in the region. Expressing her excitement about this expansion, Barnali Das, Co-Founder, BankersKlub, said, "We are thrilled about these expansions, and the strong market response we have seen in the very first year of our operation. We aim to provide tailored financial advisory services to businesses across the region, leveraging the collective acumen of retired and former banker community on our platform. I believe our core expertise will significantly benefit the MSMEs and other businesses looking to unlock growth opportunities. We are committed to building a vibrant community of bankers and a strong, trusted relationships with our clients, helping them navigate their financial challenges with confidence." With its entry into Mumbai and Indore, BankersKlub expects contribution of 65% to 70% of its annual revenue in FY 25-26 collectively from both the markets. It also plans to onboard former bankers from both public and private sector banks. Its already seeing a great response from the markets and has plans to introduce exciting new products to its users. The focus of India's first fintech aggregator platform that aggregates advisory services of former banking professionals and redeploys highly skilled human capital, aligns with the Government's Make in India initiative. It aims to enhance the national GDP by tapping into the expertise of Indian advisors for corporates both domestically and globally. The platform is on a rapid expansion drive to further increase its presence in key business hubs including metros in South India, to tap into MSMEs and the corporate ecosystems nationwide. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 1: Dyna, a premium beauty soap brand from the house of Anchor Consumer Products, known for its superior skincare formulations, has announced acclaimed actress Mrunal Thakur as its new brand ambassador. With her elegance, confidence, and natural beauty, Mrunal perfectly embodies the essence of Dyna, making her the ideal face for the brand's latest campaign, "Pehli Jhalak Kare Khoobsurat Asar". The announcement marks a strategic move by Dyna to strengthen its position in the premium beauty soap segment, catering to consumers who seek an indulgent skincare experience without compromising on value. As an aspirational icon, Mrunal resonates deeply with modern women who prioritize beauty, confidence, and self-care. Mrunal Thakur's association with Dyna comes at a time when the brand is expanding its footprint in the premium beauty segment, offering a Grade 1 soap with 76% TFM (Total Fatty Matter) and 0% fillers--a hallmark of superior purity and effectiveness. Infused with real ingredients, Dyna ensures deep nourishment, long-lasting freshness, and radiant skin, making it the preferred choice for women who aspire for luxurious self-care. "Mrunal Thakur represents everything Dyna stands for--grace, poise, and timeless beauty. Her journey from television to Bollywood mirrors our brand's evolution, making her the perfect ambassador. We are excited about this collaboration and believe it will elevate Dyna's appeal among beauty-conscious consumers," said Karan Shah, Director of Anchor Consumer Products. "I am thrilled to partner with Dyna, a brand that truly understands the essence of beauty and confidence. The new campaign beautifully captures the magic of first impressions, and I love how Dyna empowers women to feel their best every day. It's an exciting journey, and I'm looking forward to being a part of it," said Mrunal Thakur. Dyna's latest TVC, directed by Uzer Khan and produced by 30Sec of Fame, showcases Mrunal as a confident, radiant woman whose presence leaves an unforgettable impact. The visual storytelling emphasizes how Dyna enhances beauty and confidence, aligning seamlessly with its tagline "Pehli Jhalak Kare Khoobsurat Asar." Kunal Shah, Creative Director at Anchor adds "Dyna's new packaging blends premium elegance with sustainability, crafted from recyclable materials for a greener future. With the ever-radiant Mrunal Thakur as the face of Dyna, it perfectly embodies beauty, confidence and conscious living" The campaign will be amplified across multiple platforms, including television, digital media (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and OTT platforms), and in-store branding, ensuring widespread reach and engagement. With the growing demand for premium beauty soaps that offer skincare benefits, Dyna's strategic partnership with Mrunal Thakur is set to elevate the brand's presence in the market. This collaboration aims to strengthen brand affinity and enhance consumer engagement while driving greater awareness and preference for Dyna as a trusted beauty soap. Additionally, the brand seeks to expand its market reach through modern trade, general trade, and e-commerce platforms, ensuring accessibility to a wider audience. Through this partnership, Dyna reaffirms its commitment to quality, innovation, and self-care, reinforcing its position as a leading choice for beauty-conscious consumers. Apart from being the face of the TVC and digital promotions, Mrunal will also be featured on Dyna's product packaging and offline communication, further solidifying her association with the brand. Influencer collaborations, social media contests, and engagement-driven activities will also be a key part of the brand's marketing strategy, ensuring greater consumer interaction. As Dyna continues to innovate and cater to evolving beauty trends, its partnership with Mrunal Thakur signals a new era of premium skincare that blends luxury with accessibility. The campaign is expected to make a significant impact on digital and traditional media, reinforcing Dyna's position as a leading beauty soap in the Indian market. TVC Link: https://youtu.be/mALeJXsfRPM For media inquiries, please contact: Kapil Kulkarni: kapil.kulkarni@adfactorspr.com - 98202 03787 Sulochana Theerupari: sulochana.theerupari@adfactorspr.com- 7045852797 Hema Mehta: hema.mehta@adfactorspr.com- 6283 428 607 (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PNN New Delhi [India], April 1: In today's competitive job market, having an impressive educational qualification makes a huge difference between getting a high-paying job and not. Thus, finding the right degree is very important, whether you want to conquer the business world or make a big impact in the technology industry. SMU Online MBA and SMU Online MCA are two perfect programs that can uplift your career. As they offer a decent amount of flexibility, quality education, and industry experience-based skills that set you apart in the job market. Let us dive into how such brilliant programs draw the high-paying job prospects within your reach. Why Go for SMU Online MBA? SMU Online MBA is made for professionals who would like to grow in the areas of management, leadership, and strategic roles. It is instilling business acumen, decision-making proficiency, and industry-specific knowledge in them. Here is how it goes by helping you land that great pay with an SMU Online MBA: 1. Higher Salary Potential One of the most renowned advantages is none other than having a higher salary. It has been observed that many companies tend to hire MBA graduates for their leadership positions and are generous in providing them with competitive salaries. Industry reports divulge that MBA graduates usually make a higher income than their non-MBA counterparts. 2. Strong Business Network This program enables students to connect with industry leaders, successful faculty, and fellow professionals. Networking is a significant part of growing in a career, and this qualifies the cause of SMU Online MBA as a good opportunity to create strong professional connections. 3. Leadership & Managerial Skills All employers look for candidates who will be able to lead a team, manage projects, and make strategic decisions. The SMU Online MBA curriculum focuses on training through leading, problem solving, and critical thinking, which contributes immensely to a person being very resourceful in managerial roles. 4. Many Career Options It will expose you to the largest scope of sectors like finance, marketing, healthcare, consulting, and so much more. Start from there, whether to be with a multinational company or establish one's own company. By pursuing an SMU Online MBA, one can build all the competencies and skills to be the best at it. Why Go for SMU Online MCA? An ideal example of this advanced application of computers is an online master's from SMU. This postgraduate qualification, in a few words, concerns the advanced area of computer applications and programming and IT management. Read on to discover how studying in SMU Online MCA can result in a great-paying job: 1. Great Demand for IT Professionals There is a rising demand for IT professionals to an all-time high because everyone is searching for skilled software developers, system analyzers, data scientists, and cybersecurity experts. It provides the necessary technical expertise for a professional's survival in such highly sought-after occupations. 2. Lucrative Job Profiles MCA graduates may find employment in several lucrative job positions, including: * Software Engineer * Data Scientist * System Analyst * IT Manager * Cybersecurity Specialist * Cloud Computing Expert. Such positions generally have good pay and great growth opportunities. 3. Hands-on Learning & Industry-Relevant Skills Hands-on training in programming languages, database management, AI, machine learning, and cloud computing is part of the SMU Online MCA program. Some employers prefer students with hands-on experience, and this program helps you acquire the skills you need to get top positions. 4. Work Flexibility & Remote Opportunities One of the greatest things about an SMU Online MCA is that it gets you ready for work that can be performed remotely. IT professionals are now employed by multinational corporations while residing anywhere on the planet, with greater work-life balance and global career opportunities. How to Maximize Your Career Prospects with an SMU Online MBA or MCA Now that you know the benefits these programs offer towards getting you that well-paying job, follow these tips for enhancing their usage: 1. Prepare a Powerful Resume Mention your abilities, projects, and internships with relevance to your degree. Recruiters prefer those candidates who can apply hands-on skills and problem-solving capacity. 2. Obtain Industry Certifications Although an SMU Online MBA or SMU Online MCA is worth having, topping them with certifications like PMP, AWS, or Google Cloud will further strengthen your resume. 4. Internships and Real-World Projects In a world where practical experience is very much valued by employers, based on this experience during his/her program on internships, freelancing or real-world projects within his/her industry to get hands-on experience. 5. Keeping up with Industry Trends The job market keeps changing continually, especially in the business and tech industries. So keep abreast of new technologies, business trends, and market demands to keep yourself ahead of the competition. Conclusion Both SMU Online MBA and SMU Online MCA come with an enormous opportunity in the job field and the possibility to earn a huge salary. However, for almost every salary job opportunity, it is better suited if someone chooses an SMU Online MBA who wants to grow in business and management positions but chooses SMU Online MCA for creating growth in the IT sector. However, getting the right course you want and a network combined with some real-life exposure can indeed open doors to high-paying career opportunities. Invest in your future today and start your winning journey of success in career development with the helping hand from SMU Online's own programs! (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PRNewswire New Delhi [India], April 1: The India Research Conclave 2025, hosted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, marked a significant milestone in advancing research excellence, fostering collaboration, and reinforcing research integrity in India. Powered by Springer Nature, the conclave brought together leading academics, researchers, policymakers, and industry experts to deliberate on key challenges and opportunities shaping India's research landscape. With a strong emphasis on research integrity, innovation, and inclusivity, the event featured keynote addresses from distinguished speakers from the government, academia, and research organizations. Discussions underscored India's role in shaping the global research agenda and the importance of ethical and sustainable scientific progress. Frank Vrancken Peeters, CEO, Springer Nature, highlighted the transformative impact of collaboration and research integrity in driving scientific advancements. He stated, "India is emerging as a global leader in research and innovation. Events like the India Research Conclave play a crucial role in fostering a culture of excellence, transparency, and collaboration. At Springer Nature, we remain committed to supporting the research community with tools and resources that uphold the highest standards of integrity." P.K. Banerjee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education, Government of India, reiterated the government's focus on strengthening India's research ecosystem. He remarked, "The India Research Conclave serves as a crucial platform to bring together policymakers, academics, and industry leaders to drive impactful research and innovation. As India continues to expand its research capabilities, it is imperative that we uphold the highest ethical and academic standards, ensuring that our scientific advancements benefit society at large. Initiatives like One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) are key to democratizing access to high-quality research, enabling Indian researchers to contribute more effectively to the global knowledge economy. The students need to nudge the institutions into first getting access and thereafter, use them effectively for newer multi-disciplinary research using ONOS." The conclave also featured two engaging panel discussions. The first panel, 'Strengthening India's Research & the Way Forward', brought together distinguished academics and policymakers to discuss the challenges and opportunities in India's research ecosystem. Experts shared insights on funding, policy reforms, and interdisciplinary collaboration to propel India to the forefront of global research. The second panel, 'Women in Research: Catalysts for Change in India's Scientific Landscape', highlighted the invaluable contributions of women researchers and the need for greater gender inclusivity in STEM fields. The discussion emphasized mentorship, policy support, and institutional changes to empower women in research. The conclave featured keynote speeches and discussions from esteemed leaders in research, education, and policy, including Dr. Govind K. Makharia, Associate Dean (Research), AIIMS, New Delhi, Dr. B.N. Gangadhar, Chairman, National Medical Commission and Prof. Dhananjay Singh, Member Secretary, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Education, Government of India Hosting the India Research Conclave 2025 at AIIMS, New Delhi, one of India's premier research institutions, underscored the event's significance in shaping national research policies. The discussions on sustainability, technology-driven research, and academic integrity highlighted India's growing influence in the global research ecosystem. A key focus of the conclave was Springer Nature's Research Integrity initiatives, reinforcing the commitment to ethical publishing, transparency, and sustainable research practices. This aligns with India's vision for academic excellence and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and knowledge exchange, the India Research Conclave 2025 laid the foundation for future initiatives that will strengthen India's position as a global leader in research and innovation. About Springer Nature: Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are a pioneer in open research. Through our leading brands, trusted for more than 180 years, we provide technology-enabled products, platforms and services that help researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning. We are proud to be part of progress, working together with the communities we serve to share knowledge and bring greater understanding to the world. For more information, please visit about.springernature.com and @SpringerNature. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2655113/SN_India_Research_Conclave.jpgLogo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2578536/Springer_Nature_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) The film, titled 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day, ' is set to release in theaters on July 31, 2026. The makers announced the same on their official social media handles. https://www.instagram.com/p/DH42UgypASY/ According to The Hollywood Reporter, the announcement was first made at CinemaCon on Monday, where director Destin Daniel Cretton took the stage to express his excitement about helming the project. Cretton, who previously directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, revealed that he has been a lifelong fan of the character and is drawn to Peter Parker's "humor" and "messy humanity." Tom Holland appeared in a video segment, thanking fans for their support and teasing that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is "a fresh start." Cretton echoed this sentiment, calling the movie "a ride that we haven't really seen before," as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter. The title, 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day', references a 2008 comic book storyline that takes place after a universe-altering event that causes everyone to forget who Spider-Man is. This plot point is fitting, given the ending of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home', which saw the world forgetting Peter Parker's identity. 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' is written by Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna, who previously penned 'Spider-Man: No Way Home.' The film is part of Sony's ongoing partnership with Disney, which allows the character to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (ANI) The hearing on the bail plea of Shariful Islam, one of the individuals arrested in connection with the stabbing attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, took place on Tuesday, April 1. However, the proceedings were delayed as the police did not file their reply in court. The next hearing is now scheduled for April 4, when the court has directed the police to submit their reply regarding the bail application. In his plea, Shariful Islam, also known as Shehzad, has maintained his innocence, claiming that the case against him is fabricated. The application, submitted through his lawyer, Ajay Gawali, argues that the First Information Report (FIR) was improperly registered. Shehzad also asserted that he has fully cooperated with the ongoing investigation and that all necessary evidence is already in the possession of the police, making any tampering with it impossible. The case, which is currently being heard in the Bandra Magistrate Court, is expected to be transferred to the Sessions Court once the police file the chargesheet. As of now, the chargesheet has not been submitted by the Bandra Police. The attack on Saif Ali Khan occurred on January 16 when Shehzad, allegedly attempting a robbery, broke into the actor's Bandra residence. During the incident, Khan was severely injured, suffering damage to his thoracic spine and other body parts. The actor was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was treated for five days before being discharged on January 21. The Mumbai Police have stated that they possess significant evidence linking Shehzad to the attack. Investigators revealed that he had entered India from Bangladesh and had stayed in multiple locations in Kolkata before eventually making his way to Mumbai. In a statement earlier this year, Additional Commissioner of Police Paramjit Singh Dahiya refuted rumours about mismatched fingerprints. "Whenever an accusation is made, multiple pieces of evidence are collected against it. We have found much oral, physical, and technical evidence against the accused... We have caught the right person," Dahiya said. (ANI) The teaser for the film, featuring Khan alongside actress Vaani Kapoor, was released on Tuesday, sparking widespread excitement among fans. In the teaser, Fawad Khan, who became a household name in India with his stellar performance in 'Zindagi Gulzar Hai' (2012) followed by 'Khoobsurat' (2014) and 'Kapoor & Sons' (2016), captivates Vaani Kapoor's character with his charming rendition of the classic song 'Kuch Naa Kaho' from '1942: A Love Story'. The duo is seen sharing a tender moment inside a car, enjoying the rain, before the playful exchange of dialogue ignites their chemistry. When Vaani teasingly asks, "Are you flirting with me?", Fawad responds with his signature charm, "Do you want me to?" The teaser concludes with the heartwarming message, "Bringing love back." Along with the teaser, Vaani also shared the film's release date on Instagram, confirming that 'Abir Gulaal' will be hitting theatres on May 9, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/DH5KNa8yYGc/ Directed by Aarti S. Bagdi, Abir Gulaal follows the journey of two individuals whose unexpected bond leads them to emotional healing and a blossoming love. According to Bagdi, the film explores how love can emerge as a beautiful, unanticipated consequence of healing. The film's producers are Vivek B Agrawal, Avantika Hari, and Rakesh Sippy. Fawad's return to the silver screen comes almost nine years after his last Bollywood film, 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' (2016), following the controversy around the ban on Pakistani artists after the 2016 Uri Attack. (ANI) https://www.instagram.com/p/DH43cTdxH1O/ According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Sam Mendes took the stage to introduce the cast and confirm that all four films will hit theaters in April 2028. The project, which was first announced last year, will comprise four separate films, each focusing on a different member of the Fab Four. The cast includes Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. "We're not just making one film about the Beatles -- we're making four," Mendes said, adding, "Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply," as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter. Sony film boss Tom Rothman described the project as "the first binge-able theatrical experience." The films are being produced by Mendes, Pippa Harris, and Julie Pastor for Neal Street Productions. The announcement was met with excitement from the audience, with the cast taking the stage to recite lyrics from the Beatles' iconic song "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," as per The Hollywood Reporter. CinemaCon, held annually from March 31 to April 3, is one of the most significant events in Hollywood, showcasing upcoming projects to theater owners and the film industry. (ANI) Mahamandleshwar Shanti Swaroopanand Ji Maharaj on Monday welcomed the Madhya Pradesh government's decision to ban liquor at 19 religious places in the state and said that the next step should be to declare Ujjain as a 'Pavitra Teerth' (Holy Pilgrimage). "Ujjain is one of the 'Saptapuri' (seven sacred cities), Avantika. One of the 12 Jyotirlingas, Baba Mahakal, is present here. Singhasth Mahakumbh is organised here every 12 years and people from all over the world come here. I said earlier, too, that Ujjain should be declared as 'Pavitra Teerth, ' which would mean liquor and meat shops are banned. Now that the 1st step is taken and liquor is banned, it is a welcome move from CM Mohan Yadav... This should have been done long ago... The next step should be to declare Ujjain as a 'Pavitra Teerth,' and both liquor and meat shops should be banned," Mahamandleshwar Shanti Swaroopanand Ji Maharaj told ANI. Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government outlined the liquor ban in 19 religious cities and gram panchayats of the state would be implemented from April 1. This decision, announced by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, was approved by the Cabinet during a meeting held in Maheshwar, the city of Lokmata Ahilyabai, on January 24, 2025. Following the recent decision, all establishments that sell alcoholic beverages, including liquor shops and bars, will be mandated to close their operations within the entire urban boundaries of several cities. This includes Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Mandleshwar, Orchha, Maihar, Chitrakoot, Datia, Panna, Mandla, Multai, Mandsaur, and Amarkantak. Additionally, the closure will extend to the gram panchayat regions of Salkanpur, Kundalpur, Bandakpur, Barmankalan, Barmankhurd, and Linga. From April 1, 2025, liquor will be completely prohibited in these 19 designated sacred urban and rural areas of the state. (ANI) Ramayani Kuti Aashram Mahant Ram Hriday Das on Monday praised the Madhya Pradesh government's decision to impose a liquor ban at 19 religious places across the state, calling it a "good decision." "This is a welcome decision. Our greetings to the MP government. But this decision should have been taken earlier. It is a very good decision. We hope that the government's decision is implemented properly," Das told ANI. Padma Shri BK Jain also expressed his gratitude to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav for the move, acknowledging the decision as timely and significant for the future. However, he also pointed out that the success of this initiative depends on both government and public cooperation. "I thank MP CM Mohan Yadav for taking this decision. It was the right decision at the right time. This will bring good results in the future, but this is not just the government's responsibility. Everyone from the public also has to work for it; only then will this liquor be successful. My suggestion is that the way the MP government has made this decision for Chitrakoot, the Uttar Pradesh government should also do this for Chitrakoot. Only then would the liquor ban actually be possible," Jain told ANI. The Madhya Pradesh government outlined the liquor ban in 19 religious cities and gram panchayats of the state would be implemented from April 1. This announcement of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was approved by the Cabinet at a meeting held in Maheshwar, the city of Lokmata Ahilyabai, on January 24, 2025. Following the recent decision, all establishments that sell alcoholic beverages, including liquor shops and bars, will be mandated to close their operations within the entire urban boundaries of several cities. This includes Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Mandleshwar, Orchha, Maihar, Chitrakoot, Datia, Panna, Mandla, Multai, Mandsaur, and Amarkantak. Additionally, the closure will extend to the gram panchayat regions of Salkanpur, Kundalpur, Bandakpur, Barmankalan, Barmankhurd, and Linga. From April 1, 2025, liquor is completely prohibited in 19 declared sacred urban and rural areas of the state. (ANI) Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, on Monday said that the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project will significantly reduce travel time between Katra and Srinagar. The new Vande Bharat Express will cut down the travel time from the current 6-7 hours by road to just 3 hours. "The Vande Bharat Express train will cut the Katra-Srinagar journey to just 3 hours, compared to the current 6-7 hours by road. At present, train services run between Srinagar and Sangaldan in the valley. Once the railway line from Sangaldan to Katra becomes operational, these trains can be extended to Katra," he said. Upadhyay said that the USBRL project Qazigund-Baramulla section was started in the year 2009. "The 18 km Banihal-Qazigund section was operational in 2013, the 25 km Udhampur-Katra in 2014, the Banihal to Sangaldan in 2023 and now the Sangaldan to Katra section will be operational. The world's tallest rail arch bridge, Chenab Bridge, is a part of this project. The tunnels, bridges and valleys will make rail travel more enjoyable," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district to inaugurate the Vande Bharat train, which will undertake the journey from Jammu to Srinagar via Katra district, on April 19. Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that the train services for the inaugural Vande Bharat would start from Katra, temporarily, since the Jammu railway station remains under construction. Highlighting the importance of the inaugural event, the Union Minister said that the Vande Bharat would connect the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country. "PM Narendra Modi will visit Udhampur on April 19 to inaugurate the Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat, and the service is being started from Katra temporarily because of the Jammu railway station being under construction... This will be a grand event connecting Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country," Singh told reporters here. On January 23, Indian Railways conducted the trial run of the first Vande Bharat train from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) railway station to the Srinagar railway station. The train will run through Anji Khad Bridge which is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge and Chenab Bridge which is the highest railway bridge in the world. This train has been designed keeping in mind the cold climate conditions of the Kashmir valley. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that several countries had shown interest in importing semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains from India. Indian Railways launched India's first indigenous semi-high-speed train Vande Bharat Express and it is regarded as a 'Make in India' success story. The first Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off on February 15, 2019, on the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route, running at a speed of 160 kilometres per hour. (ANI) As many as six people died and several others were injured after an alleged explosion was reported in Patharpratima in the South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari said on Tuesday. "Devastating news from Patharpratima; South 24 Parganas district - 6 people have died and several are injured after another explosion in a Crude Bomb manufacturing unit," Adikhari posted on X. The leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly said that in another incident on February 4, four people lost their lives in Patharpratima. "Less than two months after an explosion on Feb 7, 2025, had taken 4 precious lives at Kalyani, another such incident have happened. This time at Patharpratima, South 24 Parganas district. Bhupatinagar, Egra, Budge Budge, Kalyani, the list grows long. How many more tragedies will take place before serious action is taken? The DGP @WBPolice must answer why the State of West Bengal is sitting on a pile of crude bombs?" he added. The leader further said that Rs 2 lakhs would be announced for the next of kin of the victims, and a week later, people would move on. "Tomorrow, most probably Rs. 2 lakhs will be announced for the next of kin of the victims and a week later, people will move on to the next news, forgetting this incident, till the next tragedy takes place. Absolutely no accountability for such incidents in WB. The inefficient Police Minister Mamata Banerjee is to be blamed for allowing this to happen," Adhikari said. Meanwhile, the state police was present at the spot in Patharpratima village in Dholahat, where an alleged explosion was reported last night. Further details are awaited. (ANI) After the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) supported the Waqf Amendment Bill proposed by the centre, Karnataka Deputy Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Arvind Bellad affirmed that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a huge reform to the Waqf bill which has "created a huge havoc." Speaking with ANI, Arvinde Bellad said, "Waqf Amendment is a huge reform. It (Waqf Bill) has created a huge havoc, not only among Hindus but also Muslims. So, it has draconian powers. It has power which are beyond Constitution." Stressing the need of amendments, Bellad said that BJP is rightfully amending the law. "I think that particular law needs major amendments and rightfully so our party, our BJP Government is amending the law," he said. Earlier, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also welcomed the support of (KCBC) and asserted that the proposed bill is not against any community while calling out the "propaganda" being spread around it. "This act is not against any community - that is propaganda being spread to poison minds of some," Rijiju posted on X, adding, "I welcome the request by Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) to all MPs of Kerala to support the Waqf Amendment Bill as a Minister and as a minority community member." Reacting to the support extended by the Bshop's Council, the Union Minister argued that it was the duty of those in politics to address the challenges faced by the people while highlighting the struggle of hundreds of families in Kerala's Munambam to protect their properties. "It is the duty of those in politics to care for and address problems and challenges faced by our people. For example, hundreds of families in Munambam, Kerala, have suffered and continue to seek a solution to protect their properties and homes," Rijiju added. The statement issued by Fr. Thomas Tharayil of the KCBC secretariat said that provisions in the Waqf law, which legitimise the "illegal claims" in such a way that people in Munambam are unable to exercise their revenue claims on the land, need to be amended. "The Farooq College management, which sold the land to the residents of Munambam, has asserted that the land in question was received as a gift, the MPs should cooperate to amend the waqf bill Which has provisions to raise claims against this. KCBC will send letter to each MPs requesting to vote in favour of amending waqf bill," KCBC said in a statement. Around 610 families of Munambam, a coastal village in the Ernakulam district, have been protesting against the claim by the Waqf Board on their land. (ANI) Security forces on Tuesday intensified search and cordon operations following the exchange of fire with terrorists in the Panjtirthi area of Kathua a day ago. Multiple surveillance and ambushes have been set up in the Panjtirthi area of Kathua based on intelligence inputs in a joint operation led by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The operation intensified after suspicious movement was detected on the night of March 31, leading to a fresh encounter Following the engagement, security personnel swiftly initiated a search-and-destroy operation early on April 1. The operation remains in progress, with forces maintaining a heightened alert in the region. "Acting on intelligence inputs, multiple surveillance cum ambushes were deployed in general area Panjtirthi, Kathua by Indian Army, JK Police and CRPF. Suspicious movement was observed on the night of March 31, leading to an exchange of fire. Search and destroy operations launched at first light on April 1. Operations in progress," said the Rising Star Corps of Indian Army on X. An exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists was reported in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district last night, officials said on Tuesday. "An exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists started late last night in the Billawar area of Kathua after security forces launched a massive search and cordon operation in the area," the Jammu and Kashmir Police said. On Monday, the security forces intensified their actions against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua. DIG Sharma said the force is "sad" as it lost one jawan in the Kathua encounter. However, he emphasised that the soldiers' training is very good and stated that their morale is really high. Authorities placed the entire region on high alert as the search operation continues to track down potential threats. Earlier, during the counter-terror operation 'Safiyan' in the Kathua region, four Jammu and Kashmir police personnel lost their lives in the operation, while two terrorists were gunned down. Security forces recovered war-like stores from the encounter site. The operation began on March 23, when locals reported the sighting of suspected Pakistani infiltrators in Sanyal. (ANI) The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has urged political parties and legislators to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to land issues, including Munambam in Kerala. The CBCI has said that certain provisions in the existing Central Waqf Act are inconsistent with the Constitution and the Waqf Board in Kerala has invoked these provisions to declare the ancestral residential properties of more than 600 families in the Munambam region as Waqf land. In a statement released on Monday, the CBCI said that over past three years, this issue has escalated into a complex legal dispute. It added that only a legal amendment can provide a permanent solution, and this must be recognized by the people's representatives. It added that Waqf Amendment Bill should provide a permanent solution to land issues including Munambam in Kerala. CBCI has urged political parties and legislators to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to this issue and the rightful ownership of land must be fully restored to the people of Munambam. It said, any provisions or laws that contradict the principles of the Indian Constitution must be amended and at the same time, the rights of religious minorities, as guaranteed by the Constitution, must be safeguarded. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in a post on X sharing the letter by CBCI said, "Catholic Bishops Council of India appeals Political Parties to support the Waqf Amendment Bill. It is the duty of those in politics to care for and address problems and challenges faced by our people. For example hundreds of families in Munambam, Kerala and countless people across India have suffered and continue to seek a solution to protect their properties and homes." (ANI) Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal criticised the former state government's (RJD) handling of flood relief funds and claimed that a significant portion of funds intended for flood relief and infrastructure development had gone unaccounted for. He pointed out that Rs 200 crore was allocated for flood relief, and the Mahananda Basin Project 15 years ago was unaccounted for, leaving people to suffer from recurring floods. Jaiswal praised the central government's recent allocation of Rs 11,000 crore for the Kosi-Mechi Link Project, which aims to provide farmers with irrigation benefits and offer a long-term solution to flood management. "Fifteen years ago, funds were allocated for flood relief, but nobody knows where the Rs 200 crore went. People continued to suffer from floods as a result," Jaiswal said, emphasising the lack of accountability in the management of disaster relief efforts. In contrast, Jaiswal applauded the central government's role in assisting the state over the past two years. "For the last two years, on the request of the Bihar government, the central government has been conducting aerial surveys to see if flood water can be used for irrigation. And then the central government allocated Rs 11,000 crore for the Kosi-Mechi Link Project. Linking the two rivers together will provide irrigation benefits to farmers on more than 7 hectares of land and also provide relief from floods," he said. Jaiswal further stated, "The roadmap of Viksit Bihar (Developed Bihar) is going to begin from Purnea, with this transformative project marking a major step towards the state's development." He stressed that the project would offer a solution to both floods and the growing need for agricultural irrigation, signaling a positive shift in Bihar's long-standing flood management issues. Earlier, on March 30, Union Home Minister Amit Shah appealed to the people of Bihar to form the NDA government for another five years and said they would work to make Bihar flood-free. The assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to take place later in the year. Amit Shah, who was on a two-day visit to Bihar from March 29-30, highlighted the central government's financial assistance for the Western Kosi Canal. Shah also slammed former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, calling his 1990-2005 tenure an era of "Jungle Raj" and accusing his government of corruption and misgovernance, particularly citing the fodder scam. Shah also outlined the BJP's initiatives in the agricultural sector, particularly through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), highlighting efforts to boost maize farming and revive closed industries. In addition to agriculture, Shah spoke about the BJP's commitment to reviving sugar mills and enhancing production in the pulses and oilseeds sectors. He also highlighted PACS's expansion into new business areas. "We are putting in full effort to restart closed sugar mills. We have also done extensive work in the pulses and oilseeds sectors. Today, all PACS presidents are present here. PACS are now opening pharmacy stores and petrol pumps as well," he stated. (ANI) Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde on Tuesday questioned the opposition's stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, asking that parties to clarify whether they support Muslim empowerment or political appeasement. He also challenged whether their position aligned with Balasaheb's ideology or with vote bank politics. https://x.com/DrSEShinde/status/1906735431376347349 Taking on X, MP Shrikant Shinde wrote, "Taking a historic step, the NDA government has introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 in Parliament, which is a decisive initiative for the socio-economic development of the poor and deprived Muslim society. This bill will be brought after extensive consultation by the Joint Parliamentary Committee." He further added, "This bill opens the way for strict action against illegal occupiers and misusers of Waqf properties, who have used Waqf land for their personal gain for years. This directly harmed the poor Muslim community, who were deprived of education, health and employment opportunities. Through this bill, a positive step has been taken by the NDA government towards using Waqf properties for the welfare of the Muslim community." Shinde also drew comparisons with past administrations, stressing that while the Modi government had introduced reforms like the Triple Talaq law, previous governments failed to bring meaningful change. "By making the Triple Talaq law, the Modi government had won the blessings of Muslim sisters and reformist Muslim brothers. Despite being in power for decades doing vote bank politics, the Congress regime never had the desire to do good for Muslims. This work was done by the NDA government", he posted. He continued," Now the question is whether Ubatha Sena (UBT) will oppose this bill and stand with those who are taking wrong advantage of Waqf properties, or will it support the ideology of Shriman Balasaheb Thackeray ji, which has always been against corruption and illegal occupation?" He challenged the opposition to take a clear stand. "If they have the courage, they should come forward and support the Waqf Board Reform Bill. Will they do it? Or will they run away like last time, turning their backs and pressing their tails at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour? Now it is time to decide - political Muslim appeasement or Muslim empowerment?" Srikant post added on X. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said last week that the Waqf Amendment Bill will be tabled in the Budget session of Parliament. The Budget session is slated to conclude on April 4. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also called the 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill', aims to address key challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. (ANI) Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday supported the appeal of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) to political parties to support the Waqf Amendment Bill, stating that the bill was in the national interest, and in the interest of Muslims. Taking to social media X, the Union Minister stated that the Waqf Amendment Bill was in the national interest and the interest of the Muslims. "Waqf Amendment Bill is in the national interest in the interest of Muslims. This will bring transparency in the management of Waqf properties! Those who have illegally occupied the Waqf land are today opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill and misleading the people. The Catholic Bishops Council of India's appeal to all political parties to support the #Waqf Amendment Bill gives strength to this bill. This bill will remove anomalies like the ongoing dispute in Munambam, Kerala," the post read. Puri further appealed to the people to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. "Come, let us all together strengthen PM@narendramodiji's mantra of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas', the post further said. The CBCI urged political parties and legislators to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to land issues, including Munambam in Kerala. The CBCI has said that certain provisions in the existing Central Waqf Act are inconsistent with the Constitution and the Waqf Board in Kerala has invoked these provisions to declare the ancestral residential properties of more than 600 families in the Munambam region as Waqf land. In a statement released on Monday, the CBCI said that over the past three years, this issue has escalated into a complex legal dispute. It added that only a legal amendment can provide a permanent solution, and this must be recognized by the people's representatives. It further added that Waqf Amendment Bill should provide a permanent solution to land issues including Munambam in Kerala. It said, any provisions or laws that contradict the principles of the Indian Constitution must be amended and at the same time, the rights of religious minorities, as guaranteed by the Constitution, must be safeguarded. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in a post on X sharing the letter by CBCI said, "Catholic Bishops Council of India appeals Political Parties to support the Waqf Amendment Bill. It is the duty of those in politics to care for and address problems and challenges faced by our people. For example hundreds of families in Munambam, Kerala and countless people across India have suffered and continue to seek a solution to protect their properties and homes." (ANI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Telangana, Payal Shankar, on Tuesday came down heavily on the Congress-led State Government over a land dispute related to the alleged sale of 400 acres of land under the University of Hyderabad in the city's Gachibowli area. Shankar said that despite the land being owned by the government, it doesn't have the "power" to sell it and called for the withdrawal of the "thought" of selling the area. "That 400 acres of land belongs to the government, but that doesn't mean the government has the power to sell it. Today, students and environmentalists are demanding 400 acres for the university, but why is the government not listening to them? The government can bring money from wherever it wants, but it cannot generate another land adjacent to the university. They should withdraw their thoughts of selling that 400 acres of land," the BJP MLA. Meanwhile, heavy security has been deployed at the MLA quarters in Hyderguda as a BJP delegation, led by MLAs Alleti Maheshwar Reddy and Payal Shankar, along with other BJP state leaders, is expected to visit the University and the disputed 400-acre land in the area. Earlier on Monday, the University of Hyderabad issued a statement refuting the claims regarding the land demarcation survey on its campus in July 2024. In an official statement, the university clarified that it had neither agreed to nor been informed about any such survey for demarcating 400 acres of land. The administration dismissed the allegations as unfounded. According to the University, in response to the recent spread of misinformation in the media and other persons, the University of Hyderabad wishes to clarify that no survey was conducted in July 2024 by the revenue authorities on the University campus to demarcate the 400 acres of land resumed by the State Government in 2006 from Ms IMG Academies Bharata Pvt. Ltd. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday also demanded the immediate stop to the 'sale' of 400 acres of land under the University of Hyderabad and demanded a stop to the tree felling, as multiple students protest against the government's decision. (ANI) The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has implemented a "garbage cess" under which the residents of Bengaluru will have to pay a solid waste management user fee effective from April 1. After hike in the rate of milk, electricity, BBMP has now decided to enforce a new tax. The BBMP has decided to raise the cost of garbage and disposal every month and a "garbage cess" is being implemented in Bangalore starting from today. The solid waste management company will now make a cess on trash every month. Different types of tax are being levied for shops, hotels, and residential buildings. According to BBMP, hotels previously paid Rs 5 per kg of garbage. The cess has now been raised to Rs 12. The cess rate is set for residential buildings in the square feet of the building. Buildings ranging upto 600 square feet will have to pay Rs 10 per month while buildings ranging from 600 square feet to 1000 square feet will have to pay Rs 50. Building ranging from 1000-2000 square feet will have to pay Rs 100 per month while it is Rs 150 per month for buildings from 2000-3000 square feet. Rs 200 will be collected per month for buildings from 3000-4000 square feet while Rs 400 will be collected per month for buildings above 4000 square feet. BBMP will pay trash tax annually in property tax. The new decision of the BBMP is expected to raise Rs 600 crore annually. It has come forward to raise money from various sources to fill the coffers. In the meanwhile, Karnataka LoP and BJP MLA R Ashoka slammed for the government for implementing the 'garbage cess'. Hitting out at Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over this tax, Ashoka questioned if this is being collected to "get the CM's chair". In a social media post on X, Ashoka wrote, "The government, which failed to dispose of Bengaluru's garbage and turned Silicon City into a garbage city @INCKarnataka has now fixed fees for garbage collection as well. It seems that they have decided to fill their coffers in the name of garbage disposal by promising to make Bangalore City a garbage-free city. DCM @DKShivakumar Sir, they robbed in the name of brand Bangalore, now they loot in the name of garbage too? Is this Bihar election expenditure or a bribe to get the CM's chair?" https://x.com/RAshokaBJP/status/1906909301698162836 Earlier on March 27, the Karnataka government announced a Rs 4 per litre price hike for Nandini milk and curd, effective April 1. This decision was made during a Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting held by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The move aims to encourage dairy farming in the state, considering the cost of milk production and processing. Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) Chairman Bheema Naik defended the state government's move to increase the price of Nandini milk by Rs 4 per litre, stating that the additional cost would go directly to the farmers. "We were selling milk in Karnataka at a price lower than that elsewhere in the country. KMF procures 86 lakh-1 crore (milk) every day. 1 litre of milk is sold at Rs 42 (Karnataka). In Gujarat, it is Rs 53, in Andhra & Telangana, it is Rs 58, in Delhi and Maharashtra, it is Rs 56, in Kerala, it is Rs 54. This decision has been taken in the interest of herders. These 4 Rupees are going to farmers," he told ANI. (ANI) Union Minister Giriraj Singh spoke about the Waqf Amendment Bill on Tuesday. He said that the government will table the Waqf Amendment Bill like any other bill and assured that no legislation is introduced against the Constitution. Speaking to media reporters, Singh said, "The government tables every bill; it will do the same with the Waqf Amendment Bill. Congress should understand that no bill is brought in the Parliament against the constitution." Earlier, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju highlighted the need for an informed and constructive discussion on the bill, urging all parties to participate in the legislative debate. "My appeal to all is that as we prepare to introduce the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament, we must participate in the debate and discussion in the House. Outside Parliament, there have been a record number of consultations and deliberations. The JPC has gone on record for the most comprehensive consultation process and the highest representation ever in the history of democratic India," he said. Rijju added, "Now that the Bill is ready, I would like to request all political parties to participate in it and put their views on the floor of Parliament. Please do not mislead. Some people are saying that this Waqf Amendment Bill is unconstitutional. Waqf rules have been in existence since before independence... All these provisions are already in existence. If the Waqf Act has been in existence since before independence, then how can it be illegal? Innocent Muslims are being told and misled by saying that the government is going to snatch the properties and rights of the Muslims." "The false things being spread by some people are very harmful to our society and nation. I would like to request everyone to please identify those leaders who are lying. These are the people who misguided the country during CAA... I am very proud to say that minorities are the safest in India, and minorities enjoy the best rights of freedom in India," Rijju asserted. Meanwhile, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh strongly opposed the bill, calling it a "direct attack on the Constitution." "Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a direct attack on the constitution and against its foundation... Every opposition party opposes it, but the question is, what is the take of 'secular' parties JD(U) and TDP?... It was for the first time that clause-by-clause discussion was done in the committee... If they implement it, we will oppose it democratically," Ramesh said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said last week that the Waqf Amendment Bill will be tabled in the Budget session of Parliament. The Budget session is slated to conclude on April 4. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also called the 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill' aims to address key challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. (ANI) Congress MP and Waqf Ammendment Bill JPC member Imran Masood has come down heavily on Syed Naseruddin Chishty, the Chairman of All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council's statement on Waqf Amendment Bill, accusing him of "brokering" for BJP. Masood said, "Yeh dalaali band kare BJP ki," on Syed Naseruddin Chishty's statement. The Chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC), Syed Naseruddin Chishty on Monday expressed support for reforming the Waqf Board, urging the Muslim community to not be swayed by "emotional provocative statements" made against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, and believe the official statements of the government on the intentions of the act. "The Waqf (Amendment) Bill that the Government of India is bringing, it had already expressed its intention...The JPC has heard all the parties very patiently and sent a report to government. Hopefully the bill that will come will be good...I believe that the existing Waqf Act needs to be changed and no one needs to be afraid of it... We should believe the official statements only. An attempt is being made to provoke emotions, which is wrong," he said. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also called the 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill', aims to address key challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. Criticising the BJP-led Centre, the Congress MP accused that the LoP Rahul Gandhi is not allowed to speak in the Parliament and in the whole Budget Session, Masood, himself was allowed to speak for only '55 seconds.' Sharpening his attacks, Masood stated that as soon as the leaders of opposition parties start speaking they turn off the mic whereas the MPs from ruling party speak whatever they want do. "Where is there talk of debate and discussion? LoP is not allowed to speak. They turn off the mics. On 27th March, all the floor leaders wrote to the Speaker regarding this. As soon as we start speaking, they turn off the mic. There is only one-way traffic. Whatever the government wants to speak, they will speak; you keep listening...It (Waqf Bill) is completely unconstitutional; it overlaps many sections of the Constitution. Overlapping of sections of the Constitution cannot be done. It is bulldozing on the protection of our rights that the Constitution has given us...The opposition is being crushed. They don't allow us to speak. In this entire session, I only spoke for 55 seconds..." Masood told ANI. On Monday, Congress leader and MP Jairam Ramesh launched a scathing attack on the Central Government, accusing them of trying to "supress the voices of the Leaders of Opposition" in the Parliament. Earlier on March 27, Congress MP Rajeev Shukla criticized the interruption faced by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi during a session in Parliament, stating that even BJP MPs were unaware of the reasons behind it. "Even the BJP MPs don't know why Rahul Gandhi was stopped (by the Speaker) and a comment was made on him (to follow Rule 349)," Shukla said. He further alleged that Rahul Gandhi was not given an opportunity to respond, raising concerns over the parliamentary procedure followed in the incident. Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi also reiterated that he is never allowed to speak in the House. Expressing scepticism, Gandhi said that he doesn't know what the ruling party is "scared" of. "I am never allowed to speak. I don't know what they are scared of?" said Rahul Gandhi while heading towards the Parliament. (ANI) Several MPs from the Opposition benches have highlighted concern on the Waqf Amendment Bill. Revolutionary Socialist Party MP NK Premchandran on Tuesday called the Waqf Amendment Bill an "absolutely new bill". Speaking to ANI, Premchandran said, "So far, the bill is not listed in today's list of business. The government will decide when the bill is to be introduced or tabled on the floor of the House. After taking the recommendations of the JPC, they are bringing a new Bill. An absolutely new bill is going to be introduced, and the existing bill is to be repealed." "I heard that this is the intention of the government. Let us see the bill, and then we will respond to it. The existing bill has gone to the JPC. JPC has made several recommendations. The recommendations of the opposition have not been accepted. A unilateral approach was taken by the Chairman of the standing committee, and that is why finally, the Speaker has to intervene so as to include the dissent of the opposition members," he told ANI. Congress MP Kiran Kumar Chamala expressed strong opposition to the bill, describing it as unconstitutional. "In JPC, they have passed it and brought it to the Lok Sabha last time, but definitely the opposition parties are not willing to accept this Bill because this is unconstitutional and also as per the Parliament proceedings, what they are trying to follow is not right because this is a secular country where such bills have to be considered very carefully but BJP is trying to bulldoze things and want these bills to be implemented," said. Chamla further added, "In a democratic country like India, such bills have to be taken very seriously, and we as the opposition parties, will never accept this..." Congress MP Jebi Mather said, "The attitude of the government is to divide people. We will have to see what changes have been brought in. We will stand for the rights of those affected and minorities..." Lok Sabha MP and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "We are against the Waqf Board Bill because the BJP wants to interfere in everything. They want control everywhere..." AAP MP Sanjay Singh also voiced his party's opposition to the bill, "When the Government of India in its affidavit submitted in Supreme Court in 2020 had clearly stated that digitised record of 99% of Waqf properties has been put online, so what are they (Central govt) bringing this bill for?..." The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also called the 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill', aims to address key challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. (ANI) In a significant development, the Mohali Court on Tuesday has sentenced self-styled Christian Pastor Bajinder Singh to life imprisonment in a 2018 sexual harassment case. The victim of the assault, in her statement to the media, expressed a firm desire for a sentence of at least 20 years for the accused. "I want at least 20 years of imprisonment to him. He knows the law very well and does all this crime willingly. I want women to come out and speak freely about him. They should not get scared anymore, " she told ANI. Advocate Anil Sagar, who represented the victim, commented on the importance of the ruling stated, "He was popular as a spiritual leader. His followers used to call him ''Papa ji''. When this kind of crime is committed by such a person, an exemplary punishment must be given. We are satisfied with the quantum of sentence, which is life imprisonment. He has to stay behind bars until his last breath..." Earlier, Punjab Police had registered an FIR against Pastor Bajinder Singh after a complaint was filed by the woman alleging assault on her. The incident reportedly took place after a prayer session, where the survivor claimed that she, along with others, was mistreated and physically assaulted. Narrating her ordeal, the survivor alleged that she was attacked when she tried to intervene in an assault on another individual present at the gathering. "When I stopped him (Pastor Bajinder Singh) from hitting a person present there, he hit me with a notebook. At the time, my 1.5-year-old daughter was with me. He also badly hit the boy present there. The government should probe if the footage was real or AI-generated. After this, I resigned from the Church. He also threatened me. I had gone there out of devotion..." she stated. In his defence the self styled Pastor Baljinder Singh had said thet the allegations against him are false. He claimed that the girl was suffering from an ''evil spirit,'' experienced fits, and came to him for prayer. However on Friday, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to life. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to interfere with a Allahabad High Court order directing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to carry out whitewashing work for the exterior of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal and that the mosque committee should reimburse expenses for such work. A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar dismissed the plea, which contended that the High Court committed an error in law by permitting ASI to recover expenditures incurred from the mosque committee. The High Court, by its order in March, directed ASI to undertake whitewashing work within a week on the outer part of the Sambhal Jama Masjid, where flaking is seen and whitewashing is required. The apex court was hearing an appeal against the High Court order filed by Satish Kumar Aggarwal, which said a suit pertaining to the disputed structure is pending sub-judice. "It will prejudice the right of the petitioner being devotee to claim disputed structure as Hari Har Temple of Bhagwan Kalki. Therefore, petitioner has preferred the instant petition before this Court which raises question of law of public importance," the plea stated. It asked, "whether ASI is not provided funds for maintaining monuments like Hari Har Temple, Sambhal, or the dispute structure which is illegally occupied by the Committee of Management of Jami Masjid, Sambhal." The order of the High Court came on a petition filed by the mosque management committee seeking permission for whitewashing and cleaning of the masjid. The High Court further added that no extra lighting will be put on the walls, as it may damage the monument, but exterior lights in the shape of focus lights or LED lights may be used by ASI to illuminate the outer area of the mosque. In November 2024 last year, the top court had stayed the trial court proceedings in the case, directing it not to hear the matter until the petition filed by the mosque committee against the survey order is listed in the Allahabad High Court. Tensions in Sambhal had simmered after the local court ordered a survey of the mosque on November 19. Opposing the court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid people clashed with police, resulting in the death of four persons. The survey followed a petition filed by some persons in the local court, claiming that the site of the mosque was previously a Harihar temple, dedicated to Kalki, the last incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and built in 1526 after demolishing the temple. (ANI) Amid the ongoing row on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of politics of appeasement, saying that their every decision is for votes. Yadav said that BJP has taken every decision to make their people happy and reiterated SP's strong opposition of the bill. "Every decision of BJP is for votes and to make their people happy. Samajwadi Party is against the Waqf Bill. They (BJP) want complete control," Yadav said. Yadav further added that Waqf amendment bill is being introduced by the BJP to "fix" their vote bank which he implied is not happy because of lack of employment and other aspects. "Whether it is GST, demonetization or other decisions, they (BJP) work to snatch something or the other from the people. Through Waqf they want to give a message to fix their vote bank because they didn't give employment, farmer income didn't double so their voter is also not happy from them," Yadav said Yadav further questioned BJP's decision to distribute kits on Eid, "They used to say that we (opposition) are doing politics of appeasement, are they (BJP) not doing appeasement by distributing kits on Eid? Till now, they have been misleading Hindus and now they have started misleading Muslims also," Yadav said. BJP Minority Morcha launched "Saugat-e-Modi" campaign to distribute special kits to 32 lakh underprivileged Muslims across the on Eid. The initiative was kicked off from Nizamuddin in Delhi under the guidance of BJP National President JP Nadda and seeks to ensure that poor Muslim families can celebrate the festival without any hardship. As part of the campaign, 32,000 minority morcha workers collaborated with 32,000 mosques nationwide to reach the needy. Jamal Siddiqui, the National President of the BJP Minority Morcha, outlined the campaign's broader vision, stating that on occasions like Eid, Good Friday, Easter, Nauruz, and the Indian New Year, the Minority Front will reach out to those in need through the "Saugat-e-Modi" campaign. (ANI) Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar slammed the Telangana state government's alleged plans to auction the 400 acres of land in Hyderabad's Kancha Gachibowli, alleging that it falls under a forest zone. In a press statement released on Tuesday, Kumar mentioned a Supreme Court ruling stating that forest areas can't be cleared without the Union Government's approval. He further noted that there was also a pending case in the High Court over the same plot of land. "The 400 acres of land that the state government planned to auction fall under the forest zone. As per Supreme Court rulings, no forest land can be cleared without the approval of the central government. A case regarding the 400 acres in Kancha Gachibowli is currently pending in the High Court. In a case filed by an NGO called Vata Foundation, the High Court directed the state government to submit a counter by April 7. The auctioning of these lands is not permissible," the release read. Kumar accused the state government of defying court orders under the pretext of land levelling, saying, "The government is destroying the environment by removing trees and uprooting plants. Deforestation and selling these lands for thousands of crores is a deplorable act." He further criticised the Congress-led government, calling it "more reckless than the previous BRS government", and questioned Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's stance, asking, "Has Revanth Reddy forgotten that he once opposed the indiscriminate sale of government lands? The sale of Kancha Gachibowli lands is the pinnacle of Congress's opportunistic politics." The Union Minister urged the state government to immediately withdraw its decision, warning, "Otherwise, the people are ready to teach a lesson." Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP MLAs were detained outside the MLA quarters in Hyderguda as they stepped out from the Quarters to visit Hyderabad Central University situated near the disputed 400 acres of land. Earlier on Monday, the University of Hyderabad issued a statement refuting the claims regarding the land demarcation survey on its campus in July 2024. In an official statement, the university clarified that it had neither agreed to nor been informed about any such survey for demarcating 400 acres of land. The administration dismissed the allegations as unfounded. According to the University, "In response to the recent spread of misinformation in the media and other persons, the University of Hyderabad wishes to clarify that no survey was conducted in July 2024 by the revenue authorities on the University campus to demarcate the 400 acres of land resumed by the State Government in 2006 from Ms IMG Academies Bharata Pvt. Ltd." (ANI) https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1906951224672624943 In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, "Wishing all my young friends a wonderful experience and a happy holidays. As I said in last Sunday's #MannKiBaat, the summer holidays provide a great opportunity to enjoy, learn and grow. Such efforts are great in this endeavour." The Prime Minister was replying to a post by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya who has launched a week-long summer camp for children, offering various activities aimed at fostering new skills. Following PM Modi's call to action,Surya shared details of a week-long summer camp organized for children. Taking on X, Surya wrote, " We've kickstarted a week-long Bengaluru South Summer Camp for children aged between 8-14 years in 10 centres across the constituency." https://x.com/Tejasvi_Surya/status/1906635654135755072 "With sessions in yoga & meditation, Gita recitation, dance fitness, self-defence & drawing, about 2,500 young minds are picking up an additional skill during these holidays through these activities. This is in line with PM Shri @NarendraModi Ji's #MannKiBaat message yesterday, where he nudged children to mix fun and learning this summer," the post added on X. Surya added in his post, "Sharing some glimpses from my visit & interaction with the children at the Summer camp." Meanwhile, on Sunday, in the 120th episode of his ,'Mann ki Baat' programme, PM Modi unveiled a unique calendar for children to make summer vacations more productive and creative. The PM said that the special 'MY-Bharat' calendar" would share a study tour where children could learn about how 'Jan Aushadhi Kendras' operate, experience border village by becoming a part of the vibrant village campaign and many other activities. Prime Minister Modi urged children and their parents to share their holiday experiences with the hashtag of #HolidayMemories.(ANI) The Saket District Court granted the accused, Aftab Amin Poonawala, the opportunity to recall and examine four Prosecution witnesses in the Shraddha Walker murder case. Poonawala is the sole accused in the case. The court has granted only one opportunity to examine these Prosecution witnesses. Earlier, the opportunity was closed due to non-examination. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Manisha Khurana Kakkar has granted the opportunity to examine these witnesses by the counsel for the accused. "The said witnesses appear to be material witnesses, and in order to ensure a fair trial, one opportunity is hereby granted to the accused to cross-examine the said witnesses, namely, witnesses Sunil Kumar Mishra, Abhay Singh, Manveer Singh, and Krishan Kumar Khandelwal," ASJ Kakkar ordered on March 28. The court made it clear that only one opportunity shall be granted. This case is at the stage of Prosecution evidence. Advocate Akshay Bhandari, counsel for the accused, moved an application on August 5, 2024, for recalling these witnesses. In the application, it was stated that the said witnesses could not be cross-examined as the main counsel was not well and the opportunity for cross-examination of the said witnesses was closed. It was further stated that the accused shall be severely prejudiced if he is not given an opportunity to cross-examine the said witnesses. It was prayed that the said witnesses be allowed to be recalled for their cross-examination. The application was opposed by the Delhi police. In the reply, it was stated that the poor health of the main counsel for the accused does not absolve the accused of the responsibility to ensure effective legal representation at the proceedings. It is, therefore, prayed that the application be dismissed, police argued. After allowing the application, the court recalled two witnesses for cross-examination on April 4. (ANI) CPI Member of Parliament, P Sandosh Kumar expressed strong opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday and argued that certain provisions in the bill are unconstitutional and could undermine the secular fabric of the nation. "We are not viewing this bill through Hindu-Muslim lines, but there are certain provisions within it that are unconstitutional and could potentially undermine the secular principles of our country. We will oppose this bill," Sandosh Kumar told ANI. Responding to the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) support for the bill, Kumar said, "It is not a Christian, Muslim, Hindu issue; for us, it is an issue related to secularism. They have every right to voice their opinion, but I want to emphasise that this issue is primarily about secularism and not about religious divisions. We are going to follow the principles and policies of the party we belong to." The Opposition has been vocal in its criticism of the Waqf Amendment Bill, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament soon. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of politics of appeasement, saying that their every decision is for votes. Yadav said that the BJP has taken every decision to make their people happy and reiterated the SP's strong opposition to the bill. Yadav further added that the BJP is introducing the Waqf amendment bill to "fix" its vote bank, which he implied is not happy because of lack of employment and other aspects. Criticising the Waqf Amendment Bill, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday said that this bill is unconstitutional and "grave violation" of Article 14, 25, 26 and 29 of the Indian Constitution. Owaisi said that this is not a Waqf Bill but a "Waqf Barbaad Bill." The AIMIM chief further questioned NDA allies Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu, Chirag Paswan, and Jayant Chaudhary on the reasons behind their support for the Waqf Amendment Bill. The Lok Sabha has been adjourned and is scheduled to meet again at 2.00 pm on Tuesday. The government is slated to table the revised Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament this week, so the sources said the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the lower house will be chaired on Tuesday. Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju has hit out at leaders seeking to "misguide" people and said the Waqf law has been in existence for decades. "Some people are saying that this Waqf Amendment Bill is unconstitutional. Waqf rules have existed since before independence. All these provisions are already in existence. If the Waqf Act has been in existence since before independence, then how can it be illegal? Innocent Muslims are being misled by saying that the government is going to snatch the properties and rights of the Muslims. The false things being spread by some people are very harmful to our society and nation," Rijiju told media persons. Many opposition parties are opposing the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act. Earlier, Rijiju said that criticising the bill was everyone's right, but it must be substantial. On Monday, Congress MP and party's General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh called the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, "a direct attack on Constitution," vowing to protest against the implementation of the bill, and demanding that NDA allies Telegu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) clarify their stance on the issue." The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a direct attack on the constitution and its foundation; it has been bulldozed through the JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee). If they implement it, we will we will oppose it democratically," Jairam Ramesh told ANI. Claiming that the bill was "bulldozed" through the Joint Parliamentary Committee, he said that a thorough discussion of each clause was not done in the committee. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also called the 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill,' aims to address key challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. (ANI) Congress MP Jebi Mather on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Centre of "dividing people" and stated that the Congress will stand for the rights of minorities. Speaking to ANI, Jebi Mather said, "The attitude of the government is to divide people. We will have to see what changes have been brought in. We will stand for the rights of those affected and minorities..." Mather also reacted to Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) backing of Waqf Amendment Bill, saying that they have the right to extend their views, but at the same time, the rights of the affected also need to be protected." "We respect Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council. They have the right to extend their views. We will try to address their concern. At the same time, the rights of the affected also need to be protected," the Congress MP said. Meanwhile, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale defended the bill saying the opposition was deliberately misdirecting Muslims, "This bill is in favour of common Muslims. The Opposition is deliberately misleading them. The Waqf Board has always been in the hands of a few people, which does not benefit poor Muslims. The government's intention is that all Muslims should benefit from the properties of the Waqf Board... So my request to all the people of the Muslim community is that this bill is not against them," he said. Earlri, the KCBC urged MPs to vote in favour of amending the "unconstitutional" and "unjust" provisions of the Waqf Act. The statement issued by Fr. Thomas Tharayil of the KCBC secretariat said that provisions in the Waqf law, which legitimise the "illegal claims" in such a way that people in Munambam are unable to exercise their revenue claims on the land, need to be amended. "The Farooq College management, which sold the land to the residents of Munambam, has asserted that the land in question was received as a gift, the MPs should cooperate to amend the waqf bill Which has provisions to raise claims against this. KCBC will send letter to each MPs requesting to vote in favour of amending waqf bill," KCBC said in a statement. Around 610 families of Munambam, a coastal village in the Ernakulam district, have been protesting against the claim by the Waqf Board on their land. (ANI) INSV Tarini, part of the Navika Sagar Parikrama II expedition, arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, on Tuesday, completing the fourth leg of its global circumnavigation, the Ministry of Defence stated. According to the MoD, the vessel and its crew were warmly welcomed by Ruby Jaspreet, Consul General of India in Cape Town; Rear Admiral (JG) Lisa Hendricks, Chief of Staff of the South African Navy Fleet; and Captain Atul Sapahia, Defence Adviser of India in Pretoria. A South African Naval Band also performed to mark the vessel's arrival at the port. The expedition, flagged off by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, on October 2, 2024, from Goa, is led by two Indian Navy women officers, Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Roopa A, aboard the indigenously built INSV Tarini. Covering over 23,400 nautical miles (approximately 43,300 kilometres), the mission is set to conclude in Goa by May 2025. Prior stopovers included Fremantle in Australia, Lyttelton in New Zealand, and Port Stanley in Falklands, UK. The vessel will now remain at the Royal Cape Yacht Club for two weeks for scheduled maintenance and repairs, during which the crew will engage with the South African Navy at Simon's Town Naval Base and Gordon's Bay Naval College, alongside planned community outreach events, the release stated. The journey for the crew so far had been arduous, with them navigating rough seas, stormy weather, winds exceeding 50 knots (93 kmph), and waves up to 7 meters (23 feet) high. Menwhile, the 56-foot INSV Tarini, inducted into the Indian Navy in 2018, exemplifies the 'Make in India' and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. The expedition promotes women's empowerment in the Indian Armed Forces, aiming to inspire young women to join the services, particularly the Navy, while also advancing marine and scientific research. The stopover in Cape Town underscores the strengthening maritime ties between India and South Africa. Recent engagements, such as INS Talwar's participation in Exercise IBSAMAR in October 2024 and INS Tushil's port call at Durban in January 2025, highlight the growing collaboration between the two navies to ensure safe and secure seas. INSV Tarini is expected to depart Cape Town on April 15, 2025, continuing its historic voyage. (ANI) Congress MP and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday expressed strong disagreement on the Waqf Amendment Bill, stating the entire nation is watching how the voice of democracy is being crushed in the Lok Sabha. "We walked out of the House. I don't know what is in their (government's) mind. I hope that the Speaker will take note of all of this. The entire country is seeing how the voice of democracy is being crushed slowly in the Lok Sabha," Gogoi told ANI. Meanwhile, the opposition party MPs walked out of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, Gogoi said, while accusing the government of bulldozing its agenda and not listening to the opposition members. The Congress MP stated that all opposition parties have demanded discussions of various issues, including the EPIC cards issue, Manipur's Presidential Rule resolution, the Waqf Amendment Bill and more under rule 193. Gogoi stated that opposition MPs had to walk out in compulsion as they were not left with any other option. "The opposition parties have walked out in the middle of the BAC meeting in protest because the government is simply bulldozing its agenda and not listening to the views of the opposition parties. We have asked for a comprehensive discussion on the Waqf Amendment Act, our views are being listened to. We asked for a proper time to be allocated for the resolution of President's rule in Manipur but our advice is not being listened to. We have asked for important discussions under rule 193 for voter EPIC cards and decisions to link it with Aadhar. All opposition parties have demanded this. We asked for important ministries to be taken for the discussion during Demands for Grants... that has not been taken. So, this House has completely become subservient to the Government, the whims of the policitcial masters can be seen in BAC meeting. The space has not been given to opposition leader... We had to walk out because we had no any other option... They do not want to talk on any issues...." Gogoi told reporters. Expressing dissatisfaction, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee stated that the government has not allowed any discussion and the Parliament floor is equally important for the opposition. Kalyan Banerjee said, "This is very sorry state of affairs that we have been compelled to walk out of the meeting. This Budget session was in two parts and from the very first part we were asking for a discussion under rule 193, especially on EPIC and other issues... If the BAC meeting starts fulfilling the agenda of the treasure bench of the government, what is the use of the meeting of BAC? We had walk out... Nothing has been allowed to discuss... Parliament floor is equally important for the opposition." AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also criticised the Waqf Amendment Bill and said that this bill is unconstitutional and "grave violation" of Article 14, 25, 26 and 29 of the Indian Constitution. Taking it further, Owaisi said that this is not Waqf Bill, rather it's a "Waqf Barbaad Bill." The AIMIM chief further questioned NDA allies Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu, Chirag Paswan and Jayant Chaudhary the reason behind their support to Waqf Bill. "This bill is unconstitutional. This bill is a grave violation of Article 14, Articles 25, 26 and 29. This is not Waqf Bill rather it's a Waqf Barbaad Bill. If Chandrababu Naidu, Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan and Jayant Chaudhary will praise it then they are doing so for their political reasons... They are supporting it but what answer will they give to the public after 5 years? If no non-Hindu can become a member in the Hindu Endowment Board, then why are you making a non-Muslim here?..." Owaisi told reporters. Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju hit out at leaders seeking to "misguide" people and said the Waqf law has been in existence for decades. "Some people are saying that this Waqf Amendment Bill is unconstitutional. Waqf rules have existed since before independence. All these provisions are already in existence. If the Waqf Act has been in existence since before independence, then how can it be illegal? Innocent Muslims are being misled by saying that the government is going to snatch the properties and rights of the Muslims. The false things being spread by some people are very harmful to our society and nation," Rijiju told media persons. Many opposition parties are opposing the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, also called the 'Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED) Bill,' aims to address key challenges by introducing reforms such as digitisation, enhanced audits, improved transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied properties. The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticised for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. (ANI) The LG prayed for the peace and prosperity of the state. On March 31, the LG met family members of the security personnel who lost their lives while combatting terrorists in Kathua. LG Sinha paid homage to the fallen personnel, honouring their supreme sacrifice in defending the nation. Expressing his condolences, Sinha wrote on X, "Visited the families of our Brave Sons of Maa Bharti, who attained Martyrdom while fighting the terrorists in Kathua. The supreme sacrifice of SgCT Balvinder Singh Chib, SgCT Jaswant Singh, HC Jagbir Singh, and SgCT Tariq Ahmed will never be forgotten." He emphasized that the nation stands united in honoring the courage and valor of the slain personnel. "This grateful nation salutes their unwavering courage & valour. We stand firmly with the bereaved family members in this hour of grief. I assure that the government will extend all assistance and support to the families of our bravehearts," he added. Earlier, four security personnel were killed in action during the counter-terror operation 'Safiyan' in the Kathua region. Head Constable Jagbir Singh, Selection Grade Constable (SgCT) Balvinder Singh, SgCT Jaswant Singh, and SgCT Tariq Ahmed were killed in action, while two terrorists were neutralized. Security forces also recovered war-like stores from the encounter site. The operation began on March 23 after locals reported the sighting of suspected Pakistani infiltrators in Sanyal. Authorities have placed the entire region on high alert as the search operation continues to track down potential threats. Security forces have intensified their efforts in the Kathua-Samba region, launching a search operation in the Samba sector near the international border to sanitise the area. (ANI) The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) on Monday hosted a farewell ceremony for Justice Chandra Dhari Singh, following the Central Government's approval of the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation for his transfer to the Allahabad High Court. During his address, Justice Singh became visibly emotional as he reflected on his long and cherished association with Delhi's legal fraternity, expressing deep gratitude for the relationships he had built over the years. In a moment of heartfelt sentiment, he recited the lines of a poem: "Suraj sa tez nhi mujhme, deepak sa jalata dekhoge (I am not as bright as the sun, but you will see me burning like a lamp) Apni hadh roshan karne se, tum mujhko kab tak rokoge (How long will you stop me from illuminating my boundaries)" The farewell ceremony was attended by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, who delivered a speech honoring Justice Chandra Dhari Singh's tenure and contributions to the judiciary. Senior Advocate N. Hariharan, the newly elected President of the Delhi High Court Bar Association, praised Justice Singh for his empathetic approach to the judiciary, referring to him as a "people's judge." He also invoked verses from Harivansh Rai Bachchan's iconic poem Madhushala, further enriching the evening with literary and emotional depth. The event was further elevated by the presence of all the sitting judges of the Delhi High Court, alongside hundreds of lawyers and newly elected bar leaders, making it a truly remarkable gathering in celebration of Justice Singh's distinguished service. The official notification, issued by the Ministry on March 28, stated that the transfer has been approved by the President of India under the powers granted by Article 222(1) of the Indian Constitution. The decision came after thorough consultation with the Chief Justice of India. Justice Singh has been directed to assume his new responsibilities at the Allahabad High Court without delay. The origins of this decision trace back to the Collegium's meetings held on the 28th and 29th of November 2024. During these sessions, the Collegium emphasized the importance of reinstating Justice Singh to his original judicial position, proposing his transfer to the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad. The Centre Government on Friday also transferred Justice Yashwant Varma amidst controversy surrounding allegations of unaccounted cash discovered at his official residence in New Delhi. The controversy has had significant repercussions for Justice Varma's role at the Delhi High Court. His name was notably absent from the recently reconstituted administrative committees, and his judicial work was withdrawn following a directive from the Chief Justice of India. Despite these developments, the Supreme Court has emphasized that the transfer decision is separate from the ongoing inquiry. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday expressed heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of three years of good governance of the state government. Taking to social media X, the CM in post wrote that it was due to PM Modi's leadership, guidance and special attachment towards Uttarakhand that the state could create new dimensions of development. "On behalf of all the residents of the state, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodiji for his good wishes on the occasion of completion of three years of our government dedicated to service, good governance and development. As a result of your able leadership, guidance and special attachment towards Uttarakhand, our state is creating new dimensions of development. Realising the vision of a strong and prosperous Uttarakhand, we have taken concrete steps towards making the state self-reliant and strong in all areas, including education, employment, health, infrastructure, transport and tourism," the post read. Further, the CM wrote that the state government was committed to making Uttarakhand the leading state of the country by imbibing the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas.' "Our government is committed to make Uttarakhand the leading state of the country by imbibing the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas'. Your encouraging words inspire us to work with dedication day and night for public service," he wrote. "Thank you Mr Prime Minister," the post further read. Earlier in the day, the CM said that the decision to rename the 11 places of the four districts of the state was based on the culture and the sentiments of the local people. Speaking to ANI, the CM said, "The names of the locations should be according to the culture, sentiments of local people, and Devbhoomi. The people have welcomed this step." (ANI) The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have arrested an accused, Shiva Shankar, involved in an online stock trading scam that defrauded a private employee from Hyderabad of over Rs14.6 lakh. The fraudster contacted victims through social media, promising high returns on stock investments. The case highlights the growing issue of online scams targeting unsuspecting investors, according to a release by Dy. Commissioner of Police Cyber Crimes. The accused is allegedly involved in two cases across India and one case in Telangana, was arrested under various sections of the IT Act and the Indian Penal Code. He is the account holder and supplier in the fraudulent activities. According to a police official," The victim, a 35-year-old Private employee from Hyderabad, received a WhatsApp message from the numbers offering online stock investment ideas for the stock market. The fraudster provided a link to join their WhatsApp group, where they claimed to offer institutional stocks, OTC stocks and Samco group stocks, promising high profits in a short time. Believing their promises to be genuine, the victim proceeded to transfer a significant amount of money from his bank accounts." "The scammers claimed that his investments were in bulk stocks and IPOs, which would yield a huge profit of 20 per cent on his invested capital. On their application, he could see apparent profits. However, when he decided to withdraw his profits, they informed him that the amount was still tied up in the so-called IPOs. When he insisted on withdrawing his earnings, they demanded that he deposit an additional amount. At this point, he realized it was a scam and demanded a refund. He attempted to contact them via phone and messages, but they did not respond. Eventually, they blocked his access to chats and calls. In total, the victim lost Rs14, 63,046/-(fourteen lakh sixty-three thousand forty-six rupees only)," said in a statement. The police said, fraudsters are contacting victims through social media platforms, the Telegram app, and WhatsApp calls and messages. They offer double or triple the profits in a short time through stock market trading. Initially, they show huge returns in their application and allow withdrawals to a certain extent. They then propose investment opportunities with huge profits and lure the victim to invest more by showing virtual profits. However, once the victim invests, the fraudsters block further withdrawals. The police further said that scammers often approach victims through various social media platforms, including Telegram, WhatsApp, X, Instagram, and Facebook, advertising fake investment apps or websites. These schemes are fraudulent and lack SEBI's endorsement. Fraudsters use simple tactics, such as showing fake profit screenshots and promising high returns, to lure unsuspecting investors. Initially, they may deposit a small amount into the victim's account to build trust. (ANI) Tamil Nadu Congress President Selvaperundagai on Tuesday announced that the party will stage a black flag protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tamil Nadu at Rameshwaram, highlighting concerns over federalism, state rights, and various policy issues. Selvaperundagai accused the Prime Minister of disregarding federal principles and undermining the rights of the state. "Why is he going to Tamil Nadu? When he doesn't care about federalism and snatching state rights. Tamil Nadu are going to do a black flag protest against PM Modi's visit to Tamil Nadu. It's he (PM Modi) who leads the union Ministers and doesn't give union education funds to the Tamil Nadu state and threatens the state to follow triple language. We are going to do black flag protest democratically," he said. Further, Selvaperundagai pointed out that the Union government had not released wages under the MGNREGA scheme for Tamil Nadu's beneficiaries. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi staunchly defended the state's language policy, invoking the legacy of late DMK leader M Karunanidhi while addressing concerns over the triple language policy under the New Education Policy (NEP). Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Anbil Mahesh said, "All members have been insisting on an important issue. As per DMK, it's our leader Karunanidhi who introduced the Tamil Thai Valthu (Tamil anthem), the Thirukural in government buses, the Valluvar Kootam constructed by him, a separate department for Tamil language development, government orders in Tamil, and made Tamil a classical language." Highlighting Karunanidhi's contributions, he challenged, "There are 122 big languages in India and 1,599 languages in total. Search across India to see if anyone else worked to save their mother tongue like our leader Karunanidhi did."The minister's remarks came in response to Opposition Deputy Leader RB Udayakumar, who raised concerns over a letter from Tamil Nadu's Chief Secretary to the Union Government, suggesting ambiguity and hinting that the state might have accepted the NEP's triple language policy. The MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government has locked horns with the Central government over the three-language formula proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the delimitation exercise. (ANI) New Delhi [India], April 1, 2025: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday highlighted India's growth strategy, noting that there are "four pillars" supporting it. Addressing the 21st DP Kohli Memorial Lecture on the occasion of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) 62nd Foundation Day, the Union Railway Minister said, "There are four pillars of our growth strategy. First, public investment in physical, social, and digital infrastructure. Second, there is a large number of inclusive growth programmes. Third, we need to focus on manufacturing and innovation, and fourth, we need to simplify our legal and compliant structures." Reflecting on the legacy of CBI founder DP Kohli, Vaishnaw said, "He created a very strong organisation, which is today considered the premier investigation agency in the country." He emphasised the need for investigating officers to understand the evolving context of society and the economy, noting, "We are passing through the most transformative phase of the 21st century." Vaishnaw cited global challenges, including a pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, the 2008 financial crisis, and the upcoming US tariff regime, adding, "This whole new thinking in global geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geocultural norms is changing the entire global economic order significantly." Vaishnaw underscored that 2024 was a landmark year for democracy, with nearly 60 countries holding elections, and India's vote for stability by voting in the NDA government for the third term reflected a decade of transformative change. "We are now the fastest-growing major economy among the top 10 economies in the world... This success is a result of a clear, well-thought-out strategy and meticulous execution," he added. Meanwhile, CBI Director Praveen Sood, speaking at the event, remarked, "2024 has been a historic year for law enforcement agencies and CBI in many ways." He highlighted procedural changes and timelines in new laws aimed at accelerating justice delivery, stating, "It will help deliver justice to victims in a time-bound manner." Sood also noted that Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the CBI portal BHARATPOL earlier this year, enabling seamless communication between law enforcement agencies nationwide and the CBI. "Earlier this year, Union HM Amit Shah launched the CBI portal BHARATPOL, which facilitates seamless communication between law enforcement agencies all over the country and CBI," the CBI Director added. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly criticised the Prayagraj Development Authority for demolition of some houses without following due process of law and remarked that this "shocks our conscience". Authorities and especially development authorities must remember that the right to shelter is also an integral part of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, said a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan. The apex court said the demolition action of the development authority was "inhuman and illegal", adding that "residential structures of citizens cannot be demolished in such fashion". "Carrying out demolition in such a manner shows insensitivity on the part of the statutory development authority," said the top court as it slammed the authority for "illegal" demolition of houses. It further remarked that these cases shock our conscience, adding that residential premises of the appellants have been "high handedly" demolished. Hence, the bench directed Prayagraj Development Authority to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to house owners whose houses were demolished, within six weeks. In 2021, the authority had demolished the houses of a lawyer, a professor and three others in Prayagraj. "Considering the illegal action of the demolition which is in violation of rights of the appellants under article 21 of the Constitution, we direct the Prayagraj Development Authority to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakhs each to the appellants," the order stated. During the hearing, the top court was informed by the counsel of petitioners that they don''t have the funds to reconstruct houses on their own cost. The bench also expressed shock that houses were demolished within 24 hours of notice was affixed. The order of the apex court came on a plea filed by advocate Zulfiqar Haider, professor Ali Ahmed and others whose houses were demolished. The Allahabad High Court had rejected their pleas challenging the demolition. Thereafter, petitioners approached the apex court against the High Court order. (ANI) Terming the Waqf Amendment Bill as "good", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Tuesday batted for the bill to pass in Parliament. Speaking to ANI, Dubey stated that the Waqf Amendment Bill was first introduced by Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1911. He further stated that separate laws for Hindus and Muslims have led to the division of the country, accusing Congress of misleading the Muslim community for vote-bank politics. "In 1911, Jinnah Sahib brought the Muslim Waqf Act. Until 1954, it was known as the Jinnah Act. Separate laws for Hindus and Muslims have divided the country into two parts. Whenever there were elections, Congress, for Muslim vote-bank politics, misled the Muslims. Till now, 60 meetings of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) have concluded. In one of the meetings, TMC's Kalyan Banerjee tried to hit Jagadambika Pal Ji with a bottle," the BJP leader said. "Today, in the Business Advisory Committee, the Speaker said that we can run the house for 8 hours and then decide whether or not we need to extend the time. But the Opposition came with the intention to boycott it. The Waqf Amendment Bill is a good bill and it should be passed in Parliament," Dubey, who is also a member of the Lok Sabha Business Advisory Committee, said. The Waqf Amendment Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. The BJP on Monday has issued a whip to all Lok Sabha MPs to be present in Parliament on Tuesday. The Opposition has been vocal in its criticism of the Waqf Amendment Bill. Sources said the INDIA bloc Floor Leaders' meeting is to be held today at 6 PM to discuss the strategy on the Waqf Amendment Bill issue. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of playing the politics of appeasement, saying that every decision they make is for votes. Yadav said that the BJP has taken every decision to make its supporters happy and reiterated the SP's strong opposition to the bill. Yadav further added that the BJP is introducing the Waqf Amendment Bill to "fix" its vote bank, which, he implied, is unhappy due to the lack of employment and other issues. Reacting to the Waqf Amendment Bill, AIMIM chief and party MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, "...I can speak on behalf of my party that we will participate in the debate, move amendments, and present our views. We will explain how this Bill is unconstitutional and violates the Freedom of Religion for Muslims..." (ANI) Students in the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) continued to protest against the Telangana government's proposal to auction 400 acres of green land in Kancha Gachibowli near the University. A protesting student said, "This protest has been going on for the last one week since the day we came to know that bulldozers had arrived at the place. This protest is for the 400 acres of land which belongs to HCU. If you see our online site you will see that the University has 2300 acres of land. It used to be more than that but due to complicity of the state government with the Vice-chancellor and Registrar the University, the University is losing the land and this time also the same thing is happening." Earlier Union Minister G Kishan Reddy alleged that the Congress government in Telangana is planning to auction 400 acres of green land under Hyderabad University (HCU) to real estate companies, a move he claims will disturb the ecosystem. Speaking to the media, G Kishan Reddy said, "Congress government wants to auction the land to real estate companies, which will disturb the ecosystem. Tree cutting is being done at night. Rahul Gandhi advocates for stopping mining in Kerala and gives big speeches in Delhi, so he should think about what his government is doing in Telangana. This is why students (of Hyderabad University) are protesting and the state government is using force on them, which is wrong. I wrote a letter to the CM to stop this auction and cutting down of trees." G Kishan Reddy had called for an immediate halt to the sale of the 400 acres of land under Hyderabad University, citing environmental concerns and the potential displacement of local wildlife. He also demanded an end to the tree felling, a measure that has triggered protests from students. "I have written a letter to the Chief Minister (A Revanth Reddy) in the Congress government to stop this action. I demand from the CM and Rahul Gandhi that 400 acres should be saved. Also, the equipment which has been installed for tree cutting should be removed," the Union minister told ANI. "Forest Department, Central University, everyone has developed this land for a long time. But today, the Congress-led Telangana government wants to auction it off and give it to a real estate company. Due to this, there will be a lot of concrete jungle. Eco-sensitivity will be damaged and environmental problems will arise, we don't know where birds, animals will go," he added. Minister Reddy claimed that the government is cutting trees down in the middle of the night, accusing the Congress government of hypocrisy as party leader Rahul Gandhi talks about the ecological damage of mining in Kerala. "They are putting floodlights and cutting trees in the middle of the night. This Congress government gives a big speech in Delhi. Sonia Gandhi gives a big speech. Rahul Gandhi should think about what his government is doing. He says that mining should not be done in Kerala, so Rahul Gandhi gives a letter to the Prime Minister, but where his government is, they want to give away the green land, so students are protesting against it," the minister said. The Union Minister also criticized the government's response to the protests, describing the lathi charge and arrests of students as "undemocratic." He further stated, "To crush that movement, the Congress party government is doing this by arresting the police and charging them with sticks, charging them with lathis, this is an undemocratic system." (ANI) Locals in Haridwar district of Uttarakhand on Tuesday celebrated the state government's decision to change the name of Gajiwali village to Arya Nagar, among various other villages to "honour public sentiment, Indian culture and heritage." The had been wanting to have the names changed for a long time. "The atmosphere is like Diwali or Holi. This was the demand of the villagers for a long time and long ago, we had made a proposal to former minister (Yatishwaranand) Swami too," said a villager, Devendra Singh Negi, to ANI. "He took a big initiative and reached out to (Pushkar Singh) Dhami. Dhami ji has done the work of changing the name of the village. We celebrated with dhols (drums), distributing sweets, people have taken an off to celebrate," he added. On Monday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Dhami announced the renaming of certain places in Haridwar, Dehradun, Nainital, and Udham Singh Nagar districts of the state. Another villager, Subodh Kumar Gupta, talking about the change of Gajiwali to Aryanagar told ANI, "I would first like to thank CM Dhami on behalf of all villagers, and this is an initiative for development, the future generations of our children would benefit from this. We used to say that people did not know about us because of the name Gajiwali, and now people will know." Earlier on Tuesday, CM Dhami, while talking about the decision, told reporters that the decision to rename the 11 places of the four districts of the state was based on the culture and the sentiments of the local people. "The names of the locations should be according to the culture, sentiments of local people, and Devbhoomi. The people have welcomed this step," CM Dhami said. This initiative aims to inspire people by honouring great personalities who have contributed to the preservation of Indian culture, according to an official statement. In Haridwar district, Aurangzebpur will be called Shivaji Nagar, Gajiwali will change to Arya Nagar, Chandpur to Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Mohammadpur Jat to Mohanpur Jat, Khanpur Kursli to Ambedkar Nagar, Indrishpur to Nandpur, Khanpur to Shri Krishna Pur, and Akbarpur Fazalpur to Vijayanagar, as per CM Dhami's announcement. (ANI) Grand ceremony held to worship legendary ancestor Huangdi in China's Henan Xinhua) 08:30, April 01, 2025 A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) A ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, is held in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang) Performers attend a ceremony to worship Huangdi, a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, in Xinzheng City, central China's Henan Province, March 31, 2025. People attended a grand ceremony on Monday here to worship the legendary ancestor Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor. March 3 on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Monday this year, is widely believed to be the birthday of Huangdi. As a legendary common ancestor of the Chinese people, Huangdi was believed to have been born in the county-level city of Xinzheng. Worshipping Huangdi is a tradition in China. The ceremony of ancestor worship in Huangdi's hometown was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) RJD leader and Bihar Legislative Assembly Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav attacked BJP while addressing a press conference in Patna on Tuesday. Tejashwi Yadav said that the elections will be held in Bihar whenever the BJP directs the Election Commission of India (ECI). He said that the people of the state have made all the arrangements to give a reply to the 20-year-old government and stated that the people have made up their mind to change the government. "You all know that elections are going to be held in Bihar. Whether it will happen or not is in the hands of BJP when the BJP signals the Election Commission, then elections will be held. But this time, the people of Bihar have made full preparations to give a reply to the 20-year-old government, and this time the people have made up their mind and this time, change is going to happen. All the BJP leaders from across the country will visit Bihar. BJP has a tradition that these people visit the state where elections are held, although this is their own decision", Tejashwi Yadav said. Tejashwi Yadav further spoke on Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent visit to Bihar. He alleged Amit Shah did not know any facts and stated that he just spread lies. "Amit Shah came on a tour of Bihar, but despite being the Home Minister, he does not have any facts and he has nothing to say except lies and 'jumlas'", Tejashwi Yadav said. He added that Amit Shah came to Bihar just for the sake of targeting Lalu Yadav. Yadav said that Shah does not have any information and alleged him to propagate lies. "Amit Shah did come to Bihar but during his speech, he kept talking only about Lalu Prasad Yadav and he does not have any information and propagates lies. Amit Shah does not study facts before coming to Bihar. Based on report of NCRB, the highest number of criminal incidents have taken place in Bihar", Tejashwi Yadav added. Tejashwi Yadav strongly targeted Amit Shah on the issue of reservation and said that if the limit for increasing the scope of reservation has not been increased, then why does he not always mention it during his speeches. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has expressed deep sorrow over the death of labourers from the state in a blast incident at a firecracker godown in Gujarat's Banaskantha district on Tuesday. The Chief Minister Officer (CMO) said that the Madhya Pradesh government was in continuous touch with the Gujarat government and complete assistance would be provided to the state workers. "Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has expressed deep grief over the untimely death of workers hailing from Madhya Pradesh due to the explosion in a firecracker factory in Banaskantha, Gujarat. The Madhya Pradesh government is in touch with the Gujarat government and all necessary efforts will be made to assist the workers and help their families," CMO said. It further added that CM Yadav also prayed to Baba Mahakal that may the departed soul rest in peace. Meanwhile, the death toll in the firecracker godown explosion in Gujarat's Banaskantha district has risen to 18. According to officials, the explosion at the firecracker godown in Deesa area on Tuesday morning, led to the collapse of the structure, trapping several workers inside. Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities continue to assess the situation. Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana said that a case has been registered in connection with the incident. "As soon as we received information about the incident, we initiated relief work. So far, 18 people have died due to the collapse of a slab. An FIR is being filed under Section 304 (causing death by negligence), and strict action will be taken against those responsible," SP Makwana said. Banaskantha police have formed five teams to identify and nab those responsible for the incident, the SP added. Earlier, 13 bodies were recovered and four people were injured after the slab collapsed on them in the firecracker godown explosion incident. District administration officials said that all the workers belonged to Madhya Pradesh. Banaskantha Collector Mihir Patel shared details earlier, saying, "The entire slab of the structure collapsed following the explosion at the firecracker godown. Thirteen bodies were initially recovered from the site. As debris is being cleared, we continue to assess the situation." "Four people have been injured, with two referred to Civil Hospital in Deesa and two others to Palanpur Civil Hospital," he added. The Collector further said they received information at around 9.45 am about the explosion at the firecracker godown, which led to the collapse of the entire structure. (ANI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Maharashtra MLA Aaditya Thackeray took a jibe at the Mahayuti-led Maharashtra government on Tuesday, calling it an "April fools' government" and criticising them for backtracking on their campaign promises. The UBT leader hit out at the state government over not providing farm loan waivers, despite it being announced previously. Similarly, he alleged that the government will be closing off the women's welfare scheme, Ladki Bahin Yojana. "Today, it is April fools' day and for us we know it as 'achey din' (good days). This government is April fools' government. Earlier, Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) said that farmers' loans would be waived off now Deputy CM (Ajit pawar) says nothing as such will be done," Thackeray said during a press conference in Mumbai. "Ladki Bahin Scheme is going to close very soon, government has no funds to give beneficiaries," he added. Criticising the government further, he alleged that there has not been proper management of waste and the roads are of "inferior quality." "There is no proper management of solid waste and roads are of very inferior quality in the city. Deonar's dumping ground is now given to Adani corporation and this government is silent on the deal," he said. Claiming that the state's financial capital, Mumbai, is being "looted" by the Mahayuti government, he urged citizens to write a letter to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on May 1 to highlight their concerns. "Mumbai is looted by Mahayuti government and top most business men. I am appealing to every mumbaikars that you have to write a letter to BMC on 1st May to highlight your concerns and warn them that you are not going to pay any taxes to BMC," he said. Aaditya Thackeray's jibe came as few days ago, DCM Ajit Pawar, while addressing concerns about loan waivers, had told citizens that they must repay their crop loans by March 31. He acknowledged that election promises don't always translate into actions and that decisions will be made considering current circumstances. "Whether it's Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis or Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, the focus remains on working for the welfare of people. Recently, many citizens raised concerns about the election manifesto's promise of loan waivers. As of March 28, I want to clearly inform the people of Maharashtra through this programme to repay their crop loans by March 31," Pawar, who is also the state's Finance Minister had said on March 29. Promises made during elections don't always translate directly into actions. Considering the current circumstances, decisions will be made in the future. However, for now and even next year, loans taken must be repaid. On a positive note, arrangements have been made to avail of loans at 0 per cent interest," he added. Pawar was speaking at an event in Baramati, where he addressed the state's financial commitments. While he had presented the state Budget of Rs 7.20 lakh crore in the Assembly before, Pawar highlighted the significant burden of waiving electricity bills worth about Rs 65,000 crore. Pawar emphasised that the government has to foot the bill for these waived electricity charges, which is a substantial expense. He added, "Whatever was said does not come into action directly because while presenting a Budget of Rs 7.20 lakh crore, electricity bills worth about Rs 65,000 crore have been waived off, meaning you don't, but we, the government, have to pay it." (ANI) Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday raised concern over the delay in conducting the decadal census and urged the government to immediately start both the decadal census as well as the caste census. Kharge said that the country has been conducting a census after every ten years from the year 1881 and despite of wars, emergencies or crisis, the process has always continued. The Congress president quoted Mahatma Gandhi and said that according to him, "just like we need periodic medical checkups to assess our health, a census is the most important checkup for a nation." "Chairman sir, our country has been conducting a census every 10 years since 1881. No matter what -- wars, emergencies, or crises -- the process has always continued. Back in 1931, we even conducted a caste census along with the regular census. Right before the 1931 Census, Mahatma Gandhi Ji had said that just like we need periodic medical checkups to assess our health, a census is the most important checkup for a nation", Kharge said while speaking in Rajya Sabha. Furthermore, Kharge emphasised that census is a "crucial exercise" and "involves a large number of people who collect data not just on population but also on employment, family structures, socio-economic conditions, and several other key aspects." He also reiterated Congress' demand for a caste census and that should happen with the general census. He highlighted government's 'unwillingness' to conduct census said that they have allocated only Rs 575 crore to conduct the process. "The census is a crucial exercise. It involves a large number of people who collect data not just on population but also on employment, family structures, socio-economic conditions, and several other key aspects. Even during major events like World War II and the India-Pakistan war of 1971-72, the census was conducted. But for the first time in history, the government has delayed the census indefinitely. Along with the general census, there should also be a caste census. After all, the government already collects data on Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), so why not include other castes as well? But unfortunately, the government has remained silent on both. This year's budget has allocated only Rs575 crore for the census, which reflects the Government's unwillingness to conduct it this year as well", Kharge said. The Rajya Sabha LoP said that delaying the census will have "serious consequences" and without it the politics will become "arbitrary" and "ineffective". He further highlighted that without the accurate census many people are left from the benefits of the welfare schemes. "Meanwhile, 81 per cent of countries around the world have managed to complete their censuses successfully, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. Delaying the census has serious consequences. Without accurate and updated data, policies become arbitrary and ineffective. Several crucial surveys and welfare programs--such as the Consumer Survey, National Family Health Survey, Periodic Labour Force Survey, National Food Security Act, and National Social Assistance Programme--rely on census data. Because of this delay, crores of people are being left out of welfare schemes. Policymakers are making decisions without reliable and up-to-date data. Thus, I would strongly urge the government to immediately start the decadal census, including the caste census, without any further delay", Kharge said. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav chaired a cabinet meeting at Mantralaya in the state capital Bhopal on Tuesday and informed the council of ministers about the priorities and activities of the state government. While addressing the ministers, CM Yadav said that Madhya Pradesh is the only state in the country that has cleared all the dues of industrial units in the state. There are no pending payments due to industrial units and MP is the first state to accomplish it. "Madhya Pradesh is the only state where all dues of large and small, micro, and medium industrial units have been fully paid. The state government is committed to advancing rapidly in the direction of industrialization. In 2024-25, a total of Rs 3100 crore have been paid to large industrial units. Payments of Rs 702 crore have been made to large industrial units under the Industrial Department," CM Yadav mentioned. Under the MSME department, payments of Rs 1075 crore are being made for pending incentives. In total, Rs 2162 crore were paid to MSME units in 2024-25. Similarly, today, through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), Rs 1777 crore worth of incentive payments are being made to MSME and large units, benefiting more than 2500 industrial units, the Chief Minister added. He further said, "The 'School Chale Hum' campaign began on April 1, with the enrollment activities lasting for four days. Ministers are expected to make efforts to ensure the success of this enrollment activity from April 1 to April 4 in their respective districts. The state government has decided to provide textbooks to nearly 85 lakh students at the start of the academic session. These textbooks will be distributed during the activity this month, alongside cultural activities, sports, and special meals. A calendar for implementing these activities is being prepared." CM Yadav also informed the Cabinet ministers that all CM Rise schools being constructed and those under construction would now be named 'Sandipani Vidyalaya.' Additionally, he shared that an IT Conclave would be held in Indore on April 27. Indore holds great potential for information technology, and nearly 200 companies from India and abroad would participate in the event. In addition, the CM announced that the central government approved a special central assistance of Rs 284 crore for housing facilities for industrial working women. This amount will be used to provide hostel facilities for 5120 women in industrial areas such as Pithampur, Mandideep, Malanpur, Vikram Udyogpuri, Jhabua, Singrauli, Dewas, and Narmadapuram. Furthermore, CM Yadav informed that wheat is being procured from farmers at the support price of Rs 2600 a quintal. District in-charge ministers and public representatives should monitor the weighing and other arrangements to ensure smooth operations of this process. So far, 14.76 lakh farmers have registered for wheat procurement, and approximately 8 lakh metric tons of wheat have been procured from about 1 lakh farmers. The procurement process is likely to gain momentum in April. (ANI) Assam Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker and senior BJP leader Numal Momin on Tuesday warned Bangladesh, saying that they should remember that India had "torn up" Pakistan in two parts in 1971. Numal Momin stated that India can defeat Pakistan and Bangladesh once again. "I want to remind Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus that India had torn up Pakistan once in 1971 - East Pakistan and West Pakistan - (Currently Pakistan and Bangladesh). India can again tear up this Pakistan and Bangladesh," He told ANI, reacting to Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus's comment on seven sisters of Northeast India. "My opinion is that Bangladesh should be divided in two parts, in one part Bangladeshi Muslims should stay and in other part Hindu, Christian, Budhhist, Jain, Sikh they should live. So, Muhammad Yunus should be very careful commenting against India. We don't want the bilateral relationship to be disturbed by it. But we should warn they shouldn't play against the Northeast region. They shouldn't play against the Northeast people. Because this Northeast is very much part of our nation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking a special interest in uplifting this Northeast region. We are developing in such a rapid way. This is a warning from the Northeast region that Muhammad Yunus should restrain from giving such comments. Otherwise, he must be ready to suffer," Numal Momin said. On the other hand, talking about the 'Chicken's Neck' corridor, the Assam Assembly Deputy Speaker said that many conspiracies are going on against India. "They (China, Bangladesh) are doing a serious conspiracy against India. But under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, any evil design of Bangladesh and China will be defied. Our Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has correctly suggested an underground road, which will be very safe and a shortcut, and it will help proper connectivity to the rest of the country. In future, it will help us. I must thank the Chief Minister for his valuable idea and suggestion", he added. (ANI) Amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Ferozepur has busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of a drug smuggler and recovered 3.5 kg heroin from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday. The arrested accused has been identified as Sukhdev Singh alias Sukhi, a resident of Mohan Ke Uttar in Ferozepur. Apart from recovering heroin, police teams have also impounded his bike, which he was riding. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that a preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested accused was in direct contact with the Pakistan-based smuggler, who was using drones to drop the drug consignments from across the border. Further investigation is underway to trace the forward and backward linkages in this case, he added. In a post on X, DGP Punjab Police said, "In an intelligence-led operation, Counter Intelligence Ferozepur busts a cross-border drug cartel by arresting Sukhdev Singh @ Sukhi, a resident of #Ferozepur, and recovering 3.5 Kg #Heroin. Preliminary investigation reveals the consignment was sent by #Pakistan-based drug smugglers." "Further investigations are underway to uncover forward and backward linkages. An FIR under the NDPS Act has been registered at PS #SSOC, Fazilka. @PunjabPoliceInd remains committed to dismantling drug cartels and making Punjab drug-free," he added. Sharing operation details, AIG Counter Intelligence Ferozepur Gursewak Singh Brar said that following reliable input about the involvement of accused Sukhdev Sukhi in smuggling activities, police teams from CI Ferozepur launched an intelligence-based operation in the area of village Lakho Ke Behram in Ferozepur and apprehended him along with seven packets of heroin, weighing 500 grams each, kept in a plastic bag. He said that the accused was going to deliver the consignment to someone when police teams apprehended him. Efforts are being made to uncover the entire network of suppliers, dealers, and buyers, as well as to identify the person to whom accused Sukhdev Sukhi was to deliver the drug consignment, he said while adding that more recoveries and arrests are likely in the coming days. In this regard, a case FIR dated March 31, 2025 has been registered under section 21-C of the NDPS Act at the Police Station State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Fazilka. The accused will be produced before the Hon'ble Court to obtain police remand for further investigation. (ANI) A cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at Mantralaya in Bhopal on Tuesday and the council of ministers given a nod to the launch of 'Mukhyamantri Sugam Parivahan Seva' to provide organized, convenient, and safe passenger transport bus services on urban and rural routes in the state. The plan involves structured traffic, route surveys, and bus frequency determination to operate passenger buses in an organized manner. The cabinet ministers decided that the private sector would provide safe and regulated passenger transport services. For operating Mukhyamantri Sugam Parivahan Seva, a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model will be adopted to develop high-quality transport infrastructure. Private bus operators will be regulated through a transparent process using a digital IT platform. The entire bus operation will be monitored through an IT-based system, ensuring compliance with Service Level Agreements (SLA) and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for passenger convenience and safety. To initiate this transport service, Rs 101.20 crore was also approved as seed capital. Additionally, approval was granted to form a state-level holding company. Currently, 20 cities in Madhya Pradesh have SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles) under the Companies Act for public transportation, of which 16 are operational. These companies will be merged into seven divisional companies. A holding company will be formed under the Companies Act, 2013, to oversee these seven companies. The decision includes closing the existing transport companies in Rewa and Gwalior and forming new regional companies. Necessary amendments will be made to the Madhya Pradesh Motor Vehicle Rules, 1994, with the administrative department proceeding as per legal procedures. The transport-related assets currently used by city transport companies will remain under their control. Bus terminals, bus stands, and stops developed using municipal funds will be upgraded in collaboration with the holding company to enhance passenger facilities. Additionally, the Council of Ministers approved the revision of various allowances for government employees, leading to an additional annual burden of Rs 1,500 crore on the state government. House Rent Allowance (HRA): Based on the 7th Pay Commission and basic salary 10% for A-category cities, 7% for B-category cities, 5% for C & D-category cities. Other Allowances increased as per price index adjustments, including Daily allowance, vehicle allowance, meal allowance, lodging eligibility, and local transport for out-of-state travel. Double allowance for additional work, Non-practice allowance for eligible doctors and medical teachers, Secretariat allowance and special allowance for ministry officials, Death Gratuity increased to Rs 1.25 lakh based on a 2.57x multiplier. Ministry Allowance for employees working in the Finance Management Information System, Directorate and State Hospitality Office will receive ministry allowance equivalent to officers in the Secretariat. The Cabinet Ministers also declared the Mata Bambarbaini Ancient Temple in Lavkushnagar, Chhatarpur district, as a sacred site. It includes Khasra No. 2157 (0.012 hectares) and Khasra No. 2158 (30.375 hectares) of hilly land. The declaration will ensure better conservation and development of the temple site. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Minister Danish Azad Ansari on Tuesday voiced support for the Waqf Amendment Bill, stating that Muslims are backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the proposed legislation. Speaking to ANI, Ansari said that an ordinary Muslim believes the Waqf Amendment Bill is crucial for the development of the Muslim community. "A common Muslim believes that the Waqf Amendment Bill is very important for the development of the Muslim community. It is shocking how some people and political parties are overlooking the welfare of Muslims for their personal gains," he said. "A few people oppose this bill because the rights to lands under waqf are held by a small group of individuals. Common Muslims are with Narendra Modi," the BJP MLA added. The Waqf Amendment Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. The BJP on Tuesday issued a whip to all its Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in Parliament on April 2 and 3, respectively. The opposition, however, has been vocal in its criticism of the Waqf Amendment Bill. The INDIA bloc floor leaders' meeting began in Parliament to discuss the strategy for the Waqf Amendment Bill to be tabled tomorrow. The bill was earlier presented in the Lok Sabha in August of last year, following which a Joint Parliamentary Committee was formed under the leadership of Jagdambika Pal for further consideration. The bill aims to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to address issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties. The Amendment Bill seeks to improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India. It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous Act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act, updating the definitions of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing Waqf records. The Waqf Act of 1995, enacted to regulate Waqf properties, has long been criticized for issues such as mismanagement, corruption, and encroachments. (ANI) Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday regarding the recent explosion in West Bengal's Dhola, urging immediate intervention to ensure that those accountable face the "full weight" of the law. Majumdar, in his letter, stated that there are suspicions the explosion may have been deliberate and that it took place at an illegal bomb-making facility operating under "political" protection. "I am writing to express profound concern regarding the recent explosion in Dhola, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. According to local reports, this tragic event, allegedly occurring at an 'illegal firecracker factory,' has resulted in over six fatalities. However, suspicions arise that it may have been a deliberate explosion at a clandestine bomb-making facility operating under political protection," Majumdar, who is the Minister of State for Education, said. "This incident is part of a concerning trend; Bengal has seen a significant rise in illegal arms and explosives incidents, posing severe threats to national security and public safety," the West Bengal BJP president added, urging Shah to commission the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the explosion. He stressed the importance of determining the origins of these explosives. "I urge your distinguished office to commission the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this explosion. It is crucial to determine the origins of these explosives, hold those responsible accountable, and dismantle any networks involved in illicit arms and bomb production," Majumdar's letter read. He further stated that West Bengal faces lawlessness and unchecked extremism. "Its residents deserve a secure environment, free from politically shielded criminal threats." As many as six people died, and several others were injured after an alleged explosion was reported in Patharpratima, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari said on Tuesday. "Devastating news from Patharpratima, South 24 Parganas district - 6 people have died and several are injured after another explosion in a crude bomb manufacturing unit," Adhikari posted on X earlier today. The leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly said that in another incident on February 4, four people lost their lives in Patharpratima. "Less than two months after an explosion on Feb 7, 2025, took 4 precious lives at Kalyani, another such incident has occurred. This time at Patharpratima, South 24 Parganas district. Bhupatinagar, Egra, Budge Budge, Kalyani -- the list keeps growing. How many more tragedies will take place before serious action is taken? The DGP @WBPolice must answer why the State of West Bengal is sitting on a pile of crude bombs," he added. The BJP leader further stated that Rs 2 lakhs would be announced for the next of kin of the victims, and a week later, people would move on. The state police were present at the spot in Patharpratima village in Dholahat, where an alleged explosion was reported last night. (ANI) The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on 'Prevention of Air Pollution from Vehicles', presented in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday, has highlighted major irregularities in pollution testing and enforcement measures, raising concerns over the reliability of the system. According to the report, Pollution Checking Centres (PCCs) in Delhi have been issuing an excessive number of Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCCs), including vehicles that failed to meet emission norms. This has raised serious doubts about the credibility of pollution tests. Key findings of the CAG report revealed the condition of air pollution in the national capital. Emission data not recorded in the database: Despite Supreme Court directions, no link was established between emission data and the National Database of Vehicles--VAHAN. This allows PCCs to manually select a vehicle's BS emission standard, increasing the risk of manipulation. Gap between vehicle registration and PUC tests: A significant difference was found between the number of vehicles registered in Delhi and the number of pollution tests conducted, indicating that many vehicle owners are not getting pollution checks done regularly. No checks on testing equipment: The Department of Transport (DoT) failed to ensure the efficiency of PCCs and their equipment, with some centres issuing pollution certificates despite their equipment not being verified. Remote sensing technology not adopted: Despite repeated Supreme Court recommendations, remote sensing technology--which can check vehicle emissions without stopping vehicles--has not been implemented since it was first proposed in 2009. Flaws in vehicle fitness tests: The credibility of Delhi's vehicle fitness tests is under question. The automated testing Centre at Jhuljhuli was underutilised, while Burari's centre relied primarily on visual inspection. Even at Jhuljhuli, some vehicles were passed without emission checks. No system to remind vehicle owners: Between 2014-15 and 2018-19, 20 per cent to 64 per cent of vehicle owners did not renew their fitness certificates, and the DoT failed to implement a system to remind them. No control over emissions from old vehicles: The CPCB had recommended the mandatory installation of diesel particulate filters (DPF) in old diesel vehicles, but the DoT's request to amend the rules has been pending with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) since 2017. Illegal registration of old vehicles continues, with slow action on seizures: Despite the Supreme Court's ban, registration of old vehicles continues. Only 6.27 per cent of old vehicles were deregistered between 2018-21, and out of 41 lakh end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) in Delhi, only 357 were seized. Weak monitoring of NCR vehicles: Out of 128 entry points into Delhi, enforcement teams were deployed at only seven locations. Additionally, the enforcement branch requires 1,134 personnel but has only 292 staff.G report has recommended that the government strengthen pollution testing reliability, promote automated tests, tighten enforcement against old vehicles, and improve the capacity of monitoring agencies to tackle rising pollution levels in the capital. (ANI) Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday condoled the demise and injuries of several workers in a firecracker factory in Banskantha, Gujarat, urging for "strict enforcement of safety rules and clear accountability of those responsible." "The news of the death of several workers and injuries to many in the explosion at a firecracker factory in Banaskantha, Gujarat is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families," Gandhi said in a post on X. https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/1907054049947504747 "To prevent such tragic incidents, there must be strict enforcement of safety rules and clear accountability of those responsible," his post added. He further urged for an investigation into the incident, and giving the culprits the "harshest punishment." "This accident should be investigated immediately and the culprits should be given the harshest punishment. Often incidents of fire and explosions occur in such factories, and poor workers who have gone out to earn their livelihood lose their lives," his post read. Earlier today, officials said that 18 workers from Madhya Pradesh died after an explosion at the firecracker godown in Deesa area of the state led to the to the collapse of the structure, trapping several workers inside. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also expressed condolences over the tragic loss of lives. CM Yadav wrote in a post on X, "The sad news of the untimely death and serious injuries of workers from Madhya Pradesh due to the explosion in a firecracker factory in Banaskantha, Gujarat is extremely heart-rending. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families." Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana said that a case has been registered in connection with the incident. "As soon as we received information about the incident, we initiated relief work. So far, 18 people have died due to the collapse of a slab. An FIR is being filed under Section 304 (causing death by negligence), and strict action will be taken against those responsible," SP Makwana said. Banaskantha police have formed five teams to identify and nab those responsible for the incident, the SP added. Banaskantha Collector Mihir Patel shared details earlier, saying, "The entire slab of the structure collapsed following the explosion at the firecracker godown. Thirteen bodies were initially recovered from the site." The Collector said they received information at around 9.45 am about the explosion at the firecracker godown, which led to the collapse of the entire structure. (ANI) Himachal Pradesh Revenue, Horticulture, and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi on Tuesday announced key developments for the state's horticulture sector, outlining achievements, initiatives, and future plans. Addressing a press conference following the 217th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing & Processing Corporation (HPMC), Negi highlighted the corporation's financial performance, ongoing projects, and expansion strategies. Minister Negi emphasized HPMC's financial success, saying that the corporation has recorded an all-time high profit of Rs 5 crore in the current financial year. The corporation also achieved its highest-ever production of 2,000 metric tons of apple concentrate. "Today, the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Committee (HPMC) held its 217th meeting. This was my first meeting with the Board of Directors, and I am pleased to announce that HPMC has long been serving the state's horticulturists and farmers. It has earned a strong reputation nationwide for its initiatives under the Marketing Intervention Scheme (MIS), including the procurement of apples and other produce," said Negi. HPMC has also ventured into apple cider vinegar and apple wine production while introducing ready-to-serve juices in 250ml, 500ml, and 1000ml packs, now being sold in Delhi and Jaipur metro stations. Negi emphasized the importance of infrastructure expansion, revealing that HPMC plans to utilize its vast land assets across the country to generate revenue. The corporation is set to monetize properties in key metropolitan cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai, through commercial leasing and development projects. "HPMC owns prime land in several cities, including 15 bighas in Kolkata, which is expected to generate upfront revenue exceeding Rs 100 crore and an annual rental income of over Rs 2 crore. We are finalizing tenders to ensure optimal utilization of these properties," he said. Additionally, the board has decided to outsource Cold Atmosphere (CA) storage facilities and grading-packing centers through a tender process, ensuring their efficient operation by private entities. HPMC is also set to construct CA storage units using geothermal technology, with a pilot project already initiated in Kinnaur's Tapri region. HPMC is collaborating with an Iceland-based company to develop geothermal-powered cold storage facilities, utilizing hot spring energy. The initiative includes a fruit and vegetable dryer with a capacity of 500 kg per day, demonstrating promising results. "This geothermal project has the potential to revolutionize cold storage solutions across India, reducing dependence on electricity while also supporting central heating systems for homes." Negi added. HPMC has also launched an online service platform, enabling direct sales of horticultural products to consumers. The initiative has received positive responses and high customer ratings. He said with the Government Support and Future Roadmap, Under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), the Himachal Pradesh government has allocated Rs 30 crore to HPMC for the procurement of apples from farmers. Minister Negi reassured that the government is committed to ensuring timely payments to farmers and enhancing support services. He further announced new product launches in South India, particularly in Chennai, to strengthen HPMC's market presence. "Our board meeting has resulted in several important decisions, including infrastructure expansion, product diversification, and technological advancements. We are determined to provide better facilities and services to farmers and horticulturists in the state," he said. With these initiatives, HPMC is poised to strengthen its market position while ensuring sustained benefits for the farming community of Himachal Pradesh. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will consider the application of YouTuber and Podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia to release his passport to travel abroad after the investigation in the case relating to the controversial remarks made by him and others in an episode of India's Got Latent is completed. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Maharashtra government, told the top court that the investigation will be completed in the case in two weeks. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh also extended its interim order of granting protection to the podcaster from arrest in the FIRs registered against him in Guwahati, Mumbai and Jaipur. "The petitioner has given an undertaking that his show, which was permitted, will maintain decency and will not mention any issues which are sub-judice in different forums. On query, Solicitor General said that investigation in the ongoing FIRs is likely to be completed within two weeks. "Since, the petitioner might be required to join the ongoing investigations, his prayer for release of passport and to allow him to travel abroad will be considered after the investigations are complete," the order stated. The apex court was hearing his petition seeking the clubbing of FIRs registered against him across the country for controversial remarks made by him and others who were part of an episode of India's Got Latent. Earlier, the top court had permitted Allahabadia to resume his podcast 'The Ranveer Show', subject to maintaining standards of decency and morality. It had allowed Allahabadia to resume the show after taking into note that livelihood of around 280 employees depends on the telecast of his show. Before that, the bench had directed Allahabadia and his associates to be "off from show business from sometime". The top court had come down heavily on Allahabadia for his inappropriate comments during his guest appearance on the show, and described it as "dirty and perverted." The apex court had also directed no further FIR shall be registered against him on the basis of episode aired on the show. It had also asked him to deposit his passport with police and he can't leave country without permission of the court. It had also asked the Centre if it wanted to take action regarding obscene content on YouTube and other social media and sought assistance from the Attorney General and Solicitor General in the matter. On February 11, the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said the Guwahati Police has registered an FIR against YouTubers and social influencers Allahabadia, Samay Raina, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija, and others for promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussions on India's Got Latent. FIRs have been registered against them in Mumbai and Guwahati. (ANI) A pre-school teacher was arrested here on charges of extorting money and blackmailing a student's father with whom she had been in an affair, Bengaluru Police said. City Crime Branch (CCB), Bengaluru arrested Sridevi Rudagi (25) and two others Ganesh Kale and Sagar for allegedly extorting Rs 4 lakh from the victim and also blackmailing him, with photos and videos for a Rs 20 lakh more. As per the police, the victim is a trader living in a western Bengaluru neighbourhood with his wife and three daughters, had enrolled his youngest kid (five) in the school in 2023. The teacher and the victim met and established contact, both of them used separate sim cards and used to communicate through video calls and messages. Rudagi then extorted Rs 4 lakh from the father of the student. She also demanded more than 15 lakh in the beginning of the 2025. When he hesitated, she visited his home on the pretext of borrowing Rs 50,000. Later, as the victim's business suffered setbacks, he made a difficult decision to relocate his family to Gujarat. And he needed the child's Transfer Certificate. Upon the father's complaint reaching the school, he found himself cornered in Rudagi's office, with Kale and Sagar, The latter showed the father the private photographs and videos and then demanded Rs 20 lakh or these would be revealed. The father said that he tried to reason with them and negotiated a payment of Rs 15 lakh, with an initial transfer of Rs 1.9 lakh. But the demands continued. On March 17, Rudagi called him on the phone to remind him of the payment - Rs 5 lakh for a former police officer, and Rs 1 lakh each for Sagar and Kale, and the remaining Rs 8 lakh for her. As he was unable to bear the torture, he called the police, who quickly established that the police officer had no connection. Rudagi, Sagar, and Kale were arrested and sent to judicial custody for 14 days. (ANI) Former Chief Minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Board member B S Yediyurappa announced that he would participate in the all-night protest satyagraha organized by the BJP tomorrow, demanding the state government immediately roll back its anti-people price hikes. Speaking to the media at his Dhavalagiri residence in Dollars Colony, Bengaluru, he stated that the common people are struggling due to the continuous rise in prices. The protest will begin at Freedom Park, and he urged everyone, regardless of political affiliation, to join and make the movement successful. Criticizing the Congress, he said there is an internal tussle for the Chief Minister's chair within the party, indicating that their primary concern is power rather than the welfare of the people. He added that the BJP's protest would continue for several more days and that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi would also participate in the demonstration in Mysuru. Yediyurappa expressed confidence that the government might reconsider its decisions if the media also stands firmly against the price hikes, as journalists are also affected by the rising costs. When asked about the expulsion of BJP leader Yatnal, he declined to comment. He criticized the Siddaramaiah-led government, accusing it of running a "Tughlaq Darbar" after being given an overwhelming majority by the people. He alleged that the administration had neglected public welfare, pushing common citizens into an unbearable situation. He also condemned the government's move to provide a 4 percent reservation for Muslims in public works contracts, questioning, "What crime have Hindus committed?" He clarified that the BJP is not against Muslims but believes a Chief Minister should treat all citizens equally. Yediyurappa further accused the Congress government of constantly increasing prices, citing hikes in petrol, bus fares, and milk prices. He pointed out that milk prices had been raised by Rs 4 per litre in one go, totalling a Rs 9 increase per litre within a year. Additionally, electricity tariffs had been raised by 36 paise per unit for the second time under this government, making life difficult for the lower and middle classes. He also highlighted that the cost of installing transformers for farmers had surged from Rs 30,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh. Stamp duty, SR value, and guidance value had been increased by 100 percent to 1000 percent. He accused the Congress government of making every essential commodity more expensive, preventing people from living peacefully. Earlier Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy has expressed outrage over the implementation of garbage cess in Bengaluru by the Congress-led Karnataka government, stating that the "price hike demon" government in Karnataka is draining the blood of the people like leeches. In a press statement, he said, "From today, the Congress Company government is imposing a cess even on garbage! It is draining the blood of the people!" He accused the state government of lying daily and hiking prices every month. "This is the governance style of the Karnataka East India Congress Company government! From today, the Congress Company government is imposing a cess even on garbage!" Kumaraswamy said. (ANI) In a historic display of inter-faith harmony, the Indian Minorities Federation (IMF) organised a Multifaith Sadbhawna Eid event at the revered Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah, marking the conclusion of the holy month of Ramzan. Esteemed spiritual leaders from the Sikh, Christian, Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist communities came together to extend messages of love, peace, and unity to the Muslim community. The event celebrated the invaluable contributions of the Muslim community to India's remarkable development and saluted the spirit of patriotism and nationalism that unites every Indian. IMF's Sadbhavana (Celebrating Oneness) mission, aimed at spreading brotherhood, peace, and harmony, was strongly highlighted during the occasion, aligning with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi: 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas'. Prof. Himani Sood, Co-Founder of IMF, speaking to ANI, expressed her joy over the event. "Beautifully said Sadbhavna Eid, today Indian minority federation with all its religious colours, that is, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai, Parsi got together and celebrated EID milan in Hazrat Nizamuddin; it was a wonderful moment where all of us got together to pray for the country, to pray for our honorable Prime Minister, to pray for viksit Bharat. We all pledged that we will be together, we will be the nation number one on the world map in the coming days," she said. "Today, everyone gathered together to pray for the country and a developed India, and today there was a very positive atmosphere. All brothers and sisters also discussed the Waqf Bill, and I felt very happy to hear this. It shows the vibrancy of our democracy and the inclusive approach of our government. I also learned that the people of Hazrat Nizamuddin were consulted regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. From today's discussions, it was concluded that the Waqf Bill is a very necessary, relevant, and just bill, and it will play a significant role in bringing transparency in the country," Himani Sood added. She further added, "Today, from this shrine, we want to send a message across the world on Eid that India is united, and the Prime Minister's vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas' is a reality, and it is a very strong reality." Syed Farid Ahmed Nizami, Sajjadanashin (spiritual head) of the Dargah, said while speaking to ANI: "It is a very joyful occasion, a great opportunity as Eid ul-Fitr is a very blessed day. The Indian Minority Federation is participating for the first time, although they had organised a Ramzan Iftar earlier where countless people were fed at the shrine on their behalf. This time, they have come here for Eid Milan, to meet and greet people. There is a very happy atmosphere, and people are also very pleased. I pray to Allah that He grants long life to all these people and success in their efforts to spread the message of love, peace, and brotherhood throughout the country. May Allah grant them success in this mission." "Look, the Sufi shrines in India, the Sufi tradition in India, and the shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia in Delhi are all witnesses to peace and tranquility, embodying the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb (a fusion of Hindu-Muslim culture). People from every community and religion have been connected to these shrines for centuries. This is the beauty of these shrines, that everyone is embraced here, whether Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Sikh, Christian, or Jew," he added. Syed Farid Ahmed Nizami spoke on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and termed it "controversial." He stated that he had a meeting with the Ministry of Minority Affairs and raised his concerns to him. Nizami stated that the minister assured to address all the concerns. "Look, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has become a controversial issue in India. We had a meeting with the Minister of Minority Affairs, and we raised some objections, especially concerning the Waqf by User issue. As a lawyer, I understand the intricacies of this bill and the issue regarding Waqf by User. We had some concerns, and the minister listened to us carefully and assured us that they would look into the matter. However, I am not aware of the amendments made in the bill and to what extent these issues have been addressed," he said. The event underscored the timeless Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, reflecting the rich history of peaceful coexistence at the Hazrat Nizamuddin shrine, where people from all religions have gathered from centuries, further cementing India's tradition of unity in diversity. (ANI) After the price of diesel in Karnataka set to rise by Rs 2 per liter , former Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Central Parliamentary Board member B.S. Yediyurappa will take part in protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru city on Wednesday against Congress led State Government's frequent hike in prices of essential commodities. Speaking to the media at his Dhavalagiri residence in Dollars Colony, Bengaluru, he stated that the common people are struggling due to the continuous rise in prices. The protest will begin at Freedom Park, and he urged everyone, regardless of political affiliation, to join and make the movement successful. Criticizing the Congress, he said there is an internal tussle for the Chief Minister's chair within the party, indicating that their primary concern is power rather than the welfare of the people. He added that the BJP's protest would continue for several more days and that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi would also participate in the demonstration in Mysuru. Yediyurappa expressed confidence that the government might reconsider its decisions if the media also stands firmly against the price hikes, as journalists are also affected by the rising costs. When asked about the expulsion of BJP leader Yatnal, he declined to comment. He criticized the Siddaramaiah-led government, accusing it of running a "Tughlaq Darbar" after being given an overwhelming majority by the people. He alleged that the administration had neglected public welfare, pushing common citizens into an unbearable situation. Yediyurappa further accused the Congress government of constantly increasing prices, citing hikes in petrol, bus fares, and milk prices. He pointed out that milk prices had been raised by Rs 4 per litre in one go, totalling a Rs 9 increase per litre within a year. Additionally, electricity tariffs had been raised by 36 paise per unit for the second time under this government, making life difficult for the lower and middle classes. He also highlighted that the cost of installing transformers for farmers had surged from Rs 30,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh. Stamp duty, SR value, and guidance value had been increased by 100 percent to 1000 percent. He accused the Congress government of making every essential commodity more expensive, preventing people from living peacefully. Earlier, the price of diesel in Karnataka is set to rise by Rs 2 per liter as the state government has increased the sales tax on diesel to 21.17 per cent. Meanwhile, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has introduced a new "garbage cess," making it mandatory for Bengaluru residents to pay a solid waste management user fee starting Tuesday, April 1. The BBMP has decided to increase door to door waste collection and disposal charges, imposing a monthly 'garbage cess' on various properties. The new tax will be levied on residential buildings, shops, and hotels, with charges varying based on property size. As per BBMP, hotels which were previously charged Rs 5 per kg of garbage, will now pay Rs 12 per kg. Similarly, for residential buildings charges are based on area. For buildings up to 600 sq ft a monthly charge of Rs 10 will be collected. While for buildings with area between 600-1,000 sq ft a monthly garbage cell of Rs 50 will be collected. Buildings ranging from 1,000-2,000 sq ft of area, a monthly cess of Rs 100 will be collected, while it has been fixed at Rs 150 per month for buildings with 2,000 - 3,000 sq ft of area. For buildings from 3,000 sq ft to 4,000 sq ft of area, a monthly garbage cess of Rs 200 will be collected, while Rs 400 will be collected per month for buildings with above 4000 sq ft of area. The garbage cess will be collected annnually along with property tax. The BBMP expects to generate around Rs 600 crore annually through this initiative to boost its revenue. This move follows recent hikes in milk and electricity prices, adding another financial burden on residents. On March 27, the Karnataka government announced a Rs 4 per liter increase in the price of Nandini milk and curd, effective April 1. This decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to support dairy farmers and account for rising milk production and processing costs. Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) Chairman Bheema Naik defended the state government's move to increase the price of Nandini milk by Rs 4 per litre, stating that the additional cost would go directly to the farmers. "We were selling milk in Karnataka at a price lower than that elsewhere in the country. KMF procures 86 lakh-1 crore (milk) every day. 1 litre of milk is sold at Rs 42 (Karnataka). In Gujarat, it is Rs 53, in Andhra & Telangana, it is Rs 58, in Delhi and Maharashtra, it is Rs 56, in Kerala, it is Rs 54. This decision has been taken in the interest of herders. These 4 Rupees are going to farmers," Naik told ANI. Earlier Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy has expressed outrage over the implementation of garbage cess in Bengaluru by the Congress-led Karnataka government, stating that the "price hike demon" government in Karnataka is draining the blood of the people like leeches. In a press statement, he said, "From today, the Congress Company government is imposing a cess even on garbage! It is draining the blood of the people!" He accused the state government of lying daily and hiking prices every month. "This is the governance style of the Karnataka East India Congress Company government! From today, the Congress Company government is imposing a cess even on garbage!" Kumaraswamy said. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday kicked off the 'Lakhpati Baideo' journey by launching Assam's biggest women entrepreneurship support scheme. He distributed the first phase of cheques to 23,375 women entrepreneurs under Mukhyamatri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan at the new Kettala Playground, Borgang in Behali in Biswanath district. With this launch, 27,04,161 SHG members are set to benefit as Assam moves towards a new era of financial independence for women. It may be noted that under the Abhiyan, CM Sarma distributed the first tranche of Rs 10,000 as seed capital to women beneficiaries to boost self-employment opportunities. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said, "In Assam, we are adopting a multi-layered strategy to empower our Nari Shakti right from school to old age. Free admissions, free schooling, livelihood support through Orunodoi, Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan (MMMUA), old age pension and free food grains--in every step, we are standing firm with our Nari Shakti." CM Sarma said that under MMMUA, if the beneficiaries make good use of their seed capital, which is Rs. 10,000, in the second year, they will be entitled to Rs 25,000, of which Rs 12,500 will be a bank loan, and the remaining Rs 12,500 will be a state grant. He also said that the State government will bear the interest on the bank loan. The Chief Minister said that women who achieve success in business under the scheme will be entitled to Rs 50,000 in the third year. Chief Minister Sarma said that the women SHGs will continue enjoying all the benefits, as the State government granted Rs 1,090 crore to 2.17 lakh women SHGs under different schemes in the state. He also said that an e-commerce platform has been built and strengthened to help the women in their entrepreneurial activities. The Chief Minister also said that all the students belonging to poor families who will be appearing for metric examination, government will credit Rs 300 per month, to help them take tuitions and perform better in their examination. He also said that from today onwards along with reducing Rs 1 for every unit of electricity, Government will buy every quintal of paddy for Rs 2,550 and mustard for Rs 6,450. Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ashok Singhal, Food, Civil Supplies etc Minister Kaushik Rai, MP Ranjit Dutta, MLA Diganta Ghatowar, Pramod Borthakur, Utpal bora, Krishna Kamal Tanti, Amiya Kumar Bhuyan, and host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion. Earlier, Chief Minister Sarma inaugurated a special health camp at Rupjyoti Kala Parishad Field, Pabhoi, at Biswanath. The special health camp has been organized with a vision to ensure affordable and quality healthcare for all. The State government has launched health camps across every GP, VCDC, and urban area to provide free health check-ups and medicine and promote healthy lifestyles and nutrition. Free consultations and diagnostic care will be provided in the health camps. The Chief Minister also handed over Rs 2 lakh on-time assistance to 10 retired ASHA workers for their invaluable services. The Chief Minister also, while inaugurating the Circuit House in Biswanath, planted an Ajar sapling. (ANI) Former Telangana Minister Harish Rao criticised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and accused him of repeatedly deceiving farmers. He alleged that the Chief Minister has failed to implement the Rythu Bharosa scheme as promised. Harish Rao pointed out that Revanth Reddy had publicly assured that Rythu Bharosa funds would be deposited into farmers' accounts by March 31, a promise he reiterated during the recent Assembly Budget session. "However, despite these commitments, the funds have not been disbursed, leaving farmers disappointed," he said. He remarked that while the chief minister makes grand announcements, his actions fail to match his words. "His promises cross mountains, but his steps do not even cross a doorstep," Rao said, criticising the Congress government's "failure to provide the promised financial support to farmers in time for Ugadi". "Dussehra: Rythu Bharosa funds were promised but not delivered. Sankranti: Another assurance was given, yet no funds were released. Ugadi: Farmers were once again left disappointed," he said. He accused the Congress of being an anti-farmer government, starting the new year with a bitter experience for farmers. He also compared the current administration with the previous BRS government, highlighting that while KCR's Rythu Bandhu scheme provided financial aid during the sowing season, Revanth Reddy's government is failing even at harvest time. Harish Rao further attacked the government over other unfulfilled promises, Loan waiver scheme, which he termed a massive fraud. Indiramma Athmiya Bharosa, which has seen no real progress, BRS said in a press release. He criticised the Congress for continuously shifting deadlines while leaving farmers in distress. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has vowed to continue holding the government accountable. Harish Rao declared that the BRS will not rest until every farmer receives loan waivers and Rythu Bharosa funds. The party will expose the Congress government's failures at every possible forum and continue protests until the promises made in the election manifesto and Assembly are fulfilled. His remarks highlight the growing tension between the BRS and the Congress government over farmer welfare schemes, with the opposition preparing to intensify its campaign against the ruling party. (ANI) Thirteen fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly for cross-border fishing were released from prison and reached Chennai Airport, Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday night. These fishermen were arrested on February 19 and 20 from Rameswaram in the Ramanathapuram district, allegedly for cross-border fishing. Subsequently, on March 30, the Sri Lankan government released the 13 fishermen and handed them over to Indian embassy officials in Colombo. The embassy officials provided emergency travel documents and arranged for their return to Chennai by flight. Upon arriving at Chennai Airport, the fishermen completed immigration and customs procedures before being escorted out. Fisheries department officials from Rameswaram warmly welcomed them outside the airport. Speaking to reporters, the fishermen expressed their grief, stating that after being arrested and presented in the Sri Lankan court, they were fined four lakh Sri Lankan rupees each. "To pay the fine, they had to pledge all the jewelry from their homes, amounting to around 80,000 Indian rupees. The fishermen also shared their distress over the loss of their boats," the fishermen said. Following their arrival, fisheries department officials arranged a private vehicle to transport the fishermen back to Rameswaram. Earlier on March 27, the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 11 Tamil Nadu fishermen and took them to Kangesanthurai Naval camp for investigation. According to the Rameswaram Fishermen Association, 11 Tamil Nadu fishermen were apprehended in one boat fishing in the Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu. On March 20, 13 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing outside the approved boundaries returned home to India after being handed over by the Indian Embassy in Colombo. The group of fishermen were arrested on February 26, and were produced in Mallakam court in Sri Lanka, kept imprisoned for nearly a month. Additionally, three fishermen were also admitted to a government hospital in Sri Lanka due to sustaining injuries. The Sri Lankan court reportedly released 13 fishermen on March 12 after talks between the two sides. On March 18, a group of three fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy while fishing near Delft Island in the Palkbay Sea area. The arrested were identified as A Shankar (53), M Arjunan (35), and S Murugesan (49). On February 23, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed concern over the increase in the capture of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, urging the Centre to convene a Joint Working Group (JWG) to find a permanent solution to the issue. (ANI) Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that the step was taken reportedly on the instructions of the Chief Minister as part of his 'drug free Punjab' initiative "On instructions of the CM as part of his 'drug free Punjab' initiative, we are here in Maqboolpura to assist the municipal corporation in the demolition drive. Gurmeet Singh is a notorious smuggler and has three NDPS cases against him. He is presently lodged in jail," Bhullar told ANI. He further said that as part of our drive from March 1 to 31, the Commissionerate of Police, Amritsar, 125 FIRs were lodged, and 237 smugglers were arrested. "6.36kg of heroin, 2.179 kg of opium, and 5513 pills and intoxicants were recovered in this month... 4 properties have been demolished on orders of the municipal corporation," he added. On March 31, the Punjab Police arrested 48 drug smugglers and recovered 16.7 kg of heroin along with Rs 34,300 in drug money under the ongoing "Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign, launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. With this, the total number of drug smugglers arrested in the last 31 days has reached 4,640. The operation was conducted simultaneously across all 28 police districts of the state as per the directions of Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. Notably, CM Bhagwant Mann has asked the Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, and Senior Superintendents of Police to make Punjab a drug-free state. The Punjab government has also constituted a five-member Cabinet Subcommittee led by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to monitor the war against drugs. Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said that over 200 police teams, comprising more than 1,400 personnel under the supervision of 99 gazetted officers, conducted raids at 518 locations across the state. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed grief over a firecracker explosion in the Banaskantha region of Gujarat that claimed 18 lives and announced the ex-gratia of 2 lakh rupees to the next of kin of each deceased. "Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the explosion at a firecracker factory in Banaskantha, Gujarat. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected," the Prime Minister's Office posted on X. PM Modi also announced an ex-gratia of 2 lakh rupees from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased and 50,000 rupees to the injured. "An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," it added. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed grief over the incident and announced financial assistance of 4 lakh rupees to the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees to the injured persons. "I am in constant touch with the administration regarding the relief, rescue and treatment operations in this accident. I have instructed the administration to ensure that the injured get proper treatment at the earliest. The state government will provide Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured," Patel posted on X. The death toll from the firecracker blast in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat has reached 18. The explosion occurred at approximately 9:45 am. According to officials, the explosion at the firecracker godown in the Deesa area on Tuesday morning led to the collapse of the structure, trapping several workers inside. Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities continue to assess the situation. Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana said that a case has been registered in connection with the incident. "As soon as we received information about the incident, we initiated relief work. So far, 18 people have died due to the collapse of a slab. An FIR is being filed under Section 304 (causing death by negligence), and strict action will be taken against those responsible," SP Makwana said. Banaskantha police have formed five teams to identify and nab those responsible for the incident, the SP added. (ANI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday urged the Centre to award Bharat Ratna to seer Shivakumara Swami for his invaluable contributions to society. "Sri Shivakumara Swamiji has given anna, akshara and ashraya (food, education and shelter) to lakhs of people cutting across caste and religion. The Centre must consider him for the Bharat Ratna award," he appealed to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at a function organised at Siddaganga mutt to celebrate the 118th birth anniversary of the seer. "I appeal to the Union Defence Minister to bring this to the attention of the Prime Minister. This is an appeal from the people of Karnataka and the government of Karnataka. Sri Shivakumara Swamiji has given many achievers to this society. Sri Siddaganga Mutt is a sacred place," he said. He further said that the seer was a demigod and his ideals were a guiding force for all of them. "Poet Sarvagna said that salvation can come only from the guru. I was blessed to meet Sri Shivakumara Swamiji during his last days at a Chennai hospital. He is from our district. I am blessed to be named after him. He is a demigod for all of us and his ideals, preachings and way of life are guiding forces for all of us. I had visited the mutt along with the then CM S M Krishna, who was inspired by the annadashoha at the mutt to start mid-day meals at all government schools," he recalled. He further stated that the seer strongly believed in taking everyone along with him. "The Swamiji was a devout follower of Basavanna and strongly believed in taking everyone along with him. We have come here to pay our tribute to the great human being who did not discriminate between the rich and poor, between communities. Everyone was treated equally in this mutt. All of us have the responsibility of taking his tradition forward," he concluded. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a heartfelt message, expressing his warmest wishes to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and the people of Bangladesh, on the joyous occasion of Eid-al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. https://x.com/chiefadvisergob/status/1906727665564033030?s=48&t=WnjyJyC971ItJhbOMQlj-Q Muhammad Yunus shared the letter on X and wrote, "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sends the following message to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to wish people of Bangladesh on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitar." In the letter, PM Modi wrote, "As the blessed month of Ramadan comes to a close, I take this moment to extend warm greetings and felicitations to you and the people of Bangladesh on the joyous occasion of the festival of Eid al-Fitr." "Over the holy month, 200 million Indians of Islamic faith joined their brothers and sisters across the world in spending pious time in fasting and prayer. The joyous occasion of Eid al-Fitr is a time of celebration, reflection, gratitude and unity. It reminds us of the values of compassion, generosity and solidarity that bind us together as nations and as members of the global community," he added. PM Modi expressed his wishes for peace, harmony, good health, and happiness for people worldwide and emphasised that the bonds of friendship between India and Bangladesh would continue to grow stronger. "On this auspicious occasion, we wish for peace, harmony, good health and happiness for people across the world. May the bonds of friendship among our countries grow stronger," he said. Earlier, PM Modi also shared the post on X, wishing Eid to everyone and wrote, "Greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr. May this festival enhance the spirit of hope, harmony and kindness in our society. May there be joy and success in all your endeavours. Eid Mubarak!" Eid-ul-Fitr is a time to reinforce the values of charity, kindness, and compassion. In addition to giving Zakat (charity), many people choose to help others by providing meals, clothing, and support to those less fortunate, reflecting the Islamic principles of empathy and care for others. (ANI) US President Donald Trump announced his upcoming visits to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia next month. The announcement was made while signing executive orders in the Oval Office. Asked if the trip will take place in May as reported, Trump responds, "It could be next month, maybe a little bit later." Trump reiterates that he decided to make Saudi Arabia his first foreign destination after Riyadh pledged to invest nearly USD 1 trillion in US companies, as reported by the Times of Israel. Meanwhile, in a phone interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump has set off a firestorm by suggesting he may seek a third term in office, despite the constitutional barriers, CBS News reported. During the interview, Trump claimed, "There are methods which you could do it," prompting concerns about his willingness to challenge the amendment, which limits presidents to two terms. "I'm not joking," Trump emphasized, although he added, "It is far too early to think about it." "I'm not joking," Trump said, but reiterated, "It is far too early to think about it." According to CBS News, the 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, explicitly states that "no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice." This limit was established after President Franklin D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four consecutive terms. Any attempt to remain in office would be legally suspect, and it is unclear how seriously Trump might pursue the idea. The comments nonetheless were an extraordinary reflection of the desire to maintain power by a president who had violated democratic traditions four years ago when he tried to overturn the election he lost to former President Joe Biden, as per CBS News. Trump's comments have been met with fierce criticism, with Rep. Daniel Goldman labeling it an "escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy." Goldman urged Congressional Republicans to oppose Trump's ambitions. "If Congressional Republicans believe in the Constitution, they will go on the record opposing Trump's ambitions for a third term," he said. Goldman, a New York Democrat who served as lead counsel for Trump's first impeachment. (ANI) US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Monday (local time) declined to comment on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom's (USCIRF) annual report, which recommends placing India on the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list. When asked about the US Commission's request to put sanctions on Indian Intelligence Agency RAW, Bruce replied, "Well, I will not discuss negotiations or diplomatic considerations in that manner at all." She further added that the department would "take a look at where that stands and the reference to that. But that's not something that is - I'm going to be commenting on." According to the report, the CPC Designations include Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Further, she also addressed questions regarding President Donald Trump's ability to make the world a better place. When asked about Trump's role in PoJK (Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir) and Afghanistan, where people are seeking his help and 'his bold decisions to lift them out of misery,' Bruce acknowledged that many Americans believe President Trump is not only beneficial for the US but also for the world, citing his reputation as a peacemaker. "Well, I support President Trump, and I think that the majority of Americans who gave him this mandate understand that that's what is possible. We saw that happen in the first term. We've seen the nature of his impact even as a businessman in the United States when it comes to the impact on cities and states and the country as a whole, to the point where the American people made him the President of the United States," she said. "Clearly, a financially stable America, a strong America, for as long as we've been here, has made the difference in the safety and security of the rest of the world. That is the kind of dynamic that the world wants and expects. President Trump embodies the nature of our original founding about what America is for and the nature of what it can accomplish when it comes to sticking with its values and making sure that we're safe and secure and that we respect ourselves and implement our values," she added. (ANI) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday (local time) the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese officials responsible for limiting the access of US officials to Tibetan areas. This move is in response to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) long-standing refusal to allow US diplomats, journalists, and international observers into Tibet while Chinese officials enjoy unrestricted access to the United States. "Today, I am taking steps to impose additional visa restrictions on Chinese officials determined to be substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to Tibetan Areas, pursuant to the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018," Rubio said in a statement. "For far too long, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has refused to afford US diplomats, journalists, and other international observers access to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas of China, while China's diplomats and journalists enjoy broad access in the United States. US diplomats are also unable to provide services to US citizens traveling in Tibet," he added. Further, the US urged the CCP to immediately address this issue and allow diplomats and others unrestricted access to TAR. "This lack of reciprocity is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. I urge the CCP to immediately address the lack of reciprocity and allow diplomats, among others, unrestricted access to the TAR and other Tibetan areas of China," he said. Earlier in the day, a spokesperson from the US Department of State slammed China's call for informants on Taiwan independence as 'irresponsible and reprehensible' According to a report by the Taipei Times, he described the Chinese government's request that citizens report individuals advocating for "Taiwan independence" as "irresponsible and reprehensible." In an email referenced by the Taipei Times, the spokesperson stated, "China's urging for private individuals to inform on alleged 'persecution or suppression' by so-called 'Taiwan independence henchmen and accomplices' is both irresponsible and reprehensible." The spokesperson indicated that this action is part of Beijing's "intimidation campaign" against Taiwan and its allies, which they claim is "threatening free speech globally, destabilising the Indo-Pacific region, and intentionally undermining the cross-strait status quo." (ANI) "The IDF is returning to fight with great force to eliminate the capabilities of terrorist organizations in these areas," Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF's Arabic language spokesperson, tweeted. "For your safety, you must move immediately to the shelters in Al Mawasi." At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 59 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead. (ANI/TPS) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, held their first news conference since returning to Earth, addressing concerns about Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Despite experiencing problems that left them stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), both astronauts expressed a willingness to fly on the Starliner again. When asked if he would fly again aboard the Starliner, Wilmore said, "Yes, because we're going to rectify all the issues that we encountered. We're going to fix them. We're going to make it work. Boeing is completely committed. NASA is completely committed, and with that, I'd get on in a heartbeat." Williams shared similar sentiments, praising the spacecraft's capabilities and acknowledging that minor issues need to be addressed. "I would agree, " Williams said. "The spacecraft is really capable. There were a couple of things that need to be fixed ... and folks are actively working on that, but it is a great spacecraft, and it has a lot of capability that other spacecraft don't have. To see that thing successful and to be part of that program is an honor," she added. While talking about their Crew-9 mission, NASA astronaut Nick Hague said the mission showcased the agency's commitment to ensuring the safe return of astronauts while continuing to advance scientific research. "Crew-9 mission is unique, like every space flight mission tends to be... it highlights, to me, safety and the importance of the mission and the balance of those two," he said. NASA Crew-9 astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, reentered Earth's atmosphere and breathed air for the first time in over nine months on March 18, following the successful splashdown of SpaceX's Dragon capsule at 5:57 p.m. EDT. After their return, Wilmore and Williams began physical therapy at the Johnson Space Center to help their bodies readjust to Earth's gravity. The therapy is a standard procedure for astronauts returning from space. Both astronauts appeared to be in high spirits and good physical condition during a press conference on Monday. Williams even revealed that she had gone for a 3-mile run on Sunday. Following their return, the White House highlighted President Trump's role in prioritising their rescue. It stated that the astronauts had safely landed in the Gulf of Mexico and credited Musk for their return. In a post on X, the White House wrote, "PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months. Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to Elon Musk, SpaceX, and NASA!" Trump had previously accused former US President Joe Biden of abandoning the astronauts in space. On March 7, Trump stated that he had authorized Musk to bring back American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been at the ISS since June last year. (ANI) Taiwan is preparing contingency plans in response to the United States' potential imposition of "reciprocal tariffs," with officials emphasising that the trade surplus stems from strong demand for Taiwanese technology, not unfair trade practices, Taiwan News reported. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te convened a high-level meeting on Sunday night with senior government officials to discuss Taiwan's strategy ahead of the expected tariff announcement on Wednesday. During the meeting, Premier Cho Jung-tai presented a detailed report to Lai and the Taiwan-US trade working group, outlining the potential economic impact of different tariff levels. According to a statement from the Presidential Office, Lai instructed government agencies to take necessary steps to support industries that could be affected by the tariffs and to explore measures that would mitigate economic disruptions, reported Taiwan News. The Trump administration has announced its intent to impose tariffs on the 15 countries with the largest trade surpluses with the US, a move aimed at addressing what it views as trade imbalances. Taiwan, which currently holds the sixth-largest surplus, follows China, Mexico, Vietnam, Ireland, and Germany on the list. Given Taiwan's position, officials anticipate it will be among the nations targeted by the policy. The Executive Yuan's Office of Trade Negotiations has been actively preparing for this development over the past two months and has drafted a set of response measures to address any potential fallout. Meanwhile, Taiwan has taken proactive steps to narrow its trade surplus with the US. These include signing a letter of intent to purchase liquefied natural gas from Alaska and identifying additional American goods for import to balance trade flows. Officials have reiterated that Taiwan's growing trade surplus is a result of surging US demand for Taiwanese semiconductors and other technology products. The Central Bank noted, "It reflects the structural problem of the sharp increase in US demand for Taiwan's technological products and the expansion of our trade surplus with the United States," Taiwan News reported. Last year, Taiwan's trade surplus with the US surged 83 per cent, reaching a record NTD 3.69 trillion (USD 111.4 billion), with semiconductor exports being a key driver. (ANI) NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams said she plans to visit India soon, and meet with ISRO's team during her visit. Williams said during NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Post-Flight News Conference that she found India to be 'amazing' each time her spacecraft passed by the Himalayas during her extended stay of nine months in space. "I hope and I think for sure I'm going to be going back to my father's home country and visiting with people and getting excited about the Indian astronauts who's going up on the ISRO mission coming up," she said. Sunita Williams' mother, Ursuline Bonnie Pandya (nee Zalokar), is of Slovenian-American descent, while her father, Deepak Pandya, is from Gujarat. Williams said she would love to share her experience up in the space with ISRO, and said it was great how India put its foot forward in the space sector, being a fellow democracy. "[It's] pretty awesome- they'll have a hometown hero there of their own that will be able to talk about how wonderful the International Space Station is from his perspective," she said. "I hope I can meet up at some point in time and we can share our experiences with as many people in India as possible because it's a great country, another wonderful democracy that's trying to put its foot in the space countries and I would love to be part of that and help them along," she added. When asked if she planned to take her crew along in her impending trip to India, she responded in the affirmative and jested, saying the crew would be primed with spicy food. "Absolutely! You might stick out a little bit but that's okay- we we'll get you all primed with some spicy food we'll be good," she said. Williams said that she could see India's geographical formation, when the landmass collided to form Himalayas and as a ripple effect, India was formed. "India is amazing. Every time we went over the Himalayas- we got some incredible pictures of the Himalayas- so just amazing. Like I've described it before just like this ripple that happened. Obviously when the plates collided and then as it flows down into India. It's many, many colors," she said. Williams talked about India's diversity visible from the space, from the Himalayas, to a different culture from the East to the fishing fleet on the West. "I think when you come from the East, going into like Gujarat and Mumbai- the fishing fleet that's off the coast there gives you a little bit of a beacon that here we come! All throughout India," she said. Williams said the country looked like a network of lights, with major cities being the brightest, and waning down towards smaller cities. "I think the impression I had was it was just like this network of Lights from the bigger cities going down through the smaller cities. [It was] just incredible to look at night, as well as during the day. Highlighted of course by the Himalayas which is just incredible as a forefront going down into India," she said. NASA Crew-9 astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov breathed earthly air for the first time in over nine months on March 19 after the successful splashdown of SpaceX's Dragon capsule. Delays caused by issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which surfaced during a test flight piloted by Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams last summer, led to the astronaut duo remaining in space for nine months instead of a week, CNN reported. At that time, ISRO expressed its desire to collaborate with Williams in future space missions. "When Bharat under the leadership of Hon'ble PM Modi ji is working towards making India as a developed country, we wish to utilise your expertise in the space exploration," it said. (ANI) Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font arrived in New Delhi on Monday for his first state visit to India, receiving a ceremonial welcome and a Guard of Honour. He was warmly received at the airport by Union Minister of State Pabitra Margherita. Official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed Boric's arrival on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Bienvenido, President Gabriel Boric Font! President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile landed in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. Accorded a ceremonial welcome & Guard of Honour. Warmly received by Union Minister of State Pabitra Margherita at the airport." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1906899510422630759 At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Boric's visit from April 1-5 aims to strengthen bilateral ties between India and Chile. The Chilean President is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, members of parliament, senior officials, business representatives, media, and key figures engaged in India-Chile cultural exchanges. Upon his arrival, Boric shared in a post on X: "6:30 a.m. in New Delhi, and from here we begin this State Visit to India, a momentous occasion for strengthening and diversifying our economic, political, and cultural relations at a time when multilateral cooperation is more necessary than ever. We are talking about the fifth-largest economy and the most populous country on the planet, with whom we share common ground and opportunities for growth in key areas such as agribusiness, innovation, and the creative industries. We're here to strengthen and strengthen our ties, and that's why I'm joined by government officials, the National Congress, business leaders, leaders in the fields of innovation and culture, distinguished professors, and students. A busy schedule, I'll keep you posted." https://x.com/GabrielBoric/status/1906881600723534200 This visit will include discussions with top Indian leaders on economic cooperation, trade, and global issues of mutual interest. Prime Minister Modi will host a lunch in his honour, while President Droupadi Murmu will hold a banquet for the visiting leader. During his visit, Boric will travel to Agra, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. In Mumbai and Bengaluru, he will engage with political leaders, business representatives, startups, and innovators. His meetings will focus on expanding trade, investment, and technological cooperation between the two nations. Chile, a key partner for India in Latin America, shares strong economic and diplomatic ties with India, particularly in sectors like renewable energy and climate change. India and Chile have historically maintained warm relations, with Chile being the only Latin American country to send a special envoy to India's Independence Day celebrations in 1947. Both countries collaborate extensively in multilateral forums and have consistently supported each other on issues such as UN Security Council reforms and counterterrorism. Chile has reiterated its endorsement of India's bid for a permanent seat on the UNSC since 2003. (ANI) China's military on Tuesday said it began joint exercises involving its army, navy, air force and rocket force around Taiwan as a "stern warning," CNN reported. In a post on X, Taiwan's Ministry of Defence condemned China's drills, calling it irrational activity that undermined regional peace. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1906922107331874829 "We strongly condemn the PRC's irrational provocations. We firmly oppose PLA's actions that undermine regional peace. Standing guard at the forefront of freedom and democracy, remain steadfast in defending our territorial sovereignty," Taiwan's MND said in a post on X. The development comes days after US Defence Chief Pete Hegseth vowed to counter "China's aggression" on his first visit to Asia, as per CNN. China's armed forces through the drills aim to "close in" on Taiwan from "multiple directions," mainly focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade on key areas and sea lanes to test joint operations capabilities of China's troops, the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command said in a statement on social media. "It is a stern warning and forceful deterrence against 'Taiwan Independence' separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity," the statement added. According to Taiwan's Ministry of National defence, "19 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. The PLA Navy vessels, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong were detected from March 29th and entered into our response zone yesterday, #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly. PRC continues to escalate military activities in the #Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region, intensifying military threats, challenging the international order and regional stability, thereby becoming the greatest "troublemaker" in the eyes of the international community. ROCArmedForces adhere to the principle of "no escalation of conflict, no provocation of disputes," responding prudently to gray-zone harassment to safeguard national sovereignty and the security of the people." For Taiwan,the drills are the latest reminder of the threat that comes from its Communist Party-run neighbor. Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, condemned the drills as "reckless" and "irresponsible" in threatening Taiwan as well as peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. "It came without justification, violates international laws and is totally unacceptable. Democracies need to condemn China for being a troublemaker," Wu said in a post on social platform X. https://x.com/josephwutw/status/1906893566959612024 The latest drills follow a series of incidents that have ratcheted up tensions across the Taiwan Strait, including Taipei's detention in late February of a cargo ship crewed by Chinese nationals it was investigating for allegedly cutting an undersea internet cable in the second such incident in a period of months. (ANI) As China and India commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, newly-appointed Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong stated that the bilateral relationship is at a pivotal stage of development and urged both countries to overcome challenges and proactively strengthen ties on a stable, healthy path. In an interview with China Daily published on Tuesday, Ambassador Xu highlighted the long-standing nature of ties between Beijing and New Delhi, noting that despite some fluctuations, the relationship has largely maintained a positive trajectory over the years. Both countries also face challenges in their economic relations. While China remains India's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching USD 138.48 billion in 2024, there are concerns about the business environment. In a separate interview with Global Times, Xu highlighted the importance of creating a fair and transparent climate for businesses from both sides. He called on India to ensure that Chinese companies can operate freely and effectively in the Indian market, creating greater opportunities for collaboration. "China is willing to work with India to strengthen practical cooperation in trade and other areas, and to import more Indian products that are well-suited to the Chinese market. We also welcome more Indian enterprises to cross the Himalayas and seek opportunities for cooperation in China, sharing the dividends of China's development," Xu told the Global Times. However, he also expressed hope that India would create a more welcoming environment for Chinese companies. He emphasised that creating such an environment would enhance the mutual benefits for both nations. In the China Daily interview, Xu stressed that friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between the two countries have consistently been the dominant theme. Xu pointed to the significance of China-India relations, which, according to him, extend far beyond bilateral concerns and have considerable regional and global influence. He added that cooperation between China and India not only benefits the two countries but also has a broader positive impact on Asia and the world at large. Reflecting on the historical context of the relationship, Xu noted that India was the first nonsocialist country to establish diplomatic relations with China, setting the stage for the lasting partnership. "History has repeatedly proved that China-India relations extend far beyond the bilateral scope, holding significant regional and global influence. Unity and cooperation between China and India benefit both nations, Asia, and the world at large," Xu told the China Daily. In the Global Times interview, Xu reiterated the importance of the diplomatic milestone, stressing that 75 years of ties between China and India represent a rich and enduring history. Xu pointed to the fluctuations in relations but noted that these periods were often temporary, and the general trajectory remained positive. Xu also underscored the importance of a strong and stable partnership between China and India, both for their own prosperity and for the stability of the broader international community. The remarks by the Chinese ambasador to India come in the wake of key diplomatic developments in recent months. In October 2024, China's President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Kazan, Russia, where they pledged to work together to overcome the challenges facing the bilateral relationship. Xu pointed out that this meeting marked a significant turning point, offering a fresh impetus for both countries to strengthen cooperation and build on their existing achievements. Since then, both nations have made considerable progress in implementing the consensus reached by their leaders, with diplomatic engagements taking place at various levels. This includes the 23rd Meeting of Special Representatives for the China-India Boundary Question in December 2024 and the Vice Foreign Minister-Foreign Secretary Dialogue in January 2025. These engagements, Xu noted, signal that China-India relations are at a crucial stage of improvement and development. "The frequent and constructive interactions between both sides in recent months are unprecedented, marking a positive phase in the bilateral relationship," Xu said. Both sides, he added, need to further deepen cooperation and take proactive measures to ensure the continuation of this momentum. The Chinese ambassador emphasised the role of China-India ties in the broader global context, suggesting that the two countries hold significant influence in shaping the future of the world. Xu highlighted that as key players in the global economic landscape and as two of the largest economies in Asia, China and India have the potential to drive regional and global growth. He quoted President Xi Jinping's statement from a 2014 visit to India, which underscored the importance of unity between the two nations: "If we speak with one voice, the whole world will listen; and if we join hands, the whole world will pay attention." As China and India continue to modernise and pursue their respective development goals, Xu sees development as the "greatest common denominator" between the two nations. China, under the banner of "Chinese modernisation," aims for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, while India is focused on becoming a developed nation by 2047, the centenary of its independence, through its "Viksit Bharat" vision. Xu emphasised that both countries are at critical junctures in their development journeys and have an opportunity to align their strategies for mutual success. "China is ready to align strategies with India, support mutual progress, and pursue shared growth as partners on the path to modernisation," Xu said. He also reiterated the importance of deepening practical cooperation in trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges to support the prosperity of both nations. Looking ahead, Xu stressed that both countries must continue to work together to address global challenges. As two major powers in the Global South, China and India are uniquely positioned to contribute to a more just and equitable global order. Xu urged both nations to uphold the principles of peaceful coexistence and work together to address pressing global issues such as climate change, energy security, terrorism, and food security. "Together, China and India can help build a fairer global order, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing nations, and contribute to peace and shared prosperity," Xu said. One of the key areas of focus for Ambassador Xu is enhancing people-to-people exchanges between China and India. He noted that such exchanges have played a crucial role in strengthening bilateral ties and fostering mutual understanding. Xu cited the growing number of Indian citizens visiting China, with the Chinese diplomatic missions issuing 280,000 visas to Indian nationals in 2024. This figure has continued to grow, with a 15 percent increase in the first quarter of 2025. "These exchanges help build a solid foundation for long-lasting cooperation between the two countries," Xu said. Xu also noted the importance of fostering youth engagement, as both China and India have the world's largest youth populations. He highlighted the enthusiasm of young people in both countries for exploring each other's cultures, with many Indian bloggers actively sharing their experiences in China. Xu expressed his hope that more young people from both countries would visit each other's nations to deepen understanding and strengthen the bonds of friendship. "From their energy, we see the future of our nations; from their curiosity and aspiration for China, we are more confident about China-India friendship," he said. Finally, Xu mentioned that a series of activities are planned throughout 2025 to mark the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomatic relations. These initiatives include media and think tank exchanges, Track II dialogues, and people-to-people programs. Xu emphasised that these activities would help both countries reflect on their shared history and look toward the future of their relationship. "We are committed to furthering cultural and people-to-people exchanges, as they form the foundation of the strong relationship between China and India," Xu concluded. "Through these initiatives, we hope to strengthen the deep-rooted ties between our two ancient civilisations and contribute to the development of a more harmonious world." Last month China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's positive remarks on China-India relations during an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman and also noted that being partners in mutual success and achieving "Dragon-Elephant Dance" cooperation is the only correct choice for the two countries. In a recent interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised about spoke about normalcy returning to the border and the deep-rooted cultural ties between the two nations. PM Modi in the interview expressed optimism about India's relationship with China, emphasizing the importance of learning from and understanding one another. Despite ongoing border disputes, PM Modi acknowledged the ancient cultural and civilizational ties between the two nations, noting that there's no real history of conflict between them. The two countries have been locked in a tense border standoff since the 2020 Galwan clashes, which severely strained diplomatic relations. Late last month India and China discussed resuming dialogue mechanisms betwen the two nations in a "step-by-step" manner focusing on "each other's priority areas of interest and concern," India's Ministry of Externall Affairs (MEA) said. During a meeting in Beijing between Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) from India's Ministry of External Affairs, and Liu Jinsong, Director General of the Department of Asian Affairs at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides acknowledged the progress made in bilateral relations following the October 2024 meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan. In the intervening period, the foreign ministers of the two nations have met twice, while the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question held their 23rd meeting. "These high-level meetings have provided strategic guidance to stabilise and further develop relations," the MEA had said. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font on Monday at the start of his state visit to India, reaffirming the commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. Jaishankar shared on X (formerly Twitter): "Pleased to call on President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile at the start of his State Visit to India. Appreciate his commitment for deepening our long-standing cooperation. Confident that his talks with PM Narendra Modi today will foster new partnerships and greater engagement." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1906938498344747014 Boric also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat post his arrival in the capital. Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, posted on X: "President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, honouring his lasting message of peace & non-violence. A moment of reflection on the enduring legacy of the Mahatma & shared values that unite India and Chile." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1906943090512044391 The Chilean President arrived in New Delhi on Monday morning for his first state visit to India, receiving a ceremonial welcome and a Guard of Honour. He was warmly received at the airport by Union Minister of State Pabitra Margherita. MEA spokesperson Jaiswal confirmed the arrival, posting: "Bienvenido, President Gabriel Boric Font! President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile landed in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. Accorded a ceremonial welcome & Guard of Honour. Warmly received by Union Minister of State Pabitra Margherita at the airport." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1906899510422630759 At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Boric's visit from April 1-5 is aimed at strengthening economic, political, and cultural ties. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, members of parliament, senior officials, business leaders, media representatives, and cultural figures engaged in India-Chile exchanges. Upon his arrival, Boric posted on X about the significance of his visit, emphasising India's position as the fifth-largest economy and the most populous country, with whom Chile shares common ground in sectors such as agribusiness, innovation, and the creative industries. He noted that his delegation includes leaders from various fields, all working to deepen bilateral cooperation. During his visit, Boric will hold discussions with top Indian leaders, including a luncheon hosted by PM Modi and a banquet by President Droupadi Murmu. He will also visit Agra, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, engaging with political leaders, business representatives, startups, and innovators to explore opportunities for trade, investment, and technological collaboration. India and Chile share historically strong diplomatic relations, with Chile being the only Latin American nation to send a special envoy to India's Independence Day celebrations in 1947. Both nations have closely collaborated in multilateral forums, supporting each other on issues such as UN Security Council reforms and counterterrorism. Chile has endorsed India's bid for a permanent UNSC seat since 2003. (ANI) Chile President Gabriel Boric Font who is on a State Visit to India on Tuesday paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat memorial. Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal in a post on X said, "President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, honouring his lasting message of peace & non-violence. A moment of reflection on the enduring legacy of the Mahatma & shared values that unite". https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1906943090512044391 Earlier in the day, Font began his visit to India, which he labelled as a "momentous occassion". https://x.com/GabrielBoric/status/1906881600723534200 "6:30 a.m. in New Delhi, and from here we begin this State Visit to India, a momentous occasion for strengthening and diversifying our economic, political, and cultural relations at a time when multilateral cooperation is more necessary than ever. We are talking about the fifth-largest economy and the most populous country on the planet, with whom we share common ground and opportunities for growth in key areas such as agribusiness, innovation, and the creative industries," he said. "We're here to strengthen and strengthen our ties, and that's why I'm joined by government officials, the National Congress, business leaders, leaders in the fields of innovation and culture, distinguished professors, and students. A busy schedule, I'll keep you posted!" he added. The Chilean President met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the start of his State visit to India, reaffirming the commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. Jaishankar shared on X (formerly Twitter): "Pleased to call on President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile at the start of his State Visit to India. Appreciate his commitment for deepening our long-standing cooperation. Confident that his talks with PM Narendra Modi today will foster new partnerships and greater engagement." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1906938498344747014 At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Boric's visit from April 1-5 is aimed at strengthening economic, political, and cultural ties. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, members of parliament, senior officials, business leaders, media representatives, and cultural figures engaged in India-Chile exchanges. (ANI) The UK Government has pledged up to GBP 10 million in humanitarian aid to support the people of Myanmar following a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the country's central region on March 28. The funding will be directed toward providing emergency relief, including food, clean water, medical supplies, and temporary shelter to those affected by the disaster, , a press release by the British High Commission stated. This commitment comes as UK-funded local partners on the ground have already begun mobilising a rapid humanitarian response in the worst-hit areas. The UK aims to ensure that aid reaches those in urgent need as quickly as possible, prioritising essential resources to help survivors cope with the aftermath of the earthquake. Baroness Chapman, Minister of State for Development, emphasised the UK's swift response in a statement: "The UK is sending immediate and life-saving support to the people of Myanmar following the devastating earthquake. UK-funded local partners are already mobilising a humanitarian response on the ground, and this GBP 10 million package will bolster their efforts. I offer my deepest sympathies to the people of Myanmar after this tragic event." In addition to providing aid, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is assisting British nationals affected by the disaster in Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand. British nationals in Myanmar seeking consular support can contact the British Embassy in Yangon, while those in Thailand can reach the British Embassy in Bangkok. Individuals in the UK concerned about loved ones in either country can also reach out to the FCDO's helpline for assistance, the press release stated. As the international community responds to the crisis, the UK's emergency relief package underscores its commitment to humanitarian assistance, supporting both immediate needs and long-term recovery efforts in Myanmar. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday received Chile President Gabriel Boric Font at Hyderabad House, Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said. Jaiswal said that Font and PM Modi will hold extensive discussions on expanding India-Chile bilateral ties. In a post on X, he said, "PM Narendra Modi warmly receives President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile at Hyderabad House. Both leaders will have extensive discussions on expanding the strong India-Chile bilateral ties." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1906966162904100898 Earlier in the day, Font paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat and also signed the visitors', diary. In a post on X, Font said, "Together with our delegation of ministers and parliamentarians, we paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, the memorial erected in his honor in New Delhi. His legacy reminds us that with India, we not only share common interests and a future of great opportunities for our people, but also shared fundamental values." https://x.com/GabrielBoric/status/1906960120258719902 Jaiswal in a post on X said, "President Gabriel Boric Font of Chile pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, honouring his lasting message of peace & non-violence. A moment of reflection on the enduring legacy of the Mahatma & shared values that unite India and Chile". Earleir teh Chile President said that his country's delegation is in India to strengthen and strengthen our ties, and that's why I'm joined by government officials, the National Congress, business leaders, leaders in the fields of innovation and culture, distinguished professors, and students. https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1906943090512044391 Earlier in the day, Font began his visit to India, which he labelled as a "momentous occassion". https://x.com/GabrielBoric/status/1906881600723534200 "We're here to strengthen and strengthen our ties, and that's why I'm joined by government officials, the National Congress, business leaders, leaders in the fields of innovation and culture, distinguished professors, and students. A busy schedule, I'll keep you posted!" he said. The Chilean President met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the start of his State visit to India, reaffirming the commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1906938498344747014 At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Boric's visit from April 1-5 is aimed at strengthening economic, political, and cultural ties. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, members of parliament, senior officials, business leaders, media representatives, and cultural figures engaged in India-Chile exchanges. (ANI) Jaishankar also said that the Indian Army field hospital unit has been operationalised in Mandalay. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Operation Brahma- Indian Navy ship INS Ghariyal departs from Vishakhapatnam with 442 metric tonnes of essential food items." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1906938215468274112 "Operation Brahma- The Indian Army field hospital unit has been operationalized in Mandalay," he added. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1906937678131782106 The Indian Air Force, too, departed earlier in the day from Delhi carrying 16 tonnes of essential humanitarian aid, Jaishankar said. "Operation Brahma- Indian Air Force C-130J departs for Mandalay from Delhi this morning carrying 16 tonnes of essential humanitarian aid, rice and essential food items." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1906937319812464731 As part of Indian Army's ongoing humanitarian assistance under Operation Brahma, the Field Hospital, comprising 118 personnel, has been successfully established in Mandalay. The hospital was deployed using two Indian Air Force C-17 heavy-lift aircraft and is now fully operational with a 200-bed capacity, offering surgical and in-patient care, MEA stated. https://x.com/IndiainMyanmar/status/1906936726423253400 This morning, Myo Aung, the Chief Minister of Mandalay, visited the facility and reviewed its capabilities. The Field Hospital is fully prepared and equipped to provide critical medical care to those in need, reinforcing India's steadfast commitment to humanitarian relief efforts in the region. https://x.com/IndiainMyanmar/status/1906744885807321336 In Bangkok, Thailand, people offered help to victims and the needy by distributing food & relief materials after the city was hit by an earthquake. Search and rescue works are underway in front of JJ Mall Chatuchak, Bangkok, where an under-construction building collapsed after the earthquake. A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar on Friday has now killed more than 2,000 people, according to the country's military junta, with more than 3,900 left injured. Tremors from the quake were also felt in neighbouring Thailand. Rescue efforts are still underway, with those still missing thought unlikely to be alive, CNN reported. (ANI) Taiwanese entertainers residing in China who violate cross-strait regulations or collaborate with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may face fines, according to a report by the Taipei Times. Numerous Taiwanese entertainers have taken to the social media platform Sina Weibo to assert that Taiwan "must be returned" to China and have shared articles from Chinese state media, as noted by the Taipei Times. In reaction, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has requested the Ministry of Culture to look into whether these entertainers have breached any laws and has asked for them to be interrogated upon their return to Taiwan, as reported by an anonymous official. To prevent ongoing incidents of Taiwanese entertainers promoting the CCP and undermining the Republic of China, authorities will investigate and summon those who share Chinese state media content supporting military activities aimed at Taiwan, they specified. Following remarks from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month, who referred to Taiwan as "China's Taiwan Province," over 100 Taiwanese celebrities echoed the statement, asserting that "Taiwan must return" to China, according to the Taipei Times. Taiwanese entertainers in China often participate in the CCP's propaganda campaigns, said an official who requested to remain anonymous. Complaints regarding such contraventions have flooded immigration authorities and other agencies, leading the government to take measures, they noted. Those entertainers found to be collaborating with the CCP on political or military issues would incur fines under Article 33-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, which could range from New Taiwanese Dollar (TWD) 1,00,000 to TWD 5,00,000 and could be imposed multiple times, they explained, according to the Taipei Times. "If a Taiwanese artist obtains a Chinese ID, they would lose their Taiwanese citizenship and household registration, which would prevent them from utilizing their Taiwanese identity to support CCP propaganda efforts against Taiwan," they said, as quoted by the Taipei Times. (ANI) Caspar Veldkamp, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is on his first official visit to India from March 31 to April 1, 2025. This visit is aimed at further strengthening the multifaceted relationship between India and the Netherlands, with a focus on expanding cooperation in several critical areas, including trade, investments, defence, and innovation, an official press release by the Ministry of External Affairs stated. On March 31, 2025, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held delegation-level talks with Foreign Minister Veldkamp, during which the two leaders discussed the deepening bilateral cooperation between the two nations. They highlighted the growing exchanges in various sectors, including political, cultural, and people-to-people ties. The leaders also explored new avenues for collaboration, notably in semiconductors, digital technologies, renewable energy, and green hydrogen, alongside traditional focus areas like water, agriculture, health, and security. Veldkamp's visit is expected to further bolster these areas and open new channels for bilateral cooperation. The discussions also covered global and regional developments of mutual interest, reflecting the strategic partnership between the two countries, stated the press release. The visit is also significant in the context of ongoing efforts to strengthen the India-Netherlands relationship, which spans over 75 years. Jaishankar expressed his pleasure in meeting Veldkamp, stating, "Delighted to meet FM Caspar Veldkamp of Netherlands this evening. Discussed our growing bilateral cooperation, including in trade, investments, innovation, water, agriculture, health, security, and people-to-people ties." He added, "Explored new possibilities in semiconductors, green hydrogen, education, and talent flows. Also spoke about global strategic developments and the significance of multipolarity." Foreign Minister Veldkamp echoed these sentiments, underlining the importance of strengthening cooperation between India and the Netherlands, particularly in light of today's complex geopolitical reality. "I look forward to visiting India. I will speak there with Foreign Minister EAM Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval, amongst others. Considering today's geopolitical reality, it is important for both the Netherlands and India to strengthen our cooperation and deepen our relationship," he wrote on X. The visit further underscores the strong diplomatic ties between the two countries, which were officially established in 1947. It follows a successful 75 years of diplomatic relations, with high-level interactions and continued collaboration in various sectors. (ANI) Taiwan has called on democracies worldwide to denounce China as a "troublemaker" following Beijing's recent military drills conducted near the island. The drills were launched shortly after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's commitment to addressing "China's aggression" during his visit to Asia. On Tuesday, China's military announced joint drills involving its ground forces, navy, air force, and rocket force around Taiwan. The Chinese military termed these exercises a "stern warning." According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), the Eastern Theater Command, responsible for military operations in the area, stated that forces from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) were approaching Taiwan from "multiple directions." The drills are said to focus on "combat readiness patrols in both maritime and aerial domains, gaining comprehensive control, targeting naval and land sites, and instituting blockades on important areas and routes," as reported by RFA. Taiwan's defense ministry confirmed that by 6 a.m. on Tuesday, it had detected 19 PLA ships surrounding Taiwan, including the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong. In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems, as reported by RFA. Taiwan's military issued a statement vowing to stay alert, emphasising its principle of avoiding escalating tensions or provoking conflicts, while effectively countering gray-zone threats. Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo Li-Hsiung remarked that the PLA's actions jeopardise regional peace and stability and identified China as a "major troublemaker," according to the RFA report. These military drills follow US Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth's statements on strengthening America's military partnership with the Philippines to counter "China's aggression" in the Indo-Pacific region. Hegseth also referred to Japan as a "key partner in deterring the military aggression of communist China," particularly in the Taiwan Strait. Beijing continues to assert Taiwan as part of its territory, enhancing its military capabilities with the aim of potentially taking the island by force. While experts suggest that China is not yet fully prepared for such an invasion, significant advancements are being made. China continues to exert military pressure through drills and coercive strategies to force Taiwan into submission, as reported by RFA. (ANI) President Gabriel Boric of Chile, during his visit to India, emphasised the growing potential for expanding bilateral relations between the two nations. In a joint press meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, Boric highlighted the opportunities for enhanced cooperation in trade, investment, and the shared commitment to addressing global challenges like climate change and sustainability. Reflecting on the ongoing and growing relationship between India and Chile, he said, "I would like to thank the Prime Minister for giving this invitation to me last November, during the G20 in Rio de Janeiro where we were invited, it was a useful nature of our participation. We are thankful for the relations that we share with India and the potential of the possibilities that we have not yet explored." President Boric further emphasised the significance of his visit as an effort to consolidate the seven-decade-long relationship between the two nations, stating, "Today, we have come to consolidate the seven decades of our relation with India which are based on the earlier visits with Chile. I have the honour of being the third president to visit India after 16 years." He highlighted the importance of India's growing role in the global arena and acknowledged that India has now become Chile's seventh-largest trading partner, a position that invites further collaboration. He remarked, "India has converted to the seventh position of our partner, which invites us to boost our relations." During the meeting, President Boric and Prime Minister Modi discussed several areas of cooperation, particularly in the fields of commercial relations, investment, and the critical minerals industry. Boric noted the significance of minerals like lithium and copper in the global economic and environmental landscape, highlighting their role in tackling climate change. He explained, "In our meetings, we have spoken about our commercial relations, the possibility of investment, the importance of critical minerals in Chile that is converting into a relevant topic, and to also face the global climate change, marking the present as our way forward, and the future of this planet towards sustainability." President Boric also emphasised the shared commitment to technological development and innovation between the two nations. He remarked, "To talk about health, we want to consolidate Chile as a trustable partner of sustainable technology and innovation, where we have a lot of potential to develop with India." Boric emphasised the vast opportunities that lie ahead in strengthening the bilateral relationship between Chile and India. At the press meet, he acknowledged the importance of enhancing cooperation in various sectors, with a focus on sustainable technology and innovation. He said, "Without any doubt, there are many opportunities to boost our bilateral relations. We want to consolidate Chile as a valued partner in sustainable technology and innovation, where we have a lot of linkages and potential with India." Boric also pointed out the exciting developments in the audio-visual sector, noting, "We are working together to bring India's important audio-visual industry to our country, which we are going to represent with the 'Shoot in Chile' program. What India has done with its presence of Bollywood is tremendously important." Reflecting on Chile's global reputation, he noted, "Chile has the virtue of being a serious and respected country at an international level, and at the basis of this prestige, we try to find better investments, and the years of democracy for Chile, whether it has been the earlier presidents who have been there, have added to the democracy." In conclusion, President Boric spoke of the many opportunities available to deepen bilateral relations, stressing that the focus is not only on economic ties but also on the cultural and spiritual connections between the two nations. "It is not just the commercial part, but rather the cultural aspect as well - we have spoken about spirituality, about how this world requires more than money - but as a civilisation which has such a long continuity like India can be of great utility for all of us," he said. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday jointly addressed the press with Chile President Gabriel Boric Font at the Hyderabad House, where he said that both the countries will cooperate to face the challenges posed by organised crime and terrorism. PM Modi said that Font and he agreed that there should be reforms in the United Nations Security Council and other institutions are necessary to face global challenges. "We will move forward to create defence industrial manufacturing and supply chains as per each other's needs. We will increase cooperation between the agencies of the two countries to face the challenges of organised crime, drug trafficking, terrorism," he said. "On the global front, India and Chile agree that all tensions and disputes should be resolved through dialogue. We agree that reforms in the United Nations Security Council and other institutions are necessary to face global challenges. Together, we will continue to contribute to global peace and stability," he said. PM Modi added that though India and Chile seem far away on the world map, but nature has similarly shaped the country's biodiversity. Just as Chile has Andes and Pacific, India has Indian Ocean and Himalayas. "On the world map, India and Chile may be on different shores, there may be vast oceans separating us, but nature has connected us with unique similarities. The Himalayas of India and the Andes of Chile have shaped the course of life in both countries for thousands of years. The waves of the Indian Ocean flow in India with the same energy as the waves of the Pacific Ocean touch the shores of Chile," he said. PM Modi added that the growing influence of Indian films in Chile underscore the acceptance of cultural diversity between both the nations. "Both countries are not only connected by nature, but our cultures have also remained close to each other by adopting this diversity. The growing interest of the people of Chile in Indian films and classical dance is a living example of our cultural relations. We welcome the agreement reached today on the cultural exchange program between the two countries," he said. PM Modi added that the two discussed simplification of visa process and student exchange program between both nations. "We also discussed simplifying the visa process between the two countries. We will also continue to make efforts to increase student exchange between India and Chile," he said. (ANI) https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1906952621467767137 "This is the first time humans have been in orbit around the poles of Earth!" wrote Musk, the Space X CEO and Founder on the social media platform X. On March 31, SpaceX launched the private astronaut mission named 'Fram2' from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. it is billed as "the first crewed spaceflight ever to orbit Earth over the planet's poles." The mission, commanded by Chinese-born cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang and three more crewmates- vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway, pilot Rabea Rogge of Germany, and Australian Eric Phillips who is Fram2's medical officer and mission specialist. None of the four private astronauts have ever been to Space before. The mission is expected to last three to five days, according to SpaceX. The crew will perform 22 scientific experiments over the course of the mission, including growing mushrooms in space for the first time ever and taking X-rays of the human body in orbit, also never attempted before. They are expected to return to Earth with a splashdown at sea. "After safely returning to Earth, the crew plans to exit from the Dragon spacecraft without additional medical and operational assistance, helping researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space," Space X said. (ANI) The French Embassy in India said on Monday that as France assumes the monthly presidency of the United Nations' Security Council, it will focus on the need for UNSC reform aimed at giving India a permanent seat. In a post on X, the Embassy said that under France's monthly presidency of the Security Council, it will steer discussions into areas of global peace, security, and humanitarian impacts. The Embassy further highlighted that France will reiterate the need for a UNSC reform that gives India a permanent seat at the high table. It wrote on X, "Today, France assumes the monthly presidency of @UN Security Council. It will steer key discussions on global peace and security with a focus on humanitarian impacts. To reflect today's world, France reiterates the need for a #UNSC reform that also gives India a permanent seat." https://x.com/FranceinIndia/status/1906858159148302715 The statement by the Embassy comes after PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron had met earlier this year in February, where the two leaders stressed the urgent need for reforming the United Nations Security Council and agreed to coordinate closely in multilateral forums, including on UNSC matters. France reiterated its firm support for India's permanent membership of the UNSC. The two leaders agreed to strengthen conversations on regulating the use of the veto in case of mass atrocities. They held extensive discussions on long-term global challenges and current international developments and agreed to intensify their global and regional engagement, including through multilateral initiatives and institutions. During their discussions, the leaders had also called for concerted action against all terrorists, including through designations of individuals affiliated with groups that are listed by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee. Previously, during the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session last year, French President Emmanuel Macron voiced France's support for India's inclusion as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The remarks by Macron came during his address at the 79th UNGA. Macron said, "As long as we have a Security Council that is blocked reciprocally, I would say, according to each one's respective interests, it will be difficult to move forward. Is there a better system, I don't think so." The French President also emphasised the need for reform within the UN, stressing that making the organisation more representative is the crucial step towards greater effectiveness. "So let's simply make the UN more effective, first and foremost by making it more representative. That's why France, and I will say it again here, supports the expansion of the Security Council. Germany, Japan, India, and Brazil should be permanent members, along with the two countries designated by Africa to represent it," he said. Notably, India has long sought a permanent seat in the Security Council to better represent the interests of the developing world. The nation's quest has gained momentum with support from the international community. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is composed of 15 member states, including five permanent members with veto power and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. The five permanent members of the UNSC include China, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States. The non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are elected for 2-year terms by the UNGA. (ANI) The fire erupted after an explosion and fireball at 8:10 am (local time) on Tuesday in the suburb of Putra Heights, central Selangor state. The gas pipeline belonging to Malaysia's state-run energy firm Petronas. Selangor's Chief Minister said that the blaze quickly spread, threatening nearby villages during a public holiday for Eid celebration, Al Jazeera reported, citing state news agency Bernama. As many as 112 people were injured, with 63 of them taken to the hospital for burn injuries, breathing difficulties and other injuries, according to Selangor Deputy Police Chief Mohamad Zaini Abu Hassan, as reported by Al Jazeera. At least 49 houses were also damaged in the fire, Hassan added. No deaths have been reported in the incident. In a statement, the state's disaster management unit said that efforts were underway to rescue trapped residents, with several people receiving treatment for burns, Al Jazeera reported. Selangor's Chief Minister said 82 people had been rescued so far. The chief minister further said that residents will be temporarily moved to a nearby mosque until the situation is under control. (ANI) Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will visit France and discuss the threats and challenges in West Asia with his counterpart and other senior French administration leaders, the Israeli Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday. The statement issued by the Israeli Embassy quoted Saar's remarks at the international media briefing on Tuesday. "I will head to Paris for a formal visit. I will discuss, with my counterpart and other seniors in the French administration and the Representatives, the challenges and threats of the radical axis in this region to all of us, mainly Iran. Once again, its leader, only yesterday, declared his will to eliminate the State of Israel." The Israeli minister also spoke about the developments in the neighbourhood. "We expect Lebanon to take action to uproot terrorist organizations acting within its borders against Israel. What we saw here is cooperation between Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas on the soil of Lebanon, in order to initiate terrorist attacks against Israelis." He further informed that earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli Defence Forces' (IDF) fighter jets struck a Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut and called him a "ticking time bomb". Saar said, "Early this morning (very early this morning), IDF fighter jets struck a Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut. He had recently been directing Hamas terrorists and assisting them in an attempt to carry out a major imminent attack against Israeli civilians. The terrorist posed a real and immediate threat, what we call a ticking bomb. Therefore, we had to eliminate the threat. Israel will continue to remove any threat to our citizens." He called for Lebanon to take action against terrorist organisations acting within its borders against Israel. "We expect Lebanon to take action to uproot terrorist organizations acting within its borders against Israel. What we saw here is cooperation between Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas on the soil of Lebanon, in order to initiate terrorist attacks against Israelis." Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces struck Beirut, for a second time in a week, which resulted in the death of at least four people and endangering the ceasefire with Hezbollah. Speaking on Hamas, Saar said, "Hamas continues to push for the renewal of the war, refusing to release our hostages, refusing to disarm. Hamas ignores the will and the rage of the citizens of Gaza. Their interest is the end of the war. But instead of listening to them, Hamas oppressed them brutally. Hamas murdered, after torturing, demonstrators from Gaza Strip this week. " He further mentioned about a report published by the British Parliament on the October 7 attacks. Saar said, "Recently, the British Parliament published the most complete report in the UK on the October 7th massacre, revealing chilling details: among them, about the horrifying sexual crimes committed by Hamas on October 7th. This is not a report from Israel. It is a report from the British Parliament. I recommend to read it." Speaking about the recent earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand, Saar said, "Israel stands with the people of Thailand and Myanmar, following the tragic earthquake that took so many lives. After the tragedy, I spoke with my Thai counterpart. Following our conversation, a mission of twenty-one experts headed to Thailand and provided assistance. This includes medical personnel and engineers. I also authorized the purchase of vital goods and food to help the survivors in Myanmar, through our Embassy." Rescuers are searching for survivors more than three days after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, toppling buildings as far away as the Thai capital, Bangkok and sending tremors through nearby Chinese provinces, as reported by CNN. More than 2,000 people are now confirmed dead in Myanmar. Widespread damage was reported after the earthquake caused infrastructural damage, CNN reported citing authorities. (ANI) The third India-Japan Space Dialogue was held in Tokyo on April 1. The Indian delegation was co-led by Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secretary, Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division, of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and M Ganesh Pillai, Scientific Secretary, Indian Space Research Organisation, Department of Space. The Japanese delegation was co-led by Saita Yukio, Assistant Minister and Ambassador in charge of Space Policy, Foreign Policy Bureau in Japan's Foreign Ministry and Kazeki Jun, Director General, National Space Policy Secretariat in Japan's Cabinet Office. The dialogue brought together ministries and agencies pertaining to outer space and allowed for exchange of views on their respective space policies and priorities, according to a statement by the MEA. Discussions were held on the national space programmes of both countries, bilateral space cooperation, space situational awareness (SSA), space security, Quad space cooperation, industry-level cooperation and commercial space collaboration. The Indian co-chairs also visited the Tsukuba Space Center of the Japanese national space agency known as Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s on March 31. The dialogue was preceded by an industry cooperation event organised by IN-SPACe, a single-window, independent, nodal agency which functions as an autonomous agency under India's Department of Space (DOS) and Japan's Cabinet Office. It witnessed participation of representatives of Japanese and Indian companies and industry associations. The Japanese delegation stated that today's event marked the beginning of the "Japan India Science Technology and Innovation Exchange Year" and that Japan would like to work together with India to make the Exchange Year a great success, according to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). The second India - Japan Space Dialogue meeting was held virtually on November 2, 2021 with participation from ISRO, MEA, NSCS from Indian side and JAXA, MFA, DOD from the Japanese side. The first space dialogue between the two countries was held in New Delhi on March 8, 2019. Earlier in January this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with his Japanese counterpart Iwaya Takeshi during his visit to Washington, D.C., to attend US President Donald Trump's inauguration Ceremony. The Ministers said that the period between April 2025- March 2026 will be celebrated as "Japan India Science Technology and Innovation Exchange Year." "Both Ministers exchanged views on concrete efforts for bilateral cooperation in various areas such as security, economy and people-to-people exchange. During the meeting, considering that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the agreement on cooperation in the field of science and technology, they concurred to designate the period from April this year to March of the following year as "Japan India Science Technology and Innovation Exchange Year" (STIY25) to further advance cooperation by leveraging each other's strengths in the fields of science, technology, and innovation. Both Ministers also held discussions on efforts by the Quad (Japan-Australia-India-US)," a statement read. Meanwhile, the space agencies of the two countries ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) are collaborating on the LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) mission, a joint robotic lunar mission aimed at exploring the Moon's south polar region, with JAXA providing the rover and ISRO the lander. (ANI) You are here: Business The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, on Monday said that it conducted outright reverse repos worth 800 billion yuan (about 111.45 billion U.S. dollars) in March to maintain ample liquidity in the banking system. In March, the central bank conducted three-month reverse repos totaling 500 billion yuan and six-month reverse repos totaling 300 billion yuan, it said in a statement. Outright reverse repos -- a tool the central bank introduced in October 2024 to manage liquidity in the banking system -- are carried out once each month with a tenor of no more than one year. The new tool has enriched the country's monetary policy toolkit following the introduction of temporary repos, temporary reverse repos, and the buying and selling of treasury bonds. Family members of leading Baloch activist and Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader, Sammi Deen Baloch held a press conference outside the Karachi Press Club demanding her safe release. The details were shared in a post on X. BYC decried that Sammi Deen Baloch's disappearance comes after she has spent the last 15 years protesting for her forcibly disappeared father. "Yesterday, on Eid, in front of the Karachi Press Club, the family of BYC central leader Sammi Deen Baloch held a press conference demanding her safe release. Sammi, who has spent the last 15 years protesting for her forcibly disappeared father, is now herself a victim. The cycle of oppression continues, but so does the resistance. No to Oppression, No to Pakistan's Tyranny!", BYC said on X. https://x.com/BalochYakjehtiC/status/1906958335829483901 Meanwhile, BYC also highlighted that senior BYC leader Sibghatullah Shahji continues to remain enfocibly disappeared with no trace of his whereabouts. BYC said on X, "Sibghatullah Shahjee Remains Forcibly Disappeared, Still No Trace of His Whereabouts! Baloch Yakjehti Committee's central leader, Sibghat Ullah Shah Ji, was forcibly disappeared from his home in Quetta by CTD. His whereabouts remain unknown, and he has not been produced in any jail. He was taken along with his brother and two nephews--while they were later released, he remains forcibly disappeared." https://x.com/BalochYakjehtiC/status/1907000825139831285 Sibghatullah Shah Ji Baloch, a central member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), was detained by Pakistani forces from his home in Quetta, according to a post by the BYC, as reported by The Balochistan Post (TBP). TBP reported that over 100 notable figures from civil society in Pakistan had penned an open letter to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, pleading for the release of the detained BYC leaders. The crackdown on the BYC leaders and their peaceful protests has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights groups, who accuse the government of attempting to silence dissent and curtail the political activities of Baloch activists. (ANI) Chile President Gabriel Boric, who is on a State visit to India, has expressed keen interest in developing cooperation in technology, innovation, academic collaboration, culture, arts and cinema, ayurveda and yoga, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Periasamy Kumaran, said on Tuesday. Addressing a special press briefing, Kumaran said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chile President held a meeting earlier in the day and the two leaders undertook a comprehensive review of the entire gamut of bilateral relations. He said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also called on Chilean President. Kumaran said, "The President of Chile arrived in New Delhi earlier today. He was warmly received by Shri Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs, and was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport. His first engagement of the day was a call-on by the External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar. This was followed by extensive bilateral discussions with our Prime Minister and delegation." "The two leaders undertook a comprehensive review of the entire gamut of bilateral relations, spanning a wide range of sectors including trade and investment, health and pharmaceuticals, mining and mineral resources, defence and security, agriculture and food security, green energy, ICT, digital economy, innovation and disaster management. The president expressed keen interest in developing cooperation in technology, innovation, cultural exchanges and academic collaboration. You will see a lot of the areas of convergence and the discussion that the two leaders had in the joint statement," he said. He said that PM Modi and the President of Chile witnessed an exchange of several bilateral documents and Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and made press statements. The MEA official stated that PM Modi hosted a lunch in honour of Gabriel Boric. Kumaran said, "The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of several bilateral documents and MoUs. The joint statement lists that out. These include the letter of intent on Antarctica cooperation, cultural exchange program for the period 2025 to 29, agreement on ..., MoU for cooperation in the disability sector, MoU on police cooperation against organized crime, cybercrime and combating corruption, MoU on disaster management and renewal of the amended MoU in the field of geology and mineral resources. After this there were press statements by the two leaders. Prime Minister then hosted a lunch in honor of the visiting president." He said that Boris visited Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi. He stated that Boris will meet President Droupadi Murmu later in the evening, followed by a banquet dinner hosted by President Murmu in honor of the visiting President and his delegation. Elaborating on Chile President's schedule in India, Kumaran said, "The President is accompanied by a large business delegation with him. Obviously, we expect many business interactions with Indian industry leaders. In fact, business events have been planned in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru on 2nd, 3rd and 5th April respectively. While in Delhi, the ministers accompanying the President will have over 25 meetings with Indian ministers and business counterparts." "The MPs in the President's delegation will visit our Parliament and interact with the Parliamentarians. President Boric is expected to have official meetings in Mumbai, where the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is likely to pay a courtesy call on the visiting dignitary. There will also be a meeting with the Governor of Maharashtra," he said. "In Bengaluru, President Boric will meet the Governor of Karnataka and the Chief Minister of Karnataka. President Boric is keen to attract Indian investments into Chile. There are several opportunities for Indian businesses in the areas of ports, airports, mining, railway infrastructure, renewable energy and a number of other projects. Technology cooperation is also high on the agenda. President Boric expressed keen interest in collaboration and exchanges in the areas of education, culture, arts and cinema, ayurveda and yoga," he added. He said that Gabriel Boric arrived in India at the invitation of PM Modi and recalled that the two leaders had previously met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in November last year. He said, "As you are aware, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President of the Republic of Chile, His Excellency Gabriel Boric, is on a state visit to India from 1st to 6th April 2025. He arrived on 1st April, which is today, and will be departing on 6th of April after an extensive program in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The President is accompanied by a high-powered delegation of cabinet Ministers, parliamentarians, senior officials and a large business delegation. This is President Boric's first state visit to India, although two Chilean presidents have visited India in the past." "Prior to this, President Boric had met our Prime Minister in Brazil on the margins of the G20 summit in November 2024 in Rio. As you might know, India and Chile share warm and friendly relations. Chile was among the first countries to recognize India's independence. Since then, bilateral relations have strengthened across a number of sectors. Our two countries have commonality of views on a wide range of issues. We cooperate extensively in multilateral fora and share similar views on expansion and reform of the United Nations Security Council. Chile has been consistent in its support to India's claim to a permanent seat in the UNSC," he added. He noted that India and Chile recently commemorated the establishment of diplomatic ties. He said that Chile has its own National Yoga Day and ayurveda is gaining popularity in Chile. Kumaran said, "We recently commemorated 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations. Indian culture and traditions are very popular in Chile. There are a number of yoga and ayurveda schools and yoga practitioners in Chile. You would be happy to know that Chile has its own National Yoga Day which is celebrated on 4th of November. Ayurveda is also gaining popularity as I just noted and there are a few Ayurveda institutes, clinics in Chile with close ties to some Indian Ayurveda institutes. There is also growing interest in Indian classical dances, cuisine, films and tourism." He called Chile an important partner for India in the Latin American region. He said that both nations share complementary trade and economic relations. Highlighting the trade ties between two nations, he said, "Chile, as you know, is an important partner for India in the Latin American region. We have complementary trade and economic relations with Chile while we supply pharmaceutical products, engineering goods, automobiles and chemicals, we import a lot of critical mineral resources from Chile, which are important ingredients for our industrial development. Chile is the largest producer of copper in the world. It also has substantial reserves of lithium and other minerals. There is interest on both sides to further strengthen this relationship." On the Indian community residing in Chile, he said, "The origins of the Indian community in Chile can be traced back to 1905. Currently, it is estimated that there are about 4,000 overseas Indians, about 1850 NRIs and a little over 2,000 PIOs living in Chile. The majority are from the Sindhi community who are mainly engaged in business and have integrated well into Chilean society. One third of them live in Iquique and the rest are in Santiago, Valparaiso, Vina del Mar and Punta Arenas. In addition, there is a constant flow of professionals and businessmen from India working mainly in the ICT and financial services sectors. Some Indian labour is also present in Chile, working mainly in Indian restaurants and shops. (ANI) Over 100 people suffered injuries in various traffic incidents during the Eid ul Fitr celebrations in Taunsa district of Pakistan's Punjab, Geo News reported, citing relevant authorities. The hospital administration indicated that at least 112 injured individuals were admitted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital. Additionally, rescue officials mentioned that the majority of injuries resulted from accidents involving motorcycles and rickshaws, as stated by Geo News. It is crucial to recognize that many of the injured were young individuals who fell from their motorcycles while engaging in reckless celebrations of Eid through racing. Rescue officials highlighted the difficulties faced by the injured, noting that the hospital ran out of space to accommodate them, Geo News reported. Consequently, several injured individuals were also taken to private hospitals as reported by rescue officials. In a separate tragedy, four young men died in a high-speed car accident at the Tando Allahyar Canal. The victims were from Karachi, and rescue workers stated that their bodies were being transported back to the city, as cited by Geo News. The incidents occurred as people across Pakistan celebrated Eid ul Fitr with a spirit of religious devotion and cultural enthusiasm, offering prayers for unity, peace, and prosperity. Karachi has witnessed a rise in traffic accidents recently, resulting in many fatalities. Higher authorities have been called upon to address the rising number of casualties, Geo News reported. Last week, a speeding water tanker took the lives of a young couple and their unborn child near Malir Halt , as reported by Geo News. At least 214 people have died in road accidents in Karachi in less than three months, with 68 fatalities linked to heavy vehicles like tankers and trailers. (ANI) Paank, a human rights organization, has vehemently denounced the horrific massacre of seven family members in Sohbatpur district, Balochistan, and is calling for prompt justice and accountability. As stated in a post by Paank on X, the incident, which took place in the early hours of March 27, involved armed attackers invading a small dwelling in Goth Mir Dauran Khan Khosa, Deh Sanhiri, near Pat Feeder Canal, killing every family member before setting their house ablaze. The deceased included Ali Hasan, his wife Zeba, their four sons, and their daughter, with the youngest child being only nine months old. Reports indicated that their bodies were extensively charred, further emphasizing the heinous nature of the crime, as noted in Paank's post. Paank has indicated that ongoing land disputes may have motivated the killings, criticizing government institutions for their inability to settle such issues and for permitting violence to escalate unchecked. They have also listed several suspects, including Azmat Bugti alias Ghulam Karim, Pir Bakhsh, Aqil, Adil, Riaz, Farooq, and Farhan, along with four unidentified individuals. However, no swift arrests have been initiated. Paank has called for a clear and unbiased investigation, urging authorities to take rapid action against those culpable. They have also appealed to civil society and human rights groups to speak out against the persistent violence in Balochistan, where targeted murders and lawlessness continue to foster a climate of fear and insecurity. Balochistan has long faced severe human rights violations, including reports of killings, and forced displacements. Despite the region's abundance of natural resources, local communities rarely benefit from them. Restrictions on freedom of speech, assembly, and movement are widespread, with dissent harshly suppressed. The Baloch people continue to endure immense suffering, yet the international community has largely ignored their plight. Efforts to address these abuses have been limited, leaving the Baloch population vulnerable and their fundamental rights consistently violated without adequate international intervention or support. (ANI) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) held a special briefing on Tuesday on the sidelines of the visit of Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font to India and noted key areas of collaboration between the two countries. The briefing highlighted the two countries aiming to strengthen partnership in critical minerals sector, and research on Antarctica amongst other areas. The briefing was chaired by MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, Secretary (East) P Kumaram, Ambassador in Chile, Abhilasha Joshi and Praphullachandra Sharma, Joint Secretary (Latin America and Caribbean). Speaking on the area of partnership in critical minerals, P Kumaram highlighted that "24 per cent of Copper of the world output is out of Chile, and 30 per cent of the world's lithium comes out of Chile." He noted that mining contributes about 13 per cent to Chile's GDP, and said "These are areas of interest to India because these are materials that are critical to developing new and emerging technologies such as EVs, battery technologies, new generation batteries that can increase range. so all these are naturally of great importance to us." In his remarks, he mentioned that critical minerals are very important and highlighted the MoU signed between India and Chile for partnership in the critical mineral sector. He observed that critical minerals are also a part of the CEPA discussions. "This will naturally involve Indian investments, possibly some kind of value addition in Chile. Chilean side is very keen that investors come and add value in Chile before taking the refined material out of Chile", Kumram said. Speaking about Antarctica, Kumaram said, "There is a lot of interest on our side in Antarctica. Chile is very well-placed geographically when it comes to Antarctica. Chile offers itself as a natural partner for us to understand Antarctica better and the challenges associated with polar regions. So obviously we are very keen to work with Chile in the area of Antarctic research." He highlighted that PM Modi and the Chilean President held discussions on the latter's visit and experience of Antarctica last year and asked PM Modi to visit Chile sometime and undertake a visit to Antarctica. Speaking about CEPA, he noted that India's interests include areas such as expanding agricultural exports, securing critical minerals, and on the Chilean side, the interest is on exporting some of their agricultural products that are not necessarily available in our market. He added that there is also an interest on the Chilean side to try and diversify their trade partners to include other large emerging economies. At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Boric's visit from April 1-5 is aimed at strengthening economic, political, and cultural ties. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, members of parliament, senior officials, business leaders, media representatives, and cultural figures engaged in India-Chile exchanges. (ANI) The Eco Fawn Society organized a unique photo exhibition at the renowned Broken Chair in Geneva, showcasing the significant advancements Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) has achieved in infrastructure, education, healthcare, employment, living standards, and management of the state budget. This exhibition, held alongside the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), visually illustrated the region's progress. The goal of the exhibition was to narrate J-K's journey of transformation, highlighting its achievements in socio-economic aspects and the tenacity of its inhabitants. Attendees were able to see compelling visuals and stories portraying modern infrastructure, top-tier educational institutions, upgraded healthcare facilities, and better job prospects. Furthermore, the exhibition shed light on the crucial role that state budget management has played in fostering sustainable development and enhancing living standards. One of the event's standout features was its ability to attract a varied audience, which included diplomats, international delegates, human rights monitors, and tourists from around the world. This exhibition acted as a platform for significant conversations, enabling the global community to observe directly the progressive advancements occurring in Kashmir valley. The Eco Fawn Society, a committed organization focused on showcasing ecological, social, and economic advancements in regions affected by conflict, organized this event to alter global perceptions. Through research, advocacy, and exhibitions, the society seeks to highlight positive developments and encourage international involvement. The exhibition at Broken Chair represented more than merely a collection of photographs; it was a significant effort to underline J-K's continual progress. It emphasized the necessity for ongoing collaboration and investment in the region, reinforcing the notion that resilience and well-considered policies are key to sustaining development in J-K. Following the abrogation of Article 370, J-K has experienced notable advancements in infrastructure, tourism, and economic growth. Upgraded road systems, unprecedented levels of tourist visits, improved healthcare facilities, and the establishment of new educational institutions have revitalized the area. Heightened investments and government efforts are creating job opportunities, promoting development, and laying the groundwork for a successful future. (ANI) Chinese President Xi Jinping in his congratulatory message to President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday, which marked the 75th anniversary of establishment of bilateral relatins, said that China and India should work more closely together. He said that the relationship between China and India should "realize a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant, which completely serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples." Chinese Premier Li Qiang also sent a congratulatory message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Xi in his message said that both nations should view and handle bilateral ties from a "strategic and long-term perspective, and seek ways for neighboring major countries to get along in peaceful coexistence, mutual trust and mutual benefit, and common development." Terming China and India "ancient civilizations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South," Xi noted that both countries are at a critical stage in their respective modernization drive. A statement issued by the Chinese Ambassador in India, Xu Feihong stated, "President Xi Jinping exchanges congratulatory messages with President Droupadi Murmu on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. President Xi pointed out that China and India are both ancient civilizations, major developing countries and important members of Global South. Both countries are at a critical stage in their respective modernization drive." "The development of China-India relations demonstrates that it is the right choice for both sides to become partners for mutual success and realize a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant, which completely serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples. Both sides should view and handle China-India relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and seek ways for neighbouring major countries to get along in peaceful coexistence, mutual trust and mutual benefit, and common development, and jointly push forward world multipolarization and democracy in international relations," he added. According to the statement, Xi expressed his readiness to work with President Murmu, taking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity, to promote strategic mutual trust, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, deepen communication and coordination on major international affairs, jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in China-India border regions, advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development. According to the statement, President Murmu in her message to her Chinese counterpart said "stable, predictable and amicable" bilateral relations will bring major benefits to both nations and the world. Xu Feihong stated, "President Xi expressed his readiness to work with President Murmu, taking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity, to promote strategic mutual trust, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, deepen communication and coordination on major international affairs, jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in China-India border regions, advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development, so as to contribute to world peace and prosperity." "President Murmu said that India and China are two large neighbours, who represent a third of humanity. Stable, predictable and amicable bilateral relations will bring major benefits to us both, as indeed to the world. Let us utilize the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomaic relations to work towards healthy and stable development of India-China bilateral relations," the Chinese envoy said. https://x.com/China_Amb_India/status/1907033740272189877 According to the statement, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang expressed readiness to work with India. Meanwhile, PM Modi said progress in bilateral ties will contribute not only to global stability and prosperity but also to the emergence of a multi-polar world In a post on X, Xu Feihong stated, "Premier Li Qiang exchanges congratulatory messages with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Premier Li stated that China stands ready to work with India, taking the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomat relations as an opportunity, continue to enhance strategic mutual trust, promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, properly handle the boundary question, advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development, so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples." "Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India and China are two ancient cultures and civilizations. We have played a significant role in shaping human history and bear a significant responsibility now to promoting peace and development. Progress in our bilateral relations will contribute not only to global stability and prosperity but also to the emergence of a multi-polar world. The 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomaic relations may usher in a period of healthy and stable development in India-China bilateral relations," he added. In a recent interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman, PM Modi emphasised about normalcy returning to the border and the deep-rooted cultural ties between the two nations. He expressed optimism about India's relationship with China, emphasizing the importance of learning from and understanding one another. Despite ongoing border disputes, PM Modi acknowledged the ancient cultural and civilizational ties between the two nations, noting that there's no real history of conflict between them. The two countries have been locked in a tense border standoff since the 2020 Galwan clashes, which severely strained diplomatic relations. Earlier in March, India and China discussed resuming dialogue mechanisms betwen the two nations in a "step-by-step" manner focusing on "each other's priority areas of interest and concern," India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. During a meeting in Beijing between Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) from India's Ministry of External Affairs, and Liu Jinsong, Director General of the Department of Asian Affairs at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides acknowledged the progress made in bilateral relations following the October 2024 meeting between PM Modi and President Xi in Kazan. (ANI) Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font has announced a Multiple Entry Permit for Indian businesspersons, simplifying the visa process to facilitate trade and investment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed this decision, emphasising its significance in strengthening bilateral relations between India and Chile. PM Modi held talks with President Boric at Hyderabad House in Delhi on Tuesday, describing Chile as an "important friend" of India in Latin America. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "India welcomes a special friend! It is a delight to host President Gabriel Boric Font in Delhi. Chile is an important friend of ours in Latin America. Our talks today will add significant impetus to the India-Chile bilateral friendship." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1907073138669846835 Following the meeting, a joint statement highlighted that Boric conveyed that India is a priority partner for Chile in the global economy and stressed the need to explore strategies for enhanced and diversified trade between the two countries. Gabriel Boric Font and PM acknowledged the signing of the mutually agreed Terms of Reference and welcomed the launch of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations for a balanced, ambitious, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial agreement to achieve a deeper economic integration. "The CEPA will aim at unlocking the full potential of the trade and commercial relationship between India and Chile, boosting employment, bilateral trade, and economic growth," the joint statement read. "To further promote trade relations as well as people-to-people interactions, President Boric announced Chile's decision to grant a Multiple Entry Permit for Indian businesspersons which will streamline the visa process." "Prime Minister Modi welcomed and valued this measure, as it reflects the willingness of both parties to facilitate trade and investment and the shared commitment to deepening bilateral relations between Chile and India. Acknowledging the people-to-people linkages as an important pillar to promote bilateral ties and to facilitate business, tourism, student and academic exchanges, Indian side has already put in place a flexible visa regime, including by extending e-visa facility for Chilean travellers to India," it added. As per the joint statement, the two recognised the strategic importance of critical minerals for emerging technologies, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy transitions and agreed to accelerate collaboration in exploration, mining and processing along with research and development to promote investment across the entire critical mineral value chain for mutual benefit. PM Modi and Gabriel Boric stressed on the need for building trusted and resilient supply chains including for critical minerals and advanced materials. The two sides agreed to work together on initiatives to strengthen supply chains and local value chains by fostering mutually beneficial partnerships and understandings in mining and minerals, including the possibility of a long-term supply of minerals and materials from Chile to India. "Both leaders agreed to explore the opening up of new avenues for cooperation in health and pharmaceuticals, space, ICT, agriculture, green energy, traditional medicine, Antarctica, Science & Technology, management of natural disasters, sports, Startups, cooperatives, and audiovisual co-production, through the exchange of experiences and good practices among the agencies responsible for these matters," it read. "President Boric acknowledged the role of the Indian pharmaceutical industry as one of the world leaders, and an important partner for Chile in the supply of affordable and high-quality products," it added. The two leaders agreed to facilitate the private sectors of the two countries to increase trade in pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical devices. Both sides agreed to work on enhancing cooperation in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors and address market access issues for Indian pharmaceuticals, as well as advancing in the recognition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia by Chile. PM Modi and Gabriel Boric Font noted the importance of traditional medicines and Yoga in preserving the health and well-being of people and directed their officials for an early conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding on Traditional Medicines to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Both nations agreed to collaborate and intensify the promotion and use of evidence-based, integrative, Traditional Medicine, Homeopathy, and Yoga by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The two sides agreed to work on promoting investments in infrastructure projects in each other's countries. Chile President welcomed Indian companies to participate in infrastructure projects, including in the railway sector. PM Modi and Gabriel Boric Font encouraged the two sides to work together to explore substantial areas for bilateral defence cooperation, including capacity building and defence industrial collaboration. Both sides agreed to share knowledge in developing and enhancing each other's capabilities under the existing formal defence cooperation agreement in place. The joint statement reads, "Indian side highlighted that Chile has been kept on priority while offering opportunities in training at Defence Services Staff College, NDC, NDA and HDMC, apart from slots for specialised courses in mountain warfare and peacekeeping operations previously made available. Indian side expressed its desire to receive and train Chilean military in areas of mutual interests." "Both leaders expressed their happiness on signing of the Letter of Intent to strengthen existing Antarctic cooperation, which will further facilitate partnership in Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources agendas bilateral dialogues, joint initiatives and academic exchanges related to Antarctica and Antarctic policy. Both India and Chile are Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty and reaffirmed their commitment to deepen scientific understanding of Antarctic for the benefit of both parties and the global community," it added. The two sides welcomed the adoption and opening for signature of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), as a key legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and reiterated the resolve of their respective countries to preserve, protect and promote biodiversity, from land to sea, and agreed to work together and support each other in international forums dealing with these issues. India and Chile reaffirmed their intention to strengthen a vision from the Global South in multilateralism, through cooperation and joint efforts, based on the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and the right to development. "Recalling the two countries' decades-long partnership in space, the two leaders noted the ongoing engagements in the space sector between the two countries, including the launching of a satellite belonging to Chile (SUCHAI-1) by India in 2017 as a co-passenger under a commercial arrangement," the joint statement read further. "Both leaders emphasized the importance of further cooperation to promote training and capacity building and research in space and astrophysics. In this regard, they welcomed the constitution of Space Executive Committee by Chile to work on cooperation including in the areas of exploration in space, R&D, training, satellite building, launch and operation and peaceful use of outer space with ISRO, IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre) and Startups," the joint statement read. The two leaders noted their respective dynamic information and digital technology sectors and stressed the need to explore synergies to enhance cooperation in this field. They expressed mutual interest in growth of investment, joint ventures, technological development and markets in the IT and digital space, including promoting collaboration in Digital Public Infrastructures (DPI), thereby democratizing access to digital services for people and businesses. Both leaders acknowledged the efforts by India and Chile in exploring early implementation of cooperation in the digital payments sector. They committed to working for developing closer cooperation between the vibrant Startup ecosystems of the two countries. PM Modi and Gabriel Boric Font expressed their desire to advance on signing of an understanding on cooperation in the areas of Digital Transformation to facilitate deeper engagement between tech communities of both countries, it added. (ANI) India has delivered 625 metric tonnes (MT) of Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) material to Myanmar as part of Operation Brahma, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. India launched Operation Brahma to provide necessary support, including Search and Rescue (SAR), humanitarian aid, disaster relief and medical assistance, following the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28. Being the First Responder in times of crisis in the Neighbourhood, Operation Brahma is a whole-of-government endeavour by India to respond to widespread destruction in Myanmar. So far, six aircraft and five Indian Naval ships have delivered 625 MT of Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) material, the MEA said in a statement. India delivered the first tranche of HADR material to Myanmar, including 15 tonnes of supplies such as tents, blankets, essential medicines, and food - supplied by NDRF and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, using a C-130J aircraft, which landed in Yangon March 29, the MEA said. The MEA noted that the second tranche, aboard two IAF C-130J aircraft, included 80 NDRF Search and Rescue (SAR) specialists, equipment, and relief material. One aircraft carried 17 tonnes of personal protective equipment, search & communication equipment, and rescue equipment, and the other carried 5 tonnes of HADR materials such as gensets, hygiene kits, food packets, essential medicines, kitchen sets, blankets etc. These aircraft landed in Naypyitaw on March 30. The third tranche, involving two IAF C-17 aircraft, transported a 118 member Indian Army Field Hospital Team with over 60 tons of supplies, rapidly deployable surgical and medical shelters, water sanitation and hygiene services and most importantly women and child care services. These aircrafts also landed in Naypyitaw on March 30. The 200 bedded field hospital in Mandalay is now operational, treating patients and performing surgeries. According to the Indian Army, surgeons at the facility have also successfully performed two life-saving surgeries. On Tuesday, Lt Gen Myo Moe Aung, overall in charge of relief operations in Mandalay Division, paid an impromptu visit to the hospital. He commended the highly functional medical setup and appreciated India's extraordinary efforts in supporting Myanmar during this tragic crisis. The MEA further said that Indian Naval ships Satpura and Savitri, from the Eastern Naval Command - sailed for Yangon on March 29 carrying 40 tonnes of HADR material. These were handed over to the Chief Minister of Yangon on Monday. Indian Navy Ships Karmuk and LCU 52 from the Andaman and Nicobar Command sailed for Yangon on March 30, carrying 30 tonnes of relief material including HADR pallets comprising essential clothing, drinking water, food, medicines, and emergency stores. These were handed over at Yangon Port on Tuesday. On Tuesday, in continuation of Operation Brahma, India dispatched further assistance including critical supplies to meet the immediate needs of the affected population. An IAF C-130J aircraft carrying approx. 16 tonnes of HADR material including vital supplies such as tents, gensets, drinking water, food, and emergency medicines, aimed at addressing the urgent needs of those affected by the disaster landed in Mandalay today, the MEA said. The MEA further noted that Indian Naval Ship Gharial departed from Visakhapatnam Port on Tuesday for Yangon. The ship will deliver 442 MT of food aid including 405 metric tons of rice, 30 metric tons of cooking oil, 5 metric tons of biscuits, and 2 metric tons of instant noodles. These supplies are intended to meet the immediate food needs of the affected population in Myanmar. India stands ready to deploy more material assistance and resources to Myanmar depending on ground-level needs and requirements, the MEA said. India's ongoing efforts under Operation Brahma reflect its commitment to respond swiftly and in full measure to natural disasters in her Neighbourhood. As a First Responder, India stands with Myanmar, a key partner of our Neighbourhood First and Act East policy, it added. (ANI) The Embassy of India in Kathmandu, along with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Government of Nepal and Project Implementing Agencies of Government of Nepal signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) for undertaking 10 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal under the grant assistance of Government of India in Education, Health, and Culture Sectors at a total cost of NRs.625.00 million on Tuesday, as per a statement by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu noted that these 10 projects are construction of Sanba Secondary School, Mikuwa Khola Rural Municipality, Taplejung, Koshi Province; construction of Ngagyur Nyngma Palyul Dhongag Chholing Monastery, Likhu-Pike Rural Municipality, Solukhumbu, Koshi Province; construction of Nepal-Bharat Maitri E Library at Shree Rastriya Primary School, Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Chitwan, Bagmati Province; construction of Health Post Building, Ward-3, Indrawati Rural Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, Bagmati Province; construction of Health Post Building, Ward-6, Indrawati Rural Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, Bagmati Province; construction of Ninyukharka Secondary School, Dhurkot Rural Municipality, Gulmi, Lumbini Province; construction of Naya Gaun Secondary School Building, Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City, Rupandehi, Lumbini Province; construction of Nepal-Bharat Maitri Hospital Building, Chankheli Rural Municipality, Humla, Karnali Province; construction of Siddhanath Secondary School, Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, Kailali, Sudurpashchim Province, and construction of Shree Satyavadi Secondary School Admin & Hostel Buildings, Jayaprithivi Municipality, Bajhang, Sudurpashchim Province in Nepal shall be implemented through Local authorities of Government of Nepal which is Metropolitan City, Sub-Metropolitan City, Municipalities and Rural Municipalities. The Embassy noted in its statement that the implementation of these High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) will help provide better educational, healthcare and cultural facilities to the people of Nepal. Notably, since 2003, India has taken up over 573 High Impact Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal, including the 10 projects whose MoUs have been signed today, and has completed 495 projects in the areas of education, health, road & bridges, river training, drinking water, electrification, irrigation, culture, social welfare and creation of other public utilities across all 7 provinces of Nepal at the grassroot level. The remaining projects are ongoing at different stages. The Embassy noted that as close neighbours, India and Nepal are engaged in wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of HICDPs reflects the continued support of the government of India in bolstering the efforts of the government of Nepal to grow and develop its people by augmenting infrastructure in priority sectors. (ANI) China's leading liquor maker Luzhou Laojiao announced a collaboration Monday with the country's most successful sci-fi franchise "The Three-Body Problem," marking the first major cross-industry integration between baijiu and science fiction. He Cheng, deputy general manager and chief quality officer of Luzhou Laojiao, and sci-fi writer Liu Cixin pose for a photo at a launch event for the "Three-Body" liquor in Beijing, March 31, 2025. [Photo courtesy of EV/SFM] Authorized by rights holder Three-Body Universe and developed by Luzhou Laojiao and Hainan Eternal Vision Science Fiction Media (EV/SFM), two liquor product prototypes were unveiled at a global launch event held during the 2025 China Science Fiction Convention (CSFC 2025). Their bottles and packaging one, "Luzhou Laojiao | Three-Body," featuring a pyramid design; the other, "National Cellar 1573 | Three-Body," a sphere have been elegantly crafted, drawing inspiration from elements in Liu Cixin's award-winning novel. He Cheng, deputy general manager and chief quality officer of Luzhou Laojiao, described the crossover collaboration as a "strategic priority in cultural innovation and a masterstroke for brand rejuvenation, using sci-fi's futuristic appeal to engage consumers and revitalize traditional baijiu culture." Luzhou Laojiao is a large brewing group that developed from 36 workshops in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties to become one of the top liquor brands in China and known worldwide. In recent years, it has actively supported sci-fi events, including the Chinese Nebula Awards, to widen its appeal. Gan Weikang, president of EV/SFM, stressed that the partnership "not only commercializes sci-fi intellectual property while supporting sci-fi literature development, but also pioneers a new crossover model of 'cultural symbols plus real economy.'" Industry analysts suggest this collaboration may shift the baijiu sector's focus from "flavor competition" to a new paradigm of "cultural value competition." Sci-fi writer Liu Cixin signs a bottle at a launch event for the "Three-Body" liquor in Beijing, March 31, 2025. [Photo courtesy of EV/SFM] During the event, He Cheng and Liu Cixin signed two special-edition bottles, which will be preserved in the Luzhou Laojiao Museum and the Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute, respectively. The liquor makers confirmed both editions will launch globally soon, with just 10,000 bottles of the sci-fi themed National Cellar 1573 being produced annually. US Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Bondi described the killing as a "premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked the nation." In a statement, Bondi said, "Luigi Mangione's murder of Brian Thompson -- an innocent man and father of two young children -- was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump's agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again." Mangione is accused of murdering Thompson on December 4 in what authorities described as an "act of political violence." According to the US Department of Justice, Mangione's actions involved substantial planning and premeditation. "As alleged, Luigi Mangione stalked and murdered UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. The murder was an act of political violence. Mangione's actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons," the statement read. "Following federal murder charges handed down on Dec. 19, 2024, Attorney General Bondi has now directed Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to seek the death penalty in this case," it added. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges, however, he has not been arraigned on the federal charges, CBS News reported. According to prosecutors, Mangione killed Thompson outside the Hilton Midtown hotel in Manhattan on December 4 as Thompson walked to a UnitedHealthcare investors conference. Following the shooting, a five-day manhunt was conducted, leading investigators from a hostel on the Upper West Side to a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was taken into custody, CBS News reported. Investigators said he was carrying a backpack which had a gun matching the description of the murder weapon and a notebook with writings critical of the insurance industry. Luigi Mangione was taken back to New York City, where he remains in federal custody at Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, CBS News reported. Last week, Mangione's defence team urged the court to give him a laptop so that he could review documents related to the case. The Manhattan District Attorney's office did not agree to the request, saying Mangione has access to computers at Metropolitan Detention Center and that he has received special treatment, like being able to change into different clothes for his appearances in court. The District Attorney's office accused his attorneys of keeping heart-shaped notes in his a pair of socks ahead of his last hearing. (ANI) A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has been deployed by India to assist rescue efforts in Myanmar, which was hit by a devastating earthquake of 7.7 magnitude on March 28, the NDRF shared details in a statement on Tuesday. The NDRF said, "In response to the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025, India has intensified its humanitarian assistance under 'Operation Brahma.' An NDRF team and essential relief supplies have been deployed to support rescue efforts. An Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) Team of 80 skilled Rescuers from 8th Battalion NDRF, Ghaziabad, along with four trained canines, was airlifted in two sorties by the Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130 Hercules Aircraft." It shared that the team arrived in Nay Pyi Taw on March 29, and was deployed to Mandalay City, where significant structural collapses have reportedly occurred. "The NDRF team is conducting Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in Mandalay in coordination with Fire Services of Myanmar, focusing on sites, where victims have been reported missing due to building collapse", it said in the statement. NDRF noted that as of April 1, "16 dead bodies have been retrieved and rescue operation is ongoing." Rescuers are searching for survivors more than three days after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, toppling buildings as far away as the Thai capital, Bangkok and sending tremors through nearby Chinese provinces, as reported by CNN. More than 2,000 people are now confirmed dead in Myanmar. Widespread damage was reported after the earthquake caused infrastructural damage, CNN reported citing authorities. The epicentre was recorded in Myanmar's central Sagaing region, near the former royal capital, Mandalay. India launched 'Operation Brahma' on Saturday to support earthquake-impacted Myanmar, including Search and Rescue (SAR), humanitarian aid, disaster relief and medical assistance. Being the First Responder in times of crisis in the Neighbourhood, Operation Brahma is a whole-of-government endeavour by India to respond to widespread destruction in Myanmar. So far, six aircraft and five Indian Naval ships have delivered 625 MT of Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) material, the MEA said in its statement. MEA underscored that India stands ready to deploy more material assistance and resources to Myanmar depending on ground-level needs and requirements. India's ongoing efforts under Operation Brahma reflect its commitment to respond swiftly and in full measure to natural disasters in the neighbourhood. (ANI) President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet in honour of Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. She welcomed him on his first State visit to India and said Chile is an "important partner" of India in Latin America. President Murmu received President Boric at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other leaders, including members of the high-level delegation from Chile, were present. In her remarks at the banquet, President Murmu said Boric is an inspiration for all young leaders and expressed happiness to know about his political journey from student politics to presidency. She further said India and Chile's political and economic priorities are complementary. She said, "I am delighted to welcome Chile President Gabriel Boric Font and his delegation on his first State visit to India. This maybe your first visit to India, but I have realised from meeting you that you have a deep understanding and interest in India. I hope you have had a very enjoyable time in India so far. I remember excellency, a few years ago, when you were elected as President of Chile, many of us here in India appreciated such young leader taking on the responsibility of the highest position of this country. I was happy to know about your political journey, from student politics to the presidency. I believe that it is important for more and more youth to take interest in the active politics. President Boric, you are indeed an inspiration for all young leaders. "Even though India and Chile are geographically distant, we are closely linked to each other by our long-standing relationship which is rooted in mutual respect and shared democratic values. As both of our countries celebrate 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations, your visit to India assumes even greater significance. Chile is an important partner for India in the Latin American region. Our political and economic priorities are complementary and we both are independent minded countries," she added. She said that India and Chile have many opportunities to expand partnership in various sectors, including technological and cultural exchanges, trade and investment and people-to-people ties. President Murmu said, "We have many opportunities to expand our partnership, from trade and investment, technological and cultural exchanges to people-to-people ties. In recent years, we have seen growing cooperation in all these areas. I am told that you have had extensive discussions on all these aspects with Prime Minister Modi today. I am sure your visit will further strengthen this relationship." She stated that Indian community residing in Chile is involved in various sectors, from business to technology. She expressed confidence that President Boric's State visit to India will open a new chapter in bilateral tie. President Murmu said, "Today, Indians in Chile are involved in all fields from business to technology. The Indian community in Chile is popularizing Indian cuisine, Yoga and Ayurveda and strengthening people-to-people ties. I hope that during dinner today, our friends from Chile will get a glimpse of the rich heritage of Indian art, cuisine and music. I am confident that your State visit to India will open a new chapter in our long-standing relations, benefiting the people of both our countries." Earlier in the day, PM Narendra Modi held talks with President Boric at Hyderabad House in Delhi on Tuesday, describing Chile as an "important friend" of India in Latin America. In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "India welcomes a special friend! It is a delight to host President Gabriel Boric Font in Delhi. Chile is an important friend of ours in Latin America. Our talks today will add significant impetus to the India-Chile bilateral friendship." Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday for his first State visit to India, receiving a ceremonial welcome and a Guard of Honour. He was warmly received at the airport by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita. (ANI) Hopping on to the Ghibli-style trend that has taken social media by storm, the Israel Embassy in India has shared AI images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu. While sharing the image on X, Israeli Embassy in India stated, "A #Ghibli tale of friendship India Israel @narendramodi @netanyahu #Ghiblistudio #ghibliart #IndiaIsrael." https://x.com/israelinindia/status/1907058525332975748 In response to their post on X, the Indian Embassy in Israel shared a picture of PM Modi and Netanyahu, which showed the two leaders enjoying a ride in a jeep. While sharing the picture on X, the Indian Embassy in Israel stated, "Driving the India-Israel friendship forward." https://x.com/indemtel/status/1906714965274153141 The AI-generated pictures have taken the internet by storm, with social media feeds flooded with Ghibli pictures. Using the AI tool, a user can turn their imagination into visual art with the Text to Image feature. Earlier in February, Israel's Minister of Economy, Nir Barkat, said that the governments of India and Israel are aligned to make "very strong successful business-to-business relationships." He stated that Israel is scaling rapidly to become a dominant global power. While speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the India-Israel Business Forum event in New Delhi on Tuesday, Barkat lauded the government-to-government relationship between PM Modi and his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu and noted that Israelis love to travel to India and vice versa. He said, "Israel has 10,000 startups, which is in ratio by far the most entrepreneurial country in the world. We excel in classic high-tech, agro-tech, food-tech, aqua-tech, desert-tech and climate change. We are very powerful naturally in defence and homeland security and in advanced industries. So, what we find, these clusters, these business clusters are very relevant for India. And we have a number of companies in each one of these business clusters sitting down and collaborating with numerous hundreds of companies here in India." "My expectation, and this is the discussion I had with Minister Piyush Goyal is to have another delegation coming from India to Israel where we can have multiple meetings and at the tail end of that process know how to help those companies both Indian and Israeli companies do more business. So, the two governments are aligned to make very strong successful business to business relationships," he added. Expressing Israel's willingness to boost growth in India, he said, "Yes, we have a number of delegations. We are actually also seeking how to help invest in infrastructure and in companies that are going to do Make in India. So, we want to help boost growth in India aligned with the strategy of Prime Minister Modi and Minister Piyush Goyal on Make in India. This is something that makes sense for Israeli companies. So, we're aligning the strategies of both countries to succeed more." (ANI) White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, during a press briefing, said on Tuesday that the US reiterates its stance of opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion. She made the remarks when was asked to respond to the Chinese military drills around Taiwan. Leavitt said President Trump emphasised the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, adding that US encourages peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. Leavitt said, "As a matter of fact, the National Security Council briefed me on this, this morning, and they said that the President is emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, encouraging the peaceful resolution of these cross-strait issues, reiterating our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. That is directly from the National Security". Her remarks come after China's military on Tuesday said it began joint exercises involving its army, navy, air force and rocket force around Taiwan as a "stern warning," CNN reported. In a post on X, Taiwan's Ministry of Defence condemned China's drills, calling it irrational activity that undermined regional peace. "We strongly condemn the PRC's irrational provocations. We firmly oppose PLA's actions that undermine regional peace. Standing guard at the forefront of freedom and democracy, remain steadfast in defending our territorial sovereignty," Taiwan's MND said in a post on X. The development comes days after US Defence Chief Pete Hegseth vowed to counter "China's aggression" on his first visit to Asia, as per CNN. China's armed forces through the drills aim to "close in" on Taiwan from "multiple directions," mainly focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade on key areas and sea lanes to test joint operations capabilities of China's troops, the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command said in a statement on social media. "It is a stern warning and forceful deterrence against 'Taiwan Independence' separatist forces, and it is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity," the statement added. The latest drills follow a series of incidents that have ratcheted up tensions across the Taiwan Strait, including Taipei's detention in late February of a cargo ship crewed by Chinese nationals it was investigating for allegedly cutting an undersea internet cable in the second such incident in a period of months. (ANI) The Government of Nepal has appealed to the general public not to participate in any of the demonstrations organized by monarchists. Announcing the decisions of the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, informed that an appeal has been made not to participate in the demonstrations of the royalist group. "The Government of Nepal appeals to the general public not to get involved in such chaotic activities," he said, referring to the violence of 28 March, which claimed the lives of two. "The Ministry of Home Affairs has been instructed to investigate the truth and facts of the Tinkune incident and take action against the culprits and make arrangements to prevent such incidents from happening in the future," the cabinet decision said. Minister Gurung informed about the decision to give the responsibility to the Ministry of Health and Population to arrange for the treatment of those injured in the incident. "The government has decided to direct the Ministry of Health and Population to make arrangements for free medical treatment for those injured in the protest that took place last Friday in the name of supporters of the former monarch," the minister said. The cabinet meeting also decided to investigate the incidents of vandalism that took place during the protests and act against those found guilty. One of the bloodiest pro-monarch protests in the Himalayan Nation's history, the March 28 protest called by pro-monarchist forces under the leadership of controversial businessman Durga Prasain, sent a spree of violence across the capital. The protest organized near the Tribhuvan International Airport turned violent, claiming the lives of two, which included a TV journalist. The Police, at the time to bring the situation under control, fired 60 live rounds. One of the casualties has been identified to have bullet-inflicted wounds. Similarly, the Police fired 746 rounds of tear gas in an attempt to disperse the protestors. During the protest 55 Nepal Police, 22-Armed Police Force (APF) personnel has been recorded to be injured. In addition, 52 general public were injured in the violent clash which was followed by arson and vandalism. Nepal has arrested over 100 protestors including top most leaders from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) for inciting violence in Kathmandu's Tinkune, which resulted in two deaths. The police on Sunday extended the custody of those arrested, with 11 of them facing charges related to crimes against the state. Nepal in the year 2006 had abolished centuries old constitutional monarchy after then King Gyanendra seized power and imposed emergency sending all the leaders under house arrest. The movement also referred as "People's Movement II" witnessed a bloodshed with dozens killed in crackdown against protestors by the government. After weeks of violent protest and increasing international pressure, Gyanendra gave up and reinstated the dissolved parliament, the dawn of new democracy is highlighted as Lokantantra (People's Rule). (ANI) A pawn shop in Lynchburgs Fairview Heights neighborhood that has been selling firearms in violation of a city zoning permit since 2021 has filed a petition with the city for legal authority to sell guns at the business. City staff told the Lynchburg City Council at its March 25 work session meeting that it supports King Pawns petition to amend the conditional use permit for it to sell firearms. A public hearing on the proposed amended permit is scheduled to be held at councils next regular meeting on April 8. In the petition, the pawn shop owner also requested the conditions be amended to allow the business, located on Campbell Avenue, to expand its operating hours by one hour so that it could be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. City staffs support of the petition to allow firearm sales at King Pawn and expanded operating hours comes after several residents who live in the Fairview Heights neighborhood expressed opposition to the zoning change, pointing to its location in a residential area with an elementary school nearby, William Marvin Bass Elementary School. In a letter to the Lynchburg Planning Commission, a Fairview Heights homeowner said, Pawn shops, by nature, already have the reputation of attracting many unsavory characters whom want to pawn stolen goods. King Pawn customers frequently park illegally on the church property next door, despite being repeatedly asked to refrain from parking there, the homeowner said. The church, Fairview Christian Church, also houses a childrens program, the homeowner noted. Guns should not be sold anywhere near residential areas where children convene, the homeowner said. A representative of Fairview Christian Church wrote to the planning commission, expressing concern about the sale of guns at the pawn shop. The church included a petition signed by more than 20 residents expressing opposition to the sale of guns and the expansion of the business hours. Another resident opposed to King Pawns petition, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years, said, All I see from my house is cars and trucks parked everywhere around the pawn shop area, even in the church parking lot. I see the police up there in the pawn shop at least three times a week, the resident said. At its Feb. 26 meeting, the Lynchburg Planning Commission voted 3-3 on the petition filed in January by LPP LLC, the owner of the pawn shop, to amend its conditional use permit. The tie vote meant the planning commission rejected the petition. In 2014, the Lynchburg Board of Zoning Appeals granted a conditional use permit to operate the pawn shop in the medium density residential district subject to conditions, which included limiting the operating hours and prohibiting firearms. The current owner, LPP LLC, rented the building that houses the pawn shop starting in 2016 and later purchased it in 2020. In 2021, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives granted the pawn shop a firearms license. The citys zoning division became aware of firearms sales at the pawn shop when it was investigating a sign ordinance violation complaint. The owner was not aware of the conditions in the 2014 permit that prohibited the sale of firearms, according to city staff. Upon becoming aware of the conditions, the owner submitted a public hearing application to revise them. At the planning commission meeting, the LPP LLC representative said the pawn shop derives between 20% and 30% of its sales from firearms. Planning Commission Chair Tom Rogers, who voted against the petition, said the fact that the pawn shop sold guns for more than three years without zoning authority represented a lapse of enforcement on the part of the city. City Planner Rachel Frischeisen responded most zoning enforcement in Lynchburg is conducted on a complaint basis. A violation typically must be brought to the zoning divisions attention because the city does not have enough staff to be out constantly looking for violations. At city councils March 25 work session meeting, members signaled their support for amending the permit to allow firearm sales at the pawn shop. I think the public and everyone knows where this council will go on this particular item, Ward IV Councilman Chris Faraldi said about the likelihood the amended conditional use permit will get approved on April 8. Faraldi also alerted his fellow councilmembers that he will not be able to attend the April 8 council meeting. It is my sincere hope that council will be adopting this, and I pray I dont have to come back and cast a tiebreaking vote, he added. You are here: China The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command on Tuesday started to conduct joint exercises around Taiwan Island, said a spokesperson. The theater command organized its army, navy, air and rocket forces to close in on Taiwan Island from multiple directions, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, the spokesperson for the theater command. According to Shi, these drills mainly focus on sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade of key areas and sea lanes to test the joint operation capabilities of the troops. The drills serve as a stern warning and forceful deterrent against "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and are a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity, Shi said. OSAKA, Apr 01 (News On Japan) - The new fiscal year began on April 1st, with companies across the Kansai region holding entrance ceremonies to welcome new employees. In Osaka's Umeda district, the Sekisui House Group held its entrance ceremony at "Grand Green Osaka," a large-scale redevelopment project that partially opened in September last year. About 820 new employees attended the event, which was held outdoors for the first time by the company. One new employee said, "It is a great honor to attend the entrance ceremony at this site, which is often called the last prime location in Kansai." Another added enthusiastically, "Expo, here we come!" With the opening of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo now less than two weeks away, the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition also welcomed around 90 new employees on April 1st. A representative of the new hires said, "Being involved in such a major project is a valuable opportunity. I want to give it my all, absorb as much as I can, and do my best." Source: YOMIURI OSAKA, Apr 02 (News On Japan) - From April 1st, a new regulation took effect across Osaka Prefecture requiring all restaurants with a customer seating area larger than 30 square meters to become entirely smoke-free indoorsunless they install a designated smoking room. Establishments violating the rule face fines of up to 50,000 yen, while customers may be fined up to 30,000 yen. The move comes just 12 days before the start of the Osaka Expo and is seen as part of broader efforts to present a cleaner, healthier image of the city. While government subsidies of up to 3 million yen are available for installing smoking facilities, only 317 of the estimated 4,000 eligible restaurants have applied so far. Restaurant owners are expressing concern. One owner of a yakitori restaurant near Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station, whose floor area exceeds the threshold, said the change poses a serious threat to business: "Weve already heard from customers that theyll stop coming if they can't smoke. Its not just an inconveniencethis could be a matter of survival." The restaurant opted not to install a smoking room, citing space limitations. "We can't afford to reduce our seating capacity. It would kill our customer numbers," the owner explained. Smokers are also reacting with frustration. Some said they would avoid restaurants that dont allow smoking, even if the food is excellent. "If I can't smoke there, I just won't go," one smoker said. Others described the new restrictions as "painful" or "too strict." On the other hand, non-smokers have welcomed the change. "Its great," said one patron. "I worry about secondhand smoke, so this makes it easier to go out to eat." Another added, "Ive been looking for non-smoking places. This makes a big difference." In addition to indoor bans, Osaka City has already prohibited smoking on all public streets since January. To accommodate this, the city has increased the number of designated smoking areas from 171 to 350. Still, some argue it's not enough. Jun Nakamura, an associate professor at Kinki University, noted that indoor smoking bans reflect a global trend and help reduce health risks from secondhand smoke. While understanding the reasoning behind street smoking bans as a matter of urban aesthetics, he emphasized the importance of balance. "Tobacco is still widely sold, and the tax revenue is significantabout 30 billion yen just in Osaka City. If restrictions are enforced, governments must also ensure there are places for smokers to go," Nakamura said. "We need to find a compromise where both smokers and non-smokers can coexist." Source: MBS NEWS A man convicted of murdering nine people in one of Japan's most disturbing serial killing cases was executed on June 27th. Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, had been sentenced to death for robbery, rape, and murder in a case that came to light in October 2017 after police discovered nine dismembered bodies stored in coolers in his apartment in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture. It marks the first execution under the Ishiba administration, following an order by Justice Minister Keishu Suzuki. Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has vowed to eradicate the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), signaling no intention for peace talks and reconciliation despite ongoing fierce fighting. In a video statement over the weekend, Burhan declared that the army would not forgive or negotiate with the RSF, instead offering amnesty to those who surrender. His remarks followed significant military advances, including the armys control of Omdurmans Souq Libya, a key commercial hub that had been used by the RSF for attacks. RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, also known as Hemetti, admitted his forces withdrew from Khartoum in a tactical redeployment, as he vowed to return with even stronger determination. He denied any negotiations with the army, stating that only combat lay ahead. As the army continues to assert control over Khartoum and surrounding areas, the fate of Sudans future remains uncertain, with both sides committed to military victory at all costs. International efforts to broker peace, including by U.S. diplomats, have thus far been unsuccessful, as Sudan plunges deeper into instability. The war between the army and RSF, sparked by a power struggle ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, has wreaked havoc across Sudan. The violence has displaced millions, caused widespread famine, and triggered ethnic conflicts that have spread into neighboring countries like Chad and Libya. Tens of thousands have died in the conflict, and the United Nations has deemed it the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Somalia has extended an offer to the United States for exclusive control over strategic airbases and ports in the Gulf of Aden, thus adding a new geopolitical twist to great-power competition in the Horn of Africa. In a letter from president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to U.S. president Donald Trump, Somalia proposed granting the U.S. operational control over the Balidogle and Berbera airbases, as well as the ports of Berbera and Bosaso. This offer, made in mid-March, aims to bolster the U.S. militarys presence in the region and strengthen efforts against Islamist militants. The strategically positioned assets would provide the U.S. with enhanced military and logistical access in the Gulf of Aden, a critical corridor for global trade and security. The U.S. has interests in the region, particularly in countering threats from extremist groups and securing maritime routes. Somalia views this as a critical opportunity to prevent external competitors from establishing a foothold. However, the proposal has sparked tensions with Somaliland, a breakaway region that controls the Berbera port and airbase. Somalilands government, which has long sought international recognition as an independent state, dismissed Somalias offer, accusing the U.S. of siding with Somaliland. The regions foreign minister, Abdirahman Dahir Aden, asserted that the U.S. is more inclined to engage directly with Somaliland, given its stability and governance. The USA is not stupid. They know who they need to deal with when it comes to Berbera port, Aden added. This development highlights the ongoing geopolitical struggle in the Horn of Africa, with Somalias territorial integrity and the future of Somaliland at the forefront of regional diplomacy. You are here: China People watch a demonstration of an unmanned remote tower crane working at a construction site in Huangdao District of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 18, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Monday released new national standards for residential projects, aiming to meet the people's demand for improved living quality. The new standards, targeting residential projects as a whole, emphasize safety, comfort, green practices and smart design while specifying requirements for construction, use and maintenance in terms of scale, layout, functionality, performance and key technical measures. The new standards, effective May 1, cover seven aspects that include general principles, basic regulations, living environment, building space, structure, indoor environment, and building equipment. Key provisions include a minimum ceiling height of three meters for new residential buildings, mandatory elevators for structures with four or more floors, and enhanced sound insulation standards for walls and floors. According to China's existing home design standards, which have been in effect since 2012, the ceiling height requirement is 2.8 meters. An official from the ministry said that rapid economic and social development, coupled with improvements in living standards and construction technology, have raised expectations for housing quality. The new standards, formulated through extensive consultation and research, will further support the high-quality development of urban housing, the official added. Over the past few days, humans left the job of answering Algerian propaganda to Grok, an AI tool developed by X social media platform to debunk fake news and propaganda. The AI tool has been used at a large scale by Moroccans on the social media platform asking questions that address the propaganda spread by Algerian electronic flies of the military regime, such as who created Algeria in its current borders? Grok shocking the henchman of the Algerian regime: France. In some questions by random Moroccan users, Grok explained that vast swathes of what Eastern Algeria is now have been amputated by France from Morocco and attached to its colony. These include the cities of Tindouf and Bechar, as well as the areas of Saoura and Tidikelt. Such answers by a global AI tool that relies on academic resources has sent shockwaves among Algerian regimes henchman on twitter, who have been for years trying to fabricate a new history of Algeria, which they ended up believing in it. The Algerian false narrative is that Algeria was a state that preceded colonialism and that Morocco has never existed. Such a new national narrative, invented from scratch, explains the impulsive reactions of the Algerian regime to intellectuals who dare to refer to historical truths. The most recent example was writer Boualem Sansal who said Tlemcen and western Algeria were once Moroccos. His comments got him five years in jail. The Algerian provisional government, which led the Evian talks that resulted in Algerias independence, had agreed with King Mohammed V to discuss with Morocco the fate of the regions attached by French to Algeria after independence. After the coup by Boumediens army stationed in Morocco and Tunisia which never fired a single bullet those discussions were called the Sand War of 1963. Tangible heritage, like cuisine and traditional dresses like the mythical caftan, have also been targeted by a spate of Algerian usurpation campaigns. The Algerian regime, after centuries of Ottoman assimilation followed by French colonialism, is overwhelmed by jealousy at how Moroccans managed to preserve their heritage. Instead of adopting Moroccan traditions and recognizing their origins, they prefer rather to mock themselves saying the Caftan is theirs. Meanwhile, they continue to import the caftan and other Moroccan traditional outfits because they lack craftsmen and know-how. As Moroccans take pride buoyed by a centuries-old know-how and an ongoing preservation of their tangible and intangible heritage, the result of a rich history of sovereignty, Algerians take refuge in social media to rhetorically usurp what is not theirs and spread lies about history which they ignore. Yet they can only fool themselves and take pedagogical slaps from AI tools like Grok. A group of Tigrayan survivors has filed a groundbreaking criminal complaint in Germany, accusing senior Ethiopian and Eritrean officials of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 2020-2022 conflict in Ethiopias Tigray region. The complaint, lodged with the German Federal Public Prosecutor, targets 12 individuals, including high-ranking military officers and government officials, and is based on Germanys principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows the prosecution of international crimes regardless of where they were committed. The war in Tigray, which resulted in over 300,000 deaths and widespread atrocities, including sexual violence, forced starvation, and arbitrary detention, has left many survivors seeking justice. Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), which represents the complainants, argues that Ethiopias judicial system is unable to hold high-level officials accountable, prompting the survivors to seek justice abroad. Now it is up to the federal public prosecutor to decide whether to initiate an investigation, said Nick Leddy, the LAWs lead lawyer. Among the complainants is Tsega, a survivor who lost his family members in the conflict, and other individuals who have suffered atrocities firsthand. Germanys involvement in such cases, including previous investigations into Syria and The Gambia, raises hopes that this will set a precedent for future accountability for war crimes globally. While Germany faces challenges in prosecuting foreign officials, the complaint serves as a crucial step in sending a message that perpetrators of mass atrocities will not find safe haven. The investigation could be a turning point in the pursuit of justice for Tigrayan victims. This is its second complaint submitted by LAW on behalf of Tigrayan victims. LAW is an independent non-profit organization comprised of human rights lawyers and jurists working in fragile and conflict affected areas. Guineas rulers have pardoned former military leader Moussa Dadis Camara, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the 2009 massacre in Conakry, raising controversy and questions about the countrys commitment to accountability and justice. The pardon, announced by junta leader General Mamadi Doumbouya on national television, was granted on the grounds of health reasons, although no details of Camaras health problems have been disclosed. Camara, who ruled Guinea from 2008 to 2009 after a military coup, was convicted in July 2024 for crimes against humanity, including the killing of at least 156 people and the widespread rape of women by security forces during a brutal crackdown on an opposition rally. Despite the conviction, the pardon has raised questions about Guineas commitment to justice, especially as human rights organizations and the victims families continue to seek accountability and compensation. The pardon also follows an announcement that the Guinean government intends to compensate the victims of the massacre, as mandated by the court. However, many remain concerned that this move signals a potential erosion of the countrys transitional justice process under the current junta, which seized power in a 2021 coup. Critics argue that the pardon risks undermining progress towards addressing impunity for past atrocities, further complicating Guineas path toward justice and reconciliation. At least nine civilians have been killed and 17 wounded following artillery shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher, the capital of Sudans North Darfur state, on Sunday, according to a statement released by the Sudanese army on Monday March 31. The violence is part of the ongoing clashes between the army and RSF, which have been raging in El Fasher since May 2024. These deadly confrontations have caused widespread devastation, displacing most of the citys residents. Civilian casualties have been mounting, with critical infrastructure, including hospitals and water sources, also being severely damaged. The armys 6th Infantry Division reported that the RSF launched artillery attacks early on Sunday morning. In response, army troops, supported by allied armed movements in a Joint Force, successfully repelled an RSF ground assault. The Sudanese army claims to have destroyed four RSF vehicles and killed dozens of RSF fighters. Additionally, air strikes carried out by army warplanes targeted an RSF supply convoy attempting to enter the city from the southeast, destroying 12 combat vehicles. This prompted RSF forces to retreat west of El Fasher, allowing the army and its allies to make advances. The RSF has been intensifying its siege on El Fasher, aiming to capture the Sudanese armys last significant stronghold in Darfur. Libyas crude oil production saw a slight rise on Monday March 31, reaching 1,388,781 barrels, up from 1,386,889 barrels recorded the previous day, according to the latest figures from the National Oil Corporation (NOC). Along with the increase in crude oil, condensate production also climbed, reaching 55,693 barrels, an improvement from 53,648 barrels on Sunday. However, natural gas production saw a small decrease, falling to 2.465 billion cubic feet from 2.480 billion cubic feet. Despite the countrys ongoing political challenges, Libya continues to play a pivotal role in the global energy market, with its oil reserves being the largest in Africa. The NOC has been working to maintain stable production levels, and the recent uptick in crude and condensate output signals positive momentum for the sector. These fluctuations are closely monitored, as oil and gas remain key drivers of the Libyan economy, with any significant changes in production potentially affecting both domestic and international markets. While the increase in oil production is seen as a step in the right direction, the decline in gas output remains a concern. The NOC has yet to provide specific reasons for the drop in natural gas production, though the situation will likely be closely observed, as the energy sectors stability is vital for Libyas economic future. With efforts focused on improving production capacity, Libya aims to strengthen its position within the global energy landscape. Moroccos chairmanship of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) for the month of March was an opportunity to reaffirm the Kingdoms strong commitment to peace and stability in Africa. In line with the vision of King Mohammed VI, who has consistently advocated for an Africa that believes in its ability to shape its own destiny, Moroccos chairmanship was marked by the organization of a ministerial meeting on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on peace and security. During this meeting, Moroccos Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, called for the emergence of strong and united African leadership capable of leveraging AI as a genuine driver of development, peace, and security for the benefit of Africans. Under Moroccos chairmanship, the PSC also convened informal consultations with countries undergoing political transitions (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Sudan, and Gabon) and addressed the prevailing security situation in Sudan and South Sudan. The initiative to hold these informal consultations was highly appreciated by the six concerned countries, as it not only allowed them to review the progress made in their respective transition processes but also reaffirmed their aspiration for full reintegration into the AU. During its chairmanship of the PSC, Morocco also remained attentive to developments in several African countries, with a particular focus on the situation in Sudan. Additionally, the PSC addressed the situation in South Sudan twice during the month of March. The organization of the induction and orientation program for new PSC members was another key highlight of Moroccos chairmanship of the Council. Held from March 22 to 28, 2025, in Arusha, this induction program helped outline a roadmap to enhance the effectiveness of the AU-PSC. As Chair of the PSC for the month of March, the Kingdom of Morocco played a pivotal role in the adoption of the Common African Position on the 2025 Review of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture. The outcome of Moroccos chairmanship of the AU-PSC for March 2025 thus reflects the Kingdoms unwavering commitment to a concerted and pragmatic African approach to addressing security challenges on the continent Wyoming OSHA Roadshow Returns With Expanded Safety Training This two-day event offers hands-on safety training, live demos, and workforce development resources for construction and trades professionals across the state. The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS), in partnership with Casper College, will host the second annual OSHA Roadshow on May 20-21 at the Wold Physical Science Center in Casper. Building on the success of last years inaugural event, the OSHA Roadshow offers two full days of hands-on safety training and workforce development resources aimed at construction and trades professionals across the state. In 2023, the United States recorded 5,283 fatal workplace injuries, said Christian Graham, OSHA program manager at DWS. The construction sector alone accounted for 1,075 of those deathsmany of them preventable. This Roadshow is our way of helping Wyoming workers and employers change that trend by promoting a culture of safety. Focused on Preventing the Fatal Four The event will spotlight the construction industrys most dangerous hazardsfalls, struck-by-object incidents, electrocutions, and caught-in/between accidents. Collectively known as the Fatal Four, these risks are responsible for nearly 60% of construction-related fatalities nationwide. Attendees can expect: Practical safety training led by industry experts Live demonstrations on fall protection, rescue systems, and PPE Certificates of completion to strengthen workplace credentials Sponsored lunch with safety briefings and workforce program overviews Access to representatives from Workers Compensation, Apprenticeships, and Grant Programs Networking opportunities with safety professionals and peers from across Wyoming Workforce development resources, including information on internships, training programs, apprenticeships, and funding opportunities, will also be available to employers and employees. For more information or to register, go to OSHA Roadshow . Uranium purchases in the United States have slowed considerably as power utilities process the effect of President Donald Trumps tariff offensive in the marketand that offensive may yet transform that same market. Bloomberg reported this week that uranium purchases by U.S. power utilities had dropped by 50% ahead of the 10% import tariff that Trump imposed on Canadian energy exports. The publication noted that those power utilities source more than a quarter of their uranium from Canada, which makes the potential impact of the tariffs rather palpable. If the tariffs do come into effect as scheduled and stay in place long enough, U.S. power utilities may have to replace their top source of nuclear fuel if they are to take full advantage of what many have called a nuclear Renaissance. The United States gets 27% of its uranium from Canada, per data from the Energy Information Administration. Another 25% comes from Kazakhstan, followed by Russia, which supplies 12% of the uranium U.S. utilities use. Next on the list of suppliers is another Central Asian state, Uzbekistan, accounting for 11%, followed by Australia with 9%, and a group of six countries, including Germany, Malawi, and Namibia, which supply the remaining 16%. Related: OPEC+ To Increase Oil Production in May: Report The root problem for U.S. power utilities is that the bulk of the uranium they use in their reactors is imported. This overwhelming import dependence emerged in 1995 and has been expanding since then. As a result, almost all of the uranium used in nuclear reactors in the United States to date comes from abroad. In the context of nuclear power expansion, this could become problematic, as indicated by the tariff trouble power utilities face. Were on a depletion curve that I dont think many customers have realised, Cory Kos, vice-president of investor relations at Canada-based Cameco, the biggest western supplier of uranium, told the Financial Times in February. Kos was commenting on the intensifying competition for limited available uranium resources, with Russia and China forging ahead of the collective West in securing these resourcesand thats without mentioning the fact that Russia is the biggest uranium processor globally. Russia and China are rapidly expanding their offtake of mined uranium from international partners, uranium enrichment capabilities, and nuclear infrastructure, analysts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in a recent report. To strengthen uranium and nuclear fuel supply chains, the United States must work with allies, implement conducive trade and tariff policies, and invest in both domestic enrichment capacity and uranium ore production abroad, they recommended. It appears, however, that Trump has chosen another approach with regard to allies, although he would probably be very much on board with developing local enrichment capacity. Indeed, one enriched uranium supplier to power utilities last year announced a $60-million expansion plan aimed at boosting its domestic enrichment capacity. Nuclear is one of the key essential stabilizers in our sources on the grid. And nuclear fuel is a key essential element of that, Amir Vexler, president of Centrus Energy, told media. Why would you not worry about the security of supply of that key ingredient to our grid? Indeed, one does need to worry about the supply security of such a key ingredient, and perhaps Trump supporters would argue that reducing imports from Canada would stimulate the development of alternative supply chains. Critics, on the other hand, might counter with the argument that this is a sort of shock therapy that might hurt the patient. Ultimately, however, it would be up to the consumers of that key ingredient for the grid to say whether the tariffs would be a net positive or a net negative for them. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Over the past few weeks, the Trump administration has attempted to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, offering a glimmer of hope that the 3-year war could soon come to an end. The U.S. has held separate meetings with Russian and Ukrainian delegations in a bid to reach a lasting deal, but one particular OPEC member is finding itself in the crosshairs of the conflict despite the ongoing peace negotiations. A week ago, Kavkazskaya oil depot in Russias Krasnodar region, part of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), was damaged after drone attacks, with Russia pointing fingers at Ukraine. Back in February, Russia reported that CPC delivery capacity was cut by 40% after an attack by Ukrainian drones. According to the CPC, last year, Kavkazskaya delivered at least 130,000 tons of oil per month and 1.51 million tons for the whole year. The CPC pipeline is the main export route for Kazakhstan, and supplies ~1% of the world's oil. CPCs main shareholders include Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX), Shell Plc. (NYSE:SHEL) and Eni S.p.A. (NYSE:E). According to Kazakh journalist Oleg Chervinsky, the CPC was included in Trump's ceasefire moratorium on strikes from both Russia and Ukraine, suggesting the latest drone attack violation of those terms. However, AP News has pointed to the ambiguity in the moratorium, with Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of non-compliance. Both sides agreed to a limited, 30-day ceasefire, with Russian President Vladimir Putin imposing conditions that essentially meant a Ukrainian surrender. Related: EU Conflicting Gas Signals Jeopardize Supply Security They sat for 12 hours and seemed to have agreed on a joint statement, Russias deputy chairman of defense committee, Vladimir Chizhov, told Rossiya 24. However this was not adopted due to Ukraines position, he said. However, it appears that the blame is now on Russia, with Trump reportedly "very angry" with Russian President Vladimir Putin for attacking the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's credibility. Trump has even threatened to slap 50% secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian oil. "You could say that I was very angry, pissed off, when... Putin started getting into Zelensky's credibility, because that's not going in the right location," Trump said. "New leadership means you're not gonna have a deal for a long time," he added. That marks a 180-degree turnaround in Trumps tone towards the two leaders, after last month he called Zelenskiy a dictator and claimed he started the war with Russia The continuing attacks on Kazakhstan's energy infrastructure can have dire ramifications for the country. According to oil and gas analyst Olzhas Baidildinov, last year, the CPC distributed $1.3 billion in dividends in 2024, with approximately $85 million channeled into the state budget while KazMunayGas, Kazakhstans national oil company, received ~$250 million. The attacks come at a time when Kazakhstan has been ramping up oil production in a bid to cut its budget deficit. Last month, Kazakhstans crude oil and gas condensate--a type of light oil- output hit a record high of 2.12 million barrels per day, good for a large 13% increase from January volumes. Excluding gas condensate, the countrys production increased 15.5% m-o-m to 1.83 million bpd. Kazakhstan's surge in output was chalked up to increased production at the giant Tengiz oilfield, operated by Tengizchevroil, led by Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX). The U.S. oil and gas giant has embarked on a $48 billion expansion of Tengiz. Previously, Reuters reported that Kazakhstan could dramatically reduce its more than 80% share of oil flows via Russia by sharply increasing crude oil exports out of Turkey's port of Ceyhan. According to Kazakhstan Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev, the country could ramp up exports via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline to 20 million metric tons a year from the current 1.5 million. However, its not clear how Kazakhstan intends to comply with OPEC+ quotas, with its current output significantly above its quota of 1.468 million bpd. Last year, Russia, Kazakhstan and Iraq submitted their compensation plans to the OPEC Secretariat, with over-produced volumes expected to be fully compensated through September 2025. Kazakhstan is expected to pay back a cumulative 620 kb/d, Russia 480 kb/d and Iraq 1,184 kb/d. Luckily, commodity analysts at Standard Chartered have reported that supply surpluses the market feared for much of last year have yet to materialize, with the outlook for Q2 and Q3 suggesting that no surplus is imminent. StanChart has forecast that global demand will exceed supply by 0.9 mb/d in Q2 and by 0.5 mb/d in Q3 while the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) sees excess demand at 0.1 mb/d in Q2 and a balanced market in Q3. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Flash Poland and the United States on Monday signed a nearly 2-billion-U.S. dollar agreement for logistical and technical support for Polish Patriot systems at the military base in Sochaczew. The agreement includes the delivery of logistical support for the Patriot systems, currently being implemented in the Polish Armed Forces, and will include elements of technical support and training. In 2025, Poland will allocate 4.7 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to defense, according to the country's 2025 budget, up from 4.2 percent in 2024. This makes Poland a leading nation within NATO and the European Union in defense spending. Oil markets are on edge as Trump prepares to roll out his tariff plan, with commodities around the world set for significant disruptions in the coming weeks. - European gas and utility companies have moved into the spring replenishment season of 2025, although the lack of pricing downside creates no real incentive to buy natural gas on the market. - Gas inventories across the EU have started April being 33% full, with leading nations Germany and France seeing even lower stocks at 28% and 24.5%, respectively, after an unusually cold winter and halted Russian pipeline gas flows via Ukraine. - The rules of the European Commission stipulate that storage sites across the EU ought to be 90% full by November 1, a rule first introduced in 2022 as the Russia-Ukraine war was raging on, with French and German proposals to add flexibility to binding targets falling on deaf ears in Brussels. - Europes benchmark TTF futures have converged to a 41-42 per MWh range ($14 per mmBtu) throughout this year, with March 2026 marking the first monthly contract that trades below 40 per MWh. Market Movers - Activist investor Elliott Investment Management sued one of the US largest refining firms, Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX), after building up a $2.5 billion stake in the company, citing the need to force P66 to comply with its own charter. - US oil major Chevron (NYSE:CVX) has reiterated its interest in hydrocarbon exploration off the Greek island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea, seeking to build on its assets in Israel and Egypt. - London-based energy major Shell (LON:SHEL) quit all its wind and solar generation projects in Brazil, citing an unfavourable investment climate, although it still owns the countrys largest ethanol producer Raizen. - Canadas top investment fund Brookfield Corporation (NYSE:BN) is reportedly closing in on a deal to purchase Colonial Pipeline, the US largest fuel transportation system, paying some $9 billion after trumping other bidders in an auction process. Tuesday, April 01, 2025 Trump and disruption, the two key words of this week, resonate across all markets as almost every single commodity could see disruptions after the US President rolls out his April 2 tariff plan. With pressure mounting on Venezuela, OPEC+ pressurizing Kazakhstan into compliance, and Trump flaunting secondary sanctions on Russia, ICE Brent is within arms reach of $75 per barrel. US Ready to Unveil New Tariffs on Liberation Day. US President Donald Trump is set to unveil new tariffs targeting specific countries that have trade surpluses with the US on April 2, pledging to roll back unfair trade practices of EU countries or even Japan, adding volatility to this weeks trading. Trump Mulls US Deep Sea Mining Options. The White House is reportedly mulling the issuance of an executive order that would fast-track deep sea mining project permits in international waters, letting mining companies bypass a UN-sponsored process as the US still hasnt ratified UNCLOS. European Oil Majors Barred from Venezuela. The US Treasury Department has revoked waivers that allowed Italys Eni and Spains Repsol to operate in Venezuela and import crude from their respective projects as part of crude-for-debt payments, impacting some 50,000 b/d of production. Draught Limits German River Navigation. Germany might see a replay of its 2022 drought conditions as water levels on the Rhine River started to hamper shipping, with the key chokepoint of Kaub already shrinking to a mere 1.05m in depth, boosting freight rates and putting pressure on diesel. Vitol-Backed Refiner Buys Up Swedens Refineries. Varo Energy, co-owned by Vitol and PE giant Carlyle Group, has agreed to purchase Swedish refiner Preem in an all-cash deal for an undisclosed sum, boosting its portfolio with two refineries in Lysekil and Gothenburg, totalling 350,000 b/d of capacity. Kazakhstan Overtly Defies OPEC+ Mandate. The Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan continues to boost its oil and condensate production amidst the Tengiz fields expansion, posting an all-time high in March with 2.17 million b/d produced despite its OPEC+ quota staying at 1.468 million b/d. Russia Pressures Kazakh Producers to Comply. Seeing record output from Kazakhstan, Russia seems to be forcing oil exporters using the Caspian Pipeline Consortium to cut production as it closed two of the ports three available moorings, citing an alleged snap inspection over a December oil spill. Norways Long-Awaited Arctic Field Is On. Norways Equinor (NYSE:EQNR) has officially launched the Johan Castberg field in the Arctic Barents Sea after a three-month delay, seeking to bring it to its nameplate capacity of 220,000 b/d over the next years and garnering some $8 billion by 2027. Myanmar Earthquake Rattles Tin Markets. Prices of tin rose to two-week highs this week after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake damaged large parts of Myanmar, the worlds third-largest producer, sending LME benchmark futures above $36,500 per metric tonne and inverting the curve to backwardation. Mine Blast Could Halt Coal Price Collapse. Australias safety regulators have suspended operations at Anglo Americans (LON:AAL) Moranbah North coking coal mine in Queensland after a carbon monoxide-induced explosion, potentially cutting global supply by some 5-6 million tonnes per year. Shuttered Russian LNG Plant Flares Again. The Arctic LNG 2 liquefaction plant in Russias Arctic North has started to flare gas again after halting all operations last October, with stringent US sanctions on LNG carriers affiliated with project operator Novatek prompting a full winter stop. Gold Is Still Flying High. Gold prices surged to another record high on Tuesday, touching 3,148 per ounce in intraday trading, as the anticipation of the Trump Administrations April 2 tariffs boosting the safe-haven appeal of the bullion, having already posted its strongest quarter since 1986. Japan Keeps on Boosting US Shale Portfolio. Tokyo Gas (TYO:9531) investment vehicle TG Natural Resources, jointly operated with Castleton Commodities, bought a 70% stake in Chevrons East Texas gas assets in the Haynesville Basin, building on its 2023 acquisition of Rockcliff Energy for $2.7 billion. By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The US is seeking access to Ukraine's mineral resources as part of its military aid, creating further friction and concerns about Ukraine's economic future. Russia's conditions for the Black Sea deal, including lifting sanctions on Russian banks and ships, have complicated negotiations and led to tension with the US. A deal to halt fighting between Ukraine and Russia is struggling due to conflicting priorities of the US, Russia, and Ukraine, with ongoing attacks and air strikes continuing in the region. One week after the Kremlin and the White House announced a deal that aimed to halt fighting between Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea region and pave the way for a wider cease-fire, the effort is stumbling. In fact, the wider attempt to pause Europe's largest land war since World War II is also under severe strain, pulled in three different directions by three different presidents with three competing priorities. On the battlefield and across Ukraine, meanwhile, fighting and air attacks continue, as Russia pounded Ukraine's second-largest city for a second day with drones and ballistic missiles on March 31. Ukrainian forces have reportedly made another cross-border raid into Russia's Belgorod region in what could be a repeat of last summer's invasion of the Kursk region. "Talks between Moscow and Washington in Saudi Arabia not only did not result in any breakthrough; they appear to have been an overall failure," Aleksandra Prokopenko, an analyst with the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said in an analysis. "The agreements do not look like a real prologue to peace." "Russia's strategy is to stall the negotiations as long as possible to achieve its maximalist goals by nonmilitary means," said Maria Shagina, a sanctions expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think-tank. "At the same time, Moscow is wary of testing [US President Donald] Trump's patience," she told RFE/RL. "The ball is really in Trump's court on whether to believe that Russia is negotiating in good faith or ramp up pressure to force it to the negotiating table." Here's where things stand at the negotiating table and on the front lines. Who Agreed On What And When? On March 11, Ukraine and the United States announced a breakthrough agreement paving the way for a 30-day cease-fire contingent on Russia's signing on. A major foreign policy priority for Trump, it was the first concrete proposal on the negotiating table since the early weeks after Russia's all-out assault on Ukraine in February 2022. Putin balked, saying he agreed in principle but there were "nuances" that would have to be addressed and attaching conditions including a halt to Western supplies of weapons to Kyiv. A week after the US-Ukrainian agreement on a full cease-fire, the White House and the Kremlin announced a narrower deal that focused on limiting attacks on Russia's and Ukraine's energy infrastructure: power plants, transmission lines, and substations. Taking energy facilities off targeting lists has a key priority for Kyiv, which has struggled to keep the lights -- and heating -- on as Russia has pummeled its energy targets since at least November 2022. For its part, Ukraine has ramped up its homegrown industry of drones, and even cruise missiles, to target Russia's oil refineries and pipelines, not to mention military facilities. That's unnerved Moscow, though has yet to cause major disruptions or price spikes. Despite the deal, Kyiv and Moscow continued to batter one another. It later turned out that Russian drones were in fact in the air, en route to Ukrainian targets, even as Trump and Putin were speaking on the phone. Moscow has insisted it has upheld the energy cease-fire, something Ukrainian officials say is nonsense. On March 25, after separate US talks with Ukraine and Russia in Saudi Arabia, the White House announced agreements with Kyiv and Moscow to limit military action on the Black Sea. If implemented, that would give Ukraine more latitude to export its grain and agriculture products to the global markets and bring in desperately needed hard currency. The White House agreed to help Russia restore access to the global market for agricultural products and fertilizers, reduce the cost of insurance for maritime transportation, and expand access to ports, as well as to payment systems for necessary transactions. Sounds Good. What's The Catch? One of the biggest land mines, however, was the conditions that the Kremlin included in its announcement released shortly after the White House statements. Those conditions included the demand that the West lift sanctions on Russian banks that have been involved in trading agriculture products, as well as on Russian ships. Rosselkhozbank, a major state-owned lender for Russian agrobusiness, was mentioned specifically, including connecting it and other Russian entities to the global SWIFT system of bank transfers. For experts who have followed the negotiations, that appeared to be either a "poison pill" or even a Kremlin test of the White House's negotiating tactics. That's for several reasons: Reconnecting Rosselkhozbank to the global SWIFT system requires European consent; the United States can't do it on its own. Lifting Western sanctions on agricultural product companies, and related things like cargo ships and ports, would allow Moscow to not only tap another revenue stream, it would also represent a small step toward unwinding the larger sanctions regime. So The Kremlin Is Playing Smart, Then? If the Kremlin's intention is indeed to test the White House, then judging by Trump's comments on March 30, it's struck a chord. And not in a good way. "If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia's fault -- which it might not be -- but if I think it was Russia's fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia," Trump told NBC News. Secondary tariffs are essentially restrictions or levies on other countries that purchase oil from Russia. That would be a significant escalation of the Western sanctions regime on Russia, which derives the bulk of its hard currency imports from oil and gas sold on global markets to places like India and China. Trump also responded to Putin's comments on March 28 calling for a "transitional administration" in Ukraine. Those remarks echoed previous ones from Putin and other Kremlin officials who have suggested Zelenskyy was not a legitimate leader because Ukraine had been unable to hold a new presidential election due to wartime martial law. Trump said he was "very angry, pissed off" at Putin for questioning Zelenskyy's credibility, and he said negotiations were "not going in the right location." Those were some of the most critical comments Trump has had for Putin. In the past, he has suggested Russia was not to blame for instigating the war, and accused Zelenskyy of being a "dictator." "The Kremlin is smart enough to give an impression that it's making concessions without actually conceding anything," Shagina told RFE/RL. "Moscow's priority is to secure sanctions relief ahead of the negotiations and to test how far the US can pressure the EU and UK to tag along. A significant divergence of the transatlantic sanctions regime is very likely, which will drastically undermine the effectiveness of sanctions." "This is both an attempt to put pressure on the Kremlin and also is an obvious expression of dissatisfaction," Ukrainian political analyst Oleksandra Filippenko told Current Time. "This is an indication of how Donald Trump perceives Vladimir Putin. He does not perceive Vladimir Putin as an equal partner or negotiator, or perhaps as a rival in negotiations. Donald Trump believes that he should really solve all major international issues and issues related to negotiations." What About Ukraine's Minerals? There's another variable at work. Ukraine's successes in its defense against the Russian invasion have been powered overwhelming by US weaponry. But back in February, the Trump administration indicated it would partly condition future US military aid on a deal to give US companies access to Ukraine's mineral resources: so-called rare earth minerals, as well as other valuable resources like lithium, titanium, uranium, and even oil and gas. The White House's initial proposal landed with a thud in Kyiv, where Ukrainian officials saw it as a lopsided deal that would hobble Ukraine's future economic development. An updated proposal seen by Bloomberg News would give the United States "right of first offer" on investments in all infrastructure and natural resources projects: "an unprecedented expansion of US economic influence in Europe's largest country by area just at the time when it's attempting to align with the EU." In comments to reporters later on March 30, Trump charged that Zelenskyy was looking to back out of the minerals deal and warned that he would face "big, big problems" if he did. "I don't think [Trump] is going to impose sanctions," Serhiy Harmash, a former Ukrainian negotiator, told Current Time. "Trump is more interested in a partnership with Russia than with Ukraine. Ukraine is not a player for Trump. He believes Ukraine can be dictated to and controlled." By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Shell, Chevron, and Exxon have warned the Australian government a proposal aimed at curbing natural gas shortages on the domestic market might end up making them worse instead. The fact that the easiest lever the federal government now has to solve the southern gas problem is export controls, is not a reason to pull that lever harder, the chairwoman of Shell Australia, Cecile Wake, said at an industry event in Sydney, as quoted by Reuters. This does not increase supply; it simply redistributes it and when coupled with price caps and other market interventions, it can impede investment and exacerbate the challenge. The proposal comes down to forcing gas producers in the country set aside a certain amount for the domestic market and follows a warning from the countrys competition watchdog, which said last year the populous east coast of Australia could swing into a gas shortage by 2027 unless steps are taken to avoid that. Long-term solutions to gas market shortfalls will require a range of policy and market responses, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said in its interim Gas Inquiry report in July last year. Amongst these, there is an urgent need to develop new sources of gas production and supply, the watchdog added at the time. It also made the suggestion that gas supply be diverted from the spot market to the domestic market to help neutralize the danger of shortages. Politicians, however, seem to have decided to bet on creating a gas reserve, with opposition leader Peter Dutton talking about mandates for 10-20% of production to be redirected from international to local markets. Shell has now warned that this could discourage investment and ultimately aggravate the situation. For now, the idea is to use uncontracted gas produced in the country, without touching volumes committed to existing contracts, but even that appears to be risky for the producers. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reduced its crude oil production in March, ahead of its planned production increase for May, a new Bloomberg survey showed on Tuesday. OPEC reduced its crude oil production for March to an average of 27.43 million barrels per daya reduction of 110,000 bpd from the prior month. The reduction comes as OPEC pushes its members into tighter compliance with their production quotas. According to the survey, Nigeria saw the largest decrease in production, by 50,000 bpd, to an average of 1.5 million bpd. While its the largest production cut of the month, the fire on the Trans-Niger Pipeline was likely contributed to the decrease. Iraqa chronic laggard with the groups production cut planssaw the next largest decline, of 40,000 bpd to 4.15 million bpd, although it is still above its quota of 4 million bpd. While Iraq and Nigeria saw production decreases, the UAEs production went in the opposite direction. The UAE increased its production by 30,000 bpd to 3.33 million bpd, well over its quota, according to the survey. The figures compiled by OPEC, however, show Iraq and the UAE are mostly in compliance. This week, analysts expect the broader OPEC+ group to increase production quotas for May by 138,000 bpd, following a 138,000 increase in April. The OPEC+ group is expected to meet virtually this week to approve production hikes for May. Oil prices are still trending down as of Tuesday afternoon, with Brent trading at $74.57 per barrel, down slightly from Monday levels. Prices are up from $71.60 per barrel from the start of March, but down $16 per barrel from this time last year. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com OPEC+ is expected to agree on a plan that would see production for the group increase in May, OPEC+ sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The OPEC+ group, comprised of the 12 OPEC membersSaudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Venezuela, Gabon, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, UAE, Congo, and Nigeriaand non-OPEC member organizations Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Oman, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Malaysia, South Sudan, Brunei, and Sudanproduce more than 45 million barrels of crude oil per dayor 59% of global oil production. The combined clout of the members is considerable and has proven sufficient for moving oil prices. Eight of the OPEC+ members are scheduled to lift production by another 135,000 barrels per day in May, OPEC+ sources told Reutersalthough the planned increase on paper could result in improved compliance rather than an actual production hike. Kazakhstan, for example, has been exceeding its oil production quota for years, reaching an all-time high in March, despite its pledges to do better. Russia, one of the larger members of the broader group, has claimed that it was in full compliance with its oil production quotas in January and February, but analysts and secondary sources routinely fault Russia for its chronic overproduction. Iraq is another chronic overproducer, although it has agreed to compensatory cuts over the next year. At the OPEC+ ministerial in December, the alliance delayed the start of the easing of its 2.2 million bpd cuts to April 2025. The group also extended the period in which it would unwind all these cuts to until September 2026. The OPEC+ group is scheduled to meet virtually on Thursday and is expected to approve production hikes for May. The news comes as the Brent crude oil benchmark is trading at $74.67$16 under where it was this time last year. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Russia has ordered shut two of the three moorings of the main oil export terminal on the Black Sea handling Kazakhstans oil exports, which could seriously disrupt Kazakh crude shipments if the suspension lasts more than a few days. Following snap safety inspections by Russias Federal Agency for Transport Supervision, prompted by the Kerch Strait oil spill in December 2024, Russia ordered on Monday that the SPM-1 and SPM-2 moorings of the terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) be shut immediately, CPC said in a statement. The consortium operates the pipeline from the Caspian coast in northwest Kazakhstan to the Novorossiysk port on Russias Black Sea coast. The port handles most of Kazakhstans crude exports from giant oilfields in Kazakhstan operated by international oil firms, including U.S. supermajor Chevron. Affiliates of Chevron and ExxonMobil are also minority shareholders in CPC, whose biggest shareholder is the Russian Federation with a 24% stake. CPC complied with the order for a temporary ban of operations at the SPM-1 and SPM-2 moorings and took them out of service until the identified deficiencies have been addressed. Until then, all transshipment operations at the CPC Marine Terminal will be delivered using the SPM-3 mooring commissioned in 2014, the consortium said. The suspension of part of the export capacity could more than halve the crude oil exports of Kazakhstan if it drags on for more than a week, trading sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The potential disruption to Kazakhstans oil exports comes as the country part of the OPEC+ pact saw its crude production hit a record high in March despite continued pledges to start complying with its OPEC+ quota that it has been exceeding for years. Kazakhstan appears to find it hard to convince Chevron and the other supermajors operating in the country to limit production now after years of investing billions of U.S. dollars in oilfield expansions. Amid tensions with OPEC+ and the oil majors, Kazakhstan said last month that energy minister Almassadam Satkaliyev would step down from the role and lead a newly minted atomic energy agency. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Arctic LNG 2, the processing and export facility that was billed as Russias flagship LNG project, has gradually resumed gas processing after months of hiatus, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing industry sources and satellite images. Arctic LNG 2 has been under U.S. and EU sanctions since last year, and the project hasnt been able to sell any cargo because of the sanctions. The first production train at the plant was shut in early October over the project developers inability to secure buyers amid the Western sanctions on Arctic LNG 2, according to one of Reuters sources. The plant continues has now slowly resumed gas processing and keeps it at low rates as Russia expects what the Trump Administration would do with the sanctions. Russian LNG developer and exporter Novatek, the majority owner of Arctic LNG 2, is looking to rebuild relations with the U.S. with the help of lobbyists, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters in December. Hit heavily by sanctions, Arctic LNG 2 was put on ice last year and Novatek has struggled to sell any cargo to a buyer. Located in the Gydan Peninsula, Arctic LNG 2 was considered key to Russias efforts to boost its global LNG market share from 8% to 20% by 2030-2035. But the project has come under intensifying sanctions from the United States, which have put off any buyers that were previously considering buying cargoes from Arctic LNG 2. The project has seen months of delays after the initial U.S. sanctions in November 2023 upended the companys plans for production start-up and export timelines. In August 2024, the U.S. State Department intensified efforts to derail Arctic LNG 2 exports by targeting companies involved in the development of the project and vessels found to have loaded LNG from the facility. The U.S. designated multiple companies related to Arctic LNG 2 to further disrupt the projects ability to produce and export LNG, as well as the projects ability to procure critical LNG carriers. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Vietnam has announced import tariff cuts ahead of the entry into effect of President Donald Trumps tariffs aimed at fixing the trade deficit the United States has with many of its trade partners globally. According to a statement by the Vietnamese government, imports that will see reduced import levies include liquefied natural gas, cars, ethanol, wood products, and various foodstuffs. For LNG, the import tariff rate would be reduced from 5% to 2%, while the tariff on imported cars would be slashed from 64% to 32%. Ethanol tariffs would be reduced from 10% to 5%. Vietnam has the third-highest trade surplus with the United States, at $123.5 billion as of last year, according to Bloomberg. This puts the Asian nation right behind Canada and China in terms of trade imbalance from the U.S. perspective. Trumps choice of enforcing tariffs to make up for trade deficits has already spurred many U.S. trade partners in Asia into action with regard to energy imports. The U.S. president has expressly stated that a substantial increase in energy imports from the worlds largest producer would be a positive development and countries including Japan, South Korea, India, and Taiwan, have responded favorably. Vietnam has also been among these countries. Compared with the European Union, which is the largest LNG client of U.S. producers, Vietnam is a minuscule buyer, at 330,000 tons for last year, per Kpler data. Yet with the cuts in import tariffs this amount could growwhich is precisely the point as the Vietnamese government eyes higher LNG imports in order to appease the U.S. president. Vietnam takes the Trump administrations threats concerning tariffs seriously, even if China seems to be the main target in Asia, one analyst told Bloomberg in comments on the tariff cuts earlier this month. Still, the country does have a surprising number of tariffs on goods imported from the US, Petri Deryng from PYN Elite Fund told the publication. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com China conducts outright reverse repos totaling 800 bln yuan in March Xinhua) 08:44, April 01, 2025 BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, on Monday said that it conducted outright reverse repos worth 800 billion yuan (about 111.45 billion U.S. dollars) in March to maintain ample liquidity in the banking system. In March, the central bank conducted three-month reverse repos totaling 500 billion yuan and six-month reverse repos totaling 300 billion yuan, it said in a statement. Outright reverse repos -- a tool the central bank introduced in October 2024 to manage liquidity in the banking system -- are carried out once each month with a tenor of no more than one year. The new tool has enriched the country's monetary policy toolkit following the introduction of temporary repos, temporary reverse repos, and the buying and selling of treasury bonds. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Flash An adviser to Iran's supreme leader warned on Monday that if the United States or Israel were to attack Iran under the pretext of nuclear concerns, the country would be compelled to pursue the development of nuclear weapons, according to the official news agency IRNA. Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, made the remarks in response to recent anti-Tehran threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel. Larijani noted that Iran had been prohibited from acquiring nuclear weapons under a religious directive issued by Khamenei. However, he added, "If the United States makes any mistake, Iran will be forced to pursue nuclear weapons due to pressure from its people." Larijani stressed that taking military actions against Iran would have consequences, saying Iran's nuclear program would not be destroyed through bombing. Larijani said any potential indirect negotiation with the United States would be aimed at understanding each other's demands and winning mutual concessions regarding the nuclear issue. Trump, in an interview with NBC News on Sunday, threatened to launch "unprecedented military strikes" on Iran if it refused to negotiate over its nuclear program. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing like they've never seen before," he said, claiming U.S. and Iranian officials are "talking," without offering details. The remarks followed a letter Trump sent to Iranian leaders in early March via the United Arab Emirates, proposing direct negotiations on Tehran's nuclear activities. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed on Sunday that Tehran had rejected the proposed face-to-face talks but left open the possibility of indirect talks. He stressed that while Iran is not against negotiations in principle, Washington must first rectify its past "misconduct" and rebuild trust. REPRESENTATIVE ELMER URGES LEGISLATURE TO PUT OREGON STUDENTS OVER SPECIAL INTERESTS By Oregon State Representative Lucetta Elmer, Salem, Ore. Representative Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville), sounded the alarm on House Bill 3881 which adds a significant administrative burden onto Oregons School Districts, Education Special Districts, and Public Charter Schools completing K-12 construction projects. Schools that cannot meet the onerous requirements within this legislation will be subject to a costly financial penalty. House Bill 3881 would require the qualifying agencies or School Districts, Education Special Districts, and Public Charter Schools to fulfill the following requirements: Must verify a contractors three-year compliance history with Federal & State Wage & Hour Laws, and Federal & State Workplace Safety Laws. It is unclear what would constitute material compliance under the bill. Must ensure that 15% of the employed workforce on the job are registered apprentices. This is particularly challenging for rural Oregon where this percentage of apprentices may not be accessible. Every qualifying agency unable to meet the 15% apprenticeship requirement will be subject to a $15/hour penalty for every hour they cannot meet the percentage, even if they try and meet this requirement in good faith. This is not insignificant, as projects can be thousands and thousands of hours on a larger project. These dollars will come out of the School District, Education Special District, or Public Charter Schools bottom line. However, if a School District, Education Special District, or Public Charter School enters into a Project Labor Agreement (PLA), then they are not subject to ANY of these requirements. Studies have shown that requirements for PLAs disadvantage smaller contractors and make it particularly challenging in less urban areas of the state. ODOTs own research has shown that PLAs increase construction costs by 10-20% and result in far fewer bids. It is no secret that Oregon students are struggling to meet basic proficiency standards. We as State Legislators must do everything within our power to prioritize the success of our students. That includes saying no to harmful legislation, like House Bill 3881, that would make Oregons students pay to benefit special interests, said Representative Elmer. The expansion of apprenticeships is a noble cause and something I believe we all want to see, but adding another unattainable mandate on the backs of our public schools is a shortsighted decision. House Bill 3881 is scheduled for a work session in the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee on Wednesday, April 2nd. The legislation is opposed by the Oregon Coalition of Community Charter Schools and the Oregon School Boards Association. By Lars Larson NW and national radio host, The Northwest Nonsense When will citizens and the mainstream media demand that elected officials in the Democrat Party come out and condemn the escalating acts of terrorism around America? Incendiary devices planted at Tesla dealerships in Austin and San Antonio, Texas were found just yesterday. The arrest and federal terrorism charges against a man in Salem where he used 8 molotov cocktails to set a dealership on fire. He came to his crime armed with a suppressed AR15. Similar incidents in Loveland, Colorado and North Carolina. Governors, Mayors and even Democrat party lawmakers on Capitol Hill sit silently as this grows. Reporters for mainstream media join them in silent complicity, much as they did in that deadly Summer of 2020when Antifa and BLM rampaged in American cities leaving billions in damage and 36 dead(including a murder here in Portland and 3 in Seattle). Ill remind you that Kamala Harris spent her time raising bail money to put violent terrorists back on the streets. What say you, Tina Kotek? How about YOU, Governor Ferguson. Dont you like to say silence is violence? Can American liberals find any better way to endorse terrorism than what theyve decided NOT to do and not to say in the last few weeks? Thats the Rose City Rap. Join me at noon on KXL for 4 hours of Honestly provocative talk. Im Lars Larson This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay from Pexels Machine learning methods enable the efficient mining of large amounts of data from corporate reports. In her doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa, Finland, Essi Nousiainen presents how the new machine learning-based methods she has developed can be used to examine corporate reporting related to, among other things, responsibility, innovation, and blockchain. Corporate accounting reports contain extensive data on various themes, and machine learning methods as well as AI-based language models offer entirely new possibilities for exploring this data. In her doctoral dissertation in Accounting, Essi Nousiainen illustrates what kind of information can be gathered about corporate responsibility, innovation, and blockchain-related trends using machine learning and AI-based text analysis. The analyses are based on measurement methods developed by Nousiainen. "The text analyses revealed, for instance, that companies publicly seeking buyers report more on responsibility than their peers. However, the actual responsibility actions of these companies did not differ from the comparison group. This suggests an attempt to appear more responsible in sales situations and highlights the need for responsibility reporting regulation," says Nousiainen, who will defend her dissertation at the University of Vaasa on 4 April. "The analyses also showed that companies are addressing topics related to cryptocurrencies more cautiously than before, while the trend was the opposite for other blockchain-related topics," she adds. New metrics help with competitor and industry analyses Nousiainen's dissertation develops new machine learning and text-based metrics for measuring corporate innovation and responsibility from accounting reports. "With the innovation metric, report topics can be mined and compared in a way that allows the level of corporate innovation to be identified without just examining patents. The responsibility metric, on the other hand, measures how much companies report on their responsibility based on keywords and contexts." The dissertation also introduces a research method for analyzing corporate blockchain and cryptocurrency reporting, where existing machine learning-based analysis techniques have been combined in a new way. "These different metrics and methods can be utilized by companies, researchers, and anyone interested in financial statement data. For example, companies can use the methods in competitor and industry analyses, during mergers and acquisitions, and when seeking business partners," Nousiainen summarizes. As her research material, Nousiainen used 10-K and S-1 reportsthat is, annual reports and listing particularsfrom U.S. companies. Her research methods included Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), sentiment analysis, and statistical modeling. More information: Nousiainen, Essi (2025) "Essays on Corporate Textual Disclosure." Acta Wasaensia 552. Doctoral dissertation. University of Vaasa. Publication pdf This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain State lawmakers have revealed a proposal that would authorize special bonds to raise an additional $5 billion for salmon recovery projects stemming from the state's long-running tribal fishing rights lawsuit. If approved, the bonds would be backed by an existing tax on public utilities that currently funds local public works projectsa reshuffling that has local governments concerned. The salmon recovery bonds, expected over 13 years, would pay for replacing Washington State Department of Transportation culverts that block spawning salmon, among other habitat restoration efforts under a 2013 federal court injunction. Lawmakers are hoping the dedicated revenue will signal to the tribal nations in the lawsuit that the state is committed to the work as the two sides approach mediation. A federal judge in early March approved a joint request for mediation in the case, but some tribes have been reluctant to engage. "I think it's really important that we prioritize anytime that we're in a legal situation where we are obligated to pay," said Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, lead sponsor of the bill and vice chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee. "We respect the fact that we have created harm as a state government when it comes to fish passage, and we're committed to figuring it out." The treaty fishing rights case deals with culvertstypically metal or concrete pipes that carry streams under state highways. A group of 21 tribes sued the state in 2001 to force the replacement of culverts that, because of their design or lack of maintenance, block salmon and steelhead trout migration. Trudeau said that the new fund is intended to pay for any restoration projects the two sides agree on during mediation, not just the specific culverts on the 2013 list. A Seattle Times investigation last March showed that numerous other barriers on the streams meant many of the state's culvert replacements were essentially useless without further investment. Some tribal leaders want the ability to consider more effective projects than culvert replacements on the state's list. On Monday afternoon, the Senate released its Capital Budget, which laid out how funds would be shuffled around to pay for the fish passage projects. Typically, the Legislature uses the transportation budget to pay for WSDOT culvert replacements. It previously allocated nearly $4 billion toward meeting WSDOT's obligations to fix culverts under the injunction, but the transportation budget is ailing because of declining gas taxes and other problems. Monday's proposal would take the funding out of the transportation budget and essentially create a bank account through the capital budget. The plan relies on SB 5804, Trudeau's bill, to divert a portion of the public utility tax currently used to pay for sewer and drinking water improvements, among other local infrastructure projects, and instead repay the salmon recovery bond debt. The Public Works Assistance Account gives local governments low-interest loans. Because it would be losing nearly $200 million in this biennium's proposal, the Senate capital budget would backfill the public works account through general obligation bonds. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. But city government representatives are concerned that this would take reliable revenue and make public works funding dependent on future legislative priorities. The funding is "really beneficial to smaller communities to offset what would have to be very large utility bill increases, if they had to bear the cost entirely on their own," said Carl Schroeder, a lobbyist for the Association of Washington Cities, which represents cities and towns. Schroeder is also concerned that the Senate capital budget would divert billions more to just state culvert projects, while leaving unaddressed other salmon migration barriers in the same streams. The Times' investigation found that for every barrier WSDOT fixes, nine others upstream and two downstream partially or fully block fish migration. For years, local government advocates have been calling for the state to fund more local fish passage projectssuch as replacing culverts owned by cities and countiesto complement the billions of dollars of work that WSDOT has accomplished. W. Ron Allen, chair of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, said Monday that the Senate budget proposal had not yet been vetted by the tribes, and they would also be looking to see any alternatives that come from the House. The House capital budget, also released Monday, didn't address the culvert projects required by the federal court injunction. Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Port Townsend, said that as chair of the House Capital Budget Committee he is considering an alternative funding approach that would also shift responsibility to the capital budget. But with the Senate's bond plan, he was concerned that the state might not be able to spend the funds when it needs them. The two chambers will now have to reconcile the differences in their budgets, and the governor could veto all or part of the budget. Gov. Bob Ferguson will be reviewing the Senate capital budget proposal after its release, his spokesperson said last week. "We look forward to engaging in mediation with tribal partners to identify the best path forward," Ferguson spokesperson Brionna Aho said. The state's construction schedule is not only reliant on funding; it also needs the tribes' consent. As it stands, WSDOT says it cannot meet the injunction's 2030 deadline to restore a portion of the salmon habitat above state culverts, even if it had billions more in hand today. 2025 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A family of javelinas encounters the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border near the San Pedro River in southeastern Arizona. Credit: Matt Clark / Defenders of Wildlife International border barriers everywhere are harming wildlife by bisecting their habitats, disrupting their hunting and collecting patterns and preventing them from commingling. In some cases, the borders are causing so much harm that they could cause certain species to go extinct. That's according to a new study published in the journal Biological Conservation led by Cole Sennett, a recent NAU master's graduate in forestry, and Carol Chambers, a professor in the School of Forestry. The literature review, which analyzed 42 studies on wildlife and borders by scientists across the globe, was part of a special issue on addressing land degradation. "With border barriers, the habitat that animals once moved freely across is divided, fragmenting populations, reducing availability to water, lowering gene flow and even killing animals that try to cross," Chambers said. "Animals don't recognize political boundariesthey are tied to the resources that they need to survive. It's hard seeing animals come up against a new barriera huge wall or fencethat stops their ability to get a drink of water or find seasonal foods, especially in desert environments." Chambers pointed out that the problem has become worse due to a dramatic increase in border barriers in the 21st century. According to a report from the Migration Policy Institute there were just two dozen border walls across the world in 2000; two decades later, that number has tripled. The U.S.-Mexico border has become the 10th longest border wall in the world at almost 2,000 miles long. "If we keep building and maintaining borders the way we are now, it means that our grandkids or great-grandkids might not be able to see a jaguar in southern Arizona ever again," Sennett said. "As an avid hunter and conservationist, my hope is that this research inspires countries to find a way to keep their borders secure while making sure wildlife aren't harmed." Sennett said that after reviewing dozens of studies, he and Chambers found three main ways in which physical borders were harming wildlife. The first is habitat fragmentation. Borders can cut animals off from their natural ranges, and that is especially dangerous for animals with a very small travel radius, such as reptiles and some birds. Imagine a lizard who only travels up to a quarter mile from home, Sennett said. Then, imagine a fence going up in the middle of that lizard's already tiny range, restricting its stomping groundsand potential food supplyeven more. And don't forget that border infrastructure like bright lights, non-native landscaping, roads and increased staff will further hamper that lizard's ability to hunt, forage and even reproduce. The second involves less genetic variation. International borders can disrupt animals' ability to interact and breed with each other. That means that over time, they become less genetically diverse, leading to a decrease in immunity to certain diseases. With time, they may even become inbred and unable to reproduce. And, finally, there are fewer safety nets. Some endangered species are legally protected in one country but illegally poached in another. Without international cooperation on wildlife conservation, lax hunting laws and enforcement will continue to hurt animals who exist on both sides of a border fence. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. That's not to say borders don't also benefit wildlife in some ways, Sennett pointed out. Even in places where animals are threatened by poaching on one side of a border fence, they're shielded from it on the otherguaranteeing they won't go completely extinct. Borders can also shield animals from disease: In Mexico, for example, bighorn sheep are prone to pneumonia and parasites, but thanks to an impassable border fence cutting through the Sonoran Desert, bighorn sheep in the United States are largely unaffected. "So, the question is," Sennett said, "how do you keep the positives of border fences and toss the negatives?" The literature review gave Sennett and Chambers some ideas. Hereare four ways they think physical borders can maintain national security while also minimizing harm to wildlife. Cut down on lights and noise. Many international border areas were dark, quiet and uninhabited before fences and walls were installed. That means the animals who live there haven't grown accustomed to navigating light-flooded, noise-polluted environments full of human activity. Dimming lights and restricting the hours in which noisy construction can take place would go a long way toward supporting wildlife in those areas. Let animals pass. What if border walls carved out passageways for small animals? What if border security workers opened temporary gaps in the fence a few times every migratory season? Taking these occasional measures would help lessen the disruption some species have experienced with the construction of border walls. Use different materials. A coiled, sharp material called concertina wire tops many border fences to discourage people from climbing over. One study found that for some species, concertina wire was responsible for one to two deaths per mile per year along about 600 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, a perilously high mortality rate. Constructing fences with a different type of wire could save thousands of animals' lives every year. Increase binational cooperation. To ensure a better future for some of the world's most beloved species, government leaders and scientists on both sides of every border barrier should work together to arrive at common security and preservation goals. Sennett said he hopes researchers can conduct a similar literature review in five to 10 years, since conservation laws, political leadership and international borders are always in flux. It's the only way to measure progressor lack thereof. "Borders have had an incredibly negative effect on species like bighorn sheep and mountain lions, even in the last 15 or 20 years," he said. "Things change fast, and it's the biologists' job to make the world aware when big changes threaten animals that play an important role in our lives." More information: Cole Sennett et al, International border fences and walls negatively affect wildlife: A review, Biological Conservation (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110957 Journal information: Biological Conservation This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: The Conversation When we hear about immigration from politicians and media across Europe, the story is almost always negative. In some countries, this is old news. The UK tabloid press has printed thousands of anti-migrant articles over the last two decades. Anti-immigrant rhetoric has been a feature of Danish politics since the early 1990s. In contrast, Viktor Orban's extreme, racist and Islamophobic rhetoricadopted largely from 2015marks Hungary out as a relative newcomer. Across Europe, refugees and other migrants are routinely represented as a problem or "crisis." It would be natural to assume, then, that the public feels the same waythat attitudes to immigration are negative, possibly worsening. Politicians routinely imply this when they say they must introduce strict immigration rules in response to public concerns. Opinion polls regularly show that the European public disapprove of the government's handling of immigration and may see levels as too high. But long-term European Social Survey (ESS) datathe latest of which came out at the end of 2024shows positive trends. At ODI Europe, my colleagues and I have been studying public attitudes and political narratives around migration across Europe for five years. Our analysis has found that, compared to 20 years ago, more Europeans (in many, but not all countries) feel immigration makes their country a better place to live. Positive attitudes have particularly increased in Ireland, the UK, Norway, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. Similar positive trends emerge when the public is asked about the economic and cultural impacts of immigration. The UK is among the countries with the least anti-immigration views in Europe. While in 200203 only 27% of the British public felt immigration had a positive impact on the economy, this has jumped to 66% in 202324. However, it is a drop from the 69% who felt immigration had a positive economic impact in the previous survey round (202022). The UK also topped the table in the last World Values Survey as a country that is highly accepting of immigration and particularly welcoming of the cultural diversity it brings. The Migration Observatory finds that a majority of the British public favors making immigration easier for workers coming into the NHS, care work and other jobs where there are shortages. Researchers from the think tank British Future have found that most of the public would prefer current levels of international student migration to stay the same or increase. International students currently make up 40% of net migration to the country. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Why the differences? The disparity between what we hear about public attitudes and what the data actually shows merits some explanation. We know that people's attitudes on migration are largely stable, based on deeply held values and mainly formed when young. People's attitudes are relatively slow to change. Generational change is likely key to explaining the long-term positive trends in this area. On the other hand, the salience of immigrationwhether the public see immigration as a top issue of concerncan fluctuate dramatically, driven by media attention and political narratives. This sounds incongruous given the rise of the far right in some European countries. However, we know that austerity policies, economic insecurity and economic decline are key factors driving the far-right vote. Researchers have also uncovered a "reverse backlash" effect. This is where greater success of populist radical right parties is actually accompanied by more citizens reporting positive attitudes on immigration, specifically because they want to distance themselves from radical right views. Negative trends What does stand out in the latest round of ESS data is that more negative trends are emerging across multiple countries simultaneously. This is most notable in Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands and Poland, but also in Iceland and France. In Ireland, there is a substantial ten percentage point fall from the previous survey round (202022) in respondents reporting that immigration makes their country a better place to live. The UK sees a five percentage point fall (from 68% to 63%) on the same questionstill a significant positive majority compared to only 17% who feel immigration makes the UK a worse place to livebut a notable shift nonetheless. This could be a temporary fluctuation, like the kind seen in Sweden and Germany, between 201819 and 202022. Both countries took in high numbers of refugees during Europe's so-called "refugee crisis," which may have led to an uptick of concern around the impact of immigration. However, these fluctuations can be minor and short-lived. Another possibility is that we are finally seeing public attitudes shift in line with the more hostile, anti-immigrant environment that has been nurtured by politicians and media. This could be the start of another generational shiftpossibly a reflection of the fact that some far-right groups are proving to be particularly popular with younger voters. These dips may prove temporaryif not, we risk squandering the public good of a positive European public precisely at a time when Europe needs immigration the most. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Artist's impression of plume activity on the surface of Europa. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech In the 1970s, NASA's Voyager probes passed through Jupiter's system and snapped pictures of its largest moons, also known as the Galilean moons. These pictures and the data they gathered offered the first hints that a global ocean may be beneath Europa's icy crust. Moreover, planetary models indicated that Europa's interactions with Jupiter's powerful gravity could lead to tidal flexing in the moon's interior. In short, scientists learned that Europa could have all the necessary ingredients for life in its interior. Since then, Europa has been considered a prime target in the search for life beyond Earth (astrobiology). A major focal point in this search is Europa's surface plumes, which are the result of cryovolcanism. By positioning a lander near an active cryovolcano or sending a probe to fly through one, scientists could examine these plumes for potential biosignatures. In a new study led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a team of scientists propose a framework for future missions to identify plumes emanating from Europa's deep interior. Elodie Lesage, a postdoctoral researcher in the Planetary Interiors and Geophysics Group at JPL, led the study. She was joined by multiple JPL colleagues, researchers from the University of Maryland, Brown University, the Laboratoire de Planetologie et Geosciences at Nantes Universite, and the Planetary Environments Laboratory at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The paper describing their findings was recently published in Nature Communications. Currently, two astrobiology missions are headed for Europa: NASA's Europa Clipper mission and the ESA's JUpiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE). The former will arrive by 2030 and will begin observing Europa's surface, probing its interior structure, and characterizing the surrounding space environment. The latter will reach Jupiter the following year, performing similar studies of Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa. Since Ganymede and Callisto are farther from Jupiter, they experience less tidal heating, resulting in less cryovolcanism. Several notable surface features on Europa, including vapor plumes, domes, dark deposits, and flow-like features, are attributed to cryovolcanism. Similarly, lenticular features, double ridges, pits in impact craters, and chaos terrain are attributed to liquid brine reservoirs in Europa's ice shell. As the authors indicate, subsurface reservoirs are also likely to experience eruptions due to pressure exerted by plumes that have frozen back onto the surface. Future missions could observe these features, providing new insights into Europa's icy shell, habitability, and evolution. Studying and characterizing erupted materials and subsurface liquid reservoirs could also pave the way for detailed astrobiology studies of Europa's interior ocean. However, the team notes that: "[E]ruptions from subsurface reservoirs may not represent their composition at the time of their formation because melting and freezing of trapped brines are expected to affect their chemical composition through salt rejection, entrapment, precipitation, and dissolution." What is needed, they add, is an improved understanding of the physicochemical properties and evolution of subsurface features. This includes how they are affected by ambient ice temperature and depth within the ~2040 km (~12.5- 25 mi) ice shell. Building on previous research, the team presents CRYOLAVASAURUS, a publicly available simulation model that studies the thermal, mechanical, compositional, and temporal evolution of ice shells and cryo-magma reservoirs, helping to identify signatures of past and present cryovolcanism. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Using this program, the team conducted simulations of briny water reservoirs in Europa's ice shell, which allowed them to identify spectral, thermal, radar, and gravimetric data from cryovolcanism and reservoir eruptions. Their results indicate that it is possible to discriminate between eruptions caused by cryovolcanism and those from shallow liquid reservoirs based on combined measurements of the plume's salinity and the surface temperature and ice shell thickness at the plume site. This framework could inform future missions to Europa, including NASA's Europa Clipper mission and the ESA's JUpiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE). These missions are currently en route to Jupiter and will arrive by 2030 and 2031, respectively. These missions will pave the way for additional astrobiology missions, which include a Europa Lander to study plume activity directly on the moon's surface. The data returned by these missions could provide the first evidence that life does exist beyond Earth. More information: Elodie Lesage et al, Identifying signatures of past and present cryovolcanism on Europa, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57070-8 Journal information: Nature Communications This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: AI-generated image The Burren region of County Clare, Ireland, is famous for its distinctive limestone habitat, coastal landscape, rich wildlife and unusual archaeology. Several hundred farmers also manage livestock on this land. As social scientists, we've been investigating how farmers engage with environmental management and biodiversity renewal in England and Scotland because there is an ongoing nature crisis, with accelerating species extinctions, loss of habitat and harmful pollution. Our findings show that giving farmers greater opportunities to draw on their knowledge and experiences encourages better environmental results than conventional farming incentives. Many environmental campaigners, including author and Guardian columnist George Monbiot, don't see farming as a way to help solve the biodiversity crisis. But one EU-funded initiative, the BurrenLife project, has revolutionized how farmers and scientists collaborate by tackling reluctance or wariness and shifting mindsets through the practice of "conservation farming." This developed into an "agri-environment" (nature-friendly farming) initiative called the Burren Life program which incentivizes farmers in Ireland to prioritize nature by boosting endangered bird populations or restoring specific habitats. Most (70%) of UK land is used for agriculture. Therefore, success in tackling the biodiversity crisis depends on the active involvement of farmers. From the 1980s, successive UK governments have paid farmers to restore nature and mitigate the effects of climate change in the form of voluntary agri-environment schemes. These schemes, such as Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive, provide financial incentives for farmers to help restore biodiversity by, for example, planting flower-rich hay meadows. But despite the billions of pounds invested and significant uptake by farmers, biodiversity continues to decline and more work needs to be done to improve farmers' participation. Research suggests that the lack of effectiveness of those schemes is influenced by their limited capacity to inspire long-term changes in farming practices. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. The clash between local knowledge and scientific expertise concerns us. Existing agri-environment schemes are prescriptive with limited options for farmers. This, combined with polarization between farmers and conservationists about rewilding, for example, means that local knowledge of farmers tends to be excluded from environmental decisions. While conservation scientists hold essential knowledge for tackling the biodiversity crisis, farmers know their land best. Often this knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. Historically, however, agri-environmental management in the UK has operated on the basis of prescriptions informed by scientific expertise that don't consider the land characteristics or specific context of particular farms. By joining an agri-environment scheme, farmers are expected to take actions such as planting crops that can manage soil erosion and improve soil health, or managing hedgerows, which can act as wildlife highways. While farmers can choose which actions to take, such payment-by-action schemes don't offer much scope to adapt environmental solutions to their knowledge of the land. Crucially, the lack of consistent monitoring provides farmers with few opportunities to report back on the success or failure of actions they have taken to recover nature. According to our research, farmers often feel their valuable on-the-ground knowledge is being ignored. Unusually, the Burren Life program relies on environmental targets that are co-designed by scientists and farmers. The co-design process involves farmer and advisor jointly walking the farm. Farmers explain what they'd willingly do to improve the condition of the land. The advisor then maps the activities they think will bring environmental benefits and devises an environmental plan accordingly. Every year, farmers are given the opportunity to decide what they'd like to do. The presence of a local office of advisors means that support for management decisions is always available and feedback aimed at improving their environmental plan is consistently encouraged. Farmers are also involved in the monitoring of other farmers' actions. Secrets of success Our research undertaken as part of the Renew project, which aims to develop solutions for biodiversity renewal in the UK, shows a strong appetite in the English uplands for the kind of flexible, farmer-centered, results-based approach promoted by the Burren Life program. The Burren Life program was highly successful in many respects. It delivered major improvements in habitat quality and fostered long-term behavior change among participating farmers. It incentivized farmers to take ownership of their actions for nature conservation and restoration. They were encouraged to share their local knowledge through farm visits, annual program reviews, feedback opportunities and monitoring exercises. That local knowledge could then be considered alongside scientific expertise by people making management decisions. The Burren Life program effectively reconciled the farming perspective with the scientific one, in the form of conservation farming. It has delivered impressive value for money. The total amount spent on the Burren Life program totaled 12.3 million (10.3 million). Over ten years, this has resulted in habitat and landscape improvements worth 32.8 million. Despite its success, several Burren farmers still regard environmental programs as antithetical to farming so co-creation is a key step in inspiring people to get involved in projects like these. And replicating conservation farming beyond the Burren will require a tailored approach that considers the environmental and cultural characteristics of each countryside community. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Flash Tajik President Emomali Rahmon (C), Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov (L) and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hold a trilateral meeting in Khujand, Tajikistan, March 31, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] The presidents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a treaty on the junction point of their national borders in Khujand, Tajikistan's second-largest city, on Monday. According to the Tajik presidential press service, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a trilateral meeting in Khujand to formalize the agreement. Rahmon called the treaty's signing "a highly symbolic" event, highlighting its significance for the three countries. He said that Tajikistan deeply values its relations with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, which are founded on the principles of good neighborliness, equality, mutual respect and the consideration of each other's interests. The comprehensive development of relations among the three countries is one of the priorities in Tajikistan's foreign policy, according to a statement from the Tajik presidential office. The leaders discussed key issues related to regional cooperation, underscoring the need to strengthen neighborly relations, advance joint infrastructure and economic projects, and expand the region's tourism potential, according to a statement from the Kyrgyz presidential office. Japarov said that regional integration is progressing well and that enhancing cooperation across various sectors will be critical to achieving sustainable development and prosperity in Central Asia. Mirziyoyev extended his congratulations to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan for successfully resolving border-related issues and signing the delimitation treaty. He said the agreement would foster regional stability, promote sustainable development, and raise the international standing of the entire region. In addition to the trilateral discussions, Rahmon and Mirziyoyev held a one-on-one meeting, during which they signed a protocol to exchange instruments of ratification for the treaty on allied relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The meeting, conducted in an atmosphere of friendship and brotherhood, concluded with the exchange of these historic documents, officially bringing the treaty into force. The treaty was initially signed during a high-level bilateral summit in Dushanbe on April 18, 2023. Meanwhile, Rahmon and Japarov also signed a protocol to exchange the ratification instruments for the border treaty between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The two leaders engaged in comprehensive discussions on cooperation in trade, economy, energy, culture and humanitarian affairs, culminating in the signing of the protocol, which finalized the agreement. The border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan stretches approximately 970 km, and delimitation talks began in 2002. Since the autumn of 2022, the two countries have conducted intensive negotiations, successfully finalizing the border's delineation in December 2024. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A female American Kestrel nestling with its recently attached VHF back-pack style transmitter in the Virginia Piedmont study area. Feathers cover all but the antenna. Credit: Joseph Kolowski North America's smallest falcon, the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), has declined across the continent since the 1970s, yet the causes continue to stump raptor biologists. A new study published in the Journal of Raptor Research adds a piece to the puzzle with the discovery that in the Northeast, where declines are most alarming, fledglings demonstrate a relatively high survival rate. This paper, titled "Juvenile and Adult Survival Estimates of American Kestrels Throughout the Full Annual Cycle in Eastern North America," is the first of its kind. No other study has assessed winter survival rates for kestrels at northern latitudes, fledgling survival following nest departure for both males and females, or tracked individual kestrels through multiple seasons in migratory and residential populations. These breakthroughs may help redirect future studies to untapped arenas of inquiry. American Kestrels are small colorful falcons native to the western hemisphere, ranging from Southeast Alaska south to Argentina. Most previous kestrel studies have focused on the birds' nesting season. Breeding birds face many challenges given the high energetic demand required to successfully raise chicks. However, not all members of a population are breeders. Young, non-breeding raptors experience high mortality rates in the first months outside of the nest, and birds of all ages face a multitude of risks during migration, as well as on their overwintering grounds. These are important threads to follow for a holistic assessment of a species-wide decline. Three American Kestrel fledglings wearing VHF transmitters and alpha-numeric color bands at the Hawk Mountain site. Credit: Mercy Melo Lead author Dr. Mercy Melo and a team of experts from Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, The Smithsonian, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, followed some of these threads by fitting 202 kestrels with radio transmitter backpacks that collected data on their whereabouts for six months. They tagged 146 fledglings, all from the Northeast United States, and 56 adults from Pennsylvania and Florida, between 2021 to 2023. Of their tagged birds, overwintering adults demonstrated a lower survival rate in Pennsylvania than in Florida, and most confirmed adult deaths across sites were human-caused. Mechanisms of these mortalities included vehicle collisions and entrapment in buildings. The most surprising finding was that during the first weeks outside of the nest, juvenile survival was much higher than expected across sites. With any bird species, juveniles are anticipated to have lower survival rates due to lack of experience in foraging and evading risks. "Our study documented very high survival rates for juveniles across the eastern states, with some sites even boasting 100% survival," says Melo. A male American Kestrel nestling with its recently attached VHF back-pack style transmitter n the Virginia Piedmont study area. Feathers cover all but the antenna. Credit: Joseph Kolowski Although these young birds could not be tracked once they left the nesting area, and therefore their fates following migration and overwintering are unknown, the confirmation of their success during that first stage of initial independence fills an important knowledge gap. When wildlife species falter, the reasons can be overwhelmingly complex. Studies like this focus research efforts towards probable realms of discovery and fuel a necessary process of eliminationif fledgling survival is high at these study sites, then the next step is to ask new questions about adults. "Understanding the factors influencing the American Kestrel population decline will help kestrels but will also improve our understanding of other declining species," says Melo. She points to grassland songbirds as one such group. "We hope this article entices researchers to adopt collaborative approaches across geographic regions." Though they are pint-sized, kestrels are top predators and therefore pack an ecological punch. Their absence would be felt across the Americas, especially within open habitats where fewer and fewer species are maintaining a foothold. More information: Mercy Melo et al, Juvenile and Adult Survival Estimates of American Kestrels Throughout the Full Annual Cycle in Eastern North America, Journal of Raptor Research (2025). DOI: 10.3356/jrr2414 Provided by Raptor Research Foundation This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A figure from the study showing rock dripping from the craton. The researchers hypothesize that the dripping is caused by the remnants of the subducting Farallon slab below the craton. Credit: Nature Geoscience, Hua et al. Researchers have discovered that the underside of the North American continent is dripping away in blobs of rockand that the remnants of a tectonic plate sinking in Earth's mantle may be the reason why. A paper published in Nature Geoscience describes the phenomenon, which was discovered at The University of Texas at Austin. It's the first time that "cratonic thinning" may be captured in action. "We made the observation that there could be something beneath the craton," said the study's lead author Junlin Hua, who conducted the research during a postdoctoral fellowship at UT's Jackson School of Geosciences. "Luckily, we also got the new idea about what drives this thinning." Cratons are very old rocks that are part of Earth's continents. They're known for their stability and ability to persist for billions of years. But sometimes cratons undergo changes that can affect their stability or that remove entire rock layers. For example, the North China Craton lost its deepest root layer millions of years ago. What makes the discovery of cratonic dripping special, said the researchers, is that it's happening right now. This allows scientists to observe the cratonic thinning process as it occurs. The dripping is concentrated over the Midwest of the United States. There's no need to worry about the continent hollowing out or the dripping changing the landscape anytime soon, the researchers assure. The mantle processes driving the dripping can influence how tectonic plates evolve over timebut they're very slow going. What's more, the dripping is expected to eventually stop as the remnants of the tectonic plate sinks deeper into the mantle and its influence over the craton fades. The discovery is most important to geoscientists who study continents over their entire lifespan, said co-author Thorsten Becker, a professor at the Jackson School's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Institute for Geophysics. "This sort of thing is important if we want to understand how a planet has evolved over a long time," Becker said. "It helps us understand how do you make continents, how do you break them, and how do you recycle them [into Earth.]" Seismic waves pass through different geological features at different speeds. This map shows seismic speed in the Earth's crust at 200 kilometers depth across the continental United States and portions of Central America and Canada. The North American craton (outlined in black dashes) has a high seismic velocity compared to its surroundings. Credit: Nature Geoscience (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-025-01671-x The dripping discovery came out of a larger project led by Hua, who is now a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, that created a new full-waveform seismic tomographic model for North America using an approach developed by co-author Stephen Grand, who is now a professor emeritus at the Jackson School, and his team. This computer model, which uses seismic data collected by the EarthScope project, revealed new details about the geologic processes happening in the crust and mantle underlying North America. "Because of the use of this full-waveform method, we have a better representation of that important zone between the deep mantle and the shallower lithosphere where we would expect to get clues on what's happening with the lithosphere," Becker said. This model brought the drips into view for the first time in this way. It also helped the researchers deduce that the Farallon Plate, an oceanic tectonic plate that has been subducting under North America for about the past 200 million years, could be driving the process despite being separated from the craton by about 600 kilometers. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. The plate, which was first seismically imaged in the 1990s by Grand, played an important role in shaping the North American plate. The researchers think that it is now wearing away at the continent from below by redirecting the flow of mantle material so that it shears the bottom of the craton and by releasing volatile compounds that weaken its base. Although the dripping is concentrated in one area of the craton, Hua said that the plate appears to be interacting with material from across the entire craton, which covers most of the United States and Canada. "A very broad range is experiencing some thinning," Hua said. When the researchers built a computer model of these dynamics, the model craton dripped when the Farallon Plate was present. When the plate was removed, the dripping stopped. Becker acknowledges that computer models have limitations. But the model's resemblance to the data is a good sign, he said. "You look at a model and say, "Is it real, are we overinterpreting the data or is it telling us something new about Earth?,'" Becker said. "But it does look like in many places that these blobs come and go, that it's [showing us] a real thing." More information: Junlin Hua et al, Seismic full-waveform tomography of active cratonic thinning beneath North America consistent with slab-induced dripping, Nature Geoscience (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-025-01671-x Journal information: Nature Geoscience This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new study has revealed there's more to happiness and well-being than simply chasing goals. It also comes down to why you're chasing them. The study by Edith Cowan University (ECU) and the University of Liverpool, led by ECU Professor Joanne Dickson, surveyed 197 people from Australia and Singapore. Participants identified their two most meaningful personal goals, explained their reasons for pursuing them, and completed a subjective well-being survey. Professor Dickson said while several studies have shown a positive association between goal striving and subjective well-being, far less research has investigated the personal motives that drive and energize personal goal pursuit and their relationship to subjective well-being. The study "Why do we pursue the personal goals we do? The relationships between distinct goal motives and subjective well-being" was published in The Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. Why we pursue goals matters Professor Dickson said the study highlighted the importance of understanding why we strive toward certain goals. "Our research shows that people who freely pursue goals for reasons connected to their relationships, such as strengthening bonds with loved ones, tend to experience greater happiness and well-being," she said. "In contrast, the study found that when people are driven by external pressures such as the situation demands it, or feelings of guilt or shame if they don't pursue a goal, then they reported lower levels of well-being." Autonomy is generally good The study also examined the impact of personal autonomy on well-being. Professor Dickson said pursuing goals based on personal interests and values, known as personally autonomous motivation, is generally associated with personal well-being but in this study it was linked to higher well-being for Singaporeans, but not Australians. "We don't yet fully understand why this difference exists. This finding warrants further investigation," she said. External pressures can be detrimental to well-being Professor Dickson explained that regardless of nationality, the study showed pursuing goals due to external pressures, whether societal expectations, obligations, or a fear of failure, was associated with lower well-being. "When people feel they 'have to' do something rather than genuinely and freely wanting to pursue a personal goal, it can take a toll on their mental health," she said. Professor Dickson said the findings suggest that psychological interventions should consider not just what goals people set, but also why they set them and why they pursue them. "The underlying reasons for directing and energizing goal pursuit represent a deeper level of motivation," she said. The study included participants from two countries, Australia and Singapore, and indicates the importance that personal motivation plays in people's lives and their subjective well-being across countries. "Testing these findings in more countries is needed to further validate the relationship between distinct motives that drive and energize goal pursuit and subjective well-being across nationalities, cultures, and other socioeconomic and demographic contexts," Professor Dickson said. More information: Joanne M. Dickson et al, Why Do We Pursue the Personal Goals We Do? The Relationships Between Distinct Goal Motives and Subjective Well-being, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (2025). DOI: 10.1177/00220221251323200 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Image of plumes erupting from Ios surface taken by NASAs Galileo spacecraft in June 1997. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona What can a sample return mission from Jupiter's volcanic moon, Io, teach scientists about planetary and satellite (moon) formation and evolution? This is what a recent study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC 2025) hopes to address as an international team of more than two dozen scientists discussed the benefits and challenges of a mission to Io with the goal of sampling its volcanic plumes that eject from its surface on a regular basis. Here, Universe Today discusses this incredible research with Aanu Adeloye, who is a Ph.D. Candidate in Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and lead author of the study, regarding the motivation behind the study, significant takeaways, next steps for making a sample return a reality, and the importance of returning Io samples to Earth. Therefore, what was the motivation behind the study? "This study was sponsored by the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) at the California Institute of Technology as part of a two-part workshop series titled 'Sample Return from All across the solar system,'" Adeloye tells Universe Today. "The primary objective was to evaluate both the scientific case for and the feasibility of returning samples from the surface, atmosphere, or plumes of diverse planetary bodiesfrom Mercury to Kuiper Belt Objects beyond Pluto's orbit. "Through this workshop, we developed a prioritized list of solar system targets for sample return missions over the coming decades, based on expected scientific yield and technological readiness. Io emerged as one of the key targets on this list." For the study, the researchers discussed the reasons behind choosing Io for their sample return mission, vital questions that returned samples could answer about volcanism and Io's formation and evolution, the mission design, and the scientific impact on the planetary science community. The researchers emphasized how a sample return mission to Io could build off previous spacecraft missions to the Jovian (Jupiter) system, including Galileo, New Horizons (flyby en route to Pluto), and Juno (currently active). Potential questions a sample return mission could address include Io's geologic and isotopic composition, plume source and composition, geologic similarities to Europa, and Io's interaction with Jupiter's massive magnetic field. For mission design, the researchers propose a fast-moving spacecraft that would travel through the plumes while collecting samples, highlighting the importance of not needing to land on the surface. They estimate the total mission length from launch to return would be approximately 9.4 years based on proposed propulsion technologies. Finally, the researchers emphasized how a sample return mission could help planetary scientists gain greater insight into planetary formation and evolution, specifically Jupiter and its moons. Therefore, what were the most significant takeaways from the study? "Io stands out as the most volcanically active body in our solar system, boasting hundreds of active volcanoes that emit plumes of gas and dust reaching heights of up to 400 km [250 miles] and spanning widths as large as 1500 km [930 miles]," Adeloye says. "Positioned at the boundary between the outer and inner solar system, Io occupies a unique location that makes it an ideal target for sample return missions. Analyzing samples from Io promises to shed light on many enduring questions about the origins and evolution of the solar system." NASA missions typically take years, and sometimes decades, to go from a concept to returning relevant scientific data. They are typically designated specific mission types based on budget and scope of the mission, including Discovery, New Frontiers, solar system Exploration, and large strategic missions (formerly called Flagship). This also includes whether the mission will be a flyby, orbiter, lander, or rover. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. For this Io sample return mission, the researchers have designated it as a flyby since it will fly through Io's plumes without stopping and returning to Earth with the collected samples. The NASA selection process for each mission typically consists of several phases involving concept, designs, testing hardware in a laboratory or ground setting, re-designs, more tests for specific systems, integrating all systems together, more tests, launch, cruise, arrival, and finally data collection. Therefore, what are the next steps for making an Io plume sample return mission a reality? "The Io sample return study evaluated both the scientific rationale and the technological requirements needed for such a mission," Adeloye says. "We concluded that, with current technology, a 'New-Frontiers-style' mission could feasibly perform a fly-through of one of Io's volcanic plumes to collect gas and dust ejected from its crust. This concept is achievable using today's propulsion and sample collection systems." Adeloye continues, "Furthermore, our ability to develop sophisticated simulations of Io's plumes will greatly aid in mission planning and execution. Although further improvements in laboratory techniques are needed to optimize the analysis and yield of returned samples, we expect these challenges to be addressed over time. The next step is to assemble a team of leading scientists and engineers to develop and present detailed concept missions to the scientific community." As noted, Io is the most volcanically active planetary body in the solar system, boasting hundreds of volcanoes that eject magma and other materials hundreds of kilometers into space. This volcanic activity results from a phenomenon known as tidal heating, which occurs when the gravity of a much larger body tugs on a smaller body, causing it to stretch and compress during the latter's orbit. In Io's case, Jupiter's intense gravity tugs on the much smaller moon as the latter orbits in an elliptical (oval-shaped) pattern, meaning Io is closer to Jupiter at some points during its orbit and farther away at other points. Io's volcanic activity was first discovered by Voyager 1 when it and its sister spacecraft, Voyager 2, conducted flybys of Jupiter and its moons in 1979. This was the first time that active volcanism was observed on another planetary body aside from Earth, opening new understandings into the complex and unique nature of the solar system. Therefore, what is the importance of returning Io plume samples to Earth for further analysis? "Io occupies a unique position within both the Jovian system and the broader solar system," Adeloye says. "Its dynamic, transient atmosphere and vigorous volcanic activity continually renew its surface, effectively mitigating the space-weathering effects seen on more geologically inactive bodies. Consequently, Io's distinctive properties have preserved its surface materials in a relatively pristine state. Collecting samples from Io thus offers an unparalleled opportunity to probe early solar system materials in a way that samples from more weathered bodies cannot." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Research from the University of South Australia shows that autistic students are still struggling at school, despite efforts to improve services and supports. Conducted in partnership with Flinders University, the new study assessed the experiences of 225 autistic students aged 1014, finding that they need increased support, acceptance and understanding to thrive and succeed at school. Capturing autistic students' voices of their well-being at school and the critical factors influencing it, the meta synthesis highlights the challenges they experience with relationships at school, fitting in at school and the overwhelming sensory school environments. The research is published in the European Journal of Special Needs Education. Specifically, the study found that: Autistic students need more support to fit in at school and to experience positive relationships with their peers and school staff School staff need to be more in tune with the needs of autistic students, and provide tailored supports Schools need to improve school environments to better cater for autistic students' sensory needs. The findings emphasize the acute need for Australian schools to create more inclusive environments that recognize and respect autistic students' identities. Lead researcher UniSA's Dr. Kobie Boshoff says that schools can better support these students by fostering positive relationships, offering flexible learning strategies, and ensuring physical environments cater to sensory needs. "Autistic students' school experiences are often marred by being poorly understood, high levels of bullying, interpersonal difficulties, and academic struggles, all of which impact their mental health into adulthood," Dr. Boshoff says. "This research amplifies the voices of middle-year autistic students, allowing them to share their firsthand experiences, and for us to learn directly from them about the support they need. "Well-being is strongly linked to how students see themselves, how others respond to their autism, and how they fit into the school environment. While some students embrace their autism as part of their identity, others try to hide it to fit in. Long term masking can have detrimental effects on their mental health. "Positive relationships with peers are vital, yet many autistic students find it hard to make friends. As friendships foster a sense of belonging, schools must prioritize social inclusion alongside academic success. "Similarly, caring and supportive school staff can make a significant difference. When students feel understood, they feel safe, respected, and heard. Teachers who adapt their approach for different students, communicate clearly, and create flexible learning environments have a profound impact on student well-being. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. "A school's physical and social environment also plays a crucial role. Noisy, crowded spaces and unpredictable routines can trigger anxiety, making it harder for students to engage. Schools that offer structured support, sensory-friendly spaces, and flexible learning strategies create a more inclusive experience." This year, Australia launched its $42.3 million inaugural National Autism Strategy (20252031) to create a safe and inclusive society where all autistic people are empowered to thrive. In South Australia, a $250,000 state government trial is introducing autism inclusion teachers (AITs) in nine public high schools to better support neurodiverse students. While Australia's educational landscape is increasingly recognizing the importance of inclusivity for students with autism, Dr. Boshoff says there is still a long way to go. "Support for autistic students shouldn't fade as they grow oldertheir needs evolve, and services must evolve with them. Yet, there's a growing trend of assuming that older students require less support, when in reality, they just need different support," Dr. Boshoff says. "Every child deserves the chance to succeed at school. Schools play a critical role in shaping a positive and inclusive learning experience, but they need more funding, training, and professional support to make this a reality. "We must invest in practical solutions to ensure every individual autistic student feels valued, understood, and empowered to thrive." More information: Kobie Boshoff et al, The perceptions of Autistic school students of their well-being at school: a meta-synthesis, European Journal of Special Needs Education (2024). DOI: 10.1080/08856257.2024.2421108 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) male, Melaleuca, Southwest National Park, Tasmania, Australia. Credit: JJ Harrison/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A team of environmental scientists at the University of Sydney, working with a pair of colleagues from the University of Copenhagen, are pondering possible ways to save the extremely endangered orange-bellied parrot. In their paper published in the journal Molecular Ecology, the group outlines possible ideas for saving the birds, and the drawbacks of each. As humans have encroached on lands once the domain of other creatures, the result has often been reductions in populations of native species and sometimes extinction. In this new effort, the researchers have focused their attention on orange-bellied parrots, which migrate between Tasmania and southern parts of Australia. In recent years, their numbers have declined sharply. Even worse, their genetic diversity has dropped so low that scientists believe that without intervention, the species will go extinct within the next 15 years. The researchers note that the obvious approach to saving the birds would not work; capturing several specimens and breeding them would lead to more birds, but their gene pool would still be too shallow to allow them to overcome diseases once they were released into the wild. The only way to save them, they point out, is to diversify their genes. And that could only be done in two ways. The first method would involve using gene-editing tools such as CRISPR, to make changes that would likely exist in birds of the same species. The problem is that such an approach has not been done before and it is not clear if it would work. There is also the possibility of introducing unintended consequences, such as editing mistakes that could lead to hereditary cancers that might not be detected until after the birds are released into the wild. The second method would involve attempting to breed the birds with another species of parrot, one that is close in most physical respects, such as the blue-winged parrot. The problem with this approach is it could lead to infertile offspring, or if it worked, would lead to a new sub-species, even if the offspring were bred with the original species, creating three-quarters-original breed birds, which would still be a new speciesone pretty close to the original but still resulting in the original pure species' extinction, which the team is trying to prevent. With neither approach offering a definitive positive result, the research team suggests more work needs to be done to find out if another approach might be found. More information: Luke W. Silver et al, Temporal Loss of GenomeWide and Immunogenetic Diversity in a NearExtinct Parrot, Molecular Ecology (2025). DOI: 10.1111/mec.17746 Journal information: Molecular Ecology 2025 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The American scientific community could soon be plagued by a brain drain, recent polling suggests. In a survey of U.S.-based scientists conducted by Nature, 75% of respondents said they were "considering leaving the country following the disruptions to science" brought about by President Donald Trump's administration. Meanwhile, the remaining 25% said they were not weighing moving. The pollconducted in mid-Marchsampled about 1,650 respondents through Nature's website, newsletter and social media. "As such, the survey is not a representative sample of the general population of U.S. researchers," Nicky Phillips, an editor at Nature, told McClatchy News on March 31. "The numbers quoted in the story are simply the views of the people who chose to respond to the survey." Early career scientists were especially likely to say they are mulling over leaving the country. For example, 79% of postgraduate researchers548 out of 690said they were considering bidding adieu to the U.S. Similarly, 75% of Ph.D. students255 out of 340responded the same. And when asked where they might go, many respondents listed Canada and Europe. The poll comes two months into Trump's second term, during which time his administration has slashed jobs and funding across the federal government, including at scientific institutions. Among the organizations affected is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which funds biomedical research throughout the U.S. and the world. "Since Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, NIH funding has dropped by more than $3 billion compared with grants issued during the same period last year," according to an analysis by The Washington Post. Federal funding for U.S. colleges is also now in doubt following Trump's aid reductions to several elite universitiesin an attempt to make them comply with his agenda, according to the Associated Press. In response to these actions, more than 1,000 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine signed a letter published on March 31, which addressed what they see as "real danger" in Trump's agenda. "We call on the administration to cease its wholesale assault on U.S. science, and we urge the public to join this call," the open letter said. "We all benefit from science, and we all stand to lose if the nation's research enterprise is destroyed." 2025 The Charlotte Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain As the planet gets hotter and freshwater sources dry up, cities and towns will not be able to continue the global norm of using millions of liters of clean, drinkable water to flush toilets. South Africa's Water Research Commission recently commissioned a study into using seawater to flush toilets in Cape Town. Water engineering lecturer Teboho Mofokeng researches water management and reuse in South Africa and she co-authored the study. She spoke to The Conversation Africa about Capetonians' willingness to pay up to 10% more on their water bills to use seawater to flush their toilets, as long as it doesn't smell or stain their toilets. What are the problems with how toilets are flushed in Cape Town? The first problem is that the city uses clean, treated drinking water for toilet flushing. Generally, 20%-30% of the city's drinkable water supply to households is used to flush toilets. The water used for bathing, cooking, laundry, cleaning and flushing toilets goes down the drain. It is treated at wastewater plants to remove harmful germs before being pumped back into rivers. The second problem is that in some Cape Town communities (as well as the coastal cities of Durban and Gqeberha in South Africa), wastewater is discharged into the sea with little treatment to remove harmful germs. Although the government permits a certain amount of discharge, this pollutes the ocean. The third problem is that as demand for housing grows, so does the need for water and sanitation. When more and more wastewater is discharged into the sea, it is a lost opportunity to keep the water within the urban water management system, and use it again. What are the alternatives? South Africa's water supply network is aging, has not been well maintained and is due for replacement or repairs. When new housing developments are connected to the water supply network, there is an opportunity to come up with alternatives to using drinking water to flush toilets. One option is seawater. Another could be recycled water. Toilet water could be treated to remove harmful bacteria and reused for flushing. This would need a closed water system for flushing toilets. It would eliminate the current loss of drinking water flushed down toilets and then discharged into the sea. How do people feel about using seawater instead? Studies have shown that most households would prefer to flush with recycled water than clean, drinkable water. However, our study is the first to investigate how people feel about flushing with seawater. We asked 239 people if they'd be willing to flush with seawater or recycled water or continue to flush with drinking water but pay more to do so. We also asked how they felt about toilet wastewater being discharged into the sea. Our survey had mixed findings. Overall, 90% of people were willing to move away from using drinking water for toilet flushing, but only if the new water source did not stain the toilet bowl, was clear and had no smell. We found that 58% of the people we surveyed preferred using seawater to recycled water for toilet flushing. However, there were differences in preference according to income, gender and household size. About 45% of the people we interviewed earned more than R12,800 (US$697) per month. They preferred to use drinking water to flush toilets. But females with a higher education qualification were more likely to pay extra for both seawater and recycled water options. Homes where more than three people lived were more likely to pay for recycled water than seawater. On average, 10%15% of Capetonians' municipal bills goes to paying for water. We looked at the preferences of households that pay R350 to R900 per month for water and found they were willing to pay 5%10% more to use clean and clear alternative water. They were also willing to use water with a slight odor if they got a discount of up to 60% on their monthly water bills. Treating wastewater before discharging it into the sea would cost money. We found that people were not willing to foot this bill. They were in favor of the city treating wastewater only if it reduced their water bill by up to 7%. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. What are the drawbacks of switching to seawater to flush toilets? Firstly, it would need a duplicate network to be set up. This would be one network of water pipes for the drinking water supply and another for the toilet flushing water supply. This would mean that both new and aging water systems would be set up or replaced by systems with a duplicate pipe network. Usually water supply networks use concrete, steel or plastic pipes. But because seawater corrodes, plastic pipes will be needed for the seawater flushing pipe network. Plastic manufacturing and the raw materials needed have a significant impact on the environment. On the other hand, steel or concrete pipes would need to be replaced more frequently than plastic pipes. Secondly, storage facilities like reservoirs would need to be built to store the seawater and a new system set up to treat seawater before it is piped to homes. Thirdly, the chemicals and electricity required to clean the water, the supply of water to consumers and eventually the disposal of the wastewater would add to the costs. Since South Africa's energy is still electricity made by burning coal, using up more energy in a duplicate water system would increase global warming significantly. So, a renewable energy system would need to be set up. Despite these drawbacks, a duplicate system has worked well in Hong Kong. Using less freshwater also benefits the environment more. What are the solutions? Climate change will result in a drier south-western Africa. Unpredictable rainfall and frequent droughts will mean less freshwater available for people to drink. Therefore, it is crucial that coastal cities like Cape Town, whose populations are growing, start investing now in water supplies from unconventional sources. People have to become more aware that not all household activities need to use drinking water. Increasing public awareness and education about the benefits of using alternative water can help people to accept that they won't be able to flush their toilets with clean, drinkable water for much longer. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A. Map showing the location of the discovery of the Quina tool kit in China, at the southern margin of the Hengduan Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau. B. View of the landscape showing the Longtan archaeological site. Credit: Hao Li, CC BY-ND New technologies today often involve electronic devices that are smaller and smarter than before. During the Middle Paleolithic, when Neanderthals were modern humans' neighbors, new technologies meant something quite different: new kinds of stone tools that were smaller but could be used for many tasks and lasted for a long time. Archaeologists like me are interested in the Middle Paleolithica period spanning 250,000 to 30,000 years agobecause it includes the first appearance of our species, our arrival into many parts of the world for the first time, and our invention of many new kinds of stone tools. In our study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of international collaborators and I describe our discovery in China of the first complete example of a Middle Paleolithic technology previously seen only in Europe and the Middle East. Archaeologists have thought that ancient people in East Asia completely skipped the Middle Paleolithic. Our discovery challenges the long-standing notion that while ancient people in Europe and Africa were inventing new tools during this period, people of East Asia stuck to only the most basic tools that remained unchanged for thousands of years. Quina scrapers helped hunters process kills The tool we've identified is called a Quina scraper. This type of stone tool is well known from archaeological sites in Europe and the Middle East. Quina scrapers are typically quite thick and asymmetrical, with a broad and sharp working edge that shows clear signs of being used and resharpened multiple times. This shape results in durable cutting edges, ideal for long cycles of use followed by resharpening. People used Quina scrapers to scrape and cut soft materials, such as meat and animal skins, and medium-hard materials, such as wood. We know this from tiny scratches and chips on the scrapers that match traces caused by working these materials in experiments using contemporary stone tools. European archaeologists believe that Quina scrapers were invented to meet the needs of highly mobile hunters living in cool and dry climates. These hunters were focused on seasonal migratory prey such as reindeer, giant deer, horse and bison. Quina scrapers would have helped them process their kills into food and other resourcesfor example, to extract marrow. First find of a Quina tool in East Asia Our team, led by Hao Li of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research and Qijun Ruan of the Yunnan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, excavated Quina scrapers and related stone tools from the Longtan archaeological site in southwest China. Our colleague Bo Li at the University of Wollongong used optical luminescence dating methods on the layers of earth that contained the artifacts. This technique can identify how much time has passed since each individual sand grain was last exposed to the sun. Dating many individual grains in a sample is important because tree roots, insects or other animals can mix younger sediments down into older ones. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. After we identified and removed intrusive younger grains, we found the layers containing the artifacts were 50,000 to 60,000 years old. This is roughly the same time Quina scrapers were being used in Europe at Neanderthal sites. Keliang Zhao from China's Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology looked at pollen grains from the Longtan excavations. He found that the Middle Paleolithic people of Longtan lived in a relatively open forest-grassland environment and a dry and cool climate. This environment is similar to that of Quina sites in Europe. Davide Delpiano, Marco Peresani and Marie-Helene Moncel, experts on European Middle Paleolithic tools, joined our team to help with the comparison of the Chinese and European specimens and confirm their similarities. Helene Monod, from Universidad Rovira i Virgili in Spain, looked at our Quina scrapers under the microscope and found traces on them from scraping and scratching bones, antlers and wood. She also found polish from using the tools on meat, hides and soft plants. Who lived in East Asia during this period? Our new discovery of Quina scrapers joins another recent find of a different kind of Middle Paleolithic technology in East Asia: Levallois tools from Guanyindong Cave in Guizhou Province in south-central China. Levallois tools result from a distinctive multistep sequence that efficiently produces lots of useful cutting tools, with minimal wasted stone. Taken together, these two finds make a strong case that Middle Paleolithic technologies were present in East Asia. But why are we only just finding this Quina tool kit now, when it has been known in Europe for such a long time? One reason is that archaeologists have been looking in Europe for longer than almost anywhere else in the world. Another reason Middle Paleolithic evidence appears rare in East Asia is because what now seem to be less typical variations of the Quina tool kit previously found in China had been overlooked, likely due to archaeologists' narrow definitions based on European examples. The Quina tools at Longtan are among the earliest artifacts from that site, which makes it hard for researchers to determine the origins of this new technology. Was it introduced by visitors from Europe? Or did local people in East Asia independently invent it? To answer these questions, we hope to find more Quina scrapers at sites with deepermeaning olderlayers than Longtan. If older layers hold what look like the remnants of experiments in stone toolmaking that would eventually result in Quina tools, it suggests Quina tools were invented locally. If deeper layers have dissimilar tools, that suggests Quina technology was introduced from a neighboring group. We also hope future work will reveal who made these tools. Our excavations at Longtan did not find any human bone or DNA that could help us identify the toolmakers. During the Middle Paleolithic, there were multiple human species that could make tools like this. It could have been modern humans like us. But it could also have been Neanderthals. Considering that the Quina technology in Europe is directly associated with Neanderthals, this seems likely. But it could also have been Denisovans, an extinct species similar to modern humans found during this time in Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and Laos, or even a new human species that hasn't been seen before. Whoever was making and using these Quina scrapers, they were able to be inventive and flexible with their technology, adapting to their changing environment. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Aaron Johnson from Pexels Approximately 170,000 people die every day around the worldthat's around 62 million deaths in 2024 alone. The cumulative effect of this has led to what has been termed a "burial crisis," with most urban areas where burial remains the norm expected to run out of interment space by the 2050s, some much earlieras in, now. Major cities, including London and Sydney, anticipate severe space shortages within the next decade. Smaller community cemeteries, such as Nuneaton cemetery in Warwickshire, have already reached full capacity and begun directing families elsewhere. Finding culturally acceptable yet ethically responsible, accessible and sustainable ways of laying to rest, mourning and honoring our loved ones has become an urgent global issue. However, the cemetery sector has only recently begun to seriously consider the environmental consequences of how we handle our bodies after death. The sense of urgency coincides with a significant cultural shift, as cremation increasingly replaces traditional burial methods. This is due to societal secularization, shifts in religious doctrines (including Catholicism lifting past bans) and its affordability compared to burial. In the UK, the percentage of cremations has risen from 9% of total burials in 1946 to 80.64% in 2023. Yet, cremation is far from a sustainable alternative to burial. It releases substantial amounts of pollutants, notably carbon dioxide and mercury emissions, so regulation is necessary. Technologically advanced techniques, such as water cremationa process that uses an alkali-water-based solution to reduce a body to boneshave only recently begun to emerge as possible alternatives and remain niche. For several years, we have been studying cemeteries in Italy and the UK. Despite the deeply different burial traditions in these two countries (unlike the UK, Italy remains a burial culture) both face the same environmental challenges. A tale of two cemeteries A few sites do offer environmentally conscious alternatives to traditional burial. One is in Liguria, a densely populated region in northwestern Italy that has suffered significant losses due to climate change, particularly from soil erosion caused by decades of reckless coastal construction. Here, a group of environmentally conscious volunteers transformed a woodland called Boschi Vivi (the name means living woods) into a cemetery, creating Italy's first forest cemetery. Though it involves cremation, this initiative is particularly groundbreaking in a country where cemeteries have historically been conceived as monumental or architectural structures. Often, they are heavily reliant on marble, a traditional hallmark of Italian craftsmanship, significantly reducing green spaces in urban areas. The mining of marble also creates huge greenhouse gas emissions and loss of biodiversity. In contrast, the cimitero bosco (forest cemetery) of Boschi Vivi follows a different philosophy. Instead of traditional tombstones, only a small plaque is placed near each tree where ashes have been scattered, marking the final resting place of the deceased. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Currently, this remains a grassroots initiative that's starting to emerge in the US and Canada too. Hopefully, more Italian public administrations will adopt this model as traditional cemeteries become increasingly financially and environmentally unsustainable. For three decades, Oakfield burial ground in Wrabness, Essex, UK has adopted a similar approach. Oakfield wood is a seven-acre natural woodland burial site along the banks of the river Stour in north Essex, managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. Instead of headstones or conventional memorials, a native broadleaf tree is planted for each burial, accompanied by a simple wooden plaque at its base. The site forms part of a larger nature reserve, fostering a rich habitat for wildlife. Unlike municipal cemeteries or other burial sites, which are often subject to redevelopment or reuse, Oakfield enjoys long-term protection under the Essex Wildlife Trust. This means that burials here are conducted in perpetuity, ensuring that the site remains undisturbed. The trust plans to manage Oakfield solely as a nature reserve once it reaches full capacity, although this will not be for many decades to come. Despite these promising initiatives, sites such as Boschi Vivi and Oakfield risk remaining isolated cases unless a radical rethinking of burial takes place. Whether cemeteries are perceived as eerie, macabre spaces (like in Shakespeare's Hamlet) or as places of peace and reconciliation, as in the final scene of Forrest Gump, they are still dominated by the idea that graves should be organized as a series of permanent markers of individual lives. Our research shows that it's only by considering human beings as part of nature that the growing burial crisis might be averted. That fundamentally involves moving from a human-centered or "ego-logical" ethos to an ecological one. The most viable response to the environmental challenges facing not just Nuneaton cemetery, but burial sites across the world, might simply be new awareness. One that recognizes both life and death as integral parts of nature. So, remembrance is not preserved through permanence, but rather through a return to the natural cycle of life. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Flash Russian President Vladimir Putin remained open to contacts with U.S. President Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. A telephone conversation between Putin and Trump is not scheduled yet, Peskov said, adding that "such contacts can be agreed upon very quickly if necessary." He noted that Russia and the United States were working on implementing ideas related to the Ukrainian settlement, but there were no specifics yet. In a phone interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump said he was "very angry" and "pissed off" when Putin criticized the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's leadership, adding that the comments were "not going in the right location." Trump said Putin knows he is angry, but he has "a very good relationship" with Putin and would speak to the Russian leader again. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The Dutch master Vincent van Gogh may have painted one of Western history's most enduring works, but "The Starry Night" is not a masterpiece of flow physicsdespite recent attention to its captivating swirls, according to researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Washington. The post-Impressionist artist painted the work (often referred to simply as "Starry Night") in June 1889, and its depiction of a pre-sunrise sky and village was inspired in part by the view from van Gogh's asylum room in southern France. The painting is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Last year, a paper published in the September issue of Physics of Fluids"Hidden Turbulence in van Gogh's 'The Starry Night'"received considerable notice by positing that the eddies, or swirls, painted by van Gogh adhere to Kolmogorov's theory of turbulent flow, which explains how air and water swirls move in a somewhat chaotic pattern. "[van Gogh] was able to reproduce not only the size of whirls/eddies, but also their relative distance and intensity in his painting," the paper read. However, those conclusions are unfounded, according to Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, Ph.D., the Inez Caudill Eminent Professor in VCU's Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, and James J. Riley, Ph.D., the inaugural Paccar Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington. Their report "Is There Hidden Turbulence in Vincent van Gogh's 'The Starry Night'?"appears in the latest issue of Journal of Turbulence. "The Kolmogorov theory, which is named for the 20th-century Soviet mathematician Andrey Kolmogorov, is perhaps the most famous theory in turbulence research," Gad-el-Hak said. "That theory applies to the velocity field in fluid flows." The theory was extended independently by Alexander Obukhov, Ph.D., and Stanley Corrsin, Ph.D., to scalar fields in a turbulent flow, such as fluid density, temperature, pressure, and related quantities. As doctoral students at Johns Hopkins University, Gad-el-Hak and Riley studied under Corrsin, and were well-versed in the theory. It was this extension of the theory to scalars in turbulent flows that was employed by the authors of the paper in Physics of Fluids, but Gad-el-Hak and Riley said that was erroneous. "Our foundational objection is that there is no identifiable, measurable scalar fluid property in the painting that can be used to apply the theory of Obukhov and Corrsin," Riley said. "Furthermore, the atmospheric flow field assumed does not even closely satisfy the assumptions required of the theory." Gad-el-Hak and Riley therefore infer that the conclusions in the Physics of Fluids paper are unfortunately totally flawed, and "that the painting is fascinating and very abstract, and in fact this is an element of what makes it such an iconic work of art." More information: James J. Riley et al, Is there hidden turbulence in Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night ?, Journal of Turbulence (2025). DOI: 10.1080/14685248.2025.2477244 Journal information: Physics of Fluids SOUTH GLENS FALLS A problematic property on Harrison Avenue was back in front of the village board during its March 19 meeting after having burned in a fire and left to gather garbage and squatters for more than a year. I guess what my question is, from a resident of the village, how do I keep my kids and my area safe from that, asked Ken Scherl, who owns the property next door to the dilapidated home. A fire rendered the home unlivable in January 2024 after months of issues and complaints which frustrated then Building and Codes officer Kevin Ostrander in his capacity as the villages board of health officer. You appointed me to do a job that I cannot do until this board does its job. Im a bit frustrated by it right now, sitting in an empty room, Ostrander asserted during a failed attempt to hold a consolidated health board meeting in October 2023 to address the property. We know why Im here, we know the job that needs to be done, and my hands continue to be tied. So, I just want to be on record the failure here is the village consolidated health board. However, since the home burned more than a year ago, not much has been done to mitigate its deterioration. Its getting to be that time of year again where its nice out. Animals are starting to come back out, kids are starting to play again, and the place is still just a trash heap, Scherl said to the village board on March 19. Theres new needles in the yard and the garbage is thrown all over the place. Village attorney, Bill Nikas explained that the bank which holds the mortgage on the home has declared that it is no longer in arrears. Now, you know, and I know that they havent received any payments on that, Nikas said speaking directly to Scherl. Once you have a fire like that, they treat the whole darn thing as toxic, so the cost (to raze the structure) is astronomical. Which is why the lender isnt getting involved. Through Nikas, the village has issued a freedom of information request with the state for all communications between the bank and the state Department of Financial Services to determine if there is evidence of any fraud. However, there is little official action that the village can take as long as taxes on the property continue to be paid. (The bank is) paying taxes because they dont want to end up with the property, Nikas concluded. Theyll eat the debt rather than take that property because the cost of taking it down would be more than what theyre owed. While the village works through what processes are at its disposal to deal with the run-down property, Scherl agreed to work with officials to attempt to reach out to the propertys owner and come to some determination directly. In the meantime, though, Scherlwhose home shares a driveway with the condemned housesuggested taking matters into his own hands to have the refuse and drug paraphernalia removed from the property so as to prevent it from encroaching on his adjoining land. Im not going to tell you that, thats exactly what I would do, Nikas said. I would take pictures, and whos going to quibble over what youre doing? NJ should save volunteer fire service The volunteer fire service is the most unique form of volunteer service in existence. It is a dying breed nationwide and on life support in New Jersey. Seventy-seven percent of New Jerseys 26,250 firefighters are volunteers. Numerous companies statewide have closed their doors. Many fire companies receive minimal state aid and are not financially supported by residents or businesses within their community. Thanks for your service. Its membership requires firefighters to risk their lives and safety as a condition of service. While doing so, firefighters are using their own gas, insurance, tolls, etc., while responding to community emergencies. Many are killed or injured yearly while proudly serving this historic tradition. Thanks for your service. Doing so in New Jersey is especially difficult. The bureaucracy, training requirements and time required increase yearly, as well as calls for service. Additionally, New Jersey and its cost of living, including ballooning property taxes, are no help. Volunteers must balance family obligations with fire service commitments. Recruiting and retention have become especially challenging. New Jersey volunteer firefighters have saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars yearly in salaries and compensation by their volunteer status. Thanks for your service. In 2023, a bill, A757, was introduced in the Assembly. When initially introduced, it granted a $5,000 income tax deduction to New Jerseys dedicated volunteers. It got whittled down to $1,000 in the Assembly, where misguided, uninformed bureaucrats in Trenton attached unreasonable stipulations to the requirements, and it died. New Jersey elected officials placed the value of a volunteer firefighters life and service at $1,000, laughable at best. That $1,000 wouldnt cover the cost of flowers at the firefighters funeral. Thanks for your service. New Jersey should get serious about saving the volunteer fire service that has given this state, its residents and communities so much, expecting so little in return. These dedicated community volunteers are our neighbors, ordinary people doing extraordinary things, so that others may live. Its time New Jersey does the right thing and fixes this slight and helps save the volunteer fire service. Doing nothing is a cost the fire service, the state and residents can no longer afford. James Armstrong President Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company Egg Harbor Township Brigantine offshore wind opponent says it's too soon to cheer industry's demise While offshore wind projects appear to have hit some speed bumps in New Jersey, it's too soon to celebrate, a Brigantine woman writes. Too much, too fast Hes been elected, and he was ready. Project 2025 seemed like it was propaganda to upset the libs like me. Everything in it was anathema to my philosophy, to my moral compass. Im not religious, but I believe in helping the less fortunate, understanding where others come from. As a teacher, Ive been stabbed in the heart by some of my students stories. But Donald Trump never had that experience. Day one was a promise during the election. So many promises were going to be instituted on day one. That was something I dismissed. No one could do everything a politician promised to do in one day. But I was wrong. After his inauguration, he signed one executive order after the other, each in a lovely formal leather binder. In that hour, he attempted to put into law all his mean-spirited campaign promises. There was such a flurry of them that it was nearly impossible to list them, much less examine each one for constitutionality, and to weigh its meaning and ponder its consequences. What can I, a senior citizen, do? Call my Republican congressman every day with a different issue to complain about or support each day. Add your voice to all the other voices who are surely calling. One day it was Medicare, the next school lunches, then taxing the billionaires. Pick one issue to go farther on. For me it seems to be immigration. Most people come because their situation was intolerable for them. And like so many others, freedom and opportunity were a lure they followed. I taught immigrants in California, Florida and New Jersey. They came to work hard and provide for their families futures. And they did. In California, they worked the fields. In Florida, a former college professor was a bellman in a hotel. In New Jersey, the children of the busboys and the janitors were left in a school that was losing funding. I want to help. I cannot remain silent. Bonny Collins Ocean View Danny Taylor was the kind of person that would lift other people up, his mother told a jury Monday. He was a very happy, cheerful child that loved his family, Melodi Taylor said. Danny Taylor, 17, died early on April 14, 2023, after being shot at his home in rural Milan, authorities have said. Investigators think his assailants intended a robbery. Johnell Smith III, now 17, address unavailable, faces two counts of first-degree murder and a count of home invasion in relation to the shooting, court records state. He is now charged as an adult. Smith's trial began Monday. Rock Island County Assistant States Attorney Steve Cichon is representing the state. Smiths attorney is Eric Reyes. Rock Island County Judge Frank Fuhr is presiding over the trial. Melodi Taylor was the first prosecution witness. Her son liked playing video games and helping people, Melodi Taylor told the jury. The day before he died, he went to school then came home and spent time with family. He went to bed about 10:30 p.m. or 11 p.m. on April 13, Melodi Taylor testified. She went to bed around midnight with Dannys father, David, who was staying over that night. The room they were in was upstairs, while her sons room was in the basement, she testified. A short time later, she was still not all the way asleep when a noise disturbed her. It was so loud she knew it was not normal. It came from the basement. On the stand Monday, she said it sounded like a door being kicked in. She woke David Taylor who went to investigate while she waited upstairs. Then she heard more noise. Crashing. Booming. Gunshots. Of the latter, she thought there were two or three, she said from the stand Monday. She then went to investigate the basement herself, Melodi Taylor said. There was a lot of blood, a broken door frame and furniture tipped over. I found David holding my son, she said. She did not see anyone else, she told the jury. Danny Taylor was not responsive, she said. She called 911. She and David Taylor attempted CPR. The first Rock Island County Sheriffs Office deputy who arrived also attempted life-saving measures, but no one was able to help Danny Taylor, Melodi Taylor testified. Two others also charged Authorities also arrested two other people in relation to Danny Taylors killing Napoleon Jackson, now 18, Rock Island; and Tationna Taylor, 21, Milan, according to court records. Tationna Taylor is not related to Danny Taylor, records state. Jackson faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count each of home invasion and aggravated battery, records state. His case remained pending Friday. Authorities charged Tationna Taylor with home invasion, records state. She entered a plea agreement with prosecutors in February, records state. On March 3, Fuhr sentenced her to nine years in an Illinois prison on the home invasion charge. Father testifies On Monday, the prosecutions case also included testimony from David Taylor. When he first went to check on the noise, he had no idea what had happened, he said. He was not carrying anything, he said. Both he and Melodi Taylor said there were firearms in the home, but they were in a safe. The lights were off in the basement, but there was ambient light from the street that helped him see as he went downstairs, David Taylor said. He saw the door jam was on the floor someone had kicked in the door, he told the jury. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, David Taylor heard a gunshot and his son saying, OK. OK. As he approached his sons room, David Taylor heard another gunshot. This time he also saw a muzzle flash. When he entered the unlit bedroom, he came face to face with a stranger, he told the jury. Beyond this person, he saw his son in the bed and there was also a third person in the room. Both strangers wore hoodies with the hoods up, he said during his testimony. They also wore masks. The mask of the stranger closest to him only covered the lower part of the face. David Taylor grabbed that closest stranger by the hair and put him on the floor," he said. As he did so, the person said Stop, Ive been shot. Then there was another gunshot. At some point after this, David Taylor became disoriented, he said. He later found his ear was bleeding and there was an injury on his head. He testified that he thought hed been pistol whipped but did not remember the blow. Under cross examination by Reyes, he said he thought it was the second person who struck him with a pistol. When he came to his senses, he saw his son struggling with the second person, who appeared to have a firearm in one of his hands. There was another shot and Danny Taylor fell down, David Taylor said. He tried to get Danny Taylor to wake up but couldnt so he started CPR. All of my focus was on Danny, David Taylor said. He could hear their assailants gathering up stuff as they fled the house. Melodi Taylor reached the basement shortly after, he said. During his account in court, David Taylor said he was not sure if the first person the one he grabbed was armed. He counted a total of four gunshots during the encounter. Investigators think the two who broke into the home were Jackson and Smith, according to court documents filed earlier in the case. Investigators think David Taylor fought Smith, while Danny Taylor fought Jackson They think Jackson also turned the gun on David Taylor during the fight but shot Smith instead, records state. After they left the home, Jackson and Smith then ran to a nearby vehicle in which Tationna Taylor and another person waited. They then drove Smith to an area hospital. Smith, shot in the chest, eventually required treatment in Peoria. Initially, the Rock Island County States Attorneys Office charged Smith as a juvenile with first-degree murder and home invasion, court records state. Prosecutors upgraded the counts to adult charges in 2024. Authorities allege Tationna Taylor assisted in the home invasion by directing Jackson and Smith to Danny Taylors home and giving them information about how to access the residence, court records state. Records also detail evidence that authorities allege shows Smiths participation in the crime. On the kicked-in door, there was a mark from a shoe that appeared similar to shoes connected to Smith. Tationna Taylor and the other person who was in the car also told police that Smith kicked in the door. Investigators recovered two suspect handguns at the Taylor residence, a .40-caliber and a 9mm, the records state. The .40-caliber, found near the house, had Smiths fingerprint on it. Authorities think Jackson used the 9mm, records state. Police also found a shoe in the vehicle used to drive Smith to the hospital. The shoe had Smiths blood on it. While hospitalized in Peoria, Smith also remained in contact with Jackson and made statements linking both of them to the killing, court records state. Looking back on a 30 year career in the Muscatine Fire Department, Assistant Fire Chief Mike Hartman said that he would never have stayed as long as he did if not for his family and for the good people he worked with every day. As that career winds down with April 1 being his last day on active duty with the fire department, Hartman said he is looking forward to spending time with family. He has a granddaughter who needs to be watched occasionally and a daughter who just purchased a new house in Coralville with a slew of projects in mind that she will need help with. A lifelong Boy Scout and an Eagle Scout, Hartman will also serve as Camp Director of Camp Loud Thunder, the premier Scout Camp for the Illowa Council, this summer. I told people that by retiring on April Fools Day, I can come back a few days later and say Just kidding, I want my job back, Hartman joked. Probably wont be as funny since everyone knows that I was thinking of doing it. A retirement celebration will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, in the firefighters dayroom upstairs in the Public Safety Building, 312 East 5th Street, Muscatine. Hartmans journey to becoming a firefighter began in 1991 when he had a discussion with a relative who worked as a firefighter. The relative regaled several stories about the training and the calls they responded to. It clicked for Hartman. He began pursuing the firefighters uniform. I wanted to have a job where things were different every day, he said. I wanted to have a job where I was able to get out and do things. I also wanted a job where I could use my brain a little. It seemed like fire fighting/EMS was a career that allowed me to do all those things that I wanted to do. He began testing to become a firefighter. With little experience, he said, he did not get too far into the process. Over the next few years, he took an EMT class and worked for volunteer ambulance services. He also went into nursing and began studying that field in college. He got the call in November 1994. One of the proudest moments of my life is when I got the call that I was being hired as a Muscatine firefighter, Hartman said. He started on Nov. 21, 1994. It was only about two weeks before he responded to the first report of a house fire on Grandview. While in hindsight he says the fire wasnt that big, it was all it took to pique his interest in firefighting. It was a whole lot of nothing, but it was smokey inside and it was something new and exciting, he said. During his career, Hartman was promoted to fire lieutenant in 1999, and then to fire captain in 2005. The assistant fire chief position was created during a department reorganization and Hartman assumed that role on Jan. 7, 2013. Before the reorganization, shift commanders performed the duties of assistant chief but it was realized that the position needed a dedicated 40 hour per week staff member instead of relying on the already overworked shift commanders. I was fortunate enough to see Mike's talent early on and promoted him to assistant fire chief in 2013, Fire Chief Jerry Ewers said. Mike has been our city's fire marshal for over 12 years keeping our community safe. Hartman has a love for helping people and improving the fire department. He was instrumental in the development of the fire investigation program and the training of the fire investigation team. He also had a hand in the development of the hazmat team in Muscatine, which had its origins in November 1996. Hartman approached and received the green light from then Fire Chief Steve Dalbey to create the team and develop the training program. The Muscatine hazmat team is now designated as a regional team, providing services to Muscatine, Louisa, Henry, Washington and Keokuk counties. He also remembers the darkest call he had responded to. On Sept. 14, 2002, Hartman was a member of the team who responded to a fire at the intersection of Orange and East Sixth when firefighter Mike Kruse was killed. Kruse, a 27-year veteran of the department, was assigned to the aerial ladder and was assisting ventilation of the building, which is done by cutting a hole in the roof. As the hole was being cut, the roof under Kruse partially collapsed and he fell into the room that was on fire. He was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries. I worked with Mike and he was also a big proponent of fire prevention, Hartman said. One of the reasons we put such an emphasis on firefighter training and fire prevention education is to honor him. Hartman also carried a picture of Kruse when he participated in the inaugural stair climb at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, after the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001. He also carried a picture of Michael Fiore, a New York firefighter from Rescue 5 who lost his life responding to the terrorist attack on Sept. 11. Hartman visited Rescue 5 while attending the first class of the National Fire Academy after Sept. 11. It was amazing to visit and stay at Rescue 5, to see the pictures of those who lost their lives, and the history of the station, Hartman said. Hartman said he would always look back on his years as a firefighter with pride, knowing all the people he has helped. There have been so many opportunities to impact peoples lives and see how they react to see the humanity and resilience of victims, of people who have lost everything who have been able to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and move forward, or those with medical issues, giving them the opportunity to live a little bit longer and having them step up, Hartman said. Thats where it all goes the patient. Eight in custody and minor located during Cancun Hotel Zone search operation Cancun, Q.R. A group of Ministerial Police officers who were tracking a missing minor arrested eight people Sunday night. The search operation began around 11:45 p.m. in the Pok Ta Pok residential area off Kukulcan Boulevard in the Cancun Hotel Zone. Police arrived at the complex in response to a call by a building manager who reported seeing armed men illegally enter an apartment. Officers from various levels of the State Attorney Generals Office located armed subjects inside the property as they approached. Reports say several deterrent shots were fired which activated the so-called code red, putting all security forces on alert. During the operation, eight people, including men and women, were arrested. One minor girl, who was allegedly being sought as a missing person, was taken into protective custody. At least four of those arrested were taken into custody for disturbing public order. Gabriela Isabel G 54, Marlen Salome F 46, Maria Teresa O 62 and Fernanda Elizabeth R 26, were removed from the scene for disturbing public order. The area was surrounded by authorities to prevent civilians from entering during the operation. The State Attorney Generals Office has not issued an official statement on the operation. New C2 centre with 7 smart-monitoring points inaugurated in Bacalar Bacalar, Q.R. A new C2 security centre in Bacalar has been inaugurated. Authorities inaugurated the long-awaited facility along with seven smart-monitoring points Monday. The new security facilities is a refurbished building and cost around 20.8 million pesos. During the event at the Municipal Public Safety and Transit facilities, accompanied by Mayor Jose Alfredo Contreras Mendez, Governor Mara Lezama reiterated that when it comes to security in Quintana Roo, we cannot give in even an inch. Governor Mara Lezama emphasized that an investment of more than 20.8 million pesos was made, money from the people being returned to the people. Beyond the colors, the clear objective is to restore peace. Today, in this joint effort, the federal government, the state government and the municipal government are saying yes to this long-standing need for a C2, the Governor stated Monday. She emphasized that investing in security isnt an expense. Thats why were able to have the best-paid state police force in the entire country today with decent facilities. It was inconceivable that not only Bacalar, but also Carrillo Puerto, Lazaro Cardenas, and Jose Maria Morelos wouldnt have a C2, she said. At the opening ceremony, the head of the Executive reiterated that we want a safer, fairer, more prosperous Quintana Roo, a Quintana Roo where no one, but truly no one, absolutely no one, is left behind and no one is left out and peace is built with justice, security is guaranteed with participation and investment. The future of Quintana Roo today is very clear. It is working hand in hand in the construction of peace, in shared prosperity, in growth yes, sustainable, in development yes, but that the reflection of that tourism success is seen at the table, in homes, in schools. Previously, Secretary of Government Cristina Torres Gomez stated that in terms of security, this different government is promoting the strengthening of corporations and working toward peacebuilding, always in a coordinated manner between the various levels of government and with citizen support. After the inauguration, authorities toured the C2 facilities which house the GEAVIG area, the Police Analysis and Investigation Unit and the General Directorate. Its a common belief today that all war is evil. This is especially true in the wake of the confusing quagmires that have come to characterize warfare in the 21st century: Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Ukraine. So many of these conflagrations have felt indecisive, meaningless, and utterly dehumanizing (especially with the rise of drone warfare). However, insofar as wars actually do decide controversies and carry meaning, they are not necessarily evil. In fact, such wars have noticeably pushed humanity in the direction of greater scientific and artistic innovation, more personal and political freedom, and greater material prosperity. Rather than regard every war as unfortunate products of mans fall from grace, better forgotten, some of these conflicts should be remembered, analyzed, and, yes, even celebrated. Such is the argument that writer and classical pianist Michael Walsh makes in his new book, A Rage to Conquer: Twelve Battles that Changed the Course of History. Because Walsh is not a typical historian, his take on otherwise well-known events in the past is refreshingly unique. Although he gives due attention to the technical details of battle formations, military technology, and on-the-ground circumstances, his real focus is on the ideas and personalities involved. Over the course of the book, it becomes evident that Walsh is a true romantic, always in search of genius, artistic expression, and epic dimensions. Aware that his project of identifying the critical battles that have shaped history has been undertaken before, Walsh hopes to go deeper and examine the essential factors that went into these historic clashes. Citing Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz, who wrote extensively and authoritatively on war, Walsh explores two central ideas. The first is that war is an extension of policy instead of an alternative mode of politics (as Clausewitzs statement is popularly translated, War is the continuation of politics by other means). Here Walsh reframes how armed conflict should be assessed by people today: If a battle advances national goals, then it has a purpose that transcends the usual short-term pursuits of looting, enslaving, and dominating. The second idea recognizes the role of friktion in warfare, which helps distinguish those great generals who knew how to harness the potential power of their armies and seize the moment. While responding well to friktion didnt make these generals conventionally good people, it did make them virtuous in the heroic, manly sense. After outlining his motives, Walsh dives into the battles. True to form, he begins with the semi-mythical Battle of Troy and the leadership of Achilles. This gives Walsh the opportunity to discuss what he believes is most important in war: not the granular details of particular battles, but the overall influence and cultural impact these battles had on the people involved and their descendants. More than any other war up to that point, the Trojan War and its heroes informed Western imagination and inspired countless young men to become warriors fighting for glory and a certain way of life. One such man who was inspired by the story of the Iliad was Alexander the Great, who treasured Homers epic and took it everywhere he went. Naturally, Walsh discusses his victories at Chaeronea, Granicus, and Gaugamela. Alexander is Walshs first verifiable example (unless one counts the half-divine Achilles) of a military genius who understood the importance of warfare and recognized what was possible on the battlefield: Prodigies are hardly unknown in the world of the arts, and they appear throughout history, able to penetrate the heart with insight and wisdom far beyond their years. So it can be with generalship as wellas Alexander proved. By contrast, the most successful military leaders before Alexander had won their battles through superior numbers, better physical defenses, higher morale, or sheer dumb luck. Alexanders spiritual successors in the Roman world also combined this strategic thinking with greater political and cultural objectives. Consequently, Walsh discusses Julius Caesars Gallic campaigns, culminating in the Battle of Alesia; Constantines Battle at the Milvian Bridge, which culminated in his absolute rule of Rome; and Aeitius defense of Western civilization in his triumph over the Huns in the Battle of Chalons. These men, each of whom had enormous flaws (particularly Caesar), nevertheless fought against the forces of chaos and pushed mankind forward with their victories. Had they not won these battles, the cultural and political achievements of both the Roman Republic and the Imperium would have been wiped from history, preventing the emergence of the modern Western world centuries later. In other words, there would have been no Renaissance, no Scientific Revolution, no Age of Exploration, and no nation-statesat least not in Europe. ~ ~ ~ The twin themes of genius and progress are probably what caused Walsh to completely skip half a millennium of military domination by Muslim empires, which largely perpetrated the very worst aspects of war. And so his next chapter covers the First Crusade, led in part by King Bohemond of Taranto. Although the Saracens and Turks would eventually recover the Outremer kingdoms carved out during the Crusades over next few centuries, Walsh persuasively argues that these efforts by the Christian West were crucial to the later development of modern Europe. The Christian West would slowly tease out of its spiritual tenets various kinds of freedoms and humanistic principles that would not have been possible in Islamic and other non-Christian cultures. Walsh makes another jump in history with his discussion of Napoleon Bonaparte. Arguably more than any other figure in Western history, Napoleon revolutionized warfare through the application of military meritocracy, much greater use of artillery, and breaking up his armies into more mobile and autonomous squadrons. Considering why Napoleon inspired so many great artistic masterpieces, Walsh suggests that artists and intellectuals saw in him the birth of modern man: self-actuated, beholden to no one but himselfthe ideal of the individual taken to the extremes of narcissism and overconfidence in his own abilities and in the infallibility of his judgment. Even though Napoleon was eventually stopped, his legacy remains and effectively ended the ancien regimes of Europe based in codes of chivalry and obsolete monarchical rule. Unexpectedly, the best chapter of the book covers three battles in the two World Wars, won by three fascinating Americans: John Pershing, George Patton, and Chester Nimitz. Perhaps because Americas ascendency during these decades is often taken for granted, the men who brought this about are forgotten or overlooked in discussions on military genius. Nevertheless, Walsh demonstrates how Pershing introduced the American military to global modern warfare in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel in WWI, Patton showcased the utility of tanks in the Battle of the Bulge, and Nimitz established American naval supremacy in the Battle at Midway. The United States didnt win these wars by simply outproducing the Axis powers, as is commonly presented to students in history classes, but rather by virtue of its heroic leaders who mastered the art of friktion and setting clear objectives for their battles. The best chapter is unfortunately followed by the worst, The Battle of 9/11. While Walsh claims that Americas current decline is directly attributable to the absence of the kind of men he wrote about in his previous chapters, the whole discussion feels out of place and clumsily tacked on. He directs his ire at President George W. Bush, who broadened his response to 9/11 (which, to be sure, was not a battle) to the global War on Terror that somehow failed to include Saudi Arabia, where most of the terrorists actually came from. In the process, Walsh insists, Bush ordered that American civil liberties be shredded in the name of safety. Whether or not the reader agrees with Walsh in this criticism, the only real connection it has with the rest of the book is that it pertains to war. Moreover, he claims, We know from history what other, more secure, cultures would have done, but fails to follow this assertion with any precise prescriptions. Above all, it is never made clear why he dwells on an event from two decades ago instead of placing his argument in the context of the current day. Another major weakness in Rage to Conquer concerns Walshs relatively sparse historical research. While his extensive background in the arts and art criticism serves him well in re-creating scenes of battle, he has a bad habit of leaning on only a handful of often-fallible sources, causing him to mischaracterize certain historical realities. This comes out especially in his chapters on the Roman generals, where he continually cites Edward Gibbon and Bart Ehrman, two scholars who harbor deep prejudices against the early Church and Christian historical scholarship. Similarly, he makes too much of his favorite historical fiction, such as Tolstoys War and Peace, Homers Iliad, and Shakespeares Troilus and Cressida. As for primary sources, he does cite Caesars journal of the Gallic Wars and Napoleons journals, but again tends to overlook their slanted perspectives. Fortunately, the jarring final chapter and occasional historical sloppiness do not sink the book as a whole, nor do they detract from Walshs main purpose in showcasing how and why war has been romanticized down through the years. After all, Walsh is a brilliant and seasoned writer who knows how to enliven any topic. His accounts may be at times inaccurate and his critiques may invite objections, but none of them are ever boring. The same cant be said for the majority of modern historical writing, which is often entangled in dry conversations about historical methodology or useless trivia. (A recent example of this is Alexandria: The City that Changed the World by Islam Issa, which I wrote about here.) For most readers today, the argument and style of Rage to Conquer is exactly whats needed. Considering the destructive power of modern warfare, the obvious preference is for peace, but this should not obscure the occasional necessity of war to prevent being overrun and overwhelmed by sheer barbarism. When this is forgotten, Edwin Starr is right to sing that war is indeed good for absolutely nothing. This upcoming Saturday, Americans will take to the streets for an organized national mobilization against recent federal government chaos. That was launched by President Donald Trump, his billionaire sidekick Elon Musk and Musks Department of Governmental Efficiency, aka DOGE. Musk has wielded DOGE like a wrecking ball in the Social Security Administration and other federal agencies. And thats one of the reasons demonstrators will gather in cities, counties and small towns around midday Saturday. In Roanoke, it happens at 1 p.m. in Elmwood Park, at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Elm Avenue. Thats roughly a block from the Monday afternoon demonstrations organized by Roanoke Social Circle outside Rep. Ben Clines office downtown. (Updates are available via RoanokeSocialCircle.com). We will be promoting (Saturdays rally) at our rally Monday and will encourage our members to participate, said RSC member Richard Doc Gooding. Demonstrations also are planned for Christiansburg, Charlottesville, Martinsville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Abingdon and even in Warm Springs, the county seat of rural Bath County. To check on times and places, go online to mobilize.us/handsoff/ This is about more than just politics, said Lara Egbert, one of the organizers for Indivisible, the group promoting the anti-Trump/Musk rallies. She added: While billionaires get richer off tax breaks and handouts, working people here in Southwest Virginia are left struggling facing job losses, attacks on our rights, and threats to the programs we depend on, like Medicaid, Social Security, and public schools. Last week, I got a firsthand view of that here in Roanoke. I visited the Social Security Administration offices. It seems safe to say DOGE hasnt improved its operations. Perhaps the two best descriptors are sad and inefficient. And if the same is happening elsewhere, its no wonder why folks are taking to the streets. This year I reached my full Social Security retirement age. Among other things, that means, I can continue to work full-time while I collect monthly Social Security benefits. And because Ive reached my full retirement age, theres no penalty for double-dipping. But getting my hands on those benefits is another story, which I found out Thursday afternoon at Roanokes Social Security Administration office, 612 S. Jefferson St. downtown, Suite 100. Although Social Security beneficiaries may apply online (which I might end up doing) I decided to apply in person. And things didnt seem at all efficient that way. I arrived at 12:39 p.m. and took a ticket G217 from a machine in the Social Security service center lobby. The place is set up similar to the Department of Motor Vehicles, with different numbered windows that citizens are called to by number. Between the lobby and two connected hallways, the office has 23 service windows. At 12:39 p.m. Thursday, two of the 23 windows were open and serving customers. On the other 21, the blinds were shut. During the roughly two hours I waited, one of the open windows closed for a 30-minute period, which meant there was only a single window open. By then, the 18 people waiting in the lobby with me were getting antsy. At some point I think it was after 2 p.m. my number got called. I took my birth certificate, passport, original Social Security card and my drivers license up to Window 1. I explained to the lady there that I was there to apply for retirement benefits. She replied that I couldnt. Were not able to take your application today. You have to make an appointment, she said kindly. That didnt seem very efficient. How soon can I get one? I asked. She consulted her computer. The answer was May 20 which also did not seem very efficient. But, now you know that youre going to have to wait about eight weeks just to begin the process of applying for Social Security, if you apply in person at Roanokes office. For me, this is a problem. You see, it means I probably wont get my first Social Security check until June, at the earliest. If I miss two checks the total will fall between $5,000 and $10,000, real money. So I left Roanokes Social Security office. The next day, I emailed the media relations folks for Social Security in Virginia. Theyre in Philadelphia, go figure. I sent them seven questions Friday around lunchtime. I asked for answers by Monday at noon, a not unreasonable time frame. They answered two of the seven questions, way past my deadline. Not very efficient, huh? The first was, how many people work in Roanokes Social Security office? Is that number the same as last year, more than last year, or fewer than last year? No answer. Next: On a typical business day, how many of that offices 23 public-service windows are open to help the public handle business? Has that number increased recently, decreased, or is it roughly the same as it was last year? No answer. Also: Are there any plans to close the Social Security office in Roanoke? If so, when will that happen? Are there plans to further reduce staffing in the Roanoke office? Or, to increase staffing? If so, by how many staffers? Fordham replied there are no plans to close Roanokes office. Fordham added: The agency plans to reduce the size of its bloated workforce and organizational structure, with a significant focus on functions and employees who do not directly provide mission critical services. The staff in SSA field offices directly work with the public. With only two of 23 service windows open, the Roanoke field office didnt appear bloated with personnel at all. The final question was this: Is a two-month wait for an appointment (just to apply in person for retirement benefits with Social Security) an average wait time? If not, what is the average wait time for a prospective beneficiary who has reached retirement age? No answer to that one, either. Thats not very efficient. But it might help to explain why folks will be demonstrating Saturday. SIOUX CITY Lab tests confirmed the presence of Suzette Occhibone's blood on numerous items removed from the scene of her death. Those same tests, however, did not detect the DNA of Angela Bino, Occhibone's daughter and one of two people charged with killing her. During the second day of testimony in Bino's murder trial Tuesday, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation criminalist Karlee Schneider shared findings of DNA tests she performed on clothing and other items taken from an apartment at 607 Virginia St. Occhibone's blood was confirmed on a sweatshirt police removed from the open trunk of her car, a pair of shoes, a second sweatshirt, a knife, scissors, hammer and a glass candlestick holder all taken from inside her apartment. On cross examination, Schneider told public defender Jennifer Solberg she did not find any DNA matching Bino on the scissors, or any of the items she tested. "I do not have any evidentiary profiles that were consistent with Angela Bino," Schneider said. Some of the items did contain a mixture of DNA contributed by more than one person, but the samples were too weak to yield a match, she said. Bino, 60, has pleaded not guilty in Woodbury County District Court of first-degree murder for the Oct. 26, 2023, death of her mother, Occhibone, 77, inside an apartment at 607 Virginia St. Bino and her daughter, Jessica Bino, who also lived in the apartment, were arrested and charged with murder. Angela Bino has waived her right to a jury trial, choosing instead to have District Judge Tod Deck decide her case. Occhibone suffered eight stab and cutting wounds to her face and neck and up to 20 blunt-force trauma wounds to her head, face and torso. An autopsy determined her death was caused by sharp-force and blunt-force injuries. Two of those stab wounds likely were deadly, said Dr. Jacob Smith, associate state medical examiner. One punctured Occibone's left lung, the other sliced through her trachea (windpipe) and esophagus. "Those would be the two most likely to cause death, and without immediate treatment would be fatal," Smith said. Occhibone had at least three fractures to facial bones, Smith said, and the numerous blows to the head could have contributed to her death. Smith said he was unable to determine what objects made the stab or blunt-force wounds, but scissors, a knife, hammer and candlestick holder could have made the wounds he found on Occhibone's body. According to court documents, Angela Bino told police she struck Occhibone in the face and arms with a glass candlestick holder and a hammer. She told police Jessica Bino had stabbed Occhibone in the head, chest and face with a knife. Though Angela Bino's DNA was not confirmed on any of the items tested, Jessica Bino's DNA was detected on the scissors and hammer, Schneider said. Jessica Bino, 33, stood trial for first-degree murder in January. She, too, waived her right to a jury trial, and a different judge has yet to reach a verdict in her case. The three women lived together in the Virginia Street apartment, but Occhibone wanted her daughter and granddaughter out. Woodbury County Sheriff's Deputy Eric Smith testified he had served Angela and Jessica Bino with 30-day eviction notices sought by Occhibone almost a month before her death. Police were dispatched to the apartment the night of Oct. 26 for the report of a disturbance, and a 911 caller said she saw two women trying to put a body in the trunk of a car. Officer Jake Noel had encountered Angela and Jessica Bino approximately five hours before that call. At 6:40 p.m., he responded to a call about two women blocking traffic in front of a business at 1906 Court St. Noel said when he arrived, Angela Bino told him she had to go to the bathroom, then pulled down her pants to show him she had defecated inside them. Noel said she also told him she was drunk. Though he didn't smell alcohol, Noel said he suspected intoxication. "I thought she was possibly intoxicated by the way she was acting," Noel said of Angela Bino's behavior. Solberg is using an intoxication defense in the case. Bino was not present for trial Tuesday after asking to be excused. Solberg told Judge Deck that sitting all day Monday caused Bino severe back pain and the jail would not be able to get her any pain medication until the afternoon. Bino said she preferred to remain in the jail so she could lie down to rest her back. SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City housing market slowed down in 2024, but homes listed for sale continued to sell over their assessed value, resulting in a 10% increase in residential property valuations on average. City Assessor Tyler Erickson expects calls to his office to ramp up this week, with property assessment notices having been mailed to owners on March 26. The assessments are based on actual property sales that occurred between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024. Once property owners receive their notices, they have the opportunity to appeal the assessments via an informal review and a formal appeal. "You're seeing the lower end of the (housing) market increase faster than the higher end," Erickson said. "In the $150,000 to $250,000 (market), there's a bigger buying pool there, so that's where most of our sales lie. Those are increasing faster than the $500,000 houses." Compared to the last biennial reassessment in 2023, commercial property assessments in Sioux City surged by an average of about 14%, while multi-residential properties, such as apartment houses, grew by roughly 9%. Erickson noted that apartments and conversion properties are now included in the broader residential property category. Iowa code states that all property, except industrial, must be valued at 100% market value in odd numbered years. The state allows for a 5% margin of error, 95-105% of current market value. If an assessor's office does not increase values, and the data shows that it should have, the Iowa Department of Revenue will order an increase in the fall, according to information provided by the Sioux City Assessor's Office. The 2025 assessments will be used to calculate local property taxes for the 2026-27 fiscal year, with the first of two payments due in September 2026. Many owners with higher valuations could face higher tax bills, but they won't know for sure until local governments set their new tax rates next spring. Other factors, such as the "rollback," a state-imposed limit on assessments, and various state tax credits, also will determine whether owners pay more or less in taxes. "Overall, the total valuation in these it what's increased, so there will be some properties lowered, some increase more than the 10%. That's just an average. The same with commercial," Erickson said. "You're going to see in commercial, warehouses and retail-type properties have the most sales and will see the bigger increases. Office space and downtown locations will probably see a less to even a reduction in value, because their markets just aren't as strong right now." In terms of residential properties, Erickson said some areas of the city will have higher assessment increases than others, due to the property sales in those areas. "There's some neighborhoods where their average house price for assessed value would be $80,000. Well, $80,000 in today's market is actually fairly cheap. They could see a bigger increase due to the sales selling at $100,000. That would be a 20% increase," he said. Of the 958 residential sales in Sioux City in 2024, Erickson said the older portion of the Morningside neighborhood had the most sales. Only seven sales last year were recorded south of the mall, while Elk Creek had four sales. "Whispering Creek actually had quite a few sales (26), but they were pretty close -- only about a 5% increase. That just shows that market isn't as hot as if you go to an older neighborhood," said Erickson, who said the west side had 41 sales. "You're kind of seeing those older neighborhoods, those older homes are holding their value better than what they previously had." Even if you paid $80,000 for your older starter home years ago and haven't done anything to update it, Erickson said the market says that home is now worth $150,000. "You're seeing that regardless of how long you've lived in your house. The going price on that property has gone up over the years," he said. "If people look at comparable sales and they feel that their house would truly not sell for their value that is on it, there is an appeal process that they can go through." Informal reviews, which run from April 2-25, involve speaking to an appraiser in the assessor's office about the information they have about a specific property. The assessor's office, which is located on the fifth floor of the Woodbury County Courthouse, is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Erickson said his office is "very open" to listening to property owners about their properties, obtaining the correct information and being able to verify it. "Sioux City has roughly 26,000 residential properties. We can't get into all 26,000 every year or even every five years," Erickson said. "If they've added a bathroom or updated the inside of their house, we may know that information. We'll send an appraiser out, verify that information, correct our listing and go from there." The formal appeal process is still available to property owners if an agreement is not reached during the informal review. The filing period for the formal appeal process, which is made directly to the Board of Review, is April 2-30. The board is made up of three members selected by the Sioux City Conference Board. Owners dissatisfied with the board's ruling can appeal to the Iowa Property Assessment Appeal Board (PAAB) or in U.S. District Court. The former was created in 2005 to provide a free alternative to the costly option of filing in court. "You don't need a lawyer. You don't need legal representation to do that," Erickson said of PAAB. "They are the next step up. When you get your board hearing decision back, at the bottom of that page is directions you could follow to appeal to PAAB or District Court." This is One Thing, a column with tips on how to live. Ive lived in New York City longer than Ive lived anywhere else in my life, and I can tell you for a fact: No one loves spring the way we do. The vast majority of us spend winter inside small, stacked boxesand those apartments have heating systems that are at best loud and at worst uncontrollable. When the sun peeks out, we are past ready. And every year, one of the earliest indicators of springtime is the daffodils. The city is absolutely littered with daffodils. There are clusters of daffodils hidden inside the woodsy landscaping of our major parkstheir little yellow heads poke out of sidewalk tree beds everywhere. A few years back, then-Mayor Mike Bloomberg even declared daffodils the citys official flower. The cheerful yellow buds spring out of the earth on my own block too. How did they get there? Thats my one thing. The daffodil is a bit of an adopted flower here in the big apple. (Actually, thats cause for some harrumphing from ecologically minded locals, but thats another story.) After 9/11, as a memorial to the World Trade Center victims, a Dutch bulb supplier offered to give hundreds of thousands of bulbs to the city if there were enough volunteers to plant them. Turns out, there were. The result was the Daffodil Project, a program thats still thriving more than 20 years later. Every fall, New Yorkers can request daffodil bulbs by filling out a form on the New Yorkers for Parks website. You simply have to agree to plant publicly so the blooms can be enjoyed by everyone come spring. Thats how we got daffodils on our street: Back in 2017, I signed up for bulbs and asked the rest of my block to plant them with me. Every year, we enjoy them. Not just that, but planting them was the start of good things on my street. Sure, the place is still littered with crushed cans and forgotten candy wrappers. But every spring, the daffodils remind us to tidy the place up, and were getting better at it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The thing I love about the Daffodil Project is that it offers a simple formula for people to help others out. It started when someone with resources offered to share bulbs; it thrived because volunteers took the baton. The government stepped up to try to make the project routine, sustainable, and equitable. Not a New Yorker? You can still set a reminder in your calendar to pick up a few bulbs come fall and put them somewhere theyll bring folks joy. (Some other cities, like Boston and Newport, Rhode Island, have their own daffodil projects as well, though theyre not the same as the one in New York.) Like a lot of good things, you plant bulbs when its miserable and cold. They pop out and surprise you just when you need them. But maybe just throw a few native seeds into the mix while youre at it? Itll keep the bugs happy. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. This piece was originally published on State Court Report , a hub for reporting, analysis, and commentary about state courts and constitutions. State Court Report is a project of the Brennan Center for Justice. The rights to both abortion care and gender-affirming care should derive from the same constitutional protections, including those for bodily autonomy, medical decisionmaking, liberty, privacy, and equality. But federal courts are failing to safeguard either right, let alone build jurisprudence that recognizes how theyre linked. State courts, however, can chart their own path. The Montana Supreme Court recently became the first state high court to side with patients and their families in the ongoing attack against trans peoples access to health care. Notably, it relied on decades of Montana precedent recognizing that the state right to privacy protects abortion, showing how intertwined rights can build toward stronger personal protections for all. Given that reproductive and trans rights are both essential for people to have control over their bodies and lives, its unsurprising that they face attacks from the same playbook. Opponents wage falsehoods about the so-called biological truth to claim that banning abortion and gender-affirming care is not sex discrimination. They rely on junk science to justify bans on necessary medical care in the name of safety. And theyre trying to use Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organizationwhich overturned the federal right to abortionto support their arguments. Dobbs did not present the U.S. Supreme Court with an equal protection claim, as many cases challenging bans on gender-affirming care do. But the decision includes a sentence referencing a 1974 Supreme Court case about pregnancy benefits to suggest the courts view that categorical bans on some sex-specific medical procedures might not be sex discrimination. Proponents of gender-affirming-care bans have seized on Dobbs to defend these restrictions as neutral medical regulation that does not implicate equal protection, despite withholding care from individuals based on their sex assigned at birth. The Supreme Court may accept this reasoning in a pending case about access to gender-affirming care for young people, United States v. Skrmetti. If it does, it would upend decades of settled law by holding that outlawing treatment for a diagnosis that necessarily turns on a patients sex is not sex discrimination subject to heightened scrutiny. Given that half of all states ban gender-affirming care for minors, such a decision would have sweeping impacts for transgender youth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The failings of federal courts highlight the opportunity for state courts to recognize stronger, interconnected rights based on their unique constitutions and interpretive methods. The Montana Constitution stands out among state constitutions for its emphasis on equality and individual rights, such as privacy and dignity. Across issues, the state Supreme Court has declined to adopt the weaker protections from federal precedent. For decades, that court has instead interpreted the Montana Constitution to protect rights that necessarily change and expand over time, consistent with the intentions of the documents framers, while higher-level values like privacy and equality remain the touchstone. The Montana Supreme Courts seminal case, which recognized that the constitutions explicit privacy right protects abortion, dates to 1997, when several abortion providers challenged a law prohibiting qualified physician assistants from providing abortion care. The court held that privacy broadly guarantees each individual the right to make medical judgments affecting her or his bodily integrity and health in partnership with a chosen health care provider free from government interference. Advertisement The court further held that this broad right includes a procreative autonomy guarantee encompassing decisionmaking around abortion care. The justices reviewed proceedings of the states constitutional convention to note that delegates deliberately drafted a broad and undefined right of individual privacy that, in eschewing limits, was as narrow as is necessary to protect against a specific unlawful infringement of individual dignity and personal autonomy by the government and as broad as are the States ever innovative attempts to dictate in matters of conscience, to define individual values, and to condemn those found to be socially repugnant or politically unpopular. The case, Armstrong v. State, helped solidify that the Montana Constitution is an independent, and often stronger, rights protector than the U.S. Constitution. Advertisement Over the next decades, the states Supreme Court expanded the privacy right to abortion in multiple opinions emphasizing that medical decisionmaking and autonomy are fundamental. In 2023 the court reaffirmed that the Montana Constitution affords its citizens stringent privacy protectionsamong the strongest in the countrywhen it held that the right extended to private medical decisions, such as choosing a qualified abortion provider. Most recently, the court upheld the right in a decision finding a parental consent law unconstitutional. It emphasized: A minors right to dignity, autonomy, and the right to choose are embedded in the liberties found in the Montana Constitution. (Notwithstanding the positive practical effect of the courts conclusion, the Montana attorney general has sought U.S. Supreme Court intervention in the case to undo the decision on federal grounds.) Advertisement Advertisement In tandem with ongoing efforts to restrict and ban abortion, the Montana Legislature has ramped up virulent attacks on trans rights. Along with other claims, state court challenges assert that these legislative assaults violate the right to privacy. In late 2024, the Montana Supreme Court held that the right to privacy could encompass medical treatment for young trans people, affirming a lower-court ruling that a ban on gender-affirming care is likely unconstitutional. The court specifically drew on Armstrong and its progeny to explain that governmental regulation of private medical decisions is subject to the most stringent judicial review. It held that the state failed to establish that gender-affirming care poses a medically acknowledged bona fide health risk, and so could not use its general regulatory authorityoften called police powerto infringe an individuals fundamental right to privacy by restricting necessary health care. In a related win, a trial court recently relied on the same body of precedent to hold unconstitutional a law that would erase trans legal status by redefining sex in the Montana code. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Extending holdings from abortion cases to trans rights cases demonstrates that the same constitutional protections for personal autonomy and bodily integrity apply to diverse decisions that people make about their bodies, health, and lives. These protections are not just about reproductive rights or trans rights. Theyre core, fundamental guarantees that must apply regardless of who is asserting them, especially when the state is targeting disfavored groups or choices without evidence to justify its restrictions. The federal courts not only have failed to recognize these connections but, worse, are using the rollback of abortion rights to undermine protections for trans people. The Montana Supreme Courts decision in favor of gender-affirming care shows how state courts can go the opposite way, upholding key constitutional values while building stronger legal protections for all people. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. The Trump administration inadvertently revealed on Monday that it is attempting to trap Venezuelan migrants in a catch-22 that would effectively block them from challenging their deportation and detention in an El Salvador prison. In a court filing, the government acknowledged that it had deported at least one migrant to El Salvador due to an administrative errorbut argued that the individual had no right to contest his imprisonment because he is in the custody of a foreign sovereign. This argument confirms whats been clear for weeks: The government intends to treat the prison as a black site where migrants have no constitutional rights whatsoever and may be subject to any treatment whatsoeverincluding indefinite detention, forced labor, torture, or death. But Mondays filing illustrates another, more subtle problem that the Justice Department probably did not intend to admit: The government is trying to shunt migrants legal claims through a channel that is doomed to end in failure. It seeks to ensnare these migrants in a Kafkaesque trap from which there may be no lawful escape. And it is trying to sell this subterfuge to the federal judiciary as a legitimate opportunity for due process if any migrants have plausible objections to their treatment. To see how hollow that promise is, just look to the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. A native of El Salvador, Abrego Garcia came to the United States in 2011, fleeing gang violence. Although he entered the country without authorization, an immigration judge granted him protected status in 2019, finding that he would likely face persecution if sent back to his home country. Federal law prohibits his removal to El Salvador. The Trump administration targeted him anyway, pulling him over while he was driving with his son, who is 5 years old and intellectually disabled. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents falsely claimed that his status has changed, arrested him, and threatened to turn over his son to Child Protective Services if his wife did not arrive within 10 minutes. His wife, a U.S. citizen, was able to appear in time, but ICE refused to provide any information about her husbands arrest. She did not know where he had been taken until she saw a news photo of alleged Venezuelan gang members in CECOT, a notorious Salvadoran mega-prison, kneeling on the ground, their arms raised above their shaved heads. One man, she realized, was her husband. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abrego Garcias deportation was unambiguously illegal, and his lawyers swiftly filed suit demanding his return. On Monday, the DOJ responded with a bombshell admission: Abrego Garcia did have a right to remain in the U.S. and was shipped off to CECOT only because of an administrative error. The DOJ then declared that there was nothing the plaintiff or the government could do to fix this confessed mistake. Abrego Garcia, it wrote, would need to file a writ of habeas corpus, the traditional procedure for challenging unlawful detention. Indeed, it argued, Abrego Garcias claims can proceed only in habeashe has no other way to fight his imprisonment. And yet, the department concluded, no federal court can hear his habeas claim, because he is not in United States custody. He thus has no remedy whatsoever and must remain in CECOT indefinitely. Advertisement Many aspects of this filing are profoundly disturbing on their own terms. (One section, for instance, argues that federal courts must defer to the governments determination that Abrego Garcia will not likely be tortured or killed in El Salvador, an utterly unsubstantiated assurance.) The central analysis, however, is even more chilling in light of the Justice Departments arguments in other deportation casesnamely, the class action before U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. At every juncture, the government has told Boasberg that the plaintiffs in his case must file writs of habeas corpus to contest their deportations. It insists that the plaintiffs cannot challenge their expulsion any other way. But now the DOJ has demonstrated how utterly futile a habeas claim would be: Any migrant who pursues this path could be whisked away to CECOT before obtaining relief, then permanently deprived of any legal recourse on the grounds that they are out of U.S. custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plaintiffs before Boasberg clearly recognized that habeas relief was a dangerous decoy even before Mondays filing. They have pressed their claims, instead, under the Administrative Procedure Act and the due process clause, arguing that the governments invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 is unlawful. Doing so allowed them to file as a class, in a single court in D.C., representing all migrants subject to illegal deportation. (Habeas claims must typically be filed individually, in the district where a person is confined.) It also gave Boasberg more tools to forestall their wrongful deportation, including the temporary restraining order he issued to halt their removal. Habeas claims are simply too narrow to rectify these wrongs: They are essentially lawsuits against the warden or custodian in which an individual is being detained, demanding immediate release. But these plaintiffs arent asking to be released from detention in the United States. To the contrary, they are asking to remain detained in the U.S., and not be flown to El Salvador. Advertisement Already, then, it was doubtful that habeas could provide real redress for migrants. It wouldnt allow them to secure a sweeping, classwide restraining order against removals. And it might not even give judges leeway to protect individuals from unlawful removal to CECOT on a case-by-case basis, since the Supreme Court has held that habeas cannot protect against deportation. But Mondays filing demonstrates that, by trying to divert this class action into a series of individual habeas petitions, the government has an even dirtier trick up its sleeve. It has already asserted the authority to deport individuals to CECOT before they have an opportunity to file a petition. Now it claims that once a migrant is sent to El Salvador, they have lost their right to seek habeas relief in any capacity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These arguments, taken together, show how the Trump administration is transforming CECOT into a black site to which migrants can be disappeared forever. It is even worse than Guantanamo Bay, because that facility is at least under American controla key reason why the high court ruled that its inmates have habeas rights. CECOT, by contrast, is run by El Salvador, so the U.S. government disclaims any authority over its operations. Once a migrant is locked up there, the government says it has no power to demand his return, let alone any say over his treatment behind bars. Advertisement So, here, in short, is what the Justice Department is offering the federal judiciary as a constitutionally sound option for migrants who say they face illegal deportation to El Salvador. These migrants have no right to contest their classification as gang members. They have no right to challenge the presidents invocation of the Alien Enemies Act or secure a classwide restraining order against it. Their access to the courts is limited to an individual habeas petition in their district of confinement, which cannot practically address their grievances. Moreover, the government has no obligation to give migrants timeeven just a few hoursto file a habeas petition or access to a lawyer or interpreter who could help. The government may, instead, whisk them away to El Salvador with no advance notice. And as soon as they are delivered to CECOT, they can no longer file a habeas petition, because they are out of U.S. custody. Advertisement This is no alternative to due process. It is a ploy, a red herring designed to enmesh migrants in a web of confusing legal procedures that can never be escaped. Yet, at this moment, the DOJ is asking the Supreme Court to vacate Boasbergs classwide restraining order on the grounds that migrants must seek habeas one by one. Mondays filing proves that this theory is offered in breathtakingly bad faith. Should the justices undo Boasbergs protections, the Trump administration will swiftly resume deportations before individuals have a chance to objectthen say they lost access to the courts the moment they reached El Salvador. Advertisement Because this situation is unprecedented, there is little case law to indicate whether the DOJ is correct that migrants lose their rights at CECOT. In Lawfare, habeas expert Amanda Tyler writes that the answer may depend on the U.S. governments leverage over the Salvadoran government, and whether it can, as a practical matter, demand the return of an inmate. The Justice Department has already suggested that it cannot do so. And even if federal courts dont believe it, a judge cant command a foreign nation to comply with its orders. The Supreme Court therefore faces a decision with monumentally high stakes. If the justices let this deportation scheme move forward now, it may condemn thousands of innocent migrants to rot away in CECOT, their constitutional rightsand potentially their livessnuffed out forever. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250401/houthis-say-shot-down-us-drone-mq-9-over-northeast-yemen-with-locally-made-missile-1121722645.html Houthis Say Shot Down US Drone MQ-9 Over Northeast Yemen With Locally Made Missile Houthis Say Shot Down US Drone MQ-9 Over Northeast Yemen With Locally Made Missile Sputnik International The Ansar Allah movement (Houthis), which rules northern Yemen, said that its air defense forces had shot down a US reconnaissance drone MQ-9 over the northeastern province of Ma'rib with a locally produced missile, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said. 2025-04-01T04:52+0000 2025-04-01T04:52+0000 2025-04-01T04:52+0000 military middle east yemen houthis mq-9 reaper https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/01/19/1081879195_0:115:1001:678_1920x0_80_0_0_9b5509881a4a75cc4de0d91fb5b5c3a7.jpg "Our air defenses successfully shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone while it was carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Ma'rib Governorate, using a suitable, locally made missile," Saree said on Telegram. He noted that this was the sixteenth drone that Yemen's air defense had managed to shoot down in the past few years.According to official sources, the average unit cost of a Reaper drone is approximately $56.5 million. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250330/houthis-say-they-struck-uss-harry-truman-three-times-in-24-hours---1121712206.html yemen Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International the ansar allah movement (houthis), which rules northern yemen, said that its air defense forces had shot down a us reconnaissance drone mq-9 over the northeastern province of ma'rib with a locally produced missile, houthi military spokesman yahya saree said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250401/unsafe-to-hold-un-climate-session-in-toxic-australia--expert-1121724292.html Unsafe to Hold UN Climate Session in 'Toxic' Australia Expert Unsafe to Hold UN Climate Session in 'Toxic' Australia Expert Sputnik International Holding the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Australia is unsafe as the country is becoming toxic country, Professor Alexei Martynov told Sputnik. 2025-04-01T09:57+0000 2025-04-01T09:57+0000 2025-04-01T09:57+0000 world australia western europe russia un framework convention on climate change (unfccc) the united nations (un) conference united kingdom (uk) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107744/27/1077442793_0:49:3443:1986_1920x0_80_0_0_79f349c1151f4b008e8ffc05c640bf57.jpg Australia's hosting of the next UN climate change conference is "unsafe" as the country is a "toxic" environment for debate, says a leading Russian academic.Alexei Martynov, Associate Professor of the Financial University under the Government of Russia, Director of the International Institute of Modern States, told Sputnik that Australia remains a British "protectorate" after 124 years of independence."There is nothing to hold there, it is unsafe for everyone, and not only in terms of physical security, obtaining or not obtaining visas," the academic added.He said Australia had become toxic despite its outward show of tolerance."It's not just anti-Russian. It is becoming an anti-Semitic country," Martynov warned. "For the past two years, many Russian Jews who moved to Australia in different years for different reasons are returning to Russia because it is becoming unsafe in Australia in terms of the manifestation of intense anti-Semitism."Australia and NATO member Turkey have both offered to host the 31st UNFCC Conference of the Parties (COP31) in 2026. The decision will be taken at COP30, which will be held in Belem, Brazil, from November 10 to 21 this year.The venue of the conferences rotates between regions.Martynov accused Australia of segregation against aboriginal peoples like the Torres Strait Islanders, which the Australian government does not protect from the effects of climate change."There is a strict segregation of the indigenous people there," said the commentator "They did not want to protect them and they never will. This is a wildly misanthropic ideology, they are white descendants of the British colonizers."Australia also violates of indigenous peoples' rights by planning energy projects on their lands, which is typical of Western countries."If they need it, they can do anything," said Vladimir Bruter, an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies.He highlighted plans to mine coal in Australia for decades to come, despite the country's stated climate commitments."They have it as a sovereign country that proceeds for its own benefit, and everyone else should do as they say," Bruter explained. https://sputnikglobe.com/20241210/australia-inks-nauru-deal-amid-battle-for-clout-with-china-in-pacific--1121143175.html australia western europe russia united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International un climate session in australia, un framework convention on climate change, unsafe to hold the conference https://sputnikglobe.com/20250401/vladimir-putin-held-talks-with-chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-in-kremlin-1121726500.html Vladimir Putin Holds Talks With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kremlin Vladimir Putin Holds Talks With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kremlin Sputnik International Russian President Vladimir Putin promised that by the time Xi Jinping visits Russia in May, a rich and well-prepared program will be ready. 2025-04-01T14:03+0000 2025-04-01T14:03+0000 2025-04-01T15:31+0000 world russia china wang yi vladimir putin brics shanghai cooperation organisation (sco) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/04/01/1121726339_0:196:2943:1851_1920x0_80_0_0_eb439e13d8ef37bebea438a6f2bea826.jpg "We want to express our satisfaction with the way our relations are developing, including with the direct support of our foreign ministries. I know that you have a large, rich program for your visit. First of all, it is connected with the preparation of the Chinese President's visit to Russia. We are going to prepare a good and rich program. I hope that it will not only be connected with the participation in ceremonial events, but it will also be an independent visit," Putin said at a meeting with Wang.Putin said that he expects Xi to visit Russia on the occasion of the Victory Day on May 9 to celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany and militarist Japan.Vladimir Putin emphasized that Moscow and Beijing are collaborating effectively across various international platforms, including the United Nations, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).Putin stated, "We will have the chance to discuss both the current state of our bilateral relations and our cooperation on international platforms. Among these, we particularly highlight the UN, the UN Security Council, as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, and other platforms where we work together successfully."Wang stressed that the friendship between Moscow and Beijing is not temporary, but long-term. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250121/russia-and-china-working-to-ensure-indivisible-security-in-eurasia---putin-1121479033.html russia china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International vladimir putin, russian president vladimir putin, chinese foreign minister wang yi, xi jinping visits russia As strong winds and heavy snow battered Lincoln, Shannon Hampsons house was unusually quiet absent the dozen kids who fill her in-home child care with laughter, cries and questions. Between snow and sicknesses that week, Hampson said shed be out $540. Shed have to rebudget: maybe shed buy beans instead of chicken breasts, skip a field trip. If the kids families paid full tuition themselves, absences wouldnt affect her bottom line. But Hampson offers nearly all her slots to families who qualify for Nebraskas federally funded child care subsidy. The state will pay for a handful of absences per kid. After that, it only pays providers if the kid shows up. Years ago, my family was in poverty, Hampson said. We were using food banks, we were using all those things so I know those stressors Families leaving their children with other people is a hard thing to do, and I want to be a trustworthy person, (so) people who already have a lot of stressors in their life are comfortable doing so. State lawmakers are considering a proposed fix for the issue facing Hampson. Its one of several bills attempting to chip away at an intractable problem: a lack of affordable, high-quality child care. But, as lawmakers face down a projected $289 million budget shortfall, advocates are instead focused on protecting what already exists. Its a defense year, said Elizabeth Everett, deputy director of the nonprofit First Five Nebraska. **** Nebraska had about 17,600 fewer child care spots than young children with working parents as of last July, according to the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, which does nonpartisan policy analysis and is part of the University of Nebraska. That gap has narrowed since 2020, according to the institute, in part due to women leaving the workforce. If theres not enough child care to go around to support working families, working families stop looking for it because they dont think that theres enough and they pull out of the labor market, said Walter Gilliam, executive director of the institute. As of January, nine counties had no licensed child care facility, according to First Five Nebraska. And there were 13% fewer child care providers statewide in 2024 than pre-pandemic, a decline that was more pronounced for in-home providers than centers. There is a child care crisis, said Gilliam, and like many crises that go unaddressed for a long enough period of time, it starts feeling like the status quo. On a call last year with members of the Nebraska Early Childhood Collaboratives Parent Ambassador Program, caretakers from across the state shared how difficult it was to find good, affordable care in both urban and rural areas and providers shared how challenging it was to keep their doors open. Holly Hoeppner, who runs two in-home child care businesses in Hartington, said shes required to pay staff minimum wage but doesnt make minimum wage herself. I do it for the kids, or I wouldnt be doing it, she said. But it is hard, and as groceries go up and everything else goes up, its only going to get harder. In an email this week, she added that a ballot initiative voters approved last year requiring employers to offer paid sick leave could add new costs. Lawmakers are debating whether to exempt some employers, including those like Hoeppner who employ fewer than 11 people. For Cory Quimby, who with his wife operates three child care centers in Lincoln, the issue isnt offering enough spaces they have open slots but keeping tuition affordable. The gap definitely comes with the expenses, he said, noting factors like a requirement that there be one teacher for every four infants. Everyone wants to pay teachers more, but nobody wants to pay more for child care. **** Over the past half-decade, many states started investing more in early childhood because they knew it was important to recovery, Gilliam said. Nebraska was not one of those states. As a matter of fact, Nebraska has not invested much, hardly at all, in early care and education, he said. But several state policymakers and politicians have taken up child care-related efforts in recent years and theyve tallied a few wins. Tax credits that the Legislature passed two years ago kicked in this tax season, including a child care tax credit for families. Requests for that credit have exceeded the annual $15 million cap, according to the Department of Revenue. Its encouraging to see that the program we created is able to help so many but its also sad to recognize that it isnt able to help as many people as we want to, said Sen. Eliot Bostar, a Democrat from Lincoln who proposed the credit. Tax breaks help with the demand side of this equation, Gilliam said, but they dont boost the number of providers. If theres no supply then it doesnt matter if you have resources for it or not, said Gilliam. Last year, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen requested a bill, also sponsored by Bostar, that created two child care-related grant programs. Advocates considered it potentially game-changing. But lawmakers ultimately did not put any money into the programs. At the time, Pillens office and Bostar said the state would look for other ways to fund them. That hasnt happened, the governors Budget Office said in a statement this week. At least for this year, most lawmakers and advocates who spoke with the Flatwater Free Press dont sound optimistic about forward momentum. Pillens proposed budget includes transferring $3.25 million from the Early Childhood Education Endowment Cash Fund and a quarter million from the Early Childhood Program Training Fund. Transferring that money out will have no operational impact on the funds, according to the governors budget office. Sen. Jason Prokop from Lincoln, a Democrat and director of First Five Nebraska, serves on the Appropriations Committee that writes the states two-year spending plan. He said there are constitutional questions around transferring money from that fund, which collects interest from public and private investments. The committee didnt include that recommendation in its preliminary budget, he said, but the budget-writing process is still ongoing. The bill that would ensure the state reimburses providers like Hampson based on enrollment, not attendance, got first-round approval in the Legislature. Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, a Democrat who introduced the bill, designated it as her priority this session. Federal guidance already directs states to reimburse this way, but Nebraska has been using a waiver that expires next year. Due to uncertainty with the new administration, Cavanaugh said she wants to stall the bills passage until theres more solid information from the federal government and more certainty about state finances. Other child care proposals also face uncertainty due to funding. Appropriations chair Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, a Republican, said child care isnt isolated in this. In just the committee he heads, he said, there are 40 bills requesting $300 million over two years. I dont know how any of them will be funded right now, he said. For Hampson, the Lincoln day care operator, news that there will likely be little action to help people like her and the families she serves is disheartening. Families, providers and organizations are saying they want help, she said: Your whole state is saying this is a priority, and our senators arent listening. A century after opening, the Columbia Theatre has plans to update the aging building, expand staff and education programs, and celebrate 100 years off Commerce Avenue. The celebration comprised of all free events is set to start Friday, while most upgrades are dependent on the state. The Washington state House released Monday its proposed 2025-27 supplemental capital budget, which lists the Columbia Theatres $1 million capital improvement request as the third project on the states Heritage Capital Grant out of 19 proposals. In September, the Heritage Capital Projects advisory panel finalized the ranked list and sent to the Legislature. The likelihood of the theaters receiving money is high. Director of Heritage Outreach Jay Baersten said if the state Legislature funds less than the programs $10 million-cap, projects at the top of the list would be funded first. But the grant has a 2-to-1 matching component, said theater Managing Director Kelly Ragsdale, meaning it would still be on the hook to raise $2 million by the end of the projects deadline on July 1, 2027. They are close though. So far, the nonprofit Columbia Theatre Performing Arts Association has raised about $1.7 million, she said. Why not dream big? said Ragsdale. HOW TO DONATE Online: columbiatheatre.com/capital-campaign-2024 Mail: Make checks payable to the Columbia Theatre Association for the Performing Arts and mail to PO Box 1026, Longview, WA 98632 Upgrades The 100-year-old building is owned by the city, and the nonprofit Columbia Theatre Association for the Performing Arts manages the facility. That includes making needed repairs, which the theater has currently budgeted at $3 million. The original mosaic tiles in the lobby, and plaster in the auditorium are cracking, Ragsdale said. A Vancouver engineer is set to give a detailed report on the damages and likely causes by the end of April, she added. The boilers controls arent working properly, leaving dressing rooms unheated. Plus, the theaters projector isnt bright enough, and the console is so old and limited that sometimes staff have to bring in another when its 32-channel board is taken up. That can happen during performances with many people, such as Lower Columbia Cabaret Follies, which typically uses all the microphones, Ragsdale said, and is set to take the stage again on April 25 and 26. The parking lot also needs better lighting and security cameras, which Ragsdale said will benefit theater patrons and residents in housing above. The remaining $500,000 the theater is raising would be used to hire more employees and expand its arts education program. With a fulltime staff member to head the program, the theater could bring more options like the Missoula Childrens Theatre classes, the upcoming Harry Potter camp, and more, she said. FREE CENTENNIAL EVENTS The following events are free thanks to sponsors Dan Kerlee and Carol Wollenberg, the Lee Family Trust, Fibre Federal Credit Union, and the Columbia Theatre Guild. Friday 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Rededication and ribbon cutting ceremony, featuring guest speakers form the community and Washington State Arts Commission. 6:30 p.m.: Cake, champagne and cider served and a quartet featuring members of the Southwest Washington Symphony will perform. A video toast from the governor will take place. 7 p.m.: 1925's comedic short film The Uneasy Three plays, with Rodney Sauer accompanying on piano. 7:30 p.m.: First silent film shown at the theater, Charleys Aunt," plays, with Rodney Sauer accompanying on piano. Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Backstage tours on the hour. Call the box office at 360-575-8499 to reserve space. 7:30 p.m.: LaRhonda Steele, Portlands first Lady of blues, and her band perform with local choir members under the direction of Alison Askeland. Sunday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Backstage tours. Call the box office at 360-575-8499 to reserve space. 12:30 p.m.: Youth activities and selfie photo booths onstage. The booths are designed by R.A. Long drama students under the direction of Taylor Freeman. 2 p.m.: Sing-A-Long Beauty and the Beast film, with attendee costumes strongly encouraged. Community asset In 2019, the Cowlitz County Facility District helped raise $6.1 million in repairs for the building and continues to pay down a bond taken out by the city of Longview using the districts sales tax. Bob Gregory, master plan project manager with the Cowlitz Public Facilities District, said the money helped replace all of the theaters seats, and upgrade the HVAC system, dressing rooms, restroom and more.. The district is also chipping in for the new updates, including parking lot and tile repairs, Ragsdale said. Sales tax collected throughout the state is brought back to the county through the public facilities district. The district has two separate sales tax rebates: a 0.033% tax rebate funds debt service and operations for the event center, and a 0.02% rebate that funds debt service and operations for the Columbia Theatre. Maintaining the historical building and the work done by the association including childrens education is a priority, said Gregory. The theaters an important artistic facilitator in the community, with performances for all the residents of Cowlitz County, he said. Its a community asset. PINK MARTINI What: Pink Martini featuring China Forbes with guest artist Jimmie Herrod. A dozen musicians will perform songs in 25 languages. Sponsored by JH Kelly and the Evans Kelly Family Foundation. When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 11. Where: Columbia Theatre, 1231 Vandercook Way, Longview. Tickets: $77 for adults, $71.50 for seniors and military and $37.50 for ages 0-18. (additional fees online) Info: columbiatheatre.com or 360-575-8499. Original financers The original theater was financed by a group of 40 local investors, including Wesley Vandercook and S.M. Morris, creating the Columbia Amusement Company, which built the theater on land donated by Long-Bell Lumber Company, according to John M. McClelland, Jr.s 1998 edition of R.A. Longs Planned City. The Classical Revival style building was designed by architect George B. Purvis, who also designed other regional theaters, including the Port Angeles Mack Theatre which opened in 1922 and was later demolished, according to Port Angeles newspaper reports. R.A. Longs Planned City states vaudeville shows at the theater usually consisted of five acts, and 1929 Academy Award actor George Arliss even performed at the theater once. Unknown actor Clark Gable also graced the stage in its early years, according to a History Link report. But overall the theater failed to make a profit, R.A. Longs Planned City states, partially because planners miscalculated the number of people who would live in Longview within the first decade of its 1923 dedication. After the demise of Vaudeville, coupled with the Great Depression, the theater transitioned to the areas first movie theater, according to the performing associations reports, but was set to be demolished in the 80s after attendance declined. It was the May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens eruption that drew contractors waiting in the theaters lot away from tearing down the building, and instead to recovery sites. The interruption left enough time for locals to campaign to save the building. The site was designated a historic landmark in 1985 and the nonprofit association was formed to help restore the building. Today, roughly 30,000 people annually attend shows, which include local, regional and national acts. We would not be here with the support of the community, Ragsdale said. It is the reason we are still here and will remain for future generations. o9 announced that it has entered into a SaaS agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) to deploy o9s advanced supply chain management platform. This collaboration will enable Toyota to optimize its supply chain operations and drive greater efficiency in response to market demands. Top Breaking News Of The Day Toyota is a global automotive innovator focused on enhancing its supply chain to meet the evolving demands of the market, said Chakri Gottemukkala, Co-founder and CEO of o9. We are excited to collaborate with Toyota to accelerate its supply chain transformation with our planning platform. This partnership will enable Toyota to drive more informed decision-making, improve supplier collaboration, and build a more resilient and adaptable supply chain for the future. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake near San Francisco in 1989 caused about $6.8 billion in damage and 63 deaths. Credit: J.K. Nakata/U.S. Geological Survey Earthquakes and the damage they cause are apolitical. Collectively, we either prepare for future earthquakes or the population eventually pays the price. The earthquakes that struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025, collapsing buildings and causing more than 2,000 deaths, were a sobering reminder of the risks and the need for preparation. In the U.S., this preparation hinges in large part on the expertise of scientists and engineers in federal agencies who develop earthquake hazard models and contribute to the creation of building codes designed to ensure homes, high-rises and other structures won't collapse when the ground shakes. Local communities and states decide whether to adopt building code documents. But those documents and other essential resources are developed through programs supported by federal agencies working in partnership with practicing engineers and earthquake experts at universities. This essential federal role is illustrated by two programs that we work closely with as an earthquake engineer and a disaster management expert whose work focuses on seismic risk. Improving building codes First, seismologists and earthquake engineers at the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, produce the National Seismic Hazard Model. These maps, based on research into earthquake sources such as faults and how seismic waves move through the earth's crust, are used to determine the forces that structures in each community should be designed to resist. A steering committee of earthquake experts from the private sector and universities works with USGS to ensure that the National Seismic Hazard Model implements the best available science. Second, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, supports the process for periodically updating building codes. That includes supporting the work of the National Institute of Building Sciences' Provisions Update Committee, which recommends building code revisions based on investigations of earthquake damage. More broadly, FEMA, the USGS, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation work together through the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program to advance earthquake science and turn knowledge of earthquake risks into safer standards, better building design and education. Some of those agencies have been threatened by potential job and funding cuts under the Trump administration, and others face uncertainty regarding continuation of federal support for their work. It is in large part because of the National Seismic Hazard Model and regularly updated building codes that U.S. buildings designed to meet modern code requirements are considered among the safest in the world, despite substantial seismic hazards in several states. In this 2023 update of the national seismic risk map, red areas have the greatest chance of a damaging earthquake occurring within 100 years. Credit: USGS This paradigm has been made possible by the technical expertise and lack of political agendas among the federal staff. Without that professionalism, we believe experts from outside the federal government would be less likely to donate their time. The impacts of these and other programs are well documented. We can point to the limited fatalities from U.S. earthquakes such as the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake near San Francisco, the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles and the 2001 Nisqually earthquake near Seattle. Powerful earthquakes in countries lacking seismic preparedness, often due to lack of adoption or enforcement of building codes, have produced much greater devastation and loss of life. The US has long relied on people with expertise These programs and the federal agencies supporting them have benefited from a high level of staff expertise because hiring and advancement processes have been divorced from politics and focused on qualifications and merit. This has not always been the case. For much of early U.S. history, federal jobs were awarded through a patronage system, where political loyalty determined employment. As described in "The Federal Civil Service System and The Problem of Bureaucracy," this system led to widespread corruption and dysfunction, with officials focused more on managing quid pro quo patronage than governing effectively. That peaked in 1881 with President James Garfield's assassination by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled supporter who had been denied a government appointment. The passage of the Pendleton Act by Congress in 1883 shifted federal employment to a merit-based system. This preference for a merit-based system was reinforced in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. It states as national policy that "to provide the people of the United States with a competent, honest, and productive workforce and to improve the quality of public service, Federal personnel management should be implemented consistent with merit system principles." The shift away from a patronage system produced a more stable and efficient federal workforce, which has enabled improvements in many critical areas, including seismic safety and disaster response. Merit-based civil service matters for safety While the work of these federal employees often goes unnoticed, the benefits are demonstrable and widespread. That becomes most apparent when disasters strike and buildings that meet modern code requirements remain standing. A merit-based civil service is not just a democratic ideal but a proven necessity for the safety and security of the American people, one we hope will continue well into the future. This can be achieved by retaining federal scientists and engineers and supporting the essential work of federal agencies. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Unpiloted aircraft could act as "wingmen" to support piloted sixth generation jets. Credit: US Air Force The most advanced fighter jets in the world are known as "fifth generation." They contain technologies developed in the first part of the 21st century. Examples of fifth generation fighter jets include America's F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor, China's Chengdu J-20 and Russia's Sukhoi SU-57. Now, however, nations are moving ahead with the sixth generation of combat jets. In the past few months, China has flown its J36 and J50 prototype jets. Meanwhile, the US has selected Boeing to build a new fighter aircraft called the F-47. As with previous generations, the sixth will incorporate major advances in aircraft design, onboard electronics (avionics) and weapon systems. But how will the new generation of jets stand out from the previous one? Future combat jets will not see dramatic increases in maximum speed, nor in flight performance. Instead, the true innovations will be in how these systems operate and achieve dominance in aerial combat. Like the fifth generation, the sixth will be dominated by stealth technology. This helps fighters jets to reduce their chances of being detected by infrared and radar sensors, to the point that when their signatures are eventually picked up, the opponent has no time to act. Stealth is achieved through particular shapes of airframe (such as diamond shapes) and coatings on the aircraftcalled radar absorbing materials. The airframe is the fundamental structural framework of an aircraft, encompassing the fuselage, wings, tail assembly and landing gear. The diamond-like shapes that already characterize fifth generation jets are likely to remain in the upcoming generation of fighter, but they will evolve. A common feature we're likely to see is the reduction or complete removal of vertical tails at the back of the aircraft and their control surfaces. In current aircraft, these tails provide directional stability and control in flight, allowing the aircraft to maintain its course and maneuver. However, sixth generation jets could achieve this control with the help of thrust vectoringthe ability to manipulate the direction of engines and therefore the direction of thrust (the force that moves the jet through the air). The role of vertical tails could also be partially replaced by devices called fluidic actuators. These apply forces to the wing by blowing high speed and high pressure air on different parts of it. The removal of the vertical tails would contribute to the fighter's stealth. The new generation of fighters is also likely to see the use of novel radar absorbing materials with advanced capabilities. We'll see the introduction of what are known as adaptive cycle engines on sixth generation fighters. These engines will feature what's known as a three stream design, which refers to the airstreams blowing through the engine. Current jets have two airstreams: one that passes through the core of the engine, and another that bypasses the core. The development of a third stream provides an extra source of air flow to increase the engine's fuel efficiency and performance. This will allow both the capability to cruise efficiently at supersonic speed and deliver a high thrust during combat. It is likely that China and the US will build two separate fighters with different airframes. One will have a bigger airframe, designed for use in an area like the Pacific Ocean region. Here, the ability to fly further and carry a heavier payload will be key, because of the distances involved. Airframes designed for this region will therefore be larger. Another fighter jet carrying a smaller airframe will be designed for use in areas such as Europe where agility and maneuverability will be more important. The next wave of jets will have a system in the cockpit that gathers lots of information from other aircraft, ground surveillance stations and satellites. It would then integrate this data to give an enhanced situational awareness to the pilot. This system would also able to actively jam enemy sensors. Another key feature will be the deployment of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (Ucavs), a form of drone aircraft. The piloted fighter jet would be able to control a variety of Ucavs, ranging from loyal wingmen to cheaper, unpiloted fighter jets that will assist the mission, including protecting the piloted fighter. This will all be the responsibility of something called the advanced digital cockpit, a software-driven system that will use virtual reality and allow the pilot to effectively become a battle manager. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be a key feature of the support systems for the drones. This will allow them to be controlled with complete autonomy. The pilot will assign the main tasksuch as, "attack that enemy jet in that sector"and the system will carry out the mission without any further input. Another advancement will be the weapon systems, with the adoption of missiles that not only will be capable of traveling at hypersonic speeds, but will also incorporate stealth features. This will further reduce the reaction times of enemy forces. Directed energy weapons systems, such as laser weapons, could potentially appear in later stages, as this technology is under study. Under America's sixth generation fighter program, the US Navy is working on a separate jet called the F/A-XX, complementing the F-47. The UK, Italy and Japan are also working on a jet project known as the global combat air program (GCAP). This will replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in service with the UK and Italy and the Mitsubishi F-2 in service with Japan. Germany, Spain and France are working on a fighter program called the future combat air system (FCAS). This could supersede Germany and Spain's Typhoons and France's Rafale. The path for sixth generation fighter jets seems to have already been traced, but uncertainties remain. The feasibility of some of the characteristics described and development times and costs are not yet well defined. This interval of time was more than ten years for fifth generation fighter jetsand the sixth is going to be far more complex in terms of requirements and capability. A new generation of fighter jet is expected to remain on active duty for something like 30 years. But warfare across the world evolves rapidly. It is unclear whether the design requirements we are fixing today remain relevant over the coming years. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Companies developing AI models, such as OpenAI and Meta, train their systems on enormous datasets. These consist of text from newspapers, books (often sourced from unauthorized repositories), academic publications and various internet sources. The material includes works that are copyrighted. The Atlantic magazine recently alleged Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, had used LibGen, an illegal book repository, to train its generative AI tool. Created around 2008 by Russian scientists, LibGen hosts more than 7.5 million books and 81 million research papers, making it one of the largest online libraries of pirated work in the world. The practice of training AI on copyrighted material has sparked intense legal debates and raised serious concerns among writers and publishers, who face the risk of their work being devalued or replaced. While some companies, such as OpenAI, have established formal partnerships with some content providers, many publishers and writers have objected to their intellectual property being used without consent or financial compensation. Author Tracey Spicer has described Meta's use of copyrighted books as "peak technocapitalism," while Sophie Cunningham, chair of the board of the Australian Society of Authors, has accused the company of "treating writers with contempt." Meta is being sued in the United States for copyright infringement by a group of authors, including Michael Chabon, Ta-Nehisi Coates and comedian Sarah Silverman. Court documents filed in January allege Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg approved the use of the LibGen dataset for training the company's AI models knowing it contained pirated material. Meta has declined to comment on the ongoing court case. The legal battles center on a fundamental question: does mass data scraping for AI training constitute "fair use"? Legal challenges The stakes are particularly high, as AI companies not only train their models using publicly accessible data, but use the content to provide Chatbot answers that may compete with the original creators' works. AI companies defend their data scraping on the grounds of innovation and "fair use"a legal doctrine that, in the US, permits "the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances." Those circumstances include research, teaching and commentary. Similar provisions apply in other legal jurisdictions, including Australia. AI companies argue their use of copyrighted works for training purposes is transformative. But when AI can reproduce content that closely mimics an author's style or regenerates substantial portions of copyrighted material, legitimate questions arise about whether this constitutes infringement. A landmark legal case in this battle is The New York Times vs. OpenAI and Microsoft. Launched in late 2023, the case is ongoing. The New York Times alleges copyright infringement, claiming OpenAI and its partner Microsoft used millions of its articles without permission, to train AI systems. Although the scope of the lawsuit has been narrowed to core claims relating to copyright and trademark dilution infringement, a recent court decision allowing the case to proceed to trial has been seen as a win for the New York Times. Other news publishers, including News Corp, have also initiated legal proceedings against AI companies. The concern extends beyond traditional publishers and news organizations to individual creators, who face threats to their livelihoods. In 2023, a group of authorsincluding Jonathan Franzen, John Grisham and George R.R. Martinfiled a class-action suit, still unresolved, alleging OpenAI copied their works without permission or payment. Implications These and numerous other legal challenges will have significant implications for the future of the publishing and media industries, and for AI companies. The issue is particularly alarming, considering that in 2023, the average median full-time income for an author in the United States was just over USD$20,000. The situation is even more dire in Australia, where authors earn an average of AUD$18,200 per year. In response to these challenges, the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has called for the Australian government to regulate AI. Its proposal is that AI companies should be required to obtain permission before using copyrighted work and must provide fair compensation to writers who grant authorization. The ASA has also called for clear labeling of content that is wholly or partially AI-generated, and transparency regarding which copyrighted works have been used for AI training and the purposes of that training. If training AI on copyrighted works is permissible, what compensation model is fair to original creators? In 2024, HarperCollins signed a deal allowing limited use of selected nonfiction backlist titles for AI training. The three-year non-exclusive agreement affected over 150 Australian authors. It gave them the choice to opt in for USD$2,500, split 50/50 between writer and publisher. However, the Authors Guild argues a 50/50 split is not fair and recommends 75% should go to the author and only 25% to the publisher. Potential responses Publishers and creators are increasingly concerned about the loss of control of intellectual property. AI systems rarely cite sources, diminishing the value of attribution. If these systems can generate content that substitutes for published works, this has the potential to reduce demand for original content. As AI-generated content floods the market, distinguishing and protecting original works becomes more challenging. Amazon has already been swamped by AI-generated content, including imitations and book summaries, sold as ebooks. Lawmakers in various jurisdictions are considering updates to national copyright laws specifically addressing AI, which aim to promote innovation and safeguard rights. But the responses are diverging dramatically. The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act of 2024 aims to balance copyright holders' interests with innovation in AI development. The copyright provisions were added late in negotiations and are considered relatively weak. But they provide additional tools for copyright holders to identify potential infringements and give general-purpose AI providers more legal certainty, if they comply with the rules. Any plans to regulate AI have been explicitly rejected by US vice president JD Vance. In February, at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, Vance described "excessive regulation" as "authoritarian censorship" that undermined the development of AI. This stance reflects the broader US approach to AI regulation. In their submissions to the US government's AI Action Plan currently under development, both OpenAI and Google argue AI companies should be able to freely train their models on copyrighted material under the "fair use" principle, as part of "a copyright strategy that promotes the freedom to learn." This position raises significant concerns for content creators. Deal or no deal? In addition to legal frameworks, various models are being developed globally to ensure creators and publishers are being paid, while allowing AI companies to use the data. Since mid-2023, several academic publishers, including Informa (the parent company of Taylor & Francis), Wiley and Oxford University Press, have established licensing agreements with AI companies. Other publishers are making direct deals with AI companies, along similar lines to HarperCollins. In Australia, Black Inc. recently asked its authors to sign opt-in agreements permitting the use of their work for AI training purposes. A variety of licensing platforms, such as Created by Humans, have emerged. These aim to facilitate the legal use of copyrighted materials for AI training and clearly indicate to readers when a book is written by humans, not AI-generated. To date, the Australian government has not enacted any specific statutes that would directly regulate AI. In September 2024, the government released a voluntary framework consisting of eight AI Ethics Principles, which call for transparency, accountability and fairness in AI systems. The use of copyrighted works to train AI systems remains contested legal territory. Both AI developers and creators have valid interests at stake. There is a clear need to balance technological innovation with sustainable models for original content creation. Finding the right balance between these interests will likely require a combination of legal precedent, new business models and thoughtful policy development. As courts begin to rule on these cases, we may see clearer guidelines emerge about what constitutes fair use in AI training and AI-driven content creation, and what compensation models might be appropriate. Ultimately, the future of human creativity hangs in the balance. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Fifty years ago, two kids from Seattle flipped the tech industry on its head. While all the big brains in personal computing were focused on machines"microcomputer" hardwareBill Gates and Paul Allen were thinking about the technology that made the machines go: software. That idea, planted by Allen at Gates' Boston-area apartment, became the opening verse of Microsoft's epic. Gates and Allen launched "Micro-Soft" on April 4, 1975, out of a small office in a strip mall in Albuquerque, N.M., then decamped for Bellevue before landing in Redmond. Over the decades that followed, amid leadership changes, intense government scrutiny and billions upon billions of dollars in revenue, tens of thousands of employees passed through Microsoft to witness, and add to, the stuff of tech-industry legend. Microsoft built things. It broke things. It created opportunities for people who never thought they'd work in the tech industry. It gave some a lucrative retirement early in their lives, and their own stories to tell. "Bringing home the bacon" Scott Oki joined Microsoft as employee no. 121. The company was small; Gates was hands-on, and hard to please. "One of his favorite phrases was 'that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard,'" Oki says. "He didn't use that on me, so I feel pretty good about that." Another, kinder phrase that pops to Oki's mind when discussing the international division he founded at Microsoft is "bringing home the bacon." An obsession with rapid revenue growth permeated Microsoft in those early days. Oki was about three weeks into the job as marketing manager when he presented a global expansion plan to Gates. "Had I done business internationally before? No," Oki said. "Do I speak a language other than English? No." But Gates gave Oki a $1 million budget to found the international division and sell Microsoft products overseas. He established subsidiaries in the most important markets at the time: Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and France. And, because he had a few bucks left over, Australia. "Of the initial subsidiaries we started, every single one of them was profitable in its first year," he says. When he moved over to the money-losing U.S. sales division five years later, Oki says, he didn't have the advantages he had overseas. Microsoft was the leading applications provider internationally; in the U.S. its products were behind word processors and spreadsheets lost to history, like Wordstar and Lotus 1-2-3. Oki laid off most of the U.S. sales division, closed offices and hired part-time employees who worked from home. He also pushed to shift efforts from OS/2, an operating system jointly developed by Microsoft and IBM, to Windows. If Microsoft got Windows to market first, everyone would follow them over from IBM. Oki left Microsoft on March 1, 1992, 10 years to the day after he was hired. He departed a couple of years after the launch of Windows 3, which introduced a new graphical user interface and clickable icons. But the success of that product coupled with Oki's influence in the decision to split from IBM laid the groundwork for Windows 95. Microsoft could stand on its own. Launching the 'rocket ship' Brad Chase once missed out on a Rolling Stones concert because he had to fly back to the U.S. for work. He was in Amsterdam, trying to secure the rights to the song "Start Me Up" for a Windows 95 commercial. The ad became so famous that it's not a spoiler to say his team was eventually able to use the song. Microsoft was a lot of things in the mid-1990sa corporate behemoth, a cutthroat player in the tech sector, a software factory that minted millionaires. But while coffee and crunchy Northwest rock music was cool, Microsoft was not. A kinetic, consumer-oriented commercial featuring music from rock gods might have helped. An ad agency presented Chase with concepts for a Windows 95 commercial of kids, suit-wearing corporate employees, college students and retail workers using the new start menu feature on their computers with the Stones playing in the background, and he thought it was brilliant. He had to have the song. The one problem? Mick Jagger and the boys wanted $10 million from Microsoft to license it. "I didn't have $10 million to spend on that," Chase says. "And they knew I didn't have $10 million to spend on that." Chase, whose life was "frenetic beyond belief at the time," jumped on a jet to meet with Rolling Stones personnel in Amsterdam, where they were doing an acoustic concert at the Paradiso theater. Negotiations stalled and Chase had to get back to the U.S., but not before he accepted an offer to watch the band rehearse. As time ticked down and the band warmed up, a deal was struck. Chase is quick to dispel any rumor that Mick Jagger called up Bill Gates and got $12 million. But he won't say how much the company paid. The ad was part of an all-out push by Chase. The now-famous promo began with a cursor clicking on the start menu icon as the echoing, raunchy guitar riff and syncopated drumbeat from "Start Me Up" launch the viewer into a new world of personal computing. Video guides were pumped out, including one that featured Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry of "Friends." Windows 95 was revolutionary. It introduced much of the interface that is familiar to this day when you fire up a Microsoft-driven computer. The traditional tech product marketing campaign was to withhold information. Tech products were a secret, similar to how Apple still markets new devices. Chase flipped that strategy. For the masses to buy Windows 95, a radical new approach for Microsoft, they had to understand what it was. "Bill (Gates) used to say all of the time, 'We're going to bet the company on Windows,'" Chase says. "That was a huge bet because Windows, frankly, was a lousy product in its early days," Chase continues. After marketing Windows 95, the "rocket ship" as Chase calls it, he worked on marketing for Windows 98, Windows 2000 and the early versions of Internet Explorer. In 1999, he was brought over to MSN.com to resuscitate the company's internet portal. The momentum got lost in the 2000s, as Google's rise displaced search engines from Microsoft, Yahoo! and others. The company owes its success to the bets it's made, Chase says, but he believes it should have doubled down on search. Chase left in 2002, missing the Microsoft that was small enough for someone who chose a private rehearsal from the Rolling Stones over a concert. Microsoft wasn't only growing as an employer but also as a controversial figure in corporate politics during the end of Chase's time there. And the seemingly unstoppable machine was meeting resistance. A not-so-gentle giant Mary Snapp's journey to Microsoft sounds fated. Hailing from Kansas, Snapp chose Seattle in 1984 on a whim. She says that after graduating from college she picked up a Farmer's Almanac and found a city with a topography wholly unlike the Great Plains. "Where I grew up there was no water, no mountains, and I wanted a change of scenery, honestly," Snapp says. "I wanted a city but I didn't want an overwhelming city, so I picked Seattle." She was working for a law firm when she spotted a piece of paper on the floor of her then-boyfriend's Honda Civic. It was a tech industry newsletter with a want ad on the back. Not long after, she was the first female attorney hired by Microsoft. Microsoft's legal divisionnamed Corporate, External and Legal Affairs, or CELAis enormous now. Microsoft President Brad Smith, who leads the team, has more than 1,800 employees underneath him. When Snapp joined, the legal team could have fit snugly in that Honda. She recalls being lawyer No. 3 or 5. One lawyer ran the U.S. side of the company while another ran the international division with one or two attorneys under them. Snapp's experience with Microsoft is dichotomous: fun, and demanding. Before joining, she was working on small mergers and acquisitions. But at Microsoft she was tasked with big deals. Snapp was the lead lawyer on the company's joint venture with NBC to create MSNBC, Microsoft's first foray into online media. At the time, Microsoft ruled personal computing through software and applications; the internet was new, and Microsoft was losing out. She was also the lead lawyer for Microsoft's 2011 acquisition of Skype, a precursor to video-calling services Zoom and Microsoft Teams, in a deal that involved days of stress while wrangling Microsoft's business folks and a Skype founder who wouldn't get on the phone to give them a patent. But while Snapp laughs about those deals, nostalgia hasn't softened her recollections of other trying days. The U.S. government spent the 1990s opening investigations into Microsoft, with little impact on the company. Then, in 1998, the Department of Justice accused Microsoft of using its overwhelming dominance as a software supplier to monopolize the burgeoning internet browser market. "The day the U.S. government sued Microsoft ... that was a tough day for me," Snapp says. "It kind of turned my world upside down for about the next eight years." While it looked for a time like Microsoft would be broken up, the DOJ and the company eventually settled the suit for lesser penalties. After the antitrust suit, Snapp describes a culture change in the legal division. Smith, who would go on to become Microsoft's president, was named the company's general counsel, a position he says he wanted to foster peace between the company and the government. Snapp says she remembers going to Smith's office and shaking his hand when she heard the news, knowing it was going to be a different culture. Different times call for different leaders. After the antitrust lawsuit, Microsoft had to learn diplomacy. The good neighbor Jane Broom graduated from the University of Washington in 1992 with a passion for public service on the tail end of a recession. An adviser of Broom's worked in human resources at Microsoft. A group at the company was looking for a "kind of junior, well, very junior junior," person to do events, Broom says. Broom wasn't enthused. Microsoft was an enormous company without much cultural cachet. It was also obviously not a nonprofit. "But then the parents are calling and they're like, 'you might want to call her back,'" Broom says. "So then I call her back, interviewed on a Thursday and I started on a Monday." Her parents back in Spokane didn't know much about the industry-leading software maker, but Bill Gates' parents were what passed for Washington state royalty. Bill Gates Sr. was a prominent Seattle lawyer, and Mary Gates was a community icon. "They said 'Oh, you know what? I think that's Mary and Bill Gates' son's company. If that kid is anything like those two, that is going to be a great company,'" Broom says. Over the years, Broom managed to stay at Microsoft while getting closer to community service. In 2004, she started leading Microsoft's Partners in Learning program, an initiative from the company to boost digital literacy in schools. Washington's tech sector grew following Microsoft's success. Amazon popped up in the 1990s and by the 2000s, the Seattle area had a tech scene that rivaled any other. Silicon Valley companies like Google staked flags in the area in the early 2000s and have since grown to establish large engineering hubs. Serious money was entering the Pacific NorthwestMicrosoft was valued at more than $600 billion at the turn of the millenniumand transforming a region built by timber and manufacturing workers into one that priced those people out. Early Microsoft employees became millionaires, and the seeds for Seattle's affordability crisis were planted. But as the companies enjoyed that growth, Broom saw the industry's pipeline had a diversity problem. "I was very concerned about the gaps in terms of who's getting access," Broom says. One year, while looking at data from Advanced Placement computer science test scores, she noticed that out of roughly 2,000 kids who took the test, one was Native American, five were Black and just nine were girls. "When you see the opportunity these jobs can unlock, it was really disheartening to see that," Broom says. "In a lot of ways it rallied so many of us to try and change this." Now with Microsoft Philanthropies, Broom's scope is broader. The company still focuses on digital literacy and education, but it also supports affordable housing, civic engagement and disaster relief. (The Seattle Times has received financial support from Microsoft Philanthropies.) "A beautiful thing about Microsoft is the ability to say these are the things I'm really interested in, and having people know that," Broom says. "And as things change, they say 'so there's this Jane person ...,' and I'm really thankful for that." 2025 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain When Satya Nadella entered Microsoft's C-suite in 2014, the company wasn't one of the tech darlings dazzling Wall Street. After founder Bill Gates turned the CEO role over to Steve Ballmer in 2000 and until Ballmer stepped away in 2014, Microsoft's stock price basically followed the market. The company was still printing money thanks to its dominance in personal computing software. But it couldn't draw futurist headlines like those chasing companies that represented FAANG, a catchall acronym for Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google, the sexy tech stocks of the early 2010s. While Apple and Google seized the smartphone market, Microsoft fumbled its Windows-powered cellphone. As it revolutionized retail, Amazon also beat Microsoft to the punch on cloud computing with its debut of Amazon Web Services in 2002. Microsoft was resting on its laurels, even if those behind the scenes were feverishly trying to break into new markets with ultimately doomed products like the Zune. Enter Nadella, the engineer. Climbing through the ranks at Microsoft in various product divisions, Nadella had found a way at each stop to bring the company into a new digital age: take it to the cloud. As a concept, cloud computing is abstract. It took years to drag customers, both commercial and consumer, into Microsoft's cloud umbrella, Azure. But the bet paid off. And with the winnings, Nadella and others are pushing more chips each year into a technology better known than cloud computing but perhaps even less understood: artificial intelligence. From July 2024 through June 2025, the company projects it will have spent $80 billion on AI infrastructure, mostly by building data centers. That represents almost 33% of Microsoft's total revenue for 2024, which the company reported as $245 billion. Microsoft isn't all in, but it's still a big bet for a company worth $2.9 trillion. To the cloud You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who says "send that to me in a WordPerfect document." Nobody tracks their company budget in a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet. Two applications that were ubiquitous for computer users in the 1980s are now completely lost to history thanks to Microsoft Office. Those Office productschiefly Word, PowerPoint and Excelonce drove the Redmond-based tech giant. Under Nadella, cloud computing outstripped them all. When Nadella was named CEO, Office and the cloud were essentially tied in terms of revenue. Office brought in $24.3 billion in revenue. Microsoft's cloud computing division reported $21.7 billion in sales that year. Cloud computing is booming for Microsoft. Last year, Intelligent Cloud reported more than $100 billion in annual sales. Office's revenue was about half of that. Though tens of thousands of employees are underneath Nadella developing Microsoft's successful cloud products, it's Microsoft's chief who's been credited with turning around a company that continually failed to stay on the cutting edge of technology for more than a decade. Windows didn't make a dent in the smartphone market, now the domain of Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems. The ill-fated Zune didn't take down the iPod. And though MSN looked to be a contender as a search platform early on, the company lost interest in capturing that market before Google did. Though it's a success now, Microsoft was late in launching its cloud platform, Azure. Amazon Web Services entered the arena in 2002, six years before Azure did. Amazon spent that time gobbling up market share. While Microsoft and others were growing cloud services slowly, Amazon Web Services was humming. Amazon still has a healthy lead in the cloud market, with about 30% of it, according to the Synergy Research Group. But Microsoft's share has climbed to 21%. After more than a decade of dragging customers to the cloud, Nadella and Microsoft are pulling them toward AI, a technology that's costly, unreliable and greedy, using vast amounts of energy and water, but potentially extraordinarily lucrative. General-purpose technology Tech companies have developed large language models and machine learning products for the past decade that fall under AI. It's technology that allows a robot vacuum to clean a house more efficiently and produces better predictive ads while you're browsing the internet. But the flashier products are in the zeitgeist now. Chatbots that can craft essays and image generators that produce uncanny pictures are all available to the public. The tech industry is scrambling to include AIor at least the term AIin new products, annual earnings calls and marketing efforts. Facebook parent company Meta injected AI chatbots into its social media platforms, while Expedia has an AI feature for travel planning and Google's search has been handed over to the technology. For about $1,000, you can even own the world's first AI-enabled grill from a company called Brisk It. Microsoft's biggest consumer-facing AI product has been Copilot, a complement to the company's Office products that can automate tasks. Behind the scenes, Microsoft plans to pour money into AI. In a regulatory filing from October, Microsoft said it has committed $13 billion in investments toward OpenAI, an AI research organization that develops chatbots and image generators. Microsoft has such a large investment in the ChatGPT maker that it reported a $683 million expense due to its equity stake. As Wall Street rides the roller coaster of AI hype, Microsoft claims it's chasing the technology almost altruistically. The company believes that AI is a general-purpose technology. "A single-purpose technology is a great advancement and helps a lot of people," said Mary Snapp, vice president of strategic initiatives for Microsoft, in an interview with The Seattle Times. "Like my electric sewing machine when I was growing up. Boy, I sewed a lot of clothes and it got me to the prom, but it didn't do anything else." But an example of general-purpose technology, she said, is electricity. It spawns innovation and boosts productivity. An ambassador for the company's policy and tech efforts, Snapp travels around the world trying to demystify AI and advocate for retraining workforces. She likens it to the government trying to drive social acceptance of electricity in rural areas in the 1930s to build the electric grid. "We needed people to know how to run electrical appliances at scale and in industrial settings," Snapp said. "We're going to need the same thing with artificial intelligence." AI in action In early March, Microsoft President Brad Smith was in Tanzania to see Microsoft's AI for Good Research Lab in the field. The technology's selling point is improved productivity and efficiency in any setting. So, how could it help conservation? The lab had been partnering with the Wild Nature Institute, a conservation group, and was working with the organization to track the East African country's giraffe population. "Turns out that AI is critical," Smith said in an interview with The Seattle Times. "Every giraffe is unique, so for decades, these scientists would go out into the wild and they would have these diagrams of the giraffes that were drawn. Now you take a photograph, AI crops it, and then it instantaneously matches that giraffe to the giraffe in the dataset." Outside of Microsoft's research efforts, the company has already introduced its customers to AI. Deb Cupp, president of Microsoft's business operations across North America and South America, is in charge of an $80 billion products business that's now tasked with delivering AI to customers and educating them on the technology. "We spent time explaining what AI was and where the areas of opportunity actually were," she says. "We started to help customers think through whether they should try and create use cases, finding ways to fit in the technology. But the answer is actually the complete opposite." Renton-based Providence Health & Services said it's been working with the tech giant to identify use cases for AI. Health care has been moving to the digital world for the past 10 to 15 years, a move that Providence said has set it up for AI. Susan Huang, chief physician executive for health care giant Providence, said AI already has more buy-in than the organization's move to the cloud years ago. "AI is part of the colloquial dialogue whereas cloud-based services were somewhat niche," Huang said. "Whether you're a caregiver, doctor or nurse, everyone has an idea about how AI can be applied. And they're already using it on the outside and in their personal lives." Hype or real? Two major issues hang over AI. It uses a lot of energy. The International Energy Agency said in a report last year that from 2022 to 2026, global electricity demand from data centers could double in part due to AI. The demand from data centers would be roughly equal to the entire electricity consumption of Japan. The average amount of electricity used in a traditional Google search is 0.3 watt-hours. For a ChatGPT request, it's about 2.9 watt-hours, the equivalent of running an LED light bulb for roughly 17 minutes. Essentially, the company is looking in the margins for where it can cut back on energy and water consumption while tightening AI's belt. If the models and code can be more efficient, they'll use less energy with each request. AI's other issue is its tendency to hallucinate. Google's Gemini feature regularly spits back incorrect information, as it's drawing from unreliable sources across the internet. OpenAI's ChatGPT has made up facts and gets tricked by word problems. Grok, the AI platform for X, routinely aggregates trendy jokes and reports them back as news. A recent study from the Columbia Journalism Review found that AI search tools were "generally bad at declining to answer questions they couldn't answer accurately, offering incorrect or speculative answers instead." Former Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myrhvold believes it will take a miracle or maybe five for AI to reach human-level understanding. At Geekwire's Microsoft@50 anniversary event on March 20, Myrhvold expressed optimism for AI. But the feature it lacks is the ability to take abstract concepts and find meaning, as humans can. It can't reason in the abstract as humans do until a miracle happens. "And that could happen tomorrow. Or maybe it already happened tonight and they just haven't told us," Myrhvold said. "Or it could take another 10 years." For now it's about getting a return on investment and satisfying Wall Street. How Microsoft makes money through AI is a bit murky because it's injecting the technology throughout its revenue segments. But Nadella gave analysts a good sales pitch in January, during the company's latest earnings call. The company said its AI business has a revenue run rate, effectively a projection of revenue for the next year, of $13 billion. On the same day, Microsoft revealed it spent $22.6 billion in a single quarter on AI infrastructure. Nadella and the company deem those rising expenditures necessary. "As AI becomes more efficient and accessible," Nadella said, "we will see exponentially more demand." 2025 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says his artificial intelligence firm is working on a more open model, as it faces pressure from rivals like Meta and DeepSeek. OpenAI on Monday said it raised $40 billion in a new funding round that valued the ChatGPT maker at $300 billion, the biggest capital-raising session ever for a startup. The infusion of cash comes in a partnership with Japanese investment giant SoftBank Group and "enables us to push the frontiers of AI research even further," the San Francisco-based company said in a post on its website. "Their support will help us continue building AI systems that drive scientific discovery, enable personalized education, enhance human creativity, and pave the way toward AGI (artificial general intelligence) that benefits all of humanity," the company said. AGI refers to a computing platform with human-level intelligence. SoftBank said in a release that it is on a mission to realize Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) that surpasses human intelligence, and that OpenAI is the partner closest to achieving that goal. "The advancement of OpenAI's AI models is key to achieving AGI and ASI, and massive computing power is essential," SoftBank stated in its rationale for the latest investment in the company. SoftBank is to pump $10 billion into OpenAI to start, and $30 billion more by the end of this year pending certain conditions. OpenAI plans to scale its infrastructure and "deliver increasingly powerful tools for the 500 million people who use ChatGPT every week." Opening up? The funding news came the same day OpenAI announced it was building a more open generative AI model as it faces growing competition in the open-source space from Chinese rival DeepSeek, and Meta. The move would mark a strategic shift by OpenAI, which until now has been a fierce defender of closed, proprietary models that do not allow developers to modify the basic technology to make AI more adapted to their goals. OpenAI and defenders of closed modelswhich include Googlehave often decried open models as riskier and more vulnerable to nefarious uses by malicious actors or non-U.S. governments. OpenAI's embrace of closed models has also been a bone of contention in its battles with former investor Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest person, who has called on OpenAI to honor the spirit of the company's name and "return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was." Putting pressure on OpenAI, many large companies and governments have proved reluctant to build their AI products or services on models they have no control over, especially when data security is a concern. The core selling point of Meta's family of Llama models or DeepSeek's models is addressing these worries by letting companies download their models, and have far greater control to modify the technology for their own purposes and keep control of their data. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this month that Llama hit one billion downloads, while the release of DeepSeek's lower-cost R1 model in January rocked the world of artificial intelligence. "We've been thinking about this for a long time, but other priorities took precedence. Now it feels important to do," OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said on X of the decision to build a more open model. OpenAI has been riding on the success of its latest image-generation features in ChatGPT, the world-leading AI app and chatbot. Altman posted on Monday that the tool helped add "one million users" in one hour. That claim came days after Altman said the new image features were so popular that they were melting the OpenAI graphics processing units that power the AI due to heavy use. 2025 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The Bitcoin cryptocurrency has had a rocky ride since launching in 2008, and support from world leaders such as US President Donald Trump could do it more harm than good. Support for cryptocurrencies from US President Donald Trump or Argentine leader Javier Milei has seen investors lose billions of dollars and is damaging a sector struggling for credibility, researchers told AFP. "The entire crypto industry is being tarnished," said Claire Balva, strategy director for fintech company Deblock. Argentine prosecutors are reportedly examining whether Milei engaged in fraud or criminal association, or was in breach of his duties, when he praised the $LIBRA cryptocurrency on social media in February. The token's value soared from just a few cents to almost $5 and then crashed. Milei deleted his blessing hours later. He denies all allegations made against him. "I did not promote it," Milei told broadcaster TN in February, adding it "is a problem between private parties because the State does not play a role here". "I acted in good faith," he said. The price collapsed after a handful of early investors decided to sell at a huge profit, causing colossal losses for the majority of those who purchased $LIBRA. It also dragged down prices of other cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin. Hayden Davis, who helped launch $LIBRA, said he had been inspired by the initial success of Trump's memecoin, $TRUMP, that marked the president's inauguration. Having reportedly made Trump at least $350 million, according to the Financial Times, about 810,000 buyers went on to lose more than $2 billion combined, stated crypto data group Chainalysis. A memecoin is a cryptocurrency that rides on the popularity of a viral personality or phenomenon on the internet and is often seen as a purely speculative asset. Relying on trust Once a fierce critic of cryptocurrencies, Trump has become a fervent defender. He is offering multiple products linked to digital currencies, notably through his World Liberty Financial exchange, increasing accusations of a conflict of interest. On paper, his support for crypto projects could boost the sector's legitimacy. "But at the same time, it can backfire," said Larisa Yarovaya, director of the Center for Digital Finance at Southampton Business School. "Any conflicts that will emerge from it... any hackers, speculative attacks, any problems in relation to these specific coins or these specific projects" can prove counterproductive, she told AFP. There is skepticism also over the launch in February of the memecoin $CAR by the Central African Republic. "The domain name had been reserved only a few days before" launch, noted Balva, which "shows that there was too little preparation". The Central African Republic was the second country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender, after El Salvador in 2021, which has since reversed course owing to a lack of local popularity. A precursor to other cryptocurrencies, bitcoin was launched in 2008 as a way to free transactions from traditional financial institutions, notably banks. Cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain technology, which publicly records transactions between people holding and exchanging them. In the absence of a centralized authority, the system relies on "trust" in the people "who are endorsing these products", said Maximilian Brichta, a doctoral student of communication at the University of Southern California. Rigged game Many traders will use automated programs to buy a new token as early as possible in the hope of reselling it for maximum profit. Milei defended himself by likening losses endured by buyers of $LIBRA to someone entering a casino and knowing they may not win. However with crypto, it is argued by some that the "game" is rigged from the outset. To avoid price manipulation, "when launching a cryptocurrency, best practice dictates that the first investors... hold a very small share of the offering" and are prevented from selling for "several years", said Balva. Except that at the launch of $LIBRA, "more than 80%" of the available tokens were in the hands of "a handful of large holders (who) controlled all the liquidity and could liquidate it all at any time", she added. According to Balva, this was "either monumental recklessness or outright fraud". 2025 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The Furrowed Face Condition displaying lowered brows and narrowed eyes. Credit: Shushi Namba/Hiroshima University Ever asked a question and been met with a blank stare? It's awkward enough with a personbut on a humanoid robot, it can be downright unsettling. Now, an international team co-led by Hiroshima University and RIKEN has found a fix: giving androids a "thinking face." Their study reveals that when robots squint and furrow their brow while processing information, they appear more relatable, easing the eerie discomfort we feel with artificial beings that look almost, but not quite, humanknown as the "uncanny valley" effect. Until now, research on the "uncanny valley" phenomenon has focused mainly on robots' appearance. But their study, published in the International Journal of Social Robotics, suggests that behavior plays just as big a role. When we humans are contemplating an answer, our faces show it. If an android doesn't respond in a socially expected way, such as failing to look "thoughtful," it can feel as unnerving as an unnatural face. Researchers set out to pinpoint the facial cues people use when deep in thought and test whether mimicking these "thinking faces" could make human-android interactions feel more naturalespecially as asking questions is a typical part of engaging with robots. Their findings are critical for the robotics and AI industries, particularly those developing customer service androids, AI assistants, and health care companions. "We often express psychological states such as happiness or anger through facial expressions. However, previous studies have only examined a limited set of expressions. This study aimed to identify the facial patterns associated with the 'thinking face' in humans," said study corresponding author Shushi Namba, associate professor at Hiroshima University's (HU) Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences. "We then examined whether applying these 'thinking' facial patterns to androids could enhance natural human-robot interaction. Specifically, our research addressed the lack of clarity around the facial movements that convey 'being in thought' and tested their effect on human perception when applied to an android." Identifying 'thinking' facial cues in humans To identify the facial patterns linked to thinking, the international research team filmed the reactions of 40 young adults, equally split between males and females, as they counted silently for two seconds in their heads (Control Condition) and answered a series of questions ranging from basic math to politics (Thinking Condition). Questions were delivered uniformly using voice-reading software to prevent speech variations from influencing responses. Analyzing the 240 facial videos revealed these five distinct expressions associated with thinking: Component 1: Raised chin, subtly tightened lips, lifted inner brow, and downward gaze Component 2: Opened mouth Component 3: Blinking Component 4: Slightly narrowed eyes and furrowed brows Component 5: Smiling with cheek raised, raised upper lip, and dimpling Replicating the 'furrowed face' on an android Of the five, the researchers chose to adopt Component 4, which they called "furrowed face," as it stood out as the most indicative of deep thought based on past studies exploring how people express and perceive thinking. They programmed an android named Nikola to replicate this expression and tested how it would fare compared to a furrowed smiling face and neutral face. Eighty-nine crowdsourced workers were asked to watch a video of Nikola displaying these expressions and score each on "genuineness," "eeriness/human-likeness," "thinking about the answer," and "appropriateness." A hat was placed on the android's head to conceal exposed mechanical components used for facial movements and make its appearance more natural in the video recordings. Testing revealed that the furrowed face was rated as the most thoughtful, genuine, human-like, appropriately acting, and less eerie of the three. Role of expressions in human-robot interactions Wanting to further prove why expressions matter in robots, the researchers compared people's reactions to videos featuring either Nikola or a chatbot. Forty Japanese university students were shown eight hypothetical question-and-answer scenarios: four with thinking cues (furrowed face or dots) and four without (neutral face or blank speech bubble). In the video, the android and chatbot were asked a question about a sushi restaurant or technology's impact on Japanese politics. After a brief 2.5-second pause, during which either a thinking cue or a neutral stimuli was displayed, the robots responded with "Of course!" The Control Condition showing no facial movements. Credit: Shushi Namba/Hiroshima University While both thinking cues made participants feel like the android and chatbot were "thinking," the dots were rated higher for signaling that information was being processed. Meanwhile, they said the furrowed face made Nikola seem more human-like, suggesting that when robots display familiar social norms, they are perceived as more relatable. "The main takeaway is that when people are 'thinking," they would express the furrowed face. The other message is that implementing human-like 'thinking faces' in androids enhances perceptions of 'being in thought," genuineness, human-likeness, and appropriateness while reducing the uncanny valley effect," Namba said. One reason the chatbot was seen as more effective in conveying that it is "thinking" is people's familiarity with dots as a visual cue that information is being processed. As androids become more common, these findings could help guide the development of robots that adopt similar cues, bringing about more natural and intuitive human-robot interactions. "The ultimate goal is to develop androids that can engage in more natural and intuitive interactions with humans, reducing the sense of eeriness and increasing their acceptance in social settings," Namba said. "To get there, we need to further refine the implementation of thinking faces in androids by considering dynamic aspects of facial movements and investigating their effects in real-time social interactions. Additionally, the study suggests exploring cultural variations in the perception of thinking faces and integrating gaze behavior or other social cues to improve humanrobot communication." More information: Shushi Namba et al, How an Android Expresses "Now Loading": Examining the Properties of Thinking Faces, International Journal of Social Robotics (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s12369-024-01163-9 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A Police officer uses a drone as he works outside the Arndale Center shopping complex in Manchester, northwest England on October 11, 2019, following a series of stabbings. Police arrested a man on terror charges Friday after a mass stabbing at a shopping center in Manchester, northwest England, that left five people injured. The man in his 40s was "lunging and attacking people" with a large knife in the Arndale shopping center, Police Chief Russ Jackson said. The suspect was detained within five minutes and initially arrested for assault, before this was changed to an accusation of preparing and instigating an act of terrorism. The UK government said Tuesday it had pledged 20 million ($25.8 million) to help commercial drone services and "flying taxis" take off in Britain. The drone delivery market has landed in several countries including the United States, allowing customers to have online shopping dropped at their doors by fleets of flying robots. There have been several pilot schemes in the UK toofrom island postal services to rapid blood sample transportbut commercial drone deliveries have been slower to get off the ground. Earlier this year Amazon, one of the big companies dominating the field in the United States, said it had chosen a town in northern England for its first UK drone parcel deliveriesthough it is still not clear when the scheme in Darlington could start. Announcing the UK government funding on Tuesday, the transport ministry said the money would help kickstart new technologies and streamline regulations, in a move it said would benefit companies but could also see drones used by firefighters and paramedics. The ministry added the UK's Civil Aviation Authority would receive 16.5 million from 2025-26 to work on regulations for drones and electric air taxisvehicles which resemble a cross between a drone and a small plane, and can take off like helicopters. The regulations "could see air taxis in use from 2028," the transport ministry claimed, adding a further 5 million would be used "to support industry to turn these new technologies into profitable business that benefits communities." Critics have argued the government should focus its attention elsewhere, and have raised concerns about the use of drones and aerial surveillance by the authorities. Unions are also worried about the risk to jobs, while earlier this year the UK's prison watchdog warned gangs were using drones to deliver drugs and drop weapons to inmates inside jails. Welcoming the new funding, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said a "regulatory system that keeps pace" was needed for new technologies to succeed. "This is regulation that will unlock a raft of new commercial and public service opportunities for the use of drones," he said. He said drones would have to transmit their location to reduce the risk of crashes and the "highest safety standards" would be maintained. Aviation minister Mike Kane said he wanted "the UK to have the most advanced aviation technology ecosystem in the world." "That means creating a nimble regulatory environment and a culture of innovation, so everyone can benefit from cutting-edge transport," he said. The UK has so far seen the deployment of an army of flightless shopping delivery robots in Milton Keynes, post delivered by drone on the Scottish isles of Orkney, and blood samples sent through the skies by a London hospital for urgent testing. 2025 AFP